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.

Dorchester Soldier and Selectman — John Tolman

B. 8 Apr 1642 in Dorchester, Massachusetts¹
M. (1) 30 Nov 1666 in Lynn, Massachusetts²
Wife: Elizabeth Collins
M. (2) 15 Jun 1692 in Dorchester, Massachusetts³
Wife: Mary Breck
D. 1 Jan 1725 in Dorchester, Massachusetts¹

John Tolman was typical of New England men of his time — he served his community in various roles over a long life. John was born on April 8, 1642 in Dorchester, Massachusetts to Thomas and Sarah Tolman,¹ the sixth of their eight children. The Tolman family had come from Lancaster, England during the Great Migration; it’s thought that they had arrived in about 1635.⁴

After John came of age, he traveled north to the town of Lynn, and married Elizabeth Collins on November 30, 1666.² They settled in Dorchester and began a family with the birth of a daughter the following year.³ John and his wife would have a total of nine children, with the youngest born in 1687.³ He was said to have made a living as a wheelwright.⁵

Dorchester was near the heart of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; today it’s incorporated into the city of Boston. For some settlers, it was a first stop before moving further inland, but John lived there his entire life, and town records showed that he performed his share of civic duties. John was appointed constable in 1678,¹ a position he held for many years, and during the years 1693 to 1695, he was one of Dorchester’s selectmen.¹

John’s home was on land that is today part of Garvey Playground in Dorchester.⁵ The property was said to have been passed down among his descendants for 200 years, but no trace of his house has survived. Garvey Playground features recreational facilities, including a baseball diamond, basketball court, and ice rink. 

During the 1670s, John took part in King Philip’s War, a rebellion of indigenous people in the Massachusetts area. John served in a force headed by Captain Daniel Henchman, who defended an area near Worcester in May of 1676.^6,7 When Captain Henchman received information that some warriors were fishing on a small lake nearby, he led a sneak attack on them, killing seven and taking 29 prisoner. One captive was the wife of an important sachem, and she was sold into slavery in the West Indies — a cruel tactic sometimes used by the English. It seems fairly certain that John was present at this military action.

John’s wife Elizabeth passed away on October 7, 1690,³ and he remarried to a local widow named Mary (Breck) Paul on June 15, 1692.³ Mary died in 1720,³ and John passed away on January 1, 1725 at Dorchester.¹ He was an ancestor of actor George Kennedy.⁸

Children (all by Elizabeth Collins):
1. Elizabeth Tolman — B. 14 Dec 1667, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ D. (probably) before 1719;⁹ M. Moses Ayers (1667-?), 28 Oct 1692, Dorchester, Massachusetts¹⁰

2. John Tolman — B. 8 Apr 1671, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ D. 23 Oct 1759, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ M. (1) Susanna Breck (1678-1713), 1 Feb 1696, Dorchester, Massachusetts;¹¹ (2) Elizabeth White (~1679-1768), 1 Apr 1714, Dorchester, Massachusetts¹²

3. Joseph Tolman — B. 6 Sep 1674, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ D. 26 Jan 1760⁵

4. Benjamin Tolman — B. 6 Dec 1676, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ M. (1) Ruth Fletcher ~1680-1705), 28 Dec 1703, Dorchester, Massachusetts;¹³ (2) Elizabeth Perry (1682-?), 4 Aug 1709, Scituate, Massachusetts¹⁴

5. Henry Tolman — B. 4 Mar 1679, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ D. 18 Sep 1759, Attleboro, Massachusetts;⁵ M. Hannah Fairweather (~1684-1735), 1705, Dorchester, Massachusetts⁵

6. Anne Tolman — B. 2 Mar 1681, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ M. Caleb Ray, 8 May 1704, Boston, Massachusetts¹⁵

7. Ebenezer Tolman — B. 27 Mar 1683, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ M. (1) Mary Chamberline (~1683-?), 31 Aug 1704, Dorchester, Massachusetts;¹⁶ (2) Rebecca Burroughs (1674-1730), 18 Aug 1716, Dorchester, Massachusetts¹⁷

8. Ruth Tolman — B. 1 Jul 1685, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ M. (1) Joseph Butt (1684-1713), 18 Jan 1711, Dorchester, Massachusetts;¹⁸ (2) John Robinson, 20 Jan 1715, Dorchester, Massachusetts⁵

9. William Tolman — 2 Sep 1687, Dorchester, Massachusetts;⁵ D. before 24 Dec 1722;⁵ M. (1) Lydia Farr (1687-?), 2 Jul 1713, Boston, Massachusetts;¹⁹ (2) Experience ______ (~1687-?)⁵

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of John Tolman
2    Marriage record of John Tolman and Elizabeth Collins, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital And Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3    “Tolman Genealogy,” The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Vol. 14, 1860
4    History of the Town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, 1856, p. 101
5    “Thomas Tolman (1608-1690) of Dorchester, Massachusetts,” 29deadpeople.com
6    Soldiers in King Philip’s War, George Madison Bodge, 1991
7    The Worcester Magazine and Historical Journal, Vol. 2 , 1826
8    FamousKin.com listing of John Tolman
9    Deed of Moses Ayers Jr. dated 10 Jan 1719 implies his mother is deceased.
10  Marriage record of Moses Ayers and Elizabeth Tolman, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Marriage record of John Tolman and Susanna Breck, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12  Marriage record of John Tolman and Elizabeth White, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13  Marriage record of Benjamin Tolman and Ruth Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  Marriage record of Benjamin Tolman and Elizabeth Palmer, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15  Marriage record of Caleb Ray and Anne Tolman, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Marriage record of Ebenezer Tolman and Mary Chamberline, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Marriage record of Ebenezer Tolman and Rebecca Fowles, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18  Marriage record of Joseph Butt and Ruth Tolman, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Marriage record of William Tolman and Lydia Farr, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

A Woman of Old Vincennes — Marie-Josephine Levron

B. (probably) about 1759 in Post Vincennes, New France¹
M. about 1777 in (probably) Post Vincennes, Illinois Territory¹
Husband: François Turpin
D. 26 Feb 1835 in Vincennes, Indiana²

In the mid-18th century, a small group of Europeans was already living in what is now Indiana: the French outpost of Vincennes. This is where Marie-Josephine Levron was born and lived for her entire life.

Josephine’s birth is unrecorded, but it’s believed to have been in about 1759.¹ Her parents were Joseph Levron dit Metayer and Marie-Josephe Custeau, and she was the fifth of nine children. The Vincennes of Josephine’s childhood was a place where the Creole culture of the frontier French developed and thrived. Miles away from anything else, the people were pretty much free from outside authority, even after the British took over Canada. Vincennes had a distinct style, with log cabins painted white on narrow zig-zagged paths, and the fields located outside of town. The 60 or so families liked to socialize with each other, practicing their own version of French traditions. 

18th-century Vincennes. (AI-generated image)

In 1763, the priest in Vincennes was sent back to France, leaving them without anyone in charge of their church, and Josephine got married during this time.¹ There’s no record of the event, and indeed her marriage may never have been formalized. Her husband was a mixed-race man named François Turpin (his grandmother had been a Mexican indigenous slave). They started a family with the birth of a son in October 1777;¹ ten more children would follow by 1798. At least five of them died young, which was often the case in such a place.

Not long after Josephine started a family, the American Revolution came to Vincennes. The fort in the village was manned by British regulars, but the Americans knew they weren't such a presence that they could defend an entire region. So a force led by George Rogers Clark, aided by some of the French who signed on as soldiers, easily took Vincennes in February 1779. The fight took place on a single day, and when the English surrendered, it was said that the women of Vincennes prepared a feast for Clark’s men, and entertained them by singing songs.³ It would seem likely that a 20-year-old Josephine was one of them.

After the war, Vincennes started getting settlers who were from places like Kentucky and Virginia. As the original French population became dominated by the newcomers, Josephine lived through a transitional period that saw family and friends selling off land until they had very little left. Her own father went into debt before he died, and in 1799, Josephine and her siblings were sued for the money.⁴ The Levrons lost the case, but it isn’t known if they ever paid what was owed.

On October 1, 1809, Josephine’s husband passed away.⁵ Her final years were during a time that saw the French of Vincennes become a minority in their community. Josephine died in Vincennes on February 26, 1835, and she was buried in the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.²

Children:
1. François Joseph Turpin — B. 20 Oct 1777, Poste Vincennes, Illinois Country;¹ M. Josephine Guelle, 14 Jul 1805, Vincennes, Indiana Territory⁶

2. Antoine Turpin — B. 13 Jan 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory⁷

3. Jean-Baptiste Turpin — B. 30 May 1782, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;⁸ D. 18 Aug 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory⁸

4. Marie-Josephe Turpin — B. 15 Oct 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;⁹ D. 7 Mar 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory⁹

5. Raphael Turpin — B. 8 Sep 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory¹⁰

6. Louis Turpin — B. 13 Mar 1789, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹¹ D. 8 Aug 1845, Indiana;¹² M. Celeste Joyeuse, 2 May 1830, Vincennes, Indiana¹¹

7. Rosalie Turpin — B. Mar 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹³ M. Charles Grimard (1776-?), 19 Dec 1809, Vincennes, Indiana Territory¹⁴

8. Ursule Turpin — B. 3 Feb 1796, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁵ D. 8 Aug 1797, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹⁶

9. Elizabeth Turpin — B. 12 Nov 1798, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁷ D. (possibly) 1835, Vincennes, Indiana;¹⁸ M. François Ravellette (1791-1857), before 4 Oct 1817, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana¹⁹

Sources:
1    Estimated birth year of Josephine and marriage year of François and Josephine based on birth record of her oldest child, François Joseph Turpin, Indiana, U.S., Select Marriages Index, 1748-1993, Ancestry.com
2    Death record of Josephine Turpin, A complete survey of cemetery records, Knox County, Indiana, collected and compiled by Mrs. Alta Amsler
3    Creole (French) Pioneers at Old Post Vincennes, Joyce Doyle, Loy Followell, Elizabeth Kargacos, Bernice Mutchmore, and Paul R. King, 1930s
4    Andre Lacoste dit Languedoc vs. François Turpin and others, Indiana Memory Hosted Digital Collections
5    Death record of François Turpin, Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993, FamilySearch.org
6    Marriage record of François Joseph Turpin and Josephine Guelle, Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992, FamilySearch.org
7    Baptismal record of Antoine Turpin, I.B.& C.
8    Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Turpin, I.B.& C.
9    Baptismal record of Marie Joseph Turpin, I.B.& C.
10  Baptismal record of Raphael Turpin, I.B.& C.
11  Burial record of Louis Turpin, I.D.& B.
12  Marriage record of Louis Turpin and Celeste Cartier, Indiana, Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012, Ancestry.com
13  Baptismal record of Rosalie Turpin, I.B.& C.
14  Marriage record of Charles Grimard and Rosalie Turpin, I., U.S., S.M.I.
15  Baptismal record of Ursule Turpin, I.B.& C.
16  Burial record of Ursule Turpin, I.D.& B.
17  Baptismal record of Elizabeth Turpin, I.B.& C.
18  “Ravellettes from Indiana Roys, Griffith, etc.,” Genealogy.com
19  Baptismal record of Pierre Ravelette (Elizabeth’s oldest child), I.B.& C.

Welfare Case In Colonial New England — John Jefts

B. 11 Mar 1651 in Woburn, Massachusetts¹
M. 6 Apr 1688 in Billerica, Massachusetts²
Wife: Lydia Fish
D. 28 Sep 1712 in Billerica, Massachusetts³

One day in 1697, three men presented themselves before the town council in Billerica, Massachusetts. Each showed they were in financial trouble, and they asked for public assistance. One of these men was John Jefts.

John had spent nearly his entire life in Billerica. Born in Woburn, Massachusetts to Henry Jefts and Hannah Births on March 11, 1651,¹ the family was among the first settlers in Billerica when John was a small child. He had three younger sisters and one younger brother, but his mother died when he was about 10-years-old, and John’s father remarried in 1666.⁴ On April 6, 1688, John married Lydia Fish,² a young woman who had been raped about ten years earlier. Their first child was born early the following year,⁵ and they went on to have six more by 1703.

Billerica, like all New England towns, had a strong sense of community. Each month, the men of the town met to organize the common efforts needed to run their everyday lives. There were men who rose to prominence at these meetings, serving as selectmen, surveyors or officers in the militia; their names appeared year after year in the town notes. But there were also others who were rarely mentioned. By the late-1690s, John seemed to only have been recognized twice: in 1687, he was paid a couple of shillings for having worked on a new road, and in September 1694, he was on a list of 10 men who were to have money paid to them for “work preparing staging for the meeting house and other works.” His payment was only 2 shillings, the smallest amount on the list.⁶

At a Billerica town meeting, John was assigned to dig holes for constructing the meetinghouse.

In January 1697, the Puritan leaders in Boston declared that the entire colony was to hold “a day of humiliation” as atonement for the Salem witch trials,⁷ which had condemned so many innocent people to death. On a day of humiliation, “people were expected to search themselves for sin and to repent in order to appease God's wrath. Everyone between the ages of sixteen and sixty was expected to spend the entire day in fasting, church attendance, listening to sermons of exhortation and meditating on their sin.”⁸

On Billerica’s observation of the day, the town leaders decided they needed to show concern for the poorer members of the community. The three men identified as being in need were John, Edmund Chamberlain, and Daniel Rogers.⁶ A collection was taken, and a total of 14 shillings and 6 pence was donated; this was divided equally among the three men. In addition, it was decided that each of them would get a bushel of “Indian corn” or grain, and arrangements were made to deliver it to their farms. But the town authorities also assigned three other men to make sure the recipients of the charity were being truthful about their hardship. The town notes stated that they each were to “see these persons be diligent and the persons contributed unto to give an account of their time weekly to them.”

Day of Humiliation in Billerica. (AI-generated image)

There was no follow-up about John and the others in Billerica’s meeting notes, so it’s presumed that the distribution of the town’s welfare went as planned. A couple of years later, John served as one of Billerica’s “fence viewers,” a job for which he received a small amount of pay in 1699, 1700 and 1701.⁶ This was a civic duty somewhat unique to New England; a fence viewer was to inspect fences and settle disputes regarding escaped livestock. 

Then on October 14, 1700, a new incidence of John’s poverty came to light in the meeting notes: “…John Jefts was called to attend the selectmen who [were] informed that Jefts had been too slack in providing for the comfort of his wife and children. His apology was that he had been endeavoring what he could and had put some land upon the sale for his present relief, etc. He was advised speedily to provide otherwise than he had done, otherwise he must expect to be complained of unto authority.”⁶ It was an unusual act for a New England town to publicly shame a man for being down and out, and seemed to blame John for his own condition.

John wasn’t mentioned in the meeting notes again until March of 1711, when he was named as one of Billerica’s tithingmen.⁶ This had been a post frequently held by his younger brother Henry. Since Henry’s name returned the following year, replacing John’s, it suggests that he was a temporary substitute for his brother. John and his wife Lydia both died during September 1712, with Lydia passing away on the 8th and John on the 28th.^9,3 Their youngest children were underage, so oldest son Henry was appointed as guardian to them.⁶

Children:
1. Henry Jefts — B. 16 Jan 1689, Billerica, Massachusetts;⁵ D. 19 Aug 1772, Billerica, Massachusetts;⁹ M. (1) Elizabeth Hayward (~1689-1735), 10 Jul 1716, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁰ (2) Dinah Brown (1706-1764), 13 Nov 1735, Billerica, Massachusetts¹¹

2. Alice Jefts — B. 7 Sep 1691, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹² M. Joseph Baker (1696-1761), 11 Dec 1716, Concord, Massachusetts¹³

3. Hannah Jefts — B. 18 Aug 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁴ D. 2 Jul 1712, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁵

4. John Jefts — B. 19 Dec 1696, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁶ D. 8 May 1725, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁷

5. Nathaniel Jefts — B. 29 Mar 1699, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ after 28 Sep 1712¹⁹

6. William Jefts — B. 17 Mar 1701, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁰ D. 30 Sep 1738, Billerica, Massachusetts²¹

7. Ebenezer Jefts — B. 28 Jan 1703, Billerica, Massachusetts;²² M. Elizabeth Farnsworth (1707-1781), 30 Dec 1729, Groton, Massachusetts²³

Sources:
1    Birth record of John Jefts, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of John Jefts and Lydia Fish, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
3    Death record of John Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4    Marriage record of Henry Jefts and Mary Bird, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
5    Birth record of Henry Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
6    Town records 1685-1779 Billerica, Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986, FamilySearch.org
7    Days of humiliation and thanksgiving (Wikipedia article)
8    Death record of Lydia Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
9    Death record of Henry Jefts (younger), Vital Records of Billerica, MA, to the year 1850, 1908
10  Marriage record of Henry Jefts and Elizabeth Hayward, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Marriage record of Henry Jefts and Dinah Brown, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12  Birth record of Alice Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13  Marriage record of Joseph Baker and Alice Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  Birth record of Hannah Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15  Death record of Hannah Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Birth record of John Jefts (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Death record of John Jefts (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18  Birth record of Nathaniel Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Nathaniel wasn’t mentioned in the guardianship action after his father’s death
20  Birth record of William Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Death record of William Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Birth record of Ebenezer Jefts, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23  Marriage record of Ebenezer Jefts and Elizabeth Farnsworth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.