I've written earlier about Chad Brown or Browne, John's father, the immigrant ancestor to America. But John was an immigrant, too, a wide eyed boy of somewhere around 10 years old when he arrived in Boston in 1638 with his parents and possibly with siblings. He is reported to have been about 8 when the trip was made, which would put his birth date at 1630 but some sites are showing a birthdate of March 9, 1627 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England.
John's parents didn't stay long in Boston, so within months our wide eyed hero was in Providence, Rhode Island. A man by that name was given a free grant of 25 acres of land, and a right of commanage, then promised obedience to the State of England in 1645. He would have probably needed to have been at least 18 to obtain a land grant, unless some sort of exception was made for him. Had he done something special for the plantation? We don't know. He was taxed in 1650, and in 1651/52 pledged allegiance to England "as it now stands", meaning with no king or House of Lords due to the English Civil War. He was a juryman and a constable, as well as a surveyor of highways. He was made a freeman in 1655, and was deputy in 1663-64 as well as being on the town council.
In 1654 he married Mary Holmes, the daughter of Obadiah and Catherine Hyde Holmes of Newport. Holmes was a rather famous Baptist minister (at least, he became famous later) and our John Brown has been variously described as "Elder" and "Reverend". He was also of the Baptist faith. John and Mary had at least five children, but probably there were more who were not living when John died.
John's date of death is disputed. Some say he died in 1677. If this is so, then he's been confused with another John Brown, because one John Brown, or another was taxed in 1679 and in 1701 helped ordain James Clarke of Newport as pastor of the Newport church. He sold the land the family home was on in 1672, but great grand children purchased it back and this eventually became what is now known as Brown University.
I have not been able to determine what happened to John Brown and his family during King Philip's War. Almost all of the homes in Providence were destroyed, either by the native American's setting fire to them or by decay, as it took years for some of the families to return. Did they go to Newport, perhaps, or to safer locations in Massachusetts? We don't know. I know there were several John Browns who were listed as soldiers during that war, and it seems logical to think that John, being under 50 years of age, would have been in the militia, but I can't state that categorically.
I've not yet located a will or probate for John. Mary died in 1696 and John died either 19 years earlier or ten years later. Finding the probate papers would likely shed some light on that puzzle.
John Brown, one of our Baptist ancestors, whether he lived 50 years or 80, had an influence on his family and his church family as well as his community. He was a man of service and we can be glad he is part of our family.
The line of descent is:
John Brown-Mary Holmes
Sarah Brown-John Pray
Mary Pray Richard Brown
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Pray. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pray. Show all posts
Friday, April 19, 2019
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Holbrook line: Henry Brown, Immigrant
I've written earlier of Henry Brown's parents, William and Jane Mills or possibly Burgis of Rusper, Sussex, England. Henry was one of their seven children and was christened on December 28, 1626. Henry was with his parents on the voyage to America in 1645, when his mother and a sibling died during the ocean crossing. Henry was just 18 years old, and now he would have to help his father settle, as well as his two remaining sibilings. William settled on Long Island but Henry went to Providence, Rhode Island. This leads me to wonder what his religious beliefs were, and whether he was more comfortable under the religious freedom that Rhode Island offered, or whether his reason for going there was something entirely different.
Henry probably had received a good education in England, as his grandfather was a pastor. From the number of offices Henry held as an adult it is apparent that he also was regarded as a man of common sense. He was made a freeman in 1655, and at various times from 1656 to 1684 he was commissioner, constable, on the grand jury, town treasurer, deputy, assistant, and on the town council. It appears that he left his home in 1675 or 1676, during King Philip's War. He would have been about 50 years old, so possibly he served in the militia during that time although I haven't found his name on a militia list. He may have aged out by the time of the war.
He married Waite Waterman, the daughter of Richard and Bethiah Waite Waterman probably before 1670. He sold a house, one of the original home lots that had already been through several owners, in 1668 so it's possible this was in preparation for his marriage. Or perhaps Waite didn't care for the location for some reason. It was at almost the very north end of town and she may have wanted to live closer to her parents, who were aging.
Henry and Waite had at least five children, including son Richard who was born in 1676. Waite died sometime in or before 1682, leaving a family of young children. Henry remarried in 1682 to Hannah Field Mathewson, daughter of John Field and widow of James Mathewson. They had one child together.
We know that Henry was taxed at a rate of 8 shillings in 1687 and was on the list of those from whom a poll tax was due in 1688. After that, there is little notice of Henry in the records I've consulted.
He wrote his will on September 22, 1698 and was dead by February 20, 1702/03, when the will was probated. Unfortunately, I've not found a copy of the will, which I would dearly love to see. Did he love books as much as his father did? What religion did he profess? How had he made a living all these years? And was he a happy man? All we really know is that he was well respected in the community, and that he had a wife, and children. Yet, he is part of our family and we can respect him, just as his community did.
The line of descent is:
Henry Brown-Waite Waterman
Richard Brown-Mary Pray
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy=Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Henry probably had received a good education in England, as his grandfather was a pastor. From the number of offices Henry held as an adult it is apparent that he also was regarded as a man of common sense. He was made a freeman in 1655, and at various times from 1656 to 1684 he was commissioner, constable, on the grand jury, town treasurer, deputy, assistant, and on the town council. It appears that he left his home in 1675 or 1676, during King Philip's War. He would have been about 50 years old, so possibly he served in the militia during that time although I haven't found his name on a militia list. He may have aged out by the time of the war.
He married Waite Waterman, the daughter of Richard and Bethiah Waite Waterman probably before 1670. He sold a house, one of the original home lots that had already been through several owners, in 1668 so it's possible this was in preparation for his marriage. Or perhaps Waite didn't care for the location for some reason. It was at almost the very north end of town and she may have wanted to live closer to her parents, who were aging.
Henry and Waite had at least five children, including son Richard who was born in 1676. Waite died sometime in or before 1682, leaving a family of young children. Henry remarried in 1682 to Hannah Field Mathewson, daughter of John Field and widow of James Mathewson. They had one child together.
We know that Henry was taxed at a rate of 8 shillings in 1687 and was on the list of those from whom a poll tax was due in 1688. After that, there is little notice of Henry in the records I've consulted.
He wrote his will on September 22, 1698 and was dead by February 20, 1702/03, when the will was probated. Unfortunately, I've not found a copy of the will, which I would dearly love to see. Did he love books as much as his father did? What religion did he profess? How had he made a living all these years? And was he a happy man? All we really know is that he was well respected in the community, and that he had a wife, and children. Yet, he is part of our family and we can respect him, just as his community did.
The line of descent is:
Henry Brown-Waite Waterman
Richard Brown-Mary Pray
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy=Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Richard Pray, Immigrant 1630-1693
Update: After consideration, I've re-worded a couple of sentences in the blog regarding the physical fights that this couple had. I may have given the impression, by using words from some of the records, that Mary may have brought some abuse on herself. I've been asked by someone I love and respect to remove that wording, and so I have tried to clarify each person's role in their lose-lose situation. Of course, without being in the room with them, we will never know all that went on in their home but it's fair to draw a picture without drawing a conclusion.
This blog post may or may not be something you want to read. If you imagine that all our ancestors were devout Christians who kept a civil tongue in their head and treated their families with great love and respect, you may not want to read this post. If, however, you are of the belief that it's a good thing to know about all our ancestors, warts and all, read on. And if you like scandal, this is the post for you!
Richard Pray is generally accepted to be the son of Quentin and Joan Valliance Pray, of Frant, Sussex, England, although these doesn't seem to be documentation for his birth. Likely this means he was baptized somewhere else, perhaps in an ancestral church elsewhere, but it sure would be nice to find his baptismal record. Actually, his baptism may be one of the few times he was ever in church, or maybe I'm not giving the man the breaks he deserves. We don't know for sure when he came to America but it was after 1635, as neither he nor his father is listed in those papers. Many websites say his place of birth was Kittery, York, Maine, but that seems unlikely.
According to his testimony in a court case in 1685, he was 55 years old at the time, so was likely born about 1630, give or take a year or two. We don't know for sure when he married, or whom, but her name was Mary and she was the mother of his children. This was not a loving couple, but she seems to have started as many fights as he did. She also seems to have suffered injuries more often and more serious than he did. At any rate, the two did not get along, and by 1671 one of them requested a divorce. It was granted, but a higher court nullified the decision. The request was made again in 1672 and denied. These two people, both of them apparently victims of both physical and verbal abuse, would have to live out their marriage vows, although not necessarily in the same location.
Locations are confusing for me, regarding Richard Pray. He was supposedly an early settler of Rhode Island, in 1645, but he would have been only about fifteen at the time. How did that happen? He was involved in several court cases in Salem, fined there for swearing, and appointed in 1655 by the court of commissioners to keep a house of entertainment, with a sign to be posted outside to advise strangers. I am not sure whether this was in Massachusetts, or in Rhode Island.
We know he was in Rhode Island in 1675-1676, as he is noted as being one of the few people to "stay and not go" during King Philip's War. This gave him some leverage when native Americans captured in the war were sold as slaves, as he received a share of the profits. (I know, I know, this is bad and unacceptable, but it's a fact so it needs to be told. Wife abuser, slave trader or slave holder, or both, I'm telling it like it is, but not liking it.)
In 1681, Mary, Richard's wife, was given a license (no location given) to keep a public house of entertainment for one year. Again, no location was given. Were they in the same town, or were they separated by many miles? Mary was dead when Richard married his second wife, Elizabeth White Hearnden, widow of Benjamin Hearnden. (Benjamin Hearnden and Elizabeth are also our ancestors, just to keep things interesting.) Did Richard finally find true love? Did Elizabeth go into this relationship with her eyes wide open? Enquiring minds want to know.
Richard died in Providence, Rhode Island sometime in 1693. He had sold or given his small amount of land to his son Ephraim before his death. We don't know how or if the other children were acknowledged, or what provisions were made for Elizabeth, since I've been unable to locate a copy of his will.
There is so much I'd like to know about Richard. Since his first marriage was such a disaster, what made his willing to try it again? Was Elizabeth a different kind of person than Mary had been? What about Mary? Did she find love, or at least friendship, with anyone? How did the children turn out, living in a home where the parents fought so much? Where was Richard from, and was his father really Quentin Pray? And why did he stay in Providence, having received warning that the natives were planning to burn that village? Maybe he wasn't the kind of ancestor we would want to claim, but here he is, folks, larger than life, warts, crimes, and all. If I ever learn that the records are mixed up and our Richard Pray was not the kind of man this blog post portrays, I sure will be happy to correct the record!
The line of descent is:
Richard Pray-Mary
John Pray-Sarah Brown
Mary Pray-Richard Brown
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
This blog post may or may not be something you want to read. If you imagine that all our ancestors were devout Christians who kept a civil tongue in their head and treated their families with great love and respect, you may not want to read this post. If, however, you are of the belief that it's a good thing to know about all our ancestors, warts and all, read on. And if you like scandal, this is the post for you!
Richard Pray is generally accepted to be the son of Quentin and Joan Valliance Pray, of Frant, Sussex, England, although these doesn't seem to be documentation for his birth. Likely this means he was baptized somewhere else, perhaps in an ancestral church elsewhere, but it sure would be nice to find his baptismal record. Actually, his baptism may be one of the few times he was ever in church, or maybe I'm not giving the man the breaks he deserves. We don't know for sure when he came to America but it was after 1635, as neither he nor his father is listed in those papers. Many websites say his place of birth was Kittery, York, Maine, but that seems unlikely.
According to his testimony in a court case in 1685, he was 55 years old at the time, so was likely born about 1630, give or take a year or two. We don't know for sure when he married, or whom, but her name was Mary and she was the mother of his children. This was not a loving couple, but she seems to have started as many fights as he did. She also seems to have suffered injuries more often and more serious than he did. At any rate, the two did not get along, and by 1671 one of them requested a divorce. It was granted, but a higher court nullified the decision. The request was made again in 1672 and denied. These two people, both of them apparently victims of both physical and verbal abuse, would have to live out their marriage vows, although not necessarily in the same location.
Locations are confusing for me, regarding Richard Pray. He was supposedly an early settler of Rhode Island, in 1645, but he would have been only about fifteen at the time. How did that happen? He was involved in several court cases in Salem, fined there for swearing, and appointed in 1655 by the court of commissioners to keep a house of entertainment, with a sign to be posted outside to advise strangers. I am not sure whether this was in Massachusetts, or in Rhode Island.
We know he was in Rhode Island in 1675-1676, as he is noted as being one of the few people to "stay and not go" during King Philip's War. This gave him some leverage when native Americans captured in the war were sold as slaves, as he received a share of the profits. (I know, I know, this is bad and unacceptable, but it's a fact so it needs to be told. Wife abuser, slave trader or slave holder, or both, I'm telling it like it is, but not liking it.)
In 1681, Mary, Richard's wife, was given a license (no location given) to keep a public house of entertainment for one year. Again, no location was given. Were they in the same town, or were they separated by many miles? Mary was dead when Richard married his second wife, Elizabeth White Hearnden, widow of Benjamin Hearnden. (Benjamin Hearnden and Elizabeth are also our ancestors, just to keep things interesting.) Did Richard finally find true love? Did Elizabeth go into this relationship with her eyes wide open? Enquiring minds want to know.
Richard died in Providence, Rhode Island sometime in 1693. He had sold or given his small amount of land to his son Ephraim before his death. We don't know how or if the other children were acknowledged, or what provisions were made for Elizabeth, since I've been unable to locate a copy of his will.
There is so much I'd like to know about Richard. Since his first marriage was such a disaster, what made his willing to try it again? Was Elizabeth a different kind of person than Mary had been? What about Mary? Did she find love, or at least friendship, with anyone? How did the children turn out, living in a home where the parents fought so much? Where was Richard from, and was his father really Quentin Pray? And why did he stay in Providence, having received warning that the natives were planning to burn that village? Maybe he wasn't the kind of ancestor we would want to claim, but here he is, folks, larger than life, warts, crimes, and all. If I ever learn that the records are mixed up and our Richard Pray was not the kind of man this blog post portrays, I sure will be happy to correct the record!
The line of descent is:
Richard Pray-Mary
John Pray-Sarah Brown
Mary Pray-Richard Brown
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Holbrook line: Chad Brown, Immigrant
We have more than one ancestor who made it to Wikipedia. Chad Brown, variously described as Reverend, Pastor, and Elder, has his own article that tells much about his life. I've found other articles, too, including one from the Register, published by New England Historical and Genealogical Society, that detail the first four generations of his descendants. So he is easy to write about. The hard part is choosing what to include in this post, and in trying to restrain my pride in this man and his descendants. We actually have at least two lines of descent from him, and there are some Browns I haven't yet identified, so there could be more yet.
Once again we have a mystery as to his parentage, however. We know that he married Elizabeth Sharparowe, daughter of John and Margaret Castley Sharparowe, on September 11, 1626 in Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. We could probably guess that Chad came from the same general area, but we don't know that for sure. Wycombe is a town known for its cloth industry and its paper industry during the 17th century. We don't know whether Chad was involved in either of those, but it does give us a sense that the town was industrial before industrial was widespread, and the town must have had a certain energy to it. We wonder what kind of education Chad received, in light of his later achievements.
Chad, Elizabeth, their son John, and possibly other children arrived on the ship Martin, arriving in Boston in July of 1638. Whether by plan or by "encouragement", they soon moved to Providence Plantations in what became Rhode Island, where Roger Williams was teaching. He signed agreements in 1640 and another one sometime between 1639 and 1644, to agree to the Providence Compact and to set up a government for Providence in 1640. He took over pastoral duties for the Baptist church in 1643, when Roger Williams, the first pastor, went to England on colony business. The church at this time met outside, or in bad weather, in someone's home. The first church building in Providence was not built until some sixty years later. Chad served as pastor for about 10 years, including time he was apparently an unofficial pastor, or perhaps an assistant.
There is not a good record of when he died, but there is a mention of a widow Brown, not further named, being listed on a tax list in 1650. He was mentioned as deceased in a deed from 1663, but he could well have been deceased for quite a while by that time. I tend to think it was shortly before 1650, because the church record says that he ended his pastorate before 1650. This would have left Elizabeth with seven children to raise, with John at 20 being the oldest.
Chad had acted as an arbitrator in the early days of Providence, and also as a surveyor. These jobs, combined with that of pastor make me think he surely had at least a grammar school type education, and perhaps higher than that. He reportedly left a will but I have not been able to locate a copy. The inventory would be valuable, to see whether he had books, and also to see how he supported himself other than as pastor. It doesn't seem likely that this would have been a "paying job".
I think I would have liked Chad Brown. From the bits and pieces we can see, he was a man who lived out his faith by serving others. His record as pastor of the First Baptist Church shows his dedication to the Lord. Some of his sons became members of the Anglican Church and some of his descendants became Quakers. I wonder what he would have said to that?
The two lines of descent are:
Chad Brown-Elizabeth Shaparowe
Daniel Brown-Alice Hearndon
Hosanna Brown-Mary Hawkins
Othniel Brown-Deborah Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
The second line is
Chad Brown-Elizabeth Sharparowe
John Brown-Mary Holmes
Sarah Brown-John Pray
Mary Pray-Richard Brown
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
as above
Fun face: FamousKin says that Amelia Earhart and John Ritter are descendants of Chad Brown, so they are our distant cousins.
Once again we have a mystery as to his parentage, however. We know that he married Elizabeth Sharparowe, daughter of John and Margaret Castley Sharparowe, on September 11, 1626 in Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. We could probably guess that Chad came from the same general area, but we don't know that for sure. Wycombe is a town known for its cloth industry and its paper industry during the 17th century. We don't know whether Chad was involved in either of those, but it does give us a sense that the town was industrial before industrial was widespread, and the town must have had a certain energy to it. We wonder what kind of education Chad received, in light of his later achievements.
Chad, Elizabeth, their son John, and possibly other children arrived on the ship Martin, arriving in Boston in July of 1638. Whether by plan or by "encouragement", they soon moved to Providence Plantations in what became Rhode Island, where Roger Williams was teaching. He signed agreements in 1640 and another one sometime between 1639 and 1644, to agree to the Providence Compact and to set up a government for Providence in 1640. He took over pastoral duties for the Baptist church in 1643, when Roger Williams, the first pastor, went to England on colony business. The church at this time met outside, or in bad weather, in someone's home. The first church building in Providence was not built until some sixty years later. Chad served as pastor for about 10 years, including time he was apparently an unofficial pastor, or perhaps an assistant.
There is not a good record of when he died, but there is a mention of a widow Brown, not further named, being listed on a tax list in 1650. He was mentioned as deceased in a deed from 1663, but he could well have been deceased for quite a while by that time. I tend to think it was shortly before 1650, because the church record says that he ended his pastorate before 1650. This would have left Elizabeth with seven children to raise, with John at 20 being the oldest.
Chad had acted as an arbitrator in the early days of Providence, and also as a surveyor. These jobs, combined with that of pastor make me think he surely had at least a grammar school type education, and perhaps higher than that. He reportedly left a will but I have not been able to locate a copy. The inventory would be valuable, to see whether he had books, and also to see how he supported himself other than as pastor. It doesn't seem likely that this would have been a "paying job".
I think I would have liked Chad Brown. From the bits and pieces we can see, he was a man who lived out his faith by serving others. His record as pastor of the First Baptist Church shows his dedication to the Lord. Some of his sons became members of the Anglican Church and some of his descendants became Quakers. I wonder what he would have said to that?
The two lines of descent are:
Chad Brown-Elizabeth Shaparowe
Daniel Brown-Alice Hearndon
Hosanna Brown-Mary Hawkins
Othniel Brown-Deborah Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
The second line is
Chad Brown-Elizabeth Sharparowe
John Brown-Mary Holmes
Sarah Brown-John Pray
Mary Pray-Richard Brown
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
as above
Fun face: FamousKin says that Amelia Earhart and John Ritter are descendants of Chad Brown, so they are our distant cousins.
Friday, June 15, 2018
Holbrook line: Richard Waterman, Immigrant
By now, you've noticed that I find most of our ancestors to be fascinating people. Richard Waterman also falls in that category, I think because he is just a little bit different from many of our New England ancestors. We don't know his origins nor do we know more than the name of his wife, which was Bethiah.
The first thing we know actually raises more questions. Richard arrived in Salem, Massachusetts on June 16, 1629, having been sent there as a hunter by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. So, how did he become a hunter? What experience did he have, and where did he get it? Was there enough call for a hunter in Salem that he could make a living? Or was he one of our first frontiersmen, shooting animals for their furs? We do know he killed a wolf in 1632 but we don't have any further knowledge about his success, or lack thereof.
We don't know when he and Bethiah married. It may have been early in 1629, before Richard came to America, or it may have been a shipboard romance. My feeling is that there wouldn't have been enough time for him to have met, courted, and married in Salem, and given time for their first child, Mehitabel, to have been born "about" 1630. Of course, if that guess for a date is off then maybe the marriage did happen here. The Watermans had three more children, Waite, Resolved, and Nathaniel. Some sites also give a son Joseph but the sources I've found don't support that.
Richard was likely a member of the Salem church because his son Nathaniel was baptized there in August of 1637. However, he became a supporter of Roger Williams during the times Roger lived in Salem, and when Roger was banished, he soon sought and was given permission to follow Roger into Rhode Island. In fact, Waterman was invited to leave on March 12, 1637/38, with the other followers of Roger Williams. Once in Providence, he settled down again. He had a house lot located between those of Francis Weston and Ezekiel Holyman, and acquired other land besides.
He also seems to have been caught up in the "Gorton controversy", which I don't pretend to understand. Mr. Gorton was of strong religious beliefs, and was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1644. So was Richard Waterman. He seems to have been imprisoned and tried more for political than religious reasons, although he was a strong supporter of Warwick, where Mr. Gorton settled, and owned land there. Opinions differ as to whether he actually moved his family therfe, but Robert Charles Anderson seems to think he lived in Warwick for about four years, from 1666 to 1670.
In Salem, he had had little to do with the government, perhaps because he was out hunting for much of the time. However, in Providence, he was on the committee to establish colony government, and served as the Commissioner for Providence to the Rhode Island Court on at least 10 occasions. He was also a selectman and a magistrate, and served on several juries.
Savage says that he was chosen colonel of the militia, which would be a high honor and responsibility. It may be that he was chosen partly for his woodsmen skills, but he also seems to have been a leader as well.
Richard died at Providence October 26, 1673 and Bethiah died December 3, 1680. He left a will naming his heirs and granting his lands to them but the will was burned when the native Americans attacked and burned Providence during King Philip's War. Bethiah would have lived through that war, and it would be interesting to know how she survived, and with whom she lived after the war. She would have been perhaps 75 years old at the time of her death.
Richard is interesting because of the connection with Roger Williams, and his later support of Mr. Gorton, because he was a hunter by trade, because he survived several months in a Massachusetts prison, and because he was respected so much although it appears that he had very little, if any, formal education. He was a remarkable man.
Our line of descent is
Richard Waterman-Bethiah
Waite Waterman-Henry Brown
Richard Brown=Mary Pray
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Richard was also the father in law of Mercy Williams, who married Resolved Waterman and then Samuel Winsor. Our line goes through Samuel.
The first thing we know actually raises more questions. Richard arrived in Salem, Massachusetts on June 16, 1629, having been sent there as a hunter by the Massachusetts Bay Colony. So, how did he become a hunter? What experience did he have, and where did he get it? Was there enough call for a hunter in Salem that he could make a living? Or was he one of our first frontiersmen, shooting animals for their furs? We do know he killed a wolf in 1632 but we don't have any further knowledge about his success, or lack thereof.
We don't know when he and Bethiah married. It may have been early in 1629, before Richard came to America, or it may have been a shipboard romance. My feeling is that there wouldn't have been enough time for him to have met, courted, and married in Salem, and given time for their first child, Mehitabel, to have been born "about" 1630. Of course, if that guess for a date is off then maybe the marriage did happen here. The Watermans had three more children, Waite, Resolved, and Nathaniel. Some sites also give a son Joseph but the sources I've found don't support that.
Richard was likely a member of the Salem church because his son Nathaniel was baptized there in August of 1637. However, he became a supporter of Roger Williams during the times Roger lived in Salem, and when Roger was banished, he soon sought and was given permission to follow Roger into Rhode Island. In fact, Waterman was invited to leave on March 12, 1637/38, with the other followers of Roger Williams. Once in Providence, he settled down again. He had a house lot located between those of Francis Weston and Ezekiel Holyman, and acquired other land besides.
He also seems to have been caught up in the "Gorton controversy", which I don't pretend to understand. Mr. Gorton was of strong religious beliefs, and was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1644. So was Richard Waterman. He seems to have been imprisoned and tried more for political than religious reasons, although he was a strong supporter of Warwick, where Mr. Gorton settled, and owned land there. Opinions differ as to whether he actually moved his family therfe, but Robert Charles Anderson seems to think he lived in Warwick for about four years, from 1666 to 1670.
In Salem, he had had little to do with the government, perhaps because he was out hunting for much of the time. However, in Providence, he was on the committee to establish colony government, and served as the Commissioner for Providence to the Rhode Island Court on at least 10 occasions. He was also a selectman and a magistrate, and served on several juries.
Savage says that he was chosen colonel of the militia, which would be a high honor and responsibility. It may be that he was chosen partly for his woodsmen skills, but he also seems to have been a leader as well.
Richard died at Providence October 26, 1673 and Bethiah died December 3, 1680. He left a will naming his heirs and granting his lands to them but the will was burned when the native Americans attacked and burned Providence during King Philip's War. Bethiah would have lived through that war, and it would be interesting to know how she survived, and with whom she lived after the war. She would have been perhaps 75 years old at the time of her death.
Richard is interesting because of the connection with Roger Williams, and his later support of Mr. Gorton, because he was a hunter by trade, because he survived several months in a Massachusetts prison, and because he was respected so much although it appears that he had very little, if any, formal education. He was a remarkable man.
Our line of descent is
Richard Waterman-Bethiah
Waite Waterman-Henry Brown
Richard Brown=Mary Pray
Deborah Brown-Othniel Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Richard was also the father in law of Mercy Williams, who married Resolved Waterman and then Samuel Winsor. Our line goes through Samuel.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Holbrook line: William Browne 1593-1650 Immigrant
He was just a name on our tree, until I started finding his story. Now he is very dear to me. Somehow and for some reason as yet unexplained, I feel connected to William Browne.
It can't be geography. William Browne was born in Rusper, Sussex, England in 1593, when Queen Elizabeth still had ten years to live. Sussex is on the south east coast of England, and Rusper is on the northern edge of Sussex, now relatively close to London but not so much 425 years ago. William was the son of Rev. Joseph and Margaret Patching, so perhaps it's the preacher's kid connection, but it seems more than that.
William grew up in a large family of perhaps as many as eight children, so it is somewhat surprising that he was able to obtain an education. He became a schoolmaster and apparently taught up until his departure for the new world in 1645. (As mentioned many times, this is where I can't "connect". The bravery of these people is beyond all of my understanding but commands my utmost respect.)
By the time the family came over, William had been married to Jane Mills since 1611. She was the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Mills. Again, they had a large family of nine children, which makes one wonder how they survived on a schoolmaster's salary. Only three of the children are known to have come to the New World-Henry, Phebe, and Mary. The voyage over must have been horrific, because wife Jane and their eldest son John both died of smallpox on the voyage. How frightening that must have been for all of the passengers, and how disheartening for William!
William first went to Saybrook, Connecticut but seems to have stayed there only a short time. His daughter Mary married Robert Marvin and William made his home with them at Southampton, Long Island, New York. This was already a whaling community, so the opportunities for trading were good and William made his living as a merchant.
One wonders why the family went to Long Island. Was it for more religious freedom? Was it economics? Was it land? Since William's son Henry went to Rhode Island, a reasonable guess might be that religion had something to do with it, but we will probably never know for sure.
William seems to have been a respected man for he was made a freeman at Southampton in 1648 and shared in a division of lands later that year. He signed some sort of register on July 2, 1650 but three weeks later his daughter and her husband applied for administration of his estate., so his death must have been sudden. His inventory was taken the next day and valued at 165 pounds. I guess what blesses me is that of this, his books were valued at 5 pounds. He and I share a love of books. I wish I knew what books he owned, because that would tell us much more about him.
William may or may not have lead a fairly easy life in Rusper, but his tragic losses on the voyage here and then his efforts to begin a new life on Long Island are the stories that should be told in a movie. I can't do it justice in a blog post.
The line of descent is:
William Brown-Jane Mills (some say Jane Burgis)
Henry Browne-Waite Waterman
Richard Browne-Mary Pray
Deborah Browne-Othniel Brown (no apparent relationship)
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
It can't be geography. William Browne was born in Rusper, Sussex, England in 1593, when Queen Elizabeth still had ten years to live. Sussex is on the south east coast of England, and Rusper is on the northern edge of Sussex, now relatively close to London but not so much 425 years ago. William was the son of Rev. Joseph and Margaret Patching, so perhaps it's the preacher's kid connection, but it seems more than that.
William grew up in a large family of perhaps as many as eight children, so it is somewhat surprising that he was able to obtain an education. He became a schoolmaster and apparently taught up until his departure for the new world in 1645. (As mentioned many times, this is where I can't "connect". The bravery of these people is beyond all of my understanding but commands my utmost respect.)
By the time the family came over, William had been married to Jane Mills since 1611. She was the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Mills. Again, they had a large family of nine children, which makes one wonder how they survived on a schoolmaster's salary. Only three of the children are known to have come to the New World-Henry, Phebe, and Mary. The voyage over must have been horrific, because wife Jane and their eldest son John both died of smallpox on the voyage. How frightening that must have been for all of the passengers, and how disheartening for William!
William first went to Saybrook, Connecticut but seems to have stayed there only a short time. His daughter Mary married Robert Marvin and William made his home with them at Southampton, Long Island, New York. This was already a whaling community, so the opportunities for trading were good and William made his living as a merchant.
One wonders why the family went to Long Island. Was it for more religious freedom? Was it economics? Was it land? Since William's son Henry went to Rhode Island, a reasonable guess might be that religion had something to do with it, but we will probably never know for sure.
William seems to have been a respected man for he was made a freeman at Southampton in 1648 and shared in a division of lands later that year. He signed some sort of register on July 2, 1650 but three weeks later his daughter and her husband applied for administration of his estate., so his death must have been sudden. His inventory was taken the next day and valued at 165 pounds. I guess what blesses me is that of this, his books were valued at 5 pounds. He and I share a love of books. I wish I knew what books he owned, because that would tell us much more about him.
William may or may not have lead a fairly easy life in Rusper, but his tragic losses on the voyage here and then his efforts to begin a new life on Long Island are the stories that should be told in a movie. I can't do it justice in a blog post.
The line of descent is:
William Brown-Jane Mills (some say Jane Burgis)
Henry Browne-Waite Waterman
Richard Browne-Mary Pray
Deborah Browne-Othniel Brown (no apparent relationship)
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, November 10, 2017
Holbrook line: Quentin Pray 1595-1667 Immigrant
And we have a winner! Quentin or Quintin Pray is pretty well documented because he got into so much minor trouble. His court records are fascinating, and because of them, we know quite a bit about him, although of course there are questions. It's kind of fun to find someone outside the normal "Puritan" culture, who left an interesting story to be told. I should mention that this information comes from Michael S. Caldwell's tree on rootsweb, as well as additional information found on geni and on Find a Grave. I have little personal research to add, but I'm glad to be able to write this story, anyway.
Quentin was born August 27,1595 in Chiddingstone, Kent, England. His father was probably Robert Pray, although I have also seen a Richard Pray listed as his father, with no mention of his mother to be found other than possibly "Marion". Wikipedia describes Chiddingstone as "a perfect example of a Tudor one street village". Quentin would have grown up here, under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, in his early childhood.
We don't know what trade he worked or how he met his wife, Joan Valliance, but they married June 17, 1621 in Mayfield, Sussex, England. The two villages appear to be about 13 miles apart. Several of their children were baptized in Frant, which ispartly in Knet and partly in Sussex County.
Possibly for economic reasons, since we have no evidence of a Puritan leaning, or maybe because the couple was ready for an adventure, they came to America in 1643, on the ship "Ann Cleeve of London". John Winthrop, Jr had gone to England and arranged for a group of workmen, servants, and materials to come of Massachusetts for the purpose of setting up an ironworks. Presumably Quentin and family would then have been in debt to Winthrop for their passage, although it is possible that they came as indentured servants. It would be interesting to find the early papers of the Iron Works Company, to see what any contracts might say.
Quentin first went to Kittery, Maine, but was soon in Lynn, Massachusetts. There are references to him as a "fineryman" but I'm unable to determine whether this was a general term for ironworker, or whether this was a specific job within the process.
Starting in 1647, Quentin and sometimes his wife appeared before the quarterly court of Essex County several times on charges of swearing. The usual fine was five shillings, and on December 12, 1648, the two were fined 50 shillings, for five oaths. The reference doesn't say whether this took place during one marital discussion, or whether it was the result of some other dispute.
Quinton also was a witness when Nicholas Pynyon, who may have been a relative, was 'presented" for killing five children, on the testimony of his (Nicholas's) wife. I haven't found the results of this yet, but Nicholas was in the court records later, or possibly it was a son or other family member.
Finally, Quinton on July 11, 1649 was charged with hitting Nicholas Penion with a staff that had a two feet piece of iron on the end of it, breaking Nicholas's head, and for striking Thomas Billington, and for swearing. For all this, he was fined. Ironworkers must have had privileges that somehow kept them from the gallows! Quinton also may have been charged with striking Jno. Dimond, although the date for that isn't clear.
Sometime in the 1650's, probably about 1651, the Prays moved to Braintree and there he lived out his life. He was still working as an ironworker and possibly filed bankruptcy in 1653 (not sure whether this was a personal bankruptcy or the failure of the ironworks he was employed by). In 1664, he sold all his personal property to pay off personal debts, so things had not gone well for Quentin.
He died June 17, 1667 in Braintree. His wife Joan was given administration of the estate. The estate was valued at 74 pounds, three shillings. One interesting item in the inventory was three spinning wheels. This shows that there were several people living in the home. One record says that the youngest of possibly as many as 12 children was born at Braintree, which would have made Joan, if this was still the Joan he had married in 1621, a mother at a rather advanced age. Quentin must have trusted her judgement, to make her the administrator when she still had children at home.
I found no mention of church involvement for Quentin, which may possibly be inferred by his court record His inventory shows no books, although of course they may have been sold to settle that earlier debt. There's much we don't know about Quentin, but we know he led a colorful life, he was a hard worker, and he probably provided at least enough, if not generously, for his family. It will be fun to keep an eye out for more records as I study more in early Massachusetts history.
The line of descent is:
Quinton Pray-Joan Valliance
Richard Pray-Mary
John Pray-Sarah Brown
Mary Pray Richard Brown
Othniel Brown-Deborah Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Lousi Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Yes, there are three separate Brown families in this line. Two go back to Chad Brown and Elizabeth Sharparowe but the other line doesn't seem to, or at least the connection is far up the tree.
Quentin was born August 27,1595 in Chiddingstone, Kent, England. His father was probably Robert Pray, although I have also seen a Richard Pray listed as his father, with no mention of his mother to be found other than possibly "Marion". Wikipedia describes Chiddingstone as "a perfect example of a Tudor one street village". Quentin would have grown up here, under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, in his early childhood.
We don't know what trade he worked or how he met his wife, Joan Valliance, but they married June 17, 1621 in Mayfield, Sussex, England. The two villages appear to be about 13 miles apart. Several of their children were baptized in Frant, which ispartly in Knet and partly in Sussex County.
Possibly for economic reasons, since we have no evidence of a Puritan leaning, or maybe because the couple was ready for an adventure, they came to America in 1643, on the ship "Ann Cleeve of London". John Winthrop, Jr had gone to England and arranged for a group of workmen, servants, and materials to come of Massachusetts for the purpose of setting up an ironworks. Presumably Quentin and family would then have been in debt to Winthrop for their passage, although it is possible that they came as indentured servants. It would be interesting to find the early papers of the Iron Works Company, to see what any contracts might say.
Quentin first went to Kittery, Maine, but was soon in Lynn, Massachusetts. There are references to him as a "fineryman" but I'm unable to determine whether this was a general term for ironworker, or whether this was a specific job within the process.
Starting in 1647, Quentin and sometimes his wife appeared before the quarterly court of Essex County several times on charges of swearing. The usual fine was five shillings, and on December 12, 1648, the two were fined 50 shillings, for five oaths. The reference doesn't say whether this took place during one marital discussion, or whether it was the result of some other dispute.
Quinton also was a witness when Nicholas Pynyon, who may have been a relative, was 'presented" for killing five children, on the testimony of his (Nicholas's) wife. I haven't found the results of this yet, but Nicholas was in the court records later, or possibly it was a son or other family member.
Finally, Quinton on July 11, 1649 was charged with hitting Nicholas Penion with a staff that had a two feet piece of iron on the end of it, breaking Nicholas's head, and for striking Thomas Billington, and for swearing. For all this, he was fined. Ironworkers must have had privileges that somehow kept them from the gallows! Quinton also may have been charged with striking Jno. Dimond, although the date for that isn't clear.
Sometime in the 1650's, probably about 1651, the Prays moved to Braintree and there he lived out his life. He was still working as an ironworker and possibly filed bankruptcy in 1653 (not sure whether this was a personal bankruptcy or the failure of the ironworks he was employed by). In 1664, he sold all his personal property to pay off personal debts, so things had not gone well for Quentin.
He died June 17, 1667 in Braintree. His wife Joan was given administration of the estate. The estate was valued at 74 pounds, three shillings. One interesting item in the inventory was three spinning wheels. This shows that there were several people living in the home. One record says that the youngest of possibly as many as 12 children was born at Braintree, which would have made Joan, if this was still the Joan he had married in 1621, a mother at a rather advanced age. Quentin must have trusted her judgement, to make her the administrator when she still had children at home.
I found no mention of church involvement for Quentin, which may possibly be inferred by his court record His inventory shows no books, although of course they may have been sold to settle that earlier debt. There's much we don't know about Quentin, but we know he led a colorful life, he was a hard worker, and he probably provided at least enough, if not generously, for his family. It will be fun to keep an eye out for more records as I study more in early Massachusetts history.
The line of descent is:
Quinton Pray-Joan Valliance
Richard Pray-Mary
John Pray-Sarah Brown
Mary Pray Richard Brown
Othniel Brown-Deborah Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Lousi Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Yes, there are three separate Brown families in this line. Two go back to Chad Brown and Elizabeth Sharparowe but the other line doesn't seem to, or at least the connection is far up the tree.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Holbrook line: Obadiah Holmes, another hero, or not?
Obadiah Holmes was born about 1607 near Reddish, England, to Robert and Catherine Johnson Holmes. He was one of eight or nine children, and he grew up as a farm boy. He became a glassmaker and a weaver. He confessed "his evil ways" to his mother on her death bed, and somehow felt responsible for her death. This led to a greater spirituality on his part. He married Catherine Hyde in Manchester's Collegiate College Church on November, 16, 1630.
It's not clear whether his parents were Puritans, but Obadiah did join the Puritan movement and he and his family came to New England in 1638, It is noted that their voyage was extremely stormy, and took 6 weeks for them to reach Boston. The family soon settled in Salem, Massachusetts. Here he plied his trade as glassmaker, making common window glass. Obadiah was not happy with the rigidity of the established church there, and had moved to Rehoboth by 1645. He was made a freeman there.
As so many times happens, Obadiah soon discovered that moving to another town did not mean moving away from the central problem, in this case, doctrinal differences. Obadiah apparently participated in and perhaps founded a house church movement, which met after the regular Sunday services and was considered schismatic. He was hauled up before church authorities, and ordered to cease and desist his religious activities with the house church. Not content with that, his Puritan pastor charged him with perjury, and Obadiah in turn filed slander charges. Obviously he would need to move on, despite having many friends in Rehoboth.
He had basically been "forced out" to Newport, Rhode Island, where religious freedom was practiced. In 1651, he, Pastor John Clarke, and John Crandall, all Baptists, traveled to Lynn, Massachusetts to bring comfort and communion to an aged parishioner who had been ministered to by Holmes. They were there by invitation, but they were apprehended by two constables who arrested them on the authority of the magistrates, and detained them at a local tavern. The three were more or less forced to attend Sunday night church services, where they indicated their disrespect for the situation by putting their hats back on after having removed them. (This was considered rude in Puritan society.)
The next day the three men were sent to Boston where the trial was fixed and all three men were found guilty "without producing either accuser, witness, jury, law of God or man." In addition, Holmes was assaulted, struck, and cursed by Rev. John Wilson, while he was in the custody of an officer in the presence of the court, and within the protection of the law. Can we say "kangaroo court?"
The three men were fined, Obadiah the most heavily, and banished. Fine monies were raised among the Baptists for all three men, but Obadiah refused to accept the monies. Instead, he chose to accept the alternative punishment, which was to be well whipped. The day of the punishment was cold, but he was stripped to his waist, tied to a post, and whipped 30 strokes (double strokes, actually, which was basically within an inch of his life. He stated after the whipping that "You have struck me as with roses", and was able to give a bit of a sermon.
He healed at a supporter's house but had to basically escape from that when still recovering, because he was on the verge of being arrested again for not having left according to the terms of the banishment. He travelled through the woods and was met 4 miles outside of town by his wife and 8 children.
I've found differing information as to when Obadiah actually became pastor of the Baptist church in Newport. It may have been 1652 or it may have been 1676, or perhaps he became some sort of associate in 1652. Also I've found differing opinions on whether Obadiah attended or graduated from Oxford University, although Obadiah did state that his parents were able to send three sons there.
Finally, we don't know for sure when Obadiah died, although his will was proved December 4, 1682. He was buried in his own field, in what is now the town of Middletown, and there a tomb was erected to him.
The questions is: Was he a hero, or was he merely a stubborn man who brought out the worst in his associates? There is quite a bit of controversy even yet surrounding this man, but the Baptist church honors his memory. I have no wish to stir up religious controversies, so I'll simply say that he lived by his beliefs and seems to have been a very good man. I feel privileged to have him in our family tree.
Here's our line of descent:
Obadiah Holmes-Katherine Hyde
Mary Holmes-John Brown
Sarah Brown-John Pray
Mary Pray-Richard Brown
Othniel Brown-Deborah Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys/Lois/Howard/Ray Holbrook
It's not clear whether his parents were Puritans, but Obadiah did join the Puritan movement and he and his family came to New England in 1638, It is noted that their voyage was extremely stormy, and took 6 weeks for them to reach Boston. The family soon settled in Salem, Massachusetts. Here he plied his trade as glassmaker, making common window glass. Obadiah was not happy with the rigidity of the established church there, and had moved to Rehoboth by 1645. He was made a freeman there.
As so many times happens, Obadiah soon discovered that moving to another town did not mean moving away from the central problem, in this case, doctrinal differences. Obadiah apparently participated in and perhaps founded a house church movement, which met after the regular Sunday services and was considered schismatic. He was hauled up before church authorities, and ordered to cease and desist his religious activities with the house church. Not content with that, his Puritan pastor charged him with perjury, and Obadiah in turn filed slander charges. Obviously he would need to move on, despite having many friends in Rehoboth.
He had basically been "forced out" to Newport, Rhode Island, where religious freedom was practiced. In 1651, he, Pastor John Clarke, and John Crandall, all Baptists, traveled to Lynn, Massachusetts to bring comfort and communion to an aged parishioner who had been ministered to by Holmes. They were there by invitation, but they were apprehended by two constables who arrested them on the authority of the magistrates, and detained them at a local tavern. The three were more or less forced to attend Sunday night church services, where they indicated their disrespect for the situation by putting their hats back on after having removed them. (This was considered rude in Puritan society.)
The next day the three men were sent to Boston where the trial was fixed and all three men were found guilty "without producing either accuser, witness, jury, law of God or man." In addition, Holmes was assaulted, struck, and cursed by Rev. John Wilson, while he was in the custody of an officer in the presence of the court, and within the protection of the law. Can we say "kangaroo court?"
The three men were fined, Obadiah the most heavily, and banished. Fine monies were raised among the Baptists for all three men, but Obadiah refused to accept the monies. Instead, he chose to accept the alternative punishment, which was to be well whipped. The day of the punishment was cold, but he was stripped to his waist, tied to a post, and whipped 30 strokes (double strokes, actually, which was basically within an inch of his life. He stated after the whipping that "You have struck me as with roses", and was able to give a bit of a sermon.
He healed at a supporter's house but had to basically escape from that when still recovering, because he was on the verge of being arrested again for not having left according to the terms of the banishment. He travelled through the woods and was met 4 miles outside of town by his wife and 8 children.
I've found differing information as to when Obadiah actually became pastor of the Baptist church in Newport. It may have been 1652 or it may have been 1676, or perhaps he became some sort of associate in 1652. Also I've found differing opinions on whether Obadiah attended or graduated from Oxford University, although Obadiah did state that his parents were able to send three sons there.
Finally, we don't know for sure when Obadiah died, although his will was proved December 4, 1682. He was buried in his own field, in what is now the town of Middletown, and there a tomb was erected to him.
The questions is: Was he a hero, or was he merely a stubborn man who brought out the worst in his associates? There is quite a bit of controversy even yet surrounding this man, but the Baptist church honors his memory. I have no wish to stir up religious controversies, so I'll simply say that he lived by his beliefs and seems to have been a very good man. I feel privileged to have him in our family tree.
Here's our line of descent:
Obadiah Holmes-Katherine Hyde
Mary Holmes-John Brown
Sarah Brown-John Pray
Mary Pray-Richard Brown
Othniel Brown-Deborah Brown
Sarah Brown-Enos Eddy
Enos Eddy-Deborah Paine
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys/Lois/Howard/Ray Holbrook
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