Holbrook line: Richard Snow, Immigrant

Richard Snow born about December 21, 1606, in or around Barnstaple, Devon, England.  Many think that his father was Patrick Snow, with his father being Richard, and then his father being Patrick, born about 1517.  It is certainly possible that he is connected to this family, but Richard didn't name any of his sons Patrick, and I've not been able to document any connection.  If he did grow up in Barnstaple, he may have been involved in the wool trade, in cloth making, or in sheep raising.  These were the main industries of the town. 

We don't know much about Richard before he arrived in Woburn, Massachusetts, but it is thought that he might be the 28 year old Richard Snow who left England in 1635, aboard the Expedition and bound for Barbados.  There were other men who ended up in Woburn who were on that ship.  We don't know if the ship was making a "triangle run" or if the men stayed in Barbados for a time.  If they stayed there, had they planned to stay longer than they did?  Did they go, realize they didn't care for the climate, and then later head to Massachusetts?  We don't know.

Another missing fact in Richard's life is when he married.  His wife's name is believed to be Avis or Annis Barrett, and she is thought to be the daughter of William Barrett.  They may have married in or near Barnstaple, or in Barbados, or in Woburn.  I have found no records any of those places so I guess we can take our pick.  I root for Barbados, for at least it would have been warm and sunny there.  It's possible that Richard went to Barbados as an indentured servant and then left for New England as soon as his term was up.  If so, he must have been a thrifty man, as it would have been hard to save money for the passage. 

He was in Woburn by 1645 and perhaps a year or two earlier.  Why he chose to go to Woburn has not yet been determined.  There weren't other Snow families there, nor were there Barretts, but there were some of the men who had been on the Expedition with him. 

Richard and Avis or Annis stayed pretty much under the radar during their whole lives in Woburn.  He doesn't seem to have held any town offices, but he doesn't seem to have been called into court, either.  Neither did he attract the interest of any of the religious authorities.  He did, however, receive land in 1648, and in 1653 he was one of twenty nine men (possibly most of the men in town) who signed a petition requesting that churches be allowed to find their own pastors, rather than having a group of pastors from outside the town make the decision.  The request was turned down, but was written in such a humble (possibly groveling) style that the men weren't chastised for their request.  Richard and Avis had arrived in Woburn with two children, and had at least three more in Woburn. 

We know that he was part of the train band (militia) until he was excused in 1659. Usually at that time, men were only excused because of some infirmity that prevented their serving, or that made them an impediment to the rest of the group, but we have no indication of what that may have been.   

Richard died before May 5, 1677 at Woburn.  His will provided that his four surviving sons provide for their mother in her old age,  and left most of the land to the oldest son, John, where he already lived.  His estate was valued at about 188 pounds, most of it in parcels of land, including the house and orchard.  John lived in this home and it stayed in the family for several generations, seemingly abandoned sometime in the mid nineteenth century.  The inventory included two Bibles and other books of sermons, so it seems that Richard could read.  I don't have a date of death for his widow.

This is the story of a man who worked hard, improved his lot in life, supported his church, and was content to stay in one place once he arrived in Massachusetts.  He's another of the ordinary people who helped build an extraordinary country.

The line of descent is:

Richard Snow-Avis Barrett
John Snow-Mary Greene
Zerubabbel Snow-Jemima Cutler
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants