Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 465
probable that the grant was made and that he removed to South
Sea at an earlier date. His lands are thus described: '"Fifty
acres more or less of upland, with a little parcel of marsh adjoining,
at a place commonly called Sepnisset on ye South Sea,"
also eight acres of meadow, four at Oyster Island, which is very
particularly described. One-half of this farm he subsequently
sold to Thomas Shaw, and they sold the same May 27, 1661, to
Mr. John Thompson, who re-sold to John Lovell about the year
1674, and the latter's descendants yet hold most of the ancient
Hatch farm and meadows under the title derived from Thompson.
In the deed of Hatch and Shaw to Thompson the upland is
described as being at a creek commonly called Se-paw-ess-is-set
alias Se-pau-is-set,* and is thus described : "Fifteen acres lying
on ye south side of ye said creek, bounded southerly and westerly
by ye commons, easterly by a little swamp, northerly partly by ye
said creek and partly by ye harbour ; and thirty acres bounded
southerly by ye said creek, lying 140 rod long by ye sea side and
40 rod into ye woods."
At this time there were very few whites settled at South Sea.
Roger Goodspeed who resided at Mystic, was probably his nearest
neighbor for several years. At that time oysters were very
abundant in the waters in the vicinity of his residence, and many
barrels were annually pickled and sent to market. For many
years after the settlement of the town, all the lime used for building
purposes was manufactured in the vicinity of Sep-nis-set from
the shells of the oysters. Dry wood cut into small pieces was
procured, and a kiln built of alternate layers of shells and wood,
the whole was covered with turf, excepting a small opening at the
top and another at the bottom where the fire was set, and the
shells converted by the heat into quick-lime, of a superior qual-
ity-
Many Indians dwelt near the residence of Goodman Hatch.
The wigwam of Paup-mun-nueke, the sachem of the Massapees,
was about a mile distant. He traded with them, visited them, and
at times was perhaps too familiar with them. It was policy for
him to be on good terms with them—they were his neighbors, and
if by his conduct he had excited them to hostility, they had it in
their power to do him much injury. In June, 1658, it was proved
in court that an Indian named Repent had threatened to shoot
Gov. Prence on his return from Plymouth. Mr. Hatch was
charged with having justified Repent, but there was no proof, and
*This name, which occurs in the last Number, is called in the records a place and a
creek. Its termination, however written, indicates that it was a place or Tillage by the
water. The Indians probably dropped the final syllable when they referred to the creek,
calling it Sipanesse, which perhaps means a little stream where coarse gi-ass grows. It appears
to have been the name of the creek, or lagoon, on the south of the residence of Mr.
Seth Goodspeed. After the Hatch farm came into possession of the Lovell family large additions
were made.