Weymouth New England Genealogy

William Stickney, his wife and three children emigrated fromHull, Yorkshire, England, arriving in Boston, MA., in 1637/8,then settled in Rowley. Two sons Samuel and Thomas settled inthe Rowley's Merrimack lands that became East Bradford and laterin 1850 Groveland, another son Amos settled in Newbury, and twosons John and Andrew remained in Rowley. The book follows theprogress of William and Elizabeth's descendants through ninegenerations in America, and briefly, the ancestry of theStickney family in England prior to 1637. WILLIAM STICKNEY, the first settler, was the ancestor of nearlyall who have since borne that name in America. It is inferredfrom records procured in England for the author, by Horatio G.Somerby, Esq., that he was the William, who is mentioned asbaptized in St. Mary’s Church, Frampton, Lincolnshire, England,September 6, 1592, and the son of WILLIAM STICKNEY of Frampton,who was baptised December 30, 1558, and married, June 16, 1585,Margaret Peirson, and the grandson of ROBERT STICKNEY ofFrampton, who made his will October 3, and was buried October18, 1582.Frampton is a parish in the wapentake of Kirton, parts ofHolland, county of Lincoln, England, three and one-fourth milessouth from Boston. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. It is afine old stone edifice, an engraving of which is in thepossession of the author. The parish register of this churchcontains many records of baptisms, marriages and burials ofStickney’s from 1558 to 1609. The name does not appear on theserecords after this date.Traditions and information obtained in England, render itprobable that the family removed to Hull, or its vicinity. Ilearn from Mrs. Sarah Ellis, of Rose Hill, near London, England(formerly Miss Sarah Stickney, an authoress of some repute inEngland and America), that "The old family residence was atRidgmont, a beautiful place about nine miles east of Hull, wheremy father and his forefathers, for many generations had lived,hospitably and honourably, keeping almost open house in a largemansion, and receiving guests from all countries, who generallyfound something to learn, or at least to interest, in myfather’s great practical knowledge and scientific pursuits, andwhere he died in 1848, aged 85 years."The surnames of the first emigrants to New England, were derivedfrom various sources. Those considered most ancient andrespectable, were derived from places, cities and towns, as inalmost every case they existed in England, long before the useof surnames.In the county of Lincoln is situated the parish of Stickney,from which the family derived its surname. "Stickney is a largevillage on the Boston road, distant eight and a half miles northof Boston station, three from New Bolingbroke and eight milessouth-west of Spilsby; it is pleasantly situated on the bordersof the East and West Fens, in the soke of Bolingbroke, Union ofSpilsby, Lindsey division, and diocese of Lincoln. The living isa rectory, value £356, in the patronage and incumbency of theRev. George Coltman. The church is dedicated to St. Luke, is ahandsome building in the early English style; it consists of alofty tower containing four bells, nave, aisles, and chancel andantique porch. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists have eacha chapel. A school for the education of the poor was endowed, in1678, by one William Lovell, who demised land at Winthrope,which produces a rental of £95 per year, together with two acresat Stickney, let for £5 per year. The master, Jonathan Adams,has a house, and an usher to assist in teaching the children.The population in 1841 was 895; the area in acres, including theFen allotment, is 2,050; rateable value £3,629. Robert Cracroft,Esq., is lord of the manor. The charities amount to about £43 ayear, for the benefit of the poor. It has navigation to Boston."[From the Post Office Directory of Lincolnshire, England, 1849.]Mr. Robert Stickney of New York City, while in Boston, England,in the spring of 1868, was called upon by an aged gentleman ofthe name of Stickney, who, struck by the similarity of name, andlearning that he was from the United States, invited him to hishouse (built one hundred and fifty years before), in the placeof Stickney, near by. He there saw the Coat of Arms of thefamily, and the gentleman gave him a view of the old Moat House,and the following information in his own handwriting, which heforwarded to me, May 26, 1868."This chantry was attached to the Guild of Saint Lawrence, theabove represents the last portion of the building, it was calledthe Moat House and was taken down in 1836. The chantry wasfounded in 1362 in the parish of Leak near Boston. The walls ofthe Moat House were of stone and of great strength. On thechimney piece of one of the chambers were four shields, one ofthem quartering the arms of Hunston, Sutton, Stickney, Whiting,Gedney and Enderby. The other bore the arms of Hunston, Sutton,Stickney, Whiting, impaling those of Smith of Elsham. Variousremains of gilding and ornamental work, showed that the room hadbeen very handsomely got up.""In the reign of Edward III., 1331, one hundred and thirty-onepersons are taxed in Boston, of whom John de Tumby paid £4, thehighest charge; among the names of the others, is John deStickney, who paid about £1, a large sum in those days. ThisJohn de Stickney, or one of his family, was probably a member ofthe Guild of Saint Lawrence, from the Arms of Stickney beingcarved on the chimney piece. [Extracted from the History ofBoston and the neighborhood.]"This gentleman expressed his belief that both the Americanfamily and his own, were connections, and derived their name andorigin from the same source, and it is hoped that hereafter afuller account of WILLIAM STICKNEY and his ancestors, than canbe given from the scanty materials now obtained, may beprocured.At what time WILLIAM STICKNEY married, the surname of his wife,where he resided in England, and the date of the births orbaptisms of his children, the name of the ship in which heembarked, as tradition says, at Hull, or the time of his arrivalin Boston, New England, have not been ascertained.His son Samuel, in a deposition in 1698, names some of thepassengers with them, who settled in Rowley, but nothingfurther.Mr. Savage, in his Genealogical Dictionary, gives his "havingcome probably the year preceding, from Hull, in Yorkshire," thatis in 1637, which is probably correct, as the first informationobtained of him here, is from the records of the First Church inBoston, the Rev. John Wilson’s, to which were admitted:"The 6t of ye 11th moneth 1638 WILLYAM STICKNEY, a husbandman &Elizabeth his wife,Margaret Crosse a WiddoweMichaell Hopkinson servant to our brother Jacob Elyott &Richard Swanne a husbandman""The 24th day of ye 9th Moneth 1639Our brethren Mr. Henry Sandys, WILLYAM STICKNEY, Richard Swanne& Michaell Hopkinson by ye Churches Silence were dismissed to yegathering of a Church at Rowley if the Lord so please."He and his wife Elizabeth and three children, Samuel, Amos andMary (who were probably baptized in England), were among theoriginal settlers of Rowley, Mass. This place was settled in theyear 1639, a division of the land was not made till the year1643, when a survey of the town was taken by Thomas Nelson, Mr.Edward Carleton, Humphrey Reyner and Francis Parrot; streetswere then laid out and named, and house lots assigned to itssixty original settlers, varying in size from one and a half, tosix acres. The land otherwise not appropriated, was termedCommons, and every one and a half acre house lot was entitled toone and a half gates, or cow-rights, and other lands were laidout in the same proportion as these rights bore to the houselots.There was laid out "On Wethersfield Streete, To WILLIAM STICKNEYone lott containinge one acre and a halfe, bounded on the westside by James Barker’s house lott, and the highway, part of itlyinge on the north side of the streete, and part of it on thesouth side".Here he erected a house, on the corner of Bradford andWethersfield Streets, a little westerly of where the late DeaconNathaniel Mighill’s house now stands, 1868.In his will, dated Jan. 21, 1664, it was conveyed by him to hiswife Elizabeth, during her natural life; after her decease to goto his son John, he paying the legacies, &c.Lieut. John Stickney, his son, in his will, dated Feb. 26,1708-9, gave the homestead to his wife Hannah, with power tosell a wood-lot, towards the finishing of a new house, after herdecease to go to his children.Samuel Stickney, his son, in his will dated Feb. 15, 1753,conveyed the homestead to his wife Susannah, after her deceaseto be divided to his sons.The portion which his son Moses Stickney, by inheritance andpurchase of the other heirs, possessed of the ancient homestead,was conveyed in his will, dated April 5, 1792, to his wifeSarah; on her decease or marriage, to daughter Hannah, who diedthe widow of Joseph Kilborn, Sept. 19, 1853, at the age ofninety years. A part of the estate now (1868) remains in thepossession of her niece, Mrs. Sarah (Stickney) Vinton.The original settlers of Rowley, as Governor Winthrop writes inhis Journal, "were godly men, and most of them of good estate,"as will be shown by the fact that WILLIAM STICKNEY, ourancestor, and one of these settlers, brought with him, from hisnative land, a quarto copy of King James’ translation of theBible, first edition, printed 1611. This Bible has descendedfrom father to son, in the same line as the old homestead, toJosiah Stickney, a brother of Mrs. Kilborn. He left it to hisson, Deacon Nathaniel Stickney of Dracut, Mass., who now owns itin good preservation. This Bible was used at the celebration ofthe two hundredth anniversary of the settlement of Rowley. Themost ancient half-way covenant (as it used to be called), of anythat could be found in the town, and various names and dates arewritten in it. [See Gage’s History of Rowley, p. 458.]"On the seventh of October 1640, Mr. Samu. Dudley, JosiasCobbitt, Edmond Gardner, James Barcker, Henry Sands, Rob’tHunter and WILLI : STICKNEY, were admitted Freemen." [ColonialRecords.]WILLIAM STICKNEY was a member of an important committee in 1652,to draw up "a covenant and agreement" between the town of Rowleyand the first settlers of the Merrimack lands, now Bradford.[See Rowley Records.] He was Clerk of the Market, and on Jury ofTrials in 1653, Selectman 1656 and 1661, also in 1661styledLieutenant.The ancient possession books of Rowley, contain frequent grantsof land to him, but the amount to which he and his sons becameentitled in the right of their freeholds, and the offices theyheld, in consequence of the loss of a part of the early businessrecords of the town, is unknown. There was granted to him, landin "Bradford Streete field," "Batcheler’s Meadow," "RoughMeadow," "Hawk Meadow," and "Pollipod field."February 16, 1661, "Voted that WILLIAM STICKNEY have the Gate onthe Common laid out to him in the Rate of thirty shillings aGate.""At a legal town meeting in Rowley, November 26, 1662, votedthat Richard Swan, Sam’l Brockelbank, Ezekiel Northend, JohnPickard and WILLIAM STICKNEY should lay out sundry lots ofland," one of which was "to WILLIAM STICKNEY on east side ofLong Hill.""Richard Swan, WILLIAM STICKNEY, and William Jackson, wereappointed by the town in 1662, to sell Trees in the Town streetto such as design them to stand for use against their houses orlands.""Feb’y 25th 1661-2, The Selectmen for the present year RichardSwan, John Dresser, Thomas Tenney, Abel Longley, JohnBrocklebank, being empowered by the Towne for to Let or todispose of the land that Mr. Rogers gave for the use of theMinistry. They have accordingly disposed of the same for theterm of seven years as followeth. Imp’s. To WILLIAM STICKNEY andSamuel Stickney the one half of the land, upland and meadow,they to pay £4 rent by the year to be paid in Corne for the useof the minyestry and to be paid when the rates are paid, theyare to put on land twenty loads of Manure during the terme of 7years and to make and maintain the fences."In a Tax List dated between 1660 and 1664, of an amount of £46,8s. 2d., his quota was 19s. 4d., and the whole number of personstaxed was thirty-five.March 1, 1660, WILLIAM STICKNEY and wife Elizabeth, of Rowley,sold to Jeremiah Elsworth, of the same town, land in Rowley,which they acknowledged, March 17, 1663, before Samuel Symonds.[Essex Deeds, 2:186.]May 27, 1662, he with wife Elizabeth and of Rowley, "for fourpounds convey to James Barker of the same Town all that ourproportion of land layd out to us in the land commonly calledMerrimacke land being by estimation forty acres, be it more orless, with the preveledges belonging thereto, as it lyethbounded by land of the sayed James Barker on the west, the eastsyde bounded by land of William Seales the northend butting onMerrimack river, the southend butting on Common land or thevilage line." Wit. Sam’l Brocklebanke and Jachin Reyner. Ack.July 22, 1662, before Samuel Symonds. [Ibid, 2:165.]May 27, 1662. He buys of William Scales and Ann his wife ofRowley, their proportion of land laid out to them "in landcommonly called Merrimack land being 40 acres, bounded by landlaid out to WILLIAM STICKNEY on ye west, on east by land laidout to Lieut. John Remington now Peter Nash’s, south end onvillage line, north on Merrimack River" &c. Wit. Sam’lBrocklebanke and James Barker. Ack. July 22, 1662, before Sam’lSymonds. [Ibid, 67:185.]In 1660, he, with James Baley, testifies in regard to the saleof half a corn-mill by Richard Dummer, of Newbury, to JohnPearson, of Rowley. [Ibid, 6:9.]March 29, 1664. He gave in his deposition before Robert Lord,clerk, in regard to the settlement of the estate of "Ann Lum themother of John Pickard." [Ibid, 2:197.]In the Town Books of Rowley, it is recorded, that WILLIAMSTICKNEY was buried January 25, 1664-5. He left a will, theoriginal of which is still preserved (folded and filed) in theEssex Probate Office at Salem, of which the following is anattested copy:"I WILLIAM STICKNEY, of Rowley in the county of Essex in NewEngland, being weake of body, but of perfect understanding andmemory, do make and ordaine this my last will and testament.First. I will and commit my soulle unto God that gave it; and mybody unto the common burying place, in the hope of a blessedresurrection.And as for my outward estate, after funeral expenses discharged,I will and dispose as followeth.Imprimis. I will and give unto my well beloved wife ElizabethStickney the benefit of my dwelling house, out houses, barne,orchard, land and meadowes that are or lie within the five millebounds of the towne of Rowley with all the privileges belongingunto those lands, as also the meadow in Ipswitch west meadowes,as also one third part of the househould stufe which she shallchuse for convenient and necessary use, as also two cowes; andall this I give her during her naturall life.As for my son Samuell Stickney, I having bene at certain costtoward his settling, therefor I will and give unto him but tenpounds more out of my estate, and that to be his full portion,and I will him to be satisfied therewith.As for my son Amos Stickney, he having at noe time benebeneficiall to my estate, and I having procured him a trade andgiven him some part ye estate towards his settling, I thereforewill and give unto him but five pounds more out of my estate,and that to be his full portion; and I will him to be satisfiedtherewith.As for my other sixe childeren, John, Andrew, Thomas, Mary,Faith and Mercy, I will that they have the rest of my estateequally among them, as followeth: - I will and give my sone JohnStickney the inheritance of the lands and meadowes and housesthat I have given unto my wife during her natural life, to behis possession; provided that he pay out of it, it being agreater part than there wilbe for any of the rest, soe much ofit as will make the portions of the rest equall with hisportion; and I will that he selle and improve this land as hisowne, paying unto his mother yearly during her life three poundsten shillings and carefully winter her two cowes yearly, and sheto enjoy one of the roomes for her owne particular use duringher life.Unto my son Andrew Stickney I will and give him for hisinheritance of my lands my land at Merrimack; and if, in itsvallueation it amounteth to more than his equall share with therest of his brothers and sisters when my estate is divided, thenI will that he pay some thing backe to equallize them; and if itbe vallued at lese than his equall part, then it to be made upunto him.Unto my son Thomas Stickney I will and give my village land forhis inheritance of my lands; and, if in its valluation itamounteth to more than his equall share with the rest of hisbrothers and sisters, then he to pay backe soe much as willequallize his portion with the rest; and if it be vallued atlese then it to be made up unto him, soe as they be equall.As for my three daughters, I will, that they have their portionsout of my estate in moveables, or if they fall short to be madeup out of the overpluse of their three brothers’ lands, so asthat they may be made all equall allike, and that they havetheir portions payed unto them as they come of age or atmarriage.I will and appoint my well beloved wife my solle excequtorix ofthis my will.And I desire my trusty friends Maxemillion Jewett and SamuellBrocklebanke to be my overseers; - and this my last will I signewith my owne hand this 21 of January, 1664.Signed in presence ofMAXEMILION JEWETT by hisSAMUEL BROCKLEBANKE WILLIAM M. STICKNEYmarkeProved in court held at Ipswich, the 28 of March, 1665, by theoath of Maximilion Jewett and Samuel Brocklebanke.ROBERT LORD, clericAs attest,A true copy as on file,Attest,NATH’L LORD JR. register."_________________________"An Inventory of the estate of WILLIAM STICKNEY.Imprimis. In his purse . . . . . . . £ 0 10 09Item. One sarge cloake . . . . . . . 1 02 06One sarge suit . . . . . . . . 1 00 00One cloath coate jacket and breeches . . . . . 1 05 00One red waistcoat, a light colored jacket and breeches . . . 1800One paire of boots . . . . . . . 12 00One paire of shoes 3s - two hats 11s . . . . . 14 00The best bed with all the furniture to it . . . . . 12 00 00One carpet 14s one coverlet £1 . . . . . . 1 14 00Three paire of the best sheets, £3 - five sheets of the secondsort £1 10s . . 4 10 00Seven sheets of the next sort £1 15s - three paire of othersheets £1 4s . . 2 19 00One table cloth napkins and pillow bears . . . . . 1 15 00One trunke 5s. two boxes 2s. . . . . . . 07 00One bed and all the furniture to it in the parlor chamber . . .9 00 00One small feather bedd £2 - one yellow rugge and two pillowes £115s . . 3 15 00One trunnell bed with all belonginge to it . . . . . 3 10 00One other bedsteade with the beddinge . . . . . 3 05 00A piece of white cloath £1 - twelve yards of cotton and towe £1. . 2 00 00Towe yarne 13s 4d - sheepe wooll 9s - cotton yarne £1 15s . . .2 17 04In yarne and flax £2 05s. In curtains 10s . . . . . 2 15 00One paire of oxen £12 10s. one pair of oxen more £14 . . . 26 1000The younger paire of oxen £13 10s - two three year old steers £710s . . 21 00 00Two two yearinge steers £5 - one two yeare old bull £2 . . . 700 00Three farrow cowes £12. one red cowe and her calfe £4 5s . . .16 05 00One younge red cowe and her calfe . . . . . . 5 05 00Two steers of one yeare olde £3 10s - one heifer of a yeare olde£2 5s . . 5 15 00One horse £5 10s. one mare £6 - one younge horse £5 . . . 16 1000One younge mare of two yeares olde . . . . . 4 00 00One yearinge coult £2 5s. In swine £5 15s . . . . . 8 00 00One dwellinge house and barne and orchard with the land belowthe barne . 50 00 00Three acres of land above the house . . . . . 15 00 00An acre and halfe of land at Polipod lots . . . . . 2 00 00Two acres and halfe of land in the common field . . . . 7 10 00An acre and halfe of land at New Plaine . . . . . 6 00 00Six acres of land neere the longe hill . . . . . 9 00 00One hundred and seaven rods of land at Mr. Domer’s farme . . .15 00Six gates upon the common . . . . . . 6 00 00One acre of meadow in Batchellers meadow . . . . . 5 00 00Two acres of meadow at Cowe bridge . . . . . 6 00 00One acre of sault marsh at Mr. Dommer’s farme . . . . 3 00 00Three acres of meadow at the great meadow . . . . . 6 00 00Eight acres of meadow at the West meadows . . . . 12 00 00Seven score acres of land at the village . . . . . 35 00 00Forty acres of land at Merrimacke . . . . . . 20 00 00In wheate seven bushells £1 15s. Rye fourteen bushells £2 16s .. 4 11 00Indian twelve bushells and a halfe . . . . . . 1 17 06Wheate two bushells and a halfe . . . . . . 12 06One bushell of pease and three bushells of mault . . . . 17 06In Bacon £2 5s. In provision 10s . . . . . . 2 15 00In spinning wheels and cards 10s. In pewter £3 10s . . . . 4 0000In Tinn vessels 3s. In Brasse £4 . . . . . . 4 03 00One mortar and pestell with the iron pots . . . . . 1 10 00Smothinge irons 3s. 1 friing pan and two spits 10s . . . . 13 00The iron tonges and the implements about the fire . . . . 1 0500In Milke vessells and beare vessells £1 10s. In Books 12s . . .2 02 00One greate table 10s. In chairs 8s . . . . . . 18 00Six cushions 8s. In weighs and weights 8s . . . . . 16 00In Measures . . . . . . . . 01 06In Earthern ware 5s. In guns £3 16s . . . . . 4 01 00Three swords and bandalers and other amunition . . . . 1 12 00In Bags five shillings - and sithes and sickells ten shill. . .. 15 00In axes and howes and other implements . . . . . 1 10 00One pannell, pillyon and bridell . . . . . . 10 00One cart with the plows, two sawes and other tackling . . . 5 1500One sled and the forks . . . . . . . 05 00In riddells and sives . . . . . . . 03 00One shovell and spade 2s 6d - one grindstone 5s . . . . 07 06In hay £2 10s. A debt due upon a bill £10 . . . . . 12 10 00More £3. In leather 14s . . . . . . . 2 14 00A beetell with the wedges . . . . . . . 07 00__________Totall £416 14 01This inventory was apprised by us whose names are hereunderwrittenMr. PHILIP NELSONMAXIMILION JEWETSAMUEL BROCKLEBANKEJOHN BROCKLEBANKEProved and recd. in court held at Ipswich the 28 of March, 1665.ROBERT LORD, cleric.A true copy as on file.Attest,NATH’L LORD jr. register.Debts owing from the estate.At Ipswich . . . . . . . . £ 2 08 00In Rowley . . . . . . . . 3 07 00A true copy as on file.Attest,NATH’L LORD, jr., register."_________________________ELIZABETH STICKNEY survived her husband several years, asappears by a deposition on file at the Essex Probate Office, andrecorded in the Essex Registry of Deeds, Book 4, p. 228."The deposition of Elizabeth Stickney aged about 70 and SamuellStickney aged about 45 yeares who testifieth that James Barkersenior promised upon condition of marriage between his sonnJames Barker and Mary the daughter of William Stickney deceased,that he the s’d James Barker senr. would give his sonn James aportion equall with any of his other children, his eldest sononly excepted and neither before nor in his last will hathp’formed (performed) same & further saith not. Sworne in Courtheld at Ipswich the 24 of September 1678. as attest Robert Lord,Cler."The date of her death is not known.On the two hundredth anniversary of the death of WILLIAMSTICKNEY, a granite obelisk was erected on his grave bearing thefollowing inscription:WILLIAM STICKNEY,BORN INFRAMPTON, ENGLANDA. D. 1592,WAS, WITH HIS WIFEELIZABETHOF BOSTON, IN N. E. IN 1638OF ROWLEY IN 1639WHERE HE DIEDA. D. 1665.ERRECTEDBY HIS DESCENDANTSJOSIAH STICKNEYOF BOSTONMATTHEW ADAMS STICKNEYOF SALEMJOSEPH HENRY STICKNEYOF BALTIMORE MD.1865.