|
MACY from Mace - a staff Our Elizabeth Macy born January 3, 1736. She was the daughter of Robert Macy and Abigail Barnard. Elizabeth was a friend and married Alexander Moores in December of 1762. Alexander was admitted to the Society of Friends at the time of his marriage. Elizabeth Macy was a descendant of Thomas Macy who was born in Chilmark, Wiltshire England in 1608 and who came to this country about the year ____ and settled at Newberry, Mass. He was made a freeman in 1640 and he went to Salisbury and in 1659 he with eight others purchased the Island of Nantucket from Thomas Mayhew for 130 pounds and two beaver hats. At about this time he was accused of sheltering Quakers and was summoned to appear before the General Court and answer the charges. Instead of appearing, he wrote the following letter: October 27, 1659 This is to entreat the Honorable Court not to be offended because of mu non-appearance. It is not from alighting the authority of the honored Court nor from fear to answer the case, but I have been for some weeks past very ill and am so at present not withstand my illness yet I desire to appear and have done my utmost to endeavor to hire a horse but cannot procure one at present. I being present destitute have endeavored to purchase horse but cannot at present obtain one but I shall relate the truth of the case as my answer would be to the honorable Court and more cannot be proved nor so much. Edward Wharton and three more men came to my house on a rainy morning the said Wharton spoke to me saying that they were traveling Eastward and desired me to direct them to Hampton and asked how far it was to Casco Bay. I never saw any of the men before except Wharton. Neither did I require their names or what they were but by their carriage I thought they might be Quakers and told them so and therefore desired them to pass on their way saying possibly I might give offence in entertaining them and as soon as the volume of the rain ceased (for it was raining very hard) they went their way and I never saw them since. The time they stayed in my house was about three quarters of an hour but I can safely say affirm it was not an hour. They spoke not many words in the time neither did I as I had not leisure to talk with them for I came home wet to the skin. If this satisfies not the Court I shall subject to their service. I have not willing offended and I am ready to serve and oblige you in the Lord." Two of the men who accompanied Wharton were hanged in Boston on the day the above letter was written, their only crime being that they were Quakers. In 1664 Thomas Macy permanently settled at Nantucket although in the latter part of 1659 he went there with his wife Sarah ______and their five children from four to thirteen years of age and stayed there during the winter suffering great hardships and privations. A story is told by Silvanus J. Macy in his history of the Macy family of his trip to the Island of Nantuckett. Encountering rough weather while crossing the Sound it is said the good wife besought her husband to turn back and seek safety on the mainland as she was terribly frightened. Thomas paid no attention to her first request but on her second appeal he replied "Woman go below and seek thy God. I fear not the witches on this earth or the devils in hell" as all accounts agree that the craft in which this adventurous voyage was made was an open boat, it is difficult to understand just what the doughty skipper meant when he told her to "go below" but he may have used the expression figuratively in which sense, let us hope, it was obeyed. They landed safely at all events and with the assistance of the Indians, erected some sort of house to shelter them for the winter. Their son John who was four years old at the time and the only son of Thomas to reach maturity was the ancestor of all the Macys of America Thomas Macy became chief Magistrate in 1676 of Nantucket and died in 1682. His daughter Sarah married William Worth and his daughter Mary married William Bunker and from each of these families we are descended. Elizabeth Macy, after the death of Alexander Moores married William Coffin, being his third wife and whose daughter by his second wife married her son Alexander Moores.
QUAKER MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE Whereas Robert Macy son of Thomas Macy and Deborah his wiffe of the Town of Sherbourne on Nantucket in ye Providence of Massachusetts Bay in New England etc and Abigail Barnard, daughter of Benjamin Barnard (deceased) and Judith his wiffe of Nantucket Town and Province above said Having declared their intentions of taking each other in Marriage before several Publick Meetings of ye people called Quakers on Nantucket whose proceedings therein after a deliberate consideration thereof were allowed by said Meeting and they appearing clear of all others and having consent of Parents and others concerned Now these do certify to those it may concern that for the full accomplishing of their said intentions this 3rd day of January according to the English account in year 1731 they the said Robert Macy and Abigail Barnard appeared at a Publick assembly of said People and others met together for ye purpose at the house of Judith Barnard (widow) on Nantucket and in a solemn manner he the said Robert Macy taking the said Abigail Barnard by the hand did openly declare as followeth:- Friends I desire you to be my witnesses that I take this my Friend Abigail Barnard to be my wife promising by the Lords assistance to be unto her a true and loving Husband until it shall please God by death to separate us. And then and there in said assembly the said Abigail Barnard did in like manner declare as followeth: Friends I desire you to be my witnesses that I take this my Friend Robert Macy to be my Husband promusing by the Lords assistance to be unto him a true and loving wiffe until it shall please God by death to separate us. And as further confumation thereof the said Robert Macy and Abigail Barnard did then and there to these Presents set their hands she according to the custom of Marriage assuming the name of her husband. Robert Macy Abigail Macy And we whose names are here unto subscribed being present among others at the solemunizing of their said marriage and subscuption in manner aforesaid as witnesses there-unto have also to these Presents subscribed our names The Day and Year above written. Thos. Macy
Robert Macy and Abigail Barnard were the parents of Elizabeth Macy.
|
