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- Stephen Gates arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on the ship Diligent,landing August 10, 1638. He travelled with wife Anne and daughtersElizabeth and Mary. He is listed "of Norwich, Norfolk", and bound forHingham. Ages are not given.
He settled in Hingham, where he received a grant of three acres for ahouse lot, twelve acres for a "great lot" and a three acre planting lot.His house was on Town (now North) Street and was bounded on the north bythe street, on the east by William Buckland's land, and on the west bythe town swamp. In 1647, he received a grant of half an acre of saltmarsh.
Stephen and his wife probably did not become members of the Hinghamchurch until about May 3, 1646, when their children, Simon, Thomas, Isaacand Rebecca were baptized (birth dates of the children are not found inthe town records).
He sold his house lot and other property to William Hersey, June 26,1648, after which he may have removed for a time to Cambridge. By 1653,he had moved to Nashaway (Lancaster), where he became one of the town'slargest proprietors. he was one of the petitioners for Lancaster'sincorporation (April 3, 1654).
His house lot was "on the neck lying north to the house lot of JohnWhitcomb, Jr., bounded by the lot of said John Whitcomb south by thehouse lot of Nathaniel Joslin north by a range of lots easerly whichlyeth on west side of Penicock River and westwardly a piece ofentervail...nigh adjoinning to the North River, the said house lot beingtwenty acres more or less." Stephen also had two intervale lots, one ofthirteen acres; the other of seven, and 314 acres of the upland division.
Stephen was admitted Freeman May 14, 1656 and served as constable in1657. Stephen was fined 10 pounds because, as Constable, he failed tonotify the voters about a town meeting. The court remitted the fine, whenStephen attributed his lapse to illness, but they relieved him of hisconstable's staff. In 1658, the sons of John Whitcomb killed three ofStephen's pigs. Whitcome agreed to pay for them, but then sought to bereleased from the obligation being "aged and weak and mean in estate."The Court decided in Gate's favor. By then, Stephen was living inSudbury.
He subsequently removed to Cambridge, where he rented a farm, made hiswill (dated June 9, 1662), and died sometime before the end of September,when his estate was inventoried.
The will, proved October 7,1662, mentions his wife, sons Simon andThomas, and daughters Elizabeth and Mary (Maynar).
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