COLLSTON
Adam Collston’s origins are unknown. He settled in Reading, Massachusetts before
1668, and was the schoolmaster from 1679 to 1681. This will was found in England and reprinted
in the NEHGS Register in January 1884, page 68.
"Elizabeth
Bretland, late the wife of William Bretland, deceased, Barbados, 6 October
1687. Legacies to daughters Elizabeth
Taylor and Millecent Acklam; to grandson Peter Jones; to grandsons John and
Jacob Legay. I give and bequeath to my
brother Adam Coulson's children, of
Reading near Boston, in New England, the sum of one hundred pounds, to be
equally divided among them or the survivor of them.
Cousin Edward Munday and Mr. John
Mortimer of London, merchants, to be executors of the will.
Item, I give unto my brother Adam Coulson's chilren, of Reading,
near Boston, In New England, one negro woman, by name Sarah, being my own
proper purchase, or to the survivor of the, to be sent to them the first
opportunity after my decease. I leave,
according to the desire of my dear husband, Mr. Edward Munday, to my three
daughters, Elizabeth, Millecent and Mary, thirty five pounds of silver, at
twelve ounces to the pound.
Friends, Capt. Elisha Mellowes and
Mr. John Hooker, to be executors for that portion of the estate in the
Barbados.
The witnesses made depostion as to
this will 3 April 1689. It was entered
and recorded in the Secretary's Office, 17 February 1689. Proved in London 5 December 1690.”
Adam’s daughter, Elizabeth, is my 8x great
grandmother. At sixteen she was arrested
on a charge of witchcraft, along with three other women in her family (Lydia
Dustin her grandmother, Sarah Dustin her aunt, and Mary Collston her
mother). Young Elizabeth was very brave
and escaped twice! The first time was
from Cambridge jail, and the second while she was being transported to
Charlestown. Grandmother Lydia Dustin
died in prison in Cambridge.
Elizabeth had an illegitimate daughter, Mary Collston my 7x great
grandmother. Her husband
Adam Hart was made guardian to Mary. I don’t know when Elizabeth died, but Adam
had two more wives- Abigail Deal and Dorcas Brown. Adam Hart’s mother, Elizabeth (Hutchinson)
Hart, had also been arrested for witchcraft.
Mary (Collston) Flint’s son, Jonathan Flint (1730 –
1800) married Lydia Proctor, a great granddaughter of the John Proctor (1631 –
1692) who was hung as a witch (also my 8 x great grandfather). As you can see, this holds up my theory that
the families of accused and executed witches formed a very tight bond in the
generations immediately following the 1692 witch hysteria.
There have been no books or articles written about
the early Collstons. All my Collston information
came from vital records, the Reading town histories and records, and from
documents produced around the witch trials in the 1690s (except for the will
mentioned above).
My lineage from Adam Collston:
Generation 1: Adam Collston, died 1 March 1686 in
Reading, Massachusetts; married on 7 September 1668 in Reading, Massachusetts
to Mary Duston/Dustin/Dastin. She was
the daughter of Josiah Dustin and Lydia Unknown. Six children. Mary remarried on 26 September 1701 to
Cornelius Brown as his third wife.
Generation 2: Elizabeth Collston, born 9 October
1676, married about 1703 to Adam Hart as his first of three wives. She had a daughter, Mary, as an illegimate
child.
Generation 3: Mary Collston, born 22 September 1704
in Reading; married on 18 February 1723 in Reading to Jonathan Flint, son of
Thomas Flint and Mary Dounton. He was
born on 8 November 1689 in Salem Village (now Danvers). At least two children.
Generation 4. Jonathan Flint married Lydia Proctor
Generation 5: John Flint married Phebe Flint
Generation 6: Olive Flint married Luther Simonds
Munroe
Generation 7: Phebe Cross Munroe married Robert
Wilson Wilkinson
Generation 8: Albert Munroe Wilkinson married
Isabella Lyons Bill
Generation 9: Donald Munroe Wilkinson married Bertha
Louise Roberts (my grandparents)
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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo
Adam was my 8th great-grandfather via grand-daughter by Mary, Lydia Hutchinson and Nathan Flint. I only recently discovered the multiple connections to the witch trials despite my grandmother's intense interest in family history and having recently done an intensive search for the descendents of another great-grandfather Abraham Jaquith (d. 1679).
ReplyDeleteI may have a clue that would put Adam Collston/Colson's origins in Derbyshire, England. Based on the 1687 will from Barbados quoted above, Adam's apparent sister Elizabeth Colson married Edward Munday and had three daughters: Mary Munday, Elizabeth Munday, and Millicent Munday. After his death, she married William Bretland, and they had no children. If you check out FamilySearch.org, you'll find the daughters marrying.
ReplyDelete1. Mary Munday m. [day and month unreadable] 1667 Edward Jones in St. John, Barbados. They had a son Peter Jones. On 6 April 1671, Mary Joanes marries Peter Legay in St. Michael, Barbados. They have sons John Legay, bapt. 17 July 1673, and Jacob Legay, bapt. 30 March 1675, in St. Michael, Barbados.
2. Elizabeth (Munday) Taylor possibly is the Elizabetham Mundy who marries Richardum Taylor on 20 Feb 1678 in Radbourne, Derby, England.
3. Millicent (Munday) Acklam possibly is the Millicent Mundy who marries Johnathan Acklan 10 Jan 1681 in Radbourne, Derby, England.
More research would need to be done for Elizabeth and Millicent, but Mary (Munday) (Jones) Legay seems like the correct match.