USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Marthas Vineyard > The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume II > Part 5
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1N. E. Gen. Register, VIII, 59. 2Edgartown Records, I, 172. 3Boston Town Records. 4N. E. Hist. Gen. Register, I, 58. 5Edgartown Records, I, 14.
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Annals of Edgartown
he remained is not known, and like all the others connected with the first settler he disappears without leaving a trace.
Malachi Browning had a "mansion seat" a little dis- tance south of Burying Hill fronting the harbor. In what manner it passed from his estate into the possession of Thomas Trapp is not known, but it may indicate some relationship.1 Apparently the widow only had her "thirds," which she deeded as a gift to her grandson, Thomas Vincent.2 The widow sur- vived until Sept. 7, 1672, and the inventory of her estate showed property to the value of £22-7-5, which was admin- istered by her son-in-law Vinson. Her daughter Susanna makes several references to her property rights in England, and it is presumed to relate to the estate in Essex to which the father had made claim as above related.
THOMAS BURCHARD.
In the ship True Love sailing Tho. Burhan from England in September, 1635, was a family of Burchards, and from the similarity of names it is believed it was the family which later settled on the Vineyard. The husband Thomas, aged forty years, a laboring man, was accompanied by his wife Mary, aged thirty-eight and children, Elizabeth thirteen, Mary twelve, Sarah nine, Susan eight, John seven, and Ann eighteen months old.3 In 1652 a Thomas Burchard and his son John were residents in this town, and from all subsequent records this John seemed to be his only son, as was the case of the immigrant Thomas and his only son of that name. Somewhat extended search has been made to ascertain the antecedents of Thomas, who is thought to have come from London, but no clue has yet been obtained.4
On May 17, 1637, Thomas Bercher was admitted as freeman by the General Court of Massachusetts.5 and a Thomas
'There is a tradition that Susanna Browning sold Tower Hill for a pair of gloves or some equally trivial consideration. While nothing in the records justifies such a legend, as the Browning lot was some distance south of Tower Hill, yet there may be enough truth in the story to account for the appearance of Trapp in 1684 as owner of the ten acres.
2Edgartown Records, p. 82, dated July 12, 1669.
3Hotten, Original Lists, etc.
'A Thomas Burchwood, cordwainer, of St. Peter's, Cornhill, had a family of six brought to baptism 1597 to 1603, including three named Thomas, but the dates do not correspond to the family which came in the True Love. (Parish Registers, St. Peter's, Cornhill, London.) The name is variously spelled Bercher, Birchard, Burchard, Burchwood.
5Mass. Col. Rec., I.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
Burchard, member of Rev. John Eliots' Church in Roxbury. Two years later, in 1639, we find a Thomas Burchard at Hartford, and no further trace of him has come to light until the year 1650, when he was of Saybrook and probably had been there some time before, as Thomas Birchard. He was Deputy to the General Court of that colony in 1650-51, and on May 15, 1651, was appointed one of a committee to go to Pequot and lay out the lands granted to Capt. John Mason's soldiers.1
The next record of him is under date of 1652 at Great Harbor, when "Mr. Burchards" lot is mentioned, and on May 8, 1653, two lots in the planting field are credited to "Burchard."2 It is an arbitrary inference to assign this to him, rather than his son John, hut on May 20, 1653, we are relieved of further speculation as Thomas Burchard was then chosen with Mayhew and Tabor to divide the Necks of land among the inhabitants.3 On June 8, 1653, he was chosen as the first assistant to the chief magistrate, and on Oct. 31, 1654, "Thomas Burchard the elder" was made town clerk.4 He was the first person who held this office in Edgartown, of whom we have record. On June 5, 1655, he was again chosen as the first assistant to the chief magistrate. On Jan. 7, 1656, he is recorded as "present" at a town meeting in Saybrook, probably as a proprietor with interests yet undisposed of, for on October 31 of that year he sold his lands in that town to his son John.5 He was again chosen first assistant on June 23, 1656, being one of the two so elected, the number having formerly been four. but from this time on he seems to have declined in favor with the freemen or with the elder Mayhew, for this is the last time he held any office in the town and the next twenty-five years of his residence is scarcely marked by any public appearance.6 It is noted that in the earlier records he had been called "Mr" Burchard, but that henceforth he was either Thomas Burchard or "Goodman Burchard; and in connection with this it is observed that he did not sign the submission to the Patentees Government in 1661, from which it seems clear that he had become disaf-
1Conn. Col. Rec., I, 221.
2Edgartown Records, I, 124, 172.
3Ibid., I. 131. One lot may have belonged to his son John.
4Ibid., I, 121. He was succeeded by his son two years later.
"Saybrook Town Book, II, 99; comp., Caulkins, "History of Norwich," p. 53. He called himself "of Marthas Vineyard."
"Edgartown Records, I, 120.
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Annals of Edgartown
fected with the Mayhew regime.1 He participated in the divisions of land from 1660 to 1676, as a proprietor, including Crackatuxett, Quanomica, Meachemy Field, and the Plains. At the Quarter Court of April 8, 1663, he was plaintiff in a suit against Thomas Jones, and on May II, same year, had a small grant of land .? Besides engaging in real estate trans- actions during the following decade, nothing is heard from him in a public way till 1673, when he joined or probably led the opponents of the Mayhew family in the "Dutch Re- bellion" of that year. His name is the first one signed to the appeal to Massachusetts, and Simon Athearn testified that Burchard was a "principal instigator " of the affair.3 There is no record that Burchard was punished for his part in it, per- haps on account of his great age, near four score, and he apparently continued to reside in the town in quiet possession of his large landed estate for the ten years following. On May 9, 1683, he sold out a small parcel of land, and in the deed calls himself "late inhabitant upon Martins Vineyard," where he had resided the past thirty years of his life.4 His son John had long since removed to Norwich, and the father in his old age, then eighty-eight, may have gone thither to live with his son or some of his married daughters.
The marital complications of Thomas Burchard require some explanation. There was a "Goodwife Burchard" who died in Roxbury March 24, 1654-55, and she must have been the Mary who came with him in the True Love.5 His second wife was Katherine Andrews, a widow, mother of John An- drews, a linen draper of London, whom he married before 1659, and by this became related to our Thomas Trapp.6 In several papers he refers to Trapp as "my cusen" (nephew) and "my kinsman," and it appears that Trapp was a "cousin" to Andrews. This wife was living on March 4, 1674, whens she signed as witness to John Pease's will, with her husbants,' and Thomas Trapp.7 When she died is not known, but ST
1Edgartown Records, I, 136, 138, 144, 147. He was a member of the Train Band in 1662, at which time he must have been about sixty-seven years of age.
2Ibid., I, 135, 139.
3Dukes Co. Court Records, I.
4Dukes Deeds, I, 209. No residence is stated in this deed. It was acknowledged before Richard Sarson.
"The Burchards were early members of Rev. John Eliot's church, and possibly she was visiting old friends there.
6N. E. Gen. Register, X, 87.
7Dukes Deeds, I, 340.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
appears that a third wife named Deborah was in existence for some indefinite time, and like the first she died away from home. The records of Charlestown, Mass., contain entry of the death of "Deborah Burcham, wife of Thomas of Marthas Vineyard," under date of May 10, 1680, and that is all we know about her.1
It is believed that the family enumerated in the passenger list of the True Love represents all his children with the possi- ble exception of a Hannah Burchard, who married in 1653 John Baldwin of Guilford.2
Thomas Burchard's real estate holdings began with the acquisition of the harbor lot of Richard Smith about 1652, being number five of the "Five and Twenty," which he later sold to Robert Codman. He probably resided there at first, but he acquired from several owners a tract at Katama, whereon he lived the remainder of his life here, as far as known.3
The following is a detailed description of the various lots, divisions, and rights owned by him in 1669: -
Upon the Vineyard anno 1669: the Lands and accomodations of Thomas Burchard: my house Lott and five acres I had of John Pease in all I Judge Eighteen acres more or Less, Bounded with the Sea on the East and the Plain on the west, Mrs. Blains Land on the North and South: my Divident Lott with my pond Lott Lying together: my pond Lott I had part of it of old John Folger and part of it I changed with Bland and his wife, a third part I took out of my Devidend Lott: both parcells I Judge to be about thirty acres more or Less, Bounded the Sea on the East and North East the East also, Mr. Butlers Land on the South and West on the plain and on the North Mr. Blands Land: thirdly att Cracka- tuxett two Lotts the third and fifteen with my thach Lott without Side the fence, that was Containing three acres More or Less: my Land (at) Meeshackett Containing I Judge Sixty three acres more or Less Bound with the Shrubed plain or Comon Land on the North, on the East Comon and and Isaac Nortons Devident Lott on the South, with the fresh pond id on the west the pond and William Vincents Land: fifthly one ten re Lott (upon the Line) within the general fence more or Less: Bounded on the South Comon Land, on the west Mr. Butlers Lott, on the north the Comon Land, on the East Thomas Butlers Lott, on the north the Comon Land, on the East Thomas Doggett his Land: Sixtly my meadow two acres more or Less which I Bought of Richard Smith Lying att poche on Chappaquidick Island, Bounded on the East towards the Sea on the South with Mr. Butlers meadow and part with the upland, Bounded on
1Wyman, "Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown," 154.
2Thomas Burchard is the ancestor of President Rutherford Burchard Hayes of Ohio.
3There are no records to show when or how he purchased these lots that consti- tuted his Katama property.
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Annals of Edgartown
the west with the upland and on the north part, a part next William Vin- cents meadow and a part upon the upland: two acres more or Less of meadow I had of John Burchard that the town gave him of which John Eadie hath one acre and one Remains mine Still in my Possession att this Day: I have a Shear and a half of fish & alewives att our Common Wares Called Mateckesse wherein are twenty Seven shears upon one half Divided from the heathen as also a Shear and a half of whale in our half with the Endians in the twenty Six Shears: also one Commonage and half Commonage upon all our common feeding for Eighteen neat Cattle with a purchase or Division of any of all our Common Lands.1
JOHN BURCHARD
The eldest and prob- 86/nº Orchard ably only son of the pre- ceding, came to the Vine- yard before his father, and is among the earliest settlers here, being fifth in priority of appearance on the records. His name occurs under date of March 27, 1651, for the first time, when his land at Meshacket is mentioned.2 In 1656 he was chosen town clerk, probably in succession to his father, and his fine signature indicates excellent clerical ability, and an education above the ordinary.3 His life on the Vineyard was uneventful, as far as the records furnish data, and it is probable that beyond continuing as town clerk till his departure for another place of residence he was engaged in husbandry at Meshacket. He removed about 1660-1 to Norwich, Conn., and in October, 1663, was accepted as an inhabitant of that town, where he resided the remainder of his life.4 He was one of the original proprietors (1659) of this new settlement.
He became a prominent citizen of Norwich, serving as its Deputy to the General Court, 1671; Clerk of the Courts, 1673, and Justice, 1676. He also served as town clerk, 1661 to 1678, a period of seventeen years, almost from his first settlement there. In 1677 he was schoolmaster for the town.5
1Edgartown Records, I, 174.
2Edgartown Town Records, I, 124. He had lived previously at Saybrook, where he was a lot owner in 1648-9. (Saybrook Records, I, p. I.)
3Ibid., I, 120. It is to be regretted that the records kept by him are not extant, in the place of the doubtful transcript made in the next century.
"The father, Thomas Burchard, as attorney, sold the house and land of John Burchard to Thomas Jones, July 10, 1662. (Ibid., I, 129.)
5Caulkins, History of Norwich, 61, 66, 73, 82, 92, 94.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
His wife was Christian Andrews, whom he married July 22, 1653, during his residence here, and we may indulge the sur- mise that she was related to his father's second wife (Mrs. Katherine Andrews), or possibly to Edward Andrews, his neighbor at Meshacket.1 By her he had Abigail, who married John Calkins; Mary, who married Jonathan Hartshorn; Lydia, who married Raymond; Samuel, b. 1663; James, b. 1665; Thomas, b. 1669; John, b. 1671; Joseph, b. 1673; and Daniel, b. 1680, all living in 1725 in Norwich and Lebanon.2 He died November 17, 1702.
NICHOLAS BUTLER.
Nicolas Bulares For sixteen years prior to his settlement on the Vineyard, about 1651 or 1652, Nicholas Butler had resided at Dorchester, Mass., whither he emigrated in 1636 from England. The ship's list names Nicholas But- ler with three children and five servants as coming from Eastwell, Co. Kent, in that year, of whom John, who came here, probably with his father, and Lydia who married John Minot of Dorchester, May 19, 1647, are two. The third child is not known, as the son Henry did not reach New England for several years after, perhaps with his mother Joyce, and therefore is not to be counted at that time. Nicholas is first mentioned in the records under date of May 8, 1653, when he participated in one of the divisions of land. Two years prior to that, on Oct. 15, 1651, he had made his "well- beloved sonne John Butler" his attorney to collect and pay debts, which may be the most probable indication of the time of his leaving Dorchester and entrusting the settlement of his affairs there to his son. When he came to the Vineyard, he was well into middle life. Though the date of his birth is not known, yet the knowledge existing of his children's ages enables us to proximately fix his birth about the years 1595-1600, and his age at fifty-five when he took up his resi- dence at Edgartown. That he was a man considerably above the social average is shown by the number of his servants,
1Some family connection will be discovered, probably, between these persons and the Mary Andrews of Norwich, mother of Sarah (Post) Vincent, wife of our Thomas. Hinman states that Samuel Andrews of Hartford, Saybrook and Norwich was a brother of Christian (Andrews) Burchard. (Puritan Settlers of Connecticut.)
2Saybrook Records, III, 343, 419. There was a David Burchard of Norwich, 1723, who was her son probably.
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Annals of Edgartown
the fact that his son Henry was a graduate of Harvard College (class of 1651), and this standing was at once recognized in his new home, for he became in 1653 one of the "five men to end controversies," that is magistrate. The next year he was again chosen and in 1655 he was re-elected and called "As- sistant" to the chief magistrate. In all the records he is called Mr. Butler or Mr. Nicholas Butler, a use of which prefix is distinctive. In December, 1661, he was fined for absence from town meeting and "for Going away Disorderly." Beyond the usual duty on juries and an occasional trivial litigation his name does not further appear upon the town records. The following is the account of his landed pos- sessions: ---
This is a True Record of the petickeler parcells of Land of Mr. Nicolas Butler, which Lands are upon Marthas Vineyard Partickraly as followeth: first my house Lott with that Lott which I Bought of Mr. John Bland: adjoining to it is Twenty acres More or Less with one acre of Meadow I Bought of Mr. Browning, Bounded by the Sea on the East, Mr. Blands Lott on the South, the Plaine on the West, John Butler on the North: with my Divedent att Catemy forty acres, More or Less, Bounded By the Sea on the East, the Sea on the South, Mr. Blands lands on the West, the Plaine the Sea on the North North:
: More two thach Lotts, one Lying (at) Meshackett Bounded by John Foulger on the West, John Doggett on the East: the other Lying att Monaqua Bounded By Thos Doggett on the West, John Pease on the East: this hath four acres of upland Joyn- ing to itt More or Less: More one Ten acre Lott upon the Line Bounded by Thomas Burchard on the East, the Common on the South, Thomas Doggett on the West, the Common the North: More Two acres of Meadow Lying att Chapequideck Bounded By the Pond on the North Lying over against my house, Mr. Mayhew the youngers Meadow on the South: this Meadow is two acres More or Less: More four Acres of Meadow to two Given to my house Lott and two I Bought of Thomas Joanse Lying on the North end of Chapequideck John Wakefield Now in Possession By his heirs Joyning to Mine is More or Less: More three acres of Meadow one Bought of Peter Foulger and Two of John Pease: this Meadow is More or Less Lying att the East End of Chapequideck Joyning and Bounded By Richard Smith on the North, By John Foulger on the South: with a full Commonage and a Six and Twentyth part of fish and whale: More three acres att Crackatuxett Bounded By Mr Mayhew the Elder and Thomas Birchard.1
His homestead lot was near Swimming Place Point, and consisted of twenty acres. Here he lived having as a next northerly neighbor his son John, from whom descends all of the name on the Vineyard. Nicholas Butler died Aug. 13, 1671, the day after his will was made. That he was an old
1Edgartown Records, I, 159.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
and feeble man seems to be clearly evidenced by the curious reference to the "mark" which he used to indicate his signa- ture, "his sight as it were Gon." The will reads as follows: -
[Dukes Deeds, I, 313]
Mr. Nicholas Butler Deceased the 13th of August in the year of our Lord one thousand Six hundred Seventy one
The Record of his will:
This doth testify that I Nicholas Butler Being at present Sound in memory doe Now by this my last will give my Estate Whatsoever that I left after I Shall be buried like a Christian wholly unto my wife Joyce Butler, uppon serious consideration for her to dispose of to hir children and my children as shee shall see good, and hereunto I praise [god] being of memorie as aforesaid Sound. I doe witness with my hand this 12th of August 1671. This will is witnessed
by us
His sight as it were
THOMAS MAYHEW
gon
THO' BIRCHARD
the mar X of
The marke of Nicholas Norton
NICHOLAS BUTLER.
Mrs. Joyce Butler is By the worshipfull Govornour and Assistants Sitting in Court this 26th day of June 1672, admitted Administratrix & Executrix uppon the Estate of Mr. Nicholas Butler deceased.
The Inventory of the Estate.
Inprimis
To one common & half with house, fence & all priveledges 80-00 -- 00
to fiveteen pound of pewter at Is 8d
01-02-06
to twelve pound of pewter at IS 2d
00-14-00
to 8 pound of pewter at Is 6d
00-12-00
to one Silver Boule
03-07-00
to a Brass Candlestick
00-02-00
to 3 brass kettles at Is pr pound
03-00-00
to two Iron potts, one frying pan and dripping panne
02-10~00
to one trammell, 2 payer of tonges, one payer of Andirons & Spitt
00-15-00
The inventory of the estate, amounting to £92-0-6, is remarkable for the paucity of articles which should belong to a gentleman of his standing in life. It may be that he had given his household furniture, etc., to his children during his life.
Whether his wife Joyce was the mother of all his children is placed in the doubtful category by the apparently careful way in which he refers to "her children and my children," as though she had been a widow with children or that he had children by a former wife. No allusion is made in her will
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Annals of Edgartown
to children by a former husband. She survived as Nicholas Butler's widow for eight years, and died between March 13 and Oct. 28, 1680, leaving an estate valued at £165-2-0, which she bequeathed to her descendants in the following will: -
[Dukes Deeds, I, 314.]
I, Joice Butler being through Gods blessing at present, of sound memory and understanding, doe make this my last will, and testament: Revoking all former whatsoever; and first my will is and I will and be- queath to my son Hennerie Butler, my Silver Boule and a carpet, & to each of his three sonnes, one Silver Spoone:
Nextly, I will and bequeath, to my Grandson John Butler, all the brass of the kitchen; and to my Grandson Thomas Butler one iron pot- tage pott, an Iron Kettle, and my bead, Beadstead, and all the furniture belonging to it, as it is in present use, as two pair of blanketts, two pillows &c- And I Give more to my Grandson John Butler, all the Bead and Beading above stairs:
Nextly, I will and bequeath, all my linnen, to be Equally devided Between my Grandchildren, John and Thomas Butler, and Mary Athearn.
And Nextly, I will and Bequeath, to my three Grandchildren afore- said, all my Great Cattle, to be Equally devided among them, that is to say, John Butler, Thomas Butler, and Mary Athearn: Except only that my Grandson Thomas Butler, shall have two more to his part; and one heifer, before the devision set apart, which heifer I doe will and bequeath to my Grandson Samuell Minott:
And my will is, and I bequeath all my Sheep to my two Grandsons John Butler, and Thomas Butler, to be Equally devided between them:
Nextly, I will and bequeath to my Grandson Thomas Butler, my Dwelling house, with the long Table and hanging Cupboard, and to my Grandson John Butler, my cupboard, and Chest which was Joseph But- lers: and to my Granddaughter Mary Athearn, my Chest and two joint Stools: and as to my Chaires, I give the table Chaires to my Grandson Thomas Butler: the remainder of the Chaires, I leave to be Equally de- vided between my Grandchildren, John, and Thomas Butler and Mary Athearn.
Nextly my will is, and I doe oblige my two Grandsons John and Thomas Butler that they shall pay to my Grand Daughter Hannah Chad- duck, two hundred weight of fleece wooll, yearly fivety pounds, untill it is payed which is within four years:
And as to Lands, I will and Bequeath, all my lands with the privel- ledges and appurtenances, to my Grandson Thomas Butler and my pew- ter, I will to be Devided, as my linnen as abovesaid, viz: between my Grandchildren John and Thomas Butler and Mary Athearn.
And lastly I Appoint my Grandson John Butler to be Sole Execcutor and Administrator, to this my last will, and my will is, and I doe Request my friendes Mr. Richard Sarson, and Matthew Mayhew, to be overseers that it may be performed:
And in witness of this my last will and Testament I the said Joice Butler have put hereto my hand and Seall, this thirteenth day of March,
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History of Martha's Vineyard
in the year of our Lord, one Thousand, Six hundred Seventy & nine, Alias Eighty
Witness MATT: MAYHEW, RICHARD SARSON.
JOICE BUTLER her I B marke
The inventory of the Estate of Mrs. Joice Butler deceased taken by Joseph Norton and Thomas Trapp Octobr : 28th : 1680.
the lands and accommodations
a five and twentieth lot Valued at 40-00-00
half a commonage
08-00-00
land at the Short Neck
02-00-00
two shares & halfe of Meadow not of said accommodations 12-00-00 The moveable Estate valued at 102 pd 12S 102-12-00
WILLIAM CASE.
This settler is first mentioned in the records in June, 1652, and on Nov. II, 1652, he was granted a house lot, with the provision of four years' residence to make it "his proper inheritance.""' This lot for many years after was referred to as "Case's" lot, though the early records fail to show how it passed from his possession. In some way Peter Tallman of Rhode Island became proprietor of a part of it. In 1655 he was sued for slander, fined for a misdemeanor, and placed under bonds for good behaviour. He was living on February 15, 1659, but must have died before July 15, 1659, and on August 22, the creditors of widow Case are given "the priviledge of Daniel Lane's bill for their satisfaction," and an inventory of his estate was returned Dec. 28, 1659, as amounting to £19-6-3.2 This practically constitutes all that is known of him, omitting some details, and it remains to be shown whether he was related to the William Case, freeman, of Newport, 1655, and deputy from same in 1675.3 In the next century, the first decade, there died on the Vineyard one John Case, who had received a grant of land in Tisbury, 1681, but the author has been unable to establish any connection between the two, though a son of John, named William, probably the eldest, might be suggestive of kinship.
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