Daniel Shed Biography

Daniel was born in Finchingfield, Essex, England, in June of 1620. He was baptized at St. John the Baptist Church in Finchingfield on June 25, 1620.

Daniel Shed came to Braintree a youth or young bachelor of small means, arrived there or became of age too late to become an original proprietor and grantee of lands, and did not have the means to purchase an estate. So about the time of his marriage in 1646 he had leased for a term of years from Rev. William Thompson the 120-acre neck granted to the latter in 1639/40, and on account of Daniel Shed being the first resident on the tract it came to be generally known as "Shed's Neck." Here he evidently lived about twelve years until 1658, when perhaps the expiration of his lease or the destruction of his house by fire together with the opening up of cheap land in the new town of Billerica on the then frontiers induced him to move to the latter place.

He married Mary Gurney in 1647 in Braintree, MA. His name appears in the records of "Brantrey" Massachusetts as early as 1643. (Braintree was settled in 1635.) Brantrey's Book of Records beginning in 1643, records the births of 7 children to Daniel & his wife Mary between 1 Oct 1647 & 30 Oct 1658. Mary would have died about 1658-59 in Braintree.

Daniel married secondly, Elizabeth, about 1659. Four more children were born by this marriage.

Daniel passed away in Billerica on July 3rd, 1708.

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9/27/19