Nathaniel Bowman, my 9^th great grandfather (paternal) was born in Leek, England in about 1605 and immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in I630.  Nathaniel, a yeoman, was one of the original settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts.  In 1652, Nathaniel moved to the Shawshine division in Cambridge (Lexington) where he farmed on 20 acres.  Descendants of Nathaniel resided in Lexington for over 250 years and his g-g-grandson Ebenezer Bowman was one of the militia that stood on Lexington Common (only 17 years old) and witnessed the “shot hear round the world.” (Check out this previous post: The Shot Heard Round Buckman Tavern)

“There is also no evidence that (Nathaniel) Bowman ever joined the church in Watertown or Cambridge; this is partly indicated by the fact that he applied for freemanship in 1630, but never became a freeman, which after May 1631 required church membership.” (Great Migration Study Project)

Nathaniel’s story, while remarkable in his decision to risk venturing across the ocean to start a new life, was largely uneventful with little actual documentation.  What makes him interesting is the mystery of a court confession attributed to him and sold at auction for $2,000 in 2016.

However, the true culprits appear to be his son Nathaniel Jr. (1641-1707) and his daughter Johanna (1642-1682), Cambridge “townies,” who were caught carousing with Harvard University students in 1662.  They were ordered to appear before the Middlesex Court, as described below, that later resulted in a signed confession by Nathaniel Jr. I was unable to uncover a record of any fines or other punishment by the court against Nathaniel or Johanna.

An edited version of the document reads: “The humble acknowledgment of Nathaniel Bowman humbly confesses in answer to what is charged against him by this Honored Court that he desires heartily to be sorrowful that he was so far overtaken in being in both such company & whereas so much dishonor came to God; and so much ca[u]se of offence to his people and trouble to this Honored Court; with thankfulness to the Honored Deputy for his good advice, which through the grace of God I hope will work a better change in my heart. So craving humble pardon from the Honored Court, for the offenses done.”

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.

I have been fortunate in the exploration of my family history to uncover individuals who bravely faced the British on the Lexington Common and documented others who served in World War I and II, the Korean War and Spanish-American War. I have shared stories about individuals who worked as midwives, farmers, tavern owners, tailors, preachers, teachers, and many who were elected to serve their communities or faith.  

My family tree consists of well over 1,000 individuals and a couple branches extend over 10 generations.  Until now, I never crossed paths with an individual whose actions were so abhorrent that I wish I could just shake from my family tree.  The person that I am referring to is George Mitton, my 10^th great grandfather, who was born 25 August 1617 in Shrewsbury, England and died in 1660 in Falmouth, Maine.

George Mitton was married to Elizabeth Cleeve (1619-1691). Elizabeth’s father, George Cleeve, came to New England in 1630 and in 1632 established a settlement called Casco, later to be named Portland, Maine. George was also commissioned as Deputy President of the Province of Lygonia. A statue of George Cleeve stands on the Eastern Water front on private land in Portland. The statue was not accepted by the city council who claimed, without evidence, that Cleeve may have owned a slave.

The following is the sordid tale of George Mitton and his betrayal of his neighbor Richard Martin, which led to the death of a child and the hanging of Mary Martin. Richard Martin, a destitute merchant, returned to England and placed his daughter Mary in service as a servant to his neighbors, George and Elizabeth Mitton. Mary was 22 at the time and George (29) proceeded to “seduce” her, resulting in her becoming pregnant and later taking the life of her own child. There is no record of George Mitton suffering any consequences for his adultery, the death of his child or actions that led to the death of Mary Martin.

Comments, corrections and and suggestions appreciated.

Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved by David R. French.