The 1600 Survey of Fordington Manor shows that Thomas EAMES had already inherited two half place plots in Fordington Fields which in accordance with the custom of the manor he had surrendered to the Lord of the Manor in 1592 to be granted these copyholds in his own name. No heriot was due as he inherited them as the eldest son and heir on the death of his mother whose burial in 1588 at St Georges Church in Fordington has survived when she was described as "Jone EMES [EAMES] widow an olde woman was buried the vijth [7^th] daye of June Ano [1588]". The driver behind this surrender would have been to update the copyhold deed to recognise that it was now held for three new lives which traditionally would have been for himself, his wife Millicent and his eldest male child John EAMES (1586/7-1662).

The 1607 Survey is useful as it shows that one of the half places has now descended to his son John and gives confirmation that the previous owner was Thomas. More importantly the other half place is still held by Thomas and this adds confirmation that this plot was previously held by his father John Eames deceased.

In 1565 John Eames senior is one of nine key witness at the inquiry into the conduct of the Steward Thomas Carewe and this helpfully records their age from which we know John Eames was born in 1512. John Eames was therefore clearly living in 1565 but pre deceased his widow Jone who died in 1588. He may have died during the period prior to the start of parish registers in 1577 (i.e. 1566-1576 when he would have been aged 54 to 64) Bishops Transcripts have survived for 1577 and 1578 and from 1585, so the most likely period when he probably died is when Bishops Transcripts are missing from 1579 to 1584 when aged 67 to 72.

It is important to appreciate that our previous estimates for Thomas and Millicent's birth years were taken from an estimate of their marriage year as being 1576 (about 18 months before the birth of their first known child) and then subtracting the average age of men to marry (27 years - making Thomas born circa 1549 ) We now however have a contemporary estimate with the Survey advising the Prince of Wales that Thomas EMES age was 76 in 1615. Thomas died in 1618 making his age about 79 at death. This significant change in Thomas's birth date means we also need to look at Millicent. An average age of 25 for a woman to marry leaves her born circa 1551, assuming Alice was in fact their first child. A 12 year age gap between Thomas & Millicent's birth is not impossible, but relatively rare for a first marriage. Most women cease childbearing about 45 and Anthony Eames was their last child born in 1595 (estimated from his age given at his death in America). This would make her born about 1550 so for now I have stuck with that making Millicent aged 64 at her death. In reality I think that Alice was probably not their 1st child (given the absence of children bearing their own names). Infant mortality rates were high and we are before the start of parish registers ( 1577 ) so this is quite possible. If correct this would mean they married some years before 1576 reducing the gap between their ages and reducing Thomas's age at marriage to his late twenties. It would also increase her age at death bringing it closer to his.

Their five known children were:- [Note:- Fordington Parish Registers only start from the year 1577 - [1579 to 1584 inc missing] -- [1589, 1590, 1593 missing] -- [1595 to 1599 inc missing]


1. Alice Eames (1578-?) Her baptism appears in the Bishops Transcripts for Fordington in the year 1578. Unfortunately the whole of the right hand side of the document (where the actual dates of baptism were) is missing. Nevertheless the words ‘Alice EAMES the daughter of Thomas Eames’ at the start of the line is very clear, and from the position in the years listing it is likely that she was actually baptised around September or October 1578. I can trace nothing else about her and the most likely explanation is that she died between 1579 and 1584 when the burial (and baptism) records are missing.


2. John Eames (1586/7-1662)  His baptism is recorded in the Bishops Transcripts for Fordington on 12 January 1586/7 and he would have grown up helping his father maintain their smallholding in Fordington Fields. Returning to the 'Survey of Fordington Manor taken in 1615', John Emes now appears in the Survey in his own right as a tenant, with a marginally bigger holding than his father's of 25 acres and 2 roods. Clearly he has taken over one of the two plots previously owned by his father in the Survey in 1600. We now also have access to another Survey taken of Fordington Manor in 1650 and 35 years later John still has the same smallholding which is described in more detail as follows (sic) :-
   
   Survey of the Manor of Fordington [1650]
   Ffine £11 -- John EAMES holdeth by coppie dated 27 Mar 10 Car: [27th Mar 1634] a tenemt [tenement] with thapytenances [the appurtenances] called a half place cont. [containing] by estimacon [estimation] one acre & 3 roode of Meddow & 24 acres of arable for the lives of him the sd John aged 80 yeares & of Thomas his sonne aged 33 yeares according to the custome of the sd Mannr wch wee value to bee worth besides the psent rent p, ann ------Redd: - - 13s 4d .
   
   
   This brings me to John's age quoted in the Surveys. The first survey in 1615 places him at about 40 years old (i.e. born circa 1575) and the second about 80 years old (c1570) . Given 35 years between the surveys we already have a five year difference. The problem however is that he is the only known John Eames born before 1615 in Fordington or Dorchester and perchance we have his baptism which is right where it should be at St Georges Church on 12th Jan 1586/7. He was therefore about 29 not 40 in 1615 and 64 not 80 in 1650, quite a bit out bringing into question the accuracy of the Surveyors ability to correctly assess age of some of the older tenants. His son Thomas however is said to be 33 years old in 1650 which makes him born c1617 which is exactly right. His age at death in Framingham Massachusetts on Jan 25th 1680 was given as 62 years making him born in 1618 but we have baptisms for that year from April and his baptism is not there, whilst baptisms from June 1616 to March 1617/18 have not survived.
   
   MARRIAGE:- I have not been able to locate John's marriage but we know her Christian name as Lucy (Luce or Lewse) EAMES from her burial record and Letters of Administration issued on her death to her son in 1665.⁽⁴¹⁾ Assuming they married the year before their first known child was born (i.e. in 1616) John Eames would have been 30 years old (parish marriage registers have not survived for 1616 and 1617). Although this is 3 years older than average for a man to marry during this period it fits exactly with the convention that young couples delay their marriage until they could afford to set up their own household and we know John had his own smallholding by 1615. Confirmation of who she was comes from the Will of Richard SEAGER dated 5th Dec 1625 who names his daughter described as "Lucy the wife of John EAMES of Fordington to be his executrix" and helpfully goes on to make bequests to her children as shown below. The Inventory of his goods which accfompanies his will is signed by Anthony EAMES.
   
   CHILDREN:- We know of three/four children ⁽⁷⁾ :-


(2.1) Thomas Eames (1617-1680) His age given in the Survey of Fordington Manor in 1650 states he was 33 years old making him born in 1617. Parish Registers have not survived for that year. Thomas was left 10 shillings in the Will of Roger Kete gentleman which was dated 15 Mar 1619/20 when Thomas is described as 'my Godson, the son of John Eames'. He was also left a wether sheep and his best suite vizt jerkin, doublet and hose in the Will of Richard Seager dated 5th Dec 1625. He appears to have emigrated to Massachusetts in 1634 and 1st married at Dedham to a Margaret in 1640 ⁽⁴⁰⁾. Despite being in America in the 1650 survey (see above) he is still being recorded as the second life on his fathers copyhold. Thomas died in Framingham Mass Jan 25th 1680 aged 62 years.

(2.2) Ruth Eames  (1620-aft 1637) bap Fordington 1 January 1620/1 - She was left a chilver hogge by Richard Seager of Fordington in his will dated 5th Dec 1625. She may also have emigrated to New England arriving Salem Massachusetts 1637 when she was said to be aged 18

(2.3) Jonathan Eames (1628-1702) bap Fordington 14 Sep 1628 and grew up helping his father run their smallholding in Fordington Fields. He was witness to the Will of William Barnes a Yeoman in Fordington in 1658 so already a respected member of the community at the age of 30. His siblings having emigrated to New England he was appointed Administrator of his fathers estate when he died in 1662 and ran the smallholding with his mother until she died in 1665 when he was appointed administrator of her estate as well. Jonathan Eames was a close friend of another yeoman, Arthur HACKHAM of Fordington who appointed him as one of his overseers in his will dated 29th Sep 1679. He also witnessed the will dated 24th March 1679/80 of Robert INGRAM yet another yeoman of Fordington and was one of the 3 appraisers of his goods and chattels etc, signing the Inventory dated 13th May 1680.

Jonathan also died intestate and was buried at FStG on 6 May 1702. I have recently (January 2011) obtained a copy of the Letters of Administration for his estate and transcribed it for this site as well. From this it's clear that he married a Mary (c1637-1733) who survived him taking control of his estate.⁽³⁵⁾ I have not traced any issue. Mary appears to have survived until 8th July 1733 when she is buried in Fordington at the age of 96.

(2.4) Jone Eames ? [Note:- Recent (2023) transcription of the Will of Richard Seager of Fordington dated 5th Dec 1625 leaves a number of bequests to the children of John Eames as mentioned above. Thomas was left a wether sheep and Jone and Ruth were each left a chilver hogge. This is the only ref I have found so far of John having another daughter called Jone (Joan). As she precedes Ruth in the bequests this may suggest she was born earlier.

We know from the Dorset Quarter sessions ⁽⁶⁾ that John EAMES was called to attend the Sherborne Assizes held between 10th and 12th April 1632 to be appointed Constable for the 'Manor of Fordington', a post held by his younger brother Anthony in 1630, but for a reason that is not stated he was pardoned service. The bishops transcripts for St Georges church also show that in 1635 he was churchwarden there.

DEATH:- John EAMES (1586/7-1662) died Intestate in 1662 and we are denied his burial record as the parish records have not survived for that and surrounding years.

1662 was the year of the 'great ejectment' following the 'Act of Uniformity' when over 2,000 clergymen lost their living. Dorchester with its history of non-conformity was affected more than most with not only Rev. Joshua Churchill the rector of St Georges church, but also Rev. George Hammond, the rector of Holy Trinity and St Peters in Dorchester and the Rev William Benn the rector of All Saints, all being ejected

Letters of Administration ⁽⁸⁾ were issued in Oct 1662 by the Court to his 2nd son (described as "Jonathan Emes of Fordington in the County of Dorset Yeoman") as his eldest son Thomas EAMES had emigrated to America in 1634. When John died an Inventory of all his household goods, chattels and other possessions was drawn up for the Court by John's nephew Edward Eames and this refers to John as a Yeoman. The inventory apart from personal possessions reflects this standing. For example in one room we have a standing bed and a half bed; in another a feather bed and fluke bed; in a third another standing bed followed by a fluke bed which was possibly for a servant. As such we have a house with a number of distinct rooms well above the general run of the houses for husbandmen. He also had 3 horses, 3 cows and a heifer and was in possession of 6 acres of wheat and 9 acres of Barley in the common field and half an acre of furze all of which which still had to be harvested as well as a stack of already harvested wheat in the yard out the back of their house.

Lucy EAMES nee SEAGER ( - 1665) was buried in Fordington on 11 May 1665, an inventory of her wearing apparel was drawn up on 24th June 1665 and Letters of Administration of her estate granted to her son Jonathan on the same day.


3. Richard Eames (c1588-c1634) ⁽³⁾ He was born c1588 once again when the parish registers are missing so we do not have a baptism date. He married however on 5th June 1615 in St Georges Church Fordington to an Alice Sprague (c1597-1668). She was the eldest of six children of Edward & Christian Sprague, and had been born in Upwey ⁽⁹⁾ which lies just 3 miles south of Dorchester on the road to Weymouth. Her father, a prosperous fulling mill operator and farmer, was still a relatively young man in his late 30's when he suddenly became very ill. On his deathbed on 6th June 1614 he hastily wrote his 'Will' ; he must have died almost immediately as probate was granted only seven days later. Alice, the eldest, was 17 when her father died and left her the sum of £50. With the children still young his widow Christian needed to secure her families future. As Alice still needed her permission to marry she no doubt had a hand in arranging the marriage to Richard Eames which took place a year after Edwards death. The fact that she agreed to the marriage suggests that Richard aged about 27 had already been set up with his own smallholding and she felt comfortable that Alice would be well provided for. Richard and Alice had only one child, a son they called Edward probably in remembrance of Alice's father (see 3.1 below).
   
   The two families seem to have got on well with Alice's presence in Fordington drawing her younger brothers to the town where they rapidly fell under the influence of the charismatic Rev John White. By now he was a very influential character being largely responsible for masterminding the restoration of Dorchester after the great fire of 1613. In October 1616 they were presented with a new Rector in the shape of another staunch puritan called the Rev Edward Pele who soon became friends with John White and shared his ideals. In 1620 the sailing of the Mayflower gave a new direction to John White's vision of a godly community and turned his attention towards what was happening in New England. In 1623 her brother Ralph Sprague married in Fordington just as the Rev White was formulating plans for a new plantation in New England. The following year John White formed the Dorchester Company and for the first time gave real substance to these plans. A set back for the family occurred in 1625 with the death of Alice's younger brother Christopher Sprague who was buried in St Georges graveyard by the Reverend Pele. The following year however another brother, Edward Sprague, seems to have married and raised a family in Fordington as three children are baptised there (Elizabeth Sprague 1627-1631; Edward Sprague 1630; William Sprague 1633) . In 1628/9 John White's vision was to result in her brothers (Ralph, Richard and William) sailing to New England and it was the stories that came back from Massachusetts after their emigration that inspired Anthony Eames to go as well in 1634⁽⁴⁴⁾ .
   
   
   (3.1) Edward Eames (1618 -1685) their only child was baptised at Fordington on 25 December 1618. He married there on 31st January 1638/9 to Elizabeth Tapp (1605-1675) the daughter of Robert Tapp who had been baptised in Fordington on 6th Dec 1605 making her thirteen years his senior, but still only 33 years old at marriage. On 12th Oct 1646 Edward took a copyhold lease on a cottage with a garden in Fordington which he was still in possession of when the Survey of Fordington Manor took place in 1650. This records that he was then about 33 years old (b. 1617) and it was held for 3 lives, himself. his son John Eames then aged 9 years, and his son Samuel then aged 4 years.
   
   Children:-
   (1) Elizabeth Eames (1639-aft 1669) named after her mother and baptised in Fordington on 27th November 1639.  On 28th Dec 1669 she married John Bunne in Fordington.
   
   (2) John Eames (1641-aft. 1650) aged 9 in the 1650 survey.
   
   (3) Samuel Eames (1646- aft. 1650) aged 4 in 1650 survey.
   
   
   As we have already seen when Edward's uncle John died in 1662 he drew up the inventory of his possessions. His wife was buried in St Georges churchyard on 20 Oct 1675, and Edward was churchwarden there in 1676. He died in 1685 being buried at FStG on 5th December.
   
   I have not been able to locate Richard Eames death but according to American research Alice was granted administration of Richard’s estate on 3rd May 1634 ⁽¹⁰⁾. The burials registers for that year are missing. Alice remarried in Tincleton Dorset on 20th December 1638 to a John Holland and died there being buried on 3rd May 1668. Just before her marriage, on 9 Aug 1638, she was living at Pomberry Mill near Dorchester ⁽¹¹⁾.
   
   
4. Anne Eames (c1593/4 - ?) If she was the average age for women of 25 when she married she would have been born in 1593/4. Bishops Transcripts for most years around this date were destroyed in the great fire at Blandford in 1731. We have her marriage however to a Thomas Rose in Fordington on 14 January 1618/9 .. Anne appears to have had four children:-


(a)Thomas Rose (1619-1628) Baptised 19 Dec 1619 Fordington he died at the age of 9 being buried in Fordington on 7 April 1628 as Thomas son of Thomas Rose.
(b) Hannah Rose (1622-?) Baptised Fordington 20 Oct 1622
(c) Lydia Rose (1625-1631) Baptised Fordington 5 Mar 1625/6 she was buried there on 12 Apr 1631 her death being recorded in the Bishops Transcripts by Anthony Eames who was churchwarden then.
(d) Thomas Rose (1630/1- ?) named in memory of his younger brother who died in 1628 he was baptised in Fordington on 23 January 1630/1

I have carried out a separate study of this family and the summary of the evidence assembled about them strongly suggests that they emigrated to New England with Anthony Eames arriving in Charlestown about 1634⁽⁴⁴⁾ and settling in what is now called Scituate. The two families continued to live close to one another with two of Anthony's daughters marrying and settling in Scituate⁽⁵⁾. See Pilgrims from Fordington - The ROSE Family


5. Anthony Eames (c1595 - 1661/2) The subject of this account - See below:-

Anthony EAMES and Michaias BARNES made Constables for the Manor of Fordington

(See image right which details the plots allocated to Anthony and his son-in-law which can be viewed on ancestry.com under 'Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 image 18 of 81 ) Hingham - Records of First Settlers. Further information is given in image 28 (& 78) under town meeting minutes for April 25 1646 when an agreement was reached regarding fencing some plots sufficient against great cattle.)

The phrase 'train band' comes directly from Elizabeth I and her concern for the defence of England. In 1558 two Acts were passed revising each man's responsibilities for providing arms, armour and horses. The men of the nation were divided into ten groups, Those with incomes of £5-£10 per year had to have a coat of plated armour, a steel cap, a longbow with arrows, and either a bill or a halberd. Men with an annual income of £10-£20 had to find the same, but with a harquebus instead of a bill or halberd, and a morion instead of a cap. Additional armour had to be supplied by the gentry, and the scale of requirements went on up to the men worth £1000 per year or more, who had to provide 16 horses, 80 suits of light armour, 40 pikes, 30 longbows, 20 bills, or halberds, 20 harquebuses and 50 steel caps or helmets. From time to time, all men liable for service were called, with their arms, to musters; and from 1570, men who were both fit and keen underwent regular training in small units. Consequently it became the custom to distinguish in muster certificates between trained and untrained men and so arose the term 'Trained Bands' .

From 18 April 1588 in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, service in the militia became the responsibility of the Duke of Bedford who was well organised. Anthony's appointment as a Lieutenant in New England would have been a natural development of using his experience gained in England from his service with the militia. Because of his rank in society and annual income he would have been required to provide his own horse and served in what was later to be called the Yeomanry to distinguish it from the infantry. Whether he held a command in England we will probably never know but he would have served and understood the way in which citizens were organised for the defence of the nation and local communities.

Impeachment of Deputy Governor Winthrop 1645 ⁽²¹⁾



John Winthrop 1588-1649

But the most signal event of this year (1645) was what has sometimes been called "the impeachment of Winthrop." The story is told so well by Dr. Palfry, in his History of New England that we are unwilling to give it any other words than his:-

"A dispute, local in its origin, and apparently of slight importance for a time, but finally engaging at once the military, the religious, and the civil authorities of the colony, was bequeathed by Endicott (1st Governor of the Colony) to his successor. The train-band of the town of Hingham, having chosen Anthony Eames to be their captain, 'presented him to the Standing Council for their allowance.' While the business was in this stage, the soldiers altered their minds, and in a second election gave the place to Bozoun Allen. The magistrates, thinking that an injustice and affront had been offered to Eames, determined that the former election should be held valid until the Court should take further order. The company would not obey their captain, and mutinied. He was summoned before the church of his town, under a charge of having made misrepresentations to the magistrates. He went to Boston and laid his case before them. They 'sent warrant to the constable to attach some of the principal offenders [Peter Hobart, minister of Hingham, being one] to appear before them at Boston, to find sureties for their appearance at the next Court.'

Hobart came and remonstrated so intemperately that 'some of the magistrates told him that, were it not for respect for his ministry, they would commit him'. Two of those arraigned with him refused to give bonds, and Winthrop sent them to jail.

"So the affair stood at the time of Dudley's accession [Thomas Dudley took over from Endicott as Governor of the Colony in 1645]. Hobart and some eighty of his friends petitioned for a hearing before the General Court upon the lawfulness of the committal 'by some of the magistrates, for words spoken concerning the power of the General Court, and their liberties, and the liberties of the church'. The deputies on their part complied with the request, and sent a vote accordingly to the magistrates for their concurrence. The magistrates 'returned answer that they were willing the cause should be heard, so as the petitioners would name the magistrates whom they intended, and the matter they would lay to their charge. The petitioners agents who were then deputies of the court thereupon singled out the Deputy Governor [Winthrop], and two of the petitioners undertook the prosecution'. The magistrates were loath to sanction so irregular a proceeding; but Winthrop desired to make his vindication, and the petitioners were permitted to have their way.

"The day appointed (14th of May 1645) being come, the Court assembled in the meeting house at Boston, Divers of the elders were present, and a great assembly of people. The Deputy Governor [Winthrop] coming in with the rest of the magistrates placed himself beneath and within the bar, and so sat uncovered'. At this 'many both Court and the assembly were grieved'. But he said that had he taken what was the fit place for an accused person and that if he were upon the bench, it would be a great disadvantage to him, for he could not take the liberty to plead the cause which he ought to be allowed at the bar.'

In the full argument that followed, the Deputy Governor 'justified all the particulars laid to his charge; as that upon credible information of such a mutinous practice and open disturbance of the peace and slighting of authority, the offenders were sent for, the principal by warrant to the constable to bring them and others by summons, and that some were bound over to the next Court of Assistants, and others , that refused to be bound, were committed; and all this according to the equity of the laws established, and custom and laws of England and our constant practice these fifteen years'".

The matter was under debate, says Palfry, for more than seven weeks, with only one weeks intermission, and was at length adjusted by an agreement on all hands for a complete acquittal of Winthrop, and for the punishment of all the petitioners by fines, the largest of which was twenty pounds, and that of the minister two pounds.

HINGHAM April 25th 1646 An Agreement made betwixt John PORTER, Anthony EAMES, Thomas TAXTER, William SPRAGUE, Thomas HAMM, John LEAVITT and Nicholas JACOB to fence parcels of meadow lying betwixt Layford's Liking and Straits Ponds.

John PORTER to fence the land of his lot from the sea to the mark tree of Anthony EAMES, and Anthony EAMES to fence from thence to that marked tree betwixt him and Thomas TAXTER, and Thomas TAXTER to fence 26 poles to the swamp. - and from thence, Thomas HAMMOND to fence to the two Rooks at the further side of Thomas HAMMONDS meadow -- and William SPRAGUE to fence thence as far as the marked tree betwixt Thomas HAMMOND and John LOVITT and 6 rods beyond -- and John LOVITT to fence thence to the marked tree next Nicholas JACOB and from thence Nicholas JACOB to fence unto the next brook and to make these fences sufficient against great cattler according to the judgement of two men and so to maintain them from year to year and none are to permit any cattle to feed in any part of this land till the 12th day of September every year -- and if any man hath any hay left, then to secure it -- and every man for the after feed to find in Cattle according to the quality of their fence

To all people to whom these presents shall come know here that Whereas Mr Anthony EAMES and Marke EAMES of the town of Marshfield in Plymouth Colony in New England in America, planters having jointly together bought and purchased of Ffrancis GODFRY deceased a certain tract of lands and housing and meadow lands lying and being in Marshfield which was formerly the lands of Captain Thomas SOUTHWORD [SOUTHWORTH] and Mr Constant SOUTHWORD as agreed by covenant made betwixt the aforesaid Ffrancis and the aforesaid Anthony and Marke bearing date the tenth of December 1650 now so it is the aforesaid Anthony and Marke have jointly agreed as to an equal division of the aforesaid tract of lands and housing and meadow lands which division being laid out is as followeth:

Impremis: {Latin for "In the first place" } That all the upland and meadows and the houses which was purchased of the aforesaid Francis: beginning at the range of the Lands of John CUSKIN, which sometimes the Lands of William DAFFAD, and so far for the breadth of the land to run to a black oak tree which now stands by the rayle [rail] fence of Anthony EAMES and that side range to run into the woods by a south southwest line, being a very little westerly, till it comes to the end of the aforesaid tract: and the range from the aforesaid b{lack} oak along the aforesaid rail fence as that line of far fences (?) fully comes to the meadow lands, and this to be the eastward side share of the uplands of the aforesaid Anthony and all the rest of the uplands belong to the whole of the aforesaid tract of upland to appertaining to (?) behoof of the aforesaid Marke.

And for the meadow lands it is as followeth: Impremis: That the aforesaid Anthony his meadow range with his uplands of the westerly side of his land and so to the (?) and for the extent thereof to run to the eastward to a ditch east of the aforesaid Anthony and Marke refusching? division betwixt them and further a certain peck of salt marsh meadow being bounded by a fence beginning at the south end of Little Creek and so bounded by said Creek as it runs north-west or near upon that point to ye north, and for the side bound of the easterly side to begin at the Creek at the rayle [rail] fence now stands and so to run northeast until it come to (?) Ri(?) : and all these aforesaid meadow lands to belong to the aforesaid (?) and his assigns and the rest of the meadows belonging to the aforesaid tract of lands to appertain to the only use and behoof of the aforesaid Marke and his assigns: And further use the aforesaid Anthony do by these presents bind our selves our heirs executors administrators and assigns for the true and just performance of the conditions of the equal division of the whole purchase of all and every part and parcel of the aforesaid tracts of housing and lands (vide) (?) to each of (?) our heirs executors administrators and assigns for ever and in Witness hereof we the said (?) have set our hands the day and year above written --- John BOWER (rest illegible)

"It is agreed again by the Inhabitants then present that if any person or persons in this town shall kill any wolves in this township that such persons, on sufficient information of it, (?) shall have twenty shillings a head for every wolf so killed".

Their Children:-

1. Millicent (Millisaint) Eames (c1616-1695/6) The eldest of their children was named after her paternal grandmother. Her baptism appears to have occurred when Parish Registers for Fordington are missing and is estimated to be c1616 (as per genealogical note 32 below). She married in Charlestown Suffolk Colony Massachusetts on 26 May 1635 (the year after their arrival)  to William Sprague (1609-1675) ⁽²⁴⁾ the youngest of the three brothers from Upwey Dorset. He had been in New England since 1628 and was then thought to be about 26, only a year shy of the average for men to marry in England.

Millicent had known the Sprague family all her life as her fathers elder brother Richard Eames (1589/90-c1634) had married Alice Sprague (1597-1668) from Upwey, and they had settled in Fordington in 1615. Alice Sprague’s  younger brother Ralph Sprague (1599-1650) also married and settled there when Millicent was about seven so she grew up with their children. In some accounts of the family Millicent is said to have been betrothed to William Sprague in England but this seems unlikely to me as William emigrated with two brothers to America arriving in Salem on the ship Abigail in 1628 when Millicent, still in England, would have been only 12.  They did however marry within 12 months of her arrival in New England when she was still only about 19 and we know letters were carried back and forth to New England in the Pilgrim Ships, so perhaps they did reach an understanding.

William & Millicent had the first of their 11 children (Anthony Sprague) baptised in Charlestown 2 Sep 1636 before they moved, along with her father Anthony Eames, to Hingham where they were granted land. William is known to have visited Hingham by boat as early as 1629 so may well have been the main architect behind both families relocation. His house lot according to the 'Sprague genealogy' was on Union Street 'over the river' and one of the pleasantest in Hingham.⁽³³⁾ Throughout the period 1636 to 1647 the 'Old Grant Book' of Hingham records many parcels of land and meadow being granted to him by the town. William was elected as a 'Selectman of Hingham' in 1645 and about 1650 his father-in-law Anthony Eames moved to Marshfield. The following year on March 28th 1651 he purchased from Thomas Hammond 'Planter' a dwelling house with 5 acres of land adjoining his own homestead together with other lands in that locality. Also 20 acres on the opposite side of the river against the end of Thomas Hammond's dwelling house. He was made Constable of Hingham and collector of the town rates in 1662 ^{(18 & 26)} and died in 1675 leaving a very detailed Will, making his wife executrix. Millicent lived another 20 years and was buried in Hingham on 8th February 1695/96 when she would have been close to 80.

2. Mark(e) Eames (c1617-1693) Mark was born in Fordington about 1617⁽³²⁾ when baptism registers are missing. He was a beneficiary along with his parents under the will dated 15 Mar 1619/20 of Roger Kete Gentleman of Fordington. He emigrated in 1634 with his parents to Charlestown moving with them to Hingham in 1636. He and his father were granted land in Hingham in 1645.  He was married there on the 26 May 1648 to Elizabeth Andrews⁽³⁸⁾ and they had their first child John Eames baptised in Marshfield Plymouth Colony on 6th September 1649. The following year he bought a house there with his father and on 1st January 1652/3 he is recorded as an appraiser of the estate of Robert Waterman of Marshfield. He and his father were also witnesses to the Will of a John Rogers of Marshfield on 1st February 1660/1. Mark became a Deputy to the General Court in 1662 and held this post for fourteen of the next 20 years. He also appraised the estate of a Thomas Little on 1st July 1672 and was witness to the Will of William Ford of Marshfield which was sworn before Josiah Winslow the Governor on 30 Oct 1676. More importantly he is specifically mentioned in his sisters (Persis) Will where she refers to him as her brother, so there is plenty of documentation substantiating his place in the family

He served as an ensign and later as a lieutenant in the militia during King Philip’s Indian War (1675-1676) and was second in command under Captain Peregrine White whom history books credit as being the first white child to be born in New England, having been born on the Mayflower a month after the ship arrived.

King Philip’s war is named after the main leader of the Indians, called Metacomet or Pometacom but known to the English as “King Phillip” (See sketch left) . It was an uprising of the Algonquian Tribes who the colonial historian Francis Jennings estimated killed nearly 7 of every 8 Indians and 30 of every 65 English settlers. King Philip's War was proportionately one of the bloodiest and costliest in the history of America and it is surprising that it is largely forgotten in modern times.

Mark and Elizabeth appear to have had 11 children in all which i have not researched, although 5 are mentioned in his Will⁽³⁹⁾. Mark died in Marshfield Massachusetts shortly after his Will was written on 12th Jul 1693 and he named Elizabeth as his executor. Administration papers however issued 19th October that year show that she died a few days before Mark.

3. John Eames (1618-1641) baptism appears in Fordington Parish Registers on 24th January 1618/19. He died at the age of 22 being buried in Hingham on 3rd November 1641. Unlike several other members of the family there is no mention of violence surrounding his death which was well before the Indian War, so I suspect this was from some form of sickness.

4. Persis Eames (1621- 1662) ⁽²⁵⁾ She was baptised in Fordington in St George’s church on 28th Oct 1621. The name Persis is unusual and comes from the Bible, perhaps another indication of the importance of religion in their lives. In the Bible Persis was a Christian woman in Rome whom St Paul salutes as “beloved and as having laboured much in the Lord” . Persis married a  Michael Pierce (?-1676) in 1645 at Scituate Plymouth Massachusetts and they purchased land there at Conihassett in 1647. Their house was on the Cohasset Road one mile from the north meeting house at the well known place where Elijah Pierce of the sixth generation was still living in 1831⁽²⁵⁾. Scituate was also where Thomas Rose and his family were living since before 1640. On 28th May 1659 in answer to a Court Petition her father Anthony Eames refers to "his sonne in lawe Michaell Pearse."  (Ref X1) Michael & Persis had 13 children between 1645 and 1662, the first (which died) and the last were both named Persis after her. Her death is recorded in the Journal of Rev. Peter Hobart, in Hingham Plymouth Colony Massachusetts "Dec. 31, 1662, Michaell Perces wife dyed."

Siege of Brookfield - King Philip's War

Her husband remarried in 1663 to an Anna and was commissioned as a Captain by the Colony Court in 1669. Unfortunately he was ambushed and killed on 26th March 1676 at Pawtucket  by Canonchet Indians at Attlebro Gore during King Philip’s war. There are a number of accounts of this famous battle referred to as ‘Pierces Fight’ when he was slain with 51 soldiers and 11 friendly Indians. Thomas Rose's grandson John Rose was one of the slain. His Will dated 15th Jan 1675 was proved on 22nd July 1676 and starts with 'Being, by the appointment of my God, going out to war against the Indians, I do ordain this my last Will and Testament’

5. Elizabeth Eames (1624-1692) She was baptised in Fordington St Georges Church on 13 Jun 1624. After emigration to Charlestown she moved with her parents to live in Hingham in 1636 where she married a farmer called Edward Wilder on 1 Apr 1651. Edward was the son of the widow Martha Wilder whose father died in Shiplock Oxfordshire shortly before Martha and her children emigrated to New England. He was 5 years older than Elizabeth and they had 11 children in Hingham (Elizabeth 1651/2; John 1653; Ephraim 1655; Isaac 1656; Jabez 1657/8; Abia 1659; Mehitable 1661; Abigail 1662; Anna 1664; Hannah 1665/6; Mary 1668) . In the History of Hingham written in 1893 it says that Edward and Elizabeth were the ancestors of all who bear that name in Hingham and the vicinity. Edward had his first grant of 10 acres of land at Hingham on 8th October 1637 so like the Eames family he was an early settler and he would have known Elizabeth since she was 12 or 13. He subsequently received other grants of land from the town including a tract situated next to that given to his mother in 1638 which was located at or near the junction of Main and Pleasant Street. He also owned all the land between Tower's bridge and Wilder's bridge

Elizabeth's seventh child was Mehitable Wilder born in 1661. Mehitable is another biblical name [original spelling Mehetabel] which means “Favoured by God”. She married in 1692 to Joseph Warren, a grandson of Richard Warren that had sailed on the Mayflower, but Joseph died in 1696 leaving Mehitable a young widow. It needs to be remembered that the famous Salem Witchcraft Trials were in 1692.

There is the following account on ‘New England Ancesters.org ‘


Salem Witch Trials 1692

Mehitable after the death of her husband returned to Hingham and there came under the charge of being a witch, but was saved from the usual consequences of the unjust accusation by the interposition of some sixty of her neighbours who subscribed to the following:

‘whereas we under-written, have heard that there are scandalous Reports of the widow Mehitable Warren of Plymouth, we knowing that she was brought up in this place, & in her younger time had been a person of great affection before she was married, and hath lived in this town divers years in her widowhood & we never have had any thought or suspicion, nor have never heard that any amongst us have had the least suspicion that ever she was guilty of the sin of being a witch or anything that may occasion such suspicion of her’.

‘I having had knowledge this eleven years of the above named Mehitable Warren being her physician do know that she has been a woman of great affliction by reason of many distempers of body but never heard of bad thought that ever she was guilty of any such thing as above but contrary wise did and do believe that God gave her a sanctified improvement of his afflicative hand to her’ - Nathaniel Hall & Ann Hall

Elizabeth's eleventh child was Mary Wilder born 5th April 1668 in Hingham Plymouth Massachusetts. She married her 1st husband Francis Le Baron 6th Sep 1695. There is also an interesting account about him as follows:-
‘In the autumn of 1694, a French privateer, cruising on the American coast was wrecked in Buzzard's Bay near Falmouth. the officers and crew were taken prisoners, and marched to Boston. In Plymouth, Francis Le Baron the surgeon of the ship, was detained by sickness. He could not speak English and the people about him could not speak French but Dr. John Cotton the minister of the town talked with him in Latin and became interested in him. He performed what seemed at that time a wonderful surgical operation on the landlady of the inn and as there was no physician in Plymouth the selectmen of the town petitioned Lieut. Gov. William Stoughton then acting governor, that Dr. Le Baron might be permitted to tarry in the town of Plymouth. The petition was granted and he practiced medicine and surgery there till his death. He was a Roman Catholic and always wore a cross upon his breast’.

Elizabeth's husband Edward Wilder died intestate on 18th Oct 1680 from a malignant fever. Elizabeth was 68 when she died on 9 Jun 1692 in Plymouth Massachusetts.

6. Justus [Justice] Eames (1627-1706) He was baptised in Fordington, St Georges Church, on 29 Apr 1627 and he married a Mehitabell [Mehitable] Chillingworth on 20 May 1661 in Marshfield Plymouth ⁽²⁶⁾. She was the daughter of Thomas Chillingworth and Joane Hampton. His father Anthony Eames acknowledged a deed of land to his son Justus Eames on Jun. 28, 1670. I have not investigated their 8 children, the first 4 with the names Anthony, Millicent, Margery and John. His Will is dated 27 May 1697 at Marshfield Massachusetts (Lysander Salmon Richards, History of Marshfield, Memorial Press, Plymouth, 1901.) and refers to the last 5 of his children. Although I have not seen the transcript done on 15 August 1923 by Eames Sawyer it is reported to state that his estate was not proved until 20 May 1706 in Plymouth County MA so I have used this date for his death.

7. Margery Eames (1630-1659) Named after her mother she was baptised in Fordington, St Georges Church, on 5 Dec 1630. She married on October 20, 1653 to a John Jacobs ⁽²⁶⁾ the son of Nicholas Jacobs and Mary Gilmer who had been born in Hingham on 26th Feb 1629/30.  They had 4 children before Margery died on 7 Apr 1659 at Hingham.  Their first child called John Jacob junior was born on 20th Oct 1654 but slain by the Indians near their house on the 19th April 1676 during King Phillip’s War (see comments under Abigail Eames below).

John remarried to a Mary Russell on 3rd Jan 1661 and had another 11 children. John was a Selectman in Hingham in the years 1662;1665;1683;1686;and 1689. He contributed towards a new meeting house there and was a member of the Ancient & Honorable Artillery Co being an officer in 1682. John died 18th Sep 1693.

The case for Abigail Eames (c1632-1709/10)

Anthony & Margery were for some years thought to have had an eighth and final child named Abigail - she was said to have been born in Fordington about 1632 but unfortunately baptism registers for that year (and 1634) have not survived and I have not found any documentary evidence in England of her existence. I agree with the conclusions reached by Michael D Pierce in his paper at Annex A.

1. There are many pictures of St Georges church on this site which show the church after it was extended in 1908 but this one depicts the church around 1845 when it was still much as Anthony would have known it.
2. The Parish Registers for Fordington perished in antiquity. Some Bishops Transcripts survive but those that have were damaged in the great fire of 1731 in Blandford. Clearer images of these badly damaged records were sent to me on disc by the Church of Latter day Saints during 2009 on loan as part of the OPC transcription project. The original church Film number however is 1279496/7 and this can be ordered and viewed at any CLDS church with a family history center attached. Transcriptions with a ref to the CLDS Film image is available on this site and for more important events I have provided a link direct to the transcription. The Registers start in the year 1577; the following years are missing 1579-1584inc; 1589-1590 and most of 1591; 1593; most of 1594, 1595-1602; 1609-1613; part of 1616; 1617; 1629; 1632;1634; 1636; 1640 to 1663 inc.
3. Where year of birth is unknown it has been estimated (identified by use of the letter 'c' for circa before the year) as being 27 years old for a man and 25 years old for a woman. These are averages applying to the Tudor period (1485-1603) for England. See the 'History Today' website under 'Courtship in Tudor England' and many others. It continued however during the House of Stuart (1603-1714). the ' Oxford Illustrated History of Britain' states regarding the Stuart Period" In all social groups, marriage was usually deferred until both partners were in their mid twenties and the wife only had twelve to fifteen childbearing years before her. The reason for this pattern of late marriage seems to be the firm convention that the couple save up enough money to launch themselves as an independent household before they wed. For the better off, this frequently meant university, legal training, an apprenticeship of seven years or more; for the less well off a long term of domestic service, living in with all found but little in the way of cash wages. I have tested this against the few cases where we know the baptism and marriage dates of people in the family. Anthony Eames own children are a good example. John of course died aged 22 unmarried. His daughter Persis was 24, Elizabeth 27, Justus was 34 and Margery 23. Other marriages seem to also hold true. Anthony's brother John bap 1586/7 married about 1619 when he was 32, more important it was the year after he inherited his fathers estate and became financially secure. Anthony Eames himself appears to have been about 21. His brother Richards son Edward Eames was only 20 when he married but he was an only child and his father had died 4 years earlier so again was financially secure.
4. There is an IGI record for their marriage in St Georges church Fordington which gives a date of 26 June 1573. As this predates the start of the marriage register, and no surname has been given for Millicent, and the entry has been made by a member of the church rather than taken from an actual register as a part of their transcription program I have ignored it until such time as some evidence can be produced to authenticate its source. Some American genealogies give her surname as Brewster but no source is quoted and its acknowledged that her surname is uncertain.
5. Persis EAMES who married Michael Pierce of Scituate in 1645 and raised 13 children there and Abigail Eames who moved there by 1664 and had 6 children there.
6. The Dorset Quarter Sessions Order Book 1625-1638 - A calendar edited by Terry Hearing and Sarah Bridges & published by the Dorset Record society Volume 14 2006 - Pages 123 (Anthony) & 199 (John)
7. Some genealogies also credit John Eames with an earlier birth of a Kathy Eames bap at Fordington on 1 Jan 1619/20. No such baptism exists in the surviving Bishops Transcripts so I have ignored it. We have however recently (2023) picked up that he may have had another daughter named Jone Eames.
8. They are preserved in the Wiltshire and Swindon Archive Catalogue - their ref P5/1662/39.
9. Some accounts refer to her birth as being in Fordington between 1592-1594. The Fordington Bishops Transcripts have survived for the whole of 1592 and half of 1594 and her baptism is not listed there, transcripts for the rest of that period were destroyed in 1731. I am aware of speculation that the Sprague family originated from Fordington but I have not found any evidence to date of their presence in the town prior to Richard's marriage to Alice in 1615. From her fathers Will written in 1614 it is clear that he had been running his fulling mill business for some time in Upwey and her brother Ralph is referred to as being 'of Upwey'. According to the Dorset History Center Parish Registers for Upwey only survive from 1654 and all Bishops Transcripts were destroyed in the Blandford Fire of 1731 which means we are not going to get definitive evidence. Lacking Alice's baptism it is possible that she was older than her 18 years depicted above but she certainly married younger than the average age of 25 for women. This is understandable however given the death of her father and her mothers need to see her future properly secured and the fact that she was marrying an older man capable of providing that support.
10. Source quoted in America is English Origins: Dowty article, Dowty, Ruth Sprague, "3 May 1634 Alice Eames granted administration of Richard's estate", and " "20 Dec. 1638 Alice Eames married John Holland in Tincleton", Volume III, 2nd Series, page 295. I do not have sufficient time to try and authenticate these statements but I note that there is a John Holland, a fuller by trade, of Tincleton who was licenced at the Dorset Assizes in 1630 to sell ale. Tincleton lies under 5 miles east of Dorchester, not far from the river Frome. Alice's father was a fuller by trade so this seems feasible.
11. See The New England historical and genealogical register: 1897, Volume 51 comments made about Will of Richard Warren . This may be referring to 'Poundbury Hill'
12. For a long time many American Genealogists maintained that Margery the wife of Anthony EAMES was Margery Pierce (or Prisse). Captain Michael Pierce's Will, mentions his brother Mark EAMES and his brother Charles STOCKBRIDGE. Mark Eames was certainly the brother of Captain Michael Pierce's first wife Persis EAMES both children of Anthony & Margery.
    
    Most American genealogies seem to accept that his wife was called Margery Pierce (or Prisse) and this stems from documents held in America. For example Michael Pierce refers to Anthony Eames as his father (i.e. father in law). I can locate a James Pierce a husbandman in Fordington in 1617/8; the only Margery Pierce was a spinster in 1623 and clearly not Anthony's wife. The two sources I have come across so far in America are (1) to do with Hannah Eames, alleged daughter of Anthony, who married to a Tomas Wilder in MA USA. A source for the WILDER family identifies the wife of Thomas WILDER as the daughter of Anthony EAMES and Margery PRISSE but does not give a source. We do know her name was Margery as its referred to in a number of documents including her admission to the church in Charlestown in 1635. see Note 12 below. (2) New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial--A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation; William Richard Cutter; Clearfield Co., NY, 1915." Also Sprague Families of America page 124
    
13. Refer to The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635, Volume II, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn (2001, Boston), pages 387-92, for information concerning the immigrant family.
14. The Journey of the 'Arbella' which actually carried the Governor John Winthrop and took place 3 years earlier took 101 days. The account of their journey held by the Winthrop Society (now 2024 restricted to members) brings home just how much they were at the mercy of the winds and weather.
15. For Example "New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial--A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation; William Richard Cutter; Clearfield Co., NY, 1915." pg. 1027 ". Also 'An Eames Branch' already referred to
16. See the History of the Town of Hingham Massachusetts published by the town in 1893 Vol II page 334/6. Edmund's surname in English parish registers has often been spelt 'Hubberte'. His son Peter's university record for example is recorded under 'Hubberd' and 'Hobart'. In America 'Hubbard' or 'Hobart' Note:- Although many originated from Hingham his son Thomas Hobart came from nearby Wymondham.
17. Cambridge University Alumni 1261-1900.
18. Sprague Families in America, by Dr. Warren Vincent Sprague, page 124. 1629: History of Hingham", Volume II, Genealogies, by George Lincoln, 1893, repr. 1982, page 163.The Sprague Family: from Dorset to Massachusetts and Gibraltar", by Joan Watkins, 1992, correspondent.
19. The Pioneers of Massachusetts: A Descriptive List, Drawn from Records of the ... By Charles Henry Pope: page 149: patents Petition 2(4)1641 (L)
20. Samuel Ward genealogy at http://kristinhall.org/fambly/Ward/SamuelWard.html
21. Extract from Cambridge University Alumni. John Winthrop or Wintrope College: TRINITY Entered: Easter, 1603 Born: 12 Jan 1587 Died: 26 Mar 1649 Matric. pens. from TRINITY, Easter, 1603. S. and h. of Adam (1567), of Groton, Suffolk, Esq. B. at Edwardstone, Suffolk, Jan. 12, 1587-8. Adm. at Gray's Inn, Oct. 25, 1613; adm. at the Inner Temple, 1628. Succeeded as Lord of the Manor of Groton, 1623. Attorney of the Court of Wards and Liveries, 1626. Influential among the Puritans of Essex and Suffolk; became interested in the Massachusetts Bay Company, 1629. Super-intended the organisation and transportation of a Colony to New England. Sailed thither with a company of over 1500 souls, Apr. 8, 1630. Founded Boston. Elected first Governor of Massachusetts, 1630; re-elected, 1631-3, 1637-9, 1642-3, 1646-8; Deputy Governor, 1636, 1644 and 1645. Kept a voluminous manuscript journal of public events called 'The History of New England.' Believed in an oligarchy, not a pure democracy, in the Government. Arranged more than any other the social state of Massachusetts. Distinguished by his religious piety, magnanimity and public spirit. Married four wives. Died at Boston, Mar. 26, 1649. Father of Forth (1626). (J. G. Bartlett; D.N.B.; Suffolk Manor. Fam., I. 26.)
22. The Memorial History of Boston inc Suffolk County Massachusetts 1630-1880 Volume 1 pages 133/5. A digital version of this work can be viewed on line from the Church of Latter day Saints Library Catalogue using 'Title search'. Click on the entry to be taken to a choice of 4 volumes or use the following link Memorial History of Boston
23. Another extensive genealogy consulted was "An Eames Branch" written by Bradley D Eames a copy of which can be viewed at the Church of Latter Day Saints Film number 0547081. This records 12 generations of decent from Thomas Eames, Anthony Eames father. This is a little out of date as written in 1967. We now know for example more about Anthony's time in Fordington and which ship he sailed upon. It also refers to the 'minister being removed by the court and sent back to England'. Peter Hobart was the minister fined (only £2) but I have not come across any ref to his being removed from his position which I doubt the Court had the power to do, and in any case seems to be belied by Hobarts gravestone in Hingham. According to the Cambridge University alumni Robert Peck on the other hand returned to England as he was reinstated as Rector of Hingham in Norfolk in 1646 so perhaps some confusion arose concerning him. He also refers to a daughter of John Eames 'Kate' bapt 1620. As demonstrated above her name was Ruth. Unfortunately this small error has led to a number of people including 'Kate' as a third child of John's in their family trees. We also know more about the life of Richard Eames who did not marry twice - but his wife Alice did remarry after his death. This is nevertheless a valuable account of later generations of the family for those interested in following that line.
24. Sprague Families of America page 124-127 - also New York Biographical Dictionary, Heidgerd, William. Also Note 28 below Page 163/4. Their move is also recorded in the "Massachusetts US Town and Vital Records 1620-1988 (available to view on ancestry.com) - Hingham Records of the First Settlers - image 3 of 81 - Alpha listing " 1636 Anthony EAMES (moved to Marshfield)" followed by " Mark EAMES (moved to Marshfield ) son of Anthony".
25. Persis Eames --- Extract from "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register: , Volume 56 1902 By Heritage Books" : In Websters International Dictionary Boston Massachuesetts:- "PIERCE/EAMES. - The Will of captain Michael Pierce of Higham, (1645) and Scituate, as printed in the Pierce Genealogy by F.C.Pierce (1889) mentions "my father James," and "my brother Mark EAMES." In Mass Bay Colony Records Vol VI part 1 page 380 under date of May 28 1659, is an answer of the Court to the petition of Anthony Eames in which is named "his sonne in lawe Michaell Pearce". It would seem that the first wife of Michael Pierce was a daughter of Anthony Eames of Hingham and Marshfield. Her death is recorded in the Journal of Rev peter Hobart "December 31 1662, Michaell Perces wife dyed". Virginia Hall Cambridge Mass USA"
26. Genealogical Dictionary of the First settlers of New England showing 3 generations of those that came before 1692 on the basis of Famer's Register by James Savage pub Balitimore 1860/2. Also Marriages from the early records of Marshfield Mass Also Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 for Marshfield Also Massachusetts US Town and Vital Records 1620-1988 on ancestry.com - Hingham Hubbard's Journal with Births, Marriages, and Deaths File image 6 of 133 - "1653 ....JACOB: John JACOB, the son of Nicholas Jacob and Margery EAMES the daughter of Anthony EAMES was marryed on the twentieth day of October in the year of Our Lord God one Thousand six hundred fifty three. "
27. Hobarts Journal
28. History of the Town of Hingham Published by the town 1893 In 3 Volumes; Volume 2 Genealogical Page 208; EAMES: Anthony, Hingham 1636, the same year had a house plot granted him on Lower Plain; was deputy 1637,1638 & 1643; frequently a town officer, and involved in the military difficulties of 1644-1645. (Lincoln's History of Hingham) (It also gives some info on his children:-) John died 3 Nov 1641. Mark, had a grant of land in Hing.1645. He m May 26 1648. No further rec. Margery dau of Anthony m Oct 20 1650 John Jacob. Elizabeth dau of Mark m Dec 5 1672 Andrew Lane. Jerusha of Mf'd [Marshfield] prob dau of Anthony and Mercy (Sampson) m Sep 11 1711. Thomas Sayer, Jr Elizabeth of Mf'd [Marshfield] dau of Anthony Sen, m Edward Wilder of Hing. [Note:- Index shows following ref to members of Eames Family Vol ii Pages 16, 82, 126, 208, 218, 260, 263, 294, 372, 413. Vol iii pages 45, 73, 86, 143, 164, 183, 194, 278, 312.]
    
29. Historical Sketch of Charlestown in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts; read to an assembly of Citizens at the opening of Washington Hall 16th Nov 1813 by Josiah Bartlett MD Boston: extract Page 3 " Among the intrepid advocates of civil and religious freedom, who encountered the dangers of the ocean, and the greater danger of the wilderness, were niine or ten persons (*among whom Ralph Sprague with his brethren Richard & William are particularly named in the record) who in the summer of 1628, travelled by land from Naumkeak, now called Salem, and under the authority of Governur Endicot, constituted this place an English settlement. (i.e. Charletown which he goes on to say was founded by the genral court March 3rd 1635.)
30. I have provided a link to "The memorial history of Boston, including Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 1630-1880, in four volumes". Anthony Eames is only mentioned on page 389 a copy of the original document is also provided on page 388a.
31. Sprague Families of America page 131
32. Anthony Eames additional children:- These are usually recorded in family trees as Millicent born circa 1616, Mark c1620, Hannah or Anna c1622 and Abigale c1632. I have not so far located the basis on which these dates were originally estimated and some at least are wrong. Mark and Hannah for example certainly were not born then as records are complete and there is no baptism. Yes I am sure they were baptised and given the family background which I have set out at great length there is absolutely no basis to assume they would have been baptised elsewhere in England.


The gap between the known baptisms (like that for the Rose family) is remarkably consistent but has its own timespan. Persis was baptised 33 months after John; Elizabeth 32 months after Persis, Justus 34 months after Elizabeth, with Margery 44 months after Justus (but with records missing for 1629). However we estimate births, reality is likely to be somewhat different, but averages and patterns of birth are the best tools we have. We have to assume that these children fell into the period when records are missing. If we look at a similar time-frame between births & match to missing records we have Mark born circa 1616 and Millicent circa 1613. this would place Anthony and Millicent's marriage back to about 1612 and if his estimated birth of 1595 is correct? he was only 17 which is very young for the time and seems unlikely. An alternative is that the earlier children were born closer together: July 1616 for Millicent and Sep 1617 for Mark would be 14 and 15 months apart. A third alternative might be twins born c1616? Millicent was certainly the eldest apart from taking her grandmothers name she was married a full eight years before Mark, ten years before Persis with the others later up to 1661. Whilst the average age at which women married in England at this date was 25 (see note 3 above) this convention would not necessarily have continued to apply on a new continent under very different circumstances where communities were much smaller. In Millicent's case we have an additional pointer in that she was 5 months pregnant when she married just a year after arrival. We know that Millicent knew William Sprague well before his departure to New England and that the families reunited on arrival in 1634. Whilst therefore convention may have dictated that they would wait to marry if in England, William was already making a name for himself in New England and circumstances may therefore have precipitated the marriage when she was still quite young. I have therefore tentatively estimated Millicent's birth like others before me to be c1616 but Marks as c1617 and left these notes so that as more information comes to light estimations can be refined or replaced with fact.


Although Hannah (or Anna) Eames is also widely quoted to be another child of Anthony and Margery as far as my research has been able to discover they are all based upon one of three contentions. First that she was born in Fordington circa 1622. Bishops Transcripts are complete for the period 1617 to 1628 and she simply was not baptised there during that period. There is no reference to the birth of a Hannah or Anna Eames in Fordington prior to their departure in 1634. Second that she was married in Charlestown to Thomas Wilder in April 1640. The Source for this is said to be the 'Book of the Wilders' by the Rev Moses H Wilder published in 1878. Ref to some of its text can be viewed at http://www.wilderfamilies.com/thomas.html where more background is given. Fortunately however the full text is available in the CLDS Library and has been digitized. On page 10 it refers to Thomas Wilder being received into the church in Charlestown in March 1640 and marrying an 'Anna ----------' and it is noticeable that the surname is missing. They had children from 1642 remaining in Charlestown until 1659 when they moved to Lancaster. Page 12 refers to his estate being left to Anna and his 3 sons and 2 daughters but not even in the index is there mention of Anna's surname. Even the wilder families website acknowledges some problems with her surname as it includes ref to "+Clemens, Marriage Records Before 1699, 1926 and Genealogy Magazine, July 1930. where it states "However, she was not the daughter of Anthony and Margery Eames, as that Anna Eames married William Ford and lived with him to an old age. Some say Thomas married Anna Johnson of Boston, a sister to Elizabeth who's husband Robert Mears, in his will, called Thomas Wilder of Lancaster his brother". It is also relevant that we know for certain that the Eames family were not in Charlestown in 1640 and there is no mention of her in sibling wills or histories of the towns like Hingham or Scituate where other children of Anthony appear. If there was a Hannah she would have gone with her family to Hingham in 1636 and much more likely married there as Elizabeth Eames who certainly was a daughter of Anthony and Margery Eames did. She is mentioned on pages 145, and 325 by the Rev Moses Wilder as having married Edward Wilder of Hingham and I have no problem with this assertion as it is supported by other evidence inc ref in the History of Hingham pages 153/155..

At this point it is worth noting that it now seems likely that Hannah Rose the daughter of Thomas Rose and Anne Eames who was indeed baptised in Fordington on 20 Oct 1622 also emigrated arriving in Charlestown c1633 but was in Scituate before 1640. This is a much more likely candidate as we have her baptism in Fordington, and she grew up alongside Elizabeth Eames who was of a similar age and probably emigrated with her to Charlestown. What is more Elizabeth's older sister Persis married Michael Pierce in Scituate in 1645 and raised a large family there. Later her sister Abigail also lived in Scituate.

I have also looked at the Third contention that Hannah Eames married William Ford. William ford senior seems to have been a Miller by trade living in Duxbury in 1643 who moved to Marshfield about 1652. I can locate his death in Marshfield burials records on 23 Sep 1676 and that of his widow Anna Ford on 1st Sep 1684 but there is no source given anywhere that I can locate for the contention that he married into the Eames family. Anna Fords birth date is also given as circa 1614 which again would push Anthony Eames marriage back to a date which seems unlikely. Until more information comes to light I have to assume that the existence of Hannah Eames is pure speculation and I have not therefore included her in the above account.
33. The History of the town of Hingham , Plymouth County, Massachusetts by Lincoln, Solomon (1804-1881) published 1827. states on page 45 that his house was 'on the south side of Pleasant street'.
34. The History of Scituate Massachusetts from its first settlement to 1831 by Samuel Deane page 325
35. If Jonathan followed convention he would have married Mary in the mid 1650's. All the records of Fordington are missing from 1640 to 1663 (inc) so there is no hope of locating the marriage or any subsequent baptisms in the parish. The records from 1664 do show Eames families in Fordington and given that Anthony emigrated and his brother Richard only had 1 son Edward (who only had a daughter Elizabeth), its likely that these families descend from Jonathan. In addition to Mary two other signatures appear on the Letters of Administration for John and a Jonathan EAMES. These are most probably his older sons but I have located only the following records. Children of this marriage would have been born from circa 1655 and marriageable circa 1680 so the following are most likely two of his children. :-
    
    
    The following records survive relating to a Mark and Mary Eames. Mark was of course the name of Anthony's son that emigrated to New England with him so perhaps an understandable choice of name for Jonathan to use :- (2nd Jan 1681 Hannah daughter of Mark and Mary Eames buried -- 21st Aug 1681 Edward son of Mark & Mary Eames baptised --- 4th Oct 1687 Elizabeth daughter of Mark Eames buried). Clearly other records are missing and there is an earlier burial for a Mary Eames on 12 Oct 1680 which might be their daughter named after his wife. A second burial for a Mary EAMES on 1st March 1684/5 appears to be his wife as with young children he immediately remarried to Grace HUNT at nearby Owermoigne on 18th Oct 1685. Mark and grace had a son John EAMES Baptised at Fordington on 11th March 1686 but Grace died and was buried there on 24th Oct 1689.
    
    
    On 7th January 1683 a Thomas Eames the son of a Jonathan & Mary Eames was baptised in Fordington. (I have assumed this is another son as its unlikely that this could be Jonathan (1628-1702) himself as he was 55 years old by then and his wife Mary was 46 and there is no evidence of continuous births. We also have the signature of Jonathan on the Letters of Administration. Fordington records show the burial of five Mary Eames between 1680 and 1733 )


36. Change in Sailing date of the Pilgrim ship 'Recovery of London' . Following receipt of Annex 'A' I have carried out a full review of all source material surrounding Anthony Eames departure for New England. The original date of sailing of the 31st March 1633 came from genealogists in America and I was told that it originated from the much respected 'John Winthrop Society' which provided lists of passengers of some of the pilgrim ships with details of the ports and sailing dates. I note that The Pilgrim Ships Lists website still give this sailing date today (Sep 2024) and quote their source for the passenger listings of the 'Recovery' as http://www.winthropsociety.org/ships/recovery.htm . Unfortunately you now need to be a member to access any ship other than the Abigail. The passenger listings themselves all look fine to me it is just the year is 1634 not 1633.
    
    The original 'Port Books' are not available on line which would mean visiting the National Archives at Kew in London to check, but thankfully I have also discovered a book entitled "A Study in DORSET HISTORY" written by Maureen Weinstock M.A.,F.R..Hist.S and published in Dorchester, Dorset, UK and Printed by Longmans (Dorchester) Ltd at the Friary Press in 1953. Her Chapter from page 26 refers to Weymouth Trade in the Early Seventeenth Century with specific reference to an extensive analysis of the 'Port Books' giving Public Records Office references which are now held at Kew. On page 40 she states "There were two export and two import loads in 1634. On March 30th into the 'Recovery of London', Gabriel Cornish embarked for Matachuset-New England' goods to the value of £209. 6s. 8d for 26 planters "divers sortes of household stuffe, apparell and other provisions for the necessary use of themselves, their wives, children and servants. All wch provisions are valued as they cost and are worth heere and are allowed to go free custome". This clearly agrees with the text at the head of the passenger listing held by the  “John Winthrop Society”  March 30th was the day they embarked so a sailing date of 31st March 1634 also seems correct.
    
    As a part of this review I looked at the original burial records for Fordington for the crucial year of 1633 [1632 and 1634 are missing] and reviewed the information that we had on everybody buried that year. We only had brief notes on the Will of Richard BISHOP who was buried at Fordington on 9th Nov 1633, but his will was dated 6th Dec 1633? One or other of these dates had to be wrong so I have now fully transcribed his will and included images of the documents which can be accessed via this link. I have also added an image and expanded notes on Fordington burials for 1633. From what we know about those buried we have the correct year as 1633 so the error must lie with the date of the Will. The really important point here however is not the Will but the Inventory of his goods which was completed by William Collins and Anthony Eames and dated December 17th 1633 proving beyond doubt that Anthony was still in England at that date.
    
    Annex 'A' refers to William Whiteway Of Dorchester His Diary 1618-1635, of which I have a copy, and points to the entry on page 143 for the year 1634 and his entry dated 17th April "Mr Neuburgh of Marshwood Vale and many others set saile from Weymouth towards New England :" This also checks out as Whiteway is refering to Thomas NEWBERRY who is the first family on the passenger listing of the ship 'Recovery' with Anthony Eames at No.20 of the 26 families listed. In 1626 Thomas Newberry was living in Marshwood (Marshwood Vale) Dorset on an estate called "Coweleys" and appears to have remained there until he sailed for New England. This first appearance in New England is reported to be 1 Sep 1634
    
    The names of the 26 families listed were as follows (I have included in brackets the more common spelling of these names in Dorchester). Joseph Androes (Andrews?); Thomas Biscombe (Bascombe?); William Browne; Mary Coggen; Robert Dible; Antony (Anthony) Eames; John Elderman; Robert Elwell; Jonathan Gillet; Sarah Hill; John Hardy; Ezechia Hore (Whore?) Thomas Long; Thomas Newbery (Newbury?); Daniel Norchat; Elizabeth Parkman; David Phippen; John Pinney; George Pl-----; John Pope; Thomas Shaw; Thomas Swift; Stephen Terry; Thomas Wakeley; John Woolcocke; John Wotts (Watts?);


37. Extracts from Massachusetts US Town & Vital Records - available to view on ancestry.com - Town of Marshfield (1620-1988 File) I have not researched all these records but I am aware of those listed below]


Image 2   lists Marshfield original source Fiches - The three main entries of interest here are : Marshfield Town Meeting Births, Marriages, Deaths 1631 -1753 Fiches 1-6 -- Marshfield Records 1654-1794 from Book 2 Marriages 1654-1794; births 1657-1792; deaths 1657-1793 Fiches 17-24 and Marshfield Town Records 1642-1831 Book 2A (Midway in the book there are about 100pages of marriages, intentions, and births arranged alphabetically The records were copies in 1878 from Book 2 A table of contents is at the back of the book Fiches 25-30.


Image 7    "The freemen of the town of Marshfield 1664" 12th entry Mr. Anthony EAMES [deceased] -- 13th entry Ensign EAMES

NOTE:- An interesting and important document : It is clear that quite a lot of original town documents relating to Marshfield have not survived. An attempt at preservation was undertaken in 1879 of the surviving records when the following comments were made:-
REMARKS:
" The first portion of this volume contains all that is extant of the early genealogical records of the town of Marshfield.
These records were originally written in the last part of the Towns Record Books, and being inserted without method, necessitated a thorough examination, whenever information of any particular person or family was required. As a result, both volumes became very much worn, and many leaves were torn, and the pages worn off in such a way as to leave a portion of the record, while perhaps the name, or date, was entirely gone. These fragmentary records have been preserved wherever enough remained to show what family they belonged. In several cases this was somewhat doubtful and a mark of interrogation ? has been inserted. Quite often subsequent investigation has verified the first supposition and the mark of verification ✓ is added to the mark of interigation. Names and remarks enclosed in brackets ( ) do not appear in the original. Reference has been occasionally made to the Memorials of Marshfield (M.M.) published by Miss Thomas in 1854 which with Deanes History of Scituate have been freely consulted, although everything not (??) from the old records is enclosed in brackets ( )

By the alphabetical arrangement, and reference column. this copy also becomes an index to the old books. These references were made after the records were copied by taking the original volumes and beginning with the first entry comparing it carefully with the alphabetical copy, and so retaining through the volumes thus ensuring accuracy in every particular. [Signed] J. H. K.
Marshfield Jany 1879 "

The above image shows the index page for names beginning with the letter "F" and includes a listing of the FREEMEN of the Town of Marshfield in the year 1664. AS stated above the 12th entry is for "Mr. Anthony EAMES deceased "and the 13th entry "Ensign EAMES". [Link to comments about the death of Anthony EAMES]



Image 29   Marshfield [illegible] The document has a heading of "Ye 22 of May 1672" but relates to a deed dated 10th Dec 1650 when Anthony EAMES and his son Mark purchased 100 acres of land from Francis Godfry [Link to image and transcription of original document] as that given on ancestry.com has not been indexed and cannot therefore be directly searched for or attached to family trees ]


Image 37    Grant of Land to Ensign Mark EAMES
Whereas the town granted to William MAYCUMBER Senior and to Ensign Marke EAMES a certain tract of land being 30 acres a piece to each of them and also appointed William FORD Senior and Thomas JUSTEN? to lay it out to the said parties by town order at a town meeting held ye 8th of November 166? as by town record appears the bounds of the said lands being as followeth:- Beginning at the corner tree a red oak upon a hill of the west side of the brook which runs down betwixt the lands of William MAYCUMBER and Richard BRA?? and so runs eastward to a white oak standing on the south side of Mr EA [?] his path which is a corner tree and so running southward to a certain stake with stones being a corner of the land: And so running westward unto a certain pine tree being a corner tree and so running northward to the first tree, which said lands lie upon the southside of Mr EAMES path that goes to the milns? and goes southward a little way into the Car? tree swamp -- Signed Thomas FILDEN

[NOTE:- From the 2nd File MARSHFIELD - TOWN RECORDS This is a transcription done in Jan 1879 of both books (See notes image 2 of 855). I have only searched for the Eames Family from Anthony Eames arrival in 1650 the end of the minutes in 1681.]


Image 239 - Town Meeting 24th May 1652 - Mr. Anthony EAMES & Robert CARVER [chosen] Grand jury men. Anthony SNOW and Mr Perigrin WHITE Constables Joseph Blake and William Sherman surveyors for this present year.

Image 239 - Town Meeting 23rd Aug 1652 - Mark EAMES was chosen to be Grand juryman in ye room of his father. [i.e. in stead of his father]

Image 240/241 - Town Meeting 8th Nov 1652 - Mr. Anthony EAMES and Mark EAMES both witnesses to a town agreement

Image 241 - Town Meeting 8th Mar 1653 - Anthony EAMES and Mark EAMES two of 16 inhabitants in default for not attending the town meeting

Image 242 - Town Meeting 19th May 1653 - Mr Anthony EAMES chosen for Committee for the Election Court and the several adjournments thereof

ALSO Image 242 an entry which appears to be out of date order:-
Ensign EAMES [i.e. Mark] assigned the task of marking out the boundary of a land grant to John Rogers of the town for 30 acres according to a town record dated 23rd Oct 1663?

ALSO Image 245 an entry which appears to be out of date order:-
Ensign EAMES [i.e. Mark] assigned the task of marking out the boundary of a land grant to Joseph Waterman of the town for three score acres according to a town record dated 8th Jan 1671?

Image 246 Town meeting - 20th Oct 1653 held at Marshfield. Mr. Anthony EAMES & Marke EAMES were chosen Raters for the making of a Rate etc.


Image 247 Town meeting - 2nd Feb 1653/4 held at Marshfield. Mr. Anthony EAMES chosen to be on the committee to attend Court next March concerning the Union between the Colonies etc


Image 247 Town meetings - 25th May 1654; 26th June 1654 & 17th July 1654 held at Marshfield. Mr. Anthony EAMES chosen with others to serve on various committees to attend the General Court and represent the town


Image 248 Town meeting - 18th May 1655 held at Marshfield. Mr. Anthony EAMES chosen with others to serve on various committees to attend the General Court and represent the town


Image 250 Town meeting - 13th Jan 1655/6 held at Marshfield. Prior to the meeting the whole of the towns stock of ammunition was held in the house of Josiah Winslow. At the meeting Ensign EAMES was chosen as one of four people to hold part of the towns stock of ammunition. Accounts were to be maintained and some details given of what was held in Ensign Eames hands.


Image 250 Town meeting - 19th May 1656 held at Marshfield. Mr. Anthony EAMES chosen with others to serve on various committees to attend the General Court and represent the town


Image 251/252 Town meetings - 9th Mar 1656/7 and 18th May 1657 held at Marshfield. Mr. Anthony EAMES chosen as Moderatour. also at the latter meeting Captain Josias Winslow & Mr Anthony EAMES chosen for the present years ensuing to attend the General Court with its adjournments thereof and and Meeting 6th July 1857 Thomas BOURNE Ensign EAMES [i.e. Mark] Constables etc .

Image 253 Meeting 16th Nov 1657 brief ref to payment for guns 'in the hands of Ensign EAMES". ALSO In accounts listing "Item: To Mr Anthony EAMES for Carting Bullets paid 4 shillings.

Image 253 Meeting 15th Mar 1657/8 Long list of inhabitants defaulted for their absence at the meeting includes Mr. Anthony EAMES and Ensign EAMES; Meeting 17th May 1658 Mr Anthony EAMES and Anthony SNOW chosen to attend the General Court being held in June at Plymouth

Image 255 Meeting 11th Oct 1658 Town Rates agreed : Mr EAMES (to pay) 10 shillings 6 pence. Image 257: Meeting 7th Nov 1659 Ensign EAMES chosen as one of those to assess the rates : Mr Anthony EAMES in default absent part of the day : Meeting 5th Dec 1659 Mr Anthony EAMES chosen moderator and Ensign EAMES as one of those to set the town rates.

Image 259 Meeting 20th May 1661 Mr Anthony EAMES & Anthony SNOW chosen for the General Court: Image 260 Meeting 6th Dec 1661 Ensign EAMES chosen as one of those to assess the town rate for the ensuing year and involved in the sale of the old meeting house to Captain Thomas and purchase of timber.

Image 260 Meeting 19th May 1662 At the Town Meeting there was chosen Lieutenant Perigrine WHITE & Ensign Mark EAMES chosen deputies --

Image 261 Meeting 18th May 1663 Ensign EAMES again chosen as Deputy to attend the General Court: Image 262 Meeting 23rd Oct 1663 Ensign Eames again chosen as one of the Rators; Image 264 Meeting 16th May 1664 Ensign EAMES again chosen as deputy to the general court. Image 264 Meeting 24 Oct 1664 Expenses Ensign Eames Committee 15 shillings. Justice [Justus] EAMES {another son of Anthony Eames] expenses for carrying Gurnel(?) 2 shillings} ASLO Meeting 24 Oct 1664 continued Image 265 Ensign Mark EAMES with others to create orders concerning inmates or others which would entrench upon the interests of the town ; the poor; commons and timber etc; ALSO Ensign EAMES and Joseph BEADLE to lay out the boundary of land granted to several inhabitants.

Image 265: Meeting 13th Feb 1664/5 Ensign Mark EAMES chosen deputy to the general court. Image 266 Meeting 8th Nov 1665 Ensign Mark EAMES chosen as one of the rators for which paid 1 shilling and six pence - also paid 2 shillings for attending Committee. "At the said meeting the inhabitants have granted to Ensign EAMES and William MAMMBER Senior each of them thirty acres of land a piece to be laid out by Mr EAMES path and have appointed William FOOT Senior & Thomas FILDEN to view it & to lay it out that it may be least prejudicial to the neighbourhood." At the said town meeting there John Dingley and john Carver did engage to set up one wolf trap and Mr Ensign Eames & William Mammber Sen to make another trap of the other side of the river and to be both traps fonished and bated before March next according to Court order and they are to have twenty shillings a wolf for those that are killed in the trap or otherwise. ALSO: At the said Town Meeting the Inhabitants have agreed that whereas Captain Nathaniel THOMAS hath trespassed upon the town meadow by cutting and making away the grass & hay without consent ..... And they have appointed Mr Anothy EAMES & Josiah WINSLOW Senior to sue the said Nathaniel in the towns bahalf and the town to pay the charges. Also Ensign Mark Eames one of the selectmen chosen to hear cases up to the value of 30 shillings.

Image 268: Meeting 28th May 1666 Ensign EAMES & John BOURN chosen as deputies to attend the general court etc. and at the Meeting held 25th June 1666 Ensign Eames also chosen as rator Image 269: Accounts "To Ensign Eames - Committee [expenses] 17s. 6d ": Image 270: Ensign EAMES chosen with others as Selectman also deputy to attend the General Court also one of 15 inhabitants chosen to lay out the highways of the town: Image 271: Meeting 5th Aug 1667 Ensign Eames one of those chosen to lay out town boundary between Marshfield an Sictuate also committee expenses : Image 272 Meeting 27th Apr 1668 Ensign Eames chosen deputy to attend the general court: Image 273 Meeting June 1668 Ensign Eames rendered a just account of the powder that he had in his custody of ye town and he is fully discharged. Image 274 : Ensign Mark Eames chosen deputy to attend the general court; Image 275: Ensign Eames expenses Committee £3. 2s. 6d: Image 275: Meeting 9th May 1670 Ensign Eames chosen deputy for the ensuing year to attend the General Court Etc. Image 276 Meeting 15th May 1671 Ensign Eames chosen deputy for the ensuing year to attend the General Court Etc. -- Also chosen as Rator : Image 277: Meeting 13th May 1672 Ensign Mark Eames chosen to lay out land granted to Joseph Waterman: Again chosen deputy to attend General Court: Image 278: Meeting 9th July 1672 Ensing Mark EAMES one of those chosen Rator: In town rates To Ensine Mark EAMES £1;

Image 278: Meeting 10th Feb 1672 Whereas there is a controversay betwixt our town & the town of Hingham about Hannah BUMPAS the town hath voted that Ensign Mark Eames and Mr Nathaniel THOMAS to be attorneys in the towns behaf to try it out in Court law till it come to an issue and they to be paid their necessary charges. Also Meeting 5th May 1673 chosen to attend the general court as deputy; and as one of the selectmen of the town. Also Meeting 8th Aug 1673 chosen as one of the town rators again and on Image 279 paid rate of £1 as before + 11s court expenses on the Hannah bumpas case. Meeting 8th Aug 1673 At the said town meeting the town did order Ensign Mark Eam[e]s to repay to Anthony SNOW & Isaac LITTLE forty shillings in money which the town was debtor to them as appears 10th Feb 1672 and this to be paid out of the money the said Ensign hath of the towns in his hands and this was discharged by Ensign Eames by town order. Meeting 13th May 1674 Ensign Eames chosen deputy to attend the general court; rates 12s.6d

Image 280: Meeting 6th May 1675 Ensign Eames again chosen deputy (also at meeting 27th Sep 1675) and also one of those chosen to lay out the highways of the town. Eames rate £1.2s.6d

Image 281: Meeting at Mansfield the twentyfourth of January 1675 : The inhabitants by order of Mr ALLDEN by his warrant have met together & chose five men to be a town council by vote Vizt. Anthony SNOW, Mr Nathaniel THOMAS, Samuel SPRAGUE, Nathaniel WINSLOW & Justice [Justus] EAMES after this election of the Town, for the town Council a Council of War the twenty ninth Februrary 1675 took of Samuel SPRAGUE & Justice EAMES & added to the other three Captain WHITE & Ensign EAMES and these five to be the town Council as appeared by order from them. [Note:- These minutes go on to describe action taken to arm the town garrison].

Image 282: Meeting 18th May 1676 Ensign Mark EAMES and Anthony SNOW chosen as deputys to attend the General Court. Image 283 Meeting 24th July 1676 (continued from 282) Ensign Eames Deputy - rate 12 shillings and again both voted Deputys. ALSO They, together with Mr Nathaniel Thomas to receive £40 10 Shillings & three poence which the court ordered the town of Scituate to pay to our town and they are to be answered their just charges for their work in receiving the aforementioned sum & keeping it at the disposal according to town further order : ALSO Ensign Eames & Mr Nathaniel Thomas and Justice EAMES are empowered them for the reciving of £40 10 shillings & three pence or whatsoever of the aforementioned debt yet remaining unpaid which the Court ordered the town of Scituate to pay to our town & they are answered their just charges for their work in receiveing the sum due & keeping of it & to the disposal according to the town further order or to Scituate such soldiers of our town that remain unpaid of their wages due to them.

Image 284: Meeting 13th Aug 1677 Lieutanant WHITE and Ensign EAMES to report on applications to enlarge 3 properties. Image 285: Meeting 24 Dec 1677 Justice Eames & Ephraim Little to make a list of voluntary contributions towards Ministry of Mr Samuel Arnold. Image 286: Meeting 20th May 1678 Anthoy SNOW and Ensign EAMES chosen deputies also selectmen : Meeting 28th Apr 1679 Ensign Eames again chosen deputy. Ditto Image 287 Meeting 3rd May 1680 Ensign Eames again Deputy. Ditto Image 288 Meeting 16th May 1681 Ensign Eames again Deputy. ALSO Justis EAMES and Samuel Sprague to view the lands of Thomas Macumber and Ephrain Litlle etc:


38. Massachusetts US Town and Vital Records 1620-1988 (available to view ob ancestry.com) Hingham- Hubbard's Journal, with Births, Marriages & Deaths - Images 12 and 19 of 133 -" May 26 Mark EAMES married"


39. Massachusetts US Town and Vital Records 1620-1988 (available to view ob ancestry.com) Plymouth - Probate File Papers Cas No 6975-7047 Box107132 - The Will of Mark EAMES Administration etc.


40. Thomas EAMES (1618-1680) :- (Para 2.1) Sources 'New England Marriages Prior to 1700' by Clarence Almon Torrey Balitimore Genealogical Publishing Co Inc. (Ancestry.com image 253 of 1022) "EAMES, Thomas (?1618-1680/1) (ae 34 in 1652) & 1/wf Margaret ( ?) b.1641; Dedham/Cambridge" -- "Eames-Ames Genealogy. Decendants of Robert of Woburn and Thomas of Framingham Massachusetts 1634-1931" States:- (Ancestry.com image 7 of 252)It is now desfinately established that at least two brothers by name EAMES (Robert and Thomas) came from England about 1634; Robert first resided in Charleston, Mass. moved to Charlestown village, now Woburn Mass--etc --- Thomas lived at Dedham and finally settled at Framingham Mass. (Ancestry.com (page 168 of 252) States THOMAS EAMES Born in England 1618; died in Framingham Mass Jan 25th 1680 age 62 years. Came to America 1634. goes on to give a detailed account of descendants -- he married twice 1st Margaret 2nd Mary daughter of John Blanford widow of Jonathan Paddlefoot (padelford) -- 12 children -- many killied/captured by indians etc.) Source Death Massachuesetts Vital Records Sherborn 1674-1910 - Ancestry.com image 455 of 1165


41. Lucy EAMES: There is no trace of her marriage to John EAMES c1617, probably because parish registers for 1616 and 1617 have not survived. There is only one known baptism in Fordington or Dorchester prior to 1609 which is for a Lucy, and that is for Luce Zeager COSEN the daughter of Robert Cosen who was baptised at FStG about the middle of 1578. A number of people have erroneously thought this to be his wife. Her father Robert COSENS was buried at FStG on 10th Apr 1604 leaving a Will (PROB 11/104) in which Luce is a beneficiary being left lands in Dorchester and £60 if she marries with consent of her mother Christian and Overseers of his Will. Luce's widowed mother Christian was buried at FStG on 28th April 1619 and was clearly by standards of the day a wealthy woman, She also left a Will dated 23rd Apr 1619 In this will Luce SMART the wife Of Nicholas SMART and their son Robert SMART are beneficiaries so this cannot be the Lucy that John EAMES married.


42. The entry '27 Mar 10:Car:' refers to 'Regal years' meaning the 27th day in the month of March in the 10th year of the Reign of Charles 1. The 10th year of his reign actually started on 27th March 1634 and therefore ran until 23rd Mar 1635.


43. Notes on the Manor of Fordington : Description of the ancient customary land tenure, management of crops and stock, that ended in the 1870s. Written by  Henry Joseph MOULE M.A.


44. Annex 'A' - Change in date of sailing of the 'Recovery' from 31st March 1633 to 31st March 1634