USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Scituate > History of Scituate, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1831 > Part 34
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Mr. Vassall, " a man never at rest (as his enemy says) but when in the fire of contention." Winthrop adds, "finding no entertainment for his Petitions, he went to Barbadoes." 'Elliot observes, "when Jamaica was taken, he laid the foundation of the great estates which his posterity enjoyed until the Revolu- tion," alluding doubtless to Maj. Vassall's family at Quincy, Boston and Cambridge, who were the descendants of Mr. William, and who, being loyalists, left the country in the Rev- olution, and abandoned such of their property as could not be carried away. Mr. Vassall's residence in the West Indies was " in the parish of St. Michael, in the Island of Barbadoes, 2 1635a Charit- 11 1634 where he deceased 1655," (Historical Soci. Pap. Vol. iv.) That he was one of the most wealthy of the settlers in Plyn- outh Colony, even before the acquirement of his West India estates, appears from many circumstances. He left Scituate for England 1646. We have very few means of preparing an 2 Vassal 42 account of his family. Judith, his daughter, married Resolved in de Liz White 1640, (see White). Frances married James Adams litt 16 1646, (see Adams). Another married Nicholas Ware in Vir- 12 ginia, (says Mr. Baylies). Capt. John, the only son of which 10 we have any knowledge, bore arms in Scituate 1643. In 1652, he was Lieutenant under Cudworth. In 1647, he was a free- 6 holder and received assignments of common land in his own august 2 right. In 1661, he sold the " Belle house plantation" to John any 1. Cushing, and removed. While he remained in Scituate, he was a highly respectable citizen, and frequently associated with crunch - such men as Mr. Hoar and Mr. Safin, as an " overseer," as acquamer the Selectmen were usually called.
We have so understood it (but without positive record) that Maj. Vassall of Quincy (above named) was his son ; whose sons Lewis, John, and William, graduated at Harvard College 1728, 1732, and 1733.
That daughter of Mr. Vassall who married Nicholas Ware, had removed with her husband to Barbadoes before 1656, at which date, we observe in the Colony Records, that Frances, wife of James Adams, " sold to Nicholas Ware of Barbadoes, all her right to the estate of her late father, William Vassall, in the Island of Barbadoes."
We mentioned above, a controversy between Mr. Vassall and Mr. Winslow ; and we will add here, that it does not appear that Mr. Vassall wrote any thing on that occasion. The pamphlet of Edward Winslow was an answer to a pamphlet, entitled, "New England's Jonas cast up at London," by Maj. John Child, brother to Dr. Child who forwarded the petition.
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The anecdote is briefly this. The people of Hingham hav- ing superseded Lieut. Eames, in the choice of Bozoun Allen, Capt. the Court refused to sanction the choice. Some warm expressions having fallen from the mouths of many of the peo- ple of Hingham on the subject, and a petition being presented which gave offence, the Court proceeded to fine and imprison many of the petitioners. This gave rise to an appeal to Par- liament : and Dr. Child's petition was sent to England, under care of Dr. Child, William Vassall and Thomas Fowle. The substance of the prayer of the petition was " against the dis- tinctions which are maintained here, both in civil and church estate," (see Hutchinson). They sailed from Boston in the ship Supply, 1646. It was known at Boston that the papers, containing the petition and the proceedings of the Massachusetts General Court, were about to be sent in that ship, and Mr. Cotton at the Thursday Lecture, preached from Cant. ii. 15. " Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines, &c." and in his Uses took occasion to say, that he advised the ship master, that if storms did arise, to search if they had not in any chest or trunk, any Jonas on board, which if you find, I do not advise you to throw the persons overboard, but the writings. Storms did arise : and some of the passengers remembering Mr. Cotton's Sermon, a woman from amongst them came from between decks, about midnight, to Mr. William Vassall, who lay in the great cabin, (but for the present was in the steerage door way looking abroad) and earnestly desired him, if there were any Jonas in the ship, it might be thrown overboard. He asked her why she came to him? and she said, because it was thought that he had some writings against the people of God. But he answered her that he had nothing except a petition to Parliament, that they might enjoy the liberty of English sub- jects, and that could be no Jonas. . After this she went into the great cabin to Mr. Thomas Fowle, in a like distracted man- ner, who told her he had nothing but a copy of the petition, which himself and others had presented to the Court at Boston ; but if she and others thought that to be the cause of the storm, she and they might do what they would with it. So she took and carried it between decks, to them from whom she came, and they agreed to throw it overboard : but they had many great storms after that. After their arrival at London, the report of an astonishing miracle was spread abroad, viz. the saving of the ship and passengers by throwing the petition to Parliament overboard : whereas " it was only a copy of the petition to their own Court at Boston ; and the petition to Par-
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liament was still in the ship, together with another copy of that which was thrown overboard, and were as well saved as their lives and other goods, and are here to be seen and made use of in convenient time."-N. England's Jonas Cast up at London.
It is worthy of remark, that most of the principles held by such men as Cudworth, Vassall, Hatherly, and Roger Williams, for which they suffered the persecutions of the early Colonial Governments, were such principles of civil and religious liberty as are now recognized to be the truest and best. The writers who gave an account of such men, were interested, and there- fore not to be implicitly regarded, when they draw portraits of the men whom they wished to render odious. The way to test the true character of those persecuted men, and the false color- ing of their interested historians, is, to compare their principles, with those principles which constitute that civil and religious liberty which we now hold so dear. 0
NICHOLAS WADE (His will is dated 1683.)
took the oath of fidelity 1638. His house and homestead were on the west side of Brushy hill, and north-east side of the road where Shadrach Wade, his descendant of the sixth generation, now resides. In 1657, he was licensed to keep an ordinary or tavern. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Ensign, and his children were John, Thomas, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Joseph, Hannah born 1656, Nicholas born 1660, Jacob 1661, of these children Jacob left no family here : he was living 1676, and received a legacy from his uncle John Ensign. Joseph fell with Capt. Pierce in the Rehoboth battle, 1676. Elizabeth married Marmaduke Stevens, and was divorced 1679. " Nich- olas Wade, and his daughter Elizabeth, petitioned the Court for a divorcement from Stevens, he being a man of debased life, having another wife in Boston, and another in Barbadoes," (granted) Colony Records.
Thomas married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Curtis 1672. His children, Jacob born 1673, Joseph 1675, Sarah 1678, Thomas 1680, Hannah 1682, Ichabod 1685, Moses 1689, Deborah 1691, Rachel 1692. Some of these were born in Bridgewater.
Nicholas, jr. left a family, Mary born 1688, (wife of Eben- ezer Woodworth 1712) Margaret born 1690, Ruth 1692, (wife of James Merritt 1715) Nathaniel born 1694, (died early) and Nicholas born 1696.
Joseph, (son of Thomas) married Ruth Gannet 1705. Chil-
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dren, Ruth 1706, Elizabeth 1708, Joseph 1710, Jacob 1712, Issachar 1714, Zebulon 1716, Sarah 1719, Simeon 1722. Some of the posterity of this family may be in Bridgewater. Zebulon married Mercy Norton of Edgartown 1744.
Issachar married Thankful Merritt 1750. Children, Hannah born 1751, Thankful 1752, John 1755, (who married Abigail Bates 1779) Issachar 1758, (married Mary Pierce 1783) Snell 1762, (married Charlotte Otis 1783) Nancy 1764, Elizabeth 1765, Lucy 1768. There were some branches of this family which we could not trace, for want of records.
Simeon Wade married Eunice Studly 1750, whose daughter Eunice married William Russell of Boston 1784.
Nathaniel, (son of Nicholas, jr.) married Hannah Vinall 1729. Children, Nathaniel born 1730, Levi 1732, Shadrach 1734, David 1738, Abednego 1750, Stephen 1755.
Nicholas (son of Nicholas, jr.) married widow Bathsheba Nichols 1723, and lived, we believe, in Bridgewater.
Jacob, (son of Joseph) married Rachel Turner 1734. His son Jacob removed to Portland, and Sarah his daughter mar- ried William Hayden 1766.
Nathaniel, (son of Nathaniel) married Patience Hatch 1759. Children, Patience born 1760, Nathaniel 1762, Hannah 1766, Deborah 1771.
Stephen, (son of Nathaniel) married Mercy Pierce 1781, and had children, Abednego born 1782, Shadrach 1784, (who occupies the original farm) Mabel 1787, Betsey 1789, Han- nah 1791.
NOTE. Jonathan Wade of Malden (freeman 1634) is said to have been a brother of Nicholas of Scituate ; his posterity remains in Essex county.
EDWARD WANTON
was in Boston before 1658 : tradition says he came from Lon- don ; and further, that his mother came with him; but of his father we have neither record nor tradition. He appears in Scituate as a resident in 1661, and had lands 1660. Before he left Boston, he became a convert to the faith of the Qua- kers, the narrative of which is as follows. The severity of the Massachusetts Government towards this new sect, having been carried to the extent of executing three of them in 1659, 1660 and 1661. Edward Wanton was an officer of the guard, on one or more of these occasions. He became deeply sensible of the cruelty, injustice and impolicy of these measures : he was greatly moved by the firmness with which they submitted
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to death, and won entirely by their addresses before their ex- ecution. He returned to his house, saying, " Alas, Mother ! we have been murdering the Lord's people," and taking off his sword, put it by, with a solemn vow never to wear it again. From this time he conversed, on every opportunity, with the Friends, and soon resolved to become a public teacher of their faith. In Scituate 1661, he purchased a farm of 80 acres, of William Parker, at the well known ship-yard, a little below Dwelley's creek. He had also extensive lands on Cordwood hill : and also south-west of Hooppole hill, which latter were sold to Nathaniel Brooks 1723. The house of Edward Wan- ton stood near the bank of the river, on the land that is now improved as a ship-yard, and on the spot occupied by the small- er Work-house. Here he conducted the business of ship- building with great success : and we may add, that he held a distinguished place amongst the enterprising settlers of the Town. Of his success as a religious teacher we have spoken elsewhere, (see Ecclesiastical History). He remained firm and active to an advanced age. His last visit to Newport as a representative from the quarterly to the yearly meeting was in 1716, when he was fourscore and five years old, and he de- ceased soon after his return, Oct. 16th, 1716, and was buried on his own plantation, a few rods north-east of his house, where several of his family and of the family of Rogers have since been buried. The farm bears the name of this venerable man, though it has passed into the possession of another family near- ly a century since. His name will go down to posterity so long as a history of the Town shall be known. His memory is held in respect, by tradition, from generation to generation. It may gratify some antiquarian, when we record, that a widow Mary Howland, a descendant, on the Island of Canonicut, has preserved some curious articles of the household furniture of Edward Wanton, which he brought with him from England.
He was probably married before he left England. In Bos- ton were born to him Edward 1658, Margaret 1660, neither of which children lived to mature years : and their mother also deceased 1660-1. After his removal to Scituate, one of the . Ministers, of his sect visited him, having recently came from England, and took an opportunity to recommend to him a woman of his acquaintance in England for a second wife. Proposals were accordingly sent in writing, and she came in compliance therewith. Her name was Elizabeth
They were married 1663, and had children, Joseph born 1664, George 1666, Elizabeth 1668, William 1670, John 1672,
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Sarah and Margaret 1674, Hannah 1677, Michael 1679, Stephen 1682, Philip 1686.
The will of Edward Wanton, dated 1716, gives
" To daughter Elizabeth Scot a mulatto boy called Daniel, if he be found, he being now run away.
To sons Joseph, William and John, all my lands at Penn- sylvania, with all my money in the hands of Edward Shipin.
To grandson William, (son of William) one third of the sloop that Tobias Oakman goeth master of.
To son Philip, (lands, &c.) To daughter Hannah Barker 5£ .* To grand-daughter Mary Wanton (daughter of Stephen) 450£, when nineteen years of age, and the like sum to her sister Lydia. To grandson John (son of John) lands, &c. To Nathaniel Chamberlain of Pembroke, all my wearing apparel, and to Chamberlain's two daughters, Abigail and Joanna, 5£ each. Item 5£ to repair our meeting-house near Ichabod Ewell's. To son Michael, all the residue of my estate. Michael Executor."
Joseph removed to Tiverton 1688, and conducted the business of ship building at " the narrows or gut." He mar- ried Sarah, daughter of Gideon Freeborn, Nov. 9, 1689. He and his wife were both public speakers of the Society of Friends, and tradition speaks of their benevolence and chari- ties. He deceased March 3d. 1754, at the age of 90. He had several children, of whom we will name Mary, the wife of Thomas Richardson, many years Treasurer and Receiver General of Rhode Island. Her daughter, Sarah Richardson, was wife of Thomas Robinson of Newport, and remembered for great accomplishments of person and mind. Gideon, the son of Joseph, was distinguished for his talents and influence. He was Governor of Rhode Island, 1747 and 1748. He mar- ried Mary Codman of Newport 1718, and left children : but the name in this line is now extinct, the last having recently deceased at Richmond, Virginia.
William, (son of Edward) began his distinguished course by stepping out of the rules of his religious sect, and performing some distinguished military exploits ; and in the narrative of these exploits the name of his brother John must be asso- ciated with that of William. In 1694, when William was at the age of 24, and John at 22, a pirate ship having committed several robberies in the Bay, in which the family property had suffered losses, these two young men headed
* Wife of James Barker, of the place called Drinkwater, in Scituate.
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a party of volunteers, and captured the pirates, and carried them into Newport, where they were executed. Again in 1697, just before the peace of Ryswic, during the troubles with Count Frontenac, Governor of Canada, a French armed ship had taken several prizes in the Bay : and again William and John Wanton fitted out each a vessel from Boston, well manned with high spirited volunteers, and admirably accom- plished their design. It is said that William ran under the stern of the French ship and wedged her rudder, while John and his party boarded. Whether this method of embarrassing the Frenchman were practicable or not, we do not know : we only state that this is a part of the fireside narrative, that has been handed down. It is also said, that the venerable Edward en- deavoured to dissuade his sons from this enterprize as unlawful, according to the rules of their church ; but on finding their determination fixed, he thus addressed them. " It would be a grief to my spirit to hear that ye had fallen in a military enter- prize, but if ye will go, remember that it would be a greater grief to hear that ye were cowards."
The fame of this exploit reached England, and when the two Wantons went to England in 1702, they were invited to Court, and Queen Anne granted an addition to their family coat of arms, and presented each with two pieces of plate, with proper devices, viz. a silver punch bowl and salver. These pieces of plate are said to have been stolen from their houses at Newport, during the raging of the mobs in the political con- test of Hopkins and Ward, with the exception of one piece, which is now said to be extant in Newport.
We now proceed with William. He left Scituate 1704, and settled in Newport. He had previously married Ruth, the daughter of Dea. John Bryant, sen. To this match, there had been several objections : the Quakers disapproved of his mar- rying out of the Society, and the Congregationalists of his marrying into theirs, and moreover the woman was very young ; however, the sanguine temper of Wanton was not to be foiled, and he is said to have addressed the young woman in the presence of her family in the following words : "Ruth, let us break away from this unreasonable bondage. I will give up my religion, and thou shalt give up thine, and we will go to the church of England, and go to the D-l together." They fulfilled this resolution, so far as going to church and marry- ing, and adhering to the church of England during life. In 1732 he was elected Governor, and again 1733, and died near the close of that year. The house which he built and in which
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he deceased, is now occupied as a boarding house in Thames street, Newport. He left several children, among whom we will name Joseph, who succceded to his father's mansion. He graduated at Harvard College 1751 : he adhered to the church of England as his father had done. He is now remembered by some aged people, and described as a gentleman of the most fair proportions and majestic personal appearance. He was chosen Governor 1769, and re-elected for six successive years. He deceased 1782, and was buried in the Clifton burying ground. Joseph, his son, is the only survivor of the name in this branch of the family : he is an Episcopal clergy- man in or near Liverpool, England .*
John, whose memoirs we have connected, in part, with those of William, was truly a remarkable man. After the death of his brother William, when strong political parties began to agitate the Colony, he was persuaded by his friends to permit himself to be voted for as Governor, with the expectation that he might unite the factions through the influence of his fame for personal bravery, and his credit as the most wealthy citizen of the Colony, for he had been eminently successful in trade. He had indeed renounced his military fame, and embraced the faith of the Quakers as early as 1712, and travelled much as a religious teacher. It was however thought to be a conjuncture, when it became his duty to heal the divisions of the times ; and success attended the plan. He was chosen first in 1734, and re-elected for seven successive years. He died in office, May 5th, 1740, and was laid in the Coddington burying ground, where a marble monument was erected.
In one of the years of his administration, there were certain conflicting Indian claims to be settled within the Colony of Connecticut, and the cause was referred to the three Govern- ors of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. At this trial, a question was agitated whether the Sachems should be permitted to speak in their own cause : Counsel contended that they should not, and two of the Board inclining to that opinion, Governor Wanton remarked, that as they had already agreed to admit the testimony of some of the na-
* Gov. Joseph married Mary, daughter of John Winthrop of New London. His daughter Ann married Winthrop Saltonstall of New London, son of Gen. Gurdon Saltonstall, Mary married Capt. Coddington of Newport, Elizabeth married Thomas Wickham of Newport (and one single- daughter of this lady is now living,) Ruth married William Browne, Governor of Ber- muda. Catharine married Mr. Stoddard and Mr. Detileur.
Information From James Bowdoin, Esq.
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tives, it would be but proper, that their chiefs should be allowed to speak. " I have (says he) been accounted a man of courage in my day, but I think I shall turn coward and flee, if you bring in a body without a head." This sally carried the point ; the Sachems were allowed to speak, and the Governor was often heard to express his admiration of the powers of oratory in those children of the forest.
He is described as of middling stature, thin features and fair complexion - remarkable for his gentle attentions to children, many of whom would gather round him to catch his smile in the street, or collect at his door, as he sat in his portico. He resided in a house which he purchased, opposite to that of his brother William. His wife was Mary Stafford of Tiverton. James, his son, inhabited his mansion, whose son George is the only survivor of the name in Newport.
John (son of Gov. John) married into the ancient and re- spectable family of Redwood. His son Jonas Langford Wan- ton, deceased at Cranston 1827, aged 88, and left no children.
Michael (son of the primitive Edward) settled on the pater- nal estate in Scituate. His marriage is on the Town Records, " to Mary New of Scituate 1704," but she was born in New- port. His 2d. wife was Abigail Kean of Pembroke 1716. He succeeded his father as the religious teacher of the Society of Friends, and was a successful propagator of the sect. He was a cotemporary with Rev. Nathaniel Eells of the South Parish in Scituate, and they are said to have lived in more har- mony with each other than could be expected from the cir- cumstances, Wanton being fired with the zeal of a new sect, and Eells entertaining contempt for an uneducated ministry. He is said to have been a man of so much meekness and gen- tleness, that all contention with the Congregationalists was laid aside ; a circumstance which, if it did not contribute to promote his sect, at least disarmed opposition and persecution. He was cotemporary with Thomas Turner, a lawyer of facetious mem- ory, whose scarcasms were often aimed at Wanton, and always received with such undisturbed good humor, that at length they became sincerely attached to each other, though of different temper and different sects. On one occasion, Wanton had been successful in a fishing excursion, and loaded his boat with fine hallibut, and calling, on his return, at the tavern at White's ferry, and finding an assemblage of gentlemen attending a trial by reference, he caused an entertainment to be prepared of his fish, and invited the whole company to dine. This was done. in consequence of a sarcasm of lawyer Turner, who had thus
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addressed him, " Friend Wanton, you are like the Apostle Peter. In the first place he was a fisherman, and so are you-he was a preacher, and so are you-he denied his Lord, and so do you." It was agreed by the company that Wanton had the advantage on this occasion. He deceased in Scituate and was buried on the paternal farm. His children were Ruth born 1705, Mary 1707, Stephen 1709, and by his 2d. wife, Lusanna 1717, Hannah 1721, Michael 1724. Stephen inherited the family estate, which he sold to John Stetson 1740, and removed to Newport. He married Mary, daughter of Samuel Clark, of Canonicut 1736. His daughter Hannah is the mother of Stephen Gould of Newport, Cabinet Keeper of the Historical Society of Rhode Island .* Stephen Wanton deceased 1769, aged 56. Mary, daughter of Michael, married Daniel Cogges- hall of Portsmouth, Rhode Island 1726, and Ruth married Freeborn of R. I.
Stephen (son of the primitive Edward) lived and died in Newport, leaving no children.
Philip, the youngest son, lived in Newport, and united the business of merchant and apothecary. He married Hannah, daughter of Thomas Rodman 1711. He died 1735, and was laid in the Clifton burying ground.
His son Philip succeeded to his father's mansion and business. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Casey 1749, and Sarah Lawton 1761. Philip, his son, removed to Alexandria, on the Potomac 1790, where he resides with his family : he has sev- eral sons, by whom the name, which has become extinct in several branches, may be preserved.
Elizabeth, (daughter of the primitive Edward) was a mem- ber of the 2d. Congregational Church in Scituate 1711. She is called Elizabeth Scot, in her father's will 1716.
THOMAS WARDIN
was in Scituate 1690. His wife was Elizabeth Sergeant. His children, Thomas born 1690, Elizabeth 1692, Frances 1695, Samuel 1698. The family probably removed to Boston.
CAPT. ANTHONY WATERMAN, (son of Thomas)
came from Marshfield 1760, and settled on the farm that was Capt. Joseph Sylvester's (see Sylvester). Here he erected a
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