A Wise Puritan Settler — William Learned

B. before about 1581 in (probably) Bermondsey, Surrey, England¹
M. (1) 22 Apr 1606 in St. Olave, Southwark, England²
Wife: Goodith Gillman
M. (2) after 1632 in (probably) Massachusetts²
Wife: Jane _______
D. 1 Mar 1645 in Woburn, Massachusetts²

During the 1630s, shiploads of Puritans came over from England to populate Massachusetts. Among them were men above 50 years of age who played leadership roles in their towns, and William Learned seems to fit this description.

As with many immigrants in the 17th century, little is known of William’s life in England. He was likely born by 1581 in a place called Bermondsey.¹ Although described as being in Surrey, today it’s a part of London, and just south of the Thames; the Tower of London was a short distance away. It was in Bermondsey that William first turned up in records with his marriage to a woman named Goodith Gillman on April 22, 1606.² The unusual name Goodith was not a alternate spelling of Judith, nor was it the Puritan “Goodwife” — it was her real name. William and Goodith had at least six children by 1624, with the youngest being their only surviving son. 

William’s signature.

At some point, William became a follower of the Puritan movement, and because he was so near London, he seems to have been enlisted into the Winthrop Fleet. This is known because his name turned up in Charlestown by the end of 1630, and so he must have been on a ship that year.² He and his wife were on the list of founding members of the church in Charlestown. “1632, 10 mo. day 6, William Learned and Goodeth, his wife, were admitted.”² The fact their names were at the top of the list is an indicator he was seen by others as having some status, and in fact he was made selectman in 1636.²

William’s Charlestown property was described in 1638 as being seven parcels of land: “three acres of arable land and meadow … with a dwelling house,” “four acres of arable land … in the East Field,” three and three-quarters cow commons,” “two acres of meadow … in Mystic Marshes,” “five acres of woodland in Mystic Field,” “fifteen acres of woodland … in Mystic Field,” and “forty acres of land … in Rock Field.”² But soon he left this behind to make his home in the new community of Woburn.

The town of Woburn, Massachusetts was first settled in 1640 and incorporated two years later, and William was said to be one of its earliest men. “He was a subscriber to the town orders for Woburn, drawn up at Charlestown, Dec. 18, 1640; [he] was one of the seven original members of the church in Woburn which was gathered Aug. 14, 1642…”⁴

Ordaining the first minister of Woburn in 1642. (AI-generated image)

Sadly, William didn’t live much longer than Woburn’s founding. He served in Woburn as selectman in 1644,⁵ and as constable (who also collected the taxes) in 1644 and 1645,⁵ but he died just before he would have been elected for a third year.⁵ His son Isaac had to settle the accounts he had managed as constable.⁵ William was the ancestor of Abigail Powers Fillmore, Eli Whitney, Clara Barton, Sir Robert Laird Borden (Prime Minister of Canada), George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, John Ritter, Billie Jean King, Treat Williams and Elon Musk.⁶

Children (all by Goodith Gillman):
1. Sarah Learned — B. before 18 Jan 1607, (probably) Bermondsey, Surrey, England;⁷ M. (1) Thomas Ewer (1593_1638), 13 Jan 1624, Bermondsey, Surrey, England;² (2) Thomas Lothrop, 11 Dec 1639²

2. Bethiah Learned — B. before 29 Oct 1612, Bermondsey, Surrey, England²

3. Mary Learned — B. before 15 Sep 1615, Bermondsey, Surrey, England;² D. about 26 Jul 1625, Bermondsey, Surrey, England²

4. Abigail Learned — B. before 30 Sep 1618, Bermondsey, Surrey, England²

5. Elizabeth Learned — B. before 25 Mar 1621, Bermondsey, Surrey, England;² M. John Hall, before 21 Sep 1645⁸

6. Isaac Learned — B. before 25 Feb 1624, Bermondsey, Surrey, England;² D. 27 Nov 1657, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁹ M. Mary Stearns, 9 Jul 1646, Woburn, Massachusetts²

Sources:
1    WikiTree listing of William Learned
2    Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995 
3    William Learned: Winthrop’s Fleet Woburn, Mass. Settler (website)
4    The History of Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass. from the grant of its territory to Charlestown, in 1640, to the year 1680, Samuel Sewall, 1868
5    Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, Henry Bond, 1855, p. 333
6    FamousKin listing of William Learned
7    “Updated from English Records for some Great Migration immigrants who came by 1635,” NEHGR, V. 172, 2018
8    WikiTree listing of Elizabeth (Learned) Hall
9    Death record of Isaac Learned, Vital Records of Chelmsford Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, 1914

Maid Servant in Colonial Massachusetts — Mary Blott

B. before 24 Dec 1609 in Harrold, Bedfordshire, England¹
M. 4 Mar 1635 in Roxbury, Massachusetts²
Husband: Thomas Woodford
D. before 27 May 1662 in (probably) Hartford, Connecticut³

During the Great Migration of the 1630s, thousands of Puritans left England to make a new life in the Massachusetts colony. Most of these people came as families, or were men traveling alone. But a few were single women, and such was the case with Mary Blott.

Mary came from the heart of England, baptized in the village of Harrold in Bedfordshire on December 24, 1609.¹ Her parents were Robert Blott and Susanna Selbee, and she was the oldest of their ten known children. The three who were boys all died young,⁴ so it was a female-dominated household. Mary’s youngest sister was still a baby when she left home.

Mary belonged to a Puritan family during a time when many were migrating to America. Most traveled over together, but Mary preceded her parents by a couple of years.³ We know this because her name turned up in the early records of Roxbury, Massachusetts as the “63rd member” of the church.³ She was described as “a maid servant,”³ which means she must have signed a contract committing to a length of service in the colony. Typically these contracts were for three years, which perfectly fits the timeline for when she arrived until she got married. While male servants would often receive land at the end of their service, women were only given food, clothing and lodging for the time they were servants. 

Working as a servant. (AI-generated image)

Mary’s new husband was Thomas Woodford, and their marriage took place on March 4, 1635 in Roxbury.² Thomas had also come over from England in 1632,⁴ and perhaps they were on the same ship. Mary’s parents and siblings migrated to the colony in about 1634,³ but while they stayed in the Boston area, Mary and her husband moved away to Hartford, Connecticut sometime before 1639.³ Mary gave birth to three known children, all daughters.

The Woodford family moved up the Connecticut River to Northampton, Massachusetts in about 1656,³ but it isn’t certain that Mary was still living. She was never mentioned in Northampton records or her husband’s will dated May 27, 1662,³ and it’s thought that she died in Hartford during the 1650s. Mary had some very notable descendants, including Princess Diana, Prince William, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Nancy Reagan, Bess Truman, Humphrey Bogart, John Lithgow, Glenn Close, Katharine Hepburn, Helen Hunt, Matt Damon, Ethan Allen, Nathan Hale and J.P Morgan.⁵

Children:
1. Mary Woodford — B. about 1636, Roxbury, Massachusetts;⁴ D. 17 Apr 1684, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁶ M. Isaac Sheldon (1629-1708), about 1653, Hartford, Connecticut⁷

2. Hannah Woodford — B. about 1642, Hartford, Connecticut;⁴ M. Samuel Allen (1634-1719), 29 Nov 1659, Northampton, Massachusetts⁴

3. Sarah Woodford — B. before 2 Sep 1649, Hartford, Connecticut;⁴ M.(1) Nehemiah Allen (~1636-1684), 21 Sept 1664, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁴ (2) Richard Burke (1649-1689), 1 Sep 1687, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁸ (3) Judah Wright (1642-1725), 11 Jul 1706, Northampton, Massachusetts⁹

Sources:
1    Christening record of Mary Blott, England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Thomas Woodford and Mary Blott, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com
3    Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
4    The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
5    FamousKin.com listing of Thomas Woodford
6    Sheldons in America (website)
7    “Isaac Sheldon of Windsor, Conn.,” NEHGR, V. 117, Charlotte Alling Hunt, Apr 1963
8    Marriage record of Richard Burke and Sarah Allen, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
9    Marriage record of Judah Wright and Sarah Burke, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

83 Years in Colonial Chelmsford — Tabitha Parker

B. 21 Feb 1658 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts¹
M. 18 Nov 1676 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts²
Husband: Stephen Peirce
D. 31 Jan 1742 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts³

As the Puritans who settled in colonial Massachusetts spread to its outskirts, some trailed north of Boston. This is where Tabitha Parker spent her entire life. She was born on February 21, 1658 to Jacob and Sarah Parker,¹ two early settlers of the village of Chelmsford. Tabitha was the fifth of their nine children; her father was the town clerk, but sadly he passed away when she was 17.⁴ A little more than a year later, on November 18, 1676, Tabitha married Stephen Peirce,² who was new to the town. Their first child was thought to be born in about 1677,⁵ and by 1689, they had four more.

In 1686, some Chelmsford men formed a group to buy land directly from a local tribe.⁶ The plots were located just to the north of the town, also known as the Wamesit Purchase, and this is where the Peirce family settled. Tabitha faced certain dangers while raising her family there with fears of invasion by Indians who lived nearby, and in 1697 the men wrote a petition to the authorities in Boston asking for assistance.⁶ Many families struggled to maintain their farms, and it was said that their hay was set on fire causing some to leave the area, but Tabitha and Stephen stayed. 

Setting hay on fire. (AI-generated image)

Another issue about where Tabitha lived was that it was a long distance from the nearest meetinghouse. Every Sunday meant traveling on wilderness roads by horse or cart to the all-day services at Chelmsford’s church. In 1719, Stephen was one of several men who asked for a stable to be built at the meetinghouse to accommodate his family and neighbors.⁶

The town records reported in 1728 that Stephen was “impaired in his reasoning,” which caused him to be removed from a town committee.⁶ Tabitha likely became his caretaker as he lived out his final years, dying on June 10, 1733.⁷

Tabitha wrote a will on November 18, 1735,⁸ and in it we can see a glimpse of her life at the time. She was “sick of body, but of sound mind and memory,” and had specific ideas of who should get her humble possessions. She left many items to her granddaughter Sarah Wheeler, including “my best bed & furniture, & warming pan, & iron kettle, & pottage pot, & half a dozen pewter plates, & two pewter platters, & my [tramels?] & box irons.” To her youngest daughter Tabitha, she offered “my other bed & furniture, … my brass kettle & box of drawers & … case on my chest of drawers.” Tabitha made her mark on the document, indicating she was illiterate. 

Tabitha’s 1735 will.

On January 31, 1742, Tabitha passed away in Chelmsford at the age of almost 84.³ Some of her descendants would eventually migrate north, and great-grandson Benjamin Pierce became the governor of New Hampshire.⁹ His son was President Franklin Pierce,⁹ and further down the line were Barbara Bush and George W. Bush as niece and nephew relationships⁹ — quite a legacy for a woman of colonial Chelmsford.

Children:
1. Jacob Peirce — B. about 1677, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁵ D. 20 Sep 1749, Westford, Massachusetts;⁵ M. Mary Whittaker (~1689-1761)¹⁰

2. Stephen Peirce — B. 10 Apr 1679, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹¹ D. 9 Sep 1649, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹¹ M. Esther Fletcher (~1685-1767), 5 Jan 1707, Chelmsford, Massachusetts¹²

3. Benjamin Peirce — B. 4 Jun 1682, Chelmsford, Massachusetts¹³

4. Sarah Peirce — B. 25 Mar 1686, Chelmsford, Massachusetts¹⁴

5. Tabitha Peirce — B. 24 Feb 1690, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁵ D. 6 Feb 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁶ M. William Fletcher¹⁶

Sources:
1    Birth record of Tabitha Parker, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Stephen Peirce and Tabitha Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
3    Death record of Tabitha Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4    Parker in America 1630-1910, Augustus G. Parker, 1911, p. 532
5    WikiTree listing of Jacob Peirce
6    History of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Wilson Waters, 1917
7    Death record of Stephen Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
8    Tabitha Peirce will, United States, Massachusetts, Middlesex – Probate Records, FamilySearch.org
9    FamousKin.com listing of Stephen Pierce
10  Marriage record of Jacob Peirce and Rachel Batchelder, New England Marriages prior to 1700, p. 582
11  Find-a-Grave listing of Deacon Stephen Peirce
12  Marriage record of Stephen Peirce and Esther Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13  Birth record of Benjamin Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  Birth record of Sarah Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15  Birth record of Tabitha Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Death record of Tabitha Peirce, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

Letters to Son and Daughter-in-Law — Arrold Dunnington

B. before 21 Sep 1587 in Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England¹
M. 7 Jun 1612 in Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England¹
Husband: Rice Cole
D. after 20 Dec 1661 in Charlestown, Massachusetts²

It’s rare to find personal letters written by Puritan men in 17th-century New England, and it’s even rarer to find them from females. But a woman named Arrold Dunnington wrote two letters which have survived at least into the mid-20th century.

Arrold (also spelled Harrald and many other variations) was from Great Bowden in Leicestershire, England. She was baptized there on September 21, 1587 before her parents Edward Dunnington and Margaret Cox,¹ and she was one of their five known children, all girls. Great Bowden is said to be one of the oldest villages in the area, dating back to the Anglo-Saxons; perhaps this is what accounts for Arrold’s unusual first name. Her father died when she was a baby, and her mother remarried.¹

On June 7, 1612, Arrold got married to Rice Cole,¹ and over the next dozen or so years, she had five children. Arrold and Ryse were followers of Puritanism, so much so that in 1630, when John Winthrop sailed with 700 people to found the colony of Massachusetts, the Coles were among the passengers.^2,3 Although we don’t know which ship they were on, they were in a group who landed at the site of Charlestown.² Most of the settlers moved across the river to establish the town of Boston, but Arrold’s family stayed put. Both were listed as members of the Boston church until being “dismissed” in the fall of 1632 so they could join the new congregation at Charlestown. 

The Winthrop Fleet in Boston Harbor in 1630. (AI-rendered illustration)

It wasn’t long after arriving at Charlestown that Ryse and Arrold made a decision to “send out” two of their children. This was a Puritan practice where parents gave up their children to the household of another so that they could learn skills and information that they wouldn’t receive at home.⁴ It has to be assumed that as their mother, Arrold supported the arrangement even if it were her husband’s idea. So youngsters Elizabeth and John were sent to live with Samuel Fuller of Plymouth, who was a doctor and former Mayflower passenger. It wasn’t until 1633 that they came home.²

After writing a will dated May 1646, Ryse passed away;² his instructions were that Arrold would maintain their house and farm until she died, then he specified which of their children got what. For this reason, probate on the estate wasn’t done immediately. Arrold didn’t remarry, so in her widowhood, she managed the family’s holdings. By the mid-1650s, her youngest son James had moved back to England, and in about 1655, he got married. Back in Charlestown, Arrold took a pen and paper to send a congratulations to her son and new daughter-in-law, Ruth. In her letter, she wrote that her siblings and their spouses “remember their loves unto you and your wife, though unknown.”⁵ That last bit was a reference to the fact the family never met Ruth, who presumably had never been to America. 

Writing to family overseas. (AI-generated image)

Then in 1661, Arrold wrote a second letter just to Ruth because it seemed that James had died and Ruth had remarried. Perhaps this was another congratulations for getting married; she referred to the young widow as “loving daughter Ruth Mood.”⁵ Did Arrold ever meet Ruth? This isn’t evident in the excerpts found in a book written by a researcher who saw the two letters. Unfortunately, the original letters aren’t readily accessible; we just know that they were in a file somewhere in the Middlesex County court records.

On December 20, 1661, Arrold wrote a will of her own.² Her orders to each child or grandchild were quite specific: “my daughter [Elizabeth] is to have the bed on which I lie, and my grandchild John [Cole] an iron pot and his father is not to dispose of it from him [and] I give to my grandchild John Lowden a pair of sheets & to my grandchild Mary Lowden one box and one scarf & to my grandchild James Lowden a pint pot & more to my grandchild Mary Cole a brass kettle.” She also asked that her husband’s 1646 will be honored, and all of these things were done after she passed away within the week (the exact death date is unknown, but it was before December 26th). Arrold left many descendants, including Franklin Pierce, George W. Bush, Barbara Bush, Jeb Bush and James Spader.⁶

Children:
1. Robert Cole — B. about 1616, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;² D. before 23 Nov 1655;² M. Phillip ______²

2. Elizabeth Cole — B. about 1619, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;² D. 5 Mar 1688, Woburn, Massachusetts;⁷ M. Thomas Peirce (~1608-1681), before 1639, Charlestown, Massachusetts²

3. Mary Cole — B. about 1621, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;² D. 7 Oct 1683, Charlestown, Massachusetts;⁸ M. Richard Lowden (~1612-1700), about 1640, Charlestown, Massachusetts²

4. John Cole — B. about 1623, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;² M. Ursula ______, before 28 Aug 1655⁵

5. James Cole — B. about 1625, (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England;² D. before 1661, (probably) England;² M. Ruth _______, before 28 Aug 1655, England⁵

Sources:
1    “Colonists from Great Bowden, Leicestershire — Rice Cole of Charlestown, Massachusetts,” Leslie Mahler, The American Genealogist, Vol. 78, July 2003
2    Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Vols. I-III, Robert Charles Anderson
3    John Winthrop (Wikipedia article)  
4    Albion’s Seed, David Hackett Fischer, 1988
5    The New England Ancestry of Dana Converse Backus, Mary Elizabeth Neilson Backus, 1949
6    FamousKin.com listing for Rice Cole  
7    Find-a-Grave listing for Elizabeth (Cole) Pierce 
8    Find-a-Grave listing for Mary Lowden 

A Covenant for Founding a Community — Francis Bushnell

B. about 1580 in (probably) Thatcham, Berkshire, England¹
M. (1) 13 May 1605 in Horsham, Sussex, England²
Wife: Ferris Quenell
M. (2) 2 Jun 1629 in Horsham, Sussex, England³
Wife: Joan Kinward
D. before 13 Oct 1646 in Guilford, Connecticut¹

When Francis Bushnell sailed to New England in 1639, he joined his shipmates in signing a pledge to work as one. The document would become known as the Guilford Covenant, a rare written agreement for the establishment of a colonial community.

Francis spent his early life in southern England, born in about 1580, possibly in the village of Thatcham in Berkshire;¹ his parents are unknown. He first turned up in records at his marriage to a woman named Ferris Quenell on May 13, 1605.² Their wedding took place in Horsham, which is located in Sussex, and the couple settled there. Between 1606 and 1628, they had 11 children. Four of the children died young, including the final child who died along with Ferris within days of its birth.¹ Francis married a second wife, Joan Kinward, on June 2, 1629,³ but she passed away about two years later, buried at the church on June 21, 1631.¹

Puritanism was widespread across England, and Francis’ family were followers of that set of beliefs. All five of his surviving sons decided to leave England for the colonies in America, sailing to Massachusetts in 1635.¹ Francis stayed behind — it isn’t known what his circumstances were — but four years later, he made the move as well. He brought his youngest two children with him, daughters 18-year-old Rebecca and 14-year-old Sarah, and they boarded the ship St. John in the late spring of 1639.¹

The Bushnells were part of a small group of families led by a minister, Reverend Henry Whitfield. Their destination was the south coast of Connecticut, and unlike some Puritan migrations, they would be forming a new community right from the start. The leaders gathered onboard the ship to draft a contract, and when they were about 10 days into the voyage, it was agreed to by all of the men, 25 in total.⁴ Their names appeared on the document in order of rank of seniority and leadership, and Francis was the third one. It was a simple statement that committed everyone to collectively work for the the community as a whole:⁴

We whose names are herein written, intending by God's gracious permission, to plant ourselves in New England, and if it may be in the southerly part, about [Quinnipiac], we do faithfully promise each for ourselves and families and those that belong to us, that we will, the Lord assisting us, sit down and join ourselves together in one entire plantation and to be helpful to the other in any common work, according to every man's ability and as need shall require, and we promise not to desert or leave each other on the plantation but with the consent of the rest, or the greater part of the company, who have entered into this engagement. As for our gathering together into a church way and the choice officers and members to be joined together in that way, we do refer ourselves until such time as it shall please God to settle us in our plantation. In witness whereof we subscribe our hands, this first day of June 1639.

Signing the covenant. (AI-generated image)

The Guilford Covenant.

The contract was initially called the Plantation Covenant, but it later took the name of the settlers’ new town, Guilford. After they arrived on the coast of Connecticut, Francis and the others divided up the land into tracts, built their houses, and formed their community. One of Francis’ sons, Francis, came down from Massachusetts to join him, and built a house next door.¹ The younger Francis also likely did some of the labor for his father, who was now about 60-years-old.

Francis lived in Guilford, Connecticut for just a few more years; he died there in 1646, with his will probated on October 13th.¹ As an early settler of New England, he had many notable descendants: William Samuel Johnson (signer of the U.S. Constitution), John Foster Dulles, Thomas Dewey, Mamie Eisenhower, Jill Biden, Adlai Stevenson, Bill Weld, Warren Buffet, Margaret Hamilton, and Jordana Brewster.⁵

The covenant Francis was a part of was also notable. It’s been said that “in terms of early colonial documents of this kind, there are only the Mayflower Compact and the Guilford Covenant.”²⁴ The original parchment is kept at the Massachusetts Historical Society, and in June 2014, a large granite tablet with the Covenant inscribed on it was dedicated at a park in Guilford.

The Guilford Covenant monument .

Children (all by Ferris Quenell):
1. Edmond Bushnell — B. before 27 Apr 1606, Horsham, Sussex, England;⁶ D. 28 Mar 1636, Medford, Massachusetts;⁷ M. Martha Hallor, 16 May 1627, Horsham, Sussex, England⁸

2. Francis Bushnell — B. before 8 Jan 1609, Horsham, Sussex, England;⁹ D. 4 Dec 1681, Saybrook, Connecticut;¹⁰ M. (1) Mary Grombridge (~1606-?), 27 Jun 1631, Horsham, Sussex, England;¹¹ (2) Grace Wells, before 1660, (probably) Guilford, Connecticut¹

3. William Bushnell — B. before 3 Feb 1611, Horsham, Sussex, England;¹² D. 12 Dec 1683, Saybrook, Connecticut;¹ M. Rebecca Chapman, about 1643, Saybrook, Connecticut¹

4. Stephen Bushnell — B. before Jan 1613, Horsham, Sussex, England;¹³ D. before 12 Mar 1625, Horsham, Sussex, England¹⁴

5. John Bushnell — B. before 23 Apr 1615, Horsham, Sussex, England;¹⁵ D. 5 Aug 1667, Boston, Massachusetts;¹⁰ M. Jane _____, about 1650¹⁰

6. Thomas Bushnell — B. before 31 Aug 1617, Horsham, Sussex, England;¹⁶ D. before 16 Sep 1617, Horsham, Sussex, England¹⁷

7. Mary Bushnell — B. before 25 Dec 1618, Horsham, Sussex, England;¹⁸ before 2 Mar 1629, Horsham, Sussex, England¹⁹

8. Rebecca Bushnell — B. before 15 Apr 1621, Horsham, Sussex, England;²⁰ D. before 11 Feb 1647, Guilford, Connecticut;¹ M. John Lord (~1625-?), about 1646, (probably) Connecticut¹

9. Richard Bushnell — B. before 20 Apr 1623, Horsham, Sussex, England;²¹ D. before 17 Jul 1660, (probably) Connecticut;¹ M. Mary Marvin (1628-1713), 11 Oct 1648, Hartford, Connecticut¹

10. Sarah Bushnell — B. before 20 Nov 1625, Horsham, Sussex, England;²² D. 1 Nov 1693, Halstead, Kent, England;¹ M. John Hoadley (1616-1668), 14 Jul 1642, Guilford, Connecticut¹

11. Elizabeth Bushnell — B. before 5 Mar 1628, Horsham, Sussex, England;²³ D. 10 Mar 1628, Horsham, Sussex, England²³

Sources:
1    Bushnell Family Genealogy, George Eleazer Bushnell, 1945
2    Marriage record of Francis Bushnell and Ferris Quenell, Sussex, England Parish Records, 1538-1910, FamilySearch.org
3    Marriage record of Francis Bushnell and Joan Kinward, E.P.R.
4    Plantation Covenant (Wikipedia article)  
5    Francis Bushnell listing in FamousKin.com  
6    Christening record of Edmund Bushnell, E.P.R.
7    Find-A-Grave listing for Edmund Bushnell  
8    Marriage record of Edmund Bushnell and Mary Hallor, E.P.R.
9    Christening record of Francis Bushnell (younger), E.P.R.
10  The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
11  Marriage record of Francis Bushnell and Mary Grombridge, E.P.R.
12  Christening record of William Bushnell, E.P.R.
13  Christening record of Stephen Bushnell, E.P.R.
14  Burial record of Stephen Bushnell, E.P.R.
15  Christening record of John Bushnell, E.P.R.
16  Christening record of Thomas Bushnell, E.P.R.
17  Burial record of Thomas Bushnell, E.P.R.
18  Christening record of Mary Bushnell, E.P.R.
19  Burial record of Mary Bushnell, E.P.R.
20  Christening record of Rebecca Bushnell, E.P.R.
21  Christening record of Richard Bushnell, E.P.R.
22  Christening record of Sarah Bushnell, E.P.R.
23  Christening and death record of Elizabeth Bushnell, E.P.R.

24  “375-Year-Old ‘Guilford Covenant’ Returns To Town,” Erik Hesselberg, Hartford Courant, June 8, 2014

Taken in by a Mayflower Pilgrim — Elizabeth Cole

B. about 1619 in (probably) Great Bowden, Leicestershire, England¹
M. about 1639 in Charlestown, Massachusetts¹
Husband: Thomas Peirce
D. 5 Mar 1688 in Woburn, Massachusetts²

Although Elizabeth Cole came to America in the Winthrop Fleet, she seems to have spent the first few years living in the household of a former Mayflower passenger. Elizabeth was from Great Bowden, England, a village in Leicestershire, born there in about 1619.¹ She was the second child of Rice Cole (also spelled Cowles) and Arrold Dunnington.

Elizabeth’s parents were followers of Puritanism, and when she was about 11-years-old, they took the drastic step of joining the migration to America.¹ In the spring of 1630, a total of about 700 people, led by John Winthrop, sailed across the Atlantic on 11 ships. They landed at Charlestown, where a small number of settlers already lived. Most of the group would then go on to found Boston, but for a few months during the summer, everyone remained at Charlestown.

In August 1630, Charlestown was visited by a doctor who had been in America for a while, and he offered to treat the sick. His name was Samuel Fuller, a man about 50 years of age, who was an unlicensed practitioner of medicine.³ He had been one of the people who fled England in about 1610 to live in Leiden, Netherlands, then joined the Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. Before sailing, he took it upon himself to learn the basics of “medical knowledge” so that he could offer himself as a doctor to the new colony. His treatments were questionable by modern standards, using such things as “blood letting.”³

A doctor in 1630 Massachusetts. (AI-generated image)

Fuller survived the early years of the Plymouth colony, and in 1630, he was at Charlestown to help treat the new arrivals. Elizabeth’s father must have had a respect for him, and being concerned about the rough conditions in Charlestown, asked the man to take his two oldest children into his household at Plymouth (although perhaps it was Fuller who offered it). So Elizabeth and her older brother Robert left their parents, and moved in with Fuller’s family.¹

Puritans were known for a practice called "sending out," which meant that parents would give their children over to live in another household for a period of time. It was done for various reasons, and most often to expose the children to an experience that will help them later in life.⁴ In Elizabeth and her brother's case, the arrangement seems to have lasted for three years, until Fuller died of small pox in 1633. In his will, he noted that Elizabeth had been in his care “committed to my education,” and was to be sent back to her parents in Charlestown upon his death. Interestingly, her brother was described in the same document as Fuller’s “servant.” There was also a boy from another family mentioned in the will.⁵

Samuel Fuller's 1633 will.

About six years after coming home to her family, Elizabeth married Thomas Peirce,¹ who also lived in Charlestown in his parents’ household. They settled in Woburn, a new town located inland; between 1643 and about 1662, she gave birth to 12 children, two of whom died as infants. Thomas took on a leadership role in Woburn, becoming sergeant of the militia, and having other civic posts.

Elizabeth and Thomas spent the rest of their lives in Woburn. He died first on November 6, 1683,² and she lived another few years, passing away on March 5, 1688.² Elizabeth’s large family gave her many descendants, among them were Governor Benjamin Pierce (of New Hampshire), President Franklin Pierce, Barbara (Pierce) Bush, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush and James Spader.⁶

Children:

1. Thomas Peirce — B. about 1640, (possibly) Woburn, Massachusetts;⁷ D. 8 Dec 1717, Woburn, Massachusetts;² M. Rachel Bacon (1652-?), 25 Mar 1680, Woburn, Massachusetts²

2. John Peirce — B. 7 Mar 1643, Woburn, Massachusetts;² D. 25 Mar 1720, Woburn, Massachusetts;² M. Deborah Converse (1647-?), 1 Jul 1663, Woburn, Massachusetts²

3. Elizabeth Peirce — B. 25 Dec 1646, Woburn, Massachusetts;² M. (1) Thomas Whittmore (1645-1670), 9 Nov 1666, Woburn, Massachusetts;² (2) Hopestill Foster (1648-1679), 15 Oct 1670, Woburn, Massachusetts;² (3) Nathaniel Pierce (1655-1692), 23 Mar 1680, Woburn, Massachusetts²

4. Joseph Peirce — B. 22 Sep 1648, Woburn, Massachusetts;² D. before 13 Aug 1649, Woburn, Massachusetts²

5. Joseph Peirce — B. 13 Aug 1649, Woburn, Massachusetts;² D. 21 Nov 1716, Woburn, Massachusetts;² M. Mary Richardson, 24 Jun 1681, Woburn, Massachusetts²

6. Stephen Peirce — B. 16 Jul 1651, Woburn, Massachusetts;² D. 10 Jun 1733, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁸ M. Tabitha Parker (1658-1742), 18 Nov 1676, Chelmsford, Massachusetts⁹

7. Samuel Peirce — B. 20 Feb 1654, Woburn, Massachusetts;² D. 27 Oct 1655, Woburn, Massachusetts²

8. Samuel Peirce — B. 7 Apr 1656, Woburn, Massachusetts;² D. 5 Jul 1721, Woburn, Massachusetts;² M. Lydia Bacon (1655-1717), 9 Dec 1680, Woburn, Massachusetts²

9. William Peirce — B. 7 Mar 1658, Woburn, Massachusetts;² D. 22 Aug 1720, Woburn, Massachusetts;² M. Abigail Sommers (~1658-~1726), 8 Apr 1690, Woburn, Massachusetts²

10. James Peirce — B. 7 May 1659, Woburn, Massachusetts;² D. 20 Jan 1741, Woburn, Massachusetts;²

11. Abigail Pierce — B. 20 Nov 1660, Woburn, Massachusetts;² D. 9 Sep 1719, Woburn, Massachusetts;² M. George Reed (1660-1756), 18 Feb 1685, Woburn, Massachusetts²

12. Benjamin Peirce — B. about 1662, (probably) Massachusetts;¹⁰ D. 25 Sep 1739, Woburn, Massachusetts;² M. Mary Reed, 10 Oct 1688, Charlestown, Massachusetts¹¹

Sources:
1    The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
2    Transcript of Woburn Town Records of Births, Marriages & Deaths, 1641-1843, Family search.org
3    Samuel Fuller (Pilgrim) (Wikipedia article)  
4    Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, David Hackett Fischer, 1989
5    Will of Samuel Fuller, 30 Jul 1633  
6    Famous Kin (website)
7    Birth is missing from Woburn town records which begin in 1641
8    Births, marriages, deaths, 1673-1770, Chelmsford, Massachusetts, FamilySearch.org
9    Town Records of the Town of Chelmsford [Massachusetts], 1650-1730, FamilySearch.org
10  Estimated birth year based on marriage date
11  Woburn Records of Births, Deaths and Marriages, from 1640 to 1873, Part III, p. 209, Edward F. Johnson, 1891

Montreal Blacksmith’s Wife — Jeanne Ducorps dite Leduc

B. about 1649 in France¹
M. before 1671 in New France²
Husband: Martin Massé
D. 19 Dec 1727 in Montreal, New France³

Jeanne Ducorps dite Leduc was a woman of early Montreal who had sketchy beginnings in France. She was born in about 1649,¹ but her parents and place of birth are unknown.

It’s believed that Jeanne arrived in New France at the age of 17 on a ship of Filles du Roi, a fact that can’t be confirmed because no record of her marriage survives. In the 1667 census, she was said to be living at the Congregation of Notre-Dame of Montreal, with her name listed as “Jeanne de Carts.”⁴ This was a place that had begun in 1653 as a “women’s religious order dedicated to education.” During the 1660s, it was also used to house young women arriving from France as prospective brides, which may have been the reason Jeanne was there, if she is the woman listed on the census.

Prospective brides in New France. (AI-generated image)

The earliest known parish record identifying Jeanne was the baptism of a baby girl at Sorel, New France in March 1673.⁵ Jeanne was the mother of the child and the father was Martin Massé; since they were later shown to have an older child, their marriage must have taken place before about 1671.² Sorel was a remote seigneury on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, located between Trois-Rivières and Montreal. Within a few years, Jeanne and Martin had moved back to Montreal, where he made a living as an edge tool maker, a sort of blacksmith.¹ Jeanne gave birth to six more children between 1676 and 1687; of her eight children, four of them died young.

By virtue of living in Montreal, three of her four surviving children had connections with the fur trade in the Great Lakes area, with several descendants ending up in Detroit.⁶ Oldest son Michel was married in Detroit in 1705 when he worked as a voyageur,⁷ but later made his home in Montreal.⁸ Jeanne became a widow when husband Martin passed away in May 1714.⁹ She lived several more years, and died on December 19, 1727.³

Jeanne has one very well-known descendant: Hillary Clinton.¹⁰ In fact, she was her direct female line ancestor, which gave Jeanne a bit of fame many years after her death. She was also the ancestor of Ricky Gervais.

Children:
1. Michel Massé — B. about 1671, New France;¹ D. 21 Jun 1730, Montreal, New France;⁸ M. Marguerite Couc dite LaFleur (1664-?), 1705, Detroit, New France⁷

2. Marie Massé — B. 19 Mar 1673, Sorel, New France;⁵ D. 18 Feb 1736, Montreal, New France;¹¹ M. Jean-Baptiste Pothier (1671-1732), 24 Sep 1696, Montreal, New France¹²

3. André Massé — B. 30 May 1676, Montreal, New France;¹³ D. before 1681¹⁴

4. Marie-Jeanne Massé — B. 25 Apr 1677, Montreal, New France;¹⁵ D. 5 Sep 1764, Detroit, New France;¹⁶ M. Michel Campeau (1667-1737), 7 Jan 1696, Montreal, New France¹⁷

5. Martin Massé — B. 26 Jun 1679, Montreal, New France;¹⁸ D. 7 Oct 1692, Montreal, New France¹⁹

6. Marie-Françoise Massé — B. 2 Aug 1682, Montreal, New France;²⁰ D. 4 Aug 1682, Montreal, New France²¹

7. Marie-Anne Massé — B. 7 Dec 1684, Montreal, New France;²² D. 23 Sep 1721, Montreal, New France;²³ M. (1) Guillaume Maillot (1680-1718), 16 Jan 1704, Montreal, New France;²⁴ (2) Pierre Courault (1696-1779), 26 Sep 1718, Montreal, New France²⁵

8. Catherine Massé — B. 16 Dec 1687, Montreal, New France;²⁶ D. 11 Jun 1699, Montreal, New France²⁷

Sources:
1    King’s Daughters and Founding Mothers—1663-1673, Peter Gagne, 2000
2    Estimated marriage year based on estimated birth year of oldest child, Michel Massé
3    Burial record of Jeanne Ducorps dite Leduc, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
4    Recensement de 1667 en Nouvelle-France
5    Baptismal record of Marie Massé, Q.C.P.R.
6    Migrations.com listing for Jeanne Ducorps dite Leduc  
7    Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique français listing for Michel Massé  
8    Burial record of Michel Massé, Q.C.P.R.
9    Burial record of Martin Massé, Q.C.P.R.
10  FamousKin.com  
11  Burial record of Marie Massé, Q.C.P.R.
12  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Pothier and Marie Massé, Q.C.P.R.
13  Baptismal record of André Massé, Q.C.P.R.
14  Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
15  Baptismal record of Marie-Jeanne Massé, Q.C.P.R.
16  Find-A-Grave listing of Marie Jeanne Masse Campeau  
17  Marriage record of Michel Campeau and Marie-Jeanne Massé, Q.C.P.R.
18  Baptismal record of Martin Massé (younger), Q.C.P.R.
19  Burial record of Martin Massé (younger), Q.C.P.R.
20  Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise Massé, Q.C.P.R.
21  Burial record of Marie-Françoise Massé, Q.C.P.R.
22  Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Massé, Q.C.P.R.
23  Burial record of Marie-AnneMassé, Q.C.P.R.
24  Marriage record of Guillaume Maillot and Marie-Anne Massé, Q.C.P.R
25  Marriage record of Pierre Courault and Marie-Anne Massé, Q.C.P.R
26  Baptismal record of Catherine Massé, Q.C.P.R.
27  Burial record of Catherine Massé, Q.C.P.R.

A Pedigree to Ancient Times — Margaret Wyatt

B. before 8 Mar 1595 in Braunton, England¹
M. 2 Feb 1627 in Braunton, England¹
Husband: Matthew Allyn
D. 12 Sep 1675 in Windsor, Connecticut²

Among the people who sought a religious haven in Puritan New England, there were a handful who had long traceable pedigrees going back for centuries, and Margaret Wyatt was such a person. Margaret’s life began in Braunton, England, a village near the northeast coast of Devon, where she was baptized on March 8, 1595.¹ Her parents were John Wyatt and Frances Chichester, and she had two brothers and three sisters. Her father was described as a “gentleman,” an indication of his status,³ but he died when she was about 3-years-old.³ On February 2, 1627, Margaret married Matthew Allyn,¹ who may have been ten years younger than she was. 

Wedding at St. Brannock’s Church in Braunton. (AI-generated image)

Matthew and Margaret continued to live in Braunton, having three children, one of whom likely died as an infant. Devon was one of the regions of England which had a large following of Puritans, and Margaret and her husband were among them. While the majority of people who joined the migration to America were of what we would consider middle class (yeomen, merchants, artisans, etc.), a few Puritans were from a wealthier class. For such people, the strength of their religious beliefs outweighed any sort of comforts they would have by remaining in England. So in about 1632, Margaret, Matthew and their children boarded a ship to become a part of the Puritan colony.⁴

After arriving in Massachusetts, Margaret and Matthew settled in Cambridge, where they became among the largest landowners in the area,⁴ and a son was born around this time. Matthew served as a representative to the General Court in Boston,⁴ but he had disagreements with community leaders. In 1636, the family joined a group led by Reverend Thomas Hooker who formed a new settlement on the Connecticut River called Hartford.⁴

Margaret and Matthew made their home in Hartford for the next few years, as he took a leadership role there. Then Matthew had a falling out with Reverend Hooker, and the family ended up relocating to the town of Windsor.⁴ This was where they spent the rest of their lives. Matthew died on February 1, 1671,⁴ and Margaret passed away on September 12, 1675.²

Margaret’s Family Tree
The lines of Margaret’s pedigree that trace back into antiquity are through her mother, Frances Chichester. Frances was born into minor nobility, but in a family of 19 children, inheritance becomes splintered, explaining why she didn't marry a nobleman. From here, going back in time, family connections can be pieced together through probate records, and Frances has lines on both sides showing over 20 generations.⁵ Some ancestors connect to monarchs who include John I (of Magna Carta fame), Henry I of England, William the Conqueror, Alfred the Great, Robert I of France, and Charlemagne.

A page of Margaret's pedigree. (Source: WikiTree)

Beyond the Saxon kings and Norman princes are threads of genealogy that go even further. Through intermarriage of nobility, some lines go back into German, Irish, or other nationalities in Europe. They include people who lived over a thousand years ago, and in a couple of extreme cases, the lines trace to almost the year 1 AD. That’s about 60 generations back from Margaret.

Are these ancestors really Margaret’s? There’s no way to be certain because many of the links are assumptions, and all it takes is for one assumption to be wrong for the chain to be broken. The farther back in time you go, the more doubtful the accuracy is. Still, it’s fun to think about — it demonstrates the idea that we are all descended from thousands of people who lived during the Dark Ages and beyond.

Margaret’s family tree also has very impressive descendants, including Agatha Christie, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and three First Ladies: Ellen Wilson, Bess Truman and Nancy Reagan.⁶

Children:
1. Mary Allyn – B. before 20 Jan1628, Braunton, England;¹ D. 14 Dec 1703, Windsor, Connecticut;² M. Benjamin Newberry (~1624-1689), 11 Jun 1646, Windsor, Connecticut²

2. John Allyn – B. before 24 Feb 1631, Braunton, England;¹ D. Nov 1696, Hartford, Connecticut;² M. (1) Ann Smith (~1635-~1669), 19 Nov 1651, Springfield, Massachusetts;⁴ (2) Hannah Lamberton⁴

3. Thomas Allyn – B. about 1633, (probably) Massachusetts;⁴ D. 14 Feb 1696, Windsor, Connecticut;⁷ M. Abigail Warham (?-1680), 21 Oct 1658, Hartford, Connecticut⁶

Sources:
1    "Allyn and Wyatt Families of Braunton, Devon,” Douglas Richardson, The American Genealogist, V. 57
2    James Cox Brady and his Ancestry, L. Effingham De Forest and Anne Lawrence De Forest, 1933 
3    Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700, Frederick Lewis Weis, 2004
4    The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
5    WikiTree pedigree for Frances Chichester  
6    FamousKin.com (website)  
7    The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut, page 521, Henry Reed Stiles,1863