St. George's Church- Preshute
1. ROGER-
m. 25 Mar. 1648 Preshute, Wiltshire, OLIVE COLMAN (m.2. before 1682 John Wincoll)
killed by Indians 16 Oct. 1675
St. George's Church- Preshute
In several on-line genealogies it is stated that Roger Plaisted was born in Mildenhall, Wiltshire, son of Roger Plaisted, however, there is no Roger Plaisted listed in the parish registers in the 1620's. The only Roger is for a baptism in 1580. The book "The Plaisteds of North Wilts, and Their Trees" states that there is a record of his baptism in Mildenhall (pronounced "Minal"), however, to date, none of us researching this line have been able to find it. So, what do we know? We know that the Roger and Olive who were married in Preshute are the ones who settled in Maine, this is proved by Mehitable's baptismal record from Montr�al. It would seem that he was born in that area (Mildenhall is only a couple of miles from Preshute), however, to date, no primary source has been found to prove his parentage.
There is a bargain and sale dated 4 Mar. 1616 from John Pierse, the younger, of Mere in Mildenhall, yeoman, and Susan, his wife, to Mawdite Plaisted of Dunsford Mill, Mildenhall, yeoman of 12 acres of arable and woodland called the Well-furlonge in Mere, parish of Mildenhall for �50. (14) Maudett's will and inventory is dated 1627.(15) There are probate records for numerous Plaisteads/Playsteeds in Mildenhall and the surrounding area in the 17th century, however, no Rogers and no probate records before the 17th century (you can search the Wiltshire & Swindon Archives probate collection at: http://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage/wills_search.php )
Roger was first here as a witness to Nason's deed to Leader 20 Feb. 1654. By tradition he came as an agent for John Becx & Co. (who owned the Saugus Iron Works), but his land in the Narragansett country which was confirmed in 1672 has led to the idea that he first settled in Rhode Island or Connecticutt. He was listed as owner of property formerly granted to Mr. Rawson at Southertown 6 May 1662.(1) These lands were mentioned again in a declaration of the General Court asserting jurisdiction over certain parts of the Pequod Country and finding certain riotous persons from Rhode Island who had disturbed the settlers there: "and built upon the land of Roger Plaisted."(2) There is also a deposition by Thomas Staiton as to several Rhode Islanders settling on land owned by Roger Plaisted at Paquatack 7 July 1663.(3) He signed a petition of Southertown proprietors 23 Oct. 1663(4) There was a John Plaisted in Boston in 1681 and a Thomas Plaisted in Salem in 1690 who may possibly be close kin of Roger's (although Thomas was probably of the Buckinghamshire family).
Roger signed a petition from York and Kittery on 12 Aug. 1656.(5) On 9 June 1659 Roger was granted 100 acres by the town "bounded on the southeast by a fresh water brook [Salmon Falls brook] that bounds Mr. Thomas Broughton's land."(11) He built the "Upper Garrison" on his 1659 grant on the north side of the Salmon Falls Brook in Berwick 6 May 1673.(6) On 13 July 1669 Roger purchased 80 acres on Birch Point from John Wincoll who had received it from the town by a grant in 1652.(9) About 1660 Roger leased the mill on the Great Works River from the Hutchinson brothers as on 19 Sept. 1717 Martha Lord, age 77, deposed that: "She very well remembers mr Tuckers living at Great Works after mr Leader Left ye place which was upwards of sixty years agon And further this Deponat Saith that mr Rogers Plaisted dweld at ye Same place fifty Seven years agon or thereabouts and he & his Sons have Mostly been in Possession Ever since. And further Saith that ye Town of Berwick from Sturgeon Creek up to Toziars above Salmon falls hath been inhabited above Sixty years." On 23 May 1720 Daniel Goodwin, age 64 and upwards, testified that Roger Plaisted leased the mills from Hutchinson 50 years ago and after him Thomas Dowty and several others.(10)
Roger held numerous public offices including grand juryman, town commissioner and selectman, associate and deputy. He was commissioned a lieutenant of the militia for Kittery 7 July 1668 under command of Capt. Charles Frost.(7)
Map of Berwick- from Stackpole's Old Kittery And Her Families
On 16 Oct. 1675 the town was attacked by about 100 Indians and burned Richard Tozier's house where the townspeople were garrisoned. A messenger was sent to the garrison at Dover with the following letter:
Salmon FallsMr. Richard Waldern and Lieut. Coffin:
These are to inform you that just now the Indians are engaging us with at least one hundred men, and have slain four of our men already - Richard Tozier, James Barron, Isaac Botts, and Tozier's son - and have burnt Benony Hodsdon's house. Sir, if you have any love of us, and the Country, now show yourself with men to help us, or else we are all in great danger to be slain, unless our God wonderfully appears for our deliverance.
They that cannot fight, let them pray, nought else, but I rest
Yours to serve you
Roger Playstead
George Broughton
Help came from Eliot, however, it did not arrive in time. Roger had gone out to recover the bodies of the dead men on 17 Oct. with an cart drawn by oxen and left the fort with 20 soldiers. While they were placing the first body in the cart the Indians fired from the brush. A few of the men escaped, however, Roger and his two sons Roger and Samuel were killed trying to fight off the attackers. Roger was supposedly cut down by a tomahawk.(12) Administration of his estate was granted to James and Ichabod Plaisted and to Daniel Simpson but not until 28 May and 2 July 1701.(8)
Near the site of the attack is a gravestone:
"Near this place lies buried the body of Roger Plaisted who was killed by the Indian, October 16, 1675, age 48, also the body of his son, Mr. Roger Plaisted, Jr., who was killed at the same time."
Roger's daughter Mehitable and her husband Thomas Goodwin were captured in the Indian attacks:
"Monday, 11 May, 1693, there was solemnly baptized an English woman called in her own country Mehetable, and by the French who captured her in the war, 18 March 1690, Esther, who was born at Barvic, in New England, 30 April 1670, of the marriage of Roger Pleisted, Protestant, and Olive Colman of the same religion, and was married to Thomas Gouden also Protestant. She has lived for about three years in the service of Mademoiselle de Nauguiere. She was named Marie Esther. Her godfather was Messire Hector de Catlieres, Chevalier, Governor for the King in the Isle of Montreal and its vicinity. Her godmother was Damoiselle Marguerite Renee Denis, widow of Monsieur Naugiere de la Perade, during his life Captain of the Guard of Monsieur le Comte de Frontenac, Governor of New France. The baptism was performed by M. Francois Dolie de Casson, Grand Vicar of the most Illustrious and most Reverend Monseigneur Bishop of Quebec."
Mehitable was ransomed in Oct. 1695.(13)Baptismal Record for Mehitable- Notre-Dame-de-Montr�al
Issue-
Ref:
(1) Mass. Archives- Vol.112, p.135
"Genealogical Dictionary of Maine & New Hampshire"- p.560
"New England Marriages"- p.589
