Surname Saturday ~ Rand of Charlestown, Massachusetts

Colonial Charlestown, Massachusetts
from Britannica.com

The first known record of Robert Rand, my 9^th great grandfather, was of his wife Alice being admitted to the church in Charlestown in 1635. I don’t know when they arrived in Massachusetts from England.  They had seven children born in England and Charlestown.  Robert Rand owned a house on the west side of “Windmill Hill” (now Town Hill) in Charlestown, along with sixty-six acres and three commons. When Alice Rand died in 1691 her will mentions sons Nathaniel and Thomas, and grandchildren.

I descend from their son, Thomas, born about 1627.  He was a cordwainer (shoemaker) and was made a freeman in 1660.  He was elected sergeant and cowherdman in Charlestown.  He married Sarah Edenden and had twelve children, seven of whom married and left descendants.  

In my lineage, the first four generations of Rands were born and lived in Charlestown until my 6^th great grandfather, Caleb Rand, removed to Nantucket.  His son, Caleb Rand my 5^th great grandfather, removed to Cornwallis, King’s County, Nova Scotia and raised eleven children there.  His daughter, Mary Rand my 4^th great grandmother, was the end of my Rand line.  Her grandson, Caleb Rand Bill (1833 – 1902) my great great grandfather, removed back to Massachusetts.  

Some Rand sources:

A Genealogy of the Rand Family in the United States, by Florence Osgood Rand, 1898 (available at Google Booksearch).

“The Lynn Descendants of Robert Rand of Charlestown”, The Essex Genealogist, Volume 21, 2001, pages 28 to 35.

There is a sketch of Robert Rand in The Great Migration, by Robert Charles Anderson, 2009, Volume VI, pages 1 to 5.

My Rand lineage:

Generation 1: Robert Rand, born about 1594 in England, died in Charlestown, Massachusetts sometime before 1691 when his wife died a widow; married in England to Alice Sharpe, who died 5 August 1691 in Charlestown.  Seven children.

Generation 2:  Thomas Rand, born in April 1627 in Charlestown, died 4 August 1683 in Charlestown; married on 25 March 1656 in Charlestown to Sarah Edenden, daughter of Edmund Edenden and Elizabeth Whitman.  She died 26 June 1699 in Charlestown.  Twelve children.

Generation 3: John Rand, born on 6 February 1662 in Charlestown, died 4 September 1737 in Charlestown; married on 2 December 1685 in Charlestown to Mehitable Call, daughter of John Call and Hannah Kettell.  She was born about 30 June 1668 in Charlestown, and died 25 November 1727 in Charlestown. Fourteen children.  John Rand married second to Mary Randall.

Generation 4: Caleb Rand, born 6 December 1703 in Charlestown, died 3 January 1766 on Nantucket; married on 4 August 1726 in Charlestown to Katherine Kettle (his second cousin), daughter of Jonathan Kettle and Katherine Hands. She was born 14 February 1708 in Charlestown and died 10 May 1756 on Nantucket.  Eight children.

Generation 5: Caleb Rand, born 10 January 1730 in Charlestown, died 25 September 1776 in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia; married to Mary Mayhew, daughter of John Mayhew and Ruth Davis.  She was born 22 May 1734 and died in Nova Scotia.  Eleven children.

Generation 6: Mary Rand, born 1758 and died 19 February 1845; married on 18 June 1778 in Cornwallis to Asahel Bill, son of Ebenezer Bill and Patience Ingraham.  Eleven children.

Generation 7: Reverend Ingraham Ebenezer Bill m. Isabella Lyons

Generation 8: Caleb Rand Bill m. Ann Margaret Bollman

Generation 9: Isabella Lyons Bill m. Albert Munroe Wilkinson

Generation 10: Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my grandparents)

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Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo