Descendants of Robert Blood

Robert Blood was born about 1626(disposed in 1684 to be 58 years of age) probably in Ruddington,Nottingham. He married Elizabeth Williard, dau of Major Simon Willard, on 8 April 1653 in Concord,Ma. He died 22 Oct 1710 in Concord,Ma.

The most daring adventurer of 17^th Century England was without a doubt Colonel Thomas Blood (Ireland ca 1628/Westminister 1680), a legend in his own lifetime and celebrated in verse and ballad. His ancestry was Edmund Blood of Duffield, County Derby who died 1588 and had a son Capt. Edmund Blood of Duffield who had a son Thomas Blood who died ca 1645 who was the father of Colonel Thomas. Duffield in County Derby is but 12 miles from the city of Nottingham. The Blood family has been documented since 1478 in Nottingham. A significant entry found related to the marriage on 15 May 1611 Andrew Poule of Hickling,Notts to Anne Blood dau of Robert Blood of Ruddington, Ciunty Nottingham, who were married at St. Peters, Nottingham. These various Blood surname people were obviously related. The lack of Parish data and wills precludes finding the specifics.

Early on, it was thought that one James Blood, born 1605, who had married Ellen Harrison 7 Feb 1631, came to America with his four sons James Jr, Richard, Robert, and John. This has been disproven. . When Robert, with his brother John, first came to America they settled in Lynn, Ma. Som etime before 1651, these two brothers set about to establish their own independent “plantation”. This was a rare situation in early Puritan New England where settlements were organize by groups of persons with the church as their cohesive element.

The brothers early acquired the grants consisting of 1400 acres made by the General Court to Thomas Allen, Increase Nowell, and Atherton Hough. Acquisitions through the rights of Robert’s father-in-law, Simon Willard, plus purchases from local Indians extended their property west and south. In addition, Robert had the use of the “thousand acres of land, be it more or less” which he received as his wife Elizabeth’s dowery. In total, the now called Bloods Farm ,came to 3200 acres plus or minus. In later years Robert sought the confirmation of the Indian deeds in his possession. One of deeds dated 20 June 1642 related to a purchase from old Natchattawans,Sagamore where John Thomas and his wife Nanansqua plus their sons Solomon, Satasqua and Thomas Waban, “the heirs of Natchattatta- wans” confirmed the instruments of sale. One might wonder what “the selling price was” and who got th better of the bargain. John and Robert usually referred to themselves as residing “in Middlesex County” or “living neer Concord”.

Bloods Farms very quickly ran into trouble with many nearby communities who did not take kindly the idea of anyone going tax free . In early days as is today, the matter of taxes can be very aggravating. Initially, they paid their civil and ecclesiastical “rates” to Billerica. Then they found Concord more much more to their convenience. Before long there was a dog fight between Concord, Billerica, and Chelmsford as to whom would prevail. Concord was eventually the winner. But this was only the beginning of tax trouble time. The General Court of Mass.on11 Oct 1682 declared it to be a grievance that “sundry Gentlemen, merchants, and others” owned great tracts of land that were daily increasing in value, but did not contribute to public charges. The end result was a rather severe confrontation between Robert Blood and tax collectors/Concord cons- tables/an armed posse over the matter. These latter personages were greeted with contumelious speeches accompanied by actual violence. Robert Blood was fined L50 which was no small deal.

Robert, being a slow learner, went thru the same routine the following year. After extended negotiations, a permanent solution was reached with the town of Concord again being the winner.

We know very little of Robert’s brother John. He never married and nowhere did he record his age, though it would seemthat he was slightly older than Robert. John was founf dead with a gun in his hand 30 Oct 1682, presumably accidentally killing himself while hunting. Robert Blood was a man who was untamed, independent, and even perhaps unruly. Obviously, he was a man of means; how much of this that resulted from his being the son-in-law of of Major Simon Willard is debatable.

Sarah Blood, daughter of Robert Blood and his wife Elizabeth Willard, born 1 Aug 1658 m Daniel Colburn of Dunstable on 18 Jun 1685. They lived in Dracut,Ma.

References:FH47:1-10,140-148; PH17:V1:204-205; PH97:55-56;PH7:79