General Notes

{Found on WWW.}

"As full time RVers we spent the summer of 1997 in Wells, Maine, about 40

miles north of Hampton, New Hampshire.  We drove down there one day and

had a look around Founders Park.  It is a small park in the shape of a

triangle in the south east part of town bounded by Park Ave., Landing

Road, and Cuss Lane.  The perimeter of the park is lined with small

stones about two feet tall with a small plaque with the name of each

founding family who had settled in Hampton prior to 1700.  I checked and

found my ancestor Hussey and Perkins stones.  In the center of the park

is a large stone.  According to the photographs I took, it is  over seven

feet tall.  It has a large plaque that contains the following, "A little

band of pioneers under the leadership of Reverend Stephen Batchelder of

South Ampton, England seeking a larger liberty in October 1638 settled in

the wilderness near this spot to plant a free church in a free town. They

were joined in 1639 by others and in that year the town was incorporated.

To do honor the founders and fathers of Hampton to exhalt the ideals for

which they strove and as an inspiration to posterity this memorial is

dedicated. October 16, 1925."

LDS microfilm 1561672 has this colorful story about him:

Rev. Stephen Bachiler born in England 1561 was well educated (B.A. Oxford

1586), and had received orders in the established church but was not in

sympathy with his rites and institutions.  His unwillingness to conform

to its requirements resulted in his being deprived of his ecclesiastical

commissions. He spend a few yhears in Holland but returned to London.

Came to Lynn, Mass. June 5, 1632 and here he established the first

Episcopal Church of Lynn according to his own ideas.  Differences

occurred from time to time but finally when a council of ministers was

called, it was decided that although the church had not been properly

instituted, yet the mutual exercise of their religious duties had

supplied the defect.  His removal from Lynn was desired by those who

differed from him, but where in that day did not religious differences

lead to enmity.

_Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford;, 1500-1714_

lists:

> Bachiler, Stephen.  St. John's Coll., matric. circa > 1581; B.A. 3

Feb., 1585-6, rector of Wherwell,

> Hantgs, 1587.  See Foster's _Index Ecclesiasticus_.

Rev. Stephen Bachelor removed from Lynn, Mass. to Ipwich, where he

received a grant of fifty acres of land and a proposal to locate but he

soon left Ipwich and with some friend, John King and others to Mathcheese

on the Barnstable Bay, now Yarmouth, with a view of establishing a colony

there.  This proved impracticable and he went next to Newburyport and

7-6-1638 received a grant of land from the town.  Later the general Court

gave him permission to settle a town at Hampton a few miles from

Newburyport.  In 1639 Ipwich offered him ;l60 acres of land if he would

live there but he declined.

On 7-5-1639 he sold his house and land in Newbury and removed to Hampton,

settled the town and established a church of which he became pastor.  In

1640 Hampton granted him 300 acres of land and he gave them a bell for

the church called "meeting-house".  In 1647 he was in Portsmouth wwwhere

;he remained three years.

At the age of eighty-nine he married unfortunately and lived with his

third wife only one year.  In 1651 he returned to England and died in his

100th year.

Here is a more detailed story I obtained from the Prodigy Genealogy

Topic:

This was written by Rev. Stephen Bachiler, probably a descendant.  This

eccentric and learned divine has the honor of being the first white man

who settled within the present limits of the town of Barstable. He lived

a  hundred years, and his long life was checkered with exciting incidents

on  which the imaginative pen of the novelist would delight to dwell.

He was born in England in 1561, graduated from Oxford, received orders in

the established church, was settled in the ministry, and ejected by The

bishops for non-conformity, at whose hands Gov. Winthrop says he had

suffered much.

He married early in life, and four of his sons and three daughters are

named:

John Wing, afterwards of Sandwich, married his daughter Deborah, probably

before his removal at Holland, where he resided several years. During his

residence in that country, Christopher Hussey, the ancestor of the

Nantucket  family of  that name, became enamored with his daughter

Theodate, and sought her hand in marriage; but Mr. Bachiler refused

assent, without the bridegroom would agree to remove to New England.

Hussey assented to the condition imposed, and took, probably in 1629,

Theodate to wife.

Mr. Bachiler, intending  to emigrate to New England, soon after returned

to London. Mr. Lewis states that his church in Holland consisted of six

members beside himself, and that these returned with him to  London. No

names are given; but it is uniformly stated that they were his friends,

or members of his own family. If so, the seven probably were Mr. Bachiler

and his wife, John Wing and his wife Deborah. John Sanborn and his wife,

a daughter  of Mr. Bachiler, and Theodate Hussey. Sanborn's wife died in

England, and it does not appear that he came over. His sons  John,

William and Stephen came over with their grandfather and settled in

Hampton. Christopher Hussey and his mother, the widow Mary Hussey, were

afterwards members of his church, and followed their pastor in all his

wanderings. Mr. Savage, whose authority is not to be rejected on light or

inconclusive testimony, thinks the Husseys came over in the same ship

with Mr. Bachiler.

The court records, and the decisions of the ecclesiastical councils favor

his supposition, and it will be hard to show how the ubiquitous number of

six members is made up,, if he is not right. On the 9th of March, 1632,

Mr. Bachiler and his company embarked at London in the ship William and

Francis, Capt. Thomas, and arrived in Boston Thursday, June 5, 1632,

after a tedious passage of 88 days, and on the day next after his arrival

went to Lynn.

Mr. Lewis states that "In Mr. Bachiler's church were six persons who had

belonged to a church with him in England; and of these he constituted a

church at Lynn, to which he admitted such as desired to become members,

and commenced the exercise of his public ministrations on Sunday, the 8th

of June, without installation." Four months after a complaint was made

of some irregularities in his conduct. He was arraigned before the court

at Boston, Oct. 3, when the following order was passed: "Mr. Bachiler is

required to forbear exercising his gifts as a pastor or teacher

publiqely in our Pattent, unless it be to those he brought with him, for

his contempt of authority, and until some scndles be removed."

Mr. Bachiler, however, succeeded in regaining the esteem of the people,

and the court on the 4th of March, 1633, removed their injunction against

him.

In 1635, some of the members became dissatisfied with the conduct of

their pastor, "and doubting whether they were regularly organized as a

church," withdrew from the communion. A council of ministers was held on

the 15th of March, and after deliberating three days, decided "that

although the church had not been properly instituted, yet after-consent

and practice of a church-state had supplied that defect. So all were

reconciled," says the record. Mr. Bachiler, however, perceiving no

prospect of terminating the difficulties, requested  dismission for

himself and the six who had accompanied him from England, which was

granted, on  the supposition that he intended to remove from Lynn.

Instead  of this, he remained and formed another church of his friends,

that is of those who came over with him.

This conduct gave great offence to "the most and chief of the town" of

Lynn and they entered a complaint against Mr. Bachiler to the assistants

who forbade him to proceed in the organization of his church until the

subject was considered  by other ministers. Still he goes on. The

magistrates require his attendance before them. He refused to obey; they

send the marshall who brought him into their presence. He submits and

agrees to leave the town in three months. Mr.Bachiler was admitted

freeman May 6, 1635, and  removed from Lynn to Ipswich in Feb. 1636,

where he received a grant of fifty acres of land, and had the prospect of

a settlement; but some difficulty arose and he left the place.

Gov. Withrop in the first volume of his history, under the date of March

30, 1638, has the following passage: "Another plantation was now in hand

at Mattakeese ("now Yarmouth," is written on the margin) six miles beyond

Sandwich. The undertaker of this was one Mr. Bachiler, late  pastor at

Saugus. (since called Lynn) being about 76 years of age; yet he walked

thither on foot in a very hard season." "He and his company, being all

poor men, finding the difficulty, gave it over and others undertook it."

Mr. Bachiler settled in the easterly part of Mattakeese, at a place which

is known to this day as "Old Town." The names  of his associates are not

given; probably the company consisted of persons who belonged to, or were

connected by marriage, with the family of Mr. Bachiler, namely, sons,

sons- in-law and grand-sons, with their families.

Mr. Bachiler probably obtained the consent of Mr. Collicut, to whom the

lands at Matakeese had been granted, before he undertook to establish a

plantation; for without such consent he would have been a trespasser and

liable to ejectment. The terms of the grant cannot be quoted; but it does

not thence follow that not permit was given or grant made. We know by the

Old Colony records that in 1637 or 1638, certain lands in Barnstable were

run out into house and other lots; that these lands were laid out by or

under the authority of Mr. Richard Collicut of Dorchester. He was a

surveyor, but there is not evidence that he was ever in Barstable. The

Plymouth records tell us the thing was done;  but they do not tell us who

did it. The passage quoted from  Gov. Winthrop clearly and distinctly

states that at, or about the time, the Plymouth records say the lands

were run  out, Mr. Bachiler and his company undertook to form a

plantation at Mattakeese.

The very first thing that he and his company did, undoubtedly, was to do

what all such companies did in those times first do that is run out house

lots for each of their party, and farming lands and meadows to be held by

each in severalty. Not to presume this, is to presume that Mr. Bachiler

and his company were not only wanting in common prudence, but wanting in

common sense. The first settlers in new countries never failed to

appropriate a sufficiency of land to themselves, and in order to make

such appropriation, they must first run them out and put up boundaries.

That there were some among his company that could survey lands, scarce

admits of doubt. Mr. Bachiler, as Mr. Prince informs us, was a "man of

learning and ingenuity, and wrote  a fine and curious hand," and he could

undoubtedly run lines and draw plans. His son John Wing, one of the

company, was a man of skill and energy-and he probably had with him his

sons Daniel, Stephen and John, three stout youths, if not all men

grown-one of whom in after-times was a surveyor of lands.  That Mr

Bachiler's party were capable of doing all that the Colony records say

was done, does not admit of doubt, and in the absence of all proof to the

contrary, it is to be presumed that they did do it.

Sandwich was settled in 1637, mostly by people from Lynn-old neighbors

and acquaintances of Mr. Bachiler's company-and it is probable, that

being the nearest settlement to Mattakeese, that they left their women

and little ones there till shelter could be procured for them in the new

settlement.

The first house built within the present bounds of Yarmouth (of which

there is a record) is that of Mr. Stephen Hopkins, afterwards, owned by

his son Gyles, and by him sold to Andrew Hallet, jr. This was in the

summer of 1638, and was built as a temporary residence for his servants

who had the care of cattle sent from Plymouth to be wintered at

Mattakeese. Whether or not cattle had been sent from  Plymouth in

previous years does not appear; if so, then Mr.  Bachiler found whites

within a mile of the place he selected for settlement.

It was also in the immediate vicinity of Lyanough's town," a place not

inhabited by the Indians in the winter, and their deserted wigwams

perhaps afforded them a temporary shelter.  Mr.

Bachiler and his company wee all poor men, illy provided with the means

of establishing a plantation, even in the mild season of the year, and it

is hardly possible that they could have sustained themselves during the

intensely cold winter of 1637, without some kindly herdsmen, or some

friendly Indians gave then shelter while they were preparing their

rudehabitations.

Early in the spring of 1638, Mr. Bachiler, "finding the difficulties

great," abandoned his plantation at Mattakeese. John Wingand his family

stopped in Sandwich. Mr. Bachiler and Christopher Hussey went to Newbury,

and on the 6th of September the Massachusetts Legislature gave them and

others leave to begin a plantation at Hampton, of which he became the

minister. The net year, according to Mr. Felt, he was excommunicated for

unchastity, thought Gov. Winthrop says he was then "about eighty years of

age, and had a lusty, comely woman to wife." In November 1641, he was

restored to the church, but not to his office. About this time his house

in  Hampton took fire and was consumed with nearly all his property.

In 1644, the people of Exeter invited him to settle there;  but the court

forbid his settlement. In 1647, he was at Portsmouth, now Portland, where

in 1650, he being then 89 years old, his second wife Helen(a) being dead,

he married his third wife Mary, without publishing his intention of

marriage according to law, for which he was fined ten pounds half of

which was afterwards remitted. (interesting, I found that he had 4 wives,

any one know?) With his third wife he lived only a few months. She went

to Kittery, and, according to the York records, on the 15th of  October,

1651, was presented for committing adultery with George rogers, and

sentenced "to receive forty stripes save  one, at the first town meeting

held at Kittery six weeks after her delivery, and be branded with the

letter A."  In October, 1656, she petitioned for a divorce from Mr.

Bachiler, because he had five years before "transported himself to Ould

England, and betaken himself to another wife and because she desired

"disposing herselfe in the way of marriage,"

Whether or not she obtained a divorce does not appear on record. Mr.

Bachiler, after his return to England, married a fourth wife, this third

being then living. At last he died in the year 1660, at Hackney, near

London, inthe one hundredth year of his age.

No record of his family is preserved. Four sons and three daughters are

named. Henry, settled at Reading; Nathaniel, born about 1611, "aa chip of

the old block." settled at Hampton, and Francis and Stephen, both

remained in London, the latter said to have been living in 1685. Of his

daughters, one as before stated, married John Sanborn, and died before

1632. Theodate, married Christopher Hussey, and  died in Hampton in 1649.

Deborah married John Wing of Sandwich. On the Yarmouth town records I

find the following entry: Old Goody Wing desesed the last of January, '91

and '92," that is Jan'y 31, 1692, N.S. This record probably refers to

Deborah, widow of the first John Wing. Her son John resided at Sawtucket

(now Brewster). then within thecorporate jurisdiction of Yarmouth, and

his aged mother probably resided with him. There is no one beside to whom

the record will apply. Her age is not given, but an approximation to it

may be made. Her son Daniel of Sandwich,  if he had then been living,

would have been 70 years of age, consequently the mother must have been

about 90 years of age at her death.

(In preparing this article, I have consulted Gov. Winthrops History, the

Plymouth and Massachusetts Records, Felt's Ecclesiastical History,

Savage's Genealogical Dictionary, and Lewis's History of Lynn; the latter

gives the fullest sketch of the life of Mr. Bachiler yet published. The

reading of the extracts from the records, given by Mr. Lewis, leave the

impression of the mind that Mr. Bachiler was not such a man s a minister

of the gospel should be.

A literary friend, who for several years has been collecting materials

for a memoir of Mr. Bachiler, says he is not deserving of the odium which

has been heaped on his character.

The NHSOG (NH Soc. Genealogists Record) Vol. 8, No 1 (Jan 1991) contained

an article by George Freeman Sanborn Jr. (who is Editor, Pres of NHSOG,

and Dir. of the NEHGS Library in Boston - impeccable credentials) .....

His article is just 4 pages long, and reveals research done which proves

that the once-published data that Stephen BACHILER died in Hackney ENG in

1660 was the result of a hasty reading by  someone long  ago of

"Collections of the Mass. Hist. Soc., Vol. VII -  4th Series, pp

583-584" which actually referred to - not Rev. Stephen,  but a Rev. John

BACHILER - no known relation, who actually died Hackney  1674! So much

for one mistake perpetuated for decades <g>. Research originally

commissioned for a Philip Simonds, and published  in the "Batchelor

Family News-Journal" 4:5 (April 1974), gave new  clues. The Sanborn

Family Assoc. continued the research (all N.E.  SANBORNs are desc. from

the 3 grandsons of Rev. Stephen BACHILER) -  and in the Guildhall Library

in London was found, in the burial  register of Allhallows Staining:

"Steeven Batchiller Minister that dyed att Robert Barbers was buryed  in

the new church yard Octob 31th 1656". Only 2 men named Stephen BACHILER

were alumni of Oxford / Cambridge, and it has been concluded that this

burial was that of our ancestor. He would have been about 90. He

matriculated St. Johns College, Oxford 15 Nov 1581, and gave his age as

71 on arrival in N.E. in 1632. The church of Allhallows Staining (taken

down in 1870) stood at west side of Mark Lane, south of Fenchurch St. in

London. Thus, Rev. Stephen BACHILER was buried just 17 days after Mary

(BAILEY) BEEDLE petitioned the courts in N.E. to divorce Stephen.

In June 1995 I noticed that Heritage Books was reprinting the 1898

Batcheller Genealogy:  Descendants of Rev. Stephen Bachiler, of England,

A Leading Non-Conformist who Settled the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire,

and Joseph, Henry, Joshua and John Bacheller of Essex County,

Massachusetts.  624 pp., illus., index, paper, $35.00 #P316.