March 5, 2013 - Bartholomew Family, Cont.

I am actually going from document to document when sharing my Bartholomew family history.   These two Bartholomew Family "Epistles" go along with an enormous, hand printed family tree.  My copy of the tree is very fragile.  These appear to be the work of one person, unknown.  "A cousin of Gram's (Irene Carrington Daugherty) from New York" is all I know.  There is also no date of this writing.  The two larger documents are typed.  A massive, massive undertaking.  If there is a reader of this blogsite who knows the origins of these pages, please let me know.

The author now goes into the history of the American Branch.

"William supposed to be second of William and Friswede, of Burford, was born in 1602-3.  That he was the second son omitted in his father's appears from the will of his brother, Richard, which mentions him with nearly all his brothers and sisters in the order of their births.  The omission was possibly for the purpose of depriving the second son of his share; for if done because he had already received his part, his father would not, as he did, have studiously avoided mentioning him, and also have have excluded him from his portion of the share of any brother or sister who might die childless, and would probably have made William instead of Henry, his heir, in case of John's death without issue.

If that surmise is correct, he was probably disowned on account of his religious faith, as his associations and subsequent opinions show him to be a dissenter.  His intimate acquaintance with the noted Mrs. Anne Hutchinson, his accompanying the Rev. John Lothrop and congregation to America, his association with Governor John Leverett as agents of Major Bourne; but more than above, his active and earnest part in the General Court of the colony are conclusive evidence of his puritanism.  It is possible that he was a member of the Presbyterian Congregation in London, and was imprisoned with them; that would have been abundant reason for disowning him in his sanguine father's loyal mind.

He was well educated, undoubtedly a student at the well known Grammer School of Burford and was probably a fellow student of Peter Heylin, who became chaplain to King Charles 1 and afterwards sub-dean of Westminster.

It is not know when he went to London or when he married Anna Lord, sister of Robrt Lord, subsequently his next neighbor in Ipswich; but before Sept. 1634, he had entertained the famous Mrs. Anne Hutchinson at his London Home. 

1634, Sept. 18, he (William) arrived in Boston, 'in ship Griffin'.
1635, March 4, he was made a freeman at Boston.  It was first necessary to become a member of the church.
1635, April 25, he was granted several tracts of land in Ipswich. 
1635, May 6, he appeared at the General Court at Boston as the chosen representative of the inhabitants of Ipswich; he had then only been in America seven months.
1635, Sept. 1, the General Court ordered that, 'Mary, servent of Mr. Bartholomew, shall be whipt for running away from her master and shall serve him 6 weeks after her time is ended.'
1637, Sept. 19, he was appointed on a special grand jury in Boston and took a prominent part in the trial of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson.
1639, July 22, 'Mrs. Will Barthomew offered to entertain Mrs. Jupe (teacher of the Ipswich School) freely for one year without charge, if she gave health, but if she prove sick the charge to be borne by the publicke.'
1641, Oct. 7, the Town clerk of Ipswich.
1645, May 14, appointed on a committee to report on the best manner of destroying 'Ye wolves, which are such ravenous cruel creatures and daily vexations to all ye inhabitants of ye colony.'
1649, Chosen one of the 'Seven Men' of Ipswich.  His brother was deputy at Salem.
1654, June 28, chosen treasurer of the county.  Appointed by the General cour, 'to divided ye Colonies arms among ye shires.'
1654-5, Mar. 2, Re-conveyed to town of Ipswich for the nominal consideration of five pounds, the entire tract granted him in 1639; and the town divided this and other tracts among its citizens as a common pasture, which has ever since been known as 'Bartholomew Hill'.  (It is situated two miles west of the center of Ipswich Village and contains nearly a square mile), and so mentioned in the town records as early as 1656; thus preserving the name of the town's early citizen and friend to its later inhabitants in a most pleasant manner.
1655, May 23, was a commissioner.  Mr. Bartholomew's association with Governor Leverett, by Major Bourne, who knew both well having lived in Boston, is proof - if such were wanting - that William B. was both a businesslike and honorable man.  Major Nehemiah Bourne of London, who had been a Major in Rainsborought's regiment in Cromwell's overthrow of Charles I, appointed John Leverett and William B. his agents in Boston.
1659, July 21, Purchased house and lot of Robert Nash, and probably moved into Boston about March, 1660.

I will continue with the year 1666 in the next blog posting.