Virginia House of Burgesses Member — Walter Chiles

B. about 1630 In Bristol, England¹
M. (1) before 1665 in (probably) Jamestown, Virginia^1,2
Wife: ______ Page
M. (2) before 15 Feb 1671 in (probably) Jamestown, Virginia¹
Wife: Susanna ______
D. before 15 May 1672 in (probably) Jamestown, Virginia¹

The earliest settlers of the Virginia colony included many who took on a ruling class status. One man was Walter Chiles, who followed in his father’s footsteps.

Walter’s parents were Walter and Elizabeth Chiles, and they were from Bristol, England, where young Walter was born in about 1630.¹ Not much is known about the family in England, except that there was one other son named William.¹ Walter’s father first went to Virginia by himself in 1636, and two years later, he migrated there with his wife and young sons.¹ They took advantage of the headright system, which offered 50 acres to a man for each person who he brought with him. The Chiles family got 400 acres in Charles City County on the Appomattox River,³ and this was young Walter’s first home in America.

In 1642, Walter’s father became a member of the brand new House of Burgesses,³ an elected body set up to handle colony issues on a local level. At some point, this put the family in Jamestown, and from 1649, they lived in a place known as Kemp House; it had been built in 1638 and is thought to be the first ever brick house in Virginia.³ Walter Sr. died just five years later,³ and he passed the house on to son Walter, who added “a brick house 37 feet in length” to the property.¹

Kemp House. (AI-generated image)

Walter was married twice. His first wife was the daughter of John Page,¹ but there is uncertainty about her first name. Some say it was Elizabeth and others believe it was Mary. In either case, John Page was another prominent man in Jamestown, and a marriage to his daughter would further indicate Walter’s status. His first wife gave birth to at least two children during the 1660s, a daughter and son, but she died not long after,⁴ and Walter remarried to a woman named Susanna.¹ The second marriage brought one son.

After the death of his father, Walter became a member of the House of Burgesses, serving in 1653, 1658, 1659 and 1660.¹ In 1660, Governor William Berkeley appointed him and others to “act during the recess of the Assembly.”¹ Walter also was a justice in Jamestown for a time.¹

Walter made out his will on November 15, 1671, and it was probated May 15th of the following year, so he passed away between those dates.¹ His widow Susanna remarried to Reverend James Wadding,¹ who later became an important figure in Bacon’s Rebellion. Through Walter’s daughter Elizabeth, he was the ancestor of President John Tyler.⁵

Children by _____ Page:
1. Elizabeth Chiles — B. before 24 Feb 1665, Jamestown, Virginia;² D. 19 Jan 1703, Williamsburg, Virginia;² M. Henry Tyler, about 25 Jun 1684, York County, Virginia²

2. John Chiles — B. about 1669, (probably) Jamestown, Virginia;⁶ D. before 5 May 1723, King William County, Virginia;⁶ M. (1) Mary ______, before Sep 1693, Virginia;⁶ M. (2) Eleanor Webber⁶

Child by Susanna _______:
1. Henry Chiles — B. before 4 Apr 1671, Jamestown, Virginia;¹ D. after 29 Apr 1718, Hanover County, Virginia;⁷ M. Mary _____⁷

Sources:
1    WikiTree listing of Walter Chiles Jr.
2    WikiTree listing of Elizabeth (Chiles) Tyler
3    WikiTree listing of Walter Chiles Sr.
4    The approximate date of death is based on the fact children Elizabeth and John were known to be grandchildren of her father John Page (per his will).
5    FamousKin.com listing of Walter Chiles Jr.
6    WikiTree listing of John Chiles
7    Tidewater Virginia Families, pp. 224-227, 2004

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.

Six Children On a 17th-Century Ship — Annis Austin

B. before 1 Feb 1597 in (probably) Titchfield, England¹
M. 16 Oct 1614 in Titchfield, England²
Husband: Edmund Littlefield
D. before 7 Mar 1678 in Wells, Maine³

Among the thousands who migrated to Puritan Massachusetts was Annis Austin, who made her 1638 journey along with six children. Usually a woman would be traveling with a husband, but hers had already moved there, and he was awaiting her arrival.

Annis (also spelled Agnes) was one of seven children born to Richard and Annis Austin. She was baptized on February 1, 1597 in Titchfield, England, a village in Hampshire.¹ While just a teen, Annis married Edmund Littlefield on October 16, 1614.² Edmund made a living as a cloth-maker, which was the main industry in Titchfield. They had at least ten children, born between about 1616 and 1635; only the first child is known to have died young.⁴

Annis’ father Richard made out his will sometime during the early 1620s, and he bequeathed to her “a cow and a bullock.” He also left a bullock to each of her three sons, presumably to be paid later since they were all under the age of six. The will was proved on June 4, 1623 with Annis’ husband as one of the executors.⁵

By 1636, Puritan beliefs led the Littlefields to abandon England for the colonies in America. For some reason, Edmond left first, taking their two oldest sons with him. He must have gotten word to Annis to join him because in the spring of 1638, she boarded the ship Bevis with children ages 3 to 13.⁶ Traveling with her were two men referred to as “servants”: John Knight, a carpenter, and Hugh Durdal. Also on the Bevis was Annis’ brother Richard, who was traveling with his wife and children. He settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and among his descendants was Stephen Austin, famous in Texas history, and the man that the city of Austin is named after. 

On the ship to America. (AI-generated image)

Even with Annis’ brother and servants present on the ship, the crossing must have been challenging. The Bevis was a “merchant sailing ship,”⁷ and therefore not really designed for passengers. With six children in tight quarters likely feeling the effects of sea-sickness, Annis had to tend to them and make sure they stayed out of trouble. It must have been a relief to reach the dock in Boston.

Annis and Edmond didn’t remain in Massachusetts. The Littlefields became followers of Reverend John Wheelwright,⁸ an influential preacher who had been on the same ship as Edmund. When Wheelwright clashed with the authorities in Boston, he was forced to leave, and a group of 175 people went with him.⁹ This set the course for the rest of Annis’ life, as she made a home first in Exeter, New Hampshire,¹⁰ then in the town of Wells, Maine.¹⁰

Edmund passed away in 1661,¹¹ and during her widowhood, Annis was taken care of by her son Thomas.³ She wrote a will on December 12, 1677,³ and an inventory of her estate was made on March 7 1678, so she died between those two dates. Annis had many descendants, including President Millard Fillmore and Elon Musk.¹²

Children:
1. Anne Littlefield — B. before 11 Feb 1616, Titchfield, England;⁴ D. Jan 1617, Titchfield, England⁴

2. Edward Littlefield — B. before 17 February 1618, Titchfield, England;¹³ D. Jun 1635, Titchfield, England¹³

3. Francis Littlefield — B. before 17 Jun 1619, Titchfield, England;¹⁴ D. before Nov 1712, Wells, Maine;¹⁵ M. (1) Jane Hill (1620-1646), about 1646, Massachusetts;¹⁴ (2) Rebecca Rust (1630-1685), 14 Dec 1646, Wells, Maine;¹⁵ (3) Mary Wade (1633-1713), before 1689, (probably) Massachusetts¹⁴

4. Anthony Littlefield — B. 7 Oct 1621, Titchfield, England;¹⁶ D. 11 Dec 1661, York County, Maine;¹⁶ M. Mary Page (1635-1663), about 1652, (probably) Maine¹⁶

5. John Littlefield — B. before 1 Nov 1624, Titchfield, England;¹⁷ D. 9 Feb 1697, Wells, Maine;¹⁷ M. Patience Wakefield (~1635-~1702), about 1655, Gloucester, Massachusetts¹⁷

6. Elizabeth Littlefield — B. before 22 Jul 1627, Titchfield, England;¹⁸ M. John Wakefield (1616-1674)¹⁸

7. Mary Littlefield — B. about 1630, (probably) Titchfield, England;¹⁹ M. (1) John Barrett;¹⁹ (2) Thomas Page¹⁹

8. Thomas Littlefield — B. before 10 Aug 1633, Titchfield, England;²⁰ D. before Mar 1690, Berwick, Maine;²⁰ M. (1) Ruth ______, before Jan 1664;²⁰ (2) Sarah ______, after 1674²⁰

9. Hannah or Anne Littlefield — B. before 10 Aug 1633, Titchfield, England;²¹ D. about 1680, (probably) Salem, Massachusetts;²¹ M. Peter Cloyes (1639-1708), 1663, Wells, Maine²¹

10. Francis Littlefield — B. before 24 Mar 1635, Titchfield, England;²² D. 6 Feb 1674, Wells, Maine;²² M. Meribah Wardwell (1637-?), 1652, Wells, Maine²²

Sources:

1    Christening record of Annis Austen, England & Wales, Christening Index, 1530-1980, Ancestry.com
2    Marriage record of Edmund Littlefield and Annis Austin, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, Ancestry.com
3    Probate of Annis Littlefield estate, Maine Wills: 1640-1760, compiled by William M. Sargent, 1887, p. 76
4    Find-a-Grave listing of Anne Littlefield 

5    Genealogical research on the Littlefield family of Titchfield, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, V. 67, Oct 1913, p. 345 
6    Annis Littlefield listing, U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, Ancestry.com
7    Bevis (ship) (Wikipedia article)
8    Great Migration Newsletter, V. 8, p. 4
9    Exeter, New Hampshire: 1888-1988, Nancy Carnegie Merrill, 1988
10    WikiTree listing of Edmund Littlefield
11  Find-a-Grave listing of Edmund Littlefield
12  FamousKin.com listing for Edmund Littlefield
13  Find-a-Grave listing of Edward Littlefield
14  Find-a-Grave listing of Francis “The Elder” Littlefield
15  WikiTree listing of Francis Littlefield the elder
16  Find-a-Grave listing of Anthony Littlefield
17  Find-a-Grave listing of John Littlefield
18  WikiTree listing of Elizabeth Littlefield
19  WikiTree listing of Mary Littlefield
20  WikiTree listing of Thomas Littlefield
21  WikiTree listing of Anne (Littlefield) Cloyes
22  WikiTree listing of Francis Littlefield Jr.

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.

A Bedfordshire Gentleman — Oliver St. John

B. about 1575 in Keysoe, England¹
M. (1) about 1597 in (probably) Keysoe, England¹
Wife: Sarah Bulkeley
M. (2) 16 Aug 1611 in (probably) Keysoe, England¹
Wife: Alice Haselden
D. before 23 Mar 1626 in (probably) Keysoe, England²

Some of the Puritan families who settled in New England came from English nobility. The father of one settler, Oliver St. John, had no title himself, but he had connections to both royalty and non-conformists. He was known to his contemporaries as a gentleman, and his son who was named after him became a prominent figure in Cromwell’s England.

In Oliver, we see an example of how nobility sometimes diminished in a few generations. He was born in Keysoe, England, a village in Bedfordshire, in about 1575 to Henry St. John and Jane Neale.¹ Oliver’s father was from a long line of knights,³ and his 3G grandmother was the grandmother of King Henry VII, which made Queen Elizabeth a third cousin once removed of Oliver. But even the low rank of knighthood had not passed down to Oliver or his father. His status in life seems to have come only through his connections.

Bedfordshire was loosely considered to be a part of East Anglia, which was a major center of Puritanism. In fact, 60% of the Massachusetts colony’s settlers would come from one of the eastern counties of England.⁴ This region also supplied most of the prominent ministers of early New England. Oliver became acquainted with many of them later in his life.¹ 

East Anglia map showing Keysoe.

In about 1597, Oliver married Sarah Bulkeley, the daughter of Reverend Edward Bulkeley,¹ and between 1598 and 1609, they had five children. Sarah’s brother was Reverend Peter Bulkeley (1583-1689), who later became a prominent New England Puritan minister.¹ Sarah died in about 1611,¹ and Oliver then married a woman named Alice Haselden;¹ and they had three children together.

One acquaintance of Oliver was Reverend John Cotton, an important figure in both Puritan England and New England. He once wrote of Oliver that he was “a Bedfordshire gentleman,” and “a person of incomparable breeding, virtue and piety.” He also said that “he was one of the completest gentlemen, without affection, that he ever knew.”¹ It’s evident from these words that Reverend Cotton must have known Oliver pretty well, and this wasn’t just a token compliment.

Oliver passed away before he could be a part of the Great Migration to New England. He made out his will on March 13, 1626, and it was proved on May 1st,² so he was likely very sick when he wrote it. One of Oliver’s legacies was in his children. Daughter Elizabeth married Puritan minister Samuel Whiting, and settled in Massachusetts in 1636.¹ And son Oliver rose to fame during the years that the Cromwells were in power, becoming Lord Chief Justice of England.⁵ 

Oliver’s son, Oliver St. John.

There were numerous famous descendants of Oliver St. John, including Calvin Coolidge, Bette Davis, John Kerry, Orson Bean, and Kyra Sedgwick.⁶

Children by Sarah Bulkeley:

1. Oliver St. John — B. about 1598, (probably) Keysoe, England;¹ D. 31 Dec 1673;¹ M. (1) Johanna Altham;¹ (2) Elizabeth Cromwell, 21 Jan 1638;¹ (3) Elizabeth Oxenbridge, 1 Oct 1645¹

2. Dorothy St. John — B. about 1602, (probably) Keysoe, England;¹ M. Richard Westland (?-1646), 13 Jun 1625, Keysoe, England¹

3. Elizabeth St. John — B. before 12 Jan 1604, Keysoe, England;⁷ D. 3 Mar 1677, Lynn, Massachusetts;¹ M. Samuel Whiting (1597-1679), 6 Aug 1629, Boston, England¹

4. Edward St. John — B. before 20 Jul 1606, (probably) Keysoe, England¹

5. Judith St. John — B. about 1607, (probably) Keysoe, England;¹ D. Jul 1607, (probably) Keysoe, England¹

6. Judith St. John — B. about 1609, (probably) Keysoe, England;¹ M. John Percival, 25 Sep 1633, Odell, England¹

Children by Alice Haselden:
1. Mary St. John — B. before 12 Jul 1612, (probably) Keysoe, England¹

2. Anne St. John — B. before 10 Dec 1613, (probably) Keysoe, England;¹ M. John Knapp, about 1637, England¹

3. John St. John — B. before 13 Sep 1615, (probably) Keysoe, England¹

Sources:
1    The Bulkeley Genealogy, Donald Jacobus, 1933, pp. 29-33
2    Will of Oliver St. John, Gentleman of Keysoe, Bedfordshire, The National Archives (U.K.)
3    Memoir of Rev. Samuel Whiting, D,D., and of his wife, Elizabeth St. John, William Whiting, pp. 38-39
4    Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America, David Hackett Fischer, 1988, p. 33
5    Oliver St. John (Wikipedia article)
6    FamousKin.com listing of Oliver St. John
7    Christening of Elizabeth St. John, England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, FamilySearch.org

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 

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

Petitioning For Her Children’s Money — Mary Cheever

B. before 29 Nov 1640 in New Haven, Connecticut¹
M. (1) 22 Nov 1671 in Boston, Massachusetts¹
Husband: William Lewis
M. (2) 3 Jan 1692 in Farmington, Connecticut¹
Husband: Thomas Bull
D. 10 Jul 1728 in Farmington, Connecticut¹

As the daughter of a famous New England school headmaster, Mary Cheever knew how to be forthright. And she made her own personal plea when confronted with a legal issue involving her husband’s estate.

Mary was born in about November 1640 in New Haven, Connecticut, and baptized on the 29th.¹ Her parents were Ezekiel and Mary Cheever, and she was the second of six children. Her mother died when she was about 9-years-old,² and her father remarried in 1652,² giving her five half siblings. When Mary was young, her father had his own school in New Haven, but moved to Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1650 to serve as headmaster of a grammar school.² By 1670, he had gained a reputation that landed him the job of headmaster at the prestigious Boston Latin School. In spite of her father's illustrious career, it doesn't seem that Mary ever received an education because a later document was signed with her mark instead of a signature.³

On November 22, 1671, Mary got married to William Lewis, a man who was about 20 years older than she was.¹ He was a widower with ten children, some who were almost as old as Mary. The wedding took place in Boston, then she moved to his home in Farmington, Connecticut. The house where they lived still survives today in the middle of a condo complex. Over the next ten years, Mary gave birth to six children, of whom three died as infants. Meanwhile, William served as captain of Farmington’s militia, and was directly involved in King Philip’s War.⁴

William passed away on August 18, 1690, leaving Mary alone with several underaged children.¹ Probate began with an inventory on August 28th, followed by other proceedings leading to the distribution of the estate between Mary, her children, and the eight surviving children of his first wife.⁵ But there was an issue that upset Mary — £100 given to her children by her father Ezekiel Cheever was lumped into the rest of the estate. So she wrote to the court, likely by dictating her words to someone who put it on paper:

To the Honored Adjourned Court sitting in Hartford, April 8, 1691:
I understand that in the distribution of my honored husband, Captain William Lewis deed his estate, made by the county court March 8, 1691, your worships have seen [fit] to dispose of my estate or that part viz., the hundred pounds sterling expressed in the jointure made by my honored father Ezekiel Cheever for the only use of me, my heirs and assigns, by which act of distribution I do apprehend that either myself or the three youngest children of the aforesaid Captain William Lewis is, or each of us, wronged. Therefore, having this opportunity, I do see [fit] by my petition to move the honored court to consider the case and to act and do in it according as the rules of equity, law & reason do require. In case my prayer be not considered and my expectation answered herein, I do declare myself justly aggrieved and dissatisfied, and do propose my own intention to make my application to the court of Assistants for relief according as the law do direct.
Your Humble Petitioner, Mary Lewis⁵

Presumably this was all settled favorably for Mary, and on January 3, 1692, she remarried.¹ Her second husband, Thomas Bull, was a widower whose first wife had died in 1691; interestingly, he had been one of the two men that conducted the inventory of William’s estate. Since Mary was already in her 50s, she had no children with Thomas. After he died on May 13, 1708,⁵ he left her a third of his estate, including a house for her use during the rest of her life. Specifically she was also given “the service and command of my negro man named Taylor during her abode in my said house.”³ Slaves were unfortunately common in New England at that time; there had also been several mentioned in William’s inventory who were said to be awarded freedom after he died. 

Receipt showing that Mary had received £30 from her husband's estate.

Mary lived a long life, dying in Farmington at age 87 on July 10, 1728.¹ She had some very important descendants: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, W.K. Kellogg, and Mitt Romney.⁶

Children (all by William Lewis):
1. Elizabeth Lewis — B. 20 Oct 1672, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. 1674, Farmington, Connecticut¹

2. Ezekiel Lewis — B. 7 Nov 1674, (probably) Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. 14 Aug 1755, Boston, Massachusetts;¹ M. (1) Mary Braden (1669-1703), 18 Mar 1702, Boston, Massachusetts;¹ (2) Abigail ________ (~1678-?), 11 Oct 1704, Boston, Massachusetts¹

3. Nathaniel Lewis – B. 1 Oct 1676, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. 24 Feb 1752, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ M. (1) Abigail Ashley (1681-1727), 25 Nov 1699, Westfield, Massachusetts;¹ (2) Thankful Pomeroy (1679-1773), 4 Jul 1726, Northampton, Massachusetts¹

4. Abigail Lewis — B. 19 Sep 1678, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. 24 Jan 1707, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ M. William Wadsworth (~1671-1751), 10 Dec 1696, Farmington, Connecticut¹

5. Joseph Lewis — B. 15 Mar 1680, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ D. about 1680, Farmington, Connecticut¹

6. Daniel Lewis — B. 16 Jul 1681, Farmington, Connecticut;¹ M. Mary Strong (1692-1751), 1 May 1718, (probably) Farmington, Connecticut¹

Sources:
1    Book VXIII of the Genealogy of the Lewis family, William Richard Cutter, 1891
2    Ezekiel Cheever and some of his descendants, John Tyler Hassam, 1879
3    Probate file of Thomas Bull, Farmington, Connecticut, 1708
4    History, Charter and By-laws: List of Officers and Members Together with a Record of the Service Performed by Their Ancestors in the Wars of the Colonies, Society of Colonial Wars, Illinois, 1896
5    Lewisiana, or the Lewis Letter, V. 16-17, 1905
6    FamousKin.com