First Generation

EDWARD BANGS (abt 1591 - 1677/1678) of Plymouth and Eastham

Parents: Unknown

Edward Bangs was born about 1591. He died between 19 Oct 1677, when he signed his will, and 5 Mar 1677/8, when it was proved. He married first Lydia Hicks. [Ref] Lydia, the daughter of Robert Hicks, was baptized at St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, Surrey, on 6 Sep 1612. [Ref] She died before 24 Mar 1647, when her father did not mention her in his will. [Ref] Edward married second Rebecca Hobart. [Ref, p. 14] Rebecca was the daughter of Edmund and Margaret (Dewey) Hobart of Hingham, England and Hingham, Massachusetts and the sister of Rev. Peter Hobart. [Ref, p. 14]

Edward came to New England on the Anne in 1623. [Ref] He received four acres in the 1623 Plymouth land division. [Ref] He was in lot 12 of the 22 May 1627 Plymouth cattle division. [Ref] He is in the Plymouth section of the 1643 list of those between 16 and 60 able to bear arms in Plymouth Colony. [Ref]

Edward was on the committee to lay out land on 3 Jan 1627/8 and on 1 Feb 1640/1. [Ref] On 2 Jan 1632/3 and on 2 Jan 1633/4 the General Court asked the colonists to pay taxes, in grain or the equivalent. [Ref][Ref] Edward was assessed relatively low taxes in both years. [Ref] He was on the committee to divide meadow on 1 Jul 1633. [Ref] He was on the committee to assess taxes on 5 Jan 1634/5 and 1 Mar 1635/6. [Ref] He was on the committee to allocate hay ground on 20 Mar 1636/7, 2 Oct 1637 and 1 Jun 1640. [Ref] He was on the Plymouth grand jury five times between 7 Mar 1636/7 and 7 Jun 1652. [Ref] He was on the Plymouth petit jury 11 times between 4 Oct 1636 and 7 Nov 1643. [Ref] He was on the committee to lay out highways on 1 Feb 1640/1 and 24 Feb 1652. [Ref]

Preble [Ref] says that on 24 Jan 1641, Edward Bangs launched at Plymouth a bark of 40 - 50 tons, estimated to cost £200 and that Edward contributed 1/16 to the cost. The Plymouth records, however, say only that he contributed to the cost; there is nothing to suggest that he had anything else to do with the bark. [Ref]

He was the treasurer of Eastham in 1646 - 1665. [Ref] He was a highway surveyor for Eastham on 1 Jun 1647, 4 Jun 1650 and 3 Jun 1651. [Ref] He was Deputy to the Plymouth Court for Eastham on 7 Jun 1652. [Ref] Edward Bangs was an inhabitant of Eastham on 22 May 1655. [Ref] He was on the coroner's jury on 30 Oct 1667. [Ref]

On 20 Mar 1636/7 Edward Bangs and Edward Doty were given hay ground at Saggaquash. [Ref] On 2 Nov 1640 he was given ten acres of meadow in the South Meadows. [Ref] On 7 September 1641 he was given 80 acres of upland about Warren's Wells. [Ref] On 17 Oct 1642 he asked for land near his house and was told that that they would look for some and deduct the acreage from the 80 acres. [Ref] On 7 Sep 1643 the widow Joyce Wallen sold him her house and messuage at Hobs Hole or Wellingsly with the adjoining garden place and uplands for eight pounds. [Ref] On 22 Jun 1651 he sold to Samuel Hicks of Plymouth a parcel of marsh meadow lying in the high pines on Salthouse Beach for about three pounds; he sold to "Mannasses Kemton" of Plymouth forty acres of upland in Plymouth near Browns Rock and his land at Sagaquas for 13 pounds; his wife Rebecca consented to the deed. [Ref] On 12 Nov 1666 he and Daniel Cole Sr. of Eastham, yeomen, sold to James Matthews of Yarmouth their land between Bound Brook and Stony Brook in Yarmouth for ten pounds. [Ref]

On 6 Oct 1657 he was permitted to be an innkeeper. The Plymouth Colony Records say: "Liberty is granted unto Edward Bangs to draw and sell wine and strong waters at Eastham, provided it be for the refreshment of the English, and not to be sold to the Indians." [Ref]

On 23 February 1676 he gave his son Joshua Bangs his land in Eastham. [Ref]

In his will, dated 19 Oct 1677 and proved 5 Mar 1677/8, Edward says that he is 86 years old. He makes his son Jonathan his sole executor; he mentions his son Joshua, his daughters Howes, Higgens, Done, Hall, Merricke and Attwood and the children of his deceased daughter Rebecka. [Ref]

Children of Edward Bangs and Lydia Hicks:

1. John Bangs married Hannah Smalley on 23 Jan 1660/1 in Eastham. [Ref][Ref says 23 Jan 1660][Ref, 7;17 says 23 Jan 1660]. He was admitted as an inhabitant of Eastham before 1675. [Ref] A John Bangs lived in Eastham in 1692. [Ref] His grandfather Robert Hicks left him a bequest in his 24 Mar 1647 will. [Ref]

Children of Edward Bangs and Rebecca Unknown:

1. Rebecca Bangs died before 1677. She married Jonathan Sparrow.
2. Sarah Bangs died "the last of February" 1682/3. [Ref] She married Capt. Thomas Howes, Jr. of Yarmouth in 1656. [Ref][Ref] He was the son of Thomas Howes. They had two boys and two girls. [Ref]
3. Capt. Jonathan Bangs died on 9 Nov 1728. [Ref] He married first Mary Mayo on 16 Jul 1664 in Eastham. [Ref][Ref][Ref, 3;231] Mary was the daughter of Samuel and Tamsin (Lumpkins) Mayo of Yarmouth and the granddaughter of John Mayo of Eastham. [Ref, pp. 517-8] He married second Sarah Unknown. [Ref] She died on 11 Jul 1719 at age 78. [Ref] He married third Mrs. Ruth Young in 1720 (intention). [Ref] She was the widow of John Young and the daughter of Daniel Cole.
   Jonathan Bangs, Sr. was an inhabitant of Eastham before 1675. [Ref] Jonathan Bangs lived in Eastham in 1692. [Ref]
   some descendants of Jonathan Bangs
   
4. Lydia Bangs [Ref] married Benjamin Higgens on 24 Dec 1661 in Eastham. [Ref]
5. Hannah Bangs married John Doane on 30 Apr 1662. [Ref]
6. Lieut. Joshua Bangs died on 14 Jan 1709/10 in Eastham. [Ref, 6;203] He married Hannah Scudder on 1 Dec 1669 in Eastham. [Ref][Ref, 4;32] Hannah, the daughter of John Scudder, was baptised on 5 Oct 1651. [Ref] They had a son who died young. [Ref] Hannah married second Moses Hatch. [Ref] Joshua was admitted as an inhabitant of Eastham before 1675. [Ref] A Joshua Bangs lived in Eastham in 1692. [Ref]
7. Bethia Bangs was born on 28 May 1650. [Ref] She married Gershom Hall. [Ref] Gershom, the son of John Hall of Barnstable and Yarmouth, was born on 5 Mar 1647. [Ref] They had two sons and a daughter. [Ref]
8. Mercy Bangs was born on 15 Oct 1651. [Ref] She married Stephen Merrick [Ref] on 28 Dec 1670 in Eastham. [Ref, 4;140][Ref][Ref, recorded in Norwich as Dec 1671; Stephen is said to be 25 and Mercy is said to be 20] Stephen, the son of William Merrick, was born on 12 May 1646. [Ref]
   Stephen and Mercy went to Norwich. [Ref]
   some descendants of Mercy Bangs
   
9. Apphia Bangs was born on 15 Oct 1651. She was living on 12 Jul 1722. She married John Knowles on 28 Dec 1670 in Eastham. [Ref][Ref] She married second Stephen Atwood.

Second Generation

REBECCA BANGS

Parents: Edward Bangs and Rebecca Unknown

Rebecca Bangs died before 1677. [Ref] She married Jonathan Sparrow on 26 Oct 1654 [Ref says probably the 26th] in Eastham. [Ref]

APPHIA BANGS (1651 - after 1722)

Parents: Edward Bangs and Rebecca Unknown [Ref, 79;293][Ref, p. 14]

Rebecca Bangs was born on 15 Oct 1651. [Ref][Ref, 79;293] She was living on 12 Jul 1722, when she testified to the inventory on her deceased husband's estate. [Ref, 4;65] She married John Knowles on 28 Dec 1670 in Eastham. [Ref, 4;142][Ref][Ref][Ref, 79;293] She married second Stephen Atwood. [Ref, 79;294][Ref says Joseph Wood, Jr.][Ref, p. 14]

On 1 Mar 1676 it was noted by the court in conection with John Knowles' estate that his widow had married Steven Wood. [Ref, p. 3.2]

References:

Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. Vol. 1-3. Boston, 1995.

Crowell, F. E., New Englanders in Nova Scotia, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1938.

Editors, "Bangs Family," New England Historic and Genealogical Register 10, 1856, 157-.

Elliot, Ella F., "Brewster - Collins - Prence - Howes," Notes section, New England Historical and Genealogical Register 59, 1905, 217-218.

Hamlin, David, "First Settlers of Eastham, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6, 1852, p. 41-46 , p. 167-170, p. 234-

Hayward, Elijah, "Plymouth Colony Records," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 9, 1855, 313-318.

Libby, Charles Thornton, "The Knowles Family of Eastham, Mass.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 79, 1925, 379-392, 286-297; 80, 1926, 6-24.

Paine, Josiah, "Early Settlers of Eastham," in Leonard H. Smith, Jr., Cape Cod Library of Local History and Genealogy, V. 1, reprinted, Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004, pp. 490 - 521.

Plymouth Colony Archive Project, Court Records Laws and 17th Century Texts, http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/users/deetz.

Preble, George Henry, "Early Ship Building in Massachusetts," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 23, 1869, 38.

Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., "List of Those Able to Bear Arms in the Colony of New Plymouth 1643," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4, 1850, 255-259.

Shurtleff, Nathaniel B., "Plymouth Colony Rates," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4, 1850 252-3.

Stratton, Eugene Aubrey, Plymouth Colony: Its History and People 1620 - 1691, Salt Lake City, Ancestry, 1986.

Winsor, Justin, "Abstract of the Earliest Wills in the Probate Office, Plymouth," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4, 1850, 282.