There was a James Skiffe, resident of Chelsea, near London, who was buried
there 12 June 1609, evidently a Puritan from the language of his will. He
left a widow Margery (who afterwards married William Sheppie) and seven
children: Rebecca, who afterwards married Thomas Lovell; Susanna, William,
Elizabeth, Obadiah, Anne and Joshua. Two others, John and Mary, had died
young at Chelsea. The registers of old Chelsea church show that John was
baptized there, but there is no baptismal entry for Rebecca the eldest child.
John was baptized 1 May 1592 and William in 1599, but neither could have
been father of the emigrant. It is possible that he was a nephew of the
testator or a near relative. The name Obadiah is worthy of note as it appears
in a descendant of the emigrant.
1. JAMES SKIFFE, b. abt. 1610, the ancestor of this family in America,
of whom a biographical sketch may be read in Vol. II, Annals of W. T., pp.
71-2, has thus far escaped identification in his English home despite continued
efforts in tracing every available clue. While the name is very rare in
England, it is found quite numerous in a group of parishes near London,
as Eltham 1559, Newenden 1578, Lewisham 1589, Mottingham 1603, Greenwich
1620, Charlton 1645, besides scattering occurrences of the name in various
London parishes of that period. The name is found in variations of Skeffe,
Skyffe, Skaffe and other intermediate spellings but the name of James is
absent in all these quoted instances. His children were as follows:
2. JAMES, b. 12 Sept. 1638.
3. STEPHEN, b. 14 Apr. 1641.
4. NATHANIEL, b. 20 Mch 1645.
5. SARAH, b. 12 Oct. 1646; m. THOMAS MAYHEW (31).
6. BATHSHUA, b. 26 Apr. 1648; m. SHEARJASHUB BOURNE 1666
7. MARY, b. 24 Mch. 1650; m. MATTHEW MAYHEW (30)
8. PATIENCE,, b. 25 Mch. 1652; m. ELISHA BOURNE 26 Oct. 1675.
9. BENJAMIN, b. 15 Nov. 1655; a biographical sketch of him appears in Vol. II, Annals of C., pp. 36-9. He d. s. p. 17 Feb. 1717- 18. [He is buried at Chilmark Cemetery. His wife, Hannah Merry, is buried beside him.]
10. NATHAN, b. 16 May 1658.
2. JAMES SKIFFE, (James1), b. 12 Sept. 1638; res. Sandwich, Mass. His connection with the Vineyard is detailed in Vol. I., p. 474 and Vol. II, Annals of W. T., pp. 72-3. He m. (1) ELIZABETH NEIGHBOR of Boston 18 Nov. 1659 from whom he was divorced 1670 and (2) SARAH BARNARD of Nan. (espoused Mch. 1677), who was b. abt. 1648 and d. 24 Oct. 1732.
By Second Wife:
11. SARAH, b. (1678); m. ROBERT LONG.
12. PATIENCE, b. (1681); m. JOHN SWAIN 3 Oct. 1706.
13. MARY, b. (1684); m. MOSES GILES 3 Nov. 1708.
14. HANNAH, b. 1687; m. JACOB DAGGETT (52) 24 Oct. 1714.
15. BEULAH, b. (1690); m. THOMAS BARTHOLOMEW 15 July 1724.
16. NATHAN, b. (1693); killed by pirates off Nan. 1723; s. p.
3. STEPHEN SKIFFE, (James1) b. 14 Apr. 1641; res. Sandwich, Mass. gentleman; m. LYDIA SNOW, dau. of Anthony and Abigail (Warren) Snow of Plymouth. Abigail Warren was the dau. of Richard Warren of the "Mayflower." ), who was b. abt. 1640 and d. 17 Mch. 1713. He d. 19 June 1710. He was Justice of the Peace and Rep. to General Court 1676 and after.
20. ABIGAIL, b. 2 May 1666; m. SHUBAEL SMITH (316).
21. DEBORAH, b. 14 July 1668; m. STEPHEN PRESBURY (22)
22. MERCY, b. 13 Nov. 1671; m. JOHN CHIPMAN.
23. LYDIA, b. (1676); m. JOHN BLACKWELL.
24. STEPHEN, b. 4 Feb. 1685; m. (l) SARAH LOTHROP; (2) Mrs. THANKFUL (Gorham) HAWES 27 July 1749 (wid. of Thomas).
4. NATHANIEL SKIFFE, (James1) b. 20 Mch. 1645; res. Sandwich, Mass.; rem. to Falmouth (1677) later to T. and C. and finally to Windham, Conn. (1713), where he d. 24 Apr. 723 of smallpox. He m. (1) MARY PARTRIDGE (dau. of George and Sarah (Tracy) Partridge of Duxbury); (2) RUTH WEST (6), who was b. 1651 and d. 31 Dec. 1741. In the absence of records the following named are believed to be his children as all others of the name at that period are otherwise placed:
30. ABIGAIL, b. (1679).
31. (Son), b. and d. 1681.
32. SARAH, b. (1683).
33. JOHN, b. (1686); soldier in French War 1709, Capt. Matthew Austin's company.
34. HANNAH, b. 6 June 1688; m. (1) BENJAMIN MAYHEW (63) 13 May 1704; (2) WILLIAM HUNT (30). 35. BEULAH, b. (1689).
36. NATHAN, b. 1691; soldier in French War 1711 and d. 17 Oct. 1711 of disease, contracted in service. (Mass. Arch. LXXI. 856).
37. NATHANIEL, b. 1693; m. HANNAH CAREY; res. Windham, Conn.
38. STEPHEN, b. (1696); m. ELIZBETH HATCH.
10. NATHAN SKIFFE, (James1), b. 16 May 1658; res. Sandwich, farmer; came to T. with his brothers and was town clerk 1681- 86, Constable 1693; rem. to C. abt. 1695, where he continued to live until his death 19 Feb. 1725-6. His will 23 Dec. 1725 was pro. 2 Mch. 1725-6. He m. (1) HEPSIBAH CODMAN (15) abt. 1678, who d. 19 July 1696, and (2) MERCY CHIPMAN of Sandwich 13 Dec. 1699, (dau. of John and Mercy (Howland) Chipman), who was b. 6 Feb. 1668 and d. 19 June 1724.
40. HEPSIBAH, b. 1679; m. THOMAS NORTON (36).
41. PATIENCE, b. (1682); m. RALPH THACHER (14).
42. JAMES, b. 10 Mch. 1689.
43. ELIZABETH, b. 1690; m. _____ STURGIS.
44. BENJAMIN, b. 29 April 1691.
45. STEPHEN, b. 26 May 1693, rem. to Tolland, Conn.
46. MARY, b. 26 May 1695; m. THOMAS BACON 9 Sept. 1721.By Second Wife:
47. SARAH, b. Feb. 1697-8; m. SOLOMON ATHEARN (16) 24 July 1717.
48. MERCY, b. 5 July 1701; m. (1) PRINCE COFFIN 10 Nov. 1727; (2) NATHANIEL COFFIN.
49. SAMUEL, b. 24 Dec. 1703.
50. JOHN, b. 22 Aug. 1705.
51. JOSEPH, b. 18 Nov. 1707.
42. JAMES SKIFFE, (Nathan,2 James1), b. 10 Mch. 1689; res. C., cordwainer; m. LYDIA SMITH (333) abt. 1717, who was b. 4 Oct. 1685 and d. 8 Nov. 1745. He d. 6 Jan. 1724.
70. STEPHEN, b. 8 May 1718.
71. JAMES, b. 15 July 1722.
44. BENJAMIN SKIFFE, (Nathan,2 Jamesl), b. 29 Apr. 1691; res. C., weaver; rem. to Sharon, Conn. where he d. 2 Dec. 1781. He m. (1) ABIGAIL PEASE (87) 13 Sept. 1722, who was b. 2 Aug. 1700 and d. 4 Mch. 1738-9 [She is buried at Chilmark Cemetery.]; (2) MIRIAM MERRY (16) bef. 1742, who was b. 8 Apr. 1705.
80. HANNAH, b. (1723); m. BENJAMIN MERRY (22) 23 Oct. 1740.
81. BATHSHEBA, b. (1725); m. JACOB CLIFFORD (46) 8 Nov. 1742.
81a JOHN, b. (1728).
81b. NATHAN, b. (1731).
82. BENJAMIN, b. 1737.By Second Wife:
83. JOHN, b. 1742. [See notes on #85 John, below.]
84. MARY, b. 1 Sept. 1744; m. SAMUEL SKIFFE (102) 27 Jan. 1769.
49. SAMUEL SKIFFE, (Nathan,2 Jamesl), b. 24 Dec. 1703; res. C., saddler; rem. to Hanover, Mass. (1729), Scituate (1730) and Duxbury (1750), after which his further record is unknown. He m. Mrs. ELIZABETH (House) DWELLEY of Scituate 1 July 1744, who was b. 16 Apr. 1706 and d. 15 Apr. 1745.
85. JOHN, b. 3 Apr. 1745. [Bill Hough <hough@voicenet.com> writes, "John Skiff born to Samuel and Elizabeth House Dwelly in Scituate 3 Apr 1745 [may be] the same John Skiff that married Eunice and had three daughters in Worthington, MA, and then married Delight Benjamin and had a son and 4 more daughters and died in Washington Co., NY in 1813. I need to say that this is the probable scenario. It is not proven. What I know for sure is that my John Skiff (the one with all the daughters, who died 1813 in Bolton, NY) did have a Martha's Vineyard family background. However, I am not positive that my John Skiff was the same as Banks No. 85. He might have been Banks No. 83. I am sure that he was not Banks No 81A because that John is well documented in Banks work. [My] John Skiff married first Eunice _____, and had three daughters, Cloe, Irinda, and Eunice. He married (2nd) Delight Benjamin in Worthington in 1773. They ultimately ended up in Warren or Washington counties, NY.]
50. JOHN SKIFFE, (Nathan,2 Jamesl), b. 22 Aug. 1705; res. C., blacksmith; m. JANE _____, of whom nothing is of record. He d. 6 Mch. 1728 in his 23rd year and the family records credit him with a posthumous child:
90. NATHAN, b. 12 Oct. 1728. Nothing further known of him.
51. JOSEPH SKIFFE, (Nathan,2 Jamesl), b. 18 Nov. 1707; res. C., cooper; m. REMEMBER GIBBS of Sandwich 7 July 1740, who was b. 31 Aug. 1714 and d. 21 May 1815, aged 100 years 8 mos. and 21 days [of dropsy in Chilmark.] He d. 7 Nov. 1778 and his will 15 June 1772 was pro. 9 Dec. 1779. He was in the town Militia 1757.
100. MERCY, b. 9 Apr. 1741; m. SETH MAYHEW (295) 15 Dec. 1763.
101. CALEB, b. 18 June 1742; d. 10 Apr. 1769.
102. SAMUEL, b. 23 Jan. 1743-4.
103. JOSEPH, b. 24 Apr. 1745; lost at sea abt. 1766.
104. ABIGAIL, b. 4 July 1748; m. ZEPHANIAH CHASE (201) 10 Oct. 1773.
105. EBENEZER, b. 19 Dec. 1750.
70. STEPHEN SKIFFE, (James,3 Nathan,2 James1), b. 8 May 1718; res. C., farmer; m. BATHSHEBA TILTON (44) 26 Aug. 1742, who was b. 22 June 1721 and d. 3 Nov. 1767. The date of his death is not known. He was in the Alarm List 1757.
110. LYDIA, b. Nov. 1744.
111. NATHANIEL, b. 16 June 1747; m. LOVE WEST (136) 22 Dec. 1774.
112. STEPHEN, b. 10 June 1750; d. 6 Dec. 1821; master mariner.
113. REBECCA, b. 13 July 1752; m. JOSIAH MAYHEW (314) 21 Oct. 1779.
114. MARTHA, b. l Feb. 1755; d. 19 Apr. 1799.
115. VINAL, b. 1l Feb. 1759.
71. JAMES SKIFFE, (James,3 Nathan,2 Jamesl), b. 15 July 1722; res. C., rem. to Williamsburg, Mass. where he d. 1815. He m. ANNA STUART (36), who was b. 31 Mch. 1725 and d. 1792. He d. 1815. He served in the Alarm List 1757.
20. PRINCE, b. 27 Dec. 1747; m. JANE JONES (78) 7 June 1775; res. Madison Co., N.Y.
21. DEBORAH, b. 27 Oct. 1749; m. WILLIAM MEADER 20 Oct. 1774.
22. JAMES, b. 27 Feb. 1751; m. ABIGAIL JENKINS (126) 26 Oct. 1775.
23. ANNA, b. 16 Feb. 1753; m. ADMIRAL POTTER 16 Nov. 1774.
24. OBEDIAH, b. 16 Dec. 1755; m. LUCY BARTLETT; res. Williamsburg, Mass.
25. HANNAH, b. 15 Apr. 1758; m. FREEBORN MAYHEW (380).
26. VALENTINE, b. 28 Aug. 1760.
27. SAUNDERS, b. 9 July 1765; Rev. soldier; res. Williamsburg, Mass. rem. Brookfield, Vt. 1790.
81a. JOHN SKIFFE, (Benjamin,3 Nathan,2 Jamesl), b. about 1728; res. C., cordwainer; rem. to Dartmouth, Mass. after 1763 and d. there 21 Oct. in 1825 at the great age of 97 years. According to family tradition, which is substantiated by record evidence, he married, probably about 1753, MARY CLAGHORN, (_____), sister of Col. George Claghorn, the builder of the "Constitution." (See Additions and Corrections.) She was b. about 1731 and she is the mother of most of the "nineteen or twenty" children credited to him by the statements of descendants. When she died is not known, and it is believed that his second marriage was to WEALTHEA MAKEPEACE, dau. of Thomas and Charity Makepeace of Taunton 4 January 1781 (Dartmouth Rec.). The following named children compiled from state, town, and private records are believed to nearly complete the record of this, the largest single family of the Skiffe tribe.
128. HANNAH, b. (1754); m. CALEB WEEDEN, of New Bedford l Oct. 1778.
129. ABIGAIL, b. (1756); m. JOHN RIPLEY 25 June 1784.
130. BATHSHEBA, b. (1758); m. ELNATHAN TABER 10 Oct. 1784.
130a. _____, b. (___).
131. JOHN, b. 14 Jan. 1762. (Pension record.)
132. EXPERIENCE, b. (1764); m. ZIBA FULLER of N. B. Feb. 1785.
133. PEGGY, b. (1766); m. JOHN BLY 6 June 1787.
134. MIRIAM, b. 1768; intention of marriage to William Winslow was entered 16 Aug. 1799, but she d. as "single" 16 Aug. 1862 at Fairhaven.
135. BENJAMIN, b. 18 July 1769; m. AMY TABER abt. 1796.
136. ELIZABETH, b. (1770); m. LOUIS HARDOUIN (int.) 6 Oct. 1792.
137. NATHAN, b. (1772); m. REBECCA DEAN of Taunton 6 Dec. 1798. It is stated that he rem. to New York.
138. JACOB, b. (1774); m. ABIGAIL SKIFFE (int. 9 Oct. 1802).
139. ALMY, b. 31 July 1776; d. 11 July 1857; res. N. B., prob. unm.
140. JAMES, b. 1777; res. Mattapoisett; m. ELIZABETH FREEMAN AMES 23 Aug. 1798, who was b. 13 Apr. 1775 and d. 18 Mch. 1847 (g. s.). He d. 7 July 1816 (g. s.). They had issue: SARAH C., b. 21 Apr. 1800; m. Joseph Edson Smith 23 Mch. 1830 [* His son, Nathan Smith, b. 1835, m. Martha M. Dexter 15 Oct. 1861 and had issue, a daughter, Jessie Prince, b. 1869, now Mrs. Theodore C. Keller of Evanston, Illinois. Through her courtesy the author has been enabled to use the results of research, made for her in England regarding the English ancestry of the Skiffe family.]; NATHAN, b. 17 June 1801; d. 6 June 1822; JAMES, b. 18 Feb. 1803; m. Asenath Hitchman; GEORGE, b. 6 Feb. 1811; m. Elizabeth Cowing.
141. ABRAHAM, b. 18 July 1778; res. Fairhaven; He m. CHARITY MAKEPEACE, dau. of William and Lois (Taber) Makepeace of Raynham, Mass., who was b. June 1781, and d. 31 Dec. 1855. He is credited with eighteen children, a worthy scion of a prolific sire.
142. ISAAC, b. (1780); m. MARTHA BRIGGS 8 Apr. 1800.By Second Wife:
143. BATHSHEBA, b. (1782); m. SETH AMES, Jr., (int. 31 Jan. 1800).
144. THOMAS, b. (1784); m. ANGELINE DE MARANVILLE, and had THOMAS, b. 13 Aug. 1830; res. New Bedford.
145. WILLIAM, b. 15 Apr. 1785.
81b. NATHAN SKIFFE, (Benjamin,3 Nathan,2 Jamesl), b. about 1731; res. C., farmer; m. (1) Mrs. SARAH (Tilton) (34) MAYHEW abt. 1757 (wid. of Theophilus Mayhew (121) and Benjamin Mayhew (134) ), who was b. 25 Aug. 1717 and d. 23 Dec. 1762; (2) MARGARET WALDRON (22) 13 Mch. 1766, who was b. 11 June 1737 and d. 1829. He d. 25 May 1817 [of consumption in Chilmark] and his will 28 June 1803 was pro. 15 Aug. 1821. He was in the Alarm List 1757.
146. SARAH, b. 13 Mch. 1758; m. DAVID SMITH (100) 22 Jan. 1778.
147. NATHAN, b. 18 Mch. 1761-2; d. y.By Second Wife:
148. NATHAN, b. 3 Dec. 1766.
149. PEGGY, b. 27 Mch. 1768.
150. JEMIMA, b. 5 Aug. 1770.
151. BATHSHEBA, b. 23 June 1772; m. STEPHEN HILLMAN (231) 24 Apr. 1806 [in Chilmark.]
152. BENJAMIN, b. June 1774; m. BETSEY MAYHEW (552) [on 26 Jan 1820 in Chilmark. He was probably the Benjamin Skiff, aged 78, whose death in Chilmark was reported in the 16 Apr 1852 Vineyard Gazette. Was she the Mrs. Betsey Skiff who died Jan. 1863 in Chilmark?]
153. JOSHUA, b. 23 Aug. 1776. [He m. Rebecca West (263) on 26 Nov. 1812 in Chilmark. He died in Chilmark in January, 1865.]
154. ABIGAIL, b. 1779; m. JACOB SKIFFE (138) of New Bedford 4 Nov. 1802.
82. BENJAMIN SKIFFE, (Benjamin,3 Nathan, Jamesl), b. 1737; res. C., rem. to Kent, Conn. (1767) and later to Sharon, same state, (1773), where he d. 20 Feb. 1811. He m. SUSANNA HILLMAN (133) 12 Dec. 1765, who was b. 1751 and d. 21 Aug. 1831. He served in the Alarm List of C. 1757. In the French and Indian campaign of 1759 under Gen. Amherst, he saw service at Annapolis Royal in 1760, when he was Corporal and later reached the grade of Lieutenant.
155. ABNER, b. 9 Mch. 1768; m. MEHITABLE MILLARD 17 Dec. 1789. [Sandy Lovell <MaryKaybc@aol.com> writes that Abner and Mehitable Skiff had a daughter Cornelia Skiff who m. Daniel Berry. Contact her for more information about this family.]
156. PRUDENCE, b. 4 July 1770; m. SAMUEL SKIFFE (102) 30 Dec. 1793.
157. ABIGAIL, b. 28 Aug. 1772.
158. SETH, b. 11 June 1774.
159. BENJAMIN, b. 2 Sept. 1779.
160. WALTER, b. 26 July 1782.
161. SUSANNA, b. 23 Feb. 1785. [m. Asa Skiffe (167).]
162. JOHN, b. 17 Feb. 1787.
163. RHODA, b. 11 Sept. 1791.
102. SAMUEL SKIFFE, (_____); b. 23 Jan. 1743-4; res. C., farmer; he removed to Ellsworth, Conn. about 1773 and d. there 27 Dec. 1824. He m. (1) MARY SKIFFE (84) 27 Jan. 1769, who was b. 1 Sept. 1744 and was the mother of his children; (2) PRUDENCE SKIFFE (156), who was b. 4 July 1770. Issue as follows, the first two born in Chilmark:
164. ARVIN, b. 14 Feb. 1770; m. SALLY JEFFERS.
165. GIBBS, b. 22 May 1772; m. CHARITY SEARS.
166. MARY, b. 23 Sept. 1774; m. FREEMAN W. PARSONS, Oct. 1797.
167. ASA, b. 15 Feb. 1777; m. SUSANNA SKIFFE (161).
168. ELIZABETH, b. 1 June 1779; m. JAMES WOODWARD.
169. SAMUEL, b. 21 Sept. 1781; m. _____.
131. JOHN SKIFFE, (John,4 Benjamin,3 Nathan,2 Jamesl); b. 14 Jan. 1762; res. C.; came to Acushnet (Dartmouth) with his parents as a child. He m. MARY MAKEPEACE of Taunton, int. 8 Oct. 1780 (Dartmouth Records); rem. to Washington Co., New York about 1805 and in 1833 was a resident of Easton. He received a pension for service in the Revolutionary War granted upon the following record of enlistments, showing that he entered the army at the early age of thirteen years and three months:
John Skiff, resident of Dartmouth, enlisted May 1, 1775, for 8 months as private under Captain Daniel Egery, and Colonel Timothy Ruggles in Massachusetts. He again enlisted Mar. 1, 1776, for 3 months as Fifer under Capt. Benj. Dillingham, Col. French, in Massachusetts. He also enlisted March 1, 1778, for 10 months as Matross under Captain Timothy Ingraham. He was captured in Sept. 1778 at Nobscot Fort (Dartmouth), carried to New York, imprisoned 2½ months before exchanged at Elizabethtown. On July 16, 1780, he enlisted for three months as Fifer under Capt. Geo. Claghorn and Col. Abiel Mitchell in Massachusetts. Applied for pension on March 12, 1833, at which time he was residing at Easton, Washington Co., N. Y.
SAMUEL, b. (___).
170. JAMES M., b. (___); m. ANN DURHAM. Had issue one child SAMUEL who m. PHEBE ANN CRANDALL and his descendants now reside in Greenville, N.Y.
171. WILLIAM. (___).
172. BENJAMIN, b. (___).
173. CHARITY, b. (___).
174. HANNAH, b. (___); m. JOHN WETMORE.
175. ABIGAIL, b. (___).
176. BATHSHEBA, b. (___).
105. EBENEZER SKIFFE, (Joseph,3 Nathan,2 Jamesl), b. 19 Dec. 1750; res. C., school-teacher and lawyer; m. DEBORAH ELLIS 29 Dec. 1791 (dau. of Eleazer and Deborah Ellis of Plymouth), who was b. May 1756 and d. 15 Mch. 1826. He d. 30 June 1834.
178. JOSEPH, b. 1 Nov. 1792; d. 14 Aug. 1835.
179. RUFUS, b. 15 May 1794; d. 8 Jan. 1836.
180. ELLIS, b. 28 Jan. 1797; m. ABIGAIL BLACKWELL 19 July 1820. [He d. 27 Mar 1870. She died 1 Oct. 1863, aged 61. They are both buried at North Tisbury Cemetery.]
115. VINAL SKIFFE, (Stephen,4 James,3 Nathan,2 Jamesl), b. 11 Feb. 1759; res. C., land surveyor; m. (1) KATHERINE TILTON (511) 11 Nov. 1779, who was b. 3 Mch. 1761 and d. 5 Oct. 1815; (2) JOANNA CLIFFORD (95) (int.) 23 May 1820, who was b. 1790 and d. 7 May 1824. He d. 19 Apr. 1829.
181. MARTHA, b. 19 Feb. 1781; m. DAVID TILTON (320) 27 Feb. 1800. [A marriage record of Daniel Tilton and Matty Skiff on 27 Feb 1800 appears in the Chilmark Congregational Church records.]
182. STEPHEN, b. 23 Sept. 1787; m. (1) BATHSHEBA CLIFFORD (94) 11 Jan. 1811 [she died of "dropsy and delerium" on 5 Jan. 1842 in Chilmark. "Hon." Stephen Skiff died in Holmes Hole on 5 Sep 1851 of consumption. He was a mariner. They had at least 8 children.]; (2) Mrs. SARAH M. LUCE Aug. 1842. He was a master mariner and d. 5 Sept. 1851.
183. CATHERINE, b. 8 Aug. 1794; m. JONATHAN BASSETT (185) Apr. 1818.
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