Ancestors of Martha's Vineyard III: The Homestead of Robert Luce

 

 

My 9^th great-grandparents, Henry Luce and Remember Litchfield, were the parents of ten children. I'm descended from Robert and Remember, their two eldest children. The focus of this post is Robert, my 8^th great-grandfather and their first-born child. 

 

[See the 27 Oct 2025 post, The Ancestors of Martha’s Vineyard I: the Merry Family, for details about Remember Luce, my 8^th great-grandmother.]  

 

Robert Luce (1667-1714)

Desire (last name unknown) 

maternal 8^th great-grandparents  

 

Robert was born in Scituate, Massachusetts and was the first Luce child born in the New England colonies. In 1668, his parents moved to Rehoboth, where his sister, Remember, was born in 1669. Two years later the family moved to Martha's Vineyard. 

 

Robert and his wife, Desire, whose surname was possibly Norton (a common name on the Vineyard), were married about 1687. They were the parents of seven children, four daughters and three sons. All were born and married in Tisbury. Unfortunately, details are lacking on most of the Luce family.  

 

• Judith (1689-unknown) married Jonathan Dunham in 1718. 
• Henry Luce II (1690-1769) and Hannah Merry (1692-1780) married in 1710. They were my 7^th great-grandparents. 
• Samuel (1692-1760) married Thankful (last name unknown) about 1717. 
• Jonathan (1696-1763) married Lydia Burgess in 1724. He was a church deacon with responsibilities such as managing church finances and distributing aid to the poor.
• Desire (1700-unknown) married Joseph Burgess about 1721.
• Mary (1701-unknown) married Jacob Robinson in 1724.
• Mercy (1703-unknown) married Shubael Luce in 1724. 

 

− THE HOMESTEAD − 

 

In 1687, Robert built a home near Lambert's Cove on Martha's Vineyard. It was similar to the 1686 Jethro Coffin house below, the oldest house on Nantucket Island. Both are typical Colonial New England 1½-story frame, saltbox-style houses. Named after the shape of the boxes used to store salt, their iconic sloped roofs make them easily identifiable. 

 

Left: A rotogravure photo of the Jethro Coffin house on Nantucket Island taken ca. 1910. (Photo Credit: Digital Commonwealth CC BY-NC-ND) 

 

Transcription: THE ANTIQUE HUNTER LOVES THIS PLACE−Built in 1686, this house still stands as one of the oldest, if not the most ancient house, on Nantucket Island. Visitors now pay for the privilege of inspecting its interior. 

 

 

 

 

Incredibly, Robert's house still stands today. Although additions have been made, the original part of the house has the same characteristics as those of the Jethro Coffin house. [Photos and descriptions of the additions can be viewed in the link below. There are 69 photos in the listing.]

 

Saltbox-style roof on the Robert Luce house. (Photo credit: Trulia.com)

 

The Robert Luce homestead, which included 21 acres of land, was sold in "as is" condition for $5,999,000 on 1 December 2021. According to its Trulia.com listing, the house was last updated in 1995. An excerpt from the description states: 

 

"The Robert Luce homestead now known as Red Farm is one of the first and oldest English style houses in West Tisbury and is still on the original site. The antique homestead has been carefully renovated preserving the character of exposed framing, the builder's marks, and the large cooking fireplace with bread oven."

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Red Farm on Martha's Vineyard.         (Photo credit: Trulia.com) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Right: Aerial view of the Robert 

           Luce homestead.                              (Photo credit: Trulia.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main house at Red Farm (Photo credit: Trulia.com)

The bread oven in the fireplace can be seen in the photo on the left. (Photo credit: Trulia.com)

− THE SHIPS ON THE WALL −

 

A 1992 article published in The Dukes County Intelligencer revealed some remarkable discoveries on Martha's Vineyard. It was written by Jonathan Scott, a Professor of Art and Architectural History and owner of a Martha's Vineyard company that specializes in building restorations. The title, "Historic Ship Drawings Found on Boards in Early Houses," immediately caught my attention. My interest in old ships is minimal, but the architecture of old houses and the treasures that can be revealed are another story.

 

When Jonathan's crew stripped down some of the Vineyard houses to expose their original states, they often found drawings of ships on floors, wood-paneled walls, and on exterior boards. The drawings had been carved by a knife or some other sharp object. Jonathan emphasized that these were akin to graffiti, possibly done by young boys or carpenters. However, the carvings were done with enough skill and detail that it was possible to identify various types of ships from the "early Colonial period and slightly later," about 1630 through the early to mid-1700s. 

 

Jonathan Scott's article exposed one of those unexpected treasures — it included information on Robert Luce's house. During major renovations in 1973, numerous "very early carved ship drawings" were discovered in the then 286-year-old house. The details were impressive. Two of the carvings depicted sloops that were built in the early 1700s. Tony Higgins, a member of the crew, photographed the carvings. When combined with characteristics in the construction of the house, Jonathan and others were able to confirm its age, as well as the types of vessels that were commonly seen in the waters around the Island.    

  

(Scott, 120)

 

(Scott, 122)

 

Tragically and "according to tradition," Robert Luce died by drowning while sailing from Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard to Nantucket. The circumstances and exact date of his death are unknown, but he died sometime before 27 April 1714. That was the date his eldest son, Henry, was appointed administrator of his estate. (Banks, Vol. 3, 249) 

With the ship carvings in mind, Jonathan Scott wondered "... if it might have been a sloop like this one, pictured on a board in his own house, that carried Robert Luce to a watery grave off Nantucket."   

  

*               *               * 

 

− SOURCES −

 

Banks, Charles E. The History of Martha’s Vineyard, Duke’s County, Massachusetts, Vol III. (1931). Edgartown: Dukes County Historical Society, 1925. Google Books. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067299883&seq=26 

 

Jackson, B. Darrell. “The Family of Henry and Remember Luce of Martha’s Vineyard.” The New England Historical and Genealogical Register 177 (Summer 2023):245-257. 

 

"Listing 73-72 83 89 9 Red Farm." Trulia.com. https://www.trulia.com/home/73-72-83-89-9-red-farm-west-tisbury-ma-02575-2070459972 

 

Scott, Jonathan. “Historic Drawings Found On Boards in Early Houses,” 115-128. The Dukes County Intelligencer, Volume 33, Number 3 (February 1992). PDF file. Martha's Vineyard Museum. https://mvmuseum.org/ [Search for “MV Museum 1992-A-Feb.pdf” to download the file.]

*               *               *

 

 

 

Bradish-Scott Family History − January 2026

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ancestors of Martha's Vineyard II: the Immigrant Henry Luce

 

Dr. Charles Banks was an authority on Martha's Vineyard and its residents. His three-volume series, The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, published between 1911 and 1925, was the result of twenty years of research and writing. The volumes contain a wealth of information about the history of the island and its residents. The quote below, taken from the third volume, refers to my 9th great-grandfather, Henry Luce, the progenitor of the Luce family in Colonial New England. 

   

− ORIGINS –

 

Henry Luce I (1640-1687)

Remember Litchfield (1644-1708)

maternal 9th great-grandparents

                                                               

Unfortunately, Banks wasn't wrong. Finding information about Henry has been a challenge. Little is known about his early life or what circumstances motivated him to make the long voyage across the Atlantic to the New England colonies. The lack of information also extends to his children and other descendants. 

 

Henry, the immigrant ancestor in our Luce line, arrived in Plymouth Colony in the early 1660s. Neither his origin nor the exact year of his arrival is clear. Some sources say Henry was from Gloucester, England, while others claim he was from Wales. There are valid arguments for both. 

 

An informal study done in 1990 (Swanström) found the surname Luce in only two places: the Isle of Jersey in the Channel Islands and in southwestern England north and northeast of Bristol. In that study, the Jersey Islanders were ruled out as Henry's possible forebears, since members of that group appear to have emigrated to Canada. 

On the other hand, Gloucester is about 20 miles from the River Wye (pronounced "why") 

which forms the southern part of the border between Wales and England. It seems reasonable to say Henry was from that region, even though the exact location hasn't been determined.  

 

Map of Wales-England Border. (Wikimedia Commons - User:DankJae CC BY-SA 4.0)

− THE ELUSIVE HENRY LUCE I − 

  

The first record of Henry is found in Scituate, Plymouth Colony where his name is recorded as a juror on 13 November 1666. There are no records of his marriage to Remember Litchfield, but it probably took place in Scituate in 1666, since their first child, Robert, my 8th great-grandfather, was born there in 1667. Remember, my 8th great-grandmother, was born 16 November 1668, in Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony where Henry had purchased land. The family's final move was to Martha's Vineyard after Henry bought a home lot in West Tisbury on 1 February 1671. 

 

Eight more children were born on the Vineyard — all boys:    

 

        Israel (1671-1727)                   Thomas (1679-1727)

        Experience (1673-1747)            William (1681-1734)

        Eleazer (1675-1740)                 David (1683-1752) 

        Henry II (1677-unk)                 Josiah (1685-1748)

 

Henry's home lot was located on the west side of Old Mill River (now called Mill Brook), about forty rods (220 ft) north of Scotchman's Bridge Road (now Scotchmans Lane). There is still a house there the same distance from the road as Henry’s.

 

(Google map with added labeling)

 

In addition to his home lot, Henry also owned property at Great Neck near West Tisbury, in Kuppiegon (now Cape Higgon), and 60 acres in Christian Town bordering James Pond. Through the years, family members bought, sold, and transferred land among themselves, as well as with other island residents. These land records provided Banks with valuable information about the family in the absence of vital records. 

 

Henry Luce's property locations on Martha's Vineyard.

 

− THE PURCHASE & SETTLEMENT OF MARTHA’S VINEYARD –

 

Henry Luce bought his land on the Vineyard 30 years after its purchase by Thomas Mayhew, Sr., a merchant and Puritan who was originally from Tisbury, Wiltshire County, England. Thomas, his wife, Abigail (Anna) Parkhurst, and son, Thomas, Jr., arrived in New England with Winthrop’s fleet of 1630. The family settled in Watertown about six miles west of Boston. In 1641, while Mayhew was doing business near Boston, he learned about Nantucket, the Elizabeth Islands, and Martha’s Vineyard. All the islands were owned by William Alexander, Earl of Sterling who had been granted a charter by King Charles I. Thomas, Sr. purchased the islands for £40 (about $11,630 in 2025) and two beaver hats. Not long after, Mayhew sold Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands. 

 

Google map with added locations

Thomas, Sr. intended to live on Martha’s Vineyard, home to approximately 3,000 Wampanoag who were the first inhabitants of the island over 10,000 ago before. But first he sent his son, Thomas, Jr., to establish a settlement. Thomas, Jr. and about a dozen families founded Edgartown in 1642. That same year, his father appointed himself governor of the island. It was a harbinger of things to come.

 

Thomas, Jr. learned the Wampanoag language, and became a successful missionary to the tribe. The Wampanoag and the English lived in peace due to Thomas, Jr.’s ministry and his father’s fairness when purchasing parcels of Wampanoag land. In 1657, Mayhew sent Thomas, Jr., who was about 37, to England on business. After its departure, the ship and all that were aboard were never seen again. It was a tremendous loss for Thomas, Sr. He then turned to his grandson, Matthew Mayhew, to assist him in managing the affairs of the Vineyard.

 

− THE SEEDS OF DISCONTENT –

 

When Henry and his family arrived on Martha's Vineyard in 1671, the island been under the rather lax jurisdiction of Massachusetts Bay Colony for decades. Consequently, the self-proclaimed governor had experienced little oversight. It enabled him to establish what would be a long-lived, self-serving Vineyard government. From the beginning, Mayhew surrounded himself with family members who would support his policies in the affairs of the island. They were not beneficial to the general population, but there was no one to challenge his authority.

 

After the English took Manhattan from the Dutch in 1664, King Charles II included Martha’s Vineyard in lands he gave to his brother, James, the Duke of York. Thomas Mayhew became concerned — he didn't want his authority challenged. Did Massachusetts still have authority over the Vineyard or was it now New York and, if so, how would that affect him?

In 1671, Mayhew traveled to New York to meet with New York’s Governor Francis Lovelace. A settlement was reached that left Thomas Mayhew in a very good place. Martha’s Vineyard was now officially under the jurisdiction of the Province of New York. It was farther away than Massachusetts, so he expected there would be little oversight due to the distance. Even better, Governor Lovelace named Thomas Mayhew “Governor for Life” of Martha’s Vineyard. He didn't waste any time beginning to wield his newly enhanced power. But there would be repercussions. This arrangement had few supporters outside the Mayhew family.

 

At that time, there were about 40 individual families on Martha's Vineyard, including Thomas Mayhew and his extended family. Even as a newcomer, it wouldn't have taken long for Henry to become aware of the tension between the general population and the Mayhews.  

 

The settlers, some of whom had been on the island since the beginning, had many grievances, including

• a tax collection agency packed with members of the Mayhew family, 

• unfair trials because the court was filled with Mayhew family members, 

• no elections because Mayhew was now “Governor for Life” on Martha's Vineyard, 

• some residents paying a disproportionate share of taxes without having any say in the government, 

• a feudal system where landowners were required to pay rent on their own properties because they happened to be within the bounds of Thomas Mayhew's newly created Tisbury Manor. 

Needless to say, the majority of Islanders were incensed. 

 

Then, in August 1673, the Dutch regained control of New York. 

 

− A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY –

After the Dutch seizure of New York, it was unclear if Massachusetts now had jurisdiction over the Vineyard. The majority (by only one) of Vineyard landowners, led by Simon Athearn, decided to use the situation as an opportunity to take action. A letter authored by Thomas Burchard was sent to 80-year-old Thomas Mayhew, politely requesting that he step down and allow an election. They even guaranteed that he would be reelected, but that subsequent elections would take place. It was signed by twenty men, including Henry Luce. (Banks, v.1, 156)

Thomas Mayhew flatly refused. 

The signature of Henery Luce. (Banks, v. 2, 54) 

The twenty men who signed the Thomas Mayhew letter. (Banks, v.1, 158)

 

On October 15, Simon Athearn and Thomas Burchard sent a petition to Massachusetts Governor John Leverett in the hope that he could help them. The same men signed it. Governor Leverett, not wanting to insert himself in the contentious matter, turned them down.

 

− THE “DUTCH” REBELLION of 1673 –

 

Even though Thomas Mayhew still had a firm hold on the island and its affairs, the people didn't give up. The settler of Martha's Vineyard had been guaranteed certain freedoms and rights in the original 1641 purchase agreement with the Earl of Sterling — Mayhew was ignoring them.

Per the original agreement, if Mayhew founded a new colony, which he had, he was bound by the terms of that agreement, specifically, “… it is agreed that the government that the said Thomas Mayhew and Thomas Mayhew his son and their associates shall set up shall be such as is now established in the Massachusetts aforesaid.” (Banks, v.1, 82) 

 

[The Massachusetts government allowed only Puritan men who were church members and owned property to vote for the governor and representatives to the General Court. While restrictive, it did allow a segment of the citizens to take part in the selection of their leaders.]

 

When guaranteed freedoms are taken away by someone whose goal is to have complete, unrestricted control, resistance or outright rebellion become the only options. The disgruntled, disgusted citizens chose the latter and formed their own government. It was short-lived. In November 1674, the English regained control of New York and Thomas Mayhew was once again backed by the Governor of New York.

 

− THE AFTERMATH –

 

The vengeful, elderly Thomas Mayhew (1593-1682), Governor for Life of Martha’s Vineyard and Lord of Tisbury Manor, levied fines and made arrests. Some of the petitioners left the island permanently. Simon Athearn, in particular, paid dearly as the main instigator of the rebellion. 

 

Whether Henry Luce suffered significantly under the Mayhew regime is unknown. It’s possible he didn't endure the heavy fines and other punitive measures imposed upon Simon Athearn, Thomas Burchard, the Nortons, and others for two reasons. Henry was a relative newcomer on the Vineyard and didn't have an extensive history with the Mayhews. Also, Henry’s daughter, Remember, was the daughter-in-law of Thomas Mayhew’s niece, Elizabeth Parkhurst Merry. 

 

[Elizabeth's husband, Joseph Merry, was one of the men who didn't sign the petition to Governor Leverett. Elizabeth and Joseph are my 8th great-grandparents. See the 27 Oct 2025 post, The Ancestors of Martha's Vineyard I: the Merry Family.] 

 

Thomas Mayhew died in 1682. He was succeeded by his equally oppressive grandson, Matthew Mayhew. In reference to the Athearns, Charles Banks wrote that, “for the remaining years of their lives it was a vendetta that knew no surcease”. The Mayhew-Athearn feud would continue for generations.   

 

Even under the ongoing Mayhew regime, Henry served as surveyor of highways in 1675, juror in 1677 and 1681, and a selectman in 1687. He died sometime between 3 February 1687, the date of his last land transaction, and 12 March 1689, when his wife, Remember, purchased land in her own name.

 

The rule of the Mayhew family ended when a new charter under King William III and Queen Mary II took effect in 1692. It directed the Province of New York to cede Martha's Vineyard to the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Fifty years of Mayhew oppression was over. 

 

Descendants of Henry Luce and Remember Litchfield still live on Martha's Vineyard. 

 

Sunset at Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard (taken by Jody Bradish 19 May 2025)

 

 *               *               * 

− SOURCES −

Banks, Charles E. The History of Martha’s Vineyard, Duke’s County, Massachusetts, Vol I. Boston: G.H. Dean, 1911. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/historyofmarthas01bank/page/n8/mode/1up

 

Banks, Charles E. The History of Martha’s Vineyard, Duke’s County, Massachusetts, Vol II. Boston: George H. Dean, 1911. Internet Archive.

https://archive.org/details/historyofmarthas02bank/page/n12/mode/ 

 

Banks, Charles E. The History of Martha’s Vineyard, Duke’s County, Massachusetts, Vol III. (1931). Edgartown: Dukes County Historical Society, 1925. Google Books. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067299883&seq=26

 

Jackson, B. Darrell. “The Family of Henry and Remember Luce of Martha’s Vineyard.” The New England Historical and Genealogical Register 177 (Summer 2023):245-257.

 

McCourt, Martha F. The American descendants of Henry Luce of Martha’s Vineyard. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1994. Internet Archive. www.archive.org

 

Norton, Henry Franklin and Pyne, Robert Emmett, publishers. Martha’s Vineyard. 1923. http://history.vineyard.net/hfnorton/history.htm

Norton, James H.K. "Mayhew, Tear Down This Wall." February 10, 2011. The Vineyard Gazette. https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2011/02/10/mayhew-tear-down-wall

Swanström, Justin. "The English Origin of Henry Luce." (1989, 2006). Yellacat Ranch: A genealogical journal. https://www.yellacatranch.com/about/

*               *               *

 

 

Bradish-Scott Family History — January 2026