Tristram Coffin
1605 - 1681 (76 years)-
Name Tristram Coffin [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8] Birth 1605 Brixton, Devon, England 
Christening 11 Mar 1609 Devonshire, England Gender Male Arrival 1642 Massachusetts, United States FSID L8BH-G24 Death 2 Oct 1681 Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States Person ID I1516 footsteps Last Modified 27 Nov 2025
Father Peter Coffin, b. Jan 1580, Devonshire, England d. 13 Mar 1628, Devonshire, England (Age 48 years) Relationship natural Mother Johanna Kember, b. 1584, Brixton, Devon, England d. 30 May 1661, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States (Age 77 years) Relationship unknown Marriage Abt 1608 Brixton, Devon, England Age at Marriage Peter was ~ 27 years and 11 months - Johanna was ~ 24 years. Family ID F895 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Dionis Stevens, b. 1610, Brixton, Devon, England d. 16 Sep 1684, Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States (Age 74 years) Marriage 1630 Torbay, Devon, England Age at Marriage Tristram was ~ 25 years - Dionis was ~ 20 years. Married Abt 1630 England Children + 1. James Coffin, b. 12 Aug 1639, Brixton, Devon, England d. 28 Jul 1720, Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States (Age 80 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]+ 2. Stephen Coffin, b. 11 May 1652, Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, United States d. 14 Nov 1734, Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States (Age 82 years) [Father: unknown] [Mother: unknown]+ 3. John Tristram Coffin, b. 30 Oct 1647, Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, United States d. 5 Sep 1711, Martha's Vineyard, West Tisbury, Dukes, Massachusetts, United States (Age 63 years) [Father: unknown] [Mother: unknown]+ 4. Tristram Coffin, b. Abt 1631, England d. 4 Feb 1704, Essex, Massachusetts, United States (Age 73 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]Family ID F911 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Nov 2025
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Notes - COFFIN ANCESTORS
Another early colonized Island was that of Nantucket. There was an old Indian legend about the formation of Nantucket. Many years ago a mighty giant roamed these lands. While he trod with his feet upon the ground, his head was in the clouds. One night in his travels, he found himself upon Cape Cod. Feeling very weary, he decided to spend the night there. He had a very restless night which he spent tossing and turning. From all the tossing and turning he caused the sand to be formed into hummocks and mounds. The sand had crept into his moccasins and found its gritty way between his toes. With great anger because of the discomfort to his feet he kicked off his moccasins. One landed near the Cape and there we find Martha's Vineyard. The other flew out to sea and where it landed we find Nantucket.
In 1659 the Indians Sachems, Nickanoose and Nanhamus sold Nantucket to Thomas Mayhew. Very shortly after Thomas Mayhew sold to nine purchasers, reserving one=twentieth for himself. In The price was 30 pounds and two beaver hats, one for himself and one for his wife. For many years the Island was owned by these people and divided and subdivided among their heirs. One of the original purchases of Nantucket was Tristam Coffin.
Tristam had come from England about 1642 with his wife Dionis, five small children, his mother and two sisters. First, they settled in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Tradition says that Tristam was the first man to turn the soil with a plow and that he had built the plow himself. Soon we find him in Newbury where he ran the Newbury end of the ferry to Carr's Is land. Here he also kept an ordinary (bar) . In 1643 Dionis, Tristam’s wife, was hauled into Court for selling beer for three pence per quart, while the regular price was two pence. But she proved to the Court's satisfaction that she put six bushels of malt into a hogs head while the law required the use of only four. Thus the charges were dropped. Soon after they moved to Salisbury.
After his purchase with the other nine partners, he sold his land in Salisbury and moved many of his family to Nantucket. He was shortly appointed Chief Magistrate of Nantucket succeeding Thomas Meyew who was appointed Chief Magistrate of Martha's Vineyard. Tristam introduced sheep raising upon Nantucket. In a few years there were more sheep than people upon the Island. He also constructed a corn mill where he employed a large number of Indians.
COFFIN ANCESTORS
Another early colonized Island was that of Nantucket. There was an old Indian legend about the formation of Nantucket. Many years ago a mighty giant roamed these lands. While he trod with his feet upon the ground, his head was in the clouds. On e night in his travels, he found himself upon Cape Cod. Feeling very weary, he decided to spend the night there. He had a very restless night which he spent tossing and turning. From all the tossing and turning he caused the sand to be formed int o hummocks and mounds. The sand had crept into his moccasins and found its gritty way between his toes. With great anger because of the discomfort to his feet he kicked off his moccasins. One landed near the Cape and there we find Martha's Vineyar d. The other flew out to sea and where it landed we find Nantucket.
In 1659 the Indians Sachems, Nickanoose and Nanhamus sold Nantucket to Thomas Mayhew. Very shortly after Thomas Mayhew sold to nine purchasers, reserving one=twentieth for himself. In The price was 30 pounds and two beaver hats, one for himself an d one for his wife. For many years the Island was owned by these people and divided and subdivided among their heirs. One of the original purchases of Nantucket was Tristam Coffin.
Tristam had come from England about 1642 with his wife Dionis, five small children, his mother and two sisters. First, they settled in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Tradition says that Tristam was the first man to turn the soil with a plow and that h e had built the plow himself. Soon we find him in Newbury where he ran the Newbury end of the ferry to Carr's Is land. Here he also kept an ordinary (bar) . In 1643 Dionis, Tristam’s wife, was hauled into Court for selling beer for three pence pe r quart, while the regular price was two pence. But she proved to the Court's satisfaction that she put six bushels of malt into a hogs head while the law required the use of only four. Thus the charges were dropped. Soon after they moved to Sali sbury.
After his purchase with the other nine partners, he sold his land in Salisbury and moved many of his family to Nantucket. He was shortly appointed Chief Magistrate of Nantucket succeeding Thomas Meyew who was appointed Chief Magistrate of Martha' s Vineyard. Tristam introduced sheep raising upon Nantucket. In a few years there were more sheep than people upon the Island. He also constructed a corn mill where he employed a large number of Indians.
- COFFIN ANCESTORS
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Photos 
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Sources - [S77] Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:VQDZ-PBS : 15 January 2020), Tristram Coffin in entry for James Coffin, 1640.
- [S77] Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", databaseFamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:VQDZ-RF7 : 15 January 2020), Tristram Coffin, 1605.
- [S77] Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:VQDZ-VMB : 15 January 2020), Tristram Coffin in entry for John Coffin, 1647.
- [S77] Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", databaseFamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:VQDC-6NB : 15 January 2020), Tristram Coffin in entry for Mary Coffin, 1645.
- [S77] Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:VQDC-FBZ : 15 January 2020), Tristram Coffin in entry for Deborah Coffin, 1642.
- [S294] England, Devon Bishop's Transcripts, 1558-1887.
"England, Devon Bishop's Transcripts, 1558-1887," database with images, < i>FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L94Y-97HL?cc=2515875&w c=QZ1P-1KN%3A1589444410 : 16 February 2016), 004392618 > image 2 of 288 ; Devon Record Office, Exeter. - [S294] England, Devon Bishop's Transcripts, 1558-1887.
"England, Devon Bishop's Transcripts, 1558-1887," database with images, < i >FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L94Y-97HL?cc=2515875&w c =QZ1P-1KN%3A1589444410 : 16 February 2016), 004392618 > image 2 of 288 ; D evon Record Office, Exeter. - [S294] England, Devon Bishop's Transcripts, 1558-1887.
"England, Devon Bishop's Transcripts, 1558-1887," database with images, < i>FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G94Y-9WXH?cc=2515875&w c=QZ1P-1KN%3A1589444410 : 16 February 2016), 004392618 > image 29 of 28 8; Devon Record Office, Exeter.
- [S77] Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", FamilySearch (https:///ark:/61903/1:1:VQDZ-PBS : 15 January 2020), Tristram Coffin in entry for James Coffin, 1640.