by Mrs. John E. Barclay, F.A.S.G., Whitman, Massachusetts
For an account of Nathaniel SOWTHER's English origin see Mr. Hunt's article immediately preceding (supra, 214 f.), which
was prepared quite independently of my own study, though we have had the advantage of seeing each other's work when completed.
Nathaniel SOWTHER is first mentioned in Plymouth Colony in a list of freeman, he being admitted on 4 October 1636 and
that same day he was named on the jury (Plymouth Colony Court Orders 1:4 and 44). The date of his arrival in this country is unknown
but he may have come with Edward WINSLOW, who had gone back to England in 1635 as agent for the Colony, returning the latter
part of the year. At the first session of the General Court after he became freeman, Mr. Nathaniel SOWTHER was made secretary
of Plymouth Colony on 3 January 1636/7 and Edward WINSLOW, Governor (ibid.1:48). Until this date the Governor had also acted
as secretary-treasurer. Mr. SOWTHER must have been highly respected and well known to some of the colonists.
On 7 January 1640/1 (ibid, 1:170) a list of the clerk's fees was agreed upon by the Court of Assistants and on 1 March 1641/2
(2:34), his salary was made 20 pounds per annum besides his fees. He was first granted land, 6 February 1636/7, 6 acres in Plymouth
where William RICHARDS dwelt; 5 February 1637/8, 4 acres more at Woeberry Playne; 2 November 1640, 10 acres of meadow by
Jones River and from time to time several other small parcels, but 7 March 1642/3 he was granted "a farme land of 200 acres of upland
with meadow to it in some convenient place." This latter will be referred to later.
In 1643 he was among those able to bear arms, age 16-60 and was named "clark of the company or band." About the time of
his arrival in this country there was considerable complaint about the condition of the laws and a committee was chosen to revise them.
Still not satisfied nine years later on 4 June 1645, another committee was chosen "to revise the existing laws, correct the abuses, etc.",
and this time Nathaniel SOWTHER was a member. It is believed due to his influence that the whole body of the laws was rewritten
in so thorough a manner.
The Colony records from 3 January 1636/7 to 7 July 1646 are in Mr. SOWTHER's handwriting and he always wrote his name
"SOWTHER", never as "SOUTHER". There are numerous records during these years wherein he served in various capacities. On
2 March 1640/1 the Court appointed Mr. Edward WINSLOW and Mr. SOWTHER to draw up a conveyance or surrender for the lands
within the patent ungranted, for Mr. BRADFORD to surrender into the hands of the whole body of freeman. (ibid. 2:9).
Just how long Mr. SOWTHER remained in Plymouth Colony is not certain; probably until about two years after date of his
last records, for we find that he was "admitted an inhabitant" of Boston 27 June 1649 (Boston Commissioners' Report, Doc. #46, p.
97). He was made a freeman there 18 May 1653 and was appointed "public Notary for this jurisdiction in the room of Mr. William
ASPINWALL" (Massachusetts Bay Colony, 4:1:18).
Nathaniel SOWTHER was born in England about 1592 according to his own deposition 19 October 1654 that he was "aged
about 62" (Suffolk Deeds, 2:85). He died at Boston, Massachusetts, 27 April 1655 (Boston Comm. Rep. Doc., #130, p. 51). He
married, first, at St. Peter's, Derby, 28 March 1613, Alice DEVONPORT, who died at Boston, 27 July 1651 (ibid. p. 34); second,
at Boston, 5 November 1653, Sarah HILL, widow, (ibid. p. 44). She was a daughter of Ignatius JURDAIN of Exeter, Devon, and
married first William HILL; second, Nathaniel SOWTHER; and third, Edmund GREENLEAF. The story of the interesting research
which led to the identification of this woman will be reserved until our next issue.
Administration of SOWTHER's estate was granted to his widow 31 July 1655 and on 12 July 1655 the appraisal amounted to
£150, s. 16, d. 6 and the goods Mrs. SOWTHER brought to him at £83.
In Suffolk Deeds 2:232 Sarah SOWTHER of Boston, widow, administratrix of the estate of Nathaniel SOWTHER, her late
husband deceased and Nathaniel DUNCAN of Boston, merchant, sold for £45 to Joseph ROCKE of Boston, merchant, "all that
messuage tenement or dwelling Howse in which the said Sarah SOWTHER doth now inhabit and dwell with a yard thereunto belonging,
house front next the street towards the east and backward lying next to Mr. John WILSON, pastor on the west part one side lying next
the house of Godfrey ARMITAGE on the south part the other side lying next the land of William TOY on the north part with all......
appurtenances......which aforesaid Nathaniel DUNCAN purchase of William FRANKLIN......that they said Sarah SOWTHER and
Nathaniel DUNCAN are lawfully seized of and......in their own right and to their own use of a good estate and are true and proper
owners thereof and hath full power to sell......and shall deliver to the said ROCKE all deeds, writings, etc., remaining in their hands
(22 February 1655, signed by both and acknowledged save day that his wife Elizabeth DUNCAN gave her consent, recorded 15 March
1655).
The explanation of the preceding deed will be given in the next issue. No deeds of Nathaniel SOWTHER have been found in
Boston.
Children: all by first wife
1. i. Hannah, b. circa 1619
2. ii. Mary, b. circa 1625, d. Boston, 7 January 1693
iii. Sarah, baptized All Saints, Derby, 7 December 1626; no trace in America
1. Hannah2 SOWTHER (Nathaniel1) was born circa 1619 but no record of her death has been found. She married, first, at Plymouth,
28 Sept. 1641, Mr. William1 HANBURY (Plymouth Col. Ct Or. 2:23). There seems to be evidence that he was born at
Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, 17 April 1614, son of John HANBURY who died 28 April 1636 and "Mrs. Hanbury" who died in 1650;
and that he had a sister Rachel, born 19 June 1606, and a brother John, born 2 July 1609, all of which seems to be borne out by
references to his family in his will (Suffolk Prob. 3:258-9 new series). He died at Boston, Feb. 1649. He is first mentioned in Plymouth
Colony when he bought house and land of Mr. John BROWN at Jones River, 15 July 1640 (Plym. Col. Deeds 1:99); bought house and
land of Mr. John DONE, 19 Feb. 1645 (ibid.1:218). The BROWN lands he farmed out to Francis GOOLE, 21 Nov. 1644, but owing
to neglect he had to reclaim it from him through the courts. He sold this property to Christopher WINTER, 27 Oct. 1647. He was
admitted freeman, 6 March 1642; the Winter deed is the last reference to him at Plymouth. He and his father-in-law probably moved
to Boston during the next year, but Mr. HANBURY only loved about a year after his arrival in Boston. A son was born only a few
days before he made a nuncupative will, 13 Feb. 1648/9. He left all to his wife "knowing that she would take care of their children,"
and depositions were made by Comfort STARR, Isaac WALKER, and Mary SOWTHER (his sister-in-law). The widow was named
administratrix and the inventory taken 21 (12m) 1649 amounted to as much as 1453/01/08. It is in the estate papers that we learn there
were four childen not named and other pertinent data: "1 dwelling and shop; farm at Jones River in question betwixt me and my brother
John HANBURY of £100; also £100 which will be, at old Mrs. HANBURY's decease in England, which I take not for present; out
of which estate I intend to give 2/3 debts being paid) to my four children of what will be gott in with respect to the eldest according
to his birth right and to the rest as I shall think good and the the remainder I reserve to myself. There is an account between my sister
Stroute of London wherein I may be indebted to her £30 or thereabouts." All these data agree with the records from Wolverhampton
but further proof should be sought. Of the four children, only one birth has come to light, and a deed names a daughter. All but the
latter had died before 1699, probably in childhood.
The widow Hannah (SOWTHER) HANBURY married, second, as second wife, at Boston 24 (8m) 1656, Francis1 JOHNSON
(Boston Comm, Rep. Doc. #130, p. 57). He was born about 1609, died March 1690/1, aged 82. They had no issue. Administration
of his estate (Suffolk Prob. 8:157) was granted 19 march 1690/1 to his daughter by his first wife, Elizabeth McCARTY, and her
husband Thaddeus. There is no evidence that Hannah was then living.
Children: surname HANBURY
1. Hannah2, b. ca. 1642, probably at Jones River (Kingston); d. 26 Feb. 1710/11, widow at Boston (Sewall Diary); m.,
as second wife, John2 WISWALL, son of Elder John of First Church of Boston, by whom she had four children
recorded at Boston, all of who probably died young except the son John3 WISWALL b. 21 March 1667/8, who was
living in 1691 but whereabout unknown to his father (Middlesex Court Rec.). They resided in Chelsea and Boston.
Record of John2's death was not found nor probate but he was living 7 July 1704 when he quitclaimed to Elisha COOKE
land formerly Captain KEAYNE's in Chelsea. Proof that John2 WISWALL married Hannah2 HANBURY will be found
in Suffolk Deeds 21:167, dated 19 Jan.1699; "John WISWALL and Hannah, his wife, the only surviving daughter and
heir apparent of William HANBURY late of Boston shopkeeper deceased......all that messuage......situate near the head
of a certain dock" (Bendall's). Unless John3 WISWALL married and had issue, of whom we know nothing, Nathaniel
SOWTHER left no descendants.
ii. Child, b. ca. 1644, probably at Jones River.
iii. Child, b. ca. 1644, probably at Jones River.
iv. William, bapt. Boston, 11 (12m) 1648, being 6 days old; d. 1 Feb. 1650.
2. Mary2 SOWTHER (Nathaniel1) was born in England, ca. 1625 and died at Boston, 7 Jan. 1693. She married first, as
second wife, 1 (10m) 1653 at Boston, Joseph2 SHAW, mariner, bapt. 14 March 1618 at Northowram, Halifax, England,
son of Abraham SHAW of Dedham and Weymoth, Mass. and he died twelve days after their marriage. The name of
his first wife is unknown but by her he had three children: Joseph, John, Fearnot; none by Mary SOWTHER. His
widow received one-half of his estate by his will (Suffolk Prob. 1:97). She married, second, at Boston, 16 Aug. 1654,
John2 BLAKE, bapt. Pitminster, England, 30 Aug. 1618, son of William and Agnes BLAKE of Dorchester, Mass.;
died at Boston, 25 Jan. 1688/9. They had but one child, Hannah BLAKE, born 16 Jan. 1657, d. 30 Aug 1659. His will
(Suffolk Prob. #1678) to his wife £200, use and improvement of all his estate, if she continue his widow, and he made
generous bequests to his brothers and other relatives and his nephew John Blake inherited the bulk of his real estate.
Two more records in Plymouth Colony Court Orders are of interest: 3:182, 7 March 1659/60: "in answeare to the request of
Mr. John BLAKE of Boston in behalfe of himselfe and sister Mistris Hannah JOHNSON, that according to a former graunt of the
Court unto Mr. Nathaniel SOUTHER [sic] their father deceased, that hee the said BLAKE might have liberties to looke out a pcell
of land to accomodate them according to the aforesaid graunt, the Court gave him libertie to seeke out land in case hee can find any
land yett undesposed of within our jurisdiction that may bee suitable unto him and answerable to his expectation, hee is to signify it to
the court, and shall have a competencye thereof confeirmed unto them." Likewise, 4:74; 4 Oct. 1664, "James LOVELL of Waymouth
producing a deed of sale from the heirs of Mr. Nathaniel SOUTHER [sic] for a sertaine tract of land long since graunted by this collonie
to Mr. SOUTHER and alsoe propounding a place where hee desired to take up neare the place where Pheneas PRAT and sonnes of
Clement BRIGGS were accomodated between their land and the line of the patent, this Court taking notice of the former graunt, doe
accordingly allow......"
*****
Within a year or two after the death of Nathaniel SOWTHER, a Joseph and John SOUTHER appear in Boston but it seems clear from the above data that they could not have been his sons but may have been related.