There was a James Skiffe, resident of Chelsea, near London, who was buried there 12 June 1609, evidently a Puritan from the language of his will. He left a widow Margery (who afterwards married William Sheppie) and seven children: Rebecca, who afterwards married Thomas Lovell; Susanna, William, Elizabeth, Obadiah, Anne and Joshua. Two others, John and Mary, had died young at Chelsea. The registers of old Chelsea church show that John was baptized there, but there is no baptismal entry for Rebecca the eldest child. John was baptized 1 May 1592 and William in 1599, but neither could have been father of the emigrant. It is possible that he was a nephew of the testator or a near relative. The name Obadiah is worthy of note as it appears in a descendant of the emigrant. Source:THE SKIFF(E) FAMILY
Compiled by Dr. Charles Banks, c. 1925.
Transcribed and prepared for the web by C. Baer 1999.
Had five sons of which only Stephen remained in Sandwich.
Source: Sandwich a Cape Cod Town by R.A. Lovell, Jr. 3rd Ed.
246 Plymouth Colony Deeds.
[p. 55] 1653 BRADFORD GOVNR
A Deed shewed in open court and appointed to bee Recorded
To all people to whom these prsents shall come; Willam Wood of Sandwidge in the goverment of New Plymouth in New England in America sendeth greeting:
Know yea that the said Willam Wood for and in consideracon of thirty pounds sterling to him in hand paied by James Skiffe of the same wherof and wherwith hee doth acknowlidge himselfe filly satisfyed and paied and therof and of every pte & pcell therof doth exownarate acquite and discharge the said James Skiffe his heires executors and adminnestrators & every of them for ever; And by these prsents have freely filly and absolutly barganed sold enfeoffed and confeirmed and by these prsents doth bargaine sell enfeoffe arid confeirme unto the said James Skiffe his heires and assignes for ever his dwelling house scittuate and being in Sandwidge aforsaid with one barne and staules for cattle adjoyning therunto together with all lands to the said house belonging whether upland or meadows tilled or untilled fenced or unfenced with all and every one of the appurtenances belonging to the said prmises or any pte of them belonging lying and being in Sandwidge aforsaid and alsoe al the dounge
Plymouth Colony Deeds. 247
or mannure already made or to bee made whiles the said Willam Wood occupieth the said prmises or any pte of them and alsoe foure apple trees and all the peach trees standing and growing upon the prmises; together with all woods trees and Timber whatsoever being growing and lying upon the said prmises together with all his Right title and enterest of and into the said prmises and theire appurtenances with every pte and pcell of them and alsoe all the right claime title and demaund that the said Willain Wood had or hath doth frilly graunt to the said James Skiffe To have and to hold for him his heires executors and assignes for ever; with all theire proprieties and appurtenances for his onely proper Use and behoof of him the said James Skiffe his heirs and assignes for ever after the mannor of East Greenwidge in the countey of Kent in England free and common Sockage and not in capite nor by knightes service by the rents or services therof and theron due and of right accustomed and with warrant against all peopl whatsoevr from by or under the said Willam Wood by his title calming any right title enterest of and into the said barganed prmises or any pte or pcell of them with theire appurtenances whatsoever; And the said Willam Wood doth further covenant and graunt that hee the said Willam Wood att the time of bargane and sale and making of the abovesaid prmises was and is the right and lawfull owner of the abovenamed prmises
[p. 56] And lastly doth covenant and graunt that It shall and may bee Lawfull for the said
James skiffe either by himselfe or his attorney to record or enrowle or cause to bee recorded and enrowled the title or the tennure of these prmises in the court att Plymouth aforsaid before the Govr for the time being according to the usuall mannor and custome of enrowleing deeds and evidences in such cases provided
In Witnesse wherof the said Willam Wood bath heerunto sett his hand and Seale Delivered in the prsence of Willam Wood
Jonathan ffish
and Stephen Winge
Sandwidge June the 3d 1650
These are to certify all whom It may conserne That I Jane Wood the wife of WiIlam Wood doe give my full and free consent to the bargane and sale of the house and Lands that was my husbands but now sold to James Skiffe of the said Towne
Witnesse my hand Jane Wood
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Plymouth Colony Deeds
[p. 192] 1657 Prence Govr:
[NICHOLAS WRIGHT TO JAMES SKIFFE]
Memorandum That Nicolas Wright somtimes of the towne of Sandwich in the Govrment of New Plymouth; Doth acknowlidge That for and in consideration of a valluable sume to him already paled by James Skiffe of the Towne of Sandwich aforsaid he: hath barganed allianated and sould Infeofed and Confeirmed and by these prsents Doth bargaine sell enfeofe and confeirme unto the said James Skiffe all that his house and eight acres of upland in Sandwich aforsaid with all the orchyards or fruit trees belonging theninto with all the ffences and all other appurtenances in or upon the said land or any way belonging therunto; the said land being bounded on the south side with the land of Willam Bassett Junir and on the other side with the land of Thomas Launder; and alsoe two acres of meadow bee it more or lesse and alsoe halfe an acre of meadow belonging to him in the Comon feild; To have and to hold the said house and eight acres of upland bee it more or lesse with the orchyards and all fruite trees belong therunto and all he ffences and all other the privilidges and appurtenances belonging therunto with the two acres more or lesse of meadow and the halfe acre of meadow in the Comon feud; unto the said James Skiffe his heires and assignee for ever the said prmises with all the said Nicolas Wright his Right title and Interest of and into the same or any pte or pcell therof with all and singulare the appurtenances privilidges and emunities belonging therunto to belong unto the said James Skiffe his heires and assignee for ever unto the onely proper use and behoofe of the said James skiffe his heires and assignee for ever
This abovsaid sale was made and acknowlidged before Mr Prence videlecett that the said Nicolas Wright acknowlidged that hee had sould all his lands and proprieties in houses or lands meadows and theire appurtenances unto the said James Skiffe; belonging to him in Sandwich as above said
This sale was made Divers years since but not Recorded untill Time the 26 1657 because it was forgoten
[p. 193] [On the upper hail of this page is recorded the letter from Jonathan Brewster to Mrs.
Sarah Brewster, printed in our eighth volume)
Printed from Mayflower Descendant legacy CD-ROM All rights reserved. Copyright © 1996- 1998 by Search & Research Publishfrg Corn., WheaL Ridge, CO 80033
1. JAMES SKIFFE, b. abt. 1610, the ancestor of this family in America, of whom a biographical sketch may be read in Vol. II, Annals of W. T., pp. 71-2, has thus far escaped identification in his English home despite continued efforts in tracing every available clue. While the name is very rare in England, it is found quite numerous in a group of parishes near London, as Eltham 1559, Newenden 1578, Lewisham 1589, Mottingham 1603, Greenwich 1620, Charlton 1645, besides scattering occurrences of the name in various London parishes of that period. The name is found in variations of Skeffe, Skyffe, Skaffe and other intermediate spellings but the name of James is absent in all these quoted instances.
Source: http://www.vineyard.net/vineyard/history/skiffe.htm The History of Martha's Vineyard by Dr. Charles Banks: Volume III Family Genealogies: pp. 432-440
THE SKIFF(E) FAMILY
Compiled by Dr. Charles Banks, c. 1925.
Transcribed and prepared for the web by C. Baer 1999.
CHWIFE
CHWIFE
Lient. WILLIAM FRENCH (or FRENCHE) was born in flalsted, Essex Co., England, March 15, 1603. He married Elizabeth and had four children born in England. He came to America with Rev. Thomas Sbepard and his brother Samuel, Roger llarlakenden and George and Joseph Cooke, in the ship "Defence," in the summer of 1635. He settled first in Cambridge; and in 1652, was one of the original proprietors and earliest settlers of Billerica. He was a lieutenant of the militia, and afterwards captain; was chosen "to sit in the Deacon s seat," 1659; "Comitioner to establish the cuntry rates" the same year; one of the first Selectmen, 1660, and served nine years; committee to examine children and servants in "reading, religion, and the catechism," 1661; the first Deputy or Representative of Billerica in the General Court at Boston, 1660, taking his seat in 1663. Evidence of his activity in the cause of Indian instruction is found in a letter written by him to "a godly friend in England," published in London in the famous tract, "Strength Out of Weakness," and afterwards republished in the Mass. list. Soc. Call., 3d S. vol. iv. pp. 149-196, in which be gives a detailed account of the testimony of an Indian convert. His wife died March 31, 1668, and he married 2d, Mary, daughter of Thomas Lathrop of Barnstable, and widow of John Stearns of Billerica. lie died Nov. 20, 1681, and his widow afterwards married Isaac Muter of Watertown as his third wife.
Lient. WILLIAM FRENCH (or FRENCHE) was born in flalsted, Essex Co., England, March 15, 1603. He married Elizabeth and had four children born in England. He came to America with Rev. Thomas Sbepard and his brother Samuel, Roger llarlakenden and George and Joseph Cooke, in the ship "Defence," in the summer of 1635. He settled first in Cambridge; and in 1652, was one of the original proprietors and earliest settlers of Billerica. He was a lieutenant of the militia, and afterwards captain; was chosen "to sit in the Deacon s seat," 1659; "Comitioner to establish the cuntry rates" the same year; one of the first Selectmen, 1660, and served nine years; committee to examine children and servants in "reading, religion, and the catechism," 1661; the first Deputy or Representative of Billerica in the General Court at Boston, 1660, taking his seat in 1663. Evidence of his activity in the cause of Indian instruction is found in a letter written by him to "a godly friend in England," published in London in the famous tract, "Strength Out of Weakness," and afterwards republished in the Mass. list. Soc. Call., 3d S. vol. iv. pp. 149-196, in which be gives a detailed account of the testimony of an Indian convert. His wife died March 31, 1668, and he married 2d, Mary, daughter of Thomas Lathrop of Barnstable, and widow of John Stearns of Billerica. lie died Nov. 20, 1681, and his widow afterwards married Isaac Muter of Watertown as his third wife.
Daughter of William Bunnell and Ann Wilmot.