Accused of a Criminal Scheme — Nicolas Daudelin

B. about 1635 in Rouen, France¹
M. 22 Oct 1665, Château-Richer, New France²
Wife: Anne Girard
D. 24 Aug 1699 in La Pérade, New France¹

During the middle of his life, Nicolas Daudelin seemed to be involved in plotting to steal a vast amount of money from an important man in New France. Nicolas had sketchy beginnings, said to be born in about 1635 in Rouen, France to parents Jacques Daudelin and Jeanne Lépine.² He first turned up in Canada in a record dated January 21, 1665 working as farm laborer for Jean Migneault and Charles Cloutier, two early settlers of Beauport.³ The standard length of an engaged servant’s contract was three years, and this seemed to have been his final year of service, so Nicolas likely arrived from France in about 1663.

In the fall of 1665, Nicolas sought out a bride from that year’s shipload of Filles du Roi. He chose Anne Girard, who at age 35 was unusually old for a woman still single. Their marriage contract was signed on October 21st, and the wedding took place the next day at Château-Richer.² The witnesses were Zacharie and Jean Cloutier, brothers of Charles, further establishing his connection to that family. Nicolas and Anne had their first two children in 1667, a set of twins. Two years later, another set of twins were born. Despite the encouragement by authorities to have large families, Nicolas only fathered these four children; perhaps Anne’s age was a factor in this.

The event that gives an impression that Nicolas wasn’t a lawful man happened in 1675.⁴ In June of that year, a trial took place at Quebec involving him and two others, Mathurin Tessier and Antoine Gaboury. The three were all accused of planning to make themselves rich by poaching goods from remote outposts. The idea was that they would travel into present-day New York, and on the way, pillage “the establishment of Charles Bazire,” a wealthy merchant who operated a post at the Rivière-du-Loup.⁵ They calculated that each participant in the crime would get 20,000 livres, an enormous sum of money. Nicolas had two farm laborers who worked for him also in on the plot, and it was these two who seemed to blow his cover, along with another settler invited to join them named Jean Briere.

Map showing location of Rivière-du-Loup.

When the accused men were brought to court, each of them denied it, pointing the finger at each other. Tessier claimed Nicolas was the ring leader, saying that he had cooked the whole thing up. Meanwhile, Briere testified that Tessier and Gaboury were to blame for talking Nicolas into their scheme. The records don’t reveal the outcome of the trial, but afterwards, Nicolas seems to have resumed his life as a farmer. The 1681 census showed that he had 37 arpents under cultivation and 19 cattle, both of which were signs of success.⁶ Soon after, the family relocated to the seigneury of La Pérade, located upriver from Quebec City.

Nicolas died at La Pérade on August 25, 1699. His wife Anne survived him and passed away in 1710.⁷ They were ancestors of Leo Durocher.

Children:
1. Marie-Anne Daudelin – B. 28 Apr 1667, Château-Richer, New France;⁸ D. 1 Jul 1733, Vercheres, New France;⁹ M. René Provost (~1652-1734), 9 Jan 1684, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade, New France¹⁰

2. Réne Daudelin – B. 28 Apr 1667, Château-Richer, New France;¹² D. 11 May 1719, Varennes, New France;¹³ M. (1) Marguerite Collette (1669-1703), 7 Jan 1687, Batiscan, New France;¹⁴ (2) Marie-Madeleine Abirou (1680-1736), 1 Dec 1703, Varennes, New France¹⁵

3. Madeleine Daudelin — B. 11 May 1669, Château-Richer, New France;¹⁶ D. 26 Apr 1750, Varennes, New France;¹⁷ M. (1) Jean-Baptiste Rougeau (1649-1718), 8 Feb 1684, La Pérade, New France;¹⁸ (2) Antoine Berthelet (1675-1755), 30 Jun 1732, Montreal, New France¹⁹

4. Marie Daudelin — B. 11 May 1669, Château-Richer, New France¹⁶

Sources:

1    Burial record of Nicolas Daudelin, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org

2    Marriage record of Nicolas Daudelin and Anne Girard, Q.C.P.R. 

3   Court order involving Jean Migneault Chastillon and Nicolas Daudelin, BAnQ 

4    Criminal case against Nicolas Daudelin, Mathurin Tessier and Antoine Gaboury, BAnQ 

5    Charles Bazire (Wikipedia article) 

6    1681 Census of New France

7    Burial record of Anne Girard, Q.C.P.R. 

8    Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Daudelin, Q.C.P.R. 

9    Burial record of Marie-Anne Daudelin, Q.C.P.R. 

10  Marriage record of René Provost and Marie-Anne Daudelin, Q.C.P.R. 

11  Baptismal record of René Daudelin, Q.C.P.R. 

12 Burial record of René Daudelin, Q.C.P.R. 

13  Burial record of René Daudelin, Q.C.P.R.

14  Marriage record of René Daudelin and Marguerite Collet, Q.C.P.R. 

15  Marriage record of René Daudelin and Marie-Madeleine Abirou, Q.C.P.R.

16  Baptismal record of Madeleine and Marie Daudelin, Q.C.P.R. 

17  Burial record of Madeleine Daudelin, Q.C.P.R. 

18  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Rougeau and Madeleine Daudelin, Q.C.P.R. 

19  Marriage record of Antoine Berthelet and Madeleine Daudelin, Q.C.P.R. 

Public Whipping for Her Crimes — Marie-Vincente Pacaud

B. about 1624 in (probably) Saintes, Saintonge, France^1,2
M. about 1651 in Saintes,Saintonge,France²
Husband: Simon Chapacou
D. after Jun 1700 in (probably) Longueuil, New France³

Punishment for a crime in colonial times could be brutal, and Marie-Vincente Pacaud experienced this firsthand in 17th-century New France. She was born in about 1624, most likely in Saintes, France,^1,2 which was a city in not far from La Rochelle. Nothing is known of her family or her childhood, but she must have had enough education to be able to read and write. In about 1651, she met and married Simon Chapacou,² also from Saintes, where they would make their home. By the end of 1658, she gave birth to at least two children.^4,5

In about 1663, Vincente migrated to America with her husband and children, settling just outside of Quebec City in Côte Saint-Michel de Sillery.¹ She had four more children, with the youngest born in 1670;⁶ one of the four died as an infant.⁷ Vincente played an unusual role in the family because her husband was deaf, as well as illiterate, and she handled the family’s business dealings. Presumably, Simon worked their farm, while she dealt with others in transactions involving products, supplies or property. For example, a contract dated February 11, 1675 showed that she represented her husband in a sale of land.⁸

During 1675, Vincente seems to have also been involved in other business — selling the sexual services of other women.⁹ Although there are no details in the records, it sounds like she was operating a brothel. She was arrested for that crime and also for trafficking stolen goods. Another man named Raymond dit Deslauriers got caught for a burglary of Hôtel-Dieu, and items stolen there were discovered in her possession. She was arrested along with her husband Simon, Deslauriers and another accomplice, and all were tried for their crimes. They were each found guilty, except for Simon, who was thought to be incapable of wrongdoing because he was deaf. Vincente faced severe punishment, though; she was fined 20 livres and ordered to be publicly whipped.⁹

Criminal law was different in 17th century New France from anything we have today. Those accused of crimes had little or no rights, and they were presumed guilty until proven innocent. Likewise, the punishment was more severe than now. The thinking in those days was that it was necessary to make criminals suffer for small crimes as a deterrent to keep others from committing the same offense.

In Vincente’s case, her punishment was to be marched down the streets of Quebec City with a sign pinned to her forehead that said, “MAQUERELLE,”⁹ French slang for a woman running a brothel. As crowds watched and jeered, she was stopped at each intersection and struck ten times with a rod. As for Deslauriers, he escaped from jail for a time, but after he was recaptured, his punishment was execution. The order colorfully stated that he would be "led to the front of the door of the church of the Hôtel-Dieu, naked in a shirt, the cord around the collar, and holding in hand a fiery torch, asking forgiveness from God…" The other accomplice was forced to stand at the foot of the gallows, also wearing a noose, as his friend Deslauriers was hung, then the man was set free afterwards. This was justice in Quebec of 1675.

Document describing Marie-Vincente's sentence. (Source: BAnQ)

Example of the type of punishment she received.

Five years later, Vincente was charged with a second incident of theft. On April 18, 1680, orders were given to arrest her along with Simon for taking items out of the home of Jacques Daigre.¹⁰ What makes this interesting was that as executioner of Quebec, Daigre was the man who had carried out Vincente’s whipping. Was revenge for her humiliation the motive for the alleged theft? Maybe, but this is only speculation. It’s unclear from the records how long she was imprisoned, or if she was convicted of the second crime.

Sometime later, Vincente and Simon moved from Quebec City to the settlement of Berthier, located between Trois-Riviéres and Montreal. They later settled in Longueuil, where Simon died on June 3, 1690.¹¹ Marie-Vicente died on an unknown date after June 1700.³

Marie-Vincente had some important descendants: Pierre Trudeau, Justin Trudeau and Justin Bieber.¹² Impressive for a woman who was once whipped on the streets of Quebec.

Children:
1. Louis Chapacou — B. 23 Nov 1653, Néré, Charente-Maritime, France;⁴ M. Marie-Madeleine Poudret (~1668-1696), 24 Nov 1681, Sorel, New France¹³

2. Marie Chapacou — B. 29 Dec 1658, Néré, Charente-Maritime, France;⁵ D. 24 Dec 1733, Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade, New France;¹⁴ M. René Maillot dit Laviolette (~1644-?), 28 Oct 1671, New France¹⁵

3. Laurent Chapacou — B. 9 Feb 1665, (probably) Sillery, New France;¹⁶ D. 13 Feb 1665, (probably) Sillery, New France⁷

4. Marie-Agathe Chapacou — B. 7 Feb 1666, Côte St-Michel, New France;¹⁷ D. 28 Sep 1687, Montreal, New France¹⁸

5. Marie-Angelique Chapacou — B. 22 Mar 1668, (probably) Côte St-Michel, New France;¹⁹ D. 11 Nov 1746, Longueuil, New France;²⁰ M. (1) André Bouteiller (1650-1699), 1 Sep 1686, Boucherville, New France;²¹ (2) André Lemarre (~1670-1756), 8 Jun 1700, Longueuil, New France²²

6. Jean-Joseph Chapacou — B. 16 Apr 1670, Côte St-Michel, New France;⁶ D. 23 Mar 1693, Longueuil, New France;²³ M. Marie Poutre (1672-1759), 28 Apr 1688, Sorel, New France²⁴

Sources:
1    Recensement de 1666 en Nouvelle-France
2    Généalogie du Québec et d'Amérique française listing of Marie Pacaud  
3    Inventaire des greffes des Notaires du Régime français, V. 6, p. 29
4    Baptismal record of Louis Chapacou, Fichier Origine  
5    Baptismal record of Marie Chapacou, Fichier Origine  
6    Baptismal record of Jean-Joseph Chapacou, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
7    Burial record of Laurent Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
8    Inventaire des greffes des Notaires du Régime français, V. 3
9    Judgement against Marie Pacaud and others, 22 Aug 1675, BAnQ  
10  Court records of case of Jacques Daigre vs. Simon Chapacou and Marie Pacaud, Apr 1680, BAnQ  
11  Burial record of Simon Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
12  FamousKin.com listing of Simon Chapacou  
13  Marriage record of Louis Chapacou and Marie-Madeleine Poudret, Q.C.P.R.
14  Burial record of Marie Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
15  Marriage record of René Maillot and Marie Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
16  Baptismal record of Laurent Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
17  Baptismal record of Marie-Agathe Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
18  Burial record of Marie-Agathe Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
19  Baptismal record of Marie-Angelique Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
20  Burial record of Marie-Angelique Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
21  Marriage record of André Bouteiller and Marie-Angelique Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
22  Marriage record of André Lemarre and Marie-Angelique Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
23  Burial record of Jean-Joseph Chapacou, Q.C.P.R.
24  Marriage record of Jean-Joseph Chapacou and Marie Poutre, Q.C.P.R.

His Name on a Waterfall and Bridge — Samuel Hunt

B. 17 Nov 1657 in Ipswich Massachusetts
M. (1) 1 May 1678 in Ipswich, Massachusetts
Wife: Ruth Todd
M. (2) before 2 Sep 1689
Wife: Mary ________
D. 11 Jan 1743 in Tewksbury, Massachusetts

Often, by virtue of being the first settler in a place, a person could get their name on a geographic feature. Some people had streets named after them, and some had entire towns, but for Samuel Hunt of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, it was a small waterfall and bridge.

Samuel was born to Samuel Hunt and Elizabeth Redding in Ipswich, Massachusetts on November 17, 1657, the oldest of their five children. The Hunt family turned up many times in civil court cases. Samuel’s father had several incidents with authorities and neighbors, and was jailed for a time during the 1660s. His mother was known for her feistiness, and had a reputation as the town busybody.

With such role models, it’s not surprising that Samuel himself ended up in trouble with the law as a teen. In 1673, his father claimed another man stole his horse and sent Samuel to retrieve it, but the horse actually belonged to the man, so Samuel was charged with theft and made to pay a fine. During May of the following year, Samuel was brought to court for being disorderly during church service, “laughing, talking, spitting, striking boys with sticks, and throwing things into the gallery.” He was “admonished for disorder in the meetinghouse,” but not punished any further for his misbehavior. 

Disruptive behavior. (AI-generated image)

Ipswich records show that on May 1, 1678, Samuel married a woman identified as “Ruth Tod.” The only person known to have that name in Ipswich was the daughter of John and Susannah Todd. This presents something of a mystery, though, because no further records connect Samuel with a wife named Ruth. And later records have a woman named Mary as the mother of Samuel’s five youngest children. A number of researchers have tried to get around this disparity by naming his wife “Mary Ruth Todd,” but people in 17th-century Massachusetts generally didn’t have middle names. Another explanation is that Ruth died within a few years of marriage, which doesn't work because the Ruth who was John Todd’s daughter was named as living in his 1690 will. Whatever is the case with Samuel’s wife or wives, he was the father of nine children.

In 1692, Samuel paid £50 for a “one-fifth” part of a section of Billerica known as Winthrop Farm; the total acreage of Winthrop farm was 3,000, so Samuel’s purchase was for 600 acres. It was in a sparsely populated area, and his house was used as a garrison during the 1690s. Just to the north was the Merrimack River, and a distinctive feature was a 10-foot high falls that spanned the width of the river, which became known as Hunts Falls. It retains that name today, with a bridge nearby called Hunts Falls Bridge, a major route in the city of Lowell.

Samuel continued living there for the rest of his life. In 1699, he was issued a license to keep a tavern during the months of April, May and June. It isn’t known if he ran such a business for any other year. Several sources have claimed that Samuel served in the militia in 1704, but given his age and the fact he had a son who was age 25, this was probably the younger Samuel Hunt. Also, during the 1720s and in 1734, Samuel was said to have headed an effort to split off from Billerica to form a new town that became Tewksbury. While these events did happen, it’s very likely that his son was actually the person involved.

Samuel died in Tewksbury on January 11, 1743; the record colorfully describes him as “Old Mr. Samuel Hunt.” Perhaps this was only to distinguish him from his son by the same name who had died a few years earlier. Presumably he also outlived any wives he had. 

Children by an uncertain mother:
1. Samuel Hunt — B. 4 Feb 1679, Concord, Massachusetts; D. 13 Oct 1738, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. (1) Sarah Stearns (?-1708), 16 Jun 1702, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Anna _____, 31 Mar 1709, Billerica, Massachusetts

2. John Hunt — B. 30 Dec 1680, Concord, Massachusetts; M. Hannah Flint, 10 Jul 1716, Billerica, Massachusetts

3. Elizabeth Hunt — B. 4 Mar 1683, Concord, Massachusetts; D. 31 Jul 1685, Concord, Massachusetts

4. Jeremiah Hunt — B. 27 Mar 1685, Concord, Massachusetts; D. 1737, (probably) Tewksbury, Massachusetts: M. (1) Abigail Hazeltine (?-1722); Rebecca Ballard (?-1729), 10 Jun 1722, Billerica, Massachusetts

5. Elizabeth Hunt — B. 3 Jun 1687, (probably) Concord, Massachusetts; D. about 1767, Hollis, New Hampshire; M. Thomas Farmer (1683-~1767)

Children by Mary _______:

1. Thomas Hunt — B. 2 Sep 1689, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 16 Sep 1709, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Sarah Crosby (1694-?), 22 Jul 1709, Providence, Rhode Island

2. Peter Hunt — B. 6 May 1692, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 3 Apr 1770, Tewksbury, Massachusetts; M. Mary Sheldon, 25 Oct 1715, Billerica, Massachusetts

3. Joseph Hunt — B. 21 Sep 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts; D. 1743, Canaan, Connecticut; M. Jemima Russell, 16 Jul 1724, Billerica, Massachusetts

4. Mary Hunt — B. 1 Jul 1696, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. Ebenezer Dows (1693-?)

5. Susanna Hunt — B. 2 Oct 1699, Billerica, Massachusetts

Sources:
WikiTree
Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts, Volume 1, William Richard Cutter, 1908
Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume V, edited by George Francis Drew, 1914
Tewksbury: A Short History, Edward W. Pride, 1888
History, Charter and Bylaws of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois, 1896
Lowell: The River City, 2006

Charged With Beating his Wife — Thomas Dutton

B. 6 Oct 1621 in Dutton, England
M. (1) about 1647 in Massachusetts
Wife: Susannah ________
M. (2) 10 Nov 1684 in Billerica, Massachusetts
Wife: Ruth ________
D. 22 Jan 1687 in Billerica, Massachusetts

Not every Puritan in early New England lived a life of piety and virtue, as is evidenced by Thomas Dutton, whose neighbors once witnessed him beating his wife.

Thomas started out life in the village of Dutton, England when he was born there on October 6, 1621. His parents were John Dutton and Mary Neeld, and the family migrated to New England with the Winthrop fleet, settling in Reading.

In about 1647, Thomas married a woman named Susannah; her maiden name is unknown. Between 1648 and 1669, they had nine children. In 1659, they moved to Woburn, and it was there that one of Thomas' neighbors, John Carter, claimed he acted violently against Susannah. The incident began on September 29, 1661 when Carter’s two teenaged daughters said they saw Thomas attack Susannah with a stick. The girls said Thomas’ wife was holding a child as he hit her repeatedly, and she told him she feared he would kill the child. Carter’s wife Elizabeth and a servant both said they heard Susannah “crying out between the blows.” Meanwhile, the Duttons 10-year-old daughter Mary ran to the Carters house and hid there, afraid of her father.

Abusive man in colonial New England. (AI-generated image)

The following morning, Carter along with another man went to Thomas’ house and confronted him. They could see Susannah had been crying because her eyes were swollen, but he seemed to deny being guilty of anything. Later that day, Susannah visited the Carters and she seemed terrorized, saying she could still feel his blows upon her arms.

Thomas was charged with assault and the case was presented in court that December. The Carters and their servant were the only witnesses against him because Susannah wouldn’t testify against her husband, claiming it never happened. Thomas had a document signed by 21 people from Reading saying that when he lived there, he was “tender and loving” to his wife and he displayed no evidence of violence against her. Another document signed by 11 people, presumably from Woburn, stated the same thing. Thomas also challenged the credibility of Carter’s servant by accusing him of being a drunkard. But the court decided that Thomas was guilty, and he was fined £5 for his crime.

Thomas' signature.

Thomas was involved in another strange case in 1668, when a man named Michael Bacon claimed he stole “a napkin and a spoon.” Presumably these were valuable items, because Thomas sued Bacon for slandering him. This time Thomas won his case and Bacon was fined £15. Again it was the men of Woburn who came to his defense by saying that he was an “industrious” man who would never steal anything.

In 1669, Thomas and his family moved to Billerica, and Susannah died there in 1684. He remarried within a few months, on November 10, 1684 to a widow named Ruth Hooper. Thomas died about two years later on January 22, 1687.

Children (all by Susannah):
1. Thomas Dutton — B. 14 Sep 1648, Reading, Massachusetts; M. (1) Rebecca Brabrook (1648-1721), 10 Jan 1679, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Sarah Converse (~1648-1738), Nov 1721

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

3. Susannah Dutton — B. 22 Feb 1654, Reading, Massachusetts; D. Dec 1723, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) John Durrant (1650-1692), 16 Nov 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Justinian Holden (1644-1699), 6 Dec 1693, Woburn, Massachusetts

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

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

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

7. Sarah Dutton — B. 5 Mar 1662, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. about 1757, Malden, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Lewis (1641-1698), 1683, Charlestown, Massachusetts

8. James Dutton — B. 22 Aug 1665, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. 12 Jul 1755, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

9. Benjamin Dutton — B. 19 Feb 1669, Woburn, Massachusetts; D. 11 Feb 1693

Sources:
Sex in Middlesex: Popular Mores in a Massachusetts County, 1649-1699, Roger Thompson, 1989
Find A Grave
WikiTree

A Historic Set of Petitions in Her Defense — Alice Frost

B. about Nov 1594 in Stanstead, England
M. (1) 19 Nov 1612 in Stanstead, England
Husband: Thomas Blower
M. (2) about July 1640 in (probably) Dorchester, Massachusetts
Husband: William Tilley
D. after 1668

During the mid-17th century, a Puritan wife and mother became the unlikely catalyst in an unusual political action — women organizing petitions without the involvement of any men. But Alice (Frost) Tilley was a well-regarded midwife who was sitting in jail, and women who knew her believed she was innocent.

Alice was baptized on December 1, 1594 in Stanstead, England, a village in Suffolk. Her parents were Edward Frost and Thomasine Belgrave, and she was one of about 8 children. Her father worked as a clothier, which was someone who had a business making cloth. On November 12, 1612, Alice married Thomas Blower in Stanstead. They settled in nearby Sudbury, where Alice gave birth to about 8 or 9 children between about 1613 and 1630. At least three of her children died as infants.

St. James Church in Stanstead, where Alice was baptized. (Source: Find-a-Grave)

Sudbury was a “hotbed of Puritan sentiment” and Alice seems to have taken up those beliefs, despite the risk of punishment involved. Citizens could be fined for not attending the Anglican church, and in January 1633, Alice was ordered by the court to pay £100 for “her notorious contempt of ecclesiastical laws & jurisdiction.” The following year in June, the fine was cancelled because she had “removed herself long since from Sudbury where the offense was given.” Alice and her family may have moved to London, where her daughter was married in January 1634. Not long after that, they left England for the colony in Massachusetts.

Alice settled in Boston, but by September 9, 1639, her husband Thomas had died. The following year, she married a wine merchant named William Tilley; it’s believed that he lived in Barnstable, but that their wedding was in Dorchester. He may have been 10 to 15 years younger than Alice. It was during the early years of her marriage to William that she was known to have been an active midwife in the Boston and Dorchester area.

In about 1649, Alice was accused of malpractice. The details of the charges against her haven’t survived, but it's known that she was found guilty and locked up in the Boston jail. The job of a midwife was challenging; a woman who took on that role could be called upon at any hour of the day or night to help deliver another woman’s baby. Often there were complications, and sometimes midwives needed to make medical decisions in order to save the mother and child. It’s hard to say if Alice did anything wrong, but what is known is that when she was put into prison, many women came to her defense.

In a society where men made all of the decisions, the women of Boston and Dorchester organized petitions asking for Alice to be released. It’s considered to be the first case in America where women acted in a collective way to do such a political thing. There were a total of six petitions, one of which had almost 300 signatures. One petition was worded to declare that Alice was “the ablest midwife we know in the land.” Another said that she was the only midwife they felt comfortable with to treat them. A petition in Boston pleaded with authorities to “hear the cries of mothers and children yet unborn.” The first action by authorities in response to the petitions was to allow Alice to leave jail only to attend childbirths and return afterwards, but eventually, she was completely freed.

A petition in support of Alice Tilley signed by the women of Boston.

It’s not known when and where Alice died. Her husband seemed to have business dealings in Maine during the early 1650s, and they may have moved there, but both were also tied to Boston in the 1660s. Alice was last known to be living in 1668. Her descendants include George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, Henry Fonda, Peter Fonda, Jane Fonda and Bridget Fonda.

Children:
1. Hannah Blower — B. about 1613, Sudbury, England; D. May 1630, Sudbury, England

2. Alice Blower — B. 30 Jun 1615, Sudbury, England; D. 3 Nov 1690, Braintree, Massachusetts; M. Richard Brackett (1610-1690), 6 Jan 1634, London, England

3. Sarah Blower — B. about 1619, Sudbury, England; D. 1673, Kittery, Maine; M. (1) Henry Lynn (1611-~1644), 1636; (2) Hugh Gunnison (1610-1658), 15 Mar 1647, Boston, Massachusetts; (3) Francis Morgan (1610-?), 18 Jul 1665, Kittery, Maine

4. Joshua Blower — B. Dec 1621, Sudbury, England; D. Aug 1623, Sudbury, England

5. Thomas Blower — B. Feb 1624, Sudbury, England; D. Apr 1625, Sudbury, England

6. Mary Blower — B. Feb 1625, Sudbury, England; D. Feb 1639, Sudbury, England

7. John Blower — B. Mar 1627, Sudbury, England

8. Thomas Blower — B. May 1630, Sudbury, England

9. (probably) Pyam Blower — B. about 1632, Sudbury, England; D. 1 Jun 1709, Cambridge, Massachusetts; M. Elizabeth Belcher (1640-1709), 31 Mar 1668, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Sources:
Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume I, Robert Charles Anderson, 1999
Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VII, Robert Charles Anderson, 2011
Find-A-Grave
Damnable Heresy: William Pynchon, the Indians, and the First Book Banned (and Burned) in Boston, David M. Powers, 2015
Separated by Their Sex: Women in Public and Private in the Colonial Atlantic World, Mary Beth Norton, 2011
Sudbury, Suffolk (Wikipedia article)

Adultery & Divorce in Early New England — Sarah Wilcox

B. 3 Oct 1648 in Hartford, Connecticut
M. (1) before 22 Jan 1668 in (probably) Hartford, Connecticut
Husband: Thomas Long
M: (2) 3 Oct 1684 in (probably) Connecticut
Husband: David Ensign
D. 3 Feb 1718 in (probably) Connecticut

The story of Sarah Wilcox sounds almost contemporary. A married woman has an affair with another man and gets caught, then she divorces her husband and marries her lover. The twist in Sarah’s saga is that she lived in Puritan Connecticut — not today, but in the 17th century.

Sarah was born in Hartford on October 3, 1648 to John Wilcox and Sarah Wadsworth. She was the only child of the couple and her mother died within two weeks of her birth. Sarah’s father remarried three times giving her ten half-siblings. One of Sarah’s step-mothers brought children from a previous husband into the marriage, and when Sarah came of age, she married one of them. His name was Thomas Long and he was technically her step-brother. The wedding took place by about 1668, and on August 31, 1669, Sarah gave birth to a son. By early 1679, she had five more children.

Then Sarah met a married man by the name of David Ensign and began “keeping company” with him. Adultery was a crime in colonial New England and subject to prosecution in court, so they were risking a lot with their actions. In 1679, both were charged with having sexual relations on many occasions, suggesting that they were serious about each other, and likely in love. On September 4, 1679, Sarah and David were each arrested and charged with “accompanying together in a secret manner and in an obscure place.” Two weeks later, Sarah’s husband Thomas put up his property as bond in order to get her released from jail. 

Scandalous behavior in colonial New England. (AI-generated image)

After getting out of prison, Sarah apparently continued her affair with David. In 1681, Thomas sued for divorce on the grounds that Sarah was guilty of adultery, and the divorce was granted on December 15th. She had to wait for another year and a half for David to be divorced from his wife. Soon after, the two lovers married, and in 1688, she had a baby boy.

Within a couple of years, Thomas and the former wife of David each married new spouses. Everyone continued to live in Hartford; it isn’t known in which household Sarah’s older children were raised. She remained with David for the rest of her life, dying on February 3, 1718. David died in 1727 at the age of 83. Sarah is the ancestor of actress Julie Bowen.

Children by Thomas Long:
1. Joseph Long — B. 28 Jan 1668, Hartford, Connecticut; D. after May 1713, (probably) Coventry, Connecticut; M. Martha Smith (1674-?), before 1694, (probably) Connecticut

2. William Long — B. 4 Feb 1671, Hartford, Connecticut; D. Jul 1740, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Mary Henbury (1672-1759), 1701, Hartford, Connecticut

3. Jerusha Long — B. 1672, Hartford, Connecticut; D. 11 Jan 1723, Hartford, Connecticut

4. Sarah Long — B. 1673, East Greenwich, Rhode Island; D. Mar 1756, Morris County, New Jersey; M. John Colver, 30 Jun 1695, Groton, Connecticut

5. Mary Long — B. 1676, Hartford, Connecticut; M. Ephraim Bushnell, 9 Nov 1697, Old Saybrook, Connecticut

6. Hannah Long — B. 26 Feb 1679, Saybrook Point, Connecticut; M. Simon Large (~1670-~1702), 24 Jun 1700, Saybrook, Connecticut; (2) Jonathan Moore (1679-1770), 9 Jan 1705

Children by David Ensign:
1. David Ensign — B. 10 Oct 1688, Hartford, Connecticut; D. 4 Dec 1759, Hartford, Connecticut; M. (1) Hannah Smith (1689-1719), 16 May 1709, Hartford, Connecticut; (2) Sarah Moody (1702-1776), 29 Apr 1726

Sources:
New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Volume 2, William Richard Cutter, 1913
Women Before the Bar; Gender, Law and Society in Connecticut, 1639-1789, Cornelia Hughes Dayton, 2012
Find-A-Grave

FamousKin.com listing for Sarah Wilcox

Troublemaker in Colonial Ipswich — Samuel Hunt

B. about 1633 in England or Massachusetts¹
M. 3 Jan 1657 in Ipswich, Massachusetts²
Wife: Elizabeth Redding
D. after 10 May 1693 in Ipswich, Massachusetts³

When we think of men in 17th-century New England, we often picture them as being deeply-religious and stoic in their behavior. But human nature plays a part in all societies, and some Puritans exhibited colorful personalities. One such man was Samuel Hunt.

Samuel was born in about 1632 to William Hunt and Elizabeth Best, and he was baptized in Nottingham, England on April 10, 1632.¹ He had a brother and sister also baptized at Nottingham,⁴ then the Hunt family migrated to Massachusetts. The earliest mention of Samuel’s father in America was in 1640, and that was likely just after they had arrived.³ They settled at Concord, where two more children were born.

Samuel was made freeman at Concord, Massachusetts on May 3, 1654.⁵ Within a couple of years, he moved to Ipswich; he received inheritance money from Robert Best, likely an uncle,³ and it was said that he used to build a wharf.⁵ The part of the river where he had his wharf became known as Hunt’s Cove, a name that survived well into the 19th century.⁵ On January 3, 1657, Samuel married Elizabeth Redding,² and between 1657 and 1670, they had seven children.

Building a wharf. (AI-generated image)

In October 1667, Samuel’s father passed away, leaving property to his surviving children. He wrote in his will, “I do give and bequeath unto my oldest son Samuel Hunt my dwelling house in Concord with barns and other buildings belonging to it. Also 6 acres of land and the orchard adjoining to it.”⁶ He went on to list two other parcels of land, farm animals and several household items. It isn’t known what Samuel did with this property since he no longer lived in Concord.

There’s a lot of evidence that Samuel didn’t always get along with the people who lived around him. In March 1664, Samuel was ordered to dig up stumps in a field by the militia commander, Major Denison. It was typical for men in New England towns to be assigned certain duties, but Samuel refused to do it and he was arrested. In court, Samuel said that the major had no right to force anyone to do such work. He added that there were hundreds of men who would cause “a great disturbance” in his defense. He also complained about having no say in the choice of militia officers. The court didn’t accept his arguments, and Samuel was fined £10, then he was put into prison until he paid up. Apparently, he couldn’t or wouldn’t pay, because he spent the following year in jail, finally being released on good behavior.⁷

One of the many court records mentioning Samuel Hunt.

Samuel got into trouble again in November 1668. He was brought to court over an argument with a neighbor that had come to blows. The issue concerned sheep belonging to a man named John Leigh trespassing on Samuel’s land. When Samuel confronted Leigh the words got heated, and Leigh’s father rushed in “with a club in his hand,” threatening Samuel to “stand aside or he would knock him down.” The club was also described by one witness as being a pitchfork. Samuel then grabbed the older Leigh by the collar and pulled hair out of his head. It was also said that the older Leigh struck Samuel in the head with his pitchfork, causing blood to stream down, and that if the son hadn’t stopped his father, he would have killed Samuel. Still another witness claimed that Samuel had initiated the fight by “striking at the sheep with a stick.” Samuel was jailed again along with both of the Leighs, and they were all released in March 1669.⁷

A third incident involving Samuel occurred in 1673, when he and his 15-year-old son Samuel were accused of stealing a horse by a man named Samuel Appleton. The dispute involved the fact they each owned similar-looking horses and one of them had disappeared. Each man claimed the other man’s horse was the missing one. When Samuel took possession of the horse that remained, Appleton said that it was his horse and he wanted it back. The case was decided in Appleton’s favor.⁷

Samuel wasn’t the only one in the family who was called into court during those years. His wife Elizabeth was charged with stealing from another woman,⁷ and his children were accused of bad behavior at church services.⁷ It gave an impression of a family that did what they pleased.

Samuel fought in King Phillip’s War at about 44 years of age,³ but it wasn’t by choice. Men were impressed into the militia because they were seen as troublemakers, and the man who led the militia was none other than Samuel Appleton,³ the guy who had accused him of stealing his horse. In December 1675, Appleton’s company participated in the Great Swamp Fight, a four-day battle against the Narragansetts who had built a massive fort containing about 1,000 of their people. The following year Samuel was a soldier at the Turners Falls Massacre where an Indian camp was attacked and its inhabitants were slaughtered.³

The Great Swamp Fight.

In 1682, Samuel’s wharf and fishery were destroyed by a huge spring snow melt-off.⁵ Samuel conveyed his estate to youngest son Joseph in 1693,³ but it isn’t known when he died. His wife Elizabeth was described as a widow when she passed away in 1707.² They were the distant ancestors of Mormon religion founder, Joseph Smith, and actor John Lithgow.⁸

Children:
1. Samuel Hunt — B. 17 Nov 1657, Ipswich, Massachusetts;⁹ D. 11 Jan 1743, Tewksbury, Massachusetts;¹⁰ M. (1) Ruth Todd (1657-1717), 1 May 1678, Ipswich, Massachusetts;¹¹ (2) Mary _______, before 2 Sep 1689¹²

2. William Hunt — B. 23 Apr 1660, Ipswich, Massachusetts;¹³ D. 29 Apr 1660, Ipswich, Massachusetts¹⁴

3. Elizabeth Hunt — B. 29 May 1661, Ipswich, Massachusetts;¹⁵ D. 9 Jul 1689, Rowley, Massachusetts;¹⁶ M. Francis Palmer (1657-1733), 3 Dec 1682, Essex County, Massachusetts¹⁷

4. William Hunt — B. about 1663, Ipswich, Massachusetts;¹⁸ D. 12 Dec 1747, Ipswich, Massachusetts;¹⁸ M. (1) Sarah Newman (1665-1723), 9 Jun 1684, Ipswich Massachusetts;¹⁸ (2) Rose Spark (1673-1743), 6 Mar 1724, Ipswich Massachusetts¹⁸

5. Joseph Hunt — B. 28 Oct 1665, Ipswich, Massachusetts;¹⁹ D. 12 Jan 1747, Mansfield, Connecticut;²⁰ M. (1) Ann Pengry (1679-?), 9 Jun 1703, Ipswich, Massachusetts;²¹ (2) Elizabeth Huntington (1695-1774), 5 Nov 1717, Mansfield, Connecticut²²

6. Peter Hunt — B. 8 Aug 1668, Ipswich, Massachusetts;²³ D. 1669, Ipswich, Massachusetts²⁴

7. Peter Hunt — B. 14 May 1670, (probably) Ipswich, Massachusetts;²⁵ D. 1689, Ipswich, Massachusetts²⁶

Sources:
1    Christening record of Samuel Hunt, England, Nottinghamshire, Church Records, 1578-1937, FamilySearch.org
2    The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to NewEngland, 1620-1633, listing for Joseph Redding, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995
3    Ancestry and Posterity of Jospeh Smith and Emma Hale, Mary Audentia Smith Anderson, 1929, pp. 135-138
4    WikiTree listings of Nehemiah Hunt and Elizabeth (Hunt) Barron)
5    Samuel Hunt, compiled and written by Louella Jones Downard, edited by Elaine C. Nichols
6    Genealogy of the Name and Family of Hunt, Thomas Bellows Wyman, 1863, pp. 42-43
7    Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volumes III, IV and V, edited by George Francis Drew, 1912, 1913 and 1914
8    FamousKin.com listing of Samuel Hunt
9    Birth record of Samuel Hunt (younger), Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
10  Death record of Samuel Hunt, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
11  Marriage record of Samuel Hunt and Ruth Todd, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
12  Birth record of John Hunt, son of Samuel Hunt (younger), M., T. C., T. & V. R.
13  Birth record of William Hunt (older), M., T. C., T. & V. R.
14  Death record of William Hunt (older), M., T. C., T. & V. R.
15  Birth record of Elizabeth Hunt, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
16  Death record of Elizabeth Palmer, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
17  Marriage record of Francis Palmer and Elizabeth Hunt, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
18  Find-a-Grave listing of William Hunt (younger)
19  Birth record of Joseph Hunt, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
20  Death record of Joseph Hunt, Connecticut, Deaths, 1640-1955, FamilySearch.org
21  Marriage record of Joseph Hunt and Ann Pengry, M., T. C., T. & V. R.
22  Marriage record of Joseph Hunt and Elizabeth Huntington, Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850, FamilySearch.org
23  Birth record of Peter Hunt (older), M., T. C., T. & V. R.
24  Find-a-Grave listing of Peter Hunt (older)
25  Birth record of Peter Hunt (younger), M., T. C., T. & V. R.
26  Find-a-Grave listing of Peter Hunt (younger)

On La Salle’s Expedition — Pierre You de La Découverte

B. 1658 in La Rochelle, France¹
M. (1) about Apr 1693 in (probably) Native American camp at future site of Chicago¹
Wife: Élisabeth (of the Miami tribe)
M. (2) 15 Apr 1697 in Montreal²
Wife: Madeleine Just
D. Aug 1718 in Montreal, New France³

There were few more colorful characters in New France than Pierre You de La Découverte. During his 60 years, he traveled with La Salle, lived off the grid in a camp of Miami Indians, and ran a successful fur trading business in early Montreal. Not everything he did was virtuous, though; he was involved in some illegal business dealings, and in the trading of Native American slaves.

Pierre was from the parish of St-Sauveur in La Rochelle, France, born in about 1658 to Pierre You, a tanner, and Marie-Renée Turcot.¹ Nothing is known of his childhood, or whether or not he had siblings. He came to New France during the 1670s. The earliest record that mentioned Pierre was a 1677 grant of land that was next to his property.¹ The document described him as a sergeant at Fort Frontenac, a military outpost at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. The recipient of the land grant was René-Robert La Salle, a man who figured prominently in Pierre’s life.

By 1682, La Salle had already made several expeditions out west, and he was seeking to set up a network of French outposts in the Mississippi River basin. In late January, Pierre joined a group of 23 Frenchmen and 18 Indians led by La Salle,^1,4 and they set out in canoes from Fort Crèvecœur (present-day Peoria, Illinois).⁴ The men navigated south through icy waters, entering the Mississippi River. They passed the mouths of the Missouri and Ohio Rivers, and then camped for a week at the future site of Memphis where they built a small fort. A little ways further down the river, the expedition met up with a group of warriors of the Arkansas tribe who had likely never seen Europeans before. Peace was made and La Salle claimed the region for France.⁴ The expedition had several more contacts with natives before they reached the Mississippi River delta. The men had to live off the land, and survived for a time on a diet of potatoes and crocodiles.⁴

Route of La Salle's 1682 expedition down the Mississippi.

On April 9th, La Salle formally claimed the Mississippi River basin for France;⁴ this territory represented roughly a third of what is now the United States. La Salle was dressed in a coat of “scarlet trimmed with gold” as he planted a cross and buried an engraved copper plaque at a site near the mouth of the Mississippi. He also drew up a document that was signed by 12 of his men, including Pierre.⁵ Soon after the ceremony, the expedition began their journey home paddling up the river. After participating in La Salle’s expedition, Pierre added “de La Découverte” to his surname, and from then on, he signed himself that way. 

La Salle claiming the Mississippi River Valley for France.

Pierre went on to pursue a life in the remote French outposts of the Great Lakes, and this was how for a time he lived among indigenous people. During the 1690s, a camp of Wea Indians (part of the Miami tribe) was located at the site of present-day Chicago.¹ It was said that Pierre married a Wea woman there in April 1693,¹ although it’s likely that this marriage wasn’t a formal arrangement. His wife was known as Élisabeth, and in about 1694, she bore Pierre’s child, a girl named Marie-Anne.¹

In 1695, Pierre was known to be an officer in Michilimackinac,¹ an outpost located where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron. It isn’t known if his native family was with him. Not long after, Pierre left his wife and child among Élisabeth’s tribe and moved to Montreal, where he married Madeleine Just on April 15, 1697, a ceremony which was witnessed by Alexandre Turpin and Charlotte Beauvais.² Between 1698 and 1706, Pierre and Madeleine had five children, two of whom died young. While married to Madeleine, Pierre impregnated a 19-year-old servant Marie-Madeleine Drousson. The baby was a girl born in 1708, and Pierre attended her baptism.⁶

When Pierre lived in Montreal, he had a large house on the Rue Saint-Paul. The house was said to be so big that it looked like a warehouse, a sign that he had acquired some wealth.¹ By 1703, he received a land grant at the far western part of Montreal island so he could more easily engage in fur trading, and he settled with his family there.¹ Pierre conducted much of his business from Île-aux-Tourtres,¹ an island at the junction of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers. He was offering liquor to the Indians which enticed them to stop and trade with him, and this gave him an advantage over other merchants, a practice which was against the law. When other merchants complained about Pierre, the authorities looked the other way because of his connections and his record serving in the military.¹

Pierre's signature.

Along with furs and other goods, Pierre also dealt in buying and selling Indian slaves.⁷ The slaves often came from tribes in the far west; they were captured by other tribes, then traded until they ended up in New France. One slave named Pascal came into Pierre’s possession while he was living among the Wea tribe during the 1690s; he brought Pascal back to Montreal in 1703, and he was later sold to a man known to treat slaves cruelly.⁷ Pierre’s actions suggest a callous indifference to those entrapped by the system of slavery.

Pierre continued conducting his business until he died in Montreal in August 1718.³ His wife Madeleine survived him, but experienced the huge fire which swept through Montreal on June 19, 1721.⁸ A nun named Sister Marie Morin later wrote a memoir of the event describing Madeleine’s reaction to the fire, “Madame La Découverte was the last house in the fire’s path, which was so close that burning sparks fell onto it, but she, wiser than the others, promised God a considerable sum for the salvation of the souls in purgatory, and the fire ceased instantly.”⁸ In spite of her efforts, the house on Rue Saint-Paul was destroyed. Madeleine was still alive in 1728,⁹ but it isn’t known what became of her after that date.

Children by Élisabeth of the Wea tribe:
1. Marie-Anne You — B. about 1694, (probably) Native American camp at future site of Chicago;¹ M. Jean-Baptiste Richard (1682-?), 15 Aug 1718, Montreal, New France¹

Children by Madeleine Just:
1. Pierre You — B. Jan 1698, Montreal, New France;¹¹ D. May 1703, Montreal, New France¹²

2. Philippe You — B. 2 Nov 1699, Montreal, New France;¹³ D. 1736¹

3. François d’Youville — B. 24 Nov 1700, Montreal, New France;¹⁴ D. 4 Jul 1730, Montreal, New France;¹⁵ M. Marie-Marguerite Dufros (1701-1771), 12 Aug 1722, Montreal, New France¹⁶

4. Joseph-Paschal You — B. 14 Apr 1702, Montreal, New France;¹⁷ D. 17 Apr 1702, Montreal, New France¹⁸

5. Marie-Louise You — B. 20 Mar 1706, Montreal, New France;¹⁹ D. 7 Sep 1728, Montreal, New France²⁰

Child by Marie-Madeleine Drousson:
1. Marie-Catherine You — B. 9 Sep 1708, Montreal, New France;⁶ D. 22 Jul 1724, Longueuil, New France²¹

Sources:
1    Pierre You de La Découverte, Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
2    Marriage record of Pierre You and Madeleine Just, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3    Burial record of Pierre You, Q., C. P. R.
4    René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle, Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
5    Historical Collections of Louisiana and Florida, B. F. French, 1875, p. 27
6    Baptismal record of Marie-Catherine You, Q., C. P. R.
7    Bonds of Alliance: Indigenous and Atlantic Slaveries in New France, Brett Rushforth, 2013
8    Montreal Fire 1721, Google Groups
9    Madeleine Just was named in a legal record dated 16 Aug 1728, BAnQ
10  Marriage record of Jean-Baptiste Richard and Marie-Anne You, Q., C. P. R.
11  Baptismal record of Pierre You (younger), Q., C. P. R.
12  Burial record of Pierre You (younger), Q., C. P. R.
13  Baptismal record of Philippe You, Q., C. P. R.
14  Baptismal record of François d’Youville, Q., C. P. R.
15  Burial record of François d’Youville, Q., C. P. R.
16  Marriage record of François d’Youville and Marie-Marguerite Dufros, Q., C. P. R.
17  Baptismal record of Joseph-Paschal You, Q., C. P. R.
18  Burial record of Joseph-Paschal You, Q., C. P. R.
19  Baptismal record of Marie-Louise You, Q., C. P. R.
20  Burial record of Marie-Louise You, Q., C. P. R.
21  Burial record of Marie-Catherine You, Q., C. P. R.

Robbing a Grocery Store With his Dad — James Ross

B. 14 Jan 1852 In Jersey County, Illinois¹
M. 24 Jul 1872 in Jersey County, Illinois²
Wife: Mary Edith Luckey
D. 17 Feb 1884 in Labette County, Kansas³

James Ross didn’t have a great role model for a father. And when he was a teen, the boy fell under his bad influence by helping him break into a store.

James was born on January 14, 1852 to John Ross and Ellen Ann Luckey in Jersey County, Illinois, the oldest of five children.¹ In 1860, the family was living in the house of his grandparents, James and Alletta Ross, in Jerseyville.⁴ John Ross was described as a “thrasher,” seeming to be doing farm labor for his father. All evidence indicates that he never really supported himself or owned his own property. Along with this was a reported reputation for being “a lawless character.”⁵

James was 14-years-old when his father took him along on a night of crime in Jerseyville.⁵ Late on the night of November 18, 1866, the two of them entered a local grocery store in order to help themselves to what was inside. After grabbing everything they could, including jugs of molasses and oil, sacks of tea, sugar and coffee, and items such as candles and gunpowder, someone passing by the store saw them inside and notified the police. James and his father were arrested as they tried to escape through the back.

A grocery store in Jerseyville in 1872.

While his father was kept in jail, James was released a short time later because it was the desire of the store owners that he be supervised by his extended family. A court record later stated that, “It … was [the store owners’] wish that John Ross’ son might be let go on account of his being taken there by his father (although the boy has a very bad character), in hopes that his uncles would take him out of the town and try to reform him.”⁵ Whether James was actually "reformed" by his uncles isn't known. In 1870, with his father out of prison, he was back living with his parents and siblings.⁶

Presumably, James got his life on track after his father seems to have died during the early 1870s. On July 24, 1872, he married his first cousin, Mary Edith Luckey;² perhaps her father, Samuel Luckey, was one of the uncles who was supposed to take care of him. James and Mary settled in Jersey county, and soon had a baby daughter. They had a total of five children between the years 1873 and 1882.

When Sam Luckey took his family out west in about 1878, James and Mary joined him.⁷ The two households bought adjoining farms in Labette County, Kansas (James was said to have paid off his farm within a few years⁸). James seems to have had a disability in the form of a "crippled hand," as reported on the 1880 census,⁷ but it isn't known how he got it, or whether it made it difficult to work on his farm.

In February of 1884, a storm of hard sleet struck the area near the farm, knocking down trees and damaging homes. It was said to be the worst storm of its kind that anyone could remember.⁸ James' house suffered some damage to the roof, and he was forced to repair it. Being exposed to the elements in the dead of winter caused him to come down with pneumonia, and he died less than a week later on February 17th.³ Wife Mary, who was left with five young children, remarried to a farmhand in 1887.⁹

Children:
1. Laura Ethol Ross – B. 24 Sep 1873, Jersey County, Illinois;¹⁰ D. 17 Mar 1917, Los Angeles, California;¹¹ M. Howard Milton Sheridan (1871-1951), 6 Mar 1895, Oswego, Kansas¹²

2. James Anderson Ross – B. 8 Aug 1875, Jersey County, Illinois;¹³ D. 20 Feb 1939, Iowa;¹⁴ M. Alberta Louella Goodknow (1883-1956), 12 Sep 1900, Clarksville, Iowa¹⁵

3. Charles Howard Ross – B. 4 Aug 1877, Jersey County, Illinois;¹⁶ D. 2 Dec 1918, Los Angeles, California¹⁷

4. Edward Auguster Ross – B. 23 Jan 1880, Labette County, Kansas;¹⁸ D. 4 Jan 1964;¹⁹ M. Ora Itasca Turner (1895-1987), about 1912²⁰

5. John L. Ross – B. 6 Aug 1882, Labette County, Kansas;²¹ D. 28 Sep 1892, (probably) Labette County, Kansas²²

Sources:
1    Birth record of James Ross, Edward A. Ross family bible transcript
2    Marriage record of James Ross and Mary E. Lucky, Illinois, Marriages, 1815-1935, FamilySearch.org
3    Death record of James Ross, Edward A. Ross family bible transcript
4    1860 U. S. Census, Jersey County, Illinois
5    Pardon petition file of John Ross, Springfield, Illinois, 1867-1868
6    1870 U. S. Census, Jersey County, Illinois
7    1880 U. S. Census, Jersey County, Illinois
8    Letter from Ora Ross to Beulah Larsen, 15 Sep 1976
9    Marriage record of Albert Leonard and Mary E. Ross, Kansas, Marriages, 1840-1935, FamilySearch.org
10  Birth record of Laura Ethol Ross, Edward A. Ross family bible transcript
11  Death record of Laura E. Sheridan, California, Death Index, 1905-1939, FamilySearch.org
12  Marriage record of Howard M. Sheridan and Laura E. Ross, K., M.
13  Birth record of James Anderson Ross, Edward A. Ross family bible transcript
14  Death record of James A. Ross, Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951, FamilySearch.org
15  Marriage record of James A. Ross and Bertha L. Goodnow, Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934, FamilySearch.org
16  Birth record of Charles Howard Ross, Edward A. Ross family bible transcript
17  Death record of Charles Howard Ross, Edward A. Ross family bible transcript
18  Birth record of Edward Auguster Ross, Edward A. Ross family bible transcript
19  Death record of Edward A. Ross, United States Social Security Death Index
20  WikiTree listing of Edward Auguster Ross
21  Birth record of John L. Ross, Edward A. Ross family bible transcript
22  Death record of John L. Ross, Edward A. Ross family bible transcript