Thomas Stoughton is, like many of our ancestors, a man with secrets. We know quite a bit about him, but one thing I have not been able to determine is how he made his living. But let's start at the beginning.
Thomas was likely the second Thomas in his family. There was a Thomas born in 1588, but our Thomas wasn't baptized until January 23, 1592/93. It would have been unusual to wait that long to baptize a child in Naughton, Suffolk, England, especially since his father, also Thomas Stoughton, was a Puritan clergyman. His mother was Katherine, likely Montpesson. So unless Thomas Senior for political/religious reasons had delayed baptizing his first born, we can consider it likely that Thomas, our subject, was born in January of 1592/93.
Thomas was born into a family who valued education and who honored the Lord but wished to do it in their own way. that way was Puritan, not church of England, and so the family probably suffered economically after the father lost his church in 1606. His father, a Cambridge graduate, turned to writing theological pamphlets but it is hard to see how he would have made a living from that. Thomas was one of seven children, and was educated to a high grammar school level. Perhaps he was tutored, at home or elsewhere, but as far as is known he did not attend a university.
Thomas married Elizabeth Thompson or Tompson on May 5, 1612 at Great Totham, Essex, England. He would have been just about 20 years old, which was a little young for the time and place, but he felt ready to support a wife and family. Again, we don't know how he supported his family, which soon included 4 daughters and a son. Another daughter, the first Elizabeth, died shortly after her birth. The second Elizabeth died when she was 6 years old, and there is no further record of Anna, who may also have died young. His wife, Elizabeth, died in 1627, leaving Thomas with children Sarah, Katherine, and Thomas. It should be noted that our connection is through a daughter Elizabeth, who is given varying birth dates but no documentation. So it's possible that Elizabeth was part of this family, but not a child of Thomas's. Perhaps she was his niece or a cousin or some other relation. For now, we will leave her as a daughter.
Thomas and his children came to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, possibly on the Mary and John, although I don't find his name on any of the lists. He probably went directly to Dorchester where he became a freeman on May 18, 1631. He served on the General Court there until 1634, helped "order the affairs of the plantation" and later was a constable there. He was fined five pounds for marrying two people, which is a bit puzzling. Was he doing this as a civil servant or as a religious person? At any rate, the fine was eventually forgiven.
By 1635, there were religious tensions in Dorchester and Thomas was one of the men who went to what would become Windsor. He set the boundaries for the village and served in the court there for eleven years. About the time he went to Windsor, he married again, to Margaret Barret Huntington, a widow of "good means, and has five children". As far as we know, they lived happily every after.
Thomas died on March 25, 1661. I have not been able to find a will or inventory for him, which is a disappointment. We do know he owned several parcels of land, but whether these were developed for farming or not we don't know. So, as mentioned earlier, although we know quite a bit about him there are still mysteries. How did he make a living? And was Elizabeth his daughter, or possibly the daughter of one of his brothers who also came to the Bay Colony?
The supposed line of descent is:
Thomas Stoughton-Elizabeth Thomson
Elizabeth Stoughton-John Kingsley
Freedom Grace Kingsley-John French
Elizabeth French-Jonathan Thayer
Huldah Thayer-Benjamin Wheelock
Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susannah Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Kingsley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kingsley. Show all posts
Friday, August 17, 2018
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Holbrook line: Thomas French, Immigrant (following some of his children)
There are several good sites for information about Thomas, our immigrant, but none of them are perfect and some disagree on certain parts of Thomas's life. This is not unusual, for there were apparently several by the name of Thomas French, including the son Thomas who came several years before his father. Some of the records of the two, both of whom settled in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts have been mixed, it seems. Our Thomas was born in 1584 is Assington, Suffolk, England, the son of Jacob and Susan Warren French, and it appears that Susan, his wife, whom he married in 1608, was born the same year. Susan, also seen as Susannah, was the daughter of John and Dorcas (possibly maiden name Black) Riddlesdale. We don't know what Thomas did in England although his son Thomas was a tailor. Our Thomas may well have followed the same trade, since Thomas Junior was his oldest son. Traditionally, the oldest son followed in his father's footsteps.
Thomas French came to New England after four of his children had made the voyage. He and his wife Susan may have had as many as eleven children, although some are in dispute. The most trustworthy lists I've found give eight names: Thomas, Alice, Dorcas, Susan, Anne, Margaret, John, and Mary. These children were all born in Assington, Suffolk, England, and by the time John and Susan arrived in Ipswich they were both in their middle fifties, with at least some children still teenagers. However, teenagers at that time were expected to earn their keep, so it's unclear how many of the children lived with their parents.
It's believed that they arrived in 1638 or even earlier, because he owned land in Ipswich in 1638. Records of their immigration have not been found. We know that Ipswich was founded by John Winthrop the Younger, so this was a Puritan town and presumably our Thomas was also a Puritan. The reason we know so little about his life here is that he had a short life once he arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony. He died shortly before November 5, 1639. Since he was here such a short time it is tempting to speculate that one of the many contagious diseases that were prevalent took his life, but it may have been natural causes, or an accident. The records don't tell us that.
We know he had time to write a will, asking that his land be sold to support his wife and younger children. His wife Susan lived until 1658, and she also died in Ipswich.
One can wonder what led two middle aged people to pack up and leave home? True, several of their children were here and it may have been a chain migration. They may have felt forced out so that they could worship God as they chose, rather than as they were told to do. Maybe they wanted to be where their grandchildren would be. Maybe they were adventurous, and had stayed behind in England only till the younger children could travel more easily, or until they completed business affairs there. We will probably never know.
We also may not ever know the extent of Thomas's education, or how closely the family conformed to the Puritan religion, or what his personality was like. However, we do know that like it or not, they were willing to give up whatever they had in England in order to unite their family, and that is a trait worth honoring.
Our line of descent is:
Thomas French-Susan Riddlesdale
John French-Freedom Kingsley
Elizabeth French-Jonathan Thayer
Huldah Thayer-Benjamin Wheelock
Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas French came to New England after four of his children had made the voyage. He and his wife Susan may have had as many as eleven children, although some are in dispute. The most trustworthy lists I've found give eight names: Thomas, Alice, Dorcas, Susan, Anne, Margaret, John, and Mary. These children were all born in Assington, Suffolk, England, and by the time John and Susan arrived in Ipswich they were both in their middle fifties, with at least some children still teenagers. However, teenagers at that time were expected to earn their keep, so it's unclear how many of the children lived with their parents.
It's believed that they arrived in 1638 or even earlier, because he owned land in Ipswich in 1638. Records of their immigration have not been found. We know that Ipswich was founded by John Winthrop the Younger, so this was a Puritan town and presumably our Thomas was also a Puritan. The reason we know so little about his life here is that he had a short life once he arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony. He died shortly before November 5, 1639. Since he was here such a short time it is tempting to speculate that one of the many contagious diseases that were prevalent took his life, but it may have been natural causes, or an accident. The records don't tell us that.
We know he had time to write a will, asking that his land be sold to support his wife and younger children. His wife Susan lived until 1658, and she also died in Ipswich.
One can wonder what led two middle aged people to pack up and leave home? True, several of their children were here and it may have been a chain migration. They may have felt forced out so that they could worship God as they chose, rather than as they were told to do. Maybe they wanted to be where their grandchildren would be. Maybe they were adventurous, and had stayed behind in England only till the younger children could travel more easily, or until they completed business affairs there. We will probably never know.
We also may not ever know the extent of Thomas's education, or how closely the family conformed to the Puritan religion, or what his personality was like. However, we do know that like it or not, they were willing to give up whatever they had in England in order to unite their family, and that is a trait worth honoring.
Our line of descent is:
Thomas French-Susan Riddlesdale
John French-Freedom Kingsley
Elizabeth French-Jonathan Thayer
Huldah Thayer-Benjamin Wheelock
Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, August 28, 2015
Holbrook line: John Kinglsey 1614-1678 Immigrant
This immigrant ancestor is interesting to me because he is another one who went from England to Massachusetts to Rhode Island. In my mind, someone who moves to Rhode Island has at least a 50/50 chance of having moved for religious principles, although of course there are family and economic issues to consider, also. I don't think there is enough information about John to allow us to draw a conclusion about this issue, but there is quite a bit of information available about him, more than I can use in one of these short sketches.
John Kingsley was born September 7, 1614 to John Kingsley (various spellings) and Katherine Butler. We know little about his life in England except that he had at least one brother, Stephen. We also know that John and Stephen sailed on the "James" from Bristol, England on June 3, 1635. Richard Mather, a Puritan "teacher", was aboard this ship so it is likely that John was already a Puritan and came to New England at least partly for religious reasons.
This particular voyage was even less enjoyable than most. The ship was caught in the "Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635" as it neared the coast and the ship was forced to ride out the storm near what is now Hampton, New Hamphire. At one point their ship was stranded but refloated with the high waves of the storm. Their sails were gone as were their anchors, but the sailors made new sails and other repairs, and the ship eventually landed at Boston on August 17, 1635. I wonder if any passenger on that ship ever sailed again?
John married Elizabeth Stoughton about 1636 in Dorchester, Suffolk, where he had gone to live shortly after landing in New England. There is some question about her last name because the documentation seems to not exist, but this is the traditional name of his first wife, and she seems to be the mother of his children, who were Freedom, Enos, Edward, Eldad and Renewed, all born before 1645. The family lived at Dorchester until about 1655, and Elizabeth died sometime during this time period. During his life in Dorchester, John had been a bailiff, a tax collector, and an elder in the church, after having helped found the church in 1636.
About 1656, John married Alice Thatcher, who was a widow, and they moved to Rehoboth, Bristol County, sometime shortly after. (The time lines I have seen vary as to when the moves and the marriages took place so consider this just a general outline, not firm as to dates.) At any rate, when the family lived in Rehoboth, they were prosperous, with a fertile farm east of the Seekonk River. They, like other families, raised grain and had horses, cattle, sheep, swine and fowls.
John's wife Alice died in 1673 and John married for a third time, to Mary Johnson, who was the daughter of John Johnson and Mary Heath. (John and Mary are our ancestors through another line.)
It wasn't enough for John to survive Puritanism in England, a hurricane on the voyage to New England, and to have buried two wives and married a third. He was 62 years old on March 28, 1676, when, as part of King Philip's War, Indians came to Rehoboth and burned all but two houses, the barns, and outbuildings. John survived because he was in the garrison house, which was too heavily fortified for the Indians to burn, and Mary had probably gone with the other women and children to Newport, R.I., where they were sheltered and cared for by Rev. John Clarke.
Probably due to the turmoil of the war (aha! we may have an answer to my question in the first paragraph!), John and Mary went to Bristol, Rhode Island to live out their remaining years, which were few. John and Mary died within a few days of each other in January of 1678 or 1679. John had asked to be buried with his second wife, in Rehoboth, and so he was. However, his tombstone has been removed to what is now the Newman Cemetery, in E. Providence, R.I.
John Kingsley had a fascinating life, although I'm sure he would not have chosen to walk through it, had he seen as a young man in England what the next 42 years would bring. He must have been a strong man, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, to have raised his family through the turmoil. If you're interested in learning more, the blog "Miner Descent" has a blog post about our ancestor that gives much additional information.
Our line of descent is:
John Kinglsey-Elizabeth possibly Stoughton
Freedom Kingsley-John French
Elizabeth French-Jonathan Thayer
Huldah Thayer-Benjamin Wheelock
Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John Kingsley was born September 7, 1614 to John Kingsley (various spellings) and Katherine Butler. We know little about his life in England except that he had at least one brother, Stephen. We also know that John and Stephen sailed on the "James" from Bristol, England on June 3, 1635. Richard Mather, a Puritan "teacher", was aboard this ship so it is likely that John was already a Puritan and came to New England at least partly for religious reasons.
This particular voyage was even less enjoyable than most. The ship was caught in the "Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635" as it neared the coast and the ship was forced to ride out the storm near what is now Hampton, New Hamphire. At one point their ship was stranded but refloated with the high waves of the storm. Their sails were gone as were their anchors, but the sailors made new sails and other repairs, and the ship eventually landed at Boston on August 17, 1635. I wonder if any passenger on that ship ever sailed again?
John married Elizabeth Stoughton about 1636 in Dorchester, Suffolk, where he had gone to live shortly after landing in New England. There is some question about her last name because the documentation seems to not exist, but this is the traditional name of his first wife, and she seems to be the mother of his children, who were Freedom, Enos, Edward, Eldad and Renewed, all born before 1645. The family lived at Dorchester until about 1655, and Elizabeth died sometime during this time period. During his life in Dorchester, John had been a bailiff, a tax collector, and an elder in the church, after having helped found the church in 1636.
About 1656, John married Alice Thatcher, who was a widow, and they moved to Rehoboth, Bristol County, sometime shortly after. (The time lines I have seen vary as to when the moves and the marriages took place so consider this just a general outline, not firm as to dates.) At any rate, when the family lived in Rehoboth, they were prosperous, with a fertile farm east of the Seekonk River. They, like other families, raised grain and had horses, cattle, sheep, swine and fowls.
John's wife Alice died in 1673 and John married for a third time, to Mary Johnson, who was the daughter of John Johnson and Mary Heath. (John and Mary are our ancestors through another line.)
It wasn't enough for John to survive Puritanism in England, a hurricane on the voyage to New England, and to have buried two wives and married a third. He was 62 years old on March 28, 1676, when, as part of King Philip's War, Indians came to Rehoboth and burned all but two houses, the barns, and outbuildings. John survived because he was in the garrison house, which was too heavily fortified for the Indians to burn, and Mary had probably gone with the other women and children to Newport, R.I., where they were sheltered and cared for by Rev. John Clarke.
Probably due to the turmoil of the war (aha! we may have an answer to my question in the first paragraph!), John and Mary went to Bristol, Rhode Island to live out their remaining years, which were few. John and Mary died within a few days of each other in January of 1678 or 1679. John had asked to be buried with his second wife, in Rehoboth, and so he was. However, his tombstone has been removed to what is now the Newman Cemetery, in E. Providence, R.I.
John Kingsley had a fascinating life, although I'm sure he would not have chosen to walk through it, had he seen as a young man in England what the next 42 years would bring. He must have been a strong man, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, to have raised his family through the turmoil. If you're interested in learning more, the blog "Miner Descent" has a blog post about our ancestor that gives much additional information.
Our line of descent is:
John Kinglsey-Elizabeth possibly Stoughton
Freedom Kingsley-John French
Elizabeth French-Jonathan Thayer
Huldah Thayer-Benjamin Wheelock
Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
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