Eighty four years ought to have been enough to have left more of a footprint than our ancestor Israel seems to have left. I have birth and marriage records, his will, and an inventory. I don't have a death record, I don't have a burial location, I don't know what church he attended, if any, and I don't have a reference to his occupation, although I can guess it from the inventory. There is also one reference that he was a constable for a one year period. End of story.
So, even though this will be a short post, this is what I know so far. Israel Lazell was born September 24, 1671 in Hingham, Massachusetts to John and Elizabeth Gates Lazell. He was one of at least 11 children born to the couple, and he apparently lived his whole life out in Hingham. I say apparently because for some reason I am not locating a death record there, although his will states he was of Hingham, in Suffolk County. It is of course possible that he died elsewhere, perhaps on a visit to one of his children. Hingham was attacked by the natives so it's likely that his family evacuated the town, at least for a time.
The first we hear of Israel after his birth is his marriage, to Rachel Lincoln, daughter of Daniel and Susanna Cushing Lincoln, also of Hingham, on July 6, 1698. I don't know the religion of this couple but their first names indicate they were likely Puritan. The Old Ship Church in Hingham was built in 681, when Israel would have been just ten years old, and this is likely the church that he and his family attended both before and after his marriage. Israel and Rachel had at least four children who survived, and possibly others who died young. We don't know how literate Israel was, but he did sign his name to his will, and there were books in his inventory, so he must have had more than the minimal amount of education. (Typically, boys of this period learned to read and write, and girls learned to read well enough to read the Bible.)
The next information I've found about Israel is his will. Rachel had died in April of 1748 but it appears that Israel kept on doing what it was he was doing (farming, it appears) up until his final illness. The inventory is more extensive than would have been necessary for just one man living by himself. But wait, there's a discovery. Listed on his inventory is "one Negro woman". So he had a slave who cooked and cleaned for him, and probably took care of the smaller livestock and spun wool (a spinning wheel is in the inventory) and most of the things that a wife would have done. We have no way of knowing how long he had "owned" her or what her age, or her name, may have been.
Other information on the inventory is also revealing, though not as surprising. He had a sword, and several pieces of land (given away in the will), cattle and oxen and sheep, a fishing rod (Hingham is on the coast line), a "pare" of spectacles, 4 barrels of cider, several books, and furniture including a "great chare". In the will, it looks like our ancestor Isaac received a double share of the land that was granted. The total estate was valued at about 755 pounds, which was not large but would have been enough to have helped his sons a bit.
That's what I know about Israel. It sounds like he worked hard, farmed and fished, and was mostly occupied with supporting his family rather than public service. He deserves to have his place in our family tree noted.
The line of descent is:
Israel Lazell-Rachel Lincoln
Isaac Lazell-Deborah Marsh
Deborah Lazell-Levi Rockwood
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, November 29, 2019
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Holbrook line: John Rockwood 1641-1724
Our ancestor is notorious, not because he did anything wrong, but because he has confused and confounded genealogists and family historians. His death date is often given far too early, 1676, when it was his son John Rockwood who died during an attack by the Nipmucks during King Philip's War. He is sometimes assigned to the wrong parents. Nicholas Rockwood and Margaret Holbrook are not correct, as they didn't marry until our John was a teenager. Having said that, here's what we do know about John Rockwood, whose name is sometimes spelled Rocket or Rockett, just to make it more fun to research him.
He was born November 1, 1641 probably at Braintree, Massachusetts (even though the vital records don't seem to list his birth there). His parents were Richard Rockwood and Agnes Lovell, sometimes seen as Agnes Bicknell. Actually, Robert Charles Anderson doesn't accept that her maiden name was Lovell. She was married to Zachary Bicknell and married Richard Rockwood as a widow. John had an older step brother and at least two sisters who apparently grew up in the same household.
He married Joanna Ford, daughter of someone named Ford, apparently. There seems to be no firm resolution as to this; I've seen Nicholas, Thomas, and William Ford each listed on a different website as her father. However, I can say that they married July 15, 1662 in Braintree. John and Joanna had at least ten children together. Some were born in Braintree, some in Mendon, and some in Medfield. The family moved to Mendon by 1667, when John was awarded land in the meadows, probably indicating he already had a houselot, although it wasn't surveyed until 1669. That same year, he was appointed to a committee to agree on the boundaries between Mendon and Dedham.
John would likely have been content to stay his whole life in Mendon, but King Philip's War, particularly the burning of the towa n and the death of his twelve year old son, sent him and the family to Medfield for at least a few years. It would have been a fearsome time, and difficult to rebuilt after losing everything. I don't find him listed as a soldier in the war but he would have been only 34 or 35 years old so it's likely that he at least did garrison duty or was otherwise engaged with the militia.
His will tells us that he was a husbandman, or farmer. Joanna had died at some point because his will refers to his wife Rebecca, identified elsewhere as Rebecca Crafts. He wrote his will in Mendon but there isn't a death record there, so he may have moved, either to be with his wife's family or with one of his children. Unfortunately, I've not found an inventory for him, yet, which may indicate he had already disposed of his land and had few personal possessions.
John Rockwood was one of those quiet men, it seems, who took care of his family, saw sorrow and joy, and helped build New England. I'd like to learn more about him.
The line of descent is:
John Rockwood-Joanna Ford
Joanna Rockwood-Nicholas Cook
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
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
Second line starts with John Rockwood and Joanna Ford
Joseph Rockwood-Mary Hayward
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
and on as above. So Susannah and Nahum were fourth cousins. I wonder if they knew that?
He was born November 1, 1641 probably at Braintree, Massachusetts (even though the vital records don't seem to list his birth there). His parents were Richard Rockwood and Agnes Lovell, sometimes seen as Agnes Bicknell. Actually, Robert Charles Anderson doesn't accept that her maiden name was Lovell. She was married to Zachary Bicknell and married Richard Rockwood as a widow. John had an older step brother and at least two sisters who apparently grew up in the same household.
He married Joanna Ford, daughter of someone named Ford, apparently. There seems to be no firm resolution as to this; I've seen Nicholas, Thomas, and William Ford each listed on a different website as her father. However, I can say that they married July 15, 1662 in Braintree. John and Joanna had at least ten children together. Some were born in Braintree, some in Mendon, and some in Medfield. The family moved to Mendon by 1667, when John was awarded land in the meadows, probably indicating he already had a houselot, although it wasn't surveyed until 1669. That same year, he was appointed to a committee to agree on the boundaries between Mendon and Dedham.
John would likely have been content to stay his whole life in Mendon, but King Philip's War, particularly the burning of the towa n and the death of his twelve year old son, sent him and the family to Medfield for at least a few years. It would have been a fearsome time, and difficult to rebuilt after losing everything. I don't find him listed as a soldier in the war but he would have been only 34 or 35 years old so it's likely that he at least did garrison duty or was otherwise engaged with the militia.
His will tells us that he was a husbandman, or farmer. Joanna had died at some point because his will refers to his wife Rebecca, identified elsewhere as Rebecca Crafts. He wrote his will in Mendon but there isn't a death record there, so he may have moved, either to be with his wife's family or with one of his children. Unfortunately, I've not found an inventory for him, yet, which may indicate he had already disposed of his land and had few personal possessions.
John Rockwood was one of those quiet men, it seems, who took care of his family, saw sorrow and joy, and helped build New England. I'd like to learn more about him.
The line of descent is:
John Rockwood-Joanna Ford
Joanna Rockwood-Nicholas Cook
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
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
Second line starts with John Rockwood and Joanna Ford
Joseph Rockwood-Mary Hayward
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
and on as above. So Susannah and Nahum were fourth cousins. I wonder if they knew that?
Friday, November 22, 2019
Holbrook line: Thomas Stansbury 1714-1798
Thomas Stansbury is especially important to this family because of the woman he chose to marry. She is a descendant of a gateway ancestor, one of several who connect us in a long line back to royalty, history, and fun. (I love gateway ancestors, only because there are paper trails and it's relatively easy to learn about the connections. I love my plain Jane (or Joe) ancestors, too, but many of them I will never even have names for.)
Thomas is sometimes known as Thomas Stansbury Jr., because his parents were Thomas and Jane Dixon Hayes Stansbury. He was born in Saint Paul's Parish, Baltimore County, Maryland on April 24, 1714, which is now part of the Baltimore Historic District. At the time of the church's founding in 192, it was in a more rural setting, close to the Patapsco River. He was one of at least six children.
Thomas married Hannah Gorsuch, daughter of Charles and Sarah Cole Gorsuch and descendant of Anne Lovelace Gorsuch, the gateway ancestor, on March 2, 1734/35 in St. Paul's, Baltimore. The couple had at least twelve children together, ten of whom are mentioned in Thomas's will. He left nothing to daughter Jane, apparently because she was already wealthy, and one child had died early.
Although Thomas is listed as a patriot on the DAR website, he apparently had some difficulty in making an early decision about which side of the Revolutionary War to support. He was called before a "Committee" on May 19, 1776, because he had been reported as making comments favorable to the British. He was cleared of that suspicion and thanked for his zeal in supporting his country (which would become, but was not yet, the USA). The church the Stansbury family attended was Anglican and these families, as a whole, were more likely to support the British side than, say, our New England ancestors who descended from Puritans. By 1778, Thomas had definitely made up his mind when he took the oath of fidelity and support required by the state of Maryland of all voters and of all office holders.
Thomas was a plantation owner, and had a few slaves listed in his "personal property" inventory. It appears that at one time he had owned a great deal of land but I've not found a will to see whether he distributed the land in his will, or land records to see whether he had disposed of it earlier. Land that he may have owned at one time included "Dixon's Neck" of 450 acres, "Stansbury's Good Luck" of 90 acres, "Father's Care" of 100 acres, "Jerrico" of 700 acres, "Luke's Goodwill" of 111 acres, and 650 acres of "Franklin's Purchase". I haven't done the research to back this up and it's possible that some of these lands belonged to another Thomas Stansbury. Nor do I know whether he owned them all at once, or serially. It does indicate, however, that land perhaps needed to be replenished, perhaps because he was growing a crop like tobacco, which could generally be planted only three years in a row, and then the land needed to rest for ten years or so. It's also possible that he was a wealthy man.
Thomas died June 15, 1798 in Baltimore. I haven't yet found his will, but I did locate his inventory filed on August 6, 1798. Thomas was 84 years old when he died, but he still "owned" 6 Negroes, as they were called. He owned horses and swine, tools, a few crops (17 bushels of corn), and some, but not a lot, furniture and household goods. He also owned a gun, a rifle, and an old sword. Perhaps he was already downsizing and had given some of his property to children or grandchildren. Hannah lived until September of 1800 but I didn't locate her by name in the 1800 census. She was likely living with one of her children.
It's interesting to think about Thomas, about how his life was so very different from ours, and about how he came to change his political beliefs. I'd love to sit and chat with this couple, to absorb a little of their culture and to learn how he treated his slaves. I hope he was as close to being a good master as he could be, given that a master, by definition, would not fit the 21st century meaning of good.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Stansbury-Hannah Gorsuch
Rachel Stansbury-Alexis Lemmon
Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas is sometimes known as Thomas Stansbury Jr., because his parents were Thomas and Jane Dixon Hayes Stansbury. He was born in Saint Paul's Parish, Baltimore County, Maryland on April 24, 1714, which is now part of the Baltimore Historic District. At the time of the church's founding in 192, it was in a more rural setting, close to the Patapsco River. He was one of at least six children.
Thomas married Hannah Gorsuch, daughter of Charles and Sarah Cole Gorsuch and descendant of Anne Lovelace Gorsuch, the gateway ancestor, on March 2, 1734/35 in St. Paul's, Baltimore. The couple had at least twelve children together, ten of whom are mentioned in Thomas's will. He left nothing to daughter Jane, apparently because she was already wealthy, and one child had died early.
Although Thomas is listed as a patriot on the DAR website, he apparently had some difficulty in making an early decision about which side of the Revolutionary War to support. He was called before a "Committee" on May 19, 1776, because he had been reported as making comments favorable to the British. He was cleared of that suspicion and thanked for his zeal in supporting his country (which would become, but was not yet, the USA). The church the Stansbury family attended was Anglican and these families, as a whole, were more likely to support the British side than, say, our New England ancestors who descended from Puritans. By 1778, Thomas had definitely made up his mind when he took the oath of fidelity and support required by the state of Maryland of all voters and of all office holders.
Thomas was a plantation owner, and had a few slaves listed in his "personal property" inventory. It appears that at one time he had owned a great deal of land but I've not found a will to see whether he distributed the land in his will, or land records to see whether he had disposed of it earlier. Land that he may have owned at one time included "Dixon's Neck" of 450 acres, "Stansbury's Good Luck" of 90 acres, "Father's Care" of 100 acres, "Jerrico" of 700 acres, "Luke's Goodwill" of 111 acres, and 650 acres of "Franklin's Purchase". I haven't done the research to back this up and it's possible that some of these lands belonged to another Thomas Stansbury. Nor do I know whether he owned them all at once, or serially. It does indicate, however, that land perhaps needed to be replenished, perhaps because he was growing a crop like tobacco, which could generally be planted only three years in a row, and then the land needed to rest for ten years or so. It's also possible that he was a wealthy man.
Thomas died June 15, 1798 in Baltimore. I haven't yet found his will, but I did locate his inventory filed on August 6, 1798. Thomas was 84 years old when he died, but he still "owned" 6 Negroes, as they were called. He owned horses and swine, tools, a few crops (17 bushels of corn), and some, but not a lot, furniture and household goods. He also owned a gun, a rifle, and an old sword. Perhaps he was already downsizing and had given some of his property to children or grandchildren. Hannah lived until September of 1800 but I didn't locate her by name in the 1800 census. She was likely living with one of her children.
It's interesting to think about Thomas, about how his life was so very different from ours, and about how he came to change his political beliefs. I'd love to sit and chat with this couple, to absorb a little of their culture and to learn how he treated his slaves. I hope he was as close to being a good master as he could be, given that a master, by definition, would not fit the 21st century meaning of good.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Stansbury-Hannah Gorsuch
Rachel Stansbury-Alexis Lemmon
Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick
Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Holbrook line: The remarkable Elizabeth Stannard 1884-1959
My mother thought she was a very interesting person. My research shows this to be true. I actually had the privilege of her acquaintance, although I was very young and she was very old (to me) when she passed away. I remember the phone call, and I remember thinking I should cry, but mostly I remember thinking that now she wouldn't be able to tell us more of her stories. Unfortunately, I don't remember her stories, but here is a little of her story.
Elizabeth was born to Louis Elwin and Mary Alice Hetrick Stanard on August 18, 1884, somewhere in Kansas-likely Harvey County but I've not found a record that gives a precise location. She was the oldest of the three children, and was early a bit of a rebel as she spelled her name with two "n's" and her parents and grandparents, and probably two generations beyond that, had used one "n". The story is that her ancestor changed the spelling of his name after a sign painter was able to only include 7 letters in a storefront sign he painted for one of the family back in New York. Some of the descendants kept the shortened spelling and some did not, and Elizabeth and her sister, Etta, reverted to the longer version.
We know Louis and Mary Alice were in Ottawa, Kansas in 1900 and in 1905. Shortly after that, about 1908, the family (Etta trailing by a few years) packed up and moved to Stevens County, Washington. Louis and Mary Alice had a home there, and Elizabeth also homesteaded, receiving her patent in 1915. She taught school to pay to have her land cleared, but she apparently built the "improvements" herself, including putting a roof on her barn. She taught school in Stevens County for several years and in 1916, before women could vote in national elections, was elected superintendent of schools for Stevens County. Although these were not large schools, there were many, and visiting schools, hiring teachers, overseeing curriculum, and other duties kept her so busy that she hired her father to be her assistant superintendent. During this time, she was also assisting her father in setting up Sunday school classes (Baptist) all over the area.
She must have been a good hearted, family loving woman because there are several comments in the local newspaper that she was tending to this or that family suffering from the flu, presumably, due to the dates, that flu known as the "Spanish influenza" that hit the area hard. Her sister-in-law, wife of Elwin Stanard, died of influenza in 1920., but I don't know that she was directly involved in her care.
By 1920 Elizabeth was living in Spokane, Washington as a boarder, and teaching Latin at Lewis and Clark High school there. Her father died in 1923 and soon Elizabeth bought a home and her mother came to live with her. She helped raise her brother's three sons and possibly two daughters, especially when they were attending high school. Interestingly, in 1930 she is the home owner and in 1940 the census shows her as the sister of the homeowner. It's the same address, and she always owned the house so the census taker didn't get the straight goods on this. She also helped raise the two sons of her sister, and it seems they all stayed with her when school was in session.
While she was helping raise her nephews and nieces, and watching after her sister who sometimes needed guidance, she continued her education. An article about her retirement in 1949 states (and I haven't proven this) that her graduate work included studies at Columbia, Reed, University of Washington, Gonzaga, the University of Chicago, Washington State College and Eastern Washington College of Education. She taught for 44 years, but she never stopped learning, and she did all this while caring for her extended family, and for her mother as she aged.
When she retired, she didn't sit around doing nothing, not our Bessie. She was always active at Liberty Park Baptist Church, and in various civic organizations. And she became a world traveler. The family story is that some of the Stannard boys helped her go to Europe at least twice. On the first trip, she sailed on the Queen Elizabeth and the trip included Egypt. The second trip seems to have been more in the northern part of Europe, including Switzerland and Germany. She brought back gifts for her nieces and nephews from Jerusalem, Denmark, England, Switzerland, and probably other places. (I still treasure a small volume of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales that she gave to me,)
Elizabeth Stannard died suddenly on July 8, 1959 in Spokane. I hope I've told you enough about her that you, too, will smile when you think of her. She was stern, funny, loving, giving, a strict disciplinarian and yes, remarkable. I wish I'd heard more of her stories!
Elizabeth was born to Louis Elwin and Mary Alice Hetrick Stanard on August 18, 1884, somewhere in Kansas-likely Harvey County but I've not found a record that gives a precise location. She was the oldest of the three children, and was early a bit of a rebel as she spelled her name with two "n's" and her parents and grandparents, and probably two generations beyond that, had used one "n". The story is that her ancestor changed the spelling of his name after a sign painter was able to only include 7 letters in a storefront sign he painted for one of the family back in New York. Some of the descendants kept the shortened spelling and some did not, and Elizabeth and her sister, Etta, reverted to the longer version.
We know Louis and Mary Alice were in Ottawa, Kansas in 1900 and in 1905. Shortly after that, about 1908, the family (Etta trailing by a few years) packed up and moved to Stevens County, Washington. Louis and Mary Alice had a home there, and Elizabeth also homesteaded, receiving her patent in 1915. She taught school to pay to have her land cleared, but she apparently built the "improvements" herself, including putting a roof on her barn. She taught school in Stevens County for several years and in 1916, before women could vote in national elections, was elected superintendent of schools for Stevens County. Although these were not large schools, there were many, and visiting schools, hiring teachers, overseeing curriculum, and other duties kept her so busy that she hired her father to be her assistant superintendent. During this time, she was also assisting her father in setting up Sunday school classes (Baptist) all over the area.
She must have been a good hearted, family loving woman because there are several comments in the local newspaper that she was tending to this or that family suffering from the flu, presumably, due to the dates, that flu known as the "Spanish influenza" that hit the area hard. Her sister-in-law, wife of Elwin Stanard, died of influenza in 1920., but I don't know that she was directly involved in her care.
By 1920 Elizabeth was living in Spokane, Washington as a boarder, and teaching Latin at Lewis and Clark High school there. Her father died in 1923 and soon Elizabeth bought a home and her mother came to live with her. She helped raise her brother's three sons and possibly two daughters, especially when they were attending high school. Interestingly, in 1930 she is the home owner and in 1940 the census shows her as the sister of the homeowner. It's the same address, and she always owned the house so the census taker didn't get the straight goods on this. She also helped raise the two sons of her sister, and it seems they all stayed with her when school was in session.
While she was helping raise her nephews and nieces, and watching after her sister who sometimes needed guidance, she continued her education. An article about her retirement in 1949 states (and I haven't proven this) that her graduate work included studies at Columbia, Reed, University of Washington, Gonzaga, the University of Chicago, Washington State College and Eastern Washington College of Education. She taught for 44 years, but she never stopped learning, and she did all this while caring for her extended family, and for her mother as she aged.
When she retired, she didn't sit around doing nothing, not our Bessie. She was always active at Liberty Park Baptist Church, and in various civic organizations. And she became a world traveler. The family story is that some of the Stannard boys helped her go to Europe at least twice. On the first trip, she sailed on the Queen Elizabeth and the trip included Egypt. The second trip seems to have been more in the northern part of Europe, including Switzerland and Germany. She brought back gifts for her nieces and nephews from Jerusalem, Denmark, England, Switzerland, and probably other places. (I still treasure a small volume of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales that she gave to me,)
Elizabeth Stannard died suddenly on July 8, 1959 in Spokane. I hope I've told you enough about her that you, too, will smile when you think of her. She was stern, funny, loving, giving, a strict disciplinarian and yes, remarkable. I wish I'd heard more of her stories!
Friday, November 15, 2019
Allen line: The second Daniel Scofield 1648-1714
Sometimes it's difficult to find anything new about the second generation of colonists. Sometimes it's hard to find anything at all about them. With Daniel Scofield, son of one Daniel Scofield and father of another, we are somewhat more fortunate. I've been able to pull some bits and pieces together that will help us get an idea of his life. I say, "idea" because there is still much I don't know.
Daniel was the second son of Daniel and first wife Sarah Scofield. The elder Daniel was one of the early founders of the townof Stamford, Connecticut, and was first named as a resident in 1641 (settlement had begun in 1640.) Our subject, Daniel II, was born about 1647 or 1648, but I've not found documentation for an actual date. He was one of at least five children, and he outlived his siblings.
One mystery about Daniel at this point is his occupation. He was financially stable, perhaps even well off, judging by tax records of 1700, but it's not clear how he made his living. He married Abigail Merwin, daughter of Miles and Elizabeth Powell Merwin, in Stamford in about 1671, when he was about 24 years old. He and Abigail had at least eight children together.
Daniel's house lot was number three in the town according to a map from 1685. I don't know whether he inherited this lot or whether he purchased it from someone, but it was certainly an early number and may indicate either that the lots were assigned by drawing, or that the original owner had his choice of lots.
Daniel wasn't in the top tier of town government. Most of his duties had to do with the church, such as helping to settle disputes, tything man, and he also was made a townsman in 1700. (I'm not sure whether this was a "freeman" or whether this was what Massachusetts referred to as a selectman, a member of the council. That same year he was appointed a sheepmaster, to take care of the flock.
In the town tax records of 1700, his estate was valued at 115 pounds, 5 shillings. There were men in town with higher valuations, but not many. So he made money somehow, and was more than the term sheepmaster might indicate to us.
Daniel lived his life, and died October 10, 1714. I don't know whether he ever left the village he was born in, although Long Island Sound borders the town, and it wouldn't have been far to travel to New York, or to Hartford, for that matter.
His inventory is not detailed but it indicates that he had several parcels of land and homes, valued at about 300 pounds, and 149 pounds in personal property. An additional amount had been set aside for Abigail. There were debts to be paid. It's interesting that it appears that more was spent for rum and sugar, apparently for the funeral or visitation, than for the coffin. The boards for the coffin were two shillings, the coffin making (marking? not sure I read this correctly) was three shillings and four pence, and the rum and sugar was 10 shillings and 10 pence.
I've not found record of Abigail's death but several sites list it as 1714 also. She is mentioned extensively in the settlement papers so she was still alive as of November 29, 1714. I guess her death date is one of the questions still unanswered, as well as how Daniel made his living. This, however, is more information than we have for many ancestors, and it is enough to recognize that Daniel was a hard working, pious man.
The line of descent is:
Daniel Scofield-Abigail Merwin
Daniel Scofield-Hannah Hoyt
Hannah Scofield-Nathaniel Finch
Jesse Finch-Hannah
Hannah Finch-John Bell
Hannah Bell-Thomas Knott
John Wilson Knott-Harriet Starr
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Daniel was the second son of Daniel and first wife Sarah Scofield. The elder Daniel was one of the early founders of the townof Stamford, Connecticut, and was first named as a resident in 1641 (settlement had begun in 1640.) Our subject, Daniel II, was born about 1647 or 1648, but I've not found documentation for an actual date. He was one of at least five children, and he outlived his siblings.
One mystery about Daniel at this point is his occupation. He was financially stable, perhaps even well off, judging by tax records of 1700, but it's not clear how he made his living. He married Abigail Merwin, daughter of Miles and Elizabeth Powell Merwin, in Stamford in about 1671, when he was about 24 years old. He and Abigail had at least eight children together.
Daniel's house lot was number three in the town according to a map from 1685. I don't know whether he inherited this lot or whether he purchased it from someone, but it was certainly an early number and may indicate either that the lots were assigned by drawing, or that the original owner had his choice of lots.
Daniel wasn't in the top tier of town government. Most of his duties had to do with the church, such as helping to settle disputes, tything man, and he also was made a townsman in 1700. (I'm not sure whether this was a "freeman" or whether this was what Massachusetts referred to as a selectman, a member of the council. That same year he was appointed a sheepmaster, to take care of the flock.
In the town tax records of 1700, his estate was valued at 115 pounds, 5 shillings. There were men in town with higher valuations, but not many. So he made money somehow, and was more than the term sheepmaster might indicate to us.
Daniel lived his life, and died October 10, 1714. I don't know whether he ever left the village he was born in, although Long Island Sound borders the town, and it wouldn't have been far to travel to New York, or to Hartford, for that matter.
His inventory is not detailed but it indicates that he had several parcels of land and homes, valued at about 300 pounds, and 149 pounds in personal property. An additional amount had been set aside for Abigail. There were debts to be paid. It's interesting that it appears that more was spent for rum and sugar, apparently for the funeral or visitation, than for the coffin. The boards for the coffin were two shillings, the coffin making (marking? not sure I read this correctly) was three shillings and four pence, and the rum and sugar was 10 shillings and 10 pence.
I've not found record of Abigail's death but several sites list it as 1714 also. She is mentioned extensively in the settlement papers so she was still alive as of November 29, 1714. I guess her death date is one of the questions still unanswered, as well as how Daniel made his living. This, however, is more information than we have for many ancestors, and it is enough to recognize that Daniel was a hard working, pious man.
The line of descent is:
Daniel Scofield-Abigail Merwin
Daniel Scofield-Hannah Hoyt
Hannah Scofield-Nathaniel Finch
Jesse Finch-Hannah
Hannah Finch-John Bell
Hannah Bell-Thomas Knott
John Wilson Knott-Harriet Starr
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Holbrook line: Samuel Hayward 1641-1713
Samuel Hayward left us some traces in the records, and for that, in this month of November, I am profoundly grateful. He is one of those ancestors who seem to be little researched, perhaps because there were several Samuel Haywards in Massachusetts Bay Colony of about the same time period and year. Fortunately, if we limit our search to Braintree and then Mendon, Massachusetts, his story becomes if not clear, at least less murky.
Our Samuel was born in about 1641 to William and Margery Knight Hayward. I haven't found record of his birth but it was in the Boston or Braintree area, because that is where his parents settled early. (His parents were those I've written of before, who apparently went to Barbados for a short time before arriving in Massachusetts.)
Samuel was one of at least 8 children, so he had quite a full family life. As an adult, he was a "housewright", so he was likely apprenticed to or at least worked with a housewright as soon as he had finished whatever schooling he acquired. A housewright built wooden (as opposed to stone or brick) houses, but the job involved more than a carpenter's work. He cut the wood, sawed it into planks, and then built the house with the wood he had chosen and prepared. There was no middleman, and no one else to blame if something was not done correctly. I have much respect for housewrights after learning this!
Samuel married Mehitable Thompson, daughter of John and Sarah Trevore Thompson, on November 28, 1666 in Medfield, Massachusetts. They had at least twelve children together. Samuel is listed as a founding father of Mendon, which was officially formed from Braintree in 1667. He held several town positions. In 1668 he was a surveyor of highways, in 1692 and 1696 a selectman, and in 1696 also a tything man.
One of the most remembered events of his life was probably King Philip's War. Mendon was one of the towns that was attacked early in the war, with loss of life, and later the town was burned to the ground by the native Americans. Mendon had several villages of "praying Indians", converted by our grand uncle John Eliot, and it was not these groups who rebelled. They did, however, suffer consequences. Samuel and his family left Mendon, perhaps soon after the first attack, but Samuel was back in 1677 to rebuild his home, and doubtless those of others who returned also.
There were at least two Samuel Haywards who are listed as soldiers in King Philip's War, but I didn't find those reports also listing other Mendon men, so I think the ones who are listed in the records are not our Samuel. He may have gone to stay with friends or relatives in Braintree, expectantly waiting for the end of the war.
By 1680 Samuel's family was probably back in Mendon, and life was slowly returning to normal. Samuel was hired by the town to raise (build} the meeting house, which was to be 26 feet by 24 feet in size. He was to be paid 3 shillings a day, with part of that to be in kind, a cow and a calf. There was some unspecified dispute involved during or following construction, but it was resolved and the town and Samuel each went about their business.
Samuel's wife Mehitabel died in 1700 and the next year he married Elizabeth Sabin. Samuel died on July 29, 1713, without leaving a will. If there is an inventory, I haven't located it, either. However, I did locate papers, filed in Suffolk County, showing that the surviving children (or in the case of the several daughters who were married, their husbands) agreed to a settlement of the estate. Interestingly, there were few who could sign their name to this document; most used a mark. (Joseph Rockwood, our ancestor, did sign his name and it is quite legible.) A probate judge signed off on the "deal" and presumably everyone lived happily ever after. We do know that Samuel had a house and quite a bit of land. Housewright may not sound like a glamorous job, but in a time when everyone needed to have a house built, it paid the bills and then some.
I like Samuel. He took care of his family, he was a public servant, an honest and hard working man, and he served his church also. And I especially like that I was able to find a little bit of information about him!
The line of descent is:
Samuel Hayward-Mehitabel Thompson
Mary Hayward-Joseph Rockwood
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Our Samuel was born in about 1641 to William and Margery Knight Hayward. I haven't found record of his birth but it was in the Boston or Braintree area, because that is where his parents settled early. (His parents were those I've written of before, who apparently went to Barbados for a short time before arriving in Massachusetts.)
Samuel was one of at least 8 children, so he had quite a full family life. As an adult, he was a "housewright", so he was likely apprenticed to or at least worked with a housewright as soon as he had finished whatever schooling he acquired. A housewright built wooden (as opposed to stone or brick) houses, but the job involved more than a carpenter's work. He cut the wood, sawed it into planks, and then built the house with the wood he had chosen and prepared. There was no middleman, and no one else to blame if something was not done correctly. I have much respect for housewrights after learning this!
Samuel married Mehitable Thompson, daughter of John and Sarah Trevore Thompson, on November 28, 1666 in Medfield, Massachusetts. They had at least twelve children together. Samuel is listed as a founding father of Mendon, which was officially formed from Braintree in 1667. He held several town positions. In 1668 he was a surveyor of highways, in 1692 and 1696 a selectman, and in 1696 also a tything man.
One of the most remembered events of his life was probably King Philip's War. Mendon was one of the towns that was attacked early in the war, with loss of life, and later the town was burned to the ground by the native Americans. Mendon had several villages of "praying Indians", converted by our grand uncle John Eliot, and it was not these groups who rebelled. They did, however, suffer consequences. Samuel and his family left Mendon, perhaps soon after the first attack, but Samuel was back in 1677 to rebuild his home, and doubtless those of others who returned also.
There were at least two Samuel Haywards who are listed as soldiers in King Philip's War, but I didn't find those reports also listing other Mendon men, so I think the ones who are listed in the records are not our Samuel. He may have gone to stay with friends or relatives in Braintree, expectantly waiting for the end of the war.
By 1680 Samuel's family was probably back in Mendon, and life was slowly returning to normal. Samuel was hired by the town to raise (build} the meeting house, which was to be 26 feet by 24 feet in size. He was to be paid 3 shillings a day, with part of that to be in kind, a cow and a calf. There was some unspecified dispute involved during or following construction, but it was resolved and the town and Samuel each went about their business.
Samuel's wife Mehitabel died in 1700 and the next year he married Elizabeth Sabin. Samuel died on July 29, 1713, without leaving a will. If there is an inventory, I haven't located it, either. However, I did locate papers, filed in Suffolk County, showing that the surviving children (or in the case of the several daughters who were married, their husbands) agreed to a settlement of the estate. Interestingly, there were few who could sign their name to this document; most used a mark. (Joseph Rockwood, our ancestor, did sign his name and it is quite legible.) A probate judge signed off on the "deal" and presumably everyone lived happily ever after. We do know that Samuel had a house and quite a bit of land. Housewright may not sound like a glamorous job, but in a time when everyone needed to have a house built, it paid the bills and then some.
I like Samuel. He took care of his family, he was a public servant, an honest and hard working man, and he served his church also. And I especially like that I was able to find a little bit of information about him!
The line of descent is:
Samuel Hayward-Mehitabel Thompson
Mary Hayward-Joseph Rockwood
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, November 8, 2019
Holbrook line: Benjamin Amos 1748-1814
I wrote a blog post recent about Robert Amos, brother to Benjamin. It was an interesting (to me) blog post because I was able to uncover some information about Robert that was new to me. With Benjamin, I have some new to me information but I am not sure what it all means.
Let's start at the beginning. Like Robert, Benjamin was the son of James and Hannah Clarke Amos. James and Hannah had at least nine children. Robert was at least seven years older than Benjamin, so I don't know how close they were as children. When Benjamin grew up, he married Sarah Bussey, daughter of Edward Bussey and Mary, who was the widow of Edward Pendergrass. (I have not yet solved the mystery of Mary's maiden name, and would surely love some help on that challenge.)
Benjamin and Sarah were married in about 1772, and had at least four children-Elizabeth, Mary, Ann, and James, all named in Benjamin's will. Now here's a mystery: Did Benjamin ever leave the land he lived on? The reason I ask is that I can't find another Amos in this immediate family who would have been alive to be the Benjamin Amos who was listed as a merchant in Baltimore, in 1800. The location is given as 48 Calvert Street. If this is the same Calvert Street as the one so named now, then he would have been just a few blocks from the harbor, an excellent location for a merchant. Also, if we assume this is our Benjamin, it gives us a reason that his granddaughter Martha might have been in Baltimore when she married Peter Black in 1812.
But then there is the census information. It shows Benjamin Amos in Harford County, Maryland (where he was born and died) in 1790, with 6 white males (presumably including himself), one of which is under 16, and 6 females. No slaves are reported, but since I can't identify all of these people it's possible that slaves were included in these numbers. The 1800 census, when he possibly was in Baltimore, shows him in Harford County District 4, with a male and a female over 45, one male aged 10-15, one female 16-25, and ten slaves. The 1810 census shows him at Havre de Grace, Harford, Maryland, with one female 16-25, a male over age 45, and 10 slaves. Two questions arise: Slaves, and where was Sarah?
The only thing I can say about the slavery issue is that grandfather William was a Quaker, and abhorred slavery. There was a split in the family between those who were willing to "own" slaves and those who were not. I don't know how serious the split was but I do know a family that had been harmonious in their beliefs was under considerable strain as the slavery issue played out.
I don't know where Sarah was in 1810. Possibly she was with a child, nursing someone through an illness or pregnancy. In 1820, after Benjamin had died, she was in Election District 4, Harford County, with one slave to care for her. No slaves are mentioned in Benjamin's will but he did divide his personal property up between his four children, after his wife had her thirds. So did he still have slaves? I don't know.
Also confusing are the dates. Benjamin's will is dated January 2, 1815 and his death date is generally given as January 15, 1815. However, there are wills dated 1814 just before his will and also the second will after his. And..there are inventories of a sort, handled by James Amos, the executor of Benjamin's will, that are dated November 14, 1814 and then January 19, 1818. These refer to debts and to cash on hand. Did James serve as executor for another Benjamin Amos? Did whoever copied these wills read the dates wrong? What is the explanation for this?
So we are left with mysteries: What happened to the slaves, and when and how did he initially acquire them? Did Benjamin have a business in Baltimore at one time? Did he perhaps lose them when a business failed, or sell them to keep a business afloat? When did he die, really-1814 or 1815? Clearly there is more to be learned about this ancestor of ours, but what we do know is intriguing.
The line of descent is:
Benjamin Amos-Sarah Bussey
Elizabeth Amos-Robert Amos
Martha Amos-Peter Black
Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Let's start at the beginning. Like Robert, Benjamin was the son of James and Hannah Clarke Amos. James and Hannah had at least nine children. Robert was at least seven years older than Benjamin, so I don't know how close they were as children. When Benjamin grew up, he married Sarah Bussey, daughter of Edward Bussey and Mary, who was the widow of Edward Pendergrass. (I have not yet solved the mystery of Mary's maiden name, and would surely love some help on that challenge.)
Benjamin and Sarah were married in about 1772, and had at least four children-Elizabeth, Mary, Ann, and James, all named in Benjamin's will. Now here's a mystery: Did Benjamin ever leave the land he lived on? The reason I ask is that I can't find another Amos in this immediate family who would have been alive to be the Benjamin Amos who was listed as a merchant in Baltimore, in 1800. The location is given as 48 Calvert Street. If this is the same Calvert Street as the one so named now, then he would have been just a few blocks from the harbor, an excellent location for a merchant. Also, if we assume this is our Benjamin, it gives us a reason that his granddaughter Martha might have been in Baltimore when she married Peter Black in 1812.
But then there is the census information. It shows Benjamin Amos in Harford County, Maryland (where he was born and died) in 1790, with 6 white males (presumably including himself), one of which is under 16, and 6 females. No slaves are reported, but since I can't identify all of these people it's possible that slaves were included in these numbers. The 1800 census, when he possibly was in Baltimore, shows him in Harford County District 4, with a male and a female over 45, one male aged 10-15, one female 16-25, and ten slaves. The 1810 census shows him at Havre de Grace, Harford, Maryland, with one female 16-25, a male over age 45, and 10 slaves. Two questions arise: Slaves, and where was Sarah?
The only thing I can say about the slavery issue is that grandfather William was a Quaker, and abhorred slavery. There was a split in the family between those who were willing to "own" slaves and those who were not. I don't know how serious the split was but I do know a family that had been harmonious in their beliefs was under considerable strain as the slavery issue played out.
I don't know where Sarah was in 1810. Possibly she was with a child, nursing someone through an illness or pregnancy. In 1820, after Benjamin had died, she was in Election District 4, Harford County, with one slave to care for her. No slaves are mentioned in Benjamin's will but he did divide his personal property up between his four children, after his wife had her thirds. So did he still have slaves? I don't know.
Also confusing are the dates. Benjamin's will is dated January 2, 1815 and his death date is generally given as January 15, 1815. However, there are wills dated 1814 just before his will and also the second will after his. And..there are inventories of a sort, handled by James Amos, the executor of Benjamin's will, that are dated November 14, 1814 and then January 19, 1818. These refer to debts and to cash on hand. Did James serve as executor for another Benjamin Amos? Did whoever copied these wills read the dates wrong? What is the explanation for this?
So we are left with mysteries: What happened to the slaves, and when and how did he initially acquire them? Did Benjamin have a business in Baltimore at one time? Did he perhaps lose them when a business failed, or sell them to keep a business afloat? When did he die, really-1814 or 1815? Clearly there is more to be learned about this ancestor of ours, but what we do know is intriguing.
The line of descent is:
Benjamin Amos-Sarah Bussey
Elizabeth Amos-Robert Amos
Martha Amos-Peter Black
Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Allen line: Samuel Davis 1637-1692
This is a poor excuse for a post. I admit it, and I write it because of a hope that someone who reads this will have at least one more little tidbit to add to what little I think I know about Samuel. I also write it because no one in our family should be ignored.
Samuel is traditionally given as the son of Foulk or Fulke Davis and Mary Haynes Dayton, although that may not be correct. Fulke was the sort of character who had a girl in every port (on Long Island) and I've not found a marriage record for this couple, but Samuel was born possibly about 1637 in Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York.
He married Mary, possibly Mary Mather, about 1671, at Southampton, Suffolk Co, New York (Long Island). He died in 1692 at Jamaica, Queens County, NY.
That is what I know about Samuel. I can make a few other guesses. My guess is as good as yours, unless you've found more information than I have. Since his father was something of a ne'er do well, we can guess that Samuel had a hard life. He may have been employed at sea, or he may have worked menial jobs such as his father had. Perhaps he was lucky and was put out to learn a trade of some sort.
There is a deed from a Samuel Davis to his son Samuel Davis, dated January 14, 1729. It mentions that the older Samuel Davis was a blacksmith. If this is the son of our Samuel, then at least he was able to give his oldest son a trade, also. And if this Samuel is the son of our Samuel, then there were also sons Obadiah, Joseph, and Daniel; those names are mentioned in the deed and the first two were specified to be brothers. But that's a big, unproven if.
Samuel is believed to also have had at least one daughter, Hester, and that is where we connect.
I have no will, no inventory, no hint of anything further at this point. His death is generally given as 1692, which is the same year his father died. I don't know whether there is any record of Samuel's death, or whether this is an "after 1692" date. It would probably take a trip to the appropriate towns and courthouses to even have a chance of learning anything new, but new records are coming on line all the time and perhaps next week something new will show up. Then maybe we'll be able to write more of his story, and find out whether he was able to improve his situation in life or not.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Davis-Mary possibly Mather
Hester Davis- John Finch
John Finch-Sarah
Nathaniel Finch-Hannah Scofield
Jesse Finch-Hannah
Hannah Finch-John Bell
Harriet Bell-Thomas Knott
John Wilson Knott-Harriet Starr
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Samuel is traditionally given as the son of Foulk or Fulke Davis and Mary Haynes Dayton, although that may not be correct. Fulke was the sort of character who had a girl in every port (on Long Island) and I've not found a marriage record for this couple, but Samuel was born possibly about 1637 in Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York.
He married Mary, possibly Mary Mather, about 1671, at Southampton, Suffolk Co, New York (Long Island). He died in 1692 at Jamaica, Queens County, NY.
That is what I know about Samuel. I can make a few other guesses. My guess is as good as yours, unless you've found more information than I have. Since his father was something of a ne'er do well, we can guess that Samuel had a hard life. He may have been employed at sea, or he may have worked menial jobs such as his father had. Perhaps he was lucky and was put out to learn a trade of some sort.
There is a deed from a Samuel Davis to his son Samuel Davis, dated January 14, 1729. It mentions that the older Samuel Davis was a blacksmith. If this is the son of our Samuel, then at least he was able to give his oldest son a trade, also. And if this Samuel is the son of our Samuel, then there were also sons Obadiah, Joseph, and Daniel; those names are mentioned in the deed and the first two were specified to be brothers. But that's a big, unproven if.
Samuel is believed to also have had at least one daughter, Hester, and that is where we connect.
I have no will, no inventory, no hint of anything further at this point. His death is generally given as 1692, which is the same year his father died. I don't know whether there is any record of Samuel's death, or whether this is an "after 1692" date. It would probably take a trip to the appropriate towns and courthouses to even have a chance of learning anything new, but new records are coming on line all the time and perhaps next week something new will show up. Then maybe we'll be able to write more of his story, and find out whether he was able to improve his situation in life or not.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Davis-Mary possibly Mather
Hester Davis- John Finch
John Finch-Sarah
Nathaniel Finch-Hannah Scofield
Jesse Finch-Hannah
Hannah Finch-John Bell
Harriet Bell-Thomas Knott
John Wilson Knott-Harriet Starr
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Friday, November 1, 2019
Holbrook line: Simon Thompson, Immigrant 1619-1658
Simon Thompson was about 11 years old when he came to Massachusetts with his father, James Thompson or Thomson, and his step-mother, Elizabeth. He was born to James and his mother, Ann, and was christened July 3, 1619 at Friesden, Lincolnshire, England. He was one of four children born to this couple before Ann died about December 13, 1625. Simon's father, James, married Elizabeth in 1625 and soon moved to the neighboring parish of Fishtoft. This couple had two children born in England. When James and Elizabeth came to Massachusetts they had four children with them, Simon, James, Jonathan and Olive.
James settled in Charlestown so that is where Simon spent his early teen age years, probably learning a trade as well as how to adjust to this whole new world he could explore. James soon moved on to Woburn, as did Simon, and that is where Simon met and married his wife, Mary Converse, the daughter of Edward and Sarah Parker Converse, They were married December 19, 1643 in Woburn, and had at least six children together.
After that, we don't know much about Simon. He is not listed in the list of freemen in Massachusetts, although his father, James was so listed. He was made a freeman of Woburn in 1648, according to information found on Wikitree, so I'm not sure why he didn't show up in the state record.
We know he had some land because it is mentioned briefly in a record of deeds for early Woburn. This particular reference, the only one I found, refers to land in a meadow, so from that, we can infer that he also had a house lot. Family tradition says that he was an early town clerk, but I cannot verify that-yet. We can be pretty sure, with the designation of meadow-land, that Simon farmed, but we don't know if that was his only occupation.
We can also be sure that he attended what became the First Congregational Church of Woburn, whether or not he was a member. During the early days of each "plantation" or settlement that I've read about, an appointed drummer walked through the village, beating the drum at each household, so the persons residing could fall in line and march to the meeting house for service. Every resident was expected to be at service whether or not they belonged to the church.
The Wikitree that I referenced earlier states that Simon had helped to organize the town of Chelmsford, but it's not clear that he ever moved there.
Simon died while still quite young. He was not yet 40 years old when he died in May of 1658. He likely died of an illness because he reportedly wrote his will a few weeks before he died. I have been unable to find a cause of death, nor have I found the will or inventory. He left the widow's third to Mary, a double portion to his surviving son James, and the rest was left to his four daughters. All of the children were minors, which is probably one reason that Mary remarried quickly. She married John Sheldon of Billerica in 1659, the year after Simon's death.
This certainly is not a satisfying blog post. There surely is more information about Simon than I've located. However, it at least helps us remember Simon and a little of the kind of life he lived. He's another of the quiet people who helped build America, and for that alone we should be thankful.
One of his famous descendants was Calvin Coolidge, "Silent Cal". Perhaps he took lessons from this ancestor!
The line of descent is
Simon Thompson-Mary Converse
Jonathan Thompson-Thankful Woodland
Martha Thompson-Ebenezer Thayer
Ebenezer Thayer-Mary Wheelock
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-May Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
James settled in Charlestown so that is where Simon spent his early teen age years, probably learning a trade as well as how to adjust to this whole new world he could explore. James soon moved on to Woburn, as did Simon, and that is where Simon met and married his wife, Mary Converse, the daughter of Edward and Sarah Parker Converse, They were married December 19, 1643 in Woburn, and had at least six children together.
After that, we don't know much about Simon. He is not listed in the list of freemen in Massachusetts, although his father, James was so listed. He was made a freeman of Woburn in 1648, according to information found on Wikitree, so I'm not sure why he didn't show up in the state record.
We know he had some land because it is mentioned briefly in a record of deeds for early Woburn. This particular reference, the only one I found, refers to land in a meadow, so from that, we can infer that he also had a house lot. Family tradition says that he was an early town clerk, but I cannot verify that-yet. We can be pretty sure, with the designation of meadow-land, that Simon farmed, but we don't know if that was his only occupation.
We can also be sure that he attended what became the First Congregational Church of Woburn, whether or not he was a member. During the early days of each "plantation" or settlement that I've read about, an appointed drummer walked through the village, beating the drum at each household, so the persons residing could fall in line and march to the meeting house for service. Every resident was expected to be at service whether or not they belonged to the church.
The Wikitree that I referenced earlier states that Simon had helped to organize the town of Chelmsford, but it's not clear that he ever moved there.
Simon died while still quite young. He was not yet 40 years old when he died in May of 1658. He likely died of an illness because he reportedly wrote his will a few weeks before he died. I have been unable to find a cause of death, nor have I found the will or inventory. He left the widow's third to Mary, a double portion to his surviving son James, and the rest was left to his four daughters. All of the children were minors, which is probably one reason that Mary remarried quickly. She married John Sheldon of Billerica in 1659, the year after Simon's death.
This certainly is not a satisfying blog post. There surely is more information about Simon than I've located. However, it at least helps us remember Simon and a little of the kind of life he lived. He's another of the quiet people who helped build America, and for that alone we should be thankful.
One of his famous descendants was Calvin Coolidge, "Silent Cal". Perhaps he took lessons from this ancestor!
The line of descent is
Simon Thompson-Mary Converse
Jonathan Thompson-Thankful Woodland
Martha Thompson-Ebenezer Thayer
Ebenezer Thayer-Mary Wheelock
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-May Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
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