SUPPLEMENT TO RICHARD HIGGINS AND HIS DESCENDANTS BY MRS. KATHARINE CHAPIN HIGGINS WORCESTE'R, MASSACHUSETTS: PRINTED ?OR TUE AUTHOR 1924 PREFACE The Higgins* genealogy was published in 1918. Since the publication new records have been acquired. The vital records of New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts, now deposited in copies at their capitals, have been searched for Higgin;; names. Hundreds of new items have been obtained in this way. 1\fany friends have kindly supplied additional records and corrected errors found in the genealogy as published. Thanks are hereby rendered to all who have thus ?,ided. Special thanks are due to Mr. Stanley W. Smith for copies of old· deeds and documents; to Mr. J. Gardner Bartlett for valuable criticisms and suggestions; to Mr. H. E. Deats and to Mrs. F. W. Benham, Indebtedness to other helpers has been indicated by appending the source of each contribution, as far as practicable. The data furnished by Mr. A. A. Aspinwall from the U. S. Pension oflicc hus proved to be very important. In this Supplement heads of families have the same number as they had in the book as first published. This number follows the name of the family head, is inclosed in parentheses, and the number of the page precedes, thus: "Page 71. Elisha Higgins (14)." Then follow new facts or corrections obtained concerning the family head bearing this ·number in the book of 1918. Members of his family and other descendants are then mentioned preceded by the word "His" (or "Her"). MRs: KATHARINE CHAPIN HIGGINS, 228 West Street, Worcester, Mass. • Richnrd Higgins, a Resident and Pioneer. Settler at Plymouth and Enstham, Massachusetts. and at Piscatawny, New Jersey, and His Descend-' ants. By l\!rs. Katharine Chapin Higgins, Worcester, Massachusetts. Printed for the Author. l!HS. 3 SUPPLE1\1ENT Pages 15-17. The pedigree quoted from l\Ir. l\Ionnctte, nltlaongh given ont in good faith, is a fraudulent compilntion. l\Ir. J. Gardner Bartlett, an expert in English homes 0£ tl1e founders of New England, says of it: "There is no such place as Dridstone, County Hertford, although there is a. Dridstow in County Hereford. There is no Stoke Hundred in either county. There are two parishes called Langley in county Hertford, Abbots Langley and Kings Langley. Accounts have been printed of the churches and monuments of both of them, but they mention no Higgins monument as given by Anjou. There is no Langley in county Hereford." These geographical impossibilities in the Monnette pedigree are sufficient to prove the entire pedigree false and worthless. It is to be regretted that this false pedigree was published in the first place, and unfortunate that it was reproduced in Richard Higgins and His Descendants, although there regarded as suspi­ cious. Readers of the Higgins Genealogy should utterly disregard this l\fonnette pedigree. Pages 32-37. Since the above-mentioned book was published other ancient deeds have come to light. Two furnished by ~Ir. Stanley W. Smith are here given. The first is an exact copy of the original document, which bears the only known autograph of Richard Higgins. "To all people to whom these prsents shall come. Know that I Richard Higgens of New P!imoth in New England in America: Taylor doe by these prsents coven.ant bargaine and exchange a parcell of upland containing Twenty acres be it more or lesse scit­ uate and lying upon Poche ns the record testyfycth: upon the southwest side of a place commonly called Youngs cove: Ten acres bounded with marked trees at each corner: and upon the south side with Mr. Johna .Mayos land.; dated April 27th 1G50: other ten acres of upland lying adjacent to the former ten acres it being two graunts: bounded by a mnrke tree neere the head of the marsh, nert to Steven Snow at the head of Young's cove: ; from thence to the northermost bound tree of the former ten ' acres: and so to the easterly bound tree of the land that was for- · merlyThomas Roberts: from thence downe to Young's cove as the said Thomas Robert's range runneth. These bounds in both prcells containing twenty acres be it more or lessc unto the said Jonathan Sparrow of the Towne of Eastham in the Goverment of New Plimoth in New England husbandman, for and in consider­ ation hereof the said Richard Higgens Higgens doth acknowledge 5 himselfe fully satisfyed and payd by way of exchange of other twenty acres of upland delivered unto the said Richard Higgens by Jonathan Sparrow and thereof and of every pte and parcell thereof for himsclfe his heires and assignes and every of them doth fully and clearely acquitt exonerate and discharge him the said Jonathan Sparrow his heires executors and administrators and every of them forever: Hath freely absolutely given graunted, bargained exchanged enf eoff ed and confirmed And by these prs­ ents doth fully clearly and absolutely give graunt bargaine sell alianate enfeoffe and confirm unto the said Jonathan Sparrow and to his heires and assigns forever all the abovesaid mentioned lands of Richard Higgens and all the estate right title interest claime and demand whatsoever which the said Richard Higgens hath of . in and to the same lands or any the prmisses or any pte of them . with there or any there appurtenances: To have and to hold al. the said lands by these prsents mentioned bargained and sold and ' every pte and parcell of them with there and every of there appur­ tenances unto the said Jonathan Sparrow his heires and assignes,. To the only prper use and behooffe of the said Jonathan Sparrow and of his heires and assignes forever. To be holden of his Maiesty as of his Manner of East Greenwich in the county of Kent in the llealme of England in free and common soccage and not in capite nor by knights sen·icc thereof due and of Right accustomed and with wurranLs against all people whatsoever from by or under him the said Richard Higgens or any of his hei.res executors or assignes claiming any right title interest of and unto the said bar­ gained prmisses or any pte or parccll of them and there appurte­ nances whatsoever and the said Richard Higgens doth f mther covenant and graunt that the said Richard Higgens at the time of bargaine and sailc making of the abovesaid prmisses is the right and lawful owner of the abovesaid bargained prmisses and doth covenant and graunt by these prsents that it shall and may be la wfull to and for the said Jonathan Sparrow by himself e or his Attorneye to record and Inroule or cause to be Recorded or lnroulcd the title and tcnour of these prsents in his sayd l\faies­ tyes court at Plimoth aforesaid before the Governour of the time being according to the usuall manner and customes of Recording and lnrouling deeds and evidences in such case made and provided. In Witnesse whereof I the said Richard Higgens hath to these prsents sett to my hand and scale: RICHARD IDGGINS In presence of This above writen deed was o:Qed before me by Josiah Cooke the person conserned herein with the Consent Tho: Paine of his Wife John ffrecman Asist This 20: 12m 1667 This deed above writen is carefully Recorded In the County Bok of Barnstable In page the 12th of the Book of Records of Lande. As Attest Joseph Lothrop Clerk and Recorder, The signature of Richard Higgins (note his spelling, not Hig­ gens as the writer of the deed made it) is the only known auto­ graph. The words "In presence of" appear to have been added by Josiah Cooke before he wrote his name. Thomas Paine's sig­ nature is an autograph. The acknowledgment is in the baud of l\fajor John Freeman and bears his autograph. Since the con­ sent of Mrs. Higgins was necessary, the land was probably part of the home lot or a. part of the estate of her first husband, John Yates. The second deed will be given in abstract only. "The deed of Thomas Roberts of Dartmouth in New England conveyed to Jonathan Sparrow his messuage, hpuses and lands in Eastham, thirty acres of upland with my housing upon it, lying upon Poche at the south east side of a parcel belonging to Richard Higgens also three acres meddow, also an acre and half of meddow. Dated June 2, 1675. Thomas Roberts T R bis mark Wit. Nathaniel Thomas Mark Snow Acknowledged before John Freeman Asist. Page 37. The deed referred to in abstract in the middle of this page is of some importance and is here given in full: "Know all men by these presents tbnt I Richnr<l bigg('ns of New Pascataway in the province of New Jerse yeoman for and in Consideration of the full sum of nine pounds starling To him in hand paide the recepit whereof he doth acknowledge; bath bar­ gained and sold and by these presents doe bargaine and sell from me, my heires, executors, administrators and assignes for Ever unto Benjamin higgens of the towne of Eastham in the jurisdiction of New Plimouth: weaver, to him, bis heires, executors, admin­ istrators and assignes forever: one tract of land liing and being in the To,vnship of Eastham aforesaide in a place comonly called litle billingsgate upon the outward of the bench, lying bctweene two Crickes called Normans Cricke and higgens Cricke: with all the medowes and segge ground on every side the sd Crickes with all woode and timbcrc and all rights and priviledges that doc bclonge unto the sd Tract of land in ye full and ample maner as I the sd Richard higgens doe Injoye the same in all respects as it is recorded in the Towne booke at Eastham as may be seene: unto which I have put my hand and scale in the year of our lord one Thousand six hundred sevcntie and two and the twentieth day of November in the year aforesaid.