"Bermuda - History made Personal ..." a Bermuda Travel Page by Ekahau

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Bermuda Historical Society

Bermuda a great place to explore history

Bermuda is one of the oldest continually inhabited English speaking societies in the New World with one of the oldest parliaments in the world only Iceland and England have older. It is small enough to easy get around and a great place to explore history if you are in to that sort of thing.

As the story good one of my Great Great grandparents was a Quaker that was born a Tatem and lived in Bermuda until she married a Quaker whaler from New England.

When told by a very knowledgeable Bermudian friend this, he was surprised to hear that Quakers were in Bermuda - so, I decided to do a little research.

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Map of Bermuda land ownership and "Tribes" 1622

The Tatem Family and early Quakers

Quakers (Religious Society of Friends) in Bermuda and the family connection

My ancestors family name, Tatem, turned out to be a a well know name in Bermuda as Samuel Tatem was one of the first settlers to arrive in Bermuda in 1609. Samuel Tatam located in Warwick Tribe, close to Port Royal, where Capt. Butler's expedition disembarked. Samuel Tatam was a mariner, planter, trader, and member of Council for Warwick Tribe. The first record I found of him is in 1626, when he signed a plea for growing tobacco to the Company for the Plantation of the Somers Islands. Letter to Capt. Hy. Woodhouse, Governor, 3/21/1626:

In 1660 William Sale, Governor reports that “Two Friends” went to the Island and several of the Inhabitants began to separate from the usual way of worship and form religious assemblies among themselves. These two Quakers Richard Pindar, of Ravenstonedale near Sedberg, Yorkshire, and George Rolfe, Halstead, Essex. George Rolfe was imprisoned soon after his coming according to the record.

When Capt. Florentius Seymour in 1662 became Governor, his wife was listed as a Quaker in the Colonial Paper. She was Ruth Paynter, a sister to Patience Bullock, and Sir Paul Paynter was their brother.

1665 - Two Friends arrested in Quaker Meeting, charged with not appearing among them in arms.

1666 - Friends fined 1 S. for each absence from mustering.
(Quakers are pacifist and this seems to be their refusal to be part of the local militia) (Public Record Office, Colonial Paper.)

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St George the Town Hall

The Tatem's get fined for being Quakers

Laws enacted at a Great and Generall Quarter Court for the Somers Islands (early name for Bermuda) l0th February 1668. (Public Record Office, Colonial Paper VoL XXXIII) Will leave some of the old spelling as is because it is cool.

1. A Law to prevent the coming of fforaigne Quakers into these Islands.
2 An Act for punishing disturbers of the ministers in the Islands.

The penal law against Quakers quickly bore fruit which is thus recorded in the history of that Sect: - Anno 1669. There was now another Governor come over from England viz: Sir. John Heydon, who brought with him Laws for levying one shilling for every Sunday's absence of each person from their Parish Church, the law being published in the Island, the people called Quakers soon felt its effect as appeared by the following warrant, viz:

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the ship

Quakers in the record "under distress by order"

"Summers Island order to the Church Wardens and Constables of Paget Tribe to go to the houses of the different men known to be Quakers or to have married Quakers and to distress and to sieze with their hands the good and chattels of said men, &c.&c.&c. Given under my hand and seal the 9th day of August, 1669, Henry More, Counsillor."
14 Aug. 1669 - Executions of Warwick Tribe, Nehemiah Tatem for his wife's absence from church. Goods to the value of 12 S.

About the same time John Darrell, a Justice of the Peace, gave forth a warrant to the Constable and other officers in the Warwick Tribe by virtue of which were taken from Patience Bullock, for herself and her two daughters, goods worth 14 S., and from Nehemiah Tatem for his wife's absence, goods to the value of 12 S. They were given five days in which to redeem the goods.

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St George

Quakers fined non attendance at the Warwick Church

From the record of August 1669, we learn Nehemiah Tatem and his wife were fined non attendance at the Warwick Parish Church, and the records of 1677-1679. In company with Patience Tatim censured to pay fines were Patience Bullock and her daughter Meriam, Stephen Bullock and Marie, his wife. (The Bullocks were early settlers in Warwick Tribe.)

On the Quaker side, in a public disputation held by the Rev. Sampson Bond before the Sheriff and some of the Justices of the Peace, May 1, 1678, Chief Francis Estlack and William Wilkinson, William Bullock and Patience Bullock, his wife, also took part.

On 20 Apr. 1676, Stephen Bullock, Master of a ship, was sent to jail for assisting Elizabeth Carter, a Quaker.

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St George

Paget Tribe listed Quakers 1677

Henry Smith, William Smith, Marie Smith, Ffrances Eslack, Margaret Eslack, William Righton, Jr., Sarah Righton, Eliza Morgan, Daniel Riddle, Merriam Riddle, Mrs. Marie Lea, Marie Wilkuison, William Wilkinson, Marie Wilkinson. These are record as Quakers for absenting themselves from the Parish Church of England - for a month last past censored to paie 4 S. per for their absence as aforesaid.) (Bermuda Colonial Records, Vol. VII, 1676-1689.)

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St George

Warwick Tribe - listed Quakers

July 1679 Warwick Tribe - listed Quakers
James Dorset, Elizabeth Bentley, widow Margery, her daughter, William Homer and his wife, Patience Bullock, Stephen Bullock and his wife, Patience Tatim, Merriam Bullock, for absenting themselves from their parish church for a month last past censured to pale 4 S. per for their absence as aforesaid.

Patience Bullock and her daughter Marian, Stephen Bullock and Marie his wife, Patience Tatim, Dorcas, wife of Martin Taylor, Ann, wife of James Dorset ffor absenting themselves from church - 3 Lords daies.

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St George

Bermuda Quakers 1703

Bermuda Quakers in the Restoration period suffered under the local Militia Acts, but after 1688, as the British possessions gradually settled under the Protestant succession, Friends in the West Indies enjoyed greater liberty of conscience. From Bermuda in 1703 John Richardson wrote to London Yearly Meeting of Friends and this is recorded so there were active friends meetings in 1703.

Here are some of the fantast resources in Bermuda

Institute of North American & Atlantic Colonial History (INAACH), Bermuda Keith Archibald Forbes, e-mail kaforbes@ibl.bm.
The Institute's local mailing address is 14 Seabright Avenue, Paget DV 04, Bermuda.

INAACH publishes excellent Bermuda History on the Internet on British colonial history, culture, environment and military past.

Bermuda Genealogy & History. http://www.rootsweb.com/~bmuwgw/bermuda.htm

Bermuda Government Archives at the Government Administration Building, 30 Parliament Street, Hamilton HM 12, telephone (441) 295-5151. Public sector.

Bermuda National Library - telephone ( 441) 295-2905. Public sector. Its records include a copy of each day's daily newspaper and weekly newspapers.

Bermuda Historical Society - telephone (441) 295 2487

Bermuda Maritime Museum - telephone (441) 234 -1333.

Bermuda National Trust - telephone (441) 236-6483.

St. George's Historical Society - telephone 441 297-0423.