I'm going to play it conservative here and say that the Jonas Bowen I am writing about is an ancestor in the Holbrook line. That much I am relatively (sorry for the pun) certain abouot. I also have seen information that I think says that Jonas is also an Allen ancestor, but that is confusing. In order for these to be one and the same man, he would have had to have been born about 1605 and lived to be about 94 years of age. It's possible, but not probable and definitely not proven, in my opinion. However, he definitely lived in the same area as some of our Allen ancestors, the Corbins and the Wilkinsons.
So we'll still to the apparent facts. Jonas was most likely born in England or Wales, possibly close to the border between the two since the name may have originally been "ap Owen". I have seen various names suggested as being Jonas's father, (John, Nathaniel, Obadiah) but nothing has been proven. We don't know for sure when Jonas appeared in the colonies, or where. However, we do know that he was in Baltimore County, Maryland by 1676 when he was on a tax list. This probably indicates he had actually arrived some time earlier, in order to accumulate the property he was taxed on (I haven't yet seen the mentioned tax list, so can't comment further than that).
Jonas was married to Martha Henchman, daughter of Nathaniel Henchman and possibly Ann. Jonas may have been married earlier, as mentioned above, and he was at least a few years older than Martha, it's believed. (Martha's birth date is given as about 1649). Jonas and Martha had several children together, including Jonas, Benjamin, Martha, John, and Onner (Honor), and possibly Elizabeth.
In "Settlers of Maryland 1679-1783", Peter Coldham Wilson lists four parcels of land owned by Jonas, dating from 1679 to 1695 and totalling 300 acres, all in Baltimore County, and evidently located on the Patapsco River. Of course, he may have sold some parcels as he bought others. He is also known to have had land surveyed in 1673, which indicates that perhaps he lived there even prior to that date, since surveys may not have been requested as soon as the land was occupied.
Jonas may have served in the militia during the 1675-76 troubles with the native Americans, and I saw a mention that he may have been a constable at one time. I'm still looking for more information regarding both of those statements.
Jonas wrote his will March 26, 1699 and was dead by April 13 of that same year, when his will was probated. I have a copy of his will but it's difficult to read. It does have at least 12 "Items" on it, so there was property to dispose of. Some of the children were still underage. His wife Martha died in 1704.
I'd love to know so much more about Jonas. When and where was he born? Did he have a first wife? Who was she? What religion was he? Did he have an occupation other than farming? Did he raise tobacco, and if so, did he have indentured servants, or slaves? What is the connection, if any, that makes him an Allen ancestor?
The line of descent is:
Jonas Bowen-Martha Henchman
Martha Bowen-John Merryman
Martha Merryman-Alexis Lemmon
Alexis Lemmon-Rachel Stansbury
Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, June 29, 2018
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Harshbarger line: Friedrich Carl Hoerner 1703-after 1789, Immigrant
I thought I was done writing Harshbarger stories, but in a genealogy clean up project I have been working on, I found another ancestor who was an immigrant. It will not surprise anyone in the Harshbarger family to learn that he came from Germany and died in Pennsylvania. But what else can we learn about him?
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was born, or christened, December 23, 1703 at Dierbach, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rheinfeld Pfalz, Germany. This is a small village, current population abo0ut 540, and is located on the "point" between France and Germany. One wonders how many wars this small village has seen? Dierbach's church is Protestant and has been since the Reformation, the current church having been built in 1502. Pictures of the town show typical German, half-timber construction, the type we would associate with medieval times.
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was the son of Hans Gall and Juliana Margarethe Kurtz Hoerner, one of at least eight children. Both of his parents lived until Frieddrich Carl had reached young manhood. He was 20 when his father died and 33 when his mother died in 1737. Friedrich appears to not have married until he was 41 years old, which was not that unusual for the men in small German villages. Life was hard and it might take that long to save enough money to provide even the barest of necessities for a wife and a new household.
In 1744, Friedrich Carl married Anna Catharina Schaub, daughter of Thomas Schaub, and their first child was born the following year. Maria Salome is the only known daughter of the couple, and we don't know when Anna Catharina died. Perhaps she died young and perhaps that is part of the reason that Friedrich Carl came to America, arriving at Philadelphia on September 29, 1750.
Tbe next records we have for him are tax and census records starting from 1762, when he was in Berks County, probably Exeter Township. It appears that they were members of the Schwartzwald Reformed Church (Calvinist, as opposed to Lutheran) because a son was buried there in 1788. Also Friedrich Horner and Maria Horner are the parents of a daughter baptized November 21, 1766 at Oley (Salem) Reformed Church. If this is our Friedrich, then it appears that Anna Catharina had died and Friedrich had remarried. In the 1779 tax records, he is noted as having 100 acres of land, so he was probably farming. It looks like there may be a Nicholas and a Matthias Hoerner in the same township, but I don't know if they are related or not.
This is as much as I currently know about Friedrich Carl Hoerner. He may very well have served in the French and Indian War of 1756-1763 (mostly up to about 1760, as far as the fighting goes) but I don't have any record of that. He certainly would have been affected by the war, as this was frontier country at the time. He lived through the Revolutionary War, too. I would love to hear some of this man's stories, wouldn't you? He is believed to have died after 1789, possibly in Bedford County, Pa. I haven't located a will.
The line of descent is:
Friedrich Carl Hoerner-Anna Catharina Schaub
Maria Salome Hoerner-Henry Matthias Braun
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was born, or christened, December 23, 1703 at Dierbach, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rheinfeld Pfalz, Germany. This is a small village, current population abo0ut 540, and is located on the "point" between France and Germany. One wonders how many wars this small village has seen? Dierbach's church is Protestant and has been since the Reformation, the current church having been built in 1502. Pictures of the town show typical German, half-timber construction, the type we would associate with medieval times.
Friedrich Carl Hoerner was the son of Hans Gall and Juliana Margarethe Kurtz Hoerner, one of at least eight children. Both of his parents lived until Frieddrich Carl had reached young manhood. He was 20 when his father died and 33 when his mother died in 1737. Friedrich appears to not have married until he was 41 years old, which was not that unusual for the men in small German villages. Life was hard and it might take that long to save enough money to provide even the barest of necessities for a wife and a new household.
In 1744, Friedrich Carl married Anna Catharina Schaub, daughter of Thomas Schaub, and their first child was born the following year. Maria Salome is the only known daughter of the couple, and we don't know when Anna Catharina died. Perhaps she died young and perhaps that is part of the reason that Friedrich Carl came to America, arriving at Philadelphia on September 29, 1750.
Tbe next records we have for him are tax and census records starting from 1762, when he was in Berks County, probably Exeter Township. It appears that they were members of the Schwartzwald Reformed Church (Calvinist, as opposed to Lutheran) because a son was buried there in 1788. Also Friedrich Horner and Maria Horner are the parents of a daughter baptized November 21, 1766 at Oley (Salem) Reformed Church. If this is our Friedrich, then it appears that Anna Catharina had died and Friedrich had remarried. In the 1779 tax records, he is noted as having 100 acres of land, so he was probably farming. It looks like there may be a Nicholas and a Matthias Hoerner in the same township, but I don't know if they are related or not.
This is as much as I currently know about Friedrich Carl Hoerner. He may very well have served in the French and Indian War of 1756-1763 (mostly up to about 1760, as far as the fighting goes) but I don't have any record of that. He certainly would have been affected by the war, as this was frontier country at the time. He lived through the Revolutionary War, too. I would love to hear some of this man's stories, wouldn't you? He is believed to have died after 1789, possibly in Bedford County, Pa. I haven't located a will.
The line of descent is:
Friedrich Carl Hoerner-Anna Catharina Schaub
Maria Salome Hoerner-Henry Matthias Braun
David Brown-Barbara Brothers
Elizabeth Brown-William Cook
Barbara Cook-William Withers
William Withers-Della Kemery
Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Friday, June 22, 2018
Holbrook line: Thomas Silver, Immigrant
Pulling these immigrant stories together is never easy. Either there is too much information, or not enough information, or both. This is a case of too much information (Thomas cannot have two sets of parents, and he can't have been born in two separate locations), but then there is too little information about his life in America. I hope he will be researched further and some of the mysteries of his life answered.
So, Thomas Silver was born about 1622 in Ropley, Hampshire England, possibly the son of Thomas Silver, or he was born in 1622 at Newbury, Berkshire, England, the son of Thomas Silver and Elinor Backster. (This second record is from www.genealogieonline.netherlands, which is generally an accurate source). Newbury at the time of Thomas's birth was a cloth town, meaning that wool was produced here, including what was possibly the first factory in England, and so it is likely that there were sheep farmers here, too. I don't know which, if either, would be a more likely occupation for Thomas's father, but most likely the family was not well to do.
Thomas came to Massachusetts Bay Colony as a young man. He would have been about 15 when he arrived at Ipswich in 1637, so he likely came over as an indentured servant and may have had to serve his master for several years. I've not located records to support this, and it's possible he went to a relative's home but I've not found that, either. We do know that he stayed in Ipswich just a few years.
By 1641 he was in Newbury, in what became Essex County, and there he stayed for the rest of his life. He had rights in the commons to one cattle, in 1641, and he was on a list of freeholders in 1642. Had had a house lot by 1645 and apparently shared in other land divisions, also, although the "History of Newbury, Massachusetts 1635-1902" was not clear on that. He is on a list of persons who took an oath of allegiance in 1678, which was tied up in politics as well as a simple statement of loyalty to King Charles II.
Thomas, according to the genealogieonline website mentioned above, married Mary Thomas, probably before 1645, in Newbury. Mary must have died soon, perhaps in childbirth, and he married Katherine Coker on August 16, 1649. Our line of descent is through Mary, so it would be nice to learn more about her. Thomas and Mary's daughter, Mary, would have several half brothers and sisters, as Thomas and Katherine's family grew.
Until Thomas's death, this is all I have been able to learn. I don't know his occupation, or his religion, or any civil offices he might have held. I don't know how he might have been affected by King Philip's War. Katherine died in July 23, 1665, and we have no record of a third marriage. I wonder how Thomas cared for his children? Did Mary, as the oldest daughter (20, at the time) take over this responsibility? She had married in 1664, so she had responsibilities of her own. Thomas died September 6, 1682. I have a copy of his inventory but it's not very readable. All that I can make out is that apparently his estate was valued at 104 pounds, which was modest for the time.
This is what we know of Thomas. He was courageous, to come to America when such a young man. He worked to support his family. He suffered the loss of two wives. He lived in some sort of relationship with his neighbors, as he signed petitions with them. He was a freeholder, (landowner) and therefore likely paid taxes of some sort. "And further, I say not".
The line of descent is"
Thomas Silver-Mary Thomas
Mary Silver-Robert Robinson
Mary Robinson-Abraham Foster
Nathan Foster-Hannah Standish
Nathan Foster-Elizabeth Lansford
Jude Foster-Lydia M
Betsy Foster-Josiah Whittemore
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
So, Thomas Silver was born about 1622 in Ropley, Hampshire England, possibly the son of Thomas Silver, or he was born in 1622 at Newbury, Berkshire, England, the son of Thomas Silver and Elinor Backster. (This second record is from www.genealogieonline.netherlands, which is generally an accurate source). Newbury at the time of Thomas's birth was a cloth town, meaning that wool was produced here, including what was possibly the first factory in England, and so it is likely that there were sheep farmers here, too. I don't know which, if either, would be a more likely occupation for Thomas's father, but most likely the family was not well to do.
Thomas came to Massachusetts Bay Colony as a young man. He would have been about 15 when he arrived at Ipswich in 1637, so he likely came over as an indentured servant and may have had to serve his master for several years. I've not located records to support this, and it's possible he went to a relative's home but I've not found that, either. We do know that he stayed in Ipswich just a few years.
By 1641 he was in Newbury, in what became Essex County, and there he stayed for the rest of his life. He had rights in the commons to one cattle, in 1641, and he was on a list of freeholders in 1642. Had had a house lot by 1645 and apparently shared in other land divisions, also, although the "History of Newbury, Massachusetts 1635-1902" was not clear on that. He is on a list of persons who took an oath of allegiance in 1678, which was tied up in politics as well as a simple statement of loyalty to King Charles II.
Thomas, according to the genealogieonline website mentioned above, married Mary Thomas, probably before 1645, in Newbury. Mary must have died soon, perhaps in childbirth, and he married Katherine Coker on August 16, 1649. Our line of descent is through Mary, so it would be nice to learn more about her. Thomas and Mary's daughter, Mary, would have several half brothers and sisters, as Thomas and Katherine's family grew.
Until Thomas's death, this is all I have been able to learn. I don't know his occupation, or his religion, or any civil offices he might have held. I don't know how he might have been affected by King Philip's War. Katherine died in July 23, 1665, and we have no record of a third marriage. I wonder how Thomas cared for his children? Did Mary, as the oldest daughter (20, at the time) take over this responsibility? She had married in 1664, so she had responsibilities of her own. Thomas died September 6, 1682. I have a copy of his inventory but it's not very readable. All that I can make out is that apparently his estate was valued at 104 pounds, which was modest for the time.
This is what we know of Thomas. He was courageous, to come to America when such a young man. He worked to support his family. He suffered the loss of two wives. He lived in some sort of relationship with his neighbors, as he signed petitions with them. He was a freeholder, (landowner) and therefore likely paid taxes of some sort. "And further, I say not".
The line of descent is"
Thomas Silver-Mary Thomas
Mary Silver-Robert Robinson
Mary Robinson-Abraham Foster
Nathan Foster-Hannah Standish
Nathan Foster-Elizabeth Lansford
Jude Foster-Lydia M
Betsy Foster-Josiah Whittemore
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Holbrook line: John Woodland, Immigrant
John Woodland is apparently one of the less famed of our ancestors, as I am not able to find a lot of information about him, and some of what I have found, I can't verify. One source (Geni) gives his birth as February 21, 1621 at Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire, England. His parents are listed as Johannis Woodland and Grace, whom I have seen noted as Grace Thomson.
The village of Husborne Crawley is very small although there is a church there that dates back to the 13th century. It's size may indicate the village, which now has a population of less than 250 people, may have been larger at one time. It was largely agricultural at the time, so we will assume until we find other information that John had a farming background of some kind.
John married Martha, whose last name is not known, probably about 1645 since their first known child was born in 1646. This is the same year that he is believed to have come to Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he settled in Dorchester and by 1651 was in Braintree. I have not been able to locate any thing that says he ever was granted freeman status, but his son John was apparently christened in the church in Braintree, in 1651, so the possibility exists. I've also seen that his daughters Thankful was born in Dorchester in 1646 and Martha about 1648, but again, where are the records? There may have been a second son John born in 1649, and after several years of no children, possibly a "surprise', Abigail in 1661. The ten year gap leave us wondering whether there were other pregnancies or other children born during that time period
In 1662, a group was formed to settle a new town which became known as Mendon. It was on the frontier, fifteen or more miles from the nearest town. There were seven original settlers and John Woodland was one of them. John and his wife and four children moved to Mendon by the end of July, 1663, as they were required to do under the terms of the contract allowing the new village.
I can find little about John's life in Mendon. He was appointed fence keeper in 1667 and surveyor of highways in 1668. He is listed on a petition of May 19, 1669, asking for a minister for their town. Although I did not find his name on lists when the house lots were distributed, in 1672 swamp lots of five acres were granted to those who had house lots of 30 acres, and John's name is on that list.
Mendon has the distinction of being the first town hit in Massachusetts, in 1675 at the start of King Philip's War. Five or six people were killed but the list is not complete. We have no indication that any of them were of John's family, but of course they would have been his neighbors. The Woodlands fled the town, as did many others, and returned to Braintree. It is good that they left, because later, in early 1676, the natives returned again, and burned the town to the ground.
I've found statements that the Woodlands returned to Mendon sometime after 1680, but there is nothing in the "Annals of the Town of Mendon, Massachusetts" to support this. They were living in Braintree in 1687, when John and Martha sold five acres of land "before Woodland's dwelling house that he now liveth in". John died between then and 1700, when the town of Braintree voted to pay for the widow Woodland's transportation back to Mendon, where her son in law, John Thompson, promised to care for her. Her date of death is also uncertain.
I haven't figured out how John supported himself and his family. Was he "only" a farmer or did he have another trade also? Was he a religious man? Our only clue is the signing of the petition to bring a minister to Mendon. Was he literate? Apparently he could sign his name but we don't know any more than that. What a mystery!
Our lines of descent are:
John Woodland-Martha
Thankful Woodland-John Thompson
Martha Thompson-Ebenezer Thayer
Deborah Thayer-John Rockwood
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Another line goes from Thankful Woodland-John Thompson to
John Thompson-Hannah Wight
Joseph Thompson-Mary Holbrook
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood (2nd cousins)
And yet another line goes from Martha Thompson and Ebenezer Thayer to
Ebenezer Thayer-Mary Wheelock
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood (so they are third cousins)
Yes, we're cousins, and we're our own cousins!
The village of Husborne Crawley is very small although there is a church there that dates back to the 13th century. It's size may indicate the village, which now has a population of less than 250 people, may have been larger at one time. It was largely agricultural at the time, so we will assume until we find other information that John had a farming background of some kind.
John married Martha, whose last name is not known, probably about 1645 since their first known child was born in 1646. This is the same year that he is believed to have come to Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he settled in Dorchester and by 1651 was in Braintree. I have not been able to locate any thing that says he ever was granted freeman status, but his son John was apparently christened in the church in Braintree, in 1651, so the possibility exists. I've also seen that his daughters Thankful was born in Dorchester in 1646 and Martha about 1648, but again, where are the records? There may have been a second son John born in 1649, and after several years of no children, possibly a "surprise', Abigail in 1661. The ten year gap leave us wondering whether there were other pregnancies or other children born during that time period
In 1662, a group was formed to settle a new town which became known as Mendon. It was on the frontier, fifteen or more miles from the nearest town. There were seven original settlers and John Woodland was one of them. John and his wife and four children moved to Mendon by the end of July, 1663, as they were required to do under the terms of the contract allowing the new village.
I can find little about John's life in Mendon. He was appointed fence keeper in 1667 and surveyor of highways in 1668. He is listed on a petition of May 19, 1669, asking for a minister for their town. Although I did not find his name on lists when the house lots were distributed, in 1672 swamp lots of five acres were granted to those who had house lots of 30 acres, and John's name is on that list.
Mendon has the distinction of being the first town hit in Massachusetts, in 1675 at the start of King Philip's War. Five or six people were killed but the list is not complete. We have no indication that any of them were of John's family, but of course they would have been his neighbors. The Woodlands fled the town, as did many others, and returned to Braintree. It is good that they left, because later, in early 1676, the natives returned again, and burned the town to the ground.
I've found statements that the Woodlands returned to Mendon sometime after 1680, but there is nothing in the "Annals of the Town of Mendon, Massachusetts" to support this. They were living in Braintree in 1687, when John and Martha sold five acres of land "before Woodland's dwelling house that he now liveth in". John died between then and 1700, when the town of Braintree voted to pay for the widow Woodland's transportation back to Mendon, where her son in law, John Thompson, promised to care for her. Her date of death is also uncertain.
I haven't figured out how John supported himself and his family. Was he "only" a farmer or did he have another trade also? Was he a religious man? Our only clue is the signing of the petition to bring a minister to Mendon. Was he literate? Apparently he could sign his name but we don't know any more than that. What a mystery!
Our lines of descent are:
John Woodland-Martha
Thankful Woodland-John Thompson
Martha Thompson-Ebenezer Thayer
Deborah Thayer-John Rockwood
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Another line goes from Thankful Woodland-John Thompson to
John Thompson-Hannah Wight
Joseph Thompson-Mary Holbrook
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood (2nd cousins)
And yet another line goes from Martha Thompson and Ebenezer Thayer to
Ebenezer Thayer-Mary Wheelock
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood (so they are third cousins)
Yes, we're cousins, and we're our own cousins!
Friday, June 15, 2018
Holbrook line: Richard Waterman, Immigrant
By now, you've noticed that I find most of our ancestors to be fascinating people. Richard Waterman also falls in that category, I think because he is just a little bit different from many of our New England ancestors. We don't know his origins nor do we know more than the name of his wife, which was Bethiah.
The first thing we know actually raises more questions. Richard arrived in Salem, Massachusetts on June 16, 1629, having been sent there as a hunter by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. So, how did he become a hunter? What experience did he have, and where did he get it? Was there enough call for a hunter in Salem that he could make a living? Or was he one of our first frontiersmen, shooting animals for their furs? We do know he killed a wolf in 1632 but we don't have any further knowledge about his success, or lack thereof.
We don't know when he and Bethiah married. It may have been early in 1629, before Richard came to America, or it may have been a shipboard romance. My feeling is that there wouldn't have been enough time for him to have met, courted, and married in Salem, and given time for their first child, Mehitabel, to have been born "about" 1630. Of course, if that guess for a date is off then maybe the marriage did happen here. The Watermans had three more children, Waite, Resolved, and Nathaniel. Some sites also give a son Joseph but the sources I've found don't support that.
Richard was likely a member of the Salem church because his son Nathaniel was baptized there in August of 1637. However, he became a supporter of Roger Williams during the times Roger lived in Salem, and when Roger was banished, he soon sought and was given permission to follow Roger into Rhode Island. In fact, Waterman was invited to leave on March 12, 1637/38, with the other followers of Roger Williams. Once in Providence, he settled down again. He had a house lot located between those of Francis Weston and Ezekiel Holyman, and acquired other land besides.
He also seems to have been caught up in the "Gorton controversy", which I don't pretend to understand. Mr. Gorton was of strong religious beliefs, and was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1644. So was Richard Waterman. He seems to have been imprisoned and tried more for political than religious reasons, although he was a strong supporter of Warwick, where Mr. Gorton settled, and owned land there. Opinions differ as to whether he actually moved his family therfe, but Robert Charles Anderson seems to think he lived in Warwick for about four years, from 1666 to 1670.
In Salem, he had had little to do with the government, perhaps because he was out hunting for much of the time. However, in Providence, he was on the committee to establish colony government, and served as the Commissioner for Providence to the Rhode Island Court on at least 10 occasions. He was also a selectman and a magistrate, and served on several juries.
Savage says that he was chosen colonel of the militia, which would be a high honor and responsibility. It may be that he was chosen partly for his woodsmen skills, but he also seems to have been a leader as well.
Richard died at Providence October 26, 1673 and Bethiah died December 3, 1680. He left a will naming his heirs and granting his lands to them but the will was burned when the native Americans attacked and burned Providence during King Philip's War. Bethiah would have lived through that war, and it would be interesting to know how she survived, and with whom she lived after the war. She would have been perhaps 75 years old at the time of her death.
Richard is interesting because of the connection with Roger Williams, and his later support of Mr. Gorton, because he was a hunter by trade, because he survived several months in a Massachusetts prison, and because he was respected so much although it appears that he had very little, if any, formal education. He was a remarkable man.
Our line of descent is
Richard Waterman-Bethiah
Waite Waterman-Henry Brown
Richard Brown=Mary Pray
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Richard was also the father in law of Mercy Williams, who married Resolved Waterman and then Samuel Winsor. Our line goes through Samuel.
The first thing we know actually raises more questions. Richard arrived in Salem, Massachusetts on June 16, 1629, having been sent there as a hunter by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. So, how did he become a hunter? What experience did he have, and where did he get it? Was there enough call for a hunter in Salem that he could make a living? Or was he one of our first frontiersmen, shooting animals for their furs? We do know he killed a wolf in 1632 but we don't have any further knowledge about his success, or lack thereof.
We don't know when he and Bethiah married. It may have been early in 1629, before Richard came to America, or it may have been a shipboard romance. My feeling is that there wouldn't have been enough time for him to have met, courted, and married in Salem, and given time for their first child, Mehitabel, to have been born "about" 1630. Of course, if that guess for a date is off then maybe the marriage did happen here. The Watermans had three more children, Waite, Resolved, and Nathaniel. Some sites also give a son Joseph but the sources I've found don't support that.
Richard was likely a member of the Salem church because his son Nathaniel was baptized there in August of 1637. However, he became a supporter of Roger Williams during the times Roger lived in Salem, and when Roger was banished, he soon sought and was given permission to follow Roger into Rhode Island. In fact, Waterman was invited to leave on March 12, 1637/38, with the other followers of Roger Williams. Once in Providence, he settled down again. He had a house lot located between those of Francis Weston and Ezekiel Holyman, and acquired other land besides.
He also seems to have been caught up in the "Gorton controversy", which I don't pretend to understand. Mr. Gorton was of strong religious beliefs, and was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1644. So was Richard Waterman. He seems to have been imprisoned and tried more for political than religious reasons, although he was a strong supporter of Warwick, where Mr. Gorton settled, and owned land there. Opinions differ as to whether he actually moved his family therfe, but Robert Charles Anderson seems to think he lived in Warwick for about four years, from 1666 to 1670.
In Salem, he had had little to do with the government, perhaps because he was out hunting for much of the time. However, in Providence, he was on the committee to establish colony government, and served as the Commissioner for Providence to the Rhode Island Court on at least 10 occasions. He was also a selectman and a magistrate, and served on several juries.
Savage says that he was chosen colonel of the militia, which would be a high honor and responsibility. It may be that he was chosen partly for his woodsmen skills, but he also seems to have been a leader as well.
Richard died at Providence October 26, 1673 and Bethiah died December 3, 1680. He left a will naming his heirs and granting his lands to them but the will was burned when the native Americans attacked and burned Providence during King Philip's War. Bethiah would have lived through that war, and it would be interesting to know how she survived, and with whom she lived after the war. She would have been perhaps 75 years old at the time of her death.
Richard is interesting because of the connection with Roger Williams, and his later support of Mr. Gorton, because he was a hunter by trade, because he survived several months in a Massachusetts prison, and because he was respected so much although it appears that he had very little, if any, formal education. He was a remarkable man.
Our line of descent is
Richard Waterman-Bethiah
Waite Waterman-Henry Brown
Richard Brown=Mary Pray
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Richard was also the father in law of Mercy Williams, who married Resolved Waterman and then Samuel Winsor. Our line goes through Samuel.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Holbrook line: William Amos about 1690-1759, Immigrant
William Amos's story is a little different than some of our other immigrant stories. He arrived in the Colonies roughly 100 years later than many of our immigrants did, and he apparently went straight to Maryland, if he didn't land there. At least, so far, I haven't found records of his immigration, or of his birth, or even of his parents, for that matter. He is thought to have been born about 1689-1690, and the report on Ancestry about the Amos name (possibly Amiss in England) says the family lived primarily in southeastern England.
The first records that we find are from 1730, when he purchased land in what was then Baltimore County but is now Harford County, Maryland. So had he already been here several years, working to save enough to purchase land, or was he a new immigrant? Records sure would be nice. He came from England, as his headstone states, and he was a member of the Church of England at a time when there were other choices in Maryland. (Son William became a Quaker and served as a minister in that movement for many years.)
Many trees state that his wife was Ann Mauldin and that seems reasonable to me but it isn't proven. So we'll just say that his wife's name was Ann. The couple had six sons and one daughter that are known, and as with any long ago family, there may have been others. We can guess that he was a tobacco farmer, because the excerpt from his will that I have seen gives Ann "one negro girl named Feebe" and the use of "all my negroes" while she remained unmarried. It's hard to accept that we had slave-owning ancestors but these are not our only ancestors who did this.
William acquired several parcels of land during his lifetime, beginning with Branter's Ridge and Joshua's Forest which were recorded November 9, 1730. As I think about it, this could very well indicate that William had been in the country longer, simply because many times deeds weren't recorded right away. It's a possibility, anyway. I found one statement that he acquired more than 1300 acres so he was either successful or in debt, or both.
His plantation was known as "Mount Soma" (Soma being Amos spelled backwards) and this remained in the family for generations. It was given to Harford County with the understanding that it would be kept as a park/historical site but most of the land was sold to a private water company for development as a reservoir after the house was burned by vandals. The stone barn, at least part of which was constructed by William Amos, is badly deteriorating but is in the process of restoration at this time, and it, at least, is still owned by the county.
William's will was written 9/24/1757 and proven 3/10/1759. I haven't seen the book myself, but it is documented as being Baltimore Co. Will Book 2, page 317, and I'd love to have a copy of it!
The line of descent is:
William Amos-Ann
James Amos-Hannah Clarke
Benjamin Amos-Sarah Bussey
Elizabeth Amos-Robert Amos (yes, cousins)
Martha Amos-Peter Black
Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
The second line is
William Amos-Ann
James Amos-Hannah Clarke
Robert Amos-Martha McComas
Robert Amos-Elizabeth Amos (cousins, see above)
The first records that we find are from 1730, when he purchased land in what was then Baltimore County but is now Harford County, Maryland. So had he already been here several years, working to save enough to purchase land, or was he a new immigrant? Records sure would be nice. He came from England, as his headstone states, and he was a member of the Church of England at a time when there were other choices in Maryland. (Son William became a Quaker and served as a minister in that movement for many years.)
Many trees state that his wife was Ann Mauldin and that seems reasonable to me but it isn't proven. So we'll just say that his wife's name was Ann. The couple had six sons and one daughter that are known, and as with any long ago family, there may have been others. We can guess that he was a tobacco farmer, because the excerpt from his will that I have seen gives Ann "one negro girl named Feebe" and the use of "all my negroes" while she remained unmarried. It's hard to accept that we had slave-owning ancestors but these are not our only ancestors who did this.
William acquired several parcels of land during his lifetime, beginning with Branter's Ridge and Joshua's Forest which were recorded November 9, 1730. As I think about it, this could very well indicate that William had been in the country longer, simply because many times deeds weren't recorded right away. It's a possibility, anyway. I found one statement that he acquired more than 1300 acres so he was either successful or in debt, or both.
His plantation was known as "Mount Soma" (Soma being Amos spelled backwards) and this remained in the family for generations. It was given to Harford County with the understanding that it would be kept as a park/historical site but most of the land was sold to a private water company for development as a reservoir after the house was burned by vandals. The stone barn, at least part of which was constructed by William Amos, is badly deteriorating but is in the process of restoration at this time, and it, at least, is still owned by the county.
William's will was written 9/24/1757 and proven 3/10/1759. I haven't seen the book myself, but it is documented as being Baltimore Co. Will Book 2, page 317, and I'd love to have a copy of it!
The line of descent is:
William Amos-Ann
James Amos-Hannah Clarke
Benjamin Amos-Sarah Bussey
Elizabeth Amos-Robert Amos (yes, cousins)
Martha Amos-Peter Black
Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
The second line is
William Amos-Ann
James Amos-Hannah Clarke
Robert Amos-Martha McComas
Robert Amos-Elizabeth Amos (cousins, see above)
Friday, June 8, 2018
Holbrook line: Charles Gorsuch, Immigrant
I've written before of Charles's mother, Anne Lovelace Gorsuch, and a bit about his father, John Gorsuch. I wrote about Anne because after all, she is a "gateway" ancestor with ties that go way back into history, and I mentioned John because, even though he didn't live to come to America (killed just after England's Civil War "ended"), he of course had great influence on his family's life.
Now I'd like to look at the life of one of their children, Charles. He was born about August 25, 1642, in Walkern, Hertfordshire, England, where his father was the rector. He was just a wee lad, about five years old, when his father was killed. How unsettling that must have been! Fortunately, his parents were better off financially than many in the area, and there was enough money that the family could immigrate to Virginia. They arrived about 1652, and it may have been that his transportation was paid for by Thomas Hoane, as he claimed headrights, and Charles may actually have served as an indentured servant, unless Thomas paid for the transportation out of the goodness of his heart. At any rate, at age 15 in 1657, he appointed his older brother, Richard, as his guardian, which was legally required for an "infant".
Some of Charles's siblings moved to Maryland but Charles remained in Virginia until about 1660 (note the choosing of his brother as guardian in 1657.) He may have had to stay, if he was indentured, or it may have been his choice. However, he was in Maryland by 1661 when land was surveyed for him in what later became part of Baltimore, Md. In fact, the land makes up part of Fort McHenry, but before the Fort, there was a town called Whetstone Point, founded in 1706, and this is Charles's original land.
Charles was a Quaker, likely converted in Virginia and left for Maryland when the Colony cracked down on religious freedom there. We may be missing records, or Charles may have worked for a long time to both start his home and find a wife. Neither was an easy task in early Maryland. He eventually married Sarah Cole, daughter of Thomas (William?) Cole and Priscilla, who were his neighbors.
There are five more entries in "Settlers of Maryland" by Peter Wilson Coldham, that also appear to be our Charles Gorsuch, all in Baltimore County. If he owned all of these at the same time, he owned about 825 acres at the time of his death. The acquisition of so many acres indicates that he likely was growing tobacco.
Charles and Sarah had four sons together-John, Robert, Thomas, and Charles Jr, not necessarily in that order. Sarah died about 1690 and Charles on June 27, 1716 (may be a court record date?). I found a court record showing an inventory but it is not available on line that I have found. I would certainly love to see it. It might answer some questions, or prove my assumption about tobacco farming to be incorrect. I wonder if he was still a Quaker when he died? And I wonder a lot of other things, too. How educated was he? Did he hold any kind of political office? If he was a Quaker, what was his relation with native Americans? Oh, the mysteries!
The line of descend it:
Charles Gorsuch-Sarah Cole
Charles Gorsuch-Sarah Cole (two different Sarah Cole's, but they may be related)
Hannah Gorsuch-Thomas Stansbury
Rachel Stansbury-Alexis Lemmon
Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Now I'd like to look at the life of one of their children, Charles. He was born about August 25, 1642, in Walkern, Hertfordshire, England, where his father was the rector. He was just a wee lad, about five years old, when his father was killed. How unsettling that must have been! Fortunately, his parents were better off financially than many in the area, and there was enough money that the family could immigrate to Virginia. They arrived about 1652, and it may have been that his transportation was paid for by Thomas Hoane, as he claimed headrights, and Charles may actually have served as an indentured servant, unless Thomas paid for the transportation out of the goodness of his heart. At any rate, at age 15 in 1657, he appointed his older brother, Richard, as his guardian, which was legally required for an "infant".
Some of Charles's siblings moved to Maryland but Charles remained in Virginia until about 1660 (note the choosing of his brother as guardian in 1657.) He may have had to stay, if he was indentured, or it may have been his choice. However, he was in Maryland by 1661 when land was surveyed for him in what later became part of Baltimore, Md. In fact, the land makes up part of Fort McHenry, but before the Fort, there was a town called Whetstone Point, founded in 1706, and this is Charles's original land.
Charles was a Quaker, likely converted in Virginia and left for Maryland when the Colony cracked down on religious freedom there. We may be missing records, or Charles may have worked for a long time to both start his home and find a wife. Neither was an easy task in early Maryland. He eventually married Sarah Cole, daughter of Thomas (William?) Cole and Priscilla, who were his neighbors.
There are five more entries in "Settlers of Maryland" by Peter Wilson Coldham, that also appear to be our Charles Gorsuch, all in Baltimore County. If he owned all of these at the same time, he owned about 825 acres at the time of his death. The acquisition of so many acres indicates that he likely was growing tobacco.
Charles and Sarah had four sons together-John, Robert, Thomas, and Charles Jr, not necessarily in that order. Sarah died about 1690 and Charles on June 27, 1716 (may be a court record date?). I found a court record showing an inventory but it is not available on line that I have found. I would certainly love to see it. It might answer some questions, or prove my assumption about tobacco farming to be incorrect. I wonder if he was still a Quaker when he died? And I wonder a lot of other things, too. How educated was he? Did he hold any kind of political office? If he was a Quaker, what was his relation with native Americans? Oh, the mysteries!
The line of descend it:
Charles Gorsuch-Sarah Cole
Charles Gorsuch-Sarah Cole (two different Sarah Cole's, but they may be related)
Hannah Gorsuch-Thomas Stansbury
Rachel Stansbury-Alexis Lemmon
Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Holbrook line: Elder John Strong, Immigrant
I just have to love John Strong. He was financially successful and although not very well-educated, he rose to become Elder in his church, he had a not very desirable profession, and, he had 18 children. Two were with his first wife (one died shortly after birth, as did the mother), and 16 were with his second wife, Abigail Ford. For Abigail, I have the deepest admiration and respect also. 16 children! But the best thing about John Strong is that there is a lot of documented information about him, too much to put into this blog post. This will be the condensed version, taken largely from Robert Charles Anderson's Great Migration Project.
John was born about 1605 (some say 1610), in Chard, Somerset, England. His parents were John Strong and Eleanor, most likely Eleanor Deane, although there is some confusion about that. Also there is confusion about when John came to New England. It is possible that he first came in 1630 and then returned to England to marry Margery Deane in 1632. She was the daughter of William Deane. Whether or not John had earlier been to America, the family immigrated together in 1635 on the Hopewell. The family included son John, and probably an infant who was perhaps born at sea, or shortly after arrival in New England. Margery also died, and John was left with a one year old son to raise.
John was at this time living in Hingham, and he soon married Abigail Ford, who was the daughter of Thomas Ford and probably Elizabeth Charde. Abigail was only 16 when she married, but had lived in Massachusetts since about 1630 and at least knew a bit about life in the Colony, and probably knew how to run a household.
There doesn't seem to be an original source for this, but several secondary sources report that he was a tanner. This was a smelly, hard, time consuming job, but someone had to do it and John apparently did it well. Basically it involved turning the skins of domestic animals into leather, to be used for anything from saddles to clothing.
While skins were in process, John apparently had time to do a lot of other things also. One of the things he did was move. By 1638 he was in Taunton, where he served as Deputy to Plymouth Colony General Court at least 6 times. He was also on various petit juries, and a constable while at Taunton.
By 1647 the family had moved to Windsor, Connecticut, where he again was on the petit jury, and a constable. Then, in 1661 he moved the family once more to Northampton, north on the Connecticut River, in Massachusetts. Here he was chosen ruling elder of the church, and as such, assisted in the installation of the pastor when one was finally obtained in 1663. Although I haven't found supporting documentation, others have made the claim that he helped protect Northampton during King Philip's War in 1675-76. He would have been old to have actually left the town with the militia, but he may well have stayed behind to help the colonists who hadn't left their homes.
John had been granted, or purchased, land in each of the villages he had lived in, but all of the land was apparently gone, sold to his sons, when John died in 1699. He provided for his daughters in his will, but charged their bequests with money he had already given them, down to the last shilling, it appears. Abigail had died earlier, on July 6, 1688, at the age of 74. She had 16 children, and still lived into her seventies, which makes her a very strong woman, to my way of thinking. When John died, his estate was valued at about 210 pounds, with 61 pounds of debts charged against it. With 16 children raised and provided for, and a testimony of a godly life, I would say "Well lived, John Strong".
The line of descent is
John Strong-Abigail Ford
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Maria Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John was born about 1605 (some say 1610), in Chard, Somerset, England. His parents were John Strong and Eleanor, most likely Eleanor Deane, although there is some confusion about that. Also there is confusion about when John came to New England. It is possible that he first came in 1630 and then returned to England to marry Margery Deane in 1632. She was the daughter of William Deane. Whether or not John had earlier been to America, the family immigrated together in 1635 on the Hopewell. The family included son John, and probably an infant who was perhaps born at sea, or shortly after arrival in New England. Margery also died, and John was left with a one year old son to raise.
John was at this time living in Hingham, and he soon married Abigail Ford, who was the daughter of Thomas Ford and probably Elizabeth Charde. Abigail was only 16 when she married, but had lived in Massachusetts since about 1630 and at least knew a bit about life in the Colony, and probably knew how to run a household.
There doesn't seem to be an original source for this, but several secondary sources report that he was a tanner. This was a smelly, hard, time consuming job, but someone had to do it and John apparently did it well. Basically it involved turning the skins of domestic animals into leather, to be used for anything from saddles to clothing.
While skins were in process, John apparently had time to do a lot of other things also. One of the things he did was move. By 1638 he was in Taunton, where he served as Deputy to Plymouth Colony General Court at least 6 times. He was also on various petit juries, and a constable while at Taunton.
By 1647 the family had moved to Windsor, Connecticut, where he again was on the petit jury, and a constable. Then, in 1661 he moved the family once more to Northampton, north on the Connecticut River, in Massachusetts. Here he was chosen ruling elder of the church, and as such, assisted in the installation of the pastor when one was finally obtained in 1663. Although I haven't found supporting documentation, others have made the claim that he helped protect Northampton during King Philip's War in 1675-76. He would have been old to have actually left the town with the militia, but he may well have stayed behind to help the colonists who hadn't left their homes.
John had been granted, or purchased, land in each of the villages he had lived in, but all of the land was apparently gone, sold to his sons, when John died in 1699. He provided for his daughters in his will, but charged their bequests with money he had already given them, down to the last shilling, it appears. Abigail had died earlier, on July 6, 1688, at the age of 74. She had 16 children, and still lived into her seventies, which makes her a very strong woman, to my way of thinking. When John died, his estate was valued at about 210 pounds, with 61 pounds of debts charged against it. With 16 children raised and provided for, and a testimony of a godly life, I would say "Well lived, John Strong".
The line of descent is
John Strong-Abigail Ford
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Maria Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, June 1, 2018
Holbrook line: Thomas Wilson Immigrant
Thomas Wilson, among other things, is one of the very few reasons I have to research in New Hampshire. Fortunately, some of his records, including his will, are in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, which simplifies research somewhat. It also complicates research. Where do I go to research?
I'd really not paid any attention at all to this name in the Holbrook tree, probably because I dreaded going into another state. What I'm finding is that he has a story to tell, even if, as usual, the story begins "in the middle".
It seems to be accepted that his father's name was William and his mother's name was Anne. One William has been suggested as his father, born in 1578 in Dunnington, Lincolnshire, England. I'm not willing to say for certain whether these folks were or were not his parents, so I have no additional information for Thomas as far as his English origins go.
We do, however, know that he arrived at Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony during the "Great Migration", which means his life in America has been researched. He arrived in the Colonies in 1633 and was made a freeman Maaay 14, 1634. It seems that he came to America with his wife, Anne, who may have been Anne Frieston, and three children. Humfrey, Samuel, and Joshua were on the ship with him and daughters Deborah and then Lidia were born during the Roxbury years.
The family lost their home and all their belongings in a house fire, apparently while they will lived in Roxbury. Thomas and family left Roxbury in 1638 and helped establish and then settle the town which became known as Exeter. Thomas left Roxbury with Rev. John Wheelwright, who had been excommunicated because he espoused some of the same doctrines as his sister in law, Anne Hutchinson. Thomas was also ex-communicated by the church in Roxbury, but later repented of his "heresies" and was accepted back into the church.
Thomas was a miller, or a millwright, or both. He built the first grist mill in Exeter, on land that was given him on an island in the river, and built at least one bridge so that people could more easily bring their grain to him to be ground. He was "ruler", or head of the town civil government, in 1642 but died by September 20, 1643, when his will was proved. His widow was to be provided for during the time of her widowhood, and the younger children were to receive 10 pounds each at the age of 21 or at their marriage. Oldest son Humfrey was to receive the land and house, (he also took over the mill). From this, he must have been at least 21 at the time, and some have drawn the conclusion that Humfrey was a son of an earlier marariage. It's possible, but there is no evidence one way or the other.
His widow remarried in 1644, to John Legat or Leggett, so the youngest children grew up with a step-father.
Thomas is interesting, not just because he went to New Hampshire, but because he seems to have been a true seeker of God, and eventually decided that the Puritan church was the best church. Generally when one was ex-communicated, the social pressure was intense to return to the church, but Thomas seems to have had a genuine change of heart. He was also a clever man, to build and operate a grist mill in the wilderness that was Exeter. And he was brave, because this was wilderness and the native tribes may not have taken well to the sale of their lands for the purpose of building a town.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Wilson-Anne
Deborah Wilson-John Warren
Mary Warren-John Burr
Mary Burr-Thomas Marsh
Deborah Marsh-Isaac Lazell
Deborah Lazell-Levi Rockwood
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
I'd really not paid any attention at all to this name in the Holbrook tree, probably because I dreaded going into another state. What I'm finding is that he has a story to tell, even if, as usual, the story begins "in the middle".
It seems to be accepted that his father's name was William and his mother's name was Anne. One William has been suggested as his father, born in 1578 in Dunnington, Lincolnshire, England. I'm not willing to say for certain whether these folks were or were not his parents, so I have no additional information for Thomas as far as his English origins go.
We do, however, know that he arrived at Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony during the "Great Migration", which means his life in America has been researched. He arrived in the Colonies in 1633 and was made a freeman Maaay 14, 1634. It seems that he came to America with his wife, Anne, who may have been Anne Frieston, and three children. Humfrey, Samuel, and Joshua were on the ship with him and daughters Deborah and then Lidia were born during the Roxbury years.
The family lost their home and all their belongings in a house fire, apparently while they will lived in Roxbury. Thomas and family left Roxbury in 1638 and helped establish and then settle the town which became known as Exeter. Thomas left Roxbury with Rev. John Wheelwright, who had been excommunicated because he espoused some of the same doctrines as his sister in law, Anne Hutchinson. Thomas was also ex-communicated by the church in Roxbury, but later repented of his "heresies" and was accepted back into the church.
Thomas was a miller, or a millwright, or both. He built the first grist mill in Exeter, on land that was given him on an island in the river, and built at least one bridge so that people could more easily bring their grain to him to be ground. He was "ruler", or head of the town civil government, in 1642 but died by September 20, 1643, when his will was proved. His widow was to be provided for during the time of her widowhood, and the younger children were to receive 10 pounds each at the age of 21 or at their marriage. Oldest son Humfrey was to receive the land and house, (he also took over the mill). From this, he must have been at least 21 at the time, and some have drawn the conclusion that Humfrey was a son of an earlier marariage. It's possible, but there is no evidence one way or the other.
His widow remarried in 1644, to John Legat or Leggett, so the youngest children grew up with a step-father.
Thomas is interesting, not just because he went to New Hampshire, but because he seems to have been a true seeker of God, and eventually decided that the Puritan church was the best church. Generally when one was ex-communicated, the social pressure was intense to return to the church, but Thomas seems to have had a genuine change of heart. He was also a clever man, to build and operate a grist mill in the wilderness that was Exeter. And he was brave, because this was wilderness and the native tribes may not have taken well to the sale of their lands for the purpose of building a town.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Wilson-Anne
Deborah Wilson-John Warren
Mary Warren-John Burr
Mary Burr-Thomas Marsh
Deborah Marsh-Isaac Lazell
Deborah Lazell-Levi Rockwood
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
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