Of our ancestors

  • Posted on: 21 September 2009
  • By: David Thrale

We are informed that the church record of Windsor, Connecticut, states that a Congregational Church was formed in Plymouth, England, in March, 1680, and the same year came to Dorchester, Massachusetts, Their minister was the Rev. John Wareham, from Exeter, England. William Thrall, our ancestor, was a member of Mr. Wareham’s church.

We find in Prince’s chronology of New England, page 271,

“;that in the latter part of the year 1629, a Congregational Church of pious people held a meeting in the new hospital at Plymouth, England, and chose and called these Godly ministers, Rev. Mr. John Wareham, of Exeter, and the Rev. John Meverick, to be their officers, who accepted, and were ordained their ministers.”;

Page 274.—

“;March 20, 1630, the Revs. Mr. Wareham and Meverick, with many Godly families and people, from Devonshire, Dorsetshire and Somersetshire, sailed from Plymouth, England, in the Mary and John, for Massachusetts.”;

Page 277.—

“;May 30, Lord’s Day. Mr. Wareham, and his church, and their goods, were put on shore at Nantasket Point. They went immediately to Charlestown, and from thence to Mattepan, and began a town and named it Dorchester, and the native Indians were kind to them.”;

Page 369.—

“;Mr. Wareham and Mr. Meverick were both ministers of the Church of England. They were allowed to form congregations to take to New England.”;

Mr. Wareham, and the larger part of his church, in 1635, settled in Windsor, Connecticut.

Willard’s History of the United States says, seventeen vessels and fifteen hundred persons came to New England in 1630. Roger Clapp, one of the party, says:

“;Oh the hunger that many suffered, and saw no hope to be satisfied only by the clams, and mussels, and fish … Yet to the praise of God’s glory, he sent the poor Indians with baskets of corn on their backs, to trade with us, which was a good supply unto many.”;

I designate the generation to which the families belonged, by figures 1, 2, 3, &c., beginning with 1st: William, our first ancestor in this country, through his descendants; 2d, Timothy; 3d, John 1st; 4th, John 2d; 5th, Samuel; 6th, Jesse, 7th, Walter; 8th Lucian G.; 9th, Walter G-., including 247 years, from the birth of William to the birth of Walter G.

Thanks to Sharon Thrall Becker Sharon Thrall Becker, whose kind assistance and contribution helped to bring this information to you.