M. 6 Sep 1623 in Epping, Essex, England2
Husband: George Minot
D. 23 Dec 1657 in Dorchester, Massachusetts1
Martha Stooke was part of a mass migration of people, who left their homes in England, bringing their traditions and beliefs to the Massachusetts colony. Like many Puritans who settled in New England, Martha was from Essex, born in about 1597.1 Nothing is known of her family; her last name sometimes appeared in records as “Stocke.” On September 6, 1623, she married George Minot in the village of Epping,2 and afterwards settled in Saffron Walden.
Martha gave birth to at least three sons in Saffron Walden (one of whom died young),1,3 before boarding a ship bound for America in about 1630. Some researchers have claimed that she and her family arrived on the Mary and John, but this doesn’t appear to be true. The passengers of that ship founded the town of Dorchester (now a part of Boston), where the Minot family settled, but most of those people were from Dorset, a long distance from Essex, so Martha's family was likely on a different ship.
As George became one of Dorchester’s town leaders, Martha gave birth to two more sons in 1631 and 1635.1 Years later, in the late 19th century, a male line descendant claimed to be the owner of the cradle Martha used when her sons were young.4 If it’s true, this is a remarkable item of early Americana. The cradle is of a simple design, a paneled box made of oak, mounted on two rockers, with round knobs on each corner and a short hood. A photo of it appeared in an 1893 book which showed two people representing Martha and George admiring a baby. The cradle is said to be in the collection of the Old State House in Boston.
Martha's cradle as shown in an 1893 book.
The house where Martha raised her boys was also preserved for generations. The year the home was built is unknown, but may have been as early as 1640. It had two stories and an attic, and was said to have been solidly-built, with an exterior of brick walls covered by wood.4 Sadly, the house burned to the ground in 1874, and only survives today in a quaint illustration and photograph.
The house in Dorchester where Martha and her family lived.
Perhaps the greatest legacy of Martha was her contribution to a political activity organized by women. The one thing females had exclusive authority over during colonial times was childbirth. In 1649, malpractice charges were brought against a Dorchester midwife named Alice Tilly, and women like Martha came forward to defend her. As Tilly was locked up in jail, a series of petitions were circulated in the Boston area that were written and signed by women, with no men involved. Martha’s signature appeared on two of the petitions, one in May 1649, and the other in May 1650. Their action worked, and Tilly was eventually released and allowed to continue her practice.5
Martha passed way on December 23, 1657 at the age of about 60,1 and her husband George died in 1671.1
Children:
1. George Minot – B. 11 Jul 1624, Saffron Walden, England;3 D. about 19 May 1626, Saffron Walden, England3
2. John Minot – B. 2 Apr 1626, Saffron Walden, England;1 D. 12 Aug 1669, Dorchester, Massachusetts;1 M. (1) Lydia Butler (~1629-1667), 19 May 1647;1 (2) Mary Dassett (1630-~1677)1
3. James Minot – B. 31 Dec 1628, Saffron Walden, England;1 D. 30 Mar 1676, Dorchester, Massachusetts;1 M. (1) Hannah Stoughton (1637-1670), 9 Dec 1653;1 (2) Hephzibah Corlett (1650-1691), 21 May 1673, Cambridge, Massachusetts1
4. Stephen Minot – B. 2 May 1631, (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts;1 D. 16 Feb 1672, Dorchester, Massachusetts;1 M. Truecross Davenport (1634-1692), 10 Nov 16541
5. Samuel Minot – B. 18 Dec 1635, Dorchester, Massachusetts; D. 18 Dec 1690, Dorchester, Massachusetts;1 M. Hannah Howard (1643-?), 23 Jun 16701
Sources:
1 “Minot Family,” Lemuel Shattuck, Esq., The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Vol. I, 1847
2 England Marriages, 1538-1973, FamilySearch.org
3 WikiTree listing for George Minott (1624-1626)
4 Good Old Dorchester: A Narrative History of the Town, 1630-1893, William Dana Orcutt, 1893
5 “The Ablest Midwife That Wee Knowe in the Land: Mistress Alice Tilly and the Women of Boston and Dorchester,” Mary Beth Norton, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 55. No. 1, Jan 1998
