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| Thought to have been planted by descendant of Higgins. |
1. ROBERT-
Robert Higgins, mercer of Leominster was mentioned in the will of Christopher Higgins, verger to the Dean and Chapter of Hereford as were Robert's children. The will is dated 18 July 1610 and calls Robert "cosin" probably meaning nephew.
Issue-
Ref:
Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin
Higgins, Worcester, 1918, pp.14-5
2I. RICHARD (ROBERT 1)
b.c.1613
m.1. 23 Nov. 1634 Eastham, LYDIA CHANDLER (d. by 1650 Eastham, MA)
2. Oct. 1651 Eastham, Mary ______ (m.1. John Yates (adm. 8 June 1651 Eastham), 3. c.1684 Isaac Whitehead of Elizabethtown, NJ (d. Feb. 1691 Elizabethtown), d. after 2 Dec. 1702)
d. before 1 June 1675 Piscataway, NJ Richard Higgins, son of Robert Higgins of Leominster in the County of Hereford, mercer, places himself as an apprentice with Philip Ruddock of St. Clements Land, London, for the term of seven years from the date given herein, for the term aforesaid, on said day and year, April 23, 1627"(1)
Richard went to Plymouth, MA about 1633. On 7 Oct. 1633 he purchased from "Thomas Little his now dwelling howse and misted, for and in consideration of twenty-one bushels of merchantable corne, whereof twelve bushels to be pd in hand, & the remainder at harvest next ensuing."(2)
On 1 Mar. 1633/4 Richard was taxed 9/ and on 27 Mar. 1634 he was taxed another 12/ in corn (two bushels). Sometime in 1633 or 1634 he was admitted a freeman.
On 1 Apr. 1634 Samuel Godberson, son of Godbert Godberson of New Plymouth, deceased, was apprenticed to Richard Higgins, tailor, for the term of seven years. Samuel was a ward of the Colony and Bradford agreed to pay Richard "six bushels of corne and a cowe calfe this present year of the next." Richard was to teach Samuel his trade and to give him the calf and half her offspring at the end of the seven year term.(3) Richard sold this apprenticeship to John Smaley 31 Aug. 1639.
On 13 Jan. 1633/4 Richard purchased from John Barnes "one dwelling house and twenty acres of land, being lately in the possession of Edward Holman, with all the fence, boards, timber (squared and unsquared) (belonging to the same) in consideration of ten pownd starling to be paid in currant English money or beaver at the rate it shall passe at the day of payment which is the 20th of March in the year of our Lord 1634. And also that the said Richard shall possesse the said John and his heirs of 20 acres of land in Scituate in some convenient place."(4)
On 14 Mar. 1635/6 Mr. Hicks, George Watson and Richard were granted the rest of the Island Creek for haying. They were granted more land for haying on 20 Mar. 1636/7.
On 2 May 1637 Richard was one of the committee to lay out highways in Plymouth, Duxbury and Ele River.
On 7 Aug. 1638 Richard was one of the jury in the case of John Weeks vs. George Russell for slander. On 3 Dec. 1639 Richard posted a bond of 20/6 for Samuel Chandler who was accused of slander against the governor and the government. The bond was released. Richard was on the jury several times while living in Plymouth and was a member of the "Grand Inquest" in June of 1644.
In Mar. 1638/9 Richard was granted 40 acres of land on the southeast of Great South Pond and two pieces of marshland southwest of the other grant. Richard swaped land with John Smaley in June 1640. On 2 Nov. 1640 Richard was granted 6 acres in South Meadows. His property on Manomet Pond was confirmed to him on 30 Nov.
In Feb. 1643 Richard was one of the people who was appointed to make traps to kill the wolves in the area.
"The Names of the Freemen of eich Towne. Plymouth (1643)... Richard Higgins." "August, 1643. The Names of all the Males that are able to beare Armes from xvj. Yeares old to 60 Yeares, wthin the sevrall Towneshipps. Plymouth... Richard Higgins." (5)
In 1644 several families moved to Nauset (Eastham): "The Court doth grant unto the church of New Plymouth, or those that go dwell at Nausett all the tract of land lying between sea and sea, from the purchaser's bounds at Namskaket to the herring Brook at Billingsgate". 5 Mar. 1644/5.(6)
On 3 Mar. 1643/4 Richard sold a half acre of marsh at Hobb's Hole to Gyles Rickett for 40/. In Aug. 1645 he sold his house, garden and orchard near Brownes Rock to John Churchwell for £12 provided that "it shall be lawful for the said Richard to take away the boards that line the inward room and the bedstead and board overhead, and some fruit trees in the orchard so that he leaves the said John Churchwell 30 trees."(7) Richard moved to that part of Eastham called Pochet which was next to Nauset Beach in what is now East Orleans. He is listed as an inhabitant of Eastham in 1658.(8)
Richard was one of the representatives to the General Court at Plymouth beginning in 1647. He was also one of the surveyors of highways. In 1657 he was one of four men chosen to settle the boundary between Barnstable and Yarmouth. He was a selectman in 1664 and in 1668.
Between 1659 and 1669 Richard bought and sold numerous parcels of land and obtained many land grants.
"June 1, 1659. Whereas it is and order of court that every town in this colony is to choose two or three men for the oversight and disposal of poor children, this town hath chosen Edward Bangs, Nicholas Snow and Richard Higgins according to order."(9)
"1659. Richard Higgins has one little black mare which was Job Cole's with a blaze down the face and a little white hair above her hoofs before, burn marked with an E on the right shoulder. Dec. 23, 1659."(10)
"May 15, 1660. Mr. John Doane, Richard Higgins and Thomas Paine with the surveyors are to appoint what particular highways are to be mended and those that are most concerned in the ways are to mend them by the appointment of the abovesaid for the present year."(11)
"Court of June 13, 1660. Richard Higgins one of a committee to dispose of the trade at Kennebeck."(12)
"Dec 13, 1660. Richard Higgins undertook to provide a company for to cut up the third fish" (whale).(13)
"The mark of Richard Higgins (for his cattle) is a piece cut off the hind side of the left ear, to the top of the ear, and a slit cut in the side of the ear slanting downwards. Jan. 22, 1660/1."(14)
"24 10th mo. 1667. Richard Higgins and Benjamin Higgins were on a jury of inquest as to the deaths of Robert Chapell, James Nichols, and William Pidell, cast ashore upon Cape Cod."(15)
"To all people to whome these presents shall come. Know ye that I Richard Higens of Eastham in the Government of New Plimoth in New England in America, Taylor... grant unto my son Benjamine Higens of the Towne of Eastham abovesaid, Husbandman, a parcell of upland and meadowing the upland containing twentie acres be it more or less lying at a place commonly called Poche, the which upland lieth next to the lot of Job Cole and was bought and exchanged by the said Richard Hignes of Jonathan Sparrow as appears by a deed... And two acres of marsh or meadowing, be it more or less, which was formerly Mr. William Bradfords deceased, that Richard Higens hath and lieth at the harbor's mouth... 4th day of the 5th mounth 1669 in the presence of us
Nath: Bacon
John Scudder Richard Higens."(16)
In 1669 a group of people moved from the Cape to New Jersey because of religious and political differences with the establishment at Plymouth or because of the fact that land was more available in New Jersey. Richard seems to have moved to New Piscataway because of the last reason.
"Know all men by these presents that I Richard higgens of New Piscataway in the province of New Jersey, yeoman, for the sum of nine pounds sterling to him paid... to Benjamin Higgens of Eastham in the jurisdiction of New Plimouth... land at a place called little Billingsgate." Dated 20 Nov. 1672.(17)
On 8 Mar. 1677/8 Mary had her deceased husband's claims to land laid out to her in the western part of old Piscataway township near the Raritan River consisting of 254 acres.
Samuel Moore Sr. of Woodbridge, NJ obtained a license to marry Mary, but for some reason the marriage never took place and she married Isaac Whitehead. In her son Thomas' will in Dec. 1702 she recieved "the Parlor or Rooms where she now lives and also one-third part of the orchard during her natural life."
Issue-
Ref:
(1) Apprentice Book of the Honorable Company of Merchant Taylors of London- Vol.9, folio 276
(2) Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin
Higgins, Worcester, 1918, p.26
(3) Ibid- p.27
(4) Ibid
(5) Records of the Colony of New Plymouth- Nathaniel Shurtleff, M.D., Boston, 1857, pp.173-4, 187-8
(6) History of Harwich- p.29
(7) Higgins Genealogy- p.30
(8) Records of the Colony of New Plymouth- Nathaniel Shurtleff, M.D., Boston, 1857, p. 201
(9) Higgins Genealogy- p.33
(10) Ibid
(11) Ibid-p.34
(12) Ibid- p.31
(13) Ibid-p.34
(14) Ibid
(15) Ibid-pp.34-5
(16) Land Grants, 1659-1710, Town of Eastham
(17) Book of Land Grants of Eastham- p.98
(18) Higgins in her genealogy lists Hannah as Jonathan's second wife. This may be the case, however, no record to prove this theory has been found to my knowledge. Besides the lack of evidence it seems unlikely that Jonathan would marry his dead wife's sister as there was a strong predudice against such a relationship as being illegal and incestuous. Therefore I seriously question whether this statement by Mrs. Higgins is accurate.
Newbold Genealogy- Charles Platt Jr., New Hope, PA, 1964, pp.1, 60, 110
3II. BENJAMIN (ROBERT 1, RICHARD 2)
b. July 1640 Plymouth, MA
m. 24 Dec. 1661 LYDIA BANGS (d. after 13 Feb. 1706/7)
d. 14 Mar. 1690/1 Eastham, MA
Benjamin probably lived on lands which he received from his father in Pochet, now in East Orleans.
"Benjamin Higgins hath a mare of a brownish bay color and one white foot, the other three feet partly white, with a white strip on her face, and running broad toward the right nostril, a piece cut out of the top side the near ear, and burn marked with E on the near shoulder." 14 July 1664.(1)
On 2 Mar. 1668/9 Benjamin was sued by Peregrine White for a debt of £16. The disagreement was settled out of court and the suit was withdrawn.
On 1 June 1675 Benjamin was one of the jury in a trial which caused the outbreak of King Philip's War. In 1662 Massasoit, Sachem of the Wampanoags, died and was succeeded by his son Wamsutta or Alexander who also died suddenly in 1662 possibly due to being poisoned by the English. His brother Metacom or Philip succeeded him as Sachem and was appropriately suspicious of the English and did not trust them. An Indian convert of Rev. Eliot's named Sassamon accompanied Philip to Boston as an interpreter and was his aide for some time. Sassamon, however betrayed Philip's secrets to the English concerning the Sachem's preparations for war because of his brother's supposed murder. Philip caught wind of this and went to Plymouth to free himself of suspicion. In the spring of the next year (1675) Sassamon was discovered in Assowomset Pond. An investigation led to the belief that he had been murdered the previous winter and his body thrown under the ice. Three Indians were arrested based on the testimony of another Indian who was an eye witness. The three were convicted by the jury, which included Benjamin, and were executed. This prompted the Wampanoags to declare war. Benjamin waa again on the jury in 1685 and on the grand jury in 1689.
Because of his share in starting this conflict it is appropriate that he was a soldier in that war. His grandson received a grant in Narragansett Township No. 7 (Gorham, ME) for his grandfather's services.
"In answare to a petition prefered to the Court by Benjamin Higgens in right of his father deceased, to be accommodated with land at Saconett (now Little Compton, RI) with the ptenors and servants there, the Court, generally conceiving that the said Richard Higgens had wronge in that he was not accommodated in the said land with the rest, severall of the ptenors being psent did engage before the Court that in case the petitioner shall and doe make his adresse to the rest of the companie interested in those lands, that they will pswade them that altho hee can not be supplyed out of the devided land of it, that he may bee competently supplyed in the undevided land thereof." 1 June 1675.(2)
"The mark of the cattle of Benjamin Higgins is a piece cut off slanting on the fore side of the near ear, and a slit in where the piece is cut out. Entered this 17th April 1680."(3)
On 5 May 1685 Benjamin was elected constable of the town and was confirmed by the General Court on 2 June 1685. He was elected selectman for Eastham on 4 June 1688.
The inventory of his estate is dated 19 June 1691 and showed £85 in real estate and £206/6 in personal estate. "Memorandum: that Ichabod Higgins hath already had £10 and a piece of land on which his house stood, appraised at £9." An agreement was made that Ichabod should have cattle, bedding, boards, shingles and cash amounting to £20/5, Richard the loom and gears, 7 acres of land, a cutlass, cartridge box, cattle and cash worth £20/18, Joshua a gun, rapier, cartridge box, bedding, wearing clothes, powder and bullets, saddle and cloth, cattle, sheep and cash worth £20/5, Lydia was to have cattle, sheep, an iron pot, books, cloth and cash of £20, Isaac a gun, ammunition, a cutlass, cartridgebox, bedding, clothing, cattle, sheep and cash worth £20/5, Samuel a gun, sword, cartridge box, a book, bedding, clothes, ammunition, cattle, sheep and cash of £20/5, Benjamin was to have two- thirds of the house and one-third of the land and meadows with the widdow to have her third.(4)
Lydia received from her brother Joshua's will 13 Feb. 1706/7 one-eighth part of his personal estate which might remain after his wife's death.
On 20 Aug. 1711 the town of Eastham "Laid out to widdow Lidia Higgins for her natural life and then returns to the town, a parcel of land near the head of Namskaket on the Eastern side of the first lot which is the lot of Daniel Cole Sr."(5)
Issue- all children born in Eastham.
Ref:
(1) Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin Higgins, Worcester, 1918, p.52
(2) Ibid
(3) Ibid
(4) Ibid- p.53
(5) Ibid
4II. RICHARD (ROBERT 1, RICHARD 2, BENJAMIN 3)
b. 15 Oct. 1664 Eastham, MA
m. SARAH HAMBLEN (b. 1 July 1661 Barnstable, m.2. 15 Nov. 1732 Lieut. John Cole of Eastham)
d. 27 Apr. 1732 Eastham
will 24 Mar.-25 May 1732
"A parcel of land laid out to Richard Higgins upon pochett containing 4 acres more or less lying on the easterly side of a lot of land which was his father's formerly Jonathan Sparrow's and at the southerly end of a parcel of land which was granted to his father..." 3 Apr. 1693.(1)
Richard was also granted several pieces of land in 1711. He was a selectman from 1709 until 1711 and was on the jury in 1728/9. Richard was the hog-reeve in 1729.
The inventory of Richard's estate was taken 25 May 1732 and amounted to £1292/4/1.
Issue- all children born in Eastham.
Ref:
(1) Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin Higgins, Worcester, 1918, p.78
6III. THEOPHILUS (ROBERT 1, RICHARD 2, BENJAMIN 3, RICHARD 4)
b. 6 May 1698 Eastham, MA
m. 25 Apr. 1724 JOANNA YOUNG (b. 1 June 1703 Eastham, d. 22 Mar. 1767 Eastham)
d. 12 Dec. 1780 Eastham
will 16 June- 21 Dec. 1780
Theophilus was a juror in 1724 and in 1734. On 4 Mar. 1733/4 he was chosen to look after the boys and disorderly persons and in 1736 he was chosen "to look after the children on the Lord's day". Theophilus was a precinct officer in 1757 and in 1761. In 1762 he was a selectman and in 1768 an assessor.
Issue-
Ref:
Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin Higgins, Worcester, 1918, pp.112-3
The Nickerson Family- p.188
5IX. BENJAMIN (ROBERT 1, RICHARD 2, BENJAMIN 3)
b. 15 Sept. 1681 Eastham, MA
m.1. 22 May 1701 SARAH FREEMAN (d. 21 Jan. 1743/4 Eastham)
2. 28 June 1749 Truro, Mercy Freeman (b. 31 Aug. 1702, m.1. Caleb Hopkins, 3. 5 Dec. 1771 Ebenezer Dyer of Truro, d. Dec. 1786)
will 1 July 1760- 11 May 1761
Benjamin was the tithing man in 1714, a juryman in 1719/20, 1730, 1737 and 1738. He was elected constable on 16 Mar. 1725/6. He received a grant from the town to land on the Town Flat on 26 July 1703.
On 11 June 1752 "Benjamin Higgins yeoman of Eastham for ten shillings eight pence sold to Benjamin Higgins the third of Eastham one acre and a quarter of land near my dwelling house, where my orchard now is, bounded beginning at my dwelling house... and then runs one pole to the south part of my house..."(1)
Issue- all children born in Eastham.
Ref:
(1) Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin Higgins, Worcester, 1918, p.86
8II. THOMAS (ROBERT 1, RICHARD 2, BENJAMIN 3, BENJAMIN 4)b. 24 June 1704 Eastham, MA
m. 12 Oct. 1727 Eastham, ABIGAIL PAINE (b. 3 Aug. 1707 Eastham)
d.c.1789 Eastham
Thomas settled in the North Precinct of Eastham which is now Wellfleet. On 14 Mar. 1747/8 he was chosen to be on the Precinct committee and on 19 Mar. 1749/0 he was an assessor. He was a juryman in 1728 and 1733. Thomas was the surveyor of highways in 1742. In April 1741 he, along with Jabez Snow, were masters of a porpoise voyage. In 1760 he was a selectman and tithingman.
Issue- all children born in Eastham.
Ref:Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin Higgins, Worcester, 1918, pp.123-4
9IV. JONATHAN (ROBERT 1, RICHARD 2, BENJAMIN 3, BENJAMIN 4, THOMAS 5)b. 10 Apr. 1734 Eastham, MA
m.1. 22 Nov. 1753 SARAH COOMBS (b. 4 Apr. 1729 Eastham)
2. 10 June 1777 Bethiah Snow (d. 23 Oct. 1783 Eastham)
3. int. 11 Feb. 1785 Eunice Brown (b.c.1755, d. 11 Oct. 1819 Wellfleet)
d. 10 Jan. 1821 Wellfleet, MA
Jonathan was a resident of the North Precinct of Eastham, which is now the town of Wellfleet. He was a deacon of the church in Wellfleet.
As a selectman of Eastham he signed the account of the town for the care of an indigent stranger and the petition to the county court for reimbursement 6 Apr. 1767.(1)
The distribution of his estate was made 11 July 1821 and apparently everything was given to his son Elnathan.
Issue-all children born in Eastham/Wellfleet
Ref:(1) Mass. Archives- Vol.118, pp.275-7
Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin Higgins, Worcester, 1918, pp.189-0
10III. PAINE (ROBERT 1, RICHARD 2, BENJAMIN 3, BENJAMIN 4, THOMAS 5, JONATHAN 6)b. 15 Dec. 1758 Wellfleet, MA
m. 10 Apr. 1782 ELIZABETH HARDING
d. 4 June 1812 Wellfleet, MA
Paine lived in Wellfleet. He served in the Revolutionary War in Capt. John Gill's Co., Col. Thomas Crafts' Regt.
Issue- all children born in Wellfleet
I. Martha- b. 15 Dec. 1782, int. 3 Nov. 1819 Benjamin Rich Wetherell
II. Samuel- b. 27 May 1786, m. Lucy Newcomb
11III. ELIZABETH- b. 25 Nov. 1788, m. 25 Sept. 1811 BENJAMIN NICKERSON (b. 18 June 1787 Orrington, ME, d. 21 May 1879 Orrington), d. 18 Aug. 1870 Orrington
IV. Hannah- b. 20 Aug. 1793, m. ______ Lewis of Wellfleet
V. Temperance- b. 25 June 1796, m. 5 June 1818 Cornelius Harding
Ref:
Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin Higgins, Worcester, 1918, pp.290-1
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