Ephraim KEMPTON Jr. (1621 – 1655) was Alex’s 9th Great Grandfather; one of 1,024 in this generation of the Miller line.

Ephraim Kempton Jr.  was born 18 Mar 1621, London, England.  He was baptized 24 Jun 1623 at St. John The Baptist, London. His parents were Ephraim KEMPTON Sr and Elizabeth WILSON.  He came with his father to Plymouth in the winter 1639/40. He married Joanna RAWLINS on 28 Jan 1646 at Scituate, Plymouth Colony.  Ephraim’s inventory was taken 2 July 1655 and his orphan children were adopted into other households.   Other sources says that Eprhaim died on 15 Mar 1660 Plymouth, but that was actually Thomas RAWLINS , Emprhaim’s father-in-law who died on that date.

Ephraim attended the Merchant Taylor’s School in the City of London

Joanna Rawlins (Rollins) was born about 1630 in Scituate, Mass. Her parents were Thomas RAWLINS and Mary [__?__].   Joanna, and  her sister Mary, and brothers Thomas, Nathaniel and John, all born in England, came with their parents in 1630. Her father came to Roxbury from England in 1630 in the first company was a carpenter and planter; removed to Scituate where his wife Mary died about 1639. Joanna died 31 Mar 1656 in Scituate, Mass.

Children of Ephraim and Joanna:

Ephraim attended the Merchant Taylor’s School in the City of London where his brother John enrolled in  1630-1634.  The brothers appear as ‘john Kempton ma’ and ‘Ephriam kempton minor,” the time honored way in which English private schools distinguish between two brothers attending the same school, major indicating the elder of the two; not seen thereafter.

The school is celebrating its 450th anniversary in 2011.  It was founded in 1561 by members of the Merchant Taylors’ Company. It was originally located in a manor house called the Manor of the Rose, in the parish of St. Lawrence Pountney in the City of London, where it remained until 1875.

In 1606 Robert Dow, a member of the Company, instigated the process of “probation” or inspection, whereby the Court would visit the school three times each year and observe the school at work. Dow was concerned that the school was not meeting the challenge of being one of the great schools of the time and needed regular inspection to maintain and raise its standards. The Court appointed a committee to investigate and concluded:

The probation was imposed without consultation with the schoolmasters. During the probation, the headmaster was required to open his copy of Cicero at random and read out a passage to the Sixth form. The boys had to copy the passage from dictation and then translate it, first into English, then into Greek and then into Latin verse. After this, they had to write a passage of Latin and some verses on some topic chosen for the day. This was for the morning; in the afternoon the process was repeated in Greek, based on the Greek Testament, Aesop’s Fables, “or some other very easie Greeke author”. The standard in Greek was not as high as in Latin, but Hebrew was also taught.

This form of inspection was the model for teaching every day, as neither mathematics nor science were included in the curriculum. The pattern of teaching seen in the Probations at MTS was described in a popular work published in 1660, A New Discovery of the Art of Teaching Schoole by Charles Hoole. Hoole described the nature of education at the time:

• 6.00 a.m. was considered the time for children to start their studies but 7.00 a.m. was more common;
• Pupils of upper forms were appointed to give lessons to younger ones;
• Pupils were required to examine each other in pairs; and
• Children frequently went to ‘Writing-schooles’ at the end of the school day, the purpose of which was to ‘learn a good hand’. Good handwriting was supposed to be a condition of entry to a school like MTS but Hayne for one tended to ignore it and was eventually dismissed for, among other things, low standards of hand writing. In Germany at this time there were Writing Schools too and many citizens attended only these in order to learn sufficient skills for commerce and trade; English businessmen founded schools which encouraged an academic curriculum based on the classics.

The Head Master William Hayne (1599–1624) presided over the new methods of examination, but his success did not save him from dismissal for purported financial misdemeanours. He was said to have sold text books to pupils for profit, and received gifts of money at the end of term and on Shrove Tuesday, when the ‘Victory Penny’ might be presented by pupils.

William Staple (Head Master 1634-1644) fell victim to contemporary politics. In October 1643 Parliament ordered “That the Committee for plundered Ministers shall have power to enquire after malignant School-masters.” In March 1644 Staple was ordered to appear before this committee, but as a royalist, he had no intention of so doing. He was dismissed and the Company had to seek a new headmaster.

Ephriam Kempton and his father of the same name immigrated to the colonies between 1638 and late 1640, when they settled on a farm of twelve acres in Scituate, which had been purchased by his brother Manassas Kempton from Elder Henry Cobb.

Scituate, Plymouth, Mass

The names of both  Ephraim and Ephraim Sr. appear on the list of 1643 of those able to bear arms, but that of Ephraim Sr. was crossed off afterward, his age doubtless exempting him from service.

Ephraim settled in Scituate where his Uncle Manasseh lived. He was on the grand jury, 1641-42-46; surveyor at Scituate 1642-44; on town committee, 1643; deputy to general court, 1642-43; returned to Boston where his wife died December 27,1655.

In 1640, Manasseh Kempton purchased two separate properties in the Town of Old Scituate from Henry Cobb. One was a 12 acre “farm” with a dwelling house on it in the then future village of Scituate. The other purchased property was an undeveloped 80 acre upland lot adjacent to the North River with an attached 12 acre marsh. It was the 80 acre North River property where the Kempton family first settled and is now located in the Town of Norwell not far from the village of Norwell. Ephraim Kempton 3rd of Boston and later of Salem sold a minor portion of this lot in 1672 to John Bryant and then sold the major portion of this property in 1675 to John James of Scituate (NEHGS Register, Vol. 153, page 437-8). Manasseh Kempton probably sold his 12 acre Henry Cobb Scituate village lot to Thomas Rawlins Sr., father-in-law of Ephraim Kempton Jr.  Thomas Rawlins sold the Cobb village lot to Stephen Vinal of Scituate in 1752 (The Mayflower Descendant, Vol. 35, page 143).

1646 – While serving as Constable of Scituate, MA  he and John Hollett failed to collect the proportion of taxes to be bourne by the town for expences of the Governor and assistants in the amount of 4 pounds 10 shilling. The court issued a warrant which required them to be present at the next General Court and give their account “concerning ye officers wages”.

“Ephraim Jr. was left the farm by his father Ephraim Sr. and continued to live there with his wife Joanna. He was a substantial citizen serving as constable, surveyor of highways, and a member of the grand jury. Mr. Kempton’s inventory was taken 2 July 1655 by James Torrey and Thomas King. The only references to real estate are ‘hemp and flax and corn on the ground.’ His widow survived him by less than two years and left four orphaned children, the eldest being about nine years of age and the youngest under three.

Mistaken sources says he married again, May 2, 1656, Sarah Maddox; he died March 15, 1660, bequeathing to wife Sarah and sons Thomas and Nathaniel, leaving a house and land at Boston and a farm at Scituate.  This is from confusing  information about Thomas Rawlins with Ephraim Kempton Jr. from the poorly written Cutter reference. Ephraim Kempton Jr. did not marry Sarah Maddox on 2 May 1656 – Thomas Rawlins did – Ephraim Jr. died in 1655 and couldn’t possibly marry anyone in 1656. Thomas Rawlins was the one who was on a grand jury, 1641 etc; surveyor at Scituate 1642 etc; on town committee, etc: admitted freeman, May 18, 1631; returned to Boston where his wife died etc. – not Ephraim Kempton Jr. Ephraim Jr could hardly be a freeman in 1631 since he was in England at the time. Plus Ephraim Jr.’s Joanne died on 31 Mar. 1656 in Scituate – not in Dec 27, 1655 in Boston – Thomas Rawlins second wife did on that date. Ephraim Jr. did not die Mar 15, 1660 – Thomas Rawlins was the one who died on that date in Boston. The statement from Savage is about the wife of Ephraim Kempton IV and not wife of Ephraim Kempton III. See article in NEHGS Reg., vol. 166, p. 188, “When Did Ephraim3 Kempton Marry.”

Inventory of Ephraim Kempton taken Jul 22, 1655 listed: £64, 13 shilling, 4 pence. The inventory of the widow Kempton on Apr 10, 1657 amounted to £38, 11 shilling, 6 pence. No real estate was mentioned.

However real estate was mentioned in the estate of Ephraim Kempton when Manasseh Kempton and Thomas Rawlings Sr. agreed to joint custody and the division of of the estate….”Mannasses Kempton and Thomas Rawlins aforsaid Doe joyntly argee and Conclude Touching the estate; that the eldest boy Ephraim shall hee is of age have the house and land which William Brookes Dw elleth in and Injoy it for his portion as aforsaid…for the Rest of the estate to bee equally Devided amongst the other three Children…Bee it knowne that I Thomas Rawlins S=senir aforsaid have recieved ten pounds of William Brookes as it will Rise out of the Rent from this time untill it be all paied which is to bee Improved for the bringing up of the two Children above said which the said Thomas Rawlins Doth keepe”

Children

2. Joanna KEMPTON (See Dec. George MORTON‘s page)

Joanna and her brother Manasseh were brought up in the household of Ephraim’s uncle Manasseh Kempton of Plymouth.”

4. Ephraim Kempton

Although there is no documented proof, all signs show that Ephraim III and his sister Ruth were raised in in the household of their grandfather Thomas RAWLINS household in Boston.  His grandfather received the sum of ten pounds from William Brookes as rent from the farm in Scituate to be used for the bringing up of the children. The farm then came to Ephraim when he was of age.

“Ephraim is first noted in Boston on the tax list of 1674 as a master of a family, having married Mary Reeves the year before.

“1 Nov 1676, Ephraim Kempton of Boston, gunsmith, sold his farm in Scituate.

“In a legal document dated 8 December 1677, he is described as ‘of Boston, or now of Salem’ having moved to that city before this date. In 1680 he was sworn as a tything man at Salem and also served on the jury.”

Ephraim’s wife Mary Reeves was born 7 Nov 1653 in Salem, Essex, Mass. Her parents were John Reeves (1616 – 1681) and Jane [__?__] (1620 – 1648). Mary died 1687 in Salem, Essex, Mass.

Ephraim Kempton 3rd of Boston and later of Salem sold a minor portion of this lot in 1672 to John Bryant and then sold the major portion of this property in 1675 to John James of Scituate (NEHGS Register, Vol. 153, page 437-8).

He lived in Boston where he followed his trade of gunsmith, but may have late in life returned to Plymouth. Before 1677 he left Boston to settle in Salem. He was legatee of his uncle, Thomas Rawlins, of Boston, a member of the Artillery Company, in 1642, under his will dated December 12, 1681, and administered the estate jointly with Samuel Marshall.

Savage says of his wife: “The widow is one of the instances well authenticated (as very few are) of much exceeding one hundred years. Her memory was accurate, if not happy, for she saw the head of Philip, the Indian king, upon a pole at Plymouth, where it remained over twenty years from his fall, and she said that a wren used to make her nest in the skull where she hatched her young every year.

When is father-in-law John Reeves grew old, the Kemptons cared for him and as a result received the lion’s share of the aged gentlemens property, including his homestead farm. The other Reeves children. William Reeves and Mrs. Elizabeth Richards, were allotted only a small part. They contested the will but lost. Mr. Kempton also became heir under the will of his bachelor uncle Thomas Rawlins of Boston in 1693, receiving one half of his uncles’ homestead at Milk St. and Mackerel Lane. His sister Mrs. Ruth Marshal receied the other half.

In 1698, Mr. Kempton sold his share to his brother-in-law Samuel Marshall for thirty-three pounds.

In 1712, although he was then only sixty-tree years of age Mr. Kempton deeded his Salem property to his son. John-4 in consideration of care for him in his old age. Subsequently John-4 bought his interests of his brothers and sister in the balance of their fathers estate. The proptery with the homestead on it was passed on by John-4 to his son Joseph-5 in 1743. It remained in Josephs possession until his death and was then sold by his heirs to John Cabot of Salem, 24 Jun 1803. MR. Cabot took down the old house about 1810 and erected a new house upon the same site

Children of Ephraim and Mary:

i. Ephraim Kempton IV, b. 14 Nov 1674, Salem, MA

ii. Stephen Kempton b. 1675, Salem, MA

iii. John Kempton b. 1676, Salem, MA

iv. Samuel Kempton b. 4 Mar 1680/1681, Salem, MA; d. 17 Apr 1766

v. Thomas Kempton b. 1682, Salem, MA

vi. Manasseh Kempton b. 1684, Salem, MA; m1. 4 Feb 1714 Plymouth, Plymouth, Mass. to Mehitable Holmes. Her parents were John Holmes Jr and Patience Faunce.; m2. ~1721 Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes, Mass. to Esther Cottle

vii. Ruth Kempton b. 1686, Salem, MA

viii. Elizabeth Kempton b. 1687, Salem, MA

5. Manasses Kempton

Manasseh and his sister Joanna were brought up in the household of Ephraim’s uncle Manasseh Kempton of Plymouth.”

“VOL. III,  p. 114 (1657) and p. 211 (1658) Plymouth Colony Deeds, carries this: ” ‘administration granted unto Manasses Kemton to adminnester on the estate of Joanna Kemton deceased with liberty left that incase Thomas Rawlins shall think good to joyne with him therein, hee may if he please’.”

p. 211 (1658) Plymouth Colony Deeds has long record dated 8 April 1658 ” Memorandum an Agreement between Manasses Kemton Sen,r of Plymouth and Thomas Rawlins Sen,r of Boston Concerning the ordering of the estate of Ephraim Kempton Deceased and his wife Deceased for the goood of theire four which they have left’ ” and so on.  Gives farm to oldest son when he is old enough, signed by Thomas Rawlins and ” ‘The marke of Mannasses Kemton’ ”

Mannasses never married.  On 31 Aug 1733,  Manasseh, who was was living in Southampton, Long Island NY, gave  full power of full power of attorney over all his lands, etc ‘in the Province of Massachusetts Bay or Elsewhere” to his nephews Ephraim Kempton, shipwright, lived in Plymouth much of his life and his brother Samuel Kempton.  Manasseh deeded to  his nephew Ephraim (son of his brother Ephraim) one half of the lands he owned in Dartmouth. This deed was recorded in Bristol County Court on 5 Sep 1733. On 12 March 1733/34, Ephraim-4 deeded one half of the lands that he had received from Manasseh to his brother Samuel Kempton  shipwright of Plymouth, for the sum of 5 shillings.

6. Ruth Kempton

Although there is no documented proof, all signs show that Ephraim III and his sister Ruth were raised in in the household of their grandfather Thomas RAWLINS household in Boston.

Ruth’s husband Samuel Marshall was born about 1647. Samuel died Feb 1742/1743 in Boston, MA.

Sources:

Savage 3:8 says of Ephraim:

“Ephraim, Scituate, prob. s. of the preced. b. in Eng. m 28 Jan 1646, Joanna Rawlins, d. of Thomas, had Joanna, b. 29 Sept. 1647; Patience, 2 Oct. 1648, d. soon; Ephraim, 1 Oct. 1649; Manasseh, 1 Jan 1652; and d. 1655. His wid. d. 31 Mar. next yr. Deane, 299, is deficient in dates.”

http://chrisman.org/pedigree/out41.htm#RIN13781

http://www.famhist.us/getperson.php?personID=I596188&tree=allfam

Original sources for family records: Scituate Vital Records 1:49,54-59, NEHGR 57(1903):82-5 “Records of the Second Church of Sciutate”.

For an account of Ephraim2, see “The American Genealogist 67(1992):132-4 and the forthcoming Ancestry of Eva Belle Kempton Vol.1.

Info on Ephraim and his family is in “Seeing Double: The Children of Ephraim2 and Joanna (Rawlings) Kempton” by Dean Crawford Smith and Meline Lutz Sanborn, New England Historical and Genealogical Register 148:342-344.

That source gives his father as Ephraim-1, gives marriage, untangles duplicate conflicting records regarding actual children and their birth/baptism dates, etc. It does not elaborate on the birth of either Ephraim or Joanna.

Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of …, Volume 2 By William Richard Cutter

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=14457293&st=1