1792. Deacon Robert CUSHMAN
(882)
(883)(884)
(885)(886)
(887)(193) was born before
9 Feb 1577/78 in Rolveden, Kent, England. He was baptised on 9 Feb 1577/78 in
Rolveden, Kent, England. He was excommunicated about 1605 in St. Andrews Church,
Canterbury, England.(888) He was elected
as Deacon between 1609 and 1625.(889)
He died in 1625 in London, England. "One of the Leiden Separatist leaders,
.... He was apprentice to George Master; was excommunicated from St Andrews
Church, Canterbury, after saying that he could not be edified by going to that
church; was received back in the church in 1605; and in the same year became
a freeman of Canterbury, being described as a grocer.... He and John Carver
were chosen by their fellow Separatists to go to England (from Holland; 1617-20)
to negotiate for a patent to go to America, .... In 1621 he arrived at Plymouth
on the Fortune with son Thomas, but returned to England ...." (Plymouth
Colony)
"sailed on Speedwell, 1620, ..; sermonized on "Danger of Self-Love"*
soon after arrival of Fortune; returning to England to compose quarrel about
amended articles of agreement; captured by French pirates; planning to settle
in colony, died suddenly, London, 1625, probably of the plague." (Saints
..)
*(noted to be 'the first recorded sermon on American soil')
"He early became interested in the movement for greater freedom of religious
opinion and joined the little church at Scroby (England), with Rev. John Robinson,
Elder Brewster, Governor Carver, Governor Bradford, Isaac Allerton and others,
in 1602. Subsequently they removed to Holland, but were not satisfied with conditions
at Leyden (Holland) and resolved to make application to the Virginia Company,
whose authority extended over a considerable portion of the North American continent,
for liberty to settle in the company's territory in America. For that purpose
Robert Cushman and Deacon John Carver were selected to go to London in 1617 and
open negotiations. The mission was not successful. Later they arranged with
Thomas Weston and the Merchant Adventurers of London to go to America... He
was most active and influential in securing a Charter for the Plymouth Colony
and also for the first settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony at Cape Ann.
He continued to perform his duties as agent of the Colony in London, and did
his best to promote its interests. He died somewhat suddenly in 1625 before
he could return to America as he had planned." (Burt pp.75-76)
From the Cushman Memorial on Old Burial Hill, Plymouth, MA: "Fellow-Exile
with the Pilgrims in Holland, Afterwards their chief agent in England, Arrived
here 9-November, 1621, With Thomas Cushman his son: Preached 9-December His memorable
sermon on 'The Danger of Self-Love Ant the Sweetness of True Friendship:' Returned
to England 13-December, To vindicate the enterprise of Christian emigration;
And there remained in the service of the Colony Till 1625, When, having prepared
to make Plymouth His permanent home." (Burt, p. 67; Robert Cushman of Kent,
p. ii)
Translation from The Dutch Records at Leyden: "Robert Cushman, Woolcomber
from Canterbury, England, Widower of Sara Cushman, dwelling in a little alley
of the Nunsgate, accompanied by John Keble, his friend with Mary Shingleton from
Sandwich in England, widow of Thomas Shingleton, accompanied by Catharine Carver,
her friend, were married before Andries Jasperson VanVesanevelt and Jacob Peadts,
Sheriffs, this fifth of June 1617." (Burt, p. 56)
The following was posted by Paul Cushman on October 04, 1998 at 01:42:10, on
the Cushman Family Genealogy Forum, http://genforum.familytreemaker.com/cushman/:
"I recently returned from a trip to Rolvenden, Kent Co. England, (birthplace
of Robert CUSHMAN) where I did some snooping. I found his baptism listed in the
parish records as Robert Dutcheman son of Thomas Dutcheman. There were some 20
other references to Couchman, Coutcheman and Cushman. I found it interesting
that there are several Couchmans (pronounced cootchman)still in the area. I think
we are very likely related but have yet to make a positive connection. Does anyone
have knowledge of this connection? I believe that the spelling of Robert Cushman's
name was listed in the Leyden, Holland records at one point during the pilgrims'
exile as Croutchman. This leads me further to think that the pronunciation used
to be the same as the current Couchmans referred to above." He was married
to Sara REDER on 31 Jul 1606 in Canterbury, Kent, England.
(890) [This from the Registers of Parish of St. Alphege, Canterbury,
1606: "Robert Cushman unto Sara Reder dwelling within the precincts of Christ
Churche, ("The Cathedral") married 31" July.]
1793. Sara REDER(193) was
born about 1585 in Kent Co., England.(193)
She died on 11 Oct 1616 in Nonnenstag, Holland.
(192) Although not noticed in other sources, the Cushman Family Record
Sheets indicate that Robert and Sara had 3 children after the birth of their
son Thomas. Two of these children apparently died quite young and the third,
Sarah, died sortly after her marriage at about age 20 or 21. Children were:
896 i.
Elder Thomas CUSHMAN.
ii.
child #1 CUSHMAN(193) was born about
1611 in Leyden, Holland. He (or she) was buried on 11 Mar 1616.
iii.
child #2 CUSHMAN(193) was born about
1614 in Leyden, Holland. He (or she) was buried on 24 Oct 1616.
iv.
Sarah CUSHMAN(193) was born about
1615 in Leyden, Holland. She died in 1636/37. Married 2 Nov 1636 to Hoskins
or Haskins, William.
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