Left for Dead at Bloody Brook

"Bloody Brook Monument. South Deerfield, MA" by Tom Walsh - Own work.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

On September 17, 1675, a band of Indians attacked a train of wagons traveling from Deerfield to Hadley and loaded up with the wheat and corn harvest. This attack was part of King Philip's War. The colonists were led by Capt. Thomas Lothrop. When the news reached Deerfield, Capt. Mosely rushed to the scene with reinforcements and they engaged the Indians for about five hours with little progress. Only the arrival of Major Treat from Connecticut with his force of 100 men and 50 Mohicans turned the tide. 

From The History of Deerfield, George Sheldon, 1895:

"The soldiers crossed the brook and halted, while the teams should slowly drag their heavy loads through the mire; 'many of them,' says Mather, 'having been so foolish and secure as to put their arms in the cart and step aside to gather grapes, which proved dear and deadly grapes to them' ... 'This was a black and fatal day, wherein there was eight persons made widows, and six and twenty children made orphans, all in one little Plantation.'  Of the seventeen men of Pocumtuck who went out in the morning as teamsters, not one returned to tell the tale." 

The battle actually resulted in the deaths of between sixty and seventy men. Many were buried in a mass grave and a memorial marker was erected in Deerfield. The stream which was previously unnamed became known as Bloody Brook. 

Only a handful of men survived the attack at Bloody Brook. One of the survivors was Robert Dutch, son of Osmond Dutch and my 9X great-granduncle. 

Robert Dutch - only surviving child of Osmond Dutch's first marriage 

"As Mosely came upon the Indians in the Morning, he found them stripping the Slain, amongst whom was one Robert Dutch of Ipswich having been sorely wounded by a bullet that rased to his Skull and then mauled by the Indian Hatchets, was left for dead by the Salvages, and stript by them of all but his skin..."

In 1838, after confirming the location of the remains, a flagstone with Lothrop's name was put in place to mark the mass grave and a monument was erected nearby. Killed in the battle was my 8X great-granduncle, Joseph Balch. 

Osmond Dutch - father of Robert                         Osmond Dutch - father of Robert

Esther Dutch - half sister of Robert                     Grace Dutch - half sister of Robert
Robert Elwell                                                            Samuel Hodgkins
John Elwell                                                               Jonathan Hodgkins
Rhoda Elwell                                                             Rachel Hodgkins
Thomas Edgecomb                                                  Elizabeth Moody
Mary Edgecomb                                                       William Ackley
Benjamin Perley Philbrick                                     Sarah Ackley
Lizzie Philbrick                                                         Mary Jane Abbott
Ray Everett Cotton                                                  Fannie May Capen
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother              Thomas Richard Carter - my grandfather

John Balch
Benjamin Balch - father of Joseph Balch
Mary (Balch) Stone - sister of Joseph Balch
Ruth (Stone) Morgan
Luke Morgan
Samuel Morgan
Martha (Morgan) Yates
Moses Yates
Gilbert W. Yates
Estes G. Yates
Linona Alice Yates - my grandmother

Fitter To Be A Chambermaid Than A Preacher - 52 Ancestors #36

Grace (____) Dutch was my 10th great-grandmother for two lines. She worked as a midwife, making her the perfect subject for a post about occupations. When Grace married Osmund Dutch on March 20, 1629, he was a widower with a young son. Osmund was in Newport, Rhode Island in 1638/9, but he moved quite soon to Cape Ann. He entered into the fishing trade with a Thomas Millwood of Noodle's Island and sent for his wife and children.


In 1653, there was some controversy involving William Perkins, the minister in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Grace and William & Sarah Vinson gave witness before the court regarding remarks made by a Mrs. Holgrave about Mr. Perkins. According to them, Mrs. Holgrave said, "He was fitter to bee a Ladies Chambermaid than a Preacher, & if ye Church had knowne as much as shee, they would not have Called him to office."

During this time, Grace (Pratt) Dutch and three others were accused of witchcraft. However, the accusations ended with Edmund Marshall being forced to go into three area meeting-houses in Gloucester, Ipswich, and Salem, and make acknowledgment of his sin of defamation.

"Edmund Bridges, attorney of John Caldwell, testified that, being in Goodman Bridges' shop, Goodman _______ being present, he heard him say that a woman and her daughter, gathering berries, saw four women, Mrs. Perkins, Goody Evens, Goody Dutch, etc. As they approached them, the four women sat upon the ground, but when they came near, the women had vanished. He could not say that they were witches."

Age and birthdays were not of importance during colonial times and ages given were often estimated. We see this in the testimony of Grace Dutch, midwife.  Her name appears in the court records from time to time and in 1658, she was forty-two years old, and "about 50" in 1660 and 1664.




Children of Osmund & his first wife, Margaret:

1. Robert was born about 1621 and married Mary Kimball of Ipswich. 
2. Margaret was buried in Bridport on February 13, 1629. 
3. Marie was baptized December 1, 1627 and buried January 7, 1629. 

Children of Osmund & Grace (Pratt) Dutch - order uncertain

1. Grace was baptized December 6, 1629 and died young.
2. William was buried on February 9, 1632. 
3. Susanna was buried on June 11, 1633. 
4. William was baptized on September 21, 1635 and was buried on July 16, 1636. 
5. Samuel was born about 1645 and died in Salem about 1695. His wife, Susanna More, was the daughter of Mayflower passenger, Richard More. 
6. Alice was married three times: 1) John Newman; 2) Dr. John Dane; and 3) as his second wife, Jeremiah Meacham. 
7. Grace married William Hodgkins of Ipswich. They had twelve children. 
8. Esther married Samuel Elwell on June 7, 1658 and died on September 6, 1724. 
9. Mary married Joseph Elwell on June 22, 1669. 
10. Hezekiah was born on March 29, 1647 and his will lists two daughters. 

Grace (Pratt) Dutch                                                 Grace (Pratt) Dutch
Esther Dutch                                                             Grace Dutch
Robert Elwell                                                            Samuel Hodgkins
John Elwell                                                               Jonathan Hodgkins
Rhoda Elwell                                                             Rachel Hodgkins
Thomas Edgecomb                                                  Elizabeth Moody
Mary Edgecomb                                                       William Ackley
Benjamin Perley Philbrick                                     Sarah Ackley
Lizzie Philbrick                                                         Mary Jane Abbott
Ray Everett Cotton                                                  Fannie May Capen
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother              Thomas Richard Carter - my grandfather

Petition of the Poor, Distressed Widow - 52 Ancestors #33

Grace (Pratt) Dutch came from England to Gloucester, Massachusetts to join her husband, Osmund. Osmund died in 1685 and Grace found herself in dire circumstances. She needed money to support herself. Although she lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Samuel & Esther (Dutch) Elwell, there are indications that they did not treat her well. There were no social programs to provide for her and she needed to petition the court for permission to sell off some of the lands of her late husband. 




"The Humble Petition of the Poore distressed widdow Grace Duch of the towne of Gloucester to the honoured General Courte now setting at Boston this 21st July 1685

Yoer poore humble and distresed petitioner sheweth that whereas it pleased God to take away my deare husband out of this live in December last past with whome I lived above fifty yeeres with whome I Lived very poore in the Later parte of his Life and underwent a great deale of Sorrow and trouble hee being very ancient: by his owne relation above a hundred years of age & was very helpless for several yeeres before hee dyed and but Little wherewith all to mayntayne him and my Selfe but I Laboured for only sume cattle which wee ware Little the better for and Land which have Layed wast with out fences severall yeeres soe that it have not beene any wise benificiall to us while hee Lived nor to mee since his death and which the honoured county Court holden at Ipswich last March when the inventory of his Estate was regestered was informed of at the county court holden at Salem last June and [written over] made my addreses that there might bee some of the Land Sold for my maintenance in my old age haveing nothing to helpe my Selfe neither for ffood nor rayment of which I have not [conveniences?] and now am by Gods providance taken sicke and am in very great want which doth make mee humbly crave of this honoured courte to take into yer serious consideratione and grant mee the favour that there my bee an acre or two of Salte marsh sold for my prsent relieufe which is the only thinge that will yield money without which youer petitioner cannot bee supplyed in the tyme of my great distress I should not have made soe bold with yoer honours but that I was informed by the honoured county Courtes above mentioned that they could not grant the sale of any of the Land or else yoer poore petitioner had not made soe bold with yoer Honours therefore pray pardon on the bldnesse and grant the humble & needy request and desires of yoer Humble and needy petioner whoe prayeth for yoer Honours wealfare  Grace Duch

The Court gave her permission to sell the land belonging to the estate if her children should not provide for her. In June, she sold an acre and a half to her grandson, Christopher Hodgkins and another acre and a half to her son-in-law, Samuel Elwell. The sale to Elwell notes that she was in great want of clothing, meat, drink, and attendance. 

Grace died on October 10, 1694. 

(Not stone of Grace Dutch)

Grace (Pratt) Dutch                                                 Grace (Pratt) Dutch
Esther Dutch                                                             Grace Dutch
Robert Elwell                                                            Samuel Hodgkins
John Elwell                                                               Jonathan Hodgkins
Rhoda Elwell                                                             Rachel Hodgkins
Thomas Edgecomb                                                  Elizabeth Moody
Mary Edgecomb                                                       William Ackley
Benjamin Perley Philbrick                                     Sarah Ackley
Lizzie Philbrick                                                         Mary Jane Abbott
Ray Everett Cotton                                                  Fannie May Capen
Fern Lyndell Cotton - my grandmother              Thomas Richard Carter - my grandfather

Unsolved Murder

My 10th Great Grandmother was murdered in New Hampshire in May or June of 1648. Her name was Hannah (or Annah) Willix. She was traveling from Dover to Exeter when she was attacked, robbed and her body "flung" into the river. I found a document online called "New Hampshire Homicides 1630-1774" that contains this information: Hannah "was founde in the [Piscataqua] River dead; her necke broken, her tounge black and swollen out of her mouth & the bloud settled in her face, the privy partes swolne &c as if she had been muche abused &c." 

It is not known whether her murderer was ever caught. Her husband Balthasar did file a breach of contract suit against Robert Hithersay "for raising an evil report of his deceased wife, and for breach of promise in carrying his wife to Oyster River in a canoe and not bringing her in a canoe again." Hithersay seems to have been a wandering character whom Balthasar suspected of harming his wife. Hithersay and Balthasar Willix had cross suits for defamation. I could not find any records describing the resolution of this case. The Oyster River is speculation from some who interpreted the O.R. to mean Oyster River.  After her death, Balthasar moved to Salisbury, Massachusetts and married a widow named Mary Hawksworth. He is called a man of "more than ordinary education" by Bell. I will definitely continue looking for information on this crime. 

In 1996 a book was loosely based on this case - The Strange Death of Mistress Coffin by Richard Begiebing. 

Balthasar Willix & Hannah/Annah
Hazelelponi Willix & John Gee
Hannah/Annah Gee & Samuel Hodgkins
Jonathan Hodgkins & Mary Stockbridge
Rachel Hodgkins & William Moody
Elizabeth Moody & Samuel Ackley
William Ackley & Deborah Capen
Sarah Ackley & John Abbott
Mary Jane Abbott & Edward Capen
Fannie Capen & Edward M. Carter
T. Richard Carter & F. Lyndell Cotton

Sources: 
NEHGR Vol. 50 p. 46-47
History of the town of Exeter, New Hampshire by C.H. Bell

Balthasar and Hazelelponi!

Balthasar and Hazelelponi??? What odd names! Balthasar Willix is my 10th Great Grandfather. Balthasar is one of the names of the three magi along with Caspar and Melchior. While looking for references to the name I learned Saint Balthasar is the patron saint of playing card manufacturers...seriously? There is a patron saint of playing card manufacturers! He is also the patron saint of those with epilepsy and sawyers. That's a diverse group! 


Balthasar's daughter, Hazelelponi Willix is my 9th Great Grandmother. So where does the name Hazelelponi come from? Like many names of the era (she was born abt 1636), it comes from the Bible. First Chronicles 4:3: "And these were of the father Etam: Jezreel and Ishma and Idbash: and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi " The meanings vary according to source. Some think it might be the name of a clan or town rather than a personal name. Its meaning is also varied according to source but the overall consensus is that it refers to shade or shadow over a face. "The Shadow Looking at Me" or "Give Shade, Thou Who Turnest to Me" 


So what leads one to name a daughter Hazelelponi? Hazelelponi receives only passing reference in the Bible so what made them pick this obscure name?  Did her parents want her to stand out in a sea of Marys, Sarahs, Hannahs, and Rebeccas? Her sisters were Anna or Hannah and Susanna. Hazelelponi married first John Gee and second Obadiah Wood. One of her daughters was named Hazelelponi but she named her other daughters common names; Mary, Martha, Hannah. Hazelelponi Willix Gee Wood is buried in the Old North Burying Ground in Ipswich, MA. 

These images come from ancestry.com - tree of Joan Jordan.

Balthasar's wife and Hazelelponi's mother was murdered and thrown in the Oyster River and I will write about that in a future post. 


Other posts on unusual names:  Soranus Shaw
Balthasar Willix & Hannah/Annah
Hazelelponi Willix & John Gee
Hannah/Annah Gee & Samuel Hodgkins
Jonathan Hodgkins & Mary Stockbridge
Rachel Hodgkins & William Moody
Elizabeth Moody & Samuel Ackley
William Ackley & Deborah Capen
Sarah Ackley & John Abbott
Mary Jane Abbott & Edward Capen
Fannie Capen & Edward M. Carter
T. Richard Carter & F. Lyndell Cotton


http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Balthasar
http://saints.sqpn.com/saintb35.htm
http://bibleencyclopedia.com/hazzelelponi.htm
http://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Hazelelponi.html#.T1zNNDGPng0
http://www.studylight.org/dic/hbd/view.cgi?number=T2633