Samuel Winsor was the son of Joshua and Mary (maiden name unknown) Winsor. He was born at Providence Plantation on November 18, 1644, very early in the life of that colony. His father, Joshua was a free thinker, perhaps having similar thoughts to those of Roger Williams. He was encouraged to come to Providence by Roger Williams, and the Winsors would have known the Williams family well for many years.
We don't know a lot about Samuel, and some of what is on the internet is not accurate, as far as I can tell. This Samuel Winsor was not a pastor or a "Reverend", unless I have missed some documentation, although his son and grandson were Baptist pastors. Our Samuel may or may not have worshiped as a Baptist, but since the Baptist church was the first one in Providence it is likely that he did attend services there. It's also likely that he was a seeker, always looking for God in his life.
His occupation was that of a farmer, but I haven't seen whether he was considered a yeoman or a husbandman. Perhaps in Rhode Island they didn't pay much attention to titles.
He was one of those who stayed in Providence during King Philip's war. Since only two homes were not burned by the natives during that struggle, it is probable that if he had his own home by that time, it was destroyed. Roger Williams was captain of the militia during this time, and there were 30 men left in his unit. All the others had fled. I would like to say that Samuel, being about 32 years old at this time, would have stayed to guard and if necessary, fight to protect the small village.
Samuel married on January 2, 1677 to the youngest daughter of Roger and Mary Barnard Williams, Mercy. She was the widow of Resolved Waterman. The Winsors had four children together, which, with the five children she had with Resolved, would have made for quite a large family.
We don't have Samuel's will or administration papers, although the administration papers apparently exist. But we do have his statement of taxable items the all residents were required to provide during the rule of Edmund Andros, in 1686-1687. At that time, he reported two oxen, three cows, one three year old "hifer", Four two year old cattle, three yearlings, one horse, one mare, one two year old horse, five small siwne, eighteen sheep a year old, one house lott, one house lott more, eighty seven acres of land in the wilderness, a share beyond the seven mile line unlaid out, a swamp called Joshua's swamp, five or six acres, half a share of meadow called Shepherd's meadow about thirty acres, at my house three (acres) plowed, about 5 or six rough pasture of the said thirty. This is the best account that I can give. He made an addendum to report one horse more belonging to Resolved Waterman "who is with me upon wages" more eleven acres of land in the neck that was forgot that was Shepard's (spelling and punctuation mostly cleaned up by this writer). This was dated September 1, 1687.
So in ten years after the destruction of his home, Samuel had largely recovered what he lost and perhaps was even prospering. This is the only information I've found that give us an indication of his economic standing. We don't know his religion for sure, we don't know that he served in the militia for sure, but we do know that he must have been a hardworking man, and we can honor him for that work ethic. We can also honor him for the children he raised, his and his wife's, and for the service he gave to his country. On line records show that Samuel and Mercy died on the same day, September 19, 1705, but I can only verify Samuel's death date. Mercy may well have died about the same time. If they did die on the same date, it would be interesting to know their cause(s) of death. Was there a contagious disease, or was it pure coincidence, or was it love?
The line of descent is
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Williams
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Harding
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Hamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Mathewson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mathewson. Show all posts
Friday, February 28, 2020
Friday, December 14, 2018
Holbrook line: Richard Harding, Immigrant
Richard Harding is an immigrant. We know that because he died in Braintree, Massachusetts on December 27, 1657, a few days after writing his will there. That's pretty much the one sure thing we know about him. The rest of what I will write is information, or possibly speculation, that I can't document.
Richard is thought to have been born in 1587 in Boreham, Devonshire, England to John and Mary Greene Harding. The family later moved to Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, perhaps. Richard was one of several children, but he isn't mentioned in the will of his fagther. He was already in America when his father died, so it is quite possible that he had already received what would have been his inheritance, perhaps as a gift to help Richard get settled here.
Richard is supposed to have arrived in 1623 with a wife and an infant son. The "infant" son may have been John, was was born about 1620, or it may have been Stephen, our ancestor, who was born in 1623, believed to have been born in America. Richard made his living as a mariner and fisherman, living not far from Weymouth Landing. It would have been very difficult for Richard's wife to stay at home with two small children while Richard was at sea.
We don't know what kind of house Richard had, but it's speculated that he lived on land given him by his aunt's husband, Sir Robert Gorges. Sir Robert had been given the land in an effort to plant a colony there. Richard evidently lived there all his life. A confusing statement is that he helped settle Rhode Island and was a follower and supporter of Roger Williams. Richard was granted freeman status in 1648 in Massachusetts, so it's hard to imagine that he also was supporting Roger Williams, who had been banished to what became Rhode Island in 1636.
This is as much as I know, think I know, or have my doubts about, Richard Harding. Definitely he was here, and it's highly likely he was the father of Stephen Harding. Beyond that, I have no documentation. He isn't mentioned in any of the Great Migrations literature, that I've found. So take it with a grain of salt, and if you know something contrary to what I've said, or supporting it, with documentation, please let me know!
The line of descent is:
Richard Harding-unknown first wife
Stephen Harding-Bridget Estance
Abraham Harding-Deborah Gardner
Mercy Harding-Samuel Winsor
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Richard is thought to have been born in 1587 in Boreham, Devonshire, England to John and Mary Greene Harding. The family later moved to Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, perhaps. Richard was one of several children, but he isn't mentioned in the will of his fagther. He was already in America when his father died, so it is quite possible that he had already received what would have been his inheritance, perhaps as a gift to help Richard get settled here.
Richard is supposed to have arrived in 1623 with a wife and an infant son. The "infant" son may have been John, was was born about 1620, or it may have been Stephen, our ancestor, who was born in 1623, believed to have been born in America. Richard made his living as a mariner and fisherman, living not far from Weymouth Landing. It would have been very difficult for Richard's wife to stay at home with two small children while Richard was at sea.
We don't know what kind of house Richard had, but it's speculated that he lived on land given him by his aunt's husband, Sir Robert Gorges. Sir Robert had been given the land in an effort to plant a colony there. Richard evidently lived there all his life. A confusing statement is that he helped settle Rhode Island and was a follower and supporter of Roger Williams. Richard was granted freeman status in 1648 in Massachusetts, so it's hard to imagine that he also was supporting Roger Williams, who had been banished to what became Rhode Island in 1636.
This is as much as I know, think I know, or have my doubts about, Richard Harding. Definitely he was here, and it's highly likely he was the father of Stephen Harding. Beyond that, I have no documentation. He isn't mentioned in any of the Great Migrations literature, that I've found. So take it with a grain of salt, and if you know something contrary to what I've said, or supporting it, with documentation, please let me know!
The line of descent is:
Richard Harding-unknown first wife
Stephen Harding-Bridget Estance
Abraham Harding-Deborah Gardner
Mercy Harding-Samuel Winsor
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Holbrook line: William Holbrook 1620-1699 Immigrant
William was born in or near Glastonbury, Somerset, England shortly before June 14, 1620. His parent were Thomas and Jane Powyes Holbrook. William was an immigrant, probably about 15 years old, who may or may not have arrived with his parents when they came to America in 1635. His name is not on the manifest of the Marigold, as his parents and siblings are, so the record could have been a mistake or it is possible that William traveled separately. He went first to Weymouth with his family, and was made a freeman there in 1647.
He married Elizabeth Pitts about 1643, probably in Weymouth. They had ten or possibly 11 children together, but not all lived to adulthood. He must have been a man who was admired, because I've found reference to him both as "Deacon Holbrook" and "Captain Holbrook". He was assigned land in the new settlement of Mendon and went there in 1663. I have also seen comments that he owned "vast tracts" of land although the records I've looked at indicate more modest holdings, as he bought and sold perhaps 40 acres at a time.
We don't know much about his life but we can guess that it was upended when King Philip's War began in 1675. Half a dozen settlers were killed in the first raid in 1675. The settlers left the area in great haste, and a few months later the settlement was burned to the ground. William did not return to rebuild in Mendon. Instead, he want to Scituate, Plymouth Colony, where he and Elizabeth lived out their lives. We don't know when he was given the title of "Captain", or whether he served in the militia during this time.
From William's inventory, it appears that he was either a weaver or a merchant in textiles, or possibly both. William Bradford II was involved in the paperwork of settling the estate. Elizabeth died about 1696 and William married that same year to Abigail Wright Sharpe Clapp. He provided for her out of his estate, which totaled about 170 pounds, plus whatever real estate he had. He scratched his initials instead of signing his name, but that could have been due to age and illness rather than illiteracy.
Here's the sad thing about his life. His inventory included a "Negro man" with a value of 26 pounds. We don't know when and under what circumstances he was purchased or acquired (perhaps he came with second wife, perhaps not). We don't know how old he was. We don't know his name. We don't know so much about this man, but we know there was a connection with William. This is hard to write about. We have a few other New England ancestors who "owned" slaves, but not many. This is hard to accept and to write about, but we need to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about our ancestors, if we are to understand them and their world.
There's much we don't know about William Holbrook, but it's a joy to know this much. I treasure every ancestor and look forward to the hunt to learn more about him.
Our line of descent is:
William Holbrook-Elizabeth Pitts
Jane Holbrook-Alexander Balcom
Sarah Balcom-Timothy Sheldon
Martha Sheldon-Thomas Mathewson
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
Lillis Winson-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
This is Gladys Holbrook's maternal line. She also has a paternal line that ends up with William's parents, Thomas and Jane Powyes Holbrook. So, as so often happens, she is her own distant cousin.
He married Elizabeth Pitts about 1643, probably in Weymouth. They had ten or possibly 11 children together, but not all lived to adulthood. He must have been a man who was admired, because I've found reference to him both as "Deacon Holbrook" and "Captain Holbrook". He was assigned land in the new settlement of Mendon and went there in 1663. I have also seen comments that he owned "vast tracts" of land although the records I've looked at indicate more modest holdings, as he bought and sold perhaps 40 acres at a time.
We don't know much about his life but we can guess that it was upended when King Philip's War began in 1675. Half a dozen settlers were killed in the first raid in 1675. The settlers left the area in great haste, and a few months later the settlement was burned to the ground. William did not return to rebuild in Mendon. Instead, he want to Scituate, Plymouth Colony, where he and Elizabeth lived out their lives. We don't know when he was given the title of "Captain", or whether he served in the militia during this time.
From William's inventory, it appears that he was either a weaver or a merchant in textiles, or possibly both. William Bradford II was involved in the paperwork of settling the estate. Elizabeth died about 1696 and William married that same year to Abigail Wright Sharpe Clapp. He provided for her out of his estate, which totaled about 170 pounds, plus whatever real estate he had. He scratched his initials instead of signing his name, but that could have been due to age and illness rather than illiteracy.
Here's the sad thing about his life. His inventory included a "Negro man" with a value of 26 pounds. We don't know when and under what circumstances he was purchased or acquired (perhaps he came with second wife, perhaps not). We don't know how old he was. We don't know his name. We don't know so much about this man, but we know there was a connection with William. This is hard to write about. We have a few other New England ancestors who "owned" slaves, but not many. This is hard to accept and to write about, but we need to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about our ancestors, if we are to understand them and their world.
There's much we don't know about William Holbrook, but it's a joy to know this much. I treasure every ancestor and look forward to the hunt to learn more about him.
Our line of descent is:
William Holbrook-Elizabeth Pitts
Jane Holbrook-Alexander Balcom
Sarah Balcom-Timothy Sheldon
Martha Sheldon-Thomas Mathewson
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
Lillis Winson-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
This is Gladys Holbrook's maternal line. She also has a paternal line that ends up with William's parents, Thomas and Jane Powyes Holbrook. So, as so often happens, she is her own distant cousin.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Holbrook line: Joshua WInsor, immigrant
It seems strange that Joshua Winsor has not been researched more extensively than he has been, because, after all, he was the father in law of Roger William's daughter. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that records haven't been found, which could be for any number of reasons, including the sad fact that many records from that time period are not in existence any longer. The most popular idea seems to be that he was from Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, England. There were Winsors there from the 1450's and I have the names of Joshua's purported father, grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather, if this is correct. But I don't have a birth date or other documentation, so the jury is still out as to when and where he was born, and what he did with his early life.
Just so we have a beginning framework, let's say, for the purpose of this blog post only, that he was born about 1610. It could have been earlier, and it may have been a little later. The first thing we really know is that he was in Massachusetts Bay Colony as an indentured servant of governor John Winthrop. Joshua, whether because of temperament or beliefs, did not fit in well with the Puritans of Boston and would likely have been branded a trouble maker, or worse, had not Roger Williams come to his rescue.
Roger, from his newly established home at Providence Plantation, wrote a letter to Gov. Winthrop asking to buy out the rest of Joshua's indentureship, and have Joshua come to Rhode Island. The governor agreed, and Joshua arrived in Rhode Island in 1638. By 1640 he was free of the indentured servant status and was a freeman, signing his name to the compact of 1640. He was granted house lot number 35, on what became South Main Street, in Providence and also acquired six acres of meadowland
Joshua married sometime before 1644, when his only son was born, but his wife's name has never been determined. After son Samuel was born, the couple had four more children, all daughters. Mrs. Winsor died in 1655 and we have no record that Joshua remarried. He died in 1679, which means he would have been affected and probably lost his home and all that was in it, during King Philip's War in 1675-1676. There is no record of church membership or attendance for Joshua. It is believed that he was buried on his own home lot, which means he returned to Providence and rebuilt his home.
I haven't found a copy of Joshua's will or estate, and we know nothing of his religious beliefs. We know he could sign his name, but we don't know how far his education extended. Did Roger Williams or his wife Mary Barnard tutor him informally? We don't know. Joshua's son, Samuel became a Baptist pastor so there was some indication that education was valued in the family. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall, as Joshua worked for Roger Williams. Did their conversations extend to religious beliefs and knowledge? As I said, I'd love to know!
The line of descent is:
Joshua Winsor-wife
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Williams
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Harding
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
Just so we have a beginning framework, let's say, for the purpose of this blog post only, that he was born about 1610. It could have been earlier, and it may have been a little later. The first thing we really know is that he was in Massachusetts Bay Colony as an indentured servant of governor John Winthrop. Joshua, whether because of temperament or beliefs, did not fit in well with the Puritans of Boston and would likely have been branded a trouble maker, or worse, had not Roger Williams come to his rescue.
Roger, from his newly established home at Providence Plantation, wrote a letter to Gov. Winthrop asking to buy out the rest of Joshua's indentureship, and have Joshua come to Rhode Island. The governor agreed, and Joshua arrived in Rhode Island in 1638. By 1640 he was free of the indentured servant status and was a freeman, signing his name to the compact of 1640. He was granted house lot number 35, on what became South Main Street, in Providence and also acquired six acres of meadowland
Joshua married sometime before 1644, when his only son was born, but his wife's name has never been determined. After son Samuel was born, the couple had four more children, all daughters. Mrs. Winsor died in 1655 and we have no record that Joshua remarried. He died in 1679, which means he would have been affected and probably lost his home and all that was in it, during King Philip's War in 1675-1676. There is no record of church membership or attendance for Joshua. It is believed that he was buried on his own home lot, which means he returned to Providence and rebuilt his home.
I haven't found a copy of Joshua's will or estate, and we know nothing of his religious beliefs. We know he could sign his name, but we don't know how far his education extended. Did Roger Williams or his wife Mary Barnard tutor him informally? We don't know. Joshua's son, Samuel became a Baptist pastor so there was some indication that education was valued in the family. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall, as Joshua worked for Roger Williams. Did their conversations extend to religious beliefs and knowledge? As I said, I'd love to know!
The line of descent is:
Joshua Winsor-wife
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Williams
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Harding
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
Friday, February 23, 2018
Holbrook line: James Mathewson, Immigrant
Like many of our immigrant ancestors, James Mathewson's origins are a mystery. Most family historians are willing to say he was born in England about 1624, but that may be just a guess. It may or may not be true that the family name descends from someone named Mathew, before surnames were used. That is not much to go on. Some websites say that he came to Plymouth Colony and was not happy there so went to Rhode Island. I can find no documentation that he was ever at Plymouth, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. I just don't want to write it down as my belief when I have no support for the statement. So take it for what it is worth, perhaps a clue. (There is a James Mathew who was in Charlestown and then Yarmouth, Massachusetts but it appears that that James, besides bearing a different last name, was older than we think our James Matthewson is).
We first learn of James in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1658 when he purchased five acres of land from Thomas Angell, who is also our ancestor. (Fun fact: This land was adjoined by land belonging to Benedick Arnold, who was the great grandfather of the Benedict Arnold who is now infamous in our country's history.) He purchased more land and was also granted land in a division of lands in 1665, indicating he was now considered a settler. We don't know where the funds came from to purchase that original land.
The only other fact I have been able to locate is that he was a deputy to the court in 1680, showing that he was respected by his peers. We can surmise that his family's home was burned during King Philip's War, since almost all homes in Providence were burned by the natives during that conflict. Hannah and the children had likely fled to Newport, but we don't know about James. It seems possible, at least, that he was called to battle, to protect his home and his family, and to pursue the natives. We don't know what religion James was. If he was a Quaker, he may not have been involved in the fighting.
James married Hannah Field, daughter of John and possibly Ruth Fairbank Field, about 1660, and had as many as nine children together. If our birth dates are correct, John was about eighteen years older than Hannah. When James wrote his will, there was a child yet unborn. I wonder if he and Hannah had discussed her future, or their children's future, without a husband and father to provide for them . He wrote the will in October of 1682 and died December 3 of that same year.
His will indicates that he had some property. One lot of land of 120 acres went to son James, one lot of 41 acres went to son Thomas, and son Zachariah plus the unborn child if a son was to receive the house and certain land. All sons were to divide equally land beyond the "Seven Mile Line". (I've not been able to confirm this, but my suspicion is that this was land that was considered more on the frontier, where possibly there were still challenges with the native Americans.) His wife was to receive all removable goods and cattle for the upbringing of the daughters. This amounted to Indian and English corn valued at about 85 pounds, and household goods and cattle valued at 65 pounds.
I'd like to know more about James. I'd like to know his origins, his parents, his religion, his occupation, his education if any, and more that would help me tell more of his story. We know enough to know that he led an interesting life, knew fascinating people (he would have known our ancestor Roger Williams, for instance) and lived in dangerous times. We know that he was not a quitter, and we know he cared for his family. For that, we can thank our immigrant ancestor!
The line of descent is:
James Mathewson-Hannah Field
Thomas Mathewson-Martha Sheldon
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
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
We first learn of James in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1658 when he purchased five acres of land from Thomas Angell, who is also our ancestor. (Fun fact: This land was adjoined by land belonging to Benedick Arnold, who was the great grandfather of the Benedict Arnold who is now infamous in our country's history.) He purchased more land and was also granted land in a division of lands in 1665, indicating he was now considered a settler. We don't know where the funds came from to purchase that original land.
The only other fact I have been able to locate is that he was a deputy to the court in 1680, showing that he was respected by his peers. We can surmise that his family's home was burned during King Philip's War, since almost all homes in Providence were burned by the natives during that conflict. Hannah and the children had likely fled to Newport, but we don't know about James. It seems possible, at least, that he was called to battle, to protect his home and his family, and to pursue the natives. We don't know what religion James was. If he was a Quaker, he may not have been involved in the fighting.
James married Hannah Field, daughter of John and possibly Ruth Fairbank Field, about 1660, and had as many as nine children together. If our birth dates are correct, John was about eighteen years older than Hannah. When James wrote his will, there was a child yet unborn. I wonder if he and Hannah had discussed her future, or their children's future, without a husband and father to provide for them . He wrote the will in October of 1682 and died December 3 of that same year.
His will indicates that he had some property. One lot of land of 120 acres went to son James, one lot of 41 acres went to son Thomas, and son Zachariah plus the unborn child if a son was to receive the house and certain land. All sons were to divide equally land beyond the "Seven Mile Line". (I've not been able to confirm this, but my suspicion is that this was land that was considered more on the frontier, where possibly there were still challenges with the native Americans.) His wife was to receive all removable goods and cattle for the upbringing of the daughters. This amounted to Indian and English corn valued at about 85 pounds, and household goods and cattle valued at 65 pounds.
I'd like to know more about James. I'd like to know his origins, his parents, his religion, his occupation, his education if any, and more that would help me tell more of his story. We know enough to know that he led an interesting life, knew fascinating people (he would have known our ancestor Roger Williams, for instance) and lived in dangerous times. We know that he was not a quitter, and we know he cared for his family. For that, we can thank our immigrant ancestor!
The line of descent is:
James Mathewson-Hannah Field
Thomas Mathewson-Martha Sheldon
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
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
Friday, January 26, 2018
Holbrook line: Thomas Estance, Immigrant
I'm not sure I should be writing this post, since so little is known about Thomas, but maybe just by pointing out all the inconsistancies I'm finding about him, it will inspire someone to actually look at the records and figure out which is truth and which is unproven.
Thomas's last name may have been Esten when he arrived in the Colonies. He may have been born anywhere from 1600 to 1613, and he may have died anywhere between 1691 and 1708. It is believed that he was born either in Swansea, Wales, or possibly somewhere in Herefordshire, England. Documents, of course, have not yet been found to verify either location. His parents are thought to be Richard Estaen and Agnes Underwood, but again, I've not seen the records to indicate that.
We don't know when he came to America although it is believed to have been before 1651. His wife was Ann Thomas, which may be a good Welsh name. Again, the marriage may have taken place on either side of the ocean, as far as is known now. However, most sources say that thee of their four known children were born in Swansea, Massachusetts, which is just across the state line from Rhode Island, where they eventually settled . The birthdate of one daughter, Bridget, is typically given as 1628 and if this is correct, and the birth dates of the other children are correct, that opens up the possibility that Bridget was the child of an as yet unknown first marriage, becaue the other birth dates re from 1645 to 1651.
We do find brief mention of Thomas in Swansea, Massachusetts, where he was one of the earliest settlers, in 1653. The town was not actually official until 1667, and we don't know exactly when Thomas left Swansea, nor why. Swansea was formed by Baptists and the Baptist religion was strong in Providence, so possibly Thomas left Swansea, as a Baptist, before that community was really formed. (This is entirely speculation on my part. His reason for moving across the lines of the two colonies may have been for better land, or because his business, whatever that might have been, would do better in Providence, or for family reasons, or any number of other explanations,)
The Estances and the Hardings are thought to have moved to Providence, rhode Island, about 1664. Ten years later, Thomas sold to Stephen Harding, his son in law, one fourth interest in the right of common in the undivided lands of Providence. We don't know what happened to the family during King Phlip's War but there were only a few families that stayed in Providence By now, Thomas would have been at least years old and perhaps approaching 75, so it is likely that he and his wife took shelter somewhere else while the war continued. In 1682, he swore an oath of allegiance at Providence, so we know the family returned. By the use of the term "swearing", we can assume he was not influenced by his Quaker neighbors.
And again, the death dates for Thomas vary from 1691 to 1708, when there was some activity on his estate. The best date I can find is February 20, 1698 but if that is correct, I don't know why it took 10 years for his estate to be probated. I would love to find those records. They might explain a good deal, but even if they explained just one of the mysteries surrounding this (possible) Welshman, it would still be a startling and welcome find.
Thomas, and Ann, I salute you for your courage, your hard work, and your religious beliefs. Thank you for your contribution to what became our country.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Estance-possibly Ann Thomas
Bridget Estance-Stephen Harding
Abraham Harding-Deborah Gardner
Mercy Harding-Samuel Winsor
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
LillisWinsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiran Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas's last name may have been Esten when he arrived in the Colonies. He may have been born anywhere from 1600 to 1613, and he may have died anywhere between 1691 and 1708. It is believed that he was born either in Swansea, Wales, or possibly somewhere in Herefordshire, England. Documents, of course, have not yet been found to verify either location. His parents are thought to be Richard Estaen and Agnes Underwood, but again, I've not seen the records to indicate that.
We don't know when he came to America although it is believed to have been before 1651. His wife was Ann Thomas, which may be a good Welsh name. Again, the marriage may have taken place on either side of the ocean, as far as is known now. However, most sources say that thee of their four known children were born in Swansea, Massachusetts, which is just across the state line from Rhode Island, where they eventually settled . The birthdate of one daughter, Bridget, is typically given as 1628 and if this is correct, and the birth dates of the other children are correct, that opens up the possibility that Bridget was the child of an as yet unknown first marriage, becaue the other birth dates re from 1645 to 1651.
We do find brief mention of Thomas in Swansea, Massachusetts, where he was one of the earliest settlers, in 1653. The town was not actually official until 1667, and we don't know exactly when Thomas left Swansea, nor why. Swansea was formed by Baptists and the Baptist religion was strong in Providence, so possibly Thomas left Swansea, as a Baptist, before that community was really formed. (This is entirely speculation on my part. His reason for moving across the lines of the two colonies may have been for better land, or because his business, whatever that might have been, would do better in Providence, or for family reasons, or any number of other explanations,)
The Estances and the Hardings are thought to have moved to Providence, rhode Island, about 1664. Ten years later, Thomas sold to Stephen Harding, his son in law, one fourth interest in the right of common in the undivided lands of Providence. We don't know what happened to the family during King Phlip's War but there were only a few families that stayed in Providence By now, Thomas would have been at least years old and perhaps approaching 75, so it is likely that he and his wife took shelter somewhere else while the war continued. In 1682, he swore an oath of allegiance at Providence, so we know the family returned. By the use of the term "swearing", we can assume he was not influenced by his Quaker neighbors.
And again, the death dates for Thomas vary from 1691 to 1708, when there was some activity on his estate. The best date I can find is February 20, 1698 but if that is correct, I don't know why it took 10 years for his estate to be probated. I would love to find those records. They might explain a good deal, but even if they explained just one of the mysteries surrounding this (possible) Welshman, it would still be a startling and welcome find.
Thomas, and Ann, I salute you for your courage, your hard work, and your religious beliefs. Thank you for your contribution to what became our country.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Estance-possibly Ann Thomas
Bridget Estance-Stephen Harding
Abraham Harding-Deborah Gardner
Mercy Harding-Samuel Winsor
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
LillisWinsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiran Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, October 27, 2017
Holbrook line: John Sheldon, Immigrant
This is another of those bad news/good news posts. The good news is that quite a lot is known about John Sheldon after he arrived in Rhode Island. The bad news is that nothing is known of his life prior to that time. Is the glass half full, or half empty?
William Sheldon has been suggested as the father of John, but that isn't proven to my satisfaction so it's just as well to say his parents are unknown. He is believed to have been born somewhere in Warwickshire, England, about 1630 but again, I've not seen records to support that, and the Sheldon Family Association only lists England and 1628.
So, John Sheldon's first 25 years are a mystery. He was a tanner by trade, so possibly that was his father's occupation, too. Or he could have been apprenticed to learn the trade from some other family member or even town resident, if we only knew what town and on which side of the ocean we should be looking.
The first official record of him has him on September 9, 1654, in the town of Providence, Rhode Island, "falling on Hugh Benett in the night". There is no explanation for this. John appeared before the Town Deputies and acknowledged whatever it was that he had done, Hugh Benett declared himself satisfied, as did the town, and that was the end of that episode.
There are several records of land acquisitions and sales beginning on February 12 ,1660, when John bought land from Zachary Rhodes, near the dwelling house of William Carpenter. William Carpenter was his bride's uncle. John married Joan Vincent March 26, 1660, who was the daughter of Thomas Vincent and Fridiswide Carpenter. I found it interesting that the intentions were made at a town meeting, not a church meeting, of Providence Settlement and Providence Plantation. So did the Sheldons not attend a church? Quakers and Baptists were common in Rhode Island, but so were "free thinkers". John and Joan had at least five children.
He was on a petit juror in 1672, but other than that his "sightings" are mostly to do with land transfers that I am not quite following. If you want to read the details, they are on the Randall and Allied Families tree at Rootsweb, which I got to just by googling "John Sheldon 1630".
By 1708, Joan had died and John was in his old age and apparently needed care. He signed an agreement with his son Nehemiah, in which all of his personal estate was given to Nehemiah and Nehemiah in return promised to care for him as a dutiful child should. He died September 2, 1708 at Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island.
There is much I'd like to know about John, particularly his early years and his origin, but also his religion, if any, and how he practiced his occupation. I'd also like to know what he thought about some of our more famous Rhode Island ancestors, who lived when he lived, such as Roger Williams. I would also like to know what John and family did during King Philip's War. Did they leave? Where did they go? Did John serve in the military? There is still more to the story, if we could just find it!
The line of descent is:
John Sheldon-Joan Vincent
Timothy Sheldon-Sarah Balcom
Martha Sheldon-Thomas Mathewson
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
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
William Sheldon has been suggested as the father of John, but that isn't proven to my satisfaction so it's just as well to say his parents are unknown. He is believed to have been born somewhere in Warwickshire, England, about 1630 but again, I've not seen records to support that, and the Sheldon Family Association only lists England and 1628.
So, John Sheldon's first 25 years are a mystery. He was a tanner by trade, so possibly that was his father's occupation, too. Or he could have been apprenticed to learn the trade from some other family member or even town resident, if we only knew what town and on which side of the ocean we should be looking.
The first official record of him has him on September 9, 1654, in the town of Providence, Rhode Island, "falling on Hugh Benett in the night". There is no explanation for this. John appeared before the Town Deputies and acknowledged whatever it was that he had done, Hugh Benett declared himself satisfied, as did the town, and that was the end of that episode.
There are several records of land acquisitions and sales beginning on February 12 ,1660, when John bought land from Zachary Rhodes, near the dwelling house of William Carpenter. William Carpenter was his bride's uncle. John married Joan Vincent March 26, 1660, who was the daughter of Thomas Vincent and Fridiswide Carpenter. I found it interesting that the intentions were made at a town meeting, not a church meeting, of Providence Settlement and Providence Plantation. So did the Sheldons not attend a church? Quakers and Baptists were common in Rhode Island, but so were "free thinkers". John and Joan had at least five children.
He was on a petit juror in 1672, but other than that his "sightings" are mostly to do with land transfers that I am not quite following. If you want to read the details, they are on the Randall and Allied Families tree at Rootsweb, which I got to just by googling "John Sheldon 1630".
By 1708, Joan had died and John was in his old age and apparently needed care. He signed an agreement with his son Nehemiah, in which all of his personal estate was given to Nehemiah and Nehemiah in return promised to care for him as a dutiful child should. He died September 2, 1708 at Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island.
There is much I'd like to know about John, particularly his early years and his origin, but also his religion, if any, and how he practiced his occupation. I'd also like to know what he thought about some of our more famous Rhode Island ancestors, who lived when he lived, such as Roger Williams. I would also like to know what John and family did during King Philip's War. Did they leave? Where did they go? Did John serve in the military? There is still more to the story, if we could just find it!
The line of descent is:
John Sheldon-Joan Vincent
Timothy Sheldon-Sarah Balcom
Martha Sheldon-Thomas Mathewson
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
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
Friday, July 7, 2017
Holbrook line: Alexander Balcom 1615-1711
Answers! We need answers! Who was Alexander Balcom? Where did he come from? Did he go first to Massachusetts, or did he go straight to Portsmouth? Who were his parents? Did he have a first wife named Sarah (or any other name)? What religions was he? was he in Rhode Island due to his religious beliefs?
It's hard to write about a man who leaves us with so many questions, yet we do know a little about him. He is believed to have been bornsin Batcombe, Sussex, (or possibly Somerset) England, although as far as I can tell there are no records available to support this. I've seen dates as early as 1615 and as late as 1650 suggested for a birth date. I've also seen it suggested that his father was William. I will leave that out there as a suggestion only, because I can't verify it. Surely there are answers some where, though!
We really don't know anything at all about Alexander for the first 50 or so years of his life. By 1664, he was living at Portsmouth, then considered part of Providence Plantation but yet a separate town. It was located on Aquidneck Island, famous for being the first home in exile of Anne Hutchinson. It was founded by religious dissidents from Massachusetts, but I don't know if that was still a characteristic of the town 25 years later,, when it seems that our Alexander arrived. He married Jane Holbrook, daughter of William and Elizabeth Pitts Holbrook. The Holbrook family emigrated from Glastonbury, Somerset, England so that might support a Somerset rather than a Sussex Balcombe setting. However, the Holbrooks stayed in Scituate, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, so Jane was leaving her family to come to Rhode Island.
She may have been quite young when she came to Rhode Island with Alexander, and it's possible that she was a stepmother to at least a couple of the children attributed to the couple. I've found nothing further on her, except that she died about 1696, which even that is possibly incorrect because she was named as an executor in Alexander's will of 1711.
We do know a little more about Alexander. His occupation is given as mason, a skilled trade that was probably in demand as newer, more substantial homes were built on the island. He also had cooper tools in his 1711 estate inventory, so he may have had more than one trade. Interestingly, although his inventory was pretty meager, with a value of only a little over 35 pounds it did include books, pewterware and brassware. It appears that the lands that he owned were already disposed of, at least some of them to his sons.
I've been reading some of the early town records and it's fascinating to see how the town set itself up, how they settled disputes, how often they had to tax people for various needs, how they took care of their poor, how they made sure every house had access to fresh water, and how they prepared for possible military action as the native Americans threatened them. Alexander Balcom may or may not have been part of the decision making (I haven't yet found that he was made a free man), but he was certainly affected by these decisions. The island itself was beautiful and our ancestor may have had a good life indeed. It's one more of the many things we may never know for sure about him.
The line of descent is:
Alexander Balcom-Jane Holbrook
Sarah Balcom-Timothy Sheldon
Martha Sheldon-Thomas Mathewson
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Note the Holbrook at the top and borrom of this list. We are probably our own cousins through this line, somehow.
Fun fact: Mamie Doud Eisenhower was Alexander and Jane's seventh great granddaughter. In my generation, we are their ninth great grandchildren. That makes us very distant cousins-eighth cousins, twice removed, I think!
It's hard to write about a man who leaves us with so many questions, yet we do know a little about him. He is believed to have been bornsin Batcombe, Sussex, (or possibly Somerset) England, although as far as I can tell there are no records available to support this. I've seen dates as early as 1615 and as late as 1650 suggested for a birth date. I've also seen it suggested that his father was William. I will leave that out there as a suggestion only, because I can't verify it. Surely there are answers some where, though!
We really don't know anything at all about Alexander for the first 50 or so years of his life. By 1664, he was living at Portsmouth, then considered part of Providence Plantation but yet a separate town. It was located on Aquidneck Island, famous for being the first home in exile of Anne Hutchinson. It was founded by religious dissidents from Massachusetts, but I don't know if that was still a characteristic of the town 25 years later,, when it seems that our Alexander arrived. He married Jane Holbrook, daughter of William and Elizabeth Pitts Holbrook. The Holbrook family emigrated from Glastonbury, Somerset, England so that might support a Somerset rather than a Sussex Balcombe setting. However, the Holbrooks stayed in Scituate, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, so Jane was leaving her family to come to Rhode Island.
She may have been quite young when she came to Rhode Island with Alexander, and it's possible that she was a stepmother to at least a couple of the children attributed to the couple. I've found nothing further on her, except that she died about 1696, which even that is possibly incorrect because she was named as an executor in Alexander's will of 1711.
We do know a little more about Alexander. His occupation is given as mason, a skilled trade that was probably in demand as newer, more substantial homes were built on the island. He also had cooper tools in his 1711 estate inventory, so he may have had more than one trade. Interestingly, although his inventory was pretty meager, with a value of only a little over 35 pounds it did include books, pewterware and brassware. It appears that the lands that he owned were already disposed of, at least some of them to his sons.
I've been reading some of the early town records and it's fascinating to see how the town set itself up, how they settled disputes, how often they had to tax people for various needs, how they took care of their poor, how they made sure every house had access to fresh water, and how they prepared for possible military action as the native Americans threatened them. Alexander Balcom may or may not have been part of the decision making (I haven't yet found that he was made a free man), but he was certainly affected by these decisions. The island itself was beautiful and our ancestor may have had a good life indeed. It's one more of the many things we may never know for sure about him.
The line of descent is:
Alexander Balcom-Jane Holbrook
Sarah Balcom-Timothy Sheldon
Martha Sheldon-Thomas Mathewson
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Note the Holbrook at the top and borrom of this list. We are probably our own cousins through this line, somehow.
Fun fact: Mamie Doud Eisenhower was Alexander and Jane's seventh great granddaughter. In my generation, we are their ninth great grandchildren. That makes us very distant cousins-eighth cousins, twice removed, I think!
Friday, November 25, 2016
Holbrook line: Stephen Harding Immigrant 1623-1698
I'd love to tell you where Stephen Harding was born. It was likely in Northamptonshire, England but the exact location is not known. There are a lot of trees on the internet that say he was born in 1623 in Braintree, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. I haven't been able to verify that. His father is believed to have been a Richard Harding, but again I'm not finding documentation. If we're not sure who his father is, then we're definitely not sure who his mother is.
Also there are differing opinions on when he arrived in Providence, Rhode Island. Some seem to think it was directly from England, but many think he lived in Braintree, then Rehoboth, Massachusetts and then Swanzey, Rhode Island, before settling in Providence. He may well have lived in each of these locations, for he was a blacksmith by trade and could count on earning a living wherever he went. It seems that he married Bridget Estance, probably the daughter of Thomas Estance, but again the location for that varies, from Rehoboth to Swanzey.
Stephen and Bridget had nine children; Abraham, John, Stephen, Priscilla, Sarah, and Mary, as well as three daughters, unnamed. The last seems to have been born about 1662.
We do know, as mentioned, that Stephen was a blacksmith, and is reputed to have been a Baptist, which would be a good reason for his many moves. Baptists weren't welcomed in Massachusetts, but were able to practice their religion in Providence. He was made a freeman in Providence in 1669 and stayed there the rest of his life, until his death on February 20, 1697/98..
I haven't found yet what happened to Stephen and his wife during King Philip's War. All but a few homes in Providence were burned, so the likelihood is that his was one of those. It must have been hard at the age of 53 or 54 to start over, building not only a home for himself and his family but also a new community.
Stephen would have known Roger Williams and his family. In fact, his grandson married a granddaughter of Roger Williams, which is how we descend from Roger Williams, also. Another descendant of Stephen Harding was Warren Gamaliel Harding, former President of the United States.
I'd love to know more about Stephen, and to definitely know his place of birth. I need to find his will, also, if there is one. I find the people of Providence fascinating, and I'll be glad to learn more about him.
The line of descent is:
Stephen Harding-Bridget Estance
Abraham Harding-Deborah Gardner
Mercy Harding-Samuel Winsor
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Also there are differing opinions on when he arrived in Providence, Rhode Island. Some seem to think it was directly from England, but many think he lived in Braintree, then Rehoboth, Massachusetts and then Swanzey, Rhode Island, before settling in Providence. He may well have lived in each of these locations, for he was a blacksmith by trade and could count on earning a living wherever he went. It seems that he married Bridget Estance, probably the daughter of Thomas Estance, but again the location for that varies, from Rehoboth to Swanzey.
Stephen and Bridget had nine children; Abraham, John, Stephen, Priscilla, Sarah, and Mary, as well as three daughters, unnamed. The last seems to have been born about 1662.
We do know, as mentioned, that Stephen was a blacksmith, and is reputed to have been a Baptist, which would be a good reason for his many moves. Baptists weren't welcomed in Massachusetts, but were able to practice their religion in Providence. He was made a freeman in Providence in 1669 and stayed there the rest of his life, until his death on February 20, 1697/98..
I haven't found yet what happened to Stephen and his wife during King Philip's War. All but a few homes in Providence were burned, so the likelihood is that his was one of those. It must have been hard at the age of 53 or 54 to start over, building not only a home for himself and his family but also a new community.
Stephen would have known Roger Williams and his family. In fact, his grandson married a granddaughter of Roger Williams, which is how we descend from Roger Williams, also. Another descendant of Stephen Harding was Warren Gamaliel Harding, former President of the United States.
I'd love to know more about Stephen, and to definitely know his place of birth. I need to find his will, also, if there is one. I find the people of Providence fascinating, and I'll be glad to learn more about him.
The line of descent is:
Stephen Harding-Bridget Estance
Abraham Harding-Deborah Gardner
Mercy Harding-Samuel Winsor
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, April 17, 2015
Holbook line: John Field 1616-1686, Immigrant
John Field is another mystery. He is important to our family because he was the immigrant ancestor, and because he seems to be the grand son of the famous John Field, English astronomer and mathematician. However, little is known about his life.
It is believed that he was born in Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, England, the son of William Field and Jane Sotwell. However, the given year of his birth, 1616, would not permit him to be the son of William, if his birth dates are correct. He may be the son of one of William's sons, possibly Matthew. Since we do know John's death year of 1686, he was likely not born much before the date given as 1616.
So if 1616 is correct, then he was quite a young man when he crossed the seas and showed up in what is now Providence, Rhode Island, in 1637. Providence, of course, was founded by Roger Williams just a couple of years earlier, when Williams was banished from Massachusetts. The settlers who were in Providence early enough to sign a document agreeing to obey the orders or agreements of the settlement, only in civil things. He was one of thirteen settlers to sign the first agreement, and one of 39 to sign an agreement in 1640 as to the form of civil government. We don't know for sure what drove him to Providence but most of the early settlers were there because of their admiration for Roger Williams or/and their desire for religious freedom.
We know that he acquired or maintained a degree of respectability in Providence, as he is referred to as the Honorable John Field. He owned land in 1645, in 1655 was made a freeman, and by 1676 was a deputy (probably to a court or council of some kind). His will, which was submitted on November 22, 1686, showed an inventory of 34 pounds, 19 shillings, 6 pence, but it appears that there may have been more, as the court declined to probate it since a division of property had already been made.
We know his wife was Ruth Fairbank, possibly the daughter of Jonathan Fairbank and Grace Lee Smith, and they were married in Providence in 1638. Their known children were John, Zechariah, Hannah, Daniel and Ruth. Ruth, widow of John, apparently also died in 1686. It is believed they are buried in the North Burial Ground, Providence, R.I.
This is as much as I currently know about John Field. I'd love to know when he came to New England, and why he came to Rhode Island. Surely he left a record somewhere in New England, if he was in Providence at such an early time. He must have caught the attention of some church or court, somewhere! And of course, I'd like to solve the mystery of who his parents really were, as 60 year old couples did not give birth. There must be more to his story.
The line of descent is:
John Field-Ruth Fairbank
Hannah Field-James Mathewson
Thomas Mathewson-Martha Sheldon
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis E. Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their Descendents
It is believed that he was born in Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, England, the son of William Field and Jane Sotwell. However, the given year of his birth, 1616, would not permit him to be the son of William, if his birth dates are correct. He may be the son of one of William's sons, possibly Matthew. Since we do know John's death year of 1686, he was likely not born much before the date given as 1616.
So if 1616 is correct, then he was quite a young man when he crossed the seas and showed up in what is now Providence, Rhode Island, in 1637. Providence, of course, was founded by Roger Williams just a couple of years earlier, when Williams was banished from Massachusetts. The settlers who were in Providence early enough to sign a document agreeing to obey the orders or agreements of the settlement, only in civil things. He was one of thirteen settlers to sign the first agreement, and one of 39 to sign an agreement in 1640 as to the form of civil government. We don't know for sure what drove him to Providence but most of the early settlers were there because of their admiration for Roger Williams or/and their desire for religious freedom.
We know that he acquired or maintained a degree of respectability in Providence, as he is referred to as the Honorable John Field. He owned land in 1645, in 1655 was made a freeman, and by 1676 was a deputy (probably to a court or council of some kind). His will, which was submitted on November 22, 1686, showed an inventory of 34 pounds, 19 shillings, 6 pence, but it appears that there may have been more, as the court declined to probate it since a division of property had already been made.
We know his wife was Ruth Fairbank, possibly the daughter of Jonathan Fairbank and Grace Lee Smith, and they were married in Providence in 1638. Their known children were John, Zechariah, Hannah, Daniel and Ruth. Ruth, widow of John, apparently also died in 1686. It is believed they are buried in the North Burial Ground, Providence, R.I.
This is as much as I currently know about John Field. I'd love to know when he came to New England, and why he came to Rhode Island. Surely he left a record somewhere in New England, if he was in Providence at such an early time. He must have caught the attention of some church or court, somewhere! And of course, I'd like to solve the mystery of who his parents really were, as 60 year old couples did not give birth. There must be more to his story.
The line of descent is:
John Field-Ruth Fairbank
Hannah Field-James Mathewson
Thomas Mathewson-Martha Sheldon
Deborah Mathewson-Joseph Winsor
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis E. Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their Descendents
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