left their home for America

Enno Frerichs b. 1865

/ Kirstin Miller

Enno Henry Frerichs, my 2nd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Enno Frerichs was born January 6, 1865 in East Frisia, Lower Saxony, Germany. Enno was 18 years old when he sailed to America in October, 1883 with his family: dad Casjen, mom Kunna, brother Gerd, sisters Entje and Hilka and older sister Yevkea and her husband Joost Reents. The shipped was named America, it left from Bremen, Germany and landed in Baltimore, Maryland. The passenger list shows their destination was Iowa. Yevkea and Joost had one piece of luggage, the Frerichs family had 4.

Frerichs arrival 1883

Arrival in Baltimore. Iowa was their destination.

Probably through a network of German immigrants and friendly strangers, Enno and family made their way from Baltimore to Butler County, Iowa- 1000 miles total. Imagine that journey. The Frerichs family set up their home in Jefferson Township, between Allison and Parkersburg, Iowa. They cleared land, built houses, barns, fences, planted gardens and fields and their community of German Americans built a church, Ebenezer Lutheran Church.

Frerichs, Enno and Annie

Enno and Annie Hinrichs Frerichs

Enno married Annie Henrichs on May 26, 1890 in the Ebenezer Lutheran Church. 50 years into the future on May 30, 1940 Annie and Enno celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends. Enno and Annie’s 10 kids attended, all were in the area, furthest away was daughter Martina, married to Hobart Vance,  they lived in Dallas County, Iowa.

Enno died in 1944 and is buried in Butler Center Cemetery, very near where Ebenezer Lutheran Church used to be.

Sources

George Parkhurst b. 1588

/ Kirstin Miller

George Parkhurst 11th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

George Parkhurst was born in 1588 in Ipswich, England. He married Phebe Lette and they had 9 children. Their daughter Phebe was baptized, “1612 Pheby Parkhurst the daughter of George Parkhurst of the Key Parish and fo Phebe his wiffe 29 November”. This church, St Mary at the Quay (Key), is Quay Place now, their website has a timeline featuring George and Phebe Leete Parkhurst’s 1610 marriage, about 30 years after Queen Elizabeth’s 2nd visit to the church. In 1948 the church was officially closed, then remodeled and reopened as Quay Place. Quay Place has a Facebook page with photos of the remodel. https://quayplace.co.uk/quay-place-history/quay-place-history-timeline/.

George was mentioned in his dad’s will of 1610. “The will of John Parkhurst of the parish of Saynte Marye Keye in the town of Ipswich co. Suffolk, clothier 29 Mar 1610. To son George Parkhurst all shopstuff, all my implements of trade as a shearman, all my books of what title and print, and all the rest of my goods and stock, movables and immovables.”

Watertown mapBy 1642 George had left Ipswich, England and was in Massachusetts. He was a freeman on May 10 1643 in Boston. George’s first wife Phebe could have arrived with him or could have died in England, it’s unknown. George remarried in Massachusetts and he and 2nd wife had a few more children. His 2nd wife was Elizabeth the widow of John Simson. Both George and John were original English land owners in Watertown. On the map of Watertown, they’re neighbors, No. 12 right in between Strawberry Hill and the Meeting House. George has land at the top right too, No 16 above Sherman’s Pond

On June 13, 1655 George sold his last piece of land in America land, his 2nd wife and younger children were back in England, George joined them. George died and was buried June 18, 1675. He was buried at St Lawrence Church about 1 mile from St Mary at the Quay church. St Lawrence Church built in is also still there and now a restaurant, public center. Ipswich has lots of medieval churches.

Sources

John Jones b. 1594

/ Kirstin Miller

John Jones 10th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

John Jones was born in 1594, in England. A minster, on December 19, 1613 he was ordained as Deacon of Peterboro and by 1619 he was the minster at Abbot’s Ripton in Cambridgeshire, England. In 1630 the courts removed John for not following rites and rituals of the Church of England. In 1635 John and family left England for America. They sailed with another minister Peter Bulkeley- also a Miller ancestor, John and Peter’s children married in Connecticut in 1640.Jones, John suspended

Jones and BulkeleyOn 6 April 1637 the church of Concord ‘kept a day of humiliation, chose Mr Bulkeley teacher and Mr. Jones pastor’. In August 1637 John and other minsters held an Ecclesiastical Council- they worked on their new religion: beliefs, requirements, practices in the new world. In 1644 another council was held and this time Peter Bulkeley and John Jones split- they couldn’t agree so John Jones and family left Concord and went to Fairfield Connecticut where John was the 1st pastor of the Congregational Church of Fairfield. John and Peter’s kids were married by this time, Peter’s son Thomas, married to Sarah Jones, Thomas and Sarah Jones Bulkeley went with John, to Fairfield.

John Jones as minister in Fairfield is shown in a book, Prime Ancient Society of Fairfield, Connecticut, summarized: ‘It is Lord’s Day. Sabbath hush pervades the air. At nine o’clock the drum summons the people, the meeting-house is a plain low structure, as people enter the men go to one side women go to the other. The children are put under the care of the tithing-man. Mr. Jones begins the service with a long prayer, then a longer sermon, a short prayer and the benediction. A brief intermission at noon then the afternoon service. At close of service people walked home and devoted their hours to the reading of the Bible and religious conversation in the family. The minister was expected to be vigilant, observant, energetic in respect to the innumerable details of town affairs. He had a sort of censorship in respect to matters of public import. His influences were far reaching’.

John Jones died and was buried in 1664. His burial place is in Old Burying Ground Cemetery in Fairfield, CT, about 10 miles north of the Long Island sound. His original headstone is long gone, there’s a monument added in recent times.

Sources

Henry Wolcott b. 1578

/ Kirstin Miller

Henry Wolcott 12th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Henry was born in December 1578 in Lydeard St Lawrence, Somerset, England and baptized there on December 6 at Lydeard St. Lawrence Church. In 1606 he married Elizabeth Saunders in the same church. The Wolcott family left for America in 1630 on the The Mary and John. They lived in Dorchester, Massachusetts for a year or so, then moved to 100 miles west to Windsor, Connecticut.
In Dorchester Humphrey was an assessor, fenceviewer and selectman. He was a deputy of the Court, constable and tax collector in Windsor. Henry’s brother John was living in Lydeard in April 1636 and wrote a letter to Henry. John wrote Henry of their brother Christopher’s death, King Charles at war with Scotland, how times had changed and prayers for Henry’s safety in the new country.

Henry and his wife died within a couple months, “Mr Henry Wolcot dyed may 30th 1655. The wife if Henry Wolcot dyed July 5 1655”. They’re buried in Palisado Cemetery in Windsor, CT. They share a tombstone added years after their deaths, Henry’s inscription on one side, Elizabeth’s on the other.

Henry made his will o the day he died, “The thirtieth of May (1655), I HENRY WOLCOTT, sick of body, but of perfect memory, do make and ordain this my last will and testament, in manner and form following. First I commend my soul to God my maker, hoping assuredly through the only merit of Jesus Christ my Saviour, to be a partaker of life everlasting; and I commend my body to the earth, whereof it was made. I will that my wife shall have all my house lot, orchard, garden, hopyard and my lot in Plymouth meadow, during the term of her natural life. Also, I give unto my wife two of my cows, and half the household goods in my dwelling house”. Henry mentions each child and gifts them specific items.

Sources

Humphrey Wise b. 1591

/ Kirstin Miller

Humphrey Wise 10th great grandpa on RootsMagic

Humphrey Wise or Wythe was born in 1591 in England. His dad Benjamin died in 1601 and “with his mother Humphrey was an infant co-executor of the will of his father, he received land in Harkstead and Erwartoon”. On April 8, 1616 Humphrey married Susan Pakeman, they had eight daughters and 2 sons. Humphrey lived in Suffolk County, near the River Orwell, on the eastern edge of England on the North Sea. Humphrey has records in Ewarton, Harkstead, Holbrook, Nacton and Woolvertsone, villages, all within 10 miles of each other in ipswich, England. Humphrey was a mariner, sailor.

The Wise family, parents and kids sailed to America in 1636. Humphrey and Susan were in their 40s. They settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts where Humphrey received a one acre “house lott and south side of Hartbreake Hill and a farm one hundred acres on the South side of a creek called the Labour in Vayne”. Heartbreak Hill has a legend involving a sailor and an Indian Maiden at Historic Ipswich.

Humphrey died in 1638, his burial place isn’t known and he didn’t leave a will. His widow remarried and her new husband Samuel Greenfield took control of the estate. the Court got involved.

In Boston January 13 1638/9. “Humfry Wise of Ipswich, died intestate, and Samuel Greenfeild late of Salem married his widow and took into his possession the lands and goods of the said Humfry, without legal order. The Court held at Ipswich 26 : 1 : 1639, caused them to deliver an inventory of the estate which amounted to about 140 pounds Wise left a wife and five children, Beniamyn, Joseph, Em., Sarah and Ann, besides some that were married and had received their portions. Samuel Greenfeild was appointed administrator, and with his consent the Court sold the house, and house lot of an acre & a planting lot of six acres with the appurtenances to William ffellowes for 20 pounds, also the farm of about 120 acres to Thomas Emerson for four score pounds, and such other sales of cattle & goods that the said Samuel had made the Court allowed. The money was given to Samuel Greenfeild, he giving bond for 120 pounds to bring up the five children, until the sons were twenty one years, and the daughters eighteen, at which time each to receive a certain portion of the estate”.

Sources

Mary Barnard b. 1609

/ Kirstin Miller

Mary Barnard 10th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Mary was born September 1609 in Nottinghamshire, England. Mary was a ladies maid to an acquaintance of Roger Williams. Mary and Roger married December 15, 1629 in High Laver, Essex England at All Saint Parish, still there. Their marriage record, “is recorded in the parish register of High Lever, Co. Essex, as follows: 1629 Roger Williams and Mary Barnard were married the 15th day of Decern: anno dom 1629”.

Williams Roger, Mary Barnard children screenshot

Mary and Roger Williams, children

Mary and Roger left England in December of 1631. They had 6 kids, all born in America: Mary, Freeborn, Providence, Mercy, Daniel and Joseph. Mary and family were living in Salem where Roger was a minister until he was banished, asked to leave. He had issues with the church, was a friend to the Indians, critical of the colonies taking land with no payment, Roger and family had to leave the area. With a small group Roger founded Rhode Island in 1636. A census on September 1, 1636 shows 25 people including Mary and her family.  John Winthrop, governor of Plymouth visited Providence and left a gold coin with Mary during his visit, “Governor Winslow, of Plymouth. The guest was touched by the hardship and poverty which his old friends were enduring, and at his departure put into the hands of Mrs. Williams a piece of gold for her relief. Williams acknowledges with respect and gratitude the welcome gift”.

Sources

Elizabeth b. 1614

/ Kirstin Miller

Elizabeth 10th great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Elizabeth was born in about 1614, her last name isn’t known. In 1630 she married Thomas Judd. The birth and marriage places of Elizabeth and Thomas aren’t known. The Judds were part of the 1620-1640 ’Great Migration’ documented by genealogist Robert Charles Anderson, he’s written volumes. Elizabeth and family left England for America in 1634, this is shown in a land grant in Cambridge on August 4, 1634, “lots granted in Westend, To Tho: Judd 4 Ackrs”. Elizabeth and family stayed in the Massachusetts colony for awhile, then with Reverend Thomas Hooker, left to start a new settlement in the Connecticut Colony, fort called New Towne then called Hartford. Elizabeth and Thomas had 9 children, 3 daughters and 6 sons. Two daughters married Loomis brothers. two sons and one daughter married a Steele sibling, one son married Mary Howkins. One son, Benjamin married Mary Lewis, their 7th great grandson was Faber Miller.

1636 Hartford map

At Kenyon Street AngelFire website, an annotated map.

The single available record with Elizabeth’s name is Dr John Winthrop’s medical notebook, “8 July 1669, John Winthrop Jr. treated -Jud Elis[abeth] above 60 years wife of [blank] Jud Senior of Farmington-“. Elizabeth lived until about 1678. Her burial place is unknown.

Sources

Mary Walters b. 1848

/ Kirstin Miller

Mary Walters 3rd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.
Mary was born July 4, 1848 in Hanover, Germany. On August 17, 1872 she sailed to America, landed in New York with her husband Martin Wisbar and 2 daughters Anna and Lena. The Wisbar family was in Illinois for a few years then in Butler County, Iowa by 1895. The Plat book of Butler County, Iowa 1895 shows the Wisbar land, Mary and Martin lived in Monroe Township on 148 acres. Next to their farm was a cemetery, still there, Monroe Township Cemetery. The nearby German Lutheran Church and schoolhouse are most likely gone.

Wisbar, M 1895 land

Mary and Martin’s land 1895

Mary and Martin had 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls. Martin died in 1912 Mary lived until 1918. She had moved to Waterloo and was living with her son Louis. Mary’s obituary was in the November 4, 1918 Waterloo Evening Courier and provides detail on her marriage, arrival in America and Lutheran Church membership. The obituary also lists her daughters- by their married names: [Anna] Mrs. F. J. Meyer, Farnhanville, Ia.; [Lena] Mrs. John Roose, Allison, [Sophia] Mrs. I. C. Parker, Miss Emma; her son Louis, and a “sister. Mrs. William Pohlman” no further details on the sister. Mary is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Parkersburg, there is a group of Wisbar headstones and about 20 feet away Casjen and Kuna Frerichs. Mary’s grandson George Roose married the Frerichs’s granddaughter Mary and had a son Stanley Roose.

Wisbar, Lena and Roose grandchild

Lena Wisbar and Roose grandchild

Sources

  • Newspaper Archive, Cedar Rapids Public Library, 1918 Nov 4 Waterloo Evening Courier page 7 of 10 column 4 bottom 5 top. CR Library card required to view.
  • Plat book of Butler County, Iowa 1895 at University of Iowa Digital Libraries, page 27, image 18 of 37 square 1
  • 1895 Iowa census database at FamilySearch.
  • New York passenger lists 1820-1891 database at FamilySearch.
  • Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180799561 .

George Gardiner b. 1599

/ Kirstin Miller

George Gardiner 10th great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

George was born in February 1599 in London. In the genealogy world there’s a ‘fierce debate’ on his parents, currently his parents are unproven with a couple theories. George had 3 wives, the first was Sarah who probably died before he sailed for America around 1636, there’s not much info on Sarah. Herodias Long was his 2nd wife there are novels, books and journals written about Herodias. George and Herodias divorced after 20 years, they were in court many times. Herodias married John Porter- her 3rd husband. George married Lydia Ballou his 3rd wife in 1665. George had children with all wives, Lydia is our ancestor, they had 6 children.

George was a freeman in Newport, Rhode Island on December 17, 1639 and a landowner on January 29, 1639/40. He was a Sergeant of an early colonial company, on the grand jury, a constable and he witnessed land deeds including a deed on June 29, 1660 ‘from an Indian called Socho of a tract of land at Pettaquamscot’. On August 1662 he and Robert Stanton bought more lands near the Pettaquamscot Purchase. And later on George’s sons with Herodias would inherit all of their stepdad John Porter’s lands in the same area.

Gardiner land map

Map of Gardiner son’s land

George died in 1677, he lived to age 78 and is probably buried in a very old forgotten cemetery somewhere in Newport, Rhode Island.

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Ann Borodell b. 1615

/ Kirstin Miller

Ann Borodell 9th great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Ann was born in Cork, Ireland on May 20, 1615. Her dad John Borodell was a land owner, her mom is unknown. Ann married George Denison of England in abut 1645. There is a story of how George and Ann met, published in several sources. George had sailed to America with his family at age 11, met and married his first wife, she died within a few years, he was heartbroken, returned to England to fight in the English Civil War, was injured in the Battle of Naseby, on June 14, 1645 and sent to John Borodell’s home to recover. John’s daughter Ann nursed George back to health, they fell in love, married and sailed to America. George and Ann lived in Stonington then Mystic, Connecticut and were described as “remarkable for magnificent personal appearance, and for force of mind and character”.

  • Ann Borodell image at FindaGrave memorial

Ann was a widow in 1695. From her husband’s will, “First I give and bequeath unto my dear and loving wife Ann Denison, my new mansion place, to wit the house we live in, the barns and buildings, the orchards, and the whole tract of land, and improvements thereon, as far as Mistuxet, eastward, and as it is bounded upon record South, West and North, … all the household stuff that was, and is, properly belonging unto us … to be wholly at her disposal, to bequeath to whom she pleaseth, at her death”.

There’s a Denison Homestead Museum and a Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center on the grounds in Mystic, CT. The house is not the 1663 original that George and Ann built. That house burned down, another was built on the land and was in the Denison family for generations.

Sources