JOHN IS THE FIRST CHURCHILL IN AMERICA

GI (LDS) lists the marriage for John Churchill and Hannah Pontus on 18 Dec 1644 in the church records for Dorset County, England. This is so even though numerous references state that same marriage took place in Plymouth, Plymouth, Ma. on the same date. John Churchell (sic) is also listed in 1643 in the Plymouth, Ma. list of Adult Males Able to Bear Arms. The IGI citation therefore suggests that either John or Hannah emigrated from Dorset County to Plymouth Colony prior to the English records having been entered. One of their families may have still been in Dorset after John/Hannah’s emigration and thereby recorded the marriage of their child. Since William Pontus (father of Hannah) is listed in records as residing in Plymouth at the time of the marriage, John’s parents may have instigated the entry of the marriage in Dorsetshire church records. IGI also lists the 18 Dec 1644 marriage as taking place in Plymouth, Ma. It would be too much of a coincidence for two John Churchill/Hannah Pontus marriages to have taken place on the same date.

Abigal Clark called John "Kinsman" in a court action in Plymouth (Torrey, New Eng. Marriages).

IGI lists his birth as variously as 1619 and 1620. This time frame would make John a contemporary of Winston Churchill, father of another John (1650-1722) who later became the Duke of Marlborough and ancestor of Winston Churchill of 20th century fame. See card 4 for John’s father, also John.

18 Aug 1645, bought land from Richard Higgins (PCR 12:111)

It is unclear why John left England in his early twenties. The early 1640’s were a time of great turmoil in England (Civil War) and nearly 250,000 emigrated to America in the 20 years after the Mayflower (1620). [SCHURCHL.GED]

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