Samuel Winsor was the son of Joshua and Mary (maiden name unknown) Winsor. He was born at Providence Plantation on November 18, 1644, very early in the life of that colony. His father, Joshua was a free thinker, perhaps having similar thoughts to those of Roger Williams. He was encouraged to come to Providence by Roger Williams, and the Winsors would have known the Williams family well for many years.
We don't know a lot about Samuel, and some of what is on the internet is not accurate, as far as I can tell. This Samuel Winsor was not a pastor or a "Reverend", unless I have missed some documentation, although his son and grandson were Baptist pastors. Our Samuel may or may not have worshiped as a Baptist, but since the Baptist church was the first one in Providence it is likely that he did attend services there. It's also likely that he was a seeker, always looking for God in his life.
His occupation was that of a farmer, but I haven't seen whether he was considered a yeoman or a husbandman. Perhaps in Rhode Island they didn't pay much attention to titles.
He was one of those who stayed in Providence during King Philip's war. Since only two homes were not burned by the natives during that struggle, it is probable that if he had his own home by that time, it was destroyed. Roger Williams was captain of the militia during this time, and there were 30 men left in his unit. All the others had fled. I would like to say that Samuel, being about 32 years old at this time, would have stayed to guard and if necessary, fight to protect the small village.
Samuel married on January 2, 1677 to the youngest daughter of Roger and Mary Barnard Williams, Mercy. She was the widow of Resolved Waterman. The Winsors had four children together, which, with the five children she had with Resolved, would have made for quite a large family.
We don't have Samuel's will or administration papers, although the administration papers apparently exist. But we do have his statement of taxable items the all residents were required to provide during the rule of Edmund Andros, in 1686-1687. At that time, he reported two oxen, three cows, one three year old "hifer", Four two year old cattle, three yearlings, one horse, one mare, one two year old horse, five small siwne, eighteen sheep a year old, one house lott, one house lott more, eighty seven acres of land in the wilderness, a share beyond the seven mile line unlaid out, a swamp called Joshua's swamp, five or six acres, half a share of meadow called Shepherd's meadow about thirty acres, at my house three (acres) plowed, about 5 or six rough pasture of the said thirty. This is the best account that I can give. He made an addendum to report one horse more belonging to Resolved Waterman "who is with me upon wages" more eleven acres of land in the neck that was forgot that was Shepard's (spelling and punctuation mostly cleaned up by this writer). This was dated September 1, 1687.
So in ten years after the destruction of his home, Samuel had largely recovered what he lost and perhaps was even prospering. This is the only information I've found that give us an indication of his economic standing. We don't know his religion for sure, we don't know that he served in the militia for sure, but we do know that he must have been a hardworking man, and we can honor him for that work ethic. We can also honor him for the children he raised, his and his wife's, and for the service he gave to his country. On line records show that Samuel and Mercy died on the same day, September 19, 1705, but I can only verify Samuel's death date. Mercy may well have died about the same time. If they did die on the same date, it would be interesting to know their cause(s) of death. Was there a contagious disease, or was it pure coincidence, or was it love?
The line of descent is
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Williams
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Harding
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Hamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Williams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Williams. Show all posts
Friday, February 28, 2020
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Allen line: John Gunn, Quartermaster 1641-1726
John Gunn or Gunne is another one of our ancestors who contributed to the Westfield, Massachusetts family connections. For such a small village, we certainly had a lot of Allen ancestors there, back in the day. We know a little bit about him, but not a lot.
John was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth possibly Brown Gunn, born July 8, 1647 in Windsor, Connecticut. Thomas was an inkkepper in Windsor but left for Westfield "early". Since Westfield wasn't formed until the late 1660s, John may well have been 25 years old or so before moving, if he left at the same time his father did. John was apparently in Westfield when he married Mary Williams, daughter of John and Mary (maiden name Burley, Bulkeley, or something else) on January 22, 1678.
John seems to have been one of four children who survived infancy, and he and Mary had at least six children. There is a four year gap between two of their children, so it's possible there was another baby, or a miscarriage. Women typically had children every two years or so, unless illness or absence prevented it.
We don't know for sure what John did for a living but he likely farmed, at least enough to support his family. He had land both in Windsor and in Westfield at one time, and eventually sold the Windsor land. He may have purchased more in Westfield at about the same time. He seems to have been a respected man in town and probably accumulated some wealth, although I have not been able to locate a will or inventory for him-yet.
His gravestone calls him "quartermaster". which has me scratching my head. John lived through King Philip's War, Queen Anne's War, and King William's War. John Root, another of our ancestors, was listed as a commissary in Westfield for King Philip's War, and it seems, unless I am missing something, that the two terms have the same definition. It's possible that John Root took care of the troops who were garrisoned in Westfield and John Gunn took care of supplying the troops who went further afield, fighting the natives and their French instigators. It would be interesting to figure out which conflict or conflicts John Gunn was part of, and whether he was part of any actual skirmis or battles.
Mary died in Westfield November 26, 1711, and John survived her by close to fifteen years. He lived until Spetember 17, 1726. The records say he died in Springfield but was buried in Westfield. He may have been staying with daughter Mercy in Springfield, or he may have gone there for medical attention. At any rate, he lived a long life, about 85 years.
We don't know certain things about John but we can infer that he could read and write, because most men in the town could. We can guess that if he wasn't a church member, he at least attended church, because regular church attendance was required in Puritan towns, whether or not one was a member. And we can know that he was a good citizen and attended town meetings, because, again, it was required. He did much to help shape America, just by living and raising his family.
The line of descent is
John Gunn-Mary Williams
Mary Gunn-Samuel Root
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
John was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth possibly Brown Gunn, born July 8, 1647 in Windsor, Connecticut. Thomas was an inkkepper in Windsor but left for Westfield "early". Since Westfield wasn't formed until the late 1660s, John may well have been 25 years old or so before moving, if he left at the same time his father did. John was apparently in Westfield when he married Mary Williams, daughter of John and Mary (maiden name Burley, Bulkeley, or something else) on January 22, 1678.
John seems to have been one of four children who survived infancy, and he and Mary had at least six children. There is a four year gap between two of their children, so it's possible there was another baby, or a miscarriage. Women typically had children every two years or so, unless illness or absence prevented it.
We don't know for sure what John did for a living but he likely farmed, at least enough to support his family. He had land both in Windsor and in Westfield at one time, and eventually sold the Windsor land. He may have purchased more in Westfield at about the same time. He seems to have been a respected man in town and probably accumulated some wealth, although I have not been able to locate a will or inventory for him-yet.
His gravestone calls him "quartermaster". which has me scratching my head. John lived through King Philip's War, Queen Anne's War, and King William's War. John Root, another of our ancestors, was listed as a commissary in Westfield for King Philip's War, and it seems, unless I am missing something, that the two terms have the same definition. It's possible that John Root took care of the troops who were garrisoned in Westfield and John Gunn took care of supplying the troops who went further afield, fighting the natives and their French instigators. It would be interesting to figure out which conflict or conflicts John Gunn was part of, and whether he was part of any actual skirmis or battles.
Mary died in Westfield November 26, 1711, and John survived her by close to fifteen years. He lived until Spetember 17, 1726. The records say he died in Springfield but was buried in Westfield. He may have been staying with daughter Mercy in Springfield, or he may have gone there for medical attention. At any rate, he lived a long life, about 85 years.
We don't know certain things about John but we can infer that he could read and write, because most men in the town could. We can guess that if he wasn't a church member, he at least attended church, because regular church attendance was required in Puritan towns, whether or not one was a member. And we can know that he was a good citizen and attended town meetings, because, again, it was required. He did much to help shape America, just by living and raising his family.
The line of descent is
John Gunn-Mary Williams
Mary Gunn-Samuel Root
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Holbrook line: George Bussey 1622-1668
George Bussey is one of our earlier Virginia immigrants. He arrived in Virginia in 1635, at the age of about 13. He was counted as a headright for Richard Bennett, as was at least one other Bussey on the same ship, Elizabeth. I haven't been able to trace information about Elizabeth but I am thinking she was likely a sister, perhaps an older sister. (Of course, it's possible she was his mother, or an aunt, or cousin.) At any rate, we know that George would have had to serve an indentureship for Richard or for someone else who paid Richard passage money. As a minor, George probably had to serve until he was 21 years of age. There is a possibility that Richard was some kind of relative to both George and Elizabeth but that has not yet been pin-pointed to my satisfaction.
The mere fact that George was alive to marry Anne Keene, daughter of Henry and Anne Halle Keene, in about 1649 shows that he was a special kind of man. He likely worked in tobacco fields for much if not all of his indentureship, but somehow he managed to avoid attacks by the native Americans, diseases carried by both humans and insects (think malaria, for one), accidents, starvation, drownings, and all of the other causes of death that killed so many of the early arrivals in Virginia. He was, as the phrase goes, of "hardy pioneer stock."
We don't know anything for sure about George's early life. The strongest family history I've found about him thinks he or his ancestors came from Heydour, a small village in Lincolnshire, England. There were undoubtedly Busseys there up until 70 years or so before George was born, but there the trail goes cold. It would be nice to be able to connect the missing generations, because the de Busseys were an old family, possibly having come over with the Norman Conquest of our ancestor William the Conqueror. But we don't yet have the missing proof, so whether, or how, our George connects to this family is purely speculation right now.
We also don't know what prompted George to leave Virginia and go to Maryland to live. The move was apparently made about 1653, and his four sons were born in short succession, soon after. There may also have been an infant, who died within a few weeks or months. George purchased land in Maryland and probably started tobacco farming on his own. Whether he left Virginia because land was cheaper in Maryland, or whether he left because of religious differences, we don't know.
We also don't know why George died in 1688, at the age of approximately 46. Did he die of overwork, or of one of the fevers that was so common, or from some other cause? He lived on the "frontier" of the time so it could have been wild animals, or native Americans. We know he lived long enough to write a will, but I've only seen an abstract of that.
George is another ancestor that I'd love to spend more time investigating, simply because I don't know that much about life in Virginia and Maryland during that time period. Why did George come to America? What religion was he? Why did he go to Maryland, and did he have friends or relatives there? What were his dreams for his children? Did he have unfulfilled dreams for himself? Was he glad he came to America?
I don't know whether George was glad he came to America, but I certainly am glad he did so! He became our ancestor, and that's a reason to celebrate his life.
The line of descent is:
George Bussey-Anne Keene
George Bussey-Anne Williams
Edward Bussey-Martha Evans
Edward Bussey-Mary widow of Edward Pendergrass
Sarah Bussey-Benjamin Amos
Elizabeth Amos-Robert Amos (yes, cousins)
Martha Amos-Peter Black
Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
A personal note: This is blog post number 500. Almost all of them have been about ancestors in the Allen, Holbrook, Beeks, or Harshbarger lines. I haven't run out of ancestors to write about for the Holbrooks yet, and I sure haven't run out of brick walls on any of the lines. So I hope to be writing more posts, but as of now I can't even speculate whether it will be 20 more, or 200 more, or even more than that. I'm just along for the ride, in a way! Hope you're enjoying the trip, too.
The mere fact that George was alive to marry Anne Keene, daughter of Henry and Anne Halle Keene, in about 1649 shows that he was a special kind of man. He likely worked in tobacco fields for much if not all of his indentureship, but somehow he managed to avoid attacks by the native Americans, diseases carried by both humans and insects (think malaria, for one), accidents, starvation, drownings, and all of the other causes of death that killed so many of the early arrivals in Virginia. He was, as the phrase goes, of "hardy pioneer stock."
We don't know anything for sure about George's early life. The strongest family history I've found about him thinks he or his ancestors came from Heydour, a small village in Lincolnshire, England. There were undoubtedly Busseys there up until 70 years or so before George was born, but there the trail goes cold. It would be nice to be able to connect the missing generations, because the de Busseys were an old family, possibly having come over with the Norman Conquest of our ancestor William the Conqueror. But we don't yet have the missing proof, so whether, or how, our George connects to this family is purely speculation right now.
We also don't know what prompted George to leave Virginia and go to Maryland to live. The move was apparently made about 1653, and his four sons were born in short succession, soon after. There may also have been an infant, who died within a few weeks or months. George purchased land in Maryland and probably started tobacco farming on his own. Whether he left Virginia because land was cheaper in Maryland, or whether he left because of religious differences, we don't know.
We also don't know why George died in 1688, at the age of approximately 46. Did he die of overwork, or of one of the fevers that was so common, or from some other cause? He lived on the "frontier" of the time so it could have been wild animals, or native Americans. We know he lived long enough to write a will, but I've only seen an abstract of that.
George is another ancestor that I'd love to spend more time investigating, simply because I don't know that much about life in Virginia and Maryland during that time period. Why did George come to America? What religion was he? Why did he go to Maryland, and did he have friends or relatives there? What were his dreams for his children? Did he have unfulfilled dreams for himself? Was he glad he came to America?
I don't know whether George was glad he came to America, but I certainly am glad he did so! He became our ancestor, and that's a reason to celebrate his life.
The line of descent is:
George Bussey-Anne Keene
George Bussey-Anne Williams
Edward Bussey-Martha Evans
Edward Bussey-Mary widow of Edward Pendergrass
Sarah Bussey-Benjamin Amos
Elizabeth Amos-Robert Amos (yes, cousins)
Martha Amos-Peter Black
Elizabeth Black-Isaac Hetrick
Mary Alice Hetrick-Louis Stanard
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
A personal note: This is blog post number 500. Almost all of them have been about ancestors in the Allen, Holbrook, Beeks, or Harshbarger lines. I haven't run out of ancestors to write about for the Holbrooks yet, and I sure haven't run out of brick walls on any of the lines. So I hope to be writing more posts, but as of now I can't even speculate whether it will be 20 more, or 200 more, or even more than that. I'm just along for the ride, in a way! Hope you're enjoying the trip, too.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Holbrook line: Joshua WInsor, immigrant
It seems strange that Joshua Winsor has not been researched more extensively than he has been, because, after all, he was the father in law of Roger William's daughter. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that records haven't been found, which could be for any number of reasons, including the sad fact that many records from that time period are not in existence any longer. The most popular idea seems to be that he was from Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, England. There were Winsors there from the 1450's and I have the names of Joshua's purported father, grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather, if this is correct. But I don't have a birth date or other documentation, so the jury is still out as to when and where he was born, and what he did with his early life.
Just so we have a beginning framework, let's say, for the purpose of this blog post only, that he was born about 1610. It could have been earlier, and it may have been a little later. The first thing we really know is that he was in Massachusetts Bay Colony as an indentured servant of governor John Winthrop. Joshua, whether because of temperament or beliefs, did not fit in well with the Puritans of Boston and would likely have been branded a trouble maker, or worse, had not Roger Williams come to his rescue.
Roger, from his newly established home at Providence Plantation, wrote a letter to Gov. Winthrop asking to buy out the rest of Joshua's indentureship, and have Joshua come to Rhode Island. The governor agreed, and Joshua arrived in Rhode Island in 1638. By 1640 he was free of the indentured servant status and was a freeman, signing his name to the compact of 1640. He was granted house lot number 35, on what became South Main Street, in Providence and also acquired six acres of meadowland
Joshua married sometime before 1644, when his only son was born, but his wife's name has never been determined. After son Samuel was born, the couple had four more children, all daughters. Mrs. Winsor died in 1655 and we have no record that Joshua remarried. He died in 1679, which means he would have been affected and probably lost his home and all that was in it, during King Philip's War in 1675-1676. There is no record of church membership or attendance for Joshua. It is believed that he was buried on his own home lot, which means he returned to Providence and rebuilt his home.
I haven't found a copy of Joshua's will or estate, and we know nothing of his religious beliefs. We know he could sign his name, but we don't know how far his education extended. Did Roger Williams or his wife Mary Barnard tutor him informally? We don't know. Joshua's son, Samuel became a Baptist pastor so there was some indication that education was valued in the family. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall, as Joshua worked for Roger Williams. Did their conversations extend to religious beliefs and knowledge? As I said, I'd love to know!
The line of descent is:
Joshua Winsor-wife
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Williams
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Harding
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
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
Just so we have a beginning framework, let's say, for the purpose of this blog post only, that he was born about 1610. It could have been earlier, and it may have been a little later. The first thing we really know is that he was in Massachusetts Bay Colony as an indentured servant of governor John Winthrop. Joshua, whether because of temperament or beliefs, did not fit in well with the Puritans of Boston and would likely have been branded a trouble maker, or worse, had not Roger Williams come to his rescue.
Roger, from his newly established home at Providence Plantation, wrote a letter to Gov. Winthrop asking to buy out the rest of Joshua's indentureship, and have Joshua come to Rhode Island. The governor agreed, and Joshua arrived in Rhode Island in 1638. By 1640 he was free of the indentured servant status and was a freeman, signing his name to the compact of 1640. He was granted house lot number 35, on what became South Main Street, in Providence and also acquired six acres of meadowland
Joshua married sometime before 1644, when his only son was born, but his wife's name has never been determined. After son Samuel was born, the couple had four more children, all daughters. Mrs. Winsor died in 1655 and we have no record that Joshua remarried. He died in 1679, which means he would have been affected and probably lost his home and all that was in it, during King Philip's War in 1675-1676. There is no record of church membership or attendance for Joshua. It is believed that he was buried on his own home lot, which means he returned to Providence and rebuilt his home.
I haven't found a copy of Joshua's will or estate, and we know nothing of his religious beliefs. We know he could sign his name, but we don't know how far his education extended. Did Roger Williams or his wife Mary Barnard tutor him informally? We don't know. Joshua's son, Samuel became a Baptist pastor so there was some indication that education was valued in the family. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall, as Joshua worked for Roger Williams. Did their conversations extend to religious beliefs and knowledge? As I said, I'd love to know!
The line of descent is:
Joshua Winsor-wife
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Williams
Samuel Winsor-Mercy Harding
Joseph Winsor-Deborah Mathewson
Lillis Winsor-Nathan Paine
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, November 3, 2015
Allen line: Thomas Gunn 1605-1681
First, there is a wonderful website with pages and pages of interestingly written information about our immigrant Thomas Gunn. It is at thomasgunnfamily.com/1st-generation/ and I urge my readers to read as much of that as they are willing to do. Not only does it give a lot of information about Thomas's life, but it also tells some compelling stories and gives a good background for many of our ancestors, not only Thomas Gunn. Compared to that narrative, this is a very condensed version.
It's believed that Thomas was born in 1605, possibly around the area of Dorset, England, but so far records have not turned up to document that. The 1605 date is given because John Winthrop Jr. treated Thomas in 1666 and said he was then a man of about 61 years of age. If Dorset was indeed the place of his birth, the most likely industries that he would have been involved in as a young man were either maritime, or sheep farming. Neither one showed much promise at the time economically, and Thomas may also have been a Puritan when he sailed for America.
It's not known for sure when Thomas came to America but "Great Migrations" gives him an immigration date of 1634. The Thomas Gunn site mentioned above says he came in 1629. At any rate, he would have been a young or youngish man when he came. He settled in Dorchester, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and was made a freeman there in 1635, meaning he was at least 21, of proper religious beliefs, and had property worth 20 pounds. He may not have been completely happy, because he soon joined Rev. Thomas Hooker's group and went to Connecticut in 1636, where he is recognized as one of the first founders of Windsor. He may have married before making the trek to Windsor, and his wife's name may have been Elizabeth. It has been suggested that her last name was Browne, but that seems to not have been proven yet.
Thomas and his wife had four or perhaps five children in Windsor. One or perhaps two daughters named Elizabeth died young. John, Mehitable, and Deborah survived into adulthood. Thomas was a respected man in Windsor as he raised his family. He frequently served on the petit jury, and was also several times either a defendant or a plaintiff in court cases. He moved on to Westfield, Massachusetts before 1669, and again helped establish a town in a wilderness.
Westfield was extremely fortunate during King Philip's War in 1675-1676 to have escaped a direct attack by the natives. Westfield had been told to send their women and children to Springfield for safety, and the town refused, deciding instead to stay, plant their crops, and keep vigilant watch.
Thomas would have been one of the soldiers at the town, as he did not ask until 1678 to be relieved of his militia duties due to his infirmities. He would have been 73 years old at the time, so we can infer that up to this time he had been healthy enough to satisfy his military obligations.
Thomas died at Westfield February 26, 1680/81. His wife had died in 1678. The estate was left to his son John with 5 shillings given to daughter Deborah. (Her husband, Timothy Thrall, had been given several parcels of land earlier). Daughter Mehitable received 20 pounds, with each of her four children receiving 5 pounds, and the balance went to son John. The estate was valued at 349 pounds, of which 254 pounds was the house and several parcels of land. Thomas had done well for himself.
I was unable to locate an occupation for Thomas, but we know that he farmed. If he had other interests or business ventures I have been unable to find them. He was another ancestor who worked hard, raised his family well, and helped build America, by helping to found two towns that still exist today.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Gunn-possibly Elizabeth
John Gunn-Mary Williams
Mary Gunn-Samuel Root
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root Jr.-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Their descendants
It's believed that Thomas was born in 1605, possibly around the area of Dorset, England, but so far records have not turned up to document that. The 1605 date is given because John Winthrop Jr. treated Thomas in 1666 and said he was then a man of about 61 years of age. If Dorset was indeed the place of his birth, the most likely industries that he would have been involved in as a young man were either maritime, or sheep farming. Neither one showed much promise at the time economically, and Thomas may also have been a Puritan when he sailed for America.
It's not known for sure when Thomas came to America but "Great Migrations" gives him an immigration date of 1634. The Thomas Gunn site mentioned above says he came in 1629. At any rate, he would have been a young or youngish man when he came. He settled in Dorchester, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and was made a freeman there in 1635, meaning he was at least 21, of proper religious beliefs, and had property worth 20 pounds. He may not have been completely happy, because he soon joined Rev. Thomas Hooker's group and went to Connecticut in 1636, where he is recognized as one of the first founders of Windsor. He may have married before making the trek to Windsor, and his wife's name may have been Elizabeth. It has been suggested that her last name was Browne, but that seems to not have been proven yet.
Thomas and his wife had four or perhaps five children in Windsor. One or perhaps two daughters named Elizabeth died young. John, Mehitable, and Deborah survived into adulthood. Thomas was a respected man in Windsor as he raised his family. He frequently served on the petit jury, and was also several times either a defendant or a plaintiff in court cases. He moved on to Westfield, Massachusetts before 1669, and again helped establish a town in a wilderness.
Westfield was extremely fortunate during King Philip's War in 1675-1676 to have escaped a direct attack by the natives. Westfield had been told to send their women and children to Springfield for safety, and the town refused, deciding instead to stay, plant their crops, and keep vigilant watch.
Thomas would have been one of the soldiers at the town, as he did not ask until 1678 to be relieved of his militia duties due to his infirmities. He would have been 73 years old at the time, so we can infer that up to this time he had been healthy enough to satisfy his military obligations.
Thomas died at Westfield February 26, 1680/81. His wife had died in 1678. The estate was left to his son John with 5 shillings given to daughter Deborah. (Her husband, Timothy Thrall, had been given several parcels of land earlier). Daughter Mehitable received 20 pounds, with each of her four children receiving 5 pounds, and the balance went to son John. The estate was valued at 349 pounds, of which 254 pounds was the house and several parcels of land. Thomas had done well for himself.
I was unable to locate an occupation for Thomas, but we know that he farmed. If he had other interests or business ventures I have been unable to find them. He was another ancestor who worked hard, raised his family well, and helped build America, by helping to found two towns that still exist today.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Gunn-possibly Elizabeth
John Gunn-Mary Williams
Mary Gunn-Samuel Root
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root Jr.-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Their descendants
Friday, October 10, 2014
Allen line: Peter Bulkeley, Puritan, pastor, and gateway immigrant
It's not often that I can "google" a known ancestor and find more information than I can use in a post. The added bonus is that there is even a portrait of Peter on the wikipedia site. I encourage anyone who wants to see what this ancestor looked like to go to that site. The article itself is quite interesting with a lot of good sources. There are books written about Peter Bulkeley and his descendents to the seventh generation, and about his ancestors. He is discussed in "The Great Migration" by the NEHGS. In other words, if you want to know more about Peter, you don't need to ask me. You can read what the experts have to say. Maybe you want just a brief snippet about him, though, and that I can provide.
Peter Bulkeley was born at Odell, Bedfordshire, England on January 31, 1582/1583 to Reverend Edward and Olive Irby Bulkeley. His father was a "faithful minister of the gospel". Peter was raised in a home that would have had regular religious education and encouragement. Peter must have been a very bright young man, for he graduated from St John's College, Cambridge with a BA in 1605 and an M.A. in 1608. He succeeded his father in becoming the rector of Odell, and served the church there from 1610-1635. His father had been a non-conformist, and Peter either "became" one or had always been a non-conformist at heart. By 1633 there were complaints about his preaching, and he was silenced by the archbishop for his unwillingness to conform with the requirements of the Anglican church. In 1634 he refulsed to wear a surplice or use the Sign of the Cross at a visitation, and was ejected from the parish.
By this time, he had married his first wife, Jane Allen, daughter of Thomas and Mary Fairclough Allen, had nine children with her (some lists give 12 children), and had buried her on December 8, 1626. He stayed a widower 9 years and in 1635 married Grace Chetwood, by whom he had 4 more children. The family came to New England in 1635, aboard the Susan and Ellen. He was ordained at Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1637 and went to Concord, Massachusetts as one of the first founders there.
He was known among Puritans for the "superlative stiffness of his Puritanism" and sat on the church trial of Anne Hutchinson. (Editorial sigh: He was what he was. I'm not sure growing up in his household would have been much fun.) He is also known as the author of one of the first books from New England, published in London, "The Gospel Covenant, or the Covenant of Grace Opened".
Peter died March 9, 1659, in Concord. He seems to have done rather well for himself, financially, having five houses already by 1635/1636. His estate left books to his oldest son, (having given him a significant gift at the time of the son's marriage), a farm, a mill, 120 acres in land, other small bequests, and 150 pounds to other of his children. When Grace Bulkeley sold the property in 1663, it included a dwelling house, outhouses, garden, orgard, pasture, a one hundred acre great lot, one hundred forty three acres of meadow (divided), two hundred acres in the hog pens, one hundred fifty acres by the cedar swamp, one hundred twelve acres of woodland, and twenty acres of commons.
Oh, the lineage. Frederick Lewis Weis in "Ancestral Roots" traces it back to William Longespee, illegitimate son of Henry II and Ida de Toeni or Tosny. The same book, if followed back 40 generations, takes him back to Cerdic, King of the West Saxons.
Tracing the line forward, here is our line of descent:
Peter Bulkeley-Jane Allen
Mary Bulkeley-John Williams
Mary Williams-John Gunne
Mary Gunne-Samuel Roote
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root Jr-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward F Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Update: No longer believed to be an ancestor, but I'm leaving this up in case it helps someone else.
Peter Bulkeley was born at Odell, Bedfordshire, England on January 31, 1582/1583 to Reverend Edward and Olive Irby Bulkeley. His father was a "faithful minister of the gospel". Peter was raised in a home that would have had regular religious education and encouragement. Peter must have been a very bright young man, for he graduated from St John's College, Cambridge with a BA in 1605 and an M.A. in 1608. He succeeded his father in becoming the rector of Odell, and served the church there from 1610-1635. His father had been a non-conformist, and Peter either "became" one or had always been a non-conformist at heart. By 1633 there were complaints about his preaching, and he was silenced by the archbishop for his unwillingness to conform with the requirements of the Anglican church. In 1634 he refulsed to wear a surplice or use the Sign of the Cross at a visitation, and was ejected from the parish.
By this time, he had married his first wife, Jane Allen, daughter of Thomas and Mary Fairclough Allen, had nine children with her (some lists give 12 children), and had buried her on December 8, 1626. He stayed a widower 9 years and in 1635 married Grace Chetwood, by whom he had 4 more children. The family came to New England in 1635, aboard the Susan and Ellen. He was ordained at Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1637 and went to Concord, Massachusetts as one of the first founders there.
He was known among Puritans for the "superlative stiffness of his Puritanism" and sat on the church trial of Anne Hutchinson. (Editorial sigh: He was what he was. I'm not sure growing up in his household would have been much fun.) He is also known as the author of one of the first books from New England, published in London, "The Gospel Covenant, or the Covenant of Grace Opened".
Peter died March 9, 1659, in Concord. He seems to have done rather well for himself, financially, having five houses already by 1635/1636. His estate left books to his oldest son, (having given him a significant gift at the time of the son's marriage), a farm, a mill, 120 acres in land, other small bequests, and 150 pounds to other of his children. When Grace Bulkeley sold the property in 1663, it included a dwelling house, outhouses, garden, orgard, pasture, a one hundred acre great lot, one hundred forty three acres of meadow (divided), two hundred acres in the hog pens, one hundred fifty acres by the cedar swamp, one hundred twelve acres of woodland, and twenty acres of commons.
Oh, the lineage. Frederick Lewis Weis in "Ancestral Roots" traces it back to William Longespee, illegitimate son of Henry II and Ida de Toeni or Tosny. The same book, if followed back 40 generations, takes him back to Cerdic, King of the West Saxons.
Tracing the line forward, here is our line of descent:
Peter Bulkeley-Jane Allen
Mary Bulkeley-John Williams
Mary Williams-John Gunne
Mary Gunne-Samuel Roote
Martin Root-Eunice Lamb
Martin Root Jr-Ruth Noble
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward F Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Update: No longer believed to be an ancestor, but I'm leaving this up in case it helps someone else.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Beeks line: Happy but confused dance for Jackson Wise
I'm learning that in the world of genealogy, when all else fails, "Think!" So I thought about brick wall Jackson Wise, and realized that although he died in 1893 in Wabash County, I didn't have a copy of his death certificate. Once I realized I was missing that important document, I bee-lined to Wabash County and spent a grand afternoon researching.
I am still reeling from the surprise that Jackson Wise's father was John Williams. His mother's name was not noted on the certificate, nor was the informant. Well, one out of three isn't bad, I guess. Jackson's 1880 census says that he was born in Ohio and his parents were born in Virginia, so that' a little bit of a clue.
I put a query out on the Wise Ancestry message board and was answered promptly by a very nice lady, who told me who she thinks John Williams might be. I need to do more research on this before I am comfortable with her ideas, but guess what I'll be doing today on-line, and also the next time I get to go to the Allen County Public Library. At least I have places and names to look at, and I am very thankful to Jayne for her help.
Right now, I have a name for Jackson's father and for that I am thrilled. But of course I want to know who his mother was, and how he came to have the last name of Wise. Was Wise his mother's name, and he was a "natural son" of John Williams? Was he adopted? Did he early in life take "Wise" as an alias for some reason? Does any reader have other ideas, of other possibilities?
While I was in Wabash, I looked for land records for Jackson, and found quite a few. I only had time to look up to about 1860, but in that short time frame (remember, he was in prison until 1854) there were several transactions involving Jackson, mostly centered in and around the little town of America. He seems at this point to be acquiring more than he is selling. I can't wait to go back to trace the land transactions further. I had the idea that he was poor, but in 1860 the census gives him $800 in real estate, which was more than just a little. I'd like to find out what he did manage to keep, and what happened to it.
Here's the line of descent:
John Williams and ??
Jackson Wise and Charity Bodkin
Mary Margaret Wise-William G Beeks
John Beeks-Elizabeth Wise (a different Wise line, we think)
Wilbur Beeks-Gretta Cleo Aldridge
Beeks children, grand children, great grandchildren, etc.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to Ancestry, FamilySearch, and various other websites!
I am still reeling from the surprise that Jackson Wise's father was John Williams. His mother's name was not noted on the certificate, nor was the informant. Well, one out of three isn't bad, I guess. Jackson's 1880 census says that he was born in Ohio and his parents were born in Virginia, so that' a little bit of a clue.
I put a query out on the Wise Ancestry message board and was answered promptly by a very nice lady, who told me who she thinks John Williams might be. I need to do more research on this before I am comfortable with her ideas, but guess what I'll be doing today on-line, and also the next time I get to go to the Allen County Public Library. At least I have places and names to look at, and I am very thankful to Jayne for her help.
Right now, I have a name for Jackson's father and for that I am thrilled. But of course I want to know who his mother was, and how he came to have the last name of Wise. Was Wise his mother's name, and he was a "natural son" of John Williams? Was he adopted? Did he early in life take "Wise" as an alias for some reason? Does any reader have other ideas, of other possibilities?
While I was in Wabash, I looked for land records for Jackson, and found quite a few. I only had time to look up to about 1860, but in that short time frame (remember, he was in prison until 1854) there were several transactions involving Jackson, mostly centered in and around the little town of America. He seems at this point to be acquiring more than he is selling. I can't wait to go back to trace the land transactions further. I had the idea that he was poor, but in 1860 the census gives him $800 in real estate, which was more than just a little. I'd like to find out what he did manage to keep, and what happened to it.
Here's the line of descent:
John Williams and ??
Jackson Wise and Charity Bodkin
Mary Margaret Wise-William G Beeks
John Beeks-Elizabeth Wise (a different Wise line, we think)
Wilbur Beeks-Gretta Cleo Aldridge
Beeks children, grand children, great grandchildren, etc.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to Ancestry, FamilySearch, and various other websites!
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