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John Fussell

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John Fussell

Birth
England
Death
21 Feb 1676 (aged 100–101)
Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA
Burial
Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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CAME TO AMERICA ABOUT 1638 (along with the Adams), TO WEYMOUTH, MA (CURRENTLY NORFOLK CO., BUT ORIGINALLY SUFFOLK CO.)
THEN ON TO MEDFIELD, MA (MIDDLESEX CO.)
JOHN PURCHASED 12 AND ONE-HALF ACRES IN WEYMOUTH IN 1640 FROM RICHARD SYLVESTER. On 28 September 1640 "Richard Silvester of Waymouth" sold to John Fussell "all his home lot containing six acres more or less scituate in Waymouth" .

HE WENT TO MEDFIELD ABT 1651 TO A FARM BELONGING TO THE HEIRS OF GERSHAM ADAMS, AFTER HIS MARRIAGE TO MRS. EDITH SQUIRE ADAMS.
IN 1663, ONE DAUGHTER WAS IN THE HOME, ELIZABETH.
JOHN WAS BURNED TO DEATH BY INDIANS IN 1676 DURING AN INDIAN RADE ON MEDFIELD.
REF. - "HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MEDFIELD, MA" BY WILLIAM S. TILDEN

King Philip War
King Philip became chief of the Wampanoag Indians in 1662 taking over from his older brother. His father was Massasoit. His Indian name was Metacomet. In 1675 Philip was concerned about the loss of Indian Land and he commenced the King Philip War to massacre the white settlers. He actually burned villages of Indians as well as white settlers and men, women and children on both sides were killed.

On February 21st, 1676 Medfield was surprised at daybreak by a band of Indians under King Philip. Nearly half the houses and barns on the East side of the river were burned. Seventeen persons were killed. The indians retired across Great Bridge, which they burn, and hold a feast on what is now the Moses Adams farm in Millis. The spot is marked by a group of Tupello trees which have been called the King Philip Trees for over two hundred years.

John Fussell, nearly one hundred years old, was burned by the Indians in Jonathan Adams' house. The remaining residents of "The Farms" were in George Fayerbanke's palisade. Jonathan Wood was killed by Indians at Deaths Bridge, and his brother Eleazer was struck down by a tomahawk, scalped and left for dead. He later recovered.

Five dwellings were burned by the Indians on the west side of the river, those of George Fayerbanke, Jr., Joseph Daniel, William Allen, Jonathan Adams and Peter Calley.

On February 22nd the Indians made an attack on the palisades at the farms, but were repulsed and retired to the southward. The Fayerbanke palisade sheltered six families from the Sherborn side, numbering 38 souls, and six families from Medway side, 30 souls."

John first married Elizabeth (last name unknown)in England, prior to 1600. She died in Weymouth, Mass. before 1651. They had three possible known children:
Marie/Mary (questionable) who m/ Nathaniel Adams
Nicholas b c1600 m/ Judith Camp (They both died in England.)
Elizabeth b c1616 m/ Jonathan Adams (son of
Henry Adams and Elizabeth Squire)

After the death of his first wife, John then married Edith Squire Adams in 1651. She was the widow of Henry Adams, and the great great grandmother of President John Adams.
Her parents were Henry Squire and Charlotte Mackrell.

There is no headstone in Vine Lake for John Fussell. At the time of his death the cemetery was called Old Medfield.
Old Medfield Cemetery is now part of Vine Lake Cemetery. There are very few gravestones from before 1700 there.

Further info and connection to the Adams family: https://archive.org/details/henryadamsofsome00bart/page/72/mode/2up?q=Fussell
CAME TO AMERICA ABOUT 1638 (along with the Adams), TO WEYMOUTH, MA (CURRENTLY NORFOLK CO., BUT ORIGINALLY SUFFOLK CO.)
THEN ON TO MEDFIELD, MA (MIDDLESEX CO.)
JOHN PURCHASED 12 AND ONE-HALF ACRES IN WEYMOUTH IN 1640 FROM RICHARD SYLVESTER. On 28 September 1640 "Richard Silvester of Waymouth" sold to John Fussell "all his home lot containing six acres more or less scituate in Waymouth" .

HE WENT TO MEDFIELD ABT 1651 TO A FARM BELONGING TO THE HEIRS OF GERSHAM ADAMS, AFTER HIS MARRIAGE TO MRS. EDITH SQUIRE ADAMS.
IN 1663, ONE DAUGHTER WAS IN THE HOME, ELIZABETH.
JOHN WAS BURNED TO DEATH BY INDIANS IN 1676 DURING AN INDIAN RADE ON MEDFIELD.
REF. - "HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MEDFIELD, MA" BY WILLIAM S. TILDEN

King Philip War
King Philip became chief of the Wampanoag Indians in 1662 taking over from his older brother. His father was Massasoit. His Indian name was Metacomet. In 1675 Philip was concerned about the loss of Indian Land and he commenced the King Philip War to massacre the white settlers. He actually burned villages of Indians as well as white settlers and men, women and children on both sides were killed.

On February 21st, 1676 Medfield was surprised at daybreak by a band of Indians under King Philip. Nearly half the houses and barns on the East side of the river were burned. Seventeen persons were killed. The indians retired across Great Bridge, which they burn, and hold a feast on what is now the Moses Adams farm in Millis. The spot is marked by a group of Tupello trees which have been called the King Philip Trees for over two hundred years.

John Fussell, nearly one hundred years old, was burned by the Indians in Jonathan Adams' house. The remaining residents of "The Farms" were in George Fayerbanke's palisade. Jonathan Wood was killed by Indians at Deaths Bridge, and his brother Eleazer was struck down by a tomahawk, scalped and left for dead. He later recovered.

Five dwellings were burned by the Indians on the west side of the river, those of George Fayerbanke, Jr., Joseph Daniel, William Allen, Jonathan Adams and Peter Calley.

On February 22nd the Indians made an attack on the palisades at the farms, but were repulsed and retired to the southward. The Fayerbanke palisade sheltered six families from the Sherborn side, numbering 38 souls, and six families from Medway side, 30 souls."

John first married Elizabeth (last name unknown)in England, prior to 1600. She died in Weymouth, Mass. before 1651. They had three possible known children:
Marie/Mary (questionable) who m/ Nathaniel Adams
Nicholas b c1600 m/ Judith Camp (They both died in England.)
Elizabeth b c1616 m/ Jonathan Adams (son of
Henry Adams and Elizabeth Squire)

After the death of his first wife, John then married Edith Squire Adams in 1651. She was the widow of Henry Adams, and the great great grandmother of President John Adams.
Her parents were Henry Squire and Charlotte Mackrell.

There is no headstone in Vine Lake for John Fussell. At the time of his death the cemetery was called Old Medfield.
Old Medfield Cemetery is now part of Vine Lake Cemetery. There are very few gravestones from before 1700 there.

Further info and connection to the Adams family: https://archive.org/details/henryadamsofsome00bart/page/72/mode/2up?q=Fussell


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