James Rollins (1612 - 1687)

Born 1612 in Cornwall, Dorset, England

Descendants

Died 13 Aug 1687 at about age 75 in Long Reach, Dover, (later Strafford County), New Hampshire

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James Rollins migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 3, p. 1552) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

James Rawlins (spelled "Rawlins" by Robert C. Anderson in his Great Migration series.)^[1]

Uncertain Origin

Robert C. Anderson reports James Rawlins' origin is unknown.^[1]

James Rawlins is assumed to have been born 1610 in Cornwall, England, son of James Rawlins and Sarah Beach.^{[citation needed]}

Immigration

The date and arrival place for James Rawlins is unknown, but he must have arrived at New England by 1633, since he was made Freeman on 14 May 1634.^[1] He is often claimed to have arrived at Ipswich by 1632, but, as Anderson points out, there is no evidence for this, although it is possible, "since Newbury was not established by the spring of 1634, Ipswich is a likely choice."^[1]

Marriage

Wife: Hannah Frye,^[2][3] (called Hannah Unknown by Anderson).^[1]

Children

Children of James and Hannah, according to Robert C. Anderson:^[1]

1. Rebecca Rawlins, b say 1643; mar Isaac Stokes
2. Icabod Rawlins (eldest son), b say 1645; Mary Tibbetts, daughter of Jeremiah Tibbetts
3. Joseph Rawlins, b say 1647
4. Elizabeth Rawlins, b say 1649; mar Obadiah Morse
5. Samuel Rawlins, b say 1651; mar Rebecca Unknown (apparently Rebecca Pickering, daughter of John Pickering)
6. (possibly) Sarah Rawlins, b say 1658; mar Philip Chesley
7. Benjamin Rawlins, b about 1662

The above are the only documented children of James and Hannah. The following children were included in an 1874 genealogy, without citation:^[4]

Thomas Rawlins

James Rawlins

Deborah Rawlins

Anderson notes that the 1874 genealogy by John R. Rollins includes children for James who actually belong in the next generation.^[1]

Robert C. Anderson discusses Thomas Rawlins, who was briefly living at Dover in the early 1660s before removing to Exeter. Since he was taxed in 1662, he was presumably born by 1641, which would have made him older than Ichabod, who James called his eldest son in his will. Also, there is no known interaction between Thomas and James, or any of James' children, leading Anderson to believe Thomas was not a son of James Rawlins.^[1]

Death and Legacy

On 15 December 1685, the day before he wrote his will, James deeded to his son, Samuel, some 43 acres, bounded on one end by the land of son, Ichabod and of son-in-law, Obadiah Mors.^[1]

James wrote his will on 16 December 1685, at "my now dwelling house stands in Long Reach in Dover," (later Strafford County), New Hampshire.^[1] He made as overseers his "trusty and true friends Mr. Henry Langstaff, Sr., & Obediah Mors[e] & Philip Chesly."^[1] The will was proved on 25 July 1691.^[1]

He died between the date of his will in 1685 and the apprenticeship of his son, Benjamin, on 13 August 1687 (in which his father is called deceased).^[1]

Probate

James' Will gave property to his wife, Hannah, to his son, Ichabod (the oldest), to Benjamin, and to his “other children,” not named in the will.

Probate 1691-07-25. The will was proved. Obadiah Mors, of Strawberry Bank, was executor.

Property

1644-07-10 Land Grant, Dover, New Hampshire, USA

1656-11-26 Another grant of one hundred acres “ was layed out for him”, Dover, New Hampshire, USA

This last named lot is so accurately described, and the position and boundaries are so clearly defined, that the description is copied here for the benefit of descendants who may, in future, desire to visit the old place, and explore the paternal acres “Giuen and graunted unto James Rawlins, his heirs and assigns, one hundred acres of upland anext to his one lot, as so layed out and bounded, by Capt. Hall and Sargeant Hanson. who haue bounded it as followeth: that is to say, by the water sied I09 rodde ; upon the S. E. sied, 8o rodde; upon the N. W. sied, 24o rodde, upon a S. W. and by W. line; and the S. E. sied is upon a S. W. and by W. line. Layed 26th of IIth mo., 1656.” [Excerpt from Source]

Residence

1633 Among the pioneer settlers of Ipswich, Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts

1634 Newbury. Probably, one of a small party who went there for the purpose of looking out a favorable spot for settlement.

1644 Dover, New Hampshire

On 18 March 1648, James Rawlins was granted six acres, and in the Dover tax list of 19 December 1648, James paid £1 tax on his property valued at £60.^[1] He purchased from James Johnson the house and land on the Long Reach, Dover.^[1] James paid taxes on his property at the Bloody Point section of Dover, New Hampshire, beginning in 1677 until his death.^[1]

Legal

Court 1634-08-05.

“It was witnessed upon oath ‘that James Rawlins took 8 pence per day, and meate and drinke for ten days worke, for one of his servants, for weeding corn, contrary to an order of Courte” (an act regulating the price of commodities and labor). “And therefore he is to pay 5 shillings for euery daye he hath soe transgressed.”

Court 1656-01-27.

“James Rawlins was presented for neglect of coming unto the publicke meeting, and admonished therefor, and sentenced to pay the fees of the Courte, two shillings and six pence.”

Court 1659-10-18 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.

“The Court hauing considered of the seuerall offences of those persons yt entertayned ye Quakers, with ye answers giuen in by them respectively, doe order that James Rawlins, being more innocent and ingenious than the rest, be only admonished by ye honnored Gouernor, wch was donne.”

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15} Anderson, Robert Charles, "James Rawlins: Featured Name." The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Pages 1552-55) (Online database accessed December 26, 2015: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010)
2. ↑ Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985) Page 612.
3. ↑ James Rawlins & Hannah Frye marriage record
4. ↑ John R Rollins, Records of the families of the name Rawlins or Rollins in the United States, Lawrence, MA: G.S> Merrill & Crocker, printers (1874), p 4.

• American Genealogical-Biographical Index, Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, CT, USA
• Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2012)
• Ancestry Family Trees
• Ancestry Family Trees
• Little, George Thomas. Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine (Lewis Historical Publishing Company 1909) Vol. 1, Page 61
• Noyes, Sybil, and Charles Thornton Libby, Walter Goodwin Davis, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1979
• http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/p/u/s/Sharon-R-Pustejovsky/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0150.html
• Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985) Page 612.
• Family of James * RAWLINS and Hannah * FRY. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dearbornboutwell/fam7396.html#Src11063-1
• Rollins, John R., Records of families of the name Rawlins or Rollins, in the United States. (Part 1, Pages 1-4) Lawrence, MA: Merrill & Crocker, 1874, Archive.org accessed December 26, 2015, CAUTION: GENEALOGY INCORRECT.
• The Granite Monthly A New Hampshire Magazine (The Granite Monthly Co., Concord, NH) September 1877, Vol. I, No. 5, Page 129