Amy Ayers married who?

Repost from 7/3/2018 When I Was 69 blog

---------------------------------

Well, Amy (Annie) Cowell had a sister, Mary Cowell, according to my Ancestry Tree.  But there's a bit of a problem.

They both have the birthday of 22 January 1657.  So maybe they were twins.  But they aren't both listed as born the same time from same parents where their birthdays are listed.  They just have the Ancestry trees in a confusion.
But they both have the same death day,  31 March 1736.

So I started looking around.
Especially since they both married a man named Sherburne, one to Joseph, one to John.

Annie (Amy) married a Joseph Sherburne (1656-1679) on 19 Oct 1678.  It's understandable that she married again, (since Joseph apparently died the next year)...to Jethro Ferber (1648-1682) on 19 Oct 1678.  Same marriage date to two different men?

And before I'm completely bald from pulling my hair out, her sister Mary married a man named John Sherburn.  BUT...

he was listed as married to another Mary, with surname of Jackson.  And the John Sherburne on my tree with all the other Sherburnes had been born in 1647, while the one on this new family tree (hear Twilight Zone music here) was supposedly born in 1650.  Same town of Portsmouth NH, but of course different parents so listed as 2 different men.

So this post is going out now, and I have no resolution on the conundrum, and it just keeps getting worse.  My poor little computer screen is just a mixed up as me.

The bottom line is that someone who made those lists of marriages (and births) got the Sherburnes mixed up.  There were so many it's possible that 2 Captain John Sherburnes were walking around town, both married to a different woman named Mary Sherburne.  And then there were all the children of John and Mary Jackson Sherburne...the first of which was born when she was 3 years old!!!  That does seem a bit of a problem.

Yep, never say genealogy is a dull subject.  But oh, it doth try one's patience!

Anyway, I do know the Ferber marriage of Amy (Annie) Cowell Sherburne Ferber produced just one son, who was included in some documents so there's record of that marriage beyond that list.  And I've already posted about how her next husband (my ancestor) Nathaniel Ayers, helped with the Ferber estate.  HERE.

The further back I go with these families of New England, the more I distrust the records that are listed.  If I can see a photocopy of the originals, I'll take that as fact.

In the meantime, I pull my hair out bit by bit, because I can be showing this mixed up mess of data to other Tree searchers, as if it is fact.  So to solve that problem (and whatever reputation I might have) I'm going to delete the relationships which are most "iffy".  Nah, I just wish I could.  There's obviously a sister, who may have been confused as to dates of birth, death, and marriage.  Not to mention who her husband might have been...or the children. 

So Mary will not have the same birth and death date.  And Amy (Annie) will not marry 2 different men on the same day.  Whoever wrote those records must have had a headache...because I refuse to get one on this business.

Counting noses and genders on old census records

Repost from When I Was 69 blog,  "Mysteries of genealogy." 9/6/2014

------------------------------

 Ruth Woodward Swasey was born on this day in 1788 in the recently formed state of Massachusetts.

The next record that has been found shows she married at 18 to Alexander G. Swasey, a mariner, in Newport, Rhode Island, July 7, 1807.

At this point I don't know a thing about her parents.  Perhaps she wasn't actually born in Mass, but in RI?  No way to know...as I don't actually have a birth record.  I'm just passing along family tree information from Ancestry.  And the "source" is a Find A Grave entry, which has changed and now lists her birth as just 1789, without the month or day.  So I don't really know where her birth information came from.

Mysteries of genealogy.  This is one I don't particularly like...not having a source document.

Her wedding was given, as July 2, 1807 in Newport, RI, but has no source at all. (Note, I think it came from a book written in 1910, more later about that!)

She and her husband are listed as residents of Rhode Island on June 4, 1820.  I think this "Rhode Island, Vital Extracts, 1636-1899" is considered a census.

Ancestry says she gave birth to 12 children (2 of whom were in the same year). Another mystery, which means I when I look further into information about each child, I might find more about how these two were twins or maybe weren't.  But most of her children don't have actual birth days...so it is probably based on census records.

Census takers went about their business on different months of the year, thus many people would have already had their birthdays that year, and would report their ages as being a year older than those who had not yet had their birthdays.  So when the census reports then changed back that age to the birth year, often it is a year off from actual facts.  That's a fact!

I also could find out more about where she lived, by looking at each child.  Their birth place would necessarily include that the mother was there then!  Not that she definitely lived in that town or county, but the records were written about that child being born there.  However, most of her children's birth places aren't listed, and the one that is, I doubt was born where it says he was, because there's no connection to Newburyport, MA.  It matters to me, because this is the ancestor of mine that was Ruth's son, namely Alexander G. Swasey (Jr.)

I also have a fun document in which she and her husband are named as parents of two sons who married 2 daughters named Stearns, from Watertown, MA.  So when the History of Watertown MA spoke of the Stearns family, it included these Swasey brothers.

Genealogy of the Families and descendents of the early settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts

On lines 380 and 381, Georgiana and her sister Harriet Elizabeth Stearns, married respectively to William Pitt Swasey (a mariner) and Jerathmel Bowers Swasey, in 1843 and 44, sons of Alexander G. Swasey  and Ruth Woodward Swasey. These weddings both occurred after Ruth had died on March 4, 1842.

These were younger brothers of my ancestor, Alexander G. Swasey, Jr.  He was the second son born, but named after his father, which is interesting.  My father was the third son born and named after his father...many years later.

 In 1830 Census for Newport, RI, Alexander G. Swasey has this reported

Home in 1830 (City, County, State):	Newport, Newport, Rhode Island
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5:	1
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9:	2
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14:	2
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19:	2
Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49:	1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5:	2
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 70 thru 79:	1
Free White Persons - Under 20:	9
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	3
Total Free White Persons:	13
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored):	13

Ruth would have been 42 at this census, and have given birth to all 12 children, and I only know of the death of one before 1830.  Several children do not have death dates on Ancestry at this time,

Who was the female age 70-79?  Alexander's mother lived until 1836, but died and is buried in Somerset, Bristol County, Massachusetts, USA.  So perhaps Ruth Woodward's mother lived with them still.  A person that age would probably not have been a servant.

Male age 40-49 must be Alexander the father - check
Female age 40-49 would be Ruth the mother - check

There had been a first child named Sarah Lewellyn Swasey who died at one year. 1814 – 1815, and another of the same name born in 1827.

Ancestry gives us:
3 daughters (Mary Jane Swasey 1824 – 1833, Sarah Lewellen Swasey 1827 – 1853, Ruth Ann Swasey 1828 – )...while the census only gives us 2 under age 5
a daughter age 20-29 would be Delaney D. Swasey (1808 – 1833)

Now let's check the sons:
males under 5: 1
The closest Ancestry comes is 6 year old Marc Anthony, b 1824 and no other information on him. - possible check.
2 males ages 5-9 could be the 2 Ancestry says were born in 1822, James Henry and Charles A.- check
2 males between 10-14 could be William Pitt, b 1817 and Jerathmel A. b. 1820 - check
2 between 15-19 on census could thus be as Ancestry lists, Joseph Dean Swasey (1809 – 1843) and my ancestor - Alexander G. Swasey (Jr.) 1812-1866 - check.

So the problem is that there is one extra daughter according to Ancestry records which show 11 living as of 1830, while the census totals indicate 10 children...and a grandmother/auntie unknown.  (Incidentally, I know of no siblings of the Sr. Alexander G. Swasey, but it's always possible.)

Not knowing anything about Ruth Woodward Swasey's parents, it is quite likely one of them lived with them....more likely for a mother to move in with a daughter than a son, I think.

How do things look in 1840 census for Newport, RI?

A.G. Swasey (Sr.)

Home in 1840 (City, County, State):	Newport, Newport, Rhode Island
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19:	2
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29:	4
Free White Persons - Males - 50 thru 59:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14:	2
Free White Persons - Females - 50 thru 59:	1
Persons Employed in Commerce:	3
Persons Employed in Navigation of the Ocean:	3
Free White Persons - Under 20:	4
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	4
Total Free White Persons:	10
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves:	10

By 1840 Alexander Jr. was living in St. Johns County (St. Augustine) FL.
I'm sorry, my brain can no longer ferret out who was what age.  I like finding that 3 of the household were employed in commerce (and I believe father Alex was certainly one) and 3 were employed in Navigation of the Ocean.  They might be the same people.

And then there's her husband's parents.  One book of the Swasey Family says his mother was one name, and a grave stone in a cemetery indicates his father married to another named woman.  Oh my.
Quite a interesting roller-coaster ride, looking for answers to the mysteries of the facts of ancestors.

I just changed my Ancestry family tree status to private, rather than public.  When it was public anyone could add things to it...and somehow I ended up with a John Swasey listed at least 10 times, though his dates remained the same, he was his own father, grandfather and brother, not to mention married to his wife or mother a few times.  I deleted them all on my copy, and now will laboriously try to find who really did have some relationship to whom.

There is a book that google provides on line about the Swasey Genealogy, written in 1910...and some of it seems to have source documents indicated.  I have no idea how much other people's research is accurate.

It's like playing detective.  Some days I have the patience to do it, and some days I just throw up my hands and say, well, they were all alive once, and now they're not!

William Ferrers story

Today I'm checking for more in the male lineage along the Ferrers.

William Ferrers (#17 great grandfather) moved from a birthplace in Bedfordshire to a place of death in Essex...(1372-1445).

His burial is in St. Mary's Priory in Ulvfrscroft, Charnwood Borough, Leicestershire, England.

Another Find a Grave entry gives a good biography of him:

5th Baron Ferrers of Groby.

5th Lord Ferrers of Groby, Knight of Groby, Leicestershire, vidame of Chartres.

Son of Sir Henry Ferres #18 and Joan de Poynings #18, grandson of Sir William de Ferrers #20 and Margaret de Ufford #20 , Sir Luke Poynings #20 and Isabel Saint John #20. Born at the manor house of Hoo and baptized at Luton, Bedfordshire 25 April 1372.

William #17 married Philippe Clifford #17, daughter of Sir Roger de Clifford, Lord Clifford #18 and Maud de Beauchamp #18. They married after 10 Oct 1388 and had four sons and three daughters:

* Sir Henry, married Isabel de Mowbray

* Thomas #16, married Elizabeth Greville #16

* John

* Edmund

* Margaret, wife of Sir Richard Grey & Sir Thomas Grey

* Elizabeth, wife of Sir William Culpepper

* Anne

Secondly, he married Margaret de Montagu, daughter of John, Earl of Salisbury and Maud Fraunceys, daughter of Sir Adam.

Thirdly, he married Elizabeth Standish, daughter of Sir William Standish and his wife, Iseult, widow of John de Wrottesley and Sir William Botiller.

Bio by: Anne Shurtleff Stevens

---------------

William Ferrers #17's father was:

Sir Henry Ferrers #18(1355-1388)

Henry #18 was born in Tiltey Abbey, and died at Groby Old Hall, whose church served as the parish church of Groby. It was remodeled not long after Henry died, and its tower replaced with a structure of Groby granite, more or less identical in appearance, in the 19th century.

He was the 4th Baron Ferrers of Groby and a supporter of Richard II against the Lancastrians whose dynastic claim was soon to break out into the War of the Roses. He fought for the King in a lost cause to maintain his holdings in Brittany from 1377-1381, and was called to fight in Scotland in 1385.

Son of William de Ferrers #19 and his first wife, Margaret de Ufford #19, daughter of Robert de Ufford #20 and Margaret de Norwich #20. (Find a Grave information, but I've added the #...system for the number of greats of my grandparents.)

I've got a lot more grandparents to add to my tree, thanks to these "find a grave" bio's...of course they may not be correct, in which case, I'll be changing whatever I post as I learn differently.

Ipswich Massachusetts ancestor

Happy birthday to ancestor...a 5th great grandfather

Ebenezer Pulsifer

Birth 4 NOV 1744 • Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts
Son of David and Hannah Brown Pulsipher (Pulsifer)

At age 28 he married Mrs. Sarah Perkins. When records say Mrs. Sarah, it is assumed she had already been married. But the maiden name of Perkins has also been carried through the records, so perhaps she hadn't been married to a man named Perkins, but was the daughter of Nathaniel and Anna Harris Perkins, as most of the Ancestor records say.

They had 4 sons, and Captain Ebenezer is the one that I found the most information about.

I also searched through some Ancestry documents to figure out which of the cousins/uncles/sons was David Pulsifer who died in the Battle of Bunker Hill. (See this post for my search and a probable answer.)

What is most interesting about this grandfather is his possible death during the Revolutionary War. I have no idea where this information originated, but some 4 other ancestry trees have said he died at age 36, about in 1780. And there's a note that says "Died on Prison Ship in New York Harbor." There is one record saying he died in 1795 at age 51...also in New York.

Since he and his family lived in Ipswich, MA, I don't know why he died in New York. And since I don't have the death date or place of his wife, nor of 2 of his 4 sons, I don't know if the family relocated there.

But I'm glad to give honor and respect to a man and thanks for his passing on his blood in my veins.

10th great grandmother Agnes Weston Bowers

Is there any more information about Agnes Weston Bowers? She may have been born around 1490 in Rugeley, Staffordshire, England. She's an 11th great grandmother. Her first son was born in 1509. Second son, my grandfather times 10 greats, was born in 1513, the same year there is a record of her marriage to Robert Bower (1493-1516).  She died in 1535 in Staffordshire. No other children are mentioned on Ancestry.

Not living in England, I had to look up Rugeley.  There are several other spellings.

 The town, historically known as Rudgeley or Ridgeley, is listed in the Domesday Book. This name is thought to be derived from 'Ridge lee', or 'the hill over the field'. In the mediaevalperiod, it thrived on iron workings and was also a site of glass manufacturing. 

Rugeley is known as an historic market town, which has more recently (19th century) been an industrial town with coal mining, canals, railroads, and then when the mines closed, a period of depression.  An Amazon business has apparently rejuvenated the town's employment.  There have also been 2 years of Quidditch Tournaments held there.  (One must be familiar with J. K. Rowling's works on Harry Potter to understand that.

For the last two years, in 2016 and 2017, the British Quidditch Cup has been held at Rugeley Leisure Centre.  Source: Wikipedia

Agnes Weston Bowers' father was Sir. John Weston of Rugeley II, (1458-1527). He was born in Ockham, Surry, England, died in Rugeley. Her mother was Lady Alice Edshaw Weston, born 1465 in Petworth, Sussex, England, and died about 1547, location unknown.  They would have been my 11th great grandparents.  The family consisted of about 2 daughters and 6 sons.  Again the last one was born after her 51st birthday.  But my connection is her earliest child, Agnes.

It looks as if the Westons are going to need further research...see you tomorrow!

Further back for Bowers family

The Ancestry trees say Edmond Bower had parents also.  Robert Bower (1493-1517) who married Agnes Weston Bower (1481-1535) in 1513 in Norfolk, Eng.

His parents were John Bower (1478-1498) and Joan Bridmore (1452-?) from Mere, Witshire, Eng.  I'm going to add a Jr. to his name, because he was the son of another John Bower, to whom I'll add Sr. for clarification while talking about them.  John Bower Sr. (1460-1479) married Dame Edith Eizabeth Gresly (Bower) (1462-1523).

But there were so many John Bowers, and the trees are loaded (literally) with them.  One generation has three born to the same mother.  I looked hard to see how old she would have been.  And then I threw up my hands.

I liked that one of the Westons might have had a daughter (whose name I've now forgotten) who married (or maybe it was a granddaughter) the son of Sir. Richard Rogers. I'm a descendent of his, and looked to see if she appeared on my tree.  No, and that son and grandson were the wrong ages to marry a daughter or granddaughter of the Westons.  It's all tied in with the peerage of England.  And that's why I quit going back up that branch of my tree.

I'll acknowledge some John Bower and wife were my 12th great grandparents.  I'm not going back any further than 1450 for now.  I know, I am probably missing the link to royalty.  It wouldn't make me feel a bit different.

But I won't miss the chance to check on a few other family branches that the wives might offer, besides the Westons.  What about Dame Greesly Bowers, Joan Bridmore Bowers, Joan Moggeridge Bowers, Werner Minster Bowers, and Barbara Smith Bowers?  Something to check for tomorrow.

Another line to chase for pinnacles

Having reached the end of the lines of the Sylvester family ancestors, let's see where we can go by looking at their offspring and then back up to more ancestors on my line.  Captain Nathaniel Sylvester and Grisselle Wase Sylvester's daughter, Ann Sylvester Bowers (1669-1745) married Captain Jonathan Bowers (1673-1750) in Boston in 1695.  They had both been born in America, but of their parents, only his father had also been born in America.

To go back along the Bowers line, Jonathan's father was Benanuell Bowers (1627-1698) who was born and died in Cambridge Massachusetts. He was my 7th great grandfather.

He is a character, a Harvard graduate, and had a lot of documentation about his life as a Quaker, vs. the Puritans of early Cambridge MA.  I dedicated a whole post to himself and his wife's life HERE.

His father George Bowers (1590-1656) was born in Lincolnshire, England.  The English Origins of New England Families, Second Series, Vol. 1, including additions and corrections in a footnote, gives excellent information on George Bowers. He had arrived in Scituate with the Plymouth Colony by 1639, but moved to Cambridge for the rest of his life. He had married Barbara Smith of Brythwell, in Brythwell England in Feb. 1614/15.

Going on up the tree's branches his father was Thomas Bowers (1565-1659) who was born in Yorkshire and died in Lincolnshire, England.  I don't really believe that he and his wife lived into their late 80s and 90s... as their death dates could have been misleading...in all probability.  His wife was Iwerner Elizabeth Minster (Minister) Bowers (1570-1659).  If you are interested in these dates, you will probably notice she had 2 children, George and Richard, in 1590 and 1600 respectively.  I'm pretty sure these are "approximately" dates.

One source (recent, not a primary source) speaks as if Irwirner Minster was a place...and that George was the third child of Thomas' third wife.  That doesn't help much. And the same source thinks Thomas may have been a descendent of Richard de Bures, Normandy to England.

I'm not changing my tree yet based on that information.  So today I've gone as far as Thomas Bowers, who was 9th great grandfather.  But wait, there's also a father and mother just listed on the tree for him.

How about Edmond Bower, Gentleman (1513-1570) and wife, Joan Moggeridge Bower (1509-1565)?  They are the 10th great grandparents in this line, but these dates are difficult to cope with.  They may have married in 1558, probably in Lincolnshire, or maybe Norfolk.  The hardest date of all to believe is the birth of their son, Thomas, when Joan was 55 years old.  She could not have been born past 1509, since that's the year her own father died.

As often seems to happen, there is a possibility another generation has been lost to time, with the same names.  But here are the end of the Bowers line.

No, I'm wrong again....more tomorrow. There are more Bowers ancestors.

Jonathan Pulsifer born Sept 25, 1687

Jonathan Pulsifer (1687-1763)  was my 7th great grandfather on the Ada Swasey Rogers Family tree. His name is spelled Pulcipher at times.

Here's his home where he lived with his wife, Sarah Loude Pulsifer (1688-1749) who he married in 1707.

I've revised the number of their children, probably only 9, and David Pulsifer (1716-1783) would marry Hannah Brown (1718-1756), and I'll give you another post just about them!  Their son, David was not the David Pulsifer who died in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolution, (as I found out last year.)  There were twin girls Mary and Elizabeth born and baptized in 1712, and some other girls of the same name baptized in 1720...twins of the same parents.  Could they have rededicated themselves when a bit older? (I'm counting them as just 2 children at this time.)

Ipswich Historical Society says this:
"Jonathan Pulcifer (Pulsifer) built this house in 1718 on Summer Street, one of the “oldest ways” in Ipswich. He was probably the son of Benedict Pulsifer, an early settler of Ipswich who died in 1695. There was also a John Pulsifer who settled in Gloucester about the same time. The probable son of the builder of this house, Jonathan Pulcifer Jr. is listed as a sailor in the French and Indian War.
Thomas Franklin Waters mentioned this house in Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1915), referencing the recorded sales in the Salem book of deeds:

We observed that Jonathan Pulcifer purchased the next lot in 1718, when the Samuel Dutch property was divided into house lots, and another in 1724. He seems to have owned a continuous frontage to the corner now occupied by Miss Sarah P. Caldwell’s residence. His heirs apparently sold the house now owned by Theodore H. Howe to Richard Lakeman,
May 14, 1796 (176: 263). He sold to Daniel Lakeman (176: 263), and Daniel transferred to Jane Gould, wife of Elisha Gould, Oct. 23, 1811 (196: 44). The Goulds sold to Elizabeth Fuller, Nov. 23, 1827 (246: 194), and Reuben Daniels sold it to Chas. H. Howe, May 16, 1867 (726: 63).

"Original architectural features have been re-exposed by the owners, including beams & posts, summer beam, gunstock posts.

"I am told that few years ago as a realtor was getting ready to leave, he looked at the top of the stairs and saw the distinct ghostly form of an old woman looking back at him.

Thanks to Ipswich Historical Society for pictures and text about 15 Summer St.

And I have seen the hand written birth record for Jonathan Pulcifer so I know he was the son of immigrant Benedictus Pulsifer, (however you choose to spell it!) and Suzanna Waters Pulsifer, though the paper had been torn, leaving just "nathan" as his name as the remainder of "Jonathan."  See my blog post (HERE) about Benedictus Pulsifer.

The Pulsifer family descendents married the Grangers, who were just a couple of generations away from marrying the Swaseys of my grandmother's Ada Swasey Rogers' tree.

Don't you wonder who the ghost might have been that was checking out the realtor?

Ada Pulsifer Phillips Sweet

The third ancestor born Sept 15...

Ada Pulsifer Phillips Sweet was my great aunt on my Rogers family tree (1860-1932) sister of my great grandmother Zulieka Swasey.  I've posted a little about her life HERE, including photos.  I covered her husband's Chauncey G. Sweet's life in 4 chapters, One, Two, Three and (Four mainly about the Rosenbergs.)

Happy birthday to Joseph and Elisabeth Swasey

I've already posted earlier this year HERE about Joseph Swasey II, my 7 times great grandfather (1653-1710).

His wife Elisabeth Lambert Swasey (1653-1711) has the same birthdate given on my ancestry tree, Sept 12.  She could have been born in 1653 or 1657.  So the only documentation that I can attest to is their wedding in 1678, and details of Joseph's probate that are included in a book about the Swasey family.

They had 3 children, with the daughter Elisabeth not living beyond her 19th birthday.  Sons Samuel and Joseph III did live longer and each married and had children.

Salem Massachusetts

It is also interesting to consider that the Swaseys lived in Salem Massachusetts at the time there were witch trials.  We don't know what Joseph did for his livelihood, though the Swasey book suggests that he might have been a fisherman like his father.

Whatever his life was like, or that of his wife Elisabeth, they both died within a year of each other, he in 1710 and she in 1711.

Amy Cowell Sherburne Ferber Ayers

NOTE: a repost from my other blog...gathering the more recent blog posts into one place for access and organization!

I want to look a bit further into the ancestry of the Ayers family.

Amy Cowell's mother was written about a few years ago, when I was tracing the oldest matriarchs I could find.  Look HERE for that post including Agnes Harvey Cowell Snell (1617-1681). I can't find any real records that tie her to the Thomas Harvey who also lived in Portsmouth NH, apparently in the same neighborhood, which is recorded in The descendants of Charles Glidden of Portsmouth and Exeter, New Hampshire. This is apparently a publication from 2005 by Ancestry.com. (And the source of it was - Original data: Chamberlain, George Walter,. The descendants of Charles Glidden of Portsmouth and Exeter, New Hampshire. Boston: unknown, 1925.)  It says on page 44, under Gliddens, that...

Mr. Thomas Harvey was settled at Portsmouth as early as 1664 having married a daughter of David Kelley of Boston. Mrs. Agnes Cowell was the widow of Edward Cowell whose home on the water front stood about thirty feet from Charles Gliddens "shop." ...the neighborhood in which Charles Glidden resided in Portsmouth from about 1662 to 1668, contained the most prominent men in New Hampshire..."

Since Agnes Harvey had married Edward Cowell in 1640, (or possibly 1645) probably in Suffolk MA, and they raised their 4 children in Portsmouth, this quote above only substantiates a bit of their life that took place on the waterfront until Edward's death in 1677. So though Mr. Gliddens left around 1668, Agnes wasn't a widow until 1677....thus whoever wrote the information given above wasn't very particular about her married status at the time he described, but relied upon his knowledge that she became widowed.

These dates are based on probate records.  The people in Portsmouth apparently wanted to keep track of the property of the Cowells, which then went to Amy Cowell Sherburne Ferber Ayers.  Incidentally I just read the original record of an inventory of Agnes Snell's estate which was taken in Dec. of 1681, and in May of 1682 was witnessed by Jethro Ferber (the son-in-law of Agnes Snell.)

Don't you wonder if the property might have had some influence in how widow Agnes Cowell married at age 64 just before she died that year, in 1681, and then her new husband apparently died that year as well?  We'll never know probably, but I'm pretty sure a widow could keep her own property if it was willed to her by her husband.

And now I'm very curious about this Charles Gliddens and what was his "shop?" Time to go searching... (blacksmith, it says in the below document.) Don't miss the footnote which speaks of
Thomas Harvey.

Ah, I've found the original edition of that source which confused Mrs. Edward (Agnes) Cowell as being a widow in 1640.  It seems that citation came first from Brewster's Rambles about Portsmouth, 1859. 

So I'm including these 2 pages of this wonderful find.  At least to me it's wonderful to see how people were interested in these documents, and thus preserved that information over the centuries...it was also again published in 1925.  Pg. 44 (below) is where he speaks of Agnes Cowell.

I haven't got much to connect Agnes to Thomas Harvey, who at least was a neighbor in Portsmouth.  So until I find who her parents REALLY were, I'm going to see if there's anything to suggest that she was really Agnes Harvey before marrying Edward Cowell.

However, my Ancestry chart information says her father. Thomas Harvey was born before 1595 in England and died after 1650.  The Glidden document says he married a daughter of David Kelly of Boston, and settled in Portsmouth in 1664.  This would put him closer to Agnes' age than that of her father.

Since Agnes had died before her husband's (Cowell) estate was probated, in 1682, her daughter Amy and then husband Jethro Ferber were to care for her youngest son, by order of the court.  The inventory of the estate had been provided at Edward Cowell's death in 1677, but upon Agnes' death in 1681, the courts did a probate, though she also had left a will. They said Amy and Jethro Ferber were to care for and educate Amy's youngest brother, Samuel Cowell until he was 14. This was decided in April of 1682.

Why didn't Edward Cowell, Jr. the oldest son have this responsibility? He had married and moved to the Boston area by the time his youngest brother Samuel was born.  The court had no jurisdiction in Boston, is my guess...but there are numerous reasons possible. One might have been that Amy and Jethro Furber/Ferber were there and wanted to raise her brother.  They also had their own baby in 1682.  And then Jethro died that year.  Or maybe not.  One source gives that as his death year.

Another source doesn't have a year, and is questionable.  But I don't think I'll go into it now.  It gave him different parents' names and was written in 1905 by a clerk of the same name as the supposed mother of Jethro.  Only 200 some years later.

Amy remarried within a couple of years and had 2 more children, one of which became my great times 6 grandmother.

Who did Amy Ayers marry?

NOTE: a repost (with editing) from my other blog...gathering the more recent blog posts into one place for access and organization!

Well, Amy (Annie) Cowell had a sister, Mary Cowell, according to my Ancestry Tree.  But there's a bit of a problem.
They both have the birthday of 22 January 1657.  So maybe they were twins.  But they aren't both listed as born the same time from same parents where their birthdays are listed.  They just have the Ancestry trees in a confusion.
AND -  they both have the same death day,  31 March 1736.

So I started looking around.
Especially since they both married a man named Sherburne, one to Joseph, one to John.

Annie (Amy) married a Joseph Sherburne (1656-1669) on 19 Oct 1678.  It's understandable that she married again, (since Joseph apparently died the next year)...to Jethro Ferber (1648-1682) on 19 Oct 1678.  Same marriage date to two different men?

And before I'm completely bald from pulling my hair out, her sister Mary married a man named John Sherburn.  BUT...

he was listed as married to another Mary, with surname of Jackson.  And the John Sherburne on my tree with all the other Sherburnes had been born in 1647, while the one on this new family tree (hear Twilight Zone music here) was supposedly born in 1650.  Same town of Portsmouth NH, but of course different parents so listed as 2 different men.

So this post is going out now, and I have no resolution on the conundrum, and it just keeps getting worse.  My poor little computer screen is just a mixed up as me.

The bottom line is that someone who made those lists of marriages (and births) got the Sherburnes mixed up.  There were so many it's possible that 2 Captain John Sherburnes were walking around town, both married to a different woman named Mary Sherburne.  And then there were all the children of John and Mary Jackson Sherburne...the first of which was born when she was 3 years old!!!  That does seem a bit of a problem.

Yep, never say genealogy is a dull subject.  But oh, it doth try one's patience!

Anyway, I do know the Ferber marriage of Amy (Annie) Cowell Sherburne Ferber produced just one son, who was included in some documents so there's record of that marriage beyond that list.  And I've already posted about how her next husband (my ancestor) Nathaniel Ayers, helped with the Ferber estate.  HERE.

The further back I go with these families of New England, the more I distrust the records that are listed.  If I can see a photocopy of the originals, I'll take that as fact. But not when there's duplication of birth or death dates for 2 people, or marriage dates for two husbands.

In the meantime, I pull my hair out bit by bit, because I can  NOT be showing this mixed up mess of data to other Tree searchers, as if it is fact.  So to solve that problem (and whatever reputation I might have) I'm going to delete the relationships which are most "iffy".  Nah, I just wish I could.  There's obviously a sister, who may have confused as to dates of birth, death, and marriage.  Not to mention who her husband might have been...or the children.

So Mary will not have the same birth and death date.  And Amy (Annie) will not marry 2 different men on the same day.  Whoever wrote those records must have had a headache...because I refuse to get one on this business.  And I didn't continue to say that Mary Cowell was married to John Sherborne who married Mary Jackson.

Now I can sleep tonight.  But tomorrow is another pursuit!

Joseph Swasey baptism Aug 12, 1714

A repost of an earlier blog last March, (A repost from 2013)

Joseph Swasey, Sr. 1714-1801

My five times great grandfather on the Ada Swasey Rogers family tree.

He's the Great-Great Grandfather of Alexander G. Swasey, Sr, my great grandfather who I blogged about Here

Joseph Swasey, Sr. was baptised 12 August 1714 in Boston, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States,

"Death  before (Aug) 1801 in Somerset, Bristol, Massachusetts, United States, Joseph Swasey, shipwright, Bapt. in Boston, Mass. Aug. 12, 1714; died in Somerset, Suffolk County, Mass; [died] bef. 1801; married, daughter of Jonathan & Ann Sylvester Bowers, of Swansea, Mass. She was of Spanish descent.  Feb. 20, 1790, Shewamit (or Somerset) was set off from Swansea & formed a separate town.  Joseph, removed with his family to Salem, where he lived until 1749.  He followed there the trade of hatter.  In that year he bought Swansea of John Palmer, 10 acres of land on Taunton River for which he paid ~1300 O.T.

"He put up a set of buildings, including a hat shop, built a wharf & engaged in shipbuilding, floating his craft down to Fall River.  The dwelling house occupied by the family for 3 generations was taken down several years ago.  The old cellar & the broad stone step still remain to mark the site.  The "Swasey burying ground" occupied about an acre of the original lot, upon which are many tombstones that mark the resting place of his descendants.

"In 1758-9, he was a private in his Majesty's service from the Province of Massachusetts, in Capt. Stephen Whipple's Co;  Col. Jonathan Bagley's Regt; for the reduction of Canada. 

In 1801, his estate was divided among his heirs which included the widow, sons Jerathmel & Joseph heirs of his son Samuel, & daughter Hannah.

(Source, including photo: Genealogy of the Swasey Family, 1910 by Benjamin Swasey an ebook that is available on line)

His wife Mary, took in boarders once widowed, and is listed in the 1823 Town Directory for same.

His son, Lt. Jerathmel Bowers Swasey, was born and died (1752-1826) in Somerset, MA, probably in the house that stood at 323 Main St. (Above)

Lt. Jerathmel Bowers Swasey is my 4th great grandfather, father of Alexander G. Swasey, father of Captain Alexander G. Swasey, Sr, father of Alexander John Swasey, father of my grandmother Ada Swasey Rogers.

More of the Ayers next generation - 7 children of Susanna and Mark

NOTE: a repost from my other blog...gathering the more recent blog posts into one place for access and organization!

Here's a re-quote of the determination that Captain John Ayers (killed by Indians in 1675) wasn't related to the person of the same name from Haverhill:

Captain John Ayres of Ipswich and Brookfield was not the son of John Ayres of Haverhill. I have carefully examined the deeds of Salem, and have careful copies  of the town records of Ipswich and Haverhill, and these show that the mistake had been made by confounding two persons of the same name”. And so we are left without any definite leads as to the place of origin of the family prior to the immigration to New England. The first concrete fact we were able to associate with the family, is the appearance of the name of John Ayres in the early records of Ipswich. This appears in the year 1643, which indicates the approximate date of coming to Ipswich, but not necessarily exactly, since grants were frequently recorded sometime after they had been made. He was also listed as an inhabitant of Ipswich in 1648, and married Susanna, daughter of Mark Symonds of who’s (Mark Symonds) estate he was appointed administrator. In such capacity, on November 24, 1659, he sold a house and a three acre lot to another son-in-law of the deceased, Edward Chapman (Ipswich Deed 3:351). He was allowed the privilege of commonage in February 1667, and admitted a commoner at Ipswich in March of the same year. Captain John, as he was known at Ipswich, came to Quaboag Plantation before May 1667.

Source:West Brookfield Historical Commission: Meet the Planters - AYRES http://westbrookfield.org/historical-sites/quaboag-plantation/qp-ayres-john-12-49-37-am-2/ Researcher: Terry Owens

Continuing to look at the Susanna and Captain John Ayers children:
1) John Ayers III
2) Thomas Ayers,
3) Joseph
4) Susanna
5) Edward
6) Samuel
7) Mark
9) Nathaniel, my 7 times great grandfather (blacksmith)

Modern day photo of site of Captain John Ayers' tavern, Quaboag (Brookfield) MA where the Indians burned the town

1.) John Ayers III (1648-1711) was listed as farmer on one record. I just tore my hair out (figuratively) because this John and his young wife were listed as parents of John's 3 younger siblings, making his wife give birth at age 3...and the other thing on Ancestry trees was that they married 20 years after she died!  That's another 20 minutes of my life I won't get back!

OK, he did remarry and have children of his own, at appropriate ages!
First wife was Abigail Hovey Ayers, who died at 27 years and is buried in Boston, in the Ayers family plot.  John and Abigail Ayers may have sheltered his younger siblings after fleeing the burned town of Quaboag, but who knows why they are still listed as his own!

His second wife was Mary Woodham Ayers (1648-1711) and they had 2 sons and 2 daughters.  One daughter died the same year as her birth.  Again there are records that confuse my genealogy, because there were other John Ayers in the line from Haverhill as well, where the one I  am descended from didn't have clear lineage beyond his arrival at Ipswich, MA.

2.) Thomas Ayers (1652-1722)  He married Hannah Errington in 1677, and they had 7 children of the records I've checked quickly, 5 girls and 2 boys.  When I say I checked records quickly, I mean I noticed two were born in the same year, and only one of those had an exact date, so at this point I've not included the other one.  I also see that most of them only have a birth date, and no death date given.

3.) Joseph John Ayers (1655-1740) He died in Brookfield (formerly Quaboag) MA, which tells us that he must have succeeded in reclaiming his father's land.  He married Sarah Caldwell Ayers in 1677, she was one of 9 children.  They had 6 children. When his wife died in 1710 he remarried to Hannah Lovell Ayers.

4) Susanna Ayers Waite (1656-1683) born and died in Ipswich.  The only daughter of Captain John and Susanna, she died in her 20s, close to the same time her mother died.  Actually one record gives her marriage the year after she died.  (Here goes my hair again, tear tear tear) At least I found a hand written record of her marriage  "Thomas Waite in 1677 to Susan Ayers in Ipswich."  I do note that Susan isn't the same as Susanna, but so many women's names got garbled by scribes.  Her husband pre-deceased her.  We have no information about him, and there don't appear to have been any children, at least no records of any.

5.) Edward Ayers (1657- 1717 [or after 1720 and before 1723]) He also died in Portsmouth, NH, where his older brother, Thomas had died as well. The probate documents in 1723 indicate he was also a blacksmith (same as my ancestor, his youngest brother, Nathaniel). Edward's sons, John Ayers and John Cutt provided the inventory of his estate for the probate.  However, the date of his death might have been closer to the probate documents.  There's also a marriage in 1720 that might indicate  he was still alive!

His first wife was Alice Elise Shapleigh Ayers.  They may have had 8 children (as listed among duplicates on Ancestry). Alice may have been just 15 to his 20 years when they married.  This is rather different than his older brothers who waited until they were in their mid 20s to marry.  But the times may have been such that 1677 was a good year to marry.  Alice did die in 1717, and there is a headstone in Point of Graves, Portsmouth, NH, and a broken one beside hers that is assumed to be Edward's. His second wife was Margaret Williams Ayers, who lived till 1734 and died in Ipswich.

6.) Samuel Ayers (1658-1713)  I've noticed as I do this research that the birthdates seem pretty flexible for many of these cousins.  So I'm not sure who was older than whom.  When I originally started, both Edward and Samuel were listed as being born in 1658, but nothing indicated they were twins. And since then, a source gave me a birthdate for Edward in 1657. But I also now have Samuel noted as being born in 1657.  Oh dear.  (There are at least 15 more "hints" on Ancestry about this man, so I may be giving wrong information.  However, I am not going to read through all the documents at this time.  Sorry about that.)

Samuel married also in 1677, to Abigail Fellows Ayers (1644-1714) who was quite a bit older than Samuel, if her birthdate is correct. One record gives her death date as 1723 rather than 1714. No one has been able to locate a grave for Samuel.

How many children they had is really debatable, and not something I'm willing to invest my time in today.  It looks as if the first birth was twins, which included the only girl.  Then there were 8 more possible births, according to Ancestry.    Samuel's death was in Rowley, Essex County, MA, and his probate was in Nov. of 1713, so his death was sometime just before that.

7.) Mark Ayers (1661-1727 Mark married either in 1684 or 86 to Sarah Williams Ayers (1666-1728).  They had a son named Mark Jr. born in 1682, then 3 more sons.  No information came up on the first son, but the other 3 were born in Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire.  In 1689 Mark Sr. was listed as a Petitioner for Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  I'm not really sure what that meant, but Ancestry lists it as a census data.  Sarah lived a year after Mark, both of them also dying in Portsmouth.  At least 2 of their sons were living beyond them.

8). Nathaniel Ayers (1664-1731) I already posted about Nathaniel and his wife, Amy Cowell Ferber Ayers (1657-1736)  HERE.

Inscription: Here lyes buried ye body of Mr Nathaniel Ayres aged 67 years & 6 mo dec'd December ye 4th 1731 Burial: Copps Hill Burying Ground Boston Suffolk County Massachusetts, USA Edit Virtual Cemetery info [?] Created by: Thomas A Hawkins Record added: Feb 24, 2004 Find A Grave Memorial# 8434381

 There are quite a few Ayers graves here.
,
Again there was a son born (Capt. Edward Ayers, 1685-1745) before the record of the marriage in 1686.  Their second child (no others are listed at Ancestry) was Ami (Annie) Ayers Swasey born in 1687 (or perhaps 1683 or 1685)..who married Samuel Swasey.

 This family also resided in Portsmouth NH, but Nathaniel was buried in Boston as the headstone attests, in Copp's Hill Burying Ground.

Susanna Symonds Ayers family

NOTE: a repost from my other blog...gathering the more recent blog posts into one place for access and organization!

"A Puritan Maiden" - Painting by Thomas Hicks (1823-1890)

Susanna Symonds Ayers, (1617-1683) daughter of Mark Symonds (1584-1659) and Susan Edgar Symonds (1588-16179.  I spoke earlier about her father and mother, Susan Edgar Symonds. (HERE)

Actually most of what I wrote referred to her step mother Joanna Symonds.  And I did mention that over on Ancestry, Susan Edgar Symonds had been merged with her husband's other wife, Joanna Symonds, to be Susan Joanna Edgar Symonds.  No such person! One commentator/researcher is quoted who thought that there was only one wife, but his comments referred to another generation completely.

I admit I copied information glibly from Ancestry...and used the unknown combined names at least once here on my blog.  Shame on me.  But here's a bit of an edited version of one of the old posts.

And here's a good link for Susanna Symonds Ayers husband Captain John Ayers, and Here to learn about the battle of Quaboag MA where he died.

Back to mother Susan Edgar.  She had been born in 1588 in Birch, Essex, England to Joseph Edgar (1565-1694) and his wife (maybe named Ann).  There is also a record of a Joanna Edgar, whose father was Joseph Edgar, but I'm waiting for more to say that she was Susan's sister. Apparently Susan married Mark Symonds in either 1609 in England, or 1612 in New England.  Her first child, Susan was born and died in 1610 in France or England.  Their next daughter Mary Symonds was born in Ipswich, Essex County, MA.  And their third one, Susanna was born in 1617 in Hull Yorkshire, England.  OK, there are some probable impossibilities here.

There were ships going back and forth to New England from old England regularly.  But why would Susan Edgar Symonds go back to England in 1617 when her last daughter was born?  Are the records (as few as there are) incorrect, or refer to another person entirely?

And how long did mother Susan live after the birth of my great times 8 grandmother?  We're pretty sure she died in 1619.  Her husband married his second wife, Joanna in 1620.  That meant the little girls were Mary 5 and Susanna 2 at the most when their mother died.

King Phillips War (colonials retreat after Indians burn Brookfield (Quaboag) MA (with support from French)

My great times 8 grandparents, Susanna and Captain John Ayers had 8 or 9 children before he was killed by Indians in 1675.  In her petition to courts to receive the property which had been abandoned at Quaboag, she said she had 7 sons and 1 daughter.  But other sources said she had 6 children.

Looking on my Ancestry tree, I've got John III, Thomas, Joseph, Susanna, Richard, Edward, Samuel, Mark and Nathaniel.  Richard wasn't on the list that Susanna gave the Massachusetts courts to reclaim her rightful land.  So I figure she must have known who her children were! And since Richard was listed as born the same year as her son Edward, and in New London CT, rather than Ipswich, I'm pretty sure this Richard wasn't part of this Ipswich family.  Remember how John Ayers Sr. wasn't related to the Ayers family from Haverhill.

So I can change my tree on Ancestry.  It's pretty heady, taking an ancestor off.  He still exists, and is on my list of people, just doesn't show any more as child of my Ayers ancestors.

How about the other 6 children of Susanna and John? I didn't look in depth yet at their lives.  They also retreated from Quabog, and grew up in Ipswich, and were parties to the petitions their mother posed to reclaim her properties.

Oh geese, I just found a record of probate for Captain John Ayers, of Quaboag, listing an inventory of his possessions in 1676. Well, I can't read it, it's just "listed" at Ancestry.  I'm a bit surprised, and wish I could read it, because his tavern had been burned down by the Indians in 1675 when he was killed, and everyone in the town had fled. Perhaps it's related to how Susanna made her petition.

Print of Brookfield (Quaboag) MA being burned by Indians 1675

Mark Symonds' and wife Joanna of Ipswich, MA

 NOTE: a repost from my other blog...gathering the more recent blog posts into one place for access and organization!

Wasn't it fun (well I thought so) to explore some cousins a few times removed who lived in another historic area, Portsmouth NH?  (HERE) The Sherburne family certainly had lots of descendants.  From Henry who first arrived on the Ship James in 1631, to Joseph his great grandson, who lived in Boston and who had his portrait painted by Copley which now is owned by the New York Metropolitan Museum...a family which had many achievements. (Painting link here.) Then there were all the interesting women in the family as well.

OK, now to get back to my own roots, so to speak.

Joanna Symonds is my choice for today. She is second wife of my 9 times great grandfather, Mark Symonds.  My line goes through her predecessor, Susan Edgar Symonds.  Their daughter Susanna Symonds Ayers was my 8 times great grandmother.  For some reason the folks over at Ancestry decided (why?) to merge the two wives into one, Joanna Susanna!  Never mind the data that proves they were two separate people. I spoke about the 2 wives HERE.

Joanna's parents are unknown.  She did marry Mark Symonds in Ipswich, Essex County MA (or perhaps in Essex England) in 1620.  The same listing of New England Marriages before 1700 states Mark Symonds married his first wife in either 1609 or 1612.  It doesn't name his first wife, but it does give Joanna's first name.

The Preston-Foster house on Water St. in Ipswich MA 1790 (not an ancestor, just one of the early homes still standing in Ipswich)

Mark's will written on 25 April of 1659 gives Joanna as his wife's name, and assigns her the job of executrix. (He died on the 28th April.)  He also names his daughters, Susannah Ayers (my ancestress) and Abigail Pierce.  John Warner Jr. (husband of daughter Priscilla) is given a bequest, as well as his estate divided among the 3 daughters, (Susanna, Abigail, Priscilla) and the children of his deceased daughter, Mary Chapman.

"Joanna, the last wife of Mark Symonds stated in her will “God having given me two daughters,” Priscilla and Abigail. This indicates Joanna was not the mother of the older children, and that there was at least one earlier wife of Mark Symonds."

The Ipswich written record of deaths in 1659 lists Mark Symonds, but not that he's the husband of any surviving wife, though Joanna was definitely still alive.

She provided a written record of her inventory of Mark's possessions.

"debts __ from the estate ... delivered in court __ the _2th of June 1659 by Joanah Symonds relict of Marke Symonds as attest Robert Lord clerk"

All of Mark Symonds surviving children had married by the time he died.

Joanna lived another 7 years herself.  She wrote a will giving her 2 daughters bequests.

9 May 1666 – Joanna’s will proven in Ipswich Court:

I Joana Symonds of Ipswich . . . doe make and ordaine this my last will and Testament . . . And for my outward estate I . . . dispose God haueing given me two daughters which are maryed both and have children my will is equally to dispose of what estate I leave behind . . . unto my said two daughters and there children, i. e., namely unto my daughter Prisilla the wife of John Warner and to her children after her decease the one halfe of my estate And to my daughter Abigaill the wife of Robert Pearce the other halfe equally devided … I doe apoynt my loueing Sons in law John warner & Robert Pearce to be my executors . . . and doe declare this to be my last will and testament this sixt day of Aprill 1666. In presents of us William Goodhue, Robert Lord. Joana Symonds.

And an earlier document in Nov. 1659 following her husband's death, had showed that the sons in law (Chapman and Ayers) sold the house and lands, with agreement of the widow.

24 Nov 1659 – Ipswich Deed:

wheras ther was an estate left by Marke Symonds unto his children after the death of his wife. And by agreem* mutually betweene the widdow & them to alow the widdow a certeine Sum yearly dureing her life and for to devyde the estate presently, and by agreement betweene themselves, the lands with some other small things fell to Edward Chapman (who maryed one of Marke Symonds his daughters) for his part of the estate, And the house being by the consent of all hands put into the hands of John Ayres to make sale of . . . This therfore wittnesseth that I John Ayres for . . . four score pounds . . . sell vnto my Brother Edward Chapman of Ipswich the dwelling house, barne & land about it . . . three acres be it more or less . . . wch was lately Marke Symonds … In wittness whereof … 24 November 1659 . . . John Ayers and John Baker

Recorded 1st of Aprill 1673. by Robert Lord

Zulieka Granger Phillips Swasey, July 30, 1858

Great Grandmother birthday

(Saturday, July 27, 2013 blog edited and reposted!)

On July 30, 1858, Zulieka Granger Phillips Swasey was born.  Her mother Mary Phillips, had been a Granger before marriage.  Her father was raised by a stepfather, Samuel Gainer in Georgia.  Her mother went from Texas back to Georgia to give birth, and I'm not clear whether she was with her own mother or her mother-in-law.  Baby Zulie was given a slave girl at her birth, with the papers written by hand by her paternal grandmother, Mary Phillips Gainer.  I wonder if any of them knew that the Civil War would be starting in just a few years.

She returned with her parents to Sabine Pass,Texas or Beaumont, Texas, at a time when there were cotton plantations where now oil wells drill, and cities stand.

Front and back of Zulie G. Swasey portrait, mother of Ada Phillips Swasey Rogers

Zulie's mother, Mary, had another child two years later, and Mary died within a year of that birth.  Julie's father William Phillips may have been sick, may have been grieving, or some other reason had him leaving the homestead, and sending his daughters to relatives in Galveston.  Within 6 months of his wife's death, he joined the Confederate forces, fighting early in the war with other Texans in a company from Alabama, and dying.

Zulieka and her younger sister, Ada Phillips, were raised by Granger and Gainer relatives. They were  the sisters of either their father or their mother...

When Zulieka married at age 24 to Alexander John Swasey, also of Galveston, she then had her own two girls, naming her first Ada Phillips Swasey, and her second Stella Zulieka Swasey.  Ada Phillips Swasey became my grandmother on my father's side.

Zulieka Swasey (Dear Nan) and daughter Ada's daughter, Ada Mary Rogers. (Ada Mary Rogers died as a child)

And how do I know more than is available by census and city directory documents?  My relatives somehow kept copies of letters written by Zulieka's mother, her father, her grandmother Gainer, her grandfather Granger, and her uncle Marion Granger.  I've transcribed them into records for these people on Ancestry.com, which kind of makes these people more real.

The letters just before and during the Civil War are the most precious, because of the lack of true information that was available to people, and the privations they endured.  Letters were written on both sides of folded paper, then across the original writing at a 90 degree angle, as well as in the margins.  See HERE for some of the letters.

Did they have important things to say?  Sometimes.  Many times a whole paragraph seemed to be speaking of unimportant things by my current standards of communication.

But they shared their lives, their language, and the actual writing of their pens down through the years

How Sudbury got help (1676) from Mr. Edward Cowell

NOTE: a repost from my other blog...gathering the more recent blog posts into one place for access and organization!

More about the Sudbury MA battle between Colonials and Indians...HERE .

But my question that I posed back then, was which Edward Cowell led the forces that tried to come to the aid of Sudbury, a town being attacked by Indians in King Phillips War in 1676.  Edward Cowell Sr.(1617-1677) would have been in his 50s or 60s, (since his birth date is unknown.)  His son, Edward Jr.(1644-1691) was the right age to be involved in a battle, and I would imagine he was among the company as well.  But it would have been more likely that the elder would be considered a leader.

Youngest Cowell, Edward III was born in 1672. so was obviously too young.

But geography is also in question.

Edward Cowell is described as coming to the aid of Sudbury FROM Brookfield MA by way of Marlborough.

"Mr. Edward Cowell, with a body of eighteen mounted men, coming from {Brookfield}* by way of Marlborough, and by a different way from that taken by Capt. Wadsworth, (of Connecticut) became sharply engaged with an outlying party of the enemy, and lost four men killed, one wounded, and had five of his horses disabled.

I contested at the time I posted that quote back in May that Brookfield had been destroyed in the preceding August 1675, when my ancestor Captain John Ayers was killed by Indians of King Phillips War (which now extended to Sudbury).

But he could have been Mr. Cowell Sr. OF BROOKFIELD if he'd lived there.  But he didn't actually.  He lived in Portsmouth New Hampshire, where he was a sailor by trade.  Had he tried to relocate with other colonists in the shift to western frontier of Quaboag in the 1650s?  I think not.

He had arrived in Boston, in 1640, and in 1645, where he married in 1655. He had his first son, Edward in Boston in 1644.  From there he took the family to Portsmouth NH, and had 3 more children.  Since he was a sailor, he is also recorded as arriving in Boston in 1655.  But his probate following his death was in Portsmouth NH in 1677.

So a descendant made a memorial for him for fighting in King Phillips War in 1676, the year before he died.  I still wonder how he arrived at the scene of the battle in Sudbury MA coming from Brookfield MA, when his home had been all the way in Portsmouth NH.   The clue is that he was coming from the much closer town of Marlborough, just to the west of Sudbury.  It's much more likely that any call for help had gone out to that area, and whoever had any military experience (which was very rare among the early colonists according to what I've read)...would have been pressed into assistance.

Since there were also other colonists who came to aid Sudbury from Connecticut, apparently there was a general call for assistance.  And perhaps Edward Jr. had some interest in Marlborough.

Geographically I don't know more than that Sudbury MA is 22 miles outside of Boston MA and a good 70 miles from Portsmouth, NH.  Sudbury is even 50 miles east of Brookfield MA but only 20 miles from Marlborough.  I don't know where the soldiers (i.e. colonists, with maybe a bit of military training) from Connecticut began, but that's pretty far away as well.  So when the Indians of King Phillips war attacked Sudbury, and the colonists received help, it was probably several days before it arrived from that far away...especially since someone had to ride (or sail) for the help in the first place.

It was the wild frontier then.  And the war with the Indians only lasted a couple of years, at that time.

Here's one description of the wars the European colonists had with Native Americans.  It's pretty amazing to me, since these conflicts are downplayed so much in the American History books.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Indian_Wars

Further information: European colonization of the Americas

The colonization of North America by the English, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Swedish was resisted by some Indian tribes and assisted by other tribes. Wars and other armed conflicts in the 17th and 18th centuries included:

• Beaver Wars (1609–1701) between the Iroquois and the French, who allied with the Algonquians (What states?)
• Anglo-Powhatan Wars (1610–14, 1622–32, 1644–46), including the 1622 Jamestown Massacre, between English colonists and the Powhatan Confederacy in the Colony of Virginia
• Pequot War of 1636–38 between the Pequot tribe and English colonists in Massachusetts and Connecticut
• Kieft's War (1643–45) in the Dutch territory of New Netherland (New Jersey and New York) between Dutch colonists and the Lenape people
• Peach Tree War (1655), the large-scale attack by the Susquehannocks and allied tribes on several New Netherland settlements along the Hudson River
• Esopus Wars (1659–1663), conflicts between the Esopus tribe of Lenape Indians and colonial New Netherlanders in Ulster County, New York
• King Philip's War (1675–78) in New England between colonists and the Narragansett people
• Tuscarora War (1711–15) in the English Province of North Carolina
• Yamasee War (1715–17) in the English Province of South Carolina
• Dummer's War (1722–25) in northern New England and French Acadia (New Brunswick and Nova Scotia)
• Pontiac's War (1763–66) in the Great Lakes region
• Lord Dunmore's War (1774) in western Virginia (Kentucky and West Virginia)

In several instances, warfare in North America was a reflection of European rivalries, with American Indian tribes splitting their alliances among the powers, siding with their trading partners. Various tribes fought on each side in King William's War, Queen Anne's War, Dummer's War, King George's War, and the French and Indian War, allying with British or French colonists according to their own self interests.

Similarly, in the American Revolution and the War of 1812, Indian tribes in the territories of conflict differed in their alliances. The Cherokees supported the British in the Revolution and raided frontier American settlements in the hope of driving out the settlers. Other tribes fought for the American Patriots, such as the Oneida people and Tuscarora people of the Iroquois Confederacy in New York.^[1]