James Sears

Notes:

Oscar Weed, who lives in the old Sears homestead at Mill Plains Connecticut has a deed dated July 10, 1739, from Robert Hebard, Jr and Ruth, his wife, of the town and county of Windham Ct to James Sears, late of Yarmouth, county Barnstable, Province of Massachusetts Bay, of a tract of land in Windham, near the Shautucket river, containing 52 acres, the consideration being

James married Desire Tobey on 28 May 1730 in Yarmouth, Barnstable Co, Massachusetts. Desire (daughter of Thomas Tobey and Rebeckah Knowles) was born about 1707 in Yarmouth, Barnstable Co, Massachusetts; died on 28 Jul 1781 in Ridgefield, Fairfield Co, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Married:
Marriage intention: James Sears & Desiar Toby were published march ye 14 1729/30.

1. Thomas Sears was born on 30 Apr 1745 in Probably Yarmouth, Barnstable Co, Massachusetts; died on 26 Apr 1804 in South East, Dutchess Co, New York; was buried about 1804 in Old Southeast Church Cemetery, Dutchess Co, NY.
2. Living

Notes:

Silas Sears, Yeoman, resided in the East precinct of Yarmouth, now Dennis, and was a prominent man there. His will, dated July 28, 1727, "in ill health", was proved Nov 29, 1732, by Judah Paddock and Eleazar Sears, Exec and was witnessed by Peter Thacher, Joseph Hall, and Edward Sturges. He left real estate valued at

(Research): On 13 Jan 1630 (NS) The Council for New England (chartered to establish colonies between 40 degrees and 48 degrees north latitude) issued a new land patent (the "Old Charter") that granted land title and trading rights, but no powers of government, to New Plymouth Colony for the area east of Narragansett Bay and south of a line from the Pawtucket (now Blackstone) River to the mouth of the Cohasset River. New Plymouth Colony included part of present Rhode Island. On 8 Jul 1663 New Plymouth Colony lost territory when King Charles II granted Rhode Island a charter as a self-governing corporate colony. New Plymouth Colony still included part of present Rhode Island. On 02 Jun 1685 New Plymouth Colony created three original counties: Barnstable, Bristol, and Plymouth to cover all non-county area in New Plymouth. On 07 Oct 1691 Barnstable continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II; Massachusetts Bay absorbed New Plymouth Colony.

Silas married Sarah Crosby about 1692 in Yarmouth, Barnstable Co, Massachusetts. Sarah (daughter of Thomas Crosby and Sarah (wife of Thomas Crosby) [?]) was born on 24 Mar 1666/67 in Eastham, New Plymouth Colony; died on 20 Mar 1705/06 in Probably Yarmouth, Barnstable Co, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Eastham In November of 1620 a hunting expedition from the Mayflower landed in the area on Cape Cod that became known as Eastham. This led to the "First Encounter": the Pilgrims and the local Nauset Native American tribe. However, the area, then known as Nauset, would not be settled by Europeans until 1644. By that time the settlers had become disenchanted with Plymouth with William Bradford writing of "the straightness and barrenness of the land" and commenting on the desire of many colonists to find a better location. A committee of seven freemen, led by Thomas Prence, was sent to evaluate Nauset and it was determined it was too small and remote to accommodate the entire population of Plymouth. Nonetheless, those seven men and their families, 49 hardy souls in all, remained and formed the new settlement with a strip by the harbor at the east side reserved for the Nausets to grow corn. Nauset continued as a settlement until 1646, when the General Court of Plymouth incorporated it as a town. The name of the town was changed to Eastham in 1661.

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Married:
On 02 Jun 1685 Barnstable County was created as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony (also Bristol and Plymouth).

Other Events and Attributes:

• _TODO: Open

Notes:

Lt Silas Sears' birthdate is not given in Sares (May) but elder brother Paul's birth year is 1637-8 (p32) and sister Deborah was b. Sep 1639 in Yarmouth. Lient. Silas Sears lived in that part of Yarmouth known as the East precinct, now East Dennis; he was "propounded to take up Freedom" June 6, 1682; com(missioned) Ensign, Oct. 28, 1681; Lieut. July 7, 1682; chosen Representative to the General Court at Plymouth, 1685-91; Selectman, 1680-94; and Juryman, 1680-82. 25 Dec 1689 "Silace Sears and others fined 20(s) for not appearing and attending at Court or disorderly departing therefrom; ' \emdash fines remitted later' it being first offense of the kind." 1694, "Lt Silas Sears was on a Com(mittee) to seat men, women, and others in the meetinghouse" (an onerous duty in those day). 1 Nov 1676, Emott Bursell and Silas Sears appointed administrators of the Estate of James Bursell of Yarmouth. [Strong circumstantial evidence that his wife's surname was Bursell]. He left no will so letters of administration were granted to his widow Anna, May 1, 1698. The settlement of his estate was made May 5, 1698...mentions sons Silas, Richard, Joseph and Josiah; and daughters, Hannah, Elizabeth, and Dorrity.

(Research): On 13 Jan 1630 (NS) The Council for New England (chartered to establish colonies between 40 degrees and 48 degrees north latitude) issued a new land patent (the "Old Charter") that granted land title and trading rights, but no powers of government, to New Plymouth Colony for the area east of Narragansett Bay and south of a line from the Pawtucket (now Blackstone) River to the mouth of the Cohasset River. New Plymouth Colony included part of present Rhode Island. On 8 Jul 1663 New Plymouth Colony lost territory when King Charles II granted Rhode Island a charter as a self-governing corporate colony. New Plymouth Colony still included part of present Rhode Island. On 02 Jun 1685 New Plymouth Colony created three original counties: Barnstable, Bristol, and Plymouth to cover all non-county area in New Plymouth. On 07 Oct 1691 Barnstable continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II; Massachusetts Bay absorbed New Plymouth Colony.

_TODO:
SE 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 32, 37, 38, 40, 43, 44 (evidence for Mehitable, dau of Jehiel?), census data, 54 (Savage), 61, 67 (back, DAR)

Silas married Anna Bursell about 1659 in Yarmouth, New Plymouth Colony. Anna was born about 1642 in Yarmouth, New Plymouth Colony; died on 4 Mar 1725/26 in Yarmouth, Barnstable Co, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Surname of Lt Silas Sears wife Anna In Descendants of Richard Sares, May says "perhaps Bursell" indicating that only the first letter of the last name ("B") is known for sure. Great Migration Begins states "...Anna, probably daughter of James Bursell of Yarmouth". The source for this was Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England by Shurtleff and Pulsiver, 1855. Since there appears to be no solid source for Anna's surname, one must rely on secondary sources. With regard to Mr James Bursell's will: On 1 Nov 1676 Emott Bursell and Silas Sears were appointed administrators of the Estate of James Bursell of Yarmouth. This is clearcut circumstantial evidence that Silas Sears Sr's wife's surname was Bursell.

Notes:

Simon Crosby and Anne (Brigham) Crosby brought [Thomas Crosby] to New England, arriving in "The Susan & Ellen" which put into Boston in the month of July, 1635. They settled in Cambridge...

(Research):Boston was founded on September 17, 1630, by Puritan colonists from England. The Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony are sometimes confused with the Pilgrims, who founded Plymouth Colony ten years earlier in what is today Bristol County, Plymouth County, and Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The two groups, which differed in religious practice, are historically distinct. The separate colonies were not united until the formation of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691.
On 10 May 1643 Suffolk County was created as one of four original counties in Massachusetts; It included territory in the northeast corner of present Rhode Island. (Mass. Recs., 2:38)

Thomas married Sarah (wife of Thomas Crosby) [?] before 1663 in Eastham, Barnstable Co, Massachusetts. Sarah and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

May p233: "...it is possible that [Thomas Crosby] returned to England to select his bride. Or she may have come from one of the neighboring colonies. Many people have tried to identify her, but without success. We know that her name was Sarah ------- and that she bore her first child in 1663."

Notes:

Migration: 1633
Born: England
First Residence: Plymouth.
Removes: Marblehead by 1637, Yarmouth by 1639.
He is found at Plymouth in 1633 but soon removed to Marblehead being taxed there 1637 and was granted four acres of land in 1638. Many of the settlers at Marblehead were from Guernsey and Jersey in England. He appears in Yarmouth 1643 where he served on the Grand Jury and as constable also was a deputy to the General Court at Plymouth in 1662. His occupation was farming.
Took the oath of fidelity at Yarmouth in 1639; propounded for freemanship 3 Jun 1652; admitted a freeman 7 Jun 1653; Appears on Yarmouth lists of freemen, 1658 and 1670.
Offices: Deputy from Yarmouth, 3 Jun 1662; Grand Jury, 7 Jun 1652; Tax Collector, 1 Mar 1658/9; Yarmouth constable 6 Jun 1660.

Assessed 9s in Plymouth tax list of 25 Mar 1633.
On 1 Jan 1637/8 Richard Seeres was included in a Salem rate list for the "inhabitants of Marblehead". On 14 Nov1638 Richard Sears was granted four acres at Marblehead "where he as planted formerly".
On 23 Nov 1664 Allis Bradford, w. of Wm Bradford sold to Richard Sares of Yarmouth two tracts of 20 acres each "at a place commonly called Sasuet" (now Dennis, Barnstable County, Massachusetts).

Richard Sares Will
Dated 10 May 1667
Codicil 3 Feb 1675/6
Proved 5 Mar 1675/6
Inventory taken 8 Oct 1676Presented to court 15 Nov 1676 by Dorethy Sares the relict of Richard Sares and Paul Sares his eldest son. Value:

(Research):The H.G. Somerby Controversy Looking at the genesis of the genealogies of this individual points up some interesting facts. The first genealogy work appears to be "Memoranda of the Sears, from Minutes collected by J. Hawes and William Colman to 1800,-- and continued by Richard Sears of Chatham to 1840." There are evidently some errors in this work. "About the year 1845, the late Mr. H. G. Somerby was employed to collect data regarding the Sears family in England, and a pamphlet was issued, entitled 'Notices of the Sears Family, from Sir Bernard Burke's Works, and Somersby's Collections in England, etc.' The manuscript of his collection is in the library of the Mass. Hist. So., Boston." "In 1852, Sir Bernard Burke published the first volume of 'Visitations of Seats and Arms,' which contains at p. 52 of Part II. an account of the family, claiming that by right of primogeniture the Chatham branch is the 'Head of the American Sears Family.' This was followed in 1863, in the 3rd series of 'Vicissitudes of Families,' by a sketch entitled 'A Pilgrim Father.' "Sir Bernard Burke now repudiates the articles, and [informed me (S P May) that they would be] left out of later editions. In 1884, he wrote me [S.P. May] that he received the material from Mr. Somerby, but had since made investigation, and found 'that the details were not only not proven, but also incapable of proof, if not altogether wrong, and opposed to fact.' "In 1857, Rev. E. H. Sears published 'Pictures of the Olden Time,' to which was added in a later edition for private distribution, a Genealogy of the family. [p. 20] In his preface he states that he derived his facts mainly from Burke's 'Visitation of Seats and Arms,' and from 'family papers,' etc. Jul 1886, Samuel P. May published "Some Doubts Concerning the Sears Pedigree" in the N.E. Hist. Gen. Soc Register. About 1889, Samuel P. May was commissioned by the family to update the genealogy of the Sears family. In 1890, Samuel P. May, published his book "The Descendants of Richard Sares (Sears) of Yarmouth, Mass 1638-1888 with an appendix containing some notices of other families by the name of Sears" which included an updated and expanded view of the mistakes made by H.G. Somerby. About 1913, Samuel P. May created a typescript of what I believe to be the precursor to a second edition of "The Descendants of Richard Sares

Richard married Dorothy Jones before 1637 in Yarmouth, New Plymouth Colony. Dorothy (daughter of Living and Living) was born about 1603 in Dinder, Somersetshire, England; was buried on 19 Mar 1678/79 in Yarmouth, New Plymouth Colony. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Mention of "my brother Thacher" in the will of Richard Sares has led to the erroneous conclusion that Richard Sears' wife was Dorothy Thacher, sister of Rev. Anthony Thacher
Richard Sears and Anthony Thacher married sisters, Dorothy and Elizabeth Jones, who were of Dinder, Somersetshire, England, Dorothy marrying Richard in 1632, Elizabeth marying Anthony, early in 1635. Their brother was Richard Jones who came to New England in 1635 and settled in Dorchester, Mass.
The Ancestry of Thomas C. Brainerd by Dwight Brainerd, 1948 (p. 219) says Dorothy was a sister of Richard Jones who came from Dinder, Somerset with Rev. Joseph Hull's group in 1635. She m. Richard Sears in England in 1632 and he was taxed in New Plymouth Colony the same year.

(Research):Somerset (archaically, Somersetshire) is a county in southwest England that borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the southeast, and Devon to the southwest. It is bounded to the northwest by the Severn Estuary and the Bristol Channel, its coastline facing southeastern Wales. Its traditional border with Gloucestershire is the River Avon. Somerset's county town is Taunton. Dinder ("the house in the valley") is a small village 2

Notes:

Simon Crosby and Anne (Brigham) Crosby brought [Thomas Crosby] to New England, arriving in The Susan & Ellen which put into Boston in the month of July, 1635. They settled in Cambridge... - New York Genealogical and Biographical Record

(Research): The site for what would become Cambridge was chosen in December 1630, because it was located safely up river from Boston Harbor, which made it easily defensible from attacks by enemy ships. Also, the water from the local spring was so good that the local Native Americans believed it had medicinal properties.[citation needed] The first houses were built in the spring of 1631. The settlement was initially referred to as "the newe towne". Official Massachusetts records show the name capitalized as Newe Towne by 1632. Located at the first convenient Charles River crossing west of Boston, Newe Towne was one of a number of towns (including Boston, Dorchester, Watertown, and Weymouth) founded by the 700 original Puritan colonists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony under governor John Winthrop. The original village site is in the heart of today's Harvard Square. The marketplace where farmers brought in crops from surrounding towns to sell survives today as the small park at the corner of John F. Kennedy (J.F.K.) and Winthrop Streets, then at the edge of a salt marsh, since filled. In 1636, Harvard College was founded by the colony to train ministers and the new town was chosen for its site by Thomas Dudley. By 1638, the name "Newe Towne" had "compacted by usage into 'Newtowne'." In May 1638 the name was changed to Cambridge in honor of the university in Cambridge, England

Simon married Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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