I recently wrote about an ancestor from early Boston, and now here is another one, even earlier. And wonder of wonders, there is quite a bit of information about him. It's always fun when that happens. I want to acknowledge that a good bit of this seems to have originated with a wonderful source called The Thweng Collection, which is available on the site American Ancestors (this is a subscription site, but with as many New England families as we have, I can't do without it).
So...Josiah Belcher was the son of Gregory and (probably) Catherine Alcock Belcher and was born in 1631 (based on a gravestone inscription) in a small settlement, not yet an organized town, called Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was one of at least seven children, and would have grown up basically as a farmer. Or perhaps not, because he had a trade as an adult, that of a wheelwright. He is still described as a yeoman, so there was farming involved, also.
Josiah (also known as Josias) married Uranis (Ranis) Rainsford, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Dilloe Rainsford, on March 3, 1655 in Boston, where her parents lived. Braintree wasn't far from Boston, but it seems likely that Josiah had already settled in Boston, in order for them to have met. Edward Rainsford is a gateway ancestor, connecting this family to European royalty (whether they knew it or not). Rainsford was sometimes called "Mr." or "Gent" so this may be a case of Josiah being upwardly mobile. One wonders what her parents thought of the match.
His property is described as being on the southwesterly corner of what is now Essex Street and Harrison Streets (this from a 1906 articles about the Belchers in the Register. It fronted 126 feet on Essex Street and ran back 285 feet to the water. I think this is very near what is identified as "Rainsford Lane" on the 1722 Boston map. This was what was then the south part of Boston. In fact, Josiah was one of about two dozen men given the task of founding the South church in Boston (this was the one that in later years would become a meeting place for Patriots, but that's part of someone else's story).
Josiah doesn't appear to have been much involved with politics or civic service, but he did serve as one of the "officers about swine" three times during the 1670s. Typically this would involve making sure that the animals were ringed or yoked during certain times of the year, so they wouldn't destroy crops. The Massachusetts towns I've read about during this time period all allowed swine to roam the town streets, and perhaps Boston did, too.
Josiah and Uranis had thirteen children together. Several died young, never married, or married but had no children. The last years of Josiah and Uranis were probably sad, but they did have two sons who survived them and several daughters. The land was not partitioned until after the death of Uranis, and then each surviving child received part of the land, which appears to have been then sold. The inventory for Josiah includes land in Braintree but the land in Boston doesn't appear to be included. As part of it may have been Uranis's land, perhaps it was not included in the inventory. The inventory was valued at a little over 195 pounds. Josiah is buried at the Granary Burying Ground in downtown Boston. (I was on a trolley tour of Boston 21 years ago, and we stopped at this site, but I had no knowledge that I had ancestors there and did not get off the trolley to go exploring).
Of course I'd like to know more about Josiah, including how it was that he became a wheelwright and how he met and courted his wife. What made him (or his father) decide that Boston would be a better place for him than Braintree? I'd also like to know if he was ever involved in military service. and was perhaps a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. That discovery, however, will have to wait for another day.
The line of descent is:
Josiah Belcher-Uranis Rainsford
Elizabeth Belcher-John Paine
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallet
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Stephen Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis E Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Thornton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thornton. Show all posts
Friday, April 10, 2020
Friday, February 14, 2020
Holbrook line: John Paine 1658-1718
We have a lot of men named Stephen Paine in our line and I've written about the immigrant earlier. I'll try to write about at least some of the succeeding generations later, if I'm able to find some information about them. But first, we have John Paine. I didn't find a lot of information about him, but he lived in interesting times and left us clues about his life, even if we don't have answers to all the questions we have about him.
John was born April 3, 1658 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, the son of Stephen and Anne Chickering Paine. He was their second son, one of a total of at least nine children. John's grandfather had been a linen weaver and John's trade is listed as weaver. although we don't know what in particular he wove, or how much this was a livelihood and how much just added income to see his family over the tight spots.
John married, at the age of 22, Elizabeth Belcher, who was 20 and was the daughter of Josiah and Uranis Rainsford Belcher. Elizabeth likely grew up hearing stories a little different than the Paine's did, for the Rainsford family was connected, far back, to royalty. He inherited land from his grandfather as well as his father, and that may be why he moved to Swansea, Massachusetts Bay by 1683. Rehoboth and Swansea are roughly 9 miles apart, so John didn't move far when he moved. Both towns were burned during King Philip's War in 1675-76. John would have been old enough to serve but I've not found his name listed a a soldier anywhere. We can assume that he was either serving or staying at home to protect his younger siblings, during the war, or leading them to a "safer" town. Surely a 17 or 18 year old young man would not have been doing nothing during this time period!
At this point it is interesting to speculate about the religion of John Paine. I have seen on some trees that he was a Quaker, but after looking for evidence, I think it is more likely that his son or grandson of the same name was the Quaker. The question for me is" was he a Baptist? Both Rehoboth and Swansea had healthy Baptist populations and it seems possible that he was a Baptist also. So far I've not found anything that leads me to be able to make a judgement one way or the other on that question. Let's just say, for now, that it wouldn't surprise me.
John and Elizabeth had at least ten children together, before Elizabeth died prior to 1711. John remarried soon after,, to Martha (last name not known) and this couple had four children. About the time of the second marriage John moved his family to Providence, Rhode Island, which was about 11 miles. John was a surveyor of highways and a representative in Swansea, so he was a respected man, whether or not he was Baptist, Quaker, or Congregationalist.
There is supposedly a will or administration for John but I've not found it on line. He died September 26, 1718, at Providence. His widow, Martha, was younger than he was and soon remarried, as she had four children of her own plus two or three of the younger children of Elizabeth to care for.
So John is a bit of a mystery in terms of religion, military service, and even the value of his estate. We also don't know what kind of education he had. However, like all of our ancestors, he contributed to the story of us, and that makes him important in my eyes.
The line of descent is
John Paine-Elizabeth Belcher
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John was born April 3, 1658 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, the son of Stephen and Anne Chickering Paine. He was their second son, one of a total of at least nine children. John's grandfather had been a linen weaver and John's trade is listed as weaver. although we don't know what in particular he wove, or how much this was a livelihood and how much just added income to see his family over the tight spots.
John married, at the age of 22, Elizabeth Belcher, who was 20 and was the daughter of Josiah and Uranis Rainsford Belcher. Elizabeth likely grew up hearing stories a little different than the Paine's did, for the Rainsford family was connected, far back, to royalty. He inherited land from his grandfather as well as his father, and that may be why he moved to Swansea, Massachusetts Bay by 1683. Rehoboth and Swansea are roughly 9 miles apart, so John didn't move far when he moved. Both towns were burned during King Philip's War in 1675-76. John would have been old enough to serve but I've not found his name listed a a soldier anywhere. We can assume that he was either serving or staying at home to protect his younger siblings, during the war, or leading them to a "safer" town. Surely a 17 or 18 year old young man would not have been doing nothing during this time period!
At this point it is interesting to speculate about the religion of John Paine. I have seen on some trees that he was a Quaker, but after looking for evidence, I think it is more likely that his son or grandson of the same name was the Quaker. The question for me is" was he a Baptist? Both Rehoboth and Swansea had healthy Baptist populations and it seems possible that he was a Baptist also. So far I've not found anything that leads me to be able to make a judgement one way or the other on that question. Let's just say, for now, that it wouldn't surprise me.
John and Elizabeth had at least ten children together, before Elizabeth died prior to 1711. John remarried soon after,, to Martha (last name not known) and this couple had four children. About the time of the second marriage John moved his family to Providence, Rhode Island, which was about 11 miles. John was a surveyor of highways and a representative in Swansea, so he was a respected man, whether or not he was Baptist, Quaker, or Congregationalist.
There is supposedly a will or administration for John but I've not found it on line. He died September 26, 1718, at Providence. His widow, Martha, was younger than he was and soon remarried, as she had four children of her own plus two or three of the younger children of Elizabeth to care for.
So John is a bit of a mystery in terms of religion, military service, and even the value of his estate. We also don't know what kind of education he had. However, like all of our ancestors, he contributed to the story of us, and that makes him important in my eyes.
The line of descent is
John Paine-Elizabeth Belcher
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, January 25, 2019
Holbrook line: Edward Rainsford, Immigrant
It's a great day for me when I easily find a lot of information about an ancestor. Most of this information comes from work done and published by James Rasmussen in 1985 in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register and by Robert Charles Anderson in The Great Migration Begins. I have been both fascinated and frustrated with the genealogy of this man; fascinated because he was listed as a Gateway Ancestor, with ancestors going back to the Plantagenets, and then frustrated when that line was withdrawn. Now it appears that he may indeed have a line, or more, to the Plantagenets but the article I need to review is not available on line. (However, my favorite library will undoubtedly have a copy, which I shall pursue.)
All that is incidental to his post, because so far I have written almost nothing about our links to our royal ancestors. It's enough that we know that Edward is the son of Robert and Mary Kirton Raynsford, and that he was baptized at Staverton, Northampton, England on September 9, 1609. He came to New England as a young man in 1630, probably with the Winthrop Fleet. When his father died, he had left his son 100 pounds, which was a nice sum of money in those days. Edward was an apprentice to Owen Rowe of London, in the Haberdashers (merchants of small wares) Company. So Edward had training as a merchant, and money to get him started, and he shared his master's Puritan views. Those attributes would serve him well in Massachusetts. Edward joined the First Church at Boston shortly after his arrival in Massachusetts Bay Colony, although he wasn't made a freeman until 1637.
By that time Edward had married, buried his first wife but had a daughter (one of twins but her brother died as an infant), and married again. He had also made a trip to England and returned, perhaps to introduce his new wife to his family in England. Her identity is not confirmed but she may have been Elizabeth Dilloe. She was the mother of 11 children.
Fortunately, Edward had the means to support a large family. Although I have seen him described as a fisherman, that may have been his first occupation. He became more of a sea merchant, since at his death he was owner or part owner in at least six shipping vessels, ranging in size from a canoe to a ship. He also owned a warehouse "with privileges", which apparently meant that he had access to the harbor for easy loading and unloading of goods. The warehouse housed both fish and haberdasher goods.
Edward was a deacon of the First Church but was dismissed in 1668 when he did not support Rev. Davenport as minister of the church. He then went to the Third Church when it formed in 1669 and was the Ruling Elder there. He must have had some education because his estate included books valued at five pounds, which is larger than most of the inventories I've looked at. He was also selectman for Boston from 1662 through 1670.
Edward's estate was quite large when he died August 16, 1680. It totaled almost 1639 pounds, about half of which was real estate in several different locations. He also had "one negro boy Nat: and one negro girl Nance" included in the inventory.
Edward was many faceted. Elder, selectman, father, fisherman, merchant, ship owner, probably part of the training band, land owner, slave owner, on various committees to set rates, draw up instructions, and so on. He was respected in his town and probably in England, too. I may have passed by his grave at Kings Chapel Burying Grounds in Boston, not knowing at the time that he was an ancestor. But to me, maybe that was his most important role.
The line of descent is:
Edward Rainsford-Elizabeth possibly Dilloe
Ranis (also seen as Uranis) Rainsford-Josiah Belcher
Elizabeth Belcher-John Paine
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
All that is incidental to his post, because so far I have written almost nothing about our links to our royal ancestors. It's enough that we know that Edward is the son of Robert and Mary Kirton Raynsford, and that he was baptized at Staverton, Northampton, England on September 9, 1609. He came to New England as a young man in 1630, probably with the Winthrop Fleet. When his father died, he had left his son 100 pounds, which was a nice sum of money in those days. Edward was an apprentice to Owen Rowe of London, in the Haberdashers (merchants of small wares) Company. So Edward had training as a merchant, and money to get him started, and he shared his master's Puritan views. Those attributes would serve him well in Massachusetts. Edward joined the First Church at Boston shortly after his arrival in Massachusetts Bay Colony, although he wasn't made a freeman until 1637.
By that time Edward had married, buried his first wife but had a daughter (one of twins but her brother died as an infant), and married again. He had also made a trip to England and returned, perhaps to introduce his new wife to his family in England. Her identity is not confirmed but she may have been Elizabeth Dilloe. She was the mother of 11 children.
Fortunately, Edward had the means to support a large family. Although I have seen him described as a fisherman, that may have been his first occupation. He became more of a sea merchant, since at his death he was owner or part owner in at least six shipping vessels, ranging in size from a canoe to a ship. He also owned a warehouse "with privileges", which apparently meant that he had access to the harbor for easy loading and unloading of goods. The warehouse housed both fish and haberdasher goods.
Edward was a deacon of the First Church but was dismissed in 1668 when he did not support Rev. Davenport as minister of the church. He then went to the Third Church when it formed in 1669 and was the Ruling Elder there. He must have had some education because his estate included books valued at five pounds, which is larger than most of the inventories I've looked at. He was also selectman for Boston from 1662 through 1670.
Edward's estate was quite large when he died August 16, 1680. It totaled almost 1639 pounds, about half of which was real estate in several different locations. He also had "one negro boy Nat: and one negro girl Nance" included in the inventory.
Edward was many faceted. Elder, selectman, father, fisherman, merchant, ship owner, probably part of the training band, land owner, slave owner, on various committees to set rates, draw up instructions, and so on. He was respected in his town and probably in England, too. I may have passed by his grave at Kings Chapel Burying Grounds in Boston, not knowing at the time that he was an ancestor. But to me, maybe that was his most important role.
The line of descent is:
Edward Rainsford-Elizabeth possibly Dilloe
Ranis (also seen as Uranis) Rainsford-Josiah Belcher
Elizabeth Belcher-John Paine
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Holbrook line: John Thornton, Immigrant
John Thornton is another problem ancestor. There are at least three John Thorntons who could be our immigrant ancestsor, with birthdates ranging from 1591 to 1614 to 1634. I believe our immigrant is probably the John Thornton who was born about 1591 in Coggeshall, Essex, England, because in 1639 there is a John Thornton "in the employ of" John Coggeshall, at Providence, Rhode Island. I think it's quite possible that our John came as an indentured servant to John, although that is not the only explanation.
John Thornton, probably our John, married Joane Linch on April 4, 1627 at St George the Martyr Church in Southwark, Surrey, England. This would put this couple of the right age to be parents for our second John, who was born about 1634, and who married Sarah Thurston.
John Thornton received 10 acres of land in Newport in 1639, and was one of the twelve founding members of the First Baptist Church there in 1648. That brings us to another issue. I have found John Thornton listed as "John Thornton, DD", but I can't find records of university matriculation. I tend to think the "DD" attribution is an error, but if someone has additional information I will happily reconsider.
And here the fun starts. John the older seems to have died about 1648 and Joane about 1650, yet many of the following records are applied to the older man. John was made a freeman in 1655. The younger John would have been 21, so technically eligible for freemanship, and if John the older was gone, then it would almost have to be John who married Sarah who was a freeman. He paid taxes in 1679, by which time he had moved to Providence, and was a deputy to the general assembly in 1680. In 1683 he sold 100 acres and commonage to his son, Solomon, and in 1686 sold 100 ares to his son John. In 1692 he deeded 62 acres and his house to his son James, in what amounted to a will, providing that if his wife Sarah outlived John, James would care for her for the rest of her life. Because of the amounts of land that John owned, he is believed to have been a farmer. We don't know what the first John did for a living.
John is believed to have died after 1695 and Sarah sometime after that. The big question to me (after, of course, whether the two John Thorntons are identified correctly) is what did John and Sarah do during King Philip's War? Most of Rhode Island fled to relative safety in Massachusetts or Connecticut, so it is not unreasonable to think that is what John and Sarah did. Did their home survive, or did they have to start all over again? John's story seems very incomplete to me, and I hope that someone will be able to fill in the blanks here.
The line of descent is:
John Thornton-Joane Linch
John Thornton-Sarah Thurston
Benjamin Thornton- Mary possibly Gurney
Sarah Thornton-Stephen Paine
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John Thornton, probably our John, married Joane Linch on April 4, 1627 at St George the Martyr Church in Southwark, Surrey, England. This would put this couple of the right age to be parents for our second John, who was born about 1634, and who married Sarah Thurston.
John Thornton received 10 acres of land in Newport in 1639, and was one of the twelve founding members of the First Baptist Church there in 1648. That brings us to another issue. I have found John Thornton listed as "John Thornton, DD", but I can't find records of university matriculation. I tend to think the "DD" attribution is an error, but if someone has additional information I will happily reconsider.
And here the fun starts. John the older seems to have died about 1648 and Joane about 1650, yet many of the following records are applied to the older man. John was made a freeman in 1655. The younger John would have been 21, so technically eligible for freemanship, and if John the older was gone, then it would almost have to be John who married Sarah who was a freeman. He paid taxes in 1679, by which time he had moved to Providence, and was a deputy to the general assembly in 1680. In 1683 he sold 100 acres and commonage to his son, Solomon, and in 1686 sold 100 ares to his son John. In 1692 he deeded 62 acres and his house to his son James, in what amounted to a will, providing that if his wife Sarah outlived John, James would care for her for the rest of her life. Because of the amounts of land that John owned, he is believed to have been a farmer. We don't know what the first John did for a living.
John is believed to have died after 1695 and Sarah sometime after that. The big question to me (after, of course, whether the two John Thorntons are identified correctly) is what did John and Sarah do during King Philip's War? Most of Rhode Island fled to relative safety in Massachusetts or Connecticut, so it is not unreasonable to think that is what John and Sarah did. Did their home survive, or did they have to start all over again? John's story seems very incomplete to me, and I hope that someone will be able to fill in the blanks here.
The line of descent is:
John Thornton-Joane Linch
John Thornton-Sarah Thurston
Benjamin Thornton- Mary possibly Gurney
Sarah Thornton-Stephen Paine
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, February 9, 2018
Holbrook line: Francis Chickering Immigrant
Francis Chickering just missed being considered part of the "Great Migration", arriving in America in 1637, two years past the cut off date of 1635. He has therefore not been as extensively researched as those who arrived earlier, but we do know bits and pieces about him. His parents were Henry Chickering and Mary, and Francis was born about 1597 in Ringsfield, Suffolk, England. The church in Ringsfield is very old, but the older records have been destroyed by fire or flood or both, so documentation of his birth is not available. We know from his father's will, however, that he had siblings John, Judith, Mary, Symon, Reynold, and Henry, although there is no indication whether these are all full siblings. There was also another sibling but she had died when the will was written and her first name is not recorded. Nicholas Wolnough was reported as a son-in-law.
Francis married Anne Fiske about 1630 in St James, South Elham, Suffolk County, England and they came to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637. His parents in law were also on the ship and the family suffered the loss of Anne's mother, Anne Lawter Fiske, on the voyage. This was not an unusual occurrence. Health conditions were aggravated by the stresses of the sea, poor diet, and communicable diseases, and sometimes the passengers simply didn't survive. It must have been a sad beginning for the Chickerings in their new home. Francis and Mary brought two children with them and had five more in America.
He was made a freeman May 13, 1640 and went to live in Dedham, He was a member of the artillery train, and was chosen or elected Ensign (junior officer) at some point during this career. It does not seem that Dedham was ever a particular target of the natives, but that doesn't mean that the unit never responded to an alarm, nor that it never was engaged in battle. They would certainly have trained at regular intervals, in case they were needed to protect their family or their property. He was a representative to the general court in 1644 and 1653, a selectman of the town for 15 years, and one of the first two deacons of the church. He could at least write his name because his signature is found on a 1654 appraisal, where the other appraisers merely made their mark.
Anne died on December 5, 1649 and Francis married Sarah, the widow of John Sibley, on June 13, 1650, He was a widower with small children and needed help in caring for them. Sarah may have had her reasons for marriage, also, but we can hope that the two at least liked each other.
Francis died on October 2, 1658 and left "a good estate" to his five daughters. Sarah apparently went to court to argue for more than was allotted her in the will. She was to receive 150 pounds as part of a pre-nuptial agreement, and the court gave her another 200 pounds "considering the good report of the pious and prudent bahvior of Sarah, and bringing up the children of Francis". The rest of the houses, lands, debts and good were to be divided among the five daughters. The estate was valued at 1820 pounds, 18 shillings, 8 pence. This was a substantial value (A history of the town of Dedham says that he was the largest landowner in the town) and it makes me wonder what Francis did, as an occupation. We don't know that. Perhaps he was a merchant, a fur trader, or a ship owner,or some combination of the three, but we just don't know We also don't know how much he might have inherited from his father or other relatives, that would have helped him get a start in life. Now I'm eager to find more about this man!
The line of descent is:
Francis Chickering-Anne Fiske
Anne Chickering-Stephen Paine
John Paine-Elizabeth Belcher
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Francis married Anne Fiske about 1630 in St James, South Elham, Suffolk County, England and they came to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637. His parents in law were also on the ship and the family suffered the loss of Anne's mother, Anne Lawter Fiske, on the voyage. This was not an unusual occurrence. Health conditions were aggravated by the stresses of the sea, poor diet, and communicable diseases, and sometimes the passengers simply didn't survive. It must have been a sad beginning for the Chickerings in their new home. Francis and Mary brought two children with them and had five more in America.
He was made a freeman May 13, 1640 and went to live in Dedham, He was a member of the artillery train, and was chosen or elected Ensign (junior officer) at some point during this career. It does not seem that Dedham was ever a particular target of the natives, but that doesn't mean that the unit never responded to an alarm, nor that it never was engaged in battle. They would certainly have trained at regular intervals, in case they were needed to protect their family or their property. He was a representative to the general court in 1644 and 1653, a selectman of the town for 15 years, and one of the first two deacons of the church. He could at least write his name because his signature is found on a 1654 appraisal, where the other appraisers merely made their mark.
Anne died on December 5, 1649 and Francis married Sarah, the widow of John Sibley, on June 13, 1650, He was a widower with small children and needed help in caring for them. Sarah may have had her reasons for marriage, also, but we can hope that the two at least liked each other.
Francis died on October 2, 1658 and left "a good estate" to his five daughters. Sarah apparently went to court to argue for more than was allotted her in the will. She was to receive 150 pounds as part of a pre-nuptial agreement, and the court gave her another 200 pounds "considering the good report of the pious and prudent bahvior of Sarah, and bringing up the children of Francis". The rest of the houses, lands, debts and good were to be divided among the five daughters. The estate was valued at 1820 pounds, 18 shillings, 8 pence. This was a substantial value (A history of the town of Dedham says that he was the largest landowner in the town) and it makes me wonder what Francis did, as an occupation. We don't know that. Perhaps he was a merchant, a fur trader, or a ship owner,or some combination of the three, but we just don't know We also don't know how much he might have inherited from his father or other relatives, that would have helped him get a start in life. Now I'm eager to find more about this man!
The line of descent is:
Francis Chickering-Anne Fiske
Anne Chickering-Stephen Paine
John Paine-Elizabeth Belcher
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Friday, February 17, 2017
Holbrook line: "Oulde" John Mott 1570-1656, Immigrant
Most of what is known of "Oulde" John Mott comes from articles published in The American Genealogist back in 1942-43. Nothing here is my own research, and there are certainly a lot of questions that I can't answer. However, we have this much, and it's enough to let our imaginations soar, perhaps.
John Mott was born about 1570 in Saffron Walden, Essex, England, probably the son of John Mott and Francis Gutter. Saffron Walden appears to have been a town larger than a mere village. There was an old castle there at the time, and at least one house from medieval times stands there even now. So there would have been more opportunities to make a living than just farming, although we don't know what John did for a living. He was apparently married several times, to Elizabeth, Catherine, and possibly Mary. We apparently descend from Elizabeth.
John was already an old man when he came to the New World. Apparently son Adam came first, and then John came. He was made a freeman at Aquidneck in 1638, the year of its founding, so at that time he must have been relatively healthy. Aquidneck is the large island of the state of Rhode Island, and some of the most interesting people lived there, such as Anne and William Hutchinson and John Dyer. It would have been a collection of free-thinkers, Quakers, and others who were not welcome or comfortable in Massachusetts. John Mott had land in 1639, but by 1644 the town of Portsmouth was providing for his care. He was apparently desperately ill in 1652 when the town ordered that a stone house be built for the "more comfortable being of ould John Mott in the winter". The house was not enough so on January 23,1654/55 the town shipped him off to Barbados Island with the admonition to the ship owner to bring him back if he "cannot be received there". He was brought back, and son Adam was to provide him with a cow and a supply of corn, in addition to what the town supplied.
John died about 1656. I have so many questions about him. First, I'd like to know something of his life in England. Second, I'd like to know why he decided, as a man in his late 60's, to come to the New World and then to settle in what was wilderness, and even then on an island. Was he a free-thinker, or a Quaker, or someone fleeing from some kind of persecution in England? Was he healthy when he came to America, and was there a disease such as consumption or cancer that slowly took his life? Why was Adam not responsible for his father's well-being? Was he poor or/and sick himself? He died just five years after his father.
We can identify a lot of potential answers to these questions, but quite possibly, most or all of them would be wrong. I must say, however, that because of his neighbors, this is one ancestor I would love to meet in his time and place, on the island of Aquidneck. I'd love to hear John's story in his own words, and his testimony, if he had one. And I'd love to talk to his neighbors, too!
The line of descent is:
John Mott-Elizabeth
Adam Mott-Elizabeth Creel
Elizabeth Mott-Edward Thurston
Sarah Thurston-John Thornton
Benjamin Thornton-Mary possibly Gurney
Sarah Thornton-Stephen Paine
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John Mott was born about 1570 in Saffron Walden, Essex, England, probably the son of John Mott and Francis Gutter. Saffron Walden appears to have been a town larger than a mere village. There was an old castle there at the time, and at least one house from medieval times stands there even now. So there would have been more opportunities to make a living than just farming, although we don't know what John did for a living. He was apparently married several times, to Elizabeth, Catherine, and possibly Mary. We apparently descend from Elizabeth.
John was already an old man when he came to the New World. Apparently son Adam came first, and then John came. He was made a freeman at Aquidneck in 1638, the year of its founding, so at that time he must have been relatively healthy. Aquidneck is the large island of the state of Rhode Island, and some of the most interesting people lived there, such as Anne and William Hutchinson and John Dyer. It would have been a collection of free-thinkers, Quakers, and others who were not welcome or comfortable in Massachusetts. John Mott had land in 1639, but by 1644 the town of Portsmouth was providing for his care. He was apparently desperately ill in 1652 when the town ordered that a stone house be built for the "more comfortable being of ould John Mott in the winter". The house was not enough so on January 23,1654/55 the town shipped him off to Barbados Island with the admonition to the ship owner to bring him back if he "cannot be received there". He was brought back, and son Adam was to provide him with a cow and a supply of corn, in addition to what the town supplied.
John died about 1656. I have so many questions about him. First, I'd like to know something of his life in England. Second, I'd like to know why he decided, as a man in his late 60's, to come to the New World and then to settle in what was wilderness, and even then on an island. Was he a free-thinker, or a Quaker, or someone fleeing from some kind of persecution in England? Was he healthy when he came to America, and was there a disease such as consumption or cancer that slowly took his life? Why was Adam not responsible for his father's well-being? Was he poor or/and sick himself? He died just five years after his father.
We can identify a lot of potential answers to these questions, but quite possibly, most or all of them would be wrong. I must say, however, that because of his neighbors, this is one ancestor I would love to meet in his time and place, on the island of Aquidneck. I'd love to hear John's story in his own words, and his testimony, if he had one. And I'd love to talk to his neighbors, too!
The line of descent is:
John Mott-Elizabeth
Adam Mott-Elizabeth Creel
Elizabeth Mott-Edward Thurston
Sarah Thurston-John Thornton
Benjamin Thornton-Mary possibly Gurney
Sarah Thornton-Stephen Paine
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, January 20, 2017
Holbrook line: Gregory Belcher, Immigrant 1606-1674
Another immigrant, another set of questions...At least we have some answers to some questions for this man. It appears most likely that he was the son of Thomas Belcher, and was baptized on March 30, 1606 at Wardend, Aston, Warwickshire, England. His mother was probably Deborah Hunt Belcher, although that doesn't seem to be as accepted as does the name of his father. Wardend is now part of Birmingham, which is an industrial city now. However, when the Belchers lived there it was just a small village with an old church, and seems to have been a farming or sheep-raising area.
We don't know when Gregory decided to come to America. He is sometimes said to have come with Winthrop's fleet in 1630, although the first mention I've found for him is in 1637. By this time he is in Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He married Catherine Allcock, daughter of John and Alice Allcock on December 11, 1627. As far as I can tell, no one has yet located the birth records for their early children. Likely some, perhaps the first four, were born in England and at least the last three births were recorded in Boston. "Samuel the sonne of Gregorie Belshar was borne 24th day, 6th month, 1637," with Mary following in 1639 and Joseph in 1641. I'm not an expert by any means but it seems to me that if Samuel's birth was recorded in Boston he was likely born either in Boston or on the ship coming over, so Gregory and Catherine may have been here earlier than some have been willing to state.
In 1670 he and his son in law, Alexander Marsh, purchased the iron works with 200 acres of land in Braintree. Perhaps the iron works helped support Gregory as he aged, or perhaps this was a way that he could help his son in law get established and support his family.
Gregory died November 25, 1674 and his widow presented the inventory on January 29, 1675. By hard work, smart land acquisitions, blessings and luck, he had acquired an estate valued at 629 pounds, 5 shillings. (He had also given at least one farm to a son, in this case, Joseph, in 1664.) While this would not have made Gregory a rich man, it was enough to comfortably provide for his family. Catherine died in the spring of 1680.
One bit of information that I found that I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere was that on August 31, 1657, "Andrew Rounsimon a Scott servant to Gregory Belchere dyed" in "Brantrey". I would love to know more of Andrew's story. Did he come to Massachusetts voluntarily, or was he forced by the English government? Was he an indentured servant? Was he a young boy, or an old man, or somewhere in between? There weren't a lot of our early immigrants known to have servants, so this is intriguing.
The line of descent is:
Gregory Belcher-Catherine Allcock
Joseph Belcher-Urania (Ranis) Raynsford
Elizabeth Belcher-John Paine
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We don't know when Gregory decided to come to America. He is sometimes said to have come with Winthrop's fleet in 1630, although the first mention I've found for him is in 1637. By this time he is in Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He married Catherine Allcock, daughter of John and Alice Allcock on December 11, 1627. As far as I can tell, no one has yet located the birth records for their early children. Likely some, perhaps the first four, were born in England and at least the last three births were recorded in Boston. "Samuel the sonne of Gregorie Belshar was borne 24th day, 6th month, 1637," with Mary following in 1639 and Joseph in 1641. I'm not an expert by any means but it seems to me that if Samuel's birth was recorded in Boston he was likely born either in Boston or on the ship coming over, so Gregory and Catherine may have been here earlier than some have been willing to state.
In 1670 he and his son in law, Alexander Marsh, purchased the iron works with 200 acres of land in Braintree. Perhaps the iron works helped support Gregory as he aged, or perhaps this was a way that he could help his son in law get established and support his family.
Gregory died November 25, 1674 and his widow presented the inventory on January 29, 1675. By hard work, smart land acquisitions, blessings and luck, he had acquired an estate valued at 629 pounds, 5 shillings. (He had also given at least one farm to a son, in this case, Joseph, in 1664.) While this would not have made Gregory a rich man, it was enough to comfortably provide for his family. Catherine died in the spring of 1680.
One bit of information that I found that I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere was that on August 31, 1657, "Andrew Rounsimon a Scott servant to Gregory Belchere dyed" in "Brantrey". I would love to know more of Andrew's story. Did he come to Massachusetts voluntarily, or was he forced by the English government? Was he an indentured servant? Was he a young boy, or an old man, or somewhere in between? There weren't a lot of our early immigrants known to have servants, so this is intriguing.
The line of descent is:
Gregory Belcher-Catherine Allcock
Joseph Belcher-Urania (Ranis) Raynsford
Elizabeth Belcher-John Paine
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 4, 2016
Holbrook line: Stephen Paine, Immigrant
At last, I've found an ancestor who has been well researched. I am so grateful for Sidney Paine, who wrote a fine article in volume 143 of the NEHGS Register, found on AmericanAncestors.org, and to American Ancestors for also making available the Vital Records of Rehoboth, Massachusetts on line. There is a wealth of information in these two sources, and they are the answer to a genealogist's prayer. There are still questions, of course, and still more information I would like to find, but it's wonderful to have this much to draw on.
Stephen Paine was born in about 1602 (some sites say 1599) in Great Ellingham, Norfolk, England. This was a small village a few miles inland from the sea. His parents were Dann Payne and Margaret Williams, and Dann was a linen weaver by trade. His only known sibling was a brother, Edward. He married Neele Adcocke (sometimes referred to as Rose), daughter of John Adcocke and Elizabeth Eldred, although it doesn't appear that their marriage records have been located.
By 1638, much had happened in the family of Stephen and Neele Paine. Their four children had been born. Stephen had become a shipper of wheat and malt, including a shipment from Yarmouth, Norfolk, England to New England in 1638. Stephen had sold land he had inherited to his father in law, and also to his mother and step-father. Apparently this left Stephen rather well off, or at least not as deprived as many of the early immigrants. When the family sailed from Ipswich, Suffolk, England in the Diligent in June of 1638, they also had four servants with them. Their daughter Rebecca apparently died on the voyage and son John died shortly after. So the family now consisted of Stephen and Neele, and their sons Stephen and Nathaniel.
When the family landed at Boston, they went directly to Hingham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, where they stayed about five years. Stephen was made a freeman there in 1638, and a Deputy to the General Court at Boston in 1641. By 1643, he had purchased a significant amount of land in what became Rehoboth, and moved there about that time. On the List of Purchasers, Settlers and Inhabitants with the value of their "allotments", about 1643, Stephen Paine's holdings are valued at 535 pounds, a value matched only by "Mr. Peck."
Stephen led what appears to be a good life in Rehoboth. He was a "miller", meaning he ran a saw mill, and was active in town civic life. He was elected to the first Board of Selectmen in December of 1644, and was elected as a Deputy to the Court at Plymouth continuously from 1647 to 1660, and then often until 1671. He was well respected in his town. He continued to buy land, owning land in what became Swansea, Massachusetts, Warren, Rhode Island, and Attleboro, Massachusetts. These were all areas adjoining Rehoboth at the time.
His wife Neele died in 1660 and Stephen then married Elizabeth Alice widow Parker. By the time Stephen died in August of 1679, he had outlived his first wife and all of his children. His bequests were to his grandchildren a daughter in law, and two servants. Elizabeth or Alice would have received her one third, also. I haven't found an inventory for him yet, and I would love to do that!
We can be proud of Stephen, who not only stayed out of trouble but was respected. He served his town for many years, made a living, and apparently improved his circumstances by his own hard work. He left us a fine heritage!
The line of descent is:
Stephen Paine-Nelle Adcocke
Stephen Paine-Ann Chickering
John Paine-Elizabeth Belcher
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Stephen Paine was born in about 1602 (some sites say 1599) in Great Ellingham, Norfolk, England. This was a small village a few miles inland from the sea. His parents were Dann Payne and Margaret Williams, and Dann was a linen weaver by trade. His only known sibling was a brother, Edward. He married Neele Adcocke (sometimes referred to as Rose), daughter of John Adcocke and Elizabeth Eldred, although it doesn't appear that their marriage records have been located.
By 1638, much had happened in the family of Stephen and Neele Paine. Their four children had been born. Stephen had become a shipper of wheat and malt, including a shipment from Yarmouth, Norfolk, England to New England in 1638. Stephen had sold land he had inherited to his father in law, and also to his mother and step-father. Apparently this left Stephen rather well off, or at least not as deprived as many of the early immigrants. When the family sailed from Ipswich, Suffolk, England in the Diligent in June of 1638, they also had four servants with them. Their daughter Rebecca apparently died on the voyage and son John died shortly after. So the family now consisted of Stephen and Neele, and their sons Stephen and Nathaniel.
When the family landed at Boston, they went directly to Hingham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, where they stayed about five years. Stephen was made a freeman there in 1638, and a Deputy to the General Court at Boston in 1641. By 1643, he had purchased a significant amount of land in what became Rehoboth, and moved there about that time. On the List of Purchasers, Settlers and Inhabitants with the value of their "allotments", about 1643, Stephen Paine's holdings are valued at 535 pounds, a value matched only by "Mr. Peck."
Stephen led what appears to be a good life in Rehoboth. He was a "miller", meaning he ran a saw mill, and was active in town civic life. He was elected to the first Board of Selectmen in December of 1644, and was elected as a Deputy to the Court at Plymouth continuously from 1647 to 1660, and then often until 1671. He was well respected in his town. He continued to buy land, owning land in what became Swansea, Massachusetts, Warren, Rhode Island, and Attleboro, Massachusetts. These were all areas adjoining Rehoboth at the time.
His wife Neele died in 1660 and Stephen then married Elizabeth Alice widow Parker. By the time Stephen died in August of 1679, he had outlived his first wife and all of his children. His bequests were to his grandchildren a daughter in law, and two servants. Elizabeth or Alice would have received her one third, also. I haven't found an inventory for him yet, and I would love to do that!
We can be proud of Stephen, who not only stayed out of trouble but was respected. He served his town for many years, made a living, and apparently improved his circumstances by his own hard work. He left us a fine heritage!
The line of descent is:
Stephen Paine-Nelle Adcocke
Stephen Paine-Ann Chickering
John Paine-Elizabeth Belcher
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallett
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph B Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Holbrook line: Edward Thurston, Immigrant
Edward Thurston is interesting to me because not only was he an immigrant, he was a Quaker. Records of his immigration to New England have not been found, at least not by me, so we are left wondering when he arrived and when and where he became a Quaker. Family tradition says that he came to New England in 1638 with two of his brothers, but I am not aware of any documentation of this. If this is true, he was in Cambridge, Massachusetts Colony for at least a brief period of time.
Also uncertain is exactly where he came from. Most trees show Cambridge, England as his birthplace, and Adam Thurston and Ellen Wood as his parents. If this information is correct, he is not known to have had brothers and sisters, although since he was born in 1617 and his mother didn't die until 1625, there likely were siblings.
The first thing that is really known about him is that he was married in Newport, Rhode Island in 1647 to Elizabeth Mott, daughter of Adam Mott and Elizabeth Creel. This is in the Quaker records for the town, so indicates that both the groom and the bride were of the Society of Friends. For immigration, Edward may have gone directly to Rhode Island, but it seems more likely that he, as most of his neighbors, was in New England first and then either ordered out by authorities, or left as things were getting too warm in the area for Quakers.
Once in Newport, we don't know how Edward supported himself. He seems to have been an educated man. He signed a petition to the King asking that Quakers be excused from bearing arms in 1686, and another letter four years later congratulating William and Mary on their accession to the throne of England. He was also very active in town affairs, serving as deputy or assistant deputy to the General Court frequently over the years. He was made a freeman in 1655, which meant he had a vote in the affairs of the town,but I'm not sure whether it meant he owned property or not.
Edward and Elizabeth had 12 children, 6 sons and six daughters. Their family must have respected the father because there are numerous "Edward Thurston's" who were born in Rhode Island over the next 100 or more years, all presumably descendants of the immigrant, and many who became prominent or at least useful in the colony. He died March 1, 1707, either age 90 or in his ninetieth year, depending on the source. Elizabeth had died in 1694.
Even though I have not yet been able to learn much about this man, I know enough to believe him to have been a man of integrity and faith. I'd love to know more about his life, especially how or if any of the Indian wars affected him, as a Quaker, and how his faith might have shown in his life. We have brief hints, but not much more. And of course, I'd like to know for sure where he was born, and more of his life in England, as well as exactly when and why he emigrated. And most of all, I'd like to know if Edward knew another of our ancestors in Newport with strong religious (Baptist) beliefs, Obadiah Holmes. If so, were they friends or "not so much"?
The line of descent is:
Edward Thurston-Eliabeth Mott
Sarah Thurston-John Thornton
Benjamin Thornton-Mary possibly Gurney
Sarah Thornton-Stephen Paine
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Also uncertain is exactly where he came from. Most trees show Cambridge, England as his birthplace, and Adam Thurston and Ellen Wood as his parents. If this information is correct, he is not known to have had brothers and sisters, although since he was born in 1617 and his mother didn't die until 1625, there likely were siblings.
The first thing that is really known about him is that he was married in Newport, Rhode Island in 1647 to Elizabeth Mott, daughter of Adam Mott and Elizabeth Creel. This is in the Quaker records for the town, so indicates that both the groom and the bride were of the Society of Friends. For immigration, Edward may have gone directly to Rhode Island, but it seems more likely that he, as most of his neighbors, was in New England first and then either ordered out by authorities, or left as things were getting too warm in the area for Quakers.
Once in Newport, we don't know how Edward supported himself. He seems to have been an educated man. He signed a petition to the King asking that Quakers be excused from bearing arms in 1686, and another letter four years later congratulating William and Mary on their accession to the throne of England. He was also very active in town affairs, serving as deputy or assistant deputy to the General Court frequently over the years. He was made a freeman in 1655, which meant he had a vote in the affairs of the town,but I'm not sure whether it meant he owned property or not.
Edward and Elizabeth had 12 children, 6 sons and six daughters. Their family must have respected the father because there are numerous "Edward Thurston's" who were born in Rhode Island over the next 100 or more years, all presumably descendants of the immigrant, and many who became prominent or at least useful in the colony. He died March 1, 1707, either age 90 or in his ninetieth year, depending on the source. Elizabeth had died in 1694.
Even though I have not yet been able to learn much about this man, I know enough to believe him to have been a man of integrity and faith. I'd love to know more about his life, especially how or if any of the Indian wars affected him, as a Quaker, and how his faith might have shown in his life. We have brief hints, but not much more. And of course, I'd like to know for sure where he was born, and more of his life in England, as well as exactly when and why he emigrated. And most of all, I'd like to know if Edward knew another of our ancestors in Newport with strong religious (Baptist) beliefs, Obadiah Holmes. If so, were they friends or "not so much"?
The line of descent is:
Edward Thurston-Eliabeth Mott
Sarah Thurston-John Thornton
Benjamin Thornton-Mary possibly Gurney
Sarah Thornton-Stephen Paine
Nathan Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Brown Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
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