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DEACON JONATHAN SHAW (say 1629–1701), son of John Shaw
PHEBE WATSON (say 1636–say 1682), daughter of George Watson and Phebe Hicks
All information in this entry is from Shaw [1]
Deacon Jonathan Shaw, the son of John Shaw, was born say 1629 probably in Plymouth Colony. [1] He probably died in July 1701 in Lakenham, then in the town of Plymouth. [1] He married first Phebe Watson on 22 January 1656/7 in Plymouth. [1] He married second Persis (Dunham) Pratt in August 1635. [1] Persis, the daughter of Deacon John Dunham and his second wife Abigail Barlow, was born say 1635. [1] She married first Benajah Pratt. [1]
Phebe Watson, the daughter of George and Phebe (Hicks) Watson, was born say 1636 in Plymouth. She died say 1682, probably in Lakenham. [1]
There is no birth record for Phebe and there are no records were her father refers to her. However, there was no other Watson family in Plymouth at the time; her age fits; she would have been named after her mother.
Jonathan witnesses a deed between Mr. William Bradford and others on 29 November 1652. [1] On 3 November 1653 Jonathan co-signed the indenture of Benjamin Savory with his father John Shaw, Sr. and his father's wife Alice. [1]
On 31 December 1656 his father gave him his land at Plain Dealing in Plymouth in return for the right to plant a small plot and the right to live with Jonathan for life. [1]
Jonathan was admitted a freeman on 3 June 1657. [1]
On 1 November 1658 he sold the property to his brother-in-law Stephen Bryant, with his wife Phebe consenting. [1]
Three of Jonathan's children married inhabitants of Eastham, suggesting he owned property in that town. [1] He was said to be the first permanent resident of Carver. [1]
As a literate freeman, Jonathan was a frequent witness. He was surveyor of highways in Duxbury in 1659 and surveyor of highways in Plymouth on 16 May 1673 and 17 May 1686. He frequently served on juries. He was chosen a rater for Plymouth on 27 July 1685. On 22 June 1689 he was on a committee to sell "Clarks Island Saquosh and the Gurnet." On 4 March 1698/9 Jonathan Shaw, Sr. was chosen a fence viewer. [1]
Because of the difficulty getting to the church in Plymouth those in the western part of the town were given permission to have a congregation at Plympton. Jonathan and Persis Shaw and Stephen and Abigail Bryant were among those dismissed and Jonathan was ordained a deacon on 24 November 1698. [1]
Jonathan died intestate shortly before 30 July 1701 when inventory was taken on his estate. Jonathan had disposed of his land to his children during his lifetime and his estate was a relatively small £37- 04 - 02. According to their prenuptial agreement the house and 20-acre house lot were left to Persis for her lifetime. [1]
On 20 June 1705 the sons and daughters of Deacon Jonathan Shaw and granddaughters Joanna and Phebe Morton; George Shaw, Hannah Paine, Lydia Sone of Eastham and Benoni Shaw; Mary Ring and Joanna and Phebe Morton,the daughters of Phebe Morton, deceased of Plymouth, sold for 18 pounds to their brother Jonathan Shaw of Lakenham all their rights to their father's movable land and property. The deed was acknowledged on 20 June 1705 by Benoni Shaw, Eleazar Ring and his wife Mary, and Joanna and Phoebe Morton and on 30 June 1705 by George Shaw, Captain Thomas Paine and his wife Hannah, and Nicholas Snow and his wife Lydia. [1]
Children of Jonathan Shaw and Phebe Watson: Probably born in Plymouth Colony
i. Phebe Shaw was born in February 1657/8. [1] She died on 11 or 12 June 1686 in Duxbury, age 28 years and four months. [1] She married John Morton say 1682. [1] John, the son of John and Lettice Morton, was born on 21 December 1650 in Plymouth and died on 20 March 1717/8 in Middleboro. [1] He married second Mary, the daughter of Andrew Ring and Deborah Hopkins. [1]
John's gravestone in the Middleboro Green Cemetery says, "Here lieth the body of Master John Morton, aged 67 years dyed March the 20 ano d 1718. [1]
ii. Hannah Shaw was born c. 1661. She married Captain Thomas Paine.
iii. Jonathan Shaw was born c. 1663. [1] He died on 18 January 1729/30, age 66. [1] He married first his stepsister Mehitable Pratt. on 29 December 1687. [1] Mehitable, the daughter of Benajah and Persis (Dunham) Pratt, was born about 1667, probably in Plymouth, and died on 19 October 1712, age 44. [1] He married second Mary (Richards) Darling. [1] Mary, the daughter of John and Mary (Brewer) Richards and widow of Benjamin Darling of Plympton, died on 7 March 1754, age 79 in Middleboro. [1]
Jonathan is buried in the Lakenham Cemetery. His gravestone says, "Here lyes the body of Liejnt Jonathan Shaw who dedd Janry 18 1729/30 in ye 67th year of his age." [1]
Mehitable is buried in the Old Cemetery in Plympton. Her gravestone says, "Mehitable Shaw wife to Luttet Jonathan Shaw decd Oct ye 19th 1712 in ye 45th year of his age." [1]
Mary is buried in the Lakenham Cemetery. Her damaged gravestone says, "In memory of Mrs Mary Shaw the wife of Lieut Jonathan Shaw who ... March y ... Ni [sic] Ye 80th .. of her ... ." [1]
iv. Mary Shaw was born c. 1665. [1] She died on 28 November 1730, age 64, in Kingston. [1] She married Eleazar Ring on 11 January 1687/8. [1] Ebenezer, the son of Andrew Ring and Deborah Hopkins, was born say 1663 in Plymouth and died on 21 November 1749 in Kingston. [1]
v. George Shaw was born say 1667. [1] He died on 2 May 1720 in Eastham. [1] He married Constant Doane on 8 January 1690/1 in Eastham. [1] Constant, the daughter of Deacon Daniel Doane and his first wife—"believed to be Constant Snow," was born on 7 March 1669 /10 in Eastham and died on 5 March 1741/2 in Eastham. [1]
vi. Lydia Shaw was born say 1670. [1] She died after 8 December 1714, possibly in Eastham and Rochester. [1] She married Lieutenant Nicholas Snow on 4 April 1689. [1] Nicholas, the son of Mark Snow and Jane Prence, was born on 6 December 1663 in Eastham and died before May 1754, when inventory was taken on his estate. [1]
vii. Benoni Shaw (twin) was born c. 1672. [1] He died on 5 March 1750/1, age 78, in Lakenham. [1] He married Lydia Waterman say 1696, probably in Plymouth. [1] Lydia, the daughter of John and Ann (Sturtevant) Waterman, was born on 9 May 1678 in Marshfield and died on 23 July 1757, age 80, in Lakenham. [1]
Benoni and Lydia are buried in the Lakenham Cemetery. Benoni's gravestone says, "In memory of Mr Benoni Shaw who died March ye 5th 1751 in ye 79th year of his age." Lydia's says, "In memory of Mrs Lydia widow of Benone Shaw She died July ye 23 1757 in ye 81th year of her age." [1]
viii. Benjamin Shaw (twin) was born 1672. [1] He probably died young. [1]
References:
JAS. Jonathan A. Shaw, "John Shaw of Plymouth Colony, Purchaser and Canal Builder," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 151 (1997): 259–85, 417–37, especially 276–85, 417–433.
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26-Dec-2022