vital records sources

Despite often unreliable Essex County court records that indicate a birth year anywhere between 1604 and 1609,1 Humphrey was was very likely the child with his name baptized in West Coker, Somerset, on 25 July 1611.2 In his deposition that outlines his father John's activities in the 1620s and 1630s, we know Humphrey moved with him to Dorchester, Dorset, in 1623 or 1624. That is where the John Woodbery who married Ann Napper lived when they were issued their marriage license in 1628, and evidence leaves little doubt that this was his father and stepmother. By his own account, given more fully in his father's biography, Humphrey, being about 18, sailed with him on the Abigail from the port of Weymouth, England, on 20 June 1628, arriving in Salem on 6 September.
     Humphrey's wife was undoubtedly Elizabeth Hunter. She is known to have been named Elizabeth from Essex County court and Salem baptism records. Humphrey called Richard More his brother, and one of More's daughters called Humphrey an uncle.3 More was an only surviving child of his parents (he and his siblings came over as children in 1620 on the Mayflower) and given that he didn't marry a Woodbery sister, the only reasonable explanation of their kinship is through Elizabeth. More married Christian Hunter, who sailed with her mother Susan (Susannah), her stepfather Richard Hollingworth, her siblings and half-siblings on the Blessing in 1635. Elizabeth Hunter was among them, aged 18, placing her birth within the expected period of birth of Humphrey's wife. More had returned to England and came back with the Hunters on the Blessing. From his own deposition after he was married we know that he was "a retainer and labourer in the service of his father-in-law Richard Hollingworth, Sr." about 1635, so he met Christian as an employee of her stepfather in England.4
     It's interesting to further note that Humphrey and Elizabeth named two of their children Richard and Christian. Two other sons were Thomas and William, the names of two other Hunters, both boys, who came on the Blessing. There is no apparent record of Thomas Hunter as an adult, and it may be that he died as a boy and Humphrey and Elizabeth honored him by naming their first child after him, or at least the first child of record. Richard and Christian More moved to Salem by 1639, when Richard requested a grant of land on 20 November of that year.5 Both the Woodberys and the Mores named a daughter Susannah, surely after the Hunter sisters' mother. That Susan/Susannah Hollingworth was Humphrey's mother-in-law helps explain a Salem town record from 1676 in which he made it known that he had "taken old Goodwife Hollenworth into his custody and engages to keep her as long as they are able."6
The Blessing passenger list says that Susan was only ten years older than Christian, the oldest Hunter on the ship. This must be a recording error when the list was transcribed into the port book. Perhaps rather than being "30" she was actually 39, the 0 and 9 being confused.
     Humphrey and his father were granted two hundred acres in Salem and an addition forty acres to Humphrey between December 1636 and July 1637.7 On 2 January 1635/6, he and others were each given half an acre of land at Winter Harbor, now called Juniper Cove, for "fishing trade and to build upon."8 The northeastern end of Salem Neck and Winter Island were Salem's primary staging area for the fishing industry. In a division of marsh and meadow, probably dating to December of 1637, Humphrey was given two acres for having a household of three,9 comprised of himself, his wife Elizabeth and their son Thomas. On 15 January 1637/8 he was given another forty acres.
     Aside from, Winter Island, the acreage granted to John and Humphrey aren't placed in the town, but it was likely in the part of Salem that would become the town of Beverly in 1668. Humphrey was living in that area on Mackerel Cove along with his Woodbery relatives by August 1642, when an abutting grant mentions Humphrey's farm.11 This was one of the primary staging areas for fishing in Beverly. In the same year he was called to testify as a witness in a case against his neighbor Guido Bailey for hitting Guido's wife.13 His grant of meadow at Mackerel Cove was increased by half an acre in 1646.14 He was admitted to the church at Salem on 23 July 1648, Elizabeth having joined on 1 September 1640.15 Humphrey took the freeman's oath with his cousin Hugh on 2 January 1650.16 He bought a house and 20 acres from Guido Bailey in 1652, the deed referring to Humphrey as a fisherman.17 On 20 February 1655/56 he was granted a parcel of swamp abutted by his own and that of Bailey's, not to exceed 10 acres, the wood within it being reserved for the use of Salem residents.18 The residents of the "Cape Ann side" neighborhood (later the eastern part of the town of Beverly) that included Mackerel Cove then complain about this arrangement, the reason not recorded, and the town decided Humphrey should give up other pieces of his land for public use to compensate for the grant.19
     Humphrey served on the jury of trials for the Inferior Court of Salem on 30 June 1657 and 29 November 1659.20 He was elected a surveyor of fences for Cape Ann Side on 24 March 1663 and is mentioned as the constable for the same on 22 August 1663.21 On 30 November 1664 Elizabeth Woodbery was presented to the court for hitting a woman in the employ of Jeremiah and Elizabeth "Hubbard" (Hobart).22 The latter couple came forward to say that they had no reason to believe such a thing happened but if it had, they had given her permission to do so while they were out of town if the discipline were necessary, their maid being a "provoking wench" and a "sad and bad" servant known to all both in Lynn and Salem. They call Elizabeth their loving friend, kinswoman and cousin. The case was dismissed.
     Upon Humphrey's request to be compensated for a public highway that was laid out on his land, the town granted him five acres elsewhere.23 Humphrey was again an Inferior Court juryman in 166524 and served on the Grand Jury the following year.25 He was a witness to Giles Lee's drunkenness, for which he was brought to court in June of 1665.26 His mother-in-law, Susannah Hollingworth, sold him ten acres on Cape Ann Side" on 2 December 1667.27      Humphrey is mentioned as a selectman for Salem in 1668.28 and for Beverly in November 1670 (7 Nov, 398.) In April of 1668 that year he agreed to be on a committee to formalize the bounds between Beverly and Wenham. (29 Apr) and a committee to see to repairs of the meeting house (2 June). The quarterly court issued him a license to "sell wine at retail outdoors" on 12 July 167629, which was renewed in 1681.30 He was elected a tythingman for Beverly on 35 June 1677.31 In the November session of the Essex County Quarterly Court in that year, Humphrey's son Thomas brought a case against Richard Stackhouse involving a sail and rope. It was a complex case that will be outlined in Thomas' biography but as part of the case, Jonah Jackson testified that he was at sea with Humphrey in the ketch William & Mary and that it had a "split mainsail in an ordinary gale of wind, bolt rope breaking." This shows that Humphrey (unless Humphrey, "Jr.," was intended) was still active as a fisherman at 60.fn Five Woodberys, including Humphrey (Sr. or Jr. not indicated), took the Oath of Fidelity to the King of England on 3 December 1677, four of them called fishermen.32 He served on the Grand Jury at Salem on 26 November 1678 and 24 June 1679.33

He was one of three men who agreed to build the gallery on the east side of the meeting house on 29 May 1671.34 They would be paid by those whom the selectman agreed to seat there, as well as a being given a "foreseat" there. Apparently there were three tiers of seats.

Humphrey wrote a will on 4 March 1685/1686 that was probated on 11 October 1686:35

In the Name of God Amen

I Humphrey Woodbery Senr of ye town of Beverly in ye County of Essex in New England Yeoman being though weake & infirm in my body yet of perfect mind and memory having through Gods mercy ye use of my Reason and understanding Doe make ordaine and have this fourth day of March In ye year of our Lord one thousand six hundred Eighty and five fix; made, declared and ordained this my last Will and Testament in maner and forme as follows.

Imprimis I give & bequeath my soule unto God who gave it me; hopeing through ye death merits and intercession of my Lord Jesus Christ to receive ye free pardon of all my sins; & to inherit everlasting Life & Glory: and my Body unto ye Earth to be decently buried at ye discretion of my Executrix hereafter named; & my worldly Goods I dispose of thus

I give unto my Loving Wife Elizabeth Woodbry the improvment of my Dwelling house & Barn; Orchard; homestead Great parsture; & all my Land & Medow therunto belong (except what is herafter in this my will excepted) & also I Give unto my Wife all my Movable estate consisting in Moneys Goods or Chatells &c within Doores or without; she to have ye improvment of sd housing and lands for & during the term of her naturall life only; except she shall have necessity of farther maintenace & if soe then I doe give her absolute power to sell two Acres of ye Land aforesaid; soe yt ye Remainder of ye sd Homesteade be not endamaged therby in any considerable respect

Item I give unto my son Richard Woodberry During his Mothers Lifetime that parcell of Land called the Midle pasture containg eleven acres or therabouts; Lying against ye generall fence on ye south side of it & against ye Comon on ye west side of it & ye orchard which ye sd Richard planted being between sd midle pasture and my barn; to emprove ye sd Lands during his mothers Life; And alsoe I give unto my sd son Richard & to his heires for ever at his Mothers decease ye sd orchard aformentioned & alsoe ye dwelling house barn; Homestead; great pasture & all other ye apurtenances in any wise therunto belonging or in any wise pertaining; sd Richard Woodbry paing ye sum of ten pounds unto my son thomas for his legacy;

Item I Give unto my son Thomas Woodbry the Lott wherupon his house now standeth; with a certain Strapp of Land; lying at ye head of yr sd Lot both sd parcels of Land being already in his possession and alsoe I give more to my said son Thomas ye sum of ten pounds aforsd in good pay; to be paid unto him by my son Richard within three years after my wives decease; & also my halfe acre of Land in Salem Lying against Waters his fence buting against ye Cove wch comes from winter Island

Item I give to my son John Woodbry that same fourty acre Lott which my sd son now Dwelleth upon

Item I Give unto my Son Isaac Woodbery ye Lott of mine which he now Dwels upon and all my Land wch he now hath in his poscession & Alsoe at his mothers decease yt halfe of the sd Midle pasture on ye north side

Item I give unto my Son William Woodbery ye other halfe of ye sd Midle pasture on the South with the Home Lott whereupon said Williams House standeth joying to said Pasture bounded on the north with my orchard on ye southeast by ye Land of John Solace one corner reachin to ye Land of Mr. Hale being now in his poscession.

Item I Give unto my Son Humphrey Woodbery my ten Acre Lot which is now let out to Jno Drinker and also a piece of Swampe Lying at ye head of sd Lot being in my sd sons poscession already

Item I Give unto my daughter Susana Teny all my Land at Bradford yt I bought for her being about fifty acres of upland and three acres of Medow; during her Life; and afterward to her husband and his heires except he doe otherwise dispose of it

Item I Give unto my Daughter Christian the wife of John Trask my two Acres of medow ground near Longham; adjoining eastward to ye medow yt was Capt Lawthrops; which now in my sd son trasks poscession

Item I Give unto my Daughter Elizabeth ye wife of John Walker ten shillings; having given her a good portion already

Item I give unto my two grandchildren Sarah and Unice Walker a certain house of mine now rented by Humphrey Horell and two acres of Land therto adjoining bounded South and west by ye comon to be so laid out as to leave A sufficient highway out of ye great pasture into the Comon between sd house & ye Rocks Equally between sd Grandchildren and if one of them Die ye Surviver to have ye whole & if both die in nonage; then to my own heires; & in ye meane time my loving wife to have ye use of ye same Whom I doe herby make my true & lawful executrix And I desire my loving friends Mr. John Hale My Brother Serjeant Woodbry & Brother Cornlius Baker to be overseers & assistants to my executrix for performance herof & Doe disanull any former or other will of mine & do Ratifie and confirme this my Last will and testament in witness wherof I have set herunto my hand & seale ye day & year first abovementioned.

Signed Sealed and declared to be his last will in ye presence of us

Jno Dodge Sr
Samll Hardie

The mark [HW] of Humphry Woodbery Senr

John Dodg and Samuell Hardie made oth that they were present and saw Humphry Woodbery sign and seale the above written & that he then declared the same to be his last will & testament & that he was then of disposing mind & they then subscribed their names as wiitnesses thereunto this 11th day of October 1686 Before me Bartho Gedney

[verso]

Cornelius Baker & Peter Woodbery made oath that they were present & saw Humphry Woodbery signe and seale the within written & that he then declared the same to be his Last will and testament and was then of disposeing mind & that John dodg Senr and Samuell Hardie were alsow present & subscribed their names as witnesses thereunto this 11th day of October 1686

Entered 11th Nov 1686
Before me Bartho Gedney one of the Concill

The Inventory of Humphrey Woodbry his Estate

This is A true Inventory of ye Estate of Humphrey Woodbry Snr Late of Beverly decd afsd as it was apprized by us the subscribers herof this 11th day of June; ano Domini 1686.


the dwelling house; barn, & out housing 040 [lbs] - 00 [shillings] - 00 [pence]
The homsteade Containing about 20 Acres 156 - 00 - 00
A pasture adjoining of about 20 Acres 060 - 00 - 00
A parcel of Land of about 15 Acres that is now in ye hands of Wm Woodbry 045 - 00 - 00
A parcel of Land of about 16 acres that is now in the hands of Isaac Woodbry 080 - 00 - 00
A parcel of Land of about 12 acres that is now in the hands of Thomas Woodbry 096 - 00 - 00
halfe an Acre of Land in Salem 005 - 00 - 00
40 acres of Land in Jno Woodbrys hands 100 - 00 - 00
10 acres of Land in Hupmph Woodberys hands 040 - 00 - 00
53 Acres of Land being in Haverill bounds 026 - 10 - 00
2 Acres of Medow being at Longham 010 - 00 - 00
Another dwelling house 035 - 00 - 00
A yoke of Oxen 008 - 00 - 00
6 Cowes £1: two heifers £4 022 - 00 - 00
11 Sheepe & 15 Lambs 006 - 10 - 00
One mare & a colt 002 - 00 - 00
Wheeles & other Utensils 002 - 05 - 00
A parcell of Pewter & Chafing Dish 002 - 04 - 00
A warming Pan & skillet 000 - 06 - 00
A parcel of Iron Utensils 002 - 00 - 00
Earthen Ware 3s Looking Glass 5s 000 - 08 - 00
Tables; forme; & Stooles 000 - 10 - 00
One bed; bedsteads & furniture 008 - 10 - 00
Chaires & a frying pan 001 - 12 - 00
A parcell of corn & beanes 002 - 00 - 00
Sheets & other linen £1-10s; Chest & boxes £1 002 - 10 - 00
5 yds of Carsey 30s; 3 yds broadcloth 36s 003 - 06 - 00
2 yds peniston 7s: pr 2 yds 1/2 of Carsey 6s 000 - 13 - 00
Another bed; bedstead, & furniture 007 - 00 - 00
14 yds of woolen cloth 002 - 02 - 00
Sword; Gun & other Lumber 000 - 10 - 00

ye sum totall 769 - 16 - 00
-----------------
to a Sadle not before minded 000 - 10 - 00-
---
totall 770 - 06 -00

The Estate abovementioned was apprized by us at ye desire of ye widdow Woodbry as witness our hands ye day & year abovementioned

John Rayment Snr
Andrew Elliott Somes

Elizabeth Woodbery executrix of the last will & testament of Humphry Woodbery deceased made oth that the above written is a true inventory of the sd Woodberies estate to the best of her knowledge & if more be found she will give accnt of the same this 11th day of October 1686

Before me Bartho Gedney

     This family name in the 17th and early 18th centuries is spelled variously depending on the document and the gravestone. There were varying degrees of literacy, even among town clerks and ministers. Spelling was fluid and often reflected phonetics, but the prevailing spelling amongst family members was decidedly "Woodbery." Since there is no ambiguity about this, I see no reason not to use it. I do so with the note that other spelling were used, uncommonly by Woodberys themselves, more commonly by others. This spelling eventually shifted to "Woodberry," and now "Woodbury" is favored.Humphrey Woodberry - Humphrey Woodbury

Children of Humphrey Woodbery and Elizabeth Hunter:35

i. Thomas, b. prob. by December 1637, no baptism record at Salem
ii. John, bap. 24 October 1641
iii. Isaac, bap. 4 February 1643/44
iv. Humphrey, bap. 8 March 1645/46
v. Susannah, bap. 4 February 1648/49
vi. William, bap. 4 May 1651
vii. Peter, bap. 17 April 1653
viii. Richard, bap. 1 April 1655
ix. Elizabeth, bap. 30 May 1658
x. Christian, bap. 1 August 1661

vital records sources: See text for a discussion about Humphrey's birth and marriage. His will was made in March and probated in October of 1686. The image of his signature comes from a petition to have a new parish formed on the Cape Ann side of Salem, also called Bass River, now Beverly, dated 9 May 1659.

1. His age is given as 70 in June 1679 (note #6) and about 76 in June 1680 (note #35). It is given as 61 in a court record of July 1668 Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts (hereafter ECQC), vol. 4, pg. 47).
2. research of Robin Bush?, Search for the Passengers of the Mary & John, 1630 (hereafter SPMJ), 25:78-9.
3. ECQC, vol. 7, pg. 251.
4. Mayflower Deed and Wills, pg. 347, taken from an Essex Co. court record (prob ECQC), cited as vol. 49, pg. 75, dated 1 April 1690. 5. "Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts" (hereafter TRS) in Essex Institute Historical Collections vol. 9, 2nd series, vol. 1 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1868), 92. Richard and Christian were married in his former home town of Plymouth, MA, found in that town's vital records for 1636. They probably stayed in Plymouth until Richard told the town of Salem that "desires land" there late in 1639. Christian's surname is given as "Hunt." It is possible that the Blessing passenger list is in error by calling them "Hunter," but if a mistake was to be made it was more likely by dropping the "er" from Hunter rather than adding it to "Hunt."
6. 14 February. She was a widow (Richard Hollingworth died in 1654) and may have been living with the More's. This date is a month before Christian More died. Perhaps she was sick and could no longer look after her mother. Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts [hereafter TRS 2], vol. 2, pg. 205.
7. TRS, 1:19, 24.
8. TRS, 1:33.
9. TRS, 1:102, clearly misbound in the town record book and belonging to the minutes of the town meeting held 25 December 1637.
10. TRS, 1:1:65.
11. TRS, 1:113. Samuel Edson was granted land at Mackerel Cove adjacent to Humphrey's farm on 10 August.
13. 27 December 1642; ECQC, 1:49.
14. 28 December; ECQC, 1:146.
15. The Records of the First Church in Salem, Massachusetts, 1629-1736 (Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1974), 13, 10.
16. ECQC, 1:205.
17. 11 or 10 October; Putnam's Magazine, 3, 111, also Some Descendants of John Woodbury.
18. ECQC, 1:175.
19. 8 May 1654; ECQC, 1:177.
20. ECQC, vol. 2:42, 182.
21. TRS 2:36, 37.
22. ECQC, vol. 3 (1913), 224-5.
23. 7 February 1664/64; TRS 2:53.
24. 28 November; ECQC, 3:281.
25. 27 November 1666; ECQC, 3:367.
26. ECQC, 3:268.
27. Some Descendants of John Woodbury, from an Essex Co. deed.
28. 10 March 1667/68; TRS 2:87.
29. ECQC, vol. 6 (1917), 172.
30. ECQC, vol. 8 (1921), 140.
31. ECQC, 8:289.
32. ECQC, 6:400-401.
33. ECQC, vol. 7 (1919), 195, 106.
34. Municipal Documents of the City of Beverly, Massachusetts (Beverly: 1896), 404.
35.This transcription was made by Charla Woodbury and Kris Ormond made it available to me. Although the will doesn't seem to be recorded in the Essex County Surrogates Court, the matter is referred to as "docket #1500," Essex Institute Historical Collections, vol. 40, pg. 214. The will is in the collections of the Beverly Historical Society.
36. The Records of the First Church in Salem, 18-25.