Every Man (Has) An Island. (Teare Side)

Okay, so maybe not every man has an island. But if you are a relation to John Teare, then you do!

I've been researching our ancestors who were early settlers of the Massachusetts colony. You may remember my recent post about the Aldrich family. Jacob Aldrich II is John Teare's 7th great grandfather. But it is his wife who we are focused on in this post.

Jacob was married to Margery Hayward, daughter of Samuel Heyward and Mehitable Thompson. At one point family legend had it that Mehitable Thompson was our key to being direct descendants of the pilgrims. While this proved to be false, I think I like the real story even better. The Thompson line predates the arrival of the pilgrims in Massachusetts!

You see, Mehitable's grandfather, David, was a pretty important guy. David Thompson (John Teare's 10th great grandfather) was an apothecary and an agent for Sir Ferdinando Gorges, and had received considerable education in London. In 1622 he agreed to sail from Plymouth, England with two other men to find a suitable location for a new settlement. On November 16, 1622, the Council for New England granted David Thompson six thousand acres of land and one island in New England- what is today known as Thompson's Island.

Thompson Island, Boston Harbor

Thompson's Island is located in the Boston Harbor, and is open to visitors on Summer Sundays.

David and his wife Amyes had a son, John. John and his wife had a daughter, Mehitable. And Mehitable is the start of our connection to the Thompson line!

So let's take a look at the...

Family Line @ A Glance: Teare-->Gregory-->Easton-->Aldrich-->Heyward-->Thompson

WHERE TO GO:  Thompson's Island
For more information, see: http://www.bostonharborislands.org/

The Burton Line (Noble Side)

One of my favorite parts of genealogy research is tracing back our long-established American family lines until I finally reach the immigrant ancestor. I love that I have early colonial ancestors on both my maternal and paternal sides (in the Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Virginia colonies). These families helped shape our country. They braved rough seas and were greeted by harsh winters. They held strong religious convictions. They fought for what they believed in. They lived, loved, married, and raised their families through the constantly changing backdrop of the American colonies, and later the first states. Most of all, they survived- and for that we of course are all grateful!

As much as I love seeing our ancestors become established in early American through my research, there is something so satisfying about finally finding that immigrant ancestor- the one who started it all! Perhaps out of a need for adventure, perhaps out of economic hardship, or even because of religious conviction. Whatever the reason, they decided to move to the New World and forever changed the course of their family line.

On my maternal grandfather's side, Richard Burton was that man.

Born in 1580 in the Newcastle neighborhood of London (no longer in existence), Richard was one of the earliest settlers of the Virginia colony. The colony had existed since 1607, but in 1634 the British divided Virginia into 8 divisions. One of these divisions was Henrico, where Richard decided to settle. The division was named for Henricus, a Virginia city settled in 1611 that was abandoned in 1622 due to Powhatan aggression. The original lines of Henrico County or Division extended along the James River, encompassing much of Richmond, and as far west as Charlottesville.

A reenactment takes place at Henricus Historical Park. 

The original county seat of Henrico was at Varina farms, the alleged home of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. It was the rector of Henrico Parish, Rev. James Blair, who first drew up plans for a college, later prompting the British government to grant a charter for the second college in the colonies, William & Mary. Obviously, a lot of history took place here. And from Richard Burton, seven generations of Burton families remained in Henrico County.

Around 1820, Andrew Burton decided to move to Kentucky. He wed Susannah Shockey in 1823, at the age of 25. They had a house full of children and settled in Morgan, where census records state that Andrew was a farmer. At this time in Kentucky, the population was still 57% English, though the number of Scots, Irish, German, French, and Welsh immigrants was on the rise. Andrew's wife was proof of this; the origin of the surname 'Shockey' is German.

Andrew was special not only because he was the first Burton to leave Virginia, but because the move apparently did him good. Andrew lived to be 100 years old according to census records. Andrew is John Noble's third great grandfather. Richard Burton, our British immigrant ancestor, is John Noble's 11th great grandfather.

WHERE TO GO:
Henrico County: It still exists today, but it is not as large as the original division was. The country seat is the state capital, Richmond. Visit the Henrico Tourism History site.

Henricus Historical Park: http://www.henricus.org/

Morgan County, KY: Unfortunately hit hard by a tornado in 2012, the once charming town of West Liberty (the county seat) is now in a serious rebuilding period.

The Aldrich Family: A Story of War, Peace, and Politics (Teare Side)

John Teare is a direct descendant of George Aldrich, his 9th great grandfather. George was one of our immigrant ancestors, who came to the Massachusetts colony in 1631 along with his wife Katherine. George and Katherine live and were married in Derbyshire, England (the home of the fictional heartthrob, Mr. Darcy- for all you Jane Austen fans). After immigrating, the Aldrich family came to be somewhat of a political powerhouse family in colonial and early America (the Kennedys of the time, if you will). From George came many political superstars, including former US President Taft.

George and Katherine came to Dorchester (Suffolk) Massachusetts in 1631, moved to Braintree, MA in 1640, and became two of the first seven settlers in Mendon, MA. in 1663 . They were members of the Dorchester Congregational church. George was a tailor by trade. In his will, he left 12 pence to each of his daughters; his clothes to his son Joseph; and the rest of his estate to his wife. As he was a tailor, “clothes” possibly means the whole business, not just his own clothes. (Thanks to Bill Stupak for this information.)

Our line is traced through George’s fourth son, Jacob, who had a particularly interesting “elopement” with Huldah Thayer. The couple was living in Mendon at the time of their marriage, but the ceremony was performed by a Justice of the Peace in Milford. It seems as though they were evacuating at the time of this marriage, as the town as burned by Indians a few days later during the King Phillip’s War. According to Stupak, the first three children were born in “exile” in Braintree, though the couple returned to Mendon by 1680.

Information on George Aldrich is extremely well documented. I could write a book! Instead, this article will have to suffice!

WHERE TO GO:

The George Aldrich Grave Site, Mendon

Historic Mendon, Massachusetts (Click here for the guided walking tour)

FAMILY LINE @ A GLANCE: Teare-->Gregory-->Easton-->Aldrich

The Howlands (Cross Side)

The Mayflower gets all the glory. 

It is considered a privilege to be able to trace one’s line directly to a Mayflower passenger. Well, we may not be direct Mayflower descendants, but our family was an important part of the Plymouth colony.

We are direct descendants of Arthur Howland (the 9th great grandfather of Alice Cross Noble), brother of Mayflower passenger John Howland, and eventual inhabitant of the Plymouth Colony. Arthur arrived in Massachusetts in 1640, and from him we have over 100 years worth of early Massachusetts and Rhode Island settlers. You can visit A. Howland's impressive resting spot in Marshfield, MA.

Arthur Howland Memorial Site

Our Howland line is also well documented in England. Arthur was born to Henry and Ann-Margaret Howland in Huntingdonshire, England. I have confirmed that Henry Howland was buried in Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire, England in 1635, though no headstone was located.

But wait! That’s not all! Henry’s parents were John and Emma Howland. John is buried at St. Mary Whitechapel Parish Graveyard, in London, England. He was buried in 1611, and his wife was buried there in 1614.

Finally, the furthest I’ve traced is his parents, John and Agnes Howland. This couple died in 1568 and 1586, respectively, and are confirmed to be buried in Essex, England. These are all places that you can still visit today, though they may not exist in the same way!  

WHERE TO GO:

The church at St. Mary Whitechapel (London) has been demolished, but the street still exists. Click here for the address.

The St. Peter and St. Paul Churchyard in Fenstanton, England is located here. 

Arthur Howland is buried at Winslow Cemetery in Marshfield, MA. Click here for more information.

FAMILY LINE @ A GLANCE: Cross-->Warden-->Gerow-->Christy-->Bull-->Closson-->Williamson-->Howland