| Notes |
- NOTE: Nancy Smit.
William Tubbs came from Sutton, Isle of Ely, Cambridge, England. He arrived at Plymouth, MA and settled in Duxbury, MA in 1635.
From Elizabeth DuBois, dated September 7, 1995.
I list only three children for William Tubbs and Mercy Sprague, because I believe that is all they had. The other two sons (Benjamin and Joseph) were by William Tubbs' second wife, Dorothy, the widow of William Soames/Soan.
From Margery Freas.
William Tubbs came to Plymouth, MA in May 1635 and removed to Duxbury. He has been identified as coming variously from London, Sutton, Isle of Ely, Cambridge, England or from Cornwall, England. William's name is on a list comprised of "those now freemen, formerly servants" so it is assumed that he was an indentured servant. He was admitted as freeman 2 Jan 1637 at Plymouth, and again in 1638 at Duxbury. He was a volunteer to fight against the Pequots on 7 Jun 1637, under Capt. Miles Standish, but appears not to have served. He was also a proprietor of Bridgewater.
His marriage to Mercy Sprague, daughter of an innholder who came in 1623, ended in divorce in July, 1668, and he married Dorothy Soames.
William disowned any responsibility for Mercy's bills in 1664, indicating perhaps that Mercy had not reformed, or that she had left him. She is said to have left Duxbury and removed to Rhode Island, perhaps remarrying there.
His will of 20 Feb 1677 mentions his then wife, Dorothy. He received several grants of land and was an original proprietor of Bridgewater, though he seems never to have removed there. He was surveyor of highways from 1678 to 1685.
"Genealogy of the Tubbs Family of Luzerne Co., PA", by Arthur R. Mandeville.
The original Tubbs ancestor in America was William, who probably came from Sutton, Isle of Ely. His parents, birthdate, and place of birth are at present unknown.
He appeared first in Plymouth in 1635, and shortly thereafter he went and settled in Duxbury, MA where he was granted land several times by the court.
He became a member of the church (Congregational or Pilgrim Church) and was thereafter admitted a freeman, or citizen, of the colony January 2, 1637/1638, which required a member to be in good standing and having a letter from his Pastor affirming his good moral character.
During the Pequot War, William volunteered to go on an expedition against the Indians, June 7, 1637. He was a non-commissioned officer, or private, under Captain Miles Standish, his neighbor. William Tubbs' name appears in 1643 on a list of men, aged 16 to 60, who were able to bear arms, and he was on a list of Freeman in 1646.
William Tubbs was a surveyor of highways in Duxbury 1678 and 1685. He was an original proprietor of Bridgewater, MA and was granted land there when the town was laird out, although we have no knowledge of his ever having lived there. His will, dated February 2, 1677 was probated and settled on June 13, 1688. He died May 2, 1688 in Duxbury.
William Tubbs was married twice. He married, first, Mercy Sprague on November 19, 1637. She came to Plymouth in July 1623 on the Ship Anne with her father, Francis Sprague, later of Duxbury. Francis Sprague was the first licensed innkeeper in America.
Mercy Sprague Tubbs is assumed to be the mother of all of William's children. Mercy and William Tubbs were divorced July 7, 1668. It is believed that Mercy went to Rhode Island where she may have married again.
William Tubbs was married, second, to Dorothy, widow of William Soames of Scituate, MA to whom she was engaged on or before April 2, 1672. Dorothy is mentioned in William's will. There were no children, and it is assumed she was still living when he died.
The children mentioned in his will were Samuel, William, Bethiah, Benjamin and Joseph. It is assumed that he was about 72 when he died, thus making his birth date 1616 to 1618.
From Don Poppe, correspondent, mailing of April 20th, 1999
WILLIAM FIRST APPEARED IN PLYMOUTH COLONY, MASSACHUSETTS, IN MAY OF 1635. HE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE COME TO AMERICA FROM SUTTON, ISLE OF ELY, CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND. HE WAS PROBABLY BORN BETWEEN 1610 AND 1615.
HE WAS ONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS IN THE EXPEDITION AGAINST THE PEQUOT INDIANS IN JUNE OP 1637. HE WAS ADMITTED A FREEMAN OF PLYMOUTH COLONY ON JANUARY 2, 1637/8. HE WAS GRANTED LANDS IN DUXBURY, PLYMOUTH COLONY, SEVERAL TIMES, AND HE WAS ONE OF THE PROPRIETORS (FIRST LAND OWNERS) OF BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS. FROM 1678 TO 1685, HE WAS A SURVEYOR OF HIGHWAYS IN DUXBURY, AND HE SERVED AS A MEMBER OF MILES STANDISH'S MILITARY COMPANY.
EVEN TODAY THERE ARE MANY ENTRIES IN RECORDS OF THE COLONY OF NEW PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, THAT ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT THIS WAS NOT A HAPPY UNION. THE RECORD OF JUNE 1. 1663, IN THE GOVERNMENT OF MR. PREKCE, STATES:
THE COURT BEING ENFORMED THAT JOSEPTH ROGERS. OF KAMASSAKGESETT, HATH FREOUENTLY AND FROM TIME KEPT COMPANIE WITH MERCYE, THE WIFE OF WILLIAM TUBBS, IN A WAY AND AFTER SUCH MANOR AS HATH GIUEN CAUSE ATT LEAST TO SUSPECT THAT THERE HATH BINE LACIUIOUSE ACTES COMITTED BY THEM, THE COURT SEES CAUSE AND HAUE REQUIRED THE SAID JOSEPTH ROGERS TO REMOVE HIS DWELLING FROM MANASSAKEESETT AFORSAID BY THE TWENTIETH DAY OF THIS INSTANT JUNE, AND HAUE ALSOE DECLARED UNTO HIM THAT IF ATT ANY TIME HEE SHALL BEE TAKEN ATT THE HOUSE OF THE SAID TUBBS, OR IN THE COMPANIE OF THE SAID MARCYE TUBBS, OR iK THE COMt-'ANIE OF THE SAID MARCYE TUBBS ALONE IN ANY PLACE, TEAT THEN HEE SHALL FORTH WITH BEE TAKEN AND SEUERLY WHIPT: AND THE SAID WILLIAM TUBBS WAS BY THE COURT STRICTLY CHARGED NOT TO TOLLARATE HIM TO COME TO HIS HOUSE OR WHERE HEE HATH TO DOE ATT ANY TIME, AS HEE WILL ANSWARE THE SAME ATT HIS PILL.
WILLIAM TUBBS, CARRIED AWAY BY VENERATION FOR THE OLD TESTAMENT, TRIED TO DIVORCE HIS WIFE IN TERMS AUTHORIZED IS DEUTERONOMY 21:1 ("WHEN A MAN HATH TAKEN A WIFE, AMD SHE FIND NO FAVOUR IN HIS EYES THEN LET HIM WRITE HER A BILL OF DIVORCEMENT, AMD GIVE IT IN HER HAND, AND SEND HER OUT OF HIS HOUSE"). WILLIAM HANDED MERCY SUCH A "BILL", PREPARED BY HIMSELF AND SIGNED BY WITNESSES. IT WAS DISALLOWED BY THE AUTHORITIES, BUT HIS CASE MUST HAVE BEEN IMPRESSIVE, FOR THE'v GRANTED HIM A MORE JUDICIALLY DEFENSIBLE REGULAR DIVORCE ON JULY V, 1668.
WHEREAS MARCYE, THE WIFE OF WILLIAM TUBBS, BEING A WOMAN OF ILL FAME AND LIGHT BEHAUIOR APPARENTLY MANIFEST, HATH FOR THE SPACE OF FOUR YEARS AND UPWARDS ABSENTED AND WITHDRAWNE HERSELFE FROM HER HUSBAND INTO ANOTHER COLONIE, PRETENDING SHE IS ATT LIBERTIE, AND THAT, NOTWITHSTANDING ALL THE MEANES AND WAIES HER HUSBAND CAN USE WITH SAFETY, SHEE WILL NOT BE RECLAIMED NOR PSWADED TO RETURNE AND ABIDE WITH HIM AS SHEE OUGHT TO DOE; AND THAT. ALSOE, BY LETTERS TO TEE GOUMENT OF ROAD ILAND FROM THIS GOUMENT, DUE COURSE HATH BIN TAKEN TO GIUE HER CERTAINE INTELLIGENCE, THAT INCASE SHEE WOULD NOT RETURNE UNTO AND APPLY HERSELFE TO HER HUSBAND TO LIUE WITH HIM AS SHEE OUGHT TO DOE BETWIXT THE DATE OF THE SAID LETTERS AND THIS PSENT COURT, THAT THEN HEE SHOULD BE DIUORCED FROM HER; AND THAT SHE HATH SINCE, BEFORE COMPETENT WITNES, PROFESSED AND AFFEIRMED THAT SHEE WILL NEUER RETURNE AGAINE UNTO HIM WHILE HER EYES ARE OPEN; HEE, THE SAID TUBBS, APPEARING ATT THIS COURT, AND EARNESTLY AGAlNE SOLLISSITEING THE COURT FOR A DIUORCE PROM HER,-THIS COURT, THERFORE, SEES CAUSE AND DOE HEERBY DECLARE, THAT THE SAID WILLIAM TUBBS IS LEGALLY CLEARE FROM HIS COUENANT OF MARRIAGE FORMERLY MADE WITH MARCYE, HIS LATE WIFE. AND FREE HIM FROM THOSE DUTYES RELATEING THERTO; AND THAT THE SAID MARCYE HATH CUTT OF HERSRLFE FROM ANY RIGHT HENCEFORTH TO THE PSON OR ESTATE OF THE SAID WILLIAM TUBES, HER LATE HUSBAND, AND HEERBY ALLOWING HIM LIBERTIE FURTHER TO DISPOSE OF HIMSELFF IN MARRIAGE, IF HEE SEE FITT SOE TO DOE,
IN MARCH OF 1671/2, WILLIAM, A CORDWAINER, TOOK, AS HIS SECOND WIFE. DOROTHY SOAMES OF SCITUATE, MASSACHUSETTS.
SOURCES:
"Some Descendants of William Tubbs of Duxbury" by Louis MacCartney, 5 Skytop Drive, Pleasantville, NY 10570
"The Tubbs Family: The First Eight Generations in America" by Dorothy Sharpe Denton, Saginaw, Michigan, 1975
From Alan Tubbs, correspondent, note of September 10, 2011
You may find some updated information here regarding Samuel Tubbs
http://www.tubbs.cc/descendants [5]
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1612 - 1688 (76 years)
[1, 2, 3] 
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
Abt 1617 - Aft 1668 (~ 52 years)
