George Barlow of Sandwich Massachusetts

George Barlow was born probably around 1620 and probably in England. He arrived at Sandwich, Massachusetts, around 1657 with no wife and, according to some accounts, as many as seven children. Nothing is definitely known of his origins although a number of possibilities have been proposed. Many writers, notably Hawkins and DeVries [18], have stated that this George Barlow and the George Barlow of Exeter, New Hampshire, are the same. However, Noyes, Libby and Davis [17] state that the George Barlow of Exeter died at Scarborough, Maine, and left a widow Cicely who subsequently married Henry Watts. Another genealogist, Claude W. Barlow [28], has stated that the George Barlow of Sandwich came from England to the Plymouth Colony sometime before 1657 and that he "had two young sons whose mother may have died in England."

George Barlow took the Oath of Fidelity at Sandwich in 1657. On June 01, 1658, the previous constable of Sandwich, William Bassett, had completed his year's service. He was replaced by George Barlow as constable of Sandwich and special marshall for Sandwich, Barnstable and Yarmouth. His duties were those of jailer, the administration of punishments and the collection of fines and fees.

The authorities of Massachusetts were determined to keep their territory free of contrary religious beliefs and the Society of Friends, the Quakers, was especially prohibited. At first the Quakers were merely banished, but when this didn't work the oppressions became harsher and harsher. In Sandwich, where the majority of the residents were disposed to accept the Quakers, George Barlow pursued his duties with uncommon zeal. Those duties included the right to appraise property, choose the goods to be taken in forfeiture and to receive all fees and fines, with ten percent for himself.

The Plymouth Colony Court records are full of the accounts of George Barlow's activities. In his book Cape Cod, Its People and Their History [29], Henry C. Kittredge wrote of George Barlow: "It was his habit to take not what would be most valuable to the authorities, but what would be most poignantly missed by the Quaker families." He tells the story of Priscilla Allen, whose husband was driven out of town, leaving her and the children with only a cow. The marshall took the cow, all the corn in the house, a bag of meal that had been given by neighbors, and her only copper cooking kettle. Kittredge further wrote that George Barlow had, "so far as can be discovered from contemporary authorities, not a single good trait."

Or, as the history of Sandwich puts it, "Sandwich thereby went abruptly from a democratic town run by its own citizens, to a little police state run by a stranger with wide powers, who turned out to be a nastyand drunken man as well." Interestingly, no ill-feelings were held against his descendents, some of whom married into Quaker families. The actions taken against the Quakers were brought to an end late in 1661 by a decree issued by King Charles [30].

Nothing is known of George Barlow's first wife. She has been given as Mary Vincent Stetson, a daughter of Vincent Stetson, of Milford; which Milford is not given. However, this seems to be mixed up with Mary Stilson, wife of George Barley and daughter of Vincent Stilson, all of Milford, Connecticut. Mary Stilson was born between 1665 and 1670, which excludes her from being the first Mrs. Barlow [31].

George Barlow married second Mrs. Jane Besse sometime before March 04, 1661/2, as shown by a Plymouth Colony Court record of that date. Jane, whose maiden surname is not known, was the widow of Anthony Besse, one of the first settlers of Sandwich. Anthony Besse was born in 1609, came to New England on the James in 1635, married Jane about 1638-40 at Sandwich, and died in 1657 at Sandwich at the age of forty-eight. Jane's age is not known from the records, but since her first child was born about 1639 and her last in 1671 she would probably have been born around 1620-25, and thus would have been around 32-35 at the time of Anthony's death.

Anthony and Jane Besse had eight children: Dorcas Besse, born about 1639 and probably married to John Presbury/ Preston; Anna Besse, born about 1641 and married to Andrew Hallett, Jr.; Nehemiah Besse, born about 1643 and married to Mary Ransom; Mary Besse, born about 1645 and married to Francis Allen in 1662 (the record of their marriage gives her as Mary Barlow); David Besse, born on May 23, 1649, did not marry and was killed on March 26, 1676, at Rehoboth, Massachusetts, in King Philips War; Jane Besse; Elizabeth Besse, born about 1656 and married to Joseph Bodfish; and Rebecca Besse, born in 1657 after her father's death and married to William Hunter.

Upon his marriage to Jane Besse, it is believed that George Barlow initially moved into the Besse house in the Spring Hill section of Sandwich. In 1664, when Jane's oldest son Nehemiah Besse became twenty-one and was able to take possession of the lands left to him by his father, George and Jane Barlow moved to Pocasset, Massachusetts, where the region called Barlow's Landing is still associated with the family. The Barlows were apparently a turbulent household. According to a Plymouth Colony Court record of March 4, 1661/2, Dorcas, Ann and Mary Besse were before the Court for "crewell and unnatural practice toward their father-in-law George Barlow." Records of 1662 show that a cow named Daisy, which had been taken by George Barlow, was ordered to be returned to daughter Jane Besse under the guidance of the overseers of Anthony Besse's estate.

George Barlow named only four children in his will, two from his first marriage and two from his second:

In his will, which was dated August 4, 1684, and proved on October 31, 1684, he gave only five shillings each to Aaron and Moses, adding "that is all I give them." Apparently there were bad feelings between George and his first children. To his wife Jane and their sons John and Nathan he gave his land which amounted to about eight acres, his house, his farm stock and equipment, and his "household stuffe." John and Nathan were named executors and the will was witnessed by Thomas Tupper.

George Barlow may possibly have had more children by his first marriage than he listed in his will, but it is doubtful. Hawkins and DeVries [18] list Samuel, George and William but there is nothing further known of them. Lovell [30] mentions the marriage of Sarah Barlow to Robert Lawrence of Falmouth, Massachusetts, and calls her a daughter of the marshall, and an Elizabeth Barlow married Roberts White on December 2, 1635, at Sandwich, but again nothing further is known.

George Barlow's widow Jane died in 1693; her will was dated August 06, 1693, and proved on October 05, 1693.

Aaron Barlow was one of a group of fourteen who drew home-lots at Sippican on July 22, 1679, when that area was set aside for settlement. Sippican, Mattapoisett, Agawam and Acushena were areas whose names were derived from Indian villages and which were eventually incorporated as the town of Rochester on June 4, 1686 [34]. Aaron Barlow moved from Sandwich in 1684 and was one of the original incorporators of Rochester.

Aaron Barlow and Joseph Burge were appointed to set up a gristmill on twenty acres which had been laid out on the banks of the Sippican River in 1683. The mill was to have "such Capacitie as She may grind the corne of the Inhabitants for twentie years." Aaron Barlow declined the commission and the work fell to Joseph Burge alone [34].

In 1689 Rochester sent Joseph Burge as its first representative to the General Court of Plymouth. He was succeeded in 1690 and 1691 by Aaron Barlow. In 1692, a new Province Charter united the Plymouth Colony with the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the Plymouth General Court held its final session in July of that year, but the Rochester representative, Aaron Barlow, was not present [34].

Aaron Barlow married Beulah Wing probably around 1683 and probably at Rochester. She was born on November 16, 1658, at Rochester [32] and was the fifth daughter of Daniel and Hannah (Swift) Wing.

Aaron and Beulah Barlow's children were:

Elizabeth Barlow was born on August 22, 1684, at Rochester [32].

She married Mark Jenney, whose surname has also been spelled Jenne, Ginnene, and Ginnens, around 1700 probably at Dartmouth. He was born in 1663 at Plymouth and was a son of Samuel and Ann (Lettice) Jenney.

Shubal Barlow was born on May 13, 1691, at Rochester [32].

He married Bathsheba (or Barshaber, or Barshuay) ---- probably around 1710 and they had four children. They were Quakers. He died on April 12, 1770, at Rochester.

Moses Barlow was one of a group of sixteen who drew home-lots at Mattapoisett on July 22, 1679, when that area was set aside for settlement. Mattapoisett, Sippican, Agawam and Acushena were areas whose names were derived from Indian villages and which were eventually incorporated as the town of Rochester on June 04, 1686. Three of the original proprietors, Moses Barlow, Samuel Hammond and William Dexter, settled on their lands at an early date. Moses Barlow took the Oath of Fidelity in 1681 and settled near the river [34].

Wilson Barstow wrote in 1879 [34]: "The Barlows and the Hammonds were the ancient nobility of the place. Old Deacon Moses Barlow, one of the first proprietors to lay out land, was famous in his day as a deacon, pillar of the church, and leader in society. It is said that when the wife of Deacon Barlow died, he mourned for her with due propriety for a year and a day. Then mounting his horse, he rode to the home of a maiden lady, and having knocked with his cane without dismounting, he greeted her with,`Good morning, I am in pursuit of a wife; if you will have me, I will come in, if not, I will go farther.' `Why, Deacon,' was the reply,`How you astonish me! Thank you, you had better come in.' A few days later there was a wedding, and the Deacon took his new wife home on a pillion behind him.'"

Moses Barlow bought land in 1693 from Benjamin Dexter and he bought 60 acres in 1718 from Deborah Dexter in Rochester.

Moses Barlow married first Mary Dexter in 1684 at Rochester [18]. She was born in January 1654 at Barnstable, Massachusetts, and was a daughter of William and Sarah (Vincent) Dexter. William Dexter was one of the original proprietors at Mattapoisett. She died around 1695 probably at Rochester.

Their child was:

i. Ebenezer Barlow was born on May 10, 1692, at Rochester [32].

He married Rachel Wright, a daughter of Adam and Sarah (Soule) Wright, on November 18, 1719, at Plympton, Massachusetts [35], and they had five children. He died on May 4, 1754, at Rochester [32] and was buried there in the Barlow Cemetery.

Moses Barlow married second Hannah Wing at Rochester, probably around 1696-7. She is believed to have been a daughter of John Wing.

Their children were:

Anne Barlow was born on March 23, 1699, at Rochester [32].

She married Samuel Wing, a farmer, on January 01, 1728, at Rochester [32]. He was born on November 12, 1704, and was a son of John Wing. He died on March 04, 1773.  She died on January 11, 1778, at Rochester [32].

Joseph Barlow was born on February 12, 1702, at Rochester [32].

He married Abigail Wyatt, who was perhaps a daughter of William and Elizabeth Wyatt, on July 23, 1732, at Rochester [32] and they had nine children.  Joseph and his family moved to Hardwick, Massachusetts, around 1781 and he died there between 1781 and 1790.

Mary Barlow was born on February 9, 1704, at Rochester [32]. She died before 1750 at Rochester.

She married Barzilla Hammond, a son of Benjamin Hammond, on June 18, 1728, at Rochester [32].

George Barlow was born on January 15, 1706, at Rochester [32].

He married Ruth Barrows, a daughter of John and Sarah (Briggs) Barrows of Plympton, on February 19, 1729/30, at Rochester [32] and they had six children.  He died on February 21, 1775, at Rochester and was buried there in the Barlow Cemetery [32].

From Barlow and Allied Families [18]: "John Barlow was added to the list of Town Rights Owners and took the required oath October 8, 1691. Admitted Freeman June 25, 1702."

John Barlow married Elizabeth Dillingham, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Feake) Dillingham of Harwich, Massachusetts, in 1692 at Sandwich [18]. She died on May 10, 1759, at Sandwich [18].

Their children were:

John Barlow was born on October 31, 1706, at Sandwich [36].

He married Abigail Davis, a daughter of Jabez Davis of Barnstable and the widow of Joseph Hamblin, on August 27, 1730, at Sandwich [36].

Nathan Barlow was born on October 30, 1710, at Sandwich [36].

He married Mary Swift, a daughter of Josiah and Mary (Bodfish) Swift, on June 30, 1731, at Sandwich [36]. He died about 1794.

William Barlow was born on April 14, 1713, at Sandwich [36].

He married Joanna Warren, a daughter of Samuel and Eleanor (Billington) Warren, on October 15, 1735, at Plympton, Massachusetts [35], and they had ten children. They lived at Middleborough, Massachusetts; Woodstock, Connecticut; and finally Peru, Vermont, where it is believed that he died about 1785.

From Barlow and Allied Families [18]: "Nathan Barlow was admitted Townsman October 8, 1691, and Freeman June 25, 1702. On July 26, 1695, it was voted that `Nathan Barlow mought dwell upon the land where he had built, and also purchase it if it be to be purchased.' He and his wife seem to have led an uneventful life in Sandwich, and their children were all born there. There seems to be no record of the maiden name of his wife."

Nathan Barlow married Mary ---- before 1691 at Sandwich. Their children, born at Sandwich, were:

Peleg Barlow was born on February 25, 1692, at Sandwich [18].

He married Elizabeth Perry, a daughter of Samuel and Esther (Taber) Perry, on July 25, 1717, at Sandwich [36] and they had six children. They moved to Amenia, Dutchess County, New York, in 1756 with two of their sons and their families. He died on October 1, 1759, at Amenia and was buried there in the Steel Works Cemetery.

Susanna Barlow was born around 1695 probably at Sandwich.

She married her cousin Samuel Barlow, a son of her uncle John Barlow, on November 15, 1723, at Sandwich [38] and they had five children.

Prudence Barlow was born in 1699 at Sandwich [39]. She died after July 11, 1775, probably at Wareham, Massachusetts [39].

She married Nathaniel Landers, a son of Thomas and Deborah (Freeman) Landers, on June 14, 1721, at Sandwich [36].