Individual Details

John Lovejoy of Andover was the common ancestor of most Lovejoy families in America. The date of his emigration to America has not been determined satisfactorily. According to Mrs. Stephen Arthur Lovejoy, John arrived from England on April 11, 1630, in "Ye Good Ship, Arabella with 100 men and 68 officers with three other ships." Carol Johnson's genealogy says he came to New England in 1634 on the ship "Mary and John." Differences also exist about the exact date when John Lovejoy settled in Andover, Essex Co., Mass. The date of Essex Court records indicate he was at Andover before 1644, but how much previous to that year is impossible to determine. John Lovejoy's name is listed among the first 23 settlers of Andover recorded on a leaf of the oldest book in the town records. The town incorporated in 1646.
John Lovejoy did not marry until a few more years passed and how he lived, with whom or where, during these first years isn't known as early Andover records are lacking. But his marriage is third of the first ten recorded in Andover. His name appears frequently on town and proprietors records after 1651 when he was married and it appears on petitions to the General Court and to other authorities for various purposes. He took the Freeman's Oath in 1662 and in 1669. In 1669 John was appointed one of a committee of three to join, with the selectmen to sell certain lands to raise money to defray the charges about the new meeting house. He held several minor public offices in Andover. Probably in 1669 he was fence viewer for the southerly part of the town, an office more important then, with the stray cattle, than now. In 1674 he was probably constable, although the record is not clear. John and three of his sons, John, William and Christopher, took the Oath of Allegiance Feb 11, 1678.
The emigrant, John Lovejoy, was the first of hundreds of Lovejoys who have taken part in American wars. When he was more than fifty years of age he fought the Indians to protect the struggling villages on the New England shores. He served in King Philip's War (1675-76), receiving the pay of 1 pound, 10s 0 d. and assigning it on August 24, 1676 as tax credit to "Andover Towne," probably because the town had advanced this sum to his family during his absence. He served in Captain Joseph Gardiner's first company of Salem Militia, 1675-76, in the expedition against the Narragansetts and an official date of Dec. 10, 1675 is recorded. John Lovejoy is further credited with serving under Captain Samuel Brckelbank against the Indians at Sudbury (prob. Mass.) later in King Philip's War and again receiving 1 pound 10 s. 0 d. The official date of this service is June 24, 1676.
It is supposed that John Lovejoy's house was on Boston Road and that at one time it was moved from the site of Locke's Tavern, said to be the oldest site in Andover Center. According to the History of Essex County, his first grant of land joined that of Andrew Foster. And another reference says John "lived on the road at Andover that leadeth from Ipswich and the towns that way to Baliricha" (Billerica). high Street in Andover was once called "Lovejoy's Land." Punchard's school was near the Pine Swamp which was one of his holdings. Originally he probably had seven score acres and eventually probably owned as much as 320 acres. The famous Pomp's Pond in Andover was so called because Pompey, the negro slave of Captain William Lovejoy, swam in this body of water almost daily. As early as 1689 the town of Andover voted to encourage the establishment of an iron works and the Lovejoys operated this factory on the Shawshine River probably near the site of the subsequent Marland Mills.
John Lovejoy waited more than a year after the death of his first wife, Mary Osgood, before he took as his second wife, the widow Hannah Pritchard. John and Hannah were married Feb. 12, 1676 in Andover. The devotion of John Lovejoy had for his second wife is demonstrated by the careful provision he made for her in his six-page will, which was presented for probate March 31, 1691 or 1692.

Birth	18 Jun 1622	England, Middlesex, London (prob)
Marriage	1 Jan 1651	Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, United States - Mary Osgood
Marriage	12 Feb 1676	Andover, Essex, Massachusetts, British America - Hannah
Will	1 Sep 1690	Andover, Essex, Massachusetts, British America
Death	7 Nov 1690	Andover, Essex, Massachusetts, British America
Probate	31 Mar 1691	Essex, Massachusetts, United States

Spouse	Mary Osgood (1633 - 1675)
Child	Mary Lovejoy (1652 - 1677)
Child	Sarah Lovejoy (1654 - 1706)
Child	John Lovejoy Jr. (1656 - 1680)
Child	Lieutenant William Lovejoy (1657 - 1748)
Child	Ann Lovejoy (1659 - 1724)
Child	Christopher Lovejoy (1661 - 1736)
Child	Joseph Lovejoy (1662 - 1737)
Child	Benjamin Lovejoy (1664 - 1689)
Child	Nathaniel Lovejoy (1667 - 1752)
Child	Abigail Lovejoy (1669 - 1747)
Child	Deborah Lovejoy (1671 - )
Child	Ebenezer Lovejoy (1673 - 1760)

Spouse	Hannah ( - 1705)
Child	John Lovejoy (1680 - )

Father	Rowland Lovejoy (1597 - )
Mother	Elizabeth Neale (1600 - )
Sibling	Robert Lovejoy (1621 - 1669)
Sibling	George Lovejoy (1623 - 1695)
Sibling	Elizabeth Lovejoy (1624 - )
Sibling	Simon Lovejoy (1626 - )
Sibling	Henry Lovejoy (1628 - )

Notes