Austin Kilham, of Dennington & Wenham

Austin Kilham

• Birth: 1587 - Dennington, Suff, England
• Death: June 5 1667 - Wenham, Essex, MA
• Parents: Henry Killham, Alice Goodale
• Wife: Alice Gorball Married: Sep 8 1619 to Alice Gorball in Wrentham,,Suffolk,England

Children:

• Sarah Kilham, Daniel Kilham, Mary Kilham, Ruth Kilham, John Kilham, Lot Killam, John Killiam, John Killiam, Elizabeth Killiam, Daniel Killiam, Elizabeth Kilham

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Austin was the son of Henry Kilham and Alice Goodale. He was born about 1595 in Yorkshire, Norfolk, England and died 05 Jun 1667 in Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts.

Austin, the progenitor of the American family of Kilham/Killam probably came to America on the "Mary Anne" out of Yarmouth, England, being examined 11 May 1637 as "desirouse to goe to Salam in the New E." At a town meeting, held 07 Aug 1637, "Augustin Kelham is admitted for inhabittant & is to hau[v]e a q'ter of an acre before Easties house." He was subsequently granted a ten-acre lot on Cape Ann Side before 26 Jun 1638. On 17 Apr 1639, Austen Calem and William Browne were engaged by the town of Salem to keep the goats for that year. On 21 Jan 1639/40, the town granted to Austen Kelham thirty acres of land.

In the spring of 1640, Mr. Killam removed to Dedham, and he and his wife were received into the Dedham church 28 Aug 1640. He was chosen "measurer" for the town on 12 Jan 1640/1. The family removed to Wenham in 1648, or the spring of 1649, and were admitted to the church 31 May 1649.

Austin served on the trial jury at the Salem quarterly court, 26 Jun 1649 and was sworn constable of Wenham in the same court the next Christmas day. In 1652, his wife was presented for wearing a silk hood; but the case was continued, nothing more concerning it appears on record, and apparently the matter was dropped. He served on the grand jury in 1655, 1657, and 1658. In the latter year, a suit was brought against him and his son Daniel and son-in-law Richard Hutton by William Browne to recover for the rent of a farm in Wenham.

In 1653, the people of Wenham contributed to the support of Harvard College, and Austin Killam and his sons Daniel and John are on the list of donors. Of the 25 persons who thus contributed only four gave more than Mr. Killam. He also gave liberally to the support of the church, and was one of the two collectors of the salary of the minister in 1659. He was also one of the committe of three chosen to build the meetinghouse in December 1660 and it was erected upon his land.

Austin made his will only three days before his death. The following is an exact copy of the original document which is on file in the probate office at Salem [the character "ƒ" should be read as the letter "s"]: 2nd of the 4th mo: 1667 The laƒt will and Teƒtament of Auƒtin Killim. I Being Sick & weake of Body yet of pfit memory Comit my Soull into the hands of the Etternall God & father in Jeƒus Chriƒt and Diƒpoƒe of my Eƒtate as ffolloweth: Imprimiƒe, I Giue to my wellbeloued wife all my Catle & ƒwine & moueable Goods alƒo I Giue my Dwelling Houƒe & Land therevnto Belonging (Except Six Akres which I haue alridy Giuen to my Son Lott) both vpland & medow for the terme of hir life (vnleƒe ƒhee ƒhall haue need to ƒell any of the Afforeƒaid medow for her uƒe) & then my will is that it ƒhall be my Son Lotts. But if he dye Before his mother my will is that ƒhee ƒhall have the Sole Diƒpoƒeing of it to whom ƒhee think meet. also my will is that my son Lott ƒhall haue five Akres of Lande Betwin Ipƒwich lyne & the Sawepit vnleƒe his Brother John ƒhall Giue him an Aƒƒureanc of fiue Akers in the neck of which my Son lot hath now pte in his poƒƒeƒon & for the Reƒt of my farme both vpland & medow that is not now in my poƒƒeƒon I haue formerly Diƒpoƒed of it & my will is that there be no alteration of any pte of it vnleƒe the aforeƒaid fiue Akres (by the ƒawe pit) to my ƒon Lot & Further I make Choice of my wellbeloued wife to be Sole Exetrex to this my will.

Family

Austin and Alice were married 08 Sep 1619 in Wrentham, Suffolk, England and had seven children:

• i.Daniel Killam, bp. 15 Mar 1620; m. Mary Safford Oct 1648; d. 21 Mar 1697.
• ii.Mary Killam, b. 1623; d. aft. 1667.
• iii.John Killam, b. abt. 1627.
• iv.Elizabeth Killam, b. abt. 1628; m. Richard Hutten abt. 1650; d. aft. 1667.
• v.Ruth Killam, b. abt. 1632; d. aft. 1667.
• vi.Lot Killam, b. 11 Sep 1640; d. 26 Oct 1683.
• vii.Sarah Killam, b. 04 Jan 1641; m. William Fiske 15 Jan 1662; d. 26 Jan 1737.

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AUSTIN & ALICE (GORBALL) KILHAM OR KILLAM, BIO ITEMS · 7 March 2015 · (2) BIOGRAPHICAL DATA FROM "Ancestors and Descendants of Timothy Kellam...,", by Sheila Spencer Stover

At the Salem town meeting 7 August 1637, Augustine Kilham was admitted as an inhabitant, to have a quarter acre of land. He was later granted more land, part of which was exchanged for land on the Cape Ann side. Austin was involved in a civil suit at Salem on 30 June 1640 (Augustin Calem vs. Mr. Connant). Austin and Alice were received into the church at Wenham, Massachusetts 26 August 1640, and he was chosen treasurer for the town on 12 January 1641. He became a freeman at Wenham on 2 June 1641, by taking the oath that made the church and state one. In the Salem court on 26 June 1649, Austin was a juror; on 25 December 1649 he was chosen constable of Wenham; and in December, 1652, Alice was called before the court for wearing a silk hood, a display of luxury frowned upon in a Puritan community..... .Austin contributed 6 shillings (one of Wenham's largest contributors) to Harvard College in 1663, and "2 days work about the Wenham mill the same year.....On 21 August 1663, agreement was reached to build a new meeting house on Austin's land. He was selectman for Wenham in 1659, 1660, 1662 and 1663. Austin made his Will three days before he died on 5 June 1667. "Ancestors and Descendants of Timothy Kellam...,", by Sheila Spencer Stover (Privately printed by the author, Kansas City, KS, 1982). FHL #929.273 K28s

(2) IMMIGRATION OF THE KILHAM/KILLLAM/KELLAM FAMIY INTO NEW ENGLAND:

Message board, Re: The Ship - Mary Ann - 1637; Posted by the late [Louis F.] "Rick" Kilham in Dec 2002 The actual sailing date of the Mary Ann may not have been on May 11, 1637 but instead the 15th out of Ipswich, England, based on the examination records of some of the passengers. She did not land in Salem, MA, but in Boston on June 20, 1637. William Goose was the master. Many people assume the ship went to Salem because Austin's examination record show him as "being desirous to goe to Salem in New England". The fact is he landed in Boston first and then went to Salem where he resided until 1640. There are records available through the Federal government on all ships that landed. Here is a small passage from my book entitled "Austin Kilham, Progenitor of the American Family Named Kilham/Killam". "After passing the examination required to emigrate to New England, Austin, his wife Alice, and their three children (a fourth child, John, emigrated as a servant to the Cooper family) set sail aboard The ˜Mary Anne" of Yarmouth, William Goose, master, sailing from Ipswich, England, in May and arriving in Boston June 20, 1637. It should be understood that emigration to parts beyond seas was not an unrestricted right of Englishmen. Permission to leave England had to be obtained in each individual case from the Privy Council and this included persons of all classes. The examination to emigrate was like a precursor to today's passport even though in practice the examination became quite restrictive and encumbered with oaths.

It is often cited that Austin sailed from England and landed in Salem, Massachusetts, or it is inferred he landed in Salem. The records do not show this to be the fact. As Banks and Drake point out in their respective books on the subject, the ship "Mary Anne" landed in Boston, not Salem. So, Boston, was the first landfall for the Kilham family in North America. The only mention of Salem is found in the initial examination records of Austin as "being desirous to goe to Salem in New E", and that is what he did after landing in Boston."

References

1. Robert Goodale in Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn; and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. (NEHGS, 1999-2011), Vol 3 pp 101-108 < AmericanAncestors >
2. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/a/i/Edward-Gerrish-Mai...
3. http://www.woodbury-ober.com/family.php?famid=F14489&show_full=1
4. http://www.anamericanfamilyhistory.com/Kilham%20Family/KilhamAustin...
5. http://www.anamericanfamilyhistory.com/Kilham%20Family/KilhamAustin...
6. https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/m/a/i/Edward-Gerrish-Mair/GENE6-0018....