Francis Brayton

Francis married Sarah Sherman 25 Apr 1717, Portsmouth, RI. Sarah (daughter of Benjamin SHEARMAN and Hannah MOWRY) was born 1684. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

BRAYTON Francis, Jr., and Sarah Shearman, of Benjamin; m. by William Hall, Justice, April 25, 1717.

Notes:

Francis Brayton was admitted as a freeman of Portsmouth, RI, on 30 April 1672.

The will of Francis Brayton, dated 6 Jan 1715/16 and proved (probated) 10 F eb 1718/19, at Portsmouth, RI, appoints his wife Mary and son Francis co-executors, and Jacob Mott, William Anthony, and Preserved Fish, as overseers.

For more information on this family see "Brayton Family History," by Clifford Ross Brayton, Jr., pub.1978 (at RI Historical Society Library, Hiope St., Providence, RI).

Francis married Mary Fish 18 Mar 1670/71, Portsmouth, RI. Mary (daughter of Thomas FISH and Mary Unknown) was born 1652, Portsmouth, RI; died Abt 4 Apr 1747, Portsmouth, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

BRAYTON Francis, of Francis, and Mary Fish, of Thomas; m. by William Baulston. Asst., March 18, 1671.

Benjamin married Hannah MOWRY 3 Dec 1674, Portsmouth, RI. Hannah (daughter of Roger MOWRY and Mary JOHNSON) was born 28 Sep 1656, Providence, RI; died Bef 1718, Portsmouth, RI. [Group Sheet]

Francis — Mary Unknown. Mary died Abt 1692. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

See will dated 9 Feb 1686/87 in "RI Genealogical Register."

There is some question about the maiden name of Thomas's wife. It has been suggested that she may have been Mary Ayers. (see notes below)

From "The Fish Family in England and America," p. 33:
"Meetinge Jan. 19, 1651, 2 acres of lande adjoining to Thomas Fish were ordered layd out to Henry Eves in lieu of land given to said Henry by the Towne formerly"

"Meetinge March 20 1660, Thomas Fish received a deed of house and land from Henry and Ann Ayres, in consideration of fencing two acres said Henry and Ann to enjoy said land for their lives without paying rent."

"Meetinge September 12 1680, Voted: John Biggs is appointed to speke to Thomas Fish that he lay out that acre of land to this townes commons which was lent to Henry eves" (Ayers/Eyers).

(source: "The Fish Family in England and America, Genealogical and Biographical Records and Sketches," by Lester Warren Fish, c 1948)

Thomas married Mary Unknown 1645, Portsmouth, RI. Mary was born 1625; died 1699, Portsmouth, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Her place of birth is given in some genealogies as Portsmouth, but that is impossible, since the settlement was not begun until the middle 1930s. The Portsmouth Compact, dated 1638, does have a Phillip Shearman as one of the signers. However, his daughter named Mary was born later.

Other possibilities -- Mary Sherman, May 1624 - 1673/1699 ?, daughter of Samuel Sherman 20 Oct 1601 - Oct 1644 & Hester Burgess 1604 - 14 Aug 1646. Or, someone else has suggested she may have been Mary Soule, a daughter of George Soule.

Dr. Kenneth Parker's notes indicate Thomas Fish's wife was Mary AYERS (no source documentation given; Dr. Parker has passed away). See the following note.

"I believe that this lady was Mary Ayers whose father was Henry Ayres. She was born 1615?? and died 1699 in Portsmouth, RI. Mary Ayres married Thomas Fish in 1647 in Portsmouth. He was the son of Robert Fish and Alice Fish. I got this from RootsWeb.com by a David E. Crandall, Jr. [dcrandall.jr@prodigy.net]. A note on this RootsWeb.com site says: A notation in an issue of "Second Boat" lists her maiden name as Ayres, daughter of Henry. Submission was by Mary P. Lavery, 7 Paris Ave., Corinth, NY 12822. TORREY lists her name as [?Sherman]. The FISH genealogy very tentatively assigns her maiden name as SOULE. (RIGENWEB mailing list posting from Arlene Clarke Haddock).

See notes for her husband, Thomas Fish.

See her Portsmouth will dated 9 September 1697, proved 9 Aug 1699, which mentions sons John Fish, Robert Fish, Thomas Fish (dec.), and Daniel Fish; daughters Mehittable Tripp, Mary Brayton, and Alike (Alice?) Knowles; grandchildren Preserved Fish and Mehitable Fish, of Thomas (dec.); grandchildren Thomas Fish, Comfort Fish, and Ruth Fish, of Daniel; granddaughter Mary Fish, of John; grandson Robert Fish of Robert.

Notes:

Philip emigrated to New England in 1633 or 1634, first settling in Roxbury, MA, near Boston. Being involved in some of the religious controversy in Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time, he and others went south to Providence Plantations, where Roger Williams advised them to purchase Aquidneck Island (Rhode Island) from the Indians. This purchase was completed on 24 March 1638. Their government was established in July 1638, with William Coddington chosen as governor, and Philip Shearman secretary.

Thus, he was the first Secretary (or General Recorder) of the Colony of Rhode Island. The early records, still at Portsmouth, show Philip to have been a very neat and expert writer.

In Rhode Island, Philip joined the Society of Friends (Quakers). He was know for being a devout but determined man. (see "The Sherman Family" by Rev. David Sherman, p. 189)

The Portsmouth Society of Friends was founded in 1658. The present meeting house was completed in 1700. Now known as the Portsmouth Evangelical Friends Church, it is the oldest active Friends' Church in the country.

Some genealogies have the following ancestry for Philip Shearman:
parents -- Samuel & Philippa (Ward) Shearman, of Dedham, Essex, England
grandparents -- Henry & Susan (Hills or Lawrence) Shearman, of Dedham, Essex, England
gr-grandparents -- Henry & Agnes (Butler) Shearman, of Yaxley, Suffolk, England
gr-gr-grandparents -- Thomas & Jane (Waller) Shearman, of Norfolk & Suffolk, England
gr-gr-gr-grandparents -- John & Agnes (Fuller) Shearman, of Suffolk, England

His son Eber may have been born in England. Possibly Philip was already married when he came to America. Philip's will mentions his wife Sarah; sons Eber, Peleg, Edmund, Sampson, Samuel, John, & Benjamin; and daughters Sarah, Mary, Hannah, & Phelep.

Philip married Sarah ODDING Between 1628 and 1634, England or MA. Sarah (daughter of George ODDING and Margaret Unknown) was born 5 Feb 1609/10; died Aft 31 Jul 1681. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register Vol 167 p 152 says that Philip and Sarah were married in Roxbury, MA, c 1633.

Roger married Mary JOHNSON Bef 1636. Mary was born Abt 1620, England. [Group Sheet]