Do you remember the cat who would weekly proclaim "I hate meeces to pieces!" I believe Pixie and Dixie were the mice in question but I don't remember the name of the cat. Anyway, "Reeses" rhymes with "meeses". While I don't necessarily "hate" this line, it is enough to make me pull my hair out. Sorry about the vent, but at the moment my local genealogist/librarians are not available to soothe me.
So I'm writing about Thomas Rees today. Several sites say he was born in 1705 and died in 1783. But they also say he was married to Margaret Bowen, and that Thomas Rees and Margaret were married for several (the document says "many") years when Thomas and Margaret asked for a certificate from the Radnor Monthly Meeting to send to the Goshen Monthly Meeting. It states that "Whereas Thomas Reese and his wife Margaret Reese inhabitants within the verge of your meeting have made application unto us for something by way of Certificate unto you. These are therefore to certifie on their behalf that they was both of them educated amongst us and esteemed of us until they joined in marriage contrary to the order and departure of Friends which they these are satisfied unto this that they have been under trouble and exorcised of mind for many years as well as for the conduct of their lives desiring their sorrows for the same and that they took the blame and shame thereof on themselves and that they hoped through divine assistance to take care for the future not to do anything as may bring a reproach upon truth or a grief to friends, so desiring their insofar and that they who make their profession to the Divine Principal of Truth may be conducted and prospered by it to the end of their day, we remain your friends from our Monthly Meeting, at Radnor this 14th of 1st mo year 1722/1723."
Note: I did not transcribe this, but I sure do thank the unknown person who did. In copying it I have changed capitalizations but not the punctuation, or lack thereof. There are also the signatures of several members of the Radnor Monthly Meeting on this letter. I found this fascinating, but the main point is that Thomas was likely not born in 1705 in order to have married Margaret and be "under trouble and exorcized of mind for many years" by 1722/23. So, either this is not the Thomas Reese and Margaret Bowen who are said to have lived later, or there is another Thomas and Margaret that would be the parents of the Thomas and Margaret I think I'm writing about.
The children of Thomas and Margaret were born mostly in the 1730s and 1740s. It does appear that this was a Quaker family because they are later found at Hopewell Monthly Meeting in Frederick County, Virginia, in the far north "point" of the state. This is in the area of Opequon Creek. Early records there were lost in a fire so we don't know how early the Reese's arrived there. They seem to have been there by 1743, so they would have been in place for the battles of both the French and Indian war and the Revolutionary War. As a Quaker, Thomas wouldn't have been in the militia and he may have had to make a decision as to whether or not he would support the British in the first war and the patriots in the second war. Some Quakers were happy to supply materials and food for the troops, and some were not willing to do so, as they opposed any violence, or supporting any violence. It was a decision each man would have to make for himself. This area would have been under frequent, if not constant, threat of attack by native Americans.
Thomas and Margaret had 10 children who lived to adulthood. Two of them are direct ancestors, through this line. Thomas's uncle, Morris is also in the Beeks line. All of these trace back to David Rees. Theyr may be another line, also, for there is another wife of a Thomas Reese named Rebecca Price, and Price is a common contraction for ap Rhys. (These are Welsh names).
Thomas died in 1783 in Frederick County, Virginia and Margaret died two years later, probably in Washington County, Pennsylvania, where she had gone to visit or live with two of her sons. Obviously, there are still several records for me to look at for Thomas, especially land records and his will or estate records. But this is a start, to help us understand a little a very confusing set of families.
The line of descent is:
Thomas Reese-Margaret Bowen
Thomas Reese-Hannah Reese (she is the daughter of Morris Reese, who is a brother to the first
Thomas)
Solomon Reese=Anna possibly McNeal
Owen T Reese-Margaret Ellen Moon
Eliza Matilda Reese-Samuel Dunham
Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge
Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks
Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshaber
Their descendants
Friday, April 17, 2020
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Harshbarger line: Martin Laber, 1738-1823
It's been a while since I've written about an ancestor in the Harshbarger line. I seem to have written about most or all of the "easy" ones, and since most of the family is of German or Swiss ancestry, and didn't arrive in American until the first half of the eighteenth century, I have a smaller pool of ancestors to research. However, here is one that I seem to have overlooked.
Martin Laber is thought to have been born in Pennsylvania August 20, 1738, although I've not found a record yet. He is the son of Wendell and Anna Margaretha Mueller Laber, and was one of at least ten children. His father was a religious man who helped to found at least two churches, the second one being closer to his home than the first. "Home" by at least 1747, was in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Martin stayed there his whole life. This is in the northern part of the county, bordering on Berks and Dauphin counties now, but at the time, it was all wilderness. Lancaster town itself was hardly a village, and the area would go through some very rough times during Martin's lifetime.
Martin married Anna Catherina Enck, the daughter of Johan Jacob and Anna Catharina Becker Enck, on October 13, 1761. The pastor was Rev. John Waldschmidt, who was actually sent as a pastor for the Dutch Reformed Church. (Without going into a good detail of theological detail, the Germans of the area were satisfied with their pastor, be he Dutch, German, or some combination there of.
By 1761, the worst of the onslaughts from the French and Indian war (meaning attacks by the native Americans in cahoots with the French) were mostly over, and Martin and Catherine were able to make a home for themselves. Martin, like his father, was a farmer and called himself a yeoman in his will. He and Catherine had at least 5 children, and stayed on the farm they owned their whole lives. In 1782, he is shown on a tax list as having 140 acres of land, 2 horses and 4 cows, and his tax is one of the higher ones on that particular page. But I'm getting ahead of the story.
After the French and Indian war, and after the few years of peace, life was interrupted by the Revolutionary War. Martin seems not to have been greatly affected by the war itself. He was in the militia but I've not found that he was ever called to duty. He may well have been used for a few days as a guard for prisoners of war, or to transport food and supplies, but it doesn't appear, as far as I've learned so far, that he ever was in a battle. This is not to say that his life was easy. He lived perhaps 50 miles from Valley Forge and 65 miles from Philadelphia. Lancaster County, then, as now, had a reputation as being a "bread basket" and surely Martin would have contributed, we hope voluntarily, to Valley Forge. It's possible there were British foraging expeditions that far from Philly but if so, they would have been of short duration. And surely, there was tension. Where would the next battle be? Would the country maintain the independence they had declared, or would they be defeated by the British, with the help of the hired Hessians? Mothers have always had to calm the fears of their children, it seems.
That is as much of the life of Martin as I currently know, except for records created when he died. Martin wrote his will on February 26, 1812 when he signed with a mark. It wasn't probated for another 11 years, though, on October 20, 1823. His actual date of death is given on Find a Grave as September 2, 1823, so it seems that he either had a long illness or he had a serious illness and recovered. He provided for his wife in his will, but she died September 23, 1813. He left land or money or both to each of his three sons, one hundred pounds to each of his 7 Dulibon grandchildren, and one hundred dollars to "his congregation" to build a new church. The graves, with standing headstones, are at what is now the Brickerville United Lutheran Church and Cemetery at Brickerville, Pa.
Martin lived through interesting times. He survived, supported his country, supported his church, raised a family, and paid his taxes. We can be grateful for ancestors like Martin! I'm also grateful to Anne Caston, who located some of the information I've used in this post, and who generously shares her knowledge and information.
The line of descent is:
Martin Laber-Catherine Enck
Catherine Laber-Henry Dulibon
Elizabeth Tullepan-Conrad Mentzer
Catherine Mentzer (Mancer)-Lewis Harshbarger
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Ellen Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
Personal note: This is my 700th blog post. We'll see how much longer I can keep finding stories to tell. I know there are a few more waiting out there!
Martin Laber is thought to have been born in Pennsylvania August 20, 1738, although I've not found a record yet. He is the son of Wendell and Anna Margaretha Mueller Laber, and was one of at least ten children. His father was a religious man who helped to found at least two churches, the second one being closer to his home than the first. "Home" by at least 1747, was in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Martin stayed there his whole life. This is in the northern part of the county, bordering on Berks and Dauphin counties now, but at the time, it was all wilderness. Lancaster town itself was hardly a village, and the area would go through some very rough times during Martin's lifetime.
Martin married Anna Catherina Enck, the daughter of Johan Jacob and Anna Catharina Becker Enck, on October 13, 1761. The pastor was Rev. John Waldschmidt, who was actually sent as a pastor for the Dutch Reformed Church. (Without going into a good detail of theological detail, the Germans of the area were satisfied with their pastor, be he Dutch, German, or some combination there of.
By 1761, the worst of the onslaughts from the French and Indian war (meaning attacks by the native Americans in cahoots with the French) were mostly over, and Martin and Catherine were able to make a home for themselves. Martin, like his father, was a farmer and called himself a yeoman in his will. He and Catherine had at least 5 children, and stayed on the farm they owned their whole lives. In 1782, he is shown on a tax list as having 140 acres of land, 2 horses and 4 cows, and his tax is one of the higher ones on that particular page. But I'm getting ahead of the story.
After the French and Indian war, and after the few years of peace, life was interrupted by the Revolutionary War. Martin seems not to have been greatly affected by the war itself. He was in the militia but I've not found that he was ever called to duty. He may well have been used for a few days as a guard for prisoners of war, or to transport food and supplies, but it doesn't appear, as far as I've learned so far, that he ever was in a battle. This is not to say that his life was easy. He lived perhaps 50 miles from Valley Forge and 65 miles from Philadelphia. Lancaster County, then, as now, had a reputation as being a "bread basket" and surely Martin would have contributed, we hope voluntarily, to Valley Forge. It's possible there were British foraging expeditions that far from Philly but if so, they would have been of short duration. And surely, there was tension. Where would the next battle be? Would the country maintain the independence they had declared, or would they be defeated by the British, with the help of the hired Hessians? Mothers have always had to calm the fears of their children, it seems.
That is as much of the life of Martin as I currently know, except for records created when he died. Martin wrote his will on February 26, 1812 when he signed with a mark. It wasn't probated for another 11 years, though, on October 20, 1823. His actual date of death is given on Find a Grave as September 2, 1823, so it seems that he either had a long illness or he had a serious illness and recovered. He provided for his wife in his will, but she died September 23, 1813. He left land or money or both to each of his three sons, one hundred pounds to each of his 7 Dulibon grandchildren, and one hundred dollars to "his congregation" to build a new church. The graves, with standing headstones, are at what is now the Brickerville United Lutheran Church and Cemetery at Brickerville, Pa.
Martin lived through interesting times. He survived, supported his country, supported his church, raised a family, and paid his taxes. We can be grateful for ancestors like Martin! I'm also grateful to Anne Caston, who located some of the information I've used in this post, and who generously shares her knowledge and information.
The line of descent is:
Martin Laber-Catherine Enck
Catherine Laber-Henry Dulibon
Elizabeth Tullepan-Conrad Mentzer
Catherine Mentzer (Mancer)-Lewis Harshbarger
Emmanuel Harshbarger-Clara Ellen Harter
Grover Harshbarger-Goldie Withers
Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks
Their descendants
Personal note: This is my 700th blog post. We'll see how much longer I can keep finding stories to tell. I know there are a few more waiting out there!
Friday, April 10, 2020
Holbrook line: Josiah Belcher 1631-1683
I recently wrote about an ancestor from early Boston, and now here is another one, even earlier. And wonder of wonders, there is quite a bit of information about him. It's always fun when that happens. I want to acknowledge that a good bit of this seems to have originated with a wonderful source called The Thweng Collection, which is available on the site American Ancestors (this is a subscription site, but with as many New England families as we have, I can't do without it).
So...Josiah Belcher was the son of Gregory and (probably) Catherine Alcock Belcher and was born in 1631 (based on a gravestone inscription) in a small settlement, not yet an organized town, called Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was one of at least seven children, and would have grown up basically as a farmer. Or perhaps not, because he had a trade as an adult, that of a wheelwright. He is still described as a yeoman, so there was farming involved, also.
Josiah (also known as Josias) married Uranis (Ranis) Rainsford, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Dilloe Rainsford, on March 3, 1655 in Boston, where her parents lived. Braintree wasn't far from Boston, but it seems likely that Josiah had already settled in Boston, in order for them to have met. Edward Rainsford is a gateway ancestor, connecting this family to European royalty (whether they knew it or not). Rainsford was sometimes called "Mr." or "Gent" so this may be a case of Josiah being upwardly mobile. One wonders what her parents thought of the match.
His property is described as being on the southwesterly corner of what is now Essex Street and Harrison Streets (this from a 1906 articles about the Belchers in the Register. It fronted 126 feet on Essex Street and ran back 285 feet to the water. I think this is very near what is identified as "Rainsford Lane" on the 1722 Boston map. This was what was then the south part of Boston. In fact, Josiah was one of about two dozen men given the task of founding the South church in Boston (this was the one that in later years would become a meeting place for Patriots, but that's part of someone else's story).
Josiah doesn't appear to have been much involved with politics or civic service, but he did serve as one of the "officers about swine" three times during the 1670s. Typically this would involve making sure that the animals were ringed or yoked during certain times of the year, so they wouldn't destroy crops. The Massachusetts towns I've read about during this time period all allowed swine to roam the town streets, and perhaps Boston did, too.
Josiah and Uranis had thirteen children together. Several died young, never married, or married but had no children. The last years of Josiah and Uranis were probably sad, but they did have two sons who survived them and several daughters. The land was not partitioned until after the death of Uranis, and then each surviving child received part of the land, which appears to have been then sold. The inventory for Josiah includes land in Braintree but the land in Boston doesn't appear to be included. As part of it may have been Uranis's land, perhaps it was not included in the inventory. The inventory was valued at a little over 195 pounds. Josiah is buried at the Granary Burying Ground in downtown Boston. (I was on a trolley tour of Boston 21 years ago, and we stopped at this site, but I had no knowledge that I had ancestors there and did not get off the trolley to go exploring).
Of course I'd like to know more about Josiah, including how it was that he became a wheelwright and how he met and courted his wife. What made him (or his father) decide that Boston would be a better place for him than Braintree? I'd also like to know if he was ever involved in military service. and was perhaps a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. That discovery, however, will have to wait for another day.
The line of descent is:
Josiah Belcher-Uranis Rainsford
Elizabeth Belcher-John Paine
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallet
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Stephen Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis E Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
So...Josiah Belcher was the son of Gregory and (probably) Catherine Alcock Belcher and was born in 1631 (based on a gravestone inscription) in a small settlement, not yet an organized town, called Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was one of at least seven children, and would have grown up basically as a farmer. Or perhaps not, because he had a trade as an adult, that of a wheelwright. He is still described as a yeoman, so there was farming involved, also.
Josiah (also known as Josias) married Uranis (Ranis) Rainsford, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Dilloe Rainsford, on March 3, 1655 in Boston, where her parents lived. Braintree wasn't far from Boston, but it seems likely that Josiah had already settled in Boston, in order for them to have met. Edward Rainsford is a gateway ancestor, connecting this family to European royalty (whether they knew it or not). Rainsford was sometimes called "Mr." or "Gent" so this may be a case of Josiah being upwardly mobile. One wonders what her parents thought of the match.
His property is described as being on the southwesterly corner of what is now Essex Street and Harrison Streets (this from a 1906 articles about the Belchers in the Register. It fronted 126 feet on Essex Street and ran back 285 feet to the water. I think this is very near what is identified as "Rainsford Lane" on the 1722 Boston map. This was what was then the south part of Boston. In fact, Josiah was one of about two dozen men given the task of founding the South church in Boston (this was the one that in later years would become a meeting place for Patriots, but that's part of someone else's story).
Josiah doesn't appear to have been much involved with politics or civic service, but he did serve as one of the "officers about swine" three times during the 1670s. Typically this would involve making sure that the animals were ringed or yoked during certain times of the year, so they wouldn't destroy crops. The Massachusetts towns I've read about during this time period all allowed swine to roam the town streets, and perhaps Boston did, too.
Josiah and Uranis had thirteen children together. Several died young, never married, or married but had no children. The last years of Josiah and Uranis were probably sad, but they did have two sons who survived them and several daughters. The land was not partitioned until after the death of Uranis, and then each surviving child received part of the land, which appears to have been then sold. The inventory for Josiah includes land in Braintree but the land in Boston doesn't appear to be included. As part of it may have been Uranis's land, perhaps it was not included in the inventory. The inventory was valued at a little over 195 pounds. Josiah is buried at the Granary Burying Ground in downtown Boston. (I was on a trolley tour of Boston 21 years ago, and we stopped at this site, but I had no knowledge that I had ancestors there and did not get off the trolley to go exploring).
Of course I'd like to know more about Josiah, including how it was that he became a wheelwright and how he met and courted his wife. What made him (or his father) decide that Boston would be a better place for him than Braintree? I'd also like to know if he was ever involved in military service. and was perhaps a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. That discovery, however, will have to wait for another day.
The line of descent is:
Josiah Belcher-Uranis Rainsford
Elizabeth Belcher-John Paine
Stephen Paine-Sarah Vallet
Stephen Paine-Sarah Thornton
Stephen Paine-Lillis Winsor
Deborah Paine-Enos Eddy
Joseph Eddy-Susan Lamphire
Susan Eddy-Hiram Stanard
Louis E Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Holbrook line: Sergeant Samuel Judd 1653-1720
Well, OK, maybe he wasn't born in 1651. Maybe it was 1653. Records seem to be lacking. However, his father was Deacon Thomas Judd and his mother was Elizabeth, maiden name unknown. He was born in Farmington, Connecticut, which is just west of Hartford, and he was one of nine children. Since his father was the church deacon, it is probably safe to assume that this was a Puritan family. About 1670, the Puritan churches started having difficulties and we don't know how seriously Samuel took his religion, but presumably he would still have attended church even if he wasn't an official member of the congregation. There are church records but one has to be on site in Connecticut to view them, it appears.
Samuel appears to have been in Northampton, Massachusetts at the time of his marriage in 1681 to Mariah Strong, daughter of Thomas and Mary Hewett Strong, who were also of Northampton. He may have gone there with his father and step mother, because they also were of Northampton by the time they died. However it happened, Samuel became a resident of Northampton and stayed there for the rest of his life. I show that Samuel and Mariah had 10 children, He seems not to have been much involved in town service, other than as a juror on several cases. He was made a freeman on 684, so at least he had voting rights and responsibilities.
In his death record, Samuel is referred to as "Sergeant" Samuel Judd. I have tried to locate (on line) records that would tell us how he acquired that rank (generally, elected by the men) and where he might have served, but the only reference I found showed a Samuel Judd serving in 1709, This may or may not be our Samuel; he would have been 56 years old at the time. If Samuel was in Northampton in 1675, then he would surely have been involved in King Philip's War, because the town was attacked and some homes destroyed during that time. However, the town was heavily garrisoned and defended, so the whole town was not lost, and it doesn't seem that the townspeople fled. The colony was also involved in Queen Anne's War and King William's War, so Samuel may have taken part in battles there. He may also have responded to the native American attacks on Harfield and Deerfield later in the 1700s. It's frustrating to have all these possibilities and no answers! Maybe when the Allen County Public Library is able to re-open...
I did locate Samuel's will. It's a little unusual because he gives half of everything to his wife, Mariah, but if she re-marries she is to get only one third and then only for as long as she lives. Samuel did sign the will but it is printed rather than cursive writing. I don't know if that means anything; perhaps it only means that he was ill and uncomfortable when he signed it. I've not located an inventory but he also left each of his six daughters fifty pounds, besides what he left his wife and each of his three sons. It appears that he was doing OK financially, perhaps greatly helped by that bequest from his step mother. Mariah lived until 1751, so his sons waited a while for their bequests.
I would love to know more about Samuel, especially about his military service. I'd love to find his inventory, as well as church records that might tell us something of not only his religious character, but also where he was seated in the meeting house. That would give us an indication of his status in the town. This is a start, but only a start, to Samuel's story.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Judd-Mariah Strong
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Samuel appears to have been in Northampton, Massachusetts at the time of his marriage in 1681 to Mariah Strong, daughter of Thomas and Mary Hewett Strong, who were also of Northampton. He may have gone there with his father and step mother, because they also were of Northampton by the time they died. However it happened, Samuel became a resident of Northampton and stayed there for the rest of his life. I show that Samuel and Mariah had 10 children, He seems not to have been much involved in town service, other than as a juror on several cases. He was made a freeman on 684, so at least he had voting rights and responsibilities.
In his death record, Samuel is referred to as "Sergeant" Samuel Judd. I have tried to locate (on line) records that would tell us how he acquired that rank (generally, elected by the men) and where he might have served, but the only reference I found showed a Samuel Judd serving in 1709, This may or may not be our Samuel; he would have been 56 years old at the time. If Samuel was in Northampton in 1675, then he would surely have been involved in King Philip's War, because the town was attacked and some homes destroyed during that time. However, the town was heavily garrisoned and defended, so the whole town was not lost, and it doesn't seem that the townspeople fled. The colony was also involved in Queen Anne's War and King William's War, so Samuel may have taken part in battles there. He may also have responded to the native American attacks on Harfield and Deerfield later in the 1700s. It's frustrating to have all these possibilities and no answers! Maybe when the Allen County Public Library is able to re-open...
I did locate Samuel's will. It's a little unusual because he gives half of everything to his wife, Mariah, but if she re-marries she is to get only one third and then only for as long as she lives. Samuel did sign the will but it is printed rather than cursive writing. I don't know if that means anything; perhaps it only means that he was ill and uncomfortable when he signed it. I've not located an inventory but he also left each of his six daughters fifty pounds, besides what he left his wife and each of his three sons. It appears that he was doing OK financially, perhaps greatly helped by that bequest from his step mother. Mariah lived until 1751, so his sons waited a while for their bequests.
I would love to know more about Samuel, especially about his military service. I'd love to find his inventory, as well as church records that might tell us something of not only his religious character, but also where he was seated in the meeting house. That would give us an indication of his status in the town. This is a start, but only a start, to Samuel's story.
The line of descent is:
Samuel Judd-Mariah Strong
Elizabeth Judd-Ebenezer Southwell
Eunice Southwell-Medad Pomeroy
Eunice Pomeroy-Libbeus Stannard
Libbeus Stanard-Luceba Fay
Hiram Stanard-Susan Eddy
Louis Stanard-Mary Alice Hetrick
Etta Stanard-Loren Holbrook
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, April 3, 2020
Holbrook line: John Stevens 1637-1691
As is often the case, there's much I don't know about John Stevens. But we do have a few facts that will help us place him in a time and a location, with family around him and work to be done. So although it's a very faint and not detailed picture of his life, at least it's something.
John was born September 10, 1637 in Boston, Massachusetts, when Boston was just a few years away from being total wilderness. So by definition, at least in his early years, he would have seen native Americans on the streets of his town, and he was most likely a Puritan. His parents were Henry and Alice (maiden name unknown) Stevens. An account of his father in "The Great Migration" indicates that his father was a mason and was likely a servant from at least 1635 to 1640, when his master left permanently for England. Henry was one of those who were able to live above the subsistence level that was the lot of many servants, and he had died with a decent estate.
John, however, was another story. We don't know for sure why or how he ended up in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, which was probably at the time about 40 miles north and west of Boston. But it was in Chelmsford that he married Elizabeth Hildreth, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (possibly Hinchman) Hildreth. I can't make a guess as to what his occupation was, other than farmer, based on his inventory. He and Elizabeth had at least five children in Chelmsford.
He is referred to as "Ensign" but we don't know when or how he acquired that title. He would have been the right age to have served in King Philip's War but I didn't find anyone I could positively identify with our John Stevens then. There was one John Stevens in that war, who had either lost an arm, or had it badly damaged, in the conflict. But it seems that he was likely of a different community than our John. Like most towns, there is little reference to the war or its aftermath in the town records, but John did sign a petition in 1676 asking for lower taxes because the town had suffered so grievously in the war. We know that Chelmsford did suffer at least one raid but it's not clear whether the town was then abandoned, or whether the people simply lived in garrisons.
John was made a freeman, meaning he had property, could join the church if he hadn't already, and could now vote, on May 3, 1665, shortly after his December 15, 1664 marriage to Elizabeth. So he had some status in the community. His farm was located about two miles west of the meeting house, at the foot of "Francis" hill. Five generations of the family lived there after John, so likely the family watched and perhaps participated in the Revolutionary War from this home.
From a couple of tax lists I reviewed, it looks like John was neither well off nor dirt poor. His "rates" or taxes, were maybe a tad below the average charge, but were not at the lowest amount, by any means. He doesn't seem to have been elected to town office, which again indicates that he didn't have much status in the town. Still, he was a freeman, and not everyone achieved that distinction
John died April 6, 1691 in Chelmsford. If he left a will, I've not been able to locate it. I did find his inventory, which looks like that of many farmers-animals and tools, some household goods, several properties, arms and ammunition. Since he wasn't yet 60 years old, he was probably still a member of the training band, which explains the arms. The estate was valued at a little over 195 pounds, significantly less than the amost 500 pounds his stone mason father had left when he died less than a year earlier.
That's what we know of John. He seems to have stayed out of trouble and out of the public limelight, while taking care of his family and serving his colony. He didn't get rich along the way, but he probably never let his family go hungry. He deserves to have a few paragraphs written about him, all these years later.
The line of descent is
John Stevens-Elizabeth Hildreth
Joseph Stevens-Elizabeth Tidd
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John was born September 10, 1637 in Boston, Massachusetts, when Boston was just a few years away from being total wilderness. So by definition, at least in his early years, he would have seen native Americans on the streets of his town, and he was most likely a Puritan. His parents were Henry and Alice (maiden name unknown) Stevens. An account of his father in "The Great Migration" indicates that his father was a mason and was likely a servant from at least 1635 to 1640, when his master left permanently for England. Henry was one of those who were able to live above the subsistence level that was the lot of many servants, and he had died with a decent estate.
John, however, was another story. We don't know for sure why or how he ended up in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, which was probably at the time about 40 miles north and west of Boston. But it was in Chelmsford that he married Elizabeth Hildreth, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (possibly Hinchman) Hildreth. I can't make a guess as to what his occupation was, other than farmer, based on his inventory. He and Elizabeth had at least five children in Chelmsford.
He is referred to as "Ensign" but we don't know when or how he acquired that title. He would have been the right age to have served in King Philip's War but I didn't find anyone I could positively identify with our John Stevens then. There was one John Stevens in that war, who had either lost an arm, or had it badly damaged, in the conflict. But it seems that he was likely of a different community than our John. Like most towns, there is little reference to the war or its aftermath in the town records, but John did sign a petition in 1676 asking for lower taxes because the town had suffered so grievously in the war. We know that Chelmsford did suffer at least one raid but it's not clear whether the town was then abandoned, or whether the people simply lived in garrisons.
John was made a freeman, meaning he had property, could join the church if he hadn't already, and could now vote, on May 3, 1665, shortly after his December 15, 1664 marriage to Elizabeth. So he had some status in the community. His farm was located about two miles west of the meeting house, at the foot of "Francis" hill. Five generations of the family lived there after John, so likely the family watched and perhaps participated in the Revolutionary War from this home.
From a couple of tax lists I reviewed, it looks like John was neither well off nor dirt poor. His "rates" or taxes, were maybe a tad below the average charge, but were not at the lowest amount, by any means. He doesn't seem to have been elected to town office, which again indicates that he didn't have much status in the town. Still, he was a freeman, and not everyone achieved that distinction
John died April 6, 1691 in Chelmsford. If he left a will, I've not been able to locate it. I did find his inventory, which looks like that of many farmers-animals and tools, some household goods, several properties, arms and ammunition. Since he wasn't yet 60 years old, he was probably still a member of the training band, which explains the arms. The estate was valued at a little over 195 pounds, significantly less than the amost 500 pounds his stone mason father had left when he died less than a year earlier.
That's what we know of John. He seems to have stayed out of trouble and out of the public limelight, while taking care of his family and serving his colony. He didn't get rich along the way, but he probably never let his family go hungry. He deserves to have a few paragraphs written about him, all these years later.
The line of descent is
John Stevens-Elizabeth Hildreth
Joseph Stevens-Elizabeth Tidd
Elizabeth Stevens-William Snow
Lucy Snow-Josiah Whittemore
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore-Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Holbrook line: John Whittemore 1685-1748
What fun! Most of our ancestors were good folks, either farmers or pastors, and sometimes it's hard to find something new to say about their lives. But every once in a while, someone steps out of the box and does something entirely different, and perhaps is entirely different, from our norm. John Whittemore just may be one of those men.
John Whittemore was born February 23, 1685 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the son of John and Elizabeth Annable Whittemore, and he's one in a succession of four men named John Whittemore, each of whom is our ancestor. Confusion reigns, but I think I have this man figured out.
At some point in his life, John left Charlestown and settled in Boston. He married Elizabeth Lloyd, the daughter of Edward and Hannah Griffin Lloyd. The Lloyds were a Charleston family who had moved to Boston also. I'm wondering if John was maybe an apprentice or some sort of shipworker there, because the marriage took place in Boston. John and Elizabeth had at least five children together, including our John born 1714.
I'm still trying to pull together John's story as far as his adult life goes. I know that he was a mariner and a retailer, perhaps not at the same time or perhaps at the same time. His father in law had died with a good supply of "rhum" and spirits, and John may have inherited or purchased that, as he also sold strong spirits. So, basically he ran a tavern or a liquor store. He must have been somewhat successful because he built a new home in 1733, We know that because he was granted liberty to dig a frain from his new house, which was apparently on Sheaf St. It looks like this would have been just blocks from what we know as the Old North Church, in the north end of Boston. It was also near Copp's Hill Burying Ground
, which is where he was buried.
Elizabeth died August 13, 1746 and John died April 21, 1748, In his will, he left 100 pounds to his oldest son, John and 150 pounds (old tenor, not the new fangled money the colony had printed) to son Edward. He also left each of them 1/4 of his "moveable estate". Three grandsons, including another of our Johns, were to share 100 pounds. To Elizabeth, his daughter, he left his house and land, and all his liquors. One can speculate that the two sons were set up in life already but that Elizabeth would need some source of income. I wonder what the city fathers thought of that.
The only reference I found to a possible religion for John was that his son John was baptized at "Second Church", which is now known as Old North Church. Increase Mather was the pastor at the time. There doesn't seem to be any record of the other children's baptism. Perhaps John was away so much that he wasn't often there to see that the children were baptized, or perhaps Elizabeth had enough to do to take care of her family.
I would love to find his inventory, to learn whether he was well to do or not. I'd also love to learn more about his story as a mariner, and I do have a few new sources to look at for that. If I find anything interesting, I'll do an update. And of course, I'm wondering how involved he was in the slave trade, and whether he had one or more slaves. That would be more than possible if he was importing rum, also. But for now, we at least have a sense that John lived in one of the (to me) most interesting places in the world, and had a fascinating career. That's pretty cool.
The line of descent is:
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore=Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
John Whittemore was born February 23, 1685 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the son of John and Elizabeth Annable Whittemore, and he's one in a succession of four men named John Whittemore, each of whom is our ancestor. Confusion reigns, but I think I have this man figured out.
At some point in his life, John left Charlestown and settled in Boston. He married Elizabeth Lloyd, the daughter of Edward and Hannah Griffin Lloyd. The Lloyds were a Charleston family who had moved to Boston also. I'm wondering if John was maybe an apprentice or some sort of shipworker there, because the marriage took place in Boston. John and Elizabeth had at least five children together, including our John born 1714.
I'm still trying to pull together John's story as far as his adult life goes. I know that he was a mariner and a retailer, perhaps not at the same time or perhaps at the same time. His father in law had died with a good supply of "rhum" and spirits, and John may have inherited or purchased that, as he also sold strong spirits. So, basically he ran a tavern or a liquor store. He must have been somewhat successful because he built a new home in 1733, We know that because he was granted liberty to dig a frain from his new house, which was apparently on Sheaf St. It looks like this would have been just blocks from what we know as the Old North Church, in the north end of Boston. It was also near Copp's Hill Burying Ground
, which is where he was buried.
Elizabeth died August 13, 1746 and John died April 21, 1748, In his will, he left 100 pounds to his oldest son, John and 150 pounds (old tenor, not the new fangled money the colony had printed) to son Edward. He also left each of them 1/4 of his "moveable estate". Three grandsons, including another of our Johns, were to share 100 pounds. To Elizabeth, his daughter, he left his house and land, and all his liquors. One can speculate that the two sons were set up in life already but that Elizabeth would need some source of income. I wonder what the city fathers thought of that.
The only reference I found to a possible religion for John was that his son John was baptized at "Second Church", which is now known as Old North Church. Increase Mather was the pastor at the time. There doesn't seem to be any record of the other children's baptism. Perhaps John was away so much that he wasn't often there to see that the children were baptized, or perhaps Elizabeth had enough to do to take care of her family.
I would love to find his inventory, to learn whether he was well to do or not. I'd also love to learn more about his story as a mariner, and I do have a few new sources to look at for that. If I find anything interesting, I'll do an update. And of course, I'm wondering how involved he was in the slave trade, and whether he had one or more slaves. That would be more than possible if he was importing rum, also. But for now, we at least have a sense that John lived in one of the (to me) most interesting places in the world, and had a fascinating career. That's pretty cool.
The line of descent is:
John Whittemore-Elizabeth Lloyd
John Whittemore-Lydia Clough
Josiah Whittemore-Lucy Snow
Josiah Whittemore-Betsy Foster
Mary Elizabeth Whittemore=Joseph Holbrook
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
Friday, March 27, 2020
Holbrook line: Benjamin Wheelock 1678-1746
Earlier this week I wrote about Jonathan Thayer, of whom I could find little or nothing. Now I'm writing about his son in law, Benjamin Wheelock, who lived in the same small town, and I've found a ton of information about him. His father, also Benjamin Wheelock, was a founder of the town of Mendon, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and was respected in the town. This Benjamin also was respected, sometimes being given the title of "Mr." in the town records, and his son Benjamin, who is not our direct ancestor, carried on the family tradition.
This Benjamin was the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Bullen Wheelock and a grandson of Ralph Wheelock, the immigrant. He was born December 12, 1768 and was one of at least five children. He came to Mendon as a young boy and lived his whole life in this frontier village.
On December 9, 1700 he married his step sister, Huldah Thayer, who was the daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth French Thayer (Elizabeth had married Benjamin's father, after they were both widowed). Since it's reasonable to suppose that the two knew each other well, we can assume this marriage was a happy one. They had at least eight children together, and the family, or at least Benjamin, seems to have prospered.
In The Annals of the Town of Mendon, it is often hard to differentiate between the three (at least) Benjamin Wheelocks. But in 1707 ours is identified as Benjamin Wheelock Jr., as a selectman, so we are willing to consider the possibility that some of the remaining references to Benjamin between then and 1716, when his father died, could be our Benjamin.
In 1705, Benjamin Wheelock and his successors were granted use of the "mill pond" for as long as they kept in in repair and serviceable for the town's use. The mill pond was used as a reservoir with water released as necessary to run the mill. I don't know if this signifies that the mill was run by the Wheelocks, or whether there is something else significant about this. If someone knows, please let me know!
I didn't find anything specific about Benjamin in the military, but it seems likely he was in the training band, if nothing else. I did find that he was appointed to a committee to oversee the building of the town meeting house in 1720. It was to be 50 ft long, 45 ft wide, 20 ft high, and to be a "studded house", as differentiated from a log cabin, I suppose. He also was appointed to a committee to sell the "pew rooms" in 1737. I'm not clear on the meaning of this, either.
He was the recipient of several grants of land that the town made, and two of the three times I noted he drew a low number, so he chose some of the best of the land that was being divided. In another grant, he drew lot 122, so this was probably mediocre at best.
Benjamin was a selectman several times, starting in 1707 and probably ending in 1739, when he was also chosen to be the representative to the general court in Boston. He refused to serve, but it's not stated why he chose to stay home. He was already 61 years of age, and may have not felt up to the task. Just as likely, Huldah died July 7 of that year and he probably wanted to stay home, to care for her and watch after the family.
Benjamin remarried on August 21, 1740, to Rebecca Nurse Kinney. (No, I haven't checked to see if she was connected to the Nurses of Salem). He died 6 years later, on September 13, 1746. His will is quite extensive. He left twenty pounds each to the daughters of his deceased daughter, Mary Thayer, and some personal belongings beside. His will specifies that all bequests are to be in the "old tenor", which is a reference to a fairly recent change in currency. He wanted them to be given the money as he had known it all his life, and that carried more value than the more recent currency.
I was also fortunate enough to locate his inventory. It is quite specific, including the value of items devised in the will. His inventory was valued at over 1120 pounds, again in the "old tenor". I think we would classify him as"well to do", if not wealthy. Benjamin Wheelock was a family man, a civil servant, a member of the church, and a leader in the community. We can be proud of him!
The line of descent is
Benjamin Wheelock-Huldah Thayer
Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
This Benjamin was the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Bullen Wheelock and a grandson of Ralph Wheelock, the immigrant. He was born December 12, 1768 and was one of at least five children. He came to Mendon as a young boy and lived his whole life in this frontier village.
On December 9, 1700 he married his step sister, Huldah Thayer, who was the daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth French Thayer (Elizabeth had married Benjamin's father, after they were both widowed). Since it's reasonable to suppose that the two knew each other well, we can assume this marriage was a happy one. They had at least eight children together, and the family, or at least Benjamin, seems to have prospered.
In The Annals of the Town of Mendon, it is often hard to differentiate between the three (at least) Benjamin Wheelocks. But in 1707 ours is identified as Benjamin Wheelock Jr., as a selectman, so we are willing to consider the possibility that some of the remaining references to Benjamin between then and 1716, when his father died, could be our Benjamin.
In 1705, Benjamin Wheelock and his successors were granted use of the "mill pond" for as long as they kept in in repair and serviceable for the town's use. The mill pond was used as a reservoir with water released as necessary to run the mill. I don't know if this signifies that the mill was run by the Wheelocks, or whether there is something else significant about this. If someone knows, please let me know!
I didn't find anything specific about Benjamin in the military, but it seems likely he was in the training band, if nothing else. I did find that he was appointed to a committee to oversee the building of the town meeting house in 1720. It was to be 50 ft long, 45 ft wide, 20 ft high, and to be a "studded house", as differentiated from a log cabin, I suppose. He also was appointed to a committee to sell the "pew rooms" in 1737. I'm not clear on the meaning of this, either.
He was the recipient of several grants of land that the town made, and two of the three times I noted he drew a low number, so he chose some of the best of the land that was being divided. In another grant, he drew lot 122, so this was probably mediocre at best.
Benjamin was a selectman several times, starting in 1707 and probably ending in 1739, when he was also chosen to be the representative to the general court in Boston. He refused to serve, but it's not stated why he chose to stay home. He was already 61 years of age, and may have not felt up to the task. Just as likely, Huldah died July 7 of that year and he probably wanted to stay home, to care for her and watch after the family.
Benjamin remarried on August 21, 1740, to Rebecca Nurse Kinney. (No, I haven't checked to see if she was connected to the Nurses of Salem). He died 6 years later, on September 13, 1746. His will is quite extensive. He left twenty pounds each to the daughters of his deceased daughter, Mary Thayer, and some personal belongings beside. His will specifies that all bequests are to be in the "old tenor", which is a reference to a fairly recent change in currency. He wanted them to be given the money as he had known it all his life, and that carried more value than the more recent currency.
I was also fortunate enough to locate his inventory. It is quite specific, including the value of items devised in the will. His inventory was valued at over 1120 pounds, again in the "old tenor". I think we would classify him as"well to do", if not wealthy. Benjamin Wheelock was a family man, a civil servant, a member of the church, and a leader in the community. We can be proud of him!
The line of descent is
Benjamin Wheelock-Huldah Thayer
Mary Wheelock-Ebenezer Thayer
Abigail Thayer-Jesse Holbrook
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susanna Rockwood
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants
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