Sands, Comfort, 1748-1834

The Sands family was one of the original three families that settled in and owned what is now Sands Point, N.Y. Born in Reading, Berkshire, England, James Sands (d. 1695) immigrated to Plymouth, MA with his wife Sarah and their children, circa 1658. Along with several other men, James Sands obtained what is now Block Island, R.I. from the original inhabitants of the island, the Narragansetts, in 1660. In 1661, Sands sailed from Taunton, MA and moved his family to Block Island. James and Sarah had six children.

Their eldest son, John (d. 1712), married Sybil Ray (d. 1733), also of Block Island, and in 1691, they purchased farmland in Cow Neck, Long Island, N.Y., now Sands Point, N.Y. John Sands also bought a family burying ground where many of the Sands family are now buried. John and Sybil lived out the remainder of their lives in Cow Neck and had eight children. Their eldest child, John (1683-1763) married Catherine Guthrie (1690-1769) in 1706. John and Catherine lived on Block Island directly following their marriage but moved to Cow Neck around 1716. They had 13 children between 1708 and 1735 including their eldest son, John (1708-1760), and their youngest son, Benjamin (1735-1824).

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