Well, you never know. You just never know, and that's what makes genealogy so fascinating. Who would think that a man in his later fifties would just pull up stakes from Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and transport himself, his wife, and most of their thirteen children, mostly adults, to Dorchester, South Carolina? These kinds of surprises just keep me going.
To start at the beginning, Samuel Sumner was born May 18, 1638 in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony to William and Mary Swift Sumner. (Some sites list his mother as Mary West but I don't find evidence for that-yet.) He was one of at least seven children born to this couple, and he was raised to be a good Puritan.
Samuel married Rebecca Staples, daughter of John and Rebecca Borrobridge Staple, at Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, on March 7, 1659. The couple had thirteen children together, and were apparently faithful members of the church, There were two men from Dorchester named Samuel Sumner who went on the "Canada" expedition in 1690, under Captain John Worthington. One was a sergeant and one an ensign. One returned, one didn't. This expedition had tried to capture Quebec from the French but were not successful.
As good Puritans, Samuel and Rebecca were among those who went with Rev. Joseph Lord to the settlement they named Dorchester in what was then Berkeley County, South Carolina. They were dismissed from the church November 1, 1696, to go south. Assuming they left soon after, that might have been a rough trip, traveling south by ship in early winter. It's 962 miles by road so would probably have been further than that by boat. This was still hurricane season, so it is by God's mercy and grace that they made it safely.
It's not known why the New England church decided to start a daughter church in South Carolina. Perhaps they were aware that the Anglican church also wanted to develop the area. Maybe it was population pressure, where they were already running out of land in the New England Dorchester. It doesn't appear to be a church split at all. But Samuel, whose parents had pioneered in Dorchester, now became a pioneer and immigrant of sorts in South Carolina.
I don't know anything about his life in South Carolina, or his death. I found a tentative, undocumented death date for Rebecca of 1710. Life along the Ashley River would have been very different from Massachusetts, and there were many illnesses that took the lives of these early settlers, from smallpox to malaria to other southern fevers. They wouldn't have had much exposure to malaria or the other fevers in the north, so perhaps it was one of these diseases that took one or both of them.
I haven't yet found his will or inventory, nor anything that really states his occupation. However, whatever his occupation in the north, when he settled in South Carolina, he would have become a farmer first and foremost. Crops had to be raised, families needed to be fed. We aren't told, or at least I haven't found, what material assistance they may have been given by the church, to help feed them until the first crops came in. We do know that the settlement only lasted about 45 years. When it closed, some of the congregation moved south to Georgia, some stayed in place and some went back "home" to Massachusetts.
Samuel and Rebecca's daughter, Rebecca, had married Ephraim Wilson and they did not travel south with most of the family. So our line continued in New England but still, this is intriguing and unexpected 225 year old "news". You never know what you don't know until you find out you don't know it!
The line of descent is:
Samuel Sumner-Rebecca Staples
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun fact: This South Carolina settlement appears to be within a stone's throw of the home of my brother in law. Both have a Summerville, SC address now. We've been there, and didn't know of the family connection at the time.
Showing posts with label Sumner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sumner. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Holbrook line: Ephraim Wilson 1656-1733,
OK. So here's another ancestor who lived through tough times, but of whom we know very little. I've ordered a book about the history of Dedham, Massachusetts because we have so many ancestors there, but it's not here yet. Perhaps it will tell us more about Ephraim and perhaps we will still not know much.
First, the name Ephraim is unusual. It was not carried down in our line; at least none of our later ancestors have that first name. It comes from the Old Testament; Ephraim was a child of Joseph and Asenath, and the patriarch of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Biblical names were frequently used by the Puritans of Massachusetts, and Ephraim's parent qualified in that regard.
Ephraim was a son of Henry and Mary Metcalf Wilson (sometimes spelled Willson), His parents, both immigrants, married in 1642 in Dedham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Ephraim was born in 1656, the last of their five children.
The first record I can find of Ephraim is during King Philip's War, when he was about 20 years old. He earned twelve shillings for serving under Captain Jacob in Medfield, where native Americans attacked and destroyed about half the town despite there being a relatively large garrison there. Because Ephraim's pay record is from June of 1676 and the attack occurred in February, it's possible that he was not there when the town was attacked, but was sent after the fact to guard against further attacks. Interestingly, the towns were responsible for paying the soldiers and then were reimbursed by the colony. So Ephraim's family, probably his father, received the pay and we don't know whether Ephraim received any of it or not. The family may have used it to help replace whatever income was lost to them when Ephraim left his job and went to war.
I don't know what kind of job Ephraim had. He didn't marry until 1681, when he married Rebecca Sumner, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Staples Sumner. They had at least five children together-Samuel, Rebecca, Nathaniel, John and Ephraim. Ephraim was a little older than was typical for the time and place, which could indicate that he was still busy establishing himself in his trade or on a farm prior to his marriage.
He died February 20, 1733, a few months short of 77 years. His stone is still standing and can be seen on his Find A Grave memorial. Unfortunately, I've not found a will or inventory for Ephraim. That could tell us a lot about what his occupation may have been, possibly his religion, perhaps items that would indicate a financial status. The likelihood is that he was a Puritan, that he was a farmer, and that he worked hard for a living. I can't wait till the Dedham book arrives to see if there are any gems there that will tell us more.
The line of descent is:
Ephraim Wilson-Rebecca Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
First, the name Ephraim is unusual. It was not carried down in our line; at least none of our later ancestors have that first name. It comes from the Old Testament; Ephraim was a child of Joseph and Asenath, and the patriarch of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Biblical names were frequently used by the Puritans of Massachusetts, and Ephraim's parent qualified in that regard.
Ephraim was a son of Henry and Mary Metcalf Wilson (sometimes spelled Willson), His parents, both immigrants, married in 1642 in Dedham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Ephraim was born in 1656, the last of their five children.
The first record I can find of Ephraim is during King Philip's War, when he was about 20 years old. He earned twelve shillings for serving under Captain Jacob in Medfield, where native Americans attacked and destroyed about half the town despite there being a relatively large garrison there. Because Ephraim's pay record is from June of 1676 and the attack occurred in February, it's possible that he was not there when the town was attacked, but was sent after the fact to guard against further attacks. Interestingly, the towns were responsible for paying the soldiers and then were reimbursed by the colony. So Ephraim's family, probably his father, received the pay and we don't know whether Ephraim received any of it or not. The family may have used it to help replace whatever income was lost to them when Ephraim left his job and went to war.
I don't know what kind of job Ephraim had. He didn't marry until 1681, when he married Rebecca Sumner, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Staples Sumner. They had at least five children together-Samuel, Rebecca, Nathaniel, John and Ephraim. Ephraim was a little older than was typical for the time and place, which could indicate that he was still busy establishing himself in his trade or on a farm prior to his marriage.
He died February 20, 1733, a few months short of 77 years. His stone is still standing and can be seen on his Find A Grave memorial. Unfortunately, I've not found a will or inventory for Ephraim. That could tell us a lot about what his occupation may have been, possibly his religion, perhaps items that would indicate a financial status. The likelihood is that he was a Puritan, that he was a farmer, and that he worked hard for a living. I can't wait till the Dedham book arrives to see if there are any gems there that will tell us more.
The line of descent is:
Ephraim Wilson-Rebecca Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Holbrook line: William Sumner, Immigrant
Sometimes there's not enough information about an ancestor to fill even a modest paragraph, and sometimes there is an overwhelming amount of information. I'd rather have the latter situation, and that is the case with William Sumner, immigrant during the Great Migration. We know who his parents were, we know who his wife was, we know his religion, we know his occupation and whether or not he was literate, we know where he settled, and we know his children.
His parents were Roger and Jane Franklin Sumner. Roger died in 1608, when William was about three years old, so he likely had a very limited recollection of his father. His mother married Marcus Brian a few years later, but he died in 1620. Roger was called a husbandman and William a yeoman, meaning they farmed. "Yeoman" is considered to be a higher economic status than husbandman, because a yeoman owned the land he farmed and a husbandman had just a lease on "his" land.
On October 22, 1625, William married Mary Swift, in Bicester, She was the sister of Thomas Swift but her parentage has not been determined. Four of the couple's seven children were born in England, but in 1634 William packed up his family, lock, stock and barrel, and traveled to Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he was in Dorchester by February of 1635, when he was allotted some marsh land. He probably arrived in 1634. He returned to England for a few months in 1649-1650 to handle some business related to his father's estaate, but other than that he stayed in Dorchester his whole life. I wonder if Mary told him "One and done"?
William and Mary (Maria) were admitted to the second Dorchester church on August 23, 1636 and WIlliam became a freeman on May 17, 1637. He was chosen as selectman of the town as early as 1637 and 1638, and then occasionally thereafter. Starting in 1661, he was a selectman more years than we was not, with the last selection in 1686. At various times he was also a deputy for Dorchester to the General Court, a livestock appraiser, the Dorchester commissioner to end small causes (sort of a justice of the peace), a lotlayer, fence viewer, bailiff, assessor, sergeant, and clerk of the trained company (militia). This man was heavily invested in public service.
William had a servant as early as 1636, because William Shepherd, servant to WIlliam Sumner, was to be whipped for stealing victuals from his master and beans from the Indians. The number of lashes is not indicated. We wonder if the family was having a hard time providing adequate food or whether Shepherd was trying to sell his ill-gotten goods. It could have been either scenario.
William acquired, both by grant and by purchase, several acres of land so that at his death in 1688 the land and house were appraised at 421 pounds. He also had 2 pounds of Bibles and books, and over 6 pounds worth of arms and ammunition. He may not have been considered wealthy, or even well to do, but he was certainly not counted among the poor of the town. At the time of his death, WIlliam had lived in Dorchester over 50 years. Mary preceded him in death, in 1676. There is no indication that she was killed in King Philip's War, and Dorchester was close enough to the coast that it seems more likely that she died a natural death.
I'd still love to know more about William, but my heart is happy knowing I have this much information. I'd love to be able to make these sketches zing, describing our ancestor's personality. I don't know if he had a sense of humor or was unrelentingly stern, and there is a lot more I'd like to know. But this information is a good starting point, and I am so glad to have it!
The line of descent is:
William Sumner-Mary Swift
Samuel Sumner-Rebecca Staples
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca WIlson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
His parents were Roger and Jane Franklin Sumner. Roger died in 1608, when William was about three years old, so he likely had a very limited recollection of his father. His mother married Marcus Brian a few years later, but he died in 1620. Roger was called a husbandman and William a yeoman, meaning they farmed. "Yeoman" is considered to be a higher economic status than husbandman, because a yeoman owned the land he farmed and a husbandman had just a lease on "his" land.
On October 22, 1625, William married Mary Swift, in Bicester, She was the sister of Thomas Swift but her parentage has not been determined. Four of the couple's seven children were born in England, but in 1634 William packed up his family, lock, stock and barrel, and traveled to Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he was in Dorchester by February of 1635, when he was allotted some marsh land. He probably arrived in 1634. He returned to England for a few months in 1649-1650 to handle some business related to his father's estaate, but other than that he stayed in Dorchester his whole life. I wonder if Mary told him "One and done"?
William and Mary (Maria) were admitted to the second Dorchester church on August 23, 1636 and WIlliam became a freeman on May 17, 1637. He was chosen as selectman of the town as early as 1637 and 1638, and then occasionally thereafter. Starting in 1661, he was a selectman more years than we was not, with the last selection in 1686. At various times he was also a deputy for Dorchester to the General Court, a livestock appraiser, the Dorchester commissioner to end small causes (sort of a justice of the peace), a lotlayer, fence viewer, bailiff, assessor, sergeant, and clerk of the trained company (militia). This man was heavily invested in public service.
William had a servant as early as 1636, because William Shepherd, servant to WIlliam Sumner, was to be whipped for stealing victuals from his master and beans from the Indians. The number of lashes is not indicated. We wonder if the family was having a hard time providing adequate food or whether Shepherd was trying to sell his ill-gotten goods. It could have been either scenario.
William acquired, both by grant and by purchase, several acres of land so that at his death in 1688 the land and house were appraised at 421 pounds. He also had 2 pounds of Bibles and books, and over 6 pounds worth of arms and ammunition. He may not have been considered wealthy, or even well to do, but he was certainly not counted among the poor of the town. At the time of his death, WIlliam had lived in Dorchester over 50 years. Mary preceded him in death, in 1676. There is no indication that she was killed in King Philip's War, and Dorchester was close enough to the coast that it seems more likely that she died a natural death.
I'd still love to know more about William, but my heart is happy knowing I have this much information. I'd love to be able to make these sketches zing, describing our ancestor's personality. I don't know if he had a sense of humor or was unrelentingly stern, and there is a lot more I'd like to know. But this information is a good starting point, and I am so glad to have it!
The line of descent is:
William Sumner-Mary Swift
Samuel Sumner-Rebecca Staples
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca WIlson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, April 26, 2019
Holbrook line: Jeffrey Staple, Immigrant
You win some, you lose some. I started out planning to write about our immigrant ancestor John Staples, and in reviewing my information for him discovered that his father was actually here, too. So even though I don't have a lot of information about Jeffrey, I want to write about him. He was born probably about 1576, to Robert Staple and an as yet identified wife. Robert was from Halton, Buckinghamshire, England and it is believed that is where Jeffrey (also seen as Geoffrey) Staple (also seen as Staples or Stapless) was born.
Little is known of Jeffrey's life in England. Halton was a small village. In 1642, a few years after the family left for Massachusetts Bay, there were just 43 people who were taxed for "contributions" to Ireland, and it was still a very small village in the early nineteenth century. When his father died in 1601, he left Jeffery his lands in Wendover, 20 pounds and 20 sheep "along with the ones he already had", so Robert had some wealth about him, and Jeffrey raised sheep.
Jeffrey married Margery Chrismas on May 4, 1607 at Halton, when he was about 31 years old. We know he and Margery had seven children, some of whom were adults when the family decided to move to the New World. The last record found in England for Jeffrey was in 1632, when Thomas Martin of Halton left 6 pounds to Jeffrey Staple, his godson. (Judging by the 1642 tax list, six pounds must have been a significant sum for the family to come by).
Jeffrey seems to be one of the 80% or so of immigrants who seem to have left no record behind as to when he left England or arrived in the New World. We know that he and Margery buried a daughter at Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony on February 17, 1639/40. 100 families had come to Weymouth in 1635 under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Hull and it is possible that the family arrived then (my speculation only).
In a land inventory taken between 1642 and 1644, Jeffrey had 3 acres in the east field, "first given to himelfe", 6 acres in the further end of Harrises Rainges, "first given to himselfe", and 1/2 acre in the west field first given to Mr. Hull. To have acquired two plots of land, these must have been early grants or dividends, and the fact that Mr. Hill had owned the smallest parcel first shows that there may have been some sort of connection there, whether it was pastor to church member or something else.
Jeffrey, after having lived and worked in the New World for somewhere between 8 and 12 years, died at Weymouth shortly before March, 1647. His appraisal was done in March and totaled 34 pounds, 7 shillings and two pence. He had a house with 8 acres of land, but the only clue to his occupation was "workinge toolls". He also had goats and a calf, swine, and various household goods. Books were not mentioned. Margery lived until sometime after December 14, 1663, when she was mentioned as the "widow Staple" in town records.
In looking over the Weymouth town records, I noted several other names that are likely our ancestors, such as Holbrook and Kingman. It's neat how this all comes together, several generations down when Molly Wright married Amariah Holbrook!
(Most of the material in this post, but not quite all of it, came from the researh of Gail Staples and was published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 161. I added the bits and pieces about land ownershipm and the speculation that he was part of or close to the Rev. Joseph Hull group.)
The line of descent is:
Jeffrey Staple-Margery Christmas
John Staple-Rebecca possibly Borroridge
Rebecca Staples-Samuel Sumner
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Little is known of Jeffrey's life in England. Halton was a small village. In 1642, a few years after the family left for Massachusetts Bay, there were just 43 people who were taxed for "contributions" to Ireland, and it was still a very small village in the early nineteenth century. When his father died in 1601, he left Jeffery his lands in Wendover, 20 pounds and 20 sheep "along with the ones he already had", so Robert had some wealth about him, and Jeffrey raised sheep.
Jeffrey married Margery Chrismas on May 4, 1607 at Halton, when he was about 31 years old. We know he and Margery had seven children, some of whom were adults when the family decided to move to the New World. The last record found in England for Jeffrey was in 1632, when Thomas Martin of Halton left 6 pounds to Jeffrey Staple, his godson. (Judging by the 1642 tax list, six pounds must have been a significant sum for the family to come by).
Jeffrey seems to be one of the 80% or so of immigrants who seem to have left no record behind as to when he left England or arrived in the New World. We know that he and Margery buried a daughter at Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony on February 17, 1639/40. 100 families had come to Weymouth in 1635 under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Hull and it is possible that the family arrived then (my speculation only).
In a land inventory taken between 1642 and 1644, Jeffrey had 3 acres in the east field, "first given to himelfe", 6 acres in the further end of Harrises Rainges, "first given to himselfe", and 1/2 acre in the west field first given to Mr. Hull. To have acquired two plots of land, these must have been early grants or dividends, and the fact that Mr. Hill had owned the smallest parcel first shows that there may have been some sort of connection there, whether it was pastor to church member or something else.
Jeffrey, after having lived and worked in the New World for somewhere between 8 and 12 years, died at Weymouth shortly before March, 1647. His appraisal was done in March and totaled 34 pounds, 7 shillings and two pence. He had a house with 8 acres of land, but the only clue to his occupation was "workinge toolls". He also had goats and a calf, swine, and various household goods. Books were not mentioned. Margery lived until sometime after December 14, 1663, when she was mentioned as the "widow Staple" in town records.
In looking over the Weymouth town records, I noted several other names that are likely our ancestors, such as Holbrook and Kingman. It's neat how this all comes together, several generations down when Molly Wright married Amariah Holbrook!
(Most of the material in this post, but not quite all of it, came from the researh of Gail Staples and was published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 161. I added the bits and pieces about land ownershipm and the speculation that he was part of or close to the Rev. Joseph Hull group.)
The line of descent is:
Jeffrey Staple-Margery Christmas
John Staple-Rebecca possibly Borroridge
Rebecca Staples-Samuel Sumner
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Holbrook line: Henry Wilson, Immigrant
Henry Wilson is supposed to have come from Kent, England but that is as much as I know about his early life. I'm not sure on what basis the claim is made but it is in very old town records, old enough that he himself may have been the source of the information, or if not, then one of his children likely gave the information. But I can't pin it down further than that. "Henry Wilson" os a common name, not quite as bad as John Smith, but still...
We don't know when he was born but he was accepted into the church at Dedham, Massachusetts in 1640 and became a freeman shortly after that. As a round number, let's guess 1615, and it may have been a few years earlier. He died in 1688 so that gives room for an earlier birth date. It wouldn't have been much later than 1616 because generally men had to be 24 to become a freeman, although this may have varied from colony to colony. His wife, Mary, was born in 1619, the daughter of Michael and Sarah Elwyn Metcalf. Henry and Mary were married at Dedham November 24, 1642.
We don't know much of Henry's life. He seems to have been a congenial fellow because when there was a slight problem with a piece of land he had been given, he cheerfully "laid it down" and willingly took the piece of land he was given in its stead. I found one reference to Dedham's founding as being intended to be "Utopian" in 1636 and perhaps people there were just relatively easy to like.
Henry was given or acquired several pieces of land, for meadow and upland and a house "lott", and in 1656 he had six cow common rights, 3 sheep common rights, 7 "divident" acres, plus 1/2 of another acre and 28 roodes As an early settler, he likely attended church on a regular basis, farmed a little, and perhaps had another trade also, although I found no hint of what that might be.
Henry and Mary had at least five children together, all born in Dedham. Mary died May 5, 1676 and Henry died February 8, 1688/89. I was unable to locate a will or an inventory, or any kind of probate, but presumably there is one still waiting to be found. Perhaps that will tell us more about his life. Were there some kind of trade tools listed? Books? Land? We know that he lived long enough to see Ephraim married, and that must have brought him joy. I hope that one day, we will learn more about his life, but for now, we know he came to America, he was a "church man" who apparently stayed out of trouble and got along with his neighbors, and he raised a family. That is reason enough to honor him.
The line of descent is:
Henry Wilson-Mary Metcalf
Ephraim Wilson-Rebekah Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We don't know when he was born but he was accepted into the church at Dedham, Massachusetts in 1640 and became a freeman shortly after that. As a round number, let's guess 1615, and it may have been a few years earlier. He died in 1688 so that gives room for an earlier birth date. It wouldn't have been much later than 1616 because generally men had to be 24 to become a freeman, although this may have varied from colony to colony. His wife, Mary, was born in 1619, the daughter of Michael and Sarah Elwyn Metcalf. Henry and Mary were married at Dedham November 24, 1642.
We don't know much of Henry's life. He seems to have been a congenial fellow because when there was a slight problem with a piece of land he had been given, he cheerfully "laid it down" and willingly took the piece of land he was given in its stead. I found one reference to Dedham's founding as being intended to be "Utopian" in 1636 and perhaps people there were just relatively easy to like.
Henry was given or acquired several pieces of land, for meadow and upland and a house "lott", and in 1656 he had six cow common rights, 3 sheep common rights, 7 "divident" acres, plus 1/2 of another acre and 28 roodes As an early settler, he likely attended church on a regular basis, farmed a little, and perhaps had another trade also, although I found no hint of what that might be.
Henry and Mary had at least five children together, all born in Dedham. Mary died May 5, 1676 and Henry died February 8, 1688/89. I was unable to locate a will or an inventory, or any kind of probate, but presumably there is one still waiting to be found. Perhaps that will tell us more about his life. Were there some kind of trade tools listed? Books? Land? We know that he lived long enough to see Ephraim married, and that must have brought him joy. I hope that one day, we will learn more about his life, but for now, we know he came to America, he was a "church man" who apparently stayed out of trouble and got along with his neighbors, and he raised a family. That is reason enough to honor him.
The line of descent is:
Henry Wilson-Mary Metcalf
Ephraim Wilson-Rebekah Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 15, 2019
Holbrook line: Michael Metcalf, Immigrant
Michael Metcalf is one of several ancestors who are "new" to me, found when I finally broke through the Molly Wright Holbrook brick wall I've had for many years When I started researching him, I found that he's an interesting man who came to New England with his wife, nine (!) children, and a servant. More than that, there is some information about him prior to his coming to New England, which is a bit unusual.
It is not certain who Michael's father was. Many genealogists think his father was the Rev. Leonard Metcalf. Others think that Leonard was probably is uncle. Regardless, we know that he was born at Tatterford, Norfolk, England sometime between 1586 and 1591, depending on which argument you believe.
Facts that seem to be documented are that he came from a fairly substantial family, probably Puritan, and that his occupation was a dornix (tapestry) weaver. One article said that he owned a cloth factory in Norwich that employed 100 people He was made a freeman there on June 21, 1618. He married Sarah Elwyn, the daughter of Thomas Elwyn and Elizabeth Benslye on October 13, 1616.
Perhaps because Michael was a factory owner, he caught the attention of the Star Court run by Bishop Wren, and suffered persecution because of his religious beliefs. Finally, in 1636 he decided to leave for the New World. He may have actually left then by himself but been driven back to England by bad weather. The following year, he and his wife and 9 surviving children (two had died young) came to America. The faily almost immediately went to Dedham, where he was admitted a townsman in 1637, admitted to the church in 1639, and was a selectman in 1641. He was also a schoolmaster, which indicates he must have had considerable schooling in England.
Sarah died November 10, 1644, when her youngest child was 9 years old. Michael needed a wife, and soon married the widow Mary Pigge, who had several children of her own It must have been quite a household. Michael died December 27, 1664, leaving land and books to his sons and varying monetary amounts to his daughters, and to one of Mary's daughters. Probably those who got the lesser amounts had already received dowry gifts. I didn't find a copy of the appraisal of the estate, and I also didn't find anything that clearly states an occupation in Dedham. Michael did own a clay pit, used for brick making, but I have no idea whether this, along with farming for the family, was enough to support them
I want to do more research about Michael, particularly to learn more about his religious life at Dedham, why he became a schoolmaster at age 70 or so, and what his occupation was here There may be more stories, too, waiting to be uncovered.
The line of descent is:
Michael Metcalf-Sarah Elwyn
Mary Metcalf-Henry Wilson
Ephraim Wilson-Rebecca Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Wright-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
It is not certain who Michael's father was. Many genealogists think his father was the Rev. Leonard Metcalf. Others think that Leonard was probably is uncle. Regardless, we know that he was born at Tatterford, Norfolk, England sometime between 1586 and 1591, depending on which argument you believe.
Facts that seem to be documented are that he came from a fairly substantial family, probably Puritan, and that his occupation was a dornix (tapestry) weaver. One article said that he owned a cloth factory in Norwich that employed 100 people He was made a freeman there on June 21, 1618. He married Sarah Elwyn, the daughter of Thomas Elwyn and Elizabeth Benslye on October 13, 1616.
Perhaps because Michael was a factory owner, he caught the attention of the Star Court run by Bishop Wren, and suffered persecution because of his religious beliefs. Finally, in 1636 he decided to leave for the New World. He may have actually left then by himself but been driven back to England by bad weather. The following year, he and his wife and 9 surviving children (two had died young) came to America. The faily almost immediately went to Dedham, where he was admitted a townsman in 1637, admitted to the church in 1639, and was a selectman in 1641. He was also a schoolmaster, which indicates he must have had considerable schooling in England.
Sarah died November 10, 1644, when her youngest child was 9 years old. Michael needed a wife, and soon married the widow Mary Pigge, who had several children of her own It must have been quite a household. Michael died December 27, 1664, leaving land and books to his sons and varying monetary amounts to his daughters, and to one of Mary's daughters. Probably those who got the lesser amounts had already received dowry gifts. I didn't find a copy of the appraisal of the estate, and I also didn't find anything that clearly states an occupation in Dedham. Michael did own a clay pit, used for brick making, but I have no idea whether this, along with farming for the family, was enough to support them
I want to do more research about Michael, particularly to learn more about his religious life at Dedham, why he became a schoolmaster at age 70 or so, and what his occupation was here There may be more stories, too, waiting to be uncovered.
The line of descent is:
Michael Metcalf-Sarah Elwyn
Mary Metcalf-Henry Wilson
Ephraim Wilson-Rebecca Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Wright-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)