vital records sources
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John's mark on his will

The parents of John Glover aren't known. Some have supposed that they were Charles and Elizabeth, who were in Salem briefly before moving to Gloucester. With his second wife and his known children, Charles moved to Southold, Long Island, where they all remained. There also was a Steven Glover, born about 1627, who lived in Gloucester in 1653 and in Salem by 1657. It's possible that Steven, who would have been of age before the move to Southold, had settled in Salem, and John, depending on his age, may have been apprenticed to someone in the Gloucester/Salem area and was bound to stay there. There was a William Woodbury of the Bass River part of Salem, later to become Beverly, who married a woman named Judith. At some point the thought that she was a Glover was popularized, but I've found no evidence that she was.
     There are Essex County court records for men named John Glover. Depositions in 1656, 1669 and 1684 are associated with Salem, and say he was about 21, 30 and 51. 1 This leaves a range of about 6 years between 1633 and 1639. I haven't seen the original records, handwritten, and it's possible that the transcriber of the 1669 record saw "30," when it was actually "36." Depositions were taken in 1710 to confirm the family origins of Ann (Palsgrave) Woodbery of Beverly. Among the elderly residents of Beverly who testified based on their memory was John Glover, age 82.2 With a birthdate of about 1628, this extends the possible time of his birth, leaving little point to speculate on anything more specific. There appears to be another John Glover who took depositions and entered documents into probate in Essex County in the early 1650s and associated with Ipswich or Newbury.
     On 28 June 1670 John's was among the "fines returned," having struck Edmund Counter.3 Soon after his assault case he appeared again, having been sued by George Emery for unlawful seizure of property.4 According to witnesses, a mare and two colts owned by Emery wandered into John's cornfield and damaged the crop. John drove them to the pound. Emery took him to court for it and John requested renumeration, probably for the damages. The court sided with John. He was fined 5 February 1677/1678 for excessive drinking, but also for the slander that followed it.5 Abraham Cole testified that he saw John in the morning when he said he was going to work, but instead "went to the ordinary and came back [in the evening] disordered with drink." He then accused another visitor at Cole's house of being supported by public taxes. The last court record I've found in the published court records shows a summons for John to answer a charge of stealing.6

The last will and testamt. of John Glover

Imps. I give unto my wife Mary Glover the use of my house & lands and all my moveables during her widowhood excepting one flock bed & furniture wch. I give to my son John Glover and also my best coat I give to my son John and upon ye decease or marriage of my wife Mary my will is that all my estate reall & personal (except my best feather bed wth. all the furniture wch. I ive to my wife if she should marry again) shall be equally divided amongst my children. Allso I do hereby revoke & disanull all other wills & testaments by me heretofore made by word or writing, but if my wife while she remains a widow should be in want my will is tht she may sell off sd moveables to ye value of twenty shillings for her supply, anything herein not wth. standing. And finally I do ordain & appoint my wife Mary & my son John executor & executrix of this my last will & testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this Aprill 19 1695

the mark of x John Glover

signed, sealed & delivered in presence of us

John [Mendorgan?]
John Mackmallin
the mark of Samueil x Robinsen
Daniel Epes

The will was probated on 13 May 1695.      

children of John Glover and Mary Guppy:

i. John b. 29 August (6th month) 1661
ii. William b. 15 March 1663
iii. Mary b. 1 May (3rd month) 1666
iv. Sarah b. July (5th month) 1668
v. Hannah b. 24 June (4th month) 1670
vi. Benjamin b. 28 March 1674
vii. Jonathan b. April 1677
viii. Ebenezer b. 13 April 1685

vital records sources: his marriage is in Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, vol. 1 (Salem: The Essex Institute, 1916), 359.

1. Sidney Perley, The Essex Antiquarian, 9:119 and 11:118; Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts (Salem:1914), 4:102.
2. New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 29:319.
3. Ibid, 274.
4. Ibid, 278.
5. Ibid, Vol. VII, 1678-1680 (Salem:Essex Institute, 1919), 1.
6. Ibid, 326, 6 October 1679.
7. All births but Jonathan's are from Essex County Court records, included in Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts to the end of the year 1849, vol. 1 (Salem, MA: The Essex Institute, 1916), 359, some with Julian calender month numbers, which have been translated here to the corresponding Gregorian calender months. Jonathan's birth apparently is in the Salem town records, month only, and no parents named, but published with the vital records.