USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Dorchester > History of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts > Part 5
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An account of the shipwreck of Mr. Glover's vessel, in 1631, is given in the History of Lynn. He was the first to set up tanning in Massachusetts. By his will it appears that he owned land in Rhinehall, County of Lancaster. This property he left to his son Thomas, who may have been the one of that name who was admitted member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery in 1644, and returned to Eng- land. He kept a great number of cattle at his farm in Dorchester. He left four sons: Thomas, in Eng- land, Habakkuk, Nathaniel, and Peletiah, minister of Springfield. John Gill and Roger Billings lived on his two farms in Dorchester at his decease.
Jonathan Gillet removed to Windsor, and carried with him children-Cornelius, Jonathan, and Mary ; had born there-Anna, December 29, 1639; Joseph, July 25, 1641; Samuel, January 22, 1642-3; John, baptized October 5, 1644 ; Abigayel, baptized June 28, 1646; Jeremia, born February 12, 1647 ; Josias, baptized July 14, 1650.
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HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
John Gilbert had the title of Mr. He was pro- bably here in 1630. He removed to Taunton, and was one of the early settlers of that town.
John Goyt was here in 1635, and removed to Marblehead.
John Greenway was doubtless one of the pas- sengers of the Mary and John, and the first applicant from Dorchester for freemanship. His name occurs on the records as Goodman G. as late as 1641. He was past the prime of life when he came. His wife was Mary ; his children were-Ursula, who married Hugh Batten ; Mary, who married Thomas Millet ; Ann, who married Robert Pierce; and Katharine, who married William Daniel, all of this town. Mr. Greenway was a millwright by trade, and was much respected by his fellow townsmen.
Matthew Grant was among the earliest comers, and was made freeman in 1631. He removed to Windsor. Samuel Grant, whom the Windsor records say was born in Dorchester, November 12, 1631, was undoubtedly his son. Samuel had a large family of children .*
Edmund Hart was here early, and had land grant- ed to him in 1632. He was made freeman in 1634, and removed to Weymouth.
John Hayden received a share of the Neck lands, and was probably the person of that name who was of Braintree in 1640.
Thomas Hatch remained in Dorchester until 1638, and is probably the person of that name in Barnsta-
* See Genealogical Register of April, 1851.
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ble about 1640, and perhaps removed from that place to Scituate. If so, he died about 1646.
William Hathorne, landholder and inhabitant of Dorchester in 1634, and same year Selectman; depu- ty, 1635; grantee of land at Dorchester Neck in 1637, about which time he removed to Salem. He represented the latter town twenty-one years ; was Speaker of the House, and one of the most promi- nent men in Massachusetts through a long life, which terminated at Salem in 1681 .*
Nathaniel Hall was here in 1634. What became of him cannot be ascertained, but probably he re- mained in the town but a short time.
William Hannum (now Hammond) was among the early settlers. He removed to Windsor, and from thence to Northampton. A person of that name died in Northampton, June 1, 1677, probably the same. It appears that he lived in or near Hum- phreys street. On his removal to Windsor he sold his house and land to Jonas Humphrey, and a deed was given in 1637. The land has been in possession of Humphrey's descendants to this day.
John Hoskins came to Dorchester in 1630, and was made freeman in 1631. He appears to have been past the middle age of life on his arrival, and was denominated Goodman. He removed to Windsor. As he is called John Hoskins, senior, it is presumed that he had a son John. In 1634 he had granted to him four acres of meadow on the Neck " where the dog was killed."
* See Bradford's New England Biography.
--
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HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
Simon Hoyt was here early, probably in 1630, and was made freeman May 18, 1631. He removed to Windsor, and was an Elder or Deacon there.
William Hosford, Dr. Harris says, was here in 1630, and appears on the Town Records in 1633. Made freeman in 1634, and removed to Windsor.
Joseph Holley was here in 1634, and probably removed previous to 1637.
Thomas Holcomb was made freeman in 1634, and removed to Windsor in 1635. He sold his house and land to Richard Jones, August 12, 1635. He had children-Abigayl, born January 6, 1638; Joshua, baptized September 27, 1640; Sara, born August 14, 1642; Benaja, born June 23, 1644; Debroa, born October 15, 1646; Nathaniel, born November 4, 1648; Debroa, born February 15, 1650; Jonathan, March 23, 1652. Mr. Holcomb died in 1657. His widow married James Eno in 1658.
John Holland was here as early as 1633, and continued here until 1637. He then being about to start for Virginia, left a will, giving his wife Judith one half of his estate, excepting "Munning's Moone," which he gave his eldest son John over and above his portion ; the rest of his estate to be divided among his children, excepting forty shillings to Rev. R. Mather, to purchase a silver cup as a remem- brance of his love to him. He had a son John, who probably settled in Newton ; a daughter, Obe- dience, who married Benjamin Gamline; Nathaniel, baptized in 1638. Mr. Holland died about 1652, leaving a large estate for those times, about £4,400. He was concerned in navigation, and owned houses
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and land both in this town and Boston. After his decease his widow married George Kimwright, of Dorchester. They removed to Cambridge in 1664.
John Holman, mentioned in Pyncheon's papers as a collector of furs at Dorchester in 1633. Dor- chester records mention his residence by the Rock, in 1634. He was often Selectman of the town, and is believed to have resided at Unquety the latter part of his life. He was Ensign of the first military company in Dorchester, under Capt. Israel Stoughton and Lieut. Nathaniel Duncan ; he was one of the first members of the Ancient and Honorable Artille -.. ry Company, and stands nineteen on the roll. He died probably in 1652, leaving children-John, born February 23, 1637, and Margaret; these were the children of his first wife, Anne, who died December 1, 1639. Soon after her death he married again, and had Thomas, born August 6, 1641; Abigail, born 1642; Samuel; Patience, baptized January 28, 1648. He was concerned in navigation, and left a good estate. He seems to have lived on Adams street, near the residence of the late Hon. Amasa Stetson. Edward Wyatt afterwards owned it, but sold it to Ralph Sammes, and the latter sold it to Edward Cowell, of Boston, in 1663. In 1637 is the follow- ing order on the Town Records.
" It is ordered, that Mr. Holman shall have twenty acres of upland beyond the * next to Mr. Hutchinson's."
In his will he says-" And whereas the honorable Court haue established a lawee the eldest sonne shall haue a double porcon, my desire is and to my griefe I
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speake it, my sonne being groune to some yeres proueth. disobedient and stubborn against mee, my desire is he may be deprived of that benefit wch others may justly enjoy."
Mr. John Hill came here about 1633. His wife was Frances. He left eleven children. His eldest son was John; Jonathan, born about 1639, was probably his son, and removed to Bridgewater; Sam- uel, born 1640; Hannah, born 1641; Mercy, 1642; Mary, who married Thomas Breck, February 12, 1656; Hannah, married D. Fisher, of Taunton ; Frances, married Jonah Austin, Dec. 14, 1667, and removed to Taunton in 1674. Another of his daugh- ters married a Taunton man, and removed to Taun- ton in 1671. Mr. Hill was a blacksmith by trade, and died about 1664. He was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company.
John Hull, of Dorchester, is the same as John of Boston. Farmer says he was admitted freeman in 1632. He was one of those who had a share in the division of Neck lands in 1637; also other divi- sions in the town. He was admitted member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1638, and is styled Captain, but was not Captain of that company. It has been erroneously supposed that John Hull, the mint master, who married the daugh-
* In justice to the memory of his son John, here referred to, we state that there was evidence before the General Court, in 1656, that John was a good and obedient son, and that the trouble was made by his mother-in-law, who, no doubt, induced the old gentleman to have such a provision put in his will. The persons who testified in this matter were Nicholas Ellen, William Salsbury, and Robert Redman and his wife ; the latter had lived for several years in the family.
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ter of Judge Samuel Sewall, was the same as the above. John, the mint master, was son of Robert, of Muddy River, and it is probable that Robert was brother of our John, and that Robert's son John, the mint master, served his time with John the elder. By an original letter to John from his brother Ed- ward, dated London, June 14, 1654, it appears that John was a goldsmith, and that he had a brother Richard in England, of whom he wrote in terms of disparagement, and whom he wished to induce to come to New England.
George Hull, mentioned by Blake as a first comer, and among the first recorded grantees at Dorchester. He served the town as one of the first deputies, with Stoughton and Phelps; was Selectman in 1635. He moved to Connecticut in 1637, where his name ap- pears among the first formers of that colony.
William Hulbert or Hulburt probably came to Dorchester in 1630; was made freeman in 1632. He removed to Windsor, and from Windsor to North- ampton. Dr. Harris calls this name Hubbard.
Thomas Jeffrey was made freeman in 1634. He removed to New Haven, and for many years went by the name of Sergeant Thomas Jeffrey. He died in New Haven in August, 1661, much respected.
Thomas Jones was grantee of Dorchester land in 1635, and one of the first signers of the Church Covenant with Mr. Mather in 1636; Selectman the same year, and often for thirty years after; Deputy in 1638. He lived near the hill still called by his name, and died 1667, aged 75. Col. Stoughton's will calls him "my loving friend Thomas Jones." He
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was one of the Executors of Stoughton's will. He came to New England, according to Savage, in the Abigail Hackwell, from London, in June, 1635, with his wife Ellen, and children-Isaac, aged 8 years ; Hester, 6 years ; Thomas, 3 years ; and Sarah, about 3 months. Mr. Jones was then 40 years of age, his wife 36. Their children born in Dorchester were- Hannah, born March 28, 1636, perhaps 1636-7; Rebecca, February 9, 1641. Thomas died July 24, 1635, soon after their voyage began, and several weeks before it ended. Sarah married Isaac Bollard, January 3, 1651; Rebecca married James Green, November 9, 1661. One of his daughters, probably Esther, married Richard Way. Mr. Jones was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery. He died in November, 1675, the grave-stone says aged " about 75 years," but according to the age given when he embarked he must have been about 80.
Mr. Johnson. Blake mentions Mr. Johnson as a first comer, and the records contain the surname only as grantee of land. Dr. Harris says he removed to Roxbury. Edward Johnson, of Roxbury, was one of the Executors of Israel Stoughton's will. Johnson owned lands in Dorchester, 1656.
Richard Jones died previous to 1642, and his wife did not long survive him, the inventory of her estate being made February 2, 1642. She was probably a Thacher, and she speaks in her will of her brother Thacher. They left a son Timothy. Mr. Jones bought the estates of Thomas Holcomb and Thomas Dewey on their removal to Windsor.
John Knight was here as early as 1634, and re- 6
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moved soon after, probably either to Watertown or Newbury.
Thomas Kinnersly. Sylvester Judd. first-rate authority, supposes that this name is intended for Thomos Kimberly. an early settler of New Haven.
Thomas Lambert it is presumed did not tarry long in the town. He was one of those among whom the Neck lands were divided in 1637.
John Leavitt was here as early as 1634. and about 1638 he sold his house and land in Dorchester to Mr. Makepeace. He removed to Hingham, and was probably the person of this name married there De- cember 15. 1646.
Capt. William Lovell it is supposed came to Dor- chester in 1630. but he did not remain many years. Lovell's Island. in Boston Harbor, undoubtedly took its name from him. He is probably the person referred to by Hutchinson .*
Roger Ludlow was a native of Dorsetshire, and resided at Dorchester in that county previous to the emigration of 1630. He was brother-in-law of Governor Endicott, who had arrived in New England two years before. Ludlow was at the time of his arrival in America already in mature life, possessed of some property, and an adventurer or stockholder in the Massachusetts Company. He was chosen Assistant or Director in London, in place of Samuel Sharp, and embarked from Plymouth, Devon. in the Mary and John, in March, 1630. His position as member of the Colonial Government gave
* See History Massachusens, p. 355.
1
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HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
him much influence in the Dorchester plantation, where he affixed his abode with his fellow voyagers. His more extensive duties prevented him from acting officially in the affairs of the settlement, and his name appears in the Dorchester Records only as grantee of land. He built his house in the vicinity of Rock Hill, and in digging his cellar, in 1631, he found, a foot below the ground, two pieces of French money, one coined in 1596 .* In November, 1632, he obtained from the Colonial Government a grant of one hundred acres of land, lying between " Mus- quantum Chappell and the mouth of Naponsett," a part of the Squantum farms known as Ludlow's Point. He is not mentioned as a lawyer by profession; but from his continual employment in matters of juris- prudence, both in Massachusetts and Connecticut, it is inferred that he was educated for that profession. He belonged entirely to the Puritan school in his religious views, but he does not seem to have attained a high degree of self-control in his temper, or an entire exemption from worldly ambition. Several instances of these imperfections are recorded in Winthrop, and the Court Records make mention of various fines inflicted at the suit of Mr. Ludlow. In May, 1634, he was chosen Deputy Governor, and Mr. Dudley Governor ; and the following year, 1635, he expected to have been chosen Governor, but the choice fell on Mr. John Haynes, and Mr. Ludlow protested against the election, which so offended the freemen that they left him out of the magistracy
* See Winthrop, p. 59.
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HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
altogether .* Ludlow was employed in 1634 in overseeing the works at the Castle. In 1635 Mr. Ludlow was much engaged with Mr. Stoughton, Mr. Newberry, and Mr. Maverick, all of Dorchester, in the Connecticut project, which enterprise he had previously opposed, although Mr. Phelps and him- self had been appointed by the Government Com- missioners for these plantations. In the spring of 1636, he removed with others to Windsor, and dis- posed of his property at Dorchester. He became at once a leading man in the new settlement, and pre- sided at the first court of magistrates at Hartford, April 26, 1636, and was Deputy Governor of the new colony till 1639, when he removed to Fairfield, in the New Haven Colony, where he continued to reside until 1654. At this period a dispute with the government of the latter colony upon the affairs of the Dutch war induced him to quit New England forever, and he is said to have died in Virginia.t
John Maverick, the associate minister with Mr. Warham, had been ordained and settled in England. He was selected by Mr. White as a suitable teacher for the West Country settlers, whom he accompanied in 1630. He had doubtless been silenced for non- conformity. He was about 55 years old on arrival. Governor Winthrop speaks of him as a man of very humble spirit, and faithful in furthering the work of the Lord, both in the church and civil state. He early enlisted with the leading men of the Dor-
* See Hutchinson, vol. 1, p. 43.
i See Allen's Biographical Dictionary.
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chester parish in the project of settling on the Con- necticut ; but before his final arrangements for removal were completed, death overtook him at Boston, February 3, 1636.
John Mason, born in England, 1600. Prince calls him a relative of the New Hampshire patentee. He was among the first settlers of Dorchester, and commanded the Dorchester Band, Nov. 1633; Israel Stoughton, ensign. Mason had served with Fairfax abroad, before he came to America, and was invited to return to England and join him in the parlia- mentary service. He was employed in laying out the works at the Castle, and also in fortifying Rock Hill in 1634-5. He received a grant of land, and lived near Fox Point in 1634. In 1635 he was deputy. He embarked zealously in the Connecticut enterprise, and was among the first emigrants to Windsor. The war with the Pequod Indians com- menced the year after the settlement at Windsor, and Mason was called to command the river troops ; and the battle of May 26, 1637, at the fort on Mys- tic river, fought under his command, nearly annihi- lated that warlike tribe, and has always been re- garded as one of the most daring exploits on record. He spent a long and useful life in Connecticut, and died at Norwich, 1672. He was the author of a history of the Pequod war .* He removed to Say- brook, Ct., in 1647, and to Norwich in 1659, where he died, as before named, in the 73d year of his age. As a soldier, he knew no fear, yet was cautious and
* See his biography by Mr. Ellis, in Sparks's collection. 6*
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prudent. His life and conversation were of the Puritan stamp, without ostentation and above re- proach. His children were-Priscilla, born October, 1641, who married Rev. James Fitch, of Norwich, in 1664; Samuel, born July, 1644, who resided in Stonington, and became a major; Rachael, born Oct. 1648; Anne, born June, 1650; John, born August, 1646, who was a captain, and was wounded in the swamp fight in King Philip's war, December 19, 1675, and is supposed to have died therefrom, leaving a widow Abigail and two children, John and Ann ; Daniel, born April, 1652, and died in Ston- ington, Ct., in 1736, being ancestor of the late Hon. Jeremiah Mason, of Boston; Elizabeth, born in August, 1654. Capt. Mason sold his house and land in Hingham to Thomas Thaxter, of that place. This estate formerly belonged to Robert Peck, and it is not improbable that one of Mason's wives was a daughter of the latter.
Thomas Marshall's name appears on the Town Records in 1634. He did not long remain in Dor- chester. He may have been the same as the Thomas, of Boston, tailor, or one of the same name in Lynn. In the Town Records is the following order :-
December 29, 1634, " It is granted Thomas Mar- shall have 8 - breadth next unto Thomas G --- (probably Gunn) in the late burial place."
John Miller. It is supposed that this person was not the minister of the same name who preached a while in Rowley ; it is more likely that he was the John Miller who was subsequently in Rehoboth,
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as several Dorchester people removed to that place. John, junior, of Rehoboth, was slain in the Narra- ganset fight of 1676.
Alexander Miller is supposed to have been in Dorchester in 1630; made freeman in 1638; not married in 1636.
George Minot, Selectman of Dorchester, grantee of land, and freeman, 1634. He was a native of Saffron Walden, in Essex, and had a family before leaving England. He was Deputy, 1635-6, one of the first signers of the Church Covenant in 1636, and thirty years ruling elder of the church. He died Sunday, Dec. 24th, 1671, aged 77. There is a very full account of his posterity in the Genealogi- cal Register, 1847. He had sons-John, born in England, April 2, 1626 ; James, born December 31, 1628 ; Stephen, born May 6, 1631; Samuel, born Dec. 6, 1635. Mrs. Martha Minot (undoubtedly his wife) died Dec. 3, 1657.
Mr. Thomas Makepeace came, in all probability, in 1635 ; had a wife Elizabeth. He was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery in 1638, had the title of Mr., and appears to have been a man of some importance. He removed to Boston. He was of liberal sentiments. The Court Records say that he, " because of his novel disposition, was informed we were weary of him, unless he reform." He was one of the patentees of Dover, N. H. Had sons Thomas and William. His daugh- ter Waitawhile married Thomas Cooper, of Boston, 13th September, 1661; Hannah married Stephen Hoppin ; Joseph, baptized September 20, 1646. He died in Boston in 1666.
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HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
Thomas Marshfield was born at Exeter, England. It is probable that he came here in 1630. He re- moved to Windsor. He is presumed to be the father of Samuel, one of the proprietors of West- field, who died in Springfield in 1692.
John Moore came as deacon of the church in 1630. He removed to Windsor, and was deacon of the church there. There was a John Moore in town in 1637, who was chosen to do some business for the plantation that year. If he was the same, he could not have removed with the first or second company. In 1636 John Moore had land granted him " next the ship." There were three persons of this name among the early settlers, who were admitted free- men in 1631, 1633 and 1636.
Edward Munnings was born in England in 1595, and his wife Mary in 1605. They came to New England in the Abigail, Hackwell, from London, in the summer of 1635, and brought their children with them, as follows. Take-heed; Mary, born 1626; Anna, born 1629 ; Mahabuleel, born 1632; Hope- still, born in Dorchester, April 15, 1637, and went to England; Returned, born Sept. 7, 1640, was a cooper by trade, and removed to Boston. Mr. Mun- nings appears to have been the original owner of Moon Island, which went by the name of "Mun- nings' Moon." It is probable Mahaleel Munnings, of Dorchester, was son of Edmund. Mahaleel had a daughter Hannah, baptized in Dorchester, Sep- tember 27th, 1657. The Church Records say " her father came from England." He removed to Boston in 1659, joined the Second Church there November
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HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
27th of that year, and was drowned in the Mill Creek on the night of February 27th, 1659-60. It is very probable that he is the person who came over in the Speedwell, Robert Lock master, in 1656, and who is called in the second number of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Mu- huhulet Munnings, aged 24 years.
Thomas Newberry, one of the earliest settlers and largest landed proprietors of Dorchester, received from the General Court a grant of one hundred acres on Neponset, March, 1634, and many grants from the Dorchester proprietary. He laid out a large farm at Squantum, and built a house there, which are referred to in the Colonial Records of 1666, being partly the bounds between Dorchester and Mt. Wollaston. Mr. Newberry lived on the Rock in 1634, when he became freeman and Select- man. In 1635 he was appointed to oversee works at the Castle. He was early engaged in the Con- necticut enterprise, sold his Dorchester property, and prepared to remove to Windsor; but his death, which took place in 1636, prevented. His family, however, removed. His farm passed into the pos- session of John Glover, and was situated in that part of Dorchester now Quincy, and known as The Farms.
John Newton was here early ; Dr. Harris says in 1630. How long he remained is uncertain. It is not improbable that he was the person of that name subsequently in Marlboro'. There was a Henry New- ton baptized in Dorchester, March 1, 1642-probably his son. There is a remark in the Church Records
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HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
against his name as " crooked." Whether crooked in person or character it doth not appear.
John Niles was here in 1634. He removed to Braintree. By his wife Jane he had in Braintree children-Hannah, John, Joseph, Nathaniel, Samuel, Increase and Benjamin, born between 1636 and 1650.
Elias Parkman, grantee of Dorchester lands in 1633; one of the Windsor list in 1636; again at Dorchester in 1637-8 ; removed afterwards to Boston.
James Parker was here early ; Dr. Harris says in 1630; was made freeman in 1634. He removed to Weymouth. According to Farmer, he was repre- sentative from 1639 to 1643. Being a preacher, he received a call to settle at Portsmouth, which he declined. He left New England for Barbadoes, whence he wrote, in 1646, a letter to Gov. Winthrop, which is in Hutchinson's Collection, 155-158. There was a person of that name, probably the same, who died about 1666. He appeared to be a trader between Barbadoes and Boston. He was a bachelor.
William Phelps, one of the earliest settlers of Dorchester, and among the first grantees of land; applied for freemanship, October, 1630; one of the first selectmen in 1633; Deputy with Stoughton and Hull in 1634. He removed to Windsor in 1636, and was member of the first Court of Magis- trates in Connecticut. Two others of the name (George and Samuel) appear in Dorchester records before the Connecticut emigration-supposed bro-
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