06/21/2026
Lineage of the Seller: Dr. Isaac Otis (1699–1777)The seller signing this deed is Dr. Isaac Otis, recognized historically as the very first regularly educated physician to settle and practice medicine in Scituate.The Immigrant Ancestor: John Otis I (1581–1657) emigrated from Glastonbury, Somerset, England during the Puritan Great Migration, arriving around 1635. He helped settle Hingham before moving to Scituate.Grandfather: John Otis II (1621–1684) accompanied his father from England, took an oath of fidelity in Hingham, and later purchased a prominent homestead near Coleman Hill in Scituate.Parents: Stephen Otis (1661–1733) and Hannah Ensign. Stephen was a captain in the local militia and ran a substantial tanning business.Isaac Otis: Born in Scituate in 1699. At the time he signed this deed in 1726, he was a young man of 27 building his estate. He married Deborah Jacobs in 1719, and their son, Isaac Otis Jr., went on to serve as a medical surgeon in the Revolutionary War.Historical Note: Isaac's uncle was Judge John Otis, a provincial heavyweight who served in the Massachusetts General Court. This makes Isaac a first cousin to James Otis "The Patriot" (famous for the phrase "Taxation without representation is tyranny") and Mercy Otis Warren, the Revolutionary War political writer.🚜 Lineage of the Buyer: Jonathan Ellmes (1663–c. 1750)The buyer, identified as a "Yeoman" (independent farmer), is Jonathan Ellmes (frequently spelled Elmes or Ellms in town records).The Immigrant Ancestor: Rhodolphus Elmes Sr. (1620–1712) arrived in Boston from Southwark, Surrey, England in June 1635 aboard the ship Planter at just 15 years old. He became one of Scituate’s early pioneers.Parents: Rhodolphus Elmes Sr. and Catherine Whitcomb. Catherine was the daughter of John Whitcomb, another founding patriarch of the region. They married in Scituate on Christmas Day, 1644.Jonathan Ellmes: Born in Scituate on September 27, 1663. In May 1693, he married Patience Spur of Dorchester. When Jonathan bought this 5-acre lot from Isaac Otis in 1726, he was a 63-year-old established local farmer looking to consolidate his land holdings during the town's common-land division.