Elihu Kelley of West Dennis, MA, 1759-1841

How I got started

Now that I’ve written little bits on each of my Mayflower ancestors, I thought I’d write about how I got started in researching my family history. My paternal Grandmother, Mildred Louise (Booth) (Davis) Rollins, piqued my interest in our Cape Cod roots. I called her Nanny, but for this story I’ll use her nickname Millie. 

Old wooden boxes. I’ve loved them for as long as I can remember. Especially ones with locks. Over the years, what type of special things did people keep in these boxes? A precious land deed, the family Bible, money, hard to procure tea, needlework, family jewels, a lock of a beloved child‘s hair? A little lock seems like it offers a false sense of security--couldn’t a thief just take the whole box and smash it open? Was the lock just to keep things private and (somewhat) safe from servants and untrustworthy family members? 

One day when I was sitting by my grandmother Millie’s bed, trying to cheer her up (she was quite prone to blue moods, something they probably called melancholia in the old days), I was desperately trying to start a conversation that would steer her into a more positive frame of mind. Nothing was working and as I looked around her small, congested bedroom, I noticed two small wooden boxes that stood out amongst the clutter of perfume bottles, ceramic figures, brushes and combs on her bureau. Millie followed my gaze.

 “That sweet little one belonged to Aunt Polly,” she said, a smile spreading across her face. “Bring it over here and we’ll take a look.” 

Polly was her mother’s half sister, a woman who lived to the age of 101. Her box was small, made of dark wood with a lovely swirling grain, and amazingly its tiny key was still nestled in the lock. Inside were some small pieces of Polly’s jewelry and other family items that Millie had added. There were tiny and very old wedding bands and my Great-grandmother Ethel (Kelley) Booth’s sewing thimble. Some things Millie had identified with slips of paper: “Al’s Air Force Wings,” “Mother’s Leaf Pin,” and so on. Also inside was a piece of lined paper, folded into a small square upon which Polly noted some family names with their birth, marriage and death dates. That got us going on a conversation about our family’s long history on Cape Cod; Nanny’s blue mood had disappeared.

 Little did I know that piece of paper and the conversation with Millie would spark an obsession with tracing the family history that is still going on some 18 years later.

……………..

One of favorite ancestral characters is my fourth great grandfather Elihu Kelley. Fortunately I had purchased Nancy Thacher Reid’s impressive book on the history of Dennis[i] before my Grandmother passed away and was able to share it with her. Elihu the ferryman really gave her a chuckle.

Elihu was born 28 May 1759 in Yarmouth (an area that would become West Dennis), one of the thirteen children of Eleazer Kelley (sometimes spelled Killey or O’Killey) and Hannah Baker. Eleazer wasn’t a certified Quaker (Society of Friends), but many in his family were Quakers. He clearly leaned that way as he was fined for not attending military exercises. Quakers often declined based on their religious beliefs and for some reason the precinct paid his fine and he wasn’t jailed. 

In about 1784 Elihu married a Yarmouth woman named Thankfull. They were from Quaker families and those marriages typically weren’t recorded in municipal vital records. Many people, including Eunice Kelley Randall in her 1962 Kelley genealogy, give her maiden name as Baxter, daughter of Cornelius Baxter and Joanna Marchant. This is the only Thankfull on record in the area to be the right age to be the wife of Elihu, but this is circumstantial evidence. 

Thankfull Baxter is a descendant of John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley of the Mayflower. When I checked with the Mayflower Society in 2005, no one at that time had a line approved through Thankfull. Without more evidence I don’t think it would be possible.  

Elihu and Thankfull had nine children: Veney/Vinney, Elihu, Levina, Wilbour/Wilber, Asa, Silvia, Rebecca, Hiram, and Sukey. I descend through Hiram. 

Like his father, Elihu was an attender, but not a member, of the Quaker meeting. It is possible he and Thankfull are buried at the Friends cemetery in South Yarmouth, where gravestones weren’t always commonplace.  

I believe Elihu was a sea captain as I’ve seen him referred to as “captain.” He was part owner of the Schooners Eleanor and Mary, Amazon and Harriet. Among my Grandmother Millie’s photographs was an old snapshot of a vessel with “The Eleanor” written on the bottom. I believe this is same schooner Elihu owned and a family member took a photo of her years later.  

In 1795 David Kelley of South Yarmouth received permission to run a ferry service from shore to shore. His cousins Elihu, Eleazer and Browning were the actual ferrymen. The vessel used was a barge, which was poled across, requiring strong muscles and good balance. The brothers Kelley lived near the river on the Dennis side and could be summoned to carry passengers by blowing a horn fashioned from a large conch shell. Fare was two cents for a foot passenger and 25 cents for a horse and carriage.

David Kelley was a prominent member of the Society of Friends. His cousins were not found on the list of certified Quakers, but they did attend meetings. Later in life Elihu's name is among the members of the newly formed Methodist Church.

Elihu was called “Uncle Elihu” by the locals. "He had a skiff for passengers and a scow for teams," said Mr. Wood, "and a conch shell was tied to a post at the landing, which was blown when the services of the ferryman were needed. The mischievous boys would often blow the conch to get the old man out." Mr. Wing has this to say of Uncle Elihu: "Although Uncle Elihu's accustomed place in the Friend's meeting, which he regularly attended though not a member, was upon the "rising seats," he was evidently averse to talking much of his religious views, for it is related of him that, when questioned upon that subject by a traveling preacher while the ferry boat was in mid-stream, the old man pretended to be very hard of hearing and replied as he poled the vigorously, "Yes, about half way across; and upon a repetition of the inquiry, he said. "Yes, yes, about half way across, half way across,' and so evaded the question." He was very much opposed to the building of a bridge, declaring that he could see no sense or reason in such a thing; but the bridge was built and the old ferryman's occupation was gone. The bridge was built in 1832 and as the old man lived until October, 1841, so he had many chances to cross it if he so wished.[ii]

Old postcard of the Bass River Bridge

Uncle Eleazar Kelley (Elihu’s brother) would have ferried you across at two cents a man, and for the price, you got a real piece of navigation. When the ferry failed to make it, you just went out to sea with Uncle Eleazar and hove to for the tide to turn. For you see, Bass River flows two ways - to the northeast on the flow tide, southwest on the ebb. To venture out cross-tide - come the ebb or come the flow - took the hand of a master, and sometimes - come the ebb - even Uncle Eleazar would find himself sliding broadside for Tuckernuck Island.[iii]

 Increase in the need to cross the river led David Kelley to apply to the towns of Dennis and Yarmouth in 1805 for permission to build a bridge to replace his ferry. After a lot of wrangling and compromise that lasted many years, the bridge was finally approved by both towns.  At one point David said he would withdraw his petition if the town would grant him permission to build a wharf across Berry Flats to accommodate his ferry. Dennis agreed to this and the ferry continued to be the only way to cross Bass River for several more years. Part of the Berry Flats is still visible today just north of the present Lower Bass River Bridge. 

In 1815 David Kelley again proposed to build a bridge across Bass River and Dennis Town Meeting approved it on 8 May 1815. The newly proposed site was considerably farther up river from the ferry landing, where the first bridge was proposed to be built. Few vessels went that far up stream, so it wasn’t going to cause much inconvenience to watercraft. 

Old postcard of the Bass River Bridge

 The act that would incorporate the bridge company was to contain a provision that the tolls would remain the same for a period of 75 years and then could only be raised with permission of the legislature. The bridge would be constructed at the Second Narrows between land of Richard Sears and Josiah Nickerson. Tolls were two cents for foot passengers two cents, three cents for wheelbarrows, six cents per dozen of sheep, eight cents for  a cart with one horse. No charge was permitted for people traveling to military training, religious services or funerals. Tolls were probably collected at the house of Josiah Nickerson. In 1832 another bridge was built over the Bass River, located approximately where the present bridge on Route 28 is today. It was several hundred feet north of the road which led to the old ferry site, a road still called Ferry Street.

 I just love it when a street name has real history behind it! I do wonder what Elihu did to earn a living after the end of his ferry business. 

Elihu Kelley died 26 October 1841 in West Dennis (MA VR Vol.1: Pg.317). He left a will dated 30 June 1835.[iv] The inventory was taken 15 Jan 1842 at West Dennis. It lists part ownership in the Schooners Harriet and Amazon, his homestead with 2 ½ acres, four acres near his homestead, a lot of land near the (Bass) River, a lot of meadow land, a lot of cedar swamp, and a share in the school house. 

He left land to his sons Elihu, Wilber, Asa, Hiram, and grandson Vinney as his son of that name had died. It’s interesting that all of the land was near the son’s current homes, so they all lived in the same West Dennis neighborhood, likely on land owned by the Kelley family since the 17^th century. 

Elihu left his household furniture to his daughters Sylvia Crowell, Rebecca Lewis, and Susy Baker, after the death of his widow. He gave his daughter Rebecca Lewis the improvement of the west part of his house while she remained a widow. He bequeathed his home and remaining property to his wife Thankful.

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[i] Reid, Nancy Thacher.  1996.  Dennis, Cape Cod from Firstcomers to Newcomers, 1639 - 1993.  Dennis, MA:  Dennis Historical Society.

[ii] E. Lawrence Jenkins, 1915, Old Quaker Village, South Yarmouth, Mass., Pamplet No. 38 in the Library of Cape Cod History and Genealogy, Yarmouthport, MA: CW Swift Publisher.

[iii] Jeremiah Diggs, 1937, Cape Cod Pilot, Provincetown, MA: Modern Pilgrim Press.

[iv] Barnstable Co. Probate Records, Vol 15, p 414.

Mayflower Ancestors Pt. 12: James Chilton and Daughter Mary

This is my last known Mayflower ancestor--phew!

James Chilton was a Separatist and was with the Pilgrims in Leiden, where he was a tailor. James was born about 1556 at Canterbury, Kent, England, son of Lionel Chilton. His baptism has not been found but the best source for his age is the 1619 Leiden Statement of Facts, which describes him as "approximately 63 years of age." 

He was married in 1585/6 to a woman whose name is not known, although her name is often seen as Susanna Furner, which is incorrect. Their first child was baptized at St. Paul’s, Canterbury on 15 Jan 1586/87.

James and his wife had children ten children, although three died young: Isabella, Jane, Mary (died young), Joel (died young), Elizabeth, James (died young), Ingle, Christian, James, and Mary.

James was named “Gifted Freeman” at Canterbury, quite an honor since a new mayor could only bestow this on one person within a year after taking office. From what I understand, it meant that James could run his drapery/tailoring business without restraint and without using apprentices. 

James Chilton autograph from mayflowerhistory.com

Perhaps due to their religious beliefs, the family relocated to Sandwich in Kent. I can't imagine leaving Canterbury, a place where James had a special standing in the community, would have been taken lightly. Mary was baptized in Sandwich on 31 May 1607, at St. Peter’s.  In 1609 Mrs. Chilton was charged with attending the secret burial service of a child (they opposed the burial services of the Church of England) and excommunication proceedings against her began.  James was called to court for a variety of offenses, including hitting a man with a stick, causing upset at church, and another time he and two others were “bound over” for the enormous sum of 66 pounds. 

St. Peter's Church, Sandwich, Kent, where Mary Chilton was baptized

In 1619, James Chilton was caught with his daughter Isabella in an anti-Arminian (religious followers of Jacobus Arminius) riot in Leiden and he was hit in the head with a rock, requiring a visit to a surgeon. 

At age 64, James was the oldest person on board the Mayflower. He brought along his wife and youngest daughter Mary. He died 8 December 1620 on board the Mayflower anchored in Provincetown Harbor.  His wife died that first winter, leaving Mary an orphan at 13 years of age.

Pilgrim Memorial Monument at Provincetown

After the death of her parents it is likely Mary joined the household of Myles Standish. In 1626 or 1627 Mary married John Winslow, who came on the Fortune in 1621 to join his brother Edward. Governor Bradford wrote that they had nine children. He also wrote that another daughter came to Plymouth after the Mayflower and that she had one child, but he does not give her name.

Mary and John’s children: John, Susanna, Mary, Edward, Sarah, Samuel, Joseph, Isaac, an unnamed child who died young, and Benjamin.

The family resided in Plymouth for many years, but eventually removed to Boston. The house they lived in on Spring Lane is no longer standing. They transferred their church membership upon arriving at Boston to the Third Church, which became the Old South Church. The current Old South Meeting House was built after Mary’s death. John was a very successful merchant. 

Plaque marking the site of Mary Chilton Winslow's home

John died in Boston in 1674 and Mary died there about 1679. He had written her will in 1676. John and Mary are buried at King’s Chapel Burying Ground in Boston, where they have replacement stones. 

Mary (Chilton) and John Winslow replacement gravestone

You can view a transcription of Mary’s will and inventory at:

http://www.pilgrimhall.org/willmchiltonwinslow.htm. The site also has a transcription of John Winslow’s will.

A longstanding tradition has held that Mary Chilton was the first of the Mayflower passengers to step onto Plymouth Rock. Charles Thornton Libby carried out a detailed examination of this story, published as Mary Chilton's Title to Celebrity (Boston 1926, rpt. Warwick RI 1978). This seems highly unlikely, but it’s a nice story nonetheless. 

Plymouth Rock

My line from James Chilton, not yet submitted to the Mayflower Society:

               

1      Mary Chilton  1607 - 1679

+John Winslow       1597 - 1674

2      Mary Winslow        - 1665

+Edward Gray        1623 - 1681

3      John Gray      1661 - 1732

+Joanna Morton    

4      Anne Gray      1691 -

+John Tinkham      

5      Ann Tinkham  1726 - 1758

+Samuel Fuller        1724 - 1758

6      Mary Fuller    1748 - 1802

+Jabez Nye     1749 - 1802

7      Desire Nye       1771 - 1858

+David Pierce 1773 - 1820

8      Lucy Nye Pierce      1809 - 1896

+Rowland Sturtevant Bumpus        1804 - 1853

9      Mary Briggs Bumpus      1840 - 1916

+Seth Washburn     1828 - 1921

10    Charles Francis Washburn     1857 – 1941

+Hattie Maria Benson    1861 - 1914

11    Carrie Clyfton Washburn      1896 - 1974

+George Brewster Smith        1895 - 1913

12    Arthur Elmer Washburn Davis      1913 - 1976

+Mildred Louise Booth   1917 - 1999

13    My parents

14    Me

Chilton Children’s: http://www.chiltonschildren.org/

Mayflower Ancestors Pt. 11: Francis Eaton

Francis Eaton is an ancestor who tugs at my heart strings as he had a life filled with tragedy. The misfortune started early--all of Francis’s siblings, except for his brother Samuel, died in 1603/1604, apparently due to a sickness that had spread through the household. 

Francis was baptized 11 September 1596 at Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, the son of John Eaton and Dorothy Smith. He became a house carpenter in England, which may have been why the Separatists wanted him to come to America with them. He was not a Separatist but rather a “stranger.” Francis had at least some education as he signed his name to documents.

Francis Eaton Signature from mayflowerhistory.com

Francis married first Sarah, whose maiden name is unknown, about 1618-19, in England. They had a son Samuel who was an infant on board the family’s voyage aboard the Mayflower. Sadly, Sarah died during that first difficult winter at Plymouth. 
 

Francis married second Dorothy, maiden name unknown, before 1623 at Plymouth. She was a maid servant to John Carver who had died in the spring of 1621, as did his wife, leaving Dorothy on her own. 

In the 1623 Land Division, Francis received four shares: one for himself, one for his deceased wife Sarah, one for his son Samuel, and one for his current wife Dorothy. Dorothy must have died soon after the division of land at Plymouth. 

Francis was about 26 years of age and had already lost two wives, but he forged ahead and married yet again. He married third Christian Penn around 1625 in Plymouth. Christian had arrived in 1623 on the “Anne.” They had three children together: Rachel, Benjamin and a third child whose name is unknown. The unknown child was called an “ideote” and was still living in 1651. I can’t imagine how people coped with a child with a severe disability given how difficult life already was for them. 

Francis died in the fall of 1633, apparently dying of an infectious fever that swept hrough Plymouth.  He was just 37 years of age and left behind a wife and four young children. 

His estate included one cow and a calf, two hogs, fifty bushels of corn, a black suit, a white hat, a black hat, boots, four pewter platters, fishing lead, and many carpentry tools including , hammers, an adze, square, augers, a chisel, boards, saws. See a list of his inventory at: http://www.pilgrimhall.org/willfeaton.htm. 

In July 1634, Christian married second Francis Billington, whose father John was hanged for murder in 1630. She and Francis Billington had nine children together. She died circa 1684, probably at Middleborough.

My line of descent from Francis and Sarah Eaton:

1      Francis Eaton 1596 - 1633

+Sarah Unknown   

2      Samuel Eaton  1620 - 1684

+Martha Billington 1638 - 1704

3      Mercy Eaton   1665 - 1703/04

+Samuel Fuller        1658 - 1728

4      Benjamin Fuller      1695/96 -

+Mary Samson       

5      Samuel Fuller  1724 - 1758

+Ann Tinkham        1726 - 1758

6      Mary Fuller    1748 - 1802

+Jabez Nye     1749 -

7      Desire Nye       1771 - 1858

+David Pierce 1773 - 1820

8      Lucy Nye Pierce      1809 - 1896

+Rowland Sturtevant Bumpus        1804 - 1853

9      Mary Briggs Bumpus      1840 - 1916

+Seth Washburn     1828 - 1921

10    Charles Francis Washburn     1857 - 1941

+Hattie Maria Benson    1861 - 1914

11    Carrie Clyfton Washburn      1896 – 1974

+George Brewster Smith        1895 – 1913

12    Arthur Elmer Washburn Davis      1913 - 1976

+Mildred Louise Booth   1917 – 1999

13    My parents

14   Me 

Richard Gere is a descendant of Francis Eaton.