Oh dear. I have been guilty of perpetuating an error in my blog posts, I fear. That of course is one reason I write these blog posts, to prove to my own satisfaction that I have the correct ancestry for each of the people I write about. Now I find that I must strike names from my tree, and go back to update a few of my earlier posts. At least through this line, we are not connected to the Mayo or the John Graves lines. So those posts are now "alternate facts", but I will leave the posts up, just adding an update, so that if someone else is researching those lines, they might be helped.
Now, let's turn to Samuel Morris. He was born in March, 1670, in Roxbury, Massachusetts to Edward and Grace Bett Morris. He lived there with his parents and seven siblings, until his father moved to Woodstock, Connecticut in 1685. His father was a man of considerable wealth and standing in both towns, so when his father died in 1689, Samuel inherited some lands, even though he was "only" a fourth son. The narrative gets a little confusing here, as Woodstock was originally known as "New Roxbury" and some of the records are not clear as to which Roxbury is being discussed.
It does appear that Samuel returned to Roxbury, or possibly had stayed there, and married Mehitable Mayo, daughter of John and Hannah Graves Mayo in 1694. Samuel inherited some of his father's land there and so it makes sense that he would have returned to the scene of his youth and lived there. He was made a freeman there in 1691. Samuel and Mehitable had at least seven children together, and she died February 8, 1703. That makes it impossible for her to be the mother of Abigail Morris, who was born April 2, 1707. Samuel had married Dorotha or Dorothy Martin, the widow Howe, in Marlboro of Middlesex County, Massachusetts on May 15, 1706. Dorothy had six children, Samuel had seven, and then had two children together, Abigail and Elizabeth, before disappearing from Marlboro records. All I know about Dorothy Martin Howe Morris right now is that her father was Thomas Martin, and he died in 1701. (Another ancestor to explore!)
We know that Samuel purchased lands in Marlboro before his second marriage, and we know that he purchased 1500 acres of land in 1714 from Governor Joseph Dudley, for 500 pounds English money. This was on the east line of the Town of Woodstock. On the same day, Samuel and Dorothy gave a deed of the old homestead in Roxbury to Colonel William Dudley for 500 pounds current money. This is when the Morris's finally removed to Connecticut. Samuel built a house with "fortifications". We're not told exactly what this meant, but generally it would mean one that had thick walls, and thin slits from which guns could be fired without exposing oneself to the "enemy". Situations with some of the native Americans were still tense, although the Nipmuck tribe which lived nearby seems to have been friendly. As far as we know, the fortifications were never needed.
Samuel was a highly respected man in Woodstock, but I must say he seems to have also been a grumpy old man in his later years. He felt that he was being double taxed as far as church rates go, being forced to pay for the meeting house, minister's salary, etc. in more than one town at a time, because he was assigned to a parish that was not of his liking. He claimed great difficulty in traveling the five miles to Thompson, citing swamps, mountains, and a river he had to cross to reach the meeting house he was forced to support financially. This complaint stayed in the court and on town records for several years, until eventually he was given half rates for the church he did not wish to attend. His grumbling may not have stopped, but the annual discussions did. It's believed he attended church at a location much closer to his home, in his later years, one that he could reach without difficulty.
Samuel built and maintained at least three bridges in the area, over a river and two streams on his 1500 acres. He also kept up a road on his property, and other than the church dispute, seems to have been a good neighbor.
Dorothy died July 28, 1742, and Samuel died January 9, 1745. Sadly, we are missing all probate records for Samuel, so we don't know whether he acquired additional land other than the 1500 acres, or what value his inventory showed. The records are thought to have been destroyed in a fire, but it's always possible that they will show up somewhere. We are left with records of a man who had enough wealth to build a fortified house, to build and maintain bridges, and to raise at least nine children. He was also a man who was willing to start over, in Roxbury and then Marlboro and then near Woodstock. His official death location is Thompson, Connecticut, because town limits expanded. As far as is known, he didn't leave those 1500 acres.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Morris-Dorothy Martin
Abigail Morris-John Perrin
Benjamin Perrin=Mary
Mary Perrin-David Fay
Euzebia or Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
And now, if you'll excuse me, I have some corrections to make!
Showing posts with label Perrin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Perrin. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Friday, May 22, 2020
Holbrook line: Israel Joslin 1692-1740 Yes, this one!
These Joslin men! Honestly, if they had tried, they couldn't be any more confusing than they are. Did they live to play :hide and seek" and "Can you see me now? and "Will the real Israel Joslin please stand up"? Israel's father, Nathaniel, was hard to unravel because of several men in the same time and location with the same name. Israel follows that pattern, and many of the trees on line seem to have it wrong. We have to pay attention to time, location, and opportunity in order to sort the documentation and make sure we have this right. Of course, I could still be wrong and if someone can refute this, please contact me.
Our Israel Joslin was born April 2, 1692 in Marlboro, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Nathaniel and Hester or Esther Morse Joslin. He may well have spent his entire life in the same location, although I haven't verified that yet. He died in Southboro rather than Marlboro, but Southboro split off from Marlboro so it's quite possible that Israel's land was originally in Marlboro.
As a boy, Israel was one of eleven children, and he must have enjoyed large families because it appears that he was the father of at least nine children. The lucky wife/mother was Sarah Cleveland (or Cleaveland), the daughter of Enoch and Elizabeth Counts Cleveland. They were married on April 29, 1719 in Marlboro.
Other than the birth of his children, Israel seems to have made little impact on the town he lived in, whether it was Marlboro or Southboro (the two towns are less than five miles apart, so Israel likely knew everyone in each of the two towns). I haven't yet checked the town records (they are in Salt Lake City but aren't available on line yet) but I would assume that he paid taxes, went to church, and served in some sort of militia or training band. That's what we know so far.
However, his will and inventory tell us a little bit more. He described himself as a yeoman in the will written August 29, 1740, less than two months before he died on October 23 of that same year. He was only 48 years old. What illness would have caused him to write a will at that age? Or maybe it wasn't an illness. He could have been hurt in an accident, or while serving in a military raid, or any number of other ways. But we can think that maybe it wasn't a sudden accident, like getting hit by lightning or drowning. Israel must have known or suspected it was coming.
By his description of "yeoman", we know he owned land, which is confirmed in his inventory, and we know he was not a servant. I haven't been able to verify yet that he was a "free man" and had the right to vote, because those records are also at Salt Lake City. But it's likely that he was in that category. His will is a little bit surprising, because he leaves everything to his wife Sarah. Typically husbands would leave the widow one third of the estate, as required by law, and then give instructions for how the rest was to be divided. This will, however, only says that after Sarah is deceased, this assets are to be divided among his children. Sarah was only about 38 and could reasonably be expected to re-marry, but that didn't matter to Israel. He must have trusted and loved her very much!
It is only when we look at Israel's inventory that we are able to start drawing a picture of him, and it seems that whatever else he was, he was a good steward of his land. He had considerably more clothes than did many of his fellow yeomen, and he had two Bibles and books that were by themselves valued at three pounds. He also had a pair of spectacles, bt we don't know whether he was near or far sighted. There were at least four beds with bedding, which is more than many households had, and
His inventory included just three pieces of land, and they are not very description. However, the appraisers assigned a value of 1200 pounds to his homestead, including all the lands attached to it, so this is where much of his wealth lay. The inventory was taken just a few days after his death. It totaled a little over 1678 pounds, which even after we take the new currency into account, wasn't a small estate. Sarah was set for life and could run the farm and raise their children.
Except, it's possible that our Sarah Joslin is the one who married David Bellows in 1745. He lived only until 1754, but was born in 1702 so was about her age, and was a husbandman when he died. Sarah declined to be the executor of his estate and I can find no further reference to her. I suppose it's possible that she married again and we just haven't traced her yet. It's also possible this is a different Sarah Joslin, but our Sarah seems to be the only one in the area and of the right age to marry David. I'd love to find the rest of her records, too!
The line of descent is
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Our Israel Joslin was born April 2, 1692 in Marlboro, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Nathaniel and Hester or Esther Morse Joslin. He may well have spent his entire life in the same location, although I haven't verified that yet. He died in Southboro rather than Marlboro, but Southboro split off from Marlboro so it's quite possible that Israel's land was originally in Marlboro.
As a boy, Israel was one of eleven children, and he must have enjoyed large families because it appears that he was the father of at least nine children. The lucky wife/mother was Sarah Cleveland (or Cleaveland), the daughter of Enoch and Elizabeth Counts Cleveland. They were married on April 29, 1719 in Marlboro.
Other than the birth of his children, Israel seems to have made little impact on the town he lived in, whether it was Marlboro or Southboro (the two towns are less than five miles apart, so Israel likely knew everyone in each of the two towns). I haven't yet checked the town records (they are in Salt Lake City but aren't available on line yet) but I would assume that he paid taxes, went to church, and served in some sort of militia or training band. That's what we know so far.
However, his will and inventory tell us a little bit more. He described himself as a yeoman in the will written August 29, 1740, less than two months before he died on October 23 of that same year. He was only 48 years old. What illness would have caused him to write a will at that age? Or maybe it wasn't an illness. He could have been hurt in an accident, or while serving in a military raid, or any number of other ways. But we can think that maybe it wasn't a sudden accident, like getting hit by lightning or drowning. Israel must have known or suspected it was coming.
By his description of "yeoman", we know he owned land, which is confirmed in his inventory, and we know he was not a servant. I haven't been able to verify yet that he was a "free man" and had the right to vote, because those records are also at Salt Lake City. But it's likely that he was in that category. His will is a little bit surprising, because he leaves everything to his wife Sarah. Typically husbands would leave the widow one third of the estate, as required by law, and then give instructions for how the rest was to be divided. This will, however, only says that after Sarah is deceased, this assets are to be divided among his children. Sarah was only about 38 and could reasonably be expected to re-marry, but that didn't matter to Israel. He must have trusted and loved her very much!
It is only when we look at Israel's inventory that we are able to start drawing a picture of him, and it seems that whatever else he was, he was a good steward of his land. He had considerably more clothes than did many of his fellow yeomen, and he had two Bibles and books that were by themselves valued at three pounds. He also had a pair of spectacles, bt we don't know whether he was near or far sighted. There were at least four beds with bedding, which is more than many households had, and
His inventory included just three pieces of land, and they are not very description. However, the appraisers assigned a value of 1200 pounds to his homestead, including all the lands attached to it, so this is where much of his wealth lay. The inventory was taken just a few days after his death. It totaled a little over 1678 pounds, which even after we take the new currency into account, wasn't a small estate. Sarah was set for life and could run the farm and raise their children.
Except, it's possible that our Sarah Joslin is the one who married David Bellows in 1745. He lived only until 1754, but was born in 1702 so was about her age, and was a husbandman when he died. Sarah declined to be the executor of his estate and I can find no further reference to her. I suppose it's possible that she married again and we just haven't traced her yet. It's also possible this is a different Sarah Joslin, but our Sarah seems to be the only one in the area and of the right age to marry David. I'd love to find the rest of her records, too!
The line of descent is
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Euzebia/Luceba Fay-Libbeus StanardHiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, January 24, 2020
Holbrook line: David Fay, 1679-1738
We're always glad for a little bit of information about an ancestor and always hoping for more. I have to admit that there is not one new piece of information in this blog post about David Fay, but perhaps something new will come on line tomorrow, or the day after. It's always a disappointment when all I can find is information that is already in print, but I'm happy to at least get this much written down for our family.
David Fay came from a family who may or may not have been French Huguenots. David's father, John Fay, came to America as an eight year old orphan boy boy, but his mother, Susanna Shattuck, had grandparents and even great grandparents who had come early to Massachusetts Bay Colony.
David was part of a large family. His father and mother had four children, but Susannah had previously been married to Joseph Morse and had ten children with him. Somehow, Susannah survived 14 or more childbirths, and three husbands, for she married Thomas Brigham after John's death. John was a brave man, too, to accept responsibility for the ten children of his new wife.
David was born August grew up in Marlboro or Marlborough Massachusetts, He wasn't born until 1679, but he would have grown up hearing stories of King Philip's War, and of how the family had fled to Watertown until peace was restored. He may have heard about the Praying Indians that lived within the town limits, and he may have learned about the treatment the natives received from the colonists.
On May 1, 1699, David married Sarah Larkin, daughter of John and Joanna Hale Larkin, in Watertown, Massachusetts. This was the town his family had gone to during King Philip's War, and it was here that he found the young lady he married. David was just about 20 and Sarah was just two years older, so this was couple was a little bit young for the time, but they made their marriage work.
David inherited land from his father after John Fay's death in 1690. This would have been held in trust for him until he reached the age of majority, which happened right around the time of his marriage. In 1695, he was still considered a minor at 16 years of age, and asked the court to appoint Joseph Morse, probably his half brother, as his guardian. The court approved.
After their marriage, David and Sarah went to Marlboro, where they lived all their married life. David was starting to accept responsibilities in town. In 1710, he joined the church, which was still quite a lengthy process, as the whole church had to listen to his testimony and then decide whether he was living a plain, Christian life. By no means was this an easy task, so David must have been respected in the town. (Possibly he joined the church so his children could be baptized, but he still would have needed the approval of the congregation,) He was on a committee to seat the church after that. This was a delicate job because seating was assigned based on how long one had been a member of the church, general reputation, and how much money one was giving, The town fathers generally sat at the front and the tenant farmers at the back, for instance.
David supported his family as a weaver, in addition to the farming that he did. He was given a grant of land by the town in 1710. David and Sarah had 12 children together. It was probably fortunate that David had grown up in a large family and had learned to roll with the punches. Sarah was one of five children, so this may have been an adjustment for her, but most women think "We can do just one more" so this may have been her attitude.
Starting in 1727, plans were made for a peaceful division of the town of Marlborough. David and Sarah lived in what became Southborough, so it's not correct to say they moved to Southborough. They lived on the same farm they had always lived on. In Southborough, David was a constable, and a selectman in 1730, 1733, and 1735. We also know that his family was assigned to Isaac Howe's garrison, for protection from the native Americans. This implies that David was probably in the militia, but we don't know whether they ever had to go to the garrison or not, or what alarms and skirmishes he might have been involved in.
David died April 10, 1738, before his fiftieth birthday. I have not found any record of probate or estate records for him, There could be guardian records for some of the younger children, too, but I haven't located them. Sarah died in 1755 at Southborough, without remarrying. She must have been busy, raising that family, and we can hope that the children, as well as her husband's siblings, helped take care of her as she aged.
That's what I know about David Fay. Since he was a Puritan, it's likely that he was literate and could read the Bible to his children, and write as needed. As a weaver, he may have needed to have computational skills also, to keep track of his sales and his inventory. We don't know about his military service and his grandparents haven't been satisfactorily identified. But we do know that he cared for his family, stayed out of trouble, and was elected to public office several times. He was another solid New England ancestor.
The line of descent is:
David Fay-Sarah Larkin
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Euzebia or Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
David Fay came from a family who may or may not have been French Huguenots. David's father, John Fay, came to America as an eight year old orphan boy boy, but his mother, Susanna Shattuck, had grandparents and even great grandparents who had come early to Massachusetts Bay Colony.
David was part of a large family. His father and mother had four children, but Susannah had previously been married to Joseph Morse and had ten children with him. Somehow, Susannah survived 14 or more childbirths, and three husbands, for she married Thomas Brigham after John's death. John was a brave man, too, to accept responsibility for the ten children of his new wife.
David was born August grew up in Marlboro or Marlborough Massachusetts, He wasn't born until 1679, but he would have grown up hearing stories of King Philip's War, and of how the family had fled to Watertown until peace was restored. He may have heard about the Praying Indians that lived within the town limits, and he may have learned about the treatment the natives received from the colonists.
On May 1, 1699, David married Sarah Larkin, daughter of John and Joanna Hale Larkin, in Watertown, Massachusetts. This was the town his family had gone to during King Philip's War, and it was here that he found the young lady he married. David was just about 20 and Sarah was just two years older, so this was couple was a little bit young for the time, but they made their marriage work.
David inherited land from his father after John Fay's death in 1690. This would have been held in trust for him until he reached the age of majority, which happened right around the time of his marriage. In 1695, he was still considered a minor at 16 years of age, and asked the court to appoint Joseph Morse, probably his half brother, as his guardian. The court approved.
After their marriage, David and Sarah went to Marlboro, where they lived all their married life. David was starting to accept responsibilities in town. In 1710, he joined the church, which was still quite a lengthy process, as the whole church had to listen to his testimony and then decide whether he was living a plain, Christian life. By no means was this an easy task, so David must have been respected in the town. (Possibly he joined the church so his children could be baptized, but he still would have needed the approval of the congregation,) He was on a committee to seat the church after that. This was a delicate job because seating was assigned based on how long one had been a member of the church, general reputation, and how much money one was giving, The town fathers generally sat at the front and the tenant farmers at the back, for instance.
David supported his family as a weaver, in addition to the farming that he did. He was given a grant of land by the town in 1710. David and Sarah had 12 children together. It was probably fortunate that David had grown up in a large family and had learned to roll with the punches. Sarah was one of five children, so this may have been an adjustment for her, but most women think "We can do just one more" so this may have been her attitude.
Starting in 1727, plans were made for a peaceful division of the town of Marlborough. David and Sarah lived in what became Southborough, so it's not correct to say they moved to Southborough. They lived on the same farm they had always lived on. In Southborough, David was a constable, and a selectman in 1730, 1733, and 1735. We also know that his family was assigned to Isaac Howe's garrison, for protection from the native Americans. This implies that David was probably in the militia, but we don't know whether they ever had to go to the garrison or not, or what alarms and skirmishes he might have been involved in.
David died April 10, 1738, before his fiftieth birthday. I have not found any record of probate or estate records for him, There could be guardian records for some of the younger children, too, but I haven't located them. Sarah died in 1755 at Southborough, without remarrying. She must have been busy, raising that family, and we can hope that the children, as well as her husband's siblings, helped take care of her as she aged.
That's what I know about David Fay. Since he was a Puritan, it's likely that he was literate and could read the Bible to his children, and write as needed. As a weaver, he may have needed to have computational skills also, to keep track of his sales and his inventory. We don't know about his military service and his grandparents haven't been satisfactorily identified. But we do know that he cared for his family, stayed out of trouble, and was elected to public office several times. He was another solid New England ancestor.
The line of descent is:
David Fay-Sarah Larkin
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Euzebia or Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Friday, October 25, 2019
Holbrook line: Nathaniel Joslin, of Marlsboro
There is so much erroneous information about our ancestor Nathaniel Joslin, on so many trees and websites, that I hesitate to write this post. I hope I have weeded out most of the false information and I think I can add a few details to his story. I would absolutely love to hear from anywone who knows more about this Nathaniel, the son of Nathaniel and Sarah King Joslin.
The first thing we don't know is when he was born. It was not Aril 21, 1658, as is often stated. That son Nathaniel died in 1667. We know our Nathaniel was the son of the above couple because he is mentioned several times in his father's will. But we don't know his birthdate, or location, or why it would have been omitted from town records that seem complete otherwise. Perhaps his name was on a scrap of paper that was stuck in the records, intending that it be recorded later, and the scrap of paper was mislaid. Another possibility is that Nathaniel was not Sarah's child, and so was not recorded, but there is no indication of that and surely it would have been noted somewhere.
Nathaniel married Hester Morse, daughter of Joseph and Susannah Shattuck Morse, on July 20,1682, and that is the first record we have of him. Presumably this would give him a birth date in the early 1660's. He was next named on a list of inhabitants in Marlboro in 1686, and would likely have been at least 21 years old to have made that list. So again, we point to the early 1660's. Nathaniel and Hester (also seen as Esther, same lady) were the parents of perhaps as many as eleven children, although that would mean Hester had children into her 40's, which is surely not impossible.
The list of inhabitants from 1686 that includes the names of both father and son, the two Nathaniels, is not one to be particularly proud of. The men of Marlboro wanted more land and not long after King Philip's War they began settling on land that was owned by the native Americans. The General Court told them their deed was invalid and declared null and void, but the men of the settlement connived, basically, to continue settling on those lands and tried to make it look legal. It wasn't. The land was in dispute for at least 23 years after the 1686 list, but I didn't find a final resolution, except the results were that the colonists kept the land.
Many of the settlers of Marlboro had ties to Lancaster, Massachusetts, which was burned by the natives in King Philip's War. Nathaniel Senior lost a brother, sister in law, and nephew during the massacre, and other townspeople lost family members, too. It was a raw wound. That doesn't excuse their later actions but it helps put it in a bit of perspective.
King Philip's War didn't end the difficulties with some of the native tribes, and in 1711 our Nathaniel was appointed to a committee to assigned families to garrisons. If the natives threatened the town, each family was to go to one of the stronger fortified homes in the area, where soldiers were also assigned. Nathaniel's family was assigned to Captain Kerley's garrison. We don't know if there was ever a time when the family was forced to go there or not.
Nathaniel must have had a good reputation, because he was chosen selectman in 1701, and also a good education, because he was town clerk from 1714 until 1725.
I've not found a mention of Nathaniel's occupation, nor have I found his will. (The will frequently attached to his name on websites is from Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts. That Nathaniel was a cousin of some sort to ours, and the similar death dates are a coincidence). If his will and inventory could be found, we could possibly answer the question of his occupation, find out if he had books, get a clue as to how he did financially, and perhaps get a clue as to his religion. It would be wonderful to find those estate records, just as it would be wonderful to find his birth record!
The line of descent is
Nathaniel Joslin-Hester or Esther Morse
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The first thing we don't know is when he was born. It was not Aril 21, 1658, as is often stated. That son Nathaniel died in 1667. We know our Nathaniel was the son of the above couple because he is mentioned several times in his father's will. But we don't know his birthdate, or location, or why it would have been omitted from town records that seem complete otherwise. Perhaps his name was on a scrap of paper that was stuck in the records, intending that it be recorded later, and the scrap of paper was mislaid. Another possibility is that Nathaniel was not Sarah's child, and so was not recorded, but there is no indication of that and surely it would have been noted somewhere.
Nathaniel married Hester Morse, daughter of Joseph and Susannah Shattuck Morse, on July 20,1682, and that is the first record we have of him. Presumably this would give him a birth date in the early 1660's. He was next named on a list of inhabitants in Marlboro in 1686, and would likely have been at least 21 years old to have made that list. So again, we point to the early 1660's. Nathaniel and Hester (also seen as Esther, same lady) were the parents of perhaps as many as eleven children, although that would mean Hester had children into her 40's, which is surely not impossible.
The list of inhabitants from 1686 that includes the names of both father and son, the two Nathaniels, is not one to be particularly proud of. The men of Marlboro wanted more land and not long after King Philip's War they began settling on land that was owned by the native Americans. The General Court told them their deed was invalid and declared null and void, but the men of the settlement connived, basically, to continue settling on those lands and tried to make it look legal. It wasn't. The land was in dispute for at least 23 years after the 1686 list, but I didn't find a final resolution, except the results were that the colonists kept the land.
Many of the settlers of Marlboro had ties to Lancaster, Massachusetts, which was burned by the natives in King Philip's War. Nathaniel Senior lost a brother, sister in law, and nephew during the massacre, and other townspeople lost family members, too. It was a raw wound. That doesn't excuse their later actions but it helps put it in a bit of perspective.
King Philip's War didn't end the difficulties with some of the native tribes, and in 1711 our Nathaniel was appointed to a committee to assigned families to garrisons. If the natives threatened the town, each family was to go to one of the stronger fortified homes in the area, where soldiers were also assigned. Nathaniel's family was assigned to Captain Kerley's garrison. We don't know if there was ever a time when the family was forced to go there or not.
Nathaniel must have had a good reputation, because he was chosen selectman in 1701, and also a good education, because he was town clerk from 1714 until 1725.
I've not found a mention of Nathaniel's occupation, nor have I found his will. (The will frequently attached to his name on websites is from Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts. That Nathaniel was a cousin of some sort to ours, and the similar death dates are a coincidence). If his will and inventory could be found, we could possibly answer the question of his occupation, find out if he had books, get a clue as to how he did financially, and perhaps get a clue as to his religion. It would be wonderful to find those estate records, just as it would be wonderful to find his birth record!
The line of descent is
Nathaniel Joslin-Hester or Esther Morse
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, October 11, 2019
Holbrook line: John Graves of Roxbury, Immigrant
Just when I thought I'd written about all the immigrants who could be traced at all, here is John Graves. While much information about him is lacking, there is also much information that we know. We are really fortunate when an ancestor is included in Robert Charles Anderson's Great Migration project, because that typically gives us much information. We are also fortunate to have John's will. I haven't found his inventory yet, but I would love to do that. And I learned a fascinating term and a new occupation for an ancestor. Have I convinced you yet to read on?
John Graves was born probably about 1600 but it could be a few years either way because his birth records have not yet been identified. "John Graves" is a fairly common name. It is thought that he came from the area around Nazing, Essex, England. This is where John Eliot came from, and he was a close friend of the Apostle to the Indians. We know John had a sister named Lydia, and we know his mother came to New England also, but we don't know when she arrived or with whom.
John's occupation was "cowleech". I'd never heard of such a thing, but Google quickly informed me that he treated diseases in cows. Presumably leeching was one of the treatments. So he was an early form of veterinarian, although we don't know whether he treated horses, swine, or sheep also. Almost every household in early New England would have had a cow or two, so he was probably in demand, although I don't know whether that also meant he made money, or had any kind of status because of his job. I don't know if that indicates that he had any kind of formal education in the field, or whether he had learned as an apprentice, or how he got started in his career. Still, "cowleech". That's interesting.
Also interesting is John's marital status. Anderson thinks he may have had three wives. The first wife was Sarah Finch, with whom he had two children, John and Sarah. The second wife is unidentified. She was the mother of Samuel, Jonathan and Mary, and she died shortly after the family arrived in Roxbury. His third wife was Judith Alward, who was or had been a "servant girl". They were married in Roxbury in December of 1635 and their daughter Hannah was born September 8, 1636. The sad thing is that after son John's death a year after his father's, Hannah is the only child who can be traced.
John became a member of the church in Roxbury in 1635 and was made a freeman in 1637. He acquired several plots of land in the 10 years or so he was in Roxbury, apparently all as part of land divisions made by the town. He died November 4, 1644, as reported by John Eliot "John Grave, a godly brother of the church, he took a deep cold, which swelled his head with rheum and overcame his heart. (He and Thomas Ruggles) broke the knot first of the Nazing Christians. I mean they first died of all those Christians that came from that town in England."
In his will, John provided for his wife and for all the children except Sarah. It is possible that he omitted her because she had received a bequest from her maternal grandfather, or perhaps he had otherwise given her what he could. Judith went on to marry William Potter on June 2, 1646, and then Samuel Finch on December 13, 1654, and lived until October of 1683.
The line of descent is:
John Graves-Judith Alward
Hannah Graves-John Mayo
Mehitable Mayo-Samuel Morris
Abigail Morris-John Perrin
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Update May 24, 2020: John Graves and Judith Alward are now "former ancestors". Abigail Morris was not the daughter of Mehitable Mayo, so the lines above that are incorrect. See the post about Samuel Morris for further explanation.
John Graves was born probably about 1600 but it could be a few years either way because his birth records have not yet been identified. "John Graves" is a fairly common name. It is thought that he came from the area around Nazing, Essex, England. This is where John Eliot came from, and he was a close friend of the Apostle to the Indians. We know John had a sister named Lydia, and we know his mother came to New England also, but we don't know when she arrived or with whom.
John's occupation was "cowleech". I'd never heard of such a thing, but Google quickly informed me that he treated diseases in cows. Presumably leeching was one of the treatments. So he was an early form of veterinarian, although we don't know whether he treated horses, swine, or sheep also. Almost every household in early New England would have had a cow or two, so he was probably in demand, although I don't know whether that also meant he made money, or had any kind of status because of his job. I don't know if that indicates that he had any kind of formal education in the field, or whether he had learned as an apprentice, or how he got started in his career. Still, "cowleech". That's interesting.
Also interesting is John's marital status. Anderson thinks he may have had three wives. The first wife was Sarah Finch, with whom he had two children, John and Sarah. The second wife is unidentified. She was the mother of Samuel, Jonathan and Mary, and she died shortly after the family arrived in Roxbury. His third wife was Judith Alward, who was or had been a "servant girl". They were married in Roxbury in December of 1635 and their daughter Hannah was born September 8, 1636. The sad thing is that after son John's death a year after his father's, Hannah is the only child who can be traced.
John became a member of the church in Roxbury in 1635 and was made a freeman in 1637. He acquired several plots of land in the 10 years or so he was in Roxbury, apparently all as part of land divisions made by the town. He died November 4, 1644, as reported by John Eliot "John Grave, a godly brother of the church, he took a deep cold, which swelled his head with rheum and overcame his heart. (He and Thomas Ruggles) broke the knot first of the Nazing Christians. I mean they first died of all those Christians that came from that town in England."
In his will, John provided for his wife and for all the children except Sarah. It is possible that he omitted her because she had received a bequest from her maternal grandfather, or perhaps he had otherwise given her what he could. Judith went on to marry William Potter on June 2, 1646, and then Samuel Finch on December 13, 1654, and lived until October of 1683.
The line of descent is:
John Graves-Judith Alward
Hannah Graves-John Mayo
Mehitable Mayo-Samuel Morris
Abigail Morris-John Perrin
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Update May 24, 2020: John Graves and Judith Alward are now "former ancestors". Abigail Morris was not the daughter of Mehitable Mayo, so the lines above that are incorrect. See the post about Samuel Morris for further explanation.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Holbrook line: John Larkin 1640-1678
This man should be in my husband's line, but as far as I know John is my ancestor only. But husband should at least have a deep and heartfelt liking for the man, because he was a turner by trade. His father was a turner, also, and John passed his tools on to his sons so they could continue the trade also. A turner was someone who worked on a wood lathe, making whatever was needed (his father made wheels and it's possible that's what John did, too). It's interesting to find a family where the family business was passed from father to son like this.
To start at the beginning, John was the son of Edward and Joanna Butler Larkin (mother's name is not certain; some say her name was Cutler or Cutter, This genealogy stuff is never easy). Edward and Joanna were immigrants but John was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay Colony, sometime on or before March 10, 1640, which is his baptismal date. He was the oldest son, one of at least seven children of the couple, which is why he received the tools and training from his father.
John married Joanna Hale, daughter of Robert and Joanna Cutter Hale on November 9, 1664 in Charlestown, and the couple set up their home there. Actually, John apparently already had his own home in 1658, when he was listed on a tax list in Charlestown along with the notation 0-4-0. That may or may not mean that he was taxed 4 shillings, which was more than some and less than other residents of the town on this list.
John and Joanna had at least six children together, but their time together was regrettably short. John reportedly died of smallpox on February 17, 1678. Although I haven't been able to document his cause of death, there is good reason to believe this is accurate because it's known that a great epidemic hit Boston and surrounding areas in 1678. The wonder is that, as far as I know, no one else in the family died of the disease. Other families were not so "lucky", to lose just one family member.
In between his marriage and his death, not much is known about John. I did locate a book, "From Deference to Defiance" that lists John as a constable in 1673, but he seems not to have been otherwise involved in public service. Roger Thompson, the author of the book mentioned, would likely have mentioned him had he been in serious trouble with the courts, so he probably complied with the laws and likely attended church regularly. That, and his trade of turning is all that I could find about him.
That is, until I located his will on Ancestry. That's where I learned that his son Edward was to have a double portion of the estate, plus John's turning tools, if he became a turner. If not, son John was to have them, if he became a turner.
Joanna was left her widow's third, plus partial control of the estate until the children were old enough to receive their bequests. Edward, the oldest, was just 12 when his father died, and Sarah, the youngest, was just a year old. Joanna had her hand's full with six children, but remained single for 7 years, when she married William Dodge of Beverly, Massachusetts.
John left his family enough money to live on, so Joanna probably felt less pressure to remarry quickly than some other widows. John's estate was appraised with a value of over three hundred poounds, as nearly as I can tell. When it was re-appraised in 1691, so Edward could receive at least part of his inheritance, it was noted that there was a dwelling house, wharf and warehouse. There was also an old boat, which perhaps wasn't so old when John had it. The picture I have in my mind is that he was a turner, yes, but also a merchant of sorts. Whether he sold his own goods to other towns and villages, or whether he did some trading, I'm not sure as there is much of the inventory that I can't make out. However, this is not the inventory of someone just getting by. I was pleased to see that there was mention of books in the inventory, so he or someone in his family must have been literate.
It looks like the final settlement of the estate didn't occur until 1698, when some of the children petitioned to receive their share. Among the names on the document are David and Sarah Larkin Fay. Sarah, the youngest child, was now 21 and there was no legal reason why the estate could not be divided as John had planned. Joanna, John's widow, had died in 1694, between the time Edward claimed some of his inheritance and the time the estate was finally divided.
It's been fun to find this story. I love the father to son to son trade, and I love knowing that John was relatively successful. But most of all, with my hsuband really enjoying learning to "turn" on his new lathe, I love hearing it hum and thinking back to the way it would have been done when foot pedals were the means of turning. The sawdust probably smells the same!
The line of descent is:
John Larkin-Joanna Hale
Sarah Larkin-David Fay
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Euzebia or Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
To start at the beginning, John was the son of Edward and Joanna Butler Larkin (mother's name is not certain; some say her name was Cutler or Cutter, This genealogy stuff is never easy). Edward and Joanna were immigrants but John was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay Colony, sometime on or before March 10, 1640, which is his baptismal date. He was the oldest son, one of at least seven children of the couple, which is why he received the tools and training from his father.
John married Joanna Hale, daughter of Robert and Joanna Cutter Hale on November 9, 1664 in Charlestown, and the couple set up their home there. Actually, John apparently already had his own home in 1658, when he was listed on a tax list in Charlestown along with the notation 0-4-0. That may or may not mean that he was taxed 4 shillings, which was more than some and less than other residents of the town on this list.
John and Joanna had at least six children together, but their time together was regrettably short. John reportedly died of smallpox on February 17, 1678. Although I haven't been able to document his cause of death, there is good reason to believe this is accurate because it's known that a great epidemic hit Boston and surrounding areas in 1678. The wonder is that, as far as I know, no one else in the family died of the disease. Other families were not so "lucky", to lose just one family member.
In between his marriage and his death, not much is known about John. I did locate a book, "From Deference to Defiance" that lists John as a constable in 1673, but he seems not to have been otherwise involved in public service. Roger Thompson, the author of the book mentioned, would likely have mentioned him had he been in serious trouble with the courts, so he probably complied with the laws and likely attended church regularly. That, and his trade of turning is all that I could find about him.
That is, until I located his will on Ancestry. That's where I learned that his son Edward was to have a double portion of the estate, plus John's turning tools, if he became a turner. If not, son John was to have them, if he became a turner.
Joanna was left her widow's third, plus partial control of the estate until the children were old enough to receive their bequests. Edward, the oldest, was just 12 when his father died, and Sarah, the youngest, was just a year old. Joanna had her hand's full with six children, but remained single for 7 years, when she married William Dodge of Beverly, Massachusetts.
John left his family enough money to live on, so Joanna probably felt less pressure to remarry quickly than some other widows. John's estate was appraised with a value of over three hundred poounds, as nearly as I can tell. When it was re-appraised in 1691, so Edward could receive at least part of his inheritance, it was noted that there was a dwelling house, wharf and warehouse. There was also an old boat, which perhaps wasn't so old when John had it. The picture I have in my mind is that he was a turner, yes, but also a merchant of sorts. Whether he sold his own goods to other towns and villages, or whether he did some trading, I'm not sure as there is much of the inventory that I can't make out. However, this is not the inventory of someone just getting by. I was pleased to see that there was mention of books in the inventory, so he or someone in his family must have been literate.
It looks like the final settlement of the estate didn't occur until 1698, when some of the children petitioned to receive their share. Among the names on the document are David and Sarah Larkin Fay. Sarah, the youngest child, was now 21 and there was no legal reason why the estate could not be divided as John had planned. Joanna, John's widow, had died in 1694, between the time Edward claimed some of his inheritance and the time the estate was finally divided.
It's been fun to find this story. I love the father to son to son trade, and I love knowing that John was relatively successful. But most of all, with my hsuband really enjoying learning to "turn" on his new lathe, I love hearing it hum and thinking back to the way it would have been done when foot pedals were the means of turning. The sawdust probably smells the same!
The line of descent is:
John Larkin-Joanna Hale
Sarah Larkin-David Fay
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Euzebia or Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Holbrook line: Joseph Morse 1610-1690 Immigrant
Perhaps I should be writing this about the Joseph Morse who died in 1646 in Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony and who had a son named Joseph, mentioned in his will, but Robert Charles Anderson is not willing to state that Joseph of Ipswich is the father of Joseph of Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony, so I will only present that as a possibility. The Joseph Morse I will write of was born about 1610, somewhere in England and sailed on the Elizabeth from Ipswich, England in 1634.
Joseph was listed as 24 years of age at the time. He apparently went straight to Watertown and stayed there is whole life. He was admitted to the Watertown Church and was granted the status of freeman on May 6, 1635. He was a weaver by trade but also received several grants of land, including meadow and "upland" as well as a farm of 73 acres, all as grants. He may have rented these lands out or he may have farmed them himself. He was married by about 1637 to Esther or Hester Piece, daughter of John and Elizabeth (possibly Stoker) Pierce, also of Watertown. Joseph and Esther had at least seven children, six of whom lived until adulthood. This was a pretty decent survival rate for the time and indicates that Joseph and Esther were probably not "dirt poor", although they may have struggled during the early years. Another indication that the family was surviving economically was that they accepted at least one child into their care, who was three years old at the time and who became an apprentice at the age of five, unless these are two different children with the same father.
Joseph apparently did not take an active part in the civic life of Watertown, although he was a fence viewer for a term. Raising several children, carrying on a trade as well as (likely) a farming operation may have left him little time for public service. When Joseph died in 1689/90, his estate was very small, just a little over six pounds. He had already disposed of his land holdings and probably was living with or under the care of one or more of his children. Esther lived until 1694.
This is not much information to fill in the "dash" for a man who lived about 80 years. I have a book on my "to read" shelf about Watertown, and although I didn't find his name in the index, perhaps the book will be able to fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge of Joseph and how he lived. We do know that he farmed, he worked, he attended church, he voted, and he served as "master" to at least one child beside his own.
One other thing: He is listed as the ancestor of Calvin Coolidge and of Richard Nixon.
The line of descent is:
Joseph Morse-Esther Pierce
Joseph Morse-Susanna Shattuck
Esther Morse-Nathaniel Joslin
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Joseph was listed as 24 years of age at the time. He apparently went straight to Watertown and stayed there is whole life. He was admitted to the Watertown Church and was granted the status of freeman on May 6, 1635. He was a weaver by trade but also received several grants of land, including meadow and "upland" as well as a farm of 73 acres, all as grants. He may have rented these lands out or he may have farmed them himself. He was married by about 1637 to Esther or Hester Piece, daughter of John and Elizabeth (possibly Stoker) Pierce, also of Watertown. Joseph and Esther had at least seven children, six of whom lived until adulthood. This was a pretty decent survival rate for the time and indicates that Joseph and Esther were probably not "dirt poor", although they may have struggled during the early years. Another indication that the family was surviving economically was that they accepted at least one child into their care, who was three years old at the time and who became an apprentice at the age of five, unless these are two different children with the same father.
Joseph apparently did not take an active part in the civic life of Watertown, although he was a fence viewer for a term. Raising several children, carrying on a trade as well as (likely) a farming operation may have left him little time for public service. When Joseph died in 1689/90, his estate was very small, just a little over six pounds. He had already disposed of his land holdings and probably was living with or under the care of one or more of his children. Esther lived until 1694.
This is not much information to fill in the "dash" for a man who lived about 80 years. I have a book on my "to read" shelf about Watertown, and although I didn't find his name in the index, perhaps the book will be able to fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge of Joseph and how he lived. We do know that he farmed, he worked, he attended church, he voted, and he served as "master" to at least one child beside his own.
One other thing: He is listed as the ancestor of Calvin Coolidge and of Richard Nixon.
The line of descent is:
Joseph Morse-Esther Pierce
Joseph Morse-Susanna Shattuck
Esther Morse-Nathaniel Joslin
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, October 26, 2018
Holbrook line: John Perrin, Immigrant
John Perrin's origins are sketchy, but intriguing. Family stories say that he was of French Huguenot descent. His parents (but possibly these are grandparents, based on the birth date of "father John Perryn") were John Perryn and Anne Brunneau. His wife was Anne Hubert, daughter of Richard Hubert of France. The dates here almost work to say these families had likely escaped the French persecution of the Huguenots(Protestants) by fleeing to England. It's an exciting story, but one which seems to lack documentation at present. '
The first thing we know about John is that he was in Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1640. Family experts dispute whether or not he came in the Safety in 1635, but he was in Braintree in 1640. We don't know whether he had married Anne Hubert in England or whether they met on the ship or soon after arrival here. We do know that their daughter Mary was born at Braintree February 22, 1640/1. It's thought that she was the first born of their five known children, so that gives us an approximate marriage date of 1639, more or less.
John must have been well thought of in Braintree because he was one of the first men chosen, or allowed, to settle in a new town, Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony, so close to what became Rhode Island that some of his land was actually located there. He received several grants of land from the town, including home lot, woodland, fresh meadow, salt marsh, and new meadow. At various times, he was surveyor of highways, constable, townsman, and juror, so I'm thinking he had freeman status.
His estate was valued at 67 pounds in a 1643 settlement of town estates, but by the time of his death in 1674 his real estate was valued at 230 pounds and the total inventory at a little over 375 pounds. John was apparently a hard worker and a thrifty man. His will mentions his wife, two sons and two daughters. The first of two "Mary's" born to the couple had probably died young.
John died before King Philip's War, but the home he built in Rehoboth was apparently used as a garrison house during that conflict. His son John lived there at the time it was needed. A garrison house was generally built a little more stoutly than others in the vicinity, and usually had openings built into it that could be used to fire on any attackers. It may also have had a cellar or other hiding place on the grounds. I wonder if John built such a strong house with memories of the stories of his parents or grandparents and their trials in France in the back of his mind?
I wish I had more to say about John. Was he educated? What church did he attend, if any? Did he have a trade besides farming? There are always more questions, no matter what we are able to learn of the lives of these ancestors! Most of the material in this sketch came from Volume 96 of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, with bits and pieces found elsewhere. And as always, some of it is speculation.
The line of descent is:
John Perrin-Anne Hubert
John Perrin-Mary Polley
Samuel Perrin-Mehitable Child
John Perrin-Abigail Morris
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libberus Stannard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The first thing we know about John is that he was in Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1640. Family experts dispute whether or not he came in the Safety in 1635, but he was in Braintree in 1640. We don't know whether he had married Anne Hubert in England or whether they met on the ship or soon after arrival here. We do know that their daughter Mary was born at Braintree February 22, 1640/1. It's thought that she was the first born of their five known children, so that gives us an approximate marriage date of 1639, more or less.
John must have been well thought of in Braintree because he was one of the first men chosen, or allowed, to settle in a new town, Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony, so close to what became Rhode Island that some of his land was actually located there. He received several grants of land from the town, including home lot, woodland, fresh meadow, salt marsh, and new meadow. At various times, he was surveyor of highways, constable, townsman, and juror, so I'm thinking he had freeman status.
His estate was valued at 67 pounds in a 1643 settlement of town estates, but by the time of his death in 1674 his real estate was valued at 230 pounds and the total inventory at a little over 375 pounds. John was apparently a hard worker and a thrifty man. His will mentions his wife, two sons and two daughters. The first of two "Mary's" born to the couple had probably died young.
John died before King Philip's War, but the home he built in Rehoboth was apparently used as a garrison house during that conflict. His son John lived there at the time it was needed. A garrison house was generally built a little more stoutly than others in the vicinity, and usually had openings built into it that could be used to fire on any attackers. It may also have had a cellar or other hiding place on the grounds. I wonder if John built such a strong house with memories of the stories of his parents or grandparents and their trials in France in the back of his mind?
I wish I had more to say about John. Was he educated? What church did he attend, if any? Did he have a trade besides farming? There are always more questions, no matter what we are able to learn of the lives of these ancestors! Most of the material in this sketch came from Volume 96 of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, with bits and pieces found elsewhere. And as always, some of it is speculation.
The line of descent is:
John Perrin-Anne Hubert
John Perrin-Mary Polley
Samuel Perrin-Mehitable Child
John Perrin-Abigail Morris
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libberus Stannard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
John Fay, Immigrant
What in the world would an eight year old boy be doing, traveling by himself, on a trip across the Atlantic ocean in 1656? The Speedwell carried several other passengers who are our ancestors, but we can't prove that any of them knew the Fay family in England. After thinking about it for a while, perhaps inheritance had something to do with it. His presumed father is Henry Fay, with a death date, in Ipswich, Middlesex, Massachusetts of 1655. Maybe John was sent across the ocean to stake a claim to whatever his father had left him. A woman by the name of Dorothy Fay died in Ipswich on the same day as Henry. He name is listed next to Henry's in the register, but we don't know for sure that this was his wife. We don't even know for sure that Henry was John's father, but it appears likely. Many websites give the parents as David Fay and Elizabeth Coale, but it doesn't appear likely to me that a woman of almost 50 would give birth. These are more likely John's grandparents.
We don't know what happened to John when he arrived in America, alone as far as we can tell. He was eight years old, so unless a relative stepped forward to care for him, he would have been bound out. He may have been bound out anyway, as this was the frequent way to deal with children. They needed to learn a trade or skill.
John did grow up and married first Mary Brigham, by whom he had four children, and then Susannah Shattuck Morse, by whom he had four more children. He married Susannah on July 5, 1678 in Watertown, although it's not believed he ever lived there. Early in his life, but probably when he was an adult, John went to Marlboro, where he was made a freeman in 1669. He acquired land in Worcester, and was considered a proprietor there, but he apparently didn't live there. He stayed in Marlboro until the fury of King Philip's War forced the family to go to Watertown,
We wouldn't know much more about John except that he left his inventory. Actually, there are two inventories for him, one taken in 1691 (John died December 5, 1690) and one in 1695. The youngest child was born in 1686 so perhaps it was time to settle the estate. The older children, from his first marriage, may have been getting anxious to get "their share". The estate was valued at about 209 pounds in 1691. The 1695 inventory is not totaled but it appears to be very similar. From the items listed, it appears that John was a farmer; he had the usual animals including two oxen, and "husbandry tools", He also had a Bible and books, total value given as 1 pound and one shilling.
The other interesting thing about John I can't prove. It is said that he was of Huguenot parentage. Whether his parents were Huguenots or whether the connection is further back, I don't know. I don't even know if there is a connection. It's a possibility.
The line of descent is:
John Fay-Susannah Shattuck
David Fay-Sarah Larkin
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stannard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We don't know what happened to John when he arrived in America, alone as far as we can tell. He was eight years old, so unless a relative stepped forward to care for him, he would have been bound out. He may have been bound out anyway, as this was the frequent way to deal with children. They needed to learn a trade or skill.
John did grow up and married first Mary Brigham, by whom he had four children, and then Susannah Shattuck Morse, by whom he had four more children. He married Susannah on July 5, 1678 in Watertown, although it's not believed he ever lived there. Early in his life, but probably when he was an adult, John went to Marlboro, where he was made a freeman in 1669. He acquired land in Worcester, and was considered a proprietor there, but he apparently didn't live there. He stayed in Marlboro until the fury of King Philip's War forced the family to go to Watertown,
We wouldn't know much more about John except that he left his inventory. Actually, there are two inventories for him, one taken in 1691 (John died December 5, 1690) and one in 1695. The youngest child was born in 1686 so perhaps it was time to settle the estate. The older children, from his first marriage, may have been getting anxious to get "their share". The estate was valued at about 209 pounds in 1691. The 1695 inventory is not totaled but it appears to be very similar. From the items listed, it appears that John was a farmer; he had the usual animals including two oxen, and "husbandry tools", He also had a Bible and books, total value given as 1 pound and one shilling.
The other interesting thing about John I can't prove. It is said that he was of Huguenot parentage. Whether his parents were Huguenots or whether the connection is further back, I don't know. I don't even know if there is a connection. It's a possibility.
The line of descent is:
John Fay-Susannah Shattuck
David Fay-Sarah Larkin
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stannard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, September 28, 2018
Holbrook line: Thomas King, Immigrant
This is another case of "Will the real Thomas King please stand up?" Many people are identifying him as the Thomas King who was born at Taunton, Dorset, England before April 20, 1676 and he was then believed to be about 71 years old. So wew have a nine to ten year discrepancy on his birthdate, or location, or both.
We also don't know the name of his wife, other than Ann or Anne. It is possible that he had two wives named Ann, since the first one died in 1642 and he didn't marry Bridget Loker until 1655. However, Ann #1 is believed to be the mother of all his children, since all known children were born before she died. Thomas and Ann are believed to have come to America about 1638, so some of the possibly as many as nine children were born here.
It is likely that Ann died of complications of childbirth because the last son, Thomas, was born December 4, 1642 and Ann #1 died December 24, 1642. Sadly, their infant son followed within a few days and died on January 3, 1643. So there Thomas was in Sudbury, Massachusetts, a widower with as many as nine children, and it's hard to imagine that he didn't marry again, quickly. Unless he had a sister or other close relative who could live in the home and help out, Thomas would have needed a wife, quickly. The other possibility is that all the children who were underage were bound out, or sent to live with relatives. As far as I know, there is no documentation for this; it's just speculation on my part.
Thomas and family seem to have spent their first two or three years in Watertown and then moved on to Sudbury. The Kings stayed there for several years, even after Ann had died. After he had married Bridget, he was found in Marlborough. This had been considered part of Sudbury until it was partitioned so I'm not sure whether he actually moved or not. In Marlborough, he was a selectman, a town constable, and responsible for laying out the highways in town. He received several grants of land in the divisions that were made to the settlers.
When King Philip's War came in 1675-76, Thomas was counted in the household of his son-in-law, William Kerley. He may have gone there, temporarily, for protection. Or, as a seventy year old man (or older, depending on birth date), he may have been ready to live with a younger member of his family.
He wrote his will on 3/21/1675 and added a codicil January 15, 1676. The inventory showed a valuation of 295 pounds, 10 shillings.
This is what we know. We don't know what his occupation was, or what religion he professed. We don't know whether he was literate. We don't know about his life during the thirteen years between the death of Ann #1 and Bridget. We don't know what the exact circumstances were that had him living with his son in law in 1675-76, and we don't know whether Bridget was with him then or not.
But we do know he was an immigrant here during the end of the Great Migration, and we know he contributed to the growth of America. He wasn't rich but he wasn't poor, either. He had probably improved his family's fortune by coming to America, so it was a win for him and a win for us.
The line of descent is:
Thomas King-Ann
Sarah King-Nathaniel Joslin
Nathaniel Joslin-Esther Morse
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Luceba (Euzebia) Fay-Libbeus Stannard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We also don't know the name of his wife, other than Ann or Anne. It is possible that he had two wives named Ann, since the first one died in 1642 and he didn't marry Bridget Loker until 1655. However, Ann #1 is believed to be the mother of all his children, since all known children were born before she died. Thomas and Ann are believed to have come to America about 1638, so some of the possibly as many as nine children were born here.
It is likely that Ann died of complications of childbirth because the last son, Thomas, was born December 4, 1642 and Ann #1 died December 24, 1642. Sadly, their infant son followed within a few days and died on January 3, 1643. So there Thomas was in Sudbury, Massachusetts, a widower with as many as nine children, and it's hard to imagine that he didn't marry again, quickly. Unless he had a sister or other close relative who could live in the home and help out, Thomas would have needed a wife, quickly. The other possibility is that all the children who were underage were bound out, or sent to live with relatives. As far as I know, there is no documentation for this; it's just speculation on my part.
Thomas and family seem to have spent their first two or three years in Watertown and then moved on to Sudbury. The Kings stayed there for several years, even after Ann had died. After he had married Bridget, he was found in Marlborough. This had been considered part of Sudbury until it was partitioned so I'm not sure whether he actually moved or not. In Marlborough, he was a selectman, a town constable, and responsible for laying out the highways in town. He received several grants of land in the divisions that were made to the settlers.
When King Philip's War came in 1675-76, Thomas was counted in the household of his son-in-law, William Kerley. He may have gone there, temporarily, for protection. Or, as a seventy year old man (or older, depending on birth date), he may have been ready to live with a younger member of his family.
He wrote his will on 3/21/1675 and added a codicil January 15, 1676. The inventory showed a valuation of 295 pounds, 10 shillings.
This is what we know. We don't know what his occupation was, or what religion he professed. We don't know whether he was literate. We don't know about his life during the thirteen years between the death of Ann #1 and Bridget. We don't know what the exact circumstances were that had him living with his son in law in 1675-76, and we don't know whether Bridget was with him then or not.
But we do know he was an immigrant here during the end of the Great Migration, and we know he contributed to the growth of America. He wasn't rich but he wasn't poor, either. He had probably improved his family's fortune by coming to America, so it was a win for him and a win for us.
The line of descent is:
Thomas King-Ann
Sarah King-Nathaniel Joslin
Nathaniel Joslin-Esther Morse
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary Perrin
Luceba (Euzebia) Fay-Libbeus Stannard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Thomas Betts 1615-1688 Immigrant
I typed Thomas's birth date with trepidation. If he was truly born in 1615, then he became a very young father. I have seen other birth dates as "old" as 1602, and I think that Thomas was born sometime before 1615. If his parents waited 13 years to have him baptized, one wonders what their motivation was. Were they really strict Puritans (or another sect), who didn't believe in baptism of infants? Or did Thomas marry at a very young age? Like so many others, what we know is just bits and pieces, and not very many of those!
Thomas is believed to be the son of John and Mary Bigge Betts, and his first wife is thought to be Mary Bridge. It is possible, since I can't find documentation of the marriage, that there was no marriage and our Grace is an out of wedlock child, but others believe there was a divorce in Massachusetts, shortly after Thomas arrived in the Colony, and that Thomas then left his former wife and child there while he moved to Connecticut to start over. As far as I know, there is no documentation for this idea, either. I wonder if first wife died and he left Grace with relatives while he moved to Connecticut? At this point, all this is speculation and needs more research.
Grace's birth is variously given as Roxbury, Massachusetd "England" so we don't really know when Thomas arrived. We do know he was in Milford, Connecticut in 1639, and in Guilford before 1644, and then moved on to Norwalk, Connecticut in 1660, where he died in 1688. He was a farmer, and not an especially prosperous one at that. His inventory amounted to just 45 pounds and 6 shillings, which is on the low end of "poor", actually. It's possible that he had disposed of land earlier but it appears that he still had his own household.
Thomas is thought to have married a second (?) time, to Mary, whom some have identified with Mary Raymond. His daughter Mary married a John Raymond, so this needs to be researched further to make sure the families aren't mixed up. He had several children with this wife, and these are the children he remembered in his will. Grace wasn't mentioned. Perhaps he had given her a dowry earlier.
The facts and evidence about Thomas Betts is scant, as far as I have been able to learn. However, he seems to be an ancestor and therefore is a man who deserves respect. Without him, we would not be here, family!
The line of descent is:
Thomas Betts-Mary Bridge
Grace Betts-Edward Morris
Samuel Morris-Mehitable Mayo
Abigail Morris-John Perrin
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas is believed to be the son of John and Mary Bigge Betts, and his first wife is thought to be Mary Bridge. It is possible, since I can't find documentation of the marriage, that there was no marriage and our Grace is an out of wedlock child, but others believe there was a divorce in Massachusetts, shortly after Thomas arrived in the Colony, and that Thomas then left his former wife and child there while he moved to Connecticut to start over. As far as I know, there is no documentation for this idea, either. I wonder if first wife died and he left Grace with relatives while he moved to Connecticut? At this point, all this is speculation and needs more research.
Grace's birth is variously given as Roxbury, Massachusetd "England" so we don't really know when Thomas arrived. We do know he was in Milford, Connecticut in 1639, and in Guilford before 1644, and then moved on to Norwalk, Connecticut in 1660, where he died in 1688. He was a farmer, and not an especially prosperous one at that. His inventory amounted to just 45 pounds and 6 shillings, which is on the low end of "poor", actually. It's possible that he had disposed of land earlier but it appears that he still had his own household.
Thomas is thought to have married a second (?) time, to Mary, whom some have identified with Mary Raymond. His daughter Mary married a John Raymond, so this needs to be researched further to make sure the families aren't mixed up. He had several children with this wife, and these are the children he remembered in his will. Grace wasn't mentioned. Perhaps he had given her a dowry earlier.
The facts and evidence about Thomas Betts is scant, as far as I have been able to learn. However, he seems to be an ancestor and therefore is a man who deserves respect. Without him, we would not be here, family!
The line of descent is:
Thomas Betts-Mary Bridge
Grace Betts-Edward Morris
Samuel Morris-Mehitable Mayo
Abigail Morris-John Perrin
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, August 3, 2018
John Mayo, Immigrant 1629-1688
First, let me say this. Our ancestor John Mayo is not the Reverend John Mayo of Boston. He is not the John Mayo of Barnstaple. He is not the Deacon John Mayo of Roxbury. He is, however, the father of the Deacon John Mayo of Roxbury.
Our John Mayo was born probably at or near Malling, Kent, England in 1629, His parents were Thomas Mayo and Elizabeth, as yet unidentified although I have seen her name given as Wing. John came to America when he was about 3 years old, probably in 1633, with his stepfather, Robert Gamlin, and his mother, Elizabeth.
John was more fortunate than some children who came to America because his father had left him some property, presumably in England. His stepfather was appointed power of attorney to sell it, in 1641, when John was 12. It is speculation as to what happened to that money but perhaps it was used to set him up in a trade or apprenticeship. The family settled near Stony River, a part of Rochester. As he was growing up, John had four half brothers and sisters, and one can hope it was a good, loving family. John was not mentioned in his step father's 1663 will, perhaps because he had his own father's bequest or perhaps because Robert had granted him something outright, earlier.
I have not been able to locate much information about John's early life. It is believed he lived in Roxbury from the time he arrived in America, but that may not be correct, especially if he was an apprentice somewhere. We do know he was in Roxbury on May 24, 1654, when he married Hannah Graves, the daughter of John and Judith Alward Graves, and he apparently lived there all the days of his married life, for he died there, also. He purchased land near Spring Street in Roxbury in 1657, just a few years after he married. This sounds like he was a townsman more than a farmer, so he may have had a trade or may have been a merchant of some kind (speculation only).
Just about all we know of his life in Roxbury is that he had a large family, either nine or ten children. We also know that when he died April 28, 1688, he had an estate valued at almost 509 pounds. This wasn't a fortune, but it wasn't a pitiful amount, either. (Clarification: I haven't located a copy of the will or the inventory, but apparently someone has).
There is a book about John Mayo and his descendants at the Allen County Public Library, that appears to be about our John Mayo. I will update this post when I get a chance to look at it, if there is additional information to help us understand this ancestor.
One more find, but I cannot state with certainty that he is our John Mayo: There is a John Mayo who served in King Phillip's War, in 1675, under Captain Mosely. Our John Mayo's son John would have been pretty young although it is possible that it was John Jr. Our John would have been less than 50 years old, so it is possible it was our John. It is also possible it was another John Mayo entirely. At any rate, it's a reminder that these were perilous times that our ancestors lived, and we should be grateful for their lives.
Our line of descent is:
John Mayo-Hannah Graves
Mehitable Mayo-Samuel Morris
Abigail Morris-John Perrin
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary or Mercy Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stannard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Update May 24, 2020 John Mayo, Hannah Graves, and Mehitable Mayo are now "former ancestors". See my post about Samuel Morris for a further explanation. I am leaving this post ;up so it can possibly help someone else.
Our John Mayo was born probably at or near Malling, Kent, England in 1629, His parents were Thomas Mayo and Elizabeth, as yet unidentified although I have seen her name given as Wing. John came to America when he was about 3 years old, probably in 1633, with his stepfather, Robert Gamlin, and his mother, Elizabeth.
John was more fortunate than some children who came to America because his father had left him some property, presumably in England. His stepfather was appointed power of attorney to sell it, in 1641, when John was 12. It is speculation as to what happened to that money but perhaps it was used to set him up in a trade or apprenticeship. The family settled near Stony River, a part of Rochester. As he was growing up, John had four half brothers and sisters, and one can hope it was a good, loving family. John was not mentioned in his step father's 1663 will, perhaps because he had his own father's bequest or perhaps because Robert had granted him something outright, earlier.
I have not been able to locate much information about John's early life. It is believed he lived in Roxbury from the time he arrived in America, but that may not be correct, especially if he was an apprentice somewhere. We do know he was in Roxbury on May 24, 1654, when he married Hannah Graves, the daughter of John and Judith Alward Graves, and he apparently lived there all the days of his married life, for he died there, also. He purchased land near Spring Street in Roxbury in 1657, just a few years after he married. This sounds like he was a townsman more than a farmer, so he may have had a trade or may have been a merchant of some kind (speculation only).
Just about all we know of his life in Roxbury is that he had a large family, either nine or ten children. We also know that when he died April 28, 1688, he had an estate valued at almost 509 pounds. This wasn't a fortune, but it wasn't a pitiful amount, either. (Clarification: I haven't located a copy of the will or the inventory, but apparently someone has).
There is a book about John Mayo and his descendants at the Allen County Public Library, that appears to be about our John Mayo. I will update this post when I get a chance to look at it, if there is additional information to help us understand this ancestor.
One more find, but I cannot state with certainty that he is our John Mayo: There is a John Mayo who served in King Phillip's War, in 1675, under Captain Mosely. Our John Mayo's son John would have been pretty young although it is possible that it was John Jr. Our John would have been less than 50 years old, so it is possible it was our John. It is also possible it was another John Mayo entirely. At any rate, it's a reminder that these were perilous times that our ancestors lived, and we should be grateful for their lives.
Our line of descent is:
John Mayo-Hannah Graves
Mehitable Mayo-Samuel Morris
Abigail Morris-John Perrin
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary or Mercy Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stannard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Update May 24, 2020 John Mayo, Hannah Graves, and Mehitable Mayo are now "former ancestors". See my post about Samuel Morris for a further explanation. I am leaving this post ;up so it can possibly help someone else.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Holbrook line: Edward Winn, Immigrant -
Edward Winn should be fairly well documented. After all, he's a direct ancestor of President Grover Cleveland, so shouldn't we expect to know more about him than about the average guy who came to America? Well, we might expect it, and there is perhaps a little more information than we're used to finding, but the amount is still pretty minimal, and in some cases, conflicting.
For instance, was he born in in Ipswich, Suffolk, England in , or he was born in Thornton Curtis, Lincolnshire in. I would be happier if I could find an exact birth or christening date. I tend to think the Ipswich, Suffolk information could be a guess based on that being the point of his departure to Massachusetts, but at this point anything is possible.
He married Joanna, probably Joanna Sargent although I have seen it suggested that her name was Hatch) in England and they came to America with at least three of their children sometime before 1640. There seems to be at least a hint that the family spent some time (weeks? months? years?) in Charlestown when they arrived here, and in 1640 Edward was one of several men who were asked to plan the settlement of Woburn, Massachusetts. The family was there by 1641, and Edward was admitted a freeman there in 1643.
After that, there is little that is on record. The birth of his son Increase is recorded in 1641 as the first child born in Woburn. He is listed in a deponent's index, and I'd love to read that deposition for it might tell his age, where he was from, his current occupation, and his statement about the case he is testifying in. So far I haven't found the court records, though. His wife Joanna died in 1649 and Edward married Sarah Beal that same year. She also died, and he then married Anna or Hannah Page Wood, a widow. There are three references to land owned by Edward Winn in a book of early land deeds, but the land, whatever its size, is described only as a boundary for someone else's land. Also he was a town selectman from 1660-1664.
He died in Woburn on September 5, 1682, having helped to found a town and in one way or another, having seen it through the first 40 plus years of life. For that, he deserves to be honored.
The line of descent is:
Edward Winn-Joanna probably Sargent
Ann Winn-Moses Cleveland
Enoch Cleveland-Elizabeth Counts
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
For instance, was he born in in Ipswich, Suffolk, England in , or he was born in Thornton Curtis, Lincolnshire in. I would be happier if I could find an exact birth or christening date. I tend to think the Ipswich, Suffolk information could be a guess based on that being the point of his departure to Massachusetts, but at this point anything is possible.
He married Joanna, probably Joanna Sargent although I have seen it suggested that her name was Hatch) in England and they came to America with at least three of their children sometime before 1640. There seems to be at least a hint that the family spent some time (weeks? months? years?) in Charlestown when they arrived here, and in 1640 Edward was one of several men who were asked to plan the settlement of Woburn, Massachusetts. The family was there by 1641, and Edward was admitted a freeman there in 1643.
After that, there is little that is on record. The birth of his son Increase is recorded in 1641 as the first child born in Woburn. He is listed in a deponent's index, and I'd love to read that deposition for it might tell his age, where he was from, his current occupation, and his statement about the case he is testifying in. So far I haven't found the court records, though. His wife Joanna died in 1649 and Edward married Sarah Beal that same year. She also died, and he then married Anna or Hannah Page Wood, a widow. There are three references to land owned by Edward Winn in a book of early land deeds, but the land, whatever its size, is described only as a boundary for someone else's land. Also he was a town selectman from 1660-1664.
He died in Woburn on September 5, 1682, having helped to found a town and in one way or another, having seen it through the first 40 plus years of life. For that, he deserves to be honored.
The line of descent is:
Edward Winn-Joanna probably Sargent
Ann Winn-Moses Cleveland
Enoch Cleveland-Elizabeth Counts
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, May 4, 2018
Holbrook Line: William Shattuck, Immigrant
William Shattuck was born in England, possibly Somerset, but perhaps Dorset, about 1622. That is as much as we can safely say about his origins. His parents are believed to be Samuel Shattuck and Damaris Sibley, but as far as I know, no documentation has been found for this. He did name a son Samuel, but there is no Damaris in the known family, so I think the jury is still out on his parentage.
The first we really know of Samuel is that he is in Watertown, a few miles west of Boston, by 1642. "The Pioneers of Massachusetts" states that he was a shoemaker. There was a loom in his inventory when he died, and there has been speculation that he was also a weaver. Many farmers, for that was also an occupation of his, did weaving in the winter time, but it's also possible that the output was for family needs only. So let's consider him a shoemaker and a farmer.
His wife's name and origins are also unknown. She was Susanna, and may have been either a Hayden or a Barnard, but again there is no proof that I can find. They were likely married about 1642 in England, and came almost immediately to Boston. I have also seen speculation that his father may have been with them, but died on the voyage. Again, I have not seen documentation.
His children present another mystery. I have names for 8 of them. One son has been described as "Samuel Church". I don't know whether this was a misreading of the will, or whether William had somehow adopted the boy, or whether there is another explanation. He mentioned the "ten younger children that are married" as well as several sons, so he may have had more children than we know of. The children that we have listed are Susanna, Mary, John, Philip, William, Rebecca, Abigail and Benjamin. Perhaps Susanna had brought children into the marriage whom William considered "his". We just don't know.
We do know a little of his life because of what was listed in the inventory at this death. His total appraised value was 434 pound, 2 shillings, which was not bad for a farmer, or a shoemaker. Among the interesting items are more linens and dinnerware than would be typical for the day, but perhaps made necessary by having a large family. He had 103 pounds and 17 shillings in money, cash on hand, which again is a larger amount than I typically see. Unless books were included among "some small things", I didn't see books on the list but I do see two pair of "cards". They are listed with some of the wooden and earthenware dishes, so I don't want to guess what the "cards" were. If these were playing cards, they would have caused a scandal so the likelihood is that they were something else. He had three guns, two "pistools", and a cutlash, so he may have been well armed, depending on how old these arms were. He also had crops in the ground, bushels of grain, and farm animals of every sort except goats, it seems.
The inventory is signed by John Coolege, John Livermore, and Thomas Hastings. William died August 14, 1672 and the will was entered into probate on August 23, when the inventory was completed. Susannah remained a single woman for about 15 months, and then married Richard Norcross They stayed in Watertown, where she died December 11, 1686.
We actually have two lines through William and Susanna, both through their daughter Susannah. One line is:
William Shattuck-Susanna
Susannah Shattuck-John Fay
David Fay-Sarah Larkin
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Euzebia (Luceba) Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The other line is
William Shattuck-Susanna
Susanna Shattuck-Joseph Morse
Esther Morse-Nathaniel Joslin
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
and as per above
The first we really know of Samuel is that he is in Watertown, a few miles west of Boston, by 1642. "The Pioneers of Massachusetts" states that he was a shoemaker. There was a loom in his inventory when he died, and there has been speculation that he was also a weaver. Many farmers, for that was also an occupation of his, did weaving in the winter time, but it's also possible that the output was for family needs only. So let's consider him a shoemaker and a farmer.
His wife's name and origins are also unknown. She was Susanna, and may have been either a Hayden or a Barnard, but again there is no proof that I can find. They were likely married about 1642 in England, and came almost immediately to Boston. I have also seen speculation that his father may have been with them, but died on the voyage. Again, I have not seen documentation.
His children present another mystery. I have names for 8 of them. One son has been described as "Samuel Church". I don't know whether this was a misreading of the will, or whether William had somehow adopted the boy, or whether there is another explanation. He mentioned the "ten younger children that are married" as well as several sons, so he may have had more children than we know of. The children that we have listed are Susanna, Mary, John, Philip, William, Rebecca, Abigail and Benjamin. Perhaps Susanna had brought children into the marriage whom William considered "his". We just don't know.
We do know a little of his life because of what was listed in the inventory at this death. His total appraised value was 434 pound, 2 shillings, which was not bad for a farmer, or a shoemaker. Among the interesting items are more linens and dinnerware than would be typical for the day, but perhaps made necessary by having a large family. He had 103 pounds and 17 shillings in money, cash on hand, which again is a larger amount than I typically see. Unless books were included among "some small things", I didn't see books on the list but I do see two pair of "cards". They are listed with some of the wooden and earthenware dishes, so I don't want to guess what the "cards" were. If these were playing cards, they would have caused a scandal so the likelihood is that they were something else. He had three guns, two "pistools", and a cutlash, so he may have been well armed, depending on how old these arms were. He also had crops in the ground, bushels of grain, and farm animals of every sort except goats, it seems.
The inventory is signed by John Coolege, John Livermore, and Thomas Hastings. William died August 14, 1672 and the will was entered into probate on August 23, when the inventory was completed. Susannah remained a single woman for about 15 months, and then married Richard Norcross They stayed in Watertown, where she died December 11, 1686.
We actually have two lines through William and Susanna, both through their daughter Susannah. One line is:
William Shattuck-Susanna
Susannah Shattuck-John Fay
David Fay-Sarah Larkin
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Euzebia (Luceba) Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The other line is
William Shattuck-Susanna
Susanna Shattuck-Joseph Morse
Esther Morse-Nathaniel Joslin
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
and as per above
Friday, April 6, 2018
Holbrook line: Robert Hale, Deacon, Ensign, and Immigrant
It's always a joy to find information about an ancestor, already written and even with the will transcribed. Much of the information on this post came from the geni website, which in turn used a lot of information from Robert Charles Anderson's Great Migration project. If you've been following this blog, you'll recognize that Robert Hale was an early immigrant to New England, specifically to Massachusetts.
However, we still don't know some of the most basic information about Robert, such as who his parents were and where he was from. We know that his wife was "Jone" but her maiden name and origins have also not been proven, although I've read in several places that her name was Jone or Joanne Cutter or Cutler.
Robert is said to have been born in 1606, possibly in Canterbury, Kent, England. However, the first thing we're able to say with certainty is that he arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 with the Winthrop Fleet. He was a carpenter, and carpentry was in high demand since those 1000 people who landed with the fleet needed shelters to get them through the first winter, and homes to live in as they put down roots.
Robert and Joan may have been married in England or more probably in Boston soon after Robert's arrival, although so far no one seems to have found records. Robert was admitted to the Boston church as member number 18, in the fall of 1630. Two years later, Robert and Joan were dismissed to church at Charlestown, where they were founding members of the Charlestown church. They were probably already living closer to Charlestown than to Boston. He became a deacon of the church, and was made a freeman on May 14, 1634. Apparently their first child arrived in 1636.
Robert soon acquired several parcels of land (13 parcels by 1638), as an early settler of the town, and was a selectman for at least the early years of the town. He also assisted in surveying and laying out lands in "the wilderness" and helped settle land disputes, so his talents were not limited to carpentry. Most if not all men in the town were required to join the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company", which I think was the same thing as the training band, and Robert joined in 1644. He was chosen as sergeant by 1652, and ensign by 1658, so he showed leadership abilities.
We don't know a lot about his educational level but he did have books in his inventory valued at two pounds. We could speculate whether these were practical books of use in the carpentry trade, or whether they were religious books, or whether there were some of each. We could also wonder how many of the couple's children were taught to read, or write.
Robert Hale, carpenter, deacon, and ensign died May 5, 1659. He may have had an illness or suffered an injury earlier because his will was dated June 26, 1647, and most wills in that time period were written when death seemed to be imminent. His inventory totaled 407 pounds, 18 shillings and 3 pence, of which about 241 pounds was real estate. Joan was given about a third of the estate and the children (four surviving) mostly got land and cash.
Joan married Richard Jacob on September 24, 1662, and there was apparently some sort of pre-nuptial agreement, because she was able to dispose of land to her children, grandchildren, and step children in her will which was dated July 30, 1679 and proved December 20, 1681. Her inventory was valued at 264 pounds, 4 shillings and 6 pence, so she was a good steward of what she was given, it would seem. (She was a widow at the time she wrote her will so she had probably inherited also from her second husband).
I have a mental picture of Robert as a good, hard working man, who was probably "good with money" and who also likely loved the Lord his God. He was respected in his community and was another ancestor we can respect, too.
The line of descent is:
Robert Hale-Joan
Joanna Hale-John Larkin
Sarah Larkin-David Fay
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Etta Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
However, we still don't know some of the most basic information about Robert, such as who his parents were and where he was from. We know that his wife was "Jone" but her maiden name and origins have also not been proven, although I've read in several places that her name was Jone or Joanne Cutter or Cutler.
Robert is said to have been born in 1606, possibly in Canterbury, Kent, England. However, the first thing we're able to say with certainty is that he arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 with the Winthrop Fleet. He was a carpenter, and carpentry was in high demand since those 1000 people who landed with the fleet needed shelters to get them through the first winter, and homes to live in as they put down roots.
Robert and Joan may have been married in England or more probably in Boston soon after Robert's arrival, although so far no one seems to have found records. Robert was admitted to the Boston church as member number 18, in the fall of 1630. Two years later, Robert and Joan were dismissed to church at Charlestown, where they were founding members of the Charlestown church. They were probably already living closer to Charlestown than to Boston. He became a deacon of the church, and was made a freeman on May 14, 1634. Apparently their first child arrived in 1636.
Robert soon acquired several parcels of land (13 parcels by 1638), as an early settler of the town, and was a selectman for at least the early years of the town. He also assisted in surveying and laying out lands in "the wilderness" and helped settle land disputes, so his talents were not limited to carpentry. Most if not all men in the town were required to join the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company", which I think was the same thing as the training band, and Robert joined in 1644. He was chosen as sergeant by 1652, and ensign by 1658, so he showed leadership abilities.
We don't know a lot about his educational level but he did have books in his inventory valued at two pounds. We could speculate whether these were practical books of use in the carpentry trade, or whether they were religious books, or whether there were some of each. We could also wonder how many of the couple's children were taught to read, or write.
Robert Hale, carpenter, deacon, and ensign died May 5, 1659. He may have had an illness or suffered an injury earlier because his will was dated June 26, 1647, and most wills in that time period were written when death seemed to be imminent. His inventory totaled 407 pounds, 18 shillings and 3 pence, of which about 241 pounds was real estate. Joan was given about a third of the estate and the children (four surviving) mostly got land and cash.
Joan married Richard Jacob on September 24, 1662, and there was apparently some sort of pre-nuptial agreement, because she was able to dispose of land to her children, grandchildren, and step children in her will which was dated July 30, 1679 and proved December 20, 1681. Her inventory was valued at 264 pounds, 4 shillings and 6 pence, so she was a good steward of what she was given, it would seem. (She was a widow at the time she wrote her will so she had probably inherited also from her second husband).
I have a mental picture of Robert as a good, hard working man, who was probably "good with money" and who also likely loved the Lord his God. He was respected in his community and was another ancestor we can respect, too.
The line of descent is:
Robert Hale-Joan
Joanna Hale-John Larkin
Sarah Larkin-David Fay
Edward Fay-Sarah Joslin
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Etta Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 16, 2018
Holbrook line: Edward Morris, Immigrant
It's good to write these blog posts, because I always go back to look at the research I've already done. Almost always, I find more information than when I first started this genealogy quest, and sometimes I find that my original findings were incorrect. This is one of those times, and I'm going to have to delete some names from my tree. But I'll get to add new ones, so the chase, and the fun, continue. First, let me say that the great majority of this blog post comes from an article written by my hero (for a lot of reasons) Douglas Richardson, published in volume 146 of the New England Historical and Genealogical Register.
The one exciting thing I found, which others have also found, was the actual registry in Boston that recorded Edward's marriage. Seeing it handwritten on a page, with a lot of other names beginning with "M" was something special.
Edward Morris was christened at Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, England on January 22, 1631/32, the son of Edward Morris/Morrison and Prudence Heath Morris/Morrison. The family name was Morrison in England and Morris in New England. Great Amwell is a small village about 20 miles north of London. Richard Warren, a passenger on the Mayflower, was married there so one wonders whether this was a hub for Separatists, or whether it's coincidence that Edward Morris also came from the same village. Edward apparently didn't arrive in New England until 1652, when he was about 21 years old.
Our next mention of Edward is his marriage record of November 20, 1655 in Boston . We know that Edward went to Roxbury to live but so far I've not found whether this was pre-marriage or post-marriage. The Morrises stayed in Roxbury for a number of years, and several of the children stayed there even when Edward and Grace moved on to Woodstock, Connecticut. All of their ten children were born in Roxbury. While in Roxbury, Edward took an active role in civic affairs, being a selectman for twelve years (possibly missing one of those years) and as a juror of the Court of Assistants. He was appointed one of three trustees for the High School at Jamaica Plain, and for nine years he was chosen deputy from Roxbury to the General Court.
The family followed the "Apostle" John Eliot, who baptized all their children, and joined with several other families from Roxbury to go to "New Roxbury" later renamed Woodstock, in 1686. The move to Woodstock took place more or less en masse, with thirteen families traveling together to start building a new life together. Edward was the oldest of them, but it seems that he was elected lieutenant of the training band (subject to government approval) shortly before his death. There is a record of his estate in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, but so far I have not been able to locate it. He died without a will on September14, 1689 and his widow Grace died June 16, 1705.
I'd like to research Edward Morris some more. He seems to have been an educated man, to be appointed trustee for a "High School", and to have been elected to office so many times. What was his occupation? Where did he get his education? What were his political beliefs? Did he leave England for political, economic, religious, or family reasons? Every time I write a blog post, I have more questions!
The line of descent is:
Edward Morris-Grace Bett
Samuel Morris-Mehitable Mayo
Abigail Morris-John Perrin
Benjamin Perrin-Mary (who are you?)
Mary or Mercy Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The one exciting thing I found, which others have also found, was the actual registry in Boston that recorded Edward's marriage. Seeing it handwritten on a page, with a lot of other names beginning with "M" was something special.
Edward Morris was christened at Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, England on January 22, 1631/32, the son of Edward Morris/Morrison and Prudence Heath Morris/Morrison. The family name was Morrison in England and Morris in New England. Great Amwell is a small village about 20 miles north of London. Richard Warren, a passenger on the Mayflower, was married there so one wonders whether this was a hub for Separatists, or whether it's coincidence that Edward Morris also came from the same village. Edward apparently didn't arrive in New England until 1652, when he was about 21 years old.
Our next mention of Edward is his marriage record of November 20, 1655 in Boston . We know that Edward went to Roxbury to live but so far I've not found whether this was pre-marriage or post-marriage. The Morrises stayed in Roxbury for a number of years, and several of the children stayed there even when Edward and Grace moved on to Woodstock, Connecticut. All of their ten children were born in Roxbury. While in Roxbury, Edward took an active role in civic affairs, being a selectman for twelve years (possibly missing one of those years) and as a juror of the Court of Assistants. He was appointed one of three trustees for the High School at Jamaica Plain, and for nine years he was chosen deputy from Roxbury to the General Court.
The family followed the "Apostle" John Eliot, who baptized all their children, and joined with several other families from Roxbury to go to "New Roxbury" later renamed Woodstock, in 1686. The move to Woodstock took place more or less en masse, with thirteen families traveling together to start building a new life together. Edward was the oldest of them, but it seems that he was elected lieutenant of the training band (subject to government approval) shortly before his death. There is a record of his estate in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, but so far I have not been able to locate it. He died without a will on September14, 1689 and his widow Grace died June 16, 1705.
I'd like to research Edward Morris some more. He seems to have been an educated man, to be appointed trustee for a "High School", and to have been elected to office so many times. What was his occupation? Where did he get his education? What were his political beliefs? Did he leave England for political, economic, religious, or family reasons? Every time I write a blog post, I have more questions!
The line of descent is:
Edward Morris-Grace Bett
Samuel Morris-Mehitable Mayo
Abigail Morris-John Perrin
Benjamin Perrin-Mary (who are you?)
Mary or Mercy Perrin-David Fay
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, January 19, 2018
Holbrook line: Edward Counts or Counce 1635-1704
This will be a short post, because I've not found much about our ancestor Edward Counts, but his story should be told, however little we know of him. Well, we know that he was born about 1635 because in 1663 his wife Sarah Cleveland said in a court case that Edward was then about 28 years old. Unfortunately, that is all the information that I can glean from that court case, except that it was in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. There is another court case he is briefly mentioned in in 1673 but I can't make heads nor tails out of that. I think he was a witness.
So back to the beginning...We don't know who his parents are. Speculation is that his father might be Samuel because he named his only known son Samuel, but that is just speculation, as far as I can tell. I've not been able to find him on any immigration lists, so we don't know when he came to New England or where the ship's passengers might have been primarily from. The first thing we really know is that he married Sarah Adams, daughter of Richard Adams of Malden, on February 25, 1663.
Their first son, Samuel, was born in July of 1671. He and two daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah, were baptized together at the First Church in Charlestown on April 4, 1677.
I did find one comment that he had lived at Malden for some period of time but I don't know if that was while he was courting Sarah, or in the early days of their marriage, or perhaps it was in the last years of their marriage. Sarah died on September 27, 1674 in Malden, just a few days before her father, Richard Adams died on October 6, 1674. We don't know if the same illness struck them both down, or whether there were two unrelated causes of death. Sarah's mother, Mary Cheame, died in 1684, so she may have helped Edward with the raising of the three youngsters, approaching and in their early teens when Sarah died. Edward apparently did not remarry.
Edward died about February 14,1704 at Charlestown, where he had first lived and made his home. I haven't yet found his will, or appraisal. I don't know his occupation. I don't know his religion, except that he did have his children baptized. I DO know that more research needs to be done for him!
The line of descent is
Edward Counts-Sarah Adams
Elizabeth Counts-Enoch Cleveland
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
So back to the beginning...We don't know who his parents are. Speculation is that his father might be Samuel because he named his only known son Samuel, but that is just speculation, as far as I can tell. I've not been able to find him on any immigration lists, so we don't know when he came to New England or where the ship's passengers might have been primarily from. The first thing we really know is that he married Sarah Adams, daughter of Richard Adams of Malden, on February 25, 1663.
Their first son, Samuel, was born in July of 1671. He and two daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah, were baptized together at the First Church in Charlestown on April 4, 1677.
I did find one comment that he had lived at Malden for some period of time but I don't know if that was while he was courting Sarah, or in the early days of their marriage, or perhaps it was in the last years of their marriage. Sarah died on September 27, 1674 in Malden, just a few days before her father, Richard Adams died on October 6, 1674. We don't know if the same illness struck them both down, or whether there were two unrelated causes of death. Sarah's mother, Mary Cheame, died in 1684, so she may have helped Edward with the raising of the three youngsters, approaching and in their early teens when Sarah died. Edward apparently did not remarry.
Edward died about February 14,1704 at Charlestown, where he had first lived and made his home. I haven't yet found his will, or appraisal. I don't know his occupation. I don't know his religion, except that he did have his children baptized. I DO know that more research needs to be done for him!
The line of descent is
Edward Counts-Sarah Adams
Elizabeth Counts-Enoch Cleveland
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, November 24, 2017
Holbrook line: Thomas King, Immigrant
I have a lot of summaries of the life of Thomas King. who lived from 1605 to 1676/1677. Thomas was born in England, possibly in Shaftsbury, Dorset. The problem is that there are quite a few Thomas King's,, and it's hard to figure out which one he is. In addition, the maiden name of his wife is not agreed upon. Her first name was Anne but she may or may not have been a Tice. I am disinclined, at this point, to think that she was Anne Collins. We don't even know whether the children he had were all from one wife.
His parents are generally given as Thomas and Sarah or Susan King, also of Shaftsbury. The senior Thomas is sometimes said to have died in 1642 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts but I've not been able to find documentation for that. So we have uncertain parentage, uncertain wife, and are even uncertain when he arrived in the New World. We do know that a Thomas King arrived in 1635 but we don't know if that was our Thomas, Thomas's purported father, or another Thomas King entirely.
However, we do know that he went to Sudbury, which was founded in 1639. He was not one of the very earliest settlers, but apparently was one of those who came just a bit later. His wife died in childbirth in 1642, leaving Thomas with six children (the baby lived only a few days longer than his mother) . We don't know whether this wife was his first wife, or whether some of the first children had a different mother. Thomas was of a hardier sort than most men, as he stayed single for thirteen years, apparently raising his children himself, or with the help of his oldest children. He remarried in 1655, when his children were mostly grown or at least ready to earn their own living.
He acquired land in Sudbury and then in 1656 petitioned for land in what became Marlboro. Here he was a selectman and also assisted in laying out the roads for the new town. Again he acquired land and farmed.
He wrote his will on March 1, 1676/77 and it was proven on April 20, 1676/77. We don't know whether he died of illness, accident, or possibly in the Indian attacks of King Phillip's War, which took place at about this time. He certainly died at an unhappy time in the history of Marlboro.
His wife Bridge survived another nine years, dying in 1685.
I've not found reference to the Kings' religion but it was likely Puritan, based on family association (son Peter was a deacon, and assigned to rebuild the Sudbury church). I don't know if he was literate, or what he did in England before coming to America. But I do know he came, and survived what must have been a difficult life, and for that, I admire our Thomas King.
The line of descent is:
Thomas King-Ann
Sarah King-Nathaniel Joslin
Nathaniel Joslin-Esther Morse
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
Daniel Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Euzebia or Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
His parents are generally given as Thomas and Sarah or Susan King, also of Shaftsbury. The senior Thomas is sometimes said to have died in 1642 in Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts but I've not been able to find documentation for that. So we have uncertain parentage, uncertain wife, and are even uncertain when he arrived in the New World. We do know that a Thomas King arrived in 1635 but we don't know if that was our Thomas, Thomas's purported father, or another Thomas King entirely.
However, we do know that he went to Sudbury, which was founded in 1639. He was not one of the very earliest settlers, but apparently was one of those who came just a bit later. His wife died in childbirth in 1642, leaving Thomas with six children (the baby lived only a few days longer than his mother) . We don't know whether this wife was his first wife, or whether some of the first children had a different mother. Thomas was of a hardier sort than most men, as he stayed single for thirteen years, apparently raising his children himself, or with the help of his oldest children. He remarried in 1655, when his children were mostly grown or at least ready to earn their own living.
He acquired land in Sudbury and then in 1656 petitioned for land in what became Marlboro. Here he was a selectman and also assisted in laying out the roads for the new town. Again he acquired land and farmed.
He wrote his will on March 1, 1676/77 and it was proven on April 20, 1676/77. We don't know whether he died of illness, accident, or possibly in the Indian attacks of King Phillip's War, which took place at about this time. He certainly died at an unhappy time in the history of Marlboro.
His wife Bridge survived another nine years, dying in 1685.
I've not found reference to the Kings' religion but it was likely Puritan, based on family association (son Peter was a deacon, and assigned to rebuild the Sudbury church). I don't know if he was literate, or what he did in England before coming to America. But I do know he came, and survived what must have been a difficult life, and for that, I admire our Thomas King.
The line of descent is:
Thomas King-Ann
Sarah King-Nathaniel Joslin
Nathaniel Joslin-Esther Morse
Israel Joslin-Sarah Cleveland
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
Daniel Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Euzebia or Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, July 21, 2017
Holbrook line: Moses Cleveland 1620-1703, Immigrant
There is more information about Moses Cleveland than is sometimes available,because he left more records than some immigrants, and because he is the ancestor of Grover Cleveland and thus has been pretty thoroughly researched. Still, I haven't seen documentation for his birth and there are varying guesses as to his parents.
My favorite candidate for his parents would be Isaac Cleveland and Alice, last name unknown. They were in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, which is generally given as Moses' birthplace, and they were of the right age to be his parents. In addition, there is the Biblical name tradition, as it appears. Other suggestions I have seen were for a Samuel Cleveland, but I don't think he was from Ipswich.
There is an absolutely fascinating story about Moses's voyage to America, but it may well be just that-a story. Still, on the off chance that it's correct, the story goes that when Moses came to America, he had thought it would be Virginia rather than New England. The story goes that when they landed at Jamestown, the group after a short time decided there was too much trouble with the native Americans, and boarded the ship to go to Massachusetts instead. There is much that is suspicious about this story but it could have happened.
At any rate, young Moses, no more than fifteen, arrived at Plym. outh or Boston in 1635. He was a ship's carpenter apprentice when he arrived, He seems to have stayed in Boston for about three years, then in 1638 he settled in Charlsetown.
He was still serving a master, probably Edward Winn, when he went to Woburn in 1640 or 1641, but was admitted a freeman in 1643, He was granted land in 1649, and on February 3,1648/1649 was appointed by a committee to lay out his own land. He married Ann Winn, daughter of Edward Winn, in 1648 and the couple had at least eleven children. The first is listed with a birthdate of 1651 so it's possible there were miscarriages or still born children in the early years of their marriage.
Moses was a joiner, or basically a finish carpenter, and worked both on ships and on homes. This gave him an income sufficient to support his large family. He is listed on the militia roll in 1663. A later listing for Moses Cleveland during King Philip's War is more likely his son Moses. He became a tithing man for the church in 1680, so he was a Puritan. He died in Woburn on January 8, 1702, having lived there for 60 or more years, and having survived his wife by about 20 years. It isn't often that our ancestors stayed in one place for a long time so I would like to thank Moses for doing just that!
The line of descent is:
Moses Cleveland-Ann Winn
Enoch Cleveland-Elizabeth Counts
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba or Euzebia Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
My favorite candidate for his parents would be Isaac Cleveland and Alice, last name unknown. They were in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, which is generally given as Moses' birthplace, and they were of the right age to be his parents. In addition, there is the Biblical name tradition, as it appears. Other suggestions I have seen were for a Samuel Cleveland, but I don't think he was from Ipswich.
There is an absolutely fascinating story about Moses's voyage to America, but it may well be just that-a story. Still, on the off chance that it's correct, the story goes that when Moses came to America, he had thought it would be Virginia rather than New England. The story goes that when they landed at Jamestown, the group after a short time decided there was too much trouble with the native Americans, and boarded the ship to go to Massachusetts instead. There is much that is suspicious about this story but it could have happened.
At any rate, young Moses, no more than fifteen, arrived at Plym. outh or Boston in 1635. He was a ship's carpenter apprentice when he arrived, He seems to have stayed in Boston for about three years, then in 1638 he settled in Charlsetown.
He was still serving a master, probably Edward Winn, when he went to Woburn in 1640 or 1641, but was admitted a freeman in 1643, He was granted land in 1649, and on February 3,1648/1649 was appointed by a committee to lay out his own land. He married Ann Winn, daughter of Edward Winn, in 1648 and the couple had at least eleven children. The first is listed with a birthdate of 1651 so it's possible there were miscarriages or still born children in the early years of their marriage.
Moses was a joiner, or basically a finish carpenter, and worked both on ships and on homes. This gave him an income sufficient to support his large family. He is listed on the militia roll in 1663. A later listing for Moses Cleveland during King Philip's War is more likely his son Moses. He became a tithing man for the church in 1680, so he was a Puritan. He died in Woburn on January 8, 1702, having lived there for 60 or more years, and having survived his wife by about 20 years. It isn't often that our ancestors stayed in one place for a long time so I would like to thank Moses for doing just that!
The line of descent is:
Moses Cleveland-Ann Winn
Enoch Cleveland-Elizabeth Counts
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary or Mercy Perrin
Luceba or Euzebia Fay-Libbeus Stanard
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, January 6, 2017
Holbrook line: Griffith Bowen, Welsh immigrant and emigrant
Griffith Bowen is an interesting man. He was from Wales, he came to England and then returned to Wales in about 1650, went on to London, has a royal descent from some of the early Welsh princes, and was married to someone of royal descent. He also is referred to as "Gentleman", which is a step up from our usual "yeoman." In fact, given the term "Gentleman" one would think there would be more information available than I have been able to locate. Much of what I will write here is from the article "Griffith Bowen of Boston" found in English Origins of New England Families, Second Series, Volumes II and III, but that source doesn't include Francis's wife's name. Oxwich woul
Griffith was born about 1600 in Oxwich, Gower, Glamorgan, Wales, the son of Francis Bowen and Ellen Franklin. Oxwich would have been a beautiful and interesting place to grow up as it is on a beautiful bay in the south part of Wales. The church there dates back to at least the 15th century so was 200 or more years old when Griffith was born. There was also a castle nearby, although I haven't found who controlled it during this time period. Griffith was one of at least 6 children born to Francis and Ellen, which may be one reason why his early history has not been noted, or at least, found. He is on record as having owned land in 1632. We don't know when he became a Puritan, but apparently he did.
In 1638 he sold two different tracts of land and apparently used some of the profits to bring his family to America. He had married Margaret Fleming (there is some speculation that he may have had an earlier wife) and altogether he is credited with having 10 children, some in Wales and some in the New World. So with most if not all of his children in tow, the family came to the New World in 1638. Griffith and Margaret were "taken in for members" of the congregation of the church in Boston in December or 1638, shortly after they arrived. In March, he was granted some land at Muddy River, and shortly after that he was made a freeman.
He was granted a house lot in1643, and this is where he raised his family. By this time, the oldest of his children were teenagers, but there were also infants to care and provide for. About 1650, something happened to convince Griffith to return to Wales, which may not have been the best move for him. Some of his children remained in Massachusetts Bay Colony, but we are not sure with whom they lived, or how they were provided for or provided for themselves. I'd like to think that the ones who stayed, stayed because it was their choice.
Back in Wales, Griffith was in financial trouble fairly quickly so he may have left America due to financial reasons, also. He was imprisoned at Southwark about 1660 because as a customs officer, he had failed to remit about 388 pounds due the Commissioner of Customs. Griffith reported that he had already sent the money up to London but it may not have been by the most trustworthy of carriers, if indeed he had sent the money. Earlier he had been the victim of a hoax, when he bought land for 524 pounds, which should have set him up for life. However, as it turned out, the land was not the owner's to sell, as it belonged partly to the City of London and partly to the University of Oxford. What a headache he must have had when this came to light! He filed suit, of course, but for reasons unknown, he lost both the suit and two subsequent appeals.
In 1669, he was granted rights to a water grainmill and a fulling mill, for a period of 31 years, as long as a yearly rent was paid. So either the king took pity on him, or someone was slipped something under the table in order to make this happen.
Griffith hadn't disposed of all his land when he left Boston, because in 1669 he gave his new son in low two small parcels of land in Boston. That same year, he suited Francis Bowen, John Bowen, and Edward Woodridge for property he said he had placed in the hands of his son Francis, but Francis claimed the property was rightfully his. It appears that he lost this case, also.
Griffith died probably about 1676, We don't know what happened to his English or Welsh estate, if he still owned land or rights to the mills or other property. He did own property in Boston and Muddy River, and after about seven years a committee was appointed to divide the land and other property, giving a double part to Francis Bowen, Griffith's eldest son. It seems that four adult children in the Colony shared in the estate, as well as Francis in Wales.
There are a couple of interesting side stories involving the children of Griffith. Son Peniel was born in 1644, "at a farm nearer to us (Dorchester) than to Boston, his wife (Margaret Fleming) was delivered of this child by God's mercy without the help of any other woman. God himself helping his pore servants in a straight" So said Rev. John Eliot. Also, son William was a mariner, and was captured by the Turks, and died in captivity about 1686. He may have been waiting for a ransom, or perhaps was being used as a slave.
So ends the story of Griffith and Margaret, as we know it now. Margaret especially earns my sympathy. I'd sure like to know more of Griffith's story, and why he was in court so often. Did he remain a Puritan when he returned to Wales? What else can be found about him?
Our line of descent is:
Griffith Bowen-Margaret Fleming
Mary Bowen-Benjamin Child
Mehitable Child-Samuel Perrin
John Perrin-Abigail Morris
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary or Mercy Perrin-David Fay
Euzebia or Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard Jr.
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Griffith was born about 1600 in Oxwich, Gower, Glamorgan, Wales, the son of Francis Bowen and Ellen Franklin. Oxwich would have been a beautiful and interesting place to grow up as it is on a beautiful bay in the south part of Wales. The church there dates back to at least the 15th century so was 200 or more years old when Griffith was born. There was also a castle nearby, although I haven't found who controlled it during this time period. Griffith was one of at least 6 children born to Francis and Ellen, which may be one reason why his early history has not been noted, or at least, found. He is on record as having owned land in 1632. We don't know when he became a Puritan, but apparently he did.
In 1638 he sold two different tracts of land and apparently used some of the profits to bring his family to America. He had married Margaret Fleming (there is some speculation that he may have had an earlier wife) and altogether he is credited with having 10 children, some in Wales and some in the New World. So with most if not all of his children in tow, the family came to the New World in 1638. Griffith and Margaret were "taken in for members" of the congregation of the church in Boston in December or 1638, shortly after they arrived. In March, he was granted some land at Muddy River, and shortly after that he was made a freeman.
He was granted a house lot in1643, and this is where he raised his family. By this time, the oldest of his children were teenagers, but there were also infants to care and provide for. About 1650, something happened to convince Griffith to return to Wales, which may not have been the best move for him. Some of his children remained in Massachusetts Bay Colony, but we are not sure with whom they lived, or how they were provided for or provided for themselves. I'd like to think that the ones who stayed, stayed because it was their choice.
Back in Wales, Griffith was in financial trouble fairly quickly so he may have left America due to financial reasons, also. He was imprisoned at Southwark about 1660 because as a customs officer, he had failed to remit about 388 pounds due the Commissioner of Customs. Griffith reported that he had already sent the money up to London but it may not have been by the most trustworthy of carriers, if indeed he had sent the money. Earlier he had been the victim of a hoax, when he bought land for 524 pounds, which should have set him up for life. However, as it turned out, the land was not the owner's to sell, as it belonged partly to the City of London and partly to the University of Oxford. What a headache he must have had when this came to light! He filed suit, of course, but for reasons unknown, he lost both the suit and two subsequent appeals.
In 1669, he was granted rights to a water grainmill and a fulling mill, for a period of 31 years, as long as a yearly rent was paid. So either the king took pity on him, or someone was slipped something under the table in order to make this happen.
Griffith hadn't disposed of all his land when he left Boston, because in 1669 he gave his new son in low two small parcels of land in Boston. That same year, he suited Francis Bowen, John Bowen, and Edward Woodridge for property he said he had placed in the hands of his son Francis, but Francis claimed the property was rightfully his. It appears that he lost this case, also.
Griffith died probably about 1676, We don't know what happened to his English or Welsh estate, if he still owned land or rights to the mills or other property. He did own property in Boston and Muddy River, and after about seven years a committee was appointed to divide the land and other property, giving a double part to Francis Bowen, Griffith's eldest son. It seems that four adult children in the Colony shared in the estate, as well as Francis in Wales.
There are a couple of interesting side stories involving the children of Griffith. Son Peniel was born in 1644, "at a farm nearer to us (Dorchester) than to Boston, his wife (Margaret Fleming) was delivered of this child by God's mercy without the help of any other woman. God himself helping his pore servants in a straight" So said Rev. John Eliot. Also, son William was a mariner, and was captured by the Turks, and died in captivity about 1686. He may have been waiting for a ransom, or perhaps was being used as a slave.
So ends the story of Griffith and Margaret, as we know it now. Margaret especially earns my sympathy. I'd sure like to know more of Griffith's story, and why he was in court so often. Did he remain a Puritan when he returned to Wales? What else can be found about him?
Our line of descent is:
Griffith Bowen-Margaret Fleming
Mary Bowen-Benjamin Child
Mehitable Child-Samuel Perrin
John Perrin-Abigail Morris
Benjamin Perrin-Mary
Mary or Mercy Perrin-David Fay
Euzebia or Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard Jr.
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
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