Harshbarger line: Johan George Harter 1755-1843

 I need to give credit where credit is due.  Almost this entire post is based on information provided by Robert Harter.  He is the person who determined that George's parents were Johan George and Eva Bracker Harter, and he has done a wonderful job of documenting George's life.  I will add a few details, perhaps, and my own thoughts, but this post would not be possible without all of his hard work.  If you want to read more than I am going to include here, you can go to the WikiTree entry for Johan George Harter II, 1755-1843. 

George was born about 1755, most likely in Pennsylvania although Maryland is a possibility.  He was one of at least 11 children, and he was raised as a Lutheran.  So far as is known now, his father was the immigrant for this family, and it is likely that German was spoken in the home, if not everywhere his first family lived.  By 1769 the family had moved to Rocky Hill, Frederick County, Maryland, where there are church records at St. Peter's Lutheran Church.  

George married Maria Magdalena Kitterman, daughter of Christopher and Anna Margaret Lawall Kitterman, in Frederick County in 1776.  The couple had five children born in Frederick County, and in 1791 the young family packed up and moved to Franklin County, Virginia.  This was a distance of about 250 miles, so it is good that George had at least one brother living near him as the family made their new home.  George is on tax rolls there from 1793 to 1800.  

Soon enough, the lure of the "west" called and the family, by now including 10 children, some of whom were old enough to have their own households, moved on.  George was in "miscellaneous township", Preble County, Ohio in time to be on the 1810 tax list there.  There are also records for a George Harter in Montgomery County at the same time.  Preble County was formed partly from Montgomery County, so this may or may not be our George, or he may have been taxed in two counties. 

Just about everywhere the family lived-Frederick County, Maryland; on Mill Creek in Franklin County, Virginia; and Preble County, Ohio-the area was just beginning to settle after the native Americans had been forced out by war or treaty.  There are several listings for George Harter on the Bureau of Land Management site in Ohio, west of the Miami River, but some may have been his son George.  Being listed on the BLM General Land Office site meant that he was the first white man to own that land, so he would have had to clear it, plant it, build his home and outbuildings, and start from scratch, although he likely brought household goods and tools with him.  The most likely route for him to have traveled would have been to the Ohio River and then north on the Miami River, and the trip would have taken probably weeks. 

I've had little luck in tracing George through the US census, although I did locate him in 1830 in Twin Township, Preble County, Ohio.  By 1840 he is missing again.    His wife Mary had died in 1826, so he may have lived alone for some time.  There is some thought that in his later years he may have left the Lutheran church and become a German Baptist (Dunkard).  It may be as simple as there were no Lutheran churches where he lived, and he was devout enough to want to continue worshiping God in some manner.  

George died March 23, 1843 in Lanier Township, Preble County, Ohio. In his will, he left everything to two sons, to care for a third son, Abraham, who was disabled in some way; "his misfortune over which he could have no control" were his father's words.  When the misfortune occurred, and who cared for him up to this time, we don't know.

George had lived a long life, and seen many changes, not just in his personal circumstances but in the growth of our nation.  I have been unable to locate his name on any military records, but there is a possibility he was in the Revolutionary War, and a strong possibility that he was in the War of 1812 in Ohio, even if only on garrison duty close to home.   America was made from pioneer farmers like George, and we are blessed by the work they did and the lives they lived.

The line of descent is:

Johan George Harter-Mary Kitterman

Johan George Harter-Mary Miller

George Harter Jr.-Elizabeth Geiger

John Harter-Mary Bennett

Clara Ellen Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger

Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers

Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks

Their descendants

Update 7/31/2021  Disregard this post.  This is not our line.  Our line here starts with George Harter-Elizabeth Geiger.  The earlier ancestry is not correct.

 

Holbrook line: Daniel Longbottom 1658-1732

I wrote about Daniel's presumed father, James Longbottom, earlier and described the difficulties I'd had in putting together a brief sketch of him.  Writing a post about Daniel is turning out to be not a lot easier, but we do see him, briefly, in various records of Norwich, Connecticut, and we have his will, so that is more than we know about his father.

Daniel was born, according to some sites, on April 27, 1658.  I have not yet been able to locate a source for that, and there is a possibility that he was born earlier.  His parents are believed to be James and Isabel Hoult Longbottom, and he was possibly born in Rhode Island.  Again, many sites say he was born in Norwich, Ct, but Norwich had not yet been formed at that time, so if he was born in Connecticut it was when the town was part of New London.  

He was probably in Norwich before February 15, 1692, because that is the date of his marriage to Elizabeth Lamb, daughter of John and Ann Lamb, there.  Daniel is noted as being an "inhabitant" (meaning he had permission to live there) in 1698.  He and Elizabeth had at least 9 children together.  Somewhat remarkably, all of the known children were mentioned in his will of 1732, when the youngest would have been about 15 years old.  It seems to have been more common than not to have lost young family members.  Since this family didn't, we can think that they were able to have healthy diets, get enough exercise, and avoid dangerous occupations and hazardous military service.  Perhaps the answer is that they had good genes and a bit of luck.  

The only record we have of Daniel being involved in town affairs is that he was chosen or elected surveyor on 1702.  In 1718 he is listed as being one of 16 farmers in "Ye Crotch of Ye Rivers".  The Thames river goes to the east of the town and something known as the Cove branches off to the left, but I'm not sure whether this is the area known as "Ye Crotch" or not.  

Also in 1718, Daniel and Elizabeth and their six youngest children were baptized by "Mr. Woodward". I haven't seen this record and it is a bit confusing because "Mr. Woodward" left the church in 1716.  It seems that either the date or the pastor could be incorrect.

Daniel died November 18, 1732.  He left a will, as mentioned above, and gave his wife use of half of his dwelling house and barn, and 1/3 of the rest of the estate, for her lifetime.  His inventory seems to show that he was basically a farmer, who also had a "wooling wheel" and spindle, and a "linnen" wheel.  The household was not exactly poor but certainly not well to do, based on the amount of furniture, linens, and household goods reported.  He had a firelock, guns, and possibly other arms, and a Bible and a few other books.  The estate was valued at a little over 902 pounds, of which 750 was the house, orchard, and buildings.  Elizabeth lived another 25 years, until 1757.

Among other questions, I'd like to know what role Daniel may have paid in King Philip's War or Queen Anne's War.  Was he one of those Connecticut men who went to Canada?  If so, did he go as a soldier or as a sailor?  Daniel lived through a lot of uncertain times and I'd sure like to know what part, if any, he played, and what his thoughts were.  I'd like to know how educated he was, and what prompted his baptism in 1718, when he was in his sixties.  But at least we have this much, and can be grateful for this glimpse of our ancestor, a father, husband, farmer, and surveyor.

The line of descent is:

Daniel Longbottom-Elizabeth Lamb

James Longbottom-Elizabeth Jackson

Elizabeth Longbottom-John Eames

Hannah Eames-James Lamphire

Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy

Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants

 

Holbrook line: Daniel Brown 1645-1710

 Daniel Brown was another of those men who stayed under the radar for the most part.  Very few traces of him are found in the records available to me, although there are enough to say that he lived and died and raised a family.  He owned land and had some sort of connection to a 1696 deed (likely a witness, or his land was described as the boundary to someone else's).  But there is very little else.

Daniel was born about 1645 to Chad and Elizabeth Sharparowe Browne (Brown) in Providence, Rhode Island.  His parents had arrived in New England in 1638, and soon went to Providence.  He was one of about ten children of the couple, so he had quite a family to enjoy as he grew up.

The people of early Providence were almost all religious dissenters of one sort or another, and it is quite likely that the Browns were of this group.  They of course would have known Roger Williams and they would have known of his search for truth, and of his displeasure of infant baptism.  The Brown family did become Baptists but it's not known for sure when this semi-official adherence began.  Daniel was likely taught at home about his family's beliefs.  We don't know whether or not he was literate.

Daniel was a farmer, and was 24 years old when he married Alice Hearndon, the daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth White Hearndon (also seen as Harrington and various other spellings), in Providence.  This couple had at least eight children.  Some of them were named for their parents or grandparents, but the names they gave two of their children, Hallelujah and Hosanna, have always made me smile.  

Daniel had 50 acres of land "in the neck", which he deeded to his sons Judah and Jabez, in 1706, and a 40 foot lot in Providence that he deeded to his son Daniel in 1710.  Perhaps some of the other children received cash or farm animals in lieu of land.  When he died, his personal property inventory was valued at about 78 pounds.  He died while temporarily in Newport, Rhode Island, on September 29, 1710 and the will was proved November 10 that same year.  He had children and siblings in Newport so it is likely he had gone there for some sort of a visit, or possibly in connection with some sort of church event.

One of the main things I would like to know about Daniel is his involvement in King Philip's War.  It is probable that his home was one that was burned during that action.  Was he part of the Great Swamp fight?  He would certainly have been of the right age.  Where did the family go during that time?  I'd like to know for sure whether he was of Baptist belief, and I'd like to know whether he was a kind and generous man, or a stern one.  Was he fun-loving?  A hard worker?  A trouble maker?  I have these questions about many of our ancestors, but especially for Daniel, who was so good at staying out of the public eye.

The line of descent is:

Daniel Brown-Alice Hearndon

Hosanna Brown-Mary Hawkins

Othniel Brown-Deborah Brown (yes, distant cousins, both descending from Chad and Elizabeth)

Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy

Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine

Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire

Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard

Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick

Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants  

Allen line: Thomas Starr 1668-1711

 I knew very little about Thomas Starr when I started writing this post, and my "usual sources" provided only a few bits and pieces of information about him.  He was notable only because he was a great grandson of Elder William and Mary Brewster, and was regarded pretty much as a "place marker" to prove a line of descent for those who wished to join a lineage society.  I found one or two brief mentions of his occupation, and that he owned or built at least one sloop, and I found speculation that he may have died in some sort of epidemic.  But then, I found his will, and suddenly, here is the man! Of course there is much more to be learned about Thomas, but here's a start:

Thomas Starr was born September 27, 1668 in New London, Connecticut, the son of Samuel and Hannah Brewster Starr.  The Starr family had been in New London for only a few years, probably, but Hannah's parents, Jonathan and Lucretia Brewster, had been there since about 1649.  New London had a deep port, and was a center for ship building and trade.  Thomas became a shipwright, and eventually an owner or part owner in a sloop, so he probably spent a good deal of time as a boy and a youth at the shipyards and docks.  He also attended school, because it was expected of Puritan boys, and because he had a Bible and other books in the inventory taken at this death.  Thomas had several siblings and it's fun to imagine the boys playing together as youngsters, along the exciting but dangerous shore.

Thomas married Mary Morgan (sometimes seen as Mercy, but her gravestone says Mary) on January 1, 1694 in New London. She was the daughter of Captain James and Mary Vine Morgan, who also had been New London residents for some years.  Thomas and Mary had at least eight children, and we are descended through daughter Mary and son Thomas.  Barbara Rogers in her blog "By the Sea" points out that Thomas and Mary were step siblings, as Mary's father had married Hannah Brewster Starr after the death of both James's wife Mary Vine, and Hannah's husband Samuel Starr. 

Thomas may not have ever moved from his family home, because Groton, the place of his death, was part of New London until 1705.  It was across the Thames River from New London, and it may have been difficult to always have access to New London's church services, school, government offices, and military protection.  So Groton it became.  

Thomas was a shipwright by trade, and probably a little more than that, as he had part ownership in a sloop, which was a small craft used primarily for coastal trading, at the time of his death.

Other than when his wife joined the church and records of baptisms of some of the children, we don't know much more about Thomas until he died.  His date of death is given as January 31, 1711/12.  There was an epidemic of what appears to be influenza that killed over 250 Connecticut residents about this time, primarily young and healthy men, and Thomas would have fit that group.  He was just 43 years old, and had no time to write a will.  (Hannah Brewster Starr Morgan and Captain James Morgan died at about the same time, so this disease, whatever it was, was wicked.)

Thomas's inventory, however, does tell us quite a bit.  The total value was about 664 pounds, which appears to have been respectable for that time and place.  His inventory reveals guns and ammunition, quite a few household goods, quite a few "carpenter's tools", his house and barns, another piece of land, farm animals, and, sadly, one (don't recognize the word) Indian woman and boy.  This last entry was valued at 35 pounds, which is more than his share of the sloop. We need to always be aware that yes, our New England ancestors may have been slave-holders.  The estate was carefully divided up by the administrators in 1715/16, and Mary signed with her mark.  Mary seems to have lived until 1765, after a second marriage to William Peabody in 1717.  

I've not found that Thomas served in any military units, although a lot of Connecticut men did, particularly in King William's War.  I would love to find his name somewhere on a military record, if he did serve outside the town.  I'd like to know how deep his involvement was in ship building.  Was this his career, or was it a side job done now and then?  And I'd sure love to hear some of the stories he must have been able to tell!

The line of descent is:

Thomas-Starr-Mary Morgan

Mary Starr-John Chester

Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge

Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens

Betsy Havens-John Starr

John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley

Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott

Edith Knott-Edward Allen

Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook

Their descendants

The other line is:

Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan

Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street

John Starr-Mary Sharp

John Starr-Betsy Havens (see above)

Harshbarger line: Casper Schurch died 1739

 When I write a blog post, it's my goal to have 6-10 paragraphs of information I can share.  This post won't have that; it may not even have 6-10 sentences.  So this is more an acknowledgement that he is in the Harshbarger line than an attempt to tell his story. 

I'm reasonably sure that Casper (Kasper) was born in Sumiswald, Bern, Switzerland, in either 1649 or 1657.  His parents may have been Jacob Schurch and Anna Mummenthaler, if he was the one born in 1649, or Joseph Schurch and Elsbeth Guntlisberg, is he was the one born in 1657.  Casper's wife, Verena Burkhart, was baptized in 1666, but we can't draw conclusions from that because it was common for men to be older, perhaps decades older, than their wives.  Verena was the daughter of Jacob and Barbara Graber Burkhart. 

Casper seems to have stayed pretty much under the radar, because he seems to have been a Mennonite.  Many in the Harshbarger line were Swiss Mennonites, so this is not surprising.  One source says that the family left Sumiswald about 1695 and went to Basle Canton, Switzerland, where the living conditions were not so harsh.  Many Mennonites went to the Palatinate area of Germany and lived there under slightly better conditions than they had in Switzerland, but eventually some of those families came to America, more specifically, Pennsylvania.  

Casper Schurch, one of them at least, appears to have begun his journey in 1731 and arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732.  Depending on which of these is our ancestor, he would have been 83 or 75 years old when he arrived.  I wonder how vigorous he was, and how he withstood the difficult trip over seas.  Was he well enough to build a home for himself, or did he live with one of his children, I wonder?  

The records seem quiet again, until Casper died in July of 1739.  He and Verena had at least seven children, and records show at least three of them in Pennsylvania.  Most websites show him as having died in Lebanon County but there was no Lebanon County at the time, so he would have died in Lancaster County.  I haven't been able to locate a will or estate papers for him.

That is it.  About all we can guess from these brief glimpses is that he was an honorable man, that he cared for his family (or his family cared for him?) and that he was brave to come to America at what was an advanced age, whichever Casper he is.  Like so many others, he is almost lost to history and to his descendants.  I hope someday someone is able to fill in the "dash" in his life and tell us more about him.

The line of descent is:

Casper Schurch-Verena Burkhart

Anna Shirk-Johannes Gingerich

Joseph Yost Gingrich-Anna Elizabeth Huber

Maria Gingrich-Adam Burkholder

Joseph Burkholder-Elizabeth Miller

Barbara Burkholder-Benjamin Buchtel

Nancy Fannie Buchtel-Adam Kemery

Della Kemery-William H Withers

Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger

Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks

Their descendants

Holbrook line: John Staples 1608-1683

 How can one many have been born in at least two places, married without leaving a record of his wife's name, and died in two or three different places?  Those are just some of the mysteries surrounding our ancestor John Staple or Staples.  His father was Jeffrey (Geoffrey) Staple and his mother was Margery Chrismas, according to the best scholarship I've found, and he was born about August of 1608 in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England.  The town is very old, dating back to before the Norman Conquest, and it still has at least one building standing that our ancestors would have laid eyes on. John was one of at least seven children born to the couple, with all the surviving children coming to the New World.

I've not found specific immigration records for John but his father immigrated in 1636 and it's likely that's when John came, too.  He is said to have married Rebecca, perhaps Borroridge but not proven, probably after he arrived in the New World.  He was in Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony early, for he was granted land there in 1636, and at least five children were born there starting in 1638.  

After that, I have been unable to track this ancestor.  I don't find his name listed as a soldier in King Philip's War, or in any church or civic records, other than a few references to land he owned.  He may have lived in Weymouth most of his life but he died in Dorchester.  Weymouth was 12 miles south of Boston and Dorchester was just north of Boston, so we don't know what prompted his move.  Dorchester does show names that were the in-laws of at least two of his children, so perhaps he didn't go there until his age or infirmities caught up with him.

Two of his daughters married Sumner men and went to form Dorchester, South Carolina, as a Puritan outpost.  I found one source that said John Staple died there in 1693, but I don't believe it was this John Staple, because our John Staple is clearly shown in the death records of Dorchester, Massachusetts on July 4, 1683.  This was before the establishment of the South Carolina "missionary" post.  When he wrote his will on March 18, 1681/82 he identified himself as being of Weymouth, so any move to Dorchester must have been in his last months.  

John's inventory was somewhat small.  Almost two thirds of the 95 pound inventory was in "money in hand and due by bill", so he probably sold most of his land before going to Dorchester.  The only land mentioned in the will was one acre of marsh in "Brantry" (Braintree) that was to go to his son, John.  Abraham was to be paid twenty shillings, as his father had provided a trade for him and given him other "estate". The other four children were to share in the rest of the estate.  There is a reference to "goods and armes" in the inventory so he had weapons of some kind, but we don't know whether the goods referred to were food for the family or perhaps something used in some sort of trade. 

Surely there is more to be learned about our ancestor John.  We know he was brave, for he came to News England when there wasn't much to come to.  He married and raised a family and was enough of a steward to be able to leave something to his children.  And he must have been a Puritan, as it was to form a Puritan settlement that led at least two of his children to South Carolina.  

The line of descent is:

John Staples-Rebecca

Rebecca Staples-Samuel Sumner

Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson

Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes

Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright

Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook

Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood

Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore

Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown

Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants

 

Beeks line: Samuel Fitzrandolph 1668-1754

 I'm a little surprised that not more is known of Samuel Fitzrandolph, since he is in former President Barack Obama's ancestry.  Samuel's father, Nathaniel Fitzrandolph, is well documented, but like so many ancestors, Samuel seems to have stayed well hidden.  We know he was part of the Society of Friends, and we know he had "two old slaves" at his death, but other than that, we know very little about his life.  So this will be a short post, but I want to acknowledge this man, and his wife, as two of the almost anonymous ancestors who have contributed to this country and the Beeks family.  

Samuel was born in Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in about 1668.  His parents were Nathaniel and Mary Holley or Holloway Fitzrandolph.  Samuel was probably too young to understand that his parents, or at least his father, were not a welcome part of the Barnstable community.  The family was Quaker, and Nathaniel refused to attend the Puritan church meetings, which of course were required.  So he was dismissed from the church when Samuel was about four years old, and it appears that it was about this time that the Fitzrandolphs left Barnstable and went to Woodbridge, New Jersey.  This was a long trip, probably made by ship, from the arm of Massachusetts to just west of New York City.  It would have been quite an adventure for four year old Samuel, for his siblings, and for his mother, who had several young children to care for.  (There was one child born in 1672, so do we hope that she may the trip while pregnant, or do we hope she had the baby and had somewhat recovered before the family set out?)

When the Fitarandolphs arrived at Woodbridge, it was basically unsettled, although there were a few families already in the area.  Nathaniel did well for himself and probably was able to build at least a decent, if not substantial, home for his family.  Samuel may have been considered old enough to help with chores as a five year old, and would have probably been interested to see building progress.  He may even have helped with clean up work as the home went up.  At least some of the first Quaker meetings were held in his father's home, so Samuel would have observed the meetings as a child, and absorbed their teachings.

Samuel married Mary Jones, daughter of Jeffrey Jones and (probably) Safronia Walter, on June 8, 1693 in Elizabethtown, Union County, New Jersey.  They had nine children together, but only Samuel, Prudence and Jacob are known to have outlived their father.  What a sorrow that must have been for Samuel and Mary!  

And that's it.  Other than death records, and a presumed burial at the Friends Meeting House Burial Ground in Shrewsbury, I've not been able to find anything about the man or the life he lived.  His wife inherited land from her father and that may have helped support him, and Samuel probably also received land (I haven't seen his father's will, just an abstract).   At his death, Samuel's estate was valued at 82.19.10, apparently not including land.  He had three large and eight tea silver sponos, a large Bible, and a clock, plus he held the "two old negroes" mentioned above. (The abstract says these items were included, but does not give a list of everything in the inventory.)

We can wonder why a Quaker held slaves in 1754.  Benjamin Lay had been preaching against slavery for many years, and there is every chance that Samuel actually heard him preach.  Did he hold more slaves earlier in his life, and were these two "old" slaves kept on in order to care for them, or did he truly not see the wrong he was committing?  This is at the heart of what I'd like to know about Samuel.  

Of course, I'd also like to have his occupation (planter?) confirmed, and I'd like to know whether he was a pacifist, or whether he participated in any military activities.  Whether I ever learn these answers or not, Samuel is a part of the Beeks family, and his life is important.

The line of descent is:

Samuel Fitzrandolph-Mary Jones

Prudence Fitzrandolph-Shubael Smith

Mary Smith-Jonathan Dunham

Samuel Dunham-Hannah Ruble

Jacob Dunham-Catherine Goodnight

Samuel G Dunham-Eliza Matilda Reese

Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants

Holbrook line: John Whittemore 1662-1702

We have four men named John Whittemore in our line, one right after the other.  This post is about John Whittemore, the son of John and Mary Upham Whittemore, and grandson of Thomas (the immigrant) and Hannah Chawkley Whittemore.  He was born in Charlestown, Suffolk County, in what was then the Massachusetts Bay Colony, about 1662, based on court testimony he gave in 1674.  His father was a wheelwright, and since John had seven brothers and sisters, this was a family that had some struggles economically.

John senior held several town posts, including that of constable, hog reeve, fence viewer, and surveyor of highways.  There is some confusion about the John who held the constable post in 1692.  Some say this was John senior, and some say it was this John.  It's barely possible that this John was the John who was a fence viewer in 1683.  No suffixes were given for any of the men so it's hard to know for sure.  These were all minor posts, but the men seem to have stayed out of trouble for the most part.  They were probably solid citizens but just not noteworthy. He was admitted to full communion in the church in Charlestown in 1687, and he sat on several juries.  Though he wasn't a prominent citizen, he was respectable and appears to have been accepted in what could be a rough town, at times. 

John became a turner by trade.  We don't know exactly what he made.  One suggestion is that he made axles for wagons, which would have complemented his father's work.  His father gave John a house 4 years before he died, which may or may not indicate that the two men were close.  It may be that this was John senior's way of acknowledging that this John, as the senior surviving son, was entitled to an early gift, perhaps anticipating there could be a problem with the estate.  

This deed was recorded about 1688, which was shortly after John's second marriage.  John first married Elizabeth Annable, daughter of John and Anna Whipple Annable, in 1684.  They had one child together, the third John Whittemore in our line,  and Elizabeth died about 18 months later, in 1686.  The timing is such that it may have been related to another child birth, but perhaps there was another cause for her death.  John married Sarah Hall in 1688 and they had eleven children together. John III and two of John and Sarah's children were the only ones to survive to 40 years of age.  

John was just 40 years old when he died, without a will.  His estate was valued at 154.5.11, but his debts amounted to almost 177 pounds, so the estate was insolvent.  Sarah would have been given her widow's thirds so that she could raise up her children, the last, Josiah, being born after his father's death.  She would have had her hands full and it's noted that John junior and Josiah were close, although they were 40 years apart in age and half brothers rather than full brothers.  The inventory combines his wearing apparel, arms, and books into one category, but these were valued at 18 pounds so it's possible the library was fairly extensive.  (It's also possible that he was a clothes horse, or that he had expensive armaments). The inventory also includes 63 barrels of cider, if I'm reading it correctly, and a few apples.  He had quite a number of farm animals, including 65 sheep and 42 lambs, and 13 cows, 6 calves, 2 yearlings, and a bull, plus oxen, and swine.  He clearly was intent on providing well for his family.  

We don't know the cause of death, but there was a smallpox epidemic in 1702 in and around Boston that killed over 300 people.  One source says he died in Cambridge, where he may have gone for treatment or hospitalization, such as it was.  This is speculation, but whatever killed him, it was sudden enough that he didn't prepare a will.  

I'd like to know more about John, including what military service he may have had, and the particulars of his occupation.  Of course, I'd like to know more about the books he owned, and I'd like to know what his dreams were for his family.  And most of all, I'd like him to know that we remember him.

The line of descent is:

John Whittemore-Elizabeth Annable

John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd

John Whittemore-Lydia Clough

Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow

Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster

Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook

Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown

Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants