As I first researched this ancestor of ours, I could find only enough information to perhaps fill out three sentences. I knew his parents, his birth and death dates (incorrect death date, as it turns out), his siblings and his wife and children. I knew the town where he lived and died. I knew that his father was a deacon and a jailer, and I thought maybe our John had gone undercover, so to speak, to escape his father's reputation.
But as I did a little more research, I found a few more facts, ones that show John standing on his own two feet and becoming his own man. It's not much, yet, but still, it's more than I knew at the beginning.
John's parents were Richard and Alice Blower Brackett. His father had come to Massachusetts in 1632, returned to England to marry in 1633 and then returned to New England in 1634 with his bride. John had one older sister, Hannah. He and his brother were baptized the same day, May 7, 1637 in Boston. It's not clear whether the two were twins, but if not, they were certainly close all their days. Five more siblings were born after John. Remarkably, all of the children of Richard and Alice lived to adulthood.
It's not clear how much John would have remembered of his earliest childhood days in Boston, because his parents moved to Braintree about 1641. John would have been only about 4 years old at the time of the move, and Braintree was probably the equivalent of the old home place, although of course both Richard and Alice could have talked about their own childhoods, in England.
John, however, looked to the future. He married Hannah French, daughter of William and Elizabeth French, on September 6, 1661 in Braintree. Sometime during the next few years, he moved his family 45 miles north, to Billerica. Billerica had been founded in 1655 on the side of a former native village, and although John didn't get in on the ground floor, he must have had good reason for going there. Four of his brothers and sisters moved to Billerica, and Hannah's father may have already been there. These moves took place for the most part in the early 1660's, although exact dates are hard to pin down.
We do know that John was "rated" in 1669 for 15 shillings to go to the maintenance of Mr. Whiting, the church pastor. This was a fairly low amount based on the list I found in an 1883 History of Billerica, but at the time John had been married for only about 8 years so is not likely to have had a large estate. I also found that he was a soldier, at least in the militia, during King Philip's War. His family, along with those of Daniel Shed Jr, Samuel Trull, and James Kidder Jr. were assigned to Sergeant Kidder's home when the town felt threatened. Two soldiers were also assigned there, for a total of 7 soldiers, so the implication is that each of the men mentioned were also soldiers. I also found note that Billerica had been abandoned after an attack, but I am not sure of the chronology of this, whether it was before or after the assignment of the various families to the garrison and strong houses. John was rated at three shillings in 1679, but again, this is soon after the war ended so it is hard to draw conclusions from this list.
Hannah died on May 9, 1674, the same day that her last daughter was born. Her father named the last daughter "Marah", which meant "bitter" in the Old Testament. However, with seven children to raise he needed a new wife, and he married Ruth Morse Ellis, widow, on March 31, 1674. She had three children of her own and then she and John had four children, three of whom survived. That was one large family. And Ruth would have been the one to take her four children, John's seven, and possibly the first of their children together, into Sergeant Kidder's house for what may have been a lengthy period of time during King Philip's War!
John died March 18, 1686 in Billerica, still less than 50 years old. He apparently didn't leave a will, and his inventory is confusing. It looks like it says that the first accounting was not complete and the marshal seized some of Ruth's holdings until it was completed to the court's satisfaction, but the final total was a little over 118 pounds. Ruth would have received 1/3 of that, and the rest divided up among John's children as they reached the age of majority. So there wasn't much to go around, but something is better than nothing.
I found nothing about John's religious beliefs but as this was still early in colonial history, and as his father had been a deacon, it's probably safe to say he was a Puritan and raised his children in the same beliefs. His inventory appears to show the tools, animals, and equipment of a farmer, although he may also have had a trade. I'd like to know more about him, of course. He was another of the salt of the earth type people who built New England and influenced America down to this day.
The line of descent is
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stanard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Hanchett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hanchett. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Holbrook line: John Jordan of Guilford, Connecticut, Immigrant
The only mysteries we have about John Jordan are these: Who were his parents? When and where was he born? What did he do for a living? Was he literate? What happened to his will? In other words, we don't know much.
The first time we see John Jordan is on a ship heading from England to Guilford, Connecticut. This was the first town in New England to be settled directly and entirely by immigrants, rather than being an overflow of colonists who for one reason or another wished to leave their original home in New England. Henry Whitfield was the leader and pastor of this group. Whitfield was a pastor who was not willing to comply with government requirements in support of the Church of England. He and about 70 other people, including 25 men, signed an agreement while still on board ship regarding how the group would govern themselves. Among the names on that list is John Jordan. It is thought that his (probable) brother Thomas was also on board, but not yet of age to sign the compact.
Many of the men on the ship were young farmers, and until I find something to the contrary, I will postulate that John fell into this class. He and others like him were expected to grow crops to support the others, including Pastor Whitfield. Apparently life in Guilford went well, because when Charles I was executed in 1649, there were requests for Puritans to come back "home"/ Henry Whitfield answered that request, as did Thomas Jordan and a few others who were early settlers.
John, however, stayed in Guilford. He had married Ann Bishop, daughter of John BIshop (who was also on the original ship and signed the original compact) in October of 1639, probably soon after arriving in Connecticut. John and Ann had at least five children together. John was early a trustee of the lands of Guilford, and also a justice of the peace, so perhaps he had at least some education.
That is pretty much the end of his story, for John died in January of 1650. Indications are that he was likely a young man, perhaps around the age of 40. It's unknown whether it was an accident or an illness that killed him. He left a will, but it's been lost. His wife, Ann, married Thomas Clarke.
Please don't write a thesis stating that John's wife was Ann Bishop, daughter of John. Some think that she was his widowed daughter in law, which is possible, although I've seen no evidence for that. If that's so, we don't know who Ann's parents were, either.
I'm ending this blog post with one more mystery than I started with. However, we do know that John came to Guilford and stayed in Guilford. He helped get the new village started and so was important to the history of Connecticut, and to our family!
The line of descent is:
John Jordan-Ann Bishop
John Jordan-Katherine Chalker
Hannah Jordan-John Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The first time we see John Jordan is on a ship heading from England to Guilford, Connecticut. This was the first town in New England to be settled directly and entirely by immigrants, rather than being an overflow of colonists who for one reason or another wished to leave their original home in New England. Henry Whitfield was the leader and pastor of this group. Whitfield was a pastor who was not willing to comply with government requirements in support of the Church of England. He and about 70 other people, including 25 men, signed an agreement while still on board ship regarding how the group would govern themselves. Among the names on that list is John Jordan. It is thought that his (probable) brother Thomas was also on board, but not yet of age to sign the compact.
Many of the men on the ship were young farmers, and until I find something to the contrary, I will postulate that John fell into this class. He and others like him were expected to grow crops to support the others, including Pastor Whitfield. Apparently life in Guilford went well, because when Charles I was executed in 1649, there were requests for Puritans to come back "home"/ Henry Whitfield answered that request, as did Thomas Jordan and a few others who were early settlers.
John, however, stayed in Guilford. He had married Ann Bishop, daughter of John BIshop (who was also on the original ship and signed the original compact) in October of 1639, probably soon after arriving in Connecticut. John and Ann had at least five children together. John was early a trustee of the lands of Guilford, and also a justice of the peace, so perhaps he had at least some education.
That is pretty much the end of his story, for John died in January of 1650. Indications are that he was likely a young man, perhaps around the age of 40. It's unknown whether it was an accident or an illness that killed him. He left a will, but it's been lost. His wife, Ann, married Thomas Clarke.
Please don't write a thesis stating that John's wife was Ann Bishop, daughter of John. Some think that she was his widowed daughter in law, which is possible, although I've seen no evidence for that. If that's so, we don't know who Ann's parents were, either.
I'm ending this blog post with one more mystery than I started with. However, we do know that John came to Guilford and stayed in Guilford. He helped get the new village started and so was important to the history of Connecticut, and to our family!
The line of descent is:
John Jordan-Ann Bishop
John Jordan-Katherine Chalker
Hannah Jordan-John Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Thomas Hanchett, Immigrant
Thomas is another mystery ancestor. We know nothing of his ancestry although there are various theories. He was probably born about 1620, and probably in England, but right now that is as close as we can come to an origin for him, We know nothing of him until we find him being granted a house lot in Wethersfield, Connecticut on February 28, 1647. This was shortly before he married Deliverance Langton, daughter of George Langton on September 22, 1647. The marriage may have occurred in Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony, but there seems to be no record available.
Thomas and Deliverance had four children, probably all born in Wethersfield, Thomas, John, Deliverance and Hannah. The granting of the house lot may indicate that Thomas was already a settler there, since the town was founded about 1637, or it may indicate that the town wanted him there for some reason, such as a skill or trade he might have had. I've found no record that indicates an occupation for Thomas.
In 1660, the family moved to Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts Boy Colony, where they lived on land granted them by Deliverance's father. Thomas took the oath of fidelity there, and was made a freeman in 1661, giving him the right to vote and hold office. The Hanchetts stayed in Northampton until about 1679, when they moved to Suffield, where Thomas was a founder. One source says that Hanchett also lived at New London, Connecticut and Westfield, Massachusetts. If this is accurate, then we have to wonder about Thomas. Was he difficult to get along with, did he have religious misgivings, or did he simply have a trade, such as millwright or home builder, that encouraged him to go where the new villages were forming? I hope to find more information about this.
Thomas is given the title of deacon in his death record. He served in that capacity at both Northampton and at Suffield. His Wikitree profile shows Thomas's signature, which is the only indication we have of a possible educational level.
Thomas died June 11, 1686 but so far I have not located a will or estate papers. Deliverance married Jonathan Burt that same year, and lived until 1711.
I'm hoping that a book about Thomas Hanchett will appear under the Christmas tree and perhaps after I read it I will have a better understanding of his life. We know, however, that he was one of those who chose to come to America, that he lived in frontier towns in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and that whatever he did for a living, he helped build our country.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Hanchett-Deliverance Langton
John Hanchett-Esther Pritchard
John Hanchett-Lydia Hayward
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas and Deliverance had four children, probably all born in Wethersfield, Thomas, John, Deliverance and Hannah. The granting of the house lot may indicate that Thomas was already a settler there, since the town was founded about 1637, or it may indicate that the town wanted him there for some reason, such as a skill or trade he might have had. I've found no record that indicates an occupation for Thomas.
In 1660, the family moved to Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts Boy Colony, where they lived on land granted them by Deliverance's father. Thomas took the oath of fidelity there, and was made a freeman in 1661, giving him the right to vote and hold office. The Hanchetts stayed in Northampton until about 1679, when they moved to Suffield, where Thomas was a founder. One source says that Hanchett also lived at New London, Connecticut and Westfield, Massachusetts. If this is accurate, then we have to wonder about Thomas. Was he difficult to get along with, did he have religious misgivings, or did he simply have a trade, such as millwright or home builder, that encouraged him to go where the new villages were forming? I hope to find more information about this.
Thomas is given the title of deacon in his death record. He served in that capacity at both Northampton and at Suffield. His Wikitree profile shows Thomas's signature, which is the only indication we have of a possible educational level.
Thomas died June 11, 1686 but so far I have not located a will or estate papers. Deliverance married Jonathan Burt that same year, and lived until 1711.
I'm hoping that a book about Thomas Hanchett will appear under the Christmas tree and perhaps after I read it I will have a better understanding of his life. We know, however, that he was one of those who chose to come to America, that he lived in frontier towns in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and that whatever he did for a living, he helped build our country.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Hanchett-Deliverance Langton
John Hanchett-Esther Pritchard
John Hanchett-Lydia Hayward
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Holbrook line: George Langton, Immigrant
George Langton (also spelled Langdon, and perhaps Landon and Lanckton) is a Holbrook ancestor twice, since we descend through two of his daughters. It would be nice to know more about his story, but so far we have been told by one secondary source or another that he was from Cornwall, or Herefordshire, or was a French Huguenot. If Landon and his family was French, and if they were Huguenots, his parents were likely not Jaques and Mademoiselle Le Duc, as their birth dates were too early to make it possible for them to be George's parents. Since we don't know for sure when George was born, that makes it harder yet to identify his parents. I've seen birth dates of from about 1598 to about 1605. DNA results reported on George's Wiki Tree page seem to show that he most likely came from the area around Langton by Malton, Yorkshire, England. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that records survive from our period of interest.
We don't know much of anything about George until, at the age of somewhere between 30 and 40, he is found in Wethersfield, Connecticut about 1636. He is believed to have married in England, about 1629, a woman named Sarah, and four children were born to them in England, with possibly others born in Wethersfield. Sarah died in Wethersfield and George and family moved on to Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony, where George married Hannah Lambe, the widow of Edmund Haynes. George and Hannah had one child, Esther or Hester.
In Springfield, George was a town officer for at least one term. He and Hannah both testified in a witchcraft trial against Hugh Parsons, in 1652, and sometime between 1653 and 1656 moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, where he spent the remainder of his life. (Hugh and his wife Mary were each found guilty of witchcraft. Mary is believed to have died in prison, before she could be executed. Hugh's sentence was rescinded and we don't know what became of him, but likely he didn't stay around Springfield, either.)
He may have been a master carpenter who helped build the Springfield church. He contributed several acres for the upkeep of a pastor in Northampton, and also two bushels of wheat for Harvard College, so he also grew crops, as did most of the families in these small villages. George died December 29, 1676. He was certainly old enough to have died a natural death, but this was also the time of King Philip's war. It is possible that the stress of that conflict led to an early death. (He is not listed as having been buried at the Old Burying Ground, so perhaps death occurred elsewhere, with a family member.)
Life was never easy for our immigrant ancestors.
One line of descent is:
George Langton-Sarah
Hannah Langton-William Pritchard
Esther Pritchard-John Hanchett
John Hanchett-Lydia Hayward
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The second line is
George Langton-Sarah
Deliverance Langton-Thomas Hanchett
John Hanchett-Esther Pritchard
So yes, John Hanchett and Esther Pritchard were first cousins. It wasn't unusual in small villages on the frontier.
We don't know much of anything about George until, at the age of somewhere between 30 and 40, he is found in Wethersfield, Connecticut about 1636. He is believed to have married in England, about 1629, a woman named Sarah, and four children were born to them in England, with possibly others born in Wethersfield. Sarah died in Wethersfield and George and family moved on to Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony, where George married Hannah Lambe, the widow of Edmund Haynes. George and Hannah had one child, Esther or Hester.
In Springfield, George was a town officer for at least one term. He and Hannah both testified in a witchcraft trial against Hugh Parsons, in 1652, and sometime between 1653 and 1656 moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, where he spent the remainder of his life. (Hugh and his wife Mary were each found guilty of witchcraft. Mary is believed to have died in prison, before she could be executed. Hugh's sentence was rescinded and we don't know what became of him, but likely he didn't stay around Springfield, either.)
He may have been a master carpenter who helped build the Springfield church. He contributed several acres for the upkeep of a pastor in Northampton, and also two bushels of wheat for Harvard College, so he also grew crops, as did most of the families in these small villages. George died December 29, 1676. He was certainly old enough to have died a natural death, but this was also the time of King Philip's war. It is possible that the stress of that conflict led to an early death. (He is not listed as having been buried at the Old Burying Ground, so perhaps death occurred elsewhere, with a family member.)
Life was never easy for our immigrant ancestors.
One line of descent is:
George Langton-Sarah
Hannah Langton-William Pritchard
Esther Pritchard-John Hanchett
John Hanchett-Lydia Hayward
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
The second line is
George Langton-Sarah
Deliverance Langton-Thomas Hanchett
John Hanchett-Esther Pritchard
So yes, John Hanchett and Esther Pritchard were first cousins. It wasn't unusual in small villages on the frontier.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Holbrook line: Nathaniel Treadway, Immigrant
I didn't put the birth date of Nathaniel in the title for this post, because as far as I can tell, it's undetermined. There are a lot of trees on line that give him a birthdate of August 7, 1604 in Wiltshire, England. No doubt there was a Nathaniel Treadway born on that date in that location but we have little reason to think this is "our" Nathaniel Treadway. Our Nathaniel was likely born about eleven years later. His parents were Nathaniel and Mary Howe Treadway, who were married in Colchester, Essex, England on September 23, 1614. This makes a birth date in 1615 more likely, although as far as I know, no records have yet been found for his birth. Colchester at the time was a town built around the cloth trade, and Nathaniel was a weaver, so it may be a matter or missing records that keep us from locating his birth records.
Nathaniel was in Sudbury, Massachusetts by 1639, which is where he is presumed to have married Suffrance Haynes, daughter of Walter and Elizabeth Gourd Haynes. The date is generally given as May 10, 1640 but it's possible that it was a year earlier. Their first child, Jonathan, was born November 11, 1640, and they had at least six other children. Sometime between 1642 and 1646 the family moved to Watertown, Massachusetts which was their "forever" home.
Nathaniel seems to have been a man of some influence. He was a selectman in Watertown for seven different years. He was also a highway surveyor.
Nathaniel died July 20, 1689 at the age of 73. His estate indicated a value of 377 pounds, including four books. He also owned four cows, two oxen, and fifteen sheep, as well as several parcels of land. Suffrance had died seven years earlier.
There is much yet to be learned about Nathaniel. I found a brief mention that he was a "meeting house man". I'm not sure whether this means he was a member of the church, or had some town or church position, or what it means. I've not found a record of him as a freeman, which seems a little bit out of the ordinary. How educated was he? As a selectman, one would think he could probably read and perhaps write, but four books are not sufficient to make a judgement that he was or was not literate. Perhaps more of his books had already been given away. I'd like to know more about this ancestor of ours.
The line of descent is:
Nathaniel Treadway-Suffrance Haynes
Elizabeth Treadway-Joseph Hayward
Lydia Hayward-John Hanchett
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba (Euzebia) Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Nathaniel was in Sudbury, Massachusetts by 1639, which is where he is presumed to have married Suffrance Haynes, daughter of Walter and Elizabeth Gourd Haynes. The date is generally given as May 10, 1640 but it's possible that it was a year earlier. Their first child, Jonathan, was born November 11, 1640, and they had at least six other children. Sometime between 1642 and 1646 the family moved to Watertown, Massachusetts which was their "forever" home.
Nathaniel seems to have been a man of some influence. He was a selectman in Watertown for seven different years. He was also a highway surveyor.
Nathaniel died July 20, 1689 at the age of 73. His estate indicated a value of 377 pounds, including four books. He also owned four cows, two oxen, and fifteen sheep, as well as several parcels of land. Suffrance had died seven years earlier.
There is much yet to be learned about Nathaniel. I found a brief mention that he was a "meeting house man". I'm not sure whether this means he was a member of the church, or had some town or church position, or what it means. I've not found a record of him as a freeman, which seems a little bit out of the ordinary. How educated was he? As a selectman, one would think he could probably read and perhaps write, but four books are not sufficient to make a judgement that he was or was not literate. Perhaps more of his books had already been given away. I'd like to know more about this ancestor of ours.
The line of descent is:
Nathaniel Treadway-Suffrance Haynes
Elizabeth Treadway-Joseph Hayward
Lydia Hayward-John Hanchett
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba (Euzebia) Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Holbrook line: William French about 1605-1681, Immigrant
William French is another confusing ancestor. I'm quite sure he knew who he was, where and when he was born, and pretty much his entire life story, but he hasn't chosen to share this information with us. Neither has anyone else, to date. Plenty of people seem to think they know his parents, but there was an article published 100 or years ago proving that the William French born or christened March 15, 1603 in Halstead, Essex, England died in 1621, the son of Thomas French and Agnes Olmstead. So that is not our ancestor. There is another William French who was born in 1606 in Halstead, Essex, England but so far I haven't been able to trace that William down. Perhaps he is ours and perhaps he is not.
We also don't know who his wife was, beyond the name of Elizabeth. She may have been Elizabeth Symmes or Elizabeth Godfrey, but I've seen no evidence for either theory. The family came from somewhere in England and arrived on the ship "Defence" in the summer of 1635. William was admitted as freeman in Cambridge soon after his arrival. There were at least four children born in England and six in Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay Colony, although Robert Charles Anderson lists nine and is doubtful about one of those. Elizabeth died and William married Mary Lothrop on May 6, 1669, and four children were born to this couple, all in Billerica, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
There are some fascinating questions about William beyond the usual who were his parents. For instance, he is listed as being a tailor by occupation. So, did he become a tailor here, or did he learn the trade in England for preparation here, or had he practiced the trade in England for several years? The reason this is interesting is because he seems to have been quite an educated man. He wrote to a friend in England about the religious professions of an Indian and that material was eventually included in a pamphlet published in England called "Strength out of Weakness; or a Glorious Manifestation of the Further Progress of the Gospel among the Indians of New England. Held Forth in Sundry Letters from divers Ministers and Others."
William was admitted to the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1638, and was elected sergeant in 1642, and October in 1647. He still owned an old musket and gun barrel at his death. The French family moved from Cambridge to Billerica in 1652, and there William served as a deputy to the General Court at least three separate times. He was empowered to marry others, which I believe was a civil rather than a religious duty at this time. He acquired, bought, and sold land several times during his lifetime, but still had land valued at about 104 pounds when he died, which was included in his estate's value of roughly 207 pounds, after debts were paid. This was a fair amount for a tailor to leave, especially since his will showed that he had provided for his first family at an earlier time. He did leave twenty shillings to each of his grandchildren.
The line of descent is:
William French-Elizabeth
Hannah French-John Brackett
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stnnard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We also don't know who his wife was, beyond the name of Elizabeth. She may have been Elizabeth Symmes or Elizabeth Godfrey, but I've seen no evidence for either theory. The family came from somewhere in England and arrived on the ship "Defence" in the summer of 1635. William was admitted as freeman in Cambridge soon after his arrival. There were at least four children born in England and six in Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay Colony, although Robert Charles Anderson lists nine and is doubtful about one of those. Elizabeth died and William married Mary Lothrop on May 6, 1669, and four children were born to this couple, all in Billerica, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
There are some fascinating questions about William beyond the usual who were his parents. For instance, he is listed as being a tailor by occupation. So, did he become a tailor here, or did he learn the trade in England for preparation here, or had he practiced the trade in England for several years? The reason this is interesting is because he seems to have been quite an educated man. He wrote to a friend in England about the religious professions of an Indian and that material was eventually included in a pamphlet published in England called "Strength out of Weakness; or a Glorious Manifestation of the Further Progress of the Gospel among the Indians of New England. Held Forth in Sundry Letters from divers Ministers and Others."
William was admitted to the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1638, and was elected sergeant in 1642, and October in 1647. He still owned an old musket and gun barrel at his death. The French family moved from Cambridge to Billerica in 1652, and there William served as a deputy to the General Court at least three separate times. He was empowered to marry others, which I believe was a civil rather than a religious duty at this time. He acquired, bought, and sold land several times during his lifetime, but still had land valued at about 104 pounds when he died, which was included in his estate's value of roughly 207 pounds, after debts were paid. This was a fair amount for a tailor to leave, especially since his will showed that he had provided for his first family at an earlier time. He did leave twenty shillings to each of his grandchildren.
The line of descent is:
William French-Elizabeth
Hannah French-John Brackett
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stnnard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Holbrook line: Stephen Post, Immigrant
Thanks to the hard work of Steve Carter, among others, we have more information about this immigrant ancestor than about many others. We do have some minor disputes about his life, but considering everything, I'll take this. Robert Charles Anderson has also done a sketch of Stephen in "The Great Migration 1633-1635", so much of the material I would ordinarily be looking for is already gathered. That's great news, for me. The hard part is going to be keeping this blog post to a reasonable length, I think.
Stephen Post was baptized on June 24, 1604 at Hollingbourne, Kent, England, the son of Abraham and Anne Hurst (or Hunte, apparently the record is hard to read) Post. He was their second child and only son, so we might guess he was spoiled just a little bit. Unlike many of our families, this one stayed intact until the youngest of the three surviving children was in her late teens, so Stephen had economic advantages that not every young man had. Small as Hollingbourne is, his parents were still able to have Stephen trained as a carpenter, assuring Stephen of a means to support himself throughout his life.
Stephen married Eleanor Panton on October 17, 1625, at Langley, Kent, England, which was only about 4 miles away from Hollingbourne. (Incidentally, both towns appear to be not far from Leeds Castle, which also figures in our family history, but I digress). Their first child was baptized at Hollingbourne but the next three were baptized at Otham, another small village very close to Langley.
There are varying statements as to when Stephen and his family came to New England. Cutter thought it was by 1631, but Eleanor had children in Otham in 1631 and 1633 so that doesn't appear likely. (Of course, one child could have been conceived before Stephen left, and the other after Stephen returned to fetch his family, but those are stretches given that Robert Charles Anderson only says he was in Cambridge, Masachusetts Bay Colony, in 1634. The simpler story is usually the closer to the truth. While he was in Otham, he was identified as a carpenter when he was a bondsman for the marriage intentions of his sister. He was also a churchwarden in 1632. From this, we should not necessarily conclude that he was a Church of England man at heart. Many times in this time period Puritans were forced into these positions.
In 1636, Stephen moved his family from Cambridge to Hartford, Connecticut. He is listed on the memorial of the Founders there, and is believed to have traveled with the party of Rev. Thomas Hooker. Many of the people in this group left the Cambridge area because of their religious beliefs, and Stephen may have been one of them. Hartford seemed to offer hope, and the right to vote.
Stephen acquired several tracts of land in Hartford, but sold the various plots in 1639 to William Goodwin, Thomas Gridley, and Edward Hopkins, respectively. These are all dated February 2, 1639, so that presents the possibility that Stephen was already planning a move to Saybrook. He worked to put clapboard on the meeting house in Hartford in 1640was a constable in Hartford in 1642, however, so this is a little confusing.
We know he was in Saybrook by 1648, when he purchased land there. He also worked on the fort (he was a carpenter here as well as in England) and undoubtedly other projects also. The fort was necessary because of the threat of attack from the native Americans, and perhaps also to intimidate the Dutch, who were eager to maintain a foothold in Connecticut. Stephen was a lieutenant in the militia, so he must have been well liked by his neighbors. There is an undated inventory of land at Saybrook that shows Stephen as having six parcels of land, including his house and homelot in the town, and other small parcels of pasture and meadow.
Stephen died August 16, 1659 in Saybrook. His inventory showed a value of 442 pounds, and included carpenter's tools, a great Bible and a small Bible, three guns (fowling piece, musket and one small gun) and two swords, among other items. Elinor stayed in Saybrook where she died November 13, 1670. They had four adult children, besides the infant Joseph who had died in England in 1633.
One of the questions I have is why Stephen moved to Saybrook, and what Elinor thought about that. Was it for religious reasons, or economic, or did he just enjoy pioneering in new areas? I'd also like to know more about his religious beliefs. However, considering how little we know of some of our ancestors, I'm happy to be able to tell you this much of his story.
Our line of descent is:
Stephen Post-Elinor Panton
Katherine Post-Alexander Chalker
Katherine Chalker-John Jordan
Hannah Jordan-John Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libberus Stnnard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Stephen Post was baptized on June 24, 1604 at Hollingbourne, Kent, England, the son of Abraham and Anne Hurst (or Hunte, apparently the record is hard to read) Post. He was their second child and only son, so we might guess he was spoiled just a little bit. Unlike many of our families, this one stayed intact until the youngest of the three surviving children was in her late teens, so Stephen had economic advantages that not every young man had. Small as Hollingbourne is, his parents were still able to have Stephen trained as a carpenter, assuring Stephen of a means to support himself throughout his life.
Stephen married Eleanor Panton on October 17, 1625, at Langley, Kent, England, which was only about 4 miles away from Hollingbourne. (Incidentally, both towns appear to be not far from Leeds Castle, which also figures in our family history, but I digress). Their first child was baptized at Hollingbourne but the next three were baptized at Otham, another small village very close to Langley.
There are varying statements as to when Stephen and his family came to New England. Cutter thought it was by 1631, but Eleanor had children in Otham in 1631 and 1633 so that doesn't appear likely. (Of course, one child could have been conceived before Stephen left, and the other after Stephen returned to fetch his family, but those are stretches given that Robert Charles Anderson only says he was in Cambridge, Masachusetts Bay Colony, in 1634. The simpler story is usually the closer to the truth. While he was in Otham, he was identified as a carpenter when he was a bondsman for the marriage intentions of his sister. He was also a churchwarden in 1632. From this, we should not necessarily conclude that he was a Church of England man at heart. Many times in this time period Puritans were forced into these positions.
In 1636, Stephen moved his family from Cambridge to Hartford, Connecticut. He is listed on the memorial of the Founders there, and is believed to have traveled with the party of Rev. Thomas Hooker. Many of the people in this group left the Cambridge area because of their religious beliefs, and Stephen may have been one of them. Hartford seemed to offer hope, and the right to vote.
Stephen acquired several tracts of land in Hartford, but sold the various plots in 1639 to William Goodwin, Thomas Gridley, and Edward Hopkins, respectively. These are all dated February 2, 1639, so that presents the possibility that Stephen was already planning a move to Saybrook. He worked to put clapboard on the meeting house in Hartford in 1640was a constable in Hartford in 1642, however, so this is a little confusing.
We know he was in Saybrook by 1648, when he purchased land there. He also worked on the fort (he was a carpenter here as well as in England) and undoubtedly other projects also. The fort was necessary because of the threat of attack from the native Americans, and perhaps also to intimidate the Dutch, who were eager to maintain a foothold in Connecticut. Stephen was a lieutenant in the militia, so he must have been well liked by his neighbors. There is an undated inventory of land at Saybrook that shows Stephen as having six parcels of land, including his house and homelot in the town, and other small parcels of pasture and meadow.
Stephen died August 16, 1659 in Saybrook. His inventory showed a value of 442 pounds, and included carpenter's tools, a great Bible and a small Bible, three guns (fowling piece, musket and one small gun) and two swords, among other items. Elinor stayed in Saybrook where she died November 13, 1670. They had four adult children, besides the infant Joseph who had died in England in 1633.
One of the questions I have is why Stephen moved to Saybrook, and what Elinor thought about that. Was it for religious reasons, or economic, or did he just enjoy pioneering in new areas? I'd also like to know more about his religious beliefs. However, considering how little we know of some of our ancestors, I'm happy to be able to tell you this much of his story.
Our line of descent is:
Stephen Post-Elinor Panton
Katherine Post-Alexander Chalker
Katherine Chalker-John Jordan
Hannah Jordan-John Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libberus Stnnard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
John Stannard, Immigrant
John Stannard is not an easy man to research, partly because his name is spelled in so many different ways (Stonard is the most common, especially in England). But we are fortunate enough to think we know about when he was born, who his parents were, who his wife was and when they married, and the names of his children. We also see a few faint traces of his life in America.
John was born probably by 1610 in Harlow, Essex, England. His wife, Margaret Miller, was born October 2, 1603 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. It sounds like they were from different worlds but actually the two towns were about 10 miles apart, and depending on where they actually lived, they may have been almost neighbors. The families likely knew each other through business, church, or mutual friends, because parents generally were still guiding, if not arranging, marriages at this time. So that's easy enough to explain, or to think we understand. What is a little more difficult is to explain why John and Margaret (daughter of Thomas and Ann or Agnes Berry or Lambe) were married in St Dunstan's, London, England on May 12, 1631. Did they have more family there? If their first son's birth year of 1631 is correct, then perhaps this was an elopement of sorts. The 1631 marriage date is probably the reason that John's birth date is given as "by about 1610"; he would have been 21 then. He was probably born several years earlier, in my opinion, but records have not yet been found.
John and Margaret quickly settled down and had a family. There were four children, with the last being born about 1637. John brought his young family to American by 1639, because he is noted as having 7 acres of land in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in a list made between 1638 and 1640. He would have needed to have worked hard to provide a home, establish a business or farm, and later build a home for the family. We know he mortgaged his house and lands in 1645 and discharged the debt in 1646, but whether that was to build a better home, or to help a business, or what the motive was, we do not know. It is said that he joined the church, and he owned property, but apparently he never became a freeman, which means he didn't vote and therefore didn't hold public office. I'd like to know the reason for this!
John died June 13, 1649 in Roxbury. In the town records, he is described as being middle aged, which could well mean he was born around 1600. We have record of his inventory, valued at 137 pounds and taken by Isaac Heath (our uncle), John Johnson (our ancestor) and William Parke. The inventory is available through American Ancestors, in their Suffolk Co, Ma: Probate File Papers, pages 83:1 and following. I can tell you where the record can an be found, and I've printed it off, but it is faint and fuzzy and I can't read it. I'd sure like to read it, for it probably would give us clues as to his occupation and his education.
There should also be guardian records for some of the children, but I've not found them. Margaret remarried, at least once, and died in 1682 in Dedham, Massachusetts. So, there is more research to do on John and his family, but this is a start. In my mind, he was an amazing man simply because he came to America, and provided for his family while building our country.
The line of descent is:
John Stannard-Margaret Miller
Joseph Stannard-Elizabeth Spencer
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard -Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John was born probably by 1610 in Harlow, Essex, England. His wife, Margaret Miller, was born October 2, 1603 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. It sounds like they were from different worlds but actually the two towns were about 10 miles apart, and depending on where they actually lived, they may have been almost neighbors. The families likely knew each other through business, church, or mutual friends, because parents generally were still guiding, if not arranging, marriages at this time. So that's easy enough to explain, or to think we understand. What is a little more difficult is to explain why John and Margaret (daughter of Thomas and Ann or Agnes Berry or Lambe) were married in St Dunstan's, London, England on May 12, 1631. Did they have more family there? If their first son's birth year of 1631 is correct, then perhaps this was an elopement of sorts. The 1631 marriage date is probably the reason that John's birth date is given as "by about 1610"; he would have been 21 then. He was probably born several years earlier, in my opinion, but records have not yet been found.
John and Margaret quickly settled down and had a family. There were four children, with the last being born about 1637. John brought his young family to American by 1639, because he is noted as having 7 acres of land in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, in a list made between 1638 and 1640. He would have needed to have worked hard to provide a home, establish a business or farm, and later build a home for the family. We know he mortgaged his house and lands in 1645 and discharged the debt in 1646, but whether that was to build a better home, or to help a business, or what the motive was, we do not know. It is said that he joined the church, and he owned property, but apparently he never became a freeman, which means he didn't vote and therefore didn't hold public office. I'd like to know the reason for this!
John died June 13, 1649 in Roxbury. In the town records, he is described as being middle aged, which could well mean he was born around 1600. We have record of his inventory, valued at 137 pounds and taken by Isaac Heath (our uncle), John Johnson (our ancestor) and William Parke. The inventory is available through American Ancestors, in their Suffolk Co, Ma: Probate File Papers, pages 83:1 and following. I can tell you where the record can an be found, and I've printed it off, but it is faint and fuzzy and I can't read it. I'd sure like to read it, for it probably would give us clues as to his occupation and his education.
There should also be guardian records for some of the children, but I've not found them. Margaret remarried, at least once, and died in 1682 in Dedham, Massachusetts. So, there is more research to do on John and his family, but this is a start. In my mind, he was an amazing man simply because he came to America, and provided for his family while building our country.
The line of descent is:
John Stannard-Margaret Miller
Joseph Stannard-Elizabeth Spencer
Joseph Stannard-Hannah Brackett
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard -Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Holbrook line: George Hayward, Immigrant died 1671
George Hayward is yet another immigrant with a somewhat mysterious past. There were dozens of George Haywards born in England in the time frame 1610-1625, which is the approximate range of birth dates I've seen. Many of these were in Kent, England, but in many different parishes. Perhaps one of these is our George but at this point I'm not picking a favorite. Whoever he was and wherever he came from, he must have had some education in a practical trade or trades, because he was the owner of several different businesses in Concord, Massachusetts.
Yes, Concord is his home town once he arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Unfortunately, many of the earliest records of Concord have been lost. However, he was listed as a freeman in Concord in 1636. We don't know for sure when George arrived in America. Competing sources say he came with his wife and one daughter in 1635, and that he married here prior to 1640. Of course, it could be that he came to America with his first wife, she passed away, and he married Mary soon after. Rev. Peter Bulkeley (an Allen ancestor) brought twelve families with him when he came in 1635, and there is mention of a man by the name of Heywood, who seems to be our George Hayward. .
So, he was one of the founders of Concord and as such received a house lot in the first division of lands that faced on the Commons. He received additional land later, but I'm not finding specific mention of how much and when. He built the first saw mill and the first corn mill in Concord, both of which would have been badly needed as Concord was then about 20 miles from Boston. There is also reference to "his iron works", which is intriguing. Is there nothing the man could not do?
We find his name in several Essex County court documents, but not as a defendant. Generally he was testifying to some fact or in one case, on behalf of one of his daughters. He seems to have stayed out of trouble and was respected enough that at one time he was appointed to a committee to help settle a land dispute.
George and Mary had seven children, John, Joseph, Simeon, George, Elizabeth, Sarah and Hannah. They were all mentioned in his estate. There doesn't seem to be a will, because George died in an accident. While he was returning from taking William Frizzell across the river (presumably the Concord River), his canoe capsized and he was drowned. (One researcher says he was 67 years old when he died, which would put his birth date earlier than most others are showing.) He is likely buried in the town's "Old Burying Ground" but there is no stone. Mary lived for another 22 years, dying in 1693.
George's estate was large for the time, valued at just over 500 pounds. The inventory is hard to read, but I believe it includes books at a value of over three pounds, which would have been significant. I'd sure like to know what he read, and whether his children attended any kind of school. If they did, was it just the boys, or were the girls allowed to learn, also?
Concord is a town with a lot of history. Just over 100 years after George died, the town participated in the battles of April 19, 1775, when the British were routed at the start of the Revolutionary War. Later, this is the hometown of Louisa May Alcott (a distant Allen cousin), Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Thoreau. There are a lot of good reasons to visit Concord, and walking in the footprints of George Hayward would be one of those reasons
The line of descent is
George Hayward-Mary
Joseph Hayward-Elizabeth Treadway
Lydia Hayward-John Hanchett
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Yes, Concord is his home town once he arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Unfortunately, many of the earliest records of Concord have been lost. However, he was listed as a freeman in Concord in 1636. We don't know for sure when George arrived in America. Competing sources say he came with his wife and one daughter in 1635, and that he married here prior to 1640. Of course, it could be that he came to America with his first wife, she passed away, and he married Mary soon after. Rev. Peter Bulkeley (an Allen ancestor) brought twelve families with him when he came in 1635, and there is mention of a man by the name of Heywood, who seems to be our George Hayward. .
So, he was one of the founders of Concord and as such received a house lot in the first division of lands that faced on the Commons. He received additional land later, but I'm not finding specific mention of how much and when. He built the first saw mill and the first corn mill in Concord, both of which would have been badly needed as Concord was then about 20 miles from Boston. There is also reference to "his iron works", which is intriguing. Is there nothing the man could not do?
We find his name in several Essex County court documents, but not as a defendant. Generally he was testifying to some fact or in one case, on behalf of one of his daughters. He seems to have stayed out of trouble and was respected enough that at one time he was appointed to a committee to help settle a land dispute.
George and Mary had seven children, John, Joseph, Simeon, George, Elizabeth, Sarah and Hannah. They were all mentioned in his estate. There doesn't seem to be a will, because George died in an accident. While he was returning from taking William Frizzell across the river (presumably the Concord River), his canoe capsized and he was drowned. (One researcher says he was 67 years old when he died, which would put his birth date earlier than most others are showing.) He is likely buried in the town's "Old Burying Ground" but there is no stone. Mary lived for another 22 years, dying in 1693.
George's estate was large for the time, valued at just over 500 pounds. The inventory is hard to read, but I believe it includes books at a value of over three pounds, which would have been significant. I'd sure like to know what he read, and whether his children attended any kind of school. If they did, was it just the boys, or were the girls allowed to learn, also?
Concord is a town with a lot of history. Just over 100 years after George died, the town participated in the battles of April 19, 1775, when the British were routed at the start of the Revolutionary War. Later, this is the hometown of Louisa May Alcott (a distant Allen cousin), Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Thoreau. There are a lot of good reasons to visit Concord, and walking in the footprints of George Hayward would be one of those reasons
The line of descent is
George Hayward-Mary
Joseph Hayward-Elizabeth Treadway
Lydia Hayward-John Hanchett
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, February 16, 2018
Holbrook line: Roger Pritchard, Immigrant
I wish I knew more about Roger Pritchard. There is a general sense that he or his ancestors may have come from Wales. If that is the case, at one time he might have been known as "ap Richard" (son of Richard) but that could be more generations back. If he wasn't from Wales, he was from somewhere near Wales, and he was born about 1600.
So,we don't know his home, we don't know his parents, we know his first wife only by the name of "Frances", and we don't know when he arrived in Connecticut. We also don't know whether he was in Massachusetts first. Robert Charles Anderson uses an immigration date of 1640 but Meredith B. Colket says that he arrived in 1636. He arrived with his wife and their three children It's not clear why other children were not born to the couple, but perhaps Frances was simply past child-bearing age.
Nathaniel was in Wethersfield, Ct in 1640, then went up the Connecticut River to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1643, where he received land grants, and was in Milford, where he stayed, in 1653. He was granted freeman status on April 13, 1648, and he joined the Milford church in 1654.. Frances died in 1651 and two years later he married Elizabeth Prudden, and they had two children together. Elizabeth died in 1666 and Roger died in 1670, both in Milford.
These few facts and guesses are all that we currently know of Roger Pritchard. I hope someone reading this has more information. I'd like to know his origin, his parents, and his occupation. I've not found his will yet so that leaves a lot of information missing. However, we do know he was here, and we know he contributed his roots to the family tree, even though the roots are missing at present.
The line of descent is:
Roger Pritchard-Frances
Nathaniel Pritchard-Hannah Langton
Esther Pritchard-John Hanchett
John Hanchett-Lydia Hayward
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
So,we don't know his home, we don't know his parents, we know his first wife only by the name of "Frances", and we don't know when he arrived in Connecticut. We also don't know whether he was in Massachusetts first. Robert Charles Anderson uses an immigration date of 1640 but Meredith B. Colket says that he arrived in 1636. He arrived with his wife and their three children It's not clear why other children were not born to the couple, but perhaps Frances was simply past child-bearing age.
Nathaniel was in Wethersfield, Ct in 1640, then went up the Connecticut River to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1643, where he received land grants, and was in Milford, where he stayed, in 1653. He was granted freeman status on April 13, 1648, and he joined the Milford church in 1654.. Frances died in 1651 and two years later he married Elizabeth Prudden, and they had two children together. Elizabeth died in 1666 and Roger died in 1670, both in Milford.
These few facts and guesses are all that we currently know of Roger Pritchard. I hope someone reading this has more information. I'd like to know his origin, his parents, and his occupation. I've not found his will yet so that leaves a lot of information missing. However, we do know he was here, and we know he contributed his roots to the family tree, even though the roots are missing at present.
The line of descent is:
Roger Pritchard-Frances
Nathaniel Pritchard-Hannah Langton
Esther Pritchard-John Hanchett
John Hanchett-Lydia Hayward
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, May 12, 2017
Holbrook line: Walter Haynes 1583-1665, Immigrant
How do I condense the life of this immigrant ancestor into a few paragraphs and still tell a little of his story? We are fortunate to know so much about Walter Haynes, as he was a linen-weaver by occupation. We would probably have been considered a tradesman, rather than a farmer but most likely raised at least some crops for his family. Not everyone is so fortunate as to have this much information about a tradesman ancestor, so I'm not complaining.
Walter Haynes was born in 1583 in Sutton, Mandeville, Wiltshire, England. It's a small village not far from the south central coast of England, There is a 13th century church there, with the tower built in the 15th century. Walter's parents, probably John and Alice Lambert Haynes, would have been very familiar with this church and likely Walter was, too. We don't know when or if Walter became a Puritan because despite considerable information about him, I don't find mention of a church allegiance.
He and his wife Elizabeth left England on April 24, 1638 on board the "Confidence" and arrived in New England in June of that year. Boston and the surrounding small towns would have been new then, and anxious for skilled men such as linen-weavers to arrive and help build the colony. When Walter arrived, it was with five of their six children, and three servants. Walter was already 55 years old so it was likely that servants were necessary to do some of the hard work of building a home and a town.
Walter first lived in Watertown, probably while the plans were being completed for the founding of the town known as Sudbury. He was granted land there in December of 1639, and the first houses or lean tos were constructed then. Let's hope that he had a house constructed! The first church was organized in 1640, and it seems likely that Walter was a member if only because he was made a freeman in 1641 and was frequently a selectman, and also a representative to the General Court. . We are also told that Walter Haynes's first house was made into a garrison during King Philip's War (1675-1677), after Walter and his wife had both died. This indicates that the house he constructed, or had constructed, was substantial.
Elizabeth tied in 1659 and Walter wrote his will at about that same time. He lived for six more years, dying February 14, 1665. At his death, he left property in England to the daughter who had stayed in England, and his inventory amounted to 495.18.10, which would not seem insubstantial for a linen weaver. I'm proud to call him an ancestor.
The line of descent is:
Walter Haynes-Elizabeth
Suffrance Haynes-Nathaniel Treadway
Elizabeth Treadway-Joseph Hayward
Lydia Hayward-John Hanchett
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis E Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Walter Haynes was born in 1583 in Sutton, Mandeville, Wiltshire, England. It's a small village not far from the south central coast of England, There is a 13th century church there, with the tower built in the 15th century. Walter's parents, probably John and Alice Lambert Haynes, would have been very familiar with this church and likely Walter was, too. We don't know when or if Walter became a Puritan because despite considerable information about him, I don't find mention of a church allegiance.
He and his wife Elizabeth left England on April 24, 1638 on board the "Confidence" and arrived in New England in June of that year. Boston and the surrounding small towns would have been new then, and anxious for skilled men such as linen-weavers to arrive and help build the colony. When Walter arrived, it was with five of their six children, and three servants. Walter was already 55 years old so it was likely that servants were necessary to do some of the hard work of building a home and a town.
Walter first lived in Watertown, probably while the plans were being completed for the founding of the town known as Sudbury. He was granted land there in December of 1639, and the first houses or lean tos were constructed then. Let's hope that he had a house constructed! The first church was organized in 1640, and it seems likely that Walter was a member if only because he was made a freeman in 1641 and was frequently a selectman, and also a representative to the General Court. . We are also told that Walter Haynes's first house was made into a garrison during King Philip's War (1675-1677), after Walter and his wife had both died. This indicates that the house he constructed, or had constructed, was substantial.
Elizabeth tied in 1659 and Walter wrote his will at about that same time. He lived for six more years, dying February 14, 1665. At his death, he left property in England to the daughter who had stayed in England, and his inventory amounted to 495.18.10, which would not seem insubstantial for a linen weaver. I'm proud to call him an ancestor.
The line of descent is:
Walter Haynes-Elizabeth
Suffrance Haynes-Nathaniel Treadway
Elizabeth Treadway-Joseph Hayward
Lydia Hayward-John Hanchett
Hannah Hanchett-John Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis E Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, February 6, 2015
Holbrook line: Richard Brackett Immigrant 1610-1680
Richard Brackett is yet another of our immigrant ancestors. Fortunately, more is known about him than about many of our immigrants, and it is well documented. Still, motivations are missing and we will probably have to leave it at that.
Richard was born to Peter Brackett and Rachel Wheatley on or before September 16, 1610 in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. It appears that at the time, Sudbury was a small town-not a village but not a city, either, and the town's main industry was textiles. He was one of at least five children who were left fatherless in 1616. His mother soon remarried to Martin Saunders, so there was a father figure in the family.
Richard migrated to the New World in 1630, with the Winthrop Fleet and settled in Boston, where he was an early member of the church. He returned to England in 1633 and while there he married Alice Blower on January 6, 1634 in St Katherine by the Tower Church, London, England. The newly weds soon left to make their permanent home in the New World. Their first child, Hannah, was born in Boston and baptized January 4, 1635. Alice signed the covenant on November 8, 1635 and thus became a member of the Boston church, also.
In Boston, Richard became a freeman on May 25, 1636, meaning he had accumulated some property and was a member of the church, and he joined the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company" on November 23, 1639. This was a volunteer militia group with the stated goal of providing officers for the various enrolled militia companies.
He was given land on which to build on March 21, 1636, on Washington Street, but the family didn't stay there long. On November 20, 1637, he was appointed by the General Court to keep the prison, and was granted a salary of 13 pounds, 6s.8.d, which was later increased to 20 pounds. We don't know why he was given this task but it was the sort of job of which "someone has to do it"
In 1641, Richard and Alice "removed" to Braintree, and Richard became a Deacon of the church there. (Braintree is the home of the famous Adams family of later years.) He was noted as "Captain Richard Brackett" when we was a deputy to General court, many times over the years. He we town clerk for about 8 years, and was appointed to many town committees. He was a husbandman and a farmer, and a father to 8 children born between 1635 and 1652. It is also believed that he taught the school in Braintree. As a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, he was chief military officer during King Philip's War, although he did not have command of the garrison built between Braintree and Bridgewater.. In 1679, he was appointed to take oaths in civil cases and perform marriages.
On October 15, 1684, Richard was, at his persistent request, released from his military duties. He was 73 years old at the time, and had been connected with the company for 43 years and had been its captain for 30 of those years. Richard died March 3, 1690 at Braintree. He left a will but I did not find an actual inventory. However, there was a home, land in Braintree and in Billerica, and several bequests of 20 pounds apiece, so he was not a poor man by any means. Alice died 8 months after her husband, on November 3, 1690.
Richard and Alice donated a silver cup used at communion service to the church at Braintree, inscribed R&A. It may be owned by a Unitarian church now.
Oh, I love it when an ancestor line has been researched by New England Historical and Genealogical Society and published in either "The Great Migration Begins" or "The Great Migration". This blogpost is a summary of that information, with possibly another fact or two thrown in from the website www.deloriahurst.com, "The Genealogical Tree of Captain Richard Brackett." There is also a whole book online called "Brackett genealogy", which I have not consulted, but if you have interest in this man, as I do, go ahead and put it on your "to read" list, as I will.
The line of descent is:
Richard Brackett-Alice Blower
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Fun fact: Richard must have acted as an informal recruiter for the New World. "The Great Migration Begins" concludes that there were more than forty future immigrants to New England who were related to Richard Brackett by blood or marriage before their departure from England.
Richard was born to Peter Brackett and Rachel Wheatley on or before September 16, 1610 in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. It appears that at the time, Sudbury was a small town-not a village but not a city, either, and the town's main industry was textiles. He was one of at least five children who were left fatherless in 1616. His mother soon remarried to Martin Saunders, so there was a father figure in the family.
Richard migrated to the New World in 1630, with the Winthrop Fleet and settled in Boston, where he was an early member of the church. He returned to England in 1633 and while there he married Alice Blower on January 6, 1634 in St Katherine by the Tower Church, London, England. The newly weds soon left to make their permanent home in the New World. Their first child, Hannah, was born in Boston and baptized January 4, 1635. Alice signed the covenant on November 8, 1635 and thus became a member of the Boston church, also.
In Boston, Richard became a freeman on May 25, 1636, meaning he had accumulated some property and was a member of the church, and he joined the "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company" on November 23, 1639. This was a volunteer militia group with the stated goal of providing officers for the various enrolled militia companies.
He was given land on which to build on March 21, 1636, on Washington Street, but the family didn't stay there long. On November 20, 1637, he was appointed by the General Court to keep the prison, and was granted a salary of 13 pounds, 6s.8.d, which was later increased to 20 pounds. We don't know why he was given this task but it was the sort of job of which "someone has to do it"
In 1641, Richard and Alice "removed" to Braintree, and Richard became a Deacon of the church there. (Braintree is the home of the famous Adams family of later years.) He was noted as "Captain Richard Brackett" when we was a deputy to General court, many times over the years. He we town clerk for about 8 years, and was appointed to many town committees. He was a husbandman and a farmer, and a father to 8 children born between 1635 and 1652. It is also believed that he taught the school in Braintree. As a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, he was chief military officer during King Philip's War, although he did not have command of the garrison built between Braintree and Bridgewater.. In 1679, he was appointed to take oaths in civil cases and perform marriages.
On October 15, 1684, Richard was, at his persistent request, released from his military duties. He was 73 years old at the time, and had been connected with the company for 43 years and had been its captain for 30 of those years. Richard died March 3, 1690 at Braintree. He left a will but I did not find an actual inventory. However, there was a home, land in Braintree and in Billerica, and several bequests of 20 pounds apiece, so he was not a poor man by any means. Alice died 8 months after her husband, on November 3, 1690.
Richard and Alice donated a silver cup used at communion service to the church at Braintree, inscribed R&A. It may be owned by a Unitarian church now.
Oh, I love it when an ancestor line has been researched by New England Historical and Genealogical Society and published in either "The Great Migration Begins" or "The Great Migration". This blogpost is a summary of that information, with possibly another fact or two thrown in from the website www.deloriahurst.com, "The Genealogical Tree of Captain Richard Brackett." There is also a whole book online called "Brackett genealogy", which I have not consulted, but if you have interest in this man, as I do, go ahead and put it on your "to read" list, as I will.
The line of descent is:
Richard Brackett-Alice Blower
John Brackett-Hannah French
Hannah Brackett-Joseph Stannard
John Stannard-Hannah Jordan
John Stannard-Hannah Hanchett
Libbeus Stannard-Eunice Pomeroy
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Fun fact: Richard must have acted as an informal recruiter for the New World. "The Great Migration Begins" concludes that there were more than forty future immigrants to New England who were related to Richard Brackett by blood or marriage before their departure from England.
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