USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Orleans > History of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, Barnstable Co., Mass from 1644-1844 > Part 3
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Eastham > History of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, Barnstable Co., Mass from 1644-1844 > Part 3
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Wellfleet > History of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, Barnstable Co., Mass from 1644-1844 > Part 3
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1642. He was again chosen to this office.
1631. He was appointed a deacon to the Plymouth church, but was subsequently excommunicated, for occasion- ing many dissensions among them.
1644. These persons, having bought the whole territory of Nauset, began the settlement, and soon admitted many others to join them, to whom they set off lands.
Only two years afterwards, they had such an accession of numbers, that they applied to the Colony Court for an act of incorporation, which was granted: '1646, June 2d. Nau- set is granted to be a township, as other towns within the government have been.'
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The inhabitants of Nauset soon experienced the incon- venience of having the natives located at both ends of the toWR, and accordingly made an agreement with those who had been the subjects of George the sachem, (he being now dead,) respecting the neck of land at the mouth of the har- bor, called Tonset. For this tract they paid a valuable con- sideration, and gave the Indians, besides, a piece of land at Quesquoqaset, which they were to enclose themselves.
1651. The Colony Court ordered that the town of Nau- set be henceforth called and known by the name of Eastham.
The same year, it was ordered by the Court, that if any lazy, slothful or profane persons, in any of the towns, neg- lect to come to the public worship of God, they shall forfeit for every such default, ten shillings, or be publicly whipped.
The early records of the town are brief, and much decay- ed by time ; but they are sufficient to show, that no sooner had the first settlers taken possession of the place, than they organized their township, by the choice of town officers, and elected the required number of deputies to the Colony Court. Mr. Edward Bangs and Deacon John Doane were chosen deputies ; Nicholas Snow, town clerk ; Josias Cook, constable ; John Smalley, grand juryman and surveyor of highways.
They very early built a small meeting-house, twenty feet square, with a thatched roof, and holes on all sides, through which they might fire their muskets. Near to it, laid out a burying-place, not far from the town cove, which still re- mains, and is enclosed, though no persons have been buried there for many years. Here are seen the graves, and, in some instances, the stones which denote the particular spot where the ashes of the first settlers remain.
1643. Hubbard, in his History of New England, says, ' Thus went on the affairs of this small colony, not by might or strength of man, but by the special presence and blessing of Almighty God, in some convenient measure of prosperity, till this time, when we were furnished with many worthy ministers in the several townships,' among whom was Rev. John Mayo.
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SOME NOTICE OF OTHER SETTLERS OF THE TOWN, FROM 1646 TO 1700.
Rev. John Mayo came to Eastham, and took charge of the church in 1646, and continued till 1655, when he was set- tled over the second church in Boston, where he continued till 1672 ; he was then dismissed, and returned to Eastham, where he died.
He had two sons, John and Nathaniel.
1651. Mr. John Mayo, son of the minister, was married to Miss Hannah Lecraft. They had eight sons, John, (born 1652,) William, James, Samuel, Elisha, Daniel, Nathaniel and Thomas.
John, the third of that name, resided at Eastham until 1694, when he moved to Harwich (now Brewster.) He was the first representative sent from that place, and was successively chosen to that office for fourteen years. Died in February, 1726, aged 74 years. Mr. Mayo left three sons, viz. Samuel, John and Joseph. Samuel settled in the southerly part of Orleans. John is supposed not to have . left any children. Joseph, the late Deacon Mayo, died in Brewster, leaving five sons, viz. Thomas, Moses, Joseph, Nathan and Isaac. Thomas* left five sons, viz. Thomas, Asa,, Ebenezer, Isaac and Elnathan. Asa died in . 1823, leaving five sons, viz. John, Jeremiah, Benjamin, Josiah and David. Jeremiah and David now reside in Brewster.
In 1655, Mr. Thomas Crosby was employed by the church to carry on the public services of the Lord's day, to whom they paid a salary of £50 a year until 1670. He had seven sons, Simson, Joseph, Thomas, John, William, Eb- enezer and Eleazer. Their father came from England, with his family. He was a religious teacher. His son Simdon married Mary Nickerson. From him descended all of this name in this and other towns on the Cape.
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* Thomas was in the Revolutionary service. He was a prisoner on board the noted Jersey prison ship for six months, was discharged sick, and died on his way home, at Rhode Island, in 1778.
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The ancestor of the Freeman family, who came first to this country, was Samuel, who was born in Devonshire, England, and settled in Watertown, near Boston, 1630. He had two sons, Henry and Samuel. It is said that he owned a seventh part of the township, and was one of the principal planters of that place. He returned to England, after a few years, where he died, and left his estate to his son Henry.
Governor Thomas Prince married his widow, and brought her, with her son Samuel, to this place.
Henry Freeman, son of Samuel, married in Watertown, and bad one son, James, and died 1672. James settled in Boston, and had one son, Samuel, who died without leaving any children. Thus this branch of the family became extinct.
Samuel Freeman, who came to Eastham with Governor Prince, was born in Watertown, 1638 .. Succeeded to his estate, and married Mary, daughter of Constant Southworth, of Plymouth, 1658, who was an Assistant in the government of the colony. He had seven children, Samuel, Constant, Edward, Aphia, Elizabeth, Mercy Cole and Alice Myrick. He was deacon of the church for many years, and an active and worthy townsman. He died in 1700, and his wife about the same time. Samuel, his son, lived in this town, and in- herited his estate.
1689. Samuel Freeman, eldest son of the first Samuel, married Elizabeth Sparrow, and had twelve children. He was captain of the militia company, selectman six years, negative man nineteen years, representative two years, and was afterwards employed in the public affairs of the town and colony.
1712. Samuel Freeman, son of the last named, was married to Mary, daughter of Deacon John Paine, by Rev. Samuel Treat. They had fourteen children. He was a deacon of the church.
Barnabas Freeman, the youngest son of the last named, lived on the paternal estate in Eastham, and married Bethia, daughter of Willard Knowles, and had nine children. He was a justice of the peace, often represented the town in the
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General Court, and held other offices of importance, as will be seen hereafter.
Samuel Freeman; Esq., was the eldest son of Barnabas, and inherited and lived on the same estate, which was be- queathed to this family, by the will of Gov. Prince. He married Bial, daughter of Solomon Doane, Jun. She had seven children. After the death of his first wife, he married the widow of Capt. Barnabas Cobb of Brewster. He was for many years a representative of the town in the General Court, a justice of the peace, and otherwise employed in town affairs. He died May 24, 1837. He had five chil- dren : Paulina, who married Mr. Heman S. Doane of Bos- ton; Barnabas, married Miss Elizabeth Knowles, and have three children, Elizabeth, James and Samuel ; Joshua, mar- ried Miss Clementina -; Mary, married Warren Lin- coln ; and Clarissa, married Francis Nickerson.
Mr. John Freeman is believed to have been the uncle of the first Samuel Freeman, of this town ; and also of Edmond Freeman, one of the earliest settlers of Sandwich.
John Freeman was here as early as 1655. He was a deacon of the church, and a prominent man in the town. He is called one of the Fathers of Eastham.
1660. He was an Assistant to the Governor in the Col- ony Court, and for several years afterwards.
1672. His son John was married to Sarah Myrick, and they had a son John ; but it is impossible, now, to trace the genealogy of this branch of the family.
This name is extremely common in the county of Barn- stable, and has sent out its branches widely into all parts of the country.
1660. Joseph Harding was married to Bethia Cook, and had ten children. This is the first notice of him. He was the ancestor of all of this name. His sons were John, Josh- ua, Josiah, Jesse and Ebenezer.
1660. John Rogers and Elizabeth Twining were married, and had seven children. His sons were John, Judah, Joseph, Eleazer and Nathaniel. John married Priscilla Hamblin, 1696. There are many of this name at the present day.
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George Godfrey was here previous to this date, and had eight children. His sons were George, Samuel, Moses, Richard and Jonathan.
George Brown settled here before this time. His son Samuel married Martha Harding, and had a son, Samuel, who settled in the north part of the town.
The first of the name of Atwood was Eldad. His de- scendants are numerous.
Lieut. John Cole, an early settler, died 1667. His son John married Ruth Snow, and had eight children. His son John had eleven children. His son Jonathan was born 1694, and from them have descended all of this name.
John Smith was the first of this name who settled in this town. He married Mary Eldridge, 1667, and bad eleven children. The sons were John, Jeremiah, William, Beriah and Ebenezer. From him all of this name come. His son John married Hannah Williams, and had nine children. The sons were Joseph, William, Seth and John.
Jonathan Sparrow was here sometime before this date. He belonged to a troop of horse for this town, 1664 ; rep- resented the town in the Colony Court and in the General Court twelve years ; was a selectman ten years ; was captain of the military company, and in many other ways was em- ployed by the town. His son John was married to Apphia Trase, 1683, and had four children. The sons were John and Stephen.
Stephen Hopkins, supposed to be a son of Stephen Hop- kins, who came to Plymouth in the Mayflower, married Ma- ry Myrick, 1667. His father had eight persons belonging to his family, being probably his wife and children.
He was one of the party who travelled into the interior a- round Pamet river, now 'Truro, to view the land, and endeav- or to discover the inhabitants. Whilst wandering in the woods, they observed a sapling bent down to the earth, and some acorns strewed underneath. Stephen Hopkins said it was a deer trap. Mr. William Bradford, afterwards Govern- or, stepping too near, it gave a sudden jerk up, and caught him by the leg.
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Stephen Hopkins, 3d, married Sarah Howes, and had one son, Jonathan. Stephen, son of the last, married Bethia Atkins, 1701.
Jonathan Cobb was here before 1670. He came from Harwich in England. His father, whose name was Sylva- nus, had four sons, Jonathan, Eleazer, Sylvanus and Benja- min. The three first came early to America ; the last re- mained with his father until his death, when he came also, but it is not known where he settled. Jonathan settled in this town. Isaac Cobb, a son of Benjamin, was Port Ad- miral of Yarmouth, England. Eleazer settled in Hingham, and Sylvanus north of Boston. Jonathan had a son of the same name, and was the father of Scotto Cobb, the father of Gen. Elijah Cobb of Brewster, who married Mary Pinkham, 1793, and has four children : Deborah, who married Doct. Joseph Sampson ; Elijah, who married Caroline Snow, and had seven children, viz. Caroline O., E. Winslow, Helen, Mary L., Alfred S., Annette T., and Emily C .; Mary P., who married Rev. T. K. Taylor ; Ann P., who married Capt. Frederic Freeman.
George Crisp was here before 1667, when he was mar- ried to Hephzibah Cole ; died 1682, leaving two daugh- ters, Mercy and Maria.
Crisp Rogers, son of Joseph, was the father of Mr. Crisp Rogers of Brewster, and was named by Mercy Crisp, daugh- ter of George.
William Myrick was one of the second comers to this town, and had six children. The sons were Joseph, Ben- jamin and Isaac. Joseph married Elizabeth Howes, 1684, and had three sons, Joseph, William and Isaac. Joseph married Elizabeth Remick, 1712, and had but one child, a daughter. This family descended by the other brothers.
William Walker was here about 1654, and married Sarah Snow, daughter of Nicholas, and had three sons, John, Wil- liam and Jabez.
Jonathan Higgins married Elizabeth Rogers, 1660, and had four sons, Beniah, Jonathan, Joseph and James.
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Benjamin Higgins, brother of Jonathan, married Lydia Bangs, 1661, and had eight sons: Ichabod, Richard, John, Joshua, Jesse, Benjamin and Samuel.
Richard Higgins, also a brother of the above, married Mary Yates, 1651, and had four sons, Eliakim, Jadiah, Ezra, and Thomas. From these have descended the numerous and respectable families of this name. Richard served the town four years as a deputy to the Colony Court, and was selectman three years ; and many others of this name have held offices in the government and in the town.
William Twining, the ancestor of this name, died in this town, 1659, and some of that name who were his descend- ants, have since lived here.
Stephen Twining, a grandson of William, married Abigail Young, 1683, and had four sons, Stephen, Eleazer, Nathan- iel and John. William, brother of Stephen, married Ruth Cole, 1688, and had two sons, William and Barnabas.
Henry Akins was here in 1651, and had eight sons, Sam- uel, Isaac, Henry, Joseph, Nathaniel, Thomas, John and Stephen ; and from these have descended those of this name.
John Young was here in 1649, and had six sons, John, Joseph, Nathaniel, David, Robert and Henry.
Eldad Atwood, son of Obed, married'Ann Snow, and had four sons, John, Eldad, Ebenezer and Benjamin.
John Knowles was here before 1670, and settled at Ton- set. It is believed that he was the son of the Rev. John Knowles, who came to this country about 1660, who re- mained a few years as a minister, but returned and settled in England. In 1674 he wrote a letter to Governor Leverett, in which he expressed a strong interest in the prosperity of the College and in the affairs of New England generally. John married Apphia, daughter of John Bangs, and had three sons, Edward, John and Samuel. Edward married Ann Ridley, and had two sons, Thomas and Edward. The last married Sarah Mayo, and had two sons, Samuel and Edward. Samuel died 1751. Thomas Knowles, son of Samuel, died 1760. Edward was a deacon of the church, and died 1740. He had two sons, Elijah Knowles, Esq.,
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the father of the late Harding Knowles, Esq., and John, who was the father of Col. Willard Knowles. The last was the father of Capt. Winslow and Mr. James H. Knowles.
Thomas Newcomb, the son of Simeon Newcomb, who was the first of this name, married Elizabeth Cook, 1693, and had three sons, Edward, Thomas and Simeon. Settled in the north part of the town.
Thomas Paine was here before 1670. He had two sons, John and Thomas, He was four times elected by the town a deputy to the Court ; was town clerk eight years, and a selectman nineteen years.
John Paine was a son of Thomas. He represented the town in the General Court eleven years ; was town clerk twenty-five ; town treasurer twenty-one, and a selectman. He had two sons, John and William. John Paine, Jun., represented the town four years ; William, five years.
Thomas Paine was the son of John. Joshua was the son of Thomas. Benjamin was the son of Joshua, and the father of Joshua, who was the father of Isaac Paine, who was the father of the present Deacon Ebenezer Paine,-all of whom have held important offices in the town. The last has been town clerk and treasurer nineteen years, and is now living. Thomas Paine, son of the first Thomas, married Hannalı Shaw, 1678, and had nine sons.
Joseph Collins came from Ireland, and was here before 1670. He settled in the north part of the town, and mar- ried Ruth Knowles, 1672, and had five sons, John, Joseph, Jonathan, Benjamin and James.
Joseph Collins married Rebecca Sparrow, and had one daughter, Lois. Jonathan Collins married Elizabeth Vick- erie, and had sons and daughters. John Collins, son of the · first Joseph, married Hannah Doane, and had five sons, Solo- mon, Samuel, John, Joseph and David. Benjamin was the father of Captain Michael Collins, who represented the town of Wellfleet in 1788 and 1791, who was the father of the present Michael Collins, Esq.
John Young came to this town before 1649. His sons were John, Joseph, Nathaniel, David, Robert and Henry.
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Jonathan Linnell was here early in the settlement of the town. He had four sons, David, Jonathan, Thomas and Elisha.
Isaac Pepper appears to have been the first of the name who came to this town. He was married to Apphia Free- man, 1685, and had four sons, Isaac, Robert, Joseph and Solomon. He represented the town two years in the Gen- eral Court, and was one of the selectmen eleven years. Capt. Jonathan Pepper was his grandson, and Solomon was the son of Jonathan, both distinguished men in the town. Joseph, son of Joseph, had two sons, Daniel and John. Daniel was deacon of the church. Mary, his daughter, married Francis Krogman, and had eight children.
William Nickerson married Mary Snow, a grand-daughter of Nicholas Snow. He had two sons, William and Nicho- las.
John Witherell came here some time before 1700, and settled in the north part of the town, but the records are lost respecting him and his family. There have been many of this name in the town, and some families still remain in that part now called Wellfleet.
William Dyer was here before 1700, and married Han- nah Strout, and settled in the north part of the town.
George Ward was the first of this name, and married Re- becca Newcomb, and settled in the north part of the town. From him have descended the families of this name.
John Herd was here before 1675 ; he had two sons, John and Jacob ; settled in the north part of the town.
George Herd was here and married Constant Doane, 1690, and had three sons, Eleazer, John and Jonathan. Died 1720.
The first of the name of Hatch was Moses, who married Mrs. Hannah Bangs. The names of their children are not known. Settled in the north part of the town.
Samuel Horton appears to have been the first of this name who settled in the town, and was probably here before 1700. He had four sons, John, Nathaniel, Samuel and James.
The families, thus briefly noticed, were settlers and in-
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habitants of the town before 1700. From what places those came after the first emigration from Plymouth is not known, nor is it possible to trace their families in a direct line of descent to the present day. There were a number of other settlers whose names have become extinct, and others who removed to other towns and parts of the country.
VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE TOWN, WITH SOME ACTS OF THE COLONY COURT, FROM 1646 TO 1690.
1646. It was enacted by the Court, that every town within the government shall have a clerk, or some one ap- pointed to keep a register of the day and year of the mar- riage, birth and burial of every man, woman and child within their township.
Eastham, being a regularly incorporated town, complied with this requisition, and made choice of Nicholas Snow as town clerk.
Another act of the Court, passed this year, was, that the Court shall meet at seven o'clock in the morning, in the summer, and eight in the winter, upon the penalty of six- pence for every default,-and continue until eleven, and then rise to dinner,-and after dinner continue till evening, as the Governor shall think proper ; and every hour any of them shall be absent, after they are called, shall pay sixpence, if they offer no good excuse.
This was working long and hard for the pay of two or three shillings a day .
1652. The town held many meetings for the division of the common lands ; also respecting ear marks for horses, cattle and swine.
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A division of lands was made to the first settlers and new comers. It was granted that Mr. Thomas Prince shall have his proportion of land, that is due to him, laid out at Tonset.
Every town was required to procure a book, in which should be recorded the division or purchase of lands, and these should be duly bounded to prevent disputes concern- ing them.
The town ordered that the constable have power to col- lect the fines imposed on persons who were negligent in coming to town meetings, on information being given by the town clerk. The constable to have one half, and the town the other.
1658. The following Rate was made to defray the ex- penses of the town :
For town officers' wages . . £3 4% 0d. For magistrates' and commissioners' charges 2 5 0
For a drum for the military company 3 0 0 For deputies' wages 5 00 For Mr. Bangs' going to Yarmouth on town business 0 3 0
For Indians' killing wolves 130
For freight of corn to Plymouth
0 59
£15 0 9
1659. Rates :
For the assessors' wages
£2 14s 0d
For the magistrates' services
1 7 6
For pikes .
2 16 4
For record book
0 1 10
£6 19 8
A military company was early formed and equipped. The officers were: captain, Mark Snow; lieutenant, Jonathan Higgins; and ensign, Jonathan Bangs.
The town's proportion of a troop of horse was also rais- ed. Thomas Prince and Edward Bangs agreed to find a man and horse each, at their own expense, for two years, three being the number for this town.
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1660. E. D., of this town, was fined twenty shillings for slandering and belieing bis neighbors.
The Court ordered that Nauset pay by rate forty shillings for the last, and the same amount for this year ; and all oth- er townships pay their rates according to the same propor- tion they did the last year.
1661. It was provided and enacted by the Court, that freemen may vote by proxy, in the election of magistrates, provided their votes are taken in open town meetings.
Previous to this time, all the freemen of each town were required to go to Plymouth for this purpose .*
1662. The town purchased the fertile island of Pochet, which, in the first sale, was reserved by Mattaquason, for the Indians.
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'The town agreed, that a part of every whale cast on shore be appropriated for the support of the ministry.
A tax was put on liquors, sold by retail, by the Court, and the town took strong measures to suppress intemperance, and to prevent the sale and use of spirituous liquors.
At this period it was ordered by the town, that no Eng- lishman or Indian should furnish any man with any liquors within the township, directly or indirectly, on the penalty of paying five shillings.
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1663. It was required by the Court, that the towns with- in the government should choose three or five selectmen out of the freemen, such as the Court should approve of, for the better managing of the affairs of the townships ; and the se- lectmen in every town, or the major part of them, were em- powered to hear and determine all debts and differences aris- ing between person and person within their respective town- ships, not exceeding forty shillings. Also, they were em- powered to hear and determine all differences arising between any Indians and the English of their respective townships, about damage done to cornfields, by cows, swine or any oth- er beasts belonging to the inhabitants of the said respective townships.
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It was further enacted by the Court, that the said select-
" Old Colony laws. Eastham records.
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men in every township, approved by the Court, or any of them, should have power to give forth summonses in his maj- esty's name, to require any persons complained of to attend the hearing of the case, and summon witnesses to give testi- mony upon that account, and to determine the controversies according to legal evidence. This was the origin of the office of selectmen, in all respects as the duties now are, except that they were also a court of justice. The first selectmen of this town were John Freeman, John Doane and Nicholas Snow, chosen 1663.
1664. It was agreed between Mr. Samuel Freeman and the town, that he should pay the. Rate, for which the town was prosecuted by the Court, as their part of the expenses of the government, one half in money, and the other in peas and wheat ; and for so doing, he should have a black horse running at large at Pamet, it being the town's property; and that he also should serve as a trooper for the town three years.
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1665. The Court passed a law to inflict corporal punish- ment on all persons who resided in the towns of this govern- ment, who denied the scriptures. Also, that no minister, in any town, should leave his congregation till complaint was made to a magistrate, and that magistrates should compel the congregations to do their duty.
This law was made to enforce the comfortable support of those who labored in the work of the ministry.
The town voted that all the horses belonging to the inhab- itants should be marked on the fore shoulder with the letter E, to distinguish them from those which belonged to the in- habitants of other towns, they having a different mark.
The town voted that the sale and price of liquors should be governed by a law, made by the Court for this purpose.
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