Sailing of the Mary and John 1630

On 20 March 1630, the ship Mary & John sailed from Plymouth, England with 140 passengers aboard. The Rev. John White of Dorchester, Dorset, recruited all the families. Nearly all of them came from the West Country of England, which included the counties of Somerset, Dorset and Devon. The ship landed in New England on 30 May 1630, two weeks before the Winthrop Fleet arrived. These people founded one of the first towns in Massachusetts, Dorchester, in 1630, and one of the earliest in Connecticut, Windsor, five years later.
From the Mary and John Clearing House

Among the passengers were ancestors of Ralph Alexander Twitchel.

THOMAS FORD came from Dorset England.  He brought with him his wife, his 4 daughters and his step-son Aaron Cook.  He was a freeman in 1631, Deputy to the General Court, grand juror, & juror.  He with 3 other men dealt with the Sachem Tehano for the purchase of land which was part of Windsor, Ct.  In 1654 he was named a constable in Windsor.  He later moved to Northampton, Mass. in 1659.  In 1668 he gave a conditional bond for deeding the homestead, after the death of him & his wife, to Zerubabel Filer (son of Walter Fyler of the Mary & John), if he would marry Thomas’ granddaughter, Experience Strong.  They married May 27, 1669 & Experience received the deed Aug. 23, 1672.

ELDER JOHN STRONG was born in Chard, Somerset, England.  It is believed he came on the Mary and John in 1630, returned to England, married & then returned in 1635 on the “Hopewell” to New England.  He brought his wife, 2 children & his sister Eleanor with him.  His wife died shortly after arriving in New England.  He was in Hingham, Mass in 1635 & Taunton in 1638 sering as a Representative of Taunton at the General Court.  In 1654 he was chosen a constable in Windsor.  He moved to Northampton, Mass. In 1659 where he became the first ruling elder of the Northampton Church.  He had 18 children by 2 wives.  When he died he was survived by 160 living descendants, including 15 children.  Some of his descendants are very famous people like Princess Di.

LT. WALTER FYLER came from England in 1630 on the “Mary and John”.  He brought with him His sister Anne, brother Samuel, & nephew George Fyler though there is a question about the last 2 names.  It is said his father was Roman Fyler of Cornwall, England.  He was first in Dorchester, Mass., & was among the first settlers of Windsor, Ct.  He was a Deputy to the Connecticut General Court for Windsor, bailiff & juror in Windsor.  He was appointed recorder of ships clearing Windsor for Saybrook.  In 1654 he charged Rev. Stone of Hartford with breach of fundamental law and the elders with general sin & wickedness.  In 1662 he helped to acquit Elizabeth Seager, wife of richard, on the charge of witchcraft.  He was a Lt. In the Pequot War & in 1675 he recommended to the government, the use of dogs, in fighting Indians.  When he died in 1683 he bequeathed to his wife his entire estate for life to dispose of as she pleased.  He also gave her 100 pounds to bestow upon another husband or to use for herself as she pleased.  She did not remarry but saved her money & gave it to her children & grandchildren.

ROBERT DIBBLE & his wife came from England in 1634 on the “Recovery of London & settled in Dorchester, Mass.  He was followed the next year by his son Thomas Dibble, & daughter Frances, who came with Rev. Joseph Hull’s group to Weymouth.  Robert was appointed bayliff (tax collector) for Dorchester & was among the early settlers.  His son, Thomas, went to Windsor & became one of the early settlers there. 

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