A Maine Family's History - Davis / McDowell

Lyford / Leyford / Leyfer

John LYFORD, Rev. born circa 1590 Laughgaid Armagh Ireland died after 1634, graduate of Magdalen College AB 1597, AM 1602; minister at Leverlegkish, Laughgaid Armagh; came to N. E. in 1624, preached at Plymouth, Hull, Cape Ann & Salem & finally Virginia; for mutinous conduct he was banished from Plymouth colony; sailed in 1627 to Virginia and died soon after arrival

Spouse: Sarah Ann OAKELEY born circa 1586 died 6/23/1649 Hingham MA; she married (2) Edmund Hobart/Hubbard of Hingham but did not have any children by him

Children: Ruth married James Bates 4/19/1643; Obediah died Ireland; Mordecai born 1625 of Hingham 1642; Martha married Samuel LINCOLN [descent through Smith / Glidden line see below]

Ruth LYFORD died 3/9/1690 Hingham MA

Spouse: James BATES married 4/19/1643 Hingham [AMR]

Children: Hopestill born 12/12/1644 died same Scituate; Clement chr 10/19/1645 died young Scituate; James; John born 1649 Scituate died 6/7/1690 Hingham; Ruth chr 9/2/1651 Hingham; Joseph chr 10/20/1653 Hingham; Benjamin born 7/15/1655 Hingham; Solomon born 8/23/1657 Hingham; Rachel married Caleb Lincoln

Martha LYFORD died 4/10/1693, may have been born in Ireland [see father John Lyford above]

Spouse: Samuel LINCOLN weaver, mariner, probably came from co. Norfolk ENG 1637, apprentice of Francis Lawes, died 5/26/1690 age 71; settled Hingham MA 1637, lived some time at Salem

Children: Samuel Cornet baptized 8/25/1650 died 1720-1, carpenter married Deborah Hersey; Daniel baptized 1/2/1652-3 died 4/29/1732 married Elizabeth Lincoln, daughter of Thomas "husbandman" Lincoln and Margaret Langer; Mordecai born 6/19/1655 died 7/9/1655; Mordecai born 6/14/1657 died 11/12/1727 married (1) Sarah Jones [great-great-great grandparents of Abraham Lincoln] (2) Mary Gannett; Thomas born 9/8/1659 died 11/13/1661; Mary born 3/27/1662 died 3/1752 married Joseph Bates; Thomas born 8/20/1664 died 4/2/1715 married Mehitable Frost; Martha born 2/11/1666-7 died 2/12/1740-2 unmarried; Sarah born 8/13/1669 died 8/30/1669; Sarah born 6/17/1671 died 11/28/1743 unmarried; Rebecca born 3/11/1673-4 died 2/4/1757 married (1) John Clark (2) Israel Nichols

Sarah married 2 or 3 Edmund Hobart (Hubbard). Oakley was name when married Edmund. It was either maiden name she reverted to when John Lyford died or surname of 2^nd husband. Edmund married 1^st to Margaret Dewey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lyford

Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families pg 180: LYFORD John came over 1624 with probably wife Ann and children Ruth married James Bates; and Mordecai. He removed to Nantasket, thence to Cape Ann and finally to Virginia.

Gen Reg of the First Settlers of NE pg 185: LYFORD, John came to NE in 1624, preached at Plymouth, from whence he went to Nantasket [Hull] and from thence to Cape Ann in 1625. For mutinous conduct, he was banished from Plymouth colony. He sailed in 1627, with some of his people to VA and d soon after. Prince, i. Annals, 148, 152, 154, 169. The name of Lyford exists in NH where are two magistrates bearing it. MORDICAI was of Hingham in 1642. pg 346 for Mordicai, read Mordecai.

Pioneers MA pg 296: LYFORD, Rev. John, went from Eng to Ireland about 1620; came to Plymouth in 1624. Proved wicked & treasonable. Rem to Nantasket, then to Cape Ann with Conant [Hub] thence to Va; d bef 10/10/1634, when his worthy widow Sarah m Edmund Hubbard, Sen. of Hingham. His ch Ruth & Mordecai receipted in 1641-2 for legacies left them in the will of their father. Ruth m 4/19/1643 James Bate [B] [Suff De I 27]. His son Obediah, clerk, d in Ireland & Mr. Hubbard was chosen guardian 8/6/1639 of Mordecai then 14 yrs old, who was to receive property which Obediah had left. Their mother sarah "widow of John Lyford, clerk" dec and wife of Edmund Hubbard, planter, ae about 53 yrs," testified. [L]

Genealogical Dictionary of New England 138: Bates, JAMES, Hingham, eldest s. prob. of Clement of the same, m. 19 Apr. 1642, or 3, Ruth Lyford, that may be conject. as d. of Rev. John, left by him when he went to Virg. had John, b. 1619 at Scituate, where he liv. some yrs. but ret. to H. had Benjamin. bapt. 15 July 5, perhaps others; and d. 5 July 1689. He petitn. the Gov. and Assist. for relief on acco. of two s. prest into the serv. against the Ind. His wid. d. 9 Mar. foll. Deane thot. him s. of James of Dorchester, but so do not I. His d. Rachel m. 8 May 1684, Caleb Lincoln.

Gen Dictionary of NE CD#169: LYFORD JOHN, Plymouth 1624, came that yr. prob. in the Charity with Edward Winslow, bring. w. and ch. prob. four, soon bred disturbance, and was forced to leave; went to preach to the fishermen at Nantasket, and next at Cape Ann, and thence, Felt thinks, he accomp. Conant, 1626, to Naumkeag; but a. 1627 rem. with some adherents to Virg. and there d. soon, it is thot. A reasona. conject. is, that be l ad w. Ann and ch. Ruth and Mordecai left at Nantasket, and that his wid. Ann, wh. d. July 1639; had m. Edmund Hobart of Hingham. Ruth, in 1641, and Mordecai, next, yr. give to him discharge, as their stepfather, of certain tobacco and other chatters, in the will of their f. John, giv. to them. Ruth m. 19 Apr.
1643 James Bates. MORDECAI, Hingham 1642, s. of John, of whom I would gladly kn. more.

Note-book of Thomas Lechford, Esq.... Savage has the following under John Lyford of Plymouth who bred disturbance there and was compelled to move away. About 1627 he moved with some adherents to Virginia and there died soon it is thought. A reasonable conjecture is that he had wife Ann and children Ruth and Mordecai left at Nantasket and that his widow Ann, who died 1639, had married Edmund Hobart of Hingham Mordecai Hingham 1642. And under Edmund Hobart he says I see reason to infer that a widow Lyford whom he married later in life was relict of that Rev John Lyford who was at Plymouth. This under the light of this entry and those immediately following is seen to be substantially correct. Sarah not Anne as Savage thinks had been the wife of Rev John Lyford first of Lebeleglish near Loughgaid Lough gall (see page 154 in the County of Armagh Ireland) and subsequently of Plymouth and elsewhere. Mordecai Lyford was their son born about 1625. For Ruth Lyford see Suff Deeds i 27 After the death of John Sarah married Oct 10 1634 in Charlestown Edmund Hobart of Hingham For John Lyford see Bradford's History of Plymouth

Essex Institute Historical Collection. John Lyford had several children how many came with him I cannot say. We have records of and and possibly. His widow Sarah married at Charlestown 10 Oct 1634 Edmund Hubbard. Hobart senior widower of Hingham Nantasket. she died 23 June 1649. His daughter Ruth married 19 Apr 1 643 James Bate. Bates and died 9 Mar 1689 90. There was an Ann Lyford who died at Hingham in July 1639 possibly she was a daughter of John Lyford ,In May 1635 there sailed from London in the Suzan & Ellen, Ann Lieford aged 13 years but where she afterwards lived is not known, She may have been a daughter of Lyford and the Ann who died in 1639, John Lyford's son Rev died in Ireland and Mr Hubbard was chosen 6 Aug 1639 guardian of Mordecai then 14 years old who was to receive property that Obediah had left, Mr Hubbard appointed William Bladen Alderman of Dublin and John Fisher of the same place attorneys to sell a lease at Leballeglish County Ardmagh. In 1642 are recorded in Suffolk Deeds Liber i receipts from Ruth aud Mordecay Lyford to their stepfather Edmund Hubbard of property left them by their father John Lyford by his last will and testament A record of his will has not been found aud therefore it is impossible to learn further of John Lyford's family Nothing further is known of Mordecai I have been unable to trace any connection between this John Lyford and Francis Lyford who first appears in Boston in 1667

The NE Historical & Genealogical Register 1848: The person so chosen was John Lyford who had been a minister in Ireland He came in a ship which arrived in March of 1624 At first he rendered himself agreeable to the emigrants and preached for them It was soon discovered that he and John Oldham were carrying out the designs of the dissatisfied members of the company in England by plotting as Mr Bradford states both against our church and government and endeavour to overthrow them The governor made himself acquainted with their policy but kept it secret till July when to use his own language Lyford and his few accomplices which the factious part of the adventurers sent judging their party strong enough rise up oppose the government and church draw a company apart set up for themselves and he would minister the sacrament to them by his Episcopal calling In reference to this subject Hubbard remarks that individuals who came over with Lyford affirmed that a principal reason why he and his supporters were treated as enemies by Governor Bradford and his council was their antipithy against the way of separation wherein those of Plymouth had been trained up under Mr Robinson The same author further observes that some of their friends yet surviving do affirm upon their own knowledge that the first occasion of the quarrel with them was the baptizing of Mr Hilton's child who was not joined to the church at Plymouth This attempted revolution was so much in accordance with the design of the council for New England to crush Congregationalism in the plantation of Plymouth and in every other which might be settled within their jurisdiction the conclusion forces itself on our minds that the advocates of Lyford in London cooperated with that respectable body The result of the effort made by this clergyman and his followers was their exclusion from the colony Among those so ejected was Roger Conant He appears to have come over in the same vessel which brought Lyford Though conscientiously in favor of reformed compliance with the institutions of the national church he did not suffer his passions to master his reason nor drive him to measures for compassing his wishes which could be justly impeached as either unmanly or unchristian Hubbard who was subsequently his neighbour and must have known him well confirms such a character of him and calls him a pious sober and prudent gentleman

America, History & Life: "Lincoln Herald 1977 79(4) 146-150 establishes the genealogical connection between Martha Lyford and Samuel Lincoln, who was the Emancipator's first ancestor named Lincoln to reach America. Martha Lyford, daughter of Rev. John Lyford, arrived in Plymouth Colony in 1624 from Armagh, Ireland, She may possibly have been born in Ireland."

A Loiterer in New England: When Roger Conant split away from the Plymouth Colony it was in company with others who sided with the Rev John Lyford who had been banished from that community. We read so much about the religious intolerance of the Puritan settlements that it seems only fair to acquit the Forefathers in this case of any religious prejudice. The case against the Rev John Lyford as related in the Bradford History has little enough to do with religion save where the offender profited by the protection of his cloth and makes as pretty a piece of common scandal as one could wish to read. Bradford deals with it with that naivete and simplicity that makes the charm of his narrative throughout, he never seems to judge in so many words, but one feels the intensely human passion through his temperate sentences and with what satisfaction he sits back and watches the working out of a divine vengeance. The specific charge against Lyford, the last straw added to much incriminating evidence of a similar nature adduced by his unfortunate wife. Bradford goes into with considerable restraint yet artfully disclosing the whole sordid story, a sordid story which is however perversely not without its distinctly humorous side. Lyford in his capacity as pastor of the flock is appealed to by one of the ingenuous young lambs to pass upon the worthiness of a young woman whom the youth thinks of taking for a wife yet holds his ardour in abeyance pending the decision of his spiritual adviser as to the wisdom of his choice. Lyford, with a caution all too exemplary, defers judgment putting the young lamb off until he can find occasion as he says to meet and know the young woman well enough to speak with authority upon so important a matter. There seems to have been nothing that Lyford would not do for a friend and so throwing himself without reserve into the investigation he informs himself upon the girl most thoroughly and capably leaving no aspect of her eligibility untested as all too lamentably comes out in her future state, but for the time Lyford seeks out our young man recommends his choice with warmth as fitted in every way to be his wife and so leaves it. The scoundrel had not counted, however, upon the girl's reaction her own fundamental integrity. She inevitably tells her husband and he of course bears the monstrous tale to the heads of the Plymouth Colony. Whether the truth of the matter was hushed up and the case put upon some political difference or whatever. Bradford does not make clear but at any rate we find Lyford leaving Plymouth immediately after followed by a certain number of loyal adherents. The seceders retired to Nantasket and it was from the temporary settlement there that the Dorchester company chose Roger Conant to take charge of the planting and fishing at Cape Ann. John Oldham, who was afterwards murdered by the Indians at Block Island, to superintend the Indian trade and Lyford to officiate as minister. Possibly the charge against the latter was not understood by the Patriarch of Dorchester at least Lyford's subsequent departure from Cape Ann to Virginia split up and nearly wrecked the community for most of the members wished to follow their pastor.