B. 6 May 1692 in Haverhill, Massachusetts1
M. 18 Jun 1713 in Boston Massachusetts2
Wife: Elizabeth Ayers
D. before 11 Sep 1739 in (probably) Boston, Massachusetts3
During the first few decades of the 18th century, Boston was one of the most important ports in the English colonies. And its location made it a base of supplies for military efforts against the French in and around Maine. For David Franklin, this was an opportunity to make a living for himself and his family.
David was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on May 6, 1692 to Jonathan and Sarah Franklin,1 the youngest of three sons. Haverhill was on the border with New Hampshire, then considered a frontier, and sometimes a dangerous place. When David was a baby, an Indian raid took the life of his father.4 His mother remarried a year later on August 30, 1694 to a man named John Field of Boston.5 From there, the records don’t say if the family remained in Haverhill or moved south to the Boston area. But it seems likely they relocated to the safer location, and David did indeed end up in Boston as an adult.
A document dated June 8, 1708 reveals a few details of David’s circumstances at age 16.6 It’s a letter of guardianship, signed by David saying that he chose his “honored uncle, John Smith of Roxbury” as the person who would look after him until he reached a legal age. Roxbury was just south of Boston, so this places David at least in the area. And the fact this was a guardianship meant that his mother was deceased.
But who was John Smith? Besides having the most common name in Anglo-America, he was also living in a densely populated area. It’s been assumed that he was the brother of David’s mother Sarah (making her last name Smith), but this is far from a proven fact. John Smith of Roxbury did write a will dated November 21, 1728 which names David and his brothers as heirs.7 This might mean he was indeed the brother of their mother, and in looking at family records, we find that he had a sister named Sarah.8 But at the time of John and Sarah’s father’s will in 1695, she was clearly not married to anyone named Franklin,8 so the mystery remains
What is certain is that on June 18, 1713, David got married.2 His bride was Elizabeth Ayers of Boston, and the wedding was officiated by Reverend Benjamin Colman. Reverend Colman was a prominent minister in Boston, said to be greatly influenced by “Cotton Mather and Ezekiel Cheever.”9 He was associated with the Brattle Street Church at the time David got married, so this may be where the wedding took place. We know that David later had a pew at the Old South Meeting House,3 and one source says that “in 1711, when the Old South Church meeting-house was destroyed in the Great Fire of Boston, it was with Brattle Street Church that they gathered for worship until May 1713.”10 The church was a “plain unpainted meeting-house” at the time David and Elizabeth would have been married there.
Where did David live during this time? Several sources say he was a sailor from Hull,11 a small town located at the tip of a narrow peninsula marking the entrance to Boston Harbor. The main reason for anyone to live there was to use it as a place for boats to land, and people made a living by fishing, transporting goods, and repairing ships. David’s connection to this place makes a lot of sense — it would seem he may have lived here (or kept his boat here) until he could acquire property in Boston. Meanwhile, he and Elizabeth started a family in 1714, with a total of 8 children born to them by 1735. All were recorded as being born in Boston, so perhaps he kept his boat in Hull and had a house in Boston at the same time.
During these years, Boston harbor was a busy place, and one of the main activities was to run supplies up the coast for English military forces dealing with the French.12 A series of wars took place in the first couple of decades of the 18th century, with French using Indian allies to harass and raid any English settlers they felt were encroaching on their territory. The English in turn felt the French were making false claims on Maine, which was then part of Massachusetts. The conflict flared up from 1722 to 1725 in what became known as “Dummer’s War,” named for the governor of Massachusetts. As troops from England and New England carried out military activities in Maine, small ships based in Boston delivered basic supplies to the men — food, ammunition, and other goods.
David was known to have been a part of this effort. A record dated November 15, 1725 shows that he was the captain of a sloop called George, and commanded four seamen who worked for him.13 A sloop was a single-masted sailboat, generally with one sail in front of the mast and one behind. The simple design meant that it took fewer sailors to handle, but the size was limited, and David’s sloop weighed 60 tons. George was also said to be was armed with four guns;13 whether or not this was used during David’s ownership isn’t known, though he was sailing into a war zone.
Around this time, David had both his home and boat in Boston. On June 26, 1726, he purchased property on the waterfront that included “beach and flats,” plus a small wharf that was shared with someone else.14 The lot was described as being on “Sea Street,” which is an archaic designation believed to be Federal Street. The exact location is today no longer at water’s edge because Boston’s coastline has been completely transformed by landfill over the years. The records also show he deeded the property to another man less than two years later,14 but later records show him with the same or similar property.14
Boston newspapers offer a glimpse into David’s travels as a mariner. Each day the paper would report on the comings and goings in the Boston customs house, and David was mentioned at least 19 times.15 Between the years 1729 and 1733, he took his ship to such places as North Carolina, Virginia, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland; there was even a trip to Antigua in the Caribbean. In 1734, David seems to also have acquired a license to operate a tavern.14 Whether he put this to use or not isn’t known. It’s easy to imagine that he used the location of his residence to start this sort of business.
One of the dangers of raising a family on a busy waterfront was shown on May 11, 1739 when one of David’s children died in the harbor. The May 14th edition of the Boston Post reported it this way, “Last Friday, a little boy, son of Capt. David Franklin, was drowned near a wharf at the South End.”16 It isn’t certain if this was one of David’s known children, which would have to be William age 12. The death notice seems to suggest it was a much younger child; perhaps it’s one that’s missing from records.
David didn’t live very long after that event. Sometime before September 11th, he passed away of an unknown cause.3 He died intestate and this produced an extensive probate file. His estate inventory included his pew at Old South Meeting House valued at £12, as well as “a house, land, old wharf and barn.”3 David’s wife Elizabeth remarried in 1742.14 Information about David’s children is incomplete. We do know that his son John followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a mariner. By virtue of working on ships, he would wind up in Virginia and North Carolina,11 bringing a massive amount of descendants into a different part of the American story.
Children:
1. Elizabeth Franklin — B. 15 Jun 1714, Boston Massachusetts;17 M. Samuel Wiswell (1700-?), 17 Oct 1733, Dorchester, Massachusetts18
2. Anna Franklin — B. 18 Sep 1715, Boston Massachusetts;19 M. Benjamin Hart (1715-?), 18 Sep 1735, Boston, Massachusetts20
3. David Franklin — B. 24 May 1719, Boston Massachusetts21
4. Jonathan Franklin — B. 21 Jan 1721, Boston Massachusetts;22 D. before 24 Oct 1734, (probably) Boston Massachusetts23
5. John Franklin — B. 6 May 1725, Boston Massachusetts;24 D. before 2 Jun 1729, (probably) Boston Massachusetts26
6. William Franklin — B. 7 Feb 1727, Boston Massachusetts11
7. John Franklin — B. 2 Jun 1729, Boston Massachusetts;25 D. about 1818, Burke County, North Carolina;11 M. Phoebe ______ (~1735-1820), about 1759, (probably) Hardy County, (West) Virginia11
8. Jonathan Franklin — B. 24 Oct 1734, Boston Massachusetts23
Sources:
1 Birth record of David Franklin, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
2 Marriage record of David Franklin and Elizabeth Ayers, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3 Probate file of David Franklin, Massachusetts, Probate Records, 1636-1899, FamilySearch.org
4 The History of Haverhill From Its First Settlement in 1640 To The Year 1860, George Wingate Chase, 1861, p. 165
5 Marriage record of John Field and Sarah Franklin, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
6 David Franklin guardian bond, Massachusetts, Suffolk County, Probate and Family Court Records, FamilySearch.org
7 Probate file of John Smith of Roxbury, M., P. R.
8 WikiTree listing of John Smith (bef. 1623 - bef. 1695)
9 Benjamin Colman Papers, 1641-1806, Massachusetts Historical Society
10 “This House which I have built: The Foundation of the Brattle Street Church in Boston and Transformations in Colonial Congregationalism,” Cara Elliot, The Gettysburg Historical Journal, V. 10, 2011
11 “A Mystery Story: The Case Of the Origins of John Franklin, Sr. (1729-1819) of Burke County, North Carolina,” Franklin Family Researchers, V. 6, 1993, p. 18
12 “Genealogical: Published Every Monday and Wednesday,” Boston Evening Transcript, 5 Jun 1905
13 Muster roll of ship George, Massachusetts Archive, V. 91, pp.199-200
14 Inhabitants and estates of the town of Boston, 1630-1800, Annie Haven Thwing, 2001
15 Various editions of The Boston Gazette and The Boston Weekly Newsletter, 1729-1733
16 Death notice in The Boston Post, 14 May 1739
17 Birth record of Elizabeth Franklin, M., B. & C.
18 Marriage record of Samuel Wiswell and Elizabeth Franklin, Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850, Ancestry.com
19 Birth record of Anna Franklin, M., B. & C.
20 Marriage record of Benjamin Hart and Anna Franklin, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21 Birth record of David Franklin (younger), M., B. & C.
22 Birth record of Jonathan Franklin (older), M., B. & C.
23 Birth record of Jonathan Franklin (younger), M., B. & C.
24 Birth record of John Franklin (older), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25 Birth record of John Franklin (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Saturday, August 30, 2025
Husband Number Three — Urbain Fouquereau
B. about 1653 in Continvoir, Saumurois, Anjou, France1
M. 28 Dec 1676 in Neuville, New France2
Wife: Jeanne Rossignol
D. about 24 Feb 1700 in Neuville, New France3
For Fille du Roi Jeanne Rossignol, the third time was the charm. After being widowed twice, she married Urbain Fouquereau, and he became father to eight of her children.
Urbain was born in about 1653 in the village of Continvoir, France, which is in the Anjou region east of Angers.1 His parents were Jean Fouquereau (alternate spellings: Foucreau, Fouquereaux, Foucrault) and Renée Bataille. Nothing at all is known of his family and childhood beyond these facts; neither he nor his parents are listed in Continvoir parish records.
The first place Urbain does appear is in a baptism in New France where he was the godfather. The date was February 20, 1676, and it was for a child born in Sillery, just outside of Quebec City.4 The fact he played such a role suggests that he didn’t just step off a boat from France; indeed it was the dead of winter, so the latest he could have arrived was the previous fall. What motivated him to migrate isn’t known. This was well after the period of recruitment of French citizens to populate the colony, and there’s no evidence that Urbain could have been part of the military.
Later that same year, on December 28th, Urbain married a widow named Jeanne Rossignol.2 She had been married twice before, but both husbands died. Jeanne brought three young sons into the marriage, and became pregnant again almost immediately, delivering Urbain’s first son about 8 1/2 months later.5 They would go on to have seven more, with the last child born in 1696.6
While his wife Jeanne appeared in court records, Urbain had no such presence of his own. The case involving Jeanne described her as being a woman “who couldn’t stay out of other people’s business,” and she was forced to make a public apology to others in the community.7 This happened a couple years before Urbain was in the picture, but it suggests that she had a lively personality.
As for Urbain, he was only mentioned in a couple of records. On March 27, 1685, he sold property to Guillaume Cartier, with a receipt was issued on the 29th, and Jeanne “ratified “ the sale on April 4th.8 Then in 1693, the two of them arranged to hire out their oldest daughter, age 14, to a couple in Quebec City.9 This would seem to indicate that the family needed the money.
Urbain’s life came to an end in February 1700,3 and he was buried on the 24th. Jeanne married yet again to her fourth husband.10 She passed away in 1712.11 Urbain was the ancestor of Chloë Sevigny.
Children:
1. Pierre Fouquereau — B. before 10 Aug 1677, Neuville, New France;5 D. before 168112
2. Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau — B. 22 Aug 1679, Neuville, New France;13 D. 31 Dec 1758, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;14 M. Pierre Soucy (1673-1760), 13 Jan 1699, Riviere Ouelle, New France15
3. Michel Fouquereau — B. 5 Oct 1681, Neuville, New France16
4. André Fouquereau — B. 20 Dec 1683, Neuville, New France;17 D. before 16 Nov 1722, New France;18 M. Françoise Aupry (1702-1776), 15 Apr 1720, Laprairie, New France19
5. Madeleine Fouquereau — B. 10 Jul 1686, Neuville, New France;20 M. (1) Jacques Richaume (1661-1713), 25 Feb 1710, Repentigny, New France;21 (2) Louis Cailloneau (1685-?), 8 Jan 1714, Repentigny, New France22
6. Guillaume Fouquereau dit Urbain — B. 23 Mar 1690, Neuville, New France;23 D. 22 Apr 1769, Repentigny, Quebec;24 M. Marie Anne Riviere (1699-1785), 20 Mar 1719, Repentigny, New France25
7. Marie-Anne Fouquereau — B. 3 Jul 1693, Neuville, New France;26 D. 7 Feb 1767, Pierrefonds, Quebec;27 M. Antoine Laniel dit Desrosiers (1693-1772), 29 Nov 1719, Repentigny, New France28
8. Marie-Helene Fouquereau — B. 14 Feb 1696, Neuville, New France;6 D. 12 Dec 1736, St-Sulpice, New France;29 M. Michel Rivet (1689-1753), 18 Jan 1718, Repentigny, New France30
Sources:
1 Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Urbain Fouquereau
2 Marriage record of Urbain Fouquereau and Jeanne Rossignol, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Burial record of Urbain Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
4 Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Petitclerc, Q., C. P. R.
5 Baptismal record of Pierre Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
6 Baptismal record of Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
7 King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663-1672, Peter J. Gagné, 2001
8 Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 4, Pierre-Georges Roy
9 Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 18, Pierre-Georges Roy, p. 36
10 Marriage record of François Huard dit Laliberteand Jeanne Rossignol, Q., C. P. R.
11 Burial record of Jeanne Rossignol, Q., C. P. R.
12 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
13 Baptismal record of Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
14 Burial record of Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
15 Marriage record of Pierre Soucy and Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
16 Baptismal record of Michel Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
17 Baptismal record of André Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
18 Burial record of André Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
19 Marriage record of André Fouquereau and Françoise Aupry, Q., C. P. R.
20 Baptismal record of Madeleine Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
21 Marriage record of Jacques Richaume and Madeleine Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
22 Marriage record of Louis Cailloneau and Madeleine Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
23 Baptismal record of Guillaume Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
24 Burial record of Guillaume Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
25 Marriage record of Guillaume Fouquereau and Marie Anne Riviere, Q., C. P. R.
26 Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
27 Burial record of Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
28 Marriage record of Antoine Laniel dit Desrosiers and Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
29 Burial record of Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
30 Marriage record of Michel Rivet and Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
M. 28 Dec 1676 in Neuville, New France2
Wife: Jeanne Rossignol
D. about 24 Feb 1700 in Neuville, New France3
For Fille du Roi Jeanne Rossignol, the third time was the charm. After being widowed twice, she married Urbain Fouquereau, and he became father to eight of her children.
Urbain was born in about 1653 in the village of Continvoir, France, which is in the Anjou region east of Angers.1 His parents were Jean Fouquereau (alternate spellings: Foucreau, Fouquereaux, Foucrault) and Renée Bataille. Nothing at all is known of his family and childhood beyond these facts; neither he nor his parents are listed in Continvoir parish records.
The first place Urbain does appear is in a baptism in New France where he was the godfather. The date was February 20, 1676, and it was for a child born in Sillery, just outside of Quebec City.4 The fact he played such a role suggests that he didn’t just step off a boat from France; indeed it was the dead of winter, so the latest he could have arrived was the previous fall. What motivated him to migrate isn’t known. This was well after the period of recruitment of French citizens to populate the colony, and there’s no evidence that Urbain could have been part of the military.
Baptism showing Urbain as godfather.
Later that same year, on December 28th, Urbain married a widow named Jeanne Rossignol.2 She had been married twice before, but both husbands died. Jeanne brought three young sons into the marriage, and became pregnant again almost immediately, delivering Urbain’s first son about 8 1/2 months later.5 They would go on to have seven more, with the last child born in 1696.6
When Urbain got married, his wife had three sons. (AI-generated image)
While his wife Jeanne appeared in court records, Urbain had no such presence of his own. The case involving Jeanne described her as being a woman “who couldn’t stay out of other people’s business,” and she was forced to make a public apology to others in the community.7 This happened a couple years before Urbain was in the picture, but it suggests that she had a lively personality.
As for Urbain, he was only mentioned in a couple of records. On March 27, 1685, he sold property to Guillaume Cartier, with a receipt was issued on the 29th, and Jeanne “ratified “ the sale on April 4th.8 Then in 1693, the two of them arranged to hire out their oldest daughter, age 14, to a couple in Quebec City.9 This would seem to indicate that the family needed the money.
Urbain’s life came to an end in February 1700,3 and he was buried on the 24th. Jeanne married yet again to her fourth husband.10 She passed away in 1712.11 Urbain was the ancestor of Chloë Sevigny.
Children:
1. Pierre Fouquereau — B. before 10 Aug 1677, Neuville, New France;5 D. before 168112
2. Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau — B. 22 Aug 1679, Neuville, New France;13 D. 31 Dec 1758, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;14 M. Pierre Soucy (1673-1760), 13 Jan 1699, Riviere Ouelle, New France15
3. Michel Fouquereau — B. 5 Oct 1681, Neuville, New France16
4. André Fouquereau — B. 20 Dec 1683, Neuville, New France;17 D. before 16 Nov 1722, New France;18 M. Françoise Aupry (1702-1776), 15 Apr 1720, Laprairie, New France19
5. Madeleine Fouquereau — B. 10 Jul 1686, Neuville, New France;20 M. (1) Jacques Richaume (1661-1713), 25 Feb 1710, Repentigny, New France;21 (2) Louis Cailloneau (1685-?), 8 Jan 1714, Repentigny, New France22
6. Guillaume Fouquereau dit Urbain — B. 23 Mar 1690, Neuville, New France;23 D. 22 Apr 1769, Repentigny, Quebec;24 M. Marie Anne Riviere (1699-1785), 20 Mar 1719, Repentigny, New France25
7. Marie-Anne Fouquereau — B. 3 Jul 1693, Neuville, New France;26 D. 7 Feb 1767, Pierrefonds, Quebec;27 M. Antoine Laniel dit Desrosiers (1693-1772), 29 Nov 1719, Repentigny, New France28
8. Marie-Helene Fouquereau — B. 14 Feb 1696, Neuville, New France;6 D. 12 Dec 1736, St-Sulpice, New France;29 M. Michel Rivet (1689-1753), 18 Jan 1718, Repentigny, New France30
Sources:
1 Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Urbain Fouquereau
2 Marriage record of Urbain Fouquereau and Jeanne Rossignol, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3 Burial record of Urbain Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
4 Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Petitclerc, Q., C. P. R.
5 Baptismal record of Pierre Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
6 Baptismal record of Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
7 King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Filles du Roi, 1663-1672, Peter J. Gagné, 2001
8 Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 4, Pierre-Georges Roy
9 Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 18, Pierre-Georges Roy, p. 36
10 Marriage record of François Huard dit Laliberteand Jeanne Rossignol, Q., C. P. R.
11 Burial record of Jeanne Rossignol, Q., C. P. R.
12 Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
13 Baptismal record of Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
14 Burial record of Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
15 Marriage record of Pierre Soucy and Elisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
16 Baptismal record of Michel Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
17 Baptismal record of André Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
18 Burial record of André Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
19 Marriage record of André Fouquereau and Françoise Aupry, Q., C. P. R.
20 Baptismal record of Madeleine Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
21 Marriage record of Jacques Richaume and Madeleine Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
22 Marriage record of Louis Cailloneau and Madeleine Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
23 Baptismal record of Guillaume Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
24 Burial record of Guillaume Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
25 Marriage record of Guillaume Fouquereau and Marie Anne Riviere, Q., C. P. R.
26 Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
27 Burial record of Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
28 Marriage record of Antoine Laniel dit Desrosiers and Marie-Anne Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
29 Burial record of Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
30 Marriage record of Michel Rivet and Marie-Helene Fouquereau, Q., C. P. R.
Sunday, August 24, 2025
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
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 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
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
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 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
Saturday, August 16, 2025
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 Filles 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.
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.
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 Filles 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.
Monday, August 11, 2025
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.
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
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:
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
Thursday, July 31, 2025
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.
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 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.
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 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:
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.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
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.
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
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
Sunday, July 13, 2025
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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:
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