Thomas Roberts of Woolaston, Gloucester and Dover, New Hampshire 1600-1673

Thomas is the first Roberts in my family tree, but the name stopped at the next generation as I descend from his daughter Anne.  Coincidentally, my surname is Roberts, I had to keep reminding myself that this was my ancestor and not my husband's.  Thomas, although a very real man, has been the subject of "ancestry inflation". I'm not sure if anyone else uses this term, but what I mean by it is that he was  just an average guy, for the times, whose life accomplishments, and ancestors have been erroneously 'improved' for posterity. So, if you are reading this hoping for Lords and Ladies and Governors this is not the article for you. However if you want to try to discover a little bit about the real man, follow me. 

English origins 

If the information available on ancestry.com and other internet sites about Thomas Roberts is anything to go by then any article on who Thomas was needs to start with who he wasn't.  The only clue to his origins is found in the records of the London Fishmongers Guild to which he was apprenticed.  The entry of interest is found in the year 1615 and reads "Thomas Roberts, son of John Roberts of Woolston, in the county of Wooster, yeoman put apprentice to William Adys for eight years from". This tells us his that his father's name was John, his hometown was Woolston and as most apprenticeships began about age 14, that his approximate year of birth was  1600. 

If you read just about any bio of Thomas on the internet you will find a jumbled mess of ancestry written about him. Here are what I consider to be the most erroneous data that I have found:

Glassenbury House, Cranbrook, Kent

Thomas Roberts was the son of Sir Thomas Roberts and Lady Francis James of Glassenbury House in Cranbrook, Kent. This is so obviously wrong. The family of Sir Thomas had lived in the Cranbrook area for centuries, they were what we know as  the landed gentry, a family whose income came from the rents from their land. Sir Thomas was knighted in 1603 and became a Baronet in 1620 when he served as High Sheriff of Kent. "Baronet" is title created by King James I in 1611 giving the holder the hereditary right to be called be called  "Sir". His sons, Walter, Thomas, William and James, were called 'Gentlemen' as they did not need to work for a living. His eldest son Walter, born in 1586, was knighted in 1624 and inherited the title upon his father's death in 1628. Thomas son of John could not be the Thomas of Dover. His father's name is not John, and he was baptized on 11 October 1590, making him to old to be our apprentice in 1615.  This Thomas did not come from Woolston, he would never call himself or his father a "yeoman" and we know from records that he died unmarried in England and he certainly was never an apprentice fishmonger.  

Adlard and Cassandra Welby tomb

Thomas was also not the son or grandson of John Roberts of Wollaston and Cassandra ap Rhese of Huntington. This John is supposedly from Wollaston  in Northampton. I cannot find any record of him.  Cassandra was born c. 1529.  She was married four times.  In 1545, at age 15,  she married her second husband Peter Assheton of Chadderton, they had five children. He died in June of 1558. In 1559 she married Adlard Welby of Gedney. They too had five children, their eldest son, William, was knighted at the coronation of King James I. Adlard died in 1568. Cassandra married her last husband Robert Carr on May 10, 1574. She died March 1, 1590/1 and was buried at Gedney. There is no record of any children from Cassandra's first marriage, as she was only about 15 when she started her second marriage, John Roberts must have died shortly after he and Cassandra were married. And, as with the Roberts' of Glassenbury, these families, the Asshetons, the Weblys, the Carrs were very wealthy families who would not have sent a child to be an apprentice fishmonger.

So who was John Roberts of Woolston.  There is a small village of Woolstone in Gloucestershire near the Worcestershire border. In 1600 it was the home of John and Margaret Roberts. The baptisms of two of his children were recorded, they were sons Nicholas and George.  George, baptized in 1601 was also taken  to London and apprenticed, his entry into the Drapers guild reads "George Roberts son of John Roberts yeoman of Wolston, Gloucs".  It is possible that this is the family of Thomas Roberts. For more information about this family see the Roberts Family of Woolstone webpage by Fredric Z. Saunders.  

The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers is the official name of the Fishmongers guild in London, it has been in existence for more than 700 years.  The purpose of the guild was and is to regulate the the buying and selling of fish.  I am not sure why the word "aristocratic" usually proceeds the guild name when written about in conjunction with Thomas Roberts. The guilds were at one time very powerful and many "aristocrats", including princes and kings, became members.  You did not have to be a fishmonger in order to be a member. 

Nothing is known about Thomas at this time,  most boys began their apprenticeship at age 14 for a period of seven years.  Thomas was apprenticed for eight years beginning in 1615 and he was admitted as a full member of the guild on April 29, 1623. His entry in the records reads "Thomas Roberts, my apprentice, William Adys... presented and admitted… to Fishmongers Guild, admitted and sworn on 29 April 1623”.  These dates are somewhat different from what you see written about Thomas.  If Thomas was made a freemen in 1623, he could hardly be an apprentice to Edward Hilton and in New Hampshire at the same time.

The last mention of Thomas in the Fishmongers Guild records was made in the 1641 Fishmongers tax roll of London, he as well as Edward Hilton are noted as being "In New England".  

Coming to America

Just when you think the controversies about Thomas Roberts have ended, they kick right back up again.  When did he come to New Hampshire? Most of the older genealogies will tell you that he arrived in New Hampshire in 1623 with the Hilton brothers. However, the Hilton brothers were not in New Hampshire in 1623, so that sinks that story. William Hilton was in Plymouth in 1621 and eventually moved up to the Piscataqua after the arrival of his brother Edward.  Edward arrived sometime between 1625 and 1628. He probably made at least one return trip to England to gain his charter for his patent and to bring back family and settlers. It is entirely possible that Thomas Roberts, having finished his apprenticeship, returned with Edward to New Hampshire. Ultimately no one can really say exactly when Thomas arrived, and if Robert Charles Anderson does not include him in his Great Migration series, it's proof enough for me.

St. Mary's parish church of Witten cum Twansbrook

Rebecca

It is "traditionally given that the wife of Thomas Roberts was Rebecca Hilton, sister of Edward and William Hilton". What does that mean?  I cannot find anywhere anything other than that statement when looking for detail on the wife of Thomas Roberts.  The baptisms of the children of William Hilton of Witton cum Twamsbrook, Cheshire are recorded in the parish records.  His children include Edward, William and Richard who all immigrated to New Hampshire.  There is also a son John, and daughters Margaret, Mary and Elizabeth.  There is no Rebecca. There is no known date of birth and there is no known date of death.  There is no record of their marriage. They did not even name a daughter after her and interestingly only one of her five children named a girl Rebecca.   Everything that is written about her is pure conjecture and not fact.  I'm not even sure her name was really Rebecca. 

While we are on this Hilton topic, the father of the Hiltons was not Roger Hilton, it was William.

Governor Thomas Roberts

 I have seen this written everywhere. Thomas was not a Governor in any sense of the word as we know it today.   In March or April of 1640 he was elected "President of the Court" of the Bristol Company, the owners of Dover.  This position has been described as little more than head of a group of selectmen.  When the Dover Combination was signed on 22 Oct. 1640, there were only about 40 men in Dover. So, as the colony grew in size other men stepped up into leadership roles.  Thomas held various minor offices, but never again assumed a leadership position.  This is not said to belittle him as he was quite successful, but to style him as Governor seems a bit much, not to mention Governor of New Hampshire, which he most certainly was not.   

Children of Thomas and Rebecca named in his will:
John b. about 1630 m. Abigail Nutter
Thomas b. about 1636 m. Mary Leighton 
Hester married John Marytn of New Jersey 
Elizabeth married Benjamin Heard he m. (2) Ruth Eastman 
Ann married James Philbrick of Hampton, he drowned in the Hampton River in 1674, she married (2) William Marston in 1675.
Sarah married Richard Rich Feb 24, 1670 he drowned at sea c. 1690

note: the birth years of the daughters are unknown, the birth order is based on the will of Thomas and the order in which he names his children. The birth dates for the sons are based on the ages they gave when deposed in court later in life.

Thomas wrote his will in 1673 and it was proved the next year.  He was buried in the north east corner of the old burying ground on Dover Neck.   As stated earlier there is no record of his wife's death or burial. The fact that he did not mention any wife in his will makes me think that she was already dead, as most men made provisions for their spouses for their lifetime. His headstone was obviously erected long after his death and perpetuates the story of his arrival in 1623.

In his will Thomas dispersed his possessions as follows:
Son John: 20 shillings
Son Thomas: five shillings
Daughter Hester: five shillings
Daughter Anne: five shillings
Daughter Elizabeth: five shillings
Son in Law of his "dearly beloved daughter Sarah" and their children together: everything else!

Sarah got her fathers house, out buildings, orchards, planting lands, pastures both fenced and in common privilege, rights to the common. He also gave her a four acres plot of planting land and three acres of marshland on the Winnicutt River down near Greenland.

Related Posts:
Benjamin Heard

Sources:

The English Baronetage, 1741

Wikipedia 

The Visitation of the County of Huntingdonshire Under the Authority of William Camden

William Betham, The Baronetage of England, Vol 5

The Publications of the Harleian Society, Lincolnshire Pedigrees Vol. 51, p.229

William Betham, The Baronetage of England or the History of the English Baronets, Vol 5, p. 20
Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins, 1620-1633.
familysearch.org
Noyes, Libby, Davis, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire
Roberts Family of Woolstone Website by F. Z. Saunders
George Wadleigh, Notable Events in the History of Dover, New Hampshire, 1913
Rev. Alonzo Quint, Historical Memoranda Concerning Persons and Places in Old Dover, New Hampshire, reprinted 2002
John Scales, Historical Memoranda Concerning Persons and Places in Old Dover, New Hampshire, 1900
Jacobsen, Thomas A, The Robertses of Northern New England, Heritage Books, Bowie, MD, 1995
New Hampshire Probate Records: the will of Thomas Robert

comment, queries, confrontations welcome...cite your sources

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.

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

Benjamin Heard of Dover, NH and Salisbury, MA

Benjamin Heard was the oldest child of John and Elizabeth Hull Heard.  He was born in Dover, New Hampshire on 20 Feb. 1643/44.  He lived most of his life in New Hampshire but after the death of his first wife, Elizabeth, he moved south to Salisbury, Massachusetts.  

early life and first marriage

Benjamin seems to have followed the usual path to adulthood.  He lived with his parents until his marriage, at which time he established his own family unit.  He took the Oath of Fidelity in 1669 at age 25 and was married the following year.  His wife was Elizabeth Roberts, daughter of Thomas Roberts, also of Dover.  And, as expected, their first child arrived a year or so later. 

John Heard, his father, gave Benjamin 40 acres of land located on "Fresh Creek" which was on the road from Dover to South Berwick.  Benjamin and his family made their home there. Benjamin was a cordwainer (shoemaker or cobbler) by trade and like most men of the time he did his civic duty by serving on the grand jury, trial jury and acting as constable. 

Elizabeth died sometime prior to 1690, she did not live to see the death of her oldest child nor did she have to endure the agony of having a child kidnapped by Indians and not knowing their fate. 

Children of Benjamin and Elizabeth:

1. Benjamin Heard Jr. , born 1673; died unmarried on February 10, 1697 of “malignant fever.” age 24

2. Lydia Heard, born 1674. She married, first, Jonathan Norris in June 1696. He was the son of Nicholas and Sarah (Cox) Norris and died in 1718. He lived in Exeter and Stratham. She married, second, Joseph Rollins. He was born on May 6, 1674 and died on January 20, 1749. 

3. Anna Heard, born 1675. She was captured by Indians on a visit to York on January 25, 1692. She was later returned. She married Sebastian Cholet on October 19, 1705. They had eight children.

4. Rebecca Heard, born 1678. She married Thomas Gordon after April 10, 1709. He was born in 1678, the son of Alexander and Mary (Lissen) Gordon. It was his second marriage. They had five children.

5. James Heard, born 1680; died 1748. He married Deborah ----- who predeceased him. They and their three eldest children were baptized in Dover on September 28, 1718. James and Deborah joined the church in Dover on August 11, 1728. James was elected a constable in Dover in 1713 and refused to serve, for which he paid a fine of five pounds. 

6. Sarah Heard. She married Simon French of Kingston, NH on November 24, 1709. They had children born between 1711 and 1719. She joined the church at Kingston on May 25, 1729.

a fresh start, move to salisbury

For whatever reason, Benjamin Sr. left Dover, New Hampshire for Salisbury, MA some 30 miles to the south. It may have been the constant threat of Indian attack which drove him fromhis home.  He married there for the second time on 23 May 1690. His wife was 30 year old Ruth Eastman, daughter of Roger and Sarah.  Not much is know about their life other than that Ruth joined the Salisbury church in 1699. 

children of benjamin and ruth

1. Elizabeth b. 25 May 1691 m. in Salisbury William Baker on 24 Sept 1713

2. Samuel b. 28 Feb 1691/2 

3. Benjamin b. 16 Dec 1702 d. 8 March 1705/6

Death and Will

Benjamin died 20 Jan 1709/10 his will was proved that February  In his will he supposedly named all but his first and last child, both named Benjamin and both predeceased him.  He also included his captive daughter Anna if she came out of captivity to get it. 

Benjamin's date of death has been confusing to researchers for many years.  His brother Tristram Heard went to court in New Hampshire in 1703 to contest his father's will, claiming it had not been probated.  He also claimed that he was the only living son of John Heard, meaning his brother Benjamin was dead. Therefore many sources about Benjamin state that he died prior to the 1703 court case. 

Ruth

Ruth seems a bit unusual for the time, at least to me.  She didn't marry until she was about 30 years old. That marriage ended after 8 years when her husband died, in 1709.  She didn't remarry until 1717 when she was 56 years old.  Her second husband was John Tappan also of Salisbury. His wife died only months prior to his marriage to Ruth.  He died in 1723, six years later. Ruth died in 1741 aged about 80.

Related Posts:
John Heard and Elizabeth Hull
Joseph Hull

Sources;

Hoyt, Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury

Noyes, Libby, Davis, Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire

John Scales, Colonial Era of Dover, New Hampshire 

Cleopatra 'the Shawano' Powhatan and the Genealogical Proof Standard

Searcher or researcher
Families come in all shapes, sizes and styles; so do the the people who search for them. We may share a common love for genealogy, but we don't always share the same methodology in its pursuit. Most ancestor hunters fall into one of two categories; searcher or researcher. So ask yourself, are you a searcher or a researcher? Do you know the difference? Up until quite recently, I would not have been able to answer that question.

I am currently finishing up an internet genealogy course based on the Thomas W. Jones book, Mastering Genealogical Proof. This course, which I highly recommend, in fact I cannot recommend it enough, has been a real eye opener. I have always been serious about my genealogy, but this class has helped me evaluate/reevaluate not only my research process, but that of others. This process, the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) is critical for genealogy researchers. In fact, no reputable genealogist would consider conducting research without it.

(keep reading, I'll get to Cleopatra)
So what does it mean to be a searcher? I think there are several types of searchers. First, there is the serious searcher. A serious searcher is looking for their ancestors, but not in the most productive manner. They kinda jump around from books to web to other documents. They never properly cite sources or more importantly take the time to closely evaluate the source. Is it original, derivative, authored, is the evidence primary, secondary, unknown and is the evidence direct, indirect or negative? The serious searcher reaches a conclusion, which may be correct, but they cannot adequately communicate to others how they got there. This was me. (and it will be a long slog turning from searcher to researcher).

Then, there is the "I want this to be easy" Searcher. They just go on ancestry.com and copy someone else's tree, and voila, done. Who knew genealogy was so easy, it only took me a week to complete my tree and here's the exciting bit, I'm related to Sitting Bull, Henry VIII and Charlemagne. Next week I'm going to learn Mandarin Chinese.

A third type of Searcher is the one who already knows the answer. They flit from website to website looking for someone else's 'research' that fits the answer they want. Did Great Grandma tell you that you were related to someone on the Mayflower? Searchers jump from ancestry tree to ancestry tree looking for one that "proves" Grandma right. Did Grandpa tell you that your Great Grandma was a Shawnee princess, search until you land on website that tells you, heck yeah, Grandma was not only a Princess but the long lost daughter of Chief Powhatan. This searcher will dismiss any and all evidence to the contrary.

In a nutshell, searchers often start with an answer, and look for confirmation. Researchers start with a question and look for evidence, which after careful evaluation, can be used as proof.

Be a researcher not a searcher. A searcher will read about one or two paragraphs of this blog and decide on the spot if this article is headed in the direction that will confirm their answer. If it's not looking good, off they go to the next website. A researcher will read and reread the article, make notes and look at the sources. A researcher will look up those sources and read them themselves. A super researcher will look for the original sources of my sources. A researcher will evaluate the evidence and then make their own logical conclusion.

cleopatra and the GPS

Cleopatra was an Indian woman born in what is now the Tidewater Virginia area, perhaps around the year 1600 or so. Nothing is known about her other than her English name and that Thomas Rolfe, son of Pocahontas, called her his mother's sister. Based on the relationship between Pocahontas and Cleopatra it is believed that Cleopatra was the daughter of Powhatan. If I was doing research on Cleopatra I would need to start with a question. Let's say my question was: When was Cleopatra born? Who was Cleopatra's husband? Or who was her mother? What was her Indian name?

Do you have a 'research' question about Cleopatra? Start, or continue, your research with my article on Cleopatra and her family. Check out my sources and see if they are real, who knows maybe I just made them up to look impressive. Maybe I misread or misinterpreted them. Use some critical judgement. When you leave this page, go do some more research. Reach your own conclusions, not mine and not someone else's. If you find something new come back and give me a answer to your question. And don't forget to bring your sources with you.

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Finally!  Here is what I know about Cleopatra
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chief powhatan

The Tidewater region of Virginia was, at the time of Cleopatra's birth, under the control of a paramount chief who was and is known by the name Chief Powhatan, but whose real name was Wanhunaconacook (this is one of several contemporary spellings of his name). [1] Powhatan, as I'll call him, was the head of a confederation of about thirty or so Algonquian speaking tribes living in and around the Chesapeake Bay, they called their land Tsenacommacah. Very little, if anything, was known about Powhatan or his people prior to the arrival of the English. The Spanish had made a brief attempt to establish a beachhead with the purpose of converting the Indians to Christianity, but the small contingent of Jesuits were quickly murdered by the local Indians. [2] What we do know of Powhatan and his family comes from the contemporary writings of the English explorers and colonists who came to Virginia and documented what they saw and learned as they explored their new home.

According to current members of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, the parents of Powhatan are unknown. Forget about Murmuring Ripple, Dashing Stream and Morning Scent Flower and all those other names you see on the internet because they belong in a file folder labeled junky genealogy. It is possible that John Smith and others asked Powhatan about his ancestors, but the names were not recorded, and if they were I believe they have been written like his, Wahunsenacawh (the original English spelling), and not some dubious English translation. Another reason some scholars believe that Powhatan did not/would not reveal his ancestors names has to do with the Algonquian culture and that they did not speak of the dead for fear of causing grief for their survivors or for fear of ghosts, as the dead were believed to come back and make people ill. [3]

We do know that Powhatan inherited his right to lead from his mother. As a matrilineal society the power of the tribe passed through the female line. Leadership was transferred to the oldest son and then to his brothers and finally their sisters. When Powhatan died he was succeeded by his brother Opitchapam and then Opechancanough. A third brother, Kekataugh, did not succeeded to the ultimate leadership position, but he did rule the Pamunkey Tribe, along with Opitchapam and Opechancanough. [4]

the recorder

William Strachey was born in 1572, a world away from Powhatan. His home was in Saffron Waldon, Essex, England. After attending Cambridge University he embarked on a diplomatic career which eventually lead to his boarding the ship The Sea Venture in 1609. Destination: Virginia. Also on board was the new Lt. Governor of the fledgling colony, Sir Thomas Gates, and John Rolfe and his wife. Despite being shipwrecked in Bermuda, most of the crew and passengers made their way to Point Comfort, on the Chesapeake Bay on 10 May 1610. Sadly, but significantly, Mrs. Rolfe and her new baby, Bermuda, did not survive. [5] 

Arriving in Jamestown on 24 May 1610, the newcomers were shocked by what they found. Of the original 240 or so colonists, only about 60 were still alive. This period has come to be known as "The Starving Time."  Having no extra supplies, Lt. Governor Gates was on the point of abandoning the town when Sir Thomas West, the new Governor, arrived with life sustaining supplies. The colonists would stay. [6]

William Strachey was appointed secretary and recorder of the council set up by the new Governor. I don't know if it was always his intention to write a pamphlet on Virginia, but he began to make note of what he saw around him.  He interviewed, extensively, two English speaking Indians, Machumps and Kemps. According to James Horn, Strachey first met Machumps in England, where he spent some time. From these two men he gathered information on the the Powhatan Indians, their lives and culture. Strachey did not stay long in Jamestown, he returned home in 1611. Back in England he began work on a manuscript about his time in the Jamestown and all that he had learned about the people who inhabited the area. He titled the manuscript "The Histoire of Travaile in Into Virginia Britannia." [7]  Most of what we know of Powhatan and his family comes from his writings.

the wives of powhatan

According to the Indian Kemps, Powhatan had numerous wives. At the time (1610-1611) of Strachey's interview, Kemps named twelve of the current favorites. One of the wives' named was Winganuske. She was the sister of Machumps. [8]

Strachey wrote that Powhatan was said to have had at that time, twenty sons and ten daughters. Winganuske, a favorite of Powhatan, had a small child in addition to these thirty. Pocahontas was also named, in addition to the fore mentioned thirty. [9]  What he does not tell us is the name or sex of Winganuske's child or the name of the mother of Pocahontas. In fact, here are his exact words:

I say they often reported unto us that Powhatan had then lyving twenty sonnes and ten daughters, besyde a young one by Winganuske, Machumps his sister, and a great darling of the Kings; and besides young Pocohunta, a daughter of his using sometyme to our fort in tymes past, now married to a private captain called Kocoum, some two years since.[10]

Strachey's grammar and syntax can make his exact meaning difficult to pin down. What is clear is that Strachey did not list the names of Powhatan's children. This will be an important point in the next section of this article. 

the children of powhatan

In the next chapter of his book, Strachey describes the power structure of the Powhatan Confederacy including the role of the weroance, which he and John Smith described as a commander. Strachey wrote a brief bio for many of the weroances, of whom he says there were about thirty four. The first weroance described was Parahunt, who Strachey said was a son of Powhatan.  He was also known as Tanxpowhatan (Little Powhatan). Parahunt was the leader of the Powhatan Tribe. [11] 

Oholasc was Queen of the Tapahanock tribe which paid tribute to Powhatan. Oholasc had a young son, whom Stachey said was the supposed son of Powhatan. His name was Tatacope and he was to be the weroance of the Tapahanock once he came of age.[12] Another weroance was a son of Powhatan was Pochins; Strachey said he was the young weroance of Kecoughtan. [13] 

According to Helen Rountree, Powhatan took wives from the tribes under his control. This created not only political ties, but family ties to his power base. Once the wife gave birth she was returned to her own people. She would raise the child for the first few years and then send it back to be reared in the house of Powhatan. The wife would then be free to remarry. For this reason, most, if not all, of Powhatan's children were half siblings, sharing only their father. [14]

other children

Only three other children have been identified as the offspring of Powhatan. Matachanna, a daughter, who in 1616 was married to the priest Uttamatomakkin. She may have traveled with Pocahontas, John Rolfe and Uttamatomakkin to England, but there is no record of her doing so. Pocahontas also had a brother named Nataquoud. [15]

Nataquoud was present at the aborted execution of John Smith. Smith wrote about him later saying he was the most manliest, comeliest and boldest spirit he has seen in a "savage". [16] Helen Rountree also says that there was another daughter whose marriage was recorded, but whose name was not. At the age of eleven she married an important tribal leader, three days journey away. That leaves us with Cleopatra.

cleopatra

As I stated earlier, the only thing we think we know about Cleopatra is that she was the daughter of Powhatan and the sister of Pocahontas. We know this because Thomas Rolfe, several years after his return to Virginia, petitioned the Governor for permission to see her. Thomas' petition was heard in the Council on 17 December 1641. He asked for permission to see 'Opechanko', to whom he was allied and Cleopatra, his mother's sister. [17]

internet version of cleopatra

The internet tells us a very different story about the life of Cleopatra. According to stories all over the web, Cleopatra married her uncle Opechancanough and is the mother of at least two children, including, Hokolesqua Cornstalk and Princess Nicketti. (see my blog on Nicketti) Very recently she, Cleopatra has been called 'Cleopatra the Shawano Powhatan', alleging some kind of Shawnee heritage. The wikitree profile for her is a really amazing mess of names. The one thing that these internet bio's cannot/will not tell us is the source of their information. No one is able to say, I know this about Cleopatra and this is how I know it. Below is one wikitree bio for Cleopatra.

Cleopatra the Shawano Powhatan

Born about 1602 in Orapaks, Virginia, Cleopatra the Shawano Powhatan Wife of Opechancanough Mangopeesomon Opechan Stream Powhatan — married[date unknown] [location unknown] Mother of Nicketti Mangopeesomon Opechan Powhatan and Hokolesqua Opeechan Stream (Cornstalk) Shawnee Died 1680 in Henrico, Virginia, United States

Daughter of Wahunsenacawh Powhatan and Amopotuskee (UNKNOWN) Powhatan

Sister of Nanatahoack Powhatan, Mehta Powhatan, Tahacoope Quiquocohannock Powhatan, Cleopatra Scent Flower (Scent Flower) Powhatan, Tomoco Powhatan,Mantequos Powhatan, Taux Powhatan, Parahunt Powhatan, Namontack Powhatan,Cornstalk Wind Clan Powhatan, Quimca Powhatan, Pochins Powhatan, Secotin Powhatan, Opachankeno Powhatan, Nataquos Powhatan, Pamouic Powhatan, Mehtafe Powhatan,  Matachanna Powhatan,  Tatacoope the Shawano Powhatan, Powcanoe Powhatan, Taux the Shawano Powhatan, Secotin Powhatan, Mantequos Powhatan,Pochins the Shawano Powhatan, Pamouic Powhatan, Mahtafe Powhatan, Tahacoope Quiquocohannock Powhatan, Matoaka Amonute Powhatan, Namontack Powhatan, Nantaquas the Shawano Powhatan, Quimeca Powhatan, Parahunt the Shawano Powhatan,Cleopatra Powhatan, Tomoco Powhatan and Unknown Powhatan

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Okay, so what are we looking at here. I did take out some of the duplication in the original wikitree to make it easier to read, but for the most part this is the information on that site. Where did all these names come from? What does "the Shawano" mean? Who was Cornstalk Windclan Powhatan and where is the documentation for him/her? There is no source of documentation offered. If you have done much searching you have most likely seem the sentence that reads something like this: "we know the names of many of Powhatan's children from the testimony of Machumps." But here's the problem with that, Machumps never named the childen of Powhatan. While in London, he 'testified' that Powhatan killed the remnants of the Roanoke Colony. He talked to Strachey about the Powhatan people, but there is no list of names of Powhatan's, children.

bearclans, windclans and cornstalks

Remember that junky genealogy folder, add bear clan, wind clan and cornstalk to it. Also, add shawano while your at it. This wikitree claims that the mother of all/most of these children was Amopotuskee, a Shawnee Indian woman from the Bear Clan in the Shenandoah Valley some 185 miles away. Other wikitrees, for the same people, have different mothers. Cleopatra has four or five profiles, each with different information. When questioned about this, one of the profile managers claimed that there were four women named Cleopatra.This should send up red flags for any researcher who is looking for documented evidence. My advice: although wikitree is a great site, avoid this Powhatan mess.

shawnee heritage

Most of this information/misinformation seems to be based on the un-sourced Shawnee Heritage Books. All I will say about them is: if you can't provide a source for your information, then all of your content is not worth the paper it's written on. And claiming 'psychic ability' as a source of your information is more than slightly off-putting.  I'm certainly not paying $45.00 for book with no sources. I have also read enough bad reviews of these books to be concerned with their content. I would urge you to tread with caution when using the books as a source for your genealogy. Use it as a starting point, but like any good genealogist, seek confirmation in original, primary sources. 

what about oral history

Oral history can be a great resource for genealogy. Treat it as a launchpad for more research, not as the gospel truth. You only have to watch one episode of The Genealogy Roadshow to see people's oral history researched and revealed as fiction. Usually there is some nugget of truth to the stories passed down by family members, but it's less shiny and bright than they had been lead to believe. The further back in time the story stretches, the more likely it is to be incorrect. 

That being said, here is some oral history from the Mattaponi Tribe who were once members of Chief Powhatan's federation. The Mattaponi say that the mother of Pocahontas and Mattachana was a Mattaponi Indian woman. The 'matta' in Mattachana indicates that her mother was of that tribe. Their oral history of Pocahontas goes on to tell us that after she was kidnapped by the English, her Indian husband, Kocoum was murdered. During her captivity Pocahontas was brutally raped, possibly by Sir Thomas Dale. She gave birth to the child and later married John Rolfe who claimed the son as his own.[18] 

Now, how many people who say they are descended from Thomas Rolfe have changed their family tree once they read that oral history? Not everyone who claims an oral history that includes Cleopatra can be correct. Whose oral history has the most weight, today's Indian descendants of Powhatan or Caucasian folks whose great granny said she was an Shawnee Indian who hid out and did not get put on a reservation?

what is a mangopeesomon?

In the above wikitree some of the Indians have been given a surname. I understand that wikitree makes you supply a name but why this mishmash: Nicketti Mangopeesoman Opechan Powhatan. In 1622, just prior to their attack on Jamestown, Opechancangough and his brother Opitchapam changed their names. Opechancangough became Mangopeesomon. This was his personal name, changed for his own personal and spiritual reasons. I see no reason why it should be applied to anyone else. 

who was don luis?

In 1561 a Spanish Caraval was blown off course and dropped anchor in a wide river in the Chesapeake Bay. They sailors did some exploring and make repairs to the ship. The encountered at least two Indian males who for some reason opted to go to Spain with them. The fate of only one of the Indians is recorded.

Paquiquineo, described as a young Indian, was renamed Don Luis de Velasco by the Spanish. He traveled to Madrid and met with King Philip II, and spent some time in the New World, visiting Mexico City. After nine years away from home, he longed to return to his homeland. To make a long story short, Don Luis convinced a group of Jesuit Priests to return with him to Virginia and set up a mission to convert the Indians to Christianity. Shortly after they arrived they began to build an outpost on the Pamunkey River near a village whose people were subjects to Don Luis' family. [19] However, upon his return, Don Luis reverted to his Indian heritage, cast off his Christianity and slaughtered all the Jesuit Priests, dramatically ending any hope the Spanish had for adding Virginia to their list of conquests. 

It has been suggested that Don Luis and Opechancanough are one and the same. Author Don Horn suggests that this is possible. He also says that if they were not the same man then they would at least be contemporaries and would have known of each other. [20] According to the EncyclopediaVirginia entry for Don Luis, scholar Helen Rountree does not believe they were the same person. [21]

From a historical perspective, the two men might or might not be the same person. Where does this leave us from a genealogical standpoint? If there is no historical proof, then there is no genealogical proof. There is only speculation. Without proof you have nothing. 

who was hokolesqua

According to the example wikitree, Hokolequa Ope[e]chan Stream Cornstalk was the son of Cleopatra and Openchancanough. Hokolequa, for a nice change, was a real Indian and his life is documented. He was born, probably around 1720 in Pennsylvania. He was called Cornstalk by the Anglo-Americans. He was a Shawnee leader who fought against the British, siding with the French. He was killed in 1777. As this man was born some sixty years after the death of Opechancanough, simple math should tell you that it is not possible for him to be his son. [22]

why do we care

Hokolesqua is said, according to the above wikitree, and many other web generated family trees, to be the husband of Pasmere Powhatan. Pasmere was the daughter of Pride Powhatan and an Englishman named 'Thomas Pasmere Carpenter'. Thomas is the central figure in another myth connected to Cleopatra. According to the legend, Thomas Pasmere Carpenter married Pride Powhatan, daughter of Cleopatra and Opechancanough. Their children are said to be Shawnee, but their grandchildren somehow become Cherokee. This myth has been thoroughly investigated and found to be totally false.

Thomas Passmore was a carpenter by occupation who immigrated to the Virginia Colony by 1624, when he received a land grant. [23] In this grant he is called Thomas Passmore, of James City, Carpenter. He arrived a single man, but later married an English woman named Jane. He did not marry an Indian woman and he did not run off to Tennessee. He did however, go to Maryland, where Thomas Passmore, Carpenter of St. Marie's Parish bought and sold land, appeared in court, served on juries, and was mentioned in probate cases. [24]

back to cleo and the gps

So here we are back to Cleopatra. I have look high and low for her and the help of several excellent researchers, thanks Jim Glanville and Susan Reynolds! The GPS tells us that we must do an exhaustive search, I think I did a pretty good job so far. I have even followed the supposed family to look for clues. Step two; cite your sources, see below. Step three; analyse sources to assess their usefulness. I have found only one source, it is the Randolph Manuscript Volume 3 page 234. This manuscript is an 18th century copy of the Bland Manuscript which is in turn a copy of some of Virginia's original records. [25]

Our single source for Cleopatra is a derivative record, meaning it was copied from an original, and in this case it seems to be a copy of a copy. Because we cannot compare this derivative to the original we have no idea if any mistakes were made. The information is primary, it was likely written at the time of the council meeting. The evidence when applied to questions concerning Cleopatra gives us a direct answer to only one question, was Cleopatra the sister of Pocahontas. We are left with any number of unanswered genealogical questions, when was she born, who was her mother, was her father Powhatan, who did she marry, did she have any children? None of these questions can be answered by this tiny scrap of information.

How then has she come to be in so many family trees? Good question, I blame the 'copy and pasters' on the internet. At the beginning of my article I asked "are you a searcher or a researcher"? If you a serious searcher or researcher, copy my citation list and dive into the hunt. Let me know if you have anything I don't or if you find any new 'evidence'. If you are a 'copy and paster' or you already know the answer to your Cleopatra questions, I'm glad ya'll made it all the way to the end of this article and hope you have a nice day!  

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Citations/Sources:

[1] Francis Mossiker, Pocahontas: The Life and the Legend, (New York: DeCapo Press, 1995).

[2] James Horn, A land as God Made It, Jamestown and the Birth of America, (New York: Basic Books, 2005), 9.

[3] Helen C. Rountree, Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough, Three Indian Lives Changed by Jamestown, (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2005).

[4] Frank E. Grizzard and D. Boyd Smith, Jamestown Colony: A Political, Social and Cultural History, (ABC-CLIO, 2007).

[5] Natalie Zacek, "William Strachey 1572-1621", Encyclopedia Virginia

(http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/strachey_william_1572-1621 : accessed 20 October 2015).

[6] Zacek, "William Strachey."

[7] Zacek, "William Strachey."

[8] William Strachey and Richard Henry Major, The Historie of Travaile Into Virginia Britania: Expressing the Cosmographie and Comodities of the Countrie, Togethir with the Manners and Customes of the People, (London, 1894); digital images, Google Books (http://www.play.google.com : accessed 20 October 2015).

[9] Strachey and Major, The Historie of Travaile into Virginia, 54

[10] Strachey and Major, The Historie of Travaile into Virginia, 54

[11] Strachey and Major, The Historie of Travaile into Virginia, 55-56

[12] Strachey and Major, The Historie of Travaile into Virginia, 57

[13] Strachey and Major, The Historie of Travaile into Virginia, 60

[14] Helen C. Rountree, "Marriage in Early Virginia Indian Society," article, Encyclopedia Virginia, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, 30 May. 2014. Web. 23 October 2015.

[15] Rountree, Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough, 35.

[16] Thomas Wentworth Higgins, A Book of American Explorers, (Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1877) 258.

[17] Rountree, Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough.

[18] Phoebe Mills Farris, "Pocahontas' First Marriage: The Powhatan Side of the Story," article, American Indian, (http://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/pocahontas-first-marriage?page=show : Spring 2014 issue; accessed 1 November 2015).

[19] Horn, A Land as God Made It, 15-16.

[20] Rountree, Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough.

[21] Brendan Wolf, "Don Luis de Velasco/Paquiquineo (fl. 1561-1571)," article, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, Encyclopedia Virginia, (http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/don_lua#start_entry : accessed 31 October 2015).

[22] "Hokolesqua," Ohio History Central, article, Ohio History Connection,  (http://www.ohiohistorycentral,org : accessed 3 November 2015).

[23] Thomas Passmore patent, 14 August 1624, Land Office Patents [Book] 1, 1623-1643: 10; Colonial Land Office Patents, 1623-1774; Virginia State Archives; digital images, "Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants," Library of Virginia (http://www.lva.lib.va.us : accessed 7 November 2015).

[24] William Hand Brown, Clayton Coleman Hall, Bernard Christian Steiner, Archives of Maryland, Vol 4, (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1877).

[25] xxxx Glanville, Blacksburg, VA [e-mail for private use] to Jeanie Roberts, e-mail, 2 November 2015, "Cleopatra in the Randolph Manuscript," local folders, Powhatan Indians, privately held by Jeanie Roberts [e-mail and address for private use] Texas, 2015

[26] xxxx Reynolds, [e-mail for private use] to Jeanie Roberts, e-mail, 6 November 2015, "False Indian Genealogy," local folders, Powhatan Indians, privately held by Jeanie Roberts [e-mail and address for private use] Texas, 2015.

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unusual notes for Opechancanough found on message boards:

1. As for myself the belief in Opechancanough as my 8th grandfather fits because while stationed in England in the 50’s I had a strange urge to kill English women and children.This of course bothered me greatly so much so that I would not even tell my shrink.Finding out about Opechancanough had let me realize that it was bred into me and I am not really a potential mass murderer.For this reason I embrace Opechancanough as mine and honor his name for being probably the first native American to fight for Indian rights.I even call my new grandson "Opi" even though my son named him (xxxxx).

2. Chief Opechancanough had brought back a woman from his attack on Jamestown in 1622. Her name was Mary Sizemore. They had a child named Goldenhawk Sizemore. Goldenhawk left the Powhatan's to live in the "white" world. As he was traveling south, he met a woman named Agnes "Aggie" Cornett Shephard, who was supposedly half Cherokee. Many of the Sizemore's are decended from this union as one of Goldenhawk's descendants was George All Sizemore, who had some 50+ children.

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Want to leave a comment? Please be thoughtful, leave your sources if you are making a claim.