John Cotton, my 9th paternal great-grandfather, was born in 1585 in Derby, England and died in 1652 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was, according to many accounts, the preeminent clergyman and theologian of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Cotton studied five years at Trinity College, Cambridge and nine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, England. Cotton emigrated to Massachusetts in 1633 and helped establish the First Church in Boston. Cotton remained teaching elder (educational and doctrinal) at the church until his death in 1652.
“Mr. Cotton had a reputation for profound learning. He was accustomed to study 12 hours a day, published over 50 books, was a critic in Greek, wrote Latin with elegance, and could discourse in Hebrew.” (The Mather Project)
Letter
from Oliver Cromwell to John Cotton written after the Battle of Worcester,
October 2, 1651. The battle destroyed the last major Scottish Royalist
army. In the letter, Cromwell alludes to his difficulties with the Scots. Correspondence from Oliver Cromwell to John Cotton
“WORTHY
SIR, AND MY CHRISTIAN FRIEND, “I received yours a few days since. It was
welcome to me because signed by you, whom love and honour in the Lord: but more
‘so’ to see some of the same grounds or our Actings stirring in you that are in
us, to quiet us to our work, and support us therein. Which hath had the
greatest difficulty in our engagement in Scotland; by reason we have had to do
with some who were, I verily think, Godly, but, through, weakness and the
subtlety of Satan, ‘were’ involved in Interests against the Lord and His
People.
“With what
tenderness we have proceeded with such, and that in sincerity, our Papers
(which I suppose you have seen) will in part manifest; and I give you some
comfortable assurance of ‘the same.’ The Lord hath marvellously appeared
even against them. And now again when all the power was devolved into the
Scottish King and the Malignant Party,— they invading England, the Lord rained
upon them such snares as the Enclosed will show. Only the Narrative in
short is this, That of their whole Army, when the Narrative was framed, not
five men were returned.
“Surely, Sir,
the Lord is greatly to be feared and to be praised! We need your prayers
in this as much as ever. How shall we behave ourselves after such
mercies? What is the Lord a-doing? What Prophecies are now
fulfilling? Who is a God like ours? To know His will, to do His
will, are both of Him.
“I took this
liberty from business, to salute you thus in a word. Truly I am ready to
serve you and the rest of our Brethren and the Churches with you. I am a
poor weak creature, and not worthy the name of a worm; yet accepted to serve
the Lord and His People. Indeed, my dear Friend, between you and me, you
know not me,—my weaknesses, my inordinate passions, my unskillfulness, and
everyway unfitness to my work. Yet, yet the Lord, who will have mercy on
whom He will, does as you see! Pray for me. Salute all Christian
friends though unknown. I rest, your affectionate friend to serve you,
(Signed) OLIVER CROMWELL
Hello Minnie
In 2017, I had the chance to see my great-grandmother Mary “Minnie” MacEachern French for the first-time! Thanks to the genealogical community and an exchange of emails, I was able to learn a little more about her life and see a photograph. (Thank you Rick!)
Susan Jane Wilkie, at the age of 18, left Cape Breton, Nova Scotia for Boston and lived with her Aunt Minnie and cousin, George French (my grandfather). According to notes, Susan learned dressmaking from Minnie. The best news of all was that there was a photograph of Susan Jane (Wilkie) Small, Charles S. Small, Charles Jr. and Aunt Min taken in about 1916. That is Minnie on the left!
Mary MacEachern (MacEachron) was born on 25 April 1877 in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada to Duncan and Mary Maloney MacEachern. (baptism certificate – below) On the 13 of April 1897 she married Walter Abraham French, a carriage driver, in Boston, Massachusetts. Walter was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Horace E. and Laura Foster French. My grandfather George Bradley French was born in 1898. Walter and Mary’s marriage did not last. The 1910 Census, recorded on April 22, 1910, identifies Mary was living with George on Huntington Avenue in Boston. The census lists Mary as a widow, however, that might not be entirely accurate (better a widow than a divorcee?). In George’s personal belongings at the time of his death is a letter from his father, Walter, to Ralph H. Hallett, Esquire:
New York, March 8, 1910
Dear
Sir:
I have been
advised that my wife, Mrs. Minnie French, of your city, has started a divorce
proceeding against me in the court of your city, on the grounds of desertion,
intoxication, cruelty, non-support, etc., and I understand the summons was
returnable last month. I desire to have you enter an appearance for me and look
after my interests in the proceedings. I have no desire to take a contest over
the divorce, or the custody of the child, George, but I wish to be informed of
the progress of the proceedings, and to be advised promptly if a decree is
granted. I would also like to have you see that no decree for alimony is
entered against me. Very Truly Yours,
Walter A. French – Draft Card
The 1940 Census has Mary living in Lowell, Massachusetts with Archie and Margaret McLean. She is listed as being Archie’s aunt and listed as a widow. As for Walter, he appears in a March 1942 Social Security Application and Claim, I have no details as to the date or location of his death. A September 1918 World War I draft registration card identifies a Walter Abram French, living in New York City, with a date of birth of 26 January 1875 (2 years earlier than his true date of birth).
Baptism Certificate for Mary “Minnie” MacEachern
Puritans + Thanksgiving
Fowler Family Post Card 1908
Two of my posts highlighted relatives who lived in New England in the mid-1700’s. They describe how my 8th great-grandfather Humphrey Atherton persecuted Quakers while my 7th great-grandfather’s step-brother, Benanuel Bowers was persecuted for being a Quaker. Researching and writing about the history of America through the lives of distant relatives is a great experience. However, the posts about Atherton and Bowers illustrate the fine line’ between myth and reality and (for me) create a struggle on how to accurately portray these stories. I always question if I am getting the historical context correctly. In 2016, the Washington Post ran an excellent story (below) by Lori Stokes about the Puritans. I dropped her a note and she was kind enough to respond!
I visited your blog and it’s very interesting. Keep up the good work! Family histories and historians are invaluable to the body of research. Together, eventually we’ll get everyone in the record.
Humphrey Atherton (1608-1661) is my paternal eighth great-grandfather. At the time of his death he was considered a powerful leader who was very active in the political affairs of the colony. However, through the lens of history, his persecution of Quakers, questionable acquisition of Indian lands and apprehension and conviction of heretics presents him in less favorable lights.
Humphrey
Atherton was born in England in 1608 and arrived in Boston by 1635/36.
According to published accounts, he held the
highest military rank in colonial New England, served as deputy governor, a
representative in the General Court, Speaker of the House, representing
Springfield, Massachusetts and as magistrate in the judiciary of colonial government.
Major General
Atherton after a review of the troops on Boston Common, September 16, 1661,
died as a result of being thrown from his horse, which stumbled over a cow
lying in the road.
Persecution
of Quakers – Mary Dyer and three other
Quakers were hanged on Boston Common in 1660 for civil disobedience. They
were given the opportunity to leave, to agree to permanent exile from
Massachusetts, and instead they chose to die. Many view their act as a
touchstone for the separation of church and state in America, the birth of our
First Amendment rights. Humphrey Atherton, as the below quote attests, held a
different view of Mary’s death.
A later play
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (John Endicott) portrays Atherton’s
death, as seen by the Quakers, as a punishment from God for his persecution of
them.
ENDICOTT.And did not some one say, or have I dreamed it,That Humphrey Atherton is dead?
BELLINGHAM.Alas!He too is gone, and by a death as sudden.Returning home one evening, at the placeWhere usually the Quakers have been scourged,His horse took fright, and threw him to the ground,So that his brains were dashed about the street.
ENDICOTT.I am not superstitions, Bellingham,And yet I tremble lest it may have beenA judgment on him.
In 1659, he
(Atherton) began a land speculation venture called the Atherton Company,
supported by influential shareholders in the colonies and at the
metropole. Hardly a model of ethical practice, the company was a method
of gaining control over vast quantities of Indian land. In 1660, Atherton
was part of a scheme to defraud the Narragansetts of much of their territory
and remove them from their land. (Yale Indian Papers Project)
In 1641,
Massachusetts was the first colony to legalize slavery and was a center for the
slave trade throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The 1754 slave census listed more
than 2,720 slaves in Massachusetts.
1754 –
Billerica reported eight slaves (three males and five females).
1771 – Four families in Billerica were recorded as “servants for life” on actual valuation lists.
1783 –
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declared, “the idea of slavery is
inconsistent with our own conduct and [the Commonwealth’s] Constitution.” Quock Walker Case
My 6th great paternal grandparents, Jonathan Bowers (1674-1744) and Hannah Barret Bowers (1679-1765), lived in Billerica, Massachusetts. Jonathan was a representative to the General Court, a captain in the militia, large landowner, postmaster, and noted as an influential citizen. Jonathan and Hannah were also slave owners. The first documentation that I found mentioning that they owned slaves references the birth of Nelly York in 1752 to Lydia York, a slave of Hannah Bowers.
Records show
that Lydia York had two other daughters. Lydia who was baptized in 1754 and
listed as a “servant girl to old Mrs. Bowers” and Anne who was baptized in
1756. Lydia’s parents Pompy and Dillo, brother Samson and sister Eunice
all resided in Billerica, I found no record of their status.
In 1761, Hannah sold a boy named Salem to Mr. Lot Colby of New Hampshire. Remarkably, Salem Colby served during the American Revolution as a soldier in the New Hampshire Brigade, enlisting in 1780 and receiving a pension for his service.
In researching Hannah and Jonathan’s son, Josiah Bowers (my 5 g-grandfather), I discovered a record of Josiah selling a slave girl to Amos Fortune. That girl was none other than Lydia (b.1754) the daughter of Lydia York. The story of Amos is very interesting and has been told in a book entitled, Amos Fortune – Free Man (Yates – 1950). Below is an excerpt from the The Amos Fortune Forum regarding Amos.
Amos Fortune,
an exemplary citizen of colonial New England, was born in the early 1700s in
Africa and came to this country as a slave. A tanner by profession, Fortune
bought his freedom and that of his two wives. Unfortunately, nothing is known
of Amos Fortune’s early life. The first historical record is an unsigned
“freedom paper,” dated December 30, 1763, in which Ichabod Richardson
“agreed to and with my Negroe man, Amos, that at the end of four years next
issuing this date the said Amos shall be Discharged, Freed, and Set at Liberty
from my service power & Command for ever….”
Richardson died unexpectedly in 1768, and his will contained no provisions for the slave’s promised freedom. Amos Fortune negotiated with the heirs to pay off his bond and made the last payment in 1770, becoming a free man at age 60. During the next few years Amos Fortune lived and worked in Woburn, buying land and building a house. His first wife, Lydia Somerset – whom he had purchased for fifty pounds from Josiah Bowers of Billerica – died shortly after their marriage in 1778.
Note: Pounds Sterling to Dollars/ £50 in 1780 = $9,347 in 2019
Image: First Slaves Arrive in Massachusetts. massmoments
A Must Read Story of New England History “The Lost History of Slaves and Slave Owners in Billerica” by Christopher M. Spraker, Historical Journal of Massachusetts Volume 42, No. 1 (Winter 2014). Published by: Institute for Massachusetts Studies and Westfield State University
Nathaniel Hillyer Eggleston was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 7, 1822. Nathaniel is the nephew of my 5 great-grandparent Orrin Eggleston (1783-1870).
Nathaniel
graduated from Yale College in 1840 and Yale Seminary (now Yale Divinity
School) in 1843. He served as a Congregational pastor in Ellington (CT), New
York, Chicago, Madison (WI) and Stockbridge (MA) and was a founder of the
American Congregational Union and the Chicago Theological Seminary.
After many
years of leading a rapid westward expansion of congregational churches, Nathaniel’s
life took a remarkable turn when he went to Washington D.C. and was appointed
to be the second Chief of the U.S. Division of Forestry (1883-1886).
U.S. Forest History Society (edited) In 1893, U.S. Commissioner of Agriculture George Loring appointed
his friend Eggleston as chief of the Division of Forestry. Neither
suited for the job nor a strong administrator, Eggleston floundered as
chief but did offer some ideas that were later acted upon. In his first annual
report he suggested that the federal government should ensure that the
extensive federal forest lands in the public domain were properly cared for and
were used for the general welfare. He also recommended that the federal
government establish forest experiment stations.
The trees are
man’s best friends; but man has treated them as his enemies. The history of our
race may be said to be the history of warfare upon the tree world. But while
man has seemed to be the victor, his victories have brought upon him inevitable
disasters. Nathaniel Eggleston
A new
presidential administration in 1885 brought a new commissioner of agriculture,
Norman J. Colman. He did not ask for, nor did Eggleston volunteer to provide, a
plan for the division. Eggleston couldn’t even get a meeting appointment with
him. When Colman requested and received Eggleston’s resignation, he waited a
month before returning it to the chief. Eggleston spent the next year
“befuddled by indecision and uncertainty…meekly waiting to be fired.” Eventually, he was demoted but contentedly stayed on as a clerk for the
next twelve years.
Gifford Pinchot, considered
by some to be the father of the American conservation movement, was less than
enthralled with Nathaniel and in his book Breaking New Ground, stated
(Eggleston) was “one of those failures in life whom the spoils system is
constantly catapulting into responsible positions.”
Part of the joy of conducting genealogical research is the unexpected. Sometimes that comes from finding a interesting passage in an old book that has been digitized by Google, a blog post that leads you in a new direction or getting a response to an inquiry.
In one instance, I’d asked a researcher from the Connecticut State Library for information about my 3rd great grandfather Abiram Spencer (1812-1871). He passed along some general information and then added, “you do know how he died – don’t you? ” Like the train that killed Abiram, I did not see that coming.
However, that
piece of information does not come remotely close to another discovery that
also features Abiram. Out of the blue, I received a message on this blog
that stated, My name is Shelby — , and while looking for information about Abiram
Spencer, I landed on your page. I am delighted to learn that you and I share
our 2nd great grand-parents, Annie Eggleston and John W. Spencer.
And here is
what blew me away, she added, “I have their original wedding
photograph, which I would be overjoyed to share with you.” Well,
here they are, 16 year old Annie Eggleston and 25 year old John W.
Spencer. How cool is that!
Lord How They Died
In researching Robert Lord Jr., my 9 great-grandfather who resided in Ipswich, Massachusetts, I came across an account regarding the death of his son Joseph (1638-1677). The account read, “upon the death of Joseph, son of Robert Lord Sr., of Ipswich, who was killed in the woods about two miles and a half from Ipswich meeting house, that he with others was felling a tree and a limb, as it fell, hit another tree breaking it and it fell upon said Lord killing him.” Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts (p.397)
A remarkable
thing about researching New England history is the depth and extent that they
recorded their lives and in this case, deaths. The History of Ipswich, Essex, and Hamilton (p. 202-4) records some rather notable deaths:
Feb 21st 1787 – Francis a child of William Cogswell of Chebacco (Essex, MA) died by falling into a kettle of boiling chocolate.Oct 16th 1727 – We are informed from Ipswich that on Wednesday night last a young woman of that place being more merry than wise dressed herself in men’s apparel intending a frolic at a place some distance off but as she was riding through a river or pond her horse in all likelihood threw her into the water where she was taken up the next day drowne.
September 1771 – At the Hamlet, a child of Mr. Bolles died by drinking scalding water from a tea pot.
Jan 5th 1814
– Betsey Telock AE 49 is burnt to death. It has been commonly reported that she
came to her end by spontaneous combustion from the inordinate use of ardent
spirits. But it is the opinion of the gentleman who first discovered her body
soon after the flames in her room were extinguished that she caught her bed
clothes on fire with a candle and thus lost her life.
The History of Ipswich, Essex, and Hamilton also mentioned the Dark Day, a day many New Englanders believed
carried prophetic meaning. The true cause is believed to have been a
massive forest fire combined with a thick cloud cover and fog.
May 19th 1780 – Darkness came on like that of an eclipse. By 9 o clock
a.m. persons could not see to weave. Candles were lighted to dine by. As
the day began prematurely to put on the appearance of twilight cattle lowed and
fowls went to roost. The darkness of the succeeding evening was almost
palpable. Many feared and trembled lest the end of all things had come. They
alone are truly wise who seek the Lord when the bow of his mercy is over them,
as well as, when they hear his thunders and behold his lightnings. (p.202)
General
George Washington, who was encamped with his Continental Army in nearby New
Jersey, commented on the strange weather in a May 18 diary entry. “Heavy and
uncommon kind of clouds,” he wrote, “dark and at the same time a bright and
reddish kind of light intermixed with them…” (Remembering New England’s Dark Day)
Robert Lord Jr., my 9 great-grandfather, was born in Sudbury, Suffolk, England in 1603. Robert arrived in Massachusetts in 1634/5 with his wife Mary Waite and four children. He took the freeman’s oath (example below) at Boston in 1636. Robert lived for 80 years and died on August 21, 1683 in Ipswich.
My family relation continues through their daughter Abigail who was born in 1646 and died June 04, 1729. Abigail married Jacob Foster on February 26, 1665/66 in Ipswich. Jacob’s 4th g-granddaughter, Laura Maria Foster, married Horace French.
In September 1636,
Robert was appointed Town Clerk and Clerk of the Court of Ipswich and continued
to hold that position until his death. His duties included what would now be
considered Clerk of Probate and Register of Deeds. As Marshal, he is said to
have served more than twenty years in the Indian wars and became so inured to
camp life and exposure that he could never afterwards sleep upon a feather bed.
He is said to have been below the medium stature, but of powerful mold and one
of the most athletic, strong, and fearless men in the Colonial service.
Robert Lord House
In 1660, Henry Kingsbury sold his home and land on High Street to Robert Lord for “two oxen in hand — 5 pounds to be paid Robert Paine and 40s to Edmund Bridges” (to perhaps settle debts?). The Henry Kingsbury – Robert Lord House, 52 High Street still stands and was featured in Historic Ipswich, a fine blog about the history of Ipswich.
Background: Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Vol 4.
FREEMAN’S NEW OATH (Post 1636) Being by God’s providence, an Inhabitant, and Freeman, within the Jurisdiction of this Commonwealth; do freely acknowledge my self to be subject to the Government thereof: And do therefore do here swear by the great and dreadful Name of the Ever-living God, that I will be true and faithful to the same, and will accordingly yield assistance & support thereunto, with my person and estate, as in equity I am bound; and will also truly endeavor to maintain and preserve all the liberties and privileges thereof, submitting my self to the wholesome Lawes & Orders made and established by the same. And further, that I will not plot or practice any evill against it, or consent to any that shall so do; but will timely discover and reveal the same to lawful Authority now here established, for the speedy prevention thereof. Moreover, I doe solemnly bind my self in the sight of God, that when I shall be called to give my voyce touching any such matter to this State, in which Freemen are to deal, I will give my vote and suffrage as I shall judge in mine own conscience may best conduce and tend to the public weal of the body. So help me God in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Walter’s in the House
U.S. House of Representatives – Mr. Walter H. French, of Boston Mass., who has been appointed Journal Clerk in place of Mr. Smith, who resigned, took his place today. May 1, 1876 – Alexandria Gazette (Virginia)
Walter Henry French Jr. was born on December 2, 1837 in Lowell, Massachusetts to Walter and Sarah (Bowers) French. Walter Jr. is my 1st cousin-4x removed. His grandfather, Luther French, is my 4th great grandfather.
On May 5,
2016, the U.S. House, Office of the Historian, published an article
entitled, An Early Effort by the House of Representatives to Preserve Its
Records. The article noted that in
1899, Walter urged Congress to protect and preserve congressional records,
stating “the extreme heat in summer from the iron roof and the dampness in
winter from the condensation of hot air coming against the cold iron of the
roof renders the place unfit for documents of such value.
Walter Jr. is
a genealogists dream, an interesting life in Washington D.C. ripe with
political history and well documented. He was frequently noted for
his extensive collection of scrapbooks full of newspaper and periodical
clippings and for his knack for uncovering priceless documents. To keep
this post manageable, I am providing links to newspaper articles in which
Walter was referenced. I believe Walter enjoyed being mentioned in the
news and he was even able to document his imminent demise…several times!
National Hotel
In 1857,
Walter moved from New Hampshire to Washington D.C. and worked as a
clerk/manager at the National Hotel. He came to Washington with Franklin Tenney who
“assumed charge” of the National, which had been closed following a
“mysterious and fatal sickness that had broken out among its guests.” Tenny was married to Mehitable Swett Varnum who was
a niece of Brigadier General James Varnum of Revolutionary War fame and of
Bradley Varnum who was at one time Speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives. This political connection appears to have
played an important role in Walter’s life. In 1876, he was appointed as journal
clerk for the U.S. House of
Representatives.
However, in
December 1877, Walter was removed and replaced by Albert Lamar of
Georgia. Lamar was clerk for the Congress of the Confederate States
(CCS) from May 1862 to March 1865 at Richmond, Virginia. Just how a
avowed secessionist and former clerk for the CCS became a clerk for the U.S.
House of Representatives twelve years after the end of the Civil War is a
mystery?
Following his dismissal, Walter moved to Boston and later New York City where he opened an office on Wall Street, working as a stock broker. According to his obituary, three times he made and lost his fortune playing the market as a plunger. To quote P.J. O’Rourke, “Giving assets to a stock market plunger is like giving beer and car keys to teenage boys.” A plunger makes daring emotional investments, risking a large percentage of capital on a single trade. By the age of 45 he was out of the market and back in Boston were he tried his hand in politics, supporting the Democratic Party.
Walter’s
support of Democrats paid off in 1891 when he was appointed file clerk for the
U.S. House of Representatives for the 52nd United States Congress. His
dedication to the preservation of legislative records and knowledge of
congressional procedure made him a respected staff member and a gifted
researcher for drafting legislation.
In a way, he was google before google with Members of Congress referring to him as a human cyclopedia. Walter was a dedicated keeper of scrapbooks (newspaper and periodical clippings) for over 20 years. He is quoted as saying, “I think all public men should keep scrapbooks, they are a handy reference and when kept in order you can find in a moment the history of any measure or question.” According to news article, Walter was also in possession of autographs and of rare old public documents, or discovered rare documents.
Stephen Douglas’ Pistol
Once again, Walter French is in the middle of history. This time a widely distributed newspaper story tells of Walter’s purchase of a derringer, with a inscription of S.A. Douglas on the handle. Of course, Walter knows who to consult to see if it was once owned by Stephen A. Douglas, the Democratic Party nominee for president in the 1860 election, losing to Republican Abraham Lincoln. Walter happens to know a ‘kinsman’ of Douglas by the name of James Madison Cutts, Jr.,(below) the only American to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor three times! (Article)
(Biography – Arlington National Cemetery) “Colorful” hardly describes the career of this Union officer. From a prominent family and a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Law School, Cutts joined the army in 1861 and was awarded a triple Medal of Honor, the only such medal ever issued, for bravery at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Petersburg. However, the medal was not given until 1891, the delay due in part to a string of career-busting events. These include being caught peering over the transom at a married woman while she undressed, refusing a challenge to a duel, three courts-martial, involvement with a pyromaniac army doctor, ripping the chevrons off one soldier’s uniform and hitting another so hard that Cutts broke his own hand, and seizing property owned by an influential carpetbagger.
(Image) Daniel Webster’s Pants – When a question arose in 1894 regarding the new statue of Daniel Webster in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol, specifically about the cut of his trousers, they turned to Walter French. Walter, as was his nature did have an answer, he just happened to know the tailor in Boston who measured and cut Webster’s trousers!
Personating Presidents– Walter happened to resemble (and cultivate his resemblance to) President Grover Cleveland. In 1899, an article was published, becoming a national sensation, about individuals who were misidentified as being “presidential.” (Sacramento Daily Union – March 22 ,1899)
Dead Almost, Then Dead for Real
On several occasions, it was reported in newspapers that Walter was seriously ill and near death, as was his nature he collected and took great pleasure in these articles. When death did finally come in 1904, Walter was in Wiesbaden, Germany on an European tour that included visits to England, Italy, Greece and France. Walter was remembered as one of the best liked men in Washington with close friends among members of Congress and those who frequented the building. Following his death, Congress approved payment for expenses associated with his illness and funeral and a sum equal to six months of his salary ($1,375). The last item to share is a thoughtful, long obituary that sketches Walter’s life and times. Colonel French Dead – Evening Star August 14, 1904
