PETER WEST OF DUXBURY AND PLYMPTON, MA.

 My 7x great grandfather appears to have been a farmer judging by the will and probate file I found at AmericanAncestors.org. I found information about his family in an  article, FRANCIS WEST OF DUXBURY, MASS., AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS. By EDWARD E. CORNWALL, M.D., of Brooklyn, N. Y. from The New England Historical and Genealogical Register on Googlebooks: 

Peter West (Francis), died Feb. 20, 1720/1, married Patience ______ who died May 8, 1725, in  Plympton, Mass. He lived in Duxbury, Mass., and inherited his father's estate.

Children, born in Duxbury:
i. MARY, b. Oct. 3, 1675; d. young.
ii. MARGARET, b. Mar. 12, 1678; m. Jonathan Bryant of Plympton.
iii. ESTHER, b. Sept. 20, 1680.
iv. ANN, b. Feb. 16, 1682; m. May 7, 1705, Elisha Curtis.
v. WILLIAM, b. May 4, 1683; m. 1709, Abiah Sprague of Hingham, Mass.
vi. MARY, b. Dec. 7, 1685.
vii. BENJAMIN, b. July 7, 1688.
viii. ELISHA, b. Mar. 2, 1693; m. (1) Dec. 10, 1718, Mary Bearse; m. (2) Martha. He lived in Kingston and Pembroke, Mass.
ix. SAMUEL, b. Apr. 4, 1697.
-p148

The New England Historical and Genealogical Register New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1906 - New England

I'm descended from Peter's son Elisha and his first wife Mary Bearce.

EATING AT THE KIDS TABLE

 ((I first posted these Thanksgiving memories in 2011))


Thanksgiving is approaching and it brings back memories of Thanksgivings
when we were kids.

If we were hosting the family that year, Dad would be up early in the
morning cooking the bird. I don't know how many companies do it
today but back then many employers gave their workers a frozen
turkey for Thanksgiving so when that happened my parents would
decide if it was big enough for the whole family and guests. If not,
it would stay in the freezer and they'd buy a bigger turkey. The smaller
one would be used for a Sunday dinner for the family a few weeks later.

When the rest of us got up my sister and I would watch the Thanksgving
Day parades on TV while Mom and Dad started on the rest of the food.
The most critical part of the preparations was the stuffing which had to
turn out moist at the meal. I don't know exactly how this was done
nearly every year except that for most of my childhood my folks used
Bell Stuffing in the bird. (When we were older, there was often "backup"
Stove Top Stuffing for when the "made in the bird" stuffing ran out).
   
But no matter whether we were hosting Thanksgiving or if  it was at our
Uncle Ed and Aunt Mimi's house, there were certain traditions. One was
the kids' table, usually in the kitchen or at the doorway between the dining
room and the living room. In the early years, four of us were seated there:
myself, my sister Cheryl, and our cousins Winnie and Richie.For us, the
most important part of the meal was who was going to get the drumsticks.
After all, there were only two drumsticks and there were four of us! Our
parents at first solved the problem by using a rotating system that was based
on age: Winnie and I were the older and would get the drumsticks at that
Thanksgiving, and Cheryl and Richie would get them at Christmas, since
the families served turkey for the holiday dinner then, This worked for a few
years until my Aunt and Uncle had two more boys, Little Eddie and Vincent,
and then my brother Phil came along but by that time somebody had figured
out they could buy extra drumsticks at the supermarket and chaos was averted.

Eventually, one by one, we all outgrew the kids' table and the need to be
the one who ate the drumstick. I found out that I liked the slices of dark
meat better and that cranberry sauce was my favorite part of the main
meal. I also learned that if we were eating at my Aunt and Uncle's house
I should leave room for the second course of all the Italian food, especially
the lasagna. If the meal were at our house, there was a later leftover
sandwich with turkey and stuffing and maybe a little more cranberry sauce
on it.

One not so pleasant Thanksgiving memory was the turkey I forgot. I was
working somewhere at the time, (I forget now if it was at Child World or
Big L Drug Discount Stores) and I got a frozen holiday turkey from the
company which I loaded into the back floor of my car before I drove home.

I forgot it was in the car...

For two days....

Luckily, it wasn't a very warm November.

But it did look sort of green when I finally remembered it was there and
took it inside.

FRANCIS WEST OF DUXBURY MA. PART 2

 At one point my ancestor Francis West owned a considerable amount of lnd in Duxbury, Ma. I foumd these transcriptions of land records in the Googlebook Copy of the Old Records of the Town of Duxbury, Mas: From 1642 to 1770. Made in the Year 1892:

Aug. 4,  1642  Vol. a.  Page 196.    
 Memorandum that Richard Beasc, of Duxbery, . planter, has sold unto Francis West, of Duxbery, carpenter, my lot of land, containing forty acres, together with the housing thereon builded, with all appurtenances there unto belonging, lying on the south side of the Mill brook, in consideration whereof the said Francis West is to pay the sum of eighteen pounds. In witness thereof I have set my hand, this the day and year above mentioned.
  The mark of _____RICHARD BEASE,
Transcribed this 23d of Jan'y, 1667.
William PABODIE, Clerk
-p5

1661. May 27  Vol. a.Page 197
William Ford Sen. and his wife Ann, acknowledge the sale of their land lying in the township of Dux-bury, both upland and meadow land, unto Francis West and his heirs forever. Before me this 27th day of May, 1661.
               JOHN ALDEN, Assistant.
Transcribed this 23d of January, 1667.
WILLIAM PABODIE, T. C
-p7

1670 Oct. 10.  Vol. a.   Page 216   
The town have given unto Francis West, about  thirty acres of land on the East side of Experience Mitchils lands near Namassakeesit, of the same . breadth with the said Mitchels his land, and soéstending Eastward to a marked tree near a little run in a swamp, about sixty rods distant from Mitchels land, the tree marked is a inaple trec.
 WILLIAM PABODIE, T. C.
-p24
 Copy of the Old Records of the Town of Duxbury, Mas: From 1642 to 1770. Made in the Year 1892,
Avery & Doten, Book and Job Printers, 1893 - Duxbury (Mass.)

For all that, Francis died with an estate valued only at 16 pounds. That went to his son Peter, my 7x great grandfather.
.

FRANCIS WEST OF DUXBURY MA. PART 1

 I am going to try to get as far as I can blogging about my West line before the year runs out. So for the moment I'm going to set aside the questions about  a possible relationship with English nobility or Wests in the Virginia colony. I will start with this brief biography by William Richard Cutter of my immigrant ancestor, Francis West of Duxbury, Ma., my 8x great grandfather:

...He is spoken of as a carpenter in the Duxbury records, and the Plymouth colony records show that he made a pair of stocks for the town of Duxbury in 1640. In 1640 and 1642 he was a menber of the grand jury; in 1642 he purchased a house and land in Duxbury (Millbrook); in 1643 he was on the list of those able to bear arms; he was admitted a freeman in Plymouth colony in 1656; in 1658 he was a surveyor of highways in Duxbury; constable in 1661; and in 1662-69-74-78-80-81 he was a member of the "Grand Conquest" During the last years of his life his son Peter took care of him, and his estate, which amounted to only siateen pounds, was given to Peter by the probate court. He married, in Duxbury, February 27, 1639, Margaret Reeves , and died there January 2, 1692, ages eighty-six years. Children, probably born in Duxbury: Samuel, 1843; Dr. Thomas, 1646; Peter; Mary; Ruth, 1651  married Nathaniel Skiff and died December 31, 1741, aged ninety years.-p2036

1New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 4  Lewis historical publishing Company,  New York 1914 ,

Here's my line of descent from Francis to my Dad:


 

OUR HOWLAND MAYFLOWER DESCENT

About a year ago I discovered my West family may be descended from Mayflower passenger John Howland. But I hadn't had a chance to dig deeper . Looking into Probate files from AmericanAncestors.org. I found Mary West receiving part of the estate of James Bearce Sr. in 1728. 

 

Then I found a James Bearse (Jr?)taking guardianship of three sons of Elisha West's sons in 1738/9 after Elisha's death. 

 

Elisha West was married to Mary Bearce.

 

Mary Bearce was the daughter of James Bearce. and Experience Howland, whose grandfather was John Howland of the Mayflower.

 

That's all I could find so far that isn't behind a paywall.

 

ANOTHER HOPKINS MAYFLOWER CONNECTION

 Now that the John Cutter West brickwall has come down, I have new branches of the family to explore. Recently I took advantage of the week of free access to all the databases at the AmericanAncestors.org website to fill in some gaps. Many of my early West ancestors came from Barnstable County, Massachusetts and so far I hadn't found many documents online for them, but there were databases on AmericanAncestors that I was able to see during that free access week.

So I started in on investigating the family of my 5x great grandmother Sarah (Hamilton) West, tracing it back with vital records, probate files and town and family histories. Much to my surprise and delight, I found another connection to Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins. I had previously discovered one with his daughter Constance (Hopkins) Snow; this new one was was with his son Gyles/Giles Hopkins. Here's a relationship from Gyles/Giles to my Dad:

As I said, there are vital records and probate files for many of the people in this line, and I'll be discussing them  here as I go along. But I found other family lines that I will list in the next posts.

MY ALLERTON AND WARREN MAYFLOWER ANCESTRY

 Whenever I am talking or writing about my Mayflower descent, for some
ironic reason I always forget about Remember Allerton. The reason for the
irony is that both my Dad's parents were Allerton descendants: Pop from
Remember Allerton and Grandma Bertha from Mary Allerton.:


Allerton #1 through Ellingwood Line

Isaac Allerton & Mary Norris
Remember Allerton & Moses Maverick
Abigail Maverick & Samuel Ward
Martha Ward & John Tuthill(Tuttle)
Martha Tuthill(Tuttle) & Mark Haskell
Martha Haskell & John Safford
Ruth Safford & Samuel Haskell
Martha Haskell & Moses Houghton
Sally Houghton & James Thomas Dunham
Florilla Dunham & Asa Freeman Ellingwood
Clara Ellingwood & Phillip Jonathan West
Floyd Earl West Sr  & Cora B Barker
Floyd Earl West Jr &  Anne Marie White



Allerton #2 through Barker Line


Isaac Allerton & Mary Norris
Mary Allerton & Thomas Cushman
Sarah Cushman & Adam Hawkes
John Hawkes & Mary(Margery)Whitford
Eva Hawkes & John Bancroft         Eunice Hawkes & Jacob Walton
John Bancroft & Mary Walton
Sally(Sarah)Bancroft & Francis Upton
Hannah Upton & Cyrus Moore
Betsey Jane Moore & Amos Hastings Barker
Charlotte Lovenia Barker & Frank W Barker
Cora B, Barker & Floyd Earl Wesrt Sr
Floyd Earl West Jr and Anne Marie White.

My Warren ancestry comes through my Ames line

Warren #1 Through Ames Line

Richard Warren  &  Elizabeth (?)
Mary Warren & Robert Bartlett
Mary Bartlett & Jonathan Mowrey(Morey)
Hannah Mowrey(Morey) & John Bumpas
Mary Bumpas & Seth Ellis
Mary Ellis & Ephraim Griffith
John Griffith & Mary Boyden
Polly Griffith & Jonathan Phelps Ames
Arvilla S. Ames & John Cutter West
John Cutter West & Louisa Richardson
Phillip Jonathan West & Clara Ellingwood
Floyd Earl West Sr & Cora B Barker
Floyd Earl West Jr and Anne Marie White.



Warren #2 Through Dunham Line:

Richard Warren & Elizabeth (LNU)
Ann Warren & Thomas Little
Hannah Little & Stephen Tilden
Mary Tilden & James Thomas
John Thomas & Abigail Dunham
Mary Thomas & John Dunham
James Dunham  & Cynthia Packard
James Thomas Dunham & Sally Houghton
Florilla Dunham & Asa Ellingwood
Clara Ellingwood & Philip J West
Floyd E West Sr & Cora Bertha Barker

MY ELLINGWOOD MAYFLOWER ANCESTRY

 {( I first posted articles about my Mayflower family descents back in
 November 2011 and decided to repost them every year as a Thanksgiving 
tradition.))

Back when I first started researching the family genealogy online I was
thrilled to discover we were descended from several Mayflower passengers.
At one point I even carried around a small folded up piece of paper
in my wallet with the lines of descent to show when discussing genealogy
with some customer at the bookstore. But I lost that some time ago, so I
thought I'd post them here for other family members.

The first three lines come down through my Ellingwood ancestry from
Stephen Hopkins, Thomas Rogers, and James Chilton.

Hopkins Line
Stephen Hopkins and Mary____
Constance Hopkins & Nicholas Snow
Elizabeth Snow & Thomas Rogers
Eleazer Rogers & Ruhamah Willis
Experience Rogers & Stephen Totman
Deborah Totman & Moses Barrows Jr.
Asa Barrows & Content Benson
Rachel Barrows & John Ellingwood Jr
Asa F. Ellingwood & Florilla Dunham
Clara Ellingwood & Philip West
Floyd West Sr & Clara Barker
Floyd West Jr & Anne M White

Rogers Line
Thomas Rogers & Alice Cosford
Joseph Rogers & Hannah___
Thomas Rogers & Elizabeth Snow
Eleazer Rogers & Ruhamah Willis
Experience Rogers & Stephen Totman
Deborah Totman & Moses Barrows Jr.
Asa Barrows & Content Benson
Rachel Barrows & John Ellingwood Jr
Asa F. Ellingwood & Florilla Dunham
Clara Ellingwood & Philip West
Floyd West Sr & Clara Barker
Floyd West Jr & Anne M White

Chilton Line
James Chilton & ?
Isabella Chilton & Roger Chandler
Sarah Chandler & Moses Simmons
Moses Simmons Jr & Patience Barstow
Patience Simmons & George Barrows
Moses Barrows & Mary Carver
Deborah Totman & Moses Barrows Jr.
Asa Barrows & Content Benson
Rachel Barrows & John Ellingwood Jr
Asa F. Ellingwood & Florilla Dunham
Clara Ellingwood & Philip West
Floyd West Sr & Clara Barker
Floyd West Jr & Anne M White

VETERANS DAY 2020

 On Veterans Day I like to pay tribute to the members of
our family who have served our country from its birth. I don't
have all the details of the service records, and I'm sure I will
discover more relatives to add later, but this is what I have so far.

American Revolution: 
 
Jonathan Barker Jr. My 4x great grandfather
Was a Minuteman from Methuen Ma with rank of Sergeant.
He responded to Lexington and Concord with his sons
Served in Captain Samuel Johnson's Company in
Colonel Titcomb's Regiment for 2 months in 1777 in Rhode
Island and then with Nathaniel Gage's Company in Colonel
Jacob Gerrish's guards from Dec 1777 tol April 1778 guarding
the captured troops of General Burgoyne.


Jonathan Barker 3rd  My 5x great grandfather

Enlisted on 19 Apr 1775 in Continental Army, Capt. John
Davis' Company, Col. James Frye's Regiment, in the
Massachusetts line for 8 months in Cambridge, Ma. At the
conclusion of the term, he reenlisted for another 3 months in
Capt John Allen's Company, Colonel John Waldron's Regiment,
General Sullivan's Brigade in the New Hampshire Brigade at
Charlestown, Ma. He then enlisted a third time in June 1778
at Methuen, Ma., joining Captain Samuel Carr's Company, Col.
James Weston's Regiment, in General Lerned's Brigade at
White Plains, N.Y. and serving for another 9 months.


John Ames       My 5x great grandfather

Was a Minuteman under Capt. Asa Parker on April 18th,
1775. He then enlisted in the Continental Army under Captain
Oliver Parker, Col. William Prescott's Regiment and
in the Brigade that was commanded in turn by Generals
Putnam, Lee, and Washington and served for 8 1/2 months.
For a more detailed account of his service see my posts
about his Revolutionary War Pension File starting here.


Asa Barrows    My 4x great grandfather

A member of the militia from Middleborough , Ma. (south of
Boston) in the Company of Captain Joshua Benson, in Colonel
Cotton's Regiment, and General William Heath's Brigade for
8 months during the siege of Boston. In December 1776 he
joined a militia Company commanded by Captain Joshua
Perkins and marched to Barrington, R.I. and was stationed
there for 6 weeks. In July 1780 he again enlisted, this time
in a militia company commanded by Captain Perez Churchill
that marched to Tiverton, R.I. I posted about his
Revolutionary War Pension File starting here.


Moses Coburn  My 4x great grandfather

Moses Coburn got into the War late and by reason of being
"hired by a certain class of men in the then town of Dunstable
to go into the Continental Army in the summer of 1781."
When he reached Phillipsburgh in New York he was placed in
Captain Benjamin Pike's Company, in the Regiment of the
Massachusetts line commanded by Lt. Colonel Calvin Smith in
which he served for nearly two years until it was broken up.
He then transferred to the Company of Judah Alden in the
Regiment commanded by Colonel Sprouts until his discharge
in 1783.


Samuel Haskell   My 5x great grandfather

Samuel served in Captain Joseph Elliott's Company in Colonel
William Turner's Regiment and then under Captain Hezekiah
Whitney in Colonel Josiah Whitney's Regiment.


Amos Hastings   My 5x great grandfather

Amos was responded to the Lexington Alarm as part of
Captain Richard Ayer's Company and Colonel William
Johnson's Regiment. He later served in Captain Timothy
Eaton's Company in Colonel Edward Wigglesworth's Regiment
and was at the taking of the British General Burgoyne at
Ticonderoga.



Elisha Houghton   5x great grandfather

Enlisted at Harvard Ma as a Private in May of 1777 in the
Massachusetts militia and was at the Battles of Bunker Hill
and Stillwater. He then enlisted for three years in the infantry
company commanded by Captain Joshua Brown in Colonel
Timothy Bigelow's 15th Regiment of the Massachusetts line.
and took part in the Battles of Monmouth and Newport and
was at Valley Forge. He twice was promoted to Sergeant and
twice was busted back down to the ranks.


Amos Upton    My 5x great grandfather

Responded to the Lexington Alarm and marched there from
his home in Reading. He later joined the militia company
commanded by Captain Asa Prince as an orderly sergeant
and then enlisted for eight months in the Continental Army
under Colonel Mansfield for 8 months. He was at the Battle
of Bunker Hill. He was discharged in October of 1775.


John Griffith  My 5x great grandfather

Enlisted in 1781 as a Matross (he swabbed out the barrel of
the cannons after they fired, or so I've been told) in Captain
William Treadwell's Company in Colonel John Crane's
Artillery Regiment.



Reuben Packard   My 5x great grandfather

A Sergeant in Captain Josiah Hayden's Company in Colonel
Bailey's militia. They marched to Lexington at news of the
Alarm. He also responded several more times as a Minuteman
for a total of nearly 8 months duty.


Jonathan Abbot    My 5x great grandfather

Served as a Sergeant in the Militia under Captain Henry
Abbott and responded to the Lexington Alarm

Samuel Stowe  My 5x great grandfather

Minuteman from Sherborn, Ma. Served in Capt. Benjamin Bullard's
Company in Col. Asa Whitcomb's 5th Massachusetts Bay
Provincial Regiment

Besides those direct ancestors, these other relatives fought
in the Revolution:

Moses Barrows, brother to Asa Barrows.

Samuel, Jesse, and Benjamin Barker, sons of Jonathan
Barker, Jr. and brothers to Jonathan Barker 3rd.

James Swan, brother in law to Jonathan Barker.

War of 1812
John Griffith My 5x great grandfather

served in Capt Elias Morse's Company, Col. Holland's Regiment
as part of a artillery company defending Portland, Maine.

Amos Hastings My 5x great grandfather
helped organize the militia in Bethel, Maine and rose
to the rank of Brigadier General  of the 2nd Brigade, 13th Division of
the Massachusetts State Militia.

Nathaniel Barker  My 3x great grandfather
was a private in  the company commanded by Captain William Wheeler
in the Regiment  of Militia commanded by Col. Ryerson, which was
stationed at Portland, Maine.

Civil War
Asa Freeman Ellingwood  My 2x great grandfather

enlisted in Company I, 5th Maine Infantry, on June 24, 1861.
He was at the First Battle of Bull Run after which he received
a medical discharge in Dec 1861. He reenlisted inCo "A" 9th
Veteran R Corps in September 1864 and served until the end
of the war when he was honorably discharged.

Asa & Florilla Ellingwood

Other relatives who served in the Civil War:

2x great granduncles:

 Leonidas West
Enlisted in Company G 12 Maine Infantry Regiment on March 1,
1865. Mustered out on  18Apr 1866

Asa Atwood West
Enlisted in Company F of the Maine Coast Guard.

Oscar Phipps Ellingwood
Enlisted in Company E, New Hampshire 14th Infantry Regiment
23Sept 1862, mustered out 9Sep 1863. Transferred to Company
E,  U.S,.Veterans Reserve Corps 21st Infantry Regiment 9Sep 1863,
mustered out 11Jul 1865.

Cousins:

Charles O. Ellingwood
Enlisted 21 Dec 1863 in Company E, 9th New Hampshire Infantry.
Died 13Mar 1864 at Camp Burnside,Kentucky. (18 yrs old)


Henry O. Ellingwood Enlisted 25Oct 1862  Company K,  New
Hampshire 16th Infantry Regiment, died  1Mar 1863 in Carollton, La.

Franklin Dunham
Died in the War. Haven't found any details as yet.


Spanish-American War
Hollis J Ellingwood My cousin
Enlisted 2May 1898 in Company A 1st Regiment Maine Infantry
Discharged 28Oct 1898

World War 1

 Floyd E West Sr. My grandfather

Floyd E West Sr.

Enlisted 29Apr 1918. Served in Company K,303rd Infantry. He was a
corpsman at Camp Devens, Ma during the Spanish Influenza outbreak
and was honorably discharged 12 Mar 1919


World War II

Floyd E West Jr  My Dad

Enlisted 19 Mar 1943 at 18 years old. After washing out of the Air Corps
Bomber School, he served in the US Army Infantry in the Pacific Theater  and
was honorably discharged on 11 Mar 1946 at age 22

Edward F White, Jr. My Uncle

Enlisted in the U.S.Navy on 27Oct 1942 at 17years old. He was honorably
discharged 18Apr 1946, a week before his 21st birthday.

Charles Barger My Uncle
I don't know the specifics of his service yet.
 
Operation Iraqi Freedom
 Paul Skarinka My Nephew

Paul And Jen

"LITTLE ORPHANT ANNIE"

 ((First posted on October, 2011))



When we were small our Mom occasionally would recite this poem and would tickle us when she reached the "Gobble-uns 'll git you ef you don't watch out!" part. Then when I was in the third grade at the Frank V.Thompson school in Dorchester I read the poem in our English text book. Years later I used to post it every Halloween on an email list for a fantasy role playing group. So it's a sort of Halloween tradition for me.


Anyway, it's the best Halloween poem I know. Enjoy.

And `ware th' Gobble-uns!

Little Orphant Annie

by James Whitcomb Riley.

LITTLE Orphant Annie ’s come to our house to stay,   
An’ wash the cups and saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs away,   
An’ shoo the chickens off the porch, an’ dust the hearth, an’ sweep,   
An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-an’-keep;   
An’ all us other children, when the supper things is done,         
We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the mostest fun   
A-list’nin’ to the witch-tales ’at Annie tells about,   
An’ the Gobble-uns ’at gits you   
        Ef you   
            Don’t           
              Watch   
                Out!   

Onc’t they was a little boy would n’t say his pray’rs—   
An’ when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,   
His mammy heerd him holler, an’ his daddy heerd him bawl,           
An’ when they turn’t the kivvers down, he was n’t there at all!   
An’ they seeked him in the rafter-room, an’ cubby-hole, an’ press,   
An’ seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an’ ever’wheres, I guess;   
But all they ever found was thist his pants an’ roundabout!   
An’ the Gobble-uns ’ll git you           
        Ef you   
            Don’t   
              Watch   
                Out!   

An’ one time a little girl ’ud allus laugh an’ grin,         
An’ make fun of ever’ one, an’ all her blood-an’-kin;   
An’ onc’t when they was “company,” an’ ole folks was there,   
She mocked ’em an’ shocked ’em, an’ said she did n’t care!   
An’ thist as she kicked her heels, an’ turn’t to run an’ hide,   
They was two great big Black Things a-standin’ by her side,          
An’ they snatched her through the ceilin’ ’fore she knowed what she ’s about!   
An’ the Gobble-uns ’ll git you   
        Ef you   
            Don’t   
                Watch          
                    Out!   

An’ little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,   
An’ the lampwick sputters, an’ the wind goes woo-oo!   
An’ you hear the crickets quit, an’ the moon is gray,   
An’ the lightnin’-bugs in dew is allsquenched away,—        
You better mind yer parents, and yer teachers fond and dear,   
An’ churish them ’at loves you, an’ dry the orphant’s tear,   
An’ he’p the pore an’ needy ones ’at clusters all about,   
Er the Gobble-uns ’ll git you   
        Ef you           
            Don’t   
              Watch   
                Out!

MY WITCH LISTS:THE OPPOSERS

 ((First posted August 2019))

Here's the list I've made of my ancestors and relatives from Andover, Ma who opposed the witch trials by signing petitions  There are some who earlier had made accusations of witchcraft against others,

I made this list using Ancestry.com's MyTreeTag function

Thomas Chandler Sr.-9x great grandfather
Thomas Chandler Jr-8x great granduncle
John Chandler-8x great granduncle
William Chandler-10x great granduncle
Francis Dane Sr.-9x great grandfather
Francis Dane Jr-8x great grandfather
Nathaniel Dane-8x great granduncle
Phebe Dane-8x great grandaunt
Oliver Holt-7x great granduncle
Mary Holt-8x great grandaunt
Joseph Herrick-8x great granduncle
Thomas Johnson- Mary Holt's husband
George Abbott-9x great granduncle
John Abbott-8x great grandfather
William Abbott-9x great granduncle
Ephraim Stevens-8x great grandfather
Joseph Stevens-9x great granduncle
Benjamin Stevens-9x great granduncle
Hannah (Poor)Dane-8x great grandmother
Henry Ingalls Sr.-7x great grandfather
Henry IngallsJr.-6x great grandfather
John Ingalls-7x great granduncle
Samuel Ingalls-7x great granduncle
John Barker-7x great granduncle
Ebenezer Barker-7x great granduncle
Samuel Endecott--8x great grandfather
Christopher Osgood-Hannah Barker's husband
Nathaniel Felton-9x great grandfather
Joseph Robinson-married to Mehitabel Ames.

MY WITCH LISTS:THE ACCUSED

((First posted in August 2019))

Here's the list I've made of my ancestors and relatives from Andover, Ma who were tried for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Three of them were executed. I made this list using Ancestry.com's MyTreeTag function

Accused Witches

Mary (Towne) Estey-9x great grandmother- (executed)
Rebecca (Towne)Nurse 9x great grandaunt (executed)
Sarah (Towne)Cloyce 9x great grandaunt
Rebecca (Blake) Ames-9x great grandmother
Sarah (Hooper) Wardwell-widow of 10x great grandfather Adam Hawkes
Samuel Wardwell husband of Sarah (Hooper)Wardwell (executed)
Sarah Hawkes-9x great grandaunt
Abigail (Wheeler)Barker--wife of 8x great granduncle
William Barker Sr-7x great granduncle
William Barker Jr.-1st cousin 8x removed
Mary Barker-1st cousin 8x removed
Daniel Ames-8x great granduncle
Abigail (Dane)Faulkner-9x great aunt
Elizabeth (Dane)Johnson-9x great aunt
Dorothy Faulkner-1st cousin 9x removed
Abigail Faulkner-1st cousin 9x removed
Elizabeth Johnson-1st cousin 9x removed
Stephen Johnson-1st cousin 9x removed
Rose Foster-1st cousin 9x removed
Deliverance  (Hazeltine)-wife of 9th great-uncle
Mary (Allen) Hazeltine-1st cousin 8x removed
Martha (Allen)Carrier 1st cousin 8x removed
Roger Toothaker-Mary Allen's husband
Mercy Wardwell-step 10x great aunt

WHEN THE FROST IS ON THE PUNKIN" BY JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

 ((Oddly enough, both my parents occasionally would quote a line or two from Riley's
two most famous poems. This is the one Dad would quote; I'll post the other later this month
I first posted this on 13Oct 2012)) 


We had the first frost of the fall season in parts of New England and it put me in mind 
how Dad would  sometimes recite "When the frost is on the pumpkin...". That's the only part of
the poem he'd say. I think he must have had to recite it in school when he was a kid and that's all
he remembered.

Reading it just now I had to grin at the line about the turkey since I've now had experiences with
a loud, "struttin" turkey here in my own backyard!




 "When the Frost is on the Punkin"
                          James Whitcomb Riley

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,   
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,   
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,   
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;   
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,         
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,   
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,   
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.   
 
They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere   
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here—   
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,   
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;   
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze   
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days   
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—   
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.   
 
The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,   
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves as golden as the morn;   
The stubble in the furries—kindo' lonesome-like, but still   
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;   
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;   
The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover overhead!—   
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,   
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.   
 
Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps   
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;   
And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through   
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...   
I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be   
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—   
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—   
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

53 ANCESTORS #10: JOHN: GIDDINGS. OF IPSWICH, MA.

My 9x great grandfather John Giddings was born in England abd became a leading citizen of both Ipswich and the colony. William Richard Cutter give the following information:  

John Giddings, who was born in 1639, had a commonage granted him in 1667; was a commoner in 1678; a lieutenant of militia; and was also a deputy to the General Court in 1683, 1684 and 1685. On Feb. 20, 1690, his estate was inventoried at £269 15s. I0d.; his death took place March 3, 1691, and the estate was partitioned March 29, 1692. After his death his widow, Sarah, married Henry Herrick, of Beverly, and she died in Gloucester. To the marriage of John and Sarah Giddings were born ten children: George, born in 1664, (first) married Mary Skamp and (second) Mrs. Elizabeth Perkins; Elizabeth was first married, Dec. 16, 1685, to Mark Haskell, and later to John Dennison, of Ipswich; Jane married Nov. 26, 1691, Joseph Haradine (she had no children); Sarah, born in 1672, married John Haraden, who died Nov. 11, 1724, the father of several children: John was born in 1665; Job, born in 1677, married Sarah Andrews, became the father of three children, and died Feb. 27, 1708; Solomon, born in 1679, married Margery Goodhue: Joshua, born in 1681, married Abigail, was the father of five children (three of whom died young), and was probably lost at sea in 1716; Thomas, born in 1683, married Sarah Butler; Mary, born in 1686, was married to Benjamin York. -p257

Commemorative Biographical Record of Hartford County, Connecticut: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, and of Many of the Early Settled Families, Volume 1 J.H. Beers & Co 1901


I'm descended from John's daughter Elizabeth who married Marke Haskell.

53 ANCESTORS #9:GEORGE GIDDINGS. OF IPSWICH, MA. PT2

While I wasn't able to find George Giddinga' will, I was able to find some of the details of his estate in the following transcription on Google Books:

Estate Of George Giddings Of Ipswich.

Administration upon the estate of George Gettings (also, Geddings) was granted 27:4:1676, to Jane, the re1ict, who was ordered to bring in an inventory to the next Salem court.
Salem Quarterly Court Records, vol. 5, leaf 94.

Inventory of the estate of George Giddings, late of Ipswich, taken June 19, 1676 by John Whipple, sr., Henry Benet and Nathaniell Wells: his waring Clothes, wollin & Linon, 7li.; money & platte, 4li. 10s.; housing with Comonidg, 60li.; in the parlor, a beed sted with a fether beed & what belongs to it, 1Hi.; cubbord with drawers, 2li. 10s.; table, two chayers 4 cushins, Hi. 18s.; boxe, one baskit, truncke, 12s.; 6 yds. of Cloth, Hi. 10s.; more of the same, 7s. 6d.; pewter, 4li.; a table cloth & 6 napkins, Hi.; two payer of pillowbeers, two towels, tablecloth, Hi. 6s.; one payer of sheetes, Hi.; fower payer of sheets, small table cloth, Hi. 10s.; 3 payer of pillow beers with other linen, Hi. 10s. 6d.; beedsted with a fetherbeed & three blankits, 7li. 10s.; an old table, one old chest, 5s.; trundle beed with what belongs to it, 21i . 15s.; sheeps wooll, 1401b., 71i.; flax, yerne & flaxe with som tooe, Hi.; old tubes, 2s. 6d.; 10 bush, of Indian Corne, 2 bush of malt, 2li. 3s.; 3 sackes, one bush, of wheat, 12s. 6d.; one sadle and bridle & pilion, Hi. 4s.; tubes & Keelers, Hi.; pailes, trayes, other wood dishis, Hi. 1s.; old Cubbard, 10s.; smalle table & 4 Chayers, 10s.; a Copper, one cetle, 2li. 5s.; two Iron potes, Hi. 7s.; two tramels, two payer of pott hooks, 1Is.; an Iron barr, payer of Andjrons, 16s.; slice, paire of tonges, 4s.; morter & two scillits, 10s.; tin ware, 10s.; one worming pann, one payer of belis, 7s. 6d.; one smothing Iron, with heaters, 3s.; Chespres, 8s.; gridiron, 11s.; two spining wheels with cardes, 11s.; Ches moats & sives & spits, 13s. 6d.; powdering tub, two barrels, 7s. 6d.; a Cherne, a runlit, 7s.; bookes, 2li.; seed plow, 9s.; two Chaines, two yoacks with Irone, 19s.; Cart & wheeles with spanshakle, 2li.; beetle with ringes, 5 wedgis, one axe, 14s.; 9 Cows & 3 hayfers, 36li.; thre two yer old hayfers, 4 oxen, 27li.; one yearling, 6 Calves, 3li. 10s.; 60 sheep, 40 Lames, 27li.; one hors, 3 maares, one year old coult & two foales, 8li.; 6 swine, 4li.; poark, backen & cheese, butter, 3li. 10s.; 152 accers of Land, 760li.; 6 accers of march at Plom iland, 12li.; total, 102Hi. 12s. 6d. Debts owing from the estate, 241i .
Attested 27:4:1676 by Jane, relict and administratrix. Essex County Quarterly Court Files, vol. 25, leaf 49.

For the settlement of the estate of George Gittins, deceased, by agreement of the widow, administratrix and the five sons, it was ordered Sept. 26, 1676, that all the estate be delivered into the hands of the five sons, Thomas, John, James, Samuell and Joseph Gittins, to be divided, Thomas to have a double portion. They were to give security to pay the widow during her 1ife 251i. per annum and her living in the house, with the use of the household stuff, and to pay to their three sisters, Rebecka, Abigaill and Mary, 50li. each, deducting so much as any of them have formerly had as their portion from their father.
Ipswich Quarterly Court Records, vol. 5, page 283.

Agreement of Thomas, John, James and Samuel Giddinge sons of George Giddinge, deceased, that Thomas the eldest son shall have a double portion of the estate of his father together with the land that was formerly given him by his father where he now lives; and they also agree not to sell any of their land from one another and to bear proportionably their part in fencings.
Allowed by the Ipswich court Sept. 26, 1676.
pp63-65

The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts: 1675-1681 (Google eBook) VOL III Essex Institute, Salem, Ma. 1920

53 ANCESTORS #9:GEORGE GIDDINGS. OF IPSWICH, MA.

Turning now to the families of the Haskell wives, I'll begin with Elizabeth (Giddings) Haskell. She was the grandaughter of my 10x great grandfather George Giddings.

George,his wife and their children were part of the Great Migration colonist. passenger on the ship The Planter. William Richard Cutter wrote this about George:

George Giddings, aged twenty, came from England in 1635, and settled in the town of Ipswich, about twenty-five miles from lioston, Massachusetts, with their three servants. They are said to have had as companion on their voyage Sir Henry Vane, fourth governor of Massachusetts. who in 1662 suffered martyrdom for his zeal in the cause of liberty and religion. George Giddings brought with him a letter of recommendation from the rector, or minister, of St. Albans, Hertfordshire. George Giddings was born in 1608, died June I, 1676. He was one of Major Denison’s subscribers in 1640, a commoner in 1641, one of the twenty sworn freeholders who paid the highest rates out of two hundred and thirty in 1664. deputy to the general court in I64I-54—55—59—6I—6364-68-72-75, selectman from 1661 to I675, and for a long time a ruling elder of the first church. The inventory of his estate, June 19, I676, exhibited a total value of 231.021, 12s., of which one hundred and fifty-two acres of land with six acres of marsh, at Plumb Island, was appraised at £772. His widow died March, 1680. Children of George and Jane Giddings: Thomas, born 1638. married (first) Mary Goodhue, (second) Elizabeth ; ]ohn, see forward; James, born 1641, married Elizabeth Andrews; Samuel, born 1645, married (first) Hannah Martin, (second) Elizabeth : Joseph Collins, married Susannah Rindge ; Sarah; married Samuel Pearce; George.
-p792



Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 2  Lewis historical Publishing Company, 1911

I've found a record of his estate which I'll discuss in the following post.

MY GREAT MIGRATION ANCESTORS

Okay, so these are the Great Migration ships my ancestors came over in that I know about so far. The Great Migration books were the source and I used Ancestry CustomTags to organize the list. I'll probably be adding more as I find the information.

Passenger on The Abigail
John Endecott
Edmund Freeman

Passenger on The Anne
Robert Bartlett
John Faunce
George Morton
Nicholas Snow
Edward Bangs

Passenger on The Defence
Edward Colborne
Robert Long

Passenger on The Elizabeth
Richard Kimball
Thomas Kimball

Passenger on The Fortune
Edward Bumpas
Robert Cushman
Thomas Cushman
Moses Simmons
John Tuttle

Passenger on The Francis
Thomas Boyden
Richard Holden
Abraham Newell

Passenger on The George Bonaventure
Samuel Skelton

Passenger on The Hercules
Thomas Hayward
Henry Phelps
Nathaniel Tilden

Passenger on The Increase
Joseph Morse

Passenger on the James
John Emery
Ralph Farnham
Richard Knight
Nicholas Holt

Passenger on The Lyon
Isaac Morill
John Perkins

Passenger on The Mary and John
Phillip Fowler
John Maverick
Christopher Osgood
Henry Short

Passenger on The MaryGould
Andrew Hallett

Passenger on The Planter
George Giddings
James Pitney

Passenger on The Returne
John Hardy

Passenger on The Truelove
William Barstow
Ralph Ellingwood

53 ANCESTORS #8:MARK HASKELL JR. OF IPSWICH, MA.

Genealogy has its ups and downs. Sometimes you find information that makes you do a mental Happy Dance. Other times, you end up with scarcely enough to fill in a picture of an ancestor's life. The latter is the case with my 7x great grandfather Mark Haskell, Jr.

This was all the information Ulysses G. Haskell's article ".A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM HASKELL OF GLOUCESTER, MASS"  has:

50 Mark Haskell was born September 16, 1687, in Gloucester, Mass., and in 1710 married Martha Tuthill of Ipswich, Mass., where he resided in 1729, and where he probably died in 1775 or 6.

His children were born as follows:
146 i Elizabeth, b. Dec. 23, 1710. 147
ii Martha, b. Feb. 18, 1712.
148 iii Mark, b. Aug. 19, 1713.
149 iv. Lucy, b. May 21, 1715.
150 v Priscilla, b. Oct. 8, 1718.
151 vi Jane, b. Jan. 22, 1722; d. July 2, 1722.
152 vii Jane, b. May 31, 1723; d. June 9, 1723.
153 viii. Jemima, b. Sept. 27, 1724; d. Oct. 15, 1724.
154 ix George, b. Aug. 3, 1726; d. Aug. 15, 1726.
-p148

Essex Institute Historical Collections, Volumes 32-33 ".A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM HASKELL OF GLOUCESTER, MASS"  Essex Institute Press, 1896 - Essex County (Mass.

I've found a probate file from 1775 for Mark Haskell but it is a complaint filed against the estate and I'm not sure it's the right person, so I'll have to do some more digging.

I'm descended from Mark Haskell Jr's daughter Martha who married my 6x great grandfather John Safford.

53 ANCESTORS #7:MARK HASKELL SR. OF GLOUCESTER, MA.

Mark Haskell Sr is my 8x great grandfather and another ancestor for whom I have found very little information so far.

From Ulysses G. Haskell's article . A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM HASKELL OF GLOUCESTER, MASS:

Mark Haskell was born April 8, 1658, resided in Gloucester, Mass., where he died September 8, 1691, and thirty-three years.

He married December 16, 1685, Elizabeth Giddings, supposed to have been the daughter of Lieutenant John Giddings of Ipswich, Ma.

...His children were as follows:
48 i George, b. Oct.18,1686; d.Nov. 10, 1686
50. ii Mark, b.Sept. 16, 1687
31 iii William, b.Jan.1, 1689-1690
p140

Essex Institute Historical Collections, Volumes 32-33 ".A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM HASKELL OF GLOUCESTER, MASS"  Essex Institute Press, 1896 - Essex County (Mass.

I found Mark Haskell Sr. 's probate file which had no will and the estate inventory is written on two scraps of paper.

I'm descended from his son Mark Jr.

53 ANCESTORS #6:WILLIAM HASKELL SR. OF GLOUCESTER, MA.

My 5x great grandparents were 3rd cousins, both descendants of my immigrant ancestor William Haskell Sr. of Gloucester, Ma. I found this article by Ulysses G. Haskell about William an dhis family  on Google Books:

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM HASKELL OF GLOUCESTER, MASS
William Haskell," the first of the name to settle in Gloucester, then called Cape Ann, was born in England in 1617, came to New England about 1637 with his brothers Roger and Mark with whom he at first settled in the part of Salem, now Beverly, then known as Cape Ann Side, and subsequently became a permanent resident of Gloucester, where he died August 20, 1693, leaving an estate valued at £548, 12s.

He first appears in Gloucester in 1643 and in 1645 mention is made of his land at Planters Neck where he probably resided for a few years following the latter date, but the information obtained from the recorded births of his children affords grounds for the conjecture that he was not a permanent resident from that time.

 If, however, he left town for a season he had returned in 1656 and settled on the westerly side of Annisquam river where he had several pieces of land, among which was a lot of ten acres with a house and barn thereon bought of Richard Window, situated on the westerly side of Walker's creek. His two sons took up land on both sides of this creek which is still occupied by his descendants.

 He was a mariner, and was engaged in the fishing business, and was known as captain and lieutenant. 

The public offices to which he was chosen afford sufficient proof that he was a prominent and useful citizen. He was selectman several years, and a representative to the general court six times in the course of twenty years. In 1661 he was appointed by the general court lieutenant of the “trayned band ” of which he was afterwards captain. 

It is stated that in 1688 “some feeble but magnanimous efforts of expiring freedom” were exhibited in the refusal of several towns to assess the taxes which the Governor, Sir Edmund Andros, and Council of New England had levied upon them. One of these towns was Gloucester, seven of whose citizens, namely: William Haskell, Sen., James Stevens, Thomas Riggs, Sen., Thomas Millett, Jeffrey Parsons, Timothy Somers and William Sargent, Sen., were fined at the Superior Court at Salem for the non-compliance of the town with a warrant for the assessment of those “ odious taxes '' in 1688. The first five were selectmen and Somers a constable. All but Somers were fined forty shillings with three pounds and a shilling added for fees. Somers was let off on payment of fees only. 

In 1681 he was one of the petitioners to the King praying for the crown's interposition to prevent the disturbance of titles to real estate at Gloucester by Robert Mason who had made claims thereto.
At the General Court in 1685 one Grace Dutch was appointed administrator of her husband Osmond Dutch “with the advice and assistance of Lieutenant William Haskell.”

 He was also one of the first of two of whom we have any knowledge who were deacons of the first church at Gloucester. 

He married November 16, 1643, Mary, daughter of Walter Tybbot, who died four days before her husband, by whom he had the following children:
1 William, b. Aug. 26, 1644.

ii Joseph, b. June 2, 1646.

iii Benjamin, b. , 1648.

iv John, b. , 1649.

v. Ruth, b. 1654; m. Nehemiah Grover, of Beverly, Dec. 2, 1673–4.

vi Mark, b. April 8, 1658.

vii Sarah, b. June 28, 1660.

viii Elinor, b. May 28, 1663; m. Jacob Grigs, of Beverly, Nov. 12, 1692.

10 ix Mary, b. —— ; m._____Dodge,
-pp135-137
Essex Institute Historical Collections, Volumes 32-33 ".A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM HASKELL OF GLOUCESTER, MASS"  Essex Institute Press, 1896 - Essex County (Mass.)


I'm descended from both William Haskell, Jr. and Mark Haskell.