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Tuesday, February 07, 2012

EDSONS AND PACKARDS AND KEITHS, OH MY!

Deacon Samuel Edson is one of my ancestors from Plymouth County south of
Boston whose descendants emigrated to what was the Maine territory of Massachusetts.
My line goes like this::

Deacon Samuel Edson m.Susan (?)
Susannah Edson m, James Keith
Joseph Keith m Elizabeth Forbes/Fobes
Jemima Keith m. James Packard
Reuben Packard m Anne Perkins
Cynthia Packard m. James T. Dunham/Donham
James T, Dunham m Sally Houghton
Florilla Dunham m, Asa Freeman Ellingwood
Clara Ellingwood m. Philip J West 
Floyd E West Sr m. Cora Berthella Barker
Floyd E West Jr m. Anne M White
Me.

The  Keiths, Edsons, and Forbes families were brought into contact with each
other through Clerical connections. James Keith was the first minister in Bridgewater
and Samuel Edson Was a deacon as was Elizabeth Forbee’ father Edward., His
father ,like Keith, was from Scotland  so It would be an additional bond between
the families. But it turms out that there is a connection between the Fobes/Forbes
family and another of my ancestors, Isaac Allerton..


From the book The Fobes Memorial Library, Oakham, Massachusetts, with 
the addresses at the laying of the corner-stone and at the dedication: by Henry
Parks Wright, (Oakham Memorial Library, Oakham Ma, 1909)  p 95:

"In the Records of the Colony of Plymouth there are two entries regarding John 
Fobes: (1) Vol. Ill, p. 200, June 13, 1660. "In answare unto a request made to 
the Court by the Widdow Vobes requesting some supply of land in respect unto
the conditions of an indenture made betwixt Mr. Isacke Allerton and her husband, 
John Vobes lately deseased, the Court gives liberty that any for her may looke out
some land for her supply and a competency wilbee granted and confirmed unto her."

(2) Vol. IV, p. 18, June 3, 1662. "Captaine Willett is appointed by the Court to 

purchase lands of the Indians, which is granted unto such that were servants and 
others that are ancient freemen," etc. "Their names are as followeth:" (Here are 
given twenty-four names, among which is "John Vobes.")

Mr. Fobes was evidently an "indented servant" to Isacke Allerton; that is, he had 

bound himself to him, in England, as a servant, in order to secure passage for
himself and family to America. Having rendered the service required, he was now 
one of those "that were servants," and to whom land was to be granted. His name 
might still stand in 1662 as  representing the family to which the obligation was still 
due, though he himself had died  in 1660”

Back when I first started genealogy and was still in that dumb name grabbing stage
I became fond of the Forbes line because of  two of John Fobes’ supposed ancestors:
David”Trail The Axe” Forbes and John “With the Black Lip” Forbes. One day I hope
to find out exactly where those nicknames came from, Did David have an exceptionally
heavy axe that he dragged along the ground, and was John someone who didn’t wash
his face as often as he should have?

When I find out, I’ll let you know!.
 ((513 words for The Famiy History Writing Challenge))

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