Major Sylvanus Scott

Silvanus Scott, son of John and Rebecca (Brown) Scott, was born at Pawtucket Falls, R.I., November 10, 1672, and in 1692 married Joanna Jenckes, daughter of Joseph and Ester (Ballard) Jenckes, of Providence. Not long after he settled at Smithfield. He was twice appointed deputy, in 1709 and again in 1717, and was a member of the town council for six years. In 1716 he was granted liberty, with two others, "to use and improve so much of Starve Goat Island as shall be needful for their making, drying and securing of fish on said island during their following the trade of fishing." He died January 13, 1742, leaving an estate valued at £3,644. [Death date also seen as June 13, 1742.]

Civil and Military List of Rhode Island. 1647-1800: A List of All Officers Elected by the General Assembly from the Organization of the Legislative Government of the Colony to 1800. Comp. from the Records by Joseph Jencks Smith, Page 59:

Providence County Militia—2nd Regiment: Col. Nicholas Power Lt.-Col. Randell Holden Maj. Silvanus Scott

Silvanus Scott died in 1742 and is buried at an unknown location in Providence County, Rhode Island.

It is not known whether Silvanus or Joanna were Quakers, but many of their descendants were. Their great-grandson, Job Scott was, in the latter half of the 18th century, one of the most noted Friends' ministers living. Silvanus be came Major Silvanus Scott, and entered town politics early in life. He rose to great stature in his day. He married Joanna Jenckes who was the sister of Governor Jenckes of Rhode Island. !NEHGR Vol. 60:168-175 - Apr 1906 - See more at: http://www.wellswooster.com/tree/getperson.php?personID=I18571&tree...

Family

THE SCOTT FAMILY, DESCENDANTS OF RICHARD SCOTT, OF PROVIDENCE, R. I. [By MARTIN B. SCOTT, Esq., of Cleveland, O.]

13. SYLVANUS is the only son of John and Rebeckah Scott that we have any account of who arrived to manhood. He m. Joanna, dau. of Gov. Joseph Jenkes, of Rhode Island. In the early records of Providence, he is called Capt. Sylvanus Scott, which, coupled with the fact that his wife was a Baptist, would indicate that he was not a Quaker. He, with his brother-in-law, Jenkes, was the first iron maker in Rhode Island, and was for several years a member of the General Court and Town Council of Providence.

Issue :

• 28. i. JOHN, b. Sept. 30, 1694, father of Job, the Quaker preacher. m.Mercy or Mary Wilkinson d. of John and Deborah. 3 ch.
• 29. ii. CATHARINE. b. March 31, 1696, m. Nathaniel, son of Gov. Joseph Jenkes.
• 30. iii. JOSEPH, b. Aug. 15, 1697, m. Elizabeth Jenkes.
• 31. iv. REBECKAII, b. Feb. 11, 1699, m. John Wilkinson, s. of John and Deborah, 8 ch. Jemima Wilkinson, Elect Lady, was their granddau., b. 1751, and d. in Yates Co., N. Y., July 1, 1819.
• 32. v. ESTHER, b. Dec. 5, 1700. m.1721 Thomas Sayles 10 ch. Of whom hereafter.
• 33. vi. SYLVANUS, b. June 20, 1702. m. Joanna Cushman.
• 34. vii. JOANNA, b. Dec. 11, 1704. m.Daniel Jencks. 4ch. Of whom hereafter.
• 35. viii. CHARLES, b. Aug. 23, 1705, m. Olney, Dec. 16, 1728; lived in Cumberland, R. I.
• 36. ix. SARAH, b. June 15, 1707, m., 1726, Stephen Hopkins, signer of Declaration of Independence. She died Sept. 9, 1753.
• 37. X. JEREMIAH, b. March 11, 1709 ; m.Rebecca Jenks. 9 ch.,
• 38. xi. NATIANIEL, b. April 19, 1711. m.Mary Smith 5 ch. Of whom hereafter

  ---

http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/scott/17306/

XVII. SCOTT

Joseph and Sylvanus Scott were brothers and came from a remarkable family. Their grandfather Richard came from England in the ship Griffin in 1631, and another passenger was Katherine Marbery, who came with her married sister the famous Mrs. Ann Hutchinson. She soon dared to criticize the ministers of the Massachusetts colony on doctrinal subjects, held religious meetings for women and made so much excitement in this way that she was banished, and went first to Roger Williams' colony. The younger sister Katherine married Richard Scott in 1637 or 1638, and they settled at Ipswich. In November, 1634, two men of that town named Scott and Eliot had lost their way in the woods and wandered about hungry for six days, till they were found at last and brought in by a Rhode Island Indian. Governor Winthrop says that "the Scotts went to Providence because the wife of one of them was affected with Anabaptistry", and they "wanted no Magistrates".

Here Richard Scott bought the estate of Joshua Verrin, a troublesome neighbor of Roger Williams, who forbade his wife to go to church. He had vexed the colony for some time, and it was voted in 1637 that he "shall be witheld from the libertie of voting till he shall" change his course. He went back to Salem where he came from and demanded recompense for the property which he had left. Winthrop says in 1638: "At Providence things grew still worse; for a sister of Mrs. Hutchinson, the wife of one Scott, being infested with Anabaptistry and going last year to live at Providence, Mr Williams was taken or rather embodened by her to make open profession thereof and was rebaptized." As Mrs. Scott was probably the most influential woman in Providence, so her husband became a leader among the men. In 1650 he was the largest taxpayer there but one. About 1651 he bought the island of Patience of Roger Williams, which he and Governor Winthrop had owned together. Scott said of Williams, "I have been his neighbor these 38 years. I walked with him in the Baptist ways."

But he had changed his ways long before then, and like Jacob Bartlett's father, his neighbor, had become a Quaker, called the first one in Rhode Island. When Roger Williams returned from England in triumph with a charter for his colony in 1644, which made it free from the interference of its persecuting neighbor, Massachusetts, Richard Scott might be expected to rejoice with the rest; but his Quaker's hate of ostentation and the pride of heart which it expresses, led him to write this: "And there he got a charter; and coming from Boston to Providence, at Sea-conch the Neighbors of Providence met him with 14 canoes, and carryed him to Providence. And the Man being hemmed in in the middle of the Canoes, was so Elevated and Transported out of himself, that I was condemned in myself that amongst the rest I had been an Instrument to set him up in his Pride and Folly."

Some of the members of this new sect became fanatics in their public protests against the ceremonies of church and state, and they suffered persecution in various countries. In Rehoboth, Massachusetts, a town that joined Providence, lived a man named Obadiah Holmes. In 1651 he was whipped at Boston with thirty stripes for preaching while excommunicated, rebatizing persons who had been baptized, preaching against infant baptism, etc. John Hazell, perhaps the first settler at Pawtucket on the east side of the river, went to Boston as his friend, and was arrested and fined. He was an old man, and died before he reached home again. The Scotts heard about all these things, and the dragon persecution soon reached out after them.

In 1657 Roger Williams, the President of Rhode Island, brought "Katherine the wife of Richard Scott" and others into court "as common opposers of all authority", but when neither he nor any one else appeared to testify against them, they were acquited.

The year before this Christopher Holder and seven other Quakers had sailed from England, and he had come to Massachusetts and been sent away. Now he appeared again at Salem, where he got 30 stripes and was expelled. The next year when he came to Boston again, he and two other young men had their right ears cut off in prison. Katherine Scott's daughter Mary was engaged to marry him, and her mother traveled to Boston to encourage him in his suffering. An old Quaker book, Bishop's "New England Judged", says:

"Katherine Scott of Providence, a Mother of many children (11) a Grave Sober Ancient Woman and of good Breeding, coming to see the Execution of These as aforesaid, whose ears you cutt off, and saying upon their doing it in private, 'That it was evident they were going to act the Works of Darkness or else they would have brought them forth and declared their Offence, that others may hear and fear' ....... Ye committed her to prison and gave her Ten Cruel Stripes with a threefold corded knotted Whip, the 2d day of 8th mo 1658. Though ye knew her father Mr Marbury .... yet ye whipped her for all that, and told her that ye were likely to have a Law to hang her if she came thither again. She answered, 'He whom we love will make us not to count our Lives dear with ourselves for the sake of his Name.' To which your Governor John Endicott replied, 'And we shall be as ready to take away your Lives as ye shall be to lay them down.'"

The next June her little daughter Patience, journeyed the 40 miles to Boston to make her protest too. Bishop says: "Ye apprehended Wm Robinson ..... and Patience Scott, daughter of Katherine, (a girl of about 11 Years old, whose Business to youwards from her father's house in Providencer was, To bear a witness against your persecuting Spirit), and sent them to Prison--(the Child it seems was not of Years as to Law, to deal with her by Banishment, but otherwise in Understanding, for she confounded ye; and some of ye confest that ye had many Children, and they had been well Educated, and that it were well if they cound say half as much for God, as she could for the Devil (as ye Blasphemed the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth that spoke in her, saying it was an Unclean Spirit.)" Another account says that Patience Scott, eleven year old, "was moved of the Lord to go to Boston (40 miles) to bear witness against the rulers." After an imprisonment of about three months, she was released, and Secretary Rawson wrote: "The Court duly considering the malice of Satan and his instruments, by all means and ways to propagate error and disturb the truth, and bring in confusion among us, that Satan is put to his shifts to make use of such a child, not being of the years of discretion, nor understanding the principles of religion, judge meet so far to slight her as a Quaker, as only to admonish and instruct her according to her capacity and so discharge her; Capt. Hutchinson undertaking to send her home."

In October the older engaged sister went too:

"8th of 8th mo 1659. One Mary Scot Daughter to Richard & Katherine Scot of Providence aforesaid, who came also to visit the said Christopher in prison, whom the same constable Apprehended as she was in the Prison to Visit her Friend....your Governour committed also to Prison. 12th of 9th mo. Rawson your Secretary read to them their Sentences, to be whipped in the street. Christopher Holder sentenced to Banishment on pain of Death. Mary Scot to be delivered to your Governour to be admonished. The prisoners were then returned to prison for their jailor's fees, till freed by friends who gave surety."

"I have walked Step by Step through your cruel Proceedings to see if I could find any Justice. Your Declaration is : The Consideration of our gradual Proceeding will vindicate us from the Clamorous Accusation of Severity, our own Just Defense calling upon us, (other Means failing) to offer this point, which these Persons have violently rushed upon;--our former Proceedings and the sparing of Mary Dyer-- will manifestly evidence that we desire their Lives absent, rather than their Deaths present.

Edward Rawson Secret."

The Quaker writer had no difficulty in replying to this defence.

Katherine Scott lived a long time after that, and died in 1687, five years after her husband. No stone was set upon her grave. Both he and his son John fought in King Philip's War, and John was badly wounded near Pawtucket.

Richard Scott's grandsons, Joseph born in 1697 and Sylvanus, in 1702 came from Pawtucket to Bellingham. In 1721 Joseph Scott, son of Sylvanus of Providence, "Bloomer", bought one fourth of a Bloomary Iron Works in Mendon on the "Pentucket River at the Great Falls." He was called a Bloomer because he had made iron from the ore near Pawtucket. This foundary was at Woonsocket near the land of Nicholas Cook. In 1725 he bought another quarter of the same Bloomary, and his father's house and 106 acres in Bellingham, bounded north by Zuriel Hall, east by common land and the burying place, south by common land and Richard Blood and est by Mendon. This was the burying place laid out at the proprietors' third meeting in 1717. The next year he bought from Banfield Capron 97 acres joining his own estate by the road from Bellingham to Rehoboth. This property he sold for 220£ to Elisha Newell in 1740. Later he bought Richard Blood's estate of 176 acres which joined his own on the south for 1200£.

In 1727 he and three of his neighbors had occasion to remember his grandmother's journey to Boston 70 years before. The General Court records show that Jacob Bartlett, David Cook, Josiah Cook and Joseph Scott in jail in Boston petitioned for release because their consciences do not allow them to pay the town tax for the support of the minister. The request was refused by a vote of the Representatives, but the Council did not agree and ordered them released if they gave bond to appear at the next meeting of the Court, when the town was ordered to present its case against them. That meeting was unexpectedly postponed for about a year, and there were similar cases in other towns. A thorough search at the State House has not shown any further record of the case.

"Among the many ways in which individuals passively resisted the ecclesiastical laws was the Baptists' and Quakers' refusals tp serve as constables or assessors in towns where they would have had to distrain or imprison dissenters who refused to pay their religious taxes. Typical of such actions was that of Joseph Scott of Bellingham who was called before the Suffolk County Court in May 1727 for refusing to serve as constable though he had been elected. Scott "for excuse said that Great number of the Inhabitants [in Bellingham] are Quakers & Baptists, who have not nor will pay their respective Rates to the Minister of sd Town unless distrained upon, which their numbers being so many may be attended with great inconvenierncyes, And secondly the he sd Scott being himself a Baptist pays to a minister of his own perswasion & therefore thinks it a hardship (as well as the rest of his Brethren) to pay towards the Maintenance of another." The Court "being of Opinion that he had not shewn sufficient cause for his excuse" ordered Scott, who refused to pay his fine for not serving, to be distrained of his goods to that amount by the sheriff of Suffolk County. Suffolk County Court Records, IV, 81-82, in the Suffolk County Courthouse, Boston.

Joseph Scott and his wife Elizabeth had four children recorded in Bellingham from 1724 to 1733. He died in 1742. His inventory mentions: Best suit head to foot, 18£, 1/16 of a Bloomary, best dwelling house, 220£, another, 110£, land, 2914£; total, 4332£, certainly the largest estate in town.

His brother Sylvanus bought 143 acres in 1725, bounded by Wrentham line, Sergeant Darling and common land. He and his wife Mary had five children recorded in Bellingham from 1726 to 1734. He died in 1777, and left two sons named David and John.

One of the largest stones in the South Bellingham cemetary is inscribed:

"These two died with small pox. In Memory of Mr Silvanus Scott who Died April 17 1777 in ye 76th year of his age. In Memory of Mrs Joanna wife of Mr Silvanus Scott. She died April 20 1777.

In 1817 Joseph's grandsons Samuel and Saul occupied his land at Scott Hill, which has been in the same family nearly two centuries. Seventy persons of this name were born in Bellingham before 1850.

Here's another family tree entry from Ancestry.com: Richard SCOTT was born 1605-1607 to Edward SCOTT, clothier of Glemsford, Suffolk, England, and his wife Sarah, sister of Richard Carter of Brook Hall, Essex. According to a pedigree drawn between 1608 and 1612 for Edward, father of the emigrant, he was the son of Edward, son of Edward of Glemsford. The later Edward was said to have been the third son of Richard SCOTT, third son of Sir John SCOTT of Scott's Hall. He died circa 1680 in Rhode Island.

The parish register of Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, shows Richard SCOTT was wed on 7 June 1632 to Katherine MARBURY, daughter of Rev. Francis MARBURY of London and his second wife Bridget DRYDEN. Francis was the son of William MARBURY and Agnes LENTON. Bridget was the sister of Sir Erasmus DRYDEN, Bart., grandfather to the poet DRYDEN. She died at Newport, Rhode Island, on 2 May 1687.

Records indicate that Richard SCOTT and his wife Katherine came to MA in 1634 aboard the GRIFFIN. A shoemaker, Richard was admitted as a member of the church in Boston on 28 August 1634. The same year he removed to Ipswich.

In 1637 the SCOTT'S removed to Rhode Island. With the introduction of Quakerism in 1656, the SCOTT'S were the first of this faith in Providence. Their conversion brought about a break with their long time friend, Roger WILLIAMS.

Richard SCOTT was one of the fifty-four persons who had home lots assigned to them. He shared in all the allotments of land and acquired a large estate.

The Providence Compact, assumed to have been signed on 20 August 1637, is in the handwriting of Richard SCOTT, who was the first to sign it. He also signed for William REYNOLDS and John FIELD who made their marks.

July 27, 1640, Richard SCOTT and 38 others signed a compact providing for arbitration among other things. In 1650 his tax was second to only Benedict ARNOLD. In 1655 he was made a freeman.

Katherine Marbury SCOTT was present on 16 September 1658 when Christopher HOLDER, a future son-in-law, had his right ear cut off at Boston for the crime of being a Quaker. Because she protested this treatment, she was committed to prison and given "ten cruel stripes with a three fold corded knotted whip." Further, she was purportedly told, that there would likely be a law to hang her if she came tither again.

In June 1659 Patience, the eleven year old daughter of Richard and Katherine SCOTT, had gone to Boston as a witness against persecution of Quakers. She was sent to prison while others older than she were banished.

In 1666, Richard SCOTT was chosen from Providence a deputy to the legislature.

From a letter written by Richard SCOTT to George FOX it can be concluded that he, Richard served during the time of the wars with the Indians. Submitted by Margaret Lee Ball

The Children of Richard SCOTT and Katherine MARBURY were; 1. John b.1640 who died June c1677.4. Patience b.1648, Married Henry BEERE.2. Mary b.1642 who married Christopher HOLDER, 12 August 1660 in England.5. Deliverance died 10 February 1676, married William RICHARDSON.3. Hannah b.1644, died 24 July 1681, married Walter CLARKE. 6. Richard (?) probably died unmarried during King Phillip's War.

References

• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register,: Volume 27 1873. Page 428. < GoogleBooks >
• The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volumes 1-2. Page 174. < GoogleBooks >
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Scott-1315
• Find A Grave, database and images (Find A Grave: Memorial #130744156 : accessed 11 April 2019), memorial page for Maj Silvanus Scott (10 Nov 1672–13 Jun 1742), reportedly buried at an unknown location in Providence County, Rhode Island, USA. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130744156
• Austin, John Osborne , Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island. Comprising three Generation of Settlers who came before 1690. With many families carried on to the fourth generation. pub.1887,1969,1978.
• RichardScottandHisWifeCatharineMarburyandSomeofTheirDescendants_10296073 < image > Birth Year in Image should be 1672
• https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/l/y/n/William-T-Lynch/GENE3-0001.html
• “Richard Scott of Providence, Rhode Island.” Vital Records from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol 96, page 10. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (Compiled from articles originally published in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.) < AmericanAncestors > Birth: November 10, 1672. Death: January 13, 1742
• Rhode Island: Vital Records, 1636-1850. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014), Originally Published as: Vital record of Rhode Island 1636-1850: First Series: births, marriages and deaths: a family register for the people, by James N. Arnold. Providence, RI: Narragansett Historical Publishing Company. < AmericanAncestors > Volume Name Providence County - V2 Page 1-243. Silvanus SCOTT Birth 11/10/1672 Location Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Father John Scott Mother Rebecca Scott
• “New England Marriages to 1700.” New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. < AmericanAncestors > MARRIAGE : 1692 LOCATION : Providence, Providence, Rhode Island,United States VOLUME : Volume 2 PAGE : 1341 TEXT : SCOTT, Silvanus/Sylvanus (1672-1742) & Joanna [JENKS] (1672-1750); 1692?, by 1694, bef 1792 (wrong); Providence/Smithfield, RI {Reg. 60:174, 96:10; Austin's Dict. 373, 115; Scott (1906); Capron (ms) 18; Ballard 174; Dillon Anc. 47; NYGBR 2:176}