John Gallup

John Gallop (1619-1675) was born at Bridgeport, Dorsetshire, England and baptized at St. Mary's, Mosterton, Dorsetshire, England on the 25th of January, 1620. He arrived in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony aboard the Griffin on the 4th of September, 1633 at the age of 18. The eldest son of John Gollop I, he arrived with his mother, brothers, and sister Joan. His father had arrived three years earlier aboard the Mary and John, arriving in 1630, arriving first in Hull, and then became a founding father of Dorchester. The elder, John Gollop I, had become such an asset to the colony, being he a mariner and pilot of a trading ship, that Governor Winthrop had written a letter to Puritan leader, the Reverend John White of Dorchester in July of 1632 asking the Reverend to persuade Mrs. Gollop to come to the new world in order that John Gollop I might remain.

The reverend must have been persuasive as Christobel (Bruchette) Gollop did arrive with family in tow. John Gallop settled with his family in Boston and in 1643 he married Hannah Lake, daughter of John and Margaret (Read) Lake.^[1] The Lakes are recorded as being of the first "landed gentry" in America. Hannah's aunt, Elizabeth Read, was the wife of John Winthrop, Jr., Governor of Connecticut. As a young man John Gallop exhibited the bravery that would later elevate him to Captain in the militia during the Pequot wars. John, along with his father and brothers, strapped their anchor to the front of their sloop and rammed the trading vessel of John Oldham, which had been commandeered by Pequot warriors, just off Block Island. The warriors had killed and beheaded John Oldham and were attempting to guide the vessel back to shore.

John fought bravely with the Massachusetts forces in Connecticut Colony during the Pequot wars, distinguishing himself alongside his father and John Mason. For his bravery, the General Court of Connecticut granted him 100 acres of land.

Owning these large tracts of land, he removed with his family in 1654 to the East side of the Mystic River, now Stonington, where he quickly establish a homestead upon the land granted him. John was one of the early settlers of that town. His homestead place was bounded on the west by Mystic river, south by Captain Stanton's homestead place and Captain Denison's land, east by Denison's land and the town lots, and on the north by Robert Park's land. He represented the town at the General Court in 1665 and 1667. He was also an Indian interpreter.

When King Philip's War broke out, although he was over sixty years of age, time had not quenched his martial ardor. When New London County raised seventy men under Captain John Mason of Norwich, Captain Gallup joined with him to lead the Mohegans. These troops moved eastward and soon joined with those of the other colonies. Fate would move forces toward the stronghold of the Narragansett tribe. Captain John Gallop and his unit of Mohegan warriors was dispatched to join the other colonial units assailing the swamp fort of the Narragansett, December 19, 1675 (within the limits of the present town of South Kingston, R.I.)

In storming this fort he led his men bravely forward. A musket ball entered his skull during the direct assault and he fell upon the snow. Captain John Gallop fell in this memorable fight.^[2] A complete victory was had by the colonists, but with great loss of life on both sides. Captain Gallop was a brave and valuable officer and was loved and respected by his men. He is buried at Smith Castle, in Rhode Island, not far from where he died. The division made of his estate by order of the County Court was to the widow, 100 pounds; to the oldest son John, 137 pounds,; five daughters, 70 pounds each. Mrs. Hannah Gallup had also a large grant of land from the General Court in consideration of her great loss."

References