My 6x great grandfather James Packard came from a family that was very active in the local church. Several of his brothers were ministers while James was a deacon and is usually referred to as Deacon James.He owned several mills and a farm.
Here's his entry in Bradford Kingman's History of North Bridgewater...":
55 JAMEs (son of Zaccheus 14) married Jemima, daughter of Joseph Keith, June 7, 1722; lived on the place now occupied by Marcus Holmes. Children : —
56 James, b. Sept. 23, 1724 [169]; m. Mary Thayer, of Braintree, 1747. 57 Keziah, b. Oct. 29, 1727; married Nehemiah Lincoln, Nov. 24, 1748. 58 Jemima, b. Aug. 8, 1729; married Ichabod Edson, July 19, 1759. 59 Rebecca, b. July 1, 1732; married Luke Perkins, Aug. 24, 1749. 60 Reuben, b. Nov. 8, 1737 £) ; married Anne Perkins, Oct. 3, 1759. The wife died Dec. 8, 1763. The father died Nov. 24, 1765. He was one of the first deacons in the North Parish.p687
History of North Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Massachusetts: From Its First Settlement to the Present Time, with Family Registers Self-Published, Boston, Ma 1866
As i said James was active in church life. He and other Packard relatives helped in the building of the first church. Many of the men listed in the following excerpt from Kingman's book are related to me:
At the time of the incorporation of the parish the house was “Erected and Inclosed,” but not finished. At a meeting held March 12th, 1739, “Timothy Keith, Benjamin Edson, David Packard, Daniel Howard, Edward Curtis, were chosen a committee for the finishing the meeting house in sq Precinct,” also “voted to raise two Hundred and fifty pounds for the finishing of the same, to be paid by the last of August,” chose Abiel Packard, “Recever of stuf and meterels,” March 26th, 1739. “The committee appointed to finish the meeting-house made demand of the several inhabitants how they would pay their Reats, or what they could percure tords the prosecution of the work of finishing the meeting-house. In order to pay their Raits Whare upon a number subscribed what they would percure, as first:” –
James Packard to do the Glazing of the House, and what it amounts to more than his Reats Come to, to take his pay at the forge, In Iron ore or Cole next fall Insewing. John Johnson and John Kingman, to do the masing work, and nails, and to take his pay over and Abuv, his Raits at the formes or forge, In Labour, or Cole, or Iron ore the next fall Insewing. David Packard, Solomon Packard, and Jacob Allen, to find Lime.
Robert Haward, to find one thousand of pine Bords,
Zacheus Packard, to find one thousand of oak Bords,
Solomon Packard, to find one thousand of pine Bords,
Benjamin Edson, to find one thousand of pine Bords,
Abiel Packard, to find one thousand of pine Bords,
Timothy Keith, to find one thousand of oak Bords,
Daniel Haward, to find one thousand of pine Bords,
Theofilus Curtis, to find five hundred of pine Bords,
Edward Curtis, to find five hundred of pine Bords,
James Barret, to find one thousand of pine Bords,
Joshua Warren, to find Henges,
Timothy Keith, David Packard, Solomon Packard, Jacob Allen, Benjamin Edson, Daniel Haward, to find all the sheet work.-p85 ibid
He was on the commitee that hired the first minister for a new church in North Bridgewater:
Aug. 25, 1740, “voted to chuse Samuel Kingman, David Packard, and James Packard, a committee to Give Mr. Porter a Call in behalf of the precinct;” also voted that the 18th of September should be kept as a day of fasting and prayer, before the ordaining of Mr. John Porter. -p21 ibid
I've found James Packard's will and will transcribe it/.
James' son Reuben Packard is my 5x great grandfather
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