Adam Mott (bef. 1594 - bef. 1661)

Born before 10 Feb 1594 in Saffron Walden, Essex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Creel) Mott — married 28 Oct 1616 in Saffron Walden, Essex, England

Husband of Sarah (Unknown) Mott — married 11 May 1635 in Horseheath, Cambridgeshire, England

Descendants

Died before 12 Aug 1661 at about age 67 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island

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Adam Mott migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 5, p. 181) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disambiguation

This is not the same Adam Mott who settled in New York.

Biography

Adam was a Friend (Quaker)

Adam Mott was born in Essex, England.

Adam Mott, son of John Mott and Johanna Hollis, was baptized in 1594 at Saffron, Walden, Essex, England.^[1] According to the Parish Registers for Saffron Walden, the Mott family was also known as Walhed, Wallhead, Wallheade. In 1616 Adam married Elizabeth Ord/Creel.^[1]

10 Feb 1593/4 baptism Adam Walhead s/o John. :28 Oct 1616 married Addam Mott Elizabeth Ord/Creel

According to Anderson, Adam Mott was married twice in England:^[2][3]

1. Elizabeth Creel, 28 Oct 1616 at Saffron Walden, Essex, England
2. Sarah Lott, 11 May 1635 at the parish of Horseheath, Cambridge, England (Sarah died after 31 August 1661)

Adam Mott and his family emigrated from Horseheath, Cambridge to New England on the ship Defence. Mott brought testimony from the Justices of the Peace, and a minister in Cambridge, of his conformity and was granted license to depart on 2 July 1635. The family consisted of Adam, age 39, a taylor; wife Sara Mott, age 31; Jo. Mott 14; Adam Mott, 12; Jonathan Mott, 9; Elizabeth Mott 6; and Mary Mott, 4 [Sarah's daughter].^[4][5] The Defence departed from London about the end of July 1635 and arrived in Boston on 8 October 1635.^[6]

Adam and his family lived in Roxbury, Massachusetts on their arrival, where Adam was made a freeman on 25 May 1636, and where he and Sarah were members of the First Church. That same year, they removed to Hingham, Massachusetts where Adam was granted land. By 1638, they removed to Portsmouth, in what would become Rhode Island.^[2][5] Adam Mott was admitted as an inhabitant the first year of that settlement, in 1638. On 23 June 1638, he was granted land on the west side of the spring in Portsmouth, and on 6 September 1638 the Hingham constable was directed to bring him before the governor of Massachusetts Bay.^[2][5]

On 12 June 1640, Adam and others were chosen to lay out lands at Portsmouth. He became a Freeman of Portsmouth on 16 Mar 1641. In 1642, Adam was clerk of the military company. He was deeded an addition to his lot on 27 May 1644, and he granted his son Adam twelve acres on 20 September 1652.^[5]

Adam Mott of Portsmouth deeded land to John Sanford in 1651. The record reads:^[7]

"Know all men by this presence that I Adam Mott Senior of the towne of Portsmoth have sould to Mr. John Sanford of the same towne my part in the Calves paster lying between his howse and the Claypitt Field for the som of twenty shillings and all the Right intrust & Clayme or Power I had in it I have Fully and freely Resigned to him his heiers Assignes to injoy for ever, written under my hand this present day beinge the i0 of Aprill, 1651 I say by me Adam mott.

a true Copii P me Philip Shearman towne Clerke"

Adam Mott Senior of Portsmouth deeded land to John Sanford of Portsmouth on 3 September 1652 for ten pounds of current pay (5 pounds of current silver money and 5 pounds in current wampomm).^[8] The land was 3 acres of meadow butted on the south side by the highway, on the other side by the creek between Mr. Sanford's meadow, one side toward the town joins to Mr. Balston's meadow and the other side against Samuel Hutchinsons meadow.

Children of Adam Mott and Elizabeth Creel

Adam and Elizabeth had the following children:^[2][5]

1. Son Mott bur. 18 June 1617, Saffron Walden^[3]
2. John Mott bpt 6 Sep 1618, Saffron Walden^[3]
3. Adam Mott b. c 1623
4. Jonathan Mott b. c 1626
5. Elizabeth Mott b. c. 1629

Children of Adam Mott and Sarah Lott

Adam and Sarah had the following children:^[2][5]

1. Jacob Mott (1633-1711)
2. Eleazor Mott (abt.1638-)
3. Gershom Mott (abt.1639-1697)

John Mott, father of Adam Mott

Adam Mott was the son of John Mott. Both were admitted as inhabitants of Aquidneck in 1638.^[3][9]

By June 1649, “ould John Mott”, aged 77, needed care. Adam Mott offered a cow forever and five bushels of corn by the year, "so long as the ould man shall live," and the neighbors, "every man that was free thereto," made it up to forty bushels. Mr. William Balston, a prominent citizen, in consideration, agreed to give "onto father mott" for a year "house rome dyate lodging and washings.”^[10]

At a meeting on 2 June 1650, the town agreed to provide for “ould John Mott”, which they did, even building him a stone house, until his death in 1657:^[11]

“It is ordered that ould John mott shalbee Provided for by the overseer of the poore”:

In ensuing years, townspeople also provided for William Baker, Henry Eves and Ens. Thomas Brooke.^[12]

Last Will and Testament

Adam Mott of Portsmouth died testate, having written his will on 2 April 1661, proved on 31 August 1661. An inventory of his estate was taken 12 August 1661.^[2][5][13]

"The Last will & Testament of Adam mott Senyor of ye towne of portsmoth is as followeth

"In ye yere of ye lord 1661 on the 2 month on ye 2 day of the month I Adam Mott of portsmoth of road Iland beinge in pearfit & good memory have made & writen this as my last will with my owne hand Imprimus I have Chosen Constetuted & made my faithfull freinds Edward Thurston and Richard Tew both of Newport on Rhoad Iland to have full power togeather after my decease to see my will performed and fulfiled in Every part of it as I were my selfe alive in perfit beinge

"First I will & give to Sarah mott my wife beinge all my howsiage & land at matapurcetti lyinge in ye bounds of portsmoth, less or more with all the apirtenances there unto wch are knowne to be mine upon ye grownd or abroud upon ye Common, all goods or Chattells whot so Ever houssage and all moveables whot so Ever, to use possese & injoy for hir terme of life as shee shall Neede, say out of ye stock and at ye End of hir life after hir decease, I will that the afore said Executors Edward Thurston & Richard Tew shall see ye land Named and howse & houssage Equaly devided in to three shares, to Jacob mott my owne sonne if he be Contented to Cast in whot I gave him at the upar Cornar of my farme & share it into three parts, if not he may take that out as his part and no more, unto Adam mott my sonne I gave his share all redey & part longe since he hath lived on whos sum wos twelve Acres

Further I will yt if any of ye Brothers shall dye before my wife of ye three Jacob mott Gearsham mott & Eleazer mott as to saye that then the three parts by ye Executors be devided unto ye othere two as Equaly as they Can, allso I will that these three or two of them that injoye the land after there mothars decease shall pay unto John mott my Sonne twenty shillings if he demaund it in such pay as in ye place passeth for pay here amonge us

"Further I will them to pay to Adam mott there brother an Ewe lamb w'in twelve months after there mothers decease, allso I will to Elizabeth Thurston ye wife of Edward Thurston to be paid to hir or by whom shee shall assigne it unto one Ewe lamb a yere after there mothers departure

"Further whot she doth not use of howsehould goods or stock on ye grownd for hir owne suplyes in time of hir life, I doe desier my beloved frinds intrusted & Named Edward & Richard to perswade my wife at hir death in ye disposinge of movables with in howse or abraod to give it to them accordinge to discrecion whom beest deserves it in there Care & Respect to hir while she lives, upon which my dessier is you will have your Eyes as my Frinds, and harts Redey

"Lastly I leave my body to be Commited to ye Earth accordinge as thay and my wife sees good Levinge beuriasll it to be paid by whot she hath in hir hands, and after hir death I will ye the said Edward Thurston and Richard Tew Receve Each of them an Ewe sheep of ye stock delivred them w'in a month after there mothars departure in ye presents

"Writen & sealled and signed of Adam Mott before ye Executars delivred to Edward Thurston to be kepe in ye bahaulfe of both of them, Sealed the yere 1661) 1 of May

"Allso I give power to my Executors, full power to give to all and Every of my Children then livinge som gift of ye moveables Either or whot is in ye howse or abroud as they Can move or parswad hir According to there & hir discretion, if she be not willinge to give it w' discretion as they desarve, I then give full power to my afore said Executors Edward Thurston & Richard Tew to devide so much and as thay see meet amonge them all, Further if my Children should be Crosse to there mother so yt it should force hir to marey againe, I give full power to my Executors to take good & full securitie for the makinge good of ye Estate so longe as she lives that my will may be performed as is declared aforehand in my will that is to take bond of him, this on the backside wos writen before sealinge

A true copie of ye Origenall will of Adam mott

Copied by me richard Bulgar Town Clerke"

The Inventory of the estate of Adam Mott Senior deceased was taken on 12 August 1661 by William Baulston and John Portar.^[7] The inventory of his estate totaled 371 pounds, 6 shillings, and included house and land (150 pounds), four oxen, five cows, a bull, a horse, one mare, a colt, two calves, thirty ewe sheep, two rams, six swine, 3 pounds in wampum peage, clothes, books, two feather beds, two flock beds, six pewter platters, a wine pot, warming pan, seven pair of sheets, six napkins, two tables, a joint stool, and one and one-half acres of wheat, two acres of oats, two acres of peas, and three acres of Indian corn.

On 31 August 1661, widow Sarah Mott took her husband's Will to the town office to be proved. The Council found that some things were dubious since Sarah was not named the executrix of the Will. However, the Council unanimously appointed Sarah Mott, widow to the late deceased Adam Mott, to be the sole executrix during the term of her life according to what the Council understood the meaning of the will to be.^[2][5][13]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Note that all the baptism/marriage/birth dates (unless) otherwise cited are from https://www.freereg.org.uk/, which are searchable transcriptions of the parish registers, in this case Saffron Walden. The said dates can be searched there.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 5, p 181-185. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2011. On Ancestry : Record for Adam Mott b. 1623 and On Google : Adam Mott
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Moriarty, G. Andrews. Additions and Corrections to Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island. The American Genealogist 35:108 link AmericanAncestors ($) Contains Saffron Waldon items.
4. ↑ Hotten, John Camden (editor). The Original Lists of Persons of Quality: Emigrants, Religious Exiles, Political Rebels, Serving Men Sold for a Term of Years, Apprentices, Children Stolen, Maidens Pressed, and Others, who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700. (London: John Camden Hotten, 1874.) p. 99
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7} Austin, John Osborne. The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, Comprising Three Generations of Settlers Who Came Before 1690. Mott, pp. 344-346.
6. ↑ Charles Edward Banks, The Planters of the Commonwealth, (Boston: Riverside Press, 1930), 167-68; images, Internet Archive, (https://archive.org/details/plantersofcommon00bank : accessed 26 Jun 2022) (reproducing passenger list of the Defence, with sailing & arrival dates).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} The Early Records of the Town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence RI, 1901, on FHL Microfilm 0,945,382, Item 3, pg. 310
8. ↑ Portsmouth, pg. 308
9. ↑ Bartlett, John Russell, 1805-1886. Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in New England. A. C. Greene and Brothers. Providence. 1856. Adam Mott, John Mott, pg. 91
10. ↑ Portsmouth, pp. 40-1
11. ↑ Portsmouth, pg. 46
12. ↑ Portsmouth, pp. 100, 108, 110; 148, 206; 154, 206
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Portsmouth, p. 386-90

See also:

• Adam Mott Find A Grave: Memorial #76446463