Atherton Humphrey b. ABT 1607/08 d. 17 SEP 1661

1608 - 1661

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Birth Abt 1607/08 [1]

Gender Male

_UPD 14 AUG 2009 14:40:52 GMT-5

Died 17 Sep 1661 [1, 2]

Buried Old Dorchester Cemetery [1]

Person ID I1850 Alan Donald Vibber

Last Modified 08 Dec 2009

Father Atherton Edmund

Family ID F856 Group Sheet

Family Wales Mary, d. 1672

Married Y [1, 3]

Children

1. Atherton Margaret, d. 17 Jun 1672, Cambridge (Newton), Middlesex, Massachusetts

Family ID F853 Group Sheet

Notes	General Humphrey Atherton, son of Edmund Atherton, was undoubtedly of the ancient English family whose pedigree is given above. He was born about 1607-08, and lived in Winwick, Lancashire, England. He came to New England, 1635, in the ship "James," with his wife and three children, and settled in Dorchester. He signed the covenant of Dorchester church, 1636; was admitted freeman. May 2, 1638; deputy to general court that year, also from 1639 to 1641, and in 1653 from Springfield, when he was chosen speaker. The following year he was chosen assistant, and soon after major-general. He commandedthe Suffolk regiment, and was the chief military officer in New England. He was much employed in negotiations with the Indians, and made use of his influence with them in a great purchase in Rhode Island. He was thrown from his horse by riding over a cow, and died the following day, in Boston, September 17, 1661. The manner of his death is made a matter of comment by Hubbard as one of the judgments of God. He was captain of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1650. He married Mary Wales sister of Nathaniel Wales, probably daughter of John Wales, of Idle, England. She died in 1672. He is buried in the old Dorchester cemetery. His epitaph reads: "Here lies our Captain & Major of Suffolk was withal; A godly magistrate was he, and Major General; Two troop horse with him here comes, such worth his love did crave Two companies of foot also mourning march to his grave, Let all that read be sure to keep the faith as he has done With Christ he lives now crowned, his name was Humphrey Atherton." Children: 1. Jonathan, soldier in King Philip's war. 2. Isabel, baptized at VVinwick, January 23, 1630; married Nathaniel Wales, Jr. 3. Elizabeth, married, 1650, Timothy Mather, son of Rev. Richard Mather, first minister of Dorchester, and brother of Rev. Increase Mather, of Harvard College. 4. Consider, mentioned below. 5. Mary, born about 1647 ; married, April 9, 1667, Joseph Weeks. 6. Margaret, married, December 30, 1659, James Trowbridge. 7. Rest, baptized May 26, 1639; married, March 15, 1661, Obadiah Swift. 8. Increase, baptized January 2, 1641-42; lost at sea about 1675. 9. Thankful, baptized April 28, 1644; married, February 2, 1665, Thomas Bird, of Dorchester. 10. Hope (rev.), baptized August 30, 1646; graduated at Harvard, 1665; married Sarah Hollister, 1674. 11. Watching, baptized August 24, 1651 ; married, January 23, 1678, Elizabeth Rigby. 12. Patience, baptized April 2, 1654; married, July 7, 1685, Isaac Humphreys.

Sources

[S152] Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter, William Frederick Adams, (Name: Lewis historical publishing company, 1910;), 2646, Vol. IV (Reliability: 3).
[S68] New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, William Richard Cutter, (Name: 1913-1915;), 93, Vol. I (Reliability: 3).
[S151] The History of Peter Parker and Sarah Ruggles of Roxbury, Mass. and Their Ancestors and Descendants, By John William Linzee, (Name: 1918;), 277 (Reliability: 3).