Holbrook line: James Longbottom 1702-1756

 I wish I had more information to share about our ancestor James Longbottom.  Hopefully, what I have found will help dispel some misinformation on some websites, and for that reason alone I'm happy to write about a man who seems to have not given us much to write about.

James was the son of Daniel and Elizabeth Lamb Longbottom and was born January 15, 1702/03.  The Longbottom Family Album says he was baptized on September 14, 1716 at Newent Church.  However, it appears that there was no meeting house there until 1723 so it is more likely that he was baptized at Norwich, Connecticut, the location of his parents. I've seen locations assigned to James (and some of his children) as being in Lisbon, Connecticut, but Lisbon was formed from Norwich in 1786 so anything prior to that would technically have been Norwich, even though the families probably lived in the area now known as Lisbon.  

We know little of James's upbringing except that it would have included religious services.  He had at least eight siblings, so there would have been plenty of chores to keep him busy, and hopefully enough time to learn to read and write, and perhaps to have some recreational time as well.  He probably didn't have to look far to find a playmate.  

James married Priscilla Lovett on March 22, 1729 in Norwich. Sadly, she had two children, James and Anna, and died on September 6, 1731.  James then married Elizabeth Jackson, daughter of John and Sarah Godwin Jackson on November 6, 1732, and they had eight children together.  Their first child, named Priscilla after his first wife, was born on July 30, 1733, followed by Betty, Pelatia, Mary, Amaziah, two Abigails (the first having died as an infant), and Amy.  Their records are found in the Newent Church records, so we can believe that this Longbottom family was a part of this (congregational) church.  

We can also think that James raised patriots, as at least two of his sons fought in the Revolutionary War. 

Many of the trees I've seen say that James married a Mary Farnum in 1753, but this was James Longbottom Junior, the son of James. 

I have been unable to locate a death record for James, other than "after October 30, 1756."  I've not found a will, or estate papers, or court records.  Elizabeth died January 11, 1773 at Norwich, so it seems odd that there wouldn't be a death record for him.  (For that matter, I am not locating estate papers for Elizabeth, either.) Of course, in 250 years records could have been destroyed or misplaced, but it seems odd.  

So we're left with a LOT of questions about James.  Did he serve in the military, in one or another of the colonial wars?  What was his occupation?  When did he die?  From what we can tell, he didn't bring attention to himself, but he did raise a family, and was one of the many men who contributed to our family genes.

The line of descent is:

James Longbottom-Elizabeth Jackson

Betty Longbottom-John Eames

Hannah Eames-James Lamphire (the elusive)

Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy

Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants