John FOLGER - b. about 1593, Norwich, Norfolk, England; d. 1660, Martha's Vineyard, Dukes Co., MA. Son of John FOLGER (b. about 1569) and Elizabeth (b. about 1571). Peter immigrated with his parents from Norwich County, Norfolk, England in 1635 when he was about 18 years old. Just when they settled in Watertown, MA is not known, but John owned a homestead and 6 acres there in 1642. Married about 1615, Norwich, Norfolk, England.
Meribah GIBBS - b. 1595, Frenze Hall, Diss, Norfolk, England; d. after 1664, Martha's Vineyard, Dukes Co., MA. Daughter of John GIBBS (b. about 1572; d. 1608) and Alice ELMY (b. about 1574). Meribah may not have been the first wife of John FOLGER, since a tradition says that he arrived in America as a widower.
Peter FOLGER - b. 1618, Norwich, Norfolk, England; d. 1690, Nantucket, Nantucket Co., MA. Son of John FOLGER and Meribah GIBBS. A teacher, surveyor, missionary, and interpreter, Peter moved to Martha's Vineyard about 1642 and to Nantucktet about 1657. He was chosen Clerk of Courts at Nantucker on Jul. 21, 1673, serving for a number of years. From his activity as missionary and Baptist preacher, Peter is recognized as a qualifying ancestor by the Society of the Descendants of the Colonial Clergy. His poem "A Looking Glass for the Time" was published Apr. 23, 1676, showing him as an advocate of religious liberty. From The Nantucket Way, by Mooney and Sigourney: "Peter Folger was called 'white chief's old-young man' by the Nantucket Indians, meaning he was wise for his age. Peter was a surveyor, Town clerk, Clerk for the General Court. He ground his own eyeglasses and made the frames. He was a public servant, miller, machinist, blacksmith, schoolmaster, author, poet, and preacher all rolled into one." Married about 1642, Nantucket, Nantucket Co., MA.
The Colonial Clergy and the Colonial Churches
of New England
by Frederick Lewis Weis (1936, Lancester, MA), page 86
Peter Folger, b. England 1617/8, son of John Folger of Martha's Vineyard; came to New England with his father from Norwich, Eng., 1635; was in the service of the missionary corporation as assistant to Rev. Thomas Mayhew, Jr., and was left in charge of Mayhew's mission when the latter sailed for England in 1657; missionary to the Indians at Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, 1656-1661; sett. Nantucket, 1663; grandfather of Benjamin Franklin; was learned in the Indian tongue and served as an interpreter; author of "A Looking Glass for the Times," 1675; d. Nantucket Island 1690.
Lines from "A Looking-Glass for the Times;
or, The former spirit of New England revived in this generation"
by Peter Folger (1675)
Sure, 'tis not chiefly for those sins
That magistrates do name,
And make good laws for to suppress
And execute the same.But 'tis for that same crying sin
That rulers will not own,
And that whereby much cruelty
To brethren bath been shown.The sin of persecution
Such laws established;
By which laws they have gone so far
As blood hath touched blood.
The cause of this their suffering
Was not for any sin,
But for the witness that they bare
Against babes sprinkling.The church may now go stay at home,
There's nothing for to do;
Their work is all cut out by law,
And almost made up too.
If that the peace of God did rule
With power in our hearts,
Then outward war would fall away
And rest would be our part.
If we could love our brethren
And do to them, I say,
As we would they should do to us,
We should be quits straightway;
But if that we do smiting go
Of fellow servants so,
No marvel if our wars increase
And things so heavy go.
'Tis like that some may think and say,
Our war would not remain,
If so be that a thousand more
Of natives were but slain.
Alas! these are but foolish thoughts;
God can make more arise,
And if that there were none at all,
He can make war with flies.
It is the presence of the Lord,
must make our foes to shake,
Or else it's like he well ere long
know how to make us quake.
Let us lie low before the Lord
in all humility,
And then we shall with Asa see
our enemies to fly.
But if that we do leave the Lord,
and trust in fleshly arm,
Then 'tis no wonder if that we
do hear more news of harm.
Let's have our faith and hope in God,
and trust in him alone,
And then no doubt this storm of war
it quickly will be gone.
Thus, reader, I, in love to all,
leave these few lines with thee,
Hoping that in the substance we
shall very well agree.
If that you do mistake the verse
for its uncomely dress,
I tell thee true, I never thought
that it would pass the press.
If any at the matter kick,
it's like he's galled at heart,
And that's the reason why he kicks,
because he finds it smart.
I am for peace, and not for war,
And that's the reason why,
I write more plain than some men do,
That use to daub and lie.
But I shall cease, and set my name
To what I here insert;
Because, to be a libeller,
I hate it with my heart.
From Sherbon town, where now I dwell,
My name I do put here;
Without offence, your real friend,
It is Peter Folger.These 80 lines of the 400 line ballad have been located in four places, with an additional 28 duplicate lines. Sources: The Journal of Henry David Thoreau for Dec. 29, 1854 (18 lines); A History of American Literature 1607-1765, by Moses Coit Tyler (24 lines); Colonial Literature, by William P. Trent and Benjamin W. Wells, quoted on the internet at Ancestral Poets (60 line); and a internet essay about Catch 22 (16 lines). The complete work from one source is desired.
Mary MORRILL - b. 1620, Fowey, Cornwall, England; d. 1704; Nantucket, Nantucket Co., MA. From The Nantucket Way, by Mooney and Sigourney: "Mary Morrill came to the New World as a bondservant. It is said she so widened out in later years, that she had to sit in a special chair which she carried with her whenever she went visiting neighbors."
See Notable Cousins for lines to: Henry Clay FOLGER, James Athearn FOLGER, Benjamin FRANKLIN, Garrison Fletcher HALL, and Lucretia Coffin MOTT.
Anthony HARKER - b. Oct. 25, 1606, Sibsey, England; d. Mar. 1674/5, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA. In Nov. 1633, "Anthony Harker [one of] our brother Thomas Leveritt's men servants" was admitted to the Boston church. A freeman on May 36, 1636, Anthony was called yeoman in a 1660 deed and corder in a 1674 deed. He deposed on Jul. 29, 1673 that he was "aged 65 years or thereabouts." In his will dated Mar. 2, 1674/5 and proved Apr. 8, 1675, Anthony leaves one shilling to son John, 5 pounds in addition to "what I have already given her" to daughter Sarah, and ten pounds each to daughters Mercy and Elizabeth. The Apr. 2, 1675 inventory of his estate totaled £116 1s 6d, with real estate being £112. Administration of the estate was granted Apr. 27, 1680 to the three daughters, with their married names given, and final settlement was made on Sep. 16, 1682. Married by 1638.
Mary - Admitted to the Boston church Mar. 21, 1640/1.
John HARKER - bap. Apr. 30, 1643, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA; d. about 1710. Son of Anthony HARKER and Mary. On Apr. 29, 1673, Thomas OWEN was committed for "wounding John Harker in the arm with a shoemaker's knife." In his 1675 will, his father wrote that "according to the law of God ... my son should have a son's portion amongst the rest of my children but although to my grief yet I cannot but now declare that my son John Harker having been very disobedient & rebellious and hirtherto notwithstanding all means I have endeavoured to use is a very bad husband and given to drink and wastefully to spend both his precious time and monies, I do therefore think myself bound and hereby do disinherit my said son John Harker from any claim in what estate I have forever only I do give unto him one shilling." (Note that the word "husband" in the forgoing should be read with the meaning of "steward" of time and money.) "John Harker - seaman" appears on a 1688 Tax List of Boston, MA. Married Dec. 14, 1680, Boston, Suffolk Co., MA. Refer to Caution Note concerning this marriage.
Patience FOLGER - b. about 1653, Martha's Vineyard, Dukes Co., MA; d. Jan. 1716/7, Nantucket, Nantucket Co., MA. Patience is said to have been married second in Mar. 1717/8 to James GARDNER, but New England Marriages Prior to 1700 declares this to be "wrong." Daughter of Peter FOLGER and Mary MORRILL.
Modified: 4/25/04