| Note* | | THOMAS MAYHEW , (Thomas,6 Thomas,5 Matthew4). A biographical sketch ofhim appears in Vol. II (Annals of C. pp. 35­6) to which reference ismade for particulars of his life. He married SARAH SKIFFE, elder sisterof the wife of his brother Matthew, b. 12 Oct. 1646 and d. 30 Dec. 1740,nearly 95 years of age. He d. 21 July 1715 and his will 13 July was pro.11 Oct. of that year. They had the following named children: ABIAH, b. (_____); m. WILLIAM TILTON SARAH, b. (_____); m. JOHN TILTON PEREZ, b. (_____); d. bef. 1715. BATHSHEBA, b. (1680); m. JOSIAH TILTON ZACCHEUS, b. 1684. ZEPHANIAH, b. 1686. THOMAS MAYHEW, 3d. The second son of Rev. Thomas Mayhew, Jr., born in 1650 chose this townas his home, although he resided for a while in Tisbury, where from 1674to 1679 he was town clerk. In 1680 he purchased sixty acres of land inthe new settlement at Chilmark, and thenceforth spent his life here as aresident. His birth gave him prominence through family influences andduring all of his adult life he was an office holder. He was an associatejustice of the King's Bench from 1692 to 1699 and chief justice 1699 to1713 of the same court. Parson Homes, in his diary, gives us this accountof his last days:— On the twenty first of July Anno 1715 being Thursday about two of theclock in the morning Thomas Mayhew Esqu'r of Chilmarke de-parted thislife he had been for several yeares troubled with the dis-temper calledthe kings evil by which he was brought neere the gates of Death but bysome applications made to him by an Indian doctor he re-covered so farthat he was able to rid about and look after his affairs, but in thelatter end of the spring or begining of summer this year he was suddenlytaken with a stopag of his urine and a violent pain in his right leg,after some time his left leg swelled pretty much yet the Paine continuedin the other leg, by the use of means the stopag of his urine wasremoved, yet the other symptoms continued. After some time there came adoctor to the Island that thought the swelling and pain in his legs mightbe removed by bathing and sweathing, which preceded accordingly in somemeasure, but after some time the swelling proceeded upwardly and he wassiesed with an inwerd fever and shortness of breth which prevaild uponhim till it carried him off. His nostril and throat grew so sore somedays before he died that he could not speak so as to be under-stood, hewas a man of good sense considering his education and seemed to bepiously inclined tho he did entertain some singular opinions in religion. The nephew, Experience, has also left this brief notice of his uncle:— He was long impowered in the Government of the Indians there, and wasboth singularly spirited & accomplished for that service as he was ondivers other accounts a very excellent Person. [*Brief account of theState of the Indians (1720).] He married Sarah Skiffe (5), who was born Oct. 12, 1646, and survived herhusband until Dec. 30, 1740, when she passed away in the 95th year of herage.1 |