John Manning

Notes:

Capt.John Manning tried for treason and cowardice
John Manning
MANNING, John, soldier, born in England; died probably in New York, after 1686. He is thought by some to be the same Captain John Manning who was in Boston about 1650, and to have been of the family of William Manning, merchant, of Cambridge and Boston. His employment in New York came through the recommendation of Samuel Maverick, who, in a letter of 16 September, 1663, to the Earl of Clarendon, lord high chancellor of England, commended Manning as one "who hath many years been a commander under Major-General Morgan, who hath given him a large and ample certificate, which he will shew you He is well known and beloved in New England, and will be fit for any employment in the militia." He came to New York in 1664, and in the same year accompanied the expedition for the reduction of Fort Orange, where he attended and was a witness to the first treaty that the English concluded with the Five Nations, and after the surrender of the place was left in charge of the fort. He was high sheriff of the city of New York from 1667 till 1672, in 1669 was a member of the commission that was sent to Esopus to regulate the affairs of that district, was judge of the court for the West Riding of Yorkshire, and acted as high sheriff of Yorkshire from 1671 to 1673. He enjoyed the confidence of Governor Lovelace, served as a member of his council, and when the governor was called to any distance from the city, Fort James and public affairs were placed in Manning's charge. While he was thus in command, in 16'73, the Dutch fleet arrived and demanded the surrender of the fort, which, after some resistance, was given up. He sailed for England, waited on the king and Duke of York, and explained to them the particulars of the surrender, on hearing which the king turned to the duke and said:" Brother, the ground could not be maintained with so few men." He returned to New York with Governor Andros, and was soon afterward tried by court-martial on charges of treachery and cowardice. He was acquitted of the former but found guilty of cowardice, and on 5 February, 1675, sentenced to have his sword broken over his head and rendered incapable of again holding office under his majesty, which sentence would scarcely seem justified from the facts of the surrender. He retired to the island that had been granted to him in 1688, then called " Manning's island," but since well known as Blackwell's island, where he was accustomed to entertain his friends.

JOHN MANNING, Capt., was an early resident and prominent figure in New York City. His career on land was as striking as on water. He was witness to an Indian deed in 1664; one of the commissioners of Esopus, 1669; sheriff of New York, 1667-72, and was commonly known as Captain Manning. He was in favor with Gov. Lovelace, and during the temporary absence of the latter from the city was often placed in command of Fort James. He was thus in command in 1673 when a hostile Dutch force appeared in the neighboring waters and demanded a surrender. After some parley the fort was delivered up to the enemy; a serious loss to the English. Capt. Manning soon sailed for England to explain the matter to the King. At that time he was still a sheriff, as appears by steps taken by the authorities to "pitch" upon a "a new Sheriff for Long Island East Riding." He left "divers debts and bills," and proceedings were begun to "wind up his estate." On the voyage to England his wife died. He appeared before the King and the Duke of York, who exonerated him, deciding that Fort James could not have been held with so small a force; but he did not find such clemency on his return to New York. Citizens who had suffered financial losses by reason of the surrender clamored for satisfaction, and Capt. Manning was put on trial on charges of treason and cowardice. Of the first he was acquitted, but was adjudged guilty of cowardice and sentenced to have his sword broken over his head and to be forever debarred from holding public office. Modern writers incline to pronounce the sentence severe and unjust, and agree with the royal powers that the strength of the Dutch was not to be defied. However, the citizens of that day had suffered money loss; a victim was wanted; they found one. After this Capt. Manning retired to an island owned by him and situated in the waters of the East River, where he passed his remaining years, entertaining freely and probably enjoying himself quite as well as in his days of power. He died later than 1685. It is not known that he left children of his own, and his island passed into the hands of Mary Manningham, said to have been a daughter of his wife by a former marriage. She m., 1676, Apr. 26, Robert Blackwell, whose name became permanently fixed upon the estate that had been Manning's, and which is now widely known as "Blackwell's Island," being the seat of many of the corrective institutions of New York county. An attempt has been made to connect Capt. John of New York, by inference, with Capt. John Manning of Boston. The known facts are decidedly against the theory and, indeed, seem to render it impossible. The writer who advances the theory (vide Appleton's Cyclopedia of Am. Biography) seems to base his suggestion upon a statement which may be quoted from his article on John of New York; as follows: "His employment in New York came through the recommendation of Samuel Maverick, who, in a letter of 16 Sept., 1663, to the Earl of Clarendon, lord high chancellor of England, commended Manning as one 'who hath many years been a commander under Maj-Gen. Morgan, who hath given him a large and ample certificate, which he will show you ... He is well known and beloved in New England.'" The present writer supposes this Samuel Maverick to be the same who had dwelt at Noddle's Island (East Boston), and, perhaps, the same of the name who was commissioner in New York; and his first-mentioned residence, together with the statement that Manning was "well known" in New England, might seem to bear out the inference, but all further facts are against it. According to Lamb's History of New York, Capt. John of the latter place "had formerly commanded a trading vessel between New Haven and New York." JOHN MANNING was owner and captain, as early as 1653, Nov., of a vessel in which he made trading voyages along the coast of Conn., N. Y. and Va., and probably other places. It was a time when the troubles between the English and Dutch were in full force, and trade with the latter was prohibited by royal decree of England; but when Manning brought his vessel into the harbor at Milford, Ct., in the spring of 1654, he was detained and brought before the General Court at New Haven, the vessel being left at Milford. Being formally put on trial he was charged with having traded with the Dutch at Manhatoes [New York], "and so furnishing the enimies of the comonwealth of England wth provissions;" but he defended himself so energetically that, being also favored by an influential witness, who intended going with him as a passenger, he was about to be released under bonds when news was received that Manning's men had "wth a high hand and threatening speeches, caryed away" the vessel out of Milford harbor, but had been "pursued by a shallopp well manned and armed," and the vessel recovered. Manning denied all knowledge of this defiant step, but when witnesses testified that the crew had acted under his explicit orders, the trial went on. It was shown that he had on several occasions carried cargoes of bread, tobacco, wine, etc., from Va. to N. Y. He produced papers showing that he was in good favor with Sir Henry Moody and others of Gravesend, near New York, and, in the face of strong evidence, persisted in denying [ref 13:801] that he had in any way traded with the Dutch; but the finding of the Court was against him. He was fined 20 shillings for "two lyes (at least)," and his vessel, being adjudged a lawful prize, was confiscated and ordered to "be sould at Millford on Tuesday next, at three a clocke in ye afternoone, by an inch of a candell, he that offers most to have her" (New Haven Colonial Records, 1653-1665, p. 69). [ref 13:802]

John married Abigail Maverick in 1640 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. Abigail (daughter of Rev John Maverick and Mary Gye) was born on 20 Mar 1613 in Awliscombe, Devon, England; died on 25 Jun 1644 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA; was buried on 25 Jun 1644 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 20 Mar 1613
• Arrival: 1630, Nantasket Beach, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Notes:

William Manning (Sr.) and his son William both traveled to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in approximately 1634. It is not known whether they traveled on the same ship. William Manning's first wife, whose name is no longer known, died during the voyage. After arrival, he was to remarry. This second wife, named Susannah (her maiden name is no longer known), would die at Cambridge on Oct. 16, 1650.
Immediately following their arrival in the Colony, the Manning family took temporary lodgings in Roxbury for nine or ten weeks. Being of some means (by modern standards probably comfortable middle class), they soon purchased property in Cambridge (a house and garden), together with some outlying land for crops and such.
The original homestead was at the southwest corner of what are now called Mount Auburn and Holyoke Streets, just a block south of Harvard Square. There is, at present, a house on this site which is very old, but it is probably a replacement dwelling for the original Manning Homestead.
William Manning Sr. would eventually return to Boston, where he died, probably in 1666, at the age of 74. Uncertainty exists regarding the dates of both his birth and death. At the time of his death, he was living in Boston, where he had joined the First Church. The location of his grave is no longer known.
William Manning Jr. remained at Cambridge in a house located at the southeast corner of Dunster and South Streets, diagonally across from a warehouse he also owned. He was known as a waterman, and a memorail plaque nearby identifies the location of Manning Wharf, at that time quite close to the banks of the Charles River. He married Dorothy (whose maiden name is no longer known) at a date which is uncertain.
William Jr. was a very successful merchant, and became one of the most respected members of the Cambridge community. Perhaps the crowning achievement of his life was the rebuilding of Harvard.
Harvard was founded at Cambridge in 1636. The original College building was in need of serious repair by 1672, and in that year, the General Court of the colony appointed William Manning Jr., and a church deacon named John Cooper, to oversee the task of rebuilding Harvard College. Of the two, Mr. Manning was to manage the business of rebuilding, while Deacon Cooper was to officially represent the Church.
The task was difficult almost beyond imagining. Funding for the project was raised by subscription at all the surrounding parishes, whose needs for ordained ministers were met exclusively by Harvard. It was Mr. Manning's task to convert their promises into negotiable currency, contract with craftsmen for the work required, and in general oversee the entire task. Collecting on these pledges required considerable creativity. Often poor, the parishes could only pay in goods, such as pigs, chickens, or grain. Managing the construction became an exercise in trade and barter, requiring excellent business skills. At the same time, persuading the parishes to make good on their pledges required much political skill, as many were unwilling or unable to fulfill their promises.
He accomplished this task with such resounding success that his reputation in the community was elevated until he was perhaps one of its most respected members. In matters of business and money, he was trusted implicitly by all of Cambridge. The building was opened in 1677, and commencement exercises from the College were held there in that year. Completely finished in 1682, the building was named Harvard Hall. It measured 42 feet by 99 feet and was four stories tall. It stood for 82 years, until destroyed by fire on Jan. 24, 1764. A modern building, also named Harvard Hall, stands on the site.
William Manning Jr. was often chosen for public office in the Colony. He was a Selectman (a member of their legislative body), and served as an official emissary of the Church to England, in the recruiting of important new ministers. He died "full of years and honors", an ancestor to be proud of.
William Jr. and Dorothy Manning had six children. Of the two boys, one (John) lived to the age of 29. He never married. The other, Samuel, was born on July 24, 1644. Samuel would carry on the Manning name, establish a family home at Billerica, Massachusetts, marry twice, and father 14 children, among them 7 sons.
William Jr. died at Cambridge on March 14, 1691, at the age of 77. Dorothy died on July 26, 1692, at the age of 80. They are buried side by side in the old cemetery at Christ Church, near Harvard Square, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Garden Street. Their tombstones may still be seen there.

William Manning , the founder of his family in America, came to the Colony of Massachusetts Bay at an early date, probably sometime in the 1630’s. Where he came from originally is not known for sure, but as the Mannings had long been a numerous family in England, and as he came contemporaneously with the migration of other emigrants from that country, it is certain that he was from a branch of that ancient family.

His reason seems to have been to follow the teachings of Rev. Mr. Hooker, an eminent minister of Chelmsford County Essex, England. It is believed the William and his wife probably heard Mr. Hooker preach at Chelmsford, and that there were among those who wished to secure the privileges of worshiping God according to the dictates of their own conscience, seeking first asylum in Holland and afterwards crossing the ocean to the new land. Nothing is known of his first wife except that she made the voyage with him, dying before they reached their destination.

William lived, for his first nine or ten weeks in the new land, at Roxburg, Massachusetts (this town has since been annexed as part of the city of Boston). He then moved to Cambridge, where the Rev. Hooker was then pastor. This was probably in about 1634.

In 1636, due to the dissatisfaction of the pastor’s “flock” in Cambridge, “because of want of accommodations of their cattle and room for new settlers”, many of the families and their leader Mr. Hooker, moved to Connecticut. By this time, however, it seems that, either because of attachment to his new home, or the ties of business, William was unable to join that portion of the flock to follow their beloved pastor, but instead remained in Cambridge.

His trade or business is not known, but it seems probably that, like his son, he was a merchant, a business he no doubt followed while yet in England.

He owned a house and other lots of land, but the records as to the deeds and sales, is not complete on holdings at that time.

His homestead was at the southwest corner of Mount Auburn and Holyoke Streets later named Spring and Crooked Streets respectively. This is only a short distance south of Harvard square.

He was made a freeman in 1640, which meant that he was made a church member and voter.

He lost his second wife Susannah by death in 1650, and at sometime later moved to Boston, where he united with the First Church in 1664. Here he remarried to Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) and she survived him.

The date of his death is unknown, but it is thought to be about 1666, and his birth is thought to have been prior to 15692.

The record of his children is very vague, that he had only one son to reach manhood is probable. He may have had daughters, some may have remained in England. As far as present knowledge goes, however, his descendants of the following generation seem to have been limited to William born about 1614 in England, and Hannah (the certainty as to which of William’s wives was her mother is not possible. It is thought that she married a David Walsby of Braintree, Massachusetts and had two sons.

William Manning is thought to have been born prior to 1592. He came to the Colony of Massachusetts Bay sometime in the 1630's from a large and ancient family in England. His reason seems to have been to follow the teachings of Rev. Hooker, an eminent minister of Chelmsford County Essex, England. It is believed that William and his wife probably heard Mr. Hooker preach at Chelmsford and that they were among those who wished to secure the privileges of worshiping God according to the dictates of their own conscience, seeking first asylum in Holland and later crossing the ocean to the new land. Nothing is known of his first wife except that she made the voyage with him, dying before they reached their destination.William lived for the first nine or ten weeks in the new land at Roxburg, Massachusetts, which has since been annexed as part of the city of Boston. He then moved to Cambridge where Rev. Mr. Hooker was then pastor. This was probably in about 1634. In 1636, due to the dissatisfaction of the pastor's flock in Cambridge, "because of want of accommodations of their cattle and room for new settlers", many of the families and Mr. Hooker moved to Connecticut. By this time, however, it seems that either because of attachment to his new home or the ties to business, William was unable to join that portion of the flock to follow their beloved pastor, but instead remained in Cambridge. His trade or business is not known, but it seems probable that like his son, he was a merchant, a business he no doubt followed while in England. He owned a house and other lots of land, but the records as to deeds and sales, is not complete on holdings. His homestead was at the southwest corner of Mount Auburn and Holyoke Streets, later renamed Spring and Crooked Streets, respectively. This is only a short distance south of Harvard Square. He was made a freeman in 1640 which meant that he was made a church member and voter. He lost his second wife, Susannah by death in 1650 and sometime later moved to Boston, where he united with the First Church in 1664. Here he married Elizabeth (maiden name unknown) and she survived him. The record of his children is vague, that he probably had only one son reach manhood, and he may have had daughters, some of whom may have remained in England. His descendants are thought to be only William (born about 1614 in England) and Hannah (her mother is not known). She was believed to have married David Walsby of Braintree, Massachusetts and they had two sons.
The date of his death is unknown, but is thought to be about 1666.

Died:
William Manning Sr.’s will, written by an unknown person, was drawn shortly before his death, and is on file in the Suffolk County [Mass.] Probate Office.

In his will, “Willyam Maninge” of Boston in new england, county of Suffolk, left his whole estate to his wife ”Elizabeth Maninge” during the rest of her natural life. At her death, he willed only one third of what remained of his before “this last marriage” to his son Samuel, since through the providence of God he has “a good estate”. The other two thirds he bequeathed to his grandchild Samuel Walsbie. His desire was that this grandchild Samuel Walsbie might be “put to a trade” according to the discretion of his wife and overseers. He signed his will with an “X”, his mark.

William married Mary Elizabeth. Mary was born in 1600 in Taunton, Chard, Somerset, England; died in 1634. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 28 Dec 1578

Rev married Mary Gye on 28 Oct 1600 in Ilsington, Devon, England. Mary was born on 28 Oct 1580 in Awliscombe, Devon, England; died on 9 Oct 1666 in Boston, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]