Stephen Hopkins: Bermuda Survivor, Jamestown Resident, Mayflower Passenger and Relative Badass

Stephen Hopkins, my 13^th great-grandfather (on my mom’s side) was, in my opinion somewhat of a badass. He chanced death more than a few times and is the only individual who was both an early resident of Jamestown and a Mayflower passenger.

Born in April, 1581 in Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England, Stephen married Mary or Constance Mary Dudley in 1603 and they had three children- Elizabeth, Constance and Giles. (I descend from Giles.) Stephen’s father (Stephen Sr.) was sheep farmer, master weaver and wool merchant and his sons followed in learning the trade. However in 1609, Stephen gained employment as a ministers clerk, where he read bible verses to the congregation, which included members of the Virginia Company. Although not particularly religious, he was recognized for his knowledge of the Bible. Later that year Stephen’s job took to the sea and he boarded the Sea Venture, one in a fleet of nine ships sent to resupply Virginia Colony. For his service Stephen was to receive free room and board, 30 acres of land in Jamestown, and a small wage sent to Mary every month. Besides caring for young children by herself while her husband was away at sea for four years Mary worked as a shopkeeper.

After two months at sea, the Sea Venture took a severe five-day beating in a hurricane until the ship finally crashed into a reef near Bermuda in late July. The legend is that Stephen Hopkins rode a wine barrel to shore. With food, water, and no inhabitants, crashing into Bermuda was actually rather fortuitous. The 150 survivors used the remnants of the Sea Venture and wood from the island to build two smaller sea going ships. Besides the crew members sent to look for land and never seen again, and Mrs. John Rolfe, who did not survive giving birth on the island, (John Rolfe went on to marry Pocahontas.) no one else died while in Bermuda, although Stephen Hopkins came rather close.

More and more Stephen Hopkins questioned the authority of Governor Thomas Gates. He also insisted that they should colonize Bermuda, and argued that because they never made it to Virginia, that their contracts no longer applied. By the end of the year Stephen was charged and tried for treason and sentenced to execution. He begged for mercy using the fact that he had a wife and young children back in England to gain sympathy, and with the help from the Virginia Company, who made requests to Governor Gates, and received a pardon.    

When they arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in May 1610, the people were in terrible shape, burning buildings to stay warm and near starvation. Stephen Hopkins stayed a couple years before returning to England when his wife Mary died. In England he learned that Mary and son William, probably born while he was beached in Bermuda, died of the plague and his other children were in the custody of the church. After claiming his children, Stephen settled in London and married Elizabeth Fisher in 1618. He worked as a tanner and merchant.

Then Stephen heard about the Mayflower voyage and signed on as a ‘stranger.’ This time he brought his wife, four children, and two indentured servants. Elizabeth gave birth to Oceanus on the voyage to the New World. Stephen and Elizabeth raised six children together- Damaris, Deborah, Caleb, Elizabeth, Oceanus, Ruth and another Damaris. The first Damaris died about 1627, and the second one was born about 1628. Back then, if a child passed it was not uncommon to use the same name for another child.

In Plymouth, Massachusetts Stephen Hopkins served in community affairs, primarily as an assistant to Governor Edward Winslow and in the militia. Stephen’s experience with Native Americans benefited the Mayflower passengers as Samoset stayed the night at his house and he was chosen by Governor Edward Winslow to meet with Massasoit, which proved instrumental in negotiating peace with the Indians that lasted over half a century.

He also owned a tavern and got himself into occasional trouble for allowing people to drink alcohol on Sundays, for permitting servants to play shuffleboard in the tavern, for people getting too drunk and overcharging for alcohol. He landed himself in jail for refusing to comply with a court order to provide for a servant of his that was pregnant with a ‘bastard’ and the father had deserted. He was released when a friend offered to take the servant in and provide for the child. More than anything, Stephen resented the court telling him how to handle the matter.

In 1644 Stephen Hopkins died in Plymouth Massachusetts. He was fairly well off by the standards of the day. Although Stephen Hopkins wasn’t perfect and he definitely made mistakes, I think some of the things he did demonstrated an impressive individual. Can you really blame him for wanting to colonize Bermuda? It couldn’t have been easy leaving his wife and young children for what turned out to be about four years, at the end of which his wife, and the son he never knew were dead. So, he took on being a single dad for about five years. Then he crossed the Atlantic yet again, this time with his family, in the Mayflower. In Plymouth Colony, Stephen proved crucial in establishing the peace between separatists and the Native Americans that lasted over fifty years.

                        My 13^th great-grandparents

Stephen Hopkins m. Mary

Giles Hopkins m. Catherine Whelden

Deborah Hopkins m. Josiah Cooke

Josiah Cooke m. Mary Godfrey

Desire Cooke m. Beriah Higgins

Thankful Higgins m. Daniel Rathbone

Sarah Rathbone m. Jacob Sawyer

David Sawyer m. Marilda

Elizabeth “Eliza” Sawyer m. Andrews Harper

David Dustin Harper m. Amanda Melvina Windom

William Harper m. Ella Tewalt

Stella May Harper m. Jessie W. Rhoads

Joseph Rhoads m. Arma Mae Erwin

Grandma Rhoads m. Grandpa Maddox

Maddox m. Chapin

Me

Putnam's and the Salem Witch Trials

Sometimes in ancestry research you discover things about your family that you are not proud of. Regardless, it is what it is and it’s best to be honest about it. You were not there and you cannot change the past.

When I learned about the Salem Witch Trials in school, they struck me as fascinating. I wondered if my family was involved and decided that I would not be surprised if some ancestor or another turned out to be a victim. The surprise came when I learned that my ancestors were not the victims, but rather the accusers.

A strange combination of events in Salem led to over 200 individuals accused of witch craft; resulting in the hanging of 19 people, and one man pressed to death by stones piled on top of him, beginning in February 1692 and ending in May 1693. Religious fervor, greed and possibly revenge played significant roles. Cotton Mather’s recently published book “Memorable Providences” discussed an incident of witchcraft involving children behaving strangely and an Irishwoman being hanged. At this time Indian wars raged on in Massachusetts and Puritans believed that meant the devil was nearby.           

Afflicted Girls and Tituba

The town of Salem repeatedly had issues with their ministers and not paying them the agreed upon salary, and those problems continued with Samuel Parris, the new minister of the extremely conservative puritan church. The “afflictions” of witch craft began with his daughter Betty Parris, then her cousin Abigail Williams and continued with their friends Ann Putnam, Mary Wolcott and Mercy Lewis. Tituba, the Parris families slave from Barbados played perhaps the most crucial and damning role of the entire ordeal. The fact that she was known to tell the girls stories about magic and voodoo from her country, and that she listened to the suggestion of neighbor Mary Sibley, and baked a urine cake to feed to a dog combined to make her an easy scapegoat. Under questioning, Tituba confessed to being a witch and named other witches as well. Thus, the hunt for witches in Salem was on.

Deacon Edward Putnam, my 12^th great-grandfather, was the brother of Thomas Putnam Jr., and uncle of Anne Putnam Jr., a leader among the group of girls making accusations of witchcraft in Salem. Edward signed the complaints against Martha Corey, Sarah and Dorcas Good, Mary Iverson, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Warren and Prince Osborne. He also testified against six other “witches.”

The “afflictions” involved convulsions, flailing about, crying out, speaking strangely, pinching muscles, etc. Doctors actually diagnosed a couple of the girls with being afflicted by witches. Some later scholars believe that the girls may have suffered from convulsive ergotism, the result of fungus in rye caused by a warm wet summer, causing symptoms somewhat similar to taking LSD.    

Besides the Parris family, the Putnam’s fueled the witch hunting fury by bringing charges against three of the accused witches. As a respected, fairly prominent, church-going puritan family, their accusations were taken seriously. Thomas and Ann Putnam seemed to believe their daughter Ann Jr. was indeed the victim of witch craft and other Putnam relatives supported them, including Thomas’ brother and my 12^th great-grandfather, Edward Putnam.

Most accused witches were not particularly religious or supported the former minister George Burroughs, and had few connections in Salem, although there were exceptions. In the madness, authorities issued a warrant, tracked Burroughs down in Maine and hung him in Salem for witch craft. Rebecca Nurse, a pious church going elderly-woman with a loving family was accused by the Putnam’s and hung, probably because she was among the first to speak out against the afflicted girls, accusing them of acting. Often, accusers stood to gain land from the accused.

Thomas Sr., the father of Thomas Jr. and Edward Putnam, proved quite successful in Salem, as did his two brothers and their descendants, thus the Putnam family was large, owned considerable property and would have been formidable opposition to those they accused. Ann Holyoke, the first wife of Thomas Putnam Sr. passed away in 1665, and Thomas remarried Mary Veren, a wealthy, propertied, widow. They had a son named Joseph Putnam who received a sizeable inheritance, some of which Thomas Jr. believed belonged to him. Many believe that the motive behind the Salem Witch Trials was Thomas Putnam Jr. trying to get this property from his half-brother Joseph. It is said that during the witch hunt fury Joseph Putnam kept a horse saddled and a gun nearby in case authorities came for him. But Joseph Putnam and his father-in-law maintained connections in Salem and he was never arrested.      

      

In all of this madness, what role did my 12^th great-grandfather play? He was called to the house of his brother Thomas Putnam Jr., and apparently believed his niece Ann Putnam Jr. was in fact afflicted by witch craft. He signed documents to bring charges against accused witches and testified to the strange behavior he witnessed in the afflicted girls. From his testimony it appears that he was more likely fooled by the afflicted girls and caught up in the witch craft frenzy than having malicious intent toward the accused witches. Besides working on his farm, Edward Putnam served as the second deacon of the First Church of Danvers, and in 1733 published his work as an historian and the Putnam family genealogist. In 1707, at around 28 years-old, Ann Putnam Jr. stood in front of the church congregation in Salem and apologized for her role in the witch hunt, the only afflicted girl to publically apologize.

The Salem Witch Trials illustrate many things, but perhaps the most obvious is the importance of separation between state government and church authority. "More than once it has been said, too, that the Salem witchcraft was the rock on which the theocracy shattered." -George Lincoln Burr

                              My 13^th great-grandparents

                         Thomas Putnam Sr. m. Ann Holyoke   

                       

                        Deacon Edward Putnam m. Mary Hale                     

                        Edward Hale Putnam m. Sarah Miles

                        Sarah Putnam m. Joseph Steele

                        Jane Steele m. Ananias McAllister

                        Mary McAllister m. Daniel Harper

                        Andrews Harper m. Elizabeth Sawyer

                        David Dustin Harper m. Amanda Windom

                        William Harper m. Ella Tewalt

                        Stella May Harper m. Jessie Rhoads

                        Joseph Rhoads m. Arma Mae Erwin

                        Grandma Rhoads m. Grandpa Maddox

                        Maddox m. Chapin

                        Me

Mayflower Ancestors: Howland, Tilley, Alden, and Mullins

Shallop Elizabeth Tilley
Mayflower Replica
The Pilgrim John Howland Society

As it happens, I am a descendant of Mayflower passengers, John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley, as well as fellow passengers John Alden and Pricilla Mullins. John and Elizabeth Howland are my 12^th great-grandparents while John and Priscilla Alden are my 11^th great-grandparents. Since my Mayflower ancestors knew each other, I thought it would be fun to discuss who they were and make some comparisons about the two couples.

Priscilla Mullins was born ca. 1602, probably in Dorking, England. She boarded the Mayflower with her mother Alice, father William, brother Joseph, and her fathers’ servant Richard. William Mullins was a well-to-do shoe merchant (cordwainer) and the family was likely relocating for economic reasons more than religious freedom. Everyone in the party except Priscilla died during the first winter 1620-1621 in Plymouth Colony. Although Priscilla had a brother and sister living in England, she opted to stay in the New World.

At 23 years-old John Alden, most likely from Harwich, Essex County, England was hired as cooper (barrel maker) and ships carpenter for the Mayflower voyage. He was given the option of staying in Plymouth Colony or returning to England and the New World won out.  

John Alden and Priscilla Mullins

The marriage of Priscilla Mullins to John Alden in 1622 was probably the third marriage by colonists in the New World. Since William Mullins, Priscilla’s father was deceased; custom dictated that John Alden seek permission for the marriage from the men of the colony. The Alden’s produced ten children that survived into adulthood, eight of which gave them grandchildren.

 
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a descendant of Priscilla Mullins and John Alden, wrote a poem titled, The Courtship of Miles Standish in which Priscilla is credited with one of the most witty and quotable sayings by a woman. In a story that has no proven documentation, but is kept alive by the oral history of family, Miles Standish apparently asked his good friend John Alden to propose to Priscilla Mullins for him, to which Priscilla responded “Why don’t you speak for yourself, John?” It’s really up to you how much credence you give this story. Some claim that a rift was created between John Alden and Miles Standish, however this seems unlikely considering that they continued to work together in community matters and John’s daughter Sarah married Miles’ son Alexander.
  
 Elizabeth Tilley was born in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England in 1607 to separatists John Tilley and Joan Hurst. Elizabeth traveled on the Mayflower with her parents, aunt Ann and uncle Edward Tilley, and cousins Henry Samson and Humility Cooper. Edward was John Tilley’s brother. Elizabeth Tilly had four siblings that were married with families that remained back in England. As the only survivor in her family, Elizabeth was orphaned at age 13, during the first winter that resulted in the deaths of so many pilgrims. Elizabeth resided with the first governor of Plymouth Colony, John Carver and his wife Catherine until they passed away the following year after arriving in the New World, in 1621. Elizabeth married fellow Mayflower passenger John Howland about 1624.

  

John Howland Overboard
Painting by Dr. Mike Haywood

Born ca. 1599 in Fenstanton, England, John Howland was a maidservant to John Carver. He was more likely a personal assistant or butler type of servant, although no one was immune to hard work in the New World. When the Carver household died in Plymouth Colony, John no doubt benefited from inheriting their property since there were no Carver heirs. (The Carvers two children died in Leiden, Holland.) On the Mayflower voyage, John Howland narrowly escaped death when he was tossed from the ship during a storm, yet managed to grab the topsail halyard and fellow passengers pulled him back onto the ship.



Elizabeth outlived John by fifteen years when she died in December 1687. She opted not to remarry and instead lived with her children, primarily daughter Lydia. The union of Elizabeth Tilley and John Howland yielded ten children and eighty-four grandchildren, making them one of the largest Mayflower families with the most descendants. It’s estimated that over one million successors reside in the United States. Two of John Howland’s brothers, Henry and Arthur Howland, who were Quakers, moved to Massachusetts probably in the 1630s.

In 1634 John Howland and John Alden were commissioners of Kennebunkport trade post where they held an exclusive patent. This trading post was very important to the colonist’s ability to repay the investors of their voyage. A notable incident occurred when a group of about five colonists, ordered by John Howland, confronted trespasser John Hocking, who was squatting on land operated by the pilgrims. Hocking put a gun to Moses Talbot’s head and John Howland implored Hocking to aim at him instead, but Hocking killed Moses Talbot and the colonists then killed Hocking. As the highest ranking member of the commission, the Massachusetts Bay Colony arrested John Alden, who wasn’t even involved in the incident, and held him until Myles Standish and Governor William Bradford intervened.

John Alden, Priscilla Mullins, John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley all very likely could have returned to England if they wanted to, but they choose to remain in the New World. Both John’s were working members of the Mayflower voyage, their presence based on skills that they possessed, and their new lives in the New World included important positions within the community, such as serving as deputy to the court. As teenage young women, Priscilla and Elizabeth accompanied, and were orphaned by their families in the New World yet went on to raise two of the largest Mayflower families.

John Howland m. Elizabeth Tilley                 John Alden m. Priscilla Mullins

Desire Howland m. John Gorham                  Ruth Alden m. John Bass
Temperance Gorham m. Edward Sturgis       Joseph Bass m. Mary Belcher
Fear Sturgis m. Joshua Holmes                      Elizabeth Bass m. Daniel Henshaw
Mary Holmes m. John Randall                       Elizabeth Bass Henshaw m. Samuel Denny
John Randall m. Lucy Brown                         Joseph Denny m. Phebe Henshaw
Lucy Randall m. Amos Breed Sr.                   Lucinda Henshaw Denny m. Lucius Botsford Jr.
Amos Breed Jr. m. Eliphael Phally Weaver  John Sherman Botsford m. Rhoda Bond Look
Amos Breed II m. Elisa Dye                           Clarissa Botsford m. Amos Allen
Abigail Jane Breed m. James B. Chapin       Flora Allen m. George Chapin
George Chapin m. Flora Allen                     Roy Chapin m. Madeline Wilson
Roy E. Chapin  m. Madeline Wilson            Chapin m. Mutch
Chapin m. Mutch                                             Dad m. Mom
Dad m. Mom                                                     Me
Me

  *Notice that Mayflower descent is through two of my dad’s great-grandparents. Flora Allen was the 7^th great-granddaughter of the Alden’s, while George Chapin was the 8^th great-grandson of the Howland’s.

Jamestown Ancestor Cicely Reynolds Bailey Jordan Farrar

December 4, 1619 the first Thanksgiving celebration occurred at Berkeley Hundred, near Jamestown Virginia. The town charter actually required an annual Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, details of who was present or the food consumed at this event has been lost to history.
 
Very likely in attendance at the first Thanksgiving in the New World was my 10^th great grandmother Cicely likely Reynolds (Bailey, Jordan, Farrar). Cicely arrived in Virginia Colony aboard the Swan in 1610 with Captain William Pierce and his wife Jane, who may have been her uncle and aunt or some other relation, at about the age of 10. (Some sources claim that Cicely’s mother and brother Christopher also came to the New World. It’s also possible that Cicely’s mother had died.) Cicely’s first husband probably Thomas Bailey died, probably from malaria, about 1620 and she quickly married her neighbor Samuel Jordan who was himself a widower and twice her age. The evidence of Thomas Bailey is in the existence of temperance Bailey and her inheritance at Bailey’s Point. Samuel died in 1623 and Cicely married for a third time, to William Farrar, in 1625. (Some claim that Cicely was married five times, including Peter Montague and Thomas Parker, however there are no records proving this claim and it seems more likely that these men married other women named Cicely. A major clue is the fact that Peter Montague married a Cicely when our Cicely would have been married to William Farrar.) Cicely had six children, Temperance Bailey, Mary Jordan, Margaret Jordan, Cicely Farrar, William Farrar and John Farrar. I descend from daughters Temperance Bailey and Mary Jordan. It is believed that Margaret died young. John had important occupations in the community, but never married and produced no heirs. Cicely Farrar is believed to have married Isaac Hutchins and then Henry Sherman, but there is confusion regarding some dates and this connection remains uncertain. William Farrar II and Temperance Bailey Cocke are known to have numerous descendants.   
 
On March 22, 1622 the Powhatan Indians massacred about one third of the residents of Jamestown and the story goes that Cicely survived by standing in the doorway of her home and refusing to move. The Powhatan Indians, impressed by her courage and beauty determined to let her live. While this story may sound far-fetched, there is a part of me that believes it. You’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not you think it’s plausible. Their property, called “Jordan’s Journey,” was fortified and many local residents, including William Farrar, survived the attack by seeking refuge there. After the massacre many people fled to more inhabited areas, but Cicely, Samuel, William Farrar and others remained at Jordan’s Journey.   

Cicely evidently proved quite the catch in the New World, because within four days of second husband Samuel’s death, Rev. Greville Pooley sought her hand in marriage and she apparently agreed. However, Cicely was pregnant with Margaret, the child of her late husband, and wanted Rev. Pooley to remain quiet about the planned marriage for the time being. In his excitement of securing the hand in marriage of Cicely, Rev. Pooley blabbed all over town, causing Cicely to determine that she would not marry him. She supposedly remarked, “Mr. Pooley maught thank himself for he might fared the better but for his own words." Thus, began the first breach of contract lawsuit in the New World as Rev. Pooley sued my 10^th great-grandmother Cicely Reynolds Bailey Jordan for refusing to marry him. William Farrar, London trained attorney and administrator of her late husband’s estate served as her attorney. The court did not know how to resolve the matter so the case was sent to London, where they also didn’t know how to settle the matter and returned it to Virginia. Finally in 1624, Rev. Pooley, persuaded by a fellow reverend withdrew his suit and Cicely married William Farrar in 1625. This case actually resulted in a Virginia law forbidding a woman from contracting herself to more than one man at the same time. 

Cecily Reynolds Bailey Jordan Farrar is credited with the “invention of flirting in America” as well as "number one wife and mother of America." (Ray, Index and Digest to Hathaway's North Carolina Historical and Genealogical Register, page 135.)

Cicely Reynolds m. Thomas Bailey                       Cicely Reynolds m. Samuel Jordan

Temperance Bailey m. Richard Cocke                   Mary Jordan m. Arthur Bailey

Thomas Cocke m. Margaret "Agnes" Powell      Abraham Bailey m. Mary Rogers

William Cocke m. Sarah Perrin                               Abraham Bailey m. Temperance Cocke

Temperance Cocke m. Abraham Bailey              Richard Cocke Bailey m. Mary Renard

Richard Cocke Bailey m. Mary Renard                 Mary Bailey m. Stephen E. Winfree

Mary Bailey m. Stephen E. Winfree                      Mary Frances Winfree m. John Bennett Willis

Mary Frances Winfree m. John Bennett Willis   Catherine Willis m. William Maddox

Catherine Willis m. William Maddox                     Francis Maddox m. Mary Jane Devenny

Francis Maddox m. Mary Jane Devenny              Charles Henry Maddox m. Lydia D Janke

Charles Henry Maddox m. Lydia D Janke             Maddox m. Rhoads

Maddox m. Rhoads                                                   Mom m. Dad

Mom m. Dad                                                               Me

Me

*If the Thomas Bailey that married Cicely Reynolds is related to the Arthur Bailey that married her daughter Mary, I am unaware of the connection.

** Temperance Cocke is Cicely Reynolds great-great granddaughter through her daughter Temperance Bailey and Abraham Bailey is Cicely Reynolds great-grandson through her daughter Mary Jordan. Thus, besides being husband and wife, Temperance Cocke and Abraham Bailey were second half cousins once removed.

Thanksgiving: A Short and Simple History

Celebrations regarded as “Thanksgivings” took place in Texas, Florida, and Canada in the late 16^th century. A 1619 charter in Jamestown, Virginia declared the necessity for an annual Thanksgiving. Although there were prior Thanksgivings, the pilgrims in Plymouth Colony celebrated what is considered the “First Thanksgiving” in 1621. This was more like the fifth Thanksgiving. The reason this Thanksgiving receives the attention is probably because two primary sources survived, thinks to William Bradford and Edward Winslow, so we actually know some details, while we know very little about the other Thanksgivings.    
 
Thanksgiving in Plymouth Colony involved 53 pilgrims, about 100 Native Americans and three days of feasting. The ingredients consisted of deer, various birds including wild turkeys, fish, eel, corn, pumpkin, cranberries, and whatever fruits and vegetables they acquired from the harvest.
 
In some ways, today’s version of Thanksgiving remained quite similar to the “First Thanksgiving.” The men helped with the hunting and gathering, while the women prepared the food for consumption. The menu included turkey as well as local, seasonal, and traditional dishes. Besides celebrating the harvest and giving thanks, the feasts purpose included soothing rocky diplomatic relationships between the colonists and the Native Americans, similar to spending time with in-laws and extended family today.     
 
Thanksgivings were not celebrated annually, but rather religious leaders and early American presidents declared a Thanksgiving when they felt it necessary. George Washington became the first American president to declare a Thanksgiving to be held November 26, 1789.  In 1863 Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated the last Thursday in November. In an effort to extend the holiday shopping season and boost the economy, Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October, Liberia celebrates on the first Thursday in November, the Norfolk Islands celebrate the last Wednesday in November, and Japan celebrates annually on November 23. Having a harvest feast, or dinner to celebrate being grateful for abundance probably happened long before people colonized the United States of America, but the spanning influence concerning how the holiday is celebrated internationally cannot be denied.    

President Obama: My Distant Cousin At Least Twice

One of the particularly neat things about ancestry research is recognizing when you are related to someone significant, such as the president. President Barack Hussein Obama II is my 10^th cousin once removed on my father’s side. Our common ancestor and an immigrant from England, Richard Singletary may have been married to a ‘Goodwife Singletary’ who died ca. 1638 and then to Susanna Cooke. These are President Obama’s 9^th great-grandparents and my 10^th. While President Obama descends from Richard’s oldest son Jonathan, I descend from daughter Eunice, likely the second of seven kids.

           My 10^th and President Obama’s 9^th Great-Grandparents

                    Richard Singletary and Susanna Cooke

Eunice Singletary m. Thomas Eaton        Jonathan Singletary Dunham m. Mary Bloomfield 

Jonathan Eaton m. Sarah Saunders         Benjamin Singletary Dunham m. Mary Rolph

James Eaton m. Rachel Kimball                Jonathan Dunham m. Mary Smith

Enoch Eaton m. Ester Williams                Samuel Dunham m. Hannah

Frazier Eaton m. Lucinda Blakeslee         Jacob Dunham m. Catherine Goodnight

Jesse Eaton m. Elizabeth Locke               Jacob Mackey Dunham m. Louise Eliza Stroup

Mortimer Eaton m. Sophia Weld             Jacob William Dunham m. Mary Ann Kearney

Mable Eaton m. George Mutch               Ralph W.E. Dunham Sr. m. Ruth Lucille Armour

Clarence Mutch m. Bliesner                     Stanley Armour Dunham m. Madelyn Lee Payne

Mutch m. Chapin                                      Ann Stanley Dunham m. Barack Hussein Obama Jr.

Chapin m. Maddox                                    Barack Hussein Obama II m. Michelle Robinson

Me

You may be wondering why Jonathan Singletary Dunham has the last name Dunham when his father’s name was Richard Singletary. I will share with you the various possibilities for that and you will probably still wonder. One claim is that Jonathan’s mother was ‘Goodwife Singletary,’ that her last name was Dunham and he took the name in tribute to her. However, there is no evidence of his mother being a Dunham. His mother might even be Susanna Cooke. Another legend is that Richard Singletary was an heir of the Dunham’s in England, and a nursemaid who had been instructed to kill him as a child had instead brought him to New York where she left him with a ship captain and called him Single-tarry because he was all alone in the New World. The nurse apparently confessed on her death bed. Still one more version of events is that Jonathan had angered puritan leaders in Massachusetts and ticked off some Quakers and when he moved with his wife’s family to Woodbridge, New Jersey, took Dunham as an alias. Based on numerous records it does appear that he generally went by Jonathan Dunham in New Jersey and Jonathan Singletary in Massachusetts. Perhaps the most interesting document is one in which Jonathan Singletary Dunham’s children give him power of attorney over land from Richard and Susanna and nearly the entire family signed their names, Dunham alias Singletary. Subsequent generations of Jonathan Singletary Dunham’s descendants went by Dunham. 

The second way in which I am distant cousins with President Obama is less direct and more complicated. The connecting ancestor in this case is Robert Hinckley, through sons Thomas and Samuel. I descend from Thomas, through his daughter Elizabeth, while President Obama descends from Samuel, through his daughter Susannah. 

When Thomas Hinckley died in 1635, his 16 to 17 year-old orphaned daughter Elizabeth sailed to Boston with her uncle Samuel Hinckley, his wife Sarah Soole, and three of her cousins. The family settled in Scituate Massachusetts and Elizabeth likely resided with her aunt, uncle and cousins until she married Edward Sturgis in 1640.  One of Elizabeth’s cousins, Thomas Hinckley, perhaps named after his uncle and Elizabeth’s father, served as governor of Plymouth Colony from 1680 to 1692, and held other important community offices, such as commissioner, representative and magistrate.   

            

        My 13^th and President Obama’s 11^th Great-Grandparent

             Robert Hinckley  m. 1. Elizabeth  2. Katherine

 

Thomas Hinckley m. Anna (Katherine)         Samuel Hinckley m. Sarah Soole

Elizabeth Hinckley m. Edward Sturgis            Susannah Hinckley m. John Smith

Edward Sturgis m. Temperance Gorham        Samuel Smith m. Esther Dunham*

Fear Sturgis m. Joshua Holmes                       Shubael Smith m. Prudence Fitzrandolph

**Mary Holmes m. John Randall                    Mary Smith m. Jonathan Dunham

John Randall m. Lucy Brown                           Samuel Dunham m. Hannah

Lucy Randall m. Amos Breed Sr.                     Jacob Dunham m. Catherine Goodnight

Amos Breed Jr. m. Eliphael Phally Weaver    Jacob Mackey Dunham m. Louise Eliza Stroup

Amos Breed II m. Elisa Dye                              Jacob William Dunham m. Mary Ann Kearney

Abigail Jane Breed m. James B. Chapin          Ralph W.E. Dunham Sr. m. Ruth Lucille Armour

George Chapin m. Flora Allen                          Stanley Armour Dunham m. Madelyn Lee Payne

Roy E. Chapin m. Madeline Wilson                Ann Stanley Dunham m. Barack Hussein Obama

                                                                                                               

(Grandpa) Chapin m. Grandma (Mutch)          Barack Hussein Obama II m. Michelle Robinson

(Dad) Chapin m. (Mom) Maddox                                  

Me

*Esther Dunham was the daughter of Jonathan Dunham alias Singletary (see above), so President Obama descends from the Dunham’s alias Singletary’s twice.

**I also descend from Mary Holmes’ sister Abigail and Jedediah Brown.  

The Math of Ancestry

 The basic fact is that we’re all related. An article that I read claimed that everyone on the planet today is within 16^th cousins (genetically) at the furthest relationship. Some debate the accuracy of that argument, but the overall fact that we are all distantly related remains. So, the question really becomes how distant is the relationship and are you related to some individuals multiple times? The more family that you input into your family tree, the more likely you’ll see that you are related to some people multiple times. If you only entered yourself, parents and grandparents going back to your 12^th great-grandparents (if you could locate all of them) into your family tree you would have 33,367 people.  

When you look at the math of ancestry it makes sense that you trace your roots back to some of the same characters. Since you have over four-thousand 10^th great-grandparents, it’s realistic to consider that some of those are the same. Some might be disheartened and question the point of doing ancestry research if we are all related, but even though we know we are related, the discovery is in how we are related.  

Grandparents                                      4

Great-Grandparents                            8

Great-Great Grandparents                  16

Third Great-Grandparents                  32

Fourth Great-Grandparents                64

Fifth Great-Grandparents                   128

Sixth Great-Grandparents                   256

Seventh Great-Grandparents              512

Eighth Great-Grandparents                1,024

Ninth Great-Grandparents                  2,048

Tenth Great-Grandparents                  4,096

Eleventh Great-Grandparents             8,192

Twelfth Great-Grandparents              16,384 

Further Reading

Family Trees: Tracing the worlds ancestor

The Royal We

Mitochondrial Eve

Y-chromosomal Adam

A Revolutionary War Hero and a Cherokee Great-Grandmother

Lawrence Connor, my sixth great-grandfather, (on my mom’s side) proved himself the definition of an American patriot.

Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1752, Lawrence arrived in the American Colony of Virginia in 1773 as an indentured servant to Cyrus Cooper of Alexandria, Virginia for a term of four years. In the mid-1770s, Shawnee Indians were attacking American settlers as they encroached on land in West Virginia and Kentucky along the Ohio River, because while the Shawnee Indians still claimed ownership of this land, the Iroquois had ceded it in the 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix. Lawrence, perhaps in exchange for his indentured servitude, went on a nearly two-year expedition against the Shawnee Indians, and before that was complete had signed up to join the 12^th Virginia Regiment (Later the 8^th Virginia Regiment.) in the Revolutionary War. Lawrence fought in the battles at Germantown, Monmouth, Gilford Court House, Camden, and Stony Point. In the battle at Camden he wounded his arm or shoulder to the extent that it later impacted his ability to work and he received a pension from 1789 until he died in 1826. Lawrence served in the Revolution for three years, often returning to battle after overcoming illnesses and injuries. Even though Lawrence Connor was a new arrival in the American Colonies, he gave everything he had, including his arm and his ability to make his own living, for his new country. Thankfully his new, young, country appreciated it enough to provide a pension.

Lawrence Connor married Margaret Blane in 1783, and they had 11 children- Alexander, (whom I descend from) Mary, Elizabeth, Esther, Joseph, James, Sallie, Nancy, Cornelius, Alice, and Margaret. The story is that Margaret Blane was Cherokee Indian. So, lets discuss the possibility of that. To begin with, claims of Indian ancestry that prove untrue are quite common. Margaret’s grandson James Connor claimed that his grandmother was Cherokee Indian when he applied for benefits in his Tennessee Indian Miller Roll Application #39004. Was James trying to get something that didn’t rightfully belong to him, or was he the only member of the family willing to claim his Indian descent? Some sources claim that Margaret Blane was an Indian orphan taken in by Anglos. Some assert that she might have ‘only’ been half Native American. The fact that Lawrence was a newly arrived immigrant, from Ireland, involved in Indian expeditions, does make the possibility of Margaret Blane being of Indian descent more likely. Among people that research this, there seems to be a general sentiment that Margaret Blane is at least half Native American and hopefully it can be proven at some point.

Some Connor ancestors have utilized DNA testing to try and solve this mystery, but ideally we need someone who descends from the maternal side and carries her mitochondrial DNA (unless it turns out that her mother was European and her father was Native American, then that won’t work either.) Many Connors on the paternal side have also applied the use of DNA to learn more about the family ancestry and it has been determined that the DNA for three sons of Lawrence and Margaret- Alexander, Cornelius and Joseph, matches.  

  

My Branch of the Tree:

Lawrence Connor m. Margaret Blane

Alexander Connor m. Elizabeth Jackman

Thomas G. Connor m. Martha Whitworth

Margaret Connor m. Hugh Portwood

Arma Laura Portwood m. William David Erwin

Arma Mae Erwin m Joseph Rhoads

Grandma Rhoads m. Grandpa Maddox

Maddox m. Chapin

Me