left their home for America

Benjamin Child b. 1631

/ Kirstin Miller

Benjamin Child 9th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

Benjamin Child was born in 1631 in Cotesbach, Leicestershire, England. Some family trees state this Child family has “genealogy going back to William the Conqueror”. There’s no records to show this.

Benjamin was 3 when his dad died. His uncle Ephraim Child left England for America and probably convinced his nephew to migrate too. By 1652 Benjamin was in Roxbury, Massachusetts and married to Mary Bowen. Benjamin and Mary had 12 kids. They were members of the First Church of Roxbury. “In the records of Roxbury, Mr. Benjamin Child is stated to have been of the thirty who contributed for the erection of the First Church of Roxbury.” Roxbury was a town in the 1600s, today it’s a Boston neighborhood.

Inventory, Genealogy of the Child, Childs and Childe families

Benjamin died on October 14, 1678 in Roxbury. He didn’t have a will. His estate was settled in May of 1679 and included an inventory with a house and barn, 92 acres of land, “money in the House and in good hands”, 3 silver spoons, a wine cup, a trundle bed, wearing clothes, blankets and rugs; and more.

Benjamin is most likely buried at Eliot Burying Ground Cemetery “one of the three oldest [cemeteries] in Boston” named for John Elliot “Apostle to the Indians” and founder of Roxbury. The cemetery is next to a former fire station, “The Eustis Street Firehouse, the oldest standing firehouse in Boston”, and a few yards east of Benjamin’s church, the First Church of Roxbury.

Benjamin’s granddaughter Grace married Timothy Walker, whose granddaughter Cynthia married Asa Angell. Asa’s great granddaughter Matilda Flood in Iowa married Richard Mockford and their great granddaughter Elizabeth was born in Iowa in 1917.

Sources

Edward Morris b. 1630

/ Kirstin Miller

Edward Morris 9th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Edward Morris was born on August 30, 1630 in Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, England. In 1651, he sailed on the ship Confidence to Roxbury, Massachusetts.  On February 23, 1652 in Roxbury it was, “Voted that William Peacock and Edward Morris have four acres each William Lyon three acres upon the commons by John Polley.” There were conditions to receiving the land: William and Edward had to build within 2 years and could not  “carry away any wood or timber or sell farther than for building purposes”. 

September 20, 1655 Edward married Grace Bett. “Edward Morris & Grace Bett were married 20th – 9th month by Richard Bellingham Dept. Govr.” Grace and Edward had 12 children, all born in Roxbury.

January 27, 1661 Edward was a selectman and surveyor. In 1662 the townspeople decided no more land should be given away but kept for Roxbury community use. Edward was a constable in 1664, this included being a ‘fence viewer’, settling property disputes. He was a deputy to the General Court during the time when Massachusetts Bay Colony fought against England’s King Charles 2 for a charter. Edward Randolph, “evil genius of New England and her angel of death”, convinced Charles 2 to take away the charter and put Edmund Andros in charge,  who was overthrown in the 1689 Boston Revolt. “We must believe that he [Edward] was in full sympathy with the sentiment of his townsmen and the party which stood in defense of popular liberty in the conflict against the arbitrary power of the King. and his instruments”.

Edward and  family moved to Woodstock Connecticut around 1686 and were some of the first English settlers. Edward’s son Ebenezer was part of the exploring party. Edward died on September 14, 1689, sources say he was the first original settler to die in Woodstock. He is buried at Woodstock Hill Cemetery. There is a memorial to Edward and Grace Bett Morris and Edward’s original gravestone is still there. 

Find a grave memorial

Edward’s descendants moved west across America, his 5th great granddaughter Delia Angell born 1839, in Indiana moved further west to Butler County, Iowa where her great granddaughter Elizabeth Speedy was born in 1917.

Sources

Mathias Harter and Anna Shuler b. 1737

/ Kirstin Miller

Mathias Harter and Anna Shuler 7th great grandparents on RootsMagic tree.

Mathias Harter was born June 5, 1737 in Baden, Germany, the Kingdom of Prussia at that time. HIs parents were Andreas and Anna Zahner Harter. The whole family sailed to America on September 24, 1742 when Mathias was 5 years old. It wasn’t a luxurious journey. Gottlieb Mittelberger, wrote ‘Journey to Pennsylvania 1756’. The book is a “firsthand historic account of the misery and exploitation of German immigrants”. The trip was about 3 months long. There’s a chance Mathias was an indentured servant his first few years in America, he would have worked to pay off his passage.

Anna Mary Shuler was born around 1737 probably in Germany, her parents aren’t known.  Anna and Mathias married September 9, 1759  in New Holland, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They had 9 children. 

Mathias was in the American Revolution, Second Battalion of Cumberland County Pennsylvania Militia and possibly guarded British prisoners of war. Mathias is on a list of Captain Holderbaum’s company on December 25, 1781 and 1782.  “Roll of the Second Battalion of Cumberland County Militia between the Ages of Eighteen and Forty-five Years taken from the Returns made to me on Oath by the Officers Commanding Companies Given under my hand this 4th Day of July A. D. 1783. JNO. ALEXANDER, Lieut. Cumbd. County” Mathias Harter is number 226 on a list of 445 men.

Tax lists of 1779 show Mathias owned and paid taxes on 140 acres, 2 horses and 2 cows. Mathias, Anna  and children were members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Warwick. Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 at Ancestry

Mathias died in January 1790 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Anna died in March 1816. Mathias signed his will October 29, 1789,  ‘sick and weak in body’. He gave Anna “the east room of their home, use of the garden and forage and stable room for her cows and calf”, furniture and “household goods and kitchen furniture as she might need”. Mathias stated at Anna’s death the real estate would be appraised then sons, starting with the oldest could have the land, whoever owned the land would give mortgage to his brothers, if no one wanted the land, it would be sold, the money would be split between sons and daughters. The will was proved on January 26, 1790.

Mathias and Anna’s 3rd great granddaughter Fiana Druckenbrod married William Miller, they were in Iowa by 1876, their daughter Lola Miller was born there in 1880. Lola married another William Miller, their son is Faber Miller, born in 1905.

Sources

Grace Bett b. 1629

/ Kirstin Miller

Grace Bett, 9th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Grace was born in London and baptized January 24, 1629 at St Giles’ Cripplegate church. Originally “without [outside of] Cripplegate”, it’s one of few medieval churches in London, near the remains of the London Wall- an ancient fortress built around the city when it was part of the Roman Empire. St Giles survived “devastating bombing during the Blitz” of Germany in WW2.

London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 at Ancestry 

It’s a mystery when Grace arrived in Boston, the first record in America shows her marriage to Edward Morris on September 20, 1655. From Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston, City Document No. 130, “Edward Morris & Grace Bett were married 20th – 9th month by Richard Bellingham Dept. Govr.” They married in ’Town’ not in the ‘First Church’.

Grace and Edward had 12 children, all born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The family moved to Woodstock, Connecticut, some of the first colonial settlers. Edward died in September 1690, sources say he was the first ‘original’ settler to die in Woodstock. Grace went back to Roxbury where she died June 6, 1705. Grace’s actual burial place isn’t known but there’s a memorial to her and Edward, and Edward’s original gravestone, in Woodstock Hill Cemetery in Woodstock next to their church, the First Congregational Church, established in 1674, the present building is from 1820.

Sources

Zachariah Rhodes b. 1603

/ Kirstin Miller

Zachariah Rhodes 10th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

Zachariah was born in 1603 in Lancashire, England and was in America before 1644. In Rehoboth, Massachusetts on July 3, 1644 Zachariah with others in Rehoboth signed a compact “to order the prudential affairs of the plantation”, then land lots were assigned.


The history of Rehoboth, Bristol County, Massachusetts, compact

Zachariah married Joanna Arnold in March 1646, they had 9 children. Zachariah didn’t stay long in Massachusetts and may have been in a Boston jail, he refused Massachusetts religious laws, “the courts have naught to do with matters of religion”. The Rhodes family followed Roger Williams to Providence, Rhode Island. In both Providence and Rehoboth, Zachariah was a commissioner, constable, treasurer, deputy and more.

Zachariah died on October 11, 1665, “drowned on the Pawtucket shore”. He was 64 years old. He wrote his will April 28, 1662. Zachariah named widow Joanna as overseer of the estate, left lands and money to his children and gave Joanna permission to change the will if needed, “if any Shall Marry or Match themselves with any Contrarey to ye Mind of their Mother or of my two friends my will is then that it shall be in their Mothers liberty what to give them, whether anything or No”.

Sources

Gerd Frerichs b. 1867

/ Kirstin Miller

Gerd Frerichs 2nd great uncle, on RootsMagic tree, was born on November 10, 1867 in Engerhofe, Germany, standard name: Engerhafe, 26624 Südbrookmerland, Germany. Engerhofe is 5 miles south of the Wadden Sea on the northwestern coast of Germany, part of Lower Saxony or Niedersachsen, on Google maps

Gerd’s parents were Casjen and Kuna Janssen Frerichs. Gerd had 3 sisters and was the younger brother of Enno Frerichs who was the dad of Mary Frerichs who married George Roose, their son Stanley Roose was born in 1915, in Iowa.


Baptismal font photo via Matthias Süßen, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Engerhafe_Taufbecken.jpg

The Frerichs family were members of the local Lutheran church, that’s where Gerd was baptized on December 13, 1867 and where his parents married a few years earlier. It is almost certain their church was Church of John the Baptist (Engerhafe) or Kirche Johannes der Täufer (Engerhafe). This church was built in 1250, completed around 1280 and was the only church in the area during Gerd’s lifetime. The church is famous for it’s organ built in 1774 by Hinrich Just Müller. The baptismal font or Taufbecken is impressive too, “The lid was delivered in 1665 by master Hinrich Julfs from Wittmund. Its structure, divided into four floors, shows mermaids with fish tails and female breasts. The facial features of these figures are clearly masculine and have mustaches. In the middle of the lid sits a Madonna, surrounded by columns”.

The mayor of Engerhafe today is Frerich Hinrichs- funny because both these names are Roose ancestor surnames- Enno Frerichs married Annie Hinrichs.

In August 1883 Gerd and his family left Engerhafe, Germany on the ship America, they sailed to America and landed in Baltimore, Maryland on October 10, 1883. From Baltimore they went to Butler County Iowa. Gerd was only in America for 5 years, he died at age 19 on July 25, 1887. Gerd is buried in Jungling Cemetery, near Vilmar Church in Allison, Iowa. His older sister Yevkea Frerichs Reents is also buried there.

Jungling Cemetery, Allison, Iowa

Sources

Conrad Meinzer b. 1734

/ Kirstin Miller

Conrad Meinzer 6th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

Conrad was born in Baden, Germany on May 21, 1734 and baptized there the next day. In 1751 Conrad was 17 years old and sailed to Pennsylvania where he joined a German American community in Lancaster County. It’s likely that Conrad’s parents Johann and Catherine Weil Meinzer sailed on the same ship, possibly a brother too. After arriving in Pennsylvania, men 16 and older all made an oath to the King, like a pledge of allegiance. “ .. in hopes and expectation of finding a retreat and peaceable settlement therein, Do solemnly promise and engage, that we will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His present Majesty, King George The Second, and His successors, kings of Great Britain”.

Conrad married Elizabeth HIbshman in 1760. Her family came from Switzerland. Conrad and Elizabeth had 7 children, who were baptized at the local Lutheran church. Pennsylvania tax records show Conrad’s taxes for 1772, 1773 and 1779. In 1772 he was taxed on 100 acres of woodland, 2 horses and 2 cows. In 1773, taxed on 130 acres of land, 2 horses, 3 cows, 5 sheep and in 1779, taxed on 200 acres, 3 horses, 8 cows.

In April 1777 Conrad is on Mathias Harter’s land deed. The deed list neighbors: Benjamin Bowman and Conrad Meinzer. The Meinzer, Harter and Bowman families would all move together to Stark County, Ohio where Conrad’s 2nd great granddaughter Fiana Druckenbrod married William Miller. Fianna and William moved to Waverly, Iowa

Conrad wrote a will and his estate was settled on August 10, 1781. The will isn’t in his writing, the image shows a handwritten copy made by a clerk. Conrad’s will named his wife and children and he left his best cow to his wife.

Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry

Summarized: In the name of God amen. I Conrad Meinzer being very sick but of good senses, thanks be to God. My wife Elizabeth shall have all the use and income of the lands till my eldest son John is at lawful age the same to my son in law Michael Oberle. From said income my wife shall educate my children. My sons shall be obedient to their mother but each of said sons shall be free of his mother when fourteen years of age provided he intends to learn a trade. I order that in four weeks after my death all my personal estate shall be sold except my bed, a wardrobe, the best cow which I bequeath to my wife. From the money arising my debts shall be paid and the residue shall be dispersed. All my lands shall be divided into six plots the share that I live on at present shall be appointed to my son John and the other six shares to Catharina, Anna, Maria, Verona, Frederick and Conrad until all of my heirs are made equal.

Sources

Joanna Lutten b. 1618

/ Kirstin Miller

Joanna Lutten 9th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Joanna Lutten was born around 1618. There’s no information on her parents and arrival in America, she probably came from England in the 1630s when King Charles 1 had dissolved Parliament, imprisoned 9 members and was cracking down on “non-conformist preachers” and believers. English Protestants and Puritans, breaking from the Pope & Catholic Church, left for America.

In America Joanna married Isaac Willey around 1638 in Boston and their first son, Isaac Jr., was baptized at the First Church in Boston. The church was created on July 30, 1630 by John Winthrop of the Winthrop Fleet, “their first official act, even before drawing up a charter for the city, was to create by themselves, and sign, a Covenant for the First Church in Boston. In this document we find these words: [Wee] solemnly, and religiously Promise, and bind ourselves, to walke in all our ways in mutuall love, and respect each to other.”

In 1646 with John Winthrop, the Willey family were original settlers of New London, Connecticut. “1. John Winthrop, Esq., whose home-lot was undoubtedly selected by himself before all others. The next five were probably John Gager, Cary Latham, Samuel Lothrop, John Stebbins, and Isaac Willey, whose home steads lay northwest of Mr. Winthrop’s, on the upper part of what are now Willams Street and Main Street.” New London is on the south edge of Connecticut 20 miles north of Long Island,

History of New London, Connecticut, Joanna fined

Joanna and Isaac had 5 more children and stayed in New London. In 1667 Joanna was written up in the court records. Second on the list, she had failed to being herself and her children to church and was fined 5 shillings. “Minutes of cases, chiefly before the County Court … Goodwife Willey presented for not attending public worship and bringing her children thither; fined 5s”. Joanna’s death date isn’t known, it was before 1670 when widowed Isaac married again.

Sources

Mary Hopkins b. 1623

/ Kirstin Miller

Mary Hopkins 10th great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Mary was born in 1623 in England, the daughter of William and Mary Andrews Hopkins.

The Hopkins family were in America by June, 1640 and in Cupheag (now Stratford) Connecticut where Mary’s dad surveyed and divided up land. “Mr. Roger Ludlow, Mr. William Hopkins and Mr. Adam Blakeman shall survey and divyde and sett out the bounds betwixt the Plantations of Cupheag.” The Hopkins family later moved to Hartford, Connecticut. In Hartford, Mary’s dad died around 1643 and her mom married Richard Whitehead.

Mary -by her married name Lewis- was in her step dad’s will. She inherited money and lands in England that were probably in her mom’s family and provided rent income. “… due and owing unto my daughter in law Mary Lewes the sum of one hundred pounds … and the gift and delivery of several goods and chattels … unto the said Mary Lewes, and her heirs forever, my message or tenement, with the backside, orchard and garden and all edifices and buildings upon the same built and standing, lying in Knoll in the county of Warwick in the kingdom of England.”

Hartford 1640 land lots

Mary married William Lewis in 1644 and they had 10 children: 7 sons, 3 daughters. William Lewis was an only child so would have inherited his dad’s home in Hartford. CT. On the map the Lewis family is No. 25 at the top. They lived right by the meeting house, market and jail in the center of town and on the landing of the Big River, or Connecticut River. The oldest Lewis daughter Mary, leads to Obed Gaines and family who were in Bremer County, Iowa by 1855. Mary Hopkins Lewis died at age 46, William remarried and lived a few years longer. Mary’s burial place is unknown.

Sources

Jane Partridge b. 1612

/ Kirstin Miller

Jane Partridge 10th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Jane Partridge was born around 1612 in Olney, England, one of 2 children of John and Frances Partridge. Jane married Henry Gaines, also of Olney, England. By 1638 Jane, Henry and their 3 sons John, Daniel and Samuel, were in Salem, Massachusetts. The family moved to Lynn, Massachusetts where they lived on the Nahant Bay. In their times there was a small stream called Gaines Neck. Their home was near a salt marsh so they probably ‘fished’ for shrimp, mollusks, and hunted all kinds of game birds that no longer exist. Their south east view was Egg Rock a tiny island. Today Egg Rock is a bird sanctuary, it had a lighthouse for awhile.

Egg Rock, Nahant

Both Jane and Henry died fairly young, in their 30s. Jane’s will survives and shows an inventory of possessions and apprenticeships for each of her sons. John age 13 was apprenticed for seven years to Francis Dowse a shoemaker. Daniel age 11 was apprenticed for eight years to Luke Potter, a tailor in Concord. Samuel age 7 was apprenticed to Nathaniel Hanforth “who was to educate him”. Nathaniel Hanforth was also asked to oversee the money left to each of the boys and improve it if possible.

The inventory showed possessions of the family. A house and a parcel lot including upland, 8 acres of salt marsh. Several bushels of Indian corn, a featherbed, plows, blankets, clothing, one trunk, a straw hat, ten handkerchiefs, four pewter dishes, one kettle, a handsaw, a sword, a pitchfork, 3 spoons, an earthen ware pot, flax and hemp, 2 bibles, a parcel of books.

Sources