ancestral chart father mother index home




vital records sources
go to Mary Pride's page






how John signed his will


John was baptized on 31 March 1668 in Beverly with three of his siblings.1 The church record lists "Simon, John and Susannah," which was likely the order of their birth. Combined with information from a death record, his was likely born in 1665-66. John is referred to as a fisherman in several deeds,2 but calls himself a yoeman in his will. Seafaring men who lived to older age often retired and turned to farming.

John made a deposition during the Salem witchcraft trials after visiting his grandmother Susannah Rootes in prison:3

[John Lovet v. Dorcas Hoar]

The depersision of John Lovet aged about 25 years this deponant tetifieth & say that he the s'd deponant sume time in June last past went into the prisan to see my gran mother then goodee hore asked me the s'd. deponant whether I knew of any witnesses that would Come in or be brought in against hear.&.I the s'd deponant told her I did not know of any and then the s'd. hore asked me whether goodman witreg would not Come in against her about his Cow I the s'd debonant tould the s'd whore I did believe he Would the s'd whore replyed she did not know that he had ara Cow, furder saith not

John Lovett, "an ancient man in Years...came to ye Lord's Table" at the Beverly church on 21 December 1740.4 The word ancient was later erased, although not completely.

John's will, edited:5

In the name of God amen this fifteenth day of August one thousand seven hundred & forty nine, I John Lovett of Beaverly...yoeman, being now of a sounds mind & memory...

Imprimis, I give to my son Josiah Lovett three acres of land at the lower end of ye lott that was formerly William Hoars in Beaverly

Item, I give to my son John Lovett the remaining halfe of that piece or percell of land in Beaverly which I bought of Edmund & William Gale, the other halfe thereof being allready convayed to my sd son Josiah, my mind is yt the wall yt incliseth sd land goe therewith. I allso give to my sd son John all my buildings together with the land adjoyning & the lands which lies between ye sd buildings & the waterside (excepting the above mentioned three acres to Josiah)

Item, all the rest of my estate boath reall & personall I give to my two sd sons Josiah Lovett & John Lovett to be equally divided between them for quantity & quallity in the severall towns or places where any of my sd lands may ly, provided they do equally between them pay the severall legacies, duties & the charges arising or that may be justly due from my estate as hereafter mentioned.

Item, I give to my daughter Mary Cunnant or to the heirs of her body the sum of one hundred & fifty pounds, and I give to the chilldren of my daughter Johannah Coy (deceast) one hundred & fifty pounds, and I give to my daughter Jane Ray or to the heirs of her body one hundred & fifty pounds, and I give to the chilldren of my daughter Bethiah Baulch (deceast) the sum of one hundred & fifty pounds, and I give to my daughter Abigail Trask one hundred & fifty pounds.

Item, my will is that the several sums of legacies beforesaid be paid equavalent to old tennor bills of publick creditt which are at the date hereof passes between man & man and that the said sums be paid to my said daughters that shall be surviving, the one halfe thereof in one year after my decease & the other halfe at the end of two years after my decease & if any of my now surviving daughters shall die before the time of payment then their chilldren such of them as are of age to be paid an equall proportion amongst their brothers or sisters of such payments as would have become due to their mother if she had lived & the proportionable parts of such legacies yt may belong to the other chilldren to be paid them as they come of age & such of my grandchilldren whose mothers are now deceast shall be paid their proportionable shares of the legacie given amongst them as they come of age, that is to say the one halfe in one year after my decease & the other halfe at the end of two years after my decease.

Item, my will is that such lands & reall estate that is given to my son Josiah Lovett & may fall to him by vertue of this my will the same shall be to him his heirs & assigns forever.

Item, my will is that all such lands & reall estate that is given to my son John Lovett & may fall to him by vertue of this my will the same shall be to him & the male heirs lawfully begotten of his body & to their male heirs to the latest genneration & if my son John Lovett should die without such male heirs then the lands & reall estate given & falling to him as aforesaid shall be equally to my grandsons Joseph Lovett & John Lovett, the chilldren of my son Josiah Lovett & to their male heirs lawfully begotten of their bodies and their succeeding male heirs
[even?] to the lattest genneration
Item, the stone wall which incloses the land given to my son John Lovett lying between my barne & the waterside shall remain to the lands as given.

Furthermore I do nominate, order, ordain, authorize & appoint my two sons Josiah Lovett & John Lovett to be executors to & of this my last will & testament & I do order them equally between them to pay all my legacies before mentioned & debts & charges of my estate & my funerall expences...

John his J marke Lovett

signed, sealed, published, pronounced & declared by the sd John Lovett to be his last will & testament in presence of us the subscribers

John Stephens
William Tuck
John Prince
William Giddings


The will was brought to court and proved on 9 May 1750.


children of John Lovett and Mary Pride:6

i. Mary b. 29 November 1695
ii. Johanna b. 6 January 1697/1698
iii. Jane b. 30 July 1700
iv. Bethiah bap. 6 December 1702, died young
v. Josiah b. 27 August 1704
vi. Bethiah b. 17 August 1707
vii. Abigail b. 28 August 1709
viii. Sarah bap. 31 December 1710
ix. ?child of John d. 22 January 1714/1715
x. John b. 18 April 1718, probably the "son of John" who died at sea in 1759




vital records sources: His baptism is in Early Records of the First Church in Beverly Massachusetts, 1667-1772 (Salem:1905), 86. His death is in Col. Robert Hale's record of deaths, Essex Institute Historical Collections vol. 5 (Salem:1863), 95. This says he died in April 1750, "Aetat 84," which means he was in his 84th year (83) and would turn 84 on his next birthday, if Hale was using this term literally. Since there is no other evidence I've used a circa date of 1665. Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts to the Year 1849, vol. 2 (Topsfield:1907), 496, includes Hale's records but unlike EIHC, they aren't literal transcriptions. Since Hale has him dying in April and his will was proved on 9 April, he very likely died in the first week of that month.

2. for instance, Essex County, MA, deed 11:134.
3. Essex County Archives, Salem -- Witchcraft, 1:82 
4. Records of the First Church of Beverly, Massachusetts 1667-1772 (Salem:1905), 68.
5. Essex County, MA, probate file #17133.
6. Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts: to the end of the year 1849, vol. 1 (Topsfield, MA:1906), 209, 210, 216, 217.

all text and photographs © 1998-2020 by Doug Sinclair unless where otherwise noted


1731, John Lovett from the Gales, ten acres, SE and SW by Tuck, NW by road, E by William Lovett and John He wills half this lot to son John, 1750, the other half already conveyed to Josiah. Deed for latter in 1733. He gave all his buildings to John and the land adjoining except 3 acres to Josiah that was part of the Hoar estate.