Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 43
The tir^t house built within the present Iionnds of Yarmouth
(of which there is a record), is that of Mr. Stephen
Hopkins, aftei wards owned b}' his son Gyles, and by him
sohl to Andrew Hallet, jr. This was in the summer of 1()38,
and was built as a temporary residence for his servants who
had the care of cattle sent from Plymouth to be wintered at
Mattakeese. \\'hether or not cattle had been sent from
Plymouth in previous years does not appear; if so, then
Mr. Bachiler found whites within a mile of the place he selected
for settlement. It was also in the inunediate vicinity of
"lyanough's town," a place not inhabited by the Indians in
the winter, and their deserted wigwams perhaps afforded
them a temporary shelter.
Mr. Bachiler and his company were all poor men, illy
provided with the means of establishing a plantation, even
in the mild season of the year, and it is hardly possible that
they could have sustained themselves during the intensely
cold winter of 1637, without some kindly herdsmen, or
some friendly Indians gave them shelter while they were
preparing their rude habitations.
Early in the spring of 1638, Mr. Bachiler, "finding
the difficulties great," abandoned his plantation at Mattakeese.
John Wing and his family stopped in Sandwich.
Mr. Bachiler and Christopher Hussey went to Newbury,
aud on the 6th of September the Massachusetts Legislature
gave them and others leave to begin a plantation at Hampton,
of which he became the minister. The next year, according
to Mr. Felt, he was excommunicated for unchastity,
though Gov. Winthrop says he was then "about eighty
years of age, and had a lusty, comely woman to wife ." In
November, 1641, he was restored to the church, but not to
his oflice. About this time his house in Hampton took fire
and was consumed with nearly all his property.
In 1644, the people of Exeter invited him to settle
there; but the court forbid his settlement. In 1647, he
was at Portsmouth, now Portland, where in 1650, he being
then 89 years old, his second wife Helena being dead, he
married his third wife Mary, without publishing his inten-
tion of marriage according to law, for which he was fined
ten pounds, half of which was afterwards remitted.
With his third wife he lived only a few months. She
went to Kittery, and, according to the York records, on the
15th of October, 1651, was presented for committing adnl-