Surname Saturday ~ WHEELER of Charlestown, Massachusetts

WHEELER

John Wheeler, my 11th great grandfather, was born about 1575 and died 1644.  He had eleven children baptized at Cranfield, England, including Isaac, baptized 13 September 1607 (my 10^th great grandfather), and his brother Obadiah, baptized on 10 December 1609, who settled in Concord.  It is unknown if more siblings came to the New World.

Isaac was in Charlestown, Massachusetts as early as 1639, and was admitted as a member of the first church there on 30 September 1642.   He lived in the part of Charlestown that became the town of Malden.  His wife was Frances, her maiden name is still unknown  When Isaac died in 1643, she remarried to  Richard Cook, and then toThomas Green, the father of two of her sons-in-law.   Her daughter Elizabeth, born 8 July 1641 married William Green (my 9^th great grandparents), and daughter Sarah, born 16 March 1643, married John Green.  Two Green brothers married two Wheeler sisters.  The boys’ father married their wives’ mother.

Not only is her marriage to Thomas Green interesting, but Frances had a fourth marriage to Joseph Wheeler, the first cousin to her first husband, John Wheeler!

Some WHEELER resources:

The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown, by Thomas Bellows Wyman, page 1012

Homer W. Brainard, “Captain Thomas Wheeler and Some of his Descendants”, The American Genealogist, Volume 12, page 6

The Genealogical and Encyclopedic History of the Wheeler Family in America, by Albert Gallatin Wheeler, 1914, see pages 513 – 516 (available online at Archive.org)

The New England Historic Genealogical Register, Volume 4, page 270

MY WHEELER genealogy:

Generation 1:  Isaac Wheeler, son of John Wheeler and Elizabeth Unknown, was baptized on 13 September 1607 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England, died 1645 in Charlestown, Massachusetts; married on 9 April 1635 in Cranfield to Frances, the widow of Richard Cook.  Four children.

Generation 2:  Elizabeth Wheeler, born 8 July 1641 in Malden, Massachusetts; married on 13 March 1659 in Malden to William Green, son of Thomas Green and Elizabeth Lynde, as his first wife.  He was born in 1635 and died 30 December 1705 in Malden.  Six children.

Generation 3:  Isaac Green m. Sarah Unknown

Lineage A

Generation 4A: William Green m. Joanna Mendall

Generation 5A: Tabitha Green m. Jabez Robinson

Generation 6A: Elizabeth Robinson m. Ebenezer Crosby

Generation 7A: Rebecca Crosby m. Comfort Haley

Generation 8A: Joseph Edwin Healy m. Matilda Weston

Generation 9A: Mary Etta Healey m. Peter Hoogerzeil

Generation 10A: Florence Etta Hoogerzeil m. Arthur Treadwell Hitchings

Generation 11A:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

Lineage B

Generation 4B: Martha Green m. Peter Robinson

Generation 5B: Jabez Robinson m. Tabitha Green (see above)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ WHEELER of Concord and Charlestown, Massachusetts”,  Nutfield Genealogy, posted July 28, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/07/surname-saturday-wheeler-of-charlestown.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ KNIGHT of Charlestown and Topsfield, Massachusetts

I have written a previous “Surname Saturday” post about a John Knight (1601 – 1674) of Charlestown, Massachusetts at this link:   

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/12/surname-saturday-knight-of-charlestown.html  

I don’t think there is any kinship between John Knight and the subject of this new blog post, Philip Knight, my 10^th great grandfather, who is recorded as living in Charlestown before removing to Topsfield, Massachusetts.   He is recorded in Charlestown as a cooper, and he kept the ferry in 1651.  His wife was Margery, and they had five children. She joined the church on 7 (3) 1650 in Charlestown.  He died before 1668/9 when his wife remarried to Thomas Bateman of Concord.

In Essex County Quarterly Court Files, Volume 13, Leaf 121 it lists the children and their ages as Jonathan, age 26; Phillip, age 23; Rebeca, age 17; Eliza, age 13; and Mary, age 11.  I descend from Philip Knight, Jr. (1646 – 1724), my 9^th great grandfather, who married Margaret Wilkins.  They had nine children, and the living children were all baptized on the same day in Topsfield, on 24 May 1691.   He was described as a husbandman (farmer) in deeds and court records.

His daughter, Elizabeth Knight (1677 – 1752) is my 8^th great grandmother.  She married Samuel Towne in 1696 and had four children. 

For more information on KNIGHT:

The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown, by Thomas Bellows Wyman, 1879, Volume II, page 590.

Genealogical Guide to Early Settlers of America, by Henry Whittemore, 1898, page 309.

Topsfield Historical Collections, Volume 25, page 107

Salem Quarterly Court Records

The Family of Bray Wilkins, Patriarch of Will’s Hill, of Salem, by William C. Hill, 1943

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My KNIGHT lineage:

Generation 1:  Philip Knight, born about 1614 probably in England, died 1668 in Charlestown, Massachusetts; married about 1641 to Margery Unknown.  Six children. Margery remarried to Thomas Bateman.

Generation 2:  Philip Knight, born about 1646, died after 1724; married about 1668 in Topsfield to Margaret Wilkin, daughter of Bray Wilkins and Hannah Way.  She was baptized on 10 February 1648/9 in Dorchester, Massachusetts and died after 1710.  Nine children.

Generation 3:  Elizabeth Knight, born 25 January 1677 in Topsfield, died 17 May 1752 in Topsfield; married on 20 October 1696 in Topsfield to Samuel Towne, son of Edmund Towne and Mary Browning.  He was born 11 February 1673 in Topsfield, and died 1714 probably in Topsfield.  Four children. Elizabeth remarried to Elisha Perkins.

Generation 4:  Rebecca Towne m. Stephen Johnson

Generation 5:  Ruth Johnson m. Richard Cree

Generation 6:  Stephen Cree m. Hannah Smith

Generation 7:  Sarah Cree m. James Phillips

Generation 8:  Hannah Phillips m. Thomas Russell Lewis

Generation 9:  Hannah Eliza Lewis m. Abijah Franklin Hitchings

Generation 10:  Arthur Treadwell Hitchings m. Florence Etta Hoogerzeil

Generation 11:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

-----------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ KNIGHT of Charlestown and Topsfield, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 10, 2018, (  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/03/surname-saturday-knight-of-charlestown.html:  accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ NEWELL of Charlestown, Massachusetts

My 9^th great grandfather, John Newell, was probably born in Bristol, England, the son of Andrew Newell and Mary Pitt.  Mary’s father was William Pitt, the sheriff of the city of Bristol.    John Newell removed to Charlestown, Massachusetts where he was a cooper, and was twice town clerk.  I can see his writing in the records of Charlestown, and his signature.  He owned land in Charlestown, which is recorded in some deeds, as well as in his non cupative will where he left some land at “Dirty Marsh” to his wife, Hannah Larkin. 

Middlesex County, MA  Probate File Papers 1648 - 1871 via americanancestors.org   Page 15825: 2

"We whose names are hereunto subscribed being all of us desired

to sit up and watch with Mr. John Newell, Senr. of Charlestowne

in the sd County of Middlesex on Saterday night the fourteenth of

October anno 1704; in sd night sd Mr. John Newell desired

us to draw near to him to hear what he had to say then he declared

unto us that he had not made any will or settlement of his estate

and then did declare unto us and desired us to take notice what

he said and remember that his will was that he did give

to his beloved wife the house he now dwelled in and all his lott

at dirty marsh dureing her natural Life and after his said

wifes decease to his son Joseph and Daughter mary Jointly

and I give unto my wife the money and moveables to her

and her heires forever.  And I give my son John the house

he now posseseth; Why I do not make you the elder son (he said)

John Newwell being there preseent, its because you are a present

possesser but they must stay till it pleas the Lord to take my

wife away which is a great advantage to you Speaking then

to his son John, besides sd he to his son John you owe me

money & promise to pay me which you have not done.  That

garden above I give to my wife if she needs it not after her deceas

I give two thirds to my son John and the other third to my son

Joseph and my daughter Mirrick.  This he said John Newell did

declare several times over distinctly and we according to our

best understanding do declare that he was then of sound and

perfect memory and good understanding.  this our testimoney

we give under our hands concerning the premises aforesaid this

nineteenth day of October in the third year of her Majsties

Reign anno Dominis 1704 - and further he did charge his son

John not to molest his mother but be kind to her and his said

son did then promise by the grace of god that he would do nothing

unbecoming to his mother nor brother nor sister -

                   Witnes our hands

                 William Melody   his mark

                 Hannah Perkins

                        her mark

                 Katherine Ingersoll

Cambridge, Decembr  18. 1704

The above named William Melody, Hannah Perkins

and Katharine Ingerson personally appearing made

oath, that they being present in ?? him of the last

sickness of Mr. John Newell Decr. and being desired by

him to take notice of what he these should say did

hear him the sd John Newell publish and declare

the above written Testimony Words, and they

caused the same to be put into writing and subscrib

ed the same as witnesses

                        Jon Cod     J. Leverett   J. Rob

Newell the Eldest son presented

above written noncuparative Will

was present together with the wife of Joseph Newell

Mary Mirrick ye Daughter of ye dec'ed ye witnessess was sworn

att. Leverett"

I descend from John’s daughter, Mary Mirick, mentioned in the will above.  Mary Newell, my 8^th great grandmother, married Isaac Mirick of Newbury in 1694.  His father was also from Bristol, and Isaac was a sea captain who became a ship builder upon his retirement. 

Some NEWELL resources:

The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1629 – 1818, by Thomas Bellows Wyman, 2016 (originally published 1879), Volume 2, page 698.

Middlesex County, Massachusetts Probate File Papers 1648 – 1871 accessed at www.americanancestors.org

Charlestown, Massachusetts Vital Records

My NEWELL genealogy:

Generation 1:  John Newell, son of Andrew Newell and Mary Pitt, born about August 1634 probably in Bristol, England, died 14 October 1704 in Charlestown, Massachusetts; married on 15 February 1664/5 in Charlestown to Hannah Larkin, daughter of Edward Larkin and Joanna Unknown.  Five children.

Generation 2:  Mary Newell, born about 1669, died 11 March 1710 in Newbury, Massachusetts; married on 22 August 1694 to Isaac Mirick, son of James Mirick and Margery Unknown.  He was born 6 January 1665 and died 1731 in Newbury.  Seven children born in Charlestown.

Generation 3:  Hannah Mirick m. Thomas Jillings

Generation 4:  Hannah Jillings m. Daniel Glover

Generation 5:  Tabitha Glover m. Thomas Homan

Generation 6:  Betsey Jillings Homan m. Jabez Treadwell

Generation 7:  Eliza Ann Treadwell m. Abijah Hitchings

Generation 8:  Arthur Treadwell Hitchings m. Florence Etta Hoogerzeil

Generation 9:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ NEWELL of Charlestown, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 20, 2018, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/01/surname-saturday-newell-of-charlestown.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ LARKIN of Charlestown, Massachusetts

LARKIN / LARKEN

My 10^th great grandfather, Edward Larkin (about 1615 – 1652) was admitted as an inhabitant of Charlestown, Massachusetts on 30 July 1638.  He was a wheelwright.  He joined the church on 23 September 1639, and joined the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1644.  In 1647/8 he received a grant of two acres of land at Sandy Bank. 

Edward Larkin’s will published in 1652:

  

"I Edward Larkin being weake in body yitt having perfitt memory and understanding doe make this my last will and Testament in manner and forme following. Imprimis I comitt my soule to God who made it and gave it And I only rely and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, I comitt my body to be decently buried - I also give and bequeath untoo my beloved wife Jone Larkin A full third part of my estate; it being rightly valued, to be first deducted, and more I also give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Jone Larkin the full sume of five pounds likewise to be first deducted out of my estate: And those twoo parts to remaine with my whole estate in her hands untill the tyme of the division of my estate and payment of my childrens portions as hereunder is specified. I also give and bequeath unto my eldest son John Larkin a dubbell portion of my estate after my wife has hers out of the whole and my will is that my Son John shall let his portion remaine in my wifes hands untill he bee twenty and one year old, and then my wife with the other executor to pay his portion to him upon demand: but he or any of my children else doe dye before they have received their portions then it to be equally divided to my wife and the other children who remaine then alive: provided alsoe that if the Lord shall please to take away my wife by death before the childrens portions bee payed then my will is and I desire the Deacons of our Church to joyne with the other executor to so order and dispose of that portions wh. I bequeath to my children as may bee most advantagious to their benefitt untill they have them payed unto themm, Alsoe if my wife shall marry before the legacies be payed then my will is that he whom she marries and she shall retaine the legacies in their hands till the due tyme afore mentioned provided they put in sufficient security that the childrens portions may bee preserved for them. As for my son Thomas and my daughters Elizabeth, Sarah, Johanna and the child with which my wife now goes and is bigg with: I doe hereby will and bequeath unto each of them a equall portion of my estate which remains after my wife and son John have theirs to be payed them by my executors if they live or by the Deacons (of said Church then being) at their Ages of twenty years: but as before if any of them Decease in the mean tyme then the survivors or survivor to have it divided equally amongst them or given to him or her if only surviving."

Witnesses John Greene Edward Larkin.

John Penticost.

This will was presented to ye Court ye 6th of ye (2) 1652 and by them accepted uppon record. p. me Tho. Danforth,

Recorder.

A true copy. Attest. W. E. Rogers. Asst. Register.

Codicil. "As for my daughter Hanna whom my beloved brother and sister Penticost have taken into their hands to keep and provide for I doe give and bequeath unto her ten shillings to be layed out in good books for her at her age of eighteen years to bee delivered unto her. And I Edward Larkin doe entreat my beloved brother Robert Hale to joine with my beloved wife

Jone Larkin and to bee my full and sole executors of this my last will and Testament the day and date before written."

After his death, his widow Joanna married the John Penticost mentioned in the will.  They had at least one son, John Penticost, Jr. born in 1659. I descend from the daughter, Hannah Larkin (1643 – 1704), my 9^th great grandmother, mentioned as a foster child to Penticost.  Hannah married John Newell of Charlestown on 15 February 1664/5. 

Some LARKIN resources:

Larkin Family of Rhode Island, by William H. Larkin, 1935, with updates by his grandson, Richard F. Larkin, 1995. 

The American Genealogist, Volume 62, pages 118 – 120.

Ancestry of Colonel John Harrington Stevens and his wife Frances Helen Miller, by Mary Lovering Holman and Winifred Lovering Holman, 1948, Volume 1, pages 144 – 148.

The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1629 – 1818, by Thomas Bellows Wyman and Henry Herbert, 1879.

My LARKIN genealogy:

Generation 1: Edward Larkin, born about 1615 in England, died between 15 February and 6 April 1652 in Charlestown, Massachusetts; married about 1635 to Joanna Unknown. She died 26 January 1685/6 in Charlestown.  Nine children.

Generation 2:  Hannah Larkin born 16 January 1643 in Charlestown, died 10 December 1704 in Charlestown; married 15 February 1664/5 in Charlestown to John Newell, son of Andrew Newell and Mary Pitt.  He was born about 1634 probably in Bristol, England, and died 14 October 1704 in Charlestown.  Three children.

Generation 3:  Mary Newell m. Isaac Mirick

Generation 4:  Hannah Mirick m. Thomas Jillings

Generation 5:  Hannah Jillings m. Daniel Glover

Generation 6:  Tabitha Glover m. Thomas Homan

Generation 7:  Betsey Jillings Homan m. Jabez Treadwell

Generation 8:  Eliza Ann Treadwell m. Abijah Hitchings

Generation 9:  Abijah Franklin Hitchings m. Hannah Eliza Lewis

Generation 10: Arthur Treadwell Hitchings m. Florence Etta Hoogerzeil

Generation 11: Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ LARKIN of Charlestown, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 13, 2017, (   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/01/surname-saturday-larkin-of-charlestown.html: accessed [access date]). 

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Anna (Long) Converse, buried 1691 in Woburn, Massachusetts

This tombstone was photographed at the Old Burial Ground (First Burial Ground) in Woburn, Massachusetts.

HERE LYES Ye BODY OF

ANN CONVERS WIFE

TO JAMES CONVERS

AGED 69 YEARS

DIED AUGUST THE

10 1691

Anna (Long) Converse was my 8^th great grandmother. She was born 1 June 1623 in St. Albans, England, and died 10 August 1691 in Woburn, Massachusetts. She was the first wife of Lt. James Converse, son of Deacon Edward Converse and Sarah Parker. Anna and James were married on 24 October 1643 in Woburn. 

Anna was the daughter of Robert Long and Sarah Taylor of Charlestown, Massachusetts.  They came to New England aboard the ship Defence on 7 July 1635.  Robert Long operated an inn in Bedfordshire, and owned the famous “Three Cranes” in Charlestown.  This inn stayed in the Long family for 100 years, and burned on 17 June 1777 when Charlestown was set on fire by the British when they evacuated Boston.

You can read more about “The Three Cranes” inn of Charlestown, Massachusetts, where Anna grew up, in this blog post:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/city-square-charlestown-massachusetts.html

My LONG lineage:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/02/surname-saturday-long-of-charlestown.html

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Tombstone Tuesday ~ Anna (Long) Converse, buried 1691 in Woburn, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted July 18, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/07/tombstone-tuesday-anna-long-converse.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ WARD of Hingham and Charlestown, Massachusetts

WARD

Samuel Ward, my 10^th great grandfather, was an early settler at Hingham, Massachusetts.  He might have been the brother of the Henry Ward who was buried there on 15 May 1642.  His first wife was Mary Hilliard, who died at Hingham 28 November 1638 ten days after giving birth to my 9^th great grandfather, Samuel, Jr.  Mary had given four children to Samuel, Sr.  His second wife was Frances Pitcher, the widow of a Mr. Reycroft.  Frances died in 1690 and is buried at Copp’s Hill Burial Ground in Boston.

Samuel first owned land in Hingham that is now part of the town of Hull, Massachusetts. He removed to Charlestown where he owned a lot of land and was known as “Mr.”  He died on 31 August 1682 in Charlestown, and his will mentions his wife, Frances, his son Samuel (and Samuel’s children), son-in-law Isaac Lobdell, and also his daughter Mary and her husband Ambrose Gale (brother of my 8^th great grandfather Edmund Gale (1640- 1716) of Beverly, Massachusetts).  He left an island between Hingham and Hull to Harvard College  [Middlesex County Probate, File #23742].  Samuel was buried at the Phipps Street Burial Ground in Charlestown.

His son, Samuel Ward, Jr., my 9^th great grandfather, died in the battle against Quebec in 1690 serving under Sir William Phips.  He married very well, first to my 9^th great grandmother, Abigail Maverick, the daughter of Moses Maverick and Mayflower passenger Remember Allerton.  His second wife was Sarah Bradstreet, widow of Richard Hubbard, and daughter of Governor Simon Bradstreet and the poet Anne Dudley (she was the daughter of Governor Thomas Dudley).   Their daughter, Martha Ward, my 8^th great grandmother, married John Tuthill of Ipswich in 1689. 

Some WARD resources:

Ethel Farrington Smith, “Seventeenth Century Hull, Massachusetts, and her People”, New England Historic Genealogical Society Register, Volume 143, October 1989, pages 346 – 349.

Early Families of Hull, Massachusetts, by Ethel Farrington Smith, 2007, pages 197 – 199.

The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown, Massachusetts, by Thomas Bellows Wyman, Volume 2, pages 993 – 994.

My WARD genealogy:

Generation 1: Samuel Ward, born about 1605 in England, died 30 August 1682 in Charlestown, Massachusetts; married first to Mary Hilliard. She died on 28 November 1638 in Hingham, Massachusetts.  He married second to Frances Pitcher, widow of Mr. Reycroft.

Generation 2: Samuel Ward, son of Samuel Ward and Mary Hilliard, baptized 18 November 1638 in Hingham, died between 30 July 1689 and 12 March 1691 during the Expedition to Quebec, Canada under Sir William Phips;  he married first to Abigail Maverick, daughter of Moses Maverick and Remember Allerton (they had seven children).  She was baptized 12 January 1645 in Salem and died before January 1686.  He married second to Sarah Bradstreet, widow of Richard Hubbard, and daughter of Simon Bradstreet and Anne Dudley.

Generation 3:  Martha Ward, born 16 September 1672 in Salem, died 17 August 1723 in Ipswich; married first on 3 December 1689 in Ipswich to John Tuthill, son of Simon Tuthill and Sarah Cogswell.  He was born 22 April 1666 in Ipswich, and died 27 February 1715 in Ipswich.  They had eleven children.  She married second to George Hart on 10 November 1722 in Ipswich.

Generation 4:  Martha Tuthill m. Mark Haskell

Generation 5:  Lucy Haskell m. Jabez Treadwell

Generation 6:  Nathaniel Treadwell m. Mary Hovey

Generation 7:  Jabez Treadwell m. Betsey  Jillings Homan

Generation 8:  Eliza Ann Treadwell m. Abijah Hitchings

Generation 9:  Abijah Franklin Hitchings m. Hannah Eliza Lewis

Generation 10:  Arthur Treadwell Hitchings m. Florence Etta Hoogerzeil

Generation 11: Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ WARD of Hingham and Charlestown, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted July 15, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/07/surname-saturday-ward-of-hingham-and.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ KNIGHT of Charlestown, Massachusetts

John Knight (1601 – 1674), my 11^th great grandfather, was a Watertown proprietor in 1636.  He sold his land in Watertown on 5 June 1640 and removed to Salisbury where he was a proprietor.  He removed to Charlestown.  His will is dated 14 December 1672 and was probated 10 June 1674.  The will mentions his son-in-law, Robert Pierce of Woburn, my 10^th great grandfather.

My ancestor John Knight was a cousin to the John Knight who came to New England in 1635 aboard the ship James with his brother Richard Knight.  They both settled in Newbury, Massachusetts, and their genealogies are often tangled with John Knight of Charlestown.  In fact, both Johns were considered to be one person in some compiled genealogies.

Recent genealogists have discovered John Knight’s English origins.  He was born in Romsey, Hampshire, England, the son of Nicholas Knight and Jane Hewatt.  His paternal grandparents were William Knight and Elizabeth Wild of Romsey.  His maternal grandfather was John Hewete of Romsey.

On 8 September 1649 John Knight of Charlestown bought 80 acres in Woburn, Massachusetts.  Then on 9 October 1654 John Knight, inhabitant of Woburn, bought 18 acres back in Charlestown.  On 29 Dec 1671 John Knight, malster, sold his home in Woburn to William Johnson. 

Robert Pierce of Woburn gave all his land to his son Benjamin in return for maintenance for the rest of his life, and his wife Mary’s life on 3 July 1693.  This document refers to the 20 acres of land in Woburn he bought from his father-in-law, John Knight, of Charlestown, deceased.   My 9^th great grandmother was Elizabeth Pierce (1659 – 1690) the daughter of Robert Pierce and Mary Knight. 

KNIGHT resources:

Stand By My Servant Joseph: The Story of the Joseph Knight Family and the Restoration, by William G. Hartley, 2003.  Available in paperback at Deseret Books 801-517-3315.

A manuscript at the New England Historic Genealogical Society “The Knight Family” call number SG KNI 21, part 1 is the family of John Knight of Newbury, and part 2 is the John Knight of Charlestown, Massachusetts. 

Our Knight line: from John Knight (ca. 1600 – 1674) of Watertown, Woburn, and Charlestown, Massachusetts, to Mary (Knight) Near (1848 – 1923) of Racine, Wisconsin, by Virginia S. Hooper, 1971. 

My KNIGHT genealogy:

Generation 1:  John Knight, son of Nicholas Knight and Jane Hewatt, born 1601 in Romsey, South Hampton, England, died 22 May 1663 in Charlestown, Massachusetts;  married Mary Pickering about 1619 in Romsey.   Mary was born about 1598 in Romsey, and died 16 May 1676 in Charlestown. 

Children: 

a.) Mary  born 14 July 1620 in Romsey, died 18 March 1701 in Woburn, Massachusetts. 

b.) Joseph (1624 – 1687) married Hannah Lamb

c.) John, Jr.  (1630 – 1714) married Ruhamah Johnson, married second to Abigail Stowers, married third to Mary Bridge, married fourth to Mary (Rocke) Clemments, the widow of William Clemments, married fifth to Sarah (Rowlins) Holsworth, widow of Joshua Holsworth. 

And perhaps a fourth child, Samuel 

Generation 2:  Mary Knight, born 14 July 1620 in Romsey, died 18 March 1701 in Woburn, married to Robert Pierce before 1646. He was the son of John Pierce and Elizabeth Hart.  Seven children.

Generation 3:  Elizabeth Pierce m. Samuel Wilson

Generation 4: Mary Wilson m. Ebenezer Pierce

Generation 5: Deborah Pierce m. Increase Wyman

Generation 6: Increase Wyman, Jr. m. Catherine Unknown (see the blog post HERE)

Generation 7: Jemima Wyman m. Joshua Burnham

Generation 8: Jemima Burnham m. Romanus Emerson

Generation 9: George Emerson m. Mary Esther Younger

Generation 10: Mary Katharine Emerson m. George E. Batchelder

Generation 11: Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen

Generation 12:  Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ KNIGHT of Charlestown, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 10, 2016, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/12/surname-saturday-knight-of-charlestown.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ HUTCHINSON of Charlestown, Massachusetts

HUTCHINSON

I wrote a blog post on 5 November 2016 about Richard HUTCHINSON (1602 – 1682) of Salem Village, Massachusetts , my 9^th great grandfather.  I have another 9^th great grandfather, Thomas HUTCHINSON of Charlestown, Massachusetts who came to New England in 1630 with the Winthrop Fleet.  He was listed as a member of the church in Charlestown on 30 July 1630.  He must have died soon after, and his wife, Anne, remarried to Adam Hawkes in 1631.   Anne, with her Hutchinson children, and her new husband all removed to Lynn as one of the first settler families in the area.  Anne died in 1669 and Hawkes remarried to Sarah Hooper in 1670.  Sarah was 19 years old and Hawkes was 65 years old.

Their only daughter (they also had four sons), was my 8^th great grandmother, Elizabeth Hutchinson, who married Isaac Hart of Lynnfield.  They had seven children.  Elizabeth was accused by Ann Putnam of being a witch.  She was imprisoned in May 1692.  Her son, Thomas, sent a petition for her release five months later stating she was “inflicted from lying in Miserie, and death rather to be Chosen than a life in her Circumstances”.  Another daughter, Deborah Hart, was married to Benjamin Proctor, son of the accused witches, John and Martha Proctor (famous from the play “The Crucible”)and also my 10th great grandparents in another lineage - see the genealogy below.  Elizabeth stayed in jail in Boston until December of 1692, when the trials and arrests were stopped by the Governor.

I descend from their son, Adam Hart (1666- 1745), the youngest son and my 7^th great grandfather.  He married Elizabeth Collson, and was made guardian to Elizabeth’s illegitimate daughter, Mary (who was named as his child).  Not only was Elizabeth Hart, his mother arrested for witchcraft, but also arrested were Elizabeth (Collson) Hart,  Adam’s wife, and her mother, Mary (Dustin) Collston,  and her grandmother, Lydia Dustin.  You can read about the Collston family arrests HERE.  Elizabeth was only 16 years old, and she made a daring escape from jail and was recaptured twice. Lydia, Mary and Elizabeth (all accused and imprisoned, were my 9th, 8th and 7th great grandmothers. 

This branch of the family oozes with witch craft accusations and imprisonments, but the only one who was actually hanged was John Proctor.

For more information on this HUTCHINSON family see the Great Migration Begins, Volume II, page 1056, and also Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634 - 1635, pages 253 - 257 (sketch of Adam Hawkes).  Annals of New England, by Thomas Prince, 1755, Part II, page 69.  Salem Possessed, by Boyer and Nissenbaum, 1974.  There is an article "Isaac Hart and Samuel Hart (Both of greater Lynn but not related)" in the Essex Genealogist, Volume 18, pages 40 - 46. 

My HUTCHINSON genealogy:

Generation 1:  Thomas Hutchinson, died about 1631 in Charlestown, Massachusetts; married Ann (possibly Browne?).  She was born about 1600 and died 4 December 1669 in Lynn.  Five children.

Generation 2: Elizabeth Hutchinson, died 28 November 1700; married about 1650 in Habstown (now Reading), Massachusetts to Isaac Hart.  He was born about 1614 and died 10 February 1699 In Lynnfield.  Seven children. 

Generation 3: Adam Hart m. Elizabeth Collston

Generation 4: Mary Collston m. Jonathan Flint

Generation 5: Jonathan Flint m. Lydia Proctor (great grandson of John Proctor, hanged as a witch)

Generation 6:  John Flint m. Phebe Flint

Generation 7: Olive Flint m. Luther Simonds Munroe

Generation 8: Phebe Cross Munroe m. Robert Wilson Wilkinson

Generation 9: Albert Munroe Wilkinson m. Isabella Lyons Bill

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

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ HUTCHINSON of Charlestown, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 12, 2016, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/11/surname-saturday-hutchinson-of.html: accessed [access date]).

City Square, Charlestown, Massachusetts - and so many ancestral connections!

City Square, Charlestown, Massachusetts *

In the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the Boston “Big Dig” Central Artery project moved all the roads to the tunnels and bridges under City Square in Charlestown.  An archeology project done on the site revealed the foundations of Gov. John Winthrop’s 1629 Great House and the Long family’s Three Cranes Tavern.  

Yours truly, standing in the Three Cranes Tavern footprint

As a Long descendant, I waited a long time to go see the newly developed park at City Square.   Restoration of this area into a park didn’t begin until the mid 1990s.

Then, just recently, Linda Hall Little, another genealogy blogger, sent me a photo of the weathervane atop the fountain at City Square Park.  She lives in Charlestown just a block away.  When I saw the weathervane (a crane of course!) I knew I had to feature it on “Weathervane Wednesday” (see yesterday's post) and I also knew I had to feature the park and the memorial to the Long family Three Crane’s Tavern. 

[Also, I descend from Governor John Winthrop's sister, Lucy Winthrop (1601 - 1669) who married Emanuel Downing.  So, Governor Winthrop, who lived in the Great House for three months, was my great uncle 10 generations removed]

Fountain at City Square
featuring a crane weathervane* 

The foundation stones of Three Crane tavern

An exhibit nearby shows the floorplan of the tavern and Great House,
and plots of land owned by members of the LONG family

Great House and Three Cranes Tavern
1629 - 1775
This reconstructed foundation outline represents the tavern
uncovered by archaeologists during the 1980s.  Postholes
from the Great House timbers were also found among the
stones.  Concrete bands have been added to complete the
outline of the two story tavern.  The building was burned
during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.

When I told Linda that I knew the history of the weathervane because I was a Long descendant, she ran over to the park and took dozens of photos for me.  I’m using some of her photos here, and also some of my own photos.  My family was so excited when they saw Linda’s photos* – so we went to see it ourselves a few weeks later and took more photos!  Thanks, Linda! 

History:

In 1630 the Winthrop fleet carried 700 Puritans on 11 ships to New England.  They settled in Charlestown and Governor Winthrop built his Great House.  When the colonists moved to Boston (due to poor water quality in Charlestown) the Great House became a meeting house, and then a tavern in 1635 run by Robert Long (my 9^th great grandfather) and his family.   The tavern remained in the Long family for 140 years until it was burned to the ground during the Battle of Bunker Hill.  In fact, most of the neighborhood burned to the ground.  

Afterward, the area was cleared and became a market.  Market Square was named “City Square” in 1848 when the town of Charlestown became a city.

That is not the only family connection I have to this spot.  In 1650 the tavern was waterfront property.  Ships from England entered Boston Harbor and the entrance to the Charles River right in front of what is now City Square.  The ship John and Sara docked here on 11 November 1651 and the human cargo on board,  272 Scots Prisoners of War from the Battle of Worcester, were sold on the wharf to the highest bidders by Thomas Kemble.  Two of my ancestors, William Munroe (and his two brothers) and Alexander Thompson.  Several other ancestors, like Francis Wyman of Woburn, had several Scots prisoners of war as servants in his tannery.  I can imagine that drinks were sold swiftly at the tavern on the day those Scots were sold into servitude.

For the truly curious:

My blog post about the LONG family in Charlestown

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/02/surname-saturday-long-of-charlestown.html

My blog post about my WINTHROP connection, and descent from Lucy Winthrop:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/09/surname-saturday-winthrop-of-england.html  

“Secrets of the Three Cranes Tavern” by Amy Laskowski, for the Boston University website, posted November 9, 2014 http://www.bu.edu/today/2014/boston-archaeology/

Passenger list  (actually a “statement of goods” record) of the John and Sara prisoners of war, 1651

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/08/ship-john-and-sara-prisoners-of-war.html

My blog post about William Munroe (about 1625 – 1718), SPOW, http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/06/surname-saturday-munroe-of-lexington.html

My blog post about Alexander Thompson (about 1636 – about 1696), SPOW  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/05/surname-saturday-thomson-thompson-of.html

Affectionately known as “SPOW” or Scots Prisoners of War, the online research community is administered by Teresa Hamilton Rust at these four separate websites:

Scottish Prisoners of War Facebook Community

https://www.facebook.com/scottishprisonersofwar?fref=ts

Scottish Prisoners of War website by Teresa Rust  http://scottishprisonersofwar.com/

SPOW Yahoo Group   https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/scottish_war_prisoners/info

Scottish Prisoners of War DNA project:

https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/scottish-po-ws/about/background

Some books:

Emigrants in Chains, by Peter Wilson Coldham, 1992

Directory of Scots Banished to the American Plantations 1650 – 1775, by David Dobson, 2010

 Linda Hall Little's genealogy blog Passage to the Past

https://passagetothepast.wordpress.com/about/   
All photos marked with * are from Linda, otherwise they were taken by Vincent Rojo

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "City Square, Charlestown, Massachusetts - and so many ancestral connections!", Nufield Genealogy, posted September 29, 2016,  ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/in-1970s-80s-and-90s-boston-big-dig.html: accessed [access date]). 

Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Crane with a Great Story!

I post a series of weather vane photographs every Wednesday.  This started with images of weathervanes from the Londonderry, New Hampshire area, but now I've found interesting weather vanes all across New England and across the globe.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting.  Often my readers tip me off to some very unique or unusual weathervanes, too!  If you know a great weather vane near you, let me know if you'd like to have it featured on this blog.

Today's weather vane is from somewhere in Massachusetts.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #278?  Scroll down to find the answer.

This is the only weathervane I've ever photographed on a fountain!  This three dimensional gilded crane symbolizes the Three Cranes tavern that stood here in City Square, Charlestown, Massachusetts from the 1630s until the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, when it burned to the ground along with most of the neighborhood.  Thank you to Linda Hall Little for the photographs of this amazing fountain, which is right in her own neighborhood.

The Three Cranes tavern was owned and operated by the LONG family of Charlestown for over 140 years.  The original immigrant, Robert Long (1590 - 1663) was my 9th great grandfather.  You can read all about the LONG family at this link: https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/02/surname-saturday-long-of-charlestown.html    In the 1980s there was an archaeological excavation on this land because the central artery project ("The Big Dig") was going to dig a tunnel right under here.  The excavation uncovered the foundations of the Three Cranes tavern.  After the tunnel was built, and the park was designed, sculptor David Phillips created this fountain and weathervane in 1996.  See below for some amazing details carved in the fountain.

Tomorrow I will be publishing a story with lots of photographs of the City Square park and the uncovered foundation walls of the Three Cranes Tavern, and more history and family history to go with the photos. Stay tuned! There are some amazing stories of genealogy, serendipity, tragedy and coincidence in tomorrow's blog post.

The top two photos are by Linda Hall Little, author of the genealogy blog Passage to the Past https://passagetothepast.wordpress.com/

A short history of City Square, the tavern and the new park at this link:  http://patch.com/massachusetts/charlestown/the-endurance-of-city-square-park


Click here to see the entire series of Weathervane Wednesday posts!

-------------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Crane with a Great Story!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 28, 2016,  ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/weathervane-wednesday-crane-with-great.html: accessed [access date]).

Surname Saturday ~ PIERCE of Charlestown and Woburn, Massachusetts

PIERCE,  PEIRCE, PEARSE, PERS

Thomas Pierce (1583 – 1666), my 11^th great grandfather, is of unknown origin.  He was made a freeman on 6 May 1635 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and he received a land grant of 4 acres at Charlestown in 1636.  By 1638 he owned 10 lots totaling 97 acres.  He married Elizabeth Unknown , who was admitted to the church at Charlestown on 10 January 1644/5, and Thomas was admitted on February 21^st.

In 1643 Thomas Pierce moved his family to Woburn, where he was made a proprietor in 1643.  He made his will in Cambridge in 1665, at the home of Thomas Danforth, the treasurer of Harvard College.  There was a provision for the college, as well as for his wife and children in his will.

Thomas Pierce's Will

Cambridge in New England, Novemb. 7th, 1665

I, Thomas Pierce of Charlestown, aged about 82 years, being throw the goodness of ye Lord of sound judgment & memory, and in some measure of bodily health, do ordaine & hereby declare my last Will and testament, in manner and form following; viz: my soul, which I believe is imortall, I do desire humbley and believeingly to resign it unto the father of spirits, who gave it to mee, and to remit borth body and soul into the everlasting mercyes of God, the father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost. My body I desire it may be decently interred, at the discretion of my loving wife whom I do ordaine and make sole Executrix of this my Will. And for my outward Estate wherewith the Lord hath gratiously blessed me, I do dispose thereof as follows, viz. to Harvard College twenty shillings to be payed within one year after my decease. To Mary Bridge, and Elizabeth Jeffs, two of my grand-children now dwelling with mee I do give ten pounds apiece, to be paid by my Executrix as soon as she can with convenience, but not to be compellable thereto for and during to years after my decease. The residue of my estate, my just debts and funerall expenses being first payed, I do give and bequeath unto my loving wife Elizabeth, to have and to hold the same during her life, and at her pleasure to be helpful to any of my children as shee shall see meet in her discretion, by giveing or lending to them any part thereof: And before he deceased I do give her power to make her will, and by the same to bequeath nay part thereof by gift or legacy as shee shall see meet, and after her decease such part thereof as sahll beby her unexpended, and not disposed of by her before her decease, I do will and bequeath ye same in manner following - viz: To all my grandchildren I do give ten groates apeece, and the remainder to be equally divided among my children. My will is that the younger shall have eaquell with the eldest, I have formerly done for them according to my ability. Finally I do nominate my loving friends, Mr. Ri: Russel * Mr. Thomas Danforth*, and my sonne Jno. Pierce overseers of this my will; by whose advise and consent of them or the more part of them I do give my Executrix full power to settle all my lands on such of my sonnes, as shall approve themselves in the feare of God, and duty to their aged mother, and on such conditions as they shall meet also I do nominate Lift. Randall Nicholls (this name is in place if one erased, I think Lowden) to be added to my overseers above named, provided always it is my declared will yt my Executrix shall not alienable or dispose of any of my lands so as to deprive all my sonnes of the same, but I do giver her power by the advice of my overseers as above is expressed to dispose of the whole to any one of my sonnes according to her discretion, but not to divide the same into parcels. In witness whereof I do hereunto sett my hand and seal the day and year first written.

Thomas Pierce is the ancestor of two US Presidents.  He is the ancestor of Barbara Pierce Bush, wife of President George H. Bush and mother of President George H. W. Bush.  He is also the ancestor of President Franklin Pierce.

My PIERCE genealogy:

Generation 1:  Thomas Pierce, born about 1583 in England, died 7 October 1666 in Charlestown, Massachusetts; married Elizabeth Unknown.  She was born about 1595 and died after 22 March 1667 in Woburn, Massachusetts.  Eight children.

Generation 2: Thomas Pierce, Jr., born about 1620 in England, died 6 November 1683 in Woburn; married on 6 May 1635 in Charlestown to Elizabeth Cole, daughter of Rice Cole and Arrald Unknown.  She was born about 1619 and died 5 March 1688 in Woburn. Thirteen children.

Generation 3:  John Pierce, born 7 May 1643 in Woburn, died 25 May 1720 in Woburn; married on 1 July 1663 in Woburn to Deborah Convers, daughter of James Converse and Anna Long.  She was born 25 July 1647 in Woburn.  Ten children.

Generation 4: Ebenezer Pierce, born 1687 and died before 16 May 1766 in Wilmington, Massachusetts.  He married Mary Wilson, daughter of Samuel Wilson and Elizabeth Pierce (no relation).  She was born 10 April 1685 in Woburn, and died 17 January 1747 in Woburn.  Nine children.

Generation 5:  Deborah Pierce, born 4 November 1709 in Woburn, died 1739; married on 11 March 1730 in Woburn to Increase Wyman, son of Nathaniel Wyman and Mary Winn.  He was born 1 March 1707 in Woburn and died 5 September 1739 in Woburn.  Five children.

Generation 6: Increase Wyman, born 4 June 1732 in Burlington, Massachusetts, died before 1776; married to Catherine Unknown.  She died 19 January 1783. Ten children.

Generation 7: Jemima Wyman m. Joshua Burnham

Generation 8: Jemima Burnham m. Romanus Emerson

Generation 9: George Emerson m. Mary Esther Younger

Generation 10:. Mary Katherine Emerson m. George E. Batchelder

Generation 11: Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen

Generation 12: Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, " Surname Saturday ~ PIERCE of Charlestown and Woburn, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 24, 2016 ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/surname-saturday-pierce-of-charlestown.html: accessed [access date]).