Generation 1

EDWARD COLCORD (d 1682) of Dover and Hampton

Parents: Unknown

Edward Colcord was born about 1614-1617. He gave his age as 56 in 1673, 59 in 1674 and 61 in 1676. [Ref] He died on 10 Feb 1681/2. [Ref] He married Anne Warde.

It is uncertain when Edward Colcord arrived in New England. On 13 (8) 1663 Rev John Wheelwright deposed that he and others had asked Edward Colcord to purchase a tract of land from Oyster River to Merrimack from the Indians and that they had given him ten or twelve pounds for this. Wheelwright said that the deed was signed with their mark by some Sagamores. [Ref] It is controversial, whether this famous deed -- signed in 1629 -- is authentic. If it is, then Edward must have arrived by 1629. Quint [Ref] says that this is ridiculous.

Edward was one of 25 inhabitants of 'Northam' who signed a 4 (1) 1640 letter to Thomas Dudley, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, expressing loyalty and complaining of Capt. Underhill. [Ref] Edward was one of the inhabitants of the River Pascataquack who signed an agreement to form a 'Body Politique' on 22 Oct 1640. [Ref] According to a 1642 list Edward received the fifth of 24 twenty-acre lots in Dover. [Ref] Edward was in Hampton before 1645. [Ref] He took the oath of allegiance in Hampton, probably on 16 (10) 1678. [Ref]

Edward was an interesting ancestor. Alonzo Quint [Ref] writes:

Whether this man "first came over" in 1631, or whether he was here in 1629, depends very much on the authenticity of the famously disputed "Wheelwright Deed". He was born in 1614 or 1615 according to various depositions. Hubbard says he was once Governor of Dover, but for reasons satisfactory to ourselves, we don't believe it. He was in Dover in 1642; "was in Hampton as early as 1645, and lived near where the north school-house now stands;" was perhaps, in Exeter once, and certainly was in law suits pretty much all the time. He was a very busy man indeed; was in bad odor with all parties by turns; was indicted for causing vexatious suits, &c., but was liked by some very respectable people.

Dow [Ref] calls Edward

... a person of acknowledged ability, shrewd, calculating, of indomitable energy, -- but in the estimation of many, an unprincipled demagogue; one who knew the law well, as his friends claimed, -- for he had both followers and friends ...

Edward is frequently referred to as Mr Colcord, but his behaviour was often less than gentlemanly. He drank too much in public. On 30 (10) 1645 Edward was fined "for drinking wyne to the abuse of himselfe." [Ref] On 21 (2) 1648 Edward was fined for being 'so verrie far gone with drinke' that he had forgotten he was before the court the day before. [Ref] Mr Edward Colcord was fined for excessive drinking and bound for good behaviour at the 5 (8) 1652 court. [Ref]

Edward was constantly involved in lawsuits, sometimes as many as seven at one court. He had many enemies: one was William Payne and another was William Howard. William Payne sued Edward Colcord and Robert Tucke at the 30 (10) 1645 court. [Ref] Also at that court, Edward sued William Payne and James Wall, as well as William Howard for taking two cows. [Ref] In 1645 two judgements were granted in favour of Walter Paine of Ipswich in his suit against Edward Colcord and Robert Tucke of Hampton. William Paine had apparently sold property claimed by Edward - a house, land and commonages - to Robert Page of Hampton. [Ref] On 1 (2) 1646 Edward released William Paine and Edward Paine (deceased) from all claims. [Ref] On 2 (12) 1646 William Paine, acting for himself and Edward Paine, agreed to settle with Edward Colcord except concerning Robert Tucke's bond and Richard Waldern, etc. [Ref] On 2 (8) 1649 the court found in favour of Edward in a case against William Howard, but the bench did not accept this. [Ref] Another enemy was Christopher Palmer; Palmer and Edward sued and counter sued one another for years. [Ref]

Edward took on entire towns. Edward was out of town when the town of Hampton met to decide ownership of the large tract of land known as the cow commons. When he returned he was angered by the town's decision and he and John Moulton signed a petition to the court on 23 (12) 1645. William Howard opposed the petition on behalf of the town. The court appointed four men, including Mr William Paine, to investigate the matter. [Ref] On 2 (24) 1649 Edward successfully sued the town of Dover for a debt that was due Mr Burdett. [Ref] William and Thomas Godfrey, Thomas Ffilbrook and William Ffeffer and some others whose names are incomplete wrote a long petition to the General Court at Boston, ranting about Edward's misbehaviour, his 'vexatious suits ... fraudelent dealings ... [his] wresting mens estates out of their hands [his] raising discord.' On 8 (8) 1661 the court found him guilt of 'notable misdemeanors and crimes'. He was ordered to pay a fine of five pounds and to be committed to the Boston jail unless a bond was posted to ensure his good behaviour. Robert and Francis Page, William Moulton, Henry Dow, Morris Hobbs, William Bilton, ___ Tucke, James Philbrick and even Christopher Palmer became his surieties. [Ref]

Edward sued and was sued by his friends. At the 2 (8) 1649 court Edward and a previous adversary, James Wall, sued Robert Page for cutting grass on their meadow. They withdrew the suit. [Ref] After having come to his aid, Christopher Palmer sued Edward at the 14 Oct 1662 court for taking away a horse in a fraudulent manner. [Ref] Their feud thus resumed, Edward unsuccessfully sued Palmer for mowing his meadow at the Apr 1665 court. [Ref] Further suits and counter suits ensued. Edward appears to have at one time been friends with Robert Tucke, but he too became an adversary. [Ref]

Edward engaged in and threatened violence. He was presented for striking the marshall's deputy at the 25 (10) 1649 court; the Salisbury constable, William Barnes, was fined for refusing to help the deputy arrest Edward. [Ref] Richard Graves sued Edward for battery at the 27 (10) 1649 court, but withdrew his case. [Ref] At the 8 (2) 1651 court, Mr Colcord was fined 40 shillings and bound for good behaviour for saying at Strawberry Bank that he would pluck Capt. Wiggen off the bench. [Ref] At the Oct 1668 court Edward declared that he would drive his cart through Nat. Boulter's house. It was noted that whereas it appeared that Colcord had threatened to destroy said Boulter's house by cutting it down or burning it, and that Boulter's wife and children were afraid of Edward, Edward was ordered to post a bond. [Ref] At the Apr 1669 court Edward was presented for violently resisting with weapons Abraham Drake, the marshall of Norfolk countly. Edward sued the marshall and Henry Roby for assault and battery. [Ref] At the 29 Apr 1673 court, Edward was fined for striking Eunice Cole, drawing his knife on her and threatening to cut her. [Ref] On 29 Jun 1681 Edward was jailed for being abusive to his wife. He was ordered to stay in jail or post £40 bail to ensure that he kept the peace 'towards all persons' and especially towards his wife and children. [Ref] In a writ dated 5 Aug 1679 for Richard Bradley vs. Edward Colcord, Edward is charged with unlawfully disposing of a ketch of which Bradley was part owner. Dow, the Marshall of Norfolk, responded by saying that he had Edward 'locked in fast' in the prison in Norfolk. [Ref]

Edward was engaged in many commercial suits. For example, at the 8 (5) 1645 court, Edward sued Robert Nash of Boston over 2 oxen. [Ref] At the 24 (2) 1649 court Edward sued Ralph Blaisdell in a matter concerning six firkins of soap. [Ref] Edward sued Thomas Wiggens for taking away certain bolts belonging to him at the 1 (8) 1650 court. [Ref] He sued John Alcock for nonperformance of a covenant at the 8 (2) 1651 court. [Ref] Samuel Winsley sued Edward for goods delivered to him at the 7 (8) 1651 court. [Ref] John Severance sued Edward for non-payment for a cask of wine at the 14 (4) 1653 court. [Ref] Mr Edward Gylllman sued Edward for debt at the 4 (8) 1653 court. At the same court Edward was successfully sued by Thomas King for not delivering 1,400 pipe staves to the widow Chase. [Ref] Edward successfully sued by Humphrey Wilson for detaining his heifer at the 11 (2) 1654 court. [Ref] He was successfully sued by Thomas King for not fulfilling a covenant at the 3 (8) 1654 court. At the same court he was sued for debt (in separate suits) by John Severance, Anthony Stanyon, Humphrey Wilson and Robert Tucke. [Ref] Thomas Coleman, Timonthy Dalton, John Brown, Robert Tucke and Christopher Palmer sued Edward and the 18 (2) 1666 writ mentions three lots of land and corn and hay. [Ref]

Edward was frequently sued for defamation. At the 28 (7) 1647 court at Ipswich both William Bartholomew and William Payne brought cases against Edward for defamation. In the latter case Edward confessed. [Ref] At the 3 (8) 1654 court in Salisbury Edward was sued for defamation by Capt. Thomas Wiggens. [Ref] He was sued at the 9 (2) 1667 court for calling Henry Roby a rogue and other reproachful words.

Edward does not appear to have held public office, but was entrusted with some responsibilities. In Dover, he was one of three men appointed to decide cases of less than 20 shillings in value. [Ref] He and the ministers, Timothy Dalton and John Wheelwright, were appointed to settle a controversy over the cow common and made their report on 31 Mar 1649. [Ref] In 1679 he wrote to the Governor in Boston, saying that Maj. Waldrine had come to him from the General Court in Boston and invited him to his house. There he showed Edward a complaint that had been made to the King against the magistrates in Massachusetts. Edward said that the major has asked him, as an 'Antient Inhabitant', to speak with the inhabitants of Hampton. Edward reports that he had done this and then says that he would like to be paid 'at least tenne pounds for I really desarve it.'[Ref]

Edward enjoyed buying and selling land, although this typically led to law suits. He received two shares of the commons in Hampton in 1646. [Ref] On 1 (1) 1649/50 Edward Legat of Exeter sold Edward Colcord of Hampton 10 acres of salt marsh near the landing place in Hampton. [Ref] William Fuller bought four acres of meadow in Hampton, formerly belonging to William Wakefield and bounded by the beach and land owned by John Sanborn and Mr. Richworth. A caution was entered on 15 Oct 1650. [Ref] On 12 (10) 1650 Edward mortgaged a marsh next to the beach that had formerly belonged to Walter Roper to James Filbrick and Thomas Filbrick, Jr. [Ref] On 16 Jan 1651 Henry Green of Hampton assigned to Edward 3000 pipe staves in the hads of Francis Swain. [Ref] On 10 (8) 1651 Edward Colcord of Hampton sold John Wedgwood of Hampton five acres of marsh in Hampton in the little ox common. [Ref] On 30 (9) 1652 Mr Edward Colcord entered a caution about part of a farm that Henry Seward had bought from William Howard and now sold to him. [Ref] On 30 (0) 1652 Mr Edward Colcord entered his caution about 40 acres of pine swamp that he bought from James Wall. [Ref] On 15 (1) 1652 Edward entered a caution about 10 acres of land in Hampton that he bought from Henry Ambrose. [Ref] On 6 (8) 1652 Edward acknowledged that he had sold Thomas Chase of Hampton 3-1/2 acres of meadow. [Ref] On 7 (8) 1652 Edward Colcord, planter, sold Mr Christopher Hussey 17 acres of salt marsh south of the falls river for five pounds. [Ref] On 10 Mar 1653 Edward Colcord of Hampton sold a third share in the sawmill on the Exeter falls that he bought from James Wall to Thomas Ruck. [Ref] By a deed dated 25 Mar 1653 Edward Colcord of Hampton sold John Marian of Hampton half an acre of meadow. [Ref] On 27 (7) 1653 John Lewis, on the orders of John Severance, received 1600 hogshead and 100 pipe staves from Edward. [Ref] By a deed dated 1 Dec 1659 Edward Colcord of Hampton sold Eliakim Wardall of Hampton 16 acres of upland in Hampton. [Ref] By a deed dated 15 Oc 1658, Edward Colcord of Hampton, yeoman, sold Thomas Kimball of Hampton 40 acres of upland that had been granted to William Howard. Edward's son Jonathan was a witness, although he would have been about 18 at the time. [Ref] By a deed dated 16 Mar 1661 Edward Colcord of Hampton sold by a £26 mortgage to Christopher Palmer of Hampton six acres of planting ground in Hampton near Henry Robie's house, 11 acres that had been granted to Henry Ambrose and land bounded by Phillip Toule's, Thomas Ward's and the mill brook that had been granted to William Howard. [Ref] On 10 Aug 1666 Edward Colcord of Hampton mortgaged to Richard Oliver of Hampton swamp that had been granted to Henry Greene and Abraham Perkins and also some cattle. [Ref] On 25 Jul 1667 Edward Colcord of Hampton, yeoman, acknowledged morgaging four acres of fresh meadow in Hampton to Abraham Drake, marshall of Norfolk. [Ref] On 3 (12) 1667 Edward acknowledged that administrators of Francis Swain's estate had paid Francis's debt of 3000 pipe staves, assigned to Edward by Henry Green. [Ref]

Children of Edward Colcord and Anne Warde:

1. Jonathan Colcord died on 31 (6) 1661, age 21. [Ref]
2. Mary Colcord was born on 4 (8) 1649 in Hampton. [Ref] She married Rev. Benjamin Fifield on 28 (10) 1670. [Ref][Ref] He was killed by the Indians. [Ref] They had eight children. [Ref]
3. Edward Colcord was born on 2 (12) 1651 in Hampton. [Ref] He was killed by Indians on 13 Jun 1677 at North Hill. [Ref] [Ref does not give the location] He may have been older than Jonathan. [Ref] His widow died on 24 Jan 1688/9. [Ref] He was a soldier in King Philip's War under Capt. Nicolas Manning on 24 Jun 1676. [Ref] He was a soldier again on 24 Aug 1676. [Ref]
4. Samuel Colcord died on 10 Oct 1736. [Ref] He married Mary Ayer, the daughter of Thomas Ayer and Elizabeth Hutchins, in 1680. [Ref] He was a soldier from Hampton in King Philip's War on 24 Aug 1676. [Ref] He took the oath of allegiance on in Hampton, probably on 16 (10) 1678. [Ref]
5. Mehitable Colcord was born in 1658. She married Nathaniel Stevens.
6. Hannah Colcord married Dea. Thomas Dearborn on 28 (10) 1665. [Ref] She died on 17 Jul 1720. [Ref] Thomas, the son of Geoffrey Dearborn, was born in England and died on 14 Apr 1710 in Hampton, age about 76. [Ref] They had four sons. [Ref] Thomas and Hannah lived in Hampton. [Ref] Thomas was a selectman in 1675, 1678 and 1693. [Ref] He was chosen a deacon of the Hampton church on 1 Nov 1699 and served for many years. [Ref]
7. Sarah Colcord married John Hobbs on 30 (10) 1668. [Ref] John was the son of Morris and Sarah (Eastlow) Hobbs. [Ref] They had two daughters. [Ref]
8. Shua Colcord was born on 12 (4) 1660. [Ref]
9. Deborah Colcord was born on 21 (3) 1664 in Hampton. [Ref] She married Tristam Coffin. [Ref] Tristam, the son of the Hon. Peter and Abigail (Starbuck) Coffin, was born on 18 Jan 1665. [Ref]
10. Abigail Colcord was born on 23 (5) 1667. [Ref]

Generation 2

MEHITABLE COLCORD (b. 1658)

Parents: Edward Colcord and Anne Warde

Mehitable Colcord was born in 1658. [Ref] She married Nathaniel Stevens of Dover on 20 (10) 1697. [Ref][Ref][Ref]

References

Bodge, George, "Soldiers in King Philip's War," New England Historical and Genealogical Register, many volumes.

Brown, Benjamin F. Brown, "Hampton Falls, N.H., Tax Payers in 1709," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 28, 1874, 373.

Coffin, Joshua, "Early Settlers of Essex and Old Norfolk," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6, 1852, 205-208, 243-254, 339-346; 7, 1853, 83 - , 357 - 360; 8, 1854, 49 - 54.

Colcord, Doane B., Colcord Genealogy: Descendants of Edward Colcord of New Hampshire, 1630 to 1908, Coudersport, Pa., Mahlon J. Colcord, 1908.

Dearborn, E. B., "Genealogy of the Dearborn Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 2, 1848, 81-98.

Dow, George Francis, Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Essex Institute, 1911.

Dow, Joseph, History of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire: From its settlement in 1638, to the autumn of 1892, unknown: L.E. Dow, 1893, c1894.

Editors, "Deposition Concerning the Indian Deed of Exeter, N.H.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6, 1855, 204.

Editors, "Old Norfolk County Records," Essex Antiquarian, various issues.

Editors, "Salem Quarterly Court Records and Files," Essex Antiquarian, 5.

Haines, Andrew M., "Papers Relating to the Haines Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 23, 1869, 150-169.

Quint, Alonzo Hall, "Extracts from Dover Town Records," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 4, 1850, 246-250.

Quint, Alonzo, "Genealogical Items Relating to the Early Settlers of Dover, NH," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6, 152, 35 - 39; 8, 1584, 129 - .

Quint, Alonzo Hall, Historical Memoranda Concerning Persons and Places in old Dover, N.H., Dover, unknown, 1900.

Quint, A. H., 'Notes on the Dover (N.H.) Combination of 1640,' New England Historical and Genealogical Register 33, 1879, 91-101.

Quint, Alonzo H., "Oaths of Freemen, Allegiance, &c. in Old Norfolk County, New England Historical and Genealogical Register 6, 1852, 201-204.