John Poore of Newbory

John Poore was born in 1615, in Trowbridge, the county of Wiltshire, England. His parentage is not proven, but it is suggested that he was the son of Daniel Poore, of Salisbury, who was born around 1590. There existed at this time, a branch of Poore's living in Amesbury, nearby. Daniel may have been a member of this family. In 1635, when John was 20, he left England, to go to the New World. He may have come with other settlers from Wiltshire, on the Mary & John, or he may have come over on the ship Planter. He settled in Newbury, Massachusetts.

At first, the passengers of the Mary & John went to Agawam, now Ipswich. They remained there until the Spring of 1635. These early passengers included Thomas Parker, James Noyes, John Spencer, Henry Short, Henry Lunt and John Bartlett. At the time, Sir Richard Saltonstall, Henry Sewall, Richard and Stephen Dummer had started a company to raise live stock in America, and sell them when prices were highest. They persuaded John Spencer, Henry Short, Richard Kent and Thomas Parker, among others, to join them. They decided to settle on what was then the Quascacunquen River. Reverend Thomas Parker made preparations to remove his group from Ipswich early in the spring. They sailed through Plum Island Sound and landed in May or June 1635. The river became known as the Parker River. Their settlement became Newbury, and soon, more ships arrived to populate the town.

John Poore may have come with the original settlers, or he may have left later, but either way, he ended up in Newbury. He was granted land on the neck of the Parker River. He built a house, probably in 1642. It was a large square room, with a chamber on the floor above it. His descendents would later add on to it, until it was taken down in 1890,

He was lost in the woods near Andover in November of 1684, while hunting. On file in the office of the Clerk of the Courts in Essex County, Volume XLIII, page 73, in the report of the jury of inquest, summoned to inquire into the cause of his death, dated Nov. 24th, in the year 1684, there is the following verdict:----" We judge that being in the woods and following his game, he was bewildered, and lost himself, and in his pursuit, plucked off his clothes, and scattered them some good distance, one part from another till he had left nothing on save his wastcoat and drawers, and breeched and hose and shooes."

John Poore was on the jury in 1654, 1658, 1661, 1664, 1665, 1670, 1674 and 1678. He served as attorney for Daniel Poore of Andover twice. In 1666 and 1669, he was on the board to "act the prudentialls of the Town." In 1668, his seat in the meeting house was described as "the fore seat." The administration of his will was March 31, 1685. In 1646, he signed a petition against moving the Newbury Meeting House. It was moved anyway, and because John was now too far away from it, the town granted him 22 acres of land. In 1653, he voted against school appropriation. He took the oath of fidelity in 1678.

 

He married a woman named Sarah in 1641, her last name is unknown. They had 13 children:

John B. Poore, born June 21, 1642, in Newbury. He married Mary Titcomb.

Hannah Poore, born October 14, 1645, in Newbury. She died young.

Elizabeth Poore, born November 3, 1647 in Newbury.

Hannah Poore, born March 25, 1649 in Newbury. She married Elisha Illsley.

Henry Poore, born December 13, 1650 in Newbury. He married Abigail Hale.

Mary Poore, born March 6, 1651/52 in Newbury. She died young.

Joseph Poore, born October 4, 1653 in Newbury. He married Mary Wallingford.

Mary Poore, born December 12, 1654 in Newbury. She married John Clarke.

Sarah Poore, born June 5, 1655 in Newbury. She married John Sawyer.

Lydia Poore, born December 5, 1656 in Newbury. She married Penuel Titcomb.

Edward Poore, born April 4, 1658 in Newbury. He died young.

Abigail Poore, born March 26, 1660. She died young.

Abigail Poore, born August 5, 1661. She married Isaac Ilsley.