Oh, what a mess he was! We don't know anything about his early life although it's believed he was of Scotch descent. He seems to have been in the New World as early as 1627, when he is reported to have landed in Salem, Massachusetts. This was the main port of Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time. We lose sight of him for about ten years, which may mean he stayed out of trouble, and it also probably means he stayed out of church. He is not known to have been a Puritan, despite possible being associated with Rev. Hooker.
During his early years in the colonies he is reported to have "misbehaved" with an animal young men, and finally a girl. For the girl, he was ordered to be branded and whipped, and when the girl was ready, to marry her. Apparently the marriage didn't happen, and apparently there was some question about the virtue of the girl involved, as there was another court case involving her the next year . There is no evidence that Aaron and Mary Holt ever married.
It's believed that Aaron's wife was Sarah, possibly Lambert, with no real documentation for that last name. So for now, we need to consider that as an open question. From the ages of his children, it seems that he married late in life, perhaps around 1650 when he would have been in his early 40s. It may have taken him this long to establish himself and rebuild his damaged reputation.
There is an Aaron Stark from Windsor who participated in the Pequot War under Captain Mason, and it's believed this is our Aaron Stark since he was later awarded land based on his service during this conflict. He is also reported to have participated in King Philip's War. He had a son Aaron who would have been about 26 years old at the time of King Philip's War, and he seems to be a more likely candidate to fill the military mission. It's possible that our Aaron was credited with military service, but was one of the "old men" who stayed behind to help protect the women and children while the men were out fighting native Americans.
Aaron's first known residence was in Stonington, Ct where he stayed for several years. Finally, in 1666, he was made a freeman there. Three years later, he was accepted as a freeman in New London This means he was a respectable person who owned property, so he had indeed come up in the world. It's nice to see that he was rehabilitated from the scandals of his early days. Sarah may have settled him down. There were at least 6 children born to Aaron and Sarah: Aaron, Mehitable, John, Sarah, Elizabeth, and William. Some lists also show a Margaret, but I think she was probably the daughter of the son Aaron Stark. His final move seems to have been to Mystic, Ct and he seems to have died there in 1685. All of these locations were in close proximity so he may not have moved far, at all.
That's what is known about Aaron Stark, in a nutshell. He was a rehabbed citizen, a soldier of the early years of our county, and he came from nothing to owning his own land. He may not be the first ancestor we think of when we think of those we are proud of, but I would like to hear his side of the story. Perhaps the whipping/flogging he received gave him something to think about, and aided somehow in his reformation, or perhaps the early charges were greatly exaggerated. We'll probably never know, now, but he lived with those charges every day for the rest of his life That takes some kind of courage, and for Sarah, it took some sort of compassion.
The line of descent is:
Aaron Stark-Sarah
Sarah Stark-Samuel Fish
Abigail Fish-Daniel Eldridge
Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester
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
Showing posts with label Fish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fish. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Allen line: Samuel Eldred or Eldridge1620-1697, Immigrant
Well, we know his first name and we know he was an immigrant. The rest of the "facts" in the title are up for interpretation, to say the least. His name was generally spelled Eldred in the records I have looked at, but sometime after his generation the name is more commonly seen as Eldridge, as well as various other spellings. We say he was born in 1620 because that seems to be his christening record, although he, in various court documents, put his birth year at about 1612. And there are various reports as to when he died. It seems reasonable, based on the evidence, to think that he died in 1697 or shortly thereafter. I have seen a date as late as 1710, but that would put him at either 88 or 98 at the time of his death, which seems to stretch belief just a bit. (Yes, I know some people lived to be 90 even then, but it wasn't common.)
His parents are believed to be John and Anna Watson Eldred. His christening was on November 27, 1620at Ipswich, Suffolk, England. He had at least two brothers and a sister. His father died just a few days after Samuel married Elizabeth Miller at St Mary of the Quay in Ipswich.
By this time Samuel was a cordwainer (shoemaker) so he had a trade to support a wife. He is on record as a resident of Boston in 1641, so the couple must have come to America very shortly after their marriage. Samuel was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery in Boston in 1641, and either when he joined or later in his life was a sergeant. Military training was a fact of life for men of a certain age in Boston, and his training would come him handy later in his life.
Samuel and his growing family moved frequently. It's hard to tell what the reasons were for some of the moves, but we can make guesses about some of them. He lived in Charlestown, Medford, and Chelsea (Romney Marsh), and those moves may have been for economic reasons. He doesn't seem to have owned land in those locations, so he wasn't a first settler in any of them, but he may have been invited because people in those villages needed a shoemaker.
In 1660, however, the family moved to Wickford, Rhode Island. The statement is made, without proof so far as I know, that this was a Baptist family and they followed Roger Williams, 24 years after his forced eviction from Massachusetts Bay Colony. Other interpretations were that he was a follower of Anne Hutchinson, and left because of her banishment. This doesn't seem likely, as that exile took place 22 years earlier. At any rate, Samuel probably felt uncomfortable by 1660 and for whatever reason, went to Rhode Island.
He had some role in a dispute with Connecticut and apparently took that state's side. He tried to empanel a jury, for which he had no authority, and ended up being briefly imprisoned by Rhode Island officials, and rewarded with 18 rubles from Connecticut authorities. (I wish I understood this better, but this is the best I can do for now.) He and his family suffered great loss in King Phillip's War, and were given corn in the time of their distress (1676). So it sounds like at least the crop was lost, if not everything they owned. Samuel himself was involved in the War and assisted in capturing 18 native Americans at one time. It was not noted what became of the prisoners. By Samuel's calculations, he would have been about 64 years old at this time, yet he found himself in battle, and then starting over as far as crops and possibly a home go
Samuel and Elizabeth had at least seven, and possibly eight children. They were Elizabeth, Samuel, Mary, James, Thomas, John, Daniel, and possibly Enoch Kenyon. They were born from 1642 to 1663, with Enoch's birthplace and birthdate not noted. Elizabeth, Samuel's wife probably died in or shortly before 1697, and Samuel died sometime after Apil 13,1697, when he deeded land to son John. There is a burial plot on that land and Samuel and Elizabeth are believed to be buried there, but there is no stone or marker for them.
Samuel led an interesting life and took part in some of the events that allowed America to thrive. We should be proud to honor such a man.
The line of descent is
Samuel Eldred-Elizabeth Miller
Daniel Eldridge-Mary Phillips
Daniel Eldridge-Abigail Fish
Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester
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
His parents are believed to be John and Anna Watson Eldred. His christening was on November 27, 1620at Ipswich, Suffolk, England. He had at least two brothers and a sister. His father died just a few days after Samuel married Elizabeth Miller at St Mary of the Quay in Ipswich.
By this time Samuel was a cordwainer (shoemaker) so he had a trade to support a wife. He is on record as a resident of Boston in 1641, so the couple must have come to America very shortly after their marriage. Samuel was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery in Boston in 1641, and either when he joined or later in his life was a sergeant. Military training was a fact of life for men of a certain age in Boston, and his training would come him handy later in his life.
Samuel and his growing family moved frequently. It's hard to tell what the reasons were for some of the moves, but we can make guesses about some of them. He lived in Charlestown, Medford, and Chelsea (Romney Marsh), and those moves may have been for economic reasons. He doesn't seem to have owned land in those locations, so he wasn't a first settler in any of them, but he may have been invited because people in those villages needed a shoemaker.
In 1660, however, the family moved to Wickford, Rhode Island. The statement is made, without proof so far as I know, that this was a Baptist family and they followed Roger Williams, 24 years after his forced eviction from Massachusetts Bay Colony. Other interpretations were that he was a follower of Anne Hutchinson, and left because of her banishment. This doesn't seem likely, as that exile took place 22 years earlier. At any rate, Samuel probably felt uncomfortable by 1660 and for whatever reason, went to Rhode Island.
He had some role in a dispute with Connecticut and apparently took that state's side. He tried to empanel a jury, for which he had no authority, and ended up being briefly imprisoned by Rhode Island officials, and rewarded with 18 rubles from Connecticut authorities. (I wish I understood this better, but this is the best I can do for now.) He and his family suffered great loss in King Phillip's War, and were given corn in the time of their distress (1676). So it sounds like at least the crop was lost, if not everything they owned. Samuel himself was involved in the War and assisted in capturing 18 native Americans at one time. It was not noted what became of the prisoners. By Samuel's calculations, he would have been about 64 years old at this time, yet he found himself in battle, and then starting over as far as crops and possibly a home go
Samuel and Elizabeth had at least seven, and possibly eight children. They were Elizabeth, Samuel, Mary, James, Thomas, John, Daniel, and possibly Enoch Kenyon. They were born from 1642 to 1663, with Enoch's birthplace and birthdate not noted. Elizabeth, Samuel's wife probably died in or shortly before 1697, and Samuel died sometime after Apil 13,1697, when he deeded land to son John. There is a burial plot on that land and Samuel and Elizabeth are believed to be buried there, but there is no stone or marker for them.
Samuel led an interesting life and took part in some of the events that allowed America to thrive. We should be proud to honor such a man.
The line of descent is
Samuel Eldred-Elizabeth Miller
Daniel Eldridge-Mary Phillips
Daniel Eldridge-Abigail Fish
Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester
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
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Allen line: John Fish 1620-1689
Much is in dispute about John Fish. Most sources list him as having been born at Market Harborough, Great Bowden, Leicester, England in 1620/21, the second son of Robert and Alice Fish (her maiden name seems to have been Fish also; it is frequently seen as Fyshe, perhaps in an attempt to differentiate between the two families). Robert died in 1639, leaving his wife with 10 children, some in early adulthood and the youngest just four months old. It appears to be during this time period that John and his brother Thomas came to the New World, most likely to find a way to support themselves and perhaps hoping to send money back to their mother. We don't know what kind of education he had in Market Harborough, although he later taught school, so he certainly learned at least the basics. There was a good preparatory school in Market Harborough, and he may have gone there with the hopes of going on to a university.
When John arrived in New England, he disappears for a few years. This means he likely wasn't a landowner or the head of a family, and it also means he may not have been a member of a church. He apparently shows up in Wethersfield and Mystic, Connecticut, and also in Stratford and finally Stonington by 1670, when he is listed on a record of inhabitants. He was apparently a man with a temper, and seems to have moved from at least one of these locations (Stratford) due to quarrels with his neighbors. I haven't seen the records, but it is reported that he seems to have made some unwarranted accusations that eventually made their way to the courts.
John and his son Samuel were among the volunteers who fought in the Narrangansett War of 1675-76, and eventually, in 1700, Samuel was awarded land in his own name and also his deceased father's name in Voluntown, as a reward for their service.
John apparently had three wives, but only the first, Mary Ireland, gave him children. His second wife was Martha Stark, who was unfaithful and absconded with Samuel Culver in 1674. John was able to obtain a divorce six years later, and then in 1681 married Hannah Palmer Hewitt Steery. He would have been about sixty years old at this time. He was at this time a school teacher, instructing the children of Stonington in reading, writing, arithmetic, and grammar.
He was also a land surveyor, and laid out many of the public lands. By grant and by purchase, he became the proprietor of quite a lot of land in Stonington and at Groton, "considerably over one thousand acres". So far I have been unable to locate a specific date of death, although it is believed to be about 1689. I've also not located his will, although it seems that with over 1000 acres of land he would have had a will of some sort, unless he died very suddenly. More research needs to be done, as usual.
If we are looking for an ancestor to emulate, perhaps John Fish is not the one. He seems to have had a bit of a temper, and perhaps wasn't easy to live with, moving as frequently as he did. But I'd love to hear his side of the story, because drawing any real conclusions. He certainly came to the New World with hopes and dreams, and I hope they were realized, at least to some degree. For his service to his country, we owe him gratitude.
The line of descent is:
John Fish-Mary Ireland
Samuel Fish-Sarah Starke
Abigail Fish-Daniel Eldridge
Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester
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
When John arrived in New England, he disappears for a few years. This means he likely wasn't a landowner or the head of a family, and it also means he may not have been a member of a church. He apparently shows up in Wethersfield and Mystic, Connecticut, and also in Stratford and finally Stonington by 1670, when he is listed on a record of inhabitants. He was apparently a man with a temper, and seems to have moved from at least one of these locations (Stratford) due to quarrels with his neighbors. I haven't seen the records, but it is reported that he seems to have made some unwarranted accusations that eventually made their way to the courts.
John and his son Samuel were among the volunteers who fought in the Narrangansett War of 1675-76, and eventually, in 1700, Samuel was awarded land in his own name and also his deceased father's name in Voluntown, as a reward for their service.
John apparently had three wives, but only the first, Mary Ireland, gave him children. His second wife was Martha Stark, who was unfaithful and absconded with Samuel Culver in 1674. John was able to obtain a divorce six years later, and then in 1681 married Hannah Palmer Hewitt Steery. He would have been about sixty years old at this time. He was at this time a school teacher, instructing the children of Stonington in reading, writing, arithmetic, and grammar.
He was also a land surveyor, and laid out many of the public lands. By grant and by purchase, he became the proprietor of quite a lot of land in Stonington and at Groton, "considerably over one thousand acres". So far I have been unable to locate a specific date of death, although it is believed to be about 1689. I've also not located his will, although it seems that with over 1000 acres of land he would have had a will of some sort, unless he died very suddenly. More research needs to be done, as usual.
If we are looking for an ancestor to emulate, perhaps John Fish is not the one. He seems to have had a bit of a temper, and perhaps wasn't easy to live with, moving as frequently as he did. But I'd love to hear his side of the story, because drawing any real conclusions. He certainly came to the New World with hopes and dreams, and I hope they were realized, at least to some degree. For his service to his country, we owe him gratitude.
The line of descent is:
John Fish-Mary Ireland
Samuel Fish-Sarah Starke
Abigail Fish-Daniel Eldridge
Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester
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
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Allen line: Samuel Ireland 1603-1639 Immigrant
Samuel Ireland came from England. It would not surprise me to learn that one or more of his ancestors were Irish, but perhaps there is another reason for his name. His background, at this point, is still a mystery.
We know that he was born about 1603. Some websites are listing his place of birth as London but I haven't seen documentation to support that. We know he was born about 1603 because when he immigrated to New England, he was reported as being a carpenter, aged 32. He had a wife Marie, aged 30, and a daughter, aged one and one-half when he was permitted to set sail on the "Increase" after going through all the formalities to prove he was not a threat to the government nor to the Church of England.
We don't know where the family first landed, but they ended up in Wethersfield, Ct. Wethersfield was founded in 1634 so the family was almost in at the beginning of the settlement. He soon owned several small parcels (none larger than 10 acres) of land which indicates that most of them were probably as the result of being a founder of the settlement, and were given by the town as more or less a 'reward" for being there and doing the early hard work. As a carpenter, Samuel would have been kept quite busy building homes and businesses for those who wanted to settle there.
He is believed to have had at least one child in Connecticut. It's a little confusing but it seems the name of his first child was Martha and his second Mary. We don't know whether there were other children, but if there were, they apparently died young.
A major event during his time in Wethersfield was the Pequot War. There was an attack on the town in 1637, which resulted in the death of 6 men and 3 women, and several head of livestock, and the capture of two young girls. Undoubtedly this was a stressful time for the village, and it is likely that Samuel would have been involved in the militia that responded to the attack.
Unfortunately, Samuel also died young, sometime after September 5, 1639 and before April 2 of 1641, when his inventory was produced. We don't know whether it was an accident or an illness that took his life. His widow was to have one third and "the children" two thirds of the estate, which was valued at 70 pounds. Marie Ireland married Robert Burrows and he apparently took over the estate. She is believed to have died in 1672.
This isn't a lot to go on, but it does give us a brief glimpse of the kind of life Samuel must have led. He was a family man, a tradesman, a landowner, and likely a church member, one of the young men who helped our country get started. I'd love to know more about him, where he came from and who his parents were. But at least we know a little about his life on this side of the Atlantic.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Ireland-Marie or Mary
Mary Ireland-John Fish
Samuel Fish-Sarah Stark
Abigail Fish-Daniel Eldridge
Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
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
We know that he was born about 1603. Some websites are listing his place of birth as London but I haven't seen documentation to support that. We know he was born about 1603 because when he immigrated to New England, he was reported as being a carpenter, aged 32. He had a wife Marie, aged 30, and a daughter, aged one and one-half when he was permitted to set sail on the "Increase" after going through all the formalities to prove he was not a threat to the government nor to the Church of England.
We don't know where the family first landed, but they ended up in Wethersfield, Ct. Wethersfield was founded in 1634 so the family was almost in at the beginning of the settlement. He soon owned several small parcels (none larger than 10 acres) of land which indicates that most of them were probably as the result of being a founder of the settlement, and were given by the town as more or less a 'reward" for being there and doing the early hard work. As a carpenter, Samuel would have been kept quite busy building homes and businesses for those who wanted to settle there.
He is believed to have had at least one child in Connecticut. It's a little confusing but it seems the name of his first child was Martha and his second Mary. We don't know whether there were other children, but if there were, they apparently died young.
A major event during his time in Wethersfield was the Pequot War. There was an attack on the town in 1637, which resulted in the death of 6 men and 3 women, and several head of livestock, and the capture of two young girls. Undoubtedly this was a stressful time for the village, and it is likely that Samuel would have been involved in the militia that responded to the attack.
Unfortunately, Samuel also died young, sometime after September 5, 1639 and before April 2 of 1641, when his inventory was produced. We don't know whether it was an accident or an illness that took his life. His widow was to have one third and "the children" two thirds of the estate, which was valued at 70 pounds. Marie Ireland married Robert Burrows and he apparently took over the estate. She is believed to have died in 1672.
This isn't a lot to go on, but it does give us a brief glimpse of the kind of life Samuel must have led. He was a family man, a tradesman, a landowner, and likely a church member, one of the young men who helped our country get started. I'd love to know more about him, where he came from and who his parents were. But at least we know a little about his life on this side of the Atlantic.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Ireland-Marie or Mary
Mary Ireland-John Fish
Samuel Fish-Sarah Stark
Abigail Fish-Daniel Eldridge
Sarah Eldridge-Thomas Chester
Bathsheba Chester-Jonathan Havens
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
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