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Quotes on this page are transcriptions, but use standardized spelling and punctuation where word meaning is not in question.
Joseph's birth
John was probably born in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, shortly after his parents and siblings immigrated. There is no clear evidence of when the family moved to New England either, but his father was given land in Duxbury in 1637. A deposition of Joseph's in May 1669 says he was about 30.1 Ages from court depositions in New England aren't reliably accurate. Some can be shown to be exactly right, others off by years, but they generally are at least close. The records of Rugby, Warwickshire, where his older siblings were baptized, don't include him. Joseph appears in Plymouth Colony records doing adult activites as early as May 1660, and likely in June 1659, the first time we see him mentioned.2 If he was 30 in May 1669, he was born between May 1638 and May 1639 and an adult (age 21) in June 1659. Further evidence is needed to prove this.
The family moved to Sandwich, Plymouth Colony, between 3 July 1637 and, probably, 5 November 1638 (see his father's page). On the latter day, Thomas's Duxbury land grant was given to Nicholas Robins, likely forfeited when the Burges moved. Thomas's first certain record as a Sandwich resident isn't until 1640, but barring a move out of Plymouth Colony, Joseph was very likley was born in Plymouth Colony, either in Duxbury or Sandwich. His father is supposed by some to have migrated to Sandwich from Lynn, Massachusetts Bay Colony, without any documentation to support it, which is discussed at Thomas's page.
The Sandwich militia
Joseph served in the Sandwich militia for about fifteen years. Court and town records show this was unsettled time for the town. William Bassett, Sr., of Sandwich was prominent there as a constable. He was fined for not making public a court order prohibiting military provisions from being taken out of the colony.3 On 2 March 1657/58, the court warned Bassett about refusing to collect taxes in the form of corn.4 At the same session, public meetings with government officials were ordered in Sandwich, Barnstable and Yarmouth.5 The court session of 1 June 1658 ordered Sandwich to stop military "training" until the next meeting of the counsel.6 The same day, the court appointed a marshall in place of Bassett in Sandwich (Barnstable and Yarmouth are also vaguely mentioned).7 This was done due to the "many disturbant persons" in Sandwich. There was an influx of Friends (Quakers) into Sandwich, which was considered very disturbing to the town and the Colony government. Sandwich Friends appear in 1658 court records as having refused to take oaths of allegiance.8 All these things seem to have coalesced, and Bassett was a focal point of responsibility as constable. Despite the uproar and attempts to dispel the Friends (the General Court sent an order to stop them and confiscate whatever boats they arrived in),9 there has been a formal congregation there ever since 1660. Bassett was given £5 for his unusual trouble acting as constable in Sandwich, with the added "great loss" he had.10 (3:137 He didn't have any obvious deaths in the family at this time to qualify as a "great loss" that would affect his duties. Maybe a house fire was involved.)
The following is a modified quote from town meeting minutes for 22 May 1658 (with spelling and punctuation modernized):11
The town made an agreement with Richard Chadwell and William Basset and James Skeff to find three trouping horses, well appointed, for one year, upon condition that they may have liberty for their horses to go constantly for this whole year in the Towne Neck and give them five shillings for every day they are called forth by the military officer of the town, or else whereso appointed by the court or counsel of war. To be paid in the one half wheat and the other in Indian corn or peas.
The 1659 date mentioned in connection to Joseph's approximate birth comes from a Colony court case, which says he was fined 20 shillings for "taking away a beast attached for the country." This surely refers to a horse. Being "attached to the country" means service to the government, which by default means a horse for the militia. This infers he was in the militia, especially given subsequent records. On 18 May 1660, minutes of a town meeting say "The town hath agreed with William Basset, Joseph Borg and Steven Skeff to provide each man of them a trouping horse and furniture fit for service upon condition that they may have their horses go in the town neck for this present year, that they have engaged to the town and they are to have six pound and a half of powder a piece of the towns powder for their wages."12 Minutes from a week later say "Delivered to William Basset and to Joseph Borg and to Steven Skeff according to the town agreement above expressed six pound and a half of powder a piece, it being nineteen pound and a half in the whole delivered."13 There were two adult men in Sandwich named William Bassett who were father and son. The only time a suffix is used at all in town records at this time is the court case about publicizing the court order about military provisions. The elder's birth year isn't known, but he was at least well into his 50s. The younger, also without a specificly known birth year, was in his 30s. Either man, without knowing physical condition, could have served in the militia.
Joseph was still serving in the Sandwich militia on 6 February 1666/67 (6th day of the 12th month):14
The Town hath covenanted and agreed with Stephen Skeffe and Joseph Birge to be troupers for the town for five years, to answer the order of court. And in consideration here of, the said Stephen Skeffe and Joseph Birge is to have paid them yearly, ten shillings a year a piece in money - and their time to begin in the middle of July next ensuing from the date hereof - and further, the town is to provide these men four pistols and holstars, and other furniture as belongs to or for the service - except horses and powder and bridles and saddles and swords.
On 24 January 1674/75, Joseph was appointed with several others to the "counsel of war," who were to "coact and join" an existing group for the same purpose. There were men in town who refused militia duty ("service for the country"), and it seems the counsel was tasked partly with identifying them for fines.15
The eleventh of April, 1676, diverse of the counsel appeared and met together at Plymouth in order unto prosecution of the said expedition, but many of the soldiers that were pressed came not to go forth, especially Scituate and Sandwich proved very deficient, which caused a frustration of the whole design, so as they did not agree to go forward in any thing for public good, either for the help and defence of Rehoboth, then in straights, or otherwise for our offence of our enemy or defense from them, but rather break up in a division and confusion, only a few of the southern soldiers went out of their way as far as Middlborough, and returned home.16
At the 7 December 1676 town meeting, "Whereas the Counsel of War hath ordered the Town of Sandwich to pay unto the Town of Barnstable seventy and three pounds sixteen shillings which is due to be paid by the Town of Sandwich, to balance the account of charges that hath arisen by the late wars..."17 On 27 Oct 1675 he was charged with going into the guard, probably a guard house and also called a "watch," at Sandwich with the intent of taking a gun and hit John Dexter when he tried to stop him.18 He was fined £5 to cover the cost of the constable bringing him to court, damages to Dexter and his father for the assault (John Dexter was about 18 and therefore a minor), their costs for having to go to court and the rest as a penal fine. Possibly also related to this is when Joseph was fined 20 shillings for "disorderly helping away of horses out of the colony."19 Sandwich was relatively far from the Colony's borders, so a boat may have been involved.
The "Counsel of War" was, evidently, a Colony entity created in 1653 by the Plymouth Colony General Court.20 "[They] should have full power to issue out warrants to press such a number of men in every town as by proportion the said town is to set forth; and also to issue forth warrants to the said towns for arms and provision, and all things necessary for them, and what charges shall arise, to be levied on each town, proportionably as other public rates, and to give commission to any chief officer under their charges, either in time of peace or war." There were nine men appointed at the time, all high in ranking and social status in the colony. On 2 October 1658, the court appointed James "Skiffe to exercise the military company of Sandwich in theire arms at such times as they shall have occasion to train, although not as an officer, but to supply in the stead of one to exercise them in arms as aforesaid until other help can be procured."21 With this record is an account of how much gunpowder and shot was given to various towns "for the more safety of it and conveniency for the use of the country, as occasion should require." Sandwich isn't among them. Also at this court session, Gov. Prence, "with the consent of the rest of the Councel of War," promoted Josias Winslow to be head of the colony's militia as a major.22 By the time Joseph was involved, it's likely each town had such a "counsel," surely as satellite groups under the Colony's committee. Court records mention the town of Rehoboth's counsel in the early 1680s. Joseph didn't have the stature to serve at the Colony level, and he, nor Skiff, ever had an officer's commission.
The Sandwich pound and the Town Neck
Joseph was also active in overseeing the town "pound," where livestock were kept on the common land on the "Town Neck," and other things connected with the "Neck." Following are excerpts from town meeting minutes:
The deposition of Joseph Birg aged about thirty years this deponent sayeth I help put a mare out of the town neck, which mare William Swifft called his, but now he sayeth this is his daughter Hannah's, and this I saw done the two & twenty of this Instant May and further he sayeth not.23
Also, The deposition of Joseph Bodfish aged about eighteen years, this deponant sayeth that he se Richard Handde [Handy] and Joseph Burg put a mare out of the town neck, which mare was called William Swift's, but he sayeth it is this daughter Hannah's, and this I se done the four and twenty day of this instant May and further sayeth not.24
(They were sworn before three Sandwich townsmen on 31 May 1669, and it also appears to say "1 Novr Court." If this was to be a court case, it never was pursued.)
The Towne being met together 18. 2. 72 [18 April 1672] did make an agreement with Joseph Burg to keep the calves for six years for nine pence a head, for every one that leaves and do well, to com forth out of the neck - and the towne hath granted Joseph Birg to cut what upland grass he can in the neck - and Joseph Birg is to make up all the towns fence that doth belong to the towne neck, which hath been formerly done upon this account, and the neck is to be fenced by the first day of May, and cleaned of all cattle and horses and sheeps - and to keep the calves from the first of May until the 29 of September next ensuing from the date hereof. And Joseph Birg is to do his best endeavor to keep all the calves that is in his charge two days in a said week - and in case any of them be wanting, that he cannot suddenly find them, he shall presently give notice to have twelve shillings.25
The 29 of Aprele in 1673...Wheareas the town is hereby informed that John Fuller hath willfully made a fence upon our land [town common land] without our leave, to our great damage, we therefore, the inhabitance of the Towne of Sandwich, have given full powar unto these five men as namely: Joseph Birg and John Blackwell and John Gibbs and Jacob Birg and Stephen Skeffe, to pull down or remove that fence or fences before spoken of, or any other fence or fences that is made upon our land or within our bounds, or line, by either English or Indians, and the town hath here promised and engage themselves to here these men out according to this writing and order.26
21. 3. 74 [21 May 1674] It is agreed upon by the town with Joseph Birge and Nehemiah Besse [Bessy] that theay shall make up the Town Pound sufficiently with a sufficient gate unto it, and to hang the gate and they are engaged to do it between this and this June Court from the date hereof - and the town is to pay them 15 pounds for their work to be paid [out of] the next rate27
15 May 15 1677...It is enacted by the town that whosoever shall be chosen by the town to mend the pound and keep it in repairs shall have for his pains ten shillings, to be paid out of the next rate from the date hereof in Indian corn good and merchantable, and for their farther satisfaction, the town hath ordered and determined that all neat cattle, horses and horse kind that are brought into the pound for trespassing, the person or persons that so brings in such cattle into the pound shall pay the pinner [probably penner, i.e. someone minding animals in a pen] fourpence per head in some merchantable pay, and for all trespassing sheep that are impounded, the person that brings them into the said pound shall pay the pinner one penny per head in pay as above said, and for all swine, twopence a head in pay as aforesaid, and by the presons that brings them into the said pound.
The town hath made an agreement with Joseph Burge to be pinner two years from the date hereof, and to make up the towns pound sufficiently to impound all trespass cattle, to wit: neat cattle, horses or horse kind, sheep and swine, and at the two years end the said Joseph is to have the said pound sufficient to answer the towns expectation for the end a pound is built for, and the said Joseph to keep a sufficient lock and key during his time that so all trespass cattle brought to be impounded according to the forementioned order may be secured untill legally freed - The said Joseph Burge hath power to exact all the forementioned fees of all those persons that do from time to time impound any neat cattle, horses or horse kind, sheep and swine, from the date hereof until the expiration of two years.28
More records
The following entries are also from the town records and the county court records:
*5 June 1666, on the colony's jury of grand inquest.29
*2 July 1667, the Town of Sandwich allowed him, among other men, to "looke out for some supplyes of land, if it may [be] had for theire accommodation."30
*20 April 1669, "For Sayars" Danel Wing and Joseph Birg (for tax assayers or assessors).31
*29 May 1670, on a compiled list of freemen in Sandwich.32
*7 June 1670 court, Joseph was granted fourscore (eighty) acres and 6-8 acres of meadow at Pocasett (now in the town of Bourne).33
*10 July 1672, constable at Sandwich.34
*3 June 1673, petitioned the court about a way in Sandwich through the lands of "Miles" (Mihill, Michael) Blackwell and Benjamin Hammond.35
*26 August 1674, on a committee to lay out land.36
*7 June 1676, constable for Sandwich, sworn at court.37
*5 Mar 1677/78, fined £5 for selling "liquore to the Indians," but to be waved on his good behavior. It isn't clear if this was based on his previous or future good behavior, but probably the latter, since he was fined 10 shillings the same day for "prophanly swearing in the face of the court."38
*19 February 1681, two of the townsmen were appointed to lay out land to Joseph as he desires.39
*31 March 1681, chosen to lay out a flue on Nathaniel Fish's land.40 The town clerk didn't use a dual year in this or the next above records. The dates fall in the Julian ("Old Style")/Gregorian ("New Style") calendar overlap, and the town records are rarely in chronological order. The year could have been 1681 or 1682. If it was the latter, this is the last record putting him certainly in Sandwich before moving to Sippican.
On March 1678/79, William Nahauton entered a petition at court for the freedom of a sister of John Sassamon, a servant of Joseph's. The court said that if Joseph show's his title to the Governor, he will be paid £5, half out of the "Indian Stocke" as due to Sassamon for her service and the other half "by her friends," and she is "free to remain at Punkapague or elsewhere."41 Punkapogue, or Ponkapoag, was a "praying town" for converted Christian Native Americans, now within the township of Canton. It isn't recorded if this woman was ever given her freedom, but if so, Joseph replaced her. His estate inventory in 1695 lists "one Indian girl a slave," valued at £10.42
Joseph likely acquired his slaves this way:
The Counsel of War for this jurisdiction, being met together at Plymouth the second of September 1675, to consider of a certain psell [parcel?] of Indians lately come into Sandwich in a submissive way to this colony, do find that they are in the same condition of rebellion as those formerly condemned to servitude, and do unanimously agree that the said Indians, being in number fifty-seven, are condemned unto perpetual servitude, and therfore do hereby order and appoint the Treasurer to make sale of them, for and to the use of the colony as opportunity may present.43
Joseph's land transactions and grants in Sandwich:
20 September 1664, Thomas Burge, Jr., of Rhode Island, son of Thomas Burge, Sr., of Sandwich to Thomas Burge, Sr., and his son Joseph Burge, for £60 of current pay, his right in a tenement house and land formerly of William "Leveredg," Sandwich minister. Signed in full by Thomas. Witnessed by Edmond Freeman, Sr., Elizabeth Freeman and Rebecca Freeman. Acknowledged 23 October 1672 by Thomas and his wife Lydia.44 Thomas, Sr., relinquished his right to this property to Joseph, recorded with the above deed, on 26 February 1664(/65). Witnessed by Edmond Freeman, Sr., and Ichabod Wiswall. Acknowledged by Wiswall on 2 March 1685. Thomas Burge, Sr., was granted improved meadow once used by Leverich in Manomett, but I've found no record of Thomas, Jr., acquiring or being given his homestead. Joseph probably wasn't yet married in 1664, so the gift of this house may have been in anticipation of marrying and raising a family, and lived in the old parsonage until they went to Sippican. This property isn't mentioned in Joseph's will even though it appears in his inventory. He gave his oldest son Benjamin his Rochester real estate. Even if Benjamin inherited the Sandwich property, the sale of it can't be traced due to a Barnstable County courthouse fire, which destroyed the land and original probate records made after 1685.
27 October 1669, Nanquettnumacke Tokanscason Assah alias Will of Weesquabs to Richard Bourne (agent) for Joseph Burge (apparently in the form of a grant to Burge from the General Court), no acreage, land and meadow. Bounded southwest by Adtoosett, south by Quanscamsett or Island Pond, northeast by land of William Paybody, then to Musquahtekutt or Red Brook, then by the brook to salt water.45 This land is in what is now the South Pocasset area of Bourne township.
11 August 1669, Quachattacett of Manomet Sachem to Richard Bourne (agent) for Joseph Burge (apparently in the form of a grant to Burge from the General Court). For bounds see Burge to Handey (next deed).46
30 May 1673, Joseph Burge, planter, to Richard Handey, both of Sandwich, for £8, ten shillings in current New England silver money, 26 acres of upland and marsh meadow at or near Pocasset in Sandwich. Bounded on the south by Running Spring in the edge of the marsh called Mushquashinnuett, or Red Spring (Red Brook), from the latter on a straight line to the end of Qunucheamsett or Island Pond, on the northeast by land and meadow of Joseph Burge, then described further by trees. Witnessed by Nathaniel Bourne and Thomas Tobey. Acknowledged on 2 June 1673 with permission of Patience Burge.47
30 May 1673, Joseph Burge, planter, to Richard Bourne, both of Sandwich, for 40 shillings in current pay, two acres of upland in Sandwich, near adjoining to the Herring River. Bounded on the south by Henry Dillingham, northwest by Job Bourne, east by the swamp, west by "& the Herring River." Witnessed by Thomas Tobey and Richard Handey. Acknowledged on 2 May 1673.48
29 April 1674, Edmond Freeman, Jr., to Joseph Burge, both of Sandwich, dower agreement, a moiety or parcell of six acres in Sandwich, formerly owned by Edmond Freeman, Sr., bounded east by the town road, south by Thomas Burge, Sr., and north by Joseph Burge. Witnessed by Richard Bourne and Thomas Burgess. Acknowledged on 2 March 1684/85.49
I haven't found where Joseph's homestead was in Sandwich. but it may have been in the house built for Rev. William Leverich, which Joseph owned by deed mentioned above. It also may have been the homestead in Sandwich he had listed in his estate inventory in 1695.
Sippican and Rochester
Joseph was was among a group who purchased land in Sippican, now parts of Rochester and Marion, Massachusetts. This was an unincorporated area not far east from Sandwich, and also included Mattapoisett, both places referred to by their Native names. The first record of the meeting of the purchasers, including Joseph's brother John, was at Joseph's house at Sandwich on March 10, 1679/80.50 image 6 Joseph had purchased two hundred acres. Later that month a committee was appointed to survey 20 acre house lots and 40 acre wood lots, sixteen in Mattapoisett, and sixteen in Sippican.51 Joseph's lots were in Sippican. John's were in Mattapoisett. Meetings at Joseph's house at Sandwich are mentioned as late as 15 August 1680 for the owners of the Sippican lots.52 At that meeting, mention of lots for the ministry show that a new town was definitely in mind.
His place of residence isn't mentioned again until 19 March 1683/84, when he is described as being of Sippican.53 Burgess Genealogy says that Joseph "sold out" of Sandwich to Richard Bourne in 1677 and moved to Rochester.54 Later publications have repeated this without question. There is no record of Joseph doing this, and he owned a homestead there to his death, being listed in his estate inventory. There isn't enough evidence to say specifically when the family moved to Sippican. It was after his son Benjamin was born on 5 May 1681 and before 19 March 1683/84. Since Joseph stops appearing in town records in either 1681 or early 1682 (depending on Old or New Style dating), a plausible year would be 1682.
The proprietors lot list for Sippican made up at Joseph's house in Sandwich on 15 April 1680 says Joseph drew the 9th house lot with the 13th common field.55 The description of lot 9 in Sippican has no details that help place it, but it was, on one side, 40 rods.56 The Sippican proprietors also shared in the division of salt and fresh "meadow" (marsh) lots, including salt meadow on Cromesett Neck in what is now Wareham,57 and lots "by the sea" and "in the woods."58 In 1691, Joseph gave up his seaside lot in favor of forty acres at "Accoote" (Aucoot), which is southwest of what is now the village of Marion. After he died, a 1698 record mentions another 120 acres laid out based on his proprietor's share rights.59 Although not stated, it obviously was for the benefit of his heirs. The land was adjacent to "the home lot where his widow now dwells," but doesn't give any further clues where it was.
The best clue found is in a deed made just before Joseph's death. Samuel Prince, a Sandwich merchant, exchanged lots of land with Joseph on 24 July 1695.60 Joseph's grantor lot was 45 acres of upland in Rochester abutting Samuel Arnold's land. Samuel gave him 40 acres of upland in Rochester nearly adjacent to the north bounds of Joseph's homestead lot. Twenty acres had formerly been Benjamin Foster's homestead, the other twenty acre bounds aren't given, but reference is to the Rochester proprietor's records. Foster is said to have sold all his real estate based on his original Sippican share to Prince in 1694.61
Aaron Barlow and Joseph were appointed to set up a gristmill on land on both sides of the Sippican River, to be of "such capacity as she may grind the corn of the inhabitants for twenty years."62 Barlow declined, so Joseph did it alone. At the 14 August 1689 session of the Plymouth Colony court, Joseph was the "deputy" (representative) from Rochester.63
Joseph's estate
Joseph wrote a will on 5 August 1695 and his inventory says he died in August. It all went to probate and was proved on 3 October 1695. 63
I, Joseph Burg of Rochester, being weak of body and waiting for my change but my understanding and memory remains with me blessed be God, now commit my soul to God and my body to the grave in God's time in hopes of a blessed resurrection at the resurrection of the dead.
I do now make this my last will and testament touching the disposal of all my outward estate, and by this will I make void and null all my former wills by me made at any time heretofore
And first I do appoint and ordain my dear and loving wife Patience Burg to be my executrix to see this, my last will and testament, performed according to my will contained in this instrument as followeth
I give unto my son Benjamin Burg all my lands that I have in Rochester both upland and meadow, house, barn, with all edifices and appurtinances thereunto belonging or any ways appertaining
I give un to my dear and loving wife Patience Burg during her life or widowhood for her relief all the improvement of all my homestead, my house and barn, excepting that land I had of Mr. Samuel Price by exchange, and all my moveable estate with indoors and without, all said moveables to be at my wife's dispose when she pleaseth [but] only to our children. By the word homestead, I intend all my uplands and meadows that belongs to this land I now live upon, all except the above excepted, and when my said wife either marry or decease, then my son Benjamin shall take said lands into his own possession with the appurtinances, but not until my said son come to the age of one and twenty years. I also give my wife all my upland and meadow that I have in Sandwich, with all the rights I have or in anyways appertaining with all the appurtinances thereunto belonging, further to dispose of for the obtaining of a share of land for Ichabod at Rochester for either that lands Captain Pope mentioned of his own or other, and the other part of the money as my wife takes more to be at her dispose.
I give unto my daughter Rebeckah Rase [Rose] twenty shilling in money
I give unto my daughter Dorrity Cliffen [Clifton] twenty shillings in money.
I give unto my son Ichabod Burg ten pounds in cattle or other pay to be paid to him when he come to the age of one and twenty years
I also give unto Benjamin Burg five pounds in cattle or other good pay when come to the age of one and twenty years.
I also appoint my trusty and well beloved friends Capt. Seth Pope, Thomas Tupper, Jacob Burg, all them three to act as overseers of this my will, to this my last will I set to my hand and seal this fifth of August 1695
Joseph Burg his mark
signed, sealed and delivered the day above said
in presence of these witnesses
Seth Pope
Thomas Tupper
Jacob Burg
An inventory of the estate of Joseph Burg late of Rochester in the County of Barnstable deceased in August 1695, taken and apprized by us whose names are underwritten
To his wearing cloths all at £3
Item two horses both at £6
Item two feather beds and bedding both at £10
Item to linen all at £3
Item to iron pots and kettle and other iron household stuff all at £2, 5 shillings
Item in arms all at £2, 5 shillings
Item in pewter and brass all at £3
Item to pails, tubs, churn, cask and earthen ware all at £1
It to chests, box wheel, forms, table and baskets all at £1, 10 shillings
It to a looking glass, brush, panel and saddle all at 12 shillings
It to another small bed and bedsteads at £1
It to carpentering tools all at £1, 10 shillings
It to chairs and bellows and one kettle more & small skillet all at £1
It to a cart and wheels, plow, sickles, leather, twine, stone and other tools all £4, 5 shillings
It to seven swine at £2, 2 shillings
It to goose, turkeys and other fowl all at 10 shillings
It to about two firkins of butter at £3
It to an old canoe, scales and other lumber about the house all at 5 shillings
It to oxen, cows and other neat cattle all at £38
It to a hatchel, [keards?] and other tools and a stock of bees all at £1, 9 shillings
It to one Indian girl, a slave £10
It to the housing and lands of all sorts at Rochester all £80
It to the house and lands of all sorts at Sandwich all at £150
It to cash beside what was paid out after his death £3, 13 shillings
William Bassett
Edmond Freeman
Patience Burg wid, relict of Joseph Burg late of Rochester deceased made oath to the truth of this inventory before Barnabus Lothrop, Judge of Probate October the 3d 1695.
The estate was probated in Barnstable County on 3 October 1695. Bassett and Freeman lived in Sandwich, so the proceedings of the estate were centered in that county, but it's not obvious why it wasn't done in Plymouth County, where Joseph lived. Patience was ordered to make an account of her executorship, but there is nothing of it on file.
Joseph made his mark on his will and all other available documents, showing he was illiterate. If the transcriptions are taken literally, he played with the marks he made:
children of Joseph Burge and Patience Freeman:64
i. Rebecca, b. 17 January 1667 (dual year not given)
ii. Dorothy, b. 12 November 1670
iii. Joseph b. 18 November 1673
iv. Benjamin, b. 5 May 1681
v. Ichabod, b. bef. 26 September 1687,65 d. betw. 16 July 1718- 25 September 173866
1. 22 May 1669, "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," ancestry.com database online (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Sandwich, General Records, 1651-1691 Births, Marriages, Deaths [hereafter SGR], image 29 of vol. p. 49. This volume is a bound collection of original manuscript pages. The chronological numbering of those pages restarts on image 35, so to avoid confusion, I use the volume pagination.
2. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, Court Orders, vol. 3, 1651-1661 [hereafter RPC3] (Boston: 1855), 168; SGR, Ibid, image 20 of ms. p. 31.
3. Ibid, 36.
4. Ibid, 141.
5. Ibid, 132.
6. Ibid, 138.
7. Ibid, 140.
8. RCP3, 154.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid, 137. He didn't have any obvious deaths in the family at this time to qualify as a "great loss" that would affect his duties. Maybe a house fire was involved).
11. SGR, image 15 of vol. p. 20.
12. Ibid, image 20 of vol. p. 31.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid, image 27 of vol. p. 45.
15. Ibid, image 30 of vol. p. 51.
16. RPC5, 195.
17. image 38 of ms. p. 67.
18. RPC5, 181.
19. RPC4, 155.
20. RPC3, 26.
21. Ibid, 151.
22. Ibid, 152.
23. SGR, image 29 of vol. p. 49.
24. Ibid.
25. Ibid, image 60 of vol. p. 113.
26. Ibid, image 31 of vol. p. 52
27. Ibid, image 33 of vol. p. 57.
28. Ibid, image 74 of vol. pp. 140-141.
29. RCP4, 123.
30. Ibid, 160.
31. SGR, image 25 of vol. p. 41.
32. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, also called Records of Plymouth Colony, Court Orders, vol. 5, 1668-1678 [hereafter RPC5] (Boston: 1856), 276.
33. Ibid, 116.
34. SGR, image 12 of vol. p. 16.
35. RPC5, 38.
36. SGR, image 34 of vol. p. 59.
37. Ibid, image 43 of vol. p. 77.
38. RPC5, 253.
39. Ibid, image 50, ms. p. 91.
40. Ibid, image 53, ms. p 96.
41. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, also called Records of Plymouth Colony, Act of the Commissioners, vol. 2, 1653-1679 (Boston: 1859), 366.
42. "Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991," ancestry.com database online (Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), Barnstable Probate Records, Vol 1-3, 1686-1747, image 79 of original ms. vol. 2, p. 8.
43. RCP3, 174.
44. "Plymouth Colony Deeds," vol. 5, part 2, 376. See images online at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds website search page, http://titleview.org/plymouthdeeds/
45. Ibid, vol. 3, part 2, 337.
46. Ibid.
47. Ibid, vol. 4, part 1, 213.
48. Ibid, vol. 5, part 1, 195.
49. Ibid, vol. 5, part 2, 379.
50. "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," ancestry.com database online (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Rochester, Proprietors Records, image 6 of ms. p. 5.
51. Ibid, image 11 of ms. p. 9.
52. Ibid, image 8 of ms. p. 7.
53. Ibid, image 14 of ms. p. 12.
54. Burgess Genealogy, etc., comp. by Ebenezer Burgess (Boston:1865), 13.
55. RPR, image 11 of ms. p. 9.
56. Ibid, image 13 of ms. p. 11.
57. Ibid, image 22 of ms. p. 21.
58. Ibid, image 17 of ms. p. 15.
59. Ibid, image 39 of ms. p. 38.
60. Plymouth Co., MA, deed 9:325.
61. Mattapoisett and Old Rochester Massachusetts (New York:1907), 56.
62. RPR, image 14 of ms. p. 12.
63. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, also called Records of Plymouth Colony, vol. 6, "Court Orders," (Boston: 1856), 212.
64. "Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," ancestry.com database online (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Sandwich General Records, 1651-1691 Births, Marriages, Deaths, image 117 of original ms. p. 228. Rebecca's birth date doesn't have a dual year. It was in the overlap of the Julian and Gregorian calendars, but the clerk didn't specify which calendar year is referred to. This means she could have been born in 1667 or 1668.
65. "Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991," ancestry.com database online (Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015), Barnstable Probate Records, Vol 1-3, 1686-1747, image 79 of original ms. vol. 2, p. 8.
66."Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988," ancestry.com database online (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011), Sandwich General Records, 1651-1691 Births, Marriages, Deaths, image 117 of original ms. p. 228.