Sarah² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass, 28 July 1644, d. at Concord, Mass., 19 Sept. 1692; married at Concord, 30 Nov. 1665, as his second wife, John Heywood, b. about 1620, and died at Concord, 17 January 1700-01. He married first at Concord, 17 Aug. 1656, Rebecca Atkinson, died at Concord 5 August 1665, daughter of Thomas Atkinson. John Heywood was admitted a freeman in 1671.

Children of John and Rebecca (Atkinson) Heywood, all born at Concord (surname Heywood):

v. Benoni, b. 31 July 1665, d. 12 Aug. 1665.

Children of John and Mary (Simonds) Heywood, all born at Concord (surname Heywood):

ix. Benjamin, b. 17 Mar. 1682/3.

Judith² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass., 3 March 1646; d. at Concord, 10 April 1704; married at Concord, 9 Dec. 1668, John Barker, born about 1646, died at Concord in 1718, son of Francis Barker who was in Concord by 1646. John Barker married secondly at Concord, 10 October 1704, Elizabeth Harrod. The will of John Barker, written 14 March 1710/11, was proved 21 April 1718.

Children of John and Judith (Simonds) Barker (surname Barker) all born at Concord (Condord Vital Record):

i. John, b. 23 Aug. 1669, d. at Concord, 5 Feb. 1734/5, m. Dorothy Shepard, b. at Concord, 6 Oct. 1669, daughter of John and Sarah (___) Shepard,. Children (surname Barker): 1. John, b. 3 Nov. 1689, m. Elizabeth Harwood of Concord, 25 Nov. 1708.

x. Huldah, b. 1 May 1689, d. at Concord, 1 May 1689.

Children of John and Elizabeth (Harrod) Barker (surname Barker), born at Concord:

ii. Elizabeth, b. 20 Oct. 1706.

Mary² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass., 9 December 1647; died at Concord, 29 Aug. 1728; and married at Concord, 25 April 1671, Roger Chandler, who died at Concord, 11 Jan. 1716/17. Roger Chandler of Concord was a cooper and was perhaps the son of Roger and Isabel (Chilton) Chandler of Plymouth and Duxbury. However, the latter is not known to have had any surviving sons, and indeed this seems questionable since the grant on 3 October 1665 of one hundred and fifty acres by the Court "unto the three sisters, the daughters of Roger Chandler, deceased," mentions only daughters and no sons. The supposed connection between the two Roger Chandlers is based mainly on the name they shared, a not altogether common name, and the fact that the two had both been in Plymouth. According to Shattuck, the younger Roger Chandler was one of twenty who formed a party from Plymouth Colony which received a grant of 400 acres in Concord in 1658 (Chandler, 23; Anderson, I: 332; Shattuck,  ).

Children (surname Chandler), all born at Concord (Chandler, 25-28):

v. Hephizibah, m. (1) at Concord, 15 April 1701, Ephraim Jones, son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Potter) Jones, b. at Concord, 30 Apr. 1679, d. at Concord, 7 Oct. 1710, killed by a falling timber; she m. (2) at Concord, 11 July 1711, Joseph Fletcher, son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Wheeler) Fletcher. Children (surname Jones) all born in Concord: 1. Mary, b. 21 Jan. 1703/4; m. ________ Prescott. 2. Ephraim, b. 20 Sept. 1706, d. at Concord, 29 Nov. 1756; m. at Concord, 12 Sept. 1728, Mary Hayward, b. at Concord, 6 Dec. 1708. 3. Joseph, b. 1708, d. 21 Mar. 1708/9. 4. Hephzibah, b. 20 May 1710, m. at Concord, 3 May 1753, Benjamin Hall of Medford. Children (surname Fletcher), all born in Concord: 1. Elizabeth, b. 24 Feb. 1713, d. 27 June 1727. 2. Daniel, b. 18 Oct. 1718, m. at Concord, intentions published 12 Nov. 1741, Sarah Hartwell. 3. Chareles, b. 11 Apr. 1721, d. at Acton, 23 Jan. 1743. 4. Elijah, b. 25 Aug. 1723, d. at Concord, 26 Sept. 1723. 5. Ruth, b. 17 Oct. 1726.

Caleb² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass., 16 August 1649, and died at Woburn, 4 November 1712 (Middlesex quitclaim 20394). He married at Woburn, 25 September 1677, Sarah Bacon, born at Woburn, 24 August 1644, daughter of Michael² (Michael¹) and Mary (_____) Bacon of Woburn and Billerica (Bacon Genealogy, 29-30).

Children, all born at Woburn:

iii. Sarah, b. 11 Nov. 1687; d. at Woburn, 16 Nov. 1687.

William² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 15 April 1651, and died unmarried at Woburn or Concord in 1672. At the time of his father’s death, administration of the estate was granted to him along with his mother and his elder brother Caleb. He must have died the same year, however, and was apparently a resident of Concord at that time, for in December 1672, administration was granted to John Barker on the estate of William Simonds, "late of Concord" (Johnson, Woburn Records, 3:252).

Joseph² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass., 18 October 1652, and died at Lexington, Mass., 12 August 1733. He married at Woburn, 7 March 1680/81, Mary Tidd, born at Woburn, 13 November 1656, died at Lexington, 4 December 1732; the daughter of John and Rebecca (Wood) Tidd.

Joseph Simonds, a carpenter by trade, lived in Woburn until about 1680/81 when he moved with his in-laws, John and Rebecca Tidd, to Cambridge Farms, later Lexington. He had purchasing 47 acres there in a deed dated 15 October 1679 from his brother James, part of the farm called Shaw’s Farm which their father had bought with Michael Bacon in 1648. He received that property from his brother in exchange for "one new dwelling-house not finished and a barn and orchard and about 15 acres appertaining thereto situate in Woburn," formerly the land of Michael Knight, along with 2 acres south of Concord Road, 4 acres in Long Meadow, a lot of woodland in the Seventh Division, 2 ½ acres in Maple Meadow Plain, 2 acres in Hogde’s Hole (now in Burlington), 2 ½ acres in Timber Field, and 20 acres near Settle Meadow (Johnson, Abstracts, 71). In the division of lots "beyond the eight mile Line betwixt that and Concord line" in 1683, he also received five acres in the seventh squadrant (The Proprietors’ Records, 163). He lived near his father-in-law in a place which was owned at the beginning of this century by Mr. Charles Johnson on Hancock Street (Hudson, 27).

Joseph Simonds became one of the most well to do residents of what later became Lexington. At the election for town officers for Cambridge on 9 November 1685 and 8 November 1686, he was chosen a "survayor for ye high ways" for "ye farmes" (The Records of the Town of Cambridge, 277, 281). On 14 November 1687, he was elected "Constable for ye farmes," (286) and on 9 March 1695/6, he was chosen a tithingman for the Farms (314). On 14 March 1697/8 and 13 March 1698/9, he was chosen a selectman (318, 320, 323). On 10 March 1700/01 and 3 March 1702, "Ensigne Jos: Symonds" was again chosen a tithingman for the Farms (336, 344).

In December 1691 when Cambridge Farms was incorporated as a precinct, Joseph Simonds paid £2.00 in the subscription towards the first meeting house (Hudson, 32). He was assessed one of the six highest tax bills for the minister’s salary between 1 May 1692 and 1 May 1693, paying 17s.9d (33). After Lexington was incorporated as a town on 20 March 1712/13, Joseph Simonds was one of the first five people to be elected a selectman for the new town on 30 March 1712/13 (46, 457). In 1735, he was the owner of one of 20 slaves in Lexington (481).

Joseph Simonds died in August 1733 after having made his will and was buried in the old Lexington cemetery next to his wife where their stone still stands (Lexington Epitaphs, 133). The inscription on their stone states:

The will of Joseph Simonds was presented for probate to the probate court of Middlesex County (Middlesex Probate File 20428), and on 17 September 1733 his heirs were ordered to present themselves at 10 o’clock in the morning, September 21, to the house of the probate judge Jonathan Remington to make any objections they might have to the will which is as follows:

In the Name of God Amen. I Joseph Simonds of Lexington in the County of Middlesex in the Province of the Massachussets Bay in New England Yeoman, being at the Present writing hereof of a sound Disposing mind & memory, but sensible of my own Mortality, do therefore make & ordain this my Last will & Testament in manner & form as followeth

Mary Cutler

The will was proved on September 21, and in accordance with the terms of the will, Daniel Simonds was appointed executor and directed by the court to present an inventory.

Children, all born at Cambridge Farms, later Lexington, Massachusetts:

viii. Elizabeth, bp. 13 Nov. 1698; d. at Waltham, Mass., 6 Aug. 1765; m. Jonathan Brown; d. at Waltham, 25 July 1758; the son of Capt. Abraham and Mary (Hyde) Brown.

Benjamin² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass., 18 March 1654, and died at Woburn, 21 September 1726 (Johnson, Woburn Records,   ). He married, first, Rebecca Heywood, born at Concord, 13 May 1660, daughter of John and Rebecca (Atkinson) Heywood of Concord. She was mentioned in her father’s will (Middlesex Co. Probate File 10, 961), and should not be confused with the Rebecca Simonds who was mentioned in the will of John² Tidd. That Rebecca was not a daughter of John² Tidd and possible wife of Benjamin² Simonds, but rather John Tidd’s granddaughter, the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Tidd) Simonds (Smith, 239).

Benjamin Simonds married, second, at Lynn, Mass., intention dated 26 September 1713, Mrs. Susanna (Farrar) Newhall (Lynn Vital Records, 2: 346). Born at Lynn, 26 March 1659, she was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (_____) Farrar of Lynn (1: 144), and widow of Joseph (Thomas^2-1) Newhall who had died January 29-30, 1705/6 in a snow storm while returning from Boston where he was a member of the General Court (Newhall, 15).

Benjamin Simonds became a respected resident of Woburn, and was elected tithingman in 1692. However, in his younger years he was accused of a serious crime. In 1676, he was indicted before the Court of Assistants for raping Elizabeth Pierce, the daughter of Robert Pierce near his father’s house which was being used as a garrison during King Philip’s War. The jury found him guilty not of rape, but of attempted rape. In December 1676, the case was referred to the Middlesex County Court under the charge of "wanton dallying with Elizabeth Pierce tending to uncleanness." Benjamin chose a jury trial during which two jurors were objected to. Elizabeth Pierce testified that she had told him to "lett mee alone for it will bee both sin and a shame to you and me as long as we live." Her father, Robert Pierce, also testified to the lax moral behavior in the Simonds’ garrison house to which he had been ordered, "it being Appoynted a fortified house…In the garrison or fortified house of the Widdo Simons was soe much disorder and rudeness…and uncivill carriages as in particular of Benjamin Simons and Mary Tids being laide on a bed together…Benjamin Simons and Mary Tids [did] dance together…Mary Tids [did] sit in the lap of Benjamin Simons and smoke tobaco and these things they did freely practise." Robert Pierce then went "to the next garison which was goodman bakers, which being somewhat more straitened then at ye other place." Despite this testimony, it appears that evidence, now lost, must have been presented that Elizabeth Pierce was not the unwilling victim that she and her father claimed. She, along with Benjamin Simonds, was fined two pounds (Pulsifer, 3:158; Middlesex County Court File 82; Thompson, Sex in Middlesex, 80, 149; Johnson, Woburn Records, 3: 251).

Children, all born at Woburn:

ix. Huldah, b. 25 Oct. 1700; d. at Woburn, 28 May 1768; m. at Woburn, 29 Jan. 1722/3, Nathan² Wyman.

James² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass., 1 November 1658, and died at Woburn, 15 September 1717 (Middlesex Administraton 20411). He married at Woburn, 29 December 1685, Susanna Blodgett, born at Woburn, 17 February 1664/5; died at Woburn, 9 February 1714/15; the daughter of Samuel² (Thomas¹) and Ruth (Eggleten) Blodgett of Woburn..

James Simonds perhaps lived on the 15 acre parcel which had a house (then unfinished), a barn, and an orchard which he received from his brother Joseph in a deed dated 15 October 1679 in exchange for his share of Shaw’s Farm in Cambridge Farms. It was "situate in Woburn, and formerly the land of Michael Knight," and was "bounded by the highway leading to Concord south and west, northerly by the land of Robert Pierce and east by another way leading into Woburn Common, and so leadeth to Shawshin" (Johnson, Abstracts, 71). He also received a number of other pieces of property from his brother in that exchange, and in a deed dated 24 November 1692, he purchased a "tract of woodland in Woburn on the further side of Great Meadow Bridge bounded by Cambridge Line west and Billerica Line north" from his brother in law Thomas Kendall in exchange for 30s. in money and 4½ acres at Rock Meadow Plain (71-72). He was, like his brother Joseph, a carpenter (72).

Children, all born at Woburn:

vi. Ruth, b. 12 Dec. 1699; d. at Woburn, 20 May 1753; m. at Woburn, 21 Feb. 1722/3, John³ Fowle; b. at Woburn, 7 Jan. 1699/1700; son of John² (James¹ ) and Elizabeth (Prescott) Fowle.

Bethiah² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass., 9 May 1659, and married at Woburn, 13 Aug. 1696, as his second wife, John² Walker, Sr., born at Reading, Mass., 14 Feb. 1650; died at Woburn, 3 Jan. 1723/4; son of Samuel¹ Walker, Sr. John² Walker married firstly, 14 October 1672, Mary Pierce, daughter of Robert and Mary (Knight) Pierce. She died 8 November 1695 (Loring, "Descendants of Samuel Walker," 353).

Children (surname Walker) all born at Woburn (353-354):

ii. Benjamin, b. 7 July 1699; m. at Woburn, 24 Dec. 1724, Grace Tay, daughter of Nathaniel and Bathsheba (Wyman) Tay of Woburn. She m. (2), 11 Feb. 1741, Samuel Hathorn of Wilmington, and (3), 7 Aug. 1760, Caleb Eames of Wilmington. Children of Benjamin and Grace, the first two born in Woburn, the rest in Wilmington (surname Walker): 1. Mary, b. 4 Oct. 1725. 2. Elizabeth, b. March 1728. 3. Sarah, b. 17 Sept. 1730. 4. Benjamin, b. 12 Dec. 1732. 5. Grace, b. 14 Aug. 1735. 6. John, b. 5 June 1738.

Huldah² Simonds (William¹) was born at Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass., 20 November 1660, died at Woburn, 14 March 1745/6. She married at Woburn, 30 April 1683, Samuel Blodgett, Jr., born at Woburn, 10 Dec. 1658, and died at Woburn, 5 November 1743 (Sewall, 594), son of Samuel and Ruth (Eggleton) Blodgett, Sr.

Children (surname Blodgett) born at Woburn (Thompson and Thompson, 3, 6-7):

x. Nathan, b. 15 March 1703/04; d. 24 Sept. 1747; m. 4 Jan. 1726/27, Abigail Converse, b. ca. 1705; d. at Bradford, Mass., 10 Apr. 1793, daughter of John and Abigail (Sawyer) Converse. She m. (2) Rev. William Balch of Bradford.

text © 1999 Matthew Wiley Simonds