A Rose Among Thorns — Francis Thorndike

B. 6 Jan 1570 in (probably) Lincolnshire, England¹
M. (1) before 4 Sep 1589 in (probably) Great Waldington, Suffolk, England²
Wife: Alice Coleman
M. (2) 9 Feb 1633 in Greenfield, Lincolnshire, England²
Wife: Elizabeth _______
D. before 10 Mar 1645 in (probably) Scamblesby, Lincolnshire, England²

Just one generation before the Puritan Great Migration to New England was a man in England named Francis Thorndike, who was of enough wealth and status to register for a coat of arms.

Francis was from Great Carlton, Lincolnshire, and he was born on January 6, 1570 to Nicholas Thorndike and Margaret Sotheby.¹ This was after a period of turmoil in England with the children of Henry VIII taking turns on the throne, and now Elizabeth presided over a time of peace. Nicholas Thorndike was a yeoman, and had gentry status in his community of Aby.² He was able to put Francis into Trinity College at Cambridge in 1581.²

At Trinity College. (AI-generated image)

On November 16, 1586, Francis was admitted to Gray’s Inn, a professional association for lawyers based in London.² In order to practice law in England, a man had to be a member of Gray’s Inn or one the three other “Inns.”³ Gray’s Inn was fairly prestigious in Francis’ day, with Francis Bacon as one of its members.³ Its hall was said to have introduced one of Shakespeare’s first plays, A Comedy of Errors.³

Another indicator of the family’s wealth was Francis’ father’s will.² As a second son, strict protocol dictated that his older brother would inherit the all of the land. But Francis was bequeathed by his father “my best silver cup, my best silver goblet, three of my best silver spoons, three of my second silver spoons, and in money forty pounds.”² These were not the possessions of peasants.

Francis married got married in the late 1580s, sometime before the baptism of his oldest son on September 4, 1589.² His wife was Alice Coleman, and they were known to have four sons born between 1589 and 1611. One son went on to become a noted theologian and prebendary at Westminster Abbey,² and another son was a Puritan who settled in Massachusetts.² Alice passed away at the end of 1622, and Francis didn’t take another wife until February 9, 1633, when he married a widow, Elizabeth Prigion.

When Francis was in his old age, he and his brother Herbert “signed the pedigree for the first visitation of Heralds recorded in the family in the year 1634.”⁴ The visitation was a process of authenticating a coat of arms. This English ritual began during the reign of Henry VIII in order to verify claims of nobility or gentry class status. The Thorndike coat of arms was a design that included a rose at the top and a shield with six thorns in a triangle. The family motto was, Rosae inter spinas nascumtur. Translation: A rose among thorns.⁵

Thorndike coat of arms.

Francis died in 1645, and was buried on March 10th at the village of Scamblesby in Lincolnshire.² Because of his son John’s migration to America, Francis is the ancestor of John Kerry and John Lithgow.⁶

Children:
1. Francis Thorndike — B. before 4 Sep 1589, (probably) Great Waldington, Suffolk, England;² D. (probably) Nov 1656, (probably) Lincolnshire, England;² M. (1) Margaret Copinger (1592-1629), before 25 Mar 1620, (probably) Lincolnshire, England;² (2) Anne²

2. Herbert Thorndike — B. about 1598, (probably) Lincolnshire, England;⁷ D. 11 Jul 1672, Chiswick, Middlesex, England²

3. Paul Thorndike — D. before 12 Dec 1639, (probably) Lincolnshire, England;² M. Elizabeth Brooke²

4. John Thorndike — B. before 23 Feb 1611, Great Carlton, Lincolnshire, England;⁸ D. Nov 1668, London, England;² M. Elizabeth Stratton (~1614-1668), before 25 Dec 1637, Salem Massachusetts²

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Francis Thorndike
2    “The Thorndikes of Aby in Greenfield, Lincolnshire and Essex County, Massachusetts,” Scott C. Steward, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, V. 154, Oct 2000
3    Gray’s Inn (Wikipedia article)
4    The Founders of Massachusetts Bay Colony, Sarah Sprague Saunders Smith, 1897, p. 165
5    House of Names (website)
6    FamousKin.com listing of Francis Thorndike
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Herbert Thorndike
8    Find-a-Grave listing of John Thorndike

Uncertain Status as Fille du Roi — Andrée Remondière

B. about 1651 in La Rochelle, France¹
M. after 31 Oct 1666 in Île d’Orleans, New France²
Husband: Thomas Rondeau
D. 21 Nov 1702 in St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³

During the 1660s, when French women were recruited to become the brides of settlers in Canada, they usually said goodbye to their families forever. But Andrée Remondière arrived in different circumstances — her mother either accompanied her or was already there.

Andrée came from a part of France which supplied many of the Fille du Roi: the port city of La Rochelle. Her parents were Jacques Remondière and Renée Rivière, who were likely married around 1650 in the parish of Notre-Dame-de-Cogne.⁴ Andrée is believed to have been born in about 1651,¹ but may have been an only child because no other offspring are attached to her parents. Her father died sometime before 1666,⁴ presenting two scenarios for her childhood — one is in a two-parent household until she was an adolescent, and the other with her widowed mother struggling alone to raise her child from infancy. No records exist that can determine the circumstances of how Andrée grew up.

The lives of Andrée and Renée changed dramatically when a decision was made to move to Canada. This happened in about 1666, and the details are unfortunately lacking, but we can speculate that the mother as well as the daughter needed to find husbands, and somehow it made sense that both of them migrate. While Renée seems to have married a man she connected with on her own, Andrée is believed to have been part of the Fille du Roi program which gave small dowries in return for being courted by the men who desired wives in New France. There is no actual confirmation that mother and daughter traveled together, nor that either of them were Filles du Roi.

The record of Andrée’s marriage survives in the form of a contract with her new husband, Thomas Rondeau. Because of the date of the contract, October 31, 1666,² it’s possible that Andrée and her mother were on that year’s ship of prospective brides. Renée is noted on the document as the wife of Mathurin Croiset, who served as stepfather to Andrée; both couples would settle on Île d’Orleans, although there are no marriage records for either one. 

Signing a marriage contract. (AI-generated image)

In spite of seeming to be an only child herself, Andrée gave birth to 15 children. The oldest was born in 1668,⁵ and the youngest in 1694.⁶ It was common for New France mothers to have such a big family because the authorities offered money to families with 10 living children. The pregnancies may have taken a toll, though, because Andrée didn’t live to a ripe old age; she passed away on November 21, 1702 at the age of about 51.³ Her husband Thomas never remarried and died in 1721.⁷ They were both ancestors of Bridget Fonda and Emeril Lagasse.⁸

Children:
1. Mathurin Rondeau — B. 7 Feb 1668, (probably) Île d’Orleans, New France;⁵ D. before 1681, New France⁹

2. Thomas Rondeau — B. 22 Dec 1668, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁰ D. 13 Nov 1671, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France¹¹

3. Elisabeth-Isabelle Rondeau — B. 19 Oct 1670, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹² D. 8 Nov 1746, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹³ M. Pierre Leclerc (1659-1736), 7 Feb 1690, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France¹⁴

4. Marie Rondeau — B. 16 Dec 1672, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁵ D. 30 May 1751, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁶ M. Philippe Nöel (1670-1736), 5 Nov 1692, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France¹⁷

5. Françoise Rondeau — B. 25 Aug 1674, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁸ D. 12 Oct 1699, St-Jean, Île d’Orleans, New France;¹⁹ M. Charles Dumas (1671-1734), 12 Aug 1694, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France²⁰

6. Ursule Rondeau — B. 5 Aug 1676, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;²¹ D. 17 Jan 1746, Quebec City, New France;²² M. Jean Bussiere (1673-1735), 21 Apr 1694, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France²³

7. François Rondeau — B. 7 Apr 1678, Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France;²⁴ D. 27 Oct 1748, St-Antoine-de-Tilly, New France;²⁵ M. (1) Marie-Anne Decaux (1678-1723), 21 Jul 1705, St-Laurent, Île d’Orleans, New France;²⁶ (2) Marie-Madeleine Denevers (1686-1725), 1724, Ste-Croix, New France;²⁷ (3) Marie-Anne Denevers (~1704-1729), 7 Jan 1728, Ste-Croix, New France²⁸

8. Marie-Madeleine Rondeau — B. 28 Dec 1679, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;²⁹ D. 9 Sep 1712, St-Nicolas, New France;³⁰ M. Jacques Côte (1686-1734), 8 Feb 1706, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³¹

9. Fabien Rondeau — B. 23 Oct 1681, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;³² D. 14 May 1712, Quebec City, New France;³³ M. Marie Denevers (~1684-1712), about 1705, New France³⁴

10. Baby Rondeau — B. 28 Oct 1683, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;³⁵ D. 28 Oct 1683, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³⁵

11. Marie-Charlotte Rondeau — B. 25 Dec 1684, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;³⁶ M. Pierre Côte (1679-1715), 27 Apr 1707, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³⁷

12. Jean-Baptiste Rondeau — B. 24 Mar 1688, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;³⁸ D. 23 Jan 1709, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France³⁹

13. Claire Rondeau — B. 12 Jul 1690, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;⁴⁰ D. 18 Jul 1690, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France⁴¹

14. Thomas Rondeau — B. 18 Nov 1692, St-Pierre, Île d’Orleans, New France;⁴² D. 26 Mar 1734, St-Antoine-de-Tilly, New France;⁴³ M. Marie-Catherine Bourgouin (1700-?), 25 Oct 1717, St-Antoine-de-Tilly, New France⁴⁴

15. Anne Rondeau — B. 4 Nov 1694, Saint-Pierre, Île d’Orlèans, New France;⁶ M. (1) Julien Rapoché (1707-1731), 19 Aug 1725, Quebec City, New France;⁴⁵ (2) Philippe Desmarais (1702-?), 21 Nov 1735, Quebec City, New France⁴⁶

Sources:
1    Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française listing of Andrée Remondière
2    Marriage contract of Thomas Rondeau and Andrée Remondière
3    Burial record of Andrée Remondière, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
4    Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française listing of Jacques Remondière
5    Baptismal record of Mathurin Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
6    Baptismal record of Anne Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
7    Burial record of Thomas Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
8    FamousKin.com listing of Thomas Rondeau
9    Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
10  Baptismal record of Thomas Rondeau (older child), Q.C.P.R.
11  Burial record of Thomas Rondeau (older child), Q.C.P.R.
12  Baptismal record of Elisabeth-Isabelle Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
13  Burial record of Elisabeth-Isabelle Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
14  Marriage record of Pierre Leclerc and Elisabeth-Isabelle Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
15  Baptismal record of Marie Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
16  Burial record of Marie Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
17  Marriage record of Philippe Noël and Marie Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
18  Baptismal record of Françoise Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
19  Burial record of Françoise Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
20  Marriage record of Charles Dumas and Françoise Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
21  Baptismal record of Ursule Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
22  Burial record of Ursule Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
23  Marriage record of Jean Bussiere and Ursule Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
24  Baptismal record of François Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
25  Burial record of François Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
26  Marriage record of Françoise Rondeau and Marie-Anne Decaux, Q.C.P.R.
27  Marriage record of Françoise Rondeau and Marie-Madeleine Denevers, Q.C.P.R.
28  Marriage record of Françoise Rondeau and Marie-Anne Denevers, Q.C.P.R.
29  Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
30  Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
31  Marriage record of Jacques Côte and Marie-Madeleine Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
32  Baptismal record of Fabien Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
33  Burial record of Fabien Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
34  Marriage record of Fabien Rondeau and Marie Denevers, Q.C.P.R.
35  Burial record of Baby Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
36  Baptismal record of Marie-Charlotte Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
37  Marriage record of Pierre Côte and Marie-Charlotte Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
38  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
39  Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
40  Baptismal record of Claire Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
41  Burial record of Claire Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
42  Baptismal record of Thomas Rondeau (younger child), Q.C.P.R.
43  Burial record of Thomas Rondeau (younger child), Q.C.P.R.
44  Marriage record of Thomas Rondeau and Marie-Catherine Bourgouin, Q.C.P.R.
45  Marriage record of Julien Rapoché and Anne Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.
46  Marriage record of Philippe Desmarais and Anne Rondeau, Q.C.P.R.

The Path to East Hampton — Stephen Hand

B. about 1635 in (probably) Tunbridge, Kent, England¹
M. (1) 1660 in (probably) Long Island²
Wife: Sarah Stratton
M. (2) before 17 May 1688 in East Hampton, New York¹
Wife: Rebecca ________
D. 15 Apr 1693 in South Hampton, New York¹

Stephen Hand left his legacy all over the region where he lived on Long Island with a road that bears his name in a somewhat unique style.

Stephen’s family was from Kent, England, where he was likely born in about 1635.¹ This isn’t certain because that is also the year his parents John Hand and Alice Gransden migrated to New England,³ and some researchers believe he was born after his parents left. Whatever the case, Stephen earliest memories were in the town of Lynn, Massachusetts, the second child in a family of at least nine children.

Lynn is located on the coast of New England north of Boston, and many men, including Stephen’s father, were involved in the whaling industry. This was what brought the family to settle on eastern Long Island in about 1644 in a new settlement called Southampton. In about 1660, Stephen married Sarah Stratton,² the daughter of John Stratton, who was one of the founders of East Hampton. Eventually they settled at a place at the head of a creek which would be called “Hand’s Creek,” in the present-day community of Wainscott.⁴ Sarah passed away before 1684,³ and Stephen remarried to a woman named Rebecca.¹ Stephen had at least eight children, but it’s uncertain if they were from different wives. 

Settling at a creek in East Hampton. (AI-generated image)

As a Puritan settlement, East Hampton men were expected to perform civic duties, and Stephen served as town constable in 1674 and again in 1680.⁴ He was one of a handful of men assigned to choose who would represent them in the first Colonial Assembly in 1683 in Albany.⁴ And his name is listed on the official patent for East Hampton issued in 1686.⁴

Stephen’s claim to fame comes from a document dated November 3, 1668 establishing the location of a new road.³ When English colonial settlements were formed up and down the East Coast, they usually started out as patchworks of farms, with no plan for how people traveled between places. So roads were an afterthought, and some landowners were asked to sacrifice a bit of their property for the good of all. The order regarding Stephen’s land was as follows:

“Stephen Hand hath grant that the town shall have a highway for one cart to go through his lot in the woods lying on the west side of George Miller’s lot by the mill plain. The highway is to be 12 feet in breadth and the length of the lot, and it is only to drive carts and oxen in the yoke, and to ride or lead a horse through, and not to drive cattle out of the yoke. And for that highway the town doth grant that Stephen Hand shall have one acre of land, which acre it was said lay by John Osborne’s land at the end of Thomas Osborne Sr.’s addition which Stephen should have.” ³

As a result, Stephen gained immortality, at least for future residents of Long Island. The road was designated “Stephen Hand’s Path,” and the name remains to this day.



Stephen passed away on April 15, 1693 at South Hampton.¹ He is the direct ancestor of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt and all of his illustrious descendants.³

Children of Sarah Stratton:
1. Stephen Hand — B. about 1661, (probably) East Hampton, Long Island;⁵ D. 13 Nov 1740, Wainscott, New York;⁵ M. Esther Osborn (1666-1738), about 1686⁵

2. Joseph Hand — B. about 1664, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁶ D. 26 Jan 1713, New Jersey⁶

Children of an unidentified mother:
1. (probably) Sarah Hand — B. about 1666, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ D. 1735; M. Thomas Howell⁷

2. (probably) Alice Hand — B. about 1670, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ M. William Shipman, 1690⁷

3. Samuel Hand — B. about 1672, (probably) East Hampton, New York; D. 1735, (probably) East Hampton, New York; M. Elizabeth ______

4. (probably) Esther Hand — B. about 1674, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ M. Samuel Mulford⁷

5. (probably) Abigail Hand — B. about 1676, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ M. Jacob Griswold (1675-?), 30 Nov 1696⁷

6. (probably) Elizabeth Hand — B. about 1678, (probably) East Hampton, New York;⁷ D. 1711; M. Daniel Osborn⁷

Sources:

1    Find-a-Grave listing of Stephen Hand
2    Marriage record of Stephen Hand and Sarah Stratton, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, Ancestry.com
3    Genealogy of the Hand-Bradley-Churchill and Related Families, B.G. Richmond, 1982
4    Longhouse Reserve (website)
5    Find-a-Grave listing of Stephen Hand (younger)
6    “Records of Marriages, Baptisms, and Deaths in Easthampton, L.I., from 1696 to 1746,” recorded by Rev. Nathaniel Hunting, New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, V. 34, p. 143
7    Hand, Sisson and Scott: More Yeoman Ancestors, Carol Clark Johnson, 1981

Six Children On a 17th-Century Ship — Annis Austin

B. before 1 Feb 1597 in (probably) Titchfield, England¹
M. 16 Oct 1614 in Titchfield, England²
Husband: Edmund Littlefield
D. before 7 Mar 1678 in Wells, Maine³

Among the thousands who migrated to Puritan Massachusetts was Annis Austin, who made her 1638 journey along with six children. Usually a woman would be traveling with a husband, but hers had already moved there, and he was awaiting her arrival.

Annis (also spelled Agnes) was one of seven children born to Richard and Annis Austin. She was baptized on February 1, 1597 in Titchfield, England, a village in Hampshire.¹ While just a teen, Annis married Edmund Littlefield on October 16, 1614.² Edmund made a living as a cloth-maker, which was the main industry in Titchfield. They had at least ten children, born between about 1616 and 1635; only the first child is known to have died young.⁴

By 1636, Puritan beliefs led the Littlefields to abandon England for the colonies in America. For some reason, Edmond left first, taking their two oldest sons with him. He must have gotten word to Annis to join him because in the spring of 1638, she boarded the ship Bevis with children ages 3 to 13.⁵ Traveling with her were two men referred to as “servants”: John Knight, a carpenter, and Hugh Durdal. Also on the Bevis was Annis’ brother Richard, who was traveling with his wife and children. He settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and among his descendants was Stephen Austin, famous in Texas history, and the man that the city of Austin is named after. 

On the ship to America. (AI-generated image)

Even with Annis’ brother and servants present on the ship, the crossing must have been challenging. The Bevis was a “merchant sailing ship,”⁶ and therefore not really designed for passengers. With six children in tight quarters likely feeling the effects of sea-sickness, Annis had to tend to them and make sure they stayed out of trouble. It must have been a relief to reach the dock in Boston.

Annis and Edmond didn’t remain in Massachusetts. The Littlefields became followers of Reverend John Wheelwright,⁷ an influential preacher who had been on the same ship as Edmund. When Wheelwright clashed with the authorities in Boston, he was forced to leave, and a group of 175 people went with him.⁸ This set the course for the rest of Annis’ life, as she made a home first in Exeter, New Hampshire,⁹ then in the town of Wells, Maine.⁹

Edmund passed away in 1661,¹⁰ and during her widowhood, Annis was taken care of by her son Thomas.³ She wrote a will on December 12, 1677,³ and an inventory of her estate was made on March 7 1678, so she died between those two dates. Annis had many descendants, including President Millard Fillmore and Elon Musk.¹¹

Children:
1. Anne Littlefield — B. before 11 Feb 1616, Titchfield, England;⁴ D. Jan 1617, Titchfield, England⁴

2. Edward Littlefield — B. before 17 February 1718, Titchfield, England;¹² D. Jun 1635, Titchfield, England¹²

3. Francis Littlefield — B. before 17 Jun 1619, Titchfield, England;¹³ D. before Nov 1712, Wells, Maine;¹⁴ M. (1) Jane Hill (1620-1646), about 1646, Massachusetts;¹³ (2) Rebecca Rust (1630-1685), 14 Dec 1646, Wells, Maine;¹⁴ (3) Mary Wade (1633-1713), before 1689, (probably) Massachusetts¹³

4. Anthony Littlefield — B. 7 Oct 1621, Titchfield, England;¹⁵ D. 11 Dec 1661, York County, Maine;¹⁵ M. Mary Page (1635-1663), about 1652, (probably) Maine¹⁵

5. John Littlefield — B. before 1 Nov 1624, Titchfield, England;¹⁶ D. 9 Feb 1697, Wells, Maine;¹⁶ M. Patience Wakefield (~1635-~1702), about 1655, Gloucester, Massachusetts¹⁶

6. Elizabeth Littlefield — B. before 22 Jul 1627, Titchfield, England;¹⁷ M. John Wakefield (1616-1674)¹⁷

7. Mary Littlefield — B. about 1630, (probably) Titchfield, England;¹⁸ M. (1) John Barrett;¹⁸ (2) Thomas Page¹⁸

8. Thomas Littlefield — B. before 10 Aug 1633, Titchfield, England;¹⁹ D. before Mar 1690, Berwick, Maine;¹⁹ M. (1) Ruth ______, before Jan 1664;¹⁹ (2) Sarah ______, after 1674¹⁹

9. Hannah or Anne Littlefield — B. before 10 Aug 1633, Titchfield, England;²⁰ D. about 1680, (probably) Salem, Massachusetts;²⁰ M. Peter Cloyes (1639-1708), 1663, Wells, Maine²⁰

10. Francis Littlefield — B. before 24 Mar 1635, Titchfield, England;²¹ D. 6 Feb 1674, Wells, Maine;²¹ M. Meribah Wardwell (1637-?), 1652, Wells, Maine²¹

Sources:

1    Christening record of Annis Austen, England & Wales, Christening Index, 1530-1980, Ancestry.com
2    Marriage record of Edmund Littlefield and Annis Austin, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, Ancestry.com
3    Probate of Annis Littlefield estate, Maine Wills: 1640-1760, compiled by William M. Sargent, 1887, p. 76
4    Find-a-Grave listing of Anne Littlefield
5    Annis Littlefield listing, U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, Ancestry.com
6    Bevis (ship) (Wikipedia article)
7    Great Migration Newsletter, V. 8, p. 4
8    Exeter, New Hampshire: 1888-1988, Nancy Carnegie Merrill, 1988
9    WikiTree listing of Edmund Littlefield
10  Find-a-Grave listing of Edmund Littlefield
11  FamousKin.com listing for Edmund Littlefield
12  Find-a-Grave listing of Edward Littlefield
13  Find-a-Grave listing of Francis “The Elder” Littlefield
14  WikiTree listing of Francis Littlefield the elder
15  Find-a-Grave listing of Anthony Littlefield
16  Find-a-Grave listing of John Littlefield
17  WikiTree listing of Elizabeth Littlefield
18  WikiTree listing of Mary Littlefield
19  WikiTree listing of Thomas Littlefield
20  WikiTree listing of Anne (Littlefield) Cloyes
21  WikiTree listing of Francis Littlefield Jr.

Aboard the Hopewell to a New Life — William Lane

B. about 1581 in (probably) Beaminster, England¹
M. before 1606 in (probably) Beaminster, England¹
Wife: Agnes _______
D. before 5 Jul 1654 in Dorchester, Massachusetts¹

On a day in May of 1635, 18 brave families boarded a ship bound for America, and William Lane was among them. They were Puritans, said to be seeking a religious haven, and all were from South West England. William didn’t stand out among the group — he wasn’t a leader or minister, and he left no significant legacy. He simply represented the many who came to populate New England.

We don’t know when William was born, but calculating the average age of men when they got married, his birth year was about 1581.¹ He first turned up in records on June 18, 1606 as the father of a child at a christening, so it’s likely he married in about 1604 or 1605.¹ His wife was only known by the first name of Agnes,¹ and the christenings took place in Beaminster,¹ a village in the western part of Dorset. It isn’t known how long he lived there because only his first three children show up in town records. The birth of his fourth child in about 1613 likely took place somewhere else, and reportedly, a sixth child was born in the village of Cruwys Morchard in 1620.² All totaled, there were seven children born to William and Agnes.

William lived at a time when those who believed in Puritanism were leaving England in large numbers. The Great Migration brought families to the newly settled Massachusetts colony, and on May 8, 1635, William and Agnes along with their son Andrew boarded the ship Hopewell sailing out of Weymouth.¹ Two other children, George and Sarah, sailed on another ship that left in March,¹ and oldest daughter Annis was already married so she came over with her husband.¹ Youngest daughters Mary and Elizabeth were likely on the Hopewell, but not named on the passenger list. 

Arriving on the Hopewell. (AI-generated image)

The Lane family settled in Dorchester,¹ which was already populated by other settlers from South West England. Within in a year, many of them formed a group who went off to settle along the Connecticut River, but William didn’t join them, perhaps because he was already past 55 years of age. Instead he acquired land in the Dorchester area; one tract was of 3 acres located “in the neck,” a grant he received on January 2, 1638.¹

Little else is mentioned in records about William. His wife Agnes likely died during the 1640s, and in his old age, William took in his daughter Mary, whose husband Joseph Long had returned to England and died there.³ When William wrote his will in 1651, he saw to it that Mary would receive 24 acres of land, and be allowed to stay in his house as long as she needed.¹

William passed away in Dorchester some time before July 5, 1654 when the inventory was taken for his estate.¹ It was valued at £82 10 s 8-1/2 d, not including his real estate. William was the ancestor of Pete Seeger and actress Amanda Bearse.⁴

Children:
1. Annis Lane — B. before 18 Jun 1606, (probably) Beaminster, England;¹ D. 14 Feb 1683, Hingham, Massachusetts;⁵ M. Thomas Lincoln (~1600-1691), about 1630, (probably) Beaminster, England¹

2. William Lane — B. before 28 Aug 1608, (probably) Beaminster, England;¹ (probably) died young¹

3. Andrew Lane — B. before 9 May 1610, (probably) Beaminster, England;¹ D. 1 May 1675, Hingham, Massachusetts;⁵ M. Tryphena _______ (1612-1707)¹

4. George Lane — B. about 1613, England;¹ D. 11 Jun 1689, Hingham, Massachusetts;⁷ M. Sarah Harris (?-1695), before 1638¹

5. Sarah Lane — B. about 1617, England;¹ D. 19 Aug 1695, Hull, Massachusetts;⁸ M. Nathaniel Baker (?-1686), before 1639¹

6. Mary Lane — B. 22 Oct 1620, Cruwys Morchard, England;⁹ D. before 7 Sep 1671, (probably) Middletown, Connecticut;⁹ M. (1) Joseph Long (~1600-~1651), before 1636, Dorchester, Massachusetts;¹ (2) Joseph Farnsworth (?-1659), after May 1651, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁹ (3) John Wilcox (~1620-1676), 20 Apr 1660, Dorchester, Massachusetts⁹

7. Elizabeth Lane — B. about 1627, England;¹ D. 23 May 1655, Boston, Massachusetts;¹⁰ M. Thomas Rider, about 1647¹

Sources:
1    The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
2    WikiTree listing of Mary Lane
3    Massachusetts Archives, Book 9, p. 16
4    FamousKin.com listing of William Lane
5    Find-a-Grave listing og Avis (Lane) Lincoln
6    Find-a-Grave listing of Andrew Lane
7    Find-a-Grave listing of George Lane
8    Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah Baker
9    WikiTree listing of Mary Lane
10  Find-a-Grave listing of Elizabeth (Lane) Rider

Scots-Irish Man in Early Indiana — Robert Hunter

B. about 1780, Downpatrick, County Down, Ireland¹
M. before 1803, location unknown²
Wife: Naomi _______
D. after 1850, (probably) Knox County, Indiana³

Robert Hunter represents the non-French Europeans who began populating the Midwest at the turn of the 19th century. Many of these people were of the Mid-Atlantic English colonies who had just won their independence, but Robert came from Ireland with a heritage that traced back to Scotland.

Robert was born in about 1780 in the town of Downpatrick,¹ which is in present-day Northern Ireland. Nothing is known of his family or childhood. This leaves the curious question, when and why did he come to America? If he came as a boy with his parents, that would have been during the American Revolution, which seems doubtful. More likely was that he traveled on his own as a young adult. He probably landed at a place like Philadelphia in about 1800, and soon after, headed west. 

Map showing Downpatrick, Ireland.

Robert wound up in Vincennes, a former French trading post in what is now Indiana.⁴ Through later records, we know that he married a woman named Naomi.³ She was of an English heritage, and had been born in Delaware,^3,5 but without a maiden name, her family has been impossible to track. Between about 1803 and about 1832, they had up to a dozen children.⁶

The village of Vincennes during Robert’s day was a lively place, with all of the characteristics of the American frontier. His neighbors were a mix of families from places like Kentucky and Virginia, and those descended from the French fur traders who came a generation earlier. Robert’s home was likely a log cabin, but also may have been a simple wooden structure; records show that he lived at the corner of 4th and Dubois.⁷

Robert’s name turned up on several court records during this time, starting in June 1806 when he served on a jury.⁴ The record described the 12 jurors as “good and lawful men, who [were] elected tried and sworn.” The trial doesn’t seem to have gone forward, though.

In July 1813, he and his wife were somehow involved with unlawful actions concerning a woman named Fanny Dixon.⁸ The woman was assaulted by a man named Wrexham Ellis, and Naomi seems to have been an important witness. Then in a court case tried in February and March of 1815, Robert brought charges against the same woman for stealing a coffee pot and a tin pan in July 1813.⁹ The suggestion is that both incidents are related and may have happened at the same time. The coffee pot and tin pan were valued at 50¢ each. The court record said that Fanny Dixon took the items “with force and arms,” but this may have been boilerplate language. 

Court document about 1815 case.

In another colorful case that October, Robert was summoned to court along with three other men as witnesses to a “riot.”¹⁰ The details of this case are sketchy, so it’s hard to really make sense of it. In yet another case in 1816, Robert was named as owing some money along with three other men.¹¹ One significant detail was that a transcript of part of the record indicated that his signature is on the document, meaning he was literate.

Since Robert was an immigrant, at some point it seemed important to him to become an American citizen. So on March 1, 1830, he foreswore allegiance to Ireland and became naturalized.¹ Sometime during the 1820s, Robert moved out of Vincennes to a new area of farms in Knox County called Harrison Township. The 1830 census listed him there,¹² and he was listed again in 1840 and 1850.^13,3 The Hunters were members of the Indiana Church, a Presbyterian church in Knox County. Robert was admitted to the church for the first time in a meeting on July 4, 1824, and Naomi was admitted a couple weeks later.¹⁴

Robert’s personality is revealed by an incident involving the church when he was brought in to “converse with” elders about charges against him.¹⁴ The record told that that in August 1830 he had shown up drunk at a church election, and in June 1831, he had struck another parishioner, and also had encouraged “fighting and swearing.” The elders ended up ruling that Robert be suspended from church membership until “he brings forth fruitment for repentance.” It wasn’t until June 29, 1834 that he was restored to his full standing in the church. 

Standing before the elders. (AI-generated image)

After his suspension from the church was lifted, Robert seems to have behaved himself because there were no further records of misconduct. The last known record of Robert and his wife Naomi was their appearance in 1850 U.S. Census.³ They were both missing in the 1860 census, so presumably they passed away before that date.

Children (the ones who are named in records):
1. Isabelle Hunter — B. about 1803, Indiana;¹⁵ D. 8 Jan 1872, Vincennes, Indiana;¹⁶ M. John Baptiste Edeline (1802-1849), 11 Jun 1826, Vincennes, Indiana¹⁷

2. James Hunter — B. about 1805, Indiana;¹³ D. 12 Sep 1848, Knox County, Indiana;¹⁸ M. Parmelia Westfall (1808-1870), 10 Jul 1831, Knox County, Indiana¹⁹

3. (possibly) Elizabeth Hunter — B. between 1805 and 1810, Indiana;²⁰ M. Ephraim Jordon (~1809-?), 6 Mar 1834, Knox County, Indiana²¹

4. (possibly) Jane Hunter — B. about 1810, (probably) Knox County, Indiana;²⁰ M. William Jordon, 5 Nov 1828, Knox County, Indiana²²

5. Robert Hunter — B. about 1822, Indiana;³ M. (1) Martha Thacker, 1 Oct 1846, Knox County, Indiana;²³ (2) Zerena Lafter (~1827-?), 21 Jun 1849, Knox County, Indiana²⁴

6. Naomi Hunter — B. about 1832, (probably) Knox County, Indiana;³ D. after 1880;²⁵ M. John Kensler (1825-1899), 7 Oct 1851, Knox County, Indiana²⁶

Sources:

1    Naturalization record of Robert Hunter, 1 Mar 1830, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage date is based on age of oldest known child, Isabelle
3    1850 U.S. Census, Knox County, Indiana
4    Knox County Minutes of the Court of Common Pleas, 1801-1806, FamilySearch.org
5    “My Ancestry & their descendants plus misc research,” Denis Paul Edeline, RootsWeb.Ancestry.com
6    The names of Robert and Naomi Hunter’s children are gathered from various sources. Their relation to Robert and Naomi is implied in some cases because they were the only family named Hunter living in Knox County, Indiana at the time. Based on early census records, the number of children may have been as high as 12.
7    Miscellaneous papers found in the vault of the clerk, City Hall, Vincennes, 1784-1815, FamilySearch.org
8    Assault and battery case of Wrexham Ellis, Indiana Memory (website)
9    United States vs. Fanny Dixon, Indiana Memory (website)
10  United States vs. James Lansdown, Indiana Memory (website)
11  Recapitulation of debt and damages case, Indiana Memory (website)
12  1830 U.S. Census, Knox County, Indiana
13  1840 U.S. Census, Knox County, Indiana
14  Minutes of the Session of the Upper Indiana Church, compiled by Mary Aline Polk, Helen Polk and Mary R. Hribal, 1965
15  1870 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
16  Marriage record of Isabella Hunter, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1806-1861, Ancestry.com
17  Find-a-Grave listing for Isabella (Hunter) Edeline
18  James Hunter’s death date was mentioned on several Ancestry family trees. His wife was living without a husband in the 1850 U.S. Census.
19  Marriage record of James Hunter and Parmelia Westfall, Indiana, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1802-1892, Ancestry.com
20  1820 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
21  Marriage record of Ephraim Jordon and Elizabeth Hunter, I., U.S., M. I.
22  Marriage record of William Jordan and Jane Hunter, I., U.S., C. M.
23  Marriage record of Robert Hunter and Martha Thacker, I., U.S., M. I.
24  Marriage record of Robert Hunter and Zerena Lafter, I., U.S., M. I.
25  1880 U.S. Census, Vincennes, Indiana
26  Marriage record of John Kensler and Naoma Hunter, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, Ancestry.com

Surviving Poverty in 1800s England — Hester Keen

B. about 1790 in Tickenham, Somerset, England¹
M. (1) 2 Jan 1811 in Bristol, England²
Husband: Thomas Hughes
M. (2) 12 Nov 1836 in Bristol, England³
Husband: Jonathan Horler
D. Jul 1868 in Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England⁴

Hester Keen was caught in an endless cycle of poverty, a fact made worse when she was widowed twice. But she seems to have stayed out of the workhouse, a death sentence for many in her circumstances.

Little is known about Hester’s beginnings — her parents and family are unknown. She was born in about 1790 in the village of Tickenham, Somerset, England.¹ On January 2, 1811, she married Thomas Hughes of Almondsbury, Gloucestershire.² Hester gave birth to eight children between 1813 and 1831, with two known to have died young.

During the first couple decades of the 19th century, the Hughes family appeared several times in the Almondsbury vestry order books, a record of church handouts to the poor. In November 1814, Hester’s husband received 3 1/2 yards of cloth,⁵ which presumably was used by Hester to make clothing (at that time, there were no children in her household). A couple of years later, the family got a small amount of money to build a house,⁵ something that was likely little more than a shack given their consistent poverty. 

Vestry book listing that shows donation of cloth to the Hughes family.

In the years of Hester’s early adulthood, the economic situation of lower class English people got much worse. With the end of the Napoleonic wars, many disabled veterans overwhelmed the system of charity, and so in 1834, a law was passed in England saying that in order to receive assistance, you had to live in a workhouse. The English workhouse was a dormitory-style facility that separated men and women, and required them to do menial labor in return for food. It also meant living in disease-ridden conditions with little ability to get out.

Hester’s husband Thomas passed away on June 15, 1835,⁶ and she remarried to a man named Jonathan Horler on November 12, 1836.³ Little is known about Jonathan, but with Hester in her mid-40s, they had no children together. He seems to have died by the 1841 census, which showed Hester as being a widow with two daughters.⁷ Her occupation was listed as “charwoman” — a designation which meant she cleaned houses for other people. As a poor, uneducated woman, she likely had few other options to survive. 

Cleaning houses in Almondsbury. (AI-generated image)

The whereabouts of Hester in the 1851 census are unknown, but she was listed in 1861 living with a family who was unrelated to her, described as a border and a “pauper.”¹ Perhaps the family was someone she had worked for who kept her in their household out of generosity when she became too old (this is my own speculation).

Hester was in her late 70s when she died in July 1868.⁴ She was buried in the graveyard of St. Mary’s Parish Church in Almondsbury.

Children (all by Thomas Hughes):
1. George Hughes — B. before 31 Oct 1813, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;⁸ D. 6 Feb 1814, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England⁹

2. George Hughes — B. before 11 Apr 1815, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;¹⁰ D. after 1891, (probably) England;¹¹ M. (1) Mary, before 1861;¹ (2) Elizabeth, before 1881¹²

3. James Hughes — B. before 10 Aug 1817, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;¹³ D. before 4 Jan 1829, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England¹⁴

4. Charles Hughes — B. about 1819, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;¹⁵ D. before 1864;¹⁶ M. Maria Bevan (1820-1888), 15 Jun 1842, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island¹⁷

5. Thomas Hughes — B. about 1823, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;¹⁵ D. after 1861;¹ M. Mary Ann Wither (~1823-?), 7 Sep 1845, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England¹⁸

6. Rachel Hughes — B. before 31 Dec 1826, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England¹⁵

7. James Hughes — B. before 4 Jan 1829, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;¹⁴ D. before 1841, (probably) Almondsbury, England¹

8. Selina Hughes — B. before 31 Jan 1831, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, England;¹⁹ M. William Cardin (1831-?)¹

Sources:
1    1861 U.K. Census, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
2    Marriage record of Thomas Hughes and Hester Keen, England, Marriages, 1538-1973, FamilySearch.org
3    Marriage record of Jonathan Horler and Hester Hughes, England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1988, Ancestry.com
4    Death record of Hester Horler, England, Bristol, Parish Registers, 1538-1900, FamilySearch.org
5    Overseers order books, 1797-1817, England, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire, FamilySearch.org
6    Death record of Thomas Hughes, E., B., P. R.
7    1841 U.K. Census, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
8    Baptismal record of George Hughes (older), E., B., P. R.
9    Death record of George Hughes (older), E., B., P. R.
10  Baptismal record of George Hughes (younger), E., B., P. R.
11  1891 U. K. census, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
12  1881 U. K. census, Almondsbury, Gloucestershire
13  Baptismal record of James Hughes (older), E., B., P. R.
14  Baptismal record of James Hughes (younger), E., B., P. R.
15  Baptismal record of Charles, Thomas and Rachel Hughes, E., B., P. R.
16  Hutchinson’s Prince Edward Island City Directory, 1864, which shows Maria Hughes as a widow
17  Marriage record of Charles Hughes and Maria Baird, Canada, Prince Edward Island Marriage Registers, 1832-1888, FamilySearch.org
18  Marriage record of Thomas Hughes and Mary Ann Wither, Bristol, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935, Ancestry.com
19  Baptismal record of Selina Hughes, E., B., P. R.