SOUTHWICK
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| Shelter Island Map |
Updated 7 December 2019
Lawrence Southwick does not appear in any official records until 1639 in Salem, when he was admitted to the church and given two acres of land for his glass and “earthenware” business. He is supposed to be one of the first glass manufacturers in the New World according to family lore, although Jamestown, Virginia had an early glass business. Lawrence, his wife Cassandra, and son Josiah and daughter Mary were fined, whipped and finally banished for being Quakers. Lawrence and his wife died of exposure on Shelter Island, off Long Island, New York in 1659.
Their minor children, Daniel and Provided were sold
into slavery by the General Court. This
episode was made into a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier called “The Ballad of
Cassandra Southwick” (he switched the name of the mother and daughter, I guess
the name Cassandra was more poetic than Provided). See
my blog post http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2009/11/ballad-of-cassandra-southwick.html
for more on this story.
Lawrence Southwick’s will, made before he was
banished:
I,
Lawrence Sethick, late of Salem in New England, now being at the house of
Nathaniel Silvester, on Shelter Island, being weake in body but of sound mind
and memory, do make and ordayne this my last will and testament, tenth day of
fifth month, 1659.
I first
give and bequeath unto my sonne Daniel Sethick my dwelling house at Salem, with
all the houses, orchards, gardens and appurtenances; and Gyle's lot, provided
that John Burnell shall have a house lott on the ground at the further end of
the orchard newly fenct in.
Item.
My will is that the lott which I had of Josiah Sethick shall return to him
again.
Item.
I give unto John Sethick the lott next to his owne.
Item.
My will is that the great meadow which lyes at Ipswich River, fenct in, shall
be divided Daniel Sethick and John Burnell equally.
Item.
I give unto Samuel Burton forty shillings.
Item.
I give unto John Burnell, if he stand faithful in the truth, two young steers
and the first mare foal.
Item.
I give unto Henry Traske Marshall's lott joining to his orchard, provided that
Daniel may have liberty to mow a load of hay every year thereon.
Item.
I give unto Mary Traske my daughter, wife of Henry Traske, ten pounds sterling.
Item.
I give unto Deborah Sethwick and young Josiah, each of them fifty shillings
sterling.
Item.
I give unto Ann Potter forty shillings, in she thinks beneficial for her.
Item.
I give unto Mary Traske, daughter to Henry Traske, one good serge suit of
clothes; and unto Sarah and Hannah each of them a suit of clothes.
I give
and bequeath unto Samuel and Sarah, John Sethick's children, to each of them
thirty shillings sterling.
Furthermore
my will is that Daniel my sonne, and Provided my daughter, shall possess and
enjoy all that which remains of my estate after debts and legacies paid, and my
will above mentioned fulfilled, equally to be divided between them so that
Daniel may have that part which belongs to husbandry.
Lastly
my will is that in case my wife survives me shee shall be my executrix and keep
all possessions during her life, and after her decease my will to be performed
according as above expressed; and I do ordayne William Robinson and Thomas
Gardner to be overseers of this my last will and testament, signed and sealed
by me the day and year above written with my hand and seal following.
In
presence of
NATHANIEL
SILVESTER, signed by
THOMAS
HARRIS, LAWRENCE SETHICK.
WILLIAM
DURAND,
This
will was allowed by the court 29, 9 mo., 1660.
attest
HILLARD
VEREN, Clericus.
The story of the Southwick family is exciting, and
because there were many court records this family is fairly easy to trace. I used the following sources:
Genealogical
Dictionary of New England, by James Savage,
Volume IV, pages 142 -3.
Genealogy
of the Descendants of Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick of Salem, Massachusetts,
by James Moore Caller and Maria A. Ober, Salem, Mass: JH Choate, 1881
A
Study of Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick, by Janet
Ireland Delorey, 1997
The
Genealogist, Volume XII, pages 223-31 and Volume
XVI, pages 40 -41.
Essex
Institute Historical Collections, Volume 57, pages
177-179. (Burnap/Burnett family)
Note: Sir Winston Churchill, President Richard
Milhous Nixon and genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner were all descendants
of Lawrence Southwick.
-------------------------
My Southwick Genealogy:
Generation 1.
Lawrence Southwick, son of Edward Southwicke and Anne Shelley, born in
Tetenhall, Staffordshire, England, died 10 May 1659 at Shelter Island, New
York; married about 1619 in England to Cassandra Burnell, daughter of Humphrey
Burnell and Margaret Unknown. She was
born about 1598 in Kingswinford, Staffordshire, England and died about 13 May
1659 at Shelter Island. Five children:
1.
Mary Southwick married William Nichols
2.
John Southwick (see below)
3.
Josiah Southwick, born about 1632 married Mary Boyce
4.
Daniel Southwick, born about 1637 in Salem, married Esther Boyce
5.
Provided Southwick, born 6 December 1641 in Salem, married Samuel Gaskill
Generation
2. John Southwick, born 6 March 1625 in Kingswinford, died 25 October 1672 in
Salem, married first about 1642 to Sarah Unknown, widow of Samuel Tidd, three children;
married second on 12 May 1658 to Ann UNKNOWN, widow of Thomas Flint. Four children. He married third on 3 February
1668/9 to Sarah Burnap/Burnett/Burnell, daughter of John Burnap/Burnett.
Generation
3. John Southwick, born January 1667,
died about 1742; married on 23 December
1687 in Salem to Hannah Follett, daughter of Robert Follet and Persis Black. She was born on 23 December 1664 in
Salem. Seven Children.
1.
John Southwick (see below)
2.
Joseph Southwick, born 1 January 1691
3.
Sarah Southwick, born 9 February 1694,
married Thomas Hutchins
4.
Abraham Southwick, born 27 July 1696
5.
Hannah Southwick, born 6 November 1698, married Ebenezer Hutchinson
6.
Benjamin Southwick, born 22 January 1702, married Sarah Southwick (first
cousin, daughter of Isaac Southwick and Ann Unknown)
7.
Isaac Southwick, born 23 September 1704, married Esther Clark
Generation
4. John Southwick, born 13 December
1688, died before 7 October 1771; married on 8 January 1710 in Salem to Mary
Trask, daughter of William Trask and Anna Unknown. She was born in March 1683 in Salem, died
before 1767. Seven children, and I descend from two:
1.
John Southwick, born 1710, married Elizabeth Wilson
2.
William Southwick, born 1715, married
Sarah Elizabeth King
3.
Mary Southwick, born 1717, married Ebenezer King
4.
Anna Southwick, born 1719, married Zachariah King
5.
Elizabeth Southwick, (see below)
6.
Joseph Southwick, born about 1723, married Mary Wilson
7.
George Southwick (see below)
First Lineage from Elizabeth Southwick:
Generation 5.
Elizabeth Southwick, born 1721; married about 24 May 1744 in Salem to
Robert Wilson, son of Isaac Wilson and Mary Stone. He was born about 1724, died before 20 July
1782. Four children.
Generation
6. Robert Wilson m. Sarah Felton
Generation
7. Robert Wilson m. Mary Southwick, daughter of George Southwick and Sarah
Platts
Generation
8. Mercy F. Wilson m. Aaron Wilkinson
Generation
9. Robert Wilson Wilkinson m. Phebe Cross Munroe
Generation
10. Albert Munroe Wilkinson m. Isabella Lyons Bill
Generation
11. Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my grandparents)
Second
Lineage from George Southwick:
Generation 5. George Southwick, born about 1726,
died before 1808 in Danvers, Massachusetts; married on 18 December 1670 in
Danvers to Sarah Platts, daughter of Moses Platts and Ruth Williams, and the
widow of Francis Shatswell. She was born
26 August 1735 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, died after 1803. Seven children:
1.
George Southwick, born about 1761, married Betsey Ashton
2.
Francis Southwick, born about 1764,
married Hannah Mitchell
3.
Sarah Southwick, born abut 1766
4.
Mercy Southwick, born 19 March 1767, married Joseph Brown
5.
Nathan Southwick, born about 1771, married Molly Moulton
6.
Rebecca Southwick, born about 1774, married James Raddin
7.
Mary Southwick, born 3 June 1777, married Robert Wilson (see above)
Click here to read a blog post about Shelter Island (where Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick died)
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-visit-to-shelter-island.html
Click here to read a blog post about Shelter Island (where Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick died)
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-visit-to-shelter-island.html
---------------------------
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ Southwick of Salem, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 10, 2012, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/03/surname-saturday-southwick-of-salem.html: accessed [access date]).
Heather I'm descended from Provided Southwick and Samuel Gaskill (then Samuel Gaskill, his son Jonathan Gaskill, and his daughter Patience Gaskill, who married into my Aldrich line - by that time, they had relocated to Mendon, Mass.) Many of my Rhode Island ancestors were driven out of Massachusetts due to their religious beliefs, but I always thought this was the saddest story. I understand there's a monument on Shelter Island to mark the place where the Southwicks died, but I've never been there. At any rate, how nice that we are both descended from these brave people.
ReplyDeleteI am a descendant of Provided and Samuel Gaskill.
DeleteSo the children didn't have to serve as slaves right? And what happened to that "religious freedom" chatter? How were they persecuted for being Quakers.I've seen other posts that mentions this persecution.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathleen! Yes, I have written about other Salem Quakers and how they were persecuted by the Salem authorities, and also I recently wrote about an incident in Dover, NH involving several Quakers who were ordered to be whipped all the way to Rhode Island. The Puritans did NOT believe in religious freedom. They loathed the idea.
ReplyDeleteI just found this page. I'm a great+granddaughter of Provided (the 2nd daughter with the same name, as the1st one died) and Samuel Gaskill.
DeleteAs a history teacher I try to instill in students that Puritans did NOT come for religious freedom. They wanted to worship their way but were persecuted in England. They then turned around and persecuted others in the New World. This is a very interesting post. I have some relatives who were punished for entertaining Quakers in their homes.
ReplyDeletePlease take a look at John Southwick's second wife Hannah Flint. She married her first husband Thomas Flint in Salem 1645. Thus her name was not Hannah Flint daughter of William and Alice (Williams)Flint. William Flint and Alice Williams were married circa 1644 which would have made Hannah 1 year old at the time of her marriage to Thomas Flint.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane, thank you for calling attention to this old post from 2012. It needs updating. Here is what I know so far. John Southwick (1625 - 1672) was married three times. His first wife was Sarah Burnap, married about 1642. His second wife was Ann UNKNOWN, married on 12 May 1668, and she was the widow of Thomas Flint. The third wife was Sarah Burnett, widow of Thomas Cooper, married on 3 February 1668/9 in Salem. I will update this post ASAP.
Delete