Zacharie Fitch

  Noted events in his life were:

• Emigration, Abt 1633, England to Lynn, Massachusetts. ²⁷⁸

• Background Information. ¹⁰¹
Zachary Fitch, the emigrant ancestor, of one branch of the Fitch Families of New England, came to Lynn about 1633. It is understood that he lived in Lynn a few years, and settled about 1640 in the South Parish of Reading, now Wakefield, where he lived until his death.

He was admitted freeman in 1638. He was an original member of the Church of Reading, and a Decon from 1645 until his death. He was a selectman, 1649, 1651, 1661 In the records of Reading he is frequently named, and in the colonial papers of his time the good character of the man is fully confirmed.

A facsimile of his autograph is found in the NEHGR, Vol 33, page 61, and other autographs are found in original papers. He wrote the name Zachrie, and his contemporaries frequently wrote it Zachary and Zachery, but the name of his son and many of his descendnets has taken the full form of Zachariah.

• Background Information. ⁵⁶¹
The published Parish Registers of St. Albans Abbey show that Zachary Fitch of Reading once lived here. The registers begin in 1558. They show a William Fitch who had a son, Hugh, baptized 14 Mar 1563/64. Hugh Fitch married, 13 Sep 1585, Anne Smith who was baptized 25 Sep 1567, the daughter of John and Joane (Roise) Smith. Hugh was buried 14 Apr 1620. The children of Hugh and Anne Fitch were: Mary, baptized 12 Feb 1586/87; John, baptized 13 Oct 1588; Jeremie, baptized 25 Jan 1589/90; Zacherie, baptized 16 Jan 1591/92; Anne, baptized 6 Jan 1593/94, died 26 Apr 1698.

Zacherie Fitch likey the emigrant to New England, had by wife Mary the children recorded in St. Albans: John, baptized 8 Apr 1621; Jeremie, baptized5 May 1622; Mary, baptized 7 Sep 1623; Zacherie, baptized 25 Jun 1626; Thomas, baptized 26 Oct 1628; a child baptized 21 Dec 1630; Sarah, baptized 20 Jun 1632/37; Robert, baptized 4 Mar 1634/35, who was perhaps the infant who was buried 18 Feb 1636/37.

The family then disappear from te St. Albans registers, and it probable that they came to New England in 1637, as Zacherie the father was admitted freeman 7 Sept 1638, this being the first record of him in the Americas.

On a bond signed about 1620 by Zacherie Fitch of St. Albans, his occupation is given as glover.

~The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Oct. 1903 pp. 415-416

• Children. ⁶⁴⁷
Known children of Deacon Zachary Fitch and his wife Marie:
Thomas, m. Martha Fisk
Jermiah, m. Esther______
Benjamin, m. Elizabeth Skerry
Sarah, m. John Weston
Joseph, b. 1634; m. Hannah Sweetser
John
Samuel, b. 6 Mar 1644/45; m. Sarah Lane
Zachariah, d. 20 Jun 1647

~History of the Fitch family A.D. 1400-1930, p. 225

Zacharie married Marie before 8 Apr 1621 in St. Albans Abbey, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England.⁶⁴⁷ (Marie was born in 1602 in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England and died in Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts.)