William HAWES

                   Edmund Hawes (Edmond; Howes, Haws) [Constable 1642/3]
One Hawes or Two?

Numerous entries show Hawes operating in Yarmouth. However, in 1657, Edmund Hawes appears as an oath-taker in Duxbury and not in Yarmouth (PCR 8:182, 8:185), and it was in Duxbury that he served as constable. The possibility exists that there were two Edmunds Hawes.

Positing that there was only one Hawes-- supported by the admittance of only one as a freeman, and the fact that his name never appears in two concurrent lists in different locations-- the question remains as to why his location seems to fluctuate. While most of the entries take place in Yarmouth, Hawes is mentioned in Duxbury a few times. As Yarmouth and Duxbury are fairly far away from one another, it seems unlikely that Duxbury might have recruited him from Yarmouth as constable in a year with no other "volunteers." Another possibility is that Hawes moved at some point or had multiple residences. This behavior seems questionable considering the general pointlessness of having two homes and the seeming sedentariness of most Plymouth residents, and also leaves the question of how he could have been constable before being a freeman.

Far more likely is that there was a father and son, the father having already been past the age of freeman. In this case, the father was the constable in Duxbury and the son moved to Yarmouth. No junior or senior title ever appears with the name, but perhaps this is due to their living separately. The question remains, however, why two Hawes never appear in two contemporary lists of people in both towns. None of the records seem to concretely answer the problem.

In the case that there were two Edmunds Hawes, the majority of available information pertains only to the one from Yarmouth, and very little concerns the one of Duxbury. The following information is presented as if there was only one, in the absence of proof to the contrary.

Biographical

Judging by the date of his admittance as a freeman, he should have been born in early 1624-5. His death cannot be ascertained, as he lived until the colony's assimilation into the Massachusetts Bay colony. The last mention of Edmund Hawes is in a list of freeman from June 1689 (PCR 8:206).

Edmund Hawes seems to have been an upstanding citizen in Yarmouth, judging by his long service to the community and untarnished record. The worst crime he committed was the occasional absence from a committee, and a debt that is only mentioned once. There is no data casting negative light on Hawes' character, and he served the community in more than twice as many roles as any other constable in this survey. No civil action was ever taken against Hawes.

Hawes is responsible for the standard weights used for measurement in Yarmouth, which suggests that he was probably either a merchant or a learned individual (PCR 2:126). He was probably well-organized, as he was selected to help inventory several estates and assisted the treasury accounting several times.

On 5 June 1677, John Hawes was elected constable of Yarmouth, quite possibly Edmund Hawes' son (PCR 5:231).


1643 or later. Listed as a freeman of Yarmouth (PCR 8:176).

5 June 1644. Propounded a freeman (PCR 2:71).

3 March 1644-5. Admitted as a freeman (PCR 2:80).

c. 1657. Listed as having taken the oath of fidelity in Duxbury (PCR 8:182).

c. 1658. Listed as a freeman of Yarmouth (PCR 8:200).

29 May 1670. Listed as a freeman of Yarmouth (PCR 5:276).

June 1689. Listed as a freeman (PCR 8:206).

Career

1 March 1641-2. Elected Constable and surveyor of the highways for Duxbury (PCR 2:34).

7 June 1642. Sworn in as constable. (PCR 2:40).

7 June 1642. Jury of 4 minor cases (PCR 7:31).

28 October 1645. Served on "Yarmouth Committee" (PCR 2:94). This committee is then mentioned again without reference, on 3 March 1645-6 (PCR 2:95), 7 July 1646 (PCR 2:104), 1 June 1647 (PCR 2:117), 7 June 1648 (PCR 2:123), 8 June 1649 (PCR 2:144), 5 June 1651 (PCR 2:168).

2 June 1646. Placed on committee to consider excise on wine "& other thinges" to help defray the working costs of magistrates (PCR 2:101).

7 July 1646. Appointed in Yarmouth to "recover the Excise & gather it." (PCR 2:105). Reappointed for this post 1 June 1647 (PCR 2:116), and 7 June 1648 (PCR 2:125).

15 May 1648. Consented to the addition of 3 members to the Yarmouth committee (PCR 2:130).

7 June 1648. Presented a parcel of weights to the court, to be the standard weights for Yarmouth; the court accepted this motion (PCR 2:126).

6 June 1650. Served on a jury involving 5 minor cases. (PCR 7:49).

7 June 1653. Listed as one of the town's deputies (PCR 3:32). He continued being a town deputy, uninterrupted until March 1665-6 (PCR 3:44, PCR 3:49, PCR 3:63, PCR 3:70, PCR 3:115, PCR 3:135, PCR 3:198). His last uninterrupted term was 7 June 1665 (PCR 4:90). Afterwards he served as a select man, but for three years served as a deputy as well: 3 June 1674 (PCR 5:144), 1 June 1675 (PCR 5:154), and 1 November 1676 (listed as absent) (PCR 5:214).

5 March 1655-6. Appeared on behalf of Yarmouth and Barnstable, to vote on allowing use of land at Kennebecke by William Bradford, Thomas Prence, and Thomas Willett (PCR 3:96).

5 June 1658. Helped negotiate a land purchase dispute with Jana (an Indian) in Yarmouth (PCR 3:146).

10 June 1658. Ordered to "take an account of the Tresurer" (in other words to serve as town accountant) with Thomas Southworth, Captain Josiah Winslow, and Josias Cooke. (PCR 8:93).

1 March 1658-9. Mentioned as constable of Yarmouth (PCR 3:163).

2 October 1660. Ordered by the court to deliver to Robert Dennis a "firkin of butter" in the custody of Richard Tayler, "sometimes belonging to Wm. Norkett" (PCR 3:173). Exactly what this latter part means is unclear. A firkin is a quarter of a barrel.

8 June 1664. Made liquor excise collector for Yarmouth (PCR 4:67). He was reappointed 3 Oct. 1665 (PCR 4:105).

16 June 1664. Mentioned as treasurer again (PCR 8:110).

5 March 1660-1. Served on capital jury, ruling John Hawes of Yarmouth not guilty of killing Josepth Rogers of Eastham. (PCR 3:205).

6 March 1665-6. Approved by court as a Select Man of Yarmouth (PCR 4:117). He continued as a select man for many years (PCR 4:124, PCR 4:150, PCR 4:182, PCR 5:57, PCR 5:113, PCR 5:143, PCR 5:195, PCR 5:230, PCR 5:35, PCR 5:92, PCR 6:10, PCR 6:35, PCR 6:59, PCR 6:84, PCR 6:108, PCR 6:168, PCR 6:129. serving his last term beginning 1 June 1686 (PCR 6:186).

June 9 1665. Mentioned as treasurer again (PCR 8:113).

7 June 1674. Served as treasurer again, with John Freeman, William Clark, and Daniell Smith (PCR 8:141).

29 February 1675-6. Served as a "towne councell-man" (PCR 5:186).

Legal

7 August 1638. Owed lxxx li (80 pounds) "to the King" (possibly unpaid taxes). (PCR 1:94)

7 July 1646. For "defects in [appearance at] this court", Hawes owed 12 pence (PCR 2:106).

2 October 1650. Complained, with seventeen others, against John Crow, William Nickarson, and Lieutenant William Palmer, for trespassing (PCR 7:50).

6 June 1660. Absent from Yarmouth committee (PCR 3:187).

1 November 1676. Listed as absent when elected deputy of Yarmouth (PCR 5:214).

Land

2 October 1637. Granted 10 acres of land lying across "Greens Harbor Path, next to Wm. Mullens on the south side" (PCR 1:66). If my freeman/birth-date estimate is accurate, and there is only one Edmund Hawes, this means he was granted land at age 13. Also note that Greens Harbor is near Duxbury and Marshfield, not Yarmouth.

1 April 1639. Hawes requested more land. Because certain Mattakeesets land was uninhabited by many of its owners, the free land was available if a court order was obtained (PCR 1:120).

6 April 1640. Land between Edmund Hawes & John Tisdall is granted to "Wm. Mullings" (presumably Mullens, from 2 Oct. 1637 entry) (PCR 1:146).

2 November 1640. Given 30 acres next to Daniell Coles lands, beyond the South River, "with meddow land to it, if it be there to be had" (PCR 1:165).

7 June 1665. Allotted a section of land at Mannamoiett (PCR 4:96). There is another mention of the same on 9 June 1665 (PCR 4:102).

Estate Management

February 22 1655. Took inventory of John Darby of Yarmouth, with Robert Dennis (PCW&I 305).

14 September 1659. Took inventory of estate of William Chase of Yarmouth, with Robert Dennis and Richard Tayler (PCW&I 501).

March 1666-7. Overseer of John Joyce's will, with Anthony Thacher, executed March 1666-1667 (PCW&I 441).

13 September 1667. Conducted inventory of estate of Anthony Thacher of Yarmouth (deceased 22 August 1667), with Robert Dennis and John Gorum. (PCW&I 461).

20 December 1668. Apprisal of estate of William Clarke of Yarmouth, with John Gorum, Richard Taylor, and Barnard Lombart. (PCW&I 474).