James Bly Research

From "Records of the First Church in Cambridge, 1632-1830" by Stephen Sharples (Boston: Eben Putnam, 1906) p. 10 [p. 16] [all the following are together in one group] List of Members, 1658-1667 Elizabeth Green the wife of Barholmew deceased, is a member in full Communio[n] with this ch[urch] Justice Bainbrick the widow of Guy Bainbrick deceased, is memb. in full communio[n]. Samuel Green Son of Elizabeth beforenamed is in full com. So also was Jane his wife (daughter to ye foresaid Justice Bainbrick) now deceased. Children born to the said Samuel & Jane Green Elizabeth Sarah Samuel Joseph Lydia - deceased Sept. 24, 1665. Deborah all borne & baptized in this Ch[urch]. Jonah Green the Son of Samuel & Sarah baptized Jan. 31, 1663 Lydia baptized Nov, 12, 65. Bartholomew bap: Nov. 3, 67. Nathaniel Green & Phoebe Green (children of the fornamed Bartholomew & Elizabeth are also in full Communio[n]

From the "Records of the Town of Cambridge MA 1630-1703" (Cambridge: City, 1901) p. 31, [p. 11] 1638, 5 March "John Russells & Sam: Greene are appointed to loo[k] unto the fence in the westfeild & Retourne in account to the townsmen. p. 203 [p. 90] July 8, 1672 ... granted to samuel green liberty to sell sume timber to make an addishon to his house" pp. 303, 309, 314, 316. Samuel Green chosen town clarke on Mar 12, 1693/4, Mar. 11, 1694/5 "sallary 20 shilling pr year", Mar 9, 1695/6, and Mar 8, 1696/7.

Many grants of land from the town starting in Sept. 1634 in the Town Records and the Proprietors' Records. From "The Green Family, a Dynasty of Printers" by William Kiessel in the NEHGR (104:81+) "Samuel Green, progenitor of a dynasty of printers, was a promising young man of 18 when he arrived with his parents in America. The early death of his father threw him upon his on resources. In later years, Samuel was fond of telling his children of the early hardships his family endured; "upon their first coming ashore, he and several others were for some time glad to lodge in empty casks to shelter them from the weather." On 4 March 1635, Samuel was made a freeman and on 30 March 1644, he was appointed Doorkeeper to the House of Deputies. Cambridge, the home of Samuel Green, was also the location of the first printing press in English America. It had been brought to the colony in the spring of 1638 by the widow of Rev. Josse Glover, a wealthy dissenting clergyman, of Sutton, England, who had died en route. The press came under the control of Harvard College by the marriage on 22 June 1641, of the widow Glover to the college president, Henry Dunster. Managed by Stephen Daye, a locksmith, the press was operated by his son, Matthew, who had received some printing training in England. Matthew Day died 10 May 1649. Because Stephen Daye was occupied with land speculations for the Winthrop family, the press was turned over to Samuel Green in his capacity as clerk to the college. He was without any printing experience according to his autobiographical letter to Governor Winthrop date 6 July 1675: "I was not before used unto it ..." Despite this apparent handicap, Samuel operated the only printing office in the English colonies until 1665, when the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel sent over a press. ... Samuel's avocation was the colonial militia, and thoughout his life he was known as Sergeant Green. At the age of 75, when he was so old that he had to be carried to the reviewing field, he was commissioned a captain. He also beame a large land holder, beginning with his first acquisition in 1658 when the General Assembly granted him 300 acres at Haverhill for his services to the colony. [He had many grants of land from the town starting in 1634.] It is estimated that 190 imprints were issued from the Cambridge press from 1649 until 1692, the year Samuel retired. The last pamphlet issued was Ornaments For The Daughters of Zion by Cotton Mather." Samuel's son Samuel was a printer in Hartford and Boston, and son Jonas was a printer in Annapolis, MD . Some of Samuel Sr.'s grandsons were printers. His 2nd wife had a will.