Historian Nathaniel Morton - 52 Ancestors #35

Nathaniel Morton is my 11th great-grandfather. He came to Plymouth 
Colony in 1623, on the Anne, with his parents, George & Juliana (Carpenter) Morton. His parents were married in Leiden, Holland in 1612 and it is most likely that he was born there. 

Nathaniel's father died when Nathaniel was only eleven. He was taken in by his uncle, Governor William Bradford. As a result, Nathaniel received an excellent education and became the Secretary of Plymouth Colony for forty years (1645-1685). He was also the secretary of the United Colonies of New England. 

The Guest Commentary portion of the Early Families of New England sketch on Nathaniel Morton includes this information that was very interesting for me. Nathaniel Morton wrote an account of the Plymouth Colony history that expands on and extends William Bradford's manuscript, Of Plymouth Plantation." Morton's work is called New-Englands Memoriall and was published in 1669. This is the only source of signers of the Mayflower Compact and "notes the eight Native Leaders who added their names to the treaty with Massasoit in September, 1621 - but makes no mention of the famous First Thanksgiving." James W. Baker, a Plymouth historian calls this work "the first historical work to be printed in the English North American colonies." (emphasis added)

How cool is that? One of my ancestors authored the first historical work printed in British North America! 

My Line:
Nathaniel Morton
Mercy Morton
Eleazer Dunham
Mercy Dunham
Mary Kempton
Rebecca Burbank 
Hannah Keene
Timothy Cox
Christiana Cox
Francis Llewellyn Cotton
Ray Everett Cotton
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

Early Families of New England is a wonderful database available from the New England Historic Genealogical Society. It extends beyond the immigrants covered in the Great Migration series but with the same level of research and detail. 

52 Ancestors #45 - The Interesting Life of Abishag Walton

Abishag Walton must have married mariner Robert Taprill between 1659 and 1663. In 1672 the Taprills were living in a house in Boston that belonged to Mr. William Waldron. The house was purchased by Mr. Waldron's brother, Alexander and when Alexander Waldron died in 1676, he willed the house, land and two gold rings to Mrs. Taprill. The house and land was to revert back to William Waldron after the death of Abishag Taprill. 

The name Abishag comes from the Bible where Abishag was a young woman who tends to King David in his old age. Another site describes her role as "a bed companion to David in the hope that her fresh beauty might induce some warmth in the old man." 

Abishag seems to have been the primary support for her family and her husband, Robert, was often at sea and contributed very little, it at all, to the family's support. One time Abishag even had to borrow money to keep Robert out of jail. 

Eventually she moved back to Great Island where her father built a home and a shop for her. Robert Taprill died in November 1678 while on a voyage on the "Providence." Unfortunately, Abishag died in January 1679 and it's possible she hadn't even received word of her husband's death at that point. Before he died he told some of his crew that he hoped his wife would find a better husband and that she had maintained and clothed him. Alice's father, George Walton, took care of her children until he did in 1685. 

Children of Robert & Abishag (Walton) Taprill:

1. Alice appears in her grandfather's will and in the local records in 1685 when she was suspected of having had an illegitimate child. 
2. Priscilla appears in her grandfather's will and married Francis Caswell and died before 1714 when her husband married again. 
3. Grace appears in her grandfather's will and inherited her mother's house on Great Island. She was presented for having an illegitimate child in 1700. She fled the jurisdiction of the court and when she returned a year later, she named John Tomson of Kittery as the child's father and was fined £2:10. She later married Israel Hoyt. 

Robert & Abishag (Walton) Taprill - 10th great-grandparents
Israel & Grace (Taprill) Hoyt
Sampson & Dorothy (Hoyt) Babb
John & Alice (Babb) Waterhouse
Richard & Lydia (Waterhouse) Garland
Isaac & Alice (Garland) Hayes
Richard & Rebecca (Greenwood) Hayes
Sydney & Apphia (Cole) Hayes
George & Anna (Rowe) Hayes
Estes & Eva (Hayes) Yates
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother