Surname Saturday ~ ATKINS of Phippsburg, Maine

Yours Truly at Atkins Bay, and the memorial for the Popham Colony

Fort Popham, looking across Atkins Bay, named for Thomas Atkins

ATKINS / ATKENS / ACKINGS / ATKINSON

My 9^th great grandfather, Thomas Atkins (about 1620 – 1686), was the first settler in Phippsburg, Maine.   The first record naming him in this area was on 15 May 1654 when the settlers along the Kennebec River were ordered to meet at the house of Thomas Ashley for an oath of fidelity.   He was next recorded in 1656 when he bought land at the southern tip of the peninsula near Popham Beach from the sachem Mowhotiwormet, who was also known as “Chief Robinhood”.  Atkins paid one beaver skin, a quarter rent of a bushel of corn, and a quart of liquor.  His land included all you can still see now from what is still called “Atkins Bay”, near Fort Popham.  

The name of Atkins’ wife is unknown.  Several sources name her as Elizabeth Scammon, daughter of John Scammon of New Hampshire, but there is no proof.  Thomas and Elizabeth had ten daughters, so the ATKINS name was not passed down in New England.  There is 1716 record in the York Deeds, Book 8, page 169 which shows how he divided his land among his daughters, giving their married names and places of residence.  During King Philip’s War this part of Maine was abandoned due to the constant massacres. Everyone removed to places in Massachusetts, including the seacoast towns where the Atkins daughters lived.

In 7 August 1600 Thomas Atkins was in court accused of committing incest with his daughter Mary.  The trial was held on 2 October 1660 and was found not guilty, but punished with whipping “which accordingly was executed, and soe the said Atkins cleared and sett libertie to returne to his owne home.”

I descend from the daughter Sarah Atkins (about 1650 – 1724) who married John Staples, and they were my 8^th great grandparents.  They lived in Braintree and Sarah died in Abington after having six Staple children and two more husbands, Samuel Gurney and Richard Williams.

For more ATKINS information:

Mrs. John E. Barclay, “Ten Daughters of Thomas Atkins of Kenebec”, New England Historic Genealogical Register, Volume 121 ( October 1967), pages 241 – 245.

The blog post Miner Descent https://minerdescent.com/2010/06/27/thomas-atkins/

  

My ATKINS genealogy:

Generation 1:  Thomas Atkins, born about 1620 in England and died 10 November 1686 in Phippsburg, now Kennebec, Maine; married to Elizabeth Unknown about 1642.  Ten daughters.

Generation 2:  Sarah Atkins, born about 1650, died before 10 September 1724 in Abington, Massachusetts; married first to John Staples, son of John Staples and Rebecca Unknown about 1670. He was born about 1646 in Weymouth, and died 30 August 1692 in Braintree.  Six children.

Generation 3: Benjamin Staples m. Mary Cox

Generation 4:  Silence Staples m. John Everson

Generation 5:  Hannah Everson m. Nathan Weston

Generation 6:  Zadoc Weston m. Mary Clements

Generation 7:  Matilda Weston m. Joseph Edwin Healy

Generation 8:  Mary Etta Healey m. Peter Hoogerzeil

Generation 9:  Florence Etta Hoogerzeil m. Arthur Treadwell Hitchings

Generation 10:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ ATKINS of Phippsburg, Maine”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 1, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/09/surname-saturday-atkins-of-phippsburg.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ STAPLES of Weymouth, Massachusetts

STAPLES / STAPLE

Jeffrey Staples, my 10^th great grandfather, was first recorded in Weymouth, Massachusetts when his young daughter, Martha, was buried on 17 February 1639/40.  He didn’t appear again until there was a list of landowners recorded between 1642 and 1644.  An inventory of his estate was taken in March 1647 when he was described as “late deceased”.  

I descend from Jeffrey’s eldest son, John (about 1608 – 1683), my 9^th great grandfather.  He was made a freeman on 10 May 1649.  He owned land in Weymouth and his house was described as “at the foot of King Oak Hill in North Weymouth”.  He had five children and  I descend from his oldest son, John Staples (about 1646 – 1692), my 8^th great grandfather, who had six children. 

Next, I descend from Benjamin Staples (1677 – about 1712), my 7^th great grandfather, who had eight children.   He was a cordwainer (shoemaker) in Braintree, and he kept an account book which is now at the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  This account book was published in 1942 and a digital version of the book is available to view online at this link:   https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE3657476   In the preface of the book it says:  "In the Kingston, Massachusetts records was the found the intention of marriage, 1727, of Benjamin's daughter Silence to John Evason or Everson; also the birth, March 24, 1747 of the latter's daughter Rebecca and her marriage, October 1, 1767, to Nathaniel King, from whom the lines run clear, to the present generation.  The original book measures five and one-half inches in length by four inches in width, is bound in yellowing vellum and has a narrow flap extending over onto the side about an inch where it fastens with a an old brass lock.  There is no ruling upon the pages, of which the first is missing."

I descend from Benjamin’s daughter, described above, Silence Staples (1705 – 1785), my 6^th great grandmother, who married John Everson.  They lived in Kingston, Massachusetts and had eight children. 

For more information on the STAPLES family:

NEHGS Register, Volume 161, pages 95 - 100 "The English Origins of Jeffrey Staple of Weymouth, Massachusetts" by Gail Staples

Descendants of Jeffrey and John Staples of Weymouth, MA circa 1638, by James Courtenay Staples 1978

See also the blog Miner Descent   https://minerdescent.com/2010/06/26/john-staples-sr/    

My STAPLES genealogy:

Generation 1:  Jeffrey Staple, son of Robert Staple, born about 1576 in England, died 1647 in Weymouth, Massachusetts; married Margery Chrismas.  Seven children.

Generation 2:  John Staple, baptized August 1608 at Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England, died 4 July 1683 in Dorchester, Massachusetts; married Rebecca Unknown.  Five children.

Generation 3: John Staples, born about 1646 in Weymouth, died 30 August 1692 in Braintree, Massachusetts; married about 1670 to Sarah Atkins, daughter of Thomas Atkins and Elizabeth Scammon.  She was born about 1650.  Six children.

Generation 4:  Benjamin Staples, born November 1677 in Braintree, died about 1712 in Bridgewater; married on 26 May 1699 in Boston to Mary Cox, daughter of Robert Cox.  She was born in July 1676 in Malden, Massachusetts 1 April 1723 in Abington, Massachusetts.  Eight children.

Generation 5: Silence Staples, born 11 November 1705 in Braintree, died 29 April 1785 in Kingston; marriage intention filed on 14 October 1727 in Kingston to John Everson, son of John Everson and Elizabeth Unknown.  Eight children.

Generation 6: Hannah Everson m. Nathan Weston

Generation 7:  Zadoc Weston m. Mary Clements

Generation 8:  Matilda Weston m. Joseph Edwin Healy

Generation 9:  Mary Etta Healey m. Peter Hoogerzeil

Generation 10:  Florence Etta Hoogerzeil m. Arthur Treadwell Hitchings

Generation 11:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ STAPLES of Weymouth, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 25, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/08/surname-saturday-staples-of-weymouth.html: accessed [access date]).