Rice Edwards of Wenham in Stocking's Knowlton errata.
Rice EDWARDS, the progenitor, appeared at Salem as early as 1642, the year before his marriage there to Joan, or Joanna . The names of his children would seem to be some evidence that he was related to Thomas Edwards of Salem, and to John Edwards of Ipswich, who married Mary Sams. Rice was in "Wenham in 1647, and received a grant of land there in 1653. In 1680 (between January 1st and March 25th) a controversy over the payment of taxes brought Rice Edwards and two of his sons, with others, into court. The ages of the witnesses in this case were: Rice Edwards 65, his son John 36, and Benjamin 18. (Dodge Family, p. 23.) In Essex Probate Records, Book 307, pp. 133-5, there is on file an agreement between Rice Edwards and his son Benjamin, by which the son agreed to take care of his father in consideration that he was to receive the greater share of his father's estate. This document is dated April 18th, 1681. As no allusion is made to Rice's wife, it may be inferred that she was not living. After Rice's death, his children joined in an agreement that the contract between Rice and Benjamin did not include the movable furniture. The date of this agreement is 15th-4th-1683. It was signed by Rice Edwards's children, as follows: John Edwards, Thomas Edwards, Benjamin Edwards, John Knowlton, John Leach, John Coy, William Cleaves and Richard Lee. John Coy married Elizabeth .Edwards; and Sarah was another daughter of Rice, probably the wife of John Knowlton (Bethia in Stocking's KNOWLTON errata). There is next to nothing in the vital records of Wenham prior to 1695; and between 1687 and 1695 they are lost. [The New England Historical and Genealogical Register By Henry Fritz-Gilbert Waters, pg 60]
