ID
1636
Nationality
American
Occupation
Fisherman
Summary
The first known deaf resident of Martha's Vineyard, which had a remarkable mixed deaf and hearing population from the 17th Century until the first part of the 20th Century due to a heavy preponderance of a recessive gene for deafness. Moved to Martha's Vineyard from Cape Cod in 1694. His wife Elizabeth apparently was hearing, but their 7 children included 2 deaf ones.
References
Kageleiry, Jamie, "The island that spoke by hand", in Yankee, March 1999, p.48-55, 114-117.
Dates
28 April 1657-some time in the 1730s