The family of Samuel Lane 1628-1681

 In just a few years, it will be the 400th anniversary of this ancestor's birth, and in ensuing years, much of his history has been lost.  Court records were burned, church records apparently are gone, and even in London, his records have not been located, or at least not made easily available.  This post will merely lay out possibilities for the mother (possibly plural) of his children, and speculation about one of the children.  We are on fairly solid ground for two of the children, anyway.  

Samuel was born about 1628 in England, possibly London, and went with his family to Providence Island in the Bahamas until sometime later.  He was a Puritan and returned to England, possibly under the Cromwell rule, and became a pastor there.  His first marriage was to Barbara Roddam, the daughter of Edmund Roddam, who was also a pastor.  Then things get murky.  Samuel was in Anne Arundel County, Maryland by 1663, when there are a few records available.  The Maryland records show that his wife was Margaret, the daughter of Frances and Katherine (possibly Dudley) Mauldin.  But the dates are all over the place.  Barbara died in 1664, or 1671, or some other date.  He married Margaret in either 1669 or 1679.  So it is theoretically possible that he was a bigamist, although given that this was a man of some social standing, that seems unlikely to me.  It's possible that the children's birth dates (all in the 1670s) are incorrect, and that they were born earlier, to Barbara.  It's possible that there was a second wife between Barbara and Margaret, who is yet unknown.  Or it's possible that the date of 1669 for his marriage to Margaret is correct, and that the children are hers.  Samuel died in 1681, probably in Lord Baltimore's War,  It has been suggested that he died in a skirmish with members of the Seneca tribe, but I've not been able to verify that.

At any rate, there are three children listed in Samuel's will.  

Dutton was probably the first born son, born about 1670..  I have been unable to find an earlier "Dutton" in the family of Lane, Roddam, or Mauldin, so I am uncertain where this name came from.  He married Pretitia (various spellings; I chose the easiest one) Tydings, the daughter of Richard and Charity Sparrow Tydings.  Their children are Samuel, Dutton, Richard, Margaret, and Sarah.  Dutton died in 1726 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and I will follow this family further in my next post.  

Samuel was born about 1672.  He married Sarah Harrison, the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Smith Harrison.  Their children are Richard, Joseph, Nathan, Samuel, Benjamin, Thomas, Elizabeth, Harrison, and Sarah.  He died in 1719 in Anne Arundel County.

There was also a daughter, Sarah, mentioned in her father's will.  I am not sure what happened to her.  Some say she married a Thomas Hooker in New Jersey, but I am not convinced this is the same Sarah.  Her story still needs to be found and told.

I should mention that some trees also show him as a father to Elizabeth and Grace.  I think it's more likely that these were step-children, so I've not attempted to learn more of their stories.

I mentioned that Samuel was a man of some social standing.  He apparently did not have a congregation in Maryland; perhaps his first wife's death had something to do with that.  He was referred to as a gentleman, chirurgeon (surgeon, but not trained to our understanding of the word), doctor, doctor of physics, justice of the peace, gentleman of the quorum, and a military major, as well as a planter.  I just wish we knew more about his wives and children, however many there were. 

Allen line: The family of Richard Lane 1696-1957

 When I started to prepare for this post, I thought I had nothing much to say about the family of Richard and his wife, Alice Carter, the daughter of Humphrey and Annis Bliss Carter.  I learned so much writing this post, and find him to be an utterly fascinating person, although again, not without controversies both in his own life and in trying to trace his family.  Richard is the son of Roger and Beatrice (controversy as to her maiden name) Lane, and was a Puritan who emigrated from London to the island of Providence, in the Bahamas, where he was a merchant tailor.  At one time, he was on the council of the island, and a slave owner (although the records refer to them as servants; this was the common terminology at the time).  As a Puritan, he was caught up in the investigations by Bishop Laud and forced to return to London for examination.  Fortunately for our family, by the time he arrived the bishop was no longer in power, and he was allowed to return to Providence with the blessings of the government.  

When he and Alice migrated to Providence Island, there were three children with them, and a fourth was apparently born in Providence although there don't seem to be records there.  Richard and a son (below) drowned in 1657, either at the island of Eleuthra or en route there.  Alice returned to London and died there in 1674.  There is much more I could write of Richard, because there is a good account in volume II of Maryland Genealogies (found on Ancestry), but this post is mainly about their children.

Samuel was the first son, born about 1628 in London.  He first married Barbara Roddam, the daughter of Edmund Roddam, and then Margaret Mauldin, the daughter of Francis and Katherine (possibly Dudley) Mauldin.  His three children were all born in the 1670s and that is a problem because Barbara died before the children were married and Margaret's marriage is sometimes recorded as 1649, although some say it was 1669.  At this point, I'm not sure who was the mother of Samuel's three children-Dutton, Samuel, and Sarah.  Samuel settled in Maryland, and I will write further of this family in my next post.  

John, whom I have seen referred to as Jonathan and as Joseph, was born about 1631.  I think the problem is that the original document lists him as "Jo", which can be interpreted in different ways.  However, as John Lane he is best known.  He married first Mary, the daughter of Timothy and Mary Neville Lucas, and had four children-John, Mary Anna, Robert, and Joseph.  He married secondly Elizabeth the widow Howell, and their children are Thomas, Elinor, William, and James.  It is thought that Elizabeth may have been a Saltonstall, with ties to the Boston family of that name, but that as far as I know is still speculation.   

Oziel was born in 1632 and was the youngest child when the family emigrated in 1635.  I have not found any records that he married, and he is the son who drowned along with his father in 1657.

There is also a daughter, Mary, born about 1642.  She married a William Denne and they had at least five children, Elizabeth, Alice, another Elizabeth, Thomas, and Richard.  I have not located the parents of William but I think that someone by the name of Thomas would be a likely candidate, and Elizabeth may be the name of his mother, based solely on naming patterns.

I find Richard fascinating because although he emigrated, it was not to what became the thirteen colonies, but to another British colony entirely.  He was caught up in the politics of religion, he apparently held slaves, he tried to grow madder, and he seems to have been relatively prosperous.  And of course, Richard and Alice are part of the reason I'm here today!

 

The family of Levi Rockwood 1751-1806

This is the last of my posts on the Rockwood family.  It has been really interesting to me to look at them, as so many stayed in basically the same location for entire generations, and then in the early 1800s, mostly, moved on from Bellingham to western Massachusetts and then many to Erie County, New York.  It would be interesting to know whether those who went to Erie went with the hope of finding work on the canal, and how successful, or not, they were at that.  I'm sure there are a lot of stories hidden in the names shown below.  

Levi Rockwood was born in 1751 in Bellingham, Massachusetts, the son of Joseph and Alice Thomson Rockwood.  (Following up on my last blog post, this was yet another loss for Alice, for she outlived him by a few years.)  He married Deborah Lazell (Leazell, lots of other spellings), the daughter of Isaac and Deborah Marsh Lazell.  Levi served in the Revolutionary War for several brief periods of time, including responding to the Lexington-Concord "shots heard 'round the world".  He died in Bellingham in 1806.  

Levi and Deborah had 8 children together, and were more fortunate than Levi's mother had been.  One child lived only a few months, but the rest all had respectable life spans, and at least five children.  This family has several ties to Thomson and Holbrook names, so that it truly goes from being a tree to a tangled forest, as I try to sort these out.  

Their first child was Rachel, born in 1774 and died in 1852 in Lockport, New York.  She married Levi Thompson, the son of Nathan and Dorothy Coles Thompson.  (Nathan is the son of Joseph and Mary Holbrook Thomson, Mary being a descendant of Peter and Alice Godfrey Holbrook.  Joseph is believed to be a descendant of David and Amyas Colle Thomson, who are also our ancestors.) The children of Rachel and Levi include Rachel, Levi, Hiram, Demmon, Orrin, Lucy, Byron, Joseph, and Cephas.

Next came Susannah, in 1776.  She married Nahum Holbrook, the son of Amariah and Molly Wright Holbrook, and died in 1840 in Adamsville, Washington County, New York.  Nahum was a veteran of the war of 1812 in New York, so they had moved prior to that time.  And yes, Nahum is a descendant of Peter and Alice Godfrey Holbrook.  Susannah and Nahum's children are Lucinda, Amariah, Deborah, Nahum, Susan, Joseph (our line) and Mary.  

Hannah's brief life began in 1778 and ended just a few months later. She was the last daughter born to the couple. 

Joseph, the first son, was born in 1780 and died in 1854 in Bellingham.  He married Anne Chilson, the daughter of John and Abigail Draper Chilson.  Their children are Lucena, Preston, Artman/Artemas, Susan, Maria, Joseph, John, Emily and Abbie (possibly Abigail?).  

Levi was born in 1782 and died in 1837 in Boston, Erie County, New York.  He married Tryphena Holbrook, the daughter of Amariah and Molly Wright Holbrook.  And yes, Amariah is also a descendant of Peter and Alice Godfrey Holbrook. So Susannah and Levi each married children of Amariah and Molly Wright Holbrook, which isn't surprising given the population of the town at that time.  Levi's children are John, Amos, Levi, Orrin, and Lyman.  

Nathan was born in 1784 and died in 1879 in Hamburg, Erie County, New York.  He married Ann Ferguson, the daughter of Samuel and Jemima Abbe Ferguson.  Their children are William, Lovena, Sarah, Eliza, Helen, and Harriette.  He was also a veteran of the War of 1812.

Martin was born in 1787 and died in 1864 in Boston, Erie County, New York.  He married Abigail Bates, the daughter of Ezekiel and Abigail Legg Bates.  Their children are Horace, Caoline, Martin, Abigail, Sena, Elizabeth, Varnum, and Calvin.  After Abigail's death, he married Lois Hitchcock, a descendant of Luke and Elizabeth Hitchcock, who are our ancestors on the Allen side of the family. Martin and Lois had no known children.  

Finally, Reuben was born in 1790 and died in 1865 in Eden, Erie County, New York.  He married Polly Albee, the daughter of Alphaeus and Susannah Phillips Albee.  Their children are Valentine, Reuben, Asiel, Urial, and Mary.   

These male children would have grown up hearing stories from the Revolutionary War.  Several of them, perhaps more than I've noted here, served during the War of 1812.  And some lived to see the end of the Civil War.  There is a lot of history woven into the lives of this Rockwood family,

The family of Joseph Rockwood 1722-1778

Joseph Rockwood, the son of John and Deborah Thayer Rockwood, was born in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts in 1722.  He married Alice Thomson (Thompson), the daughter of Joseph and Mary Holbrook Thomson in 1750 in Bellingham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts.  We have already seen Holbrook names mentioned in connection with the Rockwoods and there are more connections to come.  Mendon and Bellingham, where many of the children lived, were small towns and families frequently intermarried.  To re-set the stage, Mary Holbrook Thomson was a daughter of Peter and Alice Godfrey Holbrook.  Joseph died in 1778, just a month after his father's death.

Joseph and Alice (seen often as Elce) had at least eight children.  The eight survived childhood, but four of them died when they were in their twenties or thirties, so there are not as many grandchildren for this couple as one would think.  So while there was great joy in watching the children grow, their would later be the sorrow for the empty homes in the village and in their own hearts. 

The first born child was Levi, born in 1751 and died in 1806, both in Bellingham.  He married Deborah Lazell, the daughter of Isaac and Deborah Marsh Lazell.  Their children include Rachel, Susannah, Hannah, Joseph, Levi, Nathan, Martin and Reuben.  I will write more of this family in my next post.

Deborah was born next, in 1754. She married Silvanus Batte or Battey, the son of Nicholas and Hannah Davis Battey.  Their children are Robert, Amasa, and Amos.  Deborah died in 1779, already a widow at the age of just 25.  I haven't further traced the children, but perhaps Alice, or one of the surviving aunts and uncles, was able to help raise them.

John was born in 1756 and died in 1786.  He married Eunice Smith, the daughter of Matthew and Sarah Adams Smith.  Their children are John and Cephas.  The sad story of John and his brother Cephas (below) is that they for some reason were on a ship returning from Damariscotta, Maine, when their ship overturned near Lovell's Island, in Boston Harbor.  The returning passengers struggled to shore on the island but this was in December, in the middle of a blizzard, and 11 of the thirteen passengers, including our two Rockwoods, froze to death in their wet clothing, with no shelter available.  

Alice was born in 1758 and died in 1842 in Bellingham.  She married John Cook, the son of Daniel and Elizabeth Scott Cook.  That is the full extent of what I've found for her.  If she stayed her entire life in Bellingham, there are no children recorded there.  It's possible that she and John had left the area and that she came home to Bellingham after living elsewhere, but I've not found anything to reflect that.  There is a 1790 census in Maine that might possibly be this John Cook, which does indicate the possibility of children.  

Joseph was born in 1760 and died on October 6, 1778, just four days before his grandfather John and 35 days before his father Joseph. As mentioned in my last post, it seems possible that there was an epidemic of some sort in town, whether smallpox or something else, but I've not found anything further about that.  At any rate, Alice lost her son, husband, and father in law in very short order, and then the following year her daughter.  She must have been, or become, a very strong woman!

Melatiah was born in 1762 and died in 1848 or 1849 in Bellingham.  Her first marriage was to Asa Holbrook, the son of Asahel and Anna Puffer Holbrook.  Yes, Asa was a descendant of Peter and Alice Godfrey Holbrook, so there was a cousin relationship here, although not a first cousin.  Their children are Deborah, Sylvanus, Cephas, and Anna.  After Asa died, she married Caleb Adams, who may or may not be the son of Moses and Abigail Stone Adams.  Their children are Abigail, Caleb, Melatiah, and Alice.  I have not yet found a relationship between Caleb Adams and Sarah Adams Smith, but there may be one.  

Cephas I have mentioned above, as being one of those who froze to death on Lovell's Island.  He was born in 1766 and was not yet 21 years old at the time of this death.  

The final child was Daniel, born in 1768.  He seems to be the only one who left Bellingham, settling first on Oswego, New York, and dying in 1853 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.  He married Lovica (various spellings) Pond, the daughter of Eliezer and Huldah Hill Pond.  Their children are John, Daniel, Samuel, Alice, Marinda, and Lovice.  It is interesting to speculate why Daniel went to Chicago.  Our ancestor Joseph Holbrook was already there.  Did he go to visit, or had he gone there to start a new life after Lovica's 1843 death?  He was pretty old to be starting over.  Daniel Rockwood, who may be the son of our Daniel, was living in Vermilion, Livingston County, Illinois in the 1850 census.

As usual, there are still questions to clear up with this family, particularly about Alice Rockwood Cook.  Did she or did she not have children?  Did she live in Maine for part of her life?  More research needs to be done, but at least we have this much information.  Joseph and Alice, despite their sorrows, raised their family, and at least one, Levi, was a veteran of the Revolutionary War.  We can be grateful for their sacrifices.

The family of John Rockwood 1696-1778

We come to John Rockwood, the son of Joseph and Mary Hayward Rockwood, born in 1696 in Mendon, Massachusetts and died there in 1778.  There were a lot of "small" wars during his lifespan, including the not so small French and Indian War of 1754-1763, but so far I've found no records that show him as a soldier during any of the conflicts.  This doesn't rule out the probability that he was at least in the militia, so there is at least the possibility that more research would turn up something.

John married Deborah Thayer, the daughter of Ebenezer and Martha Thompson Thayer, in 1716 in Mendon.  As far as I can tell, they stayed in Mendon their entire lives, so I'm a bit puzzled that three children claimed for them are not listed in the Mendon birth records.  Of course, by this time there were other John Rockwoods and it's possible that the three children should be attributed to one of those men.  The three in question are Simeon, supposedly born in 1722, Abigail, in 1724, and Mary, in 1725.  I would certainly love to hear from anyone who has knowledge of these three.  They fit nicely into John and Deborah's time line, but they apparently weren't born in Mendon, or records were lost for those years.  I am unable to trace any of them further, so perhaps they died very early, if they belonged to this family.

There are six children who seem to be documented.  Ebenezer was the first son, born in 1718.  He lived long enough to marry Sarah, who is possibly Sarah Hayward, the daughter of Jonathan Hayward.  Their son, and apparently their only child, is Ebenezer.  Sadly, Ebenezer (Sr.) died in 1742, at the young age of 26.

John was the next son born in 1721.  This gets pretty confusing because this John, the son of John and Deborah Thayer Rockwood, also married Deborah Thayer, except she was the daughter of Jonathan and Bethiah Chapin Thayer.  Both Thayers trace back to Ferdinando Thayer, the Thayer immigrant, so there was some kind of family relationship involved.  They have at least two children, Molly (Molle) and Simeon.  I have seen trees that list additional children, but if so, they don't seem to have been born in Mendon.  John died in 1753, based on the bond issued to his wife Deborah, and two male Thayers, in August of that year.

Joseph was the next son, born in 1722.  He married Alice Thompson, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Holbrook Thompson.  They have eight children-Deborah, John, Alice, Joseph, Melatiah, Cephas, and Daniel.  Joseph died in 1778 in Bellingham, just a month after the death of his father.  (Bellingham was a daughter city to Mendon so if he had moved at all, it wasn't far.)  I will write more of this family in my next post.

Then there is a break of 8 years, which may be when Simeon, Abigail, and Mary were born and lived what may have been short lives.  There is always the possibility that John and Deborah had moved to another town or village and that these three children were simply born elsewhere, but I've not found any likely locations yet, so let's leave them as questionable at this point.

Reuben (Rubin) was born in 1730.  He may have been the first of the family to really strike out away from home, as he died in 1803 in Tyringham, Berkshire, Massachusetts.  His wife is Lydia Green, the daughter of Joshua and Phebe Rawson Green.  Their children are Hannah, Lydia, Ebenezer, Abigail, Joshua, Jason, Margery, Deborah, Beulah, Asenath, and Phebe.  Reuben was a veteran of the Revolutionary War.

Margery or Margaret was born in 1732 and died in 1758 in Wrentham, Worcester, Massachusetts.  She married Edward Gay, the son of Edward and Rebecca Fisher Gray.  Their children are Hannah, Thomas, Rachel, and Margery or Margaret.  

Deborah (I wonder why that name wasn't used earlier?) was born in 1734 and died in 1811 in Upton, Worcester, Massachusetts.  She married Benjamin Farrar, the son of Joseph and Mary Hoskins Farrar.  Their children are Deborah, Abigail, Ruth, Sarah, Benjamin, Esther, and possibly three others, unnamed and perhaps died as infants.  

This summary of the family of John and Deborah Thayer Rockwood of course leaves questions, not least about the missing child-bearing years of Deborah.  We can at least know that John and Deborah left at least 32 children, and their descendants probably have a tangled tree and stories to tell, too.

The family of Joseph Rockwood 1671-1718

We are on a bit firmer ground when it comes to Joseph Rockwood and his family.  He was born in Mendon, Massachusetts, and died there, and all of his children seem to have stayed in the area.  Some are shown as Bellingham residents, but Bellingham was formed from Mendon so it may be that no one had really moved; they may have lived on their original lands.  This is an interesting family because we see other connections to some of our other lines as we explore the data for the children.  And, as usual, there are still some unanswered questions.

Joseph was born in 1671 in Mendon to John and Joanna (or Johannah) Ford Rockwood/Rockett.  The spelling of the last name didn't stabilize until this next generation, and even then there are some usages of the old Rockett spelling.  He married Mary, sometimes seen as Mary Ann, Hayward, the daughter of Samuel and Mehitable Thompson Hayward, and together they had at least 10 children.  Joseph was 47 years old when he died in 1718, and Mary died just four years later, so some of the children were still minors and needed guardians.

Mary was the first born, in 1690.  Some give her a birthdate of 1704, but that was a different Mary, because our Mary married in 1717/18, so a 1704 birthdate is too late to fit.  Her husband is Samuel Wheaton, the son of Benjamin and Margaret Ide Wheaton.  Although Mary lived until 1777, it appears that they had only one child, a daughter also named Mary.  I haven't found an accurate date of death for Samuel, but perhaps he died early, and that would be a reason for no additional children.

Joanna was born in 1792 and died before 1779 in Bellingham.  Her husband is Eliphalet Holbrook, the son of Peter and Alice Godfrey Holbrook, who are our ancestors in another line.  Their children are Eliphalet, Ebenezer, Elisha, Seth, Noah, Naaman, Caleb, Elijah, and Johanna.  

John was the first born son, in 1696.  He married Deborah Thayer, the daughter of Ebenezer and Martha Thompson Thayer.  Their children are Ebenezer, John, Joseph, Simeon, Abigail, Mary, Reuben, Margery, and Deborah.  John died in 1778.  I will follow this family in my next blog post.

Margaret is a mystery.  She was born in 1698, but I have not located anything further about her.  She may have died as an infant or a young child, but I've not yet found proof.  

Samuel was born in 1700 and may have died in 1761 in Somers, Tolland County, Connecticut.  I am not positive this is our man; this may be a different Samuel Rockwood.  Our Samuel's wife was Elizabeth Wood, daughter of Josiah and Mary Felt Wood.  Their children are Josiah, Elizabeth, Olive, Samuel, and Chloe.

Josiah is another mystery.  He was born in 1702 and died in 1764 in Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts.  That is all that I know of his life.  I've found nothing about a marriage, or children, but of course the records could be lost.  

Trial (Tryal) was born in 1704 and died in 1730.  She married Samuel White, the son of Thomas and Mehitable Thornton White.  Their children are Samuel, Hanna, and Joanna.  It appears that Trial may have died as a result of child birth.  

Richard was born in 1706 and died in 1786.  He married Sarah Thayer, the daughter of Jonathan and Sarah Allen Thayer.  (Yes, Jonathan is a descendant of Ferdinando and Huldah Hayward Thayer, as is Deborah Thayer, who married John Rockwood, above.)  Their children are Josiah, Joseph, and Nehemiah.

Susanna was born in 1709 and died in 1736.  She married Moses Tenney, the son of Thomas and Sarah Tenney Tenney (not a typo; they were first cousins).  I only know of one child for them, Josiah.  After Susannah's death, which may have been related to childbirth, Moses remarried and had several more children.  

Benjamin Rockwood was the last known child of Joseph and Mary.  He was born in 1711, and married Margaret Greet, the daughter of John and Lydia Lineford Green.  Their children are Joannah, Benjamin, and Samuel.  After Margaret's death, Benjamin married an as yet unidentified Mehetabel, and had at least two more children, Silence and Seth.  I do not have a death date for Benjamin.

I'm sure if we knew their stories, there would be interesting life experiences for some of the Rockwoods.  There were several wars that may show Rockwoods as soldiers, and if not as soldiers, then in the militia.  The list of soldiers and sailors from Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War lists quite a few Rockwoods with the same names as are shown here, who were from Bellingham or Mendon, and others whose hometown was not designated.  This was a patriotic family.