Poss. Mary, wife of Austin Bearse (mtDNA)
Contents
Status summary
Completed as of October 15, 2026:
- Full mtDNA testing done on three mtDNA descendants of the wife of Austin Bearse (through two different daughters) confirms the mtDNA haplogroup falls under: U5a1a1d
Biography
First Generation
The name of the wife of Austin/Augustine Bearse has not yet been found in any contemporary record. A widely spread story claimed she was an Indian princess named Mary "Little Dove" Hyanno. While this claim was refuted as early as 1939, it still circulates widely today. MtDNA testing of three living matrilineal descendants (via two different daughters) proves that the wife of Austin/Augustine was of European, and not Native American, origin.
Other sources claim (without any documentation) she was possibly Mary Wilder, or even possibly had the given name of Martha.[1] In any case, neither her birth, death, nor marriage to Austin/Augustine Bearse have been found. Given the fact the first known child was born in Barnstable 16 Aug 1640, it is likely they were married about 1639. The last child was born 31 Jul 1660 and it is believed she was deceased by the spring of 1683 when her husband (but not her) was listed as a member of the Barnstable church. An undocumented source gave her date of death as 21 Feb 1678 at Yarmouthport.
The couple had had eleven children, all born Barnstable: Mary (1640, bp 1643 and no further record), Martha (1642, bp 1643 and no further record),[2] Priscilla (1643/4), Sarah (1646), Abigail (1647), Hannah (1649), Joseph (1651/2), Hester (1653), Lydia (1655), Rebecca (1657) and James (1660).
Second Generation
Priscilla Bearse[3] was born Barnstable "about ye" 10 Mar 1643[/4] and died Yarmouth 30 Mar 1712. She married Yarmouth abt 1660 (Deacon) John Hall (II) and they had twelve children: Benjamin (1660), Joseph (1663), John (c1666), Samuel (1668), Bethia (1668), Pricilla (1668 d.y.), Priscilla (1670/1), Hester (1672), Mary (1673), Martha (1676), Nathaniel (1678) and Experience (1683).
Sarah Bearse was born Barnstable 28 Mar 1646 and died Hamlin's Plains 30 Mar 1712. She married Barnstable Aug 1667 Jonathan Hamlin and they had twelve children (Barnstable): Melatiah (dau, 1668), Priscilla (1670), Sarah (1671), Martha (1672/3), Experience (1674), Hannah (1675/6), Esther (1677), Thankful (1679), John (1681), Ebenezer (1683), Abigail (1685) and Benjamin (1686/7).
Abigail Bearse was born Barnstable 18 Dec 1647 and likely died there where their last child was baptized 1 Apr 1689. She married Barnstable 12 Apr 1670 Allen Nichols and they had nine children: Nathaniel (1671), Mary (1672/3), infant son (1674/5-1674/5), Josiah (1676), Joseph (1678), Abigail (1680), Priscilla (1682-1683), Experience (1684) and James (1689).
Hannah Bearse was born Barnstable 16 Nov 1649 and (if she was the wife of Jonathan Nye) likely died in Sandwich in 1689. Some claim (without any documentation) she married likely either in Sandwich or Barnstable by 1679 Jonathan Nye and they had (Sandwich): Mary (c1679), Sarah (c1683), Jabez, Joanna (1686) and Ichabod (1689).
Hester Bearse was born Barnstable 2 Oct 1653 and is said to have died in Middletown, CT 2 May 1733.
Lydia Bearse was born Barnstable 30 Sep 1655 and is said to have died there in 1725.
Rebecca Bearse[4] was born Barnstable 26 Sep 1657 and is said to have died there in 1727.
Third Generation
Bethia Hall was born Scituate 15 Nov 1668 and died Yarmouth 8 Mar 1708. She married Yarmouth in 1686 Zachariah Paddock (II) and they had eleven children (Yarmouth): Ichabod (1687), Deborah (1689), Elizabeth (1690/1), Zachariah (1692), James (1694), Peter (1697), Bethiah (1698), Mary (1701), John (1703), David (1705) and Priscilla (1708).
Priscilla Hall was born Yarmouth in Feb 1670/1 and died abt 1724. She married John Paddock and they had seven children (Yarmouth): John (c1695), Elizabeth (1698), Joseph (1700), Priscilla (1702), Ebenezer (1704), Thankful (1710) and Josiah (1712).
Hester Hall was born Yarmouth 12 Apr 1672 and died there abt 1745. She married Yarmouth abt 1691 John Rider (II) and they had eleven children (Yarmouth): John (1692), infant daughter (1694-1694), Samuel (1695), Bethia (1697), Esther (1699), Mercy (1701), Zerviah (1703), Nathaniel (1705), Hannah (c1707), Thankful (1709) and Martha (c 1712).
Mary Hall was born Yarmouth Mar 1673/4 and is said to have died Yarmouth, ME in 1728.
Martha Hall was born Yarmouth 24 May 1676 and died there in 1734. She married Yarmouth 6 Mar 1702 Robert Paddock and they had eight children: Seth (1703), Deborah (1705), Robert (c1711), Bethiah (c1713), Martha (1715), Eunice (1718), Priscilla (1720) and Silas (1725).
Experience Hall was born Yarmouth in Dec 1683 and is said to have died there. She married Yarmouth 22 Mar 1705 Ebenezer Rider and they had seven children (Yarmouth): Priscilla (1707/8), Lydia (1709), Ebenezer (1711), Paul (1713), James (1717), Experience (1719) and John (1721).
Melatiah Hamlin was born Eastham 1 Jul 1668 and died there 28 Mar 1744. She married Ichabod Higgins and they had six children (Eastham): John (1692), Nathaniel (1694), Thankful (1696), Lydia (1698), Ebenezer (1701) and Thomas (c 1703).
Priscilla Hamlin was born Barnstable 3 Apr 1670 and poss. died Eastham abt 3 Jan 1714. She married Eastham 23 Apr 1696 John Rogers and they had eight children (Harwich): Ebenezer (1697/8), Thankful (1699), John (1701), Jonathan (1702/3), Benjamin (1704), Sarah (1706), Joseph (1708) and poss. Priscilla (c1710).
Sarah Hamlin was born Barnstable 1 Jul 1671 and died aft Jul 1743. She married twice, first Eastham bef 1695 Richard Higgins, then Eastham 15 Nov 1732 John Cole (no children). By her first husband she had ten children: Joshua (1695), Eleazer (1696/7), Theophilus (1698), Jediah (son, 1700), Zaccheus (1702), Esther (1704), David (1706), Reuben (1709), Moses (1711) and Abigail (1715).
Martha Hamlin was born Eastham 16 Feb 1672/3 and died there 15 Aug 1756. She married Eastham 3 Dec 1696 Samuel Doane and they had eight children (Eastham, now Orleans): Samuel (1697), Sarah (1699), Dinah (1700), Dorcas (1703), Solomon (1705), Simeon (1708), Martha (c1710) and Keturah (c1715).
Experience Hamlin was born Eastham 16 Apr 1674 and died Barnstable 26 Jul 1766. She married Barnstable 20 Feb 1695 Jabez Lewes/Lewis and they had six children: Eleanor (c1696), John (1696), Jabez (c1700), Elnathan (1702), Antipas (son, 1704) and Naomi (1708).
Hannah Hamlin was born Barnstable 16 Feb 1675/6 and is said to have died bef 6 Jul 1737. It is currently unknown to this compiler whether she ever married.
Esther Hamlin was born Barnstable 17 Mar 1677/8 and died there 1 Sep 1746. She married Barnstable 6 Mar 1704/5 her cousin Jonathan Hamlin and they had eight children (Barnstable): Solomon (1705), Content (dau, 1707), Priscilla (1709), Zaccheus (1711), Jonathan (c1715), Jabez (1717), Sarah (c1718) and Josiah (1720).
Abigail Hamlin was born Barnstable 24 Apr 1685 and died there 29 May 1733. She married Barnstable 13 Apr 1711 her cousin Elkanah Hamlin and they had seven children (Barnstable): Sylvanus (1712), Reuben (1713/4), Abigail (1715), John (1717), Rachel (1720-1722), Patience (1721) and Tabitha (1723).
Mary Nichols was born Barnstable 12 Feb 1672/3. Her further history is currently unknown to this compiler.
Abigail Nichols was born Barnstable 11 Feb 1680 and died Mansfield, CT 27 Nov 1754. She married twice, first James Murch then Mansfield 18 Apr 1728 Hugh Campbell (no children). It is currently unknown if she had any children by her first husband.
Experience Nichols was born Barnstable 8 Jan 1684. Her further history is currently unknown to this compiler.
Fourth Generation
- ↑ There was a Martha Bearse who witnessed a deed dated 29 Feb 1666. This was likely either the mother or the daughter.
- ↑ There was a Martha Bearse who witnessed a deed dated 29 Feb 1666. This was likely either the mother or the daughter.
- ↑ MtDNA testing of two matrilineal descendants of Priscilla as well as one matrilineal descendant of Priscilla's sister, Sarah, confirms that the wife of John Hall was Priscilla, daughter of Austin/Augustine Bearse.
- ↑ She was not the wife of William Hunter.
mtDNA results U5a1a1d20+146
According to Family Tree DNA results for Austin Bearse and his wife the mtDNA haplogroup for the wife of Austin Bearse falls under U5a1a1d. Under Family Tree DNA's new MitoTree, the clade falls under U5a1a1d20+146. This effectively eliminates the possibility that she was an Indian Princess as this haplogroup is of European origin.
