John Gallop

John Gallop

Documents shows that John Gallop arrived in Boston on the Mary & John. He settled in Boston and became one of the first grantees of land in the northern part of town. John was known as Captain John Gallop, elder, his lands included a house and a lot in the most desirable part of Boston, with harbor islands, one of which still bears his name. His trading shallop was the principal means of communication between the Bay Colony and settlements on Narragansett Band and Long Island Sound. He was a skillful mariner, and traded frequently along the coast in his own boats. His boats furnished the only means of communication between the new colonies.

He was considered high-spirited and became an important man in the colony and was friends with Governor Winthrop. He was made a freeman in April 1634 and admitted to the First Church, Boston on January 6, 1634. The following is taken from Gallop Genealogy by Gallup and Peck, LDS Lib. 929.273 pg 138:(John Gallop)

John Gallup set sail for Boston on Mar 20, 1630 on the 'Mary and John', captained by Thomas Chubb. Seventy one days later, on May 30 , 1630, Capt. Chubb and passengers arrived in America. John Gallup moved to Boston, MA and was well known. His wife and children had not accompanied him on his trip. Apparently Christobel hesitated to undertake a long and uncertain sea voyage to an undisclosed country, in spite of urgent encouragement by her husband. John Gallup was so concerned that he contemplated returning to England. He had become an important man in the colony and this disturbed Governor Winthrop who wrote to the great Puritan leader, the Rev. John White in Dorchester: 'I have much difficultye to keep John Gallop here by reason of his wife will not come. I marvayle at the woman's weaknesse. I pray pursuade her and further her coming by all means. If she will come, let her have the remainder of his wages; if not, let it be bestowed to bring over his children if so he desires. It would be about L40 losse to him to come for her.' Your assured in the Lord's worke, J. Winthrop Massachusetts, July 4, 1632

She was pursuaded, and she and the children arrived on Sep 4, 1633 on the 'Griffin,' after eight weeks crossing. John Gallup achieved great distinction by piloting in the ship 'Griffin,' a ship of 300 tons, through a new found channel. On board were Rev. John Cotton, Rev. Thos. Hooker, Rev. Mr. Stone, and other fathers of New England. Also on board was his wife and children. Also on board was none nearer than a friend John Mason, with him in the military school in Holland, companion through the voyage on the 'Mary and John', and ever after these two were as close friends as peculiar associations and strong natures could make them.

John Gallop owned Gallop's Island, where he had a snug farm with a meadow on Long Island, a sheep pasture on Nix Mate, and a house in Boston. He was made a freeman in April 1634. He was admitted to First Church, Boston on Jan 6, 1634, his wife on Jun 22 1634. John was a skillful mariner, well acquainted with the harbor around Boston, and in the habit of making frequent trading expeditions along the coast in his own vessels. One of these expeditions was made forever memorable by the encounter of the murderers of his friend, John Oldham.....'In the cabin they found John Oldham's head, the skull crushed, hacked from the body which lay in a corner, stripped naked, slashed with wounds, disgracefully mutilated. 'God give you peace, Brother Oldham,' prayed Capt. John as they lowered the corpse into the ocean.'

After the settlement of Rhode Island and Connecticut, his vessel furnished about the only means of communication between the two colonies. At one time there was considerable anxiety in the RI colony, for John Gallop was delayed in his trip. Soon after, Roger Williams writes Governor Winthrop beginning in this manner: 'God be praised, John Gallop has arrived.' The name of GALLOP is said to be derived from the German words, GOTT and LOBE, meaning GOD and PRAISE.

WILL OF JOHN GALLOP OF BOSON Wife Executrix:

To Sonne, John Gallop, my new shallop, after my death. To my dau Joanne, my heaffer, my two youngest soons, shall imploy my barcke, the first year after my decease, wholly for theire mother, and after one yeare to have two thirds for themselves and one third for theire mother, and to repair and mainteine the bark themselves, looking for no helpe from theire mother, only shee shall have the third of profitt; also my wife shall have the use of howses, lands and goods for hir comfortable maintenance so long as shee shall live; after her decease, it shall wholy Remayne & equally devided to my two youngest Sonns, Samuell Gallop & Nathaniell Gallop, If they carry themselves as obedient children to theire mother, but if they be rebellious, than shee shall have liberty to dispose of all as shee shall thinke Good; & if one Sonne dye before theire mother, then all to remaine to the other, if both dye before their mother, then my wife shall dispose of all as shee shall thinke Good. I doe Give to John Joy, my daughters sonne, L5, to be paid to him at 21 yeares of age, & if he dye before, it shall remaine to his brother Joseph. I doe give forth shillings to the building of the new meeting howse. Dated the 20th of the 10mo 1649. Witness heereunto, Nich Upsall John Search John Sweete The marke of John (x) Gallop JOHN GALLOP, of Dorchester 1630, part of Boston 1632, was a fisherman and pilot and probably lived alternate down the harbor and up in town, where hoe and garden he had, as in the book of possessions joining to children 5 Jan 1634 freeman. On 1 Apr following his brother, & John's wife Christobel, who lived to the summer of 1655, and children John, Samuel, Nathaniel, and Joan, who married Thomas Joy; and he died Jan 1650. His will of 20 Dec 1649 probated 9 Feb following year provided for all these, and gives L2 to new meeting house, then building. He seems, by his conduct in punishment of murderers of John Oldham, to have been very brave, and he left brave descendants.

Sources:

Boston Town Records, 1630-1699

List of Freemen of Massachusetts, 1630-91

Lineages of Hereditary Society Members, 1600s-1900s

Gallop Genealogies, by Gallup and Peck

Abstracts of Early Wills, in New England Historical & Genealogical Register

Genealogical Dictionary of First Settlers in New England

Marriage recorded at St. Mary's Church, Bridgeport England. John Gallop was born circa 1593 at England.1 He married Christobel Brushett, daughter of Edmund Bruschett and Emma Nichols, on 19 January 1617/18 at St. Mary's Church, Bridgeport, Dorset, England.1 John Gallop immigrated in 1630 to Boston, Massachusetts.1 He sailed on the ship "Mary and John" from England on 20 March 1630. He was freeman on 1 April 1634 at Massachusetts.1 In July of 1636 John Gallop played a crucial role in the events leading up to the Pequot War. On a trading voyage to Long Island, Gallop came upon the boat of JOHN OLDHAM, which had been boarded by Indians, who killed Oldham. Gallop took countermeasures, as a result of which several Indians were drowned.1 He left a will on 20 December 1649.1 He died on 11 January 1649/50 at Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts.

Child of John Gallop and Christobel Brushett

Joan Gallop+ b. 20 Sep 1618, d. 20 Mar 1690/91

Citations

[S8] R. C. Anderson, The Great Migration Begins.

Rob Weir, 122 Lowell Road, Westford, MA 01886