Rehoboth, Bristol Co., MA - Early Settlers
Extracted from
Our County & Its People
A Descriptive & Biographical Record of
Bristol County
Massachusetts
Alanson Borden
1899
Pages 13 - 19
As copied from the Proprietors' Records:
About the year 1643, a joint agreement was made by the inhabitants of Sea conk alias Rehoboth, ffor the bringing in of their estates; that soe men's lotments might be taken up according to person and estate, as alsoe for the carrieing on of all publick chardges both for present and future; furthermore the means and interest of what is heare expressed is that by which lands, now granted by the Court of Plymouth to the towne, is to be divided according to person and estate, as is expressed in the following list:
£ - s - d 1. Mrs. BUR
[Ruth INGRAM accepted in her place] 100 - 00 - 00 2. Widow WALKER 50 - 00 - 00 3. John READ 300 - 00 - 00 4. John COOKE
which is still in the town's hands 300 - 00 - 00 5. The Schoolmaster 50 - 00 - 00 6. Will CHEESBROOK 450 - 00 - 00 7. Mr. WINCHESTER 195 - 00 - 00 8. Richard WRIGHT 834 - 00 - 00 9. Mr. NEWMAN 830 - 00 - 00 10. Will SMITH 196 - 10 - 00 11. Walter PALMER 419 - 00 - 00 12. James CLARK
now John PERRUM's 71 - 00 - 00 13. Ralph SHEPHARD
now Jas REDEWAYE's 121 - 10 - 00 14. Zachariah ROADS 50 - 00 - 00 15. John MATHEWES 40 - 00 - 00 16. John PERRUM 67 - 00 - 00 17. John MILLAR 69 - 10 - 00 18. Saml. BUTTERWORTH 50 - 00 - 00 19. George KENDRICK 50 - 00 - 00 20. Abram MARTIN 60 - 10 - 00 21. The Teacher 100 - 00 - 00 22. Edward SEALE 81 - 00 - 00 23. John BROWNE 50 - 00 - 00 24. Mr. HOWARD 250 - 00 - 00 25. Mr. PECK 635 - 00 - 00 26. Mr. Obed HOMLES
now Robt. WHEATON's 100 - 00 - 00 27. Edward SMITH 252 - 00 - 00 28. Job LANE
now Robert ABELL's 50 - 00 - 00 29. Thomas HITT 101 - 00 - 00 30. James WALKER
now John FFITCHE's 50 - 00 - 00 31. Thomas BLYSS 153 - 00 - 00 32. The Governor's lot
now Richard BULLOCK's 200 - 00 - 00 33. Isaack MARTIN
now Thomas WILMONT's 50 - 00 - 00 34. Robert MORRIS 94 - 10 - 00 35. Ed. BENNET
now Richard BOWEN's Jr. 134 - 00 - 00 36. The Pastor 100 - 00 - 00 37. Mr. Henry SMITH 260 - 00 - 00 38. Mathew PRATT 239 - 00 - 00 39. John MEGG's 120 - 00 - 00 40. Thom. CLIFTON
now Stephen PAYNE's Jr. 160 - 00 - 00 41. Joseph TORRY
now John PECK's 134 - 00 - 00 42. Thomas COOPER 367 - 00 - 00 43. Robert FFULLOR 150 - 00 - 00 44. John ALLEN 156 - 00 - 00 45. Ralph ALLEN 270 - 00 - 00 46. Ed. GILMAN,
no Joseph PECK's 306 - 00 - 00 47. Thomas HOULBROOK 186 - 10 - 00 48. William CARPENTER 245 - 10 - 00 49. John HOULBROOK,
now Nicholas IDE's 186 - 10 - 00 50. Robert TITUS,
no Robert JONES's 156 - 10 - 00 51. William SABIN 58 - 00 - 00 52. Stephen PAYNE 525 - 00 - 00 53. Mr. BROWNE 600 - 00 - 00 54. Ed. PATTESON
now John WOODCOCK's 50 - 00 - 00 55. Peter HUNT 327 - 00 - 00 56. Robert MARTIN 228 - 10 - 00 57 Robert SHARP,
but now Rice LEONARD's 106 - 00 - 00 58 Richard BOWEN 270 - 00 - 00
This action was probably taken before any other division of land was made, unless perhaps it was that assigning house lots. A subsequent meeting of the proprietors was held,the date of which was destroyed in the records, at which it was voted that nine men shoud be chosed to order the general affairs of the plantations; they were givenpower to sell the lands "in lots of twelve, eight, or six acres, as in their discretion they think the quality of the estate of the person do require." This provision applied to the house-lots. Als that no person should sell his improvements "but to such as the town shall accpt of'" also it was voted "that the meeting house shall stand in the midst of said town."
A town meeting was held in Rehoboth on the 31st of June, 1644, at which lots were drawn for a division of the woodland between the plain and the town. Fifty-eight shares were drawn as follows:
1. Mr. WINCHESTER 30. The pastor's 2. Mr. LEONARD 31. Stephen PAYNE 3. Peter HUNT 32. Edward SMITH 4. William CHEESBOROUGH 33. William SMITH 5. Ralph ALLIN 34. James CLARK 6. John HOLBROOK 35. The Governour 7. John PERRAM 36. Edward BENNETT 8. The schoolmaster 37. Obadiah HOLMES 9. Matthew PRATT 38. Mr. BROWNE 10 William CARPENTER 39. Thomas COOPER 11. Ephraim HUNT 40. Thomas HOLBROOKE 12. Samuel BUTTERWORTH 41. Thomas HITT 13. Edward PATTERSON 42. John ALLIN 14. James BROWNE 43. John MEGGS 15. Richard BOWIN 44. William SABIN 16. Mr. NEWMAN 45. Mr. Henry SMITH 17. Mr. PECK 46. Zachary ROADES 18. Walter PALMER 47. Edward GILMAN 19. Abraham MARTIN 48. Thomas CLIFTON 20. John SUTTON 49. Joseph TORREY 21. Robert MORRIS 50. Thomas DUNN 22. John MATTHEWS 51. Robert MARTIN 23. Isaac MARTIN 52. Widow WALKER 24. James WALKER 53. John MILLER 25. Robert TITUS 54. Mr. B___ [obliterated] 26. Edward SEALE 55. The Teacher 27. George KENDRICK 56. John COOKE 28. [obliterated] 57. Ralph SHEPHERD 29. Thomas BLISS 58. John READ
Up to July, 1644, there had been three separate allotments of land made in Seekonk, and on the 5th of that month it was ordered that all who had allotments in either of the three divisions "presently to be laid out by Mr. OLIVER and his partner, Joseph FISHER," and who did not pay of the surveys either at Boston or Dedham by the 28th of the following October, should forfeit their lands so laid out. The nine men chosen on the 9th of December, 1644, to direct public affairs wee the following: A'exander WINCHESTER, Richard WRIGHT, Henry SMITH, Edward SMITH, Walter PALMER, William SMITH, Stephen PAYNE, Richard BOWEN, and Robert MARTIN. On the 10th of the succeeding January, at a meeting of the townsmen, it was agreed that eighteen men should forfeit their lands for not fencing them, "or not removing thier families according to a former order." These men were the following: Ralph SHEPHERD, James BROWNE, Mr. LEONARD, The Governor's lot, Matthew PRATT, Thomas DUNN, John MEGGS, Thomas COOPER, John SUTTON, Mr. PECK, Obadiah HOLMES, James WALKER, Edward GILMAN, Thomas HOLBROOKE, John HOLBROOKE, Mr. BROWNE, Edward PATTESON and Ephraim HUNT. Probably these men conformed to the requirements and retained their lands. At the same meeting all those men having lots on the neck ofland were reuired to fence so much as the number of his acres cometh to." by the 15th day of the second month, or pay two shillings for every rod not fenced.
Thus far the inhabitants of this large tract of territory considered themselves residents of Seekonk, and the meetings all bear that date. Though they purchased their land of the Plymouth Colony, yet their compact made when they became inhabitants of Seekonk indicates that they felt a large measure of independence. They were subsequently claimed by both the Plymouth and the Massachusetts Colonies. In 1645 they submitted to the jurisdiction of the Plymouth Court and were incorporated with the name of Rehoboth, which was given by Mr. NEWMAN, the pastor.
Following this important action, the records contain the following list of names with the register of thier lands; many of these have already been mentioned, but there are also manynew ones, who became settlers somewhere in the territory of the towns into which Rehoboth was afterwards divided:
Mr. Alexander WINCHESTER Robert MORRIS Thomas HETT Mr. HOWARD John MATTHEWES John ALLIN Peter HUNT John FITCH John MEGGS William CHESBOROUGH Robert TITUS William SABIN Ralph ALLIN George KENDRICKE Henry SMITH John HOLBROOKE Robert SHARP Zachary ROADS John PERAM Thomas BLISS Edward GILMAN, Sr The Schoolmaster The Pastor Thomas CLIFTON Matthew PRATT Stephen PAINE Joseph TORREY William CARPENTER Edward SMITH Widow WALKER Samuel BUTTERWORTH James CLARK Richard INGRAM
(now INGRAHAM) Edward PATTESON William SMITH Richard BOWEN Edward BENNETT Thomas LORING Mr. Samuel NEWMAN Obadiah HOLMES Ralph SHEPHERD Mr. PECK Mr. John BROWNE John READE Abraham MARTIN Thomas COOPER John MILLER John SUTTON Thomas HOLBROOKE Richard WRIGHT
The date of the registry of Robert FULLER's land was not until 1652.
Meetings of the inhabitants continued to be regularly held and such orders were passed as seemed necessary for the regulation of town affairs. On the 16th of March, 1645, it was agreed "that all the fence in the general field shall be fenced by the 23d of the present month;" a penalty was attached to neglect of this work. On the same day Mr. BROWNE, Stephen PAYNE, Mr. Henry SMITH, Robert MARTIN, Thomas COOPER, William CARPENTER, and Edward SMITH were named as "townsmen" for one yer. On the same day the town was ordered divided into two parts "for the making of foot bridges and the keeping of them, and the highways leading to them to be done by the whole town."
On the 9th of June, 1645, "lots were drawn for the great plain, beginning upon the west side; and he that is first upon the west side shall be last upon the east." Fifty-eight persons drew these lots, who were nearly the same as given in the preceding list of those who drew the original shares. Again on the 18th of February, 1646, another drawing was made "for the new meadow, and to be divided according to person and estate, only those who were under £150 estate to be made up to £150." Forty-six lots were drawn, the list containing the names of Nicholas IDE, Ademia MORRIS, James REDWAIE, Robert ABELL, John DOGGET, that have not appeared before.
Names "of the inhabitants and proprietors of the Towne of Rehoboth having Rights and Titles to the Measuages, Tenements and Lands contained in the quit-claim deed of William BRADFORD to the town of Rehoboth, which hath been reade and allowed in a full Towne Meeting, February the 7th, 1689:"
Mr. Samuel ANGLER John REDWAY Joseph PECK, jun'r Decon Thomas COOPER Sam'l CARPENTER Hezekiah PECKE Joseph PECK, sen'r John TITTUS Richard BOWEN John FFITCH Samuell TITTUS Thomas BOWEN, sen'r John WOODCOCK, sen'r Joseph TITTUS John MARTEN Serj. Thomas READE John CARPENTER Joseph PALMER, jun'r George KENRICKE Thomas GRANT Samuel COOPER Nichollas IDE, sen'r John WILLMATH Nathaniell PERRY George ROBINSON, sen'r Samule BLISE John DAGGETT John PEREN Samuell PAINE Nathaniell DAGGETT Jonathan FFULLER, sen'r Joseph BROWNE Nathaniell WHITAKER Enoch HUNT William CARPENTER, jr. Eprahim WHEATON John HUNT Isack ALLEN Abiah CARPENTER Ephrahim HUNT Thomas WILLMATH, jr. James CARPENTER Rice LEONARD John WOODCOCK, jun'r Samson MASON Sam'l BUTTERWORTH Iserall WOODCOCK Joseph MASON Philip WALKER Thomas WOODCOCK Joseph BUCKLAND, jun'r ffrancis STEVENS, sen'r Jonathan WOODCOCK Baruk BUCKLAND John ORMSBY Samuel NEWMAN, jr. Silas TITUS Nathaniel CAFFEE John KINSLEY Nath. PAINE, jun'r Samuel SABIN Thomas IDE William ROBENSON Serj. Preserved ABLE Jonathan FFULLER, jun. Josiah CARPENTER Daniell READE Jeremiah WHEATON ffrancis STEVENS, jun'r Israll READE John SHAWE Richard BOWEN, jun'r James SABIN Joseph SABINE Joseph MILLERD John SABIN Richard WHIEEAKER Benjamin MILLERD Noah SABIN Samuel BULLOCK John BOWEN The Hieres of
Thomas KENRICK Thomas ORMSBY Benjamin ROBINSON Thomas MAN David NEWMAN Samuel ROBINSON Robert MILLERD, sen'r David FFULLER Mosses READE Mr. Henry SWEETING John JENKINS Mr. Christopher SANDERS Jathniell PECK John JONSON Jonah PALMER, sen'r Joshua SMITH Daniel SHEPARD, sen. Samuel PALMER John SMITH David FFREEMAN Noah MASON Richard EVENS James WILSON Samuell MASON James THURBER James WELCH Nicholas IDE, jun'r Sam'l BOWEN John BULLOCK Sam'l MILLERD, sen'r Jonathan WILLMATH John CALLENDER Sam'l MILLERD, jr. John FFRENCH John BARTLET's heirs John HALL Joseph BORSWOTH ORPHANS Thomas COOPER &
Nathaniel COOPER, sons
of Nath. COOPER Jonathan CARPENTER Daniel SABIN, son
of Nehemiah SABIN David CARPENTER Solomon CARPENTER John FFULLER The Herres of
Benjamin BUCKLAND Zacheriah CARPENTER Abiall FFULLER Abraham CARPENTER Benjamin PAINE Samuell FFULLER The Heires of
Robert JOANES George ROBINSON, jr. The Heires of Eldad
KINSLEY Isake MASON Thomas BOWEN