Sunday, November 18, 2012

Jonathan Bangs, ca 1640 – 1728 and Mary Mayo 1642-1711 of Eastham and Harwich/Brewster, MA

Jonathan Bangs was born in Eastham ca 1640, the eldest son of Edward and Rebecca (possibly Hobart) Bangs. His last name is sometimes spelled Banges. Jonathan grew up in Eastham, one of nine children. His father was an important member of the community—he was an Inn Keeper, served the community in many ways and was a large landholder. Jonathan was named executor of his father’s estate and received multiple parcels of land in his father’s 19 October 1677 will.

I wrote about Edward and Rebecca Bangs here.

Jonathan married, first, on 16 July 1664 in Eastham, Mary Mayo, the daughter of Samuel and Tamsin (Lumpkin) Mayo and granddaughter of Rev. John Mayo. Jonathan and Mary raised their large family in Eastham.

Jonathan and Mary had 12 children born Eastham:
Edward born 30 September 1665, married Ruth Allen
Rebecca born 1 February 1666/67
Jonathan born 30 April 1670, died 11 May 1670
Mary born 14 April 1671, married Thomas Nickerson
Jonathan born 4 May 1673, married Elizabeth _____
Hannah born 14 March 1675/76, who married John Crosby
Tamsin born 5 May 1678, married Joseph Burgess
Samuel born 12 July 1680, married Mary Hinckley
Mercy born 7 January 1681/82, married Thomas Hinckley, second Joseph Cole
Elizabeth born 16 May 1685
Sarah born August 1687, married Benjamin Collins
Lydia b. 2 October 1689, married Shubael Hinckley

I descend from their daughter Tamsin.

Jonathan served in the Eastham Militia, where he was an Ensign and later a Captain. He served in King Philip’s War.

He served his community in a variety of ways. He was a Selectman for three years, Deputy to the Old Colony Court, Representative to the General Court at Boston, and Town Treasurer of Eastham. 

Jonathan served on the Jury that sentenced three Indians to death for the murder of John Sassamon, a Christianized Native who was a liaison between the English and the Indians. It is believed the trial and executions were the tipping point for Metacom to start the war against the colonists, known as King Philip's War. 

After 1694, Jonathan and Mary removed to Harwich, in an area that is now Brewster.

Mary died in her 69th year on 26 January 1710/11 and is buried at the Old Burial Ground in Brewster, also know as the First Parish Cemetery which is on Rt. 6A behind the Unitarian Church.
Mary Mayo Bangs' stone at Brewster
HERE LYES Ye BODY OF
MARY BANGES WIFE
TO JONATHAN BANGES
DEC'D JANU'ARY Ye 26th 1711
IN THE 66 YEAR
OF HER AGE

Jonathan married, second, a woman named Sarah whose last name is unknown. Sarah died June 1719, aged 77, and is also buried in Brewster.

On 23 July 1720 Jonathan married third Mrs. Ruth Young, daughter of Daniel Cole. He would have been about 80 years old, so apparently he was both an optimist and loved being married!

On 18 April 1721 Jonathan, as Administrator, swore to the accuracy of the inventory of the estate of his son Samuel of Harwich

Jonathan died at age 88 on 9 November 1728 and is buried at the Old Burial Ground in Brewster.

HERE LYES BURIED
ye BODY OF CAP't
JONATHAN BANGS
AGED 88 YEARS
DEC'D NOVEMBER ye
19th 1728

The original gravestone is set in a large granite monument along with similar gravestones for Jonathan's two wives Mary Banges and Sarah Banges (1719). The 'e' was dropped from Banges for Capt. Bangs.
Jonathan's gravestone at Old Burial Ground in Brewster

Sources Not Listed Above:

Andrew P. Langlois, Descendants of John Young of Plymouth and Eastham, Mayflower Descendant, Vol 54, no. 2, Summer 2005

Glade Ian Nelson, Identifying Mercy, wife of Thomas 4 Hinckley of Harwich, MA, as Mercy (Bangs) (Hinckley) Cole, NEHGR, Volume 162, July 2008

Deyo, Simeon L., editor, History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1890

Rev. Enoch Pratt, A Comprehensive History, Ecclesiastical and Civil, of Eastham, Wellfleet and Orleans, County of Barnstable, Mass. from 1644 to 1844, 1844

8 comments:

  1. A cousin connection! I wrote about several Bangs gravestones from this same cemetery earlier this year on my blog. We stopped to visit it on the way to the last New England GeneaBlogger bash on Cape Cod. I hope to meet you at the next bash.

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  2. Hi Heather: How cool! I tried to get back that cemetery over the summer to take better photos, but they were mowing the grass and I wasn't able to go back. I used to just take photos of the particular stones and now I like to get a variety of shots.

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  3. Hi, thanks for the info and grave photos posted here! I have Jonathan Bangs, Jr.'s 2nd wife as Experience Berry, know anything about this? I would be descended from this line. Linda

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    1. Hi Linda: I have read that Jonathan married Experience Berry, daughter of John and Susannah Berry. I've also seen that Experience Berry married a Bangs, but his first name wasn't known, so unfortunately I don't have a definitive answer! Chris

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  4. Hi - My grandfather was Nathaniel Swift Bangs, (of Edward Bangs) he was born in Omaha Nebraska but lived in St. Paul, Mn., where I was born in 1946. I was told that there is a statue of a Bangs (Jonathan?) in Barnstable? Does anyone know of this? Thank you. Linda W.

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  5. Hello, according to my research Johnathan Bangs is
    by Great Grandfather several times removed. Content
    Bangs, Daughter, married Thomas Carruthers, now spelled Carothers. Was surprised

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    1. Hello, I haven't seen a daughter Content given to Jonathan and Mercy (Mayo) Bangs. Was her birth recorded?

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  6. I find it an honor to be related to this man.

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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