Joseph was born on 1636 in England. Joseph died on 26 February 1694, at age ~58.
Joseph Janes emigrated with
William Janes, "The Emigrant", and
Mary Janes in 1637 in England to Boston on the ship Hector with their son Joseph, age 1.
1 Joseph Janes and William Janes, "The Emigrant", lived in 1658 in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.
2 Joseph Janes witnessed the biography of William Janes, "The Emigrant", and Mary Janes:
Janes American Beginnings by Dee AlldredgeOn a breezy Friday, Aapril 23. in 1638 the good ship, Hecter missed the then uncharted rocks off what is now Lighthouse Point, and entered the broad harbor of the Quinnipiac. The 300 Puritan people on board were to be the beginnings of the new colony called New Haven Towne. (Now called New Haven, Conn.) William Jeanes (Janes) was one of those 50 planters who with their families arrived that day on the Hecter.
William was about 27 years old at the time he came to the “New Land.” He brought with him his wife, Mary, and their two children, Mary, 5 yrs.??? and Joseph, 2 yrs.
Born in County Essex, England, 30 September???1610, he was from an educated and probably wealthy family. They likely came from the French deJeane familie generations earlier, the name being Anglicized by dropping the “de.” William was probably educated for the ministry in England, and in the new colony he was a teaching elder whose duty it was to teach and interpret the doctrine of the church. His was a vital role. Doctrine was finely interpreted, strictly enforced and a citizen of a Puritan community had to know the proper interpretation of the scriptures, down to the last “thou shalt not.”
The excerpt that follows is taken from the New Haven Colonial records. The original spelling is intact.
“Mr. Jeans informed the Towne that he is offered a considerable maintaynance to goe to Wethersfeild to teach scoole, yet if the Towne will settle that 10
1 (pounds) a yeare upon him formerly ordered, he is willing to staye here [New Haven] in the worke hee is. Whereupon it was voted that for 3 yeares he haue 10
1 a yeare as formerly ordered, and upon y
e same termes as before.” William’s wife Mary died on Aug. 4, 1662, and although bereaved by her death, William remarried on Nov. 20, 1662, having ten children in need of a mother’s care. Jonathan the youngest being about one yr. old. To William and his second wife, Hannah Bascom [widow of John Broughton], were born 4 children of which Benjamin was number 4. Benjamin is the ancestor through which our family comes.
William now settled in Northampton with his new wife and family. They lived in an area outside of the towne. In 1675 just 3 years after Benjamin was born, the Indians began warring with the settlers and when their homes and fields were destroyed, the settlers were driven back to Northampton. William’s two younger sons (by his first wife) were killed during the fearsome fighting.
It was a sad year [1675] for William. Now about 65 years old, his sons dead, his home and belongings lost to the Indians, he must have suffered despair. His son, Jeremiah, had died in March, the two sons were killed in September, and on October 28, his son, Jacob, died in New Haven. But he lived for 15 more years—until 1690—remaining in Northampton among friends and family. But his pioneering days were over.
Threats from the Indians continued—even in the larger towns. Pickets were put up around Northampton as a line of defense and men joined their fellows from nearby towns in an army of sorts for protection. In the bloody battle at Deerfield, May 19, 1676, 15 Northampton residents were killed.
Some of the younger Janes married and moved to nearby tiny villages. They lived in even greater danger. And although William did not live to see it, his family was to be cut down again by Indians. In May of 1704, a band of Indians attacked the little five-family village of Pascomac. (Later part of Southampton) It was just before daylight when they set fire to the pickets surrounding the home of Benoni JONES. A young woman named Patience Webb looked out the window to see what was happening and was shot in the head. Nineteen persons were killed—Samuel JANES (older brother of Benjamin), his wife and three children, Benoni Jones and his two children, Miss Webb, Moses Hutchinson and one child and four children of Benjamin JANES. John Searl, husband of Ruth JANES, was also killed as were three of their children. Ruth was severely wounded, but was rescued and later recovered. Their son, Elisha, aged 9, was taken to Canada where he remained a captive of the Indians for many years.
As the prisoners were being marched and dragged away from the burning village, Benjamin managed to drop back, then slip away from his captors. Darting down a creek, hidden by bushes, he found a skiff and headed for Northampton to alert the town and get help. Hastily aroused men of the town sped after the Indians. On the top of Pomeroy’s Mountain they found Benjamin’s wife, Hannah. She had been knocked on the head, scalped, and left for dead. Benjamin removed with his wife to Wethersfield, Connecticut, to obtain the surgical aid of Dr. Gershom Bulkley(?) in closing his wife’s head. Amazingly, after many months, she recovered and lived to be 80 years old and raise 7 other children. The ages of the children killed were 1 year, 3 years, 4 years, and 8 years.
Benjamin then settled in Coventry, Connecticut, and lived there for some 9 years, moving then to Northfield, Massachusetts. He sold there in September, 1725, and returned to Coventry, Connecticut, where he lived until his death in October, 1748.
Our ancestor, William Janes was a gentle man who valued learning and knowledge of the scriptures and devoted his life to teaching— looking only for a peaceful place where he could offer his talent to his God. Yet he lost heavily to the Indians—three sons killed, 10 grandchildren killed, one son-in-law killed, one daughter-in-law killed and another scalped, and one daughter captured and badly wounded before her rescue.