GUPPY / GUPPI / GUPPE
/ GUPPIE / GUPPEY
Reuben Guppy (about 1601 – about 1684), my 10th
great grandfather, was first recorded in the New World in Ipswich,
Massachusetts in 1641. That same year he
was recorded in Salem, too. In 1641 he
was also in court “for running away to the eastward from his wife, who was
about to be confined in childbirth and for stealing, blasphemy, lying and
swearing”. He was sentenced to be
whipped.
See this letter in the John
Winthrop Papers, Vol. 1 -5, 1557 - 1649 database at www.americanancestors.org, Winthrop
Papers, volume 4, pages 323 – 324.
"Thomas Gorges
and Edward Godfrey to John Winthrop
To the Right
Wor[shipfu]ll John Withrope Esqr. these present speed in Boston
Aggamenticus 1 March
1640/1
Most honoured Sir, one
Reuben Guppy of late comminge into our plantation and pretendinge much Religeon
and great zeal for the Ordinances of God was entertained by a planter, but
since ther haue come diuers reports unto vs of his misdeameanors with you, and
that fear of punishment doue him away, and likewise this day I haue reccaued a
letter from Captain Vnderhill which expresseth the desier of Mr. Endicott to
haue him returned which letter I haue sent you heerinclosd. the desier we haue to satisfy his request,
and to ridd such fellows out of our Prouince, which haue brought such a
scandall on it haue caused vs to omitt noe opportunity of sendinge him,
therfore by Sampson Salter, M[aste]r of the Makeshift you shall receaue him.
resolued we are that this Prouince shall be noe refuge for Runnaways, for none
comminge from another Plantation shall be entertained heer without a
Certificate of good demeanour, or vppon the knowledge of some of the
Inhabitants. thus with our seruices
tendered to you; commendinge you to the protection of the Almighty we Rest
Yourse in all due respects
THO: GORGES
EDW: GODFREY”
Reuben Guppy is a terrific Black Sheep ancestor, who was in
and out of court records for the rest of his life. He left a lot of records for theft, lawsuits,
dodging rent, and for turning in his neighbors for various crimes. My favorite was a record by Sargeant Dixie
who had seen Guppy stuff a hen in his breeches. [Essex Antiquarian, Volume 3 (1899), page 191 from Salem Quarterly
Court Records, dated 30: 1: 1641] In another interesting case in 1657 he
accused his neighbor Richard Pitfold of bestiality. [Essex Antiquarian, Volume 11 (1907), page 135] However, the origins of Reuben Guppy are still
unknown, and his exact birth and death dates are still undiscovered.
By 1650 he owned a lot of land which he deeded to his son
John in 1681. This land was left to the granddaughter, Bethia Guppy who married
Thomas Marston. The land left the family
when it was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Marston, of Boston, in 1769 for three pounds,
six shillings and eight pence [Essex Register of Deeds, Book 125, leaf 278].
In 1648 Reuben Guppy was in Agamenticus again (now York,
Maine) where he was found to be estranged from his wife and brought back to
Salem, Massachusetts by the authorities. That same year the court ordered “That the 2
eldest children of Reuben Guppy be placed out, the boy till the age of 21 years
and the mayde till the age of 18 years.”
The girl was probably my 9th great grandmother, Mary Guppy,
who was placed with the Verin family, and then with the John Porter, Sr.
family. Mary Guppy married John Glover
in 1661.
The Guppy family was involved in a famous 1684 robbery of
500 pounds known as “The Corwin Robbery” [History of Salem, by Sidney Perley,
Volume III, pages 184 – 188]. Reuben
Guppy, his son John Guppy, and Abigail (wife of son John) were all accused. John, a
former servant in the home of George Corwin, and several other former servants,
an African slave named David, and several neighbors, plotted to steal the
money. John Guppy was named as an
accessory to the crime. Two others, William Godsoe and his wife, were sentenced
to be branded with the letter B in the forehead. Thomas Gatchell, Nathaniel
Pickman and John Collier were sentenced to pay treble damages, be severely
whipped 39 stripes or pay ten pounds (I wonder which one they chose?) According to History of Salem, page 187“The branding was done by constable
Flinder, for which he was paid two pounds. The Godsoes disappeared from
Salem”.
Reuben Guppy was still living in 1684. He had deposed in court in 1665 that he was 60 years
old, which would place his birth at about 1605.
Some GUPPY resources:
The History of Salem, by Sidney Perley
The Genealogical Dictionary of New England by James Savage,
1969, Volume II, page 324
My GUPPY lineage:
Generation 1: Reuben
Guppy, born about 1601 probably in England, died after 1684 in Salem,
Massachusetts; married Eleanor or Ellen.
Four children.
Generation 2: Mary
Guppy, born about 1640; married 2 January 1661 in Salem to John Glover, son of
Charles Glover and Elizabeth Unknown. He
was born about 1638 in Salem, and died May 1695 in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Eight children.
Generation 3:
Jonathan Glover m. Abigail Henderson
Generation 4:
Jonathan Glover m. Tabitha Bacon
Generation 5: Daniel Glover m. Hannah Jillings
Generation 6: Tabitha Glover m. Thomas Homan
Generation 7: Betsey Jillings Glover m. Jabez Treadwell
Generation 8: Eliza Ann Treadwell m. Abijah Hitchings
Generation 9: Abijah
Franklin Hitchings m. Hannah Eliza Lewis
Generation 10: Arthur Treadwell Hitchings m. Florence Etta
Hoogerzeil
Generation 11: Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer
Allen
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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ GUPPY of
Marblehead”, Nutfield Genealogy,
posted December 2, 2017, (
Hi. Reuben was my ancestor too, through his daughter Mary who married John Glover but John has never been proven to be the son of Charles Glover and his wife Elizabeth. We don't have enough information to show who his parents may have been but in looking at Charles' life, I don't think they were related in any way. John Glover and Mary Guppy were both apprenticed at John Porter's farm where they met and later married. Just my two cents and I certainly could be wrong about Charles being John's father but I don't think so.
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