Pasco, freeman of Rhode Island in 1690
On May 6, 1690 the General Assembly for the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, meeting at Newport, voted to admit Pasco Whitford (along with others) to the status of freeman of the colony.Source:“Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, in New England”, Vol. 3, compiled by John Russell Bartlett, (Providence, RI; 1856), at p. 270 (available on-line at http://www.archive.org/stream/recordsofcolonyo03rhod#page/n553/mode/2up)http://www.archive.org/stream/recordsofcolonyo03rhod#page/n553/mode/2up).Does this record refer to immigrant Pasco Whitford, born in or before 1640 and who likely died in 1690, OR does this record refer to his son, also named Pasco Whitford?I believe the evidence supports a conclusion that it was Pasco the son.
The full text of the 1690 record is as follows:“Voted, Mr. Giddian Crofford, John Thurston, Nathaniel Jencks, Thomas Fry, Jun’r, John Spencer, John Nichols, John Wood, Pasco Whitford, Micall Spencer, William Bennett, Clement Weaver, Jun’r, Richard Dunn, Jun’r, Lawrence Turner, Jr, Mr. Stephen Arnold, Jun’r, John Hull, admitted freemen of the Collony.”
I checked the Latter Day Saints database (at www.familysearch.org) to get a quick fix on the 14 men on this list (in addition to Pasco).Here is what I found.
1.Gideon Crawford was likely the one born between 1652-1656 in Scotland, and who had married Freelove Fenner in RI in 1687.
2.John Thurston was likely the one born in December 1664 to Edward and Elizabeth (Mott) Thurston, and who had married Elizabeth MNU; he died in 1691 in RI.
3.Nathaniel Jencks was likely the one born in 1662 to Joseph and Hester (Ballard) Jencks and who had married Hannah Bosworth in 1686 in RI.
4.Thomas Fry, Jr. was likely the one born ca. 1666 to Thomas and Mary (Griffin) Fry and who had married Welthian Greene in 1688 in RI.
5.John Spencer was likely the one born April 2, 1666 in RI to John and Susanna (Griffin) Spencer.
6.John Nichols was likely the one born in 1666 in RI to Thomas and Hannah (Griffin) Nichols and who had married Hannah Foreman in 1687.
7.John Wood was likely one of the two men of that name, both born in the 1660s.
8.Michael Spencer was likely the one born May 20, 1668 to John and Susanna (Griffin) Spencer.
9.William Bennett is not clearly identifiable in the LDS records, but researcher Virginia Rogers had posted a family tree on World Connect (www.rootsweb.com) that includes a William Bennett, born ca. 1664 in RI to Samuel and Anna Bennett.
10.Clement Weaver, Jr. was likely theone born ca. 1669 to Clement and Alice Weaver, and who had married Hannah Long).
11.Richard Dunn, Jr. was likely the one born ca. 1667 in RI to Richard and wife.
12.Lawrence Turner, Jr. was likely the one born ca. 1667, possibly in Essex, MA to Lawrence and wife, and who died in 1719 in Newport, RI.
13.Stephen Arnold, Jr. was likely the one born November 27, 1654 to Stephen and Sarah (Smith) Arnold, and who had married Mary Sheldon in 1688 in RI.
14.John Hull was likely the one born between about 1648-1653, of Jamestown, RI, and who married Alice MNU and died in 1732.
Of the 14 men above, none were born as early as 1640, only three were born before 1660 (Crawford, between 1652-1656; Arnold, 1654; and Hull, between 1648-1653) and 11 were all born in the 1660s.These facts permit the inference that in Rhode Island at that time, men sought status as, and the colony admitted as freemen, men who were over the age of 21, frequently already married and settled, and most often under 30.It is reasonable to conclude that the Pasco Whitford admitted as a freeman in 1690 fit this same pattern (i.e., born in the 1660s and quite possibly married before 1690).
Furthermore, of the 15 men on the list (including Pasco), five were listed with the designation “Jun’r”.Pasco was not, although we know he was the son of a father named Pasco.This suggests that immigrant Pasco Whitford had already died before May 6, 1690.Indeed, a tombstone was found with the initials “PW” and the date 1690, and this is generally believed to be immigrant Pasco Whitford.
Therefore, I believe that the evidence supports a conclusion that the Pasco Whitford who was made a freeman of Rhode Island in May 1690 was Pasco, the son of the recently deceased immigrant Pasco.
If anyone has additional relevant evidence, or interprets the evidence above in a different manner, please share by posting a message here.