Notes for JOHN ROE:

Son of ? and ?.
Born: 1628 in England.
Died: 1714 in Suffolk County, New York.
Buried: Cedar Hills Cemetery, Port Jefferson, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.
Occupation: Cordwainer (Shoemaker).
Married: Unknown Wife About 1655 in Unknown.

He settled first in Massachusetts. He was in Southold in 1652 or 1653, Southampton, Long Isla nd, NY in 1660, and in Drowned Meadows (later called Setauket now Brookhaven) in 1667. In 1690 he built a house which is now part of the Townsend House, a hotel in Drowned Meadows.

From 1652-1655 he was a member of the Train Band of Southold (militia??). He was given the home lot with nine acres that was laid out for a minister in Brookhaven on 6 Dec. 1667. Successively, he was elected fence viewer, overseer, trustee, collector, constable, and assessor. He was one of the witnesses to the will of Richard "Bull" Smith.

He was a shoemaker by trade, and agreed to follow his trade there. In his will dated 1711, he calls himself "Cordwainer" (shoemaker). Some records indicate she might be Hannah Purrier, the daughter of William Purrier 1599-1675 of Southold but his will shows he did not have a daughter named Hannah. Both the Historical Society and Brookhaven refer to his wife as Hannah but Torrey's research proves his wives as being Alice, Sarah and Elizabeth.

History of Orange County, New York Will August 1712
Pelletreau, William S., Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York, pub. as Collections of the New York Historical Society, Vol II 1708-1728, p. 136
In his will, he wrote: ...22 August, 1712. I, John Roe, of Brookhaven, in Suffolk County, being in health. I leave to my wife Sarah, whom I make sole executor, all my lands, messages and tenements, that is to say, my now dwelling house, with my land, orchard, and Commonage, and all household goods during her life. I leave one half of my meadow to my eldest son John, and the other half to my son Nathaniel. I give my wife full power to give and bequeath, if she thinks fit, £25 of movable goods, "to that child of mine that carrieth itself lovingest and kindest to her after my decease." I leave all the rest of my movables to my grand daughter, Mary Clark, and to my daughters, Mary Corwin and Elizabeth Mapes. Witnesses, William Davis, John Maxwell. Proved, July 27, 1714.