Nathaniel Colburn (1611-1691) and Priscilla Clarke (abt 1620-1692)

{Ellis Ancestors}

Research by Joneen J. Matsen and Carol Walters

Click here to go to a condensed version of this biography.

Nathaniel Colburn and Priscilla Clarke were among the first of the English settlers of Dedham, Suffolk, Massachusetts. Puritans began arriving in the area in 1636. Nathaniel Colburn was the 45^th person to sign the Dedham Covenant. On 25 July 1639, Priscilla Clarke and Nathaniel Colburn were married in Dedham, Massachusetts.^{1 p 126}

Over the years, there has been much speculation and misinformation about the parents and birth places of Nathaniel and Priscilla; but more recently, some of the questions have been answered. In 1999, Christopher Gleason Clark reported that he had located a 1611 entry in the parish registers of Woolverstone, Suffolk, England for "Nathaniel the sonne of Leonard Colborne baptized the 10 of May." There is another entry for "1601 Leonard Colborne and Sara[h] Lewes both single married the 24 of August." That Nathaniel the son of Leonard and Sarah is the Nathaniel of Dedham, Massachusetts, is verified by the will of "Sarah Colborn of Woolverston … spinst[er]," (a daughter of Leonard and Sarah). It was written 13 March 1672, and bequeaths "…my house & tenam[en]t with ye ground and all yt pertains to it…Lyeing in Woolverston…unto my Loving Brother Nathaniel Colborn living now in Dedha[m] in New England to be enjoyed by him for ever…"²

There were a number of "Clarkes," in addition to Priscilla, mentioned in the Dedham Town Records:

• Rowland, proprietor in 1637, who died there 2 February 1638. {DVRs. p 138, Rowland Clarke deceased the 2 of ye 12mo (1638)}.

• Widow Mary Clarke, who was admitted to the Dedham Church 1 March 1642 {Dedham Town Records p. 37}

• Mary Clarke who was buried in Dedham 22 May 1642. {Dedham Vital Records. p 138, Mary Clarke deceased the 20 of ye 3mo (1642)}. This is probably the Widow Clark shown above, as no other death record for Widow Mary Clark is found in the Dedham Vital Records in this time period.

• Joseph Clarke, whose name is Number 81 on the Dedham Covenant and who was mistakenly reported in many sources to have married an Alice Pepper or Peppit.

• Rebecca Clarke, the wife of Ralph Wheelock.

• Mary [or Martha] Clarke, who married Benjamin Smith.

• Elizabeth Clarke who married George Barber.³

Earlier researchers speculated that Rowland and (Widow) Mary (later mistakenly assigned the maiden name of "Hobart") were the parents of Priscilla, and that the other Clarkes of Dedham were Priscilla’s siblings. Later research showed that Rebecca, Elizabeth and Joseph (who married Mary Fenn, not Mary Pepper as some sources reported) were the children of Thomas and Mary Canne Clarke of Westgate, Banfield, Norfolk, England. Christopher Gleason Clark documented their relationship to each other and the probability that Rowland Clarke and Mary Clarke of Dedham were the children of those names also born to Thomas and Mary Clarke. In addition, Thomas and Mary Clarke had a son, Thomas, who inherited the family estate and did not come to New England. However, Mary Hobart of Banfield was not Rowland’s wife, and never came to New England as reported in many sources. There is support for the theory that Widow Mary Clark of Dedham is Mary Canne Clarke, who may have joined her children in New England after the death of her husband.³

Priscilla, on the other hand, does not appear to be their daughter. Two wills that name "all" the children of Thomas and Mary, do not name her. It is still possible that she was related to this family (she named children Rebecca, Mary and Joseph), and may have immigrated to New England with them.³

All of which leaves us without known parents for Priscilla. To this point, no record of Priscilla’s birth has been found in England, or in Massachusetts. But we do have records of her after her marriage to Nathaniel Colburn in Dedham. She was born about 1620, possibly close to Banfield, Norfolk, England, if she is related to the other Clarkes of Dedham,

The Dedham Church Records show, "The wife of Nathaniell Colborne was received into ye [church] ye 23d of ye 8m 1640."⁴ and "Nathaniell Colborne was received into y^e church after long & much inquisition into his case 29^th of y^e 11^m 1640." ⁴ It would be interesting to know why "much inquisition into his case" was necessary.

Dedham Town Records pertaining to Nathaniel Colburn include:⁵

Nathaniel and Priscilla Colburn had 11 known children born in Dedham:¹

1. Sarah, born 15 April 1640, who married William Partridge, the brother of Julia's ancestor, John Partridge.

2. Rebeckah, born 17 February 1641/42, who married John Pratt.

3. Nathaniel, born 3 March 1643/44, who married Mary Brooks

4. Priscilla, born 1 April 1646, who married Joseph Morse.

5. John Colburn, born 29 July 1648, who married Experience Leland.

6. Mary Colburn, born 21 January 1650/51, who married John Richards.

7. Hannah Colburn, born 20 January 1652/53, who married Thomas Alderidge.

8. Julia's ancestor, Samuel Colburn, born 25 January 1654/55, who married Mercy Partridge.

9. Deborah Colburn, born 28 January 1656/57, who married Dea. Joseph Wight.

10. Benjamin Colburn, born 24 September 1659, who married Abiah Fisher, the daughter of our ancestor, Anthony Fisher.

11. Lieut. Joseph Colburn, born 1 December 1662, who married Mary Holbrook.

Remarkably, all 11 lived to adulthood, married and had children.

Nathaniel Colburn died 14 May 1691 at 79 years old in Dedham, Priscilla Clarke Colburn died the following year, on 12 August 1692 in Dedham.¹

Sources

1. Early Records of the Town of Dedham Vol. 1

2. New England Historical Genealogical Register Vol. 153 p 180

3. New England Historical Genealogical Register Vol 152 pp 3-23

4. Dedham, MA: Church and Cemetery Records 1638-1845: from AA. Dedham Church Records p 24:

5. Early Records of the Town of Dedham, Vol 3.