52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #19: RUTH ENDICOTT PT2

I'm still investigating Ruth Endicott and her parents but I thought
I'd show how my Dad's parents were Herrick cousins and which side has
the Endicott connection  Their ancestors in that line were two sons
of immigrants Henry Herrick and Edith(Editha)Laskin: my grandfather
Floyd E West Sr was descended from Henry Herrick, while my grandmother
Cora B. Barker's ancestor was Joseph Herrick.

Here's my grandfather's descent:

And here's my grandmother's:

The Endicott connection is through my Grandmother.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #19: RUTH ENDICOTT

Fellow geneablogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued the
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Basically, we have to post something every
week on a different ancestor, whether a story, picture, or research problem. For
this prompt I've tried to concentrate on ancestors I haven't researched as much
as I have others in my family tree. This post will be about my 7x great grandmother
Ruth Endicott's ancestry.

This comes under the heading of one of those things that surprise me when I get
around to examining them closer. Somewhere along the way I'd found  a record that
my 7x great grandfather Martin Herrick's wife was named Ruth Endicott. They were
married in Salem, Ma. on 17 Jul 1710. Around seven years later their daughter, my
6x great grandmother, Edith(Edde) Herrick was born. I can't find a record of her birth
but in looking online for it I found this on Google Ebooks in an entry on the Herrick
family:

Martyn, fifth son of Joseph Herrick and second child of his second wife, Mary (Endicott) Herrick, was baptized January 26, 1680, in Beverly, died in 1739 in Salem. He settled in that part of Lynn now known as Lynnfield on a farm given him by his father. He married, July 17, 1710, Ruth Endicott, of Salem, born 1689, daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Felton) Endicott, granddaughter of Governor John Endicott. Children: Benjamin, Samuel, mentioned below; Ruth, Edith. 

New 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 2 (Google eBook) p902

Further searching gave me the names of Samuel Endicott's parents, the wonderfully named
Zerubbabel Endicott and his wife Mary Smith.  I also found that Hannah Felton was the
daughter of  Nathaniel Felton and  Mary Skelton. 

Now for some reason after whenever I discovered the connection to Governor John Endicott I filed it away and never got back to it. I suspect it was while I was still busy working on my Ellingwood branch of my family tree. I have a degree in History and
you'd think that some sort of bells and whistles would have gone off in my brain when I first found the information, but nope.

I still need to find out more about these people, especially any records for births, marriages and deaths. I'll save John Endicott for later and concentrate on the others first.

To be continued.

MOTHERS DAY PART 2

In honor of Mother's day, here are pictures of some of our Dad's female ancestors.

First, on his mother's side:

Amos H Barker & Betsey J (Moore) Barker

Our 2x great grandmother Betsey Jane Moore was born on 16 Aug 1842 at Waterford,
Oxford, Me. She married Amos Hastings Barker in 1856 and they raised a family of
12 children, 11 of whom survived to adulthood. Betsey died 12Mar 1924 at age 82.

My great grandmother Charlotte Lovenia Barker is the lady on the right.

 Our great grandmother Charlotte Lovenia Barker was youngest of  Amos & Betsey's
12 children. She was born on 3 Aug 1879 in Albany, Oxford, Maine and was known as
":Lottie". She married her first cousin Frank W. Barker on 16Oct 1898 and they had
4 children before Frank died in 1905 from pneumonia caused by "La Grippe" (the flu).
She was married three more times before her death on 3Jan 1944 at Bangor, Maine.   

Cora Berthella (Barker) West & her great granddaughter Mindy Sue West

Our grandmother Cora Berthella (Barker) West was born 27Oct 1899 and was the eldest
child of Frank and Charlotte. She preferred the name Bertha, although it was given as
Cora on her marriage certificate. Bertha married Floyd E.West Sr on 24Mar 1919 and
had 5 children, one of whom was our Dad.

 On his Dad's side of the family:

Arvilla (Ames)West

Our 3x great grandmother Arvilla Ames was born in Livermore, Androscoggin, Maine
on 25Jan 1810, one of 10 children. She married John Cutter West on 23Sep 1827
at Sumner, Maine, and five years later they moved to Letter B Plantation (later renamed
Upton), Oxford, Maine. She had 10 children, 3 of whom died in a diphtheria outbreak
in 1862. She died at age 97 at Hermon, Maine.

Louisa A.(Richardson) West

  Louisa Richardson, our 2x great grandmother was born in Wilton, Maine on
23Jun 1837 at Wilton, Maine.  She was the second wife of Jonathan Phelps West,
whose first wife had died in the 1862 diphtheria outbreak. Louisa and Jonathan
married on 31Jan 1865 and had 4 sons. She died 4Oct 1925 at age 88.

Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood & Asa F Ellingwood

Our other paternal 2x great grandmother was Florilla Dunham who was born 29Aug
1832 at North Paris, Oxford, Maine. She married Asa F. Ellingwood on 10Aug 1850
at Woodstock, Oxford, Maine and 11 children.(She was one of 11 children herself.)
She died in Paris, Oxford, Maine on 21Feb 1917.

Clara (Ellingwood) West

                                                                                                  

Finally, our great grandmother  Clara Ellingwood was the 8th child and youngest
daughter of Florilla and Asa. She was born 6Mar 1865 in Dummer, Coos, NH.
Her first marriage with Charles Tidswell ended in divorce and she married  our
great grandfather Philip J West on 25May 1894 at Shelburne, Coos, NH. She had
three children by her first marriage and two by her second, including our grandfather
Floyd E West, Sr. Sadly, Clara died young after an illness in Augusta, Maine on 10Apr
1901. She was only 36 years old.

And those are the pictures we have of the mothers in our family.

Happy Mother's Day! 

MOTHERS DAY PART 1

 Once again for Mothers Day I'm posting photos of our family's mothers.

For our Mom's side we don't have very many since her grandparents immigrated
here from Ireland and Germany in the 19th century.

 

John McFarland & Annie (Kelley) McFarland

First there's Anna Kelley, born 1Oct 1858 in Kiltrustan, Roscommon, Ireland. She married
my great grandfather in Edinburgh Scotland on 16May1879 and shortly after they came
to America and settled in Boston. She had 17 children, 10 of whom survived to adulthood.
Anna died 15Feb 1945 at Boston, Ma. at age 86.

Pauline (Offinger) White

Our other maternal great grandmother was Pauline Offinger, born 17Dec 1873
in Cambridge, Massachusetts to German immigrant parents. She married Edward J.
White on 27Nov 1895 in Boston, Ma. and had 9 children.          

Agnes (McFarland) White

Our grandmother Agnes (McFarland) White was born 7Oct 1898 in Boston, Ma, the
14th of John & Annie's 17 children. She was known as "Aggie" in the family.
She married Edward F.White, Sr. and had two children, our Uncle Ed and our Mom
Anne Marie. She died 12Feb 1957 in Malden Ma.

Anne M. (White) West

Finally, our Mom, Anne M. (White) West. She was born 7Jul 1927 at Boston, Ma and
married our Dad on 29Jun 1947, also at Boston. To her McFarland cousins she was
known as "Red White".She died on 28Jul 1999 at Weymouth, Ma and she is missed by
my brother, my sister, myself and the rest of the family.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #18: EDWARD HOLYOKE PT3

I found an abstract of my ancestor Edward Holyoke's will online in Googlebooks in an ebook edition of an NEHGS publication from 1855,  The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Volume 9. It is part of an article, ABSTRACTS FROM THE EARLIEST WILLS ON RECORD IN THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, MASS. by William B Trask.  What struck me right off the bat is that Edward must have really been proud of his book, as he gives a copy of it to each of his five sons in law and calls it his "best legacy."

Edward Holyoke. Will made 25 Dec. 1658. As for the holy faith of the holy one, God in trinitie, and of the holy faith of our glorious Lord, the son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the second Adam, I haue composed A booke and doe bestowell [?] vpon each of my sonns in law as their best legacy, &-c. (Being instructed chiefly by an understanding of the Scriptures) I doubt not to say my booke will giue him A hart of all sound doctrine.

Touching my worldly estate, I dispose the yoke of Oxen and my mare, to my sonn in law, George Keysar, and my mare foale and A Cow, to my sonn Prenam; tow kine to my sonn Andrewes; A Cow to my dau. Marten^ These Oxen and kine are in the hands of Goodman Wilkins, of Linn; the mare and foale is at Rumney Marsh. 1 giue to my sonn Tuttle, that £4 that yearely hee should haue giuen mee since I put ouer the house at Boston to him. I neuer yet had [a] penney of it; 40* I gaue him of that, soe theare is yet £6 beehind and theare is £5 mentioned in Goodman Wilkins Case that hee oweth mee, I giue to my dau. Marten, and 20*. to my kindswoman, Mary Mansfeild, and 10". of it to John DoUtile, and 10". of it to my kindsman Thomas Morris, of Newham, and 10". of it to Hannah Keasur. I giue my best Cloake of that Cloth that cam from England to my sonn Holyoke, as allsoe my Coate of the same cloth. I giue my other Cloke to my sonn Keaser, my best Dublet and breeches to my sonn Tuttle, my stuff dublet and my best hat to my sonn Holyoke; all the rest of my weareing apparell to my sonn Keasar. As touching the whol yeares rent of this yeare 1658, that is Dew mee from Goodman Wilkins, of Linn, I owe Theodore Atkins 49".; pay him in what I owe; John Hull Aboute 22"., pay him in wheate; pay M' Russell, treasurer, 3 bushells of wheate; for John Andrewes, 8 bushells of wheate to Mr Wilson, Paster at Boston, and 8 bushell of Indian. As for my Linell, let all my dau" part alike. The 20" Goodman Page oweth mee, as my sonn Tuttle cann witness, I giue my dau. Martin. There is aboute 15". Cap*. Sauige oweth mee, intreate him to satisfie my Cosan Dauis, and the rest giue to my dau. Marten. As for my books and wrightings, I giue my sonn Hulyoke all the books that are at Linn, as allsoe the Iron Chest, and the bookes I haue in my study that are Mr Beanghans works I giue him, hee onely cann make vse of them, and likewise I giue all my maniscripts what soeauer, and I giue him that large new testament in folio, with wast papers between eucry leafe, allso Mr Answorlh on the 5 books of Moses and the psalmes, and my dixinary and Temellius bible in Latten, and my latten Concent and daniell bound together, and A part of the New testament in Folio, with wast paper betwin euery leafe, and the greate mapps of geneolagy, and that old maniscript called a Synas sight; the rest, for A muskett I gaue of olde to my sonn Holyoke: All my land in Linn, and that land and Medow in the Cuntry neere Reding, all was giuen to my sonn Holyoke., when hee maried Mr Pynchons Daughter. Pr me. Edword Holyoke.

25 June 1660. Power of Administration to the estate of the late Mr Edward Holyoke is Graunted to Mr Elizur Holyoke, his only sonn, to performe this Imperfect will of his father as neere as may be.

Inventory of the Estate of Mr Edward Hollyoke, of Lynne, who dyed at Rumney Marsh, the 4th May 1660, taken the 19 June 1660. Prised by John Tultle, John Dowlettell. Amt. ,£681. "A farme at Lynne, .£400; 3 acres at Nahant, £6; a farme at Bever dame, neare Reading, £150," &c. &c. -p345-346

I'm bemused by the part about " I giue to my sonn Tuttle, that £4 that yearely hee should haue giuen mee since I put ouer the house at Boston to him. I neuer yet had [a] penney of it;". That would be my 9x great grandfather John Tuttle who had married  Edward's
daughter Mary. It sounds like a bit of Puritan criticism there to me. Also, for someone
who was not actually a clergyman, Edward had an impressive collection of religious
books to pass on to his son Elizur. Combined with the amount of property Edward
owned, it fits the Puritan ideal of a godly, industrious man.

GPS GENEALOGY ROADTRIP

Now that mud season is over and the weather is turning warmer, I'm trying to get out
more. One of my problems is that I am not really comfortable driving long distances
on the highways. I've had no reason to for the last twenty five years or so since I could drive the secondary roads back and forth to work. I'm trying to reacclimate myself so
I can visit some places further away like the cemeteries where my Middlesex, Worcester, and Essex counties ancestors are buried. I've loaded the street addresses into my GPS, and on a whim today I set out for North Andover and Methuen, Ma.

After about an hour or so of whiteknuckle driving I reached the Old North Burial Ground in North Andover. My Dad's maternal line, the Barkers, came from the area and I was hoping to find some of them buried there, but the first headstone I saw belonged to an ancestor from a different family line, 9x great grandfather John Stevens. He was born in England in 1605 and died on 11Apr 1662. I didn't see a stone for his wife Elizabeth (Parker)Stevens but she outlived him by thirty years so she probably remarried. Also, the stone is in excellent condition so I'm wondering if it is a replacement for an earlier one.

I did find plenty of Barkers, mostly collateral line cousins, but I also found two direct Barker ancestors: my 7x great grandparents Benjamin Barker and Hannah (Marston) Barker.

Nearby I found the headstones of two of their children, my6x great grandaunt Alice Barker
and 6x great granduncle Benjamin Barker Jr.

The cemetery was in good shape for the most part, although there was sad evidence of
worse times in the past.

After taking 62 photos I got back into my car and followed the GPS directions to the Meeting House Hill Cemetery in Methuen where 6x great grandfather Jonathan Barker is buried, I should have checked before I left my house because if I had, I would have known the cemetery was closed to the public. I drove around it outside the stone walls and chainlink fence, then got directions home from the GPS and left. Roughly an hour and a half later I was home after dealing with the start of rush hour traffic on the highway.
I'd left my apartment around 11:30am  and was home a little after 3:30pm. 

I'll have to find some more cemetery locations to enter into the GPS!

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #18: EDWARD HOLYOKE PT2

My ancestor Edward Holyoke is overshadowed  the accomplishments of his son Elizur. But I discovered recently that Edward had written  a book. It first has, without a doubt,
the longest title for a book I've ever seen:

The doctrine of life, or, Of mans redemption, by the seed of Eve, the seed of Abraham, the seed of David, &c. as it was taught in severall periods of time, from Gen. 3. 15. till Christ came in the flesh, to fulfill all typicall prefigurations of him by his death : wherein also sundry other fundamentall points are discussed and cleared from some common mistakes : as Daniels chronologie of seventy sevens, which is cleared from the uncertainty which too many expositors have unadvisedly cast upon it : and about the Jewes calling, that it must not be understood of any return to Canaan, or of their restauration to a perspicuous common wealth any more, but of the calling of a remnant of them to the faith, in the countries where they live dispersed : and with the true nature of our Lords sufferings, with sundry other such like points, as may be seen in the table : propounded by way of question and answer, with annotations thereunto annexed : divided into three parts / by Edward Holyoke of New-England.   

Try saying all that five times fast!

The book included a story about King Solomon entitled:

HOW TIRZANA BEGUILED THE KING.
A Prosopopeia on Solomon's fall, by the Temptations of his idolatrous wives to the ruin of his Kingdome and posterity, in granting them the liberty of conscience for the practice of their idolatrous Rites, framed by way of Dialogue between King Solomon, and Tirzana 
the Queen.

The story was even included in some 19th century anthologies of American literature. If you are curious, you can read it here. By modern standards it is misogynist but it probably is a good representation of how the Puritans looked upon the wiles of women in 1658 when it was published.

Edward Holyoke was himself an example of a certain type of Puritan colonist, a prosperous well educated layman with an interest in scholarship and religion.

In the next part, I'll discuss his will.  

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #18: EDWARD HOLYOKE

Fellow geneablogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued the
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Basically, we have to post something every
week on a different ancestor, whether a story, picture, or research problem. For
this prompt I've tried to concentrate on ancestors I haven't researched as much
as I have others in my family tree. Usually I'm running late with these posts, but
I'm actually up to date now. My subject this week is my 10x great grandfather
Edward Holyoke Jr.

The Holyoke family is a prominent one in Massachusetts history. The family
name is carried by a city, a mountain, and a college in the state, and a Holyoke
was one of the presidents of Harvard University. (Mount Holyoke is named after
my 9x great granduncle, Elizur Holyoke, and the college is names after the mountain.
There is some disagreement whether the city of Holyoke was named after the
nearby mountain or the man. I would think if it were named after the mountain, the
city would be called Mount Holyoke instead. But I digress). I'm descended from
Mary Holyoke, one of Edward's five daughters.

As usual, my first stop looking for information was Google ebooks, where I
found this:

Edward Holyoke emigrated from Tamworth, England, to Massachusetts, and was
residing in Lynn in 1636-37. In 1638 he was made a freeman, and in the same year
the town of Lynn granted him five hundred acres of land, both upland and meadow.
He subsequently settled in Rumney Marsh, now Chelsea. “He was a member of the
Quarterly Court from 1639 to 1643, also in 1647-48, and was a representative in ten
sessions of the General Court.” His death occurred May,4, 1660. In June, 1612, he
married Prudence, daughter of the Rev. John Stockton, of Kinhalt, England. Edward
Holyoke left one son, Elizur, and five daughters.(pp103-104) Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens of the State of Maine (Google eBook)New England Historical Publishing Company, 1903 - Maine

I've already mentioned that some of Edward's descendants were famous. What I
didn't realize was that Edward himself was well known. I'll discuss that in the next
part.

To be continued

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #17: JOHN CHENEY PT2

Still looking for more on ancestor John Cheney of Newbury, I found this in another
Google Book ebook edition tonight:

"At Newbury John Cheney prospered. His allotments of land were large. He had a good stand in the "old town," and on shore and stream elsewhere. He had three acres granted, June 19, 1638, at the westerly end of the great swamp behind the great hill; August 25, same year, six acres of salt marsh; then a parcel of marsh with little islands of upland in it, about twenty acres. Little River on the northwest, formerly part of the calf common, assigned to him, July 5, 1639. Lot No. 50 in the "New Towne" on Field street was granted him, January 10. 1643. He was a member of the grand jury, April 27, 1648; selectman often; member of a committee to lay out the way to the neck and through the neck to the marshes on the east side of the old town, November 29, 1654. He was interested in public affairs and was one of the famous ten men of Newbury who took such interest in the campaign of Governor Winthrop against Sir Harry Vane that they made a journey of forty miles afoot from Newbury to Cambridge to take the freeman's oath. They were admitted May 17, 1637. It was by such earnest action on the part of his supporters that Winthrop was elected again and the conservative party triumphed. He died July 28, 1666, leaving a will, dated June 5, 1666, written in his own hand".p619
New 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 2 (Google eBook) Lewis historical publishing Company, New York, New York, 1913

From what I've been able to gather so far, Sir Henry Vane was a Royalist which would not
have endeared him to the Puritans and to add to that mark against him, he'd also been a
supporter of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. I need to find out more about his
short time in New England.

My descent from John Cheney is
John Cheney & Martha (Parrat?)
Daniel Cheney & Sarah Bailey
Eleanor Cheney & Thomas Safford
John Safford & Martha Haskell
Ruth Safford & Samuel Haskell
Martha Haskell & Moses Houghton
Sally Houghton & James T Dunham
Florilla Dunham & Asa F Ellingwood
Clara Ellingwood & Philip J West
Floyd E West Sr & Cora B Barker (my grandparents)

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #17: JOHN CHENEY

Fellow geneablogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued the
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Basically, we have to post something every
week on a different ancestor, whether a story, picture, or research problem. For
this prompt I've tried to concentrate on ancestors I haven't researched as much
as I have others in my family tree. For Week 17, the post is about 9x great grandfather John Cheney.

I love Google ebooks! I've found so much there over the years about various ancestors.
This is from genealogist and author Ellery Bicknell Crane:

John Cheney (1), the immigrant ancestor of George Washington Cheney, of Winchendon, Massachusetts, was born In England. Rev. John Eliot, the Indian Apostle, who 
was his pastor at Roxbury, wrote: "John Cheney he came into the land in the yeare 
1635. he brought 4 children Mary, Martha, John, Daniel. Sarah, his fifth child, 
was borne last month of the same year 1635 cald February. He removed from our 
church to Newbury the end of the next summer 1636. Martha Cheney was the wife
of John Cheney."

He was received into the Newbury Church from Roxbury. He was fined with 
other citizens for absence at the town meeting, April 21, 1638, but later his fine 
was remitted on account of his having a reasonable excuse. He had a good house 
lot in the old town, also plenty of good land along the river and shore. He received 
a grant of three acres, June 19, 1638, in the meadow at the west end of the great 
swamp. Numerous other lots were granted. He was on the grand jury April 27, 
1648. He was so interested in the contest for governor between Sir Harry Vane 
and John Winthrop that he and others came from Newbury to Cambridge on foot 
to take the freeman's oath, so that they could vote for Winthrop. That was a forty 
mile walk each way. No wonder Winthrop won the election. He was admitted
a freeman May 17. 1637. He became a very prominent citizen. He was selectman 
several times. He died July 28, 1666. He wrote his will June 5, 1666. His wife 
died about 16S4. Their children were: Mary, born in England, 1627, married, 
September 3, 1645, William Lawes, of Rowley; Martha, born in England, 1629. 
married (first ) Anthony Sadler; (second) Thomas Burkby, of Ipswich; John, born
in England, 1631; Daniel, born in England. 1633; Sarah, born in Roxbury. February 
25, 1635-36, married, December 23, 1652. Joseph Plummer. of Newbury; Peter, 
born in Newbury, 1638; Lydia, born in Newbury, 1639, married. November 12, 
1657, John Kenrick, of Ipswich; Hannah, born November 16, 1642, married, 
November 16, 1659, Richard Smith, Jr., of Ipswich; Nathaniel, born at Newbury, 
January 12, 1647, never married; Elizabeth, born at Newbury, January 12, 1647, 
married Stephen Cross, of Ipswich.-p231

Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts: With a History of Worcester Society of Antiquity, Volume 4 (Google eBook) Lewis Publishing Company, 1907 - Worcester County (Mass.)

That part about John being involved in the election between John Winthrop and Sir Henry Vane is very interesting. I wonder if I can find out more.

To be continued.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #16:SAMUEL DUNHAM SR. "UNDER ADMONITION'

Fellow geneablogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Basically, we have to post something every week
on a different ancestor, whether a story, picture, or research problem. For this prompt
I've tried to concentrate on ancestors I haven't researched as much as I have others in
my family tree. But I ran across some new interesting stories about my 7x great grandfather Samuel Dunham Sr. (1651-1718) of Plymouth Colony. So they will be
the subject of my Week 16 post.

I've written before about the Dunham men and the court records I'd found of some of
their shenanigans, but I'd found no evidence of Samuel Sr. having broken any laws.
Well, today I discovered that while he hadn't broken any civil laws, he seems to have strayed a bit off the straight and narrow as far as the Church was concerned. I found
two instances in the Googlebook edition of Plymouth Church Records, 1620-1859,
Part 1 .The first is from 1683:

June, 17: Samuel Dunham senior was called forth to manifest his Repentance publickly in order to his Reconciliation with the church, his speech was psenitentiall & well tending to satisfaction, but one Brother alleadged some matter of scruple upon his spirit as to the sincerity of his Repentance, intimating he had both spoken & done something inconsistent therewith, upon which it was concluded to respite the issue of the matter a fortnight longer.

June, 27: at the conference-meeting, it was propounded to the church concerning Sam: Dunham; sundry of the Bretheren spake charitably concerning him that Brother who before had spoken in publick, said he should rest in the act of the church:

July, 1: Samuel Dunham senior was Reconciled to the church. p252

While the first incident played out over the course of a few weeks, the second took nearly
a year befored it was resolved, starting in 1689:

Nov: 20: the church stayed after the Lecture After prayer by the Pastor the Elders then declared matter of offence against Brother Samuel Dunham, partly in that he had taken the Name of God in vaine before many witnesses, in [o]ften saying those words, the curse of God is upon the head & pluck with many other unsavoury speeches; partly by intemperance in drinking which sister Jackson testifyed against him before [t]he Elders to his face, as to the next day after the sacrament in October last; others of the church then testifyed, that it was commonly reported of him, & they had divers times seene him disguised with drinke; said offender though he spake some good words yet not soe as to satisfy the church, & therefore by an universall vote of the church he was laid under Admonition & not to come to the Lords supper till he had manifested his Repentance for his inordinate walking by a reformed conversation, the Elder then concluded with prayer.p267

And it appears that's where matters stood until September of 1690:

Sep: 8: The church met at the Pastors house, after prayer performed by the Pastor, the Elder propounded to the church the desires of Samuel Dunham to be reconciled to the church, he being called to manifest his Repentance before the church, did expresse himselfe humbly & penitently, some bretheren1 Testifyed that of late they had observed some amendment of his conversation, the Issue was, by the vote of the bretheren he was accepted againe to communion with us.p270

Plymouth Church Records, 1620-1859, Part 1 (Google eBook) First Church of Christ (Plymouth, Mass.), Plymouth (Mass.). First Church  Colonial Society of New England 1920

I need to see if there's any mention of my other Plymouth area ancestors in this book!

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #15: ANDREW MITCHELL PT2

I learned several new things from analyzing the will and probate record of my 7x
great grandfather Andrew Mitchell:

1. He mentions his wife Abiah in the will. Since I descend from his marriage to
Abigail Atwood I thought at first this was she, but then I realized she had died some
twenty years before Andrew's death. A search of the Early Vital Records of Massachusetts website turned up a marriage of an Andrew Mitchell to the widow Abiah(Norton) Haseltine on 12Apr 1714 in Bradford, Ma. Andrew had a second
wife I hadn't known about!

2. Andrew owned a saw mill, which he bequeathed to four of his sons in this part of his will:

Thirdly, I give and bequeath unto my four sons viz: Andrew & James, William and
John my Saw Mill together with the priviledge of the stream, & all other rights &
priviledges goes to the Same belonging to be equally divided between them. I
also give unto the said four sons the farm which I bought of Joatham Hendricks to
be owbed betwixt them in the following manner viz: Andrew to have Seventy
Acres, James fifty & William & John fortyacres each and if the said farm more then
two hundred acres then the remainder is to be divided in the same proportion &
if it is containing less it is also to be divided in the same proportion, the premises
above mentioned I give to my said four sons & to their heirs & assigns in fee
simple forever.

After Andrew's death the court appointed arbitrators who divided the land up. This
was the share allotted to my 6x great grandfather Andrew Mitchell Jr:

The Second Lot to Andrew Mitchell & His Heirs being about ninety eight acres
be the same more or less bounding as follows with/ viz: beginning at the black
oak tree aforesaid & thence easterly about ninety-six pols to a black oak tree
marked thence northerly across the farme to a Stake & Stone by land of Amos
Baily's thence westerly fower pols to a stump being a  bound of Baily's Land
thence northerly by Baily's Land to a Stump by Spiket Road thence Westerly
about forty eight pols to a Stake & Stone aforesd being a bound of Willm
Mitchels thence Southerly by William Mitchels Lot to the bound first mentioned.

3. I discovered two of Andrew's children I hadn't known about before, William
and Susannah, because of the Will.

Once again, proof of the value of wills and probate files in filling in missing
information about an ancestor!

THE FOURTH AMERICAN CIVIL WAR BLOGPOST CHALLENGE

It's time for this year's edition of the American Civil War Genealogy Blog
Challenge. This year, I've picked a submission deadline of August 2nd to
honor the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama, a naval campaign during which
David Farragut said "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead". It began on
2Aug, 1864.

This is how you can participate:

Did you have ancestors in America during the Civil War? If so, where were they
and what were their circumstances? How did the Civil War affect them and
their family? Did the men enlist and did they perish in battle or die of illness?
On which side did they fight, or did you have relatives fighting on BOTH sides?
How did the women left at home cope, or did any of them find ways to help
the war effort? Were your ancestors living as slaves on Southern plantations
and if so when were they freed?  Or were they freemen of color who enlisted
to fight?

Have you visited a Civil War battlefield or monument to those who fought?
It could be connected to your family history, or just one that you've visited
at some point.

If your ancestors had not emigrated to America as yet, what was their life
like around the time of the Civil War?

The 150 year celebration of the Civil War is a great source for those of us
blogging about our family history. So, let's do a little research over the coming
weeks between now and August 2nd. Find out the answers to the questions
I asked and write about them. Or if you think of another topic to do with your
family history and the Civil War, write about that. Send me the link when you
publish it on your blog and I'll post all the links here on August 15th.

THE SECOND GENEA-BLOGGERS' JUST MAKE UP SOME LYRICS CHALLENGE ROUNDUP

Welcome to "The Second Genea-Bloggers' Just Make Up Some Lyrics
Challenge " These were the rules:


1. Set the names of your ancestors to the music of any song. It can be
any number of names, any song. Just remember to mention what song
you are using so we can all "sing along" as we read!

2. Publish your efforts on your blog and send me the link. If you don't have
a blog( and you really should, you know, they're easy and fun to do) then send
me your song in a comment to this blog.


Recently I've started to think of this as a genealogy version of "America's
Got Talent", only I call it "Geneabloggers Have Talent". The bloggers who
took part in the Challenge prove that with their wit and sense of humor. It's
not easy coming up with genealogy lyrics to a song but the participants came
up with  posts that made me laugh and sing along.(although I did the singing
silently in my head, so I wouldn't scare my neighbors.) So, ladies and
gentlemen, grab your popcorn and favorite beverage, sit back, read, and enjoy
the show. Then please leave comments on each blog to let the bloggers know
how much you appreciated their songs!  


First up is Dorene of the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay cleverly reworks
the classic French folk song "Frere Jacques" to honor members of her Dad's

family. Check it out at her Second Great Genealogy `Just Make Up Some 

Genealogy Lyrics' Challenge! post. 

Remember Tommy James & the Shondells? I do (ah, the music of my youth!) 

and so does Jenny Lanctot over at Are My Roots Showing? She sets her song

lyrics to the music of  "Draggin' the Line" in Just Make Up the Lyrics Challenge: 

Maternal Line  

 I have to be honest: John Newmark's entry is my favorite. Why? Well, imagine

Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins doing the classic song

"Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious" Can you see that number with all the 

singers and dancers? Ok. Now change the name of the song to the genealogy

themed "NewmarkCruvantFeinsteinLichtmanAdlerDeutschAndDenyer". It

makes me smile just typing that. Read his Surname Saturday: Genealogy Filk 

at his TransylvanianDutch blog. 

The next entry takes us from Hollywood to Broadway. Heather Wilkinson 

Rojo's song lyrics are set to the classic song "Somewhere" from West Side

Story. Again as I read her lyrics I could envision it as a Broadway stage

production.  Go to Heather's Nutfield Genealogy blog, read her The

GeneaBloggers "Just Make Up Some Lyrics Challenge" and see what I 

mean!

Back during the first Lyrics Challenge I had two ideas for a genealogy 

themed song, one of which was based on "End of  The Line" by the

Traveling Wilburys but I went with another song based on a song by the
Moody Blues. Then I lost the lyrics for the Wilburys' song, so I had to
redo it from scratch. You can read the result at Just Make Up The Lyrics:
"On My Paternal Line"

That concludes our "Geneabloggers Have Talent" show. As I said earlier

please leave comments on each blog to let them know how much you enjoyed
their post.

And my thanks to all that took part in "The Second Genea-Bloggers' Just Make
Up Some Lyrics Challenge "

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #15: ANDREW MITCHELL PT1

Fellow geneablogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Basically, we have to post something every week
on a different ancestor, whether a story, picture, or research problem. For this prompt
I've tried to concentrate on ancestors I haven't researched as much as I have others in
my family tree. So for Week 15 my subject is Andrew Mitchell. my 7x great grandfather.

What I already know about Andrew is that he was born in Charlestown, Ma. around
1662, the son of Thomas Mitchell and Mary Moulton. He married Abigail Atwood  in
Charlestown on 12 Nov 1686 and they proceeded to have a family of ten children, five
boys and five girls. Their fifth child and oldest son was my 6x great grandfather Andrew
Mitchell, Jr. At some point after the birth of their eighth child in September 1699 they
left Charlestown and moved to the town of Haverhill, Ma. Abigail died there on 12 Dec 1714. Andrew lived on until 25 Nov 1736.

My descent from Andrew Mitchell & Abigail Atwood  to my grandparents is as
follows:

Andrew Mitchell & Abigail Atwood
Andrew Mitchell Jr.& Hannah Ayer
Abigail Mitchell & Jonathan Barker Jr.
Jonathan Barker 3rd & Abigail Swan
Nathaniel Barker & Huldah Hastings
Amos Hasting Barker &  Betsey Jane Moore     Nathaniel Swan Barker & Lucy Coburn
Frank Wesley Barker & Charlotte Lovenia Barker
Cora Berthella Barker& Floyd E West Sr.  

Whenever I have relatives from colonial Charlestown, I look them up in Roger Thompson's excellent book From Deference to Defiance: Charlestown, Massachusetts, 1629-1692 (NEHGS , Boston, Ma. 2012). On p.399 I found a story about how an
Andrew Mitchell had badly beaten his servant Consider Sampson in 1690. The year would fall in the right time period before the Mitchell's left Charlestown so it's
probably my ancestor.

I also was able to find Andrew's Will & Probate file over on the FamilySearch. I'll discuss the provisions in the next post, but the file also contained an interesting

statement from Joshua Bayley, who was Andrew Mitchell's doctor in his final illness:

 
Honrd Sr I had the care of old Mr. Micthel the whole time of his last illness- at ye first
visit I judged his distemper would prove mortall & on ye Saturdy night when his will
was made I was sent for in haste & was informed by ye messenger yt it was believed
he would dy before morning, but it being verry stormy & late in ye night I could not
go, knowing yt I could do him no good-at all times when I was with him I tho't him in
his right mind-  I am (worthy sir) ye servt  to command-
Joshua Bayley
Haverll Novye 30th 1736

Dr. Bayley was, it seems, a very pragmatic physician.

To be continued.
                                                                         

"THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD"

Today is the 239th Anniversary of the Battles of Lexington  & Concord which
started the American Revolution on 19Apr 1775. While the traditional
reenactments of the battles will take place today, they are celebrated in
Massachusetts on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April, when the Boston
Marathon is run.

These are our colonial ancestors from our Dad' s family lines for whom I have
so far been able to discover records.



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.


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. .


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  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. 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 Abbott   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.

'CONCORD HYMN' BY RALPH WALDO EMERSON

((I first posted this back in 2012 for the 237th anniversary. I'm posting
it again a day early for the 239th. Many of my ancestors answered
the alarm on 19Apr 1775 and I'll republish a list of their names tomorrow.)) 


We've all heard about the "shot heard round the world"
fired at Concord, but there's more to the poem. So, in honor of the
239th anniversary of the Battles of Concord and Lexington, here's
Ralph Waldo Emerson's  "Concord Hymn":


Concord Hymn
       by
Ralph Waldo Emerson

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.


The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.


On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set today a votive stone;
That memory may their deed redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.


Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

SATURDAY NIGHT GENEALOGY FUN: WHAT SOURCES HAVE I USED THE MOST?

It'a another Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver over at the
Genea-Musings blog. This week has to do with sources and citations and these
are the rules:

 Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:

1)  Have you done a good job of citing your sources in your genealogy management program or online family tree?  How are you doing?  How many source citations do you have, and how many people are in your tree?  What is the sources to persons ratio?

2)  Which master source (e.g., 1900 U.S. census, Find A Grave, specific book, etc.) do you have the most citations for?  How many?  How did you figure this out?

3)  Tell us in your own blog post, in comments to this post, or on Facebook or Google+ in a post.  Be sure to leave a comment with a link to your post on this blog post.



So I hope I've done this right:

I post my research primarily on Ancestry.com and then download it to my RootsMagic6
database on my hard drive. My last download  was in November, 2013. On that  I have 30,582  people with 78516 citations from 509 sources. Like Randy, I used a Source List
Report. Mine ended up at 2242 pages and these are the sources with the highest number
of citations:

1930 Federal Census: 8344 citations.

1910 Federal Census: 7623 citations

1920 Federal Census: 7240 citations

1940 Federal Census: 5811 citations

1880 Federal Census: 4039 citations

Social Security Death Index: 3578 citations

The Ancestors & Descendants of Asa Freeman Ellingwood & Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood: 3509 citations

The Ellinwood (Ellenwood/Ellingwood) Family 1635-1963: 2468 citations

1860 Federal Census: 1508 citations

1850 Federal Census:1261 citations.
  
Two of these are genealogy books about my Ellingwood ancestors. I spent the
last two years adding to my tree and double-checking the information from the
books. The rest are all from Ancestry.com. There's a lot of citations from
FamilySearch and Find a Grave but these are the ones with the highest number.

STEPHEN GREENLEAF Jr., 9APR 1689 AND A NEW FAMILY MYSTERY

(Today is the 325th Anniversary of 8x great grandfather Stephen Greenleaf Jr.
reporting a conversation involving a William Sargent. At the time I wrote this 
back in June 2009 I thought it was my 9x great grandfather William Sargent,
but he had died in 1675. I now believe it refers to his son, also named William,
my 8x great granduncle, so the mystery is, I think, solved.))




Stephen Greenleaf, Sr. had come to the Bay Colony with his father Edmund Greenleaf
and settled in Newbury, Essex Co. Ma. On 13Nov 1651 he married Elizabeth Coffin,
daughter of Tristram Coffin and Dionis Stevens and his first son, Stephen Greenleaf,
Jr. was born 15Aug 1652.

Stephen Jr. is most often referred to as Captain Greenleaf in the family genealogy and
is termed a "great Indian fighter." I've found several references to his having had a
prominent role in a battle in 1690 in Wells, Maine but as yet I haven't found any
account of the event anywhere else online. However, I have found several documents
dealing with his military career.

The first of these seems to be a report of a conversation he had or overheard with a man
named William Sargeant(Sargent) of Amesbury. This took place during the campaign in
Maine of 1689:

"Testimony of S. Greenleafe Junr
The testimony of Stephen Greenleaf Jun. That on the 8th of Aprill he heard Wm Sargeant
of Ames bury who came lately from the Indians (among whom he had bin a season) to
affirme these things to be told by the Indians.

That the Gouernour had agreed with three nations of Indians besides the Mowhakes to
come downe vpon the English & on the agree mt had given them some money & some coats,

That the Penicook Indians had no designe for warre, but they being in combination with the mowhakes he thought they would be ruled by them, & do as they did.

That he thought that euery day that it was neglected it was too long, & he was affraid that
there would be bloud shed.

That he had done no hurt agt the English, & he was glad he went no farther then Mr Hinks
his house with the post letters, & mr Hinks stopt him,

Divers other words were spoken, but this as farre as he remembers was the substance of
what was spoken
Taken on oath Aprill 9th 1689. before me Jon Woodbridge J. P".

James Phinney Baxter, History of the State of Maine Maine Historical Society
Portland, Me. 1890 pp472-473

I think the "Gouernor" refers to the French Governor of Quebec.

Now what struck me about this testimony was the name of the person that it concerns:
William Sargeant of Amesbury. One of my ancestors is William Sargent of Amesbury and
now I'm wondering if this is him. And if it is, what was he doing spending a season among
the Indians? Noting the April 8th date, then Sargeant had spent the winter, perhaps
trapping or trading for fur with the tribes .

I've found no answers to this as yet. So now I have a new family mystery to solve!

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #14: MARY TILDEN

Fellow geneablogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Basically, we have to post something every week on a different ancestor, whether a story, picture, or research problem. For Week 14 the subject is my 7x great grandmother Mary Tilden.

Like most of the ancestors I've researched for this series, Mary Tilden was mostly a mystery to me other than some basic information. She was born in Scituate, Ma. on 7Apr 1668. Her parents were Stephen Tilden and Hannah Little. On 3 Jan 1692 she married my 7x great grandfather James Thomas, and I'm descended from their  eldest son John Thomas. I had even less information about her parents, so I set about finding more.

What I found was another Mayflower ancestor connection.

I discovered that Hannah Little was the daughter of Thomas Little and Ann Warren. Ann
was the daughter of  Mayflower passenger  Richard Warren and his wife Elizabeth (LNU).
This is the line of descent down to my grandparents Floyd E West and Cora Bertha Barker:

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 Dunahm & Sally Houghton
Florilla Dunham & Asa Ellingwood
Clara Ellingwood & Philip J West
Floyd E West Sr & Cora Bertha Barker

The irony is I already had a Warren connection from another of his daughters.

Richard Warren & Elizabeth (LNU)
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
Philip J West & Clara Ellingwood
Floyd E West Sr & Cora Bertha Barker

I need to do more digging on the Tilden, Little, and Thomas families!

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #11: WILLIAM PINSON PT7

There's a total of eight pages of testimony in Thomas Robbin's case against my
ancestor William Pinson for verbal and physical abuse. I've picked out some
passages from them

Rebecca Bligh. aged about forty-three years, testified that she had often come into
the house of her father Robbins where she heard her mother complain of the abuse by
William Pynson by his frequent bawling and railing in the house. Her mother told her
that she would rather die than live in such a place where there was continual scolding
and such contention and disturbance in the family, said Pynson usurping such authority
over them. Sworn, Feb.14 , 1684-85 before John Hathorne, assistant. p480
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County Volume IX Published and Copyrighted by the Essex Institute 1975 
 
From  John Bligh Jr, grandson of Thomas Robbins ...one tyme some Indians being
there drinking Pynsons wife came in & fetcht away ye skillett, reproueing him for
doeing so, he said he would rather drinkwith them then with her for he said he was
sure that Peter ye Indians squaw was handsomer then shee... p482

Thomas Robbins aged about sixty-eight years, testified that three years ago, the
night before Thanksgiving, Pynson threatened to have his own wife whipped and
deponent objected to  his treating his cousin, Pynson's wife, in such a manner and struck him on the head with his shoe, although his hands were lame.Pynson through
 the shoe into the fire and tried to throw him in also.... He ordered his wife to kill some cocks before he went into the woods and when he came home and found them, he cursed her until she cried bitterly and said if he didn't kill the other two cocks before he slept, he would cut his own throat."But as yet he hath neither cutt his own throate nor killed ye Cocks" p483

George Thomas, aged about forty-eight years, testified that when Robbins lay very sick
upon a low bed, he was a witness to the writing and Robbins was not capapble of
knowing what he did, and had to be helped in guiding his hand. Sworn June 29 1685
before John Hathorne, assistant. p484

Once again the question was raised whether the document giving William Pinson control
of Thomas Robbins' estate was legitimate. And what of the Blighs? In that land transaction
Robbins had stated that his niece Rebecca Pinson was his only heir, yet it seems he had
a daughter and grandson as well.

So, what was the final verdict given in the case against William Pinson, who celebrated
Christmas, drank with Indians, who behaved abominably to his wife and her elderly
uncle and aunt, and who may have tricked an old sick man into signing over all his
possessions?

William Pinson, presented for cursing and swearing, was admonished, it not being
proved that it occurred within the year. Tho. Robbins declared he went in fear of his
life and court sentenced  Pinson to give bond for good behavior.p485

I have to admit, I was astonished by this. What did the Court know that could possibly
justify letting off William Pinson so lightly? This is not the first time I wish that there had
been some sort of commentary included that explains the ruling in a case.

But still, it's a fascination story. And I love that aside about "But as yet he hath neither cutt his own throate nor killed ye Cocks"

DEADLINE REMINDER FOR THE SECOND GENEABLOGGERS' JUST MAKE UP THE LYRICS CHALLENGE.

The deadline for The Second Geneabloggers Just Make Up Some Lyrics Challenge
is only a week away. Here's a reminder about the rules:

1. Set the names of your ancestors to the music of any song. It can be
any number of names, any song. Just remember to mention what song
you are using so we can all "sing along" as we read!

2. Publish your efforts on your blog and send me the link. If you don't have
a blog( and you really should, you know, they're easy and fun to do) then send
me your song in a comment to this blog.

2. Dead line is April 15th. I'll publish the final list of links here on  April
    25th.

I've already had some great responses and I'm hoping to see more before
next week!

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #11: WILLIAM PINSON PT6

The previous statement from Thomas Robbins appears to have been a request for
the Court to hear his case against my ancestor William Pinson. When the case was
actually heard on 30June 1685, he went into a little more detail in his accusations.
First, a few observations:

-Notice how many times William Pinson's last name is spelled differently in the petition.

- I wish I knew what the rule was in Puritan times as to when the letter "v" was to be written as the letter "u". I don't know how many times I typed "v" and had to change it
while doing this transcription(of another transcription)

Here's Thomas Robbins' petition:


Petition of Thomas Robbins June 30, 1685, to Salem Court "whom sence of ye greate afflction he now doth& hath a Long Tyme undergon both himself & his wife in ye howse where I live with William Pincen of wch seuerallof my Friends & neighbors haue bin ey witnesses unto & ye great grieuance that I labor under with this Pynson compells me to trouble this honored Court with a declaration of ye same unto you in wch ye seuerall euidences herewith presented you will sufficiently make manifest unto you how grossely I am abused by him ; as I hope ye honors will find cause not to Judge me Blame worthy in this my Complaint against ye gd Pynson but on ye contrary be solicitious  for me & poore wife to direct unto a way for or help & redress. I would not be ouer tedious in excerising yor patience with too Long a rehearsall of matters agt him but referr to ye euidences sworne: This Pynson in  ye tyme of my greate sickness when to all peoples apprehension about me neer my dissolution & uinsensible of what I did, obtained from me an Instrument of conveyance of my estate unto him,wch I was humbly Judge of noe more value than if a dead man if it was possible had don it ye said writeing being not made by my knowledge understanding or approbation neither was it made in my howse or hearing & so doe hope that ye will Judge the thing to be Fraudently obtained from  me & besides manifest proofe is against him that he hath not onely attempted to murder me in a Barbarous manner by throweing me on ye Fire ; & other horrid & absurd abuses to me & my poore [wife] at Seurall other Tymes both by word & deed but& also in selling & disposeing of my estate contrary to my allowance or consent; wch absolutely hath broken & Forfeited his pretended Interest to my estate & morour as for ye Instrument of Gift wchby that manner he obtained from me since I came to see it ; I find therein mentioned according to conditions as a Bond given me; whereas Indeed that wch he termed a Bond is noe&nbsp Bond as may appeare to ye honord Court & when I asked him for it he tooke it  to me & bid me doe what I would with it he cared not for it--now ye honord  Court may please to think that if I had bin Rational & had taken a Bond from him, whether or noe I should have Left it with him to have kept for me."
-pp479-480 
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County Volume IX Published and Copyrighted by the Essex Institute 1975


Now, this puts another spin on things. Besides accusing William Pinson of physically
and verbally abusing him, Thomas Robbins is now adding the claim that the document which gave William control of the Robbins estate was fraudulently obtained while Thomas was ill and not capable of making such a decision.

I'll have some of the testimony in the case next.

To be continued.

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #11: WILLIAM PINSON PT5

The third court record involving William Pinson is not very pleasant to read. It seems my
8x great grandfather was not a nice person, according to the testimony of Thomas Robbins
and others before the Essex County Court in Salem. The case took place in June 1685. I
had some trouble finding the records, but luckily genealogy friend Genj Composer
located Vol IX on the University of Virginia's Salem Witch Trials website.

Five years earlier Thomas Robbins  had signed over all his property to his nephew by
marriage, William Pinson, in exchange for William' s promise to provide food, clothing
and shelter to Robbins and Robbins' wife. Apparently, he failed miserably:


"June 1686
Thomas Robbins of Salem v. William Pinson of Salem. Foer xuesing, swearing, and
reproachfully speaking speaking of persons and abusing him by throwing him in
the fire. *

*William Pinson's bond for good behavior, dated July 4, 1685, and giving his house and
land  for security, the said land being eleven acres, bounded by Mr. John Clifford on the west, land of Jacob Allen on the north, Mrs. Hollinworth on the east and by the sea on 
the south. Owned in court.

Thomas Robbin's request, dated Jan.10, 1684-5, of the Worsh. John Hathorne, Esq.:
Under ye sence of greate grievance which I haue Just cause to complaine of against
William Pynson. The concerne between us being not unknowne to ye most of ye
Inhabitants of this Towne of Salem. First I declare against him that he hath forfeited
his bond in not prouiding for me & my wifeaccording to the Couenenant, not prouiding
this winter nor other tymes before since he hath bin in ye enjoyment of my Estate
neither cloathing nor drink or severall other things necessary & suitable for ye age of
such people as myself & my aged wife but on ye contrary hath not only much neglected
us in this respect but shamefully abuses us both in word & deed This Pyson hath
notwithstanding taken care of his owne belly  as in getting fresh meat & strong liquor
for himself but wee ye poore Ancient people might have starved for all his care & regard
of us & whereas he made out of my orchard about 15 or 16 barrels of syder: he hath in
a most profuse &Lauish manner wasted & consumed it for about a month or six weeks
agoe so that now not any to be had in ye howse & not aboue one peck of wheate
brought into ye house for neer upon a Twelve month & this peck was brought at
Christmas Last for him & his friends to make merry withall & for my apparrell I am in
such a condition as I am ashamed to relate & hath threatened me that this weeke
he will dispose of of me too as Benj.Fuller can Testifie: & also said that I should be
in hell before Long my wife will owne ye relation aforesaid & to ye grief of her
heart desires that her condition may be considered."-p478-479 Records and Files
of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County Volume IX Published and Copyrighted by
the Essex Institute 1975

Two things about this excerpt:
- From the description of the land William Pinson gave up for security I now know
William's land was somewhere along the coast in Salem.

- I knew already that that the Puritans didn't usually celebrate Christmas. So when
I saw the testimony from Thomas Robbins' that Pinson and his friends had celebrated
Christmas I looked into it. After the Restoration of the Stuart kings in England the law
that punished anyone celebrating Christmas was repealed in 1681. Still, most colonists
held to the Puritan view of the holiday, and the story of William Pinson "making merry"
was not going to help his defense against his father-in law's accusations.

To be continued. 

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS #13: SAMUEL HASKELL

Fellow geneablogger Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued the 52
Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Basically, we have to post something every week
on a different ancestor, whether a story, picture, or research problem. I'm not done
with my Week 11 ancestor William Pinson yet and I'll return to him in the next post.
B ut for Week 13, my subject is my about my 5x great grandfather Samuel Haskell
This won't be a terribly long post. It concerns an item in his Oxford County Maine
Probate File which I found on FamilySearch. 

Samuel Haskell was born in Harvard, Worcester County Ma. to Samuel Haskell,Sr.
and Sybil Willard on12 Jun 1749. Twenty one years later he married his fourth
cousin Ruth Safford (they were both descendants of William Haskell and Elinor
Cook) on  6 Dec 1770. They had twelve children, the last of whom was born in
1799, and sometime between then and 1810 the family moved from Harvard up
to Gorham, Maine. By 1820 they were in Waterford, Maine, where Samuel died
sometime before 18Jan 1826 which is the earliest dated document in the Probate
File. I'm not sure why it took ten years for the estate to finally be settled. Samuel
died in debt and there are several court orders that the estate be sold over the
course of that decade.Eventually an auction was held, and one of the items on
the list of what was sold caught my attention.

An auction was held on 8 Sept 1834 and the items fill two pages and part of a
third. Here's the image I found on FamilySearch for that page:

The first two items on the page are:
"One bottle of pepper sauce      .17  Eunice  Haskell
Four bottles                               .17     Do       Do "

Eunice Haskell was one of Samuel and Ruth's children. The "Do" under her
name stands for "ditto". When I read what Eunice bought from her parents'
estate on that page I wondered why those two things. Ruth Haskell had died a
year after Samuel, so if Eunice bought the pepper sauce to eat and it was seven
years old, I'm not sure it would still be edible. Maybe it was something Eunice
herself had made since then on the premises since she was single and perhaps she
had stayed on at the family home after her parents died. Those other four bottles
she bought must have been empty, since there's no indication on the list that
they contained anything. Was Eunice going to make more pepper sauce and needed
those jars?

It's not a big question, just one of those things I run across in the Probate Records
that makes me wonder.