Holbrook line: Adam Mott 1594-1661

 Our ancestor Adam Mott certainly lived in interesting times and may have observed history "up close and personal".  There is a lot we don't know about him, but we know more than we know about some of our immigrant ancestors, and for that, we can largely thank Robert Charles Anderson, who wrote about Adam in The Great Migration series.  

Adam was born February 10, 1594 in Saffron Weldon, Essex, England, the son of John and Elizabeth (possibly Turner, but there are doubts) Mott.  We know nothing of his upbringing, except that he at some point acquired the skills of a tailor, for that is how he is identified when he came to New England.  He also had books in his inventory so he was at least somewhat literate.  

Adam married Elizabeth Creed (may be Creel, but Anderson makes a good case for Creed) on October 28, 1616 in Saffron Weldon.  There was an infant son buried June 18, 1617, which for those who count on their fingers may have meant it was an "early" birth, or the child may simply have been born prematurely.  The couple went on to have at least four more children.

Elizabeth died sometime in the early 1630s, and Adam Mott then married Sarah Lott in May of 1635, shortly before the family set foot on the Defence to begin their trip to the New World.  They were granted full permission by the authorities to leave, having certificates of good behavior which included regular Church of England attendance.  

The Motts went first to Roxbury, Massachusetts and then on to Hingham for a short period of time before going to Portsmouth, Rhode Island to settle in 1638.  It has been suggested that Adam was a supporter of Anne Hutchinson, who was ejected from Massachusetts for being a woman who had the nerve to hold Bible studies in her home.  The Puritans did not care for those attributes.  I don't see his name on the list of the men who signed the Portsmouth Compact, so either he came a little later, or his move was not based on the principles of religious freedom.  

Adam was a freeman in Roxbury in 1635, and in Portsmouth by 1638, so he was an early settler if not a Hutchinson supporter.  Adam and Sarah had at least three children together, to add to the four children of Adam and Elizabeth, so Adam must have worked hard at his tailoring trade, to support the family.  There was a man in Portsmouth named John Mott, who is stated to be Adam's father, but who was under the care of the town.  Adam provided a cow and 5 bushels of corn for him, but the town seems to have taken care of his other expenses.  This is puzzling to me, because generally the family of an aged man was responsible for his care.  There may be some family dynamics going on that we don't understand.  (For instance, how did John arrive in Portsmouth?  There seem to be no immigration records for him.)

Adam bought and sold various parcels of land in Portsmouth, (signing his name to the deeds) up until his death on August 12, 1661.  His wife Sarah survived him.   His estate was valued at 371 pounds, 6 shillings, and he did leave a will specifying how his assets were to be divided.  

We don't know Adam's church affiliation once he reached Portsmouth, nor do we know what part, if any, he may have had in a militia, or whether he had personal business with any of the indigenous people of the region.  There is a lot we don't know, but we're grateful for this much information.

The line of descent is

Adam Mott-Elizabeth Creed

Elizabeth Mott-Edward Thurston

Sarah Thurston-John Thornton

Benjamin Thornton-Mary Gurney

Sarah Thornton-Stephen Paine

Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor

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

Fun fact:  Warren G Harding, Marilyn Monroe, and Lizzie Borden are all descendants of Adam Mott, and thus our distant cousins.