Austin BEARSE

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of James Bearse and Abia Ford

Austin married Hannah STETSON on 21 Oct 1736 in Pembroke, Massachusetts. Hannah was born on 24 Jul 1719; died on 9 Sep 1756 in Halifax, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Austin married Sarah FULLER on 19 Dec 1756 in Halifax, Massachusetts. Sarah (daughter of Nathaniel FULLER and Martha SAMPSON) was born on 28 Sep 1712 in Plympton, Massachusetts; died on 21 Jul 1763 in Halifax, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James married Abiah FORD. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James married Experience HOWLAND about 1683. Experience (daughter of John Joseph HOWLAND and Mary LEE) was born on 28 Jul 1668. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
The descent of Lucy Bearse (Austin, James, Experience Howland, John, John) from John Howland does not appear in the Elizabeth Pearson White's 'John Howland of the Mayflower, Volume 2', as there was a disagreement at the time as to whether Experience Howland was a man or a women. E.P. White wrote that "There is no proof that she married James Bearse of Barnstable, who moved to Halifax, Massachusetts. experience was considered a man until 1930(sic) when the Bearse Genealogy suggested that this Experience might have been a woman who could then have married James Bearse. No proof has been found for such a marriage.

In recent years, evidence has been found to that shows Experience Howland was indeed the wife of James Bearse. The General Society of Mayflower Descendants now accepts applications through James and Experience (Howland) Bearse and has accepted at least one through their son James Bearse Jr. and his wife Abiah Ford.

The purpose of this article is to partially fill the gap left by Elizabeth Pearson White's omission of the descendants from Experience Howland by providing the "Mayflower" descent of her great-granddaughter, Lucy (Bearse) Bryant, wife of Ezekiel Bryant of Halifax. The article also identifies Lucy and Ezekiel's three children who were mentioned, but not named, in the will of their grandfather Nathaniel Bryant.