Gabriel
Whelden was born ca 1590, possibly in Basford, Nottinghamshire, England, possibly
the son of Henry Whelden. Baptismal records from that time period are missing. He
is my 11th great-grandfather on my grandmother Milly (Booth) Rollins’
side of the family. His last name is sometimes spelled Whilden, Wheldon or
Whelding. He worked as a tailor, a miller, a highway surveyor and farmer. He signed
his will with a mark and his inventory does not mention books, so it seems he
was illiterate.
Gabriel
was married by 1611, possibly in Basford, although no marriage record is found.
In 1637 his wife’s name was Jane, but it is not known is she was his first wife
and mother to all of his children. Gabriel and his wife had eight children
baptized St. Leodegarius Church in Basford from 1612 to 1630:
Thomas
who died young
Katharine
Henry
Martha
Mary
Mary
John
who died young
Ruth
John
I
descend from Katharine who married Mayflower
passenger Giles Hopkins. I wrote about them here.
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| St. Leodegarius Church in Basford source: nottshistory.org.uk |
On 4 April 1617, William
Stanford, tailor of Somercotes, Derbyshire, England, leased a close of land in
Basford to Gabriel Whelden, "blacksmith of Basford." He served as church warden at Basford in 1622.
His uncle Thomas Whelden held this position in 1603.Thomas's 8 March 1609/10
will contains left considerable land and personal items to his nephew Gabriel,
as he apparently did not have children of his own. The will also mentions his
brother Henry, presumably Gabriel's father.
In Aug 1637, John Hutchinson,
gentleman of Basford, drew a deed of exchange of land in Basford and
surrounding areas with Gabriel Whelden, "husbandman of Basford," and
his wife Jane.
Half a year later, in February
1637/8, an inventory was made regarding a piece of Gabriel's property and
included a kiln house, mill house, dwelling house, etc. to be leased by a Henry
Boot if the property is purchased by John Holles 2nd Earl of Clare. Says:
"his desire is to have an answer speedly that he may...prepare for New
England," referring to Gabriel.
On 10 March 1637/8, Gabriel made
two transactions. As "yeoman of Basford" he transferred his property
for over 55 pounds to John, Earl of Clare (same property outlined in the
inventory). The Earl then appointed an attorney to possess the lands in the
tenure of Gabriel Whelden, with Gabriel receiving a bond of 120 pounds from the
Earl. On 24 March 1637/8, Gabriel assigned to the Earl a lease of a close of
arable land.
The "wife of Gabriell
Wheeldon, miller" was one of two residents of Basford presented as
religious sectarians before 1642. Persecution of those that failed to follow the
tenets of the Church of England was a major reason for the Great Migration to
New England from 1620 to 1640, and this record suggests Gabriel's immigration
to New England may have been largely because of this religious persecution.
He immigrated to Massachusetts in
1638 or 39, settling first at Dedham, Norfolk County. Evidence he lived there
is in the form of a 29 June 1639 letter his daughter Katharine wrote and sent home
to England reporting the death of her sister, Martha "Weelden" of
Dedham, drowned about 12 days before.
He received permission from
Plymouth officials on 3 September 1638 to settle Yarmouth, Barnstable County
(in an area that is now Dennis). Until then only Stephen Hopkins had been
granted land there to grow hay but not to remove there. When he settled at
Yarmouth he was about 60 years old. He lived in the Mayfair area on the north
shore of the Bass River and near Follins Pond, very close to the present line
between Dennis and Yarmouth sometimes called The Head of the Pond. He lived
near his son-in-law Richard Taylor.
His business partnership with
William Lumpkin and Hugh Tilley in owning a skiff was probably the first in
town. In a 1641 court session Lumpkin and Tilley were ordered to pay him 15
shillings for the third part of the skiff. The loss of his part had made Wheldon
unable to "fetch fish." Upon payment, the skiff was to belong to
Lumpkin and Tilley.
Gabriel was a Highway Surveyor,
but otherwise not active in Yarmouth affairs, perhaps because of his age.
Charles Pope, in The Pioneers of Massachusetts, mentions
Gabriel went to Lynn in Essex County before Malden, but no documentation to
support this has been found. Gabriel’s final home was in Malden, Middlesex
County. He sold much of his Yarmouth land to Edward Sturgis but his sons
retained the grant on the banks of Bass River, which stayed in the family until
the 1960s. Several of his descendants were master mariners.
He may have been from Arnold,
Nottinghamshire, since on 21 October 1653 he and his son John sold lands there
to William Crofts of Lynn, Massachusetts [Essex County Deeds, i 24]. Basford,
where Gabriel’s children were baptized, is three miles southwest of Arnold.
Both parishes are in Sherwood Forest, just north of Nottingham.
The will of Gabriel Whelden of
Malden dated "11. 12. 1653" (which Savage read as 11th month (e.g.
January), 12th day, 1653/54, gives 10 shillings to the Malden
Church, and all the rest of his estate to his wife Margaret Whelding, including
house, land, cattle, corn and "what
money is due unto mee from William Crofts of Linne." It was signed by mark
and witnessed by John and Nathaniel Upham, James Laenard and ----- Matthews
(Original will, docket #24, 387; copy in Middlesex Probates 1:113). The will
was presented for probate, 4 (2) 1654, when the Uphams were sworn as witnesses.
An original, undated, inventory
survives, and includes his house lot, house frame, cattle, pigs, corn, wheat,
spinning wheel, farm equipment, and household items. Total estate value was a
modest 40 pounds 11 shillings, 8 pence. The widow Margaret survived her husband
but no probate or death date is found for her. It is unusual his will does not
mention children, and the most likely explanation is that Gabriel gave them
their portions of his estate either at marriage or by gifts of money or deeds
to Barnstable County land.
Records show that the sons, Henry
and John, and son-in-law Richard Taylor were not satisfied with the terms of
the will.
From Middlesex County court
records: To the Constable of maulden or his deputie. You are required to attach
the body or goods of Margrett Weilden, late widdow of Gabriel Weilden, and to
take bond of her to the value of fourscore plus tenn pounds with sufficient
suerties for her appearance at the next Court holden at Cambrdge ye wd day of
ye 8 mo. 55, then and there to anser ye complaynt of Henry Weilden John
Weilden, and Rich: Taylor Taylor and Rich: Taylor husbandman, for withholding
their parts or portions of an estate which their late father Gabriell Weilden
was possessor or owner of in his life and soe make a true returne hereof under
your hand. Dated the 28 of the 5th mo. 55. By the Court Tho: Starr.
That the name Richard Taylor is
listed twice causes some confusion. Gabriel’s daughter Ruth married Richard
Taylor and there are some who believe his daughter Mary married another Richard
Taylor and that this is proof of that. I’d like that to be the case as I
descend from Richard Taylor, but I’m not convinced. Others believe it is a
clerk error that Richard Taylor is listed twice, but odd he is given two
different occupations.
Gabriel
died in Malden, Massachusetts between 11 February and 4 April 1654. It is likely he is buried at Bell Rock Cemetery in Malden, without a surviving headstone. At the time of his death his wife was Margaret, who seems to be his second wife and not the mother
of his children.
I
have seen other researchers claim that Margaret was a Native American, but I
don’t believe this is valid.
Sources:
Nancy
Thacher Reid, Dennis, Cape Cod from Firstcomers to Newcomers, 1639 – 1993,
1996
Eugene Stratton, Plymouth
Colony, Its People and History, 1986
James W. Hawes, Cape Cod Library of Local History &
Genealogy A Facsimile Edition of 108 Pamphlets Published in the Early 20th
Century. Volumes I & II, edited by Leonard H. Smith, Genealogical
Publishing, Baltimore, MD, Early Wheldens
of Yarmouth, Pamphlet #43
Maclean W. McLean, John and Mary (Folland) Whelden of Yarmouth,
Mass., The American Genealogist, vol. 48(Jan 1972)
Jan Porter and Daniel F.
Stramara, Jr., The Origin of Gabriel
Whelden of Yarmouth and Malden, Massachusetts, NEHGR, vol 163, October 2009
NEHGR, Vol. 165, July 2011,
"The Two Richard Taylor Families of Early Yarmouth, Mass.," by
Jillaine S. Smith
It seems well accepted that daughter Mary married Richard Taylor, tailor, and daughter Ruth married Richard Taylor "of the rock".
ReplyDeleteSure, but I'm more comfortable when I find proof.
Delete