Happy Birthday (Mary) Agnes Bolling Kennon

A repost from 2017, celebrating my 7th great grandmother on my father's family tree, the George Rogers ancestry.

(Mary) Agnes Bolling Kennon

1700–1762

Birth 30 NOV 1700 • Charles City, Charles, Virginia Colony

Death AFT 1 JUN 1762 • Chesterfield, Chesterfield, Virginia

Daughter of Col. Robert Bolling and Anne Meriwether Stith Bolling 

She married married c. 1714 to Richard Kennon, Jr. (1690- 1736) 

Their children were:

1. Elizabeth Kennon 1721-1723

2. Robert Cannon Kennon 1725-1791
3. Anne Kennon abt.1726-?
4. Mary Kennon (m. John Clack) 1728-1794 (my ancestors)
5. Martha Kennon 1731-1754

6. Richard Kennon 1733-?
 

Mary Agnes and Richard Kennon Jr. were grandparents of Lt. Spencer Sterling Clack of Sevier County, TN, a revolutionary war soldier.

Mary Agnes Bolling had siblings:
  Drury Bolling*
  Rebecca Bolling Pendergrass (1664 - 1714)**
  John Fairfax Bolling (1676 - 1729)**
  Robert Bolling (1682 - 1747)*
  Stith Bolling (1686 - 1727)*
  Edward Bolling (1687 - 1710)*
  Elizabeth Anne Bolling Wynne (1690 - 1750)*
  Mary "Molly" Bolling Baker (1702 - 1776)*

 Their Bolling parents were:
  Robert Bolling (1646 - 1709)
  Anne Stith Bolling, his second wife. 

(The above linked names are to "Find a Grave" sites for each of Agnes' siblings. Note, these are not always correct in their family relationships.) 

I posted about (Mary) Agnes' husband, Richard Kennon Jr HERE.   

(Mary) Agnes' father was Col. Robert Bolling, who immigrated from England to Virginia.

Just think of all the ancestors you had...

 

She lived 90 years...

 

Where the James Gibbs family lived, near Spartanburg SC

A true matriarch of the Gibbs family - Anne Barnett Gibbs

Anne Barnett Johnson Gibbs 1740–1831

Birth 30 NOV 1740 • Orange County, Virginia Colony,  Death 23 MAY 1831 • Union, Union, South Carolina, US
Wife of Col James Gibbs (see Blog HERE), mother of Hiram Gibbs.

She was my fourth great grandmother on my father George Rogers' tree.
I'm re-posting this before her birthday of Nov.30.

When Anne Barnett was born on November 30, 1740, in Orange, Virginia, her mother, Marran Frances Gibbs Barnett, was age 36, and her father John Barnett was age 35. Her father passed away on May 15, 1750, in Orange, Virginia, at the age of 45, when Anne was just 9 years old.  Her mother lived until she was 78, dying when Anne was 42 (but Anne herself lived to be 90.)

Anne Barnett married William Johnson in Orange, Virginia, on February 10, 1770, when she was 29 years old. Her husband William Johnson passed away in 1770 at the age of 68. There are several other William Johnsons who also died in 1770, but had different wives. So far, I've found no probate records for this William Johnson.

Anne Barnett Johnson Gibbs married Col. James Gibbs in Orange, Virginia, on July 8, 1771, when she was 30 years old and he was 31.  I haven't checked to see how they might have already been second cousins, because her mother was a Gibbs.  There were many Barnetts and Gibbs who married, so I'd say at best guess that she and Col. James Gibbs were second cousins, maybe in two ways...they had a lot of great grandparents in common!

They had six to nine children together, (some of whom died early) though it's possible her first daughter, Agatha Gibbs White, was fathered by Johnson since she may have been born before the marriage to James Gibbs...Agatha's birth date is unknown. But Gibbs might well have adopted her since Anne was a young widow, (without papers and lawyers.)

Her husband Col. James Gibbs died on August 7, 1794, in South Carolina at the age of 54, having fought in the American Revolutionary War. They had been married 23 years. She died on May 23, 1831, in Union, South Carolina, at the impressive age of 90.

Their graves are in The Gibbs Cemetery, Union County South Carolina. 

Their son, Hiram Gibbs, my ancestor, emigrated to Miss.

His children went further west to Louisiana and Texas, and several of them married into my Rogers family tree.

Some information on Anne's Husband, Col. James Gibbs, from the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution).

James married Anne "Ann' Johnson Barnett, on July 8, 1771, in Orange Co VA...

They are buried in their old family garden, at the Gibbs Cemetery. Today, this place is known as the "C. T. S. Wilburn home place", Mrs Wilburn was the Gr-Gr Grand daughter of James Gibbs.

James & Ann had 9 known children:

Zachariah, John, Ambrose, James, Hiram, Agatha, Susan, Mary and Anna. Some are buried at the Gibbs Cemetery.

He was the son of John Gibbs Esq. of Middlesex Co VA, and Susanne Phillipe. It has been said, that his father died in 1770 in Charleston SC, his mother died in Spartanburg Co SC about 1786.

James moved from VA to NC and SC, they arrived in Union Co SC, then Old 96th district, before the Revolutionary War, building their first home near the Lower Fairforest Baptist Church. His father had recieved a land grant of 500 acres on Fairforest Creek in 1768. James received a grant of 640 acres on the Fairforest in 1772.

James left a will SPT Book 1, p.34, book 2, p.43 and book C, p.251. He left his son Zachariah as administrator, and names his living children in the Will.

Today's quote:

So often we are sabotaging ourselves by being in our own way without even knowing we are doing so.

Four greats grandfather, William Henry Cannon and his son William Henderson Cannon

William Henry CANNON 1771–1868 

 wife (no date for birth) 1777 Catharine Henderson Cannon

 Burial Trundle Family Cemetery Sevierville,Sevier County, Tenn 

Birth: Nov. 28, 1771Virginia, 

 Death: Jun. 11, 1868 Sevier County TN 

 Parents: John Cannon, Rev. War patriot, (1744-1806) 

 Nancy Ann Whitlow Cannon (1747 - 1830) 

 Children: Cyntha O. Cannon Rogers (1800 - 1855)* 

 John Overton Cannon (1803 - 1846)* 

 Guilford Cannon, Dr. (1806 - 1873)* 

 Nancy Cannon Bogle (1808 - 1844)* 

 Rebecca Cannon Sharp (1812 - 1901)* 

 William H Cannon (1817 - 1901)* 

 Martha Caroline Cannon Earnest (1820 - 1847)* 

 Siblings: Martha Cannon Nelson (1764 - 1862)* 

 Robert Cannon (1781 - 1854)* 

The above information is from Fine A Grave, which sometimes is not totally accurate.

My Ancestry tree gives a few documents which follow Grandpa Cannon' life.

He married Catharine in 1799, on Aug. 22, in Sevier County TN.

Their first child, Cyntha O. was born Aug. 24, 1800 in Sevier County, TN.

She would grow up and marry Micajah Rogers and moved with him and their family to Huntsville TX...and became my great times three grandparents.

William Henry is listed as the son of John Cannon and Anne Whitlow Cannon on a document in the Allen Papers of the McClung Collection, under John Cannon in the Lawson McGhee Library. This document says John was the son of a William Cannon who moved from Cumberland County VA to Caswell County, NC, where John was born.  He suspposedly moved to Sevier County TN, then to Knox County, TN before 1795.

This information is in a typed format, not saying where it originated. The Allen Papers. The next information is refuted in several census documents, so it brings to question any validity of this document. It says this John Cannon (b. March 18, 1744) had 3 sons, John, William, and Robert and one daughter Cyntha (spelled Cynithia) who married M. C. Rogers before moving to Texas.

So some of the information seems correct. I'm not going to worry about the sons Robert and John, but will look closer at William.

A sentence by itself is typed, saying "John W. Sharp, a grandson of Wm. Cannon says Wm. John and Robt had a sister who married an Olford."

Then there are a couple of hand written sentences. Whether these were just added to my copy of this paper, or exist on the original is unknown...but they look like the same handwriting.

First is a statement:

"John Cannon tax payer in Greene County, TN in 1783."

Then with an asterisk which leads from the name Cynithia above...

"* Cynthia Cannon who. m. M. C. Rogers, was b. Aug. 24, 1804, Sevier Co. TN, daughter of Wm. and Catherine (Henderson) Cannon.

Wm. Cannon, her father, was b. Nov. 28 1771. son of John & Nancy Cannon."

Then the whole page mentioned above from the Allen Papers has a note by an Ancestry member, 

"This John Cannon is not from the Kennon family, contact me for proof of this." Entered by "newseeker" of Eurika, CA. I have no more information on that person.

There's yet another page from the Allen Papers about William Henry Cannon - but it's very confusing also.

I'll go to some other sources first. 

One son of William Henry and Catherine Henderson Cannon as mentioned above, was William Henderson Cannon. His middle name is his mother's maiden name, a tradition carried on by many families. He was b. March 12, 1817 and d. 16 July 1901. He is buried in the Trundle Cemetery in Sevier County, TN, where his second wife, Julia Huffaker Cannon is also buried.

Now the way trivial information has been added wherever I've found it, I've put 2 and 2 together and came up with his first wife completely.

To follow my path, when William Henderson Jr.'s daughter, Elizabeth "Bettie" died in 1912 (which of course doesn't show on his own life history) her younger brother John (J. G.) Cannon provided her parents' names on her death certificate. He said William H. Cannon, for father, and just Heiskell for her mother's name. Obviously she had had a different mother than John's, whose mother was Julia Huffaker Cannon.

So I also saw on William Henderson Cannon's obituary that he'd been married twice, both wives dying young. Then on the Find a Grave site, his first wife is listed as Mary Cannon. I tried a trick I learned long ago, and tried putting Mary and Heiskell together, and got 10 hints for this woman. Her parents, her birth and death dates, and that she had 3 children, only the daughter, Bettie having lived to adulthood. The two sons she gave birth to both died immediately.

William Jr.'s obituary speaks of his daughter Bettie having looked after him in his later life, after the wives had died...and I imagine she raised the son of his second  wife who lived past his mother's death, John (J. G.) Incidentally, Bettie never married. 

All of this is substantiated by several census reports.

The one that I first found brings another generation into the family, is The 1850 Census for Eastern Subdivision 12 of Sevier County TN, in which his father William Cannon, (age 75) is living with him.  William Henderson Cannon is the head of the household at 33 years. His wife Mary is 21, and daughter Betty (sp.) is 4 mos. When looking at the occupations of the two William Cannons, the elder is a farmer, while his son is a merchant.

The obituary I mentioned earlier also says William Henderson Cannon had owned a store, which was destroyed during the Civil War. His slaves of course were freed by the war. So he had to start over as a farmer. He had also been the postmaster for the area before the war, and became the same for the Confederacy. So when he wanted to become a US citizen again following the war, he had to petition to President Andrew Johnson requesting a pardon for having served in an official capacity for the Confederacy.

I have gone in depth to what William Henderson Cannon's life was like, because I just found a cousin who is a descendent of William H. Jr. He recently contacted me, being descended through his sister, Cyntha Cannon Rogers. So I became interested in his early ancestor. As he says, we can help each other work out the mystery. 

More on the Weston family roots

 Lady Margaret Mitford Weston (1425-1475) was the child of John De Mitford (April 8, 1402- May 6, 1457.) He was born in Mitford, Northumberland, England, and died in Chillingham, Northumberland, England.

Coat of Arms attached to Mitford family on Ancestry.

Her mother was Constance Ogle of Northumberland (Apri 18, 1402-Oct 4, 1460)  She was born in Ogle Castle, Northumberland, England, and died in Kirkby, Northumberland (or perhaps in Chillingham, Northumberland.)

Ogle Coat of Arms

Their marriage is cited in a lot of histories of the period, though it has different dates ascribed to it; 1421, 1424, and 1427 are all listed in various publications.  Her children did not include a John Weston, she was a Mitford.  So John Mitford was definitely her son.  I've had to remove John Weston from her family, and delete the duplicate Bernard Mitford.  But Margaret was definitely there (to marry into the Weston family.)

Her parents were (my15th great grandparents):

Sir Robert Ogle

1379–1435

BIRTH 21 MAY 1379 • Ogle Castle, Northumberland, England (or 1370 or 1372)

DEATH 12 AUG 1435 • Bothal, Northumberland

and

Maude de Grey Ogle

1382–1451

BIRTH 1382 • Wark, Northumberland, England

DEATH 21 AUG 1451 • Bothal Redesdale, Northumberland

These 15th great grandparents married in 1399. They are buried in Hexham, Northumberland, England.

And Sir Robert's father was  

Robert Ogle I

1351–1410

BIRTH 1351 • Whalton, Northumberland Unitary Authority, Northumberland, England

DEATH 31 OCTOBER 1410 • Hexham, Northumberland Unitary Authority, Northumberland,

He is my 16th great grandfather.  His wife is unknown.

Maude de Grey Oge's mother was 

Jane De Mowbray Grey

1360–

BIRTH 1360 • England

DEATH England

Her father was

Sir Thomas Grey of Hetton

–1400

BIRTH Heton (Northumberland) England

DEATH 26 NOVEMBER 1400

And thus I have 3 of the 16th great grandparents names, some of their dates, and some of their places. 

Early ancestors

Continuing to look at the earliest ancestors on my grandmother's family tree, I mentioned Thomas Bowers (1555-abt. 1620) earlier HERE, when talking about his wife (Elizabeth) Iwerner Minster Bowers (1570-1630).

His parents do appear on the tree, so let's see who my 10th great grandparents were.

Edmond L. Bower, Gent. (1513-1570) was born in Wiltshire, Eng, and died there as well. He married Joan Moggeridge Bower (1509-1569) in 1558 in Lincolnshire, Eng. She died in Moreton Valence, Gloucestershire. And there is a record of their marriage also being listed in "Norfolk, Eng, Musters Returns, 1569, 1572, 1574 1577." Her husband Edmond L. Bower is listed, but not her name as well.

Their son Thomas Bowers is the only child mentioned. 

I am a bit amazed to find her parents are also listed in some Ancestry trees. So let's look at the information on them.

Her father was Richard Moggeridge, born on 21 Feb. 1463 in Heathfield, Sussex, Eng. and he died sometime in 1509...place unknown. His wife was Jane Soper Moggeridge (1483-1521) who was born and died in Heathfield, Sussex, Eng. These are my 11 times great grandparents.

St. Stephens Church, Moreton Valence, Gloucestershire, Eng. where Joan Moggeridge Bower died in 1569.

Back to Edmond L Bower, Gent. His father was Robert Bower, 1493-1517, born and died in Wiltshire, Eng. Edmond's mother was Agnes Weston Bower born between 1493-1500 in Rugley, Staffordshire, Eng. who died in 1535 in Staffordshire, Eng. Her birth date as a range of years 1493-1500 was recorded by the "British Chancery Records, 1386-1558." She was one of 9 children of a family with title. So there were lots of records kept regarding her Weston brothers, and parents.

Agnes' father was Sir John Weston of Rugley, II. His birth in 1458 was in Ockham, Surrey, Eng. and he died in 1527 in Rugeley, Staffordshire, Eng. Her mother was Lady Alice Edshaw Weston, born in Petworth, Sussex, Eng. in about the year 1465, and died in 1547 in Rugley, Staffordshire, Eng. They were my 12 times great grandparents.

The next father of John II was John Weston I 

1418–1483

BIRTH 1418 • Ockham, Surrey, England

DEATH 14 JUNE 1483 • Kent, England

His wife was 

Lady Margaret Mitford Weston 

1425–1475

BIRTH 1425 • Molesdon, Northumberland, ENG

DEATH 31 JAN 1475 • Kent, Eng

Sir John Weston I, (1418-1483) and Lady Margaret Mitford Weston (1425-1475) Bronze memorial in All Saints Churchyard, Ockham, Guildford Borough, Surrey, England

Happy birthday to Nancy Ann Whitlow Cannon (1747-1830)

In considering a fifth great grandmother, I often wonder how she dressed..(as a member of the George Rogers family tree.) Here's a repost from 2017.

Nancy Ann WHITLOW Cannon 1747–1830 
Birth 18 NOV 1747 • Caswell County, North Carolina, 
Death 01 JUL 1830 • Loudon County, Tennessee

grandmother of Cyntha Cannon Rogers (w. of Micajah C. Rogers) both buried in Huntsville, TX

She married John Cannon,  Birth 18 MAR 1744 • Virginia, Death OCT 1806 • Grass Valley, Knox, Tenn  He did receive a 100 acres of land warrant as a result of serving in the Revolutionary War.  

The clothes that were being worn by women in the 1830's are possibly what Nancy would have also worn.

 Fashion drawings show big sleeves!

And undergarments would help every lady have the right support!

Three children are listed on "Find a Grave" site with her and their markers.
Martha Cannon Nelson (1764 - 1862)
William Cannon (1771 - 1868) (father of Cyntha Cannon Rogers)
Robert Cannon (1781 - 1854)
 

Photo of Irwin House, Milton, Caswell County, NC taken 1940

Caswell County is located right on the Virginia line, and was formed in 1777.  It has today only two real towns, Yanceyville (the County Seat) and Milton.  

Casswell County Courthouse, maybe built 1830

Nancy Cannon is buried in Steekee Cemetery, Loudon County, TN.  The year she died she is on the census living with her son Robert, who has a similar headstone.  On that census she is the free white female age 80-89 years old in his household in Roane, Loudon County. TN

Quote for Today: 

The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see.

DR. ROBERT HOLDEN

 

 Another thought about dates...the Gregorian Calendar changed things.

So here's some more info (and keep in mind England also changed it's "New Year date" from March 25 to Jan. 1.)

"In England and Wales, the legal year 1751 was a short year of 282 days, running from 25 March to 31 December. 

 

"1752 began on 1 January. To align the calendar in use in England to that on the continent, the Gregorian calendar was adopted: and the calendar was advanced by 11 days: Wednesday 2 September 1752 was followed by Thursday 14 September 1752. The year 1752 was thus a short year (355 days) as well.. Source Wikipedia

I keep meaning  to post this when considering an ancestor who lived through the 1751-52 big change. But I'll just do it today anyway!

From the Ayers to the Bowers...in England.

I'm glad to not be an archeologist, who would literally get dirt under her fingernails. At least my digging is all digital and I'm glad to spend hours doing it.  The actual records are often available and very interesting, showing much more than the Ancestry highlight often.

We've been looking at my grandmother's line, Ada Swasey Rogers, with a lot of her ancestors from New England. Are there any more that go back 12 or 13 generations?

Ii just posted about Ammi Ayers and her husband Samuel Swasey  Their son,  Joseph Swasey married  Mary Bowers.  Let's go up to the top the branches of her family tree today. 

At the top there's Elizabeth Iwerner Minster Bowers, (b. 1570 in First (Manby), Lincolnshire, England, d. 1659 in Manby Lincoln, Yorkshire, England.)  Iwerner is my eldest matriarch for this branch of my tree, and a 9 times great grandmother.

She married Thomas Bowers in 1590 in Lincoln, England.  

So I could look for Manby, Lincolnshire.  And then Manby Lincoln, Yorkshire.  These are not the same county again, and I can't persue it unfortunately.  I'm glad someone left records of their births and marriage and deaths.

Iwerner and Thomas Bowers had a son, George Bowers, in 1590 in Manly, Lincolnshire, Eng.  And Iwerner died in 1659 in Manby Lincoln, Yorkshire, England as well. She is the first of my matriarchs  who didn't even come to America. I am handicapped by not understanding the Lincoln vs. Lincolnshire counties of England. If anyone wants to give me better information (from the16th century) please comment!

George Bowers first married Barbarie (Barbara) Smyth  (b.1596 in Braithwell, Yorkshire, England, d. 25 Mar 1644 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts)  They married in Braithwell, Eng. in 1614.  I did try to find information about Braithwell...

• 
• 
• 
• 

"Braithwell Facts

Interesting and historical facts about Braithwell.

---

"Sorry, there are no facts about Braithwell."

Well, apparently all the fun people moved away from Braithwell.  There must have been some good farming at any rate.

The George Bowers had one or two children in England, then their next children were born in Connecticut or Massachusetts.  Their son Benanuell Bowers was born in 1627 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, and died on 28 May 1698 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

Benanuell Bowers married Elizabeth Marie Dunster (1632-1692), 

Their son Jonathan Bowers (1673- 1750) was born in the American colonies, and he and his wife Ann Sylvester (1669-1745) had a daughter, Mary Bowers (1719-) who married Joseph Swasey, (1714-1801) as mentioned above.

But soon I'll climb further out on the branch of our tree to see about the earlier Bower ancestors.

The Ayers history in Massachusetts and before

Ammi Ayers Swasey's father was Nathaniel Ayers and his father was Capt. John Ayres who died in 1675. They are on my father's mother's family tree...early New Englanders...the Ada Swasey Rogers Family Tree.

Ammi's grandfather was John Ayres, Captain, who was killed in King Phillips war, by Indians.  Also he was part of colonial settlers who started a town of Brooksfield, MA, with someone having purchased it (formerly Quaboag) from the Indians.  However there were some Indians who disagreed and attacked the settlers, killing 7 men who barricaded themselves in Ayres Tavern.

But on one sheet of paper, the marriage records of New England prior to 1700, there are 10 John Ayers, or Ayres, or Ayer listed.  Only one has a death date of 1675, and he is listed as John Ayer (-1675) married to Susanna Symonds (1617-1653) c. 1644 or ca. 1642.

I look at his children, so I can determine that he's my ancestor for sure!

Several family trees show John Ayers dying in 1694, and looking at this list, there are 2 marriages listed for that "John Ayers, (-1694+) 1/wf Sarah Williams (-1662) on 5 May 1646, Haverhill MA."  And 4 lines down is the same "John (-1694+) 2/wf Mary Woodham in 1663 also Haverhill."  But though there are ancestry trees by other members that have the John Ayers who died in 1675 at the Tavern, killed by Indians, they are having him marry Sarah, but not Mary Woodham, and they all have him dying in yet another town.

So I'm leaning toward the original information.

OK, on October 28th, 1717.

"A Petition of Thomas Ayres, Joseph Ayres, Mark Ayres, Natt'll Ayers, & Edward Ayres, Sons & Heirs of John Ayres heretofore of Quaboag alias Brookfield, Dec'd Intestate, Shewing that in or about the Year 1669, the Petitioners Father with others bought & purchased of the Indian..."

I don't have the original, and the copy I read is cut off there. 

So this John Ayres, killed in Brookfield did have a son Nathaniel, who was also named as a blacksmith from the source I'm reading.

John Ayers' (b. 1623 or 25, d. 1675) wife was finally determined to be Susanna Symonds (b. either 1617 or 1623, d.1682 or 83). The different dates do get confusing, and Ancestry usually lists only one set, but with alternates available.

Susanna Symonds Ayers was the source of a document about her husband and her children. 
It is mentioned in an earlier genealogical document from 2003.  I'll include it because it does seem to quote an original source.  Talking about her husband John Ayers, she is mentioned only as "his widow."

"His widow presented an inventory of his estate, now recorded at Salem, on which she wrote, "I have seven sons and one daughter." Although the births of these children are not all recorded, I think to arrange them chronologically.

  i John2
 ii Samuel2
iii Thomas2
 iv Joseph2
v Edward2 b. 12 Feb. 1658.      
 vi Mark2 b. 14 Dec. 1661.        
       (all recorded at Ipswich)
 vii Nathaniel 2 b. 6 July, 1664.   
 viii Susanna 2 b.? ; m. (???) Day."

I don't know what the numeral "2" represents after their names.  

Susanna Symonds' parents were Mark Symonds (1584-1659) and Joanna (maybe Edgar) (1588-1666).  Joanna was born in Essex County, England, probably in the town called Birch.

Here's a nice replica of old town architecture from another Essex town, Wedens Ambo.  This name means there were two nearby towns called Wedens, and they combined into this new name.

Wedens Ambo, Essex, England

Joanna (Edgar?) Symonds (1588-1666) is the earliest matriarch I've found on this line of ancestors.

Her death is listed in Ipswich MA in 1666, on April 29...in the following record.  The scribe for this entry has wonderfully legible handwriting.
  

Ammi Ayers Swasey...and the links to my family tree.

My ancestor, Ammi Ayers (1687-1783) married Samuel Swasey (1682-1739), my 6 times great grandparents.

Samuel Swasey House, Newburyport, Mass, Built 1735.  Joseph Swasey house, Newburyport Mass, built 1710-11. From book, "Genealogy of the Swasey Family"

It is good that she wrote her will in 1783...the supposed date of her death at 96 years of age. She was at least half owner of the Samuel Swasey house, of which she left her half to her son Joseph Swasey. It is clearly a house with two homes in it by looking at the photo above. The two dwellings had belonged to Joseph and his brother Samuel following their father's death in 1739, but apparently their mother lived in Joseph's half. The older building on the right had belonged to another Joseph Swasey of the family, not her son.

Her will is available to be seen on Ancestry...but I don't seem to be able to copy it here. She just signed with her initials, and it was penned by a scribe who knew the language of wills.

She bequeathed to her granddaughter, Abigail (daughter of her youngest son Stephen) an oval black walnut table. Stephen had died in 1767.

Samuel, her husband, had been a shipwright who apparently bought properties in Boston as well as Salem MA. Samuel and Ammi were married in Boston, MA by Rev. Cotton Mather on Jan 16, 1711. Samuel died in 1739, leaving Ammi a widow who lived until she was 96.

They had 7 children, and Joseph and Elisabeth outlived their mother. Her will names both of these children. Samuel Swasey 1682-1739 and Ammi Ayers Swasey's children were:

Samuel Swasey 1713-1760

Joseph Swasey 1714-1801

Ammi Swasey Webb 1715-1746

Nathaniel Swasey 1717-1762 (a cooper)

Elisabeth Swasey 1726 d. in infancy

Elisabeth Swasey Herrick 1730-1829 (Yes, 99 years!)

Stephen Swasey 1735-1767

I just found the link to the Google book on line published in 1910, "Genealogy of the Swasey Family." It has been noted to have some errors, but I don't remember what they are. So I'm not going to change any details on my trees based on it. But I will enjoy reading about the generations.

And which of the children were my ancestors?

It was Joseph Swasey who married Mary Bowers Swasey (1719-1823), my 5 times great grandparents!

William (John) Worsham 1610–1659

My 9th great grandfather, on my father's ancestral tree.  He was the father of Elizabeth Worsham, who I wrote about yesterday. 

No day of his birth is known, so I'll post about his life after the post about his daughter 

 

William (John) Worsham  1610–1659

Birth 1610 OR 1619 OR 1625 • England probably

Death 1659 OR 1661 • Bermuda Hundred, Henrico County, Virginia, American Colonies

 

Bermuda Hundred marker in front of a newer house

  William Worsham, born ca 1619 in England. He sailed to the Colonies and settled in Virginia. He had a Land Patent for 400 acres of land with his brother George, which was dated on 15 February 1652 in Henrico Co., Virginia.  William married Elizabeth _____ (Possibly Littlebury/Littleberry). Elizabeth was born ca 1623 in Henrico Co., Virginia. William was a well respected man. He was at one time a County Commissioner in Charles City Co., Virginia. William died ca 1660/61 in Henrico Co., Virginia, leaving his wife a widow.  (Source: My Worsham Lineage here.)

They had 5 children, William, Elizabeth, John, Mary and Charles.
After his death his widow married again, and had more children by her husband, Eppes.  She left a will with details to both the Worsham and the Eppes children.

Today's Quote:

Stop running from the ferocity of your own Being...
Burn off all your own games to that in you which is
Pure Intensity...
When you meet the very Core of your Being
become completely loyal to the deepest passion in you
and allow no more waste of time - find that devotion
to Reality [Truth] within yourself...

Aisha Salem