Sgt. John Tidd, of Woburn

SGT. JOHN TIDD (1594 - 1656) of Woburn - John Tidd, son of John Tidd (born circa 1563) and Anna (Agnes) Dane (born circa 1563), was christened on 18 October 1594 at Hertford, Hertfordshire, England. He married (1) Margaret Greenleaf (1595 Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, England - 1641 Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts), daughter of Thomas Greenlefe (born 1574) and Elizabeth Leeds (1566 - 1634); (2) Alice Unknown, married after 1641; who married (2) William Mann of Cambridge on 11 June 1657. John Tidd died on 24 April 1656 at Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, at age 62.

• Immigrant 1637
• One of the founders of Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
• First man in Woburn to bear a military title
• Sergeant of the training band in Woburn

John Tidd embarked from Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony on 12 May 1637. He was in Charlestown in 1637 and admitted to the church in Charlestown on 10 March 1639. In December 1640, John was an original proprietor of Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and sergeant of the training band there in 1643. He was admitted freeman on 10 May 1643. In his will, John Tidd refers to himself as a "tailer", or tailor.

Snow says that John Dane wrote that the Mr. Tead or Tidd who later settled in Charlestown was a a tailor in Hertford in about 1630 and was a young man then. In his memoirs, John Dane writes that, while in Hertford, "I then Rout with mr. Tead that lives at Charlestoune. He was a young man then. He and I was going to a dansing on nite, and it began to thunder, and I told him I doubted we were not on our waie; and he and I went back againe."

John signed his will on 9 April 1656; it was proved on 10 November 1656. He mentions his wife Alice; daughters Mary and Elizabeth; son John Tidd; and grandchildren: Thomas Fuller; Benjamin, Hannah, John and Samuel Savil; and John Kendall.

John had a presumed brother Joshua Tidd, who was admitted to the Charlestown church on 10 March 1639, the same day as John. Joshua died in 1678, age 71. He married (1) Sarah Unknown, who died in 1677, (2) Rhoda Unknown. Joshua owned a small vessel for fur trading, several houses and a salt house for curing fish.

Marriages and Children

1. Margaret Greenleaf (1595 - 1641), daughter of Thomas Greenlefe (born 1574) and Elizabeth Leeds (1566 - 1634), married 1616 in England
   1. Samuel Tidd (circa 1617 Hertford, Hertfordshire, England - 1651 Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts), married Sarah Unknown. She married (2) John Southwick
   2. Mary Tidd (23 November 1620 Ipswich, Suffolk, England - 20 May 1676 Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts) married Francis Kendall, "alias Miles" 24 December 1644 Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
   3. Joseph Tidd (1620 Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts - 1 February 1660 Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts) - not mentioned in Sgt. Tidd's will; may not have been a son of Sgt. Tidd
   4. John Tidd (circa 1625 Hertford, Hertfordshire, England - 12 April 1703 Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts), married Rebecca Wood 14 April 1650 Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
   5. Elizabeth Tidd (circa 19 September 1626 Hertford, Hertfordshire, England - 25 August 1664 Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts), married Thomas Fuller
   6. James Tidd (1627 Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts - 1725 Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts) - not mentioned in Sgt. Tidd's will; may not have been a son of Sgt. Tidd
   7. Hannah Tidd (circa 1629 Ipswich, Suffolk, England - 14 July 1650 Braintree, Suffolk County, Massachusetts) married William Savell 1641
2. Alice Unknown, married after 1641

Discussion

Two John Tidds came to America about the same time. Some researchers have suggested that John was the 19-year-old servant (born in 1619 and immigrated in 1637 from Yarmouth, England) who came to New England with Samuel Greenfield in 1637; but, this is impossible given the marriage dates of his daughters.

A good discussion of John Tidd is found on the Ye Olde Woburn website.

Notable Descendants

• U.S. President George H.W. Bush
• U.S. President George W. Bush
• Vice President Charles Warren Fairbanks
• Luther Burbank, horticulturist
• First Lady Barbara Bush
• Frank Nelson Doubleday, publisher
• Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet
• R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor and philosopher
• Margaret Fuller, editor/author
• Elias Howe, inventor
• Edgar Lee Masters, poet

Notes

Woburn is pronounced "Wooburn"

Sources

• William Montgomery Clemens. The Kendall family in America. Hackensack, N.J. : W.M. Clemens: 1919. "Mary Tidd was a daughter of John Tidd. It is claimed that Francis left England against the wishes of his family, using the name of Miles, until he was settled in this country. Francis was admitted freeman 10 May, 1648. He served the town as selectman, held numerous other offices and was looked upon as "a gentleman of great respectability and influence." He owned and operated a corn mill in Woburn, being a miller by trade. The mill now on the old Kendall homestead was built by Samuel Kendall in 1700 and is near the location of the first mill built bv Francis."
• Ellery Bicknell Crane. *Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal ..., Volume 2. New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company: 1907. Pg. 424, "Francis Kendall, above mentioned, was in Charlestown, Massachusetts, prior to 1640. He was a large landholder and a miller by occupatin. He died in 1708. He married, at Woburn, Massachusetts, December 24, 1644, Mary Tidd, and their sons, born in Woburn, Massachusetts, were: John, July 2, 1646; Thomas, January 10, 1648; Samuel, March 8, 1659; Jacob, January 25, 1660... John Tidd, Tead, Ted or Teed, embarked May 12, 1637, at Yarmouth England, aged nineteen, as servant of Samuel Greenfield, of Norwich. Was of Charlestown that year, subscribed there December, 1640, "Town Orders" for Woburn, taxed at Woburn 1645, chosen surveyor of fences 1646. His wife Margaret died in 1651. He had second wife Alice, daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and a son John. His daughter Mary was doubtless wife of Francis Kendall." Note: Since the publication of this book, it has been determined that the John Tidd who was a servant of Samuel Greenfield was NOT Sgt. John Tidd of Woburn.
• Charles Henry Pope. The Pioneers of Massachusetts, a Descriptive List, Drawn from Records of the.... Heritage Books: 1900. Pg. 448, "John, tailor, came early. Settled at Charlestown, propr. 1637. Rem. to Woburn, 1640. Sold land in 1652. Town officer. Petitioned Gen. Court regarding land in 1648. Ch. John, Jr., propr. also in 1646; John, ae. 19, servant to Samuel Greenfield, weaver, who came from Norwich, Eng. May 12, 1637, I think; Samuel, Mary, (m. Dec. 24, 1644, Francis Wyman,) Elizabeth, (m. Jan. 13, 1643, Thomas Fuller). Wife Margaret d. 1651. He d. April 24, 1656... Will dated 9 (2) prob. 10 (9) 1656, beq. to wife Alice, son John, daus. Mary and Elizabeth; to son Savell's ch. Benjamin, Hannah, John and Samuel; to son Samuel's daus.; to gr. ch. Thomas Fuller and John Kendall."
• James Savage. A genealogical dictionary of the first settlers of New England, showing three generations of those who came before May, 1692. Boston: Little, Brown and Company: 1860. "TEAD, TEED, or TED, JOHN, Charlestown 1637, emb. 12 May of that yr. at Yarmouth, aged 19, as serv. of Samuel Greenfield of Norwich, but perhaps was not desir. by his master of acomp.him, aft. reach. this side of the ocean, if, as seems prob. he be the person call. Todd, in Frothingham, p. 88, may have rem. aft. 1640 to Woburn,there was one of the true-spirited petnrs. to the Gen. Ct. 30 Aug. 1653 in fav. of liberty of proph. had w. Margaret, wh. d. 1651, and he d. 24 Apr. 1657. By his will made 15 days bef. we find he had sec. w. Alice, and ds. Mary, and Elizabeth beside gr.ch. Benjamin, Hannah, and ano. d. of one Savil; and John and Samuel Savil, of ano. Thomas Fuller, and John Kendall, also a s. of his own name. See Tidd. Yet one of this name was propound. for freem. in 1664, tho. no more heard of. See 4 Mass. Hist. Coll. I. 101, and Geneal, Reg. XIV. 328." Note: It has since been determined that the John Tidd who was a servant of Samuel Greenfield was NOT Sgt. John Tidd of Woburn.
• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jun 24 2016, 20:44:35 UTC 1637 Arrived from England. December 18, 1640 Moved to Woburn and signed Town Orders His will was dated Apr. 9, 1656 and was proved Nov. 10, 1656 in Middlesex, MA.
• Clarence Almon Torrey, Elizabeth Petty Bentley. New England marriages prior to 1700. Genealogical Publishing Company: 1985. pg 742.
• The TIDD Family of Woburn, Middlesex, MA