About Towne

About Towne Volume XXXV, No. 2 April-May-June 2015
In This Issue
Cover Story . . . . . . . . . . Reflections
30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .New Members
45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Moving On
51 . . . Northwest Regional Meeting
52 . TFA Reunion Reservation Form
Reflections on Thomas Hill’s The Gardener’s Labyrinth By Elizabeth Hanahan
Gardening is in our genes. We know from documents uncovered at
the Norfolk Records Office in Norwich, England by our English research-
er, Charles Farrow, that our immigrant ancestor, William Towne, and
his father John, before him, were gardeners in Yarmouth, Norfolk, Eng-
land. Those of us who were fortunate enough to go on our 2012 trip to
England walked along the very town wall in the North End where Wil-
liam was thought to have gardened and sold produce in the nearby
market place. Therefore, reading Thomas Hill’s The Garden Labyrinth -
The First English Gardening Book, edited by Richard Mabey in 1988 was
an enjoyable way to spend the cold, snowy days of March while waiting
expectantly for the first green shoots to poke through the snowdrifts.
Although Hill’s book is not an easy book to read, with its old-style spell-
ings and unfamiliar terminology and references, it does offer a wonder-
ful view of what life was like during the time that William and his family
were in Norfolk. Mabey’s edited version includes background infor-
mation about the times in which Hill — and our Towne ancestors —
lived, and helps the reader understand many unfamiliar terms by
providing a glossary. He also supplements the wood-carved etchings
Hill used in his book with numerous beautiful photographs and prints
from the 16th and 17th centuries. Continued on page 32
Roman wall in Great Yarmouth near the site where William Towne is thought to have gardened. ( Photo: Laurie Deredita)
From England to Massachusetts,
nation to the West Coast on the Ore-
gon Trail. Come and see what it was
like for the people who migrated,
and see the beauty of the North-
west! See pages 52 – 54 for infor-
mation on the 35th TFA Reunion and
the registration form on page 55.
ABOUT TOWNE VOL. XXXV. No. 2
30
TOWNE FAMILY ASSOCIATION, INC.
Executive Office 6001 Lost Maple Lane, Sugar Hill, GA 30518-8159 (919) 929-2749 [email protected]
for all new member applications, membership renewals & fees, other membership questions
TFA Website: http://www.TowneFolk.com You can join or renew online
and read the latest membership news
President and Historian: Virginia Towne 3700 14th Ave SE Unit 43, Olympia, WA 98501 (360) 539-7768 [email protected]
Executive Secretary: William Steel Towne 6001 Lost Maple Lane, Sugar Hill, GA 30518-8159 (919) 929-2749 [email protected]
Vice-President: Karen Johnsen 3842 La Dona Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306-3152 E-mail: [email protected]
Treasurer: Catherine Troeger Kauffman 5201 E. Mountain View Rd., Paradise Valley, AZ 85253-1627 E-mail: [email protected]
Recording Secretary, Parliamentarian and Sunshine Ambassador: Barry Cass E-mail: [email protected] 20 Springfield Rd., Somers, CT 06071
Publications Coordinator: Dianna Estee Emerson 1117 Eddie Drive, Lansing, MI 48917-9242 E-mail: [email protected] For newsletter address changes
Acting Genealogist: Gail P. Garda E-mail: [email protected] P.O. Box 337, Hampton, NH 03843 For genealogical data & questions
Newsletter Editor: Rae Russell Johnson 57 Evergreen Drive, Salem, WVA 26426 E-mail for newsletter submissions: [email protected]
Newsletter Indexer: Ann Tuohy
About Towne is the official voice of the all-volunteer Towne Family Association, incorporated in Delaware in 1989 and com- prised of descendants of William and Joanna Blessing Towne and those interested in their family’s history. William and Joanna emigrated with their family from Great Yarmouth, England, to Salem, MA, about 1635. In 1692, two of their daughters— Rebecca Towne Nurse and Mary Towne Estey—were hanged as witches during the Salem witchcraft hysteria. A third daughter—Sarah Towne Clayes/Cloyes—was jailed for witchcraft but escaped execution.
Unless otherwise specified by the source person or copyright holder, all submissions become the property of the association for purposes of publication and inclusion in historical files. Published quarterly: March, June, September and December.
About Towne © 2015, Towne Family Association, Inc.
New Members! Martha Aides Fairfax, VA Edmund Karen G. Byrne Morristown, NJ Edmund Mary Lynn Connors Citrus Heights, CA Sarah Elizabeth Danter Bethesda, MD Rebecca Mona M. Eaton Omro, WI Marcie Birk Ellegood Bedford, KY Mary Joan E. Fisher Bronson, MI Mary Kathleen Holscher Yakima, WA Joseph Dianne Hulse Battle Ground, WA Mary Steven “Buz” Kuzan Wrightsville Beach, NC Rebecca Mary Rose Murrin Temple Terrace, FL Rebecca
Norma Jean Nichols Bethel, OK Rebecca Patricia Parker Columbia, SC (A Gould descendant) Barbara (Dick) Pinkerton Shelby Township, MI Rebecca Marciena & Jose Quintanilla Culver City, CA Jacob Marcia Rosado Hamilton, OH Rebecca Sue & Tomm Schultz Mckinney, TX Rebecca & Mary Judith C. Smolk Brandon, FL Jacob Diane Stittgen Thorne Bay, AK Sarah Travis & Halley Towne Alexandria, VA Jacob Eben Gordon Townes III Mineral, VA Edmund Forrest & Benjamin Wade Broadway, NC Rebecca
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President’s Letter
Wow! Have I been having fun! Getting ready for the upcoming events for this year
has been keeping me busy. John Russell, my reunion co-chairman, and I have the hotel,
tour, and other things planned for the Annual Reunion. We are keeping busy with that and I believe you are
going to enjoy yourselves. If nothing else, the food should be outstanding. We will be having the banquet at
the Lodge, and their kitchen is excellent. You will enjoy what we have planned for you. A local speaker will
be there after dinner to inform and entertain you.
The NW regional is July 11th this year. It has been planned and will be at the Columbia Gorge Riverside Lodge
in Stevenson, Washington, located about 45 minutes east of Portland and Vancouver. There will be a muse-
um tour at 10AM and then visiting along with the meeting in the afternoon, followed by a delightful dinner.
Stevenson is just across the Bridge of the Gods from Cascade Locks, Oregon. Let me know if you didn’t get an
invite and would like to attend.
Regional meetings are fun for all the participants. You get to meet people in your area whom you might even
know, but didn’t realize are Cousins. You don’t need anything grand, just get a place to meet, even a park.
Have a meal or picnic. Just getting together can lead to cousins becoming good friends.
Lois Hoover’s Towne Family book sales have gone well and the books are being printed as I write this. They
should be out in the mail by the time this newsletter arrives. I have chosen a nice green for the cover – this
will be the third printing and the first under the direction of TFA. You may still order the book, but I would
ask that you now send $15 for shipping instead of the previous $10 to offset the extra cost of mailing, since
we now will be doing it ourselves and not the publisher. Of course I will be selling the books at the reunion
for the base price of $45. An addendum with updates is being worked on and will be made available as soon
as it is ready. A lot of research has gone into this by multiple volunteers, and is continuing at this time.
I want to thank Dianna Emerson again for stepping in at the last minute to print and distribute the news-
letters. This was a big job for her, learning what needed to be done and finding a printer in her area. All the
little details had to be figured out quickly, and she excelled at it.
The position of TFA genealogist still remains open, anyone with an interest in hearing more about it, can con-
tact me or Gail Garda. Primary duties are to maintain TFA’s historical genealogy files and library, receive and
review all new member lineages and any updates/corrections received from existing members; assist pro-
spective members in identifying their Towne family connection; verify, enter and correct data in the TFA ge-
nealogy database; contribute articles for the TFA newsletter; and participate as an appointed officer on the
TFA Board, during the year by email and at the annual meetings.
Ah, the garden. I am already behind. I still have winter damage to clear away, weeds to pull, plus I over
did the seed buying again. Sweet peas in the planter and along the fence, a new rhubarb in the yard. I have-
n’t grown potatoes in 40 years, but here I go again. I think as I get older, I am channeling our farmer roots
more and more. William Towne wouldn’t have looked on my yard as being much but it is mine and an ex-
pression of the farming spirit of our ancestors. Virginia Towne
32
Labyrinth — Continued from cover
The Garden Labyrinth was Hill’s second gardening book, published posthumously
under the pseudonym Didymus Mountaine in 1577 when people in England were
discovering that, in addition to providing sustenance, gardens could provide a feast
for the senses. He deftly distilled scientific knowledge of plants into a style accessible
to the general public. Much of the information presented was culled from what he
described as “ancient” Greek and Roman times, but his own gardening knowledge
clearly came through. He wrapped it in the ideas about astrology and magic believed
at the time, referring frequently to phases of the moon and zodiac to guide every-
thing from planting to harvesting. For modern gardeners, who annually read The Old
Farmer’s Almanac, much of this is very familiar. Other suggestions, particularly those
for disease and pest control, while seeming far-fetched, do contain grains of what are now accepted practic-
es of inoculating against disease. Hill divided his presentation into three sections. The first described in mi-
nute detail every element of selecting plots appropriate for gardening and then the ways of laying them out
and preparing the soil. Next, he presented specific methods for planting, nurturing and harvesting individual
plants, along with suggestions for their use and storage. The final section detailed the medicinal uses to
which the plants described in the second section might be put. The book proved to be so popular that it was
reprinted four times over the next seventy-five years, influencing generations of English gardeners. Richard
Mabey based his edited version on the 1652 edition, omitting most of
the astrological and magical references for the medicinal use of plants.
Anyone who gardens today will immediately recognize that Hill’s book
has a solid foundation of horticultural knowledge which he exuberantly
shares with his readers. Proper location of the garden plot to avoid un-
healthy “night mists and fogs that might annoy both men and
plants.” (p.34) is supplemented by his concern for proper preparation
of the soil - by “judicial dunging” which “helpeth and amendeth the
evil and naughty earth” (p.40), described in several detailed chapters.
One can’t help but smile at his caring and thoughtful expressions. Un-
derlying everything is a desire for people to create oases of pleasure, with paths laid so that the gardener
would be able to “freelie walk hither and thither” among colorful, fragrant beds, while producing bountiful
harvests of food to last throughout the year. “The life of man in this world is but a thraldom, when the Senc-
es are not pleased; and what rarer object can there be on earth, (the motions of the Celestial bodies except-
ed) then a beautiful and Odiferous Garden plat Artificially composed, where he may read and contemplate
on the wonderfull works of the great Creator, in Plants and Flowers; for if he observeth with a judicial eye
and a serious judgement their variety of Colours, Sents, Beauty, Shapes, Interlacing, Enamiling, Mixture,
Turnings,Windings, Embosments, Operations and Vertues, it is most admirable to behold, and meditate upon
the same.” (p.90)
Did William Towne read this book? We have no way of knowing,
but the idea of reading today a book which an ancestor may have read
over four hundred years ago is a tantalizing one. It is easy to imagine
William using the tools pictured throughout the book to cultivate his
garden plot in Great Yarmouth and his farm in Topsfield. Regardless of
whether he read the book, it is highly likely that he Continued on page 37
Woodcut by Thomas Hill
33
The Danger of Outsiders By Virginia Towne
To understand history, you have to understand the “how and why” of people’s actions. I have heard much
condemnation of historical people in recent years, even though these men were products of their time and
place. Saying that someone should have known better when his neighbors were doing exactly the same
thing, or when the laws and customs were against him doing anything except what he did, is illogical.
We just can’t judge what happened in the past through our modern eyes. People living in another time and
place had different ideas and customs that were “normal” to them. We know how people thought by the
writings they left behind, but we also need to understand the why of their thoughts.
Even those who were “advanced thinkers” for their times had to deal with the customs and laws as they
knew them. To vary from the norm could get you imprisoned or killed. Look at Galileo, who, being in constant
trouble for his belief that the Earth moved around the sun, was forced to live out his life under house arrest.
A man could be ostracized for not acting or speaking as his neighbor did.
I recently saw Semele by George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) — a near contemporary of Rebecca and her
siblings — and the message was you should not try to advance out of the sphere into which you were born as
that is pride, a common argument until the mid-1900s. Few people advanced themselves, but many of those
who did, were later dragged back down and often faced imprisonment or death.
People are tribal and territorial. In the hunter/gatherer community, the people lived in small groupings, usu-
ally fifteen to twenty people. This band claimed a territory that was large enough to feed the people on it,
usually with some land to spare. This group would defend its territory, it had to or it could be driven away;
then it could be left without resources and at the mercy of other bands as they wandered through other
claimed territories. If a landless band couldn’t find an unclaimed area or a weaker group, death would follow.
This little band had a language and a belief system which they usually shared with the adjoining groups. Sev-
eral bands could join together as a tribe at a common meeting ground one or more times a year. This could
be for a celebration, to give the young a chance to meet a mate they were not closely related to, to trade or
to exploit a food source that needed more labor. These several bands could also form together to drive off
some external threat, engaging in what was, for the times, a large scale war.
To be tribal and territorial was a survival mechanism. These instincts have remained imprinted in our DNA to
the present day. Watch how children in school react to a new kid.
Our ancestors in the 1600s did not have a world view. They had a valley view or a village view. They knew
the people who lived around them, so they conformed to what was expected of them. They accepted the
views and outlook of the people they lived among. Thinking outside the box was not expected nor appreciat-
ed. Having an understanding of people who were not just like everyone they knew was not something they
did, and they had very little chance to even realize there were people with different ideas and practices. Fear
could easily be raised by something from outside their experience.
The Salem Witch Trials can help illustrate my point here. A disturbance was noticed. The pastor’s children
were having hysterics. It was determined that an outside force was at work. The people immediately picked
out as a agent for this disturbance those who were different, the “outsiders” in the community. Continued on page 37
34
DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM TOWNE . . .
BY LOIS PAYNE HOOVER
Lois Payne Hoover’s prize winning book, Towne Family, William Towne and Joanna Blessing, Salem, Massa- chusetts, 1635, Five Generations of Descendants, will be going to press for a third time, under the authority of the Towne Family Association. Breaking news! Since more than the minimum of 100 pre-paid orders has been received, the publisher has been authorized to print the books! The pre-printing orders will be mailed out to those who requested a mailed copy before June. The books not being mailed out will be ready for pick -up in September in Vancouver, Washington at the TFA reunion.
This book was copyrighted and printed in 2010 with a second printing in 2011. It is the best, most complete book on the early years of the Towne family descendants of William Towne and his wife, Joanna Blessing. The book contains 508+ pages of which 59 pages are an index of names. Addenda will be made available, separately, after the 3rd printing. The book will have a different color cover to differentiate the printing under the TFA authority instead of Ms. Hoover. It will be the same quality book as those Ms. Hoover had printed by the same publisher.
The cost for each book will be $60 ($45 plus $15 for shipping/handling) and each book will be mailed out in- dividually. If you will be attending the 35th Towne Family Reunion in Vancouver, Washington, in September 2015, and would prefer to pick up the book there, then the $15 shipping fee is waived. (NOTE: Postage outside the continental USA may be higher; please complete your order and any additional mailing cost will be billed at time of shipment.) Please fill out your order form and include your check made out to the Towne Family Association. Mail to: Virginia Towne, 3700 14th Ave SE - Unit 43, Olympia, WA 98501-2768.
NAME: ______________________________________________________
ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________
COUNTRY: ______________________________________________________
Telephone: ______________________________________________________
Email: ______________________________________________________
*Or the equivalent for your country, if outside the United States.
Total number of books ordered ____________
Enclosed is $45 x _____ = $ ____________
Shipping/Handling $15 x _____ = $ ____________ or
I will pick up the book (s) at the next reunion - Circle YES (no shipping/handling charge!)
Grand Total Enclosed $ ____________
Note 1: Additional questions may be directed to Virginia Towne at her email [email protected].
Note 2: The price of shipping was raised to $15 because the publisher will not be mailing out future orders,
so it will cost more for TFA to buy the boxes to ship them.
35
A LONG JOURNEY TO TOWNE: FINDING WILLIAM ESTEY By Kay Slattery Shapiro
This has been a long journey. When I was small, my mother
told me we had a witch in our family. No more information was
given, and I do not know if my mother knew any more about
our ancestor than that one passed-down imprecise fact. I do
not remember ever seeking any clarification. My life went on. I
grew up, went to college, got married, and started a career and
then a family.
Hunches and Leads
In 2003, as I approached my 48th birthday, I became curious
about my ancestors and began to research my lineage. My el-
derly great aunt, Goldie Finkenbine Mueller, had given me a
worn cardboard box containing wedding and birth announce-
ments, funeral programs, and articles about relatives, most of
whom I did not know. On a blustery winter day, when it’s best to
stay inside, I began to sort through the box. To my surprise, I came upon an article titled Ancestor Hanged in
Witchcraft Delusion: Keokuk County Families Trace Tragic Affair Near Salem, Mass., in 1692.1 I had never
heard of Keokuk County or George and Harry Dickson, the two men referred to in the article, but I discovered
a possible link to an ancestor, Mary Towne Estey.
Once I began to research Mary Towne Estey, I found much information available and have met people
through Ancestry.com, who helped supply other pieces. I traced the ancestors, made the connections, and
excitedly shared the information with my sister and first cousins. And that is where the trail ended, at least
for the time. Busy with our own lives, my family members and I let the information fall to the back of our
minds and our closets.
Then in spring 2012, my sister, two cousins, and I travelled to Salem to begin searching for our Massachusetts
roots. We trekked from Ohio, Georgia, and North Carolina. Our first stop was Salem but, after reading
Hunting for Witches (2002) by Frances Hill, I learned that we needed to explore Danvers and Topsfield too.
Also from this book, we learned about the stone marker that commemorates the women of Topsfield, adding
a key element to my family’s past. Finally, and quite fortunately, at the National Park Visitor Center in Salem,
we met an enthusiastic and knowledgeable park ranger, who told us about the Towne property. Finding this
land truly was a highlight of our trip. It also was on this property that we discovered a marker informing us
about the Towne Family Association.
Upon arriving home, I made application for membership in the Towne Family Association (TFA). Virginia
Towne, of TFA, wrote saying that TFA could account for my lineage to William Estey, but didn’t have his date
of death, names of his children, or much information about his spouse. After providing me with preliminary
information, Ms. Towne encouraged me to pursue further. So I began my search by looking for William Es-
tey’s gravesite online in the cemetery where I suspected he might be buried. To my surprise, I found William
and his wife, Nancy. “Nancy? Who was Nancy?” My great-great-great grandmother’s name was Elizabeth. It
was here that my REAL research began. Continued on next page
Pamela Black Phlipot, Kay Slattery Shapiro and
Kimberly Slattery Dougherty sitting on the
Treadwell bench in front of William Towne and
Joanna Blessing’s property in Topsfield, MA.
36
William Estey
William Estey was born April 6, 1828 in Miami County, Ohio. He was the son of David Estey (1792 - 1874) and
Anna Knoop (1792 - 1873.) William married Elizabeth Kerr on September 12, 1850. Elizabeth was born Feb-
ruary 13, 1829 in Miami County, Ohio to Jesse Kerr and Catherine Deweese. Shortly after marrying, William
and Elizabeth moved to Muscatine County, Iowa. During his time in Iowa, William began purchasing tracts of
land. On June 3, 1854, Elizabeth died, leaving William and their two chil-
dren Sarah Catherine2 and Simon. Elizabeth was buried in Greenwood
Cemetery in Muscatine, Iowa. Simon died July 19, 1855 and was buried in
Lost Creek Cemetery, Casstown, Miami County, Ohio along with his
grandparents, David and Anna Knoop Estey.
On May 6, 1855, in Miami County, Ohio, William married Catharine M.
Byers Robins and together they had one daughter, Florence3, born on
September 2, 1858. The marriage ended in divorce4 with Florence contin-
uing to live with her mother and half siblings in Ohio. William continued
to live in Iowa.
On July 1, 1863, William was registered in the Civil War Draft Registration
Records as single and living in Muscatine County, Iowa. William returned
to Ohio later that year and married Sarah Ann Dixon , on December 21, 1863 and they moved to Shelby
County, Ohio. Sarah Ann Dixon Estey and William had two sons, John T. (1865 - 1865, died at five months)
and Harry J. (1866 - 1870), both of whom died as children. Sarah Ann Dixon Estey (1826 - 1877) and their two
sons are buried in Mount Gilead Methodist Episcopal Cemetery near Anna, Shelby County, Ohio.
According to the book, History of Shelby County, Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of
Its Prominent Men and Pioneers (1883, Sutton & Co: Philadelphia, PA, p. 342), “…He (William) has been one
of the largest landholders in the county. He owned at one time 640
acres of improved land. He has made farming his avocation through life,
but has made the most of his money from buying and selling land. He
now owns 240 acres of land in Salem Township, 240 acres in Dinsmore
Township, and 40 in Franklin.”
On April 7, 1878, William married Nancy A. Baker, widow of Franklin Dill
and daughter of Moses E. Baker, Esq. of Van Buren Township, Shelby
County, Ohio. William and Nancy had one son, Clyde5, who was born
September 7, 1880. William retired from farm labor. According to
death records, William died of typhoid on July 10, 1893 at age 65 years
and was buried in Graceland Cemetery, Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio.
Reflection and Questions
Two things strike me and call for reflection about William and this time period—death and distance. How
differently death must have been anticipated and accepted than it is today. William experienced much loss
during his lifetime, yet he seemed to persevere. Also William traveled between Ohio and Iowa at least on
several occasions. The distance between the two is over 500 miles. How did he make the journey and what
challenges did he experience? Throughout, William seemed drawn to Ohio. Continued on page 44
Elizabeth, wife of William Estey, died
June 3, 1854, was buried in Green-
wood Cemetery in Muscatine, Iowa.
William Estey died July 10, 1893, and
was buried in Graceland Cemetery,
Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio.
37
Historian’s Corner — Continued from page 33
The one who didn’t attend services frequently enough, the slave, or the slovenly in a group who believed in
hard work and self-improvement.
Only when the pattern of denouncement and trial was developed and in place, did the accusers dare to turn
on Rebecca Towne Nurse. She was the test case. Could a good woman be called out? Once successful in
their accusations against Rebecca, they could then turn from the socially different to the politically different,
or the economically different and their supporters.
In the view of the people coming from England to New England, people like themselves were the usual.
People they met, from the French to the Native Americans, who were different and therefore suspect if not
felt outright dangerous. Because they believed they were from the highest stratum of civilization, others
could be called savages, or worse “Papist,” and therefore be dismissed as uncivilized. Remember, they prob-
ably had not met that many people who looked or dressed differently, or who held different ideas until they
moved to New England, and even then, contact was probably rare for the average person. ∞
************************************************************** Labryinth — Continued from page 32
employed techniques from it, learned through conversations with others. Gardeners today are always on the
lookout for new ways to coax healthy, productive plants from the soil and it is likely that gardeners in Wil-
liam’s day were the same. He surely brought these ideas with him when he came to America where he be-
came a farmer.
The garden at Rebecca Nurse’s homestead in Danvers, MA, which is being restored to represent authenti-
cally what she may have planted there, suggests that she may have been influenced by some of the ideas
espoused by Hill. In his introduction, Mabey describes how, as small home gardens became more popular
and time-consuming, it was the women who began to take responsibility for them. A kitchen garden, such as
Rebecca’s, located close to the house, with beds containing a fragrant, colorful mix of herbs, flowers and veg-
etables would have met with Hill’s
approval. Many of the plants
grown would have been the same
as those found in gardens in Eng-
land. The medicinal uses for which
Rebecca needed her herbs were
likely drawn from ideas from the
book implemented in England at
the time.
its colloquial vernacular and savor-
ing its wonderful illustrations car-
ries us back in time to our 16th
century roots and reinforces the
strong links we have to them to-
day. ∞ Hill prominently featured cabbages like these at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in
Danvers, Massachusetts.
38
PEA SALAD Connie Purvis
Cool and crisp for summer months. Garden tomatoes add a delicious garnish!
5 c. frozen peas*
1/2 c. red onion
1/4 c. sour cream
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Cook the bacon - crumble and set aside.
Toss together the peas, water chestnuts (drained), Chinese pea pods and red onion. Set aside. Combine
mayonnaise, sour cream, white pepper and salt. Gently combine with vegetables to coat evenly. Refrigerate.
Just before serving fold in bacon.
Garnish with a few pea pods and tomato wedges.
*Peas and pea pods may be used cooked or raw.
Go to the cookbook page of our website for additional recipes.
http://townefolk.com/testing/TFA_COOKBOOK.php
Please welcome our new recipe editor, Judi Ruch. In addition to reprinting
recipes from our 1992 cookbook, she would enjoy receiving new ones from
members. Send along your family favorites to her at
[email protected]
39
The Gould Family of Bovingdon and Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, and Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire
Part 5: Gould Wills Miscellany By Charles Farrow, Consulting Genealogist, Towne Family Association
In the last Article (“About Towne” Vol. XXXIV No. 3 pp. 63 – 68) the descent from Thomas Gould through his son Rich-
ard Gould to his grandson Zacheus Gould was proved from the entries in the Hemel Hempstead Manor Court books. Equally the descent of lands from Richard Gould died 1531 to his son Thomas Gould was established, and likewise the gift of lands by John Gould senior to his sons William and Henry. What was left unfilled was the gap in the Manor Court books between 1543 and 1569. We have already covered two Wills proved in this period: William Goolde in 1544/5 (see “About Towne” Vol. XXXIV No. 1 p. 16); and Thomas Gould the elder in 1546/7 (see “About Towne” Vol. XXXIV No. 2 pp. 39 – 41). Both of these deaths would have generated entries in the missing Manor Court book, unless they gave away their lands before their deaths. There are a number of other Wills proved in the period 1543 – 1569, and first we will look at these. Benjamin Apthorp Gould, in “Lineage of Zaccheus Gould of Topsfield” Lynn, Mass. 1895, has a simple descent of Zacheus from the first Thomas Golde, through his son Richard Gould and grandson Thomas Gould the elder, then through Thomas’s son Rich- ard, who went to Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire, whose son, also Richard, was the father of Zacheus. As I have demonstrated from the Hemel Hempstead Manor Court books, the father of Zacheus was indeed a Richard Gould, but Richard’s father was Thomas Gould (see “About Towne” Vol. XXXIV No. 3 pp. 63 – 68), and not Richard. As we will see, there is no mention of a son Thomas in the Will of Richard Gould of Stoke Mandeville, so Benjamin Gould has clearly got it wrong.
Thomas Gould the elder’s third son, Richard, at some unknown date left Bovingdon for Stoke Mandeville, in Bucking-
hamshire, just south of the town of Aylesbury, and some 12 miles from Bovingdon. What we do know is that he had at least 3 sons and two daughters from his first marriage. The fact that he directed to be buried at Bovingdon indicates that his first wife was buried there. The move to Stoke Mandeville is therefore likely to be when he married again. His second wife was Joane Browne, widow of John Browne, by whom she had at least 2 sons and 3 daughters. It will pay to examine Richard’s Will, which was proved in the Court of the Archdeacon of Buckingham. The Will has survived intact, but written in a very bad hand, which is extremely difficult to read, whilst only the second page of the registered copy Will has survived, and that is damaged at the edge. The handwriting of this copy is slightly better, but very faded. The two copies have been collated and the best transcription that can be made using both is here presented:- In the name of God and in the yere of our lord God 1558 the 12 day of Septembre [September] I Ric[hard] Gold of Stookes Manfild [Stoke Mandeville] in the co[unty] of Bokes [Bucks, a shortening of Buckinghamshire] Husbandman beinge sicke of body but hole & perfect [word “memory” has been omitted] thankes be to God of myht for ever do in this wise make my laste Will & testament as followethe First I beqeth [bequeath] my sole to allmighte God my maker & Redymer [Redeemer] & to our blessed ladye saint Mary & to all the companye of heaven & my body to be bured in the church yard of the parishe of saint lawrence of of [thus] Bovingdon It I gyve to the church of Bovingdon 3 bushels of wheate It I gyve to the mother churche of Lincoln 2d It to the hie alter [high altar] of Stocke [Stoke Mandeville] 2d It I gyve & beqeth to William Gold my sone 20 hundred felles [felloes – the outer part of a wheel] the one halfe ashe & the othere beache It I gyve to Henry Gold my sone one thousand fellers halfe Ashe & halfe beache It I gyve to Alis Neles? my doughter one 100 beche felles It to Jone Wedon? my doughter one 100 bechen fellers It to Edmund Browne my wiffes sone 4 horsse or mares & one yocke [yoke] of oxen to be delyved when the yeres be expired which I have by leace in my howsse the which leasse of yeres I will that Ric[hard] my sone shall have & enjoie [It I gyve to the sayd Edmund the best cobord It a carte & the old wheels & a dung carte with wheles that was his fa- thers It I gyve to William Browne £3 6s 8d to be de[livere]d when he shalbe 21 yeres of age Continued on next page
40
It I gyve to Alis Browne £3 6s 8d
It to Joane Browne £3 6s 8d
It I gyve to Lettes Browne £3 6s 8d to be de[livere]d at 18 yeres of there age or before yf they mary so that my exec [utor] may have for his discharge the obligacon delyvered hym that I stand bounde in for the payment of the sayd money
It I gyve to Edmund [letters deleted] Gold my sone a cowe one quarter wheate a quarter beanes & one quarter barly
It I gyve to Joane my wiffe 2 bushel 2 quarter wheate a quarter beanes a quarter barly & all of the stuffe & imple- mentes of household? in the chambre that I do laye in
It I gyve to her the best brasse potte & the worsse pane
It I gyve to William Gold my sone a coberd
It to Henry Gold my sone a knyffe
It to evry one of my god children & the childers children 4d a pece
It I gyve to Ellexandre Samon my servante 12d
It I gyve to John Holte Tho[mas] Kerbey William Clerke William Hunte eche of them halfe a bushel of wheat
also I will that the shelves & troughes & the har.... be lefte at the howsse as stocke & not caryed awaye
the Resydu of all my goodes moveable & unmoveable not bequeth my dettes payed & also legaces & funeralles expen- sis deducted & my body honestly brought to earthe I gyve & bequeth them to Ric[hard] Gold my sone whoe I make & ordeyne of this my last will & testament my sole executor to disposse It as he shall thinke expedient after godly dis- crecon & for the surer performance of the sayd legacies & bequests I desire & also assigne my brother Tho[ma]s Gold of Bovyngton W[illiam] Willat [and] James Byrche of the same & Tho[ma]s Davis of Stoke overseers of this my will & testament & they to have 5s a pece for there labores & paynes
Written the day & yere above sayd in presens of Sir Will[iam] Greit curat of Bovyngton Th[om]as Gold Ric[hard] Hunte Tho[ma]s Davis Edmund Blacke with many others mor
Approved 10th October 1558
[Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies (hereafter CBS): D/A/We/12/393; D/A/We/154/213; D/A/Wf/4/137]
John Browne, Joane’s first husband, who was a Yeoman, made his Will on 20th December 1552, but it was not proved until 15th October 1558, which was after the death of Richard Gold. John Browne must have died soon after making his Will, but his widow Joane and son Edmund, who were appointed executors, did nothing about it. John Browne had appointed Mr John Bosse as Overseer to see that his Will was carried out. It was probably with him that Richard Gold had entered into an obligation to pay the legacies which he gives in his Will above. John Browne had given his three daughters a bullock and a quarter of barley each, so Richard was converting them to money.
[CBS: D/A/Wf/4/40]
Joane Gold did not long survive Richard, making her Will just over a year later:-
In the name of God Amen the yere of our Lord God 1559 I Joan Gold of Stooke wedowe the 25th daye of November beinge sicke in boddie & of perfecte mynd & memorie thankes be to God make this my last will & testament in manner & forme followinge
Firste I bequeth my soule to allmighte God & my boddie to be buried in the churcheyerd of Stoke Manfeild in the dio- ces of Lincoln
In primis I bequeth to my 3 doughters & to William my sone all my rayment
In witenes whereof to this my laste will John Peruanne Edmund Blacke & other
Approved at Alisburie [Aylesbury] 29th March 1560 and administration granted
[CBS: D/A/We/13/9]
It seems most likely that all Richard’s children by his first wife remained in Bovingdon, and they may be some of the
testators of the Wills given hereafter. Because the same names were used by the various families, it is very difficult to disentangle them. There are a bewildering number of Johns in the 1580s, with John Gold of the Lane, John Golde of Fewmnoux, John Golde of the Green, John Golde of Mapeplettes, and John Golde of the Hill. All the Wills which follow are preserved in the Huntingdon branch of Cambridgeshire Archives, and now known as Huntingdonshire Archives [HA]. The first Will of William Gold, may be brother of Richard above, but this is far from certain. Continued on next page
41
The Gould Family — continued from previous page
In the name off God Amen I William Gold Husbondman of the parishe of Bovington in the countie of Hirford being sicke in body but thankes be to God of perfete memory make my last will and testament in forme folowinge First I bequeithe my soull to allmyghtie God and my body to be buryed within the churche yarde of Bovington. Item I bequeith to Thomas my sonne 40s to be paid to hym with[in] 12 yeres after my decesse. Item one busshell of weate to be deliveryd to hym at the nexte harvest ensuynge my departinge out of this present liffe. Item I beqeithe to my sonne Richarde 20s to be paid to hym within ten yeres after my decesse. Item I bequeith to the seid Richarde 2 sheepe to be deliverid to hym within 4 yeres after my decesse. Item I bequeith to my doughter [daughter] Joone 20s and with one bede [bed] with all thinges therto belonging to be deliverid to hir within 2 yeres after my decesse. Item I bequeith to my doughter Alice 20s one peyre of sheates and 2 sheipe to be deliverid to her within 8 yeres after my decesse. Item I bequeith to my doughter Mary 20s one peyre of sheates and 2 sheipe to be deliverid to hir within 10 yeres after my decesse. Item I bequeith to Isbell my doughtere 20s one peyre of sheates and 2 sheipe to be deliverid to hir within 6 yeres after my decesse. Item I bequeith to my doughter Jane 20s one bede with all that belongithe therto and 2 shepe to be deliverid to hir within 13 yeres after my decesse. And yf it fortune enye of my afore namyde children to departe from this present liffe befor theis my forseide legacies be to them deliverid and paid then my Will is that the porcions of theis so decessit and departide shall be bye equall porcons divydid amonges the longare liveres. The residue of all my goodes my dettes paid and my legacies performyde I bequeith and geve to Margarite my Wiff whom I ordeyn and make my hole and sole executrix by this my last Will and testament and that it may be trulie acted accordinge to the contentes therof performyde I ordeyn Richarde Shakmapill my overseire of the same And for his payns I bequeith hym 20d. Writen in the yere of our lord 1559 and of January the fourte. Witnesse William Axtell Thomas Golde Junior William Golde Junor Henrie Mayne Approved at Wheathampstead 8th May 1559 and administration granted to the Executors. Sum of the Inventory £10 4s 8d [HA: AH 15/12a/34] In the name of God Amen The 19 day of July in the yere of oure lord God 1559 I John Golde of the parishe of Bovington in the coun[ty] of Hertford and within the Diocese of Lincoln beinge sicke of body but hole and perfight in mynde and memory do ordeyn and make this my last Will and testament in manere and forme here aftere folowinge First I bequeith my soull unto the handes of allmyghtie my [sic] maker and redeemer and my body to be buryed in the church yarde of Bovington aforseide I do also geve and bequeth unto the poure people dwelling within the parishe of Bovington the Sume of 40s of laufull money of englande to be paid unto them within one hole yere next after the day of my decesse by the handes of my executores in the presence of the Churche Wardens. Item I geve and bequeithe unto the poure [poor] people of Hemylhemstede 20s. Item I geve and bequeith to the poure people of Kinges Langley 20s. Item I geve and bequeithe unto the poore people of Saret [Sarratt] Cheneys [Chenies] Flaunden Latemores [Latimer] 20s.
Item I geve and bequeith unto the poure people of Barkhamstede [Berkhamsted] 20s. Item I geve and bequeith to the poure people of Northchurch Litle Gaddisden and Greate Gaddisden 20s. Item I geve and bequeithe unto the poure people of Abbotes Langleye 10s. Item I geve and bequeith unto the poure people of seynt Albons 20s. Item I geve and bequeith unto the poure people of Watford 20s. Item I geve and bequeithe to the poure people of Richemansworthe [Rickmansworth] 20s. Item I geve and bequeith unto the poure people of Chessham 20s. Item I geve and bequeith unto the poure people of Markeate [Markyate] 10s. Item I will that all the Summys above writen shalbe paid within one hole yere nexte after my decesse by the handes of my executores or ther deputes [deputies] in the presence of the churchward[ens] of the seid parishe. Continued on next page
42
Item I geve and bequeithe unto Katheryne Hunte being an Impotente and lame persone the Summe of 13s 4d of good and laufull money of england. Item I geve and bequeithe unto Alice my wyff the Summe of £10 of good and laufull money of englande and the beste cowe that she can choice of myn and all the moveable goodes and stuffe that is in my chambere excepte onlie myn own weryng aparell and also all such goodes as she brought with her unto me at oure maryage the one halff of the seid £10 to be paid at the ende of one quartere of one hole yere nexte after my decesse and the other halff at the ende of one halff yere nexte after my decesse. Item I geve and bequeith unto John Knyghte all my freholde lande lyinge within the ferme of Cotyngham conteynyng by estymacon 4 acres of errable [arable] lande abuttinge upon Mr Harvie lande on the South est parte and the north west parte buttynge upon enymett lande and the South west parte doith abutte upon a close callide longe crofte and beinge on the North est parte of a comyn callide Hartes Hill with the pertenance to have and to holde unto hym and his heires and assignys for evere. Item I geve and bequeith unto John Golde theldere [the elder] sonne unto Thomas Golde late of Bovington all that my messuage and frehold lande medowe and pasture with all and singler the appertenances sett lying and beinge in Bo- vington aforeseid which sume tyme was Richarde Gaites to have and to holde unto hym and unto his heires and assignys for evere and also I will that the seid John Golde shall quyetlie permytte and suffre Alice my Wiff to have occupye and Injoye the bay of houssyng that is a bove the highe dice [dias] and to have sufficiente fyre woode redy caryede and a rume to cum to the fyre at all tymes and the kepenge of a cowe and 6 sheepe both wynter and somer so longe as she keape hirselffe sole and unmaryde And further the seid John Golde shall paye or cause to be paide to the poure people of Bovington in the presence of the churchewardens for the tyme beinge every yere 20s of laufull money of englande for the space of 20 yeres next after my decesse.The residue of all my goodes not bequethide my dettes paid and this my will performyde and discharged I will that they shalbe destrybuted by the handes of Richarde Knyghte and William Shakemakere whom I constitute and make my true and feithfull executorys of this my last Will and testamente as they thinke beste for the helthe of my soull And they shall have for ther payns 13s 4d a peace.And I do also make Rogere Smyth and John Golde supervisores of this my seid testament And they shall have for ther payns 6s 8d a peace. Theis beryng Witnesse William Golde of the halffe acre William Cartere John Wight William Smythe clerke vicare of Kinges Langleye. Approved 3rd September 1560 at Hitchin and administration granted to the Executors. Sum of the Inventory £48 4s [HA: AH 15/12a/55] The beneficiary John Golde the elder above is the elder son John of Thomas Golde the elder, whose Will is printed in “About Towne” Vol. XXXIV No 2 pp. 39 – 41. It will be seen from that Will that Thomas had two sons named John, and here it is the older one who is benefiting. In the name of God Amen The 3th day of February in the yere of oure lord God 1560 I Thomas Golde of Bovington within the parishe of Hemylhemstede and in the coun[tie] of Herford Wheler sicke in body but hole in mynde and of good and perfight memory thankes be to God make and ordeyn this my testament conteyning my last Will in manner and forme following First I bequeith my soull to allmyghtie God my maker to the sonne my redemare and to the holie Ghost my comfortere my body to be buryed at the discression of my executores. Item I geve to the channcell of Bovyngton for tithis and oblacons necligentlie forgotten 4d. Item I geve to the Cathedrall churche of Lincolne 4d. Item I geve to the poure people of Bovington 20s. Item to the settyng up of the churche housse 10s. Item I geve to Joone and Anne my doughters to ech of them £13 6s 8d and 10 sheip a peace. Item I geve to Elizabeth Partrich my doughter and to Richard Partrich her sonne eich of them 40s in money and 6 sheipe a peace. Item I geve to William Golde my servant 2 sheipe and at the age of 21 yeres 53s 4d. Item I geve to Elizabeth Partriche my doughter one bullocke and 5 yardes of cloth for a gown. Item I geve to every one of my childrens childern a sheipe a peace and 12d in money. Item I geve to every godchilde 4d. Item I geve to xpofere [Christopher] Austen my servant 6s 8d and tymber for 2 cartes and 4 plowis. Item I geve to Nicholas Austen 6s 8d and a bushell of weate. Continued on next page
43
Item I geve to Nicholas Golde and Agnes his sister eche of them 6s 8d and to Mother Clerke a busshell of weate. Item to John Sowper a busshell of weate. Item I will that Alice my Wiff shall occupye halff with John my sonne so long as she kepith hir selff sole and unmaryede. The rest of all my goodys moveable and unmoveable my dettes and this my will fulfillide I give and bequeith to Alice my Wiff and John my sonne to be equally devydide whom I also ordeyn and make my executores of this my last Will and testament and John Gaiter supervisor of the same and he to have for his payns a peyre of wheales. Witnesses John Maddocke curate William Golde of Halfacre. 16th April 1561 at Wheathamstead approved and administration granted to the Executors. Sum of the Inventory £82 10s [HA: AH 15/12a/100] In the name off God Amen The 25 day of January in the yere of oure lord God a 1562 I Henrye Golde de [of] Bovington within the parishes of Hemylhemstede in the countie of Herford Husbondman sicke in body but hole in mynde and of perfite memory thankes be to God do make and ordeyne this my testament conteynynge my last will in manere and forme folowyng. First I bequeith my soull to allmyghtie God my maker to the sonne my redemare and to the holye Ghost my comfortere my body to be buryed at the discression of my executores. Item I bequeith to the poure people of Bovyngton 12d. Item I bequeith to Agnes Golde my doughtere £3 6s 8d and a brasse panne that was hir motheres to be paid and deliveryde at the day of hir maryage or at the ende of 4 yeres after my decesse yf she marye not. Item I geve to the seid Agnes one cowe price 26s 8d and 10 sheipe of the myddle sorte to be deliveryde as is afore- seide. Item I bequeith to Anne my doughter £3 6s 8d one cowe price 26s 8d 10 sheipe of the myddle sorte to be paid and deliveryde at the ende of 6 yeres after my dethe or elles to be paid at the day of hir maryage. Item I geve and bequeith to Hughe my sonne 15 of the beste ookys [oaks] that he may choice upon my grounde excepte 4 of the beste for John my sonne. Item I geve to the seid Hughe 10 of the beste bechys [beeches] that he can choice of all my ground to fell cutt down at his pleasur within the space of 7 yeres after my decesse. Item I geve to the seid Hughe 10 sheipe to be delyveride at the ende of 7 yeres after my dethe. The reste of all my goodes not bequethid my dettes paid and this my last Will performyd I bequeith to John my sonne whom I make and ordeyn my hole executor of this my last will and testament and John Prynce supervisore of the same. Witnesse Roger Smyth John Prynce and John Golde the elder. 19th April 1563 at Hemylhemstede approved and administration granted to the Executor. Sum of the Inventory £34 10s [HA: AH 15/12a/254] In the name of God Amen The 26 daye of June in the yere of our lord God 1568 I William Golde of Bovington in the cowntye of Harteforde being sicke in bodye but thankes be to God holl of witte & memorye do ordeyne & make my last will and testament in manner and forme folowinge. First I bequith my soull to allmightie God my make and to Jhesus Christe my redemer and to the hollye ghost my com- forter. Item I geve and bequethe to John my sonne 40s and 20s of yt to be payed to him at michelmas nexte after my departinge and the other 20s of yt to be payed to him at that tyme twelmonth. Item I geve and bequeth to John my sonne 2 ewe shepe and one platter and one sheate. Item I geve and bequethe to John my sonne 20s to be payed at the age of 27 yeres by William Gold my sonne. Item I geve and bequeth to Joseph my sone 20s and one lame [lamb] and one platter and one sheate. Item I geve and bequeth to Joseph my sonne 20s to be payed at the age of 21 yeres by William Gold my sonne. Item I geve and bequethe to Thomas my sone 20s and one lame and one platter and one sheate. Item I geve and bequethe to Thomas my sonne 20s to be payed at the age of 21 yeres by William Gold my sonne. Item I geve and bequeth to Elnere my daughter 20s and one lame and one platter and one sheate. Item I geve and bequeth to Elsabeth my daughter 20s and one lame one platter and one sheate. Item I geve and bequeth to Jane my daughter 20s and one lambe and one platter and one sheate. Item I geve and bequeth to Jone my daughter 20s one lame one platter and one sheate. Item I geve and bequeth to Alice Golde my cosen one sheate with a black seame and one platter. Continued on next page
44
Item I geve to Roberte Golde one platter. Item I geve to the pore mens boxe 6d. Item I will that Alice my wyfe shall dwell and occupye the one halfe of my house and lande for the terme of 10 yeres and the seyd yeres to begine at michelmas next after my departinge yf she kepe hir selfe sole and unmaryed. Yf Alice my wyfe do marye I will that William my sonne shall paye all that ys due to be payed of this will after the tyme of hir mariage And I will Alice my wife shall take halfe the children with hir. The Residue of all my goodes unbequethed my dettes payed and this my will fulfilled and my bodye honestlye brought to the [word missing – should be “grave”] I geve and bequeth to Alice my wyfe and William my sonne whom I make my full executores of this my last will and testament And I desyre William Shakemaple to be overseer of this my will and he to have for his payns 8d. Thes beinge witnessis T Gold Robert Puddyfat John Gold Edmund Grove with otheres. 9th December 1568 at Baldock approved and administration granted to the Executors. Sum of the Inventory £23 19s [HA: AH 15/2/1]
Although it is possible that Thomas Gould, grandfather of Zacheus, is one of those named in the above wills, there is
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A Long Journey - Continued from page 36
Finally, where was William’s eldest daughter, Sarah Catherine (my great-great-
grandmother), during William’s years in Iowa? According to the Iowa, State Cen-
sus Collection, 1836-1925, William was living with his first wife (Elizabeth) and
two children (Sarah Catherine and Simon) in 1854. Yet his son Simon was buried
in Ohio in 1855 near William’s parents/ Simon’s grandparents. Were the grand-
parents raising the children after Elizabeth’s death? Sarah never appeared again
in an Iowa or Ohio census until 1870, when she was living with William and his
third wife, Sarah Ann Dixon Estey, in Ohio.
Sarah Catherine Estey is not listed as living with
her stepmother Catharine Byers Robbins Estey or
her grandparents in the 1860 census. So where
was Sarah Catherine Estey? This is a mystery I am
yet to solve. Aren’t such mysteries and such searches why most of us are
drawn to genealogy? I know I will learn and share more of my family’s history
soon, perhaps after another blustery winter day.
_________________________ 1 Likely from Sigourney News Review (Iowa), but I have been unable to locate a copy of the article with a date. 2 Sarah Catherine Estey Wells French (1852-1928). Husbands: Sylvester Scovelle Wells and Teter Myers French. Children: Lillie Alice Wells, Dacie Jane Wells, William Allen Wells, Charles Arthur Wells, and Della Marie Wells. 3 Florence Estey Lee (1858-1931). Husband: Frank David Lee. No known children. 4 No divorce record can be found in either the Ohio or Iowa historical archives. However, 1) 1860 and 1870 Census data show Catharine and Florence living in the same household but William is not listed; 2) Land transfers in Iowa have signatures for both William and Catharine; William’s are notarized in Iowa and Catharine’s in Ohio; 3) William remarries in 1863 prior to Catharine’s death in 1890; 4) 1880 Census lists Catharine as divorced and living alone. 5 Clyde Estey (1880-1927). Wife: Helen Weed. Daughter, Ruth Estey (1903-1910). ∞
Christine Black Werst, pho-
and Pamela Black Phlipot
Dougherty
45
Moving on . . .
Frank and Jean Cole’s "Adventures in Real Estate" By Phyllis Cole Braunlich
That's what my mother called it when she wrote up a bit
of their history for me after my Dad’s death in 1980. Actual- ly, I remember those "adventures" as a lot of work when I was a kid. I remember them cleaning, varnishing, repairing and painting, especially in the garage apartment behind our house at 623 Mulberry Street, across the street from Edison Elementary School. In those days, Hammond, Indiana was in a coal-burning region, and we annually "erased" the gray dust off the wallpaper with a spongy clay called "wallpaper cleaner." My parents worked very hard, especially during the Depression years, but after World War II ended in 1945, the inflating real estate values helped them achieve their dreams.
In addition to investing in rental properties such as small apartment buildings, when they bought a different house they usually rented out the one left behind. Then they began to make "deals," taking one property in exchange for another, which led to some interesting "adventures" such as operating motels, a restaurant, a grocery store, a baby shop, a ranch . . . When Mother wrote it all down on a chart, she noted, "I don't know how we ever had the nerve to do all this!"
Ever since visiting Colorado Springs for some International Typographical Union meetings and seeing
the Union Printers Home there, my Dad loved this place. Like most of his brothers, he worked as a printer from the age of 15 at W. B. Conkey Printing Company in Hammond, Indiana. In July, 1945, he and Mother decided to move to Colorado from Hammond (Munster), so they sold a Calumet City 16 - apartment building and their Spanish-style Munster house at 11 Beverly Place. They sold all their furniture, bought a large trailer, and headed out. At age 45, my father was too young to retire, but said he was going to do some trout fishing in the mountain streams, and Mother (age 41) was going to read the articles she hadn't yet read in a very high stack of magazines. I went along for the summer — having just completed a year at Indiana U, BUT, after two weeks of living in a 'trailer park and looking at business properties . . . Well, here's how Mother told the story:
"We went to realtors to look around and all they had to show us was business places, as Colorado Springs was strictly a tourist town. We ended up buying a motel at the foot of Garden of the Gods, on the way to Manitou Springs. It had eleven small cottages, a filling station (that hadn't been used since the Second World War started in 1941), a separate drive -up hamburger place (closed) and a large restaurant with five waitresses, a cook and the owner working as bartender, serving only before dinner drinks, with every kind of cocktail on the menu, plus a big menu of meals including steaks and Rocky Mountain trout, so we jumped into this, having had no previous experience, whatsoever.”
"The owner stayed with us for 30 days to "break us in." (He and his wife had built the business 21 years earlier.) It took us that long to get the restaurant and liquor licenses for the county and state too. I bought large cans of fresh frozen cherries and made pies every day, and gradually had people from all over coming to sample these. We didn't serve breakfast or lunch but opened late afternoons for cock- tails and dinners — we cleaned cabins during the day and rented them out.”
"Most cooks liked to drink, and I discovered that the men cooks carried a pint bottle under their white coats. One day the cook said he must go to town around noon to take care of some business. He had already prepared everything for the steam table and the rest was always cooked and served as ordered. He didn't show up the rest of the day, and when customers started pouring in, I realized I had to take his place in the kitchen or else lock the doors. I was very nervous, but had watched him enough to know how to serve the plates, always with a nice sprig of parsley for garnish.” Continued on next page
46
Moving On . . . Continued from previous page
"The waitresses were a big help, so I got through this ordeal without receiving any complaints, and we had a nice clientele of customers. Frank had had plenty of experience with alcohol, but not with fancy mixed drinks, but with a good bartenders guide book, he handled the bar in the dining room. It was hard to get help during the war, especially since this was a seasonal business and we closed up before winter set in and the tourists left.”
"I had thought all I had to do was run the cash register and keep the books, but ended up doing lots of other things and it proved to be too much for me, so we decided to sell after two seasons. An Irish- man from Chicago, a retired policeman with a bullet hole in his head, bought it but had a hard time getting a liquor license, as they are very strict in Colorado and looked up your reputation from "A to Z," so he never did get it. He had paid $20,000 down and could not meet the first payment the next year which we were signed up to get, plus the interest. We were about to foreclose, when he finally found another buyer. He was long overdue, and we didn't have to accept it, but decided we didn't want "blood money" and the hassle of a court case. Anyway, we made $20,000 profit on the deal!”
They then bought a new bungalow on Cache la Poudre Street. Like every Colorado house they bought,
it had a picture window view of the mountains. In 1948, they rented and ran a “kiddie shop” in the historic Alamo Hotel downtown. They also carried gifts and Indian jewelry in the shop. When Aunt Mary Winters died that year, they put a sign on the shop door that said “Closed because of death in the family” and drove back for the funeral – the customers thought that one of them had died!
In 1949, they sold that house and bought the ranch in the mountains near Palmer Lake, a few miles from where the Air Force Academy was later built. It took a long time to sell the gift shop, so Mother commut- ed so she could continue to run it, sometimes driving through blinding snowstorms. She wrote:
"There are thousands of men in the world who have had a secret yearning to own a ranch or a farm at some time during their lives. Frank was one of them and kept after me until he found one near Palmer Lake, CO, which is about half way between Colorado Springs and Denver. It was a large, 3 -story house made out of heavy logs, but was all modern with three bathrooms, rural electricity and a good heating system, with lots of bedrooms — some of which were very large. It was on a hillside near Bear Mountain, with about 40 acres of grounds. Frank bought wall board and divided some rooms in half, making nine bedrooms. The house had been built by the Abby Family. Mr. Abby was a traveling journalist and his wife, Polly, had been an actress and knew Gilda Grey [an early screen star] and lots of other Holly- wood people. Their children had written a children's book called "Eleven Years around the World," since they had traveled all over. It was published in seven languages and they received royalties on it.”
"We decided to make it into a Dude Ranch, although we had never even visited one of those! There was a large garage on the ground floor with an entrance to the large dining room with a long table and benches to match and a fireplace took up one corner. A large kitchen was located off this, and we purchased a new large stove with a big grill. Off the kitchen was a half -bath and a room with storage space, so we bought a large deep freeze.”
"The stairs in the dining room led up to a huge living room furnished with lots of antique furniture — some over 100 years old — lots more antique furniture were in the bedrooms also, including commodes with marble tops. Also, there was a very large stone fireplace in the living room. Windows that spanned all across the front looked out at the mountains. We moved some of our own furniture in, which included a baby grand piano. The living room floor was beautiful, not covered with carpeting, but large fancy throw rugs. I made a pretty slip-cover for the curved davenport, also extra spreads for some of the bedrooms, four of which were on the second floor, plus a large bathroom. Stairs led to the third floor, where the divided bedrooms were, and another large bath with colored plumbing.”
"These people didn't have any chickens, horses, cows, or even a cat or dog and were very eccen- tric. We looked at it on a Sunday and told them we’d be back the following Sunday, as I had a baby shop in Colorado Springs and couldn't come during the week, so Polly said, "Come for dinner." I said no, so we went on Sunday p.m. and she said "Why didn't you come for dinner?" I said we didn't want her to go to all that bother, and she said, "Oh, I was just going to scramble some eggs."
"We did get a good deal, but it needed lots of work. Frank built a chicken house and we bought an incubator and soon we had lots of baby chicks, which we had never attempted before. Then he built a corral Continued on next page
47
Moving On . . . Continued from previous page
and we bought our first two horses — older and gentle Pintos which were brown and white, and we got a strong young man named Dwayne, raised on a ranch near there, to help. He was only 18, but I learned to ride horses and we had cowboy outfits with hats. We gradually bought more horses, all kinds — one a Palomino — very fast! — and one young horse that could count. We would ask him to count to ten and he'd stamp his foot exactly ten times! We also got eight- een saddles, bridles and saddle blankets.”
"We sold our car and bought a used Jeep and a station wagon. While Frank was building the corral and chicken coop, I went to a sale and bought a Jersey cow and we had lots of cream and milk, so I made butter a little at a time in my Mixmaster and froze some of it. We also had lots of whipping cream, but I didn't gain weight as I rode the horses and kept busy.”
"We also got a big police dog named Tony and a couple of cats. The female cat had five little kittens — all different — one grey, one tiger, one black, etc., and my favorite was a real cute white angora which I named "Snowball." We’d give Tony a big bowl of milk every day since we had so much, and one day one of the little kittens drank some out of his bowl and he grabbed it by the neck and killed it! From that day on, I hated that dog. I put out a big washing on the line one day, then went into Colorado Springs, and when I came home he had torn all the sheets, towels, etc. to shreds, and we had to get rid of him.”
"This Jersey cow had a calf, but had trouble when the after-birth didn't come out. By the time the vet. got there , it was too late and the cow died and left the little calf, so we boarded it out with a neighbor so it could nurse from one of their' cows, and I went by myself to a sale to buy another Jersey cow, due to have a calf in two weeks. This one turned out fine but one of the ranchers kept bidding me up on this cow. The auction started at $200 for it and I was very upset, but met this cowboy later and asked why he did this. He said it was a very good cow and he'd pay me just what I paid for it, but we didn't sell.”
"One day, we both went to another ranch sale where they were selling six heifers in a bunch. All these cow- boys in blue jeans looked as though they didn't have a dime, but bought thousands of dollars-worth of livestock. We put in one bid and they all shut up and quit, they knew we were new at this game. So we got the heifers.”
"Our neighbors were very nice and offered to vaccinate and de -horn the six of them. When Frank drove them back to our ranch they were covered with blood on their faces, which frightened me.”
"Gilda Grey was broke and lived at the next ranch and worked for her room and board, and they invited us to have lunch with her and the rest. We borrowed the neighbor's bull to have the six heifers bred, and soon they were all ready to have calves. Frank was afraid of the bull and only petted it through the fence. When they were due to have the calves it was January, February and March and got very cold -- about 13 or 14 degrees below zero. We lost a couple calves from this and the neighbors said you must bring the calf into the kitchen when it is so cold. I said "Not in my kitchen!" but finally did and fed it with a warm bottle of milk with a nipple on it. If the heifers would have nursed them right away, this wouldn't ordinarily happen, but when they have their first calf, they aren't very smart. This calf, born on St. Pat- rick's Day, we named Murphy and he was so spoiled. One day I turned him over to his mother to nurse, but the calf chased me and butted me down, playing, on the icy ground.”
"This was in 1949, 1950 and part of '51. We never locked the doors and had lots of company from Palmer Lake and other places. A doctor from Colorado Springs loved to come out and would bring a bottle to drink there so his patients wouldn't catch him. We had lots of parties and one young fellow had left a big ham in our deep freeze, as he was grateful for a good time. We even bought a used Juke Box from the Air Force in Colorado Springs. Frank had a good time unlocking the back of it to get the money out.”
"When our little grandson Gary came out with his mother Shirley, he was three years old. His Dad was in the service in Japan and so he could not come. Gary was crazy about animals and gave me heart failure when he walked right under the Pinto horses. The horses knew to stand "stock -still" and they would peek at him by turning their heads, which proves horses are smarter than lots of people! Gary always talked of being a veterinarian, but this did not happen”.
"Our daughter Phyllis and husband Frank and two girls, Juli and Beverly, from Tulsa came for a va- cation. The two girls rode the horses, each with a parent in back of them. We could go out in the front yard and shoot a deer almost any time and I learned to barbecue and fix it so people didn't know it from beef. We had lots of fun and never would have starved there, but after spending lots of money on adver- tising and starting to get a few ranch customers, we decided to sell it so it never really developed into a
Continued on page 50
48
Lawrence Brewster Towne passed away Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2014, at
Hillcrest Nursing Home McCook, Nebraska at the wonderful age of 99.
Lawrence was born August 28, 1915 to William E. and Jessie J. (Barry) Towne in
Lincoln County at the Barry Ranch in Nebraska. He was the 5th child of 12 chil-
dren.
He was able to help his parents on the farm for a few years while his brothers
were serving in the military, since he was unable to join the armed forces due
to a childhood eye injury.
Lawrence and his brother Virgil bought the farmstead north of Curtis where he
continued to farm with Virgil and later Leland.
He married Jean Skiles of North Platte on August 5, 1959. Jean’s nickname for him was "Dolly". He and his
brothers built his home north of Curtis in 1961. He lived there for many years. His motto was, "I don't want
to be rich, I just want to make a good living." Many times you would see him driving down the middle of the
road with his Poodle "Baby" with him. Everybody loved his loving and caring attitude. He was a very jolly man
and quite the comedian at times. When asked what his nickname was growing up, he said he didn't have one,
while all of his brothers and sisters did. Can you guess why he didn't have one? Yep, that's right, because he is
the one that thought all of them up, but he wasn't going to give himself one. He could crack a bullwhip like
nobody's business. He said it was all in the wrist! He was also a sure shot with a rifle too!
Later in life, he moved into Senior Living Choices in Curtis before moving on to Hillcrest Nursing Home when
his health became worse, and that is where he spent his last few years. He was preceded in death by his wife
Jean, his parents, brothers — Floyd, Melvin, Baby Leonard, William and his sisters — Rowena and Verle.
Survivors include: Leland Towne of Wood River, NE, Virgil Towne of Curtis, NE, Harold Towne of Louisiana,
MO, Max Towne of Elkhorn, IA and Georgianna Ervin of Golden , CO.
Visitation was held at Blase-Wetzel-Strauser Memorial Chapel, Curtis, Nebraska, Wednesday, December 31,
2014.
Graveside Services were held at Maywood Cemetery, Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at 3:30 pm with Pastor
Dale Heimer officiating.
Burial was in the Maywood Cemetery, Maywood, Nebraska. Descent from William: Jacob, John, Israel, Israel, Joseph, Rial, Dennison Rial and Dr. Edmond (brothers), Dennison Orin and Lula
Josephine Towne (first cousins), William, Lawrence Brewster Towne. ∞
Rebecca Nurse Homestead I visited the Rebecca Towne Nurse homestead in Danvers, MA on Wed this week (April 15th). The homestead property, due to the rough weather in the Boston area all winter, is in need of repairs and clearing of debris. The worst is a 200 yr. old 50ft pine tree at the grave site broke in half and fell right in the middle of the grave site...thank goodness the tree literally fell between the headstones and missed them by inches...but it still has to be cleared out. Thank You for listening and considering.
Sincerely,
[email protected]
Editor’s Note: Paula states that this is an unofficial appeal for help. If you are willing, and able, please email her for details of how you may help.
49
By Mary Lee McNames Allen
I began to do serious genealogy in 1985, and — thanks to the convenient LDS Family History Libraries
— I soon established the English part of my ancestry back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony and across
the ocean. In the Rutland, MA Vital Records, I found the marriage record of my 3x great -grandfather,
Solomon Brown, to a Mary Davis. However, I soon realized there had been two Mary Davises born in
Rutland in the 1760's. The first Mary was the daughter of Peter Davis Jr. and Mary Howe, who had been
born 11 Aug. 1765, and the second Mary was the daughter of Nathan Davis Jr. and Mary Nurse, and she
had been born 18 Mar 1767. I think it took about 10 seconds for that name "Nurse" to sink in; and in
very short order, I had found that Mary Nurse's father, Joshua Nurse, went directly back to the legend-
ary Rebecca Towne Nurse. Before too long, I went down to that spooky second basement of the old Salt
Lake City Library, to the LDS Archives, and there it was: Nathan Davis Jr.'s daughter had married Solo-
mon Brown. At the time, I was not aware that the Archives are notoriously unreliable, but It was good
enough for me, as I had my most famous ancestor.
I thought no more of it for many years, but then I began to toy with the notion of joining the DAR. My
ancestors had left Rutland, MA around 1800 and moved to the Finger Lakes area of upstate New York. I
already knew that there were no vital records for that time and place. I had an aunt and a cousin in Illi-
nois who had maintained relationships with upstate New York cousins, and that they had made many
trips back there. They knew the name of my 2x great-grandfather, Asa Brown, who had always been re-
ferred to as “Major” Brown for unknown reasons, — I don't believe he had been a military man — and
they even had pictures of his gravestone. I easily found records of his birth in Rutland. However, the
DAR does not accept "Aunt Jessie said so" as a legitimate source. I contacted researchers from the area,
and was horrified when one of them informed me that it was Peter and Mary's daughter — the first
Mary Davis! —who had married Solomon. I went to the source listed on that archives page, and to my
amazement, the LDS Church could not locate it! The best they could do was some microfilm with
writings by the same author, and it turned out to be minutes of the Relief Society meetings.
So I plunged into the cloudy history of early Aurelius, NY. I asked researchers to check church records
— surely that would find them! — but they did not turn up. I must be descended from the only people
in early Cayuga County who did not join a church. I had noticed the name Adin or Aden Brown, as own-
ing land in Aurelius, but the only Adin I knew of was my great grandmother's brother, and he wasn't
born until about 1816. I found where this earlier Adin Brown had died and left minor children, and, fi-
nally, it dawned on me that those children all had the same names as Solomon's children! It soon be-
came obvious that Solomon had at some point started calling himself Adin. (The wonderful DAR regis-
trar, who had helped me muddle through all this, said that Solomon did it to confuse me!) The younger
children became wards of the oldest siblings — except one, a Betsy Brown, who became the ward of an
Isaiah Davis — a name that turned up quite often in those sketchy Aurelius records . So I googled "Isaiah
Davis, Aurelius, NY" and there it was! On two pages from "Pioneer and General History of Geauga Coun-
ty," it told how Isaiah had moved there (to Ohio) from Aurelius in 1816, and then it told of Barton F.
Avery, also of Aurelius, who had come to Geauga County and married Miss Betsy Brown, a niece of Mr.
Isaiah Davis, who had accompanied her uncle's family in their emigration to Ohio. Peter Davis and Mary
Howe did not have a son named Isaiah. Nathan Davis and Mary Nurse did. It was good Continued on next page
50
Two Mary Davises—Continued from previous page
enough for me and good enough for the DAR. I believe Peter Davis was a prominent citizen of Rutland, and I'm sure I
could be proud of his ancestry, but I'm so happy being the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-
granddaughter of Rebecca Towne Nurse!
“Any Hunter of Dead Relatives may feel free to share this paper with any and all likeminded souls.”
Descent from William: Rebecca Towne Nurse, Francis, Benjamin, Joshua, Mary Nurse married Nathan Davis, Mary Davis married
Solomon (Adin) Brown, Asa Brown, Elizabeth Brown Feeck, Mary Josephine Feeck McNames, Lyle, Mary McNames Allen
************************************************************ Moving on . . . Continued from page 47
dude ranch. We even built a small lake and the government stocked it with fingerlings free, and all of a sudden we discovered there were pretty good -sized fish in there.”
"Our only income in this 2-1/2 years was the payment with interest once a year on the motel we sold in Colorado Springs, but it was good experience and lots of fun. We made a profit on it but had to take a grocery store in Denver in trade — but that is another whole story.”
"One night after I came home from the baby shop and had planned to cook trout from the lake for dinner, I found the bones left but no fish, so I said to myself, "Someone has been here and ate up all my fish!" So I fixed myself a sandwich, and in walked my brother -in-law Jake Winters and his new wife Syl- via from Indiana, and then my husband!”
During the next five years, 1951-56, in the Denver grocery store, Frank had to learn to butcher sides
of meat. They then sold the grocery store, taking the Jayhawk Motel in trade, and lived in one of the units. When they sold the Jayhawk, they took on a house on East Street in Golden, which had a basement apartment, and a three-car garage, and also an old 7-apartment building. They rented out all of that, and bought a beautiful brick house in Denver, 1601 S. Elm Street. Then in 1955 they decided to go to Europe to visit Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium and England. Shirley and Del were stationed in England with the Air Force at the time. So they sold the house and stored their furniture in the large garage in Golden. After the trip, they moved back there on East Street. They next (1959) bought a beautiful white brick house at 3490 Holland St. in Wheatridge (a Denver sub- urb). In 1961, they traded the Wheatridge house in on a deal for a 21 -apartment brick on Ford Street in Golden, plus a small house and a triplex on Washington Street, and moved there. They soon sold the tri - plex, bought a beautiful brick duplex on a large lot in Wheatridge and moved there. In 1963, my Dad didn't want to shovel snow any more, and help was hard to find. They sold the duplex and apartment building and moved from Colorado to Sun City, CA. They built a big den on to their house on Desert Hills Road and lived there almost five years. In 1967, they sold and moved to 29920 Thornhill and lived there ten years, plus buying a house to rent out at 29720 Thornhill, which they later sold. I'm not sure when my Aunt Willetta Campbell moved to Sun City from Phoenix, but she enjoyed living near them, and they always celebrated holidays and birthdays together. In 1977, Frank and Jean sold their Thornhill house and bought a new double-wide mobile home and moved it to Hillside Mobile Home park in Sun City. By this time, my Dad was becoming quite ill with congestive heart failure. Their place was comfortable and easy to care for, but there were some steps that the para -medics had to negotiate with him on a gur- ney when he had attacks and had to go to the hospital. They bought a condo in August, 1979 on 28280 Northwood Drive, and hoped this would be their last move. Yard and external house care were furnished. Frank died in 1980. Jean was always good at bookkeeping, and they obviously had been full partners in all these ventures.
In 1984, Mother visited Tulsa and chose to move to an apartment in the Mansion House, a few miles
from us. She enjoyed being there five years, since it was a sociable place, with events for the residents to enjoy. She spent six years living with us, and I got to know many things about her life that I hadn't known before. She spent the last two years of her life in Forest Hills Assisted Living in Broken Arrow, and we also moved to Broken Arrow in 1996. She passed away in 1997 at the age of 93. ∞
William Towne, Jacob, Catherine Towne Perkins, Joseph, Capt. Joseph, Joseph, Mary Janette Perkins Dinwiddie, Edwin Willis Dinwiddie, Frances Eugenia (“Jean”) Dinwiddie Cole, Phyllis Cole Braunlich, Juli Bulleigh
51
A Letter from Janice C. Thompson, Sarah Clayes House Trust
Dear Friend, Happy spring! We are happy to report that the Clayes House has outlasted yet another win-
ter -- and a particularly brutal winter at that. Since we sent the last e-newsletter, there has been significant
progress in our efforts to save the property. As you can see from all of these efforts, we are getting very
close to a donation of the house to our organization, The Sarah Clayes House Trust. Now more than ever we
need your financial support, as we prepare to shore up the house against further damage once we get that
historic call from the bank. Important update: the Massachusetts' Attorney General's Office has agreed to
put significant pressure on the bank to make the donation of the house, but members of the office have told
us that they need assurances that we can raise this money FIRST.
I am very pleased to announce that we have a new partnership with a local non-profit called the Land Advo-
cacy Conservation Trust, an organization that "provides legal support, fiscal sponsorship and technical assis-
tance to help preserve open spaces, farm land, historic places and architecture, natural resources, and to
promote sustainability and smart-growth ideals that foster these land conservation values." LCAT is now re-
ceiving tax-deductible gifts to the Clayes House project on our behalf: any gift given through their Clayes
House giving site will be automatically applied to our initiative. Many thanks to LCAT and Steve Meltzer, the
president of that organization, for helping us in this crucial way!
With thanks to friends of the project -- including local contractors, crafts schools, preservationists, all of
whom donated their time to this -- we now have estimates for our immediate needs once the bank grants
the property to us. For the property and the legal fees: TOTAL IMMEDIATE NEED

Documents

About Towne