John Faunce ca 1608 to 29 Nov 1653 of Plymouth, Mass. (Part 2)

One of my favorite things to do is discovering the location of ancestors’ homes. When I visit these locations I feel such a strong connection to the past that makes me nearly giddy. It can’t be matched by researching names and dates.  I have read that my 10th great-grandfather John Faunce and his wife Patience (Morton) lived at Eel River in Plymouth. I drive by Eel River frequently so I know it is nearly four miles long—I wanted to get more exactly location or John’s homestead.

I knew that John lived at Eel River from this land transaction: On 1 Nov 1647 George Bonum sold to John Faunce "that lot of land that lyeth next me at the Eel River with the housing and fencings thereabouts"; Manasseh and Jane Kempton witnessed the deed [Mayflower Descendant 10:17-18, citing PCLR 2:1:161]. That he lived there is also mentioned in a variety of historical and genealogical books and periodicals. 

View from Eel River Bridge, River Street

I hit a dead end, however, in pinpointing a more exact location. So I then started doing some collateral research.

John died on 29 November 1653, at just age 45. His widow Patience remarried, so she wouldn’t have stayed in the family homestead. I then looked more closely at his children. I descend through his daughters Mercy as well as Priscilla, and it is unlikely they would have inherited their father’s land.

I knew John’s eldest son was Thomas. He served as Town Clerk, was the church’s Ruling Elder, and lived to nearly 100. In 1741, at age 95, he was brought from his Eel River home to the waterfront where he told the story of Plymouth Rock, pointing out the boulder at the waterfront and identifying Mary Chilton (another direct ancestor of mine) as the first to step upon it. He said his father, John Faunce, had shown him the rock and told him the story, as did several Mayflower passengers. Personally I don’t believe the story of Plymouth Rock but I certainly love what it represents!

I looked at John’s probate record and found that on 29 Oct 1668 "Thomas Faunce appeared in the Court and being of full age was taken notice of by the Court, and owned and acknowledged to be the right heir apparent to the lands of John Faunce, Seni(o)r, sometimes of Plymouth, in New England, deceased" (PCR 5:6). The long delay between John’s death and Thomas claiming his right to his father’s estate was because he was just six or so when his father died. 

So it seems Thomas would have inherited the family homestead! I then started looking at him more closely. I was fortunate to come across an article at Pilgrim Hall Museum that stated John’s son Thomas Faunce lived on the west side of River Street, near Eel River bridge. There is now a house located at the spot on the corner of Langford Road and River Street. [Victoria B. Engstrom, Eel River Valley, Pilgrim Society Notes, Series One, Number 23, 1976]

Eureka! I don’t know the author’s source for this information but it is good enough for me as it aligns with everything else I have read.

Corner of River Street and Langford Road

It’s a lovely area and at its higher elevations one can see Plymouth Bay. Before so many homes were built in the area, it must have been an easy walk down to what is now Plymouth Beach and the Bay beyond. Langford Road is just a stone's throw from Eel River Bridge. It's just down the road from Plimoth Plantation/Plimoth Patuxet and three miles from Burial Hill in downtown Plymouth.

House currently on the corner of River and Langford

Years ago I wrote a sketch on John Faunce which can be seen here.

John Pease 1608 to about 1675 and His Wife Lucy of Salem and Martha’s Vineyard

John Pease was baptized at St. Mary’s Church at Great Baddow Essex on 20 Nov 1608, the son of Robert Pease, a locksmith  His mother was Margaret whose maiden name is not known. I have not yet done research on his parents. He is my 9th great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.

St. Mary's at Great Baddow

On 30 April 1634 “John Pease” aged 27, with three children under his care, “Fayth Clearke,” aged 15, “Robert Pease,” aged 3, and “Darcas Greene,’ aged 15, was enrolled at Ipswich as a passenger for New England on the Francis.  I’m not sure who these children are—perhaps Robert is his nephew as his brother Robert was on board the same ship.

On 4 Feb 1634, Henry Dade wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury that the ships Francis and Elizabeth with 60 men in each set sail for New England and he supposes they are debtors or persons disaffected with the established church. [Calendars of State Papers, American and Colonial Series, 1574-1660]

There is a great deal of conflicting information on John Pease, about whether he was the same man who was at Salem, Connecticut, and Martha’s Vineyard and if so, in which order he lived at each place. In this sketch, my main reference on the sticky points is Robert Charles Anderson’s work. Anderson does not mention his living in Connecticut, although John did own a house and land in New London, Connecticut, at the time of his death which his son John inherited. I believe that if he did move to Connecticut, he returned to Edgartown. 

John Pease was first at Salem, where his brother Robert and his mother Margaret also lived. In the 1636 Salem land grant John Pease received 20 acres in the non-freeman’s section of the list [Salem Town Records/STR 1:24]. In the 25 Dec 1637 grant of undivided meadow, “Jo[hn] Pease” was granted half an acre for a household of two [STR 1:103]. On 23 April 1638 the town of Salem granted to “John Pease five acres of land next adjoining to Samuell Corninge near unto the watermill.” [STR 1:69] On an unknown date, Robert Goodale had purchased 30 acres from “Robert Pease & his brother.” [STR 1:171]

On 25 June 1639 the Salem court reported that “Mr. Gervas Garford hired a cow of John Pease for a year; Pease being then absent, Garford was ordered to keep the cow till Pease returned. [Essex Quarterly Court records/EQC 1:11] This seems to indicate a long absence by Pease from Salem—perhaps he was a mariner or was already scoping out a move to Martha’s Vineyard.

There are two more court records that mention John. On 25 Jan 1641[/2], “Elias Stilton Sr” sued “John Pease” for an unknown cause [EQC 1:30]. On 26 Dec 1643, “John Pease” sued “Thom[a]s Trusler” for trespass [EQC 1:56]. 

By about 1637, likely at Salem, John married a woman named Lucy whose maiden name is unknown. Charles Banks identified her as Lucy Weston, daughter of Francis but Anderson believes her maiden name is unknown. The Massachusetts Bay Court ordered on 3 Nov 1635 “that John Pease shall be whipped, & bound to his good behavior, for striking his mother, Mrs. Weston, & deriding of her, & for diverse other misdemeanors, & other evil carriages.” [Mass Bay Court Records 1:155] Banks must have assumed that that Mrs. Weston, the wife of Francis Weston, was John’s mother-in-law, hence identifying Lucy’s maiden name as Weston.  

I hope John was a kinder husband and father than he was a son.

To make things more confusing, I found a will that fits to be that of John’s mother Margaret, but her last name is Pease, not Weston. It was written 1 September 1644 and proved February 1644/45. She owned property in Salem. It does not mention a son John. It does mention son Robert, and sons of her son Robert, John and Robert. [Office of the Clerk of Courts in Salem, book 1, leaf 35] 

Despite accumulating quite a lot of land at Salem, John started over by moving to Martha’s Vineyard where he was one of the earliest white settlers. On 18 June 1644 “John Pease hath sold unto Ingersell one house & 75 acres of land adjoining to the farm wherein the said Richard dwelleth.” [SLR 1:53] 

An undated document records the Martha’s Vineyard lands of “John Pease the elder” as “one house and household of ten acres of upland and 2 acres of meadow lying at the norther[n]most end of the town Great Harbor”; “a dividend lying from beyond the plain containing twenty-five acres…called Mashakett, in the cove of thence”; “a little neck of land containing five acres of land…lying towards Sanchacontackett”; “[note: there is a Sengekontacket Pond, a vast saltwater pond that spans the towns of Edgartown and Oak Bluffs and borders Nantucket Sound on the north] “a lot of land upon Chapequideck Neck lying upon the higher land there, from water to water, cross the neck”; “a small parcel of meadow [at] Sangacontacett in the last division there”; and “a share of Mechem’s Field being 21st lot” [Martha’s Vineyard Hist 2:Edgartown:101, transcription of a document in private hands].  A street to the south of his land is called Peases Point Way.

Children with Lucy:

i.James Pease born 15 March 1637[/8?]; m (1) Elizabeth Norton daughter of Nicholas Norton; m (2) 22 April 1706 Abigail (Travis) Covell 

ii.John Pease born say 1640; received land at New London by his father’s will and resided there in 1672 [New London Court Records 3:47]; no evidence he ever married

I descend from James and his first wife Elizabeth Norton.

On 17 Oct 1643 “Luce Pease, the wife of [blank] Pease, appearing, & professing that she doth abhor & renounce Gorton’s opinions, & confessing her fault in blotting out some things in the book which she brought, & in showing the same before she had delivered it, & professing she was sorry for it, she was dismissed for the present, to appear when she shall be called for.” [MBCR 2:50] 

This court case is referring to Samuel Gorton who had strong religious beliefs which differed from Puritan theology and was very outspoken, and he became the leader of a small sect known as Gortonians/Gortonists/Gortonites. As a result, he was frequently in trouble with the civil and church authorities in New England. He was incredibly intelligent and published books in which he was harshly critical of the magistrates and ministers who filled positions he considered meaningless. 

I am impressed that Lucy had been taught to read and was reading work by a religious dissenter! Perhaps John shared Lucy’s beliefs and they moved to Martha’s Vineyard to practice religion without interference. Other’s that believe Lucy was the daughter of Francis Weston state that he was a religious non-conformist and that John and Lucy moved to Martha’s Vineyard to distance themselves from him. 

Capt. Valentine Pease of Edgartown, who was upwards of 80 years of age in 1849, has heard his father and grandfather say that the two eldest sons of John Pease landed at Martha’s Vineyard, removed from there to Salem, and that their names were James and John.

Among a large number of persons of Salem, owning estates there “before 1661” are the names of Nathaniel and Isaac Pease. [Rev. David Pease]

Another account printed in the Nantucket Gazette and the Albany Journal in 1838: “In the fall of 1632, or a year or two later, a vessel bound from England to South Virginia, fell in with the south shoal of Nantucket, came up through the Vineyard sound and anchored off Cape Page on account of a distemper, which, like a plague, raged among the passengers and crew, twenty-five of whom died.”

Another account, states the cause was scarcity of provisions, so four men and their families went ashore, preferring to take their chances with the natives. “They landed at the spot since called Pease’s Point or Edgartown. Their names were John Pease, Thomas Vincent, ——Trapp, and ——Browning or Norton. A red coat, presented on landing, by Pease to the Chief or Sachem, secured at once the good offices of the tree and they were treated with hospitality.”

According to WikiTree, on 23 March 1647 John Pease sold a parcel of land of 10 acres of land and 2 acres of meadow at Mattakeeset to Mr John Bland and moved to Norwich CT. He purchased land there that he retained until his death. In 1650 he was still in New London but before 5 March 1653 he had moved back to Edgartown where he was involved in a land suit.

Lucy died before about 1657, the approximate year John married, second, Mary whose maiden name is also unknown.

Children with Mary:

iii.Thomas born say 1657; m by 1685 Bathsheba Merry daughter of Joseph Merry 

iv.Abigail born say 1659; named in father’s will of 4 March 1674[/75?]

v.Mary born say 1661; named in father’s will 

vi.Rebecca born say 1663; named in father’s will 

vii.Sarah born say 1665; perhaps m by 1686 John Doggett

viii.Jonathan born say 1667; named in father’s will 

ix.Samuel born say 1669; named in father’s will

x.David born say 1671; named in father’s will

Unfortunately there is a lack of records on the island for these early European settlers, but John does mention his children by name in his will. Their estimated births are from Robert Charles Anderson, who calls the information available on them extremely unsatisfactory.

John had some education as he signed his will. He is called husbandman in records. He was appointed Edgartown constable on 7 Nov 1653. David Pease wrote that he was often styled “Captain” in records and took that to mean he was a mariner although that could also refer to military service. 

From Jane Carpineto's On the Vineyard: A Year in the Life of an Island, she quotes an islander, Mark Lovewall: "First came the Mayhews," he explained. "They spread across the island, converted the Indians to Christianity, and stole their land. Next came my maternal ancestors, the Peases. They weren't so virtuous. They didn’t bother with religion. They just stole the land and settled Edgartown." 

In 1673 John and nineteen other Martha’s Vineyard men signed the appeal to Massachusetts for annexation and joined in the “Dutch Rebellion.” “John Peas being by the Govournour by his officer warned to appear to answer his misdemeanor for committing a riott at Edgartown the Marshall returners answer that the warrant was by the said Peas his wife taken him and therefore he cannot return his warrant; the said Peas appearing before the Govournour in both person and estate bound to answer at the next sessions of traill held upon the Duke his highness province and Territories for the said riott committed and his wife for forcibly taking the warrant off the Marshalls hands.” 

“John Peas” wrote his will, dated 4 March 1674[?/5] which was proved on an unknown date.  [Dukes LR 1;340]  John Peas, husbandman and inhabitant upon Martin’s Vineyard in the town called Edgartown…in some measure of good health and perfect understanding and memory though I am stricken in years. Mentions having had two wives, and two sons surviving from his first wife, James Peas, & John Peas. God had blessed James, the elder,  “in his labors & endeavors and I have been helpful to him so that he is very well to pass in his estate far beyond myself, I do therefore…give to my eldest son James Peas twelve pence.’ To second son John Peas “I have already given unto and do hereby give unto him all that was given unto me at Mohegan [New London], with that frame of a house I set up upon some part of that land.” With his living wife Mary Peas, he had four sons Thomas Pease, Jonathan, Samuell, and David and four daughters Abygaill Peas, Mary, Rebecca and Sarah Peas. To them “I do give all my lands and housing that I have upon this island Martin’s Vineyard to be either equally divided or valued or sold or exchanged and the price thereof equally divided to everyone of them alike and this to be performed at convenient age of them.” Mary to be Executrix and to receive “all my cattle of every sort with all my household goods…for her use and comfort and helpfulness in bringing up my children.”

John Peas signed his will and then added: to my second son John Peas twelve pence

Witnesses: Thomas Birchard, Kathrin Birchart, Thomas Trappe

John died after September 1677 when he served on a Martha’s Vineyard jury. His widow Mary then married a man named Creber, possibly Thomas and moved with him to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 

On 3 June 1688, “Marie Creber, late wife of John Peas late of Edgartown deceased and executrix to said John Peas,” deeded to “Thomas Peas of the said town…all that parcel and tract of lands and meadow which lyeth in or adjoining to the houselot of the said John Peas deceased…together with all other the lands and divisions of lands, meadows, and marshes and all estate real which in the said town I lying and being, which was the estate of John Peas at the time of his death.” [Dukes County Land Records 1:99] On 3 June 1695 “Mary Creber of Edgartown of Martha’s Vineyard, widow,” deeded to “Jonathan Peas son of the said Mary of the same town…a certain parcel of land lying in said town..being about ten acres, together with a frame of an house now being on said land.” [Dukes LR 2:309]

Sources Not Listed Above:

Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, 2007

Charles Edward Banks, The Planters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1620-1640, Boston, 1930

Charles Banks, History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol III: contains Pease’s English origin; biographical sketch is in Vol 1 pg. 95 and Vol II page 91-103

Jane Carpineto, On the Vineyard A Year in the Life of an Island, c. 1998, page 237

Rev. David Pease, compiled by, A Genealogical and Historical Record of the Descendants of John Pease, Sen. Last of Enfield, Conn.” 1869 

Frederick S. Pease, NEHGS Register, “The Pease Family,” 3:27-31 (1849)

Ian Watson, The American Genealogist, “The Three Mary Peases of Salem, Massachusetts,” 70:205-8 (1995)

Benjamin Phillips (b ca 1658) of Marshfield, Mass., and His Wife Sarah Thomas (born 1662)

Benjamin Phillips was baptized 15 August 1658 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, the son of John and Grace Phillips. [American Ancestors, “Massachusetts Vital Records 1621-1850,” online database] Although he was baptized in Scituate, his family lived in Marshfield. I wrote about John and Grace Phillips here.He is my 7th great-grandfather on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family. 

He may be the Benjamin Phillips who served in King Philip’s War under Capt. John Holbrook, paid 1 pound, 10 shillings, 10 pence on 23 September 1676.  [NEHGS Register, “Soldiers In King Philip’s War,” 42:99 (1888)]  His brother Joseph did serve, dying in the fight at Rehoboth in 1676. 

Benjamin and his family experienced a great deal of sorrow. When he was a baby, his half-brother John Phillips died when struck by lightning inside a home where he took refuge while he was out haying when a storm hit. Eight years later, in 1666, the family home was struck by lightning and his mother Grace, his half-brother Jeremiah, and a neighbor staying with the family were killed. In 1677 his only full-sibling, Joseph, died violently during King Philips War. I wrote more on these losses in a sketch about his parents. 

Benjamin’s life turned out much differently than his ill-fated family members. He grew up nd married Sarah Thomas on 12 January 1681[?/82] in Marshfield. [MD 3:43/Marshfield VR 1:16] Sarah was born Marshfield in September1662, the daughter of John and Sarah (Pitney) Thomas.

Sarah and Benjamin had a large family of at least ten children, all born Marshfield [my research on the children is work in progress]:

i.John Phillips born 13 December 1682 [MD 2:251]; married Patience Stevens; died Marshfield 25 Feb 1738 at age 56

ii.Joseph Phillips born 29 March 1685 [Massachusetts Vital and Town Records, Ancestry database]; married Mercy Eames; died Marshfield 13 June 1767 at age 82

iii.Benjamin Phillips born 20 May 1687 [MD 3:187]; married  1) Eleanor Baker, 2) Desire Sherman; died Marshfield 10 May 1750 at age 62

iv.Sarah Phillips born 29 June 1689 [MD 3:187]; married 1) Thomas Doggett 2) Joseph Ford; I’ve seen her death year as 1750 but without a source; if that is accurate she would have been about age 60

v.Thomas Phillips born 17 Jan 1691 [Massachusetts Vital and Town Records, Ancestry database]; married Mary Eames; died Bridgewater August 1781 at age 89

vi.Hannah Phillips born 25 December 1693 [MD 5:234]; married Josiah Eames; died 10 January 1767 at age 73

vii.Jeremiah Phillips born 19 Aug 1697 [MD 5:187]

viii.Abigail Phillips born 29 October 1699  [MD 6:18]; married John Washburn; died Plymouth 24 Sept 1782 at age 82

ix.Isaac Phillips, born 5 March 1702 [Massachusetts Vital and Town Records, Ancestry database]; married Sarah White; died Marshfield 18 Sep 1787 at age 84

x.Bethiah Phillips, born 27 Feb 1704 [Massachusetts Vital and Town Records, Ancestry database]; married Ichabod Washburn; died 25 Jan 1789 at age 84 in Norton, Mass.

I’ve also seen a son James given to this couple, but need to find a source. I descend from Abigail whom I wrote about here.

On 22 Oct 1727 Benjamin Phillips was baptized as an adult in Marshfield with his three sons Jeremiah, Benjamin and John. [Entry by Rev James Gardner published in The Mayflower Descendant, "Records of the First Church in Marshfield,” 31:167 (1933)]

I have come across a few mundane records pertaining to Benjamin, but they show where he was living, that he was a trusted member of the community, and that he was a land owner.

Benjamin Freeman is on the list of townsmen of Marshfield in 1684. [Ancestry, “Massachusetts Town and Vital Records 1620-1988]

The estate of William Sherman, Jr., of Marshfield who died in 1685 was indebted 3 shillings to Benjamine Phillips. [MD 4:173]

The will of Edward Stephens of Marshfield, dated 2 November 1689, proved third Tuesday of March 1689/90, was witnessed by Benjamin Phillips, John Sherman and John Barker. [Genealogical Advertiser, “Plymouth County Probate Records,” 1:114]

Land of Benjamin Phillips is mentioned in the settlement of the estate of Isaac Little of Marshfield in 1700. Son Isaac Little was to have land at Marshfield: “that tract of land lying between ye lands of Benjamin Phillips & ye lands sold by Thomas Little to John Jones and Gilbert Winslow.” [MD 24:1]

Benjamin Phillips served on a petit jury in 1699 [Plymouth Court of Common Pleas, 6:156-7, began 19 December 1699]

At the Plymouth Court of Common Pleas held the first Tuesday in March 1703/04, Nathaniel Thomas Esq, Joseph Waterman, Benjamin Phillips, and Peter Indian (all of Marshfield) v Daniel Mory (Boston Wharfinger) Case on account. Deft pleaded in bar “that the Test of the Writs was not According to law,” the second JP added to the writ and the first left out Continued to June court, where defts did not appear. Costs taxed at 29s 6 p. I wish I knew what this is referring to. There are other court records for Benjamin Phillips Jr., husbandman, likely his son.

Plymouth Court General Sessions 9:35-36, begun the third Tuesday of December 1731: James Colman (Scituate) breach of peace viz for striking one Robert Barker in the summer last past. Witnesses: John Phillips and Benjamin Phillips.

Benjamin was mentioned in the 1691 will of his father John Phillips of Marshfield. He was to receive all of his father’s houses and land at Marshfield and elsewhere and the rest of his goods, but was to provide care for his sister Mary Phillips who had a weakness of reason and understanding and was incapable of providing for herself. Benjamin was named executor. Benjamin’s son John was to receive his grandfather’s gun or fowling piece. The rest of Benjamin’s children, unnamed, were to receive 5 shillings each. Son Benjamin presented the inventory at court on 16 May 1692. I do hope he followed his father’s wishes and provided care for his sister.

I have not found Benjamin or Sarah’s death records. I expect they are buried in Marshfield but without a surviving gravestone. Benjamin died before 4 September 1751 when his son is appointed administrator of his estate. A standardized form with details added by hand, Bond of Administration on Benjamin Phillips Estate, probate file no. 15842, 1750: Benjamin Phillips is appointed administrator on the estate of his father Benjamin Phillips of Marshfield, deceased. He is to exhibit the inventory by the 4th of September 1751. Witnessed by Edward Winslow and Uriah Samson. Signed by Benjamin Phillips, Isaac Phillips and Kenelm Baker. [Ancestry, “Massachusetts Wills and Probate Records 1635-1991”]

Note: Multiple trees on Ancestry and Findagrave (Memorial ID 21658843) have him erroneously dying Boston 27 April 1746 and buried Granary Burying Ground, but that Benjamin is a 6 year-old child.

Sources Not Included Above:

Harriet W. Hodge, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Volume Five, Edward Winslow and John Billington, published by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1997

Genealogical Advertiser, “Plymouth County Probate Records,” 3:28

Axel Ames, The Family and Vicissitudes of John Phillips Senior of Duxbury and Marshfield, 1903