Beeks line: Jacob Moon 1730-1804

The title of this is somewhat misleading because the birth date for Jacob is not known.  He was married about 1750 so his birth date would likely be earlier than 1730.  He was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania to Simon and Louretha (Lowry) Humphrey Moon, and was part of a Quaker family whose immigrant ancestor, James Moone, had arrived in Pennsylvania probably by 1685 but certainly by 1688. Jacob was the great grandson of James, so he was in the fourth generation of Moons to set foot in America.

Jacob's parents had moved from Chester County to Frederick County, Virginia sometime between 1721, when they were married in Philadelphia, and 1748, when Simon died.  Jacob would have come with them as a young child or possibly early teenager.  This may be the same area that Jacob lived in, as Frederick County at one time included what is now Berkeley County, West Virginia.  The Moons lived on Middle Creek, and Jacob eventually founded a town there which he called Arden, the name taken from a town in England.  At any rate, if he moved, he didn't move far.  (Arden is on the far east border of West Virginia, so Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were all almost within shouting distance.)

I should mention that this was an early time to settle in the area.  Native Americans regarded this as their land (for good reason) and the area did come under considerable attack, especially during the French and Indian War.  Several forts were built along the eastern border of what is now West Virginia, and there were skirmishes and battles pretty much non-stop until at least 1774.  We don't know what the Moons did during this time.  Did they leave their home and go to a fort for protection, or did they perhaps go further east, or did they stay in their home and take their chances?  Jacob was a Quaker so we don't know whether he ever participated in a military exercise but we can assume he would have protected his family.

Jacob married Jane Rees, daughter of Thomas and Margaret Bowen Reese, about 1750. The Rees family also had Quaker roots, so it was a good match. They had at least six children, three sons and three daughters, all mentioned in Jacob's will.   They would have attended Hopewell meeting at first, but soon helped found Middle Creek Meeting.  There are pictures on line of the stone building that was built in 1796, toward the end of Jacob's life, and it doesn't take much imagination to think that Jacob had a hand in building it, either physically or financially.  I've not found the dimensions of the building but it looks pretty small, based on the presumed size of the door.  

Jacob was undoubtedly a farmer, but it's always possible that he also had another trade.  If so, I've not found mention of it yet.  Jacob died sometime between May 2, 1804, the date he wrote his will, and June 25, 1804, the date it was admitted to probate.  He left a life interest in his house, the right to take apples and cherries from the orchard for her own use, and pasture for the cow he left her, as well as all the household goods and furnishings.  His sons were given directions about how to divide his tract of land, and also were instructed to support his wife financially.  The daughters were given money to be paid by their brothers.  

It's fascinating to think of all the places and events that Jacob would have seen during his lifetime.  From the trip to Frederick County to the attacks by various Indian tribes, to possibly having seen General Braddock and even George Washington as they traveled through the area, to being caught up in the Revolutionary War, and then watching the baby steps of our new country, it was an exciting time, even for Quaker families.  Wouldn't you love to hear his stories?

The line of descent is:

Jacob Moon-Jane Rees

Thomas Moon-Jean Gray

Margaret Ellen Moon-Owen T Rees

Eliza Matilda Reese-Samuel Goodnight Dunham

Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants

 

 

Holbrook line: Joseph Morse, Immigrant 1576-1646

There are a confusing number of men named Joseph Morse in early New England.  This post is about Joseph who married Dorothy in England, came to New England relatively late in life (probably about age 60) and died in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1646.  As you can probably guess, part of the reason for the confusion about Joseph is that there just aren't that many records mentioning his name, or at least they haven't yet been located.

Joseph was baptized and perhaps also born on November 4, 1676 in Boxstead, Essex, England.  This is a small village toward the southeastern coast of England, and has a long history reaching back to the Domesday census and beyond.  His parents were Reverend Richard and Joan Downes Morse.  He was one of at least three children born to the couple, but sadly, Joan died sometime before 1586, when his father married again.  Soon Joseph also had four half siblings.  

Marriage records have not yet been found for Joseph but it is believed that in about 1607 he married Dorothy.  I have seen her identified as Dorothy Glover and as Dorothy Barber, but I've not found records that show her last name and the most recent edition of Torrey's Marriages before 1700 list her only as Dorothy.  Joseph and Dorothy settled down (somewhere) and had at least three children together.  

At least one of their sons, Joseph, preceded them to New England.  He arrived in 1634 and settled in Watertown, but when Joseph and Dorothy arrived in about 1637 they went to Ipswich.  There were a number of people from the area who settled in Watertown, and a number who settled in Ipswich, apparently based on whether or not they followed Rev. George Philips, who was in Watertown in 1630.

I find it fascinating to think of this couple, he over 60 and she probably not far behind in age, packing up their everything and sailing to the New World.  They may have come for religious reasons, or for economic reasons, but more endearing to me is that fact that son Joseph married and may have had as many as two children (grandchildren to this Joseph) already.  I would cross an ocean for my grandchildren, and perhaps they did, too!  

Joseph is noted as being a planter, but Ipswich was on the seacoast so he may also have been involved in shipping or the fishing industry.  We know little of the final years of Joseph's life.  He may  occasionally have traveled to Watertown but it wouldn't have been a easy trip (about 38 miles) so more likely son Joseph came to visit him when business permitted. 

 We don't know the cause of death but Joseph died sometime between April and late September of 1646.  He had time to write his will, which left two houses to his wife Dorothy and one house, plus most of his belongings that weren't given to Dorothy, to his son John.  Son Joseph got only his father's best cloak, and daughter got his great Bible.  (I certainly hope they had been given other property prior to their father's death!).  The estate was valued at only a little over 83 pounds but he had the three houses and several plots of land, as well as enough household goods to indicate a comfortable situation.  Not many families then could boast of four chairs, for instance.  He did have "5 Bibles and some other books", again indicating some degree of comfort.  He also had "muskett, bandoleers, and rest", likely as required even of older men.  This was still the wilderness.  

As usual, I'd like to know more about Joseph than I have found to date.  I'd love to sit and talk with him and with Dorothy, to learn more of their life in England, and what exactly motivated them to come to America.  They would surely have some stories to tell us!  

The line of descent is:

Joseph Morse-Dorothy

Joseph Morse-Hester Pierce

Joseph Morse-Susanna Shattuck

Esther Morse-Nathaniel Joslin

Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland

Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay

David Fay-Mary Perrin

Euzebia (Luceba) Fay-Libbeus Stanard

Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants

Allen line: John Finch 1694-1747

 We are now entering what I have learned to call the "Dark Ages", the ones where little has been learned or noted about an ancestor.  These folks are usually born from about 1690 to about 1790.  Although they may not have been the immigrant ancestor, and may not have left has many records as later ancestors, they are part of our family and need to have at least a few sentences written about their lives.  John Finch of (mostly) Stamford, Connecticut is one such ancestor.  I have learned very little about him,. and some of what I have found isn't documented very well.  So this will be a short post.

John Finch was born "about" 1694, to John and Hester Davis Finch.  Our John's grandfather, also John Finch, is noted as having died in Stamford, Connecticut, but his father is believed to have died in Westchester, New York.  I have seen both places listed as our John's place of birth but haven't found documentation for either location.  The two locations are actually less than 15 miles apart, perhaps only ten, so it may be a matter of boundary lines changing, or of the family living in one area but traveling the other direction for church or other activities.  

John was born shortly after his parents married.  He had a brother James who may have been as many as ten years younger than he, but I've not seen any mention of other siblings born to this couple.  Hester apparently died, perhaps in childbirth, and John's father remarried, with that marriage producing at least two half siblings.  Our John would therefore have been the older brother, probably looked up to, but also with heavy expectations on his shoulders.  

We don't know who John's wife was, although her name was Sarah.  The noted genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus thought that she was a Lockwood, but admitted he had no evidence to support his theory.  There were several Lockwood families in the area of Greenwich, Connecticut, which is where John and Sarah's first child was born, but I've not yet found an unidentified Sarah Lockwood. Stamford and Greenwich were quite close together also, so again, there may be boundary questions.  The jury is still out on that one.  John and Sarah had at least 10 children, based on church records and on the children named in estate papers.

I found one statement that John was a "merchant" by trade.  The area was known for its tanneries but we don't know if that's what John specialized in.  It's of course possible that he was involved in the West Indies trade, which would include slaves, but we don't know that.  I'd sure like to take a step back in time to walk into whatever shop he may have had and just look around for a few minutes!

John received land from his father, whether a purchase or a gift, in 1714 in Stamford.  He was, or became, an Episcopalian by 1738, when he asked to be excused from payment to support the local church, which was apparently closer to a Puritan belief and structure.   

And that's as much as I have been able to learn, to date, about John Finch. He died in Stamford, November 6, 1747, at about 53 years of age, leaving several children underage and others just getting started in their adult lives.  I've not found a will or inventory, although I've found that an inventory was ordered.  Having those documents would surely add to our understanding of this man.  

I'd like to know more, much more, about John Finch.  Was he always an "Episcopalian", or did he start out as part of the local Congregational church?  Did he serve in a military capacity, or in any civic positions?  What was the extent of his business as a merchant?  Did he also farm?  Questions, there are always questions!  

The line of descent is

John Finch-Sarah perhaps Lockwood

Nathaniel Finch-Hannah Scofield

Jesse Finch-Hannah

Hannah Finch-John Bell

Hannah Bell-Thomas J Knott

John Wilson Knott-Harriet Starr

Edith Knott-Edward Allen

Their descendants

Beeks line: Pieter Jansen Slot 1639-1688 ish

 I'm always intrigued when I find ancestors who were in New York (New Amsterdam) when it was still a Dutch colony (before 1664).  Some of my earliest memories of "history" involved the "purchase" of Manhattan Island for beads and wampum in about 1624, and the stories of Peter Stuyvesant.  Of course, those stories are either not true or only partially true, but they intrigued me in grade school, and learning the truth intrigues me now.  So when I find there are ancestors who were actually there during the early years, my int4erest kicks into gear.  So it is with Pieter Jansen (or Jensen) Slot (Slodt, Sloat).

Pieter was born in Amsterdam, Noord Holland, The Netherlands, about 1639 to Jan Pieterson and Aetje Jans Slot.  The Slot family may have been from the Schieswig-Holstein area of Germany originally, but by the time our Pieter was born the family was somewhat settled in Amsterdam.  It's likely, therefore, that our Pieter was bi-lingual, speaking both his parents language and that of the locals.  He may or may not have picked up a working knowledge of English, also, as he was still a young teenager in 1653 when he arrived with his parents in New Amsterdam, on Manhattan Island.  The family apparently settled first in Haarlem, which was more Dutch and less cosmopolitan than New Amsterdam itself, at the time.  His father was prominent there as a magistrate and official, so the family was well respected.  

The Slots may have gone back and forth between Fort Amsterdam and their home in those early years, as there were frequent raids from native Americans who were not happy with the amount of settlement that was going on.  More than one tribe had been using the land, probably for centuries, and they did not understand the concept of the purchase of the island in the same way that the Dutch (and English) understood it.  There may have been years the crops were not gathered in, they may have lost farm animals to the Indians, and they may all have slept with one eye open.  

Nevertheless, Pieter matured and married Marretje Jacobse Van Winkle, daughter of Jacob Wallingse and Tryntje Jacobse Van Winkel on January 2, 1661 at New Amsterdam.  He was a cadet in the New Harlem Militia in 1663, and probably before and after that.  Pieter was a builder by trade and this may explain why he made several moves during his lifetime.  There is record of a land deed in his name in 1664, and he also acquired land in what is now Bergen County, New Jersey (just across the Hudson River).  He appears to have lived in either Bergen County or on Manhattan Island his whole adult life, but there were several moves between those locations.  

Pieter and Marretje had seven children, although some sites list only 5.  I've been unable to trace the children so perhaps there were a couple of early deaths, which would have been sad but not unusual for the times.  Other than his military service, we don't know of civic duties he performed, but by his trade alone he helped build and form this country.  

I have not found an exact date of death for Pieter.  It was sometime between early 1688 and late 1691, but I can't be more specific than that.  His widow married Jean Demarest, who is also a Beeks ancestor, and Pieter's son Jacob married Maria Demarest, daughter of Jean.  

For anyone interested in this part of our history, I highly recommend the book "The Island at the Center of the World" by Russell Shorto.  You'll learn a lot more of this fascinating part of our history than the few sentences that were in grade school history books, and that may not even be there any more!

The line of descent is:

Pieter Jansen Slot-Marretje Van Winkle

Jacobus Slot-Maria Demarest

Benjamin Slot-Sara Demarest

William Slot/Lock-Elizabeth Teague

Sally Lock-Jeremiah Folsom

Leah Folsom-Darlington Aldridge

Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants

Holbrook line: Abraham Harding 1656-1694

Although it's not clear where Abraham was born, it was likely either Swansea, Massachusetts or Providence, Rhode Island.  At the time, 1656, the two areas adjoined.  His parents were Stephen and Bridget Estance (Esten) Harding (Hardin, etc.) and Abraham was the middle child in their family of seven children.  

We really know very little of Abraham's life.  He was a blacksmith by trade, like his father before him, and he lived at "Providence Plantation" for most if not all of his life.  He married Deborah Gardner (Gardiner) by 1677, when the first of their 7 children were born.  Deborah was the daughter of Stephen Gardner.  Her mother is given as Elizabeth Layton, but I've not found documentation for that.  Deborah was about 4 years younger than Abraham.

We don't know what part Abraham may have had in King Philip's War.  He was certainly of the right age to have taken part in it, and the area was the scene of several major battles of the war.  It seems likely that he would have been involved.  We're also not sure what Deborah did during the war.  Most Providence people left town, and most homes in Providence were burned.  I've seen several references to "Major" Abraham Harding but this title may belong to his grandson rather than to our Abraham, as it appears to be attached to Revolutionary War activities.  

Abraham and Deborah may have gone to Newport either during or after the war, because there is reference to Abraham Harding of Newport as the beneficiary of his brother Stephen in 1680.  He also received lands and a dwelling from his parents in 1693, so he wasn't a dirt poor blacksmith, anyway.

The Hardings had seven children before Abraham's premature death ion November 23, 1694.  We don't know the cause of death.  He may have died without a will, but there is record that an inventory was taken.  Deborah requested to be administrator of his estate, but the town council did not approve her request until after she married Moses Bartlett, who was made co-administrator.  Deborah is believed to have died after 1720.

There's a lot we don't know about Abraham.  Was he a Baptist?  Many of those who lived in Newport were, but we're not sure that the Hardings lived in Newport for long.  What military service did he have?  Was he a major, or did that honor belong to one of his descendants?   I would like to see his inventory, for that would surely give us some answers-and likely, more questions.

The line of descent is

Abraham Harding-Deborah Gardner

Mercy Harding-Samuel Winsor

Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson

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

 

Beeks line: Thomas Rees 1734-1812

 There are many men by the name of Thomas Rees, who are somehow connected to this Rees line, and they have been sadly intermixed on many family trees.  To set the record straight, our Thomas is not the one who fought in the South in the Revolutionary War (as a Loyalist!) although the two may have been cousins of some sort.  Our Thomas led an interesting life, but not quite that interesting!

Thomas was born about 1734, probably in Chester County (now Delaware County), Pennsylvania.  His family was of Welsh ancestry, and came to Philadelphia about 1684, as Quakers.  The family stayed firm in Quaker beliefs for several generations.  Thomas's parents were Thomas and Margaret Bowen Rees, and he was probably the second of their ten children.  The whole family moved to Frederick County, Virginia (now Berkley County, West Virginia) on the Opequon Creek, in 1753, where they were associated with Hopewell Meeting House.  

Thomas is said to have married Hannah Rees, who was the daughter of Morris and Sarah Butterfield Rees, and yes, the two were cousins.  Hannah's grandparents, and Thomas's great grandparents, were David and Elinor Lloyd Rees, the original Welsh Quaker immigrants, if our information is correct.  I've not found documentation for this marriage but it was probably about 1756, since children began arriving in 1757. Thomas and Hannah are credited with 14 children, the last arriving in 1777.

Life was not easy on the frontier, especially since shortly after the Rees family arrived, the French and Indian War broke out.   Thomas and Hannah stayed during the first few years of the conflict, but when the Shenandoah Valley repeatedly came under attack, Thomas and Hannah went back to Pennsylvania and stayed there, probably with relatives, for about a year.  They came back in 1759, having added a third child while they were waiting for safer times to return.  (Again, a tribute to the pioneers who lived such a life, with courage triumphing over fear; I have such admiration for them!)  

Thomas and Hannah stayed in the Shenandoah Valley for another 20 or so years, but in 1781 were in West Bethlehem Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.  This would have been another major move for the Rees family, as the trip was about 150 miles and there doesn't appear to be an easy travel route between the two areas.  Plus, all those children!  ("Are we there yet?  How much longer?")  

This would have put them in the same area, at the same time, as the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, when the federal army put down an insurrection relating to taxes applied to the whiskey that was the main cash crop of the area at the time.  We have no indication that the Rees family was involved in this, but their neighbors would have been, and it was a tense time in American history.  

Thomas may have been a restless man, or he may have been just seeking a more peaceful life, but for whatever reason, he moved to Hocking Township, Fairfield County, Ohio about 1801, shortly after the county was formed.  He had owned a large tract of land in Pennsylvania and began selling it off in 1805, with the final sale in 1810 going to his son, Thomas, who had stayed in Pennsylvania.  Most of the rest of Thomas's children had moved to various places in Ohio by then.  

Hannah died between 1800 and 1805, and Thomas died before February, 1812, in Fairfield County.  I have not been able to locate a will but it is noted that his son Morris and his nephew David Rees were executors.  His personal estate had a value of $89.10.  One wonders whether he had given whatever wealth he had to his children earlier, or whether this low amount was the result of life on the move.

We have lots of questions about Thomas.  Did he ever take up arms to protect his family, or to serve in the military?  What motivated the moves he made throughout his life? Was he seeking adventure, or safety, or economic gain?  Was he still part of a Quaker community when he died?    Whenever we learn one fact, we have several more questions!  

The line of descent is:

Thomas Rees-Hannah Rees

Solomon Rees-Anna

Owen T Reese-Margaret Ellen Moon

Eliza Matilda Reese-Samuel G Dunham

Margaret Catherine Dunham=Harvey Aldridge

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants

Harshbarger line: Johan Niclaus Mertz, aka Nicholas Mertz, Immigrant

 I'm calling Nicholas an immigrant because he was 18 years old when he arrived in Philadelphia with his parents, Johan David and Veronica Schneider Mertz, and at least three siblings in 1733.  Surely he could have chosen to stay in his homeland of Alsace, Germany, now France.  The small village he lived in or near was Hengwiller or Hangvillier, depending on the time frame, for this was an area that has been fought over for centuries.  The "commune" is still described as mainly agricultural, so for most of his 18 years Nicholas had likely helped his father in the fields.  He may have come reluctantly, or he may have been excited at the prospect of , eventually, land of his own and an opportunity to provide for his future children.  

Once his family was in Pennsylvania, Nicholas apparently married quickly, perhaps to someone he met on the voyage to America.  Her name was Margaret, or Anna Margaret, or Margaret Anna.  I have seen her last name proposed as Been but I've not found documentation for that, so for now, her name and origins are a mystery.  

Nicholas and his brothers settled in the Longswamp area of Berks County, Pa, where Nicholas acquired land in small increments, eventually ending up with 550 acres in his name. The area may be similar to that of Hengwiller, in that there are mountains nearby, and crops that he grew may have been familiar ones.  He was probably also familiar with taxes, which Nicholas is on record as having paid.  Usually his taxes were about in the "middle of the pack" compared with those of his neighbors.  Nicholas was one of the founders of the Longswamp Reformed church, which, when it began, was not particularly friendly to Lutherans.  (Lutherans lived further down the valley from these Reformed folks.)

Nicholas and Margaret had 11 children together, so they were busy people.  Nicholas lived a short life.  He died December 2, 1760, at the age of approximately 45, but we don't know the cause of death.  There is a possibility, because of the time frame and the area he lived, that it was due to an attack of the native Americans, but I've not found his name on any of the lists of those killed.  So it may have been an ordinary accident, or a sudden illness.  

Ten of the children were still alive at the time of his death, Jacob being of age and Nicholas being just a baby.  There are 59 pages of his probate records available on Ancestry, most dealing with the guardianships for the minor children and then the divisions of property.  Jacob and Margaret seem to have been co-executors (there was no will.)  We are fortunate to have his inventory, which shows us that he had quite a few horses, cattle, and other farm animals, a large wagon, some books, and three tracts of land, including his "improvements" when he died.  The total valuation was about 422 pounds.  (There was no mention of guns or ammunition, which seems a bit curious).  One intriguing item was "5 Bells".  What were they used for?  When all was said and done, most of the children were to receive a little over 91 pounds as their share of their father's estate, with Jacob receiving more.  Margaret was still listed as a widow in 1765 but I've not found her date of death, or a possible remarriage.  

I'd really like to know more about Nicholas, and especially about his experiences during the French and Indian War of 1754-1763.  Did he ever feel that his family was threatened?  What about his neighbors? Did he serve as anything other than a watchman for his family?  Did the family ever leave and go to one of the nearby forts?  It must have been a harrowing time.  

The line of descent is:

Nicholas Mertz-Margaret

Elizabeth Mertz-Lorenz Schollenberger

Peter Schollenberger-Susanna

Catherine Schollenberger-George Essig

Susanna Essig-Daniel Kemery

Adam Kemery-Nancy Fannie Buchtel

Della Kemery-William H Withers

Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger

Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks

Their descendants

Allen line: Captain Daniel Eldredge 1689-1736

Daniel Eldred (Eldredge, Eldridge) leaves us with a number of questions about his life, but we can see enough of his story to know we want to learn more.  Several specific locations are in dispute, as are some dates.  For instance, I have seen his birthplace as Stonington, Ct., Groton, Ct., and North Kingstown, Rhode Island.  His parents, Daniel and Mary (possibly Philips) Eldredge both died in North Kingston, so that seems to be a likely place for his birth to have taken place but the birth is recorded in Stonington.  The two towns about about 36 miles apart so this seems unlikely to be a matter of boundary changes.  

Our Daniel was born March 20, 1689/90, probably the oldest of the eleven Eldredge children.  As such, he would have worked with his father to learn the ways of farming.  He married Abigail Fish, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Starke Fish, on June 26, 1711.  The ceremony was conducted at by Rev. Ephraim Woodbridge, who was the first pastor of the church at Groton, although it's not clear whether the ceremony took place in Stonington or in Groton (again, it's reported in the Stonington records).

Daniel and Abigail had at least six children together, two boys and four girls.  The couple was busy but Daniel took time to participate in civic affairs in Groton, where the family settled down.  He was a deputy for Groton at least four times, and lieutenant and then captain of the Third Company there.  I have been unable to establish an occupation but most of Groton was built around the maritime trade in one way or another.  Ships built there traded with the Caribbean and it's likely that this involved the slave trade.  Daniel appears to have been mostly a farmer, but his inventory includes a Negro man and woman and two small children, so if nothing else, this supports my statement that the ship trade to the Caribbean likely involved the slave trade. 

Daniel died at West Mystic, on March 13, 1736 at the young age of 46.  We don't know the cause of death.  Had he been involved in a military campaign? Was it an accident, or an illness?  His will was written March 5 of 1736 so he likely knew death was near, and his will opens with almost a testimony of his religious beliefs.  In his will, he leaves his wife his best room and a bed room in the house, silver tankard, cups and spoons, riding gear and cows, as well as other personal property.  At least two of the daughters were likely still living at home, as they were unmarried at the time.  Son Daniel received the Eldredge home and farm and Charles received another farm and house.  Another parcel of land went to the four daughters to be divided equally (this was done in 1746) and the daughters also received the farm animals, except those already reserved to Abigail, and a horse each for the sons.  

His inventory is valued at almost 1400 pounds, not including the land, so Daniel was not a poor man.  He had 266 sheep and "about four score" lambs when the inventory was taken, plus other farm animals, books valued at five pounds, a cane with a silver cap, and more furnishings than many of our ancestors had.  I did not see any arms or ammunition but it's possible I missed them.  Daniel signed his will and Abigail signed her name when the will was proved, so this family was literate to some degree.  Abigail married Daniel Denison in 1737 and lived until 1784.  She is buried in the same cemetery as Daniel Eldredge, perhaps in the family plot. 

I'd like to know more about Daniel, of course, including his military ventures, if any.  And of course, I'd like to know to what extent he benefited from the slave trade, and what happened to the slaves.  

The line of descent is

Daniel Eldredge-Abigail Fish

Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester

Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens

Elizabeth "Betsy" Chester Havens-John Starr

John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley

Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott

Edith Knott-Edward Allen

Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook

Their descendants 

Holbrook line: Enos Eddy died 1782

 I wrote about Elisha Eddy, Enos's father, about a year ago and didn't have a lot to say about him.  Our ancestor Enos Eddy also stayed pretty much under the radar, leaving us with many questions about his life.  But we do know a few things...

Enos was the son of Elisha and Sarah Phetteplace Eddy, and was probably born about 1737.  His home was Glocester, Providence County, which had been part of Providence Plantation until 1731.  His parents had lived there as had his Eddy grandparents, so he was born with Rhode Island roots.  

Enos was one of at least four children born to Elisha and Sarah, and would have had a "normal" upbringing, for the time and place.  He likely learned at least rudimentary skills of reading and writing, and as the oldest son, would have been the one who was best trained in his father's occupation of farming.  At the time of Elisha's death, Elisha was called a yeoman and Enos a husbandman, even though Enos already had 100 acres of land which his father had given him shortly before his death.  

He may have been married twice, because I found a reference to Sarah Brown marrying Enos "as his second wife", but I've not found records of an earlier marriage.  He did marry Sarah Brown, daughter of Othniel and Deborah Brown, on August 30, 1761, when he was about 24 years old.  If there was an earlier marriage, it was short-lived and likely the unknown wife died, perhaps in child birth.  

I've not found Enos's name on any of the Rhode Island lists of military service, but that doesn't mean he didn't serve.  He would have been the right age to participate in the French and Indian War, although Rhode Island as a whole doesn't seem to have been to have been as involved in that way as much as, say, Massachusetts or New York.  We know he was on a 1777 military list taken by the state and was then categorized as being between the ages of 16 and 50 (hence the possible birth date of 1737), and able bodied.  Did he participate in the Revolutionary War in any way, either as a Patriot or as a Loyalist? Did he perhaps give supplies to the cause?  He's not in the DAR database, but again, that is not complete.

The glimpses of records we do have show him being admitted as a freeman in 1760, and in 1774 and 1782 census records.  In 1774 his household consisted of 5 persons and in 1782, six.  Enos wrote his will May 28, 1782 and it was proved October 9, 1782, but that seems to be as close as we can come to an actual date of death. He would have been about 45 years old. His and Sarah's four children were all under the age of 21, so his brother, Jesse Eddy, was named as co-executor with Sarah in the will.  I have not seen his will or inventory.

We don't know of any military service, we don't know his religious beliefs (some of his children were Baptist but we don't know whether Enos was), and we don't know of any civic service for Enos.  That's a lot of unknowns.  But we do know that he married and raised a family, lived in interesting times, and likely had a story or two to tell in his time.  

The line of descent is

Enos Eddy-Sarah Brown

Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine

Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire

Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants