John WHITCOMB

John married Frances UNKNOWNEngland. Frances was born in England; died on 17 May 1671 in Lancaster, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
"Whitcomb Family Genealogy": When in 1654 John, removed his family from Scituate, Mass., to Lancaster, Mass., robert remained behind, perhaps in the family of his oldest sister Catherine Ellmes, who was settled there, she having been married ten years before. From the fact that Robert remained and was given real estate, it is reasonable to suppose him to have been one of the oldest sons. It is recorded by several authorities that in this year, 1654, Robert received from his father a half interest in the Connihasset lands and it is probable that this was recognized as his share of his father's estate, as in the division of the property after his father's death he was awarded no part, nor was he mentioned in the will of his mother.

Events proved that Robert, like his brother-in-law, Rhodolphus Ellmes, and his neighbors, Gen. Cudworth and family, sympathized with the Quakers and possibly his inclinations led him to remain with these friends rather than to accompany his Puritan relatives to Lancaster. It is certain that six years later he was married by a Quaker preacher in Rhode Island to Mary (born July 23, 1637), daughter of Gen. James Cudworth, but this marriage being pronounced unlawful he was remarried by a Puritan preacher, March 9, 1660.

Robert Whitcombe was the first to settle at "Beechwood" in the Beeches, the family place at Scituate where several generations of Whitcombes have resided.

He seems to have died intestate and there is no record of his children except in the will of Gen. James Cudworth, who left legacies to four grandchildren. Another child, Elizabeth, is named elsewhere Dates of the death of Robert and his wife are unknown..

"Robert Whitcomb and Mary Cudworth for disorderly coming together without consent of parents and lawful marriage is sentenced to pay ten pounds fine and imprisoned during the pleasure of the Court; and being desirous to be orderly married, accordingly were, this 9th of March, 1660."

"Ezekiell Mayne for accompanying and countenanceing of the said pryes in there extravigant course for the accomplishing of their eregulare purposes, was fined twenty shillings."

Officers were appointed by the Court to apprenhend the Quaker preacher, "Henry Hobson of Road Iland, and to take securities for his appearance at the Court at Plymouth to answare for his derision of authoritle in counterfetting the solemanising of the marriage of Robert Whetcom and Mary Cudworth." - (Plymouth colony records; vol. III).

Gen. James Cudworth was assistant to the Government of Plymouth coony, 1656 to 1658. Commissioner to England for the Colonies, 1657. Commander-in-chielf of all the forces in the United Colonies engaged in King Phillps War; Deputy Governor of Plymouth Colon, 1681-82. History says, "a very valuable man." He sympathized with the Quakers and was deposed from office in consequence but was later reinstated. Robert Whitcombe and his brother-in-law Rhodolphus Elmes were frequently in trouble for attending Quaker meetings. - (Plymouth colony Records: Vol. III).

Robert married Mary CUDWORTH on 9 Mar 1660. Mary was born on 23 Jul 1637. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
"Whitcomb Family Genealogy": Jonathan Whitcomb, may have been the fourth son of John, if James is counted among the children, though this is conjecture only, as not dates or order of births are known at this writing. (Jan. 1904). With his bother, Robert Whitcomb, his brother-in-law, Rodolphus Ellmes, John Hoar and others, he served on the jury of inquest upon the death of Richard Mann of Scituate, Mass., February 16, 1655, and must have been at leas 21 years of age if the common law of England fixing the legal age held in the Colonies then. He removed from Scituate to Lancaster, Mass., with his father in 1654, and seems to have exercised the rights of a freeman thereafter. He, with others, signed a petition to governor and council for aid after the Indian raid of 1675-6, and, excepting a temporary absence from the town because of its devastation by the savages, he spent the remainder of his life in Lancaster.

From the death of his father in 1662 he shared the home lot with his brother John until the death of the latter in 1683, when it became wholly his. That he acquired real estate besides that in Lancaster is shown by the inventory.

He was married November 25, 1667, to Hannah (?) and their home was situated in the middle of the town. He died in February, 1690, and the inventory of his estate was taken February 25, 1691, by his brother-in-law, John Morr, Samuel Sumner and Cyprian Stevens, and was returned under oath by his widow, April 7, 1691.

About tow and one-half years after the death of Jonathan, or on July 18, 1692, Hannah, Jonathan's widow, was killed at the house of Peter Joslin in Lancaster byIndians. The tragedy has been considered by several writers in their annals and histories of the times. (See Nourse's Early records of Lancaster; Whitney's History of Worcester County; N.E. Hist. & Gen. reg. Vol. IV, etc.)

Jonathan married Hannah UNKNOWN on 25 Nov 1667. Hannah died on 18 Jul 1692. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
"The Whitcomb Family": Job Whitcomb may have been born in Dorchester, Mass., or perhaps was the youngest born in england of Immigrant John's sons. this deduction is made from the fact that Josiah, who was born in Dorchester in 1638, is said to have been the youngest son, and Mr. Nourse, in his early records of Lancaster, classes the two brothers, Job and Josiah, together as "the youngest sons."

Job was doubtless a surveyor, as Marvin's history of Lancaster (p. 17) records: "In surveying the boundaries of Lancaster, Job Whitcomb to carry the chain. It is stated also elsewhere that Job Whitcomb was instructed by the town of Lancaster in 1659 "to assist with Goodman Prescott, young Job Farrar to carry the chain," etc.

Job was married May 19, 1669 to Mary (?). Several authorities say this mary was a daughter of Rev. Joseph Rowlandson, but as mary Rowlandson was but three years old at the time of Jobs marriage and as she died at the age of thirteen years, she could not have been the Mary.

The town of Lancaster during the winer of 1675-6 was a scene of alarm, violence and death because of the depredations of the savages, and on February 10, of this season, the house of the pastor, Rev. Joseph Rowlandson, was attacked, whereupon he left the town and later settled in Wethersfield, Conn. Lancaster being considered untenable, troops were sent up with cars and the people and all their movable property were conveyed to the Eastern town,s where they found homes with their friends. The Indians immediately descended upon the luckless town and "burned every house except the house of God and one other." (See Marvin's Lancaster, pp. 111-112)

Job Whitcomb's name was signed with those of his brothers, John and Jonathan, to a petition to governor and council for aid after this raid; but he did not return to Lancaster at the re-settlement of the town but followed the Rev. Joseph Rowlandson to Wethersfield, (See Nourse's Early Records, p. 266), and settled there, probably subsequent to 1678, as the birth of his daughter, Jemima, is recorded in Cambridge in that year. According to Probate Court files he owned land in Wethersfield in 1680 on a proposed six-rod highway to rocky Hill, then a part of Wethersfield.

He died in 1683. His will, drawn October 27, 1683, mentions four children, and his brothers, Jonathan and Josiah, are named in the will as trustees.

Job married Mary UNKNOWN on 19 May 1669. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
"Whitcomb Family Genealogy": During Queen Ann's war (1702-17) he was allowed a garrison for protection against the Indians. this garrison was situated in what is now called Bolton, originally a part of Lancaster but set off in 1738, and he lived in the southeastern part of this Bolton. He was commander of the garrison and with him were associated his sons, Josiah, David and Hezekiah, his son-in-law, Jacob Houghton, also Henry Houghton and John Wilder, Jr.

In 1705 he was selectman; in 1708 he and twenty-nine others signed the church covenant and, as he was financially in good circumstances, he contributed liberally towards the support of the church; in 1710 he was elected to represent Lancaster in the General Court.

In his will, drawn March 20, 1718, he gave to each of his children one-eighth part of his right to land in the plantation of Littleton. His widow, who survived him eight years, died in 1726.

Josiah married Rebecca WATERS on 4 Jan 1664 in Lancaster, Massachusetts. Rebecca was born in Feb 1640; died in 1726. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]