USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Scituate > History of Scituate, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1831 > Part 23
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ROBERT COCKE, (now Cook),
was in Scituate 1690, and lived east of the Great swamp. His children (born in Scituate) were James born 1693, William 1695, Jane 1697, Margaret 1698. His wife was Mary Jenkins, (see Jenkins). Robert (probably, jr.) of Scituate, married Agnis Kent of Boston, 1703. William, brother of Robert, sen. married Sarah Curtis 1705. Robert, a great grandson of the first Robert, deceased in Scituate 1831. He had been a Revolutionary soldier. William (son of William) married Mary Ramsden 1726, and lived in Hanover.
AMBROSE COLE
purchased lands of Capt. Stephen Otis, in the Conihassett 1695. His house stood on the Cohasset road, forty rods south- east of Bound brook bridge, on the north-east of the way.
His first wife's name was Silence -, and his second Abigail Sutton, 1715. His children, William born 1693, Ambrose
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1695, Ensign 1698, Ann 1701, David 1704, Jonathan 1707, James 1716.
Ambrose married Elizabeth Lincoln 1721. Children, Eliz- abeth born 1721, Amos 1722.
Ensign married Sarah Peaks 1726. Children, Desire born 1732, Ruth 1734, Ensign 1737, Lucy 1742.
David married Sarah Balch 1732. Children, Lydia born 1733, Wm. 1735, David 1737, Elizabeth 1739, Abigail 1743. Jonathan married Sarah Gannett 1732. Children, Mary born 1733, Sarah 1736, Jonathan 1739.
James married Sarah White 1745. £ Children, Mary born 1746, Sarah 1748, James 1750, Mehitabel 1753, Desire 1756, Charles 1759, Nabby 1763, Enoch 1766. Charles is now living, and has a numerous family here and in Boston.
William (son of David) left a family, viz. William born 1766, Charlotte 1768, Oliver 1771, Elizabeth 1774, David 1776, (died 1830), Ambrose 1779, Rachel 1782, Gridley 1784, Bradock 1787. Ambrose is of Charlestown.
Ambrose, sen. died 1738, and names in his will "sons Ambrose, Ensign, David, James, Jonathan, and daughter Ann Sutton."
There was a James Cole in Scituate 1653, He removed to old York, soon after that date. Ambrose may have been his son. There was Job Cole in Plymouth 1634, who married Rebecca Collier.
F.
PETER COLLAMORE, (early Collamer),
was on the list of those liable to bear arms in Scituate, 1643. His house lot was on the east part of Belle house neck, adjoin- ing Mr Vassall's. It is now called the "Collamore place." He had no children, and sent to England for some relative to inherit his estate. William Blackmore, his sister's son, accord- ingly came. But desiring an heir of the name of Collamore, he gave but little to Blackmore, and made his nephew, Capt. Anthony Collamore, who afterwards came, his principal legatee.
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The will of Peter Collamore is dated 1684, and bequeathes "To wife Mary one third of the income of my estates. To the children of William Blackmore, deceased, viz. to Peter a lot of marsh on the first Herring brook-to John all my lands at Sowamack *- to Phebe a cow-to William 50 acres of land at
* Probably Shaomet, north of Swansey.
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Seconett. To Mary, daughter of Anthony Collamore, 56 acres in Scituate-to Sarah (do.) 10€, and to Martha and Elizabeth the like sum. To my man William Clift a 10 acre lot at Seconett. To nephew Anthony Collamore all other property. Peter Collamer."
Capt. Anthony Collamore married Sarah, one of the twin daughters of Mr Isaac Chittenden, 1666. His children were Mary born 1667, Peter 1671, Sarah 1673, Martha 1677, Elizabeth 1679.
Peter married Abigail Davis of Roxbury, 1695. His chil- dren, Abigail born 1695, Sarah 1697, Anthony 1699, Peter 1701, Mary 1703, John 1704, Isaac 1707, Thomas 1709, Samuel 1712. Isaac married Thankful Curtis 1733, and left posterity. Samuel removed to Maine. Capt. Thomas to Pembroke.
Most of these left descendants. Many have removed to distants parts. Jacob Collamore, Esq. of Royalton, Vermont, is a descendant of Anthony .* The only branch of the family which preserves the name in Scituate, is that of John, who married Margaret Whiton 1732, and settled at Gillman plain. His son, Capt. Enoch, kept a well known tavern there for many years: and the sons of Capt. Enoch, viz. John, Esq. and Enoch reside on the same plain, and Dr. Anthony, (gradu- ated at Harvard College 1805), and Horace reside in Pembroke.
We add that Capt. Anthony Collamore, on a coasting voyage from North river to Boston, was wrecked and lost on Scituate beach, December 16, 1693. On the Probate records of 1695, appears an agreement of his heirs in the division of his estate, in which the parties concerned were "Sarah the widow - Peter, the only son- Mary, the wife of Robert Stetson - Sarah, Martha and Elizabeth Collamore."
The rocks where Capt. Collamore was wrecked are called "Collamore's ledge:" He was the commander of the militia of the Town, and was buried "under arms."
* Anthony (son of Peter) married Susanna Oakman of Marshfield, 1731, and had children, Anthony born 1735, Samuel 1737, (of Maine), Susanna 1740, Abigail 1745. He died 1744. Anthony, son of Anthony, married Mercy Barker 1757, and removed to Vermont, 1778 : he was grandfather of Jacob, Esq. of Royalton. Isaac (who married Thankful Curtis above- named) had children, Peter 1735, Joseph 1737, Thankful 1739, Joshua 1740, Rebecca 1742, Davis 1743. Thomas married Hannah Gross of Hingham, 1737, and had a son Thomas born 1738, and daughters Lydia, Martha and Hannah. John, above named, had children, Sarah born 1733, Betsy 1740, John 1742, Capt. Enoch 1744.
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THOMAS COLLIER, (from Hull),
married Bridget Bosworth 1735-children, Thomas born 1736, Gershom 1738, Bridget 1740, William 1742, Jane 1744, Mary 1746, Ephraim Bosworth 1748.
ISAAC COLLIER
married Tamsen Hayden 1770-children, Rev. William born 1771, sometime of Charlestown, Isaac 1773, James 1775, Moses 1777, Elizabeth 1779, Fanny 1782, Peleg and Judith 1784, Anna 1786, Elisha 1788, Mary 1792, Cynthia 1794. He lived on the beach, between the Barker farm and the glades. He died 1817.
WILLIAM COLLIER, (called of Boston),
married Judith Briggs 1748, and was father of Isaac above, born 1749, and three daughters, Sarah, Judith and Elizabeth. He had large tracts of land south of the glades.
JOSEPH COLMAN, (shoemaker),
was in Scituate 1638. His house was on the west side of Colman's hills, where several generations of the family dwelt. The original house lot is now deserted. There is no record of his family in the Town or Church books. From incidental record we find he had sons Joseph, Zechariah, Thomas, and several daughters. Most of these children belonged to the society of Friends, and some of the daughters were married and removed to Newport, Rhode Island.
Joseph removed to Connecticut before 1690, and probably to Norwich. The high hills between the Harbour and the North river, derived their name from this family.
JOHN COOPER
was in Scituate 1634. In 1638, "tongue island," so called, was granted to him by the committee for laying out lands.
31
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1
This is one of the marsh Islands near Little's bridge, and has been known by the name of Cooper's Island. In 1639, he sold the island to William Wills, and the island bears the name of Wills's island to this day.
He married Priscilla Wright 1634, (of Plymouth). He removed to Barnstable, 1639. We believe he left no children. He deceased at Barnstable, dividing his estate between the Church at Barnstable and Nathaniel Morton's wife, (being Lydia, his sister). Mrs. Alice Bradford of Plymouth was also his sister.
JOSEPH COPELAND
came into Scituate from Bridgewater, 1730, a descendant of Lawrence Copeland, an early settler in Braintree. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Capt. Benjamin Tolman 1735, and succeeded to the family residence of Capt. Tolman. It is the place occupied by the family of Ebenezer Copeland, late de- ceased, forty rods east of the Episcopal church hill. Here he built a tannery.
The children of Joseph Copeland have been remarkable for longevity.
Elizabeth, born May 6, 1736, died August 1828, aged ninety-three. She was the wife of Mr William Briggs, and the mother of several sons surviving at Milton and Salem .:
Ruth, born August 16, 1738, the mother of Robert Eells, Esq. of Hanover, is now living, (1831). She married Robert Lenthal Eells 1757.
Mary, born November 3, 1740, is Mrs. Joshua Barker of Hanover, now living.
Hannah, born February 24, 1743, single, living in Scituate. Rhoda, born April 22, 1745 -Mrs. Ford, living in Scituate. Lydia, born July 20, 1747, single, living in Scituate. Joseph, born August 22, 1749, living in Turner, Maine.
William, born September 21, 1751, living in Scituate, has a son William, and daughters.
Ebenezer, born October 20, 1753, died in Scituate 1810, and left three daughters.
Rebecca, born August 30, 1755, wife of Samuel Tolman, living in Scituate.
Sarah, born January 2, 1758, wife of Micah Stetson, living in Scituate.
Elisha, born December 20, 1759, living in Fairhaven. These all, save two, have families.
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EDWARD CORLEW
was in Scituate 1730, and purchased lands in the north part of the Town. He married Abigail Russell 1732. He came from the north of England with a considerable company, bound for Boston, but who were unfortunately wrecked on the beach near the mouth of North river : many of the company were lost. He had children, John born 1732, Edward and Thomas 1736, William 1744, Daniel 1746.
Thomas married Mary Russell of Pembroke, 1763, and removed to Vermont. His son Thomas married Abigail, the daughter of his uncle Daniel Corlew, 1792, and lives in Vermont.
Edward also removed to Vt. and probably left descendants. John died of the small pox in Scituate, and left no descend- ants that we have learned.
William married Margaret Humphreys, and has children, William, Elijah, (whose son Elijah is an officer in the Suffolk Bank), Charles, Anna, Joseph, Polly (now Mrs. Colman of Scituate) and Jane.
Daniel married Deborah Price 1769. He had a son Noah, who was lost at sea, and a son Reuben, who married Elizabeth Burbank, 1794. It is an extraordinary fact, that Edward Corlew, sen. and his first four sons, were soldiers together in the French War.
JOHN COWEN, from Scotland,
appears in Scituate 1656. He purchased lands in Conihassett, north of Sweet swamp, and east of Michael Pierce's farm, (late Hayward Pierce, Esq.) His house stood where the house of Stephen Litchfield now stands. We notice in the Colony records a curious evidence of his Scottish spirit, viz. "1670. John Cowen appeared in Court to answer for contemptible words against Royal Authority; to wit: that he scorned to be in subjection to an Englishman- and that there never was any King in England that was an Englishman, save one crooked back'd Richard-a crooked Rogue, just like such an one, (naming a well known hunch back)." Cleared.
John Cowen married Rebecca, the widow of Richard Man, 1656. His children, Joseph born 1657, Mary 1659, John 1662, Israel 1664, Rebecca 1666. He lived in Richard Man's house until 1670, (see Appendix).
Joseph was killed in the Rehoboth battle, 1676.
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John married Deborah Litchfield 1687. His children, Sarah born 1688, Joseph 1690, John 1692, Joshua 1694, Caleb 1696, Israel 1701, Mary 1705.
Israel married His children, Mary born 1691, Hannah 1694, Elizabeth 1697, Israel 1699, Jonah 1704, (died early), Gethelus 1708, (no family), Job 1713, Joseph 1715, Sarah 1717.
Of this latter family, Israel married Howland of Pembroke, and removed to Weymouth. His sons born in Scituate, Israel 1724, Balch 1728.
Job had sons, Job born 1742, Gethelus 1745, Israel 1750. Joseph removed to Bridgewater, and married Howard 1736. Capt. Job, son of Job, is now living in Scituate, (no sons). Gethelus left sons David and Job. He married Mary Gill of Hingham, 1735.
Israel left Israel, Charles and others.
JOHN CROCKER
was in Scituate 1636. In 1654, he sold land south-west of the burying ground, near the Harbour, to John Whiston, and removed to Barnstable, probably. His brother William was in Scituate 1636, or earlier, and removed 1639. John Crocker's children were William born 1637, Elizabeth 1639, Samuel 1642, Job 1644, Jonah 1647, Eleazer 1650, Joseph 1654. There are many descendants in Barnstable, Rev. Joseph of Eastham, Rev. Josiah of Taunton, (1742), and Rev. Nathan Bourn Crocker of Providence, were descendants.
FRANCIS CROOKER*
was in Scituate 1648, and soon removed. He has posterity in Hanover. He married Mary Gaunt of Barnstable, 1647.
JAMES CUSHMAN
was in Scituate from 1639 to 1649.
* " Upon petition of Francis Crooker, who desires in marriage Mary Gaunt, kinswoman to Mr Coggin of Barnstable- the Court having heard both parties, and seriously weighed the circumstances, doth order that if the sd Crooker bring in to the Governor a certificate under the hands of Mr Chauncy, and some other approved phisition, that that disease with which he is sometimes troubled, be not the falling sickness, that then he the sd Crooker shall, in convenient time, have in marriage the sd Mary Gaunt." Colony Records.
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GEN. JAMES CUDWORTH, (salter),
was a freeman in Scituate 1634. We think it probable, that he came from London to Boston, 1632, in company with Mr Hatherly, as he was Mr Hatherly's particular friend. His house in 1640, was near the bridge at the harbour, which he sold to Thomas Ensign 1642, and removed to Barnstable. He return- ed before 1646, when he became one of the Conihassett Part- ners. After his return from Barnstable he resided for a time on the south-east of Colman's hills : which house he sold to Thomas Robinson before 1650. He then resided during life near the little Musquashcut pond. Ward Litchfield now possesses the land and house lot. In 1652, he was Capt. of the militia of Scituate. He was deputy to the Colony Court 1649, and several succeeding years. He was an assistant of the government in 1656, 7 and 8. Also a commissioner of the United Colonies, 1657. In 1658, he fell under the displeasure of those commissioners because he would not set his hand to the severe laws which that board propounded to the several General Courts, to be enacted against the Quakers, and also under the displeasure of Gov. Prence and the Court of Plym- outh, for the stand which he took in favour of toleration. Occasion was sought to displace him. A letter was produced which it was suspected he was the author of, sent to England, and describing the bigotry of the government. Another letter to the Governor was produced, in which some expressions were so construed, that he was judged to be " a manifest opposer of the government," and he was left out of the magistracy and the board of Commissioners, and deprived of his military com- mand 1658, and disfranchised 1660. In 1659, the town of Scituate returned him a deputy to the Court, and the Court rejected him. In all the passages of the life of this admirable man, he never manifested his magnanimity more signally, than by his dignified silence and quiet demeanor under these perse- cutions. He remained at home, prosecuting his agricultural pursuits, and employed in the municipal concerns of Scituate, without railing at the government. The Colony was at peace with the natives, and his commanding talents could be spared from the government. The letter above alluded to, as sent to England, was addressed to (Mr Brown?) then in England, and who had been an assistant in Plymouth Colony.
We insert an extract. It is dated at Scituate, 1658.
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" As to the state and condition of things amongst us, it is sad, and so like to continue. The antichristian, persecuting spirit is very active, and that in the powers of this world. He that will not lash, persecute and punish men that differ in matters of religion, must not sit on the bench, nor sustain any office in the Commonwealth. Last Election Mr Hatherly and myself were left off the bench, and myself discharged of my Captainship, because ] had entertained some of the Quakers at my house, thereby that I might be the better acquainted with their princi- ples. I thought it better to do so, than with the blind world to censure, condemn, rail at, and revile them, when they neither saw their persons nor knew any of their principles. But the Quakers and myself cannot close in diverse things, and so I signified to the Court; but told them withal, that as I was no Quaker, so I would be no persecutor.
"This spirit did work those two years that I was of the Magistracy, during which time, I was, on sundry occasions, forced to declare my dissent in sundry actings of that nature : which altho' done with all moderation of expression, together with due respect unto the rest, yet it wrought great disaffection and prejudice in them against me : so that they themselves set others to frame a petition against me, so that they may have a seeming ground (though first moved by themselves) to lay me under reproach. The petition was with nineteen hands : it will be too long to make rehearsal. It wrought such a disturbance in our town, and in our military Company, that when the act of Court was read at the head of the Company, had I not been present and made a speech to them, I fear there would have been such actings as would have been of sad consequence. The Court was again followed with another petition (counter) of fifty-four hands : and the Court returned the petitioners an answer, with much plausibleness of speech, carrying with it great show of respect to them, readily acknowledging with the petitioners my parts and gifts, and how useful I had been in my place, professing that they had nothing against me, only in that thing of my giving entertainment to the Quakers.
(Here follow extracts of the laws against the Quakers, &c.) " All these carnal and anti-christian ways, being not of God's appointment, effect nothing to the hindering of them in their course. It is only the word and the Spirit of the Lord that is able to convince gainsayers. They have many meetings and many adherents; almost the whole town of Sandwich. And give me leave to acquaint you a little with their sufferings, which is grievous, and saddens the hearts of most of the precious
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saints of God : it lies down and rises up with them, and they cannot put it out of their minds, when they see poor fami- lies deprived of their comforts, and brought into penury and want. As for the means by which they are impoverished - they were, in the first place, scrupulous of an oath : why then we must put in force an old law : they must all take the oath of fidelity -this being tendered they will not take it-then they must pay five pounds, or depart the Colony in such a time ; when the time comes, the Marshall goes and fetcheth away their cows, and other cattle: another court comes, they are required again to take the oath-they cannot-then five pounds more. A poor weaver that had 7 or 8 small children, had but two cows, and both were taken from him. The Marshall asked him what he would do - and the man said, that 'God who gave him them, he doubted not would still pro- vide for him.'
"The last Court of Assistants was pleased to determine fines on Sandwich men for meetings, one hundred and fifty pounds, wherof W. Newland is twenty-four pounds, for himself and wife, at ten shillings a meeting-W. Allen forty-six pounds-the poor weaver afore spoken of twenty pounds. Brother Cook told me, one of the brethren of Barnstable was in the weaver's house, when cruel Barloe (Sandwich Marshall) came to demand the sum, and said he was fully informed of all the poor man had, and thought it not worth ten pounds. What will be the end of such courses and practises the Lord only knows. I am informed of three or four score, last Court presented, for not coming to publick meetings : and let me tell you how they brought this about. You may remember a law once made called Thomas Hinckley's law, 'that if any neglect the worship of God in the place where he lives, and set up a worship contrary to God, and the allowance of this Gov- ernment, to the publick profanation of God's Holy Day, and ordinances, he shall pay 10 shillings.' This law would not reach what then was aimed at, because he must do all things therein express'd, or else break not the law. In March last a Court of Deputies was called, and some acts touching Quakers were made, and then they contrived to make this law servicea- ble to them, by putting out the word (and) and putting in the word (or), which is a disjunctive, and makes every branch to become a law; yet they left it dated June 6, 1651; and so it stands as an act of the Gen. Court, they to be the authors of it seven years before it was in being; and so yourselves have a share in it, if the Record lie not.
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" We are wrapped up in a labyrinth of confused laws, that the freeman's power is quite gone, and it was said last June Court by one, that he knew nothing the freemen had there to do. Sandwich men may not go to the Bay lest they be taken up for Quakers-warrants lie in ambush, to apprehend and bring them before a Magistrate, to give an account of their business. Some of the Quakers in R. I. came to bring them goods, and that on far more reasonable terms than the professing and oppressing Merchants of the County -but that will not be suffered. And truly it moves bowels of compassion in all sorts, except those in place, who carry it with a high hand towards them. Through mercy, we have yet among us, the worthy Mr Dunster, whom the Lord hath made boldly to bear testimony against the spirit of persecution.
"Our bench now is Thomas Prince, Gov., Mr Collier, Capt. Willet, Capt. Winslow, Mr Alden, Lieut. Southworth, W. Bradford, Thomas Hinckley. Mr Collier, last June, would not sit on the bench if I sat there, and now will not sit the next year, unless he may have thirty pounds to sit by him. Our Court and Deputies last June, made Capt. Winslow Major. Surely we are all mercenary soldiers, that must have a Major imposed upon us. Doubtless, the next Court, they may choose us a Governor, and Assistants also : a freeman shall need to do nothing but bear such burdens as are laid upon him. Mr Alden hath deceived the expectations of many, and indeed lost the affec- tions of such as I judge were his cordial Christian friends, who is very active in such ways as I pray God may not be charged upon him to be oppressions of a high nature.
"JAMES CUDWORTH."
On the election of Josiah Winslow Governor, 1673, he endeavored, and with success, to make honorable amends for the abuse and neglect which Cudworth had suffered from his predecessor, Gov. Prence. We notice in the Colony records, July 1673, "Capt. Cudworth, by a full and clear vote, is accepted and reestablished, in the association and body of this Commonwealth." He was chosen an assistant again from 1674 to 1680, inclusively. In 1675, he was chosen "General . and Commander in Chief of all the forces that are or may be sent forth against the enemy," and he continued in that office until Philip's war was ended. In 1681, he was appointed an agent for the Colony to England. He was also Deputy Gov- ernor the same year. On his arrival in London in the autumn of 1682, he unfortunately took the small pox, of which he died.
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We cannot forbear to quote from another interesting letter of his to Gov. Winslow, modestly declining the office of Com- mander in Chief, which had been, as it were, unanimously pressed upon him in 1673, when an expedition against the Dutch at New York was projected.
"Sir, I do unfeignedly and most ingenuously receive the Court's valuation and estimation of me, in preferring me to such a place. It is not below me or beneath me, (as some deem theirs to be), but is above me, and far beyond any desert of mine; and had the Court been well acquainted with my insufficiency for such an undertaking, doubtless I should not have been in nomination; neither would it have been their wisdom to hazard the cause and the lives of their men upon an instrument so unaccomplished for the well management of so great a concern. So being persuaded to myself of my own insufficiency, it appears clearly and undoubtedly unto me, that I have no call of God thereunto : for vox populi, is not always vox Dei. Beside, it is evident unto me, upon other consider- ations, I am not called of God unto this work at this time. The estate and condition of my family is such as will not admit of such a thing, being such as can hardly be paralleled ; which was well known unto some: but it was not well or friendly done as to me, nor faithfully as to the country, if they did not lay my condition before the Court. My wife, as is well known unto the whole town, is not only a weak woman, but has so been all along; and now by reason of age, being sixty-seven years and upwards, and nature decaying, so her illness grows strongly upon her.
"Sir, I can truly say that I do not in the least waive the business out of any discontent in my spirit arising from any former difference : for the thought of all which is and shall be forever buried, so as not to come in remembrance : neither out of any effeminate or dastardly spirit; but I am as freely willing to serve my King and my Country as any man, in what I am capable and fitted for : but I do not understand that a man is called to serve his country with the inevitable ruin and destruc- tion of his own family.
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