B. before 4 Feb 1614 in Charminster, Dorset, England
M. (1) about 1637 in (probably) Salem, Massachusetts
Husband: Robert Morgan
M. (2) before 21 May 1690 in (probably) Salisbury, Massachusetts
Husband: Samuel Fowler
D. after 20 Feb 1694 in (probably) Salisbury, Massachusetts
Margaret Norman arrived in the Massachusetts colony two years before the Winthrop Fleet, then spent her long life in various towns up the coast above Boston.
There is a baptism for Margaret recorded in Charminster, Dorset, England on February 4, 1614. Her parents were Richard and Florence Norman, and she was the third of their six children. Charminster was just north of Dorchester, which was seeing activity amongst those seeking to colonize New England. Margaret’s father became involved in the Dorchester Company, and sometime around 1628, the family boarded a ship bound for America.
Since the motivation for moving was a commercial one, it isn’t certain if the Norman family were Puritans. They settled on Cape Ann in what is now Massachusetts, and this was where Margaret came of age. In about 1637, she married a man named Robert Morgan in what is believed to be Salem. They started a family with the birth of a son in 1638, and had eight known children by 1663.
Something happened to the family’s standing in the community in about 1669, and it involved Margaret’s 19-year-old son Benjamin trying to steal some horses. The young man reacted badly to authorities, and they pushed back by excommunicating him for being a “stupefied sinner.” After this, his father Robert disappeared from town records, which suggested that the family was looked down upon for raising such a son.
Robert passed away in 1672, probably in November or December, leaving Margaret with an uncertain future. She took a new husband named Samuel Fowler, but the date of their marriage is uncertain. We only know that it was before May 21, 1690, when their names appeared on a document together. Samuel lived in the town of Salisbury, and presumably this is where Margaret moved to. Salisbury was about as far north as you could go on the Massachusetts coast, and Samuel Fowler was described as a shipwright. The village was near the mouth of the Merrimack River, but while proximity to the water was important, it was mostly an agricultural community.
A document dated February 20, 1694 established that Margaret was still alive. It was concerning Samuel having his son look after them in their old age. In it, he stated “Margaret, my now wife, after her return from Beverly, the place of her present sojourning, to my present habitation, or to other as may be provided by or for me for her entertainment, to settle and abide in the time of our old age, and other our present want of sight and decay of other members and faculties.” In return for his son’s promise, he was deeded his entire estate.
After that date, nothing more is known of Margaret, and her death was unrecorded. Samuel passed away in January 1711.
Children (all by Robert Morgan):
1. Samuel Morgan – B. about 1638, Salem, Massachusetts; D. before 20 Nov 1698, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. (1) Elizabeth Dixey (1641-1690), 15 Oct 1658; (2) Mary Phippen (1644-?), about 1692, Massachusetts
2. Luke Morgan – B. before 23 Jun 1650, (probably) Salem, Massachusetts; D. Apr 1732, Cape Sable, Nova Scotia
3. Joseph Morgan – B. before 23 Jun 1650, (probably) Salem, Massachusetts; D. 23 Oct 1731, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. Deborah Hart, 12 Jul 1669, Lynn, Massachusetts
4. Benjamin Morgan – B. before 23 Jun 1650, (probably) Salem, Massachusetts; D. 1677, Cape Porpoise, Maine
5. Robert Morgan – B. 15 Oct 1650, Salem, Massachusetts
6. Bethiah Morgan – B. before 29 May 1653, Salem, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Weed (1652-?), about 12 Mar 1676, Massachusetts
7. Moses Morgan – B. (probably) Salem Massachusetts; D. 1677, Cape Porpoise, Maine
8. Aaron Morgan – B. 24 May 1663, Salem, Massachusetts
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