USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Marthas Vineyard > The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume II > Part 25
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Annals of West Tisbury
him. In his will dated March 16, 1744-5, which was probated on May 7th following, he mentioned all his children.1 In the census of 1850 three families of this name lived in the town.
JONATHAN LAMBERT.
This pioneer of a numerous family came from the Cape as one of the later settlers, about 1692-3, having been prev- iously a resident of Barnstable. He was born in 1657 and had married Elizabeth Eddy, daughter of John Eddy of this town in 1683, and this relationship was doubtless the influence which brought him here. He had served in the famous expedition to Quebec in 1690 under Sir William Phips, but after this single essay in military life he settled down on the Vineyard to follow the peaceful occupation of carpenter.2 In 1694 he bought a tract of land bordering on Great James pond of the Sachem Josias, and ever since that date the name of Lambert's Cove has been a memorial of his residence in that region.3 Here he lived until his death, and his sons and grandsons remained on the paternal acres until it became thoroughly indentified with the family. His life was unevent- ful as he was a deaf mute, and the records give but little to indicate any public activities. Two of his children were also unfortunately afflicted with congenital deaf mutism, the first known cases on the Vineyard. Sewall refers to him during his visit in 1714 to the island: "We were ready to be offended that an Englishman, Jonathan Lumbard in the company spake not a word to us, and it seems he is deaf and dumb."4 His will, dated March 23, 1736-7, was probated Oct. 3, 1738, and his death occurred between those dates.5 He left three sons and four daughters, the latter of whom married on the mainland. Ebenezer and Beulah, the mutes, remained single.
THOMAS LOOK.
The first of this family to settle here was Thomas, a son of Thomas Look, a collier at the Lynn Iron Works. The
1Dukes Probate, III, 180.
2He received a share in Narragansett township No. I (Gorham, Me.) for military service. In 1695 Jonathan Lambert, master of the Brigantine Tyral, was despatched to Quebec to bring back prisoners from that place. This may be our early settler. 3Dukes Deeds, I, 248.
‘Diary, II, 432.
5Dukes Probate, III, I. In his will he provides as follows: "considering my two Poor children that cannot speake for themselves, I Earnestly Desire that my son Jona- than and my Trusty Beloved friend David Butler, after the understanding hereof would Please as they have oppertunity to help them in any Lawful way as they shall see need."
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History of Martha's Vineyard
father, born about 1622, settled in Massachusetts, whither he had come probably from Scotland to follow his trade at the newly established iron foundry at Lynn. The name Look is derived from the biblical Luke, and the first settler so spelled it. It is a name found in Scotland before 1600 among the rentallers of the Archbishop of Glasgow.1 Thomas, the collier, became one of the original ten associates of Salis- bury in 1659 who purchased Nantucket, and through this transaction his son Thomas, born June, 1646, removed to that island about 1670 and took up the share as a settler. There he married Elizabeth Bunker, and four of his six known children are recorded as born there.
The date of his removal to Tisbury may be placed about 1685-6, as he made the first purchase of land in town on Feb. 15, 1686, acquiring of Joseph Merry the valuable water and mill privilege on the Tiasquin which his descendants im- proved for over a century.2 Here he spent the rest of his days, following the occupation of a miller until his death. He was a selectman in 1688 and 1695, surveyor of highways in 1689, and deputy sheriff of the county in 1699, besides the usual services as juror. He was one of four dissenters against extending a call to Rev. Josiah Torrey as minister, but the reasons for this are not known.3
His will, dated Dec. 4, 1725, when he was four score years of age, was signed with "his mark," probably because of infirmities or disability from illness. It was probated in January, 1726, and we may conclude that he had died in the latter part of the previous year, making some allowance for the time before the will was presented for the action of the court.4 He called himself "miller" in this testament, and bequeathed all his property to his son Samuel and five daugh- ters.
HENRY LUCE.
Carnezy Lwie The ancestor of the largest island family left behind him fewer traces of his movements, before and after his coming to the Vineyard, than any other of the first settlers. The first record we have of him is
1In the next century there were several opulent merchants of the name of Luke in the city of Glasgow. It is also of record that a considerable number of Scotchmen were employed at the Lynn Iron Works (Essex Antiquarian, XII, 70). A Thomas. Lucke was a merchant of Penthurst, Co. Kent, in 1662 (Suff. Deeds, IV, 35).
2Dukes Deeds, I, 290.
3Tisbury Records, 42.
4Dukes Probate, II, 3.
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Annals of West Tisbury
on November 13, 1666, when he was a juror in Scituate, where he may have resided, and in 1668 he was admitted as a pro- prietor of purchased lands in Rehoboth.1 The similarity of the name to Lewis, together with the varieties of spelling both names in early records, renders identification difficult. Lewis was written Luis, Luice, Lewes; and Luce appears as Lews, Lewse, Luice and Luse. The origin of the name is unknown to the author, as it is of the rarest occurrence in early English records, though the name Lucie or Lucy is well known. The Connecticut branch has a tradition that the family is of Hugue- not extraction, while another statement is to the effect that it originated in Wales.2 When he came to the Vineyard, or through what connection, is not known, but he had acquired before Feb. 1, 1671, a home lot on the west side of Old Mill river about forty rods north of Scotchman's Bridge road.3 There is no record of the purchase, and he is not known to have been related to any of the settlers in the town. When he came here he had already married, probably in Scituate, Remember, daughter of Lawrence and Judith (Dennis) Litchfield of that town, about 1666, and had brought with him two or more children to his new home. His wife was born about 1644, and estimating him a few years older it would make 1640 as the probable date of his birth. He joined the "Dutch Rebellion" of 1673; was chosen surveyor of highways, 1675; juror, 1677, 1681, and selectman, 1687; the last recorded appearance of his name being on May 12 of that year. In March, 1689, his widow Remember is men- · tioned, and his death occurred between those dates. He was then a comparatively young man, but left behind him ten sons, all of whom married and seven of them begat large families to perpetuate the name. In 1807 there were 41 distinct families of Luce on the Vineyard, the largest quota of any of the island patronymics, and it has probably main- tained the supremacy in the century which followed.
Besides his home lot, he owned at Great Neck, and by the several proprietors' divisions had land at Kepigon. To this he added by purchase 60 acres in Christian town border-
1Plymouth Col. Records; comp. Suffolk Deeds, VII, 163. The History of Scituate says he was of Barnstable (vide, p. 305).
2History of Windham, Conn; comp. N. E. Hist. Gen. Reg., XXXI, 415. The spelling of the name in the island records is uniformly Luce and his signature is in that form. There was a Thomas Luce in Charlestown, according to Farmer (Gen. Dictionary), who had a son Samuel b. 1644, but of whom nothing further is heard. It is probable that this was Lewis.
3Tisbury Records, 5. The name is spelled Lewes in this case.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
ing on Great James pond. There is no record of any division of his estate among the heirs, all minors probably at the time of his death, but there are scattering references to such an allotment. The same obscurity attends the wife and widow of Henry Luce as followed him. This grand old Puritan mother of ten children was living as late as 1708, but the date of her death or burial place is not known. She left not less than 42 grandchildren, of whom twenty were boys, on the Vineyard, which is exclusive of those of the Connecticut and New Jersey branches.
JOHN MANTER.
This early settler in the town was one of the Cape Cod men. He was first known there at Eastham, when in 1657 he was admitted as a freeman, under the name of John Mantah.1 From this, supposing him to have been at least 21 years of age, the date of his birth can be placed at 1636 or thereabouts. In 1668 he was on a coroner's jury in the case of the accidental death of Isaac Robinson, Jr., of Barnstable, older brother of our Isaac.2
John Manter married Martha, daughter of Bernard Lambert, July 1, 1657, who was born in Barnstable Sept. 19, 1640, and died in Tisbury Oct. 3, 1724. Eight children of record were born to them. At some date unknown, probably before 1668, he removed to Falmouth, then called Succonessit, where he acquired considerable property. He remained there until 1677, when he became attracted to the Vineyard and effected an exchange of his house and lands there on Dec. 24, 1677, with Nathaniel Skiffe, one of the early proprietors of this town. He gave Skiffe
"my house with threescore acres of land adjoining thereunto; all other housing appertaining thereunto lying and being in the township of Sac- conessit in the Collonie of New Plymouth with a whole share of meadow lying in the great marsh with a share of meadow in the little marsh which I bought of Jonathan Hatch with all my meadow lying at the Bass pond with half a town right in all undivided lands and meadows with all and singular privileges and apputrenances whatsoever thereunto belonging.""
In return he received the eastern half of the Josiah Standish lot on which the house of the late Henry L. Whiting now stands.
'The name being an unusual one was frequently misspelled in the Cape Cod records and appears as Martin occasionally.
2Plymouth Col. Rec., V, 7.
3Dukes Deeds, 1, 272.
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Annals of West Tisbury
For some reason this did not suit his purpose and on May 4, 1678, he bought of Thomas3 Mayhew the seven-acre lot on the east side of the Chilmark road, at the turn opposite the church, together with that part of a "neck of land" adjoining on the south, and east of "Merrys Field," and a half lot to the north, formerly belonging to James Skiffe, Jr. These properties remained in the family by inheritance for several generations. Two years later he sold the Standish lot to Mayhew.1
John Manter began early a career of usefulness in the town. He was on a committee to lay out land, Sept. 29, 1677,2 his first recorded appearance here, and in 1679 and 1689 was chosen surveyor of highways. In 1681 he was a juror and in 1692 was appointed as Ensign in the Foot Company of Tisbury. This military instinct seemed to be transmitted to his descendants, particularly through the line of Whitten,' whose sons Robert and Jeremiah served in the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars. He was chosen selectman in 1699, 1703, 1704, 1705, and had acted in behalf of the town in minor capacities previous to those dates.3 By this time he was about three score and ten and sons had grown up about him to take his place, both destined to follow in the footsteps of their father as useful citizens.
He died probably early in 1708, as his will, dated Sept. 12, 1698, was admitted to probate May 25, 1708, and the last time his name appears in the town records is March 28, 1707, in a division of land.4 The following is an abstract of his will :-
To Son John all my land at "Keephegon" and all my several shares of land in the necks eastward from the Old Mill Brook, and half a common write in said town.
To Son Benjamin my Dwelling house, with all my lands both meadow land and upland ajoining thereto with all out housing and fencing whatsoever thereto belonging and also half a common write in said town.
All my movable estate unto his three daughters to be divided equally among them.5
It will be seen that Benjamin inherited the homestead, and then, after his father's death, added by purchases of his own, the entire section bounded by the Chilmark road, Mill
1Dukes Deeds, I, 98, 267.
2Ibid., II, 306.
3Town Records, 31, 45, 48, 50.
'Tisbury Records, 52.
5Dukes Probate, I, 19, 20.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
path and Old Mill brook on the east, which constituted the Manter estate until the present century.
Mrs. Manter survived her husband sixteen years, and died at the ripe old age of eighty-four.
JOSEPH MERRY.
This prominent pioneer of Tisbury is first found as a resident of Haverhill, Mass., in 1640, where he lived with a wife named Mary until about 1654, when he removed to Hampton, N. H. There his wife died April 4, 1657, having given birth to one child of record, Joseph, b. Dec. 19, 1654. The father, Joseph, was a carpenter by trade and plied his craft in Hampton as he had done before in Haverhill. Shortly after his wife's death he bought a house and ten acres of upland in Hampton, of Thomas Coleman, Sept. 29, 1657, and at the age of 47 years found himself a widower, with possibly a child to care for in his new home. But this was not long to remain so. Emanuel Hilliard of that town was drowned shortly after this in October, 1657, leaving a widow Elizabeth, daughter of John and Phebe Parkhurst of Ipswich, England, and sister of George Parkhurst of Watertown, Mass. The young widow was then about 29 years old, and before two years had passed she entered into a marriage covenant with Joseph Merry, who was then 21 years her senior. In this agreement he gave her the house and ten acres he had recently acquired, and sometime about Dec. 13, 1659, when the cove- nant was dated, they set up housekeeping, and four children were born to them in rapid succession, who later spent their days on the Vineyard. This explains the curious epitaph on the gravestone of Joseph in the West Tisbury cemetery - "That being verified in him Psalms 92 14 They shall bring forth fruit in old age," a reference to his second marriage after middle life and the raising of a family.
Joseph Merry and his young family, consisting of Hannah, Abigail, Bathsheba and Samuel, born between 1660 and 1669 in Hampton, continued residence there till 1670, when in some way he became attracted to the Vineyard. If we are to credit the tradition that Governor Mayhew's first wife was a Park- hurst, possibly the sister of George of Watertown, it will be seen that Elizabeth Merry was related by marriage to the proprietor of Martha's Vineyard and thus the family connection is responsible for Merry's migration. However that be, almost
58
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Annals of West Tisbury
as soon as the new township of Tisbury had been bought by Pabodie and his partners, Merry bought of Benjamin Church, on Nov. 19, 1669, the grist mill and its privileges "uppon the westermost Brook of Takemmy" with one eighth part of the propriety, or two shares, in the new settlement. The purchase price was £90 and Merry paid for it in whole or in part with his Hampton property, the homestead, an island of salt marsh and two shares in cow and ox commons in that town. The deeds finally passed Dec. 2, 1670, (Mrs. Merry and Nathaniel Batchelor acting as his attorneys by previous appointment), and from this it is presumed that Merry was already at the Vineyard attending to his new purchase and preparing the new home for his little family. The property purchased consisted, as laid out, of the mill on the New Mill river so long operated by the Looks, with land adjoining on the west side of the road, and about eighteen acres on the east side of the road, bounded by the river. This last lot is still known as "Merry's Field" after a lapse of two and a half centuries, though the property did not remain in the family beyond 1705. After operating the mill for five years, Joseph Merry sold that part of his estate to Tristram Coffin of Nantucket, and being then about three-score-and-ten years of age it is presumed that he devoted the rest of his life to his trade and tilling the soil. There is no record as to the location of his house, but in all probability it was in his "Field." His public services were few. He was constable in 1675, road surveyor in 1678 and 1687, and was chosen to divide common lands in 1689 and 1690. On March 2, 1677-8, the grand jury presented him "for contempt of authoritie in not obeying the summons in his Majesties Name to give in testimony" and for this he was mulcted in the sum of five shillings. In 1681 he sued Simon Athearn in the sum of £20 "for non payment of a frame of an house," but the two compromised on £7 and divided the costs. On July 12, 1689, being then about 82 years of age, he gave his homestead by deed of gift to his only son Samuel, then just entering his 21st year, and from that date on until 1701 his name appears but once in the records, when he gave some "information" about the ancient bounds of a town lot, being then in his 94th year. He passed the century mark in 1707 and died April 5, 1710, at the remarkable age of 103, undoubtedly the oldest person who has ever lived in the town. It is not known whether he survived his wife Elizabeth, as there is no record of her death nor a stone at her
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History of Martha's Vineyard
grave. If she survived she was 82 when her husband died. Of his children further evidences of longevity are noticeable. His daughter Abigail Pease died in her 80th year and Hannah Skiffe at 97 years.
EDWARD MILTON.
It is probable that this settler was a resident of Sandwich and prior to that may have lived in Boston, but no definite statement can be made without further evidences of identi- fication.1 He was one of the later settlers receiving a grant of land Oct. 2, 1701, next the minister's lot on the east side of Old Mill brook. In the spring of that year he had married Sarah Manter (17) of this town, and these dates probably indicate the time of his settlement. His name appears but few times in the records, as surveyor of highways in 1703, constable in 1715, and grand juror in 1722. In his will, dated July 30, 1731, he calls himself yeoman, "advanced in years." It was probated Sept. 11, 1733, and this last year may be taken as the date of his decease.2 As he left no sons the name became extinct at his death, and if any descendants now live here they may trace descent through his daughter Elizabeth, who married Joseph Foster.
ISAAC ROBINSON.
Frach Robinson The first of this family to come to Tisbury was Isaac, the second son of Rev. John Robinson, famous as the pastor of the Pilgrims at Leyden, Holland, and of Bridget White his wife.3 "He came not to New England" writes Sewall, "till the year in which Mr [John] Wilson was returning to
1An Edward Milton took the oath of allegiance in Boston in 1679 and was taxed in 1681 in that town. Judge Sewall in his Letter Book refers, in four letters, dated 1687-1691, to Edward Milton as a carpenter at Sandwich, building a church there for the Indians, the first built in the English manner (Chamberlain, Historical Dis- course). Experience Mayhew in "Indian Converts," refers to him and his "religious family" (p. 257).
2Dukes Probate, III, 3.
3Rev. John Robinson was a native of Lincolnshire, born about 1575. He matric- ulated at Emanuel College, Cambridge, in 1592, becoming a Fellow of Corpus Christi six years later. He resigned in 1604 and became identified with the Puritans or Dissenters, and fled to Amsterdam about 1608 and thence removed in 1609 to Leyden. His record as spiritual leader of the English exiles, who later became the "Mayflower" Pilgrims, is well known. He died March 1, 1625. His wife, whom he had married in Northampton, England, Feb. 15, 1603, survived, and perhaps came to New Eng- land in the fleet with Winthrop (Letter, Shirley to Bradford, March 8, 1629-30).
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Annals of West Tisbury
England after the settlement of Boston."' This was in 1631, and Isaac immediately settled at Plymouth, later removing to Duxbury (1634), Scituate (1636), Barnstable (1639) and Falmouth (1660). In Scituate he married for his first wife Margaret, daughter of Theophilus and Eglin (Mortimer) Hanford, June 27, 1636, sister of Rev. Thomas Hanford of Norwalk, Conn., and niece of Mr. Timothy Hatherly. By her he had five children and after her death (June 14, 1649), he married second, Mary Faunce, 1650, and four more children, all sons, were the fruit of this union.
By reason of his parentage he was a prominent man in Plymouth Colony, but later in 1669, for displaying liberality toward the doctrines of the Quakers, was disfranchised by Governor Thomas Prince. It appears that he had attended their meetings for the purpose of showing them the error of their ways, but instead of accomplishing this, became self- convicted and embraced some of their beliefs. He was re- stored to citizenship in 1673 by Governor Winslow.2
It appears that Isaac Robinson with others, in 1660, decided to leave Barnstable presumably for the Vineyard, and took letters of dismissal to the church at Great Harbor, but finally decided to settle at Falmouth.3 How long he remained an actual resident of that town is not known, but in May, 1671, he was admitted a proprietor of the new settle- ment at Takemmy, and probably soon after this became identified with Tisbury. At this time he was about 60 years of age, having been born in 1610, and he was perhaps, with the exception of Joseph Merry, the oldest resident of the new settlement. In 1673 he became associated with the "Dutch Rebellion," but suffered no punishment therefor, unless the records are silent regarding him. His four sons by the second marriage, Israel, Jacob, Peter and Thomas, became residents of the Vineyard, though none of them left descendants here to perpetuate the name. Those who resided here in the next century were his descendants through his first marriage. His son Israel, baptized Oct. 5, 1651, assumed the name of Isaac in memory of an older half brother of that name who was
1Sewall, Diary. He came in the ship "Lyon."
2The old record of disfranchisement is interlined with the words :- "there being some mistake in this the said Isaac at his request is re-established." (Hist. of Fal- mouth, 13.)
3Records, Church, West Barnstable, comp. History of Falmouth. He built his house in 1661 on the neck between Fresh and Salt Ponds, Falmouth Heights (Ibid., 14).
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History of Martha's Vineyard
drowned in 1668, and was ever after known by the adopted name.1 This change made two Isaac Robinsons in the town and creates difficulties in identification of the one whose name appears on the records, but it is probable that he is the "good- man" Robinson chosen townsman in 1678, 1680, 1683, rather than the younger of the name. He had his home lot on the east side of Old Mill river, bounded on the south by the Mill path. This he sold in November, 1701, to his son Isaac, together with all his dividend lots in various parts of the town.2 He was then over ninety years of age, but continued to reside here, presumably with one of his sons. Sewall saw him here when on a visit in 1702 and thus refers to the incident :- -
"He saith he is 92 years old is the son of Mr. Robinson pastor of the ch. of Leyden, part of wch came to Plimo. * * * * I told him I was very desirous to see him for his fathers sake and his own. Gave him an Arabian piece of gold to buy a book for some of his grand children."3
According to tradition this scion of a distinguished family died about 1704 in Barnstable at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Fear Baker. "A venerable man," writes Prince in his Annals, "whom I have often seen."
His sons Isaac and Jacob remained in Tisbury, dying within eighteen days of each other, in 1728, while the other two brothers, Peter and Thomas, removed to Connecticut early in the 18th century.
WILLIAM ROGERS.
From his home in the neighboring island of Nantucket came William Rogers, bringing with him his wife Martha and children, Ebenezer and Experience. He had been here possibly continuously since June 29, 1669, when he signed as witness to a deed,4 but the first positive indication of his settlement here is found ten years later in the following extract from the town records :--
It is vootted by the inhabbitants in a towne mitting that will. Rogges shall purchchis therty eakers of land of sias Sogimer for for an heritance the toune is to chuse two men to liit out and the saide rogers is to buld upon it and to live upon it fouer yeare and what the saide rogers cann purchis more it is to reteune to the toune againe 5
'He signed as Israel in 1670 and 1671. Tisbury Records, 3, 4.
2Dukes Deeds, II, 35. This establishes the identity of Isaac Senior as the resi- dent here, as his son Isaac was childless.
3Sewall, Diary.
"Tisbury Records, p. I.
5Ibid., p. 13.
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Annals of West Tisbury
This was dated Oct. 8, 1679, and on Jan. 29, 1679-80, he bought of Josias the Sachem twenty acres within the limits of the Indian town at a place called Animtissewoksett, or Animtesawohqussuk, by the Indians.1 There he built a house and lived an uneventful life for thirty years, troubled only by that strenuous townsman Simon Athearn, with whom he had the misfortune to run amuck. On May 26, 1685, he charged Athearn with appropriating some of his cattle, but the Court divided the number disputed and awarded half to each. He then sued Athearn for slander, but was non-suited. The next year on June 2, 1686, he returned again to the fray and charged Athearn with stealing a cow, and by the record it appears that Athearn in the presence of the court plucked Rogers "by the eres and cauelled him thefe with other Skurvie words." The jury took Athearn's view of it.
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