John, Sr., Rebecca and William Bly

John, Sr., Rebecca and William Bly

-John Bly, Sr. was about 57 years old

-Rebecca’s age at this time is not known. She is probably a few years younger than John, Sr.

-William was 15 years old

-Since John is referred to as “Senior”, they must have had at least one other child, probably older than William, also named John.

-There is a record from 1692 which says that a Rebecca Bly married a James Gillingham in May of 1692. Perhaps the Blys had a daughter also named Rebecca.

-They lived in Salem Town

-A record from 1673 speaks of a John Bly who did not comply with the law and teach his children how to “read perfectly the English tongue.” (This may have been John, Sr.’s father if not John Sr. There are other places where a Sr. has actually been named for his father.)

-A record from 1676 says that the town selectman agreed to let John Bly (also spelled Bligh) have a tract of land “to make bricks in”. This means, he may not just have been a farmer.

-A record from 1677 says that a “John Bligh, laborer” was asked, along with any male 16-years-old and older, to swear an oath of allegiance to England on April 1,1677.

-A record from 1693 says that John Bly was granted permission to “sell cider at his dwelling house”.

-A record from March, 1699 says that “John Bligh and his family, who belonged in Boston” were asked to leave Salem because they were in need of financial support from the town and had never actually been accepted as residents in the town.

-However, another record from 1702 says that John Bly of Salem was asked to sail with the ship Flying Horse under Capt. Thomas Larrimore.

NOTE: There were probably more than one Bly family. Some or all of these items may be true about the Blys in Cry Innocent, however it is very difficult to know which Bly family is being referred to.