A House to Help Protect His Town — Thomas Patten

B. Oct 1636 in Cambridge, Massachusetts
M. (1) 1 Apr 1662 in Dedham, Massachusetts
Wife: Rebecca Paine
M. (2) 20 May 1686 in Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Sarah Kendall
D. 14 Jan 1690 in Billerica, Massachusetts

When violence threatened his colonial community, Thomas Patten's house was designated as a safe place where people could gather. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in October 1636 to William and Mary Patten, the third of their six children, and the first to be born in America. Thomas’ family seemed to have humble roots in England, and his father wasn’t among Cambridge’s prominent men.

In 1652, Thomas’ father acquired 80 acres in a new settlement called Shawshin, and he gave the land over to Thomas after he came of age two years later. Shawshin was soon renamed Billerica and laid out as a New England town. Thomas built his house on Long Street, described as being south of the common near the house of Francis Richardson. Over the years, he came to own considerable land in Billerica, and an interest in a sawmill in the nearby community of Pattenville.

Thomas got married on April 1, 1662 to Rebecca Paine, with the wedding taking place in her hometown of Dedham, Massachusetts. Between 1664 and 1680, they had seven children, but Rebecca passed away 11 days after giving birth to their youngest child. On May 20, 1686, Thomas took a second wife, Sarah Dunton, a widow from Reading whose maiden name was Kendall. They had two children, including a son named Kendall, a tribute to Sarah’s father who had no sons to pass along his name.

Thomas does not seem to have taken an active part in the public affairs of Billerica, with his name only appearing in records regarding military duty. In 1664, he was fined thirteen shillings for not showing up to do required militia drills. But during King Philip’s War in 1675, when Billerica was under the threat of attack, Thomas did comply with an order to make his home into a “garrison house.”

What did this mean exactly? In early colonial New England, towns that were on the frontier were vulnerable to raids by warring tribes. If a town hadn’t built a stockade to protect it, they were forced to assign certain houses as places for people to gather in case of attack. Thomas’ home was selected either because of its location or design (a more solid house was preferred as a garrison). The order named five militia men who were assigned to his house, and Thomas was made “overseer,” meaning that it was his duty to “regulate the work of the garrison and determine what should be done for fortifying it.” Luckily, the plan was never used because Billerica was spared from attack.

A typical garrison house in 1675 Massachusetts. (AI-generated image)

Not long after his youngest son was born, Thomas died in Billerica on January 14, 1690. He left a will written just hours before he died, and the inventory of his property showed a value of £308. It’s interesting that he mentioned that his wife Sarah had loaned him £3 when she married him, and he made sure to pay her back in the will. Sarah remarried that same year, and passed away in 1734.

Children by Rebecca Paine:
1. Mary Patten – B. 21 Aug 1664, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Benjamin Cromwell, 5 Mar 1703

2. Thomas Patten – B. 22 Mar 1666, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 14 Sep 1752, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Hannah Foster (1669-1742), 21 Dec 1699, Billerica, Massachusetts

3. Nathaniel Patten – B. 14 Sep 1668, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 2 Apr 1718, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Hannah Ross (1679-1756), 6 Dec 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts

4. William Patten – B. 12 May 1671, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 5 Oct 1730, Cambridge, Massachusetts; M. (1) Mary _______ (~1668-1716); (2) Elizabeth ______, 1717, Billerica, Massachusetts 

5. Rebecca Patten – B. 29 Jan 1675, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 13 Feb 1750, Cambridge, Massachusetts; M. Joseph Davis (1669-1747), 18 Jun 1691, Billerica, Massachusetts

6. Sarah Patten – B. 18 Jun 1677, Billerica, Massachusetts

7. Elizabeth Patten – B. 8 May 1680, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. James Wright (1677-1735), 7 May 1701, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Children by Sarah Kendall:
1. Mehitable Patten – B. 28 Feb 1687, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 13 Jan 1743, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. William French (1687-1746), about 1712

2. Kendall Patten – B. 20 Apr 1689, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 14 Dec 1770, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. (1) Abigail ______ (?-1718); (2) Abigail Kittredge (1700-?)

Sources:
Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Vol. 1, William Richard Cutter and William Frederick Adams, 1910
The history of Peter Parker and Sarah Ruggles of Roxbury, Massachusetts and their ancestors and descendants, John William Linzee, 1918
Patten Genealogy, Thomas Baldwin, 1908
WikiTree
King Philip’s War (Wikipedia article)

Descended From Magna Carta Barons — Anne Derehaugh

B. about 1584 in Badingham, England
M. about 1603 in (probably) Suffolk, England
Husband: John Stratton
D. after 1642 in (probably) Massachusetts

A minority of people who migrated to colonial New England had connections to royalty, but some of Anne Derehaugh’s ancestors were also involved in the creation of the Magna Carta. Her pedigree included 8 of the 25 barons who were behind the historic document, and 5 other barons were first cousins of her ancestors. And Anne was a direct descendant of the other significant Magna Carta figure — King John.

Anne was born in about 1584 in Badingham, England, a village in Suffolk. Her parents were William Derehaugh and Mary Wright, and she was one of ten children. When Anne was around age 19 in about 1603, she married John Stratton, who was of a similar upper-class background, and they had nine children together. As oldest surviving son, Anne’s husband had inherited most of the property of the Stratton family, which passed to Anne and their children after his death in May 1627. This included a house called Kirton Hall, which had been in the Stratton family for over 250 years, as well as another called Thurkalton. 

The area where Anne lived had a high concentration of followers of Puritanism, including some people of wealth. Her family must have been among them, because in about 1630, she and oldest son John sold Kirton Hall and made plans to migrate to New England. The following year, John sailed to the Massachusetts Bay colony, where he had been granted 2,000 acres. A few years later, Anne also came over with daughters Elizabeth and Dorothy, arriving on April 15, 1635 aboard the ship Increase. 

Anne and her family settled in Salem. In 1641, she hired a lawyer in Boston to recover the inheritance of her children from her mother's will of 20 years earlier back in England. The implication is that the grandchildren needed to reach a certain age before receiving the bequests. Anne was recorded in 1642 as being a plaintiff in a suit against “William Pester at Ipswich." This was the last mention of Anne and her date of death is unknown.

Anne’s Historic Ancestors
Anne’s claim to fame comes in her pedigree chart, and her connections to the people behind the Magna Carta were through her mother. The document was written in 1215 after 25 members of the English nobility (the barons) overpowered King John, and forced him to make political concessions. The Magna Carta was the first document to suggest that imprisonment without a fair trial should be illegal, and it has been credited as being the seed of many of the civil liberties that we enjoy today.

The signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

The Magna Carta barons on Anne’s pedigree are John de Lacy, Richard de Clare, Gilbert de Clare, Roger le Bigod, Hugh le Bigod, William d’Aubeney, Robert de Ros and Saher de Quincy. In addition, she has first cousin relationships to William de Lanvallay, Robert FitzWalter, Henry de Bohun, William de Huntingfield, and Robert de Vere. And Anne’s descent from King John also adds his pedigree to hers, which includes kings Henry II, Henry I, William the Conqueror, most of the Saxon kings of England, and Charlemagne.

Anne's connection to King John.

Of course any pedigree that strays this far back into antiquity is far from being proven because any link in the chain that’s incorrect erases that entire line of people. The odds are, though, that at least Anne’s connection to some of the Magna Carta barons are likely accurate.

For all of her notable ancestors, Anne has only one significant direct descendant, John Kerry, who was a 9G grandson.

Children:
1. John Stratton – B. about 1604, (probably) Shotley, England; D. after 8 Jul 1643, (probably) Massachusetts

2. Thomas Stratton – B. about 1606, (probably) Shotley, England

3. William Stratton – B. about 1607, (probably) Shotley, England; D. before Dec 1631, England

4. Margaret Stratton – D. May 1617, Shotley, England

5. Anne Stratton – B. about 1612, (probably) Shotley, England

6. Elizabeth Stratton – B. about 1614, Ardleigh, England; D. before Jul 1668, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. John Thorndike (1603-1668), 1636, Salem, Massachusetts

7. Anthony Stratton – B. about 1615, Badingham, England

8. Dorothy Stratton — B. (probably) Shotley, England

9. Mary Stratton — B. (probably) Shotley, England

Sources:
"The English Ancestry of Anne (Derehaugh) Stratton," Robert Battle, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 155 & 156, 2001-2002
"Notes on Stratton of Salem," E. W. Leavitt, Putnam's Monthly Historical Magazine, 1896
A Book of Strattons, Harriet Russell Stratton, 1908
WikiTree
Magna Carta (Wikipedia article)
Famous Kin (website)

First European Born in Dutch Colony – Sarah Jorise Rapalje

B. 9 Jun 1625 in Fort Orange, New Netherland
M. (1) 1639 in New Amsterdam, New Netherland
Husband: Hans Hansen Bergen
M. (2) 19 Aug 1654 in New Amsterdam, New Netherland
Husband: Teunis Gysbertse Bogaert
D. 1685 in Brooklyn, New York

Of all the sons and daughters of immigrants born in what is now New York, Sarah Jorise Rapalje was the first. Her birth, though not a momentous event when it happened, is worth noting after the fact — in a sense, she was the first true New Yorker.

Sarah’s parents were among the first boatload of colonists from the Netherlands, a group who were sent by the West India Company in 1624. Joris Jansen Rapalje and Catalyntje Trico had married just four weeks before they left for America. After the journey across the Atlantic, the ship sailed up the Hudson River, landing at Fort Orange (present-day Albany). This is where Sarah was born on June 9, 1625, likely in the bark hut that her parents first lived in.

Little girl in the Dutch colony. (AI-generated image)

When Sarah was 2-years-old, Peter Minuit made his famous purchase of Manhattan, and the settlers were brought down to set up the new colony. For about the next ten years, Sarah’s family lived at the southern tip of the island in a house her father built on Pearl Street. The family grew to eventually have eleven children. As the oldest, Sarah likely assisted her mother with taking care of her siblings, but her time in her parents' household was short. During the early days of the colony, marriageable women were few in number, so Sarah was married at age 14. Her husband was Hans Hansen Bergen, a tobacco farmer with a plantation in what is now Greenwich Village.

At her wedding, Sarah was presented with a medallion, which has been handed down over the generations. One side shows a 17th-century Dutch couple being blessed by a Christ figure with an inscription that translates as, “Behold this young woman whom I love and none other. She is my true one, my love and is next to God alone." The reverse side appears to depict Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the text reads, "May my Creator create us, whole flesh and bone into one." The medallion was at some point incorporated into the base of a tankard, and today it’s in the possession of the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

The two-sided medallion given to Sarah on her wedding day.

On July 12, 1640, Sarah gave birth to her first child, and by the end of 1653, she had seven more. At some point, the family moved to a 400-acre farm in Brooklyn, where Hans died on May 30, 1654. As a widow with several children, Sarah needed a new husband, and on August 19th, she married a man named Teunis Gysbertse Bogaert. Seven more children were born to Sarah between 1655 and 1668. It's interesting that among her offspring were two sets of twins, one from each of her husbands.

Sarah seems to have been a prominent woman in her community, and she witnessed many baptisms of friends and family. The fact she was the first person born in the colony was said to be recognized by others; one story claimed that in 1656, she received some land from the colony leaders because of her status, but there's no known documentation of this.

Sometime during 1685, Sarah passed away, likely at her home in Brooklyn. Because of the large family she produced, she was said to have over a million descendants by the 20th century, and among them were Humphrey Bogart and Howard Dean. Along with the medallion, another of Sarah's possessions has survived: a chair that's in the collection of the Museum of the City of New York.

Children by Hans Bergen:
1. Anneken Hansen Bergen – B. 12 Jul 1640, New Netherland D. 1677, Long Island, New York; M. (1) Jan Clerq (~1641-1661), 8 Jan 1661, Flatbush, New Netherland; (2) Derck Jansen Hooglandt (~1635-1728), 8 Oct 1662, Flatbush, New Netherlands

2. Brecktje Hansen Bergen – B.  about Jul 1642; M. Aert Theuniszen Middagh (~1635-~1687), 1662, Brooklyn, New Netherland

3. Jan Hansen Bergen – B. about Apr 1644; M. Jannetje Teunis (1648-?)

4. Michiel Hansen Bergen – B. about Nov 1646; D. 22 Jan 1731; M. Femmetje Denyse (1650-1734)

5. Joris Hansen Bergen – B. about Jun 1649; D. 22 Jan 1731, Brooklyn, New York; M. Sara Strycker (1649-1736), 11 Aug 1678, New York

6. Maritje Hansen Bergen – B. about Oct 1651; D. 9 Sep 1722, Brooklyn, New York; M. Jacob Rutsen (1651-1730), Ulster, New York

7. Jacob Hansen Bergen – B. about Sep 1653, Brooklyn, New Netherland; M. Elsje Frederiks (1658-1720), 8 Jul 1677

8. Catalyntje Hansen Bergen – B. about Sep 1653, Brooklyn, New Netherland; D. 20 Nov 1653, Brooklyn, New Netherland

Children by Teunis Bogaert:
1. Aertje Tunisen Bogaert – B. about 1655, New Netherland; M. Theodore Polhemius, 24 Oct 1677, New York

2. Catalyntje Tunisen Bogaert – B. 16 Dec 1657, Wallabout, New Netherland; M. Jan Teunise Van Middleswart (~1654-?), 16 Nov 1679

3. Neeltje Tunisen Bogaert – B. about 1660, New Netherland; D. young

4. Aaltje Tunisen Bogaert – B. about 1661, New Netherland; M. Charles Claasz, 11 Dec 1681

5. Antje Tunisen Bogaert – B. about 1665, New York; M. Joris Abrahamse Brinckerhoff

6. Neeltje Tunisen Bogaert – B. about 1665, New York; M. Cornelis Teunise Denyse, 22 Aug 1687, New York

7. Gysbert Tunisen Bogaert – B. about 1668, New York; M. Jannetje Van Arsdalen (~1667-1731), 16 Apr 1689, New York

Sources:
Sarah Rapelje (Wikipedia article)
Joris Jansen Rapelje (Wikipedia article)
The Island at the Center of the World, Russel Shorto, 2005
"14 Generations," New York Newsday, 23 Nov 1997
Genealogies of the New Jersey Families: Families A-Z, pre-American nots on old New Netherland families, Genealogical Publishing Company, 1996
GeneaStar: Famous Family Tree and Genealogy (website)

Making the Trip to Migrate Twice — Pierre Jean

B. about Feb 1645 in La Rochelle, France
M. (1) 8 Jul 1668 in La Rochelle
Wife: Françoise Favereau
M. (2) after 13 Aug 1724 in New France
Wife: Marie-Anne Bourassa
D. about 1726 in (probably) St-Jean-Port-Joli, New France

Pierre Jean became so sick on a migration voyage to America, that he had to return to France. But this didn’t stop him from later trying it again—and this time, successfully.

Pierre was born in La Rochelle, France in early 1645 to Vivien Jean and Suzanne Herault, and he was baptized on February 19th at St-Barthélemy Church. Pierre was the second of eight children, and he spent his childhood in Ecoyeux, a suburb of La Rochelle. His father was said to have been a blacksmith, and had built the home where they lived, called Chez Vivien Jean.

At the age of 18, in 1663, Pierre sailed to New France intending to settle there. This was reported to be a disastrous crossing for two ships that traveled together: La Flute Royale de Brouage and L' Aigle d'Or. It was said that "60 passengers died at sea, 75 were left in Newfoundland and 159 others who disembarked at Quebec were in an appalling state." It was further stated that "that there were only 20 men ready to work, the others were so weak that they could barely stand." Thirty-eight passengers were taken to the hospital in Quebec and twelve of them died. It’s believed that Pierre was among the sick, and that in 1664, he was ordered to return to France along with about a dozen other immigrants.

Ship similar to the one Pierre arrived on in 1663.

Pierre stayed in France for several years. He married Françoise Favereau on July 8, 1668 in La Rochelle. Then in June 1669, they migrated to New France together with his two brothers Hélie and Vivien. They all sailed on the ship Pot de Beurre, and it is believed they were under contract as engaged servants.

Pierre and Françoise settled in Charlesbourg, and signed a lease for a farm alongside his brother Hélie. They had four children born between 1672 and 1681. On July 6, 1671, Pierre was hired to remove stumps from a piece of land in Beauport which had previously been owned by Charles Turgeon. He moved around from farm to farm during much of his life and his name appeared on many real estate transactions. During his life, he visited the notaries 60 times. Pierre was a tenant farmer, usually signing agreements to pay his landlords in amounts of grain or butter.

In 1681, Pierre was living at Petite Auvergne, Charlesbourg, with 6 head of cattle and 30 arpents of land under cultivation. In about 1689, he “leased a house from Jean Matheiu on Rue Saint-Nicolas” in Quebec City, and practiced the trade of carter. Four years later, he was back to farming in La Canardière. 

Working as a carter in Quebec City. (AI-generated image)

By the end of 1699, Pierre sold that farm and signed a lease for another on Île-aux-Oies, a sparsely populated island near the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. The deal stated he would have to pay 300 livres annually along with “80 minots of wheat and 1 fat pig.” His son-in law Jacques Chouinard also settled there around the same time. On August 23, 1708, Pierre signed a 3-year lease for a farm on the south shore mainland at St-Jean-Port-Joli. Then in 1712, Pierre and his wife lived on the land previously owned by their deceased son Antoine.

Françoise died in August 1723 at St-Jean-Port-Joli, and on August 13, 1724, the 79 year-old Pierre signed a contract to marry a second wife, Marie-Anne Bourassa. Pierre died just two years later; the exact date of his death is unknown, but it was well before February 10, 1727, when his daughter Louise’s inheritance was mentioned in a record. Pierre was the ancestor of Dan Aykroyd, and Leo Durocher.

Children:
1. Vivien Jean — B. 10 Dec 1672, Quebec City, New France; D. young

2. Pierre Jean — B. 11 Mar 1676, Charlesbourg, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Prinseau (1680-1723), 1 Jun 1700, Quebec City, New France

3. Louise Jean — B. 19 May 1678, La Canadière, New France; D. 1 Jan 1750, St-Jean-Port-Joli, New France; M. Jacques Chouinard (1663-1721), 2 Jun 1692, Quebec City, New France

4 Antoine Jean — B. 7 Jun 1681, La Canadière, New France; D. 3 Dec 1705, Cap-St-Ignace, New France

Sources:
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
Our French-Canadian Ancestors, Gerard Lebel (translated by Thomas J. Laforest), 1990
WikiTree

His Brother’s Crime Changed His Life — Pierre Morin

B. about 1662 in Port-Royal, Acadia
M. 8 Nov 1682 in Beaubassin, Acadia
Wife: Françoise Chiasson
D. April 1741 in St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, New France

Pierre Morin was uprooted from his native Acadia because of the actions of his brother, and corruption in the settlement where he lived.

Pierre was born in Port-Royal, Acadia in about 1662, the son of Pierre Morin dit Boucher and Marie-Madeleine Martin. He was the oldest of their 12 children. At some point, the family migrated to Beaubassin, on the bridge of land where modern-day Nova Scotia joins New Brunswick. Beaubassin had been founded in 1672, and by the 1680s, had a small population of about 20 families.

On November 8, 1682, Pierre married Françoise Chiasson, the 14-year-old daughter of another Beaubassin settler, Guyon Chiasson dit Lavallée. Between 1683 and early 1688, the couple had two or three children born on their Acadian farm. The census of 1686 showed that Pierre had 6 arpents under cultivation, 14 cattle, 6 sheep and 8 hogs.

Then came an event that changed the course of Pierre’s life. In 1687, the 17 year-old daughter of Michel Leneuf, the most important man in Beaubassin, became pregnant out-of-wedlock, and Pierre's brother Louis was named as the father. Leneuf, in collaboration with the parish priest, Father Claude Trouve, sought to punish not just Louis, but all of his close relatives, and it was ruled that the entire clan be banished from Acadia. Louis was sent away on a ship to serve in the French Navy, and he was not heard from again by the family.

The group of people that was exiled consisted of Pierre, his parents and all of his married siblings, plus the wives and children of each. By the spring of 1688, they had all moved to Restigouche, a tiny settlement on a bay north of Acadia, where Pierre's father died within a year. Pierre and his family stayed at Restigouche for at least the next couple of years and had one or two children born there. They relocated to Quebec City, where another son was born, then by March 1697, the family lived on the south shore of the St. Lawrence in Montmagny. At both locations, it’s believed Pierre was helped by a network of family and friends.

Map of the migrations Pierre made during his life.

For a couple of years at the end of the 17th century, Pierre moved his family to a fishing settlement at the mouth of the St. Lawrence called Mont-Louis. In 1699, he was listed in a census of the village along with his wife and children, plus a woman who seems to have been his mother. Two of Pierre’s brothers were also living in the village, and everyone appeared again on the 1700 census.

Mont-Louis was an attempt by French investors to make a permanent fishery close enough to the Atlantic to easily reach it. Just a handful of families settled there, and the venture failed because large ships couldn’t navigate the harbor. Small boats had to take the fish all the way upriver to Quebec City; only then could the fish be loaded on ships going to France. Pierre was listed on the 1700 census as being a boat master, which likely meant he was one of the men taking the fish to Quebec.

During the time at Mont-Louis, Pierre saw the birth of another child, and the marriage of a daughter at age 13. By the spring of 1702, he abandoned the fishing village and moved his family back to Montmagny, where it appears he stayed for the rest of his life. Between 1702 and 1709, four more children were born to complete the family.

On January 17, 1725, Pierre’s family gathered for a meeting to establish the division of his land that the children would inherit. All eleven of the children were in attendance, along wth a priest who recorded the event. All of Pierre’s sons and the wives of his daughters either signed or made their mark on a document defining the agreement. Pierre and Françoise added their marks as well, since neither of them could sign their names.

The signatures and marks of Pierre and his family.

Françoise died sometime between 1727 and 1731. Pierre passed away at St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud in April 1741, and was buried on the 15th of that month.

Children:
1. Pierre Morin — B. 23 Dec 1683, Beaubassin, Acadia; D. 4 Feb 1767, Montmagny, Quebec; M. Marie Boulé (~1686-1764), 10 Jan 1707, Montmagny, New France

2. Barbe Morin — B. about 1685, Beaubassin, Acadia; D. 29 Jan 1753, (probably) New France; M. Michel Harbour (1674-1758), about 1701, (probably) Mont-Louis, New France

3. Marie Morin — B. 1687 or 1688, (probably) Beaubassin, Acadia; D. 8 Apr 1770, St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Quebec

4. Sébastien Morin — B. about 1692, Restigouche, New France; D. Nov 1756, St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, New France; M. (1) Françoise Blanchet (1694-1742), 3 Nov 1717, Montmagny, New France; (2) Marie-Anne Frégeau (1700-?), 25 Feb 1743, St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, New France

5. Denis Morin — B. Aug 1694, Quebec City, New France; D. 20 Sep 1768, St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud,, Quebec; M. Madeleine Boulet, 20 Nov 1718, New France

6. Agathe Morin — B. about Mar 1697, Montmagny, New France; D. Jul 1733, St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, New France; M. Jacques Boulet (1689-1771), 6 Jan 1715, Montmagny, New France

7. Michel Morin — B. about 1699, Mont-Louis, New France; D. Jun 1767, Kamouraska, Quebec; M. Marie Frégeau (1702-1797), 7 Jan 1727, Montmagny, New France

8. Jean-Baptiste Morin — B. 22 Apr 1702, Montmagny, New France; D. 19 Apr 1782, St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Quebec; M. Félicité Lemieux (1720-1786), 25 Jun 1739, Cap-St-Ignace, New France

9. Antoine Morin — B. Oct 1704, St-Thomas, New France; D. 3 Mar 1776, St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Quebec; M. Marguerite Daniau (~1716-1788), 25 Oct 1734, St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, New France

10. Charles Morin — B. Jan 1707, Montmagny, New France; D. 17 Dec 1786, St-François-de-la-Rivière-du-Sud, Quebec; M. Claire Destroismaisons (1710-1787), 21 Oct 1731, St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, New France

11. Marie-Françiose Morin — B. May 1709, Montmagny, New France; D. 6 Apr 1783, Montmagny, Quebec; M. Joseph Coté (1704-1777), after 22 Nov 1734, (probably)  St-Pierre-de-la-Riviére-du-Sud, New France

Sources:
"The Morins of Acadia," French-Canadian and Acadian Genealogical Review, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1968
Dictionnaire Genealogique des Familles Acadiennes, Stephen A. White, 1999
Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française (website)
Parks Canada History (website)

1699 and 1700 Mont-Louis Census 

BAnQ

English Vicar Turned Puritan — William Worcester

B. about 1601 in (probably) Rugby, England
M. (1) 11 Feb 1627 in Olney, England
Wife: Sarah
M. (2) 22 Jul 1650 in Salisbury, Massachusetts
Wife: Rebecca Swayne
D. 28 Aug 1662 in Salisbury, Massachusetts

William Worcester was a 17th-century minister in the Church of England, but his non-conformist views caused him to be ousted from his post, and he founded a family in America as a result.

William's origins are unknown, though some feel he was the son of Joseph Worcester of Rugby, England. He was born in about 1601, and he attended St. John's College at Cambridge in 1620. William was ordained as a deacon at Peterborough Cathedral on December 21, 1622, and during the summer of 1624, he was made vicar of Olney (in Buckinghamshire). He got married in Olney to a woman named Sarah on February 11, 1627. They eventually had 13 children, of which 8 died young.

Interior of church in Olney where William served as vicar. (Source: Robin Drayton)

In telling the story of William’s work as a minister, it’s helps to understand the times in which he lived. Puritans were extremists in England who developed their views after the break with the Catholic Church in the 16th century. Certain people felt the Church of England kept too many traditions of Catholicism, and wanted to practice their religion more like the Calvinist sects which were in other parts of Europe. Some tried to stay within the official church by advocating to reform it, and William was an example of this. But after Charles I became king in 1625, authorities sought to crack down on such dissenters, and it became much harder for him to preach to his congregation.

Those working for Charles I passed new rules to keep non-conformists in line. One Sunday in 1636, all ministers in the Church were ordered to read from "the King's book," telling their congregations that they were allowed to participate in sports and recreation after church service was over. This was something William believed was wrong, and for refusing to read the passage, he was reprimanded and stripped of his office as vicar.

Within two years, William migrated to America with his family and he was welcomed as a minister in the Massachusetts Bay colony. Sometime between 1638 and 1639, he became pastor of the church in Salisbury, where he was now able to preach according to his beliefs. His status as minister made him one of Salisbury's early prominent men. As a member of the community, William received land when a new tract was acquired by the town in 1640, and also in 1654.

William's wife Sarah passed away on April 23, 1650, and on July 22 of that year, he married Rebecca Hall, a widow whose maiden name was Swayne. He continued as Salisbury's minister until he died on August 28, 1662.

William left a large number of descendants, and among them was Bette Davis.

Children (all by Sarah):
1. Patience Worcester — B. 1630, Olney, England; D. 19 Nov 1630, (probably) Olney, England

2. Susanna Worcester — B. 2 Jan 1631, Olney, England; D. 23 Jul 1690, Ipswich, Massachusetts; M. Thomas Stacy (1622-1689), 4 Oct 1653, (probably) Massachusetts

3. Mary Worcester — B. about 1632, (probably) Olney, England; D. young, (probably) Olney, England

4. Samuel Worcester — B. 20 Nov 1634, Olney, England; D. 20 Feb 1681, Lynn, Massachusetts; M. Elizabeth Parrat (1640-1690), 29 Nov 1659, Rowley, Massachusetts

5. John Worcester — B. 1636, Olney, England; D. Mar 1637, Olney, England

6. Sarah Worcester — B. 1636, (probably) Olney, England; D. young, (probably) Olney, England

7. William Worcester — B. 6 Mar 1638, (probably) Olney, England; D. 1683, Boston, Massachusetts

8. Sarah Worcester — B. 4 Apr 1641, Salisbury, Massachusetts; D. 4 Apr 1641, Salisbury, Massachusetts

9. Timothy Worcester — B. 14 May 1642, Salisbury, Massachusetts; D. about 1672, Salisbury, Massachusetts; M. Susanna (~1647-1730), before 12 Mar 1667, Salisbury, Massachusetts

10. Moses Worcester — B. 10 Nov 1643, Salisbury, Massachusetts; D. after 1731, Kittery, Maine; M. (1) Elizabeth Start (1652-?); (2) Sarah Soper (~1650-?)

11. Sarah Worcester — B. 22 Apr 1646, Salisbury, Massachusetts; D. about 9 Jan 1648, Salisbury, Massachusetts

12. Elizabeth Worcester — B. 9 Apr 1648, Salisbury, Massachusetts; D. before 9 Jan 1649, Salisbury, Massachusetts

13. Elizabeth Worcester — B. 9 Jan 1649, Salisbury, Massachusetts; D. before 1662, Salisbury, Massachusetts

Sources:
The Worcester family; or the descendants of Rev. William Worcester, W.W. Kellogg, 1856
The Life and Labors of Rev. Samuel Worcester, D.D., Samuel Melancthon Worcester, 1852
WikiTree
The Worcester Family (website) John P. Worcester, Aspen Colorado, 2004
Puritans (Wikipedia article)

Famous Kin (website)
History of the Puritans in North America (Wikipedia article) 

A Victim of Typhoid Fever — Medad Lyman

B. 18 Mar 1770 in Charlotte, Vermont
M. (1) before 1797 in (probably) Charlotte, Vermont
Wife: Anne Clapp
M. (2) 5 Dec 1805 in (probably) Charlotte, Vermont
Wife: Olive Mead
D. 5 Feb 1813 in (probably) Charlotte, Vermont

In early 1813, a deadly epidemic took several members of a family in Vermont. One of the fatalities was Medad Lyman, who left three young girls without a father.

Medad was born on March 18, 1770 in Charlotte, Vermont, to Oliver Lyman and Eleanor Lyman, the eighth child in a family of ten. Medad’s parents were first cousins, and his father served as a captain in the American Revolution when he was a boy. Sometime before 1797, Medad married Anne Clapp, probably in Charlotte. They had three daughters; the older two were Minerva and Sophia, but the youngest died as an infant, and Anne died about a week after to giving birth to her. Medad married a second wife, Olive Mead, a widow, on December 5, 1805, and they had one daughter, Anne, born in 1806.

In 1801, the men of Charlotte petitioned to establish a Masonic lodge, and Medad became its first master. Freemasonry had become popular in America during the 18th century, and a chapter was started in nearby Burlington in 1795. The 1801 petition named him as “Brother Medad Lyman,” so he had likely been involved with the Burlington lodge as well. 

A Masonic meeting. (AI-generated image)

Then tragedy struck Medad’s world: an epidemic of typhoid fever that swept parts of northern New England beginning in about November 1812. The disease had causes that were unknown to medical people at the time, and so it spread easily among the population. Typically a case would begin with flu-like symptoms and the patient would deteriorate into a high fever by the second week. Some people recovered, but others didn’t.

Medad was only 42 when he passed away from typhoid on February 5, 1813. His brothers Gad and Jared also died around the same time he did, as well as his brother-in-law Zenas Clark, and a daughter of his older sister Abigail. The town of Charlotte was said to have lost 70 people in the epidemic.

Since Medad died so suddenly, he didn’t leave a will, and his probate file was thick (the file is mistakenly mixed in with another man named Medad Lyman who died in 1802). His widow Olive was appointed administrator along with two other men. The inventory of his property taken on April 2, 1813 showed the value of his real and personal estate at $1,879.80, but after paying off his debts, the amount shrank to just $366.75. This was divided among Olive and the three surviving daughters of Medad; the process took over five years to settle.

Tally of the value of Medad’s estate.

Meanwhile, oldest daughters Minerva and Sophia were sent to live with other relatives. Olive remarried to a man named Jeremiah Barton; she died in 1836 in Charlotte.

Children by Anne Clapp:
1. Minerva Lyman – B. 3 Mar 1797, (probably) Charlotte, Vermont; D. after 1865

2.  Sophia Lyman – B. 21 Sep 1800, Charlotte, Vermont; D. 2 May 1838, Nelson, New Hampshire; M. Abel Kittredge (1798-1882), 28 Jan 1824, Nelson, New Hampshire

3. Anne Lyman – B. 5 Dec 1802, Charlotte, Vermont; D. 18 May 1803, (probably) Charlotte, Vermont

Children by Olive Mead:
1. Anne Marie Lyman – B. 25 Oct 1806, Charlotte, Vermont; D. 1879, Nelson, New Hampshire; M. Abel Kittredge (1798-1882), 29 Nov 1838, Nelson, New Hampshire

Sources:
Genealogy of the Lyman Family in Great Britain and America, Lyman Coleman, 1872
Tombstone inscriptions in Barber Hill Cemetery, Charlotte, Vermont
History of Chittenden County, William S. Rann, 1886
The Kittredge Family in America, Mabel T. Kittredge, 1936
Death certificate of Abel Kittredge, 13 Sep 1882, Boston, Massachusetts
Probate file of Medad Lyman, 1802, Chittenden County, Vermont