James Gorham, Sr.

James Gorham

• Born: 28 Apr 1650, Marshfield, Plymouth Co., Massachusetts, USA
• Marriage: Hannah HUCKINS on 24 Feb 1674 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA
• Died: 18 Nov 1707, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA at age 57 3093
• Buried: Lothrop Hill Cemetery, Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts, USA
• Parents: John GORHAM (1619-1676) & Desire HOWLAND (Abt 1624-1683)

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Descendant of Mayflower passengers John and Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland

James Gorham Sr was born on 28 April 1650 in Marshfield, Massachusetts, to John Gorham and his wife Desire Howland. He married Hannah Huckins, 24 February 1674, in Barnstable, Massachusetts. They had eleven children: Desire, James Jr, Experience, John, Mehitable, Thomas, Mercy, Joseph, Jabez, Sylvanus, and Ebenezer Gorham. James Sr died, 18 November 1707, aged 57, in Barnstable and was buried at Lothrop Hill Cemetery.

James Gorham. Born on 29 Apr 1650 in Marshfield, MA. James died in Barnstable, MA, on 18 Nov 1707; he was 57.

On 24 Feb 1673/4 when James was 23, he married Hannah Huckins, daughter of Thomas Huckins (-9 Nov 1679) & Rose (ca 1616-1687), in Barnstable, MA. Born on 14 Oct 1653 in Barnstable, MA. Hannah died in Barnstable, MA, on 13 Feb 1725/6; she was 72.

Children of James and Hannah (Huckins) Gorham, born at Barnstable:

1. Desire Gorham, b. 9 Feb 1673/4;
2. James Gorham, b. 6 Mar 1676/7;
3. Experience Gorham, b. 28 Jul 1678;
4. John Gorham, b. 2 Aug 1680;
5. Mehitable Gorham, b. 28 Apr 1683;
6. Thomas Gorham, b. 16 Dec 1684;
7. Mercy Gorham, b. 22 Nov 1686, d. 12 Jun 1689;
8. Joseph Gorham, b. 25 Mar 1689;
9. Jabez Gorham, b. 6 Mar 1690/1;
10. Sylvanus Gorham, b. 13 Oct 1693; and
11. Ebenezer Gorham, b. 14 Feb 1695/6.

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In 1703 “he was the richest man in Barnstable."

Source: Otis, Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families. [p 414]

• ye Births of ye Children of John Gorham born at Plymoth
• At Marshfield his Son James ye 28 of April 1650".
• "James Gorham & Hannah Huckens was Married ye 24 Day of Feb 1673."
• He died "betw. 14 Nov 1707 (codicil) - 9 De. 1707 (inv.)",

"Will of James GORHAM/GOREHAM 3 (Desire Howland2): <Barnstable Co. RP 3:254, 256, 674> ...4 Nov. 1707, ment. wf Hannah; sons John GOREHAM, Thomas GOREHAM, James GOREHAM, Joseph GOREHAM, Jabez GOREHAM, Selvanus GOREHAM, Ebenezer GOREHAM; daus Desier SPRRINGER, Experience LOTHROP and Mehittable; 5 unnamed grandchildren. Codicil, 10 Nov. 1716 (concerning land). Inv. taken 9 Dec. 1707."

In Col. John Gorham's 'Wast Book' it states "James Gorham maryd a Huggins - Livd att Barnstable."

"On the reverse of the title-page [of Capt. John Gorham's bible] stands first the following record in the handwriting of Capt. John Gorham: . . .

'Jams Gorum borne the 28 of Aprill 1650' ",

"James Gorham was a farmer. On 1 June 1675 he was a member of the Grand Inquest. In June 1689 he was admitted as a Freeman of Barnstable. When his father, Capt. John Gorham, died intestate, James, with his mother, Desire, and his brother, John, was named a joint administrator of his father's estate, which was divided 7 March 1675/6. As the eldest son he received a double share. When his mother's estate was divided 5 March 1683/4, James again received a double share as the eldest son. His mother's servant, Tooto, in his will dated 27 December 1691, probated in Barnstable 2 January 1691/2, gave James one cow and the increase of his cattle. James and his brother-in-law, Thomas Baxter, were named joint administrators of Tooto's estate."

In the will of Toto (servant of Desire Howland) he states, "Tooto declared in his Right Sence and Reason to all appereance for ye disposal of what estate he had After his death his debts being paid: . .. to James Goreham one Cow and the Increace of his Cattle:. . . And he Desired mr James Goreham and mr Baxter would take Care to Adminester upon his estate . . Witnessed by Samuel Allin and John Berry, the latter signing by a mark. Samuel Allin was sworn 30 December, 1691, before Capt. John Thacher and Mr. Barnabas Lothrop. John Berry was sworn 2 January, 1691/2, before Mr. Barnabas Lothrop, and the will was recorded the same day, by Joseph Lothrop, Recorder."

In his will dated 4 November 1707, proved 7 January 1707/8, James Gorham named his loving wife, Hannah, his seven sons, John, Thomas, James, Joseph, Jabez, Silvanus and Ebenezer, who were all living, and his three daughters, Desire Springer, who received £20, Expeience Lothrop, who was given £5, in addition to what she had already received, and Mehitable Gorham, who was also given £5. He bequeathed twenty shilings to each of his five grandchildren, not named. Son James Gorham was appointed sole executor. Witnesses were John Thacher, Jabez Fuller and Lydia Thacher. A codicil dated 14 November 1707, disposed on one more piece of land not mentioned in his will. The inventory was taken 9 December 1707 by John Gorham and John Bacon. The five unnamed grandchildren who were born before 4 November 1707, the date James Gorham made his will, and whom we know were living then, were Mary James, Thomas and Ancel Lothrop, children of his daughter Experience Lothrop, and Matthias Gorham, eldest son of John Gorham. Thus the two children that daughter Desire Springer may have had, would have died before 1707."

He was buried in Barnstable Lothrop Hill Cemetery (Route 6A near Governors Way). His tombstone reads

"HERE LYES Ye BODY OF JAMES GORHAM

DIED NOV'r Ye 18th

1707 IN Ye 58th

YEAR OF HIS AGE"

Regarding his tombstone, "A very old marker with a small winged skull in a small tympanum. It most likely was carved by William Mumford of Boston. There are several old markers with small winged skulls in Lothrop Hill Cem."

HERE LYES Ye BODY OF JAMES GORHAM DIED NOV’r Ye 18th 1707 IN Ye 58th YEAR OF HIS AGE

References

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=46890740
• https://minerdescent.com/2010/05/30/james-gorham-sr/
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gorham-6 cites
• https://mathcs.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/report/rr03/rr03_163.html
• Otis, Amos. Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families (F.B. & F.P. Goss, Publishers and Printers, Barnstable, Mass., 1888) Page 413, Page 417
• Snow, Nora Emma. The Snow-Estes Ancestry (1939)
• familysearch.org records
• Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England (Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 1862) Vol 2, page 281
• NEHGR: The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1898) Vol. 52, Page 358
• Edmund West, comp. Family Data Collection - Individual Records (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001)
  • Birth date: 16 April 1650 Birth place: Marshfield, MA
  • Death date: 18 November 1707 Death place: Barnstable, MA
  • Marriage date: 24 February 1673 Marriage place: Barnstable, MA
• The First Settlers of Barnstable, MS., The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1848) Vol. 2, Page 67.
• “Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685–1789.” Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts. CD-ROM. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Record for James Gorham, Volume 3, p. 162-163
• Find A Grave memorial #46890740
• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~coddingtons/genealogy/6920.htm