Richard Bourne

  General Notes:

Richard Bourne was one of the first settlers of Sandwich, known for his work among the Indians.

From The Old Cemetary of Sandwich Massachusetts by Mrs Jerome Holway, being a paper read before the Sandwich Historical Society, Oct 20, 1908.

The oldest stone is that of Thomas Clark, son of Thomas and Jane Clark, 1683, aged 7 weeks. Beside this is the grave of Thomas Burgess, 1685, and his wife Dorothy 1687. He was one of the settlers in the party that came in June 1637, after the settlement of the town in 1637. Another one of these is Ezra Perry, buried nearby, who died in 1689, and his wife Elizabeth Burgess, 1717. Here is the grave of Thomas Tupper, 1706, son of another first settler, and of Shearjashub Bourne, 1718: "He was a virtuous, righteous and merciful man, and a great friend to the Indians." He was a son of Richard Bourne, a man of great importance in the first years of this town, especially in his work among the Indians, whom he influenced always for good, and there is a legend among the descendants of the Mashpee tribe that he was finally killed by a party of drunken Indians, and that he is buried under the meeting house in that town. [DILLIN.GED]

When these compilers commenced their research on the early set­tlers of Sandwich, Mass., it was our impression that the celebrity of Richard Bourne and the material in print about him and his de­scendants would preclude the necessity of an article on the Bourne family. However, as our research proceeded it became increasily evi­dent that there were many gaps as well as errors in the genealogies available.

With the exception of the introductory discussion this article is limited to the data which we have found regarding the first five gen­erations. However, we suggest that these Bournes as a family group are worthy of study by geneticists. It seems to us remarkable that this man and his first wife, whose identity is not proved, should have been the progenitors of such an unusually high percentage of persons of more than average ability. Although some writers have alleged that Richard Bourne brought with him to America considerable wealth, we do not find that the original records sustain that hypothesis. In fact, the earliest records imply that these Bournes began with no special advantages.

We have made no attempt to investigate Richard's English origin, although work along this line may have been done: the Rev. Dr. Frederick Lewis Weis in his The Colonial Clergy & Colonial Churches of New England (1936) states that Richard Bourne was a son of William and Ursula (Day) Bourne of Devonshire, England. John Camden Hotten in The Original Lists of Persons of Quality (1962 edition) shows that Richard Borne [sic] aged 24, and Thomas Borne aged 22, appear upon a list of persons, dated January 1634, to be transported to St. Christophers and Barbadoes. Several writers have concluded that these entries refer to our Richard Bourne of Sandwich and to "his brother" Thomas Bourne, the progenitor of the Bourne family of the town of Marshfield,[A] in The Register, vol. 51, p. 109-114, January 1897, H. F. Waters' "Genealogical Gleanings in England" included abstracts of English wills which prove the origin of early Boston Bournes; we hope that some one may come forward with proof that the Sandwich and Marshfield families and that of Henry Bourne, an early settler in Barnstable, had a common origin.

More than a hundred years ago Amos Otis in his article Richard Bourne[B] argued that the activities of Bourne in earning the respect and loyalty of the Indians of Cape Cod and the neighboring com­munities of Plymouth Colony had failed to receive sufficient recognition by historians; we share this view. In order to avoid unnecessary duplication we will briefly summarize the printed accounts of his family. Mary Farwell Ayer published in The Register (vol. 62, p. 138-143, April 1908) an excellent paper on "Richard Bourne, Mis­sionary to the Mashpee Indians." In 1919 appeared the History of Richard Bourne & Some of His Descendants, compiled by Hannah S. B. Dykes, containing a wealth of material well worth reading. However, Mrs. Dykes relied rather heavily on the charts which are in the Aptuxcet Library in Bourne, which, unfortunately, contain almost no dates or documentary reference and some errors. And, too, Mrs. Dykes reprinted the rare and extremely interesting letters[C] by Richard Bourne to his betrothed, Ruth (Sargent) Winslow, as well as many family papers, letters, etc.

We find, in the first place, no record giving the age of Richard Bourne, even his age at death. If it can be shown that the Richard Borne listed by Hotten and our Richard Bourne actually were one and the same person, we would know that the year 1610 was a closely approximate date for his birth. As it stands the date is merely an informed guess, based on general internal evidence, Otis tells us that Richard Bourne "was a householder in Plymouth in 1636" and "it may safely be inferred that he was then a married man" (op. cit., 111). Otis and other early writers state that the first wife was "probably" Bathsheba Hallett, daughter of Andrew Hallett, Sr., although Mrs. Ayer calls her father Andrew Bartlett. Since there was no one named Andrew Bartlett at that period it seems safe to assume that this was a printer's error or slip of the pen. We would like conclusive proof that the first wife was indeed Bathsheba Hallett. James Savage[D] says that Richard Bourne was of Lynn in 1637 and went from there to Sandwich. Although he is not included among the ten "men of Saugus" (Lynn) to whom the original grant of Sandwich land was made, he was closely associated with them, especially with Edmond Free­man and Thomas Tupper and came with them or soon after.[E] On 2 Jan. 1636/7 he was granted seven acres to belong to his dwelling house and at the same court a grant was made to John Bourne in be­half of his father, Thomas Bourne of Marshfield. His name appears on a list of freemen of the colony 7 March 1636/7 (Otis, op. cit., p. 108). On 2 May 1637 he was on a committee to lay out highways about Plymouth, Duxbury and Eel River. At a Court, 5 June 1638, he was a grand juror and served on a coroner's inquest. By 4 Sept. 1638 he had removed to Sandwich where he was fined 18d. for having three pigs unringed (ibid.).

Richard Bourne was a Deputy, representing Sandwich, in 1639, to the first General Court; he continued in this capacity for six years, again in 1652, 1664-1667, and in 1670. In the division of meadows in 1640 he had seven acres assigned to him. In 1645 he was on a com­mittee to draft laws for Plymouth Colony. In 1650 he and others of Sandwich petitioned to have lands granted to them at Marshpee Pond, Cotuit River, meadow at Mannarnuchcoy. In 1652 he was authorized agent for Sandwich to supervise the collection of oil. In 1655 he and others were granted meadow land at Manomet and use of upland meadow at the end of Marshpee Pond, "provided that hee doe it with the consent of the Indians to whom it belongeth" (Ayer, op. cit.; Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, ed., Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, vol. 3, p. 8), About this time Bourne was given a salary by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England; and we find that "Richard Bourn in Plymouth Jurisdiction for his paines in teaching the Indians there" received £15 in September 1657 (ibid., vol. 10, p. 205).

A survey of Sandwich lands, begun 17 Jan. 1658, described six lots belonging to Richard Bourne (Proprietors' Records). He was ap­pointed in that year to settle a disputed boundary between the towns of Yarmouth and Barnstable.

In 1659 he and Mr. Thomas Hinckley were authorized to purchase lands of the Indians at Suckinesset (Falmouth) and he and Mr. Free­man were authorized to view land in Manomet and confirm it to Thomas Burges. At a General Court, held in Plymouth 4 June 1661, Mr. Richard Bourne was granted "a certain tract of land lying on the Westerly side of Pampaspecite River where Sandwich men take alewives ... a long slip by the riverside, for breadth from the river to the hill or ridge that runs along the length of it, from a point of rocky land by a swamp called Pametoepauksett unto a place called by the English Muddy Hole, by the Indians Wapoomspauksett. The meddow is that which was called Mr. Leverich his meddow, also all the meddow lying on the Easterly side of ye River unto Thomas Burges Senr his farm … moreover ... he shall have Liberty to take yearly 12,000 alewives at the River where Sandwich men usually take alewives, to him and his heirs forever. Likewise a ... psell of meddow lying at Marshpee, one half to belong to him and ye other half to be improved by him ye sd Richard Bourne until the Court shall see reason otherwise to order …also a neck of meddow between two brooks with a little Upland adjoining, at Mannamuchcoy, called by the Indians Auntaanta" (Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, ed., Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, vol. 5, p. 3). In 1661 Richard Bourne, Nathaniel Bacon and Thomas Hinckley were authorized to purchase all the unpurchased land at Suckanesset and places adjacent (Otis, op. cit., p. 108).

The text of a deed, dated 17 May 1661, shows that John Alden acted as agent for Richard Bourne in the purchase of land from the Manomet Sachem, Quachatasett (Mayflower Descendant, vol. 16, p. 179-80). Richard Bourne introduced a motion to the court, 7 Feb. 1664/5, in behalf of the Indians under his instruction, urging that for the redressing and the better preventing of things amiss amongst them, "some orderly way of government" be instituted. The court approved and so ordered (Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, ed.. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, vol. 4, p. 80; Otis., op. cit., p. 109-110) . On 2 April 1667 Mr. Richard Bourne, William Bassett and James Skiffe, Sr.. with the commissioned officers of Sandwich were appointed to the Council of War. An unrecorded, original deed from the sachem Quachatasett to Richard Bourne, dated 22 Sept. 1668, for Sandwich land, bears the signature of John Alden and is witnessed by Elisha2 Bourne and by Ruhamah (Hallett) Bourne, wife of Job2 Bourne (photograph in the Mayflower Descendant, vol. 25, p. 145). The will, dated 9 Feb. 1669, of an Indian, Nunquid Numackes of Pinquin Hole alias Wesqueebs in the jurisdiction of New Plymouth, requests Mr. Edmond Freeman and Richard Bourne to "watch over" the testator's heirs and to help them to "keep and walk in the ways of God" (ibid., vol. 19, p. 30).

It was not until 1670 that Richard Bourne was formally ordained as pastor of the Indian Church in Marshpee. As Otis said, his parish extended from Provincetown to Middleborough (see also Ayer, op. cit.; Cotton Mather's Magnalia Christis Americana (1702), vol. 1, p. 567; and "Plymouth Church Records" in the Mayflower Descend­ant, vol. 4, p. 215-16). A deed, dated 9 March 1672, from several Indians to "our well beloved friend Richard Bourne of Sandwich," is witnessed by Elisha2 Bourne, Ezra2 Bourne and Isaac Wampom (Mayflower Descendant, vol. 33, p. 50). This signature furnishes con­clusive proof that the son Ezra2 lived to maturity. Some writers have supposed that he died in infancy, but he was evidently alive in June 1672 (see above).

At a Court, 1 July 1672, Richard Bourne was authorized to pur­chase a parcel of land in Manomet "for the improvment of his meddow there, provided the Indians to whom it belongeth shall have free Liberty to improve it without interruption" (!) (Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, ed.. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, vol. 5, p. 95). In an interesting report of his labors, dated 4 Sept. 1674, to Maj. Daniel Gookin he relates that he is the only Englishman employed in the extensive region, and enumerates the results of his efforts (see Otis, op. cit., p. 105; Ayer, op. cit., and text of the report, Massachu­setts Historical Society Collection, 1st series, vol. 1, p. 198). This was only a year before the outbreak of King Philip's War and Otis is certainly correct in emphasizing the importance of the work of Bourne in terms of the outcome of that bloody struggle.

Richard and Job Bourne appear on a list of "the inhabitants of Sandwich who have just right to the priviledges of the town" dated in 1675 (Freeman, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 68). It seems strange that the names of the other sons do not appear, but Elisha2 and Shearjashub,2 although both were married men at this time, are not listed free­men until 1681. The letters from Rev. Richard Bourne to "Ruth Winslow of Marshfield" begin with one dated 5 Feb. 1676/7. Such correspondence has rarely survived; the subject matter therefore gives an unusual insight into the feelings of an early Plymouth colony settler. The second letter, dated 16 of 12th mo. [Feb.] 1676/7, is, in addition, of genealogical interest, since we find no other record of the date and place of the untimely death of Job2 Bourne. The unhappy father tells his beloved "my son who was at Hyngham was taken with the disease that many have died of, who was sick about five weeks and died last Saturday & was buried the last Lord's day." We come now to a letter from William1 Sargent to his daughter Ruth Winslow in Marshfield, dated 17 May 1677, and then the third letter from Richard to his beloved Ruth, dated 1 June 1677, in which he explains that he "sent a letter to you and some other things by Mordecai Ellis the last week and he promised to bring them, into yr hands at the last 2nd day but I understood since that he left them at Samuel Hunt's at Duxbury. I hope Ezra will bring them to you. I spoke with Ezra's father and this is the sum of his answer; that he desired to know why you are still willing to let him goe." Bourne then tells her that he will hope that "my cousin Steven" will bring a few lines from his beloved Ruth. Bourne's spirits were revived by a letter from his be­loved, in reply to which we have a final note, dated Sandwich 4 June 1677, in which he says "yours I have received by Steven Skiff[F] … I would entreat you to signifie to mee in a few lines by William [? her brother, William Sargent] whether you are not inclinable to change your name here before you return again to Marshfield."

Her reaction to this repeated proposal is to be implied from a letter from Richard Bourn in Sandwich, dated 18 June 1677, to "Capt. Southworth At Duxbury," in which he says "I make bould to entreat a favour from you … that you would please come to Sand­wich to joyne my well beloved Mrs. Ruth Winslow and myself in Marriage (Dykes, op. cit., p. 113-122).

Some nine weeks before his second marriage Richard Bourne, by deed dated 19 May 1677, conveyed land in Manomet to his son Elisha (Dykes, op. cit., p, 2).

This second wife was Ruth Sargent, born 25 Oct. 1642, hence prob­ably some thirty years younger than her second husband, daughter of William Sargent of Charlestown and Barnstable. Her father's will, dated in Barnstable 9 March 1680, names "my beloved daughter Ruth Bourne" (Savage, op. cit., Plymouth Colony Probate Records). Mr. Richard Bourne married in Sandwich, 2 July 1677, Mrs. Ruth Winslow (Sandwich Town Records in the Mayflower Descendant, vol. 14, p. 172). There was no issue of this second marriage (by her first husband, Jonathan Winslow of Marshfield, she had one son who died in 1676 aged ten, within a year or so of the death of his father).

"Richard Bourne, for diverse causes and reasons as well as for love and affection" conveyed by deed, dated 1 Aug. 1682, to his son Shearjashub Bourne land which had come into his possession by a deed, dated 25 July 1661, from Paupmunnuck through the agency of Mr. Alden (Mayflower Descendant, vol. 25, p. 52). This unrecorded deed is of special interest since the conveyance must have been made with­in a few weeks of the father's death. The Rev. Richard Bourne died intestate before 18 Sept. 1682, the date of his inventory.

"The Finall Settlement of ye Estate both real and Personall of Mr. Richard Bourne, late of Sandwich, deceased, by agreement of ye parties concerned therein & approved by the Court held at Plymouth 31 Oct. 1682. Whereas ye sd Richard Bourne died intestate & also his eldest son Job died in ye life time of his father, leaving four sons and one daughter who arc yett living and also Shearjashub and Elysha sons of ye sd Richard are yett living. It is mutually agreed between John Miller, agent for ye children of sd Job & his Relict Widdow Ruhamah Bourne of ye one part; and ye sd Sherjashub & Elisha of ye other part as followeth, viz: That the sd children of ye sd Job shall have all ye housing and lands of ye sd Richard Bourne which he died seized of, namely ye housing and lands he lived on, aprised at £300., and twenty acres of land lying at a place called ye Great Hollow in Sand­wich afsd, to them and their heirs, to be divided in such manner as ye Court see cause. After ye decease of Ruth Bourne, Relict Widdow of ye sd Richard Bourne shall belong & appurtain to ye sd Shearjashub and Elisha Bourne who are the administrators of ye sd Estate, and for the confirmation hereof ye Court orders ye recording of this Instrument" (Plymouth Colony Probate Records, vol. 4, pt. 2, p. 1). Letters of Administration were "graunted by the Court unto Shearjashuub Bourn and Elisha Bourne" same date (Plymouth Colony Records in New England, vol. 6, p. 97).

The widow, Ruth (Sargent) (Winslow) Bourne, married thirdly, about 1684, John1 Chipman, of Sandwich, born in 1615. Chipman was also a generation older than his bride. By a first wife, Hope2 Howland, daughter of John Howland, the Mayflower passenger, he had fathered eleven children, of whom the daughter Lydia married John2 Sargent (Ruth's brother), and the youngest, Desire Chipman, married Melatiah3 Bourne (vide post). The will of Elder John1 Chipman of Sandwich, dated 12 Nov. 1702 and proved 17 May 1708, gives to his "loving wife Ruth" all the property that she brought to their marriage and all his personal property in Sandwich. The will of the thrice-widowed Ruth (Sargent) (Winslow) (Bourne) Chipman "of Sandwich", dated 6 Dec. 1710, gives to her own relatives and various relatives by her marriages, including £5 to the seven-year old Bathsheba Bourne, daughter of her step-grandson, Melatiah3 Bourne. This child was also a step-grandchild to the testatrix through its mother, Desire2 (Chipman) Bourne (Mayflower Descendant, vol. 3, p. 182-3). Mrs. Ruth Chipman died 4 Oct. 1713 (Sandwich Vital Records, ibid., vol. 29, p. 23). The three witnesses were sworn 8 Oct. 1713: John2 Chipman (her step-son), Lieut. Melatiah3 Bourne and "Remember Jennings, late Remember Smith" (a daughter of Shubael2 Smith, she had married 20 Jan. 1712/13 Samuel Jennings, Esq., by whom in the following February she had a daughter Lydia who was to become the wife of Nathan4 Bourne (vide post).
[A] Throughout this article all places named are in Massachusetts unless other­wise designated.
[B] See Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families, being a reprint of the Amos Otis Papers, rev. by C. F. Swift (1888-1890), 1:104-111.
[C] Op. cit., p. 113-123. These letters, found in the Rev. Thomas Prince Collection, were first printed in The New England Magazine, vol. 22, p. 113 (1900), copied and edited by C. Alice Baker.
[D] A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (1860), vol. 1, p. 218.
[E] Frederick Freeman, History of Cape Cod (1858), vol. 2, p. 15-16.
[F] In the context of the correspondence this can only mean that Steven2 Skiffe is the "my cousin Steven" earlier referred to, which implies that the wife of James1 Skiffe may have been a Hallett or a Bourne. It is true that both Elisha2 Bourne and his brother Shearjashub2 married sisters of Steven2 Skiffe. Yet Bourne does not use the term "kinsman," but called Steven2 Skiffe "my cousin" which at that period usually denoted either cousin or nephew in the modem sense. [The Rev. Richard1 Bourne of Sandwich, Mass. (c. 1610-1682) by Lydia B. (Phinney) Brownson and Maclean W. McLean, NEHGR 118-9, 1964-5]

Richard married Bathsheba Hallett, daughter of Andrew Hallett, Sr. and Mary [Unknown]. (Bathsheba Hallett was born in 1615 in England and died in 1670 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA.)

Richard next married Ruth Sargent, daughter of William Sargent and Unknown, on 2 Jul 1677 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA.¹⁹⁶ (Ruth Sargent was born on 25 Oct 1642 in Scituate, Plymouth, MA ¹⁹⁶ and died on 4 Oct 1713 in Sandwich, Barnstable, MA ¹⁹⁶.)