Holbrook line: Abraham Hetrick 1776-1861

 Abraham Hetrick was my third great grandfather, and I feel closer to him than to some others because I've stood at his gravesite.  I've seen the land that he owned, and that he farmed and walked.  I've imagined him with Sarah and with his children, and how hard they must have worked to build a life together in Morrow County, Ohio.  He was of German descent, so there would have been cultural differences, if I had known him then, but still...Abraham seems to be part of me.  I don't know why I haven't written about him before, except that there are one or two basic things about his life that are still mysteries to me.  They may remain mysteries, or I could find the answers the day after I post this.

Abraham was born September 15, 1776 in Codorus Township, York County, Pennsylvania.  He was a son of Johan Jacob and Eizabeth Nuss Hetrick, and his family was well off.  His father at one time owned at least 1700 acres of land. He appears to be the youngest of nine known children, so perhaps he was a little bit spoiled, or at least his brothers thought he had been favored in the settlement of his father's will.  He was young enough when his father died in 1789 that he needed a guardian, and Abraham chose his brother Christian as that person.  Yet, that same year, his mother, brother and three uncles pledged to take the land from Abraham when he was 21 and give it to Christian.  If they could not get a release, they would each share with Christian a part of the money they had been left.  

It's hard to know how to interpret this.  Was it truly a family dispute or had Jacob left extra land to Abraham for his support until he reached manhood?  Maybe this was merely a formal written agreement and there was no conflict at all.  This family was God fearing, respected and respectable, so one can hope they were merely putting something in writing that they had all agreed to beforehand. It's not often that I find reference to an ancestor before he or she reaches adulthood, so this was a different kind of "find" for me.  

Abraham married Sarah Lemmon, daughter of Alexis and Rachel Stansbury Lemmon, on October 7, 1801.  The marriage took place in Baltimore County, Maryland, which leads one to wonder how the two met.  The two locations were actually quite close to each other, with the Lemmon home being on the border between the two states, so perhaps they were near neighbors.  The couple had 6 children during the first 9 years of their marriage (by the 1810 census) in York County and then at least one additional child before the 1820 census.  

By 1820, however, the family had a new home.  The ten years between 1810 and 1820 must have been eventful, because Abraham and his son in law are in Richland County, Ohio by 1814.  They are both described as riding the horses they rode during the War of 1812, and they chose adjoining land in what is now Morrow County, Ohio to settle.  I have been unable to document the War of 1812 experience, and I don't know where Sarah was during the time that Abraham was in Ohio preparing a home for them.  They had sold land in York County in 1811 and perhaps had already moved, or perhaps had gone to live with relatives (hers?).

Abraham was busy raising a family but he still had time to devote to civic duties.  He was a justice of the peace in his new home, and signed various claims for wolf scalps, among other business.  He and Sarah raised their children together into adulthood, with the youngest being in his middle twenties when Sarah died in 1834.  Abraham helped found the Methodist church in 1847, which met in the Lamb Schoolhouse.  We don't know whether he had earlier been practicing the Lutheran/Reformed religion he grew up in, or whether there was no congregation near enough for him to participate.  

Abraham lived about 24 years after Sarah died, farming, buying and selling land, and contributing to the life of his family and community. He was living with his son Isaac in the 1850 census, but I've not located him in 1860.  His will seems to have disappeared long ago, although surely he had one.   

Abraham was born just months after our country's birth, and died December 29, 1861, as the country was fighting the Civil War to keep the Union intact.  He lost grandsons in the War, but as far as I can tell, those I know of who died, died later in the War.  Not much fighting had been done by the time of his death.  

I think back to Shauck Cemetery, to the rolling hills around it, and the creek to the south, and think that it wasn't a bad area in which to settle.  I hope he and Sarah were content with it, too, and I wish I knew more of the story of the family's trip from Maryland (or Pennsylvania) to Morrow County.  I also wish I knew what state he served in during the War of 1812.  

The line of descent is:

Abraham Hetrick-Sarah Lemmon

Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black

Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants

Holbrook line: John Jordan 1647-later

 Information about John Jordan is scarcer than hen's teeth.  Whenever I write about an ancestor like this, I think about all the ancestors, many who are not known to us, who lived and died and made very little mark on the world.  And yet, we're here, and we wouldn't have been if these people had not been part of the "great invisibles" somewhere along the line.  

We know that he was born about 1647 to John Jordan and his wife Ann, who may or may not have been Ann Bishop, in Guilford, Ct.  Or at least we think we know that much.  He had at least four brothers and sisters, and seems to have spent his childhood and youth in Guilford.  The next we know of John is through his first marriage, to Deborah Joy or Rose, before 1677.  Deborah must have died, and the couple may or may not have had children John, James, and Mary.  If these are children of this couple, then the marriage would have taken place more in the time period of 1670-1673.  I've not been able to locate on line records to verify this.  .  

John next married Katherine Chalker, daughter of Alexander and Katherine Post Chalker.  They were married soon after Deborah's death, which would make sense particularly if John was left a widower with three small children.  Soon after this, it is thought that the couple, or family, moved to Middletown, Connecticut, although I've found no records there.  John and Katherine had at least two children, Katherine and Hannah, and settled in Saybrook, Connecticut. 

John was a cooper by trade, so it made sense for him to be on the coast of Connecticut, as both Guilford and Saybrook (Old Saybrook) where we know he can be found, were.  Ships docked at those locations, and the barrels and casks that they transported required frequent replacement.  We don't know John's income, of course, but it likely paid him at least a living wage.  We also don't know whether he was in business for himself, or whether he worked for someone else.  

We also don't know whether or to what extent John was involved in the church, or in the militia.  John sold land in Guilford in 1679, so he was likely there during King Philip's War.  I've found no evidence, yet, that he was called to duty then.  

 I've not been able to find a will or probate for him, and his date of death is given variously as 1694 and 1713.  Katherine's death date is given as 1713 so it's possible that John had died almost 20 years earlier.  

As you can guess, I'm somewhat frustrated by the lack of available records for this man.  Most of what I've found came from brief mentions in genealogies of the Bushnell family, and from Torrey's New England Marriages.  I don't know whether there is more to John's story or not.  He's another ancestor to keep researching, and to keep remembering.

The line of descent is:

John Jordan-Katherine Chalker

Hannah Jordan-John Stannard

John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett

Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy

Libbeus Stanard-Luceba or Euzebia Fay

Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy 

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants

Allen line: John Riley died 1684

 I wish I could share John's origins with you.  I have earlier written about his supposed grandfather, Joseph Riley, and his supposed father, John Riley who was married to Grace Buck.  I now find that I can't support those suppositions.  John and Grace are almost certainly not this John's parents, although it is possible that Joseph is his grandfather.  

Most of the "information" I found says that John was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut in 1646.  I think there was a John RIley born there, to John and Grace per above, but he was not our John Riley.  In the first place, our John was married by 1660, and I don't think a 14 year old boy was husband material.  Our John Riley appears to be older than he is given credit for.  He shows up in records for the first time in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1656, already an adult or he would not have been listed with a date of residence in town records.  

From that time on, we can see evidence of our John in Springfield in town records.  He was granted land in various town meetings in 1662, 1664, 1666, and 1668, plus he also purchased land from a previous owner.  In December of 1659 he was seated in the 9th row of the meeting house, and moved up to the eighth row in 1662.  He put up bond for a man by the name of William Hunter to be admitted to the town, and had land next to that of William Hunter.  I haven't yet determined whether Hunter was a relative, but it seems possible.  

John held minor offices in town, that of fence viewer some years, and hayward some years.  Both jobs required tact and people skills, but not necessarily education, and John signed with his mark, not a signature.  

I would also love to tell you who his wife is.  Almost every source I looked at said her name was Margaret O'Dea.  I have not been able to find anything that says who Margaret was, or when she arrived in Springfield.  She could have arrived as a servant, or as the daughter of someone who had remarried, and thus she could have been living in her step-father's home.  But John and Margaret did marry, and they had two daughters, Margaret and Mary.  One can find longer lists but these were the only two children listed in Springfield records, and we have no indication the family ever lived anywhere except Springfield.  

There was a John Riley listed as a soldier in December of 1675 under Captain Samuel Appleton.  The operations he was involved in were located around Hadley and Deerfield, so there is a possibility this is our John.  If he wasn't out in the field, he would have been in a garrison house in Springfield.  We don't know where Margaret and the girls were when the natives attacked Springfield during King Philip's War, but they were likely in one of the three garrisons in the town.  The girls were old enough to understand what was going on and probably helped the women of the town cook and clean during the ordeal.  

In 1678 and again in 1681 John was fined for missing the annual town meeting.  He may have been ill or there may have been bad traveling conditions.  There were several other men on the "no show" list each time, so there is also the possibility that this was a political statement.  We just don't know.  We do know that he paid his taxes, including "rates" for the pastor.  He gave wheat one year, and another year he gave Indian corn.  

I haven't been able to locate a will or inventory for John, but I get the sense that he was not in the upper crust of society.  He farmed, but whether or not he had another occupation is still to be determined.  He did, however, raise two daughters and provided for his family.  He died October 24, 1684 in Springfield, and Margaret died August 22, 1689.  

We don't know what the cause of death was for John, just that he "was sicke",  This was the third year in a row for what seems to be an excessive number of deaths for a small town, but I have no explanation, except that I know the crops were poor some of those years.  Townspeople may have been forced to eat spoiled grain, or malnutrition may have contributed to the deaths. 

Even though we don't know much about John Riley, not even his age, we do know that he was part of the town of Springfield for twenty eight years.  Surely his family was joined by other community members, including several other Allen ancestors, who mourned his death.

The line of descent is 

John Riley-Margaret

Mary Riley-Joseph Ely

Mary Ely-Thomas Stebbins

Ruth Stebbins-Samuel Hitchcock

Margaret Hitchcock-Richard Falley

Samuel Falley-Ruth Root

Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr

Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott

Edith Knott-Edward Allen

Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook

Their descendants

 

 

 

Holbrook line: Timothy Sheldon 1661-1744

 Timothy Sheldon is another of our Rhode Island ancestors, one of those who knew Roger Williams and other men who were more famous than Timothy.  We don't know as much about him as we would like but enough books have been written about Roger Williams, and about early Rhode Island, that we can think we understand a little of his world, anyway.  

Timothy was born March 29, 1661, in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of John and Joane Vincent Sheldon.  He lived and died in Providence Plantation, probably in what later became Johnston, although at the time it was considered part of Providence.  Timothy was the oldest known son of his parents, and as such, he was given the opportunity to learn a trade.  Timothy became a cooper, someone who made or repaired barrels and casks.  There would have been a demand for these products, as Providence had a decent harbor, and barrels used in transporting goods didn't last forever.  

Timothy married Sarah Balcom, daughter of Alexander and Jane Holbrook Balcom, before 1687, when the first of their four known children were born.  (Yes, Jane represents another Holbrook line. That line is complicated!)  He may have been either newly married or preparing to be married in 1685, when his father deeded about 60 acres of land to him.  Not much of it, if any, was cleared and ready to plant but it was still a generous gift, one that would help support Timothy and his young family as they grew.

There are a few tax records for Timothy but for the most part he stayed out of the public eye.  It may be Timothy, or perhaps his son, who was recorded as a member of the First Baptist Church in Providence in 1734.  Possibly Timothy had been raised with Baptist ideas, as they were common in Rhode Island, so it wouldn't surprise me at all to know that he was part of this congregation. 

I haven't found any military records for him, nor have I found a will.  There is a will for his son Timothy, who died in 1741.  Perhaps our Timothy followed his father's lead and gave his children land or money as the children came of age.  Timothy died about March 31, 1744 and it appears that Sarah died about the same time.  

Timothy was 83 years old when he died and he had lived a long life.  He was a teenager when King Philip's war broke out.  He knew many of the early great men of Rhode Island.  He would have heard many stories about the native Americans and of battles fought on land and sea with France, whether or not he actually served.  And perhaps most importantly for genealogical purposes, he raised a family, with one of his descendants being Mamie Doud  Eisenhower. 

The line of descent is:

Timothy Sheldon-Sarah Balcom

Martha Sheldon-Thomas Mathewson

Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor

Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine

Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy

Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire

Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants

  

Harshbarger line: Joseph Burkholder 1783-1863

 I've been waiting to write about Joseph because I thought that surely I would find more information about him.  It's been about three years now and I still haven't found more information so I'm going to go with what I've got.  Nuggets are better than nothing, and Joseph needs to be acknowledged as an ancestor for the Harshbarger family.  

Joseph is another ancestor of Swiss/German descent, who was born in Pennsylvania, moved to the Portage-Stark County area of Ohio, and then traveled on to Whitley County, Indiana. Like so many of the men in this line, he was a farmer and appears not to have had a lot of education, although he made sure his children got at least some public education. 

To start at the beginning, Joseph is believed to have been the son of Adam and Maria Gingerich Burkholder. born in 1783 in (Old) Bedford County, Pennsylvania.  The family seems to have been in Franklin County, Pa a few years later, but Franklin was one of the counties created from Bedford so it is possible that they never moved and that what we are seeing here is merely a label change.  Joseph married Elizabeth Miller about 1810, and she may also have been from Franklin County.  The 1810 census shows about 35 Miller families in that county, and possibly she is hidden there, as one of the women aged 16-25.

By 1820, the only Joseph Burkholder that I can locate is in Middleton Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, with a female and two young children.  This appears to be our Joseph.  In 1830, the family is in Harrisburg, Stark County, Ohio, with seven persons under the age of 20, and a few years later the family is in Portage County, Ohio, where several of the family were enrolled in school.  The family was changing, however, as there were now just seven people in the family, including two who had not been born yet for the 1830 census.  I haven't found Joseph in the 1850 census.  He may have been in the process of moving from Ohio to Whitley County, Indiana and may thus have been missed, or he may have been missed for any number of other reasons (Gold rush seems unlikely, but it's always possible).

We know that he was in Whitley County by 1854, when he purchased land from Daniel Sayer for $400.  The plot was for $400 for 40 acres, which may have been a steep price to pay.  But son Michael was already there and Joseph may have realized he might be needing help over the next few years.  I've written before of his youngest son, Hiram's service in the Civil War, and we can see how this weighed on Joseph's mind as he wrote his will in late June of 1863.  Hiram was to have $50 in case he returned from the War, and he also made bequests to his wife for her natural life.  All the children were to share in the proceed of the farm after paying the $50 to Hiram, except two daughters to whom he had apparently given or loaned money were to have that amount deducted from their share.  Fortunately, as we know, Hiram did return from the war and he seems to have helped with the farm until he married.  Elizabeth deeded the farm to this youngest child in 1870.  

I wish I knew more about Joseph.  For instance, was he in the War of 1812?  What was his religion? Did he speak German, or English, or both languages?  What stories could he tell us of his various moves, and why he moved each time?  I would love to know more of his story, but I'm glad I know this much.  

The line of descent is:

Joseph Burkholder-Elizabeth Miller

Barbara Burkholder-Benjamin Buchtel

Nancy Fannie Buchtel-Adam Kemery

Della Kemery-William Withers

Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger 

Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks

Their descendants

Beeks line: Jacob Aldridge of Maryland

 Jacob Aldridge seems to have not received a lot of attention in the genealogy world, mostly because it's more interesting (to some) to talk about his son, John Simpson Aldridge, and John's role in the Revolutionary War.  However, there obviously would have been no John if there had been no Jacob, and for that reason alone, he deserves some attention.  He also provides us with some interesting tidbits of history, which means that I am all ears and eyes.  

The general consensus, although I can't find documentation for this yet, is that Jacob was born in September of 1732, the son of John and Eleanor Aldridge.  Various surnames have been suggested for Jacob's mother, with Watkins being the most common.  Again, I've not found documents for that.  Jacob was most likely born in Prince George's County, Maryland, and he lived there his whole life.   He inherited part of his father's property when John died in 1751, and it may have been just a few years later that he married.  Again, the name of his wife isn't known, but her first name was Elizabeth and her last name may have been Soper, or possibly Simpson.  

Jacob and Elizabeth had at least 6 children, with the earliest known birth year of about 1759.  This was a large family to raise and care for, and as many of their neighbors did, Jacob bought or possibly inherited, or both, slaves to produce crops, which likely included tobacco.  In the 1776 state census, he reported eight slaves, and in the 1790 federal census he reported 20 slaves, in 1800 19, and in 1810 18.  It's possible that he was selling a few each year, because there would likely have been babies born each year to one or more of the slaves.  This is not easy to accept but it is part of family history and it needs to be acknowledged.  I found a reference to 12 black Aldridge slaves who escaped from Prince George's County in the 1850s but there wasn't enough information to figure out if these may have come from our Aldridge family.  

I found Jacob's name in just a few state records, so far.  He is listed in a 1776 state census, as a grand jury member in 1780, and as being drafted in 1781.  I'm not positive that the 1781 draft Jacob was ours, as he would have been almost 50 years old.  It may have been another Jacob Aldridge (although Jacob's son Jacob would have been only about 13 years old, so it was not him) or Jacob may have then hired a substitute, as was sometimes done.  We do know that the family would have been anxious for son John, whether or not Jacob was also involved in the fighting. 

Jacob died in 1815 and Elizabeth probably preceded him.  So far I haven't found his will or inventory, which would certainly help give us a better glimpse into his life.  That will, and his military records, if any, would be two of the top items on my wish list, in order to have a better idea of his life.  On the bright side, we do have these few tidbits to help fill in the "dash" in his life story. 

The line of descent is:

Jacob Aldridge-Elizabeth

John Simpson Aldridge-Mary Lakin

John Simpson Aldridge Jr.-Lucinda Wheeler

Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom

Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants

Holbrook line: Dennis Garrett 1650 ish to 1691

 We don't know for sure when Dennis was born, or even where, although speculation is that his birth date is about 1650, and that his parents may have been Francis Garrett and Mary Dennis.  There seems to be little documentation for this belief, except that Francis and Mary were in Virginia, and Dennis's name may be his mother's maiden name.  Also, Dennis and his wife named one of their two new children Frances.  Make of that what you will; I'd prefer to see a will or land transfer or something concrete.

We really don't know much about Dennis's life, either.  He may have had a brother Robert and a brother William, but that is inconclusive at this time.  He married someone named Barbara or Barbary, who may or may not be Barbara Stone, about 1668, presumably in St Paul's Parish of Baltimore County, Maryland.  Actually, there was no St Paul's Parish at the time.  The records may have been part of those of Patapsco Parish instead, as that seems to be the predecessor to St Paul's.  At any rate, this was on land that would eventually be absorbed into Baltimore, but at the time, it was definitely frontier.  

We know that Dennis and Barbary had at least two children, Frances and Johanna, and we know that Dennis Garrett and Thomas stone purchased 100 acres of land called Long Island Point in 1685, from Edward Mumford.  We don't know if Dennis had Thomas had any kind of a kinship, although this is where the speculation comes from that Barbary may have been a Stone.  The fact that this land was only 100 acres indicates (at least to me) that Dennis was not a man of means, at least, not yet.  And that is what is known of the life of Dennis Garrett.  Except...his death was eventful, and sad.

On July 31, 1691, Dennis was involved in some sort of altercation, verbal or otherwise, with Captain John Oldton.  Oldton was so enraged that he struck Dennis in the head with his sword, leaving a mortal wound.  Dennis lived until September 2 of that year.  This incident may have taken place at a garrison house, but there is no indication that his was any part of military discipline.  At any rate, Oldton was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged, but due to his connections and possibly because he was needed as a military leader, he was pardoned.  He later commanded the Rangers.  

That left Barbara with two adult or nearly adult children, and no real means of support.  She married John Broad , who died in 1709, and Barbara herself died in 1733, aged about 80.

This is a short post and a sad one, but we should know at least the basics of the life of each of our ancestors.  From this distance, we can't know whether the precipitating event was over a trivial matter, provoked or unprovoked, or whether there was a history of tension between the two men.  We can only recognize that life was difficult for our ancestors, and sometimes matters got out of control.  Nevertheless, Dennis lived and worked, raised at least two daughters, and left a legacy that includes quite a number of descendants, including movie actor James Dean. 

Our line of descent is:

Dennis Garrett-Barbara 

Johanna Garrett-John Cole

Sarah Cole-Charles Gorsuch

Hannah Gorsuch-Thomas Stansbury

Rachel Stansbury-Alexis Lemmon

Sarah Lemmon-Abraham Hetrick

Isaac Hetrick-Elizabeth Black

Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants

 

 

Allen line: Samuel Smith and Elizabeth Smith corrections

 I wrote a post earlier about Samuel Smith and Elizabeth Smith, but recently articles in The Register, a publication of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, have proved me wrong.  I recommend that you get the last three issues of this journal and see for yourself all the information that Myrtle Stevens Hyde has laid out there, that will take some of Elizabeth's family back for several generations.  

However, these bare facts need to be corrected in my post.  Samuel Smith's parents were John and Mary Gardner Smith, of Burstall, Suffolk, England.  Elizabeth Smith's parents were Philip and Ann Grymwade Smith, who died in Whatfield, Suffolk, England.  He was born in 1601 and she was born in 1599.

For the rest of the stories, please reference The Register.  I apologize for the errors in my tree and in my post, and I am grateful to now have the correct information. 

Allen line: Nicholas Street 1677-1733

 His father and paternal grandfather were pastors; so what's a young man in a small town to do?  Well, of course...leave town!  And that's what Nicholas did, although of course only he knew the motivation for the move.  

Nicholas was born July 14, 1677 in Wallingford, Connecticut, the son of Samuel and Anna Miles Street.  He was one of at least seven children born to the couple, and was born in the aftermath of King Philip's war.  Wallingford had come under attack then, and it's possible the family fled to a safer location, perhaps New Haven, during that time.  Nicholas grew up in Wallingford, under the guidance and direction of his parents, and would have been raised as a Puritan, and would have learned to read, write, and probably at least the basics of arithmetic.  He may have learned more than that, as his father was college educated and therefore knew one or more languages other than English.  

As mentioned, we don't know when and why Nicholas left Wallingford for Groton, Ct., which was about 40 miles east of Wallingford, and was near the coastline.  If it was for love of the sea, that apparently didn't work out well for him.  We are told that he was a tailor, but not how high up in the trade he rose.  The top job would have been as a finisher.  Of course, he may have been self employed.  In his will, he refers to himself as a husbandman, so he likely also owned and farmed a small amount of land.  

We know that he married Jerusha Morgan, daughter of Captain James and Mary Vine Morgan, on April 22, 1704 in Groton.  Nicholas is listed in 1704 on a "Grand List of Wallingford" as having an estate of 43 pounds, so it seems that the move to Groton may have been made shortly after this.  In Groton, he was well respected, being appointed deputy for the governor in October 1727 and King's Deputy in 1729.  He was one of four signers to grant land to the Pequot nation in 1721.  

All of the known eight children of Nicholas and Jerusha were born in Groton.  Jerusha died January 2, 1726 and Nicholas then married Mary Elliot Hartnell just a few months later.  They had one child together.  

Nicholas died July 10, 1733 in Groton.  He left a will providing for wife Mary (her widow's third), a farm for son James and 20 pounds for each of his five daughters, plus land not included in the farm to be shared between the daughters.  There was no mention of his daughter with Mary, so perhaps she had died. 

 I wish I could find an inventory.  All of the personal property was to go to his wife, so perhaps an inventory wasn't taken, but I would sure like to know the answers to my usual questions as to books, military arms, and evidence of an occupation other than farming.  Of course, I'd like to know whether he was involved in any military actions, but I guess this glass is half full.  At least we know some of the basic facts of his life, including that he left descendants.

Fun fact:  If you Google for "Rev. Samuel Street House", you should pull up a picture of the house that Nicholas was born in.  The house was built in 1673.  There are only a handful of homes of our ancestors still standing, so this is a cool, very cool even, find.  

The line of descent is:

Nicholas Street-Jerusha Morgan

Jerusha Street-Thomas Starr

John Starr-Mary Sharp

John Starr-Betsy Havens

John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley

Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott

Edith Knott-Edward Allen

Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook

Their descendants 

Allen line: Thomas Starr 1711-1759

 Sometimes people get overlooked.  Perhaps they weren't prominent in their town. Perhaps they have no known military record.  Perhaps they stayed out of court.  Maybe their land records aren't readily accessible.  They may not have been mentioned in church records.  But they were there.  They raised families, they worked, they probably attended church.  And they mattered to their families, to their neighbors, and their co-workers.  They matter to me, these people who are almost invisible.

Thomas Starr is almost one of these men.  His main claim to fame is family.  His great great grandfather was William Brewster.  One of his sons moved to Nova Scotia but returned at the time of the Revolutionary War and was injured at Fort Griswold, at the Battle of Groton Heights. Another was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War, but I haven't yet learned his story. If it weren't for those two factors, Thomas would be almost totally ignored by history, but not by his memory-keepers.  

Thomas was born April 10, 1711, the son of Thomas and Mary Morgan Starr and died May 14, 1759.  He married Jerusha Street, daughter of Nicholas and Jerusha Morgan Street.   Yes, the Morgan women were sisters, so Thomas married his first cousin.  In a town the size of Groton, options were limited, and marriage of cousins was not as uncommon as one would think.  So Thomas and Jerusha would have grown up knowing each other and at some point, a courtship developed.  The two were married September 1, 1732, but I have no documentation for that fact.  Jerusha had lost both her parents in 1726 and 1727 so she was probably glad to marry at the age of 16 or 17.  

We know that Thomas and Jerusha had at least 8 children.  7 were alive when Thomas wrote his will in 1758, although one died before Thomas.  We know that they "owned the covenant", (became full members) of the Congregational Church on September 1, 1734, the day their first son was baptized. I'm not sure of the practice of this particular church, but in some churches the parents had to "own the covenant" before their children could be baptized.  Once a member of the church, there was great peer pressure to stay within the strict rules the church expected of its members, so we can believe that their family was raised to be devout, God-fearing, and hard-working.  

Thomas inherited a little over 59 pounds from his father's estate, probably when he turned twenty one, so just about the time he was married.  This included some land, but I've not been able to determine how much, nor whether he added to it.  Thomas's father was a ship carpenter and it is possible that Thomas also followed this trade or worked in the maritime industry in some fashion, as this was the main focus of the town.  Land in the area was not conducive to growing the best crops.  

That's all we know of Thomas, except for his will.  He left everything to his wife to be used in raising the young children.  When she died or remarried, the 4 boys were to divide the estate between them, and each daughter was to eventually get 40 pounds.  Jerusha lived until 1790, never remarrying.  I have not found probate papers for her so probably one or another of her children cared for after the children were raised, and Thomas's wishes were then carried out, if they had not been completed earlier.  

The line of descent is:

Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street

John Starr-Betsy Chester Havens

John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley

Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott

Edith Knott-Edward Allen

Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook

Their descendants