Person Page - 3817

       Elder John/1 Strong was born circa 1605 in Taunton, Somersetshire.¹ He is believed to have sailed, 20 Mar 1630, in the Mary and John, Thomas Chubb, master, from Plymouth, England, arriving at Nantasket Point in Massachusetts Bay on May 30. The colonizing party initially settled at Mattapan, which was renamed Dorchester after the English home of their patron, Rev. John White.^2,3
     "He married his first wife in England, she d. on the passage or soon after landing, and two months afterwards, her infant child d."⁴ He married (2), Dec 1630 at Dorchester?, Abigail Ford, daughter of Thomas/1 Ford and Elizabeth (–?–).⁵ In 1635 he removed to Hingham, then shortly after to Taunton, where he remained as late as 1645, being a deputy to the Plymouth General Court in 1641, 1643 and 1644.⁴ From Taunton he went to Windsor, CT.⁴ In 1659 he settled at Northampton, MA, where he was ordained elder of the church, 13 Jun 1663, had a tannery, and lived his remaining 40 years.^4,3 One of those who successfully petitioned the General Court, 1672, for a new plantation at Squakhead (subsequently Northfield).⁶ His wife Abigail died at Northampton 6 Jun/Jul 1688.⁵ There he died 14 Apr 1699, aged 94 years.⁷