In the 1991 article "The Marriages of George Monk," by William H. Schoeffler (TAG 66:154-60.), the author states that Elias MONK of Dorchester "may be identical with an Elias MONK baptised in Stokeinteignhead, co. Devon, England. Evidence to show this has been gathered but is not ready for publication." Also included is information about George MONK of Boston, whose will of Mar. 5, 1697/8 names his father William MONCK of Rumford, Essex, England. No relationship between George and Elias MONK of Dorchester and Canton has been established.
Elias MONK - bap. Aug. 3, 1665, Stoke-in-Teignhead, Devon, England; d. May 29, 1743, Ponkipog Village (Canton), Norfolk Co., MA. Elias was in Dorchester by 1690, and by 1700 had settled south of Dorchester in the area that is now Canton, MA. The following information is from "Canton's First Settlers" by Chris Brindley in his "Looking Back" column in the Canton Journal (1882).
Elias Monk is first seen in Dorchester, in 1690. That year a company of soldiers were raised to embark in the expedition to Canada, and in a list of those under Capt. Withington appears Elias Moonke. He married for his first wife Hope--and on the town records of Dorchester appear the births of his children, George, Christopher, Freelove, Abigail and Elizabeth. Between the years of 1696 and 1711, he must have had also a son Elias, and his daughter Mary who married Deacon Joseph Mason, of Watertown, must have been born in 1691. Elias was one of the supervisor of highways, in 1703. His lease is dated March 14, 1705. How early he came to this town we can not say, but "Monk's Meadow" is mentioned before 1700. In 1704 he was residing in Canton, for Edward Pitcher says that "he saw Charles Redman and Elias Monk bring two loads of hay from Beaver Meadow, in Pecunit, about the time that Joseph Tucker lost his hay; that it was carried into Redman's yard and there unloaded." He probably married for his second wife, Abigail, widow of James Puffer. In 1726, he deeds twenty acres of land to Elias, Jr., his son, which was sold by the latter to Samuel Spare in 1739. He also deeds land to Shubael Wentworth, on Green Lodge Street. In 1727, Elias with his sons, Elias and George, are assessed. He purchased in 1728 the estate now known as the Capt. Wm. Shaller Place, and occupied the house then standing, built by Edward Wyatt, in 1725. He sold this property to Joseph Billings, in 1729, and removed to Ponkipog village. He died May 29, 1743.
Based on the earliest known birth year of their children, Elias married first before 1691. He probably married second Abigail (NEWTON) PUFFER, widow of James PUFFER (d. by 1717), according to the above quoted passage
Hope - Called the "first wife" of Elias MONK in the above quoted passage. The births of her five younger children were recorded at Dorchester, but were likely born in the south at Ponkipog. The town of Stoughton was established in 1727 and included Ponkipog, which is now part of Canton.
Modified: 3/23/06