The Humphreys family in America - citizen hylbom blog

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