Motherhood - 17th Century Style

Peter Brewer of Haverhill married Elizabeth Lilford on November 25, 1669. They are my 9X great-grandparents. Together they had 14 children in the twenty years from 1670-1690. Of 14 children, only Peter, Elizabeth, Dorothy (2nd), and Hannah lived to adulthood. Only twice was the previous child a year old or older when Elizabeth became pregnant with the next child. I can't imagine the physical and emotional toll this took on Elizabeth.

1. Peter was born on September 15, 1670 and was living at Pemaquid in April 1689. 
2. Elizabeth was born on March 5, 1672 and married John Tompson of Salisbury. Time between pregnancies: 9 months. 
3. Dorothy was born on January 25, 1673 and died the next month on February 20. Time between pregnancies: not quite 2 months. 
4. Thomas was born February 20, 1674 and died on March 6. Time between pregnancies: 4 months.
5. Dorothy, the second child of that name, was born on February 11, 1675 and married William Middleton of Bradford on May 28, 1694. Time between pregnancies: not quite 3 months. 
6. Ann was born on July 12, 1678 and died on February 6 of the next year. Time between pregnancies: 2 years and 7 months. 
7. Richard, a twin, was born and died on December 27, 1679 Time between pregnancies: 8 months.
8. Thomas, a twin, was born and died on December 27, 1679. 
9. Mehitable was born on November 12, 1680 and died on January 19th. Time between pregnancies: not quite 2 months. 
10. Mary was born March 11, 1682 and died on May 1, 1682. Time between pregnancies: 7 months. 
11. Ebenezer was born on March 30, 1683 and died on July 30th. Time between pregnancies: 3 months. 
12. Hannah was born on August 25, 1684 and married Adam Draper on March 6, 1704. Time between pregnancies: 8 months. 
13. Mehitable, the second of that name, was born on February 24, 1686 and died on February 29, 1688. Time between pregnancies: 9 months
14. Samuel was born on March 30, 1690 and died on May 27th. Time between pregnancies: 4 years and 1 month. 

I used the nine months figure to estimate the time between pregnancies because it was easier to do the math. However, I know there is a normal range of pregnancy between 38-42 weeks.

Peter & Elizabeth (Lilford) Brewer
Dorothy Brewer
Susanna Middleton
Mehitable Cheney
Susannah Blaisdell
Stephen Rowe
Charles H. N. Rowe
Anna J. Rowe
Eva D. Hayes
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

My Newbury Lines

Robert Adams, Elizabeth (Adams) Phelps, Elizabeth (Phelps) Ballard, Joseph Ballard, Elizabeth (Ballard) Abbott, Aaron Abbott, Aaron Abbott, Jr. Sarah (Abbott) Capen, Edward A. Capen, Fannie (Capen) Carter, Thomas Richard Carter. 

#1 - John Bailey, Sarah (Bailey) Cheney, Eleanor (Cheney) Safford, John Safford, Ruth (Safford) Haskell, Martha (Haskell) Houghton, Mary "Sally" (Houghton) Dunham, Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood, Nina (Ellingwood) Gibbs, Annie F. (Gibbs) Cotton, Fern Lyndell Cotton 

#2 - John Bailey, Rebecca (Bailey) Brown, Ruth (Brown) Rogers, Isaac Rogers, Rebecca (Rogers) Blaisdell, Stephen Blaisdell, Jr., Susanna (Blaisdell) Rowe, Stephen B. Rowe, Charles H. N. Rowe, Anna J. (Rowe) Hayes, Eva (Hayes) Yates, Linona Alice Yates. 

Thomas Brown, Isaac Brown m. Rebecca Bailey - See Bailey #2 line for the rest. 

#1 - Richard Bartlett, Christopher Bartlett, Martha (Bartlett) Stevens, Ebenezer (Stevens) Blaidell, Stephen Blaisdell, Sr. m. Rebecca Rogers - See Bailey #2 line for the rest. 

#2 - Richard Bartlett, Richard Bartlett, Jr., Samuel Bartlett, Samuel Bartlett, Jr., Joshua Bartlett, Lydia (Bartlett) Ripley, Nancy (Ripley) Blake, Galen Blake, Charles G. Blake, Harriet May Blake, Clayton Leonard Blake 

#1 - John Cheney, Daniel Cheney m. Sarah Bailey - see Bailey line #1 for the rest. 

#2 - John Cheney, Peter Cheney, John Cheney, Edmund Cheney, Edmund Cheney, Jr. Mehitable Cheney m. Stephen Blaisdell, Jr. - See Bailey line #2 for the rest. 

Aquila Chase, Priscilla (Chase) Merrill, Nathaniel Merrill, Priscilla (Merrill) Knight, Eunice (Knight) Sawyer, Hannah (Sawyer) Hilton, Catherine (Hilton) Churchill, Loann (Churchill) Rowe m. Charles H. N. Rowe - see Bailey #2 line for the rest. 

John Cutting, Mary (Cutting) Noyes, Hannah Noyes m. Peter Cheney - see Cheney #2 line for the rest. 

John Emery, Eleanor Emery m. John Bailey - see the both of the two Bailey lines above. 

Henry Jaques, Elizabeth (Jaques) Knight, Henry Knight m. Priscilla Merrill - see Chase line for the rest. 

John Knight, John Knight, Jr., Richard Knight m. Elizabeth Jaques - see Jaques line for the rest. 

Robert Long, Rebecca (Long) Rawlins, Rebecca (Rawlins) Rogers, Rebecca Rogers m. Stephen Blaisdell, Sr., Stephen Blaisdell, Jr. - see Bailey #2 line for the rest. 

Hugh March, George March, Sarah (March) Deering, Elizabeth (Deering) Emmons, Eliakim Emmons, Jacob Emmons, Laura (Emmons) Yates, Estes G. Yates, Linona Alice Yates

William Marston, William Marston, Jr., Maria (Marston) Prescott, Samuel Prescott, Jermiah Prescott, Elisha Prescott, Hannah (Prescott) Edgecomb, Mary (Edgecomb) Philbrick, Benjamin P. Philbrick, Mary (Philbrick) Cotton, Ray Everett Cotton, Fern Lyndell Cotton

#1 - Nathaniel Merrill, Susannah (Merrill) Burbank, Timothy Burbank, Timothy Burbank, Jr., Rebecca (Burbank) Keene, Hannah (Keene) Cox, Timothy Cox, Christiana (Cox) Cotton, Francis Llewellyn Cotton, Ray E. Cotton, Fern Lyndell Cotton

#2 - Nathaniel Merrill, Abel Merrill, Nathaniel Merrill, Priscilla m. Henry Knight - see Henry Jaques line

#1 - William Moody, Joshua Moody, Samuel Moody, Joshua Moody, William Moody, Elizabeth (Moody) Ackley, William Ackley, Sarah (Ackley) Abbott, Mary Jane (Abbott) Capen, Fannie (Capen) Carter, Thomas Richard Carter

#2 - William Moody,  Joshua Moody, Samuel Moody, Joshua Moody, Houchin Moody, Josiah Moody, Hezekiah Moody, Dolly (Moody) Blake, Charles G. Blake, Harriet May Blake, Clayton Leonard Blake

Nicholas Noyes, Hannah Noyes m. Peter Cheney - see Cheney #2 line for the rest   

William Titcomb, William Titcomb, Jr., Elizabeth (Titcomb) Bartlett, Samuel Bartlett, Jr. - see Bartlett #2 line for the rest.   

An Independent Streak - 52 Ancestors #27

Memorial Stone for John Emery in the Newbury First Settlers Burying Ground

John and his brother, Anthony, came to America in 1635 on the James. He settled at Newbury, where he worked as a carpenter and an innkeeper. John was married twice. His first marriage was to Alice Grantham of West Dean, Wiltshire, England. There is no record of Alice in New England. In Newbury, on October 29, 1647, John married for a second time. His second wife was Mary (Shatswell) Webster, widow of John Webster. Mary had three siblings who had immigrated to Ipswich, Massachusetts - brothers John and Theophilus Shatswell and sister, Margaret (Shatswell) Curwen, wife of Matthias Curwen.

Despite the fact that he sometimes got in trouble (often for standing up for his beliefs), he also contributed his service to the local officials in a number of different offices. He was a member of quite a few petit juries and grand juries over the years. He was the Newbury constable in 1655 and clerk of the market in 1656. 

His independent streak is well documented through the court system. 

His first recorded brush with the law makes one question whether his first wife was still alive since he seems to have gotten a little fresh with a married woman. The part at the end makes me wonder if she was a willing participant in the interaction. On September 29, 1646, "John Emery, for miscarriage with the wife of Henry Travers, fined £3 or to be whipped, and pay witness fee to Christopher Bartlett. Bound to good behavior and not to frequent the company of the wife of Henry Travers. 

In 1654, John joined with other town leaders to sue John Merrill for selling the town's lands without order. Also in 1654, there was a controversy regarding a petition in support of Lt. Robert Pike of Salisbury. That is a story for another blog post. All of his dealings on behalf of his step-children will also be told later. 

In 1658, John, his son John Jr., his step-son John Webster, and Solomon Keyes were admonished by the court for disturbing the peace and acting disrespectully. They were told to "beware of the like sinful practices for time to come, which this Court will not bear; and that they pay the several charges of their neighbors the last Court & this, in coming for relief from such under courses."

On May 5, 1663, John Emery appeared before the court for entertaining Quakers. 

In another church controversy in 1669, John Emery was one of those opposing Rev. Mr. Parker. He appears on a 1671 list of Newbury church members presented as part of this discontent. 

In 1678, John submitted a bill to the local militia for "a new saddle & bridle" 28s.; a "sword & belt," 12s; 2 pounds powder & bullets," 4s.; and "saddle & cloth," 23s. 

John died on November 3, 1683 and was buried in the First Burying Ground in Newbury. 

For more on John Emery - 

John Emery - lists his children and some testimony about his entertaining Quakers. 

Connections to the TV show Downton Abbey - Maps the areas in England where the family lived near the town of Downton. 

John Emery

Eleanor (Emery) Bailey

Sarah (Bailey) Cheney - Sister of Rebecca Bailey (below)

Eleanor (Cheney) Safford

John Safford

Ruth (Safford) Haskell

Martha (Haskell) Houghton

Mary "Sally" (Houghton) Dunham

Florilla (Dunham) Ellingwood

Nina King (Ellingwood) Gibbs

Annie Florilla (Gibbs) Cotton

Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother

Rebecca (Bailey) Brown

Ruth (Brown) Rogers

Isaac Rogers

Rebecca (Rogers) Blaisdell

Stephen Blaisdell

Susannah (Blaisdell) Rowe

Stephen Blaisdell Rowe

Charles H. N. Rowe

Anna J. (Rowe) Hayes

Eva Delphinia (Hayes) Yates

Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Stormy Weather - 52 Ancestors #10

Surf at Pemaquid - 2014 

I've written before about the hurricane that struck in 1635 and destroyed the Angel Gabriel off the coast of Pemaquid, Maine. For this week's prompt regarding stormy weather, I thought I would highlight another family who was on the same ship and add a bit more information. 

Surf at Pemaquid 2014

An interesting tidbit is that the Angel Gabriel was commissioned by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1617 for a voyage to Guiana. Five ships set out from England. The three were headed to Newfoundland were smaller and faster and landed before the hurricane struck. The James and the Angel Gabriel traveled together were caught by the storm. The James weathered the storm off the Isle of Shoals on the Maine-New Hampshire border and the Angel Gabriel stopped to ride out the storm at Pemaquid. When the ship was dashed against the rocks and destroyed, it was fortunate that only a few people lost their lives. Most of the passengers and crew escaped with their lives although they lost their possessions.

Surf at Pemaquid - 2014

John Bailey was a weaver. He settled with his son, also named John, in Salisbury and had a fishing grant in the Powwow River. When he and John sailed for New England, they left behind the rest of the family assuming they would return and fetch them later. However, the violence of the storm scared him enough that he would never agree to make the ocean crossing again. His wife and other children were also too afraid to make the crossing to join him. 




Couples were not supposed to live apart in Puritan society and the court had ordered him to reunite with his wife. Finally in 1649, the court decided that he "having used sufficient means to procure his wife over from England, and she utterly refusing to come," should not be required to go back to England. However, he was expected to continue to try to persuade her to come live with him. 

When he died in 1651, he left money for his wife and children in England but they would only get the full amount if they came to New England. The executor was to pay for the passage of those who would come to New England. His legacy to his wife was 6 pounds per year, to his son, Robert, 15 pounds, to his daughters, 10 pounds each. However, if they stayed in England, they would only receive 5 shillings each. We only know the name of one of his daughters, Joanna, who married William Huntington, came to New England. 

Surviving A Hurricane

Pemaquid Museum

John Bailey - my 11th great-grandfather

John Bailey, Jr. 

Sarah Bailey

Eleanor Cheney

John Safford

Ruth Safford

Martha Haskell

Mary "Sally" Houghton

Florilla Dunham

Nina K. Ellingwood

Annie Florilla Gibbs

Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother