Speedy, Elizabeth b. 1917

Roger Williams 1638 land deed

/ Kirstin Miller
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Rhode Island Roots volume 5 page 1 a snapshot of the referenced deed

In 1636 Boston courts decided  Roger Williams had to return to England. He was creating problems in the colony, accused of having diverse thoughts. Roger encouraged freedom of religion, ‘soul liberty’, a separation of church and state. He would ask the courts and churches to explain how stealing lands from the native Americans fit in with the beliefs of the new colony. As the colony prepared to export him, Roger Williams fled in the night. He headed down river to present day Providence, Rhode Island. With help from the Narragansett tribe he founded a colony based on his beliefs. March 24, 1638 the first land deeds were signed by the native people selling the lands and witnessed by Roger Williams and Benedict Arnold (Gov’r not American Revolution soldier).

Years later Roger’s son Daniel said, “Can you find such another now alive or in this age? He gave away his lands.” It is pretty amazing for those times and anytime: Roger owned all that land, legally and he thought, ethically purchased, but he didn’t keep the lands he shared them. He wanted the new Providence Plantation to succeed so he started deeding land to his friends and followers and they all started working on building a place built on Roger’s ideas.

Rhode Island Roots. Warwick, RI: Rhode Island Genealogical Society, 1975–. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2018.)

 

Richard Clemence b. 1659

/ Kirstin Miller

Richard Clemence 9th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Richard was born in Providence. He was a freeman in 1681. In 1682 his father deeded to him 60 acres of  upland, meadow, etc ‘not upon sudden motion but upon deliberate consideration’. 

Richard Clemence built a home in Rhode Island that is still standing and documented at Library of Congress. Richard married Sarah Smith daughter of John Smith the miller, all first settlers in Rhode Island with Roger Williams, etc.

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photo at Clemence Irons House, Historic New England, link below

Richard wrote his will January 2nd 1721. He died in October of 1723, the will was read December 9, 1723. In his will he lists his wife, children, grandchildren. He makes his son Thomas executor and asks that Thomas take care of Richard’s ancient mother, Thomas’s grandmother.

“Jtem I Give and bequeathe unto my aforesaid son Thomas Clemance all the Rest of my moveable Esstate of what sort soever after all my debts funarall Charges and other Expencesduely paid: what after Remaines I Give unto him his Heirs Executors administrators and assigns for Ever: and for him or them to take Care and provide all things essesary for my antiant mother : dureing the whole terme of her naturall Life”

An inventory follows: wearing apparel, silver and paper money, copper pennies; feather beds, flax, hemp and hay; a grindstone and a parcel of old carpenters tools.

Volume 16 page 292 -297 The early records of the town of Providence. Richard’s will

Page 48 in The genealogical dictionary of Rhode Island. Clemence, Thomas family timeline, details

Clemence Irons House and History

John Angell b. 1646

/ Kirstin Miller

John Angell 9th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

John was born in 1646 in Providence, Rhode Island. Ten years earlier the 1636 census recorded 25 families total living there. In 1667 John was 21, he swore allegiance to King Charles with other men, a common thing. A couple months later there’s an issue when he and 2 others are accused by a constable. John Angell, John Field (future brother in law) and Resolved Waterman (future in law) were walking back home after mowing a meadow when they’re charged with disturbing the peace and put in jail. The whole town thought John and the others were wrongly accused by an inept constable. Their case came to court “We pray this honrd Assembly to provide by Some order yt ye Kings Name and Authoritie be not so cheape and base, as to be made a stalking horse to Mens private Ends and passions Nor his Majties Subjects so oppressed in thejr persons and Liberties Yor humble srvants and petitioiners ye Towne of Providence, on our vsual quarter day in his Majties Name assembled July 27, 1667 So-Calld”.

In 1669 John married Ruth Field they stayed in Providence, John was a weaver and held different town offices. He was part of King Philips War serving under Captain Daniel Henchman and in Dedham, Massachusetts on July 7 1675 the soldiers put their war on hold to watch the lunar eclipse, the moon turning deep red, lasting about an hour.

In the Thomas Angell genealogy book, John Angell is described as a strong man, a great grandson tells this story, “My great grandfather, John, was said to be a man of enormous strength, having on one occasion nine bushels of pears on his old mare, and she would not carry them, he took them on his own back and carried them, which seems, incredible. He said he once attempted to carry four bushels of salt up stairs, but the stairs broke down and he was injured by the fall.”
May 30 1667 Alegance to his Majestye
Volume 3 page 102 The early records of the town of Providence

Oath of allegiance
Page 10, Oaths of allegiance in colonial New England, by Charles Evans

Be not so cheap and base as a smokescreen into men’s private affairs and liberties
Volume 15 page 115, The early records of the town of Providence

Volume 37 Page 65 The New England historical and genealogical register 1883 Volume 37

Lunar eclipse 1675

Page 13 Genealogy of the descendants of Thomas Angell

Rhode Island Indian Rock, Narragansett Pier, Detroit Photographic Co., c1900, photochrom, color Library of Congress

Amphyllis Angell b. 1636

/ Kirstin Miller

Amphyllis Angell 10th great aunt, on RootsMagic tree

Amphyllis was the daughter of Thomas Angell, an original pioneer of Rhode Island. She was born about 1636, lived through the beginnings of her country and when she died in 1694 the American Revolution was still 80 years in the future. Amphyllis married Edward Smith on May 9, 1663. Twice Edward and she were in the Early records of Providence with an ‘intention’ of marriage.

In 1687 Providence, Rhode Island, the townspeople were summoned. Anyone over the age of 16 had to supply a list of their real and personal estate, their possessions. A tax rate was set up, it was the Majesty’s Rate for King James II. Edward Smith, Amphyllis Angell’s husband was chosen as Commissioner for “ye mannageing ye bissnesse of his Majesties Rate. All which persons & Estates, are by ye sd Com. & ye sd Select men, to be assesed & rated as followeth vizt Every person aforesd, One shill & Eight pence by the head, & all Estates reall & personall att one penny for every twenty shill”.

The early records of the town of Providence pages 98-103 shows a list of persons taxed, male and female, anyone with an estate. This list of taxpayers in 1687 Providence contains Speedy ancestors: Angell, Arnold, Ashton, Olney, Williams; and a probable Miller ancestor: Johnathan Sprague. This tax or Majesty’s Rate lasted about 1 year and ended in 1688 when King James II lost the throne.

Amphyllis and Edward had at least 4 children, probably more. Edward Smith died without a will in 1693. Amphyllis and son Edward Jr presented Edward’s inventory to the council and asked to be administrators. Amphyllis died about 1 year after her husband.

Sources

  • Early records of Providence volume 17 page 93. September 1687 taxes
    https://is.gd/y2Q6B5
  • Early records of Providence volume 3 page 32 and 35. Edward and Amphyllis’s marriages intentions
    https://is.gd/KJfSQX

David Wheeler b. 1627

/ Kirstin Miller

David Wheeler 9th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

David was born in Wiltshire, England around 1627. He has 2 arrival dates. One theory is he sailed on the Confidence with a family friend and was listed as a servant. Another theory is he sailed on the Mary and John with his family in 1634, the 2nd theory is more likely. David also has two marriage dates: May 11 1650 and June 18 1650, both with Sarah Wise, both from reliable sources. Most likely the May date was an intention of marriage and the actual marriage was in June. Old Town Meeting House, Newbury MA

David’s older sister Ann married Aquila Chase, the two couples lived near each other in Essex County of the Massachusetts Bay colony. Aquila was a sailor and often gone for long stretches of time. In 1646 the three David, Ann and Aquila were fined or charged for gathering peas on a Sunday. “A curious instance of Sabbath breaking occurred … Aquila Chase and his wife and David Wheeler were presented at Ipswich Court for gathering peas on the Sabbath. They were admonished. The family tradition has it that Aquila returned from sea that morning and his wife, wishing to supply a delicacy for dinner, fell into grave error in thus pandering to his unsanctified appetite.” Page 207 of Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony Ebook at Project Gutenberg .

Old Town Meeting House, Newbury MA
A sketch of the history of Newbury, at HathiTrust Preface page iii

Jane Metcalf b.1633

/ Kirstin Miller

Jane Metcalf 9th great grandmother on RootsMagic tree.

Jane Metcalf was baptized at Saint Edmund Church in Norfolk, England on March 29, 1633. The baptism record – almost unreadable in handwriting from 4 centuries ago- includes the year 1633, Jane’s name, her dad Michel (Michael) and mom Sara(h).

Metcalf, Jane 1633 baptism

Jane Metcalf baptism March 29, 1633, with parents at Saint Edmund Church in Norfolk, England.

Jane was the 7th child of Michael and Sarah Ellwyn Metcalf and her whole family sailed from northern England to Boston arriving in June of 1637, three days before midsummer, 17 years after the Mayflower. In 1654 at age 22 Jane married Philip Walker in Boston. The Walker family moved to south Rehoboth, Massachusetts. In 1664 Jane’s father died, she inherited 40 shillings. King Philips War hit Rehoboth hard, Jane and her family would have lived through several attacks which included burning homes and entire towns. Her husband Philip and oldest son Samuel probably fought in the war. In 1679 Jane was a widow at age 47. She married her 2nd husband John Polley, lived another 20 years and left a will with her son Samuel Walker as executor.

 

 

369 North Main Street, the Whipple house

/ Kirstin Miller

At 369 North Main Street in Providence Rhode Island.

369 glory

ca 1912 Howard W. Preston, “369 North Main Street,” in Virtual Exhibits, Item #370, http://sos.ri.gov/virtualarchives/items/show/370 (accessed November 23, 2018).

These two photos and the description are from the ebook at FamilySearch.org:

The 1912 house likely reflects additions built by Captain John’s granddaughters and their husbands, the Crawford brothers, wealthy merchants, who lived there in the eighteenth century. The 369 property stayed in the Crawford-Whipple (and allied families) family for over 150 years. See the chapter on Joseph Whipple for details. The house was damaged in the New England hurricane of 1938 which devastated much of Rhode Island. It disappeared shortly thereafter.

Whipple, Charles M. A History of Captain John and Sarah Whipple of Dorchester, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island, 1617-1685: A Multigenerational Study of the First Whipple Family in America. Victoria, B.C.: Trafford Pub, 2007369 1912

369 2002

Eleazer Arnold House

/ Kirstin Miller

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Eleazer Arnold 9th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.
“Eleazer Arnold builder of the noted 17th century stone-end chimney house was a typical representative of second generation Rhode Islander settlers … Such were the conditions in Rhode Island as pictured by travelers of a period only fifty years after Eleazar Arnold created his mansion in 1687 on the Great Road to Mendon. The land he built on was fifty acres left to him by his father at “Worlds End” near Scott’s pond”.

Image 10 of 19, page 81. Eleazer Arnold House July 1952 Volume 2 No. 3 at Rhode Island Historical Society link to the publication page with an explanation of the journal. Link to the actual journal.

 

John Smith banished

/ Kirstin Miller

John Smith 11th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

John Smith, the Miller, of Providence Rhode Island, some of his descendants by Charles Farnham page 114, image 11 of 19

Ordered, that John Smyth shalbe sent within theis 6 weekes out of this jurisdiccon, for dyvers dangerous opinions, wch hee holdeth, & hath dyvulged, if in the meane tyme he removes not himselfe out of this plantacon Jn Smith banish’t

Records of the Governor and company of the Massachusetts Bay
Volume 1 page 159

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uma.ark:/13960/t0gt5x713;view=1up;seq=183

john smith

Roger Williams b. 1602

/ Kirstin Miller

Roger Williams 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Williams, Roger A Key_ Of the WordsRoger Williams was born in 1602 in London and is known for a lot: he founded Rhode Island, he wrote many books including A key into the Language of America: A help to the Language of the Natives in that part of America called New England, he founded the still standing First Baptist Church and so much more.

Direct descendancy from Roger Williams is pretty well proven through Dexter Angell (VII 1.) who mentions daughter Delia in his will. Delia is the bonafide mom of Matilda Flood who married Richard Mockford and they are parents of Philippa Flood Mockford Speedy, aka great grandma Speedy. Roger Williams of Province, RI by Anthony, Bertha Williams at HathiTrust this same book is used by the Roger William Family Association as a source.

Roger Williams Park and Betsy's houseIn 1871 Roger Williams’s 3rd great granddaughter Betsy Williams donated 100+ acres of land to the state of Rhode Island with the condition that it be used as a public space for everyone and have a statue of Roger Williams. There is actually a book saved about this whole event, Ceremonies at the unveiling of the monument to Roger Williams at HathiTrust

And the People’s Park