A Highborn Pedigree in Frontier America — Martha Strode

B. about 1697 in (probably) England or Netherlands¹
M. (probably) 1719 in Chester County, Pennsylvania²
Husband: Morgan Bryan
D. 29 Aug 1762 in Rowan County, North Carolina¹

Martha Strode and her husband Morgan Bryan each brought a lofty heritage to the American backwoods. And while some researchers doubt his pedigree is accurate, hers has been fully verified through records, although a few sketchy details remain.

Martha’s story begins with her parents Edward Strode and Joanna Hatchett having to leave England because he wouldn’t swear loyalty to King William.³ They fled to the continent where some of their children were born in France, and the youngest of these was Martha whose birth year was about 1697.¹ When she was still a baby, the family decided to settle in America, and boarded a ship bound for Philadelphia.³ Then both of Martha’s parents died — it isn’t clear from records if this happened at sea or shortly after landing.³ What is certain is that Martha and her three older brothers suddenly became orphans in a strange new place.

Who raised Martha and her brothers? Unfortunately, we don’t know. It’s believed that people took the children in, perhaps those who had traveled on the same ship. Martha seemed to have had a good upbringing, and was told about who her parents were. In 1719, Martha was said to have married her husband, Morgan Bryan.² He was much older than she was (born in 1671),² which would have made him about 47 when they married. Like Martha, Morgan was a high-born immigrant of English, Dutch and Irish descent, but was said to have been born in Denmark because his parents were in exile.² The couple made their home in Chester County and began a family;² by 1737, Martha gave birth to at least eight children. 

Raising a family on a colonial farm. (AI-generated image)

There were two times during her married life that Martha moved with her family to a more remote location. The first venture was in about 1730 when Morgan joined a group who bought a massive amount of land in Frederick County, Virginia.² For the next several years, the Bryan family lived a pioneer existence in the backwoods of Virginia, moving at least three times. Typically this meant building a log cabin each time they settled, where Martha kept house and looked after her children.

The second major move happened in 1748, and this time Martha’s family settled in the piedmont of North Carolina.² It’s been written in many places that Martha died in Virginia before they migrated south, but records and a grave stone have disproved this.² The 1748 trek was described as a “dangerous” route, where Morgan had to sometimes disassemble part of the wagon because the road was too narrow.² It took three months to reach their destination at the forks of the Yadkin River and the Bryans were said to be the first family to reach it.²

As he had done in Virginia, Morgan acquired as much land as he could, and the place where they lived was called Bryan’s Settlement.² Within a few years, other families moved into the area, including the father of Daniel Boone;⁴ Martha’s son William married Boone’s sister Mary, and in 1756, her granddaughter Rebecca married Boone himself.⁴

Martha died on August 29, 1762;¹ her husband Morgan survived her by a short time, dying in April 1763.⁵ Years later, Martha’s tombstone was uncovered by workers who were building a road. The stone is now in a museum in Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Martha’s gravestone on display. (Source: Find-a-Grave)

Because of Martha’s granddaughter, all descendants of Daniel Boone are also descendants of Martha; this includes Major League Baseball players Ray Boone, Bob Boone, Brett Boone and Aaron Boone.⁶

Children (many birth years are rough estimates):
1. Joseph Bryan — B. about 1720, Chester County, Pennsylvania;⁷ D. before Mar 1805, Jefferson County, Kentucky;⁷ M. (1) Hester ______ (~1720-1741), (probably) Virginia;⁷ (2) Aylee Linville (1722-1805), about 1741, Winchester, Virginia⁷

2. James Bryan — B. about 1723, Orange County, Virginia;⁸ D. 14 Aug 1807, St. Charles, Missouri;⁸ M. Rebecca Enochs (1732-1768), 1756, North Carolina⁸

3. Samuel Bryan — B. about 1726, Chester County, Pennsylvania;⁹ D. 1798, Rowan County, North Carolina;⁹ M. (1) Masmilla Simpson;⁹ (2) Elizabeth McMahan (1737-?), 1755, North Carolina⁹

4. Mary Bryan — B. about 1728, Chester County, Pennsylvania;¹⁰ D. 25 Feb 1742, Orange County, Virginia;¹⁰ M. Thomas Curtis, about 1740, Virginia¹⁰

5. Elenor Bryan — B. about 1729, Chester County, Pennsylvania;¹¹ D. 21 Oct 1792, Madison County, Kentucky;¹¹ M. William D. Linville (1710-1766), about 1745¹¹

6. Morgan Bryan — B. 20 May 1729, (probably) Chester County, Pennsylvania;² D. before 4 Jul 1804, Fayette County, Kentucky;¹² M. Mary Forbis (~1731-~1794), about 1747, Rowan County, North Carolina¹²

7. John Bryan — B. about 1730, (probably) Frederick County, Virginia;² D. before 5 Nov 1800, Rowan County, North Carolina;¹³ M. Sarah ______, about 1750, (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina¹³

8. William Bryan — B. 10 Mar 1734, (probably) Frederick County, Virginia;² D. 30 May 1780, Bryan’s Station, Kentucky;¹⁴ M. Mary Boone (1736-1819), 1755, Rowan County, North Carolina¹⁴

9. Thomas Bryan — B. about 1737, (probably) Frederick County, Virginia;¹⁵ D. about 1777, Kentucky;¹⁵ M. Sarah Hunt¹⁵

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Martha (Strode) Bryan
2    Morgan Bryan (1671-1763) A Danish-born “Irish Immigrant” and some of his antecedents and descendants, David C. McMurtry, David R. Bryan and Kathryn H. Weiss, 2007
3    In Search of the Strode Orphans: The Ancestry of Edward Strode, Jeremiah Strode, Samuel Strode, and Martha (Strode) Bryan, David C. McMurtry, Michael L. Kallam and Kerry Ross O’Boran, 1998
4    The Boone Family: A Genealogical History of George and Mary Boone who Came to America in 1717, Hazel A. Spraker, 1974
5    Find-a-Grave listing of Morgan Bryan
6    Ray Boone (Wikipedia article)
7    WikiTree listing of Joseph Bryan Sr.
8    WikiTree listing of James Bryan
9    WikiTree listing of Samuel Bryan
10  WikiTree listing of Mary (Bryan) Curtis
11  WikiTree listing of Elenor (Bryan) Linville
12  WikiTree listing of Morgan Bryan Jr.
13  WikiTree listing of John Bryan
14  WikiTree listing of William Bryan
15  WikiTree listing of Thomas Bryan

A Wise Puritan Settler — William Learned

B. before about 1581 in (probably) Bermondsey, Surrey, England¹
M. (1) 22 Apr 1606 in St. Olave, Southwark, England²
Wife: Goodith Gillman
M. (2) after 1632 in (probably) Massachusetts²
Wife: Jane _______
D. 1 Mar 1645 in Woburn, Massachusetts²

During the 1630s, shiploads of Puritans came over from England to populate Massachusetts. Among them were men above 50 years of age who played leadership roles in their towns, and William Learned seems to fit this description.

As with many immigrants in the 17th century, little is known of William’s life in England. He was likely born by 1581 in a place called Bermondsey.¹ Although described as being in Surrey, today it’s a part of London, and just south of the Thames; the Tower of London was a short distance away. It was in Bermondsey that William first turned up in records with his marriage to a woman named Goodith Gillman on April 22, 1606.² The unusual name Goodith was not a alternate spelling of Judith, nor was it the Puritan “Goodwife” — it was her real name. William and Goodith had at least six children by 1624, with the youngest being their only surviving son. 

William’s signature.

At some point, William became a follower of the Puritan movement, and because he was so near London, he seems to have been enlisted into the Winthrop Fleet. This is known because his name turned up in Charlestown by the end of 1630, and so he must have been on a ship that year.² He and his wife were on the list of founding members of the church in Charlestown. “1632, 10 mo. day 6, William Learned and Goodeth, his wife, were admitted.”² The fact their names were at the top of the list is an indicator he was seen by others as having some status, and in fact he was made selectman in 1636.²

William’s Charlestown property was described in 1638 as being seven parcels of land: “three acres of arable land and meadow … with a dwelling house,” “four acres of arable land … in the East Field,” three and three-quarters cow commons,” “two acres of meadow … in Mystic Marshes,” “five acres of woodland in Mystic Field,” “fifteen acres of woodland … in Mystic Field,” and “forty acres of land … in Rock Field.”² But soon he left this behind to make his home in the new community of Woburn.

The town of Woburn, Massachusetts was first settled in 1640 and incorporated two years later, and William was said to be one of its earliest men. “He was a subscriber to the town orders for Woburn, drawn up at Charlestown, Dec. 18, 1640; [he] was one of the seven original members of the church in Woburn which was gathered Aug. 14, 1642…”⁴

Ordaining the first minister of Woburn in 1642. (AI-generated image)

Sadly, William didn’t live much longer than Woburn’s founding. He served in Woburn as selectman in 1644,⁵ and as constable (who also collected the taxes) in 1644 and 1645,⁵ but he died just before he would have been elected for a third year.⁵ His son Isaac had to settle the accounts he had managed as constable.⁵ William was the ancestor of Abigail Powers Fillmore, Eli Whitney, Clara Barton, Sir Robert Laird Borden (Prime Minister of Canada), George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, John Ritter, Billie Jean King, Treat Williams and Elon Musk.⁶

Children (all by Goodith Gillman):
1. Sarah Learned — B. before 18 Jan 1607, (probably) Bermondsey, Surrey, England;⁷ M. (1) Thomas Ewer (1593_1638), 13 Jan 1624, Bermondsey, Surrey, England;² (2) Thomas Lothrop, 11 Dec 1639²

2. Bethiah Learned — B. before 29 Oct 1612, Bermondsey, Surrey, England²

3. Mary Learned — B. before 15 Sep 1615, Bermondsey, Surrey, England;² D. about 26 Jul 1625, Bermondsey, Surrey, England²

4. Abigail Learned — B. before 30 Sep 1618, Bermondsey, Surrey, England²

5. Elizabeth Learned — B. before 25 Mar 1621, Bermondsey, Surrey, England;² M. John Hall, before 21 Sep 1645⁸

6. Isaac Learned — B. before 25 Feb 1624, Bermondsey, Surrey, England;² D. 27 Nov 1657, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁹ M. Mary Stearns, 9 Jul 1646, Woburn, Massachusetts²

Sources:
1    WikiTree listing of William Learned
2    Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995 
3    William Learned: Winthrop’s Fleet Woburn, Mass. Settler (website)
4    The History of Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass. from the grant of its territory to Charlestown, in 1640, to the year 1680, Samuel Sewall, 1868
5    Genealogies of the Families and Descendants of the Early Settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts, Henry Bond, 1855, p. 333
6    FamousKin listing of William Learned
7    “Updated from English Records for some Great Migration immigrants who came by 1635,” NEHGR, V. 172, 2018
8    WikiTree listing of Elizabeth (Learned) Hall
9    Death record of Isaac Learned, Vital Records of Chelmsford Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, 1914

Woman of the First House In Billerica — Elizabeth Poulter

B. 1 Sep 1633 in Rayleigh, Essex, England¹
M. 22 Nov 1654 in Boston, Massachusetts²
Husband: Jonathan Danforth
D. 7 Oct 1689 in Billerica, Massachusetts³

Like most women of her day, Elizabeth Poulter had the primary identity of being a wife and mother. But there were some other facts about her life as a Puritan settler that give her a bit of a story, including the importance of her home.

The path Elizabeth followed to New England was fairly typical. She was born September 1, 1633 in the town of Rayleigh, England,¹ which was in Essex. Her parents were John and Mary Poulter and she was one of at least three children. The East Anglia region of England was the source of the majority of Puritan settlers to England, and so being in a family that followed that set of beliefs was only natural.

Elizabeth's birth was later recorded in Billerica, Massachusetts records.

Where Elizabeth differs a bit was in the fact that her family didn’t join the mass migration of the 1630s. Her father died in 1639, and Rayleigh records show that his will was proved there on May 30th.¹ Even though Elizabeth was 6-years-old, her father bequeathed her £100 (a substantial amount of money) to be paid to her when she came of age.

It was Elizabeth’s mother who migrated to America, bringing along Elizabeth and her brother John. The date of this move is uncertain and may have been as late as 1653.⁴ At some point, the widow Mary Poulter married John Parker, and their family was part of the first settlers of the new community of Billerica. On November 22, 1654, Elizabeth (presumably with her inheritance awarded) was the bride in the first wedding held at Billerica.² Her husband was Jonathan Danforth, a surveyor from Suffolk, England, and he would become a prominent member of the town.

Elizabeth’s husband and step-father formed a tight relationship, and together took purchased a piece of property called the “Farm Grant.”¹ It was on this land that Jonathan and Elizabeth’s house was built, said to be the first one in Billerica. The style of architecture was called a saltbox, a distinctly-shaped structure of 17th-century New England. These homes had a long, low roof line extending to the back, so that there were two stories in the front and one in the back. This was where Elizabeth presumably gave birth to her eleven children, raising many of them to adulthood. 

17th-century saltbox house. (AI-generated image)

Sadly, Elizabeth didn’t live an especially long life; she passed away on October 7, 1689 at the age of 54.³ Jonathan remarried about a year later,⁵ and he died in 1712.⁶ Their saltbox house was said to have survived until the 1880s.⁷ Elizabeth was an ancestor of Bette Davis.

Children:
1. Mary Danforth — B. 29 Jan 1656, Billerica, Massachusetts;⁸ D. May 1732, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁹ M. John Parker (1647-1699)⁹

2. Elizabeth Danforth — B. 27 May 1657, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁰ D. 9 Dec 1739, Westborough, Massachusetts;¹¹ M. Simeon Hayward (1648-1733), 7 Mar 1687, Billerica, Massachusetts¹²

3. Jonathan Danforth — B. 18 Feb 1659, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹³ D. 11 Jan 1711, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁴ M. Rebecca Parker (1661-1754), 27 Jun 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁵

4. John Danforth — B. 23 Jan 1660, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;⁷ D. 7 Feb 1661, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts⁷

5. John Danforth — B. 22 Feb 1661, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;⁷ D. 4 Jun 1662, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts⁷

6. Lydia Danforth — B. 1 Jun 1664, (probably) Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁶ M. Edward Wright⁷

7. Samuel Danforth — B. 5 Feb 1666, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁷ D. 19 Apr 1742, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ M. Hannah Crosby (1672-1752), 8 Jan 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁹

8. Anna Danforth — B. 8 Mar 1668, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁰ D. 13 Aug 1737, Billerica, Massachusetts;²¹ M. Oliver Whiting (1665-1736), 22 Jan 1690, Billerica, Massachusetts²²

9. Thomas Danforth — B. 29 Apr 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts;²³ D. 31 Jul 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts²⁴

10. Nicholas Danforth — B. 1 Apr 1671 Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁵ D. 8 Mar 1694, Billerica, Massachusetts²⁶

11. Sarah Danforth — B. 23 Dec 1676, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁷ D. 15 Oct 1751, Concord, Massachusetts;²⁸ M. (1) William French (1668-1723), 22 May 1695, Billerica, Massachusetts;²⁹ (2) Ebenezer Davis (1676-1753)²⁸

Sources:
1    “The Poulter Family of Rayleigh, Essex, England and Billerica, Massachusetts,” NEHGR, V. 141, 1987
2    Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Elizabeth Poulter, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001
3    Death record of Elizabeth Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
4    Date of arrival in America roughly based on Elizabeth Poulter’s marriage in 1654.
5    Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Esther Converse, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
6    Death record of Jonathan Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
7    Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, William Richard Cutter, 1908, p. 165
8    Birth record of Mary Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
9    Find-a-Grave listing of Mary (Danforth) Parker
10  Birth record of Elizabeth Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Death record of Elizabeth Hayward, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12  Marriage record of Simeon Hayward and Elizabeth Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13  Birth record of Jonathan Danforth (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  Death record of Jonathan Danforth (younger), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15  Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Rebecca Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Birth record of Lydia Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Birth record of Samuel Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
18  Death record of Samuel Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Marriage record of Samuel Danforth and Hannah Crosby, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20  Birth record of Anna Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Death record of Anna Whiting, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Marriage record of Oliver Whiting and Anna Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23  Birth record of Thomas Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
24  Death record of Thomas Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25  Birth record of Nicholas Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
26  Find-a-Grave listing of Nicholas Danforth
27  Birth record of Sarah Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
28  Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Danforth) Davis
29  Marriage record of William French and Sarah Danforth, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

Keeping the Property She Inherited — Joanna Larkin

B. 8 Mar 1676 in Charlestown, Massachusetts¹
M. (1) 1693 in Beverly, Massachusetts²
Husband: Joshua Dodge
M. (2) 20 Apr 1696 in Beverly, Massachusetts³
Husband: John Thorndike
D. 12 May 1716 in Beverly, Massachusetts⁴

When Joanna Larkin’s husband died in 17th-century New England, his probate file had a remarkable claim: his widow was the rightful owner of most of their joint property.

Joanna was born on March 8, 1676 to John Larkin and Joanna Hale;¹ she was one of six children, two of whom died young. Her father died when she was 2-years-old in a smallpox epidemic.⁵ Her mother remarried to William Dodge in 1685,⁶ and he had several children of his own. This is how 9-year-old Joanna met her first husband, Joshua Dodge, who was her 16-year-old step-brother. They married in about 1693.²

Step-siblings who would one day get married. (AI-generated image)

Sadly their marriage didn’t last long. After Joanna got pregnant, Joshua died at age 24 on April 15, 1694;⁷ their son was born six months later. Since there was no will for Joshua, the probate file was quite detailed, and it suggested that Joanna had brought her own property and possessions into the marriage.⁸

To understand Joanna’s holdings, we need to look at her progenitors. Her grandparents were all part of the Great Migration from England to Massachusetts during the 1630s. Maternal grandfather Robert Hale was a prominent man in Charlestown, but he died young,⁹ and her grandmother Joanna remarried to a man named Richard Jacob¹⁰ who left her widowed again.¹¹ When she passed away in 1679, she had property from both husbands, and bequeathed it to many of her descendants, including young Joanna. The will said “And my remaining acres of land in the field I give to be equally divided between my Daughter Larkin’s four children.”¹¹ This amounted to three acres to be split between Joanna and her siblings.

In addition to this, Joanna had 2 acres left to her by her father, also in Charlestown, that was “in the hands of her brother Edward,” and “a legacy” from her paternal grandmother, Joanna Penticost.¹² In looking at the inventory for Joshua Dodge’s estate dated September 20, 1695, the list has very few items that weren’t the part of what Joanna had gotten from her own deceased relatives.⁸ In addition to land, there were pewter platters, table and cupboard cloths, napkins and other items from her two grandmothers. And also “4 tablecloths and 4 towels” from her mother.⁸

Inventory of Joshua Dodge’s estate.

Describing these possessions as belonging to Joanna was so that she could retain them even if she took a second husband. Usually a widow lost the joint property she had with her husband if she got remarried. And presumably Joanna did keep everything when on April 20, 1696, she married John Thorndike.³

Joanna and John had a total of eight children together born between 1697 and 1712. They lived in a house that John built during the early years of their marriage; it is a New England “salt box,” and it is still standing today.¹³ Joanna didn’t live to see most of her children grow up because she passed away on May 12, 1716 in Beverly.⁴ Her husband John remarried twice more, and died in 1760.¹⁴

Child by Joshua Dodge:
1. Joshua Dodge — B. 20 Sep 1694, Beverly, Massachusetts;¹⁵ D. 20 Dec 1772, Beverly, Massachusetts¹⁵

Children by John Thorndike:
1. Robert Thorndike — B. 4 Feb 1697, Beverly, Massachusetts;¹⁶ M. Elizabeth Woodbury (1696-1781), 20 Nov 1718, Beverly, Massachusetts¹⁷

2. Paul Thorndike — B. 5 Feb 1699, Beverly, Massachusetts;¹⁸ M. Mehitable Woodbury (1705-?), 30 Sep 1725, Beverly, Massachusetts¹⁹

3. John Thorndike — B. 22 Aug 1701, Beverly, Massachusetts;²⁰ D. 10 Jul 1769, Beverly, Massachusetts;²¹ M. (1) Elizabeth Ober (1704-1750), 13 Nov 1723, Beverly, Massachusetts;²² (2) Sarah Cleeves (1728-1833), 18 Feb 1753, Beverly, Massachusetts²³

4. Joanna Thorndike — B. 1 Aug 1703, Beverly, Massachusetts;²⁴ D. 27 Mar 1775, Beverly, Massachusetts;²⁵ M. Ebenezer Lovett (1702-1778), 17 Apr 1725, Beverly, Massachusetts²⁶

5. James Thorndike — B. 11 Jan 1706, Beverly, Massachusetts;²⁷ D. 20 Feb 1787, Tewksbury, Massachusetts;²⁸ M. Anna Ober (1708-1787), 21 Jan 1728, Beverly, Massachusetts²⁹

6. Herbert Thorndike — B. 3 Jan 1708, Beverly, Massachusetts;³⁰ D. 10 Jul 1746, Beverly, Massachusetts;³¹ M. Abigail Ober (1708-1796), 4 Feb 1731, Beverly, Massachusetts³²

7. Edward Thorndike — B. 10 Apr 1711, Beverly, Massachusetts;³³ D. 21 Apr 1711, Beverly, Massachusetts³⁴

8. Sarah Thorndike — B. 17 Sep 1712, Beverly, Massachusetts;³⁵ M. Joshua Thorndike, 14 Dec 1738, Beverly, Massachusetts³⁶

Sources:

1    Birth record of Joanna Larkin, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
2    Marriage record of Joshua Dodge and Joanna Larkin, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com
3    Marriage record of John Thorndike and Joanna Dodge, Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910, FamilySearch.org
4    Death record of Joanna Thorndike, The Massachusetts Vital Records Project – Vital Records of Beverly, Massachusetts, Vol. 3, p. 577
5    Find-a-Grave listing of John Larkin
6    Marriage record of William Dodge and Joanna Larkin, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
7    WikiTree listing of Joshua Dodge
8    Probate record of Joshua Dodge
9    Find-a-Grave listing of Robert Hale
10  Marriage record of Richard Jacob and Joanna Hale, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Probate record of Joanna Jacob
12  Probate record of Joanna Penticost
13  Capt. John Thorndike House (Wikipedia article)
14  Death record of John Thorndike, Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, FamilySearch.org
15  Find-a-Grave listing of Deacon Joshua Dodge Jr.
16  Birth record of Robert Thorndike, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
17  Marriage record of Robert Thorndike and Elizabeth Woodbury, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
18  Birth record of Paul Thorndike, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
19  Marriage record of Paul Thorndike and Mehitable Woodbury, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
20  Birth record of John Thorndike (younger), M.T.C., V. & T.R.
21  Death record of John Thorndike (younger), M.T.C., V. & T.R.
22  Marriage record of John Thorndike and Elizabeth Ober, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
23  Marriage record of John Thorndike and Sarah Cleeves, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
24  Birth record of Joanna Thorndike, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
25  Death record of Joanna Thorndike Lovett, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
26  Marriage record of Ebenezer Lovett and Joanna Thorndike, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
27  Birth record of James Thorndike, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
28  Death record of James Thorndike, Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850, AmericanAncestors.org
29  Marriage record of James Thorndike and Anna Ober, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
30  Birth record of Herbert Thorndike, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
31  Death record of Herbert Thorndike, Massachusetts Vital Records, Beverly, Vol. 2, p. 575
32  Marriage record of Herbert Thorndike and Abigail Ober, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
33  Birth record of Edward Thorndike, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
34  Death record of Edward Thorndike, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
35  Birth record of Sarah Thorndike, M.T.C., V. & T.R.
36  Marriage record of Joshua Thorndike and Sarah Thorndike

Married to a Much Older Man — Marie-Françoise Cassé

B. about 1671 in (probably) Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, New France¹
M. about 1689 in New France¹
Husband: Étienne Blanchon
D. 14 Jan 1750 in Beaumont, New France²

In the early days of New France, teenaged girls often married husbands who weren’t young. Such was the case for Marie-Françoise Cassé, and this set the course for the rest of her life.

Françoise was born to Antoine Cassé and Françoise Pilois, and she was the fourth of ten children; her birth was in about 1671, likely in Ste-Famille, Île d’Orleans, but the record for her baptism is missing.¹ When Françoise was about 7-years-old, her family moved to the south shore community of Beaumont.³ Three years later, the 1681 census showed that only 14 families were living there.⁴

In about 1689, Françoise got married to a curious choice of husband. His name was Étienne Blanchon, and he had a cloudy background. A man by that name had arrived in New France before Françoise was born, and he was a Carignan-Salières Regiment soldier.⁵ This Étienne Blanchon was married twice, but was said to have left his second wife by 1684 to move back to France.⁵ Then about five years later, Françoise married a man with the same name who had no known origins. Some think it’s the same man. What is known as a fact is that the Étienne who Françoise married was a lot older than she was, said to be born in about 1632.⁶ This would put their age difference at almost 40 years. 

Married to an older man. (AI-generated image)

Françoise gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in September 1690.⁷ By the end of the decade she had five more, a total of four girls and two boys — both of the sons died young. Étienne passed away in 1712,⁶ and this began a widowhood for Françoise which lasted over 36 years. She never remarried, and with no males in her household, she looked out after her own affairs. Only her oldest daughter was married at the time her husband died, and she had to help arrange the marriages of the other three girls.

Sadly, two daughters died early in their marriages.^8,9 The older of the two, Charlotte, passed away not long after giving birth to her only child, a son Étienne Carpentier,¹⁰ and Françoise took over guardianship of the boy when his father also died in 1724.^11,12 Ten years later, Françoise appeared in court over a lease dispute with an innkeeper named David.¹² The property in question belonged to grandson Étienne as part of his inheritance, and since he was still a minor, she represented his interests. Young Étienne was attending a seminary at the time and had rented the house he owned in Quebec City to David, who apparently was displaying “bad conduct,” and had committed the crime of selling liquor to some Indians.¹³ He was also delinquent on his rent, giving cause for eviction. The court record doesn’t show the outcome of the case.

Françoise died in Beaumont on January 14, 1750 at the age of about 78.² She had lived long enough to see her grandson Étienne ordained as a priest, taking the name Father Bonaventure Carpentier, and he became a noteworthy figure in Canada.¹⁴ In 1758, he served as a missionary to the Acadians who were living in exile in present-day New Brunswick. The English brutally attacked their settlement, forcing Father Bonaventure to flee into the woods with his followers.

Nine years later, Father Bonaventure was accused of fathering a son with an Indigenous woman, which caused him to be recalled to Quebec.¹⁴ He stepped aside for a while, then defiantly resumed his role as a priest, saying that “no one had the right to remove him.”¹⁴ Was the charge of infidelity true? In 2024, a male-line descendant of the illegitimate child had a Y-DNA test done, and he matched closely with descendants of French man named Florent Carpentier of 17th-century Normandy.¹⁵ So it sounds like Françoise’s grandson really did have sexual relations while serving as a priest, a scandal that she thankfully didn’t live to see.

Children:
1. Marie-Françoise Blanchon — B. 28 Sep 1690, Beaumont, New France;⁷ D. 29 Apr 1768, Beaumont, Quebec;¹⁶ M. Jacques Fournier (1684-1767), 27 Nov 1708, Beaumont, New France¹⁷

2. Charlotte Blanchon — B. 26 Mar 1692, St-Joseph-de-la-Pointe-de-Lévy, New France;¹⁸ D. 26 Sep 1716, Quebec City, New France;⁸ M. Étienne Carpentier (1688-1724), 25 Nov 1715, Quebec City, New France¹⁹

3. Catherine Blanchon — B. 28 Feb 1694, Beaumont, New France;²⁰ D. 10 Jun 1720, Beaumont, New France;⁹ M. Claude Rancourt (1691-1743), 4 May 1717, New France²¹

4. Etienne Blanchon — B. 1 Nov 1695, Beaumont, New France²²

5. Bernard Blanchon — B. 25 Mar 1698, Beaumont, New France;²³ D. 2 Apr 1698, Beaumont, New France²⁴

6. Suzanne Blanchon — B. 29 Sep 1699, Beaumont, New France;²⁵ D. 15 Nov 1772, Quebec City, Quebec;²⁶ M. Louis Parent (1695-1777), 27 Nov 1719, Quebec City, New France²⁷

Sources:
1    Généalogie du Quebec et d’Amérique française listing of Marie-Françoise Casse
2    Burial record of Marie-Françoise Casse, Quebec, Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org
3    Baptismal record of Charlotte Casse (Françoise’s sister), Q., C. P. R.
4    Recensement de 1681 en Nouvelle-France
5    WikiTree listing for Étienne Blanchon
6    Burial record of Étienne Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
7    Baptismal record of Marie-Françoise Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
8    Burial record of Charlotte Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
9    Burial record of Catherine Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
10  Baptismal record of Étienne Carpentier (younger), Q., C. P. R.
11  Burial record of Étienne Carpentier (older), Q., C. P. R.
12  Court record of case concerning house lease involving Étienne Carpentier, BAnQ 
13  Court record of case involving man named David selling brandy to Indians, BAnQ 
14  “Carpentier, Bonaventure,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography
15  “Father Bonadventure – born Étienne Carpentier – He was recalled to Québec City in 1768…,” Genealogy Quebec Forum
16  Burial record of Marie-Françoise Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
17  Marriage record of Jacques Fournier and Marie-Françoise Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
18  Baptismal record of Charlotte Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
19  Marriage record of Étienne Carpentier and Charlotte Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
20  Baptismal record of Catherine Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
21  Marriage record of Claude Rancourt and Catherine Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
22  Baptismal record of Etienne Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
23  Baptismal record of Bernard Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
24  Burial record of Bernard Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
25  Baptismal record of Suzanne Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
26  Burial record of Suzanne Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.
27  Marriage record of Louis Parent and Suzanne Blanchon, Q., C. P. R.

Early Settler of Reading, Massachusetts — Robert Burnap

B. about 1595 in (probably) Hertfordshire, England¹
M. about 1624 in Amwell, Hertfordshire, England¹
Wife: Anne Miller
D. 27 Sep 1689 in Reading, Massachusetts²

Robert Burnap came from an unknown English family to start fresh in Puritan Massachusetts, and became the patriarch of a large American family.

While we don’t know much about Robert’s origins, he was likely born in about 1595 in Hertfordshire because he later married and raised his family there.¹ His wife was Anne Miller, and they were wed in about 1624 in the town of Amwell.¹ While living in Hertfordshire, they had seven healthy children and another who may have been stillborn; most of the children were baptized at Hoddesdon. One record identified Robert’s profession as a chandler (candlemaker).³

A candlemaker. (AI-generated image)

The town of Hoddesdon is located on the eastern border of Hertfordshire, in close proximity with East Anglia and its population of religious dissenters. Robert became one of them, and in about 1638, he migrated to New England with his family.¹ He settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts, before moving to the new town of Reading as one of its earliest settlers. Robert and Anne may have had more children there, but documentation is sketchy on this.

Robert served for many years as a Reading selectman, an indicator that he had a strong sense of civic duty. During the years 1654 to 1671, there were only two years (1657 and 1661) where he wasn’t one of the town’s selectmen.¹ In May 1678, we find his signature on a petition to the General Court in Boston concerning Reading’s militia.⁴

There is a court case record from 1653 with the testimony of Robert (a bit hard to read): “saith the outside of the dry cask… goods came in, was chalky and one of the panes on it was broken and a hole into it about a foot long. On one side of the cask was rotten [clear] through, as if [chalk?] or some other thing like [chalk?] had gotten into it, which might very well be, for the cask was very bad. Further this deponent saith that he did help unpack all the goods.”⁵ It would seem that Robert had received delivery of something, perhaps from England, that arrived in poor condition. 

1653 testimony of Robert Burnap.

In May 1684, Robert was involved in a land dispute along with son Thomas.⁴ In the ruling it was ordered that 121 acres be divided into three lots, with one part going to the people who sued him (William and Hannah Hawkins). By now, Robert was in his late 80s, and he passed away on September 27, 1689.² Wife Ann preceded him in death in 1681.⁶ Robert and Ann were the ancestors of the first governor of Minnesota, Henry Hastings Sibley, Governor Endicott Peabody of Massachusetts, Kyra Sedgwick, Alan Shepard, and Michael Strahan.⁷

Children:
1. Thomas Burnap — B. about 1625, (probably) Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England;⁸ D. 10 Feb 1691, (probably) Reading, Massachusetts;⁸ M. Mary Pearson, 3 Dec 1663, Reading, Massachusetts⁸

2. Anne Burnap — B. before 30 Apr 1626, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England;³ D. 20 Mar 1630, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England³

3. Robert Burnap — B. before 28 Nov 1627, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England;³ D. 18 Oct 1695, Reading, Massachusetts;³ M. (1) Ann _______ (~1631-~1661);⁹ (2) Sarah Brown (1650-1713), 28 May 1662, Reading, Massachusetts¹⁰

4. Isaac Burnap — B. before 20 Mar 1630, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England;³ D. 18 Sep 1667, Reading, Massachusetts;³ M. Hannah Antrim (1638-?), 8 Sep 1658, Massachusetts¹¹

5. Anne Burnap — B. before 15 Apr 1632, Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, England;³ D. 16 Mar 1692, Dorchester, Massachusetts;³ M. (1) John Wight (1633-1653), about 1652, (probably) Massachusetts;¹² (2) Isaac Bullard (~1630-1676), 11 Apr 1655, Dedham, Massachusetts;¹³ (3) David Jones (~1628-1694), 18 Mar 1685, Dorchester, Massachusetts¹⁴

6. Baby Burnap — B. before 18 Oct 1634, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England; D. before 18 Oct 1634, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England

7. Edward Burnap — B. before 12 Feb 1636, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England¹⁵

8. Sarah Burnap — B. before 12 Feb 1636, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, England;¹⁶ D. after 15 Nov 1688, (probably) Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. (1) John Southwick (1624-1672), 3 Feb 1669, Salem, Massachusetts;¹⁸ (2) Thomas Cooper (~1654-1712), 12 Jun 1674, Salem, Massachusetts;¹⁹ (3) Cornelius Browne (1632-1701), 20 Nov 1684, Salem, Massachusetts²⁰

Sources:
1    The Burnett Genealogy, Edgar Albert Burnett, 1941, pp. 6-7
2    Death record of Robert Burnap, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3    The Burnap-Burnett Genealogy, Henry Wyckoff Belknap, 1925, p. 26
4    Our Colonial and Continental Ancestors: The Ancestors of Mr. and Mrs. Louis William Dommerich, Louis Effingham de Forest, 1930, pp. 62-63
5    Testimony of Robert Burnap, 26 Aug 1653, FamilySearch.org
6    Death record of Ann Burnap, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
7    FamousKin.com listing of Robert Burnap
8    WikiTree listing of Thomas Burnap
9    WikiTree listing of Robert Burnap
10  Marriage record of Robert Burnap and Sarah Brown, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Marriage record of Isaac Burnap and Hannah Antrum, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12  WikiTree listing of Ann (Burnap) Jones
13  Marriage record of Isaac Bullard and Ann Wight, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  Marriage record of David Jones and Ann Bullard, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15  Christening record of Edward Burnap, England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, FamilySearch.org
16  Christening record of Sarah Burnap, E., B. & C.
17  WikiTree listing of Sarah (Burnap) Brown
18  Marriage record of John Southwick and Sarah Burnap, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Marriage record of Thomas Cooper and Sarah Southwick, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20  Marriage record of Cornelius Brown and Sarah Cooper, M., T. C., V. & T. R.

Dropping Her Crepe — Marie-Madeleine Bordeleau

B. 23 Oct 1761 in Post Vincennes, New France¹
M. 9 Jul 1779 in Vincennes, Virginia Territory²
Husband: Jean-Baptiste Renaud dit Deslauriers
D. 21 Feb 1819 in Vincennes, Indiana³

Marie-Madeleine Bordeleau lived during an era when Creole culture dominated her community, and she was mentioned in a folk story handed down over the generations.

Marie-Madeleine was born in the French fur trading outpost at Fort Vincennes on October 23, 1761.¹ Her parents were Antoine Bordeleau and Marie-Catherine Caron, and she was one of ten children, only four of whom are known to have survived to adulthood.

Vincennes was a lively place when Marie-Madeleine was a girl, and the people there often gathered for traditional celebrations centered around holidays. As in New Orleans, the Tuesday before Lent was a time for wild behavior, and one of the events was a competition between marriageable girls that involved cooking skills. It was a contest to see who could flip the most crepes without dropping one, and the winner would have the honor of choosing which man she would like to marry.

The story was told to a writer who was compiling a book about Vincennes culture in the 1930s, and it was prefaced that it may not be “historically accurate,” but it was said that at the crepe-flipping contest in 1778, the girl who won beat out her “pretty” rival, Marie Bordeleau. Supposedly a woman who was a friend of the winning girl distracted Marie-Madeleine with conversation until she dropped one of her crepes, causing her to lose.⁴

Flipping a crepe. (AI-generated image)

Whether or not the story is true, Marie-Madeleine did find a husband the following year. It was an eventful time in Vincennes because the Americans under George Rogers Clark had attacked the fort in February, freeing the French settlers from British rule. Later that year, on July 9th, Marie-Madeleine married Jean-Baptiste Renaud dit Deslauriers at St. Francis Xavier Parish.² Attending the service were her parents, her godfather, two uncles, and presumably many of the people in town. The wedding was conducted by Father Gibault, who served as priest for the entire Illinois Territory at that time. The priest hadn't visited Vincennes in many months, so it was the very first American wedding to be held there.

The date of Marie-Madeleine’s marriage and birth of her first child suggests that she was pregnant before she got married. Her first child, Genevieve, was born October 11, 1779,⁵ and was followed by eleven more, the youngest born in 1803.

Marie-Madeleine died on February 21, 1819 in Vincennes.³ Her husband survived her, and he died in 1834.

Children:
1. Genevieve Deslauriers — B. 11 Oct 1779, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;⁵ D. before Feb 1819, (probably) Vincennes, Indiana;⁷ M. Joseph Marion Edeline (1774-1819), 18 Feb 1799, Vincennes, Northwest Territory⁸

2. Marie Desanges Deslauriers — B. 11 Jan 1782, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;⁹ M. Guillaume Tougas (1779-?), 6 Jul 1801, Vincennes, Indiana Territory¹⁰

3. Archange Deslauriers — B. 22 Apr 1784, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹¹ D. Feb 1793, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹²

4. Jean-Baptiste Deslauriers — B. Feb 1786, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹³ D. Jul 1789, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹⁴

5. Pierre Deslauriers — B. 13 Sep 1787, Vincennes, Virginia Territory;¹⁵ D. 2 Mar 1860, Vincennes, Indiana;¹⁶ M. Marie-Theotiste Ravellette (1795-?), 12 Nov 1813, Vincennes, Indiana Territory¹⁷

6. Barbe Deslauriers — B. 2 Oct 1789, Vincennes, Northwest Territory¹⁸

7. Victoire Deslauriers — B. 11 Jul 1791, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;¹⁹ D. Feb 1793, Vincennes, Northwest Territory²⁰

8. Marie Anne Deslauriers — B. 1 Feb 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²¹ M. François Mallet (1790-?), 14 Aug 1818, Vincennes, Indiana²²

9. Françoise Deslauriers — B. 1 Feb 1794, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²³ D. Jun 1835, Vincennes, Indiana;²⁴ M. Louis Lacoste dit Languedoc (1790-1838), 11 May 1816, Vincennes, Indiana²⁵

10. François Xavier Deslauriers — B. 13 Feb 1798, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁶ D. 8 May 1837, Vincennes, Indiana;²⁷ M. Cecile Racine, 7 Aug 1820, Vincennes, Indiana²⁸

11. Adélaide Deslauriers — B. 20 Jan 1800, Vincennes, Northwest Territory;²⁹ M. François Racine, 26 Jul 1824, Vincennes, Indiana³⁰

12. Catherine Deslauriers — B. 22 Jul 1803, Vincennes, Indiana Territory;³¹ D. 2 Mar 1865, Vincennes, Indiana;³² M. Joseph Cardinal (1799-?), 14 Jul 1823, Vincennes, Indiana³³

Sources:
1    Baptismal record of Marie-Madeleine Crepeau, “Records of the Parish of St. Francis Xavier,” Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia, Vol. 12, 1901
2    Marriage record of Jean Baptiste Renault Deslauriers and Marie Magdaleine Bordeleau, R. of the P. of S.F.X.
3    Death record of Madeleine Renaud, A complete survey of cemetery records, Knox County, Indiana, collected and compiled by Mrs. Alta Amsler Bernice Mutchmore, and Paul R. King, 1930s
4    Creole (French) Pioneers at Old Post Vincennes, Joyce Doyle, Loy Followell, Elizabeth Kargacos, Bernice Mutchmore, and Paul R. King, 1930s
5    Baptismal record of Genevieve Renaud Deslauriers, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church records: Baptisms, 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
6    Death record of Jean-Baptiste Renaud Deslauriers, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church records: Marriages and Deaths, 1749-1838, Barbara Schull Wolfe, 1999
7    Marriage record of Joseph Edline and Cecile Delisle, I.M.
8    Marriage record of Joseph Edeline and Genevieve Renaud, I.M.
9    Baptismal record of Marie-Desanges Renauld, R. of the P. of S.F.X.
10  Marriage record of Guillaume Tougas and Desanges Deslorier, I.M.
11  Baptismal record of Archange Renault, S.F.X.C.C.R.
12  Burial record of Archange Renaud, A.C.S. of C.R., K.C., I.
13  Baptismal record of Jean-Baptiste Deslauriers (younger), S.F.X.C.C.R.
14  Burial record of Jean-Baptiste Deslauriers (younger), A.C.S. of C.R., K.C., I.
15  Baptismal record of Pierre Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
16  Geni listing of Pierre Deslaurier
17  Marriage record of Pierre Deslauriers and Marie-Theotiste Ravellette, I.M.
18  Baptismal record of Barbe Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
19  Baptismal record of Victoire Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
20  Burial record of Victoire Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
21  Baptismal record of Marie-Anne Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
22  Marriage record of François Mallet and Marianne Deslorier, I.M.
23  Baptismal record of Françoise Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
24  Vital records of Françoise Deslaurier, Indiana Births and Christenings, 1773-1933, FamilySearch.org
25  Marriage record of Louis Languedoc and Françoise Deslaurier, I.M.
26  Baptismal record of François Xavier Deslauriers, S.F.X.C.C.R.
27  Geni listing of François Xavier Renaud dit Deslauriers
28  Marriage record of François Xavier Deslauriers and Cecile Racine, I.M.
29  Birth record of Adelaide Desloriez, I.B. & C.
30  Marriage record of François Racine and Adelaide Delorier, I.M.
31  Birth record of Catherine Deslaurier, I.B. & C.
32  Geni listing of Catherine Cardinal
33  Marriage record of Joseph Cardinal and Catherine Delaurier, I.M.