Gabriel Whelden ca 1590-1654 of Nottingham, England and Yarmouth and Malden, Massachusetts

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 11^th 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

John who died young

Ruth

John

I descend from Katharine who married Mayflower passenger Giles Hopkins. I wrote about them here. 

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), 12^th 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