John Ruggles Genealogy

John⁵ Ruggles (Thomas⁴) b. Jan. 1624-5 in Nasing, England, came to Roxbury 1635 at the age of 10 years under the care of Philip Eliot; m. Jan. 24, 1650, Abigail Craft, dau. of Griffin Craft one of the first settlers of Roxbury. She was born in Roxbury, 28 March, 1634. She died 19 Jan. 1706, having had two husbands after the death of her first husband John Ruggles, who died Sept. 15, 1658, aged 33; leaving three young children.

They were:

1. JOHN, b. Oct. 16, 1651; d. y.
2. JOHN.
3. THOMAS, b. Jan. 28, 1655.
4. SAMUEL, b. Aug. 16, 1657.

Widow Abigail (Craft) Ruggles m. Nov. 15, 1659, Ralph Day of Dedham, and had a daughter Abigail Day, therefore half sister of the first children, b. in Dedham, 22 April, 1661.

Abigail (Craft) (Ruggles) (Day) Adams, died in Medfield, Mass., Jan. .19, 1706-7. "John Ruggles died mo. 7, day 15, 1658" according to the church records. His will witnessed by Robert Pepper, Peleg Heath, was dated Sept. 9, 1658. He appointed "my Uncle Ruggles, my father Craft, and my brother Samuel to be overseers; and if my wife mary again, and my overseers do not like the usage of my children, I give them power to take them away and one half of my estate which I leave in the hands of my wife." By the conditions of the will, the mother was to have the whole estate until the children were of age, then John was to have two parts, and Samuel and Thomas one part each. By the will of his father ,Thomas, John inherited one-half of the house and homestead of Thomas, and brother John and sister Sarah the other half after their, mother's decease.

John appointed his wife Abigail and father Craft executors. In April, 1662, it became necessary to sell a part of John's estate, which be had pledged in his lifetime, and as he had not come into full possession because his mother was still living, when it appeared that it required the signature of widow Abigail (now Day), Griffin Craft, Mary widow of Thomas;, and John's two brothers, Thomas and Samuel to complete the sale. This deed was witnessed by the well-known secretary of the colony, Edward Rawson, also recorded by him, and was acknowledged before Daniel Gookin, Sen'r. This deed related, apparently, to the estate on '° Meeting House Hill," suggesting a cutting up of the estate. By anticipating in time, events, it may be said here: John 6 the oldest son of John 5 and Abigail, who married Sept 2, 1674, Martha Devotion, died Dec. 16, 1694, and administration of his estate was given to his widow Martha in 1695. But Feb. 14, 1704-5, widow Martha had become Martha Payne, and Abigail (Craft) (Ruggles) Day, whose assent was still required to the deeds, bad become Abigail Adams.

Griffin Craft came to this country in 1630 ; the same year, and perhaps with Winthrop's party, which in that year settled in or founded Boston. Griffin Craft took an active part in Roxbury town affairs from the first, and was evidently a capable man. He brought with him from England his wife Alice and one daughter, Hannah. Their second child, John Craft, born here July 10, 1632, married Rebecca Wheelock, daughter of Ralph and Rebecca Wheelock, who came from Shropshire, Eng., to Dedham, 1637. His son Eleazer, the brother of Rebecca, was the ancestor of Eleazer Wheelock, the founder of Dartmouth College The third child was Mary Craft, born Oct. to, 1632, married 1673 Joseph Griggs, brother to John, sons of Thomas and wife Mary Griggs, Roxbury, 1639. In 1709, this Joseph Griggs deposed in court, that he was aged about 35 years ; that about three-score years ago (1649), he settled at Muddy River . .. . was well acquainted with the land 'now in farms' . . . of Captain Sewall, Deacon Eliot, Devotion, Clark, and others, etc., etc." . . The modern Beacon Street Boulevard, at Coolidge Corner, passes through some of these old estates. The fourth child of Griffin Craft was Abigail, who married John⁵ Ruggles.

John Griggs, the eldest son of Thomas, married Mary Patten, and among other children, had Mary, as we know by his will : "I give to my daughter, Mary Feilder . . . and to her daughter, Sarah." Of his will he appointed his brother Joseph and his own son, George Griggs, executors. The appraisors of this estate were Samuel⁵ Ruggles, brother of Johns, Robert Pierpoint, John⁵ Ruggles, Sen., son of John⁴ and "Barbara."

This granddaughter, Sarah Feilder, married in 1704, John⁷ Ruggles, a grandson of John⁵ and Abigail. Abigail's grandson Edward⁷ Ruggles, son of her son John⁶ and Martha (Devotion) Ruggles, married Hannah Craft, the granddaughter of Abigail's younger brother Samuel, the daughter of his son Samuel, Jr., and wife Elizabeth (Sharp) Craft.

These were the only marriages of the Ruggles with Crafts, within at least the period of this genealogy.