Anthony Fisher (1591-1671) and Alice ( -1663)

Research by Rue Lynn Galbraith

Click here to go to a condensed version of this biography.

(Much of the following history is taken from an article on The English Ancestors of Joshua and Anthony written by Myrtle Stevens Hyde and John Plummer for the NEHGS Register Vol. 151 [April 1997] pages 171 – 191 (www.americanancestors.org ). The article corrects some errors in The Fisher Genealogy by Phillip A. Fisher (the most widely cited source of Fisher Family information); and it traces the Fisher line another five generations back into England.)

St. Margaret's church in Syleham dates back to Saxon times. The following was taken from a plaque inside the church:

“1591 Antonius Fysher

bapt erat 23rd Aprilis Anno Dom. Dicto”

- Syleham Parish Registry²

Anthony Fisher is the third of eight children of Anthony and Marie or Mary Fiske Fisher of Sylham, Suffolk, England. The Fishers were a well-to-do yeoman class family with educated children.

There has been some confusion about the wife of Anthony Fisher, Jr. The Fisher Genealogy by Phillip A. Fisher (the most widely cited source of Fisher Family information) gives her name as Mary, possibly confusing her with Anthony’s mother. However, the birth records of Anthony’s children and her death record indicate that her name was Alice. Anthony and Alice married about 1615 and lived at Sylham until at least 1623. In 1626 and 1629, the Parish records of Denton, which is about six miles from Sylham, record the births of

ffisher Nathaniel [Parents] Anthony & Alic [Baptized] 22 Oct 1626

ffysher Cornelius [Parents] Anthony & Ales [Baptized] 16 Aug 1629²

According to the will of his brother, John, Anthony was still in Denton in March 1636. Anthony and his older brother, Joshua, who was a blacksmith, decided to take their families to New England. Anthony’s family emigrated first, taking Joshua’s 16-year-old son, Joshua, with them. Phillip Fisher speculates that they sailed, probably from Yarmouth in the ship Rose, arriving in Boston 26 June 26 1637.

On the 15 July, 1637, Anthony and Alice’s eldest son, John, age 21, died in Dedham, the first death recorded in the Dedham records. Three days later, on 18 July 1637, the records show “Mr. John Allen wrh diurse others being p'pownded to sit downe wth vs onely in the same condicon, they are accepted soe to doe. ..." The names of the "diverse others," including Anthony Fisher, appear in a list two paragraphs farther on that names twelve heads of families admitted to Dedham on the same date. These twelve produced "crtifficates from ye magestrates" showing that they had subscribed to the covenants of the town.” Anthony was the 36^th person to sign the Dedham Covenant.

Dedham records of 1 Jan 1637/8 show that "Vpon a mothion made by Ant Fisher it is condescended that Joshua Fisher [Jr.] may enter vpon the Smithes Lott & ther fitt himselfe ye building & otherwise for to doe some worke or ye trade for ye Twne in the behalfe of his Father wch is expected this next somer. Provided yt yf he cometh not in such a tyme as may be conceived fitting by our sayd society Then the sayd Josua shall leave ye sayd Lott and ye Towne to be at liberty to put in another Smith: aloweing vnto the sayd Josua his wholl Charges vpon the same to be alowed by 2: Judicious men"

The father, Joshua Fisher, apparently had not arrived by 28 August 1638, on which date Edward Kempe, blacksmith, was granted half the smith's lot. Joshua Sr. arrived with his second wife, Anne about 1639. He is first mentioned in the Dedham records on 23 March 1639/40. About 1650, they moved to the newly created Medfield.

Anthony was a member of the committee appointed to build a meeting house in Dedham, and on 28 July 1638, he was assigned his house lot.

Early Records of the Town of Dedham Vol 2, p. 5-7 describes the procedure used for establishing the church in Dedham. J. Allin and Mr. Wheelocke were appointed to admit worthy people to the church, but it was decided that more people were needed to make the judgement of worthiness, so eight people were to be chosen to form the core group.

The record, kept by Mr. Allen, says "Thes things agreed upo' every one went out in ther order & ther cases being scanned were caled in againe ye issue was this that J. Allin, Ralph Wheelocke, Jolm Luson, John Frayry, Eleaser Lusher & Robt Hindall were by generall consent agreed upon & called to p'ceed in preparing thems' & setting thems' apart for such a worke. Mr Edward Allin in regard to some offences wch ye co'pany could not at prsent clere up was desyred to waite till further concideration. Anthony Fisher by his rash cariage & speaches sauoring of selfe confidence &c had giuen some offence & ye company thought it meete to seeke ye humbling & tryall of his spiritt w'h some serious admonition from ye lord.... After this we had many meetings all ye 10 persons co'bining together some times spending ye time in fasting & prayer exercising ye guifts of prayer in ev'ry one at ther seasons & trying out-ye eases of thos 4 persons not formerly resolved upon, endeavouring by inquiry, observation, & hearing ther further answers to discover ye mind of god concerning the' either by clering up ther cases to satisfaction, or by following home admonitions from ye lord & meanes of further conviction as ther cases required yt we might see how thay would be humbled & moved further to seeke ye lord.

"... Anthony Fisher after some meetings was brought to see & acknowledge his failings in cariage of hims': but ye pride & Haight of his spiritt wher wth he was charged as ye root of it wch especially we endeavoured to haue him see & be humble for; that he could not see nor be brought until by many meetings & following home of ye means of conviction apon him, but at last ye lord by some p'tinent scriptures alleged wch did impute such effects to pride as ye cause of them did I so convince him & in an other meeting humbled him as yt ye company hoped well & tooke good satisfaction & w1h some exhortations to seeke ernestly for ye pardon & healing of thos evills & to keepe a dilligert watch over his hart we approved him as one for ye foundation of ye [church]."

p. 9 - "In this way of tryall I say some new objections were made against Edw: Allin wch yet at last were satisfied & he still joined to ye co'pany. And further offenses arising against Anthony Fisher wch could not be clered to ye satisfaction of ye p'ties offended not to ye co'pany *** scruples arising in divers minds of ye co'pany we were generally so usatisfied concerning him yt we wholy left him out of ye worke for ye prsent & desired him to be content to waite till yechurch was gathered & then to give further satisfaction."

P. 28 - "Mr Anthony Fisher mentioned in ye beginning after many offences given in his conv'rsation & much means used to convince & reduce him into order, at last after god had much humbled him & brought him to a penitent co'fession therof he was co'fortably received into ye church 14d 1m 1645.[March 14, 1645]."

Apparently not everyone found Anthony Fisher’s conduct offensive, because he was chosen Selectman in 1645 and 1647; County Commissioner September 3, 1660; Deputy to the General Court May 2, 1649; and woodreeve 1653-55, 1657-58 and 1661-62.

Dedham Selectmen’s Record pg183 shows a valuation of houses taken 1651 with Antho: Fisher Ju valued at 11 10 00

Alice had been accepted into the congregation at Dedham three years before her husband on 27 March, 1642. The church records show “_____ Fisher, y^e wife of Anthony Fisher.” She died in Dedham of 12 January 1662/3.

Ellice Fisher deceased of 12^th Janr: 1663, - i.e. Alice

Note: Her daughter in-law Leah, wife of Cornelius, died in childbirth the same day.

Anthony remarried in 14 November 1663, in Dorchester, Isabel (_____) (Rigby) Breck - widow of both John Rigby and Edward Breck.

In Dorchester, he was again chosen Selectman 1664-1666. ³

Anthony died 18 April 1671, in Dorchester, Norfolk, Massachusetts.

Isabel died: 22 June 1673,in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Sources:

NEHGS Register Vol. 151 [April 1997] pages 171 – 191 - The English Ancestors of Joshua and Anthony written by Myrtle Stevens Hyde and John Plummer (www.americanancestors.org)
Parish Records of Denton found at; http://www.obliquity.com/family/parish/fisher.html
Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts by William Richard Cutter p 256
Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts., Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).