John Hawkes was also known as John Hawks. John Hawkes was born between 1590 and 1617 at England. He immigrated in June 1630 to Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts; with the Winthrop Fleet. On 3 September 1634 John Hawkes was listed as a freeman at Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. In the Windsor land inventory on February 4, 1640/41, "John Hawkes hath granted from the plantation" four parcels: "an homelot with the addition eight acres" (annotated "sold to Joseph Gylitt"); 'in the Great Meadow two acres" (annotated "sold to Nathan[ie]ll Winchel"); "over the Great River ten rod in breadth, more or less, the length from the river back to the east three miles" (annotated "sold to John Osband"); and "also at Paquanick, on the north side of the river, in meadow four acres, besides allowance for swamp, & adjoining to it twenty acres of upland" (annotated "sold to David Williams [16]62 October 13"). He married
Elizabeth Browne, daughter of
William Browne and
Lydia Ward, circa 1642. John Hawkes served on the Connecticut petit jury on 1 March 1648/49. He held the position of tax collector on 6 February 1649/50. At a meeting held at Nathaniel Ward's house in Hartford, 18 Apr 1659, John was among those present who signed the agreement to remove from Connecticut to Massachusetts. He removed to at Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, circa 1660. He died on 30 June 1662 at Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. He was buried on 30 June 1662 at Hadley Cemetery, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. On 31 March 1663 "John Hawkes of Hadley dying intestate the inventory of his estate was presented to this Court & is in [illegible], and in reference to settlement of said estate the Court orderd with the advice of friends & the widow's free consent & desire that her son John shall when he becomes to the age of 22 years have a third part of her homelot, her housing only excepted & a third part of all her lands in Hadley & a young horse, and that her daughter Elizabeth shall have the sum of twenty pounds at her day of marriage in such pay as the estate will afford, and that her son Elezur shall have twenty poundw when he attains the age of one & twenty years in such pay as the estate will afford, and that her son Gerson shall have the sum of twenty pounds at the age of one & twenty years in such pay as the estate will afford, and that the next four daughters shall have the sum of fifteen pounds apiece to be paid to each of them as they shall attain the age of one & twenty years, and power of administration is granted to said widow Hawkes in reference to the said estate".
On 28 September 1669 "John Hawkes late of Hadley deceased, dying intestate, there was an order of the Court ast Northampton in March 1663 settling the estate in respect of the widow HawKes & portions for the children, but there being no security orderd for the payment of the children's poprtions, this Court ordereth upon the deire of Robert Hinsdall & his wife the mother of the said children tha the housing & lands at Hadley which were the estate of John Hawkes shall stand as security for the children's portions excepting those lands that young John Hawkes hath received as his portion by the former Court order".
On 27 September 1681 "the widow Elizabeth Hinsdall administratix to the estate of her former husband John Hawks, as by the Court act March 31: 63 appears presenting a petition to this Court wherein she shews how she would dispose of her remaining estate by her former husband Hawks in Hadley which by God's Providence she is again come to live upon, that is to say that her sons Eliezur and Gershom Hawks who are yet unmarried & have their portions to receive should have the said portions paid them out of some of her husband Hawks lands, she declaring that the other children's portions are paid them according to the Court's settlement, and signifying that she with her two sons Eliezer and Gershom Hawks have come to this agreement, that they shall improve the whole remainder of estate or lands as abovesaid in Hadley together with their own shares for the yearly maintenance of their mother while she shall live & so gave conditioned mutually that the said Eliezer & Gershom shall have the whole betwixt them at her decease, as by writings drawn & signed & sealed between them appears, and the widow mother signifying her desires that the said lands may be confirmed to them as aforesaid by this Court they perfroming the agreement to her this Court likes well of the petition and appoint the lands to her said sons after her decease".