vital records sources
go to Hannah Green's page

taken from his will

The earliest mention of John as an adult are two references to John in the Woburn? town records in 1671 saying he was paid for services. John, Jr., and his brother Blaize/Blaze deposed in a case connected with a fire at Roxbury. John was surety for Blaise in connection with an assault case. Robert Lord, marshall of Ipswich, brought a case against John for debt. The court decided for the plaintiff. John, then living in Topsfield, gave a bond dated 30 March 1677 to Lord for payment of 20 shillings to Richard "Semons" and 20 shillings to a man named Bellringer. 1 May 1680, a writ was issued against John Ruck for not paying John for making iron and other work in Rowley Village (now Boxford). The writ was signed by John Redington "for the court and town of Topsfield." "No return made," so John apparently withdrew.
     All of John and Hannah's known children's births up to Thomas were recorded at Malden in a group some time after Thomas's birth, but before Abiather's. The published Malden vital records explain in detail in what form they were in at the time of publication. The oldest of the town's birth and death records, in one volume, starts noting events as they happened in the 1690s, but some pages have family groups such as the Vintons.
     2 August 1695, John of Malden, forgeman, buys from Henry Merrow of Woburn, real estate in Woburn, including a house and farm. John's son Thomas, born in 1697, is included in the group of Vinton children's records in Malden, so John may have continued to have a connection to Malden and the iron works at Saugus.
     John's evident shifting of locations may reflect going to where there was work. The Saugus works went out of business in 1665, which helps explain why he would be working iron at the eastern side of Rowley Village while possibly living in nearby Topsfield in the later 1670s to at least 1680. His children up to Samuel were likely born in that area rather than Malden. Thomas being included in the children's group confuses things, since the family logically would have moved to Woburn after spending the money to buy a residence there. It also isn't obvious where he worked after he moved to Woburn, which didn't have a forge there or very nearby.

     John's will was written on 15 January 1721/22. He calls himself a gentleman of Woburn. To wife Hannah he gave "the use and improvement of all my houshold stuff and ye use and in provement of one half of my whol estate in lands and chattels which I have resarved in my former deeds during her natral life and the other half of my chattels I give and bequeth to my fore sd wife to her and her dispose for ever."

To his son John "whom I likewise constitute make and ordain my only and sol executor of this my last will and testement all and singuelar my moneys and bonds and ye rest of my estate I have given to my executoer fifty pounds all readye with other gifts and in token of my love to my executoer John Vinton I do give him and his hsirs one silver cup and one silver spone that is floured on ye botom which I count to be his full portion out of my hol estate"

He gave his son Thomas "fifty pounds pasable money out of my estate which I count his portion in full out of my whol estate which fifty pounds is to be paid by my executor with in thirteen months after my deceas and the deceas of my now married wife with what he has all readye recved which gift is to ye sd Thomas Vinton and his heirs for ever"

He gave to his son Samuel "five pounds in pasable money to him and his heirs for ever out of my whole estat to be paid by my executor at my deceas which I count his portion in full with what hehath all readye recved by deeds of land"

He gave to his son Abiather "five pounds in pasable money to him and his heirs for ever out of my whole estate and ye other half of my cretors to be paid by my executer with in thirteen months after my decease and ye deceas of my now married wife which I count to be his portion in full he and his heirs for ever out of my whol estate."

He gave to his daughter Hannah Green "twenty pounds in pasable money and one silver spone and the third part of my houshold stuff which is not yet disposed of to be paid by my executor with in thirteen months after my deceas and ye deceas of my now married wife which I count to be her portion in full out of my whol estate besids what she has allreadie recved"

He gave to his daughter Rebakah Richardson "twenty pounds in pasable money and one third part of my houshold stuff which is not yet disposed of to be paid by my executor with in thirteen months after my deceas and ye deceas of my now married wife which I count to be her portion in full out of my whol estate besids what she has allreadie recved"

He gave to his daughter Mary French "twenty pounds in pasable money and one third part of my houshold stuff which is not yet disposed of to be paid by my executor with in thirteen months after my deceas and ye deceas of my now married wife which I count to be her portion in full out of my whol estate besids what she has allreadie recved, it is to be understood that whare it is said with what they have all readie recved to my three youngest sons above mentioned it is ordred and it was i tended to be said besids wht they had all readye recved and the three last mentiond is to recve ye sevral sums mentioned besids what they have recved all readye and further my will is that after all my depts and furnal charges both for me and my wife be paid that thge rest of my estate shall be equely devided amongst all my children by my executer"

Abiather was also given "all my waring close after my deseace"

The will was brought to court on 15 December 1727 and confirmed by the surviving witnesses Stephen Richardson and Joseph Underwood. John's sons gave their consent to the will on 16 November 1727, followed by his widow, daughter Mary Green and sons-in-law John French and William Richardson on 28 December. On the latter day John's inventory was taken.

children of John Vinton and Hannah Green:

Hannah, b. 20 August 1678
John, b. 16 January 1681/82
Rebecca, b. 16 March 1683(/84?)
Mary, b. 20 August 1689
Mary, b. 1 January 1691/92
Samuel, b. 3 May 1695
Thomas, b. 31 January 1686/87
Abiathar, b. 10 May 1700

vital records sources:

1. paid £1, 8 shillings, 10 pence. 4 392 (June 1671) again, 5 shillings, 3 pence, Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts [hereafter ECQC], vol. 4 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1914), 436 (Nov 1671).
2. ECQC, vol. 6 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1917),6 55 (July 1675).
3. ECQC, 6:258 (March 1677).
4. ECQC, 6:337 (Sept 1677).
5. ECQC, 6:399 (June 1680).
6.
7. Middlesex Co., MA, deed 10:440.
8. Middlesex Co., MA, probate file 23376.