The Minor Family of Somerset

Mary Gawkroger Alias Platts, Bap Worley, County of Yorkshire, En
gland on 7 Feb 1612/13 Married in Sowerby, 11 apr 1629 to John P
rescott.
"She had a cousin named Mary baptized on March 19 1606/7, daught
er of James Gawkroger and Martha Ainsworth, her uncle and aunt
. This Mary Gawkroger married Richard Eccles and was too old b
y 6 years to have been the wife of John Prescott.
"Mary gave birth to children both in England and in America, los
ing two babies in England. In 1640 the family appeared in Water
town, Massachusetts where they lived for about three years and w
here their youngest daughter Lydia was born.In this transitio
n period before Lydia was born, Mary may have had a daughter, Ha
nnah, but we have no proof or disproof of this.
Mary had scarcely settled into a household routine in Watertow
n when John's deal for acquiring land further West went throug
h and the family was uprooted again. In 1643 they moved to th
e Nasaway Plantation further West where she helped her husband d
evelop the area that came to be called Lancaster, and where sh
e probably gave birth to their son Jonathan. Life was extremel
y hard as they labored to builda home, raise their children, de
velop a farm, build a corn mill and operate asmall store, negot
iate with the Indians and fight them off when necessary.Her yo
ungest son Jonas, was born in 1648, and since the town of Lancas
ter had not yet been incorporated, thebirth was recorded in near
by Groton.
"It would have been a shock to lose her duaghter Martha (Prescot
t) Rugg and her twin babies in the course of the birth of the tw
ins, in 1656.
"She was the mother of the bride in 1658 when her daughter Lydi
a married Jonas Fairbak, and again a few weeks later when her da
ughter Sarah married Richard Wheeler who hadnot been long in th
e area.
"A reflection of her life interest are to be found in the subseq
uent lives of her husband and children. She endured the destruc
tion of the settlement in February, 1676, during which she los
t two sons-in-law, Jonsas Fairbanks, husband of her daughter Lyd
ia, and Richard Wheeler, husband of her daughter Sarah. In addi
tion, she lost grandchildren and many friends. All the settler
s were evacuated to towns further east for safety, and it appear
s that the Prescotts went back to Watertown where they had frien
d from their earlier residence there.
"We know that Mary survived the massacre, because she made a leg
al deposition in 1678 which established her age as 66 that year
, and also verified the connection of the Prescotts with many fa
milies which had connections both in Sowerby and in Lancashire E
ngland. It was recorded as follows:
"Deposition of Mary Prescott, dated 1678. The Testimoney of Mar
y Prescott aged 66 years of thereabout Sayth that the first wif
e of Jacob Farror Senr. Late of Lancaster deceased lived with he
r uncle andshe marrying contrary to his mind and So he would no
t give her a portion butSaid he would give to her first child (
which was Jacob Farror late decased) the Sume of forth pounds i
n money: and the sd deponent hath often heard that sd Jacob Farr
or Senr recieved the same for the use of his Sone Jacob; when h
e came to New England: that I can testifie upon oath Mary Presco
nt M p. her marke. Witness John Tott Mary Lacey."
We have no reason to believe that Mary was buried anywhere but i
n the Old Settler's Burying Ground adjacent to her husband John
, but there is no stone.