Book #1 of Wiley Ancestry

By Kenneth R Wiley

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

Chapter 1 – Joshua Goss

Joshua Goss was born at Rockport, Maine which is near Gloucester.  In the early days, that area was called Cape Ann. He was  born on 24 June 1778 and baptized at Rockport on 17 July 1783. He died at Levant, Maine 10 April 1828 at only 49 years and 10 months of age. He made his will only the week before.

 

He was but 8 years old when his parents, Thomas and Eunice Collins Goss decided to move to the Pejebscot Purchase in the Province of Maine. This would have been in 1787 when Thomas was 56.The Pejebscot Purchase was on the western side of the Androscogin River.  It was first settled in 1764 and incorporated 6 March 1802 as Pejebscot. The name was changed to Danville on February 1818 and was fully annexed to Auburn in 1867.

 

In 1763, 24 years before the Goss family moved to Pejebscot, neighbors of theirs, in Gloucester, Massachusetts had moved to New Gloucester, Maine. In 1780, they again moved a few miles further north to Pejebscot. They were Jonathan and Rachel Parsons Rowe with their son, Jonathan, Goss, Jr and his wife, Bethany Parsons Goss. Rachel and Bethany were distant cousins.  In 1778, Jonathan Jr. had a daughter, Lois. Twenty years later , on 1 March 1798 Joshua Gosss married Lois Rowe in Durham, Maine. This was a small town near Pejebscot and there they settled down to farm and raise a family,

 

The Danville records credit Joshua and Lois with 12 children. The first 10 being listed as born at Pejebscot and the last 2 at Danville. This was probably all under the same roof as the name was changed.

 

On 20 November 1819, Joshua’s father Thomas died, so Joshua and Lois began to make plans to move further east to the town of Levant, about 100 miles away. They arrived in the spring of 1825 with at least 8 of their children. They purchased a small farm and in three years he was taken ill. He made his will on the fourth of April and died on the 10th of April just under 50 years old.

 

Lois was bequeathed  all of his property was its total worth was not enough to pay his debts,  Lois died many years later in 1891 at the age of 93. She was still living in Levant , Maine and is buried at the south Branch Cemetery with Joshua.

 

Their children were as follows:

• Lois Rowe, born 4 November, 1797 at Pejebscot. Later the Danville records contain this brief statement, “Amasia Goss. Son of Lois, eldest child of Joshua and Lois Goss, born in Danville, 12 November 1821, putative father, Levi Goss.”
• Eunice Goss was born 12 July 1799 at Pejebscot. In town records she was named Unice.
• Joshua Goss, Jr. was born 3 December 1801 and died 17 August 1863 at Levant, Maine> he was married about 1827 at Levant to Nancy Fisher. They had 10 children.
• Jonathan Rowe Goss was born 1 January 1804. A grave stone in the South Branch Cemetery in Levant, Maine lists his death date as 13 November 1849
• Moses Rowe Goss was born 11 November 1805 at Pejebscot.
• Matilda Goss was born 21 February 1808. She became the second wife of Zebulon Waterhouse, the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Larabee  Waterhouse of Gorham, Maine. Zebulon was born at Gorham 14 September 1794 and first married Anna Dyer of Danville. Zebulon and Matilda went west before 28 December 1880 because that is when Matilda died at Jordan Cove, Iowa. Zebulon died there on 26 February 1879.[1] It is not known if they had a family.
• Rachel Rowe was born 2 September 1810.
• Sally Goss was born 11 November 1812.
• Eli Goss was born 28 September 1814 at Pejebscot and died at Portland Maine, 19 July 1888. He married Louisa __ whose maiden name  has not been discovered.. Eli married a second time at Portland Maine on 11 August 1864 to Martha J Hurd of Limington, Maine. After the death of Eli Goss, Martha married a second husband, on 14 April, 1986. His name was Roger Mason of Raymond Maine, the son of Daniel and Mary Plaisted Mason. Eli had four children by his first wife. Some of them adopted the “Gosse” spelling of the name.
• Mary Ann Goss (spelled Marijann in the Danville records) was born on 23 December 1817 in Pejebscot.
• George Giddings Goss was born at Danville on 12 April 1820. He died in Bangor . Cumberland County Deeds say that he had been a resident of  Chicago, Dover, Delaware and of Kentucky.
• Leonard Parsons Goss was born in Danville on 27 September 1823 and died 14 June 1886 at Carmel, Maine. He married Mercy Jane Prebble, daughter of Edward and Mary Sampson Prebble.  Mercy Jane was born 15 October 1827 and died at Levant on 25 December 1917. The Levant Town records mention that the Prebble family moved to Levant from Carmel in November 1865.  8 children are listed in the Carmel records.

 

In the 1870 census, of West Levant, Leonard’s home was next to his brother, George Goss and living with George was their mother, Lois, age 93 . Leonard’s occupation was given as a clergyman and laborer.

 

An article in the Bangor News on 5 July 1951 says that Mr. and Mrs. Walter Shaw celebrated their 62 wedding anniversary. This was Leonard Goss’ daughter Mary Alice.

 

Exhibit 1

The homestead of said deceased (Joshua Goss situated in said Levant containing about 80 acres under a mortgage with a house thereon the attachments valued at $110.00

 

 

Personal Estate

1	Chest and drawers	2.50
1	Horn and apparatus	5.00
2	Coverlets	12.0o
7	Sheets and 2 feather beds	19.67
2	Bed ticks 4/ one coverlet	2.33
4	Bedstead	4.00
2	Table clothes and five napkins	2.83
1	Pantaloons and vest	3.83
1	Skirt and one pair drawers	.58
1	Table and 6 chairs, one wooling wheel	5.50
1	Linen wheel , shovel, tongs and crane	3.00
1	Kettle, tea kettle, small kettle	2.00
1	Flat iron	.92
	Tin ware with pewter platters	3.50
6	Flour barrels, pail and kegs and meat chest	2.42
1	Half bushel measure, looking glass	1.00
2	Swine	7.00
	A note of hand against Joshua Goss Jr. dated 1825 for $55 in interest on the same 8 dollars and 50 cents	63/50
		250.66
	Total

 

 Additional Credit

An obligation against Jonathan R. Goss dated 4 April 1828 may be valued at $45.00

 

Total = 296.58

 

Chapter 2 – Thomas Goss

 

The exact date of birth of Thomas Goss has not been found, nor is it certain that he was born at Ipswich, Massachusetts. Several writers have assumed this town to be his place of birth and have agreed to the date as being about 1700. It might have been several years later as he did not get married per Gloucester records until 1728. The bride was 20 in 1728 and was born in Ipswich which is not far from Gloucester whether by sea or land. Thomas was a resident of Ipswich until after 1724, as he is listed at that time in town records as “Thomas Goss of Ipswich, a soldier under Col. John Denison, was ordered out of service on 7 July 1724”. It was after his dismissal that he moved to Gloucester where he was married on 17 March 1728 to Patricia Harraden, the daughter of Benjamin and Deborah Norwood Harraden. Patience was born at Gloucester on 25 January 1708 The records give no information as to when either Thomas or Patience died, although Thomas’ death must have been just prior to June 1743 because when their youngest child Mary was baptized it was as the daughter of the widow, Patience. All of their children were born in or baptized in Gloucester Massachusetts.

 

The children of Thomas and Patience Goss

• Thomas Goss was born 19 May 1730 and died 20 November 1819. Married first in 1751 to Mary Tarr and a second time in 1775 to the widow Eunice Collins Tarr. He had a third marriage  to Mary in 1803
• Patience Goss was baptized at Gloucester on the 27 October 1733. She died on 13 November 1826, age 93 years. She married Thomas Chard – their intentions were posted on 2 October 1756. Their children were all born in Gloucester.
• Betsy Goss was baptized on 23 November 1735 and she died at the age of 95 years in April 1831. on December 6 1755, she married John Tarr at Gloucester. John was born in 1733 and died in the war of 1776. He was the son of Benjamin Tarr and Rebecca Wallis Card. They lived in Gloucester and Marblehead and had children

• Mary Goss was baptized as the daughter of the widow Patience 12 June 1743.

 

 

 

Chapter 3 Another Thomas Goss

 

This Thomas Goss is the one that is frequently encountered in the records under the designation “Son of Thomas Goss of Squam”. Squam is short for Annisquam, Massachusetts ear Gloucester. The record of his birth is found both in the vital records of Gloucester, Massachusetts as well as the Penobscot Purchase. The date and place were given as 19 May 1730 at Gloucester. The History of Gloucester says on page 336 that he was a fisherman and that after his first marriage he settled at Sandy Bay, later removing to Maine. This Thomas was the son of Thomas and Patience.

 

Thomas spent his early days in the town of Gloucester fishing and farming. Both vocations were common and predominant in Gloucester at that time. He had 9 children by his first 2 marriages.

 

Sandy Bay where Thomas Goss first established his home, later became known as Rockport and in this community Thomas was an active citizen.  In 1761 he was elected  and sworn to the office of Collector at the Gloucester Parish Meeting of 14 June 1779. He, along with Thomas Finson was chosen as a monitor for the meeting. Twice more Thomas was chosen as collector. On 8 March 1781 and on 15 September 1783. On 11 April 1785 he was chosen Assessor and Committeeman.

 

Apparently his services in the town of Rockport were terminated by his move to The Pejebscot Purchase. The precise date of this move is not recorded but can safely be inferred that it was in 1787.

 

The history of Androscoggin County states “There were 3 persons by the name of Thomas Goss in Danville prior to 1800, father, son and grandson and each had large families.” The first Thomas was born in Gloucester Massachusetts on 19 May 1730 and had 9 children, all of whom except one settled in the Danville area.

 

The next Thomas Goss was his eldest son who married Tammy Finson. He came to Danville about 1787 and died there leaving 7 children.

 

Thomas Goss, son of Thomas and Tammy was born in Gloucester Massachusetts 29 May 1780.. He married Elizabeth Witham and they had 9 children.

 

This would place the arrival of the son of Thomas I in Danville at about 1787  and Thomas Finson, the Revolutionary War soldier who married one of Thomas’s daughters “moved to Maine and settled in Danville in 1787 or 1788.”

 

The Registry of  Deeds for Androscoggin County at Auburn Maine, shows that Thomas Goss owned a “great lot numbered 6 in the Pejebscot Claim” which land was described in the deed from John Rowe, late of Gloucester, County of Essex.

 

“Gentleman; In a deed dated 11 December 1788, Thomas Goss is given a “Thomas Goss of Pejebscot, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Yeoman.”  The use of the term gentleman indicates he was well bred and respected in the community.

 

However important, Thomas Goss may have been in maritime affairs at Squam, or in settling the Pejebscot Claim, the most remembered story about him and his dog takes place in the “History of Gloucester”

 

“Thomas Goss had a wonderful dog . Being out one day in his boat fishing and gunning accompanied by his dog, he was blown off the coast and picked up by a vessel bound for Chesapeake Bay. Soon after his arrival there, he missed his valued animal, and supposed him to be lost, but to his surprise, he found on reaching home some days afterward that the dog had arrived there in a weak and emaciated condition a short time before.”

 

Thomas Goss was married 3 times, twice at Gloucester and there recorded and once at Pejebscot. The two Gloucester records read; Thomas Goss married 22 November 1751 Mary Tarr” and “Thomas married 31 December 1775, Eunice Tarr.

 

The account of his marriage as it appears in the Danville records is as follows:

“Thomas Goss born in Gloucester, Massachusetts 19 May 1730, died in Danville 20 November 1819. Mary Tarr, his first wife  he married in Gloucester . By her he had 8 children. She was born in Gloucesterk30 May 1730 and died in Danville 20 November 1819, He married for a second time at Gloucester, Eunice Collins, widowed by Joshua Tarr at Gloucester. They had 3 children He was married the third time on 11 January 1803 to Mary __ born in Gloucester 30 May 1743 and died February 1821.

 

Thomas III’s first wife, Mary Tarr, was born on30 May 1730 at Gloucester. They posted their intention to marry 22 November 1751. She died about 1774, between the birth of their son Richard born 29 August 1773  and 31 December 1775 when Thomas remarried.  Mary was the daughter of Caleb Tarr born 4 July 1703, died 26 May 1746. He was married to Mary’s mother, Martha Wallis on 5 December 1724. Martha was born 16 December 1701, Mary Tarr was the sister of the Joshua Tarr who had married Eunice Collins, who became the second wife of Thomas Goss.

 

Widow Eunice Collins Tarr was born 26 December 1736 at Gloucester. She was the daughter of Ebenezer Collins and Eunice Collins. She was married on 21 May 1754 to Joshua Tarr who was born 8 November 1725. Joshua died about 1774 and Eunice died in 1802 in Danville.

 

The identity of the third wife of Thomas Goss has not yet been identified.[2] In fact, the only knowledge of her is the brief mention of this marriage to Mary at Pejepscot on 11 January 1802. Mary was then 60 years of age and presumably a widow, while Thomas was then 73. The name does not appear in any of the Goss deeds recorded at Auburn Maine. Danville records state that she died in February 1821. It is said that both Thomas and his wife died in his son, George’s, place in Danville. This can be seen in a deed dated 29 March 1817. The heirs of Thomas Goss gave a quit claim deed to George Goss of land in Pejebscot, “it being the lot in which Thomas Goss[3], our grandfather now lives.

 

Thomas had 8 children by his first wife, Mary Tarr:

• Mary Goss baptized at Gloucester 7 January 1753. She married twice. The first time on 9 May 1773 at Gloucester to Hugh Parkhurst. He was killed on board the “Yankee Hero” at Gloucester on 6 June 1776. Mary married for a second time on 6 September 1786 in Gloucester to John Allman who died at Danville 17 May 1791. Mary died at Danville Maine on the 12^th of September 1810. She had 4 children 2 by each husband.

 

Children of Mary and Hugh Parkhurst:

• William baptized 8 May 1774 and killed at Gloucester
• Mary , baptized 12 January 1777. She died 14 March 1803

 

Children of Mary and John Allman:

• Betsy, born 6 July 1787.She married Nathaniel Moody of Minot Maine
• Sally was born 12 December 1789 and married John Witham 25 January 1810 to John Witham. She died 30 may 1914.
• Thomas was born 8 March 17 56 and baptized 21 March 1756 at Rockport Massachusetts. He died 26 December 1799 at Pejebscot Maine. He married Tammy Finson.
• Betsy was born 1 February 1759 and baptized 11 March 1759 at Rockport. She died 7 April 1804. She married 20 June 1779 to Ebenezer Gott, son of John and Hannah Norwood Gamage Gott. Ebenezer was born 15 January 1759 and died in 1797 having a family of 8 children.

 

Children of Betsy and Ebenezer Gott:

o       Ebenezer Baptized 29 March 1780

o       Daniel born 19 December 1781, He was married to “Nabby” Goss whose birth name was Abigail. She was born 3 February 1786, the daughter of William and Abigail Gould Goss. Daniel died 7 December 1817.

o       George was born 31 January 1785 and was married 25 August 1805 to Sally Tarr.

o       James was born 25 March 1788. He married Lydia Pool on 5 March 1809.

o       Charles baptized 17 June 1792

o       Jabez baptized 17 June 1792, died young

o       Jabez Richardson, born 29 February 1794. Marriage intentions to Hannah Belknap Jewett were posted 19 September 1818.

o       Hannah was born 7 March 1797. She was married 13 October 1814 to William Giles.

• William Baptized at Rockport on 20 March 1763, died April 1765.
• William born 7 April 1765, baptized 7 August 1765. He married Abigail Gould
• Sarah who was baptized 6 August 1768 at Rockport. She married Thomas Finson who was baptized 21 August 1757 at Gloucester. He died in Danville Maine. This is the Thomas Finson mentioned in “The History of Gloucester”  as being a Revolutionary War soldier  who moved to Maine and settled at Danville in 1787. There is reason to believe that Thomas was a brother to Tammy Finson who married Sarah Goss’ brother Thomas.[4]

• John was born at Rockport 6 June 1770. He died at Danville Maine 9 February 1837. He married Ann Parsons 4 December 1790.
• Richard was born 5 August 1773, baptized 29 August 1773 at Rockport. He died in Danville Maine on 13 September 1828 at the age of 55 years. He married Elizabeth Smith on the 24 November 1795. He is buried in the Cemetery at Danville Junction.

 

Children of Thomas Goss and second wife Eunice Collins.

• Mary also called Polly born 12 August 1776 in Gloucester and died in February 1854. On 26 January 1797 she married Thomas Rowe at Durham Maine. She became the mother of 13 children Thomas Rowe was the son of Jonathan and Alice Easkott Rowe and was born at Gloucester on 7 November 1766. He died in Danville on 31 January 1839.
• Joshua was born in Rockport on 24 June 1779 and was baptized there 17 July 1783. He died at Levant Maine on 10 April 1828.
• George was born 3 April 1787 at Pejebscot. He died at Danville on 1 July 1866 at the age of 80 years and 3 months. He married 10 September 1822 to Sarah Stinchfield.

Chapter 4 – Richard Goss

 

*Richard Goss is considered by many historians to be the first of this particular Goss Line. Some have suggested that he descended from Edward Goss who was of Marblehead, Massachusetts. As of this original writing, no documentary proof of this exists.

 

There is also a Richard Goss born in 1668. These are not to be confused. The 1668 Richard Goss eventually settled in New Hampshire and died there in 1720.

 

There are few know facts relating to the Richard Goss believed to have been born in 1662. The most helpful one states in his death record that he died 24 January 1714/15 at 52 years of age.

 

He did live in Ipswich for a time. The records there list the baptism of a son, Richard on 11 June 1711, the baptism of a son William on 1 August 1714 and the marriage of his daughter Eleanor to Thomas Rhodes of Marblehead on 1 July 1721. The vital record of William’s baptism gives his mother’s first name as Mary, her maiden name has not been discovered yet.[5]

 

Richard Goss must have been born in 1661 or 1662 based on his age at death. The place of birth is not known.[6] Little is known of his activities, but on a deed in Ipswich he is mentioned as a fisherman. This deed covers property purchased by Richard Goss on 28 November 1693.

 

In the book “Ipswich in the Massachusetts Colony” Vol II 1700 – 1917 by Thomas F Waters there is a statement “After the division of the common lands in 1710, Jeffreys Neck was owned by the Commoner, a committee appointed to regulate the bounds of the fishing station, reporting in April 171 that Richard Goss, Phillips and Spiller, Mr. Wade Merrifield (alias Holland) and Richard Lakeman was using two boats each and occupying six rods on the Hillside.”

 

Richard Goss was also one of the overseers of the will of Eleanor Welcome where he is called “kinsman’. This will was dated 16 September 1699.

 

The Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, page 40, #309, mentions that the inhabitants of Star Island on the New Hampshire and Maine border in a 1702 petition in the York courts regarding a church bell on another island named Smuttynose, whose church had decayed and fell and the materials have been carried off. Now Star Island has purchased God a house, petitioned the court to deliver the bell to Mr. Thomas Diamond and Mr. Richard, the selectman. There were 12 signatures, Richard Goss was one of them[7]. Richard was first noted in New Hampshire in June 1692, as a witness against John Carter. He returned to Ipswich and most likely died there

 

Children of Richard and Mary Goss:

• Eleanor Goss was born about 1700 and was married at Ipswich 1 June 1721 to Thomas Rhoads of Marblehead. 

Children of Eleanor and Thomas Rhoads

• Mary Rhoads Baptized 20 Jan 1722
• Elizabeth Rhoads Baptized 25 October 1724
• Thomas Rhoads Baptized 2 February 1729
• Mary Rhoads Baptized 30 May 1731
• William Rhoads Baptized 10 September 1738

• *Thomas Goss, born about 1700, married at Gloucester on17 March 1728 to Patience Harradan.
• John Goss born about 1702 and was married at Ipswich on 20 October 1725 to Sarah Phillips.
• Richard Goss was baptized at Ipswich 6 January 1712. He died at Gloucester 3 October 1764 at age 53. He married Elizabeth Harradan 1 January 1735.
• William Goss baptized 1 August 1714. He died  in 1773. He was married to Rebecca.

 

Chapter 5 Jonathan Rowe

 

*Jonathan Rowe Jr., the son of Jonathan and Rachel (Parsons) Rowe, was born at Gloucester Massachusetts on 12 December 1752. When he was 11 years in 1763, his family moved to New Gloucester Maine.

 

Jonathan Jr. married first on 10 May 1775 at Gloucester. His first wife was Bethany Parsons who was born 14 January 1750 in Gloucester and died at Pejebscot Claim 9 Aug 1783. She was the daughter of Josepha and Bethany Gott Parsons of Gloucester.

 

Jonathan Jr. had returned to Gloucester to marry and they lived their until after their first two children were born. They then returned to Pejebscot Claim where he and his father bought 250 acres of farmland and operated the farm together until 1784 when his father bought out Junior’s share. Jonathan Jr. moved to a nearby  farm for the rest of his working life.

 

Bethany died at Pejebscot on 9 August 1783. Jonathan Junior married a second time on 27 February 1784 to Anna Witham who was born in Gloucester on 26 September 1741. She died on 23 May 1818.

 

Jonathan Junior died at Pejebscot on 30 January 1802.

 

Children of Jonathan and Bethany Rowe

• Rachel Parsons Rowe born 20 February 1776 at Gloucester. She married Samuel Hopkins on 30 October 1796.
• *Lois Rowe was born 14 May 1778 in Gloucester. She married Joshua Goss on 1 March 1798 at Durham Maine. Lois died May 1871 at Levant Maine at age 93.
• Moses Rowe was born 26 October 1781 on the Pejebscot Claim. He married Polly (Mary) Dyer on 1 November 1804.

 

Children of Jonathan and Anna Rowe:

• Anna Rowe was born 13 June 1785 at Pejebscot. She was married 13 March 1806 to Thomas Finson.
• Elizabeth Rowe was born 25 April 1787 at Pejebscot. She married Benjamin Walker in January 1810.

Chapter 6 Jonathan Rowe Senior

 

Jonathan Rowe was the youngest of 14 children of Stephen Rowe, the last four where born with his second wife, Elizabeth Curney. Jonathan was born 6 June 1729 in Gloucester and died at the Pejebscot Claim on 1 July 1795  at the age of 66.

 

Jonathan spent his early life in Gloucester. He was first married in 1751 – 1752 to Rachel Parsons, the daughter of Thomas and Rachel Baker Parsons born 13 October 1729 in Gloucester, She died in Gloucester on 18 January 1757. His second marriage was with Alice Eascott. She was also born in Gloucester on 4 March 1732 and died in Pejebscot 5 September 1802.

 

Jonathan was a farmer and an innkeeper in Gloucester. In 1763 at the age of 34 he and his family removed to New Gloucester Maine. In 1778, Jonathan and Jonathan Jr. purchased lot #6 from Enoch Freeman and Jeremiah Moulton, proprietors of the Pejebscot Claim. This was a tract of 250 acres, including a large part of the present Danville village. On February 1 1818, Pejebscot was renamed Danville.

 

On this new lot, Jonathan cleared land and built a new home while still living in New Gloucester, only about 5 miles away. In 1780 he bought out Jonathan Junior’s interest, and then he moved to his newly acquired property and engaged in inn keeping and farming for the rest of his life.

 

Upon the death of Jonathan in 1795, a dispute rose over the property division and his heirs, children and widow agreed to submit the disagreement to 3 family friends. It got to be quite complicated as a small part of the final agreement is given here as recorded in Cumberland County Registry of Deeds. Book 25. page 357.

 

“Beginning at a stake standing in front of the dwelling house of the deceased, thence running North 21 degrees East through the middle of the  house and porch to the country road five rods, thence North eighty-two degrees West by the county road twenty rods and a half; thence Southwest four rods to a stake; thence Southwest in said line twenty three rods to the end of a stone mass; thence …….” “Reserving and allowing the heirs or owners of the front half of the house one half of the cellar with these privilege of use of the oven and the privilege of passing and repassing to the cellar and chamber; also reserving to the heirs of the deceased the privilege of passing with team or other ways as occasion shall require upon to across the first prescribed land.

 

Throughout his life on the Claim, Jonathan was an energetic and public spirited citizen and a helpful neighbor.

 

·         Children of Jonathan and Rachel Rowe:

·         *Jonathan Rowe Junior was born in Gloucester on 12 December 1752 (See previous chapter)

·         Moses Rowe was born 4 March 1753

·         Judith Rowe was born  28 April 1754

·         Zebulon Rowe was born in Gloucester. He came to New Gloucester with the family in 1763 and remained there when the rest of the family moved to the Pejebscot Claim.

·         Stephen Rowe was born about 1760 and died on 1April 1813 at the age of 53. The information is from his gravestone at the Danville Junction Cemetery.

·         Rachel Rowe was born at New Gloucester on 9 August 1764. She died on 27 November 1801 at the age of 37. This  is also from her gravestone.

 

The gravestone of Jonathan Rowe was inscribed “A good name is better than precious ointments.”

Chapter 7 Stephen Rowe

 

Stephen Rowe, the sixth child of John Jr., and Mary Dickinson, was born in Gloucester on 26 December 1675, He also inherited the farm from his father and apparently lived out his life there. He died in Gloucester on 28 April 1731 at about 50 years of age.

 

He married the first time in 1699. She was Martha Low. From an Old Cape Ann map that showed early settlers, there was a Thomas Low living north of the village and beyond the burying ground. Martha was born in Gloucester probably in 1679 and she died in Gloucester on the 4 of December 1718.  Stephen married for the second time on 6 November 1721, She was Elizabeth Curney, sometimes spelled Cornny. Tradition says Elizabeth lived to be nearly 100 years old.

 

Children of Stephen and Martha Rowe

·         Susanna Rowe was born 24 April 1700

·         Sarah Rowe was born 16 July 1701 and died in December 1703.

·         Stephen Rowe was born 20 January 1792/93 and died 27 December 1703

·         Martha Rowe was born 3 November 1704 . She married Benjamin Boynton on 29 November 1723 and died in 1756 in Rowley Essex Massachusetts.

·         Thomas born 23 Feb 1716/1717 and died in Aril 1777

·         Sara Rowe Born 9 October 1706

·         Stephen born 1702/03 and died young in 1703

·         John born 22 October 1708 and died 12 November 1705

·         Elizabeth born 25 December 1711

 

Children of Stephen and Elizabeth

·         Joseph Rowe born 29 Jan 1720/21 in Gloucester

·         Benjamin Rowe  born on 27 Feb 1722/23 in Gloucester

·         David Rowe was born on 06 Apr 1726 in Gloucester and died in 1796 in Norway, Oxford, Maine. He married Sarah Ellery

·         *Jonathan Rowe was born in 1729 See Chapter 6 for more details.

 

Chapter 8 John Rowe Jr.,

 

John Rowe Jr.

 was the son of John and Bridget Mary Jeggles Rowe. He was born in Lamerton, Devonshire, England in 1640.[i] He was about 10 years old when his mother and father came to New England. They landed in Massachusetts in 1651 and settled  in Gloucester. When his father died on 9 March 1662 John Jr. inherited a large portion of their home farm where he lived fir most of his life. Shortly after his father’s death he married for the first time on 27 September 1663 to Mary Dickinson, the daughter of John and Mary Dickinson of Salisbury Massachusetts. She was born 12 March 1639/40 and died in Gloucester on 25 of April 1684. She had 9 children in 21 years. After she died John married for a second time to Sarah Pedington on 1 Sept 1684. Three of the children died in 1700 as did John and Sarah.

 

Children of John Jr. and Mary Rowe

• John Rowe the 3^rd was born 6 April 1665 and died 19 August 1690 unmarried
• James Rowe was born 25 December 1666
• Thomas Rowe was born on 26 September 1668. He married Sarah Brown. He died 6 April 1700
• *Mary Rowe was born 11 December 1670. She married Ezekiel Day on 11 February 1691.
• Elizabeth Rowe was born 21 May 1673. She married Joseph Paige.
• *Stephen Rowe was born 26 November 1675. He died 28 April 1731 in Gloucester. His first marriage was to Martha Low and his second to Elizabeth Curney. See  Chapter 7
• Samuel Rowe was born 26 of March 1678. On 2 January 1708 he married Dorcas Ingersol who was the daughter of Samuel and Judith.  He died  24 September 1731 at Gloucester.
• Ebenezer Rowe was born 19 August 1680. He died 24 September 1692.
• Andrew Rowe was born 31 December 1683. He died 15 August 1700.

 

Children of John Jr. and Sarah Rowe all died young except for Rebekah

• Benjamin Rowe  1 August 1685 – 24 August 1685
• Sarah Rowe 28 March 1687 – 21 August 1700\
• Rebekah Rowe 1689. She lived to adulthood and married John Foster.
• John Rowe  20 December 1691 died the same day.

 

Exhibit – Will of John Jr.

Will of JOHN ROWE13 (1640-1700)

(Essex County Registry of Probate, Salem, Mass. No. 24287)

 

The nineth Day of the moneth called Aprel in the year of our Lord god one thousand seven hundred: I John Roe Snr of Gloucester in the County of Esex in New England being weak of body but of Real and Sound memory and mind and not knowing when it may please god to take mee out of this world Do therefore hereby Declare & make knowe this my Last Will and testament in manner and forme as followeth first I commit and comend my soul into the hands of God the father of Spirits And my body to be buried at the discretion of my Executor, hereafter named: And for my goods and Estate. First I give and bequeath unto my Eldest Son Stephen Roe one acre of upland at the northern end or corner of my planting field next unto Thomas Withams house Ite I give more unto my Son Stephen Roe one acre of salt meadow lying at Starknaught

harbour at the east corner of my meadow: more I give to my Son Stephen one common Right also one quarter of my saw mill if already my son Stephen Roes own proper right. Item I give to my Son John Roe one twelveth prt of the Sloop the Friend(ly?) Adventure which I hadof Joseph alin: it is to be under stood and my wish is that the one halfe of the advance by improvement of said prt of sloop shall bee my son Johns after my decease the other halfe for my Executors for their pains the said halfe to bee accounted unto my sd son after my decease when he shall arive unto the Age of twenty one years. father more it is to bee under stood and my will and meaning Is that my lands and housing cattle and sheep and all other my goods and moveables of all sorts as well Reversion(?) as in possession: after all my funeral Expenses are payd and discharged: That then what Estate of all sorts as above Expressed shall bee remaining shall bee equaly divided amongst all my naturall Children. Viz- my four sons & four daughters provided neverthe less that in Case Either of my Children do dy before he or They bee married that then the Rest Surviving shall inherit as copartners Excepting unto my Son Stephen and unto my Son John that portion above their Equall Shares: which I have already given:- unto them:

farther more it is my mind And will and my meaning Is that it shall bee at the Liberty and choise of my Executors That in case they, or either of them will keep all my Lands in their own hands That then the proportion by aprizement unto Each of their brothers and sisters shall bee accounted their Equal shares and is according unto the true intent and meaning of this my Last will and testament:- provided alwayes and it is to bee under stood A my will is that in case through providence I should marry againe and my wife should survive mee, that then she shall bee suteably and comforably maintained by the produce of my whole Estate Exepting unto John and Stephen that which I given to them above their Equal shares it is to bee under stood and my meaning is to bee comfortably

provided for during her natureal Life and if she continueth my widdow but in case my wife should marry againe in case I should marry with one that then she shall not injoy nore claime any of my Estate after mariage with another man: and I do by these presents constitute apoint and ardaine my two sons Stephen Roe and Samuell Roe to bee my Executors unto this my Last will and testament and bee it herby declared that all my

Lands given in this my Last will is within the town of Gloster annything herein contayned to the contray in anny wise not with standing in witness wherof or unto this my Last will I have here unto sett my hand and seal the day and year first above written: published sealed and subscribed in the presence of uss....

 

The mark of John Curney

The mark of Abigail Curney

Esekiel Collins

 

Inventory of estate of John Roe of Gloucester (1640-1700)

(Essex County Registry of Probate, Salem, Mass. No. 24,287)

 

An Inventory of the goods and estate of John Roe of Gloucestre deceased

# The Dwelling house and barne and about twelve acres of Land and the orchard

att------------------------------------------------------------------------ 110=00=00

# pasture Land about ten acres at ---------------------------------------- 020=00=00

# meadow about nine acres ---------------------------------------------- 040=00=00

# seven acres at Starknaught harbour -------------------------------------024=00=00

# Eighteen acres of vacant Land at ye head of the cape ------------------ 002=00=00

# Three acres of Land Lying comon ------------------------------------- 003=00=00

# one saw mill three quarters of it at ------------------------------------- 020=00=00

# weareing apparell ----------------------------------------------------- 013=16=00

# Books at -------------------------------------------------------------- 001=00=00

# one twelveth prt of A sloop ------------------------------------------- 024=00=00

# three oxen at ---------------------------------------------------------- 013=00=00

# seven Cows ---------------------------------------------------------- 019=00=00

# two two year old cattle at ----------------------------------------------003=00=00

# 5 cattle year and vantage old -------------------------------------------008=00=00

# 2 calves att ------------------------------------------------------------ 001=10=00

# 41 sheep and Lambs att ----------------------------------------------- 012=02=00

# one horse and furniture ------------------------------------------------ 004=10=00

# 1 Bed in the Lower Room --------------------------------------------- 006=00=00

# 2 other beds at -------------------------------------------------------- 007=00=00

# table Lining and table -------------------------------------------------- 001=00=00

# ? - and brass ---------------------------------------------------------- 002=14=00

# chests and chars Spinig wheels and other Lumber --------------------- 002=10=00

# Iron potts and traniels(?) fire shovel and tongs --------------------------000=18=00

# A weavers loom(?) at --------------------------------------------------001=10=00

# indinan Corne at 3 shils pr bushell---------------------------------------005=05=00

# carts ploughs chanes axes Betle(?) wedges and other Husbandry tools-- 002=14=00

# swine ------------------------------------------------------------------ 005=04=00

# two guns & a sword and other amunition--------------------------------001=14=00

# Cordwood cutt in the woods and at ye landing place-------------------- 002=00=00

# yarn woel and cloth - and flax------------------------------------------ 001=15=00

# more clothing----------------------------------------------------------- 003=15=00

# cash-------------------------------------------------------------------- 009=00=00

1700

Glstr(?) : October: 22 April by us

Joseph Allin

Jeffery parsons

Ezekiel Collins

 

No total was entered, but a total may be determined by adding (pounds=shilling=pence).

Chapter 9 John Rowe

 

John Rowe, Row, Roe was born about 1610 in Lamerton. Devonshire, England. Married there to Bridget Jeggles who was born 10 June 1619. They were married 13 July 1640.

Bridget died 2 May 1680 in Gloucester. Bridget was the daughter of William and Mary Jeggles, They also came to Essex County Massachusetts and settled in Salem. John Rowe died 9 March 1662 at Gloucester.

John Rowe was the son of John and Elizabeth Moore Rowe of Lamerton.

 

John and Bridget  spent the early part of their married life in England and came to England by 1650. {Note: I have corrected this in endnote i. John and Bridget were married in this country and John Jr. was born in Salem - editor, Diane Harman-Hoog.}

 

In 1651 he purchase land in the wilderness of Gloucester in a section known as “The Farms”. He and Bridget were the first settlers in that area and the new life was very lonely. On 26 June 1656 he found himself brought before the court for profanity and speaking his mind. He was quoted as saying that if his wife were of his mind, he would set his home on fire and run away by ye light and ye devil should take ye farm, then he added that he would live no longer among such accompany of hell hound.

 

It was not recorded whether his statement about his neighbors was worth the 20 shillings fine or not. Nevertheless, he lived in Gloucester until his death 6 years later in 9 March 1662. His son John inherited much of his land, see will following this chapter. His widow, Bridget married a second time to William Coleman who resided near “The Farms”. They were married on 14 November 1662.

 

John and Bridget were parents of 5 children only 2 are recorded in public records.\\

• *John Roe Jr. was born about 1640. See previous chapter.
• Samuel Rowe
• Hugh Rowe was born about 1645. He died 11 December 1696 at Gloucester. He married for a first time on 10 June 1667 to Rachel Langton who died 7 March 1674. He then remarried Mary Prince on 10 September 1675.
• Stephan Rowe
• Bridget Rowe

 

Estate of John Row(e) of Gloucester

Essex Probate Docket # None

 

In the name of god Amen: I John Row in my will and Testament; being in my perfect sences doe giue and Resine my soule to god that gaue it: and my Body to the earth to be Buried; and my goods: I despose of; As followeth:

I giue all my wholle estat which god hath bestowed upon me; to my wife and my to sonns; That is to say to my wife; and my sonne John; and my Sonn huah; to be equally deuided Betweene them and to euery one a like: and as for my wife: if her third part of goods will not maintaine her; it is my will my too sonns shall maintaine her all her dais; if in case shee liue unmaried;

And if she doe mary, what goods she haue at her decease shall be equaly deuided to my to sonns:: That is to say what estate she haue; at her day of mariage; and if either of these to sonns dye unmaried his estst shalbe his Brothers that doe Remaine a liue: and wittnes hereof I set may hand;

Dated ye: 15th: of ye 8:mo:1661:

 

The mark of

John O Row senier

Witnes:

The mark of: John II Collens senier

Steuen Glouer

John Collens Junier

 

Proved in Salem court 24:4:1662 and the widow and her sons John and Hugh appointed administrators to divide the estate according to the mind of the testator.

 

Inventory taken Apr. 2, 1662, by Samuel Delaber, John (his I mark) Collings and William Browne:

 

Two Cowes, 10 li .; 1 Cowe, 4 li .; 2 dry Cowe, 4 li . 10s.; 1 yocke of oxen, 16 li .; 1 yocke of oxen, 15 li . 10s.; 3 Cattle of 2 years, 6 li .; Cart & wheles, 2 li .; plow shears, chaines & harnes, 1 li . 12s.; 2 hamers, 4 weges, 9s.; 2 sawes, 3s.; old axces, 10s.; 2 pecaxes, 5s.; 1 hoe, 2s.; spad & shuvels, 7s.; pickes forke, 6d.; shot mowels, 1s.; pot hockes, 5s.; tongs & crucks, Iron pots, 18s.; 2 Cittles, 12s.; peuter, 5s.; sheves, 5s.; 1 ass, 2 li .; seves, 3s.; 3 rakes & old sithe, 2s.; a wheelbara, 2s.; Swine, 2 li .; 4 bushells of wheat, 1 li .; peaes, 14 bushels, 2 li . 9s.; tember vessels, 10s.; one gun, 12s.; bed & bed Clothes, 8 li .; Chest & nails, trunk & books, 14s.; Friing pan, warming pan, 5s.; grining stoo., 1s. 6d.; a bars skin, 5s.; Twenty busshelle of indian, 53 li .; Baken, 2 li .; Ropes & bags, 10s.; rep hoackes, 4s.; augers, chest and ades, 8s. 9d.; Lanhorne & skales, 5s.; Cotten stockens, 8s. 4d.; rye, 3 bushels, 10s. 6d.; salt & salt meat, 7s. 6d.; Thre pounds, ten shillings Due det to John Roe; Lands, 100 li .; Total, 205 li . 16s. 10d. John Roe indetted Fourty shillings.

Sworn by Brigitt Row, the widow, and John Row, her son, 9 June 1662, before Samuel Symonds.

 

His inventory amounted to two hundred and five pounds sixteen shillings ten pence.

 

Sorce: Essex Co. Quarterly Court Files, vol. 8, leaf 26

 

Chapter 10 John Dickinson

 

John Dickinson, a planter, was born about 1613 in England. He was a proprietor and a Freeman in 1639 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. A free man was one who had the full rights of a citizen and a church member. He married Mary __ who was born about 1617 and died 16 April 1647. His second wife was Ann and then Alice whom he married on 14 April 1681. She survived him and then married William Allen. John Dickinson died 30 December 1683. His will was probated in 1684 and it mentions his wife Alice and her grandchild Samuel Adams.

 

Children of John and Mary Dickinson

• *Mary Dickinson was born 12 March 1639 – 40. She was married 27 September 1663 to John Rowe Jr. at Gloucester. She died 26 April 1684.
• John Dickinson was born 20 October 1646 and married Mary Pressie.

 

Chapter 11 William Jeggles

 

William Jeggles of Salem Mass was born in England about 1590. He was a proprietor in Salem in 1636. He was a shipwright or ship’s carpenter building and repairing ships. He was admitted to the church 26 September 1648. He was also a fisherman. The Essex Institute Vol. 2 page 255 says he first went to Virginia and then to Massachusetts.

 

William’s first wife was Mary. They were married about 1614 and she was the mother of his children. His second wife was Elizabeth. Nothing is known about her other than the fact that when William died sometime before 28 April 1659, she presented the inventory of his estate, valued at 148 pounds. On 28 June 1659, the court ordered that she keep the estate.

 

Children of William and Mary Jeggles

• Capt John Jeggles was born about 1615. In 1659 He was living in England and the master of a ship
• Daniel Jeggles born about 1617 died in Salem on 10 April 1658 at age 41
• *Bridget Jeggles born 10 June 1619. Marred first on 13 July 1640 to John Rowe born 1610 in England. She came to America on the ship “Assurance from the town of Gravesend,” England on 24 July 1635, at the age of 16.
• Capt. Thomas Jeggles was born about 1621 in England. Married Abigail on 27 October 1647. She was the daughter of Elder Samuel and Alice Sharp of Salem. They had 12 children
• Elizabeth Jeggles was born about 1623 in England. Married Ralph L Green of Malden, Massachusetts about 1642.
• Hugh Jeggles was born about 1625 in England and died 3 September 1644 at the age of 19.
• William Jeggles was born about 1627. He died in Salem on 12 May 1674

 

Chapter 12 Elisha Curney

 

Elisha Curney (Corney) was born on the 25 September 1672 at Gloucester. He was the son of John and Abigail Skillings Curney. Elisha married Rebecca Smith, a twin daughter of Samuel and Mary Hopkins Smith. She was born 10 December 1678 in Eastham Massachusetts.

 

Elisha and Rebecca settled at Eastern Point, Gloucester and had a large family. Elisha had grown up with his parents on a 60 acre lot on Non-such Point which is near Gloucester.

 

Children of Elisha and Rebekah Curney

• *Elizabeth Curney was born about 1700 and lived to be about 100 years of age. She married Stephen Rowe as his second wife.

• Abigail Curney May 24, 1703 Intensions posted Abigail, and Gregory Savery of Marblehead, int. Mar. 28, 1723. (Banns forbidden by Abigail Corney's father Apr. 6, 1723.), she married Rowland Battin, Feb. 11, 1730-31.
• Elisha Curney Oct. 16, 1714
• John Curney Dec. 9, 1698  married Mary Cook Jan. 15, 1712-13 Mary died Apr : 23 : 1728, in her 40th y
• Joseph Curney Oct. 10, 1700 died Aug. 29, 1706
• Mary Curney June 2, 1708 married Jacob Rowe Jan. 7, 1712-13
• Rebekah Curney Nov. 7, 1705

Chapter 13 Thomas Skillings

 

Thomas Skillings was in Salem prior to 1640. By 1642 he was a proprietor which meant that he owned land. Thomas moved to Gloucester in the mid 1640s. His land there was near the ancient burying ground. As early as 1651 he had moved to the Falmouth Maine area, but by 1658 had returned to Gloucester and then moved back to Falmouth the same year.[ii]

 

In 1658 he bought a farm at Back Cove from George Cleeves. He died there and the farm remained in the family for many years. The farm adjoined the Deerin farm in Westbrook and is now about half a mile from the Westbrook Bridge. His will was dated 14 November 1666 and proved 2 October 1667.  His will mentioned only two children by name, Thomas and John. To the farmer he left “one cow and a young steer and a calf, and his fowls to be divided between them both. His will provided that the bulk of his property should go to his widow, “during the widow’s estate and if she should marry she shall have but on-third and the rest to be divided equally to all my children,” The inference is that he had other children, but the only others on record were Abigail and Deborah whose birth is recorded in Gloucester in 1648.

 

By the ages of his children, he and Deborah were most likely married in Salem in 1642. Her maiden name is unknown, but the IGI database says it may be Prince. She was born about 1623.

 

When he died, the inventory of his estate was taken by his neighbors. His property was enumerated and valued as follows:

 

4 steers	22 pounds
5 cows	20 pounds
3 younger cattle	6 pounds
.2 calves	1 pound
11 pigs	3 pounds
Wheat and peas in the barn	3 pounds, 8 shillings
18 bushels of wheat in the dwelling house	4 pounds 10 shillings
6 bushels Indian corn	1 pound 4 shillings
60 pounds cotton wool	3 pounds
Household furnishings	32 pounds
Total	186 pounds14 shillings

 

Thomas and Deborah Skillings Children:

• Thomas Skillings Jr. was born in 1643. He married Mary, daughter of George Lewis. He died in Salem on 30 December 1676. From the Suffolk Court Files “Original list of refugees from Casco on an island praying to send a vessel to fetch off the people, not over a dozen men with many women and children, the men and women can work, the orphans and children, off springs of Christians ought to be rescued and put out to serves.” Written by Francis Neale August 1676 and signed by Thomas Skillings and 8 others.[iii]
• John Skillings was a prominent man in early Falmouth. He was a carpenter and his wife was named Mary. On 11 January 1675 he was an inhabitant of Salem. He moved there because of the Indian War of 1675. From the Salem Town Records ?Refugees at Salem in January 1675, the following persons from Maine were granted a temporary residence by the Selectmen. Among the 22 signatures was John Skillings from Falmouth. He returned to Falmouth in 1680. There he married Elizabeth Ingersoll, a widow.
• Deborah Skillings was born at Gloucester in 1648.
• *Abigail Skillings was born in 1652. She married John Corney and died 15 February 1722 in Gloucester.
• Joseph Skillings
• Benjamin Skillings


• Exhibit A Brief History of the 1675 Indian War

 

Reprinted from a discontinued Medfield, MA community web page

"The horrors and devastation of Philip's war have no parallel in our history. The revolution was a struggle for freedom; the contest with Philip was for existence. The war lasted only about fourteen months; and yet the towns of Brookfield, Lancaster, Marlborough, Medfield, Sudbury, Groton, Deerfield, Hatfield, Hadley, Northfield, Springfield, Weymouth, Chelmsford, Andover, Scituate, Bridgewater, and several other places were wholly or partially destroyed, and many of the inhabitants were massacred or carried into captivity. During this short period, six hundred of our brave men, the flower and strength of the Colony, had fallen, and six hundred dwelling houses were consumed. Every eleventh family was houseless, and every eleventh soldier had sunk to his grave." Charles Hudson: A History of Marlborough

Background:

King Philip's War of 1675-1676 was a predictable Indian rebellion against continuing Puritan incursions into Native American lands. Though Indian attacks were vicious, they were no more so than those the Puritans had waged with less provocation.

In May of 1637, several hundred recent Connecticut Valley settlers led by English Captain John Mason, formerly of Boston's Dorchester settlement, surprised and torched a Pequot village while its warriors were absent. The Puritans surrounded the village and shot hundreds of women, old men and children attempting to escape the flames. An eyewitness account of that horror reads "It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the flames, and horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the praise thereof God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them." John Mason wrote back to Dorchester that God had "laughed at his enemies and the enemies of his people, … making them as a fiery oven."

The English Encroachment

By 1670 New England's European population was about 50,000 and the Colonists were thriving, living an average 20 years longer than their overseas counterparts. Their population would double by 1700. Conversely, Indians had been decimated by European-borne diseases in the plagues of 1616-21, and every passing year found them with less game and less land.

Younger Indians brooded over their losses, and took as their leader Metacomet, the son of Wampanoag Chief Massasoit, who ironically had fifty years earlier befriended and saved the original Plymouth Colony from starvation. Massasoit died in 1661, succeeded by Metacomet's older brother, Wamsutta (Alexander). When Wamsutta died a year later after being questioned by Plymouth officials, Metacomet, already a chief in all but name, became Chief of the Wamopanoags, and known to the Puritans as King Phillip. In 1671, he too was questioned by Plymouth's administrators, and was released only after surrendering a cache of guns and promising to submit to English law. He vowed it would be his last humiliation.

Metacomet/King Philip would likely have led a war against the Puritans without further provocation. William Tilden, in his History of the Town of Medfield, Massachusetts, 1650-1886, writes that Metacomet had convened a large gathering of warriors at Wachusetts Mountain, 40 miles northwest of Medfield. But the trigger was the hanging in June, 1675, of three Wampanoags charged with murdering a Christianized and Harvard-educated Indian, John Sassamon, after Sassamon warned Plymouth's officials of a pending Wampanoag rebellion. At the trial the officials produced an Indian witness who identified the three.

Wampanoags On The Warpath

The next day the Wampanoags were on the warpath. They began their attacks on outlying Plymouth Colony villages, beginning with Swansea on June 24. In mid-July they destroyed Mendon, 15 miles west of Medfield. By autumn the Wampanoags were joined by the Nipmucks of southwestern Massachusetts and by Rhode Island's Narragansetts, and by November the entire upper Connecticut Valley was once again Indian territory. The rapidity and ferocity of Indian attacks, the vulnerability of the settlements, and the Colonists' inability to respond in kind surprised the Colonists. Wrote Missionary John Eliot, a dedicated Cambridge-educated missionary and translator of the Bible to Algonquin: "We were too ready to think that we could easily suppress the flea, but now we find that all the craft is in catching them, and that in the meantime they give us many a sore nip."

Metacomet concentrated his attacks in what today is known as the Tri-Valley region between Providence and Boston, no more than twenty miles from either city. Panic ensued, and the Colonies passed America's first draft laws, calling for all males between 16 and 60. Except for small garrisons in large population centers, there were few standing military units, and fewer under any coordinating authority. Most arms-bearing residents remained close to home, forming local militias and requesting officers and artillery from the garrisons.

Kingston -- A Gruesome Massacre

But when a large number of Indians were observed gathered near Providence, the Colonies came together and formed an army of about 1000 men. Six companies of Massachusetts militia marched from Dedham on December 10, and were joined at North Kingston, R.I., by troops from the Plymouth and Connecticut Colonies. They destroyed the Indian's fortified village on the morning of December 19 after a three-hour fight. Eighty Colonists were killed and 150 wounded. Indian losses were reported as "about 1000 killed" (no wounded) most of whom may well have been women and children.

The Indians' loss of shelter and supplies in the midst of winter increased their desperation. They raided now in smaller, uncoordinated bands. Their most devastating raid, against Medfield on February 21, 1676, left 17 Medfielders dead and 32 homes destroyed.

The raids continued through the spring and summer of 1676. An attack a few miles north of Medfield, in Natick, was repulsed with the help of that community's friendly "Praying" (Christianized) Indians. Tilden reports that on 25 July men from Medfield and Dedham, assisted by friendly Indians, fought with Pomham, the sachem of Shaomet (Warwick, R.I.) and, next to Philip, the most dreaded of the chiefs. Fifteen Indians were killed, including Pomham ("slain like a wild beast"), and 35 taken prisoner.

The End Nears

The end came not from military prowess but from disease and famine. Philip's faltering support bottomed when the Mohawks, potentially strong allies, refused to join with him, preferring not to relinquish their short-term fur-trade profits. Other tribes soon surrendered or moved westward. By the summer of 1676 Philip's staunchest supporters saw his cause was hopeless.

Lurking about Mount Hope, Philip put one of his -warriors to death for advising him to surrender. The brother of the man, fearful for his own life, fled to the English and informed them of Philip's swamp camp. A Captain Church of Milton surrounded the place and rushed the camp. Philip fled, only to encounter an Englishman and an Indian. The Englishman's gun misfired; however, the Indian sent a bullet through Philip's heart. This was the same Indian, Alderman, whose brother had been killed earlier by Phillip and who had led Captain Church to the encampment. Church ordered Philip to be beheaded and quartered. The Indian pronounced a warrior's eulogy: "You have been one very great man. You have made many a man afraid of you. But big as you be, I will now chop you up in little pieces." Philip's head was carried to Plymouth, where it was displayed for 2 years, and his wife and son were sold into slavery in the West Indies. Monaco, a subchief believed to have led the raid on Medfield, was hanged in Boston in September.

The war was a disaster for both sides, but especially so for Indians, as the Colonists used the war to remove even some "Praying Indian" communities. For each Colonist killed, three or more Indians died, if not from bullets, then from starvation, disease and exposure. Of some 90 Puritan towns, 52 had been attacked and 13 leveled. At least 600 Colonial men and as many as 2,000 women and children were killed, and 1200 homes destroyed together with 8,000 cattle. The total cost of the war exceeded the value of all personal property in New England. Only a few small Indian communities survived in semi-isolated areas. And for nearly half a century what had been rapid New England expansion was halted.

Sources:

History of the Town of Marlborough, Charles Hudson, Boston, 1862
History of the Town of Medfield (http://www.medfield.com)
History of Essex County, Ipswich, D. Hamilton Hurd, Philadelphia, 1888.

[iv]

Chapter 14 Samuel Smith

 

Samuel Smith was baptized in Hingham Massachusetts 11 July 1641. He died at Eastham 3 January 1667. He was married to Mary , daughter of Giles Hopkins who came over on the Mayflower in1620. Mary Hopkins was born November 1640 in Yarmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, She died on the 20 of March 1696 at Eastham.

 

Samuel was a trader and land owner. In his young years he as engaged in the whale and mackerel fisheries and was very successful. The latter years of his life, he engaged in agriculture. Samuel’s largest tract of land was over four hundred acres situated in the part of Eastham that is now Orleans and extending over to Baker’s Pond from a line running northerly from Potonumecot River over Island Pond to the north of the riverlet at the cove near the house formerly owned by Vickery Sparrow. He sold that parcel to a large number of townsmen and it was know for many years afterward as “Smith’s Purchase”.

 

His estate, both real and personal was valued at over 120 pounds. He had besides the tract as Eastham, “Ye half of two farms at Monomoy with his brother John.”

 

Samuel’s Estate was settled in 22 April 1697 by order of the probate court of Barnstable County. Joseph, Grace and Deborah were not mentioned.

 

Children of Samuel and Mary Smith

Child born and died March 1667

• Samuel Smith born 26 May 1668. He married Bathsheba Lathrop. Samuel died 22 September 1692.
• Mary Smith was born 3 June 1669. She married Daniel Hampton. They went to Monomoy (Chatham) and settled. Mary and were the only children of Samuel to survive him.
• Joseph Smith was born 10 April 1671 and died 22 September 1692 at the age of 21.
• John Smith  was born 26 May 1673. He was married to Beth Snow on 14 May 1694.
• Grace Smith was born 5 September 1678. She died at age 15 on 1 December 1691.
• Deborah Smith, twin born 10 December 1678
• *Rebecca Smith, twin born 10 December 1678. ON 16 December 1687 she married Elish Curney of Gloucester. See Chapter 11

 

Chapter 15 Ralph Smith

 

Ralph Smith was born about 1610 married Elizabeth Hobart, the mother of his children about 1638. They moved to Eastham about 1653. She died there in 1654. Ralph then married Grace.

 

The early settlers of the present town of Hingham Massachusetts (near Boston) were mostly from Hingham, Norfolk, England.  Records of those early settlers mention Ralph as coming from “Old Hingham” in 1633 and indicated that he came alone. His name first appears in the Hingham records in 1637 when he drew a house lot on Bachelor Street. – now Main Street. In colony records he is called Ralph Smyth as 22 September 1652, the probate records for Suffolk County refer to Ralph Smyth of Hingham. Ralph as in Eastham in the Plymouth Colony in 1657. The year that he took the oath of fidelity in the colony his name was recorded as Ralph Smith. Ralph was constable of Eastham in 1660. His death occurred at Eastham in 1685 and on 27 October 1685 letters of “administration is granted by this court to Grace Smith, the relict of Ralph Smith and Samuel Smith, son to the said Ralph Smith, all of the town of Eastham, the colony of New Plymouth on all good and chattels of Ralph Smith

 

Children of Ralph and Elizabeth Smith

• Child born about 1639
• *Samuel Smith was baptized 11 July 1641, Married to Mary Hopkins. See Chapter 14.
• John Smith was baptized 23 July 1644 in Hingham. He died in 1672. He was married to Hannah Williams
• Daniel Smith, baptized 2 March 1647 died (will proven) 20 January 1720. Married Mary Young 3 March 1676
• Elizabeth Smith was born September 1648 in Hingham. She married Jabez Snow 28 October 1669.[v]
• Thomas Smith was born about 1650.His`will was proven 18 October 1720. He was married in 1681 to Mary Mayo.

 

Exhibit Plymouth Colony Oath of Freedom

You shall sweare by the name of the great God ... & earth & in his holy fear, & presence that you shall not speake, or doe, devise, or advise, anything or things, acte or acts, directly, or indirectly, By land, or water, that doth, shall, or may, tend to the destruction or overthrowe of this present plantation, Colonie, or Corporation of this towne Plimouth in New England.

Neither shall you suffer the same to be spoken, or done, but shall hinder & opposse the same, by all due means you can.

You shall not enter into any league, treaty, Confederace or combination, with any, within the said Colonie or without the same that shall plote, or contrive any thing to the hurte & ruine of the growth, and good of the said plantation.

You shall not consente to any such confederation, nor conceale any known unto you certainly, or by conje but shall forthwith manifest & make knowne by same, to the Governours of this said towne for the time being.

And this you promise & swear, simply & truly, & faithfully to performe as a true christian [you hope for help from God, the God of truth & punisher of falshoode].

 

Chapter 16 Giles Hopkins

 

Giles Hopkins was born in England in August 1607, He died in Eastham, an octogenarian between March 15 1689 and April 26 1690. In that March he signed the codicil to his will and when his will was admitted to probate that April.  He was the son of Stephen Hopkins, Mayflower passenger, and his first wife Mary.

 

Giles, sometimes written Gyles, married Catherine Wheldon in Yarmouth Massachusetts pn the 9 of October 1639. She died in Eastham after the 15^th of March 1689. Catherine was the daughter of Gabriel Wheldon of Yarmouth. Giles Hopkins was the eldest son of Stephen Hopkins of the Plymouth Colony. He came over on the Mayflower with his father, his father’s second wife and his sister. A half brother, Oceanu on the voyage.[vi]

 

He was known as a quiet child on the voyage and unlike his father and his half brother< Caleb, he developed a retiring disposition as he got older.

 

The Pequot Indians in the eastern part of Connecticut began war with the English in 1637.  The Plymouth Colony decided to send a company to help overthrow the Indians > Giles, his father and his brother Caleb volunteered to go, but the Indians were defeated before this happened.

 

In 1638, he moved from Plymouth to Yarmouth (which was called Mattcheese) Stephen Hopkins was allowed to build a house there by the Plymouth Colony in order to cut hay and winter his cattle there. It is thought that his son Giles went down there to  look after matters for Stephen. It was there that he met, courted and married Catherine Wheldon. Her father, Gabriel, had been licensed to build there the year before. He was the highway surveyor of Yarmouth and Eastham (Nauset) until 1662.

 

In his will, Stephen made his son, Caleb the heir apparent. The amount that Caleb received was large. However, Caleb, soon after his father’s death in July 1644 gave up a very large tract to Giles, his only surviving brother. The tract was near what is now Brewster. Upon the death of Caleb who was a seaman, Giles came into possession of much of the land. Caleb died in the Barbados before 1657. In 1659, land in eastham was granted to him. Giles will is recorded in Vol 1 page 32 of Probate Records of Barnstable County. His will dated 19 January 1682 and proved on the 5^th of March 1689 mentaions . his wife Catherine and his sons Stephen, William, Caleb and Joshua.

 

Children of Giles and Catherine Hopkins. (The first four were born in Yarmouth, the remainder in Eastham.)

• *Mary Hopkins was born in Yarmouth in November 1640. She married Samuel Smith on 3 January 1664. See Chapter 14.
• Stephen Hopkins was born in September 1642. He first married Mary Myrick on 23 of May 1667. His second marriage was to Bethia Linnal Atkins on 9 April 1701.
• John Hopkins was born in 1643 and only lived to be 3 months old.
• Abigail Hopkins was born in October 1644. She married William Myrick, son of William Myrick on 3 May 1667.
• Deborah Hopkins was born in June 1648. On 27 July 1668, she married Josiah Cook, the son of Josiah and Elizabeth Cook of Eastham.
• Caleb Hopkins was born in January 1650. He married Mary Williams, the daughter of Thomas Williams of Eastham.
• Ruth Hopkins was born in June 1653. She married Samuel Mayo,  the son of Nathan and Hannah Mayo.
• Joshua Hopkins was born in June 1657. He married Mary Cole, the daughter of Daniel and Ruth Cole of Eastham..
• William Hopkins was born 9 January 1660 and died in 1689.
• Elizabeth Hopkins was born in November 1664 and died at age 1 month.

 

Exhibit Last Will and Testament of Gyles Hopkins

To all Christian people to whome these presents shall com know ye that I Giles Hopkins of Eastham being sick and weak of Body and yet of perfit memory do declare this as my Last will and Testament on this ninteenth day of January in ye year of our Lord 1682

I bequeath my Body to ye grave in decent burial when this Temporal Life of mine shall have an end and my soul to god that gave it in hopes of a blessed Resurection at ye Last day

2ly my will is that my son Stephen Hopkins shall possess and Injoy all my Upland and meadow Lying and being at Satuckit that is to say all my upland and meadow on ye southerly side of ye bounds of ye Towne of eastham that is to say all my Right and title Intrest and claime to all those Lands from ye head of Namescakit to ye southermost part of ye long pond where mannomoyet cart way goes over to Satuckit and from thence to ye head of manomoyet river and so as our Line shall run over to ye south sea all ye Lands between thos bounds and ye westermost bounds of ye purchesers at satuckit river all these Lands I give Unto my son Stephen Hopkins and to his heirs forever: and half my stock of cattill for and in consideration of ye above sd Land and half stock of cattel my will is that after my decease my son Stephen Hopkins shall take ye care and oversight and maintaine my son William Hopkins during his natural Life in a comfortable decent manner.

3ly my will is that all my Lands at Palmet both purchesed and unpurchesed both meadows and upland and all my Lands at Pochet and my third part of Samsons neck and what other Lands shall fall unto me as a purcheser from ye fore mentioned Bounds of my son Stephen Hopkinses Lands and potanomacot all these fore specified Lands I give unto my sons Caleb and Joshua Hopkins to be equaly devided between them: further my will is that if either of my sons Joshua or Caleb Hopkins dye having no Issew that then these Lands which I have given them to be equally devided between them fall to him that surviveth.

4ly. I give unto my wife Catorne Hopkins and to my son William Hopkins the improvment of too acres of meadow Lying at ye head of Rock Harbor during my wifes Life and ye one half of that too acres I give Unto my son william during his Life and after ye decease of and after ye decease of my wife and son william I do give this above sd too acres of meadow to my son Joshua Hopkins and his heirs forever: as also after my decease I give Unto my son Joshua Hopkins a parcel of meadow Lying at ye mouth of Rock Harbor according to ye bounds thereof specified in ye Towne Records of Lands: it I give unto my son Caleb Hopkins a parcel of meadow Lying at Little Nameskeket according to ye bounds thereof specified in ye Towne Book of Records of Lands.

It. I give unto my wife my now dwelling House and halfe my Land and halfe my orchard that is by my house: by Land I mean half my Land that is about my house both fenced and Unfenced during my wifes natural Life, and then ye above sd housing and Lands to fall unto my son Joshua Hopkins; the other half of my Land and orchard I give to my son Joshua Hopkins after my death that is to say ye other half of my Lands Liying about my house.

It. I give unto my son Caleb Hopkins one pair of plow Irons.

It. I give Unto my son Joshua Hopkins one payer of plow Irons.

It. I give Unto my son Joshua Hopkins my carte and wheels.

It. I give unto my wife ye other half of my stock and moveables I say to my wife and my son William or what parse of ye moveables my wife shall see cause to bestow on my son William Hopkins.

It. I do appoint my son Stephen Hopkins to be my true and Lawful executor of this my Last will and testament to pay what is payable and Receive what is due.

And to ye truth and verity hereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seal ye day and year above written.

Signed and sealed

in presence of us, ye mark of

Jonathan Sparrow.

Giles Hopkins (seal)

Samuel Knowles.

Jonathan Sparrow and Samuel Knowles witnesses to this will made oath in Court ye: 16 th: of April 1690 that they saw ye above sd Giles Hopkins signe seal and declare this to be his Last will and Testament.

Attest Joseph Lothrop. Clerk.

I ye above sd Giles Hopkins do declare where as by ye providence of God my Life has been prolonged unto me and by Reason of age and disabillity of Body Lam Incapatiated to provide for my owne support and my wifes, my will further is that my son Stephen Hopkins from this time and forward shall possess and Injoy all my stock and moveable estate provided he take effectual care for mine and my wifes Comfortable Support during our natural Lives witness my hand and seal this fifth day of march 1688/9.

Witness Mark Snow

Giles Hopkins (seal)

Jonath Sparrow

The within mentioned Mark Snow and Jonathan Sparrow made oath in Court April ye: 16 : 1690 that they saw Giles Hopkins within mentioned signe seal and declare ye latter part of this will within mentioned to be his Last will and Testament. Attest. Joseph Lothrop, Clerk.

Duly Compared with the original and entered April ye: 22 : 1690. Attest. Joseph Lothrop, Recorder.

Exhibit  The Pequot War

In 1637, long-standing tensions between the Puritan English of Connecticut and Massachusetts Bay colonies and the Pequot escalated into open warfare. The Mohegan and the Narragansett sided with the English. Perhaps 1,500 Pequot were killed in battles or hunted down. Others were captured and distributed as slaves or household servants. A few escaped to be absorbed by the Mohawk or the Niantic on Long Island. Eventually, some would try to return to their traditional lands, while family groups of "friendly" Pequots stayed. Of those enslaved, most were awarded to the allied tribes, but many were also sold to plantations in the West Indies.^[7] The Mohegan in particular treated their Pequot hostages so severely that colonial officials of Connecticut Colony eventually removed them. Two reservations were established by 1683. While both of their land bases were exceedingly reduced by what eventually became the state of Connecticut, they continue to exist to the present.[vii]

Chapter 17 Stephen Hopkins [viii]

 

Stephen Hopkins was born in England in 1580. He died at Plymouth Massachusetts between 6 June and 27 July 1644. He was 64 years old and had lived a very adventurous life. He married __ [ix]in England about 1604. He married his second wife, Elizabeth Fisher on 19 February 1617/18 at ST. Mary’s Whitechapel In London, England. Elizabeth died at Plymouth between 1640 and 1644.

 

There is a Stephen Hopkins mentioned in the Davis-Gates Ancestral Lines (volume III, page 449) By Mary Walton Ferris, published 1931. This implies that he could have been the same as our Stephen Hopkins.

 

It seems that on 2 June 1609, 9 vessels sailed from London, England, bound for Virginia. One of these vessels was called the “Sea Adventure. It carried, among others Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Somers and other officials who were to govern the colony, and about 150 others, including William Serachey who recorded the journey.. The account mentions “Stephen Hopkins, a fellow who had knowledge  of the Scriptures and could reason well therein whom our Minister therefore chose to be his Clerke to read Psalms and chapters upon Sundayes”

 

Throughout the voyage, the vessels kept together until the later part of July when a hurricane caught the “Sea Adventure”. For 3 days and nights, even though the men bailed water constantly, it seemed that they would sink. At last when they were exhausted and expected to die, they were saved by being washed ashore on one of the Devil Islands known as Isle of Divels.

 

The survivors lived for on these islands during which time they built two small vessels which were able to take them to Virginia. It was a two week trip. They arrived in Virginia on 24 May 1610.[x]

 

During the 9 months of ship building and sustaining themselves, discontent was voices and disorder followed. Six men were the first to move in the mutinies. Nicholas Bennet “who made much profession of Scripture.” “Was a mutinous and dissembling imposter.” They retreated like outlaws to the forest and when they were captured taken to another island in the Bermuda group. The banished men, however, soon found that life in the solitary wilderness was altogether desirable and made “humble petition for restoration” with much “seeming sorrow and repentance. They were pardoned.

 

Stephen Hopkins had been verbally expounding the theory that the Governor’s authority pertained only to the voyage and to the Government in Virginia and that they might consider it null on the island. Hopkins was brought manacled before a court martial and sentenced to death on a charge of mutiny and rebellion. “But so persistent he was and made so much to moane alleging the ruin of his wife and his children in his trespasse, as it wrought in the hearts of all the better sort of Company.” The Governor reconsidered and gave him his pardon.

 

Stephen returned to England and he and his family, residents of London, England, left for America in the Mayflower in 1620.  Stephen and Elizabeth with Constance and Gyles, his children by a former marriage  and Damaris, daughter by his second wife traveled together. He also had two servants with him.

 

The Mayflower finally sailed for America in August 1620. They were accompanied by the “Speedwell”. Speedwell had a leak and eventually they decided to leave it behind and process without her. They drew lots for the passengers who would travel on the Mayflower. The others were to follow on a later voyage. It was a very story two months later that they sighted Cape Cod. They made sortees around the Cape Cod area and then decided to go on to Plymouth where they landed on 21 December 1620.

 

Stephen had signed the Mayflower Compact, an agreement signed by the Pilgrim passengers. Stephen was the 14^th signature on the list. The compact was to acknowledge their loyalty to the king and pledging their obedience to such just and equal laws as would be necessary to the general good of the colony to be established after landing. It is considered as the first example of a written constitution in North America.

 

While the Mayflower was at Provincetown some passengers were impatient over the delay.  A group including Stephen Hopkins decided to scout out the area and look for a suitable town site by foot. On their 3^rd day out, Stephen pointed out and marveled at an Indian deer trap.

 

On December 6, Standish with Stephen Hopkins and ten other men set out on a third tour of discovery which lasted 5 days, they discovered the site at Plymouth upon which they would settle. The first winter’s exposure resulted in the death of 14 of 18 wives. Four of the twenty four families were wiped out. Only 4 householders escaped loss, among them Stephen Hopkins.

 

Stephen was always deputized to meet with the Indians and to act as interpreter. Somoset, a local Indian became a faithful friend of the colonists.

 

In 1623, Stephen received 6 acres for garden purposed, one acre for each ember of the family, His home lot in Plymouth, assigned to him on his arrival in 1620 was on the eastern corner of Main and Leyden Streets.

 

Stephen served as an assistant to Governor William Bradford from 1622 to 1637. He was enterprising and progressive. He built and owned the first wharf of which any record is found. He also earned 1/16 of a vessel built in 1642.

 

Stephen, a useful and much respected citizen, was given the title of “master” and gentleman. He was also stubborn and argumentative and inclined to argue the laws of the colony to suit himself.

 

In this will, dated 6 June 1644, he directed that his body be buried as near as possible to that of his deceased wife.

 

Children of Stephen and his first wife, Mary

• *Constance was born in England about 1605. She married about 1627 to Nicholas Snow who came on the “Ann” in 1623. They had 11 children. She died in 1670.
• *Giles was born in England about 1607; He died in 1689 at Eastham. He married Cathrine Whelden. See Chapter 16.

 

Children of Stephen and Elizabeth Hopkins

• Damaris was born in England about 1618. She died about 1627
• Oceanus was born on the Mayflower in 1620. He died about 1623.
• Caleb was born about 1623. He was a seaman who died unmarried in Barbardos before 1657.
• Deborah was born in Plymouth. She married Andrew Ring in 1646.
• Ruth was born in Plymouth. She died before 1659.
• Damaris was born about 1628 in Plymouth. She married Jacob Cooklson of Francis Cook of the Mayflower. She died after 1665.
• Elizabeth was born in Plymouth. She died unmarried after 1657.

 

 

Exhibit – Will of Stephen Hopkins

The last Will and Testament of Mr. Stephen Hopkins exhibited upon the Oathes of mr Willm Bradford and Captaine Miles Standish at the generall Court holden at Plymouth the xxth of August Anno dm 1644 as it followeth in these wordes vizt.

The sixt of June 1644 I Stephen Hopkins of Plymouth in New England being weake yet in good and prfect memory blessed be God yet considering the fraile estate of all men I do ordaine and make this to be my last will and testament in manner and forme following and first I do committ my body to the earth from whence it was taken, and my soule to the Lord who gave it, my body to be buryed as neare as convenyently may be to my wyfe Deceased And first my will is that out of my whole estate my funerall expences be discharged secondly that out of the remayneing part of my said estate that all my lawfull Debts be payd thirdly I do bequeath by this my will to my sonn Giles Hopkins my great Bull wch is now in the hands of Mris Warren. Also I do give to Stephen Hopkins my sonn Giles his sonne twenty shillings in Mris Warrens hands for the hire of the said Bull Also I give and bequeath to my daughter Constanc Snow the wyfe of Nicholas Snow my mare also I give unto my daughter Deborah Hopkins the brodhorned black cowe and her calf and half the Cowe called Motley Also I doe give and bequeath unto my daughter Damaris Hopkins the Cowe called Damaris heiffer and the white faced calf and half the cowe called Mottley Also I give to my daughter Ruth the Cowe called Red Cole and her calfe and a Bull at Yarmouth wch is in the keepeing of Giles Hopkins wch is an yeare and advantage old and half the curld Cowe Also I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth the Cowe called Smykins and her calf and thother half of the Curld Cowe wth Ruth and an yearelinge heiffer wth out a tayle in the keeping of Gyles Hopkins at Yarmouth Also I do give and bequeath unto my foure daughters that is to say Deborah Hopkins Damaris Hopkins Ruth Hopkins and Elizabeth Hopkins all the mooveable goods the wch do belong to my house as linnen wollen beds bedcloathes pott kettles pewter or whatsoevr are moveable belonging to my said house of what kynd soever and not named by their prticular names all wch said mooveables to be equally devided amongst my said daughters foure silver spoones that is to say to eich of them one, And in case any of my said daughters should be taken away by death before they be marryed that then the part of their division to be equally devided amongst the Survivors. I do also by this my will make Caleb Hopkins my sonn and heire apparent giveing and bequeathing unto my said sonn aforesaid all my Right title and interrest to my house and lands at Plymouth wth all the Right title and interrest wch doth might or of Right doth or may hereafter belong unto mee, as also I give unto my saide heire all such land wch of Right is Rightly due unto me and not at prsent in my reall possession wch belongs unto me by right of my first comeing into this land or by any other due Right, as by such freedome or otherwise giveing unto my said heire my full & whole and entire Right in all divisions allottments appoyntments or distributions whatsoever to all or any pt of the said lande at any tyme or tymes so to be disposed Also I do give moreover unto my foresaid heire one paire or yooke of oxen and the hyer of them wch are in the hands of Richard Church as may appeare by bill under his hand Also I do give unto my said heire Caleb Hopkins all my debts wch are now oweing unto me, or at the day of my death may be oweing unto mee either by booke bill or bills or any other way rightfully due unto mee ffurthermore my will is that my daughters aforesaid shall have free recourse to my house in Plymouth upon any occation there to abide and remayne for such tyme as any of them shall thinke meete and convenyent & they single persons And for the faythfull prformance of this my will I do make and ordayne my aforesaid sonn and heire Caleb Hopkins my true and lawfull Executor ffurther I do by this my will appoynt and make my said sonn and Captaine Miles Standish joyntly supervisors of this my will according to the true meaneing of the same that is to say that my Executor & supervisor shall make the severall divisions parts or porcons legacies or whatsoever doth appertaine to the fullfilling of this my will It is also my will that my Executr & Supervisor shall advise devise and dispose by the best wayes & meanes they cann for the disposeing in marriage or other wise for the best advancnt of the estate of the forenamed Deborah Damaris Ruth and Elizabeth Hopkins Thus trusting in the Lord my will shalbe truly prformed according to the true meaneing of the same I committ the whole Disposeing hereof to the Lord that hee may direct you herein

June 6th 1644

Witnesses hereof By me Steven Hopkins

Myles Standish
William Bradford

Exhibit – Mayflower Compact

 

In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, e&. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620."

 

Chapter 18 Benjamin Harraden

 

Benjamin Harraden was born on 11 September 1671 at Gloucester. He died on 3 February 1725, He was married to Deborah Norwood 15 January 1695 at Gloucester. Benjamin was the son of Edward and Sarah Harraden of England and Ipswich. Deborah was the daughter of Francis and Elizabeth Coldam Norwood of Gloucester. She died on 7 January 1742 at Gloucester at the age of 65.

 

Children of Benjamin and Deborah Norwood. All born in Gloucester

• Solomon 23 December q896
• Deborah 19 July 1698. She married Joseph lane 1 January 1721.
• Caleb was born 23 December 1700 His intentions to marry Anna Shaw were posted 24 November 1722 to Anna Shaw. Caleb died 11 January 1723
• Susanna was born 5 June 1703. She was married 5 June 1703, She married William Sargent 3 February 1725.
• Joseph was born 26 December 1705
• *Patience was born 25  January 1708. She married Thomas Goss on 17 March 1727. See Chapter 2.
• Benjamin was born 1 March 1709 and died the same day.
• Experience was born 8 April 1712. She married Isaac Annis 22 January 1729.
• Ruell was born 11 May 1714. She married Peter Lurvey 25 December 1733
• Ebenezer was born 31 August 1716, He died 6 June 1750. He married Susanna Day 31 December 1741.
• Edward  was born about 1717
• Moses was born 10 April 1719. He died as a baby on 5 July 1719.

Chapter 19 Edward Harraden

 

Edward Harraden was born before 1627,[xi] He is believed to be the son of Jonathan Harraden. It is not yet know when he came to New England,[xii]

 

He had become a resident of Ipswich by 1650, for in 1656 he made a deposition as to a certain row of boundary trees which had been standing since before 1652. He deposed in 1677 that his age was above 50. He had a wife, Sarah[xiii] whom he may have brought from England.

 

Only a few details of his early years in Ipswich have been found, On 23 September 1652, he got out a write of attachment for debt against the ground and garden of Humphrey Griffin, a local butcher of Ipswich.

 

On 14 January 1655 Edward Harraden of Ipswich acquired from Thomas Knowlton, a shoe maker, his house and about 30 acres of land owned earlier by Thomas’ deceased brother William Knowlton, a bricklayer of Ipswich. This land for which Edward was to pay 34 pounds in cattle and wheat.

 

In about April 1657, Edward and his family move to Gloucester where he spent the rest of his life.. He bought from Robert Dutch (the son of Osmond Dutch) his house, barn and all his land. Part of this property was on Planter’s Neck where Dutch has a fishing stage. Harraden added to his possessions at this place and appears to have been the first permanent resident in that section of town. The place of his residence and business was without doubt Squam Point at the head of Lobster Cove. Edward had ran behind on his payments, for in March 1662, Dutch threatened to file suit against  him for debt, but the suit was soon withdrawn.

 

For many years, the description of property boundaries was connected with a pile of stones, a fence post, a pine tree, etc. This were temporary signposts. In 1665, Edward and James Stevens were claiming and moving the same meadow which had belonged to John Coit. They eventually sued each other for trespassing. Edward and his servant, William Lincoln, had cut hay from the meadow, stacked it in his canoes and tied it to his own dock near his home, “James Stevens, Antony Day (another ancestor of Kenneth Wiley) and the deputy carried away the hay and by the testimony of William Lincoln “for need of the hay “Goodman” Harraden’s cattle were so  poor that they could hardly  go in thee spring” and “Edward Harraden was fain to give his cattle wheat for want of hay and that one of his cattle and four of his calves died.” No lasting bitterness seems to have resulted.

 

In 1672, Edward served on a trial jury and in 1678, age over 50, he deposed as to a certain line of boundary trees in Ipswich. In the meantime, King Phillips’ War took place and in the company of Captain Joseph Garner, there were two of my ancestors. They are listed as “Edward Harraden and Ezekiel Woodward with over 2 pounds due each one of them. Recorded on 29 February 1675.

 

Edward died intestate at Gloucester on 17 May 1683. Apparently there was an epidemic of some kind as his widow, Sarah lost 3 members of her family in a short period of time.

Her son, Andrew, age 22, son, Thomas age 18 and her husband Edward, age 56. Edward left an estate valued at about 285 pounds. His widow was appointed executor. Although Edward was called a fisherman, he left 9 cows, 3 oxen, 2 young bullocks, two yearlings, 5 calves and other live stock. So he was also a farmer.

 

James Stevens who had quarreled with Edward about the hay meadow was named to inventory the estate of both Edward and his son Andrew.

 

Edward had avoided censure in a strict religious community and had avoided litigation with the exception of the meadow. He was called a “worthy and respectable man”

 

His widow, Sarah, survived him by 16 years, dying at Gloucester on 14 May 1699 in her seventieth year.

 

Children of Edward and Sarah Harraden (order uncertain):

 

Mary, born aft 1649 probably at Ipswich. She married Abraham Robinson in Gloucester on 7 July 1668. He was the son of Abraham of Gloucester. She died at Gloucester 28 September 1725.

 

Edward was born about 1650 in Ipswich. He died after 1727. He was married on 5 February 1684 to Sarah Haskell, daughter of William. Sarah died 14 May 1692. Edward married again on 31 October 1693 to Hannah York, daughter of Samauk York. He was a seaman and had 15 children. Edward had land at Plum Cove in 1707 near which the town had built a watch house in 1704. He was one of the grantees of soldiers’ lots in 1679 and his name often appears in later years with the title of Sergeant.

 

Elizabeth died after 14 May 1716 when she was named in the will of her brother Joseph. He left her 21 pounds of money. Married at Gloucester 27 September 1676 to Thomas Prince, the son of Thomas and Margaret Prince.

 

Abigail dies after June 1683. She was unmarried

 

Sarah died 28 October 1665 at Gloucester.

 

Andrew was born at Gloucester on 13 January 1658. He died there on 4 March 1683.

Ann was born at Gloucester on 2 March 1660. On 6 January 1685, she married John Davis.

 

John was born on the 7 August 1663. He died at Gloucester on 11 November 1724 at the age of 60. On 7 February 1693, he had married Sarah Giddings. John was engaged in maritime employment and in 1709 was in service of the colony as master of one of the ships fitted out to take a vessel. It was supposed to be a French privateer, forced by a storm to anchor off Nahaut. In 1711, he was pilot of the ship Montague” in the disastrous expedition against Canada. For his expense and wages he received an allowance from the General Court in 1714.

 

Thomas was born 8 September 1665 He died on the 26 of April 1683. His father and Andrew died the same year.

 

Joseph was born 18 August 1668, He died on 19 May 1716. His first marriage was on 26 November 1691 to Jane (Jean) Giddings. He married for the second time on 1 February 1700 Hannah Stevens.

 

Sarah was born 30 July 1670. She died on the 3^rd of September 1672 at Gloucester.

 

*Benjamin was born 11 September1671. He died 3 February 1725 at Goucester and married Deborah Norwood on 15 January 1695

 

Chapter 20 Francis Norwood

 

Francis Norwood descended from a long line of English Norwoods. I will go into this later in this book. Several brothers of Norwoods came to America , but they came to the south in Virginia and Maryland. Also a Richard Norwood[xiv] died at Cambridge, Massachusetts on 13 May 1644.

 

Our immigrant ancestor, Francis was born before 1636, the son of Thomas Norwood of Leckhampton Parish Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. He married Elizabeth the daughter of Clement Coldom. Thomas died 4 March 1208, after his death his widow moved to Lynn where she lived with her eldest son Thomas, Thomas had been brought up by his grandfather Coldom,, Elizabeth died 3 August 1711.

 

In the Essex County Court Records there is mention of a Francis Nowrwood as a witness to an indenture dated 28 May 1657 in the case of William Warrener vs. Cornelius Waldo. Francis’s first grant of land at Goose Cove was dated18 March 1664. Later he had other grants of land, and by purchase he had become the owner of several six-acre lots near Pigeon Cove.

 

Francis Norwood’s will was dated 23 January 1706 and proved 21 March 1709. This document mentions his wife, Elizabeth and among his other children, a son, Joshua. By the terms of his will his loving wife received 2 pounds, 10 schillings yearly, as long as she remained his widow, 8 bushels of Indian corn, 2 bushels of malt, 140 pounds of pork, 2 barrels of good cider and apples for her own spending, both winter and summer. “The cider to be made good and winter apples to be good and brought into ye cellar in time convenient before the frost so hurt either ye apples or cider”, also one cow to give her milk for her own use, 5 cords of firewood, part of his dwelling house and bedding and “two chests one of which is made windscot fashion which came from Lynn and ye other chest that my wife had when I married with her”, and his son Joshua received 60 acres at Pigeon Cove and other land, providing he should pay his sister Deborah 20 pounds and his sister Abigail 15 pounds.

 

Children of Francis and Elizabeth Norwood

.

• Thomas was born 10 December 1664. He married Mary, daughter of Thomas and Mary Marshall Brown at Lynn. He died 28 May 1761 at Lynn. Mary was born 28 June 1666.
• Francis was born 9 October 1666. He first married Mary, the daughter of James and Susan (Eveleth) Stevens, on 24 January 1693. She died 19 November 1724 at age of 52. He married for a second time on 12 September 1726 at Charleston to a Mrs. Elizabeth Foster.
• Elizabeth was born 17 February 1668. She married John Potter of Lynn on 24 May 1692.
• Mary was born March 7 1672, She marred Samuel, the son of William and Abigail (Clark) Sergeant on 24 May 1689. She died 27 April 1718.
• Stephen was born 24 November 1674. He married Elizabeth Ingolsbee on 23 February 1701, He died 2 years later, leaving one child, Elizabeth.
• *Deborah was born 4 September 1677. She married Benjamin son of Edward and Sarah Harraden, See Chapter 18
• Hannah was born 27 February 1679. She died 25 December 1679.
• Joshua was born 27 February 1683 and married 25 September 1794 Elizabeth Andrews who was born in Ipswich 7 March 1684. She was the daughter of Ensign William and Margaret (Woodward) Andrews and the granddaughter of Lieutenant and Jane (Jordan) Andrews of Ipswich, Joshua died in 1762, Elizabeth died 1 November 1774, age 90.
• Caleb was born 12 June 1685< marriage intentions to Alice Donnel of York, Maine in September 1708. He died in 1735. They moved to Boston and he became the innkeeper at the “Sign of the Dolphin”
• Abagail was born 30 January 1690. She married Nathaniel, son of William and Mary (Coit) Ellery on  1 January 1710, She died 1 April 1711.