Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BAIiN8TAHLE FAMILIES. 351
pupils quiet, gave eacli a small bunch of cotton to piclr duriug
school hours. He died April 18, 1620, in the 90th year of his
age.f
His children born in Barnstable were :
I. James, born May 12, 1754, married Joanna Bacon, resided in
Barnstable and had a family. He was more distinguished for
his wit than sound judgment. Many anecdotes of him are related.
One day when at work for Col. James Otis, the men
sent him at eleven o'clock for their usual mug of beer. James
was sent to the cellar ; but a barrel of rum standing near, he
tilled the tankard with the stronger liquor. On his return, he
saw Col. Otis with the workmen, and to avoid detection, he
contrived to stumble down and spill the liquor. Col. Otis,
who had watched his motions, called to him and said, "Jim,
br,ing me that tankard." He obeyed. Col. Otis, smelling the
vessel, discovered the trick. Instead of reproving him, he
ordered him to go and fill the tankard again from the same
barrel, and be more careful in returning. James did not
stumble on his return.
Shubael Gorham and his wife Desire, were his neighbors,
and he delighted in cracking his jokes at their expense.
n. Barnabas, born Oct. 2, 1756. He served three campaigns in
the Revolutionary War. Afterwards he shipped on board tlie
private armed schooner Bunker Hill, Capt. Isaac Cobb. Six
days after leaving port, the schooner was taken by the P^nglish
brig Hope, Capt. Brown, and carried to Halifax. After
his return he shipped in Boston, on board the private armed
brig Gen. Arnold, Capt. James Magee, wrecked in Plymouth
harbor, Dec. 27, 1778. He published an auto-biography—
pamphlet of about a dozen pages— printed by John B. Downs,
a son of Prince. Many copies were sold ; it is now extremely
rare—only one copy was found after much inquiry. If none
had been found, little information would have been lost. He
furnishes few facts, and his narrative of the shipwreck is
meagre and unsatisfactory.
I have often heard Mr. Downs relate the particulars of the
shipwreck in plain and simple words ; but with a pathos and feeling
that would draw tears from the eyes of the most obdurate.
Nearly half a century has passed since he told his simple story of
the horrid sufferings endured by that ill-fated crew, yet few of the
circumstances have faded from memory. It is from my recollection
of his conversations, from the published statements of Capt.
Magee, and the narrative of Cornelius Merchant, Esq., that I
t He was carried as was the uniform custom at that time, on a bier from his house to the
grave, a liistance ot nearly two miles. I was one of the six carriers. He weighed over 200
pounds when he died, and I shall never forget his funeral, for my bones aclie, even now,
when I think of that long tramp with at least 75 pounds on one shoulder. In those days, it
would have boon deemed a sacrilege to have carried a corpse to the grave in a hearse.