Robert Wheaton in Salem part two
Nothing more is recorded in the Salem records of Robert Wheaton until a town meeting with Mr. Endecott, Mr Conant, Mr Woodbury, John Balch and William Hathorne in attendence.1 Obviously by this time Robert has been accepted as inhabitant otherwise he would not have been granted lands.
“At a Town Meeting on the 26th of the 9th month the several proportions of Land laid
out at the Marblehead this 14th of the 9th month 1638 (i.e. 14th November 1638 on the modern calendar) being formerly granted:
To Mr. Walton2 on the maine 8 acres
To Moses Mavericke3 at the same place 10 acres
To John Coitt4 one the Necke 3 acres
To Will Keene & Nich. Liston [Lissen]5 on John Peaches neck 3 acres. more to them on the great neck 5 acres.
To Rich. Sears 4 acres wher he had planted formerly
To John Wakefield 4 acres on the Necke.
To John Gachell & Samuell Gachell6 6 acres on the Necke
To Tho Sams 3 acres on the Necke
To John Lion [Lyon] 4 acres near his house
To the Widow Blancher [Blanchard] 6 acres on the Necke
To Ralph Warren 2 acres on the Necke
To George Ching 3 acres on the Necke
To Phillip Beare 3 acres neare Widow Tomsons
To John Bennet 4 acres vpo John peaches Necke
To Rosmund James 4 Acres vpon the maine
All the above written in the hand of William Hathorne. The following in the hand of John Endecott:
To Robert Wheaden granted X acres of land
Also granted to Richard Stackhouse ten acres of land
Also to illegible Gardner granted ten acres
…..
It is not completely clear whether the ten acres granted to Robert Wheaden was at Marblehead or was closer to Salem proper as it is written by John Endecott and it is not certain this happened at the same meeting as those above. An argument could be made either way. First that those granted at Marblehead were mostly fisherman and/or those not in agreement with the religious teachings of the Salem fathers and among them several from Devon. On the other side is the change in hand and that the other grants appear to be in various locations around Salem including Winter island, Kettle Island Cove and near Mr Endecott’s meadow. In general fisherman were allotted smaller 2-4 acre lots at Marblehead but not larger 10 acre plots.
1Mr Endicott’s family was from the Chagford area. of Devon. Mr.Conant was from the parish of East Budleigh, Devon; Mr Woodbury was from East Coker, Somerset about 15 miles east of Taunton, Devon; John Balch from Horton, Somerset less than 10 miles from Taunton and finally William Hathorne of Bray, Berkshire.
2Mr William Walton said to be first Minister on Marblehead. His first four children baptized at Seaton, Devon. His son Samuel married Sarah Maverick.
3Moses was the son of the Rev. John Maverick Sr who was born in Awliscomb, Devon. Rev. John was Rector at Beaworthy from 1615 to 1629.
4 Believed to have been born in Chopstowe, Glamorgan, Wales. Coyte appears in 1332 Lay Subsidy for Devon
5A Scottish Presbyterian who fled from persecution. He moved to northern Ireland and came to America in 1637. First at Salem in the lumber business. In 1646 he applied to the Court for permission to operate a business in Marblehead but was denied.
6Also spelled Gatchell of West Monkton, Somerset, England
Wheaton Wood 