John Hathaway, Jr.

John Hathway

• b. abt 1650, prob. Taunton, Plymouth Colony
• d. prob. Spring 1730, Freetown, Bristol County, Province of Massachusetts
• Parents: John Hathaway & Martha
• married 1) Hannah Burt 2) Christian (Potter) Maxfield

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Family

children of John Hathway and Hannah Burt:

• i. or ii. Jacob, b. abt 1675, d. 1718; m. Mary Wilbur
• i. or ii. Hannah, b. abt 1673-1677; m. John Simmons
• iii. Isaac, b. abt 1679; m. Sarah Makepeace
• iv. John, b. abt 1681-1683; m. Mary Wilbur
• v. Sarah, b. abt 1681-1683; m. James Hale
• vi. Martha, b. abt 1685; m. Captain Josiah Winslow
• vii. Abigail, b. abt 1687 (had last child 1732, previous child 1727); m. David Sherman
• viii. Experience, b. abt 1689 (last child b. abt 1732); m. Elnathan Shearman
• ix. Ephraim, b.abt 1691 (m. 1717 to wife b. abt 1697); m. Abigail Davis
• x. Thomas, b. abt 1695; m. Margaret Maxfield

No children by second wife.

Family comments

From http://dougsinclairsarchives.com/hathaway/johnhathway2.htm

John's wives:

Hannah and John are mentioned in the will of her father James Burt. John and his second wife Christian deeded property to John's son Jacob on 24 June 1726, and she is named in John's will. She was very likely Christian Maxfield, widow of Samuel Maxfield. She was Maxfield's widow as late as 1713. John's son Thomas Hathway married Christian's widowed daughter Margaret (Maxfield) Ingraham in 1719.

John’s children:

”Due to the lack of birth records and more obvious clues that help date someone's birth, John and Hannah's children have been listed somewhat randomly in most biographical works. The chronology I've chosen is based on John's will and whatever other clues I've found. The will is important. It was customary in New England in the 17th and 18th centuries, at least, to make bequests and to mention children by order of birth, but usually separated by gender. It was the norm, but not the rule. John's sons were named in this order: Jacob, Isaac, John (deceased), Ephraim and Thomas. The daughters were Hannah, Sarah, Martha, Abigail and Experience.”

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Biography

His will dated 5/23/1723 bequeathed half the iron works to his son Jacob and the other half to son Isaac. Will was probated 6/11/1730. Selectman 12 years John Hathaway and Shadrack Wilbore witnessed Walter Deane's will, 1716 (American Gen. Volo. 23, p. 176). "History of Dighton", 1962, p. 148ff, states that John Hathaway and Thomas Coram chose the spot on the west side of the river for their shipyard as early as 1693, built houses side by side; after ten year's Coram returned to England and left Hathaway with business.....law suit involved two completed ships, one fully rigged and ready for the sea. Lic, innkeeper 5 June 1684. John and Hannah sold land 5 Feb 1695/6. Second wife, Christian (probably Maxfield) signed with him the deed to Jacob dated 24 June 1726 (Taunton 17-88). The order of births of his children is uncertain but all were probably born in Freetown.

"Hathaways of America" compiled, edited by Elizabeth Starr Versailles

BRISTOL COUNTY, MA PROBATE RECORDS, 1687-1745, VOL. VII 1730-1733, PAGE 187

Will of JOHN HATHAWAY of Freetown, Yeoman, "being aged," dated 23 May 1724, Prob. 11 June 1730. Wife Christian. Sons: Jacob, Isaac, John dcd., Ephraim & Thomas Hathaway. 5 daus: Hannah, Sarah, Martha, Abagail & Experience [no surnames]. Grdau. Hannah dau. of my dcd. son John. Witnesses: William Hoskins, Ephraim Pray & Edward Shove [7:44/5/6]

John was a co-founder with his father of the Chartley Iron Works. About 1671 he settled on lot 18 in Freetown, Massachusetts, one mile south of Assonet on what is now Fall River Road, and which extended to North River. He co-owned a shipyard on the west side of the river in 1693, and he lived adjacent to it. He was sole owner of the yard by 1703. He was given what is thought to be the earliest license to keep a tavern in the town on 5 June 1684. He was the Constable of Freetown in 1680, and a selectman for many years between 1687 and 1719. He or his son John was an agent appointed to find a new minister on 22 September 1712. Town records on the following 13 January also report that the minister he found, probably James Hale, was not acceptable. Hale married John's daughter Sarah several years later.

In the records of Samuel Gardiner, militia recruitment officer for Freetown, John Hathaway is mentioned as giving gun powder, a powder horn, a musket, a "snapsack," and a "wescoat," (waistcoat?) to local soldiers, for which he was compensated.(1) He purchased goods from Nathaniel Byfield of Bristol, Massachusetts, later annexed to Rhode Island. On 13 October 1720 he is recorded as having paid for a 5' 2" millstone.

Hannah and John are mentioned in the will of her father James Burt. John and his second wife Christian deeded property to John's son Jacob on 24 June 1726, and she is named in John's will. She was very likely Christian Maxfield, widow of Samuel Maxfield. She was Maxfield's widow as late as 1713. John's son Thomas Hathaway married Christian's widowed daughter Margaret (Maxfield) Ingraham in 1719. Margaret was living in Bristol with her first husband Timothy Ingraham when their son Timothy was born in 1712. There is no certain death record for Timothy, Sr. Her marriage record to Thomas says she was from Freetown. This strongly suggests that John Hathaway's second wife was Christian (Potter) Maxfield, and that when they married some time between 1713 and 1719, Margaret, with her baby, and Margaret's youngest brother and only full sibling, Richard Maxfield, moved to Freetown to live in the Hathaway household. Thomas and Margaret named two of their children Christian and Richard. This would have made Thomas and Margaret step-siblings when they married. John and Christian, one of Freetown and one of Bristol, which were not neighboring towns, both had business accounts with Nathaniel Byfield of Bristol, so John was at least an occasional visitor to the latter town and may explain how he met Christian. John's other business dealings, perhaps with Samuel Maxfield, or social connections may also have provided opportunities for them to meet. An alternative is that Thomas married Margaret first, leaving the same question about how they met. Margaret's brother Ichabod married in Freetown in 1713 and brother Joseph was in Dighton by 1712. The family moved from Freetown to Dighton after John wrote his will in May 1724. His son Thomas appears to have been living in Dighton when he married Margaret (where the marriage took place). John and Christian may have moved into Thomas' household

Source: http://dougsinclairsarchives.com/hathaway/johnhathaway2.htm

Will dated 5/23/1723 bequeathed half the iron works to his son Jacob and the other to son Isaac. Will pro'd 6/11/1730. Had received 18th lot in Freetown from his father, located about a mile below Assonet Village on Fall River road, only 100 rods or less wide at the road, but extended about four miles to the river. Selectman for 12 yrs. John Hathaway and Shadrack Wilbore witnessed Walter Deane's will. 1716 (Amer. Gen. Vol. 23, p. 176). History of Dighton, 1962, p. 148ff, states that John Hathaway and Thomas Coram chose the spot on the west side of the river for their shipyard as early as 1693, built houses side by side; after ten year's, Coram reuturned to England and left Hathaway with business...law suit involved two completed ships, one fully rigged and ready for the sea. Lic. innkeeper 6/5/1668,

References

• http://dougsinclairsarchives.com/hathaway/johnhathway2.htm cites
  • 1. Bristol Co., MA, deed, 10:71.
  • 2. An often repeated statement, the oldest reference to which I've found is Collections of the Old Colony Historical Society, vol. 5 (Taunton:1878), 79. Although not sourced, this apparently was in the proprietor's records of the Freetown Purchase, which couldn't be found by the time A History of the Town of Freetown, Massachusetts (Fall River:1902) was published.
  • 3. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England hereafter (RCNP), Misc. Records (1633-1698)(Boston:1857), 86.
  • 4. Ibid, 205-206.
  • 5. Ibid, Court Orders, vol. 6 (Boston:1856), 131
  • 6. Freetown, MA, town records, 1:3, see familysearch.com, LDS film 007009638, image 11.
  • 7. RCNP, 6:168, 187.
  • 8. see note 6, format: film image #/original vol. page #.
  • 9. Bristol Co., MA, probate file 12447 and 12448. Whoever did the filing created two folders, thinking the will of John of Freetown was different from the probate for John of Dighton
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hathaway-49 cites
  • 1. Hathaway. http://www.hathawayfamilyassociation.org/Nicholas_Hathway_Descendan... Descendants of Nicholas Hathaway, Hathaway Family Association
  • 2. Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 01 May 2021), memorial page for John Hathaway Jr. (16 Aug 1650–11 Jun 1730), Find A Grave: Memorial #131887229, citing Fox Cemetery, Berkley, Bristol County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Rob (contributor 47684146) .
  • 3. Source Hathaway's of America, by the Hathaway Family 1910
  • 4. French, Anne Warner, 1869-1913, and Abbie Maria French. An American Ancestry. [Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book Co., 2000. Page 44 https://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89073073967?urlappend=%3Bseq=76
  • 5. A History of the Town of Freetown, Massachusetts: With an Account of the Old Home Festival, July 30th, 1902. Fall River, Mass.: Press of J.H. Franklin & Co., 1902. Page 135 https://hdl.handle.net/2027/nyp.33433081908232?urlappend=%3Bseq=143
  • 6. Case, Clarence Vallierre, 1853- Genealogical record of the Chace and Hathaway families from 1630 to 1900 Pub: 1900 Ashtabula, Ohio., The Wilson-Clark Co Page 28 https://archive.org/details/genealogicalreco00case/page/28/mode/2up?q=