Update on our Mayflower connection

In a previous post - https://descenddance.blogspot.com/2018/01/mayflower.html - I outlined our Mayflower ancestry through my mother's maternal line. John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley are my 8th great grandparents. 

I knew there were other Mayflower passengers in my family tree, but have not been able to confirm. Then, along came this information from Matt, my cousin and fellow family researcher... Not only am I descended directly from John Howland on my mother's side, but am connected to him through marriage on my FATHER's side!!! Already I knew that my mother's and father's ancestors crossed paths and bloodlines several times in colonial days. (This topic will be another whole blog post in itself).

From Matt:

So, these are the most evident connections to the Mayflower, although I assume that there are likely to be several more within the groups these ancestors moved within.

First an Indirect Connection but Interesting (A Connection to the Direct Connection)
John Howland - his grandson Charles Dickinson married Phillip [sic] Green,* daughter of Major John Greene of Rhode Island and sister of Richard Greene (1660-1811) who married Elinor Sayles (1664-1714) their daughter Mary Greene (1706-1757) married Captain John Godfrey (1704-1756) who was the father of Captain Samuel Godfrey (1743-1831). So this connection is not direct. But:

Second the Direct Connection
Stephen Hopkins - his grandaughter Waitstill Snow married Joseph Sabin. Waitstill and Joseph's great-granddaughter was Patience Sabin (1751-1786) married Captain Samuel Godfrey (1743-1831) on 30 July 1769 in Providence, RI. Their daughter Elizabeth (Betsy) Godfrey (1779-1864) married Thomas Whitfield (1780-1830), and their daughter Sarah Gale (Sally) Whitfield (1811-1882) married John L. Abbott (1810-1898 in New York City on 11 Oct 1836. Of course, their son was Whitfield Barry Abbott (1844-1889).

This has given me a lot to chew on! I had Stephen Hopkins in my tree many years ago - I even bought a book about him - but deleted him when some of the genealogical evidence seemed sketchy. 

I will give it a second look.

*Phillip - could be Phillis or Phillipa. 

Major John Greene (Abbott > Whitfield > Godfrey > Greene)

• With his father, surgeon John Greene, purchased land from Indian Chief Miontonomi in 1642 and called it "Greene's Hold" alias Occupasituxet
• Built a corn mill with three others in Warwick, RI, 1651
• General Record keeper for the town, 1652-54
• Commissioner 1652-63
• Deputy for Newport to the RI General Court 1679-1690
• General Solicitor in 1655
• Attorney General in 1657-1660
• Warden, 1658
• Commissioned Captain 1664
• Agent to the king in England to discuss the RI Charter, 1670
• Governor's Council 1683
• Major of the Main 1683-96
• Agent for RI to the King of England 1685-87
• Sent a letter of congratulations to the throne (William & Mary) 1690
• Deputy Governor of RI 1690-1700

Archaeology site:  http://proteus.brown.edu/greenefarm/Home
"Five generations of Greenes owned the estate until 1782, when John Brown (1736-1803, a wealthy, powerful Providence merchant and co-founder of Brown University, bought it.  the farm was then worked by tenant farmers, and the Brown family used it as a country retreat.  Brown's grandson, Governor John Brown Francis (1791-1864), returned to the property, where he and his descendants remain today."

Screen capture of the site of Greene Hold from 2014 Google Maps.
Major John Greene is buried in Spring Greene Burial Ground, the family plot on the homestead. 

New Jersey

Some of our ancestors were early colonists, but many came to America just a few generations ago from England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands. So it is no surprise that our lineage can be traced back to the area in and around New York City.

Fort Lee, NJ keeps coming up as a common place of origin, particularly on my father's side.  Thomas Whitfield came from England, married Betsy Godfrey from Providence RI, and settled in New York.  Their daughter Sarah married John Abbott from Newark, NJ.  The Abbotts' son Whitfield married Sadie Wright from Brooklyn and settled in Fort Lee. Their son, my great grandfather, George Abbott, was born there.

Orrin Bishop Judd, my dad's paternal ancestor from Hartford, Connecticut, lived in Brooklyn at different times in his life and married Elizabeth MacDonald from Bronx, NY.  My mother's great grandmother, Miriam Olivia Wandell, was born in Brooklyn of parents with a Dutch heritage.

I have always felt a draw to that part of the world, especially to Long Island and Rhode Island.  Never thought much about New Jersey, but it's looking more and more interesting now.

The Gaspee Affair

We are pretty solidly descended from New England stock.  Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island... much of our lineage can be traced back to these New England colonies.  So many early colonists were related to each other in some way - I have often wondered how many times our genetic lines crossed.

Our direct ancestors include many important colonial leaders.  Descendants of Roger Williams in Providence RI were patriots and conspirators in the early movement against Britain.  These names - Godfrey, Sabin, Greene, Hopkins and Ashton - are commonly found in many early Rhode Island historical accounts. Our own Captain Samuel Godfrey was a participant in the "Gaspee Affair," one of the most significant events leading up to the American Revolution.

Sabins Tavern in Providence was the meeting place of a group of early revolutionaries as they planned an attack on the British ship Gaspee.  The attack took place on June 10th, 1772. The ship was grounded at a spot on the Providence River now known at Gaspee Point.  Eight rowboats full of Providence men quietly approached the ship during the night and burned her.  The ship burned to the waterline before her powder magazine exploded.  This incident is recognized as the first act of violence toward Britain, predating the Boston Tea Party and the "shot heard 'round the world."  Britain never learned the identity of the culprits.

If you want to know more, check this out:  http://www.gaspee.org/

Providence is now on my bucket list of places to visit.

Abbott > Whitfield > Godfrey > Greene > Sayles > Roger Williams.
Abbott > Whitfield > Godfrey > Ashton > Williams > Roger Williams.

Fast Facts

We have a double link to Roger Williams through the marriage of Samuel Godfrey and Patience Sabin whose mothers (both granddaughters of Roger Williams) were first cousins.  

Roger Williams, an anti-Puritan, was exiled from Massachusetts Bay Colony.  He survived in the wilderness by depending on the Indians.  He had an exceptional language ability and learned several Indian languages which he later wrote a book about.  He founded Providence Rhode Island and started the First Baptist Church in America.

Capt. Samuel Godfrey was one of the Sons of Liberty who took part in the famed Gaspee Affair, a fiery event in Rhode Island which was instrumental in sparking the American Revolution.

The Hickock/Hiccox/Hickok family is connected through Anna Dillingham Crofford.  Our ancestor, Hannah, was a 6^th cousin to Wild Bill (James Butler) Hickok.

Joost Van Den Vondell was the “Shakespeare of the Netherlands” in the 1500’s.  His great great grandson came to America in the late 1700’s. (Later note: this connection is not definitively proven).

Charles Wesley Wandell b. 1819 was a missionary to Australia.  He wrote a letter in 1869 from White Pine, Nevada to his sister Miriam Olivia (our ancestor) saying that he was glad to hear that she was “coming west” by railroad and covered wagon.

Thomas Welles, 4^th Gov of CT – through Judd ancestry.  Was a first settler of Hartford, and is memorialized on a monument there. 

Orrin Judd was a well known preacher in Connecticut.  His scandalous divorce is documented in the newspaper of the time.  He wrote a translation of the New Testament Book of Matthew (look him up on Amazon).

Sarah L Wright married Whitfield Abbott – 2^nd marriage for both – both had been widowed.  Their child was George Wright Abbott, a carpenter, who became my great grandfather.  Sarah was then widowed again at age 36.  Sarah’s mother was born in Ireland.