Name |
Anthony* Dorchester |
Suffix |
Jr. (immigrant) |
Birth |
1619 |
England |
Gender |
Male |
Emigration |
Aft 1620 |
England |
Residence |
Bef 1644 |
Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut |
Emigration |
1649 |
Springfield, Hampden Co, Massachusetts |
- proprietor, A town officer,
|
Unknown-Begin |
23 Mar 1655 |
Springfield, Hampden Co, Massachusetts |
Oath of Fidelity |
|
Oath of Fidelity - Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts from "John Harmon of Springfield MA Associates Part 7
VIII
Those Who Took The Oath of Fidelity
March 23, 1655/56
"March 23d 1655/56 being a Training day these under written took the oath of fidelity:
Thomas Bancroft, John Stewart, James Warrener, Obadiah Miller, Symon Sackett, Nathaneel Burt, Hugh Dudley, Samuel Bliss, William Morgan, Lawrence Bliss, Jeremy Horton, James Taylor, Edward Foster, John Sackett, Josiah Chapin Abell Wright, Richard Maund, John Riley, Anthony Dorchester, Francis Pepper, James Osborne, John Horton, John Earle"
|
Other-Begin |
Between 1672 and 1676 |
Springfield, Hampden Co, Massachusetts |
- He was Selectman in Springfield 1672, 1676.
Example of one of the duties of a selectman:
America was not then a land of travelers. "What little travel there might have been, was often still further discouraged by local ordinances, and in many a town, a citizen had to have a special permit from the Selectmen before he could entertain a guest for anything over a fortnight. Thus one father was fined ten shillings for showing hospitality to his daughter beyond the legal period.
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/colonies/colonial-ways.htm
|
Other-Begin |
31 Dec 1678 |
Springfield, Hampden Co, Massachusetts |
- Oath of Allegiance on 31 Dec 1678
|
Possessions |
1683 |
Springfield, Hampden Co, Massachusetts |
Inventory |
- Inventory of Anthony's estate was presented in 1683 by his son, John. An agreement was made between sons John and James; grandchildren: Benjamin; daughter, Mary, wife of John Harmon; daughter Sarah, wife of Joseph Stebbins; and his step-daughter Martha, who was the daughter of his second wife, Martha Kitchell and married to Abel Wright--who claimed something for what her mother, the widow of Samuel Kitchell (Kitcherell) once of Hartford, brought to the late Anthony Dorchester.
1685: May 2. An acquittance of John Harmon (Jr.)--husband of Mary Dorchester, to her brothers, John and James Dorchester stating that he had already received the forty pounds due him upon the death of Anthony Dorchester who died intestate:
These gentlemen testify by oath that whereas Anthony Dorchester, deceased [died intestate] under which consideration the ... Corte [held in Springfield the 3rd of September Anno Dom 1684] made a distribution of the estate of the deceased Anthony Dorchester [awarding to his surviving children] according to law, and made his two sons, John Dorchester and James Dorchester administrators of the said estate of which estate the said Corte gave to me, John Harmon of Springfield and son-in-law to the said Dorchester deceased] forty pounds, which forty pounds I have already received of John and James Dorchester to my full satisfaction; therefore, I, John Harmon, do by these presents for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns acquit and forever discharge the said John and James Dorchester, their heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns of all legacies, ... .... or ... due to me or my ... from the said estate. Witness my hand.
John Herman X (his mark)
In the presence of us:
John Richards
Thomas Vigers (his mark)
John Herman above subscribing his mark came personally and acknowledged the same that he was fully paid and did discharge and acquit John and James Dorchester formal payments as above said and make acknowledgment whereof and of this, his full acquittance, Sept. 18th, 1685.
Before John Pynchon
The above acquittance entered into the records on October 9, 1685 by John Holyoke.
1699: 16 May. Death of Elizabeth Harmon Dorchester at Springfield. Elizabeth Harmon Dorchester spent the last sixteen years of her life as a widow. Where did she live? Some records claim she was ninety-one years at the time of her death
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=raviac&id=I21096
|
Death |
28 Aug 1683 |
Springfield, Hampden Co, Massachusetts |
- GenConnect Hampden Co. Ma Wills Forum
Anthony Dorchester
Posted by Cheryl Harmon Bean on Tue, 27 Jul 1999
Surname: Dorchester, Harmon, Stebbins, Wright, Kritchwell, Herman, Richards, Vigers, Pynchon, Holyoke
1683: 28 Aug Death of Anthony Dorchester. Anthony was survived by his wife, Elizabeth to whom he had been married about twenty years or more; his sons, John Dorchester and James Dorchester; and his daughters Mary Dorchester Harmon and Sarah Dorchester Stebbins; and a step-daughter, Martha Kritchwell Wright. He was preceded in death by two wives, Sarah who died in 1649; Martha who died in 1662; and three children: Benjamin died in 1675; Hester died in 1662; and a step-son, Samuel Kritchwell who died in 1651.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=raviac&id=I21096
|
Notes |
- One Branch of the Booth Family, p 50:
Anthony Dorchester, after living several years in Windsor,
came to Springfield in 1649; perhaps was originally from
Hingham. He was Selectman in Springfield 1672, 1676.
He was b. d. Aug. 28, 1682, in Springfield.
m. first, Sarah b. d. Nov. 9, 1649, in Springfield.
m. second, Martha, widow of Samuel Kitcherell,1 Jany. 2, 1651, in Hartford. b. d. Dec. 17, 1662.
m. third, Elizabeth, widow of John Harmon, after 1662.
Margaret Hulings Bliss filed a complaint againt Anthony Dorchester for damages done by his swine; this suggests, perhaps, that these families were neighbors.
-------------------
Was in Windsor, CT 1644; removed to Springfield; proprietor 1649. Anthony was a miller, a ferrier, and a town officer. Dorchester leased John Pynchon?s corn and saw mills for £3 annually. He only held the corn mill for one year, 1653; but in 1669 he leased it again, this time for a rental payment of £8. He held this lease until 1672 and possibly after that. He also leased oxen and 5 acres of land. He lost the oxen to john Pynchon for debts. In 1673, he leased the saw mill. Performed extensive tasks as teamster and laborer; carried corn, brought up goods from the foot of the falls; sawed, ferried, scoured the ditch, etc.
Anthony Dorchester, who with his wife, Martha, resided with the Hugh Parsons, testified during the witch trials that Parsons "never feared either to grieve or displease his wife any time." Dorchester declared that "I saw nothing Parsons did to comfort his wife, but he did often blame her that she did not throw corn." Also Hugh was angry because Mary Parsons helped Mrs. Dorchester without bringing any profit in for him. Parson?s mistreatment of his wife went beyond requiring her to work in the fields while pregnant. He had many misdeeds and anti-social behaviors towards his neighbors. Meat mysteriously disappeared from Anthony Dorchester?s kettle. (See Hugh Parsons)
Concerning the lower warfe, Anthony Dorchester was appointed and ordered to call the neighbors at ye lower end of towne together from Cornelius Williams to consider what may be advantageous and good for putting a gate on the warfe.
In the court records, we find Anthony serving as witness a few times; also he and Jonathan Taylor were charged with not being present on the Lecture Day (military) and he was fined. Widow Bliss complained that Dorchester?s swine did damage to her Indian corn in 1653. On July 1, 1681---after he would have been married to my grandmother ancestor, Elizabeth Harmon---Anthony Dorchester saith "That today about noon this Negroe came to his house asking for a pipe of tobacco which I told him there was some on the table. He took my knife and cut come and then put it in his pocket After that I took down a cutlass and offered to draw it, but it coming out stiff I closed in upon him and so bound him with the help of my wife and daughter. When he scrambling in his pocket I suspected he might have a knife and searching found my knife naked in his pocket which he would fain have got our but I prevented him and took it away. The Negro was committed to prison. His name was Negro Jacke and he was in prison for two weeks.
Anthony Dorchester was a laborer of Springfield who performed many services for John Pynchon. He was a freeman of the Bay Colony. He was paid for carrying horses over (the River) for the Ausatin voyage: a journey to Ausatinnoag between 22 Mar 1660/61 and 29 Dec 1662. In 1669, at a meeting of selectmen, youthful indiscretions inside the meetinghouse was discussed. Miles Morgan and Jonathan Burt were ordered to sit in ye Gallery to give check to the disorders in youth and young men in tyme of Gods worship. Anthony Dorchester is to sit in ye Guard Seate for ye like end.
In 1673, Nathaniel Prichard made a complaint against Obediah Cooley saying that his dog and Goodman Dorchester?s dog had killed a sheep. Dorchester promptly hanged his dog, but Cooley refused to do so until ordered by the court. Witnesses were Nathaniel Prichard and James Stevenson.
15 Apr 1674: At a town meeting it was decided to build a new meetinghouse and it was voted that Sergant Stebbins lot was selected as the place for which he was given four acres of land. The meeting house shall be fifty feet long, forty foote and a halfe wide and the house shall be under-pined with stone two foot and a half above ground. Built high enough to accommodate for galleries when the need arises. The committee or workmen included: Major Pynchon, Elizur Holyoke, Nathaniel Ely, Anthony Dorchester, and Jonathan Burt.
His first wife, Sarah, was buried 9 (9) 1649. His 2nd wife, Martha, d. 1662. Anthony?s 3rd wife was the widow, Elizabeth Harmon--widow of John of whom this book is about. She outlived him by 16 years.
--------------
North America, Family Histories
Dorchester Ancestry
Anthony Dorchester
Anthony Dorchester is first recorded in America at Windsor Connecticut where he resided and in 1649 sold land there to Robert Howard. His first wife was Sarah and she was buried on 9 Nov 1649. On 2 Jan 1650-1 he married at Hartford, Connecticut Martha Chapman, widow of Samuel Kitcherell. According to a declared statement on 15 Sep 1659 by Nathaniel and Johana Reskue, she was born at Digswell, Herts County, England and came over with the sister of Major Hezekiah Haines. She died on 17 Dec 1662. His third wife was Elizabeth, widow of John Harmon. She died on 16 May 1699. Anthony Dorchester died on 28 Aug 1682.
In January 1659-60 a list of houses in Windsor was drawn up for the purpose of seat assignment in the church with the amount paid. He was listed but apparently did not pay indicating he had moved away just previously. In the Springfield church lists dated 23 Dec 1659 and 23 Feb 1662-3, Anthony Dorchester was assigned seats in the third row. In 1664 he was formally admitted as an inhabitant of Sprinfield which meant he had to be, a freeholder able to pay a tax of ten shillings, at least 24 years old, a member of the church head of a family, householder, and a resident of the town. He was one of the signers of the petition dated 2 Dec 1668 wherein the inhabitants of Springfield protested certain impost duties. Sarah, daughter of Anthonly and Martha Dorchester, was born at Springfield, Massachusetts on 16 Oct 1653, die there 18 Aug 1746, and married Joseph Stebbins on 27 Nov 1673.
Sources: American Genealogist, vol.17.p206
Springfield Families by Thomas B. Warren. Typed by Ella May Lewis, Sprinfield, Mass 1935
Hartford vital records in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 13,p141.
Life and Times of Henry Burt by H.M. and S.W. Burt, 1893, p88,p89.
New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol.9,p87,-171
History of Windsor, Conn. by H.R. Stiles, 1891, p154,p179.
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Person ID |
I5378 |
Roots |
Last Modified |
29 May 2017 |