Published on: 09 Mar 2016
Updated: 24 May 2018
Researchers: Teresa Rust
Editors: Teresa Rust

List of his Descendants & Researchers

“John Edminstreire” is a name found on, A list of the passengers aboard the John and Sarah of London John Greene Mr. bound for New England, dated 11 Nov 1651. ~ Suffolk Deeds, LIBER I., Massachusetts, 1880. Google Books Online

Name Variations: Edmester, Edminster, Edminister, Edmunster, Edmister

First Generation in the New World

1. JOHN¹ EDMINSTER, was born presumably in Scotland about 1633/1638 and died after 1679. He married, first, at Charlestown, Massachusetts, by 1663, HANNAH (_____). He married, second, at Charlestown on 17 Jun 1679, by Magistrate Thomas Danforth the widow, SARAH (_____) T[H]OMPSON. Sarah is the widow of George THOMPSON a Scottish POW from the Battle of Dunbar.

Biographical Notes:
1. 1679 – “John Edmunster & Sarah Tompson, widow, m. by Mr. Thomas Danforth, Magist., June 17, 1679.” Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016).
2. 1688 – Charlestown, Massachusetts Census John Edmister. Massachusetts: Miscellaneous Censuses Substitutes, 1630–1788, 1840, 1890 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2013. From records supplied by Ancestry.com)
3. Could James Edmester in the Torrey’s marriage record below be another son of John?

Children of John and Hannah (_____) Edminster:
2. JOHN EDMINSTER, b. at Charlestown on 12 Mar 1665. SEE: Charlestown VR

SOURCES AND NOTES:

Published: 16 Dec 2014, Updated: 24 May 2019
Page contributors: Dr. Andrew Millard, Teresa Rust

John Boye, on the John and Sara Passenger List

(Roy, John. #95 on George S. Stewart’s Captured at Dunbar List. Probably the John Boye listed on the John & Sara and not a Dunbar prisoner.)

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 256, John is categorized as:

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

Roy/Boy, John. Residences: Charlestown MA. Appears: 1660. Probably the John Boy listed on the John & Sara and not a Dunbar prisoner. Kinsman to Alexander MacDonald. [Exiles; DR; SPOWS; Ch.7]

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

“The 17th of Janiae, 1662, a Tickett granted and given out to John Roy, of Charlestowne, for the Cutting and Carring of twelve cord fire wood from of the Comon, on Mistick side, by Selectmns order. James Cart, Recorder” Henry H. Edes, ed., A Report of the Record Commissioners Containing Charlestown Land Records, 1638 – 1802, (Boston: Rockwell and Churchill, 1883), 83.

From the old book published in 1913 by Lucien Thompson, History of Durham, New Hampshire (two volume set, vol. 2 was done by Everett Stackpole), there is an entry about Alexander MacDonell, John Roy‘s cousin. This part was under the section called “Exiles from Scotland” in Vol 1:
“The following deposition is found in Boston among the papers pertaining to the settlement of his estate: The testimony of Phillip Cheasly aged about forty six years saith that about ten dais before Ellexander MagDunell was drowned being att the sd deponents house heard the sd MagDunell say that if he died that he would give all that he had to his cosen John Roye livinge att Charlestown and further saith not.” dated 2 Feb. 1663.

Another little bit says this –
“Allexander MackDouel (often times in the old printing of text, “u’s” were used when an “n” was not available), was taxed at Oyster River in 1661, and his estate was taxed in 1663. He was drowned between York [Maine] and Dover [NH], 16 Jan. 1663, and his property was awarded to a kinsman, John ROY of Charlestown, Mass.”
FROM: Genforum

Exiles From Scotland

Published on: 09 Dec 2014
Updated: 03 Sep 2018

David Sterling is found on “a list of passengers aboard the John and Sarah of London” found in the Suffolk Deeds.

First Generation in the New World

1. DAVID¹ STERLING, was born, possibly in Hertfordshire, England about 1612 to 1622 and died at Charlestown (now Boston), Massachusetts in 1691.

Children of David and (_____) Sterling:
WILLIAM² STERLING, became a “freeman” in Massachusetts on May 11, 1681.

Sources and Notes:
Submitted by Janet per request at Facebook page:
“David Sterling was born in Hertfordshire, England in 1612/22 to James Stirling/Sterling from Keir, Scotland. David was one of the 272 Scottish Prisoners of the English Civil War, (Battle of Worcester), sent by Oliver Cromwell’s forces aboard The John and Sarah to the American Colonies (Charlestown, Mass) in 1651/52.** According to {*The Genealogical and Family History of Wyoming and Lackawanna Valley – Volume 1., pg 348. by: Horace E. Hayden, Alfred Land, and John Woolf Jordan} David Sterling died in Charlestown, Mass., in 1691. His Bankell/Hertfordshire Arms are listed in J. Matthew’s American Armoury and Blue Book (1907) Pg. 71 -(in the back of the book). David’s Son, William Sterling, became a “freeman” in Massachusetts on May 11, 1681*”

US Gen Web Archives: Lists of Scots Removed to New England