Nathaniel I Oakes

I. THE IMMIGRANT.

I. Nathaniel Oak I. Marlboro (now Northboro), Mass., far-

mer; born about 1645; immigrant about 1660-5; rnarried first, De-

cember 14, 1686; married second, May 20, 1703; died Westboro,

February 17, 1721. First wife, Mehitable Rediat, daughter of

John and Ann; — born Sudbury, 1646; died November 25, 1702;

no children. Second wife, Mary Holloway, daughter of Adam'

and Hannah^ (Hayward), widow of Jacob Farrar who was killed

in Philip's War, 1676; born February 25, 1682; married third,

Thomas Rice, July 2, 1722 (two children) ; died after 1733. Eight

children (2-9).

Of our immigrant ancestor's nationality we have only a vague

tradition that he came from Wales. Probably he was of English

stock; and a writer of 1826 calls him an Englishman. Respect-

ing his, age, we have only the conjecture that he was at least as

old as his first wife, — 40 in 1686. Of his coming to Amrica we

have the following record — doubtless his own statement — handed

down to his grandchildren and by the son of one of them (John'^

Conant (169) inscribed in the family Bible: "The grandfather

of my mother was a cabin-boy on an English vessel bound to Bos-

ton. Nine miles from land the vessel foundered. All the ship's

crew, except the boy whose name was Oaks, were lost. He, be-

ing a good swimmer, swam ashore. In his distress he solemnly

promised the Lord if He would preserve him to get to land he

would never go onto the water again. This promise he sacredly

kept. His wife, my great-grandmother, could never persuade

him even to cross Charles River in a boat to Boston. He would

always go around upon the neck. Thus he reached his after-

home, poor and penniless, without even clothes to cover him ; and

as was then the custom, having no friends in America, he was

bound out to earn his living. His master set him to work in a

pitch-pine forest to pick up pine knots. In this employ he was

attacked by a catamount, or wild-cat, which he slew with a large

pine knot. His master gave him the bounty the State paid for

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Birth estimated about 1645

Arrived in America about 1660

He came to America from Wales, traditionally, but was of English stock.

He was a cabin boy on a sailing vessel, bound for Boston, MA which foundered 9 miles from land. He was the only survivor.

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Source 1: You may already know this, but the reason that Nathaniel's background is such a mystery is that he (according to a family Bible) arrived in Boston as the result of being the lone survivor of a shipwreck. He was a cabin boy on the vessel and was later "bound out" as a servant since he had no family or money in the colonies. There is a neat little aside in the Bible that talks about how Nathaniel prayed as he swam to shore and "promised the Lord if He would preserve him to get to land he would never go onto the water again." He kept this promise, even though he lived on the west side of the Charles river. Whenever he went to Boston he always went around the neck of the river rather than cross it! Garry Oaks

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The following record of Nathaniel's immigration to America was handed down to his grandchildren & is written on the fly-leaf of the family Bible, owned by his great-grandson, John Conant. "The grandfather of my mother was a cabin boy on an English vessel bound for Boston, Massachusetts. Nine miles from land the vessel foundered. All the ship's crew, except the boy whose name was 'Oaks', was lost. He, being a good swimmer, swam ashore & arrived in America in about 1660."

"Nathaniel was a farmer in Marlboro, MA. His home farm was near Stirrup Brook. The old house was burned & the present one built in 1780. In 1900 it had been occupied about 40 years by Samuel McClure, being about 60 rods north of the Old Northborough Church. In 1717 that part of Marlboro, containing the Oakes farm, was set off as Westborough & later became Northborough, MA. Nearby, about a mile from the village & near the junction of the Marlboro & Westborough roads, is an old abandoned burial ground, where doubtless rests the remains of our ancestor, Nathaniel Oaks, & where the monument of his father-in-law, Adam Holloway, is still to be seen."

Nathaniel married his 1st wife, Mehitable Rediat, on 12/14/1686 in Sudbury, MA. She was the daughter of John & Ann (Dolt) Rediat. Nathaniel & Mehitable had no children.

Nathaniel married his 2nd wife, Mary Holloway, 05/20/1703. She was the daughter of Adam Holloway & Hannah (Hayward) Farrar. Nathaniel & Mary had 8 children: Nathaniel Sr., William, Hannah, Mary, Anne, John B., Jonathan, Sr., George Oakes

Nathaniel served as a soldier in the early Colonial Wars. After King Phillip's War he was one of the garrison in 1692 & in 1707 he took part in a fight with the Indians as one of the Goodnow garrison.

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Nathanial Oaks spelled his name Oak.

Son Jonathan added final S and spelled it oaks.

Written on the fly-leaf of the family bible owned by his Great Grandson John Conant.

The grandfather of my mother was a cabin boy on an English vessel bound for Boston, Massachusetts. Nine miles from land the vessel foundered. All the ship's crew, except the boy whose name was "Oaks" was lost. Being a good swimmer, swam ashore and arrived in America in about 1660.

Nathanial was a farmer in Marlboro, MA. His home farm was near Stirrup Brook. The old house, burned down, was near the present one built in 1780., In 1900 it had been occupied about 40 years, by Samuel McClure.

Being 60 rods north of the old Northborough Church. In 1717 that part of Marlboro, containing the Oaks Farm, was set off as Westborough and later became Northborough, MA. Nearby, and about a mile from the village and wear the junction of the Marlboro and Westborough roads, in an old abandoned burial ground, were douthless rests the remains of our ancestor, Nathanial Oaks and were the monument of his father-in-law, Adam Holloway, is still to be seen.

Mehitable Rediat, married December 14, 1686, Sudbury, MA.

Mary Holloway May 5, 1703, daughter of Adam Holloway and Hannah (Hayward) Farrar.

They had 8 children.

Nathanial, Sr., William, Hannah, Mary, Anne, John B., Johathan, Sr. George Oaks.

Nathanial served colonial wars. After King Phillip's war he was one of the garrison in 1692 and 1707 he took part in a fight with the Indians as one of the Goodnow Garrison.

Family Links

John Oaks 1619 - 1703.

Elizabeth Harrison Oaks 1623.

Spouses

Mehitable Rediat Oaks 1645 - 1702.

Mary Holloway Oaks-Rice

Children

Nathanial Oaks 1704 - 1783.

William Oaks 1706 - 1723.

Hannah Oaks Fay 1707 - 1807.

Mary Oaks Maynard 1710 - 1805.

Anne Oakes Maynard 1712 - 1785.

John B. Oaks 1715 - 1752.

Johathan Oaks 1717.

George Oaks 1720 - 1777.

Siblings

John Oaks 1640 - 1700

Nathanial Oaks 1645 - 1721.

John Oaks 1640 - 1700.

Tobacco Planter on the York River, York County, Virginia (Oak Hill Planation).

Received land from the King as a Headright.

Married Hanna Ford 1665, 2 Children.

John Oaks III 1670 - 1730.

Charles Oaks, Sr. 1680 - 1730.

John owned land on November 18, 1670 in Norfolk, Virginia.

Parents

John Oaks 1619 - 1703.

Elizabeth Harrison Oaks 1623.

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Nathaniel was one of two sons born to John Oakes I & Elizabeth (Harrison).

Nathaniel spelled his last name "OAK" and sometimes "OAKE". His son Jonathan added the final "S" and spelled it "OAKS". Descendents of the 4th & 5th generations are about equally divided between the spellings "OAKS" & "OAKES".

The following record of Nathaniel's immigration to America was handed down to his grandchildren & is written on the fly-leaf of the family Bible, owned by his great-grandson, John Conant. "The grandfather of my mother was a cabin boy on an English vessel bound for Boston, Massachusetts. Nine miles from land the vessel foundered. All the ship's crew, except the boy whose name was 'Oaks', was lost. He, being a good swimmer, swam ashore & arrived in America in about 1660."

"Nathaniel was a farmer in Marlboro, MA. His home farm was near Stirrup Brook. The old house was burned & the present one built in 1780. In 1900 it had been occupied about 40 years by Samuel McClure, being about 60 rods north of the Old Northborough Church. In 1717 that part of Marlboro, containing the Oakes farm, was set off as Westborough & later became Northborough, MA. Nearby, about a mile from the village & near the junction of the Marlboro & Westborough roads, is an old abandoned burial ground, where doubtless rests the remains of our ancestor, Nathaniel Oaks, & where the monument of his father-in-law, Adam Holloway, is still to be seen."

Nathaniel married his 1st wife, Mehitable Rediat, on 12/14/1686 in Sudbury, MA. She was the daughter of John & Ann (Dolt) Rediat. Nathaniel & Mehitable had no children.

Nathaniel married his 2nd wife, Mary Holloway, 05/20/1703. She was the daughter of Adam Holloway & Hannah (Hayward) Farrar. Nathaniel & Mary had 8 children: Nathaniel Sr., William, Hannah, Mary, Anne, John B., Jonathan, Sr., George Oakes

Nathaniel served as a soldier in the early Colonial Wars. After King Phillip's War he was one of the garrison in 1692 & in 1707 he took part in a fight with the Indians as one of the Goodnow garrison.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 14 2017, 15:21:48 UTC