Witness to a Violent Altercation - 52 Ancestors #45

Samuel Younglove is my tenth great-grandfather. He was a butcher and lived in Ipswich, Massachusetts. On July 1, 1633, he married Margaret Leggatt in Epping, co. Essex, England and in 1635, they came to America on the Hopewell. 

        

On November 23, 1668, Samuel gave an account of a situation between Joseph Lee and "Goodman" Hunt. With a little further research into the court records of Essex County, I was able to find that "Goodman" Hunt was Samuel Hunt, Sr. The source of their dispute was the keeping of sheep and they had previous violent encounters.  

Scutching or Swingling knife

Lydia Burnham, aged about 24, testified, "that when young John Lee and Goodman Hunt were 'wording it' about the sheep, Joseph Lee came up the lane to Hunt with a club in his hand as large as a swingle [a wooden tool for beating flax], and told him to stand aside or he would knock him down. Hunt said he had as good a right there as he and took Lee by the collar, and tripped up his heels." 

Thomas Knowlton, aged about 27, deposed "that he told Hunt that he heard he had pulled the hair from Joseph Leigh's head, which Hunt owned, and said had it not been for the old man, he would have pulled them all out." 

Martha Gilbert deposed "that she saw the fight and when Hunt had Joseph Lea down, old Goodman Lea came up with a pitchfork which had but one tine and struck Hunt two blows. Had young John Lea not interfered, he would have killed Hunt, and she was the blood run down Hunt's head." 

Samuel Younglove's account includes the details that Joseph Lee struck Hunt "as hard as he could" and that afterward he could "see the bone upon his head." 

Children of Samuel & Margaret (Leggatt) Younglove:

1. Samuel Jr. was born about 1634
2. Joseph was born about 1638
3. Lydia was born about 1643
4. Abigail was born about 1653
5. Hannah was born about 1656
6. Elizabeth was born about 1657

Samuel Younglove

Abigail Younglove

Jonathan Parsons

Abigail Parsons

William Rowe

Stephen Blaisdell Rowe

Charles H. N. Rowe

Anna J. Rowe

Eva Delphinia Hayes

Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Sources:
NEHGR Vol. 16, pg 49 accessed at AmericanAncestors.org on January 27, 2015

52 Ancestors #48 - The Reluctant Husband

Thomas Herrick was the oldest son of Henry & Editha (Laskin) Herrick and the older brother of my 9th great-grandfather, Zachariah Herrick. He seems to have been the black sheep of the family. He was left a legacy in his father's will but would only receive it if he met the stated conditions. He was left out of his brother Benjamin's will, although all the other Herrick siblings received a portion of the estate. 

So why was Thomas ostracized by his family? It seems his father wanted him to "not live his life as a single man." His father died in 1670 when Thomas was about 35 years old. Several of his younger brothers were already married - Zachariah at age 18, Ephraim at age 23, Henry at age 23, Joseph at age 20, and only brothers John, age 20, and Benjamin, age 14, were also unmarried when their father died. 

What did Thomas stand to lose by not marrying? The will states, "Also I give unto my soon Thomas all my wearing appaearell except my best great coat & that 20 acres of land where his house standeth, with ten pounds to be payed to my soon John wn my executor seethe need to supply his wants, And if in case he live and dye a single pson, the lands shall remain to my sons Ephraim & Joseph, equally devided & the ten pounds to my son Beanjamin if not make use of to supply him." 

At some point Thomas did marry but I have not found a record of the date. There is a description of a divorce petition in the Essex Quarter Court records dated November 26, 1673. It seems to imply that the marriage had not been a long one. 

Divorce of Thomas & Hannah (Ordway) Herrick:
Whereas Hannah, the reputed wife of Thomas Herrick, at the last Ipswich court, preferred an account against said Thomas, accusing him of impotency, after some deliberation and testimony, court adjudged said marriage between said Thomas Herrick and Hannah Ordaway null and void. She was given her liberty as if such pretended marriage had never been, and he was to return to said Hannah as much as he had received of her, or of her father or other friends in way of marriage portion; she was to make no further claim to his estate. [EQC 5:252).

I do not know if this "marriage" was enough for Thomas to gain his inheritance or not. 

My Herrick line is:
Henry Herrick & Editha Laskin
Zachariah Herrick & Mary Dodge
Sarah Herrick & Samuel Morgan
Luke Morgan & Ruth Stone
Luke Morgan & Martha Pulcifer
Samuel Morgan & Judith Dennen
Martha Morgan & William Yates
Moses Yates & Martha Whittle
Gilbert Yates & Laura Emmons
Estes Yates & Eva Hayes
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Disorderly and Dangerous Practice

At the Essex Quarterly Court in 1672, the following edict was issued: Information and complaint being made to this court of a disorderly and dangerous practice of running horses near to houses and taverns to the hazard of themselves, children, and other persons, contrary to the rules of modesty and sobriety, also of an uncomely, offensive and rude manner of riding very fast to and from meetings on the Lord's day and other public church meetings, it was therefore ordered and declared that no person within this county under penalty of 40s. for every such offence and whosoever shall offend in riding or running their horses fast to and from the meetings shall forfeit 20s., unless it be upon some extraordinary occasion or necessity. This order was to remain in force until the General Court take further order concerning the same, and was to be published at the courts of Ipswich and Salem and a copy set upon the meeting houses of said towns. 

I have a number of relatives living in Ipswich and Salem at this time. I'd love to know if any of them were racing to and from the meetings.