"Old Planters Reunion", Beverly, Massachusetts

This forefathers plaque can be found at the Cabot House, Beverly Historical Society, in Beverly, Massachusetts

THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO CAME OVER IN THE FIRST EMIGRATION

AND WERE BY THE BLESSING OF GOD THE PLANTERS OF BEVERLY, FROM THE FIRST GRANT 1638

TO THE INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN 1668 OR THEREABOUTS, OCCUPIERS OF FREEHOLDS

AND CONTINUING TO ABIDE THEREON, THEIR CHILDREN INHERITING THE LAND, AND THE NAME

OF THEIR WIVES AND THE NUMBER OF THEIR CHILDREN.

JOHN BALCH                   MARGARY             3

HENRY BALEE                 DOROTHY             4

JACOB BARNEY              ELIZABETH           3

JOHN BATCHELDER       ELIZABETH           7

EDWARD BISHOP            MARY                     3

JOSHUA BISSON              MARTHA               5

JOHN BLACK                   SUSANNA              1

RICHARD BRACKENBERY          ELLEN      4

JEREMIAH BOOTMAN   HESTER                  6

THOMAS CHUBB             AVIS                        4

ROGER CONANT             SARAH                    7

SAMUEL CORNING         ELIZABETH           4

MIGHILL CRESSY            MARY                     1

CHRISTOPHER CROE      DELIVERANCE     2

WILLIAM DIXEY              ANNA                     8

RICHARD DODGE            EDITH                    7

WILLIAM DODGE            ELIZABETH          4

JOHN EDWARDS              MARY                     2

RALPH ELLINWOOD      ELLEN                    7

ANDREW ELLIOT            GRACE                   6

EDMUND GALE               SARAH                   4

JOHN GALLY                    FLORENCE            4

EDMUND GROVER         MARGARY             6

ROGER HASCALL           ELIZABETH           9

ROGER HASKINS            RUTH                      2

NICOLAS HAYWARD      ELIZABETH           6

HENRY HERRICK            EDE                          8

ROBERT HIBBERT          JOAN                       9

JOHN HILL                       ABIGAIL                 6

WILLIAM HOARE           DORCAS                  6

FRANCIS HOOPER          JULIAN                    2

ISAAC HULL                    SARAH                    3

NICOLAS LAGROVE      HANNAH                5

RICHARD LAMBERT      ESTHER                  2

HUGH LASKIN                 ALISE                      2

LAWRENCE LEACH        ELIZABETH           7

THOMAS LOTHROP        BETHIA                  8

JOHN LOVITT                  MARY                     5

ROBERT MORGAN         MARGARET           6

RICHARD OBER             ABIGAL                   9

JAMES PATCH                 HANNAH                5

JOHN PATCH                   ELIZABETH            6

NICOLAS PATCH            ELIZABETH            2

THOMAS PICKTON       ANN                          0

DANIEL RAY                  BETHIA                    2

JOHN RAYMENT           RACHEL                   6

WILLIAM RAYMENT   HANNAH                 5

JOSIAS ROOTES            SUSANA                  4

JOHN SALLOWES         HANNAH                 6

THOMAS SCRUGGS     MARGARY              3

RICHARD STACKHOUSE  SUSANA            1

JOHN STONE                  SARAH                   4

JEFFREY THISTLE        MARY                     2

JOHN THORNDIKE       ELIZABETH           6

OSMAND TRASK          MARY                   10

THOMAS TUCK             JOAN                      3

JOHN WEST                    MARY                    3

THOMAS WHITREDGE  FLORENCE         3

JOHN WOODBERY        AGNES                  5

WILLIAM WOODBERY ELIZABETH        7

PETER WOODIN             ELIZABETH        4

PETER WOOLFE             MARTHA             2

IN FILIAL PIETY THIS MEMORIAL TO THE

FATHERS AND MOTHERS WHO ENTERED

INTO AND POSSESSED THE LAND NOW

BEVERLY IS ERECTED WITH GRATITUDE

TO GOD FOR OUR ANCIENT AMERICAN

BIRTHRIGHT BY THEIR DESCENDANTS

APRIL 19, 1913

Every two years the Beverly Historical Society hosts the "Old Planters Reunion" for descendants of the first settlers in what is now Beverly, Massachusetts.   This weekend was a three day event that included historic house tours, cemetery visits, lectures, a visit to the city hall archivists, a dinner at the Hale Farm, the annual Balch and Woodbury family reunions, and other events. We had a wonderful time in Beverly meeting lots of cousins and having fun.  I'm descended of a lot of these "Old Planters" including BALCH, BLACK, DODGE, DIXEY, ELLINWOOD, GALE, HASKELL, HERRICK, LEACH, STONE, THORNDIKE, WEST, TUCK and WOODBURY.

Are you descended of one of the families listed above?  Or other early Beverly families? The best way to be informed about the next reunion is to join the Beverly Historical Society, and they will mail you information and registration forms for 2018.  (see the link to click on the reunion brochure PDF below)  I hope to see you at the next  "Old Planter" reunion!

Dan Driscoll, Beverly City Archives Volunteer
describes the vast range of documents in the city vaults

Your truly poring over town clerk records from the 1600s

The John Balch House on Cabot Street with newly renovated facade.
This house dates from the early 1600s

Reunion participants touring the Balch House

Salem State University Archaeology Professor Emerson "Tad" Baker
describes artifacts found during excavations at the Balch house. 

Dinner in the backyard of the Hale Farm.  It was built in 1694 by Rev. John Hale
who played a large part in the 1692 Salem Witch Hysteria. 

We toured the Old North Beverly burial ground and also the
well hidden Dodges Burial Ground, and found lots of ancestors!

We finished the weekend with a tour of the Beverly "Gold Coast"
on the schooner "Fame".

Lots of cousins helped to lift the sails for our tour of Beverly Harbor. 

Beverly Historical Society -  http://www.beverlyhistory.org/  

Old Planters Reunion 2016  PDF   http://www.beverlyhistory.org/misc_files/OldPlantersReunion_Early2016.pdf


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, " "Old Planters Reunion", Beverly, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 26, 2016,  (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/old-planters-reunion-beverly.html: accessed [access date]).