Recently Discovered Information Regarding the Otis family of Dover, NH

While the Genealogy of the Otis family is one of the earliest family histories to appear in the New England Historical Genealogical Society Register, no mention had been made of a connection between Rose Otis and the royal families of Europe. An autobiographical memoir written in the 17th century by Baron Nicholas Stoughton, shows that Rose Stoughton's g-grandfather Thomas Stoughton, married Elizabeth Lewkenor, the daughter of Edmund Lewkenor.

Early in the year 2000, Mr. Martin Hollick, a research librarian at San Carlos Library, undertook the additional research, which was necessary to establish that this Edmund Lewkenor was the son of Sir Roger Lewkenor and Lady Mary West. Sir Roger was known to descend from royal lines. In the process of his research, Mr. Hollick proved yet another royal line. Mr. Hollick has graciously provided me copies of the source material he uncovered during the course of his research.

Similarly, Richard Otis of Dover has been widely, though incorrectly, reported as being first noted in New England in 1655, and at least one author has him marrying Rose Stoughton while still in England. A trawl of early New Hampshire court records shows that a Richard Otes filed a complaint, which was heard at Dover on 20 October 1652. Perhaps of greater importance is the fact that the complaint was on behalf of Francis Smyth, who had settled at Hingham by 1635. Smyth received a grant of three acres of land on the south side of "Otis Hill."

John Otis, who historians have called both the father and the uncle of Richard Otis, was granted land at Hingham as early as 1631 and in 1636 he was granted ten acres on a hill which has since been known as "Otis Hill."

It is hoped that this newly discovered association between Richard Otis, Francis Smyth and "Otis Hill," will help Otis family researchers in determining whether John or Stephen Otis was the father of Richard Otis of Dover.