John Albro (settler)
| John Albro | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1617 |
| Died | December 1712 Portsmouth, Rhode Island |
| Other names | John Alborough |
| Occupation | Officer of Portsmouth Militia, Assistant, Coroner, Magistrate |
| Spouse(s) | Dorothy Potter |
| Children | Samuel, Elizabeth, Mary, John, Susanna |
John Albro (c. 1617-1712) was an early settler of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, a magistrate, and a long-time military officer in the Portsmouth Militia in the colony. He immigrated to New England in 1634 as a minor under the care of early Portsmouth settler William Freeborn. He was very active in civil as well as military affairs, and was an Assistant to the Governor for nine one-year terms between 1671 and 1686. During King Philip's War when the colony needed the advice and counsel of "the most judicious inhabitants" in the colony, his was one of 16 in a 1676 list of names, which included Governor Benedict Arnold and former President Gregory Dexter.
When the colony's charter was suspended in 1686, and Rhode Island was placed under the Dominion of New England, Albro was chosen as a member of Sir Edmund Andros' council, and was present at its first meeting in Boston. Albro remained active in the affairs of the colony while well advanced in age, and even when nearly 80 years old, he was reimbursed for an official trip he made to Boston in 1697. He was a Quaker and died in 1712 at a very advanced age, and was buried "in his own orchard" according to the Friends' records.
Sailing to New England aboard the ship Francis in 1634, John Albro was a teenager under the care of William Freeborn, and as a young adult followed Freeborn to Portsmouth in the Rhode Island colony in 1638. The following year he was granted a lot within the town, provided he build within a year's time. Five years later, in 1644, he joined the Portsmouth Militia, being assigned as a Corporal, and remained active therein for most of his life, attaining the rank of Major. He was also very active in civil affairs as well, and in 1649 was a clerk of weights and measures, a member of the Town Council, and also served as Moderator, which he continued to do well into his later years. Early in his career Albro was a coroner, and was one of the first men sent for when the burnt remains of Rebecca Cornell were discovered at her home, a death for which her son, Thomas Cornell, was tried and convicted of murder. In 1671 Albro was first elected as the Portsmouth Assistant to the Governor, and he served in this capacity for a total of nine years, last holding the position in 1686.
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