Lesson 7 - Readings for the Nims Family

Godfrey Nims

From The History of Deerfield, Vol. II, George Sheldon, 1895, pg. 250

Nims, Godfrey; cordwainer [shoemaker]; prob. [probably] the ancestor of all of the name in the country; is first heard of as a "lad" at Nhn. [Northampton], Sept., 4, 1667; was in the Falls fight, May 19, 1676; he bought land here in 1674, and was among the earlier permanent sett. [settlers]; in 1692 he bought No. 27, and in 1694 No. 28; these two lots united became the Nims home lot...a house was burned on this lot Jan. 4 1693, and a step-son of Godfrey perished in the flames; another [house] was burned here in 1704, in which three children were lost and his family was nearly exterminated [killed] on that bloody morning; he d. [died] soon aft. [after]......He m. [married] Nov. 26, 1677, Mary, wid. [widow] of Zebediah Williams, dau. [daughter] of William Miller; she d. [died] Apr. 27, 1688; (2) [second wife he married on] June 27, 1692, Mehitable, wid. [widow] of Jeremiah Hull, dau. [daughter] of William Smead; she was cap. [captured] 1704, and k. [killed] on the march to Canada.

Ch. [children]:
Rebecca, [born] Aug. 12, 1678; d. [died] Aug. 30, 1678
John, [born] Aug. 14, 1679
Rebecca, [born] Aug. 14, 1679; m. [married] Jan. 15, 1702, Philip Mattoon; all k. [killed] 1704.
Henry, [born] Apr. 20, 1682; k. [killed] 1704
Thankful, [born] Aug. 29, 1684; m. [married] Jan. 15, 1702, Benj. [Benjamin] Munn.
Ebenezer, [born] Mar. 14, 1686
Thomas, [born] Nov. 8, 1693; d. [died] Sept. 10, 1697.
Mehitable, [born] May 16, 1696; burned in the house, 1704.
Mary, [born] Feb. 28, 1698; burned in the house, 1704.
Mercy, [born] Feb. 28, 1698; burned in the house, 1704.
Abigail, [born] May 27, 1700; cap. [captured] 1704; she was bap. [baptized] in Can. [Canada] June 15, 1704, by the name of Abigail Marie Elizabeth

From New England Captives Carried to Canada, Emma L. Coleman, 1925, pg. 102

The Family of Godfrey Nims
His home, just within the stockade, was burned.
His wife, Mehitable, was captured and killed on the journey.
Of their nine children, John, the eldest, was already a captive.
Rebecca [Nims] (Mattoon) and the second son Henry were killed.
Thankful [Nims] (Munn) escaped because her little house was hidden in the drifted snow.
Three little girls perished [died] in the house.
Ebenezer and Abigail were taken away with their mother, as was Elizabeth Hull, her child by a former marriage.

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