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The Emery family is a colorful one, fitting the area of England that they came to America from. We can trace our ancestry back to JOHN EMERY, who was living in the parish of Romsey, Hampshire, England, in the last years of the sixteenth and the early part of the seventeenth centuries. Romsey is where the legend of St. George and the Dragon originated. Stonehenge isn't far away. (St. Andrew's Church and its cemetery are shown in the above photo. The church has paintings inside dating back before the Norman Invasion in the eleventh century.)
The existing parish register of Romsey begins in 1569/70, and, as there are no 'Emery' entries until 1591, it's probable that John came to Romsey from some other parish, but no one knows where.
The name Emery is not common in Hampshire, but scattered individuals are named in the Subsidy Rolls of 1620 and 1628, in the villages of North Badesley, Bisterne, Upham, Middleton and Forton. As John was not listed in a subsidy during this period, it is evident that he owned no land in Romsey and had small personal wealth. He was probably a carpenter, going by the occupation of his sons, who would have apprenticed with him. (Maybe they even did work at St. Andrews.)
The Hampshire probate records at Winchester contain fifteen Emery wills made between 1502 and 1652, the testators living in the parishes of Fareham, Longparish, Tichfield, Middleton, Waltham, Winchester, Eversleigh and Southampton, and an examination of those of the Romsey neighborhood gives no hint as to the origin of John Emery.
We do know that John Emery was buried at Romsey June 25, 1627. Margery Emery, who was buried September 14, 1610, and Anne Emery, who was buried November 1, 1626, may one or both have been his wives. On the other hand, it is quite possible that Anne was his granddaughter, a child of his son JOHN (our ancestor), and that Margery was his own daughter.
There are three other entries in the register which can be connected with him: (1) John Emery, buried June 16, 1591, may have been his son or his father. (2) Thomas Emery who married Thomasine Carter October 21, 1597, may have been his brother or a more distant relative. There are no children of this couple recorded. (3) Ellen Emery, baptized September 7, 1601, her parents not named, was not his child unless she was a twin of his son Anthony who had been baptized nine days previously.
His children were:
CHILDREN OF JOHN EMERY |
JOHN
EMERY II was born in Romsey, Hampshire, England. The name of John's first wife,
married in England, is not known. An interesting possibility is the marriage of
"John Emorye" and ALICE GRANTAM on June 26, 1620, at Whiteparish, Wiltshire,
about eight miles from Romsey. Alice was the daughter of WALTER GRANTHAM of West
Dean, Wiltshire, England (in his will, proved on 5 February 1622/3, Walter Grantham
bequeathed to "Alice Emerye my grandchild six shillings eight pence and if
she die to be paid unto her mother at the death of her grandmother."
On
the 5th of April, 1635, "John Emery and Anthony Emery of Romsey, carpenters,"
were enrolled at Southampton for passage to New England on the James of London
[Drake's Founders 56]. They and their families sailed from Southampton for New
England on the ship "James," and landed at Boston on June 3rd. The Emerys
and others of his parishioners migrated under the influence of Rev. Joseph Avery,
the vicar of Romsey, who came to New England in 1634 and who was drowned on a
voyage from Newbury to Marblehead in 1635, In the inventory of Avery's estate
is an item "Due to him from John Emery, carpenter, 07: 00: 00." The
record continues "John Emery denyes his debt; but Richard Knight, Nicholas
Holte, & John Knight, all three of Newbury [and all three from Romsey] can
& will testify & prove it to be due." [Probate Records of Essex County,
I:8] Possibly Emery borrowed the £7 from Parson Avery to help pay the ocean
passage money of himself and his family.
John settled in
Newbury where he combined his trade as a carpenter with innkeeping. He had an
early town grant of half an acre for a house lot, added to it by his own initiative
in 1637 (the addition was regularly granted to him in 1638), and was given twenty
two acres in the "great field beyond the new town" as a "divident"
in 1644. He was admitted to Newbury church prior to the 2nd of June, 1641 (as
implied by freemanship).
CHILDREN OF JOHN EMERY AND ALICE GRANTHAM (?) |
At
some point after 1633, John's first wife died. Being a widower must have been
tough on John, because on the 29th of September, 1646, "John Emery, for his
miscarriage with the wife of Henry Travers, fined £3 or to be whipped, and
pay witness fee to Christopher Bartlet. Bound to good behavior and not to frequent
the company of the wife of Henry Travers."
If we give
John the benefit of the doubt, we can say that his first wife died before September,
1646, when he was fined for his attentions to Bridget, wife of Henry Travers,
and bound not to frequent her company. [Records and Files. etc., I:110] His second
wife was widow Mary (Shatswell) Webster and the probable date of their marriage
1617, a year after her first husband's death and when his bond in the Travers
case was discharged.
John's second marriage, on the 29th
of October, 1647, in Newbury, was to MARY SHATSWELL, the widow of JOHN WEBSTER
{1634, Ipswich} [NEHGS 150:180-89]. She was the sister of JOHN SHATSWELL (b. 1633,
Ipswich), THEOPHILUS SHATSWELL (b. 1639, Ipswich), and of Margaret (Shatswell)
Curwen, wife of MATTHIAS CURWEN (b. 1634, Ipswich). They had at least two children.
Anne
Emery, the last of the children by his Romsey wife, was born in 1632, and there
is no record or evidence of any kind that John Emery had later children until
we come to the girl with the strange name of Ebenezer, born in Newbury in 1648,
nearly sixteen years after the birth of Anne Emery. We know that Emery and the
widow Webster were married before the birth of the last child, Jonathan, in 1652,
and, if she was not also the mother of Ebenezer (and her will would seem to indicate
that she was), we must provide an intermediate and short lived wife to be her
mother. Emery was very active in caring for the property of John Webster, his
last wife's first husband, and as guardian of the younger Webster children. It
seems probable, from his will, that he made provision for his children by his
first marriage before or at the time of his marriage to the widow Webster.
CHILDREN OF JOHN EMERY AND MARY SHATSWELL |
John
served Newbury in numerous capacities, being one of a committee of three to value
town lands in 1644 and serving on the county trial jury (1648, 1659, 16605 1672,
1673, 167,5, 1678), the grand jury (1651. 16629 1667), as constable (1655), clerk
of the market (1656), and selectman (1661). He took the oath of allegiance in
1677. In various depositions and records his age was set down as seventy in 1670,
seventythree in 1671, eightyone in 1679 and eighty two in 1681. Too old for active
service, he supplied a new saddle and bridle, a sword and belt, powder and bullets
for use in King Philip's war, and in addition received 2s. 6d. for "Cureing
a soldier."
Emery was a courageous man who did not hesitate
to back his opinions with action. When Lieut. Robert Pike was in difficulty with
the colonial government in 1654, John Emery and his son John signed a petition
in Pike's favor which so irritated the authorities that they appointed a commission
to examine (and seemingly to intimidate) the signers "John Emery demanded
(to see) their commission and a sight of the petition before he would answer.
He then said that the commissioners had no power to demand who brought the petition
to him." (Records and Files. etc., I: 366.)
On the 19th
of October, 1658, the "Court, having heard the case relating to the military
company petition of Newbury, preferred by John Emory, Senior, who, with his sons,
John Emery, Junior, & John Webster & Solomon Keyes, have been so busy
& forward to disturb the peace of the place by their actings in several respect,
& occasioned much trouble to this Court in reference thereto, judge it meet
to order that the said John Emery, Senior, John Emery, Junior, John Webster, &
Solomon Keyes be severally admonished to beware of the like sinful practices for
time to come, which this Court will not bear; and that they pay the several charges
of their neighbors the last Court & this, in coming for relief from such under
courses"
Then on the 5th of May, 1663, John was accused
of entertaining Quakers and, according to Henry Jaques, constable of Newbury,
saying, "if they came to his house they should be welcome and he would not
forbid them." Jaques came to court in May 1663 and presented John Emery,
"for as much as John Emerie Sr. is one of our grand jury men this last year
for our town of Newbury and he himself having broken the law as I do understand
in entertaining of travellers and quakers into his house and one Mr. Greenland
in all which disorder he have boldly insisted whereby reproach and scandal is
come upon our town to the dishonor of God and damage and hurt to some of our neighbors."
Both John and his wife said that they would not put Quakers out of their house
and used argument for the lawfulness of it. For this offense lie was fined £4,
costs and fees, and although the selectmen and fifty of his fellow citizens joined
in his petition to the General Court that the fine be remitted, it met with denial.
[Records and Files, etc., 111: 67] Also in 1663 he was fined for entertaining
Dr. Henry Greenland at his house for four months. Greenland seems to have been
a traveling doctor with a keen eye for women. In Newbury he became involved with
Mary, wife of John Rolfe, and they were charged with adultery. Elizabeth Webster,
stepdaughter of John Emery, was living with Mary Rolfe during Rolfe's absence,
and the Emery household contributed much testimony on both sides of the case.
[Records and Files. etc., 111: 48 51]
As early as 1669, and
continuing into the events of 1671, John Emery was active in his opposition to
Rev. Mr. Parker. He appears in a 1671 list of members of Newbury church, in one
of the documents presented in the course of this controversy.
He
took the oath of allegiance at Newbury, November 1678 (as "John Emery Sr.,
80") And in a 1678 dispute over the Newbury militia accounts, the following
items are entered for "John Emery Sr.": "a new saddle & bridle,"
28s.; "sword & belt," 12s.; "2 pounds powder & bullets,"
4s.; "curing a soldier," 2s. 6d.; "2 pecks of wheat & a bridle
lost," 7s.; "powder & bullets," 2s.; and "saddle &
cloth," 23s.
On 19 May 1655, "John Emery of Newbury
..., carpenter," with "Mary my wife," sold to "William Boynton
of Rowley one freehold or liberty of commonage that was John Webster's of Ipswich."
On 28 February 1672/3, "John Emery Senior of Newbury" exchanged land
with Nathaniel Merrill, Emery receiving "a parcel of land containing by estimation
three acres ... as it lyeth in the salt marshes in Newbury," and Merrill
receiving a parcel of salt marsh.
On 10 July 1675, "John
Emry Senior of Newbury ..., carpenter," deeded to "my son Jonathan Emry
... the one half of my living or land in Nubury unto me belonging together with
one half of my housing and all other privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging";
acknowledged 19 March 1678/9 by "John Emry Senior & Mary his wife."
In
a Newbury tax list of 7 October 1676, John Emery was assessed at £6 18s.
6d.
In his will, dated 1 May 1680 and proved 27 November
1683, "John Emry, Sr., of Newbery, ... in this eighty-third year of my age,"
bequeathed to "my daughter Ebenezer Hoag one acre and half of upland at the
west end of my home lot joining to that parcel of land which I formerly gave her";
to "my son Jonathan Emry ... all my lands in Newbery both upland and meadow
together with my freehold and rights of common ... the one half whereof I have
formerly given him ... upon condition and in consideration that the said Jonathan
shall manage & manure that one-half of the said [land] both upland and meadow
for the use and proper behoof of me the said Emry and my wife his mother ... and
also the said Jonathan is to pay fifty pounds" to the estate; "Mary
my wife shall have £10 to dispose of at her decease to whom she pleases";
to "my grandchild Mary Emerson," £10; residue of estate to be
"equally divided between my six children and said Mary Emerson"; "my
sons John Emry and Abram Merrell" overseers, or if one of them dies, "Joseph
Bayle in his room." (The published transcript of this will has a number of
errors as compared to the record book version of the same document.)
The
inventory of the estate of "John Emery Senior of Newberry who deceased the
third of November 1683," taken 13 November 1683, totalled £263 11s.
(against which were debts of £33 3s. 9d.), of which £170 was real
estate: "six acres of plowland with a small orchard," £48; "half
a barn and housing," £15; "ten acres three quarters of pasture
land," £43; and "eight acres of meadow," £64.
In
her will, dated 1 August 1693 and proved 1 June 1696, "Mary Emery of Newbury
... widow & relict of John Emery late of Newbury deceased" bequeathed
to "my son Jonathan Emrye," £10 of what was given her in her husband's
last will and forgave him a 30s. debt; to "Isrele's four daughters,"
20s.; to "John Webster's son Isrell," 10s.; to "my daughter Sem[o]ns,"
a gown; to "Mary Fulk[?]," an apron; to "Abigall M[e]rell,"
a white handkerchief; to "Johanna Myles," a hood; to "my daughter
Ebneser the rest of my wearing clothes"; to "my son St[e]ven to pay
to Haneh Emerson," 20s.; to "Ab[i]gall M[e]rell," 20s.; residue
to "my son Stev[e]n Webster."
John's daughter ELEANOR
EMERY (b. ABT 7 Nov 1624 in Romsey, Hampshire, England, to his first wife), married
before November of 1641 to JOHN BAYLEY. John came with
his father on the Angel Gabriel
in 1635. They settled in Salisbury. Then, around 1644, between the birth of their
children John and Sarah, removed to Newbury. Their children:
CHILDREN OF ELEANOR EMERY AND JOHN BAYLEY |
GENEALOGY
JOHN EMERY BEGAT...
JOHN EMERY II (b. 1599), who married ALICE GRANTHAM and begat...
ELEANOR EMERY (b. 1624), who married JOHN BAYLEY and begat...
SARAH BAILEY, who married ISRAEL JOSLIN (1693 - 1761) and begat...
SARAH JOSLIN (b. 1722), who married JOSEPH MUNYAN (1712
- 1797) and begat...
JOSEPH MUNYAN (d. 1831), who married MARY
MARSH (1750 - 1820) and begat...
AMASA MUNYAN (b. 1800), who married
SUSANNA HENNING (1802 - 1821) and begat...
MARY
ANN MUNYAN (1823 - 1899) married WILLIAM POTTER (1819
- 1894) and begat...
LOUISA EDITH POTTER (1856 - 1891) who married ABRAHAM
CANE WINTERS (1829 - 1893) and begat...
NELLE WINTERS (1885 - 1974) who married WILLIAM PRITCHARD (1880 - 1958) and begat...
DOROTHY PRITCHARD (b. 1918) who married ERWIN WENK (1910 - 1982) and begat...
MARTHA WENK (b. 1940) who married CARLETON MARCHANT HAUSE, JR. (b. 1939) and begat...
JEFF (who married LORI ANN DOTSON), KATHY (who married HAL LARSEN), ERIC (who married MARY MOONSAMMY), and MICHELE HAUSE (who married JOHN SCOTT HOUSTON).
EMERY RECORDS FROM THE PARISH REGISTERS OF ROMSEY, ENGLAND John
and Anthony Emery, both carpenters, from Romsey, co. Hants, England, embarked
on the James at Southampton in 1635 for New England. The former settled at Newbury,
Mass., and the latter at Kittery, Maine In January 1935 Miss Marian K. Dale, a
former assistant Of Miss Lilian J. Redstone and now engaged in independent genalogical
research, examined the parish registers of Romsey, with the object of obtaining
all entries at the proper period under the name Emery and its variants. Miss Dale
states that the vicar of Romsey said to her: "Almost everybody who has searched
this register has been looking for Emerys." It seems a pity that this work
should be constantly repeated, and therefore the results of Miss Dale's search
are set forth below. The Romsey registers begin with the year 1569, and seem examined
for all entries until 1635 and for burials until 1640. |
SOURCES
Author: Anderson, Robert Charles