The Story of John Gollop The Immigrant
(from the Gallup genealogy, ed. 1893)
John Gollop, the ancestor of
most of the families of that name in this country, came to America from the Parish of
Mosterne, County Dorset, England, in the year 1630.
He was son of John Gollop, who married -
Crabbe, who was son of Thomas and Agnes (Watkins) Gollop, of North Bowood and Strode, and
whose descendants still own and occupy the manors of Strode.
He was thirty-three years old at the time of
the visitation of Dorset, 1623.
He married Christobel, whose full name does not
appear, and careful research has failed to discover it. [as of this writing in 1893.]
He sailed from Plymouth, England, March 20,
1630, in the ship Mary and John, arriving at Nantasket, now Hull, May 30th. His
wife and children following in 1633.
He went first to Dorchester, but was soon after
a resident of Boston. He was admitted to the First Church, January 6, 1634. His wife,
Christobel, June 22, 1634. He was made a freeman in April of same year. "He was one
of the earliest grantees of land at the northerly part of the town, where he had a
wharf-right and house." The locality was known by the name of Gallop's point, and was
the southeast part of the peninsula, at the north end of the town.
We find his name first in the town records in
1636, on page 10 where occurs the following entry: "Item: It is ordered that John
Gallop shall remove his payles at his yarde ende within 14 days, and to rainge them even
with the comer of his house, for the preserving of the way upon the Sea Bancke." This
was probably the origin of Middle street, now known as Hanover street. --- Extract from an
article in Boston Transcript, April,13, 1883, by James H. Stark.
He owned Gallup's Island, where he had a snug
farm, with a meadow on Long Island, a sheep pasture on Nix Mate, and a house in Boston.
He was a skilful mariner, well acquainted with
the harbor around Boston, and in the habit of making frequent trading expeditions along
the coast in his own vessels. One of these expeditions was made forever memorable by the
encounter of the murderers of his friend, John Oldham. [See Appendix,
p.G6, for a full account of this first naval exploit off Block Island, July, 1636]
After the settlement of Rhode Island and
Connecticut, his vessel furnished about the only means of communication between the two
colonies. At one time there was considerable anxiety in the Rhode Island colony, for John
Gallup was delayed in his trip. Soon after, Roger Williams writes Governor Winthrop,
beginning in this manner: ".God be praised John Gallop has arrived."
He achieved great distinction by piloting in
the ship Griffin, a ship Of 300 tons, in September, 1633, through a new found channel,
when she had on board the Rev. John Cotton, the Rev. Thos. Hooker, Rev. Mr. Stone, and
other fathers of New England among her two hundred passengers. Besides these, it is
supposed that Mr. Gallop's wife and children were on board.
He died in Boston, January 11, 165o. His wife,
Christobel, died in Boston, September 27, 1655. His will and that of his wife's are among
the earliest on record, and may be found in the Appendix.*
In this connection, an extract from a letter
written by Governor Winthrop to the Rev. John White, of England, referring to John of
Masterne, will be enjoyed:
**I have much difficultye to keepe John Gallop here, by reason his wife will not come. I
marvayle at the woman's weaknesse. I pray, persuade and further her coming by all means.
If she will come let her have the remainder of his wages; if not, let it be bestowed to
bring over his children, for so he desired. It would be about, �40 losse to him to come
for her.
Your assured in the Lords worke, J. WINTHROP,
MASSACHUSETTS, July 4, 1632."
*Gathered from Winthrop's History.
** Found among Gov. Winthrop's papers.
Possibly, Governor Winthrop's pleasure, that
the "woman's weaknesse " had been overcome, enabling her to join her husband,
prompted the gift of Gallop's Island in commemoration of the successful piloting, by her
happy husband, of the ship which bore her and so many distinguished ones safely into
Boston Harbor.
Surely the evening of that eventful September day found no happier man in the settlement
than John Gallop, whose stout heart had never, for a moment, failed him or his friends in
any of the stern emergencies of those early days; yet had grown weary enough in the
prolonged waiting for wife and children, by a lonely fireside, for which he had little
more courage than some descendants that bear his name.
On the frontier, men live in heart to heart
contact with one another, the interests of one are the interests of all.
Governor Winthrop and family devoutly shared
his joy; the arrival of the Governor's family, and the great rejoicing upon that event,
when amid the resounding welcome of artillery, "the judges of the court and most of
the people of the town went to salute them," occurred but two years before, and
doubtless there were many friends to heartily greet the good wife, the only daughter, and
three brave lads of John Gallop. Among them all none nearer than the friend, John Mason,
with him in the military school in Holland, companion through the voyage on the "Mary
and John," and ever after these two were as close friends as peculiar associations
and strong natures could make them.
The doubting heart of Christobel, for whom the
home in the wilderness and the uncertainties of the voyage seems to have had no
attraction, must have been cheered by the warmth of her welcome to the new land, and the
kindly and hospitable efforts in her behalf which surely followed, and one can readily
believe that in time her steadfast heart became almost as firmly attached to their new
home and country as it had before been to dear old EngIand, never forgotten in the new
attachment.
She evidently took kindly to no new ways
without ample time for consideration of their merits. Her husband always preceded her; she
did not become a member of the First Church until six months after his admission to the
same. But that the "heart of her husband did safely trust in her even to the end,
" is assured by the peculiarly respectful, considerate, and affectionate terms and
provisions of his will; testifying to his confidence in her excellent judgment when her
decisions were reached - and one time more he went before her, taking leave for the Better
Country, some six years before the time of her departure therefor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Gathered from Winthrop's and Trumbull's Histories.)
In the beginning of 1630 a church was gathered
at Plymouth, England, of persons who intended to come to North America in order to enjoy
civil and religious privileges. Some time before the 20th of March just as they were about
to embark for New England, upon a day of solemn fasting and prayer, they were formed into
a Congregational church at the new hospital at Plymouth. They then made choice of Rev.
John Warham and Rev. John Maverick to be their pastor and teacher. They were ordained or
re-installed to the care of this particular church. The famous Mr. White of Dorchester,
preached on this occasion. Mr. Warham had been a noted minister in Exeter, the capital of
the county of Devonshire. -They sailed from Plymouth, England, on the 20th of March, 1630,
in the Mary and John, a ship of 400 tons which had on board 140 persons and arrived at
Nantasket, (now Hull) Mass., on the 30th of May. The next day Captain Squeb, the master of
the vessel, put them and their goods on shore and left them to shift for themselves
notwithstanding his engagement to bring them up the Charles river. (The captain was
afterwards obliged to pay damages for this conduct. ) But by the assistance of some of the
old planters they obtained a boat and proceeded up the Charles river to the place since
called Watertown. Here they landed their goods and erected a shelter to cover them, but as
they had many cattle and found a neck of land at Mattapan, affording good accommodations
for them they all removed to this place and began a settlement there in the early part of
June. They named the place Dorchester because many of them came from a town of that name
in England. They were chiefly from the counties of Devonshire, Dorsetshire and Somershire.
They were a very godly and religious people and many of them, persons of note and figure,
being dignified with the title of Mr., which few in those days were. Some of the principal
men were Mr. Rosseter, Mr. Ludlow, Mr. Glover, Mr. Wolcott, Mr. Gallop and others. It
seems that many of these people were trading men and at first designed Dorchester for a
place of commerce, but the channel being poor and the landing difficult, and Boston and
Charlestown harbor far from commodious, they desisted from that design and many of them
moved afterwards to Boston and other places.
In the summer of 1635, Rev. John Warham removed
with his congregation to Windsor, Conn., and began the settlement of that town.
Rev. Ebenezer Rosseter, great grandson of Mr.
Edward Rosseter, who came to Dorchester with Mr. Warham, was ordained over First
Congregational church at Stonington in 1722, and continued there till his death in 1762.
Matthew Grant, the ancestor of General U. S.
Grant, was also a passenger on the Mary and John, and removed with
Mr. Warham to Windsor, Conn. (Along with Rev. Warham there were two other ministers who
came over in the Mary and John in 1630, Rev. John Wilson and Rev. George
Phillips)
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