Richard Bourne
Born: Abt. 1610
Loc: England
Died: Abt. 1682
Loc: Plymouth Colony, MA
Father: William Bourne
Mother: Ursula Day
Married: 1637 in MA
Bathsheba Hallett,
daughter of Andrew Hallett and Beatrix Knote
Children: Job/Elisha/Shearjasub/Ezra
Married 2nd: Ruth (Sargent) Winslow, widow of Jonathan Winslow
Came to Plymouth Mass about 1635. His ancestry traces back to Sir John Bourne, Secy of State to Queen Mary (1553-1558). This is known because of the "chervon party per pale"
in the BOURNE Coat of Arms.

Richard, aged 24, left England, coming by way of St. Kitts & Barbados, arriving in America Jan 1, 1634/5. He stayed with his brother Henry in Scituate Mass. Richard was one of the earliest settlers of Shawmee, Mass, later incorporated in 1637 as Sandwich, Mass. (Part of Sandwich became Bourne, Mass. in 1884)

Richard Bouren was a Deputy representing Sandwich in 1639 to the first General Court; he continued in this capacity for six years.

Richard Bourne had many interests but his work with the Indians is probably the most outstanding. The continued peace with the Indians was due more to his efforts than to the military forces. He learned the Indian language and began his work about 1658.

He was ordained pastor of the Indian Church at Mashpee in 1670. Richard purchased at his own expense 16 square miles as a permanent home for the Mashpee Indians. He translated the Lords Prayer into the Indian language - copies are available at the Aptucxet Trading Post near Bourne. In 1919 Indians were still living on the land given them by Richard.

In the 17th century, missionary Richard Bourne tried unsuccessfully to have the Plymouth Court record a deed confirming the title of the Wampanoag to land between what are now the Santuit and Childs rivers. He died in 1682 without achieving his goal.

Three years later, his son, Shearjashub Bourne, succeeded where his father had failed. The court confirmed the title of the "South Sea Indians," as the Wampanoag were sometimes called, to the land and said none of it could be purchased by the English without the consent of all the Indians.
Source: Bourne Family Genealogy

BOURNE Richard Bourne, the immigrant ancestor, came from Devonshire, England, and was one of the earliest settlers of Shawme, now Sandwich, Massachusetts, in 1630, and he was first representative from that place to the house of delegates, being "a noted man" and "a good orthographist. He brought some considerable property, in cash, from his native land, and being acquainted with the affairs of the present, as well as the future world, transmitted a good inheritance in real estate to his children." He was preacher for Sandwich until Rev. John Smith was settled there, and he then went as an apostle to the Indians. At his own expense he bought a territory of sixteen square miles for the home of the Marshpee or South Sea Indians, and in 1670 he was ordained their pastor by Rev. John Cotton and Apostle Eliot. Their next pastor was one of their tribe, Simon Popmonet. Richard Bourne died in 1682. He married (first) Bathsheba Hallett. He married (second) July 2, 1677, Mrs. Ruth Winslow, who died in 1713. Children by first wife: Job, born about 1639; Elisha, 1641; Shearjashub, mentioned below; Ezra, 1648, died without issue.
Source: New England Families Genealogical and Memorial: Third Series, Volume II

The Rev. Richard Bourne died intestate before 18 Sept. 1582, the date of his inventory.
Source: Genealogies of Mayflower Families

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