John is mentioned in a letter from Gov. William Bradford of Plymouth Colony to Gov. John Winthrop of Massachusetts Bay Colony, dated 6 February 1631/2. The powers in Massachusetts, being of higher social status than those in Plymouth, sent a high-handed letter to Plymouth scolding them about not vetting people migrating between the colonies who weren't settled in either. Bradford thumbed his nose at Winslow in many ways, some subtle, some not. Of John Pickworth, Bradford said "he came but as a sojournour, to worke for a few weeks, in which time he goate a wife; and so is longe since returned duble, and hath no cause to complaine, except he hath goot a bad wife."1 This is the first we hear of John, and records don't pick him up again until 1636 or 1637. Meanwhile, three of his and Ruth's children were born, but where isn't known.
     On 28 August 1637, John asked for a piece of land at Jeffrey's Creek, which is now the town of Manchester.2 Some time between 26 December 1636 and 12 July 1637, he was granted twenty acres in Salem.3 It was probably later in that period since he appears in an alphabetical section at the end of the list. On 8 November 1637, he was granted another twenty five acres at Jeffrey's Creek.4This shows that, although not a freeman or a member of the Salem church, he had established himself enough to warrant the trust of the selectmen to give him land, and that he was probably in Salem as early as 1636. In his estate inventory, carpentry tools are listed as well as an unusual amount of cloth. Carpentry could easily have led him to itinerancy. His wife Ann's estate inventory lists even more cloth. Neither John's nor Ann's inventories include a loom, which would have been a valuable item, so it's very unlikely anyone in the household was weaving. The alternative is that they had a cloth shop.
     Ann joined the Salem church on 30 September 1638.5 Ruth, Anna and John were baptized 14 October 1638.6 20 November 1639, given three or four more acres added to the land already given him.7He appears on a list for the division of marsh and meadow lands with a family of five. It is likely dated to 25 December 1637.8
     John was fined for being drunk in public at the 1 July 1657 session of the Essex County Quarterly Court9 At the 25 September 1660 session, John and his sons John, Samuel and Joseph were charged with a breach of peace for fighting with John Norman Sr. and Jr., Thomas Bishop and Norman servant John Lawes.10

The following is John's will:11

The last will and testament of John Peckworth made the 27 of the 4: month 1663. I John Peckworth being weake & seke of bodey but of Perfet memorey haue ordayned this as my laft will & Testyment

Imprymes I givefe and bequeath unto my wellbeloved wife An Peckworth my whole estate as hows land and Catell and howshowlld goods and she to injoye the same as long as she leveth if living and dying in a widows estate but if she other wyis changh her condition and marey then she only to have her thirds of wt then: the estate is: and after her changh eyther by deth or marege Then my Elldest sonne John Peckworth is to have the hows medow and 25 aekers of land wth the pt of the nek that lyeth betwene Aberham Wtyare and my selfe: for the rest of my land which is 30 akers bowght of Robert morgon with the medow that belongeth to yet my 3 sonns Samuell Joseph and Benejemen is to have the same as fore mentioned by my son John as he is to have his after my wife soe they to InJoye the sam allsoe: and my sonn Samuell is to have the 6 aekers that lyeth upon the nek nex to Robert Leachs lot that was given me by the Plantation and the land that lyeth by the saw mill: anfor my Part of the sa[w]mill I thus dispose of yet I leavef yet wth my wife as the rest of my estate only my sonn Samuell to act in her behalf with the rest of my fortune and he to be payed for his labower and to have half the Profect that yet brings in if the estate howld out then my to eldest dawghters Ruth marsterson and Haner Coollens is to have 40 shillens a peace when the rest fore mentioned have theyers: and to my youngest son Benjemen and my youngest Dawghter Abegall I give a cow callfe the same to be thyer after my decese and the Profet that comes in by the increase furthermore yet is my will that if the hows medow & ground that my son John is to have cometh to more than a dobell Portion when the estate is pryesed then he is to elld up out of his onloy he is left to his liberty for the redeeming of his land and to pay wt yet comes to for to make up the sengell Portions: and for the beter Performance of this my will: I apoynt my wife An Peckworth wth my to Sons John and Samuell to be Administraters and desyers and apoynts my well beloved friends Thomas Jones and William Benet to be over seares where unto I here set my hand

his mark X John Pickworth

Witness
John [his mark L] Hutson
Samuell Friend

The will was proved 25 November 1663 and the inventory was taken on 25 August 1663 by William Allen and Robert Leach:

The hows wth the meadow and lans 25 ackers 35-00-00
More land and medow 16-00-00
A peace of medow at Kettell Illand 04-00-00
A sheare of the saw mill 30-00-00
3 cowes and a calfe 16-00-00
A horse wth a sadell 11-10-00
A pcell of swyn 06-00-00
A cover and a prcell of bowlts 01-10-00
A prcell of carpenters toolls 02-00-00
A fethers bed wth the coveferins 08-00-00
Pots & ketells & skellets, a fryine pan and hooks 04-05-00
A spet 00-03-00
More howshowld stof, erthen and wooden ware 00-10-00
More beding wth the coweferin 02-00-00
A pare of cart whealls and Plow 02-10-00
A fowllin Peace 01-05-00
A prcell of Pewter and warmin pan 03-00-00
Wheat in the barein 01-10-00
Enden Corne 00-10-00
A Cubowrd, Tabell, stools, chayers, chests 02-10-00
His warein Clothers 08-10-00
7 yds of coten 01-01-00
More 9 yds of flaning 01-07-00
Kersey 01-07-00
Lining 07-00-00
Boots 00-16-00
Total 168-04-00

Ann wrote a will on 10 May 1682.12 This exists only as the original since it was never recorded. There is a top section missing (torn off) that probably was a header of some sort rather than part of the will.

For preventing of disturbence yt may arise among relation by ye neglect of theire predesesors yt haveing sume estate to dispose of have departed this life leaveing nothing upon record for the ordering & desposeing of wt theay have left & to whome it sholld remayne affter theire deceas for preventing any such thing, I ye widow Ane pickworth of Manchester being at this present time liveing & in my perfit memorey & right understanding doe ordayne this as my last will & testyment doe now at this present time dispose of yt which I now have if it remayneth wth mee to ye time of my decease

Imprymes I give & bequeath to my too daughters Ruth Masters and Rachell Sible all my weareing clothes and in ptickueler to my daughter Sible my bed yt I now ly on wth ye Curtines and the coverled yt was left mee by my sonn John pickworth the which I give her booth bed & curtins & coverled as fore sd and wt more is left yt is properly myne to dispose of I give & bequeth too Ruth & Rachell as afore sd to bee devided betwex them booth as all soe three pueter platers thus to be disposed of one yt I give to my sonn Joseph pickworth daughter ane pickworth by name and ye second to my grand chilld Ane Killem ye daughter of John Killem and the third to my daughter Rachell Sible youngest daughter her name being Ane Sible this being my proper goods to dispose I though if I have it remayning wth mee when I dye if prenedent doth not order it other wayes

Where unto I sett my hand being wth my full consent at this present in ye ordering & disposeing of ye goods above wrighten if it remayneth wth mee to ye time of decease

Wittnes Samuell friend, Janet bennet

The marke X of Ane pickworth

Manchester ye 10 of may 1682

Ann's estate inventory, taken by Robert Leach and Aaron Bennett on 28 June 1683 and brought to court the next day by John Sibley, administrator. The format has been modified for this page:

1 1/2 yards of kersey, 7 shillings, 6 pence
2 1/2 yards of serge, 5 p
a hat
1 1/2 yards of linen cloth, 12 s
--------------
£1, 4 s, 6 p

27 yards of homespun cloth, 4 s
6 yards of linen cloth, 54 s
13 yards of homespun cloth, 45 s
--------------
£5, 14 s, 6 p

8 yards of bed [ticking?], 12 s
a coverlet, 36 s
3 pairs of sheets, 36 s
linen cloth, £4, 5 s
--------------
£8, 9 s

woolen cloth, 15 s
a Bible and other books, 8 s
3 pewter platters 20 s
--------------
£2, 3 s

a pair of curtains, 16 s
a cow and sheep, £4
money, £10
--------------
£14, 16 s
--------------
£32, 6 s

Children of John and Ann Pickworth:13

i. Ruth, b. abt. 1632, bap. 8 Oct. 1638, Salem
ii. Hannah, b. abt. 1634, bap. 8 Oct. 1638, Salem
iii. John, b. abt. 1637, bap. 8 Oct. 1638, Salem
iv. Samuel, b. abt. 1640
v. Joseph, bap. 12 Feb. 1642/3, Salem
vi. Rachel, bap. 3 May 1646, Salem
vii. Benjamin, bap. 2 July 1648, Salem
viii. Sarah, bap. 6 Oct. 1650, Salem
ix. Abigail, bap. 2 Oct. 1652, Salem

1. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 2 (Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1848), 242
2. "Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts," vol. 1, in Essex Institute Historical Collections vol. 9, 2nd series, (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1868), 56.
3. "Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts," 1: .
4. "Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts," 1:60.
5. The First Church in Salem, Records, 1629-1736 (hereafter FCS) (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1974), 7.
6. "Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts," 1:17.
7. "Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts," 1:92.
8. "Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts," 1:101.
9. Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts , 2:50.
10. Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts , 2:225.
11. Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts 1:428-9.
12. Will: Essex Co., MA, probate case 21848; inventory: Essex Co., MA, probate, vol. 1 (Old Series), p. 45.
13. children