Theophilus Frary

Bef 1629 - 1700  (> 71 years)

• Name	Theophilus Frary
  Birth	Bef 15 May 1629  [1, 2]
  Baptism	15 May 1629	St. Clement, Norwich, Norfolk, England   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Death	17 Aug 1700	Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts   [3]
  Burial	Granary Burying Ground, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts   [3]
  Person ID	I22772	Ancestry of PNH, TNH, and others
  Last Modified	16 Feb 2019

  
  

  Father	John Frary,   b. Abt 1600   d. 14 Jun 1675, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts (Age ~ 75 years)
  Mother	Prudence Townsend,   b. Bef 28 Jun 1601   d. 24 Feb 1691, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts (Age > 89 years)
  Marriage	17 Jun 1628	St. George Colegate, Norwich, Norfolk, England   [2]
  Family ID	F13726	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Hannah Eliot,   b. 29 Jan 1637
  Marriage	4 Jun 1653	Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts   [2, 4]
  Children	+ 1. Mehitable Frary,   b. 4 Feb 1666, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts d. 4 Mar 1723 (Age 57 years)
  Family ID	F13722	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	16 Feb 2019

  
  

• Notes

  "Theophilus Frary of Boston, cordwainer, son of John Frary of Dedham, was born in England. He resided in Dedham until he was admitted an inhabitant of Boston, Feb. 23, 1656-7. His first town office was that of surveyor in 1659-60, and he was selectman from 1679 to 1687 inclusive, and in 1689. He represented Boston in the General Court from 1689 to 1695 inclusive, and in 1699. He was one of the founders of the Old South Church in 1666, and was violently opposed to the Episcopal Church." [History of the Military Company of the Massachusetts, Now Called the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, 1637-1888 by Oliver Ayer Roberts. Boston: Alfred Mudge & Son, 1895-1901.] His daughter Mehitable married Samuel Lillie, son of Edward Lillie; the Lillie family were staunch Episcopaleans. Edward Lillie died in Dec 1688 or Jan 1689, at the exact time when the unpopular Governor Andros was stirring up sectarian feeling by his attempts to impose Episcopacy upon Massachusetts. This led to a scene at Edward Lillie's burial service, described by Hamilton A. Hill in his History of the Old South Church: "There was a painful scene at the grave of Edward Lilley, who died during the winter of 1688-89, which shows the intensity of the feeling in the Puritan community against the introduction of the rites of the English church here. Lilley had been more or less in sympathy with the Episcopal party, and his name appears among the subscribers for building the new house of worship; but he had left the ordering of his funeral to the executors. The Rev. Mr. Ratcliffe claimed the right to read the service over him, which Mr. [Theophilus] Frary in behalf of the family protested against, and with so much vehemency that he was bound over to keep the peace."

  
  

• Sources

  [S2737] England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, on familysearch.org. [S2930] The Frary Family in America, 1637-1980 by Margaret Murphy Frary and Anne Frary Lepak. Northwood, New Hampshire: Frary Family Association, 1981. [S2931] Find a Grave page for Theophilus Frary. [S101] The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Volumes 1-3 and The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 1-7, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1996-2011.