Captain James Sands

     Important Notes: Much research is being done trying to discover the parentage of our Captain James Sandys/Sands. It is stated by the viewing of the Family Crests of both Archbishop Edwin Sandys & that of Captain James Sands that they differ only in the addition of a hood. Also, decendants of the Sandys family of Esthwaite & Graythwaite have compared portraits of members of those families with portraits of James Sands family and have been intrigued in the many similarities. For now, with this information, it seems most likely that James belongs to the lineage of Archbishop Edwin & Cicely or that of the Archbidop's father. We feel that the line of the Reverend Henry Sandys & Elizabeth Goff as well as that of Henry Sandys & Pricilla Chauncy do not seem to fit the parentage of our Captain James. klm 9/24/2016.⁴ James was born between 14 March 1621 and 13 March 1622 in England. In 1638, James came to Plymouth, Massachusetts from Reading, Berkshire, England. In 1642, he was at East Chester, Westchester County, New York. He removed to Portsmouth, Rhode Island where he gained grants of land on 5 October 1643 & served the community in various compacities until 1660. At this time, he in the company of others purchased Block Island from the Indians. This same group settled on the island a year later. James received a 1/16 share of the island. He again served in public office in this community at least until the year 1676. James was a commisioner to the General Court & had been commander of the New Shoreham Company. He turned his house into a fort & garrisoned it. The house became company headquarters during King Philip's War [1675-1676]. James was a planter & physician. His wife was also a physician & nurse. James married Sarah Walker, daughter of John Walker and Katherine (?), in 1645 in Portsmouth, Newport County, Rhode Island. James made his will on 18 June 1694 at Block Island, Washington County, Rhode Island.

In the name of God Amen, I JAMES Sands of Block Island Alias New Shoreham in the Colony of Rhode Island & Province &Plantations, bring sick and weak of Body, but of Sound and perfect memory praises be therefore given to Almighty God doe make & order this my Last Will & Testament, in manner & form following; that is to say first & principally I commend my Soul into the hand of Almighty God having through the merits death and passion of my Savior Jesus Christ to have full & free pardon of all Sins & to inherit Eternal Life, and my body I commit to ye Earth to be decently Buried at the discretion of my Executrix hereafter named. And as touching & disposition of all Such temporal Estate as it hath pleased God almighty to bestow upon me I give & dispose thereof as followeth: First I Will that all my Debts & funeral Charges be first paid & discharged – Item first I give uto my dear & loving wife Sarah Sands all whole estate Real & personal upon Block Island during her natural life; housing & Lands, living stock & other Estate whatsoever which now belongeth properly to me not yet conveyed by me to any other; but after the decease of my dear wife I give & dispose of all my Lands as followeth: first I give unto my son James Sands to him his heirs executors administrators & assigns My tracr of Land in ye South East Called ye high land & wegoshick be it more or less lying as it is now found butted on the East by ye sea on ye north by ye Stone wall of my cow pasture, by the south by my son John Sands’s land formerly Mr. Guttory’s, on ye west on land I gave my son Samuel fenced partly by _____ partly by a hedge; Also I give unto said son James half ye orchard my great Swamp ye land to contain two Acres and a half for ye orchard aforesaid, and also all my part of the Great lott in ye neck lying between my son John Sands and ye formerly Mr. Terry east & west, Secondly I give unto my son Samuel Sands his heirs Executors Administrators 7 assigns all ye tract of Land that is now left out To the Lands in common in Southeast commonly called wegoshick plain and Mr. Whartons ald field butted on the south with son Johns land her had of Mr. Guttory the west by son Johns land and mill river & partly on Great Swamp in ye north with ye Stone wall on the east by James Sands by the Stone wall & the hedge and; and all medows that belong to me in Corn neck: also I give to each son James Sands Samuel Sands a sufficient highway to their several parts of land in Southeast before mentioned to be through ye cow pasture where _____ best to their convenience & they are to maintain sufficient gates of bars to prevent trespasses & damage to the other son & also I give unto my youngest son Edward Sands his heirs and assigns all my homestead namely my cow pasture & meadows and Ram pasture I field before ye door & Calves pasture & great Swamp & half the orchard being bounded as they are now fenced on every side with ye mill & all other benefits to them belonging & to my other son John Sands & to my Daughter Sarah Niels wife of Nathaniel Neils who I have given formerly what estate good assigned them. I do hereby confirm to each of them according their ______ ______ land to them and their heirs & assigns forever. And to my daughter Mercy Raymond wife of Joshua Raymond who upon her marriage I gave four ____ acres of Land in Corn Neck unto: and by deed of gift ordered to her my said daughter & her heirs ____ together of her now upon good _____ considerations good the said land in the neck being four score acres _____ _____ intailments to be my said _________ her husband Joshua Raymond to them their heirs executors administrators & assigns forever to use improve & sell and dispose as they shall think best also I will that all living Stock and household goods & Chattels and any moveables estate whatsoever that my dear wife Sarah Lands shall have the disposing of it where and to home she thinks best all the rest & residue of any other Estate belonging to me that may appear good now give unto my dear wife who I will & appoint shall be my sole executrix of this my last will & testament and to hereby revoak disannul all other former wills and testaments by me heretofore signed by me ____ of ____James Sands have set my hand & seal on June ye 18^th anno 1694 - - - signed and sealed - - - James Sands [his mark] - -- Witnesses: Symon Ray John Rathbon Christopher _____Joseph Rathbon.^1,5

He wrote a codicil to his will on 24 February 1695.

Be it known unto all men by these presence that I James Sands Senior of Block Island alias New Shoreham in Rhode Island Colony & Providence Plantation but by the providence of Almighty God at this present very Crasy week and Sicke of body but of sound and perfect mind and memory blessed be the Lord for ye second ____ be there Good & soled consideration do add this small codishall for my Last Will & Testament made this last summer past wherein I have _____ ______ land to my several sons as therein expressed whereas I have _____ ______ Samuel Sands his share of landI gave to my youngest son Edward on _____ ye land I have willed to my son James Sands and on ye west with my son John Sands land called his calves pasture I will that James Sands shallmaintain the portion fence between Samuel Sands & his share of land in good repair for him to Samuel for the full space of ten years to be maintained_____ James proper charge and after ten years expired to be maintained as neighbors ought to do and my son Edward Sands require to do the same to maintain all the fences in ye line between them in good repair ____ ____ like wifes and also to maintain Samuels shaer of fence between son John Sands calves pasture and Samuel if John require _________________maintained by his brother Samuel also my son James Sands _________ at equal charge with Edward Sands in maintaining said fence between his and Samuel said fence which is now maintained by my son John Sands be required to be maintained as fences generally are maintained by neighbors to be only during ye ten years aforesaid – Secondly I will and desire that my son Samuel Sands shall have ye one full half of all my upland in ye Corn neck bounded by the highway on ye west William Rathbon and ___ several ____ North Fors Swamp on east Mr. Guttory land one the south ye one half - - - I will to Samuel he shall devise equally with James and lastly I will that my son Samuel shall have his full part of all ye land I have give him and what formerly in my last will and testament I have bequeathed to be immediately in his possession his heirs or assigns for ever to b delivered at my decease for his proper particular use and benefit as witness my hand and Seal in ye year of our lord 1694 February ye 24^th day.⁵

James departed this life on Sunday, 13 March 1694/95 in New Shoreham, Block Island. He was buried at Block Island, Washington County, Rhode Island. His tombstone was a large recumbent sandstone slab bearing the inscription: "Lyes In Tyrred the Body of Mr. James Sands, Seniour aged 73 Years Departed This life March The 13 1695".⁶ His will was probated on 6 May 1695.