Robert Cushman - Ancestry of Robert Cushman

Ancestry of Robert Cushman

Although spelled differently, the Couchmans of England had their deepest ancestry in Kent with Cranbrook at its center. Predominantly these were cloth makers, Flemish in origin, who with other countrymen came to several regions of England at the invitation of King Edward III around the year 1336. (From Thomas Fuller, Church History of England, 1837).

Robert Cushman was the third of five children of, per records of the time, Thomas Couchman of Rolvenden, Kent, husbandman, the testator of 1585/6, born about 1538 and buried at Rolvenden February 14, 1585/6.

Thomas Couchman married at Rolvenden July 18, 1568, Elinor Hubbard, whose ancestry has not been found. They had five children, Alys, Sylvester (daughter), Robert, Margaret and Henry. In his will of February 10, 1585/6, Thomas Couchman gave bequests to this three surviving children: sons Richard and Robert, and daughter Sylvester.

Elinor Cushman married (2) October 17, 1587, Emanuell Evenden of Rolvenden, the testator of 1589, who was buried at Rolvenden December 3, 1589, and (3) as his second wife Thomas Tilden of Tenterde, yeoman, the license being dated November 6, 1593. By his first wife Thomas Tilden was the father of Nathaniel Tilden of Tenterden and of Scituate, Massachusetts.