Country Facts and Folklore
By Andy Reddick

Family History is Fun and Rewarding

Of the 46 family lines I have traced, many came and settled in New England during the very early history of this country. While this is not prestigious or that unusual, it serves to identify me as a solid American citizen with a heritage that goes back as far as almost anyone can claim.

William and Mary Ayers Fellows arrived in Ipswich, Massachusetts on the Planter, June 7, 1635. John Ayers came to New England in 1637 and is the one named John who is believed to be Mary's father. Robert Cross came from England to Ipswich in 1634 on the Mary and John. Hugh Roe sailed from England and settled at Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1642. Richard Harrison emigrated from West Kirby, England to New Haven, Connecticut in 1644.

Also from England, Thomas Pierce came to Charlestown located across from Boston in 1633. John Wyman was a tanner in the town of Woburn, Massachusetts and was one of its founders in 1642. Also living in Woburn was Thomas Carter who was aboard the Planter in 1635, migrating from Cambridge, England. Miles Nutt came to Watertown in 1636 while Rice Cole and his wife came from England to Charlestown in 1630. Jacob Waterhouse was in Connecticut as early as 1637 who claimed descent from Sir Gilbert Waterhouse, an Englishman during the time of Henry III (1207-1272).

Several Wolcott ancestors came from England in 1630 including Christopher, Henry, George, and others. My ancestor Henry and his siblings claim direct ancestry from Sir John Wolcott, a knight who lived in England around 1200. The Collins family came to Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640 and the Appletons (who go back in English history at least 600 years) arrived at Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1635.

I have ancestors from other lines who came to America at various times during the 1600s and 1700s, some settling in locations other than New England. And not all of my ancestors came from England. Several lines came here from Switzerland, Holland, and Scotland (including the Morrisons.) Integrated through New England history with these aforementioned people are scores of other settlers from whom I descended.

Genealogy can be a lot of fun and very rewarding. With so much information available on the Internet it is far easier to trace your roots than it was when I first started out fifty years ago, particularly if you can begin your search with a few names and dates and don't have to go into it totally blind.

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Contributed to the Van Buren Co. IAGenWeb Project by Andy Reddick
http://iavanburen.org