Edward Kenwrick

Added by Elwin C. Nickerson about this Gr. Grandfather::: "He was the ancestor of the Kenricks or Kendricks of Barnsable County and Nova Scotia. Tradition holds that he came from the "West of England", but it is unproven. Some believe he came to the Cape from New Hampshire. By 1704 he was in Harwich, and early in 1705 he was prospecting for land suitable for a farm in the part now South Orleans, between the head of Arey's Pond (then Potonumocot Saltwater Pond) and the fresh Baker's Pond (then Poponessett). He chose 9 acres on the west side of the old line between Eastham and Harwich established in 1682. It adjoined the line and stretched up from John Yates' land to Baker's Pond. It was owned by the Indian landholder John Sipson, who lived at Potonumecot within the limits of the old town of Harwich. On 27 Jun it was conveyed to Mr. Kenwrick by Sipson "out of ye love" for "Mr Edward Kindwrick, weaver" and for "other valuable consierations", with the "liberty" of grazing and cutting timber and firewood on the land "within ye township of Harwich". It appears to have been his first land purchase. He built his house on a small parcel of adjoinging land that he bought from John Paine. Edward seems to have been good friends with the Indians for reasons now unknown, and on many occasions purchased upland from them. Amont the Indian grantors who sold to him were John Laurence, Jacob Jacob, Stephen Jacob, Amos Quason, Rebecca Quason, Lusty Tom, Amos Larrance, Samuel Quot, Joseph George, Thomas Boreman, and Matthia Quansit. Their deeds refer to Edward as a "dealer", meaning shopkeeper, or trader. From Peepen and Joshua Ralph, also Indians, he bought large tracts in Harwich between Muddy Cove River and Round Cove. He had meadow at the Great beach that he bought from Judah Hopkins, meadow in Gregory's Neck at matchapoxit, and meadow at Chequeset near Pleasant Bay. When he died he owned 20 acres in Truro that he had bought from Experience Turner. He was clerk of the proprietors of the Great beach meadow in 1729 and for some years after. The Great beach was included in the Quasons' deed to the purchasers in 1711. After 1725 he moved to a house he built on the west side of the public road now leading from Orleans to Harwich and Chatham, just southwest of what was the home of John Kenrick, Esq., at South Orleans. He built on a lot that belonged to "Mr. Tom", the "Indian minister", who had died and left the land to sons Lusty Tom, Abel Tom and John Tom. The sons sold the land to Edward. At the time the property was inside the old town of Harwich. It was a large house, 2 stories in front and 1 in back, and he continued in business there as a "dealer". He had coloured servants, like most businessmen of the time, to help in and out of his house. At his death he had 3 coloured men and 3 coloured women servants, valued at £98 in the inventory of his personal property. Some of them lived in cabins on his land. On the east side of the main road northeasterly, about 200 rods from Edward's new house, on the westerly slope of a triangular piece of land that Eastham had set apart for an Indian meeting house, and north of the way leading to the Saltwater Pond, was the Indian burial place which until about 1830 had grave mounds made invisible by the plow. Edward may occasionally have attended worship services at the Indian meeting house, and may have given them financial aid. Will: 30 NOV 1742 Note: witnessed by John Doane, Maziah Harding, John Whitney; proved 18 Feb 1742-3; names wife Deborah, children Solomon, Thomas, Susanah Wing, and Jonathan; executor son Jonathan; Jonathan inherited the homestead at his mother's death; 6 coloured servants went 1 (Phillip) to son Solomon, 1 (Zilpha) to daughter Susanah, and 4 (Cuffee, Barbara, Joseph, and "Luce") to wife Deborah; grandson Edward Kenwrick, aged 7, son of Thomas, got 25 acres of land in Truro previously bought from Experience Turner. /ECN/

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He was born in the late 1600's, and died on ???. In letters written on about 1890 - 1900, by Green Kendrick. They are located in Harwich Genealogy Library, in Harwich, Ma. He is said to be the son of John and Jennet (--?--) Cenwric, Flint, Wales?. But no hard facts have been found. He said to have had an uncle in Portland, Maine?, by the same name. It said that he came to Cape Cod about the year 16?0. He was said to have befriend the Indians of Cape Cod. He was trader of Eastham until purchased land on 27 Jun 1705, from the Indians, and first setting near Lurther Hurd's land. He later moved to the old Kenwrick place in South Orleans, then part of Harwich. The town border change so often that even the town debated what their borders were. He was married first to Elizabeth (SNOW), on 21 Dec 1704, the daughter of Zabez and Elizabeth (Smith) Snow, of Harwich, and a granddaughter of Stephen Hopkins of the Mayflower. His name was refer as Cenwric, during this marriages. He was marriage second to Deborah Tucker, on, or after 30 Jul 1713, of Harwich, and whose parents have not been found. It's believed that she was an Indian. She was a strong-mined women, and known by her neighbors and townspeople as "a Doctress". It said that she knew the art of bleeding, indicating that she had knowledge of surgery. He had 4 children as follows; by his first wife, 1 Solomon b. abt. 1705/6, and married to Elizabeth ATKINS; 2. Thomas b. abt. 1708, and married to Anna Atkins; with second wife he had 3. Susannah b. 24 Jan 1713/4, who was married to Joseph Wing, of Harwich; 4. Dr. Jonathan b. 14 Nov 1715, and married to Tabitha ELDRIDGE, of Chatham.

Note: No definite proof has been found that Elizabeth Snow, the daughter of Zabez, was the right Elizabeth. The fact was accepted, however by Josiah Paine, a Harwich Genealogist, and Historian, and all other Elizabeth Snow, of the appropriates age on Cape Cod have been accounted for. This information on her father and mother has been excepted by the Mayflower Society. And can been seen in the Stephen Hopkins Vol. 6, p. 23-24, 83-84;

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