Individual Details

From Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: "Robert, Weymouth, freem. 1647, then spell. Rendell, in his will of 27 Mar. 1691, names his ch. John, Thomas, Mary, wh. was b. 20 or 30 Mar. 1642, w. of Abraham Staples, m. 17 Sept. 1660; and Hannah, w. of John Warfield, both then of Mendon. Mary, his w. was bur. 3 Sept. 1640, but his next w. is unkn. He came from Wendover, Co. Bucks, as he testif. in 1688, at the age of 80. "
From History of Robert Randall: "Robert Randall, the founder of one branch of the Randall family of America, was born in England in 1608, and died May 3, 1691, in Weymouth, Mass. He came to this country about 1635 and settled in Weymouth. His name appears on the records of the Mass. General Court, Jan. 10, 1640, where, at the Quarter Court, he is tried upon some charge, but is subsequently acquitted. His name occurs on the vital records of Weymouth as early as Sept., 1640, also in Jan. 1642. Tracts of land are recorded as granted to, or owned by, him, in 1644, and in the division of We3 T mouth lands of 1663 he comes into possession of large tracts, one of them being on the west side of the town adjoining Braintree.
He was admitted as freeman of the Colony May 26, 1647. In a deposition made by him and recorded in the Mass. Archives, Vol. C, xxiv, 16, he states under date of July 2, 1688, that he was eighty years of age, and that prior to coming to this country he was " living for sometime in Wendover, Bucks Co., England." This statement suggested Wendover as his native place. Accordingly the author of this genealogy employed a competent person to go to Wendover and ascertain the facts of the case. The
examination revealed no trace of Robert Randall or of any of the Randall name. The oldest and best informed residents had never heard that any of the family resided there ; no Randall tombstones were found, and the vicar of the Wendover parish did not discover the name on his church records, which, however, only dated from 1632. The conclusion necessitated by these facts was that Robert Randall was only temporarily resident at Wendover, and was not a native of the town. His English origin must therefore for the present remain an unsolved problem. In the records
of Bath Abbey Christenings in England, at dates not far from that of Robert Randall's birth, many Roberts appear - that name and the names afterwards common in the Robert line being very often used, and they suggest the probability that Robert of Weymouth, Mass., came from this line, but this is only conjecture.
Robert Randall's will, Suffolk Probate, Vol. viii, pp. 41, 42, was dated March 27, 1691. It begins as follows: "I, Robert Randall, of Weymouth, in New England, being weake of body but of competent memory and of a disposing mind, committing my
selfe both soule and body unto Almighty God in hope of Eternal life and happiness through Jesus Christ his Son, and my only Saviour and Redeemer: Doe make this my last Will and Testament," etc. His will was executed by his mark in the presence of Mary Vining, Joseph Dyer, and William Chard. He died May 3, 1691, and his will was proved May 25th following. He gave to his eldest son, John, two-thirds of the pasture land, lying in the Range Field, being about nine acres ; also two acres of swamp lying betwixt the land of his son John and his son Thomas, bounded by Joseph Dyer and Thomas Drake's land. Also one-half of the fresh meadow land " lying betwixt my son John his dwelling house, and my orchard." Also seven acres in the first division of " Weymouth town commons." To his youngest son, Thomas, he gave his dwelling house and outhouse, two orchards, one-third of pasture with other lands adjoining the Plymouth line. To daughter Mary, wife of Abraham Staples, of Mendon, and daughter Hannah, wife of John Warfield, of Mendon, £5 each. His son John to be sole executor. The inventory was made by John Shaw and Joseph Dyer, May 16, 1691, the total being £154, lis 2d.
The exact date of Robert Randall's arrival in this country and his settling in Weymouth cannot be determined. It was certainly prior to 1640, for his name appears upon the Mass. General Court records in January of that year. Whether his first marriage occurred in England and his two sons were born there, or this marriage and these births occurred in Weymouth, Mass., cannot be learned. Considerations that need not be detailed here make it seem very probable that the sons John and Thomas were born in Weymouth some time between 1630 and 1640, Robert's first wife dying at this latter date. Her name was Mary.
Robert's first wife, Mary, died in Weymouth, Sept., 1640, and he soon married, second, Mary French, sister of Stephen French, who, in his will, 1679, mentions his "sister Mary Randall."


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Birth	1608	England
Death	3 May 1691	Weymouth, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Marriage		Mary UNKNOWN
Marriage		Mary FRENCH

Spouse	Mary FRENCH ( - )
Child	Mary Randall (1639 - 1713)

Spouse	Mary UNKNOWN ( - )
Child	John RANDALL ( - 1718)
Child	Thomas RANDALL ( - 1711)