George Bunker/Elizabeth – Jane Godfrey Descendants

The Bunker family is another early settler of Massachusetts and Nantucket Island. The earliest of the Bunkers to settle in New England were George Bunker and his children William and Elizabeth. This family came to America before the birth of Mary Bunker in 1652 to George and his second wife, Jane.

The historical record for this family demonstrates some of the problems associated with these early emigrants to this continent: sketchy, incomplete or confusing records. Bunker family historians have been able to identify Thomas and his birth/baptism in England, his marriage to Elizabeth Godfrey and the birth of his first two children in England. These researchers have not located evidence as to when they family came to Massachusetts. Once in Massachusetts Thomas’ wife is known by the given name “Jane,” leading some to speculate that either Elizabeth died as they were crossing the Atlantic and her body disposed of at sea and that Thomas married “Jane” after his arrival in Massachusetts. Or these researchers speculate that Elizabeth had a middle name and chose to use that name after she arrived in the New World. Most of the Bunker historians seem to prefer the theory of two wives. I am inclined to concur in that individuals of this era tended not to have two given names — especially among the middle and lower classes. The practice of two given names seems to have taken hold in the second half of the 19th century – at least as I have seen in my family researches.

The family records show that most of those who came before us lived in Massachusetts and Nantucket Island. George probably came to America as an indentured servant and earned his freedom in 1655. George died three year later when a wagon he was driving overturned in a river and he drowned.

Shortly afterwards Jane married Richard Swain who continued to look after Jane and her five children. This is the second marriage for both Richard Swain and Jane.* Richard and Jane moved from Topsfield, Massachusetts to Nantucket Island where he continued to look after Jane and her five children. Jane Bunker Swain has the distinction of the first person to have died and been buried on Nantucket Island

More details of the family are provided with the genealogical records.

An interesting fact is that this early family was a member of the Quakers in Nantucket and in North Carolina. I found the family surname repeatedly when researching various members of the family line in New England and North Carolina. The family is very early on linked to the Coffin family of Massachusetts and Nantucket Island. It is through this family that I am related to Jonathan “Joe” Field (see story of one fishing trip).

The Line of Descent from the Bunker family:

1. George Bunker/Elizabeth Godfrey
2. William Bunker/Mary Macy
3. Ann Bunker/Nathaniel Paddock
4. Priscilla Paddock/William Coffin
5. Abijah Coffin/Elizabeth Robinson
6. Priscilla Coffin/James Anderson
7. Harmon Anderson/Margaret Horney
8. Haramont Nathaniel Anderson/Margaret Holmes
9. Haramont Nathaniel Anderson/Frances Mae Turner

* The Debra Backman DeMarco Family Tree at Ancestry.com provides much additional historical information about early settlers in Massachusetts. The documents included at this site are particularly interesting and useful. Please do note that Ancestry is a subscription service, you will need a membership to read these documents and view the record for Richard Swain.