Gershom Hawkes

from https://minerdescent.com/2010/06/15/richard-pratt/

Elizabeth’s husband Gershom Hawkes was born 12 Aug 1659 in Hadley, Hampshire, Mass. His parents were John Hawkes and Elizabeth Browne. Gershom died after 1717. A Gershom Hawkes died 26 Mar 1681 in Summerville, South Carolina, but I can’t find supporting evidence of a move between colonies.

Matthew Hawke and John Hawkes are sometimes reported to be brothers of Adam Hawkes, however, there is no known documentation of this. —-Adam Hawkes Family Association

John Hawks came to Dorchester, MA, 1630 in Winthrop’s fleet and then moved to Windsor, CT, in 1640 as one of the founders. Ecclesiastical orthodoxy led him, along with his wife Elizabeth Browne, to move to Hadley, MA, in 1659 again as one of the founders. Adam Hawkes of Saugus was apparently a brother and the two came to New England together. John Hawks/Hawkes was born in England and died 30 Jun 1662 in Hadley, MA.

John’s wife, Elizabeth Browne, was a niece of Nathaniel Ward, an original settler of Hartford, CT. Nathaniel Ward was the son of Edward Ward of Little Wrathing, Suffolk Co., England. On 9 Jan 1620, Edward made his will, proved at Ipswich 7 Mar 1620. He provided for his wife Judith and his children Nathaniel, Edward, Lydia, Mary, Rebecca and Susan.

Susan Browne, widow of Robert Browne of Ipswich, made her will 22 Mar 1626, proved 24 April 1627. She remembered her mother Judith and both of her sisters, Rebecca Ward and Mary Cutting, as well as “Elizabeth Browne, daughter of my brother-in-law William Browne.” As Lydia Ward was the fourth sister, it was she who married William Browne and their daughter Elizabeth was the niece of Nathaniel Ward (of Hartford). Elizabeth Browne married John Hawks in about 1642.

John & Elizabeth’s children were all born in Windsor. At a meeting held at Nathaniel Ward’s house in Hartford, 18 Apr 1659, John was among those present who signed the agreement to remove from Connecticut to Massachusetts. They moved to Hadley, MA, around 1660. John died suddenly and was buried 30 June 1662 in the Hadley Cemetery. Elizabeth married Robert Hinsdale as his second wife about 1668.

The marriage was an unhappy one and they soon parted, and she returned to her home in Hadley. At a court held 30 Mar 1674 they were “presented for living assunder contrary to law,” also charged “with lacivious and wanton carrage.” On examination Elizabeth refused to answer, and it appears that she was cleared of any wrongdoing. Robert Hinsdale said he “did it as being her head and having the rule of her in the pointe and that he did it for her correction of her disorder towards him.” Although he was a respected man in the community, the court held he had “broken the perfect rule of divine law and the law of the Colony in the intent if not in the letter in the first livinig assunder,” and ordered him “whipped ten stripes on the naked body;” and imposed a fine for which his sons became responsible and which the court refused to remit after his tragic death. They moved to Pocumtuck (Deerfield), MA, where descendents of both were already living. Robert was killed, along with three of his sons, with Captain Thomas Lathrop, on 18 September 1675 in the ambush at Bloody Brook, MA.

Elizabeth married Thomas Dibble of Windsor, CT, on 25 June 1683 and she died in Windsor on 20 Sept 1689.

• "New England Marriages Prior To 1700". 2017. Google Books. Accessed April 3 2017. page 355
  • Reference: Ancestry Records - SmartCopy: Apr 3 2017, 7:13:47 UTC