Individual Details

Christen

Father's Name: Willimi Eddy

Burial

Inscription: TO THE MEMORY OF 1597 JOHN EDDY 1684
FREEMAN OF WATERTOWN IN 1634, FIRST TOWN CLERK 1635
MEMBER OF THE FIRST GOVERNING BOARD 1635
SELECTMAN IN 1636, 1637, 1638 AND 1670
MEMBER OF THE MILITIA AND THE FIRST PARISH CHURCH

BORN IN CRANBROOK, ENGLAND, SON OF WILLIAM EDDYE, VICAR OF
ST. DUNSTAN'S CHURCH. HE MARRIED AMY, DAUGHTER OF JOHN
DOGGETT OF GROTON, SAILED WITH HIS FAMILY FROM LONDON ON
THE SHIP HANDMAID, ARRIVING IN PLYMOUTH IN 1630. HE CAME
TO WATERTOWN IN 1631, AND RESIDED HERE UNTIL HIS DEATH

ERECTED BY
THE EDDY FAMILY ASSOCIATION, INC. 1930

JOHN EDDY OF WATERTOWN-----

Born in Cranbrook, County Kent, England, to Mary (Fosten) and William Eddye*, Vicar of Cranbrook, Church of St. Dunstan. Fourth born child of eleven children:
(1) Nathanaell (Nathaniel) (bapt. 1589)
(2) Mary (bapt. 1591)
(3) Phinias (bapt. 1593, d. bfr. 1641)
(4) John (bapt. 1597) <- John Eddy of Watertown
(5) Eleanor "Ellen" (bapt. 1599, d. 1610)
(6) Abigail (bapt. 1601)
(7) Anna (Anne) (bapt. 1603)
(8) Elizabeth (bapt. 1606, d. aft. 1616)
(9) Samuel (b. 1608, bapt. 1608, d. 1687). In genealogy records possibly referred to as "Samuel the Pilgrim". This Samuel is the father of John Eddy of Tisbury/Martha's Vineyard.
(10) Zacharias (bapt. 1610, d. aft. 1616)
(11) Nathaniel (bapt. 1611, d. 1611)

*See the NOTE 3 at the bottom of William Eddye's memorial for an explanation of the different spelling of the Vicar's surname.

Married (#1) Amie Doget (or Doggett) in England sometime after May 22, 1619. Sired eleven children:
---Born in England:
(1) John (bapt. 1622, d. 1623)
(2) John (bapt. 1624, d. unkn, but thought to be in childhood)
(3) Mary (bapt. 1625, d. unkn)
(4) Sarah (b. unkn, d. unkn)
---Born in America:
(5) Pilgrim (b. 1634, d. unkn)
(6) Pilgrim (b. unkn, d. unkn)
(7) John (b. 1637, d. unkn)
(8) Benjamin (b. unkn, bur. 1639)
(9) Samuel (b. 1640, d. unkn)
(10) Ruth (bapt. , d. unkn)
(11) Abigail (b. 1643, d. bfr. 1677)

On August 10, 1630 O.S.. John Eddy, his wife Amie, and daughters Mary and Sarah, set sail for America on the ship "Handmaid" from the Port of London England, along with John's younger brother Samuel (age 22), about sixty other passengers, and twenty-eight cows. After twelve rough weeks at sea, the Handmaid landed at Plymouth settlement, in the Colony of "New Plymouth" (now Massachusetts) on October 29, 1630 O.S. (see map).

On November 11, 1630 O.S., escorted by New Plymouth Colony's Military Advisor Capt. Myles Standish, John and Samuel traveled North to the town of Boston in order to establish residency in the Massachusetts Bay Colony**. Neither had the proper "dismissal papers" releasing them from the New Plymouth Colony, and after being refused entry, returned to Plymouth. Previous to February 26, 1631/32 O.S.. John obtained the proper papers and along with his family, resettled in the Bay Colony at Watertown (see map) just West of Boston.*** Genealogically speaking, John Eddy became "John Eddy of Watertown". Samuel remained in Plymouth until age 73 when he and wife Elizabeth moved West to Swansea in 1681 (see map).

**Also known as the "Massachusetts Bay Company", for the institution that founded it.
***The land on which the original settlement of Watertown (originally called "Saltonstall Plantation") was built, is within the modern day city of Cambridge Massachusetts, not the modern day city of Watertown.

In 1632 one of John's younger sisters Abigail (Eddy) Benjamin and her family sailed to America on the ship "Lion" from Bristol England, and landed at Boston. John's sister Anna (Eddy) Wines (or Windes) and her family also immigrated to America at some point. Both sisters and their families settled in Watertown near John and his family.

After the death of wife Amie (d. unkn), John married (#2) Joanna Meade (d. 1683) at Watertown MA.
________________________________

The following research is provided by Bill Boyington, creator of this memorial:

John Eddy and wife Amy came over in 1630 to Plymouth, where he had a brother. He soon settled in Watertown and was admitted freeman in 1634; was Selectman the next three years. The homestall* was at the corner of Mount Auburn and Main Streets. It was against the law to make trips overland, and John probably went down to Plymouth in 1633 and explained his absence by pleading temporary loss of memory. (See Winthrop's Journal, I, 99.) He was again Selectman in 1670, at the age of seventy-seven he asked to be excused from training. (Great Little Watertown)

*An obsolete British word meaning "homestead"
________________________________

Brothers John and Samuel , sons of William Eddye the earliest confirmed ancestor with the Eddy/Eddye surname and Eddy Family patriarch, are the North American patriarchs of the largest clan of North American Eddy's. Other large Eddy clans - those descendants related to John Eddy of Taunton MA (see map), and desendants related to John Eddy of Woodbridge NJ are spread across the United States and Canada (see Note 2 below).

--NOTE 1--

Related specifically to dates in the above text, in order for any date noted as "O.S." ("Old Style"), to match our modern day "Gregorian" calendar one must add 10 days to any date between 1600-1700, and add 11 days to any date between 1700-1752. The modern day calendar was made law in 1752, thus any date after 1752 is based on our modern day calendar.

--NOTE 2--

DNA tests have proven that "John Eddy of Taunton", "John Eddy of Woodbridge NJ", and "Joseph Eddy of Michigan" were not related to the family line of William Eddye.

Information provided on the pages accessed at the links below for (1) Amy Doggett Eddy, (2) Joanna Meade Eddy, and (3) Pilgrim Eddy Baker Steadman Eveleth has not been verified.


Family links:
Parents:
William Eddye (1560 - 1616)
Mary Fosten Eddye (1568 - 1611)

Spouses:
Amy Doggett Eddy*
Joanna Meade Eddy (____ - 1683)*

Children:
Benjamin Eddy (____ - 1639)*
John Eddy (1622 - 1622)*
John Eddy (1624 - ____)*
Sarah Eddy Marion (1624 - 1710)*
Mary Eddy Horton (1625 - 1683)*
Pilgrim Eddy Baker Stedman Eveleth (1634 - ____)*
John Eddy (1636 - ____)*
Samuel Eddy (1640 - 1711)*
Abigail Eddy (1643 - ____)*
Ruth Eddy Gardner (1645 - ____)*

Sibling:
John Eddy (1597 - 1684)
Samuel Eddy (1608 - 1687)*

*Calculated relationship