F 74 
 .Y2 H39 
 Copy 2 
 
 No. 44. 
 
 LIBRARY of 
 
 Cape Cod 
 
 HISTORY & GENEALOGY 
 
 CAPTAIN WILLIAM HEDGE 
 OF YARMOUTH 
 
 By James W. Hawes v 
 
 YARMOUTHPORT, MASS.: 
 
 C. W. SWIFT, Publisher and Printer, 
 
 Thk "Register" Press, 
 
 1914. 
 
F 74 
 .Y2 H39 
 Copy 2 
 
 No. 44. 
 
 LIBRARY of 
 
 Cape Cod 
 
 HISTORY & GENEALOGY 
 
 CAPTAIN WILLIAM HEDGE 
 OF YARMOUTH 
 
 By James W. rlawes / 
 
 YARMOUTHPORT, MASS.: 
 
 C. W. SWIFT, Publisher and Printer, 
 
 Thk "Rkgistkr" Press, 
 
 1914. 
 
CAPTAIN WILLIAM HEDGE (a) 
 OF YARMOUTH. 
 
 By James W. Hawes. 
 
 Copyright, 1914, 
 By Charles W. Swift. 
 
 William^ Hedge, b. in England; 
 m, probably 1st and 
 
 2d Blanche Hull, a widow. 
 He was a freeman of Lynn 
 May 14, 1634. He was prob- 
 ably the soldier in the Pequot 
 war of his surname, who was 
 well mentioned, and was called a 
 gentleman of Northhamptonshire. 
 He removed to Sandwich and 
 from there to Yarmouth, (b) He 
 brought suit in Essex county in 
 1637. (c) He was styled gentleman 
 and Mr, in the records in 1638 and 
 after. He took the oath of fidel- 
 ity in Sandwich, (d) He is first 
 mentioned in the Plymouth Colony 
 records Nov. 5, 1638, when for the 
 consideration of £12 sterling he as- 
 signed to Gov. Thomas Prence the 
 unexpired term of service of 
 Robert Wicksen(e) due him under 
 an indenture, (f) Dec. 4, 1638, he 
 was fined for keeping a hog un- 
 ringed.(g) April 16, 1640, he re- 
 ceived 14 acres of meadow land 
 in Sandwich, (h) 
 
 May 3, 1642, Mr. Hedge of Yar- 
 mouth won a suit for 14 bushels 
 of corn from Walter Devell.(i) In 
 August, 1643, he is among those 
 
 between 16 and 60 in Yarmouth 
 able to bear arms.(j) 
 
 In 1643 he had a controversy 
 with Richard Hore of Yarmouth 
 about six acres of meadow which 
 had formerly been given to the 
 church. It was decided that the 
 church was to hold the land and 
 Hedge might sue him or them 
 that sold him the same.(k) 
 
 March 6, 1648-9, he was pre- 
 sented by the grandjury for 
 letting an Indian have a gun, 
 powder and shot. His wife was 
 presented for receiving stolen 
 goods. (1) June 9, 1650, with Rob- 
 ert Dennis he was on a bond for 
 the appearance of John Besthope, 
 and they were given till the 
 next court to produce him.(m) In 
 1650 he appears as constable of 
 Yarmouth, (n) 
 
 He bad a controversy with Rob- 
 ert Nash of Boston respecting 
 cattle and sued him /or £11. The 
 jury March 6, 1649-50, awarded 
 him £8 and the charges of the 
 suit, and left him to sue concern- 
 ing the yearlings and the rest of 
 the cows included in the suit.(o) 
 Oct. 2, 1650, he was one of the 
 plaintiffs in a suit against William 
 Nickerson.(p) Oct. 5. 1652, he was 
 presented for selling wine and 
 strong waters in Yarmouth with- 
 out license, (a) June 9, 1653, he 
 was approved as ensign bearer of 
 the military company of Yar- 
 mouth, (r) 
 
Feb. 24, 1G52-3, he was sworn 
 as one of the jurors to lay out a 
 way from Sandwich to Plymouth, 
 and on the 27th he signed their 
 report, (s) Aug. 7, 1655, he was 
 ordered to exercise the military 
 company, (t) In 1656 the estate of 
 John Darby, deceased, was indebted 
 to him.(tl) Oct. 2, 1658, he was 
 appointed on the council of war.(u) 
 Oct. 2, 1658, he was fined 10s. for 
 threatening Edward Sturgis.(v) 
 June 7, 1659, he was on the grand- 
 jury, (w) Aug. 2, 1659, he was 
 approved as captain of the mil- 
 itary company of Yarmouth, (x) 
 In October, 1659, as one of a jury 
 of inquest he signed the verdict 
 in the case of the death of Mary 
 Chase of Yarmouth, (y) June 3, 
 1662. he was again appointed cap- 
 tain of the military company of 
 Yarmouth, (z) 
 
 In 16G2. 1663 and 1664 Mr. Hedge 
 brought into Yarmouth liquors, 
 powder, shot and lead. (a) June 
 18, 1666, he was witness to a 
 letter of William Nickerson to the 
 Plymouth Court, (b) 
 
 He died between June 30, 1670, 
 date of his will, and July 5. 1670, 
 the date when the order was given 
 for his exocutor to appear at 
 Plymouth to prov(i his will and 
 inventory. {(') They wei'e proved 
 Aug. 11. 1670, and letters testa- 
 mentary were then granted to his 
 executor Elisha Hedge, (d) The 
 will mentions his sons Abraham, 
 Elisba, William, Joim, and Elom- 
 uel, his daughters Sarah Mat- 
 thews, Elizabeth Barnes, Mary 
 Sturgis and Marcy (Mercy) Hedge, 
 his sister Brookes (to whom he 
 
 gives £30 in Virginia due him 
 from her deceased husband), and 
 his wife Blanche, who had left 
 him, to whom he gives 12d. and 
 to whom he directs to be returned 
 what he had received of hers. 
 The will also says: "likewise it 
 is my mind and Will that my 
 sister Brookes shall have lively- 
 hood amongst my Children soe 
 Longe as she Continues a widdow." 
 He appoints his son Elisha sole 
 executor and makes "my beloved 
 friends Mr. Thomas Thornton Mr. 
 Edmond howes [should be Hawes] 
 and Richard Taylor, tayler," over- 
 seers, (e) The inventory of his 
 estate amounted to £487 16s. (f) 
 Children, (fl) 
 
 Abraham, b. 
 
 Elisha, b. about 1642; m. Mary 
 ;d. May 17, 1732, in his 92d 
 year, leaving issue, (g) 
 
 William, b. 
 
 John, b. 
 
 Elemuel (Lemuel), b. 
 
 Sarah, b. ; m. Mat- 
 
 thews (perhaps James'). (h) 
 
 Elizabeth, b.(i) Yarmouth May 
 21, 1647; m.(j) Jonathan Barnes in 
 Plymouth Jan. 4, 1665-6. (k) 
 
 Mary, b.(l) Yarmouth in 1648; 
 in. Stuj-gis.(m) 
 
 Marcy (Mercy), b. . Et. 
 
 Howes of Yarmouth was appointed 
 her guardian July 4, 1673. (n) She 
 m. Elkanah Watson of Plymouth 
 in 1676.(0) 
 
 Will of Capt. William Hedge. 
 
 'i'lic Last Will and Testament of 
 Captain. William hedge of Yar- 
 mouth in the jurisdiction of Ply- 
 nKHith in New England I^ato de- 
 
 iCI.A387627^ 
 
 NOV 19 1914 
 
 '^ix. 
 
ceased exhibited to the Court or 
 meeting of the Magestrates for 
 that purpose held att the Town 
 of Plymouth the eleventh day of 
 August 1670 on the oathes of Gapt. 
 Matthew Fuller and John Davis 
 as followeth. 
 
 Witnesseth These presents That 
 I William hedge senr., in Yar- 
 mouth in the Gollonie of New 
 Plymouth being weake of body 
 yett of perfect sense and memory 
 doe ordaine this my Last Will and 
 Testament as followeth. 
 
 first I bequeath my soule to 
 the Lord that gave it me and my 
 body to a civil and comely Buriall 
 and my estate as followeth. 
 
 Item I give unto my beloved 
 son Abraham hedge this my now 
 dwelling house; with all the 
 household stuffe in the Parlour, 
 beding Curtaine Gurtaines bed- 
 steed and all the moveables there- 
 unto belonging in the same, and 
 all my land that belongeth to my 
 dwelling house and alsoe all my 
 lands both upland and meddow 
 that I have in the prime field. 
 
 Item I doe give unto my be- 
 loved son Elisha hedge my necke 
 of Land and meddow belonging 
 thereunto provided tliat hee pay 
 his brothei- my son William five 
 pounds. 
 
 Item I doe give further unto 
 my beloved son William forty 
 pounds in debts and my beste 
 suite of Clothes and my best hatt 
 Item I doe give unto my be- 
 loved son John fifty pounds and 
 my next suite of Clothes and my 
 brasse muskett and my Rapier and 
 belt and two mares and two Colts. 
 
 Item I doe give unto my be- 
 loved son Elemuell fifty pounds 
 and two mares and two Goults. 
 
 Item I doe give unto my be- 
 loved daughter Sarah Matthews 
 five pounds. 
 
 Item I doe give unto my be- 
 loved daughter Elizabeth Barnes 
 five pound. 
 
 Item I doe give unto my be- 
 loved daughter Mary Sturgis forty 
 pound. 
 
 Item I doe give unto my be- 
 loved daughter Marcye fifty 
 pounds. 
 
 Item. I doe give unto my be- 
 loved sister Brookes thirty pounds 
 that is mine in Verginia that is 
 due to mee from Brother Brookes 
 deceased likewise it is my mind 
 and Will that my sister Brookes 
 shall have livelyhood amongst my 
 Children soe Longe as she Con- 
 tinues a widdow. 
 
 Item I make my beloved son 
 Elisha my sole executor of this 
 my last Will and Testament. 
 
 Alsoe I doe beer by substitute 
 and appoint my beloved friends 
 Mr. Thomas Thornton Mr. Edmond 
 howes [Hawes] and Richard Tay- 
 lor, tayler, the overseers of this 
 my last Will and Testament. 
 
 And whereas Blanche my Wife 
 hath dealt falcly with mee in the 
 Covenant of Marriage in departing 
 from mee, therefore I doe in this 
 my Last Will and Testament give 
 her twelve pence, and alsoe what 
 1 have Received of hers my will 
 is shal be Returned to her againe. 
 And heerunto I have sett my 
 hand and seale this 3Uth of June 
 
1670. In the presence of these 
 Witnesses. 
 
 William hedge 
 And a seale 
 Matthew Fuller 
 John Gray. 
 John Davis. 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 (a) The name is also written 
 Edge in the ancient records. As 
 early as 1648 there was a William 
 Hedges of Taunton. (2 Plym. Col. 
 Recs. 135.) 
 
 (b) 2 Savage, 400; Swift, 63. 
 
 (c) Pope, 226. 
 
 (d) 8 Plym. Col. Recs. 184. 
 
 (e) Afterward spelled Wixon. 
 
 (f) 1 Plym. Col. Recs. 102. 
 
 (g) lb. 107. 
 (h) lb. 147-149. 
 (i) 7 ib. 29, 30. 
 (j) 8 ib. 194. 
 (k) 2 ib. 62. 
 
 (1) Ib. 137. 
 (m). Ib. 151. 
 (n) Ib. 153. 
 (0) 7 ib. 47. 
 (p) Ib. 50. 
 (q) 3 ib. 17. 
 (r) Ib. 38. 
 (s) Ib. 61,62, 
 (t) Ib. 87. 
 
 (tl) 14 Mayflower Descendant, 
 112. 
 
 (u) 3 Plym. Col. Recs. 153. 
 (v) Ib. 150. 
 
 (w) Ib. 162. 
 (x) Ib. 169. 
 (y) Ib. 172. 
 (z) 4 ib. 15. 
 
 (a) Ib. 28, 52. 
 
 (b) Ib. 135. 
 
 (c) 5 ib. 43. 
 
 (d) Ib. 47. 
 
 (e) Recopied Plym. Col. Wills 
 in Barn. Prob. Of. 299; 3 Plym. 
 Col. Wills, part 1, p. 20; 7 N. E. 
 Reg. 235. 
 
 (f) Recopied Wills, 301. 
 
 (fl) The dates and places of 
 birth are mostly unknown. The 
 order of births is similarly un- 
 known, except that the order of 
 the sons and daughters among 
 themselves respectively is as 
 given in the will and is probably 
 correct. 
 
 (g) The late Wm. P. Davis, 
 town clerk of Yarmouth, an 
 authority on town history. 
 
 (h) Will of Wm. Hedge, 3 Plym. 
 Col. Wills, pt. 1, p. 20; 3 Savage, 
 176, 652. 
 
 (i) 8 Plym. Col. Recs. 3. 
 
 (j) Ib. 31; 1 Savage, 121; Pope, 
 226. 
 
 (k) Wm. P. Davis erroneously 
 says she m. Joseph Bassett of 
 Plymouth. 
 
 (1) 8 Plym. Col. Recs. 7. 
 
 (m) Wm. P. Davis and Capt. 
 Hedge's will. 
 
 (n) 5 Plym. Col. Recs. 124. 
 
 (o) 18 N. E. Reg. 305. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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