Happy Leon Day! My Christmas Ancestors of Worplesdon, Surrey, England; London, England; Colonial Virginia & North Carolina.

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Anna Kasper, ACDP

Today, June 25th, is National Leon Day. Leon is Noel spelled backward. The day is a playful reminder that Christmas is only six months away. It is the day some crafters begin planning their homemade gifts and decorations. It can also be a day for those who miss the winter holidays to have a mini-winter celebration in June. Leon Day is a fun and whimsical observance that marks the halfway point to Christmas.

Leon Day seemed like the ideal day to write about my direct ancestors with the surname 🎄 Christmas!

The Christmas surname was given to someone born near or on Christmas, or someone who organized Christmas festivities. It’s also noted to be a translation of the French surname “Noel”. It was a descriptive surname, signifying a connection to the holiday. The name has roots in Middle English, stemming from Cristes Maesse, which translates to Christ’s Mass. Early records of the name, like John Crystmasse in 1433, confirm its use in England, particularly in the south.

My 12th great-grandparents are John Christmas and Agnes Border. Their marriage record is found in the church records of St. Mary’s in Worplesdon, Surrey, England. They married on 30 January 1574.

Photo above is of St. Mary the Virgin Church and Churchyard in Worplesdon, Surrey, England.

I have been unable to locate the baptism record of John Christmas. He is listed as the oldest son in the will of Thomas Christmas. His father, Thomas Christmas, was the son of Henry Christmas and Julia ____. Thomas Christmas was married on 28 January 1576 in Worplesdon, Surrey, England to Joan Inwood. It appears that at least some, if not all, of Thomas’ children were via an earlier marriage to an unknown named wife. His marriage to Joan Inwood was far too late for her to be the mother of his children.

Will of Thomas Christmas:

Dated: 9 Mar 1587/8. Proved: 19 Mar 1587/8.

I, Thomas Christmas, the elder, Clothier of Worplesdon, Surrey:

Beneficiaries :

Wife Johane [Joan] Christmas (Her belongings at marriage, £15). Oldest son John Christmas (£100, to be repaid if he dies before his wife). Sons Thomas Christmas (£50), William Christmas (£50), son in law John Elliott (plus £100 in tail to son John). Godson Thomas Christmas (£20), John his brother (40s). Daughter Johane Elliott (Household items). Godson Thomas Elliott and brother John Elliott (40s ea). Brothers in law Richard Ynowde, William Ynowde (20s ea) Arnold Ynowde (20s). Sister-in-law Johane Ynowde (10s) John Ynowde (10s).

Also Mentioned: To be buried in Worplesdowne. The poor of the parish. Richard Pattfowlde. Godchildren.

Overseers: Friend John Cutler pardon of Worplesdowne, Eldest son John Christmas, Harry Martyne, Francis Hounte.

Executors: Son Thomas Christmas.

Witnesses: John Christmas, Heniri Martyn, Francisei Hounte.

The surname Ynwode was later rendered Inwood.

Thomas Christmas lived in Perryhill (Worplesdon), Surrey.

From his will, we learn that he was a clothier. Clothiers in Tudor times were generally considered part of the merchant class. Tudor society was structured hierarchically, and citizens or burgesses, which included merchants and officials in cities, were considered a distinct social group, often possessing enough wealth to own property and employ servants. 

The cloth trade in Tudor England was extremely important and involved workers from different sections of society. Merchants dealt in the import and export of raw materials and finished products and generally could be very wealthy men. Laborers were paid by merchants to carry out the various stages of cloth production.

Photo above is of St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard in Worplesdon, Surrey, England.

John Christmas, his wife, Alice Border, his father, Thomas Christmas, and his grandparents, Henry Christmas and Julia, are all buried in St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard in Worplesdon, Surrey, England.

John Christmas, in addition to being listed as a beneficiary in his father Thomas Christmas’ will, is also listed as a beneficiary in the will of his brother Robert Christmas in 1584.

Worplesdon is a village 3.1 miles (5.0 km) NNW of Guildford in Surrey, England and is about 40 miles (64 km) from London, England.

Shown above is a record of Worplesdon from 1542/1543. As you can see, my ancestors and related family, Thomas Crystmas (Christmas), Johe (John) Crystmas (Christmas), and Henrico (Henry) Christmas are listed in the document.

My next ancestor is Richard “Rich” Christmas, the son of Thomas Christmas and Agnes Border. He was baptized 6 December 1590 at St. Mary’s Church in Guildford, Surrey, England. The distance between Guildford and Worplesdon is 3.1 miles (5.0 km).

Richard Christmas was a merchant in London, England.

I need to discuss here that many people have confused Dictoris William Christmas and Richard “Rich” Christmas, both of Colonial Virginia.

There was a Dictoris Christmas. The Virginia Historical Magazine notes his name as Dictoris William Christmas. In Runwell, Essex, England, records show Dictoris Christmas arrested for sheep stealing, the stealing of three sheep from Simon Ryme, in 1618. Some say imprisoned and others say released as not guilty. In the 1620’s he is seen in the Virginia records. This would establish that Dictoris was probably born in the Essex area. He moved from there to the Virginia Colony by 1623.

The 1623-1666 `List of Living & Dead, Ships Passenger Lists, Elizabeth City, Virginia at the Eastern Shore’ shows on page 31 Dictoras Chrismus and Elizabeth Chrismus.

THE WILL OF Dictoris Christmas:

In the name of God Amen 20 October 1654. I Dictoris Christmas of the
New Poquoson being weak of body but of perfect mind and memory Praise be
given to God do ordain and make this my last Will and Testament in form
following:

First principally I do commit my soul with the hands of the Lord and my
body to the earth from whence it came lasting and steadfastly believing
the happy salvation of both the same my soul with the hands of the Lord
and my body to the earth from whence it came lasting and steadfastly
believing the happy salvation of both the same my soul and body in the
latter day by the free gift of God through merits of the death and
passing of that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus my only Lord, Redeemer,
Laudifier, and Savior and by no otherwise or means whatsoever.

ITEM: I give and bequeath unto my Maid Rebecca one cow calf to be
delivered within 3 months after my decease and to my man Robert one cow
calf to be delivered as aforesaid and also give unto Nicholas servant to
Peter Starkey cow calf to be delivered aforesaid. And also I give unto
Rebecca one goose of her favor or a cow to be delivered at the
appropriation of her time which pleaseth them.

ITEM: I give to my loving friend Peter Starkey all my land, housing,
chattel and chattels movable and immovable after my wife’s decease.
Peter Starkey employing my servants as formally he hath done and also I
make my wife whole executor of all of my estate also I do make Peter
Starkey and Henry Freeman overseer of this my last will and testament.
In witness I have hereunto set my hand and seal the said day and year
above written.

Dictoris W. CHRISTMAS {SEAL}
Alexander Shipworth
Robert Ffoukes

As you can see by reading the will, he lists no children or close kin other than his wife. He leaves items to his maid Rebecca, “my man” Robert, Nicholas – servant to Peter Starkey, and he leaves all his land, housing, chattels, movable and immovable, after his wife’s decease, to his loving friend Peter Starkey. He lists no children or other heirs. His name is listed as Dictoris W. Christmas. The name of his wife is not listed, and it is thought that Elizabeth Christmas, found in Ships Passenger Lists of Elizabeth City, Virginia at the Eastern Shore, was actually the wife of a younger man named Victoris Christmas.

Many people try to merge Dictoris W. Christmas with Richard “Rich” Christmas into the same person. This is incorrect. Dictoris W. Christmas was from near Runwell, Essex, England. Richard “Rich” Christmas was baptized in Guildford, Surrey, England. The distance between Runwell and Guildford is 76.6 miles (123.3 km). They were from two different Christmas families found in different areas of southern England, both ending up in Colonial Virginia.

Because of this confusion, some list Elizabeth as the wife of Richard Christmas, sometimes giving her name as Isabel, or even Mary. The name of the wife of Richard Christmas is unknown and unproven. I have been unable to locate the will of Richard Christmas. Rich Christmas is listed in transportation records to Virginia in 1634 and 1637. But we know that my ancestor, Goodman Christmas, was the son of Richard Christmas.

A bit of information about the word Goodman. Goodman was a polite term of address in England (and Colonial America), similar to Mr. today, and equal to Goodwife for females. It was not a proper first name. I believe his birth name was John. I located the baptism record for John Christmas, baptized 28 February 1629 in Worplesdon, Surrey, England, the son of Richard Christmas. Richard Christmas had a brother named John, and his grandfather was John Christmas, so Goodman John Christmas was named after his great-grandfather and his uncle. In many family trees, people list Goodman John Christmas with the additional name of Gad.

There are a few occurrences of him being listed as Gad:

13 October 1653: Gad Christmas witnesses land deed of John Withers upon Potomak, County of Westmoreland. VA Land Records in NC, page 734.

11 April 1666: Gad Christmas: Subpoenaed to court by Thomas Atkinson in Stafford Co, VA & paid 40lbs tobacco. Order book, Stafford Co 1664-1668 & 1689-1690, page 26.

Gad is a name of Hebrew origin. It was a very uncommon first name in England at the time of his birth. It does have Biblical connections, but it was not widely used as first name in England. It was a little more common as a surname and often was a Jewish surname. It can be a nickname for the first name Gadiel, but as with Gad, it was a very uncommon first name in England.

Some also attach a Gad baptism record to him that is incorrect. This baptism record is found more than a century after his birth. There is a baptism record for a Gad on 15 October 1768 at All Saints and Hatchford, St. Matthew, Surrey, England. This baptism record is for Anna Maria Gad, daughter of Rich Gad and Elizabeth. So, it’s not the correct century, it’s a female, and the surname is Gad, not Christmas. Also, this baptism record is partly why some have incorrectly given Richard Christmas’ wife’s name as Elizabeth. There are zero baptism records in England with the first names Gad or Gadiel and the surname Christmas.

I have been unable to view the actual records that list him as Gad. I wonder if it was instead an abbreviation of Goodman and was incorrectly read as Gad.

According to a letter written by George Mason of Gunston Hall in 1787, the Christmas family had a settlement and a three-life-lease (99 years) at Oyster Shell Landing on the south side of Poluck [Pohick] Creek in Stafford County, Virginia. This part of Stafford County became Fairfax County, Virginia in 1742. Goodman Christmas lived in York County, Virginia; as of 1666, he lived in Stafford County, Virginia.

As stated above, Goodman John “Gad” Christmas was baptized as John Christemas on 28 February 1629 in Worpledon, Surrey, England, as the son of Richard Christemas. He lived in York and Stafford Counties in Virginia. His residence was on the south side of Poluck [Pohick] Creek, which at the time was in Stafford County, Virginia, but later became part of Fairfax County, Virginia. It is thought that he died in 1708 in Stafford County, Virginia.

The name of the wife of Goodman Christmas is unproven. Some list him as marrying Ann (___) Duke. I have seen no documentation to prove this was the name of his wife. It was his grandson, Thomas Cross Christmas, that married Annie Duke.

Goodman Christmas had at least one child, my ancestor, Charles Christmas.

Charles Christmas was born about 1650 in Stafford County, Virginia and died after 1705 in Stafford County, Virginia. He married Mary Cross. The parentage of Mary Cross is unproven.

My next ancestor is Thomas Cross Christmas, the son of Charles Christmas and Mary Cross. He was born 16 October 1689 in Pohick, Stafford County, Virginia, and died 29 December 1769 in St. Martin’s Parish, Hanover County, Virginia. He married Annie Duke. I have Christmas DNA matches to the descendants of the siblings of my ancestor, Thomas Cross Christmas — other children of Charles Christmas and Mary Cross.

Annie Duke was the daughter of John Duke II and Bridget ____. John Duke II was the son of John Duke, Sr. and Elizabeth _____. The maiden name of Elizabeth is unproven. She married firstly to John King, secondly to John Duke, Sr. and thirdly to Robert Mercer.

Annie (Duke) Christmas and her father, John Duke, II, have been proven through yDNA studies at FamilyTreeDNA to be part of group 2, aka, the Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Duke Family, not the Henrico County, Virginia, Duke Family as previous published documents showed. As of 19 August 2020, the earliest known Isle of Wight County, Virginia Duke ancestor established is John Duke, Sr.

John Duke (Sr.) is the first provable member of the Isle of Wight County, Virginia, Duke family, although it is very likely that he is actually the second generation. Property records from Chuckatuck, Isle of Wight, Virginia (then Nansemond County) show on 21 April 1665, Jeremiah “Jeremy” Rutter received a Land Grant of 300 acres. John Duke bought 50 acres from J. Rutter a short time later as John Duke was mentioned as living adjacent to J. Rutter in 1667.

There is some anecdotal evidence that indicates that John Duke, Sr.’s father could be an immigrant from England named William Duke that died in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. While unproven, it is plausible that William Duke was the father of the John Duke, Sr. who was born in Isle of Wight around 1640. If true, he may have still been living in 1679, when he appears as a witness on a land transaction for William Boddie, who later sold land to John’s son John Duke II.

The Isle of Wight County Virginia, Duke family followed a path to Brunswick County, Virginia, and subsequently to Northampton and Orange County, North Carolina.

Children of Thomas Cross Christmas and Annie Duke:

  1. Agnes Christmas was born 1 January 1715 in Hanover County, Virginia, and died 9 December 1768 in Louisa County, Virginia. She married on 21 March 1733 in Hanover County, Virginia, to James Whitlock, III. (I have DNA matches to their descendants).
  2. Sarah Ann Christmas was born about 1718 in Virginia, and died 8 December 1771 in Hanover County, Virginia. She married Benjamin Saunders. (I have a DNA match to their descendants).
  3. Capt. John Christmas, Sr. was born about 1720 in Hanover County, Virginia, and died in 1763 in Orange County, North Carolina. He married Mary Graves. (I have DNA matches to their descendants). (The direct ancestors of my family in Missouri).
  4. Elizabeth Christmas was born about 1721 in Hanover County, Virginia, and she died in September 1799 in Jefferson County, Georgia. She married Thomas Paulett. (I have DNA matches to their descendants).
  5. Catherine “Katy” Christmas was born about 1723 in Hanover County, Virginia, and died about 1769 in Hanover County, Virginia. She married John Higgason. (I have a DNA match to their descendants).
  6. Rachel Ann Christmas was born about 1725 in Hanover County, Virginia. She married David Chisholm. (I have a DNA match to their descendants).
  7. Thomas Christmas II was born about 1727 in Hanover County, Virginia, and died 9 December 1768 in North Carolina. He married Temperance Whitlock. (My direct ancestors).

The youngest child above, Thomas Christmas II, and his wife, Temperance Whitlock, are my direct ancestors. Temperance Whitlock was the daughter of James Whitlock and Frances ____.

The direct ancestor of my Missouri family is Capt. John Christmas, and his wife Mary Graves. He was an older brother of my direct ancestor Thomas Christmas II.

Side note: My McLemore cousins that share Fay/Doughty ancestors with me, descend twice from Thomas Cross Christmas and Annie Duke. They descend from Thomas Christmas II and Temperance Whitlock, as well as descending from Capt. John Christmas and Mary Graves.

Will of THOMAS CHRISTMAS (Thomas Cross Christmas):

Will: Thomas Christmas of St. Martins Parish, Hanover Co., VA. 29, Dec. 1768. Recorded Hanover Co., VA Sep 7, 1769. Attested copy records Bute Co., NC, Feb. court 1770.

In the name of God Amen. I Thomas Christmas of the Parish of St. Martins in the County of Hanover, being sick and weak of body, but of perfect mind and memory. thanks be given to Almighty God for the same and calling to mind the uncertainty of this vanishing life and being willing to settle my worldly affairs in order, do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following.

I command my soul to God who gave it hoping thru death and merits of Jesus Christ my Savior to be made Partaker of the never fading joys of Immortality at the day of Resurrection and as for what temporal Estate it has pleased God to bestow upon me I give and bequeath the same In manner and form fo11owing, that is to say,

First: I give and bequeath unto my son John Christmas and to him and heirs and assigns forever, one feather bed and furniture, my riding chair and harness one horse names Shaven, also five Negroes (Viz.) Old Peter, Charles, Young Peter, Young Harry and Milly;

Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Paulett to her and to her heirs and assigns forever, one feather bed and furniture, and eight Negroes (Viz.) Matt, Louise, Fanny and her two girls, Jenny and Morning and one boy Stephen, Old Beck and her child Beck;

Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Caty Higgason to her and to her heirs and assigns forever, one feather bed and furniture; also six Negroes (Viz.) Quon, Will, Old Ned, Moses, Rachel and Nan; also all the land I hold on the North side of the road being Part of the track I Purchased of James Flannakin, and also thirty Pounds current money;

Item: I give and bequeath unto my daughter Rachel Chrisholm to her and her heirs and assigns forever, one feather bed and furniture, also eight Negroes (Viz.) Old Harry, Young Ned, Robin, Lucy and her two children, Betty & Rachel also Lidy and Betty.

Item: I give and bequeath unto the children of my son Thomas Christmas, deceased, (Viz.) John, Mary, Thomas, Richard and William Christmas to be equally divided between them and their heirs and assigns forever, at the time William Christmas, the younger shall arrive to the age of sixteen years of age, Six negroes (Viz.) Tom, Dick, Blackman, Moll, Judah and Patt, also three stock of cattle, sheep and working tools which Is now in the Possession of Temperance Christmas, widow of my son Thomas Christmas;

Item: It is my will and desire and accordingly order It so that the estate so as above given to my Grandchildren be immediately after my decease taken in the hands and under the management of my son, John Christmas and his son, Thomas Christmas and by them be divided accordingly as above directed, sooner if they think proper.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my six grandchildren (Viz.) Charles Whitlock, James Whitlock, Mary Jones, Anne Austine, Thomas Whitlock and Nathaniel Whitlock, to them and to their heirs, assigns forever ten pounds current money each.

Item: I give and bequeath unto my five grandchildren (Viz.) John Sanders, Elizabeth Sims, Nancy Sanders, Mary Sanders and Reitta Sanders, to them and to their heirs, assigns forever ten pounds current money each.

Item: I give and bequeath unto John Christmas, son of Elizabeth Paulett, to him and to their heirs, assigns forever twenty pounds current money;

Item: I desire all that tract, parcel of land and plantation whereon I now live, lying on the South side of the road together with all the rest and residue of my Estate of what nature or quality so ever may be sold to the best advantage by my Executors hereafter mentioned and the money arising by such sale to go in discharge of the above Legacies given by me in current money and the over plus to be equally divided between my four children (Viz.) John Christmas, Elizabeth Paulett, Caty Higgason, Rachel Chrisholm, and the children of my son, Thomas Christmas, deceased, who are to be entitled to one fifth part amongst them share and share alike.

Item: It is my will and desire that my estate be not appraised, And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my son, John Christmas and John Higgason Executors of this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void and null all former will or wills heretofore made Confirming this and no other to be my Last Will and Testament. In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the ninth day of December One thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight.

Thomas Christmas [by Mark] [Seal]

Sealed and delivered in the presence of David Anderson, Richard Higgason & John Higgason.

Hanover Co., VA. Sept. 7, 1769. The Last Will and Testament of Thomas Christmas, deceased was offered to proof by John Christmas and John Higgason, the Executors therein named and was proved by the Oath of David Anderson, Richard Higgason and John Higgason the witnesses thereto, and also by Oath of the said Executors, and Ordered to be Recorded. Test: William Pollard C.H.C

As stated above, my line is via the youngest son, Thomas Christmas, II and his wife, Temperance Whitlock. They are my direct ancestors.

My family in Missouri, which share Christmas ancestors with me, are descended from the son Capt. John Christmas, Sr. and his wife Mary Graves. John was a large landowner and captain of the Granville County, North Carolina, militia in 1763. John acquired about ten thousand acres of land in Orange County, North Carolina, and moved there in 1777. In 1778, John received 450 acres on the waters of Little Creek, Orange County, North Carolina. On 9 September 1779, John was issued 117 acres in Warren County, North Carolina, on the waters of Sandy Creek at Nichol’s line. John died in 1783 in Orange County, North Carolina, having lived to see his five oldest sons serve as officers during the American Revolutionary War.

Pictured above is Elizabeth “Eliza” Wilhoit Ellis, the daughter of Francis Moore “Fanny” Christmas and Lewis Willis Wilhoite.

The direct line of ancestors of my family in Missouri, taking the Christmas line as far back to our earliest proven Christmas ancestor:

  1. Henry Christmas and Julia ____.
  2. Thomas Christmas.
  3. John Christmas and Agnes Border.
  4. Richard “Rich” Christmas.
  5. Goodman John Christmas.
  6. Charles Christmas and Mary Cross.
  7. Thomas Cross Christmas and Annie Duke.
  8. Capt. John Christmas, Sr. and Mary Graves.
  9. James Christmas and Elizabeth “Betsy” Courtney.
  10. Frances Moore “Fanny” Christmas and Lewis Willis Wilhoite.
  11. Elizabeth M. “Eliza” Wilhoit (pictured above) and William Michael Ellis.
  12. Eliza Jane Ellis and Benjamin Franklin McElwain.
  13. Eliza Adella Jane McElwain and Matthew Wilson Dugan.
  14. David Gay Dugan and Hester E. Singleton.
  15. Dolores Evonne “Evonne” Dugan and Jack Joe Stevens.

Back to my direct line of ancestors, Thomas Christmas II and Temperance Whitlock.

Thomas Christmas’ will was recorded on 16 November 1768 in Bute County, North Carolina. His executor in Hanover County, Virginia, was John Christmas. His executrix, his wife, Temperance Christmas, posted bond on 16 February 1770, before Benjamin McCulloch, C. C., with Nathan Peebles and Thomas Christmas as security. On 17 February 1770 Temperance returned an estate inventory, and the estate was ordered to be sold by the sheriff. In May 1770, an account of the estate sales was made by Thomas Bridges, Deputy Sheriff.

Temperance Whitlock Christmas’ father, James Whitlock, bequeathed enslaved laborers to Temperance and her mother and sisters. Her father’s probate was in 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia.

Children of Thomas Christmas II and Temperance Whitlock:

  1. John Christmas was born about 1748 in Hanover County, Virginia, and died 29 April 1781 in Warren County, North Carolina. After his father’s death in 1768, John was bound out on 15 November 1769 in Bute County, North Carolina, as an apprentice to Reuben Piles for four years. He was to learn carpentry and house joinery.
  2. Thomas Christmas (III) was born about 1749 in Warren County, North Carolina, and died about 1810 in North Carolina. He married Mary Ann Horn.
  3. Mary Christmas was born about 1751 in St. Martins Parish, Hanover County, Virginia, and died in 1819 in Clark County, Indiana. She married about 1767 in North Carolina, to George Barnes. (My direct ancestors). Mary Christmas, along with her siblings and mother, are listed in the will of her grandfather Thomas Christmas.
  4. Richard Christmas was born 4 January 1764 in Warren County, North Carolina, and died 22 September 1847 in Midland, Muscogee County, Georgia. He married first to Ann Butler, and second to Molley Robinson. (I have DNA matches to their descendants).
  5. William Christmas was born in 1766 in Bridal Creek, Warren County, North Carolina, and died after 1840 in Indiana. He married on 23 May 1790 in Warren County, North Carolina, to Elizabeth Ford Jenkins. (I have several DNA matches to their descendants).

At this point, we lose the Christmas surname, and it becomes Barnes. Mary Christmas, the daughter of Thomas Christmas II and Temperance Whitlock, married George Barnes about 1767 in North Carolina. The parentage of George Barnes is unproven; I continue my research on his family and looking to DNA for some proof of his parentage and family roots.

I need to discuss here that some list Elizabeth Barnes McGuire as the daughter of Brinsley Barnes and Isabella Teague and sometimes try to give him the name Brinsley George Barnes. He was never listed in any record with the name George. We know for sure that Elizabeth was the daughter of George Barnes due to her marriage and other records. Brinsley Barnes and Isabella Teague did have a daughter named Elizabeth Barnes, but she married George Snow. My ancestor was not the daughter of Brinsley Barnes and Isabella Teague.

Others list her as the daughter of George Barnes and Doritje Van der Beek. This George Barnes married Doritje Van der Beek on 12 November 1766 in New York. He died in Richmond, Staten Island, New York in 1821, Doritje was born in Richmond, New York, and died there. This couple NEVER lived in Kentucky or the Carolinas. My ancestor, Elizabeth Barnes McGuire, was not the daughter of this George Barnes of New York.

My ancestor, Elizabeth Barnes McGuire, was the daughter of George Barnes and Mary Christmas.

Children of George Barnes and Mary Christmas:

  1. Elizabeth Barnes was born 18 July 1768 in North Carolina, and died 12 March 1836 in Sellersburg, Clark County, Indiana. She married Francis Marion “Frank” McGuire on 12/20 October 1789 in Bourbon County, Kentucky. They were married by Rev. Andrew McClure. (My direct ancestors).
  2. John Barnes was born about 1772 in North Carolina. He is found living in Bourbon County, Kentucky in the 1800 census. He married Jenny Campbell on 31 May 1797 in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
  3. George Barnes was born about 1774 in North Carolina. He is found living in Clark County, Indiana in 1807, 1809, and 1810, and in Charlestown, Clark, Indiana in the 1820 census. Name of his wife is unknown. He had several children, including Mary Barnes who married Hollister H. Burr on 17 February 1837 in Clark County, Indiana.
  4. Mary Barnes was born about 1780 in North Carolina. She moved with her family to Kentucky. Nothing more is known about her, she may have died as a child.
  5. Temperance Barnes was born about 1785 in Bourbon County, Kentucky and died there before 1793.
  6. Nancy Barnes was born about 1795 in Kentucky. She married John Fleeharty on 9 May 1820 in Clark County, Indiana.
  7. Cassandra Barnes was born about 1798 in Kentucky and died before 1850. She married John F. Demar on 1 December 1824 in Clark County, Indiana.

I believe that the following two men are also probable children of George Barnes and Mary Christmas: Robert Barnes and David Barnes.

Some link Robert Barnes to a Cumberland County, Pennsylvania church record. But also link him as the son of a Thomas Barnes and Gizell ____, but with no records or DNA to back up this parentage.

They also link David Barnes to a Pennsylvania church record. They list him as a son of John Barnes, born in England and married about 1768 in Frederick County, Virginia to Hannah Cartmell, the family, much later, migrated to Licking County, Ohio. John Barnes served in the Revolutionary War supposedly both in Virginia and Ohio. They also link him as being in the War of 1812, but he was in his 70s by then. David Barnes did fight in the War of 1812. I do not find that this John Barnes ever lived in Pennsylvania or Kentucky.

  1. Robert Barnes about 1771. He married Hannah Summers on 28 May 1800 in Bourbon County, Kentucky. They have him as the person in a church confirmation record of 1789 in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. They have him as the Robert Barnes that petitioned to build a gristmill on the south fork of Licking River (in what would become Licking County, Ohio) in May 1799, but he married in Bourbon County, Kentucky and is found living there in 1800. I believe it’s two different men named Robert Barnes.
  2. David Barnes born about 1770. He married Rhoda Dove about 1791 in Kentucky. He is found in the Clark County, Indiana records for 1810 and 1812, and served in the War of 1812 out of Clark County, Indiana. By 1820, he is living in Jennings County, Indiana.
Pictured above is my ancestor, John Louis Doughty, 2nd great-grandson of Mary Christmas and George Barnes.

My direct ancestors, taking the Christmas line as far back as our earliest proven Christmas ancestor:

  1. Henry Christmas and Julia ____.
  2. Thomas Christmas.
  3. John Christmas and Agnes Border.
  4. Richard “Rich” Christmas.
  5. Goodman John Christmas.
  6. Charles Christmas and Mary Cross.
  7. Thomas Cross Christmas and Annie Duke.
  8. Thomas Christmas II and Temperance Whitlock.
  9. Mary Christmas and George Barnes.
  10. Elizabeth Barnes and Francis Marion “Frank” McGuire.
  11. Mary Jane “Jane” McGuire and Rev. John M. Doty/Doughty.
  12. McGuire Doughty and Mary Ann Gooden.
  13. John Lewis Doughty and Cynthia Ann Barrett.
  14. Mary Adalaide “Mame” Doughty and James Francis Fay. (My great-grandparents).

I have numerous Christmas DNA matches. I have listed some of those connections in my above writings. One of my Christmas DNA matches lives in Australia. Her parents were both born in England and migrated to Australia as adults. Her Christmas ancestors are from Cranleigh and Elstead, Surrey, England, which are 7.7 and 9 miles from Guildford and Worplesdon. If you take her Christmas lines back far enough, they intersect with mine.

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit and provide a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

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Wheels – 52 Ancestors 2025: Week 20. My Wheeler Ancestors.

Posted on May 16, 2025 by Anna Kasper, ACDP

This week’s writing prompt is wheels. Although the writing prompt could be taken as being related to transportation, trains, and railroad workers. Those that owned, operated, or worked at a service station, or stories related to ancestors that took road trips. I have chosen to write about my Wheeler ancestors.

Photo above: A wheel being assembled at the wheelwright’s shop at Colonial Williamsburg. The spokes have been driven into the hub, and the fellies, which form the rim, are being added. Image courtesy of the Historic Trades and Skills of Colonial Williamsburg

The surname Wheeler is an English occupational surname, meaning wheelwright or maker of wheels. It originates from the Middle English words wheler and whegheler, ultimately derived from the Old English words for wheel. Wheels were essential in medieval times, and wheelwrights were in high demand. It was given to those who made and repaired cartwheels. While two-wheeled carts were common, four-wheeled wagons and carriages also existed, and even solid wheels were used in some areas.

In the 1600s England, wheels were primarily made of wood and were crucial for various aspects of life, including transportation, agriculture, and domestic industries. Wheelwrights, skilled artisans, crafted these wheels, using materials like oak, ash, and elm, and sometimes bone or horn.

Types of wheels:

  • Wagons and Carts: Early colonists in British North America, including England, relied on wagons and carts for transportation, often importing wheels from England and constructing their own wheel bodies. 
  • Spinning Wheels: Domestic industries, particularly the textile industry, heavily relied on spinning wheels for processing fibers into thread. The great wheel (also called the walking wheel) was a common type for wool spinning. 
  • Agricultural Wheels: Wheels were essential for agricultural machinery like plows and carts used to transport harvests. 
Graphic above is of a Medieval Wheelwright.

“Medieval wheelwrights were the unsung heroes of transportation in their time, crafting sturdy and reliable wheels that kept medieval society on the move. Their skillful craftsmanship played a crucial role in enabling trade, travel, and the functioning of medieval economies.”

— Dr. Richard Jones, Historian of Medieval Crafts and Technology.

We have no records showing that my direct Wheeler ancestors were wheelwrights in their lifetime, but we can deduce that at some point my ancestors were given the surname Wheeler because they were makers of wheels.

I actually have two sets of Wheeler ancestors, both on my maternal side.

The first Wheeler ancestor was my seventh great-grandmother, Sara (Saartje) Wielaar/Wheeler (she married Willem Sluiter/Sluyter), the daughter of Edward (Evert/Edmond) Wheeler (his surname is also listed in Dutch records as Wiler, Wieler, and Wielaar) and Josina Janse (Josyntje) Gardenier.

Although Edward Wheeler married a woman of Dutch ancestry, Josina Janse (Josyntje) Gardenier, and his first name and surname are spelled in a Dutch fashion in church records, he was not Dutch. He was born before 1668 in New England. His marriage record of 13 Oct 1689 in Albany, Albany, New York, states he was from New England. In 1689, “New England” generally referred to the northernmost British colonies in North America, encompassing what is now Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

If he had been born in England, the marriage record would have stated that fact. So, we can assume he was of a Wheeler family that lived in one of the New England states at the time.

Some list him as the son of John Wheeler and Mary Morgen. Others list him as the son of John Wheeler and Sarah Larkin.

John Wheeler and Sarah Larkin did have a son named Edward Wheeler, who was born on 17 July 1669 in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He also died in Concord on 17 February 1733. He married Sarah Merriam on 23 November 1697. This Edward Wheeler is obviously not my ancestor Edward Wheeler.

The second, John Wheeler, was born on 14 March 1627 in Clerkenwell St James, Middlesex, England, and died 16 December 1691 at age 64 in New London, New London, Connecticut. Mary Morgen was his second wife. Not much is known about her. He had a total of eleven children, only two of which are linked to his second wife, Mary Morgen. Records do not show that he had a son named Edward. The parentage of my ancestor Edward Wheeler is unconfirmed, but The Wheeler Family History, published in 1914, and written by Raymond David Wheeler and Gordon Boyce Wheeler, places him as a possible son of John Wheeler (c: 14 Mar 1627 in Clerkenwell, St. James, Middlesex, England) who immigrated to the British American Colonies.

Some list him as baptized 17 April 1663 in Evesham, Worcestershire, England, as the son of an Edward Wheeler, but I have seen no documentation for this connection. As well as the fact that he was born in New England.

The parentage of my ancestor Edward Wheeler remains unproven and unknown. Based on his Dutch church marriage record located in the Dutch settlement of Albany, it stated he was from New England. This is typically assumed to indicate the person’s place of birth, suggesting that he was born to English parents in New England.

Photo of Medieval woman spinning wool on spinning wheel. Photo by Hans Splinter.

My second Wheeler ancestor is my tenth great-grandmother Hannah (Anna) Wheeler. She was baptized on 15 February 1618 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England. She married in New England to James Bennett. They lived in Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

Hannah Wheeler was the daughter of Thomas Wheeler and Ann Halsey. Thomas Wheeler, Sr., was born about 1590. He was called “eldest son” in his father’s will. He married on 5 May 1613 at Cranfield, to Ann Halsey. They settled in Concord, Massachusetts, and then migrated to Fairfield, Connecticut, where they both died, he in 1654 and she in 1659.

Thomas Wheeler, Sr., was the son of Thomas Wheeler the elder and his first wife (name unknown). His father Thomas Wheeler, the Elder, was also known as Thomas Wheeler of Bourne End. He lived in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England.

Thomas Wheeler was frequently called either “the Elder” or “of Bourne End” in the records of Cranfield. This was to distinguish him from his oldest son, Thomas Wheeler, who was referred to as “of Wharley.” There was also a third Thomas Wheeler baptizing children in Cranfield at the same time who was referred to as Thomas Wheeler of the Town End or “of Austen Allen”.

In his father Thomas’ will, he received a bequest as ‘my eldest son Thomas’ as there was a second son Thomas, referred to in the will as ‘my youngest son.’  The father was “of the Blake Howse” when he wrote his will but was formerly referred to as “of Wharley (End)” earlier in life when he lived there. The son Thomas, the eldest son, was then also known as “of Wharley End” before he emigrated to British Colonial America.

Thomas Wheeler the elder, was a yeoman of Bourne End, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, and was born about 1560-65, probably at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, where he lived and died. He was probably the son of John Wheeler of Cranfield (who made his will 9 February 1566/7 and died shortly thereafter) and Alice ____.

Photo from Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire.

In the 1600s, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, was a relatively small, rural village with a strong agricultural foundation. Its economy was largely reliant on farming, particularly sheep farming, which was a major industry in the region. The village was known for its abundance of wool and was a significant contributor to the local and national wool trade

Our Wheeler ancestry goes back to at least 1399 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England.

Thomas (the elder) lived variously at Warley or Wharley End, and “Borneend”. In the survey of 1623 he had 29 acres, consisting of homesite of 7 1/4 with “Ley close adjoyning”, Grove Close of 2 1/2 acres, over 4 3/4 acres of “The Brache”, and 14 1/4 acres “Tadd Croft and Tyn Meade.” He also held lands from the Manor of Redlands. His will mentions Bourne End House (nearby to Washingley Manor House and Hill Green Farm depicted in 1765 on Jeffrey’s map of Bedfordshire as a mansion house, and the most impressive building at Bourne End).

Thomas Wheeler probably married twice. Evidence for the two marriages are two surviving sons both named Thomas (called Sr. and Jr. in later records to differentiate them) and children born over a period of about thirty years. Thomas appears to have married first to an unknown named wife, and his second wife was mentioned in his will as Rebecca. (1)

He was buried at Cranfield on 11 Feb. 1634/5 (from Bedfordshire Parish Registers) as Thomas Wheeler “of the blakehowse”. He left a will naming his wife Rebecca and eleven children. (1)

About 1637, five of Thomas’s sons, namely Thomas, Sr., Timothy, Joseph, Ephraim, and Thomas, Jr., and two of their sisters, Elizabeth and Susannah, emigrated to New England and settled in the Concord, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

My first direct Wheeler ancestry:

  1. Edward Wheeler and Josina Janse (Josyntje) Gardenier.
  2. Sara (Saartje) Weiler/Wheeler and Willem Sluiter/Sluyter.
  3. Edward Sluyter and Lea Van Schuyven.
  4. Sara (Saartje) Sluyter and Roelof Litts/Lits.
  5. Lea Litts and John (Johann) Greatsinger.
  6. Hannah Elizabeth Greatsinger and David M. Prindle, Sr.
  7. Daniel Prindle and Sarah Jane “Jennie” Doman.
  8. Anna Cora Prindle and Joseph Edward Cole. (my great-grandparents).

My second direct Wheeler ancestry:

  1. John Wheeler and Alice ____.
  2. Thomas Wheeler (the elder) and first wife.
  3. Thomas Wheeler, Sr. and Ann Halsey.
  4. Hannah Wheeler and James Bennett.
  5. Thomas Bennett, Sr. and Elizabeth Thompson.
  6. Thomas Bennett and Sarah Hubbard.
  7. Deliverance Bennett and Mary Briggs.
  8. Eunice Bennett and Stephen Gray.
  9. Sarah Gray and David Canfield, Jr.
  10. Esther Canfield and Amos Prindle.
  11. David M. Prindle, Sr. and Hannah Elizabeth Greatsinger. (see #6 in first direct Wheeler ancestry list).

Famous kin of Thomas Wheeler, Sr. and Ann Halsey:

Above is the Stockholm police wanted poster for Dr. Crippen and his mistress Ethel Le Neve.

Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen. He was an American physician hanged for the London murder of his wife Cora Henrietta Turner (aka the actress Belle Elmore). Crippen is said to be Britain’s second most infamous criminal after Jack the Ripper and the first suspect captured with the aid of wireless telegraphy when he and his mistress, who was disguised as a boy, fled across the Atlantic from England to Canada. The ship’s Captain recognized the fugitives and wired the British authorities who then sent a messenger on a faster ship to notify Canadian authorities who apprehended the pair. Unknown to the pair of fugitives, the trans-Atlantic chase was followed by millions of people via the newspapers. Crippen is the subject of author Erik Larson’s book Thunderstruck. He was descended from Hannah Wheeler and James Bennett.

There has been some forensic work done in the early 2000s, that seems to prove that he did not kill his wife. DNA has shown that she was not the body found; it was actually a male. You may read more about this at Who Was Hawley Crippen – S8 Ep3: Executed in Error. Also, at the time of his trial, there was a letter sent to him that was supposed to be from her, showing that she was alive and well and living in America at the time. His guilt is still an unsettled matter. His relations today want his name cleared. The courts in the UK have refused so far to accept the new evidence.

Other famous kin include singer and songwriter Harry Chapin. Singer, songwriter and actress Fergie. Mayflower Madam Sydney Biddle Barrows. 21st Governor of Connecticut John Treadwell. Founder of the Mormon Church Joseph Smith. 8th Prime Minister of Canada Sir Robert Laird Borden. 46th Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney. Actress Kyra Sedgwick.

I do not know of any famous kin descended from Edward Wheeler and Josina Janse (Josyntje) Gardenier. Although via the Gardenier lines, we were related to Hannah Hoes Van Buren, the wife of the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren.

References:

  1. Threlfall, John Brooks, 50 Great Migration Colonists to New England and Their Origins. (Madison, WI, 1990): pages 504-508. FamilySearch.

To learn more about the occupation of Wheelwright:

  1. Medieval Britain – Discover Britain’s Castles, Kings, and Chronicles. Medieval Wheelwright.
  2. Wheelwright – Wikipedia.
  3. Re-Inventing the Wheel: Wheelwrighting at Colonial Williamsburg. Material Matters. Winterthur Program in American Material Culture.

To learn more about Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England:

  1. Parish History. A short history of Cranfield, Bedfordshire. Cranfield Parish Council.
  2. Cranfield – Wikipedia.
  3. Cranfield History, tourist information, and nearby accommodations. Britain Express. Passionate about British Heritage.

To learn more about Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen:

  1. The notorious case of Dr Crippen. By John J Eddleston. The History Press.
  2. Was Dr Crippen innocent of his wife’s murder? BBC News.
  3. Review: Dr Crippen’s victims revisited. scottishlegal.com.
  4. Hawley Harvey Crippen. Wikipedia.

If you’d like to learn more about the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project, please visit here:

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.

Or join the Facebook group Generations Cafe.

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit and provide a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

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Surname Saturday. My Moore Ancestors from the Isle of Man, Who Settled in Perquimans County, North Carolina.

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Anna Kasper, ACDP

My seventh great-grandmother, Sarah Moore, was a Quaker. She was born about 1721 in Perquimans, North Carolina, and died 15 April 1791 in South Carolina. She married fellow Quaker, Thomas Lamb, on 1 October 1746 in Perquimans, North Carolina.

This is on my paternal side. My fifth great-grandmother, granddaughter of Sarah Moore and Thomas Lamb, was Mary Ann “Polly” Lamb, who married Samuel Doty.

Sarah Moore was the daughter of Robert Moore and Hannah Manwaring. Hannah Manwaring was the daughter of Stephen Manwaring and Hannah Voss.

On 7 April 2026, I updated this blog post with new information and corrections to the parentage of our Robert Moore from the Isle of Man.

In the past, many people have linked Robert Moore as being the son of William Moore and Elizabeth McBride, and giving his place of birth as Southwark, Surrey, England, even though William Moore was not from Southward. Actually, William Moore was part of another Moore family living in Perquimans, North Carolina.

William Moore left a detailed will, and he does not list a son named Robert Moore. Nor does Robert Moore mention, in his will, any of the names that are linked to the proven children, grandchildren and other descendants of William Moore.

The glaring mistake here was not using the records that we do have about Robert Moore’s origins. In several historical sources, it clearly states that Robert Moore was from the Isle of Man, set sail from there with Rev. Richard Marsden and they came together to North Carolina in 1706.

These two sources, which are well-respected in their research, state our Robert Moore, who migrated to North Carolina, was from the Isle of Man and came from there to North Carolina with Rev. Richard Marsden:  

  1. Smith, Alice Whitley, and Casey Thigpen (ed.). The Thigpen Tribe. Yanceyville, NC: Private Publishing, 1961, Rev. 1963, p. 29.
  2. Mrs. Winslow, Watson. History of Perquimans County, As Compiled from Records Found There and Elsewhere. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Co., 1931, p. 384.

Rev. Richard Marsden is an interesting character. JSTOR has written a journal article about him entitled Richard Marsden, Wayward Clergyman. He was an Anglican clergyman who traveled several times between the UK and the British American Colonies. He was born in Hornsea, Yorkshire, England.

Robert Moore was baptized on 7 November 1686 in Malew, Isle of Man.

Malew is one of the seventeen parishes of the Isle of Man. It is located in the south of the Island (part of the traditional South Side division) in the sheading of Rushen.

He was the son of Robert Moore (the elder) and Cathrine Quiddy. The parentage of Robert Moore (the elder) is unproven. There is much confusion about several men named Robert Moore that lived in this area in the Isle of Man at the same time. See the image below for a breakdown of the three men named Robert Moore that are mixed up and merged together by many in their family trees.

Moore is a common name in Ireland, Scotland, and the North of England, as well as in the Isle of Man. More was the usual form of the surname till the end of the 16th century. Of Gaelic/Manx origin, Moar, the name for a collector of manorial rents on the Isle of Man.

In a listing of Manx surnames by occurrences in the 1881 census of the Isle of Man, there were a total of 944 people with the name.

Isle of Man Landscapes – Bringing the Outdoors, Indoors. Photography by Colin Russell

Cathrine Quiddie, her surname is on occasion listed as Cuddie, was the daughter of Nicholas Quiddy and Jane Fargher. Known children of Nicholas Quiddy and Jane Fargher:

  1. Catherine Quiddie born about 1649-1651 in Malew, she married Robert Moore in 1673, and died 4 Oct 1686 in Malew, Isle of Man.
  2. Thomas Quiddy, baptized 1653 in Malew.
  3. John Quiddy, baptized 1654 in Malew.
  4. Margrett Quiddy, baptized 1656 in Malew.

The earliest surviving parish register for Kirk Malew is a parchment-bound volume containing baptisms, marriages, and burials starting in 1649 and continuing until 1705. But the original 1649 register is described as being in a very dilapidated condition with crumbling pages that are extremely difficult to handle without causing further damage. Malew baptisms beginning in 1652 are the start of more legible records. This is why I have been unable to locate the baptism record for Cathrine Quiddie.

Quiddie is an uncommon and rare Manx surname. In The Surnames and Place-Names of the Isle of Man by A.W. Moore he writes regarding the surname Quiddie. I have paraphrased what he wrote:

The presence of MacQuiddie in the 1511 Manorial Roll and Cuddie/Quddie/Quiddy by 1653 and identifying the name as obsolete or extinct by the time of the writing of the book in 1890. He traces the origin of the surname to McGillicuddy, a shortened form of the Gaelic Mac Giolla Mochuda, meaning “son of the servant of St. Mochuda”. He identifies St. Mochuda as the Bishop of Lismore and Abbot of Raithin who died in A.D. 636.

MacQuiddie was concentrated in the northern parishes of the island by the early 16th century. Key figures recorded in the Manorial Rolls include: Donald MacQuiddie (or MacQuyd): Found in the northern division (1515), specifically associated with the parishes of Andreas or Bride. Gilbert MacQuiddie (MacQuyd): Also recorded in the northern parishes, representing the early agricultural landholders of that line.

Historically, the MacQuiddie name and its variants are deeply rooted in the Northern Division of the island, particularly in Andreas and Bride.

Southern Migration: By the time of my Catherine Quiddy and Nicholas Quiddy in the mid-1600s, a small branch had moved south into Malew, but their ancestral origins from the 1511 rolls remain firmly in the north.

The surname, already quite rare, disappears from Isle of Man records well before the mid-1700s.

The Manx cat is a breed of domestic cat that originates on the Isle of Man, with a mutation that shortens the tail. When I was a child, I had a gray Manx cat named Chablis that we called Chebbie.

The Isle of Man is in the middle of the Irish Sea at the center of the British Isles. It is 33 miles (53km) long and 13 miles (22km) wide at its broadest point, with a total land area of 227 square miles (572 square km).

Large-scale immigration from Ireland in the fifth century AD sparked the island’s Gaelicisation, when Irish missionaries following the teaching of St. Patrick began settling on the island. As shown by Ogham inscriptions, and the Manx language emerged. It is a Goidelic language that shares a strong relationship with Scottish and Irish Gaelic. (2)

The Isle of Man was not directly affected by the upheaval of Celtic “Iron Age” civilization brought about by the Roman conquest of Britain from 43 to around 410 A.D., and a Roman naval presence in the Irish Sea might have even had a stabilizing effect. Manx civilization barely changed until the Vikings arrived in the area in 800 A.D., except for the introduction of a new religion, Christianity. (2)

The Anglo-Saxon King Edwin of Northumbria conquered Man in the seventh century, and he thereafter invaded Ireland from Man. It’s unclear how much of an impact the Northumbrians had on Man, but relatively few place names in Man have Old English roots.

At the end of the eighth century, Vikings arrived. They created Tynwald and made other territorial divides that are still in place today. In the Treaty of Perth in 1266, King Magnus VI of Norway gave the islands to King Alexander III of Scotland. However, it wasn’t until the Manx were vanquished in the Battle of Ronaldsway, close to Castletown, in 1275 that Scottish authority over Man was solidified.

In 1399, the island was placed under the feudal dominion of the English Crown following a period of alternate governance by the Kings of England and Scotland. Although the island did not join the Kingdom of Great Britain in the 18th century or its successors, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland or the current United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the lordship was returned to the British Crown in 1765. Its internal self-government has never been lost. The first national legislature in the world to provide women the right to vote in a general election was the Isle of Man Parliament in Tynwald in 1881, albeit married women were not granted this privilege. (4)

Map of Isle of Man

I have many paternal DNA matches to others with ancestry from the Isle of Man. The parentage of Robert Moore, the elder, is unproven. Based on my DNA matches, it is likely that I am descended from the surname Christian in the Isle of Man.

If you want to learn more about my Lamb/Moore and Doty ancestors, click on the surnames.

My direct line:

  1. Nicholas Quiddy and Jane Fargher.
  2. Cathrine Quiddie and Robert Moore.
  3. Robert Moore and Hannah Manwaring.
  4. Sarah Moore and Thomas Lamb.
  5. John Lamb and Prudence Featherstone.
  6. Mary Ann “Polly” Lamb and Samuel Doty.
  7. Rev. John M Doughty / Doty and Mary Jane “Jane” McGuire.
  8. McGuire Doughty and Mary Ann Gooden.
  9. John Louis Doughty and Cynthia Ann Barrett.
  10. Mary Adalaide “Mame” Doughty and James Francis Fay. (My great-grandparents).

References:

  1.  Celtic Farmers – gov.im. Isle of Man government. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  2. Magnus 3 Olavsson Berrføtt – Norsk biografisk leksikon. Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). 28 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013.
  3. Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man: Adult suffrage. Tynwald.org.im. 2017. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2025.

To learn more about the Isle of Man:

  1. Traditional & Cultural. Visit Isle of Man. visitisleofman.com
  2. 5 Fascinating Facts About the Culture of the Isle of Man. visitisleofman.com
  3. Isle of Man. historic-uk.com

To learn more about the Manx Cat:

  1. The history and ‘tails’ of the Manx Breed. A brief history. manxcatcafe.co.uk
  2. Manx Cat | The History, Traits, and Care. July 6, 2024. felinefancy.co.uk

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit and provide a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

Posted in Genealogy, Religious | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Surname Saturday: My Wentworth Ancestors of Colonial Virginia, Maryland & Yorkshire, England. Our Kin Barbara Wentworth & Robert Holgate, Archbishop of York.

Posted on March 16, 2025 by Anna Kasper, ACDP
Graphic above is Gateway Ancestors. Artwork from bookThe Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan with illustrations by Laurel Long.

Many describe our Wentworth ancestors as Gateway Ancestors, meaning a direct link to being descended from royalty. This is partly true, via a female line some generations back that leads to being descended from King John I of England. I would consider our direct Wentworth ancestors to be more royalty adjacent.

The members of the Wentworth family of both the U.S. and Australia are descended from Thomas Wentworth, who died in 1522 in Yorkshire, England, and Jane, the daughter of Sir Oliver Mirfield.

The American Wentworth branch of New Hampshire is descended from Thomas’ son Oliver. The Wentworth branch of Virginia and Maryland, and the Australian Wentworths, are descended from another son, Roger. My line is via the son Roger Wentworth and his wife Elizabeth Wentworth, who were kin.

Roger Wentworth’s wife Elizabeth was the daughter of John Wentworth, Gentleman of Pontefract (Pomfret), who had 40 acres in Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire. Her father died when she was 13 years old. It is a 2.5-mile distance between Pontefract and Ferrybridge. Thomas Wentworth, of North Elmsall, West Yorkshire, Esquire, became her guardian and married her to his second son, Roger.

The land in Ferbrigg (Ferrybridge), consisting of forty acres, was held by John Wentworth under a system of knight-service, meaning he owed military service to the king in exchange for the land.

When John Wentworth died, the land reverted to the crown, as it was held by knight-service. King Henry VII, instead of simply taking the land, seized it in fee, meaning he took ownership of the land and its associated rights. Elizabeth, John Wentworth’s daughter and heir, was thirteen years old at the time. Henry VII also took Elizabeth into his fee, meaning he took control of her and her inheritance, including the land.

The Wentworth family was a prominent American political family, mostly based in the British colonies and later the U.S. states of New Hampshire, Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Sarah Wentworth is my paternal 9th great-grandmother. Many list her as born in Virginia, but she was born in Yorkshire, England, prior to the family coming to Colonial America. She was born about 1645, and died about 1700 in Stafford County, Virginia. She married in Charles County, Maryland to Daniel Mathena (Matheny), who was born at Bossenden Farm near Canterbury in County Kent, England. He died at his Hope Plantation in Stafford County, Virginia.

There is much written about my Mathena (Matheny) ancestors in Colonial America, England, and France. He was the son of William Matheny, the great-grandson of a Huguenot refugee from Flanders. I intend to fully write about him and his ancestry in the future.

Daniel Mathena went to Charles County, Maryland, where he acquired Portowne, Wentworth-Woodhouse, Fernes, Mathena’a Folly, and Cowland plantations in Charles County. He acquired Wentworth-Woodhouse from his father-in-law, Thomas Wentworth. In 1681, Daniel Mathena became embroiled in an early Protestant uprising against Lord Baltimore’s dominated Catholic government in Colonial Maryland. He was given a choice to leave Maryland or stand trial. He left to avoid prosecution for his part in the rebellion. He, with Sarah and the rest of the family, moved to present-day Stafford County, Virginia and to Hope Plantation on Aquia Creek, where he farmed tobacco.

Daniel Mathena and Sarah Wentworth had the following children:

  1. Mary Matheny was born in 1663 at Mathenia’s Folly in Charles County, Maryland, and died in 1679 at Mathenia’s Folly in Charles County, Maryland.
  2. Susannah Matheny was born 11 January 1664 at Mathenia’s Folly in Charles County, Maryland, and died 8 June 1708 in Stafford County, Virginia. She married first to Solomon Day, and second to John Davis. (She and husband John Davis are my direct ancestors).
  3. Sarah Matheny was born in 1668 in Charles County, Maryland, and died in 1679 in Charles County, Maryland.
  4. Elizabeth Matheny was born 1671 in Charles County, Maryland, and died 1674.
  5. William Wentworth Matheny was born about 1665 in Charles County, Maryland, and died 12 December 1705 at Hope Plantation, Stafford County, Virginia. He married Frances, widow of Richard Mason.
  6. Daniel Mathena, Jr., was born in 1674 in Charles County, Maryland, and died about 1750 in Maryland or Virginia.
Pictured above is the tombstone for Daniel Mathena (Matheny)

Daniel and Sarah are both buried in the Aquia Episcopal Church Cemetery in Aquia, Stafford County, Virginia.

Sarah Wentworth was the daughter of Thomas Wentworth, a descendent of the Wentworth-Woodhouse (Wodehouse) families of England, and Isabell Joynson. Her father, a Gentleman, was of Wentworth’s Rest and Wentworth-Woodhouse Plantations in Charles County, Maryland. Daniel Mathena and Thomas Wentworth were neighbors.

Photo above is of the Church of St. Martin in Womersley.

There are two marriage records found for Thomas Wentworth. He marries Isabell (incorrectly transcribed as Scott) Joynson on 7 November 1643 at the Church of St. Martin in Womersley. Womersley is about 5 miles from South Kirkby, where he was born, and he would have been 18 years old.

The parentage of Isabell Joynson is taken from the burial record of her brother named Henry Joynson, the baptism record of her brother Henry Johnson, and the baptism record of her sister Judith Johnson. All the records list them as the children of William Joynson of Smeaton (Kirk Smeaton). Kirk Smeaton is about 3 miles from Womersley.

It’s far from easy to read the handwriting in these Womersley church records from the Tudor era. Those attempting to transcribe the records read Isabell as Scott, but when I viewed the church record and researched handwriting styles of this period, her name is clearly listed as Isabell Joynson.

They listed Henry Joynson as Judaby! Once again, when I viewed the church record, it took me a while to realize that it said Henry. I knew Judaby was incorrect.

Also, in the Judith Johnson baptism record they list her as Indith. I was able to see pretty quickly that it was Judith.

William Joynson had at least five children:

  1. Isabell Joynson was born about 1627 in Kirk Smeaton, Yorkshire, and died before January 1658 at Womersley, Yorkshire. She married Thomas Wentworth on 7 November 1643 at the Church of St. Martin in Womersley, Yorkshire.
  2. Henry Joynson was born about 1630 in Kirk Smeaton, Yorkshire, and buried 7 June 1641 in the churchyard of St. Martin in Womersley, Yorkshire.
  3. Judith Johnson was baptized 20 September 1635 at the Church of St. Martin in Womersley, Yorkshire.
  4. Henry Johnson was baptized 21 July 1641 at the Church of St. Martin in Womersley, Yorkshire.
  5. Elizabeth Joynson, spinster, was buried 11 January 1668 in the churchyard of St. Martin in Womersley, Yorkshire.

Willliam Joynson may have been related to:

  1. James Johnson, who married Ann Kirby on 27 September 1661 at the Church of St. Martin in Womersley, Yorkshire.
  2. Thomas Johnson, who married Anne Sate on 14 November 1661 at the Church of St. Martin in Womersley, Yorkshire. This Thomas Johnson may have been the Thomas who was the schoolmaster at Kildwick, Yorkshire.

Isabell Joynson, wife of Thomas Wentworth, would have been the mother of our ancestor Sarah Wentworth Mathena. Isabell dies before January 1658 when Thomas Wentworth marries second to Elizabeth Hodgson at the Church of St. Martin in Womersley. This second wife would have been the one to come to Colonial Virginia with him.

Thomas Wentworth was christened on 13 September 1625 at All Saints in South Kirkby, Yorkshire, England. He was the son of Richard Wentworth and Anne Holgate. He was born into a cadet branch of the ancient Wentworth family. Anne Holgate was baptized on 27 January 1603 at Royston, Yorkshire, England, as the daughter of Henry Hoalgate (Holgate). Based on her baptism record it shows that Henry Holgate lived in Grimethorpe. The name of the wife of Henry Holgate is unknown, some link him as being married to a woman named Mary Walker, but I have not seen any church records or other documentation to link her conclusively as being married to Henry Holgate of Grimethorpe, Yorkshire, England. Although, it is a possibility. She may be the Mary Walker baptized on 6 February 1585 in Kildwick, Yorkshire, England, as the daughter of George Walker and Jeneta ____.

Henry Holgate was baptized 17 November 1582 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England, and died 18 March 1657 in Grimethorpe, Yorkshire, England. He was the son of John Holgate.

Some list Henry Holgate as the son of John Holgate and Ellena Specke. This is not possible for John was only twelve years old when the marriage of this couple took place. Johannes (John) Holgat married Ellena Specke on 18 May 1561 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. He was most-likely kin.

Our John Holgate married Grace Normanton on 6 November 1570 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

They had at least one child, a daughter, named Mary Holgate. She was baptized 1 February 1573 at Halifax, Yorkshire, England, and buried 15 November 1595 at St. John the Baptist churchyard in Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

Grace Normanton Holgate would have died prior to him marrying again in 1576.

Johne Holgate married Margaret Vicars on 1 July 1576 at St John the Baptist, Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

We know that Margaret Vicars was the daughter of Edmund Vicars of Birstall, Yorkshire, England. Margaret was baptized 1 December 1540 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. This makes Margaret aged thirty-five when she married.

Only the name of the father is listed in the baptism records, so I am assuming his wife Margaret Vicars was the mother of all these children. John Holgate had the following children:

  1. Michaell Holgate baptized August 1577 at St. John the Baptist Church Halifax, Yorkshire, England. He married Sara Cheetam on 13 April 1607 at St. John the Baptist Church Halifax, Yorkshire, England.
  2. Prudence Holgate baptized 11 August 1577 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. She died 11 November 1632 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England.
  3. John Holgate baptized 14 September 1579 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England, and was buried 10 January 1619/1620 at St Peter’s, Birstall, Yorkshire, England. He married Elizabeth Roods on 4 July 1604 at St Peter’s Church, Birstall Yorkshire, England.
  4. Susan Holgate who married Isaac Wilson on 15 May 1611 at St. John the Baptist Church, Halifax, Yorkshire, England. She died 11 November 1632 in Overton, Yorkshire, England. As adults, most of her children migrated to Colonial Massachusetts.
  5. Henry Holgate baptized on 17 November 1582 at St. John the Baptist Church Halifax, Yorkshire, England. He died 18 March 1657 at Grimethorpe, Yorkshire, England. His wife’s name may have been Mary Walker.
  6. Grace Holgate baptized 27 February 1585 at St. John the Baptist Church Halifax, Yorkshire, England.
  7. Sara Holgate baptized 27 February 1586 at St. John the Baptist Church, Halifax, Yorkshire, England. She married James Wilkinson on 13 Oct 1618 at St. John the Baptist Church, Halifax, Yorkshire, England.
  8. Ester Holgate baptized 3 November 1588 at St. John the Baptist Church, Halifax, Yorkshire, England.

Back to our Wentworth ancestors. Thomas Wentworth was christened on 13 September 1625 at All Saints in South Kirkby, Yorkshire, England. He was the son of Richard Wentworth and Anne Holgate.

Richard Wentworth was the son of Sir William Wentworth, Sr. and Margaret Hales.

“Sir William Wentworth of South Kirkby Son & Heir of Sir Thomas Wentworth Marryed Margaret Daughter of Sir Alex’r Hales and had issue Sir Thomas, Richard, Michael, Hugh, Ann Marryed to John Rayes Esqe and Eliz marryed to Thomas Horncastle Esqe“. (1)

Sir William Wentworth was the son of Sir Thomas Wentworth (II) and his wife Ursula Swinnowe. Ursula Swinnowe was the daughter of John Swinhow.

“Sir Thomas Wentworth of South Kirkby Marryed Ursula Daughter of John Swinowe Esqe and had issue, Sir William & John, Thomas, & Dorothy Marryed to Mr Bolton, Frances to Mr. Hewett“. (1)

Sir Thomas Wentworth (II) was the son of Sir Thomas Wentworth (I) and Elizabeth Flinthill, the daughter of Edward Flinthill.

“Sir Thomas Wentworth of South Kirkby Son, Heir of Roger Wentworth Marryed Eliz Daughter & Heir of Sir William Flinthill and had issue Sir Thomas, Roger, Christopher, Hugh and Alice Marryed to John Barker Esqe, Isabel Marryed to Thomas Fliteholle Esqe“. (1)

Sir Thomas Wentworth (I) was the son of Roger Wentworth and his wife, Elizabeth Wentworth. At the beginning of this post, I discussed the relationship between Roger Wentworth and his wife Elizabeth Wenworth, who were kin to each other.

“Roger Wentworth of South Kirkby, Esqe, Second Son of Sir Thomas Wentworth of North Elmshall Marryed Eliz Daughter and sole heir of Mr John Wentworth of Poulepott and had issue Thomas, William, John, Henry & Isabel, Marryed to Lione Portington of Barnybydunn Esqe, Eliz Marryed to Sir Nicholas Fitzwilliams of Bently near Doncaster“. (2)

Roger Wentworth, Esq. was the second son of Sir Thomas Wentworth of North Elmsall, England, and Jane Mirfield (daughter and eventual posthumous co-heiress of Oliver Mirfield of Howley by his wife Isabel Savile).

Sir Thomas Wentworth was the son of John Wentworth, Esq. of North Elmsall, England and Joan Calverley.

It is at this point, with our ancestor Joan Calverley, that our line becomes directly descended from English Royalty.

She was the daughter of Walter Calverley and Elizabeth Markenfield (the daughter of Sir Thomas Markenfield and Beatrice Sotehill).

Above is the wax figure of John I, King of England found at Potter’s Wax Museum in St. Augustine, Florida.

My family line going back to King John I of England, is as follows:

  1. Beatrice Sotehill and Sir Thomas Markenfield.
  2. Henry Sotehill and Eleanor Moseley.
  3. Sir Henry Sotehill and Joan FitzWilliam.
  4. Sir William FitzWilliam and Maude de Cromwell.
  5. Sir Ralph Cromwell and Maud de Bernacke.
  6. Sir John Bernacke and Joan Marmion.
  7. Sir John Marmion and Maud de Furnival.
  8. Sir John Marmion and Isabel _____.
  9. Sir William Marmion and Lora de Dover.
  10. Rose (Rohese) de Dover and Sir Richard FitzRoy.
  11. King John I of England and his mistress Adela De Warenne.

King John I and his mistress Adela De Warenne were related. She was his half-first cousin. Being descended from this couple does make us related to many, many people, including royalty, historical figures, politicians, etc.

The above photo is Tudor Woman With A Candle by Lee Avison

The scandalous Barbara Wentworth. She was a sister to our ancestor, Thomas Wentworth. Both were the children of Roger Wentworth and Elizabeth Wentworth. I discussed Roger and Elizabeth earlier. Roger’s father, Thomas Wentworth, became the guardian of Elizabeth at age 13 after her father, John Wentworth, died, and he married her to his second son, Roger Wentworth.

Being from a cadet branch of the Wentworth family, Barbara’s family were considered of the minor nobility during the Tudor era.

When she was five years old, her parents arranged for her to be married to Anthony Norman, who was seven years old. Thereafter, the couple lived with Barbara’s parents.

Once Barbara reached the age of twelve, it was considered to be the age of consent for marriage to a Tudor woman. At the time, she stated that she would never accept Anthony as her husband. According to witnesses, her relations tried to persuade her to accept Anthony as her husband. She was not convinced despite the pleas from her family and expressed she could not “fynde it in hir harte to love hym.” It was said that some saw Anthony try to kiss her occasionally after returning from travels, but she always rejected his attempts.

When Barbara was about twenty-three years old, in 1549, she tried to have the marriage annulled. We can reasonably conclude that her reasons were because she wanted to marry someone else.

Documents regarding this case are available to read at York, including witness statements. Her husband, Anthony, fought against having the marriage annulled. His own witnesses aim to prove that the “lowe pepill” of the area considered them to be man and wife, and that they had lived together under the same roof up until five years prior.

The actual judgement documents are not available and have been lost to time, but the laws at the time were generally accepted to mean that marriages conducted between children were not valid unless both parties consented upon reaching the age majority and the union must have been consummated. The documents show that once Barbara was old enough, she did not consent to the marriage, and that it was not consummated.

A few months later, in January 1550, Barbara remarried, so we can conclude that her marriage to Anthony was deemed invalid. It appears that her new groom would have been able to know of the verdict and would not have taken her to be his wife, if he believed she was still legally married to Anthony. After all, the banns were called, and the marriage was performed in public.

The marriage banns were read at Adwick-le-Street in Christmas week 1549 for Barbara’s marriage to Robert Holgate, Archbishop of York, and evidently no objections were made. The wedding was at Bishopthorpe (where the Archbishops of York officially resided) on 15th January 1550.

The Church of England under the reign of Edward VI had no requirement for celibacy. He was aged sixty-eight when the marriage took place. He was old enough to be her grandfather!

We also have a connection to the Holgate family of Archbishop Robert Holgate. Our ancestor Thomas Wentworth, brother of Barbara Wentworth, had a great-grandson, Richard Wentworth, who married Anne Holgate.

We know that our ancestor Anne Holgate was baptized on 27 January 1603 at Royston, Yorkshire, England, as the daughter of Henry Hoalgate (Holgate). In Dugdale’s Visitation of Yorkshire, it shows that her father, Henry Holgate, was of Grimethorpe, Yorkshire. The distance between where Henry lived in Grimethorpe and where his daughter was baptized at Royston is 4.9 miles.

Archbishop Robert Holgate was born about 1482 in Hemsworth, Yorkshire. He was the son of Thomas Holgate and Elizabeth Champernon.

Hemsworth is 4.8 miles from Grimethorpe. There was a distant kinship between Archbishop Robert Holgate, and our ancestor, Anne Holgate Wentworth. She was born one-hundred and twenty-one years after the birth of the Archbishop.

Pictured above is Archbishop Robert Holgate.

It’s difficult to gauge Barbara’s feelings about marrying someone old enough to be her grandfather. During the entire resulting scandal, only the perspectives of the men are expressed. We can only make assumptions about Barbara’s thoughts. We might conclude that the marriage was likely her decision, since she initiated the annulment of her marriage to Anthony Norman in order to marry Archbishop Holgate.

The reasons why Archbishop Holgate wanted to marry are known. He married in order to prove his Protestantism to the skeptical Duke of Northumberland.

Her family appears to have been quite upset regarding the situation. It is impossible to determine if their anger stemmed from her annulment with Anthony or her union with the Archbishop. This period in England was one of significant upheaval, and not everyone supported the notion that clergy could abandon their vow of celibacy.

Barbara’s father’s will, created in 1551 just after her marriage to the Archbishop, does not mention her at all, as he bequeaths all his assets to his other three children. Nevertheless, her brother seems to have maintained a connection with her, as his own will names her as an executor.

It is rumored that Barbara had two children with the Archbishop, but there is no evidence to support this claim. This is not uncommon, as births were seldom recorded unless the child belonged to the highest ranks of the nobility. In 1558, a Robert Holgate from Yorkshire entered Christ’s College, Cambridge. He may have been a son of Robert Holgate and Barbara Wentworth.

Their lifestyle appears to have been quite comfortable. The archbishop was influential and affluent, suggesting that Barbara enjoyed the privileges of a noblewoman, including luxurious clothing, exquisite cuisine, and numerous servants at her service. The inventories of the Archbishop revealed lavish items such as Turkish carpets, beds filled with down feathers, and gold dishes among their luxuries.

Two years following the marriage between Barbara and the Archbishop, Anthony went to the king’s council seeking to reclaim Barbara. Anthony was in significant debt. Did Anthony want her back because he truly loved her? Or did he believe he might receive financial restitution for the “losses” he had endured?

His lawsuit must have been rejected, as the Council called for an investigation, and nothing further was heard about it. Later, the council awarded funds to the Archbishop and his wife together, indicating that their union likely received their formal endorsement.

Following the death of the Protestant King Edward in 1553, there was a last-ditch effort by the Duke of Northumberland to install his daughter-in-law Jane Grey as queen, but ultimately, the Catholic Queen Mary ascended to the throne.

When Queen Mary ascended to the throne in 1553 and reinstated Catholicism in England, Holgate was imprisoned in the Tower and subsequently lost his position for violating his vow of celibacy. In March 1554, all his assets, including jewelry and silverware, were confiscated. In addition to his opulent decorations, the Archbishop possessed a significant number of livestock, including 2,500 sheep and “four or five score” horses. Everything was sold prior to any official accusations being made against him, about which he later expressed great dissatisfaction.

In the latter months of 1554, Archbishop Holgate composed a letter of “apology” to the Queen, admitting to his transgressions and renouncing them. He stated that he had made an unwise marriage, setting a poor example, but claimed he wedded Barbara only to avoid being labeled a papist by the Duke of Northumberland. He sincerely expressed remorse for this and implored the queen for her pardon. The Queen forgave him. After paying the crown £1,000 for his offenses, and a bond of 20,000 marks required by the Queen to assure his “good behavior.” Holgate was released from the Tower in January 1555 but was never allowed to resume his priestly office. But he did regain many of his estates – at Yeddingham, Huggate, Hemsworth, Malton and York, promising to use his assets for charitable purposes. He passed away in London that November, leaving a will proved 5th December 1556.  

During his life, he established three grammar schools in Hemsworth, where he was born. Later, in the late nineteenth century, the school moved to Barnsley; ironically, its old Hemsworth buildings are now the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart. He also established schools in Malton, where he had served as Prior of the Gilbertines, and York.

In his will of 1555, he provided that almshouses should be built to provide for persons aged 60 years or over from the ancient parishes of Hemsworth, Felkirk, South Kirkby, and Wragby. Originally located near the Hemsworth church, they were relocated to a new location on the outskirts of Hemsworth in 1860. Today, Archbishop Holgate’s Hospital provides 24 self-contained homes for its almspeople. Barbara Wentworth Holgate is not mentioned in the will of her husband.

So, what became of Barbara? The documentation regarding her concludes with the Archbishop’s decision to renounce their marriage. A 19th-century author suggested that she went back to Anthony and was reunited with him as his wife, but there is no proof to back up that claim.

It is likely she never married again. Individuals opposed to married clergy might have viewed her as lacking in morals. Additionally, there were likely some who believed she was rightly considered Anthony’s spouse.

Photo above is of The Manor House, at Scrooby in the 1920s.

It is believed that she owned Scrooby in 1558, due to the grant that provided her joint ownership with the Archbishop. She probably kept the estate for the remainder of her life and relied on its income for support.

We do not know the date of Barbara’s death or where she is buried. I like to think of Barbara as being a strong woman of her time. As we are currently celebrating Women’s History Month in the month of March, I felt it was a perfect time to write about her. She endured years of pressure from her family to accept the marriage to Anthony Norman, a man they had selected for her, but she refused to give in. She then filed a lawsuit for an annulment of her marriage in the church courts. By marrying the Archbishop, she disobeyed her family and the local religious conservatives and would have faced a great deal of social rejection, and possibly downright animosity. Her husband, Archbishop Holgate, for whom she had made so many sacrifices, subsequently rejected her, claiming that he had only married her to keep from being perceived as a Catholic.

Wenworth and Holgate Surname Meanings:

Wentworth. An English surname, a habitational name from Wentworth in Yorkshire. The placename probably derives from the Old English personal name Wintra + Old English worth ‘enclosure’. (3)

Holgate. An English surname from Middle English hol(e) ‘hollow’ + gat(e), gate ‘path, road’. The name may be topographic, for someone who lived by a ‘hollow road’, or habitational from any of several places so named, such as three places called Holgate in Yorkshire. (4)

My direct line, beginning with the ancestors I share with Barbara Wentworth Holgate:

  1. Roger Wentworth and Elizabeth Wentworth.
  2. Sir Thomas Wentworth and Elizabeth Flinthill.
  3. Sir Thomas Wentworth and Ursula Swinnowe.
  4. Sir William Wentworth and Margaret Hales.
  5. Richard Wentworth and Anne Holgate.
  6. Thomas Wentworth and Isabell Joynson.
  7. Sarah Wentworth and Daniel Mathena (Matheny).
  8. Susanna Matheney and John Davis.
  9. Susannah Davis and Charles Thomas.
  10. Mary Thomas and Jeremiah York.
  11. Lydia York and James Watts.
  12. Lydia Watts and Lewis Gooden.
  13. Mary Ann Gooden and McGuire Doughty.
  14. John Louis Doughty and Cynthia Ann Barrett.
  15. Mary Adalaide “Mame” Doughty and James Francis Fay (my great-grandparents).
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is tudor-roses.jpg

References:

  1. Wentworth Family – Tudorplace.come.ar
  2. (WMB). English Origins of New England Families; Second in Three Volumes; Vol III; Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.; 1985; pg 665.
  3. Wentworth Surname Meaning. ancestry.com
  4. Holgate Name Meaning. familysearch.org

Additional sources:

  1. The Scandalous Barbara Wentworth. The History Geeks. facebook.com

To learn more about our Wentworth family in general and our kin that went to New Hampshire:

  1. Wentworth Family. en.wikipedia.org
  2. The Wentworth Takeover: How One Family Dominated Portsmouth and New Hampshire 1715-1775. portsmouthathenaeum.org
  3. The rise and fall of NH’s first family at Portsmouth Athenaeum by Sherry Wood. seacoastonline.com

To learn more about King John I of England:

  1. John Lackland (r. 1199-1216). royal.uk
  2. John (c.1167 – 1216). bbc.co.uk
  3. John of England. simple.wikipedia.org

To learn more about Archbishop Robert Holgate:

  1. Robert Holgate, Archbishop. historyofyork.org.uk
  2. Tudor Minute November 15, 1555: Robert Holgate Died by Heather Teyskor. englandcast.com
  3. The Last Will of Robert Holgate alias Halgate, Doctor of Divinity and late Archbishop of York. archbishopholgatehospital.org
  4. Archbishop Robert Holgate and his Hospital. onceiwasacleverboy.blogspot.com
  5. Robert Holgate. en.wikipedia.org

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit and provide a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

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Surname Saturday: My Cock Ancestors of Southwold, Suffolk, England

Posted on March 8, 2025 by Anna Kasper, ACDP

My maternal 12th great-grandmother is Christian Cock. She was born about 1560 in Southwold, Suffolk, England, and died before 3 November 1612 in Somerleyton, Suffolk, England. She married about 1580 in Southwold, Suffolk, England, to Thomas Gentleman. After her husband’s death, she married secondly on 3 June 1600 in Somerleyton, Suffolk, England, to Thomas Harrison. She married twice and had six known children by her first husband and two more by her second husband.

Christian Cock and Thomas Gentleman are my direct ancestors. Thomas Gentleman was the son of William Gentleman and Margaret Balden. There is much more known about my Gentleman ancestors of Dunwich and Southwold, and we can take those lines back much further. I will write about my Gentleman ancestors in the future.

Christian Cock was the daughter of John Cock, who was born about 1540 in Suffolk, England, and died after 27 December 1598 in Southwold, Suffolk, England. Not much is known about her father, John Cock, but he was named in the will of her first husband, Thomas Gentleman, who left him a gold ring. So, we know that he had a cordial relationship with his son-in-law.

There was a will of John Cock of Southwold made on 22 May 1614, and it names all the children of Thomas Gentleman and Christian Cock. However, the wording of the will makes it more likely that this was the will of Christian Cock’s brother or another close relative, rather than that of her father. Additionally, because her father had died some years before this will was written, it is highly likely it belonged to her brother or other close kin.

In the 1600s, Southwold, England, was a fishing port town with Puritan emigrants and a history of radicalism. Many Puritans emigrated from Southwold to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s. In 1643/44, Puritanical vandals destroyed 130 pictures and four crosses in the church vestry. My ancestors in Southwold were not Puritans; they were members of the Church of England. Southwold’s economy was based on fishing in the 17th and 18th centuries. The town exported fish to London, Iceland, and the continent. In 1659, a fire destroyed almost the entire town in four hours. When the town was rebuilt, it included large green spaces to prevent future fires. 

Southwold was called Sudwolda in 1086 and Sudwald in 1227. From the Old English language, the name means the south woodland or forest.

Although there are no variations of the Cock surname in the few records available for my ancestors, the name can have variants of Cox, Cocke, and sometimes even Cook and Cooke. The origins of the surnames Cox and Cocke are the same as Cock. Whereas Cook(e) has a different meaning, deriving from a person with the occupation of cook, so it is not related to the surname Cock.

I do have Cox ancestors in my tree that were from England and settled in Colonial Maryland, and I will write about them at some time in the future.

The name has a few origins. First, it may have derived from a nickname given to someone proud or that strutted like a male chicken or an occupational name for someone who kept cocks. From the medieval nickname cok, meaning rooster, cock. The nickname was commonly added to given names to create diminutives such as Hancock or Alcock. It is also another term for a young lad. As cock became a common term for a boy, it may also have been used affectionately as a personal name. Another possibility is that it originated from the Anglo-Saxon word cocc, meaning haycock, heap, or hillock; dweller by the hill or hillock. It could also be from Middle English cok cok(k)e, meaning ship’s boat, and so perhaps used for a boatman. Lastly, in London, it could have been a name for someone who lived or worked at a house or inn known as The Cock from a sign depicting a haycock or mound, a boat, or a cock bird. (1, 2, 3, & 4)

I cannot be sure of the exact origins of the surname Cock in my family tree, but Southwold was a fishing village, and the Gentleman family were fishermen that owned fishing boats. It is possible that both the Cock and Gentleman families worked as fishermen, and that the Cock family’s name came from ship’s boat, and they were boatmen. But any of the above-mentioned origins of the surname could be possible.

My Cock and Gentleman ancestors are on my maternal side and are related to my Davidson and Gilman ancestors that I have written about prior.

My direct line:

  1. Christian Cock and Thomas Gentleman.
  2. Margaret Gentleman and Richard Ibrook, Jr. “Eyebrooke”
  3. Ellen “Helen” Ibrook Eyebrooke and Capt. Joshua Hobart.
  4. Deborah Hobart and Joshua Lincoln.
  5. Deborah Lincoln and John Lazell.
  6. John Lassell and Jael Cushing.
  7. Jael Lassell and Christopher Davison.
  8. Asa Davidson and Hopestill Hawley.
  9. Asa Davidson, Jr. and Catherine Cunningham.
  10. Mary Ann Davidson and Jacob (John Jacob) Doman.
  11. Sarah Jane “Jennie” Doman and Daniel Prindle.
  12. Anna Cora Prindle and Joseph Edward Cole (my maternal great-grandparents).

References:

  1. Cock last name popularity, history, and meaning. Name Census.
  2. Origin, popularity and meaning of the last name COCK. Geneanet.
  3. Last name: Cock. The Internet Surname Database.
  4. Cock Name Origin, Meaning and Family History. Your Family History: Surnames.

Further reading:

  1. Suffolk Village Signs: Southwold.
  2. Suffolk Heritage Explorer. Map of Southwold in the 16th century.
  3. Battle of Solebay. Wikipedia. An important battle fought in 1672 near Southwold.
  4. Doig, Sarah E., Battling the Elements: Southwold’s Changing Fortunes. A thousand years history.

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit and provide a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

 

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Surname Saturday. My Hicks ancestors of Southwark St Olave, England & Colonial Rhode Island, New York & Maryland & Our Hicks Cousin Willis Carrier.

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Anna Kasper, ACDP
1954 Carrier Air Conditioner Ad "The New Silhouette" Description: 1954 CARRIER CORPORATION vintage print advertisement.
Above photo is 1958 Carrier Air Conditioner Vintage Ad. Willis Carrier is our Hicks cousin.

My sixth great-grandmother is Rebecca Hicks. She married John Armstrong, Jr. on 26 August 1714 at St Johns Parish, Joppa, Maryland. Joppa is a former colonial town in Maryland. He was the son of John Armstrong and Jane Boone.

She was born at about 1698, making her 16 years old when she married. She was the daughter of William Hicks and Jane ____. I have not seen any documentation showing the maiden name of Jane, wife of William Hicks.

She has sometimes been listed in many trees as being the daughter of William Hicks and Jane Ellery, both born in Devon, England. Her father was William Hicks, but he was not born in Devon, England. He was born in Colonial New York, and his wife’s name was Jane, but not Jane Ellery. Jane Ellery, who married William Hicks in Devon, England, remained in England, where both she and her husband died. This couple never came to Colonial Maryland. 

Many researchers mention in their notes that Rebecca Hicks’ parentage is in question. The will of William Hicks names sons William, James, Nehemiah and Henry. William’s will was dated 11 November 1710 and proved 30 December 1710. His wife Jane administered the estate.

After his death, his widow Jane married second to Thomas Cutchin on 28 October 1713 in Joppa, Maryland.  

Rebecca Hicks is listed at the bottom of the Hicks family history, Baltimore County Maryland Families, but only with the information that she married John Armstrong

The image above is of the writ of obligation between Elizabeth Hicks, her mother Jane Cutchin, brother-in-law John Armstrong and nephew William Armstrong.

Although there are no daughters mentioned in the will of William Hicks, in the record shown above and cited below, it proves he had at least 2 daughters, Elizabeth and Rebecca. We know that William Hicks died in 1710, and his widow Jane married Thomas Cutchin.

In a document dated 30 January 1723 and found in Baltimore County records, Elizabeth Hicks gave to her mother, Jane Cutchin, the following, saying in this writ of obligation, “one Bright Bay mare with a starr in her forehead and the first colt that this said mare brings is to be given unto William Armstrong son to John Armstrong which said mare shall belong to the said Jane Guggin [Cutchin] during her life and after her death to fall unto Elizabeth Hicks with all her offspring except for said mentioned colt. but in case the said Elizabeth Hicks go to Virginia after her marriage and return unto this county again, then the foresaid mare shall be delivered unto the said Elizabeth Hicks and her husband.“

It does not mention her sister by name, my ancestor, Rebecca Hicks Armstrong, but it does mention Rebecca’s husband, John Armstrong, and her son, William Armstrong (who is also my direct ancestor). Rebecca named her son William after her father and also named a son Nehemiah after her brother, who is mentioned in their father’s will. I also have a DNA connection to the descendants of Nehemiah Hicks.

Rebecca’s father, William Hicks, was born about 1677 in New York. He married Jane ___ about 1694 in Maryland. He died 11 November 1710 in Baltimore, Maryland.

William Hicks was the son of Thomas Hicks and Mary Doughty. Upon seeing her maiden name was Doughty, I thought she could possibly be a descendant of my Mayflower Pilgrim ancestor, Edward Doty. But that is not the case. She was born in Flushing, New York, which is now a part of Queens. She was the daughter of Elias Doughty and Sarah ____. Elias Doughty was born in Oldbury, Gloucestershire, England, and was the son of Puritan minister Rev. Francis Doughty and Bridget ____. The Doughty lines can be taken back several more generations and I will write about these Doughty ancestors in the future.

Thomas Hicks was born about 1640 in either Weymouth, Massachusetts, or Newport, Rhode Island. His parents lived two years in Weymouth before migrating to Newport.

He was the first judge of Queens County New York and filled that office for many years. In 1666 he obtained from Governor Nicolls a patent for four thousand acres of land including Great Neck Long Island and lands adjacent and lived there in English manorial style. He was married twice; both wives were named Mary. His first wife was Mary Butler (widow of John Washburn), by whom he had two sons, Thomas and Jacob.

The famous Quaker preacher Elias Hicks, the founder of that branch of the Society of Friends known to this day as Hicksites, was the son of John Hicks and Mary Smith. He was the grandson of Jacob Hicks and Hanah Carpenter, and the great-grandson of Thomas Hicks and his first wife Mary Bulter.

Elias Hicks is my 2nd cousin, 7x removed, meaning he and my 5th great-grandfather, William Armstrong, were direct 2nd cousins.

Thomas Hicks married secondly to Mary Doughty, with whom he had ten children; six sons: Isaac, William, Stephen, John, Charles, Benjamin and four daughters: Phebe, Charity, Mary and Elizabeth. A paragraph in the New York Post Boy of 24 January 1749 referring to the death of Judge Hicks says he left behind him his own offspring above three hundred children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, dying well into his 90’s.

Artwork above is Peaceable Kingdom, by Edward Hicks, 1834,

American folk painter and distinguished Christian Quaker minister Edward Hicks was the son of Isaac Hicks and Catherine ____. He was the grandson of Gilbert Hicks and Mary Rodman, great-grandson of Isaac Hicks and Elizabeth Moore, and the great-great-grandson of Thomas Hicks and second wife Mary Doughty. He became a notable Quaker because of his paintings.

He painted variations on the Quaker theme of peace and brotherly love throughout his life, as exemplified by his more than sixty versions of the Peaceable Kingdom. He also apparently offered artistic instruction. Hicks reportedly taught his younger cousin Thomas Hicks, and the Bucks County Intelligencer in 1864 reported that, as a youth, the academic painter Martin Johnson Heade was “placed under the instruction of Edward Hicks…to be taught the art of painting.” (5)

Edward Hicks is my 3rd cousin, 6x removed, meaning he and my 4th great-grandfather Nathaniel Shepherd Armstrong were direct 3rd cousins.

Thomas Hicks was the son of John Hicks and Herodias Long. John Hicks was born in Southwark St Olave, which is now part of the modern London Borough of Southwark.

Southwark St Olave was an ancient civil and ecclesiastical parish on the south bank of the River Thames, covering the area around where Shard London Bridge now stands in the modern London Borough of Southwark, ultimately named after St. King Olaf II of Norway. The boundaries varied over time, but in general the parish stretched east from London Bridge past Tower Bridge to St Saviour’s Dock. Southwark St Olave and St Thomas replaced the civil parish in 1896. It was abolished in 1904 and absorbed by Bermondsey parish. (1)

The parentage of John Hicks is unproven. We are able to glean some information about him from his marriage record in England.

Image above is a print of The Church of St. Faith, The Crypt of Old St. Paul’s, From a View by Hollar.

He married on 14 March 1637 at St Faiths Church, London, England to Harwood (Herodias) Long, the daughter of William Long:

March 14, 1636/37: Wch date, appeared p[er]sonally John Hicke of ye parish of St. Olaves in Southwark Salter and a batchelour aged about 23 yeares and alledged that he intendeth to marrie with Harwood Long spinster aged about 21 yeares ye daughter of William Long Husbandman who giveth his Consent to this intended marriage And of ye truth of the pr[e]mises as also that he knows of no Lawfull let or impediment by reason of anie pr[ior] contract Consanguinity affinitie or otherwise to hinder this intended marriage he made faith and desires license to be married in ye parish Church of St ffaith London [signed] John Hicke. (3)

Based on his marriage record, he was about 23 years old, which makes his year of birth about 1614, and we know he was from the parish of St. Olaves in Southwark Salter. St Olave’s Church, Southwark was a church in Southwark, England which is believed to be mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was located on Tooley Street. It was demolished in 1926 and is now the location of St Olaf House, which houses part of the London Bridge Hospital. (2)

They were married in the under church of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, called St. Faith’s church. There is a Chapel of St. Faith located today in the cathedral’s crypt. Old St Paul’s was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. The dedication is to St. Faith, the virgin martyr of Aquitaine, who suffered martyrdom in the time of Diocletian.

The origin of the surname Hicks derives from the given name Hicke and means son of Hick. This name is of English origin and widespread throughout England. The name Hicke is a variant of Richard. Ric means power and hard, meaning strong. It is of Norman origin from the Middle English personal name Hikke, a rhyming pet form of Ricard, a Norman-Picard form of Richard. (4)

There are at least seven people listed as famous descendants of Herodias Long and her partner, George Gardiner. I only found a few famous people descended from Herodias Long and first husband, John Hicks. The first being Willis Carrier, descended from Hannah Hicks Haviland. The others, Elias Hicks, and Edward Hicks, that I discussed earlier, are descendants of Thomas Hicks.

Willis Carrier was an American engineer who is best known for inventing modern air conditioning. He invented the first electrical air conditioning unit in 1902. It was designed to provide a convenient indoor atmosphere in his publishing house to prevent papers from expanding and contracting. In 1915, he founded Carrier Corporation, a company specializing in the manufacture and distribution of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

The direct ancestors of Willis Carrier are Hannah Hicks and William Haviland. Hannah Hicks Haviland was a sibling of my ancestor Thomas Hicks, both being children of John Hicks and Herodias Long.

I live in the high desert of NW Arizona. This summer I will be quietly thanking my Hicks cousin as my HVAC unit keeps me and my kitty Snickers cool!

There is far too much I could write about the lives of Herodias Long and John Hicks; therefore, I decided to write about them in another entry just about them.

My direct line from John Hicks and Herodias Long:

  1. John Hicks and Herodias Long.
  2. Thomas Hicks and Mary Doughty.
  3. William Hicks and Jane ____.
  4. Rebecca Hicks and John Armstrong.
  5. William Armstrong and Elizabeth Shepherd.
  6. Nathaniel Shepherd Armstrong I and Hannah Norris.
  7. John A. Armstrong and Sarah “Sally” Norris.
  8. Bradford Carroll Armstrong and Martha A. Knight Lyons.
  9. George Pendleton Armstrong and Alice Elizabeth Nutick (my great-grandparents).

References:

  1. Southwark St Olave. Wikipedia.org
  2. St Olave’s Church, Southwark. Wikipedia.org
  3. Ancestry.com. London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations 1597-1921, Vol. 19: pg. 92, indexed under John Hicke. Ancestry Sharing Link.
  4. Hicks Name Origin, Meaning and Family History. your-family-history.com
  5. Edward Hicks. National Gallery of Art.

To learn more about Willis Carrier:

  1. Willis Carrier, Innovator. Who Made America? pbs.org
  2. Meet the Inventor of Modern Air Conditioning. The Story of a Company | The Standard of an Industry. williscarrier.com
  3. The Long, Hot Road To Modern Air Conditioning. By Sam Sanders. npr.org
  4. The Unexpected History of the Air Conditioner. The invention was once received with chilly skepticism but has become a fixture of American life. By Haleema Shah. smithsonianmag.com

To learn more about the Chapel of St. Faith:

  1. St Faith under St Paul’s. Lost London Churches Project.
  2. St Faith under St Paul’s. The Worshipful Company of Church Clerks.

To learn more about St. Faith:

  1. Saint Faith. All Saints and Martyrs. saintscatholic.blogspot.com
  2. Saint of the Day: St. Faith. aleteia.org

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit and provide a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

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My English Gilman Ancestors and My Famous Cousin U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

Posted on February 24, 2025 by Anna Kasper, ACDP
Photo above is a colorized version of a B&W photo of our 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln has always been one of my favorite U.S. Presidents. When I traveled to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 2000, I made sure to visit the Lincoln Monument, Ford’s Theater, and the house across the street where he died. So, I was quite thrilled to discover my connection to him.

This link to Abraham Lincoln is something that I only recently discovered. Partly because it was previously thought by many that my 10th great-grandmother’s maiden name was Clark, and I didn’t make the Gilman connection. She had been confused with Mary Gilman, daughter of emigrants Edward and Mary (Clark) Gilman who was baptized in 1615, but the following evidence indicates she was a sister to Edward Gilman:

Proof that Nicholas Jacob’s wife was Edward Gilman’s sister is found in the Proprietors’ Records of Hingham, Mass., Book A., folio 32. Nicholas Jacob, in 1638, gave one of the tracts granted to him by the town ‘unto Edward Gillman his brother-in-law.’ Edward Gilman’s wife was Mary Clark. Nicholas Jacob’s wife was also named Mary. Hence, if we dismiss the very unlikely hypothesis that Mary Clark had a sister who was also named Mary, the wife of Nicolas Jacob must have been Mary Gilman, sister of Edward. (1)

My maternal 10th great-grandparents are Mary Gilman and Nicholas Jacob.

The parentage of Nicholas Jacob is unknown and unproven. He was born about 1604 in Hingham, Norfolk, England, and died 5 June 1657 in Hingham, Massachusetts. At the time, Hingham was in Suffolk County; it is now in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. He and Mary Gilman married about 1628 in Hingham, England.

Mary Gilman was the daughter of Edward Gilman and Margaret James. She was born in Hingham, Norfolk, England, and died 15 June 1681 in Hingham, Massachusetts.

In the 1600s, Hingham, England was an agricultural town in the countryside. It was located near Wymondham and had many windmills and inland water traffic. 

Her father Edward Gilman was baptized on 20 April 1557 in Caston, Norfolk, England, the family was of Hingham and Caston, which are a distance of 6.4 miles away from each other. The baptism record reads as follows:

Edward Gyllman ye sonn of Edward gyllman was baptised ye xxth day of Aprill A[nn]o predicto (2)

The Gilman surname is derived from the baptismal name Gilmyn. It indicated that the bearer of the name was the son of (or descended from) someone named Gilmyn. The name is of Norman origin, and was brought to England in the wake of the conquest after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. (5)

He died before 15 May 1621 at about age 64 in Caston, Norfolk, England. He was the son of Edward Gilman and Rose (Ryse) Snell. His father, the elder Edward Gilman, is the furthest we can take the Gilman line back in England.

Photo above is of the will of the elder Edward Gilman.

The will of the elder Edward Gilman was dated 5 February 1572/3 and proved by his widow on 7 July 1573 at the Archdeaconry Court of Norwich. In this will he, “devised his mansion house in Gaston (sic.) to his eldest son John, and his other estates were divided among his three other sons and five daughters.” Lands at Saham Toney are mentioned in the will as well. (3 & 4)

In the 1600s, Caston, Norfolk, England was home to Edward Gilman, a prosperous yeoman. Puritans also had a presence in the area, and the village green’s medieval stone cross was damaged by them.

Although we don’t know much else about Edward Gilman, we can glean from his will that he was a man of some means, for he left his mansion house in Caston to his eldest son John and other lands are mentioned in the village of Saham Toney. The distance between Saham Toney and Caston is 5.5 miles.

His son, my direct ancestor, Edward Gilman was the second born son, meaning that his older brother John Gilman is the one that inherited the mansion house and the main lands. Although the will does divide the remaining lands between all the siblings.

Edward Gilman and Margaret James had several children:

  1. Bridget Gilman, born about 1582; married Edward Lincoln of Hingham.
  2. Edward Gilman (known as the Emigrant), born about 1587 (he was age 50 in 1637), married Mary Clark.
  3. Robert Gilman, son of Edward Gylmmynne of Hingham, married 1st in Hingham on 14 May 1611 to Rose Hawes; married 2nd to widow, Mary Bruen.
  4. John Gilman, married Ann Guerney.
  5. Mary Gilman, born between 1599 and 1604, married Nicholas Jacob.
  6. Margaret Gilman, baptized Hingham, Norfolk, 1 August 1602.
  7. Sarah Gilman, baptized Hingham, England on 4 October or December 1603.

Bridget Gilman who married Edward Lincoln are the ancestors of Abraham Lincoln. My ancestors are Mary Gilman and Nicholas Jacob. His ancestors stayed in Hingham, England for one more generation, whereas mine migrated to Massachusetts earlier.

President Abraham Lincoln’s direct line from Edward Gilman and Margaret James:

  1. Edward Gilman and Margaret James.
  2. Bridget Gilman and Edward Lincoln.
  3. Samuel Lincoln and Mary Lyford.
  4. Mordecai Lincoln and Sarah Jones.
  5. Mordecai Lincoln, Jr. and Hannah Salter.
  6. John Lincoln and Rebecca Flowers.
  7. Capt. Abraham Lincoln and Bathsheba _____.
  8. Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks.
  9. Pres. Abraham Lincoln.

My direct line from Edward Gilman and Margaret James:

  1. Edward Gilman and Margaret James.
  2. Mary Gilman and Nicholas Jacob.
  3. Capt. John Jacob and Mary Russell.
  4. Jael Jacob and Matthew Cushing.
  5. Jael Cushing and John Lassell.
  6. Jael Lassell and Christopher Davison.
  7. Asa Davidson and Hopestill Hawley.
  8. Asa Davidson, Jr. and Catherine Cunningham.
  9. Mary Ann Davidson and Jacob (John Jacob) Doman.
  10. Sarah Jane “Jennie” Doman and Daniel Prindle.
  11. Anna Cora Prindle and Joseph Edward Cole (my maternal great-grandparents).

This means that Pres. Abraham Lincoln and I are 7th cousins, 5x removed. My ancestor Mary Ann Davidson Doman and Abraham Lincoln were direct 7th cousins. It is not a super close connection, I have much closer connections to other politicians and people in history, but it brings me great joy nonetheless. 😊

References:

  1. Clarence Almon Torrey, “English Origin of Edward1 Gilman” in The American Genealogist, 11 (1934):137-138, at 138; digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.
  2. Baptism: “Norfolk, England, Church of England Baptism, Marriages, and Burials, 1535-1812”
    Norfolk > Caston > 1539-1720 > image 8 of 36 Norfolk Record Office; Norwich, Norfolk, England; Norfolk Church of England Registers.
  3. Will of Edward Gillman, yeoman of Caston: Archdeaconry Court of Norwich, register copy will 1573, volume Bussell, folio 158. Norfolk Record Office, Norwich, Norfolk, England.
  4.  Scott, Nadine Gilman. 2000. Edward Gilman Jr. Begat…. 711 p.
  5. Etymology of Gilman, House of Names.

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit and provide a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

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Surname Saturday: My Fünfstück ancestors of Hesse, Moers, Gleiszellen, and Klingenmünster, Germany. Migration to Denmark.

Posted on January 4, 2025 by Anna Kasper, ACDP

I have a TON of paternal German ancestors from in and around Klingenmünster, Germany. There was lots of intermarriage among the same families, and thus I descend twice from several of the same couples. Many of the surnames are more common ones such as Weiss, Wendel, Fried, Hacker/Hecker, Bohrer, Willem, etc. But there are some surnames that are less common such as Propheter, Weinmann, Sartor, Sambach, LeBeau, etc. Then there are the ones that are actually much rarer, such as Fünfstück.

Updated on 29 June 2026 with new information about my Fünfstück ancestors, and additional siblings added for my ancestor Maria Magdalena Fünfstück.

How we get back to my Fünfstück ancestry is via my paternal fifth great-grandmother Maria Katharina Sambach.

Maria Katharina Sambach was born on 1 June 1765 and died 29 January 1832 in Gleiszellen. She was baptized in Klingenmünster. Gleiszellen is 1.1 miles from Klingenmünster. She married on 11 Oct 1785 in Klingenmünster to Peter Wendel, who was the son of Johannes Wendel and Anna Maria _____.

Maria Katharina Sambach was the daughter of Johannes Sambach and Maria Magdalena Fünfstück.

Her mother, Maria Magdalena Fünfstuck, was baptized on 12 April 1736 in Gleiszellen-Gleishorbach, Südliche Weinstraße, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. She was the daughter of Johann Georg Fünfstuck and Elsabeth Florentina (Anna Florentina) Goldberg. Her parents married in Moers, Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and it is there that her older brother Lorenz Fünfstück was born about 1734. Lorenz appears later as a godfather in Barbelroth church records, Maria Magdalena is also found in the same Barbelroth records as a godmother.

The family migrated to Copenhagen, Denmark within months of her birth, and it is in Copenhagen that her two siblings, Christian and Anna Florentina Fünfstuck, were born. Her parents and these two siblings remained in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her father is listed as deceased and a former citizen in her marriage records, so he had died prior to her returning to the Klingenmuenster area to reclaim her father’s holdings there. There is another brother, Michel Fünfstück, thought to have also been born about 1738 in Copenhagen, but his baptism record has not been located. This brother Michel also returned to the Palatine and lived in Dierbach. He married Anna Maria ____ and had at least one child, a son, Joh. Martin Fünfstück who was born 12 Apr 1762 in Dierbach and baptized two days later. The child died in the same year.

Her father, Johann Georg Fünfstück, was baptized on 20 September 1711 in Moers, Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and died in Copenhagen, Denmark. Below is an image of my research note regarding baptism and parental identification of Johann Georg Fünfstück (alias Bontrock). As shown, George was the son of Johannes Bontrock (Fünfstück) and Anna Margaretha van Orsfelt, his father was a professional soldier in the Hesse-Kassel Regiment of Prince Maximilian of Hesse, serving in the company of Captain von Phlakker (Pflakker).

Her mother, Elsabeth Florentina Goldberg, was baptized 21 September 1712 in Moers, Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and died in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was baptized as Elsabetha Florentina, and is listed by that name, as well as Florentina, in Moers records. She is listed as Anna Florentina or just Florentina in later Palatine and Copenhagen, Denmark church records. She was the daughter of Arnold Goldberg and Sibilla “Beel” Davids.

Within months of the birth of Maria Magdalena Fünfstück, the family migrated to Denmark. The baptism records for her two siblings, Christian and Anna Florentina Fünfstück are found in the Sankt Petri Kirke (St. Peter’s Church) in Copenhagen, Denmark. This church served the German-speaking congregation in Copenhagen.

Germans migrated to Denmark during this time for economic opportunities, to escape from German instability, and sometimes for religious freedom. Some reasons they returned to Germany: they found that Denmark also had economic hardships, conscription and increased control by Danish rulers, failed expectations, new opportunities back home – a new ruler in a German state might have offered incentives to return home, chain migration – if family members had already settled back in Germany, it provided support for them if they returned. There was constant warfare in the 18th century, as well as German fragmentation – it was not a single country, it had several small states, each with different rulers.

They disappear from church records in Copenhagen and, at least the one daughter, Maria Magdalena, and two sons, Lorenz and Michel, returned to Germany sometime prior to 1761. Maria Magdalena Fünfstück married on 11 October 1761 in Klingenmuenster, Südliche Weinstraße, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, to Johannes Sambach, the son of Stephan Sambach.

Why did George migrate to the Palatine? While his father, the Hessian soldier Johannes Bontrock, and his brother, Johannes, remained firmly rooted in the Moers area, Johann Georg Fünfstück chose a different path. He traveled 250 miles south to the Palatinate, a region still scarred by the very wars his father had fought in. There, he established ‘holdings’ in the Klingenmünster area—perhaps an attempt to build a legacy independent of the family he left behind.

Yet, this new life was brief. Just months after his daughter Maria Magdalena was baptized in 1736, he uprooted the family again for the 500-mile journey to Copenhagen. It wasn’t until decades later, after Johann Georg had died in Denmark, that Maria Magdalena, and two of her brothers, would return to the Palatinate to reclaim the specific ground her father called his own.

The fact that Maria Magdalena had to return to reclaim the holdings implies that when the family left for Denmark, the land wasn’t sold, but likely “held” in a legal limbo or managed by a local steward. Her return as an adult was a high-stakes legal mission to prove she was the rightful heir to a father who had been absent from the area for many years.

In the early 18th century, Moers was a small, fortified residence town (Orange-Nassau) with a population often under 1,000 within its immediate walls, though surrounding rural areas increased this number slightly. The town was significantly smaller and served mainly as a strategic military outpost rather than an industrial or commercial hub.

In the above image, you can see where Moers is located with Germany. At the time that my ancestors lived in Moers, it was a garrison town in transition for my ancestor Johannes Bontrock (Fünfstück). Life in Moers was defined by its status as a heavily fortified stronghold. Until 1702, Moers was the personal property of the Princes of Orange. Even after it passed to Prussia in 1712, the town retained a distinct Dutch character in its architecture and religious practices. The town was ringed by a massive, two-mile-long fortification wall featuring a moat and a star-shaped dam. As a soldier, Johannes would have lived and worked within these formidable defenses, which were designed to protect the strategic flax market and the castle of the Counts of Moers. When Prussia took over in 1712, all Dutch troops were expelled. This coincided with the birth Elsabeth Florentina Goldberg, who grew up during the early years of “enlightened absolutism” under the Prussian crown.

Moers was a center for Reformed (Calvinist) education and faith, home to the Gymnasium Adolfinum, a Protestant college founded in 1582. This religious identity was central to the community, influencing everything from baptismal naming traditions to social standing. Being the son of a Hesse-Kassel soldier meant growing up in an environment of extreme discipline. The Hessian army was famous for its “iron discipline” and constant drilling, but it also offered economic perks, such as tax exemptions for soldiers’ families.

Today, Moers has a population of over 100k residents. The city is often called Gateway to the Lower Rhine; it combines a historical old town with modern infrastructure and proximity to major hubs like Duisburg. Despite its population size, it is sometimes considered a medium-sized, cozy city rather than a major metropolis compared to neighboring cities like Düsseldorf.

The Fünfstück surname was misread and mistranslated by many researchers attempting to read German church records (the church records often being quite difficult to read!) as Funstrocks/Funstercke. It was a cousin in Germany that correctly read and listed her maiden name in his tree as Fünfstuck.

The surname Fünfstück is a rare surname, in German the word means five pieces or five parts. Fünf is the word for the number five in the German language. The word stück has multiple meanings, including piece, item, and part.  It comes from the Middle High German word stücke and the Old High German word stucchi. It is related to the word stock and likely means “that which is cut off or hewn to pieces“.

The exact meaning of the surname Fünfstück has been lost to time, but it thought to be a nickname related to something involving the number five. 

Spelled with umlauts as Fünfstück, it is found mainly in Germany where there are 422 people with the surname, six in Austria, and one in Switzerland. Without the umlaut, spelled as Funfstuck, it is found only in the United States, where twenty-seven people carry the surname.

Currently, Klingenmünster has 2,400 inhabitants and is part of the municipality of Bad Bergzabern in the Südliche Weinstraße (Southern Wine Route) district in the southern part of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It’s located along the German Wine Route and is known for its vineyards, rolling hills, and picturesque villages. The region is also a popular destination for hiking. The village of Klingenmünster is located directly at the transition of the Palatinate Forest to the Rhineland plain and is surrounded by vineyards. The center of the village was once the important Benedictine abbey “Clinga Monasterium”, which is one of the oldest abbeys in Germany. High above Klingenmünster towers majestically the Landeck Castle, a ruined hill castle, accessible via hiking trails, the castle ruins of Heidenschuh and Schlössel can also be explored.

My direct line:

  1. Johannes Bontrock (Fünfstück) and Anna Margaretha van Orsfelt
  2. Johann George Fünfstück and Elsabeth Florentina [Anna Florentina] Goldberg
  3. Maria Magdalena Fünfstück and Johannes Sambach 
  4. Maria Katharina Sambach and Peter Wendel
  5. Kathrina Wendel and Johann Jakob Weiß
  6. Heinrich Weiß and Margaretha Fried
  7. Margaret (Margarethe) Weiss and Elias Wilhelm “Eli” (Utech) Nutick (my 2nd great-grandparents)

This blog post was updated with new information on 29 June 2026.

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit and provide a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

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My English Borodell Ancestors. The Truth is Much More Interesting Than the Fictitious Stories. Our Real Link to Regicide Andrew Broughton. 52 Ancestors, Week 42: Lost Contact.

Posted on October 18, 2024 by Anna Kasper, ACDP

I am writing this a few days early. I am sure the writing prompt Lost Contact can obviously relate to losing contact with a family member. Although the definition of and how we use the weekly prompts is always open to our individual interpretations. I decided to write about how we, as descendants and researchers, had lost contact with the true origins of my Borodell ancestors, the real family history, the real story. It got bogged down with fanciful stories that eventually were taken as truth.

I am thrilled that a genealogical researcher named Travis Dodge Miscia took on the task of parsing truth from fiction. His results were recently published in the summer of 2024. You can find it in The Cumbrian Origins and Puritan Connections of Ann (Borodell) Denison and Margaret (Borodell) (Shepard) Mitchell, NEHGS (New England Historic Genealogical Society) Vol. 178 No. 3, Page 256 & Page 252.

Above is a newspaper clipping from 1968, with fanciful notions about Ann Borodell.

Prior to his findings being published, there was much written about my ancestor John Borodell and his family, especially stories about his daughter Ann Borodell and her courtship and marriage to Capt. George Denison. The newspaper clipping above is an example of the stories attached to her.

In her own lifetime, Ann (Borodell) Denison left little impression on the historical record. And yet, she has since become one of the more lavishly mythologized figures in the history of New England. How many colonials can boast a 1968 “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” newspaper blurb carried in forty-two countries? In many nineteenth-century sources, she’s “Lady Ann,” the daughter, variously, of an Irish lord, a soldier in Cromwell’s army, a leather merchant, or a cordwainer. (1)

Above image is of a painting of Ann Borrodell at the Denison Homestead Museum in Stonington, CT.

Margaret Borodell Shepard, Ann’s sister, is my direct ancestor. I have to admit, every time I read one of these tales about the remarkable Ann, I became a little jealous. Even a beautiful mirror compact featuring her picture (from the picture above) is available for purchase. In contrast, there were no imaginative tales about my ancestor Margaret, Ann’s sister; instead, there were only dry facts, no artwork, no family museum, and no fancy newspaper articles written about her.

The above photo is of a reenactment of the wedding of Ann Borodell and George Denison.

The Myth

Although much more is known about George Denison, there are fanciful elements added to his backstory as well. It was said that he was severely wounded at the Battle of Naseby, and that he was sent to Cork, Ireland, for some reason, to recover, at the home of John Borodell, a wealthy Anglo-Irish leather merchant. There he was nursed by Borodell’s daughter, “Lady” Ann, whom he later married.

A related version of the story of the meeting of Ann Borodell and George Denison:

Captain George Denison was wounded and was carried to the house of Mr. John Borodell of Cork, Ireland, (but who was then residing in England,) a gentleman of high social position, and an earnest sympathizer with the cause of the new republic. Here the wounded soldier was cared for by Ann Borodell, the daughter. (3)

Even later, Ann Borodell and her husband George Denison have been described in a way more akin to a myth:

They were both remarkable for magnificent personal appearance, and for force of mind and character. She was always called “Lady Ann.” They held a foremost place in Stonington [Connecticut]. At the time of their marriage, in 1645, she was 30 years old and he 27. He has been described as “the Miles Standish of the settlement,” but he was a greater and more brilliant soldier than Miles Standish. He had no equal in any of the colonies, for conducting a war against the Indians, excepting, perhaps, Captain John Mason. When they moved to Stonington in 1654, they moved to a rocky knoll overlooking a great meadow with a glimpse of the ocean beyond. (2)

The Truth

Ann Borodell was the daughter of John Borodell. But he was not an Irish Lord or a soldier in Cromwell’s army. He could have been a leather merchant or a cordwainer, but the truth is we do not know his occupation. George Denison did return to England after the death of his first wife, Brigid Thompson, and it was in England that he married Ann Borodell.

We know that John Borodell had four children: Ann, Margaret, John, Jr., and Alice.

Most of what is known about John Borodell is in reference to his children. We can be sure he died before 1640, when his brother-in-law Robert Patrickson took guardianship of his minor children. As to his adventures in Ireland, if he was there, we know it was before the Ulster Rebellion, because he was dead before it happened. No reference to his wife or wives has been found, though assuming only one, she most likely died before 1640 as well. (1)

John Borodell had two sisters. His sister Dorothy Borodell married first to Robert Patrickson, second to Rev. Jeremiah Burroughs, and thirdly to Rev. John Yates. She had no children and is known in records as widow Patrickson and widow Burroughs. It is with she and her husband that John’s minor children were placed after his death.

His sister Alice Borodell, married Francis Morden, a yeoman of Egremont, Cumberland. Egremont is near Gosforth and Santon.

Previous sources indicated his wife was Ann Broughton of Cork, Ireland. There is no proof found regarding his wife or any prior adventures in Ireland. It was his son John Borodell, Jr., who married Ann Broughton. But she was of Kent, England, rather than Cork, Ireland, and she was the daughter of the regicide Andrew Broughton! This gives us our family link to Andrew Broughton.

The meaning of regicide is a person who kills or takes part in killing a king

Above photo is of a commemorative plaque in Maidstone, England.

Andrew Broughton is an interesting figure in English history. Broughton was the Mayor of Maidstone, England. He also was the Clerk of the Court at the High Court of Justice of the trial King Charles I of England. As Clerk of the Court, he read out the charge against the king and required him to plead. At the end of the trial, he declared the court’s sentence of death. (3)

At the restoration of the English Monarchy, Andrew Broughton fled England and escaped to Switzerland in 1663. He died there in 1687.

A monument in St. Martin’s Church, Vevey, Switzerland reads as follows:

In Mermoriam Of Him who being with Andrew Broughton joint clerk of the Court which tried and condemned Charles the First of England, had such zeal to accept the full responsibility of his act, that he signed each record with his full name John Phelps. He came to Vevey, and died like the associates whose memorials are about us, an exile in the cause of human freedom. This slab is placed at the request of William Walter Phelps of New Jersey, and Charles A. Phelps of Massachusetts, descendants from across the seas.

Photo above is of Crag House Bridge, near the village of Santon Bridge. (6)

Our Borodell family roots actually take us to English farm country and the village of Santon, which at the time was part of Cumberland County. Cumberland is a historic county in northern England; it became part of Cumbria in 1974. It is an area of England that is predominantly rural and is known for its farming.

Historically, the people of Cumberland County, England, had a significant Scottish heritage due to the area’s long-disputed border with Scotland, meaning the region frequently changed hands between the two kingdoms, leaving a strong imprint of Scottish culture on the local population; the name “Cumberland” itself is derived from the Celtic inhabitants of the region, known as the Cumbri.

What is known is that John Borodell was born in England about 1600 and died there before 1640, when his brother-in-law Robert Patrickson took guardianship of his minor children. We know he was the son of Robert Borodell. He most likely was born in Cumberland County, now part of Cumbria. The family connections to this area are strong ones. His father lived in Gosforth, and his grandfather owned land and lived in Cragg House in Santon. His sister Alice married a man that lived in Egremont, Cumberland. Egremont is near Gosforth and Santon.

His father Robert Borodell was born about 1556 in Cumberland (now Cumbria) County, England; he died before 6 November 1634 (the date of the inventory of estate), leaving an estate of roughly L202, including L139 owed to him. In or around 1576 he was surely the yeoman “Robert Boadell” of Gosforth who putatively owed money to the estate of Lancelot Fletch (Fletcher) of Cockermouth. In 1608 Robert sued his landlords in chancery concerning a messuage [a dwelling house with outbuildings and land assigned to its use] called Tottlerigg which Robert held by the custom of tenant right. Nothing is known about his wife or wives. (1)

The Gosforth mentioned above is a village near Santon.

Robert Borodell was the third born son of Nicolas Borodell.

Nicolas Borodell was born about 1530 and died 18 October 1597. He lived in Cragg House in Santon, Cumberland (now Cumbria) County, England. It is believed he may have acquired Cragg House on 6 October 1561, when he bought property from John Irton, a gentleman, and Anne, his wife. (1)

On the same day he made his will, Nicholas sold his property “Cragg House” in trust to Walter More of St. Bees, Nicholas Copeland, rector of Gosforth, and John Cote of Woodend (likely the testator’s son-in-law), to be held in trust for his widow during her lifetime, and finally to pass to his son John for his lifetime, then finally to pass to the longest liver of the remaining three sons (and his heirs males). He was married to Ellice ___, who survived him. (1)

His will was dated 10 Oct 1597, and it was proved 18 Oct 1597.

A bit about Cumberland County, now in Cumbria, and Santon:

The most north-western county in England is Cumbria, which is known to many as The Lake District. In centuries past there was no such county, and the area now known as Cumbria consisted of the two counties of Cumberland and Westmorland the latter of which included northern parts of both the West Riding of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Today it remains a largely rural county whose economy now is based on sheep farming on the rough uplands, with crops being grown in the fertile lowlands, and of course tourism. (5)

In the English county of Cumbria sits the small village of Santon. It is located near the Scottish border in the county’s northern region. The village is surrounded by beautiful countryside, with rolling hills and lush green fields. Travelers flock there frequently to take in the breathtaking beauty and serene ambiance. (7)

The village’s history is extensive and dates back to the Roman era. Numerous Roman ruins can be seen nearby, such as a bathhouse and fort. The village also played an important role in the medieval period, with a castle and a church dating back to the 12th century. Visitors can now explore these historic locations and discover more about the intriguing history of the village. (7)

Santon Bridge is a small village in Cumbria, England, located at a bridge over the River Irt.

Santon refers to the broader area encompassing the village of Santon Bridge, within the civil parish of “Irton with Santon”.

The meaning of the surname Borodell:

Borodell would appear to be a corruption or alternate spelling of Borrowdale, a small area in the English county of Cumberland (now Cumbria), which happens to be near the origins of my ancestor John Borodell. Gosforth and Santon are both in Cumberland County (now Cumbria), the family also had dealings with those from Cockermouth, which is near Grange in Borrowdale.

The surname Borrowdale is from Cumberland [now Cumbria] where they derived their name from the village of Borrowdale, in the parish of Crosthwaite, often called Grange in Borrowdale. The village dates back to at least c. 1170 when it was listed as Borgordale and meant “valley of the fort river” derived from the Old Scandinavian word “berg” + “by. (8)

I would be remiss if I did not discuss my direct ancestor Margaret Borodell, sister of Ann. Margaret was the second born daughter of John Borodell. She was born about 1625 in England.

She married, first, on 8 September 1647 at Cambridge, Massachusetts to Rev. Thomas Shepard, as his third wife. They had one child: Rev. Jeremiah Shepard, who is my direct ancestor. There is much written about Rev. Thomas Shepard, I have written about him in my blog twice. He was an American Puritan minister and a significant figure in early colonial New England.

After his death, she married second to Rev. Jonathan Mitchell on 19 November 1650 at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Hartford church had asked Jonathan Mitchell to become their pastor, but he declined wanting to return to Cambridge where Rev. Shephard was the pastor. After his death, it was unanimously voted that Jonathan Mitchell should be their pastor which he accepted. He was ordained 21 August 1650. At about the same time, his fiancé, Sarah Cotton, the daughter of Rev. John Cotton, minister of Boston, unexpectedly died. So, he married Margaret Shephard, widow of his predecessor at Cambridge church, Rev. Shephard.

She and Rev. Jonthan Mitchell had numerous children. Her second husband died 9 Jul 1668 at Cambridge.  

Margaret was evidently living amidst great tribulation in December 1678, when Reverend Daniel Russell of Charleston left six pounds to ‘the Relict of the Reverend Mr. Jonathan Mitchel of Cambridge, and Simpathezing with her many straits‘. (1)

Margaret likely died at Cambridge in early 1691. Her inventory was taken 4 Apr 1691, her son Jonathan Mitchell administering the estate. Although I am sure her family buried her in Cambridge, her exact place of burial is unknown. Unlike her sister, she does not have a fancy headstone. Her first husband Rev. Thomas Shepard is buried in the Cambridge Cemetery in Cambridge, her second husband Rev. Jonathan Mitchell is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Cambridge. She most likely was buried near one of her husbands.

References:

  1.  Miscia, Travis Dodge, The Cumbrian Origins and Puritan Connections of Ann (Borodell) Denison and Margaret (Borodell) (Shepard) Mitchell, NEHGS (New England Historic Genealogical Society) Vol. 178 No. 3, Page 256 & Page 252.
  2. Ann “Lady Ann” Denison formerly Borodell. Wikitree.
  3. Benton, Charles Edward, Ezra Reed and Esther Edgerton: Their Life and Ancestry, A.V. Haight Company, 1912, https://archive.org/stream/ezrareedandesth00bentgoog#page/n58/mode/2up/
  4. Andrew Broughton (1603-1688). OpenPlaques.org
  5. Scot, Mary. What Happened to Cumberland County (England)? Why is it not considered its own county anymore? quora.com
  6. Mark Walters. The Wildflower Notebook A diary of visits to wildflower locations in the UK. River Irt – Crag House to Santon Bridge, Cumbria – 14th June 2015. A WordPress Blog.
  7. Welcome to Santon. Town and Village Guide.com.
  8. Borrowdale Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms (houseofnames.com)

To learn more about the trial of Charles I and the regicides including Andrew Broughton:

  1. Reluctant regicides? The trial of Charles I revisited. Friday 30 May 2014 | Andrew Hopper. media.nationalarchives.gov.uk
  2. Regicides of King Charles I. wikitree.com
  3. Murder in Lausanne: The Death of an English Regicide in Exile. The History Woman’s Blog. A WordPress Blog.

If you’d like to learn more about the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project, please visit here:

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.

Or join the Facebook group Generations Cafe.

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit. Give a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

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My 39th (and 40th) Great-grandfather Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor. 52 Ancestors, Week 41: Most.

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Anna Kasper, ACDP
Above painting is by Antoine-Jean Gros, aka Baron Gros (1771-1835), Charlemagne and Hildegard, sketch for the dome of the Panthéon, original canvas.

This week’s writing prompt is most. I decided to discuss my 39th (and 40th) great-grandfather, Charlemagne, who was a Holy Roman Emperor in the 9th century. I am only one of his innumerable descendants. He has countless offspring. I venture to guess he has the most known descendants of any of my ancestors. He had at least 18 children with his wives and concubines, including Charles the Younger, Pippin the Hunchback, and Drogo of Metz. 

Many Europeans and Americans trace their ancestry back to Charlemagne. Some of the Mayflower Pilgrims in America, being of British ancestry, are included in his descendants. The primary line of his Carolingian family became extinct in 987, however, the secondary branches were very fruitful, leading to the belief that around 30% of individuals with European ancestry are related to Charlemagne.

Charlemagne is renowned for his achievements in uniting Western Europe, leading the Carolingian Renaissance, implementing religious reforms, and creating the seignorial system. He is frequently mentioned as the Originator of Western Culture.

Photo above is from Cindy Crawford’s Instagram. My Trowbridge/Marshall cousin and fellow descendant of Charlemagne.

My ancestry can be traced back to Charlemagne (Charles the Great) and his spouse Hildegard, the daughter of Gerold of Anglachgau. Hildegard had a noble background, with Frankish and Alemannian ancestry. I discovered my connection to Charlemagne when Cindy Crawford was revealed to be his descendant on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are? I share in common with her English and Colonial American Trowbridge/Marshall ancestors.

The list of famous descendants of Charlemagne is HUGE! Some famous royal descendants include Henry VIII and four of his wives: Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. Also, Charles, the current King of England (via his mother Elizabeth II), Princess Diana (via a different line than Charles), Catherine Middleton, Princess of Wales, and Meghan Markle.

The list comprises numerous US Presidents such as George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, Theodore Roosevelt, Rutherford B. Hayes, Ulysses S. Grant, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

Photo above is by Andrew Eccles via Getty. Dancing siblings of Dancing with the Stars fame, Derek and Julianne Hough are descendants of Charlemagne.

The list also features numerous First Ladies and U.S. Vice Presidents, along with writers, actors, inventors, politicians, astronauts, athletes, and other well-known individuals. Some of the performers included in the roster are Humphrey Bogart, Lillian Gish, Orson Welles, Steve McQueen, Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Joanne Woodward, Christopher Reeve, Matt Damon, siblings Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Vincent Price, Bing Crosby, sisters Olivia De Havilland and Joan Fontaine, Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Montgomery, Geena Davis, Kyra Sedgwick, Tilda Swinton, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Lawrence, Tim Robbins, Tom Hanks, Richard Gere, Glenn Close, Angelina Jolie, Kevin Bacon, Ben Affleck, Hugh Grant, Kit Harington, and Brad Pitt.

The descendency lines from Charlemagne that I know of are both on my mother’s side, with one being closer than the other. Here is the first line:

  1. Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor and Queen Hildegard.
  2. Holy Roman Emperor Louis I and Ermengarde of Haspengau.
  3. Lothair I, Emperor of the Carolingian Empire and Ermengarde of Tours.
  4. Ermengarde of Lorraine and Gilbert, Count of Maasgau.
  5. Rainier I, Duke of Lorraine and Alberade.
  6. Giselbert, Duke of Lorraine and Gerberga of Saxony.
  7. Alberade of Lorraine and Renaud, Count of Rheims and Roucy.
  8. Giselbert, Count of Roucy.
  9. Ebles I, Count of Rheims and Roucy, Archbishop of Rheims and Beatrix of Hainaut.
  10. Adelaide (Alice) de Roucy and Hilduin IV, Count of Montdidier.
  11. Marguerite (Margaret) de Roucy (aka Margaret of Montdidier) and Hugh I, Count of Clermont.
  12. Adeliza (Adelise/Alix) de Clermont-en-Beauvaisis and Gilbert Fitz Richard, Lord of Clare
  13. Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare and Alice (Adeliza) (daughter of Ranulf Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester and Lucy of Bolingbroke).
  14. Roger de Clare, 2nd Earl of Hertford and Maud de St. Hilary (daughter of James de St. Hilary and Aveline).
  15. Aveline de Clare, Countess of Essex and Geoffrey Fitz Peter, 1st Earl of Essex.
  16. Hawise Fitz Geoffrey and Reynold De Mohun, II, Lord of Dunster, Somerset.
  17. Alice de Mohun and Robert de Beauchamp, Lord of Hatch.
  18. Humphrey de Beauchamp, Lord of Ryme, Intrinseca, Dorset and Oburnford and Sybil Oliver.
  19. Eleanor Beauchamp and John Bamfield.
  20. John Bamfield and Isabel Cobham.
  21. John Bamfield and Joan Gilbert.
  22. Thomas Bamfield and Agnes Coplestone.
  23. Agnes Bamfield and John Prowse.
  24. Richard Prowse, Gentleman and Margaret Norton.
  25. John Prowse, Lord of Chagford and Joan Orchard.
  26. Robert Prowse and Christian ____.
  27. John Prowse and Alice White.
  28. John Prowse and Elizabeth Colwick/Collack.
  29. Agnes Prowse and John Trowbridge.
  30. Thomas Trowbridge and Elizabeth Marshall. (At this point, my shared ancestry with Cindy Crawford ends. Her line continues with the son Deacon James Trowbridge and his wife Margaret Jackson, mine continues with the son William Trowbridge, Sr. and his wife Elizabeth Lamberton).
  31. William Trowbridge and Elizabeth Lamberton.
  32. Elizabeth Trowbridge and Peter Mallory.
  33. Judith Mallory and Jeremiah Canfield, II.
  34. Pvt. David Canfield and Mary Northrup.
  35. David Canfield, Jr. and Sarah Gray.
  36. Esther Canfield and Amos Prindle.
  37. David Prindle, Sr. and Hannah Elizabeth Greatsinger/Kritsinger.
  38. Daniel Prindle and Sarah Jane “Jennie” Doman.
  39. Anna Cora Prindle and Joseph Edward Cole (my great-grandparents).

The ancestry above demonstrates that Charlemagne is my thirty-ninth great-grandfather. I am the offspring of two of his sons. My ancestry on this first line is via Louis I, Holy Roman Emperor, and his wife Ermengarde of Haspengau. Pepin I, King of Italy, another son of Charlemagne, is also my ancestor, he and one of his unnamed mistresses/concubines. They are the forebears of Beatrix Hainaut (spouse of Ebles I, Count of Rheims and Roucy), located in line #9 mentioned above.

Hugh Capet and his wife Adelaide of Aquitaine. This above image is public domain.

My second line of descendancy is as follows:

  1. Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor and Queen Hildegard.
  2. Pepin I, King of Italy and unknown named mistress/concubine.
  3. Bernard, King of Italy and Cunigunda of Laon.
  4. Pepin II, Count of Vermandois and unknown named wife.
  5. Herbert I, Count of Vermandois and unknown partner.
  6. Beatrice of Vermandois and Robert I, King of West Francia.
  7. Hugh the Great, Duke of Franks and Count of Paris and Hedwige of Saxony, daughter of the German king Henry the Fowler.
  8. Hugh Capet, King of the Franks and Adelaide of Aquitaine.
  9. Hedwig of France and Reginar IV, Count of Mons.
  10. Beatrix of Hainaut and Ebles I, Count of Rheims and Roucy, Archbishop of Rheims.

At this point both lines link up together with Beatrix of Hainaut and Ebles I, Count of Rheims and Roucy, Archbishop of Rheims.

To learn more about Charlemagne:

  1. History. Charlemagne (c. 747 – c. 814). BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).
  2. Charlemagne. By: History.com Editors. Updated: July 22, 2022 | Original: November 9, 2009.
  3. #203: Life of Charlemagne. Christian History Institute.
  4. Catholic Encyclopedia – Charlemagne. newadvent.org
  5. Charlemagne – Wikipedia.

If you’d like to learn more about the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project, please visit here:

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.

Or join the Facebook group Generations Cafe.

If you use any information from my blog posts as a reference or source, please give credit. Give a link back to my work that you are referencing. Unless otherwise noted, my work is © Anna A. Kasper 2011-2026. All rights reserved. Thank you.

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