Piecing together the Briggs family in my cousins’ branch of the family tree has been a lengthy process. First, as a 1971 article on the family points out, there were at least five men named John Briggs, all unrelated, who settled in New England in its early years.
Second, the John Briggs family which has caught my interest settled in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts, a place which seems to have noticeable gaps in its vital records.
However, on the positive side, John Briggs and his descendants mostly remained in Taunton, or very close by, for several generations. Land records have helped make some of the connections.
I have to be thankful, too, that several researchers interested in the Briggs and Thayer families took the time to publish their finding in a multi-part article in The New England Historic Genealogical Register, beginning with Volume 125, no. 2, pages 77-90 and The American Genealogist, volume 59, pages 175-179.
Therefore, I feel very confident sharing the descendants of Richard Briggs of Thornbuy, Gloucester, England from the late 1500s down to Judith Briggs, who married Joseph Tower and lived in Attleboro, Massachusetts in the 1700s.
Let’s begin with the earliest generation.
Richard Briggs was born c1565, likely in or near Thornbury, Gloucester, England. He married Agnes Wingod on 19 December 1590 in the town of Thornbury. Not much is known of their lives, but Richard was buried on 30 April 1620 in Thornbury and wife Agnes was still living as of 30 January 1619/20, when Richard wrote his will.
They were the parents of three known children:
1. Joane, born c1592. She married a Mr. Draper sometime before 30 January 1619/20, the date of her father’s will
2. John, baptized 1 May 1595, Thornbury, Gloucester, England; died after 1665, when Shadrach Thayer, his nephew, complained that John owed him £18; married Agnes Thayer, 11 March 1633, Thornbury, Gloucester, England. He had removed to Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts by 1657.
3. William, baptized 22 April 1599, Thornbury, Gloucester, England; no further record
While there may be Draper descendants of Richard and Agnes (Wingod) Briggs, their Briggs descendants in America are all through the line of their son, John, who married Agnes Thayer.
No mention is made of Agnes (Thayer) Briggs in New England records and it is not known when or where Agnes died.
Next, we will look at the family of John Briggs and Agnes Thayer.
Hello to all fellow Briggs descendants of Thornbury. I’m descended from Hannah Briggs on the maternal side of my Family as well from a Hannah who both have Taunton,Ma roots but resided in Dighton MA. I found out later I had Briggs blood after having grown up in Briggs Corner, Attleboro,MA in the 1740 half Cape and Carriage house of one time Dr. Briggs a Veterinarian that the corner is named after. It was leveled in 1985 for the Briggs Corner Pizzeria which is still there.