Richard Bodkin may or may not be the immigrant ancestor for his line. No one seems to know for sure where he was born, but it seems to be either Pennsylvania/Virginia or Galway, Ireland. There were several Bodkin families in America by the late 1600's, and there were also several families by that name in Ireland in the same time frame. Many of the Irish people came to America as political and religious challenges from the British made life difficult in Ireland, and that motivation would have been in place for more than a few years.
So, about the only thing we can say for sure at this point is that Richard was likely either Irish or of Irish extraction. We can guess that he was Protestant only because the great majority of people who settled where he did were Protestant, many of them Presbyterian. We don't even know his wife's name, although it is believed to be either Elizabeth or Jane, or possibly he was married more than once. With so many questions, why am I writing about Richard?
Fortunately, a lot of good people have worked to find some of the details of his life and have been willing to put it on line. The most complete story is found at ourtexasfamily.com website, under the Bodkin-Smith Family. There are pictures of family documents there, and maps, and it's worth your while to go there to find out more. As usual, I am only providing highlights of what is known and am not providing as much information as I could.
Richard is known to have been settled in Augusta (later Highland County) County, Virginia by 1750, when he had a patent for 339 acres of land on Clover Creek, which was a branch of the Cowpasture River. The next year, he signed a petition for a road from "Walles Asterns mill to road on head of Cowpasture" and was assigned to work on the road. In 1756, he was on a list of tithables, which only means that he had to pay a tax to the Anglican church. It doesn't necessarily mean he belonged to the church. I have seen him referred to as both a captain and a private in the Virginia militia about this same time. Likely he is the captain and a son or nephew is the private.
This reminds us that this part of the country was very much frontier country. The battles of the French and Indian War were about to take place, and military protection was sometimes far away. This was a time of fear and hardship, with many families leaving for sanctuary and traveling east, but we have no indication that Richard left, or that he sent his family away.
Many of Richard's sons later moved westward, to what is now Highland County, Virginia, but it's not clear whether Richard went also or whether he stayed in his original home. He died about 1773. So far I haven't found a will for him. He is believed to have had at least five sons, born from roughly 1734 to 1744. It's possible there were more children, including daughters, but I've not found a reliable source yet. Also, Richard had brothers who settled in the same general area so figuring out which Bodkin belonged to which is difficult. To make matters worse, some of the family, somewhere along the line, changed the spelling to Botkin or Botkins.
The brief picture we have of Richard is as a hard working husband and father, frontiersman, Appalachian, and soldier. Even though we don't know anything more at this point, that is enough to be proud of, and to be grateful that men like Richard helped shape our country.
The line of descent is:
Richard Bodkin-Elizabeth or Jane
James Bodkin-Diannah or Delilah Hicklin
George Bodkin-Elizabeth Featheringill
Charity Botkin-Jackson Wise
Mary Wise-William Beeks
John Beeks-Elizabeth Wise
Wilbur Beeks-Cleo Aldridge
Mary Margaret Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger
Their descendants
Note: As a reminder, Mary Wise may have been adopted. But these are the people she would have learned about, and to her, these would have been "her people".
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Friday, August 12, 2016
Holbrook line: Richard Adams 1605-1674 Immigrant
Once again we have an immigrant ancestor about whom little is known. His like is fairly well documented in Massachusetts, but his earlier years, about 30 of them, are more of a mystery.
Richard was born about April 21,1605 in Batcombe, Somerset, England, or near there. Batcombe is and was a very small village (current population about 450), and the church that is there now, the Church of St Mary the Virgin, was there then, although the church has had a tower added since the early 1600s. The main industry of the area was raising sheep and weaving wool, so it's a pretty safe bet this is what our ancestors were doing when Richard was born, and as he grew to a young man.
At some point, the family developed Puritan leanings, and Richard and his family came to America in 1635. Richard apparently paid for the passage of himself, his wife, and one child, by coming as a servant to William Reade, of Batcombe, Somerset, England. They sailed on March 20, 1635 with Reverend Joseph Hull's group, most of whom went to Connecticut. Richard and his wife were in Weymouth, Massachusetts later that year, but it's hard to tell how long Richard retained his role as servant to Mr. Reade. We do know that he was admitted to a church early because he became a freeman at Weymouth on 2 September 1635. This is a possible indicator that he has some sort of status in the community, to be admitted that quickly, or that the church was eager for "live bodies" to enlarge the church.
The identity of his wives remains unknown. The best guess is that he married a Mrs. Cheame, and that either she already had a daughter named Mary Cheame, or they married their first daughter in honor of her first husband. However, nothing has been found in England to support this speculation, in either direction, so all we can really say is that Mary Cheame Adams travelled with her mother and either father or stepfather to America and then to Weymouth.
Once the family was in America, three more children were born. It appears that the first wife, Mary died after 1642, and that Richard remarried to Elizabeth, who died in 1656. He married again, by 1662, to another Elizabeth, and had a child with her. During his early years at Weymouth, he was on the grand jury, served as a deputy to the General Court for Weymouth, and served on a committee and as a commissioner for small causes. His occupation there is described as "planter", which generally means a land holder in good standing with the government and church, which were mostly one and the same thing. He is also described as being "semi-literate."
Richard asked to be relieved from further military training on June 19, 1665, stating that he was of the age of three score or thereabout, also being lame. I wonder whether it was an injury or an illness that caused the lameness? The next we hear from him is that he is in Malden, not Weymouth, and writing his will, which was dated March 21, 1673/74 and proved December 15, 1674. The land, which was left to his widow and his children, was valued at 78 pounds. The rest of his inventory is not totaled, and I have not yet located a copy of the will. However, it appears that he was not a wealthy man.
I'd like to know more about Richard Adams. Was he a servant to William Reade just for the ocean crossing, and if so, was there some family relationship? Was he a good and obedient Puritan all his ife? When did he move to Malden, and why? Where did he get his education, and did he have books in his inventory? There is always more to learn! Most of the information I have came from "The Great Migration" by Robert Charles Anderson, but I'd like more information, still.
The line of descent is:
Richard Adams-Mary
Sarah Adams-Edward Counts
Elizabeth Counts-Enoch Cleveland
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary/Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard Jr.
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Richard was born about April 21,1605 in Batcombe, Somerset, England, or near there. Batcombe is and was a very small village (current population about 450), and the church that is there now, the Church of St Mary the Virgin, was there then, although the church has had a tower added since the early 1600s. The main industry of the area was raising sheep and weaving wool, so it's a pretty safe bet this is what our ancestors were doing when Richard was born, and as he grew to a young man.
At some point, the family developed Puritan leanings, and Richard and his family came to America in 1635. Richard apparently paid for the passage of himself, his wife, and one child, by coming as a servant to William Reade, of Batcombe, Somerset, England. They sailed on March 20, 1635 with Reverend Joseph Hull's group, most of whom went to Connecticut. Richard and his wife were in Weymouth, Massachusetts later that year, but it's hard to tell how long Richard retained his role as servant to Mr. Reade. We do know that he was admitted to a church early because he became a freeman at Weymouth on 2 September 1635. This is a possible indicator that he has some sort of status in the community, to be admitted that quickly, or that the church was eager for "live bodies" to enlarge the church.
The identity of his wives remains unknown. The best guess is that he married a Mrs. Cheame, and that either she already had a daughter named Mary Cheame, or they married their first daughter in honor of her first husband. However, nothing has been found in England to support this speculation, in either direction, so all we can really say is that Mary Cheame Adams travelled with her mother and either father or stepfather to America and then to Weymouth.
Once the family was in America, three more children were born. It appears that the first wife, Mary died after 1642, and that Richard remarried to Elizabeth, who died in 1656. He married again, by 1662, to another Elizabeth, and had a child with her. During his early years at Weymouth, he was on the grand jury, served as a deputy to the General Court for Weymouth, and served on a committee and as a commissioner for small causes. His occupation there is described as "planter", which generally means a land holder in good standing with the government and church, which were mostly one and the same thing. He is also described as being "semi-literate."
Richard asked to be relieved from further military training on June 19, 1665, stating that he was of the age of three score or thereabout, also being lame. I wonder whether it was an injury or an illness that caused the lameness? The next we hear from him is that he is in Malden, not Weymouth, and writing his will, which was dated March 21, 1673/74 and proved December 15, 1674. The land, which was left to his widow and his children, was valued at 78 pounds. The rest of his inventory is not totaled, and I have not yet located a copy of the will. However, it appears that he was not a wealthy man.
I'd like to know more about Richard Adams. Was he a servant to William Reade just for the ocean crossing, and if so, was there some family relationship? Was he a good and obedient Puritan all his ife? When did he move to Malden, and why? Where did he get his education, and did he have books in his inventory? There is always more to learn! Most of the information I have came from "The Great Migration" by Robert Charles Anderson, but I'd like more information, still.
The line of descent is:
Richard Adams-Mary
Sarah Adams-Edward Counts
Elizabeth Counts-Enoch Cleveland
Sarah Cleveland-Israel Joslin
Sarah Joslin-Edward Fay
David Fay-Mary/Mercy Perrin
Luceba Fay-Libbeus Stanard Jr.
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Allen line: John Riley 1625-1674 Immigrant
Oh, my goodness. The "Life of Riley" is giving me an old-fashioned headache. I've been trying to figure out which Riley's have proof or at least some semblance of plausibility and which are wrong, or at least, not so plausible.
The only "facts" that I've located have to do with John's marriage, the birth of three of his sons, and his date of death.. All else is conjecture, or the result of the mixing of several John Riley's. It's an interesting family to look at because several people claim that the family originally came from Dublin, Ireland, and then place them in England for at least one generation and maybe two, before John emigrated to New England.
So John was born in 1624 or 1625, at Longford, Ireland or possibly Elland, Yorkshire, England.or maybe somewhere else. His parents are given as Joseph Riley and Mary Wright, who were married June 23, 1624 in Elland. It's hard to reconcile this with a birthdate for John of May 12, 1624 in Longford, Ireland, so all I am willing to say is that there is a possibility that John had Irish ancestry. Joseph and Mary may have come to the New World, perhaps sometime between 1628 and 1630, but I haven't found documents that confirm this idea yet. Supposedly they had three children in Ireland and two in Wethersfield, but that doesn't seem likely because the dates of birth as given are before the settlement of Wethersfield began.
We do know that John married Grace Buck, probably the daughter of William and Margaret Good Buck, before 1646, according to Torrey's Marriages. Three children are listed in the Wethersfield vital records for them: Joseph, John, and Jonathan. Also listed in his will were Mary, Grace, Jacob and Isaac. John the father is listed several times in Hartford Court records as being a juror.
From John's will (written as "John Ryly") and inventory, we can see that he died sometime before September 8, 1674. He was not a poor Irishman, if Irish he ever was. His inventory includes furniture in the parlor, beds, carpet, "guns, swords, and other ammunition", farm implements, carpenter tools, horses, oxen, cows, swine, sheep, and bees (indicating an orchard) as well as several parcels of land. His estate totaled 688 pounds, 4 shillings, but of that he owed 66 pounds in debts to three men. So it was not a huge estate, but definitely up the ladder from "poor." His wife, not mentioned by name, was the sole executor, which indicates he put a great deal of trust in her.
I would certainly like to find out more about John Riley. What connection, if any, did he have to Ireland? Was he a member of the (Puritan) church? Who were his parents? Was he well respected in Wethersfield? As of now, the clearest picture I have of him comes through his will and inventory, and I'd like to know so much more!
The line of descent is:
John Riley-Grace Buck
John Riley-Margaret
Mary Riley-Joseph Ely
Mary Ely-Thomas Stebbins
Ruth Stebbins-Samuel Hitchcock
Margaret Hitchcock-Richard Falley
Samuel Falley-Ruth Root
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
The only "facts" that I've located have to do with John's marriage, the birth of three of his sons, and his date of death.. All else is conjecture, or the result of the mixing of several John Riley's. It's an interesting family to look at because several people claim that the family originally came from Dublin, Ireland, and then place them in England for at least one generation and maybe two, before John emigrated to New England.
So John was born in 1624 or 1625, at Longford, Ireland or possibly Elland, Yorkshire, England.or maybe somewhere else. His parents are given as Joseph Riley and Mary Wright, who were married June 23, 1624 in Elland. It's hard to reconcile this with a birthdate for John of May 12, 1624 in Longford, Ireland, so all I am willing to say is that there is a possibility that John had Irish ancestry. Joseph and Mary may have come to the New World, perhaps sometime between 1628 and 1630, but I haven't found documents that confirm this idea yet. Supposedly they had three children in Ireland and two in Wethersfield, but that doesn't seem likely because the dates of birth as given are before the settlement of Wethersfield began.
We do know that John married Grace Buck, probably the daughter of William and Margaret Good Buck, before 1646, according to Torrey's Marriages. Three children are listed in the Wethersfield vital records for them: Joseph, John, and Jonathan. Also listed in his will were Mary, Grace, Jacob and Isaac. John the father is listed several times in Hartford Court records as being a juror.
From John's will (written as "John Ryly") and inventory, we can see that he died sometime before September 8, 1674. He was not a poor Irishman, if Irish he ever was. His inventory includes furniture in the parlor, beds, carpet, "guns, swords, and other ammunition", farm implements, carpenter tools, horses, oxen, cows, swine, sheep, and bees (indicating an orchard) as well as several parcels of land. His estate totaled 688 pounds, 4 shillings, but of that he owed 66 pounds in debts to three men. So it was not a huge estate, but definitely up the ladder from "poor." His wife, not mentioned by name, was the sole executor, which indicates he put a great deal of trust in her.
I would certainly like to find out more about John Riley. What connection, if any, did he have to Ireland? Was he a member of the (Puritan) church? Who were his parents? Was he well respected in Wethersfield? As of now, the clearest picture I have of him comes through his will and inventory, and I'd like to know so much more!
The line of descent is:
John Riley-Grace Buck
John Riley-Margaret
Mary Riley-Joseph Ely
Mary Ely-Thomas Stebbins
Ruth Stebbins-Samuel Hitchcock
Margaret Hitchcock-Richard Falley
Samuel Falley-Ruth Root
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Holbrook
Their descendants
Friday, August 5, 2016
Harshbarger line: Thoughts about Hans Jacob Loewenguth or Liebengud
I've long had the story about this family as that they were killed by Indians in the horrible attacks in Berks County, Pa in 1758. In double-checking the facts before I wrote up this story, I am confused. I may be missing a generation, it seems to me.
My story starts with a Hans Jacob who was born probably in Bern, Switzerland in 1681. However, when I started fact checking, I'm finding that most sources say this gentleman died in or before 1754. He also is assigned a different wife (Maria Margaretha Schaefer) than the one I have noted. They were married in Mertzwiller, Bas-Rhin, France on December 9, 1720. This would make Hans Jacob very old by the time of the 1758 attack, and if he actually died in 1754, it would have been impossible.
So the Hans Jacob I have in my records probably was not born in 1681. I don't know if he was a son of the Hans Jacob mentioned above or not. It seems possible, though. Having two generations of Hans Jacobs would help make sense of some of the Lowenguth/Liebengood/Liebengud men that I haven't been able to account for, such as Peter, who was possibly a brother to the younger Hans Jacob. But wait, there's a problem! It seems that the younger Hans Jacob died in 1808, not 1758, in Perry Township, Muskingum County, Ohio (oh goodness, another county to research?? Yikes!)
I'm going to copy the copy I made from a book, who knows what it was. The heading at the top of the page says "Reading and Berks County", but I have no information as to the title or publication date of the book, although from internal clues it was after 1919. It's found on page 392.
"Jacob Loewenguth, who came to this country in 1710, was born in Schalkendorf, in Alsace, and was the son of Friederich Liebengut, who left Aarwanger, near Langenthal, Canton, Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1653, after the Peasants War, in which he took part. He was one of a part of Germans sent by the British Board of Trade to Livingstone Manor in the Province of New York, to manufacture tar and naval stores, to cover the cost of their transportation. He was located in one of the towns in "West Camp", above the present city of Kingston, on the Hudson River. After three years of toll and hardship and the failure of Governor Hunter, of the Province of New York, to keep his contract with the settlers, in 1713 they left the Camps and worked their way through the wilderness to the Schoharie lands, a beautiful country southwest of Albany, in the western foothills of the Catskills. This Schoharie land was promised them by Queen Anne, of England, who was interested in them as refugees from their distressed fatherland, and had been given to the Queen by a group of Indian chiefs, who were in London when the refugees were camped outside the city.
After ten years of conquering the forest and creating and cultivating the farm lands of Schoarie, the settlers were driven out and the settlement caused to be abandoned by a combination of land speculators, who had been favored by the New York provincial government. Jacob Loewenguth was one of the group of settlers, who in 1723 cut through the forests to the head waters of the Susquehanna, down which they worked their way to the Province of Pennsylvania. They ended their journey at the mouth f the Swatara Crrek and from there moved into and settled the Tulpehocken region.
Jacob Loewenguth's family consisted of his wife, Margaretha, and three children, Jacob, Anna Margaretha, and Anna Barbara. In the early part of April, 1758, a party of Indians attack the settlement and Jacob Loewenguth and his wife wife were filled and scalped. Anna Barbara, and Anna Margaretha, who was the wife of Jacob Fehler, with two of her children, were carried away captive by the Indians, and nothing was ever heard of them. Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., the son, escaped the attack"
To further confuse matters, Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., farmer, son of this Jacob Loewenguth, is said to have died in 1788.
This is quite a colorful story and I thought it worthwhile to put it in this blog post, because if this is not our Hans Jacob it is still likely a relative of some sort, and this story needs to be remembered and honored. The conditions these settlers lived through were horrendous, from Germany to England to at least two settlements in New York, to Pennsylvania, where things started out looking better, at least.
I would love to hear from other researchers and family members who can share their sources, hopefully better than I am able to do. The book I quoted from was written about 150 years after the Indian attack, which makes it suspect to elaboration and confusion over the years, and also means we have to wonder if the person who compiled it was one of the "fake" genealogists of the time period. I don't know who provided this family biography although it may have been contributed by John E. Livingood, M.D., who has a rather extensive biography on the same page. Since there were also Hans Jacob Loewenguths, both Senior and Junior, and Peter, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1750, I am thoroughly confused. I would love to be able to figure out the truth in all of this.
Here is the possible line of descent:
Hans Jacob Loewenguth-Margaretha Sands
Anna Margaretha Loewenguth-Jacob Fehler
John Jacob Fehler-Anna Eva Behney
Christina Elizabeth Fehler-Johannes Harshbarger
George Harshbarger-Mary Kepler
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
My story starts with a Hans Jacob who was born probably in Bern, Switzerland in 1681. However, when I started fact checking, I'm finding that most sources say this gentleman died in or before 1754. He also is assigned a different wife (Maria Margaretha Schaefer) than the one I have noted. They were married in Mertzwiller, Bas-Rhin, France on December 9, 1720. This would make Hans Jacob very old by the time of the 1758 attack, and if he actually died in 1754, it would have been impossible.
So the Hans Jacob I have in my records probably was not born in 1681. I don't know if he was a son of the Hans Jacob mentioned above or not. It seems possible, though. Having two generations of Hans Jacobs would help make sense of some of the Lowenguth/Liebengood/Liebengud men that I haven't been able to account for, such as Peter, who was possibly a brother to the younger Hans Jacob. But wait, there's a problem! It seems that the younger Hans Jacob died in 1808, not 1758, in Perry Township, Muskingum County, Ohio (oh goodness, another county to research?? Yikes!)
I'm going to copy the copy I made from a book, who knows what it was. The heading at the top of the page says "Reading and Berks County", but I have no information as to the title or publication date of the book, although from internal clues it was after 1919. It's found on page 392.
"Jacob Loewenguth, who came to this country in 1710, was born in Schalkendorf, in Alsace, and was the son of Friederich Liebengut, who left Aarwanger, near Langenthal, Canton, Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1653, after the Peasants War, in which he took part. He was one of a part of Germans sent by the British Board of Trade to Livingstone Manor in the Province of New York, to manufacture tar and naval stores, to cover the cost of their transportation. He was located in one of the towns in "West Camp", above the present city of Kingston, on the Hudson River. After three years of toll and hardship and the failure of Governor Hunter, of the Province of New York, to keep his contract with the settlers, in 1713 they left the Camps and worked their way through the wilderness to the Schoharie lands, a beautiful country southwest of Albany, in the western foothills of the Catskills. This Schoharie land was promised them by Queen Anne, of England, who was interested in them as refugees from their distressed fatherland, and had been given to the Queen by a group of Indian chiefs, who were in London when the refugees were camped outside the city.
After ten years of conquering the forest and creating and cultivating the farm lands of Schoarie, the settlers were driven out and the settlement caused to be abandoned by a combination of land speculators, who had been favored by the New York provincial government. Jacob Loewenguth was one of the group of settlers, who in 1723 cut through the forests to the head waters of the Susquehanna, down which they worked their way to the Province of Pennsylvania. They ended their journey at the mouth f the Swatara Crrek and from there moved into and settled the Tulpehocken region.
Jacob Loewenguth's family consisted of his wife, Margaretha, and three children, Jacob, Anna Margaretha, and Anna Barbara. In the early part of April, 1758, a party of Indians attack the settlement and Jacob Loewenguth and his wife wife were filled and scalped. Anna Barbara, and Anna Margaretha, who was the wife of Jacob Fehler, with two of her children, were carried away captive by the Indians, and nothing was ever heard of them. Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., the son, escaped the attack"
To further confuse matters, Jacob Loewenguth, Jr., farmer, son of this Jacob Loewenguth, is said to have died in 1788.
This is quite a colorful story and I thought it worthwhile to put it in this blog post, because if this is not our Hans Jacob it is still likely a relative of some sort, and this story needs to be remembered and honored. The conditions these settlers lived through were horrendous, from Germany to England to at least two settlements in New York, to Pennsylvania, where things started out looking better, at least.
I would love to hear from other researchers and family members who can share their sources, hopefully better than I am able to do. The book I quoted from was written about 150 years after the Indian attack, which makes it suspect to elaboration and confusion over the years, and also means we have to wonder if the person who compiled it was one of the "fake" genealogists of the time period. I don't know who provided this family biography although it may have been contributed by John E. Livingood, M.D., who has a rather extensive biography on the same page. Since there were also Hans Jacob Loewenguths, both Senior and Junior, and Peter, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1750, I am thoroughly confused. I would love to be able to figure out the truth in all of this.
Here is the possible line of descent:
Hans Jacob Loewenguth-Margaretha Sands
Anna Margaretha Loewenguth-Jacob Fehler
John Jacob Fehler-Anna Eva Behney
Christina Elizabeth Fehler-Johannes Harshbarger
George Harshbarger-Mary Kepler
Lewis Harshbarger-Catherine Mentzer
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Margaret Beeks
Their descendants
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Beeks line: This is when Wilbur Beeks joined the American Legion
From the Huntington Herald, Huntington, Indiana Monday, November 17, 1919, page 4:
"ANDREWS VETERANS ORGANIZE LEGION
Hall Post No. 163 of the American Legion of Andrews was formed Sunday afternoon in the store of Howard Dunn when election of officers took place and business matters pertaining to the post were taken up. The officers elected were: Howard Dunn, president; Edgar Keefer, vice president; Homer Ellison, secretary and Delmar Chubb, treasurer. It was decided to use the room formerly occupied by the Andrews Post, G>A>R>, and improvements will be made.
The post was given its name in memory of the only Andrews boy who lost his life in the war. The post received its charter last week from the Indiana branch of the American Legion. Nearly twenty ex-service men already have joined the post. Among the first young men to join the post were Howard Dunn, Paul Haller, Mr. Wiley, Earl Stephan, Vernice Stephan, William Ross, Bert Ross, Wilbert (sic) Beeks, Chester Beeks, Edgar Keefer, Roy G. Declan (might be Decian), Homer Ellison, Henry Kingsley John Hefner, Jos. Schmalzried, Earl Bremaman (Brenneman?), Euguene Wire, and Delmar Chubb."
I have more research to do on this article for a possible second book about Andrews history, but this answers one of my family questions. Wilbur joined as a charter member, and when the Andrews branch disbanded, his membership was likely transferred to Huntington's unit. Wilbur's service was in Russia, as one of the Michigan Polar Bears.
"ANDREWS VETERANS ORGANIZE LEGION
Hall Post No. 163 of the American Legion of Andrews was formed Sunday afternoon in the store of Howard Dunn when election of officers took place and business matters pertaining to the post were taken up. The officers elected were: Howard Dunn, president; Edgar Keefer, vice president; Homer Ellison, secretary and Delmar Chubb, treasurer. It was decided to use the room formerly occupied by the Andrews Post, G>A>R>, and improvements will be made.
The post was given its name in memory of the only Andrews boy who lost his life in the war. The post received its charter last week from the Indiana branch of the American Legion. Nearly twenty ex-service men already have joined the post. Among the first young men to join the post were Howard Dunn, Paul Haller, Mr. Wiley, Earl Stephan, Vernice Stephan, William Ross, Bert Ross, Wilbert (sic) Beeks, Chester Beeks, Edgar Keefer, Roy G. Declan (might be Decian), Homer Ellison, Henry Kingsley John Hefner, Jos. Schmalzried, Earl Bremaman (Brenneman?), Euguene Wire, and Delmar Chubb."
I have more research to do on this article for a possible second book about Andrews history, but this answers one of my family questions. Wilbur joined as a charter member, and when the Andrews branch disbanded, his membership was likely transferred to Huntington's unit. Wilbur's service was in Russia, as one of the Michigan Polar Bears.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Holrook line: William Comstock 1595-1683 Immigrant
We know a lot more about William Comstock than we know about some of our other immigrant ancestors. In this case, that might not be such a good thing, because there is at least one troubling event that we'll need to discuss further.
But in the beginning, he was born to William Comstock and an unknown mother on July 4, 1595 at Culmstock, Devon, England. This was a very small village but it had a church, All Saints, which was where he was baptized and which is still in use today. If I were ever to take a trip to England, one goal would be to worship in an ancestral church like this one. For us, it is hard to think of a church that has been standing for 700 years, but that's the approximate age of the oldest parts of this building. You can find pictures of the church on Google, which may be the next best thing to an in person visit.
William's family likely were sheep farmers, or/and weavers, for this part of Devon is known for its wool. About 1623 or 1624, William married Elizabeth. Most on line sources say her name was Daniels but there is a decent cast to be made for her name have been Cock or Cocke. As far as I can see, the jury is still out on that one. There were five or possibly six children born to the Comstock family in England. It's possible that Christopher, the youngest, was born after n earlier Christopher was born and had died as an infant.
We also don't know when or why William, Elizabeth, and family left for New England, or where their first stop was. Some say that they were in Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony for a short time. Others think they went directly to Wethersfield, Connecticut. He purchased land then that had previously been awarded to Richard Mylles, so William had at least some money by that time.
The evidence that "proves" he was in Wethersfield prior to that is scanty, but troubling. His name is apparently listed (where???) as being a private at Wethersfield, and 26 privates from Wethersfield were involved in a shameful incident in the Pequod War, when between 400 and 700 members of the tribe, mostly women and children, were massacred. The English set their village on fire, and shot anyone who tried to escape. This was in supposed retaliation for previous raids on the English settlers. So if William Comstock was at Wetherseifeld by May 26, he likely took part in this horrible event. If not, most of his neighbors would have been there. Wethersfield was small enough that everyone below the age of 55 or so would have gone, with only the older men left behind to guard the town.
William and his wife raised their children in Wethersfield until about 1650, when they moved to Pequot, which was quite near New London, Ct. He contracted with John Winthrop to establish a corn mill there, and in 1651 he was working on the dam for the mill. In 1659, he and Elizabeth sold land in New London.
He was chosen to be sexton on February 25, 1661.62,to order youth in the meeting house, sweep the meeting house, and beat out dogs. He was to be paid 40 shillings a year for this job, plus 4 shillings for each adult burial and 2 shillings for each child burial. He, at the age of 66 or more, had to dig the graves for the burials. It's not reported how long he held this job.
Traditional sources say that William lived until 1683, with only two of his sons surviving him. I've not found a record of a will.
So, really, there are still a lot of unknowns for our William. Besides the missing facts, I would most like to know if William really was part of the massacre, and if so, what he was thinking before, during, and after the event. Did he suffer from anything like PTSD? Was he "just following orders"? Or was he an eager participant, doing what he felt needed to be done to keep his family safe? Had he been in the Colonies long enough to be able to make an informed decision? It's hard to come upon a "probable" like this, which to our thinking leaves a big black mark on his name.
The line of descent is:
William Comstock-Elizabeth
Daniel Comstock-Palthiah Elderkin
Kingsland Comstock-Mary Atwell
Kingsland Comstock-Rachel Crocker
Rachel Comstock-John Eames
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph B Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Glady Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun Fact: William Comstock was an ancestor to Gerald Ford, making us distant cousins to another president.
But in the beginning, he was born to William Comstock and an unknown mother on July 4, 1595 at Culmstock, Devon, England. This was a very small village but it had a church, All Saints, which was where he was baptized and which is still in use today. If I were ever to take a trip to England, one goal would be to worship in an ancestral church like this one. For us, it is hard to think of a church that has been standing for 700 years, but that's the approximate age of the oldest parts of this building. You can find pictures of the church on Google, which may be the next best thing to an in person visit.
William's family likely were sheep farmers, or/and weavers, for this part of Devon is known for its wool. About 1623 or 1624, William married Elizabeth. Most on line sources say her name was Daniels but there is a decent cast to be made for her name have been Cock or Cocke. As far as I can see, the jury is still out on that one. There were five or possibly six children born to the Comstock family in England. It's possible that Christopher, the youngest, was born after n earlier Christopher was born and had died as an infant.
We also don't know when or why William, Elizabeth, and family left for New England, or where their first stop was. Some say that they were in Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony for a short time. Others think they went directly to Wethersfield, Connecticut. He purchased land then that had previously been awarded to Richard Mylles, so William had at least some money by that time.
The evidence that "proves" he was in Wethersfield prior to that is scanty, but troubling. His name is apparently listed (where???) as being a private at Wethersfield, and 26 privates from Wethersfield were involved in a shameful incident in the Pequod War, when between 400 and 700 members of the tribe, mostly women and children, were massacred. The English set their village on fire, and shot anyone who tried to escape. This was in supposed retaliation for previous raids on the English settlers. So if William Comstock was at Wetherseifeld by May 26, he likely took part in this horrible event. If not, most of his neighbors would have been there. Wethersfield was small enough that everyone below the age of 55 or so would have gone, with only the older men left behind to guard the town.
William and his wife raised their children in Wethersfield until about 1650, when they moved to Pequot, which was quite near New London, Ct. He contracted with John Winthrop to establish a corn mill there, and in 1651 he was working on the dam for the mill. In 1659, he and Elizabeth sold land in New London.
He was chosen to be sexton on February 25, 1661.62,to order youth in the meeting house, sweep the meeting house, and beat out dogs. He was to be paid 40 shillings a year for this job, plus 4 shillings for each adult burial and 2 shillings for each child burial. He, at the age of 66 or more, had to dig the graves for the burials. It's not reported how long he held this job.
Traditional sources say that William lived until 1683, with only two of his sons surviving him. I've not found a record of a will.
So, really, there are still a lot of unknowns for our William. Besides the missing facts, I would most like to know if William really was part of the massacre, and if so, what he was thinking before, during, and after the event. Did he suffer from anything like PTSD? Was he "just following orders"? Or was he an eager participant, doing what he felt needed to be done to keep his family safe? Had he been in the Colonies long enough to be able to make an informed decision? It's hard to come upon a "probable" like this, which to our thinking leaves a big black mark on his name.
The line of descent is:
William Comstock-Elizabeth
Daniel Comstock-Palthiah Elderkin
Kingsland Comstock-Mary Atwell
Kingsland Comstock-Rachel Crocker
Rachel Comstock-John Eames
John Eames-Elizabeth Longbottom
Hannah Eames-James Lamphire
Susan Lamphire-Joseph B Eddy
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Glady Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Fun Fact: William Comstock was an ancestor to Gerald Ford, making us distant cousins to another president.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Allen line: Thomas Noble, 1606-1666, Immigrant or not?
I thought I'd found an immigrant to write about, but now I'm confused as to whether I should be writing about Thomas, or about another Thomas who was born about 1632.
According to very sketchy information I've found, the Thomas I intended to write about was born in 1606 in Aldingha, Kent, England. Except that he may be the Thomas who was born in 1606 in St Giles, Cripplegate, England. If the second theory is correct, his occupation may have been that of pinmaker, which was a working class job except that he seems to have been admitted to a guild.
Thomas may or may not have married Rachel Gardiner, and he may or may not have died in 1666 in Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. Right now I am not finding sources or documentation for any of these statements. I am finding that Thomas Noble born 1632 is noted as "The Settler". He was admitted an inhabitant of Boston in 1651. The internet assumption is that this refers to Thomas born 1632, but I don't know that there's proof about that.
I'm also wondering about the death date and location for Thomas. There is at least some thought in the genealogy world that Thomas senior died in England about 1650, and that Thomas the settler went to England soon after at least partly to claim his inheritance. This would explain a lot of things, but absolute proof is lacking, since the will of Thomas in England leaves an inheritance to Thomas Jr but doesn't state the younger Thomas's whereabouts.
I'll write another blog post about Thomas the Settler, but I wanted to at least throw out the ideas that are floating around, about Thomas's father. He may have been from Aldingham, Kent, England or he may have been from London. He may have married Rachel Gardiner, or he may have married someone else. He may have died in London, or he may have died in Westfield, Massachusetts. And someday, we may have the answers to these questions, and more!
The line of descent may be:
Thomas Noble-Rachel Gardiner
Thomas Noble-Hannah Warriner
Elizabeth Noble-Richard Church
Jonathan Church-Ruth Hitchcock
Ruth Church-Stephen Noble
Ruth Noble-Martin Root Jr.
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Allen
Their descendants
Their is another line that would go
Thomas Noble-Rachel Gardiner
Thomas Noble-Hannah Warriner
Thomas Noble Elizabeth Dewey
Thomas Noble-Sarah Root
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church and then duplicates
So Stephen Noble, Revolutionary War soldier, and Ruth Church were second cousins.
According to very sketchy information I've found, the Thomas I intended to write about was born in 1606 in Aldingha, Kent, England. Except that he may be the Thomas who was born in 1606 in St Giles, Cripplegate, England. If the second theory is correct, his occupation may have been that of pinmaker, which was a working class job except that he seems to have been admitted to a guild.
Thomas may or may not have married Rachel Gardiner, and he may or may not have died in 1666 in Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts. Right now I am not finding sources or documentation for any of these statements. I am finding that Thomas Noble born 1632 is noted as "The Settler". He was admitted an inhabitant of Boston in 1651. The internet assumption is that this refers to Thomas born 1632, but I don't know that there's proof about that.
I'm also wondering about the death date and location for Thomas. There is at least some thought in the genealogy world that Thomas senior died in England about 1650, and that Thomas the settler went to England soon after at least partly to claim his inheritance. This would explain a lot of things, but absolute proof is lacking, since the will of Thomas in England leaves an inheritance to Thomas Jr but doesn't state the younger Thomas's whereabouts.
I'll write another blog post about Thomas the Settler, but I wanted to at least throw out the ideas that are floating around, about Thomas's father. He may have been from Aldingham, Kent, England or he may have been from London. He may have married Rachel Gardiner, or he may have married someone else. He may have died in London, or he may have died in Westfield, Massachusetts. And someday, we may have the answers to these questions, and more!
The line of descent may be:
Thomas Noble-Rachel Gardiner
Thomas Noble-Hannah Warriner
Elizabeth Noble-Richard Church
Jonathan Church-Ruth Hitchcock
Ruth Church-Stephen Noble
Ruth Noble-Martin Root Jr.
Ruth Root-Samuel Falley
Clarissa Falley-John Havens Starr
Harriet Starr-John Wilson Knott
Edith Knott-Edward Allen
Richard Allen-Gladys Allen
Their descendants
Their is another line that would go
Thomas Noble-Rachel Gardiner
Thomas Noble-Hannah Warriner
Thomas Noble Elizabeth Dewey
Thomas Noble-Sarah Root
Stephen Noble-Ruth Church and then duplicates
So Stephen Noble, Revolutionary War soldier, and Ruth Church were second cousins.
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