Wests
in Essex County, Massachusetts:
Henry
West and Thomas West of West DNA Family Group #5
Compiled by Joy Ikelman, 2014.
Disclaimers apply. Note: The use of double dating, such as 1630/1631, reflects the
difference between the Julian and Gregorian Calendars.
Background: Judah West (b.
11 Sep 1765; d. 9 Apr 1825) was added to West DNA Family Group #5 in 2007.[1]
He is a descendant of Thomas West (b. 1630/1631; d. 23 Dec 1720). Thomas West
had a brother, Henry West (b. 1629; d. Sep 1703). Therefore Henry West is also
part of FG#5. These two men lived in Essex County, Massachusetts during the
1600s. This is the second in a series of articles about this line of the FG#5
West families.
Currently
(February 2014) Henry West and Thomas West, brothers, are the earliest
documented members of Family Group #5. They lived in Salem, Essex County,
Massachusetts during the 1600s to early 1700s.
Dedicated
to Dr. Harry Irwin West, Jr.
Dr. Harry Irwin West (1925-2004) was the
foremost genealogist for Henry West (1629-1703). In 1997, he published Descendants of Henry West (1629-1703) of
Salem, Massachusetts with some Collateral Lines of Interest. He traced his
line through Samuel West (b. 1666)—Henry West’s first son. [2] Dr. West earned
his PhD in physics from Stanford University in 1955. He retired from Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory, California, in 1990, after 45 years of service. [3]
He spent many years researching his ancestry.
I
have verified all of Dr. West’s early Salem-related information against original records. In the “Reference and
Additional Notes” section, I have cited the original source. Then I have
referenced the page number from Dr. West’s publication, if he also used the
information.
Henry
West and Thomas West, Brothers
Henry West mentioned his brother Thomas
in his Will of September 1703 [4]:
Item, I give to my
brother Thomas Westt if he survives me ye Three pounds Ten shillings which is
due to me by obligation from his son Benjamin who lives at the Southward.
Thomas West survived his brother by 17
years; he died in 1720. [5] His son, Benjamin West, was living “at the
Southward” in Enfield, Connecticut. [6] In the Will, Henry West cancelled his
nephew’s debt to him.
Three “Thomas Wests” lived in Essex
County, MA, in the mid- to late-1600s. Three “John Wests” were also alive at
that time. [7] Fortunately for researchers, only one “Henry West” lived in
Essex County during this time period. His presence in town and court records is
useful in identifying the various “Thomases” and “Johns,” placing them with the
correct families.
The birth year of Henry West is determined
by several court records that mention his general age in years. For example: “Henry West, aged about forty-nine years, and
John Norton, aged about forty years, deposed. Sworn, 10:4:1678.” [8] Also, “Henry
West, aged about fifty-six years, and John Maskoal, aged thirty-four years,
testified . . .” (25 Jun 1685). [9] These court depositions and others point to
1629 as his likely year of birth.
The birth year of Thomas West is determined
from his tombstone at Bradford Cemetery, Essex County, Massachusetts. He died
in December of 1720 at the age of 89. We use 1630/1631 as his birth year,
reflecting the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars. [10]
Parents
of Henry and Thomas West
For more than 100 years, West family
researchers have been trying to connect all of the Wests that lived in 17th
Century Essex County, MA. In 1908, Genealogical
and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern Massachusetts
was published. [11] William Richard Cutter wrote:
Thomas West, immigrant ancestor,
was born in England about 1600 and came to Massachusetts Bay colony in the ship
Mary and John, sailing March 24,
1633-34. He settled at Salem where he had a grant of land in 1640. His
descendants are numerous in Beverly, Massachusetts. He is the progenitor of the
Chester, New Hampshire family. His sons Henry and Thomas, and Henry’s wife
Elizabeth were admitted to the Salem church, January 4, 1665-66.
The information about Thomas West (the elder, b. ca.
1600) has been accepted as truth for many years. This is a mistake. Cutter
(1908) has mixed up three separate West families within his opening paragraph.
Thomas West (b. ca 1600) had no recorded wife or children. No documentation proves that Henry and Thomas
were his sons.
Dr. West wrote: “. . . one would expect that the land
that the first Thomas (b. ca 1600) had near the Great Pond [in Salem] would
have passed to the brothers, and we find no evidence that it did.” [12] In
fact, Thomas West (b. ca 1600) gave his land grant back to Salem, and it was
re-granted to Thomas Robbins, who had land close by. [13] The practice of
re-granting land was not unusual.
Cutter (1908) mentioned “numerous”
descendants in Beverly, MA, and Chester, NH. These are actually descendants of
John West (b. ca 1615). [14] John West is not known to be a part of West Family
DNA FG#5 (as of February 2014). That leaves Henry and Thomas. Where did the
brothers come from?
Looking at English Parish Records
There have been
West researchers who believe that Henry and Thomas West came from Cuckfield
Parish, Sussex, England. Dr. West had this commentary in 1997 [15; W1, W2, W3]:
In
searching English records we find a West family in Cuckfield [W1] that meets
the age requirements (within a year), and they disappear from Cuckfield at the
right time. However, at least two of the principals seem to have died in
England in a nearby town. [W2] Also, these two brothers, Henry and Thomas, had
two brothers, Walter and Bellingham (Bellingham was their mother’s maiden name)
and these names should have been used in later generations in New England. It
is with some reluctance that we do not accept this family because to have done
so would have added five more generations. [W3]
I counted at least six separate “Thomas
Wests” in the Cuckfield Parish records between 1608 and 1633, and seven “Henry
Wests.” Dr. West is referring to a Thomas West that had four sons: Walter (b. 9
Jan 1624/1625), Henry (b. 10 May 1627), Thomas (b. 16 Oct 1629), and Bellingham
(b. 10 Nov 1632). [16] The baptism dates are very close to the birth years of
the New England brothers. Since this particular West line in Cuckfield Parish was
an upper-class family associated with Woodmancote manor in Sussex, there is
more information available.
In this particular line, Henry West died
in 1674 in England. This is clearly not the Henry and Thomas we are seeking. See
“References and Additional Notes,” below.
When I did a FamilySearch query on English
parish records for any “Henry West” or “Thomas West,” limited to 1627-1632, there
were many hits. In Sussex there were
records fitting the time frame in Patching Parish, Burwash Parish, and
Eastergate Parish. There were multiple records in London. I also found records
in Surrey, Gloucester, Westminster, Kent, Buckingham, and York. [17] There are
many possibilities for further research.
The
West Brothers in Early Essex County, Massachusetts, Records
Dr. West wrote, “Henry and Thomas could
have lived in the Salem area many years, without leaving a trail through town
or court records.” [18] In the Salem records, it is as if the brothers suddenly
appeared.
The earliest record of Thomas West is
his marriage to Phebe Waters in Oct 1658. [19] The first deed is that of a house
and one acre of land (a “house lott”) that he bought in 1658/1659 from Thomas
Hale in Salem. [20] In the deed, Thomas West is called a planter, implying that
he was already farming. In 1658/1659 Thomas would have been about 28 years old.
The earliest record of Henry West is
from Salem town records in 1661, when he was assigned to be the bell ringer and
also given a town lot to build a house. He was 32 years old. [21] He married
Elizabeth Merriam in 1664, at age 35. [22] The brothers and their wives were
members of First Church, Salem, and baptized their first children on 25:1:1665
(Julian calendar). [23]
On 29 Apr 1668, Henry West (age 39) and
Thomas West (age 37) took the oath of freemen, along with nine other men. [24]
Freeman status meant they were given full civic rights, such as the right to
vote and serve on juries. Sometimes this status meant that the men were free of
all paid service to others, such as apprenticeships.
Based on these earliest records, we know
that Henry West and Thomas West arrived in Salem before 1658. Perhaps they
arrived during the Great Migrations of the 1640s, and lived elsewhere in New
England before coming to Essex County, MA.
The migrations within New England
mirrored those within England—more than one-third of people at the time would
move at least once from their original settlement (or parish), often more.
Reasons for migrations within New England included scarcity of useable land, religious
conflicts, and lack of opportunities to work in the trades that they had learned.
[25]
Henry West was a saddler—making saddles,
harnesses, and bridles. [26] He would have been apprenticed to learn this trade
before he started his own business in Salem. Was this apprenticeship in
England? Was Henry West apprenticed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony? Was his father
a saddler?
Henry West and Thomas West both named
their first sons “Samuel.” Is this a clue, or is it coincidence?
For some reason Henry and Thomas West
eluded Salem court records and town records up until 1658. Fortunately, there
is more information about the brothers, including the names of some of their
descendants.
Next: More about Henry West (1629-1703)
of Salem
References
and Additional Notes
1. West Family Group #5 results are at http://web.utk.edu/~corn/westdna/west5.htm#FG5.
2. Harry Irwin West, Jr., 1997: Descendants
of Henry West (1629-1703) of Salem, Massachusetts with Some Collateral Lines of
Interest. Anundsen Publishing Co., Decorah, Iowa, 256 pages. Available on
digital loan from http://oclc.org/en-US/home.html.
3. Don Johnston, editor, 2004: “Harry Irwin West,” Newsline, Public Affairs Office, Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, July 30, 2004, p. 2.
4. Essex Will Probate No. 29341; West, p. 18.
5. Thomas West died in 1720. His tombstone at Bradford Burial Ground,
Bradford, Massachusetts reads: “Here lyes buried the body of Mr. Thomas West
who died December ye 23 1720 & in the 90th Year of his age.” This
means he was 89 years old, which is his 90th year since birth. Photograph
at: http://bradfordburialground.com/thomas_west_site_584.htm.
6. James Savage, 1860, A
Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three
Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. Volume IV, Boston,
Massachusetts, p. 488.
7. The three Thomas Wests in Essex County, MA, were: (1) Thomas West,
b. circa 1600; (2) Thomas West, b. 1630/1631; and, (3) Thomas West (b. about
1740), son of John West. The three John Wests were: (1) John West, b. 1615; (2)
John West, b. 1661, son of Twiford West; and (3) John West, b. 1667, son of
Thomas West (b. 1630/1631). Only Thomas West (b. 1630/1631) and his son John
West (b. 1667) are known to be part of West DNA Family Group #5.
8. George Francis Dow, editor, 1911: Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Volume 7. Essex
Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, p. 56. Also referenced as “EIQC,” with volume
number, and page number. EIQC:7:56. West, p. 5. The dating of 10:4:1678, most
likely refers to the 10th day of the 4th month in 1678.
The fourth month in the Julian calendar was June.
9. EIQC:9:473. West, p. 5.
10. According to the Julian calendar, the first month was March, and
the tenth month was December. The eleventh and twelfth months of a year were
January and February. We do not know the month of Thomas West’s birth. However,
we know that it is later than December. He was 89 years old in December, and
there are two months left in 1630 (Julian). Today, January and February would
start a new year, so the date would be 1631 (Gregorian). His birth year is
cited as 1630/1631. Some people of the time thought the calendar change from
Julian to Gregorian was the work of the devil. Some genealogists, struggling
with Julian v Gregorian calendar variations, would agree.
11. William Richard Cutter, 1908: Genealogical
and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Boston and Eastern
Massachusetts. Volume I. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, p.
559.
12. West, p. 8.
13. The Essex Institute, 1868: Town
Records of Salem, Massachusetts, Volume I, 1634-1659. Salem, Massachusetts,
p. 200 and 220. The Salem town records note on 11:3:1657, “Granted to Thomas
Robins the thirtie Acres formerlie graunted to his predesesor Thomas West.”
[23] The thirty acres were the original 20 from the Phillips Company venture that
Thomas West (b. ca 1600s) joined, plus the 10 acres granted in 1642—probably land
nearby. The land was still described as Thomas West’s land in 1658 but in the
possession of Thomas Robins. This Thomas West, b. ca 1600s, cannot be linked to
FG#5 (as of February 2014).
14. Topsfield Historical
Society, 1906: Vital Records of Beverly,
Massachusetts to the End of the Year, 1849, Topsfield, Massachusetts, p.
598 and various other pages.
15. West, p. 8. He cites the following references, which I verified to determine if there was any FG#5
link to this Bellingham/West family. I
concluded that at this time (February 2014) there is no probable connection.
W1. W.C. Renshaw, editor, 1911: The Parish Registers of Cuckfield, Sussex,
1598-1699. Sussex Record Society, Volume XIII, London, various pages. Also
referenced as “Cuckfield Parish Register.” Available free from https://archive.org/details/oldestregisterbo13hawkuoft.
W2. Woodmancote
Register, St. Peters Church. I could not find this specific reference.
Cuckfield and Woodmancote are 10 miles apart from each other in Sussex County.
West (1997) says “at least two of the principals seem to have died in a nearby
town,” which is—by the reference—Woodmancote. I am guessing the principals that
Dr. West noted were Bellingham West and Henry West, based on Elwes (1876),
next.
Dudley George Cary Elwes, 1876: A History of the Castles, Mansions, and
Manors of Western Sussex. Longmans & Co., London, p. 170-171. The
Woodmancote manor “seems to have passed into the hands of a family named West,
early in the seventeenth century. This family is said to have come originally
from Berkshire, and to have been a branch of Lord de la Warr’s line, but we
find in the Parish Registers entries of the name as far back as 1592. In 1691
Walter West sold the property to Thomas Dennett, Esq, the representative of an
old Sussex family. . .” A footnote gives a few names and dates of this West
family, including Thomas West, gent, d. 18 Aug 1638, and his wife Cecilia Rolt,
“mother of Mr. Henry West, [she] d. 18 Jan 1668.” According to Elwes (1876),
Henry West died in 1674, Bellingham West in 1669, Walter West was alive in
1691, and Thomas West was unaccounted for.
Note:
West DNA Family Group #5 does not include Lord de la Warr’s line.
W3. William Berry, 1830: County Genealogies; Pedigrees of the
Families of the County of Sussex, Sherwood, Gilbert, and Piper, London, p.
14. This is mainly a record of English peerage. The “five generations” Dr. West
refers to are shown on a chart in this publication. “Thomas West, of Clifford’s
Inn, gent.; living in 1634” and “Cecill, do. And sole heir of Richard
Bellingham, 3d brother of Edward Bellingham, father to Sir Edward Bellingham,
who was living in 1634.” Sons: Henry West, Walter West, Thomas West, and Bellingham
West.
Note: There was a “Richard Bellingham” who came to the
Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634 from Lincolnshire, England. He lived in Boston
but held land in Salem that was later disputed. He was a governor of
Massachusetts three times. The town of Bellingham, MA is named after him.
(Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bellingham, accessed
February 2014.) Perhaps he was related to the Bellinghams listed above. But, as
far as I can determine, there is no link from Bellingham to “our” FG#5 Henry
and Thomas West of Salem.
16. Cuckfield Parish Register, p. 30, 32, 35, 38. Information about this other Thomas West family is available at: http://histfam.familysearch.org/getperson.php?personID=I6997&tree=SussexGenealogies.
17. FamilySearch queries during January 2014. https://familysearch.org/
18. Sidney Perley, 1924: History
of Salem, Massachusetts, Volume 2, 1638-1670, Essex Institute, Salem, p.
304.
19. West, p. 9.
20. Essex Deeds Book 1, Leaf 61 (10:Mar:1658/1659); cited in Sidney Perley, 1904: “Thomas Flint
House,” The Essex Antiquarian, Volume
8, Salem, Massachusetts, p. 31. West, p. 9. The property was sold in 1666. By
1700, it was owned by Thomas Flint. The house was down the street from Henry
West’s. (See map of William W.K. Freeman, compiler, 1933: Part of Salem in 1700, From the Researches of Sidney Perley. James
Duncan Phillips, Salem, Massachusetts. On line at: http://www.salemin1700s.com/description.aspx.)
21. Essex Institute, 1913: Town
Records of Salem, Massachusetts, Volume II, 1659-1680, Salem, Massachusetts,
p. 24. West, p. 9-10.
22. Perley, p. 304. West, p. 4A.
23. Essex Institute, 1974: The
Records of the First Church in Salem, Salem, Massachusetts, p. 108
(admission to church), and 27 (baptism of Thomas’ sons, and Henry’s daughter).
24. EIQC:4:38. Perley, p. 403. West, p. 11.
25. Alison Games, 1999: Migration
and the Origins of the English Atlantic World, Harvard University Press, Cambridge,
Massachusetts, p. 170-171.
26. West, p. 18, from the Will of Henry West. His sons, Samuel and
Henry Jr., as well as his grandsons, Samuel, John, and Daniel, were all
saddlers.
