516–517.  Andrew Warner was born in Essex, England, in 1600, and died in Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, on December 18, 1684. Mary Humphrey was baptized in Great Waltham, Essex, England, on Saturday, February 13, 1602, and died probably in Hartford, Connecticut, before 1659. They were married in Thaxted, Essex County, England, on Tuesday, October 5, 1624. She took the name Mary Warner. He is the son of John and Mary (Purchas) Warner. She is the daughter of Robert and Ann (Holland) Humphrey. They had nine children:

i. Mary Warner was born in Hatfield, Essex, England, about 1620. She married first John Steele, and second William Hills.
ii. Andrew Warner was born in Hatfield about 1622, and died on January 26, 1681. He married Rebecca Fletcher.
iii. Robert Warner was born in Hatfield about 1626, and died on April 10, 1690. He married first Elizabeth Grant on 1 Feb 1654. He married second Deliverance Bissell Rockwell.
iv. John Warner was born in Hatfield about 1629. He married first Ann Norton on 28 Jun 1649. He married second Martha Boltwood, daughter of Robert and Mary (Gernor) Boltwood. John and Isaac married sisters: Martha and Sarah.
v. Daniel Warner was born in Hatfield about 1635, and died on April 30, 1692. He married Mary _____.
vi. Hannah Warner was born in Hartford, Connecticut, about 1639, and died on September 3, 1682. She married Daniel Pratt.
vii. Isaac Warner [#258]: He was born in Hardford, Connecticut, about 1645, and died in Deerfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, in 1691.
viii. Ruth Warner was born in Hatfield about 1655. She married John Kellogg in 1689.
ix. Jacob Warner was born about 1637. He married first Rebecca _____. He married second Elizabeth Goodwin. The Mormon family record sheet gives Jacob's birth date as 1637 while The Gilbert Family states that he is known to be the youngest child. Jacob is known to be the youngest child and it is possible that his mother was Andrew's second wife, Esther.

His second marriage was to Esther (Wakeman) Selden. They had no children.

It is probable that Andrew was born in Great Waltham, Essex, England, and lived there until he was about 12 when he moved with his parents to Hatfield Broad Oak. It is likely that he married and that at least two their first two children were born here. No record has been found of this marriage or of his wife, but Warner tradition has it that her name was Mary. The will of Andrew's mother, Mary, made May 12, 1627, gives 20 shillings to "the Two Children of Andrew my sonne". As Andrew was sole executor of her estate, he must have been living in England at the time.

The reason for Andrew to uproot his young family and move to America was probably not the desire to own land but religious persecution. Since his family was fairly prosperous and he became a land owner soon after his arrival in America, he probably owned land in England. In 1625, Charles I ascended the throne of England. He at once assumed all the power of Church and State and escalated the existing war against Puritanism. The ministers of that religion were driven from their livings, or into exile, and the laymen were tortured and forced from their homes. Many sought refuge in the New World.

Among those who dared to oppose this policy was the brilliant preacher, Thomas Hooker, Rev.. He was silenced as a minister of the church in 1626 but continued to speak as a lecturer in Chelmsford, Essex County, until 1629, when the persecution became so great that he left and escaped to Holland. At this, a large number of his followers emigrated to America, being known as the "Hooker Company" and also as the "Braintree Company", from Braintree, the town in Essex from which many of them came. Andrew and his family likely belonged to this company. Hooker arrived in America from Holland on the Griffin on September 4, 1633, to become the pastor of the church at Cambridge, made up primarily of his followers.

Andrew's parents lived in Hatfield Broad Oak after 1609. This town is only 20 miles from Braintree and 16 miles from Chelmsford where Hooker lectured. Andrew and his family must have lived in or near Hatfield at this time as he was the executor of his mother's estate. Therefore, he had every opportunity to become a follower of Thomas Hooker, and his emigration coincided with that of the company. And since Andrew later followed Hooker to Hartford and was a deacon in his church, it is all together likely that he and his family left England to avoid religious persecution.

The first direct mention of Andrew Warner in America is an entry in the town records of Cambridge, Massachusetts, then known as "Newtowne". On January 7, 1632/3, there are recorded several votes regarding the erection of houses in the town and the division of the fence to enclose the common, with the number of rods of fence each settler was to build. This is the first entry made in the records of the town save a single item on December 24 calling a monthly meeting. Of the 42 names given, the eleventh was "Andrew Warner, 20 Rod". Only 11 of the 42 settlers built as much as 20 rods of fence while 24 built less than 10 rods each. This would indicate that Andrew Warner was already a resident of Cambridge and was among the more wealthy members. There are many references to Andrew in the town records the nature of which indicate that he was prominent and well respected. On May 14, 1634, he was made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

It is interesting to note that Andrew Warner and his family came to America near the beginning of that great tide of emigration which started in 1629. By that time Plymouth and Salem had been settled, but the total English population of New England was hardly more that 800. In April of 1630, John Winthrop, first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, left for America. Later that year he was followed by 17 ships bearing over 1000 people. By 1634 the annual emigration had reached 4000. In 1640 the Long Parliament met, the power of Charles I was checked, religious persecution declined, and the flood of emigrants ceased. In those 11 years the population of New England grew from 800 to 26,000.

The "Mary (Humphrey) Warner" source gives her birth as before 13 Feb 1603, Thaxted, Essex County, England

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