The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog
The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog
The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog
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842<br />
no mean position at that day. Among his papers and documents was a treatise upon the duties<br />
of his office, which has been preserved. He, with his <strong>family</strong>, removed to New England <strong>in</strong> 1637,*<br />
where they arrived 9 September of the same year, land<strong>in</strong>g at Dorchester, where they lodged the first<br />
night <strong>in</strong> a house belong<strong>in</strong>g to William Hammond, stand<strong>in</strong>g upon the spot where the dwell<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
the late venerable Deacon James Humphrey was afterwards built. On the follow<strong>in</strong>g morn<strong>in</strong>g he<br />
promptly began his service as a new settler by the purchase of the house <strong>in</strong> which he had lodged,<br />
with the land about it,t which has cont<strong>in</strong>ued <strong>in</strong> possession of the <strong>family</strong> for eight generations, and<br />
where the various members carried on the same branch of bus<strong>in</strong>ess; the old tan-yard cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g well<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the present century. J It was located <strong>in</strong> that part of Dorchester now known as Harrison Square.<br />
Tradition states that Jonas was a glove-maker by trade, <strong>in</strong> England, but that, after settl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
at Dorchester, he turned his attention to tann<strong>in</strong>g, glove-mak<strong>in</strong>g probably not be<strong>in</strong>g very profitable<br />
<strong>in</strong> the early settlement of the country. But little, however, has been ascertamed with regard to<br />
their early history.<br />
<strong>The</strong> age of Jonas at the time of his emigration is unknown, but he was well advanced <strong>in</strong><br />
life, his eldest son, James, be<strong>in</strong>g twenty-n<strong>in</strong>e years of age. It is also uncerta<strong>in</strong> whether or not<br />
his wife, Frances, was liv<strong>in</strong>g at that time, as no mention is then or subsequently made of her.<br />
He seems to have been a man of stand<strong>in</strong>g and respectabilit}', and united with the Church <strong>in</strong><br />
Dorchester <strong>in</strong> 1639. "Jonas <strong>Humphreys</strong> laid hold of the covenant the 6''' day 9 mo 1639, as<br />
also his wife."<br />
—<br />
Church Record. He was a grantee of Necklands <strong>in</strong> 1637; was made a freeman<br />
16 May, 1640; and proprietor <strong>in</strong> the great lots <strong>in</strong> 1646.<br />
He married, for his second wife, Jane Clapp, widow of George Weeks,** and niece of<br />
Richard Clapp, of Dorchester. She was born <strong>in</strong> Salcombe Regis, England, and died <strong>in</strong> Dorchester,<br />
2 August, 1668. By her first husband she had four children: William, Amiell, Jane and Joseph.<br />
* Hist, Ptn-ckesier, p. 124, gives the date of his com<strong>in</strong>g as 1634, though the deed was not given till 1637.<br />
t This is the <strong>family</strong> tradition, which is fairly entitled to credit This place constituted the <strong>Humphreys</strong> homestead and has con-<br />
t<strong>in</strong>ued <strong>in</strong> possession of the <strong>family</strong> and name by succession, and is at present owned and occupied by Deacon Henry <strong>Humphreys</strong> and his<br />
maiden sister, Mary Ann, l<strong>in</strong>eal descendants of the first Jonas, of Dorchester <strong>The</strong>re is a difference between the accounts of the families<br />
of Jonas and Frances <strong>Humphreys</strong>, as given by Mr Clapp <strong>in</strong> his History of Dorchester, and that handed down and given by the descend<br />
ants. <strong>The</strong> traditional account mentions only two sons and two daughters^ Elizabeth and Susanna, while Mr Clapp names the same and<br />
adds Sarah, who was buried <strong>in</strong> 1638, and also says there was another daughter, who married a Mr. Foye. He is probably correct, js<br />
<strong>in</strong> the transmitt<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>family</strong> records and traditions it was common to omit the names of such children as died young, and sometimes all<br />
who died without issue: and also because there is no evidence that there was <strong>in</strong> the Colony at the time any person or lamily ol the<br />
name, except<strong>in</strong>g that of Patentee and Deputy-Governor John Humphrey, of Lynn- He had a daughter Sai:ah. for whom the above could<br />
not well be mistaken, as she had not died so early, as see W<strong>in</strong>thiop, Vol II, p 45 Of this <strong>family</strong> there is no account of the marriage<br />
of more than one daughter—Ann, his eldest, to William Palmer (p 90). So it is probable that their omission from the recorded and<br />
traditional <strong>family</strong> accounts results from their hav<strong>in</strong>g died prior to the preservation of such accounts and without issue O M H<br />
Its former owner, Wm Hammond, removed to W<strong>in</strong>dsor. Ct. His deed of the property to Humphrey is as follows.<br />
' William Hammond of Dorchester, together vrith the consent of his wife to sell unto the said Jonas Humfrey of Dorchester my<br />
House & three acres of land lott adjo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g there unto together with the Swamp before the door & also the platt of land that is my right<br />
& proper due and to be taken <strong>in</strong> at the West end of my lott next unto Roxbury: & my meadow ground at the fresh marsh the value of<br />
one acre or thereabouts with my great lott & all other rights <strong>in</strong> Common or that shall hereafter be alloted: for the sum of five and<br />
Thirty pounds to be paid unto the said William Hammond; or his assynes by the said Jonas Humfrey or his assynes for the payment<br />
there of it is thus agreed that he shall pay the said Willm Hammond 28 pounds at the present seal<strong>in</strong>g here ol and 8 pounds at the<br />
present time when the saide William Hammond shall have cleared the house of all goods and annoyances, and the other seven pounds<br />
rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g, the s.aide William Hammond is to have of the saide Jonas Humlrey. of meale of the value ot Bushells al the<br />
'<br />
price 3 pounds, 12 shill<strong>in</strong>gs and the other sum of money the payment rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to be thus 40 shill<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> money that it can be conveni-<br />
ently provided, or otherwise 10 be paid <strong>in</strong> such sufficient goods as the said Jonas Humfrey hath to pay. In witness whereof. I have set<br />
my hand & scale <strong>in</strong> the presence of those above written, the mark of William Hammond<br />
Witnesses<br />
X<br />
James Himfrey<br />
Oliver<br />
[<strong>The</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g was written on the back of the deed, but nearly obliterated]: <strong>The</strong>se presents I Willian. Hammond .)f Dor-<br />
chester doe covenant & promise unto the saide Jonas Humfrey that <strong>in</strong> my House or homo I have sold to Ilie said joyas Humfrey the<br />
parcel of that land that is to be taken <strong>in</strong> beh<strong>in</strong>d the said House lott belong<strong>in</strong>g to the said House: shall <strong>in</strong> after time demanded or<br />
required of the saide Jonas Humfrey or his heirs or assynes 1 the said William Hammond aforesaid do covenant and promise to the<br />
said Jonas Humfrey aforesaide or his ayres or assynes to be fully satisfied either <strong>in</strong> or payment for the saide sum or otherwise<br />
and hereunto 1 have my hand & seale of these witnesses here under named "<br />
X One of the old vats ol the orig<strong>in</strong>al tannery has been carefully covered and preserved, and is still to be seen on ihe estate<br />
Weeks was one of the first colonists, and died 27 Oct., 1659