Arthur Bostock
Arthur Bostwick (Bostock), the emigrant ancestor of the family, was baptized in Tarporley, in Cheshire County, England, Dec. 22, 1603.
Tarporley is a parish in the first division of the parish of Eddisbury and Nantwich Union. The market town of Tarporley being about 173 miles northwest from London, 10 miles east by south of Chester, 12 miles west-southwest from Middlewich, and is now situated two miles from the Beeston station on the London and Northwestern Rail Road.
The dates of Arthur Bostock's departure from England and arrival in the New World have not, as yet, been ascertained. (As of 1901) Searches have been made, which have covered all the available lists of passengers who came on the sailing ships of the time, but his name has not been found among them. This is a frequent occurrence, when emigrants wished to leave no record of their destination or whereabouts after fleeing from home.[1]
There is also no positive knowledge of his first place of settlement in this country, but Samuel B. Orcutt, in his History of Stratford, Connecticut names him as one of the first seventeen settlers in that town. He also gives a map of the town of Stratford, which was prepared from a careful study of the land records of the town, as laid out in 1639, and he shows Arthur Bostwick as occupying one of the original town lots or "home lottes", as they were called. Unfortunately the town records of Stratford were burned while being kept in one of the settlers' houses, and the book containing the records from 1639 to 1648 was destroyed. The record of events occurring during these years was re-written from memory, in about 1649, and much valuable information was omitted.
On the list of owners of land in "Ye Oulde Fielde", in Stratford, appears the name of Arthur Bosticke, as occupying "6 rods and 9 feete".
This list was made out prior to 1651. The "Seconde Common Fielde" was laid out prior to the year 1648, since there is an extant deed of that date, showing that one Robert Rice owned land in it.
The "oulde fielde" was filled up long before this, and it was because the land in this field was all occupied, that the second field was laid out.
Arthur Bostick, or Bosticke, owned land in the "oulde fielde" as is shown by the land records, and the location of his "home lotte" shows that he was one of the first settlers in the town of Stratford, Connecticut, which was settled in 1639.
Now going over to Long Island, it is found that Arthur Bostock was, at one time, a resident of the town of Southampton, for the early records of that town disclose the following extracts:"
May 29, 1643.
"Yt was ordered by ye General Court yt Richard Barrett, John Mulford, Arthur Bostock, Thomas Tomson and Robert Bond, shall each of them have two acres of Land divided unto themselves upon ye playne, * * * * * * * and Arthur Bostock's two acres of lye against Robert Bond's west and against Mr. Gosmer's eight acre Lott north."
March 7, 1644.
“Yt is ordered by ye present Court that yf by ye Providence of God there shall be henceforth within ye bounds of ys plantation, any whale or whales cast up, for the prevention of disorder yt is consented unto that there shall be foure wards in this towne, eleven persons in each ward, and by lott two of each ward, if any such whales shall be cast up, shall be employed for the cutting out of the sayd whales, who for their paynes shall have a double portion.
And every inhabitant, which his child or servant that is above sixteene years of age, shall have, in the division of the other part, an equal proportion, provided that such person, when yt fails into his ward, be a suffycient man to be employed about yt. And it is further agreed that there shall be in each ward eleven persons, * * * * * * * and the ones for the third ward Ricard Gosmer, Arthur Bostock, Henry Pierson,” &c., &c.
May 6, 1645.
"Whereas, Iosiah Stanborough, Richard Barrett, Arthur Bostock were appointed to laye out the eight and ten acre lotts upon ye great playne."
October 6, 1646.
"Arthur Bostock was censured by the Court of Magistrates for challenging Mr. Stanborough to fight with him and to pay for the offence unto ye town ten shillings."
No date given.
"______Cooper and John Moore do acknowledge themselves to owe unto the body of this town, the summe of ten pounds to be levied of their goods and chattels, lands and tenements under this condition that Arthur Bostock do appear at ye next quarter court to be holden ___ October, then to make his personal appearance."
Endorsed.
"Arthur Bostock made his appearance according to this recognizance."
Arthur Bostock's name does not appear in the list of freemen in Southampton on March 8, 1649, which shows that he had left that town prior to that date.
Now upon the strength of these researches, there is good reason to put forward two suppositions.
First: Did Arthur Bostock go from Southampton to Stratford for the first time and settle there?
Second: Did he go back to Strafford, having settled there some time before and having gone thence to Southampton? Southampton was settled about June, 1640, by a party of colonists from the main land, and it is possible that Arthur Bostock, being in Stratford, and hearing of this new expedition, decided to join it, or as his first appearance of record in Southampton was in 1643, he may have gone over later to the new settlement.
This latter supposition seems the more probable for the town records of Stratford show that some of the settlers in that town did go over to Southampton.
Mr. George R. Howell, in his History of Southampton, on page 30, says: "During the next few years the settlement was further increased by the coming of Richard Barrett, John Bostwick and others, many of these, however, remained only a short time".
In 1680, John Boswick or Beswick, is mentioned as a brickmaker in Mecox, about four miles from Southampton, but his name does not appear on the tax list of 1683.
But laying aside the doubt as to where was the first home of Arthur Bostock, let us take up the narrative of his life from the place and date of which there is absolute record and that is at Stratford, Ct.
Arthur Bostock was married in St. Helen's Parish Church, in Tarporley, England, on January 8, 1627/28, to Jane Whittel.
It is not known whether this wife came to America with him or not, but as there is no mention of her whatever, on any of the town records, she probably died in England. He married, as his second wife, Ellen Johnson, a widow, as appears from a synopsis of her will on the Stratford records, in which she mentions her son, ______Johnson, then living in New Jersey.
It is possible that Arthur Bostock resided in New Jersey before coming to Stratford, and may have married her there, but the only foundation for such a supposition is the extract fro Ellen's will.
Arthur Bostock had but one son, John, that there is any record of in Stratford. He had other children, born in England, as shown by the records of St. Helen's Parish Church, at Tarporley, and undoubtedly some of them were brought to America with him, as he mentions his "other children", in the agreement between himself and his wife, but he does not mention their names.
About the year 1658, he appears to have had a controversy with his wife Ellen, in relation to their property, but there are no means of determining the exact nature of or the grounds for the difficulty.
The Colonial Records of Connecticut, Vol. I, page 336 say: "That at the General Court of election in Hartford, May 20, 1659, the court ordered the Secretary to send an attachment to be served upon the estate of Arthur Bostock".
And, Oct. 6, 1659, (page 340):
"This court, having considered the petition in Behalf of Arthur Bostick, and what hath been presented in behalf of his wife, according to ye desire and proposition of ye said Arthur, have appointed Mr. Blackman, Goodman Beardsley, Mr. Fairchild and Joseph Judson, as a committee to consider the state and condition of said Bostock and his wife and to order what they think suitable therein, and in case Bostick be dissatisfied with their act, then he is required to appear at ye next session of this court, to render the reason of his dissatisfaction with the act of the aforesaid committee. And the committee to make return at ye next session what their determination is about the premises. But in case Bostock rest satisfied with what is done by the committee, this court doth free the attachment that was formerly laid on the estate of ye said Bostock".
It is evident that a satisfactory arrangement was made, for on May 17, 1660, (page 351), it appears that “This court doth confirm and establish the act of the committee at Stratford, about Arthur Bostock's estate".
Being one of the first settles in the town, he acquired considerable lands, which were added to, from time to time, as new divisions of the town lands were granted.
On the Stratford land records is found the following account of his holdings:
"The lands of Arthur Bostick recorded to him, his heirs and assigns, as followeth, with ye consent of Hellene, his wife.
Arthur Bostick hath a home lott, containing two acres, bee it more or less, bownded west and east upon ye street, bounded on ye south with ye home lott of Israel Curtiss, and ye north with ye home lott of Mr. Thomas ffayrchilde.
Item. Arthur Bostick hath two acres and a halfe of upland, lyeing in ye place commonly called ye olde field, bee it more or less, butting northerly and southerly upon ye highway, bownded on ye east wth ye land at present belonging to ye widdow Mary Bearsley and bownded on ye west by ye lands of Mr. Thom: ffayrchilde.
Item. Arthur Bostick hath tenn acres of upland in ye great neck, bee it more or less, bownded north wth Thomas Uffoot's land, and west wth Thomas Uffoot and Caleb Nickolls, bownded east with Richard Boothe and Henry Wakelyn, John Pickott, Senior, bownded some part of ye north side of ye land also, and on ye south wth ye edge of ye clife next ye sea.
Item. Arthur Bostick hath in ye newe feild, two acres of upland, be it more or less, bownded, north and east with ye highway, lying in a treyangle, ye point of ye angle west, bownded south with ye land of Mr. Tho: ffayrchilde.
Item. Arthur Bostick hath in ye newe feild, one acre and a halfe, bee it more or less, bownded with a highway East and South, bownded on ye west wth Hugh Griffin and north with Mr. Samuell Sherman.
Item. Arthur Bostick hath in ye newe pasture eight acres and a halfe of upland, bee it more or less, bownded on ye north with Stephen Burritt, and west wth Paquanunck River, Mr. Sherman's meadow east and ye land upland of Mr. Sherman South, there was two thirds or his proportion of two thirds of ye ox pastur devision.
Item. Arthur Bostick hath six acres of meadow, bee it more or less, lyeing in ye great meadow, bownded on ye north wth ye highway, butting east wth John Peak and west wth ye meadow yt was William Willcocks, deceased, butting south upon ye creek, six acres and a halfe and halfe a quarter is ys part.
Item. Arthur Bostick hath six acres of upland, bee it more or less, lyeing in ye newe feild, bownded with a little brook on ye east, Mr. Thos. Ffayrchilde on ye north, ye highway in ye west, and ye land of Robert Lane in ye south, ye parcell of upland is ye same for quantity wth ye meadow next above.
Item. Arthur Bostick hath two acres of meadow, be it more or less, lyeing in nere ye ditch, bownded on ye south wth David Mitchell, north wth Hugh Griffin, west wth ye creek, East wth ye widdow Bearsley. The information of ye bownds are both by Arthur Bostick and Mr. Joseph Hawley, and he having quietly possessed these parcells of Land, above, one twelve moneth and a day before ye day hereof are now recorded, ye 6th July, 1668.
John Minor, Recdr"
"Arthur Bostick, by way of Division in ye woods, hath thirtye-sixe acres of land, more or less, layd out by ye committee appointed upon or about ye place called ye Long Hill, on ye west side of Paquanack River, number 80, north to common land, bownded south by ye land of John Bostick, east with common land, west wth common land, highwais are allowed in ye foreto land.
Recorded, Jan 13, 1672/73
Stephen Burritt, Recorder"
In a "list of lotts drawn for ye swamp devision, Feb. 5, 1671/72 to Arthur Bostick was assigned lott No. 28".
In a "list of lotts drawn Dec. 6, 1672, to Arthur Bostick was assygned lott No. 80 in meadow No. 9".
“In ye old feild and gt neck Arthur Bostick hath lott No. 5, 5 rodds, 15 feet 6 in. of fence".
Arthur Bostock and his wife, after a lapse of years, again commenced a dispute relative to the division of their property and finally made an agreement regarding the same which seems to have ended the controversy.
"Whereas Arthur Bostick and Hellene Bostick, both of Stratford, in ye county of ffayrfeild, in ye collony of Connecticott, for ye sufficient good considerations have formily come to an agreement to devide ye estate equally between yse all wh appeares in an instrument ordered bearing date ye 25th of March, 1674. And ye estate some few dayes before ye date hereof being accordingly devided, for ye prevention of future trouble and dissatisfaction and also for ye farther confirmation of ye said former act in ye true intent and meaning thereof. Those following particulers are agreed on and consented to, not only by ye said Arthur and Hellene Bostick, but others herein concerned, each subscribing for himself and ye by binding himself, heires and assigns in ye true performance of what hee is expressly concerned in.
Imprimis; ye said Arthur Bostick by these presents doth declare yt that part of ye estate being now, according to yt agreement devided and now belonging particularly to ye sd Ellene Bostick, shall be to her & her assigns or feofees in trust, yet wth her ye sd Arthur Bostick doth hereby declare yt that estate is hers, and theiras to dispose of, and for her comfortable subsistence by her & them to be held and peaceably enjoyed without trouble or molestation, lett or hindrance from him ye sd Arthur Bostick or any other persons in his name or upon his account, from ye date hereof for ever.