Benjamin Small/Smalley was born about 1665 in Maine, then Massachusetts, the son of Francis and Elizabeth Smalley.  He grew up in Sturgeon Creek which in 1713 was renamed the parish of North Kittery and then became the town of Eliot, Maine in 1810. His father Francis was involved in trade with Native Americans, was a fur trapper, and a fisherman. Benjamin’s childhood changed dramatically when from 1675 to 1678 the area was under attack by Native Americans during King Philip’s War. Sturgeon Creek families fled their homes and lived crowded together in a garrison. In 1689 King William’s W ..read more

Ebenezer Benson was born Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, on 16 March 1693, the son of John and Elizabeth (Briggs) Benson. [Rochester VR 1:34] On 20 Jan 1717, Ebenezer was just 23, a laborer, when he purchased a parcel of land in Middleborough from his father “near the dividing line between the towns of Middleborough and Rochester.” [Plymouth County Deeds 19:28] He married Joanna Andrews on 30 August 1718 at Rochester. [Rochester VR 2:34] Richard Benson writes that she may have been the daughter of Stephen and Bethia (Stetson) Andrews who were early settlers in Rochester from Hingh ..read more

Ebenezer Cobb was born Plymouth 9 August 1671, the son of John and Martha (Nelson) Cobb. [Plymouth VR:2; MD 1:141] I wrote about John and Martha here.He is my 8th great-grandfather on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family.   Ebenezer married Mercy (also seen as Marcy) Holmes on 1 June 1693 at Plymouth (Plymouth Vital Records p 86). Mercy was born Plymouth 10 September 1673, the daughter of Nathaniel and Mercy (Faunce) Holmes. [Plymouth VR:86; MD 13:206] I wrote about Nathaniel and Mercy here. The Children of Ebenezer Cobb and Marcy his Wife (Plymouth vital r ..read more

 William Wetherell was Puritan minister who was born about 1602, likely in Yorkshire England. He was educated at Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, where he was listed as being from York. He received his BA in 1626 and MA in 1627. [The Genealogical Advertiser, 1:21 (March 1898)]  I have yet to find his parents. His surname is sometimes spelled Witherell. Corpus Christi College at Cambridge William Wetherell married Mary Fisher on 26 March 1627 at St. Mildred’s, Canterbury, Kent. "Witherill, William, M.A. of Maidstone, ba[chelor]., about 25, and Mary Fisher, of Bought ..read more

Ruth Harding is my 5th great-grandmother on my grandmother Milly Booth Rollins’s side of the family. She has long been a stubborn brick wall as I could not find her birth information. What I knew about her is that she married Nehemiah Eldredge in 1796 as Miss Ruth Harding of Chatham. Their Marriage Intentions:  Mr. Nehemiah Eldredge of Harwich - Miss Ruth Harding of Chatham Jany 30th 1796. (Harwich Vital Records  p 178) Intentions were also published in Chatham.  (Chatham Vital Records p 165) Nehemiah Eldredge was born 7 June 1775, the son of Elnathan and Dorothy (Freeman) Eldre ..read more

This isn’t my usual post as Emma Dunham Kelley Hawkins is not in my direct line—she is my first cousin, three times removed. I had basic information on Emma since the early days of my esearch. She was born Emma Dunham Kelley on 11 November 1863 at Dennis on Cape Cod, the daughter of Isaac Dunham and Gabrelia (Chase) Kelley (Dennis VR vol 3, p 1061).  Emma’s Misidentification  In 2003 I was contacted by Dr. Katherine “Kathy” Flynn who was researching the ancestral lines of Emma Kelley Hawkins. She informed me that Emma had been identified as one of the first important African Ameri ..read more

Robert Cushman was born Plymouth, Massachusetts, on 4 October 1664 (calculated from age at death), the son of Thomas and Ruth (Howland) Cushman. I wrote about Thomas and Ruth here. He is my 9th great-grandfather on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side and is a descendant of Mayflower Passengers John Howland, Mary Allerton and her parents Isaac and Mary (Norse) Allerton, Elizabeth Tilley and her parents John and Joan (Hurst) Tilley. His great-grandfather Robert Cushman was an important Pilgrim leader at Leiden. Robert married Persis Lewis about 1697. She was born Swansea in Bristol ..read more

John Benson was born about 1660-65 (estimated by approximate age at birth of first child) probably at Hull in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, the eldest son of John Benson and his wife whose name is unknown (although there is a great deal of unsubstantiated information about her identity out there). I wrote about his father John here. John is my 8th great grandfather on my grandfather Arthur Washburn Ellis Davis’ side of the family. John’s birth was unrecorded and his father did not leave a will, but he is shown to be the son of John Benson through deeds. In 1708 and 1710 John Benson Sr of Mi ..read more

Thomas Freeman was born “at Cape Cod,” which I believe refers to Eastham, on 26 April 1731, the son of Thomas and Dorothy (Cole) Freeman (birth is recorded in a group of births of Thomas Freeman Senior’s children, Harwich Town Records First Record Book p 211, some of his siblings say born Harwich). I wrote about Thomas and Dorothy Freeman here. He is my 7th great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’ side of the family.  On 17 January 1750[/51] Thomas Freeman Jr. of Harwich married, at Chatham, Esther Rider (also seen as Ryder) of Chatham. (Chatham Vital Records p 53 ..read more

Charles Westgate was born 26 March 1805, at Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Birth is estimated from age at death. He may have been the son of Benjamin Westgate/Westcott/Waistcoat and Rhoda Hawl/Hall, but I need to find documentary evidence. If anyone has a source for this, I’d love to hear from you! There is a 1824 probate file, no. 22326, for a Benjamin Westgate of Rochester and I was hoping for a will but he died 20 September 1824 intestate. Charles Westgate of Plymouth married Lydia Polden of Plymouth, also spelled Paulding, on 4 November 1827 at Plymouth. (Plymouth VR 1:465) Lyd ..read more