I just want to say that this is ridiculous. It should not be this hard to find information about Samuel Starr. After all, he married Hannah Brewster, daughter of Jonathan Brewster and granddaughter of Elder William Brewster of the Mayflower. How can someone with those ties go almost missing?
Well, we do know a few things about him, but certainly not enough to fill in the dash between 1641 and 1687. Samuel is the son of Thomas and Rachel (last name not proven) Starr, born November 3, 1641, at Scituate, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Scituate is a town on the coast of Massachusetts, between Boston and Plymouth. Samuel had as many as seven brothers and sisters, and growing up along the coast would have been a good life. He could have looked to the sea for his future living, or perhaps decided he didn't like the life of a seaman. Since his father was a surgeon, it's probably that Samuel learned to read and write.
He may not have learned his religious lessons well, though, because when he married, his wife and their children were accepted into church but there seems to be no mention of Samuel. We don't know what he did for a living, but sometimes those engaged in the maritime trade were less likely to join the church, and this may apply to Samuel's situation. Or not.
As mentioned, Samuel married Hannah Brewster, daughter of Jonathan and Lucretia Oldham Brewster, on December 23, 1664, in New London, Connecticut. One of the mysteries about Samuel is how when and why he went from Scituate to New London. Did it have something to do with the maritime trade? We just don't know.
Samuel and Hannah had at least five children together, which was not a lot for the time and for 20 years of marriage. They apparently lived in New London for all the years of their marriage.
In 1670, Samuel was granted the right to establish a ferry at Norwich, but it doesn't appear that the operation ever got off the ground. He may have been somewhat well to do because he was surety for a Widow Bradley in 1673, who had had two children by a married man, Christopher Christophers. She would have been whipped and jailed if Samuel hadn't paid the fine, but we don't know why he did this. Was Widow Bradley a relative, or a neighbor, or just someone upon whom Samuel took pity?He was elected county marshal (sheriff) in 1678 and held the post until he resigned in 1682.
Hannah died in 1684 and Samuel died February 2, 1687. I haven't yet located any estate papers for him. We don't know the cause of death for either of them. It's of course possible that Hannah died in or followin childbirth. Samuel would have been just 46 years old so one wonders whether it was an accident rather than a disease that killed him.
Among the things I'd like to know, occupation being first and foremost, is whether or not he participated in some way in King Philip's war. If he didn't participate, what was his reason for staying out of the war? And since he likely was required to attend church, why did he not join it?
There are probably answers to some of these questions out there somewhere, and I'd love to solve these questions. In the meantime, we can be grateful to Samuel for the life he lived, which allows us to live our lives.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Starr-Hannah Brewster
Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr-Mary Sharp
John Starr-Betsy Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Brewster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brewster. Show all posts
Friday, March 6, 2020
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Allen line: Lucretia Oldham Brewster 1600-1678
I've written before of how hard it is to learn the stories of our female ancestors. Usually we are lucky to find a birthdate, a marriage date, and a death date. Sometimes all we know of our grandmothers is their first name, sometimes just the last name of their first husband, and sometimes nothing at all.
With this ancestor, we have just a little bit more. We have a few phrases that tell us quite a bit about her. And for that, I declare this "Happy Genealogy Dance" day, for whenever you happen to read this blog post.
Here are the "normal" facts for Lucretia. She was born about January 14, 1600/1601, which is actually her christening date, in Derby, Derbyshire, England. Some sources say she was born ten days earlier. She was christened at All Saints Church in Derby, and her parents were William and Philippa Sowter Oldham. We don't know what William's occupation was but Philippa was the daughter of a butcher, so it is likely that William wasn't a man of great means.
Lucretia arrived in Plymouth Colony in July of 1623 on the ship Anne with her brother John Oldham. We don't know what motivated her to come to the new colony. Did she come to keep house for her brother, or to accept another position as servant here, or was she simply an adventurous lady who wanted to see more of the world than Derby? She was 23 years old when she arrived here, and apparently had acquired some education because she is referred to later in life as a "doctoress, nurse, and midwife".
From my reading, I think this also implies that she was something of an herbalist. Nurses and midwives are frequently portrayed in both fiction and non-fiction about colonial times, as women who gathered and processed herbs to use in medicines and teas, many of which were surprisingly effective. I'd love to know where she got this knowledge, especially since many of the plants she would have relied on were native to New England and not known in England at all. Did some of the native American women share there knowledge with her? It's not a far-fetched idea, since there were few English women in the colony, and since her husband traded with the Indians.
Oh, yes, her husband...She married Jonathan Brewster, oldest son of Elder William and Mary Brewster, in April 10, 1624 in Plymouth Colony. She must have been a respectable woman, to be approved by her new in-laws, and probably she was considered a "catch", too. I need to acknowledge that their were few single women in the colony by 1624, but even so... Jonathan was a widower with no children, and was an ambitious, curious, probably very interesting man, so the two probably complemented each other.
Jonathan and Lucretia had eight children together. They lived in Duxbury for a time while Jonathan built up his business, which involved trading along the coast line as far south as Virginia, as well as running a ferry service and acting as a surveyor for the colony. He also helped operate a trading post with the Indians, set up on the Connecticut River just north of the Dutch trading post which had been set up for the same purpose. After the couple had been married about 25 years, Jonathan suffered some financial reverses (I am not sure what they were, perhaps he lost a ship in a storm or perhaps it was something else) and he had to sell his Plymouth and Duxbury properties.
The couple soon went to Norwich, Connecticut in 1649, when Jonathan set up a trading post with the Indians. All this time, Jonathan had been interested in alchemy and he was now closer to John Winthrop the Younger, who was deeply involved in the same research. It is easy to imagine that Lucretia worked with him on his experiments, except that there is reference that his wife and family knew nothing of this part of his life (it was highly secretive work). Regardless, there may have been books involved that Lucretia consulted for her own use.
In Norwich, in the part known as Preston, Lucretia was well-respected. She is referred to as "Mrs." or "Mistress", which was above the rank of "goodwife". She witnessed at least one will, although we don't know whether this was for one of her patients or not. Women seldom were recognized as witnesses for wills but she had a reputation that allowed this.
I like to think about Lucretia. She was a mother of eight and yet gave herself to her community. I wonder how many pregnancies she attended as a midwife? It's quite possible that she was the midwife at the birth of some of our other ancestors, so we owe her a double dose of honor and respect.
Jonathan died October 7, 1659 and Lucretia died about 20 years later, on October 4, 1678/79. She had not remarried, but had remained a widow for all her remaining days. What a legacy she left her family, of faith and hard work, of faithfulness and servanthood. It is an honor to be able to share a little of her story with you.
The line of descent is
Lucretia Oldham-Jonathan Brewster
Hannah Brewster-Samuel Starr
Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr-Mary Sharp
John Starr-Elizabeth "Betsy" Chester Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
With this ancestor, we have just a little bit more. We have a few phrases that tell us quite a bit about her. And for that, I declare this "Happy Genealogy Dance" day, for whenever you happen to read this blog post.
Here are the "normal" facts for Lucretia. She was born about January 14, 1600/1601, which is actually her christening date, in Derby, Derbyshire, England. Some sources say she was born ten days earlier. She was christened at All Saints Church in Derby, and her parents were William and Philippa Sowter Oldham. We don't know what William's occupation was but Philippa was the daughter of a butcher, so it is likely that William wasn't a man of great means.
Lucretia arrived in Plymouth Colony in July of 1623 on the ship Anne with her brother John Oldham. We don't know what motivated her to come to the new colony. Did she come to keep house for her brother, or to accept another position as servant here, or was she simply an adventurous lady who wanted to see more of the world than Derby? She was 23 years old when she arrived here, and apparently had acquired some education because she is referred to later in life as a "doctoress, nurse, and midwife".
From my reading, I think this also implies that she was something of an herbalist. Nurses and midwives are frequently portrayed in both fiction and non-fiction about colonial times, as women who gathered and processed herbs to use in medicines and teas, many of which were surprisingly effective. I'd love to know where she got this knowledge, especially since many of the plants she would have relied on were native to New England and not known in England at all. Did some of the native American women share there knowledge with her? It's not a far-fetched idea, since there were few English women in the colony, and since her husband traded with the Indians.
Oh, yes, her husband...She married Jonathan Brewster, oldest son of Elder William and Mary Brewster, in April 10, 1624 in Plymouth Colony. She must have been a respectable woman, to be approved by her new in-laws, and probably she was considered a "catch", too. I need to acknowledge that their were few single women in the colony by 1624, but even so... Jonathan was a widower with no children, and was an ambitious, curious, probably very interesting man, so the two probably complemented each other.
Jonathan and Lucretia had eight children together. They lived in Duxbury for a time while Jonathan built up his business, which involved trading along the coast line as far south as Virginia, as well as running a ferry service and acting as a surveyor for the colony. He also helped operate a trading post with the Indians, set up on the Connecticut River just north of the Dutch trading post which had been set up for the same purpose. After the couple had been married about 25 years, Jonathan suffered some financial reverses (I am not sure what they were, perhaps he lost a ship in a storm or perhaps it was something else) and he had to sell his Plymouth and Duxbury properties.
The couple soon went to Norwich, Connecticut in 1649, when Jonathan set up a trading post with the Indians. All this time, Jonathan had been interested in alchemy and he was now closer to John Winthrop the Younger, who was deeply involved in the same research. It is easy to imagine that Lucretia worked with him on his experiments, except that there is reference that his wife and family knew nothing of this part of his life (it was highly secretive work). Regardless, there may have been books involved that Lucretia consulted for her own use.
In Norwich, in the part known as Preston, Lucretia was well-respected. She is referred to as "Mrs." or "Mistress", which was above the rank of "goodwife". She witnessed at least one will, although we don't know whether this was for one of her patients or not. Women seldom were recognized as witnesses for wills but she had a reputation that allowed this.
I like to think about Lucretia. She was a mother of eight and yet gave herself to her community. I wonder how many pregnancies she attended as a midwife? It's quite possible that she was the midwife at the birth of some of our other ancestors, so we owe her a double dose of honor and respect.
Jonathan died October 7, 1659 and Lucretia died about 20 years later, on October 4, 1678/79. She had not remarried, but had remained a widow for all her remaining days. What a legacy she left her family, of faith and hard work, of faithfulness and servanthood. It is an honor to be able to share a little of her story with you.
The line of descent is
Lucretia Oldham-Jonathan Brewster
Hannah Brewster-Samuel Starr
Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr-Mary Sharp
John Starr-Elizabeth "Betsy" Chester Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Allen line: Jonathan Brewster 1593-1659 Immigrant
I haven't written about Jonathan Brewster before now because I wrote about his somewhat famous father, Elder William Brewster earlier, and my feeling was that the father kind of outshines the son. I may be wrong about that. Jonathan Brewster is a fascinating man in his own right, and he was almost a Mayflower ancestor, arriving on the Fortune in November of 161. But let's start at the beginning
Jonathan was born August 12, 1593 to William and Mary (last nae still uncertain) Brewster in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England. By the time he was born, his parents were already ardent Puritans and Separatists, and it was after his father had been jailed and released for his religious beliefs that the Pilgrims fled to Amsterdam and then Leiden, Holland (The Netherlands). Jonathan accepted citizenship there in 1617 and may have planned to make his life there.
However, he married and his wife and baby died, and that convinced Jonathan to join his family in New England. (It's possible that he had already been planning to come, of course). It should be noted that not every genealogist believes that there was a first marriage. It would be interesting to know but that fact isn't essential to the rest of our story. In Leiden, Jonathan supported himself and any family he may have had by ribbon making, which was a craft that several of the Pilgrims were practicing. He probably didn't have a real occupation in England, given that he was 17 years old when he went to Holland, and jobs were not plentiful for Separatists in England. Possibly he was a day laborer.
About three years after coming to New England, Jonathan married Lucretia Oldham, daughter of William and Philippa Sowter Oldham on April 10, 1624. By this time, Jonathan may already have been trading with the natives on an informal basis. Later, he became a trader and was allowed to set up a trading post in what became Connecticut.
We know that Jonathan had quite an education, or at least read widely, because one of his other interests was alchemy. He is mentioned several times in the book "Prospero's America" by Walter W. Woodward. The book is more of the story of John Winthrop Jr and his study of alchemy, but Jonathn is mentioned several times there as having correspondence with Winthrop, as is William White, our ancestor on the Holbrook side Alchemy could probably be thought of as an attempt by Christians to learn the secrets of nature in order to use them for profit and also to prepare the world for the Second Coming, which would only happen when the world was good enough. If an individual alchemist was good enough and pious enough, worked very hard and studied constantly, God might provide him with the clues needed to understand all of nature, and incidentally, to make gold out of base metals Not every alchemist was trying to find gold. Some concentrated on making medicines with minerals as their base, as opposed to herbal medicines. I don't know how much Jonathan was involved in any of these particular ventures, but he does seem to have been involved with an iron works that Winthrop had developed.
I've found indications that Jonathan also served as surveyor, as a deacon or/an an elder in the church, in military service during the Pequot War, as a deputy to the General Court and as an assistant to the governor of Connecticut (don't know which governor). He was also an attorney, and was styled "Gentleman". Probably about 1649 but possibly earlier, he moved his family to Pequot, which became New London, and served there as town clerk He was censured for setting up an Indian trading post without permission but in 1652 the deed from the Indian sachem to Jonathan was approved and he was allowed to continue the trading post. All in all, Jonathan was a busy man.
John and Lucretia had at least 8 children together, the last born in 1641 in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony. He died August 7, 1659 at Norwich, New London, Connecticut and is buried at Brewster's Neck, Preston, Connecticut. I haven't yet found a copy of his will, but I would expect that it would show a considerable net worth since I know he had debts owed him of hundreds of pounds at one time There is much more to be found, or to be learned, about Jonathan and his story deserves to be found and told. He was a remarkable man.
The line of descent is
Jonathan Brewster-Lucretia Oldham
Hannah Brewster-Samuel Starr
Thomas Starr-Mary or Mercy Morgan
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy (Elizabeth Chester) Havens-John Starr
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Jonathan was born August 12, 1593 to William and Mary (last nae still uncertain) Brewster in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England. By the time he was born, his parents were already ardent Puritans and Separatists, and it was after his father had been jailed and released for his religious beliefs that the Pilgrims fled to Amsterdam and then Leiden, Holland (The Netherlands). Jonathan accepted citizenship there in 1617 and may have planned to make his life there.
However, he married and his wife and baby died, and that convinced Jonathan to join his family in New England. (It's possible that he had already been planning to come, of course). It should be noted that not every genealogist believes that there was a first marriage. It would be interesting to know but that fact isn't essential to the rest of our story. In Leiden, Jonathan supported himself and any family he may have had by ribbon making, which was a craft that several of the Pilgrims were practicing. He probably didn't have a real occupation in England, given that he was 17 years old when he went to Holland, and jobs were not plentiful for Separatists in England. Possibly he was a day laborer.
About three years after coming to New England, Jonathan married Lucretia Oldham, daughter of William and Philippa Sowter Oldham on April 10, 1624. By this time, Jonathan may already have been trading with the natives on an informal basis. Later, he became a trader and was allowed to set up a trading post in what became Connecticut.
We know that Jonathan had quite an education, or at least read widely, because one of his other interests was alchemy. He is mentioned several times in the book "Prospero's America" by Walter W. Woodward. The book is more of the story of John Winthrop Jr and his study of alchemy, but Jonathn is mentioned several times there as having correspondence with Winthrop, as is William White, our ancestor on the Holbrook side Alchemy could probably be thought of as an attempt by Christians to learn the secrets of nature in order to use them for profit and also to prepare the world for the Second Coming, which would only happen when the world was good enough. If an individual alchemist was good enough and pious enough, worked very hard and studied constantly, God might provide him with the clues needed to understand all of nature, and incidentally, to make gold out of base metals Not every alchemist was trying to find gold. Some concentrated on making medicines with minerals as their base, as opposed to herbal medicines. I don't know how much Jonathan was involved in any of these particular ventures, but he does seem to have been involved with an iron works that Winthrop had developed.
I've found indications that Jonathan also served as surveyor, as a deacon or/an an elder in the church, in military service during the Pequot War, as a deputy to the General Court and as an assistant to the governor of Connecticut (don't know which governor). He was also an attorney, and was styled "Gentleman". Probably about 1649 but possibly earlier, he moved his family to Pequot, which became New London, and served there as town clerk He was censured for setting up an Indian trading post without permission but in 1652 the deed from the Indian sachem to Jonathan was approved and he was allowed to continue the trading post. All in all, Jonathan was a busy man.
John and Lucretia had at least 8 children together, the last born in 1641 in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony. He died August 7, 1659 at Norwich, New London, Connecticut and is buried at Brewster's Neck, Preston, Connecticut. I haven't yet found a copy of his will, but I would expect that it would show a considerable net worth since I know he had debts owed him of hundreds of pounds at one time There is much more to be found, or to be learned, about Jonathan and his story deserves to be found and told. He was a remarkable man.
The line of descent is
Jonathan Brewster-Lucretia Oldham
Hannah Brewster-Samuel Starr
Thomas Starr-Mary or Mercy Morgan
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy (Elizabeth Chester) Havens-John Starr
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Allen line: William Brewster, Immigrant and Pilgrim
It seems somehow fitting that I write the last regularly scheduled Allen family post about the first ancestor our nuclear family learned of . We were given for Christmas one year a typewritten genealogy of the Starr family, and in those pages we found our connection to William Brewster. I was about 12 years old at the time, and I was one proud young girl. William Brewster! The Mayflower! Elder, holding the role of chaplain! To someone already deeply interested in history, this was a treasure of pure gold.
Much has been written about William Brewster and I could just say "look him up on Wikepedia" and not have to write another word . But because some of my family might not take that step, here is a brief summary of his life. William Brewster was likely born at Scrooby Manor, Nottinghamshire, England, where his father, also William Brewster, was the bailiff of the archbishop of York (Scrooby Manor belonged to the archbishop) and also the local postmaster.
The first significant event in William's life was his brief period of study at Peterhouse, Cambridge, before he entered the service of William Davison. This likely meant that he was part of the court of Queen Elizabeth I. William Davison got on her wrong side and was sent home in disgrace, and our William Brewster went home to Scrooby. There he took over his father's role as postmaster.
Whether it was at Peterhouse or somewhere else, William became less and less a proper Anglican and more and more a Separatist. Scrooby Manor was frequently used as a meeting place by other Separatists in the area, where the group worshipped and planned what to do as the authorities started cracking down on anyone not a full supporter of the Anglican church. The group decided to leave England, but before they could do so, many of this small group were arrested. The cell where William Brewster and William Bradford were held is now a tourist attraction, seen on "Who Do You Think You Are?" in the Ashley Judd program. Eventually the two were released, and made their way to the Netherlands, where other members of the Separatists had already fled.
The Pilgrims spent 13 years in the Netherlands, which practiced a certain amount of religious freedom. The group lived in close proximity to each other, and ate many of their meals together. Here William Brewster practiced the trade of printing, and taught English at Leiden, and made enough money to help support the group in very modest circumstances. One of the pamphlets he printed angered King James in England, and he had to go into hiding as the Separatists negotiated to buy ships and prepare to leave the Netherlands.
The story of the Mayflower is well enough known that I won't repeat much here. There was at least one false start, as the second ship intended to go with the Mayflower, the Speedwell, began leaking, and unsuccessful repairs were made. This was a fearful time for the passengers and the trip across the Atlantic wasn't easy, either. Once land was sighted, most of the men on board the Mayflower signed what became known as the Mayflower Compact, setting up basic regulations for the way they would live. Tradition says that this was signed using the top of a chest belonging to William Brewster, which has been preserved.
The first Massachusetts winter, that of 1621, was terrible for the Pilgrims and at the end, there were only seven men left alive. William Brewster was one, and William Bradford wrote in his journal of the tender care that Mr. Brewster gave to those who were ill. William took on many of the roles of a pastor, praying and preaching, conducting graveside services, and encouraging the congregation to live a Christian life. However, he continually refused to preside over Communion services, so the group had to wait until their pastor, John Robinson, arrived in 1629.
William's wife Mary, surname still a subject of debate, died in 1627 after having given birth to six children, one of whom died in England. William did not remarry, and he died April 10, 1644, at Duxbury. He was about 77 years old at the time of his death.
Pilgrims were stern people because they had to be. But they laughed and raised families and felt joy as well as other emotions. While we may not understand some of their religious beliefs, we can honor them for their faithfulness, for their hard work, and for the opportunity that they saw to "start over" in a new country. William Brewster is one of my favorite ancestors, and not just because he was the first one I learned about. I hope he is one of yours, too.
Our line of descent is
William Brewster-Mary
Jonathon Brewster-Lucretia Oldham
Hannah Brewster-Samuel Starr
Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathon Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Fun fact: There is a whole list of famous descendants in the Wikepedia article. We are distant cousins of Katherine Hepburn, Bing Crosby, Nelson Rockefeller, and Zachary Taylor, among many others. Hello, cousins!
Much has been written about William Brewster and I could just say "look him up on Wikepedia" and not have to write another word . But because some of my family might not take that step, here is a brief summary of his life. William Brewster was likely born at Scrooby Manor, Nottinghamshire, England, where his father, also William Brewster, was the bailiff of the archbishop of York (Scrooby Manor belonged to the archbishop) and also the local postmaster.
The first significant event in William's life was his brief period of study at Peterhouse, Cambridge, before he entered the service of William Davison. This likely meant that he was part of the court of Queen Elizabeth I. William Davison got on her wrong side and was sent home in disgrace, and our William Brewster went home to Scrooby. There he took over his father's role as postmaster.
Whether it was at Peterhouse or somewhere else, William became less and less a proper Anglican and more and more a Separatist. Scrooby Manor was frequently used as a meeting place by other Separatists in the area, where the group worshipped and planned what to do as the authorities started cracking down on anyone not a full supporter of the Anglican church. The group decided to leave England, but before they could do so, many of this small group were arrested. The cell where William Brewster and William Bradford were held is now a tourist attraction, seen on "Who Do You Think You Are?" in the Ashley Judd program. Eventually the two were released, and made their way to the Netherlands, where other members of the Separatists had already fled.
The Pilgrims spent 13 years in the Netherlands, which practiced a certain amount of religious freedom. The group lived in close proximity to each other, and ate many of their meals together. Here William Brewster practiced the trade of printing, and taught English at Leiden, and made enough money to help support the group in very modest circumstances. One of the pamphlets he printed angered King James in England, and he had to go into hiding as the Separatists negotiated to buy ships and prepare to leave the Netherlands.
The story of the Mayflower is well enough known that I won't repeat much here. There was at least one false start, as the second ship intended to go with the Mayflower, the Speedwell, began leaking, and unsuccessful repairs were made. This was a fearful time for the passengers and the trip across the Atlantic wasn't easy, either. Once land was sighted, most of the men on board the Mayflower signed what became known as the Mayflower Compact, setting up basic regulations for the way they would live. Tradition says that this was signed using the top of a chest belonging to William Brewster, which has been preserved.
The first Massachusetts winter, that of 1621, was terrible for the Pilgrims and at the end, there were only seven men left alive. William Brewster was one, and William Bradford wrote in his journal of the tender care that Mr. Brewster gave to those who were ill. William took on many of the roles of a pastor, praying and preaching, conducting graveside services, and encouraging the congregation to live a Christian life. However, he continually refused to preside over Communion services, so the group had to wait until their pastor, John Robinson, arrived in 1629.
William's wife Mary, surname still a subject of debate, died in 1627 after having given birth to six children, one of whom died in England. William did not remarry, and he died April 10, 1644, at Duxbury. He was about 77 years old at the time of his death.
Pilgrims were stern people because they had to be. But they laughed and raised families and felt joy as well as other emotions. While we may not understand some of their religious beliefs, we can honor them for their faithfulness, for their hard work, and for the opportunity that they saw to "start over" in a new country. William Brewster is one of my favorite ancestors, and not just because he was the first one I learned about. I hope he is one of yours, too.
Our line of descent is
William Brewster-Mary
Jonathon Brewster-Lucretia Oldham
Hannah Brewster-Samuel Starr
Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathon Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Fun fact: There is a whole list of famous descendants in the Wikepedia article. We are distant cousins of Katherine Hepburn, Bing Crosby, Nelson Rockefeller, and Zachary Taylor, among many others. Hello, cousins!
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Allen line: Comfort Starr 1589-1659, Immigrant
I found a fascinating piece of speculation while looking for information about Comfort Starr, "Chirurgeon". He lived at the right time and the right place, with the right training, to have possibly been an associate or student under Dr. William Harvey, the man who first described the circulation of blood in the human body. There is even a possibility, but as far as I know no proof, that he may have followed in Dr. Harvey's footsteps and received his medical training at Padua, Italy. Even if none of this is borne out by facts and documents, the fact remains that the two men were active in medicine at the same time and place and would have at least known each other. I think that's pretty cool.
In the first of several known connections with other Allen and Holbrook ancestors, it appears that Rev. William Eddye, who is an ancestor in both of our families, was the vicar of the church Comfort likely attended in Cranbrook, from 1591 to 1616.
Comfort Starr, of course, does not need to hang onto the shirt tails of anyone. He can quite well stand on his own as an honorable and respected man, one dedicated to the well being of his friends and neighbors, and one brave enough, in middle age, to bring his family to New England while the country was still young and barely hanging on, still in survival mode.
He and three children, at least, and three servants sailed in the ship Hercules, of Sandwich, in 1635. One of the servants was his sister, Truth-Shall-Prevail. His wife was Elizabeth Watts, whom he married on October 4, 1614, but we don't know whether she traveled with the family or whether she came later.
Comfort is first seen in Cambridge, but by 1638 he had gone to Duxbury, in Plymouth Plantation (where our Holbrook ancestor Miles Standish lived). As another connection in the Allen line, the land and "dwelling" he purchased in Duxbury or Duxburrow was owned by Jonathan Brewster, also our ancestor. He was admitted a freeman there in 1639. In another eight years, Comfort Starr was in Boston, which by that time had grown to a larger population than Duxbury.
At Duxbury, Comfort had owned several pieces of land. He was respected enough that he represented Duxbury at a Plymouth Colony council of war in 1642. The next year, he was on a list of men able to bear arms, and his inventory later included a musket and sword.
We don't know much of his private life, but it is safe to assume that he was quite busy as a surgeon, and may have acted as an apothecary also as there is record of Thomas Lechford making a note to himself to write to Mr. Comfort Starr at Duxbury for a quarter of a pint of henbane and a quarter of a pound of hemlock seed. (Henbane was a remedy for stomach ailments. I didn't find a medical use for hemlock seed, in my extensive 30 second search of Google). There were over 70 names on a list of those whom owed Comfort Starr money when he died, and who knows whether all the debts were even noted. This gives us a feel for the size of his medical practice.
Although we don't know the extent of his education, he did own books valued at seven pounds when he died, which is more of a library than many had. If he studied with or in the footsteps of Dr. Harvey, we can guess that he had more education than most of his peers. He and Elizabeth had at least 10 children. I'm happy to report that except for passing on the name "Comfort", the other children were given more common names than Comfort and his siblings had received.
Elizabeth died at Boston on June 25th, 1658, aged 63, so she would have been about 19 when she married. Thomas died January 2, 1659/60 and left an estate valued at a little over 292 pounds. In his will, he made bequests to his children and grandchildren, with more granted to the grandchildren who had lost one or both parents.
In 1909, some of Comfort's many descendants had a monument erected at the Cranbrook church which said "In Memory of Dr. Comfort Starr Baptized in Cranbrook Church 6th July, 1589, a Warden of St Mary's, Ashford, Kent, 1631 & 1632 Sailed from Sandwich for New England 1635 One of the Earliest Benefactors of Harvard, the First College in America, 1638, of which His Son Comfort was One of 7 Incorporators, 1650, Died at Boston, New england in January 1659 A Distinguised Surgeon Eminent for Christian Character Erected by this American Descendants 1909".
Comfort and Elizabeth are buried at King's Chapel Burial ground in Boston, and there is a memorial stone there similar to the one described above. If we're ever in Boston, we need to pay our respects to this man.
There are two lines of descent for Comfort. The first is:
Comfort Starr-Elizabeth Watts
Thomas Starr-Rachel Harris
Samuel Starr-Hannah Brewster
Thomas Starr Mary Morgan
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr-Mary Sharp
John Starr-Betsy Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The second line is the same down through Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan. Then it diverges:
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
and yes, cousin married cousin, although they were, by my calculations, third cousins.
In the first of several known connections with other Allen and Holbrook ancestors, it appears that Rev. William Eddye, who is an ancestor in both of our families, was the vicar of the church Comfort likely attended in Cranbrook, from 1591 to 1616.
Comfort Starr, of course, does not need to hang onto the shirt tails of anyone. He can quite well stand on his own as an honorable and respected man, one dedicated to the well being of his friends and neighbors, and one brave enough, in middle age, to bring his family to New England while the country was still young and barely hanging on, still in survival mode.
He and three children, at least, and three servants sailed in the ship Hercules, of Sandwich, in 1635. One of the servants was his sister, Truth-Shall-Prevail. His wife was Elizabeth Watts, whom he married on October 4, 1614, but we don't know whether she traveled with the family or whether she came later.
Comfort is first seen in Cambridge, but by 1638 he had gone to Duxbury, in Plymouth Plantation (where our Holbrook ancestor Miles Standish lived). As another connection in the Allen line, the land and "dwelling" he purchased in Duxbury or Duxburrow was owned by Jonathan Brewster, also our ancestor. He was admitted a freeman there in 1639. In another eight years, Comfort Starr was in Boston, which by that time had grown to a larger population than Duxbury.
At Duxbury, Comfort had owned several pieces of land. He was respected enough that he represented Duxbury at a Plymouth Colony council of war in 1642. The next year, he was on a list of men able to bear arms, and his inventory later included a musket and sword.
We don't know much of his private life, but it is safe to assume that he was quite busy as a surgeon, and may have acted as an apothecary also as there is record of Thomas Lechford making a note to himself to write to Mr. Comfort Starr at Duxbury for a quarter of a pint of henbane and a quarter of a pound of hemlock seed. (Henbane was a remedy for stomach ailments. I didn't find a medical use for hemlock seed, in my extensive 30 second search of Google). There were over 70 names on a list of those whom owed Comfort Starr money when he died, and who knows whether all the debts were even noted. This gives us a feel for the size of his medical practice.
Although we don't know the extent of his education, he did own books valued at seven pounds when he died, which is more of a library than many had. If he studied with or in the footsteps of Dr. Harvey, we can guess that he had more education than most of his peers. He and Elizabeth had at least 10 children. I'm happy to report that except for passing on the name "Comfort", the other children were given more common names than Comfort and his siblings had received.
Elizabeth died at Boston on June 25th, 1658, aged 63, so she would have been about 19 when she married. Thomas died January 2, 1659/60 and left an estate valued at a little over 292 pounds. In his will, he made bequests to his children and grandchildren, with more granted to the grandchildren who had lost one or both parents.
In 1909, some of Comfort's many descendants had a monument erected at the Cranbrook church which said "In Memory of Dr. Comfort Starr Baptized in Cranbrook Church 6th July, 1589, a Warden of St Mary's, Ashford, Kent, 1631 & 1632 Sailed from Sandwich for New England 1635 One of the Earliest Benefactors of Harvard, the First College in America, 1638, of which His Son Comfort was One of 7 Incorporators, 1650, Died at Boston, New england in January 1659 A Distinguised Surgeon Eminent for Christian Character Erected by this American Descendants 1909".
Comfort and Elizabeth are buried at King's Chapel Burial ground in Boston, and there is a memorial stone there similar to the one described above. If we're ever in Boston, we need to pay our respects to this man.
There are two lines of descent for Comfort. The first is:
Comfort Starr-Elizabeth Watts
Thomas Starr-Rachel Harris
Samuel Starr-Hannah Brewster
Thomas Starr Mary Morgan
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr-Mary Sharp
John Starr-Betsy Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The second line is the same down through Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan. Then it diverges:
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
and yes, cousin married cousin, although they were, by my calculations, third cousins.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Allen line, or not? Thomas Harris 1580-1634
I'm sticking my neck out here, because nothing I'm finding supports my tree that says that Rachel Harris, who married Thomas Starr, is the daughter of this Thomas Harris. So we may or may not be related to this man. Thomas Starr was from Canterbury, Kent, England and Thomas Harris is from Hatherup, Gloucester, England, so we need to find a reason and a way for the two to meet before we set this branch of the tree firmly in place. It may well be that there will be a better candidate found for Rachel's parents, and that would be fine with me.
However, in case this Thomas Harris is the right person, and because he came with the Winthrop Fleet and is therefore automatically interesting (to me, at least), I'll give the bare facts about him, mostly as researched by Robert Charles Anderson in The Great Migration Begins. Thomas was the son of William amd Agnes Mason Harris, and was born at Hatherup, Gloucester, England, about 1580. He married Elizabeth, (most sites, but not Anderson, say her name was Hills) sinetime before 1613, as children started arriving at that time. Six children were noted in a will by Harris's nephew in 1639, but Rachel wasn't left a bequest. There could be reasons for that, but nevertheless it is worth considering. Known children of our couple are Anna, John, Thomas, William, Anthony and Daniel. According to the approximate birth dates, there would have been time for a child named Rachel to have been born between Anna and John. However, it seems that we have no definite birth dates for any of the children. or for Eliabeth, so this is almost just speculation.
As mentioned, the Harris's came to New England in 1630, with the Winthrop fleet. For whatever reason, whether political, familial, or religious, Thomas's name is listed as Thomas Harris alias Williams, and he continued to use that name, Harris alias Williams, for some time in the New World. The family settled at Winnissimmet, later known as Chelsea and now part of Boston. In 1630, shortly after arrival at Massachusetts Bay Colony, he requested freemanship which was granted as Thomas Williams alias Harris in 1631. That same year he was granted the authority to set up a ferry to run between Winnissimmit and Charlton, and also from Winnissimmet to Boston, with fees sets by the authorities.
We don't know how long this was actually in operation under Harris's watch, because by 1634 his widow had remarried and her new husband had control of the ferry. (The ferry stayed in operation until 1917). Elizabeth lived until February 16,1669/70, and was either 83 or 93 when she died. We can guess that Thomas may have had an accident, or drowned, or succumbed to one or another of the illnesses that killed so many early pioneers. We will likely never know that story, and we may not ever know whether Rachel was truly his daughter.
If he is our ancestor, here is the line of descent:
Thomas Harris-Elizabeth Hills
Rachel Harris-Thomas Starr
Samuel Starr-Hannah Brewster
Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr-Mary Sharp
John Starr-Betsy Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Their descendants
If someone knows whether or not Rachel Harris's father is Thomas, and whether or not this is the correct Thomas, I sure would like to know about it!
However, in case this Thomas Harris is the right person, and because he came with the Winthrop Fleet and is therefore automatically interesting (to me, at least), I'll give the bare facts about him, mostly as researched by Robert Charles Anderson in The Great Migration Begins. Thomas was the son of William amd Agnes Mason Harris, and was born at Hatherup, Gloucester, England, about 1580. He married Elizabeth, (most sites, but not Anderson, say her name was Hills) sinetime before 1613, as children started arriving at that time. Six children were noted in a will by Harris's nephew in 1639, but Rachel wasn't left a bequest. There could be reasons for that, but nevertheless it is worth considering. Known children of our couple are Anna, John, Thomas, William, Anthony and Daniel. According to the approximate birth dates, there would have been time for a child named Rachel to have been born between Anna and John. However, it seems that we have no definite birth dates for any of the children. or for Eliabeth, so this is almost just speculation.
As mentioned, the Harris's came to New England in 1630, with the Winthrop fleet. For whatever reason, whether political, familial, or religious, Thomas's name is listed as Thomas Harris alias Williams, and he continued to use that name, Harris alias Williams, for some time in the New World. The family settled at Winnissimmet, later known as Chelsea and now part of Boston. In 1630, shortly after arrival at Massachusetts Bay Colony, he requested freemanship which was granted as Thomas Williams alias Harris in 1631. That same year he was granted the authority to set up a ferry to run between Winnissimmit and Charlton, and also from Winnissimmet to Boston, with fees sets by the authorities.
We don't know how long this was actually in operation under Harris's watch, because by 1634 his widow had remarried and her new husband had control of the ferry. (The ferry stayed in operation until 1917). Elizabeth lived until February 16,1669/70, and was either 83 or 93 when she died. We can guess that Thomas may have had an accident, or drowned, or succumbed to one or another of the illnesses that killed so many early pioneers. We will likely never know that story, and we may not ever know whether Rachel was truly his daughter.
If he is our ancestor, here is the line of descent:
Thomas Harris-Elizabeth Hills
Rachel Harris-Thomas Starr
Samuel Starr-Hannah Brewster
Thomas Starr-Mary Morgan
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr-Mary Sharp
John Starr-Betsy Havens
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Their descendants
If someone knows whether or not Rachel Harris's father is Thomas, and whether or not this is the correct Thomas, I sure would like to know about it!
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Allen line: Thomas Starr 1565-1640 Immigrant
How hard can it be to write about the very first ancestor I ever heard about, back when I was a pre-teen or early teen-ager? A family genealogist, unidentified, had researched the Starr family and an aunt gave us a copy of her discoveries as a Christmas gift. (Although, now I wonder how much of it was her work and how much was a compilation; still, it was and is precious to us).
But when I actually sat down to write about him, there is much less information than I expected to find, and some of it is contradictory, as is often the case. His father was Thomas, his son was Thomas, and hehad grandsons named Thomas, so it's easy to see how facts could be a little confusing, and confused.
Thomas Starr was born about 1565 in New Romney, Kent, England. His father was Thomas Starr who served as mayor of New Romney for a short period of time, and it appears that his mother's name was Agnes. Our Thomas was a mercer, a dealer in textile goods, generally silks, velvets, and fine materials. He would have supplied the well-to-do of the towns of Cranbrook and Ashford, which are the two towns where most of his children were baptized. It is likely that Thomas and his wife Susan or Susannah made the first move, from New Romeny to Cranbrook, because of economic reasons. They may have moved a second time because they had become Puritans, and Ashford was a center for people with these beliefs.
Thomas and Susan gave names to their children that are on trivia games and lists of "amazing" names, but they surely didn't intend to give their children a fleeting moment of fame. They were names chosen because they meant something to the family, even if we are a bit puzzled by some of them now. Their children were Jehosaphet, Comfort, Nostrength, Moregift, William, Mercy, Suretrust, Standwell, Judith, Truth-Shall-Prevail, Joyfulle (also seen as Joyfoole), Constant, and Beloved. I hope someone called them "Bub" or "Sis"! It does give us a glimpse into the mindset of Thomas, though.
His son Comfort, a surgeon, seems to have been the first of the family to make the trip to Massachusetts, in 1637, and his parents are believed to have come in 1637, although I've seen one guesstimate as 1633. At any rate, it was still early in the history of the colony. Thomas would have been somewhere between 68 and 72 years of age, so perhaps he expected more of his family to come also, or maybe the religious pressures in England were just beginning to be more than he could deal with.
We know little of his life in Boston except that he is believed to have died in Dorchester in late 1639 or early 1640. His estate in New England was small, about 69 pounds, but he still owned lands and buildings in England which helped his family live more comfortably than some.
We have two lines of descent from Thomas:
Thomas Starr-Agnes
Comfort Starr-Elizabeth Watts
Thomas Starr-Rachel Harris
Samuel Starr-Hannah Brewster
Thomas Starr-Mercy Morgan
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The second line is the same through Thomas Starr and Mary or Mercy Morgan. Then it's
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr Mary Sharp
John Starr-Betsy Havens
and continues on from there. So John and Betsy would have been distant cousins.
But when I actually sat down to write about him, there is much less information than I expected to find, and some of it is contradictory, as is often the case. His father was Thomas, his son was Thomas, and hehad grandsons named Thomas, so it's easy to see how facts could be a little confusing, and confused.
Thomas Starr was born about 1565 in New Romney, Kent, England. His father was Thomas Starr who served as mayor of New Romney for a short period of time, and it appears that his mother's name was Agnes. Our Thomas was a mercer, a dealer in textile goods, generally silks, velvets, and fine materials. He would have supplied the well-to-do of the towns of Cranbrook and Ashford, which are the two towns where most of his children were baptized. It is likely that Thomas and his wife Susan or Susannah made the first move, from New Romeny to Cranbrook, because of economic reasons. They may have moved a second time because they had become Puritans, and Ashford was a center for people with these beliefs.
Thomas and Susan gave names to their children that are on trivia games and lists of "amazing" names, but they surely didn't intend to give their children a fleeting moment of fame. They were names chosen because they meant something to the family, even if we are a bit puzzled by some of them now. Their children were Jehosaphet, Comfort, Nostrength, Moregift, William, Mercy, Suretrust, Standwell, Judith, Truth-Shall-Prevail, Joyfulle (also seen as Joyfoole), Constant, and Beloved. I hope someone called them "Bub" or "Sis"! It does give us a glimpse into the mindset of Thomas, though.
His son Comfort, a surgeon, seems to have been the first of the family to make the trip to Massachusetts, in 1637, and his parents are believed to have come in 1637, although I've seen one guesstimate as 1633. At any rate, it was still early in the history of the colony. Thomas would have been somewhere between 68 and 72 years of age, so perhaps he expected more of his family to come also, or maybe the religious pressures in England were just beginning to be more than he could deal with.
We know little of his life in Boston except that he is believed to have died in Dorchester in late 1639 or early 1640. His estate in New England was small, about 69 pounds, but he still owned lands and buildings in England which helped his family live more comfortably than some.
We have two lines of descent from Thomas:
Thomas Starr-Agnes
Comfort Starr-Elizabeth Watts
Thomas Starr-Rachel Harris
Samuel Starr-Hannah Brewster
Thomas Starr-Mercy Morgan
Mary Starr-John Chester
Thomas Chester-Sarah Eldridge
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
Betsy Havens-John Starr
John Havens Starr-Clarissa Falley
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The second line is the same through Thomas Starr and Mary or Mercy Morgan. Then it's
Thomas Starr-Jerusha Street
John Starr Mary Sharp
John Starr-Betsy Havens
and continues on from there. So John and Betsy would have been distant cousins.
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