Thank you for the very good summary. That really helps to put him and
everything else in perspective.
Cathy
-----Original Message-----
From: chapin-bounces(a)rootsweb.com [mailto:chapin-bounces@rootsweb.com]
On Behalf Of gc-gateway(a)rootsweb.com
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 5:23 AM
To: CHAPIN-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: [CHAPIN] The Deacon's Importance
This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Author: villandra
Surnames:
Classification: queries
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http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.chapin/203.315.1/mb.ashx
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Samuel Chapin was actually a minor New England figure, a leader in his
local community like many at that time - but he is one of those people
most New Englanders are descended from, and at one time he somehow got
canonized. Here is the information I have on him. William Pynchon
was an English gentleman who founded Springfield, Massachusetts, and ran
it as his personal fief.
ARrived Roxbury,MA 1635. Five children came with their parents - Henry,
JOsiah, David, Catherine, Sarah. Brought his father, John Chapin.
Acquainted with Wiliam Pynchon in England and a neighbor for a short
time in Roxbury Pynchn led in 1636 a dozen families to the Connecticut
River, founded Agawam, later named Springfield. The Chapins went there
during winter, 1642-3. Deacon Samuel was one of five Selectmen apointed
by William Pychon. Conducted sabbath services, including preaching, for
several years when the church lacked a pastor. Pynchon convicted of
heresy in 1651 by general court and returned to England. Held large
hodings in Springfield. a magistrate (county court) appointed by
General Court.
Deacon Chapin is held up as THE model Puritan. He was one of a few of
people in MA of his class who actually came from entirely humble
origins. All of the other Puritans adopted his family history for their
own. A statue of him stands, I think in Springfield. There is a well
known poem about his humble origins, cited widely in terms of general
American ancestry.
He arrived in Roxbury from England in 1635. He was a friend of William
Pynchon in England. Humble, maybe, but not poorly connected. Pynchon
founded Springfield,MA. Chapin joined him. Butin 1651 Pynchon
convicted of heresy, I guess in Springfield, and forced to leave.
Chapin became a church deacon, a lesser office than elder, in charge of
seating people, the treasury, that sort of thing. BUt people ever after
esteemed him as Deacon Chapin. Some of his writing, ie, a seating
assignment he wrote, survive; he was barely literate. Didn't spell
consistently, his grammar was poor, his style and grammar that of a
number of modern proprietors of Buffalo janitorial firms i've
encountered while working as a part-time janitor. But he gave rise to a
great and long-lasting dynasty of judges, local politicians,
businessmen, clergy, and professionals of various sorts.
Chapin arrived in Roxbury, England, about 1635. Five children came with
their parents. He probably brought his father and family. He knew
William Pynchon in England. Joined Pynchon andother families to found
Agawam, later renamed Springfield. "He was a man of some education,
strong will, inflexible integrity, abundant charity and real piety". -
Hward Millar Chapin, 1098, Providence Rhode Island, Life of Deacon
Samuel Chapin of Springfield.
Deacon Samuel Chapin's ancestry is covered in "hte English Ancestry of
Deacon Samuel Cahpin o Springfield, MA, Communicated by Howard Millar
Chapin, AB, of Providence, RI. Printed from Family Archive Viewer,
Series 2, Vol 1, The English Ancestry of Dea. Samuel Chapin of
Springfield, MA. c Broderbund Software, Sept 14 2002.
There was a tradition he was born at Dartmouth, co Devon, a g-g
grandson, John Horton, wrote this in 1779. A search did not verify
this. Records found at Paignton, Devonshire, seven miles from
Dartmouth. Records of Samuel's baptism and marriage in the parish
registers there. The registers also name six of his children (five of
whom are supposed to have come to this country with him.) Not all the
names are legible. They included Henry, Josias, Sara, Honor, a son,
and a daughter who was possibly Kathrin. Samuel's father in law's
will names nephew David, and Katherine and Sarah Chapin. A son John
was baptized in nearby Totnes.
Howard Chapin thinks that Samuel was probably descended from , or
related to, "the Chapin family of hte neighboring family of Coleridge."
They lived in the hundred of Haytor, s. Devon. "In 1524, Robert
Chopyn and Christopher Chopyn were at Cornworthy int he hundred of
Coleridge, adn in 1525 Henry Chopyn and Thomas Chopyn were at Harberton
in the same hundred. At Totnes also in the hundred of Coleridge, ...
there was a Stephen Chapin as early as 1489, af fact that seems to
indicuate that the ancestors of Samuel Chapin were living at Totnes as
early as the fifteenth century; and the appearance of the Christian name
between teh Chapin families at Totnes and Cornworthy, for a son Stephen
Chapin was born at Corworthy in 1570 and moved to Dartmouth. Thomas
and Christian also were names that were common in both families. The
Chapin family is found in Coleridge as early as 1333, when Petro Chapyn
was taxed 8 d., and six years earlier, in 1327, a Nicholas Chopyn was
taxed!
at the manor of Shefbeare in the hundred of Hator-- the first
appearance (sof ar as is known) of the surname in Devonshire."
Deacon Chapin's accounts at Pynchon's store well illustrates the general
habit of the settlers and the articles used by them. These extracts
are taken from the accounts of 1652 and a year or more later. He was
charged with 14s for half a pound of powder, 2s 6d for 3 pounds of
sugar, 8d for 500 pins, 4 pounds? 7 s 6d for 10 yds of Kersey, 5s. 3d
for smithery work, 5s2d for 2 yds Scots cloth, 4s 10 d for 3 1/2 pounds
of soap, 12 pounds for a parcel of wampum sent to Henry Chapin "you are
to pay for your son David 10 pounds", 2s 11d for 1-2 yd of Green Say, 2s
6d for one pair of stockings, 1s 3d for 1-2 yd of flannel, 17 s 6d for 7
yds of linen cloth, 6s 6d for one Bible, 6s for one pint bottle, 1s 10 d
for a quart and 1-4 of brandy, 2s for one pound of pepper, and 4 1-2 d
for a pint of vinegar.
In payment of his accounts he was credited with 8s for 4 days work of
David, 9s for David's work at the mill, 4s 6d for work of oxen, 2s 6d
for 3 lbs of candles, 3 pounds 4s for 192 pounds of beef, 11 punds 1s
for 60 bushels of wheat, 7s for a skin of Beaver, 16 s for wheat
delivered by Thomas Stebbins, 17s 6d from Katherine Bliss, 15 punds 18s
for 87 bushels of wheat at y mill in June '55, 2s 6d for a qr of veal, 1
pund 4 s 4d for stringing 194 fathoms of wampum.
There was no stated time for settling accounts and they frequently stood
for a year and sometimes several years before tehre was a balance. In
most instances the differences was in favor of John Pynchon. The
records show Deacon Chapi n and his wife both purchasing and renting
land from Pynchon.
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