William Janes (immigrant)

Please see the Overview in the profile his first wife Mary (unknown) Janes , which debunks that her maiden name was Hewes – an ongoing falsity appearing on other websites.

Migration + Most Children of 1st Marriage b. New Haven Colony

1. Meredith Bright Colket's book Founders of early American Families: Emigrants from Europe, 1607-1657 shows William Janes in New Haven (i.e., New Haven Colony) in 1637. Whether the year represents the first year of record for William (and family) being in New Haven Colony might be discerned with access to the book.
   1. Comment 1: There is only one child's birth date and place in New Haven Colony (as of 27 Nov 2024) in the FamilySearch repository, which is for Ruth, born in Quinnipiac. This along with Colket's 1637 indicates that several of Mary's children were born in New Haven Colony.
   2. Comment 2: A FamilySearch contributor made a profitable observation as to when the family removed to Northampton, MA, which indicates that children born between 1656 and 1662 were born in Northampton: "Willam Jeanes or Janes migration: About the year 1656, with other pioneers of liberty, he went higher up the Connecticut valley to the west of Holyoke, about eighteen miles above Springfield, to a place they called Northampton. The votes on the town record of Northampton will show his status there, 'Voted 25th of June, 1657, that William Janes become an inhabitant'."

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May or may not have been descended from Norman Barons, as has been claimed by historians, who name as his ancestor a certain Guidode Janes who entered England with the future Henry II, of the English throne, and as a reward for bravery was allotted the manor of Kirtland. However this may be, it is certain that whoever his antecedents, it was from Kirtland, Cambridgeshire, that William Janes with his wife Mary joined the party of Mr. Davenport and Mr. Eaton bound for New Haven, Connecticut. It is said of him also that he occasionally signed papers as "DeJeannes" - after arrival in America.

They reached Boston 3 June 1637 on a chartered vessel,

"The Hector to Boston", where they tarried for a time on board, and on 26 July 1637 they landed in Boston. The group was composed principally of merchants of London, whose wealth and position prepared them to come over under far better circumstances than any company which had preceded them. They were mostly members of Mr. Davenport's church; were provided with men skilled in the various arts and trades, and brought with them whatever things they were likely to need. They were urged to remain in Boston, but they preferred to go on to the Connecticut location which had been selected for them by their committee - for which place they set out in March of the following year. After preliminary arrangements on June 4, 1639, the whole company of 419 persons signed the covenant which had been prepared.

So much for the preliminary story of the settlement of New Haven.

Born in Essex County, England, during the reign of James I, about 1610, when the Puritans were suffering fearful persecutions from powerful and bitter foes, we have found nothing of the early personal history of Janes prior to the year he came to America - 1637.

In the new colony, however, he had a prominent part. For about 17 years he was a conspicuous citizen, a teacher of the rudiments of education and of the doctrines of the Bible. In 1643 he had a family of five persons, and an estate of $150.00.

In 1653 he removed with others to a location north of Springfield and planted a colony which now includes Northampton, Hadley and Hatfield; and here for 22 years they lived in peace with the Indians, until in 1675 King Phillip began his war against the whites, during which Northampton was burned and sacked. It appears that Janes acted as a sort of missionary in the country, finally removing to Northfield, where a long and useful life ended on 20 Sep. 1690. His wife died 4 Apr. 1662, in which year he lost two sons, and in the same year he remarried. By his first wife he had 12 children, by his second four. Three sons were killed by the Indians on the same day - 2 Sep. 1675. (NEB genealogy)

Marriage of William and Hannah

• "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1925", FamilySearch (Thu May 23 01:13:40 UTC 2024), Entry for Wm. Janes and Hannah Broughton, 20 Nov 1662.
• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (Sun Mar 10 15:56:46 UTC 2024), Entry for William Janes and Hannah Broton, 20 Nov 1662.

Children of William and Hannah

1. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (Mon Sep 23 17:34:53 UTC 2024), Entry for Samuel Janes and Williams Janes.
   1. "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", FamilySearch (14 Jan 2020), Samuel Janes, 9 Feb 1663.
2. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (Sun Mar 10 01:33:19 UTC 2024), Entry for Hepzibah Janes and William Janes, 13 Feb 1665.
   1. "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", FamilySearch (14 January 2020), Hepzibah Janes, 1665.
   2. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (Wed Mar 06 03:33:51 UTC 2024), Entry for Hephzibah Jeanes and William Jeanes, 13 Feb 1665.
   3. "Maine, Church Records, 1734-1907", FamilySearch (Mon Aug 12 17:59:47 UTC 2024), Entry for Hepzebah Jeanes and Wm Jeanes, 13 Feb 1665.
3. "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (Mon Sep 23 17:32:57 UTC 2024), Entry for Hannah Janes and William Janes, 5 Oct 1669.
   1. "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (14 January 2020), Hannah Janes, 1669.
4. "New Jersey, Church Records, 1675-1970", FamilySearch (Mon Aug 12 17:59:47 UTC 2024), Entry for Blank Jeanes and Wm Jeanes, bp. 5 Oct 1669.
   1. "Maryland, Church Records, 1668-1995", FamilySearch (Mon Aug 12 17:59:47 UTC 2024), Entry for Jeanes and William Jeanes, bp. 5 Oct 1669.
5. “Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001", FamilySearch (Wed Mar 06 23:01:45 UTC 2024), Entry for Benjamin Janes and William Janes, 30 Sep 1672.
   1. "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (14 Jan 2020), Benjamin Janes, bp. April1672.
   2. "Maryland, Church Records, 1668-1995", FamilySearch (Mon Aug 12 17:59:47 UTC 2024), Entry for Benjamin Jeanes and William Jeanes, bp. April 1672.

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• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Feb 7 2016, 2:44:25 UTC
  • https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/77841817/william-janes
• “A genealogical record of Thomas Bascom and his descendants” page 14. Archive.Org

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GEDCOM Note

William /Janes/