The 136th Locke Family Association Reunion

The Locke Family Association

Center Cemetery, Rye, New Hampshire

On August 25, 1891 the descendants of John Locke (1627 - 1696) of Rye, New Hampshire gathered in the town hall for a family reunion.  The next day was the 195th anniversary of John Locke's death, and the meeting continued at the town hall to organize a permanent organization. This was the birth of the Locke Family Association, which continues to hold annual family reunions, even through war times.  It is considered to be the oldest family association in the United States.  

Last week the Locke Family Association met again in Rye, Raymond, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire for the annual family reunion.  We cruised Portsmouth Harbor in the gundalow "Piscataqua", held a family business meeting in the VFW hall in Raymond followed by a cookout lunch and catered barbecue dinner at Pawtuckaway State Park, and a Sunday trolley ride past historic and family sites in Portsmouth and Rye with our cousins. 

The gundalow "Piscataqua" in Portsmouth Harbor

The Locke Family Association business meeting,

new business, swearing in new officers, financial reports and more. 

At beautiful Pawtuckaway State Park we enjoyed an afternoon of burgers and hot dogs, lawn and board games, swapping family stories, a catered dinner, and no mosquitos! 

On Sunday we all enjoyed the trolley ride through Portsmouth and Rye, seeing historic sites and lots of Locke family homesteads and burial places.  We ended the tour with the annual family photo at the Locke memorial in Central Cemetery. 

For the truly curious:

The Locke Family Association website:  https://www.lockefamilyassociation.org/  

Locke Family Association on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/lockefamilyassociation  

Other Locke related blog posts:

An Indian without a nose   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/01/indian-without-nose.html 

also https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/07/john-locke-he-cut-off-indians-nose-with.html  

Surname Saturday - Locke of Rye, New Hampshire   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/05/surname-saturday-locke-of-rye-new.html   

2021 Locke Family Reunion   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/08/2021-locke-family-reunion.html 

2013 The 123rd Locke Family Reunion   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-123rd-locke-family-reunion-concord.html   

Locke Burial Ground, Rye, New Hampshire   https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/07/tombstone-tuesday-locke-burial-ground.html  

My ancestor Richard Locke, buried in Chichester, New Hampshire     https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/06/tombstone-tuesday-leavitt-cemetery.html  

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The 136th Locke Family Association Reunion", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 8, 2026, (  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-136th-locke-family-association.html: accessed [access date]). 

2021 Locke Family Reunion

Photo credit to Geoff Smith of the Locke Family Association

On August 7, 2021 some members of the Locke Family Association gathered by Zoom for a business meeting, and then met in the Rye, New Hampshire Central Cemetery for the annual reunion photo at the John Locke (1627 - 1696) cenotaph.  This is the 131st annual reunion for the Locke Family Association.  Last year a small group of members met in this same spot for a masked photo to uphold the tradition of the annual reunion. On the home page of the Locke Family association online there is a comment "Neither wars nor pandemics have stopped Locke reunions".  

The Locke Family Association has a website https://www.lockefamilyassociation.org/, a Facebook group, and a newsletter "The Locke Sickle and Sword" named after the two artifacts owned by John Locke of Rye now held at the New Hampshire Historical Society.  Next year they are planning a reunion in Springfield, Missouri to honor Locke descendant and author Laura Ingalls Wilder, and in 2023 the reunion will return to New Hampshire in honor of the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Portsmouth and Rye, New Hampshire.  The first reunion was held in Rye, New Hampshire in 1891. 

If you are a descendant of any of the early Locke Families of New England please consider joining the Locke Family Association.  Members include descendants of Captain John Locke of Rye, New Hampshire (including his brother Nathaniel Locke of Portsmouth, New Hampshire) and descendants of Deacon William Locke of Woburn, Massachusetts. There are over 300 members from more than three countries. 

IN MEMORY OF

CAPT. JOHN LOCKE

WHO CAME FROM ENGLAND TO THESE

SHORES ABOUT 1640.

HE WAS KILLED BY THE INDIANS

AUG. 25, 1696 AT THE AGE OF 70 YEARS,

WHILE REAPING IN HIS FIELD AT LOCKE'S

NECK, THIS TOWN.

Even the youngest members signed the annual reunion book.

In past years the members of the Locke Family Association have met at Locke's Neck where John Locke is probably buried in the old family burial ground on Locke Road.  The Association owns and preserves this little burial ground, and works with the Rye Historical Society to preserve and document the landmarks in the town. 

For the truly curious:

May 21, 2016, "Surname Saturday - Locke of Rye, New Hampshire"

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/05/surname-saturday-locke-of-rye-new.html  

January 12, 2010 "An Indian Without a Nose"

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/01/indian-without-nose.html  

July 9, 2013 "Tombstone Tuesday - Locke Burial Ground, Rye, New Hampshire"

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/07/tombstone-tuesday-locke-burial-ground.html  

August 13, 2013 "The 123rd Locke Family Reunion, Concord, New Hampshire"

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-123rd-locke-family-reunion-concord.html  

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To City/Link to this blog post:  Geoff Smith and Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "2021 Locke Family Reunion", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 9, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/08/2021-locke-family-reunion.html: accessed [access date]). 

Do you know the roots of Margaret (Welch) Locke (about 1796 – 1860)?

 

MARGARET
wife of
RICHARD LOCKE
DIED
March 1, 1860
Age 64
[poem illegible]

Most of my “Brick Wall Ancestors” are females, usually unknown wives of ancestors.  Some of these mystery grandmothers are missing their maiden names (surnames), which makes it even more difficult to trace them.  Finding a maiden name is usually the key to smashing down the brick wall.  But for some of these mysterious ancestresses I know their maiden name, but nothing else about their background stories.

One of these mystery ancestresses is my 4^th great grandmother Margaret Welch Batchelder.  She was born Margaret Welch about 1796 according to her gravestone record.  Her death record in Chichester, New Hampshire lists her birthplace as Kittery, Maine.  Her son William F. Locke was the town clerk of Chichester at the time, so this is probably accurate.  Kittery has excellent records, but no record of my Margaret.

There were many Welch families in Kittery and York County, Maine at the time Margaret was supposedly born there.  They are descendants of Phillip Welch (born about 1638 and died 1700) of Ipswich, Massachusetts.  His son Moses Welch removed to York, Maine. 

On 21 October 1823 Margaret Welch married Captain Richard Locke in Chichester, New Hampshire.  He was a sea captain, and the son of Simon Locke and Abigail Mace of Rye, New Hampshire on the seacoast.  According to the Locke Genealogy compiled by the Locke Family Association, he went to Boston around 1811 to learn to be a blacksmith, was a sea captain, and removed to Chichester as a farmer. 

Richard Locke was enumerated in the Federal Census as living in Chichester in 1850 and 1860 as a farmer.  In the 1860 census Margaret is missing, and Richard Locke was living with his widowed daughter Abigail (Locke) Batchelder and her 11-year-old grandson, George, (my 2^nd great grandfather).  He was also enumerated with another widowed daughter, Mehitable (Locke) Brown and her 3-year-old daughter.  Poor Margaret had died about a month before this 1860 census, one son-in-law had died in 1848 (My 3^rd great grandfather George E Batchelder) and another (Elihu Brown) in 1859.  At least he had two daughters to care for him before his death in 1864.

I have been researching this family for over 40 years and looking for Margaret (Welch) Locke’s roots just as long.  I searching for any researchers of the Welch family in York County, Maine to assist me with this family history.  

My WELCH lineage:

Generation 1:  Margaret WELCH, born about 1796, maybe in Kittery, Maine, and died 1 March 1860 in Chichester, New Hampshire; married on 21 October 1823 in Chichester to Captain Richard Locke.  Three children.

Generation 2:  Abigail M. Locke born 10 September 1825 in South Boston, Massachusetts, and died 15 January 1888 in Chichester, New Hampshire, married on 7 September 1845 in South Boston to George E. Batchelder, son of Jonathan Batchelder and Nancy Thompson.  He was born 13 August 1822 in Chichester and died 3 April 1848 in Chichester. Two children.

Generation 3:  George E. Batchelder, Jr., born 8 October 1848 in Chichester, and died 28 July 1914 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, married on 28 October 1869 in Chichester to Mary Katharine Emerson, daughter of George Emerson and Mary Ester Younger.  She was born 25 December 1847 in South Boston, and died 23 April 1932 in Roxbury, Massachusetts.  Nine children.

Generation 4:  Carrie Maude Batchelder was born 22 September 1872 in Chichester and died 21 January 1963 at the Sea View Convalescent and Nursing home in Rowley, Massachusetts, married on 1 November 1892 in Essex, Massachusetts to Joseph Elmer Allen, son of Joseph Gilman Allen and Sarah Burnham Mears.  He was born 24 September 1870 in Essex and died 12 March 1932 at the Masonic Home in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.  Five children.

Generation 5:  Stanley Elmer Allen, born 14 January 1904 and died 6 March 1982 in Beverly, Massachusetts, married on 14 February 1925 in Hamilton, Massachusetts to Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents) daughter of Arthur Treadwell Hitchings and Florence Etta Hoogerzeil.  She was born 1 August 1905 in Beverly and died 3 November 2001 at the Pilgrim Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Peabody, Massachusetts.  Seven children.

A blog post about finding the tombstones of Richard and Margaret Locke:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2009/11/tombstone-tuesday-bumping-into-great.html 

My LOCKE “Surname Saturday” blog post:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/05/surname-saturday-locke-of-rye-new.html 

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To Cite/Link to this post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Do you know the roots of Margaret (Welch) Locke (about 1796 – 1860)?”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 15, 2021, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2021/03/do-you-know-roots-of-margaret-welch.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ WELCH of Kittery, Maine

WELCH

This is another “brickwall” ancestress mystery.  Margaret Welch was born about 1796.  I don’t know if she was born there or not, but Kittery was listed as her birthplace on her death record.  (Interestingly, her son William F. Locke is listed as the town clerk on the death record in Chichester, New Hampshire)  There are WELCH families listed in the vital records of Kittery and York County, Maine, but I could not find a match to Margaret, who is my 4^th great grandmother.   Phillip Welch (about 1638 – 1700) of Ipswich, Massachusetts was a colonial settler who left many descendants in York, Maine through his son Moses.

In 1823 in Chichester, New Hampshire Margaret Welch married Captain Richard Locke, who was a sea captain.   He was listed in the 1850 and 1860 Federal censuses as living in Chichester, New Hampshire as a farmer.  In the 1860 census Richard Locke was living with a widowed daughter Abigail (Locke) Batchelder and her 11 year old grandson, George, my 2^rd great grandfather.  He was also living with her other widowed daughter, Mehitable (Locke) Brown, and her little granddaughter, Etta, age 3.  Poor Margaret had died about a month before this 1860 census record!

Sometimes, just knowing an ancestress’s maiden name can help break a brick wall, but in this case I still don’t know Margaret’s parents or even her true place of birth. 

My WELCH lineage:

Generation 1:  Margaret WELCH, born about 1796, maybe in Kittery, Maine, and died 1 March 1860 in Chichester, New Hampshire; married on 21 October 1823 in Chichester to Captain Richard Locke.  Three children.

Generation 2:  Abigail M. Locke m. George E. Batchelder

Generation 3:  George E. Batchelder, Jr., m. Mary Katharine Emerson

Generation 4:  Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen

Generation 5:  Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ WELCH of Kittery, Maine", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 28, 2016,  (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/05/surname-saturday-welch-of-kittery-maine.html: accessed [access date]).  

Surname Saturday ~ LOCKE of Rye, New Hampshire

The Locke Burial Ground at Locke's Neck, on Locke Road in Rye, New Hampshire

LOCKE

John Locke is a famous figure on the seacoast of New Hampshire.  His land and the family burial ground are marked with historical plaques from both the state of New Hampshire and the Locke Family Association.  His sword and scythe are on display at the New Hampshire Historical Society museum.  The history of Rye, New Hampshire has pages of information on his life, his infamous death, and his progeny. There are so many descendants that a compiled genealogy takes up two volumes, and additions and supplemental information are discussed at length every year at the annual Locke Family Reunion. This year will be the 126^th annual Locke Family Reunion, “traditionally held on the third Saturday of August to commemorate the death of our progenitor, Captain John Locke” (LFA website, http://www.lockefamilyassociation.org/reunions.html )

Outside of New Hampshire, and outside of the family, John Locke is an unknown figure in American History.  So I will tell his story here in an abridged version…

John Locke is probably the son of Thomas Locke and Christina French, baptized in London at Whitechapel in 1627.  He immigrated to New Hampshire about 1644 and went to Dover, New Castle, Sagamore Creek and then in 1665 he went to Hampton (now the part that is the town of Rye).  It is thought that he framed the first meetinghouse in Portsmouth about 1645. 

The Hampton records state “John Locke Senior was killed by the Heathen in his lott at work upon 26 August 1696.  An 1801 sermon by Rev. Porter of Rye said “In 1694 John Locke being at Locke’s Neck was ambushed and killed by the Indians as he was reaping grain in his field”.  Rev. John Pike’s journal has “Lieutenant Locke was slain by the Indians at Sandy Beach, 25 August 1696”. 

In the book History and Genealogy of Captain John Locke (1627 – 1696), 1916, there is a long description of how Locke was despised by the native people for foiling several attempts to attack Hampton.  In 1696 eight native men came upon him reaping salt hay with his scythe. They mortally wounded him, but not before he cut off the nose of one of the attackers.  One of the sons witnessed the murder, and spent years searching for the Indian without a nose.  Several grandsons are credited with avenging the death of Captain Locke by murdering an Indian (with or without a nose). 

I descend from the oldest son, John Locke, Jr. (1654 – 1733), my 8^th great grandfather, who inherited his father’s land at Locke’s Neck.  He sold all his land to his son, John, my 7^th great grandfather.  Locke’s Neck is now a very expensive neighborhood in Rye, with beautiful waterfront properties, and it’s entrance is graced by the two memorial plaques to Captain John Locke.  This last John Locke had a wife, Sarah, and seven children.  Sarah and four of the children all died in 1736 in the throat distemper epidemic (diphtheria).  The maiden names of the Elizabeth (my 8th great grandmother) and Sarah (my 7th great grandmother) are both unknown. 

More LOCKE resources:

The Locke Family Association:  http://www.lockefamilyassociation.org/  

A previous blog post "He Cut Off an Indian's Nose with his Scythe!"  posted on July 6, 2012 -   http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/07/john-locke-he-cut-off-indians-nose-with.html   

History and Genealogy of Captain John Locke (1627 – 1696) of Portsmouth and Rye, New Hampshire and His Descendants, by Arthur H. Locke, 1916, Heritage Books reprint 2003, 2 Volumes.

The History of Hampton, N.H., by Joseph Dow, 2 Volumes

A previous blog post about the Locke Burial Ground, Rye, New Hampshire
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/07/tombstone-tuesday-locke-burial-ground.html  

My LOCKE lineage:

Generation 1:  John Locke, born about 1627 in England, died 26 August 1696 in Rye, New Hampshire; married about 1652 to Elizabeth Berry, daughter of William Berry and Jane Unknown.  She was born about 1636 and died after 1708.  Eleven children.

Generation 2:  John Locke, born 1654 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, died after 1733; married about 1677 to Elizabeth Unknown.  She died 12 November 1734 in Rye, New Hampshire.  Seven children.

Generation 3:  John Locke, born 1683, died about 1774; married Sarah Unknown.  She died 1736.  Seven children (four died with their mother in 1736- of diptheria).

Generation 4: Richard Locke, born 28 July 1720 in Rye, died 15 May 1804; married about 1745 to Elizabeth Garland, the daughter of John Garland and Elizabeth Dearborn.  She was born 13 March 1724 in Rye, and died 1818.  Eleven children.

Generation 5: Simon Locke, born September 1770 in Rye, died 31 July 1863 in Rye; married first on 14 February 1792 in Greenland, New Hampshire to Abigail Mace, daughter of Ithamar Mace and Rachel Berry.  She was born 1 February 1767 in Rye, and died 18 February 1803.  Seven children.  He married second on 10 November 1803 in Rye to Elizabeth Locke Allen, the daughter of Jude Allen and Dorcas Marden. Eight more children!

Generation 6: Captain Richard Locke, born 1794 in Rye, died 23 March 1864 in Chichester, New Hampshire; married first on 21 October 1823 in Chichester to Margaret Welch.  She was born about 1796 in Kittery, Maine, and died 1 March 1860 in Chichester.  Four children. 

Generation 7: Abigail M. Locke, born 10 September 1825 in South Boston, Massachusetts, died 15 January 1888 in Chichester; married on 7 September 1845 in South Boston to George E. Batchelder, son of Jonathan Batchelder and Nancy Thompson.  He was born 13 August 1822 in Chichester, and died 3 April 1848 in Chichester.  Two children.

Generation 8: George E. Batchelder m. Mary Katharine Emerson

Generation 9: Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen

Generation 10: Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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Published under a Creative Commons License

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ LOCKE of Rye, New Hampshire",  Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 21, 2016,  (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/05/surname-saturday-locke-of-rye-new.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ THOMPSON of Gilmanton, New Hampshire

THOMPSON/ THOMSON/ TOMPSON

My 4^th great grandmother, Nancy Thompson (1804 – after 1847), is a complete mystery to me.  I don’t know when she was born, or who are her parents.  I don’t have a death record for her either.  She was widowed, and then disappeared from any records I have seen – so far.   This Thompson line is a real genealogical brick wall to me.

I also have two other New England THOMPSON lineages.  One is from David Thompson ( 1592 – 1628), the first European settler to live permanently in New Hampshire.  The other is from Alexander Thompson (about1636 – 1696), one of Cromwell’s Scots prisoners of war sent to New England to be sold into servitude.   It would be wonderful to find out that Nancy was from one of these lineages, or even to find out she was from a third colonial Thompson line.  But so far, she is a mystery.

This is what I know about Nancy.  She was born about 1804, probably in or near the town of Gilmanton in Belknap County, New Hampshire.  On 11 February 1822 in Belmont,  Belknap County, New Hampshire she married Jonathan Batchelder (the marriage record lists her place of birth as Gilmanton, a town contiguous to Belmont).  They had two children, the eldest, George E. Batchelder (1822 – 1848) is my 3^rd great grandfather.  The other child is Pauline, who was left an orphan when her father died very young in 1847 in the New Hampshire State Insane Asylum.   I have found the guardianship papers for Pauline, and Nancy was named her guardian.  

After the guardianship case, Nancy disappeared from the records. I have not found a death for Nancy Thompson in New Hampshire. I have not found her in a census record after 1840.  I have found no proof that she remarried.  She was not living with her son or daughter in any census record after 1840.  There are several Thompson families living in and near Gilmanton and the region near Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, but records do not show a Nancy/Ann/Hannah Thompson born near her supposed age.  I am sure there are missing records because New Hampshire did not require vital records to be recorded until later, and there was not total compliance in recording vital records until 1905.  

This is a very sad story.  I know that George married before his father died.  He married Abigail M. Locke in 1845.  His sister Pauline was only 14 years old when her father died in 1847, but two years later she married David C. Watson.  She seemed to live a nice life after this, since her husband was a merchant tailor in Concord, New Hampshire and Boston, Massachusetts according to census records.

George was emancipated from his father in 1840, the year he turned 18 years old, according to newspaper notices.  Sadly, he also died very young at age 25 in 1848.  His son George, Jr., my great great grandfather,  was born posthumously that same year.  I have no record of what caused his early death.   

George, Jr. was raised by his maternal grandparents in Chichester – Capt. Richard Locke and his wife Margaret Welch.  Young George, Jr. went to Boston and worked as a mechanic, on the railroads and in real estate looking after the estate of R. Esterbrooks in South Boston.  

My THOMPSON lineage:

Generation 1:  Nancy Thompson, born about 1804 probably in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, died after 1847; married on 11 February 1822 in Belmont, New Hampshire to Jonathan Batchelder, son of Elisha Batchelder and Sarah Lane.  He was born about 1800 in Hampton and died before 4 November 1847 in the New Hampshire State Asylum in Concord, New Hampshire.  Two children.

Generation 2:  George E. Batchelder m. Abigail M. Locke

Generation 3:  George E. Batchelder m. Mary Katharine Emerson

Generation 4:  Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen

Generation 5:  Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ THOMPSON of Gilmanton, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted May 14, 2016,  (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/05/surname-saturday-thompson-of-gilmanton.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ BERRY of Rye, New Hampshire

A mini reunion of BERRY descendants in Kittery, Maine 2014

BERRY

William Berry was sent to New Hampshire around 1631 by Captain John Mason.  He must not have been a permanent settler until later because he does not show up in Anderson’s Great Migration series of books. By 25 May 1640 he was living at Strawberry Bank.  He was a freeman on 18 May 1642 in Newbury, Massachusetts, where he was a proprietor on 7 December 1642.  At the town meeting in January 1648/9 it was “granted that Wm Berry shall have a lot upon the neck of land upon the South side of the Little River at Sandy Beach.”  He was granted another lot of land on 13 January 1652 at Sandy Beach, which is now Rye, New Hampshire.

He must have died before 28 June 1654 when his widow, Jane was granted administration of his estate.  Two sons, James and John Berry, and a grandson, Joshua Foss agreed to a division of his land on 13 June 1717.

The Berry Family Cemetery in Rye Is located about a quarter mile from  Route 1 (Lafayette Road) on Breakfast Hill Road. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~langolier/berry_rye.html

Some BERRY resources:

Descendants of William Berry of Rockingham County, NH for Four Generations, by June Berry, Kearns, UT, 1993

The Berrys by the Beach, by Sylvia Fitts Getchell, Newmarket, NH: Newmarket Press, 1980

A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, by James Savage, 1909

Pioneers of Maine and New Hampshire, by Charles Henry Pope, 1908       

     

History of the Town of Rye, NH from Its Discovery and Settlement to December 31, 1903, by Langdon B. Parsons, 1905.

"Descendants of William Berry of Strawberry Bank - Rye, NH" Facebook Group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/460907980677056/    

My BERRY lineage:

Generation 1:  William Berry, born about 1610 in England, died before 28 June 1654 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; married before 1634 to Jane Unknown. Seven children, and I descend from three of them.  His widow Jane remarried to Nathaniel Drake.

Lineage A:

Generation 2:  Elizabeth Berry, born about 1636 and died after 1708; married about 1652 to John Locke.  He was born about 1627 in England and died 26 August 1696 in Rye, New Hampshire.  Eleven children.

Generation 3:  John Locke m. Elizabeth Unknown

Generation 4: John Locke m. Sarah Unknown

Generation 5: Richard Locke m. Elizabeth Garland

Generation 6: Simon Locke m. Abigail Mace

Generation 7: Richard Locke m. Margaret Welch

Generation 8: Abigail M. Locke m. George E. Batchelder

Generation 9: George E. Batchelder, Jr. m. Mary Katharine Emerson

Generation 10: Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen

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

Lineage B:

Generation 2:  Mary Berry, born about 1634, died between 1706 and 1710 in Rye, New Hampshire; married John Foss.  He was baptized 25 November 1633 in Paignton, Devonshire, England, and died 17 December 1699 in New Castle, New Hampshire. Eleven children.

Generation 3: Elizabeth Foss m. Nathaniel Batchelder

Generation 4:  Josiah Batchelder m. Sarah Page

Generation 5:  David Batchelder m. Elizabeth Swett

Generation 6: Elisha Batchelder m. Sarah Lane

Generation 7:  Jonathan Batchelder m. Nancy Thompson

Generation 8:  George E. Batchelder m. Abigail M. Locke (see above)

Lineage C:

Generation 2:  James Berry, born between 1650 and 1652 in Strawbery Banke or New Castle, New Hampshire, died after 1712; married about 1673 to Eleanor Wallis, daughter of George Wallis and Eleanor.  She was born about 1652 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Five children.

Generation 3: Samuel Berry, born between 1660 and 1680, died 19 June 1750; married to Abigail Webster, daughter of Stephen Webster and Hannah Ayer.  Four children.

Generation 4: Jotham Berry. Born about 1711, died after 1790; married on 11 November 1731 in Rye, New Hampshire to Mary Bates, daughter of William Bates.  She was born about 1712.  Two children. Jotham married second on 16 April 1780 to Tryphene Philbrick, widow of John Saunders.

Generation 5:  Rachel Berry, baptized on 3 July 1743 in Rye, died 9 November 1806 in Rye; married on 6 December 1764 in Rye to Ithamar Mace, son of John Mace and Sarah Frost. He was born about 1729 on the Isles of Shoals and died before 9 November 1806. Three children.  Rachel married second to Joseph Hall about 1781 in Rye.

Generation 6: Abigail Mace m. Simon Locke (see above)

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ BERRY of Rye, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 14, 2015 (  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/11/surname-saturday-berry-of-rye-new.html: accessed [access date]).

Family Reunions, 2015

Members of the Balch and Woodbury families tour the 1679 Balch House
during the 2014 "Old Planters" Family Reunion in Beverly, Massachusetts

Summer is time for family reunions!  The following list of family reunions and family association meetings are taking place in New England, or are families descended from New England settlers.  If you know of one I didn’t list, please email me at vrojomit@gmail.com or leave a message in the comments:

WING -  June 19 – 21, at the Plaza Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah, the 2015 Wing Family Reunion,  for descendants of the Reverend John and Deborah Wing.  http://www.wingfamily.org/reunions.html

LINELL – June 26 – 28 at the Sheraton Four Points, Eastham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts for the 10^th Annual Linnell Family Reunion   http://www.linnellfamilyassociation.com/Reunion/2015/Reunion_2015_Registration_Form.pdf

MANNING -  June 27, at the Manning Manse, Billerica, Massachusetts, Annual meeting and gathering.  http://www.manningassociation.org/newsletters/messenger_2015_03.pdf   (held on the fourth Saturday of June annually)

GRINNELL-  July 9 – 12 in New Bedford, Massachusetts for the Grinnell Family Association of America, descendants of Matthew and Rose Grinnell.  http://www.grinnellfamily.org/

STILES – July 9 -12, Stiles Family Reunion at the Wingate Hotel, Erlanger, Kentucky, meeting, genealogy, group photo, tours, meals http://www.stilesfamilyofamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-sfa-Reunion-info.pdf

PHELPS Family Reunion in Windsor, Connecticut - for descendants of Willaim and George Phelps - July 11, 2015.  Please join the FB group Phelps Famly Reunion in Windsor for more details:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/236219789837169

ELDRED - July 12 at Lake Eden, Eden, Vermont the 75^th Annual Eldred Family Reunion.  Held every year on the 2^nd Sunday in July.   http://eldredreunion.com/

BLAISDELL/BLASDEL -  July 16 – 19, at the Holiday Inn Portsmouth, 300 Woodbury Avenue, Portsmouth, Maine, The Blaisdell National Family Reunion, with tours of York and Pemaquid, Maine, and also a tour of the Blaisdell clock makers in Amesbury, Massachusetts.  http://www.blaisdell.org/BFNA%20Reunion%202015%20Schedule.doc.pdf

BOTSFORD and PLATT - July 17 and 18, at the Botsford Homestead, 84 Gunn Street, Milford, Connecticut, The Botsford and Platt family associations joint reunion.  Contact Richard N. Platt at rnplatt@optimum.net or Michelle Narus at michelle@ivy-design.com for more information.

ADAMS Family Association of Wilton, ME annual reunion July 18, 2015 at Kineowatha Park, Wilton, ME. See www.adamsfamilyassociation.info  for details.

FOLSOM -  The 100^th Anniversary Folsom Family Assocation Reunion will be held in Exeter, New Hampshire July 22 – 26, 2015.  http://www.folsomfamily.org/Other%20Pages/National%20Reunion%20and%20Conference.html

FOOTE – July 23 – 26, at Salt Lake City, the Foote Educational Conference (held every two years) under the auspices of the Foote Family Association of America FFAA, for descendants of Nathaniel Foote of Wetherfield, Connecticut.  http://footefamily.org/reunion2015.html

FELTON Family Association annual reunion,  24 -25 July 2015,  at the Nathaniel Felton Jr. and Nathaniel Felton Sr. homesteads on Felton Hill in Peabody, Massachusetts.  Check the website http://www.feltonfamily.org/Events_and_Products.html

PARSONS – July 25 at Stocking Hall, Cornell University,  Ithaca, New York the 93^rd Parsons Family Reunion.  See the newsletter online for more information, http://www.parsonsfamilyassn.org/Cornet_chronical_spring_2015_kbg_4_print_v1__2_.pdf

RUSH – July 25 – August 1, Rush Family Reunion in Benedicta, Maine, held every five years for the descendants of Johann Diederich Rashe (1800 – 1874) and Sarah Theresea Schmidt (1812 – 1856), who came to the US in 1833.  http://rushreunionbenedicta.blogspot.com/

LILLIBRIDGE -  July 25, the Lillibridge National Family Reunion, at Exeter, Rhode Island, located at the Canonicus Camp and Conference Center.  https://lillibridgereunions.wordpress.com/

LOCKE Family Association meeting; July 31-August 2 in Portsmouth, NH - info submitted by David Wilson, The 125th reunion of descendants of Rye, NH founder John Locke.  See this website http://www.lockefamilyassociation.org/reunions.html

SHELDON - July 31 to August 2^nd, Sacremento, California, the Sheldon Family Association Reunion http://www.sheldonfamily.org/2015reunion/2015meeting.htm

McINTIRE-  August 1, 11am McIntire Family Reunion, at the Barn at the the York Historical Society. Bring a lunch and a dessert to share.  We're collecting Scottish recipes, bring yours to share.  

OLD BROAD BAY FAMILY HISTORY ASSOCIATION-  August 1st, a reunion of the descendants of the German Settlers at Old Broad Bay, Waldeboro, Maine.  The meeting will take place at the Knox-Lincoln County Extension, 377 Manktown Road, in Waldeboro at 9am.  See the website for more information and a list of surnames:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~meobbfha/

RICHARDS – August 3 – 7, Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club, Brewster, Cape Cod, Massachusetts  http://richardsreunion.com/reservations-2/

STEERE -  The 85^th Annual Steere Family Association Reunion to be held August 7 – 9 in Chepachet, Rhode Island for descendants of John Steer.  See this newsletter PDF for more information: http://steerefamily.com/reunion_schedule.pdf

FAIRBANKS - August 8, the 113^th Annual Fairbanks Reunion at the Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts.  Email homestead@fairbankshouse.org to receive the newsletter with more information or call 781-326-1170 or see the website www.fairbankshouse.org

KIMBALL  - The Kimball Family Association annual reunion will be held August 14 and 15 at the Best Western Plus hotel in Haverhill, Massachusetts.  There will be a business meeting of the association, a trip to the Bradford Burial Ground, and other tour to historic sites.   http://www.kimballfamilyassociation.com/

COLBY – The 62^nd Annual Colby Clan Reunion will be held August 14 and 15^th at Bow, New Hampshire, for descendants of Anthony and Susannah Colby.

 http://www.colby-family-association.org/2015%20march_colby%20news.pdf

KALLOCH – August 15, at the Congregational Church, 172 St. George Road, South Thomaston, Maine,  see www.http://kalloch.org or the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kalloch-Family-Reunion-Association/163290497023722

DENISON - GALLUP -  August 15 will be a combined reunion of the Denison and Gallup families at the Coogan Farm and Nature Center in Mystic, Connecticut.  Contact Julie Souto for more information juiss8814@yahoo.com 

MEADER – The Meader Family Association, descendants of John Meader of Piscataqua, who settled near the mouth of the Oyster River by Durham, New Hampshire around 1647, has an annual reunion August 28 and 29 in Manassas, Virginia.  http://www.themeaderfamily.org/Pages/reunion2015.html

HARLOW -  75^th Annual Reunion of the Sgt. William Harlow Family Association will be held August 29 – 30 at the Beal House in Kingston, Massachusetts and at the Harlow Old Fort House on Sandwich Street, Plymouth, Massachusetts.  http://www.harlowfamily.com/current_events.htm

MAYFLOWER Society General Board of Assistants Meeting, September 9 - 13th at Foxwoods Casino, Connecticut.  See your Mayflower Quarterly for more information and registration forms, or the website https://www.themayflowersociety.org/2015-gboa-meeting/schedule-of-events

NICKERSON -  The Nickerson Family Association Annual Reunion will be held September 11 – 13 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  http://www.nickersonassoc.org/togethering.shtml

HARRIMAN-  September 12, at the First Parish Church, 50 Church Street, Waltham, Massachusetts, The Harriman Family Association Meeting and Reunion, for the descendants of Leonard and John Harriman, immigrants to Rowley, Massachusetts and New Haven, Connecticut circa 1638.  http://www.harriman-family.org/

TOWNE Family Reunion -  September 18 - 20th, for descendants of William Towne and Joanna Blessing of Topsfield, Massachusetts at Vancouver, Washington.  See the website for details and registration http://townefolk.com/testing/TFA_MEET.php

HATCH – September 11 – 13 at Falmouth, Massachusetts for the Hatch Family Association   http://www.hatchfamilyassoc.org/reunion.htm

DENNISON - GALLUP - August 15, the combined Dennison and Gallup family reunion will be held at the Coogan Farm Nature and Heritage Center in Mystic, Connecticut.

LEAVITT - September 18 - 19, Descendants of John Leavitt of Hingham, Massachusetts and Thomas Leavitt of Hampton, New Hampshire will meet at Leavitt Hill in Deerfield, New Hampshire.  See the website for more details.  http://www.leavitts.org/ 

TENNEY-  September 18 – 20^th, in Upshur County, West Virginia, The Tenney Family Association Reunion, for descendants of immigrant John Tenney of Rowley, Massachusetts.

http://10efamily.org/2015-annual-reunion-in-upshur-county-west-virginia/

NYE – September 19, 2015 at the Benjamin Nye Homestead and Museum in East Sandwich, Massachusetts.  Annual business meeting, lunch, afternoon and evening programs.  See the fall newsletter of the Nye Family of America Association, or this website:  http://www.nyefamily.org/home/family-reunion

RICE -  September 25 -26, the Edmund Rice Association meets up at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts.  http://www.edmund-rice.org/reunion.htm  

Upcoming next year:

CRANDALL   Crandall Family Association – Upcoming 2016 reunion, see the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Crandall.descendants

WINCHESTER,  June 17 – 19, 2016 at Digby Pines, Digby, Nova Scotia.  For descendants of Nathan Winchester, who came to Nova Scotia from Framingham, Massachusetts about 1760.  For registration and schedule of events contact Jim Greenwood at thewinchesterreunion@gmail.com  and for genealogy information contact Mr. Schani Biermann at ussenterprise1701@accesscomm.ca

GRISWOLD Family Association:  Contact@griswoldfamily.org  for more info. We are planning to visit Boston MA in 2016 and tour in Griswold country in the UK in 2017.

LOOMIS Family Reunion, July 1, 2018 - July 14, 2018.   https://www.facebook.com/events/406026092817497/

DOANE  The 54^th Biennial Reunion of the Doane Family Association will be in the summer of 2016.  http://www.doanefamilyassociation.org/dfacalendar.html

THAYER -  July 1 – 4, 2016 at the West Point, New York historic Thayer Hotel http://www.thayerfamilies.com/

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Family Reunions, 2015", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 8, 2015 ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/06/family-reunions-2015.html : accessed [access date])

The 123rd Locke Family Reunion, Concord, New Hampshire

Last weekend I attended one day of the three day long Locke Family Reunion.  There has been a reunion of the descendants of Capt. John Locke of Rye, New Hampshire (1627 - 1696) and of William Locke of Woburn, Massachusetts (1628 - 1720) since 1891.  Although DNA has proven that the two families are unrelated, there have been many marriages between both lineages, which make this an interesting family tree!  This year the reunion was held in Concord, New Hampshire.

I was late to the Saturday meeting, but I got there just in time to participate in the raffle.  I even won one of the donated items!  Half of the table was covered with Locke Family Association genealogy books, T-shirts, mugs, etc, and some interesting photos.  One very fascinating item was this engraving of London's Whitechapel, England, where my ancestor Capt. John Locke was baptized on 16 September 1627.  His brother Nathaniel was baptized there on 11 November 1629.  Their parents, Thomas Locke and Christena French were married there on 26 July 1624. 

 After a nice lunch together, the Locke descendants visited the New Hampshire Historical Society Museum in Eagle Square.  We saw many fascinating items from New Hampshire history, and four very special items from the Locke family.  The first one, the famous scythe Capt. Locke used to defend himself in 1696, is on display on the third floor.  The other three items were pulled from storage by the curator, and shown to the group in a classroom.  The museum was very kind to do this special presentation for the Locke Family Association.

Locke family members viewing Captain John Locke's sword, a piece of needle work and a chintz counterpane made in the 1800s by Locke descendants.  The curator described the items, gave their provenance and the family history of the original owners who made the textiles and the descendants who donated them to the museum. 

"This is the Sword of Capt. John Locke who was killed by the Indians Aug. 26, 1696 on Josselyn's Neck, also known as Locke's Neck, Rye, N.H.

Given to the N. Historical Society by Harvey Lock Alexandria who is the great-great-great-grandson of Capt. John Locke.

Presented to the Historical Society by George Locke, Manchester, N.H."

After viewing the Locke artifacts at the museum, it was a short walk to the New Hampshire Historical Society Library, where the librarian Bill Copley gave us an overview of the many Locke compiled genealogies in their collection of over 5,000 genealogies on New Hampshire families.  He also had pulled several Locke manuscripts for us, including a diary and an autograph book. There was a large file of Locke photographs and many maps of Rye and Epsom, New Hampshire which featured Locke family member's grants and plots of land from the 1600's through the 1900's.  After his presentation, we were free to use the reading room and to explore the building. 

Saturday ended with a nice meal at the Newick's seafood restaurant in Concord.  Many of the reunion members were from out of state and from outside of New England, including New York, Pennsylvania and as far away as Oregon.  I noticed that nearly everyone enjoyed lobster, or other New England seafood for supper!  It was fun to shared meals and meetup with "new cousins".  The 2014 Locke Family Association Reunion will be in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  

For more information:

The Locke Family Association website  http://www.lockefamilyassociation.org/

Or on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/LockeFamilyAssociation

A History and Genealogy of Captain John Locke (1627 - 1696) of Portsmouth and Rye, New Hampshire and His Descendants, by Arthur H. Locke, 1916, The Rumford, Press, Concord, New Hampshire.   There are two supplements to this volume.

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Copyright 2014, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Locke Burial Ground, Rye, New Hampshire

There are five Locke family burial grounds in Rye, New Hampshire.  This one is located on the corner of Locke Road and Old Beach Road, in a triangular shaped lot bordered by old stone walls.  There is a large boulder with a bronze plaque memorializing John Locke along Old Beach Road, and a small opening for pedestrians to enter the burial ground.  Captain John Locke (about 1627 - 1696) is my 9th great grandfather, an original settler in Rye.

According to several notebooks by Louise Tallman on file in the reference section of the Rye Public Library, Captain John Locke and his family, and perhaps a few more generations of Lockes are buried inside this small cemetery.  I had visited this location before to take a photo of the historical markers to Captain John Locke, but I did not know about the burial ground right behind the stone wall. 

After driving around the neighborhood several times,

we parked the little red convertible and peeked over the stone wall.

Yes, it appeared to be a burial ground,

but there were no recognizable tombstones inside. 

Inside the burial ground the graves are marked by simple headstones and footstones made of field-stone

They are not inscribed, and most appear to be broken.

When we visited in June 2013 the graves appeared to be marked with small yellow flags

You can see that the burial ground is small.

I'm standing by the front wall with the memorial and

the back wall is only about thirty feet behind this. 

CAPTAIN JOHN LOCKE

SETTLED HERE ON LOCKE'S NECK

ABOUT 1640

KILLED BY THE INDIANS NEAR THIS SPOT

AUGUST 26, 1696

ERECTED BY THE LOCKE FAMILY ASSOCIATON

1934

Please click on these links to read previous blog posts about Captain John Locke:

An Indian Without a Nose   http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/01/indian-without-nose.html

John Locke  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/07/john-locke-he-cut-off-indians-nose-with.html

This webpage has information about Louise Tallman's surveys of the family burial grounds in Rye:
http://ryereflections.org/servlet/pluto?state=3030347061676530303757656250616765303032696430303431313231 

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Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo