USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Rehoboth > Early Rehoboth, documented historical studies of families and events in this Plymouth colony township, Volume III > Part 23
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It is interesting to note that in the jury trial of George Wright Joseph Torey was the twelfth juror. He later left Rehoboth and went to Rhode Island, where he became an important official.
On being released by the Plymouth Colony Court under bonds of £40 not to leave the colony, Capt. George Wright returned to Reho- both where he sold his property and moved across the Seekonk River into the town of Providence, Rhode Island Colony.
20 Apr. 1647-"The day and yeere above written, George Wright sold unto John Doget all his right, privileges and immunities to him belonging, that is to say, his house and home lot, being seven acres; fouerteene acres in the woodland plaine, being halfe the 9th lot; seven acres and three qtrs upon the neck, being the 5th [or 6th lot]; [ ] acres upon the great plaine; On acre and halfe and 15 Rod of fresh medow lying in the 40 acre mede; three acres of salt marsh, being the halfe of the 38th lot" [Rehoboth Town Meetings, Book I, p. 85].
26 Oct. 1647-At a General Court held at Plymouth, George Wright, not appearing before the court, "Richard Church and Samuel Nash had license and liberty granted them to bring him in to the next court to be held at Plymouth the first Tuesday in March next" [Plymouth Colony Records, vol. II, p. 113].
16 May 1648-At the General Court of Election held at Providence, "Whereas Georg Wright did petecon* ye Court concerning a scandelous report raisd as was said by Daniel Gould [Newport] & Henry Stephens [New- port], who having upon their oaths cleerd ye matter, Mr. Eastont & Mr. Jeffrayt are ord to write to Plymouth, to ye end his bonds may be thus taken off" [R. I. Colony Records (1646-1669), pt. II; R. I. State Archives, p. 244, original p. 194].
* This item also appears in Bartlett's R. I. Colony Records, vol. I, p. 212. Bartlett did not trans- scribe the original record but used the copy made in 1822 by Charles Gyles, of Newport. He sent this copy to the printer with penciled instructions showing the selected items to be printed.
A record of the Acts & Orders of this session of the General Court of Election is also found in the Early Records of the Town of Providence, vol. XV, pp. 14-16, Town paper 013. This record makes no mention of the petition of George Wright.
In the Rhode Island State Archives the dates of the earliest loose papers begin after 1700; petitions, about 1725; and letters, about 1730.
¿ Nicholas Easton, tanner, was b. in Lyminton, co. Herts, England, in 1593. On 25 Mar. 1634 he embarked at Southampton for New England. He was disarmed at Boston in 1637; at Hampton, N. H., in 1638; admitted an inhabitant at Portsmouth, R. I., in 1638; at Newport in 1639; Assistant 1640, 1642, 1643, 1644, and 1653; President of the Colony 1650, 1651, and 1654; Governor, 1672, 1673, and 1674 [Austin, Gen. Dict. of R. I., p. 292].
# Robert Jeffreys, b. in England in 1605. Came from London to New England in the ship Elizabeth & Ann in 1635 with wife Mary, three children and two maid servants. Inhabitant at Newport, R. I., in 1639 where on 25 November of that year he was appointed to "train the band". Treasurer for Portsmouth and Newport, 1640, 1642, 1643, and 1644; Captain, 1642 [Austin, Gen. Dict. of R. I., p. 330].
143
Captain George Wright
The only result of the letter sent by the Rhode Island General Assembly to the Plymouth Colony Court asking that the bonds of Capt. George Wright be "taken off", was to cause the Plymouth Court, three weeks later, to attach the balance of the purchase money in the hands of John Dogged [Dagget] due Captain Wright for the sale of his Rehoboth property, as shown by the following record :
7 June 1648-At the General Court held at Plymouth: "Whereas it doth ãpeer yt ther is a debt of fiue pound and 8 shill ãpertaining vnto Gorğ Wright, in the hands of John Dogged, of Rehoboth, the Court haue ordered, yt the said debt remayne ãtached in the hands of John Dogged aforsaid, for the vse of Leiuftenant Nash and Sergeant Church, in con- sideration of the damage befaling them by the abouesaid Gorg Wright, the breaking of his bonds for the good behavior" [Plymouth Colony Records, vol. II, p. 127].
It will be seen from the above record that when Capt. George Wright sold his Rehoboth property and "jumped" his bail, by fleeing to the Colony of Rhode Island, he cost his two old soldier friends, Lieut. Samuel Nash and Sergt. Richard Church, £17 6s. each. The amount of money held by the court to be applied towards the liquidation of the £40 bond amounted to only £5 8s. There is no further record.
24 Aug. 1648-"You Walter Lettice, Daniel Cumstock, Janet Sweet are in- gaged in the sumpset of ten pounds a piece to appeare at the next Court of tryall held the next 2d day of the next moneth. Gregory Dexter Town Clerk" [Early Providence Town Records, vol. XV, p. 17, Town paper 014].
The foregoing record is found on the reverse of the partly illegible Providence Town paper 014. From what is readable it appears that there was a false military alarm * given in Providence and that James Sweet beat the drum and John Sweet shot off a gun or two. Hugh Bewitt f testified that Mr. [Richard] Scott # said that he had had intimation by his wife that there would be a false alarm. Thomas Baldwin told Gregory Dexter "that there was no cause to fear, that it was but a jest".
This is important, for it is the only Providence record of Walter Lettice who five months later was at Newport where Capt. George Wright stabbed him with a pike.
29 Jan. 1648/9§-Roger Williams in a letter written from Cawcawmsqssick to his friend John Winthrop, Jr., at Nameug says:
* The Rhode Island law provided that all inhabitants "above sixteen and under sixty years of age shall alwayes be provided of a Musket, one pound of powder, twenty bullets, and two fadom of Match, with sword, rest, bandaleers all completely furnished".
Also, that an alarm "for the many incursions that we are subjected vnto" shall be "Three muskets distinctly discharged and a Herauld appointed to go speedilie threw the Towne and crie Alarum! Alarum !! and the Drum to beat incessantly; all to repair . . . unto the Town House, ther to receive information of the Town Councill what is further to be done" [Acts & Orders, General Court of Election, May 1647-Bartlett's R. I. Colony Records, vol. I, p. 154].
t Cf. The Providence Oath of Allegiance and Its Signers 1651-2 (1943), by Richard LeBaron Bowen, pp. 77-81.
# Cf. The Arms of Richard Scott, by Richard LeBaron Bowen, N. E. Hist. & Gen. REGISTER, vol. XCVI (1942), pp. 1-27.
§ This important Roger Williams letter is single dated 1648. From this Wright case we can determine definitely that the correct double dating is 1648/9.
144
Early Rehoboth
"George Wright alias Captaine Wright stabt with a pike* Walter Lettice at Newport, and is in prison the other if not dead not like to live" [Narragansett Club Publications, vol. VI, p. 169].
An exhaustive search of the Newport records t and of the original Rhode Island Colony records in the State Archives at Providence, fails to bring to light any record of the trial of Captain Wright. The General Court of Election held at Providence in 1648 ordered that the General Court of Tryall "shall be kept by Courte in such places ... where the persons are apprehended and taken, and at such times as the committee in whom the authority of this court is continued". It was further "ordered that ye Generall Court of Tryall shall begin at Newport 13 June [1648] and from thence to Portsmouth and' so forward if there be occasion". A General Assembly was held at Warwick in March 1649, but the records are not extant. According to this schedule, the next court would have been held at Providence, followed by one at Newport at which court George Wright would have been up for trial.
There is no record of the death of Walter Lettice. Every record of him that can be found in an exhaustive search of the original colony records in the State Archives, Providence Town Papers, Newport, and Portsmouth records, is printed in this chapter. He was early at Newport, R. I., where he had a grant of 30 acres of land before 1646 .¿ The scanty records we have indicate that he left Newport and went to Providence and later returned to Newport.
4 June 1652-Lambert Woodward of fflushing [Long Island] assigned and made over to Ralph Earll the Elder, of Portsmouth on Road Iland, five acres of upland adjoining the land of said Earll which was given the said Woodward and David Dollin (seaman) my partner by the town of Portsmouth. Signed by the mark of Lambert Woodward. Witness: Jonan Coventry, Scr. [Town of Portsmouth Records, p. 281].
* A few men in each military company were armed with pikes. In 1650 the Town of Providence was to have in its magazine one barrel of good powder, 500 lbs. of lead, six pikes, and six muskets. The Town of Portsmouth, two barrels of powder, 1,000 lbs. of lead, twelve pikes, and eighteen muskets. The Town of Newport, three barrels of powder, 1,000 lbs. of lead, twelve pikes, and twenty-four muskets. The Town of Warwick, one barrel of powder, 500 lbs. of lead, six pikes and six muskets [Bartlett's R. I. Colony Records, vol. I, pp. 223, 224].
t When the British evacuated Newport in 1779 they carried away with them all the early Newport records. The vessel containing these valuable manuscript books was sunk at Hell Gate. The vessel was raised and some years later the water-soaked books were returned to Newport and today are in the custody of the Newport Historical Society. Newport was founded in 1639, and the records for the first forty-two years are lost. The earliest records now extant are the Town Meeting Records (1679-1682 and 1741-1776); Town Council Records (1702-1707); and a book of deeds com- mencing 6 June 1711. The records of the General Court of Trials (1671-1724), the first session held at Newport 8 May 1671, are at the Superior Court Clerk's Office.
# "Memorand that the Towne of Newport granted to Walter Lettice the use of thirty Acs more or less & is layd out to him & for his use bordering on the East end of Wm. & James Weedens land att Maidford brook by the Neck ptly by George Bliss his Land from the brook to his corner tree & then by the Comon to the corner of the sd land; on the west end by the Com & by the hie way between Land graunted to Mr. Lenthall downe to the forsd Brooke wch is to him & his heys for ever, wch sd pcell of Land the sd Walter hath surrendered up unto James Rogers & by the said James Rogers is sould for a valewable Consideration unto William Weeden for him & his heyres for ever to possess and enjoy without molestation of hinderance Wittness this present record witt bearing date the 13th day of March 1646
"Tese William Dyre Recorder
'Memorand: yt William Weeden hath made ovr to Will: Lytherline & his heirs for evr ye above mentioned 30 acr. more or lesse yt was granted to Walter Lettice Bounded as above sd
"Test. Will: Lytherline Record"
Rhode Island Colony Records (1646-1669), Part I; Rhode Island State Archives, p. 35.]
145
Captain George Wright
11 June 1654-Shortly after this date Robert Titus and his family of Rehoboth moved to Oyster Bay, Long Island. On 23 Mar. 1653/4 he sold his Rehoboth property to Robert Jones, of Nantasket, Mass. On 6 June 1654 he complained before the Plymouth court that Mr. [John] Browne had laid an attachment of £50 on his estate. It was brought out in court that contrary to the mind of the town he had received into and harbored in his house as inmates, "Abner Ordway and a woman, persons of evil fame, with children". The court ordered that when "he re- moveth himself and family [from the town] he shall carry the said Abner and all that appertaineth unto him with him, or else give security . . . saving the inhabitants of the town harmless from any determent that may befall them by Abner Ordway". [Plymouth Colony Records, vol. III, p. 52].
1 Mar. 1654/5-(Monday) At a court held at the City Hall, New Amster- dam, Jacob van Couwenhoven, vs. Rendel Hewit demands payment of fl. 47.7. "Deft. acknowledges to be indebted to Jacob van Couwen- hoven, but shows by a judgment obtained by Georg Ryght at Gravesend against J. v. Couwenhoven, amounting to fl. 123. that the monies are arrested in the hands of Geo. Ryght of Gravesend. Jacob van Couwen- hoven denies the debt to George Ryght; denies also that he was ever summoned or had been before the Court, but on the contrary claims still about fl. 98. from George Ryght. Parties having been heard, it was decided by the Court that Rendel Huwit be condemned to place, within 14 days from date, the fl. 47.7., which he acknowledges to owe to J. van Couwenhoven in the hands of the Secretary of this city to remain there until the question be determined between pltf. and George Ryght". Among other cases tried by the Court was one in which "George Ryght, of Gravesend was defendant" [The Records of New Amsterdam (1653- 1674), vol. I, p. 289].
12 Apr. 1656-Capt. John Underhill wrote John Winthrop from Southold "I was late at Flushing, Hannah Feke is to be married to a verri jentile young man of gnd abilitie, of a lovli future and gnd behafior". Hannah Feke married John Bowne. Capt. John Underhill married as his second wife Elizabeth (Fownes-Winthrop) Feake, sister of John Bowne's wife Hannah [ Underhill Genealogy (1932), vol. II, p. 18].
This John Bowne, a brother-in-law of Capt. John Underhill, is the man who was one of the witnesses to George Wright's deed of Rehoboth lands to his son Jonathan, executed at Flushing, Long Island, 2 Feb. 1683/4.
22 Apr. 1657-Depositions against George Wright of Westchester, charging him with attempt to commit adultery [Calendar of Hist. Manuscripts, in the office of Secretary of State, Albany, N. Y. (1865), vol. XIII, p. 6]. 6 May 1657-Further depositions in the case. Sentence of banishment against George Wright and wife [Ibid., pp. 7, 8].
15 Sept. 1657-Henry Townsend was arrested and fined for having called together Quaker meetings. Among the signers of a petition, 27 Dec. 1657, complaining of this action, is the name of George Wright [Hist. of Queen's County, N. Y. (1882), pp. 78, 79].
19 Nov. 1657-At'a Towne Meetinge of the free Inhabitants of Portsmouth it is ordered that Mr Baulston and Mr Brigs are Desired and Requested to treat with Captt [Richard] Morris, that he would take Some Cource to Discharge the towne, accordinge to his promis, from all charge that may Arise by A Dutch Woman whome the Sd Captt Morris hath inter- tained in his house this last Sumer " [Town of Portsmouth Records, p. 84]
27 Dec. 1657-Among the thirty signers of the "Remonstrance of the Inhabitants of Flushing, Long Island, against the Law Against Quak- ers", addressed to Governor Stuyvesant, the eighteenth signer is Benia- min Hubbard, and the twenty-fifth is George Wright [Hist. of the Town
146
Early Rehoboth
of Flushing, L. I., N. Y. (1899), pp. 235, 236; Hist. of Queen's County, N. Y. (1882), p. 79; Ecclesiastical Records of the State of N. Y., vol. I, pp. 412, 414].
- Jan. 1663-In the town of Newtoun (now Elmhurst *), Long Island, N. Y., a "Lot is given to George Wright where it may be most convenient for him" [original Newtoun Town Records, p. 51, cited by N. Y. Gen. & Biog. Records, vol. LXIII, p. 364].
12 Aug. 1667-"Wm. Bishop, John Ela, Aaron Forman, Ed. Griffin, Joseph Hedges, Rich. Long, Wm. Noble, Nich. Pearsall, Thos. Sadler, George Tippets, Jos. Thorn, John Thorn, George Wright, and Jona. Wright, of Flushing, present themselves to the Governor and give in their names to be ready to serve His Majesty under his honorable command, and on all occaions" [Queen's County in Olden Times (1865), by Henry Onder- donk, Jr., p. 6].
10 Apr. 1673-At Flushing, Long Island, Sarah Bridge and Rebecca Woolsey appointed their "Lovenge Brother Richard Cornell" to be their lawful attorney to collect the legacies under the will of their deceased mother. At Newport 20 Apr. 1673, Richard Cornell appointed his brother-in-law William Earll and brother John Cornell attorneys to collect his legacies under his mother's will and also appointed them to act for his two sisters. Signed, Richard Cornell. Test., Georg Lawton, Thomas Hickes | [Town of Portsmouth Records, p. 349].
10 Oct. 1673-At a Portsmouth town meeting, "William Lawton who was a Soldier in the foart at New-Yorke and by the Dutch takeinge New- Yorke, was forced from his habitation there, and now thereupon being in distress doth desire liberty to Sojourne in this towne and follow his trade for a lively hood beinge a tayler" [Town of Portsmouth Records, p. 160].
2 Feb. 1683/4-"The Enrolement or Record, of a letter of Gift, or Deede of Gift Signed George Wright & sealed, as followeth: The which was desined to be put upon our [Providence] Records
"Know all Men . . . That I George Wright of fflushing in Queenes County upon Long Island ffor and in Consideration of Severall Good Reasons & Causes me hereunto Moveing, but more Especially out of a Pious & Godly intent and ffatherly love & Care towards my Children and posteritye. Have freely & Absolutely Given, Granted & Con- firmed unto my son Jonathan Wright of fflushing a for said, All my Right Title, Claime, Jntrest & Demand unto a Certaine home lot of Ground lieing & being at Rehovah (alias) Seaconck in Plimouth Colloney in New England, together with all out lands, Meadowes, Gardens, Orchards, Buildings ;- ffenceings & appurtenances what so Ever. & in whose so ever handes Custodye & occupation the same may be found : To ye Sole use and behoofe of him the said Jonathan Wright his heirs Executors Administrators, & Assignes for Ever. Hereby Giveing & Granting unto my said son Jonathan, my full
* Elmhurst is about 273 miles south of LaGuardia Airfield.
t The founder of the Long Island family of Hicks was John Hicks. He married, first, about 1636, in the under church of St. Paul's Cathedral, London (called Saint Faith's Church), Herodias Long, then aged about twelve or thirteen years, and shortly thereafter came to Weymouth, Mass. In 1639 he removed to Newport, R. I., where his name appears in the earliest records (Cf. Chapin's Doct. History of R. I., vol. II). About 1642/3 his wife commenced an affair with George Gardiner, and in 1644 Hicks was before the Court for wife beating. Soon afterward he left her and went to live among the Dutch at Newtoun, Long Island, where he divorced Herodias, remarried, and be- came the founder of the Hicks family of Long Island. Thomas Hicks was the son of John by his second marriage.
Herodias (Long) Hicks lived for 20 years with George Gardiner as his common law wife. They were the progenitors of the Gardiners of Narragansett. In 1664 Herodias had tired of George Gardiner and presented a long petition to his Majesties Commissioners, the Right Honorable Sir Robert Carr, Knight, Colonel George Cartwright, and Mr. Samuel Maverick, Esquire, at Peta- comscott, in which she set forth the whole history of her life [Bartlett's R. I. Colony Records (1664- 1677), vol. II, pp. 99-103]. Cf. the George Gardiner Family by G. Andrews Moriarty, LL.B., F.S.A., American Genealogist, vol. XXI (1945), pp. 191-200; also, the wife of George Gardiner of Narragansett, ibid., vol. XX, pp. 202-207.
147
Captain George Wright
power, & lawfull Authoritye for me, in my name; But to his owne use, into all, or Pte of the premiese to Enter, and take possession, and from, & out of the same to Eject, Expell, amove all & Every person,or persons whatsoever, occupieing, possessing, or forceably detaineing any Pte, or Pcell of the same, Hereby giveing my full power and authoritye unto ye said Jonathan all & all Manner of act or acts, Deede or Deedes in law whatsoEver Requissitt & Needefull for the Recoverey of the premises; Jn my name & to his owne use as aforesaid to doe or Cause to be done. Hereby Revokeing, disannulling & makeing voyde all former and other letters of Attorney what soever; And to take into his Custody all writeings, Escripts, Transcripts what so ever touching & Concerning ye premises, in whose handes or Custodye soever they may be found. Jn testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and afixed my Seale this second day of ffebru- arey Anno: Dni: 1683
"George X Wright * his marke
"Sealed and delivered in ye prsence of after interlineing custody all in the 25th line John Bowne Samuell Palmer. Rich Pettinger.
George Wright hath owned the above said Gift to be his act & deede before me Elias Daughty Justice of the peace./
"Recorded June ye 25th 1684: by me Thomas Olney Towne Clarke." [Providence Deeds, vol. I, p. 68; also printed in Early Providence Town Records, vol. XIV, pp. 88, 89.]
The fact that this deed to land in Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony, given by George Wright to his son Jonathan, is recorded in Provi- dence, Rhode Island Colony, instead of at Plymouth, is significant. It can only mean that although thirty-seven years had elapsed since George Wright "jumped" his Plymouth Court bail, there was still danger that this Rehoboth property would be confiscated if the Plymouth magistrates knew of its existence.
14 Apr. 1684-Jonathan Wright, with eight other freeholders of Flushing, acting as agents for all the freeholders thereof, purchased of the Indians, by an indenture bearing the above date, and running to such nine free- holders, for themselves and all the other freeholders of Flushing, "all of the lands known by the name of 'Flushing' on the North side of Long Island ... for the purpose of settling existing controversies, which have been pending since 1645 when the town was first settled " [ Flushing Past and Present, pp. 17, 29; History of Queen's County, N. Y. (1882), p. 74].
27 June 1684-"Jonathan Wright of Flushing in Queens County upon Long Island in America son and heire Apparent of Capt: George Wright of said Flushing in the County aforsaid . .. Whereas my aforsaid father George Wright hath by a Deed of Gift bearing Date the 2cond Day of February Anno Dom: 1683. Graunted Unto mee All his Right title therein and Interest and Demand Unto a Certaine home Lott of Ground lying & being att Rehoboth Allies Seacounke in Plymouth Collonie in New England; Together with all out Lands Meddowes Gardens orchards buildings fencings and appurtenances whatsoever; and in whosoever hands custodie and occupation the same may be found ... And Whereas John Doged of the Towne of Rehoboth aforsaid hath entered possession and hath in his occupation certaine of the said Lands . . . I the said Jonathan Wright for an in Consideration
* The Plymouth Colony records show no deeds to which George Wright was a party and only one deed to which Jonathan Wright was a party, which is the deed dated 27 June 1684 conveying George Wright's Rehoboth lands to John Doged.
148
Early Rehoboth
of a Competent sume of money . .. payed ... by John Doget ... Quit Claime ... unto him the said John Doged ... all the estate Right title enterest Claime and Demand whatsoever that Doth any wayes belong and appertaine unto my said father; The aforsaid Capt: George Wright or which I the said Jonathan Wright now have . . . That is to say Certaine prcells of Lands together with fifty pounds estate of Commonage lying . .. in the Township of Rehoboth . . . Namely sixteen acres of Land (more or Less), lying and being in Wachamokett Neck in the second division; and is together with a prcell of Land be- longing to the said John Doget; all which together maketh thirty five acres and some odd Peces bounding on the western end with a high way; The Eastern end buting upon the next Range of Lotts the Northerne side a lott formerly belonging to Nicholas Tanner But now in the possession of John Butterworth; and on the southern side with a Lott formerly belonging Unto Thomas' Cooper but Now in the possession of Thomas Willmouth. Alsoe one peece of Land more Containing of eight acrees lying and being att the Mill River Lotts; Lying all alonge by the side of the said John Doged his Meddow, and adjoyning to the Great plaine; alsoe six acrees of Land lying upon the eastern side of the swamp Called holmes swamp, being a p'te of thirty acrees of Land layed out in one prcell The which six acrees is yet Undevided from the Land of the said John Doged; and some other Land which make up the said Tract; and when the said thirty Acrees was layed out it bounded every way with the Comon; alsoe halfe a devision of Meddow lying on both sides of the River Called Palmers River the one p'te Lying up the Streame of the said River about halfe a mile on the eastern Side of the said River distant from the other p'te which Lyeth on the westeren side of the said River alsoe two Lotts being in estimation about Nine Acrees Lying and being upon the plaine called the Greate plaine; as alsoe fifty pounds estate of Comonage; all which said Demissed prcells of Land the said Meddow plaine Lott and Comons excepted; Contains about thirty Acrees . . . In Witnes . .. I Doe hereunto sett my hand and seale the twenty seaventh Day of June in the yeare, one Thousand six hundred eighty and four
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