From findagrave.com
RICHARD CHURCH was born about 1608 (deposed 27 Apr 1657 aged 48 years or thereabouts; deposed 25
Aug 1664 aged about 56 years). Came to Plymouth Colony in 1630 as servant
to Francis Webb & first settled in Weymouth. Moved to Plymouth in 1631,
Eastham in 1649, Charlestown by 1652, and finally Hingham in 1654. Died in
Dedham 26 December 1668, probably on a visit to his son Caleb. In his will,
written the day before his death, he calls himself of Hingham, but the witnesses
are all of Dedham.
Married by 7 March 1636/7 (and probably by 14 March 1635/6), ELIZABETH WARREN,
daughter of Richard Warren who was a Mayflower passenger. She died in
Hingham 9 March 1669/70.
Their ten children: Elizabeth Hobart, Joseph, Benjamin, Nathaniel, Charles,
Caleb, Abigail Thaxter, Sarah Burroughs, Mary, & Deborah.
"He died in Dedham where he was on a visit, his demise taking place
"Sabbath day erly in the morning," and is buried in Hingham at a spot
which is covered now by the highway leading to the Old Steamboat Wharf, and near
the water. (Letter of Mrs. Henrietta Church Dunham.)"
Source: Anderson's Winthrop Fleet.
ELIZABETH WARREN was a daughter of Richard Warren [1620, Plymouth -
Mayflower]. She died in Hingham 9 March 1669/70. She married Richard Church by 7
March 1636/7 (and probably by 14 March 1635/6), Their ten children: Elizabeth
Hobart, Joseph, Benjamin, Nathaniel, Charles, Caleb, Abigail Thaxter, Sarah
Burroughs, Mary, & Deborah. Source: Anderson's Winthrop Fleet.
Son Joseph Church was born about 1638, son of Richard Church &
Elizabeth Warren. Like his father, a carpenter. Executor of his father's estate.
Grandson of Richard Warren of the Mayflower & his wife Elizabeth Walker.
Brother of Col. Benjamin
Church, whose grave is nearby in the Old Commons Burial Ground.
Daughter Elizabeth was born about 1636. Her actual date of birth and
her date & place of burial could not be found. She married Caleb Hobart
January 8, 1657/58.
Son COL Benjamin Church was an American carpenter, military officer,
and Ranger during America's Colonial era, specifically during King Philip's War.
Born in Plymouth Colony in about 1639, Church married Alice Southworth, daughter
of Constant Southworth, step-son of Governor William Bradford, on December 26,
1667 in Duxbury, Massachusetts. He resided for a time in Duxbury and later moved
to Sakonnet (now Little Compton), Rhode Island.
Church was a principal aide to Governor Josiah Winslow of Plymouth Colony.
Remembered primarily for leading small groups of fighting men, referred to as
Rangers, during King Philip's War (1675–1676).
During that war, for six hours, COL Church and just thirty seven other
Englishmen from Plymouth Colony withstood an assault by more than three hundred
Indians. That battle became known as the Pease Field Fight, the location of
which is located west of modern Nonquit Pond, between Tiverton and Little
Compton, RI.
Church was eventually allowed to recruit Indians when traditional Army tactics
of the times proved unsuccessful. He persuaded many neutral or formerly hostile
Indians to join his unit, where they operated skillfully as irregular troops.
In June of 1676, Church signed an agreement with Awashonks, the Sakonnet sachem,
at "Treay Rock" in modern Little Compton, RI, guarenteeing a truce
between the Sakonnets and the English.
King Philip's War came to an end on 12Aug1676 when one of Church's Indian
Rangers (John Alderman) killed King Philip. Upon inspection of Philip's body,
Church is quoted as saying "a doleful, great, naked, dirty beast".
Philip was shot, draw and quartered and be-headed. His severed head was
reportedly displayed at Plymouth for twenty years.
Over the next 28 years, Church led five New England raiding parties into Maine
and Canada against the French and Indians; he carried out devastating raids in
Acadia.
Though sometimes considered America's first "Great Indian Fighter",
Church's first inclination was to try and find common ground with the Native
People. Indeed, when first settling in Sakonnet, he was the only Englishman for
miles, surrounded by Indians on three sides, the Sakonnet River on the other.
In addition, Church vehemently opposed Governor Winslow's decision to sell
Indian captives into slavery and sought clemency for former Indian rivals after
the war.
COL Church dictated his story to his son Thomas, first published in 1716 as
"Entertaining Passages Relating to Philip's War". Various editions
have been published since, including "The History of Philip's War, Commonly
Called the Great Indian War of 1675 and 1676", edited by Samuel Drake in
1829 and reprinted in 1989 by Heritage Book, Bowie, MD.
Legacy - Generally regarded as the founder of Little Compton, RI.
COL Church was the grandfather of Dr. Benjamin Church, the first "Surgeon
General" (though that title came later) of the Continental Army. In 1776,
Dr. Church was arrested for treason for selling information to Governor Gage and
the British in Boston in 1775-1776.
References:
US Army Ranger Hall of Fame
Philbrick, Nathaniel, Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War. New
York: Viking Penguin, 2006. ISBN 0-670-03760-5
Son Charles was born about 1644 and was killed by the overturning of
his cart. His place & date of burial could not be found. Daughter
Abigail married at 19, had 7 children before she was 30, and died at age 30.
Daughter of Richard Church and Elizabeth Warren, granddaughter of Richard Warren
of the Mayflower. Daughter Sarah was born about 1650 in Plymouth. She
married James Burroughs December 8, 1674 in Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Her place of death is shown as Bristol Bristol, Rhode Island, however there are
many undocumented trees showing it as Bristol, Massachusetts. The burial
location could not be located.
*****
Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
Name: Sarah Church
Event Type: Marriage
Marriage Date: 8 Dec 1674
Marriage Place: Hingham, Massachusetts
Father Name: Richard Church
Spouse Name: James Burrows |