Fifield's of Hampton, New Hampshire, New England
First Fifield immigrant to the New World?
The paragraph below was posted in Ancestry by djsw_ originally shared this on 21 Aug 2008. Source: Readfield Historical Society Newsletter published Spring/Summer 2000
On March 24, 1634, the ship Hercules left London, England. Twenty five days later when the Hercules landed in Ipswich, Massachusetts and her passengers descended the planks - William Fifield was among them. William became one of the original settlers in Hampton, New Hampshire where he was given a grant of land in 1640. On June 2, 1641 he was made a freeman of Massachusetts Bay. William served in several offices in Hampton - attorney, selectman, constable, and sheriff. The Quakers praised him for his humanity. All eight of his children were born in Hampton - the first, John, was born in 1645. In 1648 William's wife, Mary, gave birth to their second son, Benjamin from whom the Fifields of Readfield and Manchester, Maine descend. In 1667 William conveyed land to Benjamin, who was then 19 years of age, and probably anticipating marriage. William saw Benjamin marry, and also enjoyed the birth of Benjamin's nine children. When William, the American Fifield progenitor, died in 1700 he exceeded eighty years of age, and had in fact, lived to see forty of his forty-eight grandchildren enter this world.
For a more complete list of passengers of the Hercules, and a link of William Fifield to Littleton, Hampshire, England.
The Hercules left London, England March 24, 1633/4 and Southampton on April 18, 1634 with her master, John Kiddey, arriving in New England at an unknown date.
The following alphabetical roll is according to document from the Port of Southampton, copied at "the Custom house in Portsmouth" on December 6, 1735, by Thomas Whitehouse
Certificate of March 24, 1633/4, London:
Anthoney, John of Hampstead, Middlesex, bound for Portsmouth, Rhode Island
(John Anthony on certificate for the Mary & John) (Possibly from Hampstead to Portsmouth, RI. 36 pg 110)
Early, Robert
Foster, Thomas of Ipswich, Suffolk, bound for Boston (From Biddenden, Kent, bound for Weymouth and Braintree. Ref: Banks Mss. 36 pg 76)
Foster, William of Ipswich, Suffolk, bound for Ipswich
Hewlett, Matthew
Latcome, William
Certificate of April 16, 1634, Southampton:
Davyes, Nathaniel
(listed as Nathaniel Davis in "Planters of the Commonwealth")
Elliott, William
(listed as William Elliot in "Planters of the Commonwealth")
Fifeilde, William bound for Hampton, New Hampshire
(listed as William Fifield in "Planters of the Commonwealth")
(From Littleton, Hampshire, bound for Hampton, NH. Ref: Banks Mss. 36 pg 61)
Kinge, George
(listed as George King in "Planters of the Commonwealth")
Phelps, Henry bound for Salem, possibly his brother Edward as well
Rider, Thomas bound for Weymouth
See the Unsolved page for names not listed here
Hercules sources:
http://olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/hercules1633.shtml
http://english-america.com/spls/634ne001.html#Hercules
If you choose to use this information or copy this page,
please have the courtesy to include an acknowledgment that the work,
research and compilation was done by Anne Stevens of packrat-pro.com
Where is Hampton?
There is a Hi Res version as well.
The book History of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire, from its settlement in 1638, to the autumn of 1892 by Joseph Dow (Salem Press Publishing) is considered the "bible" of Hampton History. Included with it is a nice historical map of Hampton, "showing the original boundaries of Hampton, as granted in the year 1638."
Extracts from the very informative Hampton Historical Society - Town Records
November 27, 1639 – Wm. Sanborn appointed to ring meeting house bell.
Large grants in acreage (farms) to Mr. Bachiler, Mr. Timothy Dalton, Christopher Hussey, John Cross, John Moulton, Wm. Palmer, Philomon Dalton, Wm. Eastow, William Eastow-
(cont’d) Thomas Moulton, William Wakefield – February 13, 1640 – grants – Richard Swain, Robert Tuck, Robert Saunderson, Thomas Jones (All of the above, with the exception of the Daltons, were original grantees.) James Davis (80 acres), Abraham Perkins (received his in 1640 also. The next list is for house-lots only) – William Sayward, Robert Page, T. Dalton, Jr.,
Jeffrey Mingay, Thos. Ward, Francis Peabody, Arthur Clarke, Samuel Greenfield, Edmund Johnson, widow (?) Hussey, --? illegible, Wm. Fuller, John Huggins, Wm. Marston, John Sanborn, William Sanborn, William Gould, William Sargeant
Wm. English, Barnabas Gorton, John Brown,?__ Cass, Thos. Chase, Francis Aston, Thos. King, Anthony Taylor, Henry Dow, if he come, John Ward, William Fifield, Stephen Sanborn, Wm. Sanborn (spelled Samborne), Henry Moulton, Edward Palmer, Daniel ____?, James Davis, John Wedgewood, Robt. Marston, John Wedgewood, Jr., Giles Fuller, John Philbrick, Tho. Smith, Timothy Dwight, Auila Chase, Daniel ___?, John Brabooke, Robert Sawyer, John Eldward.
November 16, 1653 – John Sanborn and William Fifield to take the lumber that is forfeited to the town. December 16, 1653 – Eastow and J. Sanborn again ordered to survey the areas in question. Nov. 20, 1653 – Regulations on cutting timber.
January 6, 1654 – John Redman demands satisfaction for the remainder of this house lot. Wm. Fifields and William ------ to attend to it.
Same meeting cont’d: Suit of Morris Hobbs against the town. Mr. Stanyan, J. Mingay, and Wm. Fifield to examine matter to represent town.
February 28, 1659 – Abraham Perkins, Jr., Robert Page, Thos. Marston, Wm. Fifield, M. Hobbs to ___?___? affairs of town __ among appointments. T. Sleeper – inhabitant.
113 – Dec.4, 1663 and Feb. 1664 – Order that 2 male inhabitants of the town to sit in the gallery to keep the boys in order during the services. Thos. Sleeper and John Redman assigned for first Sabbath; John Brown and Wm. Fifield to serve second and to inform next pair until all men of town take turns successively. Notices to be given to those profaning the Sabbath to be held court at Hampton.
From the above extracts of the Hampton Town Records and proceedings, William Fifield was actively involved in the Town and its governance in, at a minimum, the period between 1653 and 1664.
Benjamin Fifield
1646–1706
BIRTH 1646 • Hampton, Province of New Hampshire, English Colonies of America
DEATH 1 AUG 1706 • Hampton, Province of New Hampshire, English Colonies of America
Killed by Indians
William Fifield (1652 - 1715) and Hannah Cram
Below is an extract of 'FIFIELD;Newsletter;1991 Vol IV Nos 2;Disc034-20;RELEASED WITH PERMISSION.pdf' Sourced on 9 Jan 2022 from the Guild of One Name Studies
The family of William (2). son of William the immigrant, is not well documented. He married Hannah CRAM at the age of 41 when she was about 20. and died al the age of 63 when most of his children were still minors.
His will reads as follows:
In the Name of God Amen - I William Fifield of Hampton in ye province of New Hampshire in New England being sick & weeke in body but at this present time of perfect understanding & of a disposing minde & memory committing my sole in to the hands of Almighty God and my body to decent burial in hopes of Eternal Life doe thus dispose of my temporal estate which the Lord bath graciously given me.
My Will is that all my just and honest debts be duly paid by my executrix here after named in convenient time after my deathe.
I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Hannah all my estate of what kind or sort soever be the same houses lands debt stock money, goods & utensils for husbandry all my estate whatsoever within doors or without named or not named Wheresoever or what soever by her to be possessed & improved & disposed of. For ye bringing up my Children & other necessary uses during the tine of her natural life or the time of here widowhood until she marrv the which shall first happen & no longer: and my will is she dispose of all my estate among my children as she shall thinke meet by what parts or portions she shall thinke fit & convenient as to such or so many of my said children as she shall set cause. him. her. or than. to possess & enjoy the same immediately after her decease or marriage as above mentioned. My meaning is what remains undisposed of at her decease or marriage as before said:
And unto this my last will & testament I do appoint my beloved wife Hannah sole executrix by this revoking all wills by me formerly made & sign & seal this with my hand this eighteenth day of February in the first year of King George his reign over Great Britain. ye Anno Dominney 1714/15
Signed scaled & declared by William Fifield to be his last will & testament in presence of ye Witnesses
Robert Moulton
Humphrey Sullivan
Anthony Crosbie
Thomas Haines
Fourteen June 1715
Robert Moulton & Anthony Crosbie formally appearing before me. Richard Watoron Esq. Judge of Probate of Wills and Granting Letters of Administration made oath that they were present and see William Fifield signe seale and Declare ye above Instrument to be his last Will & Testament & at the same time he was of sound disposing mind & memory. Richard Watoron.
The History of Hampton. NH lists the children of William. giving birth dates for Mary Stephen. Henry and Jeremiah and an Estimate of 1704 for Argentine. Mary. Henry-, Jeremiah, Argentine and Samuel were all baptized on 31 October 1708. Son Samuel is listed first in the History. and perhaps this is why Sheppard also lists him first with an estimated birth year of 1694.
Regarding the date based on the first year of King George his reign over Great Britain.
George I (George Louis; German: Georg Ludwig; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. He was the first British monarch of the House of Hanover.
The date of the Will therefore translates to 18th February 1715.
From the note on the History of Hampton, presumably Stephen died before the other children were baptized on 31 October 1708, a kind of job lot.
