Michael Metcalfe b. 1587

/ Kirstin Miller

Michael Metcalfe 10th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

Michael Metcalfe was b.1587 into a long line of Metcalfs. He lived in Tatterford and Norwich, England, was a weaver and married Sarah Ellwyn. Michael was a Puritan in England which led to trouble in the 1630s when he felt persecuted by Archbishop Laud and Bishop Wren. Both bishops were eventually charged with various crimes and locked in the Tower of London. Wren was let go and Laud was executed.

Michael wrote a letter, “I was persecuted in the land of my fathers’ sepulchres for not bowing at the name of Jesus and observing the ceremonies inforced upon me at the instance of Bishop Wren of Norwich, and his Chancellor Dr. Corbet, whose violent measures troubled me in the Bishop’s court, and returned me into the High Commissioner’s Court. Suffering many times for the cause of religion, I was forced for the sake of the liberty of my conscience to flee from my wife and children to go into New England; taking ship for the voyage at London, 17th Sept., 1636, and being by tempests tossed up and down the seas till the Christmas following; and then veering about to Plymouth in Old England. Leaving the ship I went down to Yarmouth, in Co. Norfolk, whence I finally shipped myself and family to come to New England; sailed April 15, 1637, and arrived three days before Midsummer with my wife, nine children, and a servant, Thomas Comberbach, aged 16.”

In April 1637 the Metcalf family got ready to sail to America: The examinacion of Michill Metcalfe of Norwich, Dornix weauer, aged 45 yeares and Sarrah his wife, aged 39 yeares, with 8 Children, Michill: Thomas: Marey: Sarrah: Elizabeth: Martha: Joane: and Rebeca: and his Saruant Thomas Comberbach, aged 16 yeares, are desirous to passe to boston in New England to inhabit. 

The family with Michael, Sarah, 9 kids and a servant landed in Boston on or about June 24, 1637. The Metcalfs settled in Dedham, Connecticut. Michael was a townsmen, a selectman and on the committee to create the meeting house. His will left various possessions and money amounts to his 2nd wife Mary, children and grandchildren with one grandchild getting the ‘Largest gray Horsmann’s coate’ and son John getting all the books.

Michael Metcalfe (1587 – 1664)
Jane Metcalfe (1632 – 1701)
Samuel Walker (1655 – 1712)
Timothy Walker (1687 – 1745)
Eunice Walker (1728 – 1772)
Cynthia Hill (1763 – 1830)
Dexter Angell (1794 – 1854)
Delia Viola Angell (1839 – 1916)
Matilda Flood (1858 – 1940)
Philippa Flood Mockford (1891 – 1979)
Elizabeth Speedy (1917 – 2005) m. Stanley Roose (1915 – 2004)

Sources

  • Excerpts from a letter written in Plymouth England January 13, 1636 the New England Historical and Genealogical Register NEHGR Volume 6 page 171 at Archive.org
  • New England Historical and Genealogical Register NEHGR Volume 14 page 325 at Archive.org

Jeremy Adams b. 1605

/ Kirstin Miller

Jeremy Adams 11th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

Jeremy Adams was born in England, parents unknown. He sailed to America on the Griffin, maybe he was associated with Puritan minister Thomas Hooker. Jeremy married twice, both his wives were widows named Rebecca. Jeremy’s jobs included: minister, farmer, innkeeper and liquor distributor. As an official innkeeper for the Colony he was famous and his inn was the main meeting site in the area. At Jeremy’s funeral the colony paid for 3 gallons of wine.

In the early days of Connecticut Jeremy was also a scout: “On 5 April, 1638, it was ordered that six men be sent to the Warranock Indians to trade; and moreover to knoe the reasons why they saide they are affraide of us, and if they will not come to us willingly then to compell them to come by violence, and they may leave 2 of the English as pledges in the meane time. Jeremy Adams was one of the six.” 

Jeremy Adams (1605 – 1683) John Adams (1637 – 1670) Rebecca Adams (1658 – 1716) Samuel Risley (1679 – 1756) Richard Risley (1709 – 1792) Prudence Risley (1735 – 1816) Joseph Gaines (1756 – 1841) Obed Gaines (1793 – 1877) William Newcomb Gaines (1825 – 1907) Mary Ella Gaines (1855 – 1917) William Earl Miller (1879 – 1949) Faber W Miller (1905 – 1957) m. Gladys Mae Cable (1913 – 1991)

Sources: 

William L. Miller b. 1852

/ Kirstin Miller
William L. Miller, my 2nd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.
William was born in August 1852 in Stark Ohio, his middle name may be Louis. William was the oldest of 7 children of Peter and Esther Young Miller. His family farmed in Ohio and by 1870 when William was 18 they were living on a farm in Bremer County, Iowa.
William kept in touch with Fianna Druckenbrod of Stark Ohio, and they were married on September 5, 1875 in Stark, Ohio.  The newlyweds settled in Bremer County, Iowa, had 7 children and farmed. On the  1880 Iowa agricultural census William’s farm had: 230 tilled acres, 10 acres of meadow, 30 acres of forest, 60 acres of hay, 3 horses, 2 cows, 2 calves, 21 pigs, 15 chickens, 40 acres of Indian corn, 20 acres of oats, 85 acres of wheat, half acre of potatoes.
By 1905 William and Fiana lived in Amery, Wisconsin. William was a teamster and a truck gardener. When Fiana died in 1923 William lived with his son Frank and family in Amery, Wisconsin.
William and Fiana are buried in Andrews Cemetery near Waverly, Iowa. I visited the cemetery in summer, 2017. William and Fiana’s headstone is surrounded by 5’ day lilies.
Headstone Miller, William and Fiana Druckenbrod
Sources at FamilySearch.org
  • Ohio, County Marriages 1789-2013
  • US census records
  • 1880 Iowa agricultural census

Philip Walker b. 1628

/ Kirstin Miller

Philip Walker was born in Weymouth, Dorset, England in 1625. He was about fifteen when he came to Plymouth Colony with his mom around 1640. His mom is known as Widow Walker. She owned land in 1644. Bliss, Leonard, jr.The History of Rehoboth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. Boston: Otis, Broaders, and company, 1836.

Philip was an early deacon of the Congregational Church and a weaver and/or farmer. He was also a soldier in King Philip’s War, and helped to finance the war. Philip wrote one of the first American epic poems: Captan Perse & his coragios Company.  The poem was probably written in 1676, and Walker is writing about his personal experience. This 37 page PDF includes the poem, an introduction and context notes.

Captain Pierce’s battle  details at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Men%27s_Misery.

The Plymouth Colony Archive Project has a bio on Philip. http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/plymouth/Walker.html

7th great grandfather of Elizabeth Matilda Speedy who married Stanley Roose Sr.

  • Philip Walker (1628 – 1679)
  • Samuel Walker (1655 – 1712)
  • Timothy Walker (1687 – 1745)
  • Eunice Walker (1728 – 1772)
  • Cynthia Hill (1763 – 1830)
  • Dexter Angell (1794 – 1854)
  • Delia Viola Angell (1839 – 1916)
  • Matilda  Flood (1858 – 1940)
  • Philippa Flood Mockford (1891 – 1979)
  • Elizabeth Speedy (1917 – 2005) m. Stanley Roose (1915 – 2004)

It’s daunting but worth it

/ Kirstin Miller

I can find more than 50% of Ancestry sources: census, passenger lists, marriages, land records on FamilySearch- FREE. It’s taken some time. Philippa Johns has 15 sources, I’ve converted all but three from $ Ancestry sources to FamilySearch sources, same exact sources, sometimes with better info. I don’t see a downside. Especially for the England census of 1841 and 1851 which on Ancestry I can only see with an $ international subscription. What’s the benefit of Ancestry sources? I don’t know.

FamilySearch is soon going to require all visitors to register but it’s free and doesn’t have the email barrage of Ancestry’s free membership. There must be a benefit to using Ancestry $ sources, but no idea what it is at this time.

Dexter Angell b. 1794

/ Kirstin Miller

Dexter Angell was perhaps the favorite grandson of Israel Angell. Israel’s letter to his son Asa no date, has Israel remembering Dexter and hoping to see him soon.

Angell, Israel to son Asa re grandson Dexter

Israel’s letter to his favorite grandson, Dexter

Dexter was born in Providence and died in northeastern New York. By age 20 he was in Prairieton, Indiana where he owned land, farmed, married and had a family 2 daughters and 1 son. When his wife Clementina Benight died in 1847 Dexter returned to Rhode Island, married Betsy Gazley they had a son Julius.

In 1831 the year before Israel died Dexter was definitely in Rhode Island and on the Committee to investigate the Governor of Rhode Island, Lemuel Arnold so probably stopped in Providence to see his granddad in 1831. Dexter would have been 37, Israel was 90, twice a widow and married to his 3rd wife.

Dexter Angell (1794 – 1854) > Delia Viola Angell (1839 – 1916) > Matilda Elizabeth Flood (1858 – 1940) > Philippa Flood Mockford (1891 – 1979) > Elizabeth Matilda Speedy (1917 – 2005)

Sources:
Lovell, Louise Lewis. Israel Angell: Colonel of the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment. New York, The Knickerbocker press (G.P. Putnam’s sons), 1921

National Republican Party (U.S.). Rhode Island. Examination of Certain Charges Against Lemuel H. Arnold, Esq., the National Republican Candidate for Governor. Providence, 1831.

Jabez Dewey b. 1755

/ Kirstin Miller

Jabez Dewey born in 1755, probably in Connecticut, had joined the American Revolution by 1776 at age 21. He fought in the Battle of Harlem Heights, September 1776. The  battle was the first real victory of General Washington. “Upon receiving Washington’s orders to return to their lines, the troops gave a loud -huzzah- and left the field in good order.” Page 86, Johnston, Battle of Harlem Heights, 1897.

Jabez’s next battle was at Fort Washington in November 1776 and one of the worst defeats in the Revolution. Jabez along with 2,837 men were captured by the British then held on a prisoner of war ship. He died on this war ship probably in 1776. In his short life Jabez didn’t marry and didn’t see America freed from British rule. Forward to November 16, 1901 a dedication of a Fort Washington monument, Jabez’s relative Admiral George Dewey is recognized for his accomplishments in the Spanish American War. Page 21, Sons of the American Revolution, Fort Washington 1902

This Dewey family in America descended from Thomas Dewey b. 1613 and is researched well in: Dewey, Adelbert M. Life of George Dewey, Rear Admiral, U.S.N.; And Dewey Family History Westfield, Mass.: Dewey publishing company, 1898

Sources

William Newcomb Gaines b. 1825

/ Kirstin Miller

William was born Nov 16, 1825 in Madison county New York, he died May 16 1907 in Lane, Oregon and is buried in Janesville, Iowa. He was the sixth child of Obed and Leydia Connable Gaines born after triplets Abigail, Lydia and Obed. William was either adopted or ‘bound out to’ his mom’s first cousin Samuel Newcomb. With Samuel, an early Mormon, William went to Salt Lake Territory in 1850. By 1854 he was married to Sarah Swain and living in Bremer County, Iowa. William was a hotel proprietor, a postmaster, a farmer, an assessor and a carpenter. He and Sarah had 6 children. William in the History of Butler and Bremer Counties.
The 1860 Agricultural census shows William producing 200 lbs. of maple sugar or syrup. William probably had no idea that his great great grandfather Samuel Connable was most likely the person who refined or engineered the way to extract maple syrup: History of Bernardston and The Annual Register, Or, A View of the History, Politics, And Literature for the Year
William was a widow at age 64. At 70 he lived with his son and family in Wadena Minnesota. At 75 he was living with a daughter in Lane, Oregon.

Obed Gaines married Leydia Connable > William Newcomb Gaines married Sarah Swain > Mary Ella Gaines married James Davis Miller  > William Earl Miller married Lola Miller > Faber Miller married Gladys Cable Miller.

Kuna Kuntje Jansen b. 1833

/ Kirstin Miller

Kuna Kuntje Enen Jansen 3rd great grandmother

Kuna or Kuntje also known as Katie came to America when she was 49 years old. She made a quick stop at the New York harbor then landed in Baltimore in 1883.

From Baltimore she, husband Casjen and children Enno, Gerd, Entje and Hilke moved on to Iowa and settled in Butler County. The 1890 census was lost in a fire, the first record of the Kuna is the 1900 census. She lives with her son Enno and his family including 8 year old Mary Viola Frerichs, who would marry George Gerald Roose 12 years later. Kuna and Casjen share a beautiful handcarved headstone in the Parkersburg Oak Hill Cemetery.

Abraham Bowman b. 1745

/ Kirstin Miller

Abraham Bowman 7th great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Abraham Bowman was born about 1745 in Lancaster County Pennsylvania.  He married Christina around 1765. On tax lists in 1779 his property included 200 acres of land, 2 horses, 3 cattle. That same year Abraham is on the Pennsylvania, Septennial Census, 1779-1863. a handwritten list of Lancaster County residents. 

Abraham was in the American Revolution, a private in the Lancaster County Militia. He died in January 1786.  On January 17, 1786, “an inventory and appraisal of the goods of Abraham Bowman, lately deceased, amounted to 315 pounds, 4 shillings, including a library of thirteen books in addition to the family Bible”. He left his estate to his widow Christina and children.

Sources

  • Abraham Bowman’s estate, inventory in Notes on the Bowman, Harter and Sauer families by Kenneth Scott at FamilySearch.org
  • Pennsylvania, Tax and Exoneration, 1768-1801 at Ancestry
  • A roster of revolutionary ancestors of the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution at FamilySearch