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Deacon Nathaniel Batcheller, son of Nathaniel and Hester Bachiler was born in 1630, two years prior to Stephen's journey to America. He was probably born in Southhampton, England. At the age of 26, Nathaniel was married in Hampton, New Hampshire to Deborah Smith. Deborah was the daughter of John and Deborah (Parkhurst) Smith. We don't have any information on Deborah's birth, but she died 3/1/1676 in Hampton, New Hampshire. Children from this marriage were Deborah, born 10/12/1657; Nathaniel, 12/24/1659; Ruth came along 5/9/1662. Esther was born 12/22/1664; Abigail on 12/28/1667; Jane, 1/8/1669. Then Stephen was born on 7/31/1672; Benjamin, born 9/19/1673; and finally Stephen, born 3/8/1675. We can only infer some information from this listing but it would appear that the first Stephen probably died early, probably in the first year of his life, as Benjamin broke the cycle of two to three years between children. It apparently took two and a half years for Nathaniel and Deborah to be able to name another baby Stephen, as a namesake for his grandfather. Also we don't know, but, a logical extension can be made that Deborah's death could have been as a result of stress from the loss of the first Stephen and complications from the birth of the second Stephen. We do know that she mothered a large family by today's standards. Nathaniel married Mary (Carter) Wyman, the daughter of The Reverend Thomas Carter. They were married in Hampton (or Woburn). From the name we can assume that Mary was a widow just as Nathaniel was a widower. During this period the autocratic government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was weakening. It was a well intentioned autocracy that desired to maintain a model state around a Puritan Commonwealth conforming to Winthrop's ideas. In 1684 a new charter was granted that weakened the Puritan theocracy. This new charter made property ownership rather than church membership the basis for voting. Even so the voting was still skewed towards the church, at that point, as unoccupied lands had been granted primarily to God-fearing Puritans. Times were hard and families were big. We don't know if Mary brought any children into the union, but we do have record of Nathaniel and Mary's children. Mercy was born 12/11/1677; Mary on 9/18/1679; Samuel, 1/10/1681. Jonathan, born in 1683; followed by Thomas in 1685. Then Joseph was born 8/9/1687; a second Mary, on 10/17/1688; and Theodate was born in 1684. Another child death is implied by the two Marys. Because their birth dates are separated by approximately nine years, it can be assumed that this was not an infant death. We don't know, but can assume, that Mary died after 10/1687, possibly again from complications in child birth. We have read that Nathaniel was brought to Lynn, Mass., in 1632 by his grandfather Stephen. He was living in Hampton, N.H. on land deeded to him by his grandfather. It was during this period that the concept of religious liberty began to develop. The religious intolerance in the Massachusetts Bay Colony forced many harassed sects to look to the other colonies for a better life. In Maryland in 1649, because of strife between Catholics and Protestants the Toleration Act was enacted. In Pennsylvania religious freedom was broader also. A belief in Jesus Christ was the only perquisite to participation in government. By the end of the colonial period religious toleration was virtually achieved in all the colonies. 13 years before the Toleration Act, Roger Williams in Rhode Island insisted on religious freedom for everyone, and no religious tests or taxes were imposed on people living there. In 1643 representatives from Connecticut, New Haven, Plymouth, and Massachusetts framed articles for the United Colonies of New England to form "a firme and perpetual league of friendship and amity for offense and defense, mutual advise and succor.". Maine and Rhode Island were excluded because Maine was claimed by the Bay Colony and Winthrop didn't like Williams and his 'Islanders". The confederation was formed without authorization from England. Massachusetts because of it's size and wealth dominated until their charter was revoked in 1684 by Charles II. In a sense this was the forerunner of a national union. In one sense Winthrop had replaced the English crown in the 'Divine Right' issue, and was opposed just as the crown was, by the same method- migration. But Winthrop seemed relatively benign when compared with Joseph Dudley and Sir Edmund Andros, the successor governors. Andros especially became insufferable in every action, he virtually became a sovereign dictator. -8-
