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 diminishes 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 came 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

Man With Almost No Paper Trail — “James” Fleming

B. about 1778 in Virginia^1,2
M. before 24 Jun 1802 in (probably) Washington County, Kentucky³
Wife: ______ Hand
D. before 1830 in Ohio or Indiana⁴

James Fleming is the speculative link to the paternal ancestors of Mary Fleming (1819-1907). The details which are written here are based on much circumstantial evidence and my own DNA test results.

There are several facts that are certain about the father of Mary. His last name was Fleming, he was born in Virginia (possibly the part that’s now West Virginia),² and since Mary was born in Ohio in 1819,^2,5 we can place him there. He was also married to a woman born in New Jersey² — a less-than common combination of husband and wife birthplaces in early 19th-century America. 

1880 U.S. Census showing Mary (Fleming) Sutherlin and birthplaces of her parents.

Mary first appears in records in Parke County, Indiana, where she married in 1838.⁶ We know that she had a brother Eli who was born in 1804,^7,8 and that two other men also appear to be brothers, James (born 1802)^3,9 and Henry (born 1810).¹⁰ I share various segments of DNA with a few descendants of all three. While these men showed up in records in Parke County, no potential father lived among them, which suggests that their father was deceased by 1830. Also significant is that while the older two brothers were born in Kentucky, Henry was born in Ohio. (There is also a possible sister Susannah who was born in 1823, but it’s uncertain if she might be the daughter of Eli.¹³)

The migration of the Fleming family emerges led by the unnamed father: Virginia to Kentucky to Ohio to Indiana. My DNA results show clustered matches with descendants of another couple who had a similar path, Eli and Jane Hand, except that they wound up in Illinois instead of Indiana.¹⁴ What’s more is that Jane’s maiden name was Fleming, and in 1840, one of her children had a farm sandwiched between two of the Parke County Flemings.¹⁵ We have to assume they were closely related. 

1840 U.S. Census showing George W. Hand between son and son-in-law of Mary Fleming's brother James.

Eli Hand and Jane Fleming were married on July 14, 1804 in Washington County, Kentucky, and accompanying their marriage license was an affidavit verifying the bride’s age signed by James Fleming.¹⁶ Family stories among Eli Hand descendants suggest that this was Jane’s brother.¹⁷ There are also Washington County tax lists between 1796 and 1800 naming a James Fleming, possibly the same man from the marriage record.¹⁸ Jane Fleming said her family had moved to Kentucky during the 1780s, and had been born in Virginia.¹⁷ 

1804 marriage record of Eli Hand and Jane Fleming showing her brother James as witness.

It was said that Jane’s father had served in the American Revolution as a colonel, then went west after the war;¹⁷ this was a typical migration for former soldiers who were paid with bounty land instead of money. Washington County was one of the places many veterans ended up. It was a remote environment to grow up, making social connections often challenging, and some families experienced multiple marriages between two families. And my DNA suggests that this happened between the Flemings and the Hands, because I show strong matches with descendants of Eli Hand’s brother, George Callahan Hand. In other words, James Fleming must have been married to an unnamed sister of Eli.¹⁹

More proof of this is that the Hand family came from New Jersey,²⁰ which was also the birthplace of Mary Fleming’s mother. Also the second son in the family that ended up in Parke County, Indiana was named “Eli H. Fleming,”²¹ and the first born son of Eli Hand was named “James Fleming Hand,”¹⁷ adding more merit to the idea that there was a strong relationship between the two families.

By 1810, the family of Eli Hand moved to Ohio (they would eventually settle in Illinois).²² That same year, Henry Fleming was born in Ohio, then his sister Mary in 1819. The family moved to Indiana within the next ten years, but unfortunately, the name James Fleming isn’t found in records either in place. The younger James Fleming and Eli Fleming were both listed in the 1830 census for Parke County. Eli had an adolescent girl in his household who was too old to be his daughter, and therefore could be his sister Mary. He also had a woman in her forties, who could be his mother as a widow. That would mean James Fleming had died before 1830.³

Will there ever be a paper trail to validate the identity of Mary Fleming’s father? Probably not, what is shown here falls short of the threshold of genealogical proof. Still, it’s worth presenting, especially since the people and scenario I have named here offer an explanation to the unusual migration pattern of Mary Fleming’s parents, and at the same time, fits with my DNA results.

Children:
1. James Fleming — B. 24 Jun 1802, (probably) Washington County, Kentucky;³ D. 10 Nov 1858, (probably) Polk County, Iowa;³ M. Catherine ______ (~1803-?)⁹

2. Eli H. Fleming — B. 16 Feb 1804, (probably) Washington County, Kentucky;²³ D. 6 Sep 1876, Humboldt, Kansas;²³ M. Sarah ________ (~1810-?)⁸

3. Henry Harrison Fleming — B. about 1810, Ohio;¹⁰ D. after 16 Jan 1876, (probably) Humboldt County, California;²⁴ M. (1) Nancy ______ (~1810-?);¹⁰ (2) Nancy Jones (1829-1905), 20 Aug 1854, Clackamas County, Oregon²⁵

4. Mary Fleming — B. 16 Aug 1819, Ohio;^2,5 D. 31 Mar 1907, Grady County, Oklahoma;⁵ M. Jackson Sutherlin (~1815-1878), 17 Jan 1838, Parke County, Indiana⁶

5. (possibly) Susannah Fleming — B. about 1823, Indiana;¹³ D. after 1875, (probably) Allen County, Kansas;¹³ M. John R. Butler (1814-1901), 15 Feb 1841, Daviess County, Missouri²⁶

Sources:
1    The approximate birth year for James Fleming is based on the age of his oldest known child.
2    1880 U.S. Census, Everett, Kansas (showing birth places of daughter Mary’s parents)
3    Find-a-Grave listing of James Flemming (this is James’ son) 
4    1830 U.S. Census, Parke County, Indiana
5    Find-a-Grave listing of Mary Sutherlin 
6    Marriage record of Jackson Sutherlin and Mary Fleming, Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001, Ancestry.com
7    Local news paragraph in newspaper Humboldt Union (Kansas), 26 Sep 1907
8    1860 U.S. Census, Allen County, Kansas Territory
9    1850 U.S. Census, Polk County, Iowa
10  1850 U.S. Census, Holt County, Missouri
11  1840 U.S. Census, Parke County, Indiana (showing Eli and James Fleming)
12  Document regarding purchase of public land by Henry Harrison Fleming, Parke County, Indiana, 30 Sep 1834
13  1875 Kansas State Census, Allen County (listing shows Susan age 52 in household of Eli Fleming age 71)
14  1850 U.S. Census, Crawford County, Illinois
15  1840 U.S. Census, Parke County, Indiana (showing Henry Evans, George W. Hand and Asa Fleming)
16  Marriage record of Eli Hand and Jane Fleming, Kentucky, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1783-1965, Ancestry.com
17  Hand Family Scrapbook, compiled by Margaret Smith Isaac, 1986, pp. 43-44
18  Washington County, Kentucky Tax Books, 1797-1875, FamilySearch.org
19  Joining Hands: Using My DNA to reunite a Midwest family named Hand, Laura Mitchell, 2024
20  Hand Family Scrapbook, compiled by Margaret Smith Isaac, 1986, p.1
21  Document regarding purchase of public land by Eli H. Fleming, Parke County, Indiana, 10 Sep 1838
22  Hand Family Scrapbook, compiled by Margaret Smith Isaac, 1986, pp. 37-39
23  Find-a-Grave listing of Elijah H. Fleming 
24  1876 voters in Humboldt County, California, California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898
25  Marriage record of Henry H. Fleming and Nancy O’Connor, Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011, Ancestry.com
26  Marriage record of John Butler and Susannah Fleming, Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002, FamilySearch.org

A Scot Among New England Puritans — John McDuffee

B. about 1690 in (probably) Londonderry, Ireland¹
M. before about 1720 in (probably) Boston, Massachusetts²
Wife: Mary _______
D. Jul 1752 in Rochester, New Hampshire¹

The Scots-Irish people who came to America in the 18th century moved to places that were away from the coast because land was more plentiful. For those who landed in New England, that meant going up north to New Hampshire. This is where John McDuffee settled and raised his family.

The timing of John’s birth almost dictated his path in life. He is believed to have been born in Londonderry, Ireland in about 1690, and his parents were John and Martha McDuffee (also spelled McAfee),¹ who were known to have at least six other children. The Scottish people who had come to live in Ireland had been there for a couple of generations, and when William of Orange became King of England in 1688, it initiated a period of persecution of the Scottish people. A siege took place in Londonderry during 1689 that caused a famine, but John’s mother Martha was said to have saved enough food in her storage that she kept many people from starving.³

In the decades that followed, many in the Londonderry region were looking to get out. Some were part of a congregation of a minister named James McGregor, and in 1718, he brought a shipload of families to Boston.³ It’s possible that some of the McDuffee family including John and three of this brothers were part of this group, but this is uncertain. What is known is that they took the same path, spending a couple of years in Boston in the 1720s,¹ then heading up to new settlements in New Hampshire; John ended up in the town of Rochester in 1729, where he acquired 85 acres.⁴

Meanwhile John got married somewhere along the way to a woman named Mary, possibly with the last name Daniel. They were likely married in Boston around 1720,² and would have a family of at least eight children born between about 1720 and 1738. All but one of John’s children were known to have reached maturity; one son was a hero in the American Revolution, serving as a lieutenant colonel.⁵

While Rochester, New Hampshire had people like John’s family who were Scottish, many were descendants of the English Puritan settlers who came to New England in the 17th century. The town itself operated in the same way as all New England communities, with the men gathering each month to take care of civic matters. The town meeting notes mentioned John in a few places, paying various required fees and serving on committees. John seemed to be chosen for taking care of financial matters, as on November 24, 1746, he worked with two other men to examine the accounts of the town and “settle with the Reverend Mr. Amos Main according to the forgoing notification…”⁶

John wrote his will on June 4, 1751, describing himself as weak and sick at the time.⁷ In it, he named his wife and eight children, with a curious bequest to each of his daughters to receive a “mourning gown.” Also mentioned were several bibles that he owned, and these he specified for various sons. John died in about July 1752, when his burial was noted in the records of Rochester’s cemetery;¹ his wife Mary survived until 1780.¹ Their farm remained in the family at least until 1882.⁴ Today there’s a McDuffee Street in Rochester — a lasting legacy of one of the town’s earliest settlers.

Children:
1. Jean McDuffee — B. about 1720, (probably) Boston, Massachusetts;⁸ M. ______ Hayes, before 4 Jun 1751⁸

2. Mary McDuffee — B. about 1720, (probably) Boston, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 2 Dec 1751, Newport, Rhode Island;⁹ M. Charles Roger, 12 Nov 1747, Rochester, New Hampshire⁸

3. Matthew McDuffee — B. about 1721, (probably) Boston, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 15 Apr 1799, Bedford, New Hampshire;⁸ M. (1) Nancy Aiken (?-~1757);⁸ (2) Susannah Morrison (1731-1799)⁸

4. John McDuffee — B. about 1724, (probably) Boston, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 15 Oct 1817, Rochester, New Hampshire⁸

5. James McDuffee — B. about 1726, (probably) Boston, Massachusetts;⁸ D. 1800, Rochester, New Hampshire;⁸ M. Mercy Young (1726-1801), Mar 1762, Rochester, New Hampshire⁸

6. William McDuffee — B. before 1 Sep 1728, Rochester, New Hampshire;⁸ D. 9 Jul 1804, Dover, New Hampshire;⁸ M. Martha Allen (1729-1808), 22 Apr 1752, Rochester, New Hampshire⁸

7. Sarah McDuffee — B. about 1735, Rochester, New Hampshire;⁸ D. after 4 Jun 1751⁷

8. Daniel McDuffee — B. 28 May 1738, Rochester, New Hampshire;⁸ D. 26 Feb 1807, Rochester, New Hampshire;⁵ M. (1) Abigail Young (1746-1786), 1 Nov 1764, Rochester, New Hampshire;⁸ (2) Betty Nock (1770-1824), 19 Jul 1787, Rochester, New Hampshire⁸

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing for John McDuffee  
2    Source of marriage year for John McDuffee based on rough age of oldest child
3    Find-a-Grave listing for John McDuffee (Sr.) 
4    History of Rockingham & Strafford Counties, New Hampshire, 1882, p.743
5    Find-a-Grave listing for Capt. Daniel McDuffee 
6    Town Records of Rochester, New Hampshire, 1737-1801, FamilySearch.org
7    Probate record of John McDuffee
8    Five Northern McDuffee Families, Giles F. Carter, 1998, pp. 3-9
9    Find-a-Grave listing for Mary (McDuffee) Rogers

Hired Out By Her Parents — Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau

B. 22 Aug 1679 in Neuville, New France¹
M. 13 Jan 1699 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France²
Husband: Pierre Soucy
D. 31 Dec 1758 in Rivière-Ouelle, New France³

When Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau was still a girl, her family sent her to work as a live-in servant, an act which may have set the course for the rest of her life.

Élisabeth was a second generation Canadian, with her parents Urbain Fouquereau and Jeanne Rossignol having come over from France; her mother had been a Fille du Roi. Élisabeth was born in Neuville on August 22, 1679,¹ the oldest girl in the family, which would grow to include 11 children. Perhaps because of the number of mouths to feed, her parents made the decision to hire her out, and on March 2, 1693, they made a service arrangement with a couple in Quebec City.⁴

The people who took in Élisabeth as a servant were Jaques Pinguet de Vaucourt and Marie-Anne Morin; he was 25-years-old and she was just 17. They had been married for two years (it was common for girls to marry that young in New France), and they had a baby boy by the time Élisabeth joined their household.⁵ Marie-Anne was the granddaughter of Hélène Desportes, the first European born in Canada. Jacques was a well-educated man who would one-day become a notary and judge.⁶

Élisabeth was contracted to work for Jacques and Marie-Anne for three years. What sort of chores did she likely do? Probably look after the baby and help clean the house, things she would have had much experience with already. It isn’t known if Élisabeth returned to her parents after the three years were up, but there’s no indication that she did. It wasn’t until 1698 that she became engaged to get married, and the marriage took place far from home in Rivière-Ouelle. It’s interesting to note that none of her siblings ended up in that region of New France, giving the impression that Élisabeth had made a break from her family.

  Typical servant girl in the 17th century.

The man Élisabeth married was Pierre Soucy, whose family was established on the Côte-du-Sud (south shore of the St. Lawrence). They exchanged their vows January 13, 1699,² and soon after, Élisabeth was pregnant with her first child. Between 1700 and 1725, she had 12 children, of whom three died as infants.

Élisabeth passed away at Rivière-Ouelle on December 31, 1758.³ Her husband Pierre died in January 1760.⁷ They were ancestors of actress Chloë Sevigny.

Children:
1. Marie-Anne Soucy — B. 18 Jan 1700, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;⁸ D. 28 Sep 1785, Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec;⁹ M. Augustin Dubé (1695-1779), 7 Jan 1721, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France¹⁰

2. Pierre Soucy — B. 9 Feb 1702, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;¹¹ D. 27 May 1764, Kamouraska, Quebec;¹² M. Marie-Jean Michaud, 20 Jul 1723, Rivière-Ouelle, New France¹³

3. Joseph Soucy — B. 19 Jul 1704, Rivière-Ouelle, New France; D. 21 Jul 1745, La Pocatière, New France; M. Marie-Madeleine Mignier (1706-1777), 7 Jan 1727, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France

4. Ursule Soucy — B. 28 Jun 1706, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;¹⁴ D. 30 Mar 1754, La Pocatière, New France;¹⁵ M. Michel Mignault dit LaBrie (1697-~1756), 26 Oct 1724, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France¹⁶

5. Marie-Madeleine Soucy — B. 20 Jun 1708, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²⁰ D. 2 Nov 1743, Repentigny, New France;²¹ M. Guillaume Gabriel Miville (1704-1799), 14 Jan 1726, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France²²

6. Angelique Soucy — B. 4 Oct 1710, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²³ D. 29 Oct 1710, Rivière-Ouelle, New France²⁴

7. Jean-François Soucy — B. 14 Feb 1712, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²⁵ D. 8 Sep 1758, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²⁶ M. Claire Rousseau (~1715-1797), 3 Jul 1735, L’Islet-sur-Mer, New France²⁷

8. Marie-Françoise Soucy — B. 28 Jan 1714, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;²⁸ D. 9 Dec 1796, Kamouraska, Quebec;²⁹ M. Jean-Bernard Miville (1711-?), 22 Nov 1733, New France³⁰

9. Marie-Catherine Soucy — B. 27 Apr 1716, La Pocatière, New France;³¹ D. 28 Mar 1769, La Pocatière, Quebec;³² M. (1) Louis Moreau (1707-1737), 17 Jun 1734, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France;³³ (2) Joachim Leclerc (1707-1772), 24 Nov 1738, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, New France³⁴

10. Genevieve Soucy — B. 23 May 1718, Rivière-Ouelle, New France;³⁵ D. 18 May 1719, Rivière-Ouelle, New France³⁶

11. Charles-François Soucy — B. 9 Oct 1721, La Pocatière, New France;³⁷ D. 20 Sep 1753, Fort de la Presqu'Île, New France;³⁸ M. Angelique Lizotte (1711-?) 1745³⁹

12. Jean-Baptiste Soucy — B. 26 Jan 1725, La Pocatière, New France⁴⁰

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Pierre Soucy and Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
3    Burial record of Élisabeth-Ursule Fouquereau, Q.C.P.R.
4    Inventaire des greffes des notaires du Régime français, V. 18, p. 36, Pierre-Georges Roy
5    Baptismal record of Jacques-Nicolas Pinquet de Vacour (younger) Q.C.P.R.
6    Pinguet de Vaucour, Jacques-Nicolas, Dictionary of Canada, Vol. III
7    Burial record of Pierre Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
8    Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
9    Burial record of Marie-Anne Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
10  Marriage record of Augustin Dubé and Marie-Anne Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
11  Baptismal record of Pierre Soucy (younger), Q.C.P.R.
12  Burial record of Pierre Soucy (younger), Q.C.P.R.
13  Marriage record of Pierre Soucy and Marie-Jean Michaud, Q.C.P.R.
14  Baptismal record of Joseph Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
15  Burial record of Joseph Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
16  Marriage record of Joseph Soucy and Marie-Madeleine Mignier, Q.C.P.R.
17  Baptismal record of Ursule Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
18  Burial record of Ursule Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
19  Marriage record of Michel Mignault and Ursule Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
20  Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
21  Burial record of Marie-Madeleine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
22  Marriage record of Guillaume Gabriel Miville and Marie-Madeleine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
23  Baptismal record of Angelique Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
24  Burial record of Angelique Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
25  Baptismal record of Jean-François Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
26  Burial record of Jean-François Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
27  Marriage record of Jean-François Soucy and Claire Rousseau, Q.C.P.R.
28  Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
29  Burial record of Marie-Françoise Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
30  Marriage record of Jean-Bernard Miville and Marie-Françoise Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
31  Baptismal record of Marie-Catherine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
32  Burial record of Marie-Catherine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
33  Marriage record of Louis Moreau and Marie-Catherine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
34  Marriage record of Joachim Leclerc and Marie-Catherine Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
35  Baptismal record of Genevieve Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
36  Burial record of Genevieve Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
37  Baptismal record of Charles-François Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
38  Burial record of Charles-François Soucy, Q.C.P.R.
39  Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française listing of Charles-François Soucy 
40  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Soucy, Q.C.P.R.

Sisters Marrying Brothers — Mary “Polly” Franklin

B.about 1770 in Burke County, North Carolina¹
M. about 1788 in (probably) Burke County, North Carolina²
Husband: William Sutherland
D. before June 1, 1830 in (probably) Indiana³

There was a time in early America when it was common for a pair of siblings to marry another pair of siblings. This was the case for members of the Sutherland and Franklin families of Burke County, North Carolina, and one member of this quartet was Mary “Polly” Franklin.

Polly was born to John and Phoebe Franklin in about 1770, the fifth of their eleven children.¹ Her father was originally from New England and had wound up in the South after serving under George Washington in the French and Indian War.⁴ Burke County was located in the far western part of North Carolina and the family almost certainly lived in a log cabin. Growing up, Polly was likely close with her older sister Jemima and younger sister Lydia as the three girls learned the domestic skills they would need to live on the frontier.

When Polly was still a teen, she married William Sutherland,² a young man from Burke County. They started a family right away with their oldest son born before 1790.^2,5 They would have at least ten children, although not all of their names are known. Polly and William were a couple of years into married life when Polly’s sister Lydia married William’s older brother Fendall.² Had Polly been a matchmaker? Perhaps, but we have no way of knowing. It’s just as likely that in a tight community in such a rural area, everyone knew everyone else socially. With few ways to get around, available mates had to be chosen from those nearby.

A log cabin during the early 1800s.

Through the 1790s, Polly and William remained in Burke County and were enumerated there in the 1800 census.⁶ But shortly thereafter, they picked up and moved across the Appalachians into Kentucky. This was seemingly generated by Polly’s father-in-law, who had served in the American Revolution and appears to have been awarded bounty land.² Of Polly’s family, only Lydia joined this westward migration by virtue of being married to Fendall Sutherland; the rest of the Franklins stayed in North Carolina for another generation or two.⁷

For the first couple of years in Kentucky, Polly and William lived next to Fendall and Lydia, as well as William and Fendall’s parents.⁸ Their father passed away in 1803,² and this seems to have split the Sutherland couples apart somewhat. While Lydia’s husband remained on the tax lists in Lincoln County, Polly’s family wasn’t named, and they next turned up in 1808 in Adair County.⁹ Polly and William were said to have taken in his widowed mother for a time,¹⁰ then a few years later, perhaps around 1815, both of the Sutherland couples left for a place further west: Indiana.²

There’s evidence that the families of Polly and Lydia remained closely tied; both of their husbands appeared on a voters list in August 1819 in Orange County, Indiana.¹¹ This was a newly settled area mostly populated with people who took the same migration route as the Sutherlands. Around this time, Polly’s father died back in North Carolina, and in his will, he left her the sum of two dollars and fifty cents.¹² This was a typical inheritance for daughters in large Southern families because the sons were usually the ones given their father’s land.

Polly’s youngest child was born in about 1815,^13,14 likely in Orange County, but unfortunately, she would not live to see him grow up because she passed away between the 1820 and 1830 censuses.^13,14 The family moved to another county, Putnam, but it isn’t certain if Polly died before or after the move. William was last known to be alive on the 1830 census,¹⁴ and died sometime during that decade. As for Polly's sister Lydia, she lived to the ripe old age of 95, dying in Putnam County on September 18, 1869.²

Children (all except Ervin and Jackson are uncertain):
1. Isaac Sutherland — B. about 1788, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina^2,5

2. Ann Sutherland — B. about 1795, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina;¹⁵ D. before 8 May 1823, (probably) Adair County, Kentucky;¹⁶ M. John H. Boyer (1795-1868), 4 Apr 1815, Adair County, Kentucky¹⁷

3. William Sutherland — B. about 1797, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina^2,6

4. Ervin Sutherland — B. about 1798, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina;¹⁸ D. 10 Dec 1878, (probably) Aldrich county, Missouri;¹⁸ M. Susannah Keith (~1806-?), 27 Nov 1821, Orange County, Indiana¹⁹

5. Jordan Sutherland — B. about 1799, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina;²⁰ D. after 21 Dec 1850, (probably) Vermillion County, Illinois;²⁰ M. Martha Patsy Bailey, 24 Aug 1831, Adair County, Kentucky²¹

6. John Sutherland — B. about 1802, (probably) Lincoln County, Kentucky^2,13

7. Mary Sutherland — B. 28 Jan 1803, (probably) Lincoln County, Kentucky;²² D. 24 Feb 1879, Morgan County, Illinois;²² M. John H. Boyer (1795-1868), 8 May 1823, Adair County, Kentucky¹⁶

7. Jesse R. Sutherland — B. about 1805, (probably) Lincoln County, Kentucky;²³ D. before 1860, (probably) Polk County, Missouri;²⁴ M. Tabitha Wilson (~1805-?),18 Sep 1826, Putnam County, Indiana²⁵

8. [UNKNOWN FEMALE] Sutherlin — B. between 1810 and 1815, (probably) Adair County, Kentucky¹⁴

9. [UNKNOWN FEMALE] Sutherlin — B. between 1810 and 1820, (probably) Adair County, Kentucky¹⁵

10. Jackson Sutherlin — B. about 1815, (probably) Orange County, Indiana;¹⁴ D. before 22 Apr 1878, Merriam, Kansas;²⁶ M. Mary Fleming (1819-1907), 17 Jan 1838, Parke County, Indiana²⁷

Sources:
1    Polly Franklin’s estimated birth year based on date of her marriage
2    Sutherlands and Their Tangled Branches, Robert J. Walsh, 1985, p. 23-31
3    William Sutherland’s household in the 1820 U.S. census had a woman of Polly’s age, but the 1830 U.S. Census did not.
4    John Franklin: An American Hero And His Progeny, Dorsey Wayne Franklin, 1987
5    1790 U.S. Census, Burke County, North Carolina
6    1800 U.S. Census, Burke County, North Carolina
7    “A Mystery Story: The Case of the Origins of John Franklin, Sr. (1729-1819) of Burke County, North Carolina,” Mary Sue Mathys and Dorsey W. Franklin, Franklin Family Researchers United, Vol. 6, April 1993
8    Lincoln County, Kentucky, Tax books, 1787-1875, FamilySearch.org
9    Adair County, Kentucky Tax Books, 1802-1878, FamilySearch.org
10  “Pioneer Life of Fendel Sutherlin,” Anne Sutherlin Waite, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. 31. No. 4, 1930, P. 372
11  History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington Counties, Indiana, Higginson Book Company, 1884, p. 383
12  John Franklin’s will, North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970, FamilySearch.org
13  1820 U.S. Census, Orange County, Indiana
14  1830 U.S Census, Putnam County, Indiana
15  Ann Sutherland’s estimated birth year based on date of her marriage
16  Marriage record of John Boyer and Polly Sutherland, Kentucky, Marriages, 1785-1979, FamilySearch.org
17  Marriage record of John Boyer and Ann Sutherland, K., M.
18  Find-a-Grave listing of Ervin Sutherland 
19  Marriage record of Ervin Sutherland and Susannah Keith, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1806-1861, Ancestry.com
20  1850 U.S. Census, Vermillion County, Illinois
21  Marriage record of Jordan Sutherland and Mary Patsy Bailey, K., M.
22  Find-a-Grave listing of Mary Boyer  
23  1850 U.S. Census, Polk County, Missouri
24  1860 U.S. Census, Polk County, Missouri showing Tabitha Sutherland as a widow
25  Marriage record of Jesse Sutherland and Tabitha Wilson, I., U.S., M. I.
26  “Death on the Rail: A Deaf Man Killed While Walking on a Railroad Track,” The Kansas Star, 11 Apr 1878
27  Marriage record of Jackson Sutherlin and Mary Fleming, Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007, FamilySearch.org

Maybe Died in the Winthrop Fleet — Phillip Sole

B. before 28 Feb 1602 in Sudbury, England¹
M. 11 Aug 1625 in Little Waldingfield, England¹
Husband: John Sayles
D. before 1 Apr 1633¹

When John Winthrop led an effort to transport a large number of followers to the new colony of Massachusetts Bay, a few were said to have died along the way. One of them may have been the wife of John Sayles, Phillip Sole.

The Sole family was based in the cloth industry town of Sudbury, England, which is in Sussex. It was there that a girl was born to James Sole and Ellen Bell, who was baptized on February 28, 1602.¹ They gave their child the unusual name of Phillip (not Phillipa, as some researchers suggest); Phillip was said to be “not an uncommon name for girls” in Suffolk County.¹

Tragically, all three of Phillip’s siblings died very young, and it appears that two of them were victims of a 1604-1605 epidemic that also took the life of their father.¹ Phillip and her mother carried on, possibly by living in the households of relatives. After she came of age, Phillip was living in Little Waldingfield where she married John Sayles on August 11, 1625.¹ She soon gave birth to two daughters, one in 1626,¹ and one in 1628.¹

Essex County was at the center of the Puritan movement in England, and John and Phillip became followers. The church that John Winthrop attended was just a few miles from where they lived.^2,3 Winthrop was a wealthy lawyer who sought to set up a religious haven in America, an endeavor which took shape in the spring of 1630. He wrote down the families he considered good candidates for the new colony, and one of the names on his list was Sayles.¹

The Winthrop Fleet consisted of 11 ships and over 700 passengers, with John Winthrop himself aboard the flagship, Arabella.⁴ Sailing across the Atlantic in the 17th century was no easy thing; ships might be ridden with disease, and if the wind wasn’t working for them, a voyage could take months. It was later reported that 14 people died on one of the ships, The Talbot.¹ Because there were no records of Phillip or her younger daughter in Massachusetts, the assumption has been made that they were among the deaths. 

The Arabella.

John settled in Charlestown and he was among the first members of the church, but Phillip wasn’t mentioned.¹ He became somewhat of a misfit, and was accused of stealing from his fellow settlers; a 1633 record detailed a punishment of whipping and indenture.¹ Perhaps the idea of leaving England had been more Phillip’s than his — she being the more devoted Puritan — but this is speculation. By November 1638, John and older daughter Phoebe took the drastic measure of relocating in New Amsterdam.¹ He remarried to a Dutch woman in 1644,¹ and he died the following year.¹

It’s important to note that no real proof exists that Phillip died while sailing on the historic Winthrop Fleet. Another scenario was that she made it to Charlestown and simply passed away early on. By virtue of having descendants in the New Netherland colony, she is the distant ancestor of James Spader.⁵

Children:
1. Phoebe Sayles — B. before 1 May 1626, Little Waldingfield, England;¹ D. 13 Dec 1666, Flatbush, New York; M. (1) Teunis Nyssen (~1615-~1663), 11 Feb 1640, New Amsterdam, New Netherland;¹ (2) Jan Cornelissen Buys (1629-1690), 24 Aug 1663, Midwout, New Netherland¹

2. Sarah Sayles — B. before 27 Jul 1628, Little Waldingfield, England;¹ D. (probably) young¹

Sources:
1    “The Family of Phillip (Sole) Sayles of the Winthrop Fleet,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 168, January 2014, pp. 43-57
2    Little Waldingfield (Wikipedia article)  
3    Groton, Suffolk (Wikipedia article)  
4    John Winthrop (Wikipedia article)
5    FamousKin.com listing of Teunis Nyssen 

Daughter of a New England Preacher — Lydia Miller

B. 2 Feb 1640 in Rowley, Massachusetts¹
M. about 1656 in Sandwich, Massachusetts²
Husband: Nathaniel Fish
D. after 14 Mar 1694 in (probably) Sandwich, Massachusetts³

Lydia Miller was very young when she got married in the mid-17th century, but she had a pre-nuptial agreement, and this may have been because her father was the town minister.

Lydia was born on February 2, 1640 to John Miller and his wife Lydia,¹ the third of eight children. Her father was a preacher who was sought after by many towns in early Massachusetts, and he had settled for a time in Rowley, where Lydia was born. Within a couple of years, Reverend Miller was recruited by the new settlement of Sandwich, located on Cape Cod in the Plymouth Colony, and the family relocated there.⁴

A house in Sandwich that dates back to 1675.

Sometime during the mid-1650s, Lydia got married to a man named Nathaniel Fish;² this happened no doubt when she was in her mid-teens. He was about 20 years older than she was, and he had a need for Lydia after the death of his first wife left him to raise three young boys. These children now became her charge; she added to the family with about six children of her own, the youngest born in August 1668.

Part of the marriage arrangement was that if Nathaniel died, Lydia would receive a minimum of £66 from the estate.³ It’s easy to imagine that the difference in age between bride and groom caused a need for this protection, but perhaps the status of Lydia’s father being the town minister played into this as well. Their marriage seemed to have some challenges — in 1677, their daughter Lydia was raped by one of Nathaniel’s sons from his first marriage.⁵ The son was found guilty and was publicly whipped, but he was set free after that. Young Lydia went to live in another town where she eventually got married.⁶

Nathaniel passed away, and on March 14, 1694, the pre-nuptial agreement was implemented.² Unfortunately, Lydia only got £31 because that was all the money in his estate. Her brother John joined her in administering the probate. Lydia’s situation was described as, “He had left only a two-room house, five acres of upland, three acres of meadow, an ox, a cow, an old sword, a few books, and a few household items.” Because the cash fell short of the money that was promised, Lydia got everything in the inventory.

Nothing more is known of Lydia as to when and where she died. Some have said she was alive until about 1729, but there is no original source cited for this.³

Children:
1. Lydia Fish — B. about 1657, (probably) Sandwich, Plymouth Colony;⁷ D. 8 Sep 1712, Billerica, Massachusetts;⁷ M. John Jefts (1651-1712), 6 Apr 1688, Billerica, Massachusetts⁶

2. (probably) Mercy Fish — B. (probably) during 1660s, Sandwich, Plymouth Colony;⁸ D. 29 Mar 1734, Sandwich, Massachusetts;⁹ M. Joshua Blackwell (1653-1737), about 1681, Sandwich, Massachusetts⁸

3. Nathan Fish — B. (probably) during the 1660s in Sandwich, Plymouth Colony;¹⁰ M. Deborah Barrows (~1668-?), 20 Dec 1687, Plymouth, Plymouth Colony¹¹

4. Jonathan Fish — B. about 1662, Sandwich, Plymouth Colony¹²

5. Thomas Fish — B. about 1665, Sandwich, Plymouth Colony;¹³ D. 1736, Duxbury, Massachusetts;¹⁴ M. Margaret Woodworth (1673-1723), 10 Jan 1697, Marshfield, Massachusetts¹⁵

6. Samuel Fish — B. 10 Aug 1668, Sandwich, Plymouth Colony¹⁶

Sources:
1    Birth record of Lydia Miller, Vital Records of Rowley, Massachusetts to the year 1849, 1928
2    Marriage year is based on the idea she wasn’t married before age 16, but daughter Lydia wasn’t named as a minor in 1677 court case, so probably was born no later than 1657.
3    WikiTree listing for Lydia (Miller) Fish (1640 - abt. 1729)  
4    WikiTree listing for John Miller (1604-1663)  
5    Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620-1691, Eugene Aubrey Stratton, 1986, pp. 198-199
6    Marriage record of John Jefts and Lydia Fish, Massachusetts Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
7    WikiTree listing for Lydia Fish
8    WikiTree listing for Mercy Fish
9    Death record of Mercy Blackwell, Vital Records of Sandwich, MA to 1885, 1996
10  WikiTree listing for Nathan Fish
11  “Nathan and Deborah (Barrows) Fish of Falmouth, Massachusetts,” Robert E. Bowman, The American Genealogist, V. 80, 2005
12  WikiTree listing for Jonathan Fish
13  WikiTree listing for Thomas Fish
14  Index of Obituaries in Boston Newspapers 1704-1795, Ogden Codman, 1968
15  Marriage record of Thomas Fish and Margaret Woodworth, “Marriages from the Early Records of Marshfield, MA,” The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, V. 6
16  The Fish Family in England and America, Lester Warren Fish, 1948