William Weeks, Sr

Notes:

William Weeks
Of England and New England
This line of Weeks came from England to New England. It appears that William Weeks was the progenitor of this family. He came from Staines, Middlesex, England and died about 1688 or 89 in New England.

This William is believed to be the son of Richard Wickes (Weeks) who names his son, William in his will and being in New England. It is thought William came to this Country after his brother John had already made the journey across the sea and was in New England, per the father, Richard's will in England.

William was married at least twice. The first wife's name is not known, they did have children. The second wife was May Lynde Butler, widow of John Butler. She was born 1628 and died 1693.

William was a tavern owner and appeared in Court many times in lawsuits. In January 1666 he was fined for selling strong liquor. He promised for himself and family that they shall no more sell strong liquor.

There were at least six children who reached adulthood

1. William Weeks Jr. born 1645 was still living in 1693.
2. Elizabeth Weeks born 1648 married John Robinson 1 May, 1667. John was born 5 April, 1640
3. Samuel Weeks born 1651
4. Richard Weeks born 1653, died 1724. He married Abigail Norton
5. John Weeks born 1655 married Mary Rowley 7 January, 1676. She was born 20 March, 1653
6. Abigail Weeks born 1658 married Jonathan Hatch, 4 December, 1676.

NOTES ON THE ANCESTRY OF BENJAMIN WEEKS

(William Weeks, the father of Benjamin Weeks, first married Mercy Robinson and upon her death then married Mary Hatch. Because there are some important dates unrecorded in this sequence of events, it is impossible to determine which of William's wives was the mother of his eight children. In an effort to solve this mystery Judy Anderson has devoted considerable time and energy to researching the relevant literature. The result of these efforts is presented below.)

WILLIAM WEEKS

The surname of Weeks, a corruption of the name Atwick alias Wickes, seems to surface in the parish of Staines, County of Middlesex, which is located about fifteen miles west of London. In 1638 in the will of a Richard Wickes -- dated August 4 and proved November 8 of that year -- he directed his executors "to pay to my son John Wickes now living in New England L200 at the feast of the birth of our Lord God next coming, . . ." He also left a bequest to another son: "To my son William L300, as follows, L30 in three months and the remainder in three years and he to have L10 paid him every half year in the meantime, and if he should die, or never come to claim it, then to be divided between my sons John and Robert and their children."(1)

There was a John Wickes living in Plymouth in 1637. He departed to Rhode Island in 1639, then moved with his friend, Samuel Gorton, to Warwick in 1643. He remained there until his death at the hands of the Indians during King Philip's war in November of 1675. He was sixty-six years of age.(2)

The will of Robert Wickes of Staines implies that William was either leaving England or already gone, and that it was in doubt whether he would return to claim his inheritance. Mr. Banks feels it logical that one brother followed the other to the new world and that since our William Weeks was a sea-faring man and did a packet business between Rhode Island and the Vineyard, there was a presumptive connection established for the two being brothers.(3) However, at the present time there is no proof for a connection.

William Weeks first appears on the Vineyard records in 1653, (4) in the area to be later known as Edgartown, but would have to have been there at an earlier date to have been able to participate in the division of land.

The first settlers of the town probably were assigned lots by the proprietors, one of the main ones being Gov. Thomas Mayhew. The land was sold to those desiring residence, but a transaction of concerning the distribution of those deeds does not exist. It is assumed that the first allotments of the common lands took
place between 1646 and 1652, and included the "Divided Lots" located south of the town bordering on the Great Pond and Katama. These lots consisted of from ten to forty acres each. (5) It was decided that a fair division of the land would consist of 20 acres to a man, unless they already had property, then that amount would be less.

The first division of this "common" land took place 8 May 1653, and was to be meted out in twenty equal parts. The Weeks received lot eleven. Upon subsequent division of land between 1664 and 1669 Williams Weeks continued to receive a share. (6)

In 1655 he was granted land "near the pines in the middle of the island."(7) It is known that he was married at that time because of a deposition by Goodwife Weeks, dated Dec. 25, 1655, but the given name of his wife is unknown.(8) It may be that he brought his children with him, or they may have been born after his move to Martha's Vineyard. Some time before 1658 his wife died.

William was serving in the position of constable in 1660, as he was notified by Gov. Thomas Mayhew "to levie upon the estate of John Doggett [Daggett] the elder, upon Martin's Vineyard (9) the sum of five thousand [pounds] upon the breach of order in purchasing lands."(10) Apparently Mr. Daggett had taken it upon
himself to negotiate for lands rather than going through the proper channels, and as a result was given a hefty fine. He was unable to come up with such a large amount and appealed to the court at Plymouth. William's name was among those requesting part of the farm when Daggett could not afford to pay the fine. However, upon order of the Plymouth Court, Daggett maintained his title to the land.

His second marriage was thought to be to Mary Lynde, who was the widow of John Butler. She was born about 1629 in Dunstable, Bedford, England, and died after 1693 in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Her parents were Thomas and Mary Lynde. (11) However, this has not been substantiated at the present time.

Some attribute the children to this second marriage, but since the children were born prior to 1658, it is doubtful this is the case.

As land was claimed and there came a need for expansion, the authorized persons would negotiate with the Indians, on behalf of the colony, to acquire additional property. The "Old Purchase" consisted of two large tracts of land within the town limits of Edgartown, the rights for which had been purchased from Tewantiquatick, and ran from Wintucket to the end of William Week's home lot. (12)

In May of 1653 a town representative purchased part of Ogissket Neck from the Indians and it became known as "The New Purchase." This parcel was not divided until 1673. (13)

The next division of land was the "Plain." It was the largest acquisition of land up to this time and was surveyed and divided by Richard Sarson, Thomas Bayes and Isaac Norton into forty lots. William Weeks received lot six.(14)

William's name appears on the town records for various actions, but the most notable was in 1667. He was making a trading trip from the Vineyard and had his vessel loaded with corn, pork, hides, tobacco, wheat, vegetables, etc. He was wrecked at Quick's Hole and the vessel was seized and looted by Indians of the Elizabeth Islands. Upon giving a deposition, he stated:

One Mondaye night the 18.9.1667 about 2 or 3 a clock in the morning, by reason of the violence of the wind, my anchrs remaining home, my vessell drove a shoare in the harbor at the west end of that Iland next to Quickshole. Myselfe and company then went to warme orselves at an Indian house, the Indians saied the vessell and the goods were theirs, wee answered noe, they had noe right to it, they sent to the Sackym & to the other Indians who all came together, and while they were consulting about the vessell and goods they bid us to goe to the other howse; wee answered noe, they need not turn us out of the howse wee did not hinder them; then the Indians went out of the howse to the next howse & wee went aboard, & about an hower & halfe after wee being returned to the howse the Indians came thither allso, and toll'd us they had determined all together wee should neither have or vessell or goods, they would take them. I desired my chest of them, some of them answered noe there was sum cloth in it & they would have it, I desired my weareing cloathes whch they graunted and some provisions to eate while wee were there wch they graunted. They tooke away a suite of cloathes from me, 2 pre of shooes, all my tooles, the sachim had my saw in his hand wch I would have had, but he woulld not gyve it to me, nor my axe. They tooke away a new Hatt and a new paire of shooes from my sonne: the partyculars lost are my vessell of 15 tunns wth all due furniture belonging to it, and a soresaile to spare, my Cables and anchors I desired of them but they woulld not gyve them unto mee, my vessell was not seene to be staved when we viewed hir at low water, onely the back of hir rudder broken off; my freight aboard was 42li Indian corns, fower barrels of pork, 4 hydes, 1 firkin of buter, 1 smale caske of suett about 40r, on barrell of tobacco, about 34 or 34li cotton wool, 26 bushells meale, 8 bushells of it wheate meale,the rest Rye of Indian meale, 1 bushell wheate, 1 bushell Rye, 2 bushells turnepps, one bushell of Inions, Red cloth 6 yards, 3 or 4 yards pemistone, My leade and lyne with divers other things out of my chest and vessell. Shooes, one poayre women's shooes, two Iron potts, 3 paire Chilldrens shooes, 2 paire new Russett shooes, 40l tallow, two gunns, a greene blankett, a woman's cloake from Goody Doggett, this is the truth of the case at present to or best remembrance.

This declaration above written was attested upon oathe by William Weexe the master of saied vessell, and by his son William and by thomas the Indian who was seaman in the vessell.

Goody Doggett testifies that the Indyans did take away & wtholld the vessell & goods from the master and shee did entreate them to lett him have his vessell againe but they would not, but they allso denied the meale and meate and fetcht it away, all these were taken uppon oathe 22 november 1667 upon the Vynyard. This is the Coppy of what is under oathe

Thomas Mayhew

Endorsed: "22 Novembr 1667 Declaracon of the Carriage of ye Indians about a vessell taken by them."(15)

Endorsed further down: "A declaration about a vessell of Will Weexes taken by indians at one of the Elyzabethes Isles: Nobre 1667.

His son, William Jr., accompanied him on this excursion, and both were rescued by John Dixey who told the Governor of New York about the incident. He, in turn, wrote to Governor Mayhnew to deal with the Indians and require restitution of the vessel and its stolen cargo. (16)

Although a resident of Martha's Vineyard prior to 1671, it wasn't until December 11th of that year that his lands were recorded on the town books. The following is a copy of his estate at that time:

The petickelers of the parcells of Land Granted unto William Weeks by the Inhabitance of Edgartown at the Great Harbour of Marthas Vinyard and Ordered to Be Recorded the Day above writen.

One whole Comonage of thirty seven Shears with all preveledges there unto Belonging as fish and whale: one house Lott of Twenty Poles Broad Bounded by Thomas Bayes on the South and Richard Sarson on the North Being Ten acres More or Less: to the Line Ten acres eleven Poles and a half Breadth Bounded by Thomas Bayes on the West Richard Sarson on the East: Land Bought of Peter Foulger one Neck Lying West to the Planting feild Being Eight acres More or Less: with one acre and a half of Meadow at Sanchacantackett one shear of Meadow; - one Shear at Feliz Neck: another Shear at Meachemus feild: one Shear at Quanomica: one Shear at Cracketuxett: One Devidant Lying at the Great Neck Being Twenty five acres more or Less Lying betwixt Thomas Peases and Mrs Blands: with one thach Lott ajoyning Part upon my said Devidant at the Neck: at Chapequideck one Lott of three acres More or Less Bounded by John Pease on the North and young Mr. Mayhew on the South: two acres of Meadow Lying on the South East Side of Chapequideok More or Less: one acre of Meadow on the EastSide of the Planting feild Lying Northward of Thomas Doggetts Be it More or Less: These all Granted By this Town and Purchased of Indians and one twenty fifth part. . . .(17)

He also had land at Homes Hole (18) which was not recorded until February 9, 1680. He had to have secured the property prior to that time, however, as he was appointed to a committee in Tisbury on January 16, 1678 to "view every man's lot and equalize it in the matter of swamp lands." (19) He may have been on the committee, with Isaac Chase and Thomas Mayhew, as an impartial arbitrator. How he came into possession of these lands is not recorded. Since the six shares granted by Governor Mayhew had already been accounted for, it may be that additional land had been acquired by them and subdivided, and that Weeks obtained a portion of this. Existing records would lead credence to this assumption, as in 1681 mention of "the English lyne" is referred to, and in 1685 "the line which parts the English land from the Indian land," is mentioned.(20) In 1683 he sold one-sixth of the "two Southermost lots of land: 42 poles by the harbor extending to the fresh pond."(21) In 1685 he sold "one compleat half of one third part of the two southmost lots of land upon the Neck."(22) The English Line is thought to have run from Bass creek to the head of Tashmoo pond, and to have marked the southern boundary of the original grant to the six shareholders. All of this land eventually was purchased by Isaac Chase.(23)

Apparently he had also secured land in Falmouth, possibly for investment purposes as Joseph Hull bought property from Jacob Perkins in Falmouth, and it was noted that Jacob had bought that property from William Weeks, Sr. 31 Oct. 1677. (24)

Several suits against William indicate that he operated a tavern. He appeared in various business and litigation activities between 1684 and 1687. In 1688 he sold his real estate interests in Homes Hole to Isaac Chase. A final sale in December of that year seems to be his last transaction. Between that date and August 3, 1689 he died, as his widow, Mary, sold the home lot and he is referred to as being deceased.(25) Sons William and Richard challenged her right to sell the lands as they claimed ownership. They won proved their case and the court gave them possession of the property.

There is no record of a will or probation for William. His son, Samuel, had land in the Vineyard, but he sold out in 1688. So, with the death of William, the Weeks family name was no longer found on the island until 1710 when Joshua Weeks settled in Tisbury. (26)

Issue of William Weeks and his first wife:

1) William, Jr., born about 1645. Md. (1st) Mercy Robinson,(27) daughter of Isaac Robinson and Margaret Hanford, 16 Mar. 1669.(28) Md. (2nd) Mary Hatch, daughter of Jonathan Hatch, about 1689.(29)

2) Elizabeth Weeks, born about 1648; married John Robinson, son of Isaac Robinson and Margaret Hanford, 1 May 1667 in Barnstable.(30) He was christened 5 April 1640 in Barnstable, Massachusetts. They removed to Connecticut in 1714. (31)

3) Samuel Weeks, born about 1651. Living in Edgartown in 1681.(32)

4) Richard Weeks, born about 1653. Md. Abigail Norton. (33) He died 26 August 1724 in Attleboro, Bristol County, Massachusetts.(3

5) John Weeks, born about 1655. He died in 1730. Md. Mary Rowley, daughter of Moses Rowley and Elizabeth Fuller, 7 July 1675/1676 in Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(35) She was born 20 Mar. 1653, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(36)

6) Abigail Weeks, born about 1658. Md. Jonathan Hatch, son of Jonathan Hatch and Sarah Rowley, 4 December 1676, in Martha's Vineyard. (37) He was born 11/17 1652 in Barnstable. (38)

Family/Spouse: Mary Lynde Butler. Mary was born in 1628 in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England; died in 1693 in Edgartown, Dukes, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elizabeth married John Robinson on 1 May 1667. John (son of Isaac Robinson and Margaret Hanford) was born on 5 Apr 1640 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA; died in 1714 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Mary Rowley. Mary was born on 7 Jan 1675. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Abigail married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

William Weeks Jr.
Son of William Weeks Sr.
William Jr. son of William Sr. was born 1645 in MA. He died in 1744. William married Mercy Robinson who was born 4 July, 1647 and was baptisized at Barnstable, MA. Mercy was remembered in the will of Miles Standish in 1655, who stated whom I have tenderly love for Marcy Robinson for her grandfather’s sake. Her grand father was the Rev. John Robinson, son of John and Ann Robinson and born 1575.

William was with his father on the vessel of Fifteen Toones in 1667 when it was making a trading trip from the Vineyard, it was laden with miscellaneous freight, mostly food and household items when the vessel was wrecked at Quick's Hole. The vessel was seized and looted by the Indians of Elizabeth Island.

WILLIAM WEEKS, JR.

In 1602 an English navigator, Bartholomew Gosnold, explored the south side of Cape Cod, and is believed to have landed at what is the present Wood's Hole. He sailed from the English port which was later Falmouth, England in 1660. In recognition of his landing on the Cape, the name of the area was changed from the Indian name of Suckanessett to Falmouth in 1694.

Wood's Hole was located on the most southern and western part of Cape Cod, and was one of the Falmouth villages people were attracted to before the town was incorporated. It was named for the water passage, or "hole" between Penzance Point and Nonamesset Island, as early as 1654.

In 1677 it had been divided into lots of 60 acres. Among the names of the new owners were Thomas Ewer, William Gifford, Joseph Hull, John Jenkins, Thomas Johnson and William Weeks, "who were Quakers."(39)

William Weeks Jr. was born about 1645 in Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts. He married Mercy Robinson, daughter of Isaac
Robinson and Margaret Hanford, 16 March 1669 in Barnstable.(40) She was christened 4 July 1647 in Barnstable.(41) As far as known, they resided in Barnstable until about 1677/78, when William and his brother, John, were granted land in West Falmouth.(42)

It has been noted in a couple of references that William and John Weeks were Quakers. (43) This is the second mention of William Weeks being a Quaker.

Thus far, I have found nothing which would solidly indicate that the Weeks were of the Quaker persuasion. The only record which might indicate they were members of that faith was the statement William, Sr. made in conjunction with the seizing of his ship by Indians, which is dated "18 . 9 . 1667".

Quakers did not use the names for days of the weeks or months of the year as most of the names were derived from pagan gods. Instead, they would indicate dates by writing them as: "18th day 9th mo. 1667." William's method of dating his statement may just have been co-incidental, however.

In the History of Barnstable County, by Simeon L. Deyo, pg. 672, it states that nearly all of the early settlers in what became West Falmouth were Quakers. It is known that William Gifford, who was among the first settlers, was a Quaker. With him were William Gifford, Jr., William Weeks and John Weeks. Because they were grouped with some of the Quaker families who were moving into the area, it may have been assumed that John and William were of the same religion, whereas it might simply have been that they championed the cause of religious freedom and moved to an area more congenial with those views.

The land of Woods Hole was divided into lots of 60 acres upland to a share, with the lots commencing at the south end of Little Neck northwest to Great Harbor. Jonathan Hatch, Sr., William Weeks, and William Gifford, among others, received a share. Each also took 10 acres in Great Neck. (44)

In 1685 William's brother, John, took up land in East Falmouth, east of the Five-Mile River, now Dexter's River. In 1691, both he and William were granted lands on the plains. (45)

Mercy died some time after 1687. (46) and William married Mary Hatch, daughter of Jonathan Hatch and Sarah Rowley, about 1689.(47) She was born 14/16 July 1647/48 in Barnstable, Massachusetts.(48)

There is some question whether the Weeks children are from the first or second marriage. The information I have found thus far would seem to point out that they were from the first marriage, with the exception of the C. W. Swift revision of Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families, page 467, in which it is indicated that because the children were christened with names common to the Hatch line rather than the Weeks line, he was confident that the mother of the children was Mary Hatch. The Robinson family genealogy attributes the children to the first marriage. The Hatch family genealogy attributes them to the second marriage.

I thought I had solved the problem when I checked Vital Records of Falmouth, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, by Oliver B. Brown, pg. 128. A list of births of the children assigned them to William and Mary Weeks. Then, I got to the "Marriages" part, and a marriage between William Weeks and "Mary" Robinson was recorded, which threw me right back in the middle of the stew. Apparently "Mary" is a diminutive form of "Mercy". To cover all bases, I went to the original microfilmed records, thinking someone may have misinterpreted handwriting. However, the old record is very legibly written, and there is no mistaking the entries. (49) A transcription of that record is found in the appendix.

Due to the fact that the Hatch, Weeks, and Chase families lived in the same general area, and that there was intermarriage among the families, I don't find it unusual that different names would surface in the family line. However, until additional information comes to light, the precise parentage of the children is in doubt. With that in mind, I will also do a history of the Hatch family in the event Mary Hatch was the parent of the children.

The exact date of William's death is unknown, but it would have been after 1716. He was a witness to the will of Jonathan Hatch in 1710/11, in which Jonathan mentions his daughter, Mary "Weaks."(50) It was signed in 1705 and witnessed by John and William Weeks. I would assume it was this document that pointed to Mary Hatch as William's second wife.

William, and either Mercy Robinson Weeks or Mary Hatch Weeks, had the following children:

1) Mary(51) Weeks, born 16 Jan. 1669/1670 Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(52) Md. Aaron Rowley, son of Moses Rowley, 7 Jan. 1690 in Barnstable.(53) He was born 1 May 1666 in Barnstable; died in 1743.(54)

2) Mehitable Weeks, born 16 Oct. 1671 in Falmouth.(55)

3) Sarah Weeks, born 6 May 1674, Falmouth.(56) Md. Seth Stuart 14 June 1716 in Massachusetts.(57)

4) Experience Weeks, born 24 June 1677, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(58) Md. Timothy Robinson, son of John Robinson, 3 May 1699, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(59)

5) Mercy Weeks, born 24 Apr. 1679, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(60) Died 4 Feb. 1708/1709. Md. (1st) Ebenezer Meigs, son of John Meigs, 17 Oct. 1700, Guilford, New Haven, Connecticut. Md. (2nd) Jacob Burnipus, son of Jacob, 18 Apr. 1705. (TAG, Apr. 1967.)

6) Jonathan Weeks, born 1 May 1681, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(61) Md. Mercy Robinson, 26 Oct. 1704. (Sandwich VR & Weeks Gen.)(62)

7) *Benjamin Weeks (Beniamen), born 4 Apr. 1685, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(63) Died abt. 1744/45, Carteret County, North Carolina. Md. Mary Chase, daughter of Isaac Chase and Mary Tilton, 14 January 1704 - 27 May 1704 in Vinyard Haven, Dukes County, Massachusetts.(64) She was born about 1687.(65) (See below)

8) Lydia Weeks, born 30 June 1687, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(66) Md. William Swift, son of William & Elizabeth Swift, 9 Oct. 1707, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts.(67) He was of Yarmouth, Massachusetts.

SOURCES

1 Charles Edward Banks. The History of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes Co., Massachusetts, Vol. II,, Dukes Co. Historical Society: 1966, pg. 118-119.

2 Charles Edward Banks, pg. 119.

3 Ibid.

4 Banks, Charles Edward. The History of Martha's Vineyard. Dukes County Historical Soc.: Edgartown, 1966, pg. 26. The first known division of common land was made in 1653 and there were 20 proprietors to participate in the allotment, including William Weeks.

5 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. II, pg. 25.

6 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. II, pg. 26 -- Edgartown Records, Vol. I, pg. 172; pg. 28 -- Edgartown Records, I, 156; pg. 30 --Edgartown Records, I, 147.

7 Banks, pg. 120.

8 Edwards, pg. 3.

9 Martha's Vineyard, although Martin's Vineyard seems to be the earlier naming of the area.

10 Charles Edward Banks, The History of Martha's Vineyard, "The Annals of Oak Bluffs", Vol. I, pg. 12 -- Edgartown Record, I, 130.]

11 Edwards, pg. 19 -- footnote.

12 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. II, pg. 32.

13 Banks, History of Martha's Vineyard -- Annals of Edgartown -- Vol. II, pg. 32.

14 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol., II, pg. 33.

15 William Hopple Edwards, Genealogical & Ancestral Notes, Vol. 2 of Series I & Series I-A, Meridian, Conn., 1957, pg. Appendix
E -- Excerpts from "Early History of Nashon Island" by Amelia Forbes Emerson -- pg. 202.

16 Banks, pg. 121.

17 Banks, The History of Martha's Vineyard - "Annals of Edgartown", pg. 121.

18 "Hole" refers to a small inlet of water which would shelter the boats. "Homes" originally meant an old man. Literal meaning of the term "Homes Hole" would be old man's hole. It was until many years later that the name was referred to as "Holmes Hole" after a family who had settled in the area around 1670 - Annals of Tisbury -- pgs. 3-18 off the internet.

19 Banks, pg. 121.

20 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. II, pg. 16 -- Deed of Dukes Co., Mass, Bk. III, pg. 314.

21 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. II, pg. 16 -- Deed of Dukes Co., Mass., Bk. I, pg. 78.

22 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. II, pg. 16 -- Deed of Dukes Co., Mass, Bk. I, pg. 73.

23 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. II, pg. 16.

24 Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families. . F. B. & F. P. Goss Publishers & Printers: Barnstable, Mass., pg. 2, Vol. II -- Revised by C. F. Swift 1979.

25 Banks, pg. 122.

26 Banks, pg. 122.

27 The original vital records of Falmouth, MA, found in the Barnstable County Registry Bldg. [FHL Film #0904590] notes: "Mm. Weckes & Mary Robinson were mared the 18 day of March in the yere 1669." Notice his wife is listed as "Mary" rather than "Mercy."

28 Clarence Almon Torrey. New England Marriages Prior to 1700, pg. 792.

29 In the will of Mary's father, Jonathan Hatch, signed in 1705 and probated in 1710/11, he mentions his daughter Mary Weeks. Witnessing the will are John and William Weeks. It would appear that this notation is what has given rise to the assumption that William Weeks was married a second time to Mary Hatch. Barnstable County Probate Court -- FHL Film #0904596].

30 Brownson, Held & Norton, FHL Film #0889265 Genealogical Notes of Cape Cod Families,(no page numbers).

31 Edwards, Appendix B - Excerpts from The Robinsons & Their Kinfolk, pg. 5.

32 Brownson, Held & Norton.

33 Brownson, Held & Norton.

34 Year from Banks, History of Martha's Vineyard, pg. 496; month and day from LDS Ancestral File, Family History Library, SLC, UT.

35 Vital Records of Falmouth, Massachusetts, film #0904590, pg. 130.

36 Brownson, Held & Norton and Edwards, Series I, Bk. 2, pgs. 192-195.

37 Torrey, pg. 352.

38 FHL Film #0889265 - Brownson, Held & Norton.

39 Mary Lou Smith, ed. The Book of Falmouth, Falmouth Historical Commission: Falmouth, Mass., 1988, pg. 474.

40 FHL Film #0904590 - Barnstable County Registry Building at Falmouth Massachusetts Vital Records, pg. 127.

41 Roberts, pg. 598.

42 Deyo, pg. 672.

43 Theodore Geoffrey, Suckanesset: A History of Falmouth, Massachusetts, Falmouth Publishing Company, Inc., 1930, pg. 26.

44 Deyo, pg. 665.

45 Deyo, pg. 634.

46 Edwards - Genealogical and Ancestral Notes, Series I, pg. 189 - gives Mercy's death date as circa 1740.

47 Torrey, pg. 792.

48 Brownson, Lydia B., Held, Grace W. and Norton, Doris V. Genealogy of Cape Cod Families, film #0889261 and Film #1018892 -- Charles Edson Robinson, Robinson Genealogy,. Vol. One, pg. 36 -- (In the reference it is stated that Mercy died at 93 years of age. However, the marriage year is noted as 1662. If there was an error in one date, there may have been an error in another.)

49 Microfilm of the original records located at the Barnstable County Registry Building, Falmouth Massachusetts Vital Records, Film #0904590.

50 Probate Records of Barnstable, film #0904598, Vol. 1, pg. 194, case #7082 - Family History Library.

51 Noted in the vital records of Falmouth, Massachusetts as "Mrcy".

52 FHL Film #0904590 - Vital Records of Falmouth, MA, pg. 127. The way of reckoning the calendar was different at this time. Therefore, two different year dates are given on most births. The first year would be under the reckoning of the old calendar year -- February to February, and the second year according to our reckoning of time now. Although it may appear that the first child was born before William and Mercy were married, it was actually a good nine months later.

53 Falmouth, Massachusetts Vital Records, film #0904590, pg. 124. Same is original records, FHL Film #0904590, pg. 124.

54 Torrey, pg. 640.

55 Falmouth, Massachusetts Vital Records, film #0904590, pg. 127.

56 FHL Film #0904590, pg. 127.

57 Falmouth, Massachusetts Vital Records, film #0904590, pg. 127.

58 Falmouth, Massachusetts Vital Records, film #0904590, pg. 127.

59 Falmouth, Massachusetts Vital Records, film #0904590, pg. 128.

60 Falmouth, Massachusetts Vital Records, film #0904590, pg. 127.

61 Falmouth, Massachusetts Vital Records, film #0904590, pg. 128.

62 Oliver B. Brown. Vital Records of Falmouth Massachusetts to Year 1850, pg. 216.

63 Falmouth, Massachusetts Vital Records, film #0904590, pg. 128.

64 First date found in Vital Records of Tisbury, MA published by the New England Genealogical Society in 1910, pg. 119. Second date found in the Vital Records of Falmouth, Massauchsetts - original filming of records, FHL Film #0904590, pg. 155.

65 FHL Film # 0904590 - Falmouth Co., MA Vital Records, pg. 155. "Intentions of marring [sic] published."

66 FHL Film #0904590, pg. 128.

67 Falmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts Vital Records [microfilm of the book at the Registry Building], film #0904590, pg. 155; also Swift Gen. film #1004003.

Compiled by:
Judy B. Anderson
4485 S. 2025 W.
Roy, UT 84067

William married Mercy Robinson on 16 Mar 1669 in Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA. Mercy (daughter of Isaac Robinson and Margaret Hanford) was born on 4 Jul 1647 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA; died in 1740 in Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Name: Bingman Weeks
• Residence: North Carolina, USA

Notes:

Benjamin Weeks
Son of William Weeks Jr.
Benjamin Weeks was born 4 April, 1685 in Falmouth, MA. He died 1744 in North Carolina. His will was probated in Carteret Co. North Carolina in 1745.

Benjamin married Mary Chase 14 January, 1704 in MA. She is the daughter of Isaac Chase and wife Mary Tilton Chase. According to Mary's will she died 11 August, 1788.

While Benjamin lived in MA. he owned a ferry that was given to him by his father-in-law, Isaac Chase as stated in the History of Martha's Vineyard, volume 1.

Benjamin moved southward and into Carteret Co. North Carolina about 1730. He lived in the area of White Oak River and died there in 1744. He is buried in the Weeks family Cemetery in the area.

Benjamin and Mary were the parents of ten (10) children:

1. Benjamin Weeks, Jr
2. Theophilus Weeks, born 1708
3. Lydia Weeks married Thomas Whitton 1 Sept. 1733
4. Archelaus Weeks
5. Mary Weeks married Weston Williams
6. Christian Weeks married Mathew Rowley
7. Thankful Weeks married Thomas Hicks
8. Isaac Weeks married Sarah ?
9. Jabez Weeks Mary Rhodes
10. Elizabeth Weeks

Ref. History of Martha's Vineyard, Volume I,II,III and Benjamin's Will probated 1745 book 6 page 62.

WEEKS/CHASE FAMILY REGISTRY
A LISTING OF THE DESCENDANTS OF BENJAMIN AND MARY CHASE WEEKS OF FALMOUTH, MA. AND CARTERET COUNTY, N.C.

TABLE OF LINKS
BENJAMIN WEEKS A Biography of Our Patriarch
THEOPHILUS & SWANSBORO The Founding of Swansboro, North Carolina
HATCH OR Robinson Who was Benjamin's Mother?
JONATHAN HATCH The Hatch Connection
CHASE HERITAGE The Ancestry of Mary Chase Weeks
THE GRAVES OF MARY & LT. CHASE A Quaker Life
THE PHILBRICK LINE More Ancestors
ALIAS FYLBRIGG A Philbrick Link
INDEX & SURNAMES 941 Surnames - 4400+ Individuals in Index
CONTRIBUTORS E-mail Our Contributors
WORLD WYKES WEB Weeks=Wykes?
ROWLEY FAMILY Sarah's Folks
GUEST BOOK Sign/Read Our Guest Book

VISIT WEEKS COUNTRY
PLYMOUTH BARNSTABLE FALMOUTH
CARTERET COUNTY ONSLOW COUNTY SWANSBORO

BENJAMIN WEEKS
HIS LIFE, HIS ANCESTORS & HIS DESCENDANTS
Benjamin Weeks was born on 4 April 1685 in Falmouth, Massachusetts. He married Mary Chase at Martha's Vineyard on 14 January 1704. Mary was born in Tisbury, Ma., on 17 January 1687. The ancestry of Benjamin and Mary is still open to question though it is certain that they count among their forebears the early Pilgrim and Puritan settlers of Massachusetts Bay Colony. As more settlers flocked to the Bay area good arable land grew scarcer, forcing the children and grandchildren of the original colonists to seek elsewhere for the means with which to support their families. The newly-established Carolinas answered this need with the promise of plentiful land and a gentler climate to those of an ambitious and pioneering spirit. Benjamin and Mary were among such a group of kinsmen and neighbors from the Falmouth region who migrated together to the White Oak River area of eastern North Carolina. Court records first indicate the presence of Benjamin and Mary in the area in 1741 though it is thought they had arrived as early as 1730. The Weeks family obtained land in Carteret County on Hadnots Creek at its confluence with White Oak River and set up housekeeping. Their grown children and other relatives and former Falmouth neighbors were soon established on lands of their own on both sides of the river. Benjamin died in 1744 and left the following will. All the children named in the will were born in Falmouth.
BENJAMIN WEEKS' WILL
In the Name of God Amen, ys. Ninth Day of November in the Year of our Lord, One thousand, seven hundred & Forty Four. I, Benjamin Weeks, of Cartwright County, in North Carolina, being of sick and weak Body, but of Perfect Mind & Memory, Thanks be given unto almighty God for it, & Knowing it is appointed for all Men Once to Die, do make & ordain this to be my last Will & Testament, that is to say; First of all I give my Sole into the Hands of God that gave it; & for my body, I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like manner at the Discretion of my Executors, Nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shal receive the same again by the mighty Power of God that gave it; And as for Touching such Worldly Estate wherewith if has pleased God to bless me with, I give & Dispose of the same in the Manner & form following.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my two sons, Isaac Weeks & Jabas Weeks, the Tract of Land that I now dwell on with the March thereunto belonging, to be Equally divided between them and their Heirs & Assigns for Ever. That is to say, my son Jabas to have that Part of the Land that the Plantation & Houses is on, and Isaac to have the other Part with half the Marsh.

Item, I give to my Son, Theoflis Weaks, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item, I give to my Son, Archelas, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item, I give to my Son, Bingman, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item, I give to my Daughter, Lidde Witton, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item, I give to my Dafter, Mary Williams, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item, I give to my Dafter, Christian Weake, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item, I give to my Dafter, Thankful Hicks, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item, I give to my Dafter, Elizabeth Weake, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item, my Will & Desire is for my Wife to have the Plantation in her Lifetime.

Item, my Will and Desire is that my two Sons, Isaac & Jabas, do Each of them pay unto my Grand Son Edward Weaks, the Sum of Ten Pounds, current money of Carolina, & upon Failure thereof to be Dispossessed of the Land before given.

Item, I give unto my well beloved wife, Mary Weake, Two Beds & Furniture, Two Cows & Horses, and all other Household Goods & all the Remaining Part of my Estate that is not yet given During her Widowhood, She Paying all my Lawful Debts.

I also Depute and apoint my sd. Wife to be my whole & sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament, Ratifying and alowing this & no other to be my last Will & Testament, Disanulling all other Wills formarly by me made.

In Testimony hereunto I have Set my Hand & Seal the year and date written above.

His Mark

Signed: BENJAMIN (B) WEEKS

SWANSBORO, N.C. BOGUE INLET TO THE LEFT
Among the Falmouth neighbors who participated in the move to North Carolina were Jonathan and Grace Green who established a plantation on the Onslow County side of the White Oak River not far from Bogue Inlet. Jonathan Green died a premature death and Benjamin Weeks' son, Theophilus, then married Grace, gaining in the bargain ownership of the riverside plantation. His proximity to Bogue Inlet and, doubtless, his demonstrated ability and honesty, earned Theophilus the appointment as Customs Inspector, a responsibility that entailed inspecting the cargoes of ships entering and leaving the inlet. To perform these duties, Theophilus constructed a wharf at his plantation and later a tavern nearby to slake the thirst of the transient seamen. The bustle of activity surrounding the wharf inspired Theophilus to subdivide his plantation into town lots which he sold to those of his neighbors who preferred the urban life. First called Weeks Wharf, the community was eventually renamed Swansboro. A plaque in Swansboro park honors Theophilus for his roll in founding the town. In time Weeks descendants would own most of the land bordering the White Oak River.

The end of the French and Indian Wars in 1763 would have a profound effect on the lives and fortunes of the Weeks family. At the ensuing peace conference France ceded Canada and Florida to the victorious English who immediately took steps to populate and control the new territories. The Crown offered generous land grants to veterans of the recent war and to eastern seaboard residents who were willing to homestead in British West Florida as the recent acquisition was called. It comprised parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. On the White Oak River history repeated itself as Weeks family members and neighbors responded to the call by trekking off to East Florida and British West Florida to seek their fortunes, no doubt spurred on by the same population pressures that had influenced their Falmouth forebears. Those so far identified as homesteading in British West Florida were Christian Weeks and her husband Abel Goffigon, Theophilus Weeks (thought to be the son of Silas and Zillar Weeks) and his wife Ann Osteen and John Hewitt, a cousin of Christian. No doubt there were others. Theophilus would later move to East Florida. As a result of these migrations both Florida and Louisiana possess well-populated branches of the Weeks family. After the Revolutionary War the migration of Weeks descendants followed the pattern established by other southern Americans as they spread westward across the gulf states into Texas and beyond so that today descendants of Benjamin and Mary Chase Weeks reside from coast to coast.

THE REGISTRY
This registry is the product of the independent research efforts of a group of Weeks descendants who have agreed to pool and share their data. It contains more than 3,500 names in 1,100 family groups, the majority of whom are lineal descendants of Benjamin and Mary Chase Weeks and their children, Theophilus, Lydia Weeks Witton, Thankful Weeks Hicks, Isaac, Elizabeth, Jabez, Christian Weeks Goffigon, Mary Weeks Williams and Benjamin. We are providing this data base for the benefit of other Weeks researchers in the hope that those who avail themselves of the information will join us in expanding the Registry by contributing additional unrecorded branches of the family. We will happily supply a GEDCOM of any portion of this data base in exchange for a GEDCOM that expands the Registry. Contributors will also be listed on this site as contact persons if they wish. At the present time no sources are provided to support the accuracy of the data. Researchers are urged to consult with the listed contact persons or to independently confirm the authenticity of the information themselves. You will no doubt find some errors in the data base; please be gentle in calling them to our attention. We hope in time to add a greater degree of accuracy and uniformity to the data base as well as some other interesting features. In the meantime, please bear with us. And Good Luck! (Please note: Fnu = First Name Unknown)
INDEX
SURNAMES

CONTACT INFORMATION
NAME ADDRESS RESEARCH INTEREST
Judy Anderson Andersonjb@aol.com Thankful Weeks Hicks
Jim McLoughlin mclou@hal-pc.org Christian Weeks Goffigon
Eric Harvester flconfed@GTE.net Theophilus Weeks
Judy Roberts J2ROBERTS@aol.com Ada Weeks Osteen
Keith Rabb, Jr. Krabb@Prodigy.com Ada Weeks Osteen
Ann H. McWhirter annie_b@netwrench.com Jabez Weeks
Doug Hanke DHanke@prodigy.net Phoebe Weeks Osteen
Connie Owens ceo@flash.net Tamar Weeks Sanders
John Palmer Palmerjo@SONOMA.EDU Henry Lee Mangum
Alice Bruce Bruce1013@aol.com Rhodes Weeks

Thank you for dropping in. We would really appreciate your sharing your Weeks data with us. Please send us a GEDCOM, post an inquiry or just let us know what you think of our page.

This Website was created on 2-26-97. All rights reserved.
Jim Mc Loughlin last tinkered with this page on 4-21-01. E-mail to: mclou@hal-pc.org

BENJAMIN WEEKS

Benjamin Weeks was born 4 April of 1685, Falmouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts.(68) The marriage date of he and Mary Chase, daughter of Isaac Chase and Mary Tilton, is somewhat in question. In the vital records of Tisbury, Massachusetts, under marriages, it lists Mary Chase and "Benjiman Weck" of Falmouth, 14 Jan. 1704 with as asterisk. The asterisk indicated that an intention had not been recorded. I assume that to mean that they announced their desire to marry at that time, but did not state a given time for that marriage to take place.(69) Going to the original vital records of Barnstable County, it lists
"Beniamin Wekes and Mary Chaces Intentions of marring published May the 27th 1704."(70) The actual marriage could have occurred after that date, so it would seem we can only say they may have married in 1704, after May 27th.(71) Mary was born 17 January 1687/88 in Tisbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts.(72)

Mary's father, Isaac, was supposedly a Quaker, although not ultra orthodox. It was Quaker custom to appear at two monthly meetings, in succession, when contemplating marriage. The publishing of their intentions had a span of several months between, however, so maybe one or the other got cold feet, then changed their mind.

The first reference I find concerning Benjamin after their marriage is when he purchased Weepecket, a small four-acre island on the north side of Naushon. It had been originally acquired by Thomas Mayhew, who sold it to Matthew Mayhew in 1682. Mathew then sold it to Benjamin Weeks, of Falmouth, in 1714.(73)

Benjamin's father-in-law, Isaac Chase, kept a tavern at Holmes/Home's Hole for many years. In concert with that, he operated a ferry to transport persons and their mounts from Martha's Vineyard to Falmouth.(74) In 1716, Benjamin Weeks is referred to as the ferryman, so it might be that Isaac turned the business over to him.(75)

By 1741 Benjamin and Mary Chase Weeks were in Carteret County, North Carolina. Where they were between 1716 and 1722 when their son, Isaac, was christened in Plymouth, and after 1729 when their son Jabez/Jabish was christened in Plymouth, I have not been able to discover at this point.

Benjamin and Mary Weeks first appear in the Carteret County records in 1741, when Benjamin made oath at the March term of Court for that year that he had in his family six white persons.(76) I assume that was in addition to himself. He and Mary were also to give evidence in a court case.(77) However, in 1732 there is mention of a Benjamin Weeks, Sr., in Court records and in 1730 there is an Onslow County land transaction involving Jonathan Weeks who is described as a "yeoman from Massachusetts Bay," indicating with a high degree of probability that Weeks family members were in North Carolina at least by this earlier date.

By March of 1744/45 we find that Mary is a widow when she requests a summons for Thomas Person to appear at the next court so that he can prove her husband's will. At that time she also requested that the boy, John Jones, be allowed to live with her family and be taught to read.(78) At the June term of Court in 1745, Mary, as widow of Benjamin Weeks, deceased, produced the last will and testament of the said Benjamin.(79) A transcribed copy of the original will was sent to me by Mr. James McLoughlin, who is a descendant of Christian Weeks. It can also be found in J. Bryant Grimes North Carolina Wills and Inventories, pg. 441-442.

WILL OF BINGMAN WEEKS(80)

In the Name of God Amen, ys. Ninth Day of November in the Year of our Lord, one thousand, Seven hundred & Forty Four.
I, Bingham Weeks, of Cartwright County, in North Carolina, being of sick and weak Body, but of Perfect Mind & Memory, Thanks be given unto almighty God for it, & Knowing it is appointed for all Men Once to Die, Do make & Ordain this to be my last Will & Testament, that is to say; First of all I give my Sold [sic] into the Hands of God that gave it; & for my Body, I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like manner at the Discretion of my Executors, Nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shal receive the same again by the mighty Power of God that gave it; And as for Touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with, I give & Dispose of the same in the Manner & form following:

Item: I give and bequeath unto my two sons, Isaac Weeks & Jabas Weeks, the Tract of Land that I now dwell on with the Marsh thereunto belonging, to be Equally divided between them and their Heirs & Assigns for Ever. That is to say, my Son Jabas to have that Part of the Land that the Plantation & Houses is on, and Isaac to have the other Part with half the Marsh.

Item: I give to my Son, Theoflis Weaks, one Shilling, Sterling.

Item: I give to my Son, Archelas, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item: I give to my Son, Bingman, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item: I give to my Daughter, Lidde Witton, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item: I give to my Dafter, Mary Williams, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item: I give unto my Dafter, Christian Weake, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item: I give to my Dafter, Thankful Hicks, One Shilling, Sterling.

Item: my Will & Desire is for my Wife to have the Plantation in her Lifetime.

Item: I give to my Dafter, Elizabeth Weake, One Shilling.

Item: my Will and Desire is that my two Sons, Isaac & Jabas, do Each of them pay unto my Grand Son, Edward Weaks, the Sum of Ten Pounds, current money of Carolina, & upon Failure thereof to be Dispossessed of the Land before given.

Item: I give unto my well beloved wife, Mary Weake, Two Beds & Furniture, Two Cows & Horses, and all other Household Goods & all the Remaining Part of my Estate that is not yet given, During her Widowhood, She paying all my Lawful Debts. I also Depute and apoint my sd. Wife to be my whole & sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament, Ratifying and alowing this & no other to be my last Will & Testament, Disanulling all other Will formarly by me made.

In Testimony hereunto I have Set my Hand & Seal the year and date above written.

His Mark

Signed: Bingham (B) Weaks

Signed, Sealed in the Presence of us,

Jehosaphat Holland
Francis Burns
his
Thomas T. Person
mark
Carteret County, North Carolina. June Court, 1745.

These may certify that Thomas Person, one of the Evidences to the Within Will, in open Court made Oath that he Saw Benjamin Weeks, Decd., Sign & Seal the same: and that he also saw Jehosaphat Holland & Francis Burns, Evidence the same, And Mary Weekes, Widow, hath taken the Oath of an Executrix, and by the Court admitted to Record. Dated at the Court House the 6th Day of June, Anno Domini, 1745.

Teee. Geor. Read, Clk. Cur.

Recorded in Will Book 6, pg. 62.

Mary is still living in 1749, as she and her son, Isaac, are to give evidence for a suit against William Gray, who was accused of taking a hog.(81)

At the present time, a death date for Mary is not known.(82)

With the exception of Isaac, Elizabeth and Jabez, the dates for the children are estimates, and they could have been born before or after the years indicated. Benjamin and Mary Chase Weeks had the following children, most of whom were probably born in Tisbury or Falmouth, Massachusetts:

1) Mary Weeks, born abt. 1710, Massachusetts. Md. Weston Williams.(83)

2) Lida Weeks, born abt. 1712. Md. a Witton.(84)

3) Archelas Weeks, born abt. 1714.

4) Theophilus Weeks, born abt. 1716. D. 1772, Swansboro, North Carolina. Married Grace Green, a widow. She was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts, died in Onslow County, North Carolina.(85)

5) Christian Weeks, born abt. 1734. D. 21 Jan 1806, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Md. Abel Goffigon. He was born 1747 in Northampton Co., Virginia; died before 1794 in St. Tammany Parish.(86)

6) Thankful Weeks, born abt. 1720, Massachusetts. Died abt. 1785, Craven County, North Carolina.(87) Md. Thomas Hicks, possibly a son of Thomas and Abigail Hicks of Swansea, Massachusetts.

7) Isaac Weeks, christened 21 July 1722, Plymouth, Massachusetts.(88) Md. Mary ? or Sarah. Living in Carteret County, North Carolina by 1741. Gave evidence in a suit of the King against Thomas Hicks in 1749.(89) Thomas, a planter, had acknowledged himself indebted to the King for the sum of ten pounds during the March term of court 1747.(90)

8) Elizabeth Weeks, christened 14 Feb. 1724/25, Plymouth, Massachusetts.(91)

9) Benjamin Weeks, born abt. 1726, Plymouth, Massachusetts.

10) Jabish [Jabez] Weeks, christened 4 Aug. 1729, Plymouth, Mass.(92) Md. Mary Rhodes abt. 1745. He is mentioned in the June term of court, 1751.(93)

SOURCES:

68 Vital Records of Falmouth Massachusetts, film # 0904590, pg. 155.

69 Vital Records of Tisbury, Massachusetts, New England Genealogical Society: Boston, Mass., 1910, pg. 119.

70 Film #0904590 - Barnstable County Registry Bldg., Falmouth Mass, Vital Record, pg. 155.

71 Vital Records of Tisbury, Massachusetts, New England Genealogical Society: Boston, Mass., 1910, pg. 26 -- under marriages it lists Mary & Benjiman Weck of Falmouth, 14 Jan. 1704, intention not recorded. They are then listed in the Vital Records of Falmouth, Massachusetts, microfilm of written recording, pg. 155, "Beniamin Wekes and Mary Chaces – intentions of marring published May the 27th 1704." I assume the first date recorded in Tisbury must have been equivalent of getting a license, and the second date, found in the Falmouth records, possibly the actual marriage date.

72 Vital Records of Tisbury, MA, pgs. 25 & 26 for Chase Family.

73 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. 2, "Annals of Gosnold", pg. 20.

74 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. I, pg. 452 -- the following action was taken in 1703: "Leift Isaac Chase is appoynted by this Courte to keepe a publike fery for the transporting of man and beast from Marthas Vineyard to Sickanesset alias falmouth and the fees allowed for said ferriage viz: -- six shillings for a man and a hors or three shillings for each person or horse forew'd to s'd Suckanesset: but if he doth cary but one hors over sd ferriage that he shall have the sume of five shillings."

75 History of Martha's Vineyard, Vol. I, pg. 452 -- Barnstable Deed, III, 148.

76 Sanders, Rebecca W. Early Carteret Court Minutes 1747-1764. Private Published, Beaufort, North Carolina, 2 Vols., Vol. 1, pg. 70.

77 Rebecca W. Sanders, Early Carteret Court Minutes 1723-1747. Privately Published: Beaufort, North Carolina 1991, pg. 71: By consent of John Starkey and Enock Ward, John Gillet, John Dugley, John
Roberts, Benjamin Weeks and Mary Weeks were to give evidences in the case of Williamson and Ward. They were to be sworn and affidavits taken.

78 Sanders, pg. 101.

79 Sanders, pg. 103.

80 Undoubtedly the given name of "Bingman" and the county of "Cartwright" were an error in transcription of the original will. Some of the old writing was very difficult to decipher.
Also, there is no Cartwright County in North Carolina.

81 Sanders, Vol. 2 - 1747-1764, pg. 22.

82 NOTE: I am still searching the court records for Carteret and may find something relating to her death.

83 P. W. Fisher, One Dozen Pre-Revolutionary Ward Families of Eastern North Carolina and some of Their Descendants, New Bern Historical Soc. Foundation, Inc.: New Bern, North Carolina, pg. 350.

84 Oliver B. Brown, Vital Records of Falmouth Massachusetts to the Year 1850. Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1976, pg. 216 - Marriages: There is a marriage between a Lydia Weeks and a Thomas Whitten of Plymtown, 1 June 1736. Since I don't pick up Benjamin Weeks until after that date in North Carolina, this may be the marriage of his daughter "Lida" to a "Witton."

85 Records of James McLoughlin, a descendant. Copies in my possession.

86 James McLoughlin, a descendant, via correspondence 1997, and via the Weeks Family Registry web page on the internet.

87 Will of Thankful Hicks. Found in Duplin County, North Carolina. See Hicks Family History.

88 Sherman, Ruth Wilder. Vital Records of Plymouth, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. Picton Press: Camden, Maine, 1993, pg. 70.

89 Sanders, Vol. 1, pg. 22.

90 Sanders, Vol. 1, pg. 3.

91 Sherman, Ruth Wilder. Vital Records of Plymouth, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. Picton Press: Camden, Maine, 1993, pg. 70.

92 Sherman, Ruth Wilder. Vital Records of Plymouth, Massachusetts to the Year 1850. Picton Press: Camden, Maine, 1993, pg. 70.

93 Sanders, Vol. 1, pg. 33.

Compiled by:
Judy B. Anderson
4485 S. 2025 W.
Roy, UT 84067

Bingman Weeks' Will.
In the Name of God Amen, ys. Ninth Day of November, in the Year of our Lord, One thousand, Seven hundred & Forty Four . I, Bingman Weeks , of Cartwright County , in North Carolina , being very sick & weak of Body, but of Perfect Mind & Memory, Thanks be given unto almighty God for it, & Knowing it is appointed for all Men Once to Die, Do make & Ordain this to be my last Will & Testament, that is to say; First of all I give my Sold into the Hands of God that gave it; & for my Body, I recommend to the Earth to be buried in a Christian like manner at the Discretion of my Executors, Nothing Doubting but at the General Resurrection I shal receive the same again by the mighty Power of God that gave it; And as for Touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with, I give & Dispose of the same in the Manner & form following.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, I give & bequeath unto my two Sons, Isaac Weeks & Jabas Weeks , the Tract of Land that I now dwell on with the Marsh thereunto belonging, to be Equally divided between them and their Heirs & Assigns for Ever. That is to say, my Son Jabas to have that Part of the Land that the Plantation & Houses is on, and Isaac to have the other Part with half the Marsh.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, I give to my Son, Theoflis Weaks , on Shilling, Sterling.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, I give unto my Son, Archelas , One Shilling, Sterling.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, I give to my Son, Bingmam , One Shilling Sterling.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, I give to my Daughter, Lidde Witton , One Shilling Sterling.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, I give to my Dafter, Mary Williams , One Shilling, Sterling.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, I give to my Dafter, Christian Weake , One Shilling Sterling.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, I give to my Dafter, Thankful Hicks , One Shilling Sterling.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, my Will & Desire is for my Wife to have the Plantation in her Lifetime.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
I give to my Dafter, Elizabeth Weake , one Shilling Sterling.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, my Will & Desire is that my two Sons, Isaac & Jabas, Do Each of them pay unto my Grand Son Edward Weaks , the Sum of Ten Pounds, current Money of Carolina, & upon Failure thereof to be Dispossessed of the Land before given.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Item, I give unto my well beloved Wife, Mary Weake , Two Beds & Furniture, Two Cows & , and all other Houshold Goods & all the Remaining Part of my Estate that is not yet given During her Widowhood, She paying all my Lawful Debts. I also Depute and apoint my sd. Wife to be my whole & sole Executor of this my last Will & Testament, Ratifying and alowing this & no other to be my last Will and Testament. Disanulling all other Will formarly by me made.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
In Testimony hereunto I have Set my Hand & Seal the Day & Year above written.
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Bingman Weaks (Seal)
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Signed, Sealed in the Presence of us, Jehosaphat Holland . Francis Burns . Thos. Person .
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.
Carteret County, North Carolina . June Court, 1745 .
North Carolina Wills and Inventories
Bingman Weeks' Will.

Benjamin married Mary Chase on 14 Jan 1702 in Vineyard Haven, Dukes, Massachusetts, USA. Mary (daughter of Lieutenant Isaac Chase and Mary Tilton) was born on 17 Jan 1686 in Tisbury, Dukes, Massachusetts, USA; died on 11 Aug 1788 in Carteret, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: Abt 1787, North Carolina, USA
• Probate: 1787, Onslow, North Carolina, USA

Notes:

Theophilus Weeks
Son of Benjamin Weeks.
Theophilus Weeks Sr. was born in Falmouth, Barnstable Co. MA. Bay Colony in 1708. He removed to North Carolina with his family about 1730 and settled in Carteret County and then moved to Onslow Co. by 1735. Theophilus married Mrs. Grace Green the widow of Jonathan Green. Grace the widow was deceased by August 1792 as evidence by minutes of the August 1792 Court in Carteret Co. which concerned a lawsuit against the estate of Grace Weeks.

Theophilus laid out and established the Town of Swanboro, North Carolina., in 1770. He surveyed forty-eight lots which are still part of the town.

Theophilus was inspector for the port, which was called Weeks Landing, Week's Whard, The Whard, Weeks Pint, Bogue, New Town and Swansboro. His house was just up from the wharf so he could see the ships as they came in.

Grace had one son by Jonathan Green and four sons for Theophilus Weeks. If they had daughters they are unknown.

1. Jonathan Green Jr. born before 1735 and died 7 February, 1777
2. Benjamin Weeks
3. Silas Weeks, died 22 May, 1778 Rev. Soldier
4. Silvanneus Weeks, Rev. Soldier as swore in open Court by Edward Marey on July 10, 1792.
5. Archelus Weeks married Abigail Edwards, widow of Thomas Edwards.

A Sketch of the Life of Theophilus Weeks
Founder of the Town of Swansboro

Theophilus Weeks, son of Benjamin and Mary Chase Weeks, was born at Falmouth, Massachusetts, in 1708. Sometime in 1730 Benjamin Weeks moved his family from Falmouth to Carteret County, North Carolina, settling along Hadnot's Creek, a tributary of the White Oak River. Apparently about the same time, another Falmouth family-that of Jonathan Green, Sr.-moved to the White Oak River area and settled on the land where the town of Swansboro eventually began. Very little is known about Jonathan Green, Sr., except that he moved to his new home along with his wife Grace and his older brother, Isaac Green. Jonathan and Grace Green had a son named Jonathan, Jr., but it is not presently known whether Jonathan, Jr., was born in Massachusetts or in North Carolina. In 1730, the two brothers, Isaac and Jonathan Green, jointly bought their new plantation on the White Oak.

Meanwhile, Theophilus Weeks appears to have lived in his father's household until 1735. By that year, Jonathan Green, Sr., had died of some unknown cause at the early age of approximately 35 years old; and Theophilus Weeks had married the widow, Grace Green. Weeks moved to the Onslow County side of the river upon marrying the Widow Green, and they made their home in the house that had earlier been the home of Jonathan Green, Sr. In due time Weeks bought the half interest of Isaac Green, who thereafter returned to Massachusetts. Thus, by purchase from Isaac Green and by intermarriage with Jonathan Green's widow, Theophilus Weeks came into full possession and control of the plantation on the Onslow County side of the mouth of the White Oak River.

Plaque in Swansboro Public Park Honoring Theophilus
In addition to his stepson, Jonathan Green, Jr., Theophilus Weeks's family increased by four sons born to him and his wife Grace. Their four sons were Benjamin Weeks, Silas Weeks, Silvanus Weeks, and Archelaus Weeks, whose name sometimes appears incorrectly as Archibald Weeks. If Jonathan Green, Jr., should ever prove to have been born in Massachusetts before his parents moved to North Carolina, then Theophilus and Grace's son, Benjamin Weeks , would be the first child of European descent ever born on the site of what became the town of Swansboro. Not much is known about the occupation of Theophilus Weeks prior to 1751. In January of 1741 (New Style), Weeks recorded his stock mark, which indicated agricultural interests. In 1747 Weeks mortgaged to Col. John Starkey for slightly over 200 pounds the land he had bought of Isaac Green. There is no indication of the use Weeks made of the borrowed money, but he evidently paid it off by the end of 1748. In 1751 Weeks petitioned the Onslow Court for permission to operate an ordinary (18th century term for tavern or inn)and was licensed to "keep an ordinary at his now dwelling place," which suggests that port activity was thriving at the mouth of the White Oak and that Weeks' plantation was a favorite spot for the seafarers to visit.

PLAQUE COMMEMORATING THEOPHILUS WEEKS - FOUNDER OF SWANSBORO
Three years later in 1754, the Onslow Regiment of Militia was organized in response to the French and Indian War. The regiment was divided into four companies, and Theophilus Weeks was commissioned a sergeant in Capt. Stephen Lee's Company of the Onslow Regiment of Militia. His service as one of the original officers in the regiment indicates a more-than-usual capacity for leadership and public responsibility.
In 1757 Theophilus Weeks was appointed the first inspector of exports for Bogue Inlet. Though the record for some years is incomplete, there is every indication that Weeks held the office of inspector continuously from 1757 until his death in 1772, It is significant that there is no record of any complaint ever having been lodged against him with respect to the administration of his official duties. Nor was he ever involved in any lawsuit or uncomplimentary situation so far as the record reveals. From all indications, Theophilus Weeks was a prime example of the unassuming, hardworking, solid citizen upon whom our great democracy was built.
No record has come to light which reflects the religious affiliation of Theophilus Weeks. However, he is known to have had an eminent Puritan minister in his ancestry, and the fact that other members of the Weeks family in the Hadnot's Creek area were deeply involved in the early Baptist movement suggests the strong possibility that Theophilus was also numbered among them.

While there are additional references to his keeping an ordinary and serving as inspector, the most significant accomplishment of Weeks's life came just about a year before his death. It is not known exactly when Theophilus Weeks decided to start a town on his plantation called "The Wharf." He may have toyed with the idea for years, but it seems certain that he had finalized the plan of a town by sometime early in 1771 or possibly even in 1770. The earliest Swansboro lot for which there is a deed from Theophilus Weeks on record is lot number 6, which Theophilus and Grace Weeks sold to Edward Starkey on May 11, 1771. Strangely enough, that deed refers to an adjoining lot as belonging to a Mr. Lee, though no deed from Weeks to Lee is recorded. The deed from Weeks to Starkey, however, does prove that as early as May of 1771 a plan of the town existed and that the lots in the town had already been assigned their numbers. That the establishment of a town on his property was the idea of Theophilus Weeks is further supported by the deed to Mrs. Mary Pitts for lot number 11. Mrs. Pitts received the deed for what was called "lot number 11 in the plan of a town laid out by Theophilus Weeks.” It is, therefore, clear that the town that became Swansboro was the idea of Theophilus Weeks, who thereby earned the title of "Founder of the Town of Swansboro."

As laid out by Weeks, the new town contained a total of 48 lots and 6 streets. The lots were arranged in three tiers with 16 lots to the tier. Of the 6 streets, 3 streets ran basically north to south and 3 ran basically east to west. Those streets today are known as, Front, Water, Elm, Moore, Main, and Church streets, though 4 of the 6 streets have been greatly extended as the town has grown. All of the original lots measured 60 feet in width and 200 feet in length, except that those lots on the north side of Front Street were intended to extend across the street to the rivershore. Seven of the 48 lots were called "water lots" because in varying amounts a part of each of those 7 water lots lay beneath the water. The 7 water lots were known in the plan of the town as lots number 10 through 16. All of the streets in the town were laid out to be 30 feet wide, except for Front and Broad streets, which were 40 feet wide. The Broad Street shown on the early maps of Swansboro should not be confused with the present-day Broad Street. What Theophilus Weeks called Broad Street is today known as Main Street and was the end of the old county road which ran from Onslow Courthouse (as Jacksonville was formerly called) to Weeks's wharf where he inspected exports leaving the White Oak River area.

The sale of lots in the new town continued slowly, and only a few of the original 48 lots had been sold when Theophilus Weeks died. From the deed records, it is known that the Weeks home stood on the west side of Broad Street (now Main Street) somewhere between Front and Water streets. In the plat of the town, the lot on which Weeks's home sat received the number 7. Because Weeks had a wharf nearby where vessels tied up to have their cargoes inspected, one of the earliest names for the town was Weeks's Wharf. Some called the town Weeks's Point, and still others called it "New Town." In one petition, the town was called "New Town-upon-Bogue." During the Revolutionary War years, the most common name for the town was Bogue. In 1783, when the town was established by law, the General Assembly put an end to the confusion over names by bypassing all the earlier names and officially naming the town Swannsborough, which has since been shortened to Swansboro.

The precise date and cause of Theophilus Weeks's death is unknown, though it appears to have occurred in early January, 1772. On January 1, 1772, Theophilus and Grace Weeks signed a deed to Archibald Gillespie for half an acre of land. That was the last deed Theophilus ever signed. When the Onslow Court met just a few days later, one of the actions taken by the court was to appoint Archibald Gillespie inspector for Bogue Inlet "in the room of Theophilus Weeks, deceased."

While Theophilus Weeks lived and died a subject of the king of England, he was the father of patriots. Of his four sons, two - Silas and Silvanus - died as soldiers in the American Revolution. In his final years, Theophilus Weeks founded a new town and left behind him sons who would help to found a new nation. It is appropriate that the bill legally erecting the town which Weeks had founded was passed by the General Assembly in the same year that Great Britain officially recognized American independence. Tucker R. Littleton

[Note: This biography of Theophilus Weeks was extracted from a guide that was sold to tourists visiting Swansboro. The old buildings of downtown Swansboro have been converted to gift shops, boutiques, restaurants and other tourist-oriented establishments in order to attract the trade of visitors to the North Carolina outerbanks. The author of this guide, Tucker R. Littleton, was probably himself a descendant of Benjamin Weeks.]

Theophilus married Grace Green on 7 Oct 1735 in Swansboro, Onslow, North Carolina, USA. Grace was born in 1708 in Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA; died after 1775 in Onslow, North Carolina, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: Abt 1718, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA
• Birth: 1718, Falmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA
• Death: 1784
• Death: 1784, Carteret, North Carolina, USA

Thankful married Thomas Hicks in 1738. Thomas died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Isaac married Sarah LnuCarteret, North Carolina, USA. Sarah died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Christian married Abel GoffigonNorth Carolina, USA. Abel was born in 1747 in Northampton, Virginia, USA; died before 1794 in St Tammany, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Fnu Witton. Fnu died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: 1720, Falmouth, Cumberland, Maine, USA
• Birth: 1720, Maine, USA
• Death: 1802, Pelletier

Jabez married Mary Rhodes in 1745 in Onslow, North Carolina, USA. Mary died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Weston WilliamsCarteret, North Carolina, USA. Weston died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]