Once again there are mysteries and questions about an ancestor. We know when he was born, and lots of people think they knew when he died, but since the only will I've located in that time period was for his son and not himself, I'm not quite convinced.
Matthew Bellamy, the second Matthew Bellamy of whom I've written, was born February , 1677-78 or possibly 1676, at Killingworth, Connecticut. The reason I say possibly is that some sites give his birth date as 1676, and at Saybrook, under the idea that he and his sister Mary were twins. I haven't proven or disproven that yet. The date and location I've given first are those published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register volume 61, page 339. Regardless, it is accepted as established that his parents were Matthew and Bethiah Ford Bellamy. Matthew the younger was one of at least five children in his family.
Matthew senior was an educated man, a schoolmaster, so we can only assume that our Matthew learned to read and write, but we know nothing further of his education. He was living in Wallingford by 1696, and that is likely where he met his first wife. We have two marriages for Matthew. His first wife, whom he married September 26, 1705 was Sarah Wood. The couple had six children together, but Sarah died on March 8, 1721, about 6 weeks after the birth of her last child. Matthew remarried quickly, on May 30, 1721 to Mary Johnson, daughter of Samuel Johnson. They had five children together.
The article I mentioned above says that he owned an interest in the copper mines at Wallingford, and may have worked there. I don't find anything to document that, but I did find a petition he presented to the General Assembly in 1721-1722, asking to be licensed for a house of entertainment, for the benefit of the miners who worked at the mine. The article doesn't state whether or not this was approved, so more research needs to be done to verify that. He was apparently looking for a way to better support his family, as his occupation up to this point had been that of a weaver. (On a tax list for 1701, he was charged at a value or "grand rate" of 22 pounds, which was less than most of the town, although of course he was still quite young at that time.) I wonder how Mary thought she would be able to help him, with 6 young step-children and two of her own on the way (she would have twins in February of 1722).
Surprisingly, because most of our early ancestors have been Puritans, it appears that the Bellamy family was of the Church of England, as his name is on a petition to the Bishop of London asking for more pastors for the area.
I've not yet located anything to make me think that Matthew was involved in any of the border wars during Queen Anne's or King William's wars of the late 1600 and early 1700s, but he would have been of the right age for the duty and we can't yet rule out the possibility.
I've not located a will for Matthew yet. There is one for Matthew Bellamy from 1754, but this is his son Matthew, not ours. The Bellamy family was prominent in Wallingford for some time, with some of Matthew's grandsons serving in the Revolutionary War, one a noted Episcopalian pastor, and others of honorable professions. Even though our Matthew may not have died a wealthy person (which is my supposition, not a fact, since I haven't seen a will or inventory), he must have given his descendants a strong sense of character and duty. Mary died before Matthew, on March 8, 1721, and Matthew's date of death is given as June 7, 1752.
The line of descent is
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
Showing posts with label Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnson. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Holbrook line: John Johnson of Roxbury, Immigrant
It doesn't help matters at all that we have at least two ancestors named John Johnson on our tree. For a long time, I've been reluctant to write about this one because I thought it was possible that I had the two men confused on my tree. However, I've been thrilled to find, and finally read, a book called "The Biography and Genealogy of Captain John Johnson from Roxbury, Massachusetts: An Uncommon Man in the Commonwealth of the Massachusetts Bay Colony 1630-1659" by Gerald Garth Johnson, whom I assume would be a distant cousin of ours. The book was published by Heritage Books in 2008, so the scholarship is recent. As my son and my sister would say "Cool beans!"
To give the bare facts, we don't know for sure where John Johnson was born nor whom his parents were, but it appears likely that he was from the area of Great Amwell or Ware, Hertfordshire, England. He married his first wife, Mary Heath, at Ware in 1613, so he was likely born sometime around 1590, give or take a few years. He seems to have learned to read, write, and "cipher" as a child but there is no evidence for that except that he possessed these skills in his adult life. He was a Puritan, probably deeply religious, and he had ten children before he came to America, unfortunately without Mary. She died in 1629 and John Johnson came to Massachusetts on the Arabella, with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. He was the quartermaster for the ship, meaning he was responsible for providing and rationing food for the trip across the ocean, and perhaps for a time when the ship landed. Only six or perhaps seven of the children were still living, and we don't know whether all of the children came with him or whether some were on other ships of the same fleet, Mary, the oldest, would have been just sixteen, which perhaps was considered old enough to watch over the other children while on the trip.
Not much is known of Johnson's life in England but somewhere he must have acquired the skills and abilities that allowed him to become prominent in the life of Roxbury. He apparently went to the new village as soon as he landed, and was part of the town's development for the rest of his life. He was referred to as a yeoman, so he had little status coming to town but soon was respected by all Among his accomplishments, he was a selectman for most of his life there. He served as constable for many, many years. He was "Surveyor-General of the Arms" for the entire Massachusetts Bay Colony , as well as Captain of the Roxbury Military Company and clerk of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. (He had likely been a member of the Honourable Artillery Company of London, but the identification is not certain).
Johnson was frequently called on to witness wills or to inventory estates, as well as to represent townspeople as attorney or power of attorney. As a Puritan in a Puritan town, he helped found the first church and may have helped to construct the first meeting house. He donated toward the establishment of the first school in Roxbury. As Surveyor-General, he helped build bridges and decide boundaries, including settling disputes, or what could have become disputes, between neighboring towns.
Are you impressed yet? He did all this while raising his family, running a farm, and owning a tavern in Roxbury. He was a land owner and a land dealer, providing for farms for two sons as well as selling land for profit. John did have some help. He married for the second time, to a woman named Margery, probably about 1633. but possibly before coming to America to 1630. Margery died and Johnson then married Grace Negus Fawer before October 14, 1656. (She was either childless or had no surviving children when she died in 1671, since she left her estate to her two brothers). So on top of all that he did for the community, the church, and the colony, Johnson was also a family man. He may have had step children, although none were mentioned in his will.
John Johnson died September 30, 1659. The book I referred to earlier gives his complete will and an inventory several pages in length. His estate was valued at about 668 pounds, and the inventory shows many more items than were typical in a New England household in 1659. This is even more remarkable because Johnson's house, including town and military records and the town's ammunition, burned to the ground in 1645. Johnson had quickly replaced everything of the household that was destroyed, and possibly more besides.
The author is certainly proud of John Johnson and I think we should be, too. He was respected in his time both for the work he did and for the results, as he was regarded as successful. I'd love to learn more about him but this is so much more than I expected to find, that I am truly grateful for this book. If you want to learn more about John Johnson, or about Puritans in general, you couldn't do better than to read this book!
The line of descent is:
John Johnson-Mary Heath
Mary Johnson-Roger Mowry
Nathaniel Mowry-Joanna Inman
Joanna Mowry-Walter Phetteplace
Sarah Phetteplace-Elisha Eddy
Enos Eddy-Sarah Brown
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
To give the bare facts, we don't know for sure where John Johnson was born nor whom his parents were, but it appears likely that he was from the area of Great Amwell or Ware, Hertfordshire, England. He married his first wife, Mary Heath, at Ware in 1613, so he was likely born sometime around 1590, give or take a few years. He seems to have learned to read, write, and "cipher" as a child but there is no evidence for that except that he possessed these skills in his adult life. He was a Puritan, probably deeply religious, and he had ten children before he came to America, unfortunately without Mary. She died in 1629 and John Johnson came to Massachusetts on the Arabella, with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. He was the quartermaster for the ship, meaning he was responsible for providing and rationing food for the trip across the ocean, and perhaps for a time when the ship landed. Only six or perhaps seven of the children were still living, and we don't know whether all of the children came with him or whether some were on other ships of the same fleet, Mary, the oldest, would have been just sixteen, which perhaps was considered old enough to watch over the other children while on the trip.
Not much is known of Johnson's life in England but somewhere he must have acquired the skills and abilities that allowed him to become prominent in the life of Roxbury. He apparently went to the new village as soon as he landed, and was part of the town's development for the rest of his life. He was referred to as a yeoman, so he had little status coming to town but soon was respected by all Among his accomplishments, he was a selectman for most of his life there. He served as constable for many, many years. He was "Surveyor-General of the Arms" for the entire Massachusetts Bay Colony , as well as Captain of the Roxbury Military Company and clerk of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. (He had likely been a member of the Honourable Artillery Company of London, but the identification is not certain).
Johnson was frequently called on to witness wills or to inventory estates, as well as to represent townspeople as attorney or power of attorney. As a Puritan in a Puritan town, he helped found the first church and may have helped to construct the first meeting house. He donated toward the establishment of the first school in Roxbury. As Surveyor-General, he helped build bridges and decide boundaries, including settling disputes, or what could have become disputes, between neighboring towns.
Are you impressed yet? He did all this while raising his family, running a farm, and owning a tavern in Roxbury. He was a land owner and a land dealer, providing for farms for two sons as well as selling land for profit. John did have some help. He married for the second time, to a woman named Margery, probably about 1633. but possibly before coming to America to 1630. Margery died and Johnson then married Grace Negus Fawer before October 14, 1656. (She was either childless or had no surviving children when she died in 1671, since she left her estate to her two brothers). So on top of all that he did for the community, the church, and the colony, Johnson was also a family man. He may have had step children, although none were mentioned in his will.
John Johnson died September 30, 1659. The book I referred to earlier gives his complete will and an inventory several pages in length. His estate was valued at about 668 pounds, and the inventory shows many more items than were typical in a New England household in 1659. This is even more remarkable because Johnson's house, including town and military records and the town's ammunition, burned to the ground in 1645. Johnson had quickly replaced everything of the household that was destroyed, and possibly more besides.
The author is certainly proud of John Johnson and I think we should be, too. He was respected in his time both for the work he did and for the results, as he was regarded as successful. I'd love to learn more about him but this is so much more than I expected to find, that I am truly grateful for this book. If you want to learn more about John Johnson, or about Puritans in general, you couldn't do better than to read this book!
The line of descent is:
John Johnson-Mary Heath
Mary Johnson-Roger Mowry
Nathaniel Mowry-Joanna Inman
Joanna Mowry-Walter Phetteplace
Sarah Phetteplace-Elisha Eddy
Enos Eddy-Sarah Brown
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Allen line; Robert Johnson died 1661, Immigrant
There are a lot of stories about Robert Johnson on line, but not a lot of good, documented information. I'm not sure but I think it's possible that two Robert Johnson's have been combined and confused, and that makes it hard to determine which Robert Johnson is ours.
The esteemed genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus in his "Families of Ancient New Haven" gives the idea that three brothers came from Hull, Yorkshire, England, and from that others have apparently jumped at the conclusion that Robert is the son of Abraham who was the son of Robert Johnson son of Maurice Johnson, who was an alderman of Stanford in Lincolnshire. I'm not sure this holds up under scrutiny, but it's possible.
I'll start with what I believe to be correct. Robert Johnson was in New Haven, Connecticut as early as 1641. At least two more generations of Johnsons lived in New Haven, and their records seem to be a little more easily traced. So that's helpful, to show that Robert was an early resident there
William Richard Cutter says that Robert came to Boston in 1637 from Kingston on Hull, Yorkshire, England, where he was in business. He brought his wife "Adlin" and four sons, Robert, Thomas, John, and William. There is some belief that Aldin may have been a second wife, but so far no records have been produced to indicate whether this is so or not.
The first I can really find about Robert is that he was in New Haven, Connecticut in 1641, and that this is where he spent the remainder of his days. He is believed to have been born sometime between 1603 and 1612, but again, there is no known documentation. It makes sense based on the ages of his known children to think that it would be closer to 1603, since some of his children are believed to have been born in the early to mid 1620's.
We see him in 1641 in New Haven in a dispute with his brother, John. He had loaned money to John back in England, and John apparently did not pay him back. the house had been pledged as security, or so Robert thought. In the 1640's he was several times appointed to committees to resolve disputes about crops damaged by cattle and hogs, and to determine how much corn each farmer was growing, that the town would be responsible to buy. He bought 91/2 acres of land "in the Necke" and also had recorded 62 acres of "upland" he had purchased from Thomas Yale, both in 1646. He apparently also owned a dwelling or land in "Yorkshire quarter", which was disposed of in his will.
That is pretty much what is known of Robert Johnson. If he was descended from Maurice Johnson then there is likely more material to be found regarding his ancestry, and hopefully more clues to his occupation, religion, and other mundane matters that bring our ancestors to life.
For now, we will leave him at the end of his life, in 1661, in New Haven. He chose to live there and had been there at least 20 years, watching his family grow and settle in to the new land they had come to. I am thankful that men like Robert Johnson were willing to come to America and build this new land!
The line of descent is:
Robert Johnson-Adeline
John Johnson-Hannah Parmalee
Samuel Johnson-unknown
Mary Johnson-Matthew Bellamy
Hannah Bellamy-John Royse
Elizabeth Royse-William McCoy
James McCoy-Nancy Ann Lane
Vincent McCoy-Eleanor Jackson
Nancy McCoy-George Allen
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The esteemed genealogist Donald Lines Jacobus in his "Families of Ancient New Haven" gives the idea that three brothers came from Hull, Yorkshire, England, and from that others have apparently jumped at the conclusion that Robert is the son of Abraham who was the son of Robert Johnson son of Maurice Johnson, who was an alderman of Stanford in Lincolnshire. I'm not sure this holds up under scrutiny, but it's possible.
I'll start with what I believe to be correct. Robert Johnson was in New Haven, Connecticut as early as 1641. At least two more generations of Johnsons lived in New Haven, and their records seem to be a little more easily traced. So that's helpful, to show that Robert was an early resident there
William Richard Cutter says that Robert came to Boston in 1637 from Kingston on Hull, Yorkshire, England, where he was in business. He brought his wife "Adlin" and four sons, Robert, Thomas, John, and William. There is some belief that Aldin may have been a second wife, but so far no records have been produced to indicate whether this is so or not.
The first I can really find about Robert is that he was in New Haven, Connecticut in 1641, and that this is where he spent the remainder of his days. He is believed to have been born sometime between 1603 and 1612, but again, there is no known documentation. It makes sense based on the ages of his known children to think that it would be closer to 1603, since some of his children are believed to have been born in the early to mid 1620's.
We see him in 1641 in New Haven in a dispute with his brother, John. He had loaned money to John back in England, and John apparently did not pay him back. the house had been pledged as security, or so Robert thought. In the 1640's he was several times appointed to committees to resolve disputes about crops damaged by cattle and hogs, and to determine how much corn each farmer was growing, that the town would be responsible to buy. He bought 91/2 acres of land "in the Necke" and also had recorded 62 acres of "upland" he had purchased from Thomas Yale, both in 1646. He apparently also owned a dwelling or land in "Yorkshire quarter", which was disposed of in his will.
That is pretty much what is known of Robert Johnson. If he was descended from Maurice Johnson then there is likely more material to be found regarding his ancestry, and hopefully more clues to his occupation, religion, and other mundane matters that bring our ancestors to life.
For now, we will leave him at the end of his life, in 1661, in New Haven. He chose to live there and had been there at least 20 years, watching his family grow and settle in to the new land they had come to. I am thankful that men like Robert Johnson were willing to come to America and build this new land!
The line of descent is:
Robert Johnson-Adeline
John Johnson-Hannah Parmalee
Samuel Johnson-unknown
Mary Johnson-Matthew Bellamy
Hannah Bellamy-John Royse
Elizabeth Royse-William McCoy
James McCoy-Nancy Ann Lane
Vincent McCoy-Eleanor Jackson
Nancy McCoy-George Allen
Edward Allen-Edith Knott
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
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, September 6, 2016
Allen line: John Parmelee 1584-1659, Immigrant
If for not other reason, John Parmelee is noted for having five wives, apparently having out-lived four of them, and for having children by each of his first four wives. He was born in Lewes, Sussex, England before September 27, 1584. His father, also John Parmelee, had died late in April (buried May 1) 1583, so his mother, Alice Russell, waited a few months to have him baptized. Perhaps she herself was ill, or she was waiting for relatives to arrive. Babies were usually but not always baptized shortly after birth. John is known to have had one sister, Margaret, who was born a little more than ten years earlier than John. There was another sister, Catherine, who would have been about five years older than John but who died as an infant.
It's not clear who raised Margaret and John. Alice apparently did not remarry, which would have been unusual for this time frame, unless her health was not good. Probably the family moved in with relatives and eventually John learned the trade of bricklaying. He supported his own family with his trade. This would have been back breaking work, just as it is today, but John was apparently a strong young man. He married at age 24 for the first time, to Anne Howell, and their marriage lasted until her death 21 years later. They had seven children together, but only one survived childhood.
John next married Hannah Wilbur in 1630. She had two children, and died on February 20, 1634, perhaps as a result of childbirth. Fifteen months later, John married Elizabeth Holter, and had three children with her. Again, all three children died young. He next married Joane Cobden, about 15 months after wife Elizabeth had died, and they had one daughter, Rachel, who was buried just five days after her 1638 baptism. It isn't known what happened to Joane, but she was probably dead when John decided to start a new life in America, or at least when he set sail.
His surviving son John was already in New England when John sailed from London on the St John on May 20, 1639. The ship went directly to New Haven, Connecticut and John Senior joined his son John Junior in Guilford. His signature was on a Plantation Covenant which was officially dated June 1, 1639, but apparently a few late-comers signed the document as they arrived in port. He was assigned a home lot at the north end of the village green, where the First Congregational Church now stands. We are told on the Town of Guilford, Connecticut's website that the homes built were no more than huts, with thatched roofs, wooden walls, and dirt floors, and the village resembled a medieval village for several generations.
John was voted a freeman about 10 years after he arrived in Guilford, but some time before 1659 he and his family moved to New Haven, where he was admitted as a freeman on August 8, 1659. His family at this time included his fifth wife, Elizabeth, whom he had married in 1653. There were fourteen years between the death of his fourth wife and the final marriage, so perhaps John had finally given himself time to grieve the loss of so many wives and so many children. John died November 8, 1659, probably at New Haven. He did leave a will and inventory but so far I haven't been able to locate it.
This brief outline leaves a lot of questions. Was John a strong Puritan church supporter? How did he support his family in Connecticut? What were the early relations with the native Americans? Was he a member of a train band or other military group? I need to find out more about John Parmelee, who sparks my compassion across these many generations.
The line of descent is:
John Parmelee-Hannah Wilbur
Hannah Parmelee-John Johnson
Samuel Johnson-unknown
Mary Johnson-Matthew Bellamy
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
It's not clear who raised Margaret and John. Alice apparently did not remarry, which would have been unusual for this time frame, unless her health was not good. Probably the family moved in with relatives and eventually John learned the trade of bricklaying. He supported his own family with his trade. This would have been back breaking work, just as it is today, but John was apparently a strong young man. He married at age 24 for the first time, to Anne Howell, and their marriage lasted until her death 21 years later. They had seven children together, but only one survived childhood.
John next married Hannah Wilbur in 1630. She had two children, and died on February 20, 1634, perhaps as a result of childbirth. Fifteen months later, John married Elizabeth Holter, and had three children with her. Again, all three children died young. He next married Joane Cobden, about 15 months after wife Elizabeth had died, and they had one daughter, Rachel, who was buried just five days after her 1638 baptism. It isn't known what happened to Joane, but she was probably dead when John decided to start a new life in America, or at least when he set sail.
His surviving son John was already in New England when John sailed from London on the St John on May 20, 1639. The ship went directly to New Haven, Connecticut and John Senior joined his son John Junior in Guilford. His signature was on a Plantation Covenant which was officially dated June 1, 1639, but apparently a few late-comers signed the document as they arrived in port. He was assigned a home lot at the north end of the village green, where the First Congregational Church now stands. We are told on the Town of Guilford, Connecticut's website that the homes built were no more than huts, with thatched roofs, wooden walls, and dirt floors, and the village resembled a medieval village for several generations.
John was voted a freeman about 10 years after he arrived in Guilford, but some time before 1659 he and his family moved to New Haven, where he was admitted as a freeman on August 8, 1659. His family at this time included his fifth wife, Elizabeth, whom he had married in 1653. There were fourteen years between the death of his fourth wife and the final marriage, so perhaps John had finally given himself time to grieve the loss of so many wives and so many children. John died November 8, 1659, probably at New Haven. He did leave a will and inventory but so far I haven't been able to locate it.
This brief outline leaves a lot of questions. Was John a strong Puritan church supporter? How did he support his family in Connecticut? What were the early relations with the native Americans? Was he a member of a train band or other military group? I need to find out more about John Parmelee, who sparks my compassion across these many generations.
The line of descent is:
John Parmelee-Hannah Wilbur
Hannah Parmelee-John Johnson
Samuel Johnson-unknown
Mary Johnson-Matthew Bellamy
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
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, July 31, 2015
Holbrook line: Roger Mowry 1610-1666
There's so much information about Roger Mowery (Mowery, Mawry, etc.) that some of it has to be wrong. He was born in London, or he was born in Brimpton, Dorset, England. His parents were Thomas and Anne, or they were Thomas and Elizabeth. He came to Massachusetts in 1628, or1630, or 1632. Some of these statements may not be contradictory. Obviously he had one birth place and one set of parents. But he could have come to Massachusetts more than once. "The Great Migraation Begins" gives a migration date of 1630 so that is close enough, and another source says he came with Gov. Winthrop's fleet in 1630.
When Roger came to America, he was first at Plymouth colony, at the same time as Roger Williams. He then moved at about the same time as Roger Williams to Salem, a little north of what was then a very small Boston. In fact, Salem, at the time, was used as a seaport more than Boston, and may have been a little larger. If a record of his marriage exists, it's not well documented and some have suggested he may have married more than once. This may be based on the idea that in late December, 1637, he was granted three quarters of an acre of marshland near Salem, and at that time had a household of five. So he may have had children from an earlier marriage, or there may be more children than we know about, or he could have had relatives living with him. At any rate, his recognized wife is Mary Johnson, daughter of John Johnson, and they were married by 1637, when the first of at least 11 children were born.
Roger and Mary stayed in Salem for several years. At least their first four children, Jonathan, Appia/Bethiah, Mary, and Elizabeth were born there, and it is likely that is where Nathaniel, Mehitable, John, Joseph and Benjamin were born, since Benjamin was baptized at Salem on May 20, 1649. Thomas and Hannah were born at Providence, Rhode Island.
There are suggestions in several writings that Roger Mowry and the famous Roger Williams were somehow related, but their friendship could just as easily have been based on religious beliefs. At any rate, the two Rogers lived near to each other for much of their lives, and it seems reasonable to suppose that Roger Williams' religious teachings influenced those of Roger Mowry.
We know that Roger was educated well enough that he could write his name, but beyond that we know nothing of his education. He would have had land to farm, both in Salem and in Providence, as he was given or earned it by right of being a freeman and an early settler. In addition, in Salem he was a "neat herd", which was an early form of "cow herd." He was responsible for getting the town cattle to their pasture each morning and bringing them back each night, and probably for their safety during the day. This would not have left much time for other activities. He held this post for at least 5 years, from 1636 to 1641, but there is no further mention of that occupation. We know he was on the Esses County petit Jury on January 24, 1641.
Sometime before July of 1652, the Mowry's had moved to Providence, Rhode Island. Salem may have become too restrictive, or they may have missed the fellowship with the Williams family, or they may have moved for economic reasons. He was an inn-keeper (which also means tavern-keeper) at Providence by 1653. This home/business was standing as late as 1900, and was known as the Olney House. (You can Google Roger Mowry tavern, Providence and find a fascinating story and picture of the building itself, and about how it was used when Roger owned it. Good stuff!)
Roger was a constable in Providence in 1655, one of six men chosen to hear cases in Providence by 1662, and frequently a Providence juryman. This seems to be a rise in status from that of "neatherd".
Roger died in Providence January 5, 1666/7, possibly from smallpox. His widow, Mary, married John Kingsley of Rehoboth, and when she died in January of 1678/9, she was buried at Rehoboth. His will and inventory did not survive King Philip's War, when all but five buildings in Providence were burned, the Tavern being one that was spared.
The line of descent is:
Roger Mowry-Mary Johnson
Nathaniel Mowry-Joanna Inman
Joanna Mowry-Walter Phettiplace
Sarah Phettiplace-Elisha Eddy
Enos Eddy-Sarah Brown
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Their descendents
When Roger came to America, he was first at Plymouth colony, at the same time as Roger Williams. He then moved at about the same time as Roger Williams to Salem, a little north of what was then a very small Boston. In fact, Salem, at the time, was used as a seaport more than Boston, and may have been a little larger. If a record of his marriage exists, it's not well documented and some have suggested he may have married more than once. This may be based on the idea that in late December, 1637, he was granted three quarters of an acre of marshland near Salem, and at that time had a household of five. So he may have had children from an earlier marriage, or there may be more children than we know about, or he could have had relatives living with him. At any rate, his recognized wife is Mary Johnson, daughter of John Johnson, and they were married by 1637, when the first of at least 11 children were born.
Roger and Mary stayed in Salem for several years. At least their first four children, Jonathan, Appia/Bethiah, Mary, and Elizabeth were born there, and it is likely that is where Nathaniel, Mehitable, John, Joseph and Benjamin were born, since Benjamin was baptized at Salem on May 20, 1649. Thomas and Hannah were born at Providence, Rhode Island.
There are suggestions in several writings that Roger Mowry and the famous Roger Williams were somehow related, but their friendship could just as easily have been based on religious beliefs. At any rate, the two Rogers lived near to each other for much of their lives, and it seems reasonable to suppose that Roger Williams' religious teachings influenced those of Roger Mowry.
We know that Roger was educated well enough that he could write his name, but beyond that we know nothing of his education. He would have had land to farm, both in Salem and in Providence, as he was given or earned it by right of being a freeman and an early settler. In addition, in Salem he was a "neat herd", which was an early form of "cow herd." He was responsible for getting the town cattle to their pasture each morning and bringing them back each night, and probably for their safety during the day. This would not have left much time for other activities. He held this post for at least 5 years, from 1636 to 1641, but there is no further mention of that occupation. We know he was on the Esses County petit Jury on January 24, 1641.
Sometime before July of 1652, the Mowry's had moved to Providence, Rhode Island. Salem may have become too restrictive, or they may have missed the fellowship with the Williams family, or they may have moved for economic reasons. He was an inn-keeper (which also means tavern-keeper) at Providence by 1653. This home/business was standing as late as 1900, and was known as the Olney House. (You can Google Roger Mowry tavern, Providence and find a fascinating story and picture of the building itself, and about how it was used when Roger owned it. Good stuff!)
Roger was a constable in Providence in 1655, one of six men chosen to hear cases in Providence by 1662, and frequently a Providence juryman. This seems to be a rise in status from that of "neatherd".
Roger died in Providence January 5, 1666/7, possibly from smallpox. His widow, Mary, married John Kingsley of Rehoboth, and when she died in January of 1678/9, she was buried at Rehoboth. His will and inventory did not survive King Philip's War, when all but five buildings in Providence were burned, the Tavern being one that was spared.
The line of descent is:
Roger Mowry-Mary Johnson
Nathaniel Mowry-Joanna Inman
Joanna Mowry-Walter Phettiplace
Sarah Phettiplace-Elisha Eddy
Enos Eddy-Sarah Brown
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Their descendents
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