Captain Edward Bangs

  General Notes:

From the footnotes in Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines, Vol. 2, p. 61: ⁶⁰⁵
"In Panfield, Essex, on 30 Jan 1586/87, John Bangs, (the son of Richard, late of Norwich, Norfolk, deseased) married Jane Chavis.

"On 28 Oct 1592, the third son of John and Jane Bangs, Edward was baptized.

"In 1631, the will of John was made and mentions Edward. Before this time, John, the father had removed to Hempstead and died there on 11 Feb 1631/32.

" In Edward Bangs's will of 1677, he called himself eighty-six years old, which established his birth date as 1591. He named his eldest son "John" presumably after himself, and he was called "Mr. as was his presumed grandfather, Richard, who was a sheriff of Norwich in 1586 to which office he was elected from among their number by the mayor and aldermen. "

  Noted events in his life were:

• Emigration: from England to Massachusetts aboard the Anne, 1623. ⁴⁴⁶
On the passenger listing for the Anne, given in Cape Cod Series 1:84, he is listed as "Edward Bangs, from Panfield, Essex Co., Shipwright." With him on the Anne were Mrs. Lydia Bangs, Jonathan, and John.

The ship Anne arrived in Plymouth in July, 1623.

• Occupation:. ⁴⁴⁶
Edward was an Innkeeper at Eastham, Massachusetts. He was appointed on 24 Feb 1652 to lay out a route from Sandwich to Plymouth. He was elected town treasurer of Eastham on 2 June 1646. He was the superintendent for the building of the first vessel launched at Plymouth. He was deputy for sever years

Source
~Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, eds., 12 volumes in 10 (Boston 1855-1861)

• Will Filed, 19 of October 1677 and proven, 5 Mar 1678. ⁶²

• Background Information. ^132,517
"Edward Bangs, one of the seven who began the settlement at Nausett in 1645, came over from England in the Ann in 1623, a fellow passenger with Nicholas Snow. At this period, he was about thirty-two years of age, but whether a married or a single man is not positively known. In the beginning of the year 1624, it having been decided to allow each person who came over in the first three ships, one acre apiece to be laid out near the settlement as possible, for planting land, which each was to use for seven years, the records show that 'Bangs' was assigned four acres 'towards Eel River,' while Nicholas Snow was allowed the use of one acre. From this fact, it has been supposed Mr. Bangs was a married man with children at this early date. Mr. Bangs is mentioned in the records as being of John Jenney's company, which numbered thirteen persons, and to whcih 'the twelfth lot' of cattle fell at the division, May 22, 1627. To this company 'fell,' says the recrod, 'the great white back cow, which was brought over with the first of the Anne.' Both Bradford and Morton say the first neat cattle were brought over in the 1624.

"It having been decided at a court, Jan. 3rd, 1627-8, to allow every person twenty acres of land, besides the land each person had already, and Mr. Bangs, with Gov. Bradford, Edward Winslow, John Howland, Francis Cook and Joshua Pratt, was chosen with instructions to lay out the land near the water on both sides of the settlement, and to lay the lots out '5 acres in breadth by the water side, and 4 acres in length.' These twenty acres laid out for each person were for tillage. At this period, no meadow ground had been divided in Plymouth. Each year the planters were shown where to cut their hay and how much, by men appointed. They now continued the same rules relative to this matter, which were satisfactory.

"Mr. Bangs was a tax payer in Plymouth, March 25, 1633, and his tax is put down as twelve shillings. The same year, with Mr. John Doane, he was appointed to divided meadow, and in 1634, with Nicholas Snow and others, to lay out roads at Plymouth. In 1634 and 1635, he was one of the assessors of Plymouth. In 1637, 'for Eel River' he was appointed one of the committee to view the hay ground and assist in laying it out. Among others appointed with him were Mr. Wm. Brewster, Mr. Stephen Hopkins, Mr. John Doane of Plymouth, and Jonathan Brewster of Duxbury. He was one of the grand jury the same year, also in 1638 and 1640. In 1639, he was an arbitrator to settle a case between Samuel Gorton and Thomas Clark. In 1642, he was employed to superintend the building of a barque at Plymouth, to which he contributed one-sixteenth part of the amount reased for its construction. This vessel is supposed to have been the first built in the Colony.

"Mr. Bangs was the first treasurer of Eastham, after the settlement in 1645. He was a surveyor of highways in 1647, 1650 and 1651, and perhaps a deputy to the court in 1652, which year he was also of the Grand Inquest. In 1657, he was allowed 'to draw wine' and strong water at Eastham, with instructions not to sell to the Indians. In 1658, he agreed to find"2 hoursesw and 2 men for the country's service,' upon the town providing 'sufficient furniture for them.' In 1659, he 'promised freely' to find 'a man and horse with complete furniture, for the term of one year for the country's service.' Upon an order of the court to appoint overseers of the poor, with Nicholas Snow and Richard Higgins, he was appointed for Eastham in 1659. After this he took but little interest in public matters.

"Mr. Bangs died at Eastham, about the last of February in the year 1677-8, at the age of about 86 years, leaving no wife. His will, a lengthy document, in which he makes known his age, bears dat Oct. 19, 1677. It was presented for proof at Plymouth, March 5, 1677-8, Mr. John Freeman and Mr. Thomas Crosby upon oath, testifying as to its being his last will. Mr. Bangs' younger son, Jonathan, was appointed the 'whole and sole executor,' who, it would appear, was somewhat of a favorite with his father, from whose hands he received a good share of his landed estate, which was considerable, he having been of that favored number called 'Purchasers or Old Comers.' Mr. Bangs undoubtedly resided with Jonathan the last years of his life."

~Early Settlers of Eastham, Book 1, Pages 501-504

• Children. ^62,605
Chidren of Edward Bangs and second wife, Lydia Hicks:
John, m. 23 Jan 1660, Hannah Smalley

Chidren of Edward Bangs and Third wife, Rebecca Hobart:
Rebecca, d. bef. 19 Oct 1655; m. 26 Oct 1654, Jonathan Sparrow
Sarah, m. 1656, Capt. Thomas Howes, Jr.
Capt. Jonathan, b. 1641; d. 9 Nov 1729; m. 16 Jul 1664, Mary Mayo, bap. 3 Feb 1650; m. second Sarah; m. third, Mrs. Ruth Young, daughter of Daniel Cole
Lydia, m. 24 Dec 1661, 1st Bejamin Higgins, m. 2nd, Nicholas Snow
Hannah, m. 39 Apr 1662, John Doane, son of Deacon John Doane
Joshua, m. 1 Dec or 5 Sep 1669, Hannah Scudder, d. 14 Jan 1710/11
Bethia, b. 28 May 1650; d. 15 Oct 1696; m. Rev. Gresham Hall of Norwich
Twins:
Mercy, b. 15 Oct 1651; m. 28 Dec 1670, Stephen Merrick
Apphia, b. 15 Oct 1651; m. 1st 28 Dec 1670, John Knowles; m. 2nd, bef. 1677, Stephen Joseph Atwood

~Anthon Genealogy, p. 19
Sources cited:
History of Eastham, Mass., p. 191
Mayflower Descendants, Vol 17, p. 70
Genealogical Dictionary of New England Vol. I, p. 111
Genealogy of Bangs Family, by Dean Dudley
Comprehensive History of Eastham, pp. 18-19
Freemans's Cape Cod, Vol. I, p. 639
~Dawes-Gates ancestral lines, p. 67

• Families. ⁶⁰⁵
Edward likely came to Massachusetts with a wife and daughter who may have died within the first year in the Americans. He married, probably secondly, as early as 1634, a daughter of Robert Hicks, undoubtedly Lydia, a daughter of Robert Hicks. Robert Hicks's will, dated 28 May 1645, and Robert Hicks's wife's will of 8 July 1665, made bequests to their grandson, John Bangs.

Lydia Hicks died fairly soon after the birth of her son John, and Edward married, thirdly, abt 1635-37, Rebecca, who digned a deed with him on 22 Jun 1651. Rebecca may likely be the daughter of Edmund Hobart of Hingham and sister of the Rev. Peter Hobard of that place. In a diary kept by Rev. Peter Hobart referred to a trip of his to Eastham to attend the funeral of "sister Bangs" and since he had sister named Rebecca, it has been assumed that that "sister Bangs" was his sister Rebecca. The added fact that Jonathan Bangs named a son "Hubbard," which is sometimes used interchangeably with "Hobart," suggest the possibilibty that it might have been in memory of his grandmother.

The will of Edward, dated 9 Oct 1677, gave his age as eighty-six years of age. His will was probated on 5 Mar 1678.

~Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines, pp. 66-67

• Information: Edward Banes the pilgrim: a narrative.

• Soource: History and Genealogy of the Bangs Family in America.

Edward married Rebecca Hobart, daughter of Private and Margaret Dewey, in Eastham, Massachusetts. (Rebecca Hobart was born in Dec 1611 in Wymondham, Norfolk, England, baptized on 29 Dec 1611 in Wymondham, Norfolk, England ⁴⁶⁶ and died in 1686 in Eastham, Massachusetts.)