Benjamin Nye ca 1620 to 1704-07, Kent to Sandwich, Mass., and Katherine Tupper

Benjamin Nye came to America as a young man on the Abigail in 1635. He was first at Saugus (now Lynn), then he settled in Sandwich, Barnstable Co., Mass., where he built a grist mill.  His last name is spelled in a variety of ways in records, including Noye, Noy and Nie. Benjamin is my 9^th great-grandfather on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Davis’ side of the family. 

There is a lot of misinformation on Benjamin Nye out there. Some genealogies give him an exact birth date, origin and father’s name (Thomas) in England with a long royal ancestry going back to Denmark; some have said he was a 15 year old cabin boy on board the Abigail; others that he was an apprentice to Thomas Tupper. But as far as I know none of this has been proven according to modern genealogy standards. The exhaustive research by Ian Hilder, George R. Nye and Jonathan A. Shaw presented in NEHGS Register, Vol 158, October 2004 and Vol 159, January 2005, "The Origins of Benjamin 1 Nye: Examining the Sources," found no evidence to support Benjamin was the son of Thomas and Agnes/Anne Nye from Biddenden, Kent. 

What is known is that on 19 October 1640 Benjamin married Katherine Tupper (Plymouth VR p. 654). Plymouth Colony Court Orders has the marriage date as 6 October 1640.  Katherine was the daughter of Thomas and Katherine (Gator) Tupper.

Benjamin and Katherine had eight children, born Sandwich:

Mary born ca 1641, m. Jacob Burgess

John Nye, born ca 1644, married Esther _____ (seen as Shed, daughter of Daniel Shed, but not sure what the source for that is)

Ebenezer born say 1647, m. Sarah Gibbs

Jonathan b. 20 November 1649, married 1^st Hannah ____; 2^nd Patience Burgess

Mercy Nye, born 8 April 1652, did not marry

Caleb, born say 1655, m. Elizabeth Wood/Atwood

Nathan, b. say 1657, m. Mercy ____

Benjamin, b. say 1659, did not marry, killed while serving in King Philip’s War in 1676

Most of the births are unrecorded but are proven as children of Katherine and Benjamin from other records, except for Benjamin and Caleb. But since Benjamin was the only man of the name in Sandwich at the time it seems quite certain they were his sons. Also, Caleb had land near his brother Jonathan in Sandwich.

I descend through John, Jonathan as well as Nathan.

According to a 1667 map, Benjamin lived at the beginning of Spring Hill Road where it meets Rt. 6A. The map shows his mill was on Old County Road between Hoxie and Nye Ponds.  In 1685 he built a second house in that area as well as a fulling mill, giving his Spring Hill house to his son John.  His second home was given to his son, Jonathan, by deed dated 1704 "if he will take care of me and Katherine Nye, my wife."

Source: Sandwich A Cape Cod Town, RA Lovell

The Nye Family Association of America owns the old Nye house (Benjamin’s second home) on Old County Road in Sandwich. It is certainly worth a visit!

Nye Family Homestead

Fellow Abigail passenger Dennis Geere left Benjamin money in his will, so one would think they were related in some way or had a professional relationship but no evidence has been found.

Benjamin died between 9 June 1704 when he deeded land to his son Jonathan and 17 May 1707 when he is called deceased when son Jonathan received land.

Katherine Tupper Nye died after 9 June 1704 when she was mentioned in her husband’s deed of land to their son Jonathan. No gravestones for Benjamin and Katherine have survived. 

Photograph I purchased at an estate sale that shows the location of Nye memorial

Sources:

RA Lovell, Sandwich, A Cape Cod Town, third edition published by the Sandwich Archives and Historical Center, 1996, first printing 1984

Bernard Peterson , The Nye House at Sandwich, Cape Cod Library of Local History and Genealogy Pamphlet Series, No. 12, 1925

George Washington Bodge, Soldiers in King Philip's War, A Critical Accounting of That War with a Concise History of the Indian Wars of New England from 1620-1677, Leominster, MA, 1896

Simeon L. Deyo, editor, History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, HW Blake & Co., New York, 1890

Ian Hilder, George R. Nye and Jonathan A Shaw, NEHGR Vol 158, October 2004, The Origins of Benjamin 1 Nye: Examining the Sources

George Hyatt Nye and Frank E. Best, Benjamin Nye of Sandwich, Massachusetts, His Ancestors and Descendants, A Genealogy of the Nye Family, 1907

Ancestors from Early Rhode Island, Maine and Vermont

This post is part of an ongoing project of organizing my direct ancestors by the towns in New England where they lived. I love learning about these towns. Please add a comment about your family from these towns or your favorite resources for this area. Much of the genealogical information is a work in progress! I have blogged about many of the ancestors listed, but some I don't know enough about yet to write a sketch of their lives.

Newport, Newport Co., RI

John Marchant, an early resident of Martha’s Vineyard, also in Newport RI in 1638, Braintree in 1638, Watertown in 1642, Yarmouth 1648. He married Sarah ____, prob. died before 1670. I descend through son John who married ____, died before 1693 prob at Edgartown. Then through his son Abishai who was born 1651 at Yarmouth/Dennis, m. Mary Taylor, died before Feb 1718 prob at Yarmouth. Then through their daughter Hannah Marchant b about 1677 at Yarmouth/Dennis and married Matthew Pease who was born Edgartown. 

South Kingstown, Washington Co., RI

William Browning was born Portsmouth after 1657; he married Rebecca Wilbore and lived at South Kingstown, RI. He married 2^nd Sarah ____. I descend from William and Rebecca’s daughter Sarah Browning who married Eleazer Kelley and moved to Yarmouth/Dennis on Cape Cod.

 

Kittery, York Co., (then in Massachusetts, now Maine)

Richard Gowell, born in Wales, migrated to Kittery Maine, married Hannah Remick probably in Kittery in 1685, died there 1729-1730. Then descend through his daughter Sarah b. ca 1682 m. Thomas Chase and moved to Dennis (then Yarmouth) on Cape Cod.

Christian Remick, born about 1631 at Holland or Germany, m. Hannah ___ about 1654 in Kittery, died there in 1710. I descend through two of their daughters:

1.      Hannah born 1656 in Kittery , m. Richard Gowell of Kittery, died after 15 Dec 1729.

2.      Sarah born 1663 in Kittery, m. Barnabas Wixon of Eastham on Cape Cod, died 1722.

Woodstock VT

Moses Benson through to Isaac who was born there but went to Middleborough and Plymouth in Plymouth Co., Mass.

Experience Gibbs, born Sandwich 1776, married Moses Benson 1796 at Middleborough, Mass. and they settled at Woodstock VT. Conflicting info on her parents.

Ancestors From Cambridge, Falmouth, Malden, Medford and Watertown, Massachusetts

This post is part of an ongoing project of organizing my direct ancestors by the towns in New England where they lived. I love learning about these towns. Please add a comment about your family from these towns or your favorite resources for this area. Much of the genealogical information is a work in progress! I have blogged about many of the ancestors listed, but some I don't know enough about yet to write a sketch of their lives. 

Cambridge, Middlesex Co. Mass.

Rev. William Wetherell, b. ca 1600, in England, married Mary Fisher 26 March 1627 in Canterbury, Kent, England (Mary was born 1604 in Boughton, Mochelsea, Kent, dau of Thomas Fisher and Joan Lake), he died Scituate 9 April 1684. A Puritan, he migrated in 1635 with his wife, three sons and a servant. Settled first Charlestown, then Newtowne (Cambridge), then Duxbury and finally Scituate where he was the minister of the Second Church. 

 Falmouth, Barnstable Co., Mass.

Thomas Freeman b. 1731 at Eastham, moved to Falmouth, married Esther Ryder, died Falmouth 1800. I descend through their daughter Dorothy Freeman born Chatham or Harwich 1752, married Elnathan Eldredge of Harwich, died Harwich 1825. 

Malden, Middlesex Co., Mass.

Gabriel Whelden, b. about 1590, possibly Basford, Nottinghamshire, m. 1^st Jane ___ before 1611, 2^nd  Margaret ____. He died Malden, Mass., 1654. He migrated 1638, settling first at Dedham, moving to Yarmouth 1639 (in an area that became Dennis), finally to Malden in 1648. I descend through Gabriel and Jane’s daughter Mary b. 1621 Basford, Nottinghamshire, m. Richard Taylor of Yarmouth/Dennis.

  

Medford, Middlesex Co., Mass.

Lloyd Johnson, born Lancashire 1875, emigrated in 1898, raised his family in Haverhill, m. Elizabeth Pearson 1898 in Lancashire; 2^nd Anna Burke, also lived in Nashville TN, Boston, Cambridge,  ; died Medford 1953. His son, my grandfather Frederick who was born 1902 in Lancashire, lived in Boston and Medford. My Mom, Marie, was born Dorchester in 1936, grew up in Medford, m. Robert Rollins, raised her family in Lexington and lived in Gloucester later in life. 

Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Benjamin Crispe, born 1611 in Frisby, Lincolnshire. Married Bridget ___ and 2^nd Joanna Goff. He moved to Groton but later returned to Watertown where he died 5 Nov 1683. I descend through his daughter Elizabeth born Watertown 1636/37 and married George Lawrence of Watertown. He fled Groton after an Indian attack decimated the town in 1636, which is about the time his wife Bridget died, perhaps as a result of the war.

Samuel Freeman, possibly born in Watertown, son of Samuel Freeman, he m. Mercy Southworth (b. Duxbury 1638 dau of Constant Southworth) in 1658 prob. Plymouth, died Eastham 1712. Any connection to Edmond 1 Freeman family isn’t known. I descend through their daughter Apphia Freeman who m. Isaac Pepper.

William Hammond, b. about 1568 in England, m. Elizabeth Paine 1605 at Lavenham, Suffolk, England. He migrated in 1634 and settled at Watertown where he died in 1662.

George Lawrence, born 1637 in Watertown, m. Elizabeth Crispe there in 1657, and died there 1709. I descend through their daughter Mercy b. Watertown about 1673, m. William Baker of Yarmouth/Dennis in 1689 and she died Yarmouth/Dennis in 1753.

John Marchant, he was an early resident of Martha’s Vineyard, also in Newport RI in 1638, Braintree in 1638, Watertown in 1642, Yarmouth 1648. He married Sarah ____, prob. died before 1670. I descend through son John who married ____, died before 1693 prob at Edgartown. Then through his son Abishai who was born 1651 at Yarmouth/Dennis, m. Mary Taylor, died before Feb 1718 prob at Yarmouth. Then through their daughter Hannah Marchant b about 1677 at Yarmouth/Dennis and married Matthew Pease who was born Edgartown.

William Swift, born before 1596, England, m. 1^st Sarah ____, 2^nd Joan ____ 1626 at Bermondsey, Surrey. He migrated 1630 and was first in Watertown , then in Sandwich by 1637 and died by Jan 1642/43 in Sandwich.   I descend through his son William born 1627 prob. In Surrey, m. Ruth ____, about 1650 at Sandwich, died 1706 at Sandwich. Then Josiah Swift born ___ in Sandwich, m. Experience Nye in 1718 at Sandwich (I haven’t placed Experience yet) died 1753-57 in Sandwich. Then Mercy Swift born Sandwich 1719, m. John Pope of Sandwich, died 1815 at Sandwich.