Once again, mysteries hide some of the important facts about Jacob Walker. We know when he was born, March 11, 1643 and that he was born in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, a son of Robert and Sarah Leager Walker. He was one of 12 children and was born about 10 years after his family arrived at Boston. His parents apparently stayed in Boston their whole lives after arriving in the New World, as his father died there as did his mother.
Jacob, however, was different. He went to Stratford, Connecticut, where he married Elizabeth Wheeler Blackman, a widow who was the daughter of Moses and Miriam Hawley Wheeler. Elizabeth had two or perhaps three surviving children from her marriage to Adam Blackman, two girls and a son who "died young". Apparently she was ready for more children, for the couple had seven children after their December 5, 1670 marriage. I have seen comments that Jacob had his hands full with the Blackman family but I haven't found a lot to substantiate that claim.
There are ongoing court records involving suits by Mrs. Jane Blackman against Jacob. I'm unable to untable the details, but it seems to be a dispute over land. The local jusries seemed to side with Jacob and then the other side appealed. If Jacob lost an appeal, then he appealed further.
From the few details I found, it seems that Jacob must have been a farmer, for he is accused of using the farm land of the Blackmans. Mrs. Jane Blackman was Elizabeth Wheeler's mother in law during her first marriage, and finally the court asked Jacob to forego using land that was probably his until the death of Jane Blackman, since his use of the land was causing grief to the widow.
We don't know for sure how religious Jacob might have been, but Elizabeth's first hsuband was the son of a pastor, and Jacob had at least one brother who was a pastor. Probably this was a religious, Puritan family.
I am thoroughly confused about Jacob's death date. The last Walker child was born in 1681. As far as I can tell, Robert Walker's will in 1687 doesn't mention Jacob. There is a 1718 estate for Jacob Walker, the son of our Jacob, and there is a reference to his father in it, but I can't make out the details. He, the younger Jacob, seems to leave a small estate to his surviving brothers and sisters.
It is entirely possible that Jacob and Elizabeth left Stratford after the brith of .Mercy in 1681. I don't know when Elizabeth died, either, or where. Their daughter Elizabeth married in 1695 in Springfield, Massachusetts, but I've not found Jacob there yet, either. So for now, it's a mystery to me which is a bit of a surprise. Usually the death date is not that hard to locate.
Jacob seems to have been a man of little means, or perhaps he died too early to really accumulate that much of an estate. He was probably a farmer, and probably a church goer, but he is definitely our ancestor and deserves to be included in our family history.
If someone knows more of Jacob's story, particularly his death date and location, I would love to hear from you!
The line of descent is:
Jacob Walker-Elizabeth Wheeler
Elizabeth Walker-Luke Hitchcock
Ruth Hitchock-Jonathan Church
Ruth Church-Stephen Noble
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Wheeler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wheeler. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Friday, July 27, 2018
Holbrook line: Thomas Thayer, Immigrant 1596-1665
Thomas Thayer has much available information, so that this will be more a summary of what others have found rather than my own research. One interesting item I found refers to him as part of the "Boston Brahmin community". This set me back on my heels a bit. I've always thought that these people were maybe a little bit snobbish and clannish (my prejudices showing, but let's not pussy foot around this), and now I've learned that we might be part of this group, many generations removed, of course. There is an article on Wikipedia called "Boston Brahmin", if you're not familiar with the term.
Thomas himself may not be considered to be a Brahmin, since he was a shoemaker. But let's start at the beginning. He was born in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England, probably shortly before his christening date of August 16, 1596. (Point of reference here: Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler of the land,) His parents were Richard and Ursula Alice Dimery Thayer, and he was one of at least five children. Interestingly, a godfather was William Dimery, probably the same man who later became his father in law. Of the five Thayer siblings, three stayed in England but Thomas and his brother Richard came to America.
Thomas married Margery Wheeler, daughter of Abel or Abiel and Jane Shepherd Wheeler on April 13, 1618, in Thornbury. There were nine children born to them in Thornbury and at least one born after the family came to New England. It musts have been a sad life in those early years as most of the children died in England, some shortly after their birth. However, Thomas, his wife and their three surviving children sailed on the ship "Blessing" and arrived on the "Blessing" at Boston Harbor on April 8, 1637. His goods and supplies followed shortly after on the "Speedwell". It's possible that his oldest son, or perhaps his wife, came on this ship with the goods but there is no record of the passengers on that ship. It certainly would be interesting to know what "goods" he bought with him and whether they were sufficient to get the family started in the New World.
I haven't been able to locate much more than that about Thomas's life in America. We know he received 76 acres of land in Mt. Wollaston (later Braintree) and that is supposed to be for nine members of his family. This is hard to reconcile with the belief that most of his children died in England. (More research, when I get a chance!) Because he states it in his will, we know that he was a shoemaker and that he settled in Braintree, Suffolk County. We know his wife was still alive, for the lands he bequeathed to his three sons were not to be divided until after Margery's death. He had a dwelling house, orchard, barn, and enough land to give about 20 acres to Thomas, about the same to Ferdinando, and also to Sydrach. His personal goods he gave to his grandchildren, again apparently after the death of his wife. His three sons got together and rewrote part of the will, after his death, because they didn't think Sydrach had been given an amount equal to Thomas Jr and Ferdinando. Margery died February 11, 1673, so the boys waited a few years until the land was legally theirs.
An inventory was taken but sadly seems not to be available, or at least it is not on line. As you know by now, I dearly love inventories so its disappearance is a sad thing. And of course there are other mysteries. Was he a part of the church? Did he hold any town office? (I've looked at a History of Braintree and didn't find his name there at all). Could he read and write? Thomas and Margery are the progenitors of tens of thousands, if not more, descendants and we'd sure like to know more about them!
One line of descent is:
Thomas Thayer-Margery Wheeler
Ferdinando Thayer-Huldah Hayward
Ebenezer Thayer-Martha Thompson
Deborah Thayer-John Rockwood
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas himself may not be considered to be a Brahmin, since he was a shoemaker. But let's start at the beginning. He was born in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England, probably shortly before his christening date of August 16, 1596. (Point of reference here: Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler of the land,) His parents were Richard and Ursula Alice Dimery Thayer, and he was one of at least five children. Interestingly, a godfather was William Dimery, probably the same man who later became his father in law. Of the five Thayer siblings, three stayed in England but Thomas and his brother Richard came to America.
Thomas married Margery Wheeler, daughter of Abel or Abiel and Jane Shepherd Wheeler on April 13, 1618, in Thornbury. There were nine children born to them in Thornbury and at least one born after the family came to New England. It musts have been a sad life in those early years as most of the children died in England, some shortly after their birth. However, Thomas, his wife and their three surviving children sailed on the ship "Blessing" and arrived on the "Blessing" at Boston Harbor on April 8, 1637. His goods and supplies followed shortly after on the "Speedwell". It's possible that his oldest son, or perhaps his wife, came on this ship with the goods but there is no record of the passengers on that ship. It certainly would be interesting to know what "goods" he bought with him and whether they were sufficient to get the family started in the New World.
I haven't been able to locate much more than that about Thomas's life in America. We know he received 76 acres of land in Mt. Wollaston (later Braintree) and that is supposed to be for nine members of his family. This is hard to reconcile with the belief that most of his children died in England. (More research, when I get a chance!) Because he states it in his will, we know that he was a shoemaker and that he settled in Braintree, Suffolk County. We know his wife was still alive, for the lands he bequeathed to his three sons were not to be divided until after Margery's death. He had a dwelling house, orchard, barn, and enough land to give about 20 acres to Thomas, about the same to Ferdinando, and also to Sydrach. His personal goods he gave to his grandchildren, again apparently after the death of his wife. His three sons got together and rewrote part of the will, after his death, because they didn't think Sydrach had been given an amount equal to Thomas Jr and Ferdinando. Margery died February 11, 1673, so the boys waited a few years until the land was legally theirs.
An inventory was taken but sadly seems not to be available, or at least it is not on line. As you know by now, I dearly love inventories so its disappearance is a sad thing. And of course there are other mysteries. Was he a part of the church? Did he hold any town office? (I've looked at a History of Braintree and didn't find his name there at all). Could he read and write? Thomas and Margery are the progenitors of tens of thousands, if not more, descendants and we'd sure like to know more about them!
One line of descent is:
Thomas Thayer-Margery Wheeler
Ferdinando Thayer-Huldah Hayward
Ebenezer Thayer-Martha Thompson
Deborah Thayer-John Rockwood
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Beeks line: Jason Wheeler 1765-1843, some thoughts
Jason Wheeler is one of the brick walls that is driving me crazy. Most trees out there give a definite date of birth for him, of October 4, 1765, and an approximate death date of 1843, supposedly in Marion County, Indiana. I have no reason to dispute those dates except that I can't find documentation for them. My hope is that the birth date came from a family Bible somewhere, and that someone seeing this will contact me with more information.
So the only real thing I have to go on is his birthdate, and the fact that the 1850 census shows his widow, Patience, or Palina possibly, as having been born in Vermont. So the 1791 census (called the 1790 census on Ancestry, but it was taken a year later than the rest of the country) shows a Jason Wheeler in Lunenburgh, Orange County, Vermont. This is the only Jason Wheeler in the entire 1790 census, so I'm going to assume this is our guy. I have bits and pieces through land records and census records of the rest of his life. He and Timothy Wheeler (a possible brother, possibly named for Timothy Nash) went to Chenango County, New York and then Jason moved on to Clermont County, Ohio, before the final move to Marion County, Indiana. The dates and time frame aren't really part of this discussion, because I want to focus on the early years of Jason Wheeler's life-in fact, his earliest years.
Specifically, I would like to know who his parents were. Every tree that ventures a guess seems to think his father is Joseph Wheeler, from Smyrna, Cobb County, Georgia. If someone has proof of this I sure would be pleased to see it, but on the face of it this doesn't seem likely. Going from Georgia to New York (where Joseph supposedly died) is not a usual migration path, and none of Jason's known children are named Joseph.
Let's leave that name alone for a while and apply some of the thought processes that family historians rely on. We know that family tended to stay together, so let's look at the other Wheelers in Orange County, Vermont in 1791. There are quite a few, but the one closest geographically is George, who is in Guildhall, which is basically right over the line from Lunenburgh. In fact, the two men probably thought they were living in the same town, until a 1786 survey showed that the border was not where the towns thought they were. George Wheeler's name is on some petitions in 1786 and 1788, and Jason's name joins his in 1788. George's 1791 census shows that he still has quite a large family, with a total of 10 people in the household. As a further note, Lunenburgh and Guildhall were each very small communities, with only 16 heads of households listed in each town in that year. George and Jason are the only two Wheelers here.
The only record I've found for a child for George is George Junior, who was born in 1773. That doesn't mean that this was the only child the family had, though. I've found that George first went to the area that became Guildhall in 1764, as one of a small group of people that also included Timothy Nash and David Page. These men settled in the area, with George pitching a tent on the south side of Fiske's pond (which I've not yet located on a map; it could be drained by now). There is a reference to the Wheeler family being there in the early years but it's possible that at least for the first year or two that the family joined George only for the warmer months.
So who was George Wheeler? Well, the record for George Junior's birth shows his parents as George and Experience Wheeler. George Wheeler and Experience Nash (she seems to be the daughter of the Timothy Nash mentioned above, and Experience Kellogg) were married in Shutesbury, Massachusetts on March 17, 1764. Jason was born about 19 months later. If we count back nine months from October 4, 1765 we arrive at early January, 1765, a time when it would make sense for the couple to have been together, if George went back to Shutesbury that first winter. It's an "if", but it may be a reasonable "if". And if Jason was born in Vermont in early fall, it makes sense that his birth records would either be non-existent due to the pioneer experience, have been lost, or are somewhere in the archives of either New York or New Hampshire, each of which was claiming this land at the time. There are no further records for George Wheeler in Shutesbury, so he must have gone someplace.
George served in the Revolutionary War under a New Hampshire group, in Captain Bedell's company, and again in 1782 in a group credited to Vermont. I haven't done a lot of digging on the war story because I'm still trying to piece together a timeline and figure out how much sense this idea makes.
George is in Lunenburgh, now Essex County, in the 1800 census. He is about the age of 45, so born earlier than 1755, and still has 5 people living with him, plus a woman over 45 who is presumably his wife, Experience. After that, I can no longer locate a likely suspect to be George. He may have died between 1800 and 1810, or he may be living in a child's home, but since we don't know the children to check that is hard to determine at this point. Jason, meanwhile has moved on to Frankfort, Herkimer, New York in 1800 (again, he's the only Jason I can find in the 1800 census). He is apparently married (best guess for marriage date is 1788 or so) and has six children living in the household. One of these children is a son named George, born in 1799.
I have no smoking gun here. I haven't found a will for George, or estate papers, land records or pension records. I don't know what happened to him. I have geographic location, opportunity, and names (some of Jason's children used the name George, also, which may be for George Wheeler, or could be for George Washington) This is more than I can find for the supposed Joseph.
What do my genealogy friends think? Are George and Experience strong possibilities for Jason's parents? Where else can I look? I'd sure love to add these names to the Beeks family tree, and start researching George and Experience! Please email me: happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom, or leave a comment!
Here's Jason's line of descent:
Jason Wheeler-Patience
Lucinda Wheeler-John Simpson Aldridge Jr.
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
So the only real thing I have to go on is his birthdate, and the fact that the 1850 census shows his widow, Patience, or Palina possibly, as having been born in Vermont. So the 1791 census (called the 1790 census on Ancestry, but it was taken a year later than the rest of the country) shows a Jason Wheeler in Lunenburgh, Orange County, Vermont. This is the only Jason Wheeler in the entire 1790 census, so I'm going to assume this is our guy. I have bits and pieces through land records and census records of the rest of his life. He and Timothy Wheeler (a possible brother, possibly named for Timothy Nash) went to Chenango County, New York and then Jason moved on to Clermont County, Ohio, before the final move to Marion County, Indiana. The dates and time frame aren't really part of this discussion, because I want to focus on the early years of Jason Wheeler's life-in fact, his earliest years.
Specifically, I would like to know who his parents were. Every tree that ventures a guess seems to think his father is Joseph Wheeler, from Smyrna, Cobb County, Georgia. If someone has proof of this I sure would be pleased to see it, but on the face of it this doesn't seem likely. Going from Georgia to New York (where Joseph supposedly died) is not a usual migration path, and none of Jason's known children are named Joseph.
Let's leave that name alone for a while and apply some of the thought processes that family historians rely on. We know that family tended to stay together, so let's look at the other Wheelers in Orange County, Vermont in 1791. There are quite a few, but the one closest geographically is George, who is in Guildhall, which is basically right over the line from Lunenburgh. In fact, the two men probably thought they were living in the same town, until a 1786 survey showed that the border was not where the towns thought they were. George Wheeler's name is on some petitions in 1786 and 1788, and Jason's name joins his in 1788. George's 1791 census shows that he still has quite a large family, with a total of 10 people in the household. As a further note, Lunenburgh and Guildhall were each very small communities, with only 16 heads of households listed in each town in that year. George and Jason are the only two Wheelers here.
The only record I've found for a child for George is George Junior, who was born in 1773. That doesn't mean that this was the only child the family had, though. I've found that George first went to the area that became Guildhall in 1764, as one of a small group of people that also included Timothy Nash and David Page. These men settled in the area, with George pitching a tent on the south side of Fiske's pond (which I've not yet located on a map; it could be drained by now). There is a reference to the Wheeler family being there in the early years but it's possible that at least for the first year or two that the family joined George only for the warmer months.
So who was George Wheeler? Well, the record for George Junior's birth shows his parents as George and Experience Wheeler. George Wheeler and Experience Nash (she seems to be the daughter of the Timothy Nash mentioned above, and Experience Kellogg) were married in Shutesbury, Massachusetts on March 17, 1764. Jason was born about 19 months later. If we count back nine months from October 4, 1765 we arrive at early January, 1765, a time when it would make sense for the couple to have been together, if George went back to Shutesbury that first winter. It's an "if", but it may be a reasonable "if". And if Jason was born in Vermont in early fall, it makes sense that his birth records would either be non-existent due to the pioneer experience, have been lost, or are somewhere in the archives of either New York or New Hampshire, each of which was claiming this land at the time. There are no further records for George Wheeler in Shutesbury, so he must have gone someplace.
George served in the Revolutionary War under a New Hampshire group, in Captain Bedell's company, and again in 1782 in a group credited to Vermont. I haven't done a lot of digging on the war story because I'm still trying to piece together a timeline and figure out how much sense this idea makes.
George is in Lunenburgh, now Essex County, in the 1800 census. He is about the age of 45, so born earlier than 1755, and still has 5 people living with him, plus a woman over 45 who is presumably his wife, Experience. After that, I can no longer locate a likely suspect to be George. He may have died between 1800 and 1810, or he may be living in a child's home, but since we don't know the children to check that is hard to determine at this point. Jason, meanwhile has moved on to Frankfort, Herkimer, New York in 1800 (again, he's the only Jason I can find in the 1800 census). He is apparently married (best guess for marriage date is 1788 or so) and has six children living in the household. One of these children is a son named George, born in 1799.
I have no smoking gun here. I haven't found a will for George, or estate papers, land records or pension records. I don't know what happened to him. I have geographic location, opportunity, and names (some of Jason's children used the name George, also, which may be for George Wheeler, or could be for George Washington) This is more than I can find for the supposed Joseph.
What do my genealogy friends think? Are George and Experience strong possibilities for Jason's parents? Where else can I look? I'd sure love to add these names to the Beeks family tree, and start researching George and Experience! Please email me: happygenealogydancingATgmailDOTcom, or leave a comment!
Here's Jason's line of descent:
Jason Wheeler-Patience
Lucinda Wheeler-John Simpson Aldridge Jr.
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Beeks line: John Purdy 1654-1712
I'm afraid this is another "no nothing" post, but I'm determined to note these ancestor's lives even if all I can do is offer a name, a location, and maybe a date. This will remind me that I have work to do, to document these people, and it will serve as possible clues to someone who may be able to dig deeper into records than I can currently do.
John Purdy is a Maryland resident, the first we learn of him. He is believed to have been born about 1654, although his parentage and their origin are still something unknown. I have seen his father listed variously as Henry, William, and Francis, so I'm unwilling to make even a wild guess. I suppose someone who thought father's name was William thought that because his only (surviving) son was named William. Francis seems to have spent his life in Connecticut and I can't find a logical explanation for a son showing up in Maryland, although I regard this as still a possibility. And I don't know where "Henry" came from, as a proposed father.
John was apparently married at least twice. His first wife was either Mary or Elizabeth, and his second marriage took place in 1701 to Mary Jarvis. He apparently had children only by his first wife.
We can guess that he was a farmer because there was real estate listed in his will, which was written October 21, 1709 and proved November 16, 1712. He left his land to his son William, but if William died without issue it was to be sold with 5 pounds to go to John Purdy, the son of Henry and Ann Purdy. As far as I know, the relationship of our John to Henry has not been proven, but it is quite possible he was a brother. The residue from the sale of his land was to go to his daughters Margaret Watts, Elizabeth Aldridge and Susan or Susanna Purdy, at 16 years. testators were Robert Steward, Joseph Tilly, and Thomas Orem.
Obvious research possibilities would be land and tax records for the time period. They should show what land he owed, where it was, and what the value was. This should indicate whether he farmed, raised tobacco, or perhaps was some type of merchant, or trader. At this early period in Maryland history, he could have been any of the above. There may be further information in church records, also, which would at least indicate when he became a member at All Hallow Parish (this would have been Church of England or Anglican).
So it may be that someday we will know more about John. For now, he's an ancestor in the Beeks line and he died in Maryland. He or/and his father would have been an immigrant, and that is reason enough to want to know more.
The line of descent is:
John Purdy-Elizabeth or Mary
Elizabeth Purdy-Thomas Aldridge
John Aldridge-Eleanor Watkins
Jacob Aldridge Elizabeth Soper
John Simpson Aldridge-Mary Lakin
John Simpson Aldridge Jr-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
John Purdy is a Maryland resident, the first we learn of him. He is believed to have been born about 1654, although his parentage and their origin are still something unknown. I have seen his father listed variously as Henry, William, and Francis, so I'm unwilling to make even a wild guess. I suppose someone who thought father's name was William thought that because his only (surviving) son was named William. Francis seems to have spent his life in Connecticut and I can't find a logical explanation for a son showing up in Maryland, although I regard this as still a possibility. And I don't know where "Henry" came from, as a proposed father.
John was apparently married at least twice. His first wife was either Mary or Elizabeth, and his second marriage took place in 1701 to Mary Jarvis. He apparently had children only by his first wife.
We can guess that he was a farmer because there was real estate listed in his will, which was written October 21, 1709 and proved November 16, 1712. He left his land to his son William, but if William died without issue it was to be sold with 5 pounds to go to John Purdy, the son of Henry and Ann Purdy. As far as I know, the relationship of our John to Henry has not been proven, but it is quite possible he was a brother. The residue from the sale of his land was to go to his daughters Margaret Watts, Elizabeth Aldridge and Susan or Susanna Purdy, at 16 years. testators were Robert Steward, Joseph Tilly, and Thomas Orem.
Obvious research possibilities would be land and tax records for the time period. They should show what land he owed, where it was, and what the value was. This should indicate whether he farmed, raised tobacco, or perhaps was some type of merchant, or trader. At this early period in Maryland history, he could have been any of the above. There may be further information in church records, also, which would at least indicate when he became a member at All Hallow Parish (this would have been Church of England or Anglican).
So it may be that someday we will know more about John. For now, he's an ancestor in the Beeks line and he died in Maryland. He or/and his father would have been an immigrant, and that is reason enough to want to know more.
The line of descent is:
John Purdy-Elizabeth or Mary
Elizabeth Purdy-Thomas Aldridge
John Aldridge-Eleanor Watkins
Jacob Aldridge Elizabeth Soper
John Simpson Aldridge-Mary Lakin
John Simpson Aldridge Jr-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Allen line: Robert Walker, Immigrant 1601-1687
Oh, happy day! Here's a well-documented (mostly) ancestor that had been under my radar to the extent that I didn't even have a folder started for him. Yet, here he is, with well written articles in both The Great Migration Begins and The American Genealogist, as well as a good web page on the John Walker Family Organization website. The only problem is, his parentage may or may not be correct, and the identification of his wife is not certain. Other than those "minor" issues, we know quite a lot about Robert Walker.
The first question, of course, is when was he born and who were his parents? It's believed that he was born in either 1601 or 1607. If the 1607 date is correct, then his parents were Thomas Walker and Margaret Bardsley. Margaret died when Robert was about two, and Thomas died just two years later, so Robert was likely raised by the husband of his step-mother. Somehow, Robert followed the trade of linen weaver or webster that his father had followed. Perhaps his sort of step-father was also a linen weaver. (Webster" appears to mean someone who also made linen thread from flax, perhaps for separate sale, in addition to weaving the material).
Robert came to Massachusetts Bay Colony (Boston) in about 1631 along with his wife, Sarah probably Leager, whom he had married in England. Their origin was "Manchester, Lancashire, England." The John Walker Family Organization website says he came in 1630 with the Winthrop Fleet, along with Sarah and "other Puritans." If they were already married, they were newly-weds. Other sources say they married in Boston.
Robert and Sarah had at least 12 children, some of whom died young. In Boston, Robert joined the First Church in 1632 and Sarah in 1634. Robert was made a freeman in 1634. He later became one of the founders of the Old South (Third) Church in 1669. I may have unknowingly walked, or at least driven, by his homesite when I made a quick trip to Boston (not for genealogy purposes) in 1998, because his home was bounded on the north by Boston Common. I was right there!
Robert didn't hold many offices in Boston. He was appointed a cowherd, and served on two grand juries. Also he was a clerk of the market, and a tithing man at Old South church. He wrote his name on only one deed but signed only initials on other documents. Was his hand sore, or hurt, or was he truly just barely literate, one wonders. Sarah consistently signed her name.
Robert had what appears to be a stroke on May 27, 1687 and died two days later. Samuel Sewall is quoted in his Diary as stating "He was a very good Man and conversant among God's New England People from beginning." That's a pretty good legacy, in my opinion.
It's fun to think about Robert and Sarah in very early Boston (which when they arrived was a very small town indeed). And when I read about "Old South Church" in pre-Revolutionary War days, it's exciting to realize that an ancestor helped found that church, 100 years earlier. Oh, I love it when facts come together!
The line of descent is
Robert Walker-Sarah Leager
Jacob Walker-Elizabeth Wheeler
Elizabeth Walker-Luke Hitchcock
Ruth Hitchcock-Jonathan Church
Ruth Church-Stephen Noble
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
Ruth Root-Samual Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The first question, of course, is when was he born and who were his parents? It's believed that he was born in either 1601 or 1607. If the 1607 date is correct, then his parents were Thomas Walker and Margaret Bardsley. Margaret died when Robert was about two, and Thomas died just two years later, so Robert was likely raised by the husband of his step-mother. Somehow, Robert followed the trade of linen weaver or webster that his father had followed. Perhaps his sort of step-father was also a linen weaver. (Webster" appears to mean someone who also made linen thread from flax, perhaps for separate sale, in addition to weaving the material).
Robert came to Massachusetts Bay Colony (Boston) in about 1631 along with his wife, Sarah probably Leager, whom he had married in England. Their origin was "Manchester, Lancashire, England." The John Walker Family Organization website says he came in 1630 with the Winthrop Fleet, along with Sarah and "other Puritans." If they were already married, they were newly-weds. Other sources say they married in Boston.
Robert and Sarah had at least 12 children, some of whom died young. In Boston, Robert joined the First Church in 1632 and Sarah in 1634. Robert was made a freeman in 1634. He later became one of the founders of the Old South (Third) Church in 1669. I may have unknowingly walked, or at least driven, by his homesite when I made a quick trip to Boston (not for genealogy purposes) in 1998, because his home was bounded on the north by Boston Common. I was right there!
Robert didn't hold many offices in Boston. He was appointed a cowherd, and served on two grand juries. Also he was a clerk of the market, and a tithing man at Old South church. He wrote his name on only one deed but signed only initials on other documents. Was his hand sore, or hurt, or was he truly just barely literate, one wonders. Sarah consistently signed her name.
Robert had what appears to be a stroke on May 27, 1687 and died two days later. Samuel Sewall is quoted in his Diary as stating "He was a very good Man and conversant among God's New England People from beginning." That's a pretty good legacy, in my opinion.
It's fun to think about Robert and Sarah in very early Boston (which when they arrived was a very small town indeed). And when I read about "Old South Church" in pre-Revolutionary War days, it's exciting to realize that an ancestor helped found that church, 100 years earlier. Oh, I love it when facts come together!
The line of descent is
Robert Walker-Sarah Leager
Jacob Walker-Elizabeth Wheeler
Elizabeth Walker-Luke Hitchcock
Ruth Hitchcock-Jonathan Church
Ruth Church-Stephen Noble
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
Ruth Root-Samual Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Friday, May 29, 2015
Allen line: Moses Wheeler 1598-1698, Immigrant
It's a joy to write these blog posts. I never write one entirely out of what I think I know when I sit down to write a post. A little digging turns up more information, or draws into question what I think I know, and always leaves me with more questions. Sometimes, I am so fortunate as to find one or more stories that tell me a little bit about the person. These anecdotes can't be proven, but I love them because even if not strictly true, they do give us insights into the character of the man or woman. Such is the case with Moses Wheeler.
Moses Wheeler is believed to have been born in Kent, England in 1598, the son of Dominick and Mercy Jelly Wheeler. As far as I know, the documentation for this has not been found, just as the documentation for his journey to America and his marriage has not been found. His early life is a mystery. It is believed that he came to America in 1638 and soon was in New Haven, Connecticut, but records of his immigration are missing. It is also believed that he married Miriam Hawley, sister of Joseph Hawley, but when or where are still questions. If, as many trees state, he married her in Connecticut than it may well be that he had earlier been married. Moses and Miriam's first child was born August 1, 1642, when Moses would have been 46 years old. This leaves plenty of time for him to have had a family in England, be widowed and come to America to start a new life. He must also have had strong religious convictions, because New Haven was one of the strictest Puritan settlements in New England. He may have come to New Haven so that he could follow his trade, which was a shipwright. He was on the Planters list in 1641, receiving 12 1/2 acres in the first division and 14 acres in the second division of land. At the time of the first division, there were just two people in the family, so the family had not yet been started.
I love the story that in New Haven, Moses returned from a trip on Sunday. In his joy at seeing his family again, he kissed his wife and children, in public, on the Sabbath. New Haven had strict "blue laws" and he was expelled from the colony for this offense. That's the story. I question whether it happened exactly that way, and whether this was a first offense. Generally a person who ran up against the blue law was given a chance to confess and repent, and be punished by time in the stocks or/and a public whipping. Perhaps Moses didn't confess and repent, or perhaps he had other minor marks on his record, thus incurring the harsh punishment of being expelled. From this story, I take the germ of truth that he must have loved his family, and that perhaps he was a bit of a rebel.
Another story about Moses is that one day when Moses was in the cellar, three Indians with hatchets "appeared in the doorway. Moses said something to the effect of "let's have a drink" and picked up a barrel (empty, or nearly so) of cider and drank directly from the bunghole. The visitors apparently thought it was full, and decided that Moses was too strong for the three of them. I'm not sure what to make of this story, since giving spirits to the Indians was forbidden. Perhaps cider, no matter how "hard" it was, was permissible. My takeaway from this story is that Moses was a strong man and muscular, in order to lift even an empty barrel to his shoulder, and that he may have been known to his visitors.
When the family was expelled, they moved southwest on the coast to Stratford, which was founded in 1639, again by Puritans, and purchased land from the Indians. It is not known when the Wheelers arrived but in 1648 he was granted rights to be the ferryman on the Stratford river. This was a hard job, physically, but when he had no passengers to ferry he could farm and he could continue building ships, so there was an opportunity to "get ahead" financially. Ferrying probably meant rowing passengers across the river, which could be quite a challenge, with floods and ice and tidal currents to make the job more difficult. He was the ferryman from 1648 to 1690, and when he "retired" at the age of 92, he passed his duties on to his son Samuel.
Moses and Miriam had 7 known children, although some lists include fewer. Elizabeth was the first born, in 1642, and then they had Miriam, Samuel, Moses, Mary, Joanna and Susanna, in 1659. Apparently he returned to England in 1665 for just a short time. Was this business, or was he called home to settle an estate, or was there another reason for the trip? It would be fascinating to know more about this trip.
Moses is stated to have been an extensive land holder and one of the leading influential men of Stratford Township. This means he must have stayed out of trouble with the church authorities. His sister, Jane, had married Rev. Adam Blakeman who was one of the founders of Stratford and its minister for many years, so if Moses did have any more improprieties such as the kissing episode, he may have had a religious counselor to help him conform.
Moses Wheeler's headstone in the Old Congregational Burying Ground at Stratford is partially buried, but still clearly legible is "Moses Wheler Aged 100 Dyed Jan 15,1698" What a life he had, long and loving and virtuous, hardworking and strong. I'm so glad I got to know him a little bit by writing this post!
The line of descent is:
Moses Wheeler-Miriam Hawley
Elizabeth Wheeler-Jacob Walker
Elizabeth Walker-Luke Hitchcock
Ruth Hitchcock-Jonathan Church
Ruth Church-Stephen Noble
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendents
Moses Wheeler is believed to have been born in Kent, England in 1598, the son of Dominick and Mercy Jelly Wheeler. As far as I know, the documentation for this has not been found, just as the documentation for his journey to America and his marriage has not been found. His early life is a mystery. It is believed that he came to America in 1638 and soon was in New Haven, Connecticut, but records of his immigration are missing. It is also believed that he married Miriam Hawley, sister of Joseph Hawley, but when or where are still questions. If, as many trees state, he married her in Connecticut than it may well be that he had earlier been married. Moses and Miriam's first child was born August 1, 1642, when Moses would have been 46 years old. This leaves plenty of time for him to have had a family in England, be widowed and come to America to start a new life. He must also have had strong religious convictions, because New Haven was one of the strictest Puritan settlements in New England. He may have come to New Haven so that he could follow his trade, which was a shipwright. He was on the Planters list in 1641, receiving 12 1/2 acres in the first division and 14 acres in the second division of land. At the time of the first division, there were just two people in the family, so the family had not yet been started.
I love the story that in New Haven, Moses returned from a trip on Sunday. In his joy at seeing his family again, he kissed his wife and children, in public, on the Sabbath. New Haven had strict "blue laws" and he was expelled from the colony for this offense. That's the story. I question whether it happened exactly that way, and whether this was a first offense. Generally a person who ran up against the blue law was given a chance to confess and repent, and be punished by time in the stocks or/and a public whipping. Perhaps Moses didn't confess and repent, or perhaps he had other minor marks on his record, thus incurring the harsh punishment of being expelled. From this story, I take the germ of truth that he must have loved his family, and that perhaps he was a bit of a rebel.
Another story about Moses is that one day when Moses was in the cellar, three Indians with hatchets "appeared in the doorway. Moses said something to the effect of "let's have a drink" and picked up a barrel (empty, or nearly so) of cider and drank directly from the bunghole. The visitors apparently thought it was full, and decided that Moses was too strong for the three of them. I'm not sure what to make of this story, since giving spirits to the Indians was forbidden. Perhaps cider, no matter how "hard" it was, was permissible. My takeaway from this story is that Moses was a strong man and muscular, in order to lift even an empty barrel to his shoulder, and that he may have been known to his visitors.
When the family was expelled, they moved southwest on the coast to Stratford, which was founded in 1639, again by Puritans, and purchased land from the Indians. It is not known when the Wheelers arrived but in 1648 he was granted rights to be the ferryman on the Stratford river. This was a hard job, physically, but when he had no passengers to ferry he could farm and he could continue building ships, so there was an opportunity to "get ahead" financially. Ferrying probably meant rowing passengers across the river, which could be quite a challenge, with floods and ice and tidal currents to make the job more difficult. He was the ferryman from 1648 to 1690, and when he "retired" at the age of 92, he passed his duties on to his son Samuel.
Moses and Miriam had 7 known children, although some lists include fewer. Elizabeth was the first born, in 1642, and then they had Miriam, Samuel, Moses, Mary, Joanna and Susanna, in 1659. Apparently he returned to England in 1665 for just a short time. Was this business, or was he called home to settle an estate, or was there another reason for the trip? It would be fascinating to know more about this trip.
Moses is stated to have been an extensive land holder and one of the leading influential men of Stratford Township. This means he must have stayed out of trouble with the church authorities. His sister, Jane, had married Rev. Adam Blakeman who was one of the founders of Stratford and its minister for many years, so if Moses did have any more improprieties such as the kissing episode, he may have had a religious counselor to help him conform.
Moses Wheeler's headstone in the Old Congregational Burying Ground at Stratford is partially buried, but still clearly legible is "Moses Wheler Aged 100 Dyed Jan 15,1698" What a life he had, long and loving and virtuous, hardworking and strong. I'm so glad I got to know him a little bit by writing this post!
The line of descent is:
Moses Wheeler-Miriam Hawley
Elizabeth Wheeler-Jacob Walker
Elizabeth Walker-Luke Hitchcock
Ruth Hitchcock-Jonathan Church
Ruth Church-Stephen Noble
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendents
Friday, April 24, 2015
Beeks line: William Jump 1632-1709 Immigrant
I love writing about the immigrants that have been found in the Beeks line. They came to New England, New Netherlands, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, that I know of so far, and all of the branches are totally interesting to me. Thomas Jump is one of the early Maryland immigrants, and of course, not much is known of him.
It appears that he was born about 1632 in England, and that his parents may have been Thomas Jumpe and Anne Drayton. I haven't found any documentation linking William to Thomas yet, but it may be out there and I just haven't located it. His birthplace is given as possibly Beckley, Northamptonshire, England. (It must have been a small village or parish, as it is not mentioned on the wikipedia page about Northamptonshire.)
We know almost nothing of his life until he arrived in Maryland. It is possible that he had a first wife in England, Elizabeth Wheat, but nothing more is known of this possible marriage or of any children, as far as I can tell. He appears in Dorchester county, Maryland in 1664 with a land grant of 100 acres. The land was on the east side of Chesapeake Bay, on the Little Choptank River, bounded on the west side by Hudson Creek. He is mentioned in records of Dorchester, Caroline, and Talbot County, which pretty well gives us his location, as Dorchester shares it's northern border with both Caroline and Talbot.
If there was a wife who traveled to Maryland with William, she died early, because William married Rebecca, possibly Chesmore, probably not long after he arrived there. Rebecca is generally given a birth date of 1636 but again, I know of no documentation for this, nor for speculation that her father's name may have been George. William and Rebecca had at least four children, Thomas, Margaret, William and Elizabeth. Various dates of birth are given for them but it is likely that they were born between 1665 and 1680.
William was a carpenter by trade, which would have been a needed skill in the colony. He also acquired additional land, so we can consider him a farmer. We need to consider the possibility that he owned slaves, because it appears that he owned about 500 acres at one time, far too much for him to cultivate with just the aid of his family. He is listed as a "planter," in 1701. However, his will does not bequeath, nor even mention, slaves so he may have had tenants or some other way of farming his land. Perhaps his inventory, if it could be found, would provide more information.
His will was written on March 21, 1709 and it is believed that he died shortly after that. He bequeathed 300 acres of land to Thomas, 50 acres to Elizabeth "Feay", the remaining amount of "Jump's Chance" and all his other lands to William, and included Margaret with the three above named who were to divide his (personalty?) estate. There is no mention of Rebecca so she must have died earlier. It is interesting that by this time he was of Queen Annes County, which is north of the previously mentioned counties but still on the east side of Chesapeake Bay. Was he living with one of his children, or had he moved earlier?
This isn't much information for a man who apparently lived forty-five years or more in early Maryland. I'd love to know if he served in the military, what relations were with nearby Indians, what religion he practiced, and if he ever missed his home in England. I'd love to know how he got that land cultivated, and whether he raised tobacco (probably). Also, what was his diet? Did he eat out of the abundance of Chesapeake bay, or did he eat a typical farmer's diet?
There's always more to know.
The line of descent is:
William Jump-Rebecca possibly Chesmore
Elizabeth Jump-George Fee
George Fee-Parnell Lakin
Eizabeth Fee-Joseph Lakin
Mary Lakin-John Simpson Aldridge Sr.
John Simpson Aldridge Jr.-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Homer Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Gretta Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendents
It appears that he was born about 1632 in England, and that his parents may have been Thomas Jumpe and Anne Drayton. I haven't found any documentation linking William to Thomas yet, but it may be out there and I just haven't located it. His birthplace is given as possibly Beckley, Northamptonshire, England. (It must have been a small village or parish, as it is not mentioned on the wikipedia page about Northamptonshire.)
We know almost nothing of his life until he arrived in Maryland. It is possible that he had a first wife in England, Elizabeth Wheat, but nothing more is known of this possible marriage or of any children, as far as I can tell. He appears in Dorchester county, Maryland in 1664 with a land grant of 100 acres. The land was on the east side of Chesapeake Bay, on the Little Choptank River, bounded on the west side by Hudson Creek. He is mentioned in records of Dorchester, Caroline, and Talbot County, which pretty well gives us his location, as Dorchester shares it's northern border with both Caroline and Talbot.
If there was a wife who traveled to Maryland with William, she died early, because William married Rebecca, possibly Chesmore, probably not long after he arrived there. Rebecca is generally given a birth date of 1636 but again, I know of no documentation for this, nor for speculation that her father's name may have been George. William and Rebecca had at least four children, Thomas, Margaret, William and Elizabeth. Various dates of birth are given for them but it is likely that they were born between 1665 and 1680.
William was a carpenter by trade, which would have been a needed skill in the colony. He also acquired additional land, so we can consider him a farmer. We need to consider the possibility that he owned slaves, because it appears that he owned about 500 acres at one time, far too much for him to cultivate with just the aid of his family. He is listed as a "planter," in 1701. However, his will does not bequeath, nor even mention, slaves so he may have had tenants or some other way of farming his land. Perhaps his inventory, if it could be found, would provide more information.
His will was written on March 21, 1709 and it is believed that he died shortly after that. He bequeathed 300 acres of land to Thomas, 50 acres to Elizabeth "Feay", the remaining amount of "Jump's Chance" and all his other lands to William, and included Margaret with the three above named who were to divide his (personalty?) estate. There is no mention of Rebecca so she must have died earlier. It is interesting that by this time he was of Queen Annes County, which is north of the previously mentioned counties but still on the east side of Chesapeake Bay. Was he living with one of his children, or had he moved earlier?
This isn't much information for a man who apparently lived forty-five years or more in early Maryland. I'd love to know if he served in the military, what relations were with nearby Indians, what religion he practiced, and if he ever missed his home in England. I'd love to know how he got that land cultivated, and whether he raised tobacco (probably). Also, what was his diet? Did he eat out of the abundance of Chesapeake bay, or did he eat a typical farmer's diet?
There's always more to know.
The line of descent is:
William Jump-Rebecca possibly Chesmore
Elizabeth Jump-George Fee
George Fee-Parnell Lakin
Eizabeth Fee-Joseph Lakin
Mary Lakin-John Simpson Aldridge Sr.
John Simpson Aldridge Jr.-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Homer Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Gretta Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendents
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Beeks line: George Fee 1675-abt 1730
It may be that George Fee born about 1675 is the original immigrant to Maryland, or he may have been born in Maryland. At any rate, he is believed to be the son of George Fee and Rebecca possibly Parnell. The Fee family was from County Fermanagh, Ireland, but in turn they may have been immigrants to Ireland from Scotland, about the year 1600. There may be some connection to Donald Fee, who is said to have bought in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Donald's sons, Donald and George also fought with him. (I haven't researched this yet so although it is on most Fee trees on the internet, take it with a grain of salt.)
Whether it was because they were on the losing side of the battle, or because of other economic reasons, the Fee family emigrated to Maryland sometime in the late 1600's. Under the theory above, our George would have been born in Ireland and not Maryland, but this is not proved. The first George was a clothier, someone who made or sold clothes or cloth, which would have been a needed product on the Maryland frontier. Our George is listed as a planter in Talbot and Dorchester County, Maryland and also in Kent County, Delaware. It appears that the first land was received from his father in law (actually it was willed to his wife) and from there various purchases and sales were made.
George Fee married Elizabeth Jump, daughter of William Jump and Rebecca possibly Chesmore, probably about 1701. They had six known children, George, Thomas, Elizabeth, William, Mary, and Rebecca, and possibly more. George is believed to have died about 1730, and I have no record of Elizabeth's death.
That is as much as I know about George right now, so obviously there is a good deal more digging to do. I wanted to get this much written down, though, because I think the older George's history could be fascinating, and I certainly want to know more about this George. What stories did he hear as he was growing up? Did he hear about his father and his grandfather's experiences in the Battle of the Boyne, or was this something that wasn't talked about? When and where was he born, and when did he die? Did he leave a will? What other stories will his records tell?
I found much of this information at jmoule.com/Ball family website. If someone has documentation for any of the missing information, I'd love it if you'd share!
The line of descent:
George Fee-Elizabeth Jump
George Fee-Parnell Lakin
Elizabeth Fee-Joseph Lakin
Mary Lakin-John Simpson Aldridge
John Simpson Aldridge Jr.-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendents
Whether it was because they were on the losing side of the battle, or because of other economic reasons, the Fee family emigrated to Maryland sometime in the late 1600's. Under the theory above, our George would have been born in Ireland and not Maryland, but this is not proved. The first George was a clothier, someone who made or sold clothes or cloth, which would have been a needed product on the Maryland frontier. Our George is listed as a planter in Talbot and Dorchester County, Maryland and also in Kent County, Delaware. It appears that the first land was received from his father in law (actually it was willed to his wife) and from there various purchases and sales were made.
George Fee married Elizabeth Jump, daughter of William Jump and Rebecca possibly Chesmore, probably about 1701. They had six known children, George, Thomas, Elizabeth, William, Mary, and Rebecca, and possibly more. George is believed to have died about 1730, and I have no record of Elizabeth's death.
That is as much as I know about George right now, so obviously there is a good deal more digging to do. I wanted to get this much written down, though, because I think the older George's history could be fascinating, and I certainly want to know more about this George. What stories did he hear as he was growing up? Did he hear about his father and his grandfather's experiences in the Battle of the Boyne, or was this something that wasn't talked about? When and where was he born, and when did he die? Did he leave a will? What other stories will his records tell?
I found much of this information at jmoule.com/Ball family website. If someone has documentation for any of the missing information, I'd love it if you'd share!
The line of descent:
George Fee-Elizabeth Jump
George Fee-Parnell Lakin
Elizabeth Fee-Joseph Lakin
Mary Lakin-John Simpson Aldridge
John Simpson Aldridge Jr.-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendents
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Beeks line: Thomas Besson 1616-1678
Thomas Besson is the immigrant ancestor in this line. The mystery is, which Thomas Besson is he, and when did he come to the New World? As is often the case, there are several versions of who he was and when he arrived. His parents may have been Francis Besson and Marcella, of York, England, or they may be Thomas Besson, or his records may actually be found in the Channel Islands. It seems most likely that he is the Thomas Besson who was baptized January 11, 1617/1618 at St Andrews, Plympton, Devon, England. These records are not yet available on line, as far as I can find, so we don't know what they might show as to the parents of Thomas.
We also don't know when or whom he married (apparently a woman named Ann) nor do we know when he arrived in the New World. I've seen records stating he arrived as a servant in 1635 and another that he arrived in 1649 with his wife, two children, and servant. He received headrights for these later, along with three additional persons who were claimed as his headrights. It is of course possible that he arrived in 1635-1640, went back to England and married, and then brought his family here.
At any rate, we know that he received a grant from Lord Calvert in 1649 on the south side of the Arundel River, and here he stayed. It is believed that he may have been one of the non-Conformists who were forced from Virginia at that time due to religious intoleration. Fortunately, Maryland was still practicing religious freedom at the time.
Thomas and Ann had several children, as did Thomas and Hester (widow Caplin). Almost everything I have looked at assigns the children in different order, to differing mothers. There were John, William, two Thomases, Martha, and Anne. On my tree, I've used the most common finding of Hester for Martha's mother, but that is still open to proof, one way or the other.
Thomas was a respected man in his area as is evidenced by the fact that he held office under the commonwealth in Maryland and attended the last session of the Commision in September 1657, when Lord Baltimore regained sovereignty after the English Civil War. At the Restoration (of the English monarchy) he was appointed a magistrate of Anne Arundel County and served as such from about 1568 to 1668. He was "Captain of the Trayned Band" (a militia unit, needed because of the ever-present threat from the native Americans) and in 1665 was elected one of the burgesses from Anne Arundel County.
Thomas's will was written March 10th, 1678/79 and proven May 1, 1679. His inventory included 16,296 lbs of tobacco, and his debts were almost as large, leaving about 500 lbs of tobacco to be distributed among his heirs. He also had owned about 800 acres of land, and that was given to son John, son William, son Thomas the younger. Thomas the elder was overseer but apparently didn't receive anything in the will. He may have received his land earlier.
There's a lot more research to do regarding Thomas. Did he live out his live as a Puritan non-conformist, or did he join the Church of England? Who was his first wife, and which children belonged to which wife? Who was his second wife? When did he first arrive in the New World? And of course, who were his parents? I'd like to know about this immigrant ancestor.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Besson-Ann or Hester
Martha Besson-Nicholas Aldridge
Thomas Aldridge-Elizabeth Purdy
John Aldridge Eleanor Watkins
Jacob Aldridge-Elizabeth Soper
John Simpson Aldridge-Mary Lakin
John Simpson Aldridge Jr-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Dart Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey H Aldridge-Mary Catherine Dunham
Gretta Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendents
Fun fact: One of the appraisers of Thomas's inventory was Richard Tydings, who is an ancestor in the Holbrook line. The families were neighbors, way back when and way back there!
We also don't know when or whom he married (apparently a woman named Ann) nor do we know when he arrived in the New World. I've seen records stating he arrived as a servant in 1635 and another that he arrived in 1649 with his wife, two children, and servant. He received headrights for these later, along with three additional persons who were claimed as his headrights. It is of course possible that he arrived in 1635-1640, went back to England and married, and then brought his family here.
At any rate, we know that he received a grant from Lord Calvert in 1649 on the south side of the Arundel River, and here he stayed. It is believed that he may have been one of the non-Conformists who were forced from Virginia at that time due to religious intoleration. Fortunately, Maryland was still practicing religious freedom at the time.
Thomas and Ann had several children, as did Thomas and Hester (widow Caplin). Almost everything I have looked at assigns the children in different order, to differing mothers. There were John, William, two Thomases, Martha, and Anne. On my tree, I've used the most common finding of Hester for Martha's mother, but that is still open to proof, one way or the other.
Thomas was a respected man in his area as is evidenced by the fact that he held office under the commonwealth in Maryland and attended the last session of the Commision in September 1657, when Lord Baltimore regained sovereignty after the English Civil War. At the Restoration (of the English monarchy) he was appointed a magistrate of Anne Arundel County and served as such from about 1568 to 1668. He was "Captain of the Trayned Band" (a militia unit, needed because of the ever-present threat from the native Americans) and in 1665 was elected one of the burgesses from Anne Arundel County.
Thomas's will was written March 10th, 1678/79 and proven May 1, 1679. His inventory included 16,296 lbs of tobacco, and his debts were almost as large, leaving about 500 lbs of tobacco to be distributed among his heirs. He also had owned about 800 acres of land, and that was given to son John, son William, son Thomas the younger. Thomas the elder was overseer but apparently didn't receive anything in the will. He may have received his land earlier.
There's a lot more research to do regarding Thomas. Did he live out his live as a Puritan non-conformist, or did he join the Church of England? Who was his first wife, and which children belonged to which wife? Who was his second wife? When did he first arrive in the New World? And of course, who were his parents? I'd like to know about this immigrant ancestor.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Besson-Ann or Hester
Martha Besson-Nicholas Aldridge
Thomas Aldridge-Elizabeth Purdy
John Aldridge Eleanor Watkins
Jacob Aldridge-Elizabeth Soper
John Simpson Aldridge-Mary Lakin
John Simpson Aldridge Jr-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Dart Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey H Aldridge-Mary Catherine Dunham
Gretta Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendents
Fun fact: One of the appraisers of Thomas's inventory was Richard Tydings, who is an ancestor in the Holbrook line. The families were neighbors, way back when and way back there!
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Beeks line: Nicholas Aldridge, immigrant, 1653-1708
Much of what we "know" about Nicholas Aldridge is conjecture. We know that he was baptized December 28, 1653 in East Wellow, Hampshire, England, to Nicholas Adridge and Martha. At present, Martha's maiden name is unknown. He was the oldest of six children, but was still a teen- ager when he sailed with his father to the New World in 1667. (I don't know whether the younger children came also, or came later, or perhaps stayed behind with other relatives.) The two Aldridges arrived at Annapolis, Maryland from South Hampton, England. They settled near the Severn River, close to All Hallows Parish, Maryland. The senior Nicholas lived only two years, and died March 2, 1669. Nicholas, our subject, would have been only a little over 15. He was in a strange land and it's hard to know how much or what he had learned to support himself as an almost grown orphan. The next ten years are a mystery at present.
By 1679, things were looking up for Nicholas. He married Martha Beeson or Besson in 1679 at All Hallows Parish, Maryland. The next year, on August 20, 1680, he purchased 300 acres of land named "Aldridge's Beginning" in Anne Arundel County. I can almost feel the hope in his heart as he came to manhood with a new bride and land of his own in the New World. By this time, the worst part of troubles with the native Americans and the worst part of the religious disputes between Catholics and Protestants was over. Slavery had already begun, but much labor was done by indentured servants and by the colonist's own family. The family of Nicholas and Martha began with son Thomas in 1680, and he would have been doing chores for most of the day by the time he was four or five. Thomas and his 9 brothers and sisters were all baptized or christened at All Hallow's Parish.
We don't know if Nicholas owned slaves or not, but it is certainly possible. He grew tobacco, and tobacco is a labor intensive crop. If he had cleared all 300 acres of land, then slaves would have been considered a necessity.
We know that Nicholas raised crops, had children, and apparently attended church services at All Hallow's Parish, but that is basically all that I have learned of him. He died November 20, 1708, at an age of approximately 55, and Martha died October 19, 1719.
I'd love to know more about him. Was he literate? If he owned slaves, how did he feel about that? Did he treat them well? What caused his death? If someone knows more about the life of this man, I'd love to hear from you!
The line of descent is
Nicholas Aldridge-Martha Besson
Thomas Aldridge-Elizabeth Purdy
John Aldridge-Eleanor Watkins
Jacob Aldridge-Eleanor Soper
John Simpson Aldridge-Mary Lakin
John Simpson Aldridge Jr.-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harver H. Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Gretta Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendents
By 1679, things were looking up for Nicholas. He married Martha Beeson or Besson in 1679 at All Hallows Parish, Maryland. The next year, on August 20, 1680, he purchased 300 acres of land named "Aldridge's Beginning" in Anne Arundel County. I can almost feel the hope in his heart as he came to manhood with a new bride and land of his own in the New World. By this time, the worst part of troubles with the native Americans and the worst part of the religious disputes between Catholics and Protestants was over. Slavery had already begun, but much labor was done by indentured servants and by the colonist's own family. The family of Nicholas and Martha began with son Thomas in 1680, and he would have been doing chores for most of the day by the time he was four or five. Thomas and his 9 brothers and sisters were all baptized or christened at All Hallow's Parish.
We don't know if Nicholas owned slaves or not, but it is certainly possible. He grew tobacco, and tobacco is a labor intensive crop. If he had cleared all 300 acres of land, then slaves would have been considered a necessity.
We know that Nicholas raised crops, had children, and apparently attended church services at All Hallow's Parish, but that is basically all that I have learned of him. He died November 20, 1708, at an age of approximately 55, and Martha died October 19, 1719.
I'd love to know more about him. Was he literate? If he owned slaves, how did he feel about that? Did he treat them well? What caused his death? If someone knows more about the life of this man, I'd love to hear from you!
The line of descent is
Nicholas Aldridge-Martha Besson
Thomas Aldridge-Elizabeth Purdy
John Aldridge-Eleanor Watkins
Jacob Aldridge-Eleanor Soper
John Simpson Aldridge-Mary Lakin
John Simpson Aldridge Jr.-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harver H. Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Gretta Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendents
Friday, August 1, 2014
Beeks line: Abraham Lakin 1695-1745
Abraham Lakin was born in 1675-77 in Shenstone Parish, Staffordshire, England, or in 1695 in Lakins Heath, England, depending on which records you believe. Most trees show the 1695 birthdate and location, but Robert Barnes, a highly respected genealogist and historian, uses the 1675 birthdate. Given the dates that Abraham began acquiring land, the earlier date seems more likely to be correct.
His parents were William Lakin and Elizabeth Symons, who were married in Shenstone Parish Church on May 2, 1671. Abraham was listed in the inventory of Joseph Hanslap, Gentleman, of Anne Arundel County, Maryland in 1702/1703, so this may be where he served his indentureship, as mentioned by Robert Barnes in "Bound and Determined". In 1712, Abraham is listed as a debtor in the administrative accounting of William Greenshap of Prince George's County.
Abraham "Laking" and Martha Lee were married in Queen Anne's Parish, Prince Georges County, Maryland on October 10, 1717. This marriage date could be used to support either birth date, but there is always the possibility that this wasn't Abraham's first marriage. At any rate, he began acquiring land about 1717. He was granted a land warrant of 200 acres on June 11, 1717. Then he patented 100 acres in Prince Georges County, called "Abraham's Fancie" . He purchased a tract of 100 acres called "Joseph and Margaret's Rest" from Joseph Gould in 1739. He also patented a tract of land on Catoctic Creek north of the Potomac called "Two Brothers" in what would become Frederick County, Md. A quote from a younger Abraham Lakin says "Our great grand sires, as the Indians were driven back, took up the land spoken of in the grant from King George III of England and known as "The Old Homestead" by blazing through the forest with a tomahawk. It was called in that day a "Tomahawk or Hatchet Claim."
Abraham and Martha had at least 10 children together. Since the first child listed was born in 1722 and they were married in 1717, it is possible that there were more children who did not survive. The children we know of are Abraham, Martha, Sarah, Joseph, Deborah, Elizabeth, Rachel, Ruth, Mary, and Benjamin.
Abraham died before December 16, 1744. Abraham and Joseph and their heirs were willed the land known as "Two Brothers." Benjamin and his heirs were willed "Joseph and Margaret's Rest", after the death of Martha, who had a life estate. Martha was named as executrix of the will , and she filed an administration account on May 14, 1745. John Dickeson and Larkin Pierpoint appraised the estate on May 13, 1745, and assigned a value of almost 193 pounds to Abraham's personal property.
In researching this post, I realized I have what is probably an error in the on line tree. Besides the line shown below, which I believe to be correct, I also show Abraham and Martha as parents of Parnell, who was born in 1705. Now I need to research her, to see if she was Abraham's daughter at all, or whether she came through another Lakin line. Meanwhile, I need to remove some names from the tree, until I have better information.
Most of the material for this post came from "British Roots of Maryland Familes II,", by Robert Barnes, "Bound and Determined," by Robert Barnes, and a "Forsythe-Deaver-Person Sheet, found on line at photosbymardi.com/deaver.
The line of descent is:
Abraham Lakin-Martha Lee
Joseph Lakin-Elizabeth Parnell Fee
Mary Lakin-John Simpson Aldridge Sr
John Simpson Aldridge Jr-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Dunham
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Beeks children, grandchildren, great grandhildren, and great great grandchildren
His parents were William Lakin and Elizabeth Symons, who were married in Shenstone Parish Church on May 2, 1671. Abraham was listed in the inventory of Joseph Hanslap, Gentleman, of Anne Arundel County, Maryland in 1702/1703, so this may be where he served his indentureship, as mentioned by Robert Barnes in "Bound and Determined". In 1712, Abraham is listed as a debtor in the administrative accounting of William Greenshap of Prince George's County.
Abraham "Laking" and Martha Lee were married in Queen Anne's Parish, Prince Georges County, Maryland on October 10, 1717. This marriage date could be used to support either birth date, but there is always the possibility that this wasn't Abraham's first marriage. At any rate, he began acquiring land about 1717. He was granted a land warrant of 200 acres on June 11, 1717. Then he patented 100 acres in Prince Georges County, called "Abraham's Fancie" . He purchased a tract of 100 acres called "Joseph and Margaret's Rest" from Joseph Gould in 1739. He also patented a tract of land on Catoctic Creek north of the Potomac called "Two Brothers" in what would become Frederick County, Md. A quote from a younger Abraham Lakin says "Our great grand sires, as the Indians were driven back, took up the land spoken of in the grant from King George III of England and known as "The Old Homestead" by blazing through the forest with a tomahawk. It was called in that day a "Tomahawk or Hatchet Claim."
Abraham and Martha had at least 10 children together. Since the first child listed was born in 1722 and they were married in 1717, it is possible that there were more children who did not survive. The children we know of are Abraham, Martha, Sarah, Joseph, Deborah, Elizabeth, Rachel, Ruth, Mary, and Benjamin.
Abraham died before December 16, 1744. Abraham and Joseph and their heirs were willed the land known as "Two Brothers." Benjamin and his heirs were willed "Joseph and Margaret's Rest", after the death of Martha, who had a life estate. Martha was named as executrix of the will , and she filed an administration account on May 14, 1745. John Dickeson and Larkin Pierpoint appraised the estate on May 13, 1745, and assigned a value of almost 193 pounds to Abraham's personal property.
In researching this post, I realized I have what is probably an error in the on line tree. Besides the line shown below, which I believe to be correct, I also show Abraham and Martha as parents of Parnell, who was born in 1705. Now I need to research her, to see if she was Abraham's daughter at all, or whether she came through another Lakin line. Meanwhile, I need to remove some names from the tree, until I have better information.
Most of the material for this post came from "British Roots of Maryland Familes II,", by Robert Barnes, "Bound and Determined," by Robert Barnes, and a "Forsythe-Deaver-Person Sheet, found on line at photosbymardi.com/deaver.
The line of descent is:
Abraham Lakin-Martha Lee
Joseph Lakin-Elizabeth Parnell Fee
Mary Lakin-John Simpson Aldridge Sr
John Simpson Aldridge Jr-Lucinda Wheeler
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Dunham
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Beeks children, grandchildren, great grandhildren, and great great grandchildren
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Allen, Holbrook, Harshbarger, Beeks lines: Happy genealogy dance for this week's discoveries
This is my 100th post, a level I would never have believed I could reach. For my own personal celebration, I decided to write this post a little differently. I'm going to post what I've found this week, since I devoted more time than usual to research and actually found some gems. Some of these are about people I've already written about in posts, and some are potentially yet to come. They are all ancestors of my children, though, and I was toe-tappingly delighted to find each and every tidbit.
In the Beeks line, I found this about John Beeks, great grandfather of my husband. From the Andrews Espress, January 6, 1884, Page 2, column 2, under "Lagro News": John Beeks slipped and fell against one of the large windows at Blount and Moss's drug store here, Monday, breaking it in a hundred pieces." It doesn't say what caused him to fall, but it was January so let's assume it was ice. It also doesn't say whether John was injured. Based on journalistic practices of the time, I would guess he was not injured, and would also guess he was not tipsy. Newspapers were not shy about printing any gory details, nor about stating or implying that someone was under the influence, so the lack of either of these statements helped me form my conclusions.
Regarding Jason Wheeler, fourth great grandfather of my husband, I found New York tax records for him from 1799-1804. Timothy Wheeler, whose relationship to Jason is unknown but I'm thinking maybe a brother, was listed in 1799 and 1800 but not 1801. In 1801, Jason's taxes jumped considerably. I wonder if Jason had perhaps purchased Timothy's land, but I haven't found land records yet. This information was from a new database on Ancestry.com, "New York, Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates, 1799-1804."
Allen line: Regarding Isaac Bell: "In November 1756 Obadiah Ayers and William Landon were sureties for Isaac Bell who was granted a Public House license." This statement came from page 82 of Volume X of "The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey" and took place in Sussex County, where in the same year, the "29th year of His Majesty" same volume but page 76, "Daniel Landon and Isaac Bell had been selected as Commissioners of Roads for the Township of Hardwick." Having a license of a "Public House", a tavern was a big deal. They were regulated by the government and owners
were generally watched carefully for any abuse of alcohol laws, particularly in sales of native Americans. I find it a little interesting that Isaac Bell was a Presbyterian, and yet ran the tavern. We have to remember that "tavern" is a little bit strong of a term. It was likely an inn for visitors that also served some form of alcohol. I also found that his name is on a petition to the governor, William Franklin, in 1760 but I haven't seen the document yet so I don't know what it's about. I don't believe I've written about Isaac yet. He was my fifth great grandfather.
Regarding William McCoy, my fourth great grandfather, I found records in his DAR listing that pointed me to the Pennsylvania Archives. In the Sixth Series, Volume II part I I found William McCoy's name as a private in the 6th class of Captain Andrew Swearingen's unit under Colonel David Williamson's Batalion (sic). I also found that the fourth and fifth classes were formally called up to go on the Expedition to "St. Dusky" (what if otherwise referred to as Sandusky), so it doesn't appear that William went on that trip unless he volunteered separately to go. I didn't find further records regarding that. In the Third Series, I found tax records for him in 1781 in Cecil Township, Greene Twp, and Robinson Township. The DAR indicates these are for the same William McCoy. If so, he was taxed on 700 acres at that time, four horses, 5 cattle, and 2 sheep.
Holbrook line: I may have had this information before, but I found the source: Joseph Holbrook of Bloom Township, Cook County, Illinois was taxed in 1863 for having a carriage with two horses. They were valued at $100 and the amount of tax was $2. This was to help raise money for the Civil War. The source is found on Ancestry.com in the "U.S. Assessment Lists, 1862-1918." Joseph was my great great grandfather.
I also found a new possibility for a tie to James Lamphire. So far all I know about him is that his name was Eattan Lamphire, and that he lived in Brookfield, Chenango County, New York in 1802. This may be the area where James died in 1847, but I need to check it out further. Please realize, I'm grasping at straws here, but any new Lamphire name deserves study until it is ruled out. James is my fourth great grandfather.
Along the same lines, by casting my net a little wider, I've found some "new" Wright names to track down, to possibly relate to Molly Wright. Molly is my fourth great grandmother.
Harshbarger lines: I found a tax record for Lewis Harshbarger, in the same tax records as that of Joseph Holbrook. In Union Township, Whitley County, Indiana, he is one of four men on the page. I've tried to decipher the "article or occupation" that generated the tax. I believe it says "Patent Right Dealer" but I would be glad to hear of anyone else's interpretation. Apparently, a dealer in such was someone who sold, or offered for sale, patent rights. I'm unclear as to exactly what this would have involved in a rural setting like Union Township, Whitley County back in 1863. At any rate, he was taxed $1.67 for the privilege. Lewis is the great great grandfather of my husband.
I also learned why I found a land sale for Solomon Bennett in 1841 in Whitley County but couldn't find record of his purchase(s) there. The land was originally in Allen County (duh!). I found this in a Deed Index for the early years of Allen County, but have misplaced the exact reference. Solomon is my husband's third great grandfather.
This has been a fun week, and this has been rather a fun post to write. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I hope that if you are still searching your your ancestors, you will try some new databases or sources. As new sources and data bases come on line every day, and as we learn about ones we've somehow missed, our ancestors can start to come alive. And as always, if you have questions about what I've written, or have additional information to share, I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment, or contact me: happygenealogydance AT gmail DOT com. (You'll know what to do with the AT and the DOT, and hopefully the spam robot won't!)
In the Beeks line, I found this about John Beeks, great grandfather of my husband. From the Andrews Espress, January 6, 1884, Page 2, column 2, under "Lagro News": John Beeks slipped and fell against one of the large windows at Blount and Moss's drug store here, Monday, breaking it in a hundred pieces." It doesn't say what caused him to fall, but it was January so let's assume it was ice. It also doesn't say whether John was injured. Based on journalistic practices of the time, I would guess he was not injured, and would also guess he was not tipsy. Newspapers were not shy about printing any gory details, nor about stating or implying that someone was under the influence, so the lack of either of these statements helped me form my conclusions.
Regarding Jason Wheeler, fourth great grandfather of my husband, I found New York tax records for him from 1799-1804. Timothy Wheeler, whose relationship to Jason is unknown but I'm thinking maybe a brother, was listed in 1799 and 1800 but not 1801. In 1801, Jason's taxes jumped considerably. I wonder if Jason had perhaps purchased Timothy's land, but I haven't found land records yet. This information was from a new database on Ancestry.com, "New York, Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates, 1799-1804."
Allen line: Regarding Isaac Bell: "In November 1756 Obadiah Ayers and William Landon were sureties for Isaac Bell who was granted a Public House license." This statement came from page 82 of Volume X of "The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey" and took place in Sussex County, where in the same year, the "29th year of His Majesty" same volume but page 76, "Daniel Landon and Isaac Bell had been selected as Commissioners of Roads for the Township of Hardwick." Having a license of a "Public House", a tavern was a big deal. They were regulated by the government and owners
were generally watched carefully for any abuse of alcohol laws, particularly in sales of native Americans. I find it a little interesting that Isaac Bell was a Presbyterian, and yet ran the tavern. We have to remember that "tavern" is a little bit strong of a term. It was likely an inn for visitors that also served some form of alcohol. I also found that his name is on a petition to the governor, William Franklin, in 1760 but I haven't seen the document yet so I don't know what it's about. I don't believe I've written about Isaac yet. He was my fifth great grandfather.
Regarding William McCoy, my fourth great grandfather, I found records in his DAR listing that pointed me to the Pennsylvania Archives. In the Sixth Series, Volume II part I I found William McCoy's name as a private in the 6th class of Captain Andrew Swearingen's unit under Colonel David Williamson's Batalion (sic). I also found that the fourth and fifth classes were formally called up to go on the Expedition to "St. Dusky" (what if otherwise referred to as Sandusky), so it doesn't appear that William went on that trip unless he volunteered separately to go. I didn't find further records regarding that. In the Third Series, I found tax records for him in 1781 in Cecil Township, Greene Twp, and Robinson Township. The DAR indicates these are for the same William McCoy. If so, he was taxed on 700 acres at that time, four horses, 5 cattle, and 2 sheep.
Holbrook line: I may have had this information before, but I found the source: Joseph Holbrook of Bloom Township, Cook County, Illinois was taxed in 1863 for having a carriage with two horses. They were valued at $100 and the amount of tax was $2. This was to help raise money for the Civil War. The source is found on Ancestry.com in the "U.S. Assessment Lists, 1862-1918." Joseph was my great great grandfather.
I also found a new possibility for a tie to James Lamphire. So far all I know about him is that his name was Eattan Lamphire, and that he lived in Brookfield, Chenango County, New York in 1802. This may be the area where James died in 1847, but I need to check it out further. Please realize, I'm grasping at straws here, but any new Lamphire name deserves study until it is ruled out. James is my fourth great grandfather.
Along the same lines, by casting my net a little wider, I've found some "new" Wright names to track down, to possibly relate to Molly Wright. Molly is my fourth great grandmother.
Harshbarger lines: I found a tax record for Lewis Harshbarger, in the same tax records as that of Joseph Holbrook. In Union Township, Whitley County, Indiana, he is one of four men on the page. I've tried to decipher the "article or occupation" that generated the tax. I believe it says "Patent Right Dealer" but I would be glad to hear of anyone else's interpretation. Apparently, a dealer in such was someone who sold, or offered for sale, patent rights. I'm unclear as to exactly what this would have involved in a rural setting like Union Township, Whitley County back in 1863. At any rate, he was taxed $1.67 for the privilege. Lewis is the great great grandfather of my husband.
I also learned why I found a land sale for Solomon Bennett in 1841 in Whitley County but couldn't find record of his purchase(s) there. The land was originally in Allen County (duh!). I found this in a Deed Index for the early years of Allen County, but have misplaced the exact reference. Solomon is my husband's third great grandfather.
This has been a fun week, and this has been rather a fun post to write. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I hope that if you are still searching your your ancestors, you will try some new databases or sources. As new sources and data bases come on line every day, and as we learn about ones we've somehow missed, our ancestors can start to come alive. And as always, if you have questions about what I've written, or have additional information to share, I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment, or contact me: happygenealogydance AT gmail DOT com. (You'll know what to do with the AT and the DOT, and hopefully the spam robot won't!)
Friday, June 6, 2014
Beeks line: A few tidbits about Darlington Aldridge 1820-1859
I wish I could tell you where the name Darlington came from. I suspect he may have been a hero in a newspaper serial, but to the best of my current knowledge, it was not a family name. His parents gave rather "different" names to several of their children, much as many young people are trying to do today.
I don't know a lot about Darlington but here are the basics, and then the tidbits: He was born November 18, 1820 in Clermont County, Ohio to John Simpson Aldridge Jr and Lucinda Wheeler. He was one of at least 10 children and was either the oldest or the second oldest child. The entire Aldridge family had moved to Rush County, Indiana by 1835. Darlington married Leah Folsom, daughter of Jeremiah Folsom and Sally Lock, on October 28, 1841, in Shelby County, Indiana, less than a year before his father died, and about five years after his mother had died. Darlington and Leah later moved to Tipton County, Indiana where he died July 31, 1859. He is buried in Tucker Cemetery there, and his Findagrave site indicates there are actually two tombstones, with slightly different death dates.
These are the tidbits I've learned: At the estate sale of his father's property which was filed on May 9, 1842, Darlington, a newlywed, bought a few item. He purchased a dinner pot for 34 1/2 cents, a box of meal bag for 43 and one quarter cents, and a lot of meat for 12 and one half cents. Darlington would still have been a newlywed then, and apparently didn't have a lot of ready cash at the time. It is interesting to note that Austin Clark, who had been Leah Folsom's guardian before she married, made two purchases at the sale, so he was still keeping in close contact with the family.
The other tidbit that I found that fascinates me is the settling of "Dart" Aldridge's account at the Moscow store. I am not sure whether Dart was a nickname for Darlington, or whether that was his middle name (we know the middle initial was "D"), but it apparently was the name he used. Anyway, the ledger of this store indicates that there was a balance forward on July 7, 1851 for "balance on calico". Jusly 6, there were two entries totaling 75 cents for ballamean and 1 1/2 yards lining. On August 21, there was a balance forward of 70 cents for calico, plus purchases of 2 yards of ribbon for thirty cents, 8 yards of calico for $1, 2 yards of black lustre for $1 and 2 3/4 yards red flannel for $1.03. August 10 there was a purchase of 7 lbs cotton yarn for $1.75, 2 oz. indigo for $.30, 1/2 lb madder for 10 cents, 1/2 lb alum for 5 cents, an illegible item, and 15 yards brown muslin for $1.50. This was all settled on December 20, 1851 with a $9.15 cent cash payment. The crops may have come in or some livestock may have been sold at this time, so there was cash to pay the bill. Leah must have been keep awfully busy, sewing and perhaps knitting!
The above information came from a small book called "Happenings: Orange Township, Rush County, Indiana and Adjoining Townships," compiled by Opal Boring and found in the Public Library in Rush County, Indiana on our "field trip" last fall.
To put this in context, the book also noted that Millard Fillmore was the President of the United States, the thirteenth, during this time period. The Mexican War was over, but Kansas was beginning to "heat up" in events that were part of the build up to the Civil War and there were continuing disputes with Native Americans in the West. If Darlington could read, he may have been reading a best seller like Moby Dick or The House of the Seven Gables, both of which were published in 1851. Darlington's brother, Joseph, had purchased a lot of books at the 1842 estate sale, and there was a family Bible also purchased, so I am hoping that he could read.
I hope you've enjoyed this brief look into Darlington Aldridge's life. These little bits and pieces of information are what brings our ancestors to life, and help us realize just how alike, and different, we are.
The line of descent is:
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Gretta Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Beeks children, grand children, and more generations!
I don't know a lot about Darlington but here are the basics, and then the tidbits: He was born November 18, 1820 in Clermont County, Ohio to John Simpson Aldridge Jr and Lucinda Wheeler. He was one of at least 10 children and was either the oldest or the second oldest child. The entire Aldridge family had moved to Rush County, Indiana by 1835. Darlington married Leah Folsom, daughter of Jeremiah Folsom and Sally Lock, on October 28, 1841, in Shelby County, Indiana, less than a year before his father died, and about five years after his mother had died. Darlington and Leah later moved to Tipton County, Indiana where he died July 31, 1859. He is buried in Tucker Cemetery there, and his Findagrave site indicates there are actually two tombstones, with slightly different death dates.
These are the tidbits I've learned: At the estate sale of his father's property which was filed on May 9, 1842, Darlington, a newlywed, bought a few item. He purchased a dinner pot for 34 1/2 cents, a box of meal bag for 43 and one quarter cents, and a lot of meat for 12 and one half cents. Darlington would still have been a newlywed then, and apparently didn't have a lot of ready cash at the time. It is interesting to note that Austin Clark, who had been Leah Folsom's guardian before she married, made two purchases at the sale, so he was still keeping in close contact with the family.
The other tidbit that I found that fascinates me is the settling of "Dart" Aldridge's account at the Moscow store. I am not sure whether Dart was a nickname for Darlington, or whether that was his middle name (we know the middle initial was "D"), but it apparently was the name he used. Anyway, the ledger of this store indicates that there was a balance forward on July 7, 1851 for "balance on calico". Jusly 6, there were two entries totaling 75 cents for ballamean and 1 1/2 yards lining. On August 21, there was a balance forward of 70 cents for calico, plus purchases of 2 yards of ribbon for thirty cents, 8 yards of calico for $1, 2 yards of black lustre for $1 and 2 3/4 yards red flannel for $1.03. August 10 there was a purchase of 7 lbs cotton yarn for $1.75, 2 oz. indigo for $.30, 1/2 lb madder for 10 cents, 1/2 lb alum for 5 cents, an illegible item, and 15 yards brown muslin for $1.50. This was all settled on December 20, 1851 with a $9.15 cent cash payment. The crops may have come in or some livestock may have been sold at this time, so there was cash to pay the bill. Leah must have been keep awfully busy, sewing and perhaps knitting!
The above information came from a small book called "Happenings: Orange Township, Rush County, Indiana and Adjoining Townships," compiled by Opal Boring and found in the Public Library in Rush County, Indiana on our "field trip" last fall.
To put this in context, the book also noted that Millard Fillmore was the President of the United States, the thirteenth, during this time period. The Mexican War was over, but Kansas was beginning to "heat up" in events that were part of the build up to the Civil War and there were continuing disputes with Native Americans in the West. If Darlington could read, he may have been reading a best seller like Moby Dick or The House of the Seven Gables, both of which were published in 1851. Darlington's brother, Joseph, had purchased a lot of books at the 1842 estate sale, and there was a family Bible also purchased, so I am hoping that he could read.
I hope you've enjoyed this brief look into Darlington Aldridge's life. These little bits and pieces of information are what brings our ancestors to life, and help us realize just how alike, and different, we are.
The line of descent is:
Darlington Aldridge-Leah Folsom
Harvey Aldridge-Margaret Catherine Dunham
Gretta Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Beeks children, grand children, and more generations!
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