Rev. Stephen Bachiler was born in England in 1560 and came to America in 1632. He returned to England ca. 1654, and died in Hackney, near London, England, in 1660. He married (1) in England the mother of his children, whose name is unknown and who died in England. He married (2) in England, Helen, last name unknown, born in England 1583, died in Hampton, NH 1642. He married (3) probably in Portsmouth, NH, ca. 1647, Mary, who was a widow.

Stephen Bachiler matriculated 17 November 1581 in the newly established college of St. John at Oxford, England. On 17 July 1587, Edward Parrett, Vicar of Wherwell in Hants, died and Stephen was, "presented by Lord de la Warr to the living of Wherwell" where he became Vicar of the Church of Holy Cross and St. Peter.

In 1605, he was, "deprived of his benefice presumably for Calvinistic opinions" as indicated by the fact that on 9 Aug. 1605, John Bate was appointed vicar of Wherwell, a vacancy existing because of, "the ejection of Stephen Bachiler." It is believed he then settled in Newton-Stacey where records show he bought and sold land between 1622 and 1631 and where the sheriff of Hants petitioned the Council that, "some of the parishioners, petitioner's tenants, having been formerly misled by Stephen Bachiler, a notorious inconformist, had demolished a consecrated chapel at Newton-Stacey, neglected the repair of their parish church, maliciously opposed petitioner's intent (to repair the church at his own charge), and executed many things in comtempt of the canons and the bishop." Pierce, Batchelder Genealogy, p. 27.

"Rev. Bachiler 'had a real genius for opposing the majority,' and in consequence his character has been much maligned. The truth is he was a reformer, with the strength and weakness of his kind. He was among the first to refuse conformity to the English church and 'suffered much at the hands of the Bishops.' He came to America in his old age, hoping to find here that liberty which was denied at home; he rebelled at the union of church and state, which the strong Puritan covenant enforced, and in consequence found himself opposed to the party in power, the Massachusetts authorities." Pierce, Batchelder Genealogy, p. 95.

In any case, Stephen, at age 71 years, came to America with his wife, Helen, and others of his family in the William and Francis arriving in Boston, MA, 5 June 1632. He went directly to Lynn, MA, (then called Saugus) where his daughter, Theodate Hussey, resided and there he, "commenced the exercise of his administration on Sunday, June 8, 1632, without installation, having formed a church of those who desired to join the six or seven persons he brought with him, who are said to have been members of the church with him in England." After four months at Lynn, MA, he fell under, "suspicion of having independent ideas, which he was not ready to yield at the dictation of others." He was made "freeman" in Lynn, MA, on 6 May 1635. In 1636, he left Lynn, MA, and went to Ipswich, MA, where he received a grant of fifty acres. While a resident of Ipswich, MA, he undertook a plan for founding a plantation at Mattakeese (now Yarmouth) some 100 miles away on Cape Cod. According to Winthrop's book on New England, "Mr. Batchellor, late pastor at Saugus (since called Lynn), being about 76 years of age walked thither on foot in a very hard season." His next move was to Newbury, MA, where land had been granted to him on 6 July 1638. In October of that year, based on his petition, the General Court of Massachusetts granted, "Stephen Bachiler and his company" liberty to begin a plantation at Winnicunnet. On 16 October 1638, settlement was begun, the journey from Newbury, MA, having been made on a shallop (a small boat). On 7 June 1639, the plantation was made a town and, upon Rev. Bachiler's request, was named Hampton, NH. Here he organized a church and was pastor of that church, probably the oldest church in New Hampshire. In 1644, he was called to Exeter, NH, but was prohibited from preaching there by the General Court. In 1644, after the death of his second wife, he sold his farm in Hampton, NH. Before 1647, he moved from Hampton, NH, to Strawberry Banke (now Portsmouth), NH. On 16 April 1647, he deeded all his remaining estate in Hampton, NH, to his three grandsons, John and William Sanborne and Nathaniel Batchelder.

About 1647, he married his third wife and this marriage proved to be a disaster. "At a General Court held at Gorgeanna, 15 October 1650, George Rogers and Mrs. Batcheller were accused of living in one house and in one room and were ordered separated before the next court or to pay 40s. Stephen charged his wife with adultery and prayed for a divorce and, it seems, Mary moved for a divorce also. The court in October of the same year ordered, "That Mr. Bachiler and his wife shall lyve toeagther as man and wife, as in this court they have publiquely professed to doe; and if either desert one another, then hereby the Court doth order that the marshal shall apprehend both the said Mr. Batchelor and Mary his wife, and bring them forth to Boston, there to be kept till the next Quarter Court of Assistants, that further consideration thereby may be had, both of them moving for a divorce; and this order shall be sufficient order soe to doe; provided notwithstanding, that if they put in 50 pounds each of them for their appearance...." Pierce, Batchelder Genealogy, p. 36. This seems a strange order to us today and as far as we know, a divorce was not granted. According to York court records of 15 October 1651, Mary Bachiler was accused and found guilty of adultery with her punishment, "... shall receive forty stripes save one, at the first town meeting held at Kittery, 6 weeks after her delivery, and be branded with the letter A." This with the other problems he had constantly with the authorities wherever he lived, his power of attorney, given to his son-in-law, Christopher Hussey, approved by Hampton (NH) Court in November of 1654, apparently prompted Stephen to leave the country and return to England where the state of political affairs had eased. He died there in 1660. Mary's claim, in her petition for divorce, that Stephen married again after returning to England seems to be without foundation.

Reverend Stephen Bachiler and his first wife (name unknown) had six children, all born in England:

• Nathaniel, b. 1590; d. 1645; m. Hester Mercer.
• Deborah, b. 1592; m. Rev. John Wing. They and their three sons, Daniel, John, and Stephen, came to America with her father in 1632.
• Stephen, b. 1594; lived with his father at Wherwell in England in 1614, having been expelled from Magdalen College as the author of libelous verses.
• Theodate, b. 1596; m. in Holland Christopher Hussey. They lived in Lynn and Newbury, MA, and Hampton, NH.
• Samuel, b. 1597; was a minister in Holland in 1640.
• Ann, b. 1600; m. (1) about 1619 John Sanborne who was baptized in 1600 and was one of the Sanbornes of Hampshire, England. Their three sons, John, William, and Stephen, came to America in 1632 with their grandfather and they were the founders of the Sanborn family in America. Ann m. (2) before 1640 Henry Atkinson of London, England.

Nathaniel Bachiler was a merchant in England. As far as we have been able to determine, Nathaniel and Hester never came to America.

Nathaniel and his wife Hester (Mercer) Bachiler had five children, all born in England:

• Stephen.
• Anna, d. before 1661; m. Daniel Ducornet.
• Francis, residence in England.
• Nathaniel, b. 1630; m. (1) Deborah Smith; m. (2) Mary (Carter) Wyman; m. (3) Elizabeth Knill, widow of John Knill.
• Benjamin, residence in England.

Nathaniel came to America when quite young, possibly with his grandfather, Rev. Stephen Bachiler, or shortly thereafter. We know he was in Hampton, NH in 1647 when the Rev. Stephen conveyed all his estate in Hampton, NH to his grandson, John Sanborn, who was to give bond to pay the Rev. Stephen's other three grandchildren, Nathaniel Batchelder, Stephen and Wiliam Sanborn, 20 pounds each.

Nathaniel generally spelled his name Batchelder, the name now used by this family in America. He lived in Hampton, NH, serving for nine years as a selectman and for some time as a constable, as well as in other positions of trust in the town and the church.

"The following anecdote is told of him: When, after the death of his first wife, he had determined to marry again, he resolved to be governed in his choice by the direction in which his staff, held perpendicularly over the floor, should fall, when dropped from his hand. The experiment being tried, the staff fell towards the southwest, and in that direction he bent his steps. Having traveled as far as Woburn, he called on the Widow Wyman and offered her his hand, stating that he was going to Boston and would call for her answer on his return. It was favorable, for they were at once married." Pierce, Batchelder Genealogy, p. 115.

Nathaniel and his first wife Deborah (Smith) Batchelder had nine children, all born in Hampton, NH:

• Deborah, b. 12 Oct. 1651; m. Joseph Palmer.
• Nathaniel, b. 24 Dec. 1659; m. Elizabeth Foss.
• Ruth, b. 9 May 1662.
• Esther, b. 22 Dec. 1664; m. Samuel Shaw.
• Abigail, b. 28 Dec. 1667; m. John Dearborn.
• Jane, b. 8 Jan. 1670; m. Benjamin Lampree.
• Stephen, b. 31 July 1671; d. as an infant.
• Benjamin, b. 19 Sept. 1673; m. Susanna Page.
• Stephen, b. 8 March 1676; m. Mary Dearborn.

Nathaniel and his second wife Mary (Carter) Wyman Batchelder had eight children, all born in Hampton, NH:

• Mercy, b. 11 Dec. 1677; m. Samuel Dearborn.
• Mary, b. 18 Sept. 1679; died young.
• Samuel, b. 10 Dec. 1680; m. Elizabeth Davis of Newbury, MA.
• Jonathan, b. 1683; m. Sarah Blake.
• Theodate, b. 1684; m. Morris Hobbs.
• Thomas, b. 1685; m. (1) Mary Moulton; m. (2) Sarah Tuck.
• Joseph, b. 9 Aug. 1687; m. Mehitable Marston.
• Mary, b. 17 Oct. 1688; died young.

Samuel was a resident of North Hampton, NH. With his brother, Jonathan, he took an active part in the early Colonial wars with the Indians. In 1707, he took part in the fruitless expedition against Port Royal. "The chief command was given to an inexperienced officer, jealousies arose, and the army broke up in disorder. Capt. Samuel Chesley, under whose command were thirty Hampten men, embarked his company and returned to Portsmouth, but the whole army was ordered back by Governor Dudley, and it remained in the east all summer, though nothing of importance was accomplished." Pierce, Batchelder Genealogy, p. 130. Samuel was in Capt. James Davis' company of scouts in 1712 in the French war.

Samuel and his wife Elizabeth (Davis) Batchelder had twelve children, all born probably in Hampton, NH:

• Judith, b. 23 Jan. 1708; m. Nathan Blake.
• Henry, b. 30 Oct. 1709; m. Mary Marston.
• Mary, b. 21 Oct. 1711; m. Nathaniel Dearborn.
• Samuel, b. 1 Aug. 1713; m. Sarah Drake.
• Elizabeth, b. 10 May 1716; m. Benjamin Brown.
• Zachariah, b. 14 Dec. 1717; d. 9 Nov. 1793 unmarried.
• Hannah, b. 23 Oct. 1720; m. Jedediah Prescott.
• Ruth, b. 29 Oct. 1722; m. Joshua Lane, Jr.
• Mercy, b. 14 Sept. 1724; m. John James.
• Carter, b. 31 Oct. 1726; m. (1) Huldah Moulton; m. (2) Hannah Lane.
• Patience, b. 27 Dec. 1729.
• Nathaniel, b. 2 March 1731; m. Ruth Sanborn.