Happy Anniversary John and Sarah (Noyes) Hale

Dear John and Sarah,
Today we are remembering the 336th anniversary of your marriage in Beverly, Massachusetts. It was sort of a May-December marriage, you, the groom, 47, and your bride 29. 

Both the Hale and Noyes families were of English origin. The exact origin of the Hales remains unknown. Sarah's father, Rev. James Noyes, was born about 1608 in Cholderton, Wilts, England, the son of Rev. William and Anne (Parker) Noyes. William matriculated at University College, Oxford in November 1588 and received his BA Degree May 21, 1592. He became the Rector of Saint Nicholas Church in Cholderton in 1602.

Drawing of the first St. Nicholas Church, Wilts, England. Church is
supposed to have been constructed by the Saxons. The following is from the Church Records,
"The Church of St. Nicholas, Cholderton, was given to the Monks of St. Neats about 1175 and
the grant was confirmed by Pope Alexander III."
used with permission from http://evermore.imagedjinn.com/blg/154/data-concerning-the-church-of-st-nicholas-at-cholderton-wiltshire-england/

William's and Anne's sons, James and Nicholas, along with Sarah (Brown) Noyes and cousin Thomas Parker swore oaths of allegiance so they could sail for New England on the Mary and John under Master Robert Sayres arriving at Boston in March 1634.

James and Sarah settled in Newberry where they had ten children, Sarah being the youngest. Unfortunately, James died when Sarah was only a year old.

Photo from Find A Grave Memorial ID 35286148 added by
Paul M. Noyes, used with permission
Headstone is located at the First Parish Burying Ground,
Newbury, Massachusetts

John Hale's father Deacon Robert Hale is one of the immigrants covered in Robert Charles Anderson's "The Great Migration."  The ship he arrived on is unknown but we know that he was in Boston by the fall of 1630 when he was admitted to the Boston church as member #18. His occupation was carpenter. One source, U. S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, gives his wife's name as Joanna Cutter and a marriage date of October 14, 1632. By that date Robert and Joanna removed to the church at Charlestown. John, born June 3, 1636, was the oldest of their five children.

John was educated at Havard and graduated in 1657. After graduation, he moved to Beverly where he had been hired to teach religion. On September 20, 1667 he was ordained pastor of the newly organized church at Beverly. He remained in this post until his death.

As an upcoming young man, John married Rebecka Byles December 15, 1664 in Ipswich. They had four children, John, James, Rebecca and Robert before she died April 30, 1683.

Rebekah Byles Hale Headstone
Find A Grave Memorial ID 48178556 photo by Jude
Abbott Street Burial Ground, Beverly, Massachusetts

After a marriage of nearly 20 years, John missed being wed. Both the Noyes and Hale families were Puritans. Beverly and Newbury were only about 20 miles apart so it is assumed that the families were acquainted. At 29 years of age, Sarah was either very picky or had not been interested in any propsed suiters. We don't know why John appealed to her or if the courtship was long. We do know that you were married this day in 1684.

Two sons were born of this marriage, James in 1685 who also became a minister and Samuel who was born in 1687 (Nathan Hale, martyr of the American Revolution, is Samuel's grandson but that is a story for another day).

Kitchen at Hale House photo by author March 2017

There are many more tales to tell of your marriage but those also will be saved for another day. My siblings and I visted your home in Beverly which stands to this day and is a museum maintained by the Beverly Historic Society.

So Happy Anniversary. You have not been forgotten by your descendants.

Love, Cecily

P.S. for family members our descent is as follows:
John Hale and wife Sarah Noyes
James Hale and wife Sarah Hathaway
James Hale, Jr. and wife Elizabeth Bicknell
Eleazer Warner and wife Joanna Hale
Thomas Warner and wife Rhoda Hopkins
Naaman Cone and wife Joanna Warner
William Warner Cone and wife Eliza Utley
Frederick Naaman Cone and wife Helen Brown Newton
Charles Newton Cone and wife Hazel Bynon Allen
Charles Newton Cone, Jr and wife Betty Lorraine Werst