Rachel Wells

Edward married Ruth Smead on 4 May 1721 in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA. Ruth (daughter of Ebenezer Smead and Esther Catlin) was born on 5 Sep 1702 in Hatfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA; died on 19 Jan 1765 in Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Ebenezer married Esther Catlin about 1694. Esther (daughter of John Catlin and Mary Baldwin) was born on 9 May 1675 in Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died on 12 Dec 1733 in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA; was buried in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Arrival: 1630, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
• Baptism: 13 Nov 1635, Rye, Sussex, England
• Residence: 1680, , , Massachusetts, USA

Notes:

He served in King Philip's War and participated in the Falls Fight under Capt.Turner. His son William was killed at Bloody Brook with Capt.Lothrop.

William Smead was the son of William Smead (d.c1634) and Judith (Stoughton) Denman Smead (1599-1639). Judith was the widow of John Denman, with whom she had two children. William was only three or so when his father died. Judith sailed from Gravesend with her three children on September 3,1635 on the ship “Dorset”. They stopped in the Barbadoes, then continued to New England. She settled with her children in Dorchester. She signed the Dorchester Church covenant in 1636 and was granted 20 acres of land there in 1638.

About the time his mother died, William was apprenticed at age seven or so, to John Pope of Dorchester. Pope died in 1646 and made provision in his will for William, calling him “my Littell boy.” He left to William his looms and tacking if William was willing to live with Pope’s widow, learn the trade, and become a weaver.

He married Elizabeth Lawrence at Dorchester,MA on Dec 31,1658.

Children: William Smead III, Elizabeth Smead Janes, Judith Smead Hawks, Mehitable Hull Smead Nims, Samuel Smead, John Smead, John Smead, Ebenezer Smead, Thankful Smead Hawks, and Waitstill Smead Warner.

It has been suggested that he must be buried at Old Deerfield Cemetery since that was the only cemetery at the time. However, that is not always the case as many ancestors were buried on their homesteads at the time.


https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Smead-2

William married Elizabeth Lawrence on 31 Dec 1658 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. Elizabeth (daughter of Thomas Lawrence and Elizabeth Bates) was born on 15 Sep 1635 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA; was christened on 6 Mar 1642; died in 29 Feb 1704 in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA; was buried in Deerfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

No family suffered more than his in the decimation of the town in 1704. His buildings were all burned and he and his son, Jonathan with them. One son was killed in the Meadows Fight, another saw three daughters captured - two of them killed on the march. The Deerfield massacre occurred as follows: In the middle of winter, the Governor of Canada sent a large war party towards the town of Deerfield, Massachusetts. It was sent, not because of any harm Deerfield could do Canada, but to keep the Indians in the Massachusetts area stirred up against the English and not allow them any time to develop any friendlier connections. The party was made up of 50-60 Frenchmen and 2-300 Indians. Deerfield had only 41 houses at the time, a population of 268 at the time of the attack. It had been a very cold winter and a recent heavy snow covered the ground. The river was frozen to a depth of 3 feet. The French and Indians came upon Deerfield in the early morning hours of the 28th. There was a patrol inside the little fort, but they were not professional soldiers and towards the morning, they went to sleep. It was two hours before dawn that the French leader, Hertel de ROUVILLE, took his men from hiding and descended upon the sleeping community.

They were inside the pallisade before anyone knew they were there. Within minutes buildings were ablaze and the shrieks of inhabitants filled the air. Two houses on the north end of Deerfield were well fortified and many] had gathered here for safety. The Stebbin and Sheldon houses were attacked and a hole was hacked in the Sheldon house and Mrs. Sheldon was shot and killed as she sat on her bed, and her two year old daughter, Mercy, had her head bashed on the door stone. It was in this house that John's wife, Mary, shown as a bright star in a black night. Her husband, son and grandson having been killed, Mary found it within herself to care for a wounded French officer. When he was brought to the house he was in great pain and cried out for a drink. It was Mary who responded to his call and did all she could to comfort him. It was probably because of this that she was allowed to remain behind when all the other prisoners were marched off to Canada. The march to Canada is fully chronicled by the Reverend John Williams in his book "The Redeemed Captive". Out of 120 captives who left Deerfield, only 60 were alive when they were

ransomed from Canada two years later.

John married Mary Baldwin on 23 Sep 1662 in Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Mary (daughter of Joseph Baldwin and Hannah Whitlock) was born on 23 Jun 1644; died on 9 Apr 1704. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Judith Stoughton in 1623 in , , , England. Judith (daughter of Thomas Stoughton, Reverend and Katherine Evelyn Montpesson) was born on 3 Jul 1599 in Coggeshall, Essex, England; died on 18 Mar 1639 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA; was buried in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Arrival: 1630, Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, USA

Notes:

Judith’s first husband John Denman was born in 1591 in Retford, Nottinghamshire, England. His parents were Nicholas Denman and Lady Anne Hercy. John died 1624 in Retford, Surrey, England.

Judith’s second husband William Smead was born 1601 in England. William died 1636 in Essex, England.

Judith was one of the signers of the Dorchester Church Covenant in 1636, and at the time of her death in 1639 was a widow. The General Court confirmed Israel Stoughton as executor of the will of his sister, Judith Smead, and the disposal of her effects is on record, though no copy of her will has been preserved. Though not proved, it is possible that Judith was a widow before leaving England and that she journeyed to America in 1633 with Israel Stoughton and his wife, Elizabeth.

Judith’s young son was apprenticed rather than taken into the home of his Uncle Israel.

Judith Smead signed the covenant in 1636 with the church at Dorchester, Massachusetts, and in 1638 had a grant of twenty acres there just below the First Burying Ground. An inventory of her estate after her decease was taken on May 18, 1639. She was the mother of John Denman, Mary Denman (wife of Clement Maxfield), and William Smead.

Step-mother of Humphrey Denman, an Elder of the English Reformed Church at Amsterdam, North Holland.

William Smead was the son of William Smead (d.c1634) and Judith (Stoughton) Denman Smead (1599-1639). Judith was the widow of John Denman, with whom she had two children. William was only three or so when his father died. Judith sailed from Gravesend with her three children on September 3,1635 on the ship “Dorset”. They stopped in the Barbadoes, then continued to New England. She settled with her children in Dorchester. She signed the Dorchester Church covenant in 1636 and was granted 20 acres of land there in 1638.

About the time his mother died, William was apprenticed at age seven or so, to John Pope of Dorchester. Pope died in 1646 and made provision in his will for William, calling him “my Littell boy.” He left to William his looms and tacking if William was willing to live with Pope’s widow, learn the trade, and become a weaver.

He married Elizabeth Lawrence at Dorchester,MA on Dec 31,1658.

Children: William Smead III, Elizabeth Smead Janes, Judith Smead Hawks, Mehitable Hull Smead Nims, Samuel Smead, John Smead, John Smead, Ebenezer Smead, Thankful Smead Hawks, and Waitstill Smead Warner.

It has been suggested that he must be buried at Old Deerfield Cemetery since that was the only cemetery at the time. However, that is not always the case as many ancestors were buried on their homesteads at the time.

Thomas married Elizabeth Bates in 1638 in Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. Elizabeth was born on 10 Mar 1609 in Limpsfield, Surrey, England; died on 18 Feb 1679 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Arrival: 1628, Weymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts, USA

John married Isabella Ward before 1643. Isabella was born about 1621 in Branford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; died on 8 Dec 1676 in Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Hannah Whitlock. Hannah was born about 1613 in , , , England; died on 2 Nov 1684 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]