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 The families also struggled to grow crops, and it was said that many hay stacks caught fire, causing some to leave the area, but Tabitha and Stephen stayed.

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: Ryse 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 Ryse 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.

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.

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.

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 Ryse 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

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.

1667 census listing for Congregation of Notre-Dame in Montreal.

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 Rodham 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. They 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

Eight Sons to Pass Along His Name — Thomas Peirce

B. about 1615 in Norwich, England¹
M. about 1639 in Charlestown, Massachusetts²
Wife: Elizabeth Cole
D. 6 Nov 1683 in Woburn, Massachusetts³

Thomas Peirce left a legacy of many descendants who carried his name, some of whom were famous. He was born in roughly 1615 in Norwich, England to Thomas and Elizabeth Peirce, one of at least 8 children.¹ This area of England was home to many Puritans, and the Peirce family (also spelled Pierce or Pearce) were part of the Great Migration to New England during the 1630s. It isn’t known exactly when they arrived, but it was certainly by 1635, when their names first appeared in records there.⁴ They settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts, where Thomas was admitted to the church.⁴

Within the next few years, Thomas got married to the daughter of another Charlestown settler. His bride was Elizabeth Cole, and their marriage took place in about 1639.² Between 1643 and about 1662, they had twelve children, of which ten were sons. Two boys died as infants, but the others went on to give him many grandchildren (his two daughters did as well).

By 1643, Thomas moved to the new settlement of Woburn,⁵ one of many towns that were springing up as the colony's population grew. As with all men in all Puritan communities, Thomas performed civic duties. He served in the town council as selectman in 1660 through 1662, and in 1664 and 1670, and he was chosen as “commissioner of the rate.”⁵ Thomas was also elected to be sergeant of the militia in October 1663;⁵ after this date, he was often referred to as Sergeant Thomas Pierce in town records.

Two notes in the Woburn town records gave specific projects Thomas was involved with. In 1668, he was member of a committee selected to oversee the division of some common land in Woburn. For his work, he received 37 acres of “make meadow or swamp land.”⁵ And on November 1, 1671, he was chosen for a 4-man committee to oversee the building of a meetinghouse.⁵ The existing structure had been in use since Woburn was first settled, and it was already showing signs of age. The new one that Thomas was involved with was ready for use in the fall of 1672.

Thomas' signature, date unknown.

Because Thomas’ father lived until 1665 and had the same name, it’s sometimes confusing to sort out who did what. In 1652, a Thomas Peirce of Woburn charged a man named Samuel Eldred with letting his hogs do damage to his property. It isn’t clear if this was Thomas or his father, or what exactly was damaged. The case was withdrawn before it came to trial.

At about the end of 1678, Thomas' name was on a list of people who contracted small pox.⁵ The disease had spread all over the colony after someone who was infected arrived on a ship in July 1677.⁶ On January 6, 1679, Woburn authorities ordered quarantining in order to stop the further spread of the epidemic.⁵ It may be that Thomas' son Thomas was actually the one who had small pox, but regardless of who it was, they recovered from the disease.

Thomas died at Woburn on November 6, 1683.³ Elizabeth survived for a few more years, passing away in 1688.³ Their descendants included governor of New Hampshire, Benjamin Pierce, President Franklin Pierce, Barbara (Pierce) Bush, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush and James Spader.⁷

Children:
1. Thomas Peirce — B. about 1640, (possibly) Woburn, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 8 Dec 1717, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ M. Rachel Bacon (1652-?), 25 Mar 1680, Woburn, Massachusetts³

2. John Peirce — B. 7 Mar 1643, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ D. 25 Mar 1720, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ M. Deborah Converse (1647-?), 1 Jul 1663, Woburn, Massachusetts³

3. Elizabeth Peirce — B. 25 Dec 1646, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ M. (1) Thomas Whittmore (1645-1670), 9 Nov 1666, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ (2) Hopestill Foster (1648-1679), 15 Oct 1670, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ (3) Nathaniel Pierce (1655-1692), 23 Mar 1680, Woburn, Massachusetts³

4. Joseph Peirce — B. 22 Sep 1648, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ D. 1649, Woburn, Massachusetts³

5. Joseph Peirce — B. 13 Aug 1649, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ D. 21 Nov 1716, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ M. Mary Richardson, 24 Jun 1681, Woburn, Massachusetts³

6. Stephen Peirce — B. 16 Jul 1651, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ D. 10 Jun 1733, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁹ M. Tabitha Parker (1658-1742), 18 Nov 1676, Chelmsford, Massachusetts¹⁰

7. Samuel Peirce — B. 20 Feb 1654, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ D. 27 Oct 1655, Woburn, Massachusetts³

8. Samuel Peirce — B. 7 Apr 1656, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ D. 5 Jul 1721, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ M. Lydia Bacon (1655-1717), 9 Dec 1680, Woburn, Massachusetts³

9. William Peirce — B. 7 Mar 1658, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ D. 22 Aug 1720, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ M. (1) Abigail Warren (~1660-?); (2) Abigail Sommers (~1658-~1726), 8 Apr 1690³

10. James Peirce — B. 7 May 1659, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ D. 20 Jan 1741, Woburn, Massachusetts³

11. Abigail Pierce — B. 20 Nov 1660, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ D. about 9 Sep 1719, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ M. George Reed (1660-1756), 18 Feb 1685, Woburn, Massachusetts³

12. Benjamin Peirce — B. about 1662, Woburn, Massachusetts;¹¹ D. 25 Sep 1739, Woburn, Massachusetts;³ M. Mary Reed, 10 Oct 1688, Charlestown, Massachusetts¹²

Sources:
1    Estimated birth year based on his mother’s reported age in Thomas Peirce Sr.’s probate record; she was too young for him to be born earlier than about 1615
2    The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
3    Transcript of Woburn Town Records of Births, Marriages & Deaths, 1641-1843, Family search.org
4    Pierce Genealogy, Frederic Beech Pierce, 1882
5    History of Woburn, Samuel Sewall, 1868
6    “The Story of Smallpox in Massachusetts,” Massachusetts Medical Society (website)  
7    Famous Kin (website)

8    Birth is missing from Woburn town records which begin in 1641
9    Births, marriages, deaths, 1673-1770, Chelmsford, Massachusetts, FamilySearch.org
10  Town Records of the Town of Chelmsford [Massachusetts], 1650-1730, FamilySearch.org
11  Estimated birth year based on marriage date
12  Woburn Records of Births, Deaths and Marriages, from 1640 to 1873, Part III, p. 209, Edward F. Johnson, 1891

Puritan Mother of Thirteen Children — Mary Woodford

B. about 1636 in (probably) Roxbury, Massachusetts¹
M. about 1653 in Hartford, Connecticut²
Husband: Isaac Sheldon
D. 17 Apr 1684 in Northampton, Massachusetts³

Mary Woodford spent thirty years of her life, from age 18 to age 48, raising a large family in the early settlements of the Connecticut River valley. No record survives of her birth, but it’s believed that she started out in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1636.¹ Mary’s parents were Thomas Woodford and Mary Blott, and she was their oldest child; only two sisters are known to be her siblings. Her father was one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut, and she was brought there as a baby.¹

When Mary was about 17, she got married to a man named Isaac Sheldon.² For the first couple of years of their marriage, they lived in the town of Windsor, Connecticut, and Mary gave birth to her first child there in September of 1654.³ Then the family joined a migration up the river to the new settlement of Northampton, Massachusetts.³ Mary’s father relocated there as well, and both of the men’s names can be found in many of the town’s early documents.

Mary and her husband lived next door to her father, and she seems to have maintained a close relationship with him. At his death in 1667, she was bequeathed many of his household possessions.⁴ Besides a cupboard, a large pewter platter, and his own bed, his will stated that she was to have his “great kettle,” but instructed that her younger sisters would be able to use it, too, until “they can provide one for themselves.” In a Puritan New England home, a large cooking pot would have been essential to a woman in her everyday life.

A "great kettle" in a colonial home

During Mary’s years in Northampton, she gave birth to twelve children, making for a total of thirteen. The older ones were all healthy, but child number ten died as an infant. At the time of her final pregnancy, she was in her late 40s, and that child died soon after it was born. Mary likely never recovered from the ordeal of childbirth at her age, and she passed away two months later on April 17, 1684.³

Mary was a direct ancestor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Frances Cleveland, Nancy Reagan, Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, J.P. Morgan, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Dr. Benjamin Spock, John Lithgow, Harry Chapin, Kate Upton, and Matt Damon.⁵

Children:
1. Mary Sheldon — B. 4 Sep 1654, Windsor, Connecticut;³ D. 20 Apr 1728, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁶ M. John Bridgman (1645-1712), 11 Dec 1670, Northampton, Massachusetts⁷

2. Isaac Sheldon — B. 4 Sep 1656, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 29 Mar 1712, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁹ M. Sarah Warner (1667-1701), 25 Nov 1685, Northampton, Massachusetts¹⁰

3. John Sheldon — B. 5 Dec 1658, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹¹ D. (possibly) 1733, Hartford, Connecticut; M. (1) Hannah Stebbins (1664-1704), 5 Nov 1679, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹² (2) Elizabeth Lee (1669-1758), 20 Apr 1708, Hartford, Connecticut¹³

4. Thomas Sheldon — B. 6 Aug 1661, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁴ D. 7 Jun 1725, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁵ M. Mary Hinsdale (1665-1738), 25 Nov 1685, Northampton, Massachusetts¹⁶

5. Ruth Sheldon — B. 27 Aug 1663, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁷ D. 16 May 1728, Massachusetts;¹⁸ M. (1) Joseph Wright (1657-1697), 6 Nov 1679, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁹ (2) Samuel Strong (1652-1732), 28 Oct 1698, Northampton, Massachusetts²⁰

6. Thankful Sheldon — B. 27 Aug 1663, Northampton, Massachusetts;²¹ D. 1741, Northampton, Massachusetts;²² M. Benjamin Edwards (1652-1724), 23 Feb 1680, Northampton, Massachusetts²³

7. Mindwell Sheldon — B. 24 Feb 1666, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁴ D. 8 Apr 1735, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁵ M. (1) John Pomeroy (1662-1685), 30 Apr 1684, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁶ (2) John Lyman (1660-1740), 19 Apr 1687, Northampton, Massachusetts²⁷

8. Joseph Sheldon — B. 1 Feb 1668, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁸ D. 2 Jul 1708, Suffield, Connecticut;²⁹ M. Mary Whiting, 8 Sep 1695, Westfield, Massachusetts³⁰

9. Hannah Sheldon — B. 29 Jun 1670, Northampton, Massachusetts;³¹ D. 27 Jan 1742, Springfield, Massachusetts;³² M. (1) Samuel Chapin (1665-1729), 24 Dec 1690, Springfield, Massachusetts;³³ (2) Thomas Terry (1665-1760), 22 Mar 1735, Springfield, Massachusetts³⁴

10. Eleazar Sheldon — B. 4 Aug 1672, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁵ D. before 26 Jan 1701, (probably) Northampton, Massachusetts³⁶

11. Samuel Sheldon — B. 9 Nov 1675, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁷ D. 31 Mar 1745, Boston, Massachusetts;³⁸ M. Mary Warner (~1677-?), 1695, Hadley, Massachusetts³⁹

12. Ebenezer Sheldon — B. 1 Mar 1678, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁴⁰ D. 18 Mar 1755, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁴¹ M. Mary Hunt (1680-1767), 16 Dec 1701, Northampton, Massachusetts⁴²

13. Mercy Sheldon — B. 4 Feb 1684, Northampton, Massachusetts;⁴³ D. 4 Feb 1684, Northampton, Massachusetts⁴⁴

Sources:
1    The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, pages 2057-2060, 1995
2    “Isaac Sheldon of Windsor, Conn.,” NEHGR, V. 117, Charlotte Alling Hunt, Apr 1963
3    Sheldons in America (website)
4    Our Woodford (website)
5    FamousKin.com
6    Death record of Mary (Sheldon) Bridgman, Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, FamilySearch.org
7    Marriage record of John Bridgman and Mary Sheldon, Massachusetts Marriages, FamilySearch.org
8    Birth record of Isaack Shelding, Massachusetts Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, FamilySearch.org
9    Death record of Isaac Sheldon (younger), Mass. D.&B.
10  Marriage of Isaac Sheldon and Sarah Warner, Mass. Marriages
11  Birth record of John Sheldon, Mass. T.C.V.&T.R.
12   Marriage record of John Sheldon and Hannah Stebbins, Mass. T.C.V.&T.R.
13  Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850, Northampton, Vol. 1, AmericanAncestors.org
14  Birth record of Thomas Sheldon, Massachusetts Births and Christenings, FamilySearch.org
15  Find-a-Grave listing for Thomas Shelden
16  Marriage record of John Sheldon and Mary Hinsdale, Mass. Marriages
17  Birth record of Ruth Sheldon, Mass. B. & C.
18  Find-a-Grave listing for Ruth Sheldon Wright Strong
19  Marriage record of Joseph Wright and Ruth Sheldon, Mass. T.C.V.&T.R.
20  Marriage record of Samuel Strong and Ruth Sheldon, Mass. Marriages
21  Birth record of Thankful Sheldon, Mass. B. & C.
22  Death record of Thankful Edwards, Mass. D.&B.
23  Marriage record of Benjamin Edwards and Thankful Sheldon, Mass. T.C.V.&T.R.
24  Birth record of Mindwell Sheldon, Mass. T.C.V.&T.R.
25  Death record of Mindwell Lyman, Mass. D.&B.
26  Marriage record of John Pomeroy and Mindwell Sheldon, Mass. T.C.V.&T.R.
27  Marriage record of John Lyman and Mindwell Pomery, Mass. T.C.V.&T.R.
28  Birth record of Joseph Sheldon, Mass. B. & C.
29  Death record of Joseph Sheldon, Connecticut Vital Records Prior to 1850, FamilySearch.org
30  Wikitree listing for Joseph Sheldon https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Sheldon-153
31  Birth record of Hannah Sheldon, Mass. T.C.V.&T.R.
32  Find-a-Grave listing for Hannah Sheldon
33  Marriage record of Samuel Chapin and Hanah Shelden, Massachusetts, Springfield Vital Records, FamilySearch.org
34  Marriage record of Thomas Terry and Hannah Chapin, Mass. S.V.R.
35  Birth record of Eleazar Sheldon, Mass. B. & C.
36  Death record of Eleazar Sheldon, Mass. D.&B.
37  Birth record of Samuel Sheldon, Mass. T.C.V.&T.R.
38  Death record of Samuel Sheldon, Mass. D.&B.
39  Christening record of Sam Sheldon (younger), Mass. B.&C.
40  Birth record of Ebenezer Sheldon, Mass. B.&C.
41  Find-a-Grave listing for Ebenezer Sheldon
42  Marriage of Ebenezer Sheldon and Mary Hunt, Mass. Marriages
43  Birth record of Mercy Sheldon, Mass. B. & C.
44  Death record of Mercy Sheldon, Mass. D.&B.