This is submitted by Phyllis D Purdy This is only for Trails use Bio: Robert CLements, son of Richard and Agnes Clements of Cosby was baptised at Cosby, Leicestershire, England on 14 Dec 1595 and died at Haverhill, Essex Co, MA, 29 September 1658. He married 1st, before 1615, Lydia, who was buried at Ansley, Warwickshire, England, 12 March 1642. This Lydia's maiden name is thought to be "Drummer" by some but no proof has been found. He married 2ns, before 1657, Judith, who after his death married John Whitney of Watertown, Middlesex Co, MA, and died in 1669. Robert Clements probably grew to manhood in the parish of Cosby. In 1617, his father, Richard Clements, died, and on 20 October in that year Robert Clements, then aged 23 years, was granted administration on his estate. (Act Book, Rerogative Court of Canterbury, 1615-18, Fol 133) Unfortunately the papers relating to Richard Clements estate are lost, only the record of the Commission to the administrator being preserved. In this same year, 1617,Robert Clements paid 60 pounds for land in Huncote, where he lived for a number of years. Huncote is in the parish of Narborough, Leicestershire. In 1619, his mother, Agnes Clements, died and the administration of her estate was granted at Leicester, 7 Aug 1619, to William Fellowes of Enderby. (Act Book, Co Leicester, 1604-1634) William Fellowes was evidently her son by a former marriage. In the record of the Commission she is called "Agnes Clements of Huncote", and was uncoubtedly living with her son, Robert Clements, at the time of her death. Robert Clements removed from Huncote to Ansley between 3 April 1620 and 22 November 1634. Ansley is a small market town in the northern part of Warwickshire. No record of the purchase of this land has been found, and while it may have been part of his inheritance from his father, it is also possible that it was his wife's portion as his sons of age join in its sale. In 1534, a Robert Clements purchased land at Broughton, and from the fact that his relatives were connected with that parish, it seems probably that our Robert Clements is identical to this man. Four years later, in 1638, he acquired land in Witherly. Robert Clement's wife, Lydia, died in 1642 and was buried at Ansley, 12 Mar 1642. Her parentage is unknown. She was the mother of all his children, and the fact that her memory is cherished is shown by the fact that each of these children named a daughter for her. One of her descendants, Percival Wood Clement, Governor of Vermont, had a bronze tablet to her memory set in the wall of Ansley Church. He was Governor 1919 to 1921. The tablet bears the following inscription: "In Memory of Lydia Clements Buried in this churchyard March 12, 1642 The wife of Robert Clements who emigrated to New England 1642 And became one of the founders of Haverhill, Massachusetts" It must have been the death of his wife that made Robert Clements decide to emigrate to New England. He was now a man of about 43 with property at Cosby, Huncote, Ansley and Witherly. Tradition makes him also interested in ships or "Ventures" on the sea. His son, Job, had been in New England in 1639. Two months after the death of his wife, Robert Clements sold his land at Witherly and with his sons, Job, John and Robert, and his daughters, Sarah and Lydia, sailed for America. His sons, Abraham and Daniel, aged about 20 and 18 respectively, he left behind in England, they being pledged to the Army of the Commonwealth. His daughter, Mary, aged about 5 years, he left in Coventry, probably with relatives until such time as she would be old enough to stand the hardships of the new life. Tradition states that Robert Clements came over on his own ship; no sailing list has been found. After their arrival in Massachusetts, Robert Clements and Tristram Coffin, who is believed to have come over in the same boat, followed Rev John Ward, Hugh Sherrat and others up the river to Pentucket, probably in the fall of 1642. Here the group bought from the Indians a tract of land called Passaconoway, where the city of Haverhill now stands. Haverhill, Essex Co, MA was named for Haverhill, England, the birthplace of Rev John Ward, the beloved pastor of the group of colonists. In the spring following the purchase of this land, Robert Clements cleared a portion of his land for "ye planting of ye corn". In 1645 Robert and his sons were named in a list of thirty two land holders at Haverhill. Robert Clements was made freeman in November, 1645. In 1647 he was appointed "Commissioner to end causes" in Haverhill. This office is equivalent to the present day Justice of the Peace. From 1647 to 1654, he served as deputy to the General Court and was succeeded in that office by his son, Lt John Clement. He was associate judge, county commissioner, and was appointed and empowered by the general court to give the oath of fidelity to the inhabitants of Haverhill. He was also appointed to set off public lands, fix their limit, etc. He held many public offices and was held in high esteem in the community. He must have been an innkeeper in 1653, when he was given permission by the Salisbury Court to sell wine in Haverhill. Robert Clement's youngest daughter, Mary, came to New England about 1652, and she married John OSgood of Andover, Essex Co, MA. She said in a deposition that she formerly lived in the city of Coventry, Warwickshire, England. She was one of those suspected of witchcraft in the great delusion of 1692. She was accused due to the illness of Joseph Ballard and his wife. Dudley Bradstreet issued a warrant for her arrest and she was taken to Salem for trial. She was examined before John Hawthorne, one of His Majesty's justices, in September 1692, and confessed that she was a witch and had been for 11 years, and had afflicted several persons. The minutes say that her husband was asked if she were telling the truth, and he said he believed her, whereupon she and a number of others of Andover were indicted, January, 1693, by the Grand Jury and William Stoughton and his Associates. Before this, on the 16th of October, she had recanted before Increase Mather, saying she was frightened and browbeaten by the examiners into making the confession. After about four months imprisonment she was released, with others, on the petition of Dudley Bradstreet and a number of citizens of Andover, who "had come to a better state of mind". In the New England records we find that there is much variation on the Clements surname; many simply appear as Clement, the final s being dropped. Robert Clement's will was dated 6 September 1658 and was proved 11:8:1658 Jeanne/jmh