HISTORICAL SKETCHES. 167 



" James Coffin, his son, was born in England Aug. 

 1, 1640; came when a child with his father to Salis- 

 bury; came with Edward Starbuck, Thomas Macy's 

 family, and Isaac Coleman to Nantucket in an open 

 boat in the autumn of 1659. He was one of the pro- 

 prietors of Nantucket. Married in December, 1663, 

 Mary Severence of Salisbury, by whom he had four- 

 teen children. He was a justice of peace, and upon 

 the death of John Gardner in 1706 was appointed, by 

 Gov. Joseph Dudley, judge of probate, which office 

 he held twelve years. He died July 28, 1720, aged 

 eighty years, wanting four days." 



Thomas Macy neither fled from persecution nor did 

 he abandon his property. He was not the man to do 

 either. One of his replies to his wife during a storm 

 on this memorable voyage shows his mettle: " Woman, 

 go below and seek thy God. I fear not the witches on 

 earth, nor the devils in hell." * 



Mr. Macy left Salisbury simply " because he could 

 not, in justice to the dictates of his own conscience 

 longer submit to the tyranny of the clergy and those 

 in authority. " Having with others purchased the island 

 of Nantucket, he wisely concluded that there no one 

 could or would dictate to him in regard to his religion 

 or his dress. 



After rather a stormy voyage, they arrived safely at 

 Nantucket. They found upon the island about 3,000 

 Indians, who received them kindly and assisted them 



* The Macy Genealogy is authority for the above quotation ; 

 but the compiler very much fears that Thomas told his wife to 

 go somewhere else, as she could not very well " go below," being 

 in an open boat, unless she went through its bottom. 



