Surname Saturday ~ DWINNELL of Topsfield, Massachusetts

DUNNELL / DWINNEL /  DWINEL / DONNELL

My 9^th great grandfather, Michael Dwinell or Dunnell, is of unknown origins.  Some think that perhaps the surname is perhaps French Huguenot, and other books say he was possibly Irish, but there is no proof either way.  He was born about 1640 and died in 1717 in Topsfield, Massachusetts.  His wife is only known as “Mary”, although Savage’s Genealogical Dictionary of New England states her name was Mary Read (no proof).   They had nine children in the Topsfield records, and his son Michael, Jr., was the first physician in Topsfield. Michael Dwinnel owned a large amount of land, including 50 acres he bought from Francis Peabody in 1672. 

My 8^th great grandfather, John Dunnell (1674 – 1742), lived in Topsfield as a “husbandman” or farmer.  He married Mary Read of Salem in 1701.  His wife was the executor of his will which was witnessed by Jeremiah Towne, Jacob Dwinnell, and Richard Towne.

His daughter, Keziah Dwinel (b. 1703), my 7^th great grandmother, married Nicholas Cree.  Their son, Richard Cree (1727 – 1769), married Ruth Johnson, whose mother was Rebecca Towne.  Rebecca’s grandfather was Edmund Towne (1628 – 1678), a brother of Rebecca (Towne) Nurse who was hanged as a witch in 1692.  Perhaps Rebecca Towne was named after her poor grandmother, the victim of the Salem hysteria?   The two Towne men mentioned above as witnesses to the will of John Dunnell in 1742 were both grandsons of Edmund Towne, too.

Some DWINNELL resources:

The True Genealogy of the Dunnell and Dwinnell Family, by Henry Gale Dunnell, 1862 (Google Books)

The Dwinnell, Dunnell Genealogy,  by Ira A. Dwinnell, 1974

The History of Topsfield, Massachusetts, by George F. Dow, 1940  (Archive.org)

The Vital Records of Topsfield, Massachusetts, 1903

My DWINNELL genealogy:

Generation 1:  Michael Dunnell, born about 1640, maybe in France, died 1717 in Topsfield, Massachusetts; married Mary Unknown about 1668.  Nine children.

Generation 2:  John Dunnell, born 16 December 1674 in Topsfield, died 28 January 1742 in Topsfield; married Mary Read on 25 February 1701 in Salem, Massachusetts.  She was born about 1682 in Salem. Six children.

Generation 3: Keziah Dwinell, born 14 December 1703 in Topsfield, married Nicholas Cree of Marblehead on 7 October 1723 in Topsfield.  Six children.

Generation 4: Richard Cree m. Ruth Johnson

Generation 5: Stephen Cree m. Hannah Smith

Generation 6:  Sarah Cree m. James Phillips

Generation 7: Hannah Phillips m. Capt. Thomas Russell Lewis

Generation 8:  Hannah Eliza Lewis m. Abijah Franklin Hitchings

Generation 9: Arthur Treadwell Hitchings m. Florence Etta Hoogerzeil

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

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ DWINNELL of Topsfield, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 3, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/02/surname-saturday-dwinnell-of-topsfield.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ CREE of Topsfield, Massachusetts

CREE / CRAY / CREIGH

My 7^th great grandfather, Nicholas Cree, is a mystery.  I don’t know his birth or death, but only that he married Keziah Dwinell of Topsfield and had six children born there.  His marriage record says he was “Of Marblehead”.   This brickwall ancestor has many researchers searching for his origins, probably in Scotland. 

Not much is known of his son, Richard Cree (1727 – 1769), my 6^th great grandfather.  I have his vital records, and his death record states he was “a middle aged man who was drownded”.    I descend from his eldest son, Stephen Cree (1760  - 1821), who married his bride, Hannah Smith, in the town of Holden, Massachusetts, many miles from Topsfield.  The interesting thing is that I was married in the town of Holden, too, about 200 years after the marriage of Stephen and Hannah Cree.  Hannah’s origins are unknown, but I found her birth record in Worcester in 1763, to her father, Joseph Smith.  Perhaps he is related to the Smith family of Topsfield? Another mystery.

My 4^th great grandmother, Sarah Cree (1792 – 1835) married first at age 16 to John W. Ham in 1808 and had one child.  Then she remarried to James Phillips in Topsfield in 1815.  They had two children and he died young in 1820.  Sarah never remarried and died young herself in 1835.   Her daughter, my 3^rd great grandmother, Hannah Phillips (about 1821 – 1851) also died young after having three children born in Salem.  

The Cree surname is considered to be Scots, a derivation of the same CREIGH or CRAY.  There are several DNA studies ongoing to find the origins of Nicholas Cree, the immigrant ancestor in New England.

Some CREE resources:

The CREE One-Name Study   http://www.cree.name/usa/topsfield.htm

The Historical Collections of the Topsfield Historical Society (some volumes available online at Archive.org, including Volumes nine and ten with the Topsfield marriage records)

The True Genealogy of the Dunnel and Dwinnell Family of New England, by Henry Gale Dunnel, 1862.

My CREE genealogy:

Generation 1:  Nicolas Cree married on 7 October 1723 in Topsfield, Massachusetts to Keziah Dwinel, daughter of John Dwinell and Mary Read.  She was born 14 December 1703 in Topsfield.  Six children born in Topsfield. 

Generation 2:  Richard Cree, born 13 August 1727 in Topsfield, died 15 April 1769 in Topsfield; married on 5 February 1756 in Topsfield to Ruth Johnson, daughter of Stephen Johnson and Rebecca Towne.  She was born 30 August 1731 in Topsfield and died 29 June 1800 in Topsfield.  Five children.

Generation 3:  Stephen Cree, was born 30 October 1760 in Topsfield, died 15 October 1821 in Topsfield; married on 27 February 1787 in Holden, Massachusetts to Hannah Smith, daughter of Joseph Smith of Worcester.  She was born 22 May 1763 in Worcester, and died 19 October 1839 in Topsfield.  Five children.

Generation 4:  Sarah Cree, born 30 September 1792 in Topsfield, died 3 May 1835 in Topsfield; married 6 August 1820 in Topsfield to James Phillips.  He was born about 1792 probably in Rowley, and died 5 April 1820 in Topsfield.  Two children.

Generation 5:  Hannah Phillips m. Thomas Russell Lewis

Generation 6:  Hannah Eliza Lewis m. Abijah Franklin Hitchings

Generation 7:  Arthur Treadwell Hitchings m. Florence Etta Hoogerzeil

Generation 8:  Gertrude Matilda Hitchings m. Stanley Elmer Allen (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ CREE of Topsfield, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 27, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/01/surname-saturday-cree-of-topsfield.html: accessed [access date]). 

Surname Saturday ~ BACON of Dedham, Newton, and Salem, Massachusetts

The grave of Tabitha (Bacon) (Glover) Jillings
at Marblehead, Massachusetts

BACON / BACCON

Michael Bacon (1569 – 1648), my 11^th great grandfather, came from Suffolk County, England with his wife, three sons, a daughter, and their families to Dedham, Massachusetts.  He was one of the original signers of the Dedham agreement in 1633.  That record says he was from Ireland. According to tradition, he returned to England and was back in Dedham by 1640. 

Michael Bacon’s will is dated 14 April 1648, and he died on 18 April.   His will mentions his sons Michael, Daniel and John, and his daughter Sarah Bancroft.  His wife Alice died on 2 April of the same year.  I descend from son Daniel Bacon (about 1620 – 1691), my 10^th great grandfather. 

Daniel Bacon was an original proprietor at Woburn, Massachusetts.  You can read his name on the list of the 32 original signers of the Woburn Orders 18 December 1640.  He removed to Bridgewater , and then later exchanged his land in Woburn (with his nephew Michael Bacon) for land in a part of Cambridge that is now the town of Newton, Massachusetts.  This deed states that he was formerly of Bridgewater, now of Cambridge.  His wife, Mary Read, was from Bridgewater.  Daniel Bacon was a tailor. His seven children are recorded in Newton.

In the next generation I descend from Daniel Bacon, Jr. (about 1641 – 1720), my 9^th great grandfather.  He was a ship carpenter and had a small shipyard in Salem, Massachusetts on a creek that was known as Knocker’s Hole.  This land is near Mill Street in Salem today.   The History of Salem, by Sidney Perley, lists many ships built by Daniel Bacon in this shipyard.   Daniel Bacon married Susanna Spencer.  In his will he left everything to his wife, with the agreement that when she passed away the property would be divided into five parts for his five children.

Next I descend from the youngest son, John Bacon, who was already deceased when his father wrote his will.  His children inherited from their grandfather.  John Bacon (1681 – 1716), 8^th great grandfather, was also a shipwright.  After his early death, his wife remarried to Joseph Willard.  I descend from John Bacon’s daughter Tabitha who married Jonathan Glover.  Tabitha and Jonathan had four sons, and all served in the Revolutionary War.   One of these sons was the famous Major General John Glover (1732 – 1797), the maritime hero of the American Revolutionary War.   I descend from their son youngest, Daniel Glover (b. 1734/5). 

Some BACON resources:

The History of Salem, by Sidney Perley (three volumes)

Bacon Genealogy: Michael Bacon of Dedham, 1640, and his descendants, by Thomas Williams Baldwin, 1915.

The Genealogical Dictionary of New England, by James Savage, Volume 1, page 90

My BACON genealogy:

Generation 1:  Michael Bacon, baptized on 6 December 1579 in Winston, Suffolk County, England, died on 18 April 1648 in Dedham, Massachusetts; married on 20 September 1607 in Winston to Alice Blower.  She was born about 1581 and died 2 April 1648 in Dedham.  Five children.

Generation 2:  Daniel Bacon, born about 1620, died 7 September 1691 in Newton, Massachusetts; married about 1640 to Mary Read, daughter of Thomas Read and Rachel Unknown.  She died on 4 October 1691 in Newton.  Eight children.

Generation 3: Daniel Bacon, born about 1641, died 1720; married on 1 August 1664 in Salem to Susannah Spencer, daughter of Michael Spencer and Isabel Unknown.  She was born about 1643 probably in Lynn, Massachusetts, and died 1719 in Salem.  Seven children.

Generation 4:  John Bacon was born 24 January 1681 in Salem, died 29 February 1716 in Salem; married on 20 January 1702 in Salem to Hannah King, daughter of Daniel King and Tabitha Walker.  She was born aobut 1681.  Six children.

Generation 5:  Tabitha Bacon, baptized on 20 July 1712 (with three of her siblings) in Salem, Massachusetts, died 7 March 1785 in Marblehead, Massachusetts; married on 23 February 1727 in Salem to Jonathan Glover, son of Jonathan Glover and Abigail Henderson.  He was born 14 December 1702 in Salem, and died August 1737 in Salem.  Four children.  Tabitha remarried to Thomas Jillings on 15 July 1756.

Generation 6:  Daniel Glover m. Hannah Jillings (step siblings)

Generation 7:  Tabitha Glover m. Thomas Homan

Generation 8:  Betsey Jillings Homan m. Jabez Treadwell

Generation 9:  Eliza Ann Treadwell m. Abijah Hitchings

Generation 10: Abijah Franklin Hitchings m. Hannah Eliza Lewis

Generation 11:  Arthur Treadwell Hitchings m. Florence Etta Hoogerzeil

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

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, “Surname Saturday ~ BACON of Dedham, Newton, and Salem, Massachusetts”, Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 23, 2017, (  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/11/surname-saturday-bacon-of-dedham-newton.html: accessed [access date]).