Henry Atkins (abt. 1617 - bef. 1700)

Born about 1617 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Elizabeth (Wells) Atkins — married 9 Jul 1647 (to 1661) in Barnstable, Ma

Husband of Bethiah (Linnell) Hopkins — married 25 Mar 1664 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died before 21 Aug 1700 before about age 83 in Barnstable, Massachusetts [uncertain]

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Biography of Henry Atkins

Henry probably emigrated from England, but neither the place of his birth nor the date of his arrival is shown in these sources.

• The Cleveland Genealogy^[1] states on p.1554 one branch of the family believed that five brothers came from England in early colonial days and settled respectively on Cape Cod, in Providence, R.I., Boston, Mass., Baltimore, Md., and that the other brother was captured on a vessel in one of the French wars, and taken to Canada. No evidence has been found to support this belief.

He first appears in the Colonial records in August 1643, among those in Plymouth between 16 and 60 years of age able to bear arms ^[2]. He was admitted a freeman in Plymouth June 6, 1654^[3], then in Eastham May, 22, 1655^[4], where he was a constable and a surveyor of highways ^[5].

On July 9, 1647, he married first, Elizabeth Wells, the daughter of Isaac Wells in Barnstable, Massachusetts^{[6] [7]}. Their children were born in Plymouth, including^[8]:

1. Mary, born March 13, 1647-48, who died June 15, 1649^[9].
2. Samuel, born the last day of Feb 1651-52^[8]. Samuel died Taunton June 1675 during King Philip's War, along with John Tisdale and John Knowles - three prisoners of war were tried for their deaths^[10]
3. Isaac was born 14 or 15 June 1657^[8].

Elizabeth (Wells) Atkins died March 17, 1661-62, in Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, at 40 years of age^[11]

On 25 March 1664, he married second, Bethiah Linnell, the daughter of Robert Linnell and Peninah Howes, in Eastham, Massachusetts^{[8] [12]}, and their children included:

1. Desire, born May 7, 1665^[8]
2. John, born December 15, 1666^[8], who died young, probably died before his father had another son John on Aug. 1, 1674^[8].
3. Nathaniel, born 25 December 1667^[8]
4. Joseph, born March 4, 1669-70^[8]
5. Thomas, born 19 June 1671^[8]
6. John, born August 1, 1674^[8], who married Elizabeth Newcomb, March 5, 1699-1700, in Edgartown^[13]
7. Mercy, born November 24, 1676^[8]
8. Samuel, born June 24, 1679^[8]

Henry died before August 21, 1700, when the inventory of his estate was conducted by David Melville and Thomas Paine. His widow survived him, and attested to the veracity of the inventory. His will, which was not dated, was proved Oct. 3, 1700. He left one one shilling to each of his children and the rest of his property to his widow^[14][15]

Bethiah married second, Stephen Hopkins, April 7, 1701 ^[16] and moved to Harwich.

Sources

1. ↑ The genealogy of the Cleveland and Cleaveland families. An attempt to trace, in both the male and female lines, the posterity of Moses Cleveland ...(and) of Alexander Cleveland ... with numerous biographical sketches; and containing ancestries of many of the husbands and wives, also a bibliography of the Cleveland family and a genealogical account of Edward Winn of Woburn, and of other Winn families by Cleveland, Edmund Janes, 1842-1902; Publication date 1899; Publisher Hartford, Conn., Printed for the subscribers by the Case, Lockwood & Brainard company, see footnote on p 1554 for Atkins Ancestry and Genealogy
2. ↑ Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England Volume 8, page 188, by New Plymouth Colony; Massachusetts. General Court; Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet, 1810-1874, ed; Pulsifer, David, 1802-1894, ed; Publication date 1855; Publisher Boston : Press of W. White
3. ↑ Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England Volume 3, page 48; New Plymouth Colony; Massachusetts. General Court; Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet, 1810-1874, ed; Pulsifer, David, 1802-1894, ed; Publication date 1855; Publisher Boston : Press of W. White
4. ↑ Volume 2, page 359 The History of Cape Cod: Annals of Barnstable County, including the District of Mashpee (1858) by Freeman, Frederick, Boston : Printed for the author, 1860-62.
5. ↑ Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England Volume 5, pages 146, 167, 197, by New Plymouth Colony; Massachusetts. General Court; Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet, 1810-1874, ed; Pulsifer, David, 1802-1894, ed; Publication date 1855; Publisher Boston : Press of W. White
6. ↑ Scituate and Barnstable Church Records published in Volume 10, page 39 of The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.), which states Henry Actkins: & Elizabeth Wells, contracted by my Brother Cobb att Brother Wells his house july ye 9, 1647
7. ↑ Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700 Volume 1, page 50 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015, which provides additional references as follows: ATKINS, Henry (-1700) & 1/wf Elizabeth WELLS (-1662); m cont 9 Jul 1647; Barnstable/Eastham {MD 6:203, 7:21; Reg. 6:42, 10:39; Linnell-Snow 18; Atkins 3; Farwell (1929) 278; Sv. 1:73; Pope's Pioneers 23; Cape Cod Lib. 32:30, 99:1}
8. ↑ ^{8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12} Eastham and Orleans Vital Records Volume 1, page 70b and 71, published in Volume 7, page 238-9 of The Mayflower descendant : a quarterly magazine of Pilgrim genealogy and history by Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants; Publication date 1899; Publisher Boston : Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, which states
   • [p71] Henry Atkins hath a Sonne named Samuell was borne the last of february in the yeare one thousand six hundred fifty one
   • Also another Sonne named Isaac was borne the fifteene day of June in the yeare one thousand six hundred fifty seven
   • Henry Atkins was marryed to Bethya Lennett the 25th of March in the yeare of our lord 1664
   • Henry Atkins hath a daughter named Desire borne the 7 th may 1665
   • Henry Atkins hath a Sonne named John was borne the fifteene day of December in the yeare one thousand Six hundred Sixty Six and [p70b] john adkins the son of Henerie adkins deceased
   • Joseph Atkins the Sonne of Henery adkins was borne the 4th Day of march in the yeare 1669
   • Nathanel adkins the son of Henerie adkins was borne the 25th of december : 1667
   • Thomas adkins the son of Henerie adkins was borne the 19th of June : 1671
   • John adkins the son of Henerie adkins was borne the first of August : 1674
   • Mercy adkins the daughter of Henerie adkins was borne the : 24th of November : 1676
   • Samuel atkins the son of Henry atkins was Born y e 25th day of June annodom 1679
9. ↑ Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England Volume 8, New Plymouth Colony; Massachusetts. General Court; Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet, 1810-1874, ed; Pulsifer, David, 1802-1894, ed; Publication date 1855; Publisher Boston : Press of W. White, which states on page 5 1647 Plymouth Register of Births ... Mary Atkins, the daughter of Henery Atkins, was born the 13th of March. and on page 8 it states *1649. Plymouth Regester of Mariages & Burialls ... Mary Atkins, the daughter of Henery Atkins, died the fifteenth of June.
10. ↑ Records of the colony of New Plymouth, in New England Volume 5, page 224; New Plymouth Colony; Massachusetts. General Court; Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet, 1810-1874, ed; Pulsifer, David, 1802-1894, ed; Publication date 1855; Publisher Boston : Press of W. White
11. ↑ Volume 6, page 203 of The Mayflower descendant : a quarterly magazine of Pilgrim genealogy and history by Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants; Publication date 1899; Publisher Boston : Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, which states Elizabeth Atkins the wife of Henry Atkins deceased the seventeenth of March in the yeare one thousand Six hundred Sixty one alias sixty two
12. ↑ Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700 Volume 1, page 50 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015, which provides additional references as follows: ATKINS, Henry (-1700) & 2/wf Bethiah LINNELL?/LENNETT (-1726), m/2 Stephen HOPKINS 1701; 25 Mar 1664; Eastham {MD 5:23, 7:239, 34:131; Warner-Harrington 313; Barnstable Co. Prob. 2:52; Reg. 6:42; Atkins 233; Newcomb 20; Farwell (1929) 278; Sv. 1:73; Atkins 2; Cape Cod Lib 37:20; Linnell-Snow 18
13. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records Edgartown V1, page 91, also found in NEHGS, which states ADKINS John and Elizabath Newcomb, Mar. 5, 1699-1700.
14. ↑ “Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685-1789.” Volume 2, page 84-86, found in Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts. CD-ROM. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.)
15. ↑ "Probate records v. 1-3 1686-1747" database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9YB-N9LL : 22 April 2024), Film# 00770540, Barnstable, Massachusetts, image 135, Vol 2.
16. ↑ Volume 7, page 16 of The Mayflower descendant : a quarterly magazine of Pilgrim genealogy and history by Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants; Publication date 1899; Publisher Boston : Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, which states Stephen Hopkins and Bethya Atkins were married the Seaventh day of april: 1701

See also:

• Descendants of Henry Atkins site on Rootsweb
• Find A Grave #51534287
• Births, marriages, deaths, 1649-ca.1840; intentions of marriage, 1700-ca.1905, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L979-9XHQ : 1 October 2022), FHL microfilm 007009735, image 136, Eastham, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Births, & Deaths, 1654-1797, Page 71.

Ancestral File Number

Ancestral File Number: FGZQ-90