Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 151
marriage "Brother Larnett." The use of the pronoun clearly indicates
that they were relatives by marriage, and were brothersin-law.
The Probate Records also show that several of the first
settlers in Barnstable were also his relatives.
Mr. Linnel took the oath of allegiance to the King and of
fidelity to the Colony Feb. 1, 1638-9, and was admitted a freeman
on the 3d of December following. He was one of the grantees of
the lands at Sippican January 1638-9, and a grand juror at the
June term of the Court. His early admission to the privileges
and to the duties of a citizen, shows that he was a man of good
character, and that he had previously been well known by many
of the leading men of the colony. What his occupation was before
he came over, does not appear ;
but it may safely be assumed
that a resident of the city of London was not a farmer, the busi*
ness to which necessity compelled him to resort in his old age.
Mr. Linnel was nearly sixty years of age when he came to
Barnstable. His daughter Sarah born, if the Custom House record
is reliable, in 1607, married in England Thomas Ewer, and
came over in 1635. Her husband died in 1638, and she married
Dec. 11, 1639, Thomas Lothrop of Barnstable.* Mr. Savage
calls Sarah the daughter of William Larnet or Larned, of Charles-
ton. The spelling of the name in Mr. Lothrop's record of his
son's marriage favors that supposition ; but that is not reliable,
for no Barnstable name is found spelled in so many different
forms. Whether Linnel or Linnet is the better spelling, it is
difficult to determine. The latter is the old and common pronun-
ciation.
If Sarah was his daughter, he vras born as early as 1584, and
was too old when he came over to enter vigorously into the business
of pioneer life, and his age accounts for the quiet, secluded
manner in which he afterwards lived. He died 27th Feb. 1662-3,
an aged man, leaving a small estate to his widow and children.
Though the expense of transporting his large family to New
England absorbed a large portion of his estate, yet in the assignment
of the lands in Barnstable, he ranked among those who
were called wealthy. His houselot containing ten acres was
bounded northerly by the harbor, easterly by the lot of Thomas
Lumbard, southerly by the highway, and westerly by the homelots
of William and John Casely. He also owned three acres of
planting land in the Common Field, three acres of meadow at
Sandy Neck, nine at Scorton, a great lot containing sixty acres,
and rights to commonage.
His wife that came over with him I think died early, and his
*That a boy of eighteen should hare married a widow aged 32, having several children,
seems improbable ; but such is the record. Though I have what under ordinary circfimstances
I should call the best of authority, yet I state the whole matter doubtfully. A link
in the chain is wanting. Mr. Linnel in his will names four children, David, Hannah, Abigail
and Betbia, and bis wife Jemimah.