Our ancestor is notorious, not because he did anything wrong, but because he has confused and confounded genealogists and family historians. His death date is often given far too early, 1676, when it was his son John Rockwood who died during an attack by the Nipmucks during King Philip's War. He is sometimes assigned to the wrong parents. Nicholas Rockwood and Margaret Holbrook are not correct, as they didn't marry until our John was a teenager. Having said that, here's what we do know about John Rockwood, whose name is sometimes spelled Rocket or Rockett, just to make it more fun to research him.
He was born November 1, 1641 probably at Braintree, Massachusetts (even though the vital records don't seem to list his birth there). His parents were Richard Rockwood and Agnes Lovell, sometimes seen as Agnes Bicknell. Actually, Robert Charles Anderson doesn't accept that her maiden name was Lovell. She was married to Zachary Bicknell and married Richard Rockwood as a widow. John had an older step brother and at least two sisters who apparently grew up in the same household.
He married Joanna Ford, daughter of someone named Ford, apparently. There seems to be no firm resolution as to this; I've seen Nicholas, Thomas, and William Ford each listed on a different website as her father. However, I can say that they married July 15, 1662 in Braintree. John and Joanna had at least ten children together. Some were born in Braintree, some in Mendon, and some in Medfield. The family moved to Mendon by 1667, when John was awarded land in the meadows, probably indicating he already had a houselot, although it wasn't surveyed until 1669. That same year, he was appointed to a committee to agree on the boundaries between Mendon and Dedham.
John would likely have been content to stay his whole life in Mendon, but King Philip's War, particularly the burning of the towa n and the death of his twelve year old son, sent him and the family to Medfield for at least a few years. It would have been a fearsome time, and difficult to rebuilt after losing everything. I don't find him listed as a soldier in the war but he would have been only 34 or 35 years old so it's likely that he at least did garrison duty or was otherwise engaged with the militia.
His will tells us that he was a husbandman, or farmer. Joanna had died at some point because his will refers to his wife Rebecca, identified elsewhere as Rebecca Crafts. He wrote his will in Mendon but there isn't a death record there, so he may have moved, either to be with his wife's family or with one of his children. Unfortunately, I've not found an inventory for him, yet, which may indicate he had already disposed of his land and had few personal possessions.
John Rockwood was one of those quiet men, it seems, who took care of his family, saw sorrow and joy, and helped build New England. I'd like to learn more about him.
The line of descent is:
John Rockwood-Joanna Ford
Joanna Rockwood-Nicholas Cook
Mary Cook-Joseph Holbrook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Second line starts with John Rockwood and Joanna Ford
Joseph Rockwood-Mary Hayward
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
and on as above. So Susannah and Nahum were fourth cousins. I wonder if they knew that?
Showing posts with label Ford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ford. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Friday, March 29, 2019
Holbrook line: Thomas Ford, Immigrant
Information is quite plentiful about Thomas Ford. The problem is that much of it is contradictory, or makes no sense. It's believed that he was born about 1587 in Bridport or possibly Symondsbury, Dorset, England. The two towns are located just inland from the English channel, with Symondsbury being about one and a half miles west of Dorset. Both towns were involved in rope and hemp making as their primary occupations, and both appear to have been quite small when Thomas was born. I have at least three sets of proposed parents for Thomas, so am not able to make even a guess at this point.
Thomas married first Joan Way, possibly, and secondly, Elizabeth Charde, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (possibly Bunckom) Charde at Bridport on June 19, 1616. Elizabeth had first been married to Aaron Cooke in 1610, and she had one child, a son, with him. In 1623, the family was living in Dorchester, Dorset, England, where they were taught by Rev. John White, a Puritan. Several of the families under his pastoral care traveled to America together, intending to settle together. Thomas and Elizabeth had five children together, all of whom came to America with their parents when they migrated in 1630 on the Mary and John. Aaron Cooke, Jr. also was with them, counted as one of their six children.
Thomas and his family settled first in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he was admitted a freeman on May 18, 1631, meaning he was a man of good standing, a member of the church, and owned property. The family stayed in Dorchester for another five years, when they moved to the new settlement of Windsor, Connecticut. Thomas was one of four men who purchased a large tract of land from native Americans, and he was granted fifty acres of land in Simsbury in 1637. The Fords lived in Windsor, however, and it was from here that he served as deputy to the general court for at least four years. Elizabeth died there in 1643. She left Thomas with several teenagers and slightly older children to guide into adulthood, although some had already married and established their own homes.
Thomas moved to Hartford, Connecticut about 1644 , where he married widow Ann Scott, and stayed there several years as the proprietor of an "ordinary", a combination tavern and inn, and then moved at some point between 1659 and 1670 to Northampton, Massachusetts, where several of his children had settled. He had one child with Ann. He died at Northampton in 1676, when he was about 89 years old, about a year after burying his third wife. His estate was valued at about 369 pounds, which was certainly more than many of his contemporaries left, although not enough to be called wealthy.
Thomas is an ancestor we can acknowledge with pride. He participated in the building of Dorchester and Windsor, and served in political capacities for several years. He was a man of strong religious beliefs. He raised several children, including a step son, and saw them well situated when he died. Of course I'd like to know more about him, but I am grateful to know this much.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Ford-Elizabeth Charde
Abigail Ford-John Strong
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Martha Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Euzebia Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas married first Joan Way, possibly, and secondly, Elizabeth Charde, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (possibly Bunckom) Charde at Bridport on June 19, 1616. Elizabeth had first been married to Aaron Cooke in 1610, and she had one child, a son, with him. In 1623, the family was living in Dorchester, Dorset, England, where they were taught by Rev. John White, a Puritan. Several of the families under his pastoral care traveled to America together, intending to settle together. Thomas and Elizabeth had five children together, all of whom came to America with their parents when they migrated in 1630 on the Mary and John. Aaron Cooke, Jr. also was with them, counted as one of their six children.
Thomas and his family settled first in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he was admitted a freeman on May 18, 1631, meaning he was a man of good standing, a member of the church, and owned property. The family stayed in Dorchester for another five years, when they moved to the new settlement of Windsor, Connecticut. Thomas was one of four men who purchased a large tract of land from native Americans, and he was granted fifty acres of land in Simsbury in 1637. The Fords lived in Windsor, however, and it was from here that he served as deputy to the general court for at least four years. Elizabeth died there in 1643. She left Thomas with several teenagers and slightly older children to guide into adulthood, although some had already married and established their own homes.
Thomas moved to Hartford, Connecticut about 1644 , where he married widow Ann Scott, and stayed there several years as the proprietor of an "ordinary", a combination tavern and inn, and then moved at some point between 1659 and 1670 to Northampton, Massachusetts, where several of his children had settled. He had one child with Ann. He died at Northampton in 1676, when he was about 89 years old, about a year after burying his third wife. His estate was valued at about 369 pounds, which was certainly more than many of his contemporaries left, although not enough to be called wealthy.
Thomas is an ancestor we can acknowledge with pride. He participated in the building of Dorchester and Windsor, and served in political capacities for several years. He was a man of strong religious beliefs. He raised several children, including a step son, and saw them well situated when he died. Of course I'd like to know more about him, but I am grateful to know this much.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Ford-Elizabeth Charde
Abigail Ford-John Strong
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Martha Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Euzebia Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Holbrook line: Elder John Strong, Immigrant
I just have to love John Strong. He was financially successful and although not very well-educated, he rose to become Elder in his church, he had a not very desirable profession, and, he had 18 children. Two were with his first wife (one died shortly after birth, as did the mother), and 16 were with his second wife, Abigail Ford. For Abigail, I have the deepest admiration and respect also. 16 children! But the best thing about John Strong is that there is a lot of documented information about him, too much to put into this blog post. This will be the condensed version, taken largely from Robert Charles Anderson's Great Migration Project.
John was born about 1605 (some say 1610), in Chard, Somerset, England. His parents were John Strong and Eleanor, most likely Eleanor Deane, although there is some confusion about that. Also there is confusion about when John came to New England. It is possible that he first came in 1630 and then returned to England to marry Margery Deane in 1632. She was the daughter of William Deane. Whether or not John had earlier been to America, the family immigrated together in 1635 on the Hopewell. The family included son John, and probably an infant who was perhaps born at sea, or shortly after arrival in New England. Margery also died, and John was left with a one year old son to raise.
John was at this time living in Hingham, and he soon married Abigail Ford, who was the daughter of Thomas Ford and probably Elizabeth Charde. Abigail was only 16 when she married, but had lived in Massachusetts since about 1630 and at least knew a bit about life in the Colony, and probably knew how to run a household.
There doesn't seem to be an original source for this, but several secondary sources report that he was a tanner. This was a smelly, hard, time consuming job, but someone had to do it and John apparently did it well. Basically it involved turning the skins of domestic animals into leather, to be used for anything from saddles to clothing.
While skins were in process, John apparently had time to do a lot of other things also. One of the things he did was move. By 1638 he was in Taunton, where he served as Deputy to Plymouth Colony General Court at least 6 times. He was also on various petit juries, and a constable while at Taunton.
By 1647 the family had moved to Windsor, Connecticut, where he again was on the petit jury, and a constable. Then, in 1661 he moved the family once more to Northampton, north on the Connecticut River, in Massachusetts. Here he was chosen ruling elder of the church, and as such, assisted in the installation of the pastor when one was finally obtained in 1663. Although I haven't found supporting documentation, others have made the claim that he helped protect Northampton during King Philip's War in 1675-76. He would have been old to have actually left the town with the militia, but he may well have stayed behind to help the colonists who hadn't left their homes.
John had been granted, or purchased, land in each of the villages he had lived in, but all of the land was apparently gone, sold to his sons, when John died in 1699. He provided for his daughters in his will, but charged their bequests with money he had already given them, down to the last shilling, it appears. Abigail had died earlier, on July 6, 1688, at the age of 74. She had 16 children, and still lived into her seventies, which makes her a very strong woman, to my way of thinking. When John died, his estate was valued at about 210 pounds, with 61 pounds of debts charged against it. With 16 children raised and provided for, and a testimony of a godly life, I would say "Well lived, John Strong".
The line of descent is
John Strong-Abigail Ford
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Maria Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John was born about 1605 (some say 1610), in Chard, Somerset, England. His parents were John Strong and Eleanor, most likely Eleanor Deane, although there is some confusion about that. Also there is confusion about when John came to New England. It is possible that he first came in 1630 and then returned to England to marry Margery Deane in 1632. She was the daughter of William Deane. Whether or not John had earlier been to America, the family immigrated together in 1635 on the Hopewell. The family included son John, and probably an infant who was perhaps born at sea, or shortly after arrival in New England. Margery also died, and John was left with a one year old son to raise.
John was at this time living in Hingham, and he soon married Abigail Ford, who was the daughter of Thomas Ford and probably Elizabeth Charde. Abigail was only 16 when she married, but had lived in Massachusetts since about 1630 and at least knew a bit about life in the Colony, and probably knew how to run a household.
There doesn't seem to be an original source for this, but several secondary sources report that he was a tanner. This was a smelly, hard, time consuming job, but someone had to do it and John apparently did it well. Basically it involved turning the skins of domestic animals into leather, to be used for anything from saddles to clothing.
While skins were in process, John apparently had time to do a lot of other things also. One of the things he did was move. By 1638 he was in Taunton, where he served as Deputy to Plymouth Colony General Court at least 6 times. He was also on various petit juries, and a constable while at Taunton.
By 1647 the family had moved to Windsor, Connecticut, where he again was on the petit jury, and a constable. Then, in 1661 he moved the family once more to Northampton, north on the Connecticut River, in Massachusetts. Here he was chosen ruling elder of the church, and as such, assisted in the installation of the pastor when one was finally obtained in 1663. Although I haven't found supporting documentation, others have made the claim that he helped protect Northampton during King Philip's War in 1675-76. He would have been old to have actually left the town with the militia, but he may well have stayed behind to help the colonists who hadn't left their homes.
John had been granted, or purchased, land in each of the villages he had lived in, but all of the land was apparently gone, sold to his sons, when John died in 1699. He provided for his daughters in his will, but charged their bequests with money he had already given them, down to the last shilling, it appears. Abigail had died earlier, on July 6, 1688, at the age of 74. She had 16 children, and still lived into her seventies, which makes her a very strong woman, to my way of thinking. When John died, his estate was valued at about 210 pounds, with 61 pounds of debts charged against it. With 16 children raised and provided for, and a testimony of a godly life, I would say "Well lived, John Strong".
The line of descent is
John Strong-Abigail Ford
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Maria Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 31, 2017
Holbrook Line: Richard Rockwood 1602-1660 Immigrant
Richard Rocket or Rockwood came to America in or before 1633, but Robert Charles Anderson has not included him as a featured immigrant in his Great Migration series. I don't know why he has been missed, but fortunately there are other sources that help tell his story. It's just that Anderson would have done a superb job, and he missed that opportunity.
Richard was born in 1602 in Weymouth, Dorset, England. His parents were Richard and Elizabeth (maiden name not known) Rockwood. Weymouth is a town on the south coast of England, and has always had a port since is was founded in the middle of the 13th century. So much of the townspeople would have either worked as merchants or in the maritime trade itself. Probably there were fishing fleets that sailed from here as well. Richard, therefore, would have lived in a town that was very different from the hometowns of some of our other ancestors, who either lived in a large city or in a small inland village.
It's believed that Richard sailed to Massachusetts in 1633, when he was given land in Dorchester. He first married an unknown wife in 1628, and then married Agnes Lovell, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Dunckley Lovell in 1636/37. She died in 1643, after giving birth to John Rockwood and possibly one other child. Robert then married Ann as yet not identified, but they apparently had not children together.
By 1641 it appears that the Richard and Agnes and their children were living in Braintree, where they lived out their lives. Agnes died in 1643 in Braintree and Richard died July 6, 1660 in Dorchester, with third wife Ann surviving.
We don't know Richard's occupation, or his religion, and although there seems to be a will and an appraisal or inventory I have not yet located it. I do find notes that the estate was balued at slightly over 38 pounds, but I don't know whether or not that included his land, and I don't know how much land he owned when he died. At one time, he had 40 acres in Dorchester.
Richard is the ancestor of President James Garfield, so this President is also our distant cousin.
The line of descent is:
Richard Rockwood-Agnes Lovell
John Rockwood-Joanna Ford
Joseph Rockwood-Mary Hayward
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Rockwood Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Richard was born in 1602 in Weymouth, Dorset, England. His parents were Richard and Elizabeth (maiden name not known) Rockwood. Weymouth is a town on the south coast of England, and has always had a port since is was founded in the middle of the 13th century. So much of the townspeople would have either worked as merchants or in the maritime trade itself. Probably there were fishing fleets that sailed from here as well. Richard, therefore, would have lived in a town that was very different from the hometowns of some of our other ancestors, who either lived in a large city or in a small inland village.
It's believed that Richard sailed to Massachusetts in 1633, when he was given land in Dorchester. He first married an unknown wife in 1628, and then married Agnes Lovell, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Dunckley Lovell in 1636/37. She died in 1643, after giving birth to John Rockwood and possibly one other child. Robert then married Ann as yet not identified, but they apparently had not children together.
By 1641 it appears that the Richard and Agnes and their children were living in Braintree, where they lived out their lives. Agnes died in 1643 in Braintree and Richard died July 6, 1660 in Dorchester, with third wife Ann surviving.
We don't know Richard's occupation, or his religion, and although there seems to be a will and an appraisal or inventory I have not yet located it. I do find notes that the estate was balued at slightly over 38 pounds, but I don't know whether or not that included his land, and I don't know how much land he owned when he died. At one time, he had 40 acres in Dorchester.
Richard is the ancestor of President James Garfield, so this President is also our distant cousin.
The line of descent is:
Richard Rockwood-Agnes Lovell
John Rockwood-Joanna Ford
Joseph Rockwood-Mary Hayward
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Rockwood Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Allen line: Timothy Ford bt 1611-1684, Immigrant
We know at least a few things about Timothy Ford. It is quite likely that he came from Devonshire, England. He may or may not be connected to the Henry and Catherine Drake Ford from that area. I have it on my tree as fact, but looking at it more closely, he didn't have children named Henry or Catherine so I am a bit skeptical. Also, Henry was a Sir Henry and Catherine was from a family connected to Sir Francis Drake. So one would think that he would at least be accorded the title of "Gentleman" and I haven't found him referred to as such. So maybe they were distant cousins, but Timothy was probably not their child. (I hope I'm wrong; I like the Francis Drake connection.)
Timothy is believed to have come to New England in 1637 and to have stayed in the Cambridge area for a couple of years before traveling to New Haven. We don't know whether he went to New Haven for religious reasons or for some other purpose, but it appears that his marriage took place at about this same time. New Haven was the most Puritan town, and the strictest, in New England so we can hope he went willingly, knowing that life would be different in New Haven than it was in Boston.
Most sides give his wife's name as Eliza Gordy, but I haven't found any documentation as to that name. Torrey's New England Marriages doesn't give her even a first name, so I guess the verdict is still out on the name of his wife. The marriage, however, is supposed to have taken place before 1640, as Samuel Ford was born in that year, and at least five other children were born after that. Timothy signed his name to the New Haven Covenant in 1639 and received land during the first and second divisions of land there. He took the "oath of allegiance" in 1644, which basically said he would do what the government (local) said. 215 other men took the oath at the same time, probably all the residents except for perhaps the very sick and those temporarily away from home.
He is believed to have been a farmer, and seems to have been hard pressed for funds in the early years of his marriage, but gradually acquired more land. He moved to Fairfield, where he owned land before 1650, but was back in New Haven by 1652. He was fined there, then for a defect in his arms (there were strict rules as to what kind of guns and swords each man must have, and the type and amount of ammunition0 and he tried to excuse himself by saying the requirements were different "where he came from". Since he was fined, apparently the judge didn't buy the excuse.
When the meeting house was built, the Fords were assigned seats toward the back of the room, which indicates a low social status, but 25 years later they were in the center of the room, and he was in the 7th row, which may mean he was more prosperous or it may mean simply that age had its privileges.
His wife, referred to as Goody Ford, died in 1681 and Timothy died August 28, 1684. He had sold some of his land to one of his sons in 1679, but his estate was still valued at 166 pounds, 17 shillings, and two pence. He had come up in the world.
Timothy didn't leave a lot or records behind, but apparently he kept out of trouble except for the one arms violation, and that was hard to do in a town like New Haven. My respects to this gentleman, our ancestor!
The line of descent is:
Timothy Ford-possibly Elizabeth Gordy
Bethiah Ford-Matthew Bellamy
Matthew Bellamy-Mary Johnson
Hannah Bellamy-John Royse
Elizabeth Royse-William McCoy
James McCoy-Nancy Lane
Vincent McCoy-Eleanor Jackson
Nancy McCoy-George Allen
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Timothy is believed to have come to New England in 1637 and to have stayed in the Cambridge area for a couple of years before traveling to New Haven. We don't know whether he went to New Haven for religious reasons or for some other purpose, but it appears that his marriage took place at about this same time. New Haven was the most Puritan town, and the strictest, in New England so we can hope he went willingly, knowing that life would be different in New Haven than it was in Boston.
Most sides give his wife's name as Eliza Gordy, but I haven't found any documentation as to that name. Torrey's New England Marriages doesn't give her even a first name, so I guess the verdict is still out on the name of his wife. The marriage, however, is supposed to have taken place before 1640, as Samuel Ford was born in that year, and at least five other children were born after that. Timothy signed his name to the New Haven Covenant in 1639 and received land during the first and second divisions of land there. He took the "oath of allegiance" in 1644, which basically said he would do what the government (local) said. 215 other men took the oath at the same time, probably all the residents except for perhaps the very sick and those temporarily away from home.
He is believed to have been a farmer, and seems to have been hard pressed for funds in the early years of his marriage, but gradually acquired more land. He moved to Fairfield, where he owned land before 1650, but was back in New Haven by 1652. He was fined there, then for a defect in his arms (there were strict rules as to what kind of guns and swords each man must have, and the type and amount of ammunition0 and he tried to excuse himself by saying the requirements were different "where he came from". Since he was fined, apparently the judge didn't buy the excuse.
When the meeting house was built, the Fords were assigned seats toward the back of the room, which indicates a low social status, but 25 years later they were in the center of the room, and he was in the 7th row, which may mean he was more prosperous or it may mean simply that age had its privileges.
His wife, referred to as Goody Ford, died in 1681 and Timothy died August 28, 1684. He had sold some of his land to one of his sons in 1679, but his estate was still valued at 166 pounds, 17 shillings, and two pence. He had come up in the world.
Timothy didn't leave a lot or records behind, but apparently he kept out of trouble except for the one arms violation, and that was hard to do in a town like New Haven. My respects to this gentleman, our ancestor!
The line of descent is:
Timothy Ford-possibly Elizabeth Gordy
Bethiah Ford-Matthew Bellamy
Matthew Bellamy-Mary Johnson
Hannah Bellamy-John Royse
Elizabeth Royse-William McCoy
James McCoy-Nancy Lane
Vincent McCoy-Eleanor Jackson
Nancy McCoy-George Allen
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Allen line: Matthew Bellamy about 1618?-1690
Matthew Bellamy seems to be one of our hidden ancestors, and yet, there is enough in the record to know that he was here, and that he was educated enough to be a school teacher for many years. He deserves to be more thoroughly researched.
Matthew apparently spent his entire life in various towns and villages in Connecticut. He may have been an early immigrant, but so far I am unable to pinpoint his arrival. His father is given as John Bellamy, supposedly born in London, England, but again, I have no proof and more work needs to be done. We don't know his birth date but he is known to have signed the plantation covenant of New Haven, Ct in 1639. He would have been at least 21 to have done so. That puts his birthdate at 1618 or earlier. He took the oath of fidelity in 1644 and taught school at various times at New Haven, Milford, Stamford, Guilford, Saybrook and Killingworth in Connecticut. One wonders whether he was more or less chased from town to town (too stern? too lenient? not completely in accord with church beliefs?) or whether he regarded it as his mission to start or continue schools in each of the new locations.
He married Bethia Ford, daughter of Timothy Ford and possibly Eliza Gordy in 1671 in Stamford, Ct. This was a late marriage and possibly second marriage for him, although no records have been found to indicate an earlier marriage. He would have been at least 53 years old at this time. Bethia, however, is believed to have been born in 1653, so she was a much younger woman. Regardless of the difference in their ages, the couple had five children. Matthew, Bethia and Elizabeth all died as infants. What a sorrow this must have been to the couple! They did, however, have two children who lived to adulthood, Mary and Matthew (a second time. It wasn't unusual to name a younger child after an older deceased sibling, especially when that was the father's name.)
The circumstances of his death are not known. The dates are variously given as 1689-1692, and it is believed he may have been lost at sea. Bethia died in 1692, but I haven't yet located wills or estate papers for either of them.
The information for this blog post came from very limited sources, mostly an article printed in 1907 in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. It's time for another look at this man. I'd like to know when and where he was born, how he acquired his education, and something about his early life. Did he have a "first family"? When did he actually arrive in New England, and where? Did he come for economic or for religious reasons? I think his story might be a fascinating one, if we only knew it!
The line of descent is:
Matthew Bellamy-Bethia Ford
Matthey Bellamy-Mary Johnson
Hannah Bellamy-John Royse
Elizabeth Royse-William McCoy
James McCoy-Nancy Ann Lane
Vincent McCoy-Eleanor Jackson
Nancy McCoy-George R Allen
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Matthew apparently spent his entire life in various towns and villages in Connecticut. He may have been an early immigrant, but so far I am unable to pinpoint his arrival. His father is given as John Bellamy, supposedly born in London, England, but again, I have no proof and more work needs to be done. We don't know his birth date but he is known to have signed the plantation covenant of New Haven, Ct in 1639. He would have been at least 21 to have done so. That puts his birthdate at 1618 or earlier. He took the oath of fidelity in 1644 and taught school at various times at New Haven, Milford, Stamford, Guilford, Saybrook and Killingworth in Connecticut. One wonders whether he was more or less chased from town to town (too stern? too lenient? not completely in accord with church beliefs?) or whether he regarded it as his mission to start or continue schools in each of the new locations.
He married Bethia Ford, daughter of Timothy Ford and possibly Eliza Gordy in 1671 in Stamford, Ct. This was a late marriage and possibly second marriage for him, although no records have been found to indicate an earlier marriage. He would have been at least 53 years old at this time. Bethia, however, is believed to have been born in 1653, so she was a much younger woman. Regardless of the difference in their ages, the couple had five children. Matthew, Bethia and Elizabeth all died as infants. What a sorrow this must have been to the couple! They did, however, have two children who lived to adulthood, Mary and Matthew (a second time. It wasn't unusual to name a younger child after an older deceased sibling, especially when that was the father's name.)
The circumstances of his death are not known. The dates are variously given as 1689-1692, and it is believed he may have been lost at sea. Bethia died in 1692, but I haven't yet located wills or estate papers for either of them.
The information for this blog post came from very limited sources, mostly an article printed in 1907 in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. It's time for another look at this man. I'd like to know when and where he was born, how he acquired his education, and something about his early life. Did he have a "first family"? When did he actually arrive in New England, and where? Did he come for economic or for religious reasons? I think his story might be a fascinating one, if we only knew it!
The line of descent is:
Matthew Bellamy-Bethia Ford
Matthey Bellamy-Mary Johnson
Hannah Bellamy-John Royse
Elizabeth Royse-William McCoy
James McCoy-Nancy Ann Lane
Vincent McCoy-Eleanor Jackson
Nancy McCoy-George R Allen
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Friday, March 20, 2015
Holbrook line: Oops! Not Anthony Eames?
I thought I was going to write this post about Anthony Eames. There is a fine amount of information about him on line, and it was going to be a pretty good post. But a funny thing happened on the way to writing this...I stumbled upon facts, documented facts. And they don't support what it is in my file notes, as to the lines of descent. I thought I had two lines, one through daughter Hannah who married William Ford, and one through son Robert who married Elizabeth. Again, oops!
As it turns out, Hannah is not proven to be a daughter of Anthony, and Robert isn't even mentioned in the most authoritative sources I can find. Both of these "children" are supposed to have been born in the right place at the right time, but records can't be found and there should be records, unless they were truly baptized somewhere away from their home, which can't be ruled out. Sometimes parents took at least one of their children to be baptized in the home church of either their father or their mother.
However, with documentation so lacking and so much unsearched and maybe unsearchable, I am not going to write a post about Anthony Eames now. Instead, I'm going to look for records to see what can be proven. If someone out there has worked on the Eames family, I'd love to hear from you.
Here are the lines of SUPPOSED descent from Anthony. Please don't take these as proven, because as far as I know, they are not.
Anthony Eames-Margery Pierce
Robert Eames-Elizabeth
John Eames-Abigail Morgan
John Eames-Rachel Comstock
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Second Line
Anthony Eames-Margery Peirce
Hannah Eames-William Ford
Joanna Ford-John Rockwood
Joseph Rockwood-Mary Hayward
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
I sure would like to learn the parents of Hannah Eames who married William Ford and also the parents of Robert Eames who married Elizabeth, or to get documentation that they are the children of Anthony and Margery, so I can someday write the post I intended to write today!
As it turns out, Hannah is not proven to be a daughter of Anthony, and Robert isn't even mentioned in the most authoritative sources I can find. Both of these "children" are supposed to have been born in the right place at the right time, but records can't be found and there should be records, unless they were truly baptized somewhere away from their home, which can't be ruled out. Sometimes parents took at least one of their children to be baptized in the home church of either their father or their mother.
However, with documentation so lacking and so much unsearched and maybe unsearchable, I am not going to write a post about Anthony Eames now. Instead, I'm going to look for records to see what can be proven. If someone out there has worked on the Eames family, I'd love to hear from you.
Here are the lines of SUPPOSED descent from Anthony. Please don't take these as proven, because as far as I know, they are not.
Anthony Eames-Margery Pierce
Robert Eames-Elizabeth
John Eames-Abigail Morgan
John Eames-Rachel Comstock
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Second Line
Anthony Eames-Margery Peirce
Hannah Eames-William Ford
Joanna Ford-John Rockwood
Joseph Rockwood-Mary Hayward
John Rockwood-Deborah Thayer
Joseph Rockwood-Alice Thompson
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susanna Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
I sure would like to learn the parents of Hannah Eames who married William Ford and also the parents of Robert Eames who married Elizabeth, or to get documentation that they are the children of Anthony and Margery, so I can someday write the post I intended to write today!
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