Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGICAt, NOTES OP BAR^fSTABLE FAMILIES. 20t
made till June^; 1641, after the whole Itidian title in the East Pariah
had been purchased,- except a small reservation.*
At the fast, April 25, Mr. John Mayo was ordained a teaching
elder of the church, otherwise an assistant or associate pastor. The
forms adopted were those of pure independency. The church elected
Mr. Mayo and invested him into the office. The neighboring pastors
and churches were not formerly invited by their delegates to be
present and assist, because such invitations would be a concession
that each church had not the sole right to ordain its own officers.
Mr. Lothrop, Mr. Hull, and Elder Cobb, in the presence of the congregation,
laid their hands on Mr. Mayo and publicly announced
that they thereby, in the name and behalf of themselves and their
brethren, invested him into the office of Teaching Elder.
Beside the ordination of Mr. Mayo, and the division of the
common lands, another subject was a special matter for consideration
at the April fast : the providing of a place to hold meetings.
The settlers were neither prepared or able to put up a meeting house.
The Indian title to only a small portion of the territory,, less than
one-half of the East Parish, had then been extinguished. The settlement
would necessarily have to extend west and south, and a point
that would then be central would, in a few years, be far on one side.
Several were intending to remove to the farm or "great lots" as soon
as the division was made, and among these were some of the most
substantial men, namely : Anthony Annable, Samuel Hinckley,
William Crocker, John Bursley, Edward Fitzrandolphe, John
Smith, Thomas Shaw, Roger Goodspeed, and others.
Under the circumstances a temporary arrangement had to be
made. In cold and stormy weather the meetings were held at private
houses, and none were of sufficient size comfortably to accomdate
a congregation of one hundred and fifty, the average attend'
ance.
The lands in the vicinity of Mr. Lothrop's house were low and
damp, and had not been drained or cleared of bushes, and the people
desired a drier and more central location. Mr. Lothrop had a large
family, and the meetings frequently held at his house were inconve-
nient, and the people desired that their pastor should have a larger
and better residence. It was, therefore, proposed that Mr. Lothrop
*There were many changes in the ownership of the houselots between 1640 and 1654.
This is particularly true of the lots between Calves Pasture Lane and Jail Hill, in fact as
far east as the Hyannis road. Joseph Lothrop was a young man in 1639, and was not a
townsman till after 1644, and conseciuently was not an original proprietor, and was not entitled
to a houselot. That called his in 1654 was originally laid out to one of the first
comers. James Neighbors was not an original proprietor. He purchased his lots also.
These three lots I think were originally laid out to John Hall, Henry Eowley, and John
Smith, or perhaps on the eastern to Barnard Lumbard. Mr. Lothrop probably bought the
western lot for his son Joseph, and therefore it was called his. Mr. Lothrop's will was not
signed or executed by him, yet it was admitted to probate, no objections being made, the
understanding probably being that after the death of Mr. Lothrop the land should be Joseph's,
and there is some eyidence that he built his first house where Judge Day's now
stands. His house in 1686 was on the eastern declivity of Jail Hill, where the Berry house
now stands. Mrs. Lothrop lived till Feb. 25, 1687-8, and during the 25 years she was a
widow appears to have resided in Mr.' Lothrop's "new house."