Descendants of Steplen Bachiler
Concerning the life of Rev Stephen Bachiler, less is known than most of the founders of New England; yet few of the early Puritans were more widely known in their day. Stephen Bachiler had a real genius for opposing the majority.
The origin of the name of Bachiler, of however spelled, is the same as “bachelor”. The most common meaning is “unmarried man” or”a college graduate”. We find, in early usage, “knight bachelor” which is the lowest form of knighthood. The word derives from the French word “bachiler”. Today, as a family name, we see it through-out England and the United States.
He was b1561, perhaps in Hampshire, Eg. His parentage and ancestry are not yet known. He died in 1660 in Hackney near London. He married first, probably Ann Bates, in 1587+/- at Wherewell, Hants.,Eg. Ann, who was the mother of all of Stephen’s childrens, died prior to 1624; she was related to Rev. John Bates who succeeded Rev. Stephen Bachiler at Wherewell in 1605. Stephen’s second marriage, in 1624 at Abbott’s Ann, Wiltshire, was to Widow Christian Weare who died prior to 26 March 1627 at which time, Stephen married, as his third wife Widow Helena Mason who was born about 1584 and died prior to 03 May 1647. Stephen referred to Helena as “a comely and lusty wife” and “my dear helper and yoke fellow(intimate associate/partner)”. Finally, Stephen married, at age 87 in 1648 at Porstmouh, N.H.,his housekeeper Mrs. Mary (–) Beadle, widow of Robert Beadle. Stephen was fined in 1650 for failing to publish this marriage as required by law. This last marriage was “scarred” when his wife Mary was accused of adultery and she and her lover were sentenced to be whipped.
The first record of Stephen Bachiler is in 1581 when at twenty years of age , he matriculated at St.John’s College at Oxford and received a BA in 1587.From
Oxford, Stephen entered the church and was instituted as Vicar at Wherwell, Hants being presented by William, Lord de la Warr. In 1605, Rev Bachiler was “deprieved” of his living,i.e. disposed. But, given his future history as a reformer and one of the first to refuse to conform to the Church of England (and later to Puritan authorities), it seems likely that he was “deprieved” for his reformist teachings.He remained at Wherwell where Winthrop’s History states that he “suffered much at the hands of the Bishops” He was an ardent preacher of the Puritan doctrines.Rev. Stephen, with his family, removed to Holland 1614+, as disenters, and returned to England prior to 1622. He was then residing in Newton Tracy.Devonshire. In 1630 he helped organize the “Society of the Ploughmen”, a group of merchants with a plan for establishing a colony in New England. This endeavor was not a financial success though Rev Stephen was granted a Coat of Arms bearing the insignia of a “plow”. With sixty of his followers, he sailed from London on 9 Mar 1632 in the William and Francis, (“x”) Thomas-Master. After a voyage of 88 days,they arrived at Boston, Ma 5 June 1632. Soon after they settled in Lynn,Ma where Rev. Stephen,then 71, preached for six years. He was sworn a Freeman May 6 1635 Stephen had frequent conflicts with the Puritan authorities; he believed in the separation of the church and state which was contrary to the Puritan view. In Feb.1637 Stephen with his family moved to Ipswich, Ma.where he was granted fifty acres. Soon after, due to “continuing conflict” he moved on to Yarmouth,Ma. In the spring of 1638, he again moved to Newbury, Ma. where his son-in-law, Christopher Hussey, husband of his daughter Theodate, resided. In 1639 he led about sixty families to Winnicunnet,NH where the name, at his request, was changed to Hampton,NH. where he was granted three hundred acres of land. In 1640 he was excommunicated for alleged “irregularities” but was restored to communion in 1643. By April 1647, age 86, he was living at Strawberry Bank. Rev Stephen sold his Hampton Farm in 1654, resided in Portsmouth until he returned to England in 1655; he died in 1660 in Hackney near London when he was nearly 100 years of age.
According to tradition, Rev Stephen was of remarkable personal appearance, commanding attention wherever he went. He was mentally and physically vigorous until past the age of 90. He was a man of firm convictions and, as such, involved in much turmoil on his journey through life.In retrospect, his legacy was a very positive influence on the future nation that followed. Of interest is the remarkable longevity of Stephen Bachiler and his offsping.
Rev Stephen had eight childgren by his first wife Ann Bates. Four of Stephen’s grandsons, i.e., John, William, and Stephen Sanborn of John and Ann Bachiler Sanborne plus Nathaniel(2) Bachiler, son of Nathaniel(1) and Hester Mercer Bachiler immigrated to New England with their paternal grandfathr, Rev. Stephen. The parents of these grandsons had either died or remained in England.
Theodate Bachiler Hussey, b1588, m Christopher Hussey in England. They immigrated first to Lynn, Ma.in 1632, then moved to Newbury in 1637 and finally moved, 1639, to Hampton, NH where Theodate died in 1649. Deborah Bachiler Wing , born in 1592, married in England Rev.John Wing who died in England. Deborah, with four children, immigrated to Lynn, Ma. and then moved to Sandwich, Ma.where she died in 1692. Henry Bachiler, born 1600+, immigrated to Ipswich, Ma. where he married, in 1637,. Martha Wilson. Henry was persecuted as a Quaker in 1660 and died in 1678 in Canterbury, Ma.
References: Ph7:51; PH13:81-82; PH97:28; FH7:2nd V3:64-74,98-110; FH22:1-110; FH23:142-147.
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Ann Bachiler, the sixth child and third daughter of Rev. Stephen and Ann Bates Bachiler was born in 1601 at Maiden Newton, Dorset, Eg and died 1631+ in England. She married, in 1619 at Strand, London, John Sanborn who was born in 1590 at Maiden Newton, Dorset, Eg and died in 1630 at Strand, London, Eg. Ann Bachiler Sanborn married, as her second husband, in 1631 at Strand, London, Henry Atkinson. There were no children from this marriage.
References: PH7:649; PH13:82; PH97:26; FH22:109-110; FH23:146.