Jonathan Fairbanks (between 1592 and 1597-1668) and Grace Smith (1600-1676)

By Joneen Matsen and Carol Walters

Click here to go to a condensed version of this biography.

(The July 2012 Issue of The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (NEHGR) featured an article called Jonathan Fairbank of Dedham, Massachusetts and His Family in the West Riding of Yorkshire, by Ruth Fairbanks Joseph and James Swan Landberg. The following information is largely quoted or paraphrased from that article with some additions by the JFRC researchers.)

Fairbanks Family in America says that “Fairbanks is the American form of this family name. The original English form of the name, as contained in the family documents and records, was Fayrebanke or Fairebanke. This branch of the family is probably derived from the ancient family of De Bello Monte of Northumbria, which name was changed to Beaumont or Fairbank by the different branches, according to whether they preferred the French or Saxon equivalent. The chief American branch of the family is descended from William Fairebanke of Sowerby Bridge, parish of Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.¹

Lineage:

Superscript numbers indicate generation.

William¹ Fairebanke, b. 1455; d. 1518

(Son) John² Fairebanke, b. 1480; d. 1551;

m. Margaret

(Son) Gilbert³, b. circa 1505; d. 1577-8;

(Son) George⁴, b.say 1530

m. (1st) Sybil Wade

m. (secondly) Jenet or Johanna (Maud) Broadley)

(Son) George⁵, bp. Halifax 2 Aug 1562,

m. (1st) Isabel Bannister

m. (2nd) Susan Bentley

m. (3rd) Hester Denton

(Son) John⁵, … b. ? Halifaz

m. (1st) ______?

m. (2nd) Isabella Staincliffe

m. (3rd) Ellen Parker

(Son) Jonathan⁶ b. say 1597, Halifax,

m. Grace Smith

Jonathan Fairbank first appeared in Massachusetts records on 23 March 1636/7 when he subscribed to the covenant of the newly established town of Dedham. He came from the parish of Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, where his marriage on 20 May 1617 to Grace Smith of Warley, Halifax, England is recorded. The births of Jonathan and Grace’s first four children are also recorded in Halifax, John on 8 February 1617/8, George on 28 November 1619, Mary in February 1621/2, and Jonas on March 1624/5. Their daughter, Susan, was probably baptized in Thornton in Craven, Yorkshire, 10 December 1627 (that entry is difficult to read). No baptism for their son, Jonathan, has been found in Yorkshire or New England. Based on the notes in the children’s baptismal records, the family was living in Warley in 1618, in Shelf (also in Halifax) in 1619 and 1622, and back in Warley in 1624.

Since Jonathan’s baptismal record has not been found, there has been an ongoing debate about the identity of his parents.

The 2012 article mentioned above shows compelling evidence that the immigrant Jonathan was the son of John Fairbank of Thornton in Craven, a parish about twenty-five miles northwest of the Town of Halifax, either by John’s first, unidentified, wife or, more probably, by his second wife, Isabella Stancliffe. This John Fairbank was the son of George¹ and Sybil Wade Fairbank, and the brother of George² Fairbanks of Sowerby Bridge in Halifax. John wrote a will in 1625 in which he bequeathed to his son, Jonathan, one fourth of one third of his estate, the other three fourths to be divided between Jonathan’s three young sisters, Mary, Susanna, and Abigail. John’s other sons, John Jr., George, Michael and Jeremy, either had received, or were to receive their father’s land.

In 1650, John’s older son, George (1586), made a will leaving bequests to his brothers and sisters or their children. He also made bequests to his cousins, the children of his Uncle George (1562). Jonathan, who had been in New England for at least 13 years by that time, is not mentioned. However, although he was not a legatee, someone, probably James Platts, the executor of the will, sent a copy of the will to Jonathan in New England addressed,

George Fairebanke his

Last Will &

Testam^t_

For his Louinge Cusen Jonathan

Fayrebancke in new Ingland

These

Deliu^r.

thus establishing a tie between the Jonathan Fairbanks of Dedham, Msassachusetts and the Jonathan Fairbanks mentioned as a son in the will of George’s father, John.

Which leaves us with some mysteries. Why was Jonathan treated differently than his brothers in the will of his father? And why did the sender (James Platts?) address George’s will to “his Louinge Cusen” rather than “his brother”? Some additional family history may be helpful. Hold on for the ride.

Jonathan’s father, John, born about 1560, grew up in Brigbothom, the home of his father, George Fairbanks, in Sowerby, Halifax, Yorkshire with his brother, George, and other siblings. John married an unidentified wife sometime before 22 September 1583 when his oldest known child, Mary, was baptized in Halifax. … A 1584 record in the Wakefield court rolls says that John held Brigbotham for a period before it was given to his brother, George, who was to inherit it. At that point, John and his family moved across the river to Skircote, where sons John (1586?), George, (1588) and Joseph (1590) were born.

John Sr’s first wife died between 2 August 1590 (baptism of youngest child) and 6 August 1593 when John Fairbank, a resident of Skircote, married Isabella Staincliffe in Halifax. They continued in Skircote where Susan (1595) and presumably Jonathan were born. Isabella died, and was buried on 9 July 1597. If Jonathan were an infant at the time of his mother’s death, John may have turned to his brother George’s family for help, and it is possible that Jonathan was raised at Brigbotham in Sowerby Bridge as part of his uncle’s family.

Two years after Isabella’s death, John married Ellen Parker on 28 August 1598 in Burnley, Lancashire. Their daughter, Helen, was baptized in Halifax 3 June 1599 and buried there five days later. John is still identified as being “of Skircote.” However, in 1599, John and Ellen, along with John’s father, George¹, and his step-mother, Johanna, sold property in Skircote, and John is identified as being “of Sowerby” in the baptismal records of his and Ellen’s next three children, Joseph (1600-1600), Anna (1601), and Michael (1603). Daughter Mary was born circa 1605, although her birth is not yet documented. But the births of the next two children, Jeremy (1608) and Susanna (1611/12), are recorded in Carleton in Craven, Yorkshire, indicating that the family had moved north sometime after Michael’s birth. Abigail (ca. 1614) was presumably also born there. In his 1625 will, John is identified as “John Fairebanke of Thaigh [the Haigh] within the parishe of Theornton in Craven, yeoman.”

Jonathan, however, does not appear to have been living in Thornton in Craven at the time of his marriage in 1617. His wife, Grace Smith, was from Warley, directly across the river from Sowerby Bridge in Halifax, and the marriage record does not specify the location of the groom’s home, indicating that he was also from Halifax. We know from the birth records of his first four children that he was living in Halifax after his marriage. There seems to have been a good deal of affection between Jonathan and his Uncle George’s family, with George naming his son born in 1612, “Jonathan.” This Jonathan later became a vicar in Bingley, Yorkshire. Our Jonathan reciprocated by naming his children after his cousins. However warm the relationship was, Jonathan did not receive a bequest in his uncle’s 1620 will, and his father may have been trying to make up for that in his own will written five years later, although his land had already been committed to his other sons. There was a record for a Susan Fairbanks, who was baptized in Thornton in Craven in 1627. If this was Jonathan’s daughter, that would mean that Jonathan was living there two years after his father’s death, so Jonathan may have established closer ties to his father’s family by that time. Perhaps it was the lack of land that brought Jonathan and his family to New England.

Jonathan’s brother, George, who was a clothier, married Joyce Denton in 1615, and they sold property in 1634. However, based on his will, George apparently had no wife or children at the time of his death in 1650. He was living with James and Mary Platts, who took care of him through his last illness. This Mary Platts was likely George and Jonathan’s cousin Mary, the daughter of their Uncle George Fairbanks and his third wife, Hester Denton Fairbanks. A Marie Fairbank of Norland married James Gaukroger in Halifax in 1636. “Platts” is, surprisingly, an alias for “Gaukroger”, and so this is likely the James Platts who was named as the executor of George’s estate. He was also named as the executor of the estate of Hester Denton Fairbanks, Mary Fairbanks Platts’ mother. Jonathan’s wife, Grace Smith, was the daughter of Samuel Smith and Grace Gawkroger, so James Platts could have been a cousin of Grace Smith. I propose that the address written on George’s will to “Cusin” Jonathan Fayrebank in New England was a greeting by James Platts, rather than a specification of the relationship of George to Jonathan.

For further information about Jonathan’s family in England, go to NEHGR vol 166 p 165.

The Fairbanks Family in America states that Jonathan came to Boston in 1633, but we know of no documentation for that. We do know that Jonathan and his family were in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by 1637 when he was the 31^st person to sign the Dedham Covenant and was allotted twelve acres (49,000 m2) of land to build his home. The following record is found in the "Towne Booke ":

"Dedham. The 23rd of ye first Month called March 1637. The First Assembly in Dedham, by whose names are underwritten, vizt, Edward Alleyn, Abraham Shawe, Samuel Morse, Philemon Dalton, Joseph Shawe, Ezechiell Holliman, Lambert Genere, Nicholas Phillips, Raffe Shepheard, John Gay, Francis Austin, Willm Berstowe, John Rogers, Daniell Morse, John Huggens.

"Jonathan Fearbanke being p'sented by John Dwite was accepted and subscribed."

The first section of the house Jonathan and Grace built in Dedham was probably built in 1639. This house is now thought to be the oldest timber frame house in North America. A valuation of houses taken 1651in Dedham showed, “Jonath. Fayerbanke 20 17”

In 1640, "the selectmen provided that Jonathan Fairbanks 'may have one cedar tree set out unto him to dispose of where he will: In consideration of some special service he hath done for the towne.'"[43] He received various additional grants of land in the years following his arrival.

The curator of the Fairbanks House in Dedham said that Jonathan Fairbanks was not a Puritan, but he was welcomed in Dedham because, as a woodturner who made spinning wheels, he was valuable to the community. The Dedham Church records of 1646 say that Jonathan had "long stood off from the church upon some scruples about public profession of faith and the covenant, yet after divers loving conferences..., he made such a declaration of his faith and conversion to God and profession of subjection to the ordinances of Christ in the church that he was readily and gladly received by the whole church. 14d 6m 1646"

The Fairbanks property was near that assigned to Michael and Sarah Elwyn Metcalf. Michael was the 33^rd signer of the Covenant. The two families apparently were close, and we were told at the Fairbanks House that after Sarah’s death, when Michael Metcalf married as his second wife, Mary Sothy Pidge, there was not room in the Metcalf house for their combined family, so the Fairbanks adopted Mary’s youngest daughter, Martha.⁴ The Genealogy of the Fairbanks Family in America, 1633 - 1897, by Lorenzo Sayles Fairbanks, mentions at the end of the list of children of Jonathan and Grace Smith Fairbanks, "Martha Pidge, (1642-1676) - "Adopted child." We have no further verification of this.

Jonathan and Grace’s daughter, Mary Fairbanks, married Michael Metcalf Jr. on 2 April 1644, in Dedham, and they had five children before the death of Michael in 1654. Five months later, Mary married Christopher Smith, and they had one son, John Smith. The Connecticut Nutmegger, Vol. 23 p 68-78 says:

"In his long will of 1 June 1668, Jonathan-1 Farebanck of Dedham made bequests to his wife Grace; to George, a second son; "And then my mind is that my dau. Mary shall have her first payment within the first year of my wives decease, otherwise shee is to tarry till the second yeare. I give my dau. Mary, the wife of Christopher Smith, the sume of L16 which (is to be) distinct from her husbands Estate, and to bee always at her dispose; this to bee paid in two Equall sumes (and) L3 to purchas her a suite of apparell with, to be paid within Three months next after my decease;" bequests to sons Jonah, Jonathan; to Sarah eldest dau of son John; to sonn in Law Ralph Day, 40s...to each of the fowre Children of the said Ralph, which hee had by my dau. Susan his late wife, 40s; and largest portion to Oldest son John who was to be sole executor; witnesses William Avery and Thomas Medcalfe who deposed 26 June 1668 (SfPr vi:15; abstract from Reg 19:32-4).

It sounds like Jonathan was especially concerned about Mary.

Jonathan died in Dedham 5 December 1668 and was buried in the Old Village Cemetery.

Grace Smith Fairbanks lived several more years but did not remarry. She died either "28th 10th mo., 1673", or "19:3:1676." One death record is for the wife of Jonathan, the other for her granddaughter Grace, daughter of Jonathan Fairbanks Jr. and his wife Deborah. It is unclear to us which record is for which person. However, Joneen Matsen reports that the original handwritten Dedham record for the 1676 death says, "Grace Ffairbank Deceased 19: 3: 76." [Julian Calendar] (or 19 May 1676 Gregorian) and notes that the spelling of "Ffairbank" in this death record matches the spelling of Jonathan's name in his will, which may be evidence that this is the death record of the grandmother.

"Jonathan and Grace Smith Fairbanks would have a number of notable descendants including Presidents William H. Taft, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks. They are also ancestors of the father and son governors of Vermont Erastus Fairbanks and Horace Fairbanks, the poet Emily Dickinson, the anthropologist Margaret Mead and the artist Avard Fairbanks.” (Wikipedia)

Fairbanks Timeline

Superscript numbers indicate generation.

1506/07	William¹ Fairbank surrendered Brigbotham and Pigilcroft in Sowerby to his son John² Faerbank.
1526	John² Fairbanke surrendered Brigbotham to his son, Gilbert³ Fairebanke.
14 Apr. 1551	John² Fairbanke and Gilbert³ Fairbanke surrendered land to George⁴ and Sibyl Wade Fairbank. 10 or 11 children. Sons George⁵ (b. 1562) and John⁵ grow up in Brigbotham. John⁵ Fairbanks married to an unknown wife.
1583	Mary⁶ Fairbank, daughter of John⁵ Fairbank, baptized in Sowerby. (Married ____ Deane.)
14 Oct. 1583	George⁴ Fairbank surrendered his property in Sowerby to his son George⁵ Jr. as dower for his marriage to Isabelle Bannister. George⁵ is later known as George Fairbank of Sowerby Bridge. The property was in the tenure of brother John⁵ Fairbank at the time George⁵ inherited it. John⁵ and family move across the River Calder to Skircoat Township.
1586	John⁶, son of John⁵ Fairbanks, baptized in Skircoat. Heir of John⁵ Fairbank (1617 Wakefield court roll).
1587	John⁵ Fairbanks Sr. was constable
1588	George⁶, son of John⁵ Fairbanks, baptised in Skircoat. Mentioned in father’s 1625 will.
1589	John⁵ Fairbanks Sr. was juror.
1590	Joseph⁶, son of John⁵ Fairbanks, baptised in Skircoat. Probably died 1591.
1592	Wife of John⁵ Fairbanks Sr. dies.
6 Aug. 1593	John⁵ Fairbanks Sr. marries Isabella Stancliffe in Halifax. They live in Skircoat.
1595	John⁵ Fairbanks Sr. was constable and juror
18 May 1595	Susan⁶, daughter of John⁵ Sr. and Isabella, baptized in Halifax. Father of Skircoat. Died 1595.
Say 1597	Jonathan⁶, Son of John Sr. and Isabella?, born in Skircoat, Halifax, West Riding, Yorkshire. Jonathan⁶ may also have been born about 1592 to John’s first wife, or, less probably in about July of 1594 to Isabella. Mentioned in father’s 1625 will.
9 July 1597	Isabella Stancliffe Fairbanks buried in Halifax, West Riding, Yorkshire
28 Aug. 1598	John⁵ Fairbanks Sr. married Ellen Parker
29 May 1599	Helen, daughter of John⁵ and Ellen Fairbanks christened in Halifax. Father of Skircoat
3 June 1599	Helen, daughter of John and Ellen Fairbanks buried, Halifax.
1599	John Fairbanks and Elena his wife and (father) George⁴ Fairbanks and Johanna his wife sold property in Skircote. John⁵’s family moves back to Sowerby (Brigbotham?)
1600	Joseph⁶ Fairbanks, son of John⁵ Sr. and Ellen Fairbanks born and died in Halifax. Father of Sowerby.
1601	Anna⁶ Fairbanks, daughter of John⁵ Sr.and Ellen born in Halifax. Father of Sowerby. Not mentioned in father’s 1625 will.
1603	Michael⁶, son of John⁵ and Ellen, born in Halifax, Father of Sowerby. Mentioned in father’s 1625 will.
Circa 1605	Mary⁶, daughter of John and Ellen, born. Mentioned in father’s 1625 will. John⁵ and family move Carlton in Craven, York, England
23 Oct. 1608	Jeremy⁶, son of John⁵ and Ellen baptized, Carleton in Craven, Yorkshire, England. Mentioned in father’s 1625 will.
5 Jan. 1611/12	Susanna⁶ Fairbanks, dau. Of John⁵ and Ellen, baptized Carlton in Craven. Mentioned in father’s 1625 will.
Circa 1614	Abigail⁶ Fairbanks, dau of John⁵ and Ellen, born. Mentioned in father’s 1625 will.
20 May 1617	Jonathan⁶ Fairbanks married Grace Smith of Warley, Halifax, England. Jonathan⁶ was residing in (possibly Brigbothan) Halifax since there is no note in the marriage record that he was from somewhere else. If the 1597 birth date is correct, he was only 20 years old when he was married.
7 Feb. 1617/18	John⁷, son of Jonathan⁶ and Grace Fairbanks baptized in Halifax, parents of Warley.
14 Mar. 1619/20	Uncle George⁵ Fairbank of Sowerby Bridge made a will proved 8 Feb 1620/21. Nephew Jonathan⁶ did not receive an inheritance.
28 Nov 1619	George⁷, son of Jonathan⁶ and Grace Fairbanks baptized in Halifax. Parents of Shelf, Halifax.
Feb. 1621/22	Mary⁷, daughter of Jonathan⁶ and Grace Fairbanks baptized in Halifax. Parents of Shelf, Halifax.
7 Mar. 1624/25	Jonas7, son of Jonathan⁶ and Grace Fairbanks baptized in Halifax, Parents of Warley, Halifax.
4 Aug. 1625	John⁵ Fairbanks of the Haigh, Thornton in Craven, Jonathan⁶’s father, wrote his will. Bequeathed to Jonathan⁶ and each of three young sisters ¼ of one third of his estate. Land went to his other sons. Leaves to granddaughter Sara⁷ Crooke, daughter of son-in-law James Crooke, £40. (What is the relationship here? Anna’s daughter?)
10 Dec. 1627	Susan⁷, daughter of Jonathan⁶ and Grace Fairbanks baptized in Thornton in Craven, Yorkshire Jonathan⁷, son of Jonathan⁶ and Grace Fairbanks, born
1633?	Immigrated to New England
23 Mar. 1637	Dedham Town Records – “The First Assembly in Dedham, by whose names are underwritten, vizt, Edward Alleyn, Abraham Shawe, Samuel Morse, Philemon Dalton, Joseph Shawe, Ezechiell Holliman, Lambert Genere, Nicholas Phillips, Raffe Shepheard, John Gay, Francis Austin, Willm Berstowe, John Rogers, Daniell Morse, John Huggens. … Jonathan Fearbanke being p'sented by John Dwite was accepted and subscribed."
1639	Jonathan and Grace Fairbanks begin the construction of the Fairbanks house in Dedham.
14 Aug. 1646	First Church record: "Jonathan Fairebanke notwithstanding he had long stood off fro' ye church upon some scruples about publike p'fession of faith & ye covenant yet after divers loving conferences wth him; he made such a declaration of his faith & conv'sion to god & p'fession of subjection to ye ordinances of Xt in this X yt he was readily & gladly received by ye whole church: 14d 6m 1646."
28 May 1650	George⁶ Fairbanks, clothier, half-brother of Jonathan, writes his will. Someone sends a copy to Jonathan in New England.
1 June 1668	Jonathan⁶ Farebanck of Dedham wrote his will. He made bequests to his wife Grace; to George, a second son; "And then my mind is that my dau. Mary shall have her first payment within the first year of my wives decease, otherwise shee is to tarry till the second yeare. I give my dau. Mary, the wife of Christopher Smith, the sume of L16 which (is to be) distinct from her husbands Estate, and to bee always at her dispose; this to bee paid in two Equall sumes (and) L3 to purchas her a suite of apparell with, to be paid within Three months next after my decease;" bequests to sons Jonah, Jonathan; to Sarah eldest dau of son John; to sonn in Law Ralph Day, 40s...to each of the fowre Children of the said Ralph, which hee had by my dau. Susan his late wife, 40s;" to John Oldest son who was to be sole executor; witnesses William Avery and Thomas Medcalfe who deposed 26 June 1668 (SfPr vi:15; abstract from Reg 19:32-4).
5Dec. 1668	Jonathan⁶ Fairbanks Sr. died in Dedham, MA.
Prob. 19 June 1676	Grace Smith Fairbanks died in Dedham, MA.

Sources:

NEHGR Vol 166 p 165-175, Jonathan Fairbank of Dedham, Massachusetts and His Family in the West Riding of Yorkshire, by Ruth Fairbanks Joseph and James Swan Landberg.
GENEALOGY OF THE FAIRBANKS FAMILY IN AMERICA, 1633 - 1897, by Lorenzo Sayles Fairbanks, p. 254
Parish registers of Thornton in Craven, Yorkshire, at the North Yorkshire County Record Office
Oral presentation of the curator of the Fairbank’s House, Dedham Massachusetts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Fairbanks