Darling, George

Published on: 15 December 2014, Updated: 22 February 2020
Page contributors: Margaret Curry, Robert Eaton Hoog, Dr. Andrew Millard, Teresa Rust

George Darling, #8 on the “Scots at Lynn 1653” List

IMPORTANT UPDATE! (July 2018)
According to, Christopher Gerrard, Pam Graves, Andrew Millard, Richard Annis, and Anwen Caffell, in, Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650, (England: Oxbow Books, 2018), on page 246, George is categorized as:

Definite [that he is a Dunbar prisoner transported on the Unity]

Darling/Darlin/Darland/Darlain, George. Residences: Lynn, Salem, Marblehead MA. Appears: 1652. B.c.1617. D.1693. [Exiles; Banks; DR; SPOWS; Ch.7 & 8]

For explanations of the category, abbreviations and references see List of Dunbar prisoners from Lost Lives, New Voices.

For more information please contact the descendants/researchers of George Darling. Thank you! 🙂

First Generation in the New World

1. GEORGE¹ DARLING, was born in Scotland about 1617 and died at Salem, Massachusetts after 12 April 1693. He married at Salem, Massachusetts on 31 March 1657, KATHERINE GRIDLEY. See: Torrey’s below

Biographical Notes:
George Darling was a friend of Ingrum Moodie (Ingraham Moody), George’s widow and Ingrum are in probate documents together. There are three “Darland” girls all baptised the same day in Lynn on 20 Nov 1681. They are Abigail, Hanna, and Martha. Could they be daughters of George Darling? or another George DARLAND?

Children of George and Katherine (Gridley) Darling:
2. JAMES DARLING, born probably at Salem between 1657-1667; (named in will)
2. JOHN DARLING, born probably at Salem; (named in will)
2. DANIEL DARLING, born probably at Salem; (named in will)
2. THOMAS DARLING, ; (named in will)
2. JOSEPH DARLING, b. at Lynn, Massachusetts in March 1667 See: Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850, Lynn Births, page 127. (check will)
2. HANNAH DARLING, (named in will)
2. SARAH DARLING, (named in will)
2. MARGARET (Margrott) DARLING, (named in will)
2. BENJAMIN DARLING, (named in will); b. at Salem in 1672; d. 1709; m. at Lynn, Int. 29 Oct 1698, MARY RICHARDS. See: Torrey’s below
2. HENRY DARLING, (named in will)

From Meg Curry in October 2019:
“According to probate records from 1693 for George Darling, which are available on the American Ancestors database (owned by the New England Historic Genealogical Society), it appears that the oldest living son of George and Katherine Darling of Salem, Massachusetts, at the time of George’s making his will, was a James Darling. He was named executor of George’s estate. George Darling’s will leaves most all of the estate to James, with provisions for Katherine as well as George’s other living children, John, Daniel, Thomas, Benjamin, Henry, Hannah, Sarah, and Margaret. Source: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, Volume 6000 to 7999, Case #7168, pp.1-17 at https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/essex-county-ma-probate-file-papers-1638-1881/RecordDisplay?volumeId=13764&pageName=7168:1&rId=245200950.”

Second Generation

2. JAMES DARLING, (inherited most of estate in will), probably born at Salem between 1657 and 1667 (assuming he was old enough to inherit), was still living in 1693 and inherited most of his father’s estate.

2. JOHN DARLING, (named in will)

2. DANIEL DARLING, (named in will)

2. THOMAS DARLING, (named in will); married, first, at Salem/Middleborough? by 1690/1, JOANNA _____. See Torrey’s Below. Probably married, second, at Salem on 27 Apr 1704, SARA BRUXTON (needs to be confirmed).

Children of Thomas and Joanna (_____) Darling:
MARY DARLING, b. at Salem on 16 Mar 1690/1
MARGARET DARLING, b. at Salem on 04 Jun 1695
ELIZABETH DARLING, baptised at Salem on 19 May 1700

Children of Thomas and Sara (Bruxton) Darling:
JOSEPH DARLING, baptised at Salem on 13 Jul 1707.
ELIZABETH DARLING, baptised at Salem on 23 Jul 1710.
JONATHAN DARLING, baptised at Salem on 06 Jul 1712.

2. JOSEPH DARLING, b. at Lynn, Massachusetts in March 1667 See: Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850, Lynn Births, page 127. (check will) May have died before his father.

2. HANNAH DARLING, (named in will)

2. SARAH DARLING, (named in will)

2. MARGARET (Margrott) DARLING, (named in will)

2. HENRY DARLING, born c1671; (named in will); married at Marblehead on 24 Feb 1697/8, JOANNA MITCHILL.

2. BENJAMIN² DARLING, (George¹), was born at Salem in 1672 and died in 1709. He married at Lynn after the date of intention 29 Oct 1698, MARY RICHARDS, the daughter of JOHN AND MARY (BREWER) RICHARDS. She married, second, in Plympton on 16 Nov 1715, JONATHAN SHAW. (NEH&G Register, Oct. 1997, page 420, “John Shaw of Plymouth Colony”.) (named in will) See: Torrey’s below

SOURCES AND NOTES:
“Major Timothy Darling (born March 31, 1731 in Lynn MA) descendant of George Darling SPOW (Unity), fought at Lexington and Bunker Hill. Supposedly George Washington sent him to spy on the British in and around Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence. Major Timothy was captured and hanged at Mount Independence.”

“George Darling was born in about 1620 in Scotland. He was a prisoner of war of the battle of Dunbar in 1650. He was sent to Massachusetts as an indentured servant. He married Katherine in about 1656 and they had ten children. George died in 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts. Descendants and relatives lived mainly in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.” From, Martin, Lou Ella Johnson and William Albert Martin. George Darling of Lynn and Marblehead and Some of His Descendants, 1650-1920 (Massachusetts: Creative Continuum, 2001)

Hill, Aaron J.. “George Darling at the Battle of Dunbar” (“Aaron Hill’s Notebook,” Blog at WordPress)

American Ancestors Online: www.americanancestors.org: “Will of George Darling dated 12 Apr 1693, Case #7168, in Salem, Massachusetts.”

On 5 May 2017, Robert Eaton Hoogs wrote: “Please add me as a descendant and researcher of George Darling. George1, Thomas2, John3, Joseph4, Huldah5, Christina6, Julia Eveline Maguire7, Lydia Mae Cross8, Warren Everett Hoogs9, Robert E. Hoogs10.
Also George1, Thomas2, Thomas3, Benjamin4, Joseph5, Huldah6, etc…
Thank you.
Robert Eaton Hoogs, Monterey, MA USA”