~1624 - 1666/7
Devonshire, England - Massachusetts
From now on, I am going by (1) a family group sheet, provided by Phyllis Hughes, official Hull Family Genealogist, and (2)The Hull Family in America (compiled by Col. Weygant, published by the Hull Family Association). It is known to contain errors, and does not have much documentation, but it is what I've got to start with.
Our next ancestor, Captain Tristram Hull, was born in about 1624, second son and third child of the Rev. Joseph Hull and his first wife (name unknown, but NOT Joanna Coffin). He was probably born in Northleigh, Devonshire, England - his father was rector there from 1621-1632/33.
His mother died sometime between 1632 and 1634 (Tristram would have been 8-10 years old) and his father married again in about 1634. The entire family (by now consisting of 7 children, plus Rev. Joseph and 2nd wife Agnes) left for America in 1635. They landed at Dorchester, but shortly afterwards settled at Wessaguscus (now Weymouth), where father Joseph was the first officially licensed minister. In 1636, due to religious factionalism, they moved on, to Hingham. Here father Joseph seems to have left the preaching to others, and to have devoted himself to civic affairs - he was a deputy to the General Court and a magistrate for "small causes" at Hingham. In 1639, the Rev. Joseph led a group of settlers to Barnstable, in the Plymouth Colony (it's on Cape Cod).
Rev. Joseph again ran into difficulties with the religious authorities and in 1641 he moved again, this time to Yarmouth, where he founded the "Second Church of Yarmouth" - for which he was excommunicated. He patched things up, but continued moving on, first to Maine (before 1643 until about 1647) and then back to England (1647-8-9 until 1662). This time, Tristram did not go with his father. He was ~18, and he remained in Yarmouth, where, in 1643, he enrolled into the army led by Miles Standish. That same year (probably) he married, a woman named Blanche. In 1647, he was a constable at Yarmouth, but sometime later that year he moved (back) to Barnstable.
He and Blanche had (probably) 6 children:
1. Mary, born September 30, 1645. She married Joseph Holway/Holley 11th day, 5th mo, 1657.
[But she was only 12!]
2. Sarah I, born October 18, 1647 in Yarmouth; died in infancy (possibly 16478) in Yarmouth, Barnstable, MA.
Probably the daughter of Tristram. Hull Family of America has her as d/o Rev. Joseph, but Phyllis Hughes, in a note to her article on the Rev. Joseph [Hull Family Association Journal, V. 16, #1, Spring 2006, p. 15 - note 32], explains that she is on the Yarmouth MA register for Marriages and Burials for 1647 - and the Rev. J was in York, ME that year.
3. Sarah II, born March 30, 1650. She married Joseph Allen.
4. Joseph, (our next ancestor) born June 1652 in Barnstable, Barnstable, MA; died 1719 in South Kingston, Washington, Rhode Island.
5. John, born March 04, 1653/54; died March 30, 1733. He married Alice Tiddeman October 23, 1684 in Horsleydown Meeting of Friends.
6. Hannah, born February 07, 1655/56 in Barnstable, Barnstable, MA. She married Joseph Blish September 09, 1674 in Barnstable, Barnstable, MA.
Blanche was possibly a somewhat lively person, frequently involved in broils and difficulties [this is a note on the Family Group Sheet provided by Phyllis - I think it applies to Blanche, but perhaps it applies to Tristram himself]. In 1646, John Garham was "presented" for "unseamly carriage toward Blanch Hull at unseasonable time being in the night." She remarried shortly after Tristram's death and her second husband William Hedge, at his death, cut her off with only 12 pence because she "had dealt falsely with him in the covenant of marriage and departed from him." [The Hull Family in America puts it this way: "A short time after his [Tristram's] death his widow was married to a Capt. Hedge, who was old enough to have been her father, and from whom she soon separated."]
For some reason, I assumed Captain Tristram was an army captain, but it turns out he was a sea-captain. He owned a ship named The Catch and was part owner of the bark Hopewell. He frequently made long sea voyages and customs entries show that he was engaged to a considerable extent in trade with the West Indies. I need to do some research on this, but it is not a good sign. 1640 saw the beginning of large-scale introduction of African slave labor in the British Caribbean for sugar production - our Captain Tristram may have been involved. He certainly left a large estate when he died.
When he was at home, Tristram took a lively interest in local affairs: he frequently served on juries, he was appointed to group of townsmen to wait upon the Assembly Committee concerning the town charter, he took a leading part in the purchase of town lands from the Indians (more misery), he served 1 year as constable, and during the last 6 years of his life was a member of the town board of selectmen.
Despite his father's run-ins with the Quakers, Tristram was sympathetic to them, and "boldly rendered them assistance and succor" - for which he was subjected to much annoyance and heavy fines. Several of his children, and many descendants publicly espoused the Quaker faith.
He died February 22, 1666/67 in Barnstable. His will was dated 30 Dec 1666 and proved 12 March 1667
Will dated 30 Dec 1666 - proved 12 March 1667
Inventory - lands, ships
plus 36 cattle - 118 pounds, 5 shillings
cash - 105 pounds, plus accounts due the estate of 300 pounds, plus an undefined amount owed by the Indians[!]
Will leaves homestead, land plus 6 acres more to son Joseph
wife Blanch - use of the new portion of the house, plus 150 pounds
three daughters - 100 pounds each
son John - a certain lot plus 30 pounds
Robert Davis - 3 pounds
residuary estate to be divided share and share alike.
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Page last updated 6 Oct 2006