I originally thought John HOYT (1614 – 1684) was Alex’s  11th Great Grandfather; one of 4,096 in this generation of the Shaw line. However, I now believe that John’s one-time great – granddaughter Dorothy COLBY was not the daughter of Anthony COLBY II, but instead was the daughter of his cousin Isaac COLBY and Martha PARRATT.

John Hoyt was born in 12 Mar 1614 in West Hatch, Somerset, England.  His parents were Simon HOYT and Jane STOODLEY. He married Frances TEWKSBURY.   After Frances died, he married John married Mary Jewell  in 1644 in Amesbury, Essex Co, Massachusetts.  Finally, he married Mary Elizabeth Brundage Purdy 14 Oct 1658 in Fairfield, Fairfield, CT.   John died 1 Sep 1684 in Rye, Westchester, New York.

Over half the first settlers names on this memorial are our ancestors.  They are: Richard Currier, Orlando BAGLEY Sr., John Bailey, William BARNES, Thomas Barnard, Henry Blaisdell, Philip Challis, Anthony COLBY,  John COLBY, Edward Cottle, Jarret Haddon, John HOYT, William Huntington, Thomas Macy, George MARTIN, Valentine Rowell, William SARGENT and John Weed.

Frances Tuxbury was born in 1617 in England. Frances died 23 Feb 1643 in Salisbury, Essex, Mass.

Mary Jewell was born on 10 Dec 1628 in Salisbury, Essex Co, Massachusetts. She died on 15 Sep 1684 in Amesbury, Essex Co, Massachusetts. She was buried in Amesbury, Essex Co, Massachusetts.

Mary Elizabeth Brundage was born 10 Dec 1628 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. Mary Elizabeth died 15 Sep 1684 in Rye, Westchester, New York.   Mary first married Francis Purdy.   We think that the widow of Francis Purdy had married John Hoyt because her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth (Brown) Purdy, in 1678 asked that “my father John Hoit and my brother Thomas Browne might stand overseers, or my brother Hacaliah Browne,” but Francis Purdy died in 1658

Children of  John and Frances:

.
Children of John and Mary Jewell:

Title: Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury Massachusetts vol 1
Author: David W. Hoyt

The earliest information concerning (1) John1 Hoyt, which has yet been obtained, is that he was one of the original settlers of Salisbury, Mass. His age at that time can not be accurately determined, but, from the fact that he had at least two children born previous to 1639, it seems probable that he was born about 1610-15. He was chosen selectman, March,1681-2, and moderator of town-meeting, April, 1687 (the same year hedied), hence he could not have been very aged and infirm at that time. Whether he came directly from England, or had previously lived in other towns in America, is uncertain. His name does not appear among the passengers on any of the early emigrant ships of which we have seen any record, and is not found on any of the lists of freemen contained in the Massachusetts Records. He may have come into the country when a minor.

He had two wives, both named Frances. He probably married first wife about 1635, though we have found no record of it. She died Feb. 23, 1642/43, and he married his second wife in 1643 or ’44. His second wife survived him, and was living in 1697. The town reords of Amesbury state that “Sargent Jno Hoyt sen. died on ye 2 day & was buried on ye 29 day of Feb. An. Dom. 1687-88.” The county records at Salem state that he died on the 29th of February, the town records are probably correct. His eldest son, John, had the homestead, paying his step-mother a certain sum annually; but grandson Joseph received the deed of it, on the same condition, 1689. There are quite a number of deeds on record from (1) John Hoyt to his sons, John and Thomas, especially the former, eldest son.
(*) Old Norfolk County Records. Norfolk included Amesbury, Exeter,Hampton
Haverhill, Salisbury,–towns north of the Merrimack.

Children

1. Frances HOYT (See John COLBY‘s page)

2. John Hoyt

John’s wife Mary Barnes was born 25 Jan 1643 Salisbury, Mass. Her parents were William BARNES and Rachel LORD.  Mary died 13 Aug 1696 in Amesbury, Mass.

John was killed by Indians on the Haverhill Road to Andover 13 Aug 1696.

John Hoyt Jr 1 - Source: Ancestry of Charles Stinson Pillsbury and John Sargent Pillsbury (1938)

John Hoyt Jr 2

John Hoyt Jr 3

4. Thomas Hoyt

Thomas’ wife Mary Brown 17 Jun 1647 in Salisbury, Essex, Mass. Her parents were William Browne and Elizabeth Murford. Mary died 17 May 1702 in Salisbury, Essex, Mass.

7. Mary Hoyt

Mary’s first husband Christopher Bartlett was in Newbury, MA by 1635. John Savage, in his Genealogical Dictionary of New England Settlers, calls him the brother of Richard Bartlett of Newbury, Massachusetts, but documented evidence supporting this contention has not been discovered to date. He married first, 16 Apr 1645, Mary [__?__]. She died 24 Dec 1661. Christopher married second , 19 Dec 1663, Mary Hoyt. He died 15 Mar 1670.

Richard Bartlett came to Newbury, Massachusetts in 1634 from Wiltshire, West Sussex, England. He brought a “Breeches Bible” with him, the first in America. Richard was a shoemaker by trade. He had been born about 1575 in England and died 25 May 1647 in Newbury, Massachusetts. His was perhaps the most prolific of all the Bartlett families in America. His estate was proved and recorded in Ipswich deed book, Vol. 1, leaf 25.

Mary’s second husband Richard Martin was born 29 Jun 1647 in Salisbury, Mass. His parents were George MARTIN and Susannah NORTH. Richard died 11 Mar 1729 in Amesbury, Mass.

10. Naomi Hoyt

Naomi’s husband John Lovejoy was born 9 Feb 1655 in Andover, Essex, Mass. His parents were John Lovejoy and Mary Osgood. John died 14 Jul 1680 in Andover, Essex, Mass.

Naomi’s second husband Richard Stratton was born 27 Dec 1664 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. His parents were Samuel Stratton and Mary Frye. Richard died 1724 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Mass.

Sources:

From Lydia Harmon, 1924 by Walter Goodwin Davis

John Hoyt 1 - Source: Ancestry of Charles Stinson Pillsbury and John Sargent Pillsbury (1938)

John Hoyt 2

John Hoyt 3

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=16012868&st=1

Ancestry of Charles Stinson Pillsbury and John Sargent Pillsbury (1938) By Holman, Mary Lovering, 1868-1947; Pillsbury, Helen Pendleton Winston, 1878-1957

John HARVEY (1647 – 1705) was Alex’s 10th Great Grandfather; one of 2,024 in this generation of the Miner line.

John Harvey was born 1647 in Taunton, Bristol, Mass. His parents were Thomas HARVEY and Elizabeth ANDREWS. He married Elizabeth WILLEY 1675 in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts. John died 18 Jan 1705 in Lyme, New London, Connecticut.

Elizabeth Willey was born 1650 in Taunton, Bristol, Massachusetts. Elizabeth died 9 Jan 1705 in Lyme, New London, Connecticut.

Interestingly John, spouse Elizabeth, and twins all died within days of each other in January 1705. Perhaps there was a fire, Indian attack, epidemic????

Children of John and Elizabeth:

From the Harvey book, O.J. Harvey, 1899

In December 1675, 1000 colonists marched to the settlement of the grouped Indians. They killed over 600 warriors, and well over 1000 women and chidlren. Any survivors of this raid were hunted down and killed. 200 of the colonist band died in this fight.

John Harvey was said to be wounded but not disabled in this fight.

In 1686, Mr. Harvey purchased land of Isaac WILLEY which lay mostly within the limits of Lyme, Conn.  This was in what is the present town of Salem, which was formed in 1819 out of portions of Lyme, Colchester and Montville.

From “A National Register of the Society, Sons of the American Revolution,” by the Sons of the American Revolution, and concerns the genealogy record of Edwin Clinton Harvey.

In November 1675, John Harvey enlisted from Charlestown, Massachusetts as a soldier in Major Samuel Appleton’s Battalion and marched with it from Dedham into the Narragansett country and was “wounded but not disabled,” at the ‘Great Swamp Fight.”

John was granted an island formerly known as Harvey Island (now Carey Island) by the town of Lyme on 14 Dec 1696.  John’s son John, held numerous local offices in Lyme, and as the eldest heir of his father was allocated two parcels of land in Narragansett township No. 1 (now Buxton, Maine), by order of the General Court of Massachusetts in recognition of his father’s services in the Indian Wars.

Children

1. John Harvey

John’s wife Sarah [__?__] was born 1684 in Lyme, New London, CT.  Sarah died 2 Oct 1754 in Lyme, New London,

2. Thomas Harvey

Thomas’ wife Abigail Smith was born 8 Sep 1682 in Lyme, CT  Her parents were Richard Smith and Elizabeth Lay.  Abigail died 2 Feb 1762 in East Haddam, Middlesex, CT.

3. Elizabeth HARVEY (See John WILLEY II‘s page)

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=15234842&st=1

http://mdhervey.com/search.php?mylastname=Harvey&myfirstname=John&mybool=AND&search=Search

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=15188704

William REYNOLDS (1560 – 1648) was Alex’s 10th great grandfather, one of 2,048 in this generation of the Miner line through his son John.  He was also Alex’s 11th great grandfather, one of 4,096 in this generation of the Miller line through his daughter Catherine.

William Reynolds - Coat of Arms (Note the foxes)

William Reynolds was born in 1560 in London, England. His parents were Christopher REYNOLDS  and Clarissa HUNTINGTON (1533 – 1575). He married Esther RUTH on 2 Feb 1580 in Kent, England.  He came from England to Bermuda between 1600-1635.  He departed Bermuda for New England about 1625 and settled in Providence, Rhode Island. He suppposedly returned to Bermuda in 1646/47 and died there.  Many sources state he died in Bermuda in 1625.

There was another William Reynolds who lived in Bermuda who married Mary Smith.  From Julie E. Mercer’s book: Bermuda Settlers of the 17th Century.
REYNOLDS/REIGNOLDS – page 157
Port Royal Records – Baptisms:

1629, June; Mary dau. of William Reynolds.
1631, Feb: Elizabeth dau. William Reynolds.
1637, April: William son William & Mary Reynolds.
1639, Nov: Ursula dau. William & Mary Reynolds.
……: Ann dau. William & May Reynolds.
1678: Sarah dau. Ezra & Sarah (nee Darrel) Reynolds.

Esther Ruth (Roth) was born in 1560 in England. Esther died in 1655 in Bermuda.

Children of William and Esther:

William Reynolds, the immigrant ancestor, settled in Providence, Rhode Island.

20 Aug 1637 – He and certain others were to pay two shillings six pence apiece for ground that they had granted to them, and he and twelve others signed the following compact:

“We whose names are hereunder, desirous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do promise to subject ourselves in active and passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good of the body in an orderly way, by the major consent of the present inhabitants, masters of families, incorporated together in Town fellowship, and others whom they admit unto them only in civil things.”

27 Jul 1640 – He was one of thirty-nine who signed an agreement for a form of government.

17 Nov 1641 – He with twelve others complained in a letter to Massachusetts of the “insolent and riotous carriage of Samuel Gorton and his company,” and therefore the petitioners desired Massachusetts to “lend us a neighborlike helping hand,” etc.

Samuel Gorton (1593–1677), was an early settler and civic leader of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and President of the towns of Providence and Warwick for one term. Having strong religious beliefs that were contrary to the established Puritan dogma and being very outspoken, he was frequently in trouble with the civil and church authorities in the New England colonies.

30 Jan 1644 – He was one of the Providence settlers who testified as to the outrage on Warwick settlers by Massachusetts.

27 Jan 1645 – He sold to Robert Williams all his houses and home share and three small pieces of meadow, and on the same date he sold to William Field a share of six acres on Fox’s Hill.

27 Apr 1646 – He sold to Thomas Lawton his valley of eighty acres, and three acres of meadow.

Timeline for the Reynolds/Runnels Family

28 July 1687 – John Sanders, aged about 20, testifies that the land he has was granted his grandfather and given to his father and then to him and that his mother is now the wife of John Cleag of Pemaquid. (Documentary History of the State of Maine IV:366-7).

14 Oct 1687 – John Sanders, John Cleg, and William Ranalds all taxed at Pemaquid, Maine (NEHGR 32:312).

23 Dec 1718 – John Runnels marries Hannah Clark at Durham, NH (Marriages by the Rev. Hugh Adams, NEHGR 23 (1869):179)

15 Jul 1720 – Samuel Renalds of Bradford, Massachusetts, husbandman for forty pounds sells to Thomas Perkins “all my right and interest in all ye lands which did formerly belong to my honored grandfather William Renalds lying at Cape Porpoise” (York Deeds X:130) [note that he does mention his father by name in this deed or in his will]

30 July 1720: John Renolds of Oyster River sells to Stephen Harding all rights to 200 acres which was my fathers and grandfathers. (York Deeds X:57)

2 Sep1721 – Thomas Perkins and Stephen Harding agree to arbitration over the 200 acres of land that did belong to John Raynolds of the aforesaid place deceased. (York Deeds X:268)

21 Feb 1721/2 –  John Wheelwright, Abraham Preble, Joseph Hill, arbitrators decide that Thomas Perkins gets 14/15 of the land and Stephen Harding gets 1/15. (York Deeds X:269)

15 May 1721: John Reynolds of Oyster River sells to Thomas Perkins all his rights in 200 acres that “I have to the premises by my grandfather William Reynolds or my father Job Reynolds late of the aforesaid place” (York Deeds XIV:168)

28 March 1722: Thomas Perkins is bound and indebted to Stephen Harding for 200 pounds since a difference contest and dispute between the two relating to a certain tract of land formerly sold and conveyed by Peter Turbet unto William Runalds containing 200 acres and a difference and dispute relating to settlement and division of another tract of land containing 200 acres that was arbitrated on 21 February 1721/2. (York Deeds XI:31)

9 April 1722: The arbitrators reaffirms their decision dated 21 February 1721/2 that Thomas Perkins hall have 14/15 of the land and Stephen Harding 1/15 (York Deeds XI:52)

11 July 1722: John Buss and Alice Buss, my wife and Richard Blanchard and Sarah my wife, all of Dover, for ten pounds sell to Stephen Harding all rights to one sixth part of all the land and marsh that formerly belonged to our Uncle John Runalds deceased and since descended to us ye heirs of ye said John Runalds (York Deeds XI:31)

14 December 1725: Eli Demerit and my wife Hope Demerit and William Wormwood all of Dover, for 10 pounds sells to Stephen Harding all right and title to land and marsh formerly the right and inheritance of our Uncle John Renolds deceased. (York Deeds XI:249)

14 June 1726: Thomas Perkins quitclaims to Stephen Harding land purchased of Samuel Runalls it being 3 1/2 acres where the said Hardings now dwelling house now stands (York Deeds XII:110)

24 June 1726: Stephen Harding quitclaims to Thomas Perkins all land by purchase or deed from the heirs of William or John Runalls late deceased excepting about 60 or 70 acres (York Deeds XII:46)

Children

1. Stephen Reynolds

Stephen’s wife Sarah Bradford was born about 1603 in England.  The date of her death is not known.

3. Catharine Eunice REYNOLDS (see Edward STARBUCK‘s page)

Reynolds Family Association -Edward Starbuck and his wife Katherine came to New England about 1635, and settled in Dover, NH. Although there is no documented evidence to date, Edward’s wife is traditionally known as Katherine Reynolds. As early as 1862, James Savage, in A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, wrote that Edward Starbuck “m. Eunice or Catherine Reynolds, said to be from Wales.” Early Settlers of Nantucket, compiled by Lydia S. Hinchman and published is 1901, states that Edward’s wife was “Katharine (Reynolds), of Wales.” A footnote states “Some authorities give Eunice.” George Edward McConnell and David Ross McConnell, in Our Family’s Starbuck Ancestry, published 1963, state “his wife, Katherine Reynolds, daughter of Robert, is thought to have been Welch.” This Reynolds connection was also acknowledged in the Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, by Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libbey and Walter Goodwin Davis in 1939. They stated that “his wife Katherine is repeatedly called Katherine Reynolds, but no documented evidence of the ‘Reynolds’ has been seen.” Such long-standing tradition should not be taken lightly, despite the current lack of extant evidence, and until research proves otherwise, we will consider that Katherine and her descendants constitute a branch of the Reynolds family in America.

It has been written in the above stated sources that Edward was from Derbyshire, England. The Starbuck genealogy adds that he was from Derbyshire or from Attenborough, Nottinghamshire. Noyes, Libbey and Davis state that Edward was of Draycut, Co. Derby and Attenboro, Co. Notts. There has apparently been no success to date with research in English records for the ancestry of either Edward or Katherine, though further study has been started by the RFA.

4. William Reynolds

William first appeared at Kennebec, Maine with our ancestor John HOWLAND in 1634. (See John Howland’s page for the story of William’s  participation in the Hocking Affair.) If it’s too much work to click –

 A group of traders from Piscataqua (present day Portsmouth, NH) led by a man named John Hocking, encroached on the trading ground granted to Plymouth by a patent, by sailing their bark up the river beyond their post. Howland warned Hocking to depart, but Hocking, brandishing a pistol and using foul language, refused. Howland ordered his men [including William Rennoles] to approach the bark in a canoe and cut its cables setting it adrift. The Plymouth men managed to cut one cable when Hocking put his pistol to the head of Moses Talbot, one of Howland’s men, and shot and killed him. Another of the Howland group shot Hocking to death in response.

6 Feb 1637 - William was granted land in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony

3 Aug 1638: William Reynolds marries Alice Kitson at Plymouth, Mass. [Lee D. van Antwerp and Ruth Wilder Sherman, Vital Records of Plymouth, Massachusetts to the year 1850 (Camden, ME: Picton Press, 1993), p. 653.

ca. 1647 -William Reynolds was granted about 200 acres on the Kennebunk River from which to operate a ferry, charging about three pence a passenger.  He lived on the Cape Porpoise side of the river near its mouth.  The 200 acres embraced the village of Kennebunkport.

1653 - He took the oath of allegiance in 1653 in Cape Porpoise (aka Kennebunk) . where he may have removed as early as 1640,

7 April 1654 - George Cleaves grants to William Reynolds 200 acres at Kennebunk. ((York Deeds XI:52)

1657 - A William Reynolds takes the Oath of Fidelity at Duxbury, MA (Shurtleff’s Records of Plymouth Colony, p. 182).

2 Jul 1657 - William Renalds bought Peter Turbat's house and 200 acres on the East side of the Kennebunk river in 1657 and kept the ferry there, being licensed as late as 1673.  (York Deeds III:57)

13 Feb 1666: Deposition of William Renolds being at Boston in the fall of 1665 regarding land John Batson sold Peter Oliver (York Deeds II:146)

27 Jun 1671 - William Renolds of Kennebunk mortgages to Francis Johnson of Boston, “all my land bounding on the land of my father William Renolds,” it being 200 acres of upland and 5 acres of marsh. (York Deeds II:99)

12 Feb 1674/75 - William Renalds Senior deeds to my son John Renalds with the consent of my wife Alice Renalds all his land in return for care for the rest of their lives. Also it certifies that William pays to his son William 10 shillings and his son Job Renalds 5 shillings before the sealing of the deed. (York Deeds III:57).

1675 - William settled his whole property on his son John in return for life support for his aged parents, John giving money to his brothers William and Job before signing the deed.

18 Nov 1679 - Turbet deed of 1657 filed with the 1674 deed. [probably indicating the death of both William and Alice Reynolds].

Children of William and Alice:

i. Jane Reynolds (Runnels); m. William Wormwood

ii. Samuel Reynolds

iii. William Reynolds Jr.

iv. Job Reynolds (1645 – 1721

Job Reynolds dies between 1689 (listed at Cape Elizabeth, ME) and 28 May 1692 (widow at Portsmouth, NH, NH Provincial Deeds 17:115). (GDMNH, p. 582).

13 Apr 1696: Widow of Job Renouls at Newcastle, NH with “several children.” (Newcastle Town Records 1:14)

21 June 1718: Job Renalds of Dover, husbandman, John Renalds of same place, hubandman and James Langley of ye aforesaid Dover, husbandman and Mary my wife for 20 pounds sell to Thomas Perkins “all right and interest to one certain tract of land containing 200 acres in Arundell.” Note that John Renalds did not sign this deed. (York Deeds X:131).

v. Hope Reynolds b. 1650 – m. 23 Oct 1664 at Saco, Maine to Thomas Sanders (GDMNH, p. 606)

vi. John Runnels b. 1651; d. Before 1722 in Portsmouth, Rockingham, NH; m. 1674 in Portsmouth, NH to Sarah Crawford

13 Oct 1681 –  John Renolds Deposition as being aged about 30 (York Deeds III:104)

4 Nov 1684 – John Renalds of Kennebunk, fisherman sells to Peter Rendle, mariner, land that late in the possession of my father William Renalds, about 100 acres. (York Deeds IV:29).

2 Jan  1687 – John Rennalls of Cape Porpoise, fisherman, sells to Nicholas Morey. (York Deeds VI:49)

14 Dec 1687 – John Reynolds licensed as a ferryman (Province and Court Records of ME, III:267.

6. James Reynolds

James’ first wife Susannah Sheldon

James’ second wife Deborah Jordan (or Sweete or Potter)  was born 1628 in North Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island. Deborah died 15 Oct 1692 in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

A Genealogy of James and Deborah Reynolds of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and Descendants. 1st ed. Stephen C. Roth, compiler and editor. In 2 vols., 1785 pp plus 486-page annotated index. Salem MA: Higginson Book Co. For information about price and shipping, please contact Higginson Books at http://www.higginsonbooks.com/

Steve Roth, a descendant of James and Deborah Reynolds, has been compiling this genealogy for many years, before and after the time he served as Registrar for the Reynolds Family Association.

James Reynolds was born in 1625, probably in England, and died in 1700 in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Various theories as to the possible ancestry of James Reynolds are presented and discussed. James Reynolds was an early settler in New England, known to be living in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1643, and later obtaining land and establishing himself and his family in the Quidnessett region (now North Kingstown) of Rhode Island prior to 1669.

Deborah died prior to October 1692, also in North Kingstown. James and Deborah had seven children (John, James, Joseph, Henry, Deborah, Francis, and Mercy), and this book traces the generations forward through these seven offspring. In some cases, information is presented on descendants who are more than 15 generations removed from James and Deborah.

7. John REYNOLDS (See his page)

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/13449189/person/41628860

http://www.geni.com/discussions/85512

http://www.reynoldsfamily.org/progen.html

http://lythgoes.net/genealogy/familygroup.php?familyID=F5159&tree=

http://www.reynoldsfamily.org/line24/index.html

Hildebrand PIETERSEN (1613 – 1639) was Alex’s 12th Grandfather; one of 8,192 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Hildebrand Pietersen was born in 1613 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He married Femmetje ALBERTSE. Hildebrand died in 1639 in New Amsterdam, NY.

Femmetje Albertse was born in 1615 in Noord-Holland, Netherlands.  Her father was Aldert Van NORDEN (1589 – 1650) and Geertuy DRIES.  Several genealogies say Adert immigrated to New Netherlands, but I can find no evidence.  After Hildebrand died, she married Hendrick Janse Westercamp (Westecamp) before 1641 in Kingston, NY.

She was probably the Femmetge Aelberts who married Michiel Anthonisz van Uytrecht in 1656. Through an unfortunate mistake, Michiel had been led to believe that his first wife in the Netherlands had died and subsequently married Femmetje, who was then living in Catskill. The first wife, still alive, then arrived in the New World. Femmitje stepped aside and was granted a divorce 4 July 1656.  Femmetje died in 1667 in Kingston, NY.

After her second husband died in 1653, Femmetje ran his Kingston bakery and appears in numerous court disputes in the records of several towns in New Netherland.

Children of Hildebrand and Femmetje

.

Children of Femmetje and Hendrick Janse Westercamp

Hendrick Janse Westecamp/ Westercamp was born 1613/15 of Meppel, Drenthe, Netherlands.  Hendrick died before 30 Sep. 1654 Albany, Albany, NY

2 Apr 1648 – Hendrick Jansz Westerkamp(Westercamp); received permission to seek a living in Rensselaerswyck (Albany) by day labor or otherwise and soon seems to have established himself as a baker.

1 Apr 1650 – Hendrick  was granted the garden between the first and second creeks formally occupied by Capitaijn [Willem Juriaensz, the baker].

They were living at Beverwyck near Fort Orange (now Albany, New York) by the summer of 1652. Hendrick died between 1653, when he appeared as witness in a court case, and 1654, when Femmetje appears in court and is called a widow. One of his dying wishes was that his daughter (either Grietjen or another unknown daughter) be released from her indenture. In September of 1654, Femmetje was successful in fulfilling this wish.

Court Minutes of Rensselaerswyck (Albany)

Thursday April 2 1648 –  Hendrick Westercamp is granted permission and consent to support himself in the colony by day-labor or otherwise. He may therefore select a place, whereupon we shall resolve further.

Extraordinary session, March 16 1652 - Hendrick Westerkamp says that at the request of Commissary J. Dyckman he made an affidavit concerning the former brickyard, a little south of the first kill, in which he declared that the same belonged to the company and that they had a small house there.

Extraordinary Session, August 20, 1652 – Jan Labatie, plaintiff, against Hendrick Jansz Westerkamp, defendant, on account of 8 beavers which the defendant owes to Philip Geary, according to a note of the 16th of August of last year.

The court orders the defendant to pay the aforesaid eight beavers in specie to the plaintiff, by virtue of his power of attorney, within the space of ten days, on pain of execution

We don’t know much about Hildebrand and Femmetje, but Jannetie must have found her way to New Amsterdam somehow.

Femmetje was an interesting character who ran her deceased second husband’s bakery and appears in numerous court disputes in the records of several towns in New Netherland.

1656 - She was probably the Femmetge Aelberts who married Michiel Anthonisz van Uytrecht in 1656. Through an unfortunate mistake, Michiel had been led to believe that his first wife in the Netherlands had died and subsequently married Femmetje, who was then living in Catskill. The first wife, still alive, then arrived in the New World. Femmitje stepped aside and was granted a divorce 4 July 1656.

Femmetge Aelberts and Michiel Anthonisz.1

Femmetge Aelberts and Michiel Anthonisz 2

1659 – First Esopus War - Peter Hillebrants is among those kidnapped and later released

1663 – Second Esopus War - Grietjen Hendricks Westercamp’s husband was killed.  Greitjen and her three children were kidnapped and later rescued.

Children

1. Jannetie  Hildebrand PIETERSEN (See Francois
LeSUEUR‘s page)

2. Pieter Hillebrants

Pieter was kidnapped by Indians during the first Esopus War.

Sep 1659 – The bottle was passed twice, and the Indian said again, “Come, let us go; my heart is full of fears.” He went off and hid his goods in the bushes at a little distance. Coming back once more they heard the bushes crackle as the Dutch came there, without knowing who it was. Then this Indian went away, saying “Come, let us go, for we all shall be killed;” and the rest laid down together, whereupon the Dutch came and all of them fired into the Indians, shooting one in the head and capturing another. One drunken Indian was continually moving about, whereupon the Dutch fired upon him repeatedly, nearly taking his dress from his body.

Ensign Smith knew what the consequences of this outbreak would be, and he sought to ascertain who ordered the firing contrary to his express instructions. The Dutch cast all the blame on the Indians, saying that the latter fired first. The affairs of the colony being in such an unsatisfactory state, and finding the people would not respect his authority, Smith announced his intention of leaving for New Amsterdam next day. Great excitement was manifested when this became known. The people tried to dissuade him from his purpose by representing their exposed condition, and making assurances of future obedience on their part. Smith was intractable, and continued making preparations for his departure; but by an adroit measure of Stohl and Thomas Chambers [husband of Margriet HENDRICKSE] who hired all the boats in the neighborhood, he found himself unable to carry out his resolution. It was deemed expedient, however, to acquaint the Governor of the state of affairs, and accordingly Christopher Davis was dispatched down the river in a canoe for that purpose.

Davis was escorted to the river by a company of eight soldiers and ten citizens, under Sergeant Lawrentsen, Sept. 21st, 1659. On the return of the escort to the village they fell into an ambuscade near where now stands the City Hall; the Sergeant and thirteen men surrendered without firing a shot, the rest making their escape. War now began in earnest. More than five hundred Indians were in the vicinity of the fort, who kept up a constant skirmish with settlers. By means of firebrands they set fire to the House of Jacob Gebers; numbers of barracks, stacks and barns were in like manner destroyed. One day they made a desperate assault on the palisades which came near being successful. Failing in this, the Indians slaughtered all the horses, cattle and hogs they could find outside the defenses. Three weeks was a constant siege kept up so that “none dare go abroad.” Unable to take the town they vented their fury on the unfortunate prisoners.

Jacob Jansen Van Stoutenburgh, Abram Vosburg, a son of Cornelius B. Sleight, and five or six other were compelled to run the gauntlet; they were next tied to stakes, and, after being beaten and cut in the most cruel manner, were burned alive. Thomas Clapboard [Chambers], William the carpenter, Peter Hillebrants and Evert PELS‘ son were among the captives.

These are the only names mentioned in the early records. Clapboard was taken by six warriors down the Esopus kill. At night he removed the cords by which he was bound, and successively knocked five of his captors in the head while they were asleep, killing the sixth before he could fly, and making good his escape. Another prisoner, a soldier, got home safely after a somewhat rough experience. Peter Laurentsen and Peter Hillebrants were ransomed; Hendrick Vosberg Pel, then a mere youth, was adopted into the tribe and married among them. Overtures were afterwards made to the Indians by the friends of the lad for his return; but the Indians answered that he “wished to stay with his squaw and pappoose, and he ought to.”

Pieter’s wife Aeltje Wygerts was born about 1625 in Gelderland, Netherlands.  She first married in the Netherlands to Lubbert Jansen (1624 – 1649) and had two children Aeltje Lubbertsen b. 1647 and Jan Lubbertse b. 1648..  After Lubbert died, she married about 1650 to Albert Gysbertsen (1623 – 1664) and had two more children Lysbet Alberts b. 1651 and Gysbert Albertsen-van Garden b. 1655.

Albert Gysbertsen died on Nov. 18, 1664.  This site has many details about Albert’s life including extensive records of his extensive court dealings.  After Albert died, Tjerck Claesen De Wit filed a suit against Aeltje Wygerts seeking payment for Blackie the horse. The record states:

“Plaintiff shows a bill of sale of a horse bought by her husband, Albert Gysbertsen, during his lifetime from plaintiff for 200 gldrs. in wheat to be paid at such times and in such payments to the vendue-master as he has bought it by Lord’s execution on April 7, 1664. Defendant admits the debt and offers to pay 100 sch. of oats, provisionally, and the balance from the future next year’s [1665] crop, or else to return the horse, and is willing to pay plaintiff for the use of said horse. Plaintiff replies not to be satisfied with aforementioned offer.”

The fact that de Wit sued Albert’s widow so soon after his death suggests that the bad blood that erupted a year earlier was simply lying dormant below the surface, or perhaps he was irked by Albert’s testimony in the lawsuit over the pasturing of cattle.

Exactly a month later, Aeltje was dragged into court concerning the heifer Albert purchased in October. The court record for Dec. 18 states:

“there appeared before us the worthy Aeltje Wygerts, widow of Albert Gysbertsen, deceased, who declares that her husband Albert Gysbertsen, deceased, bought during his lifetime from the estate of Aert Pietersen Tack, a heifer for the amount of 100 aldrs. heavy money, for which amount of 100 gldrs. heavy money the appearer has been referred to and promises to pay to Swerus Teunissen, inhabitant of the colony of Rensselaerswyck.”

To secure the debt, Aeltje mortgaged “the crop of all the corn which, by God’s blessing, shall, in the coming year 1665, be brought in from her land, and further in general her person and further goods, personal and real estate.”

At some point before the spring, Aeltje entered into a relationship with Pieter Hillebrants and the two married. Pieter had probably been a friend of the family because he seems to have been present when de Wit pulled the knife on Albert.   The church record of his marriage notes that he was born in New Amsterdam and that he had not been married before. Court records mention that Pieter was the son of Femmetje Alberts. This was almost certainly the Femmetje Alberts who was the widow Hendrick Jansen Westercamp. If this was the case, Pieter was born to a previous husband, whose first named was obviously Hillebrant.

9 Mar  1665 – Pieter Hillebrants sued Tjerck Claesen De Wit, presumably on Aeltje’s behalf. Roelof Swartwout acted as the attorney in Aeltje’s suit to acquire “20 morgens of arable land sold to the aforesaid widow’s late husband Albert Gysbertsen.” De Wit said he would record the deed once the river had become navigable, probably indicating that it was iced over at the time. De Wit then requested the 100 guilders still outstanding on the purchase of Blackie the horse, plus 14 schepels of wheat for “damage sustained through the attachment of his horse.” The plaintiffs replied that the payment was being withheld until the deed was recorded. De Wit said he was satisfied with that but still wanted his 14 schepels of wheat “for costs.” The court, apparently a bit exasperated with both parties, ordered de Wit to file the deed, Aeltje to pay for the horse and both to split the costs of 14 schepels of wheat because the “parties have been mutually negligent in living up to their contracts.

Interestingly, the March 9, 1665 court record  describes Aeltje as “last widow of Albert Gysbertsen, deceased, and at present wife of the aforesaid Pieter Hillebrants.” However, the Reformed Church records of Kingston state that Pieter Hillerbrantsen married Aeltje Wiggers on April 3, 1665. The marriage record indicates that banns were published on March 22, March 29 and April 3. It seems certain that the two were already seen as a very close couple by March 9.

Before they were actually wed, Aeltje and Pieter signed a prenuptial agreement for the protection of Aeltje’s children. On March 20, the town secretary recorded that Pieter appeared with his mother, Femmetje Alberts, and Aeltje appeared with her son-in-law Roeloff Hendericks, who was the husband of Aeltje Lubberts.

“In the name of the Lord, Amen. Be it known by these, that on March 20, 1665, N. S., appeared before Matfheus Capita, Secretary of  Wildwyck, Pieter Hillebrants, young man, accompanied by his mother, Femmetje Alberts, and Aeltje Wygerts, widow of Albert Gysbertsen, accompanied by Roeloff Hendericks, her son-in-law, who in this manner have stipulated these marriage conditions.
1. The marriage to be concluded in accordance with the canons of the reformed religion.
2. All the property, belonging to either party, to be used in (fcmmon, in accordance with the custom of Holland, with the exception that the bride sets apart for each of her children 50 gilders heavy money, viz. for Aeltje and Jan, children of Lubbert Jansen, and for Lysbet and Gysbert, children of Albert Gysbertsen. — Roeloff Swartwout and Jan Willemse Hoochteylingh to be appointed guardians over said children, who are to be instructed in reading, writing, and, if possible, learn a trade. — In case of death of either party, the property to be divided.”
Signed Pieter Hillebrants, Aeltien Hybersen, Femmetje Alberts (her mark), Roeloff Hendricks, Wilh. Beeckman, Jan Willemsen Hoochteylingh, and RoelofiE Swartwout.

The heifer that Albert purchased from the Tack estate appears in the court records again on Feb. 27, 1666. Pieter Hillebrants agreed to pay 100 guilders in wheat to satisfy the debt before that October.

18 Feb 1672/73 – Aeltje and Pieter apparently hired Willem Montagne to defend them against a lawsuit filed by Cornelis Wynkoop. The plaintiff was demanding payments and interest due on a mortgage given to Albert Gysbertsen on May 1, 1664. Neither Pieter, nor Aeltje, are named but the record mentions that Montagne was acting “by virtue of a power of attorney.” He pointed out that the mortgage was for only four years and that Wynkoop had missed his chance to enforce it. The court decided in favor of the defendants.

8 Mar 1674/75 – Aeltje and the guardians of Albert’s children, Roelof Swartwout and Jan Willemsen, asked to apportion the children’s inheritance, noting “the same have attained their majority except Jan, who is one year short of it.” The court allowed the apportionment. However, the mention of a son named “Jan” should be discussed. It seems almost certain that this is a mistaken reference to Gysbert. The only Jan mentioned in connection with Aeltje is the son of her first husband Lubbert Jansen. Since it had been less than 10 years since Albert’s death, this second “Jan” must have been his youngest child. Since Gysbert is listed as the fourth of Aeltje’s four children in the prenuptial agreement mentioned above, it seems likely that he was the son who was one year short of majority.

Aeltje lived at least until Nov. 1, 1684, when she and Pieter are listed as the sponsors of Pieter, son of Aeltje’s son Gysbert.

3. Grietjen Hendricks Westercamp

Grietjen’s husband Pieter Jacobsen was born about 1628 in Holstein, Germany.  He arrived in New Netherlands in 1659 on the  ”de Trouw”  He was a miller in partnership with Pieter Cornelissen. Peter died 7 Jun 1663 in the Indian attack on Esopus. Grietje and three of her children were taken prisoner.  Peer Jan HENDRICKS was a soldier sent to rescue the captives.  See his page for details.

Grietjen was living in Esopus, Kingston, NY in 1662.  She was an early settler of Minisink Valley and captured by Indians in 1663.

Grietjen’s second husband Jan Gerritsen Decker was born 23 Apr 1640 in Husum, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Jan died 1717 in Port Jervis, Orange, New York.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=1385955

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/6734767/person/632766067

http://www.pcez.com/~bigshoe/dt/Shoe/shoefour.html

Ulster County, N.Y. probate records in the office of the surrogate, and in the county clerk’s office at Kingston, N.Y. : a careful abstract and translation of the Dutch and english wills, letters of administration after intestates, and inventories from 1665, with genealogical and historical notes”

http://mysite.verizon.net/bowers.clan/id17.html

Christopher REYNOLDS (1530 – 1600 ) was Alex’s 11th great grandfather, one of 4,096 in this generation of the Miner line through his grandson John.  He was also Alex’s 12th great grandfather, one of 8,192 in this generation of the Miller line through his granddaughter Catherine.

Christopher Reynolds – Coat of Arms (Note the foxes)

Christopher Reynolds was born in 1530 in Kent, England.  His parents were Robert REINOLDS and [__?__].  He married Clarissa HUNTINGTON.  Alternatively, he married Alyce Streetinge .  He settled in London where he and his sons engaged in trade and commerce.  Christopher died in 1600 in London.

Clarissa Huntington was born 1534.  Clarissa died in 1575.

Children of  Christopher and Clarissa:

Various explanations have been offered as to the origin of the surname Reynolds. It is thought by eminent authorities, however, to have had its source in the Norman French Renaud, or Regnauld, which the English render as Reynard, the fox. Renaud was one of the most popular font-names of the surname period, which accounts for its widespread popularity as a surname a century or more later. Reynolds is of the baptismal class, and signifies literally “the son of Reynold”, which is the Anglicized form of Regnauld, or Reginald. The common use of the fox on coats-of-arms of Reynolds families supports the fox theory, however, the use of the fox in a Reynolds family blazon, does not necessarily imply the origin of the name, but instead may be a play on the word and its similarity to ‘Reynard’. Arms were often ‘assigned’ by the rulers, there sole purpose to distinguish one warrior from another on the battle field, and some of them actually had senses of humor.

Christopher’s father  Robert REINOLDS b 1505 in East Bergholt, Suffolk, England m. 1526 Kent d. 1580 Kent, England. The children of Robert are: Christopher, Henry, Robert, Dorothy, Anne, Francis, Nathaniel. A study of early English records indicate that he had a brother – Nathaniel Reynolds – also engaged with his company. A sister, Dorothy, who d. 21 November 1552 [sic], m. 11 Aug 1567 William Tilghman, son of Richard and Julian (Newman) Tilghman, of (Kent) England. The record of the Tilghman Family is available in the DAR Library and the Library of Congress.

The Reynolds Family Association has no record to support any of the above information about this Christopher. Tillman did research the RFA files, but there is nothing in the files to support the information he provides on Christopher or his children. The RFA files have no sources that indicate any of the New England colonial settlers were children of any Christopher Reynolds. Several members of RFA have researched in England many times for this elusive Christopher with no success. There is no evidence that Christopher ever came to America and most likely he did not. The earliest record of a positive Reynolds arrival is Christopher Reynolds in VA in 1622, when Christopher of New Kent England would have been 92 years old. He probably died in London, England, but to date, no records have been found of his existence in County Kent or London.

Children

2. George Reynolds

After their marriage, he and  Thomasyn Church settled in Bristol, England, and then in London. He is shown to have visited Virginia several times but did not settle in the colony.

Children of George and Thomasyn

i.  Robert Reynolds b. 1586; m. Mary [__?__]

Robert Reynolds is known to have been in Boston as early as 1632, and perhaps was a part of the Winthrop fleet in 1630. At least he was a part of the great immigration which streamed over to New England in the few years after 1630. With him came his wife, Mary (maiden name unknown), a son, Nathaniel, aged about five, four daughters, and probably his supposed brother, John Reynolds of Watertown, whose wife Sarah Reynolds is believed to have sailed in the ship “Elizabeth” of Ipswich in 1634 [Hotten, Early Immigrants].

In Genealogy of New England, Mr. Charles Nutt of Worcester, Mass. asserts, without stating his grounds, that Robert came from Aylesford, County Kent, some thirty miles southeast of London. The parochial records of that town now extend back to only 1660, earlier records having been lost. [Other sources list various places of birth for Robert. Charles Edward Banks in The Winthrop Fleet of 1630 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1989) states that Robert was "probably from Boxford, co. Suffolk." Col. Stephen Tillman in Christopher Reynolds and his Descendants, 1959, states that Robert was born 1586 in Kent Co., England and was the son of George and Thomasyn (Church) Reynolds, data taken from George's will. A source reference for the will is not given, nor is the will abstracted.]

Ueber of 1635 according to Boston records enumerating on 8 Jan 1637/38 those who were inhabitants of the town on the “14th day of the 10th month 1635.” Robert took his family back to Boston, where he acquired considerable property and lived the rest of his life. His wife Mary was admitted to the Boston Church Oct. 4, 1645. His occupation is frequently mentioned in various records as “cordwainer” (shoemaker), and property owner.

Robert Reynolds acquired just about 1640 ["Book of Possessions" compiled 1643] or shortly previous – the early pages of the “Book of Possessions” have been lost – a pretty large piece of land, which he afterward divided up into several lots, on the site of the southeast corner of Washington and Milk Streets [Shurtleff, History of Boston ch. LI] (then called High and Fort Streets, respectively) on the corner across Milk Street from the Old South Church, then part of Governor Winthrop’s home lot. On one of these lots of the Reynolds estate, Josiah Franklin about 1685 became the tenant of Capt. Nathaniel Reynolds, then living in Bristol, and apparently remained there until about 1712. It was thus on Reynolds property that Benjamin Franklin was born 6 Jan 1705/06. Though most of the other lots of the original homestead passed out of the hands of the Reynolds family before 1700, this particular Franklin lot was not disposed of until May 21, 1725, when the widow of the third Nathaniel Reynolds conveyed it to John Fosdick, son-in-law of Captain Nathaniel Reynolds.

Robert Reynolds also owned land at Muddy River (modern Brookline), which he conveyed in 1645 and 1653. In 1638 he was mentioned as owning land “bounded on NW with Newtowne” [Boston Record Comm. 2:29]. In 1640, Robert Reynolds is mentioned as selling land on Hogg Island. Robert’s name is often found in the county records of land transfers, as a witness to legal papers, as an appraiser of estates, etc.

At the time the sharp old Capt. Robert Keayne and Mrs. Shearman went to law over a stray pig in 1642, an excited public opinion turned upon the old captain, and judges wrangled over what has become a notable case in the history of bicameral “courts” or legislatures, Robert Reynolds apparently lent his voice to the defense of Keayne [see Palfrey, "Hist. New England" 1:618]. Some years later (Nov. 14, 1653) the following paragraph appears in Keayne’s will [NEHGR 6:156]: “Unto our brother Renolds, shoemaker, senior, twenty shillings; not forgetting a word he spake, publiquely & seasonably, in the time of my distresse, and other men’s violent opposition against me.”

About 1650, Robert’s only son, Nathaniel, rapidly came to be a young man of importance, being elected in 1658 to the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company; marrying in 1657; and commanding a company at Chelmsford, 1676, in King Philip’s Indian war.

In 1658 Robert, “being stricken in age,” realized his end to be approaching, for on April 20, he drew up and signed his will with his own hand, and died a year and seven days later on April 27, 1659. His wife Mary died January 18, 1663. Until a generation or so ago the original will was on file in the Suffolk Registry of Probate in Boston and was copied into the volume of early wills and also published in the New England Genealogical Register [NEHGR 9:137-8], but it has evidently long been stolen. The yellowed original inventory of his estate, 1659, taking minute account of pots, rope-ends, shoe soles, etc. is still to be seen at the Registry. Following is a copy of Robert’s holograph will, as nearly exact as can be had from Registry copies. The fact that its English is comparatively good would indicate that he had a fairly good education.

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ROBERT REYNOLDS (Suffolk, Mass. Registry of Probate, Book I, p. 324)

Will. Now Liuing in Boston. ITEM: I give to my wife, my house with all that appertaine unto it, with my Marsh ground at Muddy River, with one Lott of Ground at Long Island, so Long as she Liveth, with all my house hold stuffe whatever is in my house, and what money there is left, and after her decease I haue given my house & Orchard to my sonne Nathaniell and to his heyres foreuer, and if he should dye without Children, or any one Child Lawfully begotten of his owne body, then his wife to enjoy the said house and Orchard so long as she Liueth, and after her decease, to Returne to my fowre daughters Children, that is to say, one part to my daughter Ruth Whitneyand to her Eldest Sonne; a second part to my Daughter Tabitha Abdy & her sonne Mathew Abdy, and if he should dye, to her two daus. one part to either of them alike; a third part to my daughter Sarah Mason and her sonne Robert Mason, & if he dye, to her daughter Sarah; and a fourth part to my dau. Mary Sanger & her sonne Nathaniell & if he dye to her next child, either sonne or daughter; likewise I give to my daughter Ruth Whitney twentie pounds to be payd in good countrey pay & likewise I give to my Daughter Tabitha twentie pounds & also I give to my daughter Sarah twentie pound & likewise I give to my dau. Mary twentie pound, & for the payment of these Legacies I have eight accres of marsh Land, which if my sonne Nathaniell will pay £20 in good pay towards this fowre score pound, then he to haue and enjoy my Marsh land and his heyres foreuer; but if he refuse to pay the twentie pound, then to be devided equally to my fower daughters & to theire children, that is to my daughter Ruth & her Children one part, and to my daughter Tabitha & her Children one part, & to my daughter Sarah and her Children one part, and to my daughter Mary & her Children one part, or else that it may be sold for as much as it will yeeld, and devided among them equally as I said before, & the other three score pound to be raysed out of my owne estate, & what is ouer and aboue, my will & desire is, my wife shall haue, and so I do make her my Executrix to pay all my debts and receive all my debts, and also I joyne my sonne Nathaniell with her, to be as helpefull to my wife, his mother, as possibly he can, and these legacies to be payd within one yeare and a day, and if it should please God that I doe Liue so Long as any of my Estate should be spent, as it is likely it may, I & my wife being stricken in age & are almost past our Labour, then, for euery one of them to abate proportionably alike. Written with my owne hand the 20th day of the 2d month 1658.

Robert Reynols

ii. Thomas Reynolds (twin b. 1590)  m. Mary [__?__] Immigrated to Virginia Settled in Isle of Wight County, Virginia with his brother Christopher.  About 1637, Thomas and his family settled on the Rapidan River.  Children 1. Henry Reynolds b: 1624 Isle of Wight Co VA d 1669-04-06 2. John Reynolds b 1650 Isle of Wight Co VA 3. William Reynolds b 1655 d 1700 4. Rachel Reynolds b 1626 Richmond VA 5. Mary Reynolds b 1625 Richmond VA d 1711 6 Cornelius Reynolds b: 1639 in Old Rappahannock, VA 7. Thomas Reynolds 8 Richard Reynolds iii. John Reynolds (twin b. 1590) m. Sarah Chesterson; John Reynolds of Watertown, whose wife Sarah Reynolds is believed to have sailed in the ship “Elizabeth” of Ipswich in 1634 his brother Robert, sister-in-law, Mary (maiden name unknown), a nephew, Nathaniel, aged about five and four nieces , [Hotten, Early Immigrants]. Upon his arrival in the new world, John settled for a short while in Boston.  Then he removed to Watertown, Mass., with his brother Robert.  John followed Robert to Wethersfield, CT about 165/36.  John and his family remained in Connecticut, but Robert did not stay there long.

John’s name is noted on the monument to the original settlers of Watertown, Mass., to have arrived in 1630 with Governor Saltonstall. His name is included with the original 60 other settlers listed on that monument. Included on that monument, is also the name of Thomas Doggett, a progenitor of Elizabeth Daggett, who married Jeremiah Reynolds about 1772 or 3. Other historical records reveal them to be part of the Winthrop fleet, many of which emigrated from the area around Grafton and Boxford, in Suffolk, England. He married in England, before he came to Massachusetts, as Sarah his wife is known as Reynolds, on the ship passenger list, when they departed Ipswich on May 06, 1634.

He was admitted as a “Freeman”, of Watertown, suggesting he may have been indentured. In 1636, he removed with several other settlers, including Robert Reynolds (probably his brother [whose name is NOT on the monument of the original settlers]), to Weathersfield, Connecticut. The site of his home is noted on the early maps of that town. He is not to be confused with another John Reynolds, who arrived some time later, and was married to a Naomi Latimer.

John Reynolds was a founder of Wethersfield, Hartford, CT

Wethersfield was founded in 1634 by a group of ten Puritans hailing from Watertown, Massachusetts led by John Oldham and Nathaniel Foote Wethersfield is the second-oldest town in Connecticut after Windsor.

Along with Windsor and Hartford, Wethersfield is thought by some to be represented by one of the three grapevines on the Connecticut state flag signifying the state’s three oldest settlements.

John’s home was on High Street, third from the meeting-house and about the center of town, between John Gibbs and Andrew Ward, some 3½ acres. On 11 Mar, 11 Feb, 1640/41, he received a houselot and several other pieces of land. These were all sold to Lieut. John Hollister, recorded May 20, 1644, o.s. [Descendants of John and Sarah Reynolds of Watertown and Greenwich, p. 17; Stiles, History of Wethersfield].

In 1641, He and Sarah removed to Stamford, Connecticut, with some other Weathersfield men, and they established the town of Stamford. He is noted to have received 11 acres of land from the original division of land.

The place and date of his death is not known, but in 1651 the Stamford town records (p. 51) Deed: “the housing and lands of JohnHolly…. more or less bounded by ye lot which was John Renoles…” His name is not mentioned in 1657 when the death of SarahReynolds his wife is recorded. There is some speculation that he was a seaman, crew or officer, and perchance one of the Captains of one of the Winthrop fleet ships and that he made several trips back and forth to England, while at Watertown. This may explain why his name is not listed on the passenger manifest of any of these ships, but that later his wife Sarah’s name is so listed. He may have also died in England on a trip back to the land of his birth. The gravestone of Joseph, grandson of Robert Reynolds who is also noted to have come from Boxford, suggests that the family were of some stature in England, as the tombstone with this Reynolds Family coat of Arms, carries the helmet of a Squire.

There has been some suggestion of a relationship to Governor Winthrop, and or the Gray family (Lady Jane Gray) also of the same area of Suffolk, and related to the Duke of Clarence. A home of the Dukes of Clarence is still standing in the New World in Antigua. They were in residence there before Lord Horatio Nelson made the harbor below their home his dockyard.

More About Sarah Cheserton: April 1634, arrived at Watertown, Mass, as “Sarah Reynolds”, on board the ship, Elizabeth, from Ipswich, Suffolk county, England. This implies she was married before leaving Boxford, to John, before he left England. She was reported at that time to be 20 years of age. Their daughter Elizabeth, may have been named after this ship.

December 1640, They sold their Wethersfield property.

1651, Stamford town records, p. 51: Deed “the housing and lands of John Holly…. more or less bounded by ye lot which was John Renoles…” August 21, 1657, Stamford town meeting records [p. 25-26], record of Sarah Reynolds death. No similar records of John’s death have been found. Did he die before this? Did he make a trip back to England to visit his family, and die while he was there?

iv. Anne Reynolds

v. Christopher Reynolds b.  1611  d 1654 Isle of Wight Co. VA;  m. Elizabeth [__?__] The will of Henry Hobson of Bristol, proved 27 May 1636: …[to]…My kinsman Christopher Reynolds, son of George Reynolds, deceased, and Anne Reynoldes, sister of the said Christopher (at twenty one or day of marriage)… . [Henry F. Waters, A.M.,Genealogical Gleanings in England, 2 Vols. Balto: Genealogical Publications Co, 1969 (reprint edition).] / Although this Christopher and Anne are children of a George, there is no evidence that they are the Christopher and George of interest in this article.  While the possibility exists, until more clear and convincing evidence becomes available, The Reynolds Family Association does not accept Christopher born 1530 and George who married Thomasyn Church as the parents of Christopher Reynolds of Isle of Wight VA.

Christopher and Elizabeth came to Warwick County, Virginia in 1622 aboard the Francis and John, where they settled on 450 acres, patent to which was dated 9-15-1636. Issue: Richard b 1641 ; Christopher b 1642 ; John b 1644, who d. unm. 11 Mar 1668; Abbasha b 1646; Elizabeth b 1648 ; Jane b 1650; and Thomas b 1655 .

If Christopher was born in 1611 and came to Virginia in 1622, he would have been only 11 years of age at the time of his arrival (which is documented). In 1625 he testified as a witness (documented) in the General Court. It is possible that he might have been in such a position at age 14, but is it likely?

It is not known when Christopher married and it is not known who he married or how many wives he had.  Tillman named her Elizabeth, and stated that “They” arrived… No source given for this information.

RFA member Robert A. Reynolds presented an interesting theory. “There was a second arrival in Virginia of “Chri: Reinolds”, aged 24, aboard the ship Speedwell which departed from England 28 May 1635 (Hotten, p. 83; Boyer p67). I presume Christopher returned to England for a bride; his wife’s name was Elizabeth and there were two women of his age aboard the ‘Speedwell’ with that name.” The women on board Speedwell were Elizabeth Pew age 20, Elizabeth Tuttell, age 25, and a child Elizabeth Biggs, age 10. Was this our Christopher or another Christopher on his initial arrival in the new Colony.

Adventurers, 1987 ed., page 494-495, “Christopher Reynolds left a will dated 1 May 1654… [named] wife Elizabeth, and George Rivers (apparently a step-son), and directed that his wife Elizabeth have the ordering and bringing up of his sons John and Richard, to be of age at 16, and daughters Elizabeth and Jane to of age at 15. He apparently married (1) — and (2) Elizabeth [__?__] Rivers.”

3. William REYNOLDS (See his page)

4. Thomas Reynolds

Thomas’ wife Cecily Jane Phippen was about 1578 in Regis, Dorset, England. Her parents were William Phippen  and Jane Jordaine.  Cecily died before 1611 when her daughter Cecily traveled to Virginia with her twin sister Joan and brother-in-law Capt. William Pierce.

Cecily Reynolds first married Thomas Bailey (b. 1580 in England d. 20 Sep 1620 in Jamestown, Charles City, Virginia. Next she married Samuel Jordan (b. 1578 in England  d. 1623 in Virginia.  She married third to William Farrar. She married Peter Montague, first son of our ancestor Peter MONTAGUE fourth around 1645. After Peter died, she married Thomas Parker (b. 1600 in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England d. 1663 in Isle Wight, Virginia. Cicely died 12 Sep 1660 in Charles City, Virginia.

Cicely’s parents died before 1611 when Cecily traveled to Virginia with her aunt and uncle Joan Phippen and Capt. William Pierce.  Joan was her mother’s twin sister.

William Pierce was born about 1570.  He may have died in the Indian massacre on Mar 22, 1622. According to John Smith’s list of the dead of that massacre, it says that “at Apamatucks River, at Master Peirce his Plantation, five miles from the College.”

Captain Pierce came to Virginia in 1610 on the ill-fated “Sea Venture” with Capt. Thomas Gates.  Jone, his wife, children (William, Joan, Jr., and Thomas)   came  in 1611 on the “Blessing“. She also brought with her a young niece, Cicilly Reynolds, age 10, probably to help care for the younger children.

Capt. Pierce had a home in James Cittye and a plantation on Mulberrie Island.  In addition to the lands named above, Capt. Pierce owned large holdings in various sections of Virginia. On June 22, 1625, he received grant of 2,000 acres for transporting into Virginia 50 persons. May 1623 Gov. Francis Wyatt appointed him Capt. of the Guard and Gov. of the City.

In that year, as Lt. Gov. of James Cittye he led an expedition against the Chickahominy, in retaliation for the 1622 Massacre, falling on them on July 23rd, with no small slaughter. Shortly thereafter, George Sandys, Treasurer of Virginia, wrote to England that Capt. William Peirce “Gov. of Jamestown” was inferior to none in experience, ability and capacity, recommending him for appointment to the Council, which appointment was made 1631, at which time he was living in Surry County. [It was Capt. Pierce who transported to Virginia the renowned Capt. John Rolfe, soon to become his son-in-law] In 1629/30 he was in England, and while there prepared a “Relation of the Present State of the Colony of Virginia”, by Capt. William Pierce, and Ancient Planter of 20 years standing. His wife, Mrs. Jone Pearse accompanied him and was known in England as an honest, industrious woman, who after passing 20 years in Virginia, on her return to England reported that “she had a garden at Jamestown containing 3 or 4 acres,where in one year she had gathered an hundred bushels of excellent figs, and that of her own provisions she could keep a better home in Virginia than in London – for 3 or 4 hundred pounds a year, although she had gone there with very little.”

They returned to Virginia, and while in the Council, Dec. 20th he signed an Amity Agreement between that body and Gov. John Harvey. He was displeased with Harvey’s governing of the colony and was one of the Councillors who arrested and disposed him in 1635, leading the Musketeers who surrounded his house. Capt. Pierce went on an expedition to the Northern Neck, called “Chicoan” in 1645. Surry County, Va. records, 21 Jan. 1655, Book 1, p. 116: Capt. William Pierce, his son, Thomas and grandson William Peirce were living on Mulberry Island, Warwick Co., VA.

Cicely’s aunt Joan Phippen was born about 1578 and died 1650. In A Durable Fire, the following comments were made about Joan:

“Joan Pierce, brisk blackhaired young woman, who shared the house with Meg Worley and Temperance Yardley (during the Starving Time) had taken her 4 year old daughter and her servant girl to stay at another house , so as not to see Sarah’s last dying moments. Joan Pierce hated Jamestown even more than Temperance did. “There’s nothing here but sickness and laziness.”‘

“Tempers were short these days. Even the soft spoken were sharp, and those with a cantankerous nature, like Joan Pierce, were as easily provoked as hornets.”

“Joan Pierce, who lived next door to Governor Yeardley, had put on weight after the Starving Time. She took pride in her cooking and equal pleasure in eating.” She had plump hands.

Child of William Pierce and Joan Phippen

i. Jane Pierce b. 1588; d. 1625-35 Jamestown; m1. John Rolfe (Yes, that John Rolfe) m2. Roger Smith

Rolfe’s second wife was the Indian Princess, Pocahontas, daughter of the great Chief, Powhatan.

Pocahontas and John Rolfe

On what, in modern terms, was a “public relations trip” for the Virginia Company, Pocahontas and Rolfe traveled to England in 1616 with their baby son, where the young woman was widely received as visiting royalty. However, just as they were preparing to return to Virginia, she became ill and died. Their young son Thomas Rolfe survived, and stayed in England while his father returned to the colony.

In 1619, Rolfe married Jane Pierce. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1620.  Rolfe died in 1622 after his plantation was destroyed in an Indian attack. It remains unclear whether Rolfe died in the Indian massacre or whether he died as a result of illness

Capt. Rolfe made his will in 1621 shortly after daughter Elizabeth was born. It was probated in London 1630, (copy in Va.) by his father-in-law, Capt. William Peirce. However, Capt. Rolfe was deceased. before 1625, as the Surry Co. Va muster of 1625 shows Capt. Roger Smith residing at his plantation on James Island, with wife – Mrs. Jone Smith, who came on the “Blessing”. Living with them was Elizabeth Rolfe, age 4, b. in Va.

Cicely’s first husband Thomas Bailey

Cicely Reynolds and Thomas Bailey were married in Virginia when she was at the tender age of 15.  He was killed by Indians 20 Sep 1620.

Despite her young age, legend says that she was spoken of as a “a notorious flirt” and “the Glamour Girl” in the colony. Within a few years she married her first husband Thomas Baley and–apparently before she was 17–bore their only child, Temperance.

Cicely’s second husband Samuel Jordan

Cecely and her daughter were living on their property that adjoined that of the commander of the local militia, Captain Samuel Jordan. A union of convience was entered into in which the property inherited by Mrs. Bailey reverted to her daughter when she married but until then it would be tended by Capt. Jordan. She then married Capt. Jordan.  Today, Jordan Point is a small unincorporated community on the south bank of the James River in the northern portion of Prince George County, Virginia.

On 2 Jun 1609 the  Sea Venture sailed for the first surviving English settlement in America. Among the 150 or so Adventurers and Planters aboard were Sir Thomas Gates (newly appointed Governor of the fledgling Jamestown Colony), Sir George Somers, John Rolfe (soon to be wedded to Pocahontas), Rolfe’s ill-fated first wife, and our young man, Samuel Jordan wiki .

A portrait believed to be of Admiral Sir George Somers.  – On 2 June 1609, he set sail from Plymouth, England on the Sea Venture, the flagship of the seven-ship fleet, towing two additional pinnaces) destined forJamestown, Virginia, carrying five-to-six hundred people.

On June 2, 1609, the Sea Venture set sail from Plymouth as the flagship of a seven-ship fleet (towing two additional pinnaces) destined for Jamestown, Virginia as part of the Third Supply, carrying 500 to 600 people. On July 24, the fleet ran into a strong storm, likely a hurricane, and the ships were separated. The Sea Venture fought the storm for three days. Comparably-sized ships had survived such weather, but the Sea Venture had a critical flaw in her newness: her timbers had not set. The caulking was forced from between them, and the ship began to leak rapidly. All hands were applied to bailing, but water continued to rise in the hold.

Sea Venture in the Storm by William Harrington

The ship’s guns were reportedly jettisoned (though two were salvaged from the wreck in 1612) to raise her buoyancy, but this only delayed the inevitable. The Admiral of the Company, Sir George Somers himself, was at the helm through the storm. When he spied land on the morning of July 25, the water in the hold had risen to nine feet, and crew and passengers had been driven past the point of exhaustion. Somers deliberately drove the ship onto the reefs of what proved to be Bermuda in order to prevent its foundering. This allowed all 150 people aboard, and one dog, to be landed safely ashore.

Wreck of the Sea Venture by Christopher Grimes

The survivors, including several company officials and Samuel Jordan were stranded on Bermuda for approximately nine months. During that time, they built two new ships, the pinnaces Deliverance and Patience, from Bermuda cedar and parts salvaged from the Sea Venture, especially her rigging. The original plan was to build only one vessel, the Deliverance, but it soon became evident that she would not be large enough to carry the settlers and all of the food (salted pork) that was being sourced on the islands. While the new ships were being built, the Sea Venture’s longboat was fitted with a mast and sent under the command of Henry Ravens to find Virginia. The boat and its crew were never seen again.

Some members of the expedition died in Bermuda before the Deliverance and the Patience set sail on 10 May 1610. Among those left buried in Bermuda were the wife and child of John Rolfe, who would found Virginia’s tobacco industry, and find a new wife in Powhatan princess Pocahontas. Two men, Carter and Waters, were left behind; they had been convicted of unknown offences, and fled into the woods of Bermuda to escape punishment and execution. The remainder arrived in Jamestown on 23 May.

This was not the end of the survivors’ ordeals, however. On reaching Jamestown, only 60 survivors were found of the 500 who had preceded them. Many of these survivors were themselves dying, and Jamestown itself was judged to be unviable. Everyone was boarded onto the  Deliverance   and Patience, which set sail for England. The timely arrival of another relief fleet, bearing [our ancestor] Governor Thomas WEST, 3rd Baron de la Warr, which met the two ships as they descended the James River, granted Jamestown a reprieve. All the settlers were relanded at the colony, but there was still a critical shortage of food. Somers returned to Bermuda with the Patience to secure provisions, but died there in the summer of 1610. His nephew, Matthew, the captain of the Patience, sailed for England to claim his inheritance, rather than return to Jamestown. A third man, Chard, was left behind in Bermuda with Carter and Waters, who remained the only permanent inhabitants until the arrival of the Plough in 1612.  The ordeal was recounted by William Strachey, whose account is believed to have influenced the creation of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest .

Very soon after arrival, Samuel Jordan carved out a place on land up the River from Jamestown and very near the present town of Hopewell VA. His land jutted out into a great James River curl he named “Jordan’s Point“. On this plantation he called “Jordan’s Journey” he built his manor house, “Beggar’s Bush”. The fact that he started quickly was probably a major reason he was prepared for the harsh winter that followed and was able to build a very substantial plantation.

On the day of the Great Indian Massacre March 22, 1622, Capt. Jordan at once ganthered all the men, women, and children into his home at “Begger’s Bush” , known later as Jordan’s Journey,  and defended that place so resolutely that not a single life was lost; however, Capt. Jordan died before the census of the “Living and Dead in Virginia”  was taken in February of 1623. The muster of the living at Begger’s Bush was:  Sisley Jordan 24, Temperance Bailie 7, Mary Jordan 3, Margery Jordan 1, and William Farrar 31.

Great Indian Massacre of 1622 Woodcut by Matthaeus Merian, 1628.

A failed courtship

Jordan died a year later, and there was a rush for the hand of his beautiful young wife, led by the Rev. Greville Pooley. Jordan had been in his grave only a day when Pooley sent Capt. Isaac Madison to plead his suit. Cecily replied that she would as soon take Pooley as any other, but as she was pregnant, she would not engage herself she said, “until she was delivered.”

But the amorous Reverend could not wait, and came a few days later with Madison, telling her “he should contract himself to her” and spake these words: “I, Greville Poooley, take thee Sysley, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold till death do us part and herto I plight thee my troth.” Then, holding her by the hand he spake these words, “I, Sysley, take thee Greveille, to my wedded husband, to have and to hold till death do us part.” Cicily said nothing, but they drank to each other and kissed. Then, showing some delicacy about her condition and the situation she found herself in, she asked that it might not be revealed that she did so soon bestow her love after her husband’s death.

Pooley promised, but was soon boasting of his conquest. Mrs. Jordan resenting this and chose to exercise her woman’s privilege to change her mind and said that ”he could have fared better if he talked less.” She immediately announced her engagement to Capt. William Farrar, one of the Deputy Treasurer’s younger brothers, and member of the Council.

Enraged, Pooley brought suit for breach of promise. When the Parson sued, 14 June 1623, Capt. William Farrar, trained for the law in England and now the attorney who administered her husband’s estate, successfuly defended Mrs. Jordan in what was the first breach of promise suit in America, winning not only the suit but his client in matrimony. The Governor and Council could not bring themselves to decide the questions and continued it until 27 Nov., then referred the case to the Council for Virginia in London, “desiring the resolution of the civil lawyers thereon and a speedy return thereof.” But they declined to make a decision and returned it, saying they “knew not how to decide so nice a difference.”

At this point Rev. Pooley was persuaded by the Rev. Samuel Purchase to drop the case. Cecily and William were finally free to marry, which they did sometime before May 2, 1625, when his bond as overseer of Samuel’s estate was canceled.

Poole signed a formal release to the Widow Cecily bonding himself in the sum £500  never to have any claim, right or title to her, the Governor and Council of the Colony were so stirred by the extraordinary incident that they issued a solmn proclamation against a woman engaging herself to more than one man at a time. And there is not in Virginia any known record that this edict has ever been revoked.

The jilted Pooley soon found solace in a bride, it appears, but met a tragic death in 1629, when Indians attacked his house, and slew him, his wife and all his family.

Cecily’s third husband William Farrar

In 1625 Charles I appointed William Farrar to his King’s Council – a position of great responsibility which he held for over a decade.

Holmes writes, “It was during this critical period, 1625-1635, that William Farrar served on the Council, considered by historians the most important in the government of the colony, for laws were passed and the representative form of government which we have today became well established, based on the liberal charter, which [Sir Edwin] Sandys and Nicholas Ferrar are said to have written.”

In 1626 William was also appointed commissioner “for the Upper Partes kept above Persie’s Hundred,” and given the authority to hold a monthly court at either Jordan’s Journey or Shirley Hundred.

Sometime before November 1627, William’s father died, leaving him a fairly large inheritance. This may have been what enabled him to apply for a patent on 2,000 acres of choice land on a bend in the James River, formerly the site of Henrico Towne.

Henricus the second settlement in the colony, was established in 1611 and was the proposed site for the University of Henricus which was to be the first English university in America. The fortified settlement was burned to the ground in 1622 during the “Greate Massacre” and wasn’t opened up for resettlement until 1628 when William applied for the patent. [The area, which is still known as "Farrar's Island," is located 12 miles south of present-day Richmond and is the site of a state park.]

Some researchers believe William and Cecily moved their family to Farrar’s Island at this time. Others have them remaining at Jordan’s Journey until 1631, the year in which William returned to England and disposed of his entire inheritance. He sold his Hertfordshire properties to his brother Henry and his annuities from the Ewoods to his brother John for a total of 240 pounds. The agreement he made with his brothers gave him the option of buying back the property at its sale price, but he never invoked the privilege, remaining in Virginia the rest of his life.

In May of 1636, Nathan Martin patented 500 acres, 100 of which was due “by surrender from William Farrar Esquire for transportation of two servants.” William died sometime between this date and June 11, 1637, when the patent to Farrar’s Island was granted to “William Farrar sonne and heire of William Farrar Esquire deceased, 2,000 acres for the transportation of 40 persons [indentured servants] at his own cost.”

Holmes writes, “His land extending to Varina, the county seat, and his duties as “chief” justice of the county made him a close neighbor and associate of the leading families of Henrico, as well as of Charles Citty county. Continuing as a member of the Council until shortly before his death at the age of 43, he attended quarterly court at Jamestown and was closely associated with the governor, councilors and burgesses.”

Cicely’s fourth husband Peter Montague

What became of Cecily after William’s death is unclear. She was only 36 when William died, so it seems likely that she remarried. She may have been the “Cecily” who married and had five children with Peter Montague. Peter died in July 1659, after which another “Cecily” was married to Thomas Parker of Macclesfield. Parker had come to Jamestown in 1618 on the “Neptune” with William Farrar.

To have withstood the perils of the New World took endurance enough, to do so while bearing eleven children and burying five husbands took fortitude and courage. Cecily Bailey-Jordan-Farrar-Montague-Parker was, at the very least, a survivor.

Peter Montague’s Will dated 27 Mar 1659 and proved 25 May 1659

“In the name of God amen, I Peter Montague being weak in body and perfect memory do make this my last will and testament, this the 27th of March 1659 in name and form following,

First I bequeath my soul into the hands of my redeemer Jesus Christ, and my body to be buried.

Item, my debts being first paid I give to my loving wife Cicely one third part of all my real and personal estate according to law.

Item, I give to my two sons Peter and Will Mountague all my land lying on Rappahannock river to them and their heirs forever, and the land being divided it is my will, that the elder is to have the first choice, and in case of want of heirs of either, the survivor to enjoy all the land, and in case both of them shall depart this life without heirs, lawfully begotten, then my will is that the said land be sold by the commissioners of this county after public notice given either at an outcry, or by an inch of candle and the produce thereof to be equally divided between my three daughters Ellen, Margaret, and Elizabeth, and the child of Ann late wife of John Jadwin, and in case of any of these shall died without issue, then the produce of the said land to be divided between the survivors.

Item, I give the other two thirds of my personal estate to my four children Peter, Will, Margaret, and Elizabeth to be equally divided among them.

Item, I give to my daughter Ellen, the wife of Will Thompson, one thousand pounds of tobacco, and cask to be deducted, of a bill of thirteen hundred pounds of tobacco now due to me by the said Will Thompson.  Lastly I ordain my loving wife cicely and my son Peter jointly Executrix and Executor of this my last will and testament.  In witness of the previous I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written 1659 interlined before the signing and sealing therof.  (Signed) Peter Mountague, (Ye seal)

8. Richard Reynolds

Richard’s wife Ann Harrison was born 1575 in Yorkshire, England. Ann died 1618 in York, Virginia or England.

Richard Reynolds and Ann Harrison settled in Sussex County, England, where he became the head of vast trade and commerce business. This business had branches in Virginia, what is now the New England States and Bermuda. It is legend with this branch of the family that Richard Reynolds d. in York County. But as to whether York County, Virginia, or York County, England is not known. It is also recorded in the Reynolds Family Roster that Richard had several daughters.

Child of Richard and Ann:

i. William Reynolds b. 1606 in Kent, England; d. 19 FEB 1668 in Providence, Providence, RI; m. 1644 to Margaret Exton

He came to America either in 1661 or 1671, and landed in Burlington, New Jersey. He engaged in commerce and trade and made repeated trips to England, and died in England while on one such trip. He and his family had settled in Chester county, Pennsylvania.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/13449189/person/41628860

http://www.geni.com/discussions/85512 http://www.reynoldsfamily.org/progen.html

http://lythgoes.net/genealogy/familygroup.php?familyID=F5159&tree

http://www.reynoldsfamily.org/line17/chris_4.html

http://eradcliffe.tripod.com/thigpen.html

Francis NICHOLS (1575 – 1651) was Alex’s 13th Grandfather; one of 16,384 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Francis Nichols Coat of Arms

Francis Nichols was baptized  on 25 May 1575 at Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, England. His parents were John NICHOLS and Joan [_?__]. He married Frances WIMARKE on 24 Jan 1599/1600 at Sedgeberrow England. He settled at Stratford, Connecticut, by 10 Oct 1639, when he was appointed sergeant of the Stratford trainband, and that same year was listed with his three sons (John, Isaac, and Caleb) among the 17 first settlers of Stratford. Francis died before 8 Jan 1650/51. Frances married second 1 Dec 1645 in Southold, Long Island to Anna Wines (b. 1632/1633 in Watertown, Middlesex County, MA

Frances Wimarke (Wilmark, Wymark, Wimark) was baptized 2 Nov 1577 at Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, England Her parents were Robert WIDMARKE of Sedgeberrow and [__?__]. Frances apparently died before the family’s removed to New England, perhaps in 1634.

Anne Wines was born about 1632 in Watertown, Middlesex, Mass. Her parents were Barnabas Wines and Ann Eddy (bapt. 15 May 1603 in Cranbrook, Kent, England) of Southold, Suffolk County, New York. After Francis died, Anna married second John Elton, 3rd, John Tooker, and 4th, John Youngs Esq., all of Southold. Anne was living on 4 Mar 1693/94.

The name is variously spelled Winds, Wendes, Wines and Wynes, and may have become Winders. Barnabas or Barnaby resided at Watertown Mass, where he was made freeman 6 May 1635. He sold his lands in 1642 and 1644 and removed to Southold, Long Island. He was corporal of a military company at Southold in 1654. In 1662 the Connecticut jurisdiction admitted him as freeman 1662. (Connecticut then claimed Long Island.) He was representative to the General Court at Hartford in 1664.

In July 1670 Barnabus sold his land in Southold to his son Samuel Wines. In 1676, at the time of the Indian Wars, a census was taken; he was rated on L152 for 15 acres of land, 24 cattle, 6 horses, etc. The dates of the deaths of Anna and Barnabas Wines have not been found.

On 30 Apr 1654, John Elton of Southold conveyed cattle to Barnabas Wines for Anna Nichols, daughter of his wife Anna by her former husband Francis Nichols of Stratford, pursuant to an agreement made at marriage. She is mentioned as wife in the will of John Elton dated 19 April 1675, proved 3 June 1675.

On 3 Jun 1686, widow Anna (or Hannah) Elton made a pre-nuptial agreement with widower John Tooker Sr. of Southold. On 31 December 1690, widow Anna (or Hannah) Tooker made a pre-nuptial agreement with widower John Youngs, Esq. of Southold.

In Mar 1693/94, Anna and John Youngs witnessed a deed from Isaac and Sarah Arnold of Southold to Carterett and Mary Gilliam of Southold. Anna is not mentioned in her husband’s will dated 20 Feb 1696/97, proved 28 May 1698, and is presumed to have died before him.

Children of Francis and Frances:

An article in TAG in October 2000 (Vol. 75) provides the correct information on the family of Francis Nichols of Stratford. A search of English records in other areas has provided two Nichols wills made before the registers of Sedgeberrow, Worcester, and the baptism of all but the youngest of Francis’ children by his first wife recorded at Sedgeberrow.

An earlier article in TAG 36 explored other family relationships: “Daniel Whitehead, Mr. William Washbourn and Francis Nicholls lived in Stratford CT in 1647. They were somehow related, for William Washbourn was evidently brother-in-law to Whitehead, while Isaac2 Nichols (Francis1) was styled ‘uncle’ in the will of John Washbourn (William1) ‘As to Francis Nicholls of Stratford, Conn., he may well have been closely related to that Francis Nicholls of Witch, Worcs., whose administration is dated 1625 [Worcs. Wills]. Witch appears to be Wick by Pershore, some five miles west of Bengeworth, for early the town of Wick by Pershore had been called Wyche’ [Ekwall's Oxford Dict. of English Place Names].” The article in TAG Vol. 75 proves the nature of that relationship — Isaac’s aunt Jane was married to William Washburn.

Francis Nichols was one of the founders of Stratford in 1639. The Connecticut General Court placed him in charge of military affairs, appointing him Sergeant of the Stratford Trainband in October 1639. It was his responsibility “to train the men and exercise them in military discipline.” Three of his sons — John, Isaac and Caleb — were also among the first 17 settlers of Fairfield.

Francis’ inventory was taken at Stratford 8 Jan 1650/51.   Jacobus gives the date as 1655, which Thompson says appears to be a confusion with the inventory of his son John. He left only a small estate at his death.

Nichols, a historic village in southeastern Trumbull on the Gold Coast (Connecticut) of Fairfield County, was named after Francis’ family who maintained a large farm in its center for almost 300 years The Nichols Farms Historic District, which encompasses part of the village, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nichols was originally settled entirely as a part of the coastal settlement of Stratford, settled in 1639 By the early twentieth century, Nichols became an affluent suburb for the nearby cities of Bridgeport, Stratford and Shelton. The construction of the Merritt Parkway through Nichols Center in 1939, and the closing of local factories, turned the village into a bedroom community for lower Fairfield County.

It is not known exactly when English settlers took up land in Nichols, due to the fact that the first volume of Stratford land records were destroyed in 1650. In 1661, the Stratford selectmen voted to allow all inhabitants the liberty of taking up a whole division of land anywhere they could find fit planting ground as long as it was not within two miles of the town meeting house and they were prohibited from making it their dwelling place without consent. Elder Phillip Groves, Captain William Curtiss and Lt. Joseph Judson, early landowners in Nichols, were named to a committee to lay out the land as they saw fit.

Before 1661, people were free to take up planting grounds anywhere within the township. The common land in Nichols Farms was divided and granted to individuals beginning in 1670 as a part of the three-mile or woods division and continued up to 1800.

Alternative Francis Nichols Genealogy

Another version has Francis being born 19 years later in 1694 and marrying Anne Wines in Hartford himself instead of his son Francis Jr. Evidence against this theory includes the will of Jane Nichols Washburn’s son John Washburn which mentions “my uncle Isaac Nichols.” Jane was born in 1603 when Frances supposedly would have been 11 years old. There are also Sedgeberrow Parish Records which support the earlier baptisms.

In this version  Francis NICHOLS was born 1594 in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England. He first married about 1610 in London to [__?__].    Francis immigrated to Connecticut with his sons John, Isaac and Caleb. He married again in 1645 to Anne Wines (b 1621 in England – d. 1711 in Suffolk, Long Island, New York) Francis died 16 Jan 1650 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT

FRANCIS NICHOLS was one of the first 17 English settlers of Stratford, Connecticut. The earliest known record in which he is mentioned is a 1639 order of the Connecticut General Court “to assign Sergeant Nicholls for the present time to train the men and exercise them in military discipline.” He was probably a widower when he came to America with his three sons and a daughter. Sgt. Nichols also owned land in Southold, Long Island, New York, where he married in 1645 Anne Wines, daughter of Deacon Barnabas Wines. Francis Nichols died in 1650, probably when in his late 50s, and his personal property inventory was recorded in Stratford in 1655. Francis Nichols’ widow Anne married second John Elton of Southold, third Capt. John Tooker of Setauket, Long Island, and fourth, Col. John Youngs, cousin of her daughter Anna’s husband.

Children of Francis and [__?__]

i. John Nichols b. 1616 England; d. 1695 Stratford, CT; m1. 1636 in Fairfield, CT to Esther [__?__] (b. 1629 in Chelmsford, Essex, England); m2. 1649 in Stratford to Grace [__?__]. No known children

ii. Caleb Nichols (b. 1618 in Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, England – d. 14 Apr 1690 in Woodbury, Litchfield, CT) m. 1 Mar 1650 Woodbury, Litchfield, CT to Anne Ward (b. 1628 in England – d. 06 Jun 1718 in Woodbury, Litchfield, CT) Caleb and Anne had fourteen children between 1650 and 1675.

iii. Isaac Nichols b. 1620 England; d 1695 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; m. Margaret Washburn (b. 1646 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT – d. 1675 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT) Isaac and Margaret had ten children born between 1652 and 1668 in Stratford, CT.

iv. Daughter Nichols , b. ca. 1622, England

v. Mary Mills Nichols , b. 1627, London , England; m. Richard Mills 1641 in Wethersfield, CT?

vi. Daughter Nichols , b. ca. 1630, England or CT.

Back to Our Francis Nichols

There still exists a large time gap between 1623 (when Caleb was apparently born) and 1639 when Francis Nichols appears in Stratford, CT records. No information has yet been produced which accounts for Francis’ activities during those years.

On 10 Oct 1639 Francis Nichols was appointed sergeant of the Stratford trainband, and that same year was listed with his three sons (John, Isaac, and Caleb) among the 17 first settlers of Stratford.

Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut

Stratford (formerly known as Cupheag Plantation, and prior to that, Pequonnocke) was founded in 1639 by Puritan leader Reverend Adam Blakeman (pronounced Blackman), William Beardsley, and either 16 families—according to legend—or approximately 35 families—suggested by later research—who had recently arrived in Connecticut from England seeking religious freedom.  Some of the Stratford settlers were from families who had first moved from England to the Netherlands to seek religious freedom, like their predecessors on the Mayflower, and decided to come to the New World when their children began to adopt the Dutch culture and language.

Like other Puritan towns founded during this time, early Stratford was a place where church leadership and town leadership were united under the pastor of the church, in this case Reverend Blakeman. The goal of these communities was to create perfect outposts of religious idealism where the wilderness would separate them from the interference of kings, parliaments, or any other secular authority.

Blakeman ruled Stratford until his death in 1665, but as the second generation of Stratford grew up, many of the children rejected what they perceived as the exceptional austerity of the town’s founders.   By the late 17th century, the Connecticut government had assumed political control over Stratford.

Stratford’s original name was Cupheag, but was later changed to honor Stratford-upon-Avon in England.   Settlers from Stratford went on to found other American cities and towns, including Newark, New Jersey, established in 1666 by members of the Stratford founding families who believed the town’s religious purity had been compromised by the changes after Blakeman’s death.

Stratford Settler Map

The first settlement was made at a place now known as Sandy Hollow, an arm of the Sound or creek, which penetrates a short distance from the Housatonic River, the ancient name of which was Potatuck. 3. Thomas (and then his son John) SHERWOOD 4. Elizabeth BEARDSLEY (widow of ?______ ) 5 and 8. Jeremiah JUDSON 6. John MINOR (Son of Thomas MINER) 7. William BENNETT 9. Nathaniel PORTER 10. David MITCHELL, ancestor of the late Prof. MITCHELL of North Carolina. 11. John HURD 12. Thomas SEABROOK, then 12th to John BIRDSEYE, Jr., 13. Thomas FAIRCHILD, Jr. 14. John PEACOCK, and then to his daughters, Miss Phebe BURGESS and Mrs. Deboarh (James) CLARKE. 15. Henry WAKELYN, now written WAKELEE. 16. Thomas UFFOOT. This property is still in the family. 17. Robert COE. Afterwards exchanged with UFFOOT for a place across the street, which UFFOOT had bought, and where the COES have ever since lived. 18. Samuel SHERMAN; then John PICKET. Mr. SHERMAN seems to have afterwards moved to the western part of Stratford (Pequonnock), and the PICKETS were among the first settlers of DURHAM. 19. Philip GROVES, the first and only ruling elder in Stratford Church. 20. Rev. Adam BLAKEMAN, first minister of Stratford. His descendants are written BLAKEMAN AND BLACKMAN. His only daughter, Mary, married Joshua ATWATER of New Haven and Rev. Thomas HIGGINSON, of Salem, Mass. 21. John BARLOW; then John HURD, then UFFOOT, then COE. 22. Mr. BRYAN bought James HARWOOD (original owner) and sold to Rev. Adam BLAKEMAN, who gae it to his son, Joseph B. Through J. HARWOOD, the BLAKEMANS became acquainted with Joshua SCOTTOW, merchant of Boston, whose daughter, Rebecca, Benjamin BLAKEMAN married. 23. Edward HIGBEE. 24. John JENNER; then John WELLS; then Widow Elizabeth CURTIS, who, with her two sons William and John, originated that name in Stratford. 25. Arthur BOSTWICK. 26. Jeremiah JUDSON. His gravestone yet stands in STRATFORD. 27. Joshua JUDSON (brother of Jeremiah; then John HURD. 28. Thomas FAIRCHILD. 29. Richard BOOTH, whose land extended beyond the lots north and ran northerly to the rocks. 30. Isaac NICHOLS, Sr., west side; Silles (?Stiles or Silas?) NICHOLS, and then Caleb, east side. 31. Adam HURD. 32. Francis NICHOLS; then Caleb NICHOLS. 33. Thomas QUENBY; then Joshua ATWATER; then Henry TOMLINSON. 34. William CURTIS; afterwards west end, Thomas CURTIS, who subsequently went, among the first settlers to Wallingford. 35. Adam HURD’s duplicate lot. 36. John BEACH, ancestor of the WALLINGFORD and STRATFORD name. 37. Joseph HAWLEY’S Original lot. 38. John THOMPSON. 38a. Francis JACOCKES. 39. William READ; then by exchange, Joseph HAWLEY. 40. William CROOKER. 41. Joseph JUDSON; in 1640 William JUDSON, the father. The original stone house stood about four rods from the northeast corner. 42. Rev. Zachariah WALKER’s half of parsonage lot. 43. Rev. Israel CHAUNCEY’s half parsonage lot. 44. Hugh GRIFFIN, then John WHEELER. 45. Richard HARVEY; then John BOSTWICK; then Congregational society for parsonages. 46. Francis HALL 47 and 47a. John BLAKEMAN 48. A strip of lowland, given to widow of Abraham KIMBERLY in 1680. 49. Daniel SHERMAN, son of Samuel, Sr., then Ebenezer SHERMAN. 50. Common or highway, now the west half of B. FAIRCHILD’s lot. It was originally the outlet of a short highway (coeval with the town settlement) that passed from Main Street round the low, wet land, now W. A. BOOTH’s lot and led into the old mill road through No. 60, as above said. Of this road the recent burial-ground lane is all that encroachments have left, from Main Street to the burial-place, through its width, resurveyed and confirmed in 1738, is above four rods. 51. Land of Isaac NICHOLS. 52. House-lot of Samuel SHERMAN, Jr. (now the Roswell JUDSON lot.) 53. The eastern section of the street, of which No. 50 was a portion. 54. John BEERS; then Samuel BEERS; then, after 1700, BURTON, PRINDLE, TOMLINSON, McEWEN. 55. Nathaniel FOOTE; then Benjamin LEWIS; then Congregational parish, for Mr. CUTLER; then Rev. Mr. GOLD. 56. Burial place. 57. Daniel TITTERTON, Jr. 58. Timothy WILLCOXSON 59. Jabez HARGER, who went to Derby at its settlement, 1670. 60. John HULL, ancestor of Commodore Isaac; went to Derby, 1670. 61. John PICKETT; went to Durham. 62. Robert LANE; above him was John COOKE, bounded north by Esek Lane or Street. 63. John YOUNG, who died April 1661, and his lot went to John ROSE; afterwards Robert WALKER. 64. Thomas Wells, above whom James BLAKEMAN owned eight acres. 65. John THOMPSON, who lived on No. 38. 66. John WELLS. 66 a. Daniel TITTERTON, Sr. 66 b. John WILLCOXSON, Sr. 67. John PEAT (sometimes spelled PEAKE). 68. Moses WHEELER; then, very soon, Richard HARVEY; then his sons-in-law. 69. Thomas CURTIS, from his father, John (now Chatfield and Gorham lots). 70. William WILLCOXSON, ancestor of all of that name in and of Stratford. 71. William BEARDSLEE, ancestor of all of that name in and of Stratford. 72. John BRINSMEADE. 73. Nicholas KNELL, whose wife was Gov. Francis NEWMAN’s daughter. 74. Robert RISE; then WHEELER; then Richard BENCH; then Rev. Israel CHAUNCEY. 75. First church edifice and burial-ground. 76. Originally UFFOOT’s, who in 1661 sold to Nicholas GRAY, if he maintain his dam wide enough for a passable cartway. 77. Granted in 1671 by town to N. GRAY, if he maintain his dam wide enough for a passable cartway. 78. Jehiel PRESTON, 1662. 79. Site of the second church edifice, from 1670 to 1743. WHITEFIELD preached in it, October 26, 1740. 80. Site of the third church edifice, from 1743 till burned by lightening in 1785. A. Site of the first church edifice and burying-ground. B. Site of the second church edifice, from 1670 to 1743. Whitefield preached in it October 26, 1740. C. Site of third church edifice, from 1743 till burned by lightening in 1785. D. Site of fourth church edifice, from 1786 to 1850. E. Burial-place, opened 1678. F. Site of first Episcopal church edifice in Connecticut, 1723, with its graveyard, which still occupies the spot. G. Site of second Episcopal church edifice, from 1744 to 1858. Site of present Episcopal church edifice, erected in 1858. H. Methodist Episcopal church. I. Richard Booth’s house-lot. J. Joseph BOOTH’s house-lot K. John BOOTH’s house-lot.

Children

1. John Nichols

John Nichols is identified as a son of Francis Nichols in Samuel Orcott’s 1886 “A History of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Vol. 2″ at Google Books .

Orcutt indicates John had 2 wives, the first apparently dying before John m. 2nd, Grace who appeared in Stratford, CT, records when Francis Nichols and his sons first appear in 1639 Stratford, CT records. The Sedgeberrow John would have been 38 at that time. If the Sedgeberrow John Nichols had been unmarried by 1638, that would have been unusual.

John lived in Watertown, Middlesex County, MA, in 1636/1637. He bought land at Fairfield before 1653, perhaps after a temporary stay at Wethersfield.

The inventory of John Nichols of Fairfield was presented 19 June 1655; Isaac Nichols was the overseer.

Children of John and [__?__]

i. Esther Nichols

ii. Elizabeth Nichols

iii. Hannah Nichols

Children of John and Grace:

iv. Isaac Nichols, b. c. 1645 Stafford, Fairfield, CT; 20 Dec 1713, Derby, New Haven, CT; m. 15 Aug 1672 Stafford to Hester Clark (b. 1 Mar 1645 in New Haven County, CT – d. 14 Jan 1714 in Stafford) Hester’s parents were John Clark (b. 1612) and Mary [__?__]. Isaac and Esther had five children born between 1673 and 1686

Orcutt’s History of Stratford contains the following:. He was brought up by his uncle, Isaac Nichols, of Stratford, and therefore was called “Cousin Isaac” (not Issaac Junior, as stated in the Derby History,.) He settled in Derby about 1678 and was one of the first two deacons of the first church in that place. He died Dec. 20, 1713.”

v. Sarah Nichols.

vi. John Nichols; d. 1675 in King Phillip’s War

Some have mistakenly said that he married Mercy Holbridge. John died unmarried according to the “History of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut”, from Vol 1 by Elizabeth Hubbell, found at Google.com/books It reads, in pertinent part:

“John 2 s of John Nichols 1 of F joined the army in King Philip’s war and died the first year unmarried Savage’s Gen Dic”

The Sanford-Shulsen Family Genealogy says:

“John died in 1676 in King Philip’s war. His inventory was presented 2 May 1676 by brother Isaac Nichols. He had interest in cattle in New London; also his wages due from the Country. A footnote indicates may be possible ancestor of the Nichols family of Westport. 1 2 (emphasis added and citing Savage and Jacobus)

vii. Samuel Nichols b. in 1655/56, Fairfield, Fairfield, CT; d. 1736/37 in Derby, New Haven, CT; m. May 1682 to Mary Bowers ( – d. 9 Dec 1736 in Derby, New Haven, CT) Mary’s parents were John Bowers (b: ~ 1629 in England) and Bridget Thompson (b: in New Haven, New Haven, CT) Died without issue.

Orcutt’s History of Stratford contains the following: “He m. Mary, dau. of Rev. John Bowers of Derby in May 1682 and settled in New Jersey, probably at Newark.” No children listed by Orcutt and the “Hisdtory of Derby.” The will of Samuel Nichols of Derby was dated 3 Sep 1736, proved 7 Feb 1736/37. It mentions cousin John Bowers of Derby, son of Nathaniel Bowers of Newark; cousin Nichols Moss, son of William; cousin Mary, wife of Jonah Tomlinson of Derby.

9. Sarah Nichols,

Both Jacobus and the Patterson genealogy state that a daughter of Francis Nichols married Richard Mills. Torrey gives her name as “?Mary”. The baptismal records at Sedgeberrow indicate Margaret and Sarah as the only logical candidates, and Sarah appears the better age for the marriage

Thompson says only that she is “probably” the heretofore unidentified daughter of Francis Nichols who m., as his 1st wife, Richard Mills of Wethersfield, Stratford, and Stamford, CT.

In 1650 Joseph Hawley bought lands at Stratford from Richard Mills. After 1653 he was at Stamford, and he removed from there in 1663 to Westchester. On 18 June 1663 he was imprisoned in Manhattan because of a dispute between the Dutch authorities at New York and the English authorities at Hartford about juristiction over the town; he was released.

Proof of his marriage is based upon son Samuel referring to his “uncle Caleb Nichols”

10. Isaac Nichols

Isaac’s Bible was discovered in CT with births, baptisms, etc. recorded. We do not yet know if those entries include those of Isaac’s parents and siblings. If so such a listing, if in the Bible, would remove any possible doubt as to Francis’ Sedgeberrow roots.

Isaac was one of the original patentees of Stratford with home lot. Deputy to General Court, May 1662. Mentioned as “Uncle Isaac Nichols” in will of John Washburn, son of William WASHBURN and JANE NICHOLS (Olney, E Our Washburn Heritage p4).

He made the distribution of estate of his eldest brother, John Nichols of Fairfield with Andrew Ward June 9,1655.(Fairfield ct, Old Probate Rec V1:4, 1648-56). Isaac raised Isaac, a minor son of John Nichols his deceased brother, who was apprenticed to Isaac in 1659 after the death of Richard Perry, step father of young Isaac, in 1658 and called “cousin” Isaac thereafter. (Fairfield Land Rec 1659 p191). John Washburn grandson of Jane (Nichols) & William bequeathed the keeping of the “orphant” John Nichols s/o John, to his wife Mary & father in law Richard Butler, Aug 1658. John Washburn s/o John Washburn of Corberry on Long Island, while he was a minor, did receive of his uncle Isaac Nichols of Stratford, Twenty-Two pounds, One shilling and Eight pence in 1676.(Stratford Land Rec V2:512).

His children were born in Stratford (Barbour Collection CT). Isaac died Nov 5 1695 at Stratford Ct. occupation mentioned in will as “Soap Boiler”.

Will dated 28 Sep 1694, Stratford Fairfield Ct, where Margery is listed as “wife Margery”. He gives his lands to his son Benjamin after the decease of his wife, stating that “he had given to all his other children as he was able at their marriages or afterwards”. (Wm Howard Wilcoxin Hist Stratford 1939 p1252). Proved 6 Nov 1695.(Fairfield CT Probate V4:128, 1690-1702). Inventory taken Sept 17,1695 by James Judson, John Willis and Josiah Curtis. It was filed Nov.5,1695.

Probate: NICOLS, Isack, late of Stratford, soap boiler, will dated Sept. 28, 1694, probated Nov. 5, 1695, mentioned his wife Margaret, and children Benjamin, Sarah, Burret, children of son Ephraim, daughters Patience, Temperance, Elizabeth Web, and Margarit, children Isack, a deceased son, and children of Jonathan, a deceased son, and children of daughter Mary Chancey. Executors his wife and son Benjamin, assisted by Isreal Chancy and Richard Blacklach. Witnesses Robert Mekune and Robert Walker, page 128.

Inventory taken Sept. 17, 1695, by James Judson, John Welles and Josiah curtis, and filed Nov. 5, 1695, page 129.

Aug. 15, 1695, Margrit Nichols, a daughter of testator, received her portion. Witnesses Joseph Curtis and Richard Blacklash, page 129.

Isaac was also one of the first settlers, coming from England to Stratford with his father. He was the owner of much real estate, was engaged in a flourishing mercantile business, and was a prominent and substantial citizen of the town. From 1650 to 1680, Jospeh Hawley built vessels at Stratford and also sold foreign cloths, groceries, and other goods, and certain records attest that Isaac Nichols Sr., conducted a like business. He has a homelot of his own next door to his father in Stratford, his house lot running through from Main St. to Elm St., as is now called (1917, Humphrey notes). He was owner of much real estate in Stratford; deputy to the General Court (or Assembly) from Stratford in May 1662 and again in October 1664, and appears to have been a substanial and prominent citizen. (Source: History of Stratford by Wm. Howard Wilcoxson) This is also in History of Stratford by Samuel Orcutt with added note: Isaac was a “soap boiler,” as all men had some trade or definite occupation in those days, but in a broad free and fertile country he and his sons became successful farmers, and the descendants are scattered far and wide in the land of freedom and prosperity.

His will was dated Sep.28,1694 , inventoried Sept.1695 and proved Nov.6,1695; wife Margery; son Benjamin; children of dau. Mary Chauncey; dau. Sarah Burritt; children of son Isaac dec’d; children of son Jonathan dec’d; children of son Ephraim; daus. Patience, Temperance, Elizabeth Webb, Margery. He bequeathed his homestead and lands to Benjamin, after the decease of his wife, stating that he had given to all his other children, as he was able, at their marriage or afterwards. (Jacobus)

It is to Isaac and his Beza Bible (predating the King James version published in 1611) we owe so much, that precious book which he had brought from England with him and which now is kept in the Putney Museum in Stratford. We can be almost certain that his mother would have given it to him as they set out on their precarious journey across the dark seas of the Atlantic, knowing they were leaving home forever. The giver endorsed it “Isaac Nichols, his Book. God give him Grace therein.” The possession of this Bible marks Isaac as a literate man, son of parents who could read, a youngster who would have been in the local village school before leaving England. In this Bible, wife Margery listed the births of her eleven children, ranging in dates from 1647 to 1668. (Gay Nichols Hydrick) Bible dedicated in behalf of the Nichols family in May 2002 in Stratford – 400 yr old book published in Edinburgh by Andro Hart Anno.Dom.1610. It appears that Isaac wrote his own Last Will and Testament on a blank page as well.

FYI: Mr. Thompson, while not a Nichols descendant, has for many years worked with Barbara J. Nichols who authored an April 1993 TAG article proving Sgt. Francis Nichols of Stratford could not be the son of Francis Nicolls and Margaret Bruce (“Francis Nichols of Stratford, Connecticut, Was Not a Brother of Deputy Governor Richard Nicolls of New York.”) Barb and I are descended from The Sergeant’s son John.”

Children of Isaac and Margery:

i. Mary Nichols b. 2 Feb 1648 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 8 Jan 1669 Boston, Suffolk, Mass; m. 8 Jan 1667 in Stratford to Rev. Israel Chauncey ( 1644 in Scituate, Mass. – d. 14 Mar 1703 ) Israel’s parents were  Rev. Charles Chauncey (wiki)  (1592 – 1672) and Catherine Eyre (1604 – 1667). Mary and Israel had four children born between 1668 and 1677.

Israel’s father Charles Chauncey  taught that only baptism by full immersion was valid, which created problems in freezing cold pioneer New England.

Israel’s father Charles Chauncy was President of Harvard 1654 – 1672

Charles Chauncy (5 Nov 1592 –  19 Feb 1672) was an Anglo-American clergyman and educator.

He was born at Yardleybury (Ardeley), Hertfordshire, England and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he later was a lecturer in Greek. After serving as a pastor in England at Marston St. Lawrence,Northamptonshire (1633–37), he emigrated to America in 1638. He preached at Plymouth until 1641, then at Scituate where, says Mather, “he remained for three years and three times three years, cultivating the vineyard of the Lord.” He was appointed president of Harvard College in 1654. He held that office until his death in 1672.  Besides a number of sermons, Chauncy published The Doctrine of the Sacrament, with the Right Use Thereof (1642); The Plain Doctrine of the Justification of a Sinner in the Sight of God (1659), a collection of 26 sermons; and Antisynodalia Scripta Americana (1662).

During his time at Plymouth and Scituate, Chauncy got into a heated debate with the religious and secular leaders of the Plymouth Colony over the issue of baptism. Chauncy taught that only baptism by full immersion was valid, while the Separatist Elders taught that sprinkling water over the body was just as valid. The sprinkling method of baptism was much preferred in New England due to its cooler and harsher climate.

The religious leaders of the Plymouth Colony held public debates, trying to convince Chauncy to change his views. When Chauncy still did not change his views, the Pilgrim leaders wrote to congregations in Boston and New Haven soliciting their views, and all the congregations wrote back that both forms of baptism were valid. Still, Chauncy did not change his teachings. It was because of this issue that Chauncy left Plymouth for Scituate in 1641. A year after arriving in Scituate, Chauncy had a chance to practice what he preached, when he publicly baptized his twin sons by full immersion. The plan backfired when one of his sons passed out due to being dunked in the water. The mother of the child who was supposed be baptized at the same event refused to let it happen, and according to John Winthrop, got a hold of Chauncy and “near pulled him into the water”. When Chauncy was hired to be President of Harvard, he had to promise the leaders in Boston that he would keep his views on baptism quiet.

His great-grandson was also named Charles Chauncy (1705–1787), minister of the First Church (Congregational) of Boston 1727–1787, an Old-Light opponent of Jonathan Edwards and the New Light ministers of the Great Awakening, and a precursor of Unitarianism.

Israel had the parson’s lot #42 in Stratford (See above).

Rev. Israell Chauncy Gravestone Old Congregational Burying Ground in Stratford Findagrave # 20834781

Inscription on Israel’s gravestone:
who was minister of ye Gospell in this place upwards of 38 years
in ye 59th year of his age

ii.Sarah Nichols b. 1 Nov 1649 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 4 Mar 1698  CT; m. 8 Jan 1674 in Stratford to Capt.  Stephen Burritt (b. 1641 in Stratford – d. 24 Jan 1697 burial in Old Congregational Burying Ground  Stratford) Stephen’s parents were William Burritt (1600 Wales – 1651 Stratford, CT) and Elizabeth Jones (1600 – 1681). Sarah and Stephen had eight children born between 1675 and 1696. After Stephen died, Sarah married Capt. Joseph More.

Inscription:”Here lieth the body of Capt. Stephen Burritt, who departed this life in the 57th year of his age. January 24, 1697/8.” Note: This is the oldest surviving gravestone of a member of the Burritt family in North America.

Sarah Nichols Burritt Gravestone — Old Durham Cemetery, Durham, Middlesex, CT

Inscription:
Sarah wife of Capt. Stephen Burrit of Stratford, but died ye widow of Capt. Joseph More of Brighamtown [Bridgehampton] on Long Island, in the 82nd year of her age.

iii. Josiah Nichols b. 29 Jan 1652 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT;

The Hawley Record, compiled and published by Elias Sill Hawley, 1890 Genealogical Note #11, page 441 Hannah Hawley, daughter of Capt. Joseph Hawley (1603 – 1690) married Josiah Nichols, son of Isaac, son of Sergt Francis Nichols, one of the first and most prominent families in Stratford, CT. Josiah Nichols died about twelve years after marriage, and his widow, Hannah, married John Wolcott, of Windsor, CT, the Wolcott family being the most prominent of any in that, one of the first towns in the Colony of Connecticut.

Alternatively, Josiah’s cousin Joseph Nichols (b. 25 Dec 1656 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 25 Jun 1691 Booth Hills, Fairfield, CT), son of Josiah’s Uncle Caleb; m. 13 Dec 1678 in Stratford to Hannah Hawley (b. 26 May 1657 in Stratford – d. 3 Jun 1726 in Windsor, Hartford, CT) Hannah’s parents were Capt. Joseph Hawley (1603 – 1690) and Catherine Birdsey ( – 1692)

iv. Isaac Nichols b. 12 Mar 1654 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1690 Stratford; m. Sep 1675 in Milford, New Haven, CT to Mary Baldwin (b. 6 Nov 1653 in Milford, New Haven, CT – d. 1690 in Old Lyme, New London, CT) Mary’s parents were Richard Baldwin (1622 – 1665) and Elizabeth Alsop (1625 – 1688). Isaac and Mary had five children born between 1676 and 1690.

After Isaac died, Mary may have married 22 Oct 1711 in Milford, New Haven, CT to Daniel Comstock (b. 12 May 1656 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island – d. 1725 in Lyme, New London, CT)

v. Jonathan Nichols b. 10 Dec 1655 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1689 Stratford; m. 21 Dec 1681 in Stratford to Hannah Hawkins (b. 1661 in Farmington, Hartford, CT – d. 23 Jul 1698 in Woodbury, Litchfield, CT) Hannah’s parents were Anthony Hawkins (1644 – 1674) and Ann Welles (1619 – 1680). Jonathan and Hannah had two children Hannah (b. 1684) and Jonathan (b. 1687).

After Jonathan died, Hannah married 1695 in Stratford to John Judson (b. 10 Dec 1647 in Fairfield, CT – d. 12 Jan 1709 in Woodbury)

vi. Ephraim Nichols b. 16 Dec 1657 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1690 Stratford; m. 17 Oct 1682 in Fairfield, Fairfield, CT to Esther Ward (b. 18 Apr 1660 in Fairfield, Fairfield, CT – d. 18 Apr 1732 in Fairfield) Esther first married 19 Apr 1678 Stratford to Ebenezer Hawley (b. 17 Sep 1654 in Stratford – d. 3 Oct 1681 in Fairfield, Fairfield, CT) and had two children Elizabeth (b. 1679) and William (b. 1680). After Ephraim died, she married 20 Jan 1696 Fairfield, Fairfield, CT to Robert Lord (b. 16 August 1651 in Saybrook, Middlesex, CT – d. 1739 in Fairfield, Fairfield, CT) Esther and Robert had five children born between 1696 and 1705.

vii. Patience Nichols b. 2 Feb 1660 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; m1.1680 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT to John Hubbell (b. 1652 in Guilford, New Haven, CT – d.  Apr 1690 on an expedition to Schenectady, Albany, New York-Died of Smallpox). John’s brother Samuel married Patience’s sister Temperance. Their were Richard Hubbell (1626 – ) and Elizabeth Meigs (1635 -1664) Patience and John had three children born between 1681 and 1688.

Patience m2. 2 Mar 1691 in Stratford to Samuel Hawley (b. 1647 in Stratford – d. 24 Aug 1734 in Stratford) Samuel’s parents were Joseph Hawley (1603 – 1690) and Catherine Birdsey ( – 1692) Samuel first married 20 May 1673 in Stratford to Mary Thompson (b. 7 Jun 1653 in Farmington, Hartford, CT – d. 1691 in Stratford. Samuel and Mary had seven children born between 1674 and 1687. Samuel and Patience had six more children between 1693 and 1701.

John B. Hubbell served in King Philip’s War; Received colonial grant of 100 acres, as compensation for loss of a finger. Lieutenant on expedition to Albany, Apr 1690 where he lost his life.

1683 granted lot in Derby formerly granted to Josiah Nichols and afterwards to Jonathan Nichols provided he lived there seven years.  Lived in Derby, but returned to Stratford,

Will: inventory 13 Oct 1690; widow Patience; ages of children: Margery 9, Richard 6, Josiah 2. Josiah Nichols and Samuel Hubbell, Sr, appointed to administer the estate, with the widow, who by 23 Sep 1691 had married Samuel Hawley

viii. Temperance Nichols b. 17 May 1662 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1714 Stratford; m. 17 Apr 1688 in Stratford to Samuel Hubbell (b. 6 Nov 1657 in Guilford, New Haven, CT – d. 18 Sep 1713 in Stratford) Samuel’s brother John married Temperance’s sister Patience. Their parents were Richard Hubbell (1626 – ) and Elizabeth Meigs (1635 -1664) Samuel first married Elizabeth Wilson who died 20 Jan 1688. Temperance and Samuel had ten children born between 1689 and 1702.

ix. Benjamin Nichols b. 2 Feb 1666 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1715 Stratford; m. 1700 in Stratford to Abigail [__?__] (b. 1667 – d. 1711)

x. Elizabeth Nichols b. 2 Apr 1668 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 15 Feb 1718 Stratford; m. 9 Jul 1691 in Fairfield, Fairfield, CT to Joseph Webb (b. 10 May 1666 in Boston, Suffolk, Mass. – d. 12 Sep 1732 in Fairfield, Fairfield, CT):

11. Caleb Nichols

Caleb was born about 1623, but apparently baptized at some location other than Sedgeberrow. Thompson’s article says he is the Caleb Nichols who m. Anne Ward and d. at Fairfield Ct.

Caleb’s wife Anne Ware was born about 1620 in England. Her parents were Andrew Ward (1597 – 1660) and Hester Sherman (1606 – 1666). Anne died 6 Jul 1718 in Woodbury, Litchfield, Connecticut.

Caleb and Ann had 13 children.

In Stratford, he was selected a “Townsman,” and in December 1661 Caleb Nichols and two other Townsmen represented the town of Stratford in the purchase of a large tract of land from the Paugussett Indians. Part of this land later became the site of the large “Nichols Farm” owned by his son Abraham, and today it is the village of Nichols just north of Stratford.

Nichols Farms is a historic area within the town of Trumbull, Connecticut. The Nichols Farms Historic District, which encompasses part of the area, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally the area was entirely a part of Stratford (settled in 1639) and was governed by Stratford for eighty six years before a separate village was organized.  Hence, all of Nichols Farms early public records are intermingled with and identified as Stratfordrecords. Nichols was named for the family who maintained a farm in its center. It was first organized as the village of Unity in 1725. The village of Unity (later called North Stratford) continued for seventy two years before the privileges of a town were granted in 1797.

Clark’s Map of Nichol’s Farms in 1867

The Nichols Farms Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 20 1987,  and included 104 acres , 81 contributing buildings, one contributing site and one contributing object. The buildings listed on the registry are located close to the green with addresses of Center Road, 1681-1944 Huntington Turnpike, 5-34 Priscilla Place and 30-172 Shelton Road. The 81 buildings are mostly private residences situated on two main roads in a village setting and represent all of the periods of Connecticut domestic architecture from the early 18th century to the present.

In 1661, the Stratford selectmen voted to allow all inhabitants the liberty of taking up a whole division of land anywhere they could find fit planting ground as long as it was not within two miles of the town meeting house and they were prohibited from making it their dwelling place without consent. Elder Phillip Groves, Captain William Curtiss and Lt. Joseph Judson, early farmers in Nichols Farms, were named to a committee to lay out the land as they saw fit. The common land in Nichols Farms was divided to individuals beginning in 1670 as a part of the three-mile or woods division and continued up to 1800.

Mischa Hill, located in the geographic center of Nichols Farms, was first called Lt. Joseph Judson’s Farm or Old Farm in the land records and was the first area within Trumbull to be farmed and settled. The first landowners were among the first settlers to arrive at Stratford namely; Richard Booth, Zachariah Bostick, Lt. Paul Brinsmaid, John Curtiss, Benjamin Curtiss, Joseph Curtiss, Captain William Curtiss, Ebenezer Curtiss, Zachariah Curtiss, Joseph Fairchild, Elder Philip Groves, Mr. Joseph Hawley (Captain), Samuel Hawley, Ephraim Hawley, Lt. Joseph Judson, Jeremiah Judson, Isaac Judson, Caleb Nichols, his son Abraham Nichols, Samuel Uffoot and Reverend Zachariah Walker.

HALF WAY COVENANT

Caleb Nichols was involved in the first major conflict between dissident factions in the Stratford church in 1665, siding with a group who favored the “half-way covenant.” The half-way covenant, announced by the fourth Synod in Boston in 1662, would allow children whose parents had not converted to Puritanism to be baptized but not receive communion.

The Stratford Congregational Church, however, held to the original rule that required both parents to convert to Puritanism before their child could be baptized or receive communion.

Caleb’s group split off and formed a new church in 1670, originally called the Second Congregational Church of Stratford.  In 1673, 17 families from the second church moved about 25 miles north and formed the town of Woodbury, but they were forced to return to Stratford two years later for protection during King Philip’s War against the colonists.

By 1676, the Woodbury pioneers began to return with more members, including Caleb Nichols and his family. His youngest child John was baptized there in March 1675/76 . Caleb died there in 1690, age about 66. His will was dated 14 Aug 1690. His widow Anne was nearly 90 when she died in Woodbury in 1718

Children of Caleb and Anne:

i. Esther Nichols b. 18 Feb 1652 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 11 Nov 1682 New London, CT; m. 5 May 1680 in Stratford to John Valentine Prentice (b. 6 May 1628 in Chelmsford, Essex, England – d. 1691 in New London, New London, CT) John’s parents were Valentine Prentice (1599 – 1633) and Alice Bredda (1609 – 1643). Esther and John had one son Valentine (b. 1680)

Another possibility is that Esther was born to an earlier wife of Caleb in 1635 in Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut Colony. It could be they married 1652 in Roxbury, Massachusetts and had twelve children born between 1652 and 1676 including their oldest son John Prenticde, (b. 06 Aug 1652, New London, New London, CT; d. 21 Mar 1714, New London, New London, CT) m1. Esther Nichols (b. 18 Feb 1653); m2. 23 Nov 1675, New London, New London, CT to Sarah Jones (b. 19 Apr 1654, Boston – d.. 14 Apr 1733, New London, New London CT)

ii. Sarah Nichols b. 1 Dec 1651 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 23 Jul 1718 Stratford; m. 20 Oct 1674 in Stratford to Moses Wheeler (b. 5 Jul 1651 in Stratford – d. 30 Jan 1724 in Stratford) Moses’ parents were Moses Wheeler Sr. ( – 1698) and Miriam Hawley (1620 – 1690). Sarah and Moses had eight children born between 1677 and 1687 in Stratford.

iii. Ann Nichols b. 5 Mar 1653 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1700 Stratford

iv. Joseph Nichols b. 25 Dec 1656 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 25 Jun 1691 Booth Hills, Fairfield, CT; m. 13 Dec 1678 in Stratford to Hannah Hawley (b. 26 May 1657 in Stratford – d. 3 Jun 1726 in Windsor, Hartford, CT) Hannah’s parents were Capt. Joseph Hawley (1603 – 1690) and Catherine Birdsey ( – 1692)

Alternatively, The Hawley Record, compiled and published by Elias Sill Hawley, 1890 Genealogical Note #11, page 441 Hannah Hawley, daughter of Capt. Joseph Hawley (1603 – 1690) married  Joseph’s cousin Josiah Nichols, son of Isaac, son of Sergt Francis Nichols, one of the first and most prominent families in Stratford, CT. Josiah Nichols died about twelve years after marriage, and his widow, Hannah, married John Wolcott, of Windsor, CT, the Wolcott family being the most prominent of any in that, one of the first towns in the Colony of Connecticut.

v. Samuel Nichols b. 29 Mar 1658 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1691 Woodbury, CT; m1. Mary Bowers (b. 1665 in New Haven, New Haven, CT – d. 9 Jun 1736 in Derby, New Haven, CT); or m1. Susan [__?__] ( – d. 1658); m2. 1685 to Susan Fairchild (1660 – )

Samuel and Susan had two children Josiah (b. 1687) and Andrew (b. 1689)

vi. Andrew Nichols b. 28 Nov 1659 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1690 or 1704 Woodbury, Litchfield, CT

vii. Abraham Nichols b. 29 Jan 1662 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1708 Woodbury, Litchfield, CT; m. 3 Dec 1684 in Norwalk, Fairfield, CT to Rachel Kellogg (b. Feb 1663 in Norwalk, Fairfield, Ct – d. 1703 in Nichols Farms, Trumbull, CT); Rachel’s parents were Daniel Kellogg (1630 – ) and Bridget Bouton (1642 – 1689). Abraham and Rachel had nine children born between 1685 and 1703. m2. 1708 to Sarah Rogers (b. 5 Oct 1665 in Milford, New Haven, CT -d. 24 Jun 1735 in Woodbury, Litchfield, CT)

Abraham Nichols was  tone of the first residences in Trumbell, Fairfield, CT

It was previously thought that Abraham Nichols made the first permanent settlement within Trumbull, Fairfield, CT around 1690 or 1700, depending on the source, and that others soon followed venturing into the wilderness to establish mills, churches, and schools. Abraham Nichols landholdings were said to total 1,000 acres  with much of it remaining in the Nichols family for over two centuries. The last of the line was Florence Nichols who married George Woods in 1903. Soon after their deaths in 1973 and 1972 respectively, the property was deeded to the Nichols Methodist Church from whom the town of Trumbull purchased it in 1974. This tract was then known as the Woods Estate and is now the home of the Trumbull Historical Society Recent research has determined that Nichols holdings actually were around 285 acres of land of which 55 acres remains as open space today.

According to Walter Nicholls, who wrote the History of the Nichols family in 1909, Abraham did not accompany his father to Woodbury in 1673, but remained in Trumbull to oversee the plantation. However, since Abraham was only eleven at the time (born 1662), it is likely that he did remove to Woodbury with his family and returned to Trumbull between 1696 and 1700.

Walter Nicholls colorful description of the Nichols homestead;

About 1700 Abraham Nicholls erected for himself a homestead upon his lordly domain, and which, according to the description vouchsafed by persons now living, who chanced to view it while yet standing in the early part of the nineteenth century, was an immense gambrel-roofed structure of a rambling style of architecture, situated upon an eminence, affording an unobstructed vista of the surrounding landscape and at the southward, about four miles distant, the shimmering bosom of Long Island Sound.There it stood for decades, without a neighboring habitation within a circuit of several miles; while the sepulchral quietude of its surroundings was rarely broken, even by the echo of a sound adequate to dispel the day dreams, or waken the nocturnal slumbers of its peaceful inhabitants, save that of the casual lowing of kine, the appealing cadence of the whop-poor-will at nightfall, or the grewsome howling of wolves. . . .It is a subject of profound regret on the part of many of the descendents of Abraham Nicholls that neither his will nor the inventory of his estate can be found of record.

According to Stratford land records, Abraham Nichols purchased several old farms and large parcels of land in 1696. Nichols exchanged his land for 22 acres  of Lt. Joseph Judsons old farm which had a barn on it, 54 acres   or half the land owned by Jeremiah Judson, and 19 acres   of land from Benjamin Curtiss.  These transactions are described in the land records as being located at or near the Old farm, Judson’s farm’s or Lt. Joseph Judson farm. Furthermore, in 1699, Lt. Ebenezer Curtiss recorded 15 acres   of land from the three-mile division that was bounded west with Lt. Joseph Judson’s farm, now belonging to Abraham Nichols. This deed confirms that Nichols purchased Judson’s old farm, established in 1658, and was not the first to settle the area. 

In 1704, Nichols purchased Reverend Zachariah Walker’s entire farm which was 36 acres  in size. In 1708, Nichols bought 5 acres known as Mischa Hill Meadow from Joseph Fairchild and in 1715 he added 1 acre  from Captain John Hawley. These three large farms when combined with Nichols own division land and other parcels, totaled around 285 acres of land. Some of the old farms, about 54 acres , remain as open space today.

viii. Abigail Nichols b. 6 Feb 1664 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 4 Jan 173 Woodbury, Litchfield, CT; m. 25 Jun 1685 in Stratford to William Seaborn Martin (b. 1653 in New Haven, New Haven, CT -d. 4 Jul 1715 in Woodbury, Litchfield, CT) William’s parents were Samuel Martin (1613 – 1683) and Phebe Bisby ( – 1709). Abigail and William had four children born between 1691 and 1704.

ix. Hannah Nichols b. 6 Aug 1666 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 1706

x. Caleb Nichols b. Feb 1668 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT; d. 14 Apr 1706 Woodbury, Fairfield, CT

xi. Phebe Nichols b. 12 Nov 1671 in Woodbury, Litchfield, CT; d. 1732 Milford, New Haven, CT; m1. 28 Dec 1697 in Woodbury to Isaac Knell (b. Feb 1655 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT – d. 2 Nov 1708 in Old Congregational Burying Ground, Stratford) Isaac’s parents were Nicholas Knell (1625 – 1675) and Elizabeth Newman (1623 – 1645)

m2.17 Oct 1712 Age: 40 Milford, New Haven, CT to Ensign George Clark (b. 5 Mar 1648 in Milford, New Haven, CT – d. 19 July 1734 in Milford) George first married Deborah Gold (1660 – 1697) Deborah died four days after the birth of a daughter, Silence. The infant died the same day and they were probably buried together.

Deborah’s father Maj Nathan Gold (1623 – 1694) was the richest inhabitant with the most land in Fairfield by 1670. For many years, he served as assistant to the Governor of the Colony of Conn. & deputy to the General Court in Hartford representing Fairfield. He was one of the nineteen petitioners name in the Charter of Connecticut. On behalf of Fairfield he signed a land grant between the Indians and Fairfield for a tract of land between Fairfield and Stratford. He was a member of the Committee on Defense against the Dutch and was a reprsentative to the First Colonial Congress in New York in 1690.

Deborah’s brother Nathan Gold Jr. (1663 – 1723) served the Connecticut Colony in various offices, becoming Deputy Governor and in 1712 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.”

Ensign George Clark Bio

xii. Mary Nichols b. 1673 in Woodbury, Litchfield, CT; d. 2 Apr 1733 Derby, New Haven, CT; m. 20 Jan 1691 in Derby, New Haven, CT to Joseph Hull (b. 16 Feb 1669 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT – d. 5 Oct 1744 in Derby) Joseph’s parents were Dr. John Hull (1640 – ) and Mary Beach (1642 -1686). Mary and Joseph had eight children born between 1692 and 1709. After Mary died, John married 17 Nov 1735 in Derby to Hannah Botsford (b. 30 Apr 1674 in Milford, New Haven, CRT -d. 1738 in Derby), widow of John Prindle.

The ancient records of Connecticut show that Joseph served as Ensign, Lieutenant and Captain of the Derby train band, and that for years 1710, 1713 and 1716 he represented said town of Derby in the General Court.

xiii. John Nichols b. 12 Nov 1676 in Woodbury, Litchfield, CT; d. 24 Apr 1727 Woodbury; m. 13 Nov 1705 in Woodbury to Jane Bostwick (b. 13 Apr 1680 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT – d. 1734 in Woodbury) John and Jane had seven children born between 1707 and 1724 in Woodbury, CT.

Sources:

http://www.prenticenet.com/news/nichols/francis_nichols_family_tree.htm

John Nichols is identified as a son of Francis Nichols in Samuel Orcott’s 1886 History of Stratford. Samuel Orcutt’s 1886 “A History of the old town of Stratford and the city of Bridgeport, Vol. 2″ at Google Books 

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=32497962&st=1

http://crossedbrushstudio.com/windowsintoourpast/Vol3/nichols.htm

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=sanford-shulsen&id=I4700

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alford/jnichols.pdf

The Nichols Improvement Association, a private trust, established in 1889 to beautify and improve Nichols Farm The green in Nichols Farms, known as Nichols Green or N.I.A. Green.

Hubbell Genealogy  By : Hubbell, Walter Publication: New York, J.H. Hubbell & Co., 1988

History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, 1886 By: Rev. Samuel B. Orcutt Fairfield County Historical Society,

History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield  By: Jacobus, Daniel Lines, MA Publication: 1930 

Peter MONTAGUE (1580 – 1638) was Alex’s 12th Great Grandfather;  one of 8,193 in this generation of the Miner line.

The Montagues were exceptional among our ancestors having a coat of arms at the time of their immigration

Peter Montague was born 11 Dec 1580 in Boveney, Burnham Parish, Buckinghamshire, England.  It is a small Hamlet, picturesquely situated upon the river Thames, 7 miles from Windsor, 23 from London.   His parents were William MONTAGUE and Margaret MALTHOUSE. He married Eleanor ALLEN. Peter died 16 Mar 1638 in Warfield, Berkshire, England.

Eleanor Allen was born 7 Feb 1579 in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England. Her parents were William ALLEN and Ellen [__?__]. Eleanor died Jan 1656 in Berkshire, England

Children of Peter and Eleanor:

Much of the info on this post is based on the work of  Robert Montague III,  He has  just completed a 13 year comprehensive research effort and published a new two-volume, 3200 page, “History and Genealogy of Peter Montague of Jamestowne Virginia (1607-2007), Quadricentennial Edition.   The new HGPM will be released by Christmas 2012. Prepaid orders made by 15 Dec get a 10% discount from the retail $295. 312 of 1,000 copies are already reserved. If interested, email him, at houseofmontague@bellsouth.net. (The website is not yet ready for orders)

You can also check out The House of Montague On-line

Ancestry

Peter’s father William Montague was born in 1536 or 1548 in Boveney Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England, He married Margaret Malthouse. William died 20 Mar 1594 in Boveney, Berkshire, England.

Peter’s mother Margaret Malthouse was born 15 Feb 1559 in Binfield, Berkshire, England. Her parents were John Malthouse and Margaret Bullock. Margaret died 1594 in Binfield, Berkshire, England

Peter’s grandfather Robert Montague was born between 1505 and 1528 in Boveney, Berkshire, England, His parents were William Montague and Joan Grow.  He married Margaret Cotton.  Robert died 10 Jan 1575 in Boveney, Berkshire, England.

Peter’s grandmother Margaret Cotton was born 1528 in Wardville, Berkshire, England.  Her parents were Roger Cotton and [__?__].  Margaret died in 1575 in Boveney, Berkshire, England.

Peter’s great grandfather William Montague was born in 1485 in Buckingham, Berkshire, England.  He married Joan Grow. William died 21 Mar 1555 in Boveney, Buckinghamshire, England.

Joan Grow was born in 1489 in Wardville, Berkshire, England.  Joan died in 1540 in Boveney, Buckinghamshire, England.

The starting point for documentation of the Montagues of Boveney is the Visitation of the County of Buckingham made in 1634, referred to hereinafter as “the Visitation”. The Visitation begins with Robert who married Margaret Catton of Wardville Berks. producing two children, Laurence and William.

Montague of Boveney Visitation of 1634

The lineage continues through William who married Margaret Malthaus of Pynfield Bucks (Berks) from which issued five children. The youngest of these five, Peter, married Ellen Allen of Burnham, to become the parents of Richard Montague of Massachusetts and Peter Montague of Virginia. Except for the statement “Peter now in Virginia 1634″, there are no other dates recorded on the Visitation. As an aside, it should be noted that the Visitation pedigree shows a line drawn from “Peter now in Virginia 1634″, up to Peter’s Uncle George. Subsequent research to supply dates to the pedigree has determined that the visitation scribe, or perhaps the printer, drew the line to the wrong father for that group of children.

HGPM, p. 27, asserts that from 1500 to 1550, two brothers (William and John) lived in the County of Buckingham and Parish of Burnham, England. William, the eldest of the two, had four children–one of them named Robert. Without offering any evidence, the author, Mr. Montague “anoints” this Robert as the Robert described in the Visitation. While he states that William’s will was proved March 21, 1550, he does not provide its contents. Here, reprinted with permission from The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 142, p. 152, of Ms. Hydes’ article are the contents of that will:

“A photocopy of the original has been procured (Buckingham Record Office, Archdeaconry of Buckinghamshire Wills, March 1550/51). Dated 16 March 1550/51 and probated 21 March 1550/51, it calls him “Will’m Mountaguewe the Elder of Boveney in the p’r'she of Burnh’m, Fyssherman.” “Will’m Mountaguewe of Bray my eldyst sonne” was to receive the messuage at Bray where he was living, over the river northwestward in Berkshire. “Jone my wyffe duringe her lyffe” was to have the family dwelling in Boveney with ten acres and another lease of land. “Robt’e Mountagewe my yongist Sonne” was eventually to have Jone’s legacy and also a messuage called “Durdants w’t syxtene akers of arable lande medowe & pasture” that William had purchased. William additionally named daughters Alice and Katherine. Executors were to be his wife Jone and “Robt’ Mountague my youngiste sonne, Robt’e noneage [a minor].” Overseers were to be Thomas Grow and “Robt’e Mountagewe of Bovney.” As William’s son Robert was a minor in 1551, he cannot be the Robert born about 1505. Probably the overseer Robert Montague of Boveney was the Robert born about 1505. Possibly he was William’s brother.”

The de facto authority on the pre-colonial ancestry of Peter Montague of Boveney, England is History and Genealogy of Peter Montague of Nansemond and Lancaster Counties, Virginia, and His Descendants, 1621-1894 by George William Montague (1894) (HGPM).  This authority has remained mostly unchallenged since publication, but more recent researchers have questioned some of its assumptions and conclusions.

For example, HGPM presents a careful, detailed review of the lineage of Drogo de Montagu, the forefather of all English Montagues – famous, royal, and commoner alike.  Against this backdrop, HGPMhypothesizes, but does not prove, that the “pedigree [of the Montagues of Boveney] is clear and perfect from the American branch (1634) back to A.D. 1500 and lacks (from there) two generations, possibly three, to make a perfect record back to the conquest of England, A.D. 1066.”

Over the past ten decades, this hypothesis quietly became a “well-known” fact as those missing “two generations, possibly three” got found (WARNING: speculative material posted here — > Montague Proposed Noble and Royal Lines).  However, some contrary conclusions of more recent research have been compiled and published by Robert Vaughan Montague III on the website of House of Montague, an organization which he created to be a centralized, authoritative repository for the Montague families that immigrated to and colonized America before the 20th century.  English, French, German, Irish and Scottish branches of the family are examined.  The thesis of House of Montague is that the Montagues of Boveney “appeared” on the scene circa 1505 without portfolio or, if one prefers, pedigree.  While the pre-1500 “roots” of the Montagues of Boveney may ultimately prove to be royal, it is as likely to prove otherwise.  The earliest ancestor of the Virginia immigrant who can be positively identified is a Robert Montague who was probably born about 1505.

Children

1. Peter Montague

Peter Montague came to Virginia in 1621, when sixteen years of age.  He settled first on the plantation of Samuel Matthews.

The elder Samuel Mathews was the first of the Mathews family to emigrate from England to Virginia, arriving at Jamestown by 1619. He eventually had several other land holdings, including one near Henricus and another at Old Point Comfort. Known as Colonel Mathews, the elder Samuel became one of the most prominent men in the colony. He was a member of the Governor’s Council and was actively involved in conflicts with the Native Americans. In 1635, he was one of the leaders of the popular mutiny that ousted Royal Governor Sir John Harvey. Upon returning to England, the elder Mathews was eventually cleared of any charges; upon returning to Virginia, he resumed service on the Governor’s Council until 1644

Peter Montague afterwards removed to Upper Norfolk (Nansemond), which he represented in the House of Burgesses in 1652 and 1653. About 1654, probably, he removed to Lancaster (then including Middlesex), and represented that county also from 1651 to 1658.

In the “Adventures of Purse and Person, pg 40, Peter Montaque he is listed as a servant, age 21,  on the Charles in 1621.

From the narrative by George W. Montague in 1894, “There is a tradition in one branch of Peter’s descendents which can be traced back as far as 1730, to the effect that ‘Peter was rather wild, that he ran away from home, went to America, and not being in funds had not the cash to pay for his passage and was sold for his passage money.  The first half-day’s work he did ruin his hands so that he had to rest.  To pass the time he began to read his master’s books, who caught him reading Latin, and soon obtained for him the position of a school teacher.

He was a large landowner and a leading citizen, and was styled “Col. Peter Montague,” from his rank in the militia. His will, proved May 27, 1659, is on record in Lancaster.

Peter Montague Memorial

As described in the 1894 compilation (HGPM),  Peter’s gravesite was identified on the north side of the Rappahannock river, “much defaced by the hand of time”. A new monument was erected on this location in Oct, 1903, by then Governor of Virginia, Andrew Jackson Montague–sixth great grandson of Peter. The grave site is now maintained by the Montague Memorial Association, and as of 2003 was being overseen by the Governor’s grandson, Robert Latane Montague, of Urbanna, Middlesex Co., VA

Among his most prominent descendants prominence were Col. Philip Montague, who served actively in various commands in the Middlesex militia during the Revolution; Lewis Montague, sheriff of Middlesex, 1762; Col. James Montague, of Middlesex, member of the Convention of 1776, and County Lieutenant during the Revolution; Rev. Philip Montague, a distinguished Baptist minister; Richard Montague, Lieutenant State Navy in the Revolution; General Chas. P. Montague of Maryland; Lieutenant Walter P. Montague, C.S.N.; Prof. Andrew P. Montague, Columbia University; Judge Robert Latane Montague, Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia, member of Confederate Congress (of whom there is a portrait); Edgar Burwell Montague, colonel 32d Va. Infantry, C.S.A.; Lieutenant Wm. L. Montague, C.S.A., mortally wounded at the Crater, and Capt. Thos. B. Montague, C.S.A., also injured at the Crater.

Peter first married Hannah [__?__] about 1629.

Peter’s second wife Cicely Reynolds (wiki) was born about 1605 in Dorset, England.  Her parents were Thomas Reynolds and Cicely Phippen.  Her grandparents were [our ancestors] Christopher REYNOLDS and Clarissa HUNTINGTON  Cicely died 12 Sep 1660 in Charles City, Charles, Virgina.

Alternatively, Peter’s second wife was Cecily Matthews, daughter of Samuel Matthews, the owner of the Virginia plantation where Peter first worked.  Cecily’s brother was Samuel Mathews  Jr. (1630–1660), of Warwick County Virginia, a member of the House of Burgesses, the Governor’s Council, and Royal Governor of Virginia from 1656 to 1660.

Cecily Reynolds first married Thomas Bailey (b. 1580 in England d. 20 Sep 1620 in Jamestown, Charles City, Virginia. Next she married Samuel Jordan (wiki) (b. 1578 in England  d. 1623 in Virginia).  She married third to William Farrar. She married our Peter Montague fourth around 1645. After Peter died, she married Thomas Parker (b. 1600 in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England d. 1663 in Isle Wight, Virginia. Cicely died 12 Sep 1660 in Charles City, Virginia.

Cicely’s parents died before 1611 when Cecily traveled to Virginia with her aunt and uncle Joan Phippen and Capt. William Pierce.  Joan was her mother’s twin sister.

William Pierce was born about 1570.  He may have died in the Indian massacre on Mar 22, 1622. According to John Smith’s list of the dead of that massacre, it says that “at Apamatucks River, at Master Peirce his Plantation, five miles from the College.”

Captain Pierce came to Virginia in 1610 on the ill-fated “Sea Venture” with Capt. Thomas Gates.  Jone, his wife, children (William, Joan, Jr., and Thomas)   came  in 1611 on the “Blessing“. She also brought with her a young niece, Cicilly Reynolds, age 10, probably to help care for the younger children.

Capt. Pierce had a home in James Cittye and a plantation on Mulberrie Island.  In addition to the lands named above, Capt. Pierce owned large holdings in various sections of Virginia. On June 22, 1625, he received grant of 2,000 acres for transporting into Virginia 50 persons. May 1623 Gov. Francis Wyatt appointed him Capt. of the Guard and Gov. of the City.

In that year, as Lt. Gov. of James Cittye he led an expedition against the Chickahominy, in retaliation for the 1622 Massacre, falling on them on July 23rd, with no small slaughter. Shortly thereafter, George Sandys, Treasurer of Virginia, wrote to England that Capt. William Peirce “Gov. of Jamestown” was inferior to none in experience, ability and capacity, recommending him for appointment to the Council, which appointment was made 1631, at which time he was living in Surry County. [It was Capt. Pierce who transported to Virginia the renowned Capt. John Rolfe, soon to become his son-in-law] In 1629/30 he was in England, and while there prepared a “Relation of the Present State of the Colony of Virginia”, by Capt. William Pierce, and Ancient Planter of 20 years standing. His wife, Mrs. Jone Pearse accompanied him and was known in England as an honest, industrious woman, who after passing 20 years in Virginia, on her return to England reported that “she had a garden at Jamestown containing 3 or 4 acres,where in one year she had gathered an hundred bushels of excellent figs, and that of her own provisions she could keep a better home in Virginia than in London – for 3 or 4 hundred pounds a year, although she had gone there with very little.”

They returned to Virginia, and while in the Council, Dec. 20th he signed an Amity Agreement between that body and Gov. John Harvey. He was displeased with Harvey’s governing of the colony and was one of the Councillors who arrested and disposed him in 1635, leading the Musketeers who surrounded his house. Capt. Pierce went on an expedition to the Northern Neck, called “Chicoan” in 1645. Surry County, Va. records, 21 Jan. 1655, Book 1, p. 116: Capt. William Pierce, his son, Thomas and grandson William Peirce were living on Mulberry Island, Warwick Co., VA.

Cicely’s aunt Joan Phippen was born about 1578 and died 1650. In A Durable Fire, the following comments were made about Joan:

“Joan Pierce, brisk blackhaired young woman, who shared the house with Meg Worley and Temperance Yardley (during the Starving Time) had taken her 4 year old daughter and her servant girl to stay at another house , so as not to see Sarah’s last dying moments. Joan Pierce hated Jamestown even more than Temperance did. “There’s nothing here but sickness and laziness.”‘

“Tempers were short these days. Even the soft spoken were sharp, and those with a cantankerous nature, like Joan Pierce, were as easily provoked as hornets.”

“Joan Pierce, who lived next door to Governor Yeardley, had put on weight after the Starving Time. She took pride in her cooking and equal pleasure in eating.” She had plump hands.

Child of William Pierce and Joan Phippen

i. Jane Pierce b. 1588; d. 1625-35 Jamestown; m1. John Rolfe (Yes, that John Rolfe) m2. Roger Smith

Rolfe’s second wife was the Indian Princess, Pocahontas, daughter of the great Chief, Powhatan.

An 1850s painting of John Rolfe and Pocahontas

On what, in modern terms, was a “public relations trip” for the Virginia Company, Pocahontas and Rolfe traveled to England in 1616 with their baby son, where the young woman was widely received as visiting royalty. However, just as they were preparing to return to Virginia, she became ill and died. Their young son Thomas Rolfe survived, and stayed in England while his father returned to the colony.

In 1619, Rolfe married Jane Pierce. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1620.  Rolfe died in 1622 after his plantation was destroyed in an Indian attack. It remains unclear whether Rolfe died in the Indian massacre or whether he died as a result of illness

Capt. Rolfe made his will in 1621 shortly after daughter Elizabeth was born. It was probated in London 1630, (copy in Va.) by his father-in-law, Capt. William Peirce. However, Capt. Rolfe was deceased. before 1625, as the Surry Co. Va muster of 1625 shows Capt. Roger Smith residing at his plantation on James Island, with wife – Mrs. Jone Smith, who came on the “Blessing”. Living with them was Elizabeth Rolfe, age 4, b. in Va.

Cicely’s first husband Thomas Bailey

Cicely Reynolds and Thomas Bailey were married in Virginia when she was at the tender age of 15.  He was killed by Indians 20 Sep 1620.

Despite her young age, legend says that she was spoken of as a “a notorious flirt” and “the Glamour Girl” in the colony. Within a few years she married her first husband Thomas Baley and–apparently before she was 17–bore their only child, Temperance.

Cicely’s second husband Samuel Jordan

Cecely and her daughter were living on their property that adjoined that of the commander of the local militia, Captain Samuel Jordan. A union of convience was entered into in which the property inherited by Mrs. Bailey reverted to her daughter when she married but until then it would be tended by Capt. Jordan. She then married Capt. Jordan.  Today, Jordan Point is a small unincorporated community on the south bank of the James River in the northern portion of Prince George County, Virginia.

On 2 Jun 1609 the  Sea Venture sailed for the first surviving English settlement in America. Among the 150 or so Adventurers and Planters aboard were Sir Thomas Gates (newly appointed Governor of the fledgling Jamestown Colony), Sir George Somers, John Rolfe (soon to be wedded to Pocahontas), Rolfe’s ill-fated first wife, and our young man, Samuel Jordan wiki .

A portrait believed to be of Admiral Sir George Somers.  – On 2 June 1609, he set sail from Plymouth, England on the Sea Venture, the flagship of the seven-ship fleet, towing two additional pinnaces) destined forJamestown, Virginia, carrying five-to-six hundred people.

On June 2, 1609, the Sea Venture set sail from Plymouth as the flagship of a seven-ship fleet (towing two additional pinnaces) destined for Jamestown, Virginia as part of the Third Supply, carrying 500 to 600 people. On July 24, the fleet ran into a strong storm, likely a hurricane, and the ships were separated. The Sea Venture fought the storm for three days. Comparably-sized ships had survived such weather, but the Sea Venture had a critical flaw in her newness: her timbers had not set. The caulking was forced from between them, and the ship began to leak rapidly. All hands were applied to bailing, but water continued to rise in the hold.

Sea Venture in the Storm by William Harrington

The ship’s guns were reportedly jettisoned (though two were salvaged from the wreck in 1612) to raise her buoyancy, but this only delayed the inevitable. The Admiral of the Company, Sir George Somers himself, was at the helm through the storm. When he spied land on the morning of July 25, the water in the hold had risen to nine feet, and crew and passengers had been driven past the point of exhaustion. Somers deliberately drove the ship onto the reefs of what proved to be Bermuda in order to prevent its foundering. This allowed all 150 people aboard, and one dog, to be landed safely ashore.

Wreck of the Sea Venture by Christopher Grimes

The survivors, including several company officials and Samuel Jordan were stranded on Bermuda for approximately nine months. During that time, they built two new ships, the pinnaces Deliverance and Patience, from Bermuda cedar and parts salvaged from the Sea Venture, especially her rigging. The original plan was to build only one vessel, the Deliverance, but it soon became evident that she would not be large enough to carry the settlers and all of the food (salted pork) that was being sourced on the islands. While the new ships were being built, the Sea Venture’s longboat was fitted with a mast and sent under the command of Henry Ravens to find Virginia. The boat and its crew were never seen again.

Some members of the expedition died in Bermuda before the Deliverance and the Patience set sail on 10 May 1610. Among those left buried in Bermuda were the wife and child of John Rolfe, who would found Virginia’s tobacco industry, and find a new wife in Powhatan princess Pocahontas. Two men, Carter and Waters, were left behind; they had been convicted of unknown offences, and fled into the woods of Bermuda to escape punishment and execution. The remainder arrived in Jamestown on 23 May.

This was not the end of the survivors’ ordeals, however. On reaching Jamestown, only 60 survivors were found of the 500 who had preceded them. Many of these survivors were themselves dying, and Jamestown itself was judged to be unviable. Everyone was boarded onto the  Deliverance   and Patience, which set sail for England. The timely arrival of another relief fleet, bearing [our ancestor] Governor Thomas WEST, 3rd Baron de la Warr, which met the two ships as they descended the James River, granted Jamestown a reprieve. All the settlers were relanded at the colony, but there was still a critical shortage of food. Somers returned to Bermuda with the Patience to secure provisions, but died there in the summer of 1610. His nephew, Matthew, the captain of the Patience, sailed for England to claim his inheritance, rather than return to Jamestown. A third man, Chard, was left behind in Bermuda with Carter and Waters, who remained the only permanent inhabitants until the arrival of the Plough in 1612.  The ordeal was recounted by William Strachey, whose account is believed to have influenced the creation of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest .

Very soon after arrival, Samuel Jordan carved out a place on land up the River from Jamestown and very near the present town of Hopewell VA. His land jutted out into a great James River curl he named “Jordan’s Point“. On this plantation he called “Jordan’s Journey” he built his manor house, “Beggar’s Bush”. The fact that he started quickly was probably a major reason he was prepared for the harsh winter that followed and was able to build a very substantial plantation.

On the day of the Great Indian Massacre March 22, 1622, Capt. Jordan at once ganthered all the men, women, and children into his home at “Begger’s Bush” , known later as Jordan’s Journey,  and defended that place so resolutely that not a single life was lost; however, Capt. Jordan died before the census of the “Living and Dead in Virginia”  was taken in February of 1623. The muster of the living at Begger’s Bush was:  Sisley Jordan 24, Temperance Bailie 7, Mary Jordan 3, Margery Jordan 1, and William Farrar 31.

Great Indian Massacre of 1622 Woodcut by Matthaeus Merian, 1628.

A failed courtship

Jordan died a year later, and there was a rush for the hand of his beautiful young wife, led by the Rev. Greville Pooley. Jordan had been in his grave only a day when Pooley sent Capt. Isaac Madison to plead his suit. Cecily replied that she would as soon take Pooley as any other, but as she was pregnant, she would not engage herself she said, “until she was delivered.”

But the amorous Reverend could not wait, and came a few days later with Madison, telling her “he should contract himself to her” and spake these words: “I, Greville Poooley, take thee Sysley, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold till death do us part and herto I plight thee my troth.” Then, holding her by the hand he spake these words, “I, Sysley, take thee Greveille, to my wedded husband, to have and to hold till death do us part.” Cicily said nothing, but they drank to each other and kissed. Then, showing some delicacy about her condition and the situation she found herself in, she asked that it might not be revealed that she did so soon bestow her love after her husband’s death.

Pooley promised, but was soon boasting of his conquest. Mrs. Jordan resenting this and chose to exercise her woman’s privilege to change her mind and said that ”he could have fared better if he talked less.” She immediately announced her engagement to Capt. William Farrar, one of the Deputy Treasurer’s younger brothers, and member of the Council.

Enraged, Pooley brought suit for breach of promise. When the Parson sued, 14 June 1623, Capt. William Farrar, trained for the law in England and now the attorney who administered her husband’s estate, successfuly defended Mrs. Jordan in what was the first breach of promise suit in America, winning not only the suit but his client in matrimony. The Governor and Council could not bring themselves to decide the questions and continued it until 27 Nov., then referred the case to the Council for Virginia in London, “desiring the resolution of the civil lawyers thereon and a speedy return thereof.” But they declined to make a decision and returned it, saying they “knew not how to decide so nice a difference.”

At this point Rev. Pooley was persuaded by the Rev. Samuel Purchase to drop the case. Cecily and William were finally free to marry, which they did sometime before May 2, 1625, when his bond as overseer of Samuel’s estate was canceled.

Poole signed a formal release to the Widow Cecily bonding himself in the sum £500  never to have any claim, right or title to her, the Governor and Council of the Colony were so stirred by the extraordinary incident that they issued a solmn proclamation against a woman engaging herself to more than one man at a time. And there is not in Virginia any known record that this edict has ever been revoked.

The jilted Pooley soon found solace in a bride, it appears, but met a tragic death in 1629, when Indians attacked his house, and slew him, his wife and all his family.

Cecily’s third husband William Farrar

In 1625 Charles I appointed William Farrar to his King’s Council – a position of great responsibility which he held for over a decade.

Holmes writes, “It was during this critical period, 1625-1635, that William Farrar served on the Council, considered by historians the most important in the government of the colony, for laws were passed and the representative form of government which we have today became well established, based on the liberal charter, which [Sir Edwin] Sandys and Nicholas Ferrar are said to have written.”

In 1626 William was also appointed commissioner “for the Upper Partes kept above Persie’s Hundred,” and given the authority to hold a monthly court at either Jordan’s Journey or Shirley Hundred.

Sometime before November 1627, William’s father died, leaving him a fairly large inheritance. This may have been what enabled him to apply for a patent on 2,000 acres of choice land on a bend in the James River, formerly the site of Henrico Towne.

Henricus the second settlement in the colony, was established in 1611 and was the proposed site for the University of Henricus which was to be the first English university in America. The fortified settlement was burned to the ground in 1622 during the “Greate Massacre” and wasn’t opened up for resettlement until 1628 when William applied for the patent. [The area, which is still known as "Farrar's Island," is located 12 miles south of present-day Richmond and is the site of a state park.]

Some researchers believe William and Cecily moved their family to Farrar’s Island at this time. Others have them remaining at Jordan’s Journey until 1631, the year in which William returned to England and disposed of his entire inheritance. He sold his Hertfordshire properties to his brother Henry and his annuities from the Ewoods to his brother John for a total of 240 pounds. The agreement he made with his brothers gave him the option of buying back the property at its sale price, but he never invoked the privilege, remaining in Virginia the rest of his life.

In May of 1636, Nathan Martin patented 500 acres, 100 of which was due “by surrender from William Farrar Esquire for transportation of two servants.” William died sometime between this date and June 11, 1637, when the patent to Farrar’s Island was granted to “William Farrar sonne and heire of William Farrar Esquire deceased, 2,000 acres for the transportation of 40 persons [indentured servants] at his own cost.”

Holmes writes, “His land extending to Varina, the county seat, and his duties as “chief” justice of the county made him a close neighbor and associate of the leading families of Henrico, as well as of Charles Citty county. Continuing as a member of the Council until shortly before his death at the age of 43, he attended quarterly court at Jamestown and was closely associated with the governor, councilors and burgesses.”

Cicely’s fourth husband Peter Montague

What became of Cecily after William’s death is unclear. She was only 36 when William died, so it seems likely that she remarried. She may have been the “Cecily” who married and had five children with Peter Montague. Peter died in July 1659, after which another “Cecily” was married to Thomas Parker of Macclesfield. Parker had come to Jamestown in 1618 on the “Neptune” with William Farrar.

To have withstood the perils of the New World took endurance enough, to do so while bearing eleven children and burying five husbands took fortitude and courage. Cecily Bailey-Jordan-Farrar-Montague-Parker was, at the very least, a survivor.

Peter Montague’s Will dated 27 Mar 1659 and proved 25 May 1659

“In the name of God amen, I Peter Montague being weak in body and perfect memory do make this my last will and testament, this the 27th of March 1659 in name and form following,

First I bequeath my soul into the hands of my redeemer Jesus Christ, and my body to be buried.

Item, my debts being first paid I give to my loving wife Cicely one third part of all my real and personal estate according to law.

Item, I give to my two sons Peter and Will Mountague all my land lying on Rappahannock river to them and their heirs forever, and the land being divided it is my will, that the elder is to have the first choice, and in case of want of heirs of either, the survivor to enjoy all the land, and in case both of them shall depart this life without heirs, lawfully begotten, then my will is that the said land be sold by the commissioners of this county after public notice given either at an outcry, or by an inch of candle and the produce thereof to be equally divided between my three daughters Ellen, Margaret, and Elizabeth, and the child of Ann late wife of John Jadwin, and in case of any of these shall died without issue, then the produce of the said land to be divided between the survivors.

Item, I give the other two thirds of my personal estate to my four children Peter, Will, Margaret, and Elizabeth to be equally divided among them.

Item, I give to my daughter Ellen, the wife of Will Thompson, one thousand pounds of tobacco, and cask to be deducted, of a bill of thirteen hundred pounds of tobacco now due to me by the said Will Thompson.  Lastly I ordain my loving wife cicely and my son Peter jointly Executrix and Executor of this my last will and testament.  In witness of the previous I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written 1659 interlined before the signing and sealing therof.  (Signed) Peter Mountague, (Ye seal)

Checking Our Facts

While the above stories are lots of fun, despite calims that may be made to the contrary, at this time the maiden name of Cicely is not proven by any documentation that is available to us, and such documentation may never be found.

It has been suggested that Cicely Farrar might have outlived her third husband and gone on to marry other men, including Peter Montague as her fourth husband and his second wife.  Despite the fact that Peter is known to have been married to a woman named Cecily at the time he wrote his will in 1659, no definite evidence has emerged to substantiate this theory and connect him positively with this Cicely.  Only the first three marraiges are well-documented.  By the time of William Farrar’s death, she was a wealthy woman.  The Farrars were so prominent that if she had married again, some record would surely show it, although given the appalling state of Virginia records in the colonial period, it may not have survived.  Her death date is also undocumented.  Apparently no lineage society (such as Jamestown Society, Ancient Planters, or Colonial Dames, etc.) accepts any other marriages for Cecily except (1) a man probably named Baley, (2) Samuel Jordan and (3) William Farrar, due to documentation requirements.

John Frederick Dorman (in Adventurers of Purse and Person, pp. 926-929) suggests it is “More likely, but unproved, that … [Cicely Montague] was Cicely, widow of Robert Jadwin, who later married Nicholas Jernew and left will dated 30 Jan. 1667/8 (Westmoreland Co. Deeds, Patents &c 1665-77,pp.32-32a) naming her Jadwin children, including son John [who married Peter Montague's daughter Anne] and grandson Bartholomew Jadwin [son of John Jadwin and Anne Montague].”  Therefore, another possibility is that Peter‘s presumed second wife, Cecily, was the daughter of William and Cecily Farrar, also named Cecily, who was born about 1625.  Of this Cicely no further records have been found.  Based on her age (20 years old in 1645 when the marriage likely occured), she was almost certainly not the mother of Peter’s last two children (William and Elizabeth).  Also, this Cicely is definitely not the mother of Peter or his older siblings Anne and Ellen, as documented in Lancaster County Court Orders, 12 Sep 1660, stating,Cicely Montague Widdow of Mr. Peter Montague decd. & Peter Montague her Sonne in law Exors. to divide the Est.

An alternative theory posits that Peter’s second wife may have been Cecily Matthews, daughter of Samuel Matthews, the owner of the Virginia plantation where Peter first worked.  Cecily’s brother was Samuel Mathews (Jr.) (1630–1660) of Warwick County, Virginia, a member of the House of Burgesses, the Governor’s Council and Royal Governor of Virginia from 1656 to 1660..

Children of Peter and Cicely

i. Ann Montague b. 1630 in Virginia; d. 1659 Westmoreland, Virginia; m. John Jadwin (b. 13 Apr 1634 in London, England; d. May 1707 in Talbot, Maryland)

John Jadwin born before 1638 at London, England; died after 31 Oct 1700 at Talbot Co, MD. He was the only one of the three grandsons of the “Virginia Adventurer” Thomas Jadwyn – to have male issue.  ”Robert and Jeremiah were Episcopalians (Anglicans). John was a Quaker.  England at the time was Puritan, and all the Jadwins enumerated above were persecuted and left England on that account. Robert and Jeremiah. . .found themselves at home among friends in the province of Virginia, for Virginia received Episcopalians throughout Cromwell’s rule. But John, being a Quaker, had to ‘leave.’ John’s wife, Ann Montague Jadwin, died before 1659, he returned to England.  John then married Hannah (surname unknown), and then settled in Talbot Co, MD.” Cornelius Comegys Jadwin, in HJ 47.  With his two wives, John Jadwin sired an enormous family!

ii. Ellen Montague b. 1632 in Nansemond, Virginia m. d. 27 Mar 1659 Middlesex, Virginia, m. William Thompson (b. 1627 in England, d. 1664 in Lancaster, Virginia)

iii. Peter Montague b. 1634 in Nansemond, Suffolk, Virginia d. 2 Dec 1695 Montague Island, Middlesex, Virginia  m1. Elizabeth Morris m2. Mary Doodes/Marie Minor (b. 1642 in Christchurch, Middlesex, Virginia d. 1682 in Middlesex, Virginia)

“Peter Mountague (1603-1659) was an active merchant in Virginia as his then deceased father and uncle had been in England.  It may have been in connection with his merchant business with Holland that he first met the Sea Captain, Meindert Doodes, in Nansemond Co.,  Virginia.  The two families of Mountague and Doodes (later transliterated to Minor) probably moved together in mid to late 1656 to Lancaster Co., Virginia, where Doodes Minor married Elizabeth Mountague around 1671 and Peter Mountague (ca. 1638ca. 1682) married Mary Minor by 1665.”

A fair number of researchers believe that Mary Montague, daughter of Peter & Mary (Doodes/Minor) Montague, may have been the widow Mary Johnson, 2nd wife of Col. Joseph Ball. Why is this particular fact interesting? Because Joseph and Mary Ball’s daughter Mary Ball Washington was the mother of George Washington.

George Washington’s mother Martha Ball Washington. (1708-1789) She was the only child of Joseph Matthäus Ball and his second wife, the widow Mary Johnson, whose maiden name and origins are not known for sure, but might have been Mary Montague. Fatherless at three and orphaned at twelve, she was placed, in accordance with the terms of her mother’s will, under the guardianship of George Eskridge, a lawyer.

At the heart of this issue is the maiden name of Mary Johnson. What follows is a complete, source-based presentation of the facts surrounding the issue. It includes all documentation known to this writer, as of this writing, concerning Mary Montague, Joseph Ball, Mary Johnson, and Mary Ball. Unfortunately these facts are not sufficient to know her maiden name. For now, we can only judge the relative probability of Mary’s maiden identity from a limited number of potential candidates. We open this treatment with the earliest known documented discussion of George Washington’s presumed maternal grandmother from George William Montague’s, History and Genealogy of Peter Montague of Nansemond and Lancaster Counties, Virginia, and His Descendants, 1621-1894. (Amherst, Massachusetts: Carpenter & Morehouse, 1894, p. 48 (Hereinafter cited as HGPM)

“A tradition has existed for fifty years or more, that George Washington was of Montague descent, through his mother Mary Ball. It probably originated from the fact that William Montague married, 1727, a dau. of Capt. Richard Ball, who was Mary Ball’s cousin [their fathers were brothers]. This subject has been thoroughly investigated by Rev. Horace E. Hayden in his Va. Genealogies, published Wilkes-Barre, Pa., 1891. The compiler also has made a thorough search, and left no means untried to obtain the truth. The result is, that the only place where such descent could be possible, was through Mary Ball’s mother who was, before Col. Ball married her, a Mrs. Mary Johnson, a widow, of Lancaster Co., Va. A tradition exists in the Ball family that Mrs. Mary Johnson was born in England. This tradition has been traced to Mrs. Ann Shearman, whose mother was Esther Ball, the half sister of Mary Ball. If it is true, that she was born in England, then – any descent from Peter Montague was impossible. No record has been found to show the maiden name of Mrs. Mary Johnson, or who she was before her marriage to Johnson. If she was a Miss Montague, she would have to be a daughter of one of the sons of the emigrant Peter Montague. One of his sons did have a daughter whose name was Mary Montague, but church records prove that she married, Oct. 24, 1682, Thomas Payne, and no record exists to show that she ever afterward married any one else. Records of that time and locality are lost, and the maiden name of Mrs. Mary Johnson [Washington's grandmother] will probably never be known.”

iv. Elizabeth Montague b. 1636 in New Kent, Virginia d. 1708 Christ Church, Middlesex, Virginia m. Maurice Cocke (b. 1666 in Middlesex, Virginia d. 15 May 1696 in Middlesex, Virginia)

v. William Montague b. 1638 in Nansemond, Virginia d. 7 Dec 1713 Montague Island, Middlesex, Virginia m. Hannah Ball

vi Margaret Montague b. 1640 in Nansemond, Virginia d. 1679 m. Francis Ball (b. 1630 in Virginia d. 1740 in Virginia)

2. Ann Montague

Ann’s husband John Wheatlie was born 1605 in Boveney, Berkshire, England. John died in 29 Sep 1659 in Saint Mary’s City, Maryland,

5. Richard MONTAGUE (See his page)

6. Elizabeth Montague

Elizabeth’s husband Jefferson Melvin Warriner was born 2 Aug 1613 in England

7. Margaret Montague

Margaret’s husband [__?__] Tayler was born 1596 in Boveney, Berkshire, England.

Sources:

http://www.houseofmontague.com/BIZyCart.asp?GROUP=HistoryPeter&STYLE=Base&NEXTPAGE=History.htm&CLIENT=Montague

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=2533419&st=1

http://www.houseofmontague.com/BIZyCart.asp?GROUP=HistoryPeter&STYLE=Base&NEXTPAGE=History.htm&CLIENT=Montague#Timeline

For better or worse, George Wm. Montague’s History and Genealogy of Peter Montague (hereinafter HGPM), published in 1894, is the de facto authority on the pre-colonial ancestry of Peter Montague of Boveney, England. This authority has remained mostly unchallenged these past 110 years and is overdue for a review of some of its assumptions and conclusions.

http://www.jadwin.net/genealogy/jadfam.htm

http://hylbom.com/family/paternal-lines/paternal-lo-to-ne/montague-6114/

Nathaniel BASSETT Sr. (1628 – 1709) was Alex’s 9th Great Grandfather; one of 1,028 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Nathaniel Bassett was born in 1628 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Mass. His parents were William BASSETT and Elizabeth [__?__]. He married Dorcas JOYCE 1672 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass. His wife Hannah, who died in 1709, was probably a second wife. The record of his family is lost. Nathaniel died 16 Jan 1709 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.

Dorcas Joyce was born in 1644 in Lynn, Essex, Mass. Her parents were John JOYCE and Dorothy COTCHET. Dorcas died 12 Nov 1709 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.

Children of  Nathaniel and Dorcas:

Nathaniel lived in Duxbury and later settled in Marshfield and then Yarmouth in 1684, where he died 16 Jan 1709/10 aged 82

2 Mar 1651/52 –  ”Nathaniel Basset and Joseph Prior, for disturbing the church of Duxburrou, on the Lord’s day were sentenced each of them to pay twenty shillings fine or the next towne meeting or training day both of them to bee bound unto a post for the space of two hours, in some public place, with a paper on their heads on which theire capital crime shall be written perspecusly, soe as may bee read.” Whether they paid the fines imposed or suffered the novel mode of punishment to which they were sentenced does not appear.

Nathaniel first settled in Marshfield, but removed to Yarmouth where he was an inhabitant in 1664, and perhaps earlier. He resided near the first meeting house and his descendents still enjoy his lands. Notwithstanding the trifling irregularity in his conduct when a young man at Duxbury, he was a very worth and respectable citizen, had a large family, ten of whom lived to mature age.

William Bassett’s deed to Peregrine White and Nathaniel BASSETT Transcribed from the Original Records, BY GEORGE ERNEST Bowman [Plymouth Colony Deeds, II: I: 277 & 178] [p. 177]

1656 Bradford Govr A Deed appointed to bee Recorded Know all men by these prsents that I Willam Bassett senir of Duxburrow now liveing Att Bridgwater for Divers Reasons and Considerations Doe freely Surrender and give up all my proper and whole Interest in my landes lying being and Scittuatt upon the south River with all the Emunities and privilidges belonging therunto both uplands and meddow lands unto my two sonnes there liveing viz Perigrine White and Nathaniell Bassett; I say I give all my proper Right & enterest unto them and to theire heires for ever with full power to establish theire Right and enterest according to court order under the prsent Govrment after the usuall order of confeirmacon of lands;

provided that both the aforsaid pties bee fully agreed upon the Devision of the lands which was to bee measured and ordered by mr Garrett of Scittuate whoe was appointed Survayor of the same; In Witnesse wherof I have sett toe my hand my owne proper Act and Deed June the 16th Anno: Dom: 1656 Witnesse heerof Willam Bassett; Willam Britt Willam Bassett senir: of Bridgwater Desired mee Richard Garrett to Survay his lott of upland and marsh att marshfeild *

The day of the month was omitted. 26 William Basett’s Deed by the south River and to make a Devision of the said upland and marsh unto his two sons viz Mr Perigrine White and Nathaniell Bassett which accordingly I have Done;

According to the Record wee began to measure att mr Starrs line by the marsh and from thence Did Run a west southwest line of 220 Rods for the length of the lott att a marked hee; and from thence wee Did Run a line north northwest 119 Rodds att a stake for the corner in the plaine and from thence wee Did Run a line east northeast 94 Rodds to the old Marked hee att the north side of Daniell Coles Iland which by meanes of the Swamp and mersh coveing Up into the upland the lott is Narrow att One end and Broad att the other and Mr Whites two fiftes of upland is bounded att Mr Whites south Range Runing from the point of marsh 106 Rodds 12 feet in Mr Starrs south Range att a marked hee and from thence it Runs 60 Rodds north northwest to a marked hee neare to Nathaniell Bassetts Barne;

out of which share of upland the said Mr White hath graunted to the said Nathaniell to have A triangle of upland by his Barne bounded from the corner of Mr Whites said lott to Run twenty three Rodds to a marked hee in the Range and from thence thirty seaven Rodds to a white oake hee by the cart way and from thence to Run twenty eight Rodds to the marked hee at the corner of Mr Whites lott Mr White is to Run from the said White oake hee twenty one Rodds on the south side of the cart way to an old ffence and by the fence to the marsh and by the marsh to Mr Starrs Range for his 2 fiftes of the upland; Mr Whites two fiftes of marsh is bounded to an old fence (aforsaid) by a swamp which fence Runes [p. 178] Runes into the mersh to a little Creeke and by that Creeke to Run Untill it comes to the great Creeke that Runes by the homacke and by the homacke Creeke Untill it comes to the River and by the River untill it comes to Mr Starrs Range and by the Range to the marked hee;

All the Rest of the marsh and upland that belonges to Willam Bassetts share is Nathaniell Bassetts 3 fiftes both of upland and Marsh; And the said Mr White and Nathaniell Bassett Doe likwise agree that convenient waies shalbee allowed to each other all which said prises wee Doe both of us Cordially and Really Agree unto Witnesse our hands this 17th of Aprill 1656 P White N; Bassett This is a trew Coppy taken from the original by mee Richard Garrett Records from the Burial Ground of the James Family 27 Nathaniell Bassetts 3 fiftes of upland and Marsh lyeth Together and is bounded att an old marked hee att the Swamp near the marsh by the brooke att the north side of Daniell Coles Iland and from thence It Runes 94 Rodds on a west southwest line to a stake in the plaine and from thence It Runes 119 Rodds on a south southeast line to a marked hee and from thence it Runes 123 Rodds on a East northeast line to a marked hee att the corner of Mr Whites lott in the south Range of Mr Starrs;

and from thence it Runes 137 Rodds on a north northwest line att a marked hee in Mr Whites Range by Nathaniell Bassetts New feild and from thence it Runes 37 Rodds towards the east att a marked white oake by the cart path and from thence it Runes twenty one Rodds towards the north alonge by the south side of the cart way untill it Comes to an old ffence and by that ffence to the marsh and from thence to a little creeke that Runes by a great pond and by that Creeke untill it comes to a greater Creeke that Runes by a little homack of upland and by that Creeke to Daniell Coles line of his mersh and by that line alonge by the homacke and from thence to the uttermost extent of Daniell Coles Iland and by the Iland untill it comes to the old Marked hee att the Swamp aforsaid; Moreover this is the boundes of Nathaniell Bassetts upland and marsh Accordingly as hee and his brother Mr White Did agree

Nathaniel’s will, dated 10 Jan 1709/10, six days before his death, is a carefully drawn instrument, witnessed by Rev. Daniel Greenleaf, Experience Rider, and his nephew Col. William Basset, and furnishes much genealogical information. He names his nine children then living, says he is “aged and under much decay of body,” being then 82 years of age. To his son William he gave meadow and upland, which was John Joyce’s drying ground, bought of Mr. Thomas Wally, and meadow bought of Mr. Thornton.

He names the eldest son of Thomas Mulford of Truro, who married his daughter Mary ; the eldest son of his son Nathaniel; the eldest son of his son Joseph; to Nathaniel he gave property that was his Grandmother Joyce’s, and his lands in Middleboro’. He names his daughter-in-law Joannah, perhaps wife of Nathaniel, who removed to Windham, Conn., and his daughter Euth Basset. He gives certain property unto six of his children, Mary Mulford, Samuel Basset, Hannah Covell, Joseph Basset, Sarah Nickerson and Nathan Basset, Mr. Thomas Mulford of Truro, and his son Joseph of Yarmouth,
Executors.

Estate appraised at £228,11. Though William is first named in the will, he was probably the youngest son.

Children

1. Nathaniel Bassett

Nathaniel’s wife Joannah Borden was born about 1670. Joanna died 03 Dec 1740 in Mansfield, Connecticut.

Nathaniel was one of the incorporators of the town of Mansfield in 1703,  a town in Tolland County.The population was 20,720 at the 2000 census.

Marshfield, Tolland County, Connecticut

Mansfield was incorporated in October 1702 from the Town of Windham, in Hartford County. When Windham County was formed on 12 May 1726, Mansfield then became part of that county. A century later, at a town meeting on 3 April 1826, selectmen voted to ask the General Assembly to annex Mansfield to Tolland County. That occurred the following year.

The town of Mansfield contains the community of Storrs, which is home to the main campus of the University of Connecticut.

2. Mary Bassett

Mary’s husband Thomas Mulford was born 1665 in Hingham, Plymouth, Mass. His parents were Thomas Mulford and Hannah Williams. Thomas died 4 Sep 1747 in Truro, Barnstable, Mass,

Thomas and Mary were original settler in Truro, Mass, a town in Barnstable County, comprising two villages: Truro and North Truro. Located two hours outside Boston, it is a summer vacation community just south of the northern tip of Cape Cod, in an area known as the “Outer Cape”.  English colonists named it after Truro in Cornwall.  The historic Wampanoag Native American people called the area Pamet orPayomet. Their language was part of the large Algonquian family. This name was adopted for the Pamet River and the harbor area around the town center known as the Pamet Roads, The population of Truro was 2,087 at the 2000 census. Over half of the land area of the town is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, established in 1961.

The English Pilgrims stopped in Truro and Provincetown in 1620 as their original choice for a landing before later deciding the area to be unsuitable. While there, they discovered fresh water and corn stored by the Kakopee. Historians debate the accuracy of the account about the latter discovery, but in popular lore it led to the place being called Corn Hill.

Truro was settled by English immigrant colonists in the 1690s as the northernmost portion of the town of Eastham. The town was officially separated and incorporated in 1709. Fishing, whaling and shipbuilding made up the town’s early industry. These industries had to shift to other locations as the harsh tides of the Lower Cape began decimating the town’s main port in the 1850s. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Cape Cod was a popular location for artists because of its light.

The records of the proprietors, distinctive from the records of Eastham, commenced in 1700, and in the meetings as recorded, and in the admission of freemen from time to time we find the following named persons were residents when the town was incorporated: Jedediah Lombard, senior [son of Thomas LUMBERT] and junior, Thomas Lombard, Dr. William Dyer, Benjamin Smalley, Thomas Newcomb [son of Andrew NEWCOMB Jr.], Isaac Snow, Jonathan Collins, Nathaniel Harding, Joseph Young, David Peter. John Snow, Constant Freeman, Thomas Paine, senior and junior, Nathaniel Atkins, Francis Small, Lieutenant Jonathan Bangs, John Rogers, John Steele, Thomas Mulford, Hezekiah Doane, Samuel Treat, jr., Hezekiah Purington, Humphrey Scammon, Beriah Smith, Richard Stevens, John Myrick, Moses Paine, Jonathan Vickery, Micah Atwood, Josiah Cook, Ebenezer Hurd, Samuel Small, Samuel Young, Jonathan Paine, Edward Crowell, Ebenezer Smith, Jonathan Dyer, John Savage, Israel Cole and Thomas Smith.

Thomas Mulford Headstone -- Old North Cemetery Truro Barnstable County Mass

Inscription:
Here lyes the body of Elder Thomas Mulford who died Sept ye 14th 1747 in the 82d year of his age.

Mary Bassett Mulford Headstone -- Old North Cemetery Truro Barnstable County Massa

Inscription:
Here Lyes ye Body of Mrs Mary Mulford Wife of Elder Thomas Mulford She died JANry 29th 1741/2 in ye 76th year of her age

3. Nathan Bassett

Nathan’s wife Mary Crowell was born 2 Dec 1688 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass. Her parents were Thomas Crowell and Deborah [__?__]. Mary died 1742 in Chatham, Barnstable, Mass.

Nathan is the ancestor of the Chatham and Harwich families. He married March 7, 1709,
Mary, daughter of Thomas Crowell of Yarmouth, He died in 1728, leaving seven children. She died in 1742, and names in her will sons Nathan, Thomas, Nathaniel, who married Sarah Chase of Yarmouth, Aug. 23, 1729, Samuel, and daughters Mary Basset, Dorcas Nickerson and Hannah Co veil.

5. Dorcas Bassett

One of the oldest monuments in the Yarmouth graveyard is that of Dorcas Basset, who died June 9, 1707, aged 31. She was probably a daughter of Nathaniel.

6. Hannah Bassett

Hannah’s husband Joseph Covell was born 1675 in Chathamn (Monomoit), Barnstable, Mass.  His parents were Nathaniel Covell and Sarah Nickerson.   He first married Lydia Steward, daughter of Ensign Hugh of Monomoit, about 1700.  She died not long after and he married second Hannah Bassett.   Joseph died in 1732 in Chatham, Barnstable, Mass.

Joseph’s farm was on the east side of Muddy Cove and extended east to the present road from the old cemeteries over to the lat Rufus Smith’s.  It was part of the old Wiliam Nickerson farm.  There is no record of his death or of his children and no settlement of his estate.  He was living as late at 1732, but does not appear on the tax list of 1755.

7. Joseph BASSETT Sr. (See his page)

8. Sarah Bassett

Sarah’s husband John Nickerson was born 1686 in Harwich, Barnstable, Mass. His parents were Joseph Nickerson and Ruhamah Jones. John died in 1722 in Harwich, Barnstable, Mass.

9. Samuel Bassett

Samuel’s wife Elizabeth Jones was born 1695 in E Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Island. Her parents were Josiah Jones and Elizabeth Berry. Elizabeth died in 1742 in Rhode Island

10. William Bassett

William’s first wife Martha Godfrey was born 1689 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass. Her parents were John Godfrey and Martha Joyce. Martha died 1720 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass

William’s second wife Sarah Jenkins was born 15 Nov 1693 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass. Her parents were John Jenkins and Mary Parker. William and Sarah were dismissed from the Yarmouth to the Barnstable Church, Aug. 1727. Sarah died 1 Nov 1746 in Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass.

Sarah Jenkins Bassett Headstone -- Ancient Cemetery Centerville Barnstable County Mass

The findagrave researcher RColbath was just about to give up looking for Sarah’s headstone, when she spotted it laying on the ground, broken, near the edge of the cemetary. It’s difficult to read her last name, but the name Bassett is legible in her husband’s name.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=22789576&st=1

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=drr45&id=I1667

Genealogical Notes of Barnstable Families by Amos Otis and revised by C.F.Swift published by The Patriot Press vol. I 1861

http://capecodhistory.us/Deyo/Truro-Deyo.htm#923-proprietors

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=drr45&id=I1667

Nicholas BROWN (1601 – 1694) was Alex’s 10th Great Grandfather; one of 1,024 in this generation of the Miller line.

Nicholas Brown Coat of Arms

We have five separate Brown lines and seven different Brown immigrant ancestors, by far the most of any surname.  When the surname is of English origin it is derived from a nickname concerning the complexion of an individual, or the colour of their hair. Brown is derived from the Old English brun, brūn; Middle English brun, broun; or Old French brun.

1. John BROWNE Sr. (Swansea). (1583 Hawkedon, Suffolk  – 1662 Swansea, Mass)
John BROWN Jr.  (1620 -1662 Rehoboth, Mass)

2. John BROWN (Hampton) (1589 London – 1677 Salem, Mass)

3.  Nicholas BROWN (1601 Inkberrow, Worcester – 1694 Reading, Mass)

4. James BROWNE (1605 Southhampton, Hampshire  -1676 Salem, Mass.)

5. Thomas BROWNE (1607 Christian Malford, Wiltshire – 1687 Newbury, Mass.)
Francis BROWN I (1633  Christian Malford, Wiltshire – 1691  Newbury, Mass.)

Nicholas Brown was born in 1601 in Inkberrow Parish,  Wychavon, Worcestershire that is often thought  to be the model for Ambridge, the setting of the long running radio serialisation or soap opera The Archers. In particular ‘The Bull’, the fictional Ambridge pub, is supposed to be based on a very real pub, the Old Bull, in Inkberrow. It is at this historic public house or wayside inn, a black and white half-timbered building, that William Shakespeare is reputed to have stayed while on his way to Worcester to collect his marriage certificate. His parents were Edward BROWN and Jane LEIDS. He married Elizabeth LEIDS in 1624 in England.   After Elizabeth died,  he married widow Frances Parker.  Nicholas died 16 Nov 1694 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass

Elizabeth Leids was born in 1605 in Malford, Worchester, England. Her parents were Thomas LIDE and Jane GIBBS. Elizabeth died 1 Nov 1674 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass.

Children of Nicholas and Elizabeth:

Nicholas Browne of Reading is not the same person as Nicholas Browne of Haverhill.

Nicholas a native of Inkberrow, Worcestershire, England. Came to Lynn in 1630, freeman 7 Sep 1638, removed to Reading 1644. Nicholas lived in Lynn ten years during which time he was the representative to the General Court from Lynn.

Nicholas’ will was dated 9 Mar 1673, proved 17 June 1673. He bequeathed to children: John, Josiah, Edward, Joseph, Cornelius, and Elizabeth, and to his wife Elizabeth.

Nicholas Brown and wife Elizabeth…., came on one of the early ships and were in Lyon, in 1630 and 1637.  He was Freemen in 1638 and Representative to the General Court in 1641.  In 1660 he sent his son John to England to look after the property of Thomas Leide which he had inherited as next of kin.

Nicholas removed to Reading in 1644 and was Deputy from there in 1655 – 1658 to 1661.

Nicholas was the son of Edward Brown of Inkberrow, horcs, England, and he wife Jane Leide, daughter of Thomas of Inkberrow.

Children

1. Thomas Brown

Thomas’ wife Mary Newhall was born 1637 Lynn, Essex, Mass. Her parents were Thomas Newhall and Mary Jane Pendleton. Mary died  2 Jun  1694  Newbury, Essex, Mass. and was buried Western Burial Ground , Lynn, Essex, Mass

Child of Thomas and Mary:

i.  John Brown (b. 1664 Lynn, Essex, Mass. – d. Aug 1733 Stonington; Burial: Old Taugwonk Cemetery); m. Elizabeth Minor b. 30 Apr 1674; d. 19 Jan 1736 Stonington, New London CT; Burial: Old Taugwonk Cemetery.  Elizabeth’s parents were Ephraim Minor and  Hannah Avery.  Her grandparents were our ancestors, Thomas MINER and Grace PALMER.

3. Josiah Brown

Josiah’s wife Mary Fellows was born 1642 in Ipswich, Essex, Mass. Her parents were William Fellows and Mary Ayer. Mary died in 1699 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass

4. Cornelius BROWN (See his page)

5. Ergn Brown

Ergn’s wife Sarah Burnett was born

6. Capt. John Brown

John’s first wife Elizabeth Osgood was born about 1636 in Wherwell, Hampshire. Elizabeth died 31 July 1673, Andover, Mass.

John’s second wife Anne Fisk was born 15 Jan 1646 in Malford, Worcester, England. Her parents were John Fiske and Anne Gipps. Anne died 30 May 1681 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass

John’s third wife Elizabeth Bulkeley was born 1638 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass. Her parents were Edward Bulkeley and Lucian [__?__]. She first married 7 Dec 1665 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass to Joseph Emerson (b. 25 Jun 1620 in England – d. 3 Jan 1680 in Concord, Mass.) Elizabeth died 4 Sep 1693 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass.

John’s fourth wife Rebecca Crawford was bornabout 1634. Rebecca died 8 July 1710, Reading, Mass.

John lived on the farm now [1874] owned by Dr. Francis P. Hurd. He was captain, justice of the peace, selectman, and representative. His epitaph: “Witty, yet wise, grave, good, among the best/ Was he,—the memory of the just is blest.”

7. William Brown

William’s wife Lydia Parchment was born 1635 in Boston, Suffolk, Mass. Lydia died in 1680 in Bristol, Bristol, Rhode Island.

9. Edward Brown

Edward’s wife Sarah Dix was born 1644 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass. Her parents were Ralph Dix and Esther [__?__]. After Edward died, she married 24 Nov 1685 Lynn, Mass. to Thomas Laughton (b. abt 1642, England – d. 19 Dec 1713, Lynn, Mass.) Sarah died 21 Jul 1679 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass

10. Jane Brown

Jane’s husband James Babcock was born 1641 in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island. His parents were James Babcock and Sarah Brown. James died 1698 in Westerly, Washington, Rhode Island

11. Elizabeth Brown

Elizabeth’s husband Hananiah Parker was born 1638 in Lynn, Essex, Mass. His parents were Thomas Parker and Amy [__?__]. Hannaniah died 10 Mar 1724 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass

12. Joseph Brown

Joseph’s wife Elizabeth Bancroft was born 7 Dec 1653 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass.  Her parents were Lt. Thomas Bancroft and Elizabeth Metcalf.  Her grandparents were Michael METCALF and  Sarah ELWYN.  Elizabeth died 31 Dec 1732 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass.

13. Sarah Brown

Sarah’s husband Robert Burnap was born 28 Nov 1627 in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England. His parents were Robert Burnap and Ann Miller. He first married 1653 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass to Ann [__?__] (b. 1631 in Reading – d. 25 Jun 1661 in Reading) Robert died 18 Oct 1695 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass

14. Mary Brown

Mary’s husband Thomas Upham was born 1668 in Malden, Middlesex, Mass. His parents were Phineas Upham and Ruth Wood. Her grandparents were Edward WOOD and Ruth LEE. Thomas died 26 Nov 1735 in Reading, Middlesex, Mass

15. Mehitable Brown

Mehitable’s husband John Townsend was born 1640 in Lynn, Essex, Mass. He first married 27 Mar 1668 in Lynn, Essex, Mass to Sarah Pearson (b. 20 Jan 1648 in Lynn – d. 9 Jul 1689 in Lynn). John died 14 Dec 1726 in Lynn, Essex, Mass

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=16909362&st=1

http://www.genealogyofnewengland.com/f_72.htm#94

http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/report/rr02/rr02_335.html#P15228

http://trees.wmgs.org/getperson.php?personID=I2640&tree=Schirado

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lotus525/pafg522.htm#9033

This page is dedicated to Janet and Ellen

We have a lot of twins in our family tree, 54 pairs to be precise, must be in the genes.   This page is dedicated to Janet and Ellen.

Welcome Twins — International Twins Association Muncie Indiana 1978

Siblings baptized the same day might appear to us, hundreds of years later, to be twins, but but I tried to weed these out.  For the most part, our Puritan ancestors were pretty strict about baptizing their children on a timely basis.

7 Pairs of Twins – Direct Ancestor – Two Adults
3 Pairs of Twins – Direct Ancestor – One Adult
18 Pairs of Twins – Two Adults
14 Pairs of Twins – One Adult
12 Pairs of Twins – Died Young

I’m not going to count all the children in our family tree, but assuming each of 700 families had about 5 children each, we have about 3500 births. With those assumptions we have had 14 twins per 1,000 births which is about average.

The twin birth rate in the United States rose 76 percent from 1980 through 2009, from 18.9 to 33.3 per 1,000 births. The Yoruba people of Central Africa have the highest rate of twinning in the world, at 45-50 twin sets (or 90-100 twins) per 1,000 live births, possibly because of high consumption of a specific type of yam containing a natural phytoestrogen which may stimulate the ovaries to release an egg from each side. In Latin-America and South Asia and South-East Asia the lowest rates are found; only 6-9 twin sets per 1,000 live births. North America and Europe have intermediate rates of 9–16 twin sets per 1,000 live births.

I noticed that many of the twins that died young came when their mothers had already had six or seven children. The incidence of twins is highest among women between 35 and 39. This increase is attributed to higher levels of gonadotropin, the hormone that stimulates the ovaries to develop and to release eggs. As a woman gets older, the level of gonadotropin increases, and she is more likely to produce two eggs during one menstrual cycle.

I was surprised that many of our twins were boy/girl pairs. It turns out that fraternal (dizygotic) are actually more common than identical (monozygotic) twins. Twins from one egg occur about once in every 250 births around the world (0.4%). Twins from two eggs occur in 1 out of every 100 births (1.0%) in white women and in 1 out of 79 births in black women. In certain areas in Africa, twins occur once in every 20 births!

Triplets are much less common; they occur only once in every 8,000 deliveries.  Most doctors never deliver a set of triplets in their entire careers. We have one possible set of triplets — Mercy, Sarah and Mary Lawrence, daughters of  George LAWRENCE and Elizabeth CRISPE all show a birth date of 4 Dec 1671 Watertown, Mass. All three grew up and married. I haven’t found any evidence to refute the birth dates, but you would think someone would comment on triplet girls.

Fertility drugs and the growing number of women who are having babies at an older age are two major reasons for the increased incidence of twins. Fertility drugs can stimulate the ovaries to release more than one egg, increasing the chance of a multiple pregnancy. In-vitro fertilization techniques are more likely to create dizygotic twins.

My favorite twin story here is Cornelius BRINK‘  twin sons Adam and Jan who enlisted in the Continental Army together. They were members of the Regiment of the Levies under the command of Colonel Albert Pawling and served in the Fifth Regiment of the Line (the Continentals) under Colonel Lewis Dubois. At a dinner given fifty years after the close of the Revolution in Kingston, NY, on Sep 10, 1832, both of these brothers were present, having come to celebrate together.  Remember that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence 4 Jul 1826.

Direct Twin Ancestor – Two Adult Twins

13 May 1625 England  – John & James Reynolds, sons of William REYNOLDS and Esther RUTH.   James Reynolds first married Susannah Sheldon about 1645. He next married Deborah Jordan (or Sweete)  between 1647 – 1650 in Rhode Island.  James died Aug 1700 Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island.  John REYNOLDS married Anne HOLBROOK about 1652 in Weymouth, Mass. John died before 4 Jan 1691 in Stonington, CT.

Founders Stone, Norwich, Connecticut. Ancestors on this monument are Major John Mason, Rev James Fitch, John Reynolds and Nehemiah Smith.

22 Sep 1665 Ipswich, Mass — Elizabeth and Richard, daughter and son of John KIMBALL and Mary BRADSTREET.  Elizabeth married Jeremiah Jewett 4 JAN 1687/88 15 and died Feb 1731/32 Ipswich. Corporal Richard Kimball first married Lydia Wells 13 Feb 1688 – Ipswich, Essex, Mass and second married Sarah Waite 30 Aug 1705 Richard died 26 May 1716 – Ipswich, Essex, Mass

4 Dec 1671 Watertown, Mass — Mercy, Sarah & Mary, daughters of George LAWRENCE and Elizabeth CRISPE all show this date for their birth. I don’t really think they were triplets, maybe they were all baptized together. Mercy married Willliam BAKER about 1691 as his second wife. Mercy died 25 Nov 1753 Harwich, Mass. Sarah Lawrence married Thomas Rider 5 Apr 1689 in Roxbury, Mass. Sarah died 1714 in Roxbury. Mary Lawrence first married John Earl (Erle) 5 Apr 1687 in Watertown. She second married Michael Flagg on 27 Dec 1704 in Watertown. Mary died 1744 Groton, Mass.

17 Feb 1694/95 Rowley, Mass — Benjamin and Hepibah, son and daughter of Edward HAZEN Jr. and Jane PICKARD. Benjamin first married Elizabeth Blanchard 25 Jul 1717 in Rowley. Benjamin married second to Betty Nutting 2 Apr 1740 in Groton, Mass. Benjamin died 18 Sep 1755 Groton, Mass. Hepzibah married Nathaniel Perkins 15 Nov 1716 Boxford, Mass Hepzibah died before 1768.

20 Aug 1709 Dorchester, Mass. — Ebenezer & Robert, sons of Maj. John FOSTER and Margaret WARE.  Ebenezer FOSTER  married Desire CUSHMAN on 17 Sep 1730 Attleboro, Mass. Ebenezer died from consumption 18 Jun 1749 in Cumberland, Providence, RI.  Robert Foster married Mary [__?__]. Robert died in 1760.

Desire Cushman Foster (18 Sep 1710, Plympton, Mass – 27 Nov 1810 in Attleboro, Bristol, Mass when she was a hundred years old! – Over 60 years after Ebenezer had passed.  Headstone — Gerrould Cemetery, Wrentham, MA

17 Aug 1738 in Haverhill, Mass — John & Susannah, son and daughter of John BRADLEY Sr. and Susannah STAPLES.  John BRADLEY Jr. married Mary HEATH 21 Mar 1760 in Haverhill, Mass. John died Before 1830. Susannah Bradley married Philbrook Colby 13 Jul 1758 Haverhill, Mass. Susannah died 2 Aug 1778 in Pembroke or Weare, NH.

A Haverhill, Mass marriage was recorded between John Bradley and Mary Heath so the following is presented merely as legend and — although it is a wonderful tale — totally unverifiable.

A man named John Bradley who was born in 1753 in Vermont became the first permanent white settler in this area (Washburn). A tall strong man with a fiery temper, he joined Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain boys in Vermont. When the Revolutionary war began, Bradley was with Ethan Allen at the capture of Ft Ticonderoga.

The Flag of the Green Mountain Boys is still used by the Vermont National Guard

When Benedict Arnold started his march through Maine, Bradley was chosen as a scout and hunter. Arnold expected to find enough wild game to feed his men, but game was scarce. After hunting all day, Bradley returned with only one partridge. Arnold sent for him and called him a worthless loafer. Bradley talked back to the commander who then drew his sword, which Bradley knocked from his hand. The fighting continued and Aaron Burr came with a file of soldiers and had Bradley arrested and bound to a tree. A man had been shot that morning and Bradley had no doubt that he would also be shot. He finally managed to twist the straps free from his wrists and attempted to escape. A guard tried to stop him and he killed the guard. Bradley had no weapons and his enemies were behind him as he ran into the woods.

Vermont legend says Mary Heath’s father was Abenaki Chief Crooked Knife

He had not traveled far when he found himself surrounded by the St Francois (Abenaki) Indians, members of a scouting party watching the white men. As two of the Indians understood English, Bradley told the story and was untied and given food. The next day, two of the Indians took him and started toward the village of Washburn. When they arrived he was taken to see Chief Crooked Knife, who liked him.

The chief promised him his life if he could prove himself of greater strength than any man in the village. After he had outjumped and bested all the strongest of the braves, Chief War Knife adopted him and gave him his only daughter for a wife. The old chief was a hunchback and, also, a very intelligent temperance crank who drilled temperance in the daughters of his tribe.” (Note: from Boston Library resource)

Bradley could not return to the country he had left for he had killed a man and would surely be hanged for his crime, and he didn’t want the Indians to kill him so he was happy to become a member of the tribe. Some years later Bradley went with some Indians up river on a bear hunt and never returned. The Indians said he was killed by a bear in a trap. He left a large family of children and many of his ancestors live in Aroostook today.

14 Dec 1742, Topsfield, Mass — John & Zebulon, sons of Richard ESTEY and Ruth FISKE. John married Mary Hartt 14 Nov 1769 in Sheffield, Maugerville, New Brunswick. John died 12 Oct 1824 in Kingsclear, York Co. New Brunswick. Zebulon was one of Jacob’s sons in the Bible.   Zebulon ESTEY married Mary (Molly) BROWN Aug 1765 Newburyport, MA. Zebulon died 10 Oct 1825 in New Brunswick Canada.

Maugerville Map

The Esteys resided in Rowley, Mass until 1764 when they relocated to a settlement on the St John’s River in New Brunswick Canada called Maugerville. Zebulon made the trip the next year with his new bride and was one of the signers of the original covenant of the Congressional Church. Zebulon’s daughter Molly ESTEY married her first cousin Amos ESTEY so many of our direct ancestors made the trip.

• Grandfather Richard ESTEY – age 58,
• son Richard ESTEY II age 36, wife Hannah HAZEN age 37 and his son Amos ESTEY age 5
• son Zebulon ESTEY age 22 and his new bride Molly BROWN
• Zeb’s twin brother John and sister Sarah who married Thomas Barker also made the trip.

Maugerville Potato – Mr. Peanut’s Deranged Cousin

The River St. John” by Rev. Wm. Raymond published in 1910, pages 334-5:

“On 15 January 1765 on Captain Francis Peabody’s schooner, came Zebulon Estey to Maugerville. He paid 12 shillings passage money from Newburyport to St. John and 13s 6d for `his club of Cyder’ on the voyage. Richard Estey and Thomas Barker built a saw-mill on a small creek near Middle Island. (After 1765.) They sold it in 1779 – near Maugerville. Richard Estey signed a church covenant for a distinct church society. Many moved from Maugerville due to the annoyance of the spring freshets. [A sudden overflow of a stream resulting from a heavy rain or a thaw] Zebulon Estey moved to Gagetown. Some went across the river to the township of Burton. These included Israel Estey, Moses Estey and Amos Estey.”

Excerpt from “The Studholme Report – 1783″

“Zebulon Esty has a wife and 8 children. Has been on about 5 years; built a house and grist milland has about 3 acres of cleared land. Went on in consequence of an agreement with Mr. John Crabtree acting as attorney for Capt Jades, and was promised a lease for ever on paymeny of a small acknowlegement yearly. Said Esty is a good man, his character very loyal and we beg leave to recommend him to be confirmed in his possessions”

3 Aug 1835 Vassalboro, Maine — Ellen Celeste and Emma A., daughters of Oliver WEBBER and Abigail HAWES.   Ellen Celeste WEBBER married Guilford Dudley COLEMAN 9 Oct 1855 in Vassalboro, Maine.  Ellen died 31 Oct 1881 in Anoka, MN. Emma married Jacob Melvin Prescott bef. 1863 Emma died between 1895-1900 in Tama, Iowa.

Ellen Celeste (Webber) Coleman ca. 1870

Ellen was educated in a New England “Female Seminary” and wrote beautifully and expressed herself elegantly. Since her family disapproved of her marrying Oliver Webber, they eloped and emigrated to Minnesota. He was young and poor. In Minnesota he was a farmer and a blacksmith.  See his page for details, I don’t think she liked frontier life very much.

Ellen Celeste (Webber) Coleman. About 1880.

Emma’s husband Jacob Melvin Prescott was born 13 Jul 1839 in Maine.  His parents were Jacob Prescott and Mary Chadbourne.  Jacob died 22 Feb 1924 in Jackson, Oregon.

Emma was a student at Maine State Seminary Students  (now Bates College, a liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine.  Emma appears in  this 1858 list of students  from the Bates College (Maine State Seminary) Catalogue.

Emma married Jacob Melvin Prescott before 1863.  Emma was six years older than her husband. In the 1880 census Jacob was a laborer in Montour , Tama, Iowa and their two oldest sons were working in a machine shop. Emma died between 1895 when she was recorded in an Iowa census and 1900 when Jacob was living alone in Montour and working as a jeweller. By 1910, Jacob had moved in with his son Herbert in Grant’s Pass, Oregon.

Montour grew to be a thriving community with churches, a high school, hotels, general stores, gas stations and even at one point a car dealership. In the past 30 years, most of these have faded away. The high school was incorporated into the Tama County School system in the 1950s, became an elementary school in the 1980s and, with dwindling attendance, closed its doors completely in 2003.

Children of Emma and Jacob Melvin Prescott

i. Llewellyn Prescott (1863, China, Maine – 1 Jan 1938, Jackson, Oregon) In the 1900 census, Llewellyn (37), Clarence (36) and Alfred (24) were boarding together in Omaha, Nebraska. Llewellyn was working as an electrician, Clarence as a mechanical engineer and Alfred as a journalist. In 1910, Llewellyn was living with his sister Mabel and her husband Putnam in Oakland, California and working as a machinist in a planing mill where Putnam was the foreman. In the 1930 census, Llewellyn had a plumbing shop in Ashland, Jackson, Oregon and was living next to his brother’s widow Anne Prescott.

ii. Clarence Prescott (Feb 1864 in China, Kennebec, Maine – 23 Dec 1919 in Jackson, Oregon); m. Anna T Austin (abt 1874 in Iowa – 4 Sep 1958 in Ashland, Jackson, Oregon) Anna’s parents were from Norway. In the 1910 census, Clarence had a carpentry shop in East Ashland, Oregon, In the 1930 census, Anna was living with her daughter Marie, a 24 year old school teacher and her son Glen, a 19 year old newspaper typsetter.

iii. Herbert S Prescott (Jun 1867 in China, Maine – 13 Nov 1928 in Salem, Oregon); m. 1897 Alice M. Peck (Mar 1864 in Cedar Falls, Iowa – 9 Dec 1940 in Salem, Marion, Oregon) In the 1900 census, Herbert was working as a mechanic in Waterloo, Iowa. In the 1910 census, Herbert was a newspaper editor in Grants Pass, Oregon. Strangely, Herbert is listed twice in the 1920 census, as a newspaper reporter living with Alice in Salem, Oregon and as a laborer living with his sister Mabel Smith in Atascadero, California.

iv. Justine Prescott (1869 in China, Kennebec, Maine –  After 1895 Iowa Census)

v. Mabel Prescott (1 Mar 1872 in Montour, Tama, Iowa – 5 Jan 1956 in Los Angeles, California); m. Putnam David Smith (11 Aug 1857 Grant County, Wisconsin – 27 Nov 1933, Monfort, Grant, Wisconsin) Putnam was 15 years older than Mabel. In the 1910 census, Mabel was an artist (picture painter) in Brooklyn Township, Oakland, Calfornia. In the 1920 census, Putnam was now the artist living in Atascadero, California. By the 1930 census, Putnam and Mabel were retired in Los Angeles. After Putnam died, Mabel married a man named Liddle.

Emma’s son-in-law, Putnam David Smith

Putnam David Smith was born in Grant County, WI on Aug. 11, 1856. Smith settled in Los Angeles in 1910. He died there on Nov. 27, 1933. He was known for portrait painting Source: Edan Hughes, “Artists in California, 1786-1940″

Not much is known of the American Beauty Doll Company, who began making composition dolls during World War I (1914-1918), when German dolls became scarce, due to the war. It was a family run business of hand made artist dolls by Mr. Putnam David Smith, his wife Mabel Smith and their young daughter Margaret.

Dolls were sold on the west coast of California, each composition doll was hand made and unique. Most of the dolls have cloth stuffed bodies, but others used a ball jointed, German style all composition body. Very few of these artist dolls have survived, as it proved to be unprofitable to make the dolls and due to the short duration of the company.

Below is a rare composition dolls, all courtesy of doll collector, M Perkins. [See Oliver WEBBER's page for all four]

American Beauty Doll

1963 San Diego Californa — Ellen Genevieve & Janet Eleanor, daughters of Everett MINER and Nancy BLAIR. This history of twins is dedicated to them!

.

Direct Ancestor – One Adult Twin

11 Sep 1644, Roxbury, Mass — Peter & Andrew, sons of John LEWIS and Elizabeth [__?__]. Peter LEWIS married Grace DIAMOND about 1667.  When he was 24, Peter bought a house and fishing stages on Smuttinose Island from Matthew Giles on 30 Nov. 1668.  He then bought land on Spruce Creek, Kittery, Maine from John Phoenix in 1675 and sold his property at the shoals in 1683. He was listed as a culler of fish at the shoals in 1680. Peter was on the grand jury in Maine in 1668-9, 1695, 1696, 1701 and 1702. He was on the Grand Jury in NH in 1673. Grace was listed as being a midwife in 1720. Peter died 4 Apr 1716 in the Isle of Shoals, Maine.   Andrew died young.

Peter Lewis was at Smuttynose Island in 1668, and sold his land there in 1683. Smuttynose Island   is one of the Isles of Shoals, located six miles off the coast of New Hampshire, but actually in the state of Maine. It was named by fishermen, seeing the island at sea level and noticing how the profuse seaweed at one end looked like the “smutty nose” of some vast sea animal.

10 May 1665, Salisbury, Mass. — Anthony & Sarah, son and daughter of John COLBY and Frances HOYT.  Anthony COLBY  first married Elizabeth WEST in 1678. He next married Sarah Pike 4 Feb 1685 Salisbury.   Anthony died 4 Dec 1721 Salisbury, Mass.  Sarah died in 1674 when she was nine years old.

7 Jan 1727, Boxford, Essex, Mass. — Hannah & Margaret (Peggy), daughters of   Israel HAZEN and  Hannah CHAPLIN.  Hannah married Richard ESTEY II  7 Feb 1750 in Rowley, Mass.   They resided in Rowley, Mass until 1764 when they relocated to a settlement on the St John River in Sunbury County, New Brunswick Canada called Maugerville.  Three generations of our Estey ancestors immigrated, Richard – age 58, Richard Jr. – age 36 and Amos – age 5.  Richard’s twin brothers Zebulon (also our ancestor) and John and  sister Sarah who who married Thomas Barker also made the trip Richard died on 9 Apr 1817 in Sheffield, Sunbury, New Brunswick, Canada.  Hannah died  28 Sep 1817 in Kingsclear Parish, York Co., New Brunswick.

Two Adult Twins

1458 Somerset, England — George & Arthur, sons of Lodovick MINER and Anna DYER.

Thomas MINER wrote back to England about 1683,  in investigation of his ancestory.  In return, he received this manuscript (A (False) Herauldical Essay Upon the Surname of Miner) that contains an essay that traces the ancestry of Thomas back to a Henry Bullman who lived in the 1300s. The essay is written on a colorful, six foot long scroll and was originally published in NEHGS Register of April 1859 (volume XIII, pages 161-5). It is stored in the library of the Connecticut Historical Society located in Hartford, Connecticut.

WARNING: A study titled “The Curious Pedigree of Lt. Thomas Minor” by John A. Miner and Robert F. Miner and published in the NEHGS Register of July 1984 (volume 138 pages 182-5) indicates that much of the contents of this document and the coat of arms it presents are FALSE.

Lodovick married Anna Dyer daughter of Thomas Dyer of Staughton in the Countie of Huntington and had issue Thomas[6] born 1436 and after that twins born twenty two years after the birth of the said Thomas and the twins George and Arthur who both served the house of Austria the younger married (as Philipe Comines relates) one Henreta d’La Villa Odorosa.

1578 Regis, Dorset, England —  Cicely & Joan, daughters of William Phippen  and Jane Jordaine.  Cicely married Thomas Reynolds, son of  Christopher REYNOLDS and Clarissa HUNTINGTON.  Thomas and Cicely died before 1611 when their daughter Cecily traveled to Virginia with her her mother’s twin sister and Joan Phippen and uncle Capt. William Pierce.

The younger Cecily Reynolds (wiki) first married Thomas Bailey (b. 1580 in England d. 20 Sep 1620 in Jamestown, Charles City, Virginia. Next she married Samuel Jordan (wiki) (b. 1578 in England d. 1623 in Virginia. She married third to William Farrar. She married our Peter MONTAGUE fourth around 1645. After Peter died, she married Thomas Parker (b. 1600 in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England d. 1663 in Isle Wight, Virginia. Cicely died 12 Sep 1660 in Charles City, Virginia.

Legend says that Cecily was spoken of as a “a notorious flirt” and “the Glamour Girl” in the colony. See Peter MONTAGUE’s page for an account of her amorous adventures. Her husbands had interesting tales too, for example Samuel Jordan was a passenger on the 1609 Sea Venture which wrecked in Bermuda and inspired Shakespeare’s play The Tempest

Wreck of the Sea Venture by Christopher Grimes

Our step-mom twin, Joan Phippen  died 1650. In A Durable Fire, the following comments were made about Joan:

“Joan Pierce, brisk blackhaired young woman, who shared the house with Meg Worley and Temperance Yardley (during the Starving Time) had taken her 4 year old daughter and her servant girl to stay at another house , so as not to see Sarah’s last dying moments. Joan Pierce hated Jamestown even more than Temperance did. “There’s nothing here but sickness and laziness.”‘

“Tempers were short these days. Even the soft spoken were sharp, and those with a cantankerous nature, like Joan Pierce, were as easily provoked as hornets.”

“Joan Pierce, who lived next door to Governor Yeardley, had put on weight after the Starving Time. She took pride in her cooking and equal pleasure in eating.” She had plump hands.

Child of William Pierce and Joan Phippen

i. Jane Pierce b. 1588; d. 1625-35 Jamestown; m1. John Rolfe (Yes, that John Rolfe) m2. Roger Smith

Rolfe’s second wife was the Indian Princess, Pocahontas, daughter of the great Chief, Powhatan.

Pocahontas and John Rolfe  - John married the daughter of one of our twins

On what, in modern terms, was a “public relations trip” for the Virginia Company, Pocahontas and Rolfe traveled to England in 1616 with their baby son, where the young woman was widely received as visiting royalty. However, just as they were preparing to return to Virginia, she became ill and died. Their young son Thomas Rolfe survived, and stayed in England while his father returned to the colony.

In 1619, Rolfe married Jane Pierce. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1620.  Rolfe died in 1622 after his plantation was destroyed in an Indian attack. It remains unclear whether Rolfe died in the Indian massacre or whether he died as a result of illness

10 Aug 1633, Titchfield, Hampshire England — Thomas & Hannah, son and daughter of Edmund LITTLEFIELD and Annis AUSTIN. Thomas first married Ruth [__?__] about 1667. He next married Sarah [__?__]. Thomas drowned before 5 May 1689. Thomas was a constable 1661 and 1664; had a grant of land in 1665.There was an inquest into the untimely deaths of Samuel Lord, Robert Houston, and Thomas Littlefield of Wells Maine who all drowned the same day at Berwick. The inquest, held prior to 5 Mar 1689, consisted of three constables and three coroners. Hannah married Peter Cloyes about 1663. Hannah died in 1699 in Wells, Maine,

3 Feb 1639, Sudbury, Mass. — Joseph & Nathaniel, sons of Solomon JOHNSON Sr and Elinor CRAFT. Joseph married Susannah Joslin 19 Nov 1667 Hoseph died Apr 1668. Nathaniel married Mary Plimpton in Marlborough, Mass. Nathaniel died 24 Jul 1718 in Marlborough, Mass

31 May 1640 Salem, Mass. — Zacharaih & Sarah son and daughter of Robert GOODALE and Catherine [KILHAM?] . Zachariah married Elizabeth Beauchamp 30 APR 1666 in Salem, Mass. Samuel died in 1715.  Elizabeth (Beacham) Goodale, wife of Zachariah Goodale, accused her brother-in-law John Smith of sexual assault; this case brought forth many illuminating depositions from family members and neighbors.  (See Robert GOODALE’s page for details.) Sarah Goodale married John Batchelder (son of our ancestor Joseph BATCHELLER) 4 May 1666. Sarah died 22 Mar 1729/30 in Wenham, Mass.

4 Feb 1647 Rehoboth, Mass. — Elizabeth and Mary, daughters of Sgt. Thomas WILMARTH and Elizabeth BLISS. Elizabeth married Jonathan Fuller 14 Dec 1664 in Rehoboth, Mass. Elizabeth died 4 Oct 1690 Rehoboth, Mass. Mary married first Joseph Rocket 5 Jan 1680 in Rehoboth, Mass. She married second Giles Gilbert on 28 Oct 1686 in Taunton, Mass and third to Jeremiah Wheaton 12 Jun 1723.

15 Oct 1651 Eastham, Barnstable, Mass, (tip of Cape Cod) — Apphia & Mercy Bangs, daughters of Capt. Edward BANGS and Rebecca HOBART. Apphia and Mercy were first married on the same day. Apphia married John Knowles 28 Dec 1670 in Eastham, Mass. Next she married Stephen Atwood Jun 1676 in Eastham, Mass. Apphia died 12 Jun 1722. Mercy married Stephen Merrick 28 Dec 1670 Eastham, Mass. She died after 1684 when her last child was born.

The earliest appearance of Apphia’s husband John Knowles may have been while he was still a minor. In the court held 3 Mar 1662/63 Ephraim Doane, Thomas Ridman, John Knowles, and John Wilson were tried and were fined 25s. each for trading of liquors with the Indians at Cape Cod.

In the same court Ephraim Doane and John Knowles were bound over under heavy bonds, pending investigations into the circumstances of the death of Josiah, the Indian sachem at Eastham. This matter was dropped. soon after his marriage his name appears at the head of a cattle page, the entry reading “John Knowles 1 mare colt 4 Aug. 1671.” His earmark was transferred to his grandson, Williard Knowles, 28 Jun 1737.

John Knowles was one of nineteen men Eastham furnished for the King Philip war, and was one of the slain, as appears in the action of the colony government in providing for his widow. Freeman (vol. I, p. 280) says, “and provision was especially made for Apphia widow of John Knowles, of Eastham, lately slain in the service.” From a note at the foot of p. 366, vol. II, the conclusion is drawn that he was killed near Taunton, June 3d, 1675 (i. e. 3d day, 4th month, O. S.). “ In June 1675 Taunton suffered an attack by Indians, in which the houses of James Walker and John Tisdell were burned and the latter was killed. At the same time two soldiers from Eastham, who were on duty there, were killed.Capt. John FREEMAN whose daughter Mercy Samuel

Knowles afterwards married, was in command of the Barnstable County company, and in his report to Governor Winslow, under date of Taunton, 3 Jun 1675, said:

“This morning three of our men are slain close by one of our courts of guard, (two of them, Samuel Atkins and John Knowles, of Eastham); houses are burned in our sight; our men are picked off at every bush.”

Three Indians were tried, 6 Mar. 1676/77, for the murder of John Knowles, John Tisdell, Sr., and Samuel Atkins. The jury found grounds of suspicion against two and acquitted one, but all three were sold into slavery as ‘prisoners of war.’

The sum of £10 was presented by the Colony to ‘Apthya widow of John Knowles lately slain in the service.’ In 1676 Lieut. Jonathan SPARROW and Jonathan Bangs were delegated by the Court to asssist the yound widow in settleing her husband’s affairs. “

17 Mar 1665, Rehoboth, Mass. — Joseph & Mercy, son and daughter of John TITUS and Abigail CARPENTER. Joseph married Martha Palmer, daughter of Jonah PALMER, 19 Jan. 1687/88 in Rehoboth. Joseph was living Rehoboth 16 Jun 1741, aged 76. Mercy married Dr. Richard Bowen 9 Jan 1683 in Rehoboth, Mass. Mercy died 27 Jan 1747 in Rehoboth.

2 May 1666, Watertown, Mass — Benjamin & Daniel, sons of George LAWRENCE and Elizabeth CRISPE. These twins married seven times, a record for our family. Benjamin first married Mary Clough 4 Jul 1689, Charlestown, Mass. He married 2nd to Anna Phillips 3 Feb 1695, third to Anna Coolidge 18 Nov 1716 and fourth to Elizabeth Bennett 9 Jul 1719. Benjamin died 7 Sep 1733. Daniel Lawrence first married Sarah Counce 19 Jun 1689. He married 2nd to Hannah Mason Nov 1695 and third to Maud Russell 23 Aug 1722. Daniel died 20 Oct 1743 in Watertown, Mass.

13 Jun 1671, Bradford Mass. — John & Hannah, son and daughter of John GRIFFIN and Lydia SHATSWELL. John first married Mary Green 1694 Haverhill, Essex, Mass. He next married Mary (Capen) Baker. John died 23 June 1739. Hannah married Daniel Morrison 1690 in Newbury, Mass. Hannah died 9 Oct 1700 Newbury, Mass.

Jan 1677/78, Malden Mass. — Hannah & Joseph, daughter and son of Deacon Thomas SKINNER and Mary PRATT. Hannah married John Grover. Hannah died 21 Aug 1728 in Colchester, CT. Joseph died 18 Jan 1725 in Malden, Mass.

1685, Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass —   Samuel & William, sons of Nathaniel BASSET   and Dorcas JOYCE, Sammuel married Elizabeth Jones 1699 in Yarmouth, Mass and died Feb 1760 East Greenwich, Kent, Rhode Island.  William first marrried Martha Godfrey 23 Feb 1710 Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass. and next married Sarah Jenkins 30 Jan 1723 Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass.

17 Apr 1715, Barnstable, Barnstable, Mass. — Isaac and Hezekiah, sons of James GORHAM Jr. and Mary JOYCE. Isaac married Mary Hallett 24 JUL 1738 in Yarmouth, Mass. He next married Mary Cobb 21 Sep 1742 in Barnstable, Mass Isaac was a sea captain and died in Scotland in Jan 1753. Hezekiah married Ann Allyn 12 MAY 1746 in Barnstable, Mass. Like his twin brother, Hezekiah was a sea captain.Hezekiah died 30 NOV 1778 in Barnstable, Mass

Isaac Gorham House Barnstable, Mass

30 May 1737, Rumbout, Dutchess, New York — Mary & Chauncy, daughter and son of John EVERY and Rachel WILLIAMS. Mary married John Wildey 26 Apr 1823 in Dutchess, NY. Chauncy died in 1789.

7 Feb 1763, Katsbaan (Saugerties), Ulster, NY — Jan & Adam, sons of Cornelius BRINK and Annetje Jannetje WINNE. Jan married Catharina Hommel 28 Apr 1782 in Kingston, Ulster, NY. Jan died 15 Jan 1843. Adam married Catharina Snyder 8 May 1783 in Katsbaan (Saugerties), Ulster, NY. He was placed on the Revolutinary War pension roll 11 Mar 1833 his pension commenced 4 Mar 1831. Adam died 30 Jun 1843, Ulster, NY.

Twin brothers Adam and Jan Brink enlisted in the Continental Army together. They were members of the Regiment of the Levies under the command of Colonel Albert Pawling and served in the Fifth Regiment of the Line (the Continentals) under Colonel Lewis Dubois. At a dinner given fifty years after the close of the Revolution in Kingston, NY, on September 10, 1832, both of these brothers were present, having come to celebrate together.

Joshua Hawes 14 Aug 1806 Vassalboro, Maine — Joshua & Joseph, sons of Isaac HAWES and Tamzin WING. Joshua first married Diana Parker 1 Jan 1836 in Waldo, Maine. He next married Mrs. Harriet M Baker Joshua died in 1876 in Corinth, Maine. Joseph married Mrs. Ellen Maria (Boody) Pride on 7 Oct 1845 Joseph died 12 Jun 1885 in Deering, Maine.

Tamzin is a short form of Thomasina (Aramaic) “twin”. This family had four sets of twins:

• Isaac and Tamzin had twins: Joshua and Joseph
• Isaac’s son Joseph had twins; Henry and Mary
• Isaac’s son John had twins, Hadley and Henry.
• Isaac’s daughter Abigail had twins Ellen and Emma. Ellen is our ancestor.
• Isaac’s grand daughter Annie Shaw (Almira’s daughter) had twins, Sumner and Attic.

Joshua’s son Granville was a judge in New York City.   Joshua lived in Corinth, Penobscot county, Maine, His house was famous through the countryside for its ample proportions and generous hospitality; he held for many years the offices of Justice of the Peace, and Deacon.  Granville graduated from Bowdoin College in 1860. Subsequently he became professor of rhetoric and English literature in the State College of Maryland. He was also a graduate of the Columbia College Law School, and started in the practice of the law shortly after leaving the institution.  He was for four years in the military service, going all through our civil war, being on the stafif of Major- Gen. William H. Emory, commanding the Nineteenth Army Corps.   His success at the Bar led to his nomination, in 1879. for the old Marine Court judgeship. After a very exciting election he was elected judge of that court, being the only Republican elected on the entire city and county ticket.

.

One Adult Twin

13 Sep 1614, Beccles, Suffolk, England — Samuel & Nathaniel, sons of Rev. Robert PECK and Anne LAWRENCE. Samuel died young. Nathaniel married Deliverance [__?__], Nathaniel was an original purchaser in Hingham Mass in the 1635 land grants. Nathaniel’s wife Deliverance died 30 Apr 1675 in Sawnsea, Bristol, Mass. Nathaniel died 1658 in Mass

1 Jan 1641 Salisbury, Mass — Gregorie & Thomas, sons of John HOYT and Frances TEWKSBURY. Gregorie died the day he was born. Thomas married Mary Brown 17 Dec 1667 in Salisbury. Thomas died 3 Jan 1690

19 Oct 1642,  DRC New Amsterdam – Grietjen Hendrickje & Margarieet Westercamp daughters of Femmetje ALBERTSE and Hendrick Janse Westercamp. Greitjen married Pieter Jacobsen in 1658 in Kingston, NY. Next she married Jan Gerritsen Decker 23 Mar 1664 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. Greitjen died Jan 1716/17 in Port Jervis, Orange, NY

16 Apr 1649, Sandwich, Barnstable, Mass — Mary & Mercy Newland, daughters of Rose Holly ALLEN and William Newland. Mary died 4 Sep 1658, Sandwich, Mass. Mercy Newland married William Edwards in 1685 in Weymouth, Norfolk, Mass. Mercy died 16 Jun 1674 in Duxbury, Mass.

5 AUG 1652 Windsor, CT — Samuel & Joseph, sons of Elder John STRONG and Abigail FORD. Samuel first married Esther Clapp 19 JUN 1684 Mass. He next married Ruth Sheldon 28 Oct 1698 29 OCT 1732 in Northampton. Mass. Joseph died 23 DEC 1662 Windsor, CT when he was ten years old.

21 May 1656 Cambridge, Mass. — Joseph & Abiah, sons of Richard DANA and Anne (Anna) BULLARD (BULLER).  Joseph married Mary Gobel 17 Jan 1681/82 in Concord, Mass.  Joseph died 11 Feb 1700. Abiah died 8 Dec 1668 in Cambridge, Mass.

27 Feb 1659/60 Ipswich, Mass — Noe & Mary, daughters of John FRENCH Sr and Freedom KINGSLEY. Noe died young. Mary married Samuel Stebbins 4 Mar 1677/78 in Northampton, Mass. Mary died 26 Jan 1696 Northampton, Hampshire, Mass.

5 Sep 1664 Rowley, Mass  –  Elizabeth & Josiah Wood, daughter and son of Thomas WOOD and Ann HUNT.  Elizabeth died in a house fire 31 Jul 1675 Rowley.  ”Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts” doesn’t say if it was Josiah that Elizabeth saved:

“In the Diary of Hon. Samuel Sewall (Vol. 1, p. 10) is the following: ’1675 July 31, at midnight, Tho. Wood, carpenter, of Rowley, had his house and goods burnt, and voe malum, a daughter of about 10 years of age, who directed her brother so that he got out, was herself consumed to ashes.’

Josiah first married Margaret Hopkins 23 DEC 1686 Rowley and next married Mary Felt. Josiah died 10 DEC 1728 Enfield, Hartford, CT

26 Jul 1665, Baptized Dutch Reformed Church, Kingston — Jan & Jacob, sons of Francois LeSUEUR and Jannatie HILDEBRAND PIETERSEN. Jan married Rachel Smedes 1 Oct 1686 in the Dutch Reformed Church, New York City, Jan died in Kingston, NY.

30 Oct 1674 Harwich Mass, Edmund, Henry & Mercy Freeman, sons and daughter of Deacon Thomas FREEMAN and Rebecca SPARROW. Edmund and Henry died young. Mercy married Paul Sears 1693 Harwich, Mass. Mercy died 30 Aug 1747 in W Brewster Mass.

6 Jan 1689, Baptized in French Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island — Pierre and Marie Magdelene, son and daughter of Marie ARNAUD and Pierre Traverrier. Pierre marriedn Mary Rezeau (Anne REZEAU‘s sister and daughter of Rene REZEAU ) Pierre died in 1749.

Marie Arnaud’s first husband, Jean Perlier was a Pilotte de Navire, a title that literally translated means a naval pilot. Back then that meant not only a navigator but the person who actually created the charts. He worked for ship owner Andre Arnaud and married his daughter 27 Nov 1667 in Temple of La Tremblade, Perche, France. During this time there was a great turmoil in France and the Huguenots (French Protestants) were under tremendous pressure. Children were taken from their parents and put into Catholic homes, parents were persecuted and frequently put to death. When the slaughter and persecution began, the Perlier family was ripped apart. Possibly Jean was at sea, for he managed to flee north to Holland. He never saw his family again and for many years believed then dead.

Andre Arnaud smuggled daughter Marie, Marie’s children, sister Jael and cousin Andre out of the country hidden in wine casks aboard one of his ships. It has been told that they hid in hogsheads which had holes bored in them and were stored with the freight in the bottom of the ship until they were out of reach of the inspectors. The first known record of Marie Arnaud in the United States is in 1687 when she appears as a widow on a list of the French Church at Narragansett, Rhode Island.

On the ship Marie met the captain, Pierre Traverrier. Marie and Pierre were married 4 Jan 1688 in the church at Frenchtown, Narragansett, Rhode Island. Their marriage was recorded on 20 Apr 1688, in the registers of the old French Church in New York City.

27 Nov 1692, Albany, NY — Alida & Catrina, daughters of Jacobus TURCK and Cathryntje Van BENTHUYSEN. Alida married Willem Van Beeck 14 Aug 1714 in New York, NY. Alida died 26 Dec 1756 in New York or Kingston, NY

3 Jun 1694, Saugerties, Ulster County, NY — Jacob & Rachel, son and daughter of Cornelis Lambertsen BRINK and Marijken Egbertse MEYNDERSE. Rachel married Arend Ploeg 30 Jun 1720 in Kingston, NY. Rachel died in 1737 in Ulster, New York.

4 Jun 1819 Upper Kent, New Brunswick — George F & John, sons of Jonathan PARKS and Sarah Hannah BRADLEY. George married Rebecca Bubar on 20 Mar 1840 Eaton Grant, Aroostook, Maine. He enlisted as a Private on 26 Jan 1864 at the age of 42 in Company G, 15th Infantry Regiment Maine. George was still enlisted in  Company G, 15th Infantry Regiment Maine when he died of disease on 7 Aug 1864 in Washington, DC.

Battle of Pleasant Hill Reenactment

George participated in the Red River Campaign,  a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana  from March 10 to May 22, 1864.   The campaign was  a diversion from Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s plan to surround the main Confederate armies by using Banks’s Army of the Gulf to capture Mobile, Alabama. It was a dismal Union failure, characterized by poor planning and mismanagement, in which not a single objective was fully accomplished.

While at Matagorda peninsula in Texas, from Jan. 17 to Feb. 28, 1864, three-fourths of the original members of the Maine 15th regiment reenlisted for another term of three years. Returning to New Orleans in March, the regiment formed a part of Gen. Banks’ Red river expedition, during which it marched more than 700 miles in two months, and participated in the battles of Sabine cross-roads [Battle of Mansfield], Battle of Pleasant Hill, Cane river crossing [Battle of Monett's Ferry] and Mansura plains [Battle of Mansura]. In June, 1864, it was ordered to New Orleans, and on July 5 embarked on transports for Fortress Monroe, Va., where it arrived on the 17th. Six companies were then ordered to Bermuda Hundred, and the remaining companies participated in the campaign up the valley in pursuit of Early’s army. The command was reunited at Monocacy Junction, MD, Aug. 4, when the veterans of the regiment who had reenlisted received a 35 days’ furlough, returning to the field Sept. 27.

Battle of Mansfield Reenactment

.

These Twins Died Young

31 Aug 1614 Sedgeberrow, England — Joseph & Jonathan, sons of Francis NICHOLS and Frances WIMARKE. Joseph died 2 Sep 1614 and Jonathan died on 4 Sep 1614.

11 Oct 1620 Yarmouth, Norfolk, England — Mordechaus & Benjamin Goodale sons of John GOODALE and Elizabeth PARLETT. Mordechaus was living in 1625. Benjamin died before 1625.

20 June 1634 St George, Canterbury — Mary and Martha Batcheller, daughters of Joseph BATCHELLERand Elizabeth DICKENSON. Both girls died the day they were baptized.

Mary and Martha Batcheller were baptized at St. George’s Church, Canterbury, as was Christopher Marlowe. The Tower is all that survived of the church after the Baedecker Blitz in World War II.

Samuel Beamsley 24 JAN 1641 Boston, Mass. Samuel and Habakuk, sons of William BEAMSLEY and Anne [__?__] . Both boys died in Apr 1641. Habakuk means “embrace.”  The Book of Habakkuk is the eighth book of the 12 minor prophets of the Old Testament .  It is attributed to the prophet Habakkuk, and was probably composed in the late 7th century BC.  The 12 minor prophets are: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Micah is the one that’s trendy right now, which one would you pick for your baby name?

5 Sep 1664 Dover, NH — Ebenezer and John Varney, sons of Humphrey Varney and Sarah STARBUCK. John died 14 Aug 1666 Dover, NH.

20 APR 1669 Newbury, Mass — Francis and Thomas, sons of Francis THURLOW and Ann MORSE. Both died young.

22 Sep 1674 Scituate, Mass. — Margaret & Sarah, daughters of Edward WANTON and Elizabeth [__?__]. Margaret died 19 Apr 1676 in Scituate, Mass. Sarah died 9 Dec 1675 in Scituate, Mass.

6 Dec 1677 Gloucester, Essex, Mass — Mary & John, daughter and son of Thomas PRINCE Jr. and Elizabeth HARRADEN. Mary died before 11 Jan 1705. Capt. John Prince first married Abigail Ellery 1705 in Gloucester, Mass. He next married Mary Wharff 7 Aug 1746 Gloucester John died 19 Apr 1767 in Gloucester, Mass.

1682 Taunton, Bristol, Mass. — Mary & Sarah, daughters of John HARVEY and Elizabeth WILLEY. The girls died a few days apart in Lyme CT when they were 23. Mary on 10 Jan 1705 and Sarah on 13 Jan 1705.

23 AUG 1713 Lyme, CT — Emphraim & Dorothy Willey, son and daughter of Isaac WILLEY II and Rose BENNETT. One source states that both Ephraim and Dorothy died in 1770. Since it is unique and provides no further details, I’m assuming they died young.

25 Jul 1737 Rumford, Merrimack, New Hampshire — John & Sarah, son and daughter of Thomas JEWELL III and Judith LANCASTER. Both John and Sarah died in 1738.

15 Feb 1769/70 East Haddam, CT — Molly & Sarah Miner, daughters of Sgt. Elihu MINER and Mrs Mary DEAN. Both Molly and Sarah died before 1790.