Nathaniel Stedman

• Sex: M
• Born: BEF. 9 SEP 1632 in Biddenden, Kent, England, UK
• Died: 10 NOV 1678 in Boston, Suffolk Co., MA
• Baptized: 9 SEP 1632 in Biddenden, Kent, England, UK
• Notes:

  
  
  
  This long note is going to interest Steve and a few others on this list, but it is an interesting problem in American Stedman genealogy that needs to get documented in the list archives for whenever (or if ever?) we find some more answers. Let me start my providing you with the presumed facts and then try to piece together some theories....
  
  One of the original founding Stedman families in America is the family of Isaac Stedman, originally of Biddenden, Kent, England who came to America on the Ship Elizabeth in 1636 and settling in Scituate, MA. He arrived with his wife Elizabeth and sons Isaac and Nathaniel.
  
  Nathaniel was baptized in Biddenden on 9 September 1632. We assume that he moved from Scituate to Muddy River (now Brookline) in 1650.
  
  He married Sarah Hammond, daughter of Thomas Hammond and Elizabeth Cason in Hingham, MA, about 1655. They lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, having removed from Muddy River. They had daughters Elizabeth Stedman, born about 1655, and Sarah Stedman born about 1657.
  
  [Note: Elizabeth is not the Elizabeth Stedman who married Thomas Dunk in Saybrook, CT. That was the widow of Lt. John Stedman of Wethersfield, CT, who died in King Philip's war in December 1675. She was his second wife and her maiden name was Elizabeth Blackleach.]
  
  Nathaniel Stedman had three or four additional children: Nathaniel, born between 1665 and 1670, Hannah born 1665-1667 and Mary born about 1669; and maybe a Michael Stedman.
  
  Sarah Hammond died before 1675 (based on her father's will - see below). No record of the exact date of her death has been found.
  
  Nathaniel married Temperance Willis (Wills), baptized 13 Feb 1648 in Cambridge, daughter of Michael Willis and Mildred Wells (or maybe Ann Woods). I have seen no evidence to suggest that she was not born near to that time, although some references give 1636 as the date of her birth.
  
  The commonly ascribed date of her marriage to Nathaniel Stedman is "1664". I have never found a source for that date and believe it to be an estimated date based on the birth dates of the children commonly assigned to her.
  
  I have located a source for another date of Nathaniel Stedman and Temperance Willis' marriage as being 27 Jan 1677/78. It is in the Boyd Patterson Ancestry (1967) by H. Minot Pittman, FASG, and Katherine Patterson Boyd Hunt. This book is held by the NEHGS (s-640F/A.123).
  
  Nathaniel died 10 November 1678 in Muddy River or Boston, leaving a widow Temperance for whom we have no record of her death or re-marriage. And some number of children. He did not leave a will.
  
  A number of Isaac's family died that year. Isaac died 19 Dec 1678; Isaac, Jr. may have died in November 1678; Thomas Hammond, Jr., husband of Isaac's daughter Elizabeth died 20 October 1678. Maybe other family members that cannot be further traced also died at this time.
  
  I can find no record of a marriage or death for Elizabeth or Sarah. Maybe they died in the 1678 diseases? The record of the land they inherited from their grandfather may tell us something.
  
  Mary married David Stowell on 6 April 1692 in Cambridge and died 27 Sept 1724. The record of her descendants is long - and poorly documented; however, she is thought to be an ancestor of Richard King of Maine and Rufus King of New York. I am looking for data on this family.
  
  Her sister Hannah married Robert Murdock on 28 April 1692 in Roxbury. She died about 17 August 1727 in Newton and was the matriarch of a large family that has been well documented.
  
  Her brother Nathaniel seems to have died, unmarried about 1703.
  
  Nothing is known of Michael; however, based on his name, it would seem likely that he was the son of Temperance as Michael was her father's name and Michael is not an otherwise popular name in the Stedman family. [In fact, among my records, I have only one other Michael Stedman and I believe that he is a subscriber to this list.] He may have died young. One source gives his birth as 1667 or 1669 at Brookline, MA.
  
  Straightening out this family has been a particular interest to me and several other researchers, mostly descendants of Robert Murdock or David Stowell.
  
  Recently, I have found a transcription of the will of Thomas Hammond:
  
  HISTORY AND GENEALOGIES OF THE HAMMOND FAMILIES IN AMERICA
  With an Account of the Early History of the Family in Normandy and Great Britain. 1000-1902
  
  BY FREDERICK STAM HAMMOND, VOL. II.
  ONEIDA, N. Y., RYAN & BURKHART, PRINTERS. 1904
  
  "He died in 1675, leaving an unsigned will which was admitted to probate, a copy of which is given below. It is found in Middlesex Probate, No. 7160.
  
  WILL OF THOMAS HAMMOND. 1675.
  
  I, Thomas Hamond, of Cambridge, County of Middlesex, in New England, being now aged, yet through the favor of God of sound judgement, do make and ordain my last will and testament in manner following, viz: My immortal soul I do commit and leave in the arms and mercy of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
  
  My body decently to be buried, at the discretion of my executors, and as for my outward estate, my will is that my just debts being paid, the remainder shall be divided in manner as follows, viz:
  
  I give and bequeath unto my daughter, Elizabeth Woodward, and her heirs, 100 acres of land at the farm called Hodgdens Farms, belonging unto Muddy River; one part of it being the 3d division for the meadow as appears by an indenture made the 20th day of June, 1664, for the division of the said farm betwixt the aforesaid Thomas Hamond and Vincent Druce, who were joint purchasers of the said farm, which division was in length from one side of the said farm over the great hill unto the other side of the farm, and is measured out to be 60 rods in breadth, which division contains 70 acres of land or thereabouts. Also 30 acres more which is not yet particularly divided out of another parcel of the same farm, which fell in division unto me, adjoining Roxbury line.
  
  Also I give unto my daughter, Sarah Stedman, and to her heirs in the time of her life 100 acres of land.
  
  I do confirm, give, grant and bequeath unto her two daughters, which she left behind her, viz.: Sarah Stedman and Elizabeth Stedman, the said 100 acres of land, viz.: One parcel of land running from one side of the farm over the great hill, being 60 rods in breadth and containing the sum of seventy acres, or thereabouts, which is called 2d division, and lyeth between the division given unto my daughter, Woodward, S. E. and N. E. upon Vincent Druce, and 30 acres to be out of that farm, part of my land aforementioned near unto the Roxbury line. These two parcels of land I do give and grant to be equally divided between the said Sarah and Elizabeth Stedman, my grandchildren, to have and to hold the said lands respectively to their heirs and assigns forever.
  
  Also I do give unto my son, Thomas, the house he dwells in and the field that is fenced in on the lower side of the highway against the house of Vincent Druce and unto the great ditch, containing 5 acres or thereabouts.
  
  Also unto my son, Nathaniel, I give unto him the house he dwells in, and all the upland adjoining with cranberry meadow adjoining the Pond unto troublesome swamp.
  
  Also unto my beloved wife, Elizabeth Hamond, I give and bequeath during her life, my dwelling house, meadows, pasture on the N. E. side of the highway, from cranberry meadow unto the lands of Thomas Greenwood, Capt. Prentice, John Ward and Thomas Prentice.
  
  Also I give unto my son, Nathaniel, all that my meadow commonly called Cambridge meadow; and I give unto him also one-third part of that my meadow belonging unto the farm, and the rest unto my son, Thomas.
  
  Furthermore: My will is that the cattle which shall be left after my wife's decease, shall be divided betwixt my two sons, and what moveables shall then remain to be parted equally betwixt my two sons and my daughter, Woodward.
  
  Furthermore: I ordain my beloved wife to be sole executrix of this, my last will and testament.
  
  Furthermore: My will is that my son, Nathaniel, have one third part of the fruit of the orchard with my son, Thomas, year by year until he has an orchard of his own, and use of the barn until his brother help him build one.
  
  This writing was exhibited without date or subscription by Elizabeth Hamond, the relict, widow of the above named Thomas Hamond, deceased, the 5 of Nov., 1675, being in the handwriting of the said Hamond.
  
  His inventory amounted to ú1,139 16s 2d and was by Elder Wiswall and John Spring. It was dated Oct. 25, 1675, and states that he deceased Sept. 30, 1675."
  
  -------
  
  The contents of the will tells us a few things. First it dates that his daughter Sarah was already deceased by the time of his death, which has been the basis for her death date as "before 1675". Second it identifies that her daughters Sarah and Elizabeth were still alive as of 1675 and actually going to be quite land wealthy. (If they owned that land today, they would never work again...) Most importantly it does not mention any other grandchildren of his through Sarah, suggesting quite strongly that she had died before the other children were born. This moves her death date back to before 1664.
  
  If I believe that marriage date of 1677/78 for Temperance, then who is the mother of the other children who were definitely alive in 1675 and were not married.
  
  I first started researching Michael Willis.
  
  Savage tells us this (Vol. 4, p. 576):
  
  "MICHAEL, Dorchester, freem. 2 May 1638, by w. Joan had Joseph,
  bapt. 3 Feb. 1639, wh. prob. liv. not long; rem. with Powell to Boston,
  there was one of the found. of sec. ch. by w. Mildred had Michael, b.
  11 Nov. 1652; whether he had any more bef. com. or any other than
  this one aft. I cannot learn, exc. by inf. from his will of 21 June
  1669, pro. 7 Oct. foll. wh. makes it certain that he had a s. Experience
  bef. and some ds. m. how many, or what their names is not kn. beside d.
  Temperance wh. was bapt. 13 Feb. 1648, unm. yet of inq. for sev.
  gr.ch. to wh. he gave legacies (of wh. none but Joseph Phillips is call.
  out), obscure diligence may fail of its reward. His w. to wh. he had
  giv. power to dispose of some of his prop. aft. her own d. in her will
  of 20 Sept. 1680, increase, the confus. in part, and lends no clue to
  other part, only that one of his ds. Abigail, was a. 1658, sec. w. of
  Thomas Bill. Other ds. are Lydia Nowell; Joanna Ellis; and beside
  the darkness that hangs upon gr.s. Michael and gr.d. Marsh, tho. we
  may guess the former to be s. of Experience, suffic. trouble would
  remain in the search for "daur. Pollard's childr." yet the diffic. seems
  inextrica. when we find that beyond the thick clouds wherein we would
  hunt for the ds. of her h. she scatters all hope of success, by speaking of
  her "five own ds." So the only safe conclus. is that she was a young
  wid. with five ds. when Michael took her; but perhaps the ds. m. that
  he refers to in his will, may have been, some at least, not his offspr. but
  those of the sec. w. bef. their union."
  
  and from:
  
  Genealogical Register of Decendants of Puritans
  Call Number: R929.1M88v2
  Bibliographic Information: Morse, Abner. Genealogical Register of Descendants of Puritans. Press of H. W. Dutton & Son. Boston. 1859, p.199
  
  Michael "Wills" or "Willis," styled cutler, was first a member of the church in Dorchester, and was, with George Willis of Cambridge, admitted to the freeman's oath 2 (3) 1638, and became a founder of the 2d Church in Boston, June 5, 1650. He was by occupation a gunsmith, and ship-builder; was prosecuted for repairing a gun-lock, belonging to an Indian, contrary to law, but was discharged from his fine, Dec. 1, 1641, on the ground that he did not know that it belonged to an Indian.
  
  Michael Willis of Boston, with three other members of the "New Church," Sept. 10, 1653, petitioned the General Court to remove an injunction by the magistrates against the ordination of Mr. Powell as their pastor and teacher.
  
  He sold land in Dorchester, 1656, which he had bought of John Willis, pr. his nephew, and the same John who m. Feb. 1655, Hannah Else, and had owned, in common with Nathaniel, a lot on Dorchester Neck.
  
  His 1st wife's name was Joan, and 2d do. Mildred.
  
  June 21, 1669, he made his will, appointing her sole executrix, and giving to his two sons, Experience and Michael, his shop, tools, and utensils, his house, shipyard, and garden, they to pay their mother Mildred such rent as "the overseers of his will should think fitting," and to receive in addition at her death ú5 apiece. To his daughters who were married, he gave at his death 5s. apiece, and to Temperance, if unmarried at the death of her mother, ú15, and to his cousin Jabez Ealmon or Salmon of Roxbury, 5s., and to his grandson Joseph Phillips, when come to years of discretion, 20s. He made "his friends" Christopher Gibson and Henry Bridgham, overseers, and his will was witnessed by Wm. Alford, Richard and Elisha Cook, and proved Oct. 7, 1669. His widow Mildred died in Boston, and her estate was appraised March 2, 1681, at ú77. Had--
  
  1. Joseph bap. Feb. 3, 1639, in Boston; pr. d. yg.; was by wf. Joan.
  2. Experience d. prior to 1716; m. Elizabeth (???)
  3. Temperance bap. 9 (2) 1648, at 1st Church.
  4. Joana bap. 13 (2) 1651; m. John Ellis.
  5. Michael b. Nov. 11, 1652, by wife Mildred, d. 1711-12; m. Elizabeth (???).
  6. Adingstil who d. Sept. 6, 1658.
  7. Abigail who was 2d wife of Thomas Bill in 1658.
  8. Lydia who m. (???) Nowell.
  9.? Elizabeth m. Zachariah Phillips; had Joseph?
  
  -=-=-=-=-
  
  These documents suggest that Temperance was unmarried as of 1669.
  
  The consequence of this data suggests that neither Sarah Hammond nor Temperance Willis could not be the mother of Nathaniel, Jr., Hannah, or Mary Stedman! For the first time, I am suggesting to you that Nathaniel's second wife was not Temperance Willis, but some, as yet identified woman, who must have died in the late 1670s and then Nathaniel married Temperance Willis as his third wife.
  
  The references suggest that there is still research to be done at the Massachusetts archives and elsewhere to prove this contention.
  
  John Lisle, 11 April 2000.

• Married: BEF. 1655 in Hingham, Plymouth Co., MA

1. Elizabeth Stedman, b. ABT. 1655
2. Sarah Stedman, b. ABT. 1657

• Married: BEF. 1664

1. Nathaniel Stedman, b. 1665 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA
2. Hannah Stedman, b. 2 MAR 1664/65 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., MA
3. Mary Stedman, b. ABT. 1672 in Newton, Middlesex Co., MA

• Married: 27 JAN 1677/78 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA
• Married: 1664 in Cambridge, Middlesex Co., MA

1. Michael Stedman, b. BET. 1667 - 1669 in Brookline, Norfolk Co., MA

Links: