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Note: Heald came from England in 1638 aboard the "Dorathea Royal", accompanied by his wife and infant son, John. He opened a livery stable. He removed to Roxbury, then to Cambridge. He then removed to Concord. He died May 24, 1662. Will left every thing to wife, Dorothy; children, John, Timothy, Hannah and five younger. " The Honorable John S. Keyes in his article about Concord, written for Hurd's History of Middle sex County, gives us the names of some of the first settlers. Speaking of Simon Willard, Judge Keyes says"He was the leader of the small company, made up of Peter Bulkeley, the minister, John Jones, the teaching elder, William Buttrick, James Hosmer, Robert Fletcher, John Ball, George Hayward, Richard Rice, William Hartwell, John Heald, William Judson, Luke Potter, John Scotch ford, Merriam, and Wheelers with their families." Carlisle, It's History and Heritage. By Ruth Chamberlain Wilkens. pg 8 THE WILL OF JOHN HEALD (1615-1662) From Berwick-on-Tweed, 1631-1635, Freeman:1641 I, John Heald of Concord in County of Middlesex in Massachusetts Collony, being sick in body but of perfect mind and memory, I do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following: first i commit my soule into the hands of the lord my gratious God in Jesus Christ resting upon his free grace (?) that he will receive it---and my body to the Earth to be decently buryed therin; believing the ressurection thereof at the Last Day, and hoping that both souls and body shall bee glorified together with my blessed redeemer forever; Also for the outward estate which god hath given me; my three eldest children that is to say John my eldest son, and Timothy and my daughter Hannah havin received their portions of my estate; I do here by give and bequeth to my five younger children; to each of them the sum of thirteen(13) pounds six shillings and eight pence to be payed unto the said children by my loving wife Dorothy or her assigns (?) when the foresaid children shall come to the age of twenty and one years or at their marriage; and the rest of my estate be it more or less I do herby give it to my said wife to dispose of as she shall think good excepting one (?) suit of cloaths which I give to my eldst son John, and my great coat to my son Timothy: and a wastcoat to my daughter Hannah; Also I do hereby appoint and constitute my said beloved wife Dorothy, the sole executrix of this my last will and testament. In wittnes wherof I doe herto set my hand and seal this ninteenth day of April one thousand six hundred sixty two. (signed)John Heald Wittnessed herof John Flynt (signed) Ephraim Flynt (signed) Thomas Brown (signed) Attested, Simon Willard (signed) Entered June 18 1662 Thomas Danforth Inventory May 31, 1662 shows Estate of 141 lbs-1 shilling and debts of 1 lb to be paid Net estate of 140-1 (signed) Robert Meriam, George Wheeler, Thomas Brooks......(Could not read the rest) This typed copy of John Heald I of Concord's Will came to me by way of Jack Heald through E.P. Heald, La Mesa, CA, 1969. In "Banks Topographical Dictionary of English Emigrants to New England 1620-1650", it lists a John Heald from Alderly - no name for ship - destination Concord. Notes from Rebecca on the settling of Concord, MA - with excerpts taken from "Concord Climate For Freedom" by Ruth Wheeler. Not far into Ruth's book she discusses the early settlement of Concord. It appears that Peter Bulkely and Simon Willard were the original movers and shakers in settling Concord. Peter Bulkely left England to escape religious persecution. He was educated at St. John's College in Cambridge, England. He was a fellow and a University preacher. Rev. Bulkely was able to bring L 6,000 from England even though he was ON TRIAL in England. (Goes to show you that money could get you out of a jam even then!). The book goes on to say that in spite of restrictions Bulkely left under his own name WITH his wife and children (even though they had been signed on another ship - this is interesting as I have read before that they sailed on 2 separate ships). They were accompanied by Thomas (Dean) Dane - the father of Sarah Dane, w. to John/2. Thomas was a carpenter, who was to work out his passage by building a house and mill for Bulkely in Concord. John Jones was another clergyman (Called the "Teaching Elder" in the book, "Carlisle - It's History and Heritage" ). He was penniless, charged and taken to trial for not conforming to the Church of England. He arrived in Boston 10/1635. Simon Willard arrived in MA Bay 5/1634. He settled in CAMBRIDGE (the same town that John/1 first settled in). He must have used the remaining months of 1634 and the first 8 months of 1635 to scope out the unsettled country beyond the Cambridge and Watertown settlements. Simon became friendly with the local Indians at this time. In the latter part of 1635 he approached a few people (Peter Bulkely being one) with money to invest, with them petitioned the General Court for a new town, CONCORD. It is said 200 acres of land were promised for every L50 invested. The order for a new town was passed by the General Court on 9/3/1635. After securing the act of incorporation, the next months were spent gathering settlers. Not hard to do since the docks of Boston were overflowing with new arrivals. The next step came when the prospective settlers called a church gathering in the meeting house in CAMBRIDGE 7/5/1636 - remember this is where John/1 first settled. John Jones and Peter Bulkely would be the new ministers of Concord. Formally installed 4/6/1637, in Cambridge (for the church of Concord). After the religious service those who wished to become settlers signed the church covenant. There are no records of the names of the original incorporators of Concord. Only the journal of John Winthrop then Gov. of MA. It says simply that the town was granted to Mr. Bulkely and _____, merchant. (It is thought that Simon Willard's name belongs here) AND 12 families. I am quoting directly from the book now "Subconsciously, we picture a little procession of 12 men and their women and children making their way through trackless woods with their clergymen at their head, but I am sure this is a false picture. The 12, and Gov. Winthrop was indefinate about the number, refers to the petitioners, who never moved here (concord) in a body. Instead they were the preferred stockholders who invested some capital and promoted the settlement from Cambridge. ......There would have been little point in moving a family here before shelter could be found and crops could be planted.' "What probably happened was this. The new arrival, (My note- John/1) or the dissatisfied inhabitant of one of the seacoast towns, heard about Simon Willard's plan for a new town. He traveled out to Musketawuid, and if he liked the look of it, he went to work on the central building which was to become the meetinghouse and meanwhile would serve to keep one's goods dry while a house was being built." My thoughts on the above are this.....John Heald came here in 1635, living in CAMBRIDGE he was privy to Simon Willard/Peter Bulkely. He signed the early petition - to lock himself in so to speak. He then returned to England, married Dorothy (1636), had John/2 (1637), returned to America with his family and returned to Concord Abt 1637/38. He is listed as being a freeman in 1641. If he had been here continuously since 1635, 6 years would have been along time for him to have become a "freeman". Mind you this is all speculation on my part.
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