John WHITMAN

                   NAME:
    WHITMAN aka WIGHTMAN
John WHITMAN the immigrant, one of the earliest settlers of Weymouth, MA. He came from England, prob. Holt, county Norfolk, where name of WHITMAN/WHITEMAN is very common. Gov. WINTRHOP and his company came from vicinity of Holt. John came years before 1638 and may have been attracted to Weymouth because of friends there. Made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony March 13, 1638-39, and a town officer of Weymouth in 1643. In 1645 he was appointed an Ensigh by the Gov and was probably the 1st military officer in Weymouth. (Weymouth genealogies list him as Ensign John Whitman). At the same time, May 14, 1645, he was made magistrate of the town, commissioner to end small causes as the office was termed. He was also deacon of the church probably from its foundation until his death November 13, 1692. He was likely 90 yrs. old when he died, as the youngest of his 9 children was born in 1646, the eldest in 1629, while some of his daughters may have been older. It is thought he was married in England about 1625. The family did not follow him to Weymouth until 1641. The fact that Zachariah and Robert came in 1635 makes it probable that John also came in that year. John WHITMAN owned and lived upon a farm adjoining the north side of the highway near the town center, the farm until 1830 owned by a descendant. He had many grants of land and by this and purchase became one of the largest land owners in the town. He held the office of Ensign until March 16, 1680. On May 15, 1664 he was appointed a messenger to the Indians and held other position of trust in the colony.References: (1) Cutter, New England Families (II):841(2) Chamberlain, Genealogies of the Early Families of Weymouth, MA(3) Savage, Genealogical Dictionary of New England