Jonathan Shaw (abt. 1631 - bef. 1701)

Born about 1631 in Plymouth Colony

Husband of Phebe (Watson) Shaw — married 22 Jan 1657 (to 1 Jan 1682) in Plymouth

Husband of Persis (Dunham) Shaw — married Aug 1683 (to 30 Jul 1701) in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died before 30 Jul 1701 before about age 70 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts

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Biography

Birth

Jonathan Shaw was born between 1627 (his father's arrival at Plymouth) and 1631 (based upon the age requirement to witness a deed) to John Shaw and an unknown mother.^[1] His father, John Sr., was married to Alice (birth surname unknown) at Plymouth but she was probably not Jonathan's mother.^[2]

Plymouth

• 29 Nov 1652 Jonathan first appeared in Colony records as witness to a deed between the "Purchasers" and the Indians for land which was later renamed Dartmouth Township.^[3]
• 1653 Jonathan co-signed an agreement for his father John and his wife Alice Shaw to raise Benjamin Savory, son of Thomas and Annis Savory. If they died before Benjamin reached twenty-one, Jonathan Shaw, John's son, is to do it, and is also to teach Benjamin reading and writing.^[4]
• Dec 1656 John Shaw began the process of deeding land to his children. Jonathan received the house and land at Plain Dealing in Plymouth in return for providing his father "a comfortable habitation" during his life.^[5]
• 3 Jun 1657 Jonathan is made a freeman of the Plymouth Colony.^[6]

Plympton

• 1658 Jonathan appears to have briefly relocated from Plymouth to Duxburrow (now Bridgewater); he is listed as freeman in both locations.^[7]
• May 1662 Jonathan Shaw resides at Lakenham and "desires some Comon land about his house...'^[8] and 27 Oct 1662 A parcel of land was granted to Jonathan "neare his house att Lakenham" (now Carver.) ^[9] For many years Plymouth records continued to report requests and deeds for additional land.
• 17 May 1673 Chosen as surveyor of the highways^[10] and performed other civic roles such as tax assessor, jury member, fence viewer, etc.^[11]
• 24 Aug 1687 Jonathan's involvement on behalf of Plymouth Colony Church affairs is recorded. At the town meeting he was one of those assigned to determine the financial support available for Rev. John Cotton.^[12]
• Nov 1692 Jonathan is chosen as a psalm reader for the Church.^[13]
• 27 Oct 1698 Jonathan, his wife Persis, and others were granted a dismissal from the Plymouth Church which agreed to "dismis those brethren and sister[s] and ...proceed to Enter into a church covenant amongst them selves."^[14]

Marriage and Children

Jonathan married Phebe Watson, daughter of George Watson and Phebe Hicks, on 22 January 1656/7 at Plymouth.^[15] Phebe died ca 1682, likely in Lakenham.^[16]

Issue:^[17]

1. Phebe Shaw b Feb 1657/8; m John Morton
2. Hannah Shaw b ca 1662; m Thomas Paine Jr.
3. Jonathan Shaw b ca 1663; m (1) Mehitabel Pratt, (2) Mary (Richards) Darling
4. Mary Shawb ca 1665; m Eleazer Ring
5. George Shaw b ca 1667; m Constant Doane
6. Lydia Shaw b ca 1670; m Nicholas Snow
7. Benoni Shaw b ca 1672; m Lydia Waterman
8. Benjamin Shaw b ca 1672 (twin); prob d young

He married second, Persis (Dunham) Shaw, the widow of Benjamin Pratt in August of 1683.^[18] The couple signed a prenuptial agreement specifiying that Jonathan would treat her two youngest children "as if they were his owne Naturall Children," and giving her the right to occupy his house after his death.^[19][20]

Death

Jonathan Shaw died before 30 July 1701 likely in Lakenham, the date his estate was probated. His widow Persis and sons Jonathan and Benoni were mentioned.^[21][22]

Sources

1. ↑ Shaw, Jonathan A. "John Shaw of Plymouth Colony, Purchaser and Canal Builder." New England Genealogical and Historical Register, Volume 151. July 1977. By Subscription (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) Page 276.
2. ↑ Shaw, 1977. Page 270.
3. ↑ Documents Printed by Order of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Boston, MA: Self-Published, 1864. Page 5.
4. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Vols. I-III. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995. By Subscription Page 1660.
5. ↑ Bowman, George Ernest. "John Shaws Deeds to His Sons and to His Son-in-Law Stephen Bryant." The Mayflower Descendant, Volume X. Boston, MA: The Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1908. Page 33.
6. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth of New England, Court Orders Vol. III 1651-1661. Boston, MA: Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1855. Page 117.
7. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth of New England, Volume 8 Miscellaneous Records 1633-1689. Boston, MA: Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1857. Page 197-198
8. ↑ Records of the Town of Plymouth Vol. 1, 1636 to 1705. Plymouth, MA: Town of Plymouth, 1889. Page 47
9. ↑ Plymouth, 1899. Page 51.
10. ↑ Plymouth, 1899. Page 132.
11. ↑ Plymouth, 1899. Pages 47-333.
12. ↑ Plymouth, 1899. Page 191.
13. ↑ Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Volume XXII Plymouth Church Records. Boston, MA: Colonial Society of Massachusetts, 1920. Page 279.
14. ↑ Church Records, 1920. Page 186.
15. ↑ Shurtleff, 1857. Page 17.
16. ↑ Shaw, 1977.Page 276.
17. ↑ Shaw, 1977. Page 282.
18. ↑ Barclay, Mrs. John E. "Notes on the Dunham Family of Plymouth Mass." The American Genealogist, Vol. 30, 1954. By Subscription Page 145.
19. ↑ Shaw, 1977. Page 276.
20. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-6SX4: 23 March 2023), Probate records 1702-1710 vol 2 > image 23 of 106; State Archives, Boston.
21. ↑ Plymouth County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1881.Online database. By Subscription AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) Page 17961:2
22. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L97D-J8BN : 22 March 2023), Probate records 1686-1702 and 1849-1867 vol 1-1F > image 186 of 490; State Archives, Boston.