Ancestors from Eastham/Orleans/Truro, Barnstable Co., Mass.

This post is part of an ongoing project--organizing my direct ancestors by the towns in New England where they lived. I love learning about the towns in which they lived and will list my favorite resources. Please add a comment about your family from these towns and your favorite resources as well. 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.

Henry Atkins, b about 1617 in England, first at Plymouth, m. Elizabeth Wells 1647 at Barnstable and Bethia Linnell 1664 at Eastham, died Eastham bef Aug 1700. I descend through Henry and Bethiah’s Joseph born Eastham 1669 who married Martha Pease about 1709 at Edgartown, died Eastham 1726. Then through his daughter Anna Atkins b. 1713 at Eastham, m. Paul Sears about 1730 prob at Eastham and died 1783 at Chatham. 

Edward Bangs, b. about 1591, also lived in Plymouth, married Rebecca _____, died Eastham 1677-1678. Descend through his daughter Rebecca b. Plymouth about 1636 and married Jonathan Sparrow and they lived at Eastham.

Daniel Cole, born Dec 1614 at Weeden Bec, Northamptonshire, married Ruth Collier in 1643 probably at Eastham, died there 20 Nov 1694. I descend through their son Timothy 2 Cole who was born Eastham Sept 1646, married ____ and died prob Eastham after 15 Jan 1695. Then through his son Timothy 3 who was born prob Eastham 1684-1688, married Apphia Pepper and died Eastham 24 April 1760. Then through their daughter Dorothy Cole born Eastham 15 May 1712, married Thomas Freeman of Eastham and moved to Harwich where she died in 1782.

Josias Cooke, born about 1610 in England, migrated 1633, lived first Plymouth where he m. Elizabeth Ring in 1635, died Eastham 17 Oct 1673. He was one of the first seven settlers in an area of Harwich that became Eastham. Sometimes called Josiah in records. No known relationship to Francis Cooke of the Mayflower. I descend through his on Josiah who was born Eastham 1645, m. Deborah Hopkins, died Plymouth 1732. Then descend through Deborah Cooke who was born Eastham 1679, m. Moses Godfrey about 1700, died Chatham 1745. 

Major John 2 Freeman born England 1627, raised in Sandwich, Mass., moved to Eastham; married to Mercy Prence. I descend through their son Thomas Freeman who was born Eastham 1653, married Rebecca Sparrow, moved to an area of Harwich that became Brewster. 

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. 

Thomas 4 Freeman born Harwich, now Brewster, in 1676 (Thomas 3, John 2, Edmund 1 Freeman), married 1^st Bathsheba Mayo, 2^nd Mary Smith (b. 1685 Oyster River now Durham NH to James Smith and Sarah Davis; she survived an Indian attack in Oyster River that killed her mother and brother). Thomas died 1717 in an area of Harwich that became Orleans. I descend through Thomas and Mary’s son Thomas, born 1708 at Harwich, married Dorothy Cole at Eastham, died 1766 in Harwich (now Orleans). I then descend through their son Thomas born Eastham, 1731, married Esther Ryder (born Chatham at 1731, the daughter of Nathaniel Ryder and Desire Godfrey),  died Falmouth 1800. 

George Godfrey, lived at Eastham and likely died there after 1688, I have little info on him so far. I descend through his son Moses who was born Eastham 1668, m. Deborah Cooke about 1700 at Eastham, died Chatham 1743. Then descend through Desire Godfrey born about 1712 at Yarmouth, m. Nathaniel Ryder 1728 at Chatham, and died Chatham after Feb 1742. 

Constance Hopkins, b. 1606 at Hursley, Hampshire, m. Nicholas Snow at Plymouth 1623-1627, moved to Eastham and died there in 1677.  Nicholas Snow was b. about 1600 in England, died 1676 at Eastham.  He came to Plymouth in 1623 on the Anne. He lived in Plymouth but by 1645 was at Eastham. I descend through two of Constance’s sons:

1.      Joseph born Eastham Nov 1634, m. Mary ___, died Eastham 1723. I then descend through their son Thomas Snow likely born Eastham, m. Priscilla Butler.

2.      John Snow b. about 1638, married Mary Smalley, died Eastham before April 1692. Then through their daughter Rebecca Snow, b. Eastham 1676, m. Benjamin Small moved to Salisbury CT where she died in 1753. 

Memorial stone, Constance Hopkins Snow, Cove Burying Ground, Eastham

Giles Hopkins, b. 1609 at Hursley, Hampshire, m. Katharine Whelden in Plymouth 1639, died 1689-1690 at Eastham. I then descend through daughter Deborah who was born Eastham 1648, m. Josiah Cooke there in 1668, probably died there sometime between 1687-1727. 

John Mayo b 1598 Northamptonshire, m. Thomasine Brike, died Yarmouth May 1676. Minister who was at the Eastham Church in 1646, then in 1655 to 2^nd Church Boston, then to Yarmouth. Then through their daughter Elizabeth b. 1630 England, m. Joseph Howes in Yarmouth 1650s, died Yarmouth 1700. 

Robert Pepper, born about 1618 in England, m. Elizabeth Johnson (born 1619 at London, dau of John Johnson and Mary Heath); he was in Roxbury by 1639 where he died in 1684. Descend through their son Isaac Pepper born Roxbury 1659, m Apphia Freeman in 1685 at Eastham, and he was an early settler at Eastham. Then descend through their daughter Apphia Pepper (b. Eastham 1687) who m. Timothy Cole at Eastham in 1709. 

Thomas Prence, b. about 1600 at Gloucestershire England, came to Plymouth on the Fortune in 1621, m. 1^st Patience Brewster in 1624 at Plymouth (dau of William and Mary Brewster), 2^nd Mary Collier dau of William Collier, 3^rd Apphia Feeman, 4^th Mary __ Howes widow of Thomas Howes (also my direct descendant).  He also lived at Duxbury and Eastham (in an area that became Orleans) and became Governor of the Colony.  He died Plymouth I 1673. I descend through Thomas and Patience’s daughter Mercy b. 1631 prob Plymouth and married Major John Freeman in 1650 at Eastham.

Francis Small/Smalley, born about 1625 in Biddiford, Devon, m. Elizabeth (possibly Leighton), died about 1713 in Truro. Originally settled in Maine.  I descend through his son Benjamin who was born in Maine about 1665, m. Rebecca Snow about 1694, moved to Lebanon CT where he died before 1721. Then descend through daughter Mary Small born Truro 1705, m. John Nickerson at Yarmouth in 1729.

John Smalley he came on the William and Francis 1632, group of first settlers in an area that became Harwich, later Eastham, then Orleans. Eventually moved to Piscataway NJ. He married Ann Walden in 1638 at Plymouth.  I then descend through their daughter Mary Smalley, b. 1647 at Eastham, m. John Snow 1677 at Eastham. 

Ralph Smith/Smyth, b. 1612 Hingham, Norfolk, England, m. ____, died before 27 Oct 1685 at Eastham. Arrived on the Lincoln in 1633. In Eastham by 1657. First settled at Hingham. I descend through his son Daniel Smith b. before 1647 at Hingham, Plymouth Co., m Mary Young at Eastham 1676 (she was born 1658 at Eastham dau of John Young and Abigail Howland), died 1716-1720 Eastham. Then through Content Smith b. 1680 at Eastham, m. Thomas Howes 1701 at Eastham. 

Richard Sparrow, born about 1605 in England, m. Pandora ____ about 1628 in England, was in Plymouth 1632, he moved to Eastham by 1653, died Eastham 1661. I descend through their only child, Jonathan, born about 1629 in England, m. 1^st Rebecca Bangs in 1654, 2^nd Hannah (Prence) Mayo, 3^rd Sarah (Lewis) Cobb. He died Eastham 1707. Rebecca was born Plymouth about 1636, dau of Edward and Rebecca Bangs. I descend through Jonathan and Rebecca’s daughter Rebecca who was born Plymouth 1655, m. Thomas Freeman in 1673, died in Harwich (now Brewster) in 1740. 

William Twining, birth unknown, married 1^st Anne ___ and 2^nd Anna Doane. He first appears in records in 1641. Moved to Yarmouth and then Eastham where he died in 1659.  I descend through Isabel, the daughter of William and Anne, who m. Francis Baker at Plymouth and moved to Yarmouth/Dennis where she raised her family, dying there in 1706.

Robert Wixon, b. ca 1617 in England, m. Alice ____, probably at Eastham, died 1686 at Eastham. He was at Plymouth in 1634 and Eastham by 1648. Many believe Alice was a Native American. He lived in an area of Eastham that at the time was Harwich and now is in Orleans. I descend through their son Barnabas born prob Eastham 1660-1663, m. Sarah Remick (Sarah was born 1663, the daughter of Christian Remick of Kittery, Maine), died after June 1735 at Yarmouth. Barnabas lived in an area of Yarmouth that would become Dennisport. I then descend through Joshua Wixon, born 1695 at Plymouth, m. Hannah Baker in 1715 at Yarmouth (Hannah was born 1696, the daughter of Daniel Baker and Elizabeth Chase) and 2^nd Elizabeth Chase  in 1731 at Yarmouth. Joshua may have moved to the Oblong, now Putnam County, New York. I then descend through Reuben Wixon, b. Yarmouth 1717, m. Dorcas Chase 1746 Harwich (Dorcas was the daughter of William Chase and Dorcas Baker), died 1799, at Dennis. I then descend through their son Job Wixon, b. Dennis 1759, m. Desire Chase 1785 (Desire was born about 1755, dau of Sylvanus Chase and Charity Chase), died 1813 at Dennis. I descend through their daughter Rosanna, b. 1789 at Harwich, m. James Harding Eldredge 1818 at Harwich, died Denisport in 1868. 

John Young, b. abt 1623, m. Abigail Howland 1648 at Plymouth (Abigail was b. about 1628 the daughter of Henry and Mary Howland), d. 1691 in Eastham (now Orleans).  He first appears in Plymouth records in 1643, he moved to Eastham about 1650. I descend through their daughter Mary who was born 1658 at Eastham, m. Daniel Smith in 1676 at Plymouth, died after 20 Jan 1720. 

Favorite Eastham resources:

Josiah Paine, Early Settlers of Eastham, Book 2, Library of Cape Cod History and Genealogy, No. 32, 1916

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