52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 4: WILLIAM TAY

Continuing on with the 2015 edition of Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.
at her No Story Too Small blog:


My 7x great grandfather Benjamin Walker is another of my "quiet" ancestors
for whom I've found very little information so far. I've found some land records
that I have to analyze. He's probably better know as the husband of Grace Tay,
(also known as Grace Toy) one of whose embroidered samplers has survived to
this century and is well known. Luckily I've found information on her father and
grandfather and they will be my next subjects.

Grace Tay's grandfather (and my 8x great grandfather) was William Tay who was
born in England around 1608.  He had to have come to Massachusetts sometime
before 1644 because he married Grace Newell, daughter of Abraham and Francis
Newell, on  14Sep 1644. I had found he died in Boston in 1683 and thought he may
have spent his whole life there until I found this a history of Billerica, Ma. when I
googled his name :

TAY. 1. "William was granted '-a ten-acre lot or one single share,"
1656, November. The tirst location of a part of this grant was made 1658,
December, as follows : '"fifty and six acres" (or one-half of his upland)
"be it more or less, his house standing upon part of the same, bounded by
ye country road on ye East ; by the comons (partly East) and South; and
North, partly by ye comons, partly by Willm Chamberline and Willm French,
partly by Henery Jeiffs, and on ye West and North-West partly by comons
and partly by Henery Jeftts ; also what meadow lyeth in ye said land is
granted to him for one acre and a quarter, in part of his first division of
meadow." This place was west of Bare Hill, and was near if not exactly
where Dr. Noyes lives. Mr. Tay was in Boston as early as 1643, a dis-
tiller there. He was town clerk, 1664. As his name does not appear on
the garrison-list of 1675, it seems probable that he fled to Boston before
the indian alarms of that year, and never returned, as he died there. I am
indebted to Savage for his family record. He m. 1644, Sept. 14. Grace
Newell, of Roxbury. His will was proved 1683, April 12. and gives his
age 72. His widow d. in Roxbury 1712, April 11. aged 91. Ch. Grace, b.
1645, Aug. 23; m. Thomas Willice, 2. John. h. 1647, Nov. 16, and d.
before his father, leaving dau. Elizabeth. Isaiah, b. 1650-1, March 4; was
in King Philip's War, and lived in Boston; a Representative in 1700, and
often after. Abiel, b. 16.53-4. Jan. 21. Nathaniel, 2, b. 1655-6. Feb. 23.
Jeremiah, b. 1657, July 18 ; lived in Boston. Elizabeth, b. 1660. June 25. 
p148

Henry Allen Hazen, History of Billerica, Massachusetts: With a Genealogical Register

A. Williams and Company, 1883 - Billerica (Mass.)

I hadn't known before about the time William Tay had lived in Billerica, nor
that he had been town clerk!

THE VALUE OF A COMPASS PT3

I love this story for a number of reasons.

One is the writing style. The author Mark Tapley, couldn't have known it
but journalism was about to change in the next ten years. His writing style  is
Victorian, with words like "anon" and "thence" and phrases like "the sleep
that knows no waking."  The advent of World War 1 and then the era of
muckraking reporters would put an end to the florid style of the 19th century.

Another reason I like it is that it of course features my ancestor John West in
a heroic mode and told me something I hadn't known before I read it, that he
had a team of oxen, one of whom he had named Star, and that he delivered
supplies to a logging camp in winter when he couldn't farm.

I've pondered how Mark Tapley learned of the incident. John West had died in 1862,
forty-three years before the story was written,but five of his children were still alive
and living in the area. Since the it features John so prominently, I suspect it was either
my 2x great grandfather Jonathan P West or one of his brothers, Hiram or Asa, that was
Mr. Tapply's source.

There is another family member in the story, although he isn't mentioned much
in it; Enoch Abbott. Enoch was born in 1782, some twenty years before John West, and
already had grandchildren. One of them, Valora Abbott, would marry my 2x great granduncle
Leonidas West. They are the ancestors of my cousin Zac Anderson in Illinois and Yvonne
West Ball in Washington state.

My thanks to my Aunt Dorothy West Bargar who shared this clipping with me along with
many other things that got me hooked on genealogy!

THE VALUE OF A COMPASS PT2

John Cutter West

Continuing the story, my ancestor John C West was lost on a frozen lake in Maine
in a snowstorm with his friends Enoch Abbott and  Joseph Chase. When Chase
decided to lay down and take a nap, my 3x great grandfather took drastic measures:

West applied the brad, then laid his
goad the length of his back, at the same
time in  peremptory tones commanding
him to get up and walk or he would take
his pelt. Chase with a temper at fever
heat leaped from his recumbent position
and for a few minutes a fierce fisticuff
ensued. Chase was by this time well
roused and after due explanations peace
was restored and they resumed their
journey.

They soon came to more fresh tracks
when West ordered  halt,  "Now," said
he "we have all this time been playing
fool We are beyond a doubt traveling
in a circle like all bewildered people.
These cattle know their way and can
keep their course much better than we
can. Now I propose to turn them loose
and let them take the lead. They are
tired and hungry and will make the near-
est habitation." All agreed and the poor
tired creatures were soon set at liberty.
The master ox belonging to West with
a low cow bossy call to the others start-
ed off followed by the entire herd.

As it proved the ox knew best. On
they plodded for a half hour or more,
when the leader began toi low and quick-
en his pace.  "Good!" exclaimed West,
"we are near some habitation. Old Star
never tells lies."

Anon they found themselves in Joe
Stone's dooryard. Joe hearing the low
of the oxen came out to bid then wel-
come. The house though small would
accommodate the men but how about
the oxen. A small log hovel for his cow
was all the out-house he possessed. A
stack of hay stood near the hovel to
which the oxen made way. Joe
came out, mounted the hove, thence the
haystack, undid the fastenings at the
top and completely buried the oxen in
hay. "There." said he, " they are all
right for to-night, now for supper."

After a hearty supper of moose and
deer steak, they looked to their oxen to
find them all resting on the soft hay,
each ox beside his mate. Next morning
the cattle made their way to the sleds,
were yoked and sped for home.

I'll have a few concluding thoughts in the next post.

THE VALUE OF A COMPASS PT1

I've posted about this incident before but never actually transcribed the article
until now. It's about my3x great grandfather and two friends, Enoch Abbott and
Joseph Chase lost in a snowstorm in northwestern Maine. As we just weathered
the Blizzard of 2015 here in Massachusetts, I thought this was appropriate:

Oxford County Advertiser, Friday, February 3, 1905

The Value of a Compass
by Mark Tapley

We have often admonished people
 who frequent the unbroken forests, espec-
ially those unaccustomed to hunting and
camping,  of the safety in having a pocket
compass, which can be obtained at the
cost of a few cents, and may ofttimes
save the possessor much trouble and
even save a life. We are cognizant of sev-
eral instances where people even old
foresters have become bewildered, in
which case they can always travel in a circle,
and were saved by the instinct of domes-
tic animals, which is seldom at fault.

It was some sixty years ago, before
the Berlin Mills Company monopolized
the timber throughout the Lake country,
that Enoch Abbott, John West, and  Jo-
seph Chase, three prominent citizens of
Upton, then known as Letter B, started
one fine winter's morning each with two
pairs of stalwart oxen laden with hay
and bound for the loggers' camp sit-
uated on the Swift Diamond stream, a
tributary of the Magalloway river. The
sledding was fine and the teams in good
heart. They arrived at their destination
and disposed of their loads before noon.

At one o'clock they started for home
but long before they reached the lake
the sky became overcast and soon devel-
oped into a a thick northeasterly snow
storm. The old track was soon obscured
and the blinding storm completely ob-
scured the distant shore. But on they
drove thinking to reach the opposite
shore before dark. Every few minutes
fresh tracks were discerned in the dim
twilight. These they thought to be part
of the old track leading off the lake.
This would give the fresh courage and
serve to quicken their pace. Darkness
came on and still no signs of land.

Chase began to lag behind but finally
caught up with his sled, threw himself
down complaining of drowsiness and
concluded to take a nap. The others
well knew this to betoken the sleep that
knows no waking, so they combined to
rouse him if possible. But shaking and
warning  of the impending danger was of
no avail. So like the old man with the
saucy boy in the apple tree they resorted
to force.

To be continued, like all good cliffhangers.

A POEM BEFORE BED

((I first posted this back in January 2011. With the "Blizzard of 2015"
raging outside right now, I thought I'd repost it.)) 


We're supposed to be getting a blizzard here tonight. I thought an
excerpt from cousin John Greenleaf Whittier's poem Snowbound
would be an apropos blogpost before I head off to bed:

"Within our beds awhile we heard
The wind that round the gables roared,
With now and then a ruder shock,
Which made our very bedsteads rock.
We heard the loosened clapboards tost,
The board-nails snapping in the frost;
And on us, through the unplastered wall,
Felt the light sifted snow-flakes fall.
But sleep stole on, as sleep will do
When hearts are light and life is new;
Faint and more faint the murmurs grew,
Till in the summer-land of dreams
They softened to the sound of streams,
Low stir of leaves, and dip of oars,
And lapsing waves on quiet shores."

"...UPON COMPLAINT OF UNCLEANLINESS..."

The Woodbury family aren't the only relatives of mine to have been accused of
doing things Puritan society discouraged. In this case, my 8x great granduncle
Ephraim Herrick found himself in hot water, along with a young woman named
Susanna Read:

Writ, dated 3 : 12 : 1668, signed by Hillyard Veren,t for the court, and served by John Hill,t deputy constable of Bass river side.

Warrant, dated 11 : 12 : 1668, to Ephraim Herick and Susana Reed, upon complaint of uncleanness, also Mary Wood and Elizabeth Whithaire, as witnesses, signed by Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.

Writ, dated 3 : 12 : 1668, signed by Hillyard Veren,t for the court, and served by John Hill,t deputy constable of Bass river side.

A "complaint of uncleanliness" doesn't refer to a failure to take baths: 

Susanah Read deposed concerning a criminal assault upon her by Ephraim Herrick when his wife was in Salem, she having been engaged to work for him during Indian harvest. Sworn, 2 : 12: 1668, before Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.

Mary Woods deposed that about three years ago when Joseph Herreck was married, a company of them went from Richard Lechards to Efram Herreck's house, etc. She further deposed concerning the latter's lewd conduct toward her in the presence of four or five persons. Sworn, 27: 1: 1669, before Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.

Hennery Herrick, aged about twenty-eight years, deposed that Ephraim Herrick often fell out with Susanna Read about her work, and Lydia, wife of Henry, deposed that Susanna said that said Herrick would not give her victuals and tobacco for her work, etc. Sworn before Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.

William Raymont, aged about thirty years, deposed that he heard Susanna Reade tell at the house of Anthony Woods the latter end of last December concerning the assaults by Herrick, and that at one time John Herrick was nearby in the field with them. Mary Woods, aged about twenty-six years, deposed the same. Sworn, 27: 1 : 1669, before Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.

Elesebeth Whiteheare deposed that about three years ago she went to Herrick's house to wash with his wife, she rode with said Herrick, etc. Sworn in court.

Elysabeth Herrick, aged about twenty years, deposed that being at Ephraim Herrick's house she heard Susanna Reede say that Richard Haines affronted Goodwife Balch, etc. Lidia, Herrick, aged about twenty-six years, deposed the same, and that Susanna later denied the story. Sworn in court.

John Herricke, aged about nineteen years, deposed that Ephraim Herrick was with him all day, etc. Sworn in court.

Zacreiah Hereck, aged about thirty years, deposed that he had heard Susana Read say, etc. Sworn in court.

Elizabeth Herrick, aged about twenty years, deposed that being at her brother Ephraim's house, etc. Sworn, 27 : 1 : 1669, before Wm. Hathorne,J assistant.



pp103-104
 
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts: 1667-1671 (Google eBook)
Essex Institute, Salem, Ma. 1914

So it boiled down to "He said, she said". and all those Herricks testifying were Ephraim's
siblings, the children of my 9x great grandparents Henry Herrick and Edith Laskin. What's frustrating is there are some details missing. (Those dang etc's!! ).  Whatever they said,
it must have been persuasive, given that all this testimony was given for this case:

Ephraim Herick v. Susana Read. Slander. Verdict for plaintiff.*

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 3: WILLIAM SIMONDS

Continuing on with the 2015 edition of Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.
at her No Story Too Small blog:

My 7x great grandfather John Walker had married Bethia Simonds, daughter of William
Simonds, another prominent citizen of Woburn Ma.:

SIMONDS. William Slmonds, Sen., settled in Woburn about 1644, near a place still known by the name of Dry Brook. He married, 18 Jan. 1643-4, Judith Hayward, widow of James Hayward, who had married her, when Judith Phippen, a fellow passenger, and a fellow servant, on board the "Planter," from London, 1635. By her, Simonds had:
(1) Sarah, born 28 July, 1644.
(2) Judith, b. 3 March, 1646.
(3) Mary, b. 9 Dec. 1647.
(4) Caleb, b. 16 Aug. 1649.
(5) William, b. 15 Apr. 1651.
(6) Joseph, b. 18 Oct. 1652.
(7) Benjamin, b. 18 March, 1654.
(8) Tabitha, b. 20 July; died 20 Aug. 1655.
(9) Joshua, b. ; died 16 July, 1657.
(10) James, b. 1 Nov. 1658; married to Susanna Blogget, 29 Dec. 1685.
(11) Bethlah, b. "9: 3 mo," 9 May, (3: 9 mo: 3 Nov.?] 1659; md. to John Walker, Sen., 13 August, 1696.
(12) Huldah, b. 20 Nov. 1660; md. to Samuel Blogget, jun., 1683.

William Simonds, Sen., died 7 June, 1672: Judith Simonds, widow, died 3 Jan. lC*3-90. [Woburn Records of Births, Marriages, etc, etc; Savage's GeneaL Diet.]
pp637-638

The History of Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass. from the Grant of Its Territory to Charlestown, in 1640, to the Year 1860 (Google eBook) (Samuel Sewall, Charles Chauncy Sewall & Samuel Thompson)


Fellow geneablogger Heather Wilkinson Rojo and I have yet another cousin connection
through our ancestors William Simonds and Judith Phippen.

BLOGIVERSARY: NOW WE ARE EIGHT

Well, another year has come and gone, and here I am at the eighth anniversary of this blog.
As is my yearly tradition, here is the story of how it all began:

"Yes, now it can be told. My first geneablog was a failure. I was new
to this whole idea and started out enthusiastically and wrote
five posts within a few days for my blog which I'd named
West of New England. But when I went to add a new post a day
or so later, I discovered I couldn't recall the password for the blog.
After about a half an hour I gave up and just recreated the blog.
I'd saved what I'd written so I created a new blogger account
and started a new geneablog, West in New England. And that's why
the first five posts are all dated Jan 23,2007.

And that's also how I learned the first rule of blogging, "Don't forget
your password!" 

And I should mention that I was inspired to start my own blog by seeing the blogs
written by Randy Seaver, Chris Dunham, and Tim Abbott, who as it turns out, are
all my cousins. I found their blogs while googling the surnames of my ancestors,
and it gave me the idea that writing a blog might help me find more relatives, especially
those related to me through my Mom's father. Eventually it did.

Some states: I have now had 365, 779 pageviews and I've written 1682 posts. I have 293
followers, still slowly inching towards 300.

The all time top five pages viewed remain the same through the first three but the last
two are newcomers:

THE FIFTH ANNUAL GREAT GENEALOGY POETRY CHALLENGE POSTS  2471 pageviews

MEMORIES OF MALDEN                                                                                    938 pageviews

THE FOURTH AMERICAN CIVIL WAR BLOGPOST CHALLENGE ROUNDUP 757 pageviews

ANCESTRY.COM, 'NEW SEARCH' AND THE C.H.O.P. PRINCIPLE.                  618 pageviews

THE BOOK OF ME, WRITTEN BY YOU 3: THE SKIN I'M IN.                             584 pageviews

One thing I've noticed is that many of the other geneablogs listed under the Links
heading are no longer active.  I've been lucky, I guess. I still enjoy finding things out
about my ancestors and sharing them here. I suppose the day may come when it's
no longer fun, but hopefully that won't be for a long time yet.

Finally, thanks to you folks who read what I write and encourage me by leaving comments!

CLEARING UP THE PICTURE A LITTLE.

This is a picture of my 2x great grandparents Jonathan P West and Louisa (Richardson)
West with my grandfather Floyd West Sr and my granduncle Clarence West. It was
taken from The History of Wilsons Mills and the Magalloway Settlements
(Wilsons Mills, Me.: The Town of Wilsons Mills, Maine 1975.). As you can see,
it's somewhat faded:

Last night I was looking through a cd that my West cousin Lewis Wuori had sent me
sometime ago and found another copy of the picture:

 

I fiddled with it a bit with Irfanview and this is the best version I ended up with:

Seeing the picture holder on the cd version makes me think that multiple copies of the picture
were probably made and handed out to family members. Both versions show damage but the
cd had much less than the one used in the book. Louisa and Jonathan's clothes are darker
and so are the boys. It's possible now to see that is a white blanket on the rocking chair and
not a blank spot from damage. Also, I can see the picture hanging on the wall behind Louisa
more clearly now and I am positive it is this one of her father Philip Richardson:

 

I wonder what those pictures are on Jonathan's desk?

...ANY EVIL, LASCIVIOUS OR WANTON BEHAVIOR..." PT2

My relative Thomas Woodbury had been found not guilty of charges of lewd and lascivious
behavior with Hannah Gray, one of the household maids. I wondered what happened to
Hannah afterward. The witnesses in Thomas'  trial had said it was the girl acting improperly,
and in early colonial Puritan Massachusetts, they didn't just ignore such behavior. Sure enough, Hannah was brought to trial in the same court session Thomas had been tried in earlier.

There was more testimony about Hannah's unseemly ways:

*Mary Sollas, aged about seventeen years, deposed that sometime in the summer last year, as she came near Thomas Woodbery's house, she heard Hana Gray laughing, and going in quick without knocking, the door being open, she being a neighbor, saw said Hana and Andrew Davis together. Deponent told of many other occasions when said Hana was guilty of lascivious carriages, and deponent's brother Robert told her how Hana would entice the "scoller boys," and that she was guilty of baudly language and acts among the boys and girls. Sworn, 2 : 11: 1673, before Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.

Hanna Grove, aged about nineteen years, deposed that she had seen Hanna Gray riding about the field astride upon her master's mare and she also lived with her one winter. Sworn, 12 : 11 : 1673, before Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.

John Batcheler, sr., aged sixty-three years, deposed that when Hanna Gray lived in his family, she was a lying little devil and his wife Elizabeth could say the same. Sworn, 12 : 11 : 1673, before Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.

Freborne Black, aged about forty years, deposed that he gave Hanna's dame warning about her a year ago. She was so rude to his children in abusing and beating them, and when he spoke to her about it, she would mock him to his face. As for his neighbor Thomas Woodbery, he had lived by him thirty-five years and had never seen any uncivil carriage in his childhood or later years. Sworn, 12 : 11 : 1673, before Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.

Elizabeth Hill, aged about thirty-eight years, deposed that going to Macrell Cove about two and a half years ago, and passing Woodbury's house, went in to see his wife, etc. Sworn, 12 : 11 : 1673, before Wm. Hathorne,t assistant.
p291

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume 5 (Google eBook) Essex Institute, Salem Ma. 1916

 

Given this testimony and that from Thomas Woodbury's trial, the outcome was predictable:

Hanah Gray, for great offences, was ordered to stand at the meeting house at Salem upon a lecture day, with a paper on her head on which was written in capital letters, I STAND HEERE FOR MY LACIVIOUS & WANTON CARIAGES. Also at the lecture at Beverly, in like manner, or else be whipped, and the marshal and constable to see it done at Salem, and the constable of Beverly at Beverly.*

Being a Puritan girl or woman must have been incredibly frustrating for free spirits like
Hannah Gray!

...ANY EVIL, LASCIVIOUS OR WANTON BEHAVIOR..." PT1

The Woodbury family seems to have had trouble finding good help. Elizabeth (Hunter)
Woodbury had been brought up on charges of slapping a relative's maid. But her son,
Thomas Woodbury, would face a more serious charge in March of 1674 at the Ipswich, Ma.Quarterly Court:

In the complaint against Thomas Woodberry, putting himself for trial upon a jury, the jury found him not guilty.f

As always, the juicy details of the case are in the footnotes(it always pays to read the footnotes!):

fWarrant, dated 5 : 11 :1673, addressed to Henry Skery, marshal of Salem, for apprehension of Thomas Woodbury of Beverly, at Mr. Gardner's, to answer the complaint of NicholasManning, and his wife and daughter, signed by Wm. Hathorne,* assistant. On the reverse: "Thomas Woodbery coming to me sayd nicklas manning tould him of this bisenes: & sayd he had bine with y* mager: & he tould him he had giuen a warrant to apprehend him to y* marshall & that I might take ball of my brother or Goodman Massey: & I did then serue y* warrant vpon his body he tendred to me & took his father Woodbery with himselfe" on the bond; signed by Humphery (his mark) Woodbery and Thomas Woodberey.*

Mary Thorndike, aged about twenty-five years, deposed that she lived in the house of Thomas Woodbery about half a year, he being at home about half the time, and she never saw any evil, lascivious or wanton behavior by him in all her life, neither did she hear him use any "vaine or frothy speeches." Sworn, 30 : 1 : 1674, before Wm. Hathorne,* assistant.

Peter Woolf, aged about seventy-three years, deposed that his meadow was near Thomas Woodberey's, and he had never seen him making hay with Hannah Gray, but his children used to make hay there daily. Sworn, Mar. 17, 1673, before Samuel Sympnds,* Dep. Gov.

Elizabeth Fowler deposed that about two years since she nursed the wife of Thomas Woodberry. There was a girl who dwelt there named Hanah Gray, who was a lying girl, and several times in the night when deponent waked, she missed her and heard her laughing and giggling at the boys' bed which was in the same room. Further deponent had known Thomas Woodberry a great while and while his wife was sick did not require the girl to get any victuals for him, etc. Sworn in court.
pp288-289

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume 5 (Google eBook) Essex Institute, Salem Ma. 1916

What it boils down to was that Thomas Woodbury was being accused of lascivious behavior with a maid named Hannah Gray while Thomas' wife was ill.

Reading this, I had questions:

Why did the Manning family bring the charges against Thomas? Were they somehow related
to Hannah Gray, or just busy bodies?

Given the testimony by Peter Woolf about his meadow, was "making hay" an euphemism
for "making whoopee"?

And if Thomas was found not guilty, what happened to Hannah Gray?

While I don't have answers to all the questions, I do have an answer for the last one.

To be continued....

"...SUCH AN UNTOWARD PROVOKEING WENCH...." PT2

As we saw in my last post, my ancestress Elizabeth (Hunter) Woodbury was brought
before the Essex County Massachusetts court for striking Elizabeth Herndon(sp?) the
maid of Elizabeth Woodbury's friend Elizabeth Hubbard. (Too many Elizabeths!!!).
Besides the testimony from various witnesses, I found the following letter from Mr.
and Mrs. Hubbard concerning the incident and the character (or lack thereof) of their
maid:

"To all Persons vnto whom these prsents may Come.

"Know yee, that whereas of late some persons have vnworthily (as I conceive) Endeavered, to present Elizabeth Woodbery, the wife of Humphry Woodberry, vnto the county court at Salem, as I am informed for strikeing a maide servant of ors, (Wee coulde have wished that the rules of charity had been attended herein Especially seeing or neighbours were not ignorant where we dwelt, & might have truely vnderstood the right of the business had they pleased to have spoken w'h vs which had doubtlesse prevented trouble to the grand-juror, & sinn in others. How farr the matter is gonn, or how farr prejudice may Carry it we know not. Nor is or purpose to charge any, or to bring discredit upon them, much lesse to blaze abroad the infamy of a servant, knone to all both in Lynn & Salem, that knew her at all, to be most vnfaithfull, and untoward in everything: So bad, unruly, sulen, careles, destructive, & disobedient, that we may truely say, she was fitter for bridewell, or the house of correction, then for any bodyes servant: Haveing occasion to be from home, & not dareing to leave such an one with or childe and house alone wee desired the aforesd Eliz Woodbery, or Lo. friend & Kinds-woman to be over her & in place of vs, and noe more then needs, if we had power to discipline such an unruly servant, so had shee from us: whither our Couzin gave her a blow or not we know not, but are sure such an vntoward provokeing wench Deserved enough, & did or Couzin at any time eyther then in or absence, or at any other time, when she ran from her mistres & worke, telling lies, at neighbours houses & refuseing to come home, we say did she first or last or any time strike her, when as shee was sent for her, & || she || refused to come home, while this wench was servant, w°h she was to the Later end of may 64. we doe both of us warne her in it and affirme that she did noe more then she had or authority for, & that her mistresse if prsent would have don the same; & we doe much wonder that there should so much be made of it, when as we conceive, had it been a breach of law for or couzin to have strook her, w'h it is not, she doeing of it by or power & reprsenting us; yet as we understd, there hath been noe wittnes brought th— testify aga. her: and if any of or neighbours, should out of envie to her, or us affrme and testify anything against her, wherein she hath offended them in striking or servant; we must professe, in or prsence she never strook her, nor gave her any bad language, and inor absence (as we sd before) she wasimpowered by us, as also when we sent her up and downe among the neighbrs to fete her home if she strook her at any time, we justify & allow her in it she was or servant a sad & bad one, and wt or sd kindswoman hath don is as if her mistresse had & we must owne her in wt she hath or might doe, & they may as well prsent us as her; who are ready to answer, knowing no law of gd nor man to be broken in this case; I wish or people as forward in prsent reall breaches of ye law of god, & man, as they are in this, w°h we feare not w'h out grounds to be an act of malice to her & us let su know, they doe not as they would be don by: P vs

"Jer. & Eliz. Hubbard.*"
p224

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts: 1662-1667 (Google eBook)

 Essex Institute, Salem, Ma. 1913

So apparently Elizabeth Woodbury was a cousin to one of the Hubbards and was authorized
by them to mete out any punishment she might have felt Elizabeth Herndon deserved for failing
in her duties about the house! 

I love this letter for several reasons. One is that it is rife with the frequent misspelling common to
the early colonial documents. Woodbury alone is spelled two different ways in the second
sentence! It also is full of the florid phrasing of the period.

The best part is the description they give of Elizabeth Herndon. First they say they don't want to
"blaze abroad her infamy" but then they do exactly that, even going so far to say she should
probably be in "the house of correction" rather than being anyone's servant. It sounds like
something Carson from "Downton Abbey" might say if he were in a high dudgeon!

 And I wonder if Elizabeth Herndon was able to find work after she left the Hubbard household.  

"...SUCH AN UNTOWARD PROVOKEING WENCH...." PT1

Today's excerpt from the Essex County,  Massachusetts Court files concerns Elizabeth
(Hunter)Woodbury and a bothersome servant. Elizabeth was my 9x great grandmother
wife of my ancestor Humphrey Woodbury. It seems that she was accused of striking a
maid named Elizabeth Hiritton(Herndon?):


Presentments, dated 30 : 9 :1664, signed by Henery Skerey, sr.,f in the name of the rest:—

Elisabeth, wife of Umphery Woodbery, was presented for striking the maid of Mr. Hubbard, Elisabeth Hiritton, several times. She owned that she struck her, but it was by order of her master. Wit: Robert Morgane and wife, and Joseph Harie. She was also presented for denying that she struck her, but was acquitted. Wit: Joseph Haire, Mary Lovett and the wife of Captaine Lowthrupp.

 Bethiah Lowthroppf deposed that "Being called to witnesse what I heard goody woodbery Say concerning mr hubbards maid: I did hear her say that she did never strike the maid. the Blow was yet to give that ever she gave her either in the house or out of doore & this she said more then once or twice." Owned by the parties, 20 :12 :1664, before Hillyard Veren,f cleric.



Robert Morgan* deposed, Dec. 17, 1664, that being cited before the grand jury at Salem, who told him that there was a matter of battery left to them by the former jury, concerning Eliz. Woodbery, which wanted proof, he said that she never saw Goody Woodbery strike Mr. Hubbard's maid, except once at his own house. Said Morgan and his wife affirmed that the maid never complained to them of any bad language to her from Eliz. Woodbery and that she was very loving and kind to her, etc.

Elizabeth (her mark) Herendone certified that Elizabeth Woodbery never struck her but two blows in her life, and those might have been given to a child of two years. She offered to strike her once at Mistress Gardenares house, but said Elizabeth kept it off with her hand. Wit: Elizabeth (her mark) Dickes and Sarah (her mark) Carpender. Arthur p224-225

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts: 1662-1667 (Google eBook)

 Essex Institute, Salem, Ma. 1913

So, the maid says Elizabeth only struck her twice, and not very hard. The witnesses agree.
Just what was this all about?

The answer is in a letter written by the people the maid actually worked for, and that will be
in the next blogpost.

To be continued. 

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 2: JOHN WALKER

In continuing the 2015 edition f Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks
Challenge, I'm still concentrating on my paternal grandmother Cora Barker's side of
the family tree because frankly, there's so much I don't know about the various lines
that on that side of the family. At the moment I'm still working on the Walkers. This
post is on John Walker my 7x great grandfather:

And I've run into another of those ancestors that left very little information behind him.
So far I've only found this from one William Richard Cutter's volumes on Middlesex
County: 

(III) John Walker, son of Samuel Walker, was born at Reading, February 14, 1649-50, and died at Woburn, January 3, 1723-24. He married (first) October 14, 1672, Mary, daughter of Robert and Mary (Knight) Pierce of Woburn. She died November 9,1695, and ne married (second) August 13, 1696, Bethia, daughter of William and Judith Phippen (Hayward) Simonds, of Woburn. Children by first wife: Benjamin, born January 25, 1674; Mary, December 27, 1675 ; John, December 27, 1677. By second wife: Bethia, November 4, 1697; Benjamin, July 7, 1699.
p2170
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 4 (Google eBook), Lewis Historical Publishing Co.


I also found his probate file over in Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871
but John died without a will. There's a few court documents that are largely unreadable and
an inventory of his estate. Along with the home and household items he owned 35 acres of
land:

Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)

"...HAD SOLD STRONG LIQUORS TO THE INDIANS..." PT2

A few things about my previous post about Thomas Johnson being charged and convicted
of selling liquor to the Indians:

One of the things that struck me reading the court files was how Nicholas Holt referred
to Thomas Johnson as his son-in law. It was common back in Puritan New England to refer
to in-laws as son, daughter, father, or mother to show you considered them as close to you
as your own parents or children by blood.  So I think by using the term"son -in-law" Nicholas
is trying to show his displeasure with Thomas Johnson and distance himself from his actions.
Conversely, Thomas'  father John Johnson refers to Mary (Holt) Johnson as "his daughter".
Was their a break between Nicholas Holt and his daughter Mary over the actions of her husband? Sometimes I wish there was a way to go back in time to question the people in
these storie to get their thoughts and opinions of each other.

 Another thought I had was about the people involved in the case. It may have been a sign
of changes in Andover, Ma. where they all lived. Here's a list of the original settlers of
Andover. The ones with an asterisk after their names are my ancestors or relatives, the
names in red were witnesses in the case:

Mr. Bradstreet
John Osgood
Joseph Parker
Richard Barker*
John Stevens*
Nicholas Holt*
Benjamin Woodbridge
John Fry
Edmond Faulkner
Robert Barnard
Daniel Poor*
Nathan Parker
Henry Jaques
John Aslett (or Aslebe)
Richard Blacke(Black)
William Ballard*
John Lovejoy*
Thomas Poore
George Abbott*
John Russe
Andrew Allen
Andrew Foster
Thomas Chandler*
pp20-21
Abbot, Elinor, Our Company Increases Apace: History, Language, and
Social Identity in Early Colonial Andover, Massachusetts.
(Dallas, Texas: SIL International, 2007)

Nicholas Holt, Willam Ballard, John Lovejoy and Thomas Chandler are all my 9x great grandfathers.  Thomas Johnson was someone who came to Andover after the original
settlers.One can only speculate if my ancestors regarded such activities as selling
liquor to the local Indians as a sign that Andover was straying from the Christian
principles of its beginnings.

"...HAD SOLD STRONG LIQUORS TO THE INDIANS..." PT1

Yet another Essex County, Massachusetts court case involving my ancestors and  their
relatives. This one concerns my 9x great grandfather Nicholas Holt, his daughter Mary,
and her husband Thomas Johnson, all of Andover, Ma. Among the witnesses are my
ancestors Thomas Chandler, William Ballard, and John Lovejoy

Court held at Ipswich, Apr.18, 1671
Thomas Johnson, presented by the grand jury upon a common fame for selling strong waters to the Indians, pleading not guilty and putting himself upon trial by jury, whether he did sell or no. He was found guilty of selling two quarts to the Indians, and was sentenced to pay 8li. for selling. Also fined for perjury, bound to good behavior and disabled for giving evidence. John Perly and Edmond Bridges, jr., sureties.*

*Nicholas Holt, aged about sixty-three years, deposed that sometime in October or November last, hearing of a rumor in the town that his son-in-law Thomas Johnson had sold strong liquors to the Indians and had taken an oath to clear himself, he went to his house to speak with him about it, but he not being at home, deponent discoursed with his wife about it. He told her that he heard her husband carried bottles of liquor to the Indians. She replied that there was a great deal more made of it than there was cause, and that she knew of only two or three quarts that he sold them. Sworn, 11:2:1671, before Simon Bradstreete.t

Ens. Tho. Chandler, aged about forty-three years, deposed that about the time that Thomas Johnson was at Cambridge about his selling strong water to the Indians, deponent was speaking with John Johnson, father of said Thomas, who told him about what Thomas's wife Mary said. Also that Thomas told deponent that he carried up two bottles to the Indians, and that there was nothing in them, but he carried a bottle of liquor in his pocket and gave the Indians a dram and they gave him another. Sworn, 11:2:1671, before Simon Bradstreete,* assistant.

Jos. Ballard, aged about twenty-six years, deposed that if he gave a dram or two to the Indians, what was that to any man? Sworn, 12 :2 : 1671, before Simon Bradstreete.*

Joseph Wilson, aged about twenty-six years, deposed that some time the last harvest, he sold two bottles to some Indians whose names he knows not, which bottles they left at Thomas Johnson's. Some time after, deponent went to borrow a bottle of said Johnson, who lent him one of those bottles. He also gave deponent another "which his brother made to bring him some strong liquors from Ipswich, whither hee was goeing but getting noe liquors there, hee left one of the sd bottles wth his brother for his owne use, & there it remaines still for ought hee knowes the other hee sold to yong Tho. Burage att his returne Tho. Johnson was pvoked & angry that hee brought him no liqrs & sd hee should not haue had his horse but vpon yt acct the next day as hee thinks it was the said Johnson came to him to borrow a bottle & sd hee was in great want of it & must haue some, soe not haueing one of his owne hee lett him haue one of his Fathr Loveioyes & wth wch & another hee went to Newbury as hee sd to fetch liquors the next day hee mett him comeing home not farr from his shopp & being something in a sack behinde him knocked on the head of a bottle, wch hee pceiued was full & further sayeth yl one of the bottles found wth the Ind. & now brought to Andour is yt bottle w*h hee sent him." Sworn, 12 :2 :1671, before Simon Bradstreete,* assistant.

John Lovejoy, aged about forty-nine years, deposed that the said Johnson being very angry that he had brought him no liquors from Ipswich said it would be 40s. out of his way for they stayed for it, "cliping his words as it were in yl speech," etc. Sworn, 12 :2 : 1671, before Simon Bradstreet.*

Willm. Ballard, aged about fifty years, deposed that being at Mr. Hinchman's and discoursing about Tho. Johnson, said Hinchman said he did not question that he sold to the Indians, and sat upon and delivered to this deponent a bottle which he said he had from the Indians to see whether it would be owned at Andover. As yet he had found no owner, etc. Sworn, 12: 2 : 1671, before Simon Bradstreete.*

John Johnson, aged sixty-seven years, deposed that he never heard his daughter Mary Johnson say that her husband sold to the Indians, etc.pp370-372

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts: 1667-1671 (Google eBook) VOL IV, Essex Institute, Salem Ma. 1914

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015: SAMUEL WALKER

With the start of the new year comes the start of another edition of Amy Johnson Crow's
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. I'm still concentrating on my paternal grandmother
Cora Barker's side of thefamily tree because frankly, there's so much I don't know about
the various lines that make up that side of the family. I'll start with the Walkers first in this
post.

My 8x great grandfather Samuel Walker was one of the first settlers of Woburn, Ma., having
arrived from England with his father. There seems to be a question on just who his father
was, though. Some genealogists believe it was one Augustine Walker of Charlestown, Ma.,
while others favor Captain Richard Walker of Lynn .  The authors of The History of Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass. from the Grant of Its Territory to Charlestown, in 1640, to the Year 1860 (Google eBook) (Samuel Sweall, Charles Chauncy Sewall & Samuel Thompson) follow the second theory:


Samuel Walker, Senr., of Woburn, presumed above to have been the son of Capt. Richard Walker of Lynn, was born in England; accompanied his father to New England, 1630; and after residing with him a while at Lynn, he removed with his brother Richard to Reading, originally Lynn Village; and thence he subsequently appears, for some reasons, to have removed once more, and to have permanently established himself in Woburn, the adjoining town. He is first mentioned as an inhabitant of Woburn in its Records, at the annual election of town officers, February 25th, 1661-2, when he was appointed a Surveyor of Highways for that year. By occupation, he was a maltster; and was approved by the Selectmen, 1675, in order to obtaining a license for keeping tavern, being the first person known to have followed that business in Woburn. He appears to have been much respected in his day; being chosen Selectman in 1668, and appointed by the town the year before on a very important Committee for taking " a List of the persons and estates of the right Proprietors ", among whom, it had been voted to divide a large portion of the common lands of the town. He died November 6th, 1684; when, agreeably to a testimony given by him in Court, and referred to above, he must have been in the 69th or 70th year of his age

His children (the given name of his wife is unknown) were Samuel, Jr., Israel, and probably John, Sens., of Woburn; Hannah wife of James, son of Simon Thompson of Woburn; and Joseph Walker of Billerica.-p170

The History of Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass. from the Grant of Its Territory to Charlestown, in 1640, to the Year 1860 (Google eBook). Samuel Sweall, Charles Chauncy Sewall & Samuel Thompson  (Wiggin and Lunt,  Boston, Ma., 1868)

Among those who Samuel Walker served with in Woburn town government were my
Dad's paternal ancestors Daniel Pierce and Francis Kendall, as well another Barker maternal
ancestor John Wyman.  

MY GENEAPLANS FOR 2015

OK, here's what I want to do in 2015. Most of it is familiar territory:


1.Transcribe:  The amount of probate files and other documents I've found increased
substantially last year. I need to establish some sort of routine to get more of them
transcribed. Perhaps regular Amanuensis Monday posts, or maybe Transcription
Tuesdays?


2. Make more use of Google ebooks and also the FamilySearch and AmericanAncestors.org
websites: I have found a lot of these sites already but I know there is more on them that
I haven't found yet. I need to be more efficient using them. 

3. Organize: I've made a start this past year. I need to keep at it and not backslide because
I'm a hurry. Laziness now will be paid for later.

4. Continue working on my family tree: I need to keep adding information on collateral
lines and keep trimming duplicate entries. I seem to add and trim an equal amount of
entries each year. I need to maybe concentrate on the trimming a bit more.

6. Join a local society: Yeah, I say that every year.

7. Continue Find A Grave activities: I seem to work on Find A Grave in spurts. I need to
 maybe pick one night a week to work on uploading the photos and creating memorials
to make it a weekly routine.    

8.Blog more: This year I will break the 200 post mark for this blog and post at least 50
times on my Old Colony Graveyard Rabbit blog. I'd really like to hit 100 there, though.  
The 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks was very successful for me in 2014, and I plan to continue
with that. Maybe I'll adapt it on the Graveyard Rabbit blog to 52 Headstone in 52 Weeks!

9. Scan more: I still have my portion of the family photos to scan.

10. Index more: This one may be the toughest. With all the other things it's hard to
fit it in, but I will try.

11. Visit more of the  towns where my ancestors lived, see their graves and homes,
and take photos.

12. Break down that John Cutter West brick wall: Maybe this will be the year!

And as I say every year, just keep having fun! 

.

JOHN ANDREWS: STICKS AND STONES, SKULL & BONES PT2

Stephen Cross, William Andrews, Robert Cross and Joseph Giddings were put in jail for
their criminal behavior on March 26, 1667. They were to be held there until the next
"lecture day", which was what the Puritans called their Sunday services.  I checked.
March 26 1667 was a Saturday. So depending on what the court meant by "next", they
could have been in jail for one day, or a week.  They then would be part of the services,
confessing their guilt before the congregation and asking to be forgiven. Because of a few events surrounding their time in jail and in the stocks, I tend to think it was a week in jail.
It seems not everyone was happy with the sentence handed out by the Court. You'd think
given the damage to a few bridges, the pelting of houses with stones, and the desecration
of a grave, there might be a call for more serious punushment. But amazingly, there were
a few who felt the sentence was too harsh, and objected in such a way that they ended
up in court themselves:

April 30th 1667
William Quarles, presented for pulling up the bridge on the road, was fined and imprisoned until the last day of the week at night and bound to good behavior.

Ezekiell Woodward, for his great offence in affronting the constables in the execution of their office, was fined or to make a public acknowledgement next lecture day. He chose the latter.*

Thomas Bishop was fined and ordered to make a public acknowledgment for speaking reproachfully and defaming the court concerning their proceedings with and against the prisoners last court.f

Robert Pearce testified that when those four were in the stocks, Goodman Woodward said to Goodman Layton "what will you breed a mutanye and if you had stroake me I would a laid you ouer the head."
Sworn in court. John Layton and Theophilus Wilson deposed that attempting to see the sentence of the court executed and speaking to the company present to keep further off, Goodman Woodward said it was the King's ground, that he had a right to stand there as well as they and if they thrust him again he would set them further off. Sworn in court.

fCornett Whipple and Robert Lord, sr., deposed that speaking of the prisoners then in prison, Steephen Crose, Will. Andrews, Robert Crose and Jos. Giddens, Thomas Bishop said it was a very hard sentence and it was to punish the innocent and let the guilty escape, also to punish with fines and imprisonment was to punish their parents and not them and that they were not punished for any offence but because they would not confess that they did not do it. He also said that they would better have given them a little of the whip, adding that it was the simplest thing he ever knew. This was spoken in the meeting house in their seat before meeting. Sworn in court.

Daniell Epps deposed. Sworn in court.
P412
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts: 1662-1667 (Google eBook) VOL III  Essex Institute Salem, Ma 1913

I especially liked the pretzel logic of Thomas Bishop who felt "a little of the whip" was a less
cruel punishment than time in jail.

Cruel or not, it seemed the five boys learned their lesson and from what I can tell, eventually
became responsible adult citizens of the community.

JOHN ANDREWS: STICKS AND STONES, SKULL & BONES

I have a low opinion of those who vandalize cemeteries, so you can imagine how unhappy
I was to discover I may be related to someone who desecrated a grave in Puritan times. The
John Andrews Jr. in this story may be in my Andrews line that begins with immigrant ancestor
Robert Andrews, or he may be from the family of John Andrews. At any rate it's a good story
and begins in the Essex County Court session in Ipswich, Ma. on 26Mar 1667:

Stephen Crose, William Andrews and Joseph Gidding, for their great misdemeanors of pulling up bridges at the windmill, were committed to prison until the next lecture day, and after the lecture to be brought forth by the marshal and constables, to sit one hour in the stocks, then to be carried back to prison until they pay a fine of 3li. each. They were also bound to good behavior.*

Robert Crose, jr., for his barbarous and inhuman act of digging up the grave of the Sagamore of Agawam and carrying his skull upon a pole, was sentenced to be imprisoned until the next lecture day, and immediately after meeting to sit in the stocks for one hour, thence to be conveyed to prison, there to remain until he pay a fine of 6li. 13s. 4d., and he was also bound to good behavior. It was further ordered that within ten days after, he should bury the skull and bones that can be found or brought to him in the place where it was dug up, and erect a cover of stones upon it two foot high or otherwise to pay a fine of twenty nobles more. John Andrews, jr., was to assist him when called to it by him under the same penalty.

 John Andrews, jr., having upon examination freely acknowledged the offences charged upon him, was admonished and ordered to make public acknowledgment next lecture day in public in the meeting house, or pay a fine of twenty nobles. He was also to assist Robert Crose in making up the Sagamore's tomb.

Here's what the witnesses told the court:


*Killicres Ross testified that John Gidding told him that Thomas Waite, staying at John Andrews' the night that the damage was done, heard the sons of John Andrews when they came from training, Stephen Crose being with them. That they said one to the other "what if Mr Wade should find the winmill post cut in the morneing when he comes he would conclude y' Bishop did it." Further that John Giding said he could have overtaken the men if the bridge had not been pulled up, etc.

John Andrews, jr., being examined, declared that Qorles did the most of the pulling up of the bridge near Mr. Saltonstall's and also confessed that he and Joseph Gidding did the most at the windmill. At Halfield bridge he pulled up one piece of it and laid it down again in the morning, Stephen Crose being in company with them. Also the past spring he was at the Sagamore's grave with Robert Crose, jr., when he was digging it up, and the latter carried the skull upon a pole to a lot where John Gidding was at plow. At first he dug up part of the grave, but later they used hoes.

John Andrews, jr., confessed that he helped dig up the coffin that he dug about half a foot deep when "my hart misgaue me," and he assisted no further, being heartily sorry for what he had done. Also that he helped do the damage at "the gin where the windmil now stands," for which he repented, etc.

Mary Ring deposed that the same night sticks and stones were thrown at the end of her master Samuell Rogers' house, and going out at ten o'clock she saw three men, whom she thought were John Andrews, jr., Stephen Crose and William Andrews. Sworn in court.

John Gidding, plowing in a field near Perlye's meadow, deposed that the skull had something like brains or jelly in it, and asked them to carry it away but they refused. Sworn in court.

Jonas Gregory deposed that Crose said he would make a grease pot of the skull for his wife, etc. Sworn in court.
p399-400


Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts: 1662-1667 (Google eBook) VOL III  Essex Institute Salem, Ma 1913




It's heartening to see the Court regarded the desecration of an Indian's grave as reprehensible. But
there were a few townspeople critical of the punishment the court gave the four miscreants, and
we'll discuss that in the next post.

MY GENEAPLANS FOR 2014: HOW DID I DO?

Before I post my goals for 2015, let's review my goals for 2014 and how well
I did or didn't do meeting them:


1.Transcribe:  With FamilySearch adding more and more images everyday I've
found will and probate records for quite a few of my colonial New England
ancestors. I have read them all through but I need to transcribe and analyze
them instead of setting them aside "for later".
Results: Good news, bad news on this one. I have done more transcriptions
this past year than I've previously done. The bad news is I've discovered and
downloaded many more probate records that I'll need to transcribe. It's a
nice dilemma. I'd say I was successful on this one.

2. Uitlize FamilySearch more: As I said, they are adding more and more records
there every day. I need to refine my searches more and remember to include
records for my ancestors' siblings since those may yield more information.
Results: Success. Since I dropped my subscription to Ancestry.com, I've used
FamilySearch much much more.



3. Organize: I have a bad habit of downloading images and leaving them in
the Downloads folder until it piles up. Then I have to go through them and try
to get them in the proper surname files. I need to do that as soon as I've finished
downolading a particular document.
Results: I now have 171 surname files and I file downloads into the proper file
immediately. Success.

4. Continue working on my family tree: Time to move on to another line to fill
in the gaps in the collateral branches of my ancestry.  I'll start with my Houghtons
next, I think.
Results: I've moved onto the Barker side of the family for now and have added
collateral relatives from the Barkers and Swans. Success.


5. Trim the tree: I sill have a lot of duplicate entries from when I first started with
online genealogy. I need to merge the duplicates, making sure to include proper
sources and citations.
Results: I've eliminated a number of duplicates but there are still more to go. I'd
call this a work in progress.

6. Join a local society: I know, I know. I say this every year.
Results: Failure. Still need to do it.
7. Continue Find A Grave activities: I have a car once again so once the snow melts
I'll be out taking volunteer photos. I also have more photos I've taken at Mt. Vernon
Cemetery over the past few years that I need to add to the Find A Grave site either
to memorials I create or to memorials of others.
Results: Like trimming the family tree, still a work in progress. I have uploaded over
800 photos now but still have a lot more to go.

8.Blog more: I wrote 179 posts here in 2013, nine more than the 170 in 2012, but far
below my high of 254 in 2009. I don't know if I'll ever post that much on West in New
England again, but I do plan to shoot for 200 posts this year. Over on my other blog,
The Old Colony Graveyard Rabbit, there were 23 blogposts last year, an improvement
over the 1(!!) post in 2012. I still have a backlog of cemetery photos I need to post there.
Results: Good news, bad news again. 199 posts for West in New England is the good 
news, but only 3 blogposts for Old Colony Graveyard Rabbit is the bad news. Clearly I need to
give my other blog some TLC this year. So I'd have to say I have mixed results for this one.   

9. Scan more: I didn't scan at all last year. I need to get this done. Maybe I can get some
done on Sunday afternoons once football season is over.
Results: I did a bit of scanning although not as much as I'd like. My sister and brother and
I divided up all the family photos to be scanned. I've done some from my parents' years
at the VFW but I still have the rest of my share to go. Mixed results for this one.

10. Index more: I did a bit last year but will try to do more as a way to payback the work
of others that has helped my own research.
Results: I took part in the Family Search World wide Indexing event back in July and I've
added more headstone transcriptions to FindAGrave. Still, I could have done better. Mixed
results.


11. Get out away from the computer more: Since I now have a car, I plan to visit the towns
in Essex and Worcester County where my ancestors lived. 
Results: a bit better. I visited cemeteries in Andover and Methuen as well as others
on the South Shore closer to home. and I made it out to the New England Geneablogger
Bash in Stirling. So compared to 2013, for me this was a success.

12. Break down that John Cutter West brick wall: Hope, as ever, still springs eternal.
Result: No luck. Hope is still springing, though
.

And above all, the overall plan is to still to keep having FUN, as I have so far every
year pursuing my ancestors.

Result: Now that was definitely a success! 

A WISH FOR 2015

May you all have a fantastic genealogy New Year and may all your brick walls come crumbling down!

JOHN ACIE: LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM, PT3

Wrapping up the case for defamation brought against John Pickerd by my
ancestor John Acie in the Essex County Quarterly Court:

The first thing I thought about while I reading this case was it seemed more like
John Acie was on trial instead of Pickerd. Half of the witnesses paint a picture of
a conniving bully, the other half one of a loyal friend and family member.

The case revolved around Pickerd's statement that Acie had " ruined  Josuah Bradley,
Doctor Crosbie, Hannah Palmer and Thomas Remington". And yet,

-Thomas Remington and Mehittabell, his wife, deposed that he, being named as one
whom Acie had ruined, denied the charge.
-Dr. Crosbie trusted Acie enough to have him look after the affairs of his wife and
children which Crosbie's former wife said Acie did as a faithful friend.

On the other hand, Joshua Bradley and his wife left town out of fear of John Acie's
anger.

Then we come to the story of John Acie's niece Hannah Palmer and her beau, John
Hopkinson. True, Acie wanted Hannah to break off the relationship and returned
Hopkinson's "love tokens" to him. But that is hardly ruining his niece's life. In fact,
given his mother's opposition to any marriage to a relative of Acies, the marriage was
probably never going to happen.

True, there was Acie's aggressive behavior towards Thomas Wood about the hay from
the Crosbie pasture but it could be he was acting to protect the widow's interests.

As always with these court files, many of the participants are related to me: Richard
Swan, James Bayley, and Joseph Trumble are all my relatives.

And as for my 8x great grandfather, he didn't always do as well in court cases, and in
September 1664 was fined and sentenced to a week in jail for his  "great misdemeanors"

2014 BY THE NUMBERS

I just did my yearly download of my Ancestry.com gedcom to the RootsMagic6 database on my hard drive.  Here's how 2014 measured up against 2013:
2013
30, 577 people,  78,156 citations, 509 sources

2014
30,883 people, 104,937 citations, 574 sources
This doesn't take into account how many duplicate names I merged or deleted from
my tree.

This got me to look into how I did in Find A Grave and blogging:

Find a Grave
I'm now at  548 memorials added (up from 301 last years on this date),  812 Photos
added, 109 volunteer photos taken.

Blogging:
This is post 198 for this blog, up from 179 for 2013 and I'm not quite done yet.  
I only did 3 posts for Old Colony Graveyard Rabbit this year, down from 23 last year. Sigh.

I need to do something about doing more with the Graveyard Rabbit blog!

 

JOHN ACIE: LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM, PT2

Continuing with the defamation case my ancestor John Acie filed against John Pickard at
the Essex County Quarterly Court, we next have testimony that paints a better picture
of Acie's character, as well as one from John Hopkinson, the suitor of Acie's niece
Hannah Palmer. His reason for the failure of their relationship is a bit amusing:  

Prudence Cotton, aged about thirty-seven years, being required by John Acy of Rowley to testify concerning ruining her former husband, Mr. Anthony Crosbey, deposed that since she had known said Acy, which was ever since she was married to said Crosbey, he had always been faithful to her husband, persuading him always toward peace and quietness and advising him to take heed of and forbear other infirmities which rendered said Crosby obnoxious. He had also been faithful in assisting her and the children since said Crosby's death. Sworn, Mar. 29, 1675, before Samll. Dalton,* commissioner.

Abraham Jewett and Henory Royley deposed that being desired by Mr. Crosbie to witness a deed given by him to Jonathan Plats and John Acie of all his houses and lands within five miles of the town of Rowley, the latter refused to take it, but Crosbie told them it might be well to preserve his estate for his wife and children. Sworn in court.

James Baily, aged about sixty years, and Joseph Trumble, aged twenty-seven years, deposed. Sworn in court.

Ann Swann, aged about sixty years, deposed. Sworn in court.

Benjamin Scott, aged about twenty-five years, deposed. Sworn in court.

Thomas Kimball deposed. Sworn in court.

James Bayly, sr., and Jno. Trumble deposed.

Jno. Hopkinson, aged about twenty-eight years, deposed that "divers years agoe, myself & Hannah pallmer being drawne Into Society one wth another, by some of her relations, our affections in time being set upon each other, it was discovered to my mother, whose consent I laboured to Gaine but she stil remained opposite, & the reasons was she sayd wee were childish: & our beginnings was Contrary to ye way that gods people went in: but her cheif Reason was because she would not be soe near related to y e Acies: which thing when John Acie understood, not many dayes after, he Came to me, & told me he did understand that the match between his Cousin Hannah & this deponant was broke: I Replyed not that I knew of, etc." Sworn in court.

Samuell Brocklebanke and Ezekiell Northend testified. Sworn in court.

Daniell Wickam deposed that being at work at Mr. Crosbie's house, etc. Sworn in court.

John Todd, aged about fifty-four years, deposed. Sworn in court.

John Johnson, aged about sixteen years, deposed that he asked John Acie why he was so set against him as to be Thomas Remmington's chief counsellor, etc. Sworn in court. Abraham Jewet deposed.

Sammuell Plats, sr., and Philip Nellson deposed that John Pickard told them that all the troubles in their town were caused by Mr. Shepard, and if it had not been for him, said Pickard would not have been fined so much in John Acie's action. Further he told them that he being at a meeting with the selectmen, they thought it best to choose the old selectmen to serve again, considering the difficulties of the division of the commons. Sworn in court.
pp13-16

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume VI (Google eBook) 1675-1678, Essex Institute, Salem Ma 191t

I'll have some thoughts about all this in my next post.

JOHN ACIE: LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM, PT1

My 8x great grandfather John Acie seems to have been one of those people you
either love or hate. I've found several cases in the Essex County Court files in which
he figures either as plaintiff or defendant. In the following case he is the plaintiff,
trying to protect his good(cough) name. Interesting that the initial verdict was for
the defendant, but apparently the judge wasn't happy with the jury and sent them
out to rethink the verdict. When they came back, the found in favor of Acie.

One of the fun things about these court files is how the statements given by
witnesses sometimes wander hither and yon, throwing in bits of information that
that tells several stories. In this case. there's a love story involved:

John Acie v. John Pickerd. Defamation. Verdict for defendant. After being sent out
again, the jury brought in a verdict for plaintiff.*

*Writ: John Acie v. John Pickerd; defamation; for basely and reproachfully reviling him in a public town meeting at Rowley in falsely asserting that he had ruined four persons already, naming the persons; dated Mar. 22, 1674-5; signed by Tho. Leaver,f clerk; and served by Jeremiah Elsworth,f constable of Rowley, by attachment of the house and land of defendant.

John Acie's bill of cost.

Thomas Remington and Mehittabell, his wife, deposed that he, being named as one whom Acie had ruined, denied the charge. Sworn in court.

James Baly, sr., Joseph Trumble and John Hopkinson deposed that at the town meeting last winter Mr. Jeremiah Sheppard came in and was arguing with some persons. John Acie then present argued on his side. Jno. Pickard, sr., being there desired to speak a word to Mr. Sheppard and said that John Acie standing on his side would not make for his advantage, for said Acie had ruined Josuah Bradley, Doctor Crosbie, Hannah Palmer and Thomas Remington. Sworn in court.

Richard Swann, aged about sixty-eight years, deposed that he was at the Generall Court where there was a case about Capt. Marshall's marrying two persons too privately, and he spoke to Major Pike about them, Josuah Bradley and Judeth Lum, whom he married at Rowley, "which John Pickard I told him was much trobled att: and also that John Acie had some hand in it; he replyed he was much trobled at it when he heard of it; & he sayd he hoped it should be a warning to him for the future." Deponent saw Josuah Bradley and John Acie riding to town together the day of the marriage. Sworn in court.

Joseph Trumble, aged about twenty-seven years, deposed that being related to John Hopkinson, he knew about his proceedings in love which he made to Hannah, daughter of Jno. Palmer of Rowley, and was at Palmer's house when there was a discussion concerning breaking off the marriage. John Acie, Hannah's uncle, was there, and Hannah was in a melancholy frame of mind. Acie asked her if Hopkinson had given her any tokens of his love and she said he had, but refused to show them, saying those were the only comforts she had in his absence. Finally being importuned by Acie she gave them to him, he promising to return them to her in a week's time. Later she told deponent that Acie had returned the tokens to Hopkinson and had promised to give her ten pounds upon her marriage, if she would break off the match with Hopkinson. So John Acie broke off the match and gave Hannah a coat on that account. Both Hannah and John were much dejected, etc. Sworn in court.

John Pallmor and Margaret Pallmor deposed that they never heard their daughter Hannah say anything against John Acie, her uncle, ''and that we doe beleiue that any good that he could doe her by night or by day he would redily and willingly haue done it," etc. Sworn in court.

Mary Pearson, aged about twenty-four years, deposed that a while before Josuah Bradley went from Rowley, she heard him and his wife say that their reason for going was because they could never have any peace since Josuah had given in a testimony against Acie and the latter was enraged. Sworn in court.

Abell Platts, aged about twenty-five years, deposed that in the case between Thomas Remington and John Johnson, he heard John Acie say to Johnson that he would spend his estate before Johnson should have the gate* and a quarter again, etc. Sworn in court.

•gate, i. e. term used in Rowley to indicate a right to pasturage 

Thomas Wood, aged about forty years, deposed that being desired by his brother Todd to get hay from the meadow that he took from Dr. Crosbie by execution, they went and found Acie there who spoke threatening words and struck several persons, etc. John Todd testified to the same. Sworn in court.
pp13-16

Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume VI (Google eBook) 1675-1678, Essex Institute, Salem Ma 191t



The testimony shows two sides of Acie: loyal to his friends and family, but not a person you
wanted to have angry with you.

In the next part we get more testimony, including a statement from John Hopkinson, the
other half of the star-crossed lovers.
 

SO YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE TRANSCRIBING THAT PROBATE FILE?

Working with probate files is sometimes a good news, bad news proposition.

The good news is you've discovered this set of documents that may hold all
sorts of information you don't already know about your ancestor.

The bad news is you can't read the bloody images. This could be for a number of
reasons: damage to the actual document, fading ink, or (most often) the abysmal
handwriting of whoever wrote out the will and inventory.

Even if you can read the handwriting, chances are you've found a whole bunch of
your ancestors' probate files and it will take awhile to get them all transcribed. That's
the situation I was in recently. So I did the only logical thing: I cheated. I used Google
to find already transcribed wills and inventories, and I found quite a bit of help. I
used the name of the ancestor, his date of death and the town or county in which he
died for my search terms. I found transcriptions in the following online places:

-Family histories
-Town or county histories
-historical society collections
-court records

Most of these sources are free but make sure you cite them in your records or blogposts.
When I use them on my blog, I add a link to where I found the transcription on the web.
Remember to compare the transcription with the document image to be certain they are
for the same person. And check to see if what you are reading is a full transcription of
the document or only an abstract of just part of it.

I hope this helps. Happy hunting!

POOR JENNET DICKINSON,TURNED "...OUT IN THE EXTREMITY OF WEATHER"

Another interesting story from the Essex County Court Records involving one of my
ancestors. this time my apparently feisty 10x great grandmother Jennet Dickinson,
widow of Thomas Dickinson. After his death in 1662 a dispute began between
some debtors of both Thomas and some of his heirs which eventually involved land
the widow claimed as hers. By this time Jennet has remarried and was now known as
Jennet Whipple.  Things reached a head in August 1674, which brought matters to the
Essex County Quarterly Court on  29 Sep 1674. All spelling is that of the clerks and
transcribers. The small"t" after a name denotes they signed their names to the
document on which their testimony was given: 

Mrs. Jennet Whipple, widow and executrix, and one of the heirs of the estate of Thomas Dickanson, deceased v. Richard Waite and Returne Waite. Verdict for plaintiff. Appealed to the next Court of Assistants. Richard and Returne Waite were bound, with Thomas Marshall and Henry Skerry, as sureties.*

*Writ, dated Sept. 22, 1674, for turning her out in the extremity of weather, signed by Shu. Walker, t for the court, and served by Nicho. Paige,t constable of Boston. Bond of Rich. Wayte,t Returne Waitet Willm. Hudsont and Jno. Williams.t

Sarah Gile, aged sixteen years, deposed that she lived in the house in controversy when Return Wait came in to serve the execution and required Mrs. Whipple to go out for the house was Bozoon Allen's. She refused, and he took hold of her to put her out and asked Marshal Skirrey to assist him, which he did. They pulled her along, she taking hold of things to stay herself, and being too strong for her, forced her out of doors, it being rainy and nearly night. Sworn in court.

Mrs. Gennett Whipple's bill of cost, 2li. 3s. 8d.

Letter of attorney, dated Sept. 25, 1674, given by Rich. Wayte§ of Boston to Left. Richard Way of Boston. Wit: Ephraim Turnert and Jno. Williams.t Acknowledged, Sept. 25, 1674, before Edward Tyng,t assistant.

Jno. Pickard, aged fifty-three years, deposed that after the execution was served he found Mrs. Gennet Whipple standing in the rain out of doors, her head covered with her apron, and requesting shelter of Returne Wait and Marshal Skerry who stood under a pentice or house-side. She was forced to seek the neighbors' houses for relief. Nehemiah Jewet testified that he was also present. Sworn in court.

-p397


Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, Volume V (Google eBook) 1672-1674 Essex Institute, Salem, Ma 1916

Reading this I could picture Jennet grabbing hold of tables and chairs and doorways trying
to keep from being thrown out of her house.

In this case the Court found in favor of Jennet, but the verdict was appealed.  I hope to
find out whether poor Grandma Jennet was once more thrown out into the "extremity of
weather"!

MY 2014 GENEALOGY YEAR IN REVIEW

It's the end of the year, that time when we look back at the year past and plan
for the year ahead. I'll be doing the usual posts on how I did with my goals for 2014
and what goals I have for 2015, but I thought I'd just take a general look at how this year
went for me genealogically speaking.

It started out for me with unhappiness with the new Ancestry.com search engine.
I was working on my Ancestry.com tree nearly daily for a few hours each night and
when the new engine came along I was getting less and less done in that time frame.
So first I experimented going a week without using the Ancestry hints and search
engine, using only what I could find using FamilySearch, Google ebooks and other
online record sources. That was how I'd worked prior to subscribing to Ancestry.
Then I dropped my Ancestry subscription. It's a slower process than using the
Ancestry hints but it's less aggravating than the new search engine and I enjoy
digging for the stories behind the facts. I still maintain and add to my Ancestry
public tree and use what free hints are available but the main portion of my
research is done elsewhere. (Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those who think
all genealogy information should be free. Ancestry and other "pay to use" sites
are businesses and have every right to charge for their services.)

I got out more on the highways during the Spring and Summer, taking a daytrip
up to Andover and  Methuen looking for ancestral burial sites. I had success at
Andover, not so much at Methuen. I plan to do some more trips once Spring comes
again.

Getting used to driving on the highways again was helpful in getting me to
two genealogy gatherings this year:  2014 New England Family History Conference
in Franklin and the 2014 New England Geneabloggers Bash out in Stirling(which was
the furthest I've driven on major highways in several decades). It was fun meeting
my genealogy friends face to face again.

One of the areas I spent more time on this past year were probate files, and really
hit the mother lode with the Worcester county files on FamilySearch and the
Essex and Middlesex county files on AmericanAncestors.org. I found information
in those files for ancestors I'd had very little for beforehand, and there's quite a
bit of blogging material in there for next year. 

So, aside from the goals I did or did not meet this past year, my 2014 genealogy year
was a very good one!

THE LAST INDIAN RAID

((First posted in 2008))

I've written before about my ancestors' experiences and
encounters with the Native American peoples of New England.
In researching the Barker brothers I found several references,
including Mitch Barker's here, of them temporarily leaving the
Bethel, Maine area after an Indian raid. This turned out to be
what is considered the "Last Indian Raid" in New England and
it took place 233 years ago on 3 Aug 1781.

At that time Bethel was still part of Canada and was named
Sudbury. There has been many clashes between the English
settlers and Indians over the previous 150 years but there
had also been occasions when various tribes allied themselves
with the English against the French, but with the French
departure from Canada and then the American Revolution
the political landscape had changed. Neither the Indians
nor the Americans could count on the British as an ally
against the other.

While most of the Indians in the area were friendly with the
settlers, one leader, Tomhegan(supposedly an Anglicization of
Tumtumhegan) was not. One account cites a dispute over
lands near Rumford Falls as one reason for his animosity.
Whatever the reason for it, on the 3 Aug 1781 Tomhegan led
a small group of followers on a raid that went through the areas
of Bethel and Gilead, Maine and then crossed over to the
vicinity of Shelburne, NH, where a settler named Peter Poor
was killed.

At Bethel the raiding party had killed a man named James
Pettengill and captured two of the prominent citizens,
Nathaniel Segar and Benjamin Clark, along with two other
men who managed to escape. Tomhegan kept Segar and
Clark as hostages, forcing them to carry the loot taken from
settler's homes as they went north. Eventually they reached
Canada where Segar and Clark were sold to the British.
The men were kept captive at Montreal until the following
year when they were released and returned to Boston on a
ship.

The families in the Bethel area had fled to safety at the
approach of the attack and eventually returned to the area
along with more families. The 1790 census for Sudbury and the
surrounding area shows my ancestors Amos Hastings and
Jonathan Barker(and his brothers) among the inhabitants.
The town incorporated itself as Bethel in 1796 and in 1931
held a celebration to mark the 150th anniversary of the
raid.

As for Tomhegan, he was eventually captured and killed. Benjamin
Willey in his "Incidents in White Mountain History " claims he was
tied to the back of a horse which was set loose in an apple orchard
so that the branches of the trees tore Tomhegan to bits but there is
no official account to verify what seems to me folklore.

The final irony is that Tomhegan's name mainly lives on not as the
leader of the Last Indian Raid in New England but in the names of
various places in the Moosehead Lake area of Maine, one of which
is the Tomhegan Wildlife Sanctuary.

You can view Peter Poor's headstone here at the First Mountain
Forest site. Brief entries on prominent Native Americans in the
Bethel area can be viewed here at their site. Willey's account
of the incident is here at Googlebooks.

Written for the 53rd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.

2014 Update:
Among those settlers living at Bethel at the time of the attack were the families
of my ancestors James Swan, Jonathan Barker, and Amos Hastings. One
of the  homes targeted by the Indians was that of Benjamin Barker, my
4x great granduncle