How Do You Spell That? - 52 Ancestors #15

This week's optional prompt for the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge is to write about an ancestor who one would imagine got asked frequently to spell his or her name or to choose and ancestor with an unusual name that makes researching challenging. Well, my tree certainly has no shortage of odd names and I've already written about a few of them. Most of the time, I find an unusual name makes researching easier. Much easier to find Abishag, Hazelelponi, Balthasar, or Theophilus than trying to sort out all the John Smiths in the colonies. My favorite odd surname is Gawkroger.

So who to write about...unfortunately unless they got into trouble with the law, the females are hard to find much that is interesting beyond their names: Coddeth, Goodith, Urith, Welthian, Wybra, and Wilmot.

How about immigrant Kenelm Winslow? He came from a family of early immigrants to Plymouth. His parents were Edward & Magdalen (Oliver) Winslow. His brothers included two Pilgrims, Edward, and Gilbert. Nice ordinary names. There were two other brothers, Josiah, and John. So where did the name Kenelm come from? Various baby-naming sites say the name is a combination of old English words meaning "bold or keen" and "helmet", an odd combination of words in my opinion. Saint Kenelm (or Cynehelm) was mentioned in The Canterbury Tales,  and the name was popular in medieval times.

Kenelm came from Droitwich, Worcestershire, England to Plymouth and moved to Marshfield by 1643. There is no immigration record for him, but he is listed in 1633 with his brother, Josiah and it is assumed that he arrived in 1631 since that is the date of Josiah's arrival.

Kenelm worked as a joiner and although there are no proven pieces of his furniture surviving today, there are a number of pieces from the period that give an idea of the work he would have done.

Joined chest, probably Marshfield, Ma., 1630-1700. Red oak, pine, iron handles.
H. 33-1/8, W. 44, D. 21-1/8 in.
Lent by Licut Henry Lee Watson. Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Wainscot chair, Plymouth or Marshfield, Ma, ca. 1630-1645.
Red oak. H. 41-1/2, W. 24, D. 16-1/2 in. Gift of Abby Frothingham Winslow, 1882.
Courtesy of Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Ma. PHM 944. Photography by J. David Bohl.

Table with drawer, probably Marshfield, Ma, 1650-1700. Oak, ash and white pine.
H. 23, W. of frame 34-3/4, D. of frame 18 in.
Courtesy of the National Museum of American History,
Smithsonian Institution, Behring Center, Washington, D.C.

In June 1635, Kenelm married Ellen (Newton) Adams, widow of John Adams. She lived to the age of 83 and was buried in Marshfield on December 5, 1681. 

He had a couple of run-ins with the law. In 1645, he was briefly jailed for fined 10 pounds. However, he quickly dropped his complaint involving his case against John Mynard. The next year, he was sued by Roger Chandler. It sounds like the Winslow family had hired Chandler's daughter but refused to return her clothes when her father refused to give his consent to her working for the Winslows. At the same time as the case involving Roger Chandler, Kenelm Winslow was ordered back to jail "for opprobrious words against the church of Marshfield, saying they were all liars, &c." and then refusing to provide sureties that it would not occur again.

The final two decades of his life were lived without any incidents that made the record books. Kenelm was buried at Salem on September 13, 1681.

Children of Kenelm & Ellen (Newton) (Adams) Winslow

1. Kenelm was born about 1635 and married twice. His first wife was Mercy Worden and his second wife was Damaris Eames. 
2. Ellen was born about 1636 and married Samuel Baker on December 20, 1656 in Marshfield. 
3. Nathaniel was born about 1639 and married Faith Miller on August 3, 1664 in Marshfield.
4. Job was born about 1641 and married Ruth (__)

Kenelm & Ellen (Newton) (Adams) Winslow

Nathaniel & Faith (Miller) Winslow

Nathaniel & Lydia (Snow) Winslow

Nathaniel & Thankful (Winslow) Keene - Cousins, see below

Snow & Rebecca (Burbank) Keene

John & Hannah (Keene) Cox

Timothy & Eunice (Rand) Cox

John Henry & Christiana (Cox) Cotton

Francis Llewellyn & Lizzie (Philbrick) Cotton

Ray Everett & Annie Florilla (Gibbs) Cotton

Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

Kenelm & Ellen (Newton) (Adams) Winslow

Samuel & Ellen (Winslow) Baker

Josiah & Lydia (Baker) Keene

Nathaniel & Thankful (Winslow) Keene

Friday Funny - 18 Kids & No Reality Show!

While helping my students do some research for their family history projects, I found this source. While scrolling through and perusing the names, I happened on the family of John & Sarah (Winslow) Morrell. They were Quakers and had eighteen children born between 1758 and 1784. I know large families were common in colonial times and I don't even bat an eyelash at twelve to fourteen children but at fifteen or more with one wife is pretty rare in my research. I start to look at the names of the children and notice the ones at the end seem to take a turn - or is it just my quirky sense of humor? 

1. Abigail
2. Kesiah
3. Peter
4. Joseph
5. Benjamin
6. William
7. Sarah (Twin)
8. John (Twin)
9. (Unnamed, stillborn)
10. Hope - hmm...as in "I hope this is the last one?"
11. Hope - born two years after the previous Hope
12. Joseph
13. Enoch - as in "enough already?"
14. Hannah
15. Peace - as in "For the love of God, I just need some peace!"
16. Content - as in "In case you didn't understand, I am content with what I have!"
17. David - (Twin)
18. Thankful - as in "I am so thankful that I will not be having any more children?" (Twin)

Sarah died in 1793 at the age of 52. At that point her children would span ages 9-35 if they all were living. She was 17 when her first child was born and 43 when the final twins were born. 

Josiah Winslow - Governor of Plymouth Colony

My mother's ancestry goes back to the Winslow family who were some of the earliest settlers of Plymouth. Edward and Gilbert were passengers on the Mayflower, brother John came on the Fortune in 1621 and the two younger Winslows, Josiah and Kenelm came about 1631. My family descends from Kenelm so this Josiah is my first cousin, 11 times removed.


Josiah Winslow, shown here was the 13th Governor of Plymouth Colony, serving from 1673 to 1680. He was born in 1628 to Edward Winslow and Penelope Pelham (daughter of Herbert Pelham, the first treasurer of Harvard College). Josiah was the first governor of Plymouth born in the New World. By the time he took office, the colony was well established and no longer reliant on Native Americans to teach the colonists survival skills. The expanding British settlements of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay were expanding and putting pressure of the lands of the Native Americans. Chief of the Wampanoag, Metacom (or King Philip) and Josiah did not have a good relationship and this contributed to the outbreak of King Philip's War. Josiah's half-brother was Peregrine White, the first English child born in New England.

A Master Craftsman

Kenelm Winslow was a joiner who came to this country in 1631. He was one of five sons of Edward Winslow, Sr. and Magdelyn Ollyver of Droitwich, England. Edward Jr. and Gilbert were passengers on the Mayflower and they were followed by Kenelm, Josiah and John. Carpenters and joiners were in great demand since most immigrants could not bring furniture with them from England and those that could bring a piece or two still needed more once they arrived. From chests to chairs to coffins, every family would need something.  


An article in Antiques and Fine Arts Magazine provides the following information about Kenelm:

Evidence of Kenelm's London training is present in the Master's and Wardens' account books kept by the company from 1621 to 1828. In the relevant account citation the text reads: "Item [received] of Kenelme Winslowe late the apprentice of Abraham Worthington a silver spoone and for his admission iij s iiij d" [3 shillings, 4 pence]. It was standard practice for an apprentice finishing his time to make a payment to the Company, along with a gift of a spoon. 

See article link below for photo credits

There is circumstantial evidence that a few pieces that may be his work survive today as museum pieces. If not his, at least, similar to work he would have done. The article linked below has pictures and a more detailed explanation of the work of Kenelm Winslow. 

Droitwich, Worcestershire, England

Kenelm Winslow & Eleanor
Ellen Winslow & Samuel Baker - Nathaniel Winslow & Faith Miller - double line of descent
Lydia Baker & Josiah Keen - Nathaniel Winslow & Lydia Snow - double line of descent
Nathaniel Keen & Thankful Winslow
Snow Keen & Rebecca Burbank
Hannah Keen & John Cox
Timothy Cox & Eunice Rand
Christiana Cox & John H. Cotton
Francis Llewellyn Cotton & Lizzie Philbrick
Ray Everett Cotton & Annie Florilla Gibbs
Fern Lyndell Cotton

http://www.antiquesandfineart.com/articles/article.cfm?request=835