The Sikes Historic Adobe

( ) marks the generation from earliest to most recent. See also "Richard Sikes and His Descendants", by Arthur M. Sikes.

For the story of Zenas Sikes and his historic farmstead in San Diego, California, see The History of the Zenas Sikes Family.

Per the Myheritage.com and Wikitree websites . . . Mark Sikes was born in England between 1564 and 1576.

Richard, the son of Mark [James?] Sikes, was born on 10 November 1598 in Staffordshire [Yorkshire], England. He emigrated to America in [1638?]. He married Phebe Cooley [Green?] in 1638 in Dorchester, Suffolk county, Massachusetts. Phebe was born in November 1609 in Hertfordshire, England. He joined the church in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1639. Richard died on 24 February 1676 in Springfield, Hampden county, Massachusetts. Phebe died on 2 January 1687 at the age of 77. His children were Rebecca, Experience, Increase, Nathaniel, Victory and James.

Increase, the son of Richard and Phoebe Sikes, was born on 6 June [August] 1644 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

"Encrease Sikes sonne of Richard Sikes borne 6 mon[th] 6 day 1644 about ye middle of ye afternoon" - from "Births, Marriages, Deaths" of Springfield, Massachusetts

He married Abigail Fowler on 22 March 1671 in Springfield. Freeman of Springfield in 1684; Selectman 1721, 1722, 1724. He died on 24 March 1712 in Sprinfield. His children were John, Nathaniel, Increase Jr., Abigail, Rebecca, Samuel, Phebe, James, and Benjamin.

Increase, the son of Increase Sikes and Abigail Fowler, was born on 1 Janaury 1674 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He married Mary Knowlton on 28 October 1697 in Springfield, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Benjamin Knowlton and Hannah Merrick. Following the death of Mary Knowlton on 2 January 1707 he married Mary Warriner on 30 September 1709 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Increase died on 3 September 1750 in Springfield. His children were Mary, Increase, James, Benjamin and Jonathan.

Note that Increase's youngest son, Jonathan, married Mary Bliss. Their daughter, Mary, married Benjamin Sikes Jr., the son of Jonathan's older brother, Benjamin Sikes, and Hannah Chapin, below. That's first-cousins. Benjamin and Mary's son, another Jonathan, married Mary Montague, the elder sister of Lucinda Montague, who married Abner Sikes, below.

Benjamin, the son of Increase Sikes Jr. and Mary Knowlton, was born on 18 August 1704 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He married Hannah Chapin on 25 February 1725 in Springfield. Benjamin and Hannah Sikes were some of the original settlers of Ludlow, Massachusetts. He died on 2 August 1781, aged 77, in Ludlow, Massachusetts. The local cemetery is named for him. His children were Hannah, Benjamin Jr., Abner, Eunice, Lois, Mary, Phebe, Jonathan, and Elener.

Abner, the son of Benjamin Sikes and Hannah Chapin, was born on 12 October 1729 in Springfield, Hampden county, Massachusetts. He married Mercy Parsons, the daughter of Aaran Parsons and Mercy Atchinson, on 13 January 1757 [intentions 21 December 1756] in Springfield. She was born on 19 February 1733 in Springfield [Wilbraham], Hampden county, Massaschusetts.

Abner Sikes of Ludlow was a Private in Captain Reuben Nunn's company in Nicholas Dike's regiment during the Revolutionary War. He was also in Captain Aaron Grave's company, Colonel David Leonard's regiment, and Captain Ephraim Chapin's company, Colonel Ruggles Woodbridge's regiment.

Abner Sikes was Selectman of Ludlow 1774-5, and 1784-1793, serving a total of 12 years. Abner died on 24 June 1800, aged 70, in Ludlow, Hampden county, Massachusetts. Mercy died on 10 March 1818, at the age of 85, in Ludlow. They are both buried in the Old Sikes cemetery. An extract dealing with his will,

"The distribution of the estate by the Heirs to the Estate of our Honr. Father Mr. Abner Sikes Late of Ludlow Deceast." is dated 15 April 1801. The heirs were "the Widow our Honr. Mother" (not named but signed Marcy Sikes); Increase Sikes; Pliny Sikes; John Jennings and Mercy his wife; Experience Wright (signed Speedy Wright); and Lois Sikes.

Children of Mercy Parsons and Abner Sikes: (Born at Springfield, Mass., and baptized there in the First Church of Christ, Congregational.)
i. Mercy, b. 24 Oct. 1757; bp. 4 Dec. 1757; m. about 1780, John Jennings.
ii. Abner (twin), b. 22 Sept. 1759; bp. 25 Nov. 1759; d. 29 Nov. 1785, in 26th yr. (g.s., Sikes Cem.), Ludlow, Mass.
iii. Experience (twin), b. 22 Sept. 1759; bp. 25 Nov. 1759; m. __ Wright.
iv. Increase, bp. 18 Oct. 1761; m. Lucy Wright.
v. Pliny, b. 22 Dec. 1764; went to Westhampton, Mass.
vi. Lois, b. 10 Sept. 1767; unm. in 1801, no further record.
vii. Zenas, b. 12 May 1773; d.y." - from "The Parsons Family" by Gerald James Parsons

Pliny, the son of Abner Sikes and Mary Parsons, was born on 22 December 1764 in Springfield, Hampden county, Massachusetts.

"1785. Plyna [erased] Pliny Sikes son of Abner Sikes of Ludlow removed by letter to Westhampton where he lived to an advanced age."

He married Lucinda C. Montague, the daughter of Captain Moses Montague and Sarah Graves, on 11 February 1791 in Ludlow. [Captain Moses Montague was Anita Montague Hissem's 4th Great-Grandfather.] Pliny was the Town clerk of Ludlow in 1793 and 1797; Selectman 1797. A Deacon of the Congregational church.

In the census of 1810 and 1820 of Westhampton as Pliny Sikes. Pliny died on 12 November 1833, at the age of 68, in Westhampton, Hampshire county, Massachusetts and was buried in the Center cemetery amongst the grave sites of his brother-in-law, Peter Montague, and his family. Pliny's widow, Lucinda Montague Sikes, joined her children in the move west to Michigan, where she died on 24 January 1850 at the age of 81.

Their children were Zenas, Orrin, Arua and Lucinda.

Zenas, the son of Pliny Sikes and Lucinda Montague, was born on 24 March 1791 in Ludlow, Massachusetts. He moved to Westhampton where he was a farmer. He married Nancy, the daughter of Enos Janes and Hannah Wright, on 23 December 1813 in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Nancy was born in 1791 in Easthampton [Southampton], Massachusetts.

Zenas Sikes Sr. was a medical doctor, apparently achieving this at a very young age. Yet . . . in the census he identified himself as "just" a farmer.

In the 1820 census for Westhampton, Massachusetts as Zenas Sikes. In 1837 Zenas Sr. moved his family to Keeler, Michigan.

"Dr. Zenas Sikes located in Keeler in the summer of 1837" - from "A History of Van Buren County, Michigan" by Oran W. Rowland

Circa 1837 the family moved to Keeler, Michigan. In the 1840 census of South Haven townhip, Van Buren county, Michigan as Zenas Sikes. In the 1850 census of Keeler township, Van Buren county, Michigan as Zenas Sikes, a 58 year old farmer. Living with him were his wife, Nancy, 59, and son, Charles L., 20, all born in Massachusetts. The census was enumerated on 21 September 1850. In the 1860 census of Keeler township, Van Buren county, Michigan as Zenas Sikes, a 69 year old farmer. Living with him were his wife, Nancy J., 70.

Zenas died on 28 January 1862, at the age of 77, in Keeler, Van Buren county, Michigan. Nancy died on 7 October 1878 in Keeler, Michigan.

His children were, Orendo Montague, Loring Wright, Lucinda Graves, Pliny Parsons, Samuel Janes, Zenas Sikes Jr., Charles Lonson Wells, and John Truair.