Locations of our Ancestors

Barnstable , Town of - county seat - formed 3 Sep 1639 (Indian name - Mattacheese, Mattakesse). Bourne , settled 1637 , incorporated 1884 (formerly part of Sandwich)(Manomet) Brewster , settled 1653 , incorporated 1803 (formerly part of Harwich)(Potenumacut) Chatham , settled 1656 , incorporated 11 June 1712 (Monomoy) Dennis or Dennus - settled 1639 , incorporated 1793 (formerly East Precinct of Yarmouth)(Nobscusset) Eastham , settled 3 March 1645 , incorporated 2 June 1646 (Nauset) Falmouth , incorporated 1636 (Succonessett) Harwich , settled 1688 , incorporated 1694 (Satucket) Mashpee , incorporated 1694 (Satucket) Orleans , settled 1777 , incorporated 1797 (Namskaket) Provincetown , settled 1714 , incorporated 14 June 1727 (seperated from Truro)(Meeshaum) Sandwich , " On 3 April 1637 the court gave permission for ten men, from Saugus in the Bay Colony, to search out sufficient lands to settle sixty families." , incoroporated 1639 (Shawme) Truro , settled 1676 , incorporated 1769 (Pamet) Wellfleet , settled 1644 , incorporated 1763 (from the North Precinct of Eastham)(Pononakrnet) Yarmouth , " On 7 January 1638/39, the Court of Assistants granted lands at "Mattacheeset, now called Yarmouth' to Mr. Anthony Thacher, Mr. Thomas Howes, Mr. John Crow,..." (pg 65 , ibid) It is interesting to note that if you extend the original town lines out into Cape Cod Bay, they intersect at one point in the middle of the bay. This is probably the location of the anchored survey ship that was used to survey the lines (Possibly at night with the aid of a light on the ship.) Barnstable Boundry   Barnstable County is bounded by Cape Cod Bay ( north ) , Nantucket Sound and the Islands ( Dukes County and Nantucket ) ( south ) , the Atlantic Ocean and Plymouth County ( west ) .   Barnstable County , Massachusettes History Pre - European Settlement Plymouth Colony and Barnstable County   The - Mayflower - and its 99 passengers landed at Plymouth on 21 November 1620.  The - Fortune - arrived in November 1621. The - Anne - and the - Little James -  followed so that by 1624 there are about 180 persons.  It is the late 1630's when we see settlements formed in what is now - Barnstable County - . In Sandwich there are some families led by Rev. John Vincent before 1637.  We find settlers in Yarmouth before 1639 and the town of Barnstable in 1638.  Eastham is the fourth area settled in March 1644.