Barnabas Wixon b. ca 1660-died after June 1735 and Sarah Remick of Yarmouth (now Dennis), Mass.

Barnabas Wixon was born circa1660-1663, the son of Robert and Alice (maiden name unknown) Wixon. He is my eighth great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side. His last name is spelled in a variety of ways including Wixam, Wickson, Wixson, and Wixum.

Tradition says he moved from Eastham to Harwich to Yarmouth and resided on Crocker's Neck (now Dennis Port) where he was a large land holder.

Barnabas served in King Williams War (referred to as the second Indian War) from 22 August to 27 November 1722 in Master Roll of Col. John Wheelwright's Co. relative to Indian affairs in what is now Maine, he was a Sergeant from Yarmouth. Corporal Barnabas Wixum, still living, was one of 25 to petition for land for his service. He was in 1690 expedition to Quebec, Canada under Sir William Phipps and Capt. Jonathan Gorham. He wanted tract 6 mile square (in Maine). Signed 12 June 1735. (Mass State Archives, Vol 114, p116)

Map of the campaigns of King Williams War

On 6 Nov 1683, Samuel Mayo Jr., for striking of Barnabas Vixon on the Lord's Day, is fined 25 shillings. (Plymouth Colony Records, Vol VI)

Barnabas is named in his father Robert’s 1 October 1686 will, receiving 30 acres of land with his brother Titus.  

On 6 April 1706, Elisha Higgins was granted land by the town of Eastham, beginning at a white oak near the land of Barnabas Wixam running then to an oak, which is bound of Joseph Higgins (at Pochet).

On 26 May 1711 Joseph Higgins Jr. of Eastham granted land on the westerly side of his other land where he now lives near Benjamin Wixam (Little Skaket Neck).

In Jonathan Sparrow's 10 March 1706/7 will, he mentions marsh near the beach creek that he bought from Barnabas Wixum in Eastham.

Around 1692, Barnabas married Sarah Remick. She was born in Kittery (now in Maine but then part of Massachusetts) 16 July 1663, the daughter of Christian and Hannah Remick.

Sarah married, first, John Green, a mariner of Kittery, probably before 19 Jun 1687, when his father, dwelling on his fatherly affection, tender care and love for this beloved son, gave him land at the Cove nears Franks Fort, adjacent his own land. John died before 1693.

Barnabas Wixon of North Ham (now Dover, NH--thank you Janet Mackie for that information) was named administrator of Sarah’s first husband’s estate on 7 January 1695/6 and put in a bill for two years support of the deceased's wife and daughter (daughter not named). Barnabas signed the document with his mark.

Perhaps Barnabas was living in Kittery and was a friend to the Green family? If anyone knows more about this, I’d appreciate hearing from you.

The births of Barnabas and Sarah’s children are recorded in the Eastham-Orleans Vital Records:

Barnabas born 15 September 1693, died April 1694

Joshua born 14 March 1694/95

Lydia born 12 June 1697

Robert born 29 May 1698

Prince born 2 December 1700

I descend from Joshua who married Hannah Baker, whom I wrote about here. 

It seems likely Barnabas moved his family to Yarmouth (an area called Crooks’ or Crocker’s Neck, now Dennis Port) in the early 1700s. There were mostly Native Americans living in the area at the time. His home was at what is now 38 Smalls Ave. His land was bounded by the present day Lower County Road at the north, Nantucket Sound at the south, Sea Street to the west and Pound Pond to the east. Pound Pond is no more, but was on the west side of Division Street. The Wixons of a later time were called "down-alongers" because they lived down along the shore. The family was engaged in fishing for many generations, including Nathaniel H. Wixon of the ninth generation who kept a fishing shack, dock and fishing vessel in Herring River until the 1960s.

 

CCGS Bulletin, Spring 2001

In Vernon Nickerson’s From Pilgrims and Indians... he writes that Barnabas was called “Black Bart.” Many descendants believe that Barnabas’ father Robert married a Native American woman.

I have read that Sarah died in 1722 but I don’t know what the source is for this. Barnabas died sometime after June 1735 when he is mentioned in the land petition for his military service.

Sources Not Listed Above:

Calkins' manuscript at NEHGS, Robert Wixon of Eastham

Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700

Justin H. Wixom, Wixom Family History, 1963

Nancy Thacher Reid.  Dennis, Cape Cod from Firstcomers to Newcomers, 1639 - 1993, 1996

Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, 1928