Poss. Mary, wife of Austin Bearse (mtDNA)
Contents
Status summary
Completed as of October 15, 2026:
- Full mtDNA testing done on three mtDNA descendants of the wife of Austin Bearse (through two different daughters) confirms the mtDNA haplogroup falls under: U5a1a1d
Biography
First Generation
The name of the wife of Austin/Augustine Bearse has not yet been found in any contemporary record. A widely spread story claimed she was an Indian princess named Mary "Little Dove" Hyanno. While this claim was refuted as early as 1939, it still circulates widely today. MtDNA testing of three living matrilineal descendants (via two different daughters) proves that the wife of Austin/Augustine was of European, and not Native American, origin.
Other sources claim (without any documentation) she was possibly Mary Wilder[1], or even possibly had the given name of Martha.[2] In any case, neither her birth, death, nor marriage to Austin/Augustine Bearse have been found. Given the fact the first known child was born in Barnstable 16 Aug 1640, it is likely they were married about 1639. The last child was born 31 Jul 1660 and it is believed she was deceased by the spring of 1683 when her husband (but not her) was listed as a member of the Barnstable church. An undocumented source gave her date of death as 21 Feb 1678 at Yarmouthport.
The couple had had eleven children, all born Barnstable: Mary (1640, bp 1643 and no further record), Martha (1642, bp 1643 and no further record),[3] Priscilla (1643/4), Sarah (1646), Abigail (1647), Hannah (1649), Joseph (1651/2), Hester (1653), Lydia (1655), Rebecca (1657) and James (1660).
Second Generation
Priscilla Bearse[4] was born Barnstable "about ye" 10 Mar 1643[/4] and died Yarmouth 30 Mar 1712. She married Yarmouth abt 1660 (Deacon) John Hall (II) and they had twelve children: John (1661 d.y.), Joseph (1663), John (c1666), Priscilla (c1667 d.y.), Bethia (1668), Priscilla (1670/1), Hester (1672), Mary (1673), Martha (1676), Nathaniel (1678), poss. Hannah (1681) and Experience (1683).
Sarah Bearse was born Barnstable 28 Mar 1646 and died Hamlin's Plains 30 Mar 1712. She married Barnstable Aug 1667 Jonathan Hamlin and they had twelve children (Barnstable): Melatiah (dau, 1668), Priscilla (1670), Sarah (1671), Martha (1672/3), Experience (1674), Hannah (1675/6), Esther (1677), Thankful (1679), John (1681), Ebenezer (1683), Abigail (1685) and Benjamin (1686/7).
Abigail Bearse was born Barnstable 18 Dec 1647 and likely died there where their last child was baptized 1 Apr 1689. She married Barnstable 12 Apr 1670 Allen Nichols and they had nine children: Nathaniel (1671), Mary (1672/3), infant son (1674/5-1674/5), Josiah (1676), Joseph (1678), Abigail (1680), Priscilla (1682-1683), Experience (1684) and James (1689).
Hannah Bearse[5] was born Barnstable 16 Nov 1649. No further record.
Hester Bearse was born Barnstable 2 Oct 1653 and is said to have died in Middletown, CT 2 May 1733.
Lydia Bearse was born Barnstable 30 Sep 1655. It is believed[6] she married before Nov 1680 Elisha Hall and she died Yarmouth 23 Feb 1736. This couple had six children (Yarmouth): Ebenezer (1680), Elisha (1682), Tabitha (1683), Bersheba (1686), Phebe (1689) and Job (1691).
Rebecca Bearse[7] was born Barnstable 26 Sep 1657 and is said to have died there in 1727.
Third Generation
Bethia Hall was born Scituate 15 Nov 1668 and died Yarmouth 8 Mar 1708. She married Yarmouth in 1686 Zachariah Paddock (II) and they had eleven children (Yarmouth): Ichabod (1687), Deborah (1689 m Benjamin Bunker & Jonathan Folger but no daus.), Elizabeth (1690/1 m Joseph Howes), Zachariah (1692), James (1694), Peter (1697), Bethiah (1698 m Lot Gray), Mary (1701 d.y.), John (1703), David (1705) and Priscilla (1708 unm.).
Priscilla Hall was born Yarmouth in Feb 1670/1 and died abt 1724. She married (Capt.) John Paddock and they had nine children (Yarmouth now Dennis): John (1695), infant son (1696/7-1696/7), Elizabeth (1698 m [Capt] Joseph Sears but no ch.), Joseph (1700), Priscilla (1701/2 m Thomas Clarke [II]), Ebenezer (1703/4), infant (1705/6-1705/6), Thankful (1710 unm.) and Josiah (1712).
Esther/Hester Hall was born Yarmouth Apr 1672 and poss. died there 19 Jan 1719. She married Yarmouth abt 1691 John Rider (II) and they had eleven children (Yarmouth): John (1692), infant daughter (1694-1694), Samuel (1695), Bethiah (1697 m Ezekiel Eldred[ge]), Hester/Esther (1699 m Dean Smith & Eleazer Crosby), Mercy (1701 m Israel Mayo), Zerviah (1703 m Kenelm Winslow), Nathaniel (1705), Hannah (c1707 unk. if marr.), Thankful (1709 unk. if marr.) and Martha (c 1712 m William Clark).
Mary Hall was born Yarmouth Mar 1673/4 and is said to have died Yarmouth, ME in 1728.
Martha Hall was born Yarmouth 24 May 1676 and died Mansfield, CT in 1734. She married Yarmouth 6 Mar 1701/2 Robert Paddock and they had ten children: infant son (1702-1702), Seth (1704/5), Deborah (c1706 m Joseph Doane [OO]), poss. Zachariah (c1708), Robert (c1711), Bethiah (c1713 m Nehemiah Easterbrook but no daus.), Martha (1715 m Elnathan Doane), Eunice (1718 m Thomas Storrs [II]), Priscilla (1720 m Elisha Eldredge [II]) and Silas (c1725).
Hannah Hall Her parentage is not certain, but her first child was named Priscilla (likely after her mother) and her birth fits nicely into a gap in the births of the children of Deacon John Hall and Priscilla Bearse. She was born about 1771 and died Yarmouth (now Dennis) 28 Jul 1753 in her 77th years. She married Yarmouth 19 Sep 1700 (Capt.) Joseph Sears and they had eight children (Yarmouth, now Dennis): Priscilla (1701 m Josiah Gorham but no daus.), Hannah (1703 m Peter Blackmore/Blackmer), Zachariah (1706), Joseph (1708), Stephen (1710), Roland (1711), Barnabas (1714), Peter (1716), Bethia (c1718 m Thomas Howes), Silas (1720) and Thankful (1723 m Jasher Taylor [II]).
Experience Hall was born Yarmouth in Dec 1683 and is said to have died there. She married Yarmouth 22 Mar 1705 Ebenezer Rider and they had seven children (Yarmouth): Priscilla (1707/8 m Seth Sears), Lydia (1709 m Benjamin Sears but both ch. d.y.), Ebenezer (1711), Paul (1713), James (1717), Experience (1719 m Edward Crosby & Judah Agard) and John (1721).
Melatiah Hamlin was born Eastham 1 Jul 1668 and died there 28 Mar 1744. She married Ichabod Higgins and they had six children (Eastham): John (1692), Nathaniel (1694), Thankful (1696 m James Robbins & Samuel Doane [II])), Lydia (1698 unm.), Ebenezer (1701) and Thomas (c 1703).
Priscilla Hamlin was born Barnstable 3 Apr 1670 and poss. died Eastham abt 3 Jan 1714. She married Eastham 23 Apr 1696 John Rogers and they had eight children (Harwich): Ebenezer (1697/8), Thankful (1699 unm.), John (1701), Jonathan (1702/3), Benjamin (1704), Sarah (1706 m. Samuel Bumpas [II]), Joseph (1708) and Priscilla (c1710 m Reuben Nickerson).
Sarah Hamlin was born Barnstable 1 Jul 1671 and died aft Jul 1743. She married twice, first Eastham bef 1695 Richard Higgins, then Eastham 15 Nov 1732 John Cole (no children). By her first husband she had ten children: Joshua (1695), Eleazer (1696/7), Theophilus (1698), Jediah (son, 1700), Zaccheus (1702), Esther (1704 m Stephen Totman but no daus.), David (1706), Reuben (1709), Moses (1711) and Abigail (1715 m Reuben Merrick/Myrick).
Martha Hamlin was born Eastham 16 Feb 1672/3 and died there 15 Aug 1756. She married Eastham 3 Dec 1696 Samuel Doane and they had eight children (Eastham, now Orleans): Samuel (1697), Sarah (1699 m Ebenezer Dyer), Dinah (1700 m Thomas Cook[e]), Dorcas (1703 m William Smith), Solomon (1705), Simeon (1708), Martha (c1710 m Thomas Savage, but unk. if any ch.) and Keturah (c1715 m Jonathan Dyer).
Experience Hamlin was born Eastham 16 Apr 1674 and died Barnstable 26 Jul 1766. She married Barnstable 20 Feb 1695 Jabez Lewes/Lewis and they had seven children: Eleanor (1691 d.y.), John (1696), Jabez (c1698), Eleanor (c1700 m ___ Robbins), Elnathan (1702), Antipas (son, 1704) and Naomi (1708 m Jesse Lewes/Lewis but likely no ch.)
Hannah Hamlin was born Barnstable 16 Feb 1675/6 and died before Jul 1737. She married (as Hannah Hamlin), Barnstable 9 Sep 1714 John King but they almost certainly never had any children.
Hester/Esther Hamlin was born Barnstable 17 Mar 1677/8 and died there 1 Sep 1746. She married Barnstable 6 Mar 1704/5 her cousin Jonathan Hamlin and they had eight children (Barnstable): Solomon (1705), Content (1707 m Jacob Hamblen & James Miller), Priscilla (1709 m Simon Davis), Zaccheus (1711), Jonathan (c1715), Jabez (1717), Sarah (c1718 m Ephraim Lewes/Lewis), Josiah (1720), and poss. Peleg.
Abigail Hamlin was born Barnstable 24 Apr 1685 and died there 29 May 1733. She married Barnstable 13 Apr 1711 her cousin Elkanah Hamlin and they had seven children (Barnstable): Sylvanus (1712), Reuben (1713/4), Abigail (1715 unm.), John (1717), Rachel (1720-1722), Patience (1721 m Seth Fish & poss. Lemuel Randall, but no daus.) and Tabitha (1723 m John Sanderson).
Mary Nichols was born Barnstable 12 Feb 1672/3. It is likely she was the Mary Nichols who married Barnstable 20 May 1708 Paul Widdop. As she would have then been aged 38, it is likely they never had any children.
Abigail Nichols was born Barnstable 11 Feb 1680 and died Mansfield, CT 27 Nov 1754. She married twice[8], first about 1717 James Murch then Mansfield 18 Apr 1728 Hugh Campbell (no children). It is currently unknown if she had any children by her first husband.
Experience Nichols was born Barnstable 8 Jan 1683/4. Her further history is currently unknown to this compiler.
Tabitha Hall was born Yarmouth 18 Dec 1683 and died Kingston aft 7 Jan 1739/40. She married Yarmouth 18 Mar 1706/7 William Cooke and they had seven children: Hannah (1707 m Nathan Wright), Lydia (1710 m Moses Bassett), Huldah (1712 unm.), William (1714), Elisha (1716), Tabitha (1719 m Benjamin Orcutt [II]) and Priscilla (1721 unk. if marr.)
Bersheba Hall was born Yarmouth 14 Apr 1686 and died Falmouth 8 Apr 1750. She married Yarmouth 27 Oct 1709 Joseph Crowell and they had six children: Joseph (1713), Stephen (1716), David (1720), John (1722), Joshua (1725) and Stephen (1727). As they had no known daughters, there is no surviving matrilineal line from Bersheba.
Phebe Hall was born Yarmouth 3 Mar 1689 and died Kingston 15 Jul 1728. She married Yarmouth 3 Apr 1716 Jacob Cooke (III) and they had five children: Jesse (1717), Asa (1720), Phebe (1722 no further record), Jacob (1725) and an infant (1728-1728).
- ↑ The Confidence passenger list had Augustine Bearse (age 20) listed immediately below the widow Martha Wilder and her daughter Mary of Shiplocke, Oxfordshire (no ages given for the women). Immediately below Augustine was the Martha Keene and her children Eliza, Martha, Josias and Sara. It is possible Austin may have married either the daughter Mary Wilder or the daughter Martha Keene.
- ↑ There was a Martha Bearse who witnessed a deed dated 29 Feb 1666. This was likely either the mother or the daughter.
- ↑ There was a Martha Bearse who witnessed a deed dated 29 Feb 1666. This was likely either the mother or the daughter.
- ↑ MtDNA testing of two matrilineal descendants of Priscilla as well as one matrilineal descendant of Priscilla's sister, Sarah, confirms that the wife of John Hall was Priscilla, daughter of Austin/Augustine Bearse.
- ↑ While some claim Hannah was the wife of Jonathan Nye of Sandwich, a matrilineal descendant of Hannah has taken a 23andMe test and their mtDNA Haplogroup fell under H1. This does not match the mtDNA haplogroup of known matrilineal descendants of Hannah's sisters, Sarah & Abigail. This indicates Hannah Bearse cannot be the wife of Jonathan Nye.
- ↑ The U5mtDNA Project lists an individual claiming "Tabatha" Hall b. 1680 and d. 1740 was their Most Distant Known Matrilineal Ancestor (MDKMA). Tabitha is known to be a daughter of Elisha Hall & Lyia _____. The U5 mtDNA Project member has taken a full mtDNA test and she is an exact mtDNA match to matrilineal descendants of Sarah & Abigail Bearse.
- ↑ She was not the wife of William Hunter.
- ↑ It is possible that Abigail was already a widow when she married James Murch.
mtDNA results U5a1a1d20+146
According to Family Tree DNA results for Austin Bearse and his wife the mtDNA haplogroup for the wife of Austin Bearse falls under U5a1a1d. Under Family Tree DNA's new MitoTree, the clade falls under U5a1a1d20+146. This effectively eliminates the possibility that she was an Indian Princess as this haplogroup is of European origin.
