Richard Higgins (1664 - 1732)

Born 15 Oct 1664 in Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Hamlin) Cole — married 1695 (to 27 Apr 1732) in Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 27 Apr 1732 at age 67 in Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts

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Biography

He as born on 15 October 1664 Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts^[1][2][3][4]

He married Sarah Hamlin on 31 December 1694^[1]

Their children were recorded in the Eastham vital records:^[5][6]

1. Joshua Higens the Son of Richard and Sarah Higens was Borne the third day of December In the year 1695:
2. [[ Eleezer Higens the Son of Richard and Sarah Higens was Borne the ninth day of febuary in the year 1696:7
3. Theophilas Higens the Son of Richard and Sarah Higens was born the sixth day of may in the year one thousand six hundred ninety and Eight 1698
4. Jediah Higens the Son of Richard and Sarah Higens was borne at Eastham the Eight day of February in the year 1699/700
5. Zacheus Higgins the son of Richard and Sarah Higgins was born at Easham Januarie the eleventh 1701/2
6. Esther Higgins the Daughter of Richard and Sarah Higgins was Born at Eastham febuary the 23d 1703/4
7. David Higgins the son of Richard and Sarah Higgins was Born at Eastham April ye 5th 1706
8. Ruben Higgins the son of Richard and Sarah Higgins was Born at Eastham January ye 6th 1708/9
9. Moses Higgins the son of Richard and Sarah Higgins was Born at Eastham march ye 24th 1710/11
10. Abigaile Higgins the daughter of Richard and Sarah Higgins was Born ye 8th day of august : 1715…
11. Zaccheus Higgins the son of Richard Higgins dyed the 22nd day of august anno Dom 1715" ^[7]

"A parcel of land laid out to Richard Higgins upon pochett containing 4 acres more or less lying on the easterly side of a lot of land which was his father's formerly Jonathan Sparrow's and at the southerly end of a parcel of land which was granted to his father..." 3 Apr. 1693.^[8]

Richard was also granted several pieces of land in 1711:

Granted by the town of Eastham May 21, 1711 and laid out to Richard Higgins of Sd. Eastham ... a parcel of land for a wood lot — 6 acres — on the northerly side of the first brooke and on northerly side of Nathan Sparrow's wood lot

Mar. 26, 1711 — Granted to Richard Higgins land lying south of his other land where he now lives — also land for a tene- ment lot being in Eastham in Rock-harbour neck near Elisha Young's.

Mar. 21, 1711 — six acres on the North side of first brooke and on the North East side of Sd Nathan Sparrow's wood lot. ^[9]

Town meeting at Eastham March 11, 1705-6
Richard Higgins one of a committee to decide some plan in regard to Samson's Island. John Paine was principal proprietor of that Island. The town shall grant to John Paine about six or seven acres of upland about Tonset between the land of Daniel Cole Sr, and ye pond called the millpond (near the present Nauset Heights) and the town shall grant to . . . (Joseph and Elisha Higgins?) seven acres somewhere near the houses of Joseph and Elisha Higgins where the negative men shall judge convenient and that the town grant to Jonathan Higgins Jr. about two acres and two- thirds of upland adjoining to his land near his dwelling house and that the tovm exchange the land which now belongs to Jonathan, Joseph and Elisha Higgins lying in pochy where the house of Jonathan Higgins Sr. formerly stood, giving to them as much land across the upper end of the land of Jonathan Linnel, where sd Linnels house now is. Meeting adjourned to March 25, 1705-6, when the negative men should lay out land to John Paine & the rest of the proprietors of Samson's Hand.^[10]

He was a selectman from 1709 until 1711 and was on the jury in 1728/9. Richard was the hog-reeve in 1729.

He died on 27 April 1732 Eastham, Massachusetts (Barnstable)^[11]

The will of Richard Higgins is dated March 24, 1732, and was proved May 25, 1732. "Very sick and weak, but of perfect mind and memory." Mentions wife Sarah; gives to son Joshua land at Rock Harbour Neck; mentions sons Theophilus, David, and Reuben. To son Moses "all my messuage and tenement where-on I now dwell, with all appurtenances, with one pair of oxen and a plow, excepting use and improvement of one-third part thereof to his mother during her life. To sons Eleazer, Jedidiah, and Reuben £30 each. To sons Reuben and Moses and to daughter Abigail Higgins, to each of them one feather bed and suitable furniture. Wife Sarah and son Joshua executors."

The inventory of Richard's estate was taken on 25 May 1732 and amounted to £1292/4/1. ^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} International Genealogical Index
2. ↑ Higgins: pg 50
3. ↑ First Settlers of Eastham: Vol 6, pg. 46.
4. ↑ "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQDD-DPJ : 15 January 2020), Richard Higgins, 1664.
5. ↑ Births, Marriages, Deaths, land grants, 1649-1722, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L979-9X64?from=lynx1UIV8&treeref=LZN5-XHY&i=136) Record is not indexed
6. ↑ Births, marriages, deaths, 1649-ca.1840; intentions of marriage, 1700-ca.1905, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G979-9XYZ : 3 October 2022), FHL microfilm 007009735, image 153, Eastham, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Births, & Deaths, 1654-1797, Page 92.
7. ↑ Eastham and Orleans Vital Records- The Mayflower Descendant- Vol. IX, p. 8
8. ↑ Richard Higgins And His Descendants- Katherine Chapin Higgins, Worcester, 1918, p.78
9. ↑ Eastham Land Grants- p. 19
10. ↑ Eastham Town Records- Book II, p. 3
11. ↑ Higgins: pg. 78.
12. ↑ Barnstable Count Probate Records- Vol. V, fol. 36

• Little, George Thomas. Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine (Lewis Historical Pub. Co., New York, 1909) Vol. 3, Page 1784
• First Settlers of Eastham, Massachusetts Vol. 6, Page. 46.
• Higgins, Katharine. Richard Higgins: A Resident and Pioneer Settler at Plymouth (K.C. Higgins, Worcester, Mass., 1918) Page 53, Page 78-9
• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 1862)
• IGI - International Genealogical Index
• Mayflower Society Application Database: "Community Trees," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:QV7S-H74 : accessed 8 February 2022), entry for Richard Higgins, cites sources; "Mayflower Pilgrim Genealogies" file (2:2:2:MMXD-DP8), submitted 24 February 2020 by FamilySearch. Source: John D. Austin, F.A.S.G., Mayflower Families Through Five Generations - Descendants of the Pilgrims Who Landed at Plymouth, Mass December 1620 (Vol. 6) ([Plymouth, Massachusetts]: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2001)