Richard Higgins

Children's births (except Richard) listed in Eastham & Orleans VR [MD 5:23] "Ric'd Higgins" was Deputy of Eastham 1647-1654 (7 yrs) [Freeman 2:413] "Richard Higgins" was Selectman of Eastham 1665-1668 (3 yrs) [Freeman 2:413] [Pope p.229]: "Higgins, Richard, Eastham propr. 1650 or earlier. He m. Oct 1651 Mary Yates. ch: Mary b.1652, Eliakim b. Oct 20, 1654, Jedaiah b. March 1656, Ezra b. June 1658, Thomas b. Jan 1661, Lydia b. July 1664" !Marriage (Chandler): MD 13:83 !Marraige (Yates): Mayf.Des. 8:13 National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Vol. XXXI, pg 243, states that he later moved to Piscataway, New Jersey (I have no further verification of this). Ibid also says that he immigrated in 1632, while ibid XIII:551,XX:152 says immigration in 1633. Ibid XX:152 states that he came from Herefordshire, England. Sources: 1. "Richard Higgins: A Resident and Pioneer Settler at Plymouth and Eastham, Massachusetts, and at Piscataway, New Jersey, and his Descendants", by Mrs. Katharine Chapin Higgins, Worcester Mass., 1918. ------- The following is from the Bulletin of the Cape Cod Genealogy Society, Vol. XVIII No. 1, March 1992: "Richard Higgins, Early Eastham, Massachusetts settler The origin of Richard Higgins is not known with certainty. In the records of the 'Honorable Company of Merchant Tailors' of London, England, in Apprentice Book, Vol. 9, folio 276, is an entry in Latin of which the English translation is: `Richard Higgins, son of Robert Higgins of Leominster in the county of Hereford, mercer, places himself as an apprentice with Philip Raddock of St. Clement's Lane, London, for the terms of seven years from the date here given, for the term of the aforesaid on the day and year April 21, 1632.' Neither the records of London nor of Hereford County make any further mention of Richard. Robert Higgins, mercer of Hereford County is mentioned in the will of Christopher Higgins who was the verger to the Dean and Chapter of Hereford. This will, dated 18 July 1610, was probated 21 January 1611. There is no record of his having been in Leyden. He came to Plymouth around 1632 and appears on the tax rolls there 1 March 1633 and 27 March 1634 becoming a freeman there in 1634. As a tailor he apprenticed Samuel Godberson 1 April 1634 for a term of seven years. In early 1634 he purchased a house and lot of 20 acres and married Lydia Chandler 11 Dec 1634. She was the daughter of Edmund Chandler who lived in Duxbury and Scituate. Higgins was a juryman in 1634, 1643, and 1644. There is no record of his having participated in any military activity although he is listed as able to bear arms. As one of group of 7 families in 1644 he moved to Nauset, now Eastham, to clear land and settle there. Governor Thomas Prence, Deacon John Doane, Edward Bangs, John Smalley, Nicholas Snow, and Josiah Cook were the other members in the group. There settlement was in the part of Eastham which included present Wellfleet and Orleans as well. Higgins was surveyor of Highways in 1657 and a member of a team to settle boundaries between Yarmouth and Barnstable. In 1660 he was a member of a committee to regulate trade on the Kennebec River. He was a deputy to the Plymouth General Court in 1655, '57, '58, '60, and 1665, and in 1657 was overseer of the poor as well. It had been the custom for whales cast up on the shore to be appropriated by whoever reached the scene first. In 1660 it was decided that such whales should be disposed in some manner for the benefit of the whole town. Higgins was a member of a committee to see that this was done. He was a selectman in 1664 and 1668. In 1669 he sold his property in Eastham and moved to Piscataway, New Jersey. At this time a group of Cape people under the leadership of Edward FitzRandolph moved there. Possibly Higgins was a member of this company. In 1672 he took oath of allegience to the Dutch government in this area.