Return to main Cummings file
Return to main Harding file
RICHARD SEARS (c. 1595–1676)
DOROTHY JONES (c. 1603–1679)
Richard Sears was born about 1595. He died on 5 September 1676, age 81 years and four months, in Yarmouth. [1] He married Dorothy Jones before 1673. [1]
Dorothy, the daughter of George Jones of Dinder, Somerset, was born about 1603. [2] George had a wife Agnes, but is not clear that she was the mother of his children. Goody Sears was buried on 19 March 1678/9 in Yarmouth. [2]
Dorothy was a sister of Richard Jones of Dorchester and Elizabeth (Jones) Thacher, the wife of Anthony Thacher of Yarmouth. [2]
Richard migrated in 1633. He settled in Plymouth, moved to Marblehead in 1637, and to Yarmouth in 1639. [1]
Richard was a husbandman. [1]
Richard is on a 25 March 1633 tax list in Plymouth Colony. [3, 1: 11]
On 26 October 1647 Richard complained against the Indians Nepoytam, Sachamas, and Felix. The court ordered Mr. Thomas Prence to hear the complaint at his house, accompanied by Anthony Thatcher. Nepoytam, in court, agreed. [3, 2: 118]
Richard was propounded for freeman on 3 June 1652 and was admitted a freeman on 6 June 1653. [3, 3: 8, 31] On 3 June 1652 he was on the grand enquest. [3, 3: 9]
On 1 March 1658 the court noted that some inhabitants of Yarmouth were neglecting their duty toward the church. It ordered Richard and three others to make a levy and for the constable to enforce collection. [3, 3: 155]
In June 1660 Richard was a constable for Yarmouth. [3, 3: 188] On 3 June 1662 he was a deputy. [3, 4: 14]
Richard is in the Yarmouth section of a 29 May 1670 list of freemen in Plymouth Colony [3, 5: 276]
Richard made his will on 10 May 1667 and he added a codicil on 3 February 1675/6. He mentioned his younger son Silas Sears, his son-in-law Zachery Paddock and Deborah "his now wife," his elder son Paul Sears, his wife Dorothy, and Zachery Paddock's son Ichabod Paddock. Inventory was taken on 8 October 1676 and it was presented in court by his widow Dorothy and son Paul. It was untotalled but included a house and lands valued at 220 pounds. [1]
On 1 November 1676 the court appointed Mr. Hinckley and Captain Freeman to give oath to the will and the inventory of Richard Sears of Yarmouth. [3, 5: 213]
Children of Richard Sears and Dorothy Jones:
i. Paul Sears was born about 1637. He died on 20 February 1707/8 in Yarmouth. He married Deborah Willard.
ii. Deborah Sears was born about 1639. She died on 17 August 1732, "within one month of 93 years of age," in Yarmouth. iii. Deborah Sears married Zachariah Paddock. 4 Zachariah, the son of Robert Paddock, died on 26 May 1726, age 91. 4 She married Zachariah Paddock by 1661. [1] Zachariah, the son of Robert Paddock, died on 26 May 1726, age 91. 4
iii. Lieutenant Silas Sears was born say 1641. He died on 13 January 1697/8 in Yarmouth. [5] He married by about 1665 Anna, probably the daughter of James Bursell of Yarmouth. [1]
On 1 November 1676 the widow Emett Bursell and Silas Sears were granted administration on the estate of James Bursell of Yarmouth. [3, 5:212]
Silas was appointed ensign of the military company in Yarmouth on 28 October 1681; he was appointed lieutenant on 31 October 1682. [3, 6: 79, 97]
Silas was propounded a freeman on 6 June 1682. [3, 6: 86]
Silas was a deputy from Yarmouth six times between 2 June 1685 and 2 June 1691. [3, 6: 164, 186, 211, 221, 240, 263] He was a selectman in June 1685, June 1686, June 1689, and 3 June 1690. [3, 6: 168, 186, 207, 241]
On 5 May 1698 the estate of Lieutenant Silas Sears was distributed among his widow Anna Sears; his eldest son Silas Sears; Richard, Hannah, Joseph, Josiah, Elizabeth, and Dorothy Sears. [6]
References:
1. "The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620–1633, Volumes I-III," digitized book, AmericanAncestors.org, originally Published as: Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, 3 volumes (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 1642–4.
2. Myrtle Stevens Hyde, "Jones-Thacher-Sears: England and Massachusetts," The American Genealogist 58 (1982): 244–6.
3. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, Records of Plymouth Colony: Court Orders, vol. 1, 1633–1640, vol. 2, 1641–1651, vol. 3, 1651–1661, vol. 4, 1661–1668, vol. 5, 1668–1678, vol. 6, 1678–1691 (Boston: William White, 1855, 1866).
4. Charles F. Swift, History of Old Yarmouth (Yarmouth: the author, 1884), 59, 93, 108, 117, 139, 236–7.
5. Robert M. Sherman and Ruth Wilder Sherman, Vital Records of Yarmouth, Massachusetts: To the Year 1850, vol. 1 (Warwick: Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Rhode Island, 1975), 125 (deaths of "Desire" and [...]Still), 130 (death of Silas).
6. "Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685–1789," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org, 2: 57.
©a. buiter
16-Aug-2023