Beeks line: Samuel Scullard abt 1616-1647 Immigrant

Samuel Scullard is likely from Abbots Ann, Hamphire, England although as yet it seems that no one has pinpointed his birth or christening record.  He is believed to be the son of Richard Scullard, joiner, and his wife, Alice.  Richard died in 1617 when Samuel, his second child, was just a baby, which could possibly explain the lack of baptismal records for Samuel.  Perhaps his wife was just too overwhelmed or ill to arrange for it. 

It appears that Samuel was in New England by 1638, and likely came with Rev. Stephen Bachwiler.  He was in Newbury, Massachusetts by February 24,1637/38, because he was fined for not attending a town meeting at eight o'clock in the morning, after having been warned, so he must have been there at least a few weeks by that time.  He was referred to as yeoman, meaning a farmer who owned his own land, as opposed to a tenant farmer, or a planter, who may not have actually worked the land he owned. He also was a partner in a water (grist) mill in Newbury, and upon his death his widow's second husband purchased that interest.  Newbury is situated at the northeast end of Massachusetts, on the coast, and was also an early site for shipbuilding and tanning, so there was an opportunity to sell to more than just the local farmers.

Samuel married Rebecca Kent, daughter of Richard and Emme Dorothy Shorte in 1641.  Some sites say they married in England but this does not appear to be correct.  The Kents were already in Newbury and doubtless the couple met and married there. They probably had four children, Mary, Rebecca, Sarah and Samuel although only Mary and Sarah are named in his will.  Unfortunately, his will was dated March 27, 1647 and proved July 28, 1647, so Samuel died when he was only about 30 years old.  It was a nuncupative will, indicating that likely his death was sudden.  He may have been injured, or he may have died of one of the fevers that went the rounds so quickly and so often in colonial times. 

His estate was valued at 196 pounds, 4 shillings.  Half went to his wife, who remarried soon after Samuel's death, and the other half went to his two daughters but not until 1670, when the daughters were married and of age.  Rebecca married John Bishop and died sometime before John's death in 1684. 

There is still more research to be done about Samuel.  I don't have a good grasp of the land he owned, or of his church life, or whether he held any church or civic positions.  However, we do know this much and that's more than we knew when we began this post! 

The line of descent is:

Samuel Scullard-Rebecca Kent
Mary Scullard-John Rolfe
Mary Rolfe-Benjamin Dunham
Jonathan Dunham-Mary Smith
Samuel Dunham-Hannah Ruble
Jacob Dunham-Catherine Goodnight
Samuel G Dunham-Eliza Matilda Reese
Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants