Robert CLEMENTS
Robert Clements

"In 1617, Robert's father died. In that same year he bought 60 pounds worth of land in Huncote where he lived for a number of years. Huncote is in the same county as, and is near Croft. Living with robert was his mother, Agnes, who died in 1619. Robert moved to Ansley a few years later. robert also purchased lands in Broughton, Witherly and thus by age 43 owned property in Crosby, Huncote, Ansley and Witherly. He also had interest in trade, or "ventures on the sea"."

"Robert immigrated to America, along with his children, Job; who had already been to America, John, Robert, Sarah, and Lydia. The name of ship they sailed on is unknown, but is believed to be the same ship carrying Tristram Coffin who was to become governor of Nantucket, arrived on. They landed in Salisbury and traveled to Penntucket. Shortly after his arrival, he and 5 other colonists, arranged for the puchase of land from the Indians. The land purchased is on the site of present day Haverhill, Mass."


from CLEMENTS DESCENDANTS:

"After Judith's death in 1669, some of the real estate left her as her dower in Robert Clements's will, was sold 14 Feb. 1669 by her step-son, Robert2 Clements, to Daniel Ela and the proceeds distributed amongst the first Robert's heirs in accordance with his will. The rest of the real estate was divided to the 'childorns childorne that are in new england' as follows:--

'Wee whose names are underwritten being instated together in some pcells of land wch fell to us by ye last will of Mr Robert Clements deceased being met together at Haverhill this ninth of December 1674 for to divide these peells of land ... & having divided it by ye help of Andrew Grele & Robert Clements into five shares wee cast lotts for those shares & they thus fell, ye eleven acres of ox comon land & one ox comon of flve acres & a halfe of land not yet layd out we was one share fell by lot to Joseph Canay & he to pay forty shillings out of his share in some Marchantable pay to Job Clements & John Osgood to make their shares up & equill: And to Job Clement fell by lot one halfe of yt peece of land we lies for fower & twenty acres neare Gilles lake we was one share only he ye said Job to return twenty shillings of Joseph Canay to be payd wthin one yeare after ye date hereof in some good currant Marchantable pay:'

'And unto Moses Pingry fell-by lot ye 4th Division of land we belongs to these five shares & two comon rights we does belong to these shares: And to John Osgood fell by lott one halfe of ye fower & twenty acres of land neare Guiles Lake & he to receive twenty shillings of Joseph Canay in some good Marchantable pay wthin one twelvemonth after ye date hereof to make good his share:'

'And to Mary Osgood fell by lott ye one half of yt peece of meadow in ye East meadow, we was mr Robert Clements desier, ye other halfe belongs to ye Children of Abraham Morrill deceased


Moses pingray Joseph Canny

John Osgood Job Clements Jr.

The M mark

of Mary Osgood'


'These five psons we have subscribd did ackowledg this to be their finall agreemt act & deed as to ye division of wt fell to them by ye will of their grandfather Clement this 9th of December (1674) before mee

Nath: Salstonstall: Comissr"

(Norfolk Co., Records, 3: 318.)'

"There is also filed in the records of Norfolk county, a very long paper whereby the parents of the grandchildren, divide more of the dower of Judith Clements. There were "fiveteen" heirs, as follows:--two of Job Clements's, six of Moses Pingray's, five of Abraham Morrill's, two of John Osgood's. Signed by Job Clement, Moses Pingray, John Osgood, on 8 Oct. 1669, in presence of Robert Clement and others. Acknowledged by Moses Pingray and John Osgood, 2 Apr. 1672. Acknowledged by Thomas Mudgett (as representing the heirs of Abraham Morrill), 18 Dec. 1684."

"Division of some of the land that Robert Clement, Sr., of Haverhill, Gentleman, dec'd, left in his Will of 6 Sept. 1658 "unto his children's children then in New England after ye death of his wife," between John Pingry of Ipswich, Gentleman, for himself and as he is attorney for the children and heirs of Thomas Burman Late of Ipswich, dec'd.; Aaron Pingrey & Job Pingrey both of Rowley; Capt. Richard Kimball of Bradford and Mehetabel his wife, in her right; Jonathan Kimball of Bradford and Lydia his wife, in her right; and Jonathan Emerson of Haverhill and Hannah his wife, in her right, 25 May 1732. (Essex Co., Deeds, 72:99.)"

"Jonathan Emerson and Hannah his wife of Haverhill, yeoman, for love, goodwill & affection for sons Nathaniel and Richard, give to them lands in Haverhill formerly belonging to Mr. Robert Clement of Haverhill, which deacended from him to Mr. Pingrey of Ipswich and from him to John Day of Ipswich by his wife, and from the said John Day to Hannah, wife of the said John Emerson, 7 Aug. 1736. (Ibid. 72: 158.)"

"Ephraim Warren of Killinglee, in the county of Windham, Conn, and Abigail his wife; and Mary Burnam of the same Killinglee, quit, to Andrew Burley of Ipswich, all right to certain lands in Methuen or Haverhill, which deseend to them from mother Lydia Burnam and was bequeathed to her by Mr. Robert Clement of Haverhill, dec'd., 20 June 1737. (Ibid. 86:3.)"

"Eliezer and James Burnam of Norwich, Conn., quit, all right to same land to Andrew Burley of Ipswich, 20 June 1737. (Ibid.) Moses Burnham of Ipswich conveys, to Andrew Burley of same, land in Haverhill or Methuen, laid out to heirs of Mr. Robert Clements, 18 July 1737. (Ibid. 86:69.)"


from PILLSBURY ANCESTRY:

"Among the early colonists to New England, there were many who were moved by a desire to better their condition in life, but by far the larger number of them came to this country to escape the political domination of the established church. Among them are found men, who apparently were good churchmen up to the hour of their departure. It seems probable that Robert Clements belonged in the ranks of those forward-thinking men whose spirits rebelled at the hampering guidance of the church. Financial gain could not have been his reason for emigrating, as he was so well established in England, that he held his property there throughout his life in the Colonies. This was a most unusual proceeding. The death of Lydia, his wife, in 1642, may have been the final thing that decided him to go, for two months later he sold the lands at Witherly."

"Having obtained money for the new venture to the colonies by the sale of his Witherley lands, Robert Clements, with his eldest son Job, his second son John, his youngest son Robert and his daughters, Sarah and Lydia Clements, sailed for America. His sons Abraham and Daniel Clements, aged about twenty and eighteen, respectively, he left behind in England, they being pledged to the army of the Commonwealth. His daughter Mary,(*) aged about five years, he left in Coventry, England, presumably with relatives, until such a time as she should be old enough to stand the hardships of the new life. It is unfortunate that the sailing list of the vessel on which they came has never been preserved, but the tradition that Robert came on his own boat has been handed down the succeeding generations of his descendants to the present time. There is every reason to believe that Tristram Coffin, who later became Governor of Nantucket, came in the same boat with Robert Clements. Joshua Coffin, the genealogist and antiquary of Newburyport, wrote in a letter, that once when digging in the old papers of Essex County, he came upon an ancient one which stated that Robert Clements and Tristram Coffin came from England together. Allen Coffin, in his "Life of Tristram Coffin" (Nantucket, 1881,) remarks that it is generally conceded that "Tristram came in the ship with Robert Clements, who settled at Haverhill."

"After landing at Salisbury at the mouth of the Merrimac River, Robert Clements and Tristram Coffin went up the river to Penntucket, where Rev. John Ward, Hugh Sheratt and others had preceded them. This was probably early in the fall of 1642. Shortly after their arrival they joined with the others in purchasing land from the Indians, Passaquo and Saggahew, who sold to them, with the consent of their Sachem, Passaconoway, the land on which the city of Haverhill now stands."

Probate: 6 OCT 1658 Essex County, Massachusetts U. S. A.

Note: Essex Probate, 5604 12

Will: 6 SEP 1658 Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts U. S. A.

Note:

Robert Clements died at Haverhill, 29 Sept. 1658. His will was dated only twenty-three days before his death and is evidence that some illness seized him unexpectedly and that he feared his life was ending.


from CLEMENTS DESCENDANTS:

"From the time of his arrival, Robert Clements was a valuable man in the community. He supplied the first need of the town by building a grist mill. His son Robert, as he grew towards manhood, became a cooper; his son Job had already learned the tanner's trade. His second son, John Clements, appears to have depended on the land alone and this may have been one reason for John's return to England, later on. His daughters married men of importance in the new community."

"In November 1645, "Robert Clements and Tristram Coffin of Haverhill" were made Freemen. In 1647, Robert Clements was made a "commissioner to end causes" in Haverhill. This office was equivalent to the modern one of Justice of the Peace. He served as deputy to the General Court in 1647 and following years until 1654, when he was succeeded by his son Lieut. John Clements. In 1648 he was an associate Judge for the County of Norfolk."

"Robert Clements was twice licensed by the Norfolk County Court to sell wine in Hampton and Haverhill, a privilege in those days only extended to the better class of citizens. As marriage by a magistrate was the only legal form in the early days of the Massachusetts colonies, he doubtless performed many a ceremony besides that which united his daughter Mary to Capt. John Osgood of Andover."

"His many public offices gained him a wide acquaintance in the colony. Confidence in his uprightness seems to have been general, and that he enjoyed the respect of all his associates can not be doubted. Chase, in his 'History of Haverhill' sums up his character in the following words:-- 'A man of rare ability and superior talents.' Such a man will prosper anywhere, and as the years went by his holdings and property in New England increased in value."



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