[1] The son of John Child of Northfleet in Kent he was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Residing in Watertown, he joined the Nashaway Company, who were interested in iron ore; but left to go back to England.
[8] He took an interest in the fur trade; he was also prospecting for a vineyard, but became involved in local politics and religious matters.
New-England's Jonas cast up in London was by Child's brother John, a major in the parliamentary army.
New England's Salamander was by Edward Winslow, who had been instructed to counter the arguments of the Remonstrants and Samuel Gorton.
[18] Child shared with John Winthrop the younger, and Richard Leader of the Saugus works, an interest in alchemy arising from the metallurgy of iron.
His views were expressed in The Defects and Remedies of English Husbandry (1652) and put him at odds with conventional wisdom, as represented by Walter Blith.
[25][26][27][28] The farming use of marl provoked a comment by Child published in the Legacie, suggesting that "husbandmen" should take an interest in what could be dug out of the ground.