Walter Cook seems to be another of those early immigrants who was dropped off in Massachusetts Bay Colony by a spaceship. I haven't even been able to find immigration records, let alone anything tying him to parents in England. Even England is an assumption, so far.
He is supposed to have been born in 1618 in GNW (Goodness Knows Where). He may or may not have been married to Experience, who may or may not have been a daughter of Thomas Holbrook. He was married to "Cathorn" at the time of his death, who may or may not have been the widow of George Aldrich, who may or may not have been Catherine Brenton. The may or may nots about Catherine's parentage are also both varied and nebulous.
For a man who was reported to have been very active in church and state affairs, I find very little about his life. He was reported to have been at Weymouth, Massachusetts as early as 1643, and was made a freeman there in 1653. He stayed for about 20 years in Weymouth, before moving to Mendon in about 1663. I'm a little confused about this because records in Weymouth indicate he was still being granted land there in 1663, but this may have been a late recording, or it may have been that the town was trying to "bribe" him to stay there rather than moving on.
Walter Cook is listed as being a founder of the town of Mendon. It formally became a town in 1667 and was on the frontier, as it was one of the first towns burned by the natives during King Philip's War in 1675-1676. Due to previous attacks, the town had already been abandoned when the town was burned, so we can only wonder about Walter Cook and his family. If his date of birth is correct, Walter would not yet have been 60 years old so would likely have been in the training band (militia) but that doesn't necessarily mean that he actively fought. He could have been doing guard duty somewhere, for instance, or he could have been helping to care for the other refugees from Mendon.
In Mendon, I did find a reference that he contributed to building a parsonage for the pastor, so perhaps that is the basis for the early statement that he was active in church and state affairs. I found a comment that the family had earlier been Quakers but it is undocumented and seems not likely, though I am certainly open to having my mind changed about this. Also, in the records of the Middlesex County Abstracts of Court records 1643-1674, volume 2, there is an interesting account stating that Katherin, wife of Walter Cook, was apparently a witness at the labor of Hannah Jewett. Several women testified as to the date Mrs. Jewett delivered her child, and it appears that this was less than nine months after her marriage. Hannah Jewett was summoned to testify but I didn't follow the story further.
Walter and Catherine returned to Mendon and most likely helped to rebuild the town after the war.. Walter had acquired land in not just Mendon but also in Milford, Bellingham, Wrentham and on the Rhode Island line. Apparently he had disposed of these lands by the time of his death because reference is made in his will to "besides what he already gave them (his children)". He may have given them parcels of land directly or he may have sold the land and given them the proceeds.
I am showing all of Walter's children, as many as many as nine, as being children of Catherine, but that may not be correct. They are all listed as having been born at Weymouth. If Nicholas, our ancestor, born in 1659 is the son of Experience Holbrook then there will be another Holbrook connection in our tree, and we will be our own cousins yet again. I'd sure like to get some of these mysteries figured out, even if it does tangle our tree even further.
Cathorn, as she is listed in the death records of Mendon, died on January 2, 1695/96 and Walter died just three days later. Did Walter die of a broken heart, or was there an epidemic at the time, or was it mere coincidence? It's another mystery.
The line of descent is
Walter Cook-Experience or Catherine
Nicholas Cook-Joanna Rockwood
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright (where are you Molly? I'm still looking for you!)
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Friday, February 23, 2018
Holbrook line: James Mathewson, Immigrant
Like many of our immigrant ancestors, James Mathewson's origins are a mystery. Most family historians are willing to say he was born in England about 1624, but that may be just a guess. It may or may not be true that the family name descends from someone named Mathew, before surnames were used. That is not much to go on. Some websites say that he came to Plymouth Colony and was not happy there so went to Rhode Island. I can find no documentation that he was ever at Plymouth, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. I just don't want to write it down as my belief when I have no support for the statement. So take it for what it is worth, perhaps a clue. (There is a James Mathew who was in Charlestown and then Yarmouth, Massachusetts but it appears that that James, besides bearing a different last name, was older than we think our James Matthewson is).
We first learn of James in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1658 when he purchased five acres of land from Thomas Angell, who is also our ancestor. (Fun fact: This land was adjoined by land belonging to Benedick Arnold, who was the great grandfather of the Benedict Arnold who is now infamous in our country's history.) He purchased more land and was also granted land in a division of lands in 1665, indicating he was now considered a settler. We don't know where the funds came from to purchase that original land.
The only other fact I have been able to locate is that he was a deputy to the court in 1680, showing that he was respected by his peers. We can surmise that his family's home was burned during King Philip's War, since almost all homes in Providence were burned by the natives during that conflict. Hannah and the children had likely fled to Newport, but we don't know about James. It seems possible, at least, that he was called to battle, to protect his home and his family, and to pursue the natives. We don't know what religion James was. If he was a Quaker, he may not have been involved in the fighting.
James married Hannah Field, daughter of John and possibly Ruth Fairbank Field, about 1660, and had as many as nine children together. If our birth dates are correct, John was about eighteen years older than Hannah. When James wrote his will, there was a child yet unborn. I wonder if he and Hannah had discussed her future, or their children's future, without a husband and father to provide for them . He wrote the will in October of 1682 and died December 3 of that same year.
His will indicates that he had some property. One lot of land of 120 acres went to son James, one lot of 41 acres went to son Thomas, and son Zachariah plus the unborn child if a son was to receive the house and certain land. All sons were to divide equally land beyond the "Seven Mile Line". (I've not been able to confirm this, but my suspicion is that this was land that was considered more on the frontier, where possibly there were still challenges with the native Americans.) His wife was to receive all removable goods and cattle for the upbringing of the daughters. This amounted to Indian and English corn valued at about 85 pounds, and household goods and cattle valued at 65 pounds.
I'd like to know more about James. I'd like to know his origins, his parents, his religion, his occupation, his education if any, and more that would help me tell more of his story. We know enough to know that he led an interesting life, knew fascinating people (he would have known our ancestor Roger Williams, for instance) and lived in dangerous times. We know that he was not a quitter, and we know he cared for his family. For that, we can thank our immigrant ancestor!
The line of descent is:
James Mathewson-Hannah Field
Thomas Mathewson-Martha Sheldon
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We first learn of James in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1658 when he purchased five acres of land from Thomas Angell, who is also our ancestor. (Fun fact: This land was adjoined by land belonging to Benedick Arnold, who was the great grandfather of the Benedict Arnold who is now infamous in our country's history.) He purchased more land and was also granted land in a division of lands in 1665, indicating he was now considered a settler. We don't know where the funds came from to purchase that original land.
The only other fact I have been able to locate is that he was a deputy to the court in 1680, showing that he was respected by his peers. We can surmise that his family's home was burned during King Philip's War, since almost all homes in Providence were burned by the natives during that conflict. Hannah and the children had likely fled to Newport, but we don't know about James. It seems possible, at least, that he was called to battle, to protect his home and his family, and to pursue the natives. We don't know what religion James was. If he was a Quaker, he may not have been involved in the fighting.
James married Hannah Field, daughter of John and possibly Ruth Fairbank Field, about 1660, and had as many as nine children together. If our birth dates are correct, John was about eighteen years older than Hannah. When James wrote his will, there was a child yet unborn. I wonder if he and Hannah had discussed her future, or their children's future, without a husband and father to provide for them . He wrote the will in October of 1682 and died December 3 of that same year.
His will indicates that he had some property. One lot of land of 120 acres went to son James, one lot of 41 acres went to son Thomas, and son Zachariah plus the unborn child if a son was to receive the house and certain land. All sons were to divide equally land beyond the "Seven Mile Line". (I've not been able to confirm this, but my suspicion is that this was land that was considered more on the frontier, where possibly there were still challenges with the native Americans.) His wife was to receive all removable goods and cattle for the upbringing of the daughters. This amounted to Indian and English corn valued at about 85 pounds, and household goods and cattle valued at 65 pounds.
I'd like to know more about James. I'd like to know his origins, his parents, his religion, his occupation, his education if any, and more that would help me tell more of his story. We know enough to know that he led an interesting life, knew fascinating people (he would have known our ancestor Roger Williams, for instance) and lived in dangerous times. We know that he was not a quitter, and we know he cared for his family. For that, we can thank our immigrant ancestor!
The line of descent is:
James Mathewson-Hannah Field
Thomas Mathewson-Martha Sheldon
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
George Chappell, Immigrant and minor rascal
George Chappell was born somewhere. Apparently the "accepted" parents and location are no longer "accepted" and his origin is considered unknown. There is a man of about the right age who married in 1597 in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England, but at this point it's merely a suggestion for research and not in any way, shape or form a documentable connection. When I win the lottery, I would certainly like to look into this possibility.
The first thing that is really known about George is that in 1635, when he was aged 20, he, along with about 20 other yong men, were sent to New England, specifically Windsor, Connecticut, to build homes and structures required by Sir Richard Saltonstall and other Connecticut patentees. George was in Wetherfield for about two years, where he was trained as a carpenter but also most probably served in the Pequot war. This was not the colony's finest hour in terms of what they did (the English massacred several hundred natives during the course of the war, among other things) but the soldiers following orders, must have thought they were doing the right thing. After the war, George was granted a house and lotinWethersfield. While living in Wethersfield, probably about 1642, George married Christian, possibly Bell. They had five children todether before Christian apparently died in the early 1650's.
In 1653, George married Margaret and the family moved to New London. We don't know whether he continued the trade he learned of carpentry, or whether he had another occupation. He apparently still was doing some farming, based on land records. George and Margaret also had five children together.
I mentioned that George may have been a bit of a minor rascal. He was often in court over debts, some that he owed and some that he felt he was owed. He also was charged more than once with "excess in drinking" and with "abusing the constable". As far as the records show, he was never placed on a jury or selected for any kind of public office, so he may not have had the good reputation of our other immigrant ancestors. He also was apparently illiterate, as he had a certain"mark" he used when signing legal documents.
When he died, about 1682, he left goods to his wife to help in the upbringing of the younger children, and mentioned several of the children by name. I have not been able to find a copy of the estate records, but I will keep looking. I love to look at the inventories to see what they might suggest about our ancestor.
The line of descent is:
George Chappell-Christian possibly Bell
Rachel Chappell-Thomas Crocker
John Crocker-Mercy Tubbs
Rachel Crocker-Kingsland Comstock
Rachel Comstock-John Eames
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The first thing that is really known about George is that in 1635, when he was aged 20, he, along with about 20 other yong men, were sent to New England, specifically Windsor, Connecticut, to build homes and structures required by Sir Richard Saltonstall and other Connecticut patentees. George was in Wetherfield for about two years, where he was trained as a carpenter but also most probably served in the Pequot war. This was not the colony's finest hour in terms of what they did (the English massacred several hundred natives during the course of the war, among other things) but the soldiers following orders, must have thought they were doing the right thing. After the war, George was granted a house and lotinWethersfield. While living in Wethersfield, probably about 1642, George married Christian, possibly Bell. They had five children todether before Christian apparently died in the early 1650's.
In 1653, George married Margaret and the family moved to New London. We don't know whether he continued the trade he learned of carpentry, or whether he had another occupation. He apparently still was doing some farming, based on land records. George and Margaret also had five children together.
I mentioned that George may have been a bit of a minor rascal. He was often in court over debts, some that he owed and some that he felt he was owed. He also was charged more than once with "excess in drinking" and with "abusing the constable". As far as the records show, he was never placed on a jury or selected for any kind of public office, so he may not have had the good reputation of our other immigrant ancestors. He also was apparently illiterate, as he had a certain"mark" he used when signing legal documents.
When he died, about 1682, he left goods to his wife to help in the upbringing of the younger children, and mentioned several of the children by name. I have not been able to find a copy of the estate records, but I will keep looking. I love to look at the inventories to see what they might suggest about our ancestor.
The line of descent is:
George Chappell-Christian possibly Bell
Rachel Chappell-Thomas Crocker
John Crocker-Mercy Tubbs
Rachel Crocker-Kingsland Comstock
Rachel Comstock-John Eames
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, February 16, 2018
Holbrook line: Roger Pritchard, Immigrant
I wish I knew more about Roger Pritchard. There is a general sense that he or his ancestors may have come from Wales. If that is the case, at one time he might have been known as "ap Richard" (son of Richard) but that could be more generations back. If he wasn't from Wales, he was from somewhere near Wales, and he was born about 1600.
So,we don't know his home, we don't know his parents, we know his first wife only by the name of "Frances", and we don't know when he arrived in Connecticut. We also don't know whether he was in Massachusetts first. Robert Charles Anderson uses an immigration date of 1640 but Meredith B. Colket says that he arrived in 1636. He arrived with his wife and their three children It's not clear why other children were not born to the couple, but perhaps Frances was simply past child-bearing age.
Nathaniel was in Wethersfield, Ct in 1640, then went up the Connecticut River to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1643, where he received land grants, and was in Milford, where he stayed, in 1653. He was granted freeman status on April 13, 1648, and he joined the Milford church in 1654.. Frances died in 1651 and two years later he married Elizabeth Prudden, and they had two children together. Elizabeth died in 1666 and Roger died in 1670, both in Milford.
These few facts and guesses are all that we currently know of Roger Pritchard. I hope someone reading this has more information. I'd like to know his origin, his parents, and his occupation. I've not found his will yet so that leaves a lot of information missing. However, we do know he was here, and we know he contributed his roots to the family tree, even though the roots are missing at present.
The line of descent is:
Roger Pritchard-Frances
Nathaniel Pritchard-Hannah Langton
Esther Pritchard-John Hanchett
John Hanchett-Lydia Hayward
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
So,we don't know his home, we don't know his parents, we know his first wife only by the name of "Frances", and we don't know when he arrived in Connecticut. We also don't know whether he was in Massachusetts first. Robert Charles Anderson uses an immigration date of 1640 but Meredith B. Colket says that he arrived in 1636. He arrived with his wife and their three children It's not clear why other children were not born to the couple, but perhaps Frances was simply past child-bearing age.
Nathaniel was in Wethersfield, Ct in 1640, then went up the Connecticut River to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1643, where he received land grants, and was in Milford, where he stayed, in 1653. He was granted freeman status on April 13, 1648, and he joined the Milford church in 1654.. Frances died in 1651 and two years later he married Elizabeth Prudden, and they had two children together. Elizabeth died in 1666 and Roger died in 1670, both in Milford.
These few facts and guesses are all that we currently know of Roger Pritchard. I hope someone reading this has more information. I'd like to know his origin, his parents, and his occupation. I've not found his will yet so that leaves a lot of information missing. However, we do know he was here, and we know he contributed his roots to the family tree, even though the roots are missing at present.
The line of descent is:
Roger Pritchard-Frances
Nathaniel Pritchard-Hannah Langton
Esther Pritchard-John Hanchett
John Hanchett-Lydia Hayward
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Holbrook line: Hugh Smith, Immigrant
We have more information about Hugh Smith than about some of our other ancestors, but most of it is on this side of the Atlantic. I have a long line of ancestors for him going back many years past that, but it's unsourced and I don't trust it. So for now, we don't know Hugh Smith's parents, and we don't know where he was born. His likely birth date is 1613 or 1614, in England.
We likewise don't know exactly when he arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, although he was probably here by 1640. We know he was made a freeman on March 18, 1642. He may have gone directly to Rowley when he arrived here, and he may have been following the Rev. Ezekiel Roger's group But it seems he wasn't in the first wave of settlers there, because when the first land allotments were given in 1643, he was given the minimum, when the original settlers were given more. Nevertheless, he was in Rowley early, and he stayed there the rest of this life.
His wife's name was Mary, and that is as much as we know about her up to the time she and Hugh started having children. They had seven living children when Hugh died in 1655. Samuel and John may have come with their parents from England, because the first recorded Rowley birth was of Mary, in March of 1642/43. They also had Sarah, Hannah, Martha, and Edward. There is a gap of 6 years between Martha and Edward so there may have been unsuccessful pregnancies, also.
We know Hugh was of some importance in the town because he was overseer of the poor in 1649 and again in 1654, and selectman in 1651. In 1653 he and Francis Parret and Joseph Jewett were appointed to help set out the borders between Rowley, Ipswich, and Topsfield. He gradually accumulated land and owned several plots at the time of his death. He was occasionally taken to task because his fences were in disrepair. In 1953, we find that he had four cows.
I was thrilled to find a copy of his estate on line, and even more thrilled to find that it has been transcribed. That handwriting was going to be hard to decipher, so I'm glad that someone else has done it (The Probate Records of Essex County, volume 1, page 236 and following, found on the American Ancestors website). He left Mary her third, plus five pounds to aid in the "bringing up of my youngest son". Oldest son Samuel was to have "half so much more in portion as any other of my children" and the balance was to be shared. His inventory included one mare, one ass, four sheep, two oxen, five cows, one cow and a bull, two heifers, six calves, one steer, and eight swine. He had 26 acres of land and a dwelling, the land being in four different parcels. For arms, he had one mustket, two swords, and one pouch. He had a large amount of wool on hand, so perhaps he was a dealer of some sort. There was eleven score and fourteen pound of wool in one batch, and thirtie pound of sheep wool, identified separately. He had one pair of looms but no mention of a spinning wheel, so it seems that this was more wool than the family would use. (Speculation only, and anyone is welcome to share an additional thought about this). His estate was valued at 234 pounds, 11 shillings, 8 pence, but there were also 51 pounds and 16 shillings in various debts.
The estate was finally settled in 1667. By this time, Edward was approaching 14 years of age and it may have been appropriate to settle at this age. Mary married Jeremiah Ellsworth in 1657, and lived until 1688. I'd sure like to know who Mary was, and I'd love to know who Hugh's parents are.
The line of descent is:
Hugh Smith-Mary
Hannah Smith-Joseph Trumbull
John Trumbull-Elizabeth Winchell
Hannah Trumbull-Medad Pomeroy
Medad Pomeroy-Eunice Southwell
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stanard
Libbeus Stanard Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We likewise don't know exactly when he arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, although he was probably here by 1640. We know he was made a freeman on March 18, 1642. He may have gone directly to Rowley when he arrived here, and he may have been following the Rev. Ezekiel Roger's group But it seems he wasn't in the first wave of settlers there, because when the first land allotments were given in 1643, he was given the minimum, when the original settlers were given more. Nevertheless, he was in Rowley early, and he stayed there the rest of this life.
His wife's name was Mary, and that is as much as we know about her up to the time she and Hugh started having children. They had seven living children when Hugh died in 1655. Samuel and John may have come with their parents from England, because the first recorded Rowley birth was of Mary, in March of 1642/43. They also had Sarah, Hannah, Martha, and Edward. There is a gap of 6 years between Martha and Edward so there may have been unsuccessful pregnancies, also.
We know Hugh was of some importance in the town because he was overseer of the poor in 1649 and again in 1654, and selectman in 1651. In 1653 he and Francis Parret and Joseph Jewett were appointed to help set out the borders between Rowley, Ipswich, and Topsfield. He gradually accumulated land and owned several plots at the time of his death. He was occasionally taken to task because his fences were in disrepair. In 1953, we find that he had four cows.
I was thrilled to find a copy of his estate on line, and even more thrilled to find that it has been transcribed. That handwriting was going to be hard to decipher, so I'm glad that someone else has done it (The Probate Records of Essex County, volume 1, page 236 and following, found on the American Ancestors website). He left Mary her third, plus five pounds to aid in the "bringing up of my youngest son". Oldest son Samuel was to have "half so much more in portion as any other of my children" and the balance was to be shared. His inventory included one mare, one ass, four sheep, two oxen, five cows, one cow and a bull, two heifers, six calves, one steer, and eight swine. He had 26 acres of land and a dwelling, the land being in four different parcels. For arms, he had one mustket, two swords, and one pouch. He had a large amount of wool on hand, so perhaps he was a dealer of some sort. There was eleven score and fourteen pound of wool in one batch, and thirtie pound of sheep wool, identified separately. He had one pair of looms but no mention of a spinning wheel, so it seems that this was more wool than the family would use. (Speculation only, and anyone is welcome to share an additional thought about this). His estate was valued at 234 pounds, 11 shillings, 8 pence, but there were also 51 pounds and 16 shillings in various debts.
The estate was finally settled in 1667. By this time, Edward was approaching 14 years of age and it may have been appropriate to settle at this age. Mary married Jeremiah Ellsworth in 1657, and lived until 1688. I'd sure like to know who Mary was, and I'd love to know who Hugh's parents are.
The line of descent is:
Hugh Smith-Mary
Hannah Smith-Joseph Trumbull
John Trumbull-Elizabeth Winchell
Hannah Trumbull-Medad Pomeroy
Medad Pomeroy-Eunice Southwell
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stanard
Libbeus Stanard Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, February 9, 2018
Holbrook line: Francis Chickering Immigrant
Francis Chickering just missed being considered part of the "Great Migration", arriving in America in 1637, two years past the cut off date of 1635. He has therefore not been as extensively researched as those who arrived earlier, but we do know bits and pieces about him. His parents were Henry Chickering and Mary, and Francis was born about 1597 in Ringsfield, Suffolk, England. The church in Ringsfield is very old, but the older records have been destroyed by fire or flood or both, so documentation of his birth is not available. We know from his father's will, however, that he had siblings John, Judith, Mary, Symon, Reynold, and Henry, although there is no indication whether these are all full siblings. There was also another sibling but she had died when the will was written and her first name is not recorded. Nicholas Wolnough was reported as a son-in-law.
Francis married Anne Fiske about 1630 in St James, South Elham, Suffolk County, England and they came to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637. His parents in law were also on the ship and the family suffered the loss of Anne's mother, Anne Lawter Fiske, on the voyage. This was not an unusual occurrence. Health conditions were aggravated by the stresses of the sea, poor diet, and communicable diseases, and sometimes the passengers simply didn't survive. It must have been a sad beginning for the Chickerings in their new home. Francis and Mary brought two children with them and had five more in America.
He was made a freeman May 13, 1640 and went to live in Dedham, He was a member of the artillery train, and was chosen or elected Ensign (junior officer) at some point during this career. It does not seem that Dedham was ever a particular target of the natives, but that doesn't mean that the unit never responded to an alarm, nor that it never was engaged in battle. They would certainly have trained at regular intervals, in case they were needed to protect their family or their property. He was a representative to the general court in 1644 and 1653, a selectman of the town for 15 years, and one of the first two deacons of the church. He could at least write his name because his signature is found on a 1654 appraisal, where the other appraisers merely made their mark.
Anne died on December 5, 1649 and Francis married Sarah, the widow of John Sibley, on June 13, 1650, He was a widower with small children and needed help in caring for them. Sarah may have had her reasons for marriage, also, but we can hope that the two at least liked each other.
Francis died on October 2, 1658 and left "a good estate" to his five daughters. Sarah apparently went to court to argue for more than was allotted her in the will. She was to receive 150 pounds as part of a pre-nuptial agreement, and the court gave her another 200 pounds "considering the good report of the pious and prudent bahvior of Sarah, and bringing up the children of Francis". The rest of the houses, lands, debts and good were to be divided among the five daughters. The estate was valued at 1820 pounds, 18 shillings, 8 pence. This was a substantial value (A history of the town of Dedham says that he was the largest landowner in the town) and it makes me wonder what Francis did, as an occupation. We don't know that. Perhaps he was a merchant, a fur trader, or a ship owner,or some combination of the three, but we just don't know We also don't know how much he might have inherited from his father or other relatives, that would have helped him get a start in life. Now I'm eager to find more about this man!
The line of descent is:
Francis Chickering-Anne Fiske
Anne Chickering-Stephen Paine
John Paine-Elizabeth Belcher
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Francis married Anne Fiske about 1630 in St James, South Elham, Suffolk County, England and they came to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637. His parents in law were also on the ship and the family suffered the loss of Anne's mother, Anne Lawter Fiske, on the voyage. This was not an unusual occurrence. Health conditions were aggravated by the stresses of the sea, poor diet, and communicable diseases, and sometimes the passengers simply didn't survive. It must have been a sad beginning for the Chickerings in their new home. Francis and Mary brought two children with them and had five more in America.
He was made a freeman May 13, 1640 and went to live in Dedham, He was a member of the artillery train, and was chosen or elected Ensign (junior officer) at some point during this career. It does not seem that Dedham was ever a particular target of the natives, but that doesn't mean that the unit never responded to an alarm, nor that it never was engaged in battle. They would certainly have trained at regular intervals, in case they were needed to protect their family or their property. He was a representative to the general court in 1644 and 1653, a selectman of the town for 15 years, and one of the first two deacons of the church. He could at least write his name because his signature is found on a 1654 appraisal, where the other appraisers merely made their mark.
Anne died on December 5, 1649 and Francis married Sarah, the widow of John Sibley, on June 13, 1650, He was a widower with small children and needed help in caring for them. Sarah may have had her reasons for marriage, also, but we can hope that the two at least liked each other.
Francis died on October 2, 1658 and left "a good estate" to his five daughters. Sarah apparently went to court to argue for more than was allotted her in the will. She was to receive 150 pounds as part of a pre-nuptial agreement, and the court gave her another 200 pounds "considering the good report of the pious and prudent bahvior of Sarah, and bringing up the children of Francis". The rest of the houses, lands, debts and good were to be divided among the five daughters. The estate was valued at 1820 pounds, 18 shillings, 8 pence. This was a substantial value (A history of the town of Dedham says that he was the largest landowner in the town) and it makes me wonder what Francis did, as an occupation. We don't know that. Perhaps he was a merchant, a fur trader, or a ship owner,or some combination of the three, but we just don't know We also don't know how much he might have inherited from his father or other relatives, that would have helped him get a start in life. Now I'm eager to find more about this man!
The line of descent is:
Francis Chickering-Anne Fiske
Anne Chickering-Stephen Paine
John Paine-Elizabeth Belcher
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Holbrook line: George Pack, Immigrant
I'm considering George Pack an immigrant until I'm shown otherwise. He was born about 1634 but he wasn't born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, as many sites say, because Elizabethtown Tract, which I believe to be the reference, wasn't even formed until 1664, when the tract of land was purchased from the Lenape natives. Some sites give his parents as William and Grace Greene Pecke, who were in New Haven, Connecticut early. If this is correct, then George may have been born in Nottinghamshire, England. The site "Descendants of Founders of New Jersey" says that George was born in England and emigrated to America in the 1650's, probably with his (unnamed) parents and likely settled in the Mitford area of Connecticut. . This makes sense, but means more research needs to be done.
In 1665, he was one of eighty Associates who purchased a large tract of land west of the Hudson River and then settled the first English town in eastern New Jersey. George had 118 acres there, and took the Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity in the town on February 19, 1665. The only other record I've found of him was that he signed a letter of remonstrance to the King in 1700, asking for a more competent Governor for the colony. We also have record of several land sales that he made, and ofthe witnessing of at least one will.
George married Anna, who was more likely than not Anna Cranmer, about 1660, and they had six children together. Anna died about 1681. George may have moved to Rahway, N.J. where he married Elizabeth Moore in March of 1683. They had four children. He was a yeoman (a land owning farmer) when he died October 2, 1704.
I wish we knew more about George, especially who his parents were, and what role he might have played in local government or in church life. There are more records to explore, and there may be more facts to this story. A man who immigrated to America, helped found his town, and lived 70 years surely has more to his story than what I've found so far. And since he is an ancestor twice-over, he's doubly important!
One line of descent is:
George Pack-Anna Cranmer
Hannah Pack-Joseph Robins
Bethiah Robins-John Nation
Christopher Nation-Elizabeth Swaim
Joseph Nation-Jeretta Vickery
Elizabeth Nation-Christopher Myers
Phoebe Myers-Adam Brown
Phoebe Brown-Fremont Holbrook
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
The other line is:
George Pack-Anna Cranmer
Hannah Pack-Joseph Robins
Bethia Robins-John Nation
Elizabeth Nation-Marmaduke Vickery
Jeretta Vickery-Joseph Nation
Joseph Nation and Jeretty Vickery were first cousins, it appears. That was not unusual in that time and place.
In 1665, he was one of eighty Associates who purchased a large tract of land west of the Hudson River and then settled the first English town in eastern New Jersey. George had 118 acres there, and took the Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity in the town on February 19, 1665. The only other record I've found of him was that he signed a letter of remonstrance to the King in 1700, asking for a more competent Governor for the colony. We also have record of several land sales that he made, and ofthe witnessing of at least one will.
George married Anna, who was more likely than not Anna Cranmer, about 1660, and they had six children together. Anna died about 1681. George may have moved to Rahway, N.J. where he married Elizabeth Moore in March of 1683. They had four children. He was a yeoman (a land owning farmer) when he died October 2, 1704.
I wish we knew more about George, especially who his parents were, and what role he might have played in local government or in church life. There are more records to explore, and there may be more facts to this story. A man who immigrated to America, helped found his town, and lived 70 years surely has more to his story than what I've found so far. And since he is an ancestor twice-over, he's doubly important!
One line of descent is:
George Pack-Anna Cranmer
Hannah Pack-Joseph Robins
Bethiah Robins-John Nation
Christopher Nation-Elizabeth Swaim
Joseph Nation-Jeretta Vickery
Elizabeth Nation-Christopher Myers
Phoebe Myers-Adam Brown
Phoebe Brown-Fremont Holbrook
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
The other line is:
George Pack-Anna Cranmer
Hannah Pack-Joseph Robins
Bethia Robins-John Nation
Elizabeth Nation-Marmaduke Vickery
Jeretta Vickery-Joseph Nation
Joseph Nation and Jeretty Vickery were first cousins, it appears. That was not unusual in that time and place.
Friday, February 2, 2018
Holbrook line: Johan Caspar Strader, Immigrant
I've spent much of my genealogy time in the last few weeks in Lancaster and Berks Counties, Pennsylvania, researching, or trying to research, various ancestors in the Harshbarger line. My head hurts from banging my head against those brick walls, so I thought I'd look for someone I could write a nice, easy blog post about in the Holbrook line. And where do my eyes alight? Caspar Strader, born 1705 in Germany, died 1778 in Berks County. Augghh!!
Also, the information I've found on-line is confusing So here is what I know, think I know, and don't quite believe about our German ancestor. Johan Caspar was born sometime in the 1700-1705 time period, most likely in Hesse, in what is now Germany. I have found no record of his parents, although I am quite sure he had two. He was married about 1725 to either Anna Maria Spor (that marriage took place on March 2, 1725 in Hessen), or, as most trees say, to Margaret Catherine Uhrmeister but I've found quite a specific date of August 18, 1757 in Lancaster County, Pa for that marriage. If this is the same Caspar Strader, then it must be a second marriage, or possibly the Caspar involved is his son Caspar.
The first thing we find that seems to be our Caspar is his immigration on September 26, 1749 on the ship Ranier, with passengers from Hanau, Wirtemberg, Darmstadt, and Eisenberg. The ship, as is typical of the time, sailed from Rotterdam with a stop in England. What is somewhat unusual about this ship is that it is noted as having 277 passengers, which is significantly more than most ships carried. The men, including a Johan Henrich Stroder and Johannes Stroder Jr also took the oath of allegiance.
The next document I've found so far, is an abstract of the will for "Casper Stratter" of Alsace Township, Berks County, Pa. He wrote the will on November 21, 1775 and it was proved May 23, 1778. He left 5 shillings to his son Conrad, another 5 shillings to son Henry, and to his daughter Catharina, wife of Martin Koehlhoffer, he left all his moveable goods and his "little plantation". His daughter and son in law were named as executors, which would seem to be contrary to law in most jurisdictions. It seems that the other children were probably given their inheritance early. For instance, daughter Anna Margaret, who had married John Ludwig Clapp and gone to North Carolina, was likely given a gift of money or goods when she left the area.
Doubtless I need to get back into the Berks County books and look again for Strader, which of course is spelled several different ways. I hope to find more information to flesh out this family, and of course it would be fun if I found a Holbrook connection to a Harshbarger connection, somewhere along the way.
The line of descent is:
Casper Strader-possibly Anna Maria Spor
Anna Margaret Strader-John Ludwig Clapp
Barbara Clapp-John Philip Clapp
Catherine Clapp-John Adam Brown
Adam Brown-Phoebe Myers
Phoebe Brown-Fremont Holbrook
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Also, the information I've found on-line is confusing So here is what I know, think I know, and don't quite believe about our German ancestor. Johan Caspar was born sometime in the 1700-1705 time period, most likely in Hesse, in what is now Germany. I have found no record of his parents, although I am quite sure he had two. He was married about 1725 to either Anna Maria Spor (that marriage took place on March 2, 1725 in Hessen), or, as most trees say, to Margaret Catherine Uhrmeister but I've found quite a specific date of August 18, 1757 in Lancaster County, Pa for that marriage. If this is the same Caspar Strader, then it must be a second marriage, or possibly the Caspar involved is his son Caspar.
The first thing we find that seems to be our Caspar is his immigration on September 26, 1749 on the ship Ranier, with passengers from Hanau, Wirtemberg, Darmstadt, and Eisenberg. The ship, as is typical of the time, sailed from Rotterdam with a stop in England. What is somewhat unusual about this ship is that it is noted as having 277 passengers, which is significantly more than most ships carried. The men, including a Johan Henrich Stroder and Johannes Stroder Jr also took the oath of allegiance.
The next document I've found so far, is an abstract of the will for "Casper Stratter" of Alsace Township, Berks County, Pa. He wrote the will on November 21, 1775 and it was proved May 23, 1778. He left 5 shillings to his son Conrad, another 5 shillings to son Henry, and to his daughter Catharina, wife of Martin Koehlhoffer, he left all his moveable goods and his "little plantation". His daughter and son in law were named as executors, which would seem to be contrary to law in most jurisdictions. It seems that the other children were probably given their inheritance early. For instance, daughter Anna Margaret, who had married John Ludwig Clapp and gone to North Carolina, was likely given a gift of money or goods when she left the area.
Doubtless I need to get back into the Berks County books and look again for Strader, which of course is spelled several different ways. I hope to find more information to flesh out this family, and of course it would be fun if I found a Holbrook connection to a Harshbarger connection, somewhere along the way.
The line of descent is:
Casper Strader-possibly Anna Maria Spor
Anna Margaret Strader-John Ludwig Clapp
Barbara Clapp-John Philip Clapp
Catherine Clapp-John Adam Brown
Adam Brown-Phoebe Myers
Phoebe Brown-Fremont Holbrook
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
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