As I started this post, I had very little information about Nathaniel Hawes beyoun the basics. He is like many other second generation ancestors. The immigrants themselves may have quite a bit of information available about them, but these second generation folks are not so easily traceable. Well, we know who their parents are and usually vital records, but not much more than that. Such is the case with our Nathaniel.
He was born August 14, 1660 at Dedgam in Suffolk COunty, Massachusetts, and he died there October 18. 1714. His parents were Edward and Eleanor or Eliony Lombaard Hawes, and they were the immigrants. Nathaniel was one of at least nine children, so he had a lot of siblings. the Hawes family was probably in the lower half of Dedham residents, as far as economics go, so Nathaniel was probably let out at a young age to learn a trade. That trade eluded me until I saw his inventory. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
We don't know how or whether Nathaniel was involved in King Philip's War. He wasn't 15 yet when the war broke out, and by the time he turned 16, the war was winding down. We do know that Dedham was a gathering place for militia, and that quite a few men from Dedham were at the "Great Swamp Fight", but it is likely that Nathaniel stayed home to help protect this family.
At the age of 27, Nathaniel married Sarah Newell, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Curtis Newell, on March 29, 1688. Sarah was 22 at the time, so they would likely have been considered mature enough to marry and perhaps to set up their own household. Nathaniel and Sarah had eight children, and there was another daughter who apparently did not survive infancy. Of the eight, only one was a son, Nathaniel Jr., who was born in 1701, when there were already five girls. (Nathaniel Jr must have been one spoiled child, wouldn't you think?) Two more sisters were born after Nathaniel, to complete the family.
That's what we know of Nathaniel. We can draw some inferences that he was somewhat respected, because several of his daughters married into families that were important in Dedham history (Puffer, Bacon, Aldis). Nathaniel died October 14, 1714, when he was 54 years old.
And then, there's the inventory. It included two parcels on land, farm animals, wearing apparel, woodenware (a clue that the family was not weathy), books worth one pound (so he was literate), and, interesting to me, cooper's tools. So he built barrels or other wooden containers for liquids, most likely, to help increase the family income. This was a skill that he must have learned somewhere, perhaps as a young man when he may have been an apprentice or at least a laborer in someone's shop. Nathaniel left most of his estate to his wife, with the stipulation that when Nathaniel Jr. reached the age of 21 he would receive a double share, and the estate was to be given to his children when Sarah died or remarried.
Sarah did remarry, to Deacon Samuel Rocket or Rockwood) and she presented another inventory when the estate was closed out in 1720. I'm not sure whether the daughters had received their shares by then or not. The youngest daughter would have been just 13.
I'm glad to know that Nathaniel had a trade as well as a farm, orchard, and dwelling. I'm glad to know he had some books. I wish I knew more about him. I didn't locate his name as any kind of town office holder, and that is a little bit curious given the families his daughters married into. I need to do more research on that. I like to imagine Nathaniel as a cooper, making barrels or buckets or pails. I can smell the wood now, and can imagine what equipment he might have had. I'd like to hear his story about King Philip's War, though.
The line of descent is
Nathaniel Hawes-Sarah Newell
Elizabeth Hawes-Samuel Wilson
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Maary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Showing posts with label Wilson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wilson. Show all posts
Friday, February 21, 2020
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Holbrook line: Samuel Sumner 1638-who knows? Not what I expected to find!
Well, you never know. You just never know, and that's what makes genealogy so fascinating. Who would think that a man in his later fifties would just pull up stakes from Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and transport himself, his wife, and most of their thirteen children, mostly adults, to Dorchester, South Carolina? These kinds of surprises just keep me going.
To start at the beginning, Samuel Sumner was born May 18, 1638 in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony to William and Mary Swift Sumner. (Some sites list his mother as Mary West but I don't find evidence for that-yet.) He was one of at least seven children born to this couple, and he was raised to be a good Puritan.
Samuel married Rebecca Staples, daughter of John and Rebecca Borrobridge Staple, at Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, on March 7, 1659. The couple had thirteen children together, and were apparently faithful members of the church, There were two men from Dorchester named Samuel Sumner who went on the "Canada" expedition in 1690, under Captain John Worthington. One was a sergeant and one an ensign. One returned, one didn't. This expedition had tried to capture Quebec from the French but were not successful.
As good Puritans, Samuel and Rebecca were among those who went with Rev. Joseph Lord to the settlement they named Dorchester in what was then Berkeley County, South Carolina. They were dismissed from the church November 1, 1696, to go south. Assuming they left soon after, that might have been a rough trip, traveling south by ship in early winter. It's 962 miles by road so would probably have been further than that by boat. This was still hurricane season, so it is by God's mercy and grace that they made it safely.
It's not known why the New England church decided to start a daughter church in South Carolina. Perhaps they were aware that the Anglican church also wanted to develop the area. Maybe it was population pressure, where they were already running out of land in the New England Dorchester. It doesn't appear to be a church split at all. But Samuel, whose parents had pioneered in Dorchester, now became a pioneer and immigrant of sorts in South Carolina.
I don't know anything about his life in South Carolina, or his death. I found a tentative, undocumented death date for Rebecca of 1710. Life along the Ashley River would have been very different from Massachusetts, and there were many illnesses that took the lives of these early settlers, from smallpox to malaria to other southern fevers. They wouldn't have had much exposure to malaria or the other fevers in the north, so perhaps it was one of these diseases that took one or both of them.
I haven't yet found his will or inventory, nor anything that really states his occupation. However, whatever his occupation in the north, when he settled in South Carolina, he would have become a farmer first and foremost. Crops had to be raised, families needed to be fed. We aren't told, or at least I haven't found, what material assistance they may have been given by the church, to help feed them until the first crops came in. We do know that the settlement only lasted about 45 years. When it closed, some of the congregation moved south to Georgia, some stayed in place and some went back "home" to Massachusetts.
Samuel and Rebecca's daughter, Rebecca, had married Ephraim Wilson and they did not travel south with most of the family. So our line continued in New England but still, this is intriguing and unexpected 225 year old "news". You never know what you don't know until you find out you don't know it!
The line of descent is:
Samuel Sumner-Rebecca Staples
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun fact: This South Carolina settlement appears to be within a stone's throw of the home of my brother in law. Both have a Summerville, SC address now. We've been there, and didn't know of the family connection at the time.
To start at the beginning, Samuel Sumner was born May 18, 1638 in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony to William and Mary Swift Sumner. (Some sites list his mother as Mary West but I don't find evidence for that-yet.) He was one of at least seven children born to this couple, and he was raised to be a good Puritan.
Samuel married Rebecca Staples, daughter of John and Rebecca Borrobridge Staple, at Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, on March 7, 1659. The couple had thirteen children together, and were apparently faithful members of the church, There were two men from Dorchester named Samuel Sumner who went on the "Canada" expedition in 1690, under Captain John Worthington. One was a sergeant and one an ensign. One returned, one didn't. This expedition had tried to capture Quebec from the French but were not successful.
As good Puritans, Samuel and Rebecca were among those who went with Rev. Joseph Lord to the settlement they named Dorchester in what was then Berkeley County, South Carolina. They were dismissed from the church November 1, 1696, to go south. Assuming they left soon after, that might have been a rough trip, traveling south by ship in early winter. It's 962 miles by road so would probably have been further than that by boat. This was still hurricane season, so it is by God's mercy and grace that they made it safely.
It's not known why the New England church decided to start a daughter church in South Carolina. Perhaps they were aware that the Anglican church also wanted to develop the area. Maybe it was population pressure, where they were already running out of land in the New England Dorchester. It doesn't appear to be a church split at all. But Samuel, whose parents had pioneered in Dorchester, now became a pioneer and immigrant of sorts in South Carolina.
I don't know anything about his life in South Carolina, or his death. I found a tentative, undocumented death date for Rebecca of 1710. Life along the Ashley River would have been very different from Massachusetts, and there were many illnesses that took the lives of these early settlers, from smallpox to malaria to other southern fevers. They wouldn't have had much exposure to malaria or the other fevers in the north, so perhaps it was one of these diseases that took one or both of them.
I haven't yet found his will or inventory, nor anything that really states his occupation. However, whatever his occupation in the north, when he settled in South Carolina, he would have become a farmer first and foremost. Crops had to be raised, families needed to be fed. We aren't told, or at least I haven't found, what material assistance they may have been given by the church, to help feed them until the first crops came in. We do know that the settlement only lasted about 45 years. When it closed, some of the congregation moved south to Georgia, some stayed in place and some went back "home" to Massachusetts.
Samuel and Rebecca's daughter, Rebecca, had married Ephraim Wilson and they did not travel south with most of the family. So our line continued in New England but still, this is intriguing and unexpected 225 year old "news". You never know what you don't know until you find out you don't know it!
The line of descent is:
Samuel Sumner-Rebecca Staples
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun fact: This South Carolina settlement appears to be within a stone's throw of the home of my brother in law. Both have a Summerville, SC address now. We've been there, and didn't know of the family connection at the time.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Holbrook line: Ephraim Wilson 1656-1733,
OK. So here's another ancestor who lived through tough times, but of whom we know very little. I've ordered a book about the history of Dedham, Massachusetts because we have so many ancestors there, but it's not here yet. Perhaps it will tell us more about Ephraim and perhaps we will still not know much.
First, the name Ephraim is unusual. It was not carried down in our line; at least none of our later ancestors have that first name. It comes from the Old Testament; Ephraim was a child of Joseph and Asenath, and the patriarch of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Biblical names were frequently used by the Puritans of Massachusetts, and Ephraim's parent qualified in that regard.
Ephraim was a son of Henry and Mary Metcalf Wilson (sometimes spelled Willson), His parents, both immigrants, married in 1642 in Dedham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Ephraim was born in 1656, the last of their five children.
The first record I can find of Ephraim is during King Philip's War, when he was about 20 years old. He earned twelve shillings for serving under Captain Jacob in Medfield, where native Americans attacked and destroyed about half the town despite there being a relatively large garrison there. Because Ephraim's pay record is from June of 1676 and the attack occurred in February, it's possible that he was not there when the town was attacked, but was sent after the fact to guard against further attacks. Interestingly, the towns were responsible for paying the soldiers and then were reimbursed by the colony. So Ephraim's family, probably his father, received the pay and we don't know whether Ephraim received any of it or not. The family may have used it to help replace whatever income was lost to them when Ephraim left his job and went to war.
I don't know what kind of job Ephraim had. He didn't marry until 1681, when he married Rebecca Sumner, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Staples Sumner. They had at least five children together-Samuel, Rebecca, Nathaniel, John and Ephraim. Ephraim was a little older than was typical for the time and place, which could indicate that he was still busy establishing himself in his trade or on a farm prior to his marriage.
He died February 20, 1733, a few months short of 77 years. His stone is still standing and can be seen on his Find A Grave memorial. Unfortunately, I've not found a will or inventory for Ephraim. That could tell us a lot about what his occupation may have been, possibly his religion, perhaps items that would indicate a financial status. The likelihood is that he was a Puritan, that he was a farmer, and that he worked hard for a living. I can't wait till the Dedham book arrives to see if there are any gems there that will tell us more.
The line of descent is:
Ephraim Wilson-Rebecca Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
First, the name Ephraim is unusual. It was not carried down in our line; at least none of our later ancestors have that first name. It comes from the Old Testament; Ephraim was a child of Joseph and Asenath, and the patriarch of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Biblical names were frequently used by the Puritans of Massachusetts, and Ephraim's parent qualified in that regard.
Ephraim was a son of Henry and Mary Metcalf Wilson (sometimes spelled Willson), His parents, both immigrants, married in 1642 in Dedham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Ephraim was born in 1656, the last of their five children.
The first record I can find of Ephraim is during King Philip's War, when he was about 20 years old. He earned twelve shillings for serving under Captain Jacob in Medfield, where native Americans attacked and destroyed about half the town despite there being a relatively large garrison there. Because Ephraim's pay record is from June of 1676 and the attack occurred in February, it's possible that he was not there when the town was attacked, but was sent after the fact to guard against further attacks. Interestingly, the towns were responsible for paying the soldiers and then were reimbursed by the colony. So Ephraim's family, probably his father, received the pay and we don't know whether Ephraim received any of it or not. The family may have used it to help replace whatever income was lost to them when Ephraim left his job and went to war.
I don't know what kind of job Ephraim had. He didn't marry until 1681, when he married Rebecca Sumner, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Staples Sumner. They had at least five children together-Samuel, Rebecca, Nathaniel, John and Ephraim. Ephraim was a little older than was typical for the time and place, which could indicate that he was still busy establishing himself in his trade or on a farm prior to his marriage.
He died February 20, 1733, a few months short of 77 years. His stone is still standing and can be seen on his Find A Grave memorial. Unfortunately, I've not found a will or inventory for Ephraim. That could tell us a lot about what his occupation may have been, possibly his religion, perhaps items that would indicate a financial status. The likelihood is that he was a Puritan, that he was a farmer, and that he worked hard for a living. I can't wait till the Dedham book arrives to see if there are any gems there that will tell us more.
The line of descent is:
Ephraim Wilson-Rebecca Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Holbrook line: William Sumner, Immigrant
Sometimes there's not enough information about an ancestor to fill even a modest paragraph, and sometimes there is an overwhelming amount of information. I'd rather have the latter situation, and that is the case with William Sumner, immigrant during the Great Migration. We know who his parents were, we know who his wife was, we know his religion, we know his occupation and whether or not he was literate, we know where he settled, and we know his children.
His parents were Roger and Jane Franklin Sumner. Roger died in 1608, when William was about three years old, so he likely had a very limited recollection of his father. His mother married Marcus Brian a few years later, but he died in 1620. Roger was called a husbandman and William a yeoman, meaning they farmed. "Yeoman" is considered to be a higher economic status than husbandman, because a yeoman owned the land he farmed and a husbandman had just a lease on "his" land.
On October 22, 1625, William married Mary Swift, in Bicester, She was the sister of Thomas Swift but her parentage has not been determined. Four of the couple's seven children were born in England, but in 1634 William packed up his family, lock, stock and barrel, and traveled to Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he was in Dorchester by February of 1635, when he was allotted some marsh land. He probably arrived in 1634. He returned to England for a few months in 1649-1650 to handle some business related to his father's estaate, but other than that he stayed in Dorchester his whole life. I wonder if Mary told him "One and done"?
William and Mary (Maria) were admitted to the second Dorchester church on August 23, 1636 and WIlliam became a freeman on May 17, 1637. He was chosen as selectman of the town as early as 1637 and 1638, and then occasionally thereafter. Starting in 1661, he was a selectman more years than we was not, with the last selection in 1686. At various times he was also a deputy for Dorchester to the General Court, a livestock appraiser, the Dorchester commissioner to end small causes (sort of a justice of the peace), a lotlayer, fence viewer, bailiff, assessor, sergeant, and clerk of the trained company (militia). This man was heavily invested in public service.
William had a servant as early as 1636, because William Shepherd, servant to WIlliam Sumner, was to be whipped for stealing victuals from his master and beans from the Indians. The number of lashes is not indicated. We wonder if the family was having a hard time providing adequate food or whether Shepherd was trying to sell his ill-gotten goods. It could have been either scenario.
William acquired, both by grant and by purchase, several acres of land so that at his death in 1688 the land and house were appraised at 421 pounds. He also had 2 pounds of Bibles and books, and over 6 pounds worth of arms and ammunition. He may not have been considered wealthy, or even well to do, but he was certainly not counted among the poor of the town. At the time of his death, WIlliam had lived in Dorchester over 50 years. Mary preceded him in death, in 1676. There is no indication that she was killed in King Philip's War, and Dorchester was close enough to the coast that it seems more likely that she died a natural death.
I'd still love to know more about William, but my heart is happy knowing I have this much information. I'd love to be able to make these sketches zing, describing our ancestor's personality. I don't know if he had a sense of humor or was unrelentingly stern, and there is a lot more I'd like to know. But this information is a good starting point, and I am so glad to have it!
The line of descent is:
William Sumner-Mary Swift
Samuel Sumner-Rebecca Staples
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca WIlson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
His parents were Roger and Jane Franklin Sumner. Roger died in 1608, when William was about three years old, so he likely had a very limited recollection of his father. His mother married Marcus Brian a few years later, but he died in 1620. Roger was called a husbandman and William a yeoman, meaning they farmed. "Yeoman" is considered to be a higher economic status than husbandman, because a yeoman owned the land he farmed and a husbandman had just a lease on "his" land.
On October 22, 1625, William married Mary Swift, in Bicester, She was the sister of Thomas Swift but her parentage has not been determined. Four of the couple's seven children were born in England, but in 1634 William packed up his family, lock, stock and barrel, and traveled to Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he was in Dorchester by February of 1635, when he was allotted some marsh land. He probably arrived in 1634. He returned to England for a few months in 1649-1650 to handle some business related to his father's estaate, but other than that he stayed in Dorchester his whole life. I wonder if Mary told him "One and done"?
William and Mary (Maria) were admitted to the second Dorchester church on August 23, 1636 and WIlliam became a freeman on May 17, 1637. He was chosen as selectman of the town as early as 1637 and 1638, and then occasionally thereafter. Starting in 1661, he was a selectman more years than we was not, with the last selection in 1686. At various times he was also a deputy for Dorchester to the General Court, a livestock appraiser, the Dorchester commissioner to end small causes (sort of a justice of the peace), a lotlayer, fence viewer, bailiff, assessor, sergeant, and clerk of the trained company (militia). This man was heavily invested in public service.
William had a servant as early as 1636, because William Shepherd, servant to WIlliam Sumner, was to be whipped for stealing victuals from his master and beans from the Indians. The number of lashes is not indicated. We wonder if the family was having a hard time providing adequate food or whether Shepherd was trying to sell his ill-gotten goods. It could have been either scenario.
William acquired, both by grant and by purchase, several acres of land so that at his death in 1688 the land and house were appraised at 421 pounds. He also had 2 pounds of Bibles and books, and over 6 pounds worth of arms and ammunition. He may not have been considered wealthy, or even well to do, but he was certainly not counted among the poor of the town. At the time of his death, WIlliam had lived in Dorchester over 50 years. Mary preceded him in death, in 1676. There is no indication that she was killed in King Philip's War, and Dorchester was close enough to the coast that it seems more likely that she died a natural death.
I'd still love to know more about William, but my heart is happy knowing I have this much information. I'd love to be able to make these sketches zing, describing our ancestor's personality. I don't know if he had a sense of humor or was unrelentingly stern, and there is a lot more I'd like to know. But this information is a good starting point, and I am so glad to have it!
The line of descent is:
William Sumner-Mary Swift
Samuel Sumner-Rebecca Staples
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca WIlson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, May 3, 2019
Holbrook line: Abraham Newell abt 1581-1672 Immigrant
"Great Migration 1634-1635" by Robert Charles Anderson tells us almost everything we'd like to know about Abraham, except who his parents are, where he came from, the name of his wife, and whether or not he was in the military. On the military issue, I'm guessing probably not, as he was 50 years old when he arrived in Roxbury with his family, but I could be wrong about that. If he served, it would not have been for long, due to his age, but he probably was at least required to bear arms for a time.
Speculation (not by Anderson) is that he came from somewhere in Essex, but that is just a guess. We know that Abraham Newell was a tailor, and we know he arrived in Roxbury on the Frances of Ipswich, which sailed about April 30, 1634. He was admitted to the Roxbury church, where Rev. John Eliot taught, later that year as member 106, and was admitted as a freeman on March 4, 1634/5. His wife was admitted to the church in 1636 as member 154. It would be interesting to better understand the culture of Roxbury, as to why Abraham and his wife didn't join at the same time.
Abraham's wife is listed either as unknown or as Francis Foote, daughter of Robert and Joane Brooke Foote. The smoking gun evidence, as in documents, is so far lacking, but the arguments for this relationship are at least reasonable. Abraham may have been more than "just" a tailor, or else he had a head for business, even though he seems to have been illiterate (he always signed his name with a mark). He owned at least 10 pieces of property at one time. In the first inventory of land I found, taken sometime between 1636 and 1640, he already owned 22 acres. One wonders how Abraham supported his family and acquired so many land holdings, but perhaps we are limiting him by calling him a tailor. Perhaps he actually ran a shop and had people working under him, as "table monkeys" cutters, and finishers.
Abraham and possibly Francis had at least seven children together, including Jacob who was born on the voyage and Rebecca who was born at Roxbury. The family may have had one or more servants, because at one point his barn burned down and the blaze was said to have been started by "his girle". The house itself burned sometime prior to 1666, and his son Abraham built another house on the site.
His will and inventory give no hint of his occupation but by the time he died, shortly before June 21, 1672, he was about 91 years old. He may have disposed of his business, if such it was, by then. There were no weapons listed in his inventory, either, so perhaps he had passed whatever he had on to one of his sons by then. At his death, his estate was valued at just 23 pounds, 4 shillings, which did not include real estate. That had mostly already been given to his sons and son in law. "Old Mother Newell" lived until 1683 when she was "neere one hundred years old".
Aside from descriptions of the land he owned, this is pretty much what is known about Abraham Newell. The fact that he was so soon accepted into church membership and became a freeman so early signifies to me that he was known by other people in Roxbury, whether from his hometown or from shipboard friendships, or from Puritan church relationships. More than that is, again, speculation. At any rate, we can be proud of this tailor who came to America, got hit with some hard knocks here, and yet, survived to a good old age.
The line of descent is
Abraham Newell-Francis possibly Foote
Isaac Newell-Elizabeth Curtis
Sarah Newell-Nathaniel Hawes
Elizabeth Hawes-Samuel Wilson
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Speculation (not by Anderson) is that he came from somewhere in Essex, but that is just a guess. We know that Abraham Newell was a tailor, and we know he arrived in Roxbury on the Frances of Ipswich, which sailed about April 30, 1634. He was admitted to the Roxbury church, where Rev. John Eliot taught, later that year as member 106, and was admitted as a freeman on March 4, 1634/5. His wife was admitted to the church in 1636 as member 154. It would be interesting to better understand the culture of Roxbury, as to why Abraham and his wife didn't join at the same time.
Abraham's wife is listed either as unknown or as Francis Foote, daughter of Robert and Joane Brooke Foote. The smoking gun evidence, as in documents, is so far lacking, but the arguments for this relationship are at least reasonable. Abraham may have been more than "just" a tailor, or else he had a head for business, even though he seems to have been illiterate (he always signed his name with a mark). He owned at least 10 pieces of property at one time. In the first inventory of land I found, taken sometime between 1636 and 1640, he already owned 22 acres. One wonders how Abraham supported his family and acquired so many land holdings, but perhaps we are limiting him by calling him a tailor. Perhaps he actually ran a shop and had people working under him, as "table monkeys" cutters, and finishers.
Abraham and possibly Francis had at least seven children together, including Jacob who was born on the voyage and Rebecca who was born at Roxbury. The family may have had one or more servants, because at one point his barn burned down and the blaze was said to have been started by "his girle". The house itself burned sometime prior to 1666, and his son Abraham built another house on the site.
His will and inventory give no hint of his occupation but by the time he died, shortly before June 21, 1672, he was about 91 years old. He may have disposed of his business, if such it was, by then. There were no weapons listed in his inventory, either, so perhaps he had passed whatever he had on to one of his sons by then. At his death, his estate was valued at just 23 pounds, 4 shillings, which did not include real estate. That had mostly already been given to his sons and son in law. "Old Mother Newell" lived until 1683 when she was "neere one hundred years old".
Aside from descriptions of the land he owned, this is pretty much what is known about Abraham Newell. The fact that he was so soon accepted into church membership and became a freeman so early signifies to me that he was known by other people in Roxbury, whether from his hometown or from shipboard friendships, or from Puritan church relationships. More than that is, again, speculation. At any rate, we can be proud of this tailor who came to America, got hit with some hard knocks here, and yet, survived to a good old age.
The line of descent is
Abraham Newell-Francis possibly Foote
Isaac Newell-Elizabeth Curtis
Sarah Newell-Nathaniel Hawes
Elizabeth Hawes-Samuel Wilson
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, April 26, 2019
Holbrook line: Jeffrey Staple, Immigrant
You win some, you lose some. I started out planning to write about our immigrant ancestor John Staples, and in reviewing my information for him discovered that his father was actually here, too. So even though I don't have a lot of information about Jeffrey, I want to write about him. He was born probably about 1576, to Robert Staple and an as yet identified wife. Robert was from Halton, Buckinghamshire, England and it is believed that is where Jeffrey (also seen as Geoffrey) Staple (also seen as Staples or Stapless) was born.
Little is known of Jeffrey's life in England. Halton was a small village. In 1642, a few years after the family left for Massachusetts Bay, there were just 43 people who were taxed for "contributions" to Ireland, and it was still a very small village in the early nineteenth century. When his father died in 1601, he left Jeffery his lands in Wendover, 20 pounds and 20 sheep "along with the ones he already had", so Robert had some wealth about him, and Jeffrey raised sheep.
Jeffrey married Margery Chrismas on May 4, 1607 at Halton, when he was about 31 years old. We know he and Margery had seven children, some of whom were adults when the family decided to move to the New World. The last record found in England for Jeffrey was in 1632, when Thomas Martin of Halton left 6 pounds to Jeffrey Staple, his godson. (Judging by the 1642 tax list, six pounds must have been a significant sum for the family to come by).
Jeffrey seems to be one of the 80% or so of immigrants who seem to have left no record behind as to when he left England or arrived in the New World. We know that he and Margery buried a daughter at Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony on February 17, 1639/40. 100 families had come to Weymouth in 1635 under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Hull and it is possible that the family arrived then (my speculation only).
In a land inventory taken between 1642 and 1644, Jeffrey had 3 acres in the east field, "first given to himelfe", 6 acres in the further end of Harrises Rainges, "first given to himselfe", and 1/2 acre in the west field first given to Mr. Hull. To have acquired two plots of land, these must have been early grants or dividends, and the fact that Mr. Hill had owned the smallest parcel first shows that there may have been some sort of connection there, whether it was pastor to church member or something else.
Jeffrey, after having lived and worked in the New World for somewhere between 8 and 12 years, died at Weymouth shortly before March, 1647. His appraisal was done in March and totaled 34 pounds, 7 shillings and two pence. He had a house with 8 acres of land, but the only clue to his occupation was "workinge toolls". He also had goats and a calf, swine, and various household goods. Books were not mentioned. Margery lived until sometime after December 14, 1663, when she was mentioned as the "widow Staple" in town records.
In looking over the Weymouth town records, I noted several other names that are likely our ancestors, such as Holbrook and Kingman. It's neat how this all comes together, several generations down when Molly Wright married Amariah Holbrook!
(Most of the material in this post, but not quite all of it, came from the researh of Gail Staples and was published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 161. I added the bits and pieces about land ownershipm and the speculation that he was part of or close to the Rev. Joseph Hull group.)
The line of descent is:
Jeffrey Staple-Margery Christmas
John Staple-Rebecca possibly Borroridge
Rebecca Staples-Samuel Sumner
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Little is known of Jeffrey's life in England. Halton was a small village. In 1642, a few years after the family left for Massachusetts Bay, there were just 43 people who were taxed for "contributions" to Ireland, and it was still a very small village in the early nineteenth century. When his father died in 1601, he left Jeffery his lands in Wendover, 20 pounds and 20 sheep "along with the ones he already had", so Robert had some wealth about him, and Jeffrey raised sheep.
Jeffrey married Margery Chrismas on May 4, 1607 at Halton, when he was about 31 years old. We know he and Margery had seven children, some of whom were adults when the family decided to move to the New World. The last record found in England for Jeffrey was in 1632, when Thomas Martin of Halton left 6 pounds to Jeffrey Staple, his godson. (Judging by the 1642 tax list, six pounds must have been a significant sum for the family to come by).
Jeffrey seems to be one of the 80% or so of immigrants who seem to have left no record behind as to when he left England or arrived in the New World. We know that he and Margery buried a daughter at Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony on February 17, 1639/40. 100 families had come to Weymouth in 1635 under the leadership of Rev. Joseph Hull and it is possible that the family arrived then (my speculation only).
In a land inventory taken between 1642 and 1644, Jeffrey had 3 acres in the east field, "first given to himelfe", 6 acres in the further end of Harrises Rainges, "first given to himselfe", and 1/2 acre in the west field first given to Mr. Hull. To have acquired two plots of land, these must have been early grants or dividends, and the fact that Mr. Hill had owned the smallest parcel first shows that there may have been some sort of connection there, whether it was pastor to church member or something else.
Jeffrey, after having lived and worked in the New World for somewhere between 8 and 12 years, died at Weymouth shortly before March, 1647. His appraisal was done in March and totaled 34 pounds, 7 shillings and two pence. He had a house with 8 acres of land, but the only clue to his occupation was "workinge toolls". He also had goats and a calf, swine, and various household goods. Books were not mentioned. Margery lived until sometime after December 14, 1663, when she was mentioned as the "widow Staple" in town records.
In looking over the Weymouth town records, I noted several other names that are likely our ancestors, such as Holbrook and Kingman. It's neat how this all comes together, several generations down when Molly Wright married Amariah Holbrook!
(Most of the material in this post, but not quite all of it, came from the researh of Gail Staples and was published in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume 161. I added the bits and pieces about land ownershipm and the speculation that he was part of or close to the Rev. Joseph Hull group.)
The line of descent is:
Jeffrey Staple-Margery Christmas
John Staple-Rebecca possibly Borroridge
Rebecca Staples-Samuel Sumner
Rebecca Sumner-Ephraim Wilson
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Holbrook line" William Curtis, Immigrant 1592-1673
Full disclosure: Most of what I will write in this blog post is taken from "The Great Migration Begins" by Robert Charles Anderson. Most of the other information that I found on line, if not all of it, is also taken from Anderson's work, sometimes word for word. We are so grateful to Mr. Anderson for all the work he has done to tell us about the immigrant families, so we can claim those who are ours!
William Curtis was born before November 12, 1592, the date of his baptism, at Nazeing, Esex, England. He was the son of Tohams and Mary Camp urtis. He had four siblings, and the family likely grew up as Puritans as Nazeing was a center of Puritan activity in the early 1600s. William first married Margaret Rawlyns in London on December 3, 1615. She died at or very soon after the death of their son, William.
He then married, on August 6, 1618, Sarah Eliot, daughter of Bennet and Lettice Agar Eliot. She was the sister of Rev. John Eliot, known in New England as "The Apostle to the Indians". The family lived in England for 14 years after their marriage and had the first five of their children there, burying a daughter Elizabeth there. Little is known of their life in England, but presumably they were under the teaching of Rev. Eliot, and came to New England so they could practice their faith.
William and his wife and four children came to New England in 1632, where they promptly joined the Roxbury church. William is listed as member 37 and Sarah as member 38. He became a freeman on March 4, 1632/3. While in Roxbury, William and Sarah added three children to their family. Son William, born to Williams first wife, died in 1634.
William is described as a yeoman and had several parcels of land in Roxbury, where he lived his whole life. By a Roxbury land inventory (likely written for tax purposes), he had ten acres with a house, barn, and orchard, plus one acre of upland and meadow, three acres acquired in an exchange, and two acres and a rood of salt marsh. The only office that he held, (that Anderson located) was as a petit juror in 1637, so he was not deeply involved in the politics or governance of the town.
He had basically the same holdings when, in February 1669/70, he gave most of his estate to his youngest son, Isaac, on the condition that Isaac continue caring for his parents until both were gone. He gave 40 shillings each to son John Curtis and to son in law Isaac Newell. The other children had already had their gifts. William died December 9, 1670 and Sarah died March 27, 1672/3.
That's what is known of WIlliam Curtis. He seems to have stayed out of trouble, and to have supported his family and served his God. Several of his children married in the late 1650s and early 1660s, so presumably he lived to see grandchildren growing up in the New World. I hope he died a happy man,
The line of descent is:
William Curtis-Sarah Eliot
Elizabeth Curtis-Isaac Newell
Sarah Newell-Nathaniel Hawes
Elizabeth Hawes-Samuel Wilson
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
William Curtis was born before November 12, 1592, the date of his baptism, at Nazeing, Esex, England. He was the son of Tohams and Mary Camp urtis. He had four siblings, and the family likely grew up as Puritans as Nazeing was a center of Puritan activity in the early 1600s. William first married Margaret Rawlyns in London on December 3, 1615. She died at or very soon after the death of their son, William.
He then married, on August 6, 1618, Sarah Eliot, daughter of Bennet and Lettice Agar Eliot. She was the sister of Rev. John Eliot, known in New England as "The Apostle to the Indians". The family lived in England for 14 years after their marriage and had the first five of their children there, burying a daughter Elizabeth there. Little is known of their life in England, but presumably they were under the teaching of Rev. Eliot, and came to New England so they could practice their faith.
William and his wife and four children came to New England in 1632, where they promptly joined the Roxbury church. William is listed as member 37 and Sarah as member 38. He became a freeman on March 4, 1632/3. While in Roxbury, William and Sarah added three children to their family. Son William, born to Williams first wife, died in 1634.
William is described as a yeoman and had several parcels of land in Roxbury, where he lived his whole life. By a Roxbury land inventory (likely written for tax purposes), he had ten acres with a house, barn, and orchard, plus one acre of upland and meadow, three acres acquired in an exchange, and two acres and a rood of salt marsh. The only office that he held, (that Anderson located) was as a petit juror in 1637, so he was not deeply involved in the politics or governance of the town.
He had basically the same holdings when, in February 1669/70, he gave most of his estate to his youngest son, Isaac, on the condition that Isaac continue caring for his parents until both were gone. He gave 40 shillings each to son John Curtis and to son in law Isaac Newell. The other children had already had their gifts. William died December 9, 1670 and Sarah died March 27, 1672/3.
That's what is known of WIlliam Curtis. He seems to have stayed out of trouble, and to have supported his family and served his God. Several of his children married in the late 1650s and early 1660s, so presumably he lived to see grandchildren growing up in the New World. I hope he died a happy man,
The line of descent is:
William Curtis-Sarah Eliot
Elizabeth Curtis-Isaac Newell
Sarah Newell-Nathaniel Hawes
Elizabeth Hawes-Samuel Wilson
Rebekah Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Holbrook line: Henry Wilson, Immigrant
Henry Wilson is supposed to have come from Kent, England but that is as much as I know about his early life. I'm not sure on what basis the claim is made but it is in very old town records, old enough that he himself may have been the source of the information, or if not, then one of his children likely gave the information. But I can't pin it down further than that. "Henry Wilson" os a common name, not quite as bad as John Smith, but still...
We don't know when he was born but he was accepted into the church at Dedham, Massachusetts in 1640 and became a freeman shortly after that. As a round number, let's guess 1615, and it may have been a few years earlier. He died in 1688 so that gives room for an earlier birth date. It wouldn't have been much later than 1616 because generally men had to be 24 to become a freeman, although this may have varied from colony to colony. His wife, Mary, was born in 1619, the daughter of Michael and Sarah Elwyn Metcalf. Henry and Mary were married at Dedham November 24, 1642.
We don't know much of Henry's life. He seems to have been a congenial fellow because when there was a slight problem with a piece of land he had been given, he cheerfully "laid it down" and willingly took the piece of land he was given in its stead. I found one reference to Dedham's founding as being intended to be "Utopian" in 1636 and perhaps people there were just relatively easy to like.
Henry was given or acquired several pieces of land, for meadow and upland and a house "lott", and in 1656 he had six cow common rights, 3 sheep common rights, 7 "divident" acres, plus 1/2 of another acre and 28 roodes As an early settler, he likely attended church on a regular basis, farmed a little, and perhaps had another trade also, although I found no hint of what that might be.
Henry and Mary had at least five children together, all born in Dedham. Mary died May 5, 1676 and Henry died February 8, 1688/89. I was unable to locate a will or an inventory, or any kind of probate, but presumably there is one still waiting to be found. Perhaps that will tell us more about his life. Were there some kind of trade tools listed? Books? Land? We know that he lived long enough to see Ephraim married, and that must have brought him joy. I hope that one day, we will learn more about his life, but for now, we know he came to America, he was a "church man" who apparently stayed out of trouble and got along with his neighbors, and he raised a family. That is reason enough to honor him.
The line of descent is:
Henry Wilson-Mary Metcalf
Ephraim Wilson-Rebekah Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
We don't know when he was born but he was accepted into the church at Dedham, Massachusetts in 1640 and became a freeman shortly after that. As a round number, let's guess 1615, and it may have been a few years earlier. He died in 1688 so that gives room for an earlier birth date. It wouldn't have been much later than 1616 because generally men had to be 24 to become a freeman, although this may have varied from colony to colony. His wife, Mary, was born in 1619, the daughter of Michael and Sarah Elwyn Metcalf. Henry and Mary were married at Dedham November 24, 1642.
We don't know much of Henry's life. He seems to have been a congenial fellow because when there was a slight problem with a piece of land he had been given, he cheerfully "laid it down" and willingly took the piece of land he was given in its stead. I found one reference to Dedham's founding as being intended to be "Utopian" in 1636 and perhaps people there were just relatively easy to like.
Henry was given or acquired several pieces of land, for meadow and upland and a house "lott", and in 1656 he had six cow common rights, 3 sheep common rights, 7 "divident" acres, plus 1/2 of another acre and 28 roodes As an early settler, he likely attended church on a regular basis, farmed a little, and perhaps had another trade also, although I found no hint of what that might be.
Henry and Mary had at least five children together, all born in Dedham. Mary died May 5, 1676 and Henry died February 8, 1688/89. I was unable to locate a will or an inventory, or any kind of probate, but presumably there is one still waiting to be found. Perhaps that will tell us more about his life. Were there some kind of trade tools listed? Books? Land? We know that he lived long enough to see Ephraim married, and that must have brought him joy. I hope that one day, we will learn more about his life, but for now, we know he came to America, he was a "church man" who apparently stayed out of trouble and got along with his neighbors, and he raised a family. That is reason enough to honor him.
The line of descent is:
Henry Wilson-Mary Metcalf
Ephraim Wilson-Rebekah Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Holbrook line: Edward Hawes, Immigrant
I;m writing this post more as a plea for help than as an imparter of information Edmund Hawes is a most confusing man. There may have been two, or even three, Edmund Hawes, so you can understand my confusion, I hope. The Edmund Hawes who interests us in the one who died in Dedham,Norfolk, Massachusetts on June 28, 1686, It's frequently stated that he was buried in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Massachusetts but this must have been a different Edmund Hawes. Ours was consistently in Dedham and not in Yarmouth. There are records in existence that, when looked at side by side, show Hawes to have been in both localities at the same time. The evidence is pretty clear that our Edmund came to Dedham and stayed there.
So, we don't know the age or birthdate or parents of our Edmund, for sure. It is believed that he came from Solhull, Warwickshire, England and that his parents may have been Edmund Hawes and Jane Porter. We do know he married Eleanor Lombard (otherwise know as Eliony Lumber) in 1648 in Dedham. Edmund may have been a cutler and he was surely a farmer. He signed petitions regarding town limits and agreements with native Americans (dispute as to whether or not Indians had actually sold the land, apparently. It was a question to be debated for the next two hundred or so years, all across the frontier as the frontier moved west),
We know that Edmund and Eleanor had at least nine children. We know Edmund was a prosperous farmer, which is a good thing, given the size of his family. The author of a speech presented in 1895 to the "Genealogical and Biographical Society of New York City" believed that Edmund was a good Puritan, based on the Biblical names of each of the children. He referred to finding Edmund's name on tax rates, and on land transactions, and as a woodreeve and a fence viewer. A woodreeve is defined as being the overseer of a forest, and a fence viewer required landowners to keep their fences in good condition. It is likely that Hawes also had to participate in some sort of militia, whether it was a training band or something more informal.
Edward Hawes was the salt of the earth kind of guy, I think. He didn't get into trouble with the law, he paid his taxes and he participated in the town meetings, signing petitions as needed. He was likely less younger then 50 when he died, and Eleanor must have had quite a time with 9 young ones, born from 1648 to probably close to the time Edward died. Eleanor died about four years later, but I don't know what became of the children. Neither have I found a will or administration papers.
This isn't much of a sketch for an ancestor who could well have thousands of descendants. It tells the bare minimum. The only hint we have that he could read or write is that he signed his name on the petition papers previously mentioned, but he left us a legacy never the less. He was a hard working, God fearing man and we can honor him by trying to learn more about him.
The line of descent is
Edward Hawes-Eleanor Lombard
Nathaniel Hawes-Sarah Newell
Elizabeth Hawes-Samuel Wilson
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
So, we don't know the age or birthdate or parents of our Edmund, for sure. It is believed that he came from Solhull, Warwickshire, England and that his parents may have been Edmund Hawes and Jane Porter. We do know he married Eleanor Lombard (otherwise know as Eliony Lumber) in 1648 in Dedham. Edmund may have been a cutler and he was surely a farmer. He signed petitions regarding town limits and agreements with native Americans (dispute as to whether or not Indians had actually sold the land, apparently. It was a question to be debated for the next two hundred or so years, all across the frontier as the frontier moved west),
We know that Edmund and Eleanor had at least nine children. We know Edmund was a prosperous farmer, which is a good thing, given the size of his family. The author of a speech presented in 1895 to the "Genealogical and Biographical Society of New York City" believed that Edmund was a good Puritan, based on the Biblical names of each of the children. He referred to finding Edmund's name on tax rates, and on land transactions, and as a woodreeve and a fence viewer. A woodreeve is defined as being the overseer of a forest, and a fence viewer required landowners to keep their fences in good condition. It is likely that Hawes also had to participate in some sort of militia, whether it was a training band or something more informal.
Edward Hawes was the salt of the earth kind of guy, I think. He didn't get into trouble with the law, he paid his taxes and he participated in the town meetings, signing petitions as needed. He was likely less younger then 50 when he died, and Eleanor must have had quite a time with 9 young ones, born from 1648 to probably close to the time Edward died. Eleanor died about four years later, but I don't know what became of the children. Neither have I found a will or administration papers.
This isn't much of a sketch for an ancestor who could well have thousands of descendants. It tells the bare minimum. The only hint we have that he could read or write is that he signed his name on the petition papers previously mentioned, but he left us a legacy never the less. He was a hard working, God fearing man and we can honor him by trying to learn more about him.
The line of descent is
Edward Hawes-Eleanor Lombard
Nathaniel Hawes-Sarah Newell
Elizabeth Hawes-Samuel Wilson
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 15, 2019
Holbrook line: Michael Metcalf, Immigrant
Michael Metcalf is one of several ancestors who are "new" to me, found when I finally broke through the Molly Wright Holbrook brick wall I've had for many years When I started researching him, I found that he's an interesting man who came to New England with his wife, nine (!) children, and a servant. More than that, there is some information about him prior to his coming to New England, which is a bit unusual.
It is not certain who Michael's father was. Many genealogists think his father was the Rev. Leonard Metcalf. Others think that Leonard was probably is uncle. Regardless, we know that he was born at Tatterford, Norfolk, England sometime between 1586 and 1591, depending on which argument you believe.
Facts that seem to be documented are that he came from a fairly substantial family, probably Puritan, and that his occupation was a dornix (tapestry) weaver. One article said that he owned a cloth factory in Norwich that employed 100 people He was made a freeman there on June 21, 1618. He married Sarah Elwyn, the daughter of Thomas Elwyn and Elizabeth Benslye on October 13, 1616.
Perhaps because Michael was a factory owner, he caught the attention of the Star Court run by Bishop Wren, and suffered persecution because of his religious beliefs. Finally, in 1636 he decided to leave for the New World. He may have actually left then by himself but been driven back to England by bad weather. The following year, he and his wife and 9 surviving children (two had died young) came to America. The faily almost immediately went to Dedham, where he was admitted a townsman in 1637, admitted to the church in 1639, and was a selectman in 1641. He was also a schoolmaster, which indicates he must have had considerable schooling in England.
Sarah died November 10, 1644, when her youngest child was 9 years old. Michael needed a wife, and soon married the widow Mary Pigge, who had several children of her own It must have been quite a household. Michael died December 27, 1664, leaving land and books to his sons and varying monetary amounts to his daughters, and to one of Mary's daughters. Probably those who got the lesser amounts had already received dowry gifts. I didn't find a copy of the appraisal of the estate, and I also didn't find anything that clearly states an occupation in Dedham. Michael did own a clay pit, used for brick making, but I have no idea whether this, along with farming for the family, was enough to support them
I want to do more research about Michael, particularly to learn more about his religious life at Dedham, why he became a schoolmaster at age 70 or so, and what his occupation was here There may be more stories, too, waiting to be uncovered.
The line of descent is:
Michael Metcalf-Sarah Elwyn
Mary Metcalf-Henry Wilson
Ephraim Wilson-Rebecca Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Wright-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
It is not certain who Michael's father was. Many genealogists think his father was the Rev. Leonard Metcalf. Others think that Leonard was probably is uncle. Regardless, we know that he was born at Tatterford, Norfolk, England sometime between 1586 and 1591, depending on which argument you believe.
Facts that seem to be documented are that he came from a fairly substantial family, probably Puritan, and that his occupation was a dornix (tapestry) weaver. One article said that he owned a cloth factory in Norwich that employed 100 people He was made a freeman there on June 21, 1618. He married Sarah Elwyn, the daughter of Thomas Elwyn and Elizabeth Benslye on October 13, 1616.
Perhaps because Michael was a factory owner, he caught the attention of the Star Court run by Bishop Wren, and suffered persecution because of his religious beliefs. Finally, in 1636 he decided to leave for the New World. He may have actually left then by himself but been driven back to England by bad weather. The following year, he and his wife and 9 surviving children (two had died young) came to America. The faily almost immediately went to Dedham, where he was admitted a townsman in 1637, admitted to the church in 1639, and was a selectman in 1641. He was also a schoolmaster, which indicates he must have had considerable schooling in England.
Sarah died November 10, 1644, when her youngest child was 9 years old. Michael needed a wife, and soon married the widow Mary Pigge, who had several children of her own It must have been quite a household. Michael died December 27, 1664, leaving land and books to his sons and varying monetary amounts to his daughters, and to one of Mary's daughters. Probably those who got the lesser amounts had already received dowry gifts. I didn't find a copy of the appraisal of the estate, and I also didn't find anything that clearly states an occupation in Dedham. Michael did own a clay pit, used for brick making, but I have no idea whether this, along with farming for the family, was enough to support them
I want to do more research about Michael, particularly to learn more about his religious life at Dedham, why he became a schoolmaster at age 70 or so, and what his occupation was here There may be more stories, too, waiting to be uncovered.
The line of descent is:
Michael Metcalf-Sarah Elwyn
Mary Metcalf-Henry Wilson
Ephraim Wilson-Rebecca Sumner
Samuel Wilson-Elizabeth Hawes
Rebecca Wilson-Jonathan Wright
Molly Wright-Amariah Holbrook
Nahum Wright-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, June 1, 2018
Holbrook line: Thomas Wilson Immigrant
Thomas Wilson, among other things, is one of the very few reasons I have to research in New Hampshire. Fortunately, some of his records, including his will, are in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, which simplifies research somewhat. It also complicates research. Where do I go to research?
I'd really not paid any attention at all to this name in the Holbrook tree, probably because I dreaded going into another state. What I'm finding is that he has a story to tell, even if, as usual, the story begins "in the middle".
It seems to be accepted that his father's name was William and his mother's name was Anne. One William has been suggested as his father, born in 1578 in Dunnington, Lincolnshire, England. I'm not willing to say for certain whether these folks were or were not his parents, so I have no additional information for Thomas as far as his English origins go.
We do, however, know that he arrived at Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony during the "Great Migration", which means his life in America has been researched. He arrived in the Colonies in 1633 and was made a freeman Maaay 14, 1634. It seems that he came to America with his wife, Anne, who may have been Anne Frieston, and three children. Humfrey, Samuel, and Joshua were on the ship with him and daughters Deborah and then Lidia were born during the Roxbury years.
The family lost their home and all their belongings in a house fire, apparently while they will lived in Roxbury. Thomas and family left Roxbury in 1638 and helped establish and then settle the town which became known as Exeter. Thomas left Roxbury with Rev. John Wheelwright, who had been excommunicated because he espoused some of the same doctrines as his sister in law, Anne Hutchinson. Thomas was also ex-communicated by the church in Roxbury, but later repented of his "heresies" and was accepted back into the church.
Thomas was a miller, or a millwright, or both. He built the first grist mill in Exeter, on land that was given him on an island in the river, and built at least one bridge so that people could more easily bring their grain to him to be ground. He was "ruler", or head of the town civil government, in 1642 but died by September 20, 1643, when his will was proved. His widow was to be provided for during the time of her widowhood, and the younger children were to receive 10 pounds each at the age of 21 or at their marriage. Oldest son Humfrey was to receive the land and house, (he also took over the mill). From this, he must have been at least 21 at the time, and some have drawn the conclusion that Humfrey was a son of an earlier marariage. It's possible, but there is no evidence one way or the other.
His widow remarried in 1644, to John Legat or Leggett, so the youngest children grew up with a step-father.
Thomas is interesting, not just because he went to New Hampshire, but because he seems to have been a true seeker of God, and eventually decided that the Puritan church was the best church. Generally when one was ex-communicated, the social pressure was intense to return to the church, but Thomas seems to have had a genuine change of heart. He was also a clever man, to build and operate a grist mill in the wilderness that was Exeter. And he was brave, because this was wilderness and the native tribes may not have taken well to the sale of their lands for the purpose of building a town.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Wilson-Anne
Deborah Wilson-John Warren
Mary Warren-John Burr
Mary Burr-Thomas Marsh
Deborah Marsh-Isaac Lazell
Deborah Lazell-Levi Rockwood
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
I'd really not paid any attention at all to this name in the Holbrook tree, probably because I dreaded going into another state. What I'm finding is that he has a story to tell, even if, as usual, the story begins "in the middle".
It seems to be accepted that his father's name was William and his mother's name was Anne. One William has been suggested as his father, born in 1578 in Dunnington, Lincolnshire, England. I'm not willing to say for certain whether these folks were or were not his parents, so I have no additional information for Thomas as far as his English origins go.
We do, however, know that he arrived at Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony during the "Great Migration", which means his life in America has been researched. He arrived in the Colonies in 1633 and was made a freeman Maaay 14, 1634. It seems that he came to America with his wife, Anne, who may have been Anne Frieston, and three children. Humfrey, Samuel, and Joshua were on the ship with him and daughters Deborah and then Lidia were born during the Roxbury years.
The family lost their home and all their belongings in a house fire, apparently while they will lived in Roxbury. Thomas and family left Roxbury in 1638 and helped establish and then settle the town which became known as Exeter. Thomas left Roxbury with Rev. John Wheelwright, who had been excommunicated because he espoused some of the same doctrines as his sister in law, Anne Hutchinson. Thomas was also ex-communicated by the church in Roxbury, but later repented of his "heresies" and was accepted back into the church.
Thomas was a miller, or a millwright, or both. He built the first grist mill in Exeter, on land that was given him on an island in the river, and built at least one bridge so that people could more easily bring their grain to him to be ground. He was "ruler", or head of the town civil government, in 1642 but died by September 20, 1643, when his will was proved. His widow was to be provided for during the time of her widowhood, and the younger children were to receive 10 pounds each at the age of 21 or at their marriage. Oldest son Humfrey was to receive the land and house, (he also took over the mill). From this, he must have been at least 21 at the time, and some have drawn the conclusion that Humfrey was a son of an earlier marariage. It's possible, but there is no evidence one way or the other.
His widow remarried in 1644, to John Legat or Leggett, so the youngest children grew up with a step-father.
Thomas is interesting, not just because he went to New Hampshire, but because he seems to have been a true seeker of God, and eventually decided that the Puritan church was the best church. Generally when one was ex-communicated, the social pressure was intense to return to the church, but Thomas seems to have had a genuine change of heart. He was also a clever man, to build and operate a grist mill in the wilderness that was Exeter. And he was brave, because this was wilderness and the native tribes may not have taken well to the sale of their lands for the purpose of building a town.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Wilson-Anne
Deborah Wilson-John Warren
Mary Warren-John Burr
Mary Burr-Thomas Marsh
Deborah Marsh-Isaac Lazell
Deborah Lazell-Levi Rockwood
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, October 13, 2017
Holbrook line: John Warren 1585-1667 Immigrant
Oh, there is nothing like a documented immigrant ancestor! It's exciting to find one, it's exciting to find a little bit of his story, but it's frustrating too because for almost every fact fount I have more questions. Our John has at least three more generations in back of him in England, so it's fun to note his background, instead of having guesses and suppositions.
John Warren was born shortly before August 1, 1585 (baptismal date) in Nayland, Suffolk, England. His parents were John and Elizabeth Scarlett Warren. John the father was a cardmaker. Given his location and the amount of wool that was produced there, I believe he made equipment for carding wool, not playing cards. The town is a small one, on the border with Sussex, and in the 1600's was a center for Puritan dissenters, at least for a time.
John's mother died about March 27, 1602.3 and his father then married Rose, who was buried August 11, 1610, and then married Rose Riddlesdale, who outlived him. John the father died in 1613, when our John was 28 years old. Our John was also a cardmaker, and earned enough of a living to marry Margaret who has been identified as Margaret Bayly They had at least seven children. The first three died as infants or young children, but when John and Margaret came to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, they had their four youngest children with them.
John was already in trouble with the Church of England in 1629, when he failed to kneel for communion. Since there were several other men who also failed to do this, it is not likely that he had bad knees As Puritans, the men had decided that kneeling to receive communion was not appropriate. This seemed like a good time to leave England . The family came with Winthrop's fleet in 1630, but I'm not able to confirm whether or not they came on the Arbella, the flag ship of the fleet. At any rate, they sailed with a number of good Puritans.
John was made a freeman at Watertown, Massachusetts, on May 18, 1631, although he may not have been a member of the church. Church attendance was mandatory and he was fined several times for frequent absences from service. There is some speculation that although he immigrated with and lived with Puritans, he was actually a Baptist at heart, or possibly a Quaker. If he had admitted either of these leanings publicly, he would have been exiled, and perhaps he was already feeling his age.
John prospered in his new country, acquiring significant tracts of land by grant and it's possible he also purchased some property. He was a selectman for at least two terms and also served on committees to lay out highways and to divide land, jobs meant for wise people. He still owned 188 acres of land in various parcels when he died. His real estate was then valued at 123 pounds and the rest of the estate was valued at a little over 47 pounds. His inventory still included a musket, sword, and halberd. These items were required of all men in case of attack, although by his death on December 13, 1667, he was 82 years old and would likely have been excused from military duty for some years. Margaret had died 5 years before, on November 6, 1662.
These are the basic facts about John Warren. I'd love to know more about him, especially his religious beliefs, and how he supported his family once he arrived in America. Surely there wasn't that much of a demand for cardmakers in the early years of the colony. There were books in his inventory so we can assume he was literate. What was the source of his education? As I said, the information we do have is wonderful but I'd like to know more!
The line of descent is:
John Warren-Margaret possibly Bayly
John Warren-Deborah Wilson
Mary Warren-John Burr
Mary Burr-Thomas Marsh
Deborah Marsh-Isaac Lazell
Deborah Lazell-Levi Rockwood
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Update. Although the blog post itself may be accurate, this John Warren is no longer thought to be the father of the John Warren who married Deborah Wilson. The John Warren who married Deborah Wilson married her in Exeter, N.H. He is supposed to be a cardmaker and a tobacconist, but I don't have enough information to write a post about him, as yet. The important thing is that John and Margaret don't appear to be our ancestors. I am sorry to have misled you.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Harshbarger line: Charles Bennett about 1730-1818
Charles Bennett is another mystery. He is, so far, the head of the family only because it seems that no one has traced him back any further. He is believed to have been born about 1730, because we know he married in 1753. It is possible that this is the Charles Bennett who was apprenticed to Samuel Howard in 1742, in what became Harford County Maryland but was at the time Baltimore County That Charles Bennett's mother's name was Mary. This indicates that the father of Charles was dead, since generally it was the father's name who would show in the records. So far, the only Bennett that I've found who had a wife Mary was Peter Bennett of Talbot County, Md., who died in 1729. I've not read the will nor done any further research on him, but it's a possible lead.
So, the first we really know of Charles Bennett is that he married Martha Collins on September 11, 1753 at St. John's Parish, Baltimore County, Md. There was a St John's Parish in what became Harford County, so it's possible that this is where Charles Bennett lived and where his bride lived also. Martha Collins is another person who either hasn't been researched or is playing hide and seek with those who are trying to find her.
Charles and Martha had 11 children together, so we know that Martha was a strong woman. They moved several times to improve their lives and that of their children. The first three children were born in St. John's Parish between 1755 and 1758. The rest of the children were born "elsewhere". We lose sight of the family for awhile. It has been stated that Charles was a soldier in Dunmore's War, which took place in 1774 and meant he was likely somewhere in Virginia at the time. This was a war with the native Americans and took place mainly in what is now Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. From wherever he was living when the war took place, he may have had the opportunity to see "points west". He had land surveyed in 1775 about five miles from the Mononagahela River, on the slopes of Chestnut Ridge, and he and his family lived there until 1806.
In 1806, Charles and Martha sold 100 acres on both sides of Coburns Creek in Monongalia County for $350 Virginia money, and moved to Scioto County, Ohio, with most of his children. Charles would have been about 76 years of age at this time, and Martha not much younger. They lived a few more years, with Martha dying in 1815 and Charles in 1818. They are presumed to be buried at Squire Cemetery, Scioto County, Ohio.
The line of descent is:
Charles Bennett-Martha Collins
Caleb Bennett- Ann Catherine Wilson
Solomon Eliot Bennett-Margaret Farmer
Mary Bennett-John Harter
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendents
Note: I would be very glad if someone could explain to me why there are notes that Caleb died in 1851 leaving only nephews and nieces. Were there two Caleb Bennetts, and if so, does our Caleb Bennett belong to Charles? It is possible that the history as presented here is not correct, even though I have seen it stated as so many times, the evidence seems to indicate it is correct, and it seems to make sense. I'd be happy to hear from someone who is more in the know than I am!
Update 6/19/2015. I am pretty well convinced that our Caleb, who is the father of Solomon, is NOT the son of Charles. I am leaving this post up, despite being red-faced about my error, because it may help someone else. I am now on the trail of Caleb Bennett of Miami County, Ohio. His known children are Abraham, William, Solomon, Joshua, George, Caleb, James, and possibly John, Isaac, Thomas, Martha, Anna, Phoebe and Catherine.
So, the first we really know of Charles Bennett is that he married Martha Collins on September 11, 1753 at St. John's Parish, Baltimore County, Md. There was a St John's Parish in what became Harford County, so it's possible that this is where Charles Bennett lived and where his bride lived also. Martha Collins is another person who either hasn't been researched or is playing hide and seek with those who are trying to find her.
Charles and Martha had 11 children together, so we know that Martha was a strong woman. They moved several times to improve their lives and that of their children. The first three children were born in St. John's Parish between 1755 and 1758. The rest of the children were born "elsewhere". We lose sight of the family for awhile. It has been stated that Charles was a soldier in Dunmore's War, which took place in 1774 and meant he was likely somewhere in Virginia at the time. This was a war with the native Americans and took place mainly in what is now Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. From wherever he was living when the war took place, he may have had the opportunity to see "points west". He had land surveyed in 1775 about five miles from the Mononagahela River, on the slopes of Chestnut Ridge, and he and his family lived there until 1806.
In 1806, Charles and Martha sold 100 acres on both sides of Coburns Creek in Monongalia County for $350 Virginia money, and moved to Scioto County, Ohio, with most of his children. Charles would have been about 76 years of age at this time, and Martha not much younger. They lived a few more years, with Martha dying in 1815 and Charles in 1818. They are presumed to be buried at Squire Cemetery, Scioto County, Ohio.
The line of descent is:
Charles Bennett-Martha Collins
Caleb Bennett- Ann Catherine Wilson
Solomon Eliot Bennett-Margaret Farmer
Mary Bennett-John Harter
Clara Harter-Emmanuel Harshbarger
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendents
Note: I would be very glad if someone could explain to me why there are notes that Caleb died in 1851 leaving only nephews and nieces. Were there two Caleb Bennetts, and if so, does our Caleb Bennett belong to Charles? It is possible that the history as presented here is not correct, even though I have seen it stated as so many times, the evidence seems to indicate it is correct, and it seems to make sense. I'd be happy to hear from someone who is more in the know than I am!
Update 6/19/2015. I am pretty well convinced that our Caleb, who is the father of Solomon, is NOT the son of Charles. I am leaving this post up, despite being red-faced about my error, because it may help someone else. I am now on the trail of Caleb Bennett of Miami County, Ohio. His known children are Abraham, William, Solomon, Joshua, George, Caleb, James, and possibly John, Isaac, Thomas, Martha, Anna, Phoebe and Catherine.
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