Stevens, a “first family” in America

Note (Jody Gray), this is a current project… not completed...

http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/s/t/e/William-Lackey--Stephens/GENE20-0002.html Genealogy Report: Descendants of Stephens. (the link takes you to Generation 2, click on previous page for the introduction) Sources: Stevens - Stephens Genealogy and Family History. Author: Clarence Perry Stevens. Privately Published. 1968. The author introduces another publication: Some Descendants of the Fitz Stephen Family in England and New England by C. Ellis Stevens, LL.D., D.C.L. F.S.A. (Edinburgh) Knight Commander of the Order of Christ of Portugal. New York-Privately Printed 1904. Clarence points out an error by C. Ellis: John Stevens, son of Sir Edward Stephens and Anne Crewe of Lypiatt Hall as the immigrant ancestor to Guilford, CT. Their son, John, died 4/8/1643 (age 17), in England. The John who immigrated to Guilford, Conn (1639) was the father of four children. Clarence references another source: Genealogy of John Steevens by Charlotte Steevens Holmes, published 1906. Clarence states: so far as I know, the link to his father, whoever he was, has never been proved.

    Branches of the Stevens-Stephens family in America: The Stevens (Stephens) family certainly is a “first family” in America. The first recorded Stevens arrived in 1585 long before Jamestown and Plymouth were settled. His name was Thomas Stevens who was a member of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina in that year. Apparently the members of this colony were massacred or carried off by the Indians and perhaps mixed with the Indians and so were lost. I do not know that this man was related to Anthony1 Stephens but the name Thomas Stephens certainly was common in our early history.

           The next Stephens ancestor to show up in America: Capt. Richard Stephens (or Stevens) immigrant in the [Ship] George to Jamestown Colony in 1623, just three years after the landing from the Mayflower at Plymouth... Under his name is the oldest remaining land grant record from the Jamestown Colony… He was collaterally related to practically all the Stevens lines listed in this book. He was the father of Samuel Stevens, the second colonial governor of the North Carolina Colony. Nicholas Stevens the ancestor of many of us was an officer in the English Civil War under the famous Oliver Cromwell…

[a] Generation No. 20 *Edward, son of Richard18 would have been 19, died in childhood; consequently, Thomas son of Edward17 became heir 19; Anthony son of Edward17 followed his older brother, Thomas19 as heir 20. - In America, Generation 1

 20. Anthony*18 Stephens, b. About 1569 in Eastington, Gloucestershire, England, and died 1625. He married Katherine Broke 1582 in England, daughter of Richard Broke. She was born in England. Children of Anthony Stephens and Katherine Broke: i. Thomas19 Stephens (hier 25). ii. Richard Stephens (Capt) (heir 26)... The main evidence is in our family records and the fact that 1) Nicholas Stevens b. 1620 (son of Thomas b. 1585) was present at meetings to settle the estate of Carolina governor Samuel Stevens, son of Capt. Richard. It is not certain whether 6) Capt. Richard was a brother or cousin of A)Thomas. Issue [lineage], so far as traced, of B) Anthony and Kathrine: *1.A) Thomas2 Stephens, b. Ca. 1585. Of London, haberdasher, living in 1643 married Mary, daughter of Peter Walle of Spargrave, Cheshire in northwestern England. *2. (Probably) 6) Capt. Richard Stevens, b. 1600, Mealemore, Buckinghamshire, England (or, b. ca. 1585, Wiltshire, England); d. July 1670 (or, d. ca. 1636), Jamestown Colony; in 1626 [I have 1536], in England, he married Elizabeth Piercy, b. 1609, daughter of Abraham Piercy and Elizabeth Draper (she d. Before 9/16/1646 in Virginia); issue: 1. Gov. Samuel Stevens ca 1629-1670, b. Jamestown Colony, VA; married Frances Culpeper……  

[1a] "Stevens - Stephens Genealogy and Family History"  Capt. Richard Stevens came in the (Ship) George to Jamestown Colony in 1623. I believe that this is the first official record of a Stevens (Stephens) settler in a permanent colony in America, kin to us. It appears that he was the eldest son of our ancestor B) Anthony Stephens, b. Ca 1560 of Wiltshire, England.   A son of 6) Capt. Richard Stevens was Governor Samuel Stevens. After his death in July 1670 a meeting was held in the settlement of his estate and among those listed as present was Nicholas Stevens b. 1620 and Capt. William Crawford who had been a fellow officer with Nicholas under Cromwell in England.   Note (Jody Gray): I have Nicholas b. 1620 as the son of Thomas b. 1585 and Thomas as the son of Anthony b. 1560 -Haberdasher in London - I don’t know when Nicholas immigrated to Jamestown??? his brother Thomas said to arrive in 1635; brother Anthony was there before 1656; no mention of when brother Thomas arrived; brother Cyprian said to arrive in 1660 -the English Civil War took place between 1642 and 1651 - Nicholas would have been 22 to 30 years old)… Since usually only legal officials and the relatives attend such a meeting it would appear that 1) Nicholas Stevens was related to Gov. Samuel Stevens and thus was related to 6) Capt. Richard Stevens. If this is correct, then 1) Nicholas was the nephew of 6) Richard and a first cousin to Gov. Samuel Stevens…   Furthermore, it is a matter of the N. C. family record that Isaac5 Stevens (Stephens), b. 1793 in North Carolina, was related to a Samuel Stevens although some of the details are not very clear.   In 1877 said Isaac, who had an older brother named Sam, dictated some data to his grandson Isaac and Dr. Arnold, author of the Rush County Atlas of 1879. He gave his parents as James and Cebra (Seaberry) who had migrated from in or near Fayetteville, N. C., which I found to be true when I found the will of John Stevens, probated in 1779 there naming James as a son. This is, I believe, the oldest will still on record there.   Isaac said that we had an early colonial relative named Sam Stevens in the Carolina Colony who kept a lot of his money in gold in an iron kettle under his bed and often guarded by two big black slaves (I suppose when he was away). He wanted very much to own a thousand slaves but never quite succeeded for as fast as he would buy a slave one would die or be lost in some other way.   For over forty years I suspected that this was fiction or much exaggerated. Now I find that it is a well documented fact that Samuel Stevens, the 2nd colonial governor of the colony owned over 4500 acres of land and was for that time a very rich man. So it appears that he could have had that many slaves and, considering the size of the colony then, he must have been the only Sam Stevens, or probably anyone else, who could have had that many then in the colony. This tends to prove that 1) Nicholas Stevens was related to 7) Samuel Stevens and was probably a first cousin.  *Note: I have Nicholas Stephens b. 1620, as the son of Anthony Stephens b. 1560 -which makes him the nephew of the above mentioned Samuel Stephens...
    Capt. Stevens also received the first land grant preserved on record at the Virginia Land Patent Office which, since Jamestown was the first colony, is probably tantamount to saying that it is the oldest English land grant in the U. S. A. today. This grant comprised sixty "roods" at Jamestown adjoining a house he already owned, "so that others may be encouraged by his example to enclose some grounds for gardens. He was a Burgess and a member of the governor's council under Gov. Harvey, who had become cordially detested by the colonists. In a personal altercation with Capt. Stephens, the governor suddenly attacked Stephens and knocked out several of his teeth with a cane or cudgel. Soon after when the governor had a fist fight with his council, they deposed the old rascal and sent him to England regardless of their legal inability to do so. At his death about 1636 Capt. Stephens owned over 2000 acres of land in the colony.

http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/s/t/e/William-Lackey--Stephens/GENE20-0002.html

My Family Tree Additions

https://www.geni.com/people/Thomas-Stephens/6000000030777867336?through=6000000041073542245

Thomas b. 1585, London, Middlesex d. 1634, Jamestown, VA

Husband of Mary Walle (she’s listed twice, once as Mary Stephens)

  *** Immigrant to America *** This Thomas son of Anthony b. 1560 and Katherine Broke b. 1560; grandson of Edward and Joan Fowler - some identify him as grandson of Thomas and Elizabeth Stone - however… shows the arms, parents and children of Thomas Stevens m: Mary Walle (Thomas, a haberdasher of London, living in 1634, m: abt 1615)...

Children of Thomas and Mary Walle: Nicholas b. 1620… Anthony b. 1624 -probably immigrated by 1656 to Lancaster Co, VA…

    Colonel Thomas Stevens (1) of Devonshire, England, was the father of the three emigrants from whom a large part of the Stevens families of Massachusetts are descended. He was the progenitor of Charles F. Stevens, and George A. Stevens, of Worcester. He was the armorer of Buttulph Lane, London, who was contracted with the Massachusetts Bay colony and government in March, 1629, for a supply of arms. He was a member himself of the Massachusetts Bay Company, gave fifty pounds to the common stock and sent three sons,

Thomas, Cyprian and Richard, and one daughter to New England.

Mary Stevens married Captain Whipple, of Ipswich.

Thomas [1635 , see last entry, here] and Cyprian came in 1660 with Captain Green.

Cyprian went to Chelsea and later to Lancaster. Richard was the father of Samuel Stevens of Marlboro. Colonel Stevens had another son, William, who remained in London. Colonel Stevens was one of the signers of the instructions to Captain Endicott before coming to New England. Richard Stevens, one of the sons settled in Concord, MA, and died there in 1683. His wife and daughter returned to England to live. Thomas Stevens (son of Thomas b. 1585) came first at the age of twelve in the ship "Abigail" from London in 1635.

http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/s/t/e/William-Lackey--Stephens/GENE20-0018.html  Stephens Family Tree

17. Edward Stephens b. Abt 1523, [1584] Little Sodbury, Gloucestershire m: Joan Fowler...

• 18 - 18. Richard Stephens b. 1554 m1: Margaret St. Leo m2: Ann Kery *by Margaret he had: Edward b. 1587; [Colonel] Nathaniel b. 1589, Johanna b. 1583, Sarah b. ?, Abigail b. ?
• 19 - 18. Thomas b. 1558 of Lypiatt m: Elizabeth Stone; their children: Edward b. 1584, John b. 1585, Anne b. 1587, Mary b. 1589, Nathaniel b. 1591, Ann b. 1592, Joane d. 1613
• 20 -18. Anthony b. 1560 m: Katherine Broke; [immigrants to America] son, Thomas b. 1585 m: Mary Walle; son, [Capt] Richard b. 1601 m: Elizabeth Piersey…

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=don4736&id=I33208 Anthony Stephens b. 1560, Eastington, Gloucestershire d. 1625, unknown m: Katherine Broke b. 1560 d. 1601, daughter of Richard Broke…

• Their son1: Thomas b. 1585, London, Middlesex d. 1634, Jamestown, VA. m: Mary Walle *https://www.geni.com/people/Thomas-Stephens/6000000030777867336?through=6000000041073542245 their children: Nicholas b. 1620, Thomas b. 1623, Anthony b. 1624, Mary b. ? Richard d. 1683, Cyprian b. ?
• Their son2: Capt Richard Stephens b. 1601, England d. 1636, Jamestown, VA m: Elizabeth Piersey b. ? d. ? *Source: Find A Grave…

Son of [Capt] Richard Stephens b. 1601 and Elizabeth Piersey:

Samuel Stephens b. 1629 d. 1669 (while serving as Governor)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Stephens_(North_Carolina) was the Governor of the Albemarle Colony (which would later become North Carolina) from 1667 until his death in late 1669. He was appointed by the Lords Proprietor to succeed William Drummond.

Frances Culpeper

    Stephens was born in Jamestown, Virginia and was the first governor of any colony to be born in America. His parents were Richard Stephens and Elizabeth Piersey Stephens. In 1652, Stephens married Frances Culpeper, the sister of Lord John Culpeper. They had no children. They owned Boldrup Plantation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Culpeper_Berkeley

Career: Before King Charles II of England established the Province of Carolina, Stephens had served as "Commander of the Southern Plantation" for the Colony of Virginia between 1662 and 1664. The "Southern Plantation" roughly corresponded to what would later be northeastern North Carolina.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boldrup_Plantation_Archeological_Site Boldrup Plantation Archeological Site: is a historic archaeological site located at Newport News, Virginia. It was the location of a 17th-century plantation and now the site of a modern residential development. During the 17th century, Boldrup Plantation was owned by Gov. John Harvey (d. 1646), Gov.Samuel Stephens (1629-1669), and Gov.William Berkeley (1605-1677); the wife of the latter two men, Frances Culpeper Berkeley, lived there as well. The site includes the grave slab of Lt. Col. William Cole, colonial secretary of state, the graves of his second and third wives, and a pit house. The site was excavated in the 1980s. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Son of Thomas Stephens b. 1585 d. 1634 and Mary Walle: 

Nicholas Stephens b. 1620 d. 1670 m: Elizabeth Starkey .

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=don4736&id=I33251 Nicholas Stevens was born Ca. 1620, eldest son of Thomas and Mary Stephens. He married Elizabeth Starkey in St. Peters Church in Cornhill, London September 9, 1641. This was near Tower Ward where he lived. He was a Captain in the victory of Naseby June 14, 1645 and fought for religious freedom under Oliver Cromwell and against the Stuart King. He came to America ca. 1660 under an assumed name because of the persecutions in England. He was in Taunton, Mass. in 1660, then he and his brother went to the Jamestown Colony. His heirs could not receive any of his wealth because he had changed the spelling of his name to Stevens. He died September 27, 1670 in Albemarle, now North Carolina. [KarenMcGlynn.GED.FTW]

1) NICHOLAS STEVENS (duplicate information removed)...  "Sept. 9, 1641, Nicholas Steuens and Elizabeth Starkey - The Register of St. Peter's Cornhill, London…  At that time the letter "u" was interchangeable with "v" so the clergyman spelled the name Steuens.

One reason why no date for the arrival in America of 1) Nicholas may be explained by the following quotation from E. S. Barney's Genealogy, p. 46. "Again it is a tradition that Henry Stevens, the oldest son of Nicholas Stevens, an officer in Cromwell's army fled from England to escape the persecutions of the Royalists after the death of Cromwell; but this record rests only on a letter from one member of the family to another of that generation. This letter is still extant and in the possession of Mrs. Updike of New York City, a descendant." … Two of the judges, at least, Colonels Whalley and Goffe, spent their last years in Mass. under assumed names so very likely 1) Nicholas Stevens embarked under an assumed name… According to [author] Plowden Stevens an old county history related he came to Taunton, Mass… and his son Nicholas also resided there… There are data about 41) Nicholas, the son of 13) Richard, so I think the two men with the same name have been confused. It appears 1) Nicholas visited there about 1669 according to some family records.... In Lancaster County Record book... No. 2, Anthony Stephens [Note (Jody Gray): I think this is Anthony b. 1624, son of Thomas b. 1585 -said to have moved to Lancaster Co, VA in 1656] is listed as a witness in 1659 and also in 1662)... in 1663 he is on a bill list for 850 pounds of tobacco. He had a land grant in 1667 for 1850 acres of land in Westmoreland Co. and probably settled there, where the will of Edmund Randolph in 1724 says "...to Nicholas Stephens and daughters Elizabeth and Millicent..."

This was not 1) Nicholas since he would not have lived so long but doubtless was a grandson of 3) Anthony named after his brother 1) Nicholas...

1) Nicholas Stephens did not immigrate directly to Albemarle (now North Carolina) Colony in 1660 because King Charles II did not make the grant till 1663; so it is doubtful if 1) Nicholas lived there more than five or six years before his death in 1670, as proved by the official record Sept. 27, 1670 where Capt. Crawford was awarded damages to his boat. The name of 1) Nicholas is also on the list of those present earlier that year, at a hearing in regard to the estate of Gov. Samuel Stevens… in the Pasquotank precinct… William Crawford, I think, had been a fellow officer in Cromwell's army in England...

1) NICHOLAS STEVENS AND YE FAMILY IN ENGLAND

"They were His songs that rose to Heaven before

The surge of steel broke wild o'er Marston Moor.

When rough-shod workman in their sober gear

Rode down in dust the long-haired Cavalier."

-(James Russel Lowell) 

  [Nicholas Stephens] entered the English Civil War ca 1642 against the tyrannical King Charles I on the side variously called Republican, Round Heads, Independents or Puritan... At first he apparently had organized a company or "trained band" of citizen-soldiers for the defense of London. Dr. E. S. Barney in her Stevens Genealogy quotes an old English record as follows: "Nicholas Stevens for his cursing at Winsor before the trainband last Monday, is to pay the public treasury 10 shillings."  He apparently was a Captain at this time, at least we know from official records he was a little later when he and his men were ordered to join the new modeled army under Cromwell and Fairfax… in helping to organize these trained bands, Capt. Nicholas Stevens made a considerable contribution toward winning the war, regardless of his service in other battles…

… it is distinction… that he was an officer under the great Cromwell, in an army never defeated although often outnumbered, lead by the greatest military genius of the 17th century - an army that had conquered the British Isles and even driven the Spanish arm… at the Battle of the Dunes in France, resulting in the liberation of the French people. This Spanish army was rated as the best in Europe, which means this army of Cromwell's was the peer of any in the world... in part that he made soldiers as he said "who knew what they were fighting for and loved what they knew."

    … how many of great grandsons of that grand army fought in the American Revolution for much the same principles of government as these Republicans.... Mark Twain was a descendant of Geofrey Clemens (or Clement), one of the judges who sentenced Charles I to death.

  ...English Public Office it is said "Several references have been found to Capt. Stevens, who in 16 April 1645 was instructed with his troops that he was to form part of Sir Thomas Fairfax's new (modelled) army." However, it was Cromwell, 2nd in command, who did the remodelling; but he soon was to be the top commander of the Republican army and later was to be known as the greatest ruler of England… Capt. Nicholas Stevens and his men had just joined this new-modelled army in time to be in the great Republican victory of Naseby, June 14, 1645. This I believe has been rated as one of the fifteen decisive battles of the world. On the right Ireton's cavalry was routed by Rupert, who lead the best Royalist troops, but he stupidly chased them for miles. Cromwell's Ironsides were conquerors on the left. The Republican foot in the middle, containing many raw troops, was slowly being driven back but the genius of Cromwell saved the day. He turned his cavalry around and fell on the side of the Royalist infantry in the center and thus defeated them, thus winning a glorious victory for the Republicans, who captured over 5,000 prisoners, artillery and baggage, including the king's personal correspondence… When Rupert got back, he found his side defeated... This invincible army was sometimes outnumbered more than two to one; for instance on Aug. 17, 1648 with less than 9,000 men they fell upon 24,000 who followed Hamilton and after three days fighting routed them utterly. At the Battle of Dunbar with some 11,000 men they defeated 23,000 Royalists under Leslie, taking 10,000 prisoners. The Royalists lost over 3,000 dead and Cromwell's army not over 20 men...

    The Republicans had fought mainly for religious freedom and against religious persecution… In his first speech to Parliament Cromwell, "Some things are Fundamentals… The government by a single person and Parliament is a Fundamental… is not liberty of conscience in religion a Fundamental? ...truly that is a thing that ought to be very reciprocal.....It is for us and the generations to come."

    They extended toleration to the Jews, and Quakers were no longer persecuted. They stopped persecution of the people for the totally imaginary crime of witchcraft, not only in England and Scotland but in much of Europe… When the Duke of Savoy caused the massacre of a number of the Valdois in the Piedmont valleys, Cromwell obliged the Duke to stop and caused the Pope to be informed that if Protestants continued to be molested anywhere the roar of English guns would speedily awaken the echoes of St. Angelo (in Italy). He also told the French ambassador "Never will I sign away our right to help the Huguenots..." Thus he practically stopped religious persecution all over Europe.

    Among [Cromwells’] supporters, were not only Capt. Nicholas Stevens but his alleged relatives John Stephens of Tweakesbury near Gloucester; Nathaniel Stephens of Gloucestershire; and William Stephens of Newport and Wight, members of the Long Parliament...

But it seems impossible to change the habits and superstitions of a people in seven years, so in 1660 came the so-called restoration, partly due to the treason of Colonel Monk; but absolute monarchy could never be restored, and representative democracy is the government today of England and the U. S. A.

    The Plowden Stevens [Genealogist] says a county history in New York gives the children of 1) Nicholas as Thomas, Richard and Henry… In the F. S. Stevens [Genealogy]... is a copy of the family record submitted by Susan Stevens, b. ca 1815. She and her husband were both descendants of 10) Henry Stevens. She says: "Nicholas Stevens (of) Cromwell's army, came to Taunton, Mass. in the year 1669. He had three sons Nicholas, Thomas and Henry. Nicholas settled at Taunton, or Dighton and his son Nicholas resided there with his family.....Henry Stevens was sixteen years old when he came to America."

(Duplicate information removed) Nicholas3 (Thos.2, Anthony1), b. ca. 1620 of London "eldest son and heir"... Dr. Barney tells us that "Nicholas Stevens of England was wealthy, owning three shires in Wales, and after his death one of his heirs went over from New England, and prosecuted for and obtained a decree for his share of the property, but in signing the receipt he wrote his name "Stevens", when the attorney for the crown declared him an imposter, as the English records were spelled "Stephens", so the Judge ruled him out." He came home and so reported... He and son Thomas settled in the Albemarle Colony (now North Carolina) then under Jamestown Colony and their names appear there in the records where Nicholas died in 1670…

    "At a called Court held, 15 July 1670, at ye house of Sam Davis for ye County of Albemarle, in ye province of Carolina, Capt. Wm. Crawford, petition against ye administrator of Nicholas Stevens, deceased, for the hire and use of a shallop (which) was bulged and damnified, wherefore ye Court orders Mr. Rowden (Isaac), Administrator of ye estate to pay Capt. Crawford 500 1bs. of tobacco"...

Henry was the eldest son and 16 years of age when he came to America in 1660… Therefore he was born in 1644.

    Then for 1) Nicholas b. 1620 and Elizabeth [Starkey] Stevens, issue:

*1. 10) Henry4 Stevens (Stephens) 1644-1726, settled in  Stonington, CT.

2. 11) Nicholas, Jr. ca. 1648-1674, settled in Rhode Island - drowned while sailing a boat on Connecticut River in 1674. (Conn. Probate Rec.) Descendants not traced. *3. 12) Thomas4, ca. 1662-1751, settled in Carolina Colony, now N. C.

2) Thomas, Jr. 3Stephens (Thos.2, Anthony1), b. ca. 1621 -m- but wife not traced. That he had a wife and children, 13) Richard, Cathrine (also Kath.) and other siblings, is proved by the affidavit of Jonathan Lincoln in 1768. (Bristol Co. Mass…) Jonathan Lincoln was a close relative to 13)Richard's wife Mary Lincoln -remembers Richard Stephens of Taunton .....and that sometime after Richard came, his father whose name was Thomas, and mother, and sister Cathrine, and some time others of ye family came over to Taunton."...

Nicholas Stevens married (9/9/1641, Little Sodbury, Gloucestershire): Elizabeth Starkley b. abt 1614, Lypiatt Park, Little Sodbury, Gloucestershire. Children (all born in Little Sodbury): Henry abt 1644; Nicholas abt 1648; Thomas b. 2/3/1661 or 1662…

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=don4736&id=I33251

Note (Jody Gray): because there is a lot of confusion about this Thomas Stephens b. 1622, son of Thomas b. 1585, and his children (see above entry), I’m adding what I found; the only part that doesn’t add up is his being an armorer who contracted an order in 1629 (he would have been 7 years old). http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stevens-2055

Col Thomas II Stevens b. 1622, Devonshire, England d. 1737 Taunton, Bristol, MA. Arrived 1623, Boston, MA Children: Richard b. 1641 d. 1726, Norton, Bristol, MA; Thomas b. 1644, d. 8/19/1704, Stow Middlesex, MA; Katherine b. 1648 d. 6/12/1726, Taunton… m: ? Deane; Cyprian b. 1647 d. 1722 Lancaster, MA; Mary b. 1650 d. Aft 1695 MA.

Biographical Sketch: Cyprian Stevens of Lancaster b. 1647, London d. 1722, Lancaster; 4th and youngest son of Colonel Thomas Stevens (family originally from Devonshire)... Came to New England and settled first at Rumney Marsh, Boston then removed to Lancaster, MA. m: 1/22/1672, Mary Willard, daughter of the valiant Simon Willard, one of the founders of Lancaster, and a man of prominence, and Mary Dunster (sister of Professor Henry Dunster, first President of Harvard College). Cyprian and his family had to leave the town during King Philip’s War…  and seek refuge in the older towns near Boston. He deeded land to his father-in-law, in Dunstable in exchange for a blockhouse at Sudbury that became known as the Cyprian Stevens garrison and while there received permission to keep an Indian child of six years in his family. The Indian child named Samuel was the son of Nohanet of Chobnakonkonon, who was serving in the ranks of the colonists. In 1676 he petitioned the governor for aid after the destruction of the town of Lancaster by King Philip. Cyprian Stevens returned to Lancaster after the declaration of peace between England and France. He was a blacksmith by trade and a tavern keeper. The Middlesex Court in April 1682 convicted Cyprian Stevens (accused by the Natricks tribe) of selling two gallons of strong liquors to the Indians. He was fined 20 shillings, money, and to pay the cost of two Indians witnesses, (Peter Ephram and Loosmet) three shillings. The prohibitory law was intended to shield the Indians from harm in the use of strong drink. He was relieved of the above appointment and made clerk of writs since 1/14/1682 to 1686 to make record of all the births and deaths in Lancaster. Cyprian became a leading citizen and Constable in 1690. Cyprian and Mary’s first three children were born at Lancaster: Cyprian b. 11/21/1672; Mary (his twin) b. 11/22/1672; Dorothy died young; Simon b. 8/13/1677, Boston; Elizabeth b 1681, Boston; Joseph b. 1683. Cyprian Stevens died in 1722, Lancaster, MA. Note (Jody Gray): I came across another interesting document on Ancestry.com that contains most of the same information; however; it covers a few more of “cases filed against him in court”...  Source: Ancestry.com Member Media

Source: STEPHENS / STEVENS Genealogy Club--Tom Stephens b. 1585 (brother of Richard b. 1600, who follows) -. Richard Stephens is called a paynter-stayner and the worshipful company of paynters-stayners is named in the first London Company’s Charter of Virginia with many others [a painter of arms and a glass stainer -an artist/craftsman]. Children: Richard, Samuel b. 1629, William d. 1657 and John Stephens. Note (Jody Gray): 6/10/206, I gave Capt. Richard Stephens b. 1600, son of Anthony (below) and I have his son Samuel b. 1629; from other Ancestry.com Family Trees, I added William d. 1657. Richard Lawrence b. 1624.

   The colony's prospects improved when the demand for tobacco, first cultivated in 1612, grew. The governor, Sir George Yeardley, convened the first legislative assembly in America at Jamestown in 1619. That same year a Dutch ship brought the first blacks, most of whom were indentured servants, and toward the end of the century slavery became a characteristic feature of the economy.

    Richard Stephens built a block house in James City (Jamestown). We know through the manuscript and of the incorporation of James City, Capt. Richard Stephens was given Patent No. 1, that others might be encouraged by his example to enclose ground and plant trees.

Source: http://bergergirls.com/histories/EmoryStevens.pdf   A Manuscript History of the Stevens Family, Emory M. Stevens (1858-1937). Completed in 1933 unpublished.  Airard FitzStephen

***The American Branch*** [pg 7] the family was originally Norman and descended from Airard FitzStevens. That this was true of all the English, Welch (through Ralph, grandson of Airard), Scotch and Irish Stevens. The strains of Irish and Scotch or Scotch-Irish and German in our line came in by marriage, although there is a family tradition that in the American family the father or mother were English and the other Scotch or Scotch-Irish, and that the German came in later.

Other Stevens: Edward Stevens (1745-1820) was born in Culpepper, Virginia, and probably was closely connected with our line. He became a colonel of the 10th Virginia Militia in 1775, and the same year commanded at the skirmish at Great Bridge. Two years later he saved a portion of Washington’s army from capture at the Battle of Brandywine; he fought with gallantry and marked ability at Germantown, Camden and Guilford Court House, and in 1779 became a brigadier-general. He was a close personal friend of Washington and after the Revolutionary War was over was for a long time a member of the Virginia Senate. Note (Jody Gray): 6/10/206, I don't have this person in my Stephens Family Tree.

   John Stevens (1749-1828), born in New York, was noted as an  American inventor, engineer and steamboat builder. As early as 1790 he petitioned Congress for legislation to protect American inventors, and through his efforts a bill was passed which was the beginning of our present patent system. Note (Jody Gray): 6/10/206, I don't have this person in my Stephens Family Tree.

Conclusion (Jody Gray): I have found no connections between our Stevens Branch to the Plymouth Colonies, however, in earlier research I have found connections to other Branches, e.g. (Gray Family) Paddock: Zachariah Paddock I. was born in Plymouth, MA (several of his sons were ship captains; also, I found a Zachariah Paddock listed in a Loyalists website); his father, Robert, was an immigrant from Ireland (noteworthy: Stephenstown), he died in 1650 in Plymouth, MA. Parents of Robert, originated in France and are associated with the huguenot migration; (Piper Family) Richard Woodhull, came to America in 1648, settled in Setaukert, Long Island in 1656; Dorothy Woodhull married William Helme who was b. Abt 1686, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY.

Colonel Adino Paddock: he was one of the foremost of the loyalist party. He left Boston at the evacuation, 3/17/1776; they went to Halifax, in the following June embarked for England. *Robert Paddock was one of the Pilgrim Fathers (early settler of Plymouth), he had a son, Zachariah b. 1636, who was the ancestor of the subject of this sketch. Note (Jody Gray): I haven't come across Col. Adino Paddock, I don't know how he is related to Zachariah or Robert Paddock...

https://books.google.com/books?id=jkgSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA139&lpg=PA139&dq=Calvin+Murray+Loyalist&source=bl&ots=EicQJBnSub&sig=Due2wRPJjwXv7RzFqOF7vnburK0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiW6vz8x7vMAhWHsYMKHWTKDEYQ6AEIPDAE#v=onepage&q=Adino%20Paddock&f=false  The Loyalists of Massachusetts

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