"John Child took a prominent part in the affairs of town and colony, and was chosen representative to the General Court of Massachusetts. He became the head of a large line of posterity, who have honored the name. In his will he left his eldest son, John, his 'dwelling house with its lot of twelve acres, also some meadow lands,' and 'the reversion of all lands upon the little plains.' His youngest son, Daniel, received his farm lands."153

Elias Child (and others who have based their work on his) listed William Child as John's father. There was no such person in Watertown at that time. And there is no record of John's birth in Watertown. He was probably born in England and came to the New World around 1648 with his uncle, Ephraim Child (probably after the death of his parents). Ephraim had been in the New World for some time, but it is known that he visited England in this time period and returned. It is assumed that John was raised by his aunt and uncle in Watertown from the age of 12 on.

Her grandfather (John Warren) was "one of the selectmen of Watertown, MA, and a prominent citizen, though some amusing entries found in the town records ... would indicate the source whence some of his descendants have drawn their independence of character, and departure from the early established orthodox views. First, we find 'John Warren fined, Oct. 1651, twenty shillings for an offence against the laws of baptism'; second 'John Warren fined, April 4, 1654, for neglect of public worship, fourteen Sabbaths, at five shillings each, total £3 10s' ... The Warren family was most creditably and prominently known in the colonial and state history of Massachusetts, notwithstanding the eccentricities of their ancester."154