Thursday, September 8, 2011

William Nickerson and Anne Busby of 17th century Chatham, MA


William Nickerson was the founder of Chatham, then called Monomoit, Monomoy and other various spellings, on Cape Cod.
Vintage Chatham postcard

William was born 1604 in Norwich, Norfolk, England. He probably belonged to the Weaver's Guild of Norwich. Before that he was apprenticed to his father as a tailor. Some say his father was Robert, but no proof given.

William married Anne, daughter of Nicholas and Bridget (Cocke) Busby, in about 1630. She was baptized St. Mary Coslany, Norwich, 2 Feb 1607/8.

He was admitted as worsted weaver and freeman in Norwich, England 18 May 1632.

The examination of William Nickerson of Norwich in Norfolk, weaver, aged 33, and Anne, his wife, aged 28, with four children, Nicholas, Robert, Elizabeth, and Anne, are desirous to go to Boson in N.E. there to inhabit. 8 April 1637 (Holten's History of Immigrants).

During this time Matthew Wren, the Bishop of Norfolk, was persecuting non-conformists to the King's religion. In the two years he held power, approximately 3,000 English citizens and tradesmen left England for Holland and New England. 

The family sailed from Yarmouth 15 April 1637 on the ship John and Dorothy, Capt. Wm Andrews, master. Anne’s parents were on the same voyage.

The family arrived at Salem on 20 June 1637. In 1638 William took the freeman's oath in Boston, probably living in Watertown with Anne's family, who came there after a brief stay in Newbury. In 1640 William was proposed as freeman at Plymouth Colony Court. He took the oath of fidelity there on 1 June 1641, same date he was on a grand jury. He was declared a freeman at the next court, being described as of Yarmouth. The famly moved to Yarmouth around this time, their home near Follands/Follins Pond, then called Little Bass Pond, at head of Bass River. When they moved to Chatham, William sold his farm to James Matthews.

The couple had five more children in America: Samuel, John, Sarah, William, and Joseph.

William had a tendency to go against the grain.

One 1 March 1641, there was a complaint against him that he was a "scoffer and jeerer of religion." His trouble with the church probably led him to go to Monomoy (later Chatham).

Trouble with local minister in Yarmouth did not seem to affect his standing as a citizen.
He was on the list to bear arms at Yarmouth; served on a committee headed by Capt. Standish to settle boundary disputes;  received 16 acres at Little Bass Pond in Yarmouth (now Dennis).

Around 1656 he bought a large amount of land from Indian Chief Mattaquason and son John Quason in Monomoy without consent of the colony’s authorities, contradicting a 1643 law. He then moved to Boston to care for in-laws.

That same year William was at court for "buying lands of the Indians and for selling them a boat" and was disenfranchised.

In 1661-2 he was back in Yarmouth with his family. Apparently unconcerned about breaking the law, he built his home in current Chathamport. He lived near the Indian chief and they were good friends, although William later sued him.  On 4 July 1663 he presented a petition to settle township at Monomoyick. In 1664 William, at age 60, left Yarmouth with his wife and all of his children, except Nicholas, for Monomoy. He must have been confident the dispute would be settled as his children all cleared land and built farms. At this age, he cleared land for his new home, showing his iron will and restless energy. The location of his house is not certain, but some say it was near the old burying place near the head of Ryder's Cove.

In 1665, he was charged with "illegally purchasing lands of the Indians," but was allowed 100 acres near his house, with the rest granted in equal portions among eight men, including my ancestor Thomas Howes Sr. There was also controversy over town boundaries and the court found that "Mannamoit (Chatham) be within the liberties of Yarmouth, as Bound Brook and Stoney Brook are, until otherwise ordered." He received a penalty of five pounds for every acre illegally purchased.
 
 
 In 1667 Mr. Nickerson was called to answer for words spoken against preaching. The previous year he and his sons were arraigned for scandalously reproaching the court, in a letter to the Governor of New York, and were put under bonds of 500 pounds (William must have been angry about having his acreage reduced and being considered part of Yarmouth—requiring him to pay taxes to the town he had left).


When constable Thomas Howes of Yarmouth came to Monomoit to collect tax rates in 1667, he was met with a hostile reception. That same year William and some of his sons were set in stocks for resisting the constable in performing his duty. William was committed to prison and remained there three days. Nothing except religion excited so much feeling as the acquisition of lands!

In June 1668 the area was ruled to be a village of Eastham. It seems the authorities didn’t know what to do about the situation! On 13 July 1671, Goodman Nickerson was chosen at town meeting as rate maker (assessor) of Eastham, re-elected in 1672-3.

In 1674 the Indian title to land was extinguished and a title from British Crown legally established title of 50 acres to each of William’s children.

In 1678/9 and 81 William purchased more land from Indians, totaling 4,000 acres. Few, if any, colonists owned as much land.

In 1675 William requested his land to be a township, which was denied, but he was okayed to be deputy constable and grand jurymen from the village. He also served as deputy to the court.
Map of Chatham

The family had to travel 7-8 miles for public worship, so instead William read scriptures to his family on the Sabbath. He became the spiritual leader of the village. He wanted to build a meeting house when he bristled at being taxed to build one in Eastham. In 1679 he received approval to be an independent constablewick, but not a town because they could not support own minister.

Monomoit was slow to settle because of lack of a church and susceptibility to Indians. For nearly 20 years after William moved there, there were hardly any other families. Early people were farmers, produced tar and had small whaling business.

On 12 Feb 1686 William conveyed to his daughter (widow) Sarah Covell all remaining property--she must have been living with him. His wife Anne died soon after, at about 75 years of age. He then conveyed all land, except farm for Sarah, to son William.

William died between 30 Aug 1689 and 8 Sept 1690, at about 86 years of age. No will for him is found. He was buried with his wife on a little hill south of his house. Sarah later deeded the burial plot later deeded to the town. The only slate stones standing are of the Ryder family. A memorial tablet was placed there in 1915 to honor William. It is called Burial Hill or Pleasant Hill.
Memorial plaque for William and Anne (source: Nickersonassociation.org)

Smith calls him a man of large enterprises, honorable intentions and strong religious conviction. Kittredge writes he was the greatest speculator in wild lands the Cape ever saw and had the soul of a pioneer and the tenacity of a bulldog.

 I have multiple Nickerson lines, through Nicholas 2 Nickerson’s children John and Sarah and Sarah 2 Nickerson’s children Joseph and Elizabeth Covel and William 2 Nickerson’s son William.

There is a family association for descendants of William Nickerson:
How beautiful is the home of the NFA in Chatham?

Sources:

Nickerson Family Association, The Nickerson Family: The Descendants of William Nickerson 1604-89, First Settler of Chatham, MA, Part 1, first Four Generations with vital statistics of 5th Generation, pub by Nickerson Family Assoc. 1973.

James W. Hawes, Nicholas Busby, Cape Cod Library, 1911

James W. Hawes, Children of William Nickerson,” Cape Cod Library, 1912

Charles Swift, History of Old Yarmouth, 1884

William C. Smith, A History of Chatham, Mass. Formerly the Constablewick or village of Monomoit, FB and FP Goss, publishers, Hyannis, MA, 1909

Henry Kittredge, Cape Cod Its People and Their History, 1930

56 comments:

  1. I am descendant of William Nickerson and Anne Busby through their daughter Elizabeth. Your post was delightful to read, unlike the dry histories I have been reading about the family. Thank you so much !!!

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    1. i too am a decendaant of william nickerson my name is susan marie porter william is my 11th great grandfather

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    2. I too am a descendant of William Nickerson and Anne Busby. I guess some family traits are hard to let go of. I see that the suborn tendencies are still alive and well. My name is Mary Nickerson Casella.

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  2. Nonna: Thank you for your kind comment! Good luck with your research. Chris

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  3. How can I purchase a copy of James W. Hawes, Children of William Nickerson,” Cape Cod Library, 1912?

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    1. Hello:

      It's a series of pamphlets put together in a two volume book called "Cape Cod Library of Local History and Genealogy," edited by Leonard H. Smith. There's a description here, where the book costs $160:
      http://www.genealogical.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&item_number=5473

      I purchased it in CD from the same company.

      Maybe someone else know if it's possible to order the individual pamphlets somewhere?

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  4. Thank you so much! William is my 10th Great grandfather from his son, John. My 5th Great Grandmother was Sarah Nickerson (married Alexander Campbell). She immigrated to Australia, with her daughter Elizabeth Campbell and son-in-law, Daniel Flanagan. I really enjoyed reading this. Many thanks :)

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    1. Thanks for your nice comment. Sarah must have had an adventurous spirit to move to Australia! Chris

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  5. I love every single one of your posts. Have been making my way through them all. After all, we are cousins and I need to support family!

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  6. I have no idea how I am related to them but my great-great grandfather was Otto Nickerson...

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    1. It's great Otto has an unusual name as it will help finding him in records!

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  7. Hi, I have been researching my family and the farthest back I can get is Nathaniel Nickerson, D. 7-11-1854 at 75Yrs. He is my Great X 4 Grand Father.

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  8. Hello: If you haven't contacted them already, maybe someone at the Nickerson Family Association could help. Chris

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  9. I'm a descendant of William and Anne Busby Nickerson. I just found the Nickerson family association and may join. My mom's father was Randall Sinclair Nickerson, son of Manassah Goodwin Nickerson..

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    1. Is this Lt Randall Sinclair Nickerson, MC who served with the 85th Bn CEF in WW1? If so, he is my great uncle. He signed up with two brothers Oscar and Archibald in the spring of 1916. Both Oscar and Archibald are still in France.

      Sgt (Retd) M.D. Nickerson, CD
      Winnipeg Manitoba

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  10. Thank you for putting together this information, far more detailed from what I have seen. I am from Massachusetts and frequent Chatham several times a year, and of course it helps to have the name William Joseph Nickerson. Thank you Chris!!

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  11. I am simale friend of the clan..and very honored to be amongst you.

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  13. my grandfather was thomas e nickerson son of pollard son of thomas r nickerson who was born about 1825 in bracken co ky. this is as far back that i can go . can you tell me if i am a decendent of william nickerson. i love the history of william

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    1. Unfortunately I don't know about Kentucky Nickersons. Best of luck, Chris

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    2. I had my DNA done it linked to a person that his 5th grandmother was Sarah Nickerson May 1674, died 4 Feb 1722/3 and married John Burgess of Barnstable Co., Massachusetts Her father was Nicholas Nickerson , On researched Nicholas was William Nickerson son. Now I'm try to link Thomas R nickerson to this link to William Nickerson.

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    3. Chris ,Both Barbara and I had our dna tested Barbara had hers done at ancestry mine was done at Family Tree . We have dna matches that lead bach to William Nickerson. Thur several of dna matches. Can you see how we could be link my 2great grandfather Thomas R nickerson was born in Brown co. Ohio around 1824-25.His father was born in Pennsylvania. i dont have his name. So we can find the link. Thanks Sue

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    4. Sue, Wish I could help but my Nickerson stayed on the Cape, so I'm not familiar with connections to Ohio. Best of luck, Chris

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  14. Hello Cousins!! I am the 11th generation grand-daughter of William, through his daughter Sarah Covell going down to Prince Nickerson - which keeps going to my great grandparents. I am in the Seattle Wa area, however my mom and grandparents are all from the boston, MA area. Would love to connect with some cousins!!! Was elated beyond words to locate this site!!!

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  15. My Great Great grandparents are James Sawdy and Annie Kelley, I am fortunate enough to have the original letters he wrote to her courting, and when he proposed marriage and they were making their plans. If you are in my branch I will be happy to share these with you.
    Would love to have copies of any photos anyone may have of our family.

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    1. What a gift to have those letters! Is your Annie Kelley from the Cape? Chris

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  16. William Nickerson and Anne Busby are my 9X
    Great Grandparents through there son Joseph Nickerson. I really enjoy reading such interesting stories about my ancestors.
    Marilyn Creelman

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    1. They are also my 9x great grandparents through 2 of their sons, Joseph and William.

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  17. Hi cousin! William and Anne are my 10x great grandparents. William seems to have been a real rip snorter. It's nice to have someone a bit more interesting than "he was a good church-going man who did everything right"...lol.

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  18. Thank you for your interesting blog.. William is my 9th greatgrandfather through son Samuel. I was trying to follow a lead /hint off of Ancestry, about a William Nickerson who was a passenger aboard the Mayflower.. knowing that this William's facts do not coincide with the Mayflower, I wonder who this William Nickerson might be
    Again , thanks for the great information

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    1. Hello, There definitely wasn't a Wm Nickerson on the original Mayflower. You can see the passenger list on Caleb Johnson's website:
      http://mayflowerhistory.com/mayflower-passenger-list/

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    2. Vicki, of the Nickerson and Busby family lineJuly 9, 2016 at 12:16 PM

      William Nickerson and Anne Busby, along with her parents came over from England on the John and Dorthy ship

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  19. I am from the family line and William Nickerson and Anne Busby through their son William and down to Margery S. Nickerson, my great great grandmother. William and Anne are my 10x great grand parents. From my grandmother, Eleanor Pauline Lodge, granddaughter of Margery, it is rumored that the Busby line connects to Queen Elizabeth 1. I haven't been able to make that connection though. I'm wondering if anyone else knows of this.

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    1. We are all related to royalty on one side of the sheets or another. ;)

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  20. I am a Nickerson descendant, also of both Nicholas and Sarah's lines on my mother's and father's sides respectively. My father was from Oklahoma, and I discovered his Nickerson New England roots after he was gone. I will rub it in when I see him next. William and Anne's feisty spirits served both my lines well. Thanks for this wonderful page!

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    1. Thanks for your nice comment, David. Chris

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  21. I'm a descendant of William and Anne Busby Nickerson. I found this extremely informative. Thank you very much...

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  22. I am a descendant of William and Anne Nickerson. Very interesting and informative article.

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  23. Thank you Earl and Roy! Chris

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  24. Through ancestry.com, I've traced my husband to 4 of the Busby/Nickerson children:Robert,Elizabeth,William,and Joseph. We're going to visit the Cape the Sept 6-9. Can't wait!

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  25. I had a really hard time with all of this ancestry research and I thought I was going crazy..Many times I branched out on another husband or wife on my tree and it led me to another William/Busby child directly.. I have three so far and it's only been a month or so of free time... Cousins married cousins and sisters of the same family married brothers of Nickerson children of William and Anne..very confusing until I read that there were not many families to choose from back in the 1600's.. I am not finished but so far William and Anne are both my 11th great-grandparents and my 10th great-grandparents via Nicholas and two of his sons (william Emery Nickerson and John Nickerson Sr.) and Sarah Nickerson their daughter and sister of Nicholas. I have another possible connection to Joseph but have not yet finished the research to confirm. Is anyone else related on so many levels?

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    1. Janine, I'm sorry for this very late response. Blogger hasn't been notifying me of comments like in the past. The multiple connections can be mind boggling. Families were so intermingled, especially for the Nickersons who founded Chatham and hardly had anyone to chose from! I very often have Cape ancestors who are great-something grandparents and aunt/uncles or cousins. Chris

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  26. I contacted the Nickerson org and they helped me see that I had confused my lineage after John Nickerson Jr. His father was William and not john Sr so I directly relate to William and not Nicholas as well as 2 lines to Joseph, 2 lines to william and 1 possible line to Sarah so far.

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  27. My Great-grandmother,Sarah Amelia Nickerson, Grandmother, Lillie Holmes Goodwin and Mother, Sarah Elizabeth Reed are descendents of the William and Anne Nickerson line.They all lived on the Cape until my Grandmother moved to Nova Scotia.My Mother,Sarah Elizabeth Reed married Alexander Nicholas Voripaieff,an immigrant from the Russia after the Revolution in 1926 in New Jersey. I was born in Flushing,Long Island,NY in 1935.

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    1. Hello, Thank you for posting your Nickerson line. What a neat combination to have a Cape Cod Nickerson marry a Russian who survived the revolution! Chris

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  28. I am trying to link my Nickerson family that goes to william nickerson and thru two of his sons Samuel and william on down untill 3rd great grandchildren joseph and anna marry each other and thier son marries fanny hopkins 5th great granddaughter of stephen hopkins mayflower passanger. has the nickerson family worked on this line. i also go back a lot of other ways to other passengers but thought this might be good place to start to get proven .thanks Beth Ryder born on cape cod 6 generations from fanny Hopkins and joseph nickerson lol.

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    1. The Mayflower Society offers a lineage match service which will tell you what portion of your line has already been approved by the society. I think the fee is $75. Chris

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  29. I too am directly linked to William and Anne as they are my 12th great grandfather and share the same name William. Not having done any research through most of my life I guess I now know why I always loved Chatham have spent many great times there many years ago but not knowing why I really was connected. Once delving into my father's side of history resently I was able to trace back to William. Not sure if I had done it right my wife and I went to Chatham and sought to seek out the truth. Buy chance when we set out to have breakfast at a small restaurant we happened to be there when the head of the Nickerson Family Association and his wife were there also. Our waitress upon seeing my name on on my credit card struck up a conversation with us and when I told here that we had been up to the Nickerson House but found it closed see grabbed me and took me over to meet the president of the NFA. He told us to meet him at the house at 1pm and he would open it for us. After arriving he asked me what my father's and grandfather's name was and his wife ran in to check. She can back and proved I had traced it back correctly. This has been a very interesting time and now this story of William is another great learning piece. Thank You so much.
    William Nickerson

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    1. Thank you for sharing your story, William. I love how strong our connections can be to places before we even know why and how kind the NFA president and his wife were to help you out like that. Chris

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  30. Hello from your cousins in Maine. Our line is William, Samuel, Samuel II, Joshua, Reuben, William, Rogers Merrill, Henry and Harry Herman Nickerson. We'd love to chat sometime.

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  31. William & Anne are my 10× great grandparents & I was born & raised on the Cape! I haven't finished my research, but I do know that next in line in my family tree is their son, Joseph, and the last time I see the Nickerson name it's w/ my 5× great grandmother, Lydia Nickerson (1780-1854). I thoroughly enjoyed exploring my family history & only stopped due to losing my income when my husband died unexpectedly on 10•30•21. I truly look forward to picking up where I left off when I have the opportunity to do so!

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    1. Hi Nikole, So neat you have such a long line of Cape ancestry. I am so very sorry for the loss of your husband. When you are able to get back into research, please let me know if there's anything I can look up for you. Chris

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I'm now moderating comments on this blog. My apologies for any ensuing delays, but the large number of "spam" comments have made this necessary. ~Chris