John Wheeler Descendants

Lieutenant John Wheeler was born on Nov 4, 1591, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, to Dominy “Dominick” Wheeler and Mercye Jellye. He was baptized at St. Edmunds, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. He had three brothers and two sisters, though one brother died shortly after being baptized. John was my (and my brothers’) 9th great-grandfather. He married Agnes Yeoman on December 1, 1611, and he is referred to as John Whelyer. His wife Agnes was usually called “Anne” in most records. Agnes and John were the parents of Edward, John, Adam, Elizabeth, Anne, William, David, Mercy, Thomas, Roger, George, and Henry. Rev. Peter Thatcher, the parson of St. Edmund’s, was strongly Puritan in his beliefs and it was doubtless under his influence that the Wheelers decided to emigrate to New England. John Wheeler was a barber by trade.

The Mary & John

There are several theories as to when the Wheelers emigrated to the colonies. Most believe that John and his wife arrived on May 30, 1634, on the ship “Mary and John.”

The passenger list is somewhat fragmented, and it is believed that it is 60-70% accurate. According to an “Oathes of Supremacy, & Allegeance” that needed to be signed by the male passengers, there is the John Whelyer mentioned above. In a later book called “The Planters of the Commonwealth,” published in 1930 and an exhaustively researched book about the immigrants from 1620-1640 into the Massachusetts Colony, John is listed along with his wife Anne and children David, Anne, Roger, Elizabeth and Mercy. Another book lists George and Henry on the “Mary & John” with David coming later.

The ship “Confidence”.

That son David is listed as a servant to a John Ludwell on the ship “Confidence” in April of 1638. His age was listed as 11, which is close to his actual birth year (the whole Julian vs Gregorian calendar switching over a 300-year period is challenging with old records). Additionally, it has been recorded that sons John, Adam, Edward and William remained in England until their deaths. In John’s will in 1668, he leaves money to his three sons, Adam, Edward and William, still in England. His oldest son, John, is not mentioned, as he died in 1661.

Other theories are that he arrived in 1639 AFTER his 11-year-old son David came over. It seems odd that they would send their 11-year-old son first and follow him later.

Map of Salisbury, Mass, 1639 – J Wheeler lot on right near top

His first year in New England was spent at Ipswich in the Massachusetts colony and Hampton, New Hampshire, after which he moved to Salisbury, Massachusetts, as one of the original settlers. He held lands there as late as 1666 despite the fact that he moved to Newbury by the year 1650.

The name John “Wheler” was recorded among a list of land grants of Salisbury, having received the sixty-sixth grant of that town. His land in Salisbury was located on the west side of the road to Hampton. Located on the top right on the Salisbury land map from 1639, we see J. Wheeler owning that property in town. And there is a sign from 1859 that lists the early settlers of Salisbury in 1639. It also lists a John Wheler.

First Settlers of Salisbury 1639

After moving to Newbury, he appears as a witness there in 1651 in the trial of William Snelling, who was fined for cursing as follows, “a plague on their heels and a pox on their toes.“ He was one of a group of Newbury residents who petitioned the General Court on May 14, 1654, for a pardon for one of their townsmen, Robert Pike, who had given offense to the court. In a deed of 1666, he is noted as living in Newbury and sold ten acres of land in Salisbury for 30 pounds.

On March 1, 1651, John and Daniel Wheeler were named as freeholders of Newbury who had an interest in the common land, but the note for Salisbury, dated July 18, 1652, indicated that “Jno Wheler” owed one shilling and sixpence.

Independent of when John Wheeler, his wife and six of his children came to the Colonies, we know that they were very early settlers of what would become America. John was a Lieutenant in the Massachusetts militia. Many of his descendants would also defend their new homes in various wars, including early French & Indian wars (King Philip’s War 1675-1676, King George’s War 1744–1748), The American Revolution, War of 1812, Spanish-American War, and on. See war pages The Call to Serve and Comfort Wheeler page Constant Wheeler and son William Comfort Story

But the most interesting, at least to me, was that there are a total of 6 US Presidents that are descendants of John Wheeler. As well as many actors, actresses, writers and others.