John Stannard, Immigrant

John Stannard is not an easy man to research, partly because his name is spelled in so many different ways (Stonard is the most common, especially in England).  But we are fortunate enough to think we know about when he was born, who his parents were, who his wife was and when they married, and the names of his children.  We also see a few faint traces of his life in America. 

John was born probably by 1610 in Harlow, Essex, England.  His wife, Margaret Miller, was born October 2, 1603 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England.  It sounds like they were from different worlds but actually the two towns were about 10 miles apart, and depending on where they actually lived, they may have been almost neighbors.  The families likely knew each other through business, church, or mutual friends, because parents generally were still guiding, if not arranging, marriages at this time.  So that's easy enough to explain, or to think we understand.  What is a little more difficult is to explain why John and Margaret (daughter of Thomas and Ann or Agnes Berry or Lambe) were married in St Dunstan's, London, England on May 12, 1631.  Did they have more family there?  If their first son's birth year of 1631 is correct, then perhaps this was an elopement of sorts.  The 1631 marriage date is probably the reason that John's birth date is given as "by about 1610"; he would have been 21 then.  He was probably born several years earlier, in my opinion, but records have not yet been found. 

John and Margaret quickly settled down and had a family.  There were four children, with the last being born about 1637.  John brought his young family to American by 1639, because he is noted as having 7 acres of land in Roxbury, Massachusetts  Bay Colony, in a list made between 1638 and 1640.  He would have needed to have worked hard to provide a home, establish a business or farm, and later build a home for the family.  We know he mortgaged his house and lands in 1645 and discharged the debt in 1646, but whether that was to build a better home, or to help a business, or what the motive was, we do not know.  It is said that he joined the church, and he owned property, but apparently he never became a freeman, which means he didn't vote and therefore didn't hold public office.  I'd like to know the reason for this! 

John died June 13, 1649 in Roxbury.  In the town records, he is described as being middle aged, which could well mean he was born around 1600.  We have record of his inventory, valued at 137 pounds and taken by Isaac Heath (our uncle), John Johnson (our ancestor) and William Parke.  The inventory is available through American Ancestors, in their Suffolk Co, Ma: Probate File Papers, pages 83:1 and following.  I can tell you where the record can an be found, and I've printed it off, but it is faint and fuzzy and I can't read it.  I'd sure like to read it, for it probably would give us clues as to his occupation and his education. 

There should also be guardian records for some of the children, but I've not found them.  Margaret remarried, at least once, and died in 1682 in Dedham, Massachusetts.  So, there is more research to do on John and his family, but this is a start.  In my mind, he was an amazing man simply because he came to America, and provided for his family while building our country. 

The line of descent is:

John Stannard-Margaret Miller
Joseph Stannard-Elizabeth Spencer
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard -Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants