Of a Staten Island Family — Jan Jansen Van Pelt

B. about 1680 in (probably) Staten Island, New York¹
M. before 22 Oct 1710 in (probably) Staten Island, New York²
Wife: Aeltje Hooglandt
D. before 22 Mar 1762 in (probably) Staten Island, New York³

There is little known about the life of Jan Jansen Van Pelt, aside from the detailed will that he left, and a few baptismal records from his church.

Jan’s parents were said to be Jan Teunissen Van Pelt and Maria Pieterse, and he was one of nine children. His birth was in about 1680, although this a rough estimate; he was likely born on Staten Island, where his father was a prominent man.¹ Staten Island was in the process of being settled by Dutch families and others from Manhattan and Brooklyn, and by 1698, the population was 727.⁴

Jan first appeared in records on a 1710 baptism of a daughter, Marritje (a Dutch variation of Mary), at the Reformed Dutch Church of Staten Island;² the records for that year didn’t list the mother of the child, so it’s an assumption that this was him. Two other baptisms with Jan Van Pelt as the father gave the mother’s name as Aeltije Hooglandt.^5,6 It’s unknown what her connection is to the Hooglandt family of early New York. Some sources claim that there were several other children;² but they can be eliminated because the baptisms identified the father as “Jacob Van Pelt,” which was clearly not him. Jan and Aeltje were named as witnesses in many baptismal records of the Reformed Dutch Church of Port Richmond.

It’s likely that Jan, or John as he was known later in life, worked as a farmer. Books on the Van Pelt family say that he was the captain of a sloop that sailed from New York to North Carolina, but there is no original source for this.² Given that Staten Island had easy access to the New York Harbor, it’s possible that it was true. 

Jan was about 80-years-old when he made out his will dated November 11, 1761,³ revealing most of what we know about him. He mentioned his wife Aeltje, leaving her their furniture, and suggesting that the executors of his estate would make sure she would get the support she needed. Of his children, he only named daughters Mary and Sara, and both of them were already dead, so the heirs were their children. Specifically he listed Mary’s son John Van Tuyl, and Sara’s children Aylte Symonsen, Van Pelt Symonsen, Akert, Marytie, Elizabeth, Symon, Johanes, and Evert.

Jan’s probate was complete on March 22, 1762, so he passed away by that date.³ It isn’t known what became of Aeltje after he was gone.

Children:
1. Maritje (or Mary) Van Pelt — B. (possibly) 22 Oct 1710, Staten Island, New York;² D. after 2 Jun 1734, Staten Island, New York;⁷ M. Abraham Van Tuyl (~1714-1791), (probably) Staten Island, New York⁷

2. Sara Van Pelt — B. before 25 Jan 1719, Staten Island, New York;⁵ D. before 11 Nov 1761;³ M. Simon Simonse, before 1736, Staten Island, New York²

3. Catalyntje Van Pelt — before 16 Oct 1720, Staten Island, New York⁶

Sources:
1    Birth year is rough estimate based on older brother Pieter being born in 1680
2    A Genealogy of the Van Pelt Family, Effie M. Smith, 1913
3    Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate’s Office, City of New York, 1893, pp. 282-283
4    Timeline of Staten Island (Wikipedia article)
5    Baptismal record of Sara Van Pelt, U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989, Ancestry.com 

6    Baptismal record of Catalyntje Van Pelt, R. of the R. D. C. of P. R.

7    Baptismal record of Jan Van Tuyl, New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962, FamilySearch.org

Among the Gentry of Colonial Virginia — John Chiles

B. about 1666 in Jamestown, Virginia^1,2
M. (1) before 29 Sep 1693 in (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia²
Wife: Mary _______
M. (2) before 23 Oct 1698 in (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia^2,3
Wife: Eleanor (possibly) Webber
D. about 1723 in King William County, Virginia²

The House of Burgesses in colonial Virginia was a legislative body that worked in tandem with the English crown, giving the men who lived in the colony a voice in their own affairs. Inspired by the English House of Commons, it would in turn one day inspire the creation of the U.S. House of Representatives. And one man who served in it during the early 18th century was John Chiles.

John had been born in about 1666 to Walter Chiles and Mary Page, the second of their two children.¹ He was likely born at Kemp House in Jamestown,² which claims to have been the first brick dwelling in America.⁴ His father and both of his grandfathers had also been members of the House of Burgesses,² and his paternal grandfather was elected to it the first year it existed.⁵

All of John’s heritage was from the gentry class of Virginia, defined as large land-owners of English descent who were not of the nobility. The colony was founded in 1607 by a rougher mix of men; the success of it didn’t take hold until the 1620s and 1630s when men with a little money came over and acquired huge amounts of land. The families of these settlers would dominate Virginia for centuries, and many of course were among the founding fathers of the United States. Unfortunately slavery was also a big part of their story, and accumulating wealth off the labor of others allowed the gentry class to participate in local government.

In addition to inheriting Kemp House after his father died, John owned over 1,200 acres in what is now King William County, Virginia.⁶ This was a narrow strip of land formed by two small rivers (the Pamunkey and Mattaponi) coming together to form a larger river (the York). Wealthier Virginians were acquiring rich-soiled farmland along the rivers and turning them into successful tobacco plantations, and this seems to be what John did.

There is only sketchy information about John’s two marriages and his children. We know that his first wife was named Mary from a document dated September 29, 1693,² and that by about 1697, they had produced a son and two daughters. The girls aren’t identified by their first names, but the boy was called Walter.² Then Mary died, and John married a woman named Eleanor,² with whom he fathered four more children. As with most families of colonial Virginia, the lack of vital records doesn’t offer us complete lists of offspring, and there may have been many more children in John’s family.

As early as 1693, John was elected to the House of Burgesses.⁷ Twice he was mentioned as a messenger, which was a person who sometimes interacted with other English colonies. And in 1702, John performed the duties of “mace bearer.”² The mace was a ceremonial staff which represented the authority who ruled above the House — in this case the crown of England. When the members gathered, the bearer marched in holding the mace in front of him, to signal that the session could officially begin. The tradition of mace bearer is still practiced today in the U.S. House of Representatives with an eagle emblem instead of a crown. 

Mace bearer in the House of Burgesses. (AI-generated image)

Besides his plantations, one of John’s business interests included part ownership of a ship named The Westover from 1700 to 1702.² It was a sloop of forty tons, built in Virginia in 1693, and he owned it with William Byrd and William Randolph, two important members of Virginia’s gentry class. Byrd was considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia, and Randolph would become the great-grandfather of Thomas Jefferson.

John continued serving in the House of Burgesses until 1723 when he was mentioned in a report issued on May 10th that implied that he had just died.² He was only about 57 at the time of his death and didn’t seem to leave a will. John’s wife Eleanor survived him, remarrying to a man named Edward Hickman, and moving to Albemarle County.⁸ She was still living in 1758.⁸

Children by Mary _______:
1. Walter Chiles — B. 1690s, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;² D. 1760, Amelia County, Virginia²

2. _______ (female) Chiles — B. 1690s, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;² D. before 1760;² M. William Carr²

3. _______ (female) Chiles — B. 1690s, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;² D. before 1760;² M. Joseph Sutherland^2,9

Children by Eleanor ________:

1. Henry Chiles — B. 23 Oct 1698, King and Queen County, Virginia;¹⁰ D. 10 Jun 1763, Spotsylvania County, Virginia;¹⁰ M. (1) Mercy Webb (1696-1750), 1735, Virginia;¹⁰ (2) Mary Chiles (1704-1759); (3) Susannah Dicken (1713-1784)¹⁰

2. Susannah Chiles — B. 28 Apr 1700, King and Queen County, Virginia;¹¹ D. 29 Jun 1754, Louisa County, Virginia;¹¹ M. Joseph Martin (~1700-?), 1736, Virginia¹¹

3. John Chiles — B. about 1700, (probably) King and Queen County, Virginia;¹² D. before 10 Oct 1774, (probably) Louisa County, Virginia¹²

4. Jane Chiles — B. about 1704, Virginia;¹³ M. John W. Wright¹³

Sources:
1    The year 1666 is a rough estimate based on his parents and his own adulthood. According to one source, John Chiles witnessed a deed in 1674, and assuming he was an adult, his birth year would have been in the mid-1650s. But his mother Mary (Page) Chiles could not have been born before the 1640s.
2    “Walter Chiles II,” Virginia Lee Hutchinson Davis, Tidewater Virginia Families, 2004, pp. 215-220
3    WikiTree listing of John and Eleanor’s oldest son Henry Chiles
4    A Timeline for Structures at Jamestown related to the Chiles Family (website)
5    “Walter Chiles I,” Virginia Lee Hutchinson Davis, Tidewater Virginia Families, 2004, pp. 209-213
6    WikiTree article of John Chiles
7    The Compendium of American Genealogy, Volume VII, p. 194
8    WikiTree listing of Elender (Webber) Hickman
9    Joseph Sutherland’s son Fendall appears on several documents associated with Walter Chile’s property and estate, but Fendall is too young to be the Sutherland man who married the Chiles woman, so it’s inferred it was his father Joseph.
10  WikiTree listing of Henry Chiles
11  WikiTree listing of Susannah (Chiles) Martin
12  WikiTree listing of John Chiles (the son)
13  WikiTree listing of Jane (Chiles) Wright

Militia Captain of Hingham, Massachusetts — John Smith

B. before 25 Jul 1623 in Stratton St. Michael, Norfolk, England¹
M. 8 May 1645 in Hingham, Massachusetts²
Wife: Sarah Woodward
D. 27 Apr 1695 in Hingham, Massachusetts³

Some men who settled in Puritan New England were well-suited to take on military leadership in their communities. This seems to be the case for John Smith of 17th-century Hingham, Massachusetts.

John was born in about 1623, and baptized on July 23rd at Stratton St. Michael, Norfolk, England.¹ His parents were Henry Smith and Judith Ray, and he was the second oldest of their five children. East Anglia was a hotbed of religious non-conformists, supplying many of the Puritans who went to New England. John’s family migrated in 1638, arriving in Massachusetts on the ship Diligent.⁴

The Smith family settled in Hingham, and on May 8, 1645, John married Sarah Woodward.² Over the next ten years, they had at least six children, with three dying young. Hingham was led by a minister, Reverend Peter Hobart, who often butted heads with the authorities in Boston for doing things like baptizing babies whose parents weren’t Puritan.⁵ His acts of independence were said to have spilled over into the militia, where Hobart’s brother Joshua served as captain. John was a lieutenant in the militia as early as 1661, and he was said to be “Captain Hobart’s able second in rank.”⁶

John’s service in the community extended to civic duties such as being a selectman in 1663, 1665, 1670, 1674, 1675, 1682, and 1683, and representative to the General Court in 1683, 1684, 1685 and 1686.⁷ But his military role may have been his primary focus in life. During King Philip’s War, he was said to have “commanded a fort” in Hingham.⁶ The fort was a garrison house, the place where he lived, which also provided a safe place for other settlers when the town came under attack. There were two other such forts in Hingham, and John was said to have headed one of them in addition to his own.⁶

Captain of the militia. (AI-generated image)

After Joshua Hobart died in 1682, John seems to have taken over the office of captain of the militia.⁶ He was called Captain John Smith, esquire in many Hingham town records, and sometimes he conducted marriages involving people in the military.⁸ His home was “on Main Street, opposite Leavitt Street,”⁶ which was in the heart of town, and he owned a lot of property in the area.

John wrote his will on April 27, 1695, and he died the same day.^1,7 The will was probated on June 6th, with an inventory of £1,106 18s,⁷ which was a substantial amount of money then. The inventory also showed that he owned one “Negro servant” valued at £15; slavery was fairly common in New England at that time. His wife Sarah lived on for many years, and she died on February 7, 1708.⁹

Children:
1. Sarah Smith — B. before 9 Jul 1646, Hingham, Massachusetts;¹⁰ D. before 8 Jun 1708, (probably) Massachusetts;¹¹ M. (1) James Stevens, 14 Mar 1664, Hingham, Massachusetts;¹² (2) Jonathan Franklin (?-1693), 1 Feb 1686, (probably) Massachusetts;¹³ (3) John Field, 30 Aug 1694, (probably) Massachusetts¹⁴

2. Mary Smith — B. before 9 Jul 1646, Hingham, Massachusetts;¹⁵ D. young¹⁶

3. Henry Smith — B. before 26 Mar 1648, Hingham, Massachusetts;¹⁷ D. 17 Apr 1678, (probably) Massachusetts¹⁸

4. Judith Smith — B. before 23 Feb 1651, Hingham, Massachusetts;¹⁹ M. Samuel Mason (1644-1705), 20 Jun 1670, Hingham Massachusetts²⁰

5. John Smith — B. before 18 Sep 1653, Hingham, Massachusetts;²¹ D. after 1 Nov 1728, (probably) Roxbury, Massachusetts;²² M. ______ Peck, 6 Apr 1680, Hingham, Massachusetts²³

6. Mary Smith — B. 10 Oct 1665, Hingham, Massachusetts;²⁴ D. young²⁵

Sources:
1    Christening record of John Smith, England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, FamilySearch.org
2    Find-a-Grave listing of Lt. John Smith
3    Death record of John Smith, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
4    Great Migration: Passengers of the Diligent, 1638
5    Friends of the Old Ship Meeting House (website)
6    History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, Solomon Lincoln, 1893
7    WikiTree listing of John Smith
8    Town records show that a “Captain John Smith” was conducting marriages in Hingham in 1689 and 1690. One record stated, “Abraham Holms was married to Abigail Nicolls, widow the ninth day of April, 1895, by Captain John Smith, esquire, Justice of the Peace.”
9    Death record of Sarah Smith, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
10  Christening record of Sarah Smith, Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915, FamilySearch.org
11  David Franklin’s letter of Guardianship to his uncle John Smith, Suffolk County (Massachusetts) probate records, 1636-1899, FamilySearch.org
12  The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Vol. 6, Robert Charles Anderson, p. 508
13  Birth record of John Franklin, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
14  Marriage record of John Field and Sarah Franklin, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15  Christening record of Mary Smith (older), M., B. & C.
16  John’s daughter Mary, the twin of Sarah, disappeared from records after her christening.
17  Christening record of Henry Smith, M., B. & C.
18  Death record of Henry Smith, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Christening record of Judith Smith, M., B. & C.
20  WikiTree listing of Judith (Smith) Mason
21  Christening record of John Smith, M., B. & C.
22  Probate file of John Smith of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Probate Records, 1636-1899, FamilySearch.org
23  WikiTree listing of John Smith
24  Birth record of Mary Smith (younger), M., B. & C.
25  John’s second daughter Mary disappeared from records after her birth.

Farmer in Early Gowanus — Cornelis Lambertszen Cool

B. about 1590 in (possibly) Doorn, Netherlands¹
M. (1) before 1615 in Netherlands¹
Wife: unknown
M. (2) about 1638 in New Amsterdam, New Netherland¹
Wife: Aeltje Braconie
D. before 30 Dec 1643 in Gowanus, New Netherland²

Cornelis Lambertszen Cool was one of many Dutch men who migrated to New Netherland early, but left little mark, and his surname died out when his only son apparently died childless.

The origins of Cornelis are almost completely unknown. Based on ages of his children, he was born in roughly 1590,¹ and his middle name suggests his father was Lambert Cool. Some researchers have said Cornelis was born in a place called Doorn,³ which was near Amsterdam, Netherlands; since no documentation supports this, it cannot be taken as fact. He got married to an unknown woman, and they had three children born between about 1615 and 1623.¹

Cornelis was said to have migrated to New Netherland during the mid- to late-1630s.² The earliest record of him in America was on June 24, 1638 when he was a plaintiff in a court case in New Amsterdam — he had sued two men named Cornelis and Jan Van Voorst concerning a debt he was owed. It’s likely that Cornelis arrived with his family at least a year or two before that, but this is speculation. At some point, he remarried to a woman named Aeltje Braconie;¹ it’s unknown if the marriage took place in the Netherlands or America. It was a second marriage for her, and she had a daughter from her first husband. Cornelis had no children with his second wife.

During this time, Cornelis’ name appeared in several court records. On August 26, 1638, he was involved in the sale of a horse to Claes Cornelissen.² Then on November 25th, Cornelis had a dispute with Jan Celes for “damages sustained by the defendant’s hogs.”¹ This would suggest the two men were neighbors, and it’s known that Jan Celes lived at what is now Soho. Another curious mention of Cornelis in court records was on March 21, 1639, when he made a declaration of the discharge of Grietje Reyniers for “improper conduct when a waiting girl at Pieter de Winter’s tavern in New Amsterdam.”²

Hogs invading a Manhattan farm. (AI-generated image)

Later that year, on May 17 1639, Cornelis bought 50 acres in Gowanus, with the patent for the land being granted on April 5, 1642.² This is where he apparently took his family and lived for the rest of his life. Gowanus was one of the many new settlements that began during the 1630s, and Cornelis was one of its first farmers; it’s possible that he cultivated tobacco there.⁴

Cornelis lived only about four more years. His wife Aeltje was named as a widow in a document dated December 30, 1643,² so he had died by that date. Cornelis two daughters each left descendants, his son disappeared from records after May 1642.

Children (all by his first wife):
1. Aeltje Cornelis Cool — B. about 1615, Netherlands;⁵ D. Jan 1683, Flatlands, New York;⁶ M. (1) Gerret Wolfertse van Couwenhoven (~1610-?), 24 Jan 1635, New Netherland;⁶ (2) Elbert Elbertszen Stoothof, 27 Aug 1645, New Amsterdam, New Netherland⁶

2. Aechtje Cornelis Cool — B. before 1623, Netherlands;⁷ D. before 21 Jul 1647, New Amsterdam, New Netherland;⁷ M. Claes Janszen (1613-1648), before 22 Aug 1639, New Netherland⁷

3. Lambert Cornelissen Cool — B. about 1627, Netherlands;⁸ D. after May 1642, (probably) New Netherland⁸

Sources:
1    Listing of Cornelis Lambertszen Cool in Brouwer Genealogy Database
2    “Aeltje Braconie-Baddie-Cool-Bredenbent Family Notes,” New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, V. 65, John Reynolds Totten, Jul 1934
3    WikiTree listing of Cornelis Lamberts Cool
4    Gowanus Canal (Wikipedia article)
5    Estimated birth year based on age at first marriage
6    Listing of Aeltje Cornelis Cool in Brouwer Genealogy Database
7    Listing of Aechtje Cornelis Cool in Brouwer Genealogy Database
8    Listing of Lambert Cornelissen Cool in Brouwer Genealogy Database

The Symbols of Death — Sarah ________

B. about 1626 in (possibly) Essex, England¹
M. (1) before 1652 in (probably) Massachusetts²
Husband: Jacob Parker
M. (2) 4 Aug 1675 in Malden, Massachusetts³
Husband: John Waite
D. 18 Jan 1708 in Malden, Massachusetts¹

Ornate tombstones are seemingly a random thing, tributes to a person who otherwise might not be remembered. When Sarah Waite died in 1708, those she left behind chose to honor her with a grave filled with carved symbols that were in vogue at the time.

Sarah’s origins are unknown; some claim her maiden name was Wyman, but this is unproven. From later records, we know that she was born in about 1626,¹ and circumstances would offer the assumption she was from somewhere in England. By 1652, she was married to Jacob Parker, a settler of Chelmsford, Massachusetts.² Between 1652 and 1667, she gave birth to nine children, all of whom survived childhood.

Jacob became the town clerk in Chelmsford, but sadly, in 1669, he died at the age of 42.⁴ This left Sarah to manage a household filled with young children; likely her 17-year-old son stepped in to help out. It wasn’t until August 4, 1675 that Sarah remarried to John Waite of Malden, Massachusetts;³ he was a widower with several children to look after. It’s interesting that both of Sarah’s husbands came from Essex, England, which would suggest perhaps that’s where she was from.

John Waite was a noted settler of Malden, and he took command of a company during King Philip’s War.⁵ At some point, though, he became blind,⁵ and presumably Sarah took on a greater role in running the household. John died on September 26, 1693,⁶ leaving her a widow again. With many descendants, Sarah was presumably surrounded by loved ones when she passed away on January 18, 1708 at the age of 82.¹ She was the 3G grandmother of President Franklin Pierce.

When Sarah was buried in Malden’s Bell Rock Cemetery, the trend was to make a gravestone carved with lots of symbolism. On her marker we see a skull with wings, a basic representation of death. Beneath that is a panel containing an hourglass bookended by two Latin phrases. “Memento Mori” meant “remember to die,” a nod to mortality, and “fugit hora” was another way of saying that time flies, or that life is short. 

Grave of Sarah Wayte. (Source: Find-a-Grave)

One other element of Sarah’s tombstone is a distinct design of two narrow panels on either side with a face at the top and some inverted flower or foliage below it. This was a more unusual design; another gravestone that has it appears to be the work of the same carver and was roughly the same time and place as Sarah’s death.

Children (all by Jacob Parker):
1. Jacob Parker — B. May 1652, Massachusetts;² D. 31 Oct 1694, Malden, Massachusetts;² M. Joanna Call (1659-1737), before May 1677, Malden, Massachusetts²

2. Sarah Parker — B. 14 Jan 1654, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁷ D. 26 Sep 1739, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁸ M. Nathaniel Howard (1640-1709)⁸

3. Ruth Parker — B. about 1655, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁹ D. 18 Sep 1719, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁹ M. Pelatiah Adams (1646-1725), about 1673, Chelmsford, Massachusetts⁹

4. Thomas Parker — B. 28 Mar 1656, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁰ D. 8 May 1698, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹¹ M. Mary Fletcher (1658-1714), 21 Oct 1678, Chelmsford, Massachusetts¹²

5. Tabitha Parker — B. 26 Feb 1658, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹³ D. 31 Jan 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁴ M. Stephen Peirce (1651-1733), 18 Nov 1676, Chelmsford, Massachusetts¹⁵

6. Rebecca Parker — B. 29 May 1661, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁶ D. 25 Mar 1754, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. (1) Jonathan Danforth (1659-1711), 27 Jun 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ (2) Joseph Foster (1650-1721), 1718, Massachusetts¹⁷

7. Benjamin Parker — B. 8 Aug 1663, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁹ D. 14 Apr 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;²⁰ M. Sarah Howard (1667-1741), 14 Jan 1691, Chelmsford, Massachusetts²¹

8. Rachel Parker — B. 9 Mar 1665, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;²² M. John Floyd, 1665-1724), before 20 Feb 1696, (probably) Massachusetts²³

9. Mary Parker — B. 8 Sep 1667, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;²⁴ D. 6 Jan 1763, Massachusetts;²⁵ M. Thomas Waite (1660-1742), before 19 Aug 1687, (probably) Massachusetts²⁶

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Wyman) Wayt
2    Find-a-Grave listing of Sergt. Jacob Parker (her son)
3    Marriage record of John Wayte and Sarah Parker, Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910, 1921-1924, FamilySearch.org
4    Death record of Jacob Parker, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
5    The Waite family of Malden, Mass., Deloraine Corey, 1913
6    Death record of John Waite, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
7    Birth record of Sarah Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
8    Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Parker) Howard
9    Find-a-Grave listing of Ruth (Parker) Adams
10  Birth record of Thomas Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Death record of Thomas Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12  Marriage record of Thomas Parker and Mary Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13  Birth record of Tabitha Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  Death record of Tabitha Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15  Marriage record of Stephen Peirce and Tabitha Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Birth record of Rebecca Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Find-a-Grave listing of Rebecca (Parker) Danforth -Foster
18  Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Rebecca Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Birth record of Benjamin Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20  Death record of Benjamin Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Marriage record of Benjamin Parker and Sarah Howard, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Birth record of Rachel Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23  Birth record of John Floyd (Rachel’s son), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
24  Birth record of Mary Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25  Death record of Mary Waite, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
26  Birth record of Thomas Waite (Mary’s son), M., T. C., V. & T. R.

King’s Engineer in 1600s Paris — Bonaventure Desnaguets

B. about 1595 in France¹
M. about 1620 in France¹
Wife: Anne de Gauthier
D. before 29 Mar 1642 in Paris, France²

The first few decades of the 17th century were turbulent times in France, with its kings often engaged in religious warfare. This caused a need for men with the skills to design and maintain military fortifications, and Bonaventure Desnaguets was hired as an engineer.

Bonaventure was likely born somewhere near Paris in about 1595;¹ nothing is known of his family. His surname has been spelled many ways: Desnaguetz, Desnaguelz, Desnaguez; one researcher speculated that it had Flemish origins. After he came of age, Bonaventure married a woman named Anne de Gauthiers, possibly in Paris;¹ the “de” may suggest a noble status. They had five known children, one of whom was buried on June 24, 1627.² The other four children lived at least until 1642.²

During this time, Bonaventure worked as an Ingénieur du roi pour l'artillerie en France, which translates as “King’s engineer for artillery in France.”² The king at that time was Louis XIII, who reigned from 1610 to 1643, and was very active in confronting the Protestants in France. This meant civil war, and the construction of forts and barricades in various parts of the country. For this, the king had about 50 men who could plan what was needed; from the description of Bonaventure’s role which specifies “artillery,” it can be assumed that he had something to do with setting up and maintaining the weapons used in the fighting. 

Working on artillery in 17th-century France. (AI-generated image)

Bonaventure passed away while still a young man, and he was buried at St-Paul’s Church in Paris on March 29, 1642.² His children Anne, Antoine and Gaston were present at the burial. Wife Anne died in September of 1644.² The memory of this couple survives because oldest daughter Catherine-Françoise married a man who took her to Canada, where she left many descendants.

Children:
1. Catherine-Françoise Desnaguets — B. about 1621, Paris, France;³ D. before 10 Sep 1691, (probably) Paris, France;² M. Pierre Petit (~1621-?), after 21 Mar 1646, Paris, France²

2. Charles Desnaguets — D. 24 Jun 1627, Paris, France²

3. Anne Desnaguets — B. before 1642, (probably) Paris, France²

4. Antoine Desnaguets — B. before 1642, (probably) Paris, France²

5. Gaston Desnaguets — B. before 1642, (probably) Paris, France²

Sources:
1    Birth and marriage years estimated from estimated birth of daughter Catherine-Françoise
2    Fichier Origine listing of Catherine Desnaguetz
3    Marriage record of Antoine Juchereau and Anne-Charlotte Petit, which names mother of bride as deceased, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org

Victim of an Abusive Husband — Susannah __________

B. about 1626 in England¹
M. about 1647 in (probably) Massachusetts¹
Husband: Thomas Dutton
D. 27 Aug 1684 in Billerica, Massachusetts²

The story of Susannah Dutton sounds almost contemporary: her husband acted violently against her, the neighbors reported it as a crime, and under oath, she claimed it never happened. Remarkably, this took place in a town in New England — in the year 1661.

Susannah has unfortunately sketchy origins. Some have said her maiden name was Palmer, and she was born sometime during the 1620s, but there is no documentation for this.¹ Almost certainly she was born in England, not America, because migration to the Massachusetts colony more or less began in 1630. In about 1647, she married Thomas Dutton,¹ and the couple settled in the village of Reading. The first record of her was the birth of her first child, Thomas, on September 14, 1648.³

By September 1659, the family had moved to the town of Woburn,⁴ and Susannah had five more children, with the youngest having been born that year. She was holding the baby when the incident occurred that was overheard by the family next door — in some sort of argument, Thomas repeatedly hit her with a stick. What brought on his anger isn’t known, but Susannah was afraid he would hurt the child, and perhaps kill him. Two of the witnesses reported that she was “crying out between blows.” Susannah’s oldest daughter, 10-year-old Mary, ran away in fear, and hid at a neighbors’ house.⁵

The family who reported the beating was named Carter. It was two teenaged daughters who both heard and saw what happened, perhaps by peeking through the window of the Duttons’ house. The next day, their father, John Carter, went over to confront Thomas, and he could see that Susannah was still crying from the attack of her husband. And a day or so later, she confided to the Carters that she could “still feel the blows.”⁵

But when the case came to trial, Susannah told the court that her husband never hit her. He of course denied the charges, and presented character witnesses in the form of his neighbors from Reading: twenty-one people signed a statement saying his treatment of Susannah was always “tender and loving.”⁵ It’s easy to understand why Thomas claimed innocence, but why would Susannah go along with it? Perhaps she was embarrassed by her private situation being made public, but more likely was that her only future was with her husband, so the matter needed to be brushed aside. The court nonetheless decided that Thomas was guilty, and he was fined £5 for beating his wife.⁵

Testifying to the charges of abuse. (AI-generated image)

There was no further reported violence between Susannah and her husband. She had three more children with him, the youngest being born in 1669.⁶ The family moved to Billerica, where Susannah died on August 27, 1684.² Thomas remarried soon after, but passed away in 1687.⁷

Children:
1. Thomas Dutton – B. 14 Sep 1648, Reading, Massachusetts;³ D. 1 Jan 1728, Middlesex County, Massachusetts;³ M. (1) Rebecca Brabrook (1648-1721), 1 Jan 1679, Billerica, Massachusetts;⁸ (2) Sarah Converse (~1648-1738), Nov 1721⁹

2. Mary Dutton – B. 14 Sep 1651, Reading, Massachusetts;¹⁰ D. 9 Jul 1678, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹¹ M. Jacob Hamlet (~1641-1703), 21 Dec 1669, Billerica, Massachusetts¹²

3. Susannah Dutton – B. 27 Feb 1654, Reading, Massachusetts;¹³ D. Dec 1723, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁴ M. (1) John Durrant (1650-1692), 16 Nov 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁵ (2) Justinian Holden (1644-1699), 6 Dec 1693, Woburn, Massachusetts¹⁴

4. John Dutton – B. 2 Mar 1656, Reading, Massachusetts;¹⁶ D. 7 Apr 1735, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. (1) Sarah Shedd (1658-1721), 20 Sep 1681, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ (2) Ruth Frost (?-1738), May 1721, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁹

5. Elizabeth Dutton – B. 28 Jan 1659, Woburn, Massachusetts;⁴ D. 7 Apr 1698, Concord, Massachusetts;²⁰ M. William Baker (1650-1702), 5 May 1681, Woburn, Massachusetts²¹

6. Joseph Dutton – B. 25 Jan 1661, Woburn, Massachusetts;²² D. 24 Jan 1734, Haddam, Connecticut;²³ M. (1) Rebecca Merriam (1662-1693), 19 Aug 1685, Reading, Massachusetts;²⁴ (2) Mary Cutler (1663-1744), 7 Dec 1693, Charlestown, Massachusetts²⁵

7. Sarah Dutton – B. 5 Mar 1662, Woburn, Massachusetts;²⁶ D. about 1750, (probably) Reading, Massachusetts;²⁷ M. Samuel Lewis (1641-1698), 2 Apr 1683, Charlestown, Massachusetts²⁸

8. James Dutton – B. 22 Aug 1665, Woburn, Massachusetts;²⁹ D. 12 Jul 1755, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;³⁰ M. Mary Robbins, 9 Dec 1690, Groton, Massachusetts³⁰

9. Benjamin Dutton – B. 19 Feb 1669, Woburn, Massachusetts⁶

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Susanna (Palmer) Dutton
2    Death record of Susannah Dutton, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3    Find-a-Grave listing of Thomas Dutton Jr.
4     Birth record of Elizabeth Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
5    Sex in Middlesex: Popular Mores in a Massachusetts County, 1649-1699, Roger Thompson, 1989
6    Birth record of Benjamin Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Thomas Dutton, Sr.
8     Marriage record of Thomas Dutton and Rebecca Draper, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
9     Marriage record of Thomas Dutton and Sarah Converse, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
10  Birth record of Mary Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Death record of Mary Hamlet, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12   Marriage record of Jacob Hamlet and Mary Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13  Birth record of Susannah Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  WikiTree listing of Susannah (Dutton) Holden
15  Marriage record of John Durrant and Susannah Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Birth record of John Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Find-a-Grave listing of John Dutton
18  Marriage record of John Dutton and Sarah Shedd, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Marriage record of John Dutton and Ruth Frost, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20  Death record of Elizabeth Dutton Baker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Marriage record of William Baker and Elizabeth Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Birth record of Joseph Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23  Find-a-Grave listing of Joseph Dutton
24  Marriage record of Joseph Dutton and Rebecca Hitch, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25  WikiTree listing of Joseph Dutton
26  Birth record of Sarah Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
27  WikiTree listing of Sarah (Dutton) Lewis
28  Marriage record of Samuel Lewis and Sarah Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
29  Birth record of James Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
30  WikiTree listing of James Dutton