Eastham was settled in 1644, by Governor Thomas Prince and others from Plymouth, whose surnames were Doane, Snow, Cook, Higgins, Smalley and Bangs; and from these are descended many of the present citizens. The town was incorporated June 2, 1646, under its Indian name, Nauset; but on June 7, 1651, it was authorized to take Eastham as its name. After Richard Rich was admitted as a townsman of Eastham on August 23, 1681, the Rich family became one of the largest in the area. His son, Samuel, who moved to Truro, and Samuel’s two wives contributed 21 children to the population and his first four sons collectively contributed a total of 54 children with the Rich name and his two daughters added another 14.
Wellfleet was split from Eastham in 1763, but had been a distinct North Precinct for decades where John Rich was very active in its government (see following on Wellfleet). Some vital records are in both Eastham and Wellfleet records, but in general Wellfleet records start in about 1760. Orleans, the South Precinct, split from Eastham in 1797. Orleans had most of the population, and kept the original Eastham record volumes, and apparently agreed to continue keeping records for Eastham for some time. In 1672, the town settled the Rev. Samuel Treat as its first permanent minister. His daughter, Mary, married John Rich. The Rev. translated the "Confession of Faith" into the Nauset (Indian) language.
Ship wreck salvage was a major industry on the Upper Cape. In an April 1717 gale, the pirate ship Whidah was wrecked and her prize, the pink Mary Ann, ran aground at Eastham (in the section that is now Wellfleet.) The only survivors from the Whidah were a Cape Cod Indian and an Englishman, who found their way to the home of Samuel Harding (1685-1735), father-in-law of Lemuel Rich. Capt. Cyprian Southack was sent to investigate the wreck of the pirate ship Whidah, to recover the treasure and salvage the rest. He found about 200 men at the scene, the vessel well stripped, and no treasure. He buried 102 bodies, but could not get information from the locals. His report to Gov. Shute included the remark that he considered Mr. Harding to be "as bad as the pirates. This shipwreck was featured at the New England Pirate Museum in Salem, MA in October, 2003.
Looking for information on Charles Rogers (ca. 1660-1704) married Jane Lilburne. He is supposed to be the son of Thomas Rogers. Need to confirm relationship.
Posted by: Kaye Hickey | May 03, 2014 at 10:53 AM