Francis Dudley

Francis Dudley was born in England in 1640. He arrived in New England in 1665 and the same year, he married Sarah Wheeler in Concord, Massachusetts, where he died in 1702.

Excerpts from Dudley Genealogies, by Dean Dudley, 1848:

"Francis Dudley, a supposed relation of Gov. Thomas D., was born in England, and, immigrating to this country, settled at Concord, Mass., perhaps about 1663. He m. Miss Sarah Wheeler of Concord, Oct 26, 1665, and probably remained in that town till his decease. Mrs. Sarah Dudley, his wife, died Dec. 12, 1713, at Concord."

"There is a tradition among the descendants of Francis Dudley of Concord, that he, with his two brothers, immigrated to Massachusetts from Ireland, being non-conformists, and Francis settled at Concord, Mass., William in Connecticut, and the third brother in Rhode Island; and each left posterity. I very much doubt the correctness of this story, for Francis married at Concord as late as 1665, and, afterwards had a large family of children, which proves that he was a youth at the time of his settling in Concord, bet. 1663-1665, while William of Guilford, Ct., was of adult age as early as 1637, when he arrived at Boston, from England, and therefore, could not be supposed a brother to this Francis Dudley."

In his 1886 book, History of the Dudley Family, Dean Dudley explains there was a John Dudley living at Charlestown, Mass., 1655-74, who may have been the father of Francis. See p. 558.