Robert Huckins - Notes on James Huckins

Notes for James Huckins:
"Robert Huckins of the Dover Connection and Some of his Descendants" by Henry Winthrop Hardon, 1916, pg 3: "LIEUT JAMES2 HUCKINS (Robert1), husbandman, miller, was born probably at Oyster River, Dover, doubtless as early as 1644, for in 1664 he was taxed (Register, vol 4, 249). He married, probably about 1671 (ib, vol 7, p 121), SARAH2 BURNHAM, daughter of Robert1 and Frances (NH Deeds, vol 107, pp357,359); NH Gen Record vol 5, p 190). She was born at Oyster River about 1654, for she deposed 31 Dec 1673, 'about 19 years of age' (NH Court Papers, 1672-3, p 395). She married secondly, 17 Oct 1700, Capt John2 Woodman (Lieut Edward1) of Oyster River, who had been received as an inhabitant in 1657 (Quint's Dover, p 33; Hoyt's Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, p 366) and became successively commissioner, 1658, representative, 1684, delegate 1690, and Jude of Common Pleas, 1702-5 (Register, vol 9 p 145). She is not mentioned in his will of 20 Dec 1705 (NH State Papers, vol 31, p 545) and was probably then dead. In 1676 Lieut James Huckins was constable (Quint's Dover p 14), and in 1687 he was one of the two selectmen of Oyster River Parish (ib p 3). He had a garrison house which stood in the outskirts of the Oyster River settlement, a few rods south of the house owned in 1910 by Andrew E Meserve, east of the railroad and on the north side of the second road crossed by the railroad as it runs from Durham station to Dover. In Aug 1689 the Indians ambushed and slew him and seventeen men belonging to the garrison while they were at work in the field which belonged in 1910 to the widow of Jospeh W Coe, and lay southeast of the garrison beyond Huckins Brook. There they were all buried under a mound which in 1910 still existed in the southeast corner of the field. The Indians then attacked the garrison house, which was defended by two boys only and some women and children. They managed to set fire to the roof of the garrison, but the boys - 'brave boys, truly' says Mather - held out till the Indians promised to spare the lives of all. Yet they killed three or four of the children and carried away the rest of the inmates, except one of the boys, doubtless Robert2 Huckins, who escaped the next day (Mather's Magnalia App Art vi; Belknap's Hisatory of New Hampshire (vol 1, p 205; Register, vol 7 p 156; NH Gen Records,vol 3 p 80). The garrison house was destroyed (Thompson's Landmarks, p 173, note 2). Lieut Huckin's widow was recovered at Fort Androscoggin after a year of captivity. Children, born at Oyster River (Register, vol 7, p 121): 1) ROBERT3 born probably 12 Dec 1672, although the record, if correctly transcribed says 'Sarah'. 2) SARAH, b. 12 Dec 1674; d s.p.(?) 14 Oct 1705 (NH Gen Record, vol 3 p 145); m. JAMES3 CHELSEY, son of Philip2 (Philip1) and Sarah of Oyster River, b. at Oyster River 1672(?), d. 15 Sept 1707. 3) JAMES, b. 16 July 1675; d. s.p. bef 1699. Probably others, none of whom survived the massacre of 1689." 

The History of Durham says, "The Indians seem to have had a special spite against the inhabitants of Oyster River, or their attacks there were so little opposed that they returned often for easy spoils."