First, this is the 600th blog post I've written. I didn't think I'd get this far or be able to write about so many ancestors but it's happened. I still have a few more I think I can write about, and probably 40 or more who are still just names to me, and may remain that way. I don't know whether I'll write 10 more blog posts, or 100 more, or somewhere in between but I can truly say I've loved every minute of this process, no matter how frustrated I sometimes get when researching. Every day I either learn something new or find another question I need to ask...it's a never ending joy!
I wanted to share just a little bit of what I've learned and thought and been grateful for by talking about Jonathan Wright. As far as I know (haven't found documentation) he was born in 1686, married Mary, had several children including son Jonathan in 1717, was selected as elder of his church in 1733, and died in 1749. From the birth of his son Jonathan onward, I do have documentation and he lived in Wrentham, Massachusetts, apparently in the part that later became Franklin. That is pretty much what I knew about Jonathan from on line searches.
But I want to know more about Jonathan, so I've spent 15 hours, so far, reading Wrentham town records that are only on line at FHL affiliates, and have found precious little more about him. Two men named Fisher asked for permission to give him 10-15 acres of their land in 1710. He would have been 24 years old at the time. Why were they willing to help him get established? I don't know the answer to that. I haven't found a Fisher-Wright blood connection yet. But I'm looking. I have found his name on a tax (rate) list in 1721 and with a group of people who wanted to know exactly who was allowed to vote in town elections. I've found that his home was used as a meeting place for a review of the boundaries between Bellingham and Wrentham. And that's about it. For fifteen hours of squinting and trying desperately to read faint or/and difficult handwriting, it may seem to not be a good return on my time investment.
But this is what hundreds, if not thousands, of people have done to help provide the information that I've been able to use, in compiling brief stories of our ancestors. This blog is possible mostly due to their hard work and generosity in sharing what they've learned. Genealogists, historians, librarians and archivists, and various combinations of the above, have all helped make it possible for me to write these posts. And that doesn't mention all the transcribers, indexers, photographers, and genealogy web site members, almost all of whom are volunteers and by definition, unpaid. They do it for love, for the joy in knowing they've helped others, and in order to pay it forward, in thanks to those who have pointed the way. I mustn't forget to mention spouses, who if they have not assisted in the search have at least tolerated it.
So from Robert Charles Anderson and Douglas Richardson (two men whom I will never meet but who have given me much happiness) to local and internet heroes, to distant cousins, to my own husband, thank you for your contributions to this project. I hope to make some of you just a little bit proud.
We'll see what happens with this blog in the future. If you've enjoyed it, that makes my heart happy!
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Friday, April 26, 2019
Holbrook line: Jeffrey Staple, Immigrant
You win some, you lose some. I started out planning to write about our immigrant ancestor John Staples, and in reviewing my information for him discovered that his father was actually here, too. So even though I don't have a lot of information about Jeffrey, I want to write about him. He was born probably about 1576, to Robert Staple and an as yet identified wife. Robert was from Halton, Buckinghamshire, England and it is believed that is where Jeffrey (also seen as Geoffrey) Staple (also seen as Staples or Stapless) was born.
Little is known of Jeffrey's life in England. Halton was a small village. In 1642, a few years after the family left for Massachusetts Bay, there were just 43 people who were taxed for "contributions" to Ireland, and it was still a very small village in the early nineteenth century. When his father died in 1601, he left Jeffery his lands in Wendover, 20 pounds and 20 sheep "along with the ones he already had", so Robert had some wealth about him, and Jeffrey raised sheep.
Jeffrey married Margery Chrismas on May 4, 1607 at Halton, when he was about 31 years old. We know he and Margery had seven children, some of whom were adults when the family decided to move to the New World. The last record found in England for Jeffrey was in 1632, when Thomas Martin of Halton left 6 pounds to Jeffrey Staple, his godson. (Judging by the 1642 tax list, six pounds must have been a significant sum for the family to come by).
Jeffrey seems to be one of the 80% or so of immigrants who seem to have left no record behind as to when he left England or arrived in the New World. We know that he and Margery buried a daughter at Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony on February 17, 1639/40. 100 families had come to Weymouth in 1635 under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Hull and it is possible that the family arrived then (my speculation only).
In a land inventory taken between 1642 and 1644, Jeffrey had 3 acres in the east field, "first given to himelfe", 6 acres in the further end of Harrises Rainges, "first given to himselfe", and 1/2 acre in the west field first given to Mr. Hull. To have acquired two plots of land, these must have been early grants or dividends, and the fact that Mr. Hill had owned the smallest parcel first shows that there may have been some sort of connection there, whether it was pastor to church member or something else.
Jeffrey, after having lived and worked in the New World for somewhere between 8 and 12 years, died at Weymouth shortly before March, 1647. His appraisal was done in March and totaled 34 pounds, 7 shillings and two pence. He had a house with 8 acres of land, but the only clue to his occupation was "workinge toolls". He also had goats and a calf, swine, and various household goods. Books were not mentioned. Margery lived until sometime after December 14, 1663, when she was mentioned as the "widow Staple" in town records.
In looking over the Weymouth town records, I noted several other names that are likely our ancestors, such as Holbrook and Kingman. It's neat how this all comes together, several generations down when Molly Wright married Amariah Holbrook!
(Most of the material in this post, but not quite all of it, came from the researh of Gail Staples and was published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 161. I added the bits and pieces about land ownershipm and the speculation that he was part of or close to the Rev. Joseph Hull group.)
The line of descent is:
Jeffrey Staple-Margery Christmas
John Staple-Rebecca possibly Borroridge
Rebecca Staples-Samuel Sumner
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Little is known of Jeffrey's life in England. Halton was a small village. In 1642, a few years after the family left for Massachusetts Bay, there were just 43 people who were taxed for "contributions" to Ireland, and it was still a very small village in the early nineteenth century. When his father died in 1601, he left Jeffery his lands in Wendover, 20 pounds and 20 sheep "along with the ones he already had", so Robert had some wealth about him, and Jeffrey raised sheep.
Jeffrey married Margery Chrismas on May 4, 1607 at Halton, when he was about 31 years old. We know he and Margery had seven children, some of whom were adults when the family decided to move to the New World. The last record found in England for Jeffrey was in 1632, when Thomas Martin of Halton left 6 pounds to Jeffrey Staple, his godson. (Judging by the 1642 tax list, six pounds must have been a significant sum for the family to come by).
Jeffrey seems to be one of the 80% or so of immigrants who seem to have left no record behind as to when he left England or arrived in the New World. We know that he and Margery buried a daughter at Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony on February 17, 1639/40. 100 families had come to Weymouth in 1635 under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Hull and it is possible that the family arrived then (my speculation only).
In a land inventory taken between 1642 and 1644, Jeffrey had 3 acres in the east field, "first given to himelfe", 6 acres in the further end of Harrises Rainges, "first given to himselfe", and 1/2 acre in the west field first given to Mr. Hull. To have acquired two plots of land, these must have been early grants or dividends, and the fact that Mr. Hill had owned the smallest parcel first shows that there may have been some sort of connection there, whether it was pastor to church member or something else.
Jeffrey, after having lived and worked in the New World for somewhere between 8 and 12 years, died at Weymouth shortly before March, 1647. His appraisal was done in March and totaled 34 pounds, 7 shillings and two pence. He had a house with 8 acres of land, but the only clue to his occupation was "workinge toolls". He also had goats and a calf, swine, and various household goods. Books were not mentioned. Margery lived until sometime after December 14, 1663, when she was mentioned as the "widow Staple" in town records.
In looking over the Weymouth town records, I noted several other names that are likely our ancestors, such as Holbrook and Kingman. It's neat how this all comes together, several generations down when Molly Wright married Amariah Holbrook!
(Most of the material in this post, but not quite all of it, came from the researh of Gail Staples and was published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 161. I added the bits and pieces about land ownershipm and the speculation that he was part of or close to the Rev. Joseph Hull group.)
The line of descent is:
Jeffrey Staple-Margery Christmas
John Staple-Rebecca possibly Borroridge
Rebecca Staples-Samuel Sumner
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Holbrook line" William Curtis, Immigrant 1592-1673
Full disclosure: Most of what I will write in this blog post is taken from "The Great Migration Begins" by Robert Charles Anderson. Most of the other information that I found on line, if not all of it, is also taken from Anderson's work, sometimes word for word. We are so grateful to Mr. Anderson for all the work he has done to tell us about the immigrant families, so we can claim those who are ours!
William Curtis was born before November 12, 1592, the date of his baptism, at Nazeing, Esex, England. He was the son of Tohams and Mary Camp urtis. He had four siblings, and the family likely grew up as Puritans as Nazeing was a center of Puritan activity in the early 1600s. William first married Margaret Rawlyns in London on December 3, 1615. She died at or very soon after the death of their son, William.
He then married, on August 6, 1618, Sarah Eliot, daughter of Bennet and Lettice Agar Eliot. She was the sister of Rev. John Eliot, known in New England as "The Apostle to the Indians". The family lived in England for 14 years after their marriage and had the first five of their children there, burying a daughter Elizabeth there. Little is known of their life in England, but presumably they were under the teaching of Rev. Eliot, and came to New England so they could practice their faith.
William and his wife and four children came to New England in 1632, where they promptly joined the Roxbury church. William is listed as member 37 and Sarah as member 38. He became a freeman on March 4, 1632/3. While in Roxbury, William and Sarah added three children to their family. Son William, born to Williams first wife, died in 1634.
William is described as a yeoman and had several parcels of land in Roxbury, where he lived his whole life. By a Roxbury land inventory (likely written for tax purposes), he had ten acres with a house, barn, and orchard, plus one acre of upland and meadow, three acres acquired in an exchange, and two acres and a rood of salt marsh. The only office that he held, (that Anderson located) was as a petit juror in 1637, so he was not deeply involved in the politics or governance of the town.
He had basically the same holdings when, in February 1669/70, he gave most of his estate to his youngest son, Isaac, on the condition that Isaac continue caring for his parents until both were gone. He gave 40 shillings each to son John Curtis and to son in law Isaac Newell. The other children had already had their gifts. William died December 9, 1670 and Sarah died March 27, 1672/3.
That's what is known of WIlliam Curtis. He seems to have stayed out of trouble, and to have supported his family and served his God. Several of his children married in the late 1650s and early 1660s, so presumably he lived to see grandchildren growing up in the New World. I hope he died a happy man,
The line of descent is:
William Curtis-Sarah Eliot
Elizabeth Curtis-Isaac Newell
Sarah Newell-Nathaniel Hawes
Elizabeth Hawes-Samuel Wilson
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
William Curtis was born before November 12, 1592, the date of his baptism, at Nazeing, Esex, England. He was the son of Tohams and Mary Camp urtis. He had four siblings, and the family likely grew up as Puritans as Nazeing was a center of Puritan activity in the early 1600s. William first married Margaret Rawlyns in London on December 3, 1615. She died at or very soon after the death of their son, William.
He then married, on August 6, 1618, Sarah Eliot, daughter of Bennet and Lettice Agar Eliot. She was the sister of Rev. John Eliot, known in New England as "The Apostle to the Indians". The family lived in England for 14 years after their marriage and had the first five of their children there, burying a daughter Elizabeth there. Little is known of their life in England, but presumably they were under the teaching of Rev. Eliot, and came to New England so they could practice their faith.
William and his wife and four children came to New England in 1632, where they promptly joined the Roxbury church. William is listed as member 37 and Sarah as member 38. He became a freeman on March 4, 1632/3. While in Roxbury, William and Sarah added three children to their family. Son William, born to Williams first wife, died in 1634.
William is described as a yeoman and had several parcels of land in Roxbury, where he lived his whole life. By a Roxbury land inventory (likely written for tax purposes), he had ten acres with a house, barn, and orchard, plus one acre of upland and meadow, three acres acquired in an exchange, and two acres and a rood of salt marsh. The only office that he held, (that Anderson located) was as a petit juror in 1637, so he was not deeply involved in the politics or governance of the town.
He had basically the same holdings when, in February 1669/70, he gave most of his estate to his youngest son, Isaac, on the condition that Isaac continue caring for his parents until both were gone. He gave 40 shillings each to son John Curtis and to son in law Isaac Newell. The other children had already had their gifts. William died December 9, 1670 and Sarah died March 27, 1672/3.
That's what is known of WIlliam Curtis. He seems to have stayed out of trouble, and to have supported his family and served his God. Several of his children married in the late 1650s and early 1660s, so presumably he lived to see grandchildren growing up in the New World. I hope he died a happy man,
The line of descent is:
William Curtis-Sarah Eliot
Elizabeth Curtis-Isaac Newell
Sarah Newell-Nathaniel Hawes
Elizabeth Hawes-Samuel Wilson
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, April 19, 2019
Holbrook line: John Brown of Rhode Island, Immigrant
I've written earlier about Chad Brown or Browne, John's father, the immigrant ancestor to America. But John was an immigrant, too, a wide eyed boy of somewhere around 10 years old when he arrived in Boston in 1638 with his parents and possibly with siblings. He is reported to have been about 8 when the trip was made, which would put his birth date at 1630 but some sites are showing a birthdate of March 9, 1627 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England.
John's parents didn't stay long in Boston, so within months our wide eyed hero was in Providence, Rhode Island. A man by that name was given a free grant of 25 acres of land, and a right of commanage, then promised obedience to the State of England in 1645. He would have probably needed to have been at least 18 to obtain a land grant, unless some sort of exception was made for him. Had he done something special for the plantation? We don't know. He was taxed in 1650, and in 1651/52 pledged allegiance to England "as it now stands", meaning with no king or House of Lords due to the English Civil War. He was a juryman and a constable, as well as a surveyor of highways. He was made a freeman in 1655, and was deputy in 1663-64 as well as being on the town council.
In 1654 he married Mary Holmes, the daughter of Obadiah and Catherine Hyde Holmes of Newport. Holmes was a rather famous Baptist minister (at least, he became famous later) and our John Brown has been variously described as "Elder" and "Reverend". He was also of the Baptist faith. John and Mary had at least five children, but probably there were more who were not living when John died.
John's date of death is disputed. Some say he died in 1677. If this is so, then he's been confused with another John Brown, because one John Brown, or another was taxed in 1679 and in 1701 helped ordain James Clarke of Newport as pastor of the Newport church. He sold the land the family home was on in 1672, but great grand children purchased it back and this eventually became what is now known as Brown University.
I have not been able to determine what happened to John Brown and his family during King Philip's War. Almost all of the homes in Providence were destroyed, either by the native American's setting fire to them or by decay, as it took years for some of the families to return. Did they go to Newport, perhaps, or to safer locations in Massachusetts? We don't know. I know there were several John Browns who were listed as soldiers during that war, and it seems logical to think that John, being under 50 years of age, would have been in the militia, but I can't state that categorically.
I've not yet located a will or probate for John. Mary died in 1696 and John died either 19 years earlier or ten years later. Finding the probate papers would likely shed some light on that puzzle.
John Brown, one of our Baptist ancestors, whether he lived 50 years or 80, had an influence on his family and his church family as well as his community. He was a man of service and we can be glad he is part of our family.
The line of descent is:
John Brown-Mary Holmes
Sarah Brown-John Pray
Mary Pray Richard Brown
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
John's parents didn't stay long in Boston, so within months our wide eyed hero was in Providence, Rhode Island. A man by that name was given a free grant of 25 acres of land, and a right of commanage, then promised obedience to the State of England in 1645. He would have probably needed to have been at least 18 to obtain a land grant, unless some sort of exception was made for him. Had he done something special for the plantation? We don't know. He was taxed in 1650, and in 1651/52 pledged allegiance to England "as it now stands", meaning with no king or House of Lords due to the English Civil War. He was a juryman and a constable, as well as a surveyor of highways. He was made a freeman in 1655, and was deputy in 1663-64 as well as being on the town council.
In 1654 he married Mary Holmes, the daughter of Obadiah and Catherine Hyde Holmes of Newport. Holmes was a rather famous Baptist minister (at least, he became famous later) and our John Brown has been variously described as "Elder" and "Reverend". He was also of the Baptist faith. John and Mary had at least five children, but probably there were more who were not living when John died.
John's date of death is disputed. Some say he died in 1677. If this is so, then he's been confused with another John Brown, because one John Brown, or another was taxed in 1679 and in 1701 helped ordain James Clarke of Newport as pastor of the Newport church. He sold the land the family home was on in 1672, but great grand children purchased it back and this eventually became what is now known as Brown University.
I have not been able to determine what happened to John Brown and his family during King Philip's War. Almost all of the homes in Providence were destroyed, either by the native American's setting fire to them or by decay, as it took years for some of the families to return. Did they go to Newport, perhaps, or to safer locations in Massachusetts? We don't know. I know there were several John Browns who were listed as soldiers during that war, and it seems logical to think that John, being under 50 years of age, would have been in the militia, but I can't state that categorically.
I've not yet located a will or probate for John. Mary died in 1696 and John died either 19 years earlier or ten years later. Finding the probate papers would likely shed some light on that puzzle.
John Brown, one of our Baptist ancestors, whether he lived 50 years or 80, had an influence on his family and his church family as well as his community. He was a man of service and we can be glad he is part of our family.
The line of descent is:
John Brown-Mary Holmes
Sarah Brown-John Pray
Mary Pray Richard Brown
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
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Holbrook line: Henry Wilson, Immigrant
Henry Wilson is supposed to have come from Kent, England but that is as much as I know about his early life. I'm not sure on what basis the claim is made but it is in very old town records, old enough that he himself may have been the source of the information, or if not, then one of his children likely gave the information. But I can't pin it down further than that. "Henry Wilson" os a common name, not quite as bad as John Smith, but still...
We don't know when he was born but he was accepted into the church at Dedham, Massachusetts in 1640 and became a freeman shortly after that. As a round number, let's guess 1615, and it may have been a few years earlier. He died in 1688 so that gives room for an earlier birth date. It wouldn't have been much later than 1616 because generally men had to be 24 to become a freeman, although this may have varied from colony to colony. His wife, Mary, was born in 1619, the daughter of Michael and Sarah Elwyn Metcalf. Henry and Mary were married at Dedham November 24, 1642.
We don't know much of Henry's life. He seems to have been a congenial fellow because when there was a slight problem with a piece of land he had been given, he cheerfully "laid it down" and willingly took the piece of land he was given in its stead. I found one reference to Dedham's founding as being intended to be "Utopian" in 1636 and perhaps people there were just relatively easy to like.
Henry was given or acquired several pieces of land, for meadow and upland and a house "lott", and in 1656 he had six cow common rights, 3 sheep common rights, 7 "divident" acres, plus 1/2 of another acre and 28 roodes As an early settler, he likely attended church on a regular basis, farmed a little, and perhaps had another trade also, although I found no hint of what that might be.
Henry and Mary had at least five children together, all born in Dedham. Mary died May 5, 1676 and Henry died February 8, 1688/89. I was unable to locate a will or an inventory, or any kind of probate, but presumably there is one still waiting to be found. Perhaps that will tell us more about his life. Were there some kind of trade tools listed? Books? Land? We know that he lived long enough to see Ephraim married, and that must have brought him joy. I hope that one day, we will learn more about his life, but for now, we know he came to America, he was a "church man" who apparently stayed out of trouble and got along with his neighbors, and he raised a family. That is reason enough to honor him.
The line of descent is:
Henry Wilson-Mary Metcalf
Ephraim Wilson-Rebekah Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We don't know when he was born but he was accepted into the church at Dedham, Massachusetts in 1640 and became a freeman shortly after that. As a round number, let's guess 1615, and it may have been a few years earlier. He died in 1688 so that gives room for an earlier birth date. It wouldn't have been much later than 1616 because generally men had to be 24 to become a freeman, although this may have varied from colony to colony. His wife, Mary, was born in 1619, the daughter of Michael and Sarah Elwyn Metcalf. Henry and Mary were married at Dedham November 24, 1642.
We don't know much of Henry's life. He seems to have been a congenial fellow because when there was a slight problem with a piece of land he had been given, he cheerfully "laid it down" and willingly took the piece of land he was given in its stead. I found one reference to Dedham's founding as being intended to be "Utopian" in 1636 and perhaps people there were just relatively easy to like.
Henry was given or acquired several pieces of land, for meadow and upland and a house "lott", and in 1656 he had six cow common rights, 3 sheep common rights, 7 "divident" acres, plus 1/2 of another acre and 28 roodes As an early settler, he likely attended church on a regular basis, farmed a little, and perhaps had another trade also, although I found no hint of what that might be.
Henry and Mary had at least five children together, all born in Dedham. Mary died May 5, 1676 and Henry died February 8, 1688/89. I was unable to locate a will or an inventory, or any kind of probate, but presumably there is one still waiting to be found. Perhaps that will tell us more about his life. Were there some kind of trade tools listed? Books? Land? We know that he lived long enough to see Ephraim married, and that must have brought him joy. I hope that one day, we will learn more about his life, but for now, we know he came to America, he was a "church man" who apparently stayed out of trouble and got along with his neighbors, and he raised a family. That is reason enough to honor him.
The line of descent is:
Henry Wilson-Mary Metcalf
Ephraim Wilson-Rebekah Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, April 12, 2019
Holbrook line: Benjamin Atwell, 1640-1683, probable immigrant
He married an Indian woman named Mary Uncas? How exciting!! Oops, how wrong! It seems there is no evidence whatsoever for this "fact" so let's just file thais in the back of the folder with a huge "unproven" on it. Benjamin did have a wife named Mary, who later married Joseph Ingham, but she was not Mary Uncas, at least not so far as we know. It would be totally out of character for a man married to an Indian to be named a constable of his town, anyway.
So let's start with what we think we know, since Benjamin is really the first documented person in the Atwell line. He was probably born about 1640, probably in England. There is a Benjamin Atwell in Maine by this time period but he is not considered a likely candidate to be Benjamin's father. Perhaps there is a tie in further back in England, but it's not yet been discovered. He is in New London, Connecticut in 1667 and may have arrived earlier, but if so, it is strange that his marriage and the birth of his first son were not entered in the New London records.
Benjamin was a carpenter by trade. We don't know whether he worked in the shipbuilding business which was part of New London's heritage, or whether he built houses and buildings, but he was a skilled tradesman. He was elected constable in 1675 and may have held that office earlier. At one time he owned two houses and lots in New London, but sold one in 1672. Perhaps he had built a new, larger house as his family grew.
Benjamin and Mary had eight children together, from about 1668 to April of 1682. Benjamin died between October 1682 and November 1683, and Mary married Joseph Ingram shortly after, probably about 1684. Benjamin's estate wasn't settled until 1712, after one son petitioned for a settlement in 1707.
Mary had one child with Joseph but they had separated by 1686 and despite court orders, Mary did not return to her second husband. Mary may have had a backbone somewhat unusual in our female ancestors of the 1600s. Whether this was a case of spousal abuse, or alcoholism, or any of a number of other factors, something made Mary decide to raise her 9 children on her own, except that Joseph eventually got custody of that child. She was a feisty woman, I would guess.
This is what we know of the story of Benjamin and Mary. I see Benjamin as a hard working man (aren't all carpenters hard workers?) and since he was elected constable he had the respect of his community. Mary was probably a woman who conformed to the times until she couldn't stand it any longer. I find much to admire in both of these ancestors. I just wish we could find Mary's identity!
The line of descent is"
Benjamin Atwell-Mary
Mary Atwell-Kingsland Comstock
Kingsland Comstock-Rachel Crocker
Rachel Comstock-John Eames
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
So let's start with what we think we know, since Benjamin is really the first documented person in the Atwell line. He was probably born about 1640, probably in England. There is a Benjamin Atwell in Maine by this time period but he is not considered a likely candidate to be Benjamin's father. Perhaps there is a tie in further back in England, but it's not yet been discovered. He is in New London, Connecticut in 1667 and may have arrived earlier, but if so, it is strange that his marriage and the birth of his first son were not entered in the New London records.
Benjamin was a carpenter by trade. We don't know whether he worked in the shipbuilding business which was part of New London's heritage, or whether he built houses and buildings, but he was a skilled tradesman. He was elected constable in 1675 and may have held that office earlier. At one time he owned two houses and lots in New London, but sold one in 1672. Perhaps he had built a new, larger house as his family grew.
Benjamin and Mary had eight children together, from about 1668 to April of 1682. Benjamin died between October 1682 and November 1683, and Mary married Joseph Ingram shortly after, probably about 1684. Benjamin's estate wasn't settled until 1712, after one son petitioned for a settlement in 1707.
Mary had one child with Joseph but they had separated by 1686 and despite court orders, Mary did not return to her second husband. Mary may have had a backbone somewhat unusual in our female ancestors of the 1600s. Whether this was a case of spousal abuse, or alcoholism, or any of a number of other factors, something made Mary decide to raise her 9 children on her own, except that Joseph eventually got custody of that child. She was a feisty woman, I would guess.
This is what we know of the story of Benjamin and Mary. I see Benjamin as a hard working man (aren't all carpenters hard workers?) and since he was elected constable he had the respect of his community. Mary was probably a woman who conformed to the times until she couldn't stand it any longer. I find much to admire in both of these ancestors. I just wish we could find Mary's identity!
The line of descent is"
Benjamin Atwell-Mary
Mary Atwell-Kingsland Comstock
Kingsland Comstock-Rachel Crocker
Rachel Comstock-John Eames
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Holbrook line: Richard Rosemorgie, Immigrant
Ive hesitated to write about this ancestor for a long time, because I found so many confusing ways that his name was spelled or presented. I also found opposing views about his country of origin. I finally found an authoritative source, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 154 page 63 and following, written by Anita A. Lustenberger, C.G. Even she, however, is hesitant to state with certainty his origins.
First, I do not believe some of the web sites that say he was "Sir Richard Rhys Morgan" of Wales. There are simply no records that support that theory, and is he was a "Sir" he would have left more records in New England than he did. Those folks who could claim a title of some sort did so, and he did not. It appears likely that he came from a small town or hamlet called "Rosemergy", which is in Morvah Parish, Penwith District, Cornwall, England. Of course records for the years that would interest us are missing. Rosemergy is just a few miles inland from the coast but I don't know of a good nearby harbor. I'd don't know whether he would have been exposed to the life of a mariner, or a fisherman, or whether he would have raised sheep, or worked in the mines of Cornwall. We simply don't know any of his early life.
We do know that Richard was in Charlestown, Massachusetts by 1664, when he married Hopestill Merrick, daughter of John and Hopestill (maiden name unknown) Merrick. The Merricks had been in New England for about 33 years by then, and may or may not have approved of this man who would marry their daughter. Richard didn't own land in Charlestown, and moved to New London, Connecticut when his landlord died and left the house to his widow, by which time the Rosemoregie's had at least three children.
I've not found anything that says what Richard's occupation was. He acquired land both by grant and by purchase in New London He acquired enough land that he could well have been a planter, but because this was New London, he could have been engaged in some kind of maritime work, such as ship building, or trading, or fishing. We do know he was busy building a life for his family, which eventually included seven children.
The book "From Deference to Defiance", by Robert Charles Anderson, reports that Richard and Hopestill were charged with premarital fornication in 1666. Since they were married in 1664, it's a little puzzling to me why these charges were brought at that time. No mention is made of their disposition. Usually in these cases the woman was soundly whipped, and sometimes the man, also. And before we get too excited and say "Grandma Hopestill, you did what?" let's remember that many times the woman was not to blame, but had been assaulted, coerced or exploited in some way. Still, Hopestill's parents must have been mortified, as they were members of the church.
Richard died about 1698, leaving a will which has been lost, and Hopestill died in 1712. They were "Rosemorgie"s to the end of their days, but some of their children and all of their grandchildren changed their names to Morgan, probably because it was just easier to say and to spell. This led to the confusion I mentioned in my first paragraph, because I wasn't sure I had the right family. I did.
The line of descent is:
Richard Rosemorgie-Hopestill Merrick
Abigail Morgan-John Eames
John Eames-Rachel Comstock
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, April 5, 2019
Holbrook line: William Greene, Immigrant
Unfortunately, we don't seem to know for sure when William Greene was born, or where, or the names of his parents, or even when he arrived in New England. If he was born as early as 1591, as some suggest, then his wife, Hannah Carter, would have been significantly younger than he was in order to be starting the family in 1644. So if the 1591 date is correct, he may well have had an earlier wife and an earlier family about whom we know nothing.
What we know of William is that he was "of Charlestown" in 1640 and that year subscribed to the "town orders" for the settlement of Woburn, which basically stated rules to live by, for the town. For instance, no one could have a guest ("inmate"), for more than three days without the express permission of at least four of the town selectmen. He married Hannah Carter, daughter of Thomas Carter, the blacksmith of Charlestown, about 1642, and the young or middle-aged and young, couple went to Woburn to live. He was made a freeman in 1644. I should note that it's possible that Greene never actually moved at all, as Charlestown gave up some of its territory to what became the town of Woburn. Still, the Greenes probably lived a good ways from Hannah's parents, as currently Woburn and Charlestown are about 18 miles distant from each other. William was made a freeman in 1644, meaning he was a member of the church and had property of some sort.
There isn't much more that is known of his life in Woburn. Apparently he stayed out of trouble, paid his taxes, supported the church, and was not much involved in the government of the town. Raising small children and farming probably kept him busy. When he died in 1654, there were at least four small children to raise, and they were apparently taken in by members of Hannah's family. Hannah died just a few years after William, in 1658.
William Greene had an estate of over 200 pounds when he died, probably helped greatly by a gift of half of the lands of his father in law. This was a good sum of money for a man believed to have been in the country only about 14 years when he died.
This sums up the story of William Greene, who came to New England to practice his religion, or for economic gain, or because he wanted an adventure, or some combination of the three. Whatever his reasons, we are glad he came, because he contributed to our gene pool.
The line of descent is
William Greene-Hannah Carter
Mary Greene-John Snow
Zerubabbel Snow-Jemima Cutler
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
What we know of William is that he was "of Charlestown" in 1640 and that year subscribed to the "town orders" for the settlement of Woburn, which basically stated rules to live by, for the town. For instance, no one could have a guest ("inmate"), for more than three days without the express permission of at least four of the town selectmen. He married Hannah Carter, daughter of Thomas Carter, the blacksmith of Charlestown, about 1642, and the young or middle-aged and young, couple went to Woburn to live. He was made a freeman in 1644. I should note that it's possible that Greene never actually moved at all, as Charlestown gave up some of its territory to what became the town of Woburn. Still, the Greenes probably lived a good ways from Hannah's parents, as currently Woburn and Charlestown are about 18 miles distant from each other. William was made a freeman in 1644, meaning he was a member of the church and had property of some sort.
There isn't much more that is known of his life in Woburn. Apparently he stayed out of trouble, paid his taxes, supported the church, and was not much involved in the government of the town. Raising small children and farming probably kept him busy. When he died in 1654, there were at least four small children to raise, and they were apparently taken in by members of Hannah's family. Hannah died just a few years after William, in 1658.
William Greene had an estate of over 200 pounds when he died, probably helped greatly by a gift of half of the lands of his father in law. This was a good sum of money for a man believed to have been in the country only about 14 years when he died.
This sums up the story of William Greene, who came to New England to practice his religion, or for economic gain, or because he wanted an adventure, or some combination of the three. Whatever his reasons, we are glad he came, because he contributed to our gene pool.
The line of descent is
William Greene-Hannah Carter
Mary Greene-John Snow
Zerubabbel Snow-Jemima Cutler
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Holbrook line: Edward Lloyd, of Boston
I'm in trouble with this post, and hope someone will read it, weep, and then contact me with the correct information. Some of this is fact and some is a wild guess; I'll try to make clear which is which.
Here's what I think I know: Edward Loyd, Lloyd or Lyde, was living in Boston, Massachusetts when he married Hannah Griffin in 1677 in Concord, Massachusetts Bay Colony, He was a mariner by trade, according to his will, and at the time he wrote his will said he was of Boston. There is a note to the side that said "Jamaica" but I don't know if there was a section of Boston known as Jamaica that early, or whether this was a note that Edward had actually died in Jamaica, on one of his voyages. The will, which was probated in 1704, mentioned his wife, not by name, and two daughters, Hannah and Elizabeth. The court documents explain that his wife's name was Mary.
This is where it gets confusing. Perhaps our Edward Loyd was not the husband of Hannah Griffin. Perhaps he was the husband of Mary Wheelwright, married in 1660 in Boston. Mary's father, John Wheelwright, left land in England to his grandson, Edward Loyd or Lyde when he died. Is this Edward Lyde our Edward Lloyd? Mary Atkinson had a son, Edward Lloyd, baptized at Old South Church in Boston in 1674. By then she had been a widow, for the second time, for about 7 years but this is the first I can find of an Edward Lloyd who might fit into this family. Does he also fit into ours? I'm not sure.
All we really know is that our Edward was the father of two girls and had a wife, Mary, when he died. We know his estate was valued at about 77 pounds, including 75 gallons of "Rhum", and a sugar loaf. He also had an old Bible. The rum makes one wonder...why did he have this much on hand? Was he a small time merchant, or did he expect to sell the rum to another party? Had he purchased the rum in Jamaica or some other Caribbean port? He apparently owned no land or buildings when he died.
So, the question is, are these Edward Lloyd's the same person? Was the Edward who married Hannah Griffin a descendant of the Edward who married Mary Wheelwright? Or were these two entirely separate families, with only the common name in common?
Perhaps I shouldn't have written anything until I had this better figured out. But if I don't ask for help on this, I may never find our answers. Besides, I like to write about men who were mariners, who had a bit of mystery about them. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Edward Lloyd, as I continue to work to tell the stories of our ancestors.
The line of descent is:
Edward Loyd-Hannah Griffin
Elizabeth Lloyd-John Whittemore
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
Here's what I think I know: Edward Loyd, Lloyd or Lyde, was living in Boston, Massachusetts when he married Hannah Griffin in 1677 in Concord, Massachusetts Bay Colony, He was a mariner by trade, according to his will, and at the time he wrote his will said he was of Boston. There is a note to the side that said "Jamaica" but I don't know if there was a section of Boston known as Jamaica that early, or whether this was a note that Edward had actually died in Jamaica, on one of his voyages. The will, which was probated in 1704, mentioned his wife, not by name, and two daughters, Hannah and Elizabeth. The court documents explain that his wife's name was Mary.
This is where it gets confusing. Perhaps our Edward Loyd was not the husband of Hannah Griffin. Perhaps he was the husband of Mary Wheelwright, married in 1660 in Boston. Mary's father, John Wheelwright, left land in England to his grandson, Edward Loyd or Lyde when he died. Is this Edward Lyde our Edward Lloyd? Mary Atkinson had a son, Edward Lloyd, baptized at Old South Church in Boston in 1674. By then she had been a widow, for the second time, for about 7 years but this is the first I can find of an Edward Lloyd who might fit into this family. Does he also fit into ours? I'm not sure.
All we really know is that our Edward was the father of two girls and had a wife, Mary, when he died. We know his estate was valued at about 77 pounds, including 75 gallons of "Rhum", and a sugar loaf. He also had an old Bible. The rum makes one wonder...why did he have this much on hand? Was he a small time merchant, or did he expect to sell the rum to another party? Had he purchased the rum in Jamaica or some other Caribbean port? He apparently owned no land or buildings when he died.
So, the question is, are these Edward Lloyd's the same person? Was the Edward who married Hannah Griffin a descendant of the Edward who married Mary Wheelwright? Or were these two entirely separate families, with only the common name in common?
Perhaps I shouldn't have written anything until I had this better figured out. But if I don't ask for help on this, I may never find our answers. Besides, I like to write about men who were mariners, who had a bit of mystery about them. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Edward Lloyd, as I continue to work to tell the stories of our ancestors.
The line of descent is:
Edward Loyd-Hannah Griffin
Elizabeth Lloyd-John Whittemore
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
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