Stephen Atwood Sr

  Noted events in his life were:

• Information: Stephen Atwood was one of the founders of Eastham in 1651. ¹⁰⁹
The First Settlers of Eastham Massachusetts - "In the year 1644 The Court doth grant unto the church of New Plymouth or those that go to dwell in Nausett (Eastham) all that tract of land lying between sea & sea from the purchasers bounds at Namseakett to the hearing brooke at Billingsgate with the mide bearing brooke & all the Medows on both side the saide brooke with the greatt basse pond there & all the Medows & Islands lying within the saide tractt."

Inhabitants May 22, 1655
Henry Atkins, Stephen Atwood, Edward Bangs, Richard Booshop, Joniah Cook, Job Cole, Daniel Cole, George Crisp, John Doane, John Greeman, Richard Higgins, Giles Hopkins, Benhard Knowles, John Mayo, Natianiel Mayo, William Merrick, Governor Thomass Prense, Thomas Paine, Joseph Rogers, Thomas Roberts, Mark Snow, Nicholas Snow, Jonathan Sparrow, Renhard Sparrow, Ralph Smith, Jon Smalley. William Twining, Thomas Williams, Robert Wexame, John Young.

• Dates & Events. ⁵¹⁸
Stephen Atwood or Wodd was in Plymouth in 1643. He married Abigail Dunham, 6 Nov 1644 and settled in Eastham. From him are desended the Atwoods of Cape Cod. The Atwoods of Maine are largely in not entirely from this stock. A considerable immigration from Cape Cod town to Maine occurred in the later part of the last century.

Stephen was most likely born in England around 1620. He maried Abigail, the daughter of John Dunham of Plymouth. Soon after he moved to that part of Eastham set off in 1763 as Wellfleet, and resided there until his death in Febuary, 1694.
~Cape Cod Library, Volume I, Atwood Genealogy, p. 722

• Background Information. ⁶²⁵
Entry in Guide to the Early Settlers of America, p. 17
Stephen Atwood, the founder of the Cape Cod family of this name, settled at Plymouth about 1643. He was one of the founders of Eastham, on the east side of Cape Cod Bay, nearly opposite Plymouth. The Atwood homestead stood near the spot where the exploring party of the Pilrims had their first encounter with the Native Americans previous to landing at Plymouth. Stephen Atwood married Abigail Dunham, daughter of John Dunham, at Plymouth, 16 Nov 1644.

• Children. ^81,154,518
• Abigail Atwood b: Aug 1645
• John Atwood b: abt 1646, died young
• Hannah Atwood b: 14 Oct 1649
• Eldad Atwood b: 2 Jul 1651 in Plymouth, Massachusetts; m. Anna Snow, daughter of Mark Snow and Anna Cook
• Stephen Atwood b: abt 1653
• Daniel Atwood b: abt 1655; living in 1693
• Medad Atwood b: 16 Jan 1659; Married Esther Cole, daughter of Daniel Cole

Stephen married Abigail Dunham, daughter of John "Deacon" Dunham and Abigail Barlow, on 16 Nov 1644 in Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts ^62,117.^,130 (Abigail Dunham was born about 1626 in Leiden, Holland and died about 1684 in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage. ¹⁰⁹
"Abigail Dunham did marry Stephen Atwood 6 Nov 1644 at Plymouth and her father was Deacon John Dunham. Her mother, however, was not Abigail Wood as Hills stated ..., but Abigail Barlow, daughter of Thomas Barlow, whom John had married in Leiden 22 Oct 1622. Their betrothal had been recorded 7 Oct 1622 with her father and sister Thomas and Anna Barlow as witnesses. John and Abigail lived in Zevenhuysen with the three children by John's first wife, Susanna Kenny.

Original Source: Bonnie Hubbard based on the material in the 1986 book, "Plymouth Colony - Its History & People 1620 - 1691" by Stratton