John Pike and Dorothy Daye of Landford, Wiltshire, England: 1635 Immigrant to New England

Landford, Wiltshire, England creative commons license

english origins

John Pike, 1635 immigrant to New England was recorded on the passenger list for the James on 5 April 1635, as a laborer of Langford, Wiltshire, England. There's not much in Landford, the parish church was built in 1858, the Landford Manor house dates from the 17th century, after John had sailed away. Landford is about 10 miles south of the large town of Salisbury. John's ancestry is not known.

John of Landford married Dorothy Daye of Boscombe, Wiltshire on 17 January 1612/13 in a neighboring parish, Whiteparish, about 3 miles away. The baptisms for two of his children are recorded at Landford, whose parish records from this time no longer exist; Israel in 1623 and their second son John in 1628. The remainder of the children are presumed to have been baptised there as well. 

Dorothy Day, b. about 1592, was the daughter of Thomas and Joan (Morris) Day of Boscombe, Wiltshire. Boscombe is to the north of Salisbury, about 18 miles from Landford. Thomas and Joan were married in Whiteparish on 12 June 1589. It is suggested that there might be a Morris connection to that place.

I found a reference to a court case which involved Thomas Day of Boscombe in 1602, which seems to cement this as his place of residence. 

Thomas wrote his will in June of 1631. He names his daughter, Dorothy Pike and her husband John. Thomas leaves her and her children 2 shillings apiece. His unmarried daughters get a sum of money either £100 or £20, a lot of money in those days. He also mentions his living at Newton which is nearby. It would seem that Thomas was fairly well off. 

Dorothy's mother wrote her will on 28 March 1632. Joan made a bequeath to her son-in-law John Pike and his children with no mention of Dorothy. It is believed that she died between her father's will and her mothers. 

children

1. John, bp Whiteparish, 8 November 1613

2. Roberts, b. abt. 1617

3. Dorothy b. abt. 1619

4. Anne b. abt. 1621

5. Israel bp. 20 April 1623, Landford

6. John bp. 18 May 1628, Landford buried there on 18 August 1628.

coming to america

At the age of 48, John Pike made the momentous decision to leave England and take his five children to New England. The sailed aboard the James from the port at Southampton, only 14 miles from their home. They arrived in Boston on 3 June 1635. The fledging colony was only five years old. Israel, the youngest child, was twelve, her oldest brother John was 22. What must they have thought?

Ipswich and Newbury

The family made a brief stop in the town of Ipswich before settling in Newbury on the banks of the Parker River. John remained here until shortly before his death. 

Puritan men, of good social standing were expected to serve their town and colony in civic duties, such as serving on juries. John also acted as an attorney in a couple of court cases. Clearly, he not just a laborer. In a case dated 1647, John was fined 32 shillings for 'taking the coat of Thomas Blomefield, detaining it after it was cried three times and cutting it too pieces'. I'm sure there is a good story there. The last case in which I found his name was in 1654 when he represented the town of Newbury in court. He must have moved to Salisbury thereafter. Perhaps his health was failing and he needed the care of his family.

Although Charles Banks includes a Mrs. Pike in his list of Pike family members aboard the James, there is no record of a second marriage for John. It is possible, women were of little note in those days, unless they did something bad or left a will. So, for now, I will assume that his only marriage was to Dorothy. 

death

John Pike's will was written on 24 May 1654. He died on 26 May, two days later. He was 67. He made bequeaths to two grandsons named John Pike, one the son of John, the other of Robert. He named his daughters, Dorothy, Anne and Israel as well as his daughter-in-laws. His inventory included a house and land in Newbury and land in Salisbury, each valued at 60£. Every item he owned was inventoried down to his mittens. Cattle was very valuable, he sole cow was worth 39£.

sources:

*The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.)

https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11657/319/0

*THE WILTSHIRE Archeological and Natural History MAGAZINE

By SOCIETY FORMED IN THAT COUNTY · 1885 Volume 22 (Thomas Day of Boscombe)

*The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .)

https://www.americanancestors.org/DB283/i/13133/256/24764501

Dover, New Hampshire, Hatevil Nutter and the Quaker Problem of 1662

What do you think of  when you read the words, 'religious radical'? A few images spring to my mind. A fiery preacher raining hell and damnation on his flock, pointing a finger at those who do not follow his theology, of which he is certain is the only way to salvation. Most religions have some variation of radicalism. I don't have to give you a list, you can create your own. One religious denomination which would not make my personal list would be the Quakers. I live in a town founded by Quakers. They seem to be very nice people, they are known for their peacefulness. A well known early Quaker, Margaret Fell, wrote to King Charles II:

"We are a people that follow after those things that make for peace, love, and unity; it is our desire that others' feet may walk in the same, and do deny and bear our testimony against all strife, and wars, and contentions that come from the lusts that war in the members, that war against the soul, which we wait for and watch for in all people, and love and desire the good of all."

Today, they are known for their pacifism and anti-war stance, they would appear to the the antithesis of radicalism. And yet, their arrival in New England in the 1650s and 1660s was regarding as something akin to a visit from the devil himself with all his plagues in tow.  The Massachusetts General Court issued an indict in October 1656 that said:

"Whereas there is a cursed sect of heretics recently risen up in the world, which are commonly called Quakers, who take it upon them to be immediately sent from God, and infallibly assisted by the spirit to speak and write blasphemous opinions, despising government, and the order of God in church and Commonwealth, speaking evil of dignities, reproaching and reviling magistrates and ministers, seeking to turn people from their faith and gain proselytes to their pernicious ways..." 

What followed this lengthy proclamation was a list of punishments for those who provided transportation to Quakers into the Colony, gave aid or shelter to Quakers, were found to have Quaker books or pamphlets or was found to be a Quaker.  

The first Quakers to arrive in Massachusetts were two women, Mary Fisher and Ann Austin, who traveled to Boston from Barbados. They were taken into custody, their papers burned, their bodies searched for witch marks. After a stint in prison they were sent back to Barbados. Many early Quakers shared their fate, imprisonment, whipping then banishment. But the Quakers were a persistent bunch and by 1658 the Massachusetts General Court, in order to deter further arrivals, adopted the death penalty for returning Quakers. In 1659 three people, two men and one woman, Ann Dyer, were hung in Boston. More followed their fate.

In 1662 the Quaker problem came to a head in Dover. The presence of three Quaker women did not sit well with some of the leading males of the town including Hatevil Nutter. Nutter was an elder of the church, served as a selectman, town moderator and justice of the peace. Hatevil crafted a petition, signed by his neighbors, and sent to the General Court craving assistance with the Quakers. The General Court's answer:

"...it is ordered that Captain Richard Walderne shall and hereby is empowered to act in the execution of the laws of this jurisdiction against all criminal offenders within the said town of Dover, as any one magistrate may do until this court should take further order."

The further order decreed:

To the constables of Dover, Hampton, Salisbury, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, Windham, Lynn, Boston, Roxbury, Dedham, and until these Quaker Vagabonds are out of this jurisdiction You and every one of your are required in the King's Majesty's name to take these Vagabond Quakers, Anna Coleman, Mary Tompkins, and Alice Ambrose, and make them fast to the cart's tail, and drawing the cart through your several towns, to whip them upon their naked backs, not exceeding ten stripes apiece, on each of them in each town, and so convey them from Constable to Constable till they are out of this jurisdiction, as you will answer it at your peril, and this shall be your warrant." (Provincial Papers, I:243)

Constables, brothers John and Thomas Roberts, arrested the three women. They were brought to the meeting house on High Street on Dover Neck. Deputy Walderne had the women stripped to the waist, and according to Sewell's History of the Quakers, had the women 'cruelly whipped while the Priest stood and looked and laughed. They were then sent to Hampton, the next stage of their journey to Boston. Accompanying the women was Doctor Walter Barefoot, a resident of Dover Neck. Perhaps he went to attend to the women's medical needs. In Hampton the women received their lashing and were sent on their way.

In Salisbury, they encountered a merciful reception. Major Robert Pike and Dr. Walter Barefoot concocted a plan. A boat was hired that carried the women to the home of Major Nicholas Shapleigh who lived in Kittery, Maine, just across the river from Dover Neck. There they received treatment for their wounds and were treated with hospitality.

The women remained in the area but damped down the ardor of their preaching. In time, the persecution of Quakers ceased and approximately one-third of the population of Dover called themselves Friends. It would seem then, it was the Quakers, not the Puritans who fought for religious liberty, the freedom to worship as they saw fit. King Charles II gave the Quakers the right to worship as they saw fit.

Hatevil Nutter has borne the brunt of the blame for the whipping and persecution of these women in New Hampshire. I'm not sure he deserves our censure. Hatevil was a product of his time. A staunch believer who saw chaos and strife in those who chose to go their own way; individualism is a tenet of Quaker belief. He sought to maintain order and regiment in a world very different from ours. I doubt I'd like him or him me, but I cannot hold him to the standards of this day, even as I despise his actions and those of my ancestors who lived alongside him. I'm sure they were they standing at the meetinghouse gaping at the Quaker women as they were cruelly whipped. I can only hope they cringed at the scene before them and felt some measure of pity for those poor souls.




Be on the lookout for my next book: Pine Tree House, coming in 2020.

You can purchase a genealogy of Hatevil Nutter on Amazon. 

Beware it's $100.00, here's a link:     https://amzn.to/2YCuFGt

James Philbrick (1619-1674) Bures St Mary, Suffolk, England to Hampton, New Hampshire

english origins

The Philbrick Family of Hampton, New Hampshire has been traced to their English home in Bures St. Mary, County Suffolk. There they lived in a world of Manor Courts and rolls, a way of life which evolved over hundreds, if not thousands of years. James was born into this life and christened at St Marys on  2 December 1619. [1] At some time after the 1631 christening of a daughter, [2] Thomas Philbrick and his family sailed to New England and a newly invented way of life. 

hampton
After a few brief stops in Massachusetts the Philbrick family settled in the New Hampshire town of Hampton.  James was  a mariner by trade. The waters of coastal New Hampshire were akin to today's highways, bringing exports, especially wood products such as pipe staves and masts for ships, to the larger ports in exchange for English imports of cloth and other goods. In addition to working on the water, James farmed, buying marsh land in 1650 with his brother Thomas Jr. The rich marsh salt grass was cut and used as fodder for cattle.

12 : 10 mo : 1650, James ffilbrooke and Tho: ffilbrooke jr bought of Edward Colcord marsh in Hampton, bounded by Jno Wedgwood, Will: Cole and Willi ffifield, way to landing place.

12 : 10 mo : 1650 Edward Colcord mortgages to James ffilbrick and Tho: ffilbrick jr marsh which was formerly possessed by Walter Roper, adjoining Rob: Page and the beach.

On 12 Feb. 1667/8 James Philbrick of Hampton, mariner, sold to Nathaniel Batcheller of Hampton, five acres of pasture in Hampton, bounded by the highway against land of John Huggins, and Moses Coxe, called the hop land, 6 Feb. 1667. Witnessed by Henry Down, Judith Philbrick. James' wife Anne signed and released her dower. James' brother Thomas had sold to Moses Cox a similar five acres at "ye old hop ground" bounded by the highway, Nathaniel Bacheller and James ffilbrick on 1 Mar. 1663/4. [3] 

In 1670 he was chosen to run the line between Exeter and Hampton and in 1671 he was granted lot no. 52 of 40 acres in the south of the town called “The new plantation” which became Seabrook.


family
James married Anna Roberts, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Unknown Roberts of Dover by 1650.  According to Torrey, he had married in 1644 a Jane? Roberts, but nothing more is known about her. [4] Their first child was born July 1651. More children followed and by 1668 they had eight children. [5]

1. James PHILBRICK b: 13 JUL 1651
2. Apphia PHILBRICK b: 19 Mar 1654/55         
3. Esther PHILBRICK b: 1 Mar 1656/57 m. Sylvanus Nock and James Beard
4. Thomas PHILBRICK b: 14 Mar 1658/59
5. Sarah PHILBRICK b: 14 Feb 1660/61 d. young
6. Joseph PHILBRICK b: 1 OCT 1663
7. Elizabeth PHILBRICK b: 24 JUL 1666 (This Elizabeth may have been the Elizabeth PHILBROOK who married Nathaniel BERRY, son of Joseph, on 2 July 1691.
8. Mehitabel PHILBRICK b: 19 JUL 1668 died young

It was once believed that Bethia Philbrick who married Caleb Perkins in 1677 was also a child of James and Anna. [6] The Hampton Lane Memorial Library genealogy site does not include her as a child. Her profile on the genealogy site WikiTree also disputes her parentage and lays out a compelling case for her to be the daughter of Thomas Jr. [7] Thomas and his wife are recorded as being the parents of Bathia Philbrick how was born on 15 December 1654.

death
James died on 16 November 1674, he drowned along with another man in the Hampton River. [6] His widow Anna probated his estate. The following year she married widower William Marston on 5 July 1675. Between them they had 15 children.

sources:

[1] https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_queries/5c742b1d4325a6c1515a04aa?locale=en

[2]https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a7dbd8cf493fdbb8f6a5380?locale=en&search_id=5c742c104325a6c1515a066f&ucf=false

[3] Old Dover Records

[4] New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.

https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21175/1178/426899539

[5] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.)

https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/rd/11683/281/241826069

[6] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.)


https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11683/281/241825813

[7] https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Philbrick-17

[8]Sanborn, George Freeman, Jr., and Sanborn, Melinde Lutz. Vital records of Hampton, New Hampshire : to the end of the year 1900. Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1992. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2016)

https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1701/rd/40198/116/1085551776

*Moriarty, G. Andrews, "The English Connections of Thomas Felbrigge or Philbrick of Hampton, N.H.," (NEH&GR, Oct. 1954), v. 108, p. 258

*Noyes/Libby/Davis, "Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire," (1939), p. 545.

William Smith Bryan: A lesson in Fantastic 17th Century English/Irish Genealogy Sources

Sir Francis Bryan by Hans Holbien

I have been researching a man named William Smith Bryan, supposedly born in 1599 in Ireland who was deported by Cromwell in the mid-1600s during the Irish Rebellion. He is said to have been dropped off on the coast of Virginia with his family, belongings and the first horses in Virginia. His death is reported as sometime in 1667. Along the way I have been introduced to some 'new to me' sources for researching this period of time in England and Ireland. I thought I'd share them with you.

William Smith Bryan, (WSB) to be the son of Sir Francis Bryan #2, supposed son of the Sir Francis Bryan (1490-1550) English courtier and diplomat whose second wife was Joan Fitzgerald, widow and Irish heiress. They married in 1548 and he died under mysterious circumstances two years later. There is said to be little love lost between the pair whose marriage was one of strategic politics and had little to do with affairs of the heart. 

Houses of Parliament Online [1]

The William Smith Bryan ancestry claims that his father was a son of Sir Francis Bryan and possibly Joan Fitzgerald. Sir Francis Bryan married twice, his first wife was Penelope, daughter of Humphrey Spice. She died apparently childless sometime before Francis' marriage to Joan. According to his biography on the History of Parliament Online, Sir Francis Bryan was succeeded only by an unnamed illegitimate child. So here is our first great source on 17th century, and more important English personages. Here is their blurb about themselves:

This site contains all of the biographical, constituency and introductory survey articles published in The History of Parliament series. Work is still underway on checking and cleaning the data that has been transferred into the website from a number of sources, and the current version of the site is still provisional. In order to find out more about the articles produced by the History, click on the links in the 'Research' section above. Additional material - explanatory articles, and images of Members, Parliaments and elections - have been produced specially for the website, and can be found through the 'Explore' and 'Gallery' sections above. For more information on the History, see the About us section, follow us on Facebook and Twitter or read the HistoryOfParliament, Director and VictorianCommons blogs.

The History of Parliament online version is not yet finished, it covers members of Parliament from the year 1386 until modern times. The bios are brief but chock full of information.

What does this source tell us about Sir Francis Bryan #1 and his possible relationship to the father of Sir Francis Bryan of Ireland? Not much, it confirms that Sir Francis had a son, but he was illegitimate and unnamed.

Old Journal articles: Unpublished Geraldine Documents: The Earls of Desmond [2][3]

This is a small book, published in the 1800s, comprised of letters and other documents related to the Desmond Family. Included in this manuscript is a transcribed letter from Sir John Allen, Lord Chancellor to Ireland, to his brother, Thomas Allen. He sent instructions concerning the widow Joan Fitzgerald to the English Government. The letter describes a deathbed conversation between himself and Sir Francis Bryan. He claims Sir Francis said, "when he bade me farewell, he desired me to have him commended to all his friends in England, and especially he said to My Lord Privy Seal (Lord Cromwell), my Lord of Warwick and Mr. Herbert, and pray them to be good to my son, the poor boy, which my charge I commit to you to do, if you can attend to their presence to declare it." 

It seems clear that Sir Francis had a son. However, the need to recommend him to English nobles seems to confirm that he was not a legitimate son as he would inherit the estates of Sir Francis. To my mind this reads like the son would need the patronage of important men to help his career as his social standing based on birth was limited. 

Books in other languages: Odet de Selve [4]

Odet de Selve was a French politician/statesman who served in England 1546-1549 as Ambassador. he kept a journal which has been published. It is, of course, written in French. Thank goodness for Google Translator,  He wrote in September 1548:

Stratham, September 16th. - Selve received three days ago the dispatch that the admiral sent to him by the son of Sir Francis Bryan, who arrived safe and sound with and except with one of the people of Selve in London, from where he departed to go find his father. Earl of Bryant has for a short time been marrying an Irish citizen named the Comtesse de Ouarmont and is going to Ireland to party to see the good of his wife, but chiefly as I am sorry for the affairs of this king. 

Lesson learned, never overlook books in other languages! What this particular books tells us is that Sir Francis appears to have had a grown son, unnamed by Odet in 1548. He would likely to have been at least 21, so he could not have been a son of Joan Fitzgerald.

Wills, Probates, IPM [5][6]

Wills, probate records, and IPMs, (Inquisition Post Mortem) can add a lot to the genealogical record. The only problem with most of these 17th century wills is that they are either written in latin or if written in English they can be very difficult to read. No will has been found for Sir Francis Bryan and the disbursement of his land is unknown. I have seen mention made of Joan's will but have not seen the actual document or a transcription. This is a shame as it might have settle this dispute immediately or perhaps it would never had occurred in the first place. The one will I could find was for Margaret Brian, the mother of Sir Francis Bryan.

This will is written in English, but 17th century script is difficult to decipher, it's fun to try though, like putting a puzzle together. Margaret outlived all her children. She does not mention any grandchildren, not even a poor son of Francis.

A Wee bit O' Irish History
According to the story of WSB his father was Sir Francis Bryan #2. I have been unable to find any proof that this man was the son of Sir Francis #1, but that doesn't mean that he didn't exist. Let's look a litter closer at his story. According to his profile on both Wikitree and Geni, he was born in 1549 in County Clare in Ireland. Both websites agree he died in County Clare in 1640. Before I go on I have to same something about all these dates for births and deaths in the Bryan family. Did you notice, as I did, that everyone is born and dies on the 1st of June? This is a bright red flag that tells me someone is 'making this shit up', pardon my French.

Anyway, back to County Clare. Sir Francis #1 lived with his reluctant wife in Clonmel in Tipperary in the Province of Munster, a seat of power of the Earls of Ormond. Joan Fitzgerald's first husband was James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond and her son Piers was his heir. After the death of Sir Francis, Joan married her powerful cousin, Gerald Fitzgerald, the 15th Earl of Desmond. The Desmond family also controlled a huge swath of Munster. Joan's father was the 10th Earl of Desmond. Joan's life was firmly planted int the Desmond/Ormond lands of her father and her son.

County Clare, despite it's Norman name, was part of the Kingdom of Thomond and home to the powerful Irish family the O'Briens.  No child of Sir Francis Bryan #1 would have been born in County Clare. He would not have inherited land in County Clare as his mother would not have inherited land in what was if not enemy territory certainly adversarial.

Knighthood [7]
According to his bio Francis father of WSB was a knight. This claim should be pretty easy to sort out. I reference a set of book called The knights of England : a complete record from the earliest time to the present day of the knights of all the orders of chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of knights bachelors, and guess what, there is no Sir Francis Bryan other than Sir Francis Bryan #1.

Land Owners of County Clare [8] [9]
From the story of WSB we are told that he was a land holder in County Clare. He married Catherine Morgan and had a large family at the time of Cromwell's invasion in 1641. County Clare has an amazing library which has a significant amount of content available online. One of the database which is searchable is the Book of Forfeitures and Distributions. Here is an explanation of this database:

The Books of Survey and Distribution were compiled by the English government at the end of the 17th century to establish a reliable record of landowners in Ireland for the purpose of imposing rent (the Quit Rent). The Books incorporate information collected during earlier surveys – the Strafford, Civil and Down Surveys – detailing the names of proprietors who forfeited their land under the Cromwellian Settlement of 1641 and the amount and quality of land they held. The names of those to whom this land was granted, under various Acts between 1662 and 1703, is also given. 

Guess whose name is not found on this survey of land owners whose lands were confiscated by Cromwell. There is no Sir Francis Bryan and there is no William Smith Bryan or just plain William Bryan. If WSB held extensive land in County Clare in 1641 his name would be on this survey.

There is also a book called The Irish And Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry, When Cromwell Came to Ireland: Or, a Supplement to Irish Pedigrees. Surely if WSB held land in Ireland which he lost when Cromwell busted him to Virginia, his name would appear somewhere in the 792 pages of this books, alas he is not to be found.

No WSB can be found on The Down Survey for Ireland., nor is he mentioned in the 1641 Depositions. 

Reclaiming forfeited land [10]
Francis Bryan, son of WSB returned to Ireland to reclaim his fathers hereditary titles and lands. So far we have seen no such land but there are books and data on those who did make a claim to recover their confiscated estates. There is a book aptly named Lists of the Claims as they are Entered With the Trustees at Chichester House on College Green Dublin On or Before the 10th of August 1700. This is a list of over 3100 claimants to lost land. There is no William Smith or Francis Bryan on this list.

What's the big deal with Denmark?
WSB married Catherine Morgan in Denmark. Why? What was he doing in Denmark, what was she doing in Denmark? This is so weird.

Francis Bryan #3, son of WSB goes to Ireland to reclaim his father's land. Somehow he ends up in Denmark where he marries Sarah Brinker. FB#3 dies in Belfast? Does no one else think this is crazy?
I think the Denmark references are an attempt to make a connection to Morgan Bryan whose grandfather was Danish as per his son's American Revolution Pension Application.

WSB in Virginia
So, WSB is sent by Cromwell to Virginia. The Prince of Ireland is dropped off and that's it. No record of this man in Virginia exists. Why? I believe it's because he did not exist in the first place.

Sources:

[1] Houses of Parliament Online

[2] Daniel MacCarthy, "Unpublished Geraldine Documents", The Journal of the Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland, Third Series, Vol. 1, No. 2 (1869), pp. 499-559, 570, 1-2 (86 pages).

[3]  Hans C. Hamilton, editor, Calendar of the State Papers Relating to Ireland, of the Reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI., Mary, and Elisabeth: Preserved in the Public Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office. 1509 - 1573, Volume 1, (London: Longman, Green, Longman & Roberts, 1860) 106.

[4] Odet de Selve, Correspondance politique de Odet de Selve, ambassadeur de France en Angleterre (1546-1549) (Paris: F. Alcan, 1888).

[5] London Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section, Clerkenwell, London, England; Reference Number: MS 9172/2A; Will Number: 49

[6] John Kennedy,  A History of the Parish of Leyton, Essex, (London: Phelp Brothers, 1894) p.344; transcription of her will.

[7] William Arthur Shaw, George Dames Burtchaell, The knights of England : a complete record from the earliest time to the present day of the knights of all the orders of chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of knights bachelors, Vol 2, (London, 1906).

[8] James Frost, The History and Topography of County Clare, (Dublin: Sealy, Byers and Walker, 1893.

[9] John O'Hart, The Irish And Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry, When Cromwell Came to Ireland: Or, a Supplement to Irish Pedigrees,(Dublin: James Duffy, 1892).

[10] Great Britain. Trustees for the Sale of the Forfeited Estates in Ireland, Patrick Campbell, and Joseph Ray. A List of the Claims As They Are Entred With the Trustees: At Chichester-House On College-Green Dublin, On Or Before the Tenth of August, 1700. Dublin:: Printed by Joseph Ray, and are to be sold by, 1701.

English Ancestry of John, Thomas, James and William Moulton of Ormesby, Norfolk and New England

Part I
The English Ancestry of four Moulton men who immigrated to New England during the Great Migration has been traced back to the 15th century. John, James and Thomas were brothers, William was their cousin several times removed. Their common grandparents were Robert Multon and his wife Margaret Watts of Ormesby St. Margaret, Norfolk.

ormesby st. margaret
Ormbesby St. Margaret is a village on the Norfolk coast. The village boast a 14th century church, which would have been the parish church of the Moulton family. Sadly, parish records do not exist prior to 1601, dates of births and marriages are estimated and dates of death are based on wills.

Ormesby St. Margaret is only about 20 miles from the village of Paston, home to the 15th century Paston family. If you have never read the Paston Letters, I encourage you to do so. The letters reveal details of everyday life in those long ago days, and make ancestors like the Moultons seem more real. In fact the Moulton's held land that bordered on lands held by the Paston family.

The flat Norfolk countryside supported a flourishing agrarian society still centered on the manorial system. Each man held land, copy hold or free hold from the Lord of the Manor. Justice was delivered by the Manorial Court. Church wardens kept an eagle eye on parishioners.The farmers grew oats, barley and pease. Larger land holders raised sheep for wool and meat. Rents were usually paid in barley, and they would be paid at times, to the lord of the manor.

lord of the manor
The manor of Ormesby, at the time of the Moultons was held by the Clere family. This family can be traced back to Nicholas de Clere who married the daughter of Sir William de Ormesby in the 13th century. A Sir Robert Clere was sheriff of Norfolk in 1501 and attended King Henry VIII in 1520. His second wife was the daughter of William Bolyen of Blickling. His son William married the daughter of Sir John Paston, of the Paston letters.

moulton ancestry:

robert 1475-1535
The first Moulton to whom the immigrants can be traced is Robert Multon of Ormesby St. Margaret. He was born around about 1475. Edward IV was King of England, the House of York had won the War of the Roses. But, England would soon be wracked by war once again, when Edward's brother Richard III would put aside (kill) the rightful heir to the throne and set himself on a collision course with Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII. When Robert died in 1535, Henry VIII was married to Anne Bolyen, who incidentally, was born at Blickling Hall, not far from Ormesby. The effects from Henry's split with the Catholic Church, needed to obtain his divorce from Catherine of Aragon,  would have a rippling effect that would impact the lives of future Moultons.

What we know about Robert, which is very little, comes from his will and a few other documents on which his name is found, including manorial court rolls, and the lay subsidy rolls, a list of taxpayers and the amount they owed. In the roll for 1523/1524 two men named Robert Moulton were taxed; one for land and one for wages. It is believed that they represent father and son. The younger man died prior to the writing of his father's will in 1535. In one document he was identified as a yeoman, a step above a husbandman and one below a gentleman.

Robert's will has been transcribed at various times. Significantly in its newest transcription the value of his estate has been corrected downwards as it was been found that what was thought to be pounds was shillings, and shilling pence. Despite the lesser value of his estate, he did have enough to warrant a will, for which we are thankful.

Medieval wills follow a fairly standard formula. Robert's will, dated 4 June 1535, is no different. The dying are firstly concerned with their eternal soul and make bequeaths to their church, the poor and indicate where they would like to be buried. Robert left money to St. Margaret's in Ormesby, various religious guilds, and to a hospital or almshouse for 'sick men in Yarmouth.' The will was written by one who was still very Catholic in his religion. He bequeaths his soul to God, Mary and the saints.

His soul taken care of, Robert then makes his bequests to his survivors. He names two daughters, each get money. Margaret 20 shillings, Isobell 40 shillings. His son Thomas was to have 4 marks sterling. The English monetary systems was pounds (L), shillings (s), pence (d). There was twelve pence to a shilling and twenty shillings to a pound. A mark was two-thirds of a pound.

John, his heir and presumably the eldest son, was to get his father's house and land, after the death of his mother, Margaret. This statement is great because it let's us know that Robert's wife was the mother of his children, not always the case, as many men married multiple times. Roberts will was witnessed by Thomas Watts, Margaret's brother.

So, that is what we know about Robert. He was likely about sixty years old, had four surviving children, he was not rich, but not poor, he had land, either copy or freehold and that's about it.

margaret
Margaret and her brother Thomas were the children of John Watts of Ormesby St. Margaret. He was born about 1450, possibly in Worsted. His wrote his will on 4 April 1500. His wife's name was Beatrix, but it is unknown if she was the mother of Thomas and/or Margaret or any of the other children named in his will. Margaret was born about 1478. John Watts' will was proved the following March.

Worsted is about 14 miles from Ormesby and a review of will show a cluster of men of that name in Worsted.

Part II brothers John and Thomas Moulton
Part III John Moulton and his cousin Robert Moulton

Sources:

William Haslet-Jones, "The English Background of Some Early Settlers of Hampton, New Hampshire From Ormesby St. Margaret, Norfolk," (The Moulton Family) The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (October 1987) Vol. 141, 313-329, digital images, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11613/313/0 : accessed 28 December 2017).

Joan Wade Moulton, "Some Doubts About the English Background of the Moulton Family," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 1990) Vol. 144, 245-263; digital images American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11735/245/0 : accessed 28 December 2017).

Barbara MacAllen, "More Thoughts on the Moulton Family," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register (April 1993) Vol. 147, 129-145; American Ancestors  
(https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11686/129/0 : accessed 28 December 2017).

Myrtle Stevens Hyde, "Revised Ancestry for William Moulton of Hampton, New Hampshire, Including Some Revisions of the Early Ancestry of His New England Cousins," New England Historical and Genealogical Register (July 2009) Vol. 163, 165-173 and 273-277; digital images, American Ancestors (https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11728/165/0 : accessed 28 December 2017).