OUR PALMER LINE

 

William Palmer =  ?

              

 

                                                                      Henry Rowley = Sarah Palmer

 

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1^st GENERATION

 

WILLIAM PALMER, nailer, born 7 Feb. 1583 in Stepney, London, married (1) possibly MARGARET WHITE, married (2) FRANCES BLOSSOM, married (3) MARY TRINE, died 7-13 Nov. 1637 in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony. Frances died before 1634.  Mary married (2) Robert Paddock probably before 20 Oct. 1644 and married (3) Thomas Roberts 24 Mar. 1651.  Robert Paddock died intestate at Plymouth 25 July 1650.  On 3 Dec. 1650 Mary Paddock of Plymouth, widow, sold to Stephen Wood her house, shop and garden in Plymouth.[1]

 

Pertinent accounts of William Palmer include:

 

• Mrs. John E. Barclay,  “Notes on the Palmer Family of Plymouth” (TAG, 1956), 32:39-45.

 

• Robert C. Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633 (1995), 3:1383-6.

 

• Eugene A. Stratton, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620-1691 (1986), 334-5.

 

• Paul W. Prindle, Ancestry of Elizabeth B. Gillespie (1976), 353-6.

 

• Buell B. Bassette, One Bassett Family in America (1926), 574-8, 629.

 

• Horace W. Palmer, Palmer Families in America (1973), 3:1-16.

 

• Ruth W. Sherman & Robert S. Wakefield, Plymouth Colony Probate Guide (1983), 79.

 

In spite of the extensive writings regarding William’s impressive ancestry,[2] all we really know about his English life is that he was a naylor (i.e., maker of nails) of Stepney, London.[3] He was not a son of Sir John (William) Palmer and Elizabeth Verney[4] who were married 17 July 1581 at St. Dunstan, East Stepney. Note that William Bassett and his wife Elizabeth were shipmates of William Palmer aboard the Fortune [see Our Bassett Line, ¶1.].  There are records of marriages between the Palmers and Bassetts at St. Mary, Whitechapel (the parish adjoining Stepney).  Also note that William had a servant with the name William (?) Carvanyell.  This odd surname is found in Stepney.[5]

 

William Palmer, “the elder,” departed London, England, with his son William Palmer, “the younger,” in early July 1621 aboard the ship Fortune of 55 tons, Thomas Barton Master.[6] There were 35 passengers aboard.  Following a stormy passage, they arrived Plymouth 11 November. William’s wife Frances arrived Plymouth July/Aug. 1623 aboard the Anne, William Peirce master.[7]

 

William Palmer was one of 27 Plymouth men who signed an agreement to allow privileges to the eight Undertakers living in Plymouth in return for their assumption of the debt owed to the Adventurers (i.e., those businessmen who ventured capital into the settlement).  These privileges granted to the eight Undertakers included certain monopolies in the fur trade.[8] 

 

In the 1623 Division of Land in Plymouth, William Palmer and William Bassite, as members of the Fortune contingent, each received two acres of land that “lye beyond the f[irst] brook to the wood we[st]ward”[9] (i.e., from First Brook to Woolen Mill Brook, on the westerly side of Court Street) (Fig. 1).[10] The fact that William Palmer received two acres indicates that his family on board the Fortune consisted of two people (i.e., William, Sr. and his underage son William). In the same land division “ffrances wife to Wit Palmer” as a member of the Anne contingent received one acre that “lye on the other side of the towne towards the eele-riuer Marie Buckett adioyning.”[11]

 

In the 22 May 1627 “Division of the Cattle,” Willam Pallmer, ffrances Pallmer and Willm Pallmer Jnor are all listed in the “seauenth lott” as companions of Stephen Hopkins.  “To this lott fell A Black weining Calfe to wch was aded the Calfe of this yeare to come of the Black Cow, wch pueing a bull they were to keepe it ungelt 5 yeares for common vse & after to make there best of it.  Nothing belongeth of thes too, for ye companye of ye first stock: but only half ye Increase. To this lott ther fell two shee goats: which goats they posses on the like terms which others doe their cattell.”[12]

 

In 1627 William Palmer was granted 6 acres “nere to ye Reede Pond,” through which flowed Cold Spring Brook.  Horace W. Palmer locates this land about ½ mile north of Plymouth Rock and perhaps twice as far as the present Memorial Hall (Fig. 1).[13]

 

In 1628 William Palmer, William Bassett and Samuel Fuller signed a covenant between the Colony of Plymouth in New England of the one party and William Bradford, Capt. Miles Standish and Isaac Allerton and such others as they shall take as partners and undertakers with them on the other party.[14]

 

On 16 Oct. 1632 “William Palmer sould his house & 6 acres of ground adjoining to ye Reede Pond to Mr. John Holmes; for ye price of 35^li sterling, the paimente to be made within ye terme of one whole yeare nexte ensuing ye date hearof; to this bargen was witness Josua Pratt.”[15]

 

In the first tax list for the Colony of New Plymouth, 2 Jan. 1632/3, William Palmer was taxed 7 shillings.  The tax was “to be brought in by each p’son as they are heare under written rated in Corne, at vⁱ s. p’ bushell, at or before the last of November next ensuing to each place as shall be heareafter appointed to receiue the same.  And for default heerof the value to be doubled, & accordingly levied by the publick officer for y^t end.”[16]  In the second tax list, 2 Mar. 1633/4, Will Palmer was taxed 18 shillings and Will Palmer, junior (i.e., son of William & Frances) was taxed 9 shillings.

 

On 23 July 1633 Will Mendloue, servant of William Palmer, was “whipped for attempted uncleanes w^th the maid servt. of the said Palmer & for running away from his master, being forcibly brought againe by Penwatechet, a Manomet Indian.”[17]

 

Will Palmer was listed as a debtor of Peter Browne of New Plymouth deceased in his inventory taken 10 Oct. 1633 by Capt. Myles Standish & Mr. Will Brewster.[18]  In the 15 Nov. 1633 inventory of the goods of Joh Thorp Carpenter alte of Plym. deceased taken by Capt. Myles Standish the & m^r Will. Brester and presented to the Court by Alcie the late wife of the said Jn^o the 25 of the same:  Will Palmer theelder owes for a servt. £2/-/-.[19]

 

In “Diverse Covenants & Contracts acknowledged before the Gov^r,” we find the following:[20]

 

• 23 July 1633: “Will Palmer sold the time of service he had in Will Mendloue to Richard Church, for & in consideracon of three pounds starling, to be paid in money or corne, in November next ensuing.”

 

• 15 Aug. 1633:  “Whereas Robt. Barker had bound himselfe in apprentise to John Thorpe, in the trade of carpentry, the said Thorp being dead, Alice his wife, hath turned over his time, w^ch will be exspired the first of Apr. 1637, to William Palmer, nayler, of Plymouth, by free consent of the said Robert; the said William promising to instruct & teach him his said trade of nailing, & at the end of his time to giue him onely two sutes of apparell.”

 

William and his family removed to Duxbury after 1633 along with Myles Standish, John Allen, Jonathan Brewster, Love Brewster, William Bassett, Steven Tracy, William Sprague and others (Fig. 2).[21]

 

On 1 Oct. 1634 “At a Court holden before the Governour & Assistants, there were apoynted for laying out of highwayes: for Duxbery side, Capt. Miles Standish, Mr. William Colier, Jonathan Brewster, William Palmer, and Steven Trace.”[22]  Apparently this committee to lay out the highways failed to act for on 2 May 1637 William Palmer was one of 12 jurors “empanelled to set forth the heigh wayes about Plymouth, Ducksburrow and the Eele River.”  On 7 July 1637 they delivered their “verdict or order.”  In part, it stated that the highway from Plymouth to Duxbury began at the Jones River, thence by Steephen Tracies to Francis Sprages. A cutt between Francis Spragues and William Bassets garden or orchard led through John Washburn’s ground to Wilm Palmer’s gate, thence through Peter Brown’s land to the westward of Henry Howland’s house, thence through a marsh to Mr. John Alden’s, thence through a valley by the corner of Philip Delanoy’s farm to Edward Bumpasses’s, and thence by Rowland Leyhorne’s house to Greens harbor.[23]

 

In 1634 William Palmer sold part of his land on Eagles Nest Creek to Edward Bumpus.[24] In March of the following year, John Washborne bought from Edward Bompass “his house & palisado, standing on his late lote of ground which he had by William Palmers, beyond ye creek called ye Eagls Nest, which lote he gave up to ye company.”[25] The balance of William’s land at Eagles Nest was sold by his executors to Thomas Besbeech of Scituate on 7 Sept. 1638.[26]

 

On 2 May 1637 William was a petit jury member.

 

William signed his will with an “X” 7 Nov. 1637.  The inventory of his estate was taken 13 Nov. 1637 (Fig. 3A, Fig. 3B, Fig. 3C, Fig. 3D, Fig. 4, Fig. 5A & Fig. 5B).[27] From William’s will and his inventory it appears that William’s three oldest children did not come over from England with him or with his wife Frances.  Mrs. Barclay and Paul Prindle conclude that William probably had three wives.  The unidentified first wife was probably the mother of his first three children.  Frances (his second wife) was the mother of William, “the younger,” and Mary (his third wife) was the mother of the last two of William’s children.  No documentation relating to the unidentified first wife has been found.  The rationalization for her existence is simply that William’s earlier children were perhaps left in England with her family.

 

On the other hand, Robert Anderson and Buell Bassette have only two wives for William, with Frances being the mother of his first four children.  William brought his son William with him to Plymouth in 1621, at which time the son was about 15 years old.  When Frances joined them in Plymouth in 1623 she did not bring William’s older children with her.  Thus it seems appropriate to conclude that they were not her children and they were left in England perhaps with the family of William’s first wife.

 

In the 7 Mar. 1636/7 list of freemen William Palmer was listed as dead.[28]

 

The executors of William’s will were William Bradford, Edward Winslow and Thomas Prence.  All three were governors of the Old Colony.  William Bassett [see Our Bassett Line ¶1.] witnessed William Palmer’s will 7 Nov. 1637, took inventory 13 Nov. 1637 and deposed to the will 5 Mar. 1637/8.[29]

 

On 2 Jan. 1637/8 Mr. Hopkins was presented in court “for sufferinge excessive drinking in his house, as old Palmer, James Coale and William Renolds.”  Witnesses included Widdow Palmer and Widdow Palmer’s man.[30]

 

The probable children of William and his first wife, MARGARET WHITE (?) were all born in England:

 

                                 i.            HENRY PALMER, born ca. 1598-1606.  He presumably remained in England, for his father in his will made a contingent bequest of 40 shillings to Henry in case he “be liveing if [he] Demaund it.”

 

                               ii.            BRIDGITT PALMER, born ca. 1600-1608.  She likewise presumably remained in England and was bequeathed 40 shillings.

 

                              iii.            SARAH PALMER, born ca. 1603-1610, married HENRY ROWLEY ca. 1630 probably in England, died late 1636 (?).  Sarah’s father, William, did not mention Sarah in his will.  However, he did bequeath to “Moyses Rowly whom I love, but not so as to put it into [his] father or mothers hands but p^rserve it for [him] till [he] come to yeares of Discretion.”[31] On 7 Mar. 1753/4 Sarah’s son Moses received a cow “in respect of a will extant of William Palmer of Plymouth, deceased.”  The value of the cow was agreed upon by Moses and Mr. Thomas Prence, who was one of the overseers of William Palmer’s will [see Our Rowley Line ¶1.].[32]

 

William and Frances (Blossom) Palmer had one son:

 

                             iv.            WILLIAM PALMER, the younger, born ca. 1606[33] in England, married ELIZABETH HODGKINS 27 Mar. 1634 at Plymouth, died before 25 Aug. 1636 intestate.  Elizabeth married (2) Deacon John Willis of Duxbury 27 Mar. 1634.

 

Willm Pallmer Jnor was listed with his parents in the 22 May 1627 “Division of  Cattle.”[34]

 

He was on the 1633 freeman list.[35]

 

Will Palmer, Junior, was taxed 9 shillings on the list dated after 27 Mar. 1634.[36]

 

On 1 Jan. 1634/5 at the General Court, William, Jr. was admitted a freeman in Plymouth Colony.[37]

 

A 25 Aug. 1636 inventory of William’s estate showed that it totaled £50/01/11 against which there were debts of £9/6/17.  No real estate was mentioned.[38]   (Fig. 6)[39]

 

At a General Court on 2 Jan. 1637/8 John Willis and his wife Elizabeth sued the executors of the estate of William Palmer, Sr., for damages for a lot of land which the complainants contended he “had a right to by the marriage of his wife, who had formerly been the wife of William Palmer, the younger, son of William the elder” but the jury found for the defendants.[40] Francis Cooke was a member of the jury.[41]

 

John Willis was living in Duxbury in 1640.  He owned land northwest of North Hill and 50 acres at Namasakeeset.  He sold his estate in 1657 and removed to Bridgewater, where he was a deacon.[42]

 

The only child of William and Elizabeth (Hodgkins) Palmer was:

 

a.       REBECCA PALMER, born 1635/6.

 

In his 1637 will, William Palmer, the elder, made a conditional bequest to his grandchild Rebecca “whom I love but not so as to put it into [her] father and mothers hands but p^rserve it for [her] till [she] come to yeares of Discretion.[43]

 

At a General Court on 2 Mar. 1651/2 John Willis of Duxbury complained against Trustum Hull and wife on behalf of his daughter-in-law (i.e., step-daughter), Rebecca Palmer, in an action of assault and battery for £50 on the ground that “she was molested and hindered in performing faithful services unto her m^r, viz. Samuell Mayo, of Barnstable by the wife of Turstum Hull, of Barnstable aforesaid, the Court have sent downe order by Roger Goodspeed, grand juryman, of Barnstable aforesaid, to warn the wife of y^e said Trustum Hull to desist from such practices any further, as shee or any other that shall doe will answare it at theire perill; and allsoe that the said wife of Trustum Hull doe give answare not appeering at this Court nor her attornie, to answare the suite comenced against her by the said John Willis.  The defendants defaulted.[44]

 

William Palmer, Junior, was added to the 1633 List of Freemen “afterwards” and then had his name crossed out.[45]

 

The children of William and Mary (Trine) Palmer were:

 

                               v.            [-?-] /WILLIAM PALMER, born 27 June 1634 in Duxbury.  This child may have been renamed William after his elder half-brother died before 25 Aug. 1636.  In the “Register of the Age of some of the Children of Robert Paddocke, deceased, the first child is listed as “Willam Palmer, the son in law of the said Robert Paddocke, was borne the 27^th of June 1634.”[46]

 

It appears that this William had been adopted by Robert Paddock and his first wife.  In the 13 Nov. 1637 inventory of the estate of William’s father, there was an obligation of £1/5/2 to “goodwife padock for y^e child” (see the last item in Fig. 5B).[47]

 

Note that Robert Paddock married (2) Mary Palmer, widow of William Palmer.  Thus this William Palmer (born 27 June 1634) became a son-in-law of Robert Paddock when the latter married Mary.

 

On 20 Oct. 1646 Robert Paddock asked the Court for “an account of which is due unto him by the last will and testament of William Palmer, deceased.  Presumably the demand refers to the £1/5/2 obligation.[48]

 

                             vi.            WILLIAM PALMER, born 26 June 1638 (i.e., after his father’s death) probably at Duxbury, married SUSANNAH BRIGGS ca. 1663, killed in King Philip’s War in June 1675.  Susannah was born in 1641 in Portsmouth, R.I., daughter of John and Sarah (Cornell) Briggs.  Susannah married (2) John Northway between 1680 and 1683. John died before 1697.  Susannah died 7 Nov. 1704 and was buried alongside her son John in the Old Commons Cemetery, Little Compton, R.I.  Her headstone reads:

Susannah Northway decest in the 63d year

of her age, November ye 7th 1704.[49]

 

William was a creditor of the estate of William Bradford, Sr., as listed in the inventory dated 22 May 1657.[50]

 

On 28 Apr. 1659 William Palmer of Plymouth, cooper, son of William of Duxbury, nayler, deceased, acknowledged he had received from the executors “in full of my portion left unto me by my father’s last will” and released the executors from any further claims arising from said will.  He had received £51 and a three-year-old mare (Fig. 7).[51]

 

William also received from his father the latter’s receipt of land in a place called Acconquesse or Achushnet.  This land had been distributed to William Palmer, nailer, and 57 other first settlers of Plymouth by the Plymouth General Court on 3 Mar. 1639/40.  Son William selected land on the East side of the Acushnet River in Duxbury.

 

On 24 Mar. 1661 William Palmer of Accushenah (Dartmouth, Mass.), cooper, sold to Mr. John Barnes, yeoman, of Plymouth “all that my home lott lying and being att Accushenah (25 acres of upland) with all the house, housing and fences thereon with three acres of meadow as yett unlayed out . . . except my right of commonage (Fig. 8).[52]

 

William Palmer was named Constable of Dartmouth 5 June 1666, surveyor of highways 6 June 1671 and again the following year.  He was listed as a freeman of Dartmouth 29 May 1670 and was one of three selectmen (i.e., representatives) from Dartmouth to the General Court at Plymouth on 3 June 1674.[53]

 

On 5 June 1667 William Palmer and Thomas Roberts, both of Dartmouth, bought from Edward Gray of Plymouth his half share of upland which the latter had purchased from John Russell in Dartmouth.[54] Thomas was William’s stepfather.

 

The region was devastated by the Indians in the summer of 1675 during King Philip’s War.  The inhabitants built garrisons for their safety.  John Cooke had one east of the river, John Russell had one west of the river and there was one on Palmer’s Island in the Acushnet River, probably erected by William Palmer.  The settlement east of the river was burned early in June 1675 and most of the inhabitants fled to Cooke’s garrison.  William Palmer was on his way to this garrison when he was ambushed and killed by the Indians.[55]

 

William left no will.  An inventory of his estate was dated 30 June 1675 and was presented to the Court at Plymouth on 3 June 1679 by Susannah Palmer (Fig. 9).[56] The total of the estate was £122/12/6.  Letters of Administration were granted to the widow, Susannah Palmer of Dartmouth, on 3 June 1679.  The Court appointed John Russell and William Briggs as overseers to the widow to assist her in settling her deceased husband’s estate.  William Briggs was one of Susannah’s five brothers.[57]

 

After William’s death and the 1679 settlement of his estate, Susannah and her children returned to her hometown of Portsmouth, R.I.  Here she met and married John Northway, a friend of the Briggs family.  After the marriage of their mother, her three sons by her first husband, William Palmer, removed to Little Compton, R.I. (Fig. 10).

 

After John Northway’s death, Susannah removed to Little Compton and in 1697 was living near her three sons.  On 2 Mar. 1702 Susannah Northway, widow, purchased property in Tiverton, R.I., from Edward Gray.  This land was located next to her son Joseph Palmer (see ¶c. below).[58]

 

The children of William and Susannah (Briggs) Palmer were all born in Dartmouth, Mass:[59]

 

a.       WILLIAM PALMER, born 1664, married MARY RICHMOND in Feb. 1685, died 1746 in Little Compton, R.I.  Mary, born in 1668, was a daughter of Capt. Edward and Abigail (Davis) Richmond. 

 

The division of Edward Richmond’s estate in 1696 included portions to William and John (see ¶b. below) Palmer as “children of Capt. Edward Richmond.”[60]

 

William and Mary lived in the east part of Little Compton around Pottersville and Quicksand Pond.  On 3 Jan. 1683 William Palmer “of Saronet, alias Little Compton,” bought land in Little Compton from John Partridge of Duxbury.  He was called “planter” in a deed dated 5 Mar. 1699 by which he sold land to Thomas Brownell in Little Compton.  On 27 June 1701 he was deeded land at a place called “quicksand pond” in Little Compton by Samuel Bradford.  In a deed dated 10 Jan. 1704/5 and subsequent deeds he was called “yeoman” of Little Compton.

 

William’s will was dated 13 Jan. 1745/6 and was probated 4 Nov. 1746.  “…To son William 5 shillings.  To son Joseph one half tract of land I formerly gave to my son William and since bought of him; bounded east on the pond, south and west on land of Charles Brownell, north on land I bought and gave my son Joseph, northerly half of said land all that part of homestead farm which I have already given my son Joseph.  To son John 5 shillings.  To son Thomas all that part of my homestead farm I have given my son Thomas.  To son Sylvester all that part of my homestead farm that I have already given him.  To my sons Thomas and Sylvester, the south half of land I formerly gave to my son William by deed, which since I rebought, bounded east by the pond, south and west by land of Charles Brownell, north on land which I have given my son Joseph.  To daughters Elizabeth Head and Abigail Shaw 5 shillings each, and to grandson Gamaliel Richmond, son of daughter Patience Richmond 5 shillings.  To daughter Susannah Southworth 20 shillings.  My son Joseph to be sole executor …”[61]

 

William and Mary had 12 children, all born in Little Comtpon.

 

b.      Capt. JOHN PALMER, born 18 May 1665, married (1) ELIZABETH RICHMOND ca. 1686, married (2) SARAH BLOOD 28 Aug. 1718, died 13 Oct. 1752 in Little Compton.  Elizabeth was born 6 Dec. 1666 in Little Compton, died there 9 Feb. 1717.  She was a sister of Mary (see ¶a. above).  Sarah was born ca. 1682, died in Little Compton 25 July 1766.  She was a daughter of Gideon Blood.  John and his two wives were buried in Old Commons Cemetery, Little Compton.  John was a veteran of the Colonial Wars.[62]

 

John first appeared in the records under date of 25 Dec. 1688 when he deeded land in Little Compton with his wife Elizabeth.  He was a “carpenter” of Little Compton.  On 12 Feb. 1693/4 John Palmer of Little Compton deeded to Joseph Allen land in Dartmouth, formerly of William Palmer of Dartmouth, deceased.  In several deeds he was called “carpenter” and in later deeds he was called “Gentleman.”[63]

 

He was a deputy to the General Court in 1702.

 

John’s will was written 10 Apr. 1745 and proved 27 Nov. 1752.  “…To wife Sarah two Negroes and all household goods.  To son John two 18 acre lots that he now lives on.  To sons Edward, Job, Aaron, William, Henry, 10 pounds each old tenor.  To son Moses 40 acres of my homestead farm lying on north side near Carr’s land on the west side of highway. To son Simeon my executor, my now dwelling house and all land on the west side of the highway excepting 40 acres to son Moses, and two ten acre lots east of highway east from my house that I now live in.  To daughters Sarah Wilbor and Elizabeth Southworth 10 pounds each…”

 

c.       JOSEPH PALMER, born 1667, married SARAH [-?-], died May 1728 in Little Compton.

 

On 13 May 1693 Joseph Palmer of Little Compton deeded to Joseph Allen land in Dartmouth, formerly of William Palmer of Dartmouth, deceased. On 27 Jan. 1695/6 Joseph Palmer of Tiverton, Mass., was deeded land in Tiverton by William Manchester of Tiverton.  (Tiverton was in Bristol Co., Mass. until 28 May 1746, when part was allotted to Rhode Island.)  On 8 Nov. 1704 Joseph’s brothers, William and John, transferred to Joseph land in Tiverton, R.I. “that our mother purchased from Edward Gray.”[64] It is believed that Joseph lived in Tiverton from 1696 until 1724 or 1725.  He then moved back to Little Compton.  In later deeds he was called “yeoman” and “husbandmen.”[65]

 

2^nd GENERATION

 

SARAH PALMER, born ca. 1603-1610, married HENRY ROWLEY ca. 1630 probably in England, died before 17 Oct. 1633 [see Our Rowley Line, ¶1.].

 

May 20, 2005

 

List of Figures:

 

1.      Map of Plymouth Harbor

2.      Map of Plymouth Bay

3A. William Palmer’s 1637 Will

3B. William Palmer’s 1637 Will (end) & Inventory (beginning)

3C. William Palmer’s 1637 Inventory (middle)

3D. William Palmer’s 1637 Inventory (end)

4.   William Palmer’s 1637 Will, transcribed

5A. William Palmer’s 1637 Inventory (beginning), transcribed

5B.  William Palmer’s 1637 Inventory (end), transcribed

6.      Inventory of Estate of William Palmer, junior (1636)

7.      1659 Release by William Palmer

8.      William Palmer to John Barnes

9.      1677 Inventory of William Palmer’s Estate

10.  Map of the Townships of Plymouth Colony