What fun! Most of our ancestors were good folks, either farmers or pastors, and sometimes it's hard to find something new to say about their lives. But every once in a while, someone steps out of the box and does something entirely different, and perhaps is entirely different, from our norm. John Whittemore just may be one of those men.
John Whittemore was born February 23, 1685 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the son of John and Elizabeth Annable Whittemore, and he's one in a succession of four men named John Whittemore, each of whom is our ancestor. Confusion reigns, but I think I have this man figured out.
At some point in his life, John left Charlestown and settled in Boston. He married Elizabeth Lloyd, the daughter of Edward and Hannah Griffin Lloyd. The Lloyds were a Charleston family who had moved to Boston also. I'm wondering if John was maybe an apprentice or some sort of shipworker there, because the marriage took place in Boston. John and Elizabeth had at least five children together, including our John born 1714.
I'm still trying to pull together John's story as far as his adult life goes. I know that he was a mariner and a retailer, perhaps not at the same time or perhaps at the same time. His father in law had died with a good supply of "rhum" and spirits, and John may have inherited or purchased that, as he also sold strong spirits. So, basically he ran a tavern or a liquor store. He must have been somewhat successful because he built a new home in 1733, We know that because he was granted liberty to dig a frain from his new house, which was apparently on Sheaf St. It looks like this would have been just blocks from what we know as the Old North Church, in the north end of Boston. It was also near Copp's Hill Burying Ground
, which is where he was buried.
Elizabeth died August 13, 1746 and John died April 21, 1748, In his will, he left 100 pounds to his oldest son, John and 150 pounds (old tenor, not the new fangled money the colony had printed) to son Edward. He also left each of them 1/4 of his "moveable estate". Three grandsons, including another of our Johns, were to share 100 pounds. To Elizabeth, his daughter, he left his house and land, and all his liquors. One can speculate that the two sons were set up in life already but that Elizabeth would need some source of income. I wonder what the city fathers thought of that.
The only reference I found to a possible religion for John was that his son John was baptized at "Second Church", which is now known as Old North Church. Increase Mather was the pastor at the time. There doesn't seem to be any record of the other children's baptism. Perhaps John was away so much that he wasn't often there to see that the children were baptized, or perhaps Elizabeth had enough to do to take care of her family.
I would love to find his inventory, to learn whether he was well to do or not. I'd also love to learn more about his story as a mariner, and I do have a few new sources to look at for that. If I find anything interesting, I'll do an update. And of course, I'm wondering how involved he was in the slave trade, and whether he had one or more slaves. That would be more than possible if he was importing rum, also. But for now, we at least have a sense that John lived in one of the (to me) most interesting places in the world, and had a fascinating career. That's pretty cool.
The line of descent is:
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore=Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Clough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clough. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Friday, December 6, 2019
Holbrook line: Benjamin Clough of Boston 1694-1744
It's exciting and it's scary to find information that casts doubt on what has long been believed to be true. This post will raise doubts about some parts of Benjamin's life and answer some questions about other parts.
First, Benjamin's parents are given as Benoni and Hannah Merrill Clough, of Salisbury in Essex County, Massachusetts. It's true that they had a son Benjamin. The John Clough family history says that Benjamin, son of Benoni, when to Kingston, New Hampshire, where a Benjamin Clough certainly lived and died, and was a Revolutionary War patriot. However, the Benjamin Clough in New Hampshire is not ours. His wife's name is wrong, as are the children, and the death date, and just about everything about that Benjamin. Also, that Benjamin's father, as listed on DAR records, was Cornelios Clough. Cornelios possibly had two wives, as there are two different names given as the New Hampshire Patriot's mother.
Because of the Thweng records, we know that Benjamin was a blacksmith, and that he acquired several parcels of land on Sheafe Street and also on Hull Street, starting in 1720. In the deeds he is almost always referred to as blacksmith, to avoid any confusion as to other Benjamin Clough's, apparently. He was constable of Boston in 1727 and 1728, so he was respected. In fact, on his tombstone he is noted as "Mr."
Benjamin and Faith had at least five children together, and Benjamin would have worked hard to support them, catechize them, and find them jobs and spouses. In 1738, the town took one of Benjamin's houses and "improved" it to be a hospital, during a smallpox epidemic. We're not told how Benjamin was repaid, or whether this was a permanent confiscation. At the time, the house was on the west edge of town.
Benjamin wrote his will June 18, 1744 and it was entered into probate on July 31, 1744. In it, he disposes of his real estate, leaving much of it to his wife during her widowhood. He also gives her "his" Negro woman Jenny and Jenny's child called Violet, as well as all his household goods. When his inventory is taken, there is very little mentioned in the way of household goods, just a couple of desks and some books, among other things. His total estate, which does not mention the slaves, was valued at a little over 309 pounds.
He is buried at Kings Chapel cemetery (not affiliated with the church of that name), and ironically, I may have been there without understanding its significance to our family. When I took a tour of the Freedom Trail in 1998, this was one of our stops. I was not actively interested in genealogy at that time and had no idea that ancestors had lived in Boston, but I appreciated the history and the fact that the cemetery was being cared for, all these years later. The stone gives Benjamin the honorific of "Mr." and says that he died July 6, 1744, aged 53 years and 11 months. So if that age is correct, Benjamin was actually born in 1690, and therefore likely not the son of Benoni and Hannah.
So we have a quandary. Who was Benjamin Clough, the blacksmith in Boston who was our ancestor? His first child's name was Joseph, but I don't know if that is a clue or not. I'd love to figure out who his parents are, and I'd also like to know whether he was involved in any military expeditions. Did he stay a faithful member of the church? I'd love to find out more about him, but at least we have this much.
The line of descent is:
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore- Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittmore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
I'm so grateful to American Ancestors and to Ancestry, who each had good information in their databases. These men who were colonial ancestors, but not necessarily immigrants, are difficult to trace!
First, Benjamin's parents are given as Benoni and Hannah Merrill Clough, of Salisbury in Essex County, Massachusetts. It's true that they had a son Benjamin. The John Clough family history says that Benjamin, son of Benoni, when to Kingston, New Hampshire, where a Benjamin Clough certainly lived and died, and was a Revolutionary War patriot. However, the Benjamin Clough in New Hampshire is not ours. His wife's name is wrong, as are the children, and the death date, and just about everything about that Benjamin. Also, that Benjamin's father, as listed on DAR records, was Cornelios Clough. Cornelios possibly had two wives, as there are two different names given as the New Hampshire Patriot's mother.
Because of the Thweng records, we know that Benjamin was a blacksmith, and that he acquired several parcels of land on Sheafe Street and also on Hull Street, starting in 1720. In the deeds he is almost always referred to as blacksmith, to avoid any confusion as to other Benjamin Clough's, apparently. He was constable of Boston in 1727 and 1728, so he was respected. In fact, on his tombstone he is noted as "Mr."
Benjamin and Faith had at least five children together, and Benjamin would have worked hard to support them, catechize them, and find them jobs and spouses. In 1738, the town took one of Benjamin's houses and "improved" it to be a hospital, during a smallpox epidemic. We're not told how Benjamin was repaid, or whether this was a permanent confiscation. At the time, the house was on the west edge of town.
Benjamin wrote his will June 18, 1744 and it was entered into probate on July 31, 1744. In it, he disposes of his real estate, leaving much of it to his wife during her widowhood. He also gives her "his" Negro woman Jenny and Jenny's child called Violet, as well as all his household goods. When his inventory is taken, there is very little mentioned in the way of household goods, just a couple of desks and some books, among other things. His total estate, which does not mention the slaves, was valued at a little over 309 pounds.
He is buried at Kings Chapel cemetery (not affiliated with the church of that name), and ironically, I may have been there without understanding its significance to our family. When I took a tour of the Freedom Trail in 1998, this was one of our stops. I was not actively interested in genealogy at that time and had no idea that ancestors had lived in Boston, but I appreciated the history and the fact that the cemetery was being cared for, all these years later. The stone gives Benjamin the honorific of "Mr." and says that he died July 6, 1744, aged 53 years and 11 months. So if that age is correct, Benjamin was actually born in 1690, and therefore likely not the son of Benoni and Hannah.
So we have a quandary. Who was Benjamin Clough, the blacksmith in Boston who was our ancestor? His first child's name was Joseph, but I don't know if that is a clue or not. I'd love to figure out who his parents are, and I'd also like to know whether he was involved in any military expeditions. Did he stay a faithful member of the church? I'd love to find out more about him, but at least we have this much.
The line of descent is:
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore- Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittmore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
I'm so grateful to American Ancestors and to Ancestry, who each had good information in their databases. These men who were colonial ancestors, but not necessarily immigrants, are difficult to trace!
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Holbrook line: Edward Lloyd, of Boston
I'm in trouble with this post, and hope someone will read it, weep, and then contact me with the correct information. Some of this is fact and some is a wild guess; I'll try to make clear which is which.
Here's what I think I know: Edward Loyd, Lloyd or Lyde, was living in Boston, Massachusetts when he married Hannah Griffin in 1677 in Concord, Massachusetts Bay Colony, He was a mariner by trade, according to his will, and at the time he wrote his will said he was of Boston. There is a note to the side that said "Jamaica" but I don't know if there was a section of Boston known as Jamaica that early, or whether this was a note that Edward had actually died in Jamaica, on one of his voyages. The will, which was probated in 1704, mentioned his wife, not by name, and two daughters, Hannah and Elizabeth. The court documents explain that his wife's name was Mary.
This is where it gets confusing. Perhaps our Edward Loyd was not the husband of Hannah Griffin. Perhaps he was the husband of Mary Wheelwright, married in 1660 in Boston. Mary's father, John Wheelwright, left land in England to his grandson, Edward Loyd or Lyde when he died. Is this Edward Lyde our Edward Lloyd? Mary Atkinson had a son, Edward Lloyd, baptized at Old South Church in Boston in 1674. By then she had been a widow, for the second time, for about 7 years but this is the first I can find of an Edward Lloyd who might fit into this family. Does he also fit into ours? I'm not sure.
All we really know is that our Edward was the father of two girls and had a wife, Mary, when he died. We know his estate was valued at about 77 pounds, including 75 gallons of "Rhum", and a sugar loaf. He also had an old Bible. The rum makes one wonder...why did he have this much on hand? Was he a small time merchant, or did he expect to sell the rum to another party? Had he purchased the rum in Jamaica or some other Caribbean port? He apparently owned no land or buildings when he died.
So, the question is, are these Edward Lloyd's the same person? Was the Edward who married Hannah Griffin a descendant of the Edward who married Mary Wheelwright? Or were these two entirely separate families, with only the common name in common?
Perhaps I shouldn't have written anything until I had this better figured out. But if I don't ask for help on this, I may never find our answers. Besides, I like to write about men who were mariners, who had a bit of mystery about them. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Edward Lloyd, as I continue to work to tell the stories of our ancestors.
The line of descent is:
Edward Loyd-Hannah Griffin
Elizabeth Lloyd-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Here's what I think I know: Edward Loyd, Lloyd or Lyde, was living in Boston, Massachusetts when he married Hannah Griffin in 1677 in Concord, Massachusetts Bay Colony, He was a mariner by trade, according to his will, and at the time he wrote his will said he was of Boston. There is a note to the side that said "Jamaica" but I don't know if there was a section of Boston known as Jamaica that early, or whether this was a note that Edward had actually died in Jamaica, on one of his voyages. The will, which was probated in 1704, mentioned his wife, not by name, and two daughters, Hannah and Elizabeth. The court documents explain that his wife's name was Mary.
This is where it gets confusing. Perhaps our Edward Loyd was not the husband of Hannah Griffin. Perhaps he was the husband of Mary Wheelwright, married in 1660 in Boston. Mary's father, John Wheelwright, left land in England to his grandson, Edward Loyd or Lyde when he died. Is this Edward Lyde our Edward Lloyd? Mary Atkinson had a son, Edward Lloyd, baptized at Old South Church in Boston in 1674. By then she had been a widow, for the second time, for about 7 years but this is the first I can find of an Edward Lloyd who might fit into this family. Does he also fit into ours? I'm not sure.
All we really know is that our Edward was the father of two girls and had a wife, Mary, when he died. We know his estate was valued at about 77 pounds, including 75 gallons of "Rhum", and a sugar loaf. He also had an old Bible. The rum makes one wonder...why did he have this much on hand? Was he a small time merchant, or did he expect to sell the rum to another party? Had he purchased the rum in Jamaica or some other Caribbean port? He apparently owned no land or buildings when he died.
So, the question is, are these Edward Lloyd's the same person? Was the Edward who married Hannah Griffin a descendant of the Edward who married Mary Wheelwright? Or were these two entirely separate families, with only the common name in common?
Perhaps I shouldn't have written anything until I had this better figured out. But if I don't ask for help on this, I may never find our answers. Besides, I like to write about men who were mariners, who had a bit of mystery about them. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Edward Lloyd, as I continue to work to tell the stories of our ancestors.
The line of descent is:
Edward Loyd-Hannah Griffin
Elizabeth Lloyd-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, January 11, 2019
Holbrook line: Thomas Whittemore, Immigrant
I'm pleased to be writing about Thomas Whittemore (Whitmore), not just because he is our immigrant ancestor and not just because there's quite a bit of material readily available about him. It's also the completion of a promise I made myself early in this genealogy journey. Mary Elizabeth Whittemore, my great great grandmother, was a brick wall for me in the early days of my genealogy search, and I remember promising her that I would find her family and tell their story. It's satisfying to me to be able to do that now, with the help of a lot of other family historians along the way.
Thomas Whittemore was born or christened on June 6, 1593 in Hitchin, Herefordshire, England. His parents were Thomas and Mary Meade Whitmore. and our Thomas was one of at least ten children born to his parents. Hitchin is or was a market town and a wool center, so it is quite possible that the Whitmores were involved in that somehow, whether raising sheep or working in mills. It seems to have had a larger population than the towns that many of our ancestors were from, which may or may not explain why there are fairly good records there.
Thomas married three times. The name of his first wife is unknown. His second wife was Sarah Deardes, whom he married in 1623. No children are known from that marriage. He next married Hannah Chawkley on October 26, 1632, and she is the mother of all of his known children, all thirteen of them! Roger Thompson, in his book "From Deference to Defiance: Charlestown, Massachusetts 1629-1692" says that Thomas came to Charlestown in about 1639, aged about 43, in a party of eight. That would be himself, his wife Hannah, and six children (Son John had died probably shortly after birth in 1635, but there were these six who came with them). I'm not sure that Sarah, Mary, and Thomas were his, or else they did belong to one of his earlier wives, for those children are given birth dates well before his marriage to Hannah. It's possible that they were other relatives that he agreed to bring to America, but it looks like more research needs to be done about those children. Daniel, Nathaniel, and another John were the children of Thomas and Hannah, who accompanied them on the trip.
The family settled in Charlestown soon after their arrival. In 1638 or 1639, this would have been quite a small town because in 1658 there were still fewer than 200 heads of household. We don't know a lot about Thomas's life in Charlestown. He had a farm that was situated on the Mystic River so he would have had easy access to fish and, likely, seafood, to supplement whatever he grew on his farm. We don't know if he had another occupation. I found no record of him in the applications for freeman, so apparently he never acquired the right to vote, and I found no record that he served in any sort of political or government post.
Thomas died on May 25, 1661 at Malden, which was carved out of Charlestown. Descendants lived on his property until the mid 1800's, which is pretty remarkable. At his death, his estate was valued at 286 pounds. He wanted Hannah to have the right to live in the house for as long as she lived (no language about "and remains unmarried") and gave the bulk of the estate to his son Daniel, with smaller bequests to Nathaniel and John. Son Thomas had been given property of some type in England and had returned there to live, but "to save trouble" he was bequeathed five shillings if he came back to claim it. The other children were to receive small bequests as they turned 18, or 21, or married.
Hannah married as her second husband Benjamin Butterfield in 1663 and lived until 1677.
So that's what is known of Thomas Whittemore. His children served as minor officials such as constable and hog reeve, but we don't know how active they were in church life, or more particularly, spiritual life. I've not found anything that indicates whether or not Thomas could read, nor have I found an inventory of his assets. I'll keep looking for those. Thomas Whittemore, no matter how respected or not respected he was during his lifetime, deserves our gratitude for bringing his family here and for raising good citizens. He helped make America.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Whittemore-Hannah Chawkley
John Whittemore-Mary Upham
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Annable
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas Whittemore was born or christened on June 6, 1593 in Hitchin, Herefordshire, England. His parents were Thomas and Mary Meade Whitmore. and our Thomas was one of at least ten children born to his parents. Hitchin is or was a market town and a wool center, so it is quite possible that the Whitmores were involved in that somehow, whether raising sheep or working in mills. It seems to have had a larger population than the towns that many of our ancestors were from, which may or may not explain why there are fairly good records there.
Thomas married three times. The name of his first wife is unknown. His second wife was Sarah Deardes, whom he married in 1623. No children are known from that marriage. He next married Hannah Chawkley on October 26, 1632, and she is the mother of all of his known children, all thirteen of them! Roger Thompson, in his book "From Deference to Defiance: Charlestown, Massachusetts 1629-1692" says that Thomas came to Charlestown in about 1639, aged about 43, in a party of eight. That would be himself, his wife Hannah, and six children (Son John had died probably shortly after birth in 1635, but there were these six who came with them). I'm not sure that Sarah, Mary, and Thomas were his, or else they did belong to one of his earlier wives, for those children are given birth dates well before his marriage to Hannah. It's possible that they were other relatives that he agreed to bring to America, but it looks like more research needs to be done about those children. Daniel, Nathaniel, and another John were the children of Thomas and Hannah, who accompanied them on the trip.
The family settled in Charlestown soon after their arrival. In 1638 or 1639, this would have been quite a small town because in 1658 there were still fewer than 200 heads of household. We don't know a lot about Thomas's life in Charlestown. He had a farm that was situated on the Mystic River so he would have had easy access to fish and, likely, seafood, to supplement whatever he grew on his farm. We don't know if he had another occupation. I found no record of him in the applications for freeman, so apparently he never acquired the right to vote, and I found no record that he served in any sort of political or government post.
Thomas died on May 25, 1661 at Malden, which was carved out of Charlestown. Descendants lived on his property until the mid 1800's, which is pretty remarkable. At his death, his estate was valued at 286 pounds. He wanted Hannah to have the right to live in the house for as long as she lived (no language about "and remains unmarried") and gave the bulk of the estate to his son Daniel, with smaller bequests to Nathaniel and John. Son Thomas had been given property of some type in England and had returned there to live, but "to save trouble" he was bequeathed five shillings if he came back to claim it. The other children were to receive small bequests as they turned 18, or 21, or married.
Hannah married as her second husband Benjamin Butterfield in 1663 and lived until 1677.
So that's what is known of Thomas Whittemore. His children served as minor officials such as constable and hog reeve, but we don't know how active they were in church life, or more particularly, spiritual life. I've not found anything that indicates whether or not Thomas could read, nor have I found an inventory of his assets. I'll keep looking for those. Thomas Whittemore, no matter how respected or not respected he was during his lifetime, deserves our gratitude for bringing his family here and for raising good citizens. He helped make America.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Whittemore-Hannah Chawkley
John Whittemore-Mary Upham
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Annable
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, November 9, 2018
Holbrook line: Another John Page, Immigrant 1614-1687
We only think we know the year of John's birth. It appears to be based on his age at his death, which is always a little bit suspect if proof can't be found. So the year may be off, and we don't know his place of birth, and we don't know his parents. They were not John Page and Phebe Paine Page, whom I wrote about last week. They were not Robert and Lucia Warde Page as they were too young. I have seen a Robert Page and Margaret Goodwin listed, but they are not stated to have had a son John, although they continued to have children for years after Robert's death. Trust not in that suggestion!
So we don't know where John came from. It's believed he arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony about 1635, but is not mentioned in Robert Charles Anderson's "Great Migrations" books. Speculation is that he came with George Marsh's family in 1635 as an indentured servant, and then married "the boss's daughter". He became a freeman at Hingham in 1640, which meant his indenture, if any, was complete by then. This implies church membership, and also gave John the right to vote and to hold office, sit on juries, and be an active citizen. About this same time, he married Mary Marsh, daughter of George Marsh, as their first child was baptized at Hingham on July 11, 1641.
In 1646, he was granted land in Haverhill, but apparently didn't move his family there right away as more children were baptized in Hingham after that date. (Of course, they could have simply liked the pastor in Hingham, or had other reasons for having the baptisms done there.) It appears that John was a carpenter and he may have been busy building homes and warehouses for Haverhill residents for several years, until he also was able to build a home for his own family. John and Mary had 12 children, including a still born son and an infant son who lived only a few months. In addition, they adopted Abigail Marsh, daughter of Mary's brother Onesiphorous, when she was fifteen years old, so it was a large family and probably needed a large house! John's house lot in Haverhill was on the river, which meant the boys probably did a lot of fishing, and there may have been some trading going on, too. A river lot was much to be desired.
John died November 23, 1687, and Mary died in 1697. He died without a will, but his estate wasn't settled until 1723. We don't know why there was a delay or what prompted the final settlement, but his grandson, Thomas Page, was the final executor.
John Page was a pioneer, who lived on the frontier during the early days of Massachusetts settlement. Since he was a carpenter, he literally helped build America. We can be proud of him.
The line of descent is:
John Page-Mary Marsh
Mercy Page-John Clough
Benoni Clough-Hannah Merrill
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
So we don't know where John came from. It's believed he arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony about 1635, but is not mentioned in Robert Charles Anderson's "Great Migrations" books. Speculation is that he came with George Marsh's family in 1635 as an indentured servant, and then married "the boss's daughter". He became a freeman at Hingham in 1640, which meant his indenture, if any, was complete by then. This implies church membership, and also gave John the right to vote and to hold office, sit on juries, and be an active citizen. About this same time, he married Mary Marsh, daughter of George Marsh, as their first child was baptized at Hingham on July 11, 1641.
In 1646, he was granted land in Haverhill, but apparently didn't move his family there right away as more children were baptized in Hingham after that date. (Of course, they could have simply liked the pastor in Hingham, or had other reasons for having the baptisms done there.) It appears that John was a carpenter and he may have been busy building homes and warehouses for Haverhill residents for several years, until he also was able to build a home for his own family. John and Mary had 12 children, including a still born son and an infant son who lived only a few months. In addition, they adopted Abigail Marsh, daughter of Mary's brother Onesiphorous, when she was fifteen years old, so it was a large family and probably needed a large house! John's house lot in Haverhill was on the river, which meant the boys probably did a lot of fishing, and there may have been some trading going on, too. A river lot was much to be desired.
John died November 23, 1687, and Mary died in 1697. He died without a will, but his estate wasn't settled until 1723. We don't know why there was a delay or what prompted the final settlement, but his grandson, Thomas Page, was the final executor.
John Page was a pioneer, who lived on the frontier during the early days of Massachusetts settlement. Since he was a carpenter, he literally helped build America. We can be proud of him.
The line of descent is:
John Page-Mary Marsh
Mercy Page-John Clough
Benoni Clough-Hannah Merrill
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, July 13, 2018
Holbrook line: John Annable, Immigrant
I'm going to say a couple of things in this post that go counter to what is posted on many trees on line. I'm even going to advance a theory, or half of a theory, as to who this gentleman really is. What I am not going to do is answer the questions as to when and where he was born, when he came to America, and other questions about his origins.
Most trees say that John's parents were Anthony Annable and Jane Mumford. It is true that they were early immigrants, but I've seen no record of John being their child. Also, they settled in Barnstable which would mean John had somehow gone from Cape Cod, to the very northern part of Massachusetts to live, far from his family. This would have been very unusual in those early days of Massachusetts.
Furthermore, I've found evidence of a record that says John Annable was in Essex County, (probably in the area of Ipswich although it wasn't officially formed until 1634) as early as 1625. He appears in court records as early as 1638. This presents another problem. John's birth date is given as 1618-1625, with only one giving a firm date and place. If this ias our John Annable, then he came to America almost as soon as he was born, and it may be his father, who may be John Annable, that we are seeing in the early years at Ipswich. Or, the alternate theory would be that he was born earlier than the guesses, for that is what they seem to be, and that he married late, or married a second time, fairly late in his life. There don't seem to be any death records for John Annable prior to our John's death, so I'm suspicious that our John may have been born as early as 1603, in order to be at Ipswich by 1625. And the date could go back further than that.
What I have been able to learn about John is that he was a tailor, which implies he had learned a trade somewhere, presumably in England. Would the very earliest settlers in Ipswich have needed a tailor, or did he do something else to support himself? This was a town made up largely of farmers and fishermen, so he probably engaged in one or both of these occupations to start with.
He appeared in court primarily as a witness but there are two cases in the 1650's that mention him. In one, he was suing Edward Gilman, Jr. for withholding pipe staves, apparently paid for, and in another he is acknowledging a debt to Mr. John Ward of Haverhill of 14 pounds. This may be more in the line of record keeping, as in today's liens and mortgages, rather than an actual appearance in court. He was also a witness several different times.
He married, variously between 1647 and 1649, Anna Whipple, daughter of Matthew and Ann Hawkins Whipple, and they had at least seven children. (Matthew Whipple was a clothier. Is this where John got his training, from or in connection with his father in law?) John died October 6, 1664, intestate (without a will). Administration of the estate was granted to Anna and the eldest son John, which was a bit unusual for that time and place. The estate was to remain in her hands for the bringing up of the children, and John was to receive 20 pounds and each of the other children 10 pounds as they came of age.
The inventory, taken by Robert Lord, shows a value of 181 pounds, which was pretty fair for a tailor. It includes a "dwelling house, barne, and land about" it valued at 80 pounds, plus six acres of marsh and four of upland, and quite a few household good, a few items that may be related to the tailoring trade, several items of real furniture, books, farm animals, and food stuffs. He was relatively prosperous for a tailor.
I am sure there are Annable researchers out there. I'd sure love to hear from some of you, with your own questions and research, to see if we can give John a father and mother, and to understand how John came to be in Ipswich. Please contact me or leave a message on this post!
The line of descent is:
John Annable-Anna Whipple
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Most trees say that John's parents were Anthony Annable and Jane Mumford. It is true that they were early immigrants, but I've seen no record of John being their child. Also, they settled in Barnstable which would mean John had somehow gone from Cape Cod, to the very northern part of Massachusetts to live, far from his family. This would have been very unusual in those early days of Massachusetts.
Furthermore, I've found evidence of a record that says John Annable was in Essex County, (probably in the area of Ipswich although it wasn't officially formed until 1634) as early as 1625. He appears in court records as early as 1638. This presents another problem. John's birth date is given as 1618-1625, with only one giving a firm date and place. If this ias our John Annable, then he came to America almost as soon as he was born, and it may be his father, who may be John Annable, that we are seeing in the early years at Ipswich. Or, the alternate theory would be that he was born earlier than the guesses, for that is what they seem to be, and that he married late, or married a second time, fairly late in his life. There don't seem to be any death records for John Annable prior to our John's death, so I'm suspicious that our John may have been born as early as 1603, in order to be at Ipswich by 1625. And the date could go back further than that.
What I have been able to learn about John is that he was a tailor, which implies he had learned a trade somewhere, presumably in England. Would the very earliest settlers in Ipswich have needed a tailor, or did he do something else to support himself? This was a town made up largely of farmers and fishermen, so he probably engaged in one or both of these occupations to start with.
He appeared in court primarily as a witness but there are two cases in the 1650's that mention him. In one, he was suing Edward Gilman, Jr. for withholding pipe staves, apparently paid for, and in another he is acknowledging a debt to Mr. John Ward of Haverhill of 14 pounds. This may be more in the line of record keeping, as in today's liens and mortgages, rather than an actual appearance in court. He was also a witness several different times.
He married, variously between 1647 and 1649, Anna Whipple, daughter of Matthew and Ann Hawkins Whipple, and they had at least seven children. (Matthew Whipple was a clothier. Is this where John got his training, from or in connection with his father in law?) John died October 6, 1664, intestate (without a will). Administration of the estate was granted to Anna and the eldest son John, which was a bit unusual for that time and place. The estate was to remain in her hands for the bringing up of the children, and John was to receive 20 pounds and each of the other children 10 pounds as they came of age.
The inventory, taken by Robert Lord, shows a value of 181 pounds, which was pretty fair for a tailor. It includes a "dwelling house, barne, and land about" it valued at 80 pounds, plus six acres of marsh and four of upland, and quite a few household good, a few items that may be related to the tailoring trade, several items of real furniture, books, farm animals, and food stuffs. He was relatively prosperous for a tailor.
I am sure there are Annable researchers out there. I'd sure love to hear from some of you, with your own questions and research, to see if we can give John a father and mother, and to understand how John came to be in Ipswich. Please contact me or leave a message on this post!
The line of descent is:
John Annable-Anna Whipple
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Holbrook line: John Upham, Immigrant
It's a wonderful thing to find information about an ancestor who hadn't really been on my radar. However, he was on Robert Charles Anderson's radar, for his "Great Migration" project, and I'm so glad. He actually found about 10 pages of information about our ancestor, but I'll not use all of it here as I try to keep these posts to ten paragraphs or less.
John's parents were Richard and Maria Upham, and he was born in about 1599 in Bicton, Devon, England. This was a tiny little village (current population about 280) with a long history dating back to the Domesday Records. The church that was in place when John was born is partially demolished now, and was replaced by something more "modern" in 1850. It's almost on the coast of southern England, but with no apparent connection to the ocean. We don't know anything about John's like in England, until in 1626 he married Elizabeth Slade, also in Bicton. We then find that they traveled to the New World on board the Marygould in 1635. He was listed as a husbandman, aged 35 and his wife was 32. There were three Upham children, and also Sarah Upham, who was 26 and traveling with them. She was a sister to John.
John and his family first settled at Weymouth, probably with a newborn son Phineas, and there were two additional children born to the couple while they lived at Weymouth. He probably joined the Weymouth church almost immediately, because he was made a freeman on September 2, 1635. He was a deputy for Weymouth several times in the 1630s,. During the middle 1640s, he was selectman four different times, He was given land at least twice during the land divisions of the villate of Weymouth, and by 1643 owned a lot of thirty acres, plus two acres of salt march, and other plots of four acres and two acres.
Sometime in 1650 or 1651 it appears that the family left Weymouth and moved to Malden. , where he served several times as a Malden commissioner to end small cases, and a Malden Selectman. He also got himself in trouble with the church, or rather, with the pastor who was called to the church against the wishes of several Malden men, and the advice of the authorities. Thirteen of the men, including our John Upham, were forced to apologize, and they were fined, which fine was upheld when the men appealed the judgement. The men may have had the last word, however, as the pastor did not stay long in Malden. John was selected a deacon of the church in 1658.Katherine
By 1662 John was starting to dispose of some of his lands. He gave land to his daughter in law, and to his son Phineas. Unfortunately, Phineas died shortly after his father, not having carried out the terms of his father's will to give legacies to John's three surviving daughters. Elizabeth Slade Upham died after February 2, 1670 and John married shortly after August 14, 1671, to Katherine Richards Hollard, who was a widow. John gave up his right to any of Katherine's goods or estate that came to her from her husband Angell Hollard. When he died on February 25, 1681/82, he had very little left in his estate, about 19 pounds and 4 shillings. He had dispensed of the real estate earlier.
That's what is known of John Upham. He was a respected and respectable man although perhaps his education was less than desired. He could sign his name, however. He woked himself up from "husbandman', to "yeoman", to "planter", and acquired the title of "Deacon". Not bad for a man from a town of 280 or so. We can be proud of him.
The line of descent is:
John Upham-Elizabeth Slade
Mary Upham-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Annable
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gloadys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John's parents were Richard and Maria Upham, and he was born in about 1599 in Bicton, Devon, England. This was a tiny little village (current population about 280) with a long history dating back to the Domesday Records. The church that was in place when John was born is partially demolished now, and was replaced by something more "modern" in 1850. It's almost on the coast of southern England, but with no apparent connection to the ocean. We don't know anything about John's like in England, until in 1626 he married Elizabeth Slade, also in Bicton. We then find that they traveled to the New World on board the Marygould in 1635. He was listed as a husbandman, aged 35 and his wife was 32. There were three Upham children, and also Sarah Upham, who was 26 and traveling with them. She was a sister to John.
John and his family first settled at Weymouth, probably with a newborn son Phineas, and there were two additional children born to the couple while they lived at Weymouth. He probably joined the Weymouth church almost immediately, because he was made a freeman on September 2, 1635. He was a deputy for Weymouth several times in the 1630s,. During the middle 1640s, he was selectman four different times, He was given land at least twice during the land divisions of the villate of Weymouth, and by 1643 owned a lot of thirty acres, plus two acres of salt march, and other plots of four acres and two acres.
Sometime in 1650 or 1651 it appears that the family left Weymouth and moved to Malden. , where he served several times as a Malden commissioner to end small cases, and a Malden Selectman. He also got himself in trouble with the church, or rather, with the pastor who was called to the church against the wishes of several Malden men, and the advice of the authorities. Thirteen of the men, including our John Upham, were forced to apologize, and they were fined, which fine was upheld when the men appealed the judgement. The men may have had the last word, however, as the pastor did not stay long in Malden. John was selected a deacon of the church in 1658.Katherine
By 1662 John was starting to dispose of some of his lands. He gave land to his daughter in law, and to his son Phineas. Unfortunately, Phineas died shortly after his father, not having carried out the terms of his father's will to give legacies to John's three surviving daughters. Elizabeth Slade Upham died after February 2, 1670 and John married shortly after August 14, 1671, to Katherine Richards Hollard, who was a widow. John gave up his right to any of Katherine's goods or estate that came to her from her husband Angell Hollard. When he died on February 25, 1681/82, he had very little left in his estate, about 19 pounds and 4 shillings. He had dispensed of the real estate earlier.
That's what is known of John Upham. He was a respected and respectable man although perhaps his education was less than desired. He could sign his name, however. He woked himself up from "husbandman', to "yeoman", to "planter", and acquired the title of "Deacon". Not bad for a man from a town of 280 or so. We can be proud of him.
The line of descent is:
John Upham-Elizabeth Slade
Mary Upham-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Annable
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gloadys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, April 27, 2018
Holbrook line: John Clough, Immigrant, 1613-1691
Oh, how I love this ancestor of ours! Why, you may ask? The primary reason is that there is a lot of information about him, more than I can use, and so research isn't needed. I'm just compiling some of what I've found here. For more information, go to Robert Charles Anderson's Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-35, or to "The John Clough Genealogical Society" on-line. There, you will find more details about his story than I can use here.
Even though there is a lot of information about him, he is another one of those "origin unknown" men. I have temporarily listed his parents as John Clough and Susanna, but that is not documented at all, so far as I can tell. This "fantasy father", as I call him, is reputed to have died at Jamestowne, Va., so if it could be proven, there would surely be an interesting story there.
He is believed to have arrived in 1635 on the ship Elizabeth, although others say he may have arrived in 1634. There were two John Cloughs in Massachusetts Bay Colony at the same time, so the matter may be debated until reasonable proof is found. I'm saying he arrived in 1634 because there are references in 1638 to him having served either as an apprentice or as an indentured servant for four years, and he was released from that relationship then.
John was a house carpenter and also seems to have been some sort of sawyer, because he was asked to help make up 12,000 feet of merchantable boards in 1673. The two occupations would have worked well together; perhaps he prepared the wood for the homes he built. His first residence was at Ipswich but he was in Salisbury, Essex County, by 1639. His house lot is shown on a map dated to about 1640, although his name is not on a list of first settlers that I found. Surely his talents would have been needed, in building homes for the families that would settle there. Salisbury is on the most northern of the towns in Massachusetts, right on the Atlantic Ocean. If you go further north, you're in New Hampshire. It would have been a very pretty location, as well as practical because there was also a river there.
John served on various juries as required by law but he doesn't seem to have been generally active in civic affairs. He was the constable in 1662 and served as some sort of arbiter in 1679. He married Jane, whose last name is unknown, sometime in or before 1642, and the two had seven known children. Jane died in Salisbury on January 16, 1679/80. John waited seven years and then married Martha Blaisdell Bowden Cilley. They had no children. John died at Salisbury on July 26, 1691. He left a will because Robert Charles Anderson has had access to it, but it isn't in the Essex County probate records that are on line. However, Anderson reports that his estate was valued at 284 pounds, 8 shillings, of which 215 pounds was real estate, and also reports that his inventory included books. He provided for his second wife in his will, and also mentioned children and grand children.
Apparently not much is known about his religious beliefs, or his education (he did sign his will), or whether he was involved in any type of militia during his earlier years. There was a garrison in town, so presumably he would have at least helped defend the garrison, in case of attack. He may even have been involved in its construction. He is another of our mostly unsung heroes who helped build and protect the first settlements in New England. Thank you, sir!
The line of descent is:
John Clough-Jane
John Clough-Mercy Page
Benoni Clough-Hannah Merrill
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Even though there is a lot of information about him, he is another one of those "origin unknown" men. I have temporarily listed his parents as John Clough and Susanna, but that is not documented at all, so far as I can tell. This "fantasy father", as I call him, is reputed to have died at Jamestowne, Va., so if it could be proven, there would surely be an interesting story there.
He is believed to have arrived in 1635 on the ship Elizabeth, although others say he may have arrived in 1634. There were two John Cloughs in Massachusetts Bay Colony at the same time, so the matter may be debated until reasonable proof is found. I'm saying he arrived in 1634 because there are references in 1638 to him having served either as an apprentice or as an indentured servant for four years, and he was released from that relationship then.
John was a house carpenter and also seems to have been some sort of sawyer, because he was asked to help make up 12,000 feet of merchantable boards in 1673. The two occupations would have worked well together; perhaps he prepared the wood for the homes he built. His first residence was at Ipswich but he was in Salisbury, Essex County, by 1639. His house lot is shown on a map dated to about 1640, although his name is not on a list of first settlers that I found. Surely his talents would have been needed, in building homes for the families that would settle there. Salisbury is on the most northern of the towns in Massachusetts, right on the Atlantic Ocean. If you go further north, you're in New Hampshire. It would have been a very pretty location, as well as practical because there was also a river there.
John served on various juries as required by law but he doesn't seem to have been generally active in civic affairs. He was the constable in 1662 and served as some sort of arbiter in 1679. He married Jane, whose last name is unknown, sometime in or before 1642, and the two had seven known children. Jane died in Salisbury on January 16, 1679/80. John waited seven years and then married Martha Blaisdell Bowden Cilley. They had no children. John died at Salisbury on July 26, 1691. He left a will because Robert Charles Anderson has had access to it, but it isn't in the Essex County probate records that are on line. However, Anderson reports that his estate was valued at 284 pounds, 8 shillings, of which 215 pounds was real estate, and also reports that his inventory included books. He provided for his second wife in his will, and also mentioned children and grand children.
Apparently not much is known about his religious beliefs, or his education (he did sign his will), or whether he was involved in any type of militia during his earlier years. There was a garrison in town, so presumably he would have at least helped defend the garrison, in case of attack. He may even have been involved in its construction. He is another of our mostly unsung heroes who helped build and protect the first settlements in New England. Thank you, sir!
The line of descent is:
John Clough-Jane
John Clough-Mercy Page
Benoni Clough-Hannah Merrill
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 3, 2017
Holbrook line: Matthew Whipple 1588-1647
It's always fun to find an ancestor I've overlooked, and to find there is quite a bit of information about him, AND to find his will AND his inventory. So it's been a fun morning.
Matthew Whipple isn't a name that leaps to my mind when remembering my immigrant ancestors, but maybe now he will be. There is a log of information about him on the Geni sight, and more on AmericanAncestors. The will is found in Volume 1 of The Probate Records of Essex County, which means it's been transcribed and although I still struggle with archaic spellings and meanings and even vocabulary, at least I don't have to try to read ancient handwriting.
Matthew was born, or christened, December 19,1588, in Bocking, Essex, England. His parents were Matthew Whipple and Joan. Matthew of England was a clothier, and based on his will, was apparently well off. I'm not finding a lot of information about Bocking on line, but I did find St Mary's Church, which is where Matthew probably attended as a child, and where his father is buried (likely his mother, too).. He had at least nine brothers and sisters, and Matthew was the fifth child born into the family.
Matthew married Ann or Anne Hawkins on May 7, 1622, at St Mary's church in Bocking. I haven't done any proof work to say whether I believe this or not, but Ann is supposed to be a granddaughter of the famous John Hawkins, merchant, slave trader, explorer, treasurer and controller of the English Navy. (I am learning to be somewhat doubtful when I find a line tied to someone famous, since I've been burned a few times by published genealogies that turned out to be mistaken or in some cases just plain fraudulent.)
Matthew and Ann had at least 5 children and possibly more. Apparently most were born in Bocking but the last one or two may have been born in Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony. The family immigrated apparently between 1636 and 1638. He was a member of the church there and I believe that when I see the phrase "Deacon Whipple" it refers to our Matthew. Ann died sometime before September 28, 1646, when Matthew married Rose Barker Chute, who outlived him.
I've found that Matthew held many offices but I've not found a list other than that he was frequently a "clerke", That indicates he could read and write, and that is supported by contents of his inventory which included 29 books. He was one of the largest landowners in the area, along with his brother John. From his inventory, we can see that he farmed, that he had several weapons, and that he had a large amount of linen goods as well as at least three wheels, two linen and one cotton. It appears that his home had at least three rooms as many objects, including 85 "peeces" of pewter were in the hall, and the linens and some clothes were in the parlor. There was a chamber over the parlor which held miscellaneous items, and then there are a lot of tools that must have been kept in a barn. He had a dwelling house with 4 acres of ground that included a "barne" and other out houses, a 6 acre lot, a four acre lot, six acres of marsh, and a farm containing 160 acres plus a meadow of 30 acres, and then another 20 acres of marsh and "wast" land. We are surprised that his estate was valued at only a little over 287 pounds when we see the long list of his property.
His will was written March 7, 1645 and then he added a codicil September 13, 1646 to provide for his new wife, Rose. All of her items that she brought to the marriage were to remain hers, and she was given 10 pounds, besides. William must have died within a year, because the will was proven July 28, 1647.
I'd love to learn more about Matthew and his life in both Bocking and Ipswich. It's been fun to learn this much but I always have more questions, it seems. For now, we know of another immigrant to the New World, one who apparently did well for himself and his family. It's a start.
The line of descent is:
Matthew Whipple-Ann Hawkins
Anna Whipple-John Annable
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittermore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Matthew Whipple isn't a name that leaps to my mind when remembering my immigrant ancestors, but maybe now he will be. There is a log of information about him on the Geni sight, and more on AmericanAncestors. The will is found in Volume 1 of The Probate Records of Essex County, which means it's been transcribed and although I still struggle with archaic spellings and meanings and even vocabulary, at least I don't have to try to read ancient handwriting.
Matthew was born, or christened, December 19,1588, in Bocking, Essex, England. His parents were Matthew Whipple and Joan. Matthew of England was a clothier, and based on his will, was apparently well off. I'm not finding a lot of information about Bocking on line, but I did find St Mary's Church, which is where Matthew probably attended as a child, and where his father is buried (likely his mother, too).. He had at least nine brothers and sisters, and Matthew was the fifth child born into the family.
Matthew married Ann or Anne Hawkins on May 7, 1622, at St Mary's church in Bocking. I haven't done any proof work to say whether I believe this or not, but Ann is supposed to be a granddaughter of the famous John Hawkins, merchant, slave trader, explorer, treasurer and controller of the English Navy. (I am learning to be somewhat doubtful when I find a line tied to someone famous, since I've been burned a few times by published genealogies that turned out to be mistaken or in some cases just plain fraudulent.)
Matthew and Ann had at least 5 children and possibly more. Apparently most were born in Bocking but the last one or two may have been born in Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony. The family immigrated apparently between 1636 and 1638. He was a member of the church there and I believe that when I see the phrase "Deacon Whipple" it refers to our Matthew. Ann died sometime before September 28, 1646, when Matthew married Rose Barker Chute, who outlived him.
I've found that Matthew held many offices but I've not found a list other than that he was frequently a "clerke", That indicates he could read and write, and that is supported by contents of his inventory which included 29 books. He was one of the largest landowners in the area, along with his brother John. From his inventory, we can see that he farmed, that he had several weapons, and that he had a large amount of linen goods as well as at least three wheels, two linen and one cotton. It appears that his home had at least three rooms as many objects, including 85 "peeces" of pewter were in the hall, and the linens and some clothes were in the parlor. There was a chamber over the parlor which held miscellaneous items, and then there are a lot of tools that must have been kept in a barn. He had a dwelling house with 4 acres of ground that included a "barne" and other out houses, a 6 acre lot, a four acre lot, six acres of marsh, and a farm containing 160 acres plus a meadow of 30 acres, and then another 20 acres of marsh and "wast" land. We are surprised that his estate was valued at only a little over 287 pounds when we see the long list of his property.
His will was written March 7, 1645 and then he added a codicil September 13, 1646 to provide for his new wife, Rose. All of her items that she brought to the marriage were to remain hers, and she was given 10 pounds, besides. William must have died within a year, because the will was proven July 28, 1647.
I'd love to learn more about Matthew and his life in both Bocking and Ipswich. It's been fun to learn this much but I always have more questions, it seems. For now, we know of another immigrant to the New World, one who apparently did well for himself and his family. It's a start.
The line of descent is:
Matthew Whipple-Ann Hawkins
Anna Whipple-John Annable
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittermore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, May 13, 2016
Holbrook line: Nathaniel Merrill 1601-1655, Immigrant
Like most of our immigrant ancestors, there are many mysteries about Nathaniel Merrill. He was born in 1600 or 1601 (baptized May 4, 1601) in the very small village of Whersted, Suffolk, England, the son of Nathaniel Merrill and Mary Blaxall or possibly Blackwell. He had eight siblings, so this was a large family to support in such a small community. We don't know what Nathaniel Senior did for a living. We do know that the immigrant was baptized at St Mary's Church, which dates from at least the 14th century. We also know that Ipswich, the nearest large town, was the location of many Puritan believers. We don't know how the beliefs in the next town did or did not influence the Merrill family.
There is controversy as to when Nathaniel Merrill came to America, when he married, and even who he married. Some believe he came to America as early as 1633, lived in Ipswich, went back to England for his wife or to marry, and then had at least one child there, in 1638. Others think he didn't come to America for the first time until at least 1639. I haven't been able to find "proof" of any of this. As far as a marriage, his wife was known as Susannah but there seems to be no proof of her parentage
We do know that his brother, John, held land for him in Newbury in 1638. Whether this land is the first that Nathaniel owned is open to question, as I have also seen comments, but no documentation, that he owned land in Ipswich Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 and that he had earlier been at Salisbury. Again, there is no documentation.
We know that a child, Susannah, was born at Lawford, Essex, England in 1638, or at least baptized there, and the earlier children (Nathaniel, John, Abraham) are presumed to have been born there, also. So how and why Nathaniel would have moved from Suffolk County to Essex County is a matter we are still pondering, as well as if he was in America during those years, how the children came with such regularity. Based on his will, he is believed to have been a farmer but he only bequeathed five acres of land and some marsh, so perhaps he was a tenant farmer or perhaps he had already disposed of the land he had. If he didn't arrive in America until 1639 or later, and died in 1654, then he had only had 15 years to build up his estate, and with six or possibly seven children, that would have been difficult.
His children are Nathaniel, John, Abraham, Susannah, Daniel and Abel. Some sites also give him a son, Thomas, but there seems to be no documentation for this, either.
Nathaniel died about March 16, 1654/55, in Newbury and is buried at the First Burying Ground there. I've found nothing so far that would tell us more about his life I've not found a reference as to whether or when he was made a freeman, nor anything about his religious views, nor what kind of public office he might have held. I'd sure like to fill in the many blanks in his "dash", and especially to identify his wife. Can you help?
The line of descent is:
Nathaniel Merrill-Susannah
Nathaniel Merrill-Joanna Kinney or Kenney
Hannah Merrill-Benoni Clough
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittermoe-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
There is controversy as to when Nathaniel Merrill came to America, when he married, and even who he married. Some believe he came to America as early as 1633, lived in Ipswich, went back to England for his wife or to marry, and then had at least one child there, in 1638. Others think he didn't come to America for the first time until at least 1639. I haven't been able to find "proof" of any of this. As far as a marriage, his wife was known as Susannah but there seems to be no proof of her parentage
We do know that his brother, John, held land for him in Newbury in 1638. Whether this land is the first that Nathaniel owned is open to question, as I have also seen comments, but no documentation, that he owned land in Ipswich Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 and that he had earlier been at Salisbury. Again, there is no documentation.
We know that a child, Susannah, was born at Lawford, Essex, England in 1638, or at least baptized there, and the earlier children (Nathaniel, John, Abraham) are presumed to have been born there, also. So how and why Nathaniel would have moved from Suffolk County to Essex County is a matter we are still pondering, as well as if he was in America during those years, how the children came with such regularity. Based on his will, he is believed to have been a farmer but he only bequeathed five acres of land and some marsh, so perhaps he was a tenant farmer or perhaps he had already disposed of the land he had. If he didn't arrive in America until 1639 or later, and died in 1654, then he had only had 15 years to build up his estate, and with six or possibly seven children, that would have been difficult.
His children are Nathaniel, John, Abraham, Susannah, Daniel and Abel. Some sites also give him a son, Thomas, but there seems to be no documentation for this, either.
Nathaniel died about March 16, 1654/55, in Newbury and is buried at the First Burying Ground there. I've found nothing so far that would tell us more about his life I've not found a reference as to whether or when he was made a freeman, nor anything about his religious views, nor what kind of public office he might have held. I'd sure like to fill in the many blanks in his "dash", and especially to identify his wife. Can you help?
The line of descent is:
Nathaniel Merrill-Susannah
Nathaniel Merrill-Joanna Kinney or Kenney
Hannah Merrill-Benoni Clough
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittermoe-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
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