Daniel Shedd

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ⁶¹⁹
Daniel Shed was born about 1620 in Finchingfield, Essex, England. His baptismal record found in England show that he was baptized 25 Jun 1620 in the ancient parish church of Finchingfield. His parents were Daniel and Sarah Shedde. It isn't know exactly when he emigrated to New England, but his name does not appear on any records in end for 1641/1642, so one can infer that this must have been the time he left England. The name Daniel Shed appears among those of the earliest settlers in ancient "Brantrey" as early as 1643.

It seems evident that Daniel Shed came to Braintree as a youth or young bachelor of small means, arrived there or became of age too late to become and original proprietor and grantee of lands, and did have the means to purchase an estate. So about the time of his marriage in 1646, he doubtless leased for a term of years from Rev. William Thompson the 120 acre neck granted to the later in 1939/40, and on account of Daniel Shed being the first resident on the tract it came to be generally know as "Shed's Neck." He stayed there for twelve years until 1658, when he moved to Billerica on the then frontier.

In the records, Daniel Shed shows up, 1 Oct 1645 among the names of men who were granted lands by the General Court. [Mass. Colonial Records, V.2, p. 128] In the "Brantrey's book of records" of births, marriages and deaths "beginninge in ye year 1643" seven of Daniel's children's birth are recorded between 1Oct 1647 and 30 Oct 1658. The name of their mother is given as Mary.

~Daniel Shed Genealogy, pp. 22, 29, 32-47

Daniel married Mary Gurney, daughter of John Gurney and Unknown.⁶¹⁹ (Mary Gurney was born about 1628 in England and died between 1658 and 1659 in Billerica, Massachusetts.)