John Stannard is not an easy man to research, partly because his name is spelled in so many different ways (Stonard is the most common, especially in England). But we are fortunate enough to think we know about when he was born, who his parents were, who his wife was and when they married, and the names of his children. We also see a few faint traces of his life in America.
John was born probably by 1610 in Harlow, Essex, England. His wife, Margaret Miller, was born October 2, 1603 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. It sounds like they were from different worlds but actually the two towns were about 10 miles apart, and depending on where they actually lived, they may have been almost neighbors. The families likely knew each other through business, church, or mutual friends, because parents generally were still guiding, if not arranging, marriages at this time. So that's easy enough to explain, or to think we understand. What is a little more difficult is to explain why John and Margaret (daughter of Thomas and Ann or Agnes Berry or Lambe) were married in St Dunstan's, London, England on May 12, 1631. Did they have more family there? If their first son's birth year of 1631 is correct, then perhaps this was an elopement of sorts. The 1631 marriage date is probably the reason that John's birth date is given as "by about 1610"; he would have been 21 then. He was probably born several years earlier, in my opinion, but records have not yet been found.
John and Margaret quickly settled down and had a family. There were four children, with the last being born about 1637. John brought his young family to American by 1639, because he is noted as having 7 acres of land in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in a list made between 1638 and 1640. He would have needed to have worked hard to provide a home, establish a business or farm, and later build a home for the family. We know he mortgaged his house and lands in 1645 and discharged the debt in 1646, but whether that was to build a better home, or to help a business, or what the motive was, we do not know. It is said that he joined the church, and he owned property, but apparently he never became a freeman, which means he didn't vote and therefore didn't hold public office. I'd like to know the reason for this!
John died June 13, 1649 in Roxbury. In the town records, he is described as being middle aged, which could well mean he was born around 1600. We have record of his inventory, valued at 137 pounds and taken by Isaac Heath (our uncle), John Johnson (our ancestor) and William Parke. The inventory is available through American Ancestors, in their Suffolk Co, Ma: Probate File Papers, pages 83:1 and following. I can tell you where the record can an be found, and I've printed it off, but it is faint and fuzzy and I can't read it. I'd sure like to read it, for it probably would give us clues as to his occupation and his education.
There should also be guardian records for some of the children, but I've not found them. Margaret remarried, at least once, and died in 1682 in Dedham, Massachusetts. So, there is more research to do on John and his family, but this is a start. In my mind, he was an amazing man simply because he came to America, and provided for his family while building our country.
The line of descent is:
John Stannard-Margaret Miller
Joseph Stannard-Elizabeth Spencer
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard -Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Friday, July 27, 2018
Holbrook line: Thomas Thayer, Immigrant 1596-1665
Thomas Thayer has much available information, so that this will be more a summary of what others have found rather than my own research. One interesting item I found refers to him as part of the "Boston Brahmin community". This set me back on my heels a bit. I've always thought that these people were maybe a little bit snobbish and clannish (my prejudices showing, but let's not pussy foot around this), and now I've learned that we might be part of this group, many generations removed, of course. There is an article on Wikipedia called "Boston Brahmin", if you're not familiar with the term.
Thomas himself may not be considered to be a Brahmin, since he was a shoemaker. But let's start at the beginning. He was born in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England, probably shortly before his christening date of August 16, 1596. (Point of reference here: Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler of the land,) His parents were Richard and Ursula Alice Dimery Thayer, and he was one of at least five children. Interestingly, a godfather was William Dimery, probably the same man who later became his father in law. Of the five Thayer siblings, three stayed in England but Thomas and his brother Richard came to America.
Thomas married Margery Wheeler, daughter of Abel or Abiel and Jane Shepherd Wheeler on April 13, 1618, in Thornbury. There were nine children born to them in Thornbury and at least one born after the family came to New England. It musts have been a sad life in those early years as most of the children died in England, some shortly after their birth. However, Thomas, his wife and their three surviving children sailed on the ship "Blessing" and arrived on the "Blessing" at Boston Harbor on April 8, 1637. His goods and supplies followed shortly after on the "Speedwell". It's possible that his oldest son, or perhaps his wife, came on this ship with the goods but there is no record of the passengers on that ship. It certainly would be interesting to know what "goods" he bought with him and whether they were sufficient to get the family started in the New World.
I haven't been able to locate much more than that about Thomas's life in America. We know he received 76 acres of land in Mt. Wollaston (later Braintree) and that is supposed to be for nine members of his family. This is hard to reconcile with the belief that most of his children died in England. (More research, when I get a chance!) Because he states it in his will, we know that he was a shoemaker and that he settled in Braintree, Suffolk County. We know his wife was still alive, for the lands he bequeathed to his three sons were not to be divided until after Margery's death. He had a dwelling house, orchard, barn, and enough land to give about 20 acres to Thomas, about the same to Ferdinando, and also to Sydrach. His personal goods he gave to his grandchildren, again apparently after the death of his wife. His three sons got together and rewrote part of the will, after his death, because they didn't think Sydrach had been given an amount equal to Thomas Jr and Ferdinando. Margery died February 11, 1673, so the boys waited a few years until the land was legally theirs.
An inventory was taken but sadly seems not to be available, or at least it is not on line. As you know by now, I dearly love inventories so its disappearance is a sad thing. And of course there are other mysteries. Was he a part of the church? Did he hold any town office? (I've looked at a History of Braintree and didn't find his name there at all). Could he read and write? Thomas and Margery are the progenitors of tens of thousands, if not more, descendants and we'd sure like to know more about them!
One line of descent is:
Thomas Thayer-Margery Wheeler
Ferdinando Thayer-Huldah Hayward
Ebenezer Thayer-Martha Thompson
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
Thomas himself may not be considered to be a Brahmin, since he was a shoemaker. But let's start at the beginning. He was born in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England, probably shortly before his christening date of August 16, 1596. (Point of reference here: Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler of the land,) His parents were Richard and Ursula Alice Dimery Thayer, and he was one of at least five children. Interestingly, a godfather was William Dimery, probably the same man who later became his father in law. Of the five Thayer siblings, three stayed in England but Thomas and his brother Richard came to America.
Thomas married Margery Wheeler, daughter of Abel or Abiel and Jane Shepherd Wheeler on April 13, 1618, in Thornbury. There were nine children born to them in Thornbury and at least one born after the family came to New England. It musts have been a sad life in those early years as most of the children died in England, some shortly after their birth. However, Thomas, his wife and their three surviving children sailed on the ship "Blessing" and arrived on the "Blessing" at Boston Harbor on April 8, 1637. His goods and supplies followed shortly after on the "Speedwell". It's possible that his oldest son, or perhaps his wife, came on this ship with the goods but there is no record of the passengers on that ship. It certainly would be interesting to know what "goods" he bought with him and whether they were sufficient to get the family started in the New World.
I haven't been able to locate much more than that about Thomas's life in America. We know he received 76 acres of land in Mt. Wollaston (later Braintree) and that is supposed to be for nine members of his family. This is hard to reconcile with the belief that most of his children died in England. (More research, when I get a chance!) Because he states it in his will, we know that he was a shoemaker and that he settled in Braintree, Suffolk County. We know his wife was still alive, for the lands he bequeathed to his three sons were not to be divided until after Margery's death. He had a dwelling house, orchard, barn, and enough land to give about 20 acres to Thomas, about the same to Ferdinando, and also to Sydrach. His personal goods he gave to his grandchildren, again apparently after the death of his wife. His three sons got together and rewrote part of the will, after his death, because they didn't think Sydrach had been given an amount equal to Thomas Jr and Ferdinando. Margery died February 11, 1673, so the boys waited a few years until the land was legally theirs.
An inventory was taken but sadly seems not to be available, or at least it is not on line. As you know by now, I dearly love inventories so its disappearance is a sad thing. And of course there are other mysteries. Was he a part of the church? Did he hold any town office? (I've looked at a History of Braintree and didn't find his name there at all). Could he read and write? Thomas and Margery are the progenitors of tens of thousands, if not more, descendants and we'd sure like to know more about them!
One line of descent is:
Thomas Thayer-Margery Wheeler
Ferdinando Thayer-Huldah Hayward
Ebenezer Thayer-Martha Thompson
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
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Holbrook line: Johan Jacob Nuss, Immigrant
Trying to understand someone who died 260 years ago is hard. We can't understand the culture of the times, we can't understand how these people lived and socialized. When our ancestors are not of English extraction, it's harder, because of additional cultural and language differences. That is why I am doing a mild happy genealogy dance today. I've been able to trace down a bit of information with help from other genealogists, AND I've found a will, written in English. Oh, happy day!
It's easy to forget that we have German lines in our family, since so many of the Holbrook lines trace back to New England and then mostly to England. But we do have several lines that are German. One of those is that of Johan Jacob Nuss. His story begins on June 25, 1716, either his birth or christening date, at Heuchelheim bel Frankenthal, Pfalz-Rheinland, Germany. It ended on September 20, 1757 in what is now Upper Hanover, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. (At the time, this was known as Goshenhoppen, Lancaster County). In between those dates, his life is not an open book, but we do find glimpses here and there.
Jacob was born to Peter and Anna Margaretha Nuss. He was one of at least six children, but as the youngest of those six, he would have not have been favored financially and probably would have struggled his whole life to make a meager living. His mother had been dead ten years when Jacob made the trip to America in 1736 on board the ship "Marie", which sailed from Rotterdam to Cowes to Philadelphia. Jacob was 20 years old and single when he came to America, a young man with big dreams.
Life apparently started well for Jacob. He married in 1738 to Anna Maria Reiher, daughter of Hans Michael and Anna Maria Seeland Reiher. (Note: this family's surname in America shows up as Reyer, as well as numerous variations). We don't know much about the next 19 years of his life, except that he and Maria had at least six children. Jacob purchased land and built a home, possibly about 1745. He had two hundred and sixty acres plus a dwelling house and out buildings, which were confiscated by the sheriff in March of 1757 to "satisfy a debt of four hundred and forty-two pounds (English), one shilling and six pence, owed by Jacob Nuss to Adam Clampffer, and was bought at public sale by William Clampffer, of Philadelphia, and transferred to him February 28, 1758."
I have some thoughts about this: 442 pounds plus of English money was a lot of money in those days; a calculator shows a rough value of $80,000. How did Jacob accumulate that much debt? Secondly, this was in 1757 in a land that was under the threat of attack by native Americans in connection with the French and Indian war. Did this have anything to do with the debt? Jacob died of "dropsy" (probably heart failure) in September of 1757, still in his early 40's. Jacob may have taken on much debt, not knowing his days were short. He is buried in the Old Goshenhoppen cemetery, near the church he and his family attended for most of the years of their marriage.
As you can imagine, the estate took some time to settle. As nearly as I can determine, there isn't an actual will for Jacob, just an inventory and that is somewhat confusing. As far as items go, he had what seems to be a lot of fabric on hand. Was he a weaver, or a merchant of some kind? He had a Bible, and guns, plus twelve pounds of lead for pouring (bullets?), but no farm animals were noted. The largest amount on the inventory is "Outstanding book debts, notes, and bonds" of 408 pounds. Was this a case of neighbor helping neighbor, or were the "book debts" those due him as a merchant? (I sure wish someone more familiar with the customs and wills of this time and place could help educate me on what I am seeing!) The estate had an original value of almost 381 pounds after all the debts were paid and collected. The last papers in the file are from 1765, when apparently the children were all provided for.
This is what we know of Jacob's life, just glimpses really. There are so many questions that I can't answer, and if I could ask him those questions, there would be a language barrier. But let us know forget to acknowledge that we have Germans in our Holbrook background, and I hope to write more of them in the coming months.
This line of descent is:
Johan Jacob Nuss-Anna Maria Reyer or Reiher
Anna Elizabeth Nuss-Johan Jacob Hetrick
Abraham Hetrick-Sarah Lemmon
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
It's easy to forget that we have German lines in our family, since so many of the Holbrook lines trace back to New England and then mostly to England. But we do have several lines that are German. One of those is that of Johan Jacob Nuss. His story begins on June 25, 1716, either his birth or christening date, at Heuchelheim bel Frankenthal, Pfalz-Rheinland, Germany. It ended on September 20, 1757 in what is now Upper Hanover, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. (At the time, this was known as Goshenhoppen, Lancaster County). In between those dates, his life is not an open book, but we do find glimpses here and there.
Jacob was born to Peter and Anna Margaretha Nuss. He was one of at least six children, but as the youngest of those six, he would have not have been favored financially and probably would have struggled his whole life to make a meager living. His mother had been dead ten years when Jacob made the trip to America in 1736 on board the ship "Marie", which sailed from Rotterdam to Cowes to Philadelphia. Jacob was 20 years old and single when he came to America, a young man with big dreams.
Life apparently started well for Jacob. He married in 1738 to Anna Maria Reiher, daughter of Hans Michael and Anna Maria Seeland Reiher. (Note: this family's surname in America shows up as Reyer, as well as numerous variations). We don't know much about the next 19 years of his life, except that he and Maria had at least six children. Jacob purchased land and built a home, possibly about 1745. He had two hundred and sixty acres plus a dwelling house and out buildings, which were confiscated by the sheriff in March of 1757 to "satisfy a debt of four hundred and forty-two pounds (English), one shilling and six pence, owed by Jacob Nuss to Adam Clampffer, and was bought at public sale by William Clampffer, of Philadelphia, and transferred to him February 28, 1758."
I have some thoughts about this: 442 pounds plus of English money was a lot of money in those days; a calculator shows a rough value of $80,000. How did Jacob accumulate that much debt? Secondly, this was in 1757 in a land that was under the threat of attack by native Americans in connection with the French and Indian war. Did this have anything to do with the debt? Jacob died of "dropsy" (probably heart failure) in September of 1757, still in his early 40's. Jacob may have taken on much debt, not knowing his days were short. He is buried in the Old Goshenhoppen cemetery, near the church he and his family attended for most of the years of their marriage.
As you can imagine, the estate took some time to settle. As nearly as I can determine, there isn't an actual will for Jacob, just an inventory and that is somewhat confusing. As far as items go, he had what seems to be a lot of fabric on hand. Was he a weaver, or a merchant of some kind? He had a Bible, and guns, plus twelve pounds of lead for pouring (bullets?), but no farm animals were noted. The largest amount on the inventory is "Outstanding book debts, notes, and bonds" of 408 pounds. Was this a case of neighbor helping neighbor, or were the "book debts" those due him as a merchant? (I sure wish someone more familiar with the customs and wills of this time and place could help educate me on what I am seeing!) The estate had an original value of almost 381 pounds after all the debts were paid and collected. The last papers in the file are from 1765, when apparently the children were all provided for.
This is what we know of Jacob's life, just glimpses really. There are so many questions that I can't answer, and if I could ask him those questions, there would be a language barrier. But let us know forget to acknowledge that we have Germans in our Holbrook background, and I hope to write more of them in the coming months.
This line of descent is:
Johan Jacob Nuss-Anna Maria Reyer or Reiher
Anna Elizabeth Nuss-Johan Jacob Hetrick
Abraham Hetrick-Sarah Lemmon
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, July 20, 2018
Holbrook line: Thomas Wight, Immigrant
It's a joy to write about Thomas Wight, even though as is often the case we don't really know who his parents are or where he was born. On my tree, I show Robert and Elizabeth Fulshaw Wight as his parents, but I don't have any documentation. In researching for this post I find another somewhat likely couple but I haven't done the work to see if it can be documented so I'm not about to muddy the waters now. Family tradition says that he was from the Isle of Wight but tradition is sometimes suspect, too.
So what we know is that Thomas arrived in about 1636, and is first found in Dedham, Massachusetts where he was listed as one of the first twelve inhabitants of that town. On the Dedham Compact, he is listed as number 37 to sign but it's quite possible that either there was a large group of men to sign the compact, or he may have been away from town for some reason when the compact was first signed.
We know that he had a family when he arrived in Dedham because he was given 12 acres for a house lot, which was the amount given married men at the time. His wife's name was Alice and is believed to be Alice Roundy, but again documentation for when and where has not been located. It appears that there were probably three children with them when they came to America, and the couple had three more children here.Some lists show two additional children but that seems unlikely. Thomas later received grants of planting ground, meadows, and marsh, and his land was on a brook so fishing was a likely source of food, also. It was probably a fun place to grow up, for the children, if Puritans were allowed to have fun.
Thomas, it appears, was wealthy, at least by the standards of the day. He was a selectman for six years in Dedham, meaning he helped govern the town, and generally selectmen were persons of wealth and influence. He was also a member of the church, accepted into membership in 1640.
In 1649, the town of Medfield was formed and Thomas was one of seven men chosen to take charge of the "erecting, disposeing, and government of the said village". Thomas moved to Medfield permanently in 1652 and for 20 years served as a selectman there. He is said to have had no formal education (the basis for that, I don't know) but the townspeople respected him greatly, it appears.
Thomas's wife Alice died in 1665 and that same year he married Lydia Eliot Penniman. She was the sister of John Eliot, known as "The Apostle", and she was Thomas's widow when he died March 17, 1673/74. I didn't find a copy of Thomas's will but I did find a copy of the inventory and it gives us a clear peek into his home as it was when he died. The inventory is separated into several rooms or buildings, listed as "The parlor", "The little bedroom", "the hall", "the buttery", "in the garrett". some other categories I can't decipher, and a long list of lands. His estate was valued at over 460 pounds, which, together with the number and quality of the items listed, indicate wealth. The very first item that was listed, in the parlor, was books, so perhaps he had an education, after all.
Much of the information in this post comes from a book I found on line, "The Wight Family: Memoir of Thomas Wight of Dedham, Massachusetts' written by Danforth Phipps Wight and published in 1840. (Another reason to love the internet!)
I would of course love to know more about Thomas, especially about his ancestral families and why he came to America. Since he married a sister to John Eliot, he must have been a godly Puritan, and I'd like to know more about his religious beliefs. I'd like to know what decisions he may have had a part in, in the two towns he was most closely associated with. And I'd like to give him my honor and respect.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Wight-Alice Roundy
Samuel Wight-Hannah Albee
Hannah Wight-John Thompson
Joseph Thompson-Mary Holbrook
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood
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
So what we know is that Thomas arrived in about 1636, and is first found in Dedham, Massachusetts where he was listed as one of the first twelve inhabitants of that town. On the Dedham Compact, he is listed as number 37 to sign but it's quite possible that either there was a large group of men to sign the compact, or he may have been away from town for some reason when the compact was first signed.
We know that he had a family when he arrived in Dedham because he was given 12 acres for a house lot, which was the amount given married men at the time. His wife's name was Alice and is believed to be Alice Roundy, but again documentation for when and where has not been located. It appears that there were probably three children with them when they came to America, and the couple had three more children here.Some lists show two additional children but that seems unlikely. Thomas later received grants of planting ground, meadows, and marsh, and his land was on a brook so fishing was a likely source of food, also. It was probably a fun place to grow up, for the children, if Puritans were allowed to have fun.
Thomas, it appears, was wealthy, at least by the standards of the day. He was a selectman for six years in Dedham, meaning he helped govern the town, and generally selectmen were persons of wealth and influence. He was also a member of the church, accepted into membership in 1640.
In 1649, the town of Medfield was formed and Thomas was one of seven men chosen to take charge of the "erecting, disposeing, and government of the said village". Thomas moved to Medfield permanently in 1652 and for 20 years served as a selectman there. He is said to have had no formal education (the basis for that, I don't know) but the townspeople respected him greatly, it appears.
Thomas's wife Alice died in 1665 and that same year he married Lydia Eliot Penniman. She was the sister of John Eliot, known as "The Apostle", and she was Thomas's widow when he died March 17, 1673/74. I didn't find a copy of Thomas's will but I did find a copy of the inventory and it gives us a clear peek into his home as it was when he died. The inventory is separated into several rooms or buildings, listed as "The parlor", "The little bedroom", "the hall", "the buttery", "in the garrett". some other categories I can't decipher, and a long list of lands. His estate was valued at over 460 pounds, which, together with the number and quality of the items listed, indicate wealth. The very first item that was listed, in the parlor, was books, so perhaps he had an education, after all.
Much of the information in this post comes from a book I found on line, "The Wight Family: Memoir of Thomas Wight of Dedham, Massachusetts' written by Danforth Phipps Wight and published in 1840. (Another reason to love the internet!)
I would of course love to know more about Thomas, especially about his ancestral families and why he came to America. Since he married a sister to John Eliot, he must have been a godly Puritan, and I'd like to know more about his religious beliefs. I'd like to know what decisions he may have had a part in, in the two towns he was most closely associated with. And I'd like to give him my honor and respect.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Wight-Alice Roundy
Samuel Wight-Hannah Albee
Hannah Wight-John Thompson
Joseph Thompson-Mary Holbrook
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood
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
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Holbrook line: William Knight, Immigrant
It's hard to write a blog post when there is not a lot to go on as far as documentation. One must read between the lines, and perhaps draw incorrect conclusions. The good thing is that someday, someone will figure out a lot of these mysteries. I hope to be around to witness at least some of these new discoveries.
William Knight is a good example of this. We do have some information, but some of it is conflicting and much information is missing. We'll either look at this glass as half full or half empty, and I guess I'm voting for half full.
After all, we do know at least two and perhaps three of William's wives. We know when he arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony, and we know what he left as an estate. That is more information than we have for some of our ancestors, anyway.
We don't know for sure where or when William was born. One suggesting is December 15, 1670 in London, Middlesex, England, with parents of John Knight and Margery Lascelles. I think this is probably not our William Knight, as it would leave him coming to America as a man of 65 and fathering children here. It's possible, but unlikely.
One of the challenges is that there are at least three proposed wives for William. One is Ann Ives, who probably died between 1612 and 1622, when there is a distance of ten years between the noted children. But his records in America indicate his wife may have been Emma Potter, whom he had married by 1635. How do we account for his children born in the 1620s? And finally, he had a second or third wife Elizabeth Lee Ballard, who was living when William died and whom he married in or soon after 1640. He seems to refer in his wife to having had four children with Elizabeth, in addition to those he had earlier.
He refers to sons John, Jacob, and Francis, and to daughters Ann and Hanna, as well as to two of Elizabeth's children by her first husband, and to the four children (unnamed) that he has with Elizabeth. I'm not sure why Margery, our connection, wasn't mentioned in the will but there could be any number of reasons, including that he may have given a marriage gift, either of land or money.
William died March 5, 1655/56, in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He had been in America about 20 years, having arrived at Salem in either 1635 or 1636. He owned land in Salem in 1636, so probably he arrived in 1635. There is a William Knight who was made a freeman in 1638 in Boston, but I don't know whether this is our William or not.
William's inventory is interesting. He owned a dwelling house, barn, and fifteen acres of plow land, six acres of meadow in Rumley marsh and five acers of meadow in the town marsh, plus oxen, cows, sheep and swine. He has a significant amount of household goods, more than many farmers had, which partl can be explained by the fact that he lived in seaside towns where goods were more readily available than on the frontier. For instance, he had "stolls, chears, and a table", which was more than was usual for the time. He had three spinning wheels, so the women of the house must have been kept busy with the wool from the sheep. I see no mention of books, not even a Bible. The total inventory including uncollected debts was about 163 pounds.
I wish I knew more about William, especially the niggling little question of whether he was really Margery's father, or whether there are more William Knights than have yet been discovered. I'd like to know his religion, and his occupation if he did more than farm. If I learn that this is not Margery's father, then I'll update this post but as of now, I think it's at least somewhat likely.
The line of descent would be:
William Knight-Ann Ives
Margery Knight-William Hayward
Huldah Hayward-Ferdinando Thayer
Jonathan Thayer-Elizabeth French
Hulday Thayer-Benjamin Wheelock
Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
There is also a second line:
Samuel Hayward (son of William Hayward and Margery Knight above)-Mehitable Thompson
Mary Hayward-Joseph Rockwood
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
and on as above
Once again, we are our own cousins.
William Knight is a good example of this. We do have some information, but some of it is conflicting and much information is missing. We'll either look at this glass as half full or half empty, and I guess I'm voting for half full.
After all, we do know at least two and perhaps three of William's wives. We know when he arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony, and we know what he left as an estate. That is more information than we have for some of our ancestors, anyway.
We don't know for sure where or when William was born. One suggesting is December 15, 1670 in London, Middlesex, England, with parents of John Knight and Margery Lascelles. I think this is probably not our William Knight, as it would leave him coming to America as a man of 65 and fathering children here. It's possible, but unlikely.
One of the challenges is that there are at least three proposed wives for William. One is Ann Ives, who probably died between 1612 and 1622, when there is a distance of ten years between the noted children. But his records in America indicate his wife may have been Emma Potter, whom he had married by 1635. How do we account for his children born in the 1620s? And finally, he had a second or third wife Elizabeth Lee Ballard, who was living when William died and whom he married in or soon after 1640. He seems to refer in his wife to having had four children with Elizabeth, in addition to those he had earlier.
He refers to sons John, Jacob, and Francis, and to daughters Ann and Hanna, as well as to two of Elizabeth's children by her first husband, and to the four children (unnamed) that he has with Elizabeth. I'm not sure why Margery, our connection, wasn't mentioned in the will but there could be any number of reasons, including that he may have given a marriage gift, either of land or money.
William died March 5, 1655/56, in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He had been in America about 20 years, having arrived at Salem in either 1635 or 1636. He owned land in Salem in 1636, so probably he arrived in 1635. There is a William Knight who was made a freeman in 1638 in Boston, but I don't know whether this is our William or not.
William's inventory is interesting. He owned a dwelling house, barn, and fifteen acres of plow land, six acres of meadow in Rumley marsh and five acers of meadow in the town marsh, plus oxen, cows, sheep and swine. He has a significant amount of household goods, more than many farmers had, which partl can be explained by the fact that he lived in seaside towns where goods were more readily available than on the frontier. For instance, he had "stolls, chears, and a table", which was more than was usual for the time. He had three spinning wheels, so the women of the house must have been kept busy with the wool from the sheep. I see no mention of books, not even a Bible. The total inventory including uncollected debts was about 163 pounds.
I wish I knew more about William, especially the niggling little question of whether he was really Margery's father, or whether there are more William Knights than have yet been discovered. I'd like to know his religion, and his occupation if he did more than farm. If I learn that this is not Margery's father, then I'll update this post but as of now, I think it's at least somewhat likely.
The line of descent would be:
William Knight-Ann Ives
Margery Knight-William Hayward
Huldah Hayward-Ferdinando Thayer
Jonathan Thayer-Elizabeth French
Hulday Thayer-Benjamin Wheelock
Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
There is also a second line:
Samuel Hayward (son of William Hayward and Margery Knight above)-Mehitable Thompson
Mary Hayward-Joseph Rockwood
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
and on as above
Once again, we are our own cousins.
Friday, July 13, 2018
Holbrook line: John Annable, Immigrant
I'm going to say a couple of things in this post that go counter to what is posted on many trees on line. I'm even going to advance a theory, or half of a theory, as to who this gentleman really is. What I am not going to do is answer the questions as to when and where he was born, when he came to America, and other questions about his origins.
Most trees say that John's parents were Anthony Annable and Jane Mumford. It is true that they were early immigrants, but I've seen no record of John being their child. Also, they settled in Barnstable which would mean John had somehow gone from Cape Cod, to the very northern part of Massachusetts to live, far from his family. This would have been very unusual in those early days of Massachusetts.
Furthermore, I've found evidence of a record that says John Annable was in Essex County, (probably in the area of Ipswich although it wasn't officially formed until 1634) as early as 1625. He appears in court records as early as 1638. This presents another problem. John's birth date is given as 1618-1625, with only one giving a firm date and place. If this ias our John Annable, then he came to America almost as soon as he was born, and it may be his father, who may be John Annable, that we are seeing in the early years at Ipswich. Or, the alternate theory would be that he was born earlier than the guesses, for that is what they seem to be, and that he married late, or married a second time, fairly late in his life. There don't seem to be any death records for John Annable prior to our John's death, so I'm suspicious that our John may have been born as early as 1603, in order to be at Ipswich by 1625. And the date could go back further than that.
What I have been able to learn about John is that he was a tailor, which implies he had learned a trade somewhere, presumably in England. Would the very earliest settlers in Ipswich have needed a tailor, or did he do something else to support himself? This was a town made up largely of farmers and fishermen, so he probably engaged in one or both of these occupations to start with.
He appeared in court primarily as a witness but there are two cases in the 1650's that mention him. In one, he was suing Edward Gilman, Jr. for withholding pipe staves, apparently paid for, and in another he is acknowledging a debt to Mr. John Ward of Haverhill of 14 pounds. This may be more in the line of record keeping, as in today's liens and mortgages, rather than an actual appearance in court. He was also a witness several different times.
He married, variously between 1647 and 1649, Anna Whipple, daughter of Matthew and Ann Hawkins Whipple, and they had at least seven children. (Matthew Whipple was a clothier. Is this where John got his training, from or in connection with his father in law?) John died October 6, 1664, intestate (without a will). Administration of the estate was granted to Anna and the eldest son John, which was a bit unusual for that time and place. The estate was to remain in her hands for the bringing up of the children, and John was to receive 20 pounds and each of the other children 10 pounds as they came of age.
The inventory, taken by Robert Lord, shows a value of 181 pounds, which was pretty fair for a tailor. It includes a "dwelling house, barne, and land about" it valued at 80 pounds, plus six acres of marsh and four of upland, and quite a few household good, a few items that may be related to the tailoring trade, several items of real furniture, books, farm animals, and food stuffs. He was relatively prosperous for a tailor.
I am sure there are Annable researchers out there. I'd sure love to hear from some of you, with your own questions and research, to see if we can give John a father and mother, and to understand how John came to be in Ipswich. Please contact me or leave a message on this post!
The line of descent is:
John Annable-Anna Whipple
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Most trees say that John's parents were Anthony Annable and Jane Mumford. It is true that they were early immigrants, but I've seen no record of John being their child. Also, they settled in Barnstable which would mean John had somehow gone from Cape Cod, to the very northern part of Massachusetts to live, far from his family. This would have been very unusual in those early days of Massachusetts.
Furthermore, I've found evidence of a record that says John Annable was in Essex County, (probably in the area of Ipswich although it wasn't officially formed until 1634) as early as 1625. He appears in court records as early as 1638. This presents another problem. John's birth date is given as 1618-1625, with only one giving a firm date and place. If this ias our John Annable, then he came to America almost as soon as he was born, and it may be his father, who may be John Annable, that we are seeing in the early years at Ipswich. Or, the alternate theory would be that he was born earlier than the guesses, for that is what they seem to be, and that he married late, or married a second time, fairly late in his life. There don't seem to be any death records for John Annable prior to our John's death, so I'm suspicious that our John may have been born as early as 1603, in order to be at Ipswich by 1625. And the date could go back further than that.
What I have been able to learn about John is that he was a tailor, which implies he had learned a trade somewhere, presumably in England. Would the very earliest settlers in Ipswich have needed a tailor, or did he do something else to support himself? This was a town made up largely of farmers and fishermen, so he probably engaged in one or both of these occupations to start with.
He appeared in court primarily as a witness but there are two cases in the 1650's that mention him. In one, he was suing Edward Gilman, Jr. for withholding pipe staves, apparently paid for, and in another he is acknowledging a debt to Mr. John Ward of Haverhill of 14 pounds. This may be more in the line of record keeping, as in today's liens and mortgages, rather than an actual appearance in court. He was also a witness several different times.
He married, variously between 1647 and 1649, Anna Whipple, daughter of Matthew and Ann Hawkins Whipple, and they had at least seven children. (Matthew Whipple was a clothier. Is this where John got his training, from or in connection with his father in law?) John died October 6, 1664, intestate (without a will). Administration of the estate was granted to Anna and the eldest son John, which was a bit unusual for that time and place. The estate was to remain in her hands for the bringing up of the children, and John was to receive 20 pounds and each of the other children 10 pounds as they came of age.
The inventory, taken by Robert Lord, shows a value of 181 pounds, which was pretty fair for a tailor. It includes a "dwelling house, barne, and land about" it valued at 80 pounds, plus six acres of marsh and four of upland, and quite a few household good, a few items that may be related to the tailoring trade, several items of real furniture, books, farm animals, and food stuffs. He was relatively prosperous for a tailor.
I am sure there are Annable researchers out there. I'd sure love to hear from some of you, with your own questions and research, to see if we can give John a father and mother, and to understand how John came to be in Ipswich. Please contact me or leave a message on this post!
The line of descent is:
John Annable-Anna Whipple
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Holbrook line: Edward Winn, Immigrant -
Edward Winn should be fairly well documented. After all, he's a direct ancestor of President Grover Cleveland, so shouldn't we expect to know more about him than about the average guy who came to America? Well, we might expect it, and there is perhaps a little more information than we're used to finding, but the amount is still pretty minimal, and in some cases, conflicting.
For instance, was he born in in Ipswich, Suffolk, England in , or he was born in Thornton Curtis, Lincolnshire in. I would be happier if I could find an exact birth or christening date. I tend to think the Ipswich, Suffolk information could be a guess based on that being the point of his departure to Massachusetts, but at this point anything is possible.
He married Joanna, probably Joanna Sargent although I have seen it suggested that her name was Hatch) in England and they came to America with at least three of their children sometime before 1640. There seems to be at least a hint that the family spent some time (weeks? months? years?) in Charlestown when they arrived here, and in 1640 Edward was one of several men who were asked to plan the settlement of Woburn, Massachusetts. The family was there by 1641, and Edward was admitted a freeman there in 1643.
After that, there is little that is on record. The birth of his son Increase is recorded in 1641 as the first child born in Woburn. He is listed in a deponent's index, and I'd love to read that deposition for it might tell his age, where he was from, his current occupation, and his statement about the case he is testifying in. So far I haven't found the court records, though. His wife Joanna died in 1649 and Edward married Sarah Beal that same year. She also died, and he then married Anna or Hannah Page Wood, a widow. There are three references to land owned by Edward Winn in a book of early land deeds, but the land, whatever its size, is described only as a boundary for someone else's land. Also he was a town selectman from 1660-1664.
He died in Woburn on September 5, 1682, having helped to found a town and in one way or another, having seen it through the first 40 plus years of life. For that, he deserves to be honored.
The line of descent is:
Edward Winn-Joanna probably Sargent
Ann Winn-Moses Cleveland
Enoch Cleveland-Elizabeth Counts
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
For instance, was he born in in Ipswich, Suffolk, England in , or he was born in Thornton Curtis, Lincolnshire in. I would be happier if I could find an exact birth or christening date. I tend to think the Ipswich, Suffolk information could be a guess based on that being the point of his departure to Massachusetts, but at this point anything is possible.
He married Joanna, probably Joanna Sargent although I have seen it suggested that her name was Hatch) in England and they came to America with at least three of their children sometime before 1640. There seems to be at least a hint that the family spent some time (weeks? months? years?) in Charlestown when they arrived here, and in 1640 Edward was one of several men who were asked to plan the settlement of Woburn, Massachusetts. The family was there by 1641, and Edward was admitted a freeman there in 1643.
After that, there is little that is on record. The birth of his son Increase is recorded in 1641 as the first child born in Woburn. He is listed in a deponent's index, and I'd love to read that deposition for it might tell his age, where he was from, his current occupation, and his statement about the case he is testifying in. So far I haven't found the court records, though. His wife Joanna died in 1649 and Edward married Sarah Beal that same year. She also died, and he then married Anna or Hannah Page Wood, a widow. There are three references to land owned by Edward Winn in a book of early land deeds, but the land, whatever its size, is described only as a boundary for someone else's land. Also he was a town selectman from 1660-1664.
He died in Woburn on September 5, 1682, having helped to found a town and in one way or another, having seen it through the first 40 plus years of life. For that, he deserves to be honored.
The line of descent is:
Edward Winn-Joanna probably Sargent
Ann Winn-Moses Cleveland
Enoch Cleveland-Elizabeth Counts
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, July 6, 2018
Holbrook line: Richard Langer, Immigrant
Richard Langer is another of those "quiet men" who lived their lives, for the most part, under the radar so that 350-400 years later, there are few traces of his life. Fortunately, he left a will in Hingham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, when he died on January 25, 1661, and that tells us pretty much everything we know about him.
His birth year is given as about 1595, variously at either Cambridge, Cambridgeshire or Beaminster, Dorset, England. I don't find anything that would support either location but someone must have found something, in order to be willing to hazard these guesses.
We don't know when Richard arrived in the Colony, or whether he married in England or in his new home land. This leads me to guess that he may have come as an indentured servant, but that is only a guess. We do know, from a history of Hingham, that he arrived there in 1636 but it isn't clear whether he arrived directly from England or whether he had been in another part of the colony. In the entire book, this is the only reference to him, so as stated earlier, he led a quiet life.
Hingham was a subject of religious controversy in the middle 1640's but there is no indication as to which side Richard was on, or whether in fact he took sides at all. Still, it would have affected his life as neighbors opposed neighbors. We can only hope there was a satisfactory outcome to the dispute.
In his will, there is no mention of a wife so she died before him, but how long before that is a mystery. We know he had three daughters because they are mentioned in his will. His will left all of his lands to his grandson, Joshua Lincoln, who was about 16 at the time of Richard's death. He also left a green rug to his daughter Margaret (Joshua's mother) with instructions that she was to give 4 shillings to each of her two sisters, Dinah and Elizabeth. The will is dated February 20, 1659, 23 months before he died.
I don't have death dates for Thomas and Margaret Langer Lincoln's children, but it looks like Joshua would have had several brothers and sisters who would have been living when Richard wrote his will. Joshua must have been his "favorite", to have been given all the land.
His estate showed two house lotts, a great lott and a lott of meadow, valued at a total of 21 pounds, two shillings. This was a small estate. There is no mention of personal property, so perhaps he was living with Margaret and Thomas when he died. He may have given his daughters other items or money earlier, if this was the case.
As you can guess, I'd like to know more about this ancestor of ours.One fun fact, especially appropriate to this week, is that his descendant is John Hancock, he of the large signature on the Declaration of Independence.
The line of descent is:
Richard Langer-Margaret
Margaret Langer-Thomas Lincoln
Sarah Lincoln-Thomas Marsh
Thomas Marsh-Mary Burr
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
His birth year is given as about 1595, variously at either Cambridge, Cambridgeshire or Beaminster, Dorset, England. I don't find anything that would support either location but someone must have found something, in order to be willing to hazard these guesses.
We don't know when Richard arrived in the Colony, or whether he married in England or in his new home land. This leads me to guess that he may have come as an indentured servant, but that is only a guess. We do know, from a history of Hingham, that he arrived there in 1636 but it isn't clear whether he arrived directly from England or whether he had been in another part of the colony. In the entire book, this is the only reference to him, so as stated earlier, he led a quiet life.
Hingham was a subject of religious controversy in the middle 1640's but there is no indication as to which side Richard was on, or whether in fact he took sides at all. Still, it would have affected his life as neighbors opposed neighbors. We can only hope there was a satisfactory outcome to the dispute.
In his will, there is no mention of a wife so she died before him, but how long before that is a mystery. We know he had three daughters because they are mentioned in his will. His will left all of his lands to his grandson, Joshua Lincoln, who was about 16 at the time of Richard's death. He also left a green rug to his daughter Margaret (Joshua's mother) with instructions that she was to give 4 shillings to each of her two sisters, Dinah and Elizabeth. The will is dated February 20, 1659, 23 months before he died.
I don't have death dates for Thomas and Margaret Langer Lincoln's children, but it looks like Joshua would have had several brothers and sisters who would have been living when Richard wrote his will. Joshua must have been his "favorite", to have been given all the land.
His estate showed two house lotts, a great lott and a lott of meadow, valued at a total of 21 pounds, two shillings. This was a small estate. There is no mention of personal property, so perhaps he was living with Margaret and Thomas when he died. He may have given his daughters other items or money earlier, if this was the case.
As you can guess, I'd like to know more about this ancestor of ours.One fun fact, especially appropriate to this week, is that his descendant is John Hancock, he of the large signature on the Declaration of Independence.
The line of descent is:
Richard Langer-Margaret
Margaret Langer-Thomas Lincoln
Sarah Lincoln-Thomas Marsh
Thomas Marsh-Mary Burr
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
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Holbrook line: William Filley, Immigrant
William Filley's birth date and location, and death date and location, are unknown. We can make some reasonable guesses, that he may have been born in about 1617, probably somewhere in Devonshire since that seems to be the only place where this surname is found, and he probably died in Windsor, Connecticut because he lived there for the great majority of his life in America. I have seen documents, which I can't decipher, which others have said give his parents as "Godfridus Bailey and Mary Filley Harris, but I am not at all convinced that this is our William. The location is wrong, for one thing, and for another, this would make William "illegitimate". I'm not saying it's impossible, but I'm just saying that at this point, I'm not buying the story.
There are also varying stories as to when he arrived in America. One story says he arrived with Major Holmes in 1633, when a trading post was established at what became Windsor, and testimony in 1654 states that William had lived at Windsor "these twenty years". Most say he arrived in 1638 with the group led by Reverend Ephraim Huit or Hewett. I don't know whether the two stories are mutually exclusive, or whether William might have come early and then returned to England, before coming for the final time in 1639, If he was with the early group, then he may have been there for the Pequod War, whether or not he returned to England. (If he came with Rev. Huit's group, he apparently was not as much of a Puritan as the majority of those sailing were, since he didn't formally join the church until 1673.)
Pretty much everyone agrees that he was in Windsor by 1640, and that he married Margaret there in 1642. One might reasonably ask whom this Margaret was, but the silence in the records so far is complete. Nevertheless, we do know more about William Filley once he is married and settled down. He and Margaret had at least nine children: Samuel, John, Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Margaret, Abigail, Deborah, and William, born between 1643 and 1665. William acquired various tracts of land, "trading up", and in 1686 he and Margaret were shown to have had a house with six acres, another tract of 18 acres of farmland, a horse, two oxen, and one swine. This showed a relatively prosperous household for this time and place.
As far as his civic duties go, he was a constable for one term beginning in 1662, responsible for enforcement of the local laws and ordinances. It is likely that his name appears on town petitions but I haven't found them yet. We don't know when William, or for that matatere, Margaret, died, although it must have been after they were listed in the 1686 record mentioned above. Their children stayed mostly in the Windsor area for generations, and we may very well still have cousins there.
Every generation has been part of what makes America great, but he was one of the very earliest pioneers. My hat is off to him, and to Margaret!
Here's our line of descent:
William Filley-Margaret
Elizabeth Filley-David Winchell
Elizabeth Winchell-John Trumbull
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
There are also varying stories as to when he arrived in America. One story says he arrived with Major Holmes in 1633, when a trading post was established at what became Windsor, and testimony in 1654 states that William had lived at Windsor "these twenty years". Most say he arrived in 1638 with the group led by Reverend Ephraim Huit or Hewett. I don't know whether the two stories are mutually exclusive, or whether William might have come early and then returned to England, before coming for the final time in 1639, If he was with the early group, then he may have been there for the Pequod War, whether or not he returned to England. (If he came with Rev. Huit's group, he apparently was not as much of a Puritan as the majority of those sailing were, since he didn't formally join the church until 1673.)
Pretty much everyone agrees that he was in Windsor by 1640, and that he married Margaret there in 1642. One might reasonably ask whom this Margaret was, but the silence in the records so far is complete. Nevertheless, we do know more about William Filley once he is married and settled down. He and Margaret had at least nine children: Samuel, John, Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Margaret, Abigail, Deborah, and William, born between 1643 and 1665. William acquired various tracts of land, "trading up", and in 1686 he and Margaret were shown to have had a house with six acres, another tract of 18 acres of farmland, a horse, two oxen, and one swine. This showed a relatively prosperous household for this time and place.
As far as his civic duties go, he was a constable for one term beginning in 1662, responsible for enforcement of the local laws and ordinances. It is likely that his name appears on town petitions but I haven't found them yet. We don't know when William, or for that matatere, Margaret, died, although it must have been after they were listed in the 1686 record mentioned above. Their children stayed mostly in the Windsor area for generations, and we may very well still have cousins there.
Every generation has been part of what makes America great, but he was one of the very earliest pioneers. My hat is off to him, and to Margaret!
Here's our line of descent:
William Filley-Margaret
Elizabeth Filley-David Winchell
Elizabeth Winchell-John Trumbull
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
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