Robert Barrow (ca 1641-December 1707) and His Wives Ruth Bonham & Lydia Dunham of Plymouth, Mass.

Robert Barrow/Barrows was born about 1641, probably at Plymouth, the son of John Barrow whose wife’s name is unknown.  [NEHGR 166:125]  It is often claimed that he was born Salem, but genealogist Martin Hollick’s research indicates that was a different man. I haven’t found any indication of what Robert did for a living, so perhaps he was a farmer. That he signed documents with a mark indicates he was illiterate. 

On 28 November 1666 Robert Barrow married Ruth Bonham/Bonum at Plymouth. [Plymouth VR 1:665] Ruth was born about 1646 at Plymouth, the daughter of George and Sarah (Morton) Bonham. I wrote about George and Sarah here. Robert and Ruth are my 9th great-grandparents on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family. 

Children of Robert and Ruth, all presumably born Plymouth [Hollick]:

1. John born about 1667; m. 1st Hannah Briggs; m. 2nd Bethiah King; died 7 October 1720 Plympton

2. Eleazer born 15 September 1669; died 13 December 1669 

3. George born about 1671; m. 1st Patience Simmons; 2nd Anna (Waterman) Ransom; 3rd Hannah/Anna (Ransom) Jackson; died 23 March 1758 Carver

4. Samuel Barrows born about 1673; m. 1st Mercy Coombs and 2nd Joanna (Wood) Smith; died 30 Dec 1755 Middleborough

5. Mehitable born about 1675; m. 1st Adam Wright  [TAG 59:167] and 2nd Deacon John Washburn; died 1754 probably at Kingston

6. Ruth born about 1677; m. John Briggs

I descend from Ruth. 

Ruth (Bonham) Barrow died after 21 Feb 1679, when mentioned in a deed by her father, and before 1684, as Robert had a second wife by this time. [Hollick] She was in her 30s.

Robert married, second, Lydia Dunham, about 1684 [based on birth of first child]. She was born Plymouth about 1656, the daughter of John Dunham. [Williams]

Children of Robert and Lydia (Dunham) Barrow, born Plymouth [Hollick]:

7. Elijah born March 1684/5; died January 1689/90 Plymouth

8. Robert baptized Plymouth 7 April 1689 “Robert, son of Lydia Barrow,” [Plymouth First Church Records, p. 334]; m. Bethiah Ford 25 April 1711 at Plymouth [PVR 14:36]

9. Thankful born 8 December 1692, m. Isaac King

10. Elisha born 16 June 1695; m. 1st Thankful (——); 2nd Nellie Lumbard; died 9 Nov 1767 Rochester

11. Thomas born February 1697; m. Esther Hall 14 June 1721

12. Lydia born 19 March 1699; m. Thomas Branch

Robert also raised Martha Everson who was born about 1664: John Everson placed his daughter Martha with Robert Barrow “to be as his own child” on 29 July 1669. [Plymouth Town Records 1:112] She kept her birth name—Martha Everson married Hugh Briggs, son of John, on 1 March 1682/3. [PCR 8:84]

He is mentioned in his father’s 12 January 1691/2 will, who bequeathed land he bought from Francis Billington to his eldest son Robert. [The Genealogical Advertiser 3:26] “Robert Barrows Senr” made oath to his father’s will at Plymouth on 6 April 1692, signing by his mark. [MD 31:159]

George Bonum of Plymouth on 30 January 1679 deeded a Plymouth homestead and land to his son-in-law Robert Barrows and daughter Ruth Barrow his wife. The land is near the Great Street on the southerly side of town, from the Grist Mill to the north hill. It doesnt seem this transaction includes ownership of the grist mill but I’m unsure. [Plymouth Colony deeds 4:306] Second deed dated 21 February 1679 and mentions Robert and Ruth similarly, deeded them meadow land and a parcel of land at the New Field, bounds are mentioned as land of Mr. John Raynor, Andrew Ringe, widow Sarah Wood, and the Town Common. [Plymouth Colony 4:365] The handwriting in both of these deeds is challenging to decipher.

On 15 June 1695 Jonathan Sparrow of Eastham quitclaimed to George Bonum a house in Plymouth in the tenure of Robert Barrow of Plymouth and also one acre of land adjoining with two barns on it and also six acres of land in the new field. [MD 43:72] George is likely Ruth’s father.

Sometime between 1695 and 1701 Robert and Lydia removed to Falmouth on Cape Cod. It seems odd he would move after living his entire 60 or so years in Plymouth. I haven’t seen an indication of any of their children living there and there are no Barrow/Barrows in the Falmouth Vital Records to 1850.

On 19 September 1701 Robert Barrow deeded land to Joseph Sturtevant as "Robert Barrow, son of John Barrow, late of Plimoth deceased, now resident of Falmouth in ye county of Barnstable.” The sum was six and twenty pounds for his land at Plymouth including an orchard, bounded by land of John Sturtevant, the County Road, land of Nathaniel Southworth, and land of John Gray. Robert signed with his mark. [Plymouth County Deeds 4:68]

On 2 December 1723 John Bryant and James Bryant sold 30 acres of land [in Plympton?] they had purchased from Lydia Barrow and Robert Barrow. It was near the new meeting house by the road from Kingston to Bridgewater. [Plymouth Colony Deeds 17:213, 39:75]

Robert and Lydia were living again in Plymouth when Robert died in December 1707.

Robert died at Plymouth 9 and 29 December in 1707. He was about 66 years old. Robert wrote his will on 9 December 1707, added a codicil on 19 December, and the will was proved 29 December 1707. [PCPR 3:23, No. 1131]

He named Lydia executrix and left her his dwelling house and land, 2 cows, 18 sheep, a mare, gun, sword,  and all household goods. If she remarried or at her decease, all would go to his children. He bequeathed several lots of Plymouth land to his sons Robert and Thomas, signing by mark. 

An undated codicil, evidently added to the original, reads "whereas in my will above written I have made no mention of sundry of my children these may certify the reason (viz.) because my children by my first wife have already had their portions and as to my son Elisha and my daughters by my last wife I have given a considerable part of my estate to my said wife to be by her disposed to them as she shall so cause."

On 19 December 1707 Robert Barrow of Plymouth’s will was proved and Lidia Barrow was named Executrix.

Lydia “Barro” died “in ye winter of 1717/8” at Plymouth. [Plymouth First Church Records p. 286]

On 20 June 1717, two of Robert’s children by his first wife acknowledged they received their portion of the estate. George Barrow, Adam Wright & wife Mehitable, children of our honoured father Robert Barrow, have received of our mother in law Lydia Barrow, executrix to the last will & testament of our said father, all our part & portion of our said father’s estate. Witnesses: Thomas Croade, Joseph Thomas. [Susan E. Roser, Mayflower Deeds and Probates, 1994, p 161 and PCPR 4:12]

On 22 December 1725 the children and grandchild of Robert Barrow and wife Ruth of Plymouth both deceased, being George Barrow for himself and sister Mehitable, Samuel Barrow, Samuel Barrow, son of John Barrow deceased and Ruth Briggs, sold a house, lot and barn at Plymouth to Robert Barrow of Mansfield, Connecticut. [Hollick]

Findagrave, Memorial ID 532286854, Robert Barrow 164_ to 1707, is noted as buried in Goshen, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. It would make so sense for him to be buried so far from his death location of Plymouth. It is a later stone with many family member dates inscribed so must be a memorial stone erected by a descendant. It mistakenly states he was born in Salem. 

Sources:

Martin E. Hollick, NEHGS Register, “John Barrows of Plymouth,”  vol 166, April 2012

Alicia Crane Williams, Early New England Families, 1641-1700, vol 1

Mrs. John E. Barclay, The American Genealogist, “Notes on the Briggs Families of Taunton, Mass.,” 31:81 (1957)

The Genealogical Advertiser, “Abstracts from the First Book of Plymouth County Probate Records,” 3:26

Torrey’s New England Marriages to 1700, 1:97

Alice Carpenter ca 1590 to 1670 of England, Leiden, and Plymouth and Her Husbands Edward Southworth and William Bradford

Alice was born about 1590, likely at Wrington, Somersetshire, the daughter of Alexander Carpenter who was a Separatist at Leiden with the Pilgrims. [Anderson] Her mother’s name is not known.  

Alice is shown to be a daughter of Alexander from the 23 July 1612 Leiden marriage record of Julian Carpenter from Bath to George Morton, accompanied by her father Alexander Carpenter and her sister Alice Carpenter. [MD 11:193] Juliann/Juliana and George are also my direct ancestors; I wrote about them here.

About 1614 Alice Carpenter married Edward Southworth at Leiden. [MD 10:1] Alice and Edward are my 13th great-grandparents on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family.

Edward Southworth was likely the child of that name baptized 12 April 1585 at Clarborough, Nottinghamshire, England, son of Richard Southworth and Immyun Aston. [Allan] 

Edward was a member of the Pilgrim’s Separatist group that fled England to Leiden, where John Robinson was their religious leader. At some point, Alice and Edward returned to England as Edward received a letter there in 1620.

Alice and Edward had two sons: 

1. Constant born about 1615 probably at Leiden; married Elizabeth Collier; died Duxbury in Plymouth Colony 11 March 1678/79. He held a number of influential and high-ranking positions in government: Governor’s assistant, colony treasurer, deputy for Duxbury to the Plymouth court, and was also a frequent committee member. He owned a grist mill and was a large land owner. 
2. Thomas born about 1619 probably at Leiden; married Elizabeth Reynor; died 8 Dec 1669 at Plymouth. He held important positions: commissioner to the United Colonies, Governor’s assistant, deputy to the Plymouth Court, and selectman. He was lieutenant in 1648 and 1653 and captain of the military company of Plymouth in 1659 and 1661.

I descend from Constant; I wrote about him here.

Author Sue Allan sets forth in her book In Search of the Separatist Edward Southworth of Leiden circumstantial evidence that Edward was from Nottinghamshire, rather than Lancashire as some suggest. She found no evidence of a Lancashire connection and feels that theory should be dismissed. She suggests using Occam’s razor when determining Edward’s origins—the simplest explanation is usually the right one, and in Edward’s case that means a Clarborough birth. One bit of evidence is a Southworth Coat of Arms, which is said to have been embroidered by Alice, is much closer, except for a reversal of colors, to the Clarborough family arms than the Lancashire one. William Pontus was a known Separatist who fled to Holland where one of the groomsmen who witnessed his 1611 marriage to Wybra Hanson was Edward Southworth. An Ann Southworth married Richard Pontas/Pontus at Clarborough; perhaps Edward is related as Pontus is an unusual surname and knew Edward from their hometown. Clarborough was at the geographical center of a “Golden Triangle” of fervent Separatist activity.

Edward was living in London when he received a letter from Robert Cushman dated 17 August 1620. It is addressed to Edward Southworth, Heneage House, Duke’s Place, Aldgate Ward, London. Robert told his “loving friend” that he did not expect to see him again because of the dangers of the imminent journey and the “infirmity of body hath seized me.” [Allan] Robert, however, lived until 1625 while Edward was the one who would soon die. Robert Cushman is my 12th great-grandfather and was heavily involved in the business side of raising funds for the Pilgrims trip to America. 

Edward likely died at London between the writing of Cushman’s 1620 letter and the sailing of the ship Fortune the following year. He was about 34 years old. If he died at the address of the letter, he may have been buried at the nearest church—St. Mary’s of Whitechapel but no burial record for him there, but there are gaps in St. Mary’s registers for the years 1619-1621. [Allan]

In 1623 Alice Carpenter Southworth sailed on the Anne, arriving at Plymouth on July 10. On 14 August 1623 she married Governor William Bradford. [MD 30:4] Since the marriage took place so soon after the ship landed, it seems the marriage had already been arranged, perhaps by correspondence between them.

William Bradford was baptized Austerfield, Yorkshire, 19 March 1589/90, son of William and Alice (Hanson) Bradford. He married first Dorothy May on 10 December 1613 at Amsterdam. They had one child, John, born about 1617. Dorothy died by drowning when she fell from the Mayflower on 7 December 1620. [Anderson] When she fell from the ship or jumped is not known with certainty. 

The marriage of William Bradford and Alice Carpenter Southworth was noted in a September 1623 letter written by Emmanuel Altham to his brother Sir Edward Altham [James]:

"Upon the occasion of the Governor's marriage, since I came, Massasoit was sent for to the wedding, where came with him his wife, the queen, although he hath five wives. With him came four other kings and about six score men with their bows and arrows - where, when they came to our town, we saluted them with the shooting off of many muskets and training our men. And so all the bows and arrows was brought into the Governor's house, and he brought the Governor three or four bucks and a turkey. And so we had very good pastime in seeing them dance, which is in such manner, with such a noise that you would wonder...

"And now to say somewhat of the great cheer we had at the Governor's marriage. We had about twelve pasty venisons, besides others, pieces of roasted venison and other such good cheer in such quantity that I could wish you some of our share. For here we have the best grapes that ever you say - and the biggest, and divers sorts of plums and nuts which our business will not suffer us to look for."

Alice’s two sons Constant and Thomas Southworth came to Plymouth in 1628 with their Aunt Juliana Carpenter Morton, so perhaps they had been living with her. 

Also interesting is that Alice had four sisters: Juliann (spelled in a variety of ways including Julian, Julianna), Priscilla, Agnes, and Mary Carpenter. All the sisters eventually came to Plymouth except Agnes who married Samuel Fuller but she died before he sailed on the Mayflower in 1620. I am also descended from Juliana and her husband George Morton 

Alice had three children with William Bradford [Anderson]: 

1. William born 17 June 1624 [MD 30:4] ; m 1st Alice Richards; 2nd a woman whose name is unknown, 3rd Mary (Wood) Holmes
2. Mercy born by 1627; m. Benjamin Vermayes; perhaps died young as she is not mentioned in her father’s 1657 will or her 1670 mother’s will 
3. Joseph born about 1630; m. Jael Hobart 

William Bradford died 9 May 1657 at Plymouth. [Anderson] In his 9 May 1657 will, he named Alice executrix and for “her future maintenance my will is that my stock in the Kennebecke trade be reserved for her comfortable subsistence.” [PCPR 2:1:54-59]

Alice wrote her will 7 June 1670. She asked that her body be buried near her late husband Mr. William Bradford. She left bequests to her sister Mary Carpenter, her son Mr. Constant Southworth, son Mr. Joseph Bradford, son Captain William Bradford, friend Mr. Thomas Prence, grandchild Elizabeth Howland the daughter of Alice’s deceased son Captain Thomas Southworth, Elizabeth Howland’s son James Howland, and servant maid Mary Smith. [Will transcribed at PilgrimHall.org]

Alice Carpenter Southworth Bradford died Plymouth 26 March 1670. [MD 18:68] She was about 80 years old. "On the 26th day of March, 1670, Mistris Allice Bradford, Seni'r, changed this life for the better, haueing attained to fourscore years of age, or therabouts. Shee was a godly matron, and much loued while shee liued, and lamented, tho aged, when shee died, and was honorabley enterred on the 29th day of the month aforsaid, att New Plymouth.”

The  inventory of Alice Bradford late of Plymouth was taken June 1670 and totaled over £162. It did not include real estate. It is very lengthy and included livestock, a great deal of household items including valuable silver, a large collection of her late husband’s books, two guns, 

Alice led such an interesting, albeit hard, life. She was widowed when she was about 31. She left her two young sons behind to make the arduous voyage to Plymouth where she must have heard about the vast number of deaths. She married the most important man in the colony—Governor William Bradford. Her wedding was a large affair with Native Americans in attendance—imagine how eye popping that must have been for a newly arrived English woman. After about 7 years, she was reunited with her two sons, and she had three more children with Bradford. Her Southworth sons benefitted from Bradford being their stepfather as they grew up to be influential men themselves. She was the first lady of the colony, so was expected to set an example in all matters, especially religious ones. 

Sources:

Sue Allan, In Search of the Separatist Edward Southworth of Leiden, 2019

Eugene Stratton, Plymouth Colony Its History and People, 1986

Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, 1995

Sidney V. James, Jr., editor, Three Visitors to Early Plymouth, 1963

David Nye 1706-1796 and his Wife Elizabeth Briggs of Sandwich, Rochester, and Douglas, Mass.

David Nye was born 1 July 1706 at Sandwich on Cape Cod, the son of Jonathan Nye and his second wife Patience Burgess. [Sandwich VR p 67] He was a twin with sister Zerviah. His father owned the mill founded by David’s grandfather Benjamin Nye, which was on the grounds of their home which is a house museum today.

David Nye [he is of Sandwich in intentions] married Elizabeth Briggs 25 October 1733 at Rochester in Plymouth County. [Rochester VR 2:226] Elizabeth was born Rochester 5 June 1718 to John and Ruth (Barrow) Briggs.  She was also a twin with her brother Samuel. 

Being the 12th or 13th oldest of the 14 children of his father Jonathan, David must have had to make his own way, so could be why he moved to Rochester. He was mentioned in his father’s  7 July 1744 will as already receiving his portion of the estate, so perhaps he was deeded land. Quite a few Sandwich citizens relocated to Rochester (originally called Sippican and part of Barnstable County), so is possible his father received a land grant there and in turn deeded it to David. 

Elizabeth and David had a huge family of 14 children born Rochester, all living to adulthood:

1. Ruth born Rochester 7 November 1734 [Rochester VR 1:226]; m. Elijah Williams

2. Zerviah born Rochester 16 May 1736 [Rochester VR 1:226]; m. Reverend. E. Jones [Rochester VR 1:226]

3. David born Rochester 2 April 1738 [Rochester VR 1:223]; m. Desire Thacher daughter of Rev. Roland Thacher; he was of Wareham where he is called Gentleman; served as a Captain in the Revolutionary War

4. Jonathan born Rochester 22 March 1740 [Rochester VR 1:225]; m. Elizabeth Irish; served in the Revolutionary War

5. Ward born Rochester 13 Dec 1741 [Rochester VR 1:226]; m. 1st Mary Chase, 2nd Rachel Stone; lived in Douglas where he died 3 June 1818 

6. Elizabeth born Rochester 22 Sept 1743[Rochester VR 1:224]; m. Deacon Roland Thacher son of Rev. Roland Thacher

7. John born Rochester 6 June 1745 [Rochester VR 1:225]; m. Lois West; lived in Lee, Mass., served Revolutionary War

8. Abigail born Rochester 15 March 1747 [Rochester VR 1:223]; m. Josiah Stevens; lived Wareham where Josiah owned a grist mill

9. Keziah born Rochester 20 April 1749 [Rochester VR 1:225]; m. Amiriah Holbrooke of Douglas

10. Susanna born Rochester 23 May 1752 [Rochester VR 1:226]; m. Nathan Lackey of Sutton

11. Stephen, twin, born Rochester 13 Sept 1756 [Rochester VR 1:226]; served in the Revolutionary War; died 1782 in Rhode Island

12. Deliverance, twin,  born Rochester 13 September 1756 [Rochester VR 1:223]; m. George Linton of Uxbridge

13. Prince, twin, born Rochester 10 August 1759 [Rochester VR 1:226]; served in the Revolutionary War

14. Patience, twin, born Rochester 10 August 1759; m Alexander Wilson of Mendon [she’s not in Rochester vital records but her birth is from Nye Genealogy]

I descend from Jonathan. It is interesting to me that David and Elizabeth were each fraternal twins, David also had a pair of twin siblings, and they had two sets of fraternal twins themselves. I love that they named so many children after parents and siblings: Zerviah, David, Ruth, John, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Patience, Keziah. Incredibly five of their sons served in the Revolutionary War. 

The Genealogy of the Nye Family states that before 1772 David and Elizabeth removed to distant Douglas in Worcester County and that David had a tavern there in 1781. I haven’t found a primary source for this, but their younger children married people from that area. Douglas was established in the 1730s and incorporated in 1746. 

Elizabeth died 8 September 1777. [Nye; no location provided] 

David died 17 April 1796 probably at Douglas. [Nye & Hannibal] I haven’t found this death record. Douglas vital records have plenty of Nye births and marriages but no Nye deaths recorded.

Sources:

George Hyatt and Frank Best, Benjamin Nye of Sandwich, His Ancestors and Descendants, A Genealogy of the Nye Family, Nye Family Association, 1907

Edna Anne Hannibal, John Briggs of Sandwich, Massachusetts and His Descendants, 1962

William Nickerson (1701-1763) and His Wife Sarah Covell of Chatham, Massachusetts

William Nickerson was born Chatham 15 May 1701 to William Nickerson and Deliverance Lombard. His great-grandfather William 1 Nickerson was the founder of Chatham. [Birth date from genealogy by Nickerson Family Association hereafter NFA; I have not found his birth record or other source for this date.]  I wrote about William and Deliverance Nickerson here.

About 1723 (first child born 1724) William married Sarah Covell at Chatham, the daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Bassett) Covell. [Smith] I have not found Sarah’s birth record but I believe she was born say 1705 as her parent’s married in March 1703/04 and she married about 1723. The Covell and Nickerson families were quite intertwined—Sarah’s grandfather Nathaniel Covell was married to Sarah Nickerson the daughter of William 1 Nickerson. William and Sarah are my 8th great-grandparents on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.

The births of 11 children of William and Sarah Nickerson were recorded Chatham [Chatham Vital Records in MD 9:182 & 221; all births recorded by Town Clerk James Covel on 19 March 1749] :

1. Absalom born 12 Nov 1724; married Sarah —?—; was a master mariner
2. Stephen born 11 Oct 1726; married Dorcas Nickerson, 2nd Martha Hallett; removed to Nova Scotia
3. Deliverance born 11 Jun 1728; married Ebenezer Eldredge; removed to Harwich
4. James born 24 April 1730; married Mehitable Covell and removed to Connecticut
5. Mercy born 07 May 1732; married 1st Heman Kenney and 2nd Joshua Atwood
6. Elizabeth born 15 May 1735; married Archelous Smith; removed to Nova Scotia
7. William born 24 Feb 1736; married 1st Martha Ellis and 2nd Roxanne Hopkins; removed to Maine
8. Lumbert born 14 April 1739; married Eunice Ryder; died Chatham in 1804
9. Susannah born 1 June 1741; married Isaac Howes
10. Joshua born 7 August 1743; married Deborah Ryder; removed to Harwich
11. Gideon born 14 March 1745; married Sarah Bearse; removed to Nova Scotia 

I descend from Deliverance; I wrote about her and husband here.

William was considered a religious fanatic. He joined the Separate or New-Light Church in Harwich where he and Richard Chase (also my ancestor) served as the first deacons. This religion broke from the established Congregational Church, eventually becoming the Baptist Church. They believed true preachers did not need formal education and that the mode of baptismal rite was a matter of personal choice. They objected to the ministerial tax and submitted fruitless petitions to be exempt. Some highly respectable men were jailed for refusing to pay the tax. [NFA]

As he was referred to as “yeoman” in records and his inventory included livestock and farming tools, it seems William was primarily a farmer. He was literate as his inventory included books and he did woodwork as it also included carpentry tools.

William was known as William "Red Stockings,” although it is not known why. Perhaps he simply had a penchant for red socks and it helped differentiate himself from other men of the same name. In Chatham records, 18 April 1739 Widow Mary Bassit obliged herself “to you William Nickerson red stocking of said town if I can’t find or make more by any means by your wife or find it my self I do forfit two coverleds of like sort.”  Witnessed by Nathan Bassit and Nathaniel Bassit. This may be Sarah’s grandmother. [NFA]

He is mentioned in his father William Nickerson of Chatham’s 13 September 1739 will but not in his codicil dated 19 Oct 1742. At first glance, his inclusion in the will but not in the codicil seems to indicate he had died between those two dates but that was not the case. He is also the only son not to receive land, but in William the younger’s probate records it states his homestead was at Monomessett Neck, now Nickerson’s Neck, which was where his father lived. Seems likely that William the elder deeded that land to him. 

Map indicating Monomessett Neck (source: Nickerson Family Association)

William was age 61 when he died in February 1763 when he "drowned in a creek out of a canoe last week and is not found yet." [NFA] I found it rather chilling that his inventory included a canoe; perhaps it was recovered after his drowning. Fred Crowell in New Englanders in Nova Scotia wrote William was drowned off Nauset Beach, which is in Eastham and it seems strange he’d go that far in a canoe.

Nauset Beach in distance

William died intestate. His estate was proved 3 May 1763 when Sarah Nickerson, widow, was appointed administratrix of the estate of her late husband William Nickerson, yeoman of Chatham.  [Barnstable Probate Records 10:123] 

His inventory was taken 2 June 1763 and included books, a looking glass, guns, a sword, spinning wheels and yarn, carpenter’s tools, a mare, oxen, heifers, 11 sheep, 10 lambs, 4 swine, tobacco, farming tools including a plough, and a canoe.  Real estate was a land an meadow valued at over £53 and land and all buildings at Monomessett Neck valued at more than £466, a very high value for land at that time. The inventory totaled £612 9 shillings 8 pence. Sarah swore to the inventory on 7 June 1763. [BCPR 12:352-3]

 

It seems William was land rich but cash poor as he died insolvent, leaving Sarah quite a mess to clean up. A 19 June 1764 court document lists the creditors to William Nickerson’s estate and declares the estate insolvent. The total amount due creditors, including court officials, was £169 7 shillings 3 pence. [BCPR 13:49-50]

Sarah Nickerson’s accounting of the estate was presented 5 September 1764. Some of William’s personal estate had been sold for a sum of more than £10. She had paid for threshing of corn and measuring corn and rye and for pork to be salted. Expenses totaled £76 8 shillings 4 pence. She signed with her mark. When charges of administration and debts due to the crown were subtracted there was £43 plus change remaining. The court ordered that the creditors would therefore be paid no more than 5 shillings and 2 pence on the pound for their respective debts. [BCPR 13:49-50]

A partition and division of William’s real estate occurred 1 April 1772. Sarah was to receive one-third part. Parcels mentioned: a small wood lot in Harwich near Great Long Pond purchased of the Quasons [Native Americans]; Monomesset Neck with buildings thereon at the Bay [Pleasant Bay] and Salt Pond. It mentions “the owners or occupiers of the other two thirds” without naming them.  [BCPR 12:526-7]

On 11 August 1772 Sarah Nickerson presented a further accounting of the estate. She had sold, per order of the Superior Court, woodland and meadows for £16 16 shillings. The accounting included costs of selling the land and further administering of the estate and notes she had been paying creditors. [BCPR 12:526-7]

Sarah died before 22 November 1790, probably at Chatham, when she is noted in Chatham records as deceased. [NFA]

Sources:

Nickerson Family Association. The Descendants of William Nickerson 1604-1689, First Settler of Chatham, Mass., vol 1, 1973

William C. Smith, A History of Chatham Massachusetts, 1909

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

John D. Austin, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations: Stephen Hopkins, GSMD, 6:132 (2001)

William C. Smith, Library of Cape Cod History and Genealogy,  "Early Chatham Settlers,” Pamphlet No. 36, 1915