Elisha Sweet

Notes:

Some information on James's children was found here:
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SWEET/2000-06/0962376001
and:
http://newsarch.rootsweb.com/th/read/SHERMAN/2001-01/0980126451

James carried on the art of bonesetting, passed down from his father and grandfather.

James married Mary Shearman 6 Jul 1714. Mary (daughter of Eber Shearman and Mary Unknown) was born 26 Jun 1688. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Benoni (bonesetter) b 28 Mar 1663 in Warwick, RI; md Elizabeth (Manchester). The following is from "Updike's History of the Narragansett Church": Benoni had been a Captain in the British service; was well informed and of polished manners; was a "natural" bonesetter and the progenitor of the race of bonesetters in RI; was styled "Dr. Sweet"; practiced in restoring dislocations only; was a regular communicant of the church; officiated as vestryman until his death. In the proceedings of the General Assembly held for the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at Newport, 6 Mar 1696, admitted freeman were: Philip, James, Benoni, John, and Daniel Sweet. Benoni died 19 Jul 1752: Capt. Benoni Sweet of North Kingstown, in the 90th yr of his age.

Benoni married Elizabeth Manchester Abt 1686. Elizabeth (daughter of Thomas MANCHESTER and Margaret WOOD) was born Abt 1667; died Abt May 1754, North Kingstown, RI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Eber possibly married second, Sophia A. Brown.

Eber — Mary Unknown. Mary was born Between 1645 and 1655. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Some genealogies show that the wife of Eber Shearman was Mary Wilcox, b. 1639. However, genealogist Alden G. Beaman wrote that he had found no evidence that Eber's wife was Mary Wilcox (see RI Genealogical Register, Vol. 2, No. 2, p. 91), who probably would have been too old to be the mother of Eber's younger children. So, it may have been a different Mary, or perhaps he was married to two Marys.

Notes:

The information on the Sweet family and their connection to the Greenes came from Jayne at [LACKSWEET@aol.com]. She is a descendant who now lives in Oklahoma. She stated that she had not yet proved all the information. Additional information is found in the Rhode Island Genealogical Register, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 344 ff: "Families of James & Benoni Sweet of Warwick," by Alden Gamaliel Beaman.

Source of the following is Boston Evening Transcript, 26 Aug 1912, at Google News Archive Search:

James Sweet on 8 Nov 1686 deeded to eldest son Philip of Prudence Island all right of land in Providence "as my father, John Sweet, was one of the first purchasers." On the same date James also deeded to son James of Prudence Island and son Valentine of Kingstowne, land in Mashantatack.

On 4 Apr 1695 James Sweet testified he was about 73 years old.

In 1696 James Sweet was of Providence.

He was the first of the so-called "Bonesetter Sweets." His son Benoni followed in his footsteps in this profession.

James married Mary Greene Abt 1654, RI. Mary (daughter of Dr. John GREENE and Joan TATTERSHALL) was born 19 May 1633, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. [Group Sheet]

Thomas married Margaret WOOD Bef 1650. Margaret (daughter of John WOOD and Margaret CARTER) was born 1630; died Abt 1693. [Group Sheet]

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.