Last updated: March 31, 1998. Please send additions and corrections to Randy Robinson

 

Family Narrative of John1 Sanford

1. JOHN1 SANFORD1,2 was born Abt. 1605 in England2, and died in Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI3,4. He married (1) ELIZABETH WEBB5,6. He married (2) BRIDGET HUTCHINSON Abt. 16367,8, baptized 15 Jan 1618/19, Alford, Lincolnshire, England9,10

    Children of JOHN SANFORD and ELIZABETH WEBB are:

  1. JOHN2 SANFORD, b. 4 Jun 1633, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA11,12; d. 25 Jan 1686/87, East Greenwich, Kent Co., RI13,14; m. (1) ELIZABETH SPATCHURST, 8 Aug 165415,16; m. (2) MARY GORTON, 17 Apr 166317,18. baptized 26 Jul 1633, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA19
  2. SAMUEL SANFORD, b. 14 Jul 1635, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA19,20; d. 18 Mar 1712/13, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI21,22; m. (1) SARAH WODELL, Oct 166223,24; m. (2) SUSANNA SPATCHURST, 13 Apr 168625,26, baptized 21 Jul 1635, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA27

    3. Children of JOHN SANFORD and BRIDGET HUTCHINSON are:

  3. ELIPHAL2 SANFORD, b. 9 Dec 1637, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA27,28; d. 19 Jan 1723/2429,30; m. BARTHOLOMEW STRATTON30,31, bapt 10 Oct 1637, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA32, buried Boston, Suffolk Co., MA32
  4. PELEG SANFORD33, b. 10 May 1639, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI34,35; d. Bef. 1 Sep 170136,37; m. (1) MARY BRENTON38; m. (2) MARY CODDINGTON, 1 Dec 167439,40.
  5. ENDCOME SANFORD, b. 23 Feb 1640/41, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI41,42,43,44.
  6. RESTCOME SANFORD, b. 29 Jan 1642/43, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI45,4647,48.
  7. WILLIAM SANFORD, b. 4 Mar 1643/44, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI49,50; d. Aft. 10 Mar 1671/7251,52.
  8. ESBON SANFORD, b. 25 Jan 1645/46, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI53,54; d. 6 Oct 1682, Port Nelson, Hudson's Bay55,56.
  9. FRANCIS SANFORD, b. 9 Jan 1647/48, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI57,5859,60.
  10. ELISHA SANFORD, b. 28 Dec 1650, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI61,62; d. Bef. 169163,64.
  11. ANNE SANFORD, b. 12 Mar 1651/52, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI65,66; d. 26 Aug 1654, Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI67,68.

John Sanford, the emigrant ancestor of this line, came to Boston on the Ship Lyon in Nov. 1631. Jack Sanford in his book "President John Sanford of Boston, Massachusetts and Portsmouth, Rhode Island 1605 – 1965" states that John, who stayed behind after the sailing of the Winthrop fleet, was an employee of the Winthrop household between 1629 and 1631, "often acting as a purchasing agent for John Winthrop." Shortly after his arrival he became a member of the First Church of Boston and was made Freeman 3 April 1632. Between 1632 and 1637, he was a respected and active citizen of Boston, serving as cannoneer of the Fort at Boston, surveyor of ordance and other ammunition, on committees regulating cattle, and various committees charged with the laying out bounds for Roxbury, Newtown and private holdings. He was in charge of fencing in 1635 and a Selectman of Boston in 1636 and 1637.

His life changed when "on 20 Nov. 1637 he was ordered disarmed as an adherent of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, and relieved of all his duties in and around Boston" [Sanford p. x]. Anne (Marbury) Hutchinson, mother of John's second wife Bridget, "preached that one could achieve salvation through a direct intuition from God" [Elizabeth Rau, Providence Journal-Bulletin, 2/28/96]. "Puritan leaders argued salvation could be achieved only by obeying the laws of the church and government. To Hutchinson, the church's view was a corruption of the true spirit of the Puritan movement and would produce a colony of hypocrites, pious only on the outside, according to historian William McLoughlin, in his essay, 'Anne Hutchinson Reconsidered.'

But Puritan leaders feared that her beliefs would undermine the church organization and erode the rigid social order. They labeled her group the Antinominians, or the lawless ones. In 1637, she was arrested and tried for sedition. Most scholars agree the trial was a travesty.

'I doe cast you out and in the name of Christ I doe deliver you up to Sathan . . .' said John Wilson, a Puritan elder, after her conviction. He ordered her 'as a leper' to leave the congregation.

'The Lord judgeth not as man judgeth,' she replied. 'Better to be cast out of the church than to deny Christ.'

The following year she was thrown out of the Bay Colony" John and his family went as well, heading for Providence about the middle of March 1638.

In 1638, he was one of the signers of the Portsmouth Agreement.

The 7th Day of the First Month, 1638.

We whose names are underwritten do hereby solemnly in the presence of Jehovah incorporate ourselves, lives and estates unto the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and to all those perfect and most absolute laws of His given in His Holy Word of Truth, to be guided and judged thereby.

Exodus, 24 c., 3:4; II Chron. 11 c., 3; II Kings 11 c., 17

Jack Sanford notes that John Winthrop "was instrumental in forcing the persecution of Anne Hutchinson" and that "this made a break in the heretofore fine relationship between himself and John Sanford." However, later Winthrop did send help to John and "others who were banished from Boston."

In Rhode Island, they purchased land from the Narragansets with the help of Roger Williams. Among the first rules established was "noe person within the said Colonye, at any time hereafter, shall be in any wise molested, punished, disquieted or called in question on matters of religion---so long as he keep the peace."

Once again, John was actively involved. At the first town meeting, he "was ordered to lay out the neck 'that goes over to the main island' [G. Edwards Moriarty NEHGR 103:209-210] "On 10:12 mo.:1639 he was granted 240 acres at Black Point. In Feb. 1639/40 he was one of the Portsmouth men who met the delegation from the Boston Church, which was sent to discuss matters with their Rhode Island brethren. On 12:1 mo.:1640 he was one of the Portsmouth men who effected the reunion with Newport and at this time he was chosen constable for Portsmouth. He appears as 'Mr. Samfford' in the list of Rhode Island freeman on 16 March 1641.

In March 1643 the towns of Newport, Portsmouth, Providence and Warwick were united into "a single colony called Providence Plantations and were to be governed by a President and 4 Assistants" [Sanford p. xi].

[NEHGR 103:210] On 13:1:1644 he was chosen Lieutenant of the Portsmouth company. On 7:7:1644 'Leftenant Stamfoard' was one of those charged with laying out certain lands in Portsmouth. Thereafter he frequently appears in the Portsmouth Records charged with the laying out of lands there."

From 1647 - 1649 he was an Assistant. On Apr 29 1650 he was chosen a Town Magistrate at Portsmouth and on Jun 2 1650 he was a member of the Town Council. On May 16 1651 he was on a Committee from Portsmouth for the General Court. He was chosen Head Magistrate at Portsmouth Jun 3 1651. On Feb 2 1651/2 he was one of the disposers of land at Portsmouth.

In May 1653 John Sanford became the fifth President of Rhode Island Colony. He died between 22 June 1653, the date of his will, and 20 Nov. 1653, when it was filed. Although the original will of John Sanford has not been found, a copy was discovered and published in NEHGR 104:304-307. He names wife Bridget and all children then living. Witnesses were John Browne, Myree Standish, William Brenton, William Baulston, Samuel Hutchinson Sr., and William Freeborne. Total estate valued at L824, 11s,1d.

©Copyright Randy Robinson, 1998

Sources:

1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19,27,29,31,34,41,43,45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59,61,63,65,67. New England Historical & Genealogical Register, (Boston, MA), 103:209-214.

2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28,30,32,35,42,44,46,48,50,52,54,56,58,60,62,64,66,68. Jack Minard Sanford, President John Sanford of Boston, Massachusetts and Portsmouth, Rhode, (Rutland, VT: Sharp Printing, 1966), pp 1 - 3.

21,23,25,33,36,38,39. New England Historical & Genealogical Register, (Boston, MA), 103:273.

37,40. Jack Minard Sanford, President John Sanford of Boston, Massachusetts and Portsmouth, Rhode, (Rutland, VT: Sharp Printing, 1966), Page 7.