More grandparents from England

 These ancestors are actually on my dad's mother's tree, Ada Phillips Swasey Rogers. 

Her New England branch included immigrants Ralph Farnham/Farnum I, and his wife Alice Harris Farnum Martin. She had been born in 1607 in Braunstone England. She died in 1652 (or maybe in 1691) in Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts Colony.

Alice Harris Fanhum and Ralph Farnum had been among the early colonists who had passage to America on the James, landing in Boston June 3, 1635. (There was more than one ship by that name, just to confuse the various stories.) They were my 9 times great grandparents.

Let's go up the Harris lineage for a moment.

Her parents were Sir Thomas Harris of Maldon (5 Dec 1562- 6 Mar 1621) and Eleanore Silverthorn Harris (1520-1565), though one tree on Ancestry calls her mother Joan Wrighte Harris, who we only know died in Oct. 1600.  I'll stay with the majority for Eleanore Silverthorn. But unfortunately there's no more known about her. So let's take a break here, with these, my 10 times great grandparents.

Oh actually, I forgot to post the dates for Alice Harris Farnhum's husband, Ralph I.

It explains how she married Martin after he died.

The following was found in Massachusetts' Find A Grave, which unfortunately posted 1692 as a death date, then quotes below that he died by 1648 when his widow remarried!

Born about 1603 (aged 32 in 1635). Barber from Rochester, Kent who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1635 on the "James" & settled in Ipswich. Died by 1648 (when his widow remarried).

Married by 1628 Alice _____. She married (2) Gloucester 18 June 1648 Solomon Martin ("Solloman Martin, ship carpenter, and Ales Varnam, widow, of Ipswich").

On 13 July 1635, "Ralph Farman," barber, aged 32, "Alice Farman," aged 28, "Mary Farman," aged 7, "Tho[mas] Farman," aged 4, and "Ralph Farman," aged 2, were enrolled at London as passengers for New England on the "James."

Source: Anderson's Great Migration Study Project

As this is a closer to original source, I'm changing my tree to reflect that date (1648) for his death, rather than the 1642 one that is not given any source.

And now we know a good reason that Alice remarried to Solomon Martin. I interpret the quote as giving Solomon the status of widow of Ales Varnam, of Ipwich. Does that make sense? 

Or perhaps it's saying widow, Alice Farnum of Ipswich?

Don't you just love the flexible spelling of early America?

More about Alice Harris Farnum Martin soon.