Lieut. Andrew NEWCOMB

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Andrew Newcomb was residing at the Isles of Shoals as early as July 1666, as at this date he attended a meeting at the Isles of Shoals, near Portsmouth, N.H., of several merchants and men engaged in the fisheries, for the purpose of fixing the price of fish......

The name of his first wife, Sarah (?), whom he m. about 1661, has been found but once upon record. From deeds at Exeter, N.H., Vol. 3, p. 80, it appears that "Andrew Newcombe, of HOgg Island (so called from its rude resemblance to a hog's ack) on ye Ile of Sholes," fisherman, for L52 in merchantable fish, sold Henry Platts, of same place, with consent of his wife, Sarah, house on Hog Island (not described) 19 July 1673, in the 25th year of Charles the Second, deed recorded 21 July 1673. From the foregoing it would seem that Mr. Newcomb had previously lived upon Hog Island and after the purchase of his house in Kittery he removed his family to the mainland.

Mr. Newcomb removed from Kittery and Isles of Shoals in the year 1674 or early in 1675. From the foregoing it will be seen that after the decision of the Court at Wells (7 July 1674), he turned over to John Cutt his house and land in Kittery and, his wife having died previously, he took his seven young and motherless children to a more favorable locality, for it is possible that the Indians had become troublesome in that locality, as King Philip's war broke out in June 1675, and this may have influenced him in his removal. He settled at Edgartown, on the island of Martha's Vineyard, the same year, where he became a proprietor and at various times received shares in the divisions of lands in that town and where he and his wife both died.

That Mr. Newcomb was one of the prominent citizens of Martha's Vineyard is shown by the fact that he was juror at quarter court at Eastham 25 Sept. 1677 and 28 Dec 1680; foreman of grand jury Sept. 1681, June 1700 and 1703, and 7 Mar. 1704; constable in 1681; was chosen 25 Nov 1685, with two others, "to make ye governors rate of three half penny upon ye pound"; tithing-man 10 May 1693; select-man 1693-4; and overseer 16 Mar. 1693-4. His name appears many times upon record as witness to deeds, etc. Upon the records of martha's Vineyard, Mass., he is in nearly every case called "Mr." a title then conferring more honor and distinction and doubtless commanding higher respect than that of "Hon." at the present day. There are reasons for believing that he was a merchant several and perhaps many years. On the 18th Feb. 1683 he paid Nathaniel Fryer L3: 11s. in feathers....


Mr. Newcomb appears to have died without making a will, and no inventory or settlement of his estate has been found upon record.

By his first wife he had seven children, all of whom appear to have been born in the vicinity of Kittery, Me. By his second wife there were eight children, all of whom were married and had families, and although no record of their births has been preserved yet their relationship as brother and sisters, also that they were children of Andrew and Anna Newcomb, has been authenticated by a plea for partition of land brought 1 oct. 1731, in which all, or nearly all of the children and heirs are named.

Andrew married Sarah UNKNOWN about 1661. Sarah died about 1674 in Kittery, Maine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Andrew married Anna BAYES in 1676 in Edgartown, Massachusetts. Anna was born about 1658 in Edgartown, Massachusetts; died on Poss. Sept 1731 in Edgartown, Marth's Vineyard, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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The name of his wife or the dates of their death are not on record.


He resided in the north part of Eastham, now Truro, Cape Cod, Mass. january 28, 1701/2, "voted to make inquiry concerning a whale whitch (it is said) Simon Newcomb and Rich Rich cut up at Billingsgate last year." Mr. Newcomb was chosen fence-view in 1702. There was laid out to him in 1711, as one of the proprietors of Truro, two pieces of land--4 acres for his tenement on Lieutenants Island, 2 acres in northeasterly corner and 2 acres northeasterly of Samuel Mayo, Jr's, lot. "A record of the divition of the pond of Moonpoon and the Old Field at Eastern harbor in ye north part of Truro called Moonpoon old field divition as they were laid out and lotted and bounded for ye proprietors thereof on ye fourth day of march 1711-12 the 6th lot fell to Wm. Dyer, Simeon Newcomb and Daniel and Benj. Small," 12 acres. he received, by division other lots of land near the line of Eastham and Truro and near Pamet Point.

His name, as also those of his sons, Simon and Andrew, was signed 12 June 1711 to a petition of the inhabitants of Billingsgate, a village of Eastham, "desiring John Done to go before the governor and seek remedy for difficulties they were subject to." The petition is now on file in Vol. 113, p. 606 of Mass. Archives at Boston......

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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It is possible that at the time of his birth his parents were residing upon one of the island of the group called "Isles of Shoals", situated in the ocean, a few miles from Kittery and Portsmouth. It appears that the first four years of his life were spent on what was then called Hog Island or Appledore, the most picturesque of the "Shoals." The next four years were spent on the mainland, in the village of Kittery. Soon after he was eight years old the family removed to Edgartown, on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes Co., Mass., where they remained until the autumn of 1713, when his father established the family at Lebanon, New London Co., Conn......

....Mr. Newcomb served as member of various committees in town affairs; in May 1693 had "full power and order for ye ordering of ye sheep & Cattle"; signed a venire as Canstable of Chelmark, 1699 (According to Court Records); was chosen to settle bounds of lands in 1704; viewed lands to find Thomas Peas' dividend on 28 Jan. 1705; found record of town's bounds 5 Me. 1705/6; in 1710 he was chosen by his townsmen as "Field Drive" at Edgartown. Simon newcomb took the Freeman's oath at Lebanon and was elected highway surveyor in 1714. On 15 Sept. of the same year he was one of a "Comity" of three for building "meetin" house in Hebron, and reported. 5 Oct. following, a proper site for same. In 1718 he was chosen grand juryman; in 1721 he was appointed guardian to Caleb Jones and in 1741 was chosen fence viewer.

That Mr. Newcomb and his wife belonged to the churches of Edgartown and Lebanon there an be no doubt; but the loss of early records makes it impossible to give positive proof. That they had a family of about twelve children, baptized in infancy, is proven by a tradition, entitled to the very highest respect, and furnished by John Burton Newcomb, in 1873, then 64 years of age, who stated that his father's mother, Mercy (Gore) Newcomb, his contemporary twenty-four years, informed him that her husband's father, Simon, who died when she was twenty-four years old, told her that he was the youngest (or nearly the youngest) of a large family, about twelve in number, all of whom were in their infancy presented to the Lord in baptism and prayer by their pious and truly exemplary parents. (This leaves an opening for other children, providing a record of such can be found, who perhaps died young.)

Simon married Deborah UNKNOWN about 1687 in Edgartown, Massachusetts. Deborah was born about 1664; died on 17 Jun 1756 in Lebanon, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Thomas married Elizabeth COOKE in Oct 1693 in Eastham, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of Josiah COOKE and Deborah HOPKINS) was born on 16 Jun 1674. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Sarah married Joshua CONANT in 9 Jan 1690 or 1691. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Capt Thomas LUMBERT on 4 Oct 1694. Thomas was born on 22 Jun 1671; died on 13 Nov 1736. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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In the record of his marriage to Mary Smith, Mr. Newcomb is said to be "late of Edgartown." he established the family home at Sandwich, Mass., where he kept an inn or public-house until his death. The inn passed into the hands of his son, William, and his grandson, William Newcomb and for many years remained in the possession of the family. The name of Peter Newcomb appears as a witness to a deed, dated 22 Jan. 1701/2, given by his father, Andrew, to his brother, Simon. By his will, proved 16 April 1723, he gave all his estate to his wife, mercy, she to divide it between their two children "as she shall see cause." In Mrs. Newcomb's will, proved 17 Jan 1723/4, she gave to her daughter, Mercy, silver tankard, big brass kettle, and L150; the real, and the remainder of the personal estate, was given to her son, William. It is recorded that on 5 Oct. 1718, Mercy Newcomb joined the church in Sandwich, whether mother or daughter is not fully, established.

Rev. William Holmes, minister at Chilmark, Mass., 1715-1746, wrote the following in his diary under date of 31 Mar. 1723; "I had an account that Mr. Newcomb died lately; he was taken suddenly while (he) was in the cellar drawing molasses, either with an apoplectic fit or a lethargy which carried him off.:

Peter married Mercy SMITH on 11 Mar 1699/00 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Lieut. Matthew MAYHEW. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elizabeth married Capt John ATKINS on 5 Mar 1699/00. John (son of Henry ATKINS and Bethiah LINNELL) was born on 1 Aug 1674 in Eastham, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Joyce BUTLER. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Emblem married Samuel ATKINS on 3 Apr 1703. Samuel (son of Henry ATKINS and Bethiah LINNELL) was born on 25 Jun 1679 in Eastham, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Peter RAY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Thomas DURERARY. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Josiah BEARSE. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Jonathan PEASE. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]