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Showing posts with label Stone Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stone Family. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 52: DEACON GREGORY STONE OF CAMBRIDGE PT2

New England was at odds with the Mother Country long before the American Revolution. Besides the conflict between the Puritans and the Church of England, there was also the Crown's desire to make Massachusetts a royal province which would change the form of government. Instead of a governor chosen  by election, he would be appointed by the king. Fear that this would happen worsened when Charles II became king after the restoration of the monarchy.

In 1664 the residents of Cambridge, Ma. voiced their concerns in a document, the Cambridge Memorial. It was brought to the General Court by four men, one of whom was my 9x great grandfather Deacon Gregory Stone.

From Joseph Gardner Bartlett's Gregory Stone Genealogy: Ancestry and Descendants of Dea. Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Mass., 1320-1917:

But the most noteworthy committee on which Dea. Gregory1 Stone served was in 1664, when he and three other Cambridge men presented to the General Court a memorial signed by them and about one hundred and forty other residents of Cambridge, protesting against the then proposed government of New England by a Royal Commission, as an arbitrary government of a Council or Parliament in which they were not represented, and contrary to the intent of the original patent of the Colony. This was the first muttering of the spirit which over a century later was heard in full tones in the Declaration of Independence of 1776. The Colony Records thus describe this occurrence:

"19 Oct. 1664. The Court being'mett together & informed that severall persons, inhabitants of Cambridge, were at the doore, & desiring liberty to make knowne theire errand, were callled in, & Mr. Edward Jackson, Mr. Richard Jackson, Mr. Edw: Oakes, & Deacon Stone, coming before the Court, presented a peticon from the inhabitants of Cambridge, which was subscribed by very many hands," etc., viz:


"To the honoured Generall Court of Massachusetts Colonie. The humble representation of the inhabitants of the towne of Cambridg.


For as much as we have heard that theire have beene representations made unto his Majesty conserning divisions among us and dissatisfactions about the present government of this colonie; we whose names are under written, the inhabitants and householders of the towne above mentioned, doe hearby testify our unanimous satisfaction in and adhearing to the present government so long and orderly estableshed, and our earnest desire of the continuance theirof and of all the liberties and privileges pertaining theirunto which are contained in the charter granted by King James and King Charles the First of famous memory, under the encouredgment and security of which charter we or our fathers ventered over the ocean into this wildernesse through great hazards, charges, and difficulties; and we humbly desire our honored General Court would addresse themselves by humble petition to his Maiesty for his royall favour in the continuance of the present estableshment and of all the previleges theirof, and that we may not be subjected to the arbitrary power of any who are not chosen by this people according to their patent. Cambridg the 17th of the 8:1664.
Charles Chauncy
Edward Oakes
Samll Andrewe
Jonathan Mitchell
Elijah Corlett
Richard Champny
Edmund Frost
Gregory Stone"
[The names of one
hundred and thirty
more signers follow.]

(Massachusetts Colony Records, vol. 4, part 1, p. 136; and "History of Cambridge," pp. 74-75.)

-pp47-48
Gregory Stone Genealogy: Ancestry and Descendants of Dea. Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Mass., 1320-1917  Stone family association, Boston, Ma  1918


And the governor of Massachusetts in 1664?

My 10x great grandfather John Endicott!

Monday, December 26, 2016

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2016 WEEK 52: DEACON GREGORY STONE OF CAMBRIDGE PT1

And so  I've come to my last ancestor for this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, 9x great grandfather Deacon Gregory Stone of Cambridge, Ma.  Here's the entry in William Richard Cutter's Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 4:

Gregory Stone, immigrant ancestor, came to America with his family, in the "Defence," which sailed from London early in July, 1635, and arrived, presumably at Boston, in October of the same year. He had as fellow passengers Rev. Thomas Shepard and his associate, who were fleeing religious intolerance at home. On the voyage they were exposed to greater danger than that found by most of the colonists, for their ship had  "a bottom too decayed and feeble indeed for such a voyage so that a perilous leak endangered her safety on the way hither." In the same year his brother Simon came with his family on the ship "Increase," also from London.

(II)Deacon Gregory Stone, born in England, about 1590, baptized at Great Bromley, Essex county, England, April 19, 1592, died at Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 30, 1672. He settled first at Watertown as early as 1636, but soon removed to Cambridge, of which he was a proprietor in 1637. He was admitted a freeman May 25, 1636, with his brother Simon, both of Watertown. His farm at Cambridge was noted for high state of cultivation and excellent orchards. It is the site of the present Botanic Gardens of Harvard College. He was deacon of the Cambridge Church thirty-four years, deputy to the general court, and local magistrate. He deposed September 18, 1658, that he was aged about sixty-seven years. He died November 30, 1672, aged eighty-two. His will was proved December 14, 1672. The widow died June 24, 1674. He married in Nayland, England, July 20, 1617, Margaret Garrad, baptized at Nayland, December 5, 1597, and buried there August 4, 1628. Stone married second, in England, Lydia Cooper, widow, born in England and died in Cambridge, June 24, 1674. His second wife had by her first marriage a son John Cooper, who married Anne Sparhawk, and a daughter Lydia, who married David Fisk. Children: i. John, baptized July 31, 1618, in England; settled in Framingham; ancestor of the main families of Worcester county of this name. 2. Dr. Daniel, baptized August 15, 1620; resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 3. David, baptized September 22, 1622; resided in Cambridge. 4. Elizabeth, baptized October 3, 1624, buried at Nayland, England. 5. Elizabeth, baptized March 6, 1628: married Anthony Potter, of Ipswich. 6. Samuel, mentioned below. 7. Sarah, baptized February 8, 1632: married July 12, 1653, Joseph Merriam, of Concord; she died April 8, 1704.
-p1889

Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 4  Lewis historical publishing Company, N Y. N.Y. 1908


But this wasn't the only place I found online with details of Gregory's life, and I found something very interesting about Gregory on another website.

To be continued.


Wednesday, July 04, 2012

SIMON STONE'S HAPPY JULY 4TH IN 1690

((Originally posted on 6Jul 2009))

On 4Jul 1690 my 8x great grandfather Simon Stone wasn't having a very good day
but displayed amazing tenacity which Cotton Mather pointed to as an example of
why one should never despair. Author Samuel Green quoted Mather in a book
published in 1883:

"Cotton Mather mentions, in his Magnalia, a few instances of "mortal wounds
upon the English not proving mortal," and gives the case of an inhabitant of this
town who was in a garrison at Exeter, New Hampshire, when that place was
assaulted, July 4, 1690. He says : —

`It is true, that one Simon Stone being here Wounded with Shot in Nine several 
places,lay for Dead (as it was time!) among the Dead. The Indians coming to 
Strip him,attempted with Two several Blows of an Hatchet at his Neck to cut 
off his Head, which Blows added you may be sure, more Enormous Wounds
unto those Port-holes of Death,at which the Life of the poor Man was already
running out as fast as it could. Being charged hard by Lieutenant Bancroft 
they left the Man without Scalping him; and the English now coming to Bury 
the Dead, one of the Soldiers perceived this poor Man to fetch a Gasp ; 
whereupon an Irish Fellow then present, advised 'em to give him another
Dab with an Hatchet, and so Bury him with the rest. The English detesting
this Barbarous Advice, lifted up the Wounded  Man, and poured a little Fair 
Water into his Mouth at which he Coughed ; then they poured a little Strong 
Water after it, at which he opened his Eyes. The Irish Fellow was ordered now
 to hale a Canoo ashore to carry the Wounded Men up the River unto a 
Chirurgeon; and as Teague was foolishly pulling the Canoo ashore with the
Cock of his Gun, while he held the Muzzle in his Hand, his Gun went off
and broke his Arm, whereof he remains a Cripple to this Day: But Simon 
Stone was thoroughly Cured, and is at this Day a very Lusty Man; and as 
he was Born with Two Thumbs on one Hand, his Neighbours have thought 
him to have at least as many Hearts as Thumbs.' (Book VII. page 74.)

Many families who have lived in Groton trace back their line of descent to 
this same Simon Stone, who was so hard to kill, and to whom, fortunately, 
the finishing " Dab with an Hatchet" was not given."-

Green, Samuel A., Groton During the Indian Wars, Groton, Ma. 1883 pp56-57

The astonishing thing to me reading this today is how Simon Stone wasn't accused
of being a witch, given the two thumbs and his amazing recovery!

2012 Notes
I forgot in my original posting to mention that the Irishman's advice made me
chuckle. Being Irish on my Mother's side of the family I could appreciate the
man's apparent philosophy that one less Englishman in the world was a good
thing. Luckily his son had already been born so I'd still be here today if they
had given him a "Dab".

"Strong Water" most likely was "Aqua Vitae"  aka whiskey.

It's probable the Bancroft mentioned in the story was one of my Bancroft
relatives.

And it was a happy 4th of July for Simon Stone because he survived it!

Monday, July 06, 2009

SIMON STONE'S HAPPY JULY 4TH, IN 1690

On 4Jul 1690 my 8x great grandfather Simon Stone wasn't having a very good day
but displayed amazing tenacity which Cotton Mather pointed to as an example of
why one should never despair. Author Samuel Green quoted Mather in a book published
in 1883:

"Cotton Mather mentions, in his Magnalia, a few instances of" mortal wounds upon the
English not proving mortal," and gives the case of an inhabitant of this town who was
in a garrison at Exeter, New Hampshire, when that place was assaulted, July 4, 1690.
He says : —

`It is true, that one Simon Stone being here Wounded with Shot in Nine several places,
lay for Dead (as it was time !) among the Dead. The Indians coming to Strip him,
attempted with Two several Blows of an Hatchet at his Neck to cut off his Head, which
Blows added you may be sure, more Enormous Wounds unto those Port-holes of Death,
at which the Life of the poor Man was already running out as fast as it could. Being
charged hard by Lieutenant Bancroft they left the Man without Scalping him; and the
English now coming to Bury the Dead, one of the Soldiers perceived this poor Man to
fetch a Gasp ; whereupon an Irish Fellow then present, advised 'em to give him another
Dab with an Hatchet, and so Bury him with the rest. The English detesting this Barbarous
Advice, lifted up the Wounded Man, and poured a little Fair Water into his Mouth at
which he Coughed ; then they poured a little Strong Water after it, at which he opened
his Eyes. The Irish Fellow was ordered now to hale a Canoo ashore to carry the Wounded
Men up the River unto a Chirurgeon; and as Teague was foolishly pulling the Canoo
ashore with the Cock of his Gun, while he held the Muzzle in his Hand, his Gun went off
and broke his Arm, whereof he remains a Cripple to this Day: But Simon Stone was
thoroughly Cured, and is at this Day a very Lusty Man; and as he was Born with Two
Thumbs on one Hand, his Neighbours have thought him to have at least as many Hearts
as Thumbs.' (Book VII. page 74.)

Many families who have lived in Groton trace back their line of descent to this same
Simon Stone, who was so hard to kill, and to whom, fortunately, the finishing " Dab
with an Hatchet" was not given."-

Green, Samuel A., Groton During the Indian Wars, Groton, Ma. 1883 pp56-57

The astonishing thing to me reading this today is how Simon Stone wasn't accused of
being a witch, given the two thumbs and his amazing recovery!