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]). 

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

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

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 ~ CONVERSE of Woburn

CONVERSE  CONVERS

I have already written a “Surname Saturday” blog post on the CONVERSE family of Woburn at this link: https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/02/surname-saturday-converse-of-woburn.html   However, last year I discovered that in addition to a lineage from Deacon Edward Convers (1590 – 1662) on my father’s side, I also have a link on my mother’s side (see below)

I also discovered our link to the Converse sneaker King, and you can read all about it at this link:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-sneaker-king-marquis-mills-converse.html   

MY CONVERSE lineage:

Generation 1:  Edward Convers, son of Anthony Convers and Clemence Spady, born 30 January 1590 in Stanford Rivers, Essex, England, died 10 August 1662 at Woburn, Massachusetts; married first on 29 June 1614 at Great Burstead, Essex, England to Sarah Parker, daughter of John Parker, died 14 January 1662/3 in Woburn.  Six children.   Edward Convers married second to Joanna Warren, widow of Ralph Sprague.

Generation 2.  James Convers, born about 1621 in England, died 10 May 1715 in Woburn; married first to Anna Long, daughter of Robert Long and Sarah Taylor.  She was born 1 June 1623 in St. Albans, England and died 10 August 1691 in Woburn. Ten chlldren.  He married second to Anna Sparhawk.

Lineage A:

Generation 3.  James Converse, born 16 November 1645 in Woburn, died 8 July 1706 in Woburn; married on 1 January 1669 to Hannah Carter, daughter of John Carter and Elizabeth Kendall.  She was born 19 January 1651 in Woburn and died 10 August 1691 in Woburn. Nine children.

Generation 4. Robert Converse, born 29 December 1677 in Woburn, died 20 July 1736; married on 19 December 1698 in Woburn to Mary Sawyer, daughter of Joshua Sawyer and Sarah Wright.  She was born about 1681 and died 1766.  Twelve children.

Generation 5. Susanna Converse, born 18 June 1724 in Woburn, died 29 October 1771 in Woburn; married on 26 March 1746 in Woburn to Caleb Simonds, son of James Simonds and Mary Fowle.  He was born 27 August 1720 in Woburn, died 4 January 1811 in Woburn.  Eight children.

Generation 6. Ruth Simonds m. Andrew Munroe

Generation 7.  Luther Simonds Munroe m. Olive Flint

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)

Lineage B:

Generation 3.  Deborah Converse, born 25 July 1647 in Woburn; married 1 July 1663 in Woburn to John Pierce, son of Thomas Pierce and Elizabeth Cole.  He was born 7 May 1643 in Woburn and died 25 May 1720 in Woburn. Ten chlldren.

Generation 4.  Ebenezer Pierce m. Mary Wilson

Generation 5.  Deborah Pierce m. Increase Wyman

Generation 6.  Increase Wyman m. Catherine Unknown

Generation 7.  Jemima Wyman m. Colonel Joshua Burnham

Generation 8.  Jemima Burnham . 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)

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

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~  CONVERSE of Woburn", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 3, 2016, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/09/surname-saturday-converse-of-woburn.html: accessed [access date]).

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Three Matthew Parkers

These tombstones were photographed at the Litchfield, New Hampshire Presbyterian Church cemetery

The Parker family plot

DEA.
MATTHEW PARKER
died Nov. 26, 1826
AEt. 62

In memory of
Matthew Parker, son of
Mr. Matthew Parker Jnr.
& Mrs. Sally, his wife
who died Feb 7th
1794, Aged 1

In memory of
Matthew Parker Jr.
son of Mr. Matthew
& Mrs. Sally Parker,
who died Octr. 30
1804 in the 4th
Year of his age.

Generation 1:   Captain James Parker was born in England about 1617 and was an original proprietor of Groton, Massachusetts.  He married in 1643 in Woburn to Elizabeth Long.  He resided in Woburn, Billerica, Chelmsford, and Groton, Massachusetts.    Elizabeth Long is my 8th great aunt, her parents, Robert Long and Sarah Taylor, are my 9th great grandparents.   James Parker's grandfather, John Parker, is my 10th great grandfather.

Generation 2:  Captain Joisah Parker born in 1655 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts; and married Eliza Saxton.  He lived in Chelmsford, Groton, Watertown and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Generation 3:  Reverend Thomas Parker was born 7 December 1700 in Cambridge, Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College in 1718.  He was called to the ministry in Dracut, Massachusetts and died there 18 March 1765.  He married in 1720 to Lydia Richardson

Generation 4:  Matthew Parker, born about 1730 in Dracut, Massachusetts, died September 1802 in Litchfield, New Hampshire, married 11 June 1763 to Elizabeth Jones.

Generation 5:  Deacon Matthew Parker was born about 1764 in Litchfield, New Hampshire, and died 26 November 1826 in Litchfield.  He was married on 5 July 1792 in Merrimack, New Hampshire to Sarah "Sally" Underwood (1767- 1857). They had three children:

1.)  Matthew Parker, baptized on 26 August 1793 in Merrimack, died 7 February 1794
2.)  James Underwood Parker, born 1797
3.)  Matthew Parker, baptized 6 August 1801 in Merrimack, died 30 October 1804
4.) Nathan Parker, born 21 November 1808, died 7 May 1894 in Manchester, New Hampshire, married Charlotte Margaret Riddle.

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

Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

Surname Saturday ~ Long of Charlestown, Massachusetts

LONG

Charlestown, Massachusetts seen from Boston Harbor

 

Robert Long was an innkeeper in England before coming to America.  He boarded the ship Defence In London on 7 July 1635 with his second wife and ten children.  He came to live in Charlestown, Massachusetts, next to Boston.  Robert Long owned the “Three Cranes Inn” also known as the “Grand Ordinary” in Charlestown at the foot of town hill.   The building stayed in the Long family for 100 years until it was burned on 17 June 1777 when Charlestown was set ablaze by the British upon their evacuation of the town.

It is thought that Robert Long named his son, Zechariah, after the Charlestown pastor, the Reverend Zechariah Symmes.  Rev. Symmes arrived in Boston in 1934 aboard the ship Griffin with his wife and seven children, along with the Rev. John Lothrop and the famous Quaker Anne Hutchinson.   He was pastor at Charlestown until his death in February 1670, when he was buried with honors at the town’s expense.
 

You can read more about Robert Long and his family in The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634 – 1635, Volume II, by Robert Charles Anderson, Boston: NEHGS, 2001, pages 316 – 320.  I pieced together my line with help from the vital records and Savage’s Genealogical Dictionary of New England, Volume 1.  Please see my post on my Converse lineage at this link: 
http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/02/surname-saturday-converse-of-woburn.html 

My Long genealogy:

Generation 1:  Robert Long, son of John Long and Marie Unknown, born 1590 in St. Alban’s, Hertfordshire, England, died on 6 January 1663 in Charlestown, Massachusetts;  married first on 3 October 1614 in St. Alban’s to Sarah Taylor, daughter of John Taylor and Margaret Willmot.  She died on 12 December 1631 in England.  He married second to Elizabeth Unknown about 1635.  He had ten children by his first wife born in England, and three more by his second wife, all born in Charlestown.

1.) Michael Long, b. about 1615, d. 12 January 1689 in Charlestown, m.  Joan Unknown
2.) Sarah Long, b. 13 October 1616, m. Abraham Hill
3.) Robert Long, b. about 1619, m. Elizabeth Hawkins
4.) Elizabeth Long, b. about 1621, m. James Parker
5.) Ann Long (see below)
6.) Mary Long, b. about 1627, m. Simon Kempthorne
7.) Rebecca Long, b. about 1628, m. Elias Rowe
8.) John Long, b. about 1628, m. Abigail Norton
9.) Zechariah Long, b. 1630, m. Sarah Tidd
10.) Joshua Long, b. after 1630,
11.) Hannah Long, b. 2 March 1637, m. Henry Cookery
12.) Ruth Long, b. 3 June 1639
13.) Deborah Long, b. 10 August 1642

Generation 2:  Ann  Long, born 1 June 1623 in St. Alban’s, died 10 August 1691 in Woburn, Massachusetts; married on 24 October 1643 in Woburn to James Convers as his first wife.

Generation 3: James Converse m. Hannah Carter

Generation 4: Robert Converse m. Mary Sawyer

Generation 5:  Susanna Converse m. Caleb Simonds

Generation 6:  Ruth Simonds m. Andrew Munroe

Generation 7:  Luther Simonds Munroe m. Olive Flint

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)

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

Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo