The Coming of the Hull Company

During the summer of 1634, according to a record in the Town Records of Dorchester, “there went out to New England 20 ships, with 2000 planters.” ^[1]See the Western Antiquary, Vol.6, p.88. In 1635 Weymouth was numbered among the towns of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Gorges’ claim had now become of no weight, and the Gorges party had transferred this interest to the Province of Maine. Weymouth began to take a prominent part in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In 1635 there came a large addition to the population of Weymouth. This was the Hull Company, already mentioned and a statement made where their names can be found, but it seems best that the list should be given. They came from Weymouth in England, but some of them were from other towns in Dorset and in counties near by.

We now find that the influence of Boston is felt as the center of the Bay State Colony, for permission had to be given to Hull and his company to settle in Wessagusset. Thus on July 8, 1635, the General Court of Boston passed an order giving permission to the Rev. Joseph Hull, with twenty-one families numbering about one hundred persons, to settle at Wessagusset.

The people of this company became prominent in the affairs of Weymouth, and some of their descendants hold that position to-day. In 1870 Mr. H. G. Somerby, who had been making investigations in England, discovered a list of the Hull passengers and sent it to Mr. William L. Appleton of Boston, with the following letter:

LONDON, September, 1870.

My DEAR MR. APPLETON: — Amongst a bundle of miscellaneous manuscripts just turned up in the Public Record Officer I find with other documents relating to New England, the following list of passengers which I have the pleasure of sending to you for publication in the Register.
I remain, yours very truly,

H. G. SOMERBY.

Mr. Appleton gave the list to the Register and it was published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. XXV, pages 13, 14 and 15, January, 1871.

Bound for New England

Weymouth, ye 20 of March, 1633

1. Joseph Hull of Somerset, minister, aged 40 years.
2. Agnes Hull, his wife, aged 25 years. Second wife of Mr. Hull
3. Joane Hull, his daughter, aged 15 years.
4. Joseph Hull, his son, aged 13 years.
5. Tristram, his son, aged 11 years.
6. Elizabeth, his daughter, aged 7 years.
7. Temperance, his daughter, aged 9 years.
8. Gressell, his daughter, aged 5 years.
9. Dorothy, his daughter, aged 3 years.
10. Judith French, his servant, aged 20 years.
11. John Wood, his servant, aged 20 years.
12. Robert Dabyn, his servant, aged 28 years.
13. Musachiell Bernard of Batcombe, Clothier of the County, Somerset, aged 24 years.
14. Mary Bernard, his wife, aged 28 years.
15. John Bernard, his son, aged 3 years.
16. Nathaniel, his son, aged 1 year.
17. Rich Persons, salter and his servant, 30 years.
18. Francis Baber Chandler, aged 36 years.
19. Jesope Joyner, aged 22 years.
20. Walter Jesop Weaver, aged 21 years.
21. Timothy Tabor in somss of Botcomhe, taylor, aged 35 years.
22. Jane Tabor, his wife, aged 35 years.
23. Jane Tabor, his daughter, aged 10 years.
24. Anne Tabor, his daughter, aged 8 years.
25. Sarah Tabor, his daughter, aged 5 years.
26. William Fever, his servant, aged 20 years;
27. John Whitmarks, aged 39 years.
28. Alice Whitmarke, his wife, aged 35 years.
29. John Whitmarck, his son, aged 11 years.
30. Jane, his daughter, aged 7 years.
31. Onseph, his son, aged 5 years.
32. Rich, his son, aged 2 years.
33. William Read of Batcombe, taylor in Somerset, aged 28 years.
34. [empty line]
35. Susan Read, his wife, aged 29 years.
36. Harma Read, his daughter, aged 3 years.
37. Susan Read, his daughter, aged 1 year.
38. Rich Adams, his servant1 aged 29 years.
39. Mary Adams, his wife, aged 26 years.
40. Mary Cheame, his daughter, aged 1 year.
41. Zachary Bickwell, aged 45 years.
42. Agnis Bickwell, his wife, aged 27 years.
43. John Bickwell, his son, aged 11 years.
44. John Kitchin, his servant, aged 23 years.
45. [missing number]
46. George Allin, aged 24 years.
47. Katherine Allin, his wife, aged 30 years.
48. George Allin, his son, aged 16 years.
49. William Allin, his son, aged 8 years.
50. Matthew Allin, his son, aged 6 years.
51. Edward Poole, his servant, aged 26 years.
52. Henry Kingman, aged 40 years.
53. Joane, his wife, aged 39 years.
54. Edward Kingman, his son, aged 16 years.
55. Joane, his daughter, aged 11 years.
56. Anne, his daughter, aged 9 years.
57. Thomas Kingman, his son, aged 7 years.
58. John Kingman, his son, aged 2 years.
59. Jonathan Ford, his servant, aged 30 years.
60. William Kinge, aged 40 years.
61. Dorothy, his wife, aged 34 years.
62. Mary Kinge, his daughter, aged 12 years.
63. Katlieryne, his daughter, aged 10 years.
64. William Kinge, his son, aged 8 years.
65. Hanna Kinge, his daughter, aged 6 years.
66. Thomas Holbrooke of Broadway, aged 34 years.
67. Jane Holbrooke, his wife, aged 34 years.
68. John Holbrooke, his son, aged 11 years.
69. Thomas Holbrook, his son, aged 10 years.
70. Anne Holbrooke, his daughter, aged 5 years.
71. Elizabeth, his daughter, aged 1 year.
72. Thomas Dible, husbandman, aged 22 years.
73. Francis Dible, aged 24 years.
74. Robert LovelI, husbandman, aged 40 years.
75. Elizabeth Lovell, his wife, aged 35 years.
76. Zachetis Lovell, his son, aged 15 years.
77. Anne Lovell, his daughter, aged 16 years.
78. John Lovell, his son, aged 8 years.
79. Ellyn Lovell, his daughter, aged 1 year.
80. James, his son, aged 1 year.
81. Joseph Chickin, his servant, aged 16 years.
82. Alice Kinham, aged 22 years.
83. Angell Hollard, aged 21 years.
84. Katheryn, his wife, aged 22 years.
85. George Land, his servant, aged 22 years.
86. Sarah Loud, his kinswoman, aged 18 years.
87. Richard Joanes of Dinder.
88. Robert Martyn of Bakombe, husbandman, aged 44.
89. Humfrey Shepheard, husbandman, 22 years.
90. John Upham, husbandman, aged 35 years.
91. Joane Martyn, aged 44 years.
92. Elizabeth Upham, aged 32 years.
93. John Upham, Junior, aged 7 years.
94. William Grane, aged 12.
95. Sarah Upham, aged 26.
96. Nathaniel Upham, aged 5 years.
97. Elizabeth Upham, aged 3 years.
98. Dorss Richard Wade of Simstuly Cop, aged 60.
99. Elizabeth Wade, his wife, aged 60 years.
100. Dinah, his daughter, aged 22
101. Henry Lush, his servant, aged 17 years.
102. Andrew Hallett, his servant, aged 28 years.
103. John Noble, husbandman, aged 13 years.
104. Robert Huste, husbandman, aged 40 years.
105. John Woodcooke, aged 2 years.
106. Rich Porter, husbandman, aged 3 years.

JOHN PORTER, Deputy
Clearke to Edward:
Thoroughgood.

The list is slightly imperfect and some of the names are those of persons who did not remain permanently in Weymouth. William Kinge and family removed to Salem; and the Kings who are mentioned so much in Weymouth’s history were the descendants of John King, who belonged to the Weston Colony.

In some cases there seems to be mistakes in the record, as in the case of Richard Porter, who is given as a husbandman, for how could a person be a husbandman at three years of age? One naturally asks the question does the figure 3 and 2 here and in other cases mean years, or that there were three of the name Rich Porter. If the latter is the meaning, then there are also two persons named John Woodcooke. The proper explanation, I think, is that the “0” is left out and that the record should be 20 and 30, not 2 and 3.

Rev. Joseph Hull was for a time the minister of the town, and as the town was incorporated in 1635, that year was important in the history of the town, and it began then to have representatives to the General Court, and became a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the year 1635 and 1636 commissioners were appointed to set the boundary lines between Mount Wollaston and Weymouth, and the Fore River and Smelt Brook formed a part of that line, also the boundary between Weymouth and Bare Cove, now Hingham, and part of that line was Back River and Fresh River, and on a line with Plymouth Colony.

In September, 1635, Wessagusset was incorporated as a town under the name “Weymouth,” and the first men to go as deputies to the General Court were William Reade, John Bursley and John Upham.

Source: Weymouth Historical Society, W. (1923). History of Weymouth, Massachusetts: Published by the Weymouth historical society, Howard H. Joy, president, pp. 72-75. Under direction of the town. [Boston: Wright & Potter printing company].

See also: New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. XXV, pages 13, 14 and 15, January, 1871. Nash, Gilbert. Historical sketch of the town of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1622-1884, pp. 246-250. [Boston, A. Mudge & son, printers] 1885.