NameJames Gorham
Birth28 Apr 1650, Marshfield, MA234,235,264,270,271,272,273,274,275,237,246,276,283,278,284
Christenabt Apr 1650, Plymouth, Plymouth, MA289
Death18 Nov 1707, Barnstable, Barnstable, MA77,242,270
BurialBarnstable Lothrop Hill Cemetery, Barnstable, MA
FatherJohn Gorham Capt. (<1620-<1675)
MotherDesire Howland (ca1625-1683)
Spouses
Birth14 Oct 1653, Barnstable, Barnstable, MA271,458,543,246,276,277
Death13 Feb 1727/1728, Barnstable, Barnstable, MA235,271,458,234,246,276,277,283,284
FatherThomas (1617-1679)
MotherRose (1616-1687)
Marriage24 Feb 1672/1673, Barnstable, Barnstable, MA235,271,272,290,234,276,283,284
ChildrenJames (1676-1718)
 Experience (1678-1733)
 John (1680-<1729)
Notes for James Gorham
He was also said to have been born 2 or 28 Apr. 1650. 277

He was also said to have been married 24 feb 1673/4. 246, 277

“At the settling of the Estate of his father, Capt. John Gorham, James was given the dwelling-house he lived in, with the barn andhalf the upland belonging to the same farm. He also was given the meadow lying between the creek called Wells his Creek, and the place where formerly the mill stood, and the rest of the marsh or meadow was to be equally divided between James and his brother John. The parcel of land lying at Stony Cove was also to be divided between them. At the settlement of his mother’s estate, 5 March 1683-4, James was granted a double portion of the whole estate, the rest of the children to have an equal portion. [PCR 6:124].
1 June 1675, he was a member of the Grand Enquest [PCR 5:166]
June 1689, he was admitted freeman at Barnstable. [PCR 8:2087]
1685 It was ‘voted that the Governor and Mr. Lothrop empanel a jury to bound the County road and the town’s highways according tot he order of Court int hat case provided.’ The jury on whom devolved this duty were John Phinney, Capt. Lothrop, James Cobb, Job Crocker, Lt. Howland, Samuel Cobb, Samuel Hinckley, Jr., Ensign Dimmock, Nathaniel Bacon, Joseph Blish, James Gorman, Ensign Lumbert, Josiah Crocker, Jabez Lumbert, Lt. James Lewis and James Hamlin, Jr. [Freeman’s History of Cape Cod - Barnstable] “ 246

“’James Gorham was a farmer, and often employed in public business. In the division of his father’s homestead, he had the north westerly and central portions, on which he built a large and elegant mansion house. It stood on the spot where Mr. Warren Marston’s house now stands and was taken down about twenty years since. It appears by the schedule of the division of the common lands made in 1703, that he was then the richest man in the town of Barnstable.’ Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families, by Amos Otis, I:414.
The petition of Desire Gorham, and her sons James and John, to settle the estate of her husband, Capt. John Gorham, in 1675, is in the ‘scrap book’, page 120, Plymouth Records. A facsimile of this petition with the signature of Desire, James and John, was published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register for April 1898, accompanying the article on Col. John Gorham’s ‘Wast Book’.
An abstract of the will of James Gorham is in the Mayflower Descendant, 1911, pp. 51-3.
The will of Toto, is in the Mayflower Descendant 1910. Dated 22 Dec. 1691, James Gorham administrator, to whom he left one cow and the increase of his cattle.”246

“[p. 414] ye Births of ye Children of John Gorham born at Plymoth
At Marshfield his Son James ye 28 of April 1650”.272

“James Gorham & Hannah Huckens was Married ye 24 Day of Feb 1673.” 272

He was also said to have marrried Hannah Feb. 24, 1674-5. 543

He died “betw. 14 Nov 1707 (codicil) - 9 De. 1707 (inv.)”264, 271

“Will of James GORHAM/GOREHAM 3 (Desire Howland2): <Barnstable Co. RP 3:254, 256, 674> ...4 Nov. 1707, ment. wf Hannah; sons John GOREHAM, Thomas GOREHAM, James GOREHAM, Joseph GOREHAM, Jabez GOREHAM, Selvanus GOREHAM, Ebenezer GOREHAM; daus Desier SPRRINGER, Experience LOTHROP and Mehittable; 5 unnamed grandchildren. Codicil, 10 Nov. 1716 (concerning land). Inv. taken 9 Dec. 1707.” 271

Text of will, codicil and inventory to be entered. 550

In Col. John Gorham’s ‘Wast Book’ it states “James Gorham maryd a Huggins - Livd att Barnstable.”281

“On the reverse of the title-page [of Capt. John Gorham’s bible] stands first the following record in the handwriting of Capt. John Gorham: . . .
‘Jams Gorum borne the 28 of Aprill 1650’ “273, 282

“James Gorham was a farmer. On 1 June 1675 he was a member of the Grand Inquest. In June 1689 he was admitted as a Freeman of Barnstable. When his father, Capt. John Gorham, died intestate, James, with his mother, Desire, and his brother, John, was named a joint administrator of his father’s estate, which was divided 7 March 1675/6. As the eldest son he received a double share. When his mother’s estate was divided 5 March 1683/4, James again received a double share as the eldest son. His mother’s servant, Tooto, in his will dated 27 December 1691, probated in barnstable 2 January 1691/2, gave James one cow and the increase of his cattle. James and his brother-in-aw, Thomas Baxter, were named joint administrators of Tooto’s estate.”234

In the will of Toto (servant of Desire Howland) he states, “Tooto declared in his Right Sence and Reason to all appereance for ye disposal of what estate he had After his death his debts being paid: . .. to James Goreham one Cow and the Increace of his Cattle:. . . And he Desired mr James Goreham and mr Baxter would take Care to Adminester upon his estate . . Witnessed by Samuel Allin and John Berry, the latter signing by a mark. Samuel Allin was sworn 30 December, 1691, before Capt. John Thacher and Mr. Barnabas Lothrop. John Berry was sworn 2 January, 1691/2, before Mr. Barnabas Lothrop, and the will was recorded the same day, by Joseph Lothrop, Recorder.” 503

“Gorham, Gorum, or Goram, James, Barnstable, s. of John, m. 24 Feb. 1674, Hannah, d. of Thomas Huckins, had Desire, b. 9 Feb. 1675; James, 6 Mar. 1677; Experience, 28 July 1678; John, 2 Aug. 1680; Mehitable, 20 Apr. 1683, bapt. 16 Sept. foll.; Thomas, 16 Dec. 1684, bapt. 26 July foll.; Mercy, 22 Nov. 1686, d. young; Joseph, 25 Mar. bapt. 2 June 1689; Jabez, 6 Mar. bapt. 10 May 1691; Sylvanus, 13 oct. 1693, bapt. 17 June foll.; and Ebenezer, 14 Feb. bapt 26 Apr. 1696. His w.d. 13 Feb. 1727.” 277

“James, eldest son of Captain John and Desire (Howland) Gorham, was born in Marshfield, Massachusetts, April 28, 1650, and died in 1707. In the division of his father’s homestead he had the northwesterly and central portions on which he built a large and elegant mansion house. In 1703, according to the division of the common lands, he was the richest man in the town of Barnstable. On February 24, 1673-74, James Gorham married Hannah Huckins, daughter of thomas Huckins, of Barnstable. She died February 13, 1727, aged seventy-four years. There were eleven children.” 283

In his will dated 4 November 1707, proved 7 January 1707/8, James Gorham named his loving wife, Hannah, his seven sons, John, Thomas, James, Joseph, Jabez, Silvanus and Ebenezer, who were all living, and his three daughters, Desire Springer, who received £20, Expeience Lothrop, who was given £5, in addition to what she had already received, and Mehitable Gorham, who was also given £5. He bequeathed twenty shilings to each of his five grandchildren, not named. Son James Gorham was appointed sole executor. Witnesses were John Thacher, Jabez Fuller and Lydia thacher. A codicil dated 14 November 1707, disposed on one more piece of land not mentioned in his will. The inventory was taken 9 December 1707 by John Gorham and John Bacon. The five unnamed grandchildren who were born before 4 Noember 1707, the date James Gorham made his will, and whom we know were living then, were Mary James, Thomas and Ancel Lothrop, children of his daughter Experience Lothrop, and Matthias Gorham, eldest son of John Gorham. Thus the two children that daughter Desire Springer may have had, would have died before 1707.” 234

“In ye name of God Amen ye 4th day of November 1707, I James Gorham of ye town and county of Barnstable in New England, being weak in body but of sound and disposing mind and memory, praised be God, and knowing ye undertainty of this life on earth, do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following:
. . . Item. I give and bequeath unto my loving wife Hannah one third part of my moveable estate to her sole dispose forever and ye western half of my dwelling house furing her natural life. . . Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Experience Lothrop five pounds of my estate beside what she hath had already. . . . In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal ye day and year first above written
James Gorham Seal
Signed sealed and decleared in presence of
John Thacher
Jabez Fuller
Lydia Thacher” 246

He was buried in Barnstable Lothrop Hill Cemetery (Route 6A near Governors Way). His tombstone reads
“HERE LYES Ye BODY OF JAMES GORHAM
DIED NOV’r Ye 18th
1707 IN Ye 58th
YEAR OF HIS AGE”

Regarding his tombstone, “A very old marker with a small winged skull in a small tympanum. It most likely was carved by William Mumford of Boston. There are several old markers with small winged skulls in Lothrop Hill Cem.” 242

“An analysis of these proposals reveals a clearly defined property structure. At the top, 40 percent of the land rested in the hands of about one-fifth of the famers. This group included James Gorum . . . “ 316

“James . .. was born at Marshfield 28 Apr. 1650, married at Barnstable, 24 Feb. 1673/4, Hannah Huckins (who survived her husband and died 13 Feb. 1727/8, aged 74, daughter of Thomas Huckins of Barnstable), and died at Barnstable between 4 No. 1707, when his will was dated, and 7 Jan. 1707/8, when it was proved, having been in 1703 the richest man in that town.” 284
Last Modified 23 Nov 2013Created 24 Dec 2013 using Reunion for Macintosh