Wednesday, April 11, 2018

John Bell born ca 1610 and died before 20 September 1700, of Sandwich, Harwich and Yarmouth, Mass.




I know very little about John Bell. He was born ca 1610 (based on probable ages of his daughters) but his origins and parentage are unknown to me. He is my 9th great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.

He was of Sandwich when he was gifted land near Nobscusset from the Indian Little Robin on 16 December 1668. In 1721, well after his death, there was a controversy regarding the boundaries of this land. The owner of the property to the west and Samuel and John Berry of Harwich, both claimed ownership of the land. The boundary dispute over this tract of land, later named Bell’s Neck, was settled by John Paine of Eastham, Peter Thatcher of Yarmouth and Shubael Gorham of Yarmouth. His probate information mentions him being of Yarmouth, so he likely lived there late in life, perhaps while being cared for by his daughter and son-in-law.

Map showing Bell's Neck, Harwich source: Harwich Conservation Trust


John Bell was of Sandwich by 1643 when he was on the list of men able to bear arms. He left Sandwich for Harwich, perhaps through the influence of Wing and Dillingham who had done the same.

His wife’s name is unknown but from his probate information we know she predeceased him and that they had two daughters: Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth married Richard Berry before January 1682 when their first child was born. Mary married Samuel Nickerson who was born about 1638. I don’t know Mary and Elizabeth’s birth dates but Elizabeth’s husband Richard was born in in 1654 and Mary’s husband Samuel was born ca 1638, so perhaps there was a substantial gap between their births and other children were born to John and his wife that did not survive. I descend from Elizabeth who lived in Yarmouth and then Harwich.

John Bell died before 20 September 1700 when the estate inventory was taken by John Miller and Gershom Hall. On 3 October 1700 letters of administration in probate court were granted to son-in-law Samuel Berry of Harwich, but John had died some years before. He and his wife were taken care of by Samuel Berry. He for three years and she for five years. He left a small estate. Land from Little Robin on east side of Herring River was valued at 11 pounds, 11 shillings.

He is rarely mentioned in records. He was one of 12 men who in 1668 laid out a way.
In 1690 his house is mentioned in a deed. 

Herring River near Bell's Neck source: Harwich Conservation Trust


From Barnstable County Probate Records, 2:112:

On 3 October, 1700, "Samuel Berry of Harwich" was appointed administrator of the estate "of John Bell formerly of Yarmouth .... who died Intestate." The Inventory of the estate of John Bell .... taken by John Miller and Gershom Hall" 27 September, 1700; "one halfe of the Land gave to sd John Bell by little Robin lying on the aster side of the herring River in Harwich prized att" £11. 10s.; "1 Cow that Samuel Nickersons Daughter had" £2, 10s.; "1 yearling that Samuel Berrys Daughter had" £2.
"Samuel Berry Demands for thre(e) years tending and diets of his sd Father in law John Bell 8£ รพ yeare" £24; "And for dietting sd Bells wife 5 years" £15; "Funerall charge of sd Bell and wife £2.”

On 27 September, 1700, Samuel Berry made oath to the inventory.

On 2 October, 1700, the estate of John Bell, "who died Intestate Some years since" was settled; after payment of debts and "Charge of sd Deceased sickness and long Languishing lying", "the Remainder .... If any be shall be Equally divided .... unto .... his two Daughters to say Elizabeth Berry and Mary Nickerson."

If anyone can fill in any of the many holes in my John Bell story, I would very much appreciate hearing from you!

Sources:

Vernon R. Nickerson, From Pilgrims and Indians...," manuscript

Josiah Paine, History of Harwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts, 1620-1800, 1937

Garrett M. Tunison, History of the Herring River, report, 1997

3 comments:

  1. Hello Chris--Your blog is excellent! I have many of the same MF descendants as you..I am a history crazed 70 yo woman now living in Virginia..most of my life in Vermont, where I raised my kids..miss VT and wish I were still there..but being close to my son and family here in Leesburg, VA is good for me. I have a very old ancestral registry prepared by a gg aunt who d. in 1875.It's a Fan Chart and goes back 11 generations..in her own handwriting. It consumes most of my time now that I'm retired!I have researched many of my MF people, but ran into a very odd,prob. insane person who came over on the Abigail in
    1635;William Potter 1608-1662..Through "America's First Families Ancestor Roll of Honor" website. Potter was my Mother's maiden name..He was hung in 1662 for the crime of bestiality. The real question is that it appears that his wife, Frances Childs, possibly made this up..but at the end of the post by the America's First Families..it says:"...We omit any reference to incidents in connection with the close of his life for the reason that he appears to have been the victim of a mental disorder rather than an enemy of society"...I you are interested, go to America's first Families Ancestor Roll of Honor"..I guess after reading your research, I thought perhaps you'd like to dig into this with me..I'm sure there are many, many more websites to go over..I'm a real person. Facebook:Ellen McCullough, Leesburg, VA..or email: mccellen@gmail.com. best to reach me by email..Thanks for reading!

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    1. Hi Ellen, How neat you have that ancestral fan chart in your great-aunt's handwriting! What a gift she left her family.
      I don't know of William Potter but my 11th great uncle Thomas Granger was executed in 1642 at Plymouth Colony for "buggery" with animals. He was just a teenager and the servant of my 9th great-grandfather Love Brewster. They killed all the farm animals in front of him (which were incredibly valuable at that time) and then executed him. Scary, sad stuff. Chris

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  2. Chris..sorry to be so late getting back to you..Your post was/is so fascinating..I've read about this person and his "buggery" with animals..so very sad about this "person" and the animals..I'm back online now..if you have any more info on our descendants,you can email me to "mccellen@gmail.com"...

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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