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Jonathan Bosworth, the brother in law of William Bucklin, shows up in
Cambridge, MA, records as early as 1633. When William Bucklin shows up in
the 1634 ship arrival, Jonathan moves to where William Bucklin is and
thereafter seems to sell his land in Hingham before 1640, then moves to
Rehoboth probably in the 1640's when William moves to Rehoboth, to the exact
bridge/mill run area where William moves to Rehoboth, and Jonathan even sells
his land in Hingham at the same time as William sells his land in 1661.
The description from Anderson, Great Migration, 1620, at entry for Jonathan
Bosworth, reads as follows.
FIRST RESIDENCE: Cambridge, 1633 REMOVES: Hingham by 1636, Rehoboth by 1658
OCCUPATION: Tailor. FREEMAN: Oath of fidelity at Rehoboth, 1658 [PCR 8:178]. In
Rehoboth section of Plymouth Colony list of freemen, [blank] March 1683/4 [PCR
8:209]. EDUCATION: Evidently signed deeds, but made his mark to his will [Early
Rehoboth 3:157, Bosworth Gen 74]. ESTATE: Granted one rood for a cow yard in
Cambridge, 5 August 1633 [CaTR 5]. Granted a lot of two acres in the West End, 4
August 1634 [CaTR 9]. Granted a proportional share of one-half in meadow ground,
20 August 1635 [CaTR 13]. In the Cambridge land inventory on 10 October 1635
"Jonathan Bosworth" held three parcels: "one house with backside
about two acres" in the West End; one rood in Cowyard Row; and two acres on
Small Lot Hill [CaBOP 30-31]. Under dates of 3 April 1636 and July 1637,
"the several parcels of land and meadow legally given unto Jonathan
Bozworth by the town of Hingham" were: "a house lot two acres of land;
...for a great lot ten acres of land lying upon the Great Plain ..., for a house
lot five acres of land..., one acre of fresh meadow..., one acre of fresh
meadow..." [Bosworth Gen 63, citing HiTR]. Although no deeds were recorded,
Jonathan evidently conveyed the two acre houselot, the ten acre great lot, and
the five acre houselot, each before 1640, when the subsequent owners described
them as "formerly Jonathan Bosward['s]" [Bosworth Gen 64]. On 18 April
1661 Jonathan Bosworth, Sr., of Rehoboth sold twelve acres of land (purchased
from Joseph Phippen) and one acre of fresh meadow (his by grant) in Hingham to
Daniel Cushing [SLR 8:150]. Jonathan probably gave a proprietary right at
Rehoboth to his son-in-law John Cobley, who received one whole share in the
North Purchase of Rehoboth, 10 April 1666: "John Cobley, one whole share
that he had of his father Jonathan Bosworth" [Early Rehoboth 1:41]. On 20
April 1666, "Jonathan Bosworth, Sr., of Rehoboth, tailor," deeded his
house and lot in Rehoboth, purchased of "his brother Benjamin," to
Stephen Paine [PCLR 3:2:224]. On 26 May 1668 Jonathan Bosworth was twenty-fifth
of those drawing meadowlands in the North Purchase and he was sixty-sixth at the
18 March 1668/9 drawing [Bosworth Gen 69]. On 26 May 1672 "Jonathan
Woodcock of Rehoboth" sold to "Jonathan Bosworth Sr. of Rehoboth"
an acre of fresh meadow at the Mill Run [Bosworth Gen 69, citing original deed,
apparently unrecorded]. On 28 May 1672, Rehoboth granted "goodman Bozworth
Senr." a small tract of land against his meadow on the neck, provided he
leave a sufficient passable way from the bridge..." [Rehoboth TR]. On 20
February 1678[/9] William Buckland of Rehoboth deeded to Jonathan Bosworth Sr.
of Rehoboth a twelve-acre lot of upland in Wachamoket Neck and Joseph Buckland
of Rehoboth sold Jonathan twenty-six acres of upland at the same place [Bosworth
Gen 70, citing original deed]. In a list of Rehoboth possessions, "Jonathan
Bozworth" owned: "my house lot containing twenty acres..., fifteen
acres of land in Wachamoket Neck..., twelve acres and ten rods of upland at
Wachamoket Neck..., twenty-six acres of land at Wachamoket Neck..., one acre of
land ... near the bridge ... and one acre of meadow ... which I purchased of
John Wodcok Sen" [Bosworth Gen 70-71, citing Rehoboth Proprietors' Records
2:128]. Jonathan Bosworth Sr. and Samuel Peck were made administrators of the
estate of Nathaniel Peck on 1 November 1676, and Jonathan was appointed
administrator of the estate of John Cobley on 1 March 1680/1 [PCR 5:212, 6:55,
56, 73]. On 30 December 1680, Jonathan Bozworth and wife Elizabeth Bozworth
deeded to Joseph Bozworth "half of my house lot with the east end of my
dwelling house and half my barn and two lots adjoining in Wathchamositt Neck...,
excepting that part that the highway cuts off which is six or eight acres ...
and another which was Jacob Amesbury's," also two cows "fair with calf
and the use of the teams to do his work and mine so long as I shall see cause or
til he hath of his own ... but for his brother Jonathan he shall have nothing to
do with anything I have except he decline from that opinion of the Anabaptists
which he now holds ..." [PCR 5:137]. On 8 March 1686 Jonathan received
another grant of meadowlands at the North Purchase [Attleboro TR 1:165]. In his
will, dated 24 February 1686/7 and evidently never brought to court (but found
among ancient papers in a Barrington, Rhode Island, attic), "Jonathan
Bozworth Senior" of Rehoboth "being weak and aged" bequeathed to
"my dear and beloved wife" the use and improvement of the rooms of my
house that I now dwell in with the one half of my barn, orchard and homelot, and
other lands not disposed of for her natural life, also all my household goods
and corn and cattle to be at my decease "wholly at her dispose"; to
"my eldest son Jonathan" 5s. to be paid by my son Joseph "I
having already given him a good portion of lands and other estate to a good
value: more than I was able"; to "my son Joseph" the other end of
my house and the one half of my barn and orchard and houselot and lands in
Wachamoket Neck "of which I have formerly given him an instrument" do
hereby confirm, also the other half to him at my wife's death; to "my
daughter Rebeka Peck" 5s.; to "my daughter Bethia Peck" £5
[perhaps should be 5s.]; to "my daughter Batsheba" 5s.; son Joseph to
pay all legacies; "my dear wife" executrix and "my son
Joseph" executor [Bosworth Gen 73-74, citing unrecorded original will].
BIRTH: About 1613 (deposed in June 1639 "aged about 26 years"
[Lechford 84]), son of Edward and Mary (_____) Bosworth. DEATH: Rehoboth 3
January 1687/8 [ReVR 802 (Arnold says "Jonathan Bosworth, Jr." in
error and fails to indicate the double date)]. MARRIAGE: By about 1636 Elizabeth
_____. She died Swansea 15 June 1705 "being almost ninety one years of
age" [SwVR 27].
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