I hate to use "ish" with a date. It shows my ignorance, or ability to find documentation to support a date. However, that's the way it is. The most specific date I found, which I can't support with a document, is October 24, 1637, likely in Hingham, Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts. There are even those who state that his parentage isn't known, or at least that his mother isn't known. However, most sources report him to be a son of Elder John Strong, whom I wrote about earlier, and his (possibly second) wife, Abigail Ford. Thomas, as still a young boy, moved in 1647 to Windsor, Connecticut, where his parents lived until 1659.
Thomas lost no time in marrying Mary Hewitt at Northampton on October 3, 1659. She was the daughter of Rev. Ephraim and Isabel Overton Hewitt (also spelled Huit, particularly in earlier records). Thomas's father was the elder of the church, or soon would be, and Rev. Ephraim was a strong Puritan pastor, so Thomas and Mary would seem to have been well-matched. However, Thomas's name is not on the list of those who first owned the Covenant, nor is Mary's. One wonders where they were spiritually, that they would not have joined the church immediately. I've not been able to learn the dates that they joined, but it must have happened, because Thomas was a tithing man in 1669 and possibly for years thereafter. (A tithing man was a sort of "law enforcer" for the church).
Thomas would have belonged to the militia of the town and would have been deeply involved in defending the town during King Philip's War. I have not found his name on any lists indicating he fought outside of town but every able-bodied man would have been needed. There were native American attacks on the palisades the men had built, and it was the spirit of the men (and women) inside that kept the rest of the townspeople safe (several died in the fields as some of the attacks began). Thomas is listed as a "trooper" for Windsor, Connecticut in 1658 under Captain John Mason, but I haven't been able to determine what that service would have entailed, or why it was needed.
Thomas and Mary had five children together before she died February 20, 1671. He then married Rachel Holton and they had at least eleven children together. The youngest was born after her father's death, which occurred on October 3, 1689. The estate papers are really hard to figure out, although they are mostly legible. Apparently nothing was filed until 1695. The estate seems to have been valued at over 400 pounds, more or less. Rachel or a committee, or both, attempted to divide the estate so that each of the children would have their portion, and so the younger children could be raised until put to work. I didn't locate an actual will, but she seems to be following some sort of directions from someone. (Rachel later remarried, so some of the adult children actually had a step mother and a step father)
From the inventory, it appears that Thomas was a farmer, as he had several plots of land, oxen, cattle, horses, sheep, and lambs. He may have been a shoemaker at one time, as there is the "remains of a last" in the list. The inventory was taken 6 years after his death, so it is not a perfect look at his holdings. Some goods, such as food and seeds, were used up in the meantime, as were cloths that were cut up for clothes for the children. There were two guns listed, but no Bible that I could see. Surely Thomas would have been able to read, though, as all Puritan boys were expected to meet this standard.
I wish we knew more about John Strong. His father overshadowed him and out-lived him, too. So was our John a meek and mild-mannered man, or was he strong and silent? Was he a source of help to the community during and after King Philip's war, when some had lost their husbands and fathers and many had lost their homes and crops? There is so much more I'd like to know!
The line of descent is
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewitt
Maria Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stanard
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun fact: Thomas Strong is the 8th great grandfather of Lady Diana. He is my 8th great grandfather, too. So that makes us ninth cousins, which is kind of fun.
Showing posts with label Judd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Judd. Show all posts
Friday, July 3, 2020
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Holbrook line: Sergeant Samuel Judd 1653-1720
Well, OK, maybe he wasn't born in 1651. Maybe it was 1653. Records seem to be lacking. However, his father was Deacon Thomas Judd and his mother was Elizabeth, maiden name unknown. He was born in Farmington, Connecticut, which is just west of Hartford, and he was one of nine children. Since his father was the church deacon, it is probably safe to assume that this was a Puritan family. About 1670, the Puritan churches started having difficulties and we don't know how seriously Samuel took his religion, but presumably he would still have attended church even if he wasn't an official member of the congregation. There are church records but one has to be on site in Connecticut to view them, it appears.
Samuel appears to have been in Northampton, Massachusetts at the time of his marriage in 1681 to Mariah Strong, daughter of Thomas and Mary Hewett Strong, who were also of Northampton. He may have gone there with his father and step mother, because they also were of Northampton by the time they died. However it happened, Samuel became a resident of Northampton and stayed there for the rest of his life. I show that Samuel and Mariah had 10 children, He seems not to have been much involved in town service, other than as a juror on several cases. He was made a freeman on 684, so at least he had voting rights and responsibilities.
In his death record, Samuel is referred to as "Sergeant" Samuel Judd. I have tried to locate (on line) records that would tell us how he acquired that rank (generally, elected by the men) and where he might have served, but the only reference I found showed a Samuel Judd serving in 1709, This may or may not be our Samuel; he would have been 56 years old at the time. If Samuel was in Northampton in 1675, then he would surely have been involved in King Philip's War, because the town was attacked and some homes destroyed during that time. However, the town was heavily garrisoned and defended, so the whole town was not lost, and it doesn't seem that the townspeople fled. The colony was also involved in Queen Anne's War and King William's War, so Samuel may have taken part in battles there. He may also have responded to the native American attacks on Harfield and Deerfield later in the 1700s. It's frustrating to have all these possibilities and no answers! Maybe when the Allen County Public Library is able to re-open...
I did locate Samuel's will. It's a little unusual because he gives half of everything to his wife, Mariah, but if she re-marries she is to get only one third and then only for as long as she lives. Samuel did sign the will but it is printed rather than cursive writing. I don't know if that means anything; perhaps it only means that he was ill and uncomfortable when he signed it. I've not located an inventory but he also left each of his six daughters fifty pounds, besides what he left his wife and each of his three sons. It appears that he was doing OK financially, perhaps greatly helped by that bequest from his step mother. Mariah lived until 1751, so his sons waited a while for their bequests.
I would love to know more about Samuel, especially about his military service. I'd love to find his inventory, as well as church records that might tell us something of not only his religious character, but also where he was seated in the meeting house. That would give us an indication of his status in the town. This is a start, but only a start, to Samuel's story.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Judd-Mariah Strong
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Samuel appears to have been in Northampton, Massachusetts at the time of his marriage in 1681 to Mariah Strong, daughter of Thomas and Mary Hewett Strong, who were also of Northampton. He may have gone there with his father and step mother, because they also were of Northampton by the time they died. However it happened, Samuel became a resident of Northampton and stayed there for the rest of his life. I show that Samuel and Mariah had 10 children, He seems not to have been much involved in town service, other than as a juror on several cases. He was made a freeman on 684, so at least he had voting rights and responsibilities.
In his death record, Samuel is referred to as "Sergeant" Samuel Judd. I have tried to locate (on line) records that would tell us how he acquired that rank (generally, elected by the men) and where he might have served, but the only reference I found showed a Samuel Judd serving in 1709, This may or may not be our Samuel; he would have been 56 years old at the time. If Samuel was in Northampton in 1675, then he would surely have been involved in King Philip's War, because the town was attacked and some homes destroyed during that time. However, the town was heavily garrisoned and defended, so the whole town was not lost, and it doesn't seem that the townspeople fled. The colony was also involved in Queen Anne's War and King William's War, so Samuel may have taken part in battles there. He may also have responded to the native American attacks on Harfield and Deerfield later in the 1700s. It's frustrating to have all these possibilities and no answers! Maybe when the Allen County Public Library is able to re-open...
I did locate Samuel's will. It's a little unusual because he gives half of everything to his wife, Mariah, but if she re-marries she is to get only one third and then only for as long as she lives. Samuel did sign the will but it is printed rather than cursive writing. I don't know if that means anything; perhaps it only means that he was ill and uncomfortable when he signed it. I've not located an inventory but he also left each of his six daughters fifty pounds, besides what he left his wife and each of his three sons. It appears that he was doing OK financially, perhaps greatly helped by that bequest from his step mother. Mariah lived until 1751, so his sons waited a while for their bequests.
I would love to know more about Samuel, especially about his military service. I'd love to find his inventory, as well as church records that might tell us something of not only his religious character, but also where he was seated in the meeting house. That would give us an indication of his status in the town. This is a start, but only a start, to Samuel's story.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Judd-Mariah Strong
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 29, 2019
Holbrook line: Thomas Ford, Immigrant
Information is quite plentiful about Thomas Ford. The problem is that much of it is contradictory, or makes no sense. It's believed that he was born about 1587 in Bridport or possibly Symondsbury, Dorset, England. The two towns are located just inland from the English channel, with Symondsbury being about one and a half miles west of Dorset. Both towns were involved in rope and hemp making as their primary occupations, and both appear to have been quite small when Thomas was born. I have at least three sets of proposed parents for Thomas, so am not able to make even a guess at this point.
Thomas married first Joan Way, possibly, and secondly, Elizabeth Charde, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (possibly Bunckom) Charde at Bridport on June 19, 1616. Elizabeth had first been married to Aaron Cooke in 1610, and she had one child, a son, with him. In 1623, the family was living in Dorchester, Dorset, England, where they were taught by Rev. John White, a Puritan. Several of the families under his pastoral care traveled to America together, intending to settle together. Thomas and Elizabeth had five children together, all of whom came to America with their parents when they migrated in 1630 on the Mary and John. Aaron Cooke, Jr. also was with them, counted as one of their six children.
Thomas and his family settled first in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he was admitted a freeman on May 18, 1631, meaning he was a man of good standing, a member of the church, and owned property. The family stayed in Dorchester for another five years, when they moved to the new settlement of Windsor, Connecticut. Thomas was one of four men who purchased a large tract of land from native Americans, and he was granted fifty acres of land in Simsbury in 1637. The Fords lived in Windsor, however, and it was from here that he served as deputy to the general court for at least four years. Elizabeth died there in 1643. She left Thomas with several teenagers and slightly older children to guide into adulthood, although some had already married and established their own homes.
Thomas moved to Hartford, Connecticut about 1644 , where he married widow Ann Scott, and stayed there several years as the proprietor of an "ordinary", a combination tavern and inn, and then moved at some point between 1659 and 1670 to Northampton, Massachusetts, where several of his children had settled. He had one child with Ann. He died at Northampton in 1676, when he was about 89 years old, about a year after burying his third wife. His estate was valued at about 369 pounds, which was certainly more than many of his contemporaries left, although not enough to be called wealthy.
Thomas is an ancestor we can acknowledge with pride. He participated in the building of Dorchester and Windsor, and served in political capacities for several years. He was a man of strong religious beliefs. He raised several children, including a step son, and saw them well situated when he died. Of course I'd like to know more about him, but I am grateful to know this much.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Ford-Elizabeth Charde
Abigail Ford-John Strong
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Martha Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Euzebia Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas married first Joan Way, possibly, and secondly, Elizabeth Charde, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (possibly Bunckom) Charde at Bridport on June 19, 1616. Elizabeth had first been married to Aaron Cooke in 1610, and she had one child, a son, with him. In 1623, the family was living in Dorchester, Dorset, England, where they were taught by Rev. John White, a Puritan. Several of the families under his pastoral care traveled to America together, intending to settle together. Thomas and Elizabeth had five children together, all of whom came to America with their parents when they migrated in 1630 on the Mary and John. Aaron Cooke, Jr. also was with them, counted as one of their six children.
Thomas and his family settled first in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he was admitted a freeman on May 18, 1631, meaning he was a man of good standing, a member of the church, and owned property. The family stayed in Dorchester for another five years, when they moved to the new settlement of Windsor, Connecticut. Thomas was one of four men who purchased a large tract of land from native Americans, and he was granted fifty acres of land in Simsbury in 1637. The Fords lived in Windsor, however, and it was from here that he served as deputy to the general court for at least four years. Elizabeth died there in 1643. She left Thomas with several teenagers and slightly older children to guide into adulthood, although some had already married and established their own homes.
Thomas moved to Hartford, Connecticut about 1644 , where he married widow Ann Scott, and stayed there several years as the proprietor of an "ordinary", a combination tavern and inn, and then moved at some point between 1659 and 1670 to Northampton, Massachusetts, where several of his children had settled. He had one child with Ann. He died at Northampton in 1676, when he was about 89 years old, about a year after burying his third wife. His estate was valued at about 369 pounds, which was certainly more than many of his contemporaries left, although not enough to be called wealthy.
Thomas is an ancestor we can acknowledge with pride. He participated in the building of Dorchester and Windsor, and served in political capacities for several years. He was a man of strong religious beliefs. He raised several children, including a step son, and saw them well situated when he died. Of course I'd like to know more about him, but I am grateful to know this much.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Ford-Elizabeth Charde
Abigail Ford-John Strong
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Martha Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Euzebia Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Holbrook line: John Stebbins 1626-1678
I wrote in December 2015 about Rowland Stebbins, and then in June of 2017 about his son Thomas, who is our Stebbins ancestor in our Allen line. Now I'd like to write about John Stebbins, who is also a son of Rowland Stebbins, but is in our Holbrook line. This is one example I've found that shows both Allen and Holbrook ancestors descending from the same couple. I believe there are more examples but they don't come to mind right now.
John Stebbins came on the ship Francis in 1634, aged eight years old. His brother Thomas, 14, and his sisters Sarah, 11, and Elizabeth, 8, were with him. Also along for the ride were their parents, Rowland and Sarah Whiting Stebbins, and a servant, Mary Winch. The ship left from Ipswich, Suffolk, England, but it's believed the family was from Bocking, Essex, England.
Rowland seems to have stayed at Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, for some time before moving on to Springfield, Massachusetts, in the Connecticut River valley. The family may have been there as early as 1639.
John married Ann Munden in Springfield on May 14, 1646 in Springfield, the same year he purchased land there. He purchased a house in 1651 but it's not clear whether the young family had lived elsewhere for five years, perhaps with her family (or his), or whether they were moving to better quarters. Ann died in 1656 in Springfield. John then married Abigail Bartlett on December 17, 1657. She was just 21 years old but was old enough to care for John's two children born by Ann, as well as the eleven children they eventually had together. 1656 was also the year that he moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, or at least the year he bought land there. He may have traveled back and forth between the two towns until he was married, and then brought his bride to that town.
He was a man of some wealth, or at least he was comfortably well off. He owned a sawmill, and was active in town affairs. I've seen him referred to as "Deacon John" which means he was active in church. He is also described as a carpenter, surveyor, bailiff, and as town selectman in 1675 and 1676. One source says that he was a soldier, and I've found his name on a list of soldiers in King Philip's War, but he would have been 50 years old or so, right at the division point for active service, then, so it may be that it was his son John Munden or Munson Stebbins who was the soldier then. That of course doesn't mean our John was not a soldier. There were constant skirmishes prior to the outbreak of King Philip's War, and John would have been expected to do his part in the training band or militia.
The manner of John's death was officially undetermined. It likely was a sawmill accident, or possibly a case of some sort of rapid fever, but at least two groups of women were allowed to examine the body before it was buried, to examine it for signs of witchcraft. A report detailing their suspicions was sent to the Court at Boston but there was no follow up done. Since John died in March of 1678, it's possible that the Court was still busy with the fall out from King Philip's War and had little time to devote to a full investigation. Still, even to know that someone thought his death was suspicious and that the local jury felt obliged to pass the information upwards, means that Northampton was not always a nice and friendly place in which to live. It was also a suspicious place.
John Stebbins was accused of what was basically abuse of his aged father, but was not found guilty. Another time, he accused a neighbor of harassing his wife. He served on at least two juries. As a reader of "Colonial Justice in Western Massachusetts 1639-1702" can easily determine, this community did not believe in "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." The entire community seemed to feel that it was a good idea to file court cases for the least little problem (such as animals getting out of their enclosures and "running amok").
I regret that my eyesight prevents me from giving an account of the settling of John's estate. It can be found on www.americancenturies.mass.edu/collection, in the Digital Collections. The settlement is dated September 30, 1679. It appears, if I'm seeing correctly, that he owned land in several locations and that his estate was valued at over 500 pounds. His widow, Abigail, lived until 1710 and presumably benefited from her widow's thirds, if not more.
So that's the short version of John's life. I'd love to know more about him and how he acquired the business sense he must have had. I'd like to know if he was literate. And I'd like to know how he kept his sanity, raising that many children!
The line of descent is:
John Stebbins-Abigail Bartlett
Sarah Stebbins-William Southwell
Ebenezer Southwell-Elizabeth Judd
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stanard
Libbeus Stanard-Euzebia (Luceba) Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John Stebbins came on the ship Francis in 1634, aged eight years old. His brother Thomas, 14, and his sisters Sarah, 11, and Elizabeth, 8, were with him. Also along for the ride were their parents, Rowland and Sarah Whiting Stebbins, and a servant, Mary Winch. The ship left from Ipswich, Suffolk, England, but it's believed the family was from Bocking, Essex, England.
Rowland seems to have stayed at Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, for some time before moving on to Springfield, Massachusetts, in the Connecticut River valley. The family may have been there as early as 1639.
John married Ann Munden in Springfield on May 14, 1646 in Springfield, the same year he purchased land there. He purchased a house in 1651 but it's not clear whether the young family had lived elsewhere for five years, perhaps with her family (or his), or whether they were moving to better quarters. Ann died in 1656 in Springfield. John then married Abigail Bartlett on December 17, 1657. She was just 21 years old but was old enough to care for John's two children born by Ann, as well as the eleven children they eventually had together. 1656 was also the year that he moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, or at least the year he bought land there. He may have traveled back and forth between the two towns until he was married, and then brought his bride to that town.
He was a man of some wealth, or at least he was comfortably well off. He owned a sawmill, and was active in town affairs. I've seen him referred to as "Deacon John" which means he was active in church. He is also described as a carpenter, surveyor, bailiff, and as town selectman in 1675 and 1676. One source says that he was a soldier, and I've found his name on a list of soldiers in King Philip's War, but he would have been 50 years old or so, right at the division point for active service, then, so it may be that it was his son John Munden or Munson Stebbins who was the soldier then. That of course doesn't mean our John was not a soldier. There were constant skirmishes prior to the outbreak of King Philip's War, and John would have been expected to do his part in the training band or militia.
The manner of John's death was officially undetermined. It likely was a sawmill accident, or possibly a case of some sort of rapid fever, but at least two groups of women were allowed to examine the body before it was buried, to examine it for signs of witchcraft. A report detailing their suspicions was sent to the Court at Boston but there was no follow up done. Since John died in March of 1678, it's possible that the Court was still busy with the fall out from King Philip's War and had little time to devote to a full investigation. Still, even to know that someone thought his death was suspicious and that the local jury felt obliged to pass the information upwards, means that Northampton was not always a nice and friendly place in which to live. It was also a suspicious place.
John Stebbins was accused of what was basically abuse of his aged father, but was not found guilty. Another time, he accused a neighbor of harassing his wife. He served on at least two juries. As a reader of "Colonial Justice in Western Massachusetts 1639-1702" can easily determine, this community did not believe in "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." The entire community seemed to feel that it was a good idea to file court cases for the least little problem (such as animals getting out of their enclosures and "running amok").
I regret that my eyesight prevents me from giving an account of the settling of John's estate. It can be found on www.americancenturies.mass.edu/collection, in the Digital Collections. The settlement is dated September 30, 1679. It appears, if I'm seeing correctly, that he owned land in several locations and that his estate was valued at over 500 pounds. His widow, Abigail, lived until 1710 and presumably benefited from her widow's thirds, if not more.
So that's the short version of John's life. I'd love to know more about him and how he acquired the business sense he must have had. I'd like to know if he was literate. And I'd like to know how he kept his sanity, raising that many children!
The line of descent is:
John Stebbins-Abigail Bartlett
Sarah Stebbins-William Southwell
Ebenezer Southwell-Elizabeth Judd
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stanard
Libbeus Stanard-Euzebia (Luceba) Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Holbrook line: Elder John Strong, Immigrant
I just have to love John Strong. He was financially successful and although not very well-educated, he rose to become Elder in his church, he had a not very desirable profession, and, he had 18 children. Two were with his first wife (one died shortly after birth, as did the mother), and 16 were with his second wife, Abigail Ford. For Abigail, I have the deepest admiration and respect also. 16 children! But the best thing about John Strong is that there is a lot of documented information about him, too much to put into this blog post. This will be the condensed version, taken largely from Robert Charles Anderson's Great Migration Project.
John was born about 1605 (some say 1610), in Chard, Somerset, England. His parents were John Strong and Eleanor, most likely Eleanor Deane, although there is some confusion about that. Also there is confusion about when John came to New England. It is possible that he first came in 1630 and then returned to England to marry Margery Deane in 1632. She was the daughter of William Deane. Whether or not John had earlier been to America, the family immigrated together in 1635 on the Hopewell. The family included son John, and probably an infant who was perhaps born at sea, or shortly after arrival in New England. Margery also died, and John was left with a one year old son to raise.
John was at this time living in Hingham, and he soon married Abigail Ford, who was the daughter of Thomas Ford and probably Elizabeth Charde. Abigail was only 16 when she married, but had lived in Massachusetts since about 1630 and at least knew a bit about life in the Colony, and probably knew how to run a household.
There doesn't seem to be an original source for this, but several secondary sources report that he was a tanner. This was a smelly, hard, time consuming job, but someone had to do it and John apparently did it well. Basically it involved turning the skins of domestic animals into leather, to be used for anything from saddles to clothing.
While skins were in process, John apparently had time to do a lot of other things also. One of the things he did was move. By 1638 he was in Taunton, where he served as Deputy to Plymouth Colony General Court at least 6 times. He was also on various petit juries, and a constable while at Taunton.
By 1647 the family had moved to Windsor, Connecticut, where he again was on the petit jury, and a constable. Then, in 1661 he moved the family once more to Northampton, north on the Connecticut River, in Massachusetts. Here he was chosen ruling elder of the church, and as such, assisted in the installation of the pastor when one was finally obtained in 1663. Although I haven't found supporting documentation, others have made the claim that he helped protect Northampton during King Philip's War in 1675-76. He would have been old to have actually left the town with the militia, but he may well have stayed behind to help the colonists who hadn't left their homes.
John had been granted, or purchased, land in each of the villages he had lived in, but all of the land was apparently gone, sold to his sons, when John died in 1699. He provided for his daughters in his will, but charged their bequests with money he had already given them, down to the last shilling, it appears. Abigail had died earlier, on July 6, 1688, at the age of 74. She had 16 children, and still lived into her seventies, which makes her a very strong woman, to my way of thinking. When John died, his estate was valued at about 210 pounds, with 61 pounds of debts charged against it. With 16 children raised and provided for, and a testimony of a godly life, I would say "Well lived, John Strong".
The line of descent is
John Strong-Abigail Ford
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Maria Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John was born about 1605 (some say 1610), in Chard, Somerset, England. His parents were John Strong and Eleanor, most likely Eleanor Deane, although there is some confusion about that. Also there is confusion about when John came to New England. It is possible that he first came in 1630 and then returned to England to marry Margery Deane in 1632. She was the daughter of William Deane. Whether or not John had earlier been to America, the family immigrated together in 1635 on the Hopewell. The family included son John, and probably an infant who was perhaps born at sea, or shortly after arrival in New England. Margery also died, and John was left with a one year old son to raise.
John was at this time living in Hingham, and he soon married Abigail Ford, who was the daughter of Thomas Ford and probably Elizabeth Charde. Abigail was only 16 when she married, but had lived in Massachusetts since about 1630 and at least knew a bit about life in the Colony, and probably knew how to run a household.
There doesn't seem to be an original source for this, but several secondary sources report that he was a tanner. This was a smelly, hard, time consuming job, but someone had to do it and John apparently did it well. Basically it involved turning the skins of domestic animals into leather, to be used for anything from saddles to clothing.
While skins were in process, John apparently had time to do a lot of other things also. One of the things he did was move. By 1638 he was in Taunton, where he served as Deputy to Plymouth Colony General Court at least 6 times. He was also on various petit juries, and a constable while at Taunton.
By 1647 the family had moved to Windsor, Connecticut, where he again was on the petit jury, and a constable. Then, in 1661 he moved the family once more to Northampton, north on the Connecticut River, in Massachusetts. Here he was chosen ruling elder of the church, and as such, assisted in the installation of the pastor when one was finally obtained in 1663. Although I haven't found supporting documentation, others have made the claim that he helped protect Northampton during King Philip's War in 1675-76. He would have been old to have actually left the town with the militia, but he may well have stayed behind to help the colonists who hadn't left their homes.
John had been granted, or purchased, land in each of the villages he had lived in, but all of the land was apparently gone, sold to his sons, when John died in 1699. He provided for his daughters in his will, but charged their bequests with money he had already given them, down to the last shilling, it appears. Abigail had died earlier, on July 6, 1688, at the age of 74. She had 16 children, and still lived into her seventies, which makes her a very strong woman, to my way of thinking. When John died, his estate was valued at about 210 pounds, with 61 pounds of debts charged against it. With 16 children raised and provided for, and a testimony of a godly life, I would say "Well lived, John Strong".
The line of descent is
John Strong-Abigail Ford
Thomas Strong-Mary Hewett
Maria Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, October 23, 2015
Holbrook line: Reverend Ephraim Hewitt, Immigrant
I am so excited to write about this ancestor of ours. He has been on my tree for quite a long time, but I hadn't done any real research to learn about him. All I can say is, "Wow!"
Unfortunately, it is not known when he was born or who his parents are. Many internet sites give his birthdate as 1604 at Wraxhall, Somersetshire (or Warwickshire), England. By my calculations, he couldn't have been born after 1595 because he matriculated (enrolled) at St John's College, Cambridge University, in 1611. (His Find a Grave memorial says he was born in 1591 at Ansley, Warwickshire, England, which makes sense, but there's no documentation shown.) Men were mainly between the ages of 16 and 20 when they matriculated, although it is always possible that he entered as an older student. Also, knowing that he enrolled at St John's makes one wonder, how did he afford the fees? Were his parents paying for his education? If so, we should be able to trace them. (See further speculation about parents further in this post.)
We do know, thanks to Frederick Lewis Weis in "The Colonial Clergy and the Colonial Churches of New England," that he was a curate at Cheshire and at Knowle, Warwickshire, England, and that he settled at Wroxhall, Kenilworth, England, in 1626, where he became the rector. Basically, curate seems to mean he was what we would call the assistant pastor and rector would be the pastor. This was in the Church of England, the only recognized church at the time. Of course, there were Puritans worshipping in their own way, too. We don't know when Ephraim became a Puritan, perhaps he was always one at heart. However, we do know that he was "silenced by Archbishop Laud" in 1638. Laud was the powerful Archbishop of Canterbury who insisted on church ritual that Puritans (and probably many others) did not support.
He married Isabel Overton at Tarvin, Cheshire, England on April 22, 1622. Their children were born from 1632-1640, with the youngest being born in America.
After Ephraim was "silenced," meaning he no longer had a livelihood, he came to America in 1639. He went directly to Windsor, Connecticut, to join Rev. John Warham in leading the church there. He was ordained there, as a "teacher", which leads to a puzzle back in England. Did he graduate from St. John's? Was he ordained there? It seems that he wouldn't have been appointed a curate and then a rector unless he had been ordained, but once again, records are lacking. He may have been ordained in Windsor as a Puritan pastor, since earlier he would have been Church of England.
He and his wife had four daughters, Susannah, Lydia, Sarah, and Mercy, and a son, Nathaniel, who died before his father. Reverend Ephraim was a busy man with four young daughters to raise, a church to help grow, and a book to write. The book was called "The Whole Prophecie of Daniel Explained" and was the first complete commentary on prophecy written in the Colonies. He had earlier, in 1626, authored another book called"The Anatomy of Conscience." These books also lead to my belief that he did graduate, either from St John's or from another college. Our ancestor also seems to have been responsible for the design of the meeting house there, which was designed to protect against attacks from the native Americans. He was a multi-talented man!
Reverend Ephraim died in 1644 at Windsor and left an estate of over 633 pounds, which would be considered a sizable estate. This leads to my speculation that either his books were runaway best sellers, or he had inherited or been given money at one time or another. This again leads back to the speculation as to who his parents may have been. If they were well-off, there is a good chance they can be found. He left his "Great Island" at the Falls, to the Court of Hartford, for the use of the country. I don't know what value his "Great Island" had (possibly a mill of some sort?) but it seems to have been a valuable gift, and I hope the "country" appreciated it.
I know that I appreciate this ancestor a lot more, after learning this much about him. Even though there is much we don't know, it's a joy to find this much about our immigrant-"teacher"-author ancestor.
The line of descent is:
Ephraim Hewett (Huett Huit)-Isabel Overton
Mary Hewett-Thomas Strong
Maria Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard Jr-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun fact: Ephraim Hewett is also shown as an ancestor to Herbert Hoover. It's fun to find another distant presidential cousin!
Unfortunately, it is not known when he was born or who his parents are. Many internet sites give his birthdate as 1604 at Wraxhall, Somersetshire (or Warwickshire), England. By my calculations, he couldn't have been born after 1595 because he matriculated (enrolled) at St John's College, Cambridge University, in 1611. (His Find a Grave memorial says he was born in 1591 at Ansley, Warwickshire, England, which makes sense, but there's no documentation shown.) Men were mainly between the ages of 16 and 20 when they matriculated, although it is always possible that he entered as an older student. Also, knowing that he enrolled at St John's makes one wonder, how did he afford the fees? Were his parents paying for his education? If so, we should be able to trace them. (See further speculation about parents further in this post.)
We do know, thanks to Frederick Lewis Weis in "The Colonial Clergy and the Colonial Churches of New England," that he was a curate at Cheshire and at Knowle, Warwickshire, England, and that he settled at Wroxhall, Kenilworth, England, in 1626, where he became the rector. Basically, curate seems to mean he was what we would call the assistant pastor and rector would be the pastor. This was in the Church of England, the only recognized church at the time. Of course, there were Puritans worshipping in their own way, too. We don't know when Ephraim became a Puritan, perhaps he was always one at heart. However, we do know that he was "silenced by Archbishop Laud" in 1638. Laud was the powerful Archbishop of Canterbury who insisted on church ritual that Puritans (and probably many others) did not support.
He married Isabel Overton at Tarvin, Cheshire, England on April 22, 1622. Their children were born from 1632-1640, with the youngest being born in America.
After Ephraim was "silenced," meaning he no longer had a livelihood, he came to America in 1639. He went directly to Windsor, Connecticut, to join Rev. John Warham in leading the church there. He was ordained there, as a "teacher", which leads to a puzzle back in England. Did he graduate from St. John's? Was he ordained there? It seems that he wouldn't have been appointed a curate and then a rector unless he had been ordained, but once again, records are lacking. He may have been ordained in Windsor as a Puritan pastor, since earlier he would have been Church of England.
He and his wife had four daughters, Susannah, Lydia, Sarah, and Mercy, and a son, Nathaniel, who died before his father. Reverend Ephraim was a busy man with four young daughters to raise, a church to help grow, and a book to write. The book was called "The Whole Prophecie of Daniel Explained" and was the first complete commentary on prophecy written in the Colonies. He had earlier, in 1626, authored another book called"The Anatomy of Conscience." These books also lead to my belief that he did graduate, either from St John's or from another college. Our ancestor also seems to have been responsible for the design of the meeting house there, which was designed to protect against attacks from the native Americans. He was a multi-talented man!
Reverend Ephraim died in 1644 at Windsor and left an estate of over 633 pounds, which would be considered a sizable estate. This leads to my speculation that either his books were runaway best sellers, or he had inherited or been given money at one time or another. This again leads back to the speculation as to who his parents may have been. If they were well-off, there is a good chance they can be found. He left his "Great Island" at the Falls, to the Court of Hartford, for the use of the country. I don't know what value his "Great Island" had (possibly a mill of some sort?) but it seems to have been a valuable gift, and I hope the "country" appreciated it.
I know that I appreciate this ancestor a lot more, after learning this much about him. Even though there is much we don't know, it's a joy to find this much about our immigrant-"teacher"-author ancestor.
The line of descent is:
Ephraim Hewett (Huett Huit)-Isabel Overton
Mary Hewett-Thomas Strong
Maria Strong-Samuel Judd
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard Jr-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun fact: Ephraim Hewett is also shown as an ancestor to Herbert Hoover. It's fun to find another distant presidential cousin!
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Holbrook line: Ebenezer Southwell, the father of Eunice Southwell Pomeroy
If you've been following the posts for the Holbrook line, perhaps you'll remember that when I wrote about Thomas Judd, a reader questioned me about the Ebenezer Southwell-Elizabeth Judd line that I had included in my line of descent. She didn't think I had the correct parents for Eunice Southwell Pomeroy, and after looking at what she said, I was starting to doubt it, myself. I spent a couple of weeks scratching for information, some of which seemed to point one way and some of which pointed another way. Finally, a kind person answered my query on an Ancestor Message Board, which makes sense of much of what I had found. I needed her help to connect the dots, and I greatly appreciate Rose's help.
Since so many trees on line are showing Ebenezer's brother, Enoch, as the father of the Eunice who married Medad Pomeroy, I'd like to put what Rose pointed out and what I found independently in writing. First, as to Eunice, she is listed in the "Records of the Congregational Church in Suffield, Ct" as "Unis" Southwell. She was baptized there October 5, 1735, so her birth may have been a few days before that. Enoch Southwell, Ebenezer's brother, did indeed have a daughter named Eunice who was born in Northampton, Ma on October 11, 1735/36, but she was not married when she inherited part of her father's estate in 1778. A deed in 1779 calls her a "singlewoman". Our Eunice Southwell married Medad Pomeroy August 18, 1758 and died April 6, 1760, about a week after our Eunice Pomeroy was born.
Now, on to what I've learned about Ebenezer in the search to verify that he was indeed the father of our Eunice. Ebenezer was born in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1694 to William Southwell and Sarah Stebbins. He had two brothers and five sisters, and Ebenezer was the oldest of the sons. He married Elizabeth Judd, daughter of Samuel Judd and Maria Strong, on June 12, 1721. We are not sure what motivated him to move to Suffield, which was then part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but later became Connecticut, about 1723. There may have been economic reasons, or he may have gone with a relative or neighbor, or perhaps the young married couple just wanted to be on their own. The Southwells had at least 9 children, with Eunice possibly being the youngest of them.
There is a little bit of information in the "Documentary History of Suffield in the Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay 1660-1749" by Hezekiah Spencer Sheldon, about Ebenezer. He was elected one of several "Tything Men" on March 14, 1736/37. A tything man was expected to make sure church tithes were collected, to maintain order and discipline during church services, and to make sure there were no travelers on the road on Sunday, unless they had a truly serious reason to not be at their church service. In the movies, sometimes we see someone in a church building who had a long stick he could use to nudge children or to wake up their parents, and that would have been Ebenezer's job. I'm not sure how long he held that position, but he was elected surveyor of highways on March 10, 1739/40 , and then constable in 1741. In 1745, he was again a surveyor of highways.
He signed his name as "yeoman" on a petition to separate Suffield into a "West Suffield" but I didn't note the date for that. The town of Suffield had spread and grown enough that it was quite a ways for the people in the west to travel to church each Sunday.
I also found records of Ebenezer as as grantee for land in Hampden County, Massachusetts in 1751, purchased from Abraham Burbank. I'm a little confused about this because by 1751 Suffield, or West Suffield, was considered to be part of Connecticut. This may be Ebenezer's son Ebenezer, or I may not have interpreted it correctly. This is from volume 1 of an index for Hampden County that I found on Family Search. I haven't seen the original document.
The final record of Ebenezer is of his death on June 17, 1781 in Suffield. He was about 87 years old when he died. I have not yet located a death date for Elizabeth, so I will keep searching for that. I also haven't seen a will yet for Ebenezer. As usual, more remains to be done!
The line of descent is:
Ebenezer-Southwell-Elizabeth Judd
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard Jr-Euzebia Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Since so many trees on line are showing Ebenezer's brother, Enoch, as the father of the Eunice who married Medad Pomeroy, I'd like to put what Rose pointed out and what I found independently in writing. First, as to Eunice, she is listed in the "Records of the Congregational Church in Suffield, Ct" as "Unis" Southwell. She was baptized there October 5, 1735, so her birth may have been a few days before that. Enoch Southwell, Ebenezer's brother, did indeed have a daughter named Eunice who was born in Northampton, Ma on October 11, 1735/36, but she was not married when she inherited part of her father's estate in 1778. A deed in 1779 calls her a "singlewoman". Our Eunice Southwell married Medad Pomeroy August 18, 1758 and died April 6, 1760, about a week after our Eunice Pomeroy was born.
Now, on to what I've learned about Ebenezer in the search to verify that he was indeed the father of our Eunice. Ebenezer was born in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1694 to William Southwell and Sarah Stebbins. He had two brothers and five sisters, and Ebenezer was the oldest of the sons. He married Elizabeth Judd, daughter of Samuel Judd and Maria Strong, on June 12, 1721. We are not sure what motivated him to move to Suffield, which was then part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but later became Connecticut, about 1723. There may have been economic reasons, or he may have gone with a relative or neighbor, or perhaps the young married couple just wanted to be on their own. The Southwells had at least 9 children, with Eunice possibly being the youngest of them.
There is a little bit of information in the "Documentary History of Suffield in the Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay 1660-1749" by Hezekiah Spencer Sheldon, about Ebenezer. He was elected one of several "Tything Men" on March 14, 1736/37. A tything man was expected to make sure church tithes were collected, to maintain order and discipline during church services, and to make sure there were no travelers on the road on Sunday, unless they had a truly serious reason to not be at their church service. In the movies, sometimes we see someone in a church building who had a long stick he could use to nudge children or to wake up their parents, and that would have been Ebenezer's job. I'm not sure how long he held that position, but he was elected surveyor of highways on March 10, 1739/40 , and then constable in 1741. In 1745, he was again a surveyor of highways.
He signed his name as "yeoman" on a petition to separate Suffield into a "West Suffield" but I didn't note the date for that. The town of Suffield had spread and grown enough that it was quite a ways for the people in the west to travel to church each Sunday.
I also found records of Ebenezer as as grantee for land in Hampden County, Massachusetts in 1751, purchased from Abraham Burbank. I'm a little confused about this because by 1751 Suffield, or West Suffield, was considered to be part of Connecticut. This may be Ebenezer's son Ebenezer, or I may not have interpreted it correctly. This is from volume 1 of an index for Hampden County that I found on Family Search. I haven't seen the original document.
The final record of Ebenezer is of his death on June 17, 1781 in Suffield. He was about 87 years old when he died. I have not yet located a death date for Elizabeth, so I will keep searching for that. I also haven't seen a will yet for Ebenezer. As usual, more remains to be done!
The line of descent is:
Ebenezer-Southwell-Elizabeth Judd
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stannard Jr-Euzebia Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Holbrook line: A warning about my previous post about Thomas Judd
I was contacted by a reader (yes, I actually had a reader!) who questioned my previous post about Thomas Judd. She wasn't upset with what I said about Thomas Judd, but she wondered about having Eunice Southwell in his family line. I stated that Eunice Southwell was the daughter of Ebenezer Southwell and Elizabeth Judd. She believes that Eunice Southwell is the daughter of Enoch Southwell, so I started searching my records. Unfortunately, I have very little to support my statement, as it turns out.
I have listed Eunice Southwell as having been born in 1738 in Suffield, Connecticut. If this is correct, then she is possibly Ebenezer's daughter, as I find him in 1747 and 1748 serving on military expeditions from Suffield. But, the Pomeroys, the family Eunice married into, were from Northampton, Massachusetts. Enoch and Ebenezer Southwell were both born there to William Southwell, Enoch in 1700 and Ebenezer in 1693/1694. Enoch is listed as the father of Eunice who was born in 1735. This is a different date and location for my Eunice, or is my Eunice a figment of someone's imagination? I cannot find a birth record for her in Connecticut, or elsewhere, as Ebenezer's daughter.
So, have I been hoodwinked? For the time being, I think I don't know what I know, or think. Were there two Eunice Southwell's, or only one? Should I delete the portion of my tree that shows Ebenezer and Elizabeth Judd as Eunice's parents? I think for the time being, I'm going to change the tree to show the parents as "poss", which is my shorthand for possibly. I urge anyone to take my Thomas Judd post with a grain or ten of salt, while I try to find more information. I would love to find wills for Enoch and for Ebenezer, which would hopefully settle this question. Barring that, we need land records.
Stay tuned. There may be another post about the Southwells in the future, especially if I figure out the answer to this puzzle. I certainly thank my reader for questioning me, because facts are better than fiction, all the time!
I have listed Eunice Southwell as having been born in 1738 in Suffield, Connecticut. If this is correct, then she is possibly Ebenezer's daughter, as I find him in 1747 and 1748 serving on military expeditions from Suffield. But, the Pomeroys, the family Eunice married into, were from Northampton, Massachusetts. Enoch and Ebenezer Southwell were both born there to William Southwell, Enoch in 1700 and Ebenezer in 1693/1694. Enoch is listed as the father of Eunice who was born in 1735. This is a different date and location for my Eunice, or is my Eunice a figment of someone's imagination? I cannot find a birth record for her in Connecticut, or elsewhere, as Ebenezer's daughter.
So, have I been hoodwinked? For the time being, I think I don't know what I know, or think. Were there two Eunice Southwell's, or only one? Should I delete the portion of my tree that shows Ebenezer and Elizabeth Judd as Eunice's parents? I think for the time being, I'm going to change the tree to show the parents as "poss", which is my shorthand for possibly. I urge anyone to take my Thomas Judd post with a grain or ten of salt, while I try to find more information. I would love to find wills for Enoch and for Ebenezer, which would hopefully settle this question. Barring that, we need land records.
Stay tuned. There may be another post about the Southwells in the future, especially if I figure out the answer to this puzzle. I certainly thank my reader for questioning me, because facts are better than fiction, all the time!
Friday, November 28, 2014
Holbrook line: Thomas Judd, immigrant
For this post, I'm relying heavily on the information found in "The Great Migration 1634-1635". For those of us who have ancestors who arrived in New England very early, we are blessed in the genealogy world to have this wonderful compilation of our ancestors and their neighbors. My hat is off to Robert Charles Anderson and the New England Historical and Genealogical Society for their great and wonderful efforts.
Having said that, it doesn't mean their great work tells us everything we want to know. For instance, the article about Thomas Judd says that his origins are unknown. Unknown? How can that be? Surely someone somewhere must know something. If not, it's time to get some DNA tests going! Find some cousins, sound the alarm! My first goal in genealogy is to get all my ancestors "across the pond" and if NEHGS can't do it, that is going to be a problem.
Now that my rant is over, here's what is known. Thomas came to Cambridge, Massachusetts about 1634, because he had a grant of land in Cambridge then. He was a freeman by May 25, 1636, so he would have joined the church prior to that time. The name of his wife is known only as Elizabeth, and that is known only because John Winthrop treated her in 1669. There is speculation that she was Elizabeth Freeman, but so far as I can find, there is no documentation for that. The marriage likely took place in England, as the first children were born about 1633-1635.
A compiled list of children from secondary sources lists 9 children, born from about 1633 to 1651, and all to Thomas and Elizabeth. They were Elizabeth, William, Thomas, John, Benjamin, Mary, Ruth, Philip, and Samuel. The first child may have been born in England, William was likely born in Cambridge, and then the migration continues.
The Judds were in Hartford, Connecticut from about 1636 to 1646. They may have come with the Rev. Thomas Hooker party of 1636, who arrived in the dead of winter to establish their colony. Thomas Judd's name is on the obelisk honoring the founders of Hartford. The Judds worked and lived in Hartford for about 10 years, and in 1646 moved on to Farmington. Farmington had been founded in about 1640, and many residents from Hartford went to Farmington, presumably for better land. They were still under the rule of the Hartford church and the two settlements stayed in close touch with each other. The last three children were born in Farmington.
The Judds lived in Farmington until the death of Elizabeth, which took place sometime after July 8, 1669 and before November 12, 1679. On that date, Thomas married Clemence, the widow of Thomas Mason in Northampton, Massachusetts, and Thomas moved to Northampton. He would have been about 71 at this time. He disposed of much of his land at that time. His widow, who died in 1696, left everything she had to Thomas's son Samuel. Samuel and "Marriah" had cared for her in her old age. She did have a house and homestead and meadow land, and Samuel ad "Marriah" apparently had very little. Thomas died November 12, 1688 in Northampton, Massachusetts.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Judd-Elizabeth
Samuel Judd-Maria Strong
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stanard
Libbeus Stanard Jr-Euzebia or Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis E Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Fun fact: Thomas was a deputy for Farmington to the Connecticut General court many times during the time he lived there, from 1647 to 1677. If would be fun to know what sort of decisions were made by this very Puritan colony during the time Thomas was a deputy.
Having said that, it doesn't mean their great work tells us everything we want to know. For instance, the article about Thomas Judd says that his origins are unknown. Unknown? How can that be? Surely someone somewhere must know something. If not, it's time to get some DNA tests going! Find some cousins, sound the alarm! My first goal in genealogy is to get all my ancestors "across the pond" and if NEHGS can't do it, that is going to be a problem.
Now that my rant is over, here's what is known. Thomas came to Cambridge, Massachusetts about 1634, because he had a grant of land in Cambridge then. He was a freeman by May 25, 1636, so he would have joined the church prior to that time. The name of his wife is known only as Elizabeth, and that is known only because John Winthrop treated her in 1669. There is speculation that she was Elizabeth Freeman, but so far as I can find, there is no documentation for that. The marriage likely took place in England, as the first children were born about 1633-1635.
A compiled list of children from secondary sources lists 9 children, born from about 1633 to 1651, and all to Thomas and Elizabeth. They were Elizabeth, William, Thomas, John, Benjamin, Mary, Ruth, Philip, and Samuel. The first child may have been born in England, William was likely born in Cambridge, and then the migration continues.
The Judds were in Hartford, Connecticut from about 1636 to 1646. They may have come with the Rev. Thomas Hooker party of 1636, who arrived in the dead of winter to establish their colony. Thomas Judd's name is on the obelisk honoring the founders of Hartford. The Judds worked and lived in Hartford for about 10 years, and in 1646 moved on to Farmington. Farmington had been founded in about 1640, and many residents from Hartford went to Farmington, presumably for better land. They were still under the rule of the Hartford church and the two settlements stayed in close touch with each other. The last three children were born in Farmington.
The Judds lived in Farmington until the death of Elizabeth, which took place sometime after July 8, 1669 and before November 12, 1679. On that date, Thomas married Clemence, the widow of Thomas Mason in Northampton, Massachusetts, and Thomas moved to Northampton. He would have been about 71 at this time. He disposed of much of his land at that time. His widow, who died in 1696, left everything she had to Thomas's son Samuel. Samuel and "Marriah" had cared for her in her old age. She did have a house and homestead and meadow land, and Samuel ad "Marriah" apparently had very little. Thomas died November 12, 1688 in Northampton, Massachusetts.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Judd-Elizabeth
Samuel Judd-Maria Strong
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stanard
Libbeus Stanard Jr-Euzebia or Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis E Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendents
Fun fact: Thomas was a deputy for Farmington to the Connecticut General court many times during the time he lived there, from 1647 to 1677. If would be fun to know what sort of decisions were made by this very Puritan colony during the time Thomas was a deputy.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Holbrook line: Robert Bartlett 1612-1676
Sometimes it's hard to find anything at all about an ancestor. Other times, the ancestor has been thoroughly researched and it's hard to cut an interesting life down to something that will fit in a blog post. This post is one of those with much information available (yay!) and on top of that, he is an interesting person. Most of this post is taken from "The Great Migration and the Great Migration Begins", found on Ancestry.com.
Having said that much is known, I should hasten to add much is unknown, also. Such minor details as his place of origin, his parents, and his marriage date are still not known, or at least, not agreed upon by family origins. We know that he arrived in Massachusetts on board the Lyon, in September of 1632. We don't know whether he was already married, whether his wife and possibly first child came with him, or whether he came as a servant or as a free man. We're not even sure where he first lived in Massachusetts.
It is thought that he probably was or became a follower of Reverend Thomas Hooker, who first settled in Cambridge and then went to Hartford, Ct. We know Robert was in Hartford and is listed as a founder on the Founder's monument, but we don't know when he arrived in Connecticut. It is believed that he was married by this time to Ann Warriner or Warringer, and had at least two of his children, but that is so far not verified.
Before he left Massachusetts, he already had a brush with the law, as did many colonists. Puritan law was quite strict. He was "presented" (charged with cursing and swearing, and was censured to have his tongue put in a cleft stick. In Connecticut, he was charged on June 30, 1646,with slandering a woman, and was sentenced to stand on the pillory during the lecture, be whipped, fined five pounds, and serve a half year's imprisonment. Apparently he was still a prisoner in August, when he was again whipped for giving ill counsel to the prisoners. (If anyone in this family has trouble holding their tongue, perhaps we can point a finger back to this ancestor!)
In 1656, Robert had perhaps had enough of Hartford, and left with his wife and family (Abigail, Samuel, Nathaniel and Deborah) for Northampton. As in Hartford, Robert and his family were settling a frontier town, and life was difficult. Besides building homes and clearing land, there were Indians to deal with. As time went on, the native Americans became more and more upset with the number of English people and their spread into Indian land. As a result, the Indians decided it was time to act, and in 1676 Northampton became one of their many targets in what became known as King Philip's War. Robert Bartlett was the first man killed in that battle, in front of his own home. He was buried in the highway there, because the town was devastated and there was no time for a proper burial.
15 days after his death, on March 29, 1676, his widow Ann was in court presenting the inventory of Robert's estate. It was valued at 658 pounds, 18 shillings and 6 pence, which was quite a nice sum for those days. Most of the value was in his land he owned. His wife outlived him by only a few weeks, and her will was dated May 21, 1676. It is not known whether she suffered physical injuries from the Indian attack, or whether she died of natural causes, or whether it was a broken heart that killed her. The settlement included an additional amount for the care of Nathaniel Bartlett, a son who was apparently not capable of caring for himself, or at least not capable of managing money.
Despite his problems in holding his tongue, Robert appears to have been a successful Puritan. He was a selectman, a constable, and a chimney viewer, and was trusted to help establish two different towns. We can recognize his shortcomings and still honor the man and his life. We can remember that it was our ancestors who fought and sometimes gave their lives to protect their family and property, and we can be especially proud of Robert Bartlett.
The line of descent is:
Robert Bartlett-Ann Warriner
Abigail Bartlett-John Stebbins
Sarah Stebbins -William Southwell
Ebenezer Southwell-Elizabeth Judd
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stanard
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Holbrook children, grand children, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren
Having said that much is known, I should hasten to add much is unknown, also. Such minor details as his place of origin, his parents, and his marriage date are still not known, or at least, not agreed upon by family origins. We know that he arrived in Massachusetts on board the Lyon, in September of 1632. We don't know whether he was already married, whether his wife and possibly first child came with him, or whether he came as a servant or as a free man. We're not even sure where he first lived in Massachusetts.
It is thought that he probably was or became a follower of Reverend Thomas Hooker, who first settled in Cambridge and then went to Hartford, Ct. We know Robert was in Hartford and is listed as a founder on the Founder's monument, but we don't know when he arrived in Connecticut. It is believed that he was married by this time to Ann Warriner or Warringer, and had at least two of his children, but that is so far not verified.
Before he left Massachusetts, he already had a brush with the law, as did many colonists. Puritan law was quite strict. He was "presented" (charged with cursing and swearing, and was censured to have his tongue put in a cleft stick. In Connecticut, he was charged on June 30, 1646,with slandering a woman, and was sentenced to stand on the pillory during the lecture, be whipped, fined five pounds, and serve a half year's imprisonment. Apparently he was still a prisoner in August, when he was again whipped for giving ill counsel to the prisoners. (If anyone in this family has trouble holding their tongue, perhaps we can point a finger back to this ancestor!)
In 1656, Robert had perhaps had enough of Hartford, and left with his wife and family (Abigail, Samuel, Nathaniel and Deborah) for Northampton. As in Hartford, Robert and his family were settling a frontier town, and life was difficult. Besides building homes and clearing land, there were Indians to deal with. As time went on, the native Americans became more and more upset with the number of English people and their spread into Indian land. As a result, the Indians decided it was time to act, and in 1676 Northampton became one of their many targets in what became known as King Philip's War. Robert Bartlett was the first man killed in that battle, in front of his own home. He was buried in the highway there, because the town was devastated and there was no time for a proper burial.
15 days after his death, on March 29, 1676, his widow Ann was in court presenting the inventory of Robert's estate. It was valued at 658 pounds, 18 shillings and 6 pence, which was quite a nice sum for those days. Most of the value was in his land he owned. His wife outlived him by only a few weeks, and her will was dated May 21, 1676. It is not known whether she suffered physical injuries from the Indian attack, or whether she died of natural causes, or whether it was a broken heart that killed her. The settlement included an additional amount for the care of Nathaniel Bartlett, a son who was apparently not capable of caring for himself, or at least not capable of managing money.
Despite his problems in holding his tongue, Robert appears to have been a successful Puritan. He was a selectman, a constable, and a chimney viewer, and was trusted to help establish two different towns. We can recognize his shortcomings and still honor the man and his life. We can remember that it was our ancestors who fought and sometimes gave their lives to protect their family and property, and we can be especially proud of Robert Bartlett.
The line of descent is:
Robert Bartlett-Ann Warriner
Abigail Bartlett-John Stebbins
Sarah Stebbins -William Southwell
Ebenezer Southwell-Elizabeth Judd
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy Jr.
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stanard
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Holbrook children, grand children, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren
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