Biography

http://www.concordlibrary.org/scollect/wheeler.htm

John Wheeler "of the farm" was born in 1563 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England. He died before 2 December 1643 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England. He was buried on 2 December 1643 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England.

He was the son of John Wheeler and Alice.

John Wheeler married Elizabeth (?) circa 1596.

Children of John Wheeler and Elizabeth (?)

1. Mary b.~1597, m. Richard Barrett 29 Jan 1621/22, died 25 Aug 1658 at Boston, Massachusetts
2. Elizabeth, b~1599, m. Thomas Halsey ~1625, died ~1649 at Southampton, Long Island
3. John bapt 22 Jan 1603/04, had family at Cranfield
4. Sarah bapt16 Jun 1605; m. 8 Oct 1627 Robert Nash, died at Boston, Mass
5. Isaac bapt 13 Sep 1607; m. 9 Apr 1635 Frances Watson, died bef. 1648 at Charlestown, Mass . She m. (2) Richard Cook; (3) Thomas Green. Isaac was admitted to church at Charlestown 30 Sep 1642
6. Obadiah bapt 5 Dec 1609; m. at Cranfield 20 Jan 1633/34 [[Wheeler-204|Susannah Wheeler, d/o Thomas Wheeler "of the Blake Howse" and Rebecca Unknown; died at Concord, Massachusetts 27 Oct 1671.
7. Ruth bapt 29 Mar 1612; m. 25 Jun 1633 Richard Mouse , bur. 9 Nov 1640 at Cranfield
8. William bapt 4 Jan 1614/15, mar ~1644 Mary Unknown, was the rector at St. Peter and St. Paul in Cranfield, founded the local Baptist church there in 1660 and was jailed for preaching without a license, bur. 17 Mar 1667/68 at Cranfield
9. Joshua bapt 20 Jul 1617, bur. 21 Sep 1625 at Cranfield
10. Isabel bapt 5 Nov 1619, m. ~1645 William Odell, bur. 8 Sep 1671 at Cranfield.

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Excerpts from Wheeler Family History and Traditions booklet ( published 8/4/1984 by Crimson Publishing Co., Cambridge, MA. ) :

"The name 'Wheeler' has evolved from many different spellings. The name Wielher was first recorded in English history during the 8th century as the name of a Saxon Chieftain. Later a person recorded as a landowner in the great Domesday book of William the Conqueror bore the name of Weleret.

Since only landowners were prople of importance during England's early history, scholars of this period believe that the early spelling of Wielher is compounded from two Anglo-Saxon words. Wel or Wiel meant 'prosperous,' or 'wealth' in modern language, and Hari or Heri meant 'warrior' or 'hero.'

Therefore, the present spelling of Wheeler can be assumed to mean 'lucky warrior' or 'the prosperous hero.' Apparently, our ancestors were people of Teutonic origin who were fortunate on the battlefield and prosperous with their home estates."

References

1. http://www.gulbangi.com/5families-o/p366.htm#i9145
   1. 1. [S128] Mary Beth Wheeler, "Ancestry of Bob and Mary Beth Wheeler", Jul. 20, 2002, unverified.
   2. 2. [S358] Raymond David Wheeler, Wheeler Genealogy - England.
   3. 3. [S324] Charles Henry Pope, Pioneers of Massachusetts
2. WikiTree contributors, "John Wheeler (abt.1563-abt.1643)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wheeler-198 : accessed 27 April 2025).
   1. Westoning, Bedfordshire parish registers by Bedfordshire (England); Emmison, F. G. (Frederick George), 1907-1995, editor Publication date 1931 VOl. 20 p. B23
   2. "Wheeler Family History: (Hon.) Stedman Cyrus Wheeler of Waterbury, Vermont and his descendants, including descent from Henry Wheeler (c. 1503-1557) of Cranfield, Bedfordshire" by Raymond David Wheeler and Gordon Boyce Wheeler, published 1993 by Kinsystems p. 5
   3. Cranfield, Bedfordshire parish registers by Bedfordshire (England); Emmison, F. G. (Frederick George), 1907-1995, editor Publication date 1931 Vol. 27 p. 1
   4. Brainard, Homer W. Captain Thomas Wheeler and some of His Descendants. TAG12:4-6 (1935). The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) < link >
3. http://www.concordlibrary.org/scollect/wheeler.htm
4. This man? Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67795881/john-wheeler: accessed April 26, 2025), memorial page for John Wheeler (1563–2 Dec 1643), Find a Grave Memorial ID 67795881, citing St Peter and St Paul Churchyard, Cranfield, Central Bedfordshire Unitary Authority, Bedfordshire, England; Maintained by Ancestors & Kin (contributor 52088886).
5. “A short history of Cranfield, Bedfordshire” < link > After the dissolution of Ramsey Abbey in the 16th century, at a value of £68 9s 6d, the manor eventually passed, in 1621, into the ownership of the Earl of Middlesex. It was purchased later in 1729 by the Duke of Bedford.
6. “Migration from Cranfield” < link > There have been times when life was so hard in Cranfield that families took their chance on moving away to find work with hopes for a better quality of life. Some of the earliest migrants were Quakers in the late 1600s. Thomas Wheeler (d. 1634) of Cranfield, England had eleven children. Seven of them immigrated to New England around 1638/69. Most of them settled in Massachusetts, probably to join Peter Bulkeley, formerly rector of Odell who encouraged settlers and was instrumental in setting up the town of Concord.