As I first researched this ancestor of ours, I could find only enough information to perhaps fill out three sentences. I knew his parents, his birth and death dates (incorrect death date, as it turns out), his siblings and his wife and children. I knew the town where he lived and died. I knew that his father was a deacon and a jailer, and I thought maybe our John had gone undercover, so to speak, to escape his father's reputation.
But as I did a little more research, I found a few more facts, ones that show John standing on his own two feet and becoming his own man. It's not much, yet, but still, it's more than I knew at the beginning.
John's parents were Richard and Alice Blower Brackett. His father had come to Massachusetts in 1632, returned to England to marry in 1633 and then returned to New England in 1634 with his bride. John had one older sister, Hannah. He and his brother were baptized the same day, May 7, 1637 in Boston. It's not clear whether the two were twins, but if not, they were certainly close all their days. Five more siblings were born after John. Remarkably, all of the children of Richard and Alice lived to adulthood.
It's not clear how much John would have remembered of his earliest childhood days in Boston, because his parents moved to Braintree about 1641. John would have been only about 4 years old at the time of the move, and Braintree was probably the equivalent of the old home place, although of course both Richard and Alice could have talked about their own childhoods, in England.
John, however, looked to the future. He married Hannah French, daughter of William and Elizabeth French, on September 6, 1661 in Braintree. Sometime during the next few years, he moved his family 45 miles north, to Billerica. Billerica had been founded in 1655 on the side of a former native village, and although John didn't get in on the ground floor, he must have had good reason for going there. Four of his brothers and sisters moved to Billerica, and Hannah's father may have already been there. These moves took place for the most part in the early 1660's, although exact dates are hard to pin down.
We do know that John was "rated" in 1669 for 15 shillings to go to the maintenance of Mr. Whiting, the church pastor. This was a fairly low amount based on the list I found in an 1883 History of Billerica, but at the time John had been married for only about 8 years so is not likely to have had a large estate. I also found that he was a soldier, at least in the militia, during King Philip's War. His family, along with those of Daniel Shed Jr, Samuel Trull, and James Kidder Jr. were assigned to Sergeant Kidder's home when the town felt threatened. Two soldiers were also assigned there, for a total of 7 soldiers, so the implication is that each of the men mentioned were also soldiers. I also found note that Billerica had been abandoned after an attack, but I am not sure of the chronology of this, whether it was before or after the assignment of the various families to the garrison and strong houses. John was rated at three shillings in 1679, but again, this is soon after the war ended so it is hard to draw conclusions from this list.
Hannah died on May 9, 1674, the same day that her last daughter was born. Her father named the last daughter "Marah", which meant "bitter" in the Old Testament. However, with seven children to raise he needed a new wife, and he married Ruth Morse Ellis, widow, on March 31, 1674. She had three children of her own and then she and John had four children, three of whom survived. That was one large family. And Ruth would have been the one to take her four children, John's seven, and possibly the first of their children together, into Sergeant Kidder's house for what may have been a lengthy period of time during King Philip's War!
John died March 18, 1686 in Billerica, still less than 50 years old. He apparently didn't leave a will, and his inventory is confusing. It looks like it says that the first accounting was not complete and the marshal seized some of Ruth's holdings until it was completed to the court's satisfaction, but the final total was a little over 118 pounds. Ruth would have received 1/3 of that, and the rest divided up among John's children as they reached the age of majority. So there wasn't much to go around, but something is better than nothing.
I found nothing about John's religious beliefs but as this was still early in colonial history, and as his father had been a deacon, it's probably safe to say he was a Puritan and raised his children in the same beliefs. His inventory appears to show the tools, animals, and equipment of a farmer, although he may also have had a trade. I'd like to know more about him, of course. He was another of the salt of the earth type people who built New England and influenced America down to this day.
The line of descent is
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stanard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Brackett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brackett. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Holbrook line: William French about 1605-1681, Immigrant
William French is another confusing ancestor. I'm quite sure he knew who he was, where and when he was born, and pretty much his entire life story, but he hasn't chosen to share this information with us. Neither has anyone else, to date. Plenty of people seem to think they know his parents, but there was an article published 100 or years ago proving that the William French born or christened March 15, 1603 in Halstead, Essex, England died in 1621, the son of Thomas French and Agnes Olmstead. So that is not our ancestor. There is another William French who was born in 1606 in Halstead, Essex, England but so far I haven't been able to trace that William down. Perhaps he is ours and perhaps he is not.
We also don't know who his wife was, beyond the name of Elizabeth. She may have been Elizabeth Symmes or Elizabeth Godfrey, but I've seen no evidence for either theory. The family came from somewhere in England and arrived on the ship "Defence" in the summer of 1635. William was admitted as freeman in Cambridge soon after his arrival. There were at least four children born in England and six in Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay Colony, although Robert Charles Anderson lists nine and is doubtful about one of those. Elizabeth died and William married Mary Lothrop on May 6, 1669, and four children were born to this couple, all in Billerica, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
There are some fascinating questions about William beyond the usual who were his parents. For instance, he is listed as being a tailor by occupation. So, did he become a tailor here, or did he learn the trade in England for preparation here, or had he practiced the trade in England for several years? The reason this is interesting is because he seems to have been quite an educated man. He wrote to a friend in England about the religious professions of an Indian and that material was eventually included in a pamphlet published in England called "Strength out of Weakness; or a Glorious Manifestation of the Further Progress of the Gospel among the Indians of New England. Held Forth in Sundry Letters from divers Ministers and Others."
William was admitted to the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1638, and was elected sergeant in 1642, and October in 1647. He still owned an old musket and gun barrel at his death. The French family moved from Cambridge to Billerica in 1652, and there William served as a deputy to the General Court at least three separate times. He was empowered to marry others, which I believe was a civil rather than a religious duty at this time. He acquired, bought, and sold land several times during his lifetime, but still had land valued at about 104 pounds when he died, which was included in his estate's value of roughly 207 pounds, after debts were paid. This was a fair amount for a tailor to leave, especially since his will showed that he had provided for his first family at an earlier time. He did leave twenty shillings to each of his grandchildren.
The line of descent is:
William French-Elizabeth
Hannah French-John Brackett
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stnnard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We also don't know who his wife was, beyond the name of Elizabeth. She may have been Elizabeth Symmes or Elizabeth Godfrey, but I've seen no evidence for either theory. The family came from somewhere in England and arrived on the ship "Defence" in the summer of 1635. William was admitted as freeman in Cambridge soon after his arrival. There were at least four children born in England and six in Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay Colony, although Robert Charles Anderson lists nine and is doubtful about one of those. Elizabeth died and William married Mary Lothrop on May 6, 1669, and four children were born to this couple, all in Billerica, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
There are some fascinating questions about William beyond the usual who were his parents. For instance, he is listed as being a tailor by occupation. So, did he become a tailor here, or did he learn the trade in England for preparation here, or had he practiced the trade in England for several years? The reason this is interesting is because he seems to have been quite an educated man. He wrote to a friend in England about the religious professions of an Indian and that material was eventually included in a pamphlet published in England called "Strength out of Weakness; or a Glorious Manifestation of the Further Progress of the Gospel among the Indians of New England. Held Forth in Sundry Letters from divers Ministers and Others."
William was admitted to the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1638, and was elected sergeant in 1642, and October in 1647. He still owned an old musket and gun barrel at his death. The French family moved from Cambridge to Billerica in 1652, and there William served as a deputy to the General Court at least three separate times. He was empowered to marry others, which I believe was a civil rather than a religious duty at this time. He acquired, bought, and sold land several times during his lifetime, but still had land valued at about 104 pounds when he died, which was included in his estate's value of roughly 207 pounds, after debts were paid. This was a fair amount for a tailor to leave, especially since his will showed that he had provided for his first family at an earlier time. He did leave twenty shillings to each of his grandchildren.
The line of descent is:
William French-Elizabeth
Hannah French-John Brackett
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stnnard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
John Stannard, Immigrant
John Stannard is not an easy man to research, partly because his name is spelled in so many different ways (Stonard is the most common, especially in England). But we are fortunate enough to think we know about when he was born, who his parents were, who his wife was and when they married, and the names of his children. We also see a few faint traces of his life in America.
John was born probably by 1610 in Harlow, Essex, England. His wife, Margaret Miller, was born October 2, 1603 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. It sounds like they were from different worlds but actually the two towns were about 10 miles apart, and depending on where they actually lived, they may have been almost neighbors. The families likely knew each other through business, church, or mutual friends, because parents generally were still guiding, if not arranging, marriages at this time. So that's easy enough to explain, or to think we understand. What is a little more difficult is to explain why John and Margaret (daughter of Thomas and Ann or Agnes Berry or Lambe) were married in St Dunstan's, London, England on May 12, 1631. Did they have more family there? If their first son's birth year of 1631 is correct, then perhaps this was an elopement of sorts. The 1631 marriage date is probably the reason that John's birth date is given as "by about 1610"; he would have been 21 then. He was probably born several years earlier, in my opinion, but records have not yet been found.
John and Margaret quickly settled down and had a family. There were four children, with the last being born about 1637. John brought his young family to American by 1639, because he is noted as having 7 acres of land in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in a list made between 1638 and 1640. He would have needed to have worked hard to provide a home, establish a business or farm, and later build a home for the family. We know he mortgaged his house and lands in 1645 and discharged the debt in 1646, but whether that was to build a better home, or to help a business, or what the motive was, we do not know. It is said that he joined the church, and he owned property, but apparently he never became a freeman, which means he didn't vote and therefore didn't hold public office. I'd like to know the reason for this!
John died June 13, 1649 in Roxbury. In the town records, he is described as being middle aged, which could well mean he was born around 1600. We have record of his inventory, valued at 137 pounds and taken by Isaac Heath (our uncle), John Johnson (our ancestor) and William Parke. The inventory is available through American Ancestors, in their Suffolk Co, Ma: Probate File Papers, pages 83:1 and following. I can tell you where the record can an be found, and I've printed it off, but it is faint and fuzzy and I can't read it. I'd sure like to read it, for it probably would give us clues as to his occupation and his education.
There should also be guardian records for some of the children, but I've not found them. Margaret remarried, at least once, and died in 1682 in Dedham, Massachusetts. So, there is more research to do on John and his family, but this is a start. In my mind, he was an amazing man simply because he came to America, and provided for his family while building our country.
The line of descent is:
John Stannard-Margaret Miller
Joseph Stannard-Elizabeth Spencer
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard -Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John was born probably by 1610 in Harlow, Essex, England. His wife, Margaret Miller, was born October 2, 1603 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. It sounds like they were from different worlds but actually the two towns were about 10 miles apart, and depending on where they actually lived, they may have been almost neighbors. The families likely knew each other through business, church, or mutual friends, because parents generally were still guiding, if not arranging, marriages at this time. So that's easy enough to explain, or to think we understand. What is a little more difficult is to explain why John and Margaret (daughter of Thomas and Ann or Agnes Berry or Lambe) were married in St Dunstan's, London, England on May 12, 1631. Did they have more family there? If their first son's birth year of 1631 is correct, then perhaps this was an elopement of sorts. The 1631 marriage date is probably the reason that John's birth date is given as "by about 1610"; he would have been 21 then. He was probably born several years earlier, in my opinion, but records have not yet been found.
John and Margaret quickly settled down and had a family. There were four children, with the last being born about 1637. John brought his young family to American by 1639, because he is noted as having 7 acres of land in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in a list made between 1638 and 1640. He would have needed to have worked hard to provide a home, establish a business or farm, and later build a home for the family. We know he mortgaged his house and lands in 1645 and discharged the debt in 1646, but whether that was to build a better home, or to help a business, or what the motive was, we do not know. It is said that he joined the church, and he owned property, but apparently he never became a freeman, which means he didn't vote and therefore didn't hold public office. I'd like to know the reason for this!
John died June 13, 1649 in Roxbury. In the town records, he is described as being middle aged, which could well mean he was born around 1600. We have record of his inventory, valued at 137 pounds and taken by Isaac Heath (our uncle), John Johnson (our ancestor) and William Parke. The inventory is available through American Ancestors, in their Suffolk Co, Ma: Probate File Papers, pages 83:1 and following. I can tell you where the record can an be found, and I've printed it off, but it is faint and fuzzy and I can't read it. I'd sure like to read it, for it probably would give us clues as to his occupation and his education.
There should also be guardian records for some of the children, but I've not found them. Margaret remarried, at least once, and died in 1682 in Dedham, Massachusetts. So, there is more research to do on John and his family, but this is a start. In my mind, he was an amazing man simply because he came to America, and provided for his family while building our country.
The line of descent is:
John Stannard-Margaret Miller
Joseph Stannard-Elizabeth Spencer
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard -Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Holbook line: Gerard Spencer 1614-1689 Immigrant
Gerard Spencer is a well-documented ancestor If I wrote a post that told of everything that is known about him, it would be too much information for most of my readers. . So I will summarize, with the warning that although I have checked some of the sources used, my information comes primarily from the Rootsweb's WorldConnect Project, Armstrong Tipping Ukrainec Kristalovich Research owned by Keith Armstrong, information found on the WikiTree page for him, and Find A Grave. These sites use references I frequently use, and as mentioned, I've checked some of them myself. Robert Charles Anderson has written several pages about him in "The Great Migration". This is a condensed version of what the above mentioned researchers have found.
Gerard (also Jared and various other spellings) was born April 25, 1614 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England. This was a small town, perhaps a village then, that had existed since at least Saxon times, because at least one Saxon burial was found when the church,St Mary the Virgin which was built about 1150, was remodeled. The baptismal font dates from about 1450, so our ancestor would likely have been baptized there. There are pictures on the Wikipedia site, if you care to look at them
Gerard's parents were Gerard Spencer and Alice Whitbread (also Whitebread and other spellings), who were also from the same area. Gerard had at least three brothers, and one sister. They must have been close because they all immigrated to New England. Gerard was here by 1634, when he was granted land at Cambridge. He may have come in the Winthrop Fleet but if so, there seems to be no record of that, nor of any events touching him during the years from 1630-1634. He was in Lynn by 1636, where he is said to have married Hannah Hills (controversial because whatever documentation there may have been at one time seems to have been destroyed). He would have been 22 at this time. We're not sure what he did to earn a living during those early years, but in March 1638/39 he was "granted the ferry at Linn for 2 years", and apparently kept that position for several years. He was made a freeman on March 9,1636/37 which implies that he was a member of the church. Gerard was settling down. He was a member of the training band and was chosen Ensign at Lynn in 1656.
We don't know whether it was for religious, economic, or family reasons (or maybe just an itch to move on) but in 1660 he was in Hartford, Connecticut where he was given permission to stay until he could settle at the new town of Haddam, which took a couple of years. He helped found Haddam and lived there the rest of his days. He was made a freeman of Connecticut in 1672, and was chosen Ensign of his training band there in 1675. Starting in 1674, he served what may well be consecutive terms as Deputy to the Connecticut General Court, until October of 1683, so he was well respected. He accumulated several tracts of land in Haddam (the portion that became East Haddam) so likely was a farmer with perhaps more land than some of his neighbors. His first wife died and he remarried to Rebecca Porter Clark, but had no known children by his second wife.
Gerard died in June of 1685 and his inventory was taken June 29. Besides the sums and land he had granted his children, there was another 124 pounds and 12 shillings, of which 100 pounds was real estate.
Now, here's the question: Was this man really our ancestor? Most of these sources I've looked at don't include Elizabeth as being his daughter, but there are also sources that do report daughter Elizabeth. She is not mentioned in his will, but there is another daughter also not mentioned who has since been proven to be a daughter. If her birth date of 1646 is correct, then she could easily fit within this family. There are any number of reasons she may have been omitted from her father's will, and there are some reasons she may not show up in town birth records. We do know that Elizabeth Spencer married Joseph Stannard, who was also a founder of Haddam, so the opportunity was there. I'm leaving it up to you do decide.
The line of descent is:
Gerard Spencer-possibly Hannah Hills
Elizabeth Spencer-Joseph Stannard
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Gerard (also Jared and various other spellings) was born April 25, 1614 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England. This was a small town, perhaps a village then, that had existed since at least Saxon times, because at least one Saxon burial was found when the church,St Mary the Virgin which was built about 1150, was remodeled. The baptismal font dates from about 1450, so our ancestor would likely have been baptized there. There are pictures on the Wikipedia site, if you care to look at them
Gerard's parents were Gerard Spencer and Alice Whitbread (also Whitebread and other spellings), who were also from the same area. Gerard had at least three brothers, and one sister. They must have been close because they all immigrated to New England. Gerard was here by 1634, when he was granted land at Cambridge. He may have come in the Winthrop Fleet but if so, there seems to be no record of that, nor of any events touching him during the years from 1630-1634. He was in Lynn by 1636, where he is said to have married Hannah Hills (controversial because whatever documentation there may have been at one time seems to have been destroyed). He would have been 22 at this time. We're not sure what he did to earn a living during those early years, but in March 1638/39 he was "granted the ferry at Linn for 2 years", and apparently kept that position for several years. He was made a freeman on March 9,1636/37 which implies that he was a member of the church. Gerard was settling down. He was a member of the training band and was chosen Ensign at Lynn in 1656.
We don't know whether it was for religious, economic, or family reasons (or maybe just an itch to move on) but in 1660 he was in Hartford, Connecticut where he was given permission to stay until he could settle at the new town of Haddam, which took a couple of years. He helped found Haddam and lived there the rest of his days. He was made a freeman of Connecticut in 1672, and was chosen Ensign of his training band there in 1675. Starting in 1674, he served what may well be consecutive terms as Deputy to the Connecticut General Court, until October of 1683, so he was well respected. He accumulated several tracts of land in Haddam (the portion that became East Haddam) so likely was a farmer with perhaps more land than some of his neighbors. His first wife died and he remarried to Rebecca Porter Clark, but had no known children by his second wife.
Gerard died in June of 1685 and his inventory was taken June 29. Besides the sums and land he had granted his children, there was another 124 pounds and 12 shillings, of which 100 pounds was real estate.
Now, here's the question: Was this man really our ancestor? Most of these sources I've looked at don't include Elizabeth as being his daughter, but there are also sources that do report daughter Elizabeth. She is not mentioned in his will, but there is another daughter also not mentioned who has since been proven to be a daughter. If her birth date of 1646 is correct, then she could easily fit within this family. There are any number of reasons she may have been omitted from her father's will, and there are some reasons she may not show up in town birth records. We do know that Elizabeth Spencer married Joseph Stannard, who was also a founder of Haddam, so the opportunity was there. I'm leaving it up to you do decide.
The line of descent is:
Gerard Spencer-possibly Hannah Hills
Elizabeth Spencer-Joseph Stannard
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, September 9, 2016
Holbrook line: Alice Frost Blower Tilley 1594-Immigrant and a bit of a rebel
In my last Holbrook post, I noted that there was a story about the daughter of Edward and Thomasine Belgrave Frost, and that I would follow up with that information in a later post. It's not often that we find records of the woman in the marriage. Usually they have to have been very good, controversial, or outright law breakers in order to draw the attention of anyone studying the early immigrants to New England. Alice may have been all three of the above-a good woman, controversial, and possibly a law breaker. What fun to find her!
Alice was baptized at Stanstead, Suffolk, England on December 1, 1594. She was one of 10 children, but six of her siblings died as infants or children. We wonder what impact that had on the family, and whether it influenced Alice's decision to become a midwife later in her life. She married Thomas Blower at Stanstead, Suffolk, England on November 19, 1612, and they in turn had seven children.
Alice was apparently a free-spirited woman, and drew the attention of the authorities on February 18,1633/34. She was fined the huge sum of 100 pounds for "her notorious contempt of ecclesiastical laws and jurisdiction" in her (word or words illegible). Apparently the case had been postponed in case someone wanted to appeal it, but "This day inasmuch as neither the said Alice Blower nor anybody else for her gave in any petition to desire any mitigation of her fine imposed upon her, the said fine to an hundred pounds was to be certified into his highness exchequer and estreated to his highness use."
We aren't told any more than this about the fine, but this was the time period when Archbishop Laud was becoming more and more powerful, insisting upon "High Church" worship, when many held dissident views and wished to practice their own religion. We can't tell from this limited information whether Alice and possibly refused to attend the required state church services, or whether she had been more active in her defiance. At any rate, 100 pounds was a huge fine and a year later, the commissioners reconsidered. She was no longer at Sudbury, the location of the alleged offense, and "thereby the scandal grown by her (was) taken away, and for that she had in all obedience submitted herself & would continue herself conformable to the order's doctrine, and discipline of the Church of England", basically the case was dismissed.
Thomas went to New England in or before 1635. It is possible that Alice had already gone to Boston with him, since there was a reference in the court record to her being "long removed from Sudbury". There is no record of her immigration, which is not all that unusual. Women and children were not always noted on the ship manifests. Thomas died in 1639 and soon after, she married William Tilley, probably in Barnstable, Massachusetts, and soon after July 6, 1640.
We don't know when she began practicing as a midwife, but by 1648 she was in trouble again and was actually jailed. Dozens of women in Boston and Dorchester signed petitions on her behalf, and she was eventually released. William Tilley came to his wife's defense and made Hugh Gullison of Boston his attorney, and gave him authority "in my name to implead & arrest & prosecute & recover of Wm Phillips of Boston & his wife or either or both of them"... So we have a good clue here as to whom the Tilley family blamed for Alice's imprisonment.
William Tilley was in court in 1649, being fined four pounds for an infraction, and Alice petitioned them to reduce the fine, which eventually resulted in a reduction to 40 shillings. Despite William's actions to support his wife and despite Alice's action in attempting to get his fine reduced, apparently all was not bliss in the Tilley household.
Some sort of petition was made by Mr. Tilley to the court and the response on October 11, 1665, was that "the court, having heard what he & his wife could say for themselves, judge meet to order & enjoin Mr. Tilley & his wife forthwith to live together as man & wife, that Mr. Tilly provide for her as his wife, & that she submit herself to him as she ought, on the penalty of forty pounds on his part, & imprisonment on hers. So a separation, or a divorce, or whatever the petition requested, was apparently not granted.
We know that both William and Alice were still alive in 1668, when she made a deposition involving her maidservant. This one word, plus the size of the fines that were previously mentioned, makes us think that this family was not poverty stricken. I haven't located a will or inventory, which would perhaps help clarifIy their financial stataus.
I like Alice. She was a feisty woman, who may or may not have broken laws, but who certainly pushed them to their limit. It must have been hard for her to live in Puritan Boston. I'd love to know more about her!
The line of descent is:
Alice Frost-Thomas Blower
Alice Blower-Richard Brackett
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hatchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
I suspect that most of this information originally came from Robert Charles Anderson's "Great Migration" series, or the "Great Migration" newsletters. It was available, unidentified, on Find A Grave and on Geni. My access to AmericanAncestors.ogr, where I normally would look, is temporaraily unavailable, since I waited till the very last day to renew my membership!
Alice was baptized at Stanstead, Suffolk, England on December 1, 1594. She was one of 10 children, but six of her siblings died as infants or children. We wonder what impact that had on the family, and whether it influenced Alice's decision to become a midwife later in her life. She married Thomas Blower at Stanstead, Suffolk, England on November 19, 1612, and they in turn had seven children.
Alice was apparently a free-spirited woman, and drew the attention of the authorities on February 18,1633/34. She was fined the huge sum of 100 pounds for "her notorious contempt of ecclesiastical laws and jurisdiction" in her (word or words illegible). Apparently the case had been postponed in case someone wanted to appeal it, but "This day inasmuch as neither the said Alice Blower nor anybody else for her gave in any petition to desire any mitigation of her fine imposed upon her, the said fine to an hundred pounds was to be certified into his highness exchequer and estreated to his highness use."
We aren't told any more than this about the fine, but this was the time period when Archbishop Laud was becoming more and more powerful, insisting upon "High Church" worship, when many held dissident views and wished to practice their own religion. We can't tell from this limited information whether Alice and possibly refused to attend the required state church services, or whether she had been more active in her defiance. At any rate, 100 pounds was a huge fine and a year later, the commissioners reconsidered. She was no longer at Sudbury, the location of the alleged offense, and "thereby the scandal grown by her (was) taken away, and for that she had in all obedience submitted herself & would continue herself conformable to the order's doctrine, and discipline of the Church of England", basically the case was dismissed.
Thomas went to New England in or before 1635. It is possible that Alice had already gone to Boston with him, since there was a reference in the court record to her being "long removed from Sudbury". There is no record of her immigration, which is not all that unusual. Women and children were not always noted on the ship manifests. Thomas died in 1639 and soon after, she married William Tilley, probably in Barnstable, Massachusetts, and soon after July 6, 1640.
We don't know when she began practicing as a midwife, but by 1648 she was in trouble again and was actually jailed. Dozens of women in Boston and Dorchester signed petitions on her behalf, and she was eventually released. William Tilley came to his wife's defense and made Hugh Gullison of Boston his attorney, and gave him authority "in my name to implead & arrest & prosecute & recover of Wm Phillips of Boston & his wife or either or both of them"... So we have a good clue here as to whom the Tilley family blamed for Alice's imprisonment.
William Tilley was in court in 1649, being fined four pounds for an infraction, and Alice petitioned them to reduce the fine, which eventually resulted in a reduction to 40 shillings. Despite William's actions to support his wife and despite Alice's action in attempting to get his fine reduced, apparently all was not bliss in the Tilley household.
Some sort of petition was made by Mr. Tilley to the court and the response on October 11, 1665, was that "the court, having heard what he & his wife could say for themselves, judge meet to order & enjoin Mr. Tilley & his wife forthwith to live together as man & wife, that Mr. Tilly provide for her as his wife, & that she submit herself to him as she ought, on the penalty of forty pounds on his part, & imprisonment on hers. So a separation, or a divorce, or whatever the petition requested, was apparently not granted.
We know that both William and Alice were still alive in 1668, when she made a deposition involving her maidservant. This one word, plus the size of the fines that were previously mentioned, makes us think that this family was not poverty stricken. I haven't located a will or inventory, which would perhaps help clarifIy their financial stataus.
I like Alice. She was a feisty woman, who may or may not have broken laws, but who certainly pushed them to their limit. It must have been hard for her to live in Puritan Boston. I'd love to know more about her!
The line of descent is:
Alice Frost-Thomas Blower
Alice Blower-Richard Brackett
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hatchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
I suspect that most of this information originally came from Robert Charles Anderson's "Great Migration" series, or the "Great Migration" newsletters. It was available, unidentified, on Find A Grave and on Geni. My access to AmericanAncestors.ogr, where I normally would look, is temporaraily unavailable, since I waited till the very last day to renew my membership!
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Holbrook line: Thomasine Belgrave 1562-1653 or sooner; Immigrant or not?
I mostly have been writing posts about immigrant or colonial ancestors, and I'm not sure whether my subject today qualifies. I have seen her death given as "undoubtedly about 1620 in England: and as 1653 in Sudbury, Middelsex, Massachusetts. As I write this, I have been unable to confirm either date. If she truly lived until 1653 then she was over 90 years old at the time of her death. In the process of researching this article, I found that she had a most remarkable daughter, who is also our ancestor. What fun it is to do this research, even when finding facts seems to be an elusive goal!
Thomasine Belgrave's origins are fairly well documented. She was baptized February 1, 1561/62 to John Belgrave and Joanna Strutt in Leverington, Cambridgeshire, England. and was one of at least 6 children. She married Edmund Frost, son of John and Ann Scott Frost, on September 26, 1585 in Chelmsford, Suffolk, England, where the Belgrave family was apparently living. She and Edmund had at least 11 children before Edmund died in August of 1616.
Here's the question: Did Thomasine die about 1620, or did she survive to travel to New England with one or more of her children? Elizabeth, Alice, and Thomasine all came to America with their husbands and settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts so it seems possible that she came with one of them. The Sudbury town records, or at least the deaths, appear to be missing from 1650 until August of 1653, so they are of little help in resolving the situation.
I'm hoping that by posting this, maybe someone has come up with additional information to give a definite place and date of death for our ancestor. Does her story end in England, with her surviving children still there, or does it extend across the Atlantic Ocean to a land her husband would have only heard rumors about?
I promise that I will do a follow up post about her daughter Alice. She was remarkable.
Our line of descent is:
Thomasine Belgrave-Edmund Frost
Alice Frost-Thomas Blower
Alice Blower-Richard Brackett
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Bracket-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hatchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard Jr-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
I've used mostly articles from "The American Genealogist" for this post. I'm so grateful for all the genealogists and family historians who have gone before. If everyone had to start from scratch with all their ancestors and do all the research themselves, we'd not know much.
Thomasine Belgrave's origins are fairly well documented. She was baptized February 1, 1561/62 to John Belgrave and Joanna Strutt in Leverington, Cambridgeshire, England. and was one of at least 6 children. She married Edmund Frost, son of John and Ann Scott Frost, on September 26, 1585 in Chelmsford, Suffolk, England, where the Belgrave family was apparently living. She and Edmund had at least 11 children before Edmund died in August of 1616.
Here's the question: Did Thomasine die about 1620, or did she survive to travel to New England with one or more of her children? Elizabeth, Alice, and Thomasine all came to America with their husbands and settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts so it seems possible that she came with one of them. The Sudbury town records, or at least the deaths, appear to be missing from 1650 until August of 1653, so they are of little help in resolving the situation.
I'm hoping that by posting this, maybe someone has come up with additional information to give a definite place and date of death for our ancestor. Does her story end in England, with her surviving children still there, or does it extend across the Atlantic Ocean to a land her husband would have only heard rumors about?
I promise that I will do a follow up post about her daughter Alice. She was remarkable.
Our line of descent is:
Thomasine Belgrave-Edmund Frost
Alice Frost-Thomas Blower
Alice Blower-Richard Brackett
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Bracket-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hatchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard Jr-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
I've used mostly articles from "The American Genealogist" for this post. I'm so grateful for all the genealogists and family historians who have gone before. If everyone had to start from scratch with all their ancestors and do all the research themselves, we'd not know much.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Holbrook line: Thomas Blower 1587-1639 Immigrant
Can we call a man an immigrant if his daughter had come to Massachusetts a couple of years earlier? I'm not sure how accurate the label is, but since he was the oldest ancestor of this family to arrive here, I'm calling him the immigrant.
I don't have a lot to write about Thomas and most of what I've found was in The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England Volume I. Thomas was baptized at Stanstead, Suffolk, England on April 23, 1587, the son of Thomas and Susan Vincent Blower. He probably had brothers and sisters since his parents lived until at least 1597,but we don't have their names, and we don't know what the elder Thomas did for a living.
Thomas married Alice Frost, daughter of Edward and Thomasine Belgrave Frost on November 19, 1613 in Stanstead. She was about seven years younger than he, having been baptized December 1, 1594. Seven of the children were born in England, and the eighth, Pyam, was born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. (Note: Pyam is not a certainty but Anderson says there is no other logical parent for the child, except this couple. It's also possible that he may have been adopted by this couple, formally or informally.) The other children were Hannah, Alice, Joshua, Thomas, Mary, John, and a second Thomas. Hannah, Joshua, and the first Thomas all died young, in England.
Thomas and possibly his wife and children on the Truelove, in 1635. Alice had come over earlier, Their first residence was Boston and they may have stayed there. There is no mention of Thomas becoming a freeman; in fact, it appears that he had financial difficulties and his wife may have had legal difficulties (she was a midwife). In 1640, a resident of Hitcham, Suffolk wrote to John Winthrop regarding. 24 pounds that he claimed Thomas Blower owed him. Unfortunately, by this time Thomas was deceased, so we don't know if the gentleman ever collected his debt. Thomas is believed to have died by September 9, 1639.
Reading between the lines, one wonders why Thomas came to Massachusetts. Was it to be with his daughter, to escape economic pressures, or to help his wife evade legal problems? Perhaps it was some combination of the the above, and perhaps Thomas hoped to make a fresh start in the New World. We don't know how he supported himself or the family, but we do know that his wife remarried in 1640, to William Tilly. With small children to support, she needed to find security quickly, and remarried quickly, as many widows did.
Now that I know Alice Frost Blower became Alice Frost Blower Tilly, and that she was a midwife, I'm anxious to learn more about her. Midwifes sometimes left records, and it would be fascinating to find hers!
I'd like to find an occupation for Thomas. Perhaps he didn't work and that is why Alice was a midwife, but if that's the case, I'd like to know what his physical limitations were. I'd like to know whether he was a member of a church. I'd like to know what dreams he had when coming to the New World, and whether or not they were fulfilled. He's an interesting ancestor, since we know so little about him.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Blower-Alice Frost
Alice Blower-Richard Brackett
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Bracket-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hatchett
Libbeus Stnnard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
I don't have a lot to write about Thomas and most of what I've found was in The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England Volume I. Thomas was baptized at Stanstead, Suffolk, England on April 23, 1587, the son of Thomas and Susan Vincent Blower. He probably had brothers and sisters since his parents lived until at least 1597,but we don't have their names, and we don't know what the elder Thomas did for a living.
Thomas married Alice Frost, daughter of Edward and Thomasine Belgrave Frost on November 19, 1613 in Stanstead. She was about seven years younger than he, having been baptized December 1, 1594. Seven of the children were born in England, and the eighth, Pyam, was born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. (Note: Pyam is not a certainty but Anderson says there is no other logical parent for the child, except this couple. It's also possible that he may have been adopted by this couple, formally or informally.) The other children were Hannah, Alice, Joshua, Thomas, Mary, John, and a second Thomas. Hannah, Joshua, and the first Thomas all died young, in England.
Thomas and possibly his wife and children on the Truelove, in 1635. Alice had come over earlier, Their first residence was Boston and they may have stayed there. There is no mention of Thomas becoming a freeman; in fact, it appears that he had financial difficulties and his wife may have had legal difficulties (she was a midwife). In 1640, a resident of Hitcham, Suffolk wrote to John Winthrop regarding. 24 pounds that he claimed Thomas Blower owed him. Unfortunately, by this time Thomas was deceased, so we don't know if the gentleman ever collected his debt. Thomas is believed to have died by September 9, 1639.
Reading between the lines, one wonders why Thomas came to Massachusetts. Was it to be with his daughter, to escape economic pressures, or to help his wife evade legal problems? Perhaps it was some combination of the the above, and perhaps Thomas hoped to make a fresh start in the New World. We don't know how he supported himself or the family, but we do know that his wife remarried in 1640, to William Tilly. With small children to support, she needed to find security quickly, and remarried quickly, as many widows did.
Now that I know Alice Frost Blower became Alice Frost Blower Tilly, and that she was a midwife, I'm anxious to learn more about her. Midwifes sometimes left records, and it would be fascinating to find hers!
I'd like to find an occupation for Thomas. Perhaps he didn't work and that is why Alice was a midwife, but if that's the case, I'd like to know what his physical limitations were. I'd like to know whether he was a member of a church. I'd like to know what dreams he had when coming to the New World, and whether or not they were fulfilled. He's an interesting ancestor, since we know so little about him.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Blower-Alice Frost
Alice Blower-Richard Brackett
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Bracket-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hatchett
Libbeus Stnnard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, February 6, 2015
Holbrook line: Richard Brackett Immigrant 1610-1680
Richard Brackett is yet another of our immigrant ancestors. Fortunately, more is known about him than about many of our immigrants, and it is well documented. Still, motivations are missing and we will probably have to leave it at that.
Richard was born to Peter Brackett and Rachel Wheatley on or before September 16, 1610 in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. It appears that at the time, Sudbury was a small town-not a village but not a city, either, and the town's main industry was textiles. He was one of at least five children who were left fatherless in 1616. His mother soon remarried to Martin Saunders, so there was a father figure in the family.
Richard migrated to the New World in 1630, with the Winthrop Fleet and settled in Boston, where he was an early member of the church. He returned to England in 1633 and while there he married Alice Blower on January 6, 1634 in St Katherine by the Tower Church, London, England. The newly weds soon left to make their permanent home in the New World. Their first child, Hannah, was born in Boston and baptized January 4, 1635. Alice signed the covenant on November 8, 1635 and thus became a member of the Boston church, also.
In Boston, Richard became a freeman on May 25, 1636, meaning he had accumulated some property and was a member of the church, and he joined the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company" on November 23, 1639. This was a volunteer militia group with the stated goal of providing officers for the various enrolled militia companies.
He was given land on which to build on March 21, 1636, on Washington Street, but the family didn't stay there long. On November 20, 1637, he was appointed by the General Court to keep the prison, and was granted a salary of 13 pounds, 6s.8.d, which was later increased to 20 pounds. We don't know why he was given this task but it was the sort of job of which "someone has to do it"
In 1641, Richard and Alice "removed" to Braintree, and Richard became a Deacon of the church there. (Braintree is the home of the famous Adams family of later years.) He was noted as "Captain Richard Brackett" when we was a deputy to General court, many times over the years. He we town clerk for about 8 years, and was appointed to many town committees. He was a husbandman and a farmer, and a father to 8 children born between 1635 and 1652. It is also believed that he taught the school in Braintree. As a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, he was chief military officer during King Philip's War, although he did not have command of the garrison built between Braintree and Bridgewater.. In 1679, he was appointed to take oaths in civil cases and perform marriages.
On October 15, 1684, Richard was, at his persistent request, released from his military duties. He was 73 years old at the time, and had been connected with the company for 43 years and had been its captain for 30 of those years. Richard died March 3, 1690 at Braintree. He left a will but I did not find an actual inventory. However, there was a home, land in Braintree and in Billerica, and several bequests of 20 pounds apiece, so he was not a poor man by any means. Alice died 8 months after her husband, on November 3, 1690.
Richard and Alice donated a silver cup used at communion service to the church at Braintree, inscribed R&A. It may be owned by a Unitarian church now.
Oh, I love it when an ancestor line has been researched by New England Historical and Genealogical Society and published in either "The Great Migration Begins" or "The Great Migration". This blogpost is a summary of that information, with possibly another fact or two thrown in from the website www.deloriahurst.com, "The Genealogical Tree of Captain Richard Brackett." There is also a whole book online called "Brackett genealogy", which I have not consulted, but if you have interest in this man, as I do, go ahead and put it on your "to read" list, as I will.
The line of descent is:
Richard Brackett-Alice Blower
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Fun fact: Richard must have acted as an informal recruiter for the New World. "The Great Migration Begins" concludes that there were more than forty future immigrants to New England who were related to Richard Brackett by blood or marriage before their departure from England.
Richard was born to Peter Brackett and Rachel Wheatley on or before September 16, 1610 in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. It appears that at the time, Sudbury was a small town-not a village but not a city, either, and the town's main industry was textiles. He was one of at least five children who were left fatherless in 1616. His mother soon remarried to Martin Saunders, so there was a father figure in the family.
Richard migrated to the New World in 1630, with the Winthrop Fleet and settled in Boston, where he was an early member of the church. He returned to England in 1633 and while there he married Alice Blower on January 6, 1634 in St Katherine by the Tower Church, London, England. The newly weds soon left to make their permanent home in the New World. Their first child, Hannah, was born in Boston and baptized January 4, 1635. Alice signed the covenant on November 8, 1635 and thus became a member of the Boston church, also.
In Boston, Richard became a freeman on May 25, 1636, meaning he had accumulated some property and was a member of the church, and he joined the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company" on November 23, 1639. This was a volunteer militia group with the stated goal of providing officers for the various enrolled militia companies.
He was given land on which to build on March 21, 1636, on Washington Street, but the family didn't stay there long. On November 20, 1637, he was appointed by the General Court to keep the prison, and was granted a salary of 13 pounds, 6s.8.d, which was later increased to 20 pounds. We don't know why he was given this task but it was the sort of job of which "someone has to do it"
In 1641, Richard and Alice "removed" to Braintree, and Richard became a Deacon of the church there. (Braintree is the home of the famous Adams family of later years.) He was noted as "Captain Richard Brackett" when we was a deputy to General court, many times over the years. He we town clerk for about 8 years, and was appointed to many town committees. He was a husbandman and a farmer, and a father to 8 children born between 1635 and 1652. It is also believed that he taught the school in Braintree. As a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, he was chief military officer during King Philip's War, although he did not have command of the garrison built between Braintree and Bridgewater.. In 1679, he was appointed to take oaths in civil cases and perform marriages.
On October 15, 1684, Richard was, at his persistent request, released from his military duties. He was 73 years old at the time, and had been connected with the company for 43 years and had been its captain for 30 of those years. Richard died March 3, 1690 at Braintree. He left a will but I did not find an actual inventory. However, there was a home, land in Braintree and in Billerica, and several bequests of 20 pounds apiece, so he was not a poor man by any means. Alice died 8 months after her husband, on November 3, 1690.
Richard and Alice donated a silver cup used at communion service to the church at Braintree, inscribed R&A. It may be owned by a Unitarian church now.
Oh, I love it when an ancestor line has been researched by New England Historical and Genealogical Society and published in either "The Great Migration Begins" or "The Great Migration". This blogpost is a summary of that information, with possibly another fact or two thrown in from the website www.deloriahurst.com, "The Genealogical Tree of Captain Richard Brackett." There is also a whole book online called "Brackett genealogy", which I have not consulted, but if you have interest in this man, as I do, go ahead and put it on your "to read" list, as I will.
The line of descent is:
Richard Brackett-Alice Blower
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Fun fact: Richard must have acted as an informal recruiter for the New World. "The Great Migration Begins" concludes that there were more than forty future immigrants to New England who were related to Richard Brackett by blood or marriage before their departure from England.
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