Ancestors

James Kingsbury

James Kingsbury was baptised at Boxford, in Suffolk, on 6 September 1562. The register reads "1562. James Kingsbury sonne of James Kingsbury the sixte of September". His father was a husbandman of the parish. His mother was probably Agnes, his father's wife, who is named in the baptisms of his younger brothers Abraham in 1567 and Henry in 1575. The entry for James names only his father.

The baby of 1562 and the yeoman who died in 1622 are tied together by two wills. His father's will of 1590 names sons James and Abraham. James's own will of 1622 leaves five shillings "To Abraham Kingsberie, my brother".

On 22 October 1584 he married Anne Francis at Boxford. The register reads "1584. James Kingsburye & Anne ffrauncis the xxij of October". They had at least eight children, and the register records only a few of them. John was baptised on 25 May 1595 as "Jo: Kingsburye sonne of James Kingsburye & Anna his wyffe", and Sara on 5 May 1597. His son James married Joane Hogge at Boxford in February 1614/15.

In 1616 a will proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, the highest of the church courts that proved wills, left thirty shillings "to James Kingsbury of Assington, in the said County of Suffolk". It left the same "to Ann, the wife of the said James Kingsbury", and twenty shillings apiece "to every of the children of the said James and Anne his wife, which shalbe livinge at the tyme of my decease". The Kingsbury genealogists of 1905 took this James to be "Probably James who died in 1622".

He described himself in his will as "James Kingsberie of Boxford in the County of Suffolk, yeoman". A yeoman was a farmer who held land of his own, a rank above a husbandman like his father. He made the will on 9 April 1622, "Weakly in body yet in good and perfect remembrance", and asked to be buried "in the pishe Churchyard of Boxford". He left cattle, corn, mares and malt to his sons James, Henry and John. His daughter Sara, the wife of John French, was left "one latten candlestick, two pieces of pewter". Latten was a metal much like brass. Joseph was left "certain furniture and other things", Thomas five pounds when he came of age, and his brother Abraham five shillings. There were gifts to the poor of Boxford and of Assington. Everything else went to "Anne my wife", whom he made sole executrix. He signed with his mark.

He was buried at Boxford on 26 April 1622, seventeen days after making the will. The register reads "James Kingsbury was buried the 26 of April". The will was proved on 3 May in the court of the Archdeaconry of Sudbury, the church court that proved wills for that part of Suffolk.

Three of his sons went to New England. Henry, who had married Margaret Alabaster at Assington in 1621, was at Boston in 1630. John went to Watertown and then Dedham. Joseph, very probably the son of that name in his will, was at Dedham by 1637. Henry's son Henry, the grandson named in the will, settled at Ipswich in Massachusetts.

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Cite: Heirology, "James Kingsbury (1562-1622)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/james-kingsbury-1562-1622-daeaae.