Holbrook line: Anthony Eames, Immigrant

Anthony Eames actually may not be our ancestor.  Some of the best genealogists don't list our connection, Robert Eames, as his son, but some do.  Robert's birthplace and date would fit into this family but he wasn't baptized in the church where his father served as church warden, or at least there are no records of such an event.  The answer could be simple; he may have been baptized in another family church or the records may have been lost or destroyed.  However, I think a tiny seed of doubt should be placed in our minds and we should be open to the idea that Anthony may be an uncle or some other relative to Robert, and not our ancestor at all. 

Anthony was born about 1592 in Fordington, Dorset, England, while Elizabeth I was the Queen of England.  He was the son of Thomas and Millicent (probably Brewster) Eames, and was the youngest of their five children.  He received a good education but not including the university level.  We don't know what he did for a living but he married Margery Pierce (Presse) about 1615, based on the birth date of their earliest known children.  They had perhaps as few as eight or as many as eleven children, because there are two others besides Robert who are not totally accepted by genealogists.  While in Fordington, he was a church warden several years and a constable, so he was respected. 

In 1634, when he was about 42, Robert came to New England on the ship Recovery, along with his children. Robert would have been only five years old at the time.  It's hard to imagine what a five year old would have thought about such a trip across the ocean, or what he would have thought about his new home.  It would have been so very different from his village at home.  Margery Eames was admitted to membership to the church in Charlestown in 1635, and Anthony probably joined a little later.  Anthony was admitted a freeman in Hingham on March 9,1636/37, where the family had moved, so would have been a church member then.  There was some sort of controversy involving Anthony's election, and then attempted un-election, if there is such a word, as captain of the training band in 1645.  At this time, Rev. Peter Hobart threatened to excommunicate Anthony and twelve other men, so they left the church. 

He was a deputy for Hingham to the Massachusetts Bay Colony General Court forseveral terms starting in April of 1637, so he must have had the community's respect. He had the probably unpopular task of being a member of a committeeto assess the various town for the expenses of the Pequot War, in 1637.

Hemoed to Marshfield about 1651 and soon was serving as adeputy to the Plymouth General Court starting in 1653 and lasting until 1661.  In 1651 he and his son Mark bought 100 acres of land from Francis Godfrey, carpenter, which included a dwelling house, lying on the North River.  The last time Anthony's name is found in the records is in 1670, but he is believed to have lived for several more years after that.  I've found no record of a will or inventory for Anthony or for his wife Margery.  The most likely date of death for Margery would be 1662 and for Anthony 1686, when he would have been about 94 years old.  He may have disposed of his land and other possessions and so a will would not have been needed.  There is some suggestion that he suffered a long illness and that is why where is no record of his activities after 1670.  Let's hope his children cared well for him in his old age. 

The line of descent is (maybe):

Anthony Eames-Margery Pierce
Robert Eames-Elizabeth
John Eames-Abigail Morgan
John Eames-Rachel Comstock
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph B Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants