Edmund SHEARMAN
Biography of his father

" PHILIP SHERMAN

ORIGIN: UNKNOWN
MIGRATION: 1633
FIRST RESIDENCE: ROXBURY
REMOVES: PORTSMOUTH 1638
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: "PHILLIP SHERMAN. HE CAME INTO THE LAND IN THE YEAR 1623 [SIC], A SINGLE MAN, & AFTER MARRIED SARAH ODDING, THE DAUGHTER O[F] THE WIFE OF JOHN PORTER BY A FORMER HUSBAND. THIS MAN WAS OF A MELANCHOLY TEMPER, HE LIVED HONESTLY & COMFORTABLY AMONG US SEVERAL YEARS, UPON A JUST CALLING WENT FOR ENGLAND & RETURNED AGAIN WITH A BLESSING: BUT AFTER HIS FATHER-IN-LAW JOHN PORTER WAS SO CARRIED AWAY WITH THESE OPINIONS OF FAMILISM & SCHISM HE FOLLOWED THEM & REMOVED WITH THEM TO THE ILAND, HE BEHAVED HIMSELF SINFULLY IN THESE MATTERS (AS MAY APPEAR IN THE STORY) & WAS CAST OUT OF THE CHURCH" [ RCHR 78-79].
FREEMAN: 14 MAY 1634 [ MBCR 1:368]. 16 MARCH 1640/ 1 [ RICR 1:111].
EDUCATION: SUFFICIENT TO BE GENERAL RECORDER OF RHODE ISLAND. HIS INVENTORY INCLUDED "FOUR OLD BIBLES & OTHER SMALL BOOKS" VALUED AT £1.
OFFICES: GENERAL RECORDER, 16 MAY 1648, 22 MAY 1649, 23 MAY 1650 [ RICR 1:209, 217, 230, 236]. ON 4 NOVEMBER 1651 COLONY RECORDS WERE DEMANDED OF PHILIP SHERMAN "LATE REC***ORDER*** OF THIS COLONY" [ RICR 236].
ATTENDED PORTSMOUTH TOWN MEETING, 13 MAY 1638, 20 MAY 1638, 20 AUGUST 1638, 5 NOVEMBER 1638, 2 JANUARY 1638/ 9 [ RICR 1:53, 54, 58, 61, 63]. SELECTMAN, 30 APRIL 1639 [ RICR 1:71]. COMMITTEE TO BUILD FENCES, 20 MAY 1638 [ RICR 1:54]. SURVEYOR, 1640 [ RICR 1:102]. TOWN CLERK, 1649-1656 [ POTR 42, 45, 49, 50, 57, 60, 62, 67, 71]. TOWN COUNCIL, 1649, 1650, 1653, 1654, 1656, 1657, 1670-1673 [ POTR 42, 45, 61, 62, 71, 76, 152, 161, 169, 176]. PORTSMOUTH COMMISSIONER TO RHODE ISLAND GENERAL COURT, 21 MAY 1656 [ POTR 70 RICR 1:337]. COMMITTEE TO AUDIT TREASURER'S ACCOUNTS, 21 MAY 1661 [ RICR 1:442]. PORTSMOUTH DEPUTY TO RHODE ISLAND GENERAL COURT, 3 MAY 1665, 25 OCTOBER 1665 [ POTR 130 RICR 2:96, 130].
ESTATE: ON 10 FEBRUARY 1639/ 40 HE WAS GRANTED 200 ACRES AT PORTSMOUTH [ RICR 1:73].
ON 28 AUGUST 1650 SAMUEL GORTON OF WARWICK SOLD TO PHILIP SHERMAN OF PORTSMOUTH SEVEN ACRES IN PORTSMOUTH [ POTR 304-05].
ON 3 OCTOBER 1677 PHILIP SHERMAN SENIOR OF PORTSMOUTH DEEDED TO "PELEGG SHERMAN MY SON" FOURTEEN ACRES IN PORTSMOUTH [ POLE 1:148]. ON 15 APRIL 1678 PHILIP SHERMAN SENIOR OF PORTSMOUTH DEEDED TO "BENJAMIN CHASE MY SON-IN-LAW AND MY DAUGHTER PHILIP HIS WIFE" FOUR ACRES AND A HALF IN PORTSMOUTH [ POLE 1:150].
IN HIS WILL, DATED 31 JULY 1681 AND PROVED 22 MARCH 1686/ 7, "PHILIP SHEARMAN, YEOMAN, AGED SEVENTY-ONE YEARS, OF THE TOWN OF PORTSMOUTH," BEQUEATHED TO "SARAH MY LOVING WIFE THE USE AND HER DWELLING IN THE FIRST ROOM AT THE WEST END OF MY NOW DWELLING..." "MY SON SAMUEL MY SOLE EXECUTOR" AND TO PROVIDE "MY LOVING WIFE WITH FOOD AND RAIMENT AND ALL NECESSARIES WHATSOEVER DURING HER NATURAL LIFE AND AT HER DECEASE DECENTLY TO BURY HER" TO "SARAH MY WIFE TEN GOOD EWE SHEEP" TO "EBER MY ELDEST SON THAT WHICH I HAVE ALREADY GIVEN HIM, TEN ACRES OF LAND IN THE BOUNDS OF PORTSMOUTH ... AT A PLACE CALLED BRIGGS SWAMP ... AND ALL MY HORSE FLESH IN THE NARRAGANSETT COUNTRY EXCEPTING ONE MARE, THE SECOND BEST, SUCH EXCEPTED MARE, I GIVE TO THOMAS MUMFORD AND PELEG MUMFORD MY GRANDCHILDREN" TO "MY SON PELEG FIVE EWE SHEEP" TO "MY SON EDMUND A QUARTER SHARE OF MEADOW AND A SIXTEENTH PART OF A SHARE OF UPLAND LYING IN PONAGANSETT WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP OF DARTMOUTH ... ALSO MY WHOLE RIGHT IN THE PURCHASE OF SQUAMSCUTT NOW CALLED WESTERY" TO "MY SON SAMSON AFTER THE DECEASE OF MY SAID WIFE HIS HALF OF THE BREADTH OF MY FARM WHICH I NOW DWELL UPON ... MY SO N SAMSON AND MY SON SAMUEL TO HAVE EQUAL PRIVILEGES IN THE AERABLE LAND OF THE AFORESAID FARM DURING THE NATURAL LIFE OF SARAH MY WIFE" TO "MY SON SAMUEL ALL THE REMAINING PART OF MY AFORESAID FARM WITH MY NOW DWELLING HOUSE AND ALL THE OTHER BUILDINGS ... AND TO HAVE TWO PARTS OF THE GRASS AND THE HAY DURING THE NATURAL LIFE OF SARAH MY WIFE" TO "MY SON SAMSON ... ONE WHITE FACED MARE WITH HER FOAL AND ALL THOSE FOUR INDIANS WHICH WE JOINTLY BOUGHT" TO "MY SON JOHN MY BAY MARE" TO "MY SON BENJAMIN ALL THE REMAINING PART OF MY LAND AT BRIGGS' SWAMP WHEREUPON THE SAID BENJAMIN'S HOUSE NOW STANDS" TO "MY DAUGHTER SARAH TEN EWE SHEEP" TO "MY DAUGHTER MARY TEN EWE SHEEP" TO "MY DAUGHTER HANNAH £5 OF NEW ENGLAND SILVER MONEY FOR THE PROPER USE OF HERSELF AND CHILDREN" TO "MY DAUGHTER HANNAH FIVE EWE SHEEP" TO "MY DAUGHTER PHILIP TEN EWE SHEEP" "I GIVE BENJAMIN CLARKE TO MY SON EDMUND UNTIL HE COMES OF AGE OF ONE & TWENTY YEARS, THE SAID EDMUND FINDING THE SAID BENJAMIN WITH SUFFICIENT FOOD AND CLOTHING DURING THE TERM AFORESAID" [ROY V. SHERMAN, SOME DESCENDANTS OF PHILIP SHERMAN THE FIRST SECRETARY OF RHODE ISLAND, HEREAFTER SHERMAN ANC, CITING POLE 2:260-61].
THE INVENTORY OF THE ESTATE OF PHILIP SHERMAN, DATED 19 MARCH 1686/ 7, TOTALLED £100, WITH NO REAL ESTATE INCLUDED [PORTSMOUTH SCRAPBOOK 17].
BIRTH: BAPTIZED DEDHAM, ESSEX, 5 FEBRUARY 1610/ 1, SON OF SAMUEL SHERMAN [SHERMAN GEN 95].
DEATH: PORTSMOUTH BEFORE 19 MARCH 1686/ 7 (DATE OF INVENTORY).
MARRIAGE: ROXBURY ABOUT 1633 SARAH ODDING, DAUGHTER OF MARGARET (_____) (ODDING) PORTER [ RCHR 78-79 TAG 73:176-80].
CHILDREN:
I EBER, B. SAY 1634 M. MARY _____. (SHE HAS BEEN CALLED MARY WILCOX, DAUGHTER OF EDWARD [ TRANSATLANTIC SHERMANS 114 PHILIP SHERMAN 28], BUT THERE IS NO ROOM FOR HER IN THE FAMILY OF EDWARD WILCOX [ NEHGR 147:190-91].)

II SARAH, B. SAY 1636 M. BY ABOUT 1656 THOMAS MUMFORD [ AUSTIN 136].

III PELEG, B. SAY 1637 M. PORTSMOUTH 26 JULY 1657 ELIZABETH LAWTON, DAUGHTER OF THOMAS LAWTON [ RIVR 4:PORTSMOUTH:37].

IV EDMUND, B. 1641 M. BY 1674 DORCAS HICKS, DAUGHTER OF SAMUEL HICKS AND GRANDDAUGHTER OF ROBERT HICKS [HARRIET WOODBURY HODGE, HICKS (HIX) FAMILIES OF REHOBOTH AND SWANSEA, MASSACHUSETTS (WINNETKA, ILLINOIS, 1976), P. 59].

V SAMSON, B. 1642 M. PORTSMOUTH 4 MARCH 1674/ 5 ISABEL TRIPP, DAUGHTER OF JOHN TRIPP [ RIVR 4:PORTSMOUTH:37 TG 4:62].

VI JOHN, B. 1644 BY ABOUT 1674 SARAH SPOONER, DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM SPOONER (IN HIS WILL OF 8 MARCH 1683[/ 4] WILLIAM SPOONER MADE A BEQUEST TO "MY DAUGHTER SARAH SHERMAN" [ PCPR 4:2:71]).

VII MARY, B. 1645 LIVING ON 31 JULY 1681 (FATHER'S WILL). (AUSTIN SAYS SHE MARRIED SAMUEL WILBORE, SON OF SHADRACH, BUT THIS SAMUEL WAS BORN IN 1663 [ AUSTIN 228], SO THIS IDENTIFICATION SEEMS HIGHLY UNLIKELY.)

VIII HANNAH, B. 1647 M. BY ABOUT 1678 WILLIAM CHASE, SON OF WILLIAM CHASE [ NEHGR 87:51-52 AUSTIN 178-79].

IX SAMUEL, B. 1648 M. PORTSMOUTH 23 FEBRUARY 1680/ 1 MARTHA TRIPP [ RIVR 4:PORTSMOUTH:37 TG 4:62].

X BENJAMIN, B. 1650 M. PORTSMOUTH 3 DECEMBER 1674 HANNAH MOWRY, DAUGHTER OF ROGER MOWRY [ AUSTIN 179].

XI PHILIP, B. 1652 M. BY ABOUT 1674 BENJAMIN CHASE, SON OF WILLIAM CHASE [ POLE 1:150 AUSTIN 178-79 NEHGR 87:51].

ASSOCIATIONS: THOMAS TOWNSEND SHERMAN HAS ELABORATED THE LARGE SHERMAN FAMILY OF DEDHAM, ESSEX, AND VICINITY [SHERMAN GENEALOGY (NEW YORK 1920)], CITED ABOVE AS SHERMAN GEN]. PHILIP SHERMAN WAS FOLLOWED TO NEW ENGLAND BY HIS BROTHER SAMUEL SHERMAN OF BOSTON, HIS FIRST COUSIN JOHN SHERMAN OF WATERTOWN, AND HIS FIRST COUSINS ONCE-REMOVED EDMUND SHERMAN AND RICHARD SHERMAN."

THE GREAT MIGRATION BEGINS: IMMIGRANTS TO NEW ENGLAND 1620-1633, VOLUMES I-III (ONLINE DATABASE: NEWENGLANDANCESTORS.ORG, NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, 2002), (ORIG. PUB. NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY. ROBERT CHARLES ANDERSON, THE GREAT MIGRATION BEGINS: IMMIGRANTS TO NEW ENGLAND 1620-1633, VOLUMES I-III, 3 VOLS., 1995).



Learn more about the life of    Edmund SHEARMAN.

Visit Portsmouth, Rhode Island, USA
Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared.