Ancestors

Samuel Lincoln

Samuel Lincoln came from Hingham in England. A manuscript of the Cushing family, quoted in Lincoln's History of Hingham, says he "came from Hingham, Eng., and settled in New Hingham, 1637, living some time at Salem." Daniel Cushing put it another way: "1637 John Tower and Samuel Lincoln came from Old Hingham and both settled at New Hingham."

He sailed in April 1637 in the John and Dorothy of Ipswich. The list of passengers enters him as "SAMUELL:LINCORNE:aged 18 yeares," with his master, Francis Lawes, a weaver of Norwich. That age puts his birth about 1619.

The register of Hingham in Norfolk baptizes "Samuel, son of Edward Lincoln" on 24 August 1622. In 1909 Lea and Hutchinson's Ancestry of Abraham Lincoln took that child to be this man, the son of Edward Lincoln, who was buried at Hingham in February 1640. Edward also had a son Daniel, baptized in March 1619, and Samuel had a brother Daniel in New England. Waldo Lincoln's genealogy of the family, in 1923, refused the identification. Samuel's age at the crossing and his age at death both point to 1619, three years before the baptism, and in the year Edward's Daniel was baptized. Waldo Lincoln also found a second Daniel Lincoln at Hingham in Massachusetts, born about 1619, who was not Samuel's brother. "Until other confirmatory evidence is found," he wrote, "one cannot accept as proved beyond reasonable doubt the claim that Samuel was the son of Edward Lincoln of old Hingham, and that he was baptized Aug. 24, 1622." Lea and Hutchinson held that the recorded ages were wrong. The two books still disagree.

Two brothers were already at Hingham, or came there early. Thomas Lincoln, a weaver, came in 1633 with the household of Nicholas Jacob, whom Daniel Cushing called "their cosen." Thomas had land at Weary-All Hill in 1635 and a five acre house lot on Town Street in 1636. Daniel Lincoln, a husbandman, died unmarried on 5 April 1644 and left a considerable property to Samuel. On 1 December 1645 Samuel conveyed land "which was given to the aforesaid Samuel Lyncolne by his brother Daniel Lyncolne deceased."

Thomas married twice, had no children, and died on 2 September 1675. In July 1664 he and his wife Mary sold Samuel, "Mariner," two acres by the highway to Weymouth Mill for twenty pounds. Neither of them could sign, and both made their marks. Thomas's will was found without a date or a signature. He left his house lot to Samuel's son Daniel after his widow's death, and another house lot and half his salt meadow to Samuel's eldest son Samuel. He left legacies to Samuel's children Mary, Mordecai, Thomas, Martha and Sarah, and five pounds to Samuel himself.

In 1649 Samuel bought from Cornelius Cantlebury a five acre lot on North Street at Hingham, the same lot the town had granted to William Arnall in 1635. In 1893 one branch of his descendants still lived on part of it. He was a weaver, and he was known as well as a mariner.

His wife's name was Martha. Their sons included Mordecai, born 14 June 1657, and Thomas, born 20 August 1664. Mordecai became a blacksmith and ironmaster and married Sarah Jones, a granddaughter of John Whitman of Weymouth. Mordecai's son Mordecai went to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and that branch led through Virginia and Kentucky to President Abraham Lincoln. Thomas became a tailor at Boston.

Samuel died at Hingham on 26 May 1690, aged seventy one. Martha died there on 10 April 1693. Lincoln wrote of his family in 1893: "His descendants are numerous and widely scattered. Many of them have occupied distinguished positions in public and private life. Very few of this stock, however, who bear the surname, reside in Hing. at the present time."

If Samuel Lincoln is in your family, start your own tree.

Cite: Heirology, "Samuel Lincoln (1619-1690)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/samuel-lincoln-1619-1690-50918c.