Edward Ruggles Genealogy

Edward⁷ Ruggles (John⁶, John⁵, Thomas⁴), born in Roxbury, Oct. 2, 1691, died 1765, in Cambridge, where he lived in his later years. He married June 24,1715-16, Hannah Craft, daughter of Samuel³, and great-grand-daughter of Griffin Craft, the emigrant settler in Roxbury. She was born March 15, 1697, and died in Roxbury, March 11, 1732.

Edward⁷ Ruggles married, 2d, Jan. 11, 1733, Mrs. Abigail Williams, widow of Joseph, the daughter of John and Mary (Torrey) Davis.

The children, who were by the first wife, were:

1. SAMUEL, b. March 29, 1717, in Pomfret, Conn.
2. HANNAH, b. Dec. 22, 1718, in Roxbury, probably.
3. ELIZABETH, b. Oct. 21, 1720, d. y.
4. ELIZABETH, b. Oct 20, 1722, who m. James Noble.
5. EDWARD.
6. ABIGAIL, b. May 12, 1726.
7. THOMAS, b. Nov. 15, 1729.
8. BENJAMIN, b. Feb. 19, 1731.

Edward Ruggles, by his association with and marriage into the family of Samuel Craft, became interested in the new settlement of Pomfret, Conn., and it appears removed to that place about the time of his marriage, in 1715. His first child, Samuel, was born there in 1717. He probably returned soon after to Roxbury, where all the other of his children were born. All his deeds of land speak of him as of Roxbury, yeoman; when he wrote his will he was of Cambridge. His daughter, Elizabeth Noble, and stepson, Joseph Williams, were executors. His will reads:

"1, Edward Ruggles, of Cambridge, give my beloved wife 300 pounds, equal to 40 of lawful money, and all the movables she brought with her in her marriage . . . To my daughter Noble, the sum of 1,200 pounds, equal to 160. To my grand-daughter, Hannah Davis, and grand-daughter Hannah Fellows, each the same sum. I give to my son Edward all my land in Pomfret, buildings, orchards, etc., he paying to his sister Noble 1,000 pounds equal to 133 pounds of lawful money. This 1,000 pounds is part of that I give to my daughter Noble. I give to my son Edward my great Bible. I constitute my daughter Noble and my 'son-in-law' (stepson) Joseph Williams, Esq., to be my executors ; they are to take my buildings and land in Cambridge, woodland in Newton, and my land in Roxbury, Canada and Warwich . . . and my little stock of creatures, and all movables within doors and without, and sell them to pay the legacies before named."

EDWARD RUGGLES.

Edward Ruggles was a long time one of the deacons of the first church of Roxbury (Eliots), before and after the date of 1748, when "Nehemiah Walter Clerk, Edward Ruggles and Samuel Gridley, deacons of the first church of Roxbury, sell a piece of land . . . being a gift to the church."

He was buried by the side of his first wife, Hannah, in the well known Eustis street burying ground, in which John Eliot and his successors, pastors, are entombed, surrounded with a large number of the first associates in the first settlement of Roxbury, here buried. The gravestone is very well preserved, owing to its enduring material, and was rather elaborately made. The inscription is:

"Here lies interred y, body of Dea. Edward Ruggles, who departed this life Sept. 16, 1765 in ye 74th year of his age."

And on another stone close by: -

"Hannah Ruggles ye wife of Dea. Edward Ruggles, aged 35 years died March 11, 1731-2."