- Robert Rice and his wife, Elizabeth, were among those who came to New England with a group of puritan immigrants led by John Winthrop in 1630. The Winthrop Fleet consisted of 11 ships. The initial group (Arabella and her three escorts) departed Yarmouth, Isle of Wight on 8 April 1630. The remainder arrived two or three weeks later. Seven hundred men, women, and children plus livestock and provisions were distributed among the ships of the fleet.
Robert was listed as a "Freeman" at Boston, 1 Apr 1634 and appears to be one of those disarmed in 1637 because of their association with Ann Hutchison and Roger Williams.
Robert died prior to Oct 1652 and was outlived by his wife, Elizabeth, who by that date was married to Michael Tarne a leather-dresser, of Boston, whose wife, Sarah, had also died. On 23 Oct. 1652, Michael Tarene and his second wife (probably widow of Robert Rice,) sold land for the use of her two small children by her former husband, their names not given. [Col. Rec.] .
In the Inventory of Michael Tarene’s estate filed by his widow, Elizabeth, 27 July 1676; "the house and land where he lived, the reversion whereof at the death of his wife being the inheritance of Joshua Rice as by covenant the 15/12/60"" (15 Feb 1660/1 Old Style Date).
Robert and Elizabeth had three children that have been documented in colonial records of Massachusetts:
1 - Joshua Rice, born 14 Apr 1637 (chr. 16 Apr 1637) at Boston Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, married, Bathsheba Pratt, Dec. 1662 at Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
2 - Nathaniel Rice, born 1 Apr 1639, at Boston Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and
3 - Patience Rice, born 2 Apr 1642 and died 8 Apr. 1642 at Boston Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
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