Samuel Wilbore
Encyclopedia
Samuel Wilbore was one of the founding settlers of Portsmouth
in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
. Coming from Essex
, England with his wife and three sons, he first settled in Boston
in 1633. He and his wife both joined the Boston church, but in 1636 a theological controversy began to cause dissension in the church and community, and Wilbore became a supporter of the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
and Anne Hutchinson
, signing a petition in support of Wheelwright. In so doing, he and many others were disarmed, and dismissed from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. In March 1638 he was one of 23 individuals who signed a compact
to establish a new government, and at the urging of Roger Williams
this group purchased Aquidneck Island
from the natives, establishing the settlement of Portsmouth
there.
Soon after settling in Portsmouth, Wilbore repudiated his signing of the petition in support of Wheelwright, thus allowing him back into the Massachusetts colony. By 1645 he had returned to Boston, but also owned property and resided in Taunton
within the Plymouth Colony
. He was living in Taunton when he wrote his will in April 1656, but was living in Boston when he died the following September. His will distributed his land holdings in Boston, Taunton, and Portsmouth to his three sons. Most of his Rhode Island descendants spell their name Wilbur.
, Essex
, England, where he was married to Ann Smith in January 1620, and where all five of their children were baptized from 1622 to 1631. His two sons Arthur and William died in infancy in England, and about 1633 he, his wife, and his three surviving sons, Samuel, Joseph, and Shadrach, sailed to New England
.
Wilbore arrived with his family in Boston
in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
where he was made a freeman
in March 1633. He and his wife Ann were both admitted as members of the Boston church in December 1633, and the following November he was an assessor of taxes. In 1636 a major theological rift arose in the colony, often called the Antinomian controversy, and Wilbore became attracted to the preachings of the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
and Anne Hutchinson
, signing a petition in support of Wheelwright. Following the banishment of these two individuals from the Massachusetts colony, Wilbore and many other followers were disarmed when on 20 November 1637 he and others were ordered to deliver up all guns, pistols, swords, powder and shot because the "opinions and revelations of Mr. Wheelwright and Mrs. Hutchinson have seduced and led into dangerous errors many of the people here in New England."
Scores of the followers of Wheelwright and Hutchinson were ordered out of the Massachusetts colony, but before leaving, a group of them, including Wilbore, signed what is sometimes called the Portsmouth Compact
, establishing a non-sectarian civil government upon the universal consent of the inhabitants, with a Christian focus. Planning initially to settle in New Netherland
, the group was persuaded by Roger Williams
to purchase some land of the Indians on the Narragansett Bay. This they did, settling on the north east end of Aquidneck Island
, and establishing a settlement they called Pocasset, but in 1639 changing the name to Portsmouth
. William Coddington
was elected the first judge (governor) of the settlement.
Wilbore was in Portsmouth by May 1638 when he was present at a general meeting, and the following month he was given the military role as clerk of the Train Band. The following January he was selected as constable, and a month later he was allotted about two acres of land in the Great Cove. In 1641 he became a freeman of Portsmouth, and in 1644 was selected as Sergeant.
In May 1639 Wilbore repudiated his signature to the Wheelwright petition, and was thereafter allowed to return to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. About 1645 he returned to Boston, where his second wife, Elizabeth, was received into the Boston church in November. In May 1648 he was called of Taunton
(in the Plymouth Colony
), and continued to own land there, in Portsmouth, and in Boston. In 1655 he was again in Portsmouth, but when he wrote his will in April 1656 he was living in Taunton. His death, however, on 29 November 1656, was recorded in Boston.
, and was one of the original purchasers of Pettaquanscutt (later South Kingstown, Rhode Island
); he married Hannah Porter, the daughter of John Porter
, another signer of the Portsmouth Compact
. This son, Samuel, Jr., had a daughter Abigail, who married Caleb Arnold, the son of colonial governor Benedict Arnold
. Wilbore was a cousin of William Wilbore, another early settler of Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...
. Coming from Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England with his wife and three sons, he first settled in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1633. He and his wife both joined the Boston church, but in 1636 a theological controversy began to cause dissension in the church and community, and Wilbore became a supporter of the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright was a clergyman in England and America.-Early life:...
and Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
, signing a petition in support of Wheelwright. In so doing, he and many others were disarmed, and dismissed from the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. In March 1638 he was one of 23 individuals who signed a compact
Portsmouth Compact
The Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island...
to establish a new government, and at the urging of Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
this group purchased Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
from the natives, establishing the settlement of Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
there.
Soon after settling in Portsmouth, Wilbore repudiated his signing of the petition in support of Wheelwright, thus allowing him back into the Massachusetts colony. By 1645 he had returned to Boston, but also owned property and resided in Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
within the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
. He was living in Taunton when he wrote his will in April 1656, but was living in Boston when he died the following September. His will distributed his land holdings in Boston, Taunton, and Portsmouth to his three sons. Most of his Rhode Island descendants spell their name Wilbur.
Life
Born by about 1595, Samuel Wilbore originated in Sible HedinghamSible Hedingham
Sible Hedingham is a large village and civil parish in the Colne Valley in Braintree District of Essex, in England. It has a population of 3,665....
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England, where he was married to Ann Smith in January 1620, and where all five of their children were baptized from 1622 to 1631. His two sons Arthur and William died in infancy in England, and about 1633 he, his wife, and his three surviving sons, Samuel, Joseph, and Shadrach, sailed to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
Wilbore arrived with his family in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
where he was made a freeman
Freeman (Colonial)
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th century Europe and is common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be...
in March 1633. He and his wife Ann were both admitted as members of the Boston church in December 1633, and the following November he was an assessor of taxes. In 1636 a major theological rift arose in the colony, often called the Antinomian controversy, and Wilbore became attracted to the preachings of the dissident ministers John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright was a clergyman in England and America.-Early life:...
and Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
, signing a petition in support of Wheelwright. Following the banishment of these two individuals from the Massachusetts colony, Wilbore and many other followers were disarmed when on 20 November 1637 he and others were ordered to deliver up all guns, pistols, swords, powder and shot because the "opinions and revelations of Mr. Wheelwright and Mrs. Hutchinson have seduced and led into dangerous errors many of the people here in New England."
Scores of the followers of Wheelwright and Hutchinson were ordered out of the Massachusetts colony, but before leaving, a group of them, including Wilbore, signed what is sometimes called the Portsmouth Compact
Portsmouth Compact
The Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island...
, establishing a non-sectarian civil government upon the universal consent of the inhabitants, with a Christian focus. Planning initially to settle in New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
, the group was persuaded by Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
to purchase some land of the Indians on the Narragansett Bay. This they did, settling on the north east end of Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, located in the state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 km²...
, and establishing a settlement they called Pocasset, but in 1639 changing the name to Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
. William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
was elected the first judge (governor) of the settlement.
Wilbore was in Portsmouth by May 1638 when he was present at a general meeting, and the following month he was given the military role as clerk of the Train Band. The following January he was selected as constable, and a month later he was allotted about two acres of land in the Great Cove. In 1641 he became a freeman of Portsmouth, and in 1644 was selected as Sergeant.
In May 1639 Wilbore repudiated his signature to the Wheelwright petition, and was thereafter allowed to return to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. About 1645 he returned to Boston, where his second wife, Elizabeth, was received into the Boston church in November. In May 1648 he was called of Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
(in the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
), and continued to own land there, in Portsmouth, and in Boston. In 1655 he was again in Portsmouth, but when he wrote his will in April 1656 he was living in Taunton. His death, however, on 29 November 1656, was recorded in Boston.
Family
Wilbore's son Samuel was named in Rhode Island's Royal Charter of 1663Royal Charter of 1663
The Royal Charter of 1663 was a colonial charter giving English royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, providing a foundation for the government, and outlining broad freedoms for the inhabitants of that colony...
, and was one of the original purchasers of Pettaquanscutt (later South Kingstown, Rhode Island
South Kingstown, Rhode Island
South Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 30,639 at the 2010 census.South Kingstown includes the villages of Kingston, West Kingston, Wakefield, Peace Dale, Snug Harbor, Tuckertown, East Matunuck, Matunuck, Green Hill, and Perryville. Peace...
); he married Hannah Porter, the daughter of John Porter
John Porter (settler)
John Porter was an early colonist in New England and a signer of the Portsmouth Compact, establishing the first government in what became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
, another signer of the Portsmouth Compact
Portsmouth Compact
The Portsmouth Compact was a document signed on March 7, 1638 that established the settlement of Portsmouth, which is now a town in the state of Rhode Island...
. This son, Samuel, Jr., had a daughter Abigail, who married Caleb Arnold, the son of colonial governor Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (governor)
Benedict Arnold was president and then governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for a total of 11 years in these roles. Coming from Somerset, England, he was born and raised in the town of Ilchester, likely attending school in Limington, nearby...
. Wilbore was a cousin of William Wilbore, another early settler of Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
See also
- List of early settlers of Rhode Island
- Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsColony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsThe Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...