Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF UAKNSTABLE FAMILIES. 201
names do not appear on the Massachusetts Colony Records.
Crocker or Croker as the name is usually written in England,
is very ancient. An old proverbial distich record that,
"Crosker, Crewys, and Copplestone,
When the Conqueror came, were at home."
The family of Crocker, originally seated at Crocker's Hale,
and Crokern. For, in Devonshire, became possessed of Lineham,
by marriage with the heirs of Churchill. The genealogy of the
Crokers of Lineham is accurately recorded and exhibits a descent
of eleven John Crockers in almost uninterrupted succession.
Members of the family removed to Cornwall, Waterford, and
other places. (See Bui-ke.)
JOHN CROCKER.
It incidentally appears by Mr. Lothrop's church records, that
John Crocker was an inhabitant of Scituate in 1636. Feb. 1,
1638-9, he and other inhabitants of Scituate took the oath of
allegiance. March 3, 1639-40, he is called of Scituate, but he
probably removed soon after this date to Barnstable. Mr. Deane
says he probably did not remove till 1654 ; but this is a mistake,
for he was certainly of Barnstable Aug. 1643. The account
given by Mr. Deane of his family, is erroneous and the fault is
perhaps chargeable to his printer, and not to the author, the name
of John having been inadvertantly substituted bj' the printer for
that of William. His wife's name was Joan or Jane. The date
of his marriage does not appear on record, probably not till late
in life. In Mr. Lothrop's list of the householders in Scituate his
name does not occur, making it probable that he was not married
till after 1637. If he had any children they all died young, for
he had none living at his death in 1669.
The farm of John Crocker, now owned by the descendants
of his brother William, is at the north-east corner of the West
Parish in Barnstable, and is thus described on the town records :
"Forty acres of upland, more or less, bounded easterly by
Goodman Bearse, westerly by Mr. Dimmock, northerly by the
marsh, and southerly into the woods." He also owned forty
acres of salt marsh adjoining his farm on the north ; and thirty
acres of upland at the Indian p(md, the later he sold 24th Feb.
1662-3, to John Thompson. Feb. 10, 1668-9, (the day on which
he executed his will) Abraham Blush conveyed to him for £5,10,
his great lot containing forty acres of upland and six of marsh.
This lot is situated on the east side of Scorton Hill, and is now
known as the Bodfish farm. By Blush's deed it appears that John
Crocker had formerly owned meadow in that vicinity, then owned
by Edward Fitzrandolph.
John Crocker was propounded to be a freeman June 6, 1649,
and admitted on the 4th of June following. He was a juryman
in 1647, '50 and '54; and surveyor of the liighways in 1668.