USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Marthas Vineyard > The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume II > Part 24
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He came to Tisbury about 1680 and is called a "freeholder" in the records as early as 1683. He was chosen one of a committee to procure a new town charter in 1687; to divide proprietors' lands in 1688; a fence viewer in 1688; a constable in 1689, and surveyor of highways in 1699. It is not known where he lived before 1688, but in that year he bought of Thomas Mayhew the eastern half of the home lot of Josiah Standish, consisting of twenty-four acres, now owned by the heirs of the late Henry L. Whiting. It is probable that this had been the site of his residence for some years prior to that date. This he sold to his son John in 1700, and his declining years were probably spent in Chilmark, perhaps with his son James, as in 1710 he calls himself a resident of that town and is so designated by others.4 There is no record of his death either in the town or probate records. He had disposed of all his property to his son and nothing remained to be di- vided and made a matter of record. As he was at least 82 years old in 1710 and "grown aged" it is probable he died not long after. By his wife Judith, of whom nothing further
1Essex County Deeds, XXII, 201.
2Nantucket Records.
3Plymouth Colony Rec., V, 254; VII, 207; VIII, 148.
4Essex Co. Deeds, XXI, 231. It is quite probable that he lived in Chickemmoo, then a part of Chilmark, rather than in the present town limits of Chilmark. His son James owned land in Chickemmoo.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
is known, he had fourteen children, three of whom are not of record in towns where he lived.
Edward Cottle was probably from Wiltshire. In the church at Bradford-upon-Avon in that county there is a mural coat of arms of this family, and the name is frequently found in the records there. The earliest form of the name (1250) is Cotele or Cothele, and the family was early seated at At- worth, Wilts, now called Cottles, near Melksham.1
JOSEPH DAGGETT.
The youngest son of John Daggett, the pioneer of the family on the Vineyard, was the only representative of that distinguished family in Tisbury. He was born about 16472 and is particularly noted as having married a native whom we can designate as the Pocahontas of our island. It is believed that she can be identified as the daughter of Thomas Sissetom, a Sagamore of Sanchacantacket, named Alice by the English, and that the marriage occurred some time prior to 1685, as at that date two children of this union were old enough to receive property. Presuming they were eighteen and sixteen respectively that would carry the date of assumed marriage back to 1667, when Joseph was about twenty years of age. It is doubtful if a lawful marriage was consummated. This strange fact is established by a deed on record in which "Puttuspaquin of Sanchacantacket gives to his cousins [nieces] Ellis [Alice] & Hester Daggett" a tract of land which is now known to be in the present limits of Eastville adjoining the ponds on the east bank of the Lagoon.3 This territory is identical with a tract of land granted sixteen years before in 1669 by the sachem Wampamag to "Ales Sessetom and Keziah Sessetom. the daughters of Thomas Se[sse]tum" and probably was a gift in confirmation to the children of Alice of the property originally given to the Indian sisters.‘ It remained as an inheritance of the two half-breed Daggett girls, Alice and Esther, and was divided between them in 1698, after the latter had married Edward Cottle.5
Joseph Daggett was one of the first proprietors in the new settlement and his holdings are thus described :-
1History of the Cotel or Cottle Family by W. H. Cottell. Pamphlet, 23 pp., 1871.
2Deposition. Aged about 51 years in March, 1698-9.
$Dukes Deeds, I, 251.
"Ibid, VI, 412.
$Ibid, I, 24.
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Annals of West Tisbury
The Lands & Accomadations of Joseph Doggatt which Leieth in the Township of Takymmy or tisbury on the vineyard as foloeth One halfe house Lot which containeth twenty-five Acres Leying on the east side of the brook where his dwelling house is this present year 1673 bounded the brook on the west ( & the halfe lot which James Redfield hath taken on the south) ( & the halfe lot which Charls Crossthwat hath taken on the north) laid out twenty five rods in bredth by James Allen & Thomas Mayhew & Runing eight score rods Easterly from the brook being twenty five Acres mor or lesse
And halfe the sixth part of the neck by John Eddys of which; halfe the fifth lot is Joseph Doggats leying next to henery lewis his lot leying Acrosse the neck as the neck is devided to every mans lot Contained in the neck As before spoken in the order of devision of the three necks baring date february the first 1671
And the two And thirtyth part of all undevided lands whether pur- chesed or that may be purchesed
this is the lands And Acomadations of Joseph doggatt1
This property had its north boundary at the Scotchman's Bridge road on the east side of Old Mill brook, and extended half way down to the Post Office corner. Here his house stood and there played in the front yard the two half-breed children born of the romantic union, Alice (Ellis) and Esther. He maintained his residence until sometime between 17II and 1715, when in a deed on latter date to his grand-daughter Esther Cottle, he describes himself "of Edgartown, wheel- wright." There is nothing to indicate that he ended his days on his home lot in Takemmy, where he had lived so long.
His public services were of the average kind and quantity. He was surveyor of highways, 1687; committee to divide common lands, etc., 1689, 1690, 1703, 1708; selectman, 1689, 1693, 1695; pound keeper, 1690; constable, 1697; and had other small duties at various times till 1716. When he died is not known, nor the place of his burial. Equal uncertainty exists as to his Indian wife. It is probable that he was living on March 5, 1720, when as one of the proprietors of the town he executed a deed with fourteen others to a purchase of some common lands.
Of his children, Joseph,3 the only known son, married and had issue, descendants of which are represented to-day in the lines shown under his family in the genealogical portion of this work in the Daggett, Huxford and Enoch Norton lines. Through these claim can be made of descent from the Vineyard Pocahontas, Alice Sessetom, the Indian bride of Joseph Daggett. Esther3, the second daughter, married Edward
1Tisbury Records.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
Cottle sometime between 1690 and 1698, and she had deceased before June 10, 1708 (Deeds, II, 184). Issue of this marriage was but one daughter named Esther, who probably married (1) a Harding (and had a son Shubael) and (2) Manasseh Kempton. It is not possible to say whether issue is now represented on the Vineyard. The oldest daughter of Joseph, Ellis3 (Alice) left quite a record for a girl of her age and ante- cedents. 'She had three children born out of wedlock named for their presumptive fathers, Henry Luce, Samuel Look and Patience Allen. This unfortunate half-breed was made of better stuff than would be inferred from comtemplating this promiscuous progeny. She was evidently honest, honorable and thrifty, and true to her offspring. She did not live beyond middle life, as her will dated March 19, 1711, when she must have been not much over forty, was probated two months later. It is a legal condition that illegitimate children cannot inherit property, but her will devises real and personal estate to each of her children by name, and as the will was allowed and the real estate passed to the one called Henry Luce, who later disposed of it, this would seem to act as a legitimation of this anomalous family. Henry Luce so-called received his share of the property originally given by the Sachem Wampa- mag to Alice Sessetom; Samuel Luce was given £7, and Pa- tience Allen the movable estate. Her father, Joseph Daggett, was named as executor, and fulfilled the trust (Probate, I, 31). Altogether it was a very creditable transaction on her part. It is not known what became of these children, but the pre- sumption is that they became united with their Indian asso- ciates, and finally lost identity among them, if they survived to adult life.
JOHN EDDY.
John Eddy Among the passengers for New England in the ship "Handmaid," sailing in 1630, was Samuel Eddy, who settled at Plymouth and became a resident of that town until his death. The name as spelled in the Colony records is Eedy, Eedey, Edeth, Eddy and Edy.1 He was a tailor by trade and by his wife Elizabeth "having many children and not able to bring them up as they desire" he bound them out to
1Plymo. Col. Rec., II, 112, 113, 173; Deeds, II, 39, (part 2), 37.
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Annals of West Tisbury
their neighbors as they became old enough to be of service. The first of these apprentices of record is John Eddy, born on Christmas day, 1637, who was placed in the care of Francis Goulder of Plymouth, yeoman, April 3, 1645, being then under eight years of age.1 Contemporaneously with this Plymouth family of Eddys there lived in Watertown, Mass., another family, the father of whom was John, and who also came to Plymouth in 1630 in the "Handmaid."2
John Eddy left Plymouth prior to 1632 and settled at Watertown, where he became a freeman in 1634 and resided there until 1684, the year of his death, being then ninety years of age.3 By his wife Amy he had a son John, b. ! February 6, 1636-7, just ten months before our John of Plymouth came along, and who is the one entered as "Deced December 27: 1707" in the Watertown records.4 It does not appear that he left any issue, as his brother Samuel in his will dated Aug. 6, 1702, makes provision for the maintenance of "my brother John Eddi during his natural life."" It is evident that he was then without a family, in straitened circumstances and perhaps " a little distempered" mentally as his father had been. This Watertown family had the names of John, Samuel, Caleb and Benjamin, as did the Plymouth branch.
Another John Eddy lived contemporaneously with these two just mentioned, in the person of John Eddy or Eddway, carpenter of Taunton in 1660, and as John of Plymouth bought land in Taunton that year, which was bounded by John the carpenter's land, it makes a pretty good foundation for some confusion which earlier investigators did not successfully escape.6 Whence came this John to Taunton is not known,
1In 1647 and 1653 his younger brothers, Zachary, aged 7, and Caleb, aged 9, were "put out" to John Brown of Rehoboth. The town records contain only the names of five children born to Samuel and Elizabeth, not enough to be called "many," so a number of others must have been born and died early.
2Ward, 274. There is no proven connection yet established between Samuel and John, though it is a reasonable supposition that they were near relatives. It is stated that John of Watertown, born about 1595, was son of Rev. William Eddy of Bristol, later of Cranbrook, England, who had been educated at St. Johns and Trinity Colleges, Cambridge, and received the degree of Master of Arts in 1591 at Cambridge University. The young graduate became a clergyman and received the appointment as Vicar of St. Dunstan's, Cranbrook, Kent, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1616, after a service of twenty-five years. (Bond, Watertown, 203.) 3Winthrop Journal, I, 101.
"He had married, probably, before 1677, the date of his father's will. A bequest of £30 was made to him contingently, payable in £5 installments, annually, by his brother Samuel (Middlesex Probate, VI, 301).
5Middlesex Probate, XII, 454.
"The Eddy Genealogy makes a hopeless tangle of the several Johns, particularly the Plymouth and Taunton men.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
but he is distinct from our pioneer. He may have been a half brother, or even a full brother, though bearing the same name, as there are a number of well-known instances of this double nomenclature in New England families. John of Taunton had two wives, Susanna Paddock and Deliverance Owen, and died in 1695 leaving three sons and five daughters.1
Having disposed of two other Johns whose contemporary life has possibly some family interest, the fortunes of our John of Plymouth will now be related. His apprenticeship with Francis Goulder terminated in 1658 and he had during that period learned the trade of a blacksmith. In what way he became attracted to the Vineyard is only a matter of con- jecture, but presumably through the representations of John Daggett, senior, whose daughter he married later. Under date of Dec. 28, 1659, the following entry occurs in the Edgar- town records: The town [of Great Harbor] voted "to pay the charge of the Smiths Transportation hither if he Desires: this is John Edy of Plymouth."2 This offer made to the young blacksmith was accepted by him in the next year as we find that on Oct. 22, 1660, he was the owner of one share in the town lands "given him by the Town."
This undoubtedly marks the date of his removal hither, as from that time forth his name is found on the town and county records each succeeding year. It is quite certain that he came here in 1660 as a married man, as it is known that his wife was Hepzibah Daggett, daughter of John, and that a daughter Alice was born to them May 3, 1659. John Dag- gett sold to his son-in-law a homestead six acres, a portion of a ten-acre lot in that town believed to be on the "Line," but it has not been possible to identify the exact location.3 There were born to him his first five children prior to his removal to Tisbury. Meanwhile he was attending to his smithing and qualifying as an inhabitant under the require- ments. He was a member of the train band in 1662 and constable the same year. On May 11, 1663, having remained three years a town, it was voted that he should "have a lot of ten acres and a Commonage with two acres of Meadow .... the meadow lies about the pond att Miles Brook."' This lot was one of the "Five and Twenty," just south of the ceme-
1Bristol Co. Probate, I, 46; II, 20. Savage, Gen. Dict., III, 326, 328.
2Edgartown Town Records, I, 133.
3Edgartown Records, I, 4, 7.
4Dukes Deeds, VI, 115.
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Annals of West Tisbury
tery on Tower Hill, having a frontage of 142 rods on the harbor. As proprietor he participated in all the divisions of land during his residence in Edgartown, and in 1667 was granted one sixth of the West Chop neck by Governor Mayhew.1 This incident will be found explained elsewhere. At this time the project for the purchase of Takemmy was under consideration, and he entered into negotiations with the three partners for admission as a proprietor in the proposed new settlement. Accordingly he offered his lands at Homes Hole as an exchange for this right, as shown in the following docu- ment :-
Know all men by these presents that I John Eddy of the town of great-harbour upon the Vineyeard do for myself my heires and assignes sell unto William Pebody Josias Standish and James Allin I say I do sell my whole accomodations lying at Holmes his hole being on sixth part of that which was bought of the Indians by thomas Layton of Rode Island and this I do for and in consideration that the for s'd William Pebody Josias Standish and James Allin are to lett me the said Eddy have five pounds worth of Land at Takemmy at the same Rate as they bought it of the Indians provided that the sd Eddy demand it within two years after the date hereofe as also they shall let me have one Lote among them to live upon I the sd Eddy paying for it at the rate that they buy of the Indians the afores'd five pounds worths to be part of the Lote if I do not demand the Land and live upon it then to pay me five pounds at the end of the s'd 2 years the payment to made in current pay at prices current and in witt- ness of the premises I have hereunto set my hand this 29 of June 1669
Memorandum - that the lote mentioned is to be one whole accomoda- tion of the town now to be setled and that if ye town be not settled then the fores'd land at holmes his hole to be returned to me the s'd Eddy in witt- ness to all the premises I haye set hereunto my hand the day and year above s'd
JOHN EDDY 2
Within two years, the new township being an assured success, he was granted a lot by the proprietors, on May 20, 1671, "if he com according to compacicion," and he came.3 Thenceforth he was identified with Tisbury till the close of his life. Eight years later he sold all his Edgartown prop- erty to John Coffin, with the exception of some small divisions on the necks.4 In 1680 he was a defendant in a suit brought by Simon Athearn for trespass and defamation, and acted as a juror later in the same year.5 He was chosen constable of Tisbury in 1683, 1684, 1692; selectman, 1687, 1688, 1693, 1696, 1697, 1700; tithingman, 1699; besides acting in several
1Dukes Deeds, I, 239.
"Tisbury Records, p. 17.
3Supreme Judicial Court Files, Case No. 4974.
'Dukes Deeds, I, 318. Dated March 6, 1679. 'Court Records, Vol. I.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
minor capacities on committees appointed by the proprietors or freeholders. His last public office was held in 1711, when he was chosen constable, being then in his 73rd year. He had provided for his declining years by an arrangement with his son Benjamin in 1706, by which all his property was given to this only son on attaining his majority in consideration of support during the remainder of his life.1 But this was destined to be broken by the early death of Benjamin, May 19, 1709, in his 24th year. By a will however the son, who had married, required his wife as executrix to see "that agreement I have with my honored father and mother, John and Hepsibah Eddy touching their annual allowance shall be well and faithfully observed."2 In the month following his death, Hannah, the widow of Benjamin, on June 4th, evidently desirous of being relieved of the support of the aged couple, transferred the entire property to John2 Manter, grandson of John Eddy, in consider- ation of his assuming the "agreement between John & Ben- jamin Eddy about his son to the value of £9 annually for the support of John Eddy and wife living in one end of the house." The Eddy homestead property became absorbed into the Manter holdings on Dec. 20, 1710, by a deed to his grandson, the son of his daughter Hannah Manter.3 This homestead of forty acres was located on the east side of the Old Mill brook abutting the Mill path, on which it had a frontage of 160 rods, running east, and a depth of 40 rods. During the following five years of his life John Eddy requires but little notice. He held no public office and beyond disposing of scattered property holdings to his children and others his name does not occur on the records. He died May 27, 1715, aged 78 years, and his widow died May 3, 1726, aged 83 years, both lying together in the West Tisbury cemetery, having well- preserved stones. His estate was almost all disposed of during his lifetime, except a few pieces of outlying property and personal estate which he bequeathed in an unrecorded will dated Dec. 24, 1715.
In the name of God amen: This Twenty Fourth Day of December Anno Domini 1714, I John Eddy of the Town of Tisbury in Dukes County in New England being of perfect mind & memory Yet Considering the
1Dukes Deeds, II, 140.
2Dukes Probate, I, 27. The son had probably married in Boston. His will is dated there, and after his death the widow removed to that place and remarried. A Hannah Eddy m. Thomas Cole June 22, 1710 (Boston Record Com. Reports, XXVIII, 277).
3Dukes Deeds, II, 203, 216.
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Annals of West Tisbury
mortallity of my Body do make & ordain this my Last will and Testament, viz: Principally and first of all I Give & Recomend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it: and my body I recomend to the Earth to be Interred in decent Christian manner att the Discretion of my Executors, and as to my worldly Estate I give & dispose the same in the following manner and form :--
Imprimis I give and bequeath to my well beloved wife Hepzibah Eddy the sole and entire use and Improvement and Comand of all and singular my reall and personall estate that I sd John Eddy shall Decease seized of in my own proper right During her Natural Life together with all my Just Dues and Debts from any person or persons whatsoever Excepting out of my personal estate one chest comonly called and known by the Name of My Chest (By the family) and which I give to my grandson Samuel Manter, and one Iron Dripping pan which I gave to my Daughter Hannah Manter.
And Furthermore
2. I give & bequeath all my household goods which may remain and be Left att the death of the sd Hepzibath Eddy my wife & all my Live or quick Stock or any moneys that may then be Due to me unto my Daughter Abigail Eddy & to her proper use and benefitt.
3. I give & bequeath to my Daughters Hannah Manter and Beulah Coffin all the lands belonging to me sd Jno Eddy Lying on the East side of the old mill Brook in Tisbury to be equally Divided between them. 4. I further give & bequeath to my Daughters Abigail Eddy all the Lands belonging to me sd Jno Eddy on the West side of the Old Mill Brook in Tisbury Being Part of Two of those Lotts of Land Comonly called the Hill Lotts with all the priviledges and appurtenances thereunto Belonging And I also give to my Daughter Abigail Eddy & my Grandson Sam'l Manter all my share and Part of the Comon undivided Lands throughout the Township of Tisbury which Contains one whole share in Commons to be divided equally Between them.
5. Furthermore I give and bequeath to my grand son Sam'l Manter all that percell and tract of Land which belongeth to me sd Jno Eddy Lying in the Township of Chilmark, (which was formerly purchased by me and my son in Law John Manter of Major Matt: Mayhew of Edgarttown) to be his and his heirs ferever with all Priviledges and appurtenances there- unto belonging
And I do Constitute make and ordain my well beloved and Trusty friends Mr. Benjamin Manter of Tisbury & Mr. James Allen of Chilmark the Executors of this my Last will and Testament.
And I do hereby utterly revoke disallow and make void all and every other former wills & Testaments Legacys bequests and executors by me in any ways att any Time before named Willed and bequeathed Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my Last Will & Testament.
In witness whereof I Have here unto sett my hand and seal the Day and Year above written
JOHN EDDY (seal)
Signed sealled Published and ordared by the Sd John Eddy as his Last Will and Testament in the presence of us the subscribers, viz: Josiah Torrey Sarah Torrey William Case
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History of Martha's Vineyard
The death of this prominent citizen and his only son without male issue before him removed the name of Eddy henceforth from our records, but it has survived as a baptis- mal name in several families. The following are his children:
Alice Eddy, b. 3 May 1659, m. 16 Mch. 1682-3 Benjamin Hatch, (Falmo. Rec. in Gen. Adv., III, 84).
Sarah Eddy, b. prob. 1661, m. I May 1681 Nathan Manter of Tisbury (problematical).
Elizabeth Eddy, b. prob. 1663, m. 11 Dec. 1683 Jonathan Lambert, (Barnstable Rec. in G. R., III, 272).
Hepzibah Eddy, b. prob. 1665, m. 9 May 1686 Moses Hatch of Barnstable, (vide Otis Gen. Notes 471).
Hannah Eddy, b. prob. 1670, m. (date unknown) John Manter of Tis- bury, d. 24 Oct. 1724
Beulah Eddy, b. about 1680, m. about 1701 Enoch Coffin of Edgartown Benjamin Eddy, b. about 1685-6, d. 27 May 1708 aet. 24
Abigail Eddy, b. about 1688, m. Thomas Trapp 18 Jan. 1716-17 and d. 14 Feb. 1717-8, aet. 29 y. 5 m.
EDWARD HAMMETT
The first of this name to reside in Tisbury came here from Taunton, at the solicitation of Matthew Mayhew, who deeded to him in 1706 a tract of land in Chilmark, "to give incouragement to Cloathing."1 Edward Hammett was by trade a worsted comber, and took up his residence in that part of the town now known as North Tisbury. He was married in Taunton in 1704 to Experience Bowles of that place and brought his wife and one child to his new home. Here ten more children were born to him, four sons and seven daughters in all, of whom Jonathan and Robert remained on the Vineyard to perpetuate the name. The daughters married here also. Beyond doing his citizen duty as juryman oc- casionally, he held few public offices during his residence here. He served as constable, tithingman, and surveyor of highways, the latter for a considerable period till his death, and these compose his career as a town officer. He died March 20, 1745, in the 66th year of his age, which makes the year 1679-80 the date of his birth. His wife survived
1Dukes Deeds, II, 72. Nothing has been developed regarding his antecedents. There is a fantastic legend about him to the effect that his mother, a beautiful English girl was captured from a ship by some Algerian pirates and she became the consort of the chief. A son was born who bore the name of Hamid and when he grew up his mother told him the secret of his birth and bade him escape to her own people, which advice he followed. Those who wish to believe this story will probably do so. There were Hammets living in Plymouth, Newport and Boston contemporaneously with Edward of Tisbury, but no relationship between them is evident.
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