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