MySource:Quolla6/Crapo, H.H. (1912)

From: Certain Comeoverers By Henry Howland Crapo Published 1912 Anthony, printers v.1 pp 254-260
See Source:Crapo, H.H. (1912)
Supporting Article: Person:Richard Borden (4)

Richard Borden was born in Hedcorn, County Kent, and baptized February 22, 1595-6. His ancestry has been most admirably presented by Thomas Allen Glenn in an unusually good genealogical book edited in 1901. He was the son of Matthew Borden of Hedcorn, who left a considerable estate. Matthew was the son of Thomas Borden, who died in 1592, and Joan, his wife, who lived until 1620. Thomas was the son of William Borden, who died in 1557, and his wife, Joan. William was the son of Edmund Borden, who died in 1539, and Margaret, his wife. Edmund was the son of William Borden, who died in 1531, and Joan, his wife. William was the son of John Borden, who died in 1469. John was the son of Thomas, who also died in 1469. Thomas was the son of Henry Borden, who was born about 1370 and died in 1480. It is probable that he was of the family of Bordens of Borden, a parish some twelve miles distant from Hedcorn, where he lived.

Richard Borden, the immigrant, was married September 28, 1625, in the parish church at Hedcorn to Joan Fowle. Afterwards he removed to the parish of Cranbrook, where he was living in 1628. In what year he came to New England is not known. He had a younger brother John, who was born in 1606, who came over in the Elizabeth and Ann in 1635. It is not probable that Richard came with his brother, but whether he preceded him or came afterwards is problematical. Both Richard and John were in Boston during the Anne Hutchinson excitement. Whether they were adherents of hers does not appear. In the early spring of 1638 Richard settled in Portsmouth, near the landing place of what has since been known as the Bristol Ferry. Here his son Matthew was born in May, 1638, the first child of English parentage born on the island of Aquid- neck. Richard was admitted as an inhabitant of the new settlement May 20, 1638, and was allotted a house lot of five acres. In October, 1638, he signed the civil compact and took the freeman's oath. Later he removed with most of the first settlers to a location half way down the island which was then called Newtown — the present village of Portsmouth.

Richard Borden from the start took a leading part in the activities of the new settlement. During his life he acted for the town in many capacities, especially in the matter of laying out lands and settling land disputes. He was first chosen to the town council in 1649, and served many times thereafter. In 1654 he was chosen General Treasurer of the Colony. In 1656 and from 1667 to 1670, he was a Deputy to the General Assembly. He seems to have had the business sagacity which he handed on to his namesake and descendant, who was so largely the founder of the prosperityof the city of Fall River, which sprang up on Mount Hope Bay on land which was acquired by the early Bordens. Richard, himself, was a large landed proprietor, owning lands in Massachusetts and New Jersey. His dwelling house at Portsmouth was of more than usual amplitude for those times. He died May 25, 1671. His widow, Joan, survived him for seventeen years, dying July 15, 1688. The records of the Friends' monthly meeting at Newport say of Joan that "she lived long enough to see all her children confirmed in what she believed to be the truth, and in dying she must have had a happy consciousness that they would do honor to their parental training."

The fourth son of Richard and Joan Borden was John, born September, 1640. He certainly redeemed his mother's fondest hopes. He became widely known throughout the colonies as a leading light in the Society of Friends. His earnest and persistent service to Quakerism is chronicled in many entries on the records not only of Rhode Island, but of New Jersey, and he was revered by the Friends of many meetings. In 1660, when twenty years of age, he became associated with John Tripp, another of your ancestors, in operating the Bristol Ferry. The wharf on the island side appears to have been his property. Like his father he was thrifty and accumulated land and goods. His holdings were large in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. He had tracts in Tiverton and Freetown, and he left a goodly heritage to his children.

Aside from his distinguished record as an apostle of Quakerism, John Borden is especially interesting as the warm friend and adviser of King Philip, with whom he had many personal dealings. Philip once said, "John Borden is the most honest white man I have ever known." It was owing to this well known friendship that John Borden was employed by the government of Plymouth Colony to act as peacemaker and attempt to deter Philip from waging war on the English settlers. He was unsuccessful in his mission. Philip received him as a friend and listened courteously to what he had to say, but the wrongs which the English had inflicted upon the Indians were too grievous and the Sachem felt that war was inevitable.

John Borden had unquestionably done his utmost to serve the Plymouth Court in his negotiations with King Philip, and it is, therefore, regrettable that he so soon after was treated by Plymouth in a way which to him and his fellow townsmen seemed most outrageous. He was the owner, at least in part, of "Hog Island," which had been regarded as a part of the town of Portsmouth, to which in fact it paid taxes. The town of Bristol, a Plymouth Colony community, claimed jurisdiction, and was supported by the Plymoutli Court, under whose sanction John Borden was arrested and imprisoned in Bristol, having been induced to go thither by a very underhanded proceeding. His fellow colonists applied to the government of Rhode Island for support and redress, and the government espoused their cause andentered into a vigorous contest with Plymouth and its supporter, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, for the possession of the islands in Narragansett Bay. It was largely due to another ancestor of yours, Christopher Almy, who went to England and laid the matter of the Massachusetts en- croachments before the British government, that the islands were finally assured to Rhode Island. The town of Portsmouth recompensed John Borden for his expenses in this controversy and apparently stood behind him loyally in every way. His fellow townsmen continued to rely on him during his life, electing him from time to time as one of the Town Council, and as their Deputy to the General Assembly, and employing him in various other offices.

John Borden died June 4, 1716, and in his will he remembered the children of his daughter Amey, who had married Benjamin Chase and died prior to his death. Amey Chase was a great grandmother of Anne Almy Chase.

John Borden's sister Mary married John Cook, the son of Thomas Cook of Portsmouth, who was a butcher. In 1643 Thomas Cook was received as an inhabitant of Portsmouth and "ingaged with the government" at the same time "propounding for a toll." Whence he came I know not. He must have been fully thirty-five years old when he came to Portsmouth, since his son John was then twelve years old. His wife's name was Mary. In 1649, William Brenton conveyed to Thomas Cook a plot of ground on which Cook had already erected a dwelling house, and also a tract of land which adjoined the farm of Giles Slocum. Several subsequent conveyances between Giles Slocum and Thomas Cook are recorded. In Thomas Cook's will he describes a piece of land which he devises to his grandson John, the son of Captain Thomas Cook, as bounded by "brother Giles Slocum." This raises the query as to whether Thomas Cook may have married Giles Slocum's sister, or whether Cook and Slocum married sisters in the old country. Thomas Cook took no active part in the town's affairs, although in 1664 he was elected a Deputy to the General Assembly. In 1674 he died leaving a will which is informative as to his descendants. John Cook, the son of Thomas, was also a butcher. He is said to have been born in 1631. In 1655 he was admitted as a freeman. In 1668 he and Daniel Wilcox were authorized to run the ferry. In 1670 he was a Deputy to the General Assembly. He lived at Puncatest, and it was he who testified in 1676 at the court martial held at Newport about the Indians supposed to have killed Zoeth Howland. He was more or less active in the town's affairs and served frequently in minor offices, his name appearing often on the town's records. He died in 1691, and in his will, which is dated the same year, he calls himself " aged," and "considering the sore visitation of small-pox wherewith many are now visited and many have been taken away" deems it wise to arrange his worldly affairs. He seems to have had considerable property and an unusual number of negro slaves and several "Indian boys" which he bequeathes to various members of his family. To his daughter, Deborah Almy, wife of Wflliam Alrny, he leaves only one shilling, thinking perhaps that she was well provided for by her marriage. Deborah was a great great grandmother of Anne Almv Chase.