Born

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

Francis Bushnell b. 1609

/ Kirstin Miller

Francis Bushnell 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

Francis was born in 1609 probably in Sussex England. On June 27, 1631 he married Mary Grombridge in Horsham Parish, Sussex, England. Page 46 The parish register of Horsham at HathiTrust.

April 10, 1635 Francis and Mary sailed from London on The Planter and landed in Boston on June 7. On the ship were farmers, curriers, servants, shoemakers, tailors, glovers. From Boston the Bushnells went to Saybrook, Connecticut – now called Old Saybrook. Francis was a carpenter and a miller. He built the first gristmill in Saybrook and received land in exchange for running the mill. Francis was a deacon in the Saybrook Church. Page 75 The First Church of Christ (Congregational), Old Saybrook, Conn.

Frances and Mary had 8 children. Francis’s death is recorded, “ Deacon Francis Bushnell deceased this life December 4th, 1681” he was 72.

StMaryHorshamSt Marys Horsham image at The History of St. Marys 2015

Marah Smith b. 1686, Isaac Tubbs b. 1675

/ Kirstin Miller

Marah Smith and Isaac Tubbs 7th great grandparents, on RootsMagic tree.

Marah Smith and Isaac Tubbs married in 1709 about 30 years after their fathers and grandfathers were on opposite sides of a 1670 Colonial riot. Marah Smith’s 2 grandfathers Richard Smith and John Huntley rioted on the Lyme side. Isaac Tubbs’s father and grandfather rioted on the New London side.

In Colonial Connecticut a 2 mile strip of land was part of ongoing land disputes. In May 1668 Lyme was incorporated, New London, Connecticut was already a town, when the Court made a judgement on the land: that it would be ’ministry land’ for the town ministers, one side for Lyme, the other for New London. Men from New London protested and accused their leaders of not truly representing the people. The 1668 Court ruling held, until August of 1671. 30 men from New London set out to mow the ministry land, they were met by a group of men from Lyme planning to mow their minister’s land, and the riot started. The Lyme constable put New London men in prison, the New London constable put Lyme men in the town prison. After a while leaders met and “drinking a dram together with som(e) seeming friendship, every man departed to his home” and decided to let the Courts again make a decision about the continuing land dispute. March 1672 the Court charged and fined men for rioting. From New London: Samuel Tubbs (father of Isaac Tubbs) and Isaac Wiley (grandfather of Isaac Tubbs). From Lyme: John Huntley and Richard Smith (grandfathers of Marah Smith). The court fined each town, but the Court eventually forgot about the fines or paid the fines and the disagreement just sort of died out.

The public records of the Colony of Connecticut volume 2 page 558 at HathiTrust

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.

 

 

Annie Antje Henrichs b. 1869

/ Kirstin Miller

Annie Antje Henrichs, 2nd great grandmother in RootsMagic tree

Annie Henrichs is mentioned in the Greene Recorder February 5, 2003 in an article on
Mission in a Mile, Church Stories from Butler Center, Iowa by Herbert Freese published in 2002. (I read this book through an inter-library loan, contacted who I thought was the author, turned out to be the author’s daughter, who sent back a very nice note and a copy of the Mission in a Mile book which has added so much to my Family Tree).

screenshot

Photo: 2003 Feb 5 Greene (Iowa) Recorder Greene Public Library

Pastor Siegfried Siefkes came from Germany to Butler Center, Iowa a historical town no longer around. He worked to organize a new congregation, The Kirchenbuch der Evangelisch Lutherisch Eben-Ezer Gemeinde or Ebenezer Church. The pastor wrote a letter to the actual German Kaiser asking for help, that wasn’t successful so he started asking the local German community to contribute and successfully all but $100 which was borrowed from the bank. The pastor and congregation understood they had a year to pay back this loan but within a month the bank and contractor came for payment. The pastor begged for a week to raise the $100 and it was granted. At the Sunday service the pastor and congregation met and talked about ways to raise $100 in a week. A farmer offered to sell seed oats, but that wasn’t enough.

screenshot copyA young lady, daughter of one of the members, spoke up. She was 22, working as a hired girl and had saved most of her pay, $80 she kept with her, in her bag. She offered to loan this to congregation, the additional $20 was then easily raised. On Monday morning the church Deacons went into town and paid off their debt with Annie’s loan. The church building was saved, the congregation thrilled.

Annie Antje Henrichs saved the church and she and Enno Frerichs ‘a fine young farmer’ were married in that same church.

The photos shown and the whole story in the Greene (Iowa) Recorder via the Greene Public Library Digital Archives: 2003 Feb 5 Greene  Recorder page 5, column 6 top.

Henrich Henrichs b. 1836

/ Kirstin Miller

Henrich Henrichs 3rd great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Map German homesHenrich Gerds Henrichs was born May 1, 1836 in Germany, probably in Aurich a town of Lower Saxony, Germany which is actually the northern eastern edge of Germany. The Google map photo shows the original homes of the Roos, Henrichs and Frerichs families within 100 miles of each other.

Henrich married Maria Rodenbeck in 1860, they lived on a farm and had 9 children, 4 boys and 5 girls. The whole family of 11 sailed to America, with 2 suitcases and landed in Baltimore on March 18, 1885 the children ranged from 3 to 23 years old. From Baltimore the family probably moved straight to Iowa and in 1900 they were in Butler County and played a big part in founding the Ebenezer Lutheran Church of Butler Center, long gone but vital in the lives of German emigrants in the area.

Hinrich Hinrichs Greene Recorder

1918 Aug 28, page 8 of 8 column 1 top Iowa recorder, Digital Archives at Greene (Iowa) Public Library

Henrich was known as Henry and from his obituary ‘was one of the old residents in this part of Butler county’. Henry came to America at age 48 and when died on August 21, 1918 he was 83 years old. His widow Maria donated a big church bell to Ebenezer Church in her husband’s memory. When Ebenezer Church dismantled in 1955 the bell was sent to Salem Church in Parkersburg, Iowa, then Salem Church ended in 1985 and the bell was moved to Bethel Lutheran Church in Parkersburg- and it’s still there! Mission in a mile page 69.

 

Heinrich Henrichs 1836 – 1918
Annie Antje Henrichs 1869 – 1956
Mary Frerichs 1892 – 1992
Stanley Roose 1915 – 2004

William Lewis b. 1594

/ Kirstin Miller

William Lewis 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

William Lewis was born in Cardiff, Wales January of 1594. In 1620 he married Felix Collins also of Wales. On June 22, 1632 William, Felix and their young son William Jr. sailed from London to New England, arriving in Boston on September 16, 1632.

Lewis, Wm and family

Page 101, Planters of the Commonwealth by Banks, an Ancestry . com source

John Winthrop of New England kept a journal in 1630s and 40s, one thing he recorded was ships arriving and leaving. “He brought one hundred and twenty three passengers whereof fifty children, all in health, they had been twelve weeks aboard and eight weeks from Land’s end.”

Winthrop the Lyon

Volume 1 page 92 The Winthrop journals at HathiTrust

The Winthrop Journals are at HathiTrust  more info on John Winthrop at Wikipedia 

William settled first in Cambridge and was a freeman on Nov 6, 1632. He moved to Hartford then Farmington, Connecticut where he was a selectmen, constable and deputy. As a selectmen William would have helped put his new town together, selectmen explained at Wikipedia  “In most New England towns, the adult voting population gathered annually in a town meeting to act as the local legislature, approving budgets and laws. Day-to-day operations were originally left to individual oversight, but when towns became too large for individuals to handle such work loads, they would elect an executive board of, literally, select(ed) men to run things for them.”

William wrote and signed a will August 30, 1683, his estate was settled December 18 1683, his son William was executor. “I William Lewis, being stricken in years, do think it meet to set in order the Estate which God hath graciously given me.” Volume 1 page 331 A digest of the early Connecticut probate records at HathiTrust.

William Lewis 1594 – 1683
William Lewis 1620 – 1690
Mary Lewis  1645 – 1690
Hannah Judd  1681 – 1747
Hannah Smith  1711 – 1785
Prudence Risley  1735 – 1816
Joseph Gaines  1756 – 1841
Obed Gaines  1793 – 1877
William Newcomb Gaines  1825 – 1907
Mary Ella Gaines  1855 – 1917
William E Miller  1879 – 1949
Faber W Miller  1905 – 1957

Elbert Howard b. 1791

/ Kirstin Miller

Elbert Howard 5th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Elbert Howard was born in Georgia around 1791. In 1811 he was in Knox, Kentucky, in 1820 Lawrence, Indiana, 1840 in Lake, Illinois and by 1855 in Floyd County, Iowa. Elbert married Phone McNeil in 1811 in Kentucky, after her death he married Rachel Burlingham. Rachel and Elbert’s marriage was ‘the first marriage license granted by the County of Lake issued out of the Commissioners’ Court under date of September 10, 1839’. A history of Lake County, Illinois page 71 a free ebook at HathiTrust.

On June 15 1855 Elbert purchased 160 acres of land. Certificate 23,975 Elbert Howard of Floyd County, Iowa, 160 acres, 15 June 1855. Howard, Elbert 1855 land purchase

In 1857 he was appointed postmaster of Howardville, Iowa. Elbert Howard and some of his family are buried in the Howardville Cemetery. 

Ancestry . co sources: U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971, Kentucky, County Marriages, 1783-1965 and U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907.

 

Annie Henrichs b. 1869

/ Kirstin Miller

Annie Antje Henrichs, my 2nd great grandmother, on RootsMagic tree

Henrichs, Annie, Ebenezer ChurchAnnie saved her church. Pastor Siegfried Siefkes came from Germany to Butler Center, Iowa a historical town no longer around. He worked to organize a new congregation, The Kirchenbuch der Evangelisch Lutherisch Eben-Ezer Gemeinde or Ebenezer Church. The pastor wrote a letter to the actual German Kaiser asking for help, that wasn’t successful so he started asking the local German community to contribute and successfully all but $100 which was borrowed from the bank. The pastor and congregation understood they had a year to pay back this loan but within a month the bank and contractor came for payment. The pastor begged for a week to raise the $100 and it was granted. At Sunday’s service the pastor and congregation met and talked about ways to raise $100 in a week. A farmer offered to sell seed oats, but that wasn’t enough.

Frerichs, Enno with Mary and Annie

Enno Frerichs, Mary Frerichs Roose and Annie Henrichs Frerichs on their porch.  

“Another young lady who was the daughter of one of the members came forward. She had been working for some time as a hired girl and had managed to save nearly all of her wages. She even had the amount with her in her hand bag. The amount was $80 which she offered to loan to the congregation. Seeing this as a voice from heaven, the remaining $20 was raised in short order.”

The whole story in the Greene (Iowa) Recorder via the Greene Public Library.
2003 Feb 5 Greene Recorder page 5, column 5 top

Annie, birth name Antje, Henrichs was born on January 14, 1869 in Osteel, Aurich, Lower Saxony, Germany. When she was 14 years old she and her mom & dad and 8 siblings sailed from Bremen, Germany to Baltimore, Maryland in March 1885. Annie and her family lived in Iowa where they farmed.

Annie married Enno Frerichs on May 26, 1890. They stayed in Butler County Iowa and had 10 kids. On May 30, 1940 Annie age 71 and Enno age 75 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends “During the day seventy eight relatives and friends called to offer congratulations.”

Annie was a widow in 1944 and she died in 1956. Both she and John died at heir farm, both are buried in Butler Center Cemetery, near the where the Ebenezer Church once was.

Sources

Jake Miller b. 1841

/ Kirstin Miller

Jake Miller 3rd great uncle,  on RootsMagic tree

Jacob Miller was born August 6, 1841 in Elkhart, Indiana the 3rd child of 9. The family farmed, the kids went to school. Jake’s dad died when he was 13 and soon after the family moved to Iowa close to where his older sister, now married, was living near Nashua, Iowa.

Jake stayed single. In his later years he lived with his bother Jame’s family, then with his nephew James Archard Miller and family. When his brother James D married Mary Ella Gaines, Jake is on the marriage record testifying to the bride and groom’s ‘competent age and condition’. On census records Jake is a farmer, a horse breeder and a horse trainer. He lived in Janesville, Bristow and Greene, Iowa and was a welcome guest in the Janesville Waverly area. On the 4th of July 1885. “Mr Jacob Miller was down from near Bristow to spend the 4th with his friends around Janesville. Jake is always a welcome guest in these parts.”

Miller, Jake obituary