The Minor Family of Somerset

He was sued for an unpaid debt pf 16 pounds in 1668, the case wa
s settled outof court. He served on the jury of the trial tha
t caused King phillip's War, June 1 1675. His inventory prove
s he was a soldier in this war as he possessed a trooper's equip
ment and his grandson Jedidiah was left a share of Narraganset
t Township 7, now Gorham, Maine, and such Grants were only mad
e to veterans or direct heirs of veterans of said war.
He was a member of a Grand Inquest on 7 Jan 1676, elected consta
ble of Eastham on May 5 1685, and was juryman for the County Cou
rt at Barnstable on 6 Sep 1686. he was elected Selectman for Ea
stham on 4 June 1688, was a member of the Grand Jury on 28 Aug 1
689, and was Selectman again from 3 June 1690. He was Granted "
a parcel of meadow at the harbor's mouth" on 16 Apr 1678 and the
n on March 14 1690 he was Granted more land at the "Bishop's but
ter hole."
Benjamin probably lived on lands which he received from his fath
er in Pochet, now in East Orleans. "Benjamin Higgins hath a mar
e of a Brownish bay color and one white foot, the otherthree fe
et partly white, with a white strip on her face, and running bro
adtoward the right notstil a piece cut out of the top side th
e near ear, and burn marked with E on the near shoulder" 14 Jul
y 1664.
On 2 Mar 1668/9 Benjamin was sued by Peregrine White for a deb
t of 16 pounds. The disagreement wassettled out of court and t
he suit was withdrawn. On 1 June 1675 Benjamin waso ne of th
e jury in a trial which caused the outbreak of King Philip's War
. In 1662 Massasoit Sachem of the Wampanoags died and was succe
eded by his son Wamsutta, or Alexander who also died suddenly i
n 1662 possibly due to being poisoned by the English. His brothe
r Meacom or Philip succeeded him as Sachem and was appropriatel
y suspicious of the English and did not trust them. AnIndian co
nvert of Rev Eliot's named Sassamon accompanied Philip to Bosto
nas an interpreter and was his aide for some time. Sassamon, h
owever betrayedPhilip's secrets to the English concerning the S
achem's preparations for warbecause of his brother's supposed m
urder. Philip caught wind of this and wnt to Plymouth to free h
imself of suspicion. In the spring of the next year 1675, Sassa
mon was discovered in Assowomset Pond. An investigation led to t
he belief that he had been murdered the previous winter and hi
s body thrown under the ice. Three Indians were arrested base
d on the testimony of another Indian who was an eye witness. th
e three were convicted by the jury, which included Benjamin, an
d were executed. This prompted the Wampanoags to declarewar
. Benjamin was again on the jury in 1685 and on the grand jur
y in 1689.
Because of his shre in starting this conflict it is appropriat
e that he wasa soldier in that war. His grandson received a gr
ant in Narragansett Township No. 7 (Gorham, Me) for his grandfat
her's services.
"In answer to a petition prefered to the Court by Benjamin Higge
ns in right of his father deceased,to be accommodated with lan
d at Saconett (now Little Compton, RI) with the ptenors and serv
ants there, the Court, generally conceiving that the said Richar
d Higgens had wronge in that he was not accommodted in the sai
d land withthe rest, severall of the ptenors being present di
d engage before the Courtthat in case the petitioner sHall an
d do make his addresses to the rest of the companie interested i
n those lands that they will pswade them that altho hee can no
t be supplyed out of the devided land of it, that he may bee com
petently supplyed in the undevided land thereof." 1 June 1675.
"The mark of thecattle of Benjamin Higgins is a piece cut off s
lanting on the fore side of the near ear, and a slit in where th
e piece is cut out. Entered this 17th April 1680"
On 5 May 1685 Benjamin was elected constable of the town and wa
s confirmed by the General Court on 2 June 1685. He w