ADAMS: Rooted in History, Scottish Prisoner of War

8th Great Grandparents

Lambson Branches

James Adams

BATTLE OF DUNBAR

A battle of the War of Three Kingdoms in England's Civil War

On 3 Sep 1650, the Scottish army fought against the Crown of England in the Battle of Dunbar. The Scottish soldiers were defeated and some of the men captured by Oliver Cromwell were marched to Gravesend, near London. Some of the men were deported to America on the vessel Unity to serve as indentured servants. The ship arrived in Charleston, Massachusetts in late December 1650. My 9th great grandfather, James Adams was one of them.

SAUGUS IRON WORKS

Saugus, Massachusetts

James Adams

James was born circa 1632 in Scotland. He was a soldier at the Battle of Dunbar, captured, and sent to Massachusetts as an indenture to work off his sentence at Saugus Irron Works.

James married Priscilla Ramsdell on 7 May 1662 in Concord Massachusetts. They had nine children. 

Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPC7-J218:31 Oct 2019), James Adams and Priscilla Ramsden, 7 Nov 1662: citing Marriage, Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts secretary of the Commonwealty, Boston: FHL microfilm 007011227.

Priscilla Ramsdell was born in Lynn, Massachusetts circa 1640 to John and Priscilla Ramsdell. John Ramsdell was born circa 1602 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. It is believed that he and his wife immigrated as part of the Winthrop Fleet, but I found not documentation to support this. John is briefly mentioned in History of Lynn and Ironworks onf the Saugus, where he was employed. He and his wife are believed to have moved to Topsfield, but that may have been his son. John died 27 Oct 1688 and his wife Priscilla died 18 1717. 

There is limited information of John Adams, but for more information of the Scottish soldiers at Dunbar, or Saugus Iron Works the following book may be of interest:

Gerrard, Chris, Pam Graves, Andrew Millard, Richard Annis, and Anwen Caffell. Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650. Oxford an Philadelphia: Oxbow books. 2018.

Hartley, Edward Neal. Ironworks on the Saugus: The Lynn and Braintree Ventures of the Company of Undertakers of the Ironworks in New England. 1990. 

James Adams was one of the founders of the Scots' Charitable Society in 1657. James died 2 Dec 1707 in Concord Middlesex, MA, 

Children of James Adams and Priscilla Ramsdell

Priscilla (1663-1737) 

Elizabeth Adams (1665-1710) ~ m. Joseph Lambson Jr

James (1668-1741)

Hannah (1670-1727)

John (1672-1744)

Nathaniel (1674-1707)

Dorcas (1677-Unk)

Richard (1678-1749)

Abigail (1661-1707)

Descendants of James Adams and Priscilla Ramsdell

Elizabeth Adams ~ m. Joseph Lambson Jr

Ebenezer Lambson ~ m. Mary Matson

Elnathan Lambson, Revolutionary Soldier ~ m. Jane Hayes

Jesse Lambson, Revolutionary Soldier ~ m. Ruth Miller

Boaz Lambson ~ m. Polly Walsworth

Alfred Boaz Lambson ~ m. Melissa Jane Bigler

Edna Lambson ~ m. Joseph Fielding Smith

Edna Melissa Smith ~ m. John Fife Bowman

John Hyrum Bowman ~ m. Rosetta Ellen Jackson

* For privacy reasons I did not list my parents, children, siblings, or cousins

LOTHROP: Rooted in History, 1632 "Griffin"

Although John Lothrop was not in the first original fleet, Reverend Lothrop was mentioned in John Winthrop's, the first Governor of Massachusetts Colony, journal. 

"...the Griffin and another ship now arriving with about two hundred passengers and one hundred cattle, (Mr. Lothrop and Mr. Simmes, two godley ministers, coming in the same ship,)...."

Winthrop, John and James Kendall Hosmer. Winthrop's Journal, History of New England. 1630-1649. C. Scribner's sons, 1908. Vol 1, page 134.

10th Great Grandparents

Mack-Smith Branch

John Lothrop

John Lothrop was born circa 1584 and was Christened on 20 Dec 1584 in Elton, East Riding, Yorkshire, England. 

He was an educated man with a B.A from Oxford circa 1605 and an M.A. from Queen's College, Cambridge, England circa 1609.

John married 16 Oct 1610 to Hannah House, who died while he was in prison for preaching against the Church of England (a reformed version of the Catholic Church established for the benefit the divorce of King Henry the VIII). Hannah bore John eight children. John married, again, in the Colonies to Anne (1616-1687) on 27 Sep 1634, but my ancestry began from first marriage to Hannah Howse. 

Hannah Howse was born circa 1584 to Reverend John Howse and his wife Anne (surname lost to history). Her parents did not make the journey to the Colonies. 

John, along with his children and members of his congregation were forced to flee England for the Colonies on the vessel Griffin. On 18 Sep 1634 the ship arrived in Massachusetts Bay as recorded by John Winthrop in his journal,(excerpt above).

John remained a Minister and was founding member of Scituate church in 1634/5. On 7 Jun 1637 he became a freeman. John and his family removed to Barnstable in 1639 with other members of his congregation including several of my other immigrant ancestors. 

John Lothrop will was dated 10 Aug 1653 and probated on 7 Mar 1653/4 (Julian calendar), so he died sometime between those dates.

Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration, 1634-1635. Vol 4, I-L. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2001. Pages 1602-1604. Print or available to view on Ancestry.com.

Deyo, Simeon L. History of Barnstable County, Massachusettes, 1620-1637-1686-1890. New Yourk: Blake, 1890. Pages 368, also see index.

Children of John Lothrop and Hannah Howse

Thomas (1612-1707)

Jane Lothrop (1614-1683) ~ m. Samuel Fuller of the Mayflower

Anne (1616-1617)

John Jr (1617-1727)

Barbarah (1619-Unk)

Samuel (1621-1700)

Joseph (1624-1702)

Benjamin (1626-1691)

Descendants of John Lothrop and Hannah Howse

Jane Lothrop ~ m. Samuel Fuller

John Fuller ~ m. Mehitabel Rowley 

 

Shubael Fuller ~ m. Hannah Crocker 

 

Lydia Fuller ~ m. Daniel Gates

Lydia Matilda Gates ~ m. Solomon Mack

Lucy Mack ~ m. Joseph Smith Sr.

Hyrum Smith ~ Mary Fielding 

Joseph Fielding Smith ~ m. Edna Lambson (4th living wife)

Edna Melissa Smith ~ m. John Fife Bowman

John Hyrum Bowman ~ m. Rosetta Ellen Jackson

    * For privacy reasons I did not list my parents, children, siblings, cousins, etc.

MATSON: Rooted in History, The Winthrop Fleet

Winthrop Fleet

Massachusetts Bay Company was joint stock trading company chartered by the English Crown in 1629 to establish a colony in New England. John Winthrop and his fleet of eleven ships brought over 700, mostly puritan, passengers from England to settle in Boston, Salem, and other cities around Massachusetts Bay. The ships were Arbella, Ambrose, Talbot, Jewl, Charlse, Mayflower (not 1620 vessel), Hopewell, William and Francis, Whale, Success, and Trial. This wave of colonization was known as first The Great Migration.

10th Great Grandparents

Lambson-Smith Branch

Thomas Matson

Thomas Matson Jr was born circa 1607 to the parents of Thomas Matson Sr. and Anne Clopton. He  was Christened on 21 Apr 1607 in St Martins, London, Middlesex, England.

 

Thomas Matson is documented as part of the Winthrop Fleet in 1630, most likely, arriving in Salem sometime in June. Thomas was believed to be a Gunsmith. He became a freeman 4 Mar 1633/4. 

Thomas was literate because he was able to sign his name on his will dated  9 June 1676. His will probated 26 Apr 1677, which means he died between June of 1676 and April of 1677.

Thomas married Amy/Anne Chambers circa 1633. My FamilySearch page documents their marriage date of 2nd March 1630/1 (according to the Julian calendar), which is incorrect because it is documented that Amy/Anne Chambers was admitted to the Church in Boston in 1633.

Amy Chambers was born circa 1612 in the City of London to the parents of Thomas Chambers (1688-1615) and Alice Catlett (1654-1631). Amy Chambers is, also, believed to have been part of the Winthrop Fleet arriving in 1630 [PC, 67]; whether on the same ship as Thomas Matson is unable to be determined.  She is mentioned in [GMB, V1 A-F, p324-325].  Amy/Anne died in April 1678 in Boston, Soffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Amy's will is dated 28 Feb 1677/8 (Julian calendar) and proved 1 May 1678, which means she would have died between those dates.

Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. Vol 2 G-O. Boston: New England Historic Society, 1995. Pages 1238-1241. Print or available to view on Ancestry.com.

Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. Vol 1 A-F. Boston: New England Historic Society, 1995. Pages 324-325. Print or available to view on Ancestry.com. 

 

Banks, Charles Edward. The planters of the commonwealth; a study on emigrants and emigration in colonial times: to which are added lists of passengers to Boston and to the Bay Colony; the ships which brought them; their English homes, and the places of their settlement in Massachusetts. 1620-1640. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1930. Pages 67, 76.

Banks, Charles Edward (1854-1931). The Winthrop fleet of 1630; an account of the vessels, the voyage, the passengers, and their English homes from original authorities.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1930. Page 80.

 Children of Thomas Matson and Amy Chambers

Thomas (1633-1690) 

John Matson Sr (1636-1681) ~ m. Mary Cotton * daughter of William Cotton/Ann              

Joshua (1640-1688)

Abigail (1650-Unk)

Descendants of Thomas Matson and Amy Chambers

John Matson ~ m. Mary Cotton

John Matson Jr ~ m. Mary Adams

Mary Matson ~ m. Ebenezer Lambson 

Elnathan Lambson * Rev War Soldier ~ m. Jane Hayes 

Jesse Lambson Sr * Rev War Soldier ~ m. Ruth Miller

Boaz Lambson ~ m. Polly Walworth 

      

Alfred Boaz Lambson ~ m. Melissa Jane Bigler 

Edna Lambson ~ m. Joseph Fielding Smith

Edna Melissa Smith ~ m. John Fife Bowman

John Hyrum Bowman ~ m. Rosetta Ellen Jackson

* For privacy reasons I did not list my parents