 - 1625
-
| Name |
Robert Cushman [1] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Baptism |
08 Feb 1578 |
Rolvenden, Kent, England  [1, 2] |
| Died |
Jun 1625 |
England [1] |
- On his return trip from England early in 1626 Myles Standish "brought them notice of the death of their ancient friend Mr. Cushman, whom the Lord took away also this year" [Bradford 180].
|
| Notes |
- FROM THE VISITATION BOOKS OF THE ARCHDEACON OF CANTERBURY
1603, 14 November, the churchwardens of St. Andrew's, Canterbury, present Robert Cushman, servant to George Maisters, for the like as the common fame goeth [i.e., "for that he doth say he will not come to his parish church, because he cannot be edified and saith he can and will defend it by the word of God "]. When he appeared, 15 October 1604, in the Court of the Archdeacon, he was warned that he would have to acknowledge his offence in the parish church of St. Andrew, Canterbury on some Sunday in the time of service, according to the schedule [not given], and then to certify the Court afterwards, Not doing this, he was excommunicated 12 November 1604. On 28 June 1605 he appeared and asked to be absolved, and on 7 July 1605 this request was granted. (Vol. for 1598-1608, part 2, fo. 31.)
FROM THE ROLL OF THE FREMEN OF THE CITY OF CANTERBURY
1605 Robert Couchman, "grosser," freeman by apprenticeship to George Maters.
ROBERT COUCHMAN or CUSHMAN, baptized at Rolvenden co. Kent, 9 Feb. 1577/8, was, in all probability, identical with Robert Cushman, the agent of the Leyden Pilgrims in England. In 1603 we find him in Canterbury, co. Kent, as servant to George Masters. He was presented 14 Nov. 1603, by the churchwardens of St. Andrew's Parish, "for that he doth say he will not come to his parish church, because he cannot be edified and saith he can and will defend it by the word of God." Not doing the penance imposed on him by the ecclesiastical court, he was excommunicated 12 Nov. 1604, but on 28 June 1605 he appeared before the court and asked for absolution, which was granted to him on 7 July 1605, when he was received again into the Church. In the same year, 1605, he became a freeman of Canterbury, the record of his admission describing him as Robert Couchman, "grosser," a freeman by apprenticeship to George Masters. He married first, in the parish of St. Alphege, Canterbury 31 July 1606, SARA REDER, Who dwelt in the precincts of the Cathedral and whose parentage has not been discovered. Their son Thomas was baptized in the parish of St. Andrew, Canterbury, 8 Feb. 1607 /8, this date serving to identify him with Elder Thomas Cushman of the Plymouth Colony, who died 11 Dec. 1691 "neere the end of the 84th yeare of his life." No further record or this Cushman family, after the baptism of the son Thomas, is found at Canterbury. Probably soon after the date of baptism Robert Cushman with his family joined Rev. John Robinson's colony in Holland. When his wife Sarah died is unknown, but he married secondly, at Leyden, 5 June 1617, MARY (CLARKE) SHINGELTON, widow of Thomas of Sandwich, co. Kent, shoemaker, the licence for her marriage to her first husband, which was to be celebrated at St. Mary Bredman's, Canterbury, being dated 28 Jan. 1610/11. Although Robert Cushman appears as a grocer at Canterbury I he is called a woolcomber in the record of his second marriage at Leyden ; but this change of occupation is perhaps explained by the following page in Bradford's History: "They [the Pilgrims] removed [from Amsterdam] to Leyden, a fair & bewtifull citie, and of a sweete situation, but made more famous by ye universitie wherwith it is adorned, in which of late had been so many learned men. But wanting that traffike by sea which Amsterdam injoyes, it was not so beneficiall for their outward means of living & estats. But being now hear pitchet they fell to such trads & imployments as they best could; valewing peace & their spiritual1 comforte above any other riches whatsoever. And at lenght they came to raise a competente & comforteable living, but with hard and continual labor." Under these circumstances what was more natural than that Robert Cushman should turn to a branch of the clothmaking trade, the principal business of the Weald of Kent, where he was born and where he spent his early years? In the autumn of 1617, soon after his second marriage, he and John Carver were chosen by their companions to go to England and negotiate with the Council for Virginia about a patent within the grant of the Virginia Company. His connection with the transfer of a part of the Leyden congregation to Plymouth in New England is known from the writings of Bradford, and the story need not be repeated here. He and his son Thomas arrived at Plymouth in the Fortune in Nov. 1621; but he sailed for England in the same ship about a month later, on business for the Colony, leaving the boy Thomas in the care of Governor Bradford. Apparently his wife never came to New England. Probably she was dead when her husband and son embarked on the Fortune for their westward voyage. Robert Cushman himself was busily engaged in England in the affairs of the Colony down to his death, which took place probably in the summer of 1625. Bradford's History contains many letters from him, and a sermon preached by him at Plymouth on the day before he sailed for England, on "The Sin and Danger of Self-Love," was printed in London in 1622. [3]
|
| Person ID |
I41965 |
Bryant |
| Last Modified |
27 Jun 2004 |
| Family 1 |
Sara Reder, b. Est 1586, probably, England , d. Oct 1616, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands |
| Married |
31 Jul 1606 |
St. Alphege, Canterbury, Kent, England [1, 4] |
- 1607 "Robert Cushman unto Sara Reder dwelling with in Pr'cinct's of Christghurch" [the Cathedral] married 31 Jul"
|
| Children |
| | 1. Child Cushman, b. Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands , d. Mar 1616, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands |
| | 2. Child Cushman, b. Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands , d. Oct 1616, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands |
| | 3. Thomas Cushman, d. 11 Dec 1691, Plymouth, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts |
| | 4. Sarah Cushman, b. Between 1616 and 1620, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands , d. Bef 21 Dec 1638, Plymouth, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts |
|
| Family ID |
F2895 |
Group Sheet |
| Family 2 |
Mary Clarke, b. Abt 1596, d. Bef 1621 |
| Married |
05 Jun 1617 |
Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands [2, 5] |
- Robert Cushman, woolcomber, from Canterbury in England, widower of Sarah Cushman, dwelling in a little alley of the Nunsgate, accompanied by John Keble his friend, with Mary Shingelton from Sandwich in England, widow of Thomas Shingelton, accompanied by Catherine Carver her friend.
They were married before Andries Jasperson van Vesanevelt and Jacob Paedts, Sheriffs, this fifth of June, 1617.
[The entries show that the banns were published three times, on 20 and 27 May, and on 3 June, 1617.]
Although he appears as a grocer in Canterbury, Robert is called woolcomber in the record of his second marriage. Mary was the widow of Thomas Shingleton. She apparently died before 1621 as there is no evidence she came to Plymouth with her husband and stepson.
|
| Family ID |
F2915 |
Group Sheet |
-
-
| Sources |
- [S260] GMB, Anderson, Robert Charles, (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 1995), p. 503.
- [S13] NEHGR, NEHGR, (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society), 68:181-5.
- [S13] NEHGR, NEHGR, (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society), 68:184/5.
- [S13] NEHGR, NEHGR, (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society), 68:181-185.
- [S260] GMB, Anderson, Robert Charles, (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 1995), p. 502.
|
|
= Link to Google Maps 
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set