Richard FOXWELL

                   D-Will dated 7 Apr 1668
M-Wife #(1) Not Known
M-Wife #(2) Ann Shelly
Note:(Freeman in 1630 - Mass. Bay Colony)
Sources:Mass B2-Barnstable, Families p366
Cole Genealogy A5C11 p 57 F. Note
Mass B2 V 1-2 p 365, 367 A19 A107 p 161
A10052 p 79
Of Scituate, Plymouth & Barnstable Mass in 1634
Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families: Reprint of Amos Otis Papers,
       Revised by C.F. Swift, F.B. & F.P. Goss Publishers and Printers
       (The Patriot Press) 1888


RICHARD FOXWELL:
       Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families Vol. 1. pp. 364-7

       Two men of the name of Richard Foxwell, of about the same age, came to New England about the year 1630.  Mr. Deane was perhaps not aware there were two of the name, and it is not surprising thar he has confounded them, because he supposed both Richards were the same person.
       Richard, who settled in that part of Maine then known as Georgiance, was born in 1604 and was probably the younger man.  He came over as early as 1631, went home, as our ancestors called England for many years, 1632, returned in 1633.  He was of Scarborough in 1636, where he married in 1636, Sarah, daughter of Capt. Richard Bonython, one of the Patentees of Georgiance.  His sons were Richard, John and Philip, and he had five daughters.  He died in 1677, aged 73.
       The other Richard Foxwell probably came over in the fleet with Governor Winthrop.  He was admitted a freeman of the Massachusetts Colony October 19, 1630 and was sworn on the 8th of May following.  On his removal to the Plymouth Colony his name was entered on the list of those who had taken the oath of fidelity; but in 1657 he was required to take that oath, though he had previously taken the freemen's oath in Massachusetts.
       Mr. Deans says he came from the County of Kent, England.  There is some evidence that he was a resident in the city of London at the time he embarked for New England.  His son John was born as early as early as 1627, a fact which proves that he married in England.  Whether his wife died before he left, or came over with him, is not known.
       From 1631 to 1634, he is not named in the records.  Mr. Savage intimates that during this period he may have gone home and returned; if so, it affords another curious parallism in the history of the two Richard Foxwells.  He probably removed from Boston in  1631 to Scituate, where there was a small settlement of men whom he had known in his native land.  In 1634 he was of Scituate.  His house, in the spring of 1635, is described as being on Kent Street, the fourth on the south of Meetting House Land and as the eleventh built in that town.  This he sold to Henry Bourne and in 1637 built on his houselot, numbered 50 on Mr. Lothrop's list.
       In the spring of 1639 he removed to Barnstable, built a house on his lot near where the hall of the Agricultural Society now stands.  No record was made of his lands till 1662, when he owned only eight acres, four on each side of the road.  His lot was one of those laid by the authority of Mr. Collicut, and originally probably included the twelve acres owned by Nicholas David.  This would make his lot correspond in shape with the other lots laid out at the same time.  If I right in this, his homelot contained sixteen acres, and was bounded west by the homelot of Nathaniel Bacon, north partly by the swamp (then town's commons) and the lands of Dolar Davis, east by the Dimmock farm, south by the highway.  His lot on the south side of the road contained four acres, was bounded north by the highway, east by Elder Cobbs great lot, south by the commons, and west by Nathaniel Bacon's land.
       He set out an orchard, as all the first settlers did.  A seedling raised by him, known as the Foxwell apple, is yet cultivated.
       I have seen it stated that he was a trader.  Whatever may have been his employment, it is certain that he was very poor at his death in 1668, for his sons-in-law refused to act as executors to his will.
       He is not named as the holder of any office; but as private citizen he was a good neighbor, and honest man and an exemplary member of the christian church.
       (If you have access to this book, the above state is truly marvelous, the author told everything--a regular gossip--he did contribute to our understanding of early generations by being so frank)
       He was one of the original members of Mr. Lothrop's Church having joined at its organization at Scituate on the 8th of January 1634-5.  The expression used in regard to the first members, "So many of us as had been in covenant to the first members, So many of us as had been in covenant before," evidently implies that they had been members of his church in London.  After his removal to Barnstable he continued to be a member in good standing till his death.
       He married, as already stated, his first wife in England and his son John probably came over with him.  In 1634 he married Ann Shelly, who came over that year.  His children so far as known were:
       1.  John, born in England as early as 1627.  He is named in 1640 in connecion with John Madefield, as having two lambs in his possession.  In Aug. 1643 he name is on the list of those able to bear arms, in Oct 1645 was one of the soldiers from Barnstable in the Narraganset expedition.  In subsequent records, the land where James Otis now resides is called John Foxwell's house, lot from which it may be inferred that he owned a house.  It does not appear that he married and had a family.  He died in Barnstable and was buried 21 Sep 1646.
       2.  Mary, born in Scituate 17 Aug 1635, married 8 Jan 1654 Huge Cole, Senior of Plymouth, and was afterwards of Swansea.  His children were James, born 3/8 Nov 1655, Hugh, 8/15 Mar 1658; John, 15/16 May 1660; Martha 14/16 Apr 1662; Anna, 14 Oct 1664; Ruth, 8/17 Jan 1666; and Joseph 15 May 1668.
       3.  Martha, born in Scituate 4 Mar 1638, married Samuel Bacon 9 May 1669 and had Samuel 9 Mar 1659-60, and Martha 6 jan 1661.
       4.  Ruth, born in Barnstable 25 Mar 1641
       If the Barnstable and Colony Records are reliable, Mary and Martha Foxwell were born in Barnstable, showing that the town was settled in 1635.  Both records are erroneous.  I have followed the church records.  In the Barnstable records there is an error of ten years in the and births of the children of Samuel Bacon.

Dean's History of Scituate, RI, Pub. 1831, p. 272 - Richard Foxwell:
       A man of Kent, settled in Kent Street 1634, on the fourth lot south of Meetinghouse Lane.  He had meadow also at New Harbour marshes.  In 1643 he was at Barnstable, and we hear of him at Georgiana, 1646.  But he died at Barnstable, 1668, intestate:  Hugh Cole and Samuel Bacon, administrators.
       His children born in Scituate were Mary 1635 (wife of Hugh Cole 1656,) Martha born 1638 (wife of Samuel Bacon 1659,) and Ruth born 1641.
       In 1659, Richard Foxwell, John Philips, George Lewis, Henry Josselyn, Robert Jordan, Francis Neal and others gave an acknowledgment that they belonged to the Jurisdiction of Massachusetts (Colony Records.)  They resided occasionally in Georgiana, and the country between Portsmouth and the Kennebec.

Pioneers of Massachusetts, by Charles Henry Pope, p. 174:
       Richard, tailor (Boston) Freeman. 18 May 1631.  Removed to Plymouth; removed to Sciruate, being dismissed to join the forming church 16 Jan 1634/35.  Had probably been a member of the church in London, of which Mr. John Lothrop was pastor.  (See Scituate church records Reg. IX.)
       He removed to Barnstable in 1638-39.  He m. first in England and had a child, John, at ba. (?) 1643, who came here and d. 21 Sep 1646.  He md (2) Anne Shelley, who had been a maid servant to Mr. John Coggeshall of Rox, and Bo. and a memb. of the ch. in both places.  (Rox and Bo. ch. rec.)  She was rec'd to Sci. ch. 14 Jun 1635.  Ch. Mary bapt.30 Aug 1635. (m. 8 Jan 1654, Hugh Cole, of Plym.,) Martha bapt.22 Apr 1638, Ruth bapt. 4 Apr 1641.
       Will dated 7 Apr., prob. 3 Jun 1668: sons-in-law Samuel Bacon, Hugh cole and William Nelson, husband of his dau. Ruth; beq. to the church for the poor.  A payment to be made to Mr. Adams, woolen draper, who did dwell at the lower end of Gratious st. in London. (Reg. VII, 179.)