His wife,
Ruth, died on 20 November 1672 at age 22, leaving him a widower.
1 "On May 13, 1704, the village of Pascommuck was attacked by a group of Native Americans allied with the Quebec colony of France. This boulder stands on the site of the home of Moses Hutchinson. Other settlers included the families of Benoni Jones (Jones),
John Searle Jr., Samuel Janes, and Benjamin Janes. Of the 33 inhabitants of the villiage, 19 were killed and 8 escaped during the attack. Of the 6 taken captive, 3 escaped."
JOHN SEARLE [Sr.].
John SEARLE married Sarah BALDWIN, March 19, 1639. He came here about that time. He was a brother-in-law of William WARRINER. He was buried September 6, 1641. He had one son born here, John, May 3, 1641, whose mother married Alexander EDWARDS and he went to Northampton with her. He was the ancestor of the many families bearing the name of SEARLE who have resided in this part of the State.
JOHN SEARLE [Jr.].
John SEARLE, son of the preceding John, married Ruth JANES, July 3, 1667. She died November 20, 1672, and he married second, Mary NORTH of Farmington, May 30, 1675. She died November 5, 1726. He died October 3, 1718. His children were:--
John, b. March 11, 1669, d. March 23, 1669.
John, b. August 6, 1670. Slain by the Indians.
Child, b. November 20, 1672, d. same day.
James, b. February 12, 1676.
Mary, b. about 1678, d. unmarried March 24, 1729.
Ebenezer, b. January 9, 1680.
Ruth, b. December 17, 1681, m. Jonathan GILBERT of Windsor, November 15, 1707.
Sarah, b. February 28, 1664 [1684?].
Nathaniel, b. May 3, 1686.
Lydia, b. August 22, 1688, m. Ebenezer KING of Westfield.
John Searle opened an account with John Pynchon as below, at the bottom of which is an autograph signature, written when he was 23 years old:--
JOHN SEARLE [III].
John SEARLE, grandson of the first John Searle of Springfield, and son of the John who was born here, was killed by the French and Indians in the massacre at Pascommuck, May 13, 1704, married Abigail POMEROY, April 5, 1694. They had five children, three of whom were slain with their father, and another, Elisha, captured and carried to Canada. A fifth child, Submit, posthumus, married John CLARK. The family record is as follows:--
Elisha, b. February 4, 1695, taken to Canada.
Abigail, b. August 15, 1697, slain May 13, 1704.
John, b. August 9, 1700, slain May 13, 1704.
Caleb, b. November 7, 1702, slain May 13, 1704.
Submit, b. September 17, 1704, posthumus, m. John CLARK in 1732.
Pascommmuck, the little hamlet a short distance west of the present Mount Tom station, was the scene of one of those brutal attacks by the French and Indians, which took place early in the 18th century. It was then within the limits of Northampton, but now a part of Easthampton. Mr. James R. Trumbull's History of Northampton, recently published, gives an account of the massacre from which this is taken:--
The attack on Pascommuck occurred about daybreak, on the 13th of May, 1704. It was mady by a body of French and Indians, commanded by Sieur de Montigny. The village of Pascommuck lies at the foot of the upper peak of Mt. Tom (now Mt. Nonotuck). As no watch was kept the garrison was completely surprised. The house of Benoni JONES was fortified, but the Indians were able to approach near enough to put their guns through the port holes before the sleepers were aroused. Thirty-three escaped, eight were rescued, and three carried to Canada. The slain were Samuel JANES, wife and three children, four children of Benjamin JANES, Benoni JONES and two children, John SEARLE and three children, Moses HUTCHINSON and child, and Patience WEBB. Three were found who had been knocked in the head, and one of them scalped, but all recovered. Elisha SEARLE, son of John, Esther, wife of Benoni JONES, and Margaret HUGGINS, were carried away captive. Mrs. JONES died in Canada, the others returned. Elisha SEARLE was a soldier in the succeeding wars, and had an interesting history."
10 EDWARD CORNELIUS SEARLE- One of the best known fruit growers of New England is Edward Cornelius Searle, whose Northern Spy apples, grown in the Wolf Hill orchard, are famous throughout the United States. Mr. Searle represents the fifth generation of his family to live on the same farm.
(I) The immigrant ancestor of the Searle family was
John Searle, born in England, and among the first settlers of Springfield, Massachusetts, where the records indicate that he was lot-measurer in 1637, and proprietor and taxpayer in 1638. The surname is variously spelled, Surles, Searles and Sale.
John Searle married, March 19, 1639,
Sarah Baldwin, who survived him when he died in September, 1641, as did their son,
John Searle, of whom further.
(H)
John Searle, son of
John and Sarah (Baldwin) Searle, was born at Springfield, Massachusetts, May 30, 1641. He settled at Northampton, and died there October 31, 1718. A well-to-do farmer, he was a subscriber to the Harvard College fund, and he was admitted a freeman in 1690. He married (first)
Ruth Jones, who died within five years ; he married (second)
Mary North, May 10 or 30, 1675, who died November 5, 1726. Among the children of the second marriage was
Nathaniel, of whom further.
11