Nicholas Busby II1

M, b. circa 1582, d. 28 August 1657
FatherNicholas Busby b. 1548, d. b Mar 1618
St Mary Coslany, Norwich, Norfolk from Nicholas the emigrant by Kingsbury
     Nicholas was born circa 1582 in Claxton, County Norfolk, England. In or before 1597, he was apprenticed to William Ward, an worsted-weaver, in Norwich. Nicholas married Bridget Cocke, daughter of Christopher Cocke and Margaret Allen, on 24 June 1605 in Norwich, County Norfolk, England, at St. Mary Coslany. He was admitted a freeman of Norwich 5 Jan. 1620. As a weaver, he himself is recorded as having an apprentice 30 June 1617 in Norwich. Although his life in England was spent in Norwich, he did move from place to place. There are records to show that he lived in the parishes of St Mary Coslany, St Peter Permountergate and St Clement's. It is highly likely that the reason Nicholas chose to leave England was due to the persecutions of non-conformists by Bishop Matthew Wren of Norfolk. During the Bishop's Term of two years and 4 months, 3000 subjects, many in the trades, removed from England to places overseas.2 On 15 April 1637, Nicholas & his wife, Bridget, with their family, departed from Yarmouth, England aboard the ship, "John & Dorothy" or the "Rose", under the command ofWilliam Andrews or his son, bound for New England. Listed among the passengers were "Nicholas Busby of Norwich in Norfolk, weaver, aged 50 years, his wife: Bridget, aged 53 years, & four children: Nicholas, John, Abraham & Sarah." Also aboard was their daughter, Anne Nickerson, & her husband, William. They arrived at Salem, Massachusetts the 20th of June..3 Once in New England, Nicholas continued his trade as a weaver, but was also a shop keeper, as his place of business had a wide variety of goods for sale. Judging from his collection of books, it is also quite possible he acted as a physician as well. He first settled in Watertown and later moved to Boston around 1646.4 Nicholas made his will on 26 July 1657.

"In the name of God amen I Nicholas Busby being sicke in body but in pfect memory, Blessed be ye Lord therefor doe make this my Last Testament as hereafter followeth first of all I will and bequeath my soule into the mercyfull hands of Almightie God trusting & unfainedly beleeving to be saved by ye active & passive obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ & my Body to the earth to be buryed therein at the charge of my Executrix heereafter named. I doe appointe my three sonns that are here in New England, that is to say, my Sonne Abraham Busby, my Sonne William Nickerson & my Sonne John Grout to gather up all my debts mentioned in my debt bookes & to make there of a true accost, & to deliver it as they shall receive it unto my Executrix heereafter named     Impris I doe make my Loving wife my whole Executrix of all my Estate, & to possesse this my dwelling house wherein I live, dureing her life, and all my household Stuffe plate & money; & for my farme if she will consent thereto, that it be sold & she to receive the price thereof & to add to it my stocke & to discharge the sevrall Legacies. . . . . the Remainder to be for her maintenance dureing her life     Unto John Busby, my Eldest Sonne, seaventy pounds more then that I sent him the Last yeare, wth was thirtie pounds, & this Seaventy pounds to be payd in such goods as are gathered in by the Brethren above said, within Seaven monthes after my decease Unto Abraham Busby, my Sonne, sixtie pounds And after his Mothers decease, this my now dwelling house, with the garden & fruite trees
scittuated & being in Boston*     Unto Anne Nickerson, my Eldest daughter, the sume of fiftie pounds; unto my daughter, Katherine Savory the some of fortie pounds, (more then that I sent her the Last yeare) Unto Sarah Grout, my youngest daughter, the some of Sixtie & five pounds; unto my grand Child Joseph Busby, Sonne of my Sonne Nicholas Busby, deceased, the sume of Twenty pounds; unto Sarah Grout, my grand child, tenn pounds; unto my two Sonns John Busby & Abraham Busby, my printed bookes, in manner following; to John Busby, all my Phisicke bookes, as Glendall practice, Barrowes method, Dutch Phisicke & garden of health, Mr. Coggans treatis, and the Dialogue of Phisicke Surgery, with Plinnys Naturall Hystory. Unto Abraham Busby, my bookes of Divinitie, vizt. Mr. Perkins, Mr Willet sinops and Cornentary on the Romains, & Mr Hieroms two bookes; as for the rest of my bookes of divinitie, or Hystory, my desire is that they may Loveingly & Brotherly devide them betweene except the three Bibles; first, the thicke Bible, I give unto Anne Nickerson. The Best Bible, to Sarah Grout, and the bible in my Hamper, to Katherin Savory. As for my Apparell, I give unto John Busby, my Sonne, my blacke Stuffe Cloake, & the remainder of my apparell I Leave to my wife to dispose of. As for my weaving tooles, as the two Loomes, the one, I give to John Busby in case he come over to New England, or else to William Nickerson the same. And the other Loome & warpins & bobings & wheels & shettells & other Implemts thereto belonging I give unto my Sonne Abraham Busby; And as for my household stuffe, plate & money, I leave unto my deare wife I have heereunto set my hand & seale, this five and Twentieth day of July, One thousand Sixe hundred fifty and Seaven.5     "

Nicholas departed this life on Tuesday, 28 August 1657 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. The inventory of Nicholas's estate was taken on Sunday, 16 September 1657. It was taken by his son, Abraham, & valued at 972 pounds, 15 shilling & 8 1/2 pence. The will was presented to the court, 10 Sept. 1657 and recorded 14 Oct. 1657.

Family

Bridget Cocke b. c 1584, d. 20 May 1659
Children

Citations

  1. [S1108] Anna Kingbury, An Historical Sketch of Nicholas Busby, the Emigrant, pages 5-20.
  2. [S1108] Anna Kingbury, An Historical Sketch of Nicholas Busby, the Emigrant,





    ST. MARY COSLANY, NORWICH
    This parish, as will be seen by the plan of Norwich, herewith, is located in the northern part of that city. The tower which is round, at the west end of the church, is believed to be the oldest portion of the edifice, dating back possibly to 1298. The rest of the church dates, probably, to 1477. It is described as a "fine perpendicular church, cruciform, with tall round tower at the west end, built of
    flint in the usual manner      The chancel has large arches re
    cessed in side walls with the windows under them." There are six stalls remaining in chancel. The font, octagonal, has painted shields of arms in the upper panels. The belfry contains six bells besides a little bell above, some of which are ancient. "The Nave is recorded to have been built in 1477 and the whole church is nearly of the same date." The church was flooded several years ago, badly injuring the registers, making some of the old records difficult to decipher.
    ST. PETER PERMOUNTERGATE, NORWICH
    (Written also Permontergate)
    This parish is located southeast of the Castle. There are two theories as to the origin of the name. The one is that there was a gate placed near the churchyard, at the foot of the castle-mount. The other theory is supported by the way in which the name invariably appeared upon the earliest documents, "St. Peter de Parmentergate." "Parmenter was the occupation meaning tailor or skinner. Gate was the Danish word for a way or street. St. Peter de Parmentergate therefore meant 'the Church of St. Peter in the street of the tailors or skinners.' " It is known that rebuilding was done in 1486 but whether the present church dates to that period or somewhat later is uncertain. At the east end is a chapel dedicated to St. Mary. The tower at the west end has a clock and five bells. In the long windows are images of saints, etc. In the chancel are short pitchers bedded in mortar in a trough. These are supposed to have been intended to assist in the distribution of sound.
    St. Clement’s Norwich
    This is one of the oldest churches in the parish of Norwich. It belonged originally to the manor of Tokethorp, which received its name from its owner Toke in the time of Edward the Confessor. It has a nave, chancel and north vestry. The tower is square and has a clock and three bells. In the churchyard, opposite the south porch, is an altar tomb to the parents of Archbishop Parker. Another tomb is known as Leper's tomb.
    In this parish churchyard were buried the two sons of Nicholas Busby, Livewell, 2 Aug. 1629, and Thomas, 28 Jan. 1635/6. It is probable that St. Clement's was the latest residence in England of Nicholas Busby.

  3. [S739] Peter Wilson Coldham, The Complete Book of Immigrants, 8-13 April 1637, examination of those intending to embark in the "John and Dorothy" of Ipswich, Mr. William Andrewes, and the "Rose" of Yarmouth, Mr. William Andrews, for New England. Nicholas Busbie of Norwich, weaver aged 50 and Bridgett, his wife aged 43, and four children: Nicholas, John, Abraham & Sarah, for Boston to inhabit.
  4. [S1108] Anna Kingbury, An Historical Sketch of Nicholas Busby, the Emigrant.
  5. [S1108] Anna Kingbury, An Historical Sketch of Nicholas Busby, the Emigrant, pages 8-9.