I hesitate to write this blog post, because I'm finding information that is different than mine. It looks like two of even three men by the name of Joseph Stevens have been combined in some of the information that is out on the web. I hope I have untangled our Joseph Stevens from the others, and if I haven't, I hope someone who has the documentation will correct me.
Our Joseph Stevens was the son of John and Elizabeth Hildreth Stevens. His grandfather, Henry, was the Stevens immigrant, and father John was born in Boston in 1637. Joseph, however, was born in Chelmsford, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony on March 24, 1679, This was just after King Philip's War, and Chelmsford had apparently not been seriously attacked during that conflict, although the town did suffer raids from native Americans. Joseph may have been the youngest of the eight Stevens children, so some of his older siblings likely told him stories as he grew up. I can imagine the youngster's eyes growing round as they told stories that may have become slightly embellished with time.
This might be a good time to comment on a reference I saw that Joseph is believed to have been one.eighth native American. I would say that this is possible only because I don't know all of Joseph's great grandparents. They would have been born around the turn of the seventeenth century, or earlier, and would have had to have lived in the colony. So far I've no evidence that there was anyone here that early. I would love to know the truth of that rumor.
I don't know whether Joseph ever lived in Woburn, but it's possible because he married Elizabeth Tidd, daughter of John and Elizabeth Fifield Tidd there in 1701. We next find Joseph in Billerica, where he married his second wife, Elizabeth Sherman in 1713 in BIllerica. Elizabeth Tidd had died shortly before that, of unknown causes.
Joseph had four children with Elizabeth Tidd and then perhaps as many as eight children with Elizabeth Sherman. It would have been quite a household. Joseph was well-regarded in Billerica and took responsibility to help form the town of Chelmsford. It was formally incorporated in 1732, but settlers were probably there earlier. He had the right to call the first town meeting, as the proprietor of the town, but he didn't do that. He was, however, moderator of the first town meetings and was chosen as selectman several times. He also seems to have been active in getting the first church started, after signing the covenant in 1734.
Then it is hard to tell what happened to Joseph. He died October 1, 1756 in Townsend, still in Essex County. I haven't yet been able to trace when he moved there, or why, but his probate papers clearly state that he is of Townsend. (Note: I found a will attached to him on Ancestry trees but it doesn't appear to be correct. The children named don't belong to our Joseph, for one thing. I found what I believe is the correct probate file at American Ancestry.) Joseph died without a will and with a very small estate, burdened with debts. Perhaps in his old age taking "loans" from friends was a way to sustain himself. But he was rich in treasure laid up in heaven, because this is what his headstone says:
"Halt stranger as you go past
Remember time doth runeth fast
My dust in narou bounds do lye
Remember man that thou must dye
This dust revive it shalt again
And in a grave no more remain
When trumpet sounds I shall arise
And celebrat my God his praise"
(Transcribed by Kevin Avery on Find a Grave.) I've not seen this verse before and it speaks to me. Joseph was a man of his times, a not so stern Puritan as he looked forward to his resurrection.
So we know a little about Joseph, but not enough to really satisfy me. Why did he move so many times? Did he have a trade that was valued at each of his homes? Why did he fall on hard times? Did he participate in any of the military missions of his times? There is always more to learn!
The line of descent is
Joseph Stevens-Elizabeth Tidd
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snow. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Friday, April 3, 2020
Holbrook line: John Stevens 1637-1691
As is often the case, there's much I don't know about John Stevens. But we do have a few facts that will help us place him in a time and a location, with family around him and work to be done. So although it's a very faint and not detailed picture of his life, at least it's something.
John was born September 10, 1637 in Boston, Massachusetts, when Boston was just a few years away from being total wilderness. So by definition, at least in his early years, he would have seen native Americans on the streets of his town, and he was most likely a Puritan. His parents were Henry and Alice (maiden name unknown) Stevens. An account of his father in "The Great Migration" indicates that his father was a mason and was likely a servant from at least 1635 to 1640, when his master left permanently for England. Henry was one of those who were able to live above the subsistence level that was the lot of many servants, and he had died with a decent estate.
John, however, was another story. We don't know for sure why or how he ended up in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, which was probably at the time about 40 miles north and west of Boston. But it was in Chelmsford that he married Elizabeth Hildreth, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (possibly Hinchman) Hildreth. I can't make a guess as to what his occupation was, other than farmer, based on his inventory. He and Elizabeth had at least five children in Chelmsford.
He is referred to as "Ensign" but we don't know when or how he acquired that title. He would have been the right age to have served in King Philip's War but I didn't find anyone I could positively identify with our John Stevens then. There was one John Stevens in that war, who had either lost an arm, or had it badly damaged, in the conflict. But it seems that he was likely of a different community than our John. Like most towns, there is little reference to the war or its aftermath in the town records, but John did sign a petition in 1676 asking for lower taxes because the town had suffered so grievously in the war. We know that Chelmsford did suffer at least one raid but it's not clear whether the town was then abandoned, or whether the people simply lived in garrisons.
John was made a freeman, meaning he had property, could join the church if he hadn't already, and could now vote, on May 3, 1665, shortly after his December 15, 1664 marriage to Elizabeth. So he had some status in the community. His farm was located about two miles west of the meeting house, at the foot of "Francis" hill. Five generations of the family lived there after John, so likely the family watched and perhaps participated in the Revolutionary War from this home.
From a couple of tax lists I reviewed, it looks like John was neither well off nor dirt poor. His "rates" or taxes, were maybe a tad below the average charge, but were not at the lowest amount, by any means. He doesn't seem to have been elected to town office, which again indicates that he didn't have much status in the town. Still, he was a freeman, and not everyone achieved that distinction
John died April 6, 1691 in Chelmsford. If he left a will, I've not been able to locate it. I did find his inventory, which looks like that of many farmers-animals and tools, some household goods, several properties, arms and ammunition. Since he wasn't yet 60 years old, he was probably still a member of the training band, which explains the arms. The estate was valued at a little over 195 pounds, significantly less than the amost 500 pounds his stone mason father had left when he died less than a year earlier.
That's what we know of John. He seems to have stayed out of trouble and out of the public limelight, while taking care of his family and serving his colony. He didn't get rich along the way, but he probably never let his family go hungry. He deserves to have a few paragraphs written about him, all these years later.
The line of descent is
John Stevens-Elizabeth Hildreth
Joseph Stevens-Elizabeth Tidd
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John was born September 10, 1637 in Boston, Massachusetts, when Boston was just a few years away from being total wilderness. So by definition, at least in his early years, he would have seen native Americans on the streets of his town, and he was most likely a Puritan. His parents were Henry and Alice (maiden name unknown) Stevens. An account of his father in "The Great Migration" indicates that his father was a mason and was likely a servant from at least 1635 to 1640, when his master left permanently for England. Henry was one of those who were able to live above the subsistence level that was the lot of many servants, and he had died with a decent estate.
John, however, was another story. We don't know for sure why or how he ended up in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, which was probably at the time about 40 miles north and west of Boston. But it was in Chelmsford that he married Elizabeth Hildreth, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (possibly Hinchman) Hildreth. I can't make a guess as to what his occupation was, other than farmer, based on his inventory. He and Elizabeth had at least five children in Chelmsford.
He is referred to as "Ensign" but we don't know when or how he acquired that title. He would have been the right age to have served in King Philip's War but I didn't find anyone I could positively identify with our John Stevens then. There was one John Stevens in that war, who had either lost an arm, or had it badly damaged, in the conflict. But it seems that he was likely of a different community than our John. Like most towns, there is little reference to the war or its aftermath in the town records, but John did sign a petition in 1676 asking for lower taxes because the town had suffered so grievously in the war. We know that Chelmsford did suffer at least one raid but it's not clear whether the town was then abandoned, or whether the people simply lived in garrisons.
John was made a freeman, meaning he had property, could join the church if he hadn't already, and could now vote, on May 3, 1665, shortly after his December 15, 1664 marriage to Elizabeth. So he had some status in the community. His farm was located about two miles west of the meeting house, at the foot of "Francis" hill. Five generations of the family lived there after John, so likely the family watched and perhaps participated in the Revolutionary War from this home.
From a couple of tax lists I reviewed, it looks like John was neither well off nor dirt poor. His "rates" or taxes, were maybe a tad below the average charge, but were not at the lowest amount, by any means. He doesn't seem to have been elected to town office, which again indicates that he didn't have much status in the town. Still, he was a freeman, and not everyone achieved that distinction
John died April 6, 1691 in Chelmsford. If he left a will, I've not been able to locate it. I did find his inventory, which looks like that of many farmers-animals and tools, some household goods, several properties, arms and ammunition. Since he wasn't yet 60 years old, he was probably still a member of the training band, which explains the arms. The estate was valued at a little over 195 pounds, significantly less than the amost 500 pounds his stone mason father had left when he died less than a year earlier.
That's what we know of John. He seems to have stayed out of trouble and out of the public limelight, while taking care of his family and serving his colony. He didn't get rich along the way, but he probably never let his family go hungry. He deserves to have a few paragraphs written about him, all these years later.
The line of descent is
John Stevens-Elizabeth Hildreth
Joseph Stevens-Elizabeth Tidd
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Holbrook line: John Whittemore 1685-1748
What fun! Most of our ancestors were good folks, either farmers or pastors, and sometimes it's hard to find something new to say about their lives. But every once in a while, someone steps out of the box and does something entirely different, and perhaps is entirely different, from our norm. John Whittemore just may be one of those men.
John Whittemore was born February 23, 1685 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the son of John and Elizabeth Annable Whittemore, and he's one in a succession of four men named John Whittemore, each of whom is our ancestor. Confusion reigns, but I think I have this man figured out.
At some point in his life, John left Charlestown and settled in Boston. He married Elizabeth Lloyd, the daughter of Edward and Hannah Griffin Lloyd. The Lloyds were a Charleston family who had moved to Boston also. I'm wondering if John was maybe an apprentice or some sort of shipworker there, because the marriage took place in Boston. John and Elizabeth had at least five children together, including our John born 1714.
I'm still trying to pull together John's story as far as his adult life goes. I know that he was a mariner and a retailer, perhaps not at the same time or perhaps at the same time. His father in law had died with a good supply of "rhum" and spirits, and John may have inherited or purchased that, as he also sold strong spirits. So, basically he ran a tavern or a liquor store. He must have been somewhat successful because he built a new home in 1733, We know that because he was granted liberty to dig a frain from his new house, which was apparently on Sheaf St. It looks like this would have been just blocks from what we know as the Old North Church, in the north end of Boston. It was also near Copp's Hill Burying Ground
, which is where he was buried.
Elizabeth died August 13, 1746 and John died April 21, 1748, In his will, he left 100 pounds to his oldest son, John and 150 pounds (old tenor, not the new fangled money the colony had printed) to son Edward. He also left each of them 1/4 of his "moveable estate". Three grandsons, including another of our Johns, were to share 100 pounds. To Elizabeth, his daughter, he left his house and land, and all his liquors. One can speculate that the two sons were set up in life already but that Elizabeth would need some source of income. I wonder what the city fathers thought of that.
The only reference I found to a possible religion for John was that his son John was baptized at "Second Church", which is now known as Old North Church. Increase Mather was the pastor at the time. There doesn't seem to be any record of the other children's baptism. Perhaps John was away so much that he wasn't often there to see that the children were baptized, or perhaps Elizabeth had enough to do to take care of her family.
I would love to find his inventory, to learn whether he was well to do or not. I'd also love to learn more about his story as a mariner, and I do have a few new sources to look at for that. If I find anything interesting, I'll do an update. And of course, I'm wondering how involved he was in the slave trade, and whether he had one or more slaves. That would be more than possible if he was importing rum, also. But for now, we at least have a sense that John lived in one of the (to me) most interesting places in the world, and had a fascinating career. That's pretty cool.
The line of descent is:
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore=Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John Whittemore was born February 23, 1685 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the son of John and Elizabeth Annable Whittemore, and he's one in a succession of four men named John Whittemore, each of whom is our ancestor. Confusion reigns, but I think I have this man figured out.
At some point in his life, John left Charlestown and settled in Boston. He married Elizabeth Lloyd, the daughter of Edward and Hannah Griffin Lloyd. The Lloyds were a Charleston family who had moved to Boston also. I'm wondering if John was maybe an apprentice or some sort of shipworker there, because the marriage took place in Boston. John and Elizabeth had at least five children together, including our John born 1714.
I'm still trying to pull together John's story as far as his adult life goes. I know that he was a mariner and a retailer, perhaps not at the same time or perhaps at the same time. His father in law had died with a good supply of "rhum" and spirits, and John may have inherited or purchased that, as he also sold strong spirits. So, basically he ran a tavern or a liquor store. He must have been somewhat successful because he built a new home in 1733, We know that because he was granted liberty to dig a frain from his new house, which was apparently on Sheaf St. It looks like this would have been just blocks from what we know as the Old North Church, in the north end of Boston. It was also near Copp's Hill Burying Ground
, which is where he was buried.
Elizabeth died August 13, 1746 and John died April 21, 1748, In his will, he left 100 pounds to his oldest son, John and 150 pounds (old tenor, not the new fangled money the colony had printed) to son Edward. He also left each of them 1/4 of his "moveable estate". Three grandsons, including another of our Johns, were to share 100 pounds. To Elizabeth, his daughter, he left his house and land, and all his liquors. One can speculate that the two sons were set up in life already but that Elizabeth would need some source of income. I wonder what the city fathers thought of that.
The only reference I found to a possible religion for John was that his son John was baptized at "Second Church", which is now known as Old North Church. Increase Mather was the pastor at the time. There doesn't seem to be any record of the other children's baptism. Perhaps John was away so much that he wasn't often there to see that the children were baptized, or perhaps Elizabeth had enough to do to take care of her family.
I would love to find his inventory, to learn whether he was well to do or not. I'd also love to learn more about his story as a mariner, and I do have a few new sources to look at for that. If I find anything interesting, I'll do an update. And of course, I'm wondering how involved he was in the slave trade, and whether he had one or more slaves. That would be more than possible if he was importing rum, also. But for now, we at least have a sense that John lived in one of the (to me) most interesting places in the world, and had a fascinating career. That's pretty cool.
The line of descent is:
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore=Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, December 6, 2019
Holbrook line: Benjamin Clough of Boston 1694-1744
It's exciting and it's scary to find information that casts doubt on what has long been believed to be true. This post will raise doubts about some parts of Benjamin's life and answer some questions about other parts.
First, Benjamin's parents are given as Benoni and Hannah Merrill Clough, of Salisbury in Essex County, Massachusetts. It's true that they had a son Benjamin. The John Clough family history says that Benjamin, son of Benoni, when to Kingston, New Hampshire, where a Benjamin Clough certainly lived and died, and was a Revolutionary War patriot. However, the Benjamin Clough in New Hampshire is not ours. His wife's name is wrong, as are the children, and the death date, and just about everything about that Benjamin. Also, that Benjamin's father, as listed on DAR records, was Cornelios Clough. Cornelios possibly had two wives, as there are two different names given as the New Hampshire Patriot's mother.
Because of the Thweng records, we know that Benjamin was a blacksmith, and that he acquired several parcels of land on Sheafe Street and also on Hull Street, starting in 1720. In the deeds he is almost always referred to as blacksmith, to avoid any confusion as to other Benjamin Clough's, apparently. He was constable of Boston in 1727 and 1728, so he was respected. In fact, on his tombstone he is noted as "Mr."
Benjamin and Faith had at least five children together, and Benjamin would have worked hard to support them, catechize them, and find them jobs and spouses. In 1738, the town took one of Benjamin's houses and "improved" it to be a hospital, during a smallpox epidemic. We're not told how Benjamin was repaid, or whether this was a permanent confiscation. At the time, the house was on the west edge of town.
Benjamin wrote his will June 18, 1744 and it was entered into probate on July 31, 1744. In it, he disposes of his real estate, leaving much of it to his wife during her widowhood. He also gives her "his" Negro woman Jenny and Jenny's child called Violet, as well as all his household goods. When his inventory is taken, there is very little mentioned in the way of household goods, just a couple of desks and some books, among other things. His total estate, which does not mention the slaves, was valued at a little over 309 pounds.
He is buried at Kings Chapel cemetery (not affiliated with the church of that name), and ironically, I may have been there without understanding its significance to our family. When I took a tour of the Freedom Trail in 1998, this was one of our stops. I was not actively interested in genealogy at that time and had no idea that ancestors had lived in Boston, but I appreciated the history and the fact that the cemetery was being cared for, all these years later. The stone gives Benjamin the honorific of "Mr." and says that he died July 6, 1744, aged 53 years and 11 months. So if that age is correct, Benjamin was actually born in 1690, and therefore likely not the son of Benoni and Hannah.
So we have a quandary. Who was Benjamin Clough, the blacksmith in Boston who was our ancestor? His first child's name was Joseph, but I don't know if that is a clue or not. I'd love to figure out who his parents are, and I'd also like to know whether he was involved in any military expeditions. Did he stay a faithful member of the church? I'd love to find out more about him, but at least we have this much.
The line of descent is:
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore- Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittmore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
I'm so grateful to American Ancestors and to Ancestry, who each had good information in their databases. These men who were colonial ancestors, but not necessarily immigrants, are difficult to trace!
First, Benjamin's parents are given as Benoni and Hannah Merrill Clough, of Salisbury in Essex County, Massachusetts. It's true that they had a son Benjamin. The John Clough family history says that Benjamin, son of Benoni, when to Kingston, New Hampshire, where a Benjamin Clough certainly lived and died, and was a Revolutionary War patriot. However, the Benjamin Clough in New Hampshire is not ours. His wife's name is wrong, as are the children, and the death date, and just about everything about that Benjamin. Also, that Benjamin's father, as listed on DAR records, was Cornelios Clough. Cornelios possibly had two wives, as there are two different names given as the New Hampshire Patriot's mother.
Because of the Thweng records, we know that Benjamin was a blacksmith, and that he acquired several parcels of land on Sheafe Street and also on Hull Street, starting in 1720. In the deeds he is almost always referred to as blacksmith, to avoid any confusion as to other Benjamin Clough's, apparently. He was constable of Boston in 1727 and 1728, so he was respected. In fact, on his tombstone he is noted as "Mr."
Benjamin and Faith had at least five children together, and Benjamin would have worked hard to support them, catechize them, and find them jobs and spouses. In 1738, the town took one of Benjamin's houses and "improved" it to be a hospital, during a smallpox epidemic. We're not told how Benjamin was repaid, or whether this was a permanent confiscation. At the time, the house was on the west edge of town.
Benjamin wrote his will June 18, 1744 and it was entered into probate on July 31, 1744. In it, he disposes of his real estate, leaving much of it to his wife during her widowhood. He also gives her "his" Negro woman Jenny and Jenny's child called Violet, as well as all his household goods. When his inventory is taken, there is very little mentioned in the way of household goods, just a couple of desks and some books, among other things. His total estate, which does not mention the slaves, was valued at a little over 309 pounds.
He is buried at Kings Chapel cemetery (not affiliated with the church of that name), and ironically, I may have been there without understanding its significance to our family. When I took a tour of the Freedom Trail in 1998, this was one of our stops. I was not actively interested in genealogy at that time and had no idea that ancestors had lived in Boston, but I appreciated the history and the fact that the cemetery was being cared for, all these years later. The stone gives Benjamin the honorific of "Mr." and says that he died July 6, 1744, aged 53 years and 11 months. So if that age is correct, Benjamin was actually born in 1690, and therefore likely not the son of Benoni and Hannah.
So we have a quandary. Who was Benjamin Clough, the blacksmith in Boston who was our ancestor? His first child's name was Joseph, but I don't know if that is a clue or not. I'd love to figure out who his parents are, and I'd also like to know whether he was involved in any military expeditions. Did he stay a faithful member of the church? I'd love to find out more about him, but at least we have this much.
The line of descent is:
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore- Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittmore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
I'm so grateful to American Ancestors and to Ancestry, who each had good information in their databases. These men who were colonial ancestors, but not necessarily immigrants, are difficult to trace!
Friday, April 5, 2019
Holbrook line: William Greene, Immigrant
Unfortunately, we don't seem to know for sure when William Greene was born, or where, or the names of his parents, or even when he arrived in New England. If he was born as early as 1591, as some suggest, then his wife, Hannah Carter, would have been significantly younger than he was in order to be starting the family in 1644. So if the 1591 date is correct, he may well have had an earlier wife and an earlier family about whom we know nothing.
What we know of William is that he was "of Charlestown" in 1640 and that year subscribed to the "town orders" for the settlement of Woburn, which basically stated rules to live by, for the town. For instance, no one could have a guest ("inmate"), for more than three days without the express permission of at least four of the town selectmen. He married Hannah Carter, daughter of Thomas Carter, the blacksmith of Charlestown, about 1642, and the young or middle-aged and young, couple went to Woburn to live. He was made a freeman in 1644. I should note that it's possible that Greene never actually moved at all, as Charlestown gave up some of its territory to what became the town of Woburn. Still, the Greenes probably lived a good ways from Hannah's parents, as currently Woburn and Charlestown are about 18 miles distant from each other. William was made a freeman in 1644, meaning he was a member of the church and had property of some sort.
There isn't much more that is known of his life in Woburn. Apparently he stayed out of trouble, paid his taxes, supported the church, and was not much involved in the government of the town. Raising small children and farming probably kept him busy. When he died in 1654, there were at least four small children to raise, and they were apparently taken in by members of Hannah's family. Hannah died just a few years after William, in 1658.
William Greene had an estate of over 200 pounds when he died, probably helped greatly by a gift of half of the lands of his father in law. This was a good sum of money for a man believed to have been in the country only about 14 years when he died.
This sums up the story of William Greene, who came to New England to practice his religion, or for economic gain, or because he wanted an adventure, or some combination of the three. Whatever his reasons, we are glad he came, because he contributed to our gene pool.
The line of descent is
William Greene-Hannah Carter
Mary Greene-John Snow
Zerubabbel Snow-Jemima Cutler
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
What we know of William is that he was "of Charlestown" in 1640 and that year subscribed to the "town orders" for the settlement of Woburn, which basically stated rules to live by, for the town. For instance, no one could have a guest ("inmate"), for more than three days without the express permission of at least four of the town selectmen. He married Hannah Carter, daughter of Thomas Carter, the blacksmith of Charlestown, about 1642, and the young or middle-aged and young, couple went to Woburn to live. He was made a freeman in 1644. I should note that it's possible that Greene never actually moved at all, as Charlestown gave up some of its territory to what became the town of Woburn. Still, the Greenes probably lived a good ways from Hannah's parents, as currently Woburn and Charlestown are about 18 miles distant from each other. William was made a freeman in 1644, meaning he was a member of the church and had property of some sort.
There isn't much more that is known of his life in Woburn. Apparently he stayed out of trouble, paid his taxes, supported the church, and was not much involved in the government of the town. Raising small children and farming probably kept him busy. When he died in 1654, there were at least four small children to raise, and they were apparently taken in by members of Hannah's family. Hannah died just a few years after William, in 1658.
William Greene had an estate of over 200 pounds when he died, probably helped greatly by a gift of half of the lands of his father in law. This was a good sum of money for a man believed to have been in the country only about 14 years when he died.
This sums up the story of William Greene, who came to New England to practice his religion, or for economic gain, or because he wanted an adventure, or some combination of the three. Whatever his reasons, we are glad he came, because he contributed to our gene pool.
The line of descent is
William Greene-Hannah Carter
Mary Greene-John Snow
Zerubabbel Snow-Jemima Cutler
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Holbrook line: Edward Lloyd, of Boston
I'm in trouble with this post, and hope someone will read it, weep, and then contact me with the correct information. Some of this is fact and some is a wild guess; I'll try to make clear which is which.
Here's what I think I know: Edward Loyd, Lloyd or Lyde, was living in Boston, Massachusetts when he married Hannah Griffin in 1677 in Concord, Massachusetts Bay Colony, He was a mariner by trade, according to his will, and at the time he wrote his will said he was of Boston. There is a note to the side that said "Jamaica" but I don't know if there was a section of Boston known as Jamaica that early, or whether this was a note that Edward had actually died in Jamaica, on one of his voyages. The will, which was probated in 1704, mentioned his wife, not by name, and two daughters, Hannah and Elizabeth. The court documents explain that his wife's name was Mary.
This is where it gets confusing. Perhaps our Edward Loyd was not the husband of Hannah Griffin. Perhaps he was the husband of Mary Wheelwright, married in 1660 in Boston. Mary's father, John Wheelwright, left land in England to his grandson, Edward Loyd or Lyde when he died. Is this Edward Lyde our Edward Lloyd? Mary Atkinson had a son, Edward Lloyd, baptized at Old South Church in Boston in 1674. By then she had been a widow, for the second time, for about 7 years but this is the first I can find of an Edward Lloyd who might fit into this family. Does he also fit into ours? I'm not sure.
All we really know is that our Edward was the father of two girls and had a wife, Mary, when he died. We know his estate was valued at about 77 pounds, including 75 gallons of "Rhum", and a sugar loaf. He also had an old Bible. The rum makes one wonder...why did he have this much on hand? Was he a small time merchant, or did he expect to sell the rum to another party? Had he purchased the rum in Jamaica or some other Caribbean port? He apparently owned no land or buildings when he died.
So, the question is, are these Edward Lloyd's the same person? Was the Edward who married Hannah Griffin a descendant of the Edward who married Mary Wheelwright? Or were these two entirely separate families, with only the common name in common?
Perhaps I shouldn't have written anything until I had this better figured out. But if I don't ask for help on this, I may never find our answers. Besides, I like to write about men who were mariners, who had a bit of mystery about them. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Edward Lloyd, as I continue to work to tell the stories of our ancestors.
The line of descent is:
Edward Loyd-Hannah Griffin
Elizabeth Lloyd-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Here's what I think I know: Edward Loyd, Lloyd or Lyde, was living in Boston, Massachusetts when he married Hannah Griffin in 1677 in Concord, Massachusetts Bay Colony, He was a mariner by trade, according to his will, and at the time he wrote his will said he was of Boston. There is a note to the side that said "Jamaica" but I don't know if there was a section of Boston known as Jamaica that early, or whether this was a note that Edward had actually died in Jamaica, on one of his voyages. The will, which was probated in 1704, mentioned his wife, not by name, and two daughters, Hannah and Elizabeth. The court documents explain that his wife's name was Mary.
This is where it gets confusing. Perhaps our Edward Loyd was not the husband of Hannah Griffin. Perhaps he was the husband of Mary Wheelwright, married in 1660 in Boston. Mary's father, John Wheelwright, left land in England to his grandson, Edward Loyd or Lyde when he died. Is this Edward Lyde our Edward Lloyd? Mary Atkinson had a son, Edward Lloyd, baptized at Old South Church in Boston in 1674. By then she had been a widow, for the second time, for about 7 years but this is the first I can find of an Edward Lloyd who might fit into this family. Does he also fit into ours? I'm not sure.
All we really know is that our Edward was the father of two girls and had a wife, Mary, when he died. We know his estate was valued at about 77 pounds, including 75 gallons of "Rhum", and a sugar loaf. He also had an old Bible. The rum makes one wonder...why did he have this much on hand? Was he a small time merchant, or did he expect to sell the rum to another party? Had he purchased the rum in Jamaica or some other Caribbean port? He apparently owned no land or buildings when he died.
So, the question is, are these Edward Lloyd's the same person? Was the Edward who married Hannah Griffin a descendant of the Edward who married Mary Wheelwright? Or were these two entirely separate families, with only the common name in common?
Perhaps I shouldn't have written anything until I had this better figured out. But if I don't ask for help on this, I may never find our answers. Besides, I like to write about men who were mariners, who had a bit of mystery about them. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Edward Lloyd, as I continue to work to tell the stories of our ancestors.
The line of descent is:
Edward Loyd-Hannah Griffin
Elizabeth Lloyd-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Holbrook line: James Cutler, Immigrant
Researching James Cutler, or at least reviewing some of the information found about him on line, was interesting. Usually if a man has been researched well enough to be included in Robert Charles Anderson's Great Migration series, then there isn't much controversy left. I have learned that there is some controversy involving which of James's last two wives would be the mother of our Jemima Cutler Snow. I think The Great Migration is most likely to be correct. But then I wondered why others were choosing a different mother for Jemima Cutler. It seems that James's third wife, Phoebe Page, had a bad reputation. It may have been deserved. So perhaps those who want a pretty genealogy instead of an accurate one may have chosen to go with wife #2. But let's start at the beginning.
James is thought to be the James Cutler, son of Thomas and Anne Cutler, who was born or baptized at Sproughton, Sussex, England on May 21, 1606. That's as much as we know of his childhood and early years, except that Anne died in 1613, when James would have been about 7 years old. He was one of six children born between 1600 and 1610, so perhaps Anne died giving birth, or recovering from another birth, in 1613. His father lived until 1640, so he would have been there, probably with a new wife, to guide the children as they grew and to possibly place them in a position to learn a trade, although James doesn't seem to have practiced a trade as such in New England.
James arrived in New England with his wife Ann and was in Watertown by November 6, when his first son was born. He and Ann (possibly Cakebread, but not proven) had four children in Watertown, but Ann died sometime on or before September 30, 1644. He then married Mary, widow of Mary King, and they had three children. Her date of death is uncertain but was sometime after Sarah's birth in 1653. With his third wife, Phoebe Page, whom he married probably before 1661, he had four children.
Wife Phoebe Page was an interesting woman and it is impossible at this distance to say how much, if any, of the "gossip" about her is true. She sued once and won a defamation case in Watertown, when it was stated that she was pregnant and unmarried. There is at least one statement that she was the Phoebe Page who was whipped in Long Island for fornication, but I didn't find a date for that so have no idea how to evaluate it. She was noted as being "past her prime" when she married James Cutler, and apparently brought at least one child to the marriage with her. Note that James Cutler was also past his prime!
James's only occupation that I could locate was "planter". He is described in his later years as poor, but he was able to give land (not enough to live on, but enough to help) to several of his sons during his lifetime, and still had assets to bequeath when he died. He left Watertown in 1653 and settled in the part of Cambridge known as Cambridge Farms and later as Lexington, where he died in 1694. He had been appointed surveyor of highways in Watertown for the two years just before he moved. He didn't hold offices after that, but his farm was located on the outskirts of Cambridge so it may have been a matter of convenience as much as anything else. Phoebe apparently died before he did, as she is not mentioned in his will.
James's will was written November 24, 1684 and proved August 20, 1694. His estate was valued at a little over 108 pounds, of which 100 pounds was real estate. Remembering that he had previously given land to sons, and apparently dowry to one or more daughters, this was not a poor man, although he was not well off, either. He was kind enough in his will to leave something to the children of his second wife, and to a daughter "Phoebe" was was apparently the daughter of third wife Phoebe Page, but not his child. He actually left her a number of items which "must not be brought into my inventory", indicating that these items were likely Phoebe Page's when she came to the marriage.
I think I like James Cutler. He was willing to take a woman "past her prime" as a spouse, he cared for his step children as well as his children, and he made something out of (presumably) nothing when he was able to acquire and farm the land he didn't really know how to cultivate (not an insult; no one in New England really knew what they were doing as far as farming and raising animals went. It was a different climate and a different soil, and a different growing season. It took time to adapt.) . Although there is little indication that he was a good Puritan (or for that matter, a bad one), he did have a Bible in his estate when he died. Let's give the man a break, and a thank you!
The line of descent is:
James Cutler-Phoebe Page
Jemima Cutler-Zerubabbel Snow
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittmore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
James is thought to be the James Cutler, son of Thomas and Anne Cutler, who was born or baptized at Sproughton, Sussex, England on May 21, 1606. That's as much as we know of his childhood and early years, except that Anne died in 1613, when James would have been about 7 years old. He was one of six children born between 1600 and 1610, so perhaps Anne died giving birth, or recovering from another birth, in 1613. His father lived until 1640, so he would have been there, probably with a new wife, to guide the children as they grew and to possibly place them in a position to learn a trade, although James doesn't seem to have practiced a trade as such in New England.
James arrived in New England with his wife Ann and was in Watertown by November 6, when his first son was born. He and Ann (possibly Cakebread, but not proven) had four children in Watertown, but Ann died sometime on or before September 30, 1644. He then married Mary, widow of Mary King, and they had three children. Her date of death is uncertain but was sometime after Sarah's birth in 1653. With his third wife, Phoebe Page, whom he married probably before 1661, he had four children.
Wife Phoebe Page was an interesting woman and it is impossible at this distance to say how much, if any, of the "gossip" about her is true. She sued once and won a defamation case in Watertown, when it was stated that she was pregnant and unmarried. There is at least one statement that she was the Phoebe Page who was whipped in Long Island for fornication, but I didn't find a date for that so have no idea how to evaluate it. She was noted as being "past her prime" when she married James Cutler, and apparently brought at least one child to the marriage with her. Note that James Cutler was also past his prime!
James's only occupation that I could locate was "planter". He is described in his later years as poor, but he was able to give land (not enough to live on, but enough to help) to several of his sons during his lifetime, and still had assets to bequeath when he died. He left Watertown in 1653 and settled in the part of Cambridge known as Cambridge Farms and later as Lexington, where he died in 1694. He had been appointed surveyor of highways in Watertown for the two years just before he moved. He didn't hold offices after that, but his farm was located on the outskirts of Cambridge so it may have been a matter of convenience as much as anything else. Phoebe apparently died before he did, as she is not mentioned in his will.
James's will was written November 24, 1684 and proved August 20, 1694. His estate was valued at a little over 108 pounds, of which 100 pounds was real estate. Remembering that he had previously given land to sons, and apparently dowry to one or more daughters, this was not a poor man, although he was not well off, either. He was kind enough in his will to leave something to the children of his second wife, and to a daughter "Phoebe" was was apparently the daughter of third wife Phoebe Page, but not his child. He actually left her a number of items which "must not be brought into my inventory", indicating that these items were likely Phoebe Page's when she came to the marriage.
I think I like James Cutler. He was willing to take a woman "past her prime" as a spouse, he cared for his step children as well as his children, and he made something out of (presumably) nothing when he was able to acquire and farm the land he didn't really know how to cultivate (not an insult; no one in New England really knew what they were doing as far as farming and raising animals went. It was a different climate and a different soil, and a different growing season. It took time to adapt.) . Although there is little indication that he was a good Puritan (or for that matter, a bad one), he did have a Bible in his estate when he died. Let's give the man a break, and a thank you!
The line of descent is:
James Cutler-Phoebe Page
Jemima Cutler-Zerubabbel Snow
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittmore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 1, 2019
Holbrook line: John Tidd, Immigrant, of Woburn
John Tidd is a bit of a mystery, or at least his earlier years are a mystery. Some, but not all, genealogists say that we was the John Tidd who was christened at Hertford, Hertfordshire, England on October 18, 1594. If so, he was the son of John Tidd and Anna or Agnes Dane. This date would fit in well with the proposed marriage date of 1616 for John to marry Margaret. Margaret is believed by some to be Margaret Greenleaf of Yarmouth, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Leeds Greenlefe, which leaves us to wonder how the two would have met. An argument has been made that she was Margaret Greenfield, sister of Samuel Greenfield, but there seems to be no proof as to that marriage, either. So the most that we can say with confidence is that he married Margaret and that the six or seven children they are credited with were all born in England. Field Dalling, Norfolk, England is given as the birth place of some of the children, and Ipswich, Suffolk, England for others, but again, I don't find documentation.
However, we know that John and Margaret were in New England by 1637, when he is said to be at Charlestown (a frequent first stop for those who moved on). All of their children were born by then, and John would have been in his early 40s. Their oldest son, would have been 20 and their youngest, Hannah, perhaps eight years old.
John, a tailor, became a member of the church at Charlestown on March 10, 1639. He was an original proprietor of the town of Woburn in December of 1640, and three years later was a freeman and sergeant of the training band (militia) in Woburn. This wasn't just some show up one day a month and drill group. These men were responsible for protecting the town from any incursions from the native Americans, and the Pequot War had just ended in 1637. Training would have been serious business.
John acquired eight pieces of land in Charlestown, as well as part of the cow commons. When he moved to Woburn, he had minor town offices, most relating to taxes, besides the role of sergeant for the band. He was a courageous man, for he was one of those who, in 1653, signed a petition to the General Court called the "Woburn Memorial for Christian Liberty", earning himself the permanent label of "One of the bold petitioners." Apparently religious freedom was still frowned upon by the Court.
Margaret died about 1641. We don't have a cause of death but there were many illnesses prevalengt that took both women and men. John married Alice sometime after Margaret's death, but they had no children together.
John gave land to his son Samuel and possibly to his other sons before he died, which would explain why they are not mentioned in his will. He died April 24, 1656, leaving an estate of 163 pounds. One unusual feature of his will was that he left the house and orchards to his wife Alice, for as long as she lived or until six years after her re=marriage. Usually men left the use of the home, or part of it, until the widow remarried, so the six years grace period is a bit different.
John was another of our ancestors who had the courage to come to the New World under difficult conditions, and who apparently "made good". He coped with the new environment, with supporting and raising his family, and with the demands that the military placed on him. He and Margaret are good role models.
John Tidd gives us another ancestor in common with the two Presidents Bush, with Barbara Bush, and with Buckminster Fuller, among others.
The line of descent is:
John Tidd-Margaret possibly Greanleaf
John Tidd-Rebecca Wood
John Tidd-Elizabeth Fifield
Elizabeth Tidd-Joseph Stevens
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
However, we know that John and Margaret were in New England by 1637, when he is said to be at Charlestown (a frequent first stop for those who moved on). All of their children were born by then, and John would have been in his early 40s. Their oldest son, would have been 20 and their youngest, Hannah, perhaps eight years old.
John, a tailor, became a member of the church at Charlestown on March 10, 1639. He was an original proprietor of the town of Woburn in December of 1640, and three years later was a freeman and sergeant of the training band (militia) in Woburn. This wasn't just some show up one day a month and drill group. These men were responsible for protecting the town from any incursions from the native Americans, and the Pequot War had just ended in 1637. Training would have been serious business.
John acquired eight pieces of land in Charlestown, as well as part of the cow commons. When he moved to Woburn, he had minor town offices, most relating to taxes, besides the role of sergeant for the band. He was a courageous man, for he was one of those who, in 1653, signed a petition to the General Court called the "Woburn Memorial for Christian Liberty", earning himself the permanent label of "One of the bold petitioners." Apparently religious freedom was still frowned upon by the Court.
Margaret died about 1641. We don't have a cause of death but there were many illnesses prevalengt that took both women and men. John married Alice sometime after Margaret's death, but they had no children together.
John gave land to his son Samuel and possibly to his other sons before he died, which would explain why they are not mentioned in his will. He died April 24, 1656, leaving an estate of 163 pounds. One unusual feature of his will was that he left the house and orchards to his wife Alice, for as long as she lived or until six years after her re=marriage. Usually men left the use of the home, or part of it, until the widow remarried, so the six years grace period is a bit different.
John was another of our ancestors who had the courage to come to the New World under difficult conditions, and who apparently "made good". He coped with the new environment, with supporting and raising his family, and with the demands that the military placed on him. He and Margaret are good role models.
John Tidd gives us another ancestor in common with the two Presidents Bush, with Barbara Bush, and with Buckminster Fuller, among others.
The line of descent is:
John Tidd-Margaret possibly Greanleaf
John Tidd-Rebecca Wood
John Tidd-Elizabeth Fifield
Elizabeth Tidd-Joseph Stevens
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Holbrook line: Richard Snow, Immigrant
Richard Snow born about December 21, 1606, in or around Barnstaple, Devon, England. Many think that his father was Patrick Snow, with his father being Richard, and then his father being Patrick, born about 1517. It is certainly possible that he is connected to this family, but Richard didn't name any of his sons Patrick, and I've not been able to document any connection. If he did grow up in Barnstaple, he may have been involved in the wool trade, in cloth making, or in sheep raising. These were the main industries of the town.
We don't know much about Richard before he arrived in Woburn, Massachusetts, but it is thought that he might be the 28 year old Richard Snow who left England in 1635, aboard the Expedition and bound for Barbados. There were other men who ended up in Woburn who were on that ship. We don't know if the ship was making a "triangle run" or if the men stayed in Barbados for a time. If they stayed there, had they planned to stay longer than they did? Did they go, realize they didn't care for the climate, and then later head to Massachusetts? We don't know.
Another missing fact in Richard's life is when he married. His wife's name is believed to be Avis or Annis Barrett, and she is thought to be the daughter of William Barrett. They may have married in or near Barnstaple, or in Barbados, or in Woburn. I have found no records any of those places so I guess we can take our pick. I root for Barbados, for at least it would have been warm and sunny there. It's possible that Richard went to Barbados as an indentured servant and then left for New England as soon as his term was up. If so, he must have been a thrifty man, as it would have been hard to save money for the passage.
He was in Woburn by 1645 and perhaps a year or two earlier. Why he chose to go to Woburn has not yet been determined. There weren't other Snow families there, nor were there Barretts, but there were some of the men who had been on the Expedition with him.
Richard and Avis or Annis stayed pretty much under the radar during their whole lives in Woburn. He doesn't seem to have held any town offices, but he doesn't seem to have been called into court, either. Neither did he attract the interest of any of the religious authorities. He did, however, receive land in 1648, and in 1653 he was one of twenty nine men (possibly most of the men in town) who signed a petition requesting that churches be allowed to find their own pastors, rather than having a group of pastors from outside the town make the decision. The request was turned down, but was written in such a humble (possibly groveling) style that the men weren't chastised for their request. Richard and Avis had arrived in Woburn with two children, and had at least three more in Woburn.
We know that he was part of the train band (militia) until he was excused in 1659. Usually at that time, men were only excused because of some infirmity that prevented their serving, or that made them an impediment to the rest of the group, but we have no indication of what that may have been.
Richard died before May 5, 1677 at Woburn. His will provided that his four surviving sons provide for their mother in her old age, and left most of the land to the oldest son, John, where he already lived. His estate was valued at about 188 pounds, most of it in parcels of land, including the house and orchard. John lived in this home and it stayed in the family for several generations, seemingly abandoned sometime in the mid nineteenth century. The inventory included two Bibles and other books of sermons, so it seems that Richard could read. I don't have a date of death for his widow.
This is the story of a man who worked hard, improved his lot in life, supported his church, and was content to stay in one place once he arrived in Massachusetts. He's another of the ordinary people who helped build an extraordinary country.
The line of descent is:
Richard Snow-Avis Barrett
John Snow-Mary Greene
Zerubabbel Snow-Jemima Cutler
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We don't know much about Richard before he arrived in Woburn, Massachusetts, but it is thought that he might be the 28 year old Richard Snow who left England in 1635, aboard the Expedition and bound for Barbados. There were other men who ended up in Woburn who were on that ship. We don't know if the ship was making a "triangle run" or if the men stayed in Barbados for a time. If they stayed there, had they planned to stay longer than they did? Did they go, realize they didn't care for the climate, and then later head to Massachusetts? We don't know.
Another missing fact in Richard's life is when he married. His wife's name is believed to be Avis or Annis Barrett, and she is thought to be the daughter of William Barrett. They may have married in or near Barnstaple, or in Barbados, or in Woburn. I have found no records any of those places so I guess we can take our pick. I root for Barbados, for at least it would have been warm and sunny there. It's possible that Richard went to Barbados as an indentured servant and then left for New England as soon as his term was up. If so, he must have been a thrifty man, as it would have been hard to save money for the passage.
He was in Woburn by 1645 and perhaps a year or two earlier. Why he chose to go to Woburn has not yet been determined. There weren't other Snow families there, nor were there Barretts, but there were some of the men who had been on the Expedition with him.
Richard and Avis or Annis stayed pretty much under the radar during their whole lives in Woburn. He doesn't seem to have held any town offices, but he doesn't seem to have been called into court, either. Neither did he attract the interest of any of the religious authorities. He did, however, receive land in 1648, and in 1653 he was one of twenty nine men (possibly most of the men in town) who signed a petition requesting that churches be allowed to find their own pastors, rather than having a group of pastors from outside the town make the decision. The request was turned down, but was written in such a humble (possibly groveling) style that the men weren't chastised for their request. Richard and Avis had arrived in Woburn with two children, and had at least three more in Woburn.
We know that he was part of the train band (militia) until he was excused in 1659. Usually at that time, men were only excused because of some infirmity that prevented their serving, or that made them an impediment to the rest of the group, but we have no indication of what that may have been.
Richard died before May 5, 1677 at Woburn. His will provided that his four surviving sons provide for their mother in her old age, and left most of the land to the oldest son, John, where he already lived. His estate was valued at about 188 pounds, most of it in parcels of land, including the house and orchard. John lived in this home and it stayed in the family for several generations, seemingly abandoned sometime in the mid nineteenth century. The inventory included two Bibles and other books of sermons, so it seems that Richard could read. I don't have a date of death for his widow.
This is the story of a man who worked hard, improved his lot in life, supported his church, and was content to stay in one place once he arrived in Massachusetts. He's another of the ordinary people who helped build an extraordinary country.
The line of descent is:
Richard Snow-Avis Barrett
John Snow-Mary Greene
Zerubabbel Snow-Jemima Cutler
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, January 11, 2019
Holbrook line: Thomas Whittemore, Immigrant
I'm pleased to be writing about Thomas Whittemore (Whitmore), not just because he is our immigrant ancestor and not just because there's quite a bit of material readily available about him. It's also the completion of a promise I made myself early in this genealogy journey. Mary Elizabeth Whittemore, my great great grandmother, was a brick wall for me in the early days of my genealogy search, and I remember promising her that I would find her family and tell their story. It's satisfying to me to be able to do that now, with the help of a lot of other family historians along the way.
Thomas Whittemore was born or christened on June 6, 1593 in Hitchin, Herefordshire, England. His parents were Thomas and Mary Meade Whitmore. and our Thomas was one of at least ten children born to his parents. Hitchin is or was a market town and a wool center, so it is quite possible that the Whitmores were involved in that somehow, whether raising sheep or working in mills. It seems to have had a larger population than the towns that many of our ancestors were from, which may or may not explain why there are fairly good records there.
Thomas married three times. The name of his first wife is unknown. His second wife was Sarah Deardes, whom he married in 1623. No children are known from that marriage. He next married Hannah Chawkley on October 26, 1632, and she is the mother of all of his known children, all thirteen of them! Roger Thompson, in his book "From Deference to Defiance: Charlestown, Massachusetts 1629-1692" says that Thomas came to Charlestown in about 1639, aged about 43, in a party of eight. That would be himself, his wife Hannah, and six children (Son John had died probably shortly after birth in 1635, but there were these six who came with them). I'm not sure that Sarah, Mary, and Thomas were his, or else they did belong to one of his earlier wives, for those children are given birth dates well before his marriage to Hannah. It's possible that they were other relatives that he agreed to bring to America, but it looks like more research needs to be done about those children. Daniel, Nathaniel, and another John were the children of Thomas and Hannah, who accompanied them on the trip.
The family settled in Charlestown soon after their arrival. In 1638 or 1639, this would have been quite a small town because in 1658 there were still fewer than 200 heads of household. We don't know a lot about Thomas's life in Charlestown. He had a farm that was situated on the Mystic River so he would have had easy access to fish and, likely, seafood, to supplement whatever he grew on his farm. We don't know if he had another occupation. I found no record of him in the applications for freeman, so apparently he never acquired the right to vote, and I found no record that he served in any sort of political or government post.
Thomas died on May 25, 1661 at Malden, which was carved out of Charlestown. Descendants lived on his property until the mid 1800's, which is pretty remarkable. At his death, his estate was valued at 286 pounds. He wanted Hannah to have the right to live in the house for as long as she lived (no language about "and remains unmarried") and gave the bulk of the estate to his son Daniel, with smaller bequests to Nathaniel and John. Son Thomas had been given property of some type in England and had returned there to live, but "to save trouble" he was bequeathed five shillings if he came back to claim it. The other children were to receive small bequests as they turned 18, or 21, or married.
Hannah married as her second husband Benjamin Butterfield in 1663 and lived until 1677.
So that's what is known of Thomas Whittemore. His children served as minor officials such as constable and hog reeve, but we don't know how active they were in church life, or more particularly, spiritual life. I've not found anything that indicates whether or not Thomas could read, nor have I found an inventory of his assets. I'll keep looking for those. Thomas Whittemore, no matter how respected or not respected he was during his lifetime, deserves our gratitude for bringing his family here and for raising good citizens. He helped make America.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Whittemore-Hannah Chawkley
John Whittemore-Mary Upham
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Annable
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Thomas Whittemore was born or christened on June 6, 1593 in Hitchin, Herefordshire, England. His parents were Thomas and Mary Meade Whitmore. and our Thomas was one of at least ten children born to his parents. Hitchin is or was a market town and a wool center, so it is quite possible that the Whitmores were involved in that somehow, whether raising sheep or working in mills. It seems to have had a larger population than the towns that many of our ancestors were from, which may or may not explain why there are fairly good records there.
Thomas married three times. The name of his first wife is unknown. His second wife was Sarah Deardes, whom he married in 1623. No children are known from that marriage. He next married Hannah Chawkley on October 26, 1632, and she is the mother of all of his known children, all thirteen of them! Roger Thompson, in his book "From Deference to Defiance: Charlestown, Massachusetts 1629-1692" says that Thomas came to Charlestown in about 1639, aged about 43, in a party of eight. That would be himself, his wife Hannah, and six children (Son John had died probably shortly after birth in 1635, but there were these six who came with them). I'm not sure that Sarah, Mary, and Thomas were his, or else they did belong to one of his earlier wives, for those children are given birth dates well before his marriage to Hannah. It's possible that they were other relatives that he agreed to bring to America, but it looks like more research needs to be done about those children. Daniel, Nathaniel, and another John were the children of Thomas and Hannah, who accompanied them on the trip.
The family settled in Charlestown soon after their arrival. In 1638 or 1639, this would have been quite a small town because in 1658 there were still fewer than 200 heads of household. We don't know a lot about Thomas's life in Charlestown. He had a farm that was situated on the Mystic River so he would have had easy access to fish and, likely, seafood, to supplement whatever he grew on his farm. We don't know if he had another occupation. I found no record of him in the applications for freeman, so apparently he never acquired the right to vote, and I found no record that he served in any sort of political or government post.
Thomas died on May 25, 1661 at Malden, which was carved out of Charlestown. Descendants lived on his property until the mid 1800's, which is pretty remarkable. At his death, his estate was valued at 286 pounds. He wanted Hannah to have the right to live in the house for as long as she lived (no language about "and remains unmarried") and gave the bulk of the estate to his son Daniel, with smaller bequests to Nathaniel and John. Son Thomas had been given property of some type in England and had returned there to live, but "to save trouble" he was bequeathed five shillings if he came back to claim it. The other children were to receive small bequests as they turned 18, or 21, or married.
Hannah married as her second husband Benjamin Butterfield in 1663 and lived until 1677.
So that's what is known of Thomas Whittemore. His children served as minor officials such as constable and hog reeve, but we don't know how active they were in church life, or more particularly, spiritual life. I've not found anything that indicates whether or not Thomas could read, nor have I found an inventory of his assets. I'll keep looking for those. Thomas Whittemore, no matter how respected or not respected he was during his lifetime, deserves our gratitude for bringing his family here and for raising good citizens. He helped make America.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Whittemore-Hannah Chawkley
John Whittemore-Mary Upham
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Annable
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Holbrook line: Henry Stevens, Immigrant
Henry Stevens is another man of mystery, prior to his immigration to Massachusetts Bay Colony on the Defiance in 1635. His age on the records is given as 24 at that time, so his birth date would be about 1611, and it's probably safe to say his origins were in England. The ship sailed from London, which may or may not mean he was from somewhere in the southeast section of the country. Alice Stevens, believed to be Henry's wife, came at the same time on a separate ship, the Abigail. We don't know why they sailed on separate ships and that is a mystery I'd like to solve. At any rate, it appears that they were married before they came to America, perhaps shortly before.
Their first home was in Lynn but they were in Boston by 1641. Alice was admitted to the Boston church on June 18, 1643, and Henry Stevens was admitted February 8, 1651/2. Sometime between April 11, 1649 and February 1651/52, Alice had died and Henry was married to Mary Buckmaster. Their first child was born May 28, 1652, so Henry wasn't a widow for long. Henry and Alice's first three children were baptized on the same day that Alice became a member of the church (having children baptized was sometimes a prime motivator in joining a church; at least one parent had to belong to the church.) John, James, Joseph, Deborah and Deliverance were the children of Henry and Alice. Henry's children with Mary were Joanna, Henry, Thomas, Joshua, John, Samuel, Silence, and Mary. This was quite a family to raise! Son John was nearly 33 years old when Mary, the last child, was born in 1670.
Fortunately, Henry had a good trade. He was a mason, and likely moved from Lynn to Boston when he realized there was more work available at Boston. (Robert Charles Anderson suggests that Henry was a servant to John Humfrey, who left to return permanently to England, about the time that Henry moved to Boston. He further suggests that Henry, as a servant to Humfrey, had burned down Humfrey's bar. My inference is that this was likely an accident, because years were added to Henry's servitude, rather than Henry being imprisoned or even sentenced to death, as would have happened if it were considered a crime.
Henry had at least some education because he signed his name on deeds, and when he died his estate included books. He became a freeman on May 26, 1652, and was appointed to committees to set boundaries between towns. He was also a constable at least twice, and a tithingman. One of the deeds refers to Henry Stevens as a husbandman, so he must have done some farming, or at least owned farmland, also.
When Henry died on June 11, 1690, James and Joseph had predeceased him, as Henry left small bequests to their children. His estate totaled 411 pounds 10 shillings, of which 381 pounds was real estate in several different locations.
I have not been able to find what became of Mary. Information on various genealogy web sites gives her death as 1684. If this is accurate, then Henry, who wrote his will in 1688, had remarried and his third wife was also Mary, for he mentions her by name in his will. This would be a mystery that a descendant of Henry and Mary might want to try to solve. Our tree comes through Henry and Alice, so my interest is in identifying Alice.
The line of descent is:
Henry Stevens-Alice
John Stevens-Elizabeth Hildreth
Joseph Stevens-Elizabeth Tidd
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Their first home was in Lynn but they were in Boston by 1641. Alice was admitted to the Boston church on June 18, 1643, and Henry Stevens was admitted February 8, 1651/2. Sometime between April 11, 1649 and February 1651/52, Alice had died and Henry was married to Mary Buckmaster. Their first child was born May 28, 1652, so Henry wasn't a widow for long. Henry and Alice's first three children were baptized on the same day that Alice became a member of the church (having children baptized was sometimes a prime motivator in joining a church; at least one parent had to belong to the church.) John, James, Joseph, Deborah and Deliverance were the children of Henry and Alice. Henry's children with Mary were Joanna, Henry, Thomas, Joshua, John, Samuel, Silence, and Mary. This was quite a family to raise! Son John was nearly 33 years old when Mary, the last child, was born in 1670.
Fortunately, Henry had a good trade. He was a mason, and likely moved from Lynn to Boston when he realized there was more work available at Boston. (Robert Charles Anderson suggests that Henry was a servant to John Humfrey, who left to return permanently to England, about the time that Henry moved to Boston. He further suggests that Henry, as a servant to Humfrey, had burned down Humfrey's bar. My inference is that this was likely an accident, because years were added to Henry's servitude, rather than Henry being imprisoned or even sentenced to death, as would have happened if it were considered a crime.
Henry had at least some education because he signed his name on deeds, and when he died his estate included books. He became a freeman on May 26, 1652, and was appointed to committees to set boundaries between towns. He was also a constable at least twice, and a tithingman. One of the deeds refers to Henry Stevens as a husbandman, so he must have done some farming, or at least owned farmland, also.
When Henry died on June 11, 1690, James and Joseph had predeceased him, as Henry left small bequests to their children. His estate totaled 411 pounds 10 shillings, of which 381 pounds was real estate in several different locations.
I have not been able to find what became of Mary. Information on various genealogy web sites gives her death as 1684. If this is accurate, then Henry, who wrote his will in 1688, had remarried and his third wife was also Mary, for he mentions her by name in his will. This would be a mystery that a descendant of Henry and Mary might want to try to solve. Our tree comes through Henry and Alice, so my interest is in identifying Alice.
The line of descent is:
Henry Stevens-Alice
John Stevens-Elizabeth Hildreth
Joseph Stevens-Elizabeth Tidd
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, December 7, 2018
Holbrook line: William Fifield, newly found immigrant
William Fifield is a recent addition to our family tree. When I learned who the Lucy Snow was who married Josiah Whittemore, she came with quite a well researched genealogy. William Fifield was one of those finds. I love it when an ancestor has been written up by Robert Charles Anderson in The Great Migration series! What I don't love about William Fifield is that he lived in a state and county that I'm not familiar with. That means I not only have more research to do, but I have to learn how to do the research in New Hampshire. However, I digress.
William Fifield was born about 1614 somewhere in England. A case has been made that he is from Littleton, Hampshire, England, and some believe his ancestry can be traced back another four or five generations. I'm not convinced, but I'm sure going to look into it. His birthdate is approximated from various depositions he gave in his adult life, when he said that he was of a certain age at that time. It isn't known who his wife may have been, other than her given name of Mary. They likely married after each immigrated.
The first record we have of William is his oath of fidelity given when he immigrated on the Hercules, in 1634. It arrived at Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony in April of that year. Since there were only 12 known passengers on this ship, either it was very small or it carried primarily cargo. In 1634, most of what the colony used would have been imported from "home". It was, after all, a colony. He lived at Ipswich for a short time, then at Newbury, and in 1639 went to Hampton, in what is now New Hampshire. It appears that he spent the rest of his life there.
Hampton would have been a good place to raise a family. It was on the Atlantic Ocean, so there was likely a maritime business. If not, at least it was pretty! Good water was available, and there were vast fields of timber nearby. William and Mary may have had as many as nine children, the last born in 1660/61. Two children did not survive infancy, but the others reached adulthood and married.
There is a possibility that William was somehow related to the Fifields of Barbados, but that needs more study. If it turns out to be true, one could wonder ships sailing to or from Hampton would have carried family members. It also makes one wonder whether there was any slave trade involved.
William acquired land both by grants and by purchase, but I don't know enough about land in New Hampshire at this time period to figure out whether he acquired more than the typical resident.
William had some amount of education, because he signed his name to deeds. He was made a freeman in 1641, which gave him the right to vote and to hold office. He held the office of timber surveyor, selectman, constable, and deputy constable at various times, and was frequently a petit juror. He also served on a committee to set the boundary between Portsmouth and Hampton.
This is what I know about William Fifield. I'd like to learn his origins and his wife's maiden name. I'd like to know about his military service (he had some, because he was excused from military training in the later years of his life), and how active he was in church. But, welcome to our family, William Fifield! I'm glad you made your presence known.
The line of descent is:
William Fifield-Mary
Elizabeth Fifield-John Tidd
Elizabeth Tidd-Joseph Stevens
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
William Fifield was born about 1614 somewhere in England. A case has been made that he is from Littleton, Hampshire, England, and some believe his ancestry can be traced back another four or five generations. I'm not convinced, but I'm sure going to look into it. His birthdate is approximated from various depositions he gave in his adult life, when he said that he was of a certain age at that time. It isn't known who his wife may have been, other than her given name of Mary. They likely married after each immigrated.
The first record we have of William is his oath of fidelity given when he immigrated on the Hercules, in 1634. It arrived at Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony in April of that year. Since there were only 12 known passengers on this ship, either it was very small or it carried primarily cargo. In 1634, most of what the colony used would have been imported from "home". It was, after all, a colony. He lived at Ipswich for a short time, then at Newbury, and in 1639 went to Hampton, in what is now New Hampshire. It appears that he spent the rest of his life there.
Hampton would have been a good place to raise a family. It was on the Atlantic Ocean, so there was likely a maritime business. If not, at least it was pretty! Good water was available, and there were vast fields of timber nearby. William and Mary may have had as many as nine children, the last born in 1660/61. Two children did not survive infancy, but the others reached adulthood and married.
There is a possibility that William was somehow related to the Fifields of Barbados, but that needs more study. If it turns out to be true, one could wonder ships sailing to or from Hampton would have carried family members. It also makes one wonder whether there was any slave trade involved.
William acquired land both by grants and by purchase, but I don't know enough about land in New Hampshire at this time period to figure out whether he acquired more than the typical resident.
William had some amount of education, because he signed his name to deeds. He was made a freeman in 1641, which gave him the right to vote and to hold office. He held the office of timber surveyor, selectman, constable, and deputy constable at various times, and was frequently a petit juror. He also served on a committee to set the boundary between Portsmouth and Hampton.
This is what I know about William Fifield. I'd like to learn his origins and his wife's maiden name. I'd like to know about his military service (he had some, because he was excused from military training in the later years of his life), and how active he was in church. But, welcome to our family, William Fifield! I'm glad you made your presence known.
The line of descent is:
William Fifield-Mary
Elizabeth Fifield-John Tidd
Elizabeth Tidd-Joseph Stevens
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, November 16, 2018
Holbrook line: Richard Hildreth, Immigrant
The only reason I haven't written about Richard Hildreth before is that he is one of the recent funds I made when finally determining the identity of Lucy Snow Whittemore. That connection leads to several more immigrant families, and this is one of them. Much has been found about Richard Hildreth but much more needs to be found. Still, my view on writing these posts is that something is better than nothing.
Among the "minor" details we don't know about Richard are the names of his parents, his birthdate or location, and the maiden name of his first wife. We're not at all sure about the maiden name of his second wife, either. Other than that,,,
We do know that he was in Massachusetts Bay Colony at least by May 10, 1643, when he was made a freeman. At the time, he resided in Cambridge. Some records indicate that he lived at Woburn but had his children christened in Cambridge, so it's possible that he moved. The two towns are about eleven miles apart now, but I don't know where the boundaries were then. Richard had come to America with his first wife, Sarah, and their two children. Sarah died at Cambridge June 15, 1644. He must have married Elizabeth, who may have been a Hinchman or Henchman, (but I've found nothing to document that) very soon after Sarah's death, because second wife's first child, Elizabeth, was born on September 21, 1646. Sarah and Richard had at least seven children. Based on the ages reported on their gravestones, Elizabeth was about 20 years younger than Richard and was probably only about twenty years old when she married.
In Cambridge, Richard was well respected and was a selectman of the town. He was also referred to as "sergeant", and most likely would have had this title as part of the military training band. Sometime in his life, he lost the use of his right hand. Whether this was as part of a military expedition, a training accident, or some other kind of accident is not known, not is it known exactly when this loss occurred.
He acquired land in Chelmsford in 1653 and he and the family had moved there sometime before 1658, when his a son was born at Chelmsford. In 1664 the Court granted him 150 additional acres of land because of the loss of his right hand, so we know that the incident occurred before that date. There doesn't appear to be a skirmish or war to which we can attribute it, but as mentioned above, there are several explanations. The Court would likely not have given land to those who had suffered non-military injuries, as far as I can tell.
Richard was a member of the church at Chelmsford and must have also been a member earlier, when he attained freeman status.
Richard died at Chelmsford February 23, 1693 and Elizabeth followed him a few months later. He had disposed of most of his property by the time of his death, as his inventory shows a value of only about 17 pounds. However, it did include four books, which tells us something. His mind may have still been active even at such an advanced age. His son Ephraim had the use of Richard's estate while Richard lived, and was appointed executor of the estate. Oldest son James was to get 20 shillings more than the others when the estate was settled.
So we're left wondering...Was his wife a Hinchman? How did Richard support himself, before and after the incident that cost him his right hand? Where was he born, and who were his parents? The search goes on.
The line of descent is:
Richard Hildreth-Elizabeth
Elizabeth Hildreth-John Stevens
Joseph Stevens-Elizabeth Tidd
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Among the "minor" details we don't know about Richard are the names of his parents, his birthdate or location, and the maiden name of his first wife. We're not at all sure about the maiden name of his second wife, either. Other than that,,,
We do know that he was in Massachusetts Bay Colony at least by May 10, 1643, when he was made a freeman. At the time, he resided in Cambridge. Some records indicate that he lived at Woburn but had his children christened in Cambridge, so it's possible that he moved. The two towns are about eleven miles apart now, but I don't know where the boundaries were then. Richard had come to America with his first wife, Sarah, and their two children. Sarah died at Cambridge June 15, 1644. He must have married Elizabeth, who may have been a Hinchman or Henchman, (but I've found nothing to document that) very soon after Sarah's death, because second wife's first child, Elizabeth, was born on September 21, 1646. Sarah and Richard had at least seven children. Based on the ages reported on their gravestones, Elizabeth was about 20 years younger than Richard and was probably only about twenty years old when she married.
In Cambridge, Richard was well respected and was a selectman of the town. He was also referred to as "sergeant", and most likely would have had this title as part of the military training band. Sometime in his life, he lost the use of his right hand. Whether this was as part of a military expedition, a training accident, or some other kind of accident is not known, not is it known exactly when this loss occurred.
He acquired land in Chelmsford in 1653 and he and the family had moved there sometime before 1658, when his a son was born at Chelmsford. In 1664 the Court granted him 150 additional acres of land because of the loss of his right hand, so we know that the incident occurred before that date. There doesn't appear to be a skirmish or war to which we can attribute it, but as mentioned above, there are several explanations. The Court would likely not have given land to those who had suffered non-military injuries, as far as I can tell.
Richard was a member of the church at Chelmsford and must have also been a member earlier, when he attained freeman status.
Richard died at Chelmsford February 23, 1693 and Elizabeth followed him a few months later. He had disposed of most of his property by the time of his death, as his inventory shows a value of only about 17 pounds. However, it did include four books, which tells us something. His mind may have still been active even at such an advanced age. His son Ephraim had the use of Richard's estate while Richard lived, and was appointed executor of the estate. Oldest son James was to get 20 shillings more than the others when the estate was settled.
So we're left wondering...Was his wife a Hinchman? How did Richard support himself, before and after the incident that cost him his right hand? Where was he born, and who were his parents? The search goes on.
The line of descent is:
Richard Hildreth-Elizabeth
Elizabeth Hildreth-John Stevens
Joseph Stevens-Elizabeth Tidd
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, November 9, 2018
Holbrook line: Another John Page, Immigrant 1614-1687
We only think we know the year of John's birth. It appears to be based on his age at his death, which is always a little bit suspect if proof can't be found. So the year may be off, and we don't know his place of birth, and we don't know his parents. They were not John Page and Phebe Paine Page, whom I wrote about last week. They were not Robert and Lucia Warde Page as they were too young. I have seen a Robert Page and Margaret Goodwin listed, but they are not stated to have had a son John, although they continued to have children for years after Robert's death. Trust not in that suggestion!
So we don't know where John came from. It's believed he arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony about 1635, but is not mentioned in Robert Charles Anderson's "Great Migrations" books. Speculation is that he came with George Marsh's family in 1635 as an indentured servant, and then married "the boss's daughter". He became a freeman at Hingham in 1640, which meant his indenture, if any, was complete by then. This implies church membership, and also gave John the right to vote and to hold office, sit on juries, and be an active citizen. About this same time, he married Mary Marsh, daughter of George Marsh, as their first child was baptized at Hingham on July 11, 1641.
In 1646, he was granted land in Haverhill, but apparently didn't move his family there right away as more children were baptized in Hingham after that date. (Of course, they could have simply liked the pastor in Hingham, or had other reasons for having the baptisms done there.) It appears that John was a carpenter and he may have been busy building homes and warehouses for Haverhill residents for several years, until he also was able to build a home for his own family. John and Mary had 12 children, including a still born son and an infant son who lived only a few months. In addition, they adopted Abigail Marsh, daughter of Mary's brother Onesiphorous, when she was fifteen years old, so it was a large family and probably needed a large house! John's house lot in Haverhill was on the river, which meant the boys probably did a lot of fishing, and there may have been some trading going on, too. A river lot was much to be desired.
John died November 23, 1687, and Mary died in 1697. He died without a will, but his estate wasn't settled until 1723. We don't know why there was a delay or what prompted the final settlement, but his grandson, Thomas Page, was the final executor.
John Page was a pioneer, who lived on the frontier during the early days of Massachusetts settlement. Since he was a carpenter, he literally helped build America. We can be proud of him.
The line of descent is:
John Page-Mary Marsh
Mercy Page-John Clough
Benoni Clough-Hannah Merrill
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
So we don't know where John came from. It's believed he arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony about 1635, but is not mentioned in Robert Charles Anderson's "Great Migrations" books. Speculation is that he came with George Marsh's family in 1635 as an indentured servant, and then married "the boss's daughter". He became a freeman at Hingham in 1640, which meant his indenture, if any, was complete by then. This implies church membership, and also gave John the right to vote and to hold office, sit on juries, and be an active citizen. About this same time, he married Mary Marsh, daughter of George Marsh, as their first child was baptized at Hingham on July 11, 1641.
In 1646, he was granted land in Haverhill, but apparently didn't move his family there right away as more children were baptized in Hingham after that date. (Of course, they could have simply liked the pastor in Hingham, or had other reasons for having the baptisms done there.) It appears that John was a carpenter and he may have been busy building homes and warehouses for Haverhill residents for several years, until he also was able to build a home for his own family. John and Mary had 12 children, including a still born son and an infant son who lived only a few months. In addition, they adopted Abigail Marsh, daughter of Mary's brother Onesiphorous, when she was fifteen years old, so it was a large family and probably needed a large house! John's house lot in Haverhill was on the river, which meant the boys probably did a lot of fishing, and there may have been some trading going on, too. A river lot was much to be desired.
John died November 23, 1687, and Mary died in 1697. He died without a will, but his estate wasn't settled until 1723. We don't know why there was a delay or what prompted the final settlement, but his grandson, Thomas Page, was the final executor.
John Page was a pioneer, who lived on the frontier during the early days of Massachusetts settlement. Since he was a carpenter, he literally helped build America. We can be proud of him.
The line of descent is:
John Page-Mary Marsh
Mercy Page-John Clough
Benoni Clough-Hannah Merrill
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, November 2, 2018
John Page 1586-1676 Immigrant
Recently I broke through a "brick wall" and here is the first of what I hope will eventually be several blog posts about our "new" ancestors. I was hoping to find an inspiring story about this man, about how he started from nothing and became a respected member of society, or maybe how he was already a respected member of society when he arrived here. Sadly, neither situation seems to be the case. John Page was a man with faults, perhaps more faults than some of our other ancestors. His family here appears to be somewhat dysfunctional. It's not really the kind of post I like to write. But here it is.
John Page was most likely christened on September 25, 1586 in Boxted, Essex, England to Robert and Susanna Syckerling Page. He was "about 90 years old" when he died in 1676, and he stayed in the same general area until about 1630. One June 5, 1621, he married Phebe Paine, daughter of William and Agnes Neves Paine, at Lavenham, Suffolk, England. These two towns were about 14 mile apart but of course their homes may have been closer than that. When the Pages prepared for their move to America in 1630, they were living in Dedham, which was about 11 miles from Lavenham. Other folks from Dedham went with the Winthrop Fleet also, so the Pages were not alone.
Technically they weren't alone anyway, because at least two of their children, our two ancestors, were with them on the trip. Both children were born after several years of marriage so it's possible that there were other children, or other pregnancies, that we don't know about. Also several of Phoebe's siblings were in the area, so she probably saw them from time to time. And then, they were part of Rev. George Phillip's company, so they had brothers and sisters in Christ. John and Phoebe would have two more children in Watertown, but Daniel didn't live long. Samuel would join Phoebe against older brother John in a lawsuit after father John died in 1676.
John was appointed constable of the new town of Watertown in 1630, and admitted freeman there in 1631. He was a grantee in several land divisions in the early years of the town, but by 1642 was no longer receiving land through the town land divisions. Apparently he had already sold his homestead, which meant he was no longer eligible to acquire land by grant. He was in financial trouble early, writing such a desperate letter back to Dedham that a pastor there sent him some flour so he could feed his family. Was the man a poor money manager, or a speculator, or had he simply miscalculated how much money and food he would need in the New World? Maybe the loss of his home by fire in 1631 had forced him over the edge, financially.
John and Pheobe's daughter Phebe caused them grief. As she matured, she resented her father and had various ummm various escapades with men she wasn't married to. (This is a G rated blog, so I'm trying to be careful here). Apparently she could still get along with her mother, but her relationship with her father was cold and distant. She sued a man for defamation, for saying she was with child while unmarried, but there were a lot of witnesses against her and she lost the case. This was when Phebe reported she just wanted to go far away and lie down and die. Fortunately for us, she was not granted her wish.
We know little else about John. He apparently withdrew a little ways from town onto land he owned, and lived the rest of his life there. He and his wife Phebe lived in a half a dwelling, the other half perhaps occupied by John Page Jr. (Son John had gone to help settle Groton, Massachusetts but had returned to Watertown when Groton was burned during King Philip's War). John died December 18, 1676 and Phebe died less than a year later, on September 25, 1677.
There was quite a fight in court about John's estate. The inventory was not totaled but it included land valued at 50 pounds, and a Bible and two small books, plus various household goods and 2 cows. The court ruled that son John, executor, was entitled to all of the estate because of the care he had given his father in his old age. Samuel and Phoebe got nothing. This apparently caused quite a fuss in the town, as people took sides in the dispute, but the court ruling stood.
That's what we know about John Page. We don't know how faithful to the church he might have been, or how his life changed as he met economic reverses. We don't know why it seems that he didn't overcome them. We don't know why his daughter held him in such low esteem, or why she had her various escapades. We simply don't know why he might be diagnosed today as "failure to thrive". But he's our ancestor, and without him, where would we be?
Our line of descent is:
John Page-Phebe Paine
Phebe Page-James Cutler
Jemima Cutler-Zerubabbel Snow
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John Page was most likely christened on September 25, 1586 in Boxted, Essex, England to Robert and Susanna Syckerling Page. He was "about 90 years old" when he died in 1676, and he stayed in the same general area until about 1630. One June 5, 1621, he married Phebe Paine, daughter of William and Agnes Neves Paine, at Lavenham, Suffolk, England. These two towns were about 14 mile apart but of course their homes may have been closer than that. When the Pages prepared for their move to America in 1630, they were living in Dedham, which was about 11 miles from Lavenham. Other folks from Dedham went with the Winthrop Fleet also, so the Pages were not alone.
Technically they weren't alone anyway, because at least two of their children, our two ancestors, were with them on the trip. Both children were born after several years of marriage so it's possible that there were other children, or other pregnancies, that we don't know about. Also several of Phoebe's siblings were in the area, so she probably saw them from time to time. And then, they were part of Rev. George Phillip's company, so they had brothers and sisters in Christ. John and Phoebe would have two more children in Watertown, but Daniel didn't live long. Samuel would join Phoebe against older brother John in a lawsuit after father John died in 1676.
John was appointed constable of the new town of Watertown in 1630, and admitted freeman there in 1631. He was a grantee in several land divisions in the early years of the town, but by 1642 was no longer receiving land through the town land divisions. Apparently he had already sold his homestead, which meant he was no longer eligible to acquire land by grant. He was in financial trouble early, writing such a desperate letter back to Dedham that a pastor there sent him some flour so he could feed his family. Was the man a poor money manager, or a speculator, or had he simply miscalculated how much money and food he would need in the New World? Maybe the loss of his home by fire in 1631 had forced him over the edge, financially.
John and Pheobe's daughter Phebe caused them grief. As she matured, she resented her father and had various ummm various escapades with men she wasn't married to. (This is a G rated blog, so I'm trying to be careful here). Apparently she could still get along with her mother, but her relationship with her father was cold and distant. She sued a man for defamation, for saying she was with child while unmarried, but there were a lot of witnesses against her and she lost the case. This was when Phebe reported she just wanted to go far away and lie down and die. Fortunately for us, she was not granted her wish.
We know little else about John. He apparently withdrew a little ways from town onto land he owned, and lived the rest of his life there. He and his wife Phebe lived in a half a dwelling, the other half perhaps occupied by John Page Jr. (Son John had gone to help settle Groton, Massachusetts but had returned to Watertown when Groton was burned during King Philip's War). John died December 18, 1676 and Phebe died less than a year later, on September 25, 1677.
There was quite a fight in court about John's estate. The inventory was not totaled but it included land valued at 50 pounds, and a Bible and two small books, plus various household goods and 2 cows. The court ruled that son John, executor, was entitled to all of the estate because of the care he had given his father in his old age. Samuel and Phoebe got nothing. This apparently caused quite a fuss in the town, as people took sides in the dispute, but the court ruling stood.
That's what we know about John Page. We don't know how faithful to the church he might have been, or how his life changed as he met economic reverses. We don't know why it seems that he didn't overcome them. We don't know why his daughter held him in such low esteem, or why she had her various escapades. We simply don't know why he might be diagnosed today as "failure to thrive". But he's our ancestor, and without him, where would we be?
Our line of descent is:
John Page-Phebe Paine
Phebe Page-James Cutler
Jemima Cutler-Zerubabbel Snow
William Snow-Elizabeth Stevens
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, July 13, 2018
Holbrook line: John Annable, Immigrant
I'm going to say a couple of things in this post that go counter to what is posted on many trees on line. I'm even going to advance a theory, or half of a theory, as to who this gentleman really is. What I am not going to do is answer the questions as to when and where he was born, when he came to America, and other questions about his origins.
Most trees say that John's parents were Anthony Annable and Jane Mumford. It is true that they were early immigrants, but I've seen no record of John being their child. Also, they settled in Barnstable which would mean John had somehow gone from Cape Cod, to the very northern part of Massachusetts to live, far from his family. This would have been very unusual in those early days of Massachusetts.
Furthermore, I've found evidence of a record that says John Annable was in Essex County, (probably in the area of Ipswich although it wasn't officially formed until 1634) as early as 1625. He appears in court records as early as 1638. This presents another problem. John's birth date is given as 1618-1625, with only one giving a firm date and place. If this ias our John Annable, then he came to America almost as soon as he was born, and it may be his father, who may be John Annable, that we are seeing in the early years at Ipswich. Or, the alternate theory would be that he was born earlier than the guesses, for that is what they seem to be, and that he married late, or married a second time, fairly late in his life. There don't seem to be any death records for John Annable prior to our John's death, so I'm suspicious that our John may have been born as early as 1603, in order to be at Ipswich by 1625. And the date could go back further than that.
What I have been able to learn about John is that he was a tailor, which implies he had learned a trade somewhere, presumably in England. Would the very earliest settlers in Ipswich have needed a tailor, or did he do something else to support himself? This was a town made up largely of farmers and fishermen, so he probably engaged in one or both of these occupations to start with.
He appeared in court primarily as a witness but there are two cases in the 1650's that mention him. In one, he was suing Edward Gilman, Jr. for withholding pipe staves, apparently paid for, and in another he is acknowledging a debt to Mr. John Ward of Haverhill of 14 pounds. This may be more in the line of record keeping, as in today's liens and mortgages, rather than an actual appearance in court. He was also a witness several different times.
He married, variously between 1647 and 1649, Anna Whipple, daughter of Matthew and Ann Hawkins Whipple, and they had at least seven children. (Matthew Whipple was a clothier. Is this where John got his training, from or in connection with his father in law?) John died October 6, 1664, intestate (without a will). Administration of the estate was granted to Anna and the eldest son John, which was a bit unusual for that time and place. The estate was to remain in her hands for the bringing up of the children, and John was to receive 20 pounds and each of the other children 10 pounds as they came of age.
The inventory, taken by Robert Lord, shows a value of 181 pounds, which was pretty fair for a tailor. It includes a "dwelling house, barne, and land about" it valued at 80 pounds, plus six acres of marsh and four of upland, and quite a few household good, a few items that may be related to the tailoring trade, several items of real furniture, books, farm animals, and food stuffs. He was relatively prosperous for a tailor.
I am sure there are Annable researchers out there. I'd sure love to hear from some of you, with your own questions and research, to see if we can give John a father and mother, and to understand how John came to be in Ipswich. Please contact me or leave a message on this post!
The line of descent is:
John Annable-Anna Whipple
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Most trees say that John's parents were Anthony Annable and Jane Mumford. It is true that they were early immigrants, but I've seen no record of John being their child. Also, they settled in Barnstable which would mean John had somehow gone from Cape Cod, to the very northern part of Massachusetts to live, far from his family. This would have been very unusual in those early days of Massachusetts.
Furthermore, I've found evidence of a record that says John Annable was in Essex County, (probably in the area of Ipswich although it wasn't officially formed until 1634) as early as 1625. He appears in court records as early as 1638. This presents another problem. John's birth date is given as 1618-1625, with only one giving a firm date and place. If this ias our John Annable, then he came to America almost as soon as he was born, and it may be his father, who may be John Annable, that we are seeing in the early years at Ipswich. Or, the alternate theory would be that he was born earlier than the guesses, for that is what they seem to be, and that he married late, or married a second time, fairly late in his life. There don't seem to be any death records for John Annable prior to our John's death, so I'm suspicious that our John may have been born as early as 1603, in order to be at Ipswich by 1625. And the date could go back further than that.
What I have been able to learn about John is that he was a tailor, which implies he had learned a trade somewhere, presumably in England. Would the very earliest settlers in Ipswich have needed a tailor, or did he do something else to support himself? This was a town made up largely of farmers and fishermen, so he probably engaged in one or both of these occupations to start with.
He appeared in court primarily as a witness but there are two cases in the 1650's that mention him. In one, he was suing Edward Gilman, Jr. for withholding pipe staves, apparently paid for, and in another he is acknowledging a debt to Mr. John Ward of Haverhill of 14 pounds. This may be more in the line of record keeping, as in today's liens and mortgages, rather than an actual appearance in court. He was also a witness several different times.
He married, variously between 1647 and 1649, Anna Whipple, daughter of Matthew and Ann Hawkins Whipple, and they had at least seven children. (Matthew Whipple was a clothier. Is this where John got his training, from or in connection with his father in law?) John died October 6, 1664, intestate (without a will). Administration of the estate was granted to Anna and the eldest son John, which was a bit unusual for that time and place. The estate was to remain in her hands for the bringing up of the children, and John was to receive 20 pounds and each of the other children 10 pounds as they came of age.
The inventory, taken by Robert Lord, shows a value of 181 pounds, which was pretty fair for a tailor. It includes a "dwelling house, barne, and land about" it valued at 80 pounds, plus six acres of marsh and four of upland, and quite a few household good, a few items that may be related to the tailoring trade, several items of real furniture, books, farm animals, and food stuffs. He was relatively prosperous for a tailor.
I am sure there are Annable researchers out there. I'd sure love to hear from some of you, with your own questions and research, to see if we can give John a father and mother, and to understand how John came to be in Ipswich. Please contact me or leave a message on this post!
The line of descent is:
John Annable-Anna Whipple
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Holbrook line: John Upham, Immigrant
It's a wonderful thing to find information about an ancestor who hadn't really been on my radar. However, he was on Robert Charles Anderson's radar, for his "Great Migration" project, and I'm so glad. He actually found about 10 pages of information about our ancestor, but I'll not use all of it here as I try to keep these posts to ten paragraphs or less.
John's parents were Richard and Maria Upham, and he was born in about 1599 in Bicton, Devon, England. This was a tiny little village (current population about 280) with a long history dating back to the Domesday Records. The church that was in place when John was born is partially demolished now, and was replaced by something more "modern" in 1850. It's almost on the coast of southern England, but with no apparent connection to the ocean. We don't know anything about John's like in England, until in 1626 he married Elizabeth Slade, also in Bicton. We then find that they traveled to the New World on board the Marygould in 1635. He was listed as a husbandman, aged 35 and his wife was 32. There were three Upham children, and also Sarah Upham, who was 26 and traveling with them. She was a sister to John.
John and his family first settled at Weymouth, probably with a newborn son Phineas, and there were two additional children born to the couple while they lived at Weymouth. He probably joined the Weymouth church almost immediately, because he was made a freeman on September 2, 1635. He was a deputy for Weymouth several times in the 1630s,. During the middle 1640s, he was selectman four different times, He was given land at least twice during the land divisions of the villate of Weymouth, and by 1643 owned a lot of thirty acres, plus two acres of salt march, and other plots of four acres and two acres.
Sometime in 1650 or 1651 it appears that the family left Weymouth and moved to Malden. , where he served several times as a Malden commissioner to end small cases, and a Malden Selectman. He also got himself in trouble with the church, or rather, with the pastor who was called to the church against the wishes of several Malden men, and the advice of the authorities. Thirteen of the men, including our John Upham, were forced to apologize, and they were fined, which fine was upheld when the men appealed the judgement. The men may have had the last word, however, as the pastor did not stay long in Malden. John was selected a deacon of the church in 1658.Katherine
By 1662 John was starting to dispose of some of his lands. He gave land to his daughter in law, and to his son Phineas. Unfortunately, Phineas died shortly after his father, not having carried out the terms of his father's will to give legacies to John's three surviving daughters. Elizabeth Slade Upham died after February 2, 1670 and John married shortly after August 14, 1671, to Katherine Richards Hollard, who was a widow. John gave up his right to any of Katherine's goods or estate that came to her from her husband Angell Hollard. When he died on February 25, 1681/82, he had very little left in his estate, about 19 pounds and 4 shillings. He had dispensed of the real estate earlier.
That's what is known of John Upham. He was a respected and respectable man although perhaps his education was less than desired. He could sign his name, however. He woked himself up from "husbandman', to "yeoman", to "planter", and acquired the title of "Deacon". Not bad for a man from a town of 280 or so. We can be proud of him.
The line of descent is:
John Upham-Elizabeth Slade
Mary Upham-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Annable
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gloadys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John's parents were Richard and Maria Upham, and he was born in about 1599 in Bicton, Devon, England. This was a tiny little village (current population about 280) with a long history dating back to the Domesday Records. The church that was in place when John was born is partially demolished now, and was replaced by something more "modern" in 1850. It's almost on the coast of southern England, but with no apparent connection to the ocean. We don't know anything about John's like in England, until in 1626 he married Elizabeth Slade, also in Bicton. We then find that they traveled to the New World on board the Marygould in 1635. He was listed as a husbandman, aged 35 and his wife was 32. There were three Upham children, and also Sarah Upham, who was 26 and traveling with them. She was a sister to John.
John and his family first settled at Weymouth, probably with a newborn son Phineas, and there were two additional children born to the couple while they lived at Weymouth. He probably joined the Weymouth church almost immediately, because he was made a freeman on September 2, 1635. He was a deputy for Weymouth several times in the 1630s,. During the middle 1640s, he was selectman four different times, He was given land at least twice during the land divisions of the villate of Weymouth, and by 1643 owned a lot of thirty acres, plus two acres of salt march, and other plots of four acres and two acres.
Sometime in 1650 or 1651 it appears that the family left Weymouth and moved to Malden. , where he served several times as a Malden commissioner to end small cases, and a Malden Selectman. He also got himself in trouble with the church, or rather, with the pastor who was called to the church against the wishes of several Malden men, and the advice of the authorities. Thirteen of the men, including our John Upham, were forced to apologize, and they were fined, which fine was upheld when the men appealed the judgement. The men may have had the last word, however, as the pastor did not stay long in Malden. John was selected a deacon of the church in 1658.Katherine
By 1662 John was starting to dispose of some of his lands. He gave land to his daughter in law, and to his son Phineas. Unfortunately, Phineas died shortly after his father, not having carried out the terms of his father's will to give legacies to John's three surviving daughters. Elizabeth Slade Upham died after February 2, 1670 and John married shortly after August 14, 1671, to Katherine Richards Hollard, who was a widow. John gave up his right to any of Katherine's goods or estate that came to her from her husband Angell Hollard. When he died on February 25, 1681/82, he had very little left in his estate, about 19 pounds and 4 shillings. He had dispensed of the real estate earlier.
That's what is known of John Upham. He was a respected and respectable man although perhaps his education was less than desired. He could sign his name, however. He woked himself up from "husbandman', to "yeoman", to "planter", and acquired the title of "Deacon". Not bad for a man from a town of 280 or so. We can be proud of him.
The line of descent is:
John Upham-Elizabeth Slade
Mary Upham-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Annable
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gloadys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, April 27, 2018
Holbrook line: John Clough, Immigrant, 1613-1691
Oh, how I love this ancestor of ours! Why, you may ask? The primary reason is that there is a lot of information about him, more than I can use, and so research isn't needed. I'm just compiling some of what I've found here. For more information, go to Robert Charles Anderson's Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-35, or to "The John Clough Genealogical Society" on-line. There, you will find more details about his story than I can use here.
Even though there is a lot of information about him, he is another one of those "origin unknown" men. I have temporarily listed his parents as John Clough and Susanna, but that is not documented at all, so far as I can tell. This "fantasy father", as I call him, is reputed to have died at Jamestowne, Va., so if it could be proven, there would surely be an interesting story there.
He is believed to have arrived in 1635 on the ship Elizabeth, although others say he may have arrived in 1634. There were two John Cloughs in Massachusetts Bay Colony at the same time, so the matter may be debated until reasonable proof is found. I'm saying he arrived in 1634 because there are references in 1638 to him having served either as an apprentice or as an indentured servant for four years, and he was released from that relationship then.
John was a house carpenter and also seems to have been some sort of sawyer, because he was asked to help make up 12,000 feet of merchantable boards in 1673. The two occupations would have worked well together; perhaps he prepared the wood for the homes he built. His first residence was at Ipswich but he was in Salisbury, Essex County, by 1639. His house lot is shown on a map dated to about 1640, although his name is not on a list of first settlers that I found. Surely his talents would have been needed, in building homes for the families that would settle there. Salisbury is on the most northern of the towns in Massachusetts, right on the Atlantic Ocean. If you go further north, you're in New Hampshire. It would have been a very pretty location, as well as practical because there was also a river there.
John served on various juries as required by law but he doesn't seem to have been generally active in civic affairs. He was the constable in 1662 and served as some sort of arbiter in 1679. He married Jane, whose last name is unknown, sometime in or before 1642, and the two had seven known children. Jane died in Salisbury on January 16, 1679/80. John waited seven years and then married Martha Blaisdell Bowden Cilley. They had no children. John died at Salisbury on July 26, 1691. He left a will because Robert Charles Anderson has had access to it, but it isn't in the Essex County probate records that are on line. However, Anderson reports that his estate was valued at 284 pounds, 8 shillings, of which 215 pounds was real estate, and also reports that his inventory included books. He provided for his second wife in his will, and also mentioned children and grand children.
Apparently not much is known about his religious beliefs, or his education (he did sign his will), or whether he was involved in any type of militia during his earlier years. There was a garrison in town, so presumably he would have at least helped defend the garrison, in case of attack. He may even have been involved in its construction. He is another of our mostly unsung heroes who helped build and protect the first settlements in New England. Thank you, sir!
The line of descent is:
John Clough-Jane
John Clough-Mercy Page
Benoni Clough-Hannah Merrill
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Even though there is a lot of information about him, he is another one of those "origin unknown" men. I have temporarily listed his parents as John Clough and Susanna, but that is not documented at all, so far as I can tell. This "fantasy father", as I call him, is reputed to have died at Jamestowne, Va., so if it could be proven, there would surely be an interesting story there.
He is believed to have arrived in 1635 on the ship Elizabeth, although others say he may have arrived in 1634. There were two John Cloughs in Massachusetts Bay Colony at the same time, so the matter may be debated until reasonable proof is found. I'm saying he arrived in 1634 because there are references in 1638 to him having served either as an apprentice or as an indentured servant for four years, and he was released from that relationship then.
John was a house carpenter and also seems to have been some sort of sawyer, because he was asked to help make up 12,000 feet of merchantable boards in 1673. The two occupations would have worked well together; perhaps he prepared the wood for the homes he built. His first residence was at Ipswich but he was in Salisbury, Essex County, by 1639. His house lot is shown on a map dated to about 1640, although his name is not on a list of first settlers that I found. Surely his talents would have been needed, in building homes for the families that would settle there. Salisbury is on the most northern of the towns in Massachusetts, right on the Atlantic Ocean. If you go further north, you're in New Hampshire. It would have been a very pretty location, as well as practical because there was also a river there.
John served on various juries as required by law but he doesn't seem to have been generally active in civic affairs. He was the constable in 1662 and served as some sort of arbiter in 1679. He married Jane, whose last name is unknown, sometime in or before 1642, and the two had seven known children. Jane died in Salisbury on January 16, 1679/80. John waited seven years and then married Martha Blaisdell Bowden Cilley. They had no children. John died at Salisbury on July 26, 1691. He left a will because Robert Charles Anderson has had access to it, but it isn't in the Essex County probate records that are on line. However, Anderson reports that his estate was valued at 284 pounds, 8 shillings, of which 215 pounds was real estate, and also reports that his inventory included books. He provided for his second wife in his will, and also mentioned children and grand children.
Apparently not much is known about his religious beliefs, or his education (he did sign his will), or whether he was involved in any type of militia during his earlier years. There was a garrison in town, so presumably he would have at least helped defend the garrison, in case of attack. He may even have been involved in its construction. He is another of our mostly unsung heroes who helped build and protect the first settlements in New England. Thank you, sir!
The line of descent is:
John Clough-Jane
John Clough-Mercy Page
Benoni Clough-Hannah Merrill
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 3, 2017
Holbrook line: Matthew Whipple 1588-1647
It's always fun to find an ancestor I've overlooked, and to find there is quite a bit of information about him, AND to find his will AND his inventory. So it's been a fun morning.
Matthew Whipple isn't a name that leaps to my mind when remembering my immigrant ancestors, but maybe now he will be. There is a log of information about him on the Geni sight, and more on AmericanAncestors. The will is found in Volume 1 of The Probate Records of Essex County, which means it's been transcribed and although I still struggle with archaic spellings and meanings and even vocabulary, at least I don't have to try to read ancient handwriting.
Matthew was born, or christened, December 19,1588, in Bocking, Essex, England. His parents were Matthew Whipple and Joan. Matthew of England was a clothier, and based on his will, was apparently well off. I'm not finding a lot of information about Bocking on line, but I did find St Mary's Church, which is where Matthew probably attended as a child, and where his father is buried (likely his mother, too).. He had at least nine brothers and sisters, and Matthew was the fifth child born into the family.
Matthew married Ann or Anne Hawkins on May 7, 1622, at St Mary's church in Bocking. I haven't done any proof work to say whether I believe this or not, but Ann is supposed to be a granddaughter of the famous John Hawkins, merchant, slave trader, explorer, treasurer and controller of the English Navy. (I am learning to be somewhat doubtful when I find a line tied to someone famous, since I've been burned a few times by published genealogies that turned out to be mistaken or in some cases just plain fraudulent.)
Matthew and Ann had at least 5 children and possibly more. Apparently most were born in Bocking but the last one or two may have been born in Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony. The family immigrated apparently between 1636 and 1638. He was a member of the church there and I believe that when I see the phrase "Deacon Whipple" it refers to our Matthew. Ann died sometime before September 28, 1646, when Matthew married Rose Barker Chute, who outlived him.
I've found that Matthew held many offices but I've not found a list other than that he was frequently a "clerke", That indicates he could read and write, and that is supported by contents of his inventory which included 29 books. He was one of the largest landowners in the area, along with his brother John. From his inventory, we can see that he farmed, that he had several weapons, and that he had a large amount of linen goods as well as at least three wheels, two linen and one cotton. It appears that his home had at least three rooms as many objects, including 85 "peeces" of pewter were in the hall, and the linens and some clothes were in the parlor. There was a chamber over the parlor which held miscellaneous items, and then there are a lot of tools that must have been kept in a barn. He had a dwelling house with 4 acres of ground that included a "barne" and other out houses, a 6 acre lot, a four acre lot, six acres of marsh, and a farm containing 160 acres plus a meadow of 30 acres, and then another 20 acres of marsh and "wast" land. We are surprised that his estate was valued at only a little over 287 pounds when we see the long list of his property.
His will was written March 7, 1645 and then he added a codicil September 13, 1646 to provide for his new wife, Rose. All of her items that she brought to the marriage were to remain hers, and she was given 10 pounds, besides. William must have died within a year, because the will was proven July 28, 1647.
I'd love to learn more about Matthew and his life in both Bocking and Ipswich. It's been fun to learn this much but I always have more questions, it seems. For now, we know of another immigrant to the New World, one who apparently did well for himself and his family. It's a start.
The line of descent is:
Matthew Whipple-Ann Hawkins
Anna Whipple-John Annable
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittermore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Matthew Whipple isn't a name that leaps to my mind when remembering my immigrant ancestors, but maybe now he will be. There is a log of information about him on the Geni sight, and more on AmericanAncestors. The will is found in Volume 1 of The Probate Records of Essex County, which means it's been transcribed and although I still struggle with archaic spellings and meanings and even vocabulary, at least I don't have to try to read ancient handwriting.
Matthew was born, or christened, December 19,1588, in Bocking, Essex, England. His parents were Matthew Whipple and Joan. Matthew of England was a clothier, and based on his will, was apparently well off. I'm not finding a lot of information about Bocking on line, but I did find St Mary's Church, which is where Matthew probably attended as a child, and where his father is buried (likely his mother, too).. He had at least nine brothers and sisters, and Matthew was the fifth child born into the family.
Matthew married Ann or Anne Hawkins on May 7, 1622, at St Mary's church in Bocking. I haven't done any proof work to say whether I believe this or not, but Ann is supposed to be a granddaughter of the famous John Hawkins, merchant, slave trader, explorer, treasurer and controller of the English Navy. (I am learning to be somewhat doubtful when I find a line tied to someone famous, since I've been burned a few times by published genealogies that turned out to be mistaken or in some cases just plain fraudulent.)
Matthew and Ann had at least 5 children and possibly more. Apparently most were born in Bocking but the last one or two may have been born in Ipswich, Massachusetts Bay Colony. The family immigrated apparently between 1636 and 1638. He was a member of the church there and I believe that when I see the phrase "Deacon Whipple" it refers to our Matthew. Ann died sometime before September 28, 1646, when Matthew married Rose Barker Chute, who outlived him.
I've found that Matthew held many offices but I've not found a list other than that he was frequently a "clerke", That indicates he could read and write, and that is supported by contents of his inventory which included 29 books. He was one of the largest landowners in the area, along with his brother John. From his inventory, we can see that he farmed, that he had several weapons, and that he had a large amount of linen goods as well as at least three wheels, two linen and one cotton. It appears that his home had at least three rooms as many objects, including 85 "peeces" of pewter were in the hall, and the linens and some clothes were in the parlor. There was a chamber over the parlor which held miscellaneous items, and then there are a lot of tools that must have been kept in a barn. He had a dwelling house with 4 acres of ground that included a "barne" and other out houses, a 6 acre lot, a four acre lot, six acres of marsh, and a farm containing 160 acres plus a meadow of 30 acres, and then another 20 acres of marsh and "wast" land. We are surprised that his estate was valued at only a little over 287 pounds when we see the long list of his property.
His will was written March 7, 1645 and then he added a codicil September 13, 1646 to provide for his new wife, Rose. All of her items that she brought to the marriage were to remain hers, and she was given 10 pounds, besides. William must have died within a year, because the will was proven July 28, 1647.
I'd love to learn more about Matthew and his life in both Bocking and Ipswich. It's been fun to learn this much but I always have more questions, it seems. For now, we know of another immigrant to the New World, one who apparently did well for himself and his family. It's a start.
The line of descent is:
Matthew Whipple-Ann Hawkins
Anna Whipple-John Annable
Elizabeth Annable-John Whittemore
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittermore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, May 13, 2016
Holbrook line: Nathaniel Merrill 1601-1655, Immigrant
Like most of our immigrant ancestors, there are many mysteries about Nathaniel Merrill. He was born in 1600 or 1601 (baptized May 4, 1601) in the very small village of Whersted, Suffolk, England, the son of Nathaniel Merrill and Mary Blaxall or possibly Blackwell. He had eight siblings, so this was a large family to support in such a small community. We don't know what Nathaniel Senior did for a living. We do know that the immigrant was baptized at St Mary's Church, which dates from at least the 14th century. We also know that Ipswich, the nearest large town, was the location of many Puritan believers. We don't know how the beliefs in the next town did or did not influence the Merrill family.
There is controversy as to when Nathaniel Merrill came to America, when he married, and even who he married. Some believe he came to America as early as 1633, lived in Ipswich, went back to England for his wife or to marry, and then had at least one child there, in 1638. Others think he didn't come to America for the first time until at least 1639. I haven't been able to find "proof" of any of this. As far as a marriage, his wife was known as Susannah but there seems to be no proof of her parentage
We do know that his brother, John, held land for him in Newbury in 1638. Whether this land is the first that Nathaniel owned is open to question, as I have also seen comments, but no documentation, that he owned land in Ipswich Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 and that he had earlier been at Salisbury. Again, there is no documentation.
We know that a child, Susannah, was born at Lawford, Essex, England in 1638, or at least baptized there, and the earlier children (Nathaniel, John, Abraham) are presumed to have been born there, also. So how and why Nathaniel would have moved from Suffolk County to Essex County is a matter we are still pondering, as well as if he was in America during those years, how the children came with such regularity. Based on his will, he is believed to have been a farmer but he only bequeathed five acres of land and some marsh, so perhaps he was a tenant farmer or perhaps he had already disposed of the land he had. If he didn't arrive in America until 1639 or later, and died in 1654, then he had only had 15 years to build up his estate, and with six or possibly seven children, that would have been difficult.
His children are Nathaniel, John, Abraham, Susannah, Daniel and Abel. Some sites also give him a son, Thomas, but there seems to be no documentation for this, either.
Nathaniel died about March 16, 1654/55, in Newbury and is buried at the First Burying Ground there. I've found nothing so far that would tell us more about his life I've not found a reference as to whether or when he was made a freeman, nor anything about his religious views, nor what kind of public office he might have held. I'd sure like to fill in the many blanks in his "dash", and especially to identify his wife. Can you help?
The line of descent is:
Nathaniel Merrill-Susannah
Nathaniel Merrill-Joanna Kinney or Kenney
Hannah Merrill-Benoni Clough
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittermoe-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
There is controversy as to when Nathaniel Merrill came to America, when he married, and even who he married. Some believe he came to America as early as 1633, lived in Ipswich, went back to England for his wife or to marry, and then had at least one child there, in 1638. Others think he didn't come to America for the first time until at least 1639. I haven't been able to find "proof" of any of this. As far as a marriage, his wife was known as Susannah but there seems to be no proof of her parentage
We do know that his brother, John, held land for him in Newbury in 1638. Whether this land is the first that Nathaniel owned is open to question, as I have also seen comments, but no documentation, that he owned land in Ipswich Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 and that he had earlier been at Salisbury. Again, there is no documentation.
We know that a child, Susannah, was born at Lawford, Essex, England in 1638, or at least baptized there, and the earlier children (Nathaniel, John, Abraham) are presumed to have been born there, also. So how and why Nathaniel would have moved from Suffolk County to Essex County is a matter we are still pondering, as well as if he was in America during those years, how the children came with such regularity. Based on his will, he is believed to have been a farmer but he only bequeathed five acres of land and some marsh, so perhaps he was a tenant farmer or perhaps he had already disposed of the land he had. If he didn't arrive in America until 1639 or later, and died in 1654, then he had only had 15 years to build up his estate, and with six or possibly seven children, that would have been difficult.
His children are Nathaniel, John, Abraham, Susannah, Daniel and Abel. Some sites also give him a son, Thomas, but there seems to be no documentation for this, either.
Nathaniel died about March 16, 1654/55, in Newbury and is buried at the First Burying Ground there. I've found nothing so far that would tell us more about his life I've not found a reference as to whether or when he was made a freeman, nor anything about his religious views, nor what kind of public office he might have held. I'd sure like to fill in the many blanks in his "dash", and especially to identify his wife. Can you help?
The line of descent is:
Nathaniel Merrill-Susannah
Nathaniel Merrill-Joanna Kinney or Kenney
Hannah Merrill-Benoni Clough
Benjamin Clough-Faith Hart
Lydia Clough-John Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittermoe-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph R Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
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