STEPHEN GATES [#270], b. prob. in or near Norwich, Norfolk, Eng. abt. 1600, d. Cambridge, MA between 9 Jun and 29 Sep 1662, m. Hingham, Norfolk, Eng. 5 May 1628 ANN VEARE, b. abt. 1603, d. Stow, MA 19 Feb 1682-3. She m(2) contract 18 Apr 1663 Richard Woodward, d. Watertown, MA 16 Feb 1664-5.
Stephen Gates came from Hingham, England with his wife and three children in 1638 in the Diligent of Ipswich, John Martin master. He settled in Hingham, MA where he received a grant of a three acre planting lot. His house lot was on Town (now North) Street, bounded north by the street, east by William Buckland, and west by the town swamp. He received a grant of half an acre of salt marsh in 1647. He and his wife probably joined the Hingham church about May 3, 1646 when their children Simon, Thomas, Isaac, and Rebecca were baptized.[1]
On June 26, 1648 he sold his house and lot to William Hersey but remained in town for some time before removal. Stephen was one of the early settlers of Lancaster where he subscribed to town orders April 3, 1654,[1] was admitted freeman May 14, 1656, and was elected a constable for 1657.[4/59] In 1657 he failed to notify the voters of a town meeting and was fined 10 pounds, which fine was remitted when he informed the court that the failure was due to sickness.[1] Stephen's house lot was "on the neck Lying north to the house Lott of John Whitcomb Juner bounded by the saaid Lott of John Whitcomb south by the house Lott of Nathaniel Joslin north by a Rang of Lotts Easterly which Lyeth on the west side of Penicook River and westward by a piece of entervail of his own nigh adjoyning to the North River the said house Lott being Laid out for twenty acors more or Less". He also had two intervale lots, one of thirteen acres and one of seven acres. And finally 314 acres of second division upland.[5/267]
Trouble between the Gates and Whitcomb families in 1658 was caused by three sons of John Whitcomb having killed three of Gates' swine. At that time Stephen Gates was living in Sudbury.[1] Our ancestor Mary Gates made it into the record books at this time. From the Middlesex county court records of 1658 we have that Mary Gates, daughter of Stephen Gates, for bold and unbecoming speeches used in the public assemblies, and especially against Mr. Rowlandson upon evidence of John Prescott and others, was convicted. She acknowledged the offense and was discharged upon paying for the attendance of the witnesses.[4/93]
Stephen next appeared in Cambridge where he made his will on June 9, 1662. He probably died shortly thereafter as the inventory of his estate was taken Sept. 29. In his will he bequeathed to his wife and directed that son Simon should stay on the farm in Cambridge and pay the rent until the agreement ended. Son Stephen was to have the house lot of 20 acres at Nashaway (i.e. Lancaster) and 20 acres of intervale land and land at Hemp Swamp and meadow at "Postipolikin". 314 acres at Nashaway and a parcel of meadow at Still River were to be equally divided between his sons Simon and Thomas. Daughter Elizabeth received a colt and daughter Mary Maynard a heiffer when the lease on the farm was out. Elizabeth Bradsha was to serve her time out and Stephen's wife and son Simon were named executors. The will was witnessed by Edmund Angier and Ester Sparhawke and was proved Oct. 7, 1662.[2/2:32] The estate at Cambridge was all personal. Inventory at Lancaster, taken Sept. 29, 1662 by Nathaniel Joslin and Jacob Farrer, totaled 130.15.08.[2/2:53] Administration was granted to Simon Gates of Marlboro and Nathaniel Sparhawk of Cambridge upon part of the estate not disposed of in the will.[2/14:392] Sparhawk was the husband of Abigail, grand daughter of Stephen Gates.
Cambridge records show that on Jan. 19, 1662-3 "Goode Gates was to be seated "at ye end of ye Deacons seats". She deposed in court June 12, 1673 that she was aged about 70 years. Her will was dated April 18, 1682 when she was living in Pomposittacutt, the name by which the town of Stow was known before May 16, 1683. Mentioned in the will were daughter Elizabeth, wife of John Lazall; grand child Mary Maynard, the daughter of John Maynard; son Simon; Thomas and his wife Elizabeth; and eldest son Stephen who was named executor. In the will was the statement "my last husband's name was Woodward but I generally went by the name of Gates, notwithstanding". The will was proved April 9, 1683 and inventory of the personal estate, taken April 4, 1683, totaled 14.00.06.[1]
Stephen Gates was likely born in or near Hingham, Norfolk, England. No record of his birth is known, but one source (The Gates Genealogy by Charles Otis Gates, 1898) makes the statement that Stephen was the son of Thomas Gates of Norwich, Norfolk. This has yet to be proved. The parish register from Hingham does, however, give some clue as to Stephen's family in Old England. Thomas Gates and Margaret Mylnye were married there June 24, 1622 and William Gates and Alice Foulesam were married Sept. 18, 1627. These men were likely brothers of Stephen. A Rose Gates, widow, was buried in Hingham July 25, 1635. She may have been Stephen's mother. The marriage of Stephen Gates and Ann Veare is recorded May 5, 1628, but there is no other person bearing the family name of Veare mentioned in the parish books. Her family must have lived elsewhere. Mary Gates is the only child of Stephen and Ann's recorded in the register, being baptised in 1636. Since there were at least two children older than Mary, it is likely the family resided in another town between the time of marriage of the parents and the record of the baptism of Mary.[6]
REF: [1] The Warner-Harrington Ancestry - Frederick C. Warner,
1949 (pg.225)
[2] Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 8995)
[3] Stephen Gates of Hingham, Lancaster, and Cambridge - Clarence
A. Torrey, 1938
[4] The History of the Town of Lancaster - Rev. Abijah P. Marvin,
1879
[5] The Early Records of Lancaster, Massachusetts - Henry S.
Nourse, 1884
[6] The American Genealogist - Donald Lines Jacobus, 1933, Vol
10 (pgs.199-200)
Children:
1. Elizabeth, b. Eng. abt. 1630, d. Hingham, MA 3 Aug 1704, m. 29 Nov 1649 John Lazell, d. Hingham 21 Oct 1700 2. Stephen, b. Eng. abt. 1634, d. Stow, MA 9 Jul 1707, m. abt. 1664 Sarah Underwood, b. 3 Feb 1642-3, d. after 15 Sep 1707 3. Mary, bap. Hingham, Norfolk, Eng. 15 Oct 1636, d. abt. 1678, m. Subbury, MA 5 Apr 1658 John Maynard, b. Eng. abt. 1630, d. Marlborough, MA 22 Dec 1711 4. Simon, bap. Hingham, MA 3 May 1646, d. Muddy River, MA 26 Aug 1692, m. abt. 1670 Margaret Barstow, bap. Scituate, MA 24 Feb 1649-50, d. 13 Apr 1707 5. Thomas, bap. Hingham, MA 3 May 1646, d. Preston, CT 10 Aug 1726, m. 6 Jul 1670 Elizabeth Freeman, b. Sudbury, MA 23 Jun 1648, d. before 1723 6. Isaac, bap. Hingham, MA 3 May 1646, d. 3 Sep 1651 7. Rebecca, bap. Hingham, MA 3 May 1646, d. Jan 1650
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