Her name was Margaret.
Or Margery. It was spelled both
ways in the records. Like so many other
women in my family tree, no one has yet uncovered her maiden name. She was born about 1609 in England, probably
in the town of Ormsby, Norfolk where she was married to Thomas Webster, my 10th
great grandfather. He died on 30 April
1634 leaving her a widow with a small son, Thomas Webster, Jr., my 9th great
grandfather, and pregnant with another son, who died within two days of his
baptism later that same year on 1 August 1634 in Ormsby. Margaret’s story starts out as a tragedy.
This is not the end of her story…
Margaret remarried about 1638 in Ormsby to William
Godfrey. He took his new wife and step
son across the Atlantic to the new colony of Massachusetts, where he was a
resident of Watertown. He and Margaret had two
children born in Watertown, before removing to Hampton, New Hampshire where his
daughter, Deborah, my 9th great grandmother was born. Yes, Margaret was the mother of two of my
ancestors in different lineages.
But, that is not the end of her story…
You see, one of Margery's children born in Watertown, Massachusetts was
Isaac Godfrey (my 9th great grand uncle). He grew up and married Hannah Marrian in
Hampton on 15 July 1670. Her parents
were John and Sarah Marrian of Hampton.
John and Sara Marrian were my 10th great grandparents through
Sarah’s sister, Elizabeth. Elizabeth married Henry Dearborn on 10
January 1666 in Hampton, my 9th great grandparents.
Why is this important?
Well, John Marrian was widowed when his wife, Sarah, died on
26 January 1670/71 in Hampton. Who did
John Marrian remarry? His daughter’s
mother-in-law- - Margery (UNKNOWN) WEBSTER GODFREY.
This makes Margery my 10th great grandmother in
three different lineages. She died on 2
May 1687 in Hampton, New Hampshire, and was probably mourned by children and grandchildren
from all three families.
It’s pretty cool that this woman doesn’t even have a known
maiden name, but I know so much about her extended family! In studying her children’s marriages, and the
families of the parents-in-law, I was able to piece together the relationship
between all three of her husbands.
Through extending my research another few generations in all directions
I was able to see how these families all knew each other.
Super grandmother!
----------------
This story was posted for Women’s History Month, and also in
response to a blog meme request by Janice Webster Brown, the author of the “Cow
Hampshire” blog. Janice has posted a
request for bloggers and writers to join her in writing about women and
ancestresses in New Hampshire history.
I think my 10th great grandmother, Margaret, fits
this request. Three times over!
Click here to link to Janice’s blog post for “Celebrating
Women’s History Month in New Hampshire”
http://www.cowhampshireblog.com/2016/02/28/celebrating-national-womens-history-month-in-2016/
My lineage from Margaret Unknown:
Generation 1: Margaret Unknown, born about 1609 probably in Ormsby, Norfolk, England, died 2 May 1687 in Hampton, New Hampshire; married first to Thomas Webster about 1630 in England (three children); married second to William Godfrey about 1638 in Ormsby (three children); married third to John Marrian as his second wife on 14 September 1671 in Hampton, New Hampshire.
Lineage A:
Generation 2: Thomas Webster, son of Margaret Unknown and Thomas Webster, born about 1632 in Ormsby, died 5 January 1715 in Hampton; married on 2 November 1657 to Sarah Brewer, daughter of Thomas Brewer and Elizabeth Graves. Nine children.
Generation 3: Sarah Webster, born 22 January 1661 in Hampton, died 6 Jan 1745 in Hampton; married on 21 June 1680 to her first cousin, William Lane, son of William Lane and Mary Brewer. He was born 1 October 1659 and died 14 February 1749 in Hampton. Seven children.
Generation 4: Samuel Lane, born 4 August 1698 in Hampton, died 9 January 1776 in Hampton Falls; married on 11 January 1722 in Hampton Falls to Elizabeth Blake, daughter of Philemon Blake and Sarah Dearborn. She was born in 1699. Seven childen.
Generation 5: Samuel Lane, born 1741 in Hampton Falls, died 15 January 1822 in Hampton Falls; married about 1760 to Hepzibah Sleeper, daughter of Moses Sleeper and Margaret Sanborn. She was born 24 March 1742 in Kingston, New Hampshire. Nine children.
Generation 6: Sarah Lane, born 24 March 1769 in Hampton Falls, died 27 February 1819 in Pittsfield, New Hampshire; married Elisha Batchelder, son of David Batchelder and Elizabeth Swett. He was born 20 June 1763 in Hampton Falls, and died 11 October 1813 in Pittsfield. Four children.
Generation 7: Jonathan Batchelder, born about 1800 in Hampton, died before 4 November 1847 at the Concord State Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire; married on 11 February 1822 in Belmont, New Hampshire to Nancy Thompson. She was born about 1804 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire and died after 1847, probably in Warner, New Hampshire. Two children.
Generation 8: George E. Batchelder, born 13 August 1822 in Chichester, died 3 April 1848 in Chichester; married on 7 September 1845 in South Boston, Massachusetts to Abigail M. Locke, daughter of Richard Locke and Margaret Welch. She was born 10 September 1825 in South Boston, and died 15 January 1888 in Chichester. Two children.
Generation 9: George E. Batchelder, Jr., born 8 October 1848 in Chichester, died 28 July 1914 in Cambridge, Massachusetts; married on 28 October 1869 in Chichester to Mary Katharine Emerson, daughter of George Emerson and Mary Esther Younger. She was born 25 December 1847 in South Boston, and died 23 April 1932 in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Nine children.
Generation 10: Carried Maude Batchelder, born 22 September 1872 in Chichester, died 21 January 1963 at the Sea View Convalescent and Nursing Home, 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, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Five children.
Generation 11: Stanley Elmer Allen, born 14 January 1904 in Cambridge, died 6 March 1982 in Beverly, Massachusetts; married on 14 February 1925 in Hamilton, Massachusetts to Gertrude Matilda Hitchings, 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 in Peabody, Massachusetts. Seven children. My grandparents.
Lineage B:
Generation 2: Deborah Godfrey, daughter of William Godfrey and Margaret Unknown, born about 1645 in Hampton, died 10 July 1699 in Hampton; married on 5 December 1667 in Hampton to John Taylor, son of Anthony Taylor and Phillipa Unknown. He died on 15 December 1712 in Hampton. Six children.
Generation 3: Sarah Taylor, born about 1668; married about 1688 to Peter Garland, son of John Garland and Elizabeth Philbrick. He was born 25 November 1659 and died 1704 in Rye, New Hampshire. Five children.
Generation 4: John Garland, born 13 April 1692 in Hampton, died about 1741; married on 12 January 1716 in Hampton to Elizabeth Dearborn, daughter of John Dearborn and Abigail Batchelder. She was born 31 August 1692 in Hampton and died 10 March 1770 in Rye. Nine children.
Generation 5: Elizabeth Garland, born 13 March 1724 in Rye, died about 1818; married about 1745 to Richard Locke, son of John Locke and Sarah Unknown. He was born 28 July 1720 in Rye, and died 15 May 1804. Eleven children.
Generation 6: Simon Locke, born September 1770 in Rye, died 31 July 1863 in Rye; married 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.
Generation 7: Richard Locke, born 1794 in Rye, died 23 March 1864 in Chichester; married 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 8: Abigail M. Locke m. George E. Batchelder (see above)
Lineage C:
Generation 1: John Marrian, born in England, died after 1681 in Hampton; married first to Sarah Unknown; married second to Margaret Unknown (see above). Five children with Sarah.
Generation 2: Elizabeth Marrian, died 6 July 1716 in Hampton; married on 10 January 1666 in Hampton to Henry Dearborn, son of Godfrey Dearborn. He was born before 22 March 1633/4 and died 18 January 1725 in Hampton. Seven children, and I descend from two of them, Sarah and John.
Lineage C1:
Generation 3: Sarah Dearborn, born 9 November 1675 in Hampton, died after 1741; married on 20 January 1697/8 in Hampton to Philemon Blake, son of Jasper Blake and Deborah Everard. He was born 23 May 1671 in Hampton and died after 1741. Eight children.
Generation 4: Elizabeth Blake m. Samuel Lane (see above)
Lineage C2:
Generation 3: John Dearborn, born 10 October 1666 in Hampton, died 22 November 1750 in Hampton; married on 4 November 1689 in Hampton to Abigail Batchelder, daughter of Nathaniel Batchelder and Deborah Smith. She was born 28 December 1667 in Hampton, and died 14 November 1736 in North Hampton. Eight children.
Generation 4: Elizabeth Dearborn m. John Garland (see above)
-------------------
Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Margaret UNKNOWN – Or, how exploring all the allied branches of the family tree told me more about my 10th Great Grandmother",
Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 7, 2016, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/margaret-unknown-or-how-exploring-all.html: accessed [access date]).
