• General Notes

  Occupation: distiller.
  
  "John Doane settled, first, in Wellfleet, then Billingsgate, on a portion of his father's estate. Pratt's History of Eastham says he was there before 1700, and that he held a distinguished rank in the town. An old document of 1727 mentions him as 'a principal Inhabitant of this Precinct.' As early as 1696, he and his wife Hannah were living in Boston in Ward 7, when in a deed he is styled 'Distiller,' and where on Mar. 5th of that year, his son Joshua was born. After the death of his wife in 1731 he removed to Hull, where he was an important man in town and church affairs, and seems to have lived there from about 1732 to 1742. He then removed to Boston where he owned a large estate, and resided there until his death.
  "From the Suffolk Registry of Deeds we note the following: 'Mar. 3, 1694, John Doane of Eastham purchased of the heirs of Edward Tyng for £370 land and dwelling-house in Boston. Aug. 17, 1717, John Doane of Eastham bought of Wigglesworth Sweetzer for £260 a brick and wooden house with land and wharf on Butler's Row. From 1727 to 1729, he bought lands and houses on School St. from the heirs of Samuel Haugh, goldsmith. Apr. 3, 1738, John Doane of Hull bought of John Marshall for £2,750 land and wharf fronting on Mackeral Lane (Kilby St.). Aug. 6, 1741, John Doane of Hull, for £1,200, bought from heirs of James Gooch lands near King St. (State St.).'
  "John Doane was commissioned a Justice of Peace for Barnstable Co. June 5, 1713, and was in commission there until his removal to Hull. In 1736, he was a Special Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Barnstable Co. and, on Mar. 9,1737-8, he was commissioned a Justice of Peace for Suffolk Co.
  "He and his wife Hannah were the leaders of the fifteen or twenty church members living in the North Precinct [of Eastham], who strongly opposed the ordination and settlement of Rev. Samuel Osborn as pastor of the First Church of Eastham in 1718. In the church troubles at Billingsgate in 1727, they were stanch supporters of their minister, Rev. Josiah Oakes.
  "The Boston Evening Post, for Monday, Dec. 1, 1755, has the following notice of Mr. Doane's death: 'Boston, Nov. 27,1765. Last Saturday died in the 92nd. Year of his Age and Yesterday was very decently interred, John Doane Esq.; who had been many Years in the Commission of the Peace for the Counties of Barnstable and Suffolk. He was a Gentleman of great Capacity and known Integrity, a tender Husband, affectionate Father, and faithful Friend; and notwithstanding his great Age he retained his Usefulness, Reason and Understanding to the last.'
  "Beside the Boston estate, John Doane's possessions at Scituate inventoried £1250. 19. 8. His will, written by his own hand, five days before his death, [was] proved Dec. 24, 1755."

Details of John 's family with Hannah HOLBART