Transcript:New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (New York Genealogical and Biographical Society)/v43p274

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queath to my daughter Elizabeth (excepting what I have passed by my deed, bearing date 15th May 1634 made to certain uses to Humfrey Hooke, Alderman of the City of Bristol, Thomas Lloyd of the same, Adam Baynham of Yate gent, and William Maye of Cherefield gent, this excepted) and I make my daughter Elizabeth my whole and sole executrix etc."

One of the witnesses was Fr. Doughtie, minister.

Mr. Waters adds:

"The above will and the deed to Humphrey Hooke and others, to which it refers, gave rise to a great contention in New Eng- land, as appears from Lechford's Note Book, pp. 133-5, 137, 171-3 and 256 (I refer to the pages of the printed book) Elizabeth Doughtie, the daughter and sole executrix of the above testator, became the wife of William Cole in the parish of Chew Magna, in the County of Somerset, gentleman (as he calls himself in a bill of complaint to the Gov., Council and Assistants of the Jurisdic- tion of Massachusetts Bay) and brother of John Cole of Farring- ton, Somerset, Yeoman, who made a deposition about Hempsteed Farm in 1639. William and Elizabeth Cole were then in New England, as was also her brother Francis Doughty, who at that time called himself a planter of Dorchester in New England. He was called a clerk in the bill of complaint by William Cole and his wife, and seems to have been a minister at Taunton, Mass., and afterwards to have removed to Long Island."

About 1637 Rev. Francis Doughty, with others, purchased from the Plymouth Colony a tract of land at Taunton, Mass. He is reported to have come to Massachusetts 1639, and settled at Taunton, preaching there, but having some difficulties with the people he removed to Maspeth (now Newtown) on Long Island in New York State where we find him 1642. The Court Records and Acts of Legislature of Massachusetts Colony show that he had a lawsuit with his sister Elizabeth, wife of William Cole, ex- tending through many years.

In Magazine of Amer. History, Jan., 1885, is an article on " Puritanism in New York" by Rev. Chas. A. Briggs, D.D., in which occurs " The Third Puritan minister (in State of N. Y.) was Francis Doughty. He had probably been Vicar of Sodbury, Gloucester, England, where he was silenced for Nonconformity. He emigrated to Taunton, Mass., 1637." (Then follows an ac- count of his differences there with the Church leading to his ex- pulsion with his wife and child. This is taken from Thomas Lechford, Plain Dealing, 1642, p. 40.) Doughty secured the con- veyance of Mespat (near Newtown), L. I., with the view of estab- lishing a Presbyterian colony there. The settlement was begun in 1642, but the Indian War broke up the colony in 1643, and the minister and flock went to Manhattan Island for shelter during the war. He became the first Puritan, and, indeed, Presbyterian minister in New York City. He ministered here from 1643 to 1648 and was supported by voluntary contributions from the Puritans and Dutch of the city. He also preached at Flushing for a while.