• General Notes

  Hinckley, Samuel
  Plymouth Colony, p.304 -
  His English origins are shown by Elizabeth French, "Genealogical Research in England-Hinckley," NEHGR 65:287, 314, 68:186).
  He was of Tenterden, Kent, and came to New England in the Hercules in March 1634/35, accompanied by his wife Sarah and four unnamed children. He lived in Scituate, but apparently did not become a member of Lothrop's church, for only his wife is shown as having joined, being recorded as "Goody Hinckley" on 30 August 1635. They had a daughter Elizabeth baptized at Scituate 6 September 1635 (NEHGR 9:281-82). Samuel became a freeman 2 January 1637/38, and on the same date he was a trial juror (PCR 1:74). On 4 December 1638 he was among several men of Scituate who were presented for receiving strangers into their houses without license from the government (PCR 1:106). On 4 June 1639 he was a grandjuror (PCR 1:126). Since his son Samuel was baptized at Barnstable on 24 July 1642 (NEHGR 9:282), it would appear that he accompanied Lothrop in the move there. On 5 June 1644 he was a highway surveyor for Barnstable (PCR 2:72), a position he held many times. He dated his will 8 October 1662, proved 4 March 1662/63, and he named his wife Bridget (second wife, Bridget Bodfish); sons Thomas, Samuel, and John; daughters Susanna, Sarah, Mary, and Elizabeth; his son Thomas's children Samuel, Mary, Thomas, Bathsheba, and others unnamed; and Samuel and Jonathan Cobb, sons of his daughter Cobb; and he named son Thomas executor and son-in-law Henry Cobb overseer (MD 12:203).
  
  "Samuel Hinckley, the common ancestor of all of the name in this country is the type of the race. He was a dissenter, though on the 14th of March, 1734/5 in order to escape out of his native country he was obliged to swear that he "conformed to the order and discipline of the church" of England (this oath, whether taken with or without mental reservation was perjury, according to the laws of England. Many of our ancestors were compelled to take it or remain in England. They did outwardly "conform", in order to save themselves from imprisonment or persecution. Many of the first settlers of Barnstable would not outwardly conform and in consequence suffered two years imprisonment in the vile dungeons of the city of London. Mr. Hinckley thought it political to outwardly conform and most persons under the same circumstances would have done the same. The sin consisted in compelling such men to take the oath, rather than in the taking there of). [Interesting excuses, reflecting obsessions of the 19th century writer.] He was honest, industrious and prudent, qualities which have been transmitted from father to son down to present time. The Hinckley's are zealous in the advocacy of whatever opinions they adopt and I never knew one who was dishonest, lazy or imprudent. He was not a distinguished man or prominent in political life. To be a juryman or surveyor of highways, filled the measure of his political aspirations. He appears to have been a man of good estate for the times and all his children were as well educated as his means would permit. Very few of his descendants have amassed wealth and a smaller number have been pinched by poverty. In 1628 it appears by the colony records that Elder Nathaniel Tilden, of Tenterden, purchased lands in Scituate. He is spoken of as being at that time in this country. He was a man of wealth and before removing his family probably came over, as many did, to examine the country and fix on a place for his future residence.
  In the spring of 1635 Mr. Tilden, Samuel Hinckley, John Lewis and James Austin of Tenterden, in the County of Kent, in England and several other families from that County, making a company of 102, counting men, women, children and servants resolved to emigrate to New England. In the latter part of March they sailed from Sandwich in the Ship "Hercules", 200 tons, Capt. John Witherly. Circumstances make it probable that they intended to join the Rev. Lothrop who, with several members of his church, had taken passage in the "Griffin" for Boston the preceding summer. More than half of the passengers who came over in the "Hercules" were afterwards inhabitants of Scituate. Samuel Hinckley brought with him his wife Sarah (Soule) and four children and immediately after his arrival in Boston went to Scituate and built a house which Mr. Lothrop calls No. 19.
  Samuel Hinckley continued to reside in Scituate till July 1640, when he sold his house, farm and meadows and removed to Barnstable. Samuel Hinckly bought his lands of the Rev. Joseph Hull and respecting the title he afterwards had some trouble with the town. There is no record of his lands; but their location is well known. His house lot was bounded south by his son Thomas and west by Rowley's pond near which, according to tradition, he built his house. A small one-story building with a thatched roof. Precisely how long he resided in that ho use is not known. He was one of the very first who removed to West Barnstable where he owned one of the best farms in the town, now owned by Levi L. Goodspeed, Esq. His son in law John Smith, owned the adjoining lands since known as the Otis farm. In 1637 Mr. Samuel Hinckly, as he was called in the latter part of his life, took the freeman's oath, though his name appears on the list of the pr... [?]
  
  WALTER ROGER & ANNA McDONALD HINCKLEY, SOME TEXAS DESCENTANTS OF SAMUEL AND SARAH SOOLE HINCKLEY, From England to the Colonies in the New World - 1635
  to the present - via Ensign John Hinckley, 1997. Compiled and Researched by Mary Jane Roy Gamon, Rt. 3, Box 30, Canton, TX 75103-9723. Found in the DAR Library, Washington DC. Page 1, 2.
  
  In March of 1635/36, Samuel Hinckley sailed into Boston harbor on the ship "Hercules." With him came his wife, Sarah Soole Hinkley and their daughters, Susanne, Sarah and Mary. A servant Eliza Hinkle, most likely a distant relative, came with them. (Ship Passenger List, National & New England.
  1600-1825, Edited & indexed by Carl Boyer, 3rd Plubished by the Compiler, Newhall, CA, 1977).
  
  Their son, Thomas, the only surviving son at the time, was born in England, probably came on another ship earlier, although some accounts list him as sailing with his father. (Samuel and Thomas may have come to investigate the new land earlier, as was the custom for those wealthy enough to afford more
  than one trip. Thomas cound have stayed and Samuel went back to England to fetch the rest of the family.)
  
  Samuel and his little family landed in Boston, but immediately went to Scituate and built a house which was numbered "No. 19", by John Lothrop. Three of his fellow passengers from the "Hurcules," built houses that summer. No. 17 belonged to William Hatch, No. 18 to John Lewis and No. 20 to Nathaniel Tilden. In 1635 Samuel took the freeman's oath. He must have been a liberal because he was twice indicted for "entertaining strangers," which ment he had visited with Quakers in his home, and this was a criminal act. It was also noted that Samuel Hinckley and Jonathan Hatch were prosecuted by
  a Grand Jury for hiring land from the indians. ("Amos Otis Papers of Barnstable Families." by Amos Otis." 18--.
  
  In Samuel's day, settlers had to plan ahead for their survivel and Spring would be the ideal time to cross the Atlantic and land on the shores of the New Worlk. It would give them time enough to plant crops for the next winter. Usually they had enough food stored onborad the ship that carried them overseas to see them through until the new crops could be harvested.
  
  Samuel resided in Scituate, Mass. until July of 1640 (some records show 1639) when he "sold his house, farm and meadows, and removed to Barnstable." Barnstable is 32 miles southwest of Plymouth on the northwest coast of Cape Cod. The Cape is about 4 miles wide at this point.
  
  Samuel bought his new land from the Rev. Joseph Hull but evidently had trouble with the title. The house is described as being a one story structure with a thatched roof. The location was bounded on the south by his son, Thomas, and to the west by Rowley's pond, but there is no record of this land, only descriptions as presented in the Amos Otis papers.
  
  After this, Samuel moved to West Barnstable where he "owned one of the best farms in the town." This land was owned in 1888 by Levi L. Goodspeed, Esquire, and one of Samuel's son-in-laws descendants owned the adjoining land which was known as the Otis farm in 1888.
  

Details of Samuel's family with Sarah Soole

Details of Samuel's family with Bridget Sugg