Ancestors

James Gorham

James Gorham was born at Marshfield, in Plymouth Colony, on 28 April 1650. He was a son of John Gorham and Desire Howland, and a grandson of John Howland of the Mayflower. The family moved to Yarmouth, on Cape Cod, in 1652.

On 24 February 1674 he married Hannah Huckins. She was a daughter of Thomas Huckins of Barnstable and was born there in October 1653.

In the winter of 1675 his father led the second company of Plymouth forces in King Philip's War. Capt. Gorham died at Swansea and was buried there on 5 February 1676. On 7 March the Plymouth court granted administration of the estate to the widow Desire Gorham and her sons James and John. Two days later the three of them signed a bond to the colony for eight hundred pounds. The original bond survives with James's signature on it. The court also named three men, Mr. Hinckley, Mr. Chipman and Mr. Huckins, to protect the share belonging to the youngest Gorham children.

James settled at Barnstable. He farmed, and in 1703 he was called the richest man in the town. He and Hannah had eleven children, seven sons and four daughters. One daughter, Mercy, died at two.

He died at Barnstable on 18 November 1707, aged fifty-seven. In his will he named his seven sons and his three living daughters, Desire Sturgis, Experience Lathrop and Mehitable Gorham. It was proved on 7 January 1708. Hannah lived twenty more years and died at Barnstable in February 1728, aged seventy-four.

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Cite: Heirology, "James Gorham (1650-1707)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/james-gorham-1650-1707-2e5bf3.