• Born: 6 Mar 1680, New Haven CT
• Marriage (1): Mary Prout on 1 Sep 1708 in Boston MA
• Died: 2 Apr 1725, Boston MA

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:

• Alternate Mark.

• Alternate Mark.

• Alternate Mark.

• Example: Snuff box, circa 1705-1725, in Yale University. L: 2 5/16"
  wt: 1 oz, 1 dwt ²⁷

• Belden. Mentioned in July 11, 1705 entry of Samuel Sewall's diary as a goldsmith. An outstanding maker of early church silver, 27 examples by him are recorded in Jones, The Old Silver of American Churches. In 1717 gave cup he made to New North Church in Boston where he was a deacon. Made cup dated 1717 for Elisa Smith to give to Church of Charlestown, and cup dated 1722 for Sarah Knight to give to Church of Christ, Norwich. ⁴

• Example: Tankard, circa 1705-1715, in Yale University. H: 7 3/16"
  d: 5 1/4" (base)
  wt: 29 oz, 3 dwt
  Engraved with the Grosvenor arms and P (altered from original T) G possibly for Lt. Governor Thomas and Elizabeth (Pepper) Grosvenor. ¹³

• Example: Spout cup, circa 1710, in Private Collection. H: 3 7/8"
  wt: 5oz 4dwt
  Engraved A over I * R for Jonathan and Ruth (Peck) Atwater. The same initials can be found on a 1705 caudle cup by Dixwell, illustrated in E. Alfred Jones (1913), and a 1720 Dixwell porringer sold at Sotheby's, New York, 6-8 November 1975, lot 608. This is one of three known surviving spout cups of this form made by Dixwell. An identical cup, engraved with the initials C over NS, is in the collection at Winterthur.

• Example: Cup, in 1712-1715, in Private Collection. H: 5"
  wt: 13 oz, 5 dwt
  Engraved "Ex dono Alice Buckingham / to the Church of Christ / In Milford"
  Given by Alice (Newton) Buckingham sometime after the death of her husband.

• Master: Joseph Kneeland, about 1713, in Boston MA.

• Example: Cup, in 1714, in Private Collection. H: 5 7/8"
  wt: 11 oz, 5 dwt
  Engraved "Given by Mr. Samll Stone / to the Chh of Christ / in milford: / 1714"
  
  Stone's will, dated December 16, 1712, bequests this cup to the church:
  I Give and Bequeath unto the Church of Christ in Milford, i.e. comonly known by ye name of Prysbeterian or Congregational, the sum of Seven pounds in money to be laid out for a piece of plate for ye use of the Church aforesaid.

• Master: Joseph Goldthwaite, about 1720, in Boston MA.

• Advertised: New-England Courant, on 1 Oct 1722-8 Oct 1722, in Boston MA. Offering a reward of £5 for the return of a quart tankard stolen from Crown Coffee House ⁴

• Master: Basil Dixwell, about 1723, in Boston MA.

John married Mary Prout on 1 Sep 1708 in Boston MA. (Mary Prout was born on 16 Apr 1686 in New Haven CT and was christened on 7 Apr 1689 in New Haven CT.)