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...

• 
• 
• 
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"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