OUR ROWLEY FAMILIES PT. 1

These Yorkshire farmers came over from the native land but a little time ago. They are now a part of the Massachusetts colony.

~ J.D. Kingsbury

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Rowley, MA

close knit clan

Of the sixty families that settled Rowley with the Reverend Ezekiel Rogers, about thirty came from the Yorkshire area near Ezekiel's church. Of those thirty, eight families were related to us or had close ties. The map below shows the house lots of the early settlers. Our relatives on the town map below are Constance Brigham Crosby (11GGM), her half-brother Thomas Elithorpe (12U), her cousin Sebastian Brigham (1C13x), Richard Swan (10GGF), Robert Haseltine (10GGF), his brother John Haseltine (11U), and William Stickney (10GGF). The Lamberts and Barkers, though not related to us, came from Yorkshire, married into families that our relatives also married into and were certainly known to them.

Note: Our grandfather Richard Swan is a first cousin to our grandfather Robert Haseltine and his brother John.

the Haseltine brothers

Robert (10GGF) and John Haseltine (11U) hailed from Howden, Yorkshire, England. They came to America on the ship "John" with the Reverend Ezekiel Rogers and the rest of his Puritan flock. Robert and John were almost immediately accepted into the higher echelon of Puritan society when they both took the freeman oath on the same day in 1640.

Other distinctions awaited. While Robert and John were probably farmers like most of the early colonists to Massachusetts, they were also charged with taking care of livestock and so earned the pretty cool title of herdsmen. Then, In 1641, Grandpa Robert married our grandmother Anne (unknown) (10GGM). Their marriage was distinguished by being the very first wedding performed in the new town of Rowley.

The Haseltines did not stay long in Rowley proper. In 1649, the townspeople entered into an agreement with Robert and John to "settle on the Merrimack Lands" to look after the cattle pastured there. The Haseltines became the first settlers of the area by which eventually became the town of Bradford.

From The Memorial History of Bradford by J.D. Kingsbury:

"John and Robert Hasseltine and William Wilde. They are herdsmen. Rowley plantation has sent its herds into the forests, and these men, with flint-lock musket and ten foot pikes, guard them from the wolf and bear and the Indians who prowl in the wilderness."

Although Bradley was originally part of Rowley, it was actually much closer to Haverhill, just across the Merrimack River. Evidently the two towns became quite friendly. According to J.D. Kingsbury:

"The frequent visits to and fro have already begun that long friendship which, whatever names men may call them by, will make them one forever. Robert Haseltine (9GGF) has been plying his ferry across the river for several years by order of General Court, with liberty to 'charge fourpence if paid presently, and sixpence if booked.'" Looks like Grandpa Robert did it all!

Robert stayed in Bradford for the rest of this life while John moved across the river to Haverhill ca. 1660.

Blue = Haverhill Red = Bradford Orange = Rowley

Note: When Robert and John left to settle the town of Bradford, another man, William Wilde, was sent with them to the Merrimack Lands. William came from Ipswich where our Howlett family settled. His nephew, Ephraim Wilde married our aunt Mary Howlett (8A). Ephraim's mother was one of the women executed for witchcraft. We'll have that full, sad story in a future post.

perks for the herdsmen

For being the first to settle the new community and for their role as caretakers for the livestock, Robert and John Haseltine were accorded special privileges by the town of Rowley. The agreement, signed by our grandfather William Stickney (10GGF) among others, gave Robert and John forty acres of upland and twenty acres of meadow. They were also each given twenty head of cattle. They had "liberty to get, each of them, a thousand of Pipestaves yearly, for the space of seven years...liberty on the commons to cut firewood for their families as also timber for building. They are to be freed from all towne charges for the lands, houses, four oxen, and six cows and four calves, each of them such a quantity, during the space of seven years, begun in 1649; also they have liberty to keep swine." Seems like being a herdsman was a pretty lucrative business!

final farewell to Robert Haseltine

Robert and Anna had nine children. Robert died in Bradford in 1674 at about 65 years. Anna died in 1684 at 66 years.

J.D. Kingsbury wrote on the founding of the new church in Bradbury in 1682:

"One item is very touching in the record of names on that first roll of members in the church. Ann Haseltine stands alone; Robert died this very year. The hardy herdsman has finished his course. He saw the church well started. He saw the spiritual flock gathered under another shepherd, and the faithful herdsman went home."

Note: J.D. Kingsbury erred on the year of Robert's passing. Ann Haseltine had stood alone for eight years before the church was founded as Robert died in 1674.

Note: The reverend chosen for the new Bradbury church was Zecheriah Symmes, a graduate of Harvard College. He became the second husband of our grandmother Mehitable Palmer Dalton Symmes (9GGM). They married in 1683. Our grandfather Samuel Dalton (9GGF) had died in 1681.

The Swans

Richard Swan (10GGF) was born in Gilberdyke, Yorkshire, England in 1607. He settled with his wife, Anna Spofford (10GGM) and their four children in Boston some time before 6 Nov 1638 when he was admitted to the First Church there. He was dismissed to the Rowley Church 24 Sep 1639, a few months after the town was founded. He was made freeman there 13 May 1640.

Richard and Anna had 12 children. Four were born in England, two in Boston and six in Rowley. Of their four sons, only one was living in 1678 when Richard died and made his will. Their son Robert (10U) moved to Haverhill. You may remember Robert from our post Petty Crimes. He was the one accused of going "very sinfully to get that heifer" by our grandfather Henry Palmer (10GGF).

Richard was fairly prominent in Rowley. He accumulated land, served often as a juryman and was chosen as a town representative at the Massachusetts General Court. He also did a stint in King Philips War.

And it just might be that our grandfather Richard had a wee bit of an anger management problem which appears to have been inherited by some of his kiddies as we shall see. On 10 Oct 1650, Richard was brought up for breach of the peace for "striking Ezekiell Northen in the face with a staff or goad..." He was fined three shillings.

Richard and Anna spent the rest of their lives in Rolwley, where Anna died in 1658 at about 50 years. That same year, Richard married widow Ann Trumble. Richard died in 1678 at age 71.

In 1653, Richard and Anna's daughter Julia (9GGM) married Samuel Stickney (9GGF).

The Stickneys

William Stickney (10GGF) was baptized at St. Mary's Church in Frampton, Lincolnshire, England. He had moved to Yorkshire, England by 29 Nov 1628 when he married Elizabeth Dawson (10GGM) in Cottingham.

William was admitted to the First Church in Boston 6 Nov 1638, the same day as Richard Swan and dismissed to the Rowley Church 24 Sep 1639, also the same as Richard Swan. He was made freeman 7 Oct 1640.

William and Elizabeth had 10 children with the last four being two sets of twins. William died in 1663 at age 61. Elizabeth died in 1678 at age 72.

Next up: more Rowley families, the Crosby's, Brigham's and Langhornes.