BATCHELDER (BACHILER), REV. STEPHEN, b. c.1561. Matriculated St. John's Coll., Oxford, 17 Nov 1581, B.A. 3 Feb 1586/87(NLD); (1585/86 GMB). Vicar at Wherwell, Hants, 17 Jly 1587 until deposed 1605, but liv. there 1614. Of Newton Stacey 1614 until 1631. Of So. Stoneham, Co. Hants, in 1631, he was licensed to visit his ch. in Flushing, Holland, but having become a leader with the company of merchant adventurers called the Plough Company, he came to New Engl, arriv. at Cambridge in the William and Francis 5 June 1632, ae 71. Of Lynn, Ipswich, Yarmouth, Newbury. In the fall of 1638 he led the settlement of Hampton, N.H. In Exeter briefly 1644; Strawberry Bank 1647. His 1st wife, mother of six ch., was perhaps a Bate and a relation to Rev. John Bate, vicar at Wherwell, who called Stephen Jr. his 'cousin.' She d. bet. c.1610 and c.1624 (GMB). Rev. Stephen m. 2nd at Abbots-Ann 2 Mar 1623/24 wid. Christian (—) Weare; and m. 3rd at Abbots-Ann 26 Mar 1627 Helena (—) Mason, wid. of Rev. Thomas Mason, ae c.48 in 1631, who d. Portsmouth, N.H. bef. 3 May 1647; m. 4th (unhappily) by 14 Feb 1648 Mary (—) Beedle, wid. of Robert Beedle of Kittery. Batchelder returned to Engl. prob. by Oct 1651 (GMB), and d. at Hackney near London c.1660 (NLD). However see NLD Correction, p.781 which questions the death date and place. Bur. 31 Oct 1656 at All Hallows Staining, London (GMB, v.1, p.62,68). Sources: NLD = [Noyes, Libby and Davis's "Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and NH"; DOW = Joseph Dow's "History of Hampton"; GMB = Robert Charles Anderson's "The Great Migration Begins"

Homesite: Hampton. E side Park Ave. somewhat NE of Cuss Lane and Memorial Park. He also had a grant of 300 a. bounded on the S by Rocks Rd. (Shapley Line in Seabrook). See DOW and maps therein (above).

Children: (by 1st wife)

1. Nathaniel, b. c.1590, admin. 9 Apr 1645 to wid. (2nd wife) Margerie — (GMB, v.1, p.62). Merchant of Southampton, EngI., m. 1st Hester Mercer [LeMercier]. Nathaniel(2) did not come to America and only one of his 5 kn. ch. (by 1st wife), Nathaniel(3), accompanied his grfa. to Hampton where he became ancestor of most of the N.H. and Maine families bearing the name Batchelder. Nathaniel(3) ae 70 in 1700, d. 17 Dec 1710, m. 1st 10 Dec 1656 Deborah Smith who d. 8 Mar 1675/76, dau. of John and Deborah (Parkhurst) Smith, 9 ch.; m. 2nd 31 Oct 1676 Mary (Carter) Wyman who d. 1688, dau. of Rev. Thomas Carter, and wid. of John Wyman of Woburn, 8 ch.; m. 3rd 23 Oct 1689 Elizabeth (—) Knill, wid. of John.

2. Deborah, b. c.1592, m.Rev. John Wing. Ch. settled Sandwich, Mass.

3. Dea. Stephen, b. c.1594. Remained in Engl.

4. Rev. Samuel, b. c.1597, a minister, late of Gorcum, Holland, in 1640.

5. Ann, b. 1600(NLD) (c.1601[GMB]) m. 1st — Sanborn, m. 2nd at Strood, co. Kent, 20 Jan 1631/32, Henry Atkinson of London. Remained in Engl. At least 3 Sanborn sons (Lt. John; Stephen; William) who came to America with their grfa. Batchelder.

6. Theodate, b. c.1610(GMB) (h. 1588[NLD]), m. by c.1635 (GMB), Capt. Christopher(2) Hussey, son of John(1) and Mary (Wood) Hussey, bap. Dorking, co. Surrey, 18 Feb 1598/99, d. 6 Mar 1685/86. (No proof found that he came with Batchelder on William and Francis [GMB]). Settled in Hampton, 5 ch. He m. 2nd 9 Dec 1658 wid. Ann (—) Mingay. (John(1) Hussey prob. the "early voyager Hussey cast away upon Cape Florida" [NLD]). Mary(1) (Wood) Hussey came to Hampton with, or soon aft. her son.

Child: (by 4th wife [NLD]). Study GMB, v.1, p.67 which states that Mary would not have been Rev. Stephen's child as Mary (—) Beedle Batchelder was liv. at the time with George Rodgers of Kittery. 7. Mary?, ae 21 in 1671, had m. by 26 Mar 1673 William Richards, ch. 2 kn., 1 more poss.