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NICHOLAS SNOW (d. 1676)

CONSTANCE HOPKINS (bp. 1606–1677), daughter of Stephen Hopkins


Nicholas Snow, Sr. died on 15 November 1676 in Eastham. [1, 6:203] He married Constance, the daughter of Stephen Hopkins, by 1627. [2]

Constant Snow, the daughter of Stephen and Mary Hopkins, was baptized on 11 May 1606 in Upper Clatford, Hampshire. [3] Constant, who had been the wife of Nicholas Snow, died about the middle of October 1677 in Eastham. [1, 6:20]

Torrey says that Nicholas is probably the Nicholas, son of Nicholas Snow, who was baptized on 25 January 1599/1600 in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, London. [4] However, Johnson demonstrates that that Nicholas was buried three days after his baptism. [5]

Nicholas came to Plymouth in 1623 on the Anne. [2] He was a carpenter. [2]

Nicholas was on a 2 January 7 Charles [1631/2] tax list in Plymouth. [6, 1: 9–11] He was a freeman in Plymouth in 1633. [6, 1: 3–4] He was on a 24 March 1633/4 Plymouth tax list. [6, 1: 27–29]

He was on a committee to lay out highways on 1 October 1634. [6, 1: 31] He was one of three to arbitrate a matter between Joseph Beedle and Edw. Dowty on 4/5 October 1636. [6, 1: 44]

Nicholas was on a 7 March 1636/7 list of freemen in Plymouth. [6, 1: 55–57]

He was given the hay ground he had the previous year at Wellingsley on 20 March 1636/7. [6, 1: 83–84]

On 7 May 1638 Nicholas Snow requested land towards the Six-Mile Brook. [6, 1: 83] On 2 July 1638 he requested more hay ground and wall allowed more for that year. [6, 1: 90–92] On 7 August 1638 he asked for five to six acres of land. [6, 1: 92–94}

Nicholas was on a grand inquest jury on 5 June 1638. [6, 1: 86–87] He was appointed a surveyor of highways on 3 March 1639/40 and 2 June 1640. [6, 1: 140–1, 154–6] He was one of three presented for not mending highways on 1 December 1640. They were released on the condition that they would do so. [6, 2: 5] On 5 May 1640 he was appointed to view the meadow that had not been already granted at Greens Harbor [Marshfield] and report on the number of acres. [6, 1: 151–3] He was assigned to lay out land on 1 February 1641/2. [6, 2: 7]

Nicholas was an early settler of Nauset (later Eastham). He was appointed a surveyor of highways for Eastham on 1 June 1647, 7 June 1653, and 5 June 1671. He was appointed a deputy on 7 June 1648, 4 June 1650 and 3 June 1652. He was appointed to collect an excise tax on 7 June 1648. He was a selectman on 3 June 1668, 7 June 1670, 5 June 1671, 5 June 1672, and 1 June 1675. [6, 2: 115, 123, 125, 154; 3: 8, 33; 4: 182; 5: 57–8, 92, 164]

An undated deed says, "A declaration of the Right and Interest of sundry persons, sometimes members of the Church of Plymouth have; to a tract of land of Township lying in the betome of Cape Codd being comonly called Nausett, Now Eastham, both by an acte of Court and also by purchse from the Natives, the Names of the persons are these, Mr. Thomas Prence, Mr. John Dowe, Nicholas Snow, Josias Cooke, Richard Higgens, John Smalley, Edward Bangs &c:" [7]

Nicholas made his will on 14 November 1676. He named his wife Constant; his sons Mark, Joseph, Stephen, John, and Jabez Snow—to whom he left land; "all my children." His will was proved on 5 March 1676/7. [2] On 6 March 1676/7 letters of administration were granted to Constant, Mark, and John Snow for the estate of Nicholas Snow. [6, 5: 220]

In 1651 William Bradford said that Nicholas had 12 children, all were living, and one was married.

Children of Nicholas Snow and Constance Hopkins:

i. Mark Snow was born on 9 May 1628 in Eastham. [1, 7:14] He married first Anna Cooke, the daughter of Josiah Cooke, on 18 January 1654 in Eastham. [1, 7:14] She died on 25 July 1656 in Eastham. [1, 7:14] He married second Jane Prence on 9 January 1660 in Eastham. [1, 7:14]

Mark Snow desired to be a freeman on 8 June 1655. [6, 3: 78] He was chosen constable for Eastham on 8 June 1655. [PC08]

ii. Mary Snow was born say 1630. She died on 28 April 1704. She married Thomas Paine.

iii. Sarah Snow was born say 1632. She married William Walker. [2]

iv. Lieutenant Joseph Snow was born say 1634. He married Mary ___. [2]

v. Stephen Snow was born say 1636. He died on 17 December 1705 in Eastham. married Susanna Deane.

vi. John Snow was born say 1638. He married Mary, the daughter of John Smalley, on 19 September 1667 in Eastham. [2] She married second Ephraim Doane.

vii. Elizabeth Snow was born say 1640. She died on 16 June 1678 in Eastham. She married Thomas Rogers.

viii. Jabez Snow was born say 1642. He married Elizabeth Smith.

ix. Ruth Snow was born say 1644. She married John Cole on 10 December 1666 in Eastham. [2]

x. ___ Snow was born say 1646 and was living in 1651. No further record.

xi. ___ Snow was born say 1648 and was living in 1651. No further record.

xii. ___ Snow was born say 1650 and was living in 1651. No further record.

References:

1. George Bowman, "Eastham, Mass., Vital Records: Literally translated from the original records," The Mayflower Descendant, various issues.

2. "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), 1701–3.

3. Ernest Martin Christensen, "The Probable Parentage of Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower," The American Genealogist 79 (2004): 241–9.

4. Clarence Almon Torrey, "Nicholas Snow's Mother," The American Genealogist 14 (1937): 229.

5. Caleb Johnson, "Nicholas Snow: Not From St. Leonard Shoreditch, London," Mayflower Descendant 62 (2013), 39–41.

6. 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).

7. "Massachusetts: Plymouth Colony Deeds, 1671–1673," digitized book, deeds, volume 3, part 2, p. 123.


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03-Aug-2023