Saturday, February 1, 2014

Surname Saturday ~ PARTRIDGE of Duxbury, Massachusetts

 Partridges by John James Audubon

PARTRIDGE

My 10th great grandfather George Partridge arrived from England to Duxbury, Massachusetts about 1636.  He was a single man, and there is no evidence he was married before he wed Sarah Tracy in 1638.  He was given a grant of land at Powder Point in 1636 and later accumulated about 200 acres in Duxbury.  At town meetings he was elected to serve the community as constable, surveyor of highways and in a grand-jury.   I was fascinated to see that he served as a private in Captain Myles Standish’s militia, since Capt. Standish is also my 8th great grandfather in a different lineage. Two of Standish's sons signed George Partridge's will, including my ancestor, Alexander Standish, my 7th great grandfather. 

George Partridge had ten children. Two of his daughters married sons of Samuel Allen, and two Partridge children married two children of Governor William Brewster, the Mayflower passenger.  One daughter married a son of Peter Thacher, which was interesting to me since I have Thacher first cousins, their descendants.  I descend from daughter Elizabeth (1643 – 1722) who married James Allen. 

Since very little is known about George Partridge, we don’t even know his occupation, I’ll paste his last will and testament here:

"On ye 26th day of June in ye year of our Lord 1682. I George Partridge yeoman living in Duxborough being in sound mind and good and perfect remembrance praysed be ye Lord for it make & ordaine this my last will and testament in manner and form following first I commend my soul unto Almighty God my maker and Redeemer and my body I will that it be decently buryed and funerall charges paid together with all my just and lawful debts out of my estate. 

"I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah Partridge all my houses & lands in Duxburough to say uplands and meadows and all my cattell and all my household stuff for her own proper use and behoofe during her natural life on the condition that my wife do as much for my daughter Mercy as we have done for ye rest of our daughters already married and that she give my grand-daughter Bethyah Allen as much as she in prudence shall think fit and if any part of my moveables remain at my wife's decease my will is that it be disposed of by her amongst my children as she thinks meet and fit. I give to my eldest son John Partridge at my decease half my uplands and half my meadow lands lying and being at Middleborough with ye priviledges and appurtenances thereunto belonging to him & his heirs forever. 

"Item--I give six pounds sterling to my son John Partridge at his mother's decease to be paid in current pay. 

"I give to my son James Partridge the other and remayning half both of my uplands and meadow lands lying and being at Middleborough with ye priviledges and appurtenances  thereunto belonging to him after my decease & to his heirs forever. 

"Item--I give to my son James all my houses and all my lands both uplands and meadow lands in Duxborough and also ye Island at ye Glade with all ye priviledges and appurtenances belonging to ye aforesd lands at his mother's decease to him and his heirs forever if my son James will live in the house with his mother quietly during her life. I do hereby constitute and make my beloved wife Sarah Partridge sole executrix & administratrix of this my last will & testament as witness my hand and seal this 29th of June one thousand six hundred and eighty two. 

          GEORGE PARTRIDGE [Seal] 
         "In ye presence of us witnesses 
           ALEXANDER STANDISH 
           JOSIAH STANDISH 
In case that any estate belonging unto me beyond sea should be brought over hither before my wife's decease my will is that she should dispose thereof amongst my children according to her discretion.

Source: At genealogylibrary.com: Descendants of George Partridge of Duxbury, MA, by George Henry Partridge, The Plimpton Press, Norwood, MA 1915 

Other sources for information on the Partridge family are the History of Duxbury, by Justin Winsor, 1849 (available to view and download at https://archive.org ) and also The Great Migration series.

My PARTRIDGE genealogy:

Generation 1: George Partridge, born in England, died 7 July 1695 in Duxbury, Massachusetts; married on 16 November 1638 to Sarah Tracy, daughter of Stephen Tracy and Tryphosa Lee.  She was born about 1621 in Leyden, Holland and died 16 November 1708 in Duxbury.  Ten children.

Generation 2:  Elizabeth Partridge, born 14 February 1643 in Duxbury, Massachusetts, died 8 August 1722 in Chilmark, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard; married about 1662 in Duxbury to James Allen, son of Samuel Allen and Ann Whitmore.   He was born about 1636 in Braintree, Massachusetts and died on 25 July 1714 in Tisbury, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.  Twelve children.

Generation 3:  John Allen m. Margaret Homes
Generation 4:  Rebecca Allen m. Wilmot Wass
Generation 5: Sarah Wass m. Samuel Osborn
Generation 6: Sarah Osborn m. Charles Skinner
Generation 7: Ann Skinner m. Thomas Ratchford Lyons
Generation 8: Isabella Lyons m. Reverend Ingraham Ebenezer Bill
Generation 9:  Caleb Rand Bill m. Ann Margaret Bollman
Generation 10: Isabella Lyons Bill m. Albert Munroe Wilkinson
Generation 11: Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my grandparents)

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 http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/01/surname-saturday-partridge-of-duxbury.html 

Copyright © 2014, Heather Wilkinson Rojo


1 comment:

  1. Twice my 9th great grandfather, Heather. Granddaughters Mehitable Allen m. Isaac Alden and Sarah Allen m. Jonathan Cary - both children of his daughter of Sarah m. Samuel Allen. Thank you for the background. Monica

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