Nutfield Genealogy: Ham

Showing posts with label Ham. Show all posts

Thursday, August 23, 2012

A 1731 Counterfeiter named Tamsen Meserve

Tamsen Meserve is the wife of my 6x great grand uncle, Joseph Ham. He was born 3 June 1678 in Dover, New Hampshire and killed in an Indian Raid on 28 September 1723. Tamsen remarried to Joseph Tibbetts about 1725. Joseph Ham, the first husband, is the brother of Mercy Ham, my 6x great grandmother, who married Richard Nason. I blogged about the Ham family recently. A sharp eyed reader, Paul Clark, saw that post and sent me a link to this wonderful story about Tamsen. I’m posting the entire article here.

This story is full of names from 1731 New Hampshire. Are you related to a MESERVE, HAM, TIBBETTS, BYRN, McVICKER, STYLES, PITNEY, CROFTSWAIT, or a BRADFORD?

This is a Ten Shilling Note from
Massachusetts 1776.
Note the warning across the middle!

Story published by the Arlington Coin Journal Vol. II - No. 7, dated Sept.- Oct. 1973

"OUR EARLY FEMALE COUNTERFEITER'S

"This month we want to tell you about Tamsen Meserve. She had the dubious distinction of being the only woman counterfeiter to ever darken New Hampshire's shores.

Tamsen was an outgoing woman, with no little amount of ambition, curtailed, perhaps, only by the times and the premise that woman in those early days were meant to be seen rather than heard.

In 1704 Tamsen married Joseph Ham of Dover with whom she lived a typical and somewhat conformist life for 19 years, until her husband's death in 1723.

Two years later, scarcely out of the mourning period dictated by the times, she remarried - this time a widower named John Tibbitts. This marriage followed much the same pattern as her first one. That is, until 1731 when things began to look up for Tamsen. It so happened that a William Byrn, a painter (and perhaps a laborer, too) came to Dover from Rochester, New Hampshire. Now after a short while, the folks in Dover began to think pretty highly of Mr. Byrn and so implored him to "keep School." As he put it, "learn their children to write."

William cottoned to this idea, accepted their offer, and was at once boarded at the home of John and Tamsen Tibbitts. Now, Tamsen, being a bright young woman, soon discovered that the new boarder had latent talents; that is, he could do a mighty nice flower drawing, and had the ability to pen beautiful script.

Believing that such talent shouldn't go to waste, Tamsen brought a 20 Shilling Mass. bill and a few other notes to Bryn, and with a bit of friendly persuasion, prevailed upon him to copy them.

News of Byrn's skill somehow reached the ears of John McVicker and Samuel Styles, and soon a partnership was formed with the gifted penman. McVicker and Byrne, never ones to use their heads, made a foolhardy mistake of delivering to Styles two documents bearing their signatures. In one they promised to give Styles one-fifth of all the money he could pass, and also pay his expenses, while the other one they swore "by the living God" to betray him neither by signs or word of mouth.

Meantime, Tamsen was busy in her own way, having passed off a 30 shilling New Hampshire bill to Sarah Pitney, while Styles passed a 3-Pound 10 Shilling note to Hannah Bradford of Portsmouth and another to Sarah Croftswait.

This threw Styles under suspicion and he was promptly arrested and he was promptly arrested and searched. His pockets produced nine counterfeit 3 pound 10 shilling bills, along with much more incriminating evidence-the two documents given him by McVicker and Bryn.

At this point things began to happen pretty fast; warrants were speedily issued and both of Style's accomplices were tossed into jail. They were soon joined by the Tibbets, and it didn't take long to discover that the gang had a plate and that the only give-away on the nicely stuck bills were the signings.

At the court hearing, both Styles and Byrn wre given the same sentence-pay a fine of 14 pounds, stand one hour in the pillory at Exeter, each to have one ear lopped off, and each to be jailed for one year without bail.

The Court, backlogged with work, didn't have time for the other prisoners, so McVickers was returned to jail and the Tibbitts were released on recognizance of 500 pounds.

Byrn, who began to feel sorry for what he had done, began to repent, though more than likely spurred by the thought of perhaps drawing a lighter sentence, decided to blow the whistle on his friends and made a full confession of the whole ugly mess. He claimed the bills were not made by a plate but his own hand and pen at the instigation of Tamsen; and bitter at Styles for his carelessness which brought on Byrn's arrest, he let loose with everything he knew about him, too.

The outcome was that Tamsen and her husband were charged with counterfeiting and passing, but at a Court of General Sessions, the king's attorney couldn't get a grand jury to indict them, so they were dismissed after paying court costs. McVickers, on the other hand, was convicted, fined 7 pounds, pilloried for one hour, had one ear cropped, and spent a year in prison.

Thus New Hampshire's only woman counterfeiter, Tamsen Meserve Ham Tibbitts, bless her heart, came out of that nasty counterfeiting business smelling like a rose!"

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

Surname Saturday - Ham

Richmond Island has a causeway attached
to the mainland at low tide.

William Ham was an indentured servant on the Speedwell. This ship arrived in Maine in on 29 April 1635 with men bound for the fishing colony at Richmond Island off Cape Elizabeth. This was known as the Trelawny Epedition, due to the patent granted to Robert Trelawny and Moses Goodyear in 1631. Some of the indentured men ran away to other parts of New England, and one of those was William Ham. He had a grant of land in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1652, which was known as Ham’s Point. His will was proved at Exeter, New Hampshire about 17 January 1672, and it named his daughter Elizabeth, wife of William Cotton, and his grandchildren, sons of his son, Matthew Ham: William, Thomas and John. William was known as “Old Ham”.

In the second generation, Matthew Ham arrived in New Hampshire later than his father. He had a lot in 1654 next to his father’s land in Portsmouth. In 1656 he registered a cattle brand at Portsmouth, which was a capital “H”.

John Ham, in the third generation below, may not be a descendant of “Old Ham”, even though there was a grandson named John in the 1672 will. There are disagreements among the experts as to his place in the family tree. He appears in the Dover, New Hampshire records. His will dates from 29 September 1727, and so we assume he died sometime between that date and 19 February 1728 when his will was proved.

My Ham lineage:

Generation 1: William Ham, born about 1600, died about 17 January 1672 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; married 22 November 1622 at St. Andrew’s, Plymouth, Devonshire, England to Honor Stephen, daughter of William Stephens and Mary Woode. Two children:

1. Matthew Ham (see below)

2. Elizabeth Ham, born about 1629, married William Cotton

Generation 2: Matthew Ham, born about 1623 in England, died before 1667 when his wife remarried; He married about 1643 to Sarah Unknown. She married second on 11 November 1667 to Tobias Taylor of the Isles of Shoals. Matthew Ham was a fisherman on the Isles of Shoals. They had four children:

1. John Ham (see below)

2. William Ham, married Sarah Dennett

3. Matthew Ham,

4. Thomas Ham

Generation 3: John Ham, born about 1649, died between 29 September 1727 and 19 February 1728; married on 6 May 1668 in Dover, New Hampshire to Mary Heard, daughter of John Heard and Elizabeth Hull. She was born 26 January 1650 in Dover, died 7 December 1706 in Dover. Nine children:

1. Mary Ham, born 2 October 1668; married John Horne

2. John Ham, born 1671; married Elizabeth Knight

3. Elizabeth Ham, born 29 January 1675; married Jeremiah Rollins

4. Joseph Ham, born 3 June 1678; married Tamson Meserve

5. Benjamin Ham, born 1693; married Patience Harford

6. Mercy Ham (see below)

7. Tryphena Ham; married John Tucker

8. Sarah Ham; married Thomas Downes

9. Samuel Ham

Generation 4: Mercy Ham, born 19 July 1708 in Dover, New Hampshire; married Richard Nason.

Generation 5. Richard Nason m. Mary Thompson

Generation 6. Mercy Nason m. William Wilkinson

Generation 7. Aaron Wilkinson m. Mercy F. Wilson

Generation 8. Robert Wilson Wilkinson m. Phebe Cross Munroe

Generation 9. Albert Munroe Wilkinson m. Isabella Lyons Bill

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

There is a sketch of William Ham in the Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire by Noyes, Libby and Davis, page 73. There is a short sketch on John Ham in the New England Historic Genealogical Register, Volume 6, page 329 and a longer article on William Ham and his descendants in Volume 26, page 388- 394.

Famous descendants: Brigham Young of the LDS church

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Saturday, November 19, 2011

Surname Saturday - Weymouth

Weymouth

There were several New England immigrants named Edward Weymouth in the early 1600s. One lived in Boston by 1633, A father, son and grandson all named Edward Weymouth lived in the Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Another Edward Weymouth lived in Kittery and also in what is now the town of Eliot, Maine, near the New Hampshire border river, the Piscataqua. This last Edward Weymouth is my ancestor.

KIttery, Maine in 1872

There are scarce records of Edward Weymouth in Maine, except for two records where he was acting in very anti-social matters. The first was in found in Sewel’s History of the Quaker’s, Volume 1, page 566. "then one Edward Weymouth took Mary [Tomkins] by her arm and dragged her on her back over the stumps of trees down a very steep hill, by which she was much bruised and often died away." In the second incident in 1669 he was in court "for cursing and swearing and wicked wishes to his wife."

Edward Weymouth was a tailor, taxed in Dover in 1662, granted land in Kittery, Maine in 1671. His house was burned by the Indians in 1677.

I have lineages from two daughters of Edward Weymouth…

The Weymouth Genealogy:

Generation 1: Edward Weymouth, born about 1637 In England, died 1719 near Eliot, Maine; married on 25 December 1663 in Dover, New Hampshire to Esther Hodson, daughter of Nicholas Hodson and Esther Wines. She was born 20 September 1640 in Hingham, Massachusetts, and died 11 March 1723 in Kittery, Maine. Six children.

1. Mehitable Weymouth, born 1669 in Kittery, (see below)

2. Timothy Weymouth, born 1675 in Kittery, married Patience Stone abut 1702

3. Ichabod

4. Benjamin

5. Nicholas

6. Bridget, (see below)

Generation 2: Mehitable Weymouth, born about 1669 in Kittery, died 13 January 1753 in Berwick, Maine; married on 25 May 1685 in Kittery to William Stacy, son of Thomas Stacy and Susannah Worcester. He was born 21 April 1656 in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and died 5 March 1706 in Kittery. Seven Children.

Generation 3. Mary Stacy m. John Thompson

Generation 4: Mary Thompson m. Richard Nason

Generation 5: Mercy Nason m. William Wilkinson

Generation 6: Aaron Wilkinson m. Mercy F. Wilson

Generation 7: Robert Wilson Wilkinson m. Phebe Cross Munroe

Generation 8: Albert Munroe Wilkinson m. Isabella Lyons Bill

Generation 9: Donald Munroe Wilkinson m. Bertha Louise Roberts (my grandparents)

Lineage 2

Generation 2: Bridget Weymouth married 7 October 1697 in Kittery to John Nason, son of Richard Nason and Sarah Baker. He was born about 1640 in Berwick, and died 1719 in Dover, New Hampshire. Three Children. He was first married to Hannah Heard, daughter of John Heard and Elizabeth Hull, who are my 8x great grandparents in another lineage, and parents of Mercy Ham (below).

Generation 3: Richard Nason m. Mercy Ham

Generation 4: Richard Nason m. Mary Thompson (follow lineage above)

Edward Weymouth and his descendants are mentioned in several books: The History of Wells and Kennebunk by Edward Bourne, page 159, The Genealogical Dictionary of New England by Savage, Volume 7, page 129, The Dictionary of Old Kittery and her Families by Stackpole, and in an article in the New England Historic Genealogical Society Register, Volume 9, page 57.

A good online resource is Don Weymouth’s website “Research of D. G. Weymouth” at http://www.weymouthtech.com/genealogy/ He is very willing to answer email and to share information if you have a Weymouth ancestor descended of Edward of Eliot, Maine. Don's email is don@weymouthtech.com or his mailing address is 119 Winthrop Lane, Holden, Mass. 01520

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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Surname Saturday - Nason

NASON

My Nason lineage lived along the river
in Berwick, Maine, near Salmon Falls

Our immigrant ancestor Richard Nason first appears in the records when he received 200 acres in Kittery, Maine at Stove Pipe Landing. His origins in England are unknown. According to Stackpole's History of South Berwick:
"Richard Nason is mentioned in 1645 in the court records of New Hampshire. He had a grant of 200 acres next south of Thomas Spencer. He is not named among the men of Piscataqua in 1640. The fact that he had so large a grant, equal to that of Thomas Spencer, and his election to the office of selectman in 1654, favor the supposition that he was a man of importance. Perhaps he had been one of Thomas Wiggin's company. He reared a large family, and his surname has spread widely. From the year 1638 to the year 1651 the only persons that appear on records as living at what is now called Great Works were the families of Humphrey Chadbourne, Thomas Spencer and Richard Nason and the two who kept bachelors' hall together, viz., Basil Parker and Peter Weare. There were four houses and decaying mills..."

Richard Nason appears many times in the early records, usually for minor offenses. Some are listed below:

In 1645 he and his wife had a dispute with her father, Richard Baker, who was tried in New Hampshire and fined 5 shillings "for beating Richard Nason that he was black and blue and for throwing a fire shovel at his wife."
In 1649 Nason served as a juryman.
In 1653 he was an Ensign, later Selectman, and held other town offices in Kittery. Maine
In 1655 he was charged at York, Maine with not attending church meetings.
In 1659 was fined £5 and disenfranchised for entertaining Quakers.
In 1665 he was accused of blasphemy. Philip Chesley of Oyster River was witness against him. The General Court did "not judge him so guilty of that fact as that by our lawe he ought to die," but he had to post a £40 bond for good behavior.

Richard Nason's will was dated 14 July 1694 and it names his children, wife Abigail, Abigail's children by her first marriage, Nicholas Follett and Sarah Meader, and Abigail's granddaughter by her previous marriage, Sarah, daughter of Mary Witham.

The Nason Genealogy:

Generation 1: Richard Nason, died sometime between 15 March 1696 when his will was written and 22 December 1696 when his will was proved; married about 1637 to Sarah Baker, daughter of John Baker and Sarah Wall, born about 1614 and died about 1663 in Kittery, Maine. Nine children. At about 1664 he married second to Abigail Brewer, widow of Nicholas Follett.

1. Charles Nason, born about 1639, married Abigail Willoughby

2. John Nason (see below)

3. Baker Nason, born about 1642, married Elizabeth Hatch

4. Jonathan Nason, born about 1645, married Sarah Jenkins

5. Sarah Nason, born aobut 1653, married Henry Child

6. Joseph Nason, born about 1655, married Mary Swain

7. Mary Nason, born about 1655, married Ephraim Trickey

8. Richard Nason, born about 1657, married Shuah Colcord

9. Benjamin Nason, born about 1662, married Martha Canney

Generation 2: John Nason, born about 1640, died 1719 in Dover, New Hampshire; married on 7 October 1697 in Kittery to Bridget Weymouth, daughter of Edward Weymouth and Esther Hodson. Three children.

1. Richard Nason (see below)

2. Hannah Nason, married Nicholas Jellison

3. Joanna Nason

Generation 3: Richard Nason, born about 1704 in South Berwick, Maine; married Mercy Ham, daughter of John Ham and Mary Heard, born 19 July 1708 in Dover, New Hampshire. Five children:

1. Richard Nason (see below)

2. Nathaniel Nason, married Meribah Tuttle

3. Sarah Nason,

4. Bridget Nason

5. Moses Nason, married Olive Davis

Generation 4: Richard Nason, born 31 May 1730 in South Berwick, Maine, died 25 May 1790 in South Berwick; married Mary Thompson, daughter of John Thompson and Mary Stacy. Ten children:

1. Bridget Nason, born before 12 September 1756

2. Mercy Nason, (see below)

3. Amos Nason, born before 3 May 1764, married Hannah Nason, daughter of Moses Nason and Olive Davis- his first cousin

4. Sarah Nason

5. Nabby Nason

6. Betty Nason

7. Sarah Nason

8. Mary Nason, married Richard Shackley

9. Amos Nason,

10. Moses Nason, married Lucy Tebbitts

Generation 5: Mercy Nason, born about 1764; married on 7 February 1788 in South Berwick to William Wilkinson, son of James Wilkinson and Hannah Mead. Three children: