John Anthony (abt. 1607 - 1675)

The origins of John Anthony, immigrant, settler in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, are unknown. [1] He was not the son of John Anthony, Doctor of Physick (1585-1655). John Anthony was also not a son of Francis Anthony He settled in Portsmouth, Rhode Island and married Susan Potter. He did not have a wife named Mary _____, nor a daughter Mary Rebecca Anthony, born in London, England. [2]

In 1904, Charles Anthony, wrote and published Genealogy of the Anthony Family from 1495 to 1904. [3] In this he proposes a line of descent from William of Cologne to the immigrant John.

William Anthony (children: Thomas, Derrick, Francis m. Judith Roby) Francis m. Judith Roby (child Francis) Francis b. 1550 m. Susan Howe, Dr. of Physic London (ch: John, Charles) John Anthony b. 1585 (ch:Samuel, John, Mary, Elizabeth, Rebecca John Anthony immigrant to Rhode Island.

A careful reading of the preface and introduction to Charles Anthony's "Genealogy of the Anthony Family" reveals that he was not positive of the correctness of this pedigree.

“Our line starts with William Anthony, 1495, Cologne, Germany, who went to London, England, as the chief graver of the mint and seals to King Edward VI, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.” “Our line of connection between this ancient family and John Anthony, the emigrant, has not been established and fortified by complete and satisfactory evidence but numerous circumstances point in this one direction."

The visitations [4] give us a slightly different line of descent and was used in the "Colonial Families of the United States . " [5]

William Anthony (ch Derrick) Derrick Anthony, chief graver Francis Dr. of Physic London John, Dr of London John Anthony immigrant to Rhode Island.

Dr. John Anthony alleged father of John the immigrant in both scenarios, left information carved in stone. His grave marker says: "He dyed ye 28th April 1655, being aged 70 years, and was buried nere this place, and left behind him 1 sone and 3 daughters. [6]

Dr. John Anthony had two sons, Samuel and John and three daughters living in the vicinity of London, named in the 1644 will of Richard Arnold. [7] John Anthony the immigrant was in Rhode Island at the time. In addition no mention was made of John in the 1655 will of John Anthony, Doctor of Physick. [8]

Disputed Wife's Name

It has generally been thought that John Anthony's wife (currently listed as Unknown (Unknown) Anthony) was named Susanna, and that she was Susann Potter, the daughter of Robert Potter (others believe she was the daughter of George Potter).

There currently is not enough direct/primary evidence to make any claim about his wife's name.

Please read the full analysis concerning the unknown name of John Anthony's wife and why this Susanna Potter is not being listed as his wife, here: Unknown Susanna Potter Anthony.

Biography

The earliest genealogical treatment of John Anthony of Portsmouth appears to be Savage's Genealogical Dictionary (1860). Savage tells us that John Anthony took the oath of allegiance and supremacy 24 Mar. 1634, with the intent to embark in the Mary and John, but was delayed, and took passage in the Hercules a few days later. He had lived in the beautiful village of Hempstead, near London, and d. 28 July 1675, aged 68. [9]

What did Savage know that he made the statement that John Anthony lived in the village of Hempstead, near London?

What record led Savage, and subsequent biographers, to believe that John was 68 (born about 1607) when he died in 1675? The printed vital records just give the date.

Another publication in 1860 confirmed that a John Anthony took the oaths of "Supremacy, & Alleigeance" before embarking on the Mary & John but a notation says he was left behind, and that he and five others were to pass on the Hercules. [10]

An interesting thing about this group of six men, John Anthony, Robert Early, William Latcome, Thomas Foster, William Foster, Matthew Hewlett, [10] is that five of them did not make a record in New England, implying that they may not have sailed. John Anthony did not leave a mark in New England until 1640. R C Anderson believes that because of the time lapse, etc. that John Anthony of Portsmouth may not be the same John Anthony, who was planning on sailing on the Hercules. [11]

Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island (1887) provides a timeline of John's activities in Rhode Island.

• Freeman: 14 Sept 1640. [12][13] A list of Portsmouth freemen, made in 1655, contains John's name.* [14]
• 1642, Oct. Sold to Richard Tew, of Newport, . three parcels of land in Newport, . amounting to 50 acres--40 acres given me by town grant; 10 as a servant, at my first coming; also two parcels of Marsh. Witnesses Susanna Anthony and Joseph Ladd [15]
• 1644, 13 Mar Elected Corporal for Portsmouth [16]
• 1644, Nov 14, given a land grant at the wading river [17]
• 1655, May 25 nominated and accepted to keep a house of entertainment, in Portsmouth. A sign was to be set out to notify strangers. [18]
• 1661, 6 Feb Robert Potter sold land to John Anthony c. 1640. The sale was not registered, so testimony in 1660/1 verified this sale. 6 Feb 1660/1 John Potter “testified that in his conscience he did believe his father sold a certain house, &c, in Portsmouth, to my uncle John Anthony. ” According to Anderson the basis for this relationship has not been discovered. [19]
• 1661 27 Aug Mr John Anthony was chosen Commissioner for Providence at a General Court held at Portsmouth. [20]
• 1663, Dec 3 bought a house and 3 acres in Portsmouth, from Thomas and Jane Clark of Newport [21]
• 1666, Nov 7 Sold a house and 35 acres in Portsmouth to Daniel Vaughan of Newport for £80 [21]
• 1666 4 Sep- 1672. Chosen deputy to the Collony of Rhodes Island and Providence Plantations at Newport [22]

John Anthony wrote a will dated 23 July 1675, and proved 21 Aug 1675. He named his son John as executor. He left all housing and land, and his looms to his son John. Daughters Susanna Tripp and Elizabeth Green were each given fifteen sheep and a cow. The rest of his estate was to be divided equally between all his children: John, Joseph, Abraham, Susanna and Elizabeth. [21] [23]

John Anthony died 28 July 1675 [24] aged 68 according to Savage and Austin. [9] [21]

Children

John and his wife had the following children: [25]

• John, b. c 1642; d. 20 Oct 1715; m. (1) Frances Wodell; m. (2) Susanna Albro
• Joseph, d. 1728; m. Mary Wait
• Abraham d. 1727 10 Oct; m Alice Wodell
• Susanna d. after 1716; m. 7 Sep 1665 John Tripp
• Elizabeth d. after 1698; m. James Greene

Sources

1. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration Directory (The). Immigrants to New England, 1620-1640. A Concise Compendium. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. p. 8.
2. ↑ Anthony, Charles L., Genealogy of the Anthony family from 1495 to 1904 traced from William Anthony, Cologne, Germany, to London, England, John Anthony, a descendant, from England to America, published 1904. Reference pages 21, 23-24
3. ↑ Anthony, Charles L. Genealogy of the Anthony Family From 1495 to 1904 Sterling, Illinois, 1904. p. 17
4. ↑ See: https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Anthony-272https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Anthony-272-1 an https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Anthony-270-1
5. ↑ Mackenzie, George Norbury, and Nelson Osgood Rhoades, editors. Colonial Families of the United States of America: in Which is Given the History, Genealogy and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families Who Settled in the American Colonies From the Time of the Settlement of Jamestown, 13th May, 1607, to the Battle of Lexington, 19th April, 1775. 7 volumes. 1912. Reprinted, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1966, 1995.
6. ↑ Worley, George. The Priory Church Of St. Bartholomew-The-Great, Smithfield: A Short History Of The Foundation And A Description Of The Fabric And Also Of The Church Of St. Bartholomew-The-Less London (1908) at Project Gutenberg
7. ↑ "Genealogical Gleanings in England" The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. 48:374Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11582/374/23527839
8. ↑ The National Archives; Kew, England; Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 248. Piece Description: Piece 248: Aylett, Quire Numbers 264-318 (1655) Accessed at Ancestry ($)
9. ↑ 9.09.1 Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. Vol. I-IV. Boston, MA, USA: 1860-1862. p. 60
10. ↑ 10.010.1 Result of some researches among the British archives for information relative to the founders of New England : made in the years 1858, 1859 and 1860; originally collected for and published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, and now corrected and enlarged by Drake, Samuel Gardner, 1798-1875. Boston : Office of the New Eng. Hist. and Gen. Register, 1860. pp 70, 71.
11. ↑ Great Migration 1634-1635, A-B. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume 1, A-B, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB114/i/7051/67/235164628
12. ↑Records:Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England (1856-1865) Vol I 1636-1663 Providence: A Crawford Greene and Brothers, 1856. p. 108
13. ↑ Note: Austin Gen. Dictionary gives this date as 16 Mar 1641.
14. ↑ Records: p. 299
15. ↑ Dorothy Worthington, Rhode Island Land Evidences, vol. I, 1648-1696, Abstracts, pp. 64-65, (Providence: Rhode Island Historical Society, 1921); image of pp. 64-65 at InternetArchive.org
16. ↑ Records: p. 127
17. ↑ Records: p. 82
18. ↑ Records: p. 313
19. ↑ Great Migration 1634-1635, M-P. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V, M-P, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007. image of p. 502, entry for Robert Potter, by subscription AmericanAncestors.
20. ↑ Records: p. 447
21. ↑ 21.021.121.221.3 Austin, John Osborne. Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island: Comprising Three Generations of Settlers Who Came Before 1690 : With Many Families Carried to the Fourth Generation. Albany: J. Munsell Sons, 1887 https://archive.org/details/genealogicaldict00aust
22. ↑Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England (1856-1865) Vol II 1664-1677. Providence: A Crawford Greene and Brothers, 1857. p. 150
23. ↑ Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Land Evidences 2nd Book No. 1, Will of John Anthony, pp.137, 138; digital images, Family Search (Library access only), Film 7898456, (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/70284 : accessed March 2024).
24. ↑ Arnold, James N. (editor). Vital Record of Rhode Island 1636-1850. First Series Births, Marriages and Deaths. Vol 4. Newport County. p. 53
25. ↑ "Genealogy of the Anthonys of New England. The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1877) Vol. 31, page 416. American Ancestors

• Austin, John Osborne. Ancestry of Thirty-Three Rhode Islanders (J. Munsell's Sons, 1889) Page: 25, 53. Family Charts
• The Narragansett Historical Register (Narragansett Historical Pub. Co., Providence, 1882) Vol. 1, Page 253 footnote to information on p. 249. Repeats information from NEHGR31 to the marriage of Elizabeth Anthony to Gilbert Stewart about 1750.