Person:Nathaniel Soule (1)

b. between say 1634 and 1646 (adult by 1667/8 [PCR  3:178]); before 4 March 1673/4 fathered a child with an unnamed  Indian woman and ordered to pay ten bushels of corn to her for the keeping of the child [PCR 5:163]; m. by 1681 Rose _____ (eldest child b. Dartmouth 12 January 1681[/2]).

Plymouth Colony: Its History and People 1620-1691 Part Two: Topical Narratives Chapter 12: Morality and Sex

On 10 June 1662 Thomas Bird was sentenced to be whipped twice for making several adulterous attempts on Hannah Bumpas, and she was sentenced to be publicly whipped for yielding to him and not making such resistance as she should. Bird was also to pay 10 to her as part satisfaction for the wrong he had done her. Jane Halloway, wife of Samuel, of Taunton, was sentenced on 1 March 1669/70 to be publicly whipped following her recovery from delivery of the baby she was then carrying. She [p.198] had accused Jonathan Briggs of committing adultery with her, and her husband later sued for divorce because of her "audacious asserting and affeirming that shee had comitted adultery." On 29 October 1671 a jury found John Buck and Mary Atkinson guilty of adultery, but the court changed the charge to fornication, since it was not known if her husband was alive at the time the act was committed; they were sentenced to be publicly whipped at the post or to pay a fine of 10 each. They chose the latter. On 4 March 1673/74 the court noted that Nathaniel Soule was to be summoned to its next meeting to answer the charge of committing adultery with an Indian woman.

Nathaniel Soule died intestate and his widow made bond as executrix 12 October 1699, with an inventory reported on that day appraising the personal property at 197:16:00 (Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Court Records, Volume 2, Page 47, on FHL Microfilm 0,461,882). Debts and charges in the amount of 23 pounds, 8 shillings and 8 pence included debts owed to Thomas Wait, Joseph Allen Jr, Jonathan Davil, Nathaniel Potter Jr, and Hugh Mousher, and rates paid to Constable Gifford. The remaining estate for distribution totalled 174 pounds, 7 shillings, 4 pence.

On 10 October 1700 the Probate Court caused "a just and equal divission of the estate both goods and chattels left by Nath'll Soule late of Dartmouth deceased." This division included (Volume 2, Page 56):

"(1) We set forth unto Rose Soul the widow as her Thirds of moveables, one Mare, two three year old steers, a two year old Bull, a two year old Heifer, a three year old heifer, two Cows, a two year old heifer, a one year old Bull, one yearling steer, to a bed & furniture 2:10:00 to Cash 00:10:00.

"(2) We divided and set forth unto Nathaniel Soul the eldest son as his Dubble Portion or shares of sd Goods & Chattels A Brown ox, a black white face cow, a dark brown heifer, two cannons, one gunn, two pots, one horse, white faced ox, Little Red cow, a brfown two year old heifer, one bed.

"(3) We all divided & sett forth unto Silvanus Soul the seconds son as his part of sd Estate one pyed two year old heifer, a young pyed Cow, a black cow, a pyed yearling heifer, a Red yearling heifer, two stores of bees.

"(4) We allso set forth and Divided unto Jacob Soul the third sonne A Cheery Cow, a Red Cow, a five year old heifer, a white faced two year old steer, a Red yearling Stage Plow Tarblin, Iron Lumber, two sithes, a Iron Barrel & some wooden lumber.

"(5) We allsoe set forth & divided unto Miles Soul the fourth son one old cow, a wild Cow, a blew Cow, a Store of bees, two Kettles, a red yearling heyfer, a black yearling stage & nine shillings Cash, whereunto we have set our hands & seales this fifteenth day of May 1702.

"William Southworth (seal) Gershom Woodall (seal) Job Winslow (seal)."

"The total sum of both Division to each Respective party is as followeth vizt: to ye Widow Rose Soul ye sum of .............................18-02-10 to Nathaniel Soul Eldest son his Dubble portion ............ 14-10-04 to Silvanus soul his part ...................................07-05-02 to Jacob Soul his part.......................................07-05-02 to Miles Soul his part ......................................07-05-02

                                                      ---------------
                                                  sum of    54-08-08"

This division was dated 15 May 1702 and approved 10 September 1702. No guardian assignments and no distribution of the real estate that the will of George Soule Sr and the above cited court actions imply have been found. There is no record of the distribution of widow Rose Soule's undoubtedly substantial estate. In the main land transaction of 1708, son Miles is not a contracting party, yet there is belief that he did not die until 1720.

On 4 May 1708, Nathaniel, Silvanus and Jacob Soul sons of Nathaniel Soul late of Dartmouth, William and Nathan Soul sons of George Soul late of Dartmouth and Joseph Davil son-in-law of said George Soule being common proprietors ... sold land "given us by our grandfather George Soul" late of Duxbury.

1.   Justin Winsor. History of the Town of Duxbury Massachusetts. (1849)
   310.
2.   By William T. Davis. Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families. (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore 1975)
   246.
3. ↑ Widow, Rose, admin. of Nathaniel's estate Oct 12, 1699; Division of estate mentions sons: Nathaniel eldest, Silvanus, Jacob & Miles.