John Randall1,2,3,4,5,6,7

M, b. before 20 January 1639/40, d. 1685
FatherMatthew Randall II b. b 3 Jul 1600, d. 1677
MotherMargaret Trevisa b. c 13 Jun 1613
     John was born in the Village of St. Mellion, County Cornwall, England. He was christened there on 20 January 1639/40 in St. Mellion Church. John was sent to London to be an apprentice bound to his uncle, also named John Randall who was a member of the Draper Company; his apprenticeship was signed 16 May 1657. About 1660, he left his uncle's establishment and immigrated to the new world. It is assumed that he, as every other known English immigrant of the time, arrived in Massachusetts. Soon, however, he had removed to Newport, Rhode Island as he was part of a Petit Jury with his future father-in-law, Joseph Torrey, there in 1661. He again is seen in assoication with Joseph Torrey, as John was farming a share of land of Joseph's near Misquamicut, in 1663, and in all probability had been working the farm for as long as three years.8 John married Elizabeth Torrey, daughter of Lieut. Joseph Torrey and Mary (?), circa 1665 in Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island.9,10 On 5 May 1667, John is of record as having a claim on land on the east side of the Pawcatuck River. He moved there with his family and thus became one of the first settlers of Westerly. There are few surviving records of Westerly in this early time period, but there is a record of the inhabitants of Westerly in 1669, which included John Randall, at which time, he also took the oath of allegiance of Rholde Island. About this time, or possibly in 1670, John purchased 300 acres of land on the west side of the Pawcatuck River, assuming it to be part of Westerly. Later, he was to learn that the river was the dividing line between Stonington, Connecticut and Westerly, Rhode Island. Consequently, Stonington officials refused to recognize the sale as their ordinances stated the selling of land in Stonington, had to be approved by their council. Eventually, in order to legally take posession of his land, John went to Stonington, declared himself a resident, and took the oath of alligience there in 1671. Later, he was to again to declare himself as a resident of Rhode Island, although it appears he never relinquished his citizenship in that colony. John and his wife officially became members of the Seventh Day Baptist Church in 1678.11 John departed this life in 1685 in Westerly, Washington County, Rhode Island.12

Family

Elizabeth Torrey b. c 1646, d. a 1685
Children

Citations

  1. [S429] Personal Note of Larry & Kathy McCurdy: Randall Family Notes:
    by Patrica [Mrs. Ted] Howelett & her sister, Dorice Crawshaw
    September 1984 [transcribed by Larry & Kathy McCurdy]

    -     no records of names on tablets on walls of Bath Abbey, there had been, but it was lost … suggest contact county archivist - Somerset Record Office, Obridge Road, Taunton TA2-7P4, Somerset. Willdo
    -     noted that an Elizabeth Moloney of 7320 Case Road, N. Ridgeville, Ohio 44039 had inquired earlier in the year regarding Mathew Randell, Mayor of Bath, 1627. [May 11, 1984]
    -     Visited reference library, Guildhall, Archivist & Bath Abbey; got tourist booklets on early Bath showing Abbey & other bldgs.

    Register of the Abbey Church:
    Christening - July 24, 1642 - William, son of Robert Randall & Joane;
    Burial - May 27, 1645 - Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Randall
    Burial - May 28, 1645 - William, son of Robert Randall
    Christening - June 24, 1594 - Elizabeth, daughter of Mathew Randall
    - Robeart, son of Mathew Randall April 10, 1598
    - Mathew, son of Mathew Randall July 3, 1599
    - John, 1st sonne of Mathew Randall February 22, 1602
    - Georg, sonne of Mathew Randall April 9. 1605
    - Richard, sonne of Mathew Randall December 21, 1606
    - John, 2nd son of Mathew Randall May 28, 1609
    - George, son of Mathew Randall September 18, 1611
    - Mathew, son of Robert Randall February 2/2
    [note: the oldest tablet in Bath Abbey was dated 1569].
    Burials - March 3, 1639 Mathew, son of George Randall September 24, 1640
    - September 24, 1640 Richard Randall;
    - February 23, 1640 Mathew Randall, one of the alderman of this city
    - September 22, 1631 Mathew, son of Robert Randall
    - February 19, 1627 Agnes, wife of Mathew Randall
    - January 16. 1613 a son [no name] of Mathew Randall

    Newspaper Clipping:
    "-930[3] m. r. b. Oct. 26/1935 MORTON-RANDALL … Elizabeth Morton was a sister of Sir William Morton; she was born in England, where she married John Randall born Bath, England in 1629. His father was Mathew Randall, Mayor of Bath, 1627. John and Elizabeth emigrated to America on account of fire and plague in London and, being Seven Day Baptists, for religious freedom. They brought with them their son John, born St. James Parish, London. They lived in Westerly and Newport, Rhode Island and in Stonington, Connecticut, returning to Westerly where he died 1684-5. In 1667 they went to Stonington where he was admitted to the church 1670. On September 21, 1682 he and James Babcock were chosen deputies of the town to the General Assembly to be held at Warwick, Rhode Island for the colony, "on the third Wednesday of October next." They had four sons: John Randall II, born 1665 London; Stephen, born Newport 1668 [see N. E. Register Vol. 14]; Mathew, born Westerly 1671; and Peter, born 1674 Westerly… I have considerable data on this Randall Family and would exchange with anyone interested I. T. R."


  2. [S429] Personal Note of Larry & Kathy McCurdy: Letter from Mary Jo to Bette 8 January 1960 [need to locate - klm].
  3. [S443] Stephen Morehouse Randall, Genealogy of the descendants of Stephen Randall and Elizabeth Swezey: 1624-1668, Clarkenwell, St. James' Parish, London, England, 1668-1738, Rhode Island and Connecticut, 1738-1906, Long Island, New York., page 7 - John Randall, son of Matthew Randall, born May, 28, 1629 Bath, England; Married -- Elizaabeth Morton, London, England; Children -- John, born 1665, London, England; Stephen, born 1668, Newport, R.I.; Matthew, born 1671, Westerly, R.I.; Peter, born 1673, Westerly, R. I.; Left Clerkenwell, St. James Parish, London 1667.; Died -- 1684, Westerly, R. I.; Residence -- London, England & Westerly, R.I.; Church Connection -- Seventh Day Baptist; Occupation -- Silk Manufacturer in London & Farmer in Rhode Island.
  4. [S447] Richard Anson Wheeler, History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut, page 546 - John Randall, the progenitor of the family of Westerly & Stonington, first appears in Newport, R. I., from which place he came to Westerly as early as 1667, where the remainder of his life was spent. He m. Elizabeth ____, whose family name and date of birth are unknown. He d. 1685; his wife d. 1685. Children: John b. 1666, m. Abigail ____; 2d, Mary Baldwin. Stephen, b. 1668, m. Abigail Sabin. Mathew, b. 1671, m. Eleanor ____. Peter, b. 1704, m. Elizabeth Polly; 2d, Phebe Benjamin. [note: error in Peter's birth-klm]
  5. [S445] Jr. J. D. Champlin, Early Settlers of Westerly, Rhode Island, John Randall, free inhabitant of Westerly 1669. In 1685, his widow petitioned to be allowed to improve deceased husband's lands.
  6. [S444] Albert Rathbone, Colonel William Rice & Wealthy Cottrell, His Wife: A Record Of Their Descendants & Notes Regarding Their Ancestors, page 27.
  7. [S1190] Marilynn Randall Landry, British Background of the Randalls of Westerly, R.I. & Stonington, Conn.
  8. [S1191] Randall & Allied Families: 1657, May 16: When John was seventeen years old, he went to work as an apprentice at the Draper's Company in London. There, his uncle, also named John Randall, was a master draper. Some have suggested that John's uncle sent him to New England in an effort to expand the family's textile business to the American Colonies. However, the lack of documentation to support such a business venture makes this scenario highly doubtful. Rather, it is more likely that John's motivation was more politically than religiously based. (David Randall, family researcher)
    "A Brief Biography of John Randall of Westerly, Rhode Island, Including Speculation as to his English Origins" by David Randall; privately printed; 2001 (Personal Research Library)

    1659-60: John Randall, was present in the home of his Uncle John and Aunt Abigail. John Randall apprenticed to his Uncle John as a Draper for those two years and disappears. He and he alone, the grandson of Matthew Randall, Mayor of Bath, is the one Randall of Bath that David Randall, Warne Randall, and I all agree is John Randall of Newport and later Misquamicut, presently Ashaway, Rhode Island. (Thomas E. P. Randall, family researcher)

    1661: John Randall met Joseph Torrey when both were Petit Jurors in court at Newport Rhode Island." (excerpt of a letter from Samuel Hubbard, Newport, Rhode Island to Edward Stennett, DD, Rector of the Bell Lane Parish, London, England) (Thomas E. P. Randall, family researcher)
    "Religion in America: A History of New England Baptists" by Isaac Backus and David Weston; p. 344; The Arno Press; New York City, New York; 1969 (BX6239.B3 1969 ECSL)

    1663c: I believe John Randall traveled to Misquamicut to farm the ¼ share of the settlement belonging to proprietor Lieutenant Joseph Torrey, Esquire, John and his lifelong friends John Babcock and John Rehnolds were accused of cattle rustling, corn cutting, hay mowing and general disrespect for the property and boundaries of Thwait Strickland for the previous three years. - compiled by W. Roberts Randall - http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi
  9. [S1191] Randall & Allied Families: Elizabeth Torrey and John, son of Matthew and Margaret (Trevisa) Randall published their "Intention to Marry" on Manuscript # 6540/1; Stephen Fleeth, Keeper of the Manuscripts; Guildhall Library, Corporation of London, England. - compiled by W. Roberts Randall - http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi
  10. [S143] Frederic Crosby Torrey, The Torrey Families in America, Volume 1, page 20, 23.
  11. [S1191] Randall & Allied Families - compiled by W. Roberts Randall - http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi
  12. [S445] Jr. J. D. Champlin, Early Settlers of Westerly, Rhode Island, John Randall - In 1685, his widow pretitioned tp br allowed to improve deceased husband's lands.