John Hawks A Founder of Hadley MA Buired here 30 June 1662 Honored by his Descendants 30 June 1983.(This story was adapted from the Hawkes Family Genealogy Page.)
[Immigrant] John Hawks came to Dorcester, Massachusetts in 1630 in Winthrop's Fleet, and then to Windsor, Connecticut in 1640 as one of the founders. Ecclesiastical orthodoxy led him, along with his wife Elizabeth Browne, to move to Hadley, Massachusetts in 1659 again as one of the founders. Adam Hawkes of Saugus was apparently a brother, and the two came to New England together. John Hawks/Hawkes was born in England and died 30 Jun 1662 in Hardley, Massachusetts.
John's wife, Elizabeth Browne, was a niece of Nathaniel Ward, an original settler of Hartford, Connecticut. Nathaniel Ward was a son of Edward Ward of Little Wrathing, Suffolk County, England. On 9 Jan 1620, Edward made his will, proved at Ipswich 7 May 1620. He provided for his wife Judith and his children Nathaniel, Edward, Lydia, Mary, Rebecca, and Susan.
Susan Browne, widow of Robert Browne of Ipswich, made her will 22 Mar 1626, proved 24 Apr 1627. She remembered her mother Judith and both of her sisters, Rebecca Ward and Mary Cutting, as well as "Elizabeth Browne, daughter of my bother-in-law William Browne." As Lydia Ward was the forth sister, it was she who married William Browne and their daughter Elizabeth was niece of Nathaniel Ward (of Hartford). Elizabeth Browne married John Hawkes in about 1642.
John and Elizabeth's children were all born in Windsor. At a meeting held at Nathaniel Ward's house in Hartford, 18 Apr 1659, John was among those present who signed the agreement to remove from Connecticut to Massachusetts. They moved to Hadley, Massachusetts around 1660. John died suddenly and was buried 30 Jun 1662 in the Hadley Cemetery. [John died without a will leaving his wife with 9 children ages 3 to 19.]
Elizabeth married second Robert Hinsdale as his second wife about 1668. They moved to Pocumtuck (Deerfield), Massachusetts. The marriage was an unhappy one and they soon parted, and she returned to her home in Hardley, Massachusetts. At a court held 30 Mar 1674 they were "presented for living assunder contrary to law," also charged with lacivious and wanton carrage." On examination Elizabeth refused to answer, and it appears that she was cleared of any wrongdoing. Robert Hinsdale said he "did it as being her head and having the rule of her in the pointe and that he did it for her correction of her disorder to him." Although he was a respected man in the community, the court held he had "broken the perfect rule of devine law and the law of the Colony in the intent if not the letter in the first living assunder," and ordered him "whipped ten stripes on the naked body;" and imposed a fine for which his sons became responsible and which the court refused to remit after his tragic death. In Sep 1675, during King Phillip's War, Deerfield was attacked several times by the Indians. It was decided to evacuate Deerfield. On 18 Sep 1675, Captain Thomas Lathrop's company of soldiers were bringing loaded carts toward Northampton when they were ambushed at a spot known as Bloody Brook, about 5 or 6 miles due south of Deerfield. The men were take totally by surprise and 64 men were killed. Robert was killed, along with three of his sons in ambush at Bloody Brook, Massachusetts. Reoccupation of Deerfield did not occur until 1682.
Elizabeth married third Thomas Dibble of Windsor, Connecticut on 25 Jun 1683; she died in Windsor on 20 Sep 1689.
NOTE: John came to America as an indentured servant. He and his brother, Adam, spent four years in the indentured work agreement in Dorcester, near Boston. He was one of the first settlers of Hadley, MA. He was one of the founders of both Windsor, CT and Hadley MA.
