Stukeley Westcott
Encyclopedia
Stukeley Westcott was one of the founding settlers of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
and one of the original members of the first Baptist Church in America
, established by Roger Williams
in 1638. Coming to the New World
from the town of Yeovil
in Somerset
, England, he first settled in Salem
in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
, but difficulties with the authorities prompted him to join Roger Williams in settling on the Narragansett Bay
in 1638 at a place named Providence
. He remained there for a few years, but in 1648 he was recorded as an inhabitant of Warwick
, probably having settled there several years earlier. He was most active in colonial affairs from 1650 to 1660 when he was a commissioner, surveyor of highways, and the keeper of a house of entertainment. His highest office held was deputy of the colony in 1671. He made his will on January 12, 1677, dying the same day with the will unsigned, leaving his affairs in limbo for the following two decades.
The place of origin of the Westcott family appears to center around the town of Affton in county Devon in England
. Here the unusual combination of the surnames Stukeley and Westcott appears, as does the very unusual female given name of Damaris, found in the Stukeley family..
Stukeley Westcott first appears on a public record when he was married in St. John's Church in Yeovil
, Somerset
, England
on October 5, 1619 to Juliann Marchante; his marriage record indicates that he was from Ilminster
, a town in Somerset about twelve miles west of Yeovil. Juliann was the daughter of John Marchante (baptized at Yeovil 8 August 1571) who was the son of John Marchante (died 1593) by his wife Eva Corninge, which couple was married in Yeovil 18 July 1568. John Marchante was the same as the John Marchant
who sailed with Sir Francis Drake
and died in Panama in 1595. The baptisms of two of Stukeley Westcott's children were also recorded in Yeovil: a daughter Damaris in 1620/21 and a son Samuel in 1622/23. There is no record of where Westcott lived following the baptisms of these two children, but there is reasonable speculation that in 1635 he and his family accompanied the family of William Arnold to New England
, departing from the port town of Dartmouth in county Devon
. While Roscoe Whitman states this as a fact, he provides no evidence. However, the Arnold family came from the town of Ilchester
, scarcely five miles north of Yeovil, and it is possible that the two families were acquainted with each other before sailing to the New World. Both families arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony at about the same time, and both came to Providence at about the same time. The oldest daughter of Stukeley Westcott, Damaris, would later marry Benedict Arnold
, the oldest son of William Arnold.
Once in New England, Westcott first settled in the town of Salem
, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. Here he was received as an inhabitant and made a freeman
in 1636. In late 1637 he was granted a house lot in Salem, his family then consisting of eight members. Soon tensions with the local authorities arose, and he, along with several others, was given a license to depart Salem in March 1638, with the proviso that he would be summoned if not gone by a court date in May. Within weeks Westcott and his family joined Roger Williams
and other settlers in establishing a new settlement on land that Williams had bought of the local Indians on the Narragansett Bay
. The settlement was named Providence
and on the initial deed signed by Roger Williams, the initials S.W. for Stukeley Westcott appear first, followed by the initials W.A. of his future in-law, William Arnold.
In 1640 Westcott signed an agreement with 38 others to form a civil government in Providence. He lived in Providence for a few years, but in 1648 he was recorded as one of the inhabitants of Warwick
. However, he had likely gone to Warwick shortly after its establishment by Samuel Gorton
in 1642, and may have been there as early as 1643. He lived in Warwick for most of the remainder of his life until the events of King Philip's War
compelled him to move across the Narragansett Bay.
Stukeley Westcott appears most often on the public records for Rhode Island between 1650 and 1660. During this time period he was a commissioner
from Warwick during five different years and during most of these years he was a surveyor of highways. In 1653 he had the position of assistant in the colony and was on a committee to confer with the Indians about fencing and other matters. Warwick settlers had been accused of treating the Indians unfairly, and in 1655 Westcott and a Mr. Smith were ordered to gather up compensation that was due the Indians. In 1660 he was the foreman of a grand inquest to look into the beating death of a local Indian.
In 1655 Stukeley Westcott was appointed to keep a house of entertainment, and nine years later in 1664 he once again received authorization for keeping "an ordinary for entertainment" while the King's Commissioners held court in Warwick.
which was the outcome of severe friction between several of the indigenous New England tribes and the English settlers. The settlement of Warwick was totally destroyed, and the old man was taken to the settlement at Portsmouth
on Aquidneck Island
, just north of Newport
, to the house of his grandson Caleb Arnold, the son of Governor Benedict Arnold
. On January 12, 1677, with the end of his life near, he drafted a will under the direction of his grandson. He did not sign the will, however, expecting his sons to arrive from Prudence Island
the next day. He died before they could get to his side, however, and the will was never signed. It was not until twenty years after his death that the will was approved and recorded into the town records. Shortly after his death, his remains were carried back to Warwick where he was buried by his wife on their old homestead.
, include a great-great-grandson, Benedict Arnold
, one of the great generals of the American Revolutionary War
who was best known for his treason to the American cause; Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
, American hero of the Great Lakes
during the War of 1812
and his younger brother Commodore Matthew C. Perry, who was sent by President Millard Filmore to compel the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa
in 1854; and Stephen Arnold Douglas who debated Abraham Lincoln
in 1858 before a senate race and later lost to him in the 1860 presidential election.
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...
and one of the original members of the first Baptist Church in America
First Baptist Church in America
The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as First Baptist Meetinghouse. The oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, it was founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638...
, established 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,...
in 1638. Coming to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
from the town of Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England, he first settled in Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
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...
, but difficulties with the authorities prompted him to join Roger Williams in settling on the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
in 1638 at a place named Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. He remained there for a few years, but in 1648 he was recorded as an inhabitant of Warwick
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
, probably having settled there several years earlier. He was most active in colonial affairs from 1650 to 1660 when he was a commissioner, surveyor of highways, and the keeper of a house of entertainment. His highest office held was deputy of the colony in 1671. He made his will on January 12, 1677, dying the same day with the will unsigned, leaving his affairs in limbo for the following two decades.
Early life
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Here the unusual combination of the surnames Stukeley and Westcott appears, as does the very unusual female given name of Damaris, found in the Stukeley family..
Stukeley Westcott first appears on a public record when he was married in St. John's Church in Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on October 5, 1619 to Juliann Marchante; his marriage record indicates that he was from Ilminster
Ilminster
Ilminster is a country town and civil parish in the countryside of south west Somerset, England, with a population of 4,781. Bypassed a few years ago, the town now lies just east of the intersection of the A303 and the A358...
, a town in Somerset about twelve miles west of Yeovil. Juliann was the daughter of John Marchante (baptized at Yeovil 8 August 1571) who was the son of John Marchante (died 1593) by his wife Eva Corninge, which couple was married in Yeovil 18 July 1568. John Marchante was the same as the John Marchant
John Marchant (seaman)
Captain John Marchant served under Sir Francis Drake from 1585 to 1595, thus participating in some of the most important seafaring expeditions and naval encounters of the day. He lost his life near Nombre de Dios, Panama, a few weeks before Drake's own death....
who sailed with Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
and died in Panama in 1595. The baptisms of two of Stukeley Westcott's children were also recorded in Yeovil: a daughter Damaris in 1620/21 and a son Samuel in 1622/23. There is no record of where Westcott lived following the baptisms of these two children, but there is reasonable speculation that in 1635 he and his family accompanied the family of William Arnold 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...
, departing from the port town of Dartmouth in county Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. While Roscoe Whitman states this as a fact, he provides no evidence. However, the Arnold family came from the town of Ilchester
Ilchester
Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, five miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. The parish, which includes the village of Sock Dennis and the old parish of Northover, has a population of 2,021...
, scarcely five miles north of Yeovil, and it is possible that the two families were acquainted with each other before sailing to the New World. Both families arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony at about the same time, and both came to Providence at about the same time. The oldest daughter of Stukeley Westcott, Damaris, would later marry 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...
, the oldest son of William Arnold.
Settling in New England
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
, 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...
. Here he was received as an inhabitant and 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 1636. In late 1637 he was granted a house lot in Salem, his family then consisting of eight members. Soon tensions with the local authorities arose, and he, along with several others, was given a license to depart Salem in March 1638, with the proviso that he would be summoned if not gone by a court date in May. Within weeks Westcott and his family joined 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,...
and other settlers in establishing a new settlement on land that Williams had bought of the local Indians on the Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
. The settlement was named Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and on the initial deed signed by Roger Williams, the initials S.W. for Stukeley Westcott appear first, followed by the initials W.A. of his future in-law, William Arnold.
In 1640 Westcott signed an agreement with 38 others to form a civil government in Providence. He lived in Providence for a few years, but in 1648 he was recorded as one of the inhabitants of Warwick
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
. However, he had likely gone to Warwick shortly after its establishment by Samuel Gorton
Samuel Gorton
Samuel Gorton , was an early settler and civic leader of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and President of the towns of Providence and Warwick for one term...
in 1642, and may have been there as early as 1643. He lived in Warwick for most of the remainder of his life until the events of King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
compelled him to move across the Narragansett Bay.
Stukeley Westcott appears most often on the public records for Rhode Island between 1650 and 1660. During this time period he was a commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
from Warwick during five different years and during most of these years he was a surveyor of highways. In 1653 he had the position of assistant in the colony and was on a committee to confer with the Indians about fencing and other matters. Warwick settlers had been accused of treating the Indians unfairly, and in 1655 Westcott and a Mr. Smith were ordered to gather up compensation that was due the Indians. In 1660 he was the foreman of a grand inquest to look into the beating death of a local Indian.
In 1655 Stukeley Westcott was appointed to keep a house of entertainment, and nine years later in 1664 he once again received authorization for keeping "an ordinary for entertainment" while the King's Commissioners held court in Warwick.
King Philip's War
The highest office held by Westcott was Deputy of the colonies, which he held during the year 1671 when he was nearly eighty years old. Within a few years, aged and infirm, he was surrounded by the tumultuous events of King Philip's WarKing Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
which was the outcome of severe friction between several of the indigenous New England tribes and the English settlers. The settlement of Warwick was totally destroyed, and the old man was taken to the settlement at 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...
on 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...
, just north of Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, to the house of his grandson Caleb Arnold, the son of 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...
. On January 12, 1677, with the end of his life near, he drafted a will under the direction of his grandson. He did not sign the will, however, expecting his sons to arrive from Prudence Island
Prudence Island
Prudence Island is the third largest island in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island and part of the town of Portsmouth. It is located near the geographical center of the bay. It is defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 3, Census Tract 401.03 of Newport County,...
the next day. He died before they could get to his side, however, and the will was never signed. It was not until twenty years after his death that the will was approved and recorded into the town records. Shortly after his death, his remains were carried back to Warwick where he was buried by his wife on their old homestead.
Family
The children of Stukeley and Juliann (Marchante) Westcott were:- Damaris (baptized at Yeovil 27 Jan 1620/21 - after 1678) married 17 December 1640 Benedict ArnoldBenedict 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...
, the son of William and Christian (Peak) Arnold, and had nine children. - Samuel (baptized at Yeovil 31 March 1622) probably died before adulthood in New England.
- Robert (died 1676) married Catharine __________ and had six children. Robert was a lieutenant and was killed during King Philip's War.
- Amos (1631–1685) married (1) on 13 July 1667 Sarah Stafford, the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Stafford; married (2) on 9 June 1670 Deborah Stafford, the sister of Sarah. He had one child by his first wife and five by his second.
- Mercy (died 25 March 1700), married Samuel Stafford, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Stafford and had nine children.
- Jeremiah (died 1686), married 27 July 1665 Eleanor England, daughter of William and Elizabeth England, and had eight children.
Descendants
Notable descendants of Stukeley Westcott, through his daughter Damaris, wife of Governor Benedict ArnoldBenedict 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...
, include a great-great-grandson, Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
, one of the great generals of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
who was best known for his treason to the American cause; Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
Oliver Hazard Perry
United States Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island , the son of USN Captain Christopher Raymond Perry and Sarah Wallace Alexander, a direct descendant of William Wallace...
, American hero of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and his younger brother Commodore Matthew C. Perry, who was sent by President Millard Filmore to compel the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa
Convention of Kanagawa
On March 31, 1854, the or was concluded between Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the U.S. Navy and the Tokugawa shogunate.-Treaty of Peace and Amity :...
in 1854; and Stephen Arnold Douglas who debated Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in 1858 before a senate race and later lost to him in the 1860 presidential election.
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...
External links
- Stukeley Westcott genealogy a web excerpt from Whiman's genealogy of the Westcott family, 1932
- Three early Rhode Island Settlers the text of Fred Arnold's article on William Arnold, Stukeley Westcott and William Carpenter, 1921
- Society of Stukeley Westcott Descendants of America (SSWDA)