One neat thing about writing genealogy blog posts is that as I research, I find new pieces of information that seem to have not shown up in other people's research. As I look at the dates that they posted, I can see that my new "finds" became available on line only after their posts were written. So it's a good reminder to us all to not take for granted that everything available has already been found. I'm sure earlier blog post writers would have loved to have had access to John Root's will and inventory, for instance. And they would have loved to have known about his military service. Both of these items weren't freely available just a few short years ago. Finding information about the son or daughter of an early immigrant is never easy, so I'm glad I've got a story here to tell.
John Root was born about 1642 at Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut. His parents were John and Mary Kilbourne Roote, and he was one of at least eight children. His parents stayed in Farmington His parents did well financially and John Sr. was active in civic life, so John probably had a good start in life. We know nothing of his childhood but can imagine that he started doing chores at a young age and probably went to school for about three months out of the year, as that was typical for the time. Or perhaps his mother schooled him.
John married Mary Ashley, daughter of Robert and Mary Ashley on October 18, 1664 in Springfield, Massachusetts. John was noted as being of Farmington at the time and I've not yet found reference to where the young couple first settled. Their first known child, Mary, was born September 22, 1667 in Westfield, Massachusetts and that is where the couple lived their married life. (Westfield didn't legally exist until 1669, when it was split from Springfield, but it seems likely that the couple didn't actually move.) They lived on Union Street in Westfield, and John was a farmer.
We don't know much about their lives, actually, except that they had at least eight children. So Mary would have been kept quite busy as she raised the children. She had four girls to help her with the many household chores, and John had four boys to educate in some sort of occupation. And of course, there were future spouses to think of, to approve or disapprove.
John may have been ill or somehow injured, because when it came to King Philip's War in 1675, he was appointed commissary of the fort at Westfield. It doesn't appear that Westfield was actually attacked, but it may have been because the area was relatively well protected. John's job as commisary was to make sure that their were ample supplies and food for the soldiers, as well as for those families staying at the fort.
John became a freeman in 1669. He was appointed to a survey committee in 1668 and then about two years later the committee was dismissed and a new one was chosen. In 1684, he was a juror in the case of Elezer Weller. The verdict was that the man had died by suicide on August 17, 1684.
John apparently died rather suddenly on September 24, 1687. He did not have a will, and the appraisal wasn't done for another three years. By this time, the youngest child was about 8 years old and that may have something to do with it. Or, the oldest child was about 23 and may have been requesting his portion of the estate. The estate was valued at about 505 pounds, with 35 pounds owing so the net value was about 470 pounds. The widow was to have her choice of housing, and the children were each assigned a portion, with mathematical precision. The oldest son's share was more than the other children's but not double as was commonly the case.
The amazing part of John's story to me is actually that of his wife. Mary didn't remarry, despite having small children to raise. And, bless her heart, when she died in 1703, she left a will! Of course, being a woman, her will was overturned, but at least she tried. One thing that she had requested, but that apparently wasn't honored, was that her youngest daughter, fittingly named Mercy, be given a separate amount as payment for the three years that she had cared for her mother in her old age. The document signed by Samuel Partridge merely says there were "imperfections" in the will, and he re-distributed her estate. Her estate was valued at 170 pounds, and the inventory shows that she was still running an active household and farm, including farm animals, feed, and other things necessary for a household. She had Bibles and old books, and "specticles", which touched me. She also had a musket. I wonder if she ever used it, or knew how to use it?
While learning about John, I also learned about Mary, and oh, how I love her. I hope you do, too.
The line of descent is
John Root-Mary Ashley
John Root-Sarah Stebbins
Sarah Root-Thomas Noble
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church
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 Ashley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ashley. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Allen line: John Root 1608-1684, Immigrant
Although we know quite a bit about John Root, there are two big questions I have after going through all the material I can find about him. The first is his origin. His gravestone, which I think is old but probably not dating back to 1684, states that he was a "Descendant of the Huguenots Routtes who fled from France to England." I've seen statements that this headstone was actually put up as late as 1880, and that the statement should be discounted because it was an American who had it installed. Being an American doesn't necessarily make it wrong, of course, and there is a Thomas Routte/Roote/Root who is accepted by the National Huguenot Society as being an ancestor. I don't know how much credibility to apply to this statement except that it does seem likely that at some point the Routte family came to England.
The second mystery about John is his parents. They are given everywhere as John Roote and Mary Ann Russell or Rushall. However, we are also told that John was raised by a wealthy uncle, and looking at the family tree, it appears that this couple might fit that description. I can't find documentation as to his birth or to the death of these "parents" so I'm not clear on exactly who John is. However, he was born February 26,1608 in Badby, Northamptonshire, England. Supposedly the uncle who raised him was pressing John to go into the Parliamentary Army under Cromwell, and our John was not willing to do that, so he came to America as a Puritan and settled in Farmington, Connecticut in 1640.
He married Mary Kilbourne, most likely after arriving in Farmington but possibly in England. Their first known child was born in 1642 in Farmington, so if they met soon after John's arrival, possibly in church, then a marriage perhaps in 1641 and a child born a year later would make sense.
John was a weaver as well as a farmer. We know that he and his wife were members of the church in Farmington, that John served on several juries at Hartford, and that he was apparently a respected man of his town. We are fortunate that copies of his estate are still available. At his death, it was valued at 819 pounds. Interestingly, it includes a list of the 32 books in his library, most of which were religious. There was one "law book" and it's not clear what a couple of the other books were, but most had titles like "Israel's Safety" or "door of Salvation." His inventory also included a long gun, a musket, a carbine, a backsword and belt, and various equipment needed to support these weapons. It is likely that he was part of the "military train" for much of his life, but since he lived until 1684, when he would have been 76 years old, he had probably been excused from military service some years earlier. He was have been 67 or 68 when King Philip's War broke out, so likely stayed home to help guard the women and children when the men of the town were called out.
John died in August of 1684 and his wife Mary died in 1697. Among his descendants, so our cousins, are President Rutherford B. Hayes, Louisa May Alcott (yes! I knew I liked her!), Nancy Davis Reagan, Bess Wallace Truman, and Clint Eastwood. He contributed much to American's history, besides settling in Connecticut and helping make a town out of the wilderness.
Our line of descent is:
John Root-Mary Kilbourne
John Root Mary Ashley
Samuel Root-Mary Gunn
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
A second line is the same for the first two generations, and then is:
John Root-Sarah Stebbins
Sarah Root-Thomas Noble
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
and so on. Ruth Noble and Martin Root were second cousins, if I have this figured right. So we're doubly related to all those famous people I mentioned!
The second mystery about John is his parents. They are given everywhere as John Roote and Mary Ann Russell or Rushall. However, we are also told that John was raised by a wealthy uncle, and looking at the family tree, it appears that this couple might fit that description. I can't find documentation as to his birth or to the death of these "parents" so I'm not clear on exactly who John is. However, he was born February 26,1608 in Badby, Northamptonshire, England. Supposedly the uncle who raised him was pressing John to go into the Parliamentary Army under Cromwell, and our John was not willing to do that, so he came to America as a Puritan and settled in Farmington, Connecticut in 1640.
He married Mary Kilbourne, most likely after arriving in Farmington but possibly in England. Their first known child was born in 1642 in Farmington, so if they met soon after John's arrival, possibly in church, then a marriage perhaps in 1641 and a child born a year later would make sense.
John was a weaver as well as a farmer. We know that he and his wife were members of the church in Farmington, that John served on several juries at Hartford, and that he was apparently a respected man of his town. We are fortunate that copies of his estate are still available. At his death, it was valued at 819 pounds. Interestingly, it includes a list of the 32 books in his library, most of which were religious. There was one "law book" and it's not clear what a couple of the other books were, but most had titles like "Israel's Safety" or "door of Salvation." His inventory also included a long gun, a musket, a carbine, a backsword and belt, and various equipment needed to support these weapons. It is likely that he was part of the "military train" for much of his life, but since he lived until 1684, when he would have been 76 years old, he had probably been excused from military service some years earlier. He was have been 67 or 68 when King Philip's War broke out, so likely stayed home to help guard the women and children when the men of the town were called out.
John died in August of 1684 and his wife Mary died in 1697. Among his descendants, so our cousins, are President Rutherford B. Hayes, Louisa May Alcott (yes! I knew I liked her!), Nancy Davis Reagan, Bess Wallace Truman, and Clint Eastwood. He contributed much to American's history, besides settling in Connecticut and helping make a town out of the wilderness.
Our line of descent is:
John Root-Mary Kilbourne
John Root Mary Ashley
Samuel Root-Mary Gunn
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
A second line is the same for the first two generations, and then is:
John Root-Sarah Stebbins
Sarah Root-Thomas Noble
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
and so on. Ruth Noble and Martin Root were second cousins, if I have this figured right. So we're doubly related to all those famous people I mentioned!
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Allen line: John Eddy, Immigrant and Octogenarian 1597-1684
First, a disclaimer: There may or may not be a weak link in this lineage. John Eddy had a daughter Mary, and she is claimed in many sources to have married Robert Ashley. She is also claimed in many sources to have married Thomas Orton or Horton. I have not completely reconciled this. There is a court record where Widow Horton, on October 9, 1640, was called to explain why she had loaned or sold her late husband's gun to an Indian. So apparently she was widowed by that time and thus was free to marry Robert Ashley on December 24, 1641 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
But wait! There's more! In John Eddy's will, he refers to her as "Marie Orton", which could be the confusion of an old man. Or, since Robert Ashley had died the previous year, perhaps she had been using her first husband's name. Except that, Plymouth Plantations website says that Thomas Orton died in 1687. So someone is certainly confused, and that's me! If someone can help straighten this out, I'd be most grateful.
So, John Eddy's sketch is written with the advisory comment that not everyone agrees with the lineage. I tend to go with the Robert Ashley marriage, and that is why I'm writing this sketch about John Eddy.
John Eddy was born in March of 1596/1597, the son of Rev. William Eddy and Mary Fosten. (We have descents through the William Eddy line that go down into the Holbrook line, so somewhere along the line, distant cousins married distant cousins.) He grew up in the home of his parents until Mary died in 1611, and then his father married a widow, Sarah Taylor in 1613/14, so he may have had step siblings as well as his own brothers and sisters. The home seems to have been relatively prosperous, judging Rev. Eddy's inventory.
Whether it was for economic reasons or for religious reasons, John Eddy left home and came to Plymouth Colony in 1630, on the Handmaid, with his brother Samuel. The ship left London August 10 and arrived at Plymouth on October 29, 1630. It was not an easy voyage, but the brothers survived it. They are termed "gentlemen" by Governor Winthrop, whom they went to visit in company with Miles Standish and Captain Grant. Many "gentlemen" did not survive the early years in the colony but these two me did.
Within one or two years, John was a settler of Watertown, where he lived his life. John had married Amy Doggett, daughter of John Doggett and Dorothy Fay, in 1619, but we don't know when Amy and the children arrived in Plymouth. It's unclear whether the family traveled together, or whether some children may have come with John and the rest later, with their mother. It appears that the first four children were born in England and the last six were born in Watertown. In going from Plymouth to Watertown, John and Amy had left Plymouth Colony to become part of Massachusetts Bay Colony, where the people were Puritans but not Separatists.)
John Eddy is reported as being a juryman and a selectman, but little else is known of him. He apparently had some sort of episode in 1633, possibly a mental health issue, and Governor Winthrop later reported that "He recovered his understanding again in good measure, and lived very orderly, but would, now and then, be a little distempered." He was made a freeman shortly before this incident.
I've not found much about John during the next 40 years or so of his life. His wife Amy died sometime after 1647 and he married Johanna, widow of gabriel Meade, after May 12,1666. She died in August of 1683, although Eddy's will refers to his "well beloved wife," who was apparently left a separate bequest or gift. In 1673 and 1674, when he was 76 and 77 years of age, he requested to be excused from military training, so apparently he had been part of the train band up until that time. It's possible that in 1673 he was excused for a year, hoping that he would be able to recover from his ailments by the next year, and then in 1674 it was made a permanent exemption.
John wrote his will January 11, 1677 and it was proved December 16, 1684. He left bequests to his two sons and four daughters, one of whom is the Mary or Marie Horton which confuses me. His inventory included four parcels of land, valued at 216 pounds, and another 30 pounds, 7 shillings in personal property, including a "parcel of books." We an assume that he learned to read and write in his childhood, since he was the son of a vicar.
So ends the story of John Eddy, who may or may not be our ancestor. I'm posting this in hopes that someone can shed some light on the question of Mary Eddy Horton or Orton Ashley, or tell me whether these are two separate women and what the proof is, either way. If I get a response, or figure this out myself, I will do an update to this post.
The supposed line of descent is:
John Eddy-Amy Doggett
Mary Eddy-Robert Ashley
Mary Ashley-John Root
John Root-Sarah Stebbins
Sarah Root-Thomas Noble
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church
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
Update: I now believe that Robert Ashley's wife was likely not Mary Eddy, and I'm embarrassed that I didn't place closer attention to dates and places when I wrote this. Mary who married Robert Ashley, the widow of William Horton, was a widow who had two small children in 1640, so the chances that she was the Mary Eddy born in 625 to John Eddy are slim indeed. Also, John Eddy's will refers to Marie Orton, not Horton. Similarities in name must have led to the confusion. However, now we get the fun of trying to figure out who William Horton was, where he was from, and who he married. Does anyone have any ideas?
But wait! There's more! In John Eddy's will, he refers to her as "Marie Orton", which could be the confusion of an old man. Or, since Robert Ashley had died the previous year, perhaps she had been using her first husband's name. Except that, Plymouth Plantations website says that Thomas Orton died in 1687. So someone is certainly confused, and that's me! If someone can help straighten this out, I'd be most grateful.
So, John Eddy's sketch is written with the advisory comment that not everyone agrees with the lineage. I tend to go with the Robert Ashley marriage, and that is why I'm writing this sketch about John Eddy.
John Eddy was born in March of 1596/1597, the son of Rev. William Eddy and Mary Fosten. (We have descents through the William Eddy line that go down into the Holbrook line, so somewhere along the line, distant cousins married distant cousins.) He grew up in the home of his parents until Mary died in 1611, and then his father married a widow, Sarah Taylor in 1613/14, so he may have had step siblings as well as his own brothers and sisters. The home seems to have been relatively prosperous, judging Rev. Eddy's inventory.
Whether it was for economic reasons or for religious reasons, John Eddy left home and came to Plymouth Colony in 1630, on the Handmaid, with his brother Samuel. The ship left London August 10 and arrived at Plymouth on October 29, 1630. It was not an easy voyage, but the brothers survived it. They are termed "gentlemen" by Governor Winthrop, whom they went to visit in company with Miles Standish and Captain Grant. Many "gentlemen" did not survive the early years in the colony but these two me did.
Within one or two years, John was a settler of Watertown, where he lived his life. John had married Amy Doggett, daughter of John Doggett and Dorothy Fay, in 1619, but we don't know when Amy and the children arrived in Plymouth. It's unclear whether the family traveled together, or whether some children may have come with John and the rest later, with their mother. It appears that the first four children were born in England and the last six were born in Watertown. In going from Plymouth to Watertown, John and Amy had left Plymouth Colony to become part of Massachusetts Bay Colony, where the people were Puritans but not Separatists.)
John Eddy is reported as being a juryman and a selectman, but little else is known of him. He apparently had some sort of episode in 1633, possibly a mental health issue, and Governor Winthrop later reported that "He recovered his understanding again in good measure, and lived very orderly, but would, now and then, be a little distempered." He was made a freeman shortly before this incident.
I've not found much about John during the next 40 years or so of his life. His wife Amy died sometime after 1647 and he married Johanna, widow of gabriel Meade, after May 12,1666. She died in August of 1683, although Eddy's will refers to his "well beloved wife," who was apparently left a separate bequest or gift. In 1673 and 1674, when he was 76 and 77 years of age, he requested to be excused from military training, so apparently he had been part of the train band up until that time. It's possible that in 1673 he was excused for a year, hoping that he would be able to recover from his ailments by the next year, and then in 1674 it was made a permanent exemption.
John wrote his will January 11, 1677 and it was proved December 16, 1684. He left bequests to his two sons and four daughters, one of whom is the Mary or Marie Horton which confuses me. His inventory included four parcels of land, valued at 216 pounds, and another 30 pounds, 7 shillings in personal property, including a "parcel of books." We an assume that he learned to read and write in his childhood, since he was the son of a vicar.
So ends the story of John Eddy, who may or may not be our ancestor. I'm posting this in hopes that someone can shed some light on the question of Mary Eddy Horton or Orton Ashley, or tell me whether these are two separate women and what the proof is, either way. If I get a response, or figure this out myself, I will do an update to this post.
The supposed line of descent is:
John Eddy-Amy Doggett
Mary Eddy-Robert Ashley
Mary Ashley-John Root
John Root-Sarah Stebbins
Sarah Root-Thomas Noble
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church
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
Update: I now believe that Robert Ashley's wife was likely not Mary Eddy, and I'm embarrassed that I didn't place closer attention to dates and places when I wrote this. Mary who married Robert Ashley, the widow of William Horton, was a widow who had two small children in 1640, so the chances that she was the Mary Eddy born in 625 to John Eddy are slim indeed. Also, John Eddy's will refers to Marie Orton, not Horton. Similarities in name must have led to the confusion. However, now we get the fun of trying to figure out who William Horton was, where he was from, and who he married. Does anyone have any ideas?
Friday, November 20, 2015
Allen line: Thomas Kilbourne 1578-abt 1637, Immigrant
Another Allen line immigrant, another set of questions. Was he, or wasn't he, killed in an Indian massacre? Why would a man 57 years old come to the New World, anyway? Was it to give his children a chance at a better life? Was it so he could practice his religion? Was it for economic reasons?
We do know something of Thomas's life. He was born (or christened) May 8, 1578 in Wood Ditton, Cambridge, England, and is believed to be the son of John Kilbourne and Anne, of the same location. It appears that Anne would likely have been a second wife, or at least a much younger wife, so he may have lived in a blended family. Wood Ditton was a small village near Newmarket, but the small village had a long history going back to the Domesday records. For a village to survive that long, there must have been some natural resources such as water or metal (or woods?) nearby.
As far as we can tell, he was not a Puritan, at least not in 1632, when he is listed as a church warden in the Church of England. He may, of course, have held Puritan sympathies and merely kept them quiet until he could go to New England. He married Francis Moody, daughter of George Moody and Margaret Chenery, on September 5, 1604, at Moulton, Suffolk, England. The couple had 8 children, and the youngest would have been about 10 when they immigrated. Just five of the children sailed with them on the "Increase" in 1635. One is known to have stayed in England and the other two may have also stayed, or they may have died young. Thomas was listed as a husbandman (farmer) on the ship manifest.
Various records say that the ship disembarked at Boston, but yet we see that the first noted residence of the Kilbourne family was in Wethersfield, Ct. We don't know whether they transferred to another ship for this part of the voyage, or whether they made an overland trip. Either trip must have been difficult for a couple in their fifties, although their older children must certainly have been a help. At this time, the Kilbournes were Puritans, so either they changed religions between 1632 and 1635 (which is certainly possible), or the church warden duty had been something enforced by the Church of England, which is also possible.
In Wethersfield, Thomas was granted or purchased several tracts of land, but there is no record of him after 1637. This has led to the speculation that Thomas was one of the 7 unidentified victims of the Indian massacre of April 23, 1637, when 200 native Americans carried out an ambush against the settlers during what is known as the Pequot War. This appears to have been not just a native vs. white man conflict, as the Dutch were allies with some tribes and the English with others, but the original source of conflict was between the tribes, as to which would control the trade of furs desired by both the Dutch and the English. Of course, it was more complicated than that.
Regardless of the cause, Thomas Kilbourne was not heard from after that date. His widow, Frances, did not marry again and appears to have maintained her own household, probably with help from her family. When she died in 1650 or 1651 (will written November 13, 1650 and proved June 1, 1651), she had a good sized estate amounting to about 336 pounds, which someone has calculated at being about $30,000 today. This included several tracts of land which weren't designated in the will, so there must have been an arrangement about that. Francis's estate also included books valued at 2 pounds, so it is likely that Thomas could read, and possibly Francis also.
In writing about Thomas, I find myself greatly admiring his wife. She kept the family together for roughly 13 years between the apparent death of Thomas and her own death. Thomas must have taught her well.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Kilbourne-Francis Moody
Mary Kilbourne-John Root
John Root-Mary Ashley
John Root-Sarah Stebbins
Sarah Root-Thomas Noble
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harried Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
We do know something of Thomas's life. He was born (or christened) May 8, 1578 in Wood Ditton, Cambridge, England, and is believed to be the son of John Kilbourne and Anne, of the same location. It appears that Anne would likely have been a second wife, or at least a much younger wife, so he may have lived in a blended family. Wood Ditton was a small village near Newmarket, but the small village had a long history going back to the Domesday records. For a village to survive that long, there must have been some natural resources such as water or metal (or woods?) nearby.
As far as we can tell, he was not a Puritan, at least not in 1632, when he is listed as a church warden in the Church of England. He may, of course, have held Puritan sympathies and merely kept them quiet until he could go to New England. He married Francis Moody, daughter of George Moody and Margaret Chenery, on September 5, 1604, at Moulton, Suffolk, England. The couple had 8 children, and the youngest would have been about 10 when they immigrated. Just five of the children sailed with them on the "Increase" in 1635. One is known to have stayed in England and the other two may have also stayed, or they may have died young. Thomas was listed as a husbandman (farmer) on the ship manifest.
Various records say that the ship disembarked at Boston, but yet we see that the first noted residence of the Kilbourne family was in Wethersfield, Ct. We don't know whether they transferred to another ship for this part of the voyage, or whether they made an overland trip. Either trip must have been difficult for a couple in their fifties, although their older children must certainly have been a help. At this time, the Kilbournes were Puritans, so either they changed religions between 1632 and 1635 (which is certainly possible), or the church warden duty had been something enforced by the Church of England, which is also possible.
In Wethersfield, Thomas was granted or purchased several tracts of land, but there is no record of him after 1637. This has led to the speculation that Thomas was one of the 7 unidentified victims of the Indian massacre of April 23, 1637, when 200 native Americans carried out an ambush against the settlers during what is known as the Pequot War. This appears to have been not just a native vs. white man conflict, as the Dutch were allies with some tribes and the English with others, but the original source of conflict was between the tribes, as to which would control the trade of furs desired by both the Dutch and the English. Of course, it was more complicated than that.
Regardless of the cause, Thomas Kilbourne was not heard from after that date. His widow, Frances, did not marry again and appears to have maintained her own household, probably with help from her family. When she died in 1650 or 1651 (will written November 13, 1650 and proved June 1, 1651), she had a good sized estate amounting to about 336 pounds, which someone has calculated at being about $30,000 today. This included several tracts of land which weren't designated in the will, so there must have been an arrangement about that. Francis's estate also included books valued at 2 pounds, so it is likely that Thomas could read, and possibly Francis also.
In writing about Thomas, I find myself greatly admiring his wife. She kept the family together for roughly 13 years between the apparent death of Thomas and her own death. Thomas must have taught her well.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Kilbourne-Francis Moody
Mary Kilbourne-John Root
John Root-Mary Ashley
John Root-Sarah Stebbins
Sarah Root-Thomas Noble
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church
Ruth Noble-Martin Root
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harried Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Allen line: Robert Ashley 1620-1682 Immigrant
I decided to write about Robert Ashley today because part of his story is very real to me as I write. I have been reading "King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict" by Eric B Schultz and Michael J. Touglas, and when I started looking at Robert's life, I realized he lived in Springfield, Massachusetts at the time that the Indian attack took place in 1675. However, I guess I'm getting ahead of myself.
There isn't a lot of information about Robert's early life. He was born in 1620 apparently in Lowesby, Leicestershire, England, although I have seen another birth location listed. His father is believed to have been William Ashley and Elizabeth or Mary, possibly widow Schuyler. Almost nothing is known of his life in England. There are dates postulated as immigration dates ranging from 1626 to 1638. If he came at the age of 6, it would likely have been with a family member who is as yet unidentified. If he came later, he may have come about the same time that William Pynchon came, or he may have joined the Pynchon group after he got to Roxbury.
Although the first notice I've found of Robert in America is in 1639, where he is in Springfield, Massachusetts, some sources say he first spent several years in Roxbury. Roxbury was the early home of the Pynchons, before William and some other colonists went to the area that would soon become Springfield in 1635. If Robert was still underage in 1635, it's possible that his name would not have been noted until after he was 18, so it is possible that he was in Springfield at its founding.
We know that he was there in 1639,when he agreed to help pay for the minister's maintenance and either helped physically, or contributed monetarily, to build a home for the minister. He must have worked hard and been a financial success, for in 1641 he won the hand of Mary Eddy, who was the wealthy widow of Thomas Horton. She had a three year old child and an infant when they married. It was not necessarily a marriage of equals, because Mary was an educated woman and Robert always signed with his mark, but that doesn't mean that Robert wasn't financially astute or a good businessman. Mary thought enough of him that she assigned her property that she had inherited from her first husband to Robert, for the use and behalf of her two children.
Mary was called to account by the town authorities in 1641 for having sold her husband's "piece" (gun) to an Indian and was told to recall it immediately. She pleaded innocence in that she didn't know it was against the law to do so. Robert must have either squirmed, being very embarrassed by the whole situation, or else he thought that she needed a man to take care of her. Regardless, the marriage took place as planned.
Robert soon was a respected member of the community because he was first a juryman in 1639 and 1640, and then was elected selectman of the town for most of the years between 1653 and 1666. From this, we can deduce that he was a freeman, and a property holder. We don't know for sure what his early occupation was, but his wife's first husband had operated an "ordinary" (tavern/inn) and in 1665 Robert and his wife, keepers of the ordinary, were ordered not to sell any "strong waters" or wine to the Indians. We don't know if he had been operating the ordinary since his marriage, or whether he acquired it later in life.
Robert and his wife raised her two children, plus five of their own. They were born between 1642 and 1652, so they may not have been part of the family home during the Indian troubles of 1675 and 1676. By the time of King Philip's War, Springfield may have had a population of about 500, and about four small settlements that made up Springfield itself. It's not clear which settlement held the home and ordinary of the Ashleys, and we also don't know for sure whether the Ashleys were still in Springfield or whether they had fled to other towns where they would be somewhat safer.
Most of the homes in the village, as well as barns and some of the garrisons, were burned by the Indians in that attack. The homes and barns were looted and ransacked, so that there were few supplies left to the people and they faced a very difficult time, along with numerous of their sister settlements, in keeping food on the table. Robert would have been 55 years old at the time of the attack, so he may or may not have been involved as a part of the militia. He may have been excused from training by this time due to his age, but he may also have been considered a "reserve", to be called on when needed.
Robert died on November 29, 1682 and his wife Mary died less than a year later on September 19,1683. I've not yet located a will for him, but since he died of disease it is likely he had time to write one. I'll keep looking for it.
I'd love to know more about Robert's story, especially surrounding the harrowing years of King Philip's War. What an amazing life he led!
The line of descent is:
Robert Ashley-Mary Eddy
Mary Ashley-John Root
Samuel Root-Marry Gunne
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root, Jr-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendents
Fun fact: Robert Ashley and Mary Eddy were the ancestors of Rutherford B Hayes and Franklin D Roosevelt. We are becoming quite the presidential family!
There isn't a lot of information about Robert's early life. He was born in 1620 apparently in Lowesby, Leicestershire, England, although I have seen another birth location listed. His father is believed to have been William Ashley and Elizabeth or Mary, possibly widow Schuyler. Almost nothing is known of his life in England. There are dates postulated as immigration dates ranging from 1626 to 1638. If he came at the age of 6, it would likely have been with a family member who is as yet unidentified. If he came later, he may have come about the same time that William Pynchon came, or he may have joined the Pynchon group after he got to Roxbury.
Although the first notice I've found of Robert in America is in 1639, where he is in Springfield, Massachusetts, some sources say he first spent several years in Roxbury. Roxbury was the early home of the Pynchons, before William and some other colonists went to the area that would soon become Springfield in 1635. If Robert was still underage in 1635, it's possible that his name would not have been noted until after he was 18, so it is possible that he was in Springfield at its founding.
We know that he was there in 1639,when he agreed to help pay for the minister's maintenance and either helped physically, or contributed monetarily, to build a home for the minister. He must have worked hard and been a financial success, for in 1641 he won the hand of Mary Eddy, who was the wealthy widow of Thomas Horton. She had a three year old child and an infant when they married. It was not necessarily a marriage of equals, because Mary was an educated woman and Robert always signed with his mark, but that doesn't mean that Robert wasn't financially astute or a good businessman. Mary thought enough of him that she assigned her property that she had inherited from her first husband to Robert, for the use and behalf of her two children.
Mary was called to account by the town authorities in 1641 for having sold her husband's "piece" (gun) to an Indian and was told to recall it immediately. She pleaded innocence in that she didn't know it was against the law to do so. Robert must have either squirmed, being very embarrassed by the whole situation, or else he thought that she needed a man to take care of her. Regardless, the marriage took place as planned.
Robert soon was a respected member of the community because he was first a juryman in 1639 and 1640, and then was elected selectman of the town for most of the years between 1653 and 1666. From this, we can deduce that he was a freeman, and a property holder. We don't know for sure what his early occupation was, but his wife's first husband had operated an "ordinary" (tavern/inn) and in 1665 Robert and his wife, keepers of the ordinary, were ordered not to sell any "strong waters" or wine to the Indians. We don't know if he had been operating the ordinary since his marriage, or whether he acquired it later in life.
Robert and his wife raised her two children, plus five of their own. They were born between 1642 and 1652, so they may not have been part of the family home during the Indian troubles of 1675 and 1676. By the time of King Philip's War, Springfield may have had a population of about 500, and about four small settlements that made up Springfield itself. It's not clear which settlement held the home and ordinary of the Ashleys, and we also don't know for sure whether the Ashleys were still in Springfield or whether they had fled to other towns where they would be somewhat safer.
Most of the homes in the village, as well as barns and some of the garrisons, were burned by the Indians in that attack. The homes and barns were looted and ransacked, so that there were few supplies left to the people and they faced a very difficult time, along with numerous of their sister settlements, in keeping food on the table. Robert would have been 55 years old at the time of the attack, so he may or may not have been involved as a part of the militia. He may have been excused from training by this time due to his age, but he may also have been considered a "reserve", to be called on when needed.
Robert died on November 29, 1682 and his wife Mary died less than a year later on September 19,1683. I've not yet located a will for him, but since he died of disease it is likely he had time to write one. I'll keep looking for it.
I'd love to know more about Robert's story, especially surrounding the harrowing years of King Philip's War. What an amazing life he led!
The line of descent is:
Robert Ashley-Mary Eddy
Mary Ashley-John Root
Samuel Root-Marry Gunne
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root, Jr-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendents
Fun fact: Robert Ashley and Mary Eddy were the ancestors of Rutherford B Hayes and Franklin D Roosevelt. We are becoming quite the presidential family!
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