James Atherton (abt. 1625 - 1710)

Born about 1625 in Lancashire, England

Descendants

Died 6 Aug 1710 at about age 85 in Sherborn, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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This profile is part of the Atherton Name Study.

Biography

James Atherton was a tanner who is first found in Dorchester, Massachusetts in the area which would become Milton.^[1][2] He was one of the original planters of the Nashaway Planatation which would be incorporated into the town of Lancaster, Massachusetts. He lived in Lancaster for most of his life, though he was forced to return to Milton during the Indian troubles in 1675 and 1681.

He was married to Hannah Unknown by whom he had eight children.

In 1697, he conveyed his lands in Lancaster to his eldest son James Atherton, and soon thereafter removed to Sherborn, Massachusetts. He was presumably in Sherborn to live with his daughter Deborah (Atherton) Bullard; his son-in-law Samuel Bullard was named in his will. He died testate there in 1710.

Name and Origins

Name: James Atherton, of Lancaster, Massachusetts.^[3]

The exact origins of James Atherton are not known. He is often presumed to be related to Maj. Gen. Humphrey Atherton; however, there is no known actual relationship between the two Atherton families. They did settle in the same area of Massachusetts initially, and James was a very common name among the Lancashire Athertons. This James Atherton is usually said to have been born in Lancashire, England; again, there is no actual evidence to support this and is based on a presumed relationship to Maj. Gen. Humphrey Atherton. he is certainly not the son or the brother of Humphrey Atherton as can sometimes be found on the internet.

Birth

Born: About 1624.

The date comes from the Lancaster records which says he was aged 84 at death, but doesn't actually give the year of his death. It just states he made his will on 3 January 1708.^[4]

Marriage and Children

Married: Hannah Unknown about 1653 based on their first known child being born in 1654. She died 29 Dec 1713.^[3][1]

Children of James and Hannah Atherton:

All recorded in Lancaster, Massachusetts:^[1]

1. James Atherton. Born on 13 May 1654.^[5] He married Abigail Hudson.
2. Joshua Atherton. Born on 13 May 1656.^[6]
3. Hannah Atherton. Born on 10 January 1657/58.^[7]
4. Mary Atherton. Born on 17 January 1660/61.^[8] She died young.
5. Elizabeth Atherton. Born say 1663 and died 10 August 1665.^[9]
6. Elizabeth Atherton. Born on 6 October 1666.^[10] She married Isaac Grosse.
7. Deborah Atherton. Born on 1 June 1669.^[11]
8. Joseph Atherton. Born on 28 April 1672 in Lancaster.^[12] He married Hannah Rogers at Lancaster, settled in Harvard, where their seven children were born.^[3]

At least one secondary source states that James Atherton had a twin sister Hannah Atherton also born on 13 May 1654.^[3] This child does not appear anywhere in the records of Lancaster and is apparently an error.

Death

Died: 6 August 1710 in Sherborn, Massachusetts.^[13]

Will: of James Atherton of Sherborne.^[14]

Made 3 January 1708 and proved 19 September 1710.

unto my dear and loving wife Hannah Atherton...

unto my son James Atheron...

to my son Joshua Atherton...

unto my three daughters namely Hannah, Elizabeth and Deborah...

my son in law Samuel Bullard...

Common Errors to Avoid

Incorrect LNAB of Wife: This profile previously listed his wife as Hannah Hudson, married 1653 in Wigan, Lancashire, England. There is absolutely no evidence this is true. Given that his son James married Abigail Hudson, this appears to be a mixup of random guesses (he might have come from Lancashire, he might have married around 1653, his wife was Hannah but it was his son who married a Hudson).

Sources

Footnotes and citations:

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Doherty. The Beekman Patent. (1993): volume 2, page 240: "The Atherton Family".
2. ↑ Eben Putnam. "Notes on the Atherton Families." Putnam's Historical Magazine, Volume 9. 1899. Pages 98-99, 181-183.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Crane. Memoirs of Worcester County. Vol 1, p. 221.
4. ↑ Nourse. Lancaster Records. (1890): page 20.
5. ↑ Nourse. Lancaster Records. (1890): page 9.
6. ↑ Nourse. Lancaster Records. (1890): page 9.
7. ↑ Nourse. Lancaster Records. (1890): page 9.
8. ↑ Nourse. Lancaster Records. (1890): page 11.
9. ↑ Nourse. Lancaster Records. (1890): page 12.
10. ↑ Nourse. Lancaster Records. (1890): page 11.
11. ↑ Nourse. Lancaster Records. (1890): page 13.
12. ↑ Nourse. Lancaster Records. (1890): page 14.
13. ↑ Sherborn. Vital Records of Sherborn. (1911): page 187.
14. ↑ Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871 (AmericanAncestors.org online database). Probate no. 509, will of James Atherton of Sherborn.

Source list:

• Frank J. Doherty. The Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York. (AmericanAncestors.org online database, original 1993): volume 2, page 240: "The Atherton Family".

• Eben Putnam. "Notes on the Atherton Families" in Putnam's Historical Magazine, volume 9. (1899): Pages 98-99, 181-183.

• Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871 (AmericanAncestors.org online database). Probate no. 509, will of James Atherton of Sherborne.

• Boston Evening Transcript (January 10, 1938) #2983

• Lancaster. Henry S. Nourse, ed. The Birth Marriage and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster, Massachusetts 1643-1850. (Lancaster, MA: 1890).
  Archive.org LINK Books.Google.com HathiTrust.org LINK

• Crane, Ellery Bicknell.Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity, Volume 1. Lewis Publishing Co., New York, 1907.

• Stearns, Ezra S. Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire (Lewis Publishing Company, 1908) Page 896

• Nourse, Henry: Annals of Lancaster, Massachusetts; 1884; page 253 (arrival in Lancaster, land transactions, children, death)

• New England Marriages prior to 1700; page 21; (1654)