Monday, July 2, 2012

Drowne/Morrell Family Connection

Drowne/Drown and Morrell/Morrill Family Connection

The connection between the Drowne/Drown and Morrell/Morrill Family is through the marriage of Samuel Drowne, son of Leonard Drowne and Elizabeth Abbott to Elizabeth Morrell in 1698 at Boston, Massachusetts, daughter or John Morrell and Sarah Hodson/Hodsdon …

Leonard Drowne (Generation 1)
son of John Drowne and Dorothy Childe
grandson of Richard Drown
The first Drowne/Drown in North America was Leonard Drowne (1646-1729) who came from Penryn, Cornwall, England where he was born in 1646, his arrival in New Hampshire was in 1660 soon after the Restoration (England) of the monarchy … Leonard was a shipwright and established a shipyard near Sturgeon Creek (Kittery, Maine) which is now Eliot, Maine in York County … Leonard married Sarah Abbott of Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1675, daughter of Walter Abbott and Sarah Stewart … Leonard Drowne help organize and build the first Baptist Church in Maine in 1682 … During the King William War, many Maine towns were raided and English settlements were massacred by the Wabanaki people in conjunction with the French … In 1696, twenty-eight members of the Baptist Church moved to Charleston, South Carolina and established the first Baptist Church there while the Drowne’s moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1699, due to the ongoing war and violence … After Sarah Abbott died, Leonard married his widowed sister-in-law, Mary (Abbott) Caley … This marriage was performed by Reverend Cotton Mather in Boston, Massachusetts, November 4, 1707 … Court Records indicate that Leonard Drowne appeared in the York Court of Common Pleas as a Plaintiff in 1715 … Leonard Drowne died in Boston, Massachusetts, October 31, 1729 and is buried in the Copps Hill Burying Ground/Cemetery at Boston, Massachusetts along with other early family members …
b.  1646, Penryn, Cornwall, England
d.  October 31, 1729, Boston, Massachusetts
      Buried: Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, Boston, Massachusetts
m.  (1) ELIZABETH ABBOTT
            1675, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
            daughter of Walter Abbott and Sarah Stewart
            granddaughter of Thomas Stewart
            b.  1654, Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire
            d.  May 5, 1704, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
                 Buried: Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, Boston, Massachusetts
m.  (2) MARY ABBOTT CALEY
            November 4, 1707, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
            daughter of Walter Abbott and Sarah Steward
            widow of Robert Caley of Malden, Massachusetts
            b. 1652, Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire
            d. 1732, Berwick, York, Maine

Children of Leonard Drowne and (1) Elizabeth Abbott
Samuel Drowne (SEE BELOW: Generation 2)

Solomon Drowne (Generation 2)
b.   January 23, 1681, Kittery, York, Maine
d.   October 9, 1730, Bristol, Rhode Island
m.  Esther Bosworth
       November 8, 1705, Bristol, Rhode Island
       daughter of Joseph Bosworth and Esther Smith
       granddaughter of Jonathan Bosworth and Hannah Howland
       b.  August 18, 1686, Bristol, Rhode Island
       d.  July 26, 1744, Bristol, Rhode Island
Children of Solomon Drowne and Esther Bosworth:
Solomon Drowne
       b. October 4, 1706, Bristol, Rhode Island
       d. September 21, 1780, Bristol, Rhode Island
           Buried: East Burial Ground, Bristol, Rhode Island
       m. Mercy Tillinghast, July 2, 1749, Providence, Rhode Island
Esther Drowne
        b. October 26, 1708, Bristol, Rhode Island
        d. November 24, 1787, Bristol, Rhode Island
        m. William Gladding, October 24, 1726, Bristol, Rhode Island
Elizabeth Drowne
        b. September 8, 1710, Bristol, Rhode Island
        d. May 6, 1765, Bristol, Rhode Island
        m. Samuel Smith, Jr., May 10, 1731, Bristol, Rhode Island
Joseph Drowne
        b. February 12, 1712, Bristol, Rhode Island
        d. 1769
Bathsheba Drowne
        b. June 10, 1715, Bristol, Rhode Island
        d.
        m. Nathan Jones, November 10, 1736, Bristol, Rhode Island
Mary Drowne
        b. June 7, 1719, Bristol, Rhode Island
        d. April 5, 1759, Bristol, Rhode Island
        m. Captain John Gladding, September 25, 1738, Bristol, Rhode Island
Samuel Drown
        b. July 31, 1721, Bristol, Rhode Island
        d. January 17, 1770, Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire
        m. Sarah Reed, December 27, 1743, Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Sarah Drowne
        b. July 23, 1723, Bristol, Rhode Island
        d. September 17, 1775, Bristol, Rhode Island
        m. John Pratt, January 11, 1739/40, Bristol, Rhode Island
Jonathan Drowne
        b. June 13, 1725, Bristol, Rhode Island
        d. August 21, 1780, Providence, Rhode Island
        m. Mary Bird, October 18, 1748, Providence, Rhode Island
Shem Drowne
        b. February 29, 1728, Bristol, Rhode Island
        d. May 7, 1794, Bristol, Rhode Island
        m. Ann Durfee, July 27, 1758, Barrington, Rhode Island

Shem Drowne (Generation 2)
He was born near Sturgeon Creek in what is now Eliot, York County, Maine … He was the son of Leonard Drowne (shipbuilder) and Elizabeth Abbott … Shem Drowne was a coppersmith with a shop on Ann Street (now North Street) in the North End … He was baptized in the First Baptist Church of Boston in 1713 along with the future Paster of that Church … In May/1721, he was elected a Deacon of the church and served this position until his death in 1774 … In 1716, he created America’s first authenticated weathervane, a gilded America Indian archer, for the cupola of Providence House in Boston, Massachusetts, which in 1716 became the official residence of the Royal Governor … In 1721, he created a rooster weathervane (also known as the weathercock) for the New Brick Church on Hanover Street, the weathervane is now on the First Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts … In 1740 he made a six foot long copper swallow-tailed banner weathervane that is now atop Old North Church in Boston, Massachusetts …  His most famous work is the weathervane on top of Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts…. Commissioned by Peter Faneuil in 1742, it was designed to complement the grasshopper weathervane atop the Royal Exchange in the City of London, and help symbolize the new building as the capital of finance in the New World … The grasshopper is copper gilded with gold leaf and glass eyes … The weathervane fell off the building during the earthquake of 1755 which rattled Boston to the core … He and his son Thomas repaired it and remounted it … The weathervane is the only part of Faneuil Hall which remains totally unmodified from the original 1742 structure.  In 1805, Charles Bullfinch expanded the building and moved the cupola from the middle of the building to the front … In 1974 the weathervane was stolen but recovered in less than a week …
The Drowne Claim on the Pemaquid Patent
In 1632, The Plymouth Council for New England granted two merchants from Bristol, England, Robert Aldsworth and Gyles Elbridge, 12,000 acres near what would become Bristol, Maine … In a document known as the Pemaquid Patent, Gyles survived Aldsworth and passed it to his son John, who in turn passed it to his bother Thomas …      Thomas Elbridge mortgaged Monhegan Island and Damariscove Island to Richard Russell, and sold half the Patent’s land, half of his furniture and half of his castle for L200 to Paul White … In 1653, White and Elbridge conveyed the entire Moiety title to Russell and Nicholas Davidson who in turn became sole owners of the patents from Russell in 1657 … Elbridge continued to live in Pemaquid (Bristol) and called himself the “Merchant of Pemaquid” … After the Second Anglo-Dutch War, the Duke of York claimed the land as his under Royal Charter …
Drowne’s wife Katherine Clark, was a partial heir to the Davidson claim of the Pemaquid Patents, and Drowne acquired power of attorney from the other heirs … What became to be known as the “Drowne Claim” encompassed Bristol, Bremen, Damariscottia and parts of Newcastle and Nobleboro … Other claims of the tie included the “Brown Right” and the Tappen Right” … Starting in the 1730’s, Drowne filed a number of depositions in order to gain control of the Drowne Claim … On June 12, 1746, he bought Monhegan Island and its surrounding islands for L10, 13 shillings … His son later sold the island for L160 and his estate bequest money to the First Baptist Church of Boston, Massachusetts …  
b.  December 4, 1683, Kittery (Sturgeon Creek) York County, Maine
d.  January 13, 1774, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
m. Katherine Clark
      September 18, 1712, Boston, Massachusetts
      daughter of Captain Timothy Clark and Sarah Richardson
      b. April 17, 1687, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. April 21, 1754, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Children of Shem Drowne and Katherine Clark:
John Drowne
      b. September 13, 1713, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. September 13, 1713, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
William Drowne
      b. September 22, 1714, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. June 5, 1715, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Thomas Drowne
      b. December 14, 1715, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. February 26, 1795, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      m. Sarah Paine, December 23, 1736, Boston, Massachusetts
Joseph Drowne
      b. December 10, 1717/1718, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. October 31, 1721, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Katherine Drowne
      b. March 22, 1720/21, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. October 13, 1726, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
David Drowne
      b. October 6, 1723, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. 1748
      m. Frances Pebbles/Prebbles, February 27, 1743, Boston, Mass.
Sarah Drowne
      b. September 19, 1725, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. July 7, 1773, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Mary Drowne
      b. February 10, 1727, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. February 11, 1727, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Elizabeth Drowne
      b. January 15, 1728, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d. March 15, 1728, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Susanna Drowne  (Generation 2)
b.   1684, Kittery, York, Maine
d.   November 2, 1720, Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts
m.  John Johnson
      January 11, 1708/1709, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      b.  September 10, 1681, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      d.  November 25, 1749

Simeon Drowne  (Generation 2)
Occupation: Shipbuilder
b.  April 8, 1686, Kittery, York, Maine
d.  August 2, 1734, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      Buried: Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, Boston, Massachusetts
m. (1) Mary Paine
           daughter of Colonel Nathaniel Paine and Dorothy Rainsford
           1701, Berwick, York, Maine
           b. June 8, 1682, Bristol, Rhode Island
           d.
      (2) Mary Everenden
           October 7, 1725, Boston, Massachusetts
           b. 1705
           d. 1752
Children of Simeon Drowne and (1) Mary Paine:
Hannah Drowne
        b. May 20, 1702, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Alithea Drowne
        b. 1710, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Jonathan Drowne
        b. May 7, 1711, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
        d. July 27, 1732, Barrington, Bristol, Rhode Island
        m. Sarah Kent
Mercy Drowne
        b. 1714, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
        d. 1764
        m. Frances Price, November 21, 1734, Dorchester, Mass.
Children of Simeon Drowne and (2) Mary Everenden:
Issac Drowne
        b. 1726, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Thomas Drowne  (Generation 2)
b.   1690, Kittery, York, Maine
d.
m.  Elizabeth Ham
       daughter of William Ham and Sarah Dennett
       June 1, 1710, Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire
       b.  1690, Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire
       d.

Mary Drowne  (Generation 2)
b.   1693, Kittery, York, Maine
d.   January 24, 1732, Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts
m.  James Kettle of Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      April 24, 1712, Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts
      b.  March 23, 1685, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
      d.  June 30, 1759, Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Elizabeth Drowne  (Generation 2)
b.  November 2, 1699, Kittery, York, Maine
d.  1709
m.

Sarah Drowne  (Generation 2)
b.  November 20, 1702, Kittery, York, Maine
d.  February 26, 1724, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island
m. John Shephard
     1723
     b.
     d.

Samuel Drowne (Generation 2)
son of Leonard Drowne and Elizabeth Abbott
b.  March 7, 1675/1676, Kittery (Sturgeon Creek) York, Maine
d.  January 25, 1721, Kittery, York, Maine
     1730, Kittery, York, Maine
     Buried: Drowne-Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Main
m. ELIZABETH MORRELL
     February 3, 1698, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
     Married by Rev. Ben Wadsworth
     daughter of John Morrell and Sarah Hodson/Hodsdon
     b.  1676, Kittery, York, Maine
     d.  January 1740/1741, Kittery, York, Maine
          Buried: Drowne-Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine

Special Notation:
This is just a small piece from an article written by Ethel Morrell McCollister
(believed to be from The Portland Telegram, 1923) …
RE: Drowne-Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
“There is a small cemetery just back of the house on the hill side and one wonders why this was established when John (Morrell) and several of his children were buried at the foot of the hill.   There are several stones still standing and the oldest is that of John (Morrell) senior’s son-in-law, Samuel Drowne who died in 1730, the year the garrison house was built.

Children of Samuel Drowne and Elizabeth Morrell
Elizabeth Drowne  (Generation 3)
b.  April 20, 1700, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
d.  1795
m.  James Wittum/Whittum/Wittem
       March 12, 1720, Kittery, York, Maine
       b. 1690/1700
       d.

Samuel Drowne  (Generation 3)
b.   July 15, 1704, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts
d.   1795, Rochester, Strafford, New Hampshire
m.  Martha Tibbetts
      January 12, 1727/29, Durham/Rochester, Strafford, New Hampshire
      b.
      d.

Solomon Drowne  (Generation 3)
b.  March 26, 1706
d.  1797, Rochester, Strafford, New Hampshire
m.

Thomas Drowne   (Generation 3)
b.  December 23, 1708, Kittery, York, Maine
d.  August 3, 1709, Kittery, York, Maine
m. unmarried with no issue

Hannah Drowne   (Generation 3)
b.  @1710, Kittery, York, Maine
d.
m.

Mary Drowne  (Generation 3)
b.  @1712, Kittery, York, Maine
d.
m.
          _________________________________________________________

Abraham Morrell/Morrill (Generation 1)
son of Richard Morrill and Joan Childe
grandson of Hugh Morrill and Elizabeth Cartar/Carter
grandson of Robert Childe and Agnes Rudkyn
… 1632, Arrival at Cambridge, Massachusetts …
… 1650, Census at Salisbury, Essex, Masssachusetts
b.  1586, Hatfield Broad Oaks, Essex, England
d.  June 20, 1662, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
m. SARAH CLEMENT
     daughter of Richard Clement and Lydia Drummer
     granddaughter of Robert Clement and Agnes Alice Fellows
     granddaughter of Robert Drummer
     b.
     d.

John Morrell (Generation 2)
son of Abraham Morrell and Sarah Clement
John Morrell, born in 1640 as shown by a Deposition, Land Grant in 1668. He was a mason.  In 1676 he settled at "Cold Harbor," in what is now known as Eliot, Maine.  He married, before 1667, Sarah, dau. of Nicholas and Elizabeth ________Hodsdon.   He was living in 1720.  He was licensed to keep a ferry and house of entertainment in  1686. REFERENCE: Old Kittery and Her Families,  Author: E. S. Stackpole Publication: 190,  Page 619.

John Morrell is found in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1661, about four years before his marriage in Kittery. "Acting under this law [for avoiding the settlement of poor people], the Selectmen [of Ipswich] made complaint to the Ipswich Court in March 1661, that they had notified Daniel Grazier and John Morrill, Irishmen, that they were not willing to have them as inhabitants and they had not removed." We don't know of any other John Morrell in New England at this time, the only other family of this surname is Abraham Morrill of Salisbury, so it is highly likely that this is our John Morrell of Kittery. In addition, 1661 aligns well with the first mention of John in Kittery, which was in 1663, occupation "plasterer." This is the first clue we have as to the nationality of John Morrell, as it seems at least some folks in Ipswich believed he was of Ireland. REFERENCE: Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Thomas Franklin Waters (Ipswich MA: Ipswich Hist. Soc., 1917)

John Morrell was born in 1640 and married Sarah Hodson (daughter of Nicholos of Kittery) in 1674 father-in-law deeded him Birch Point, part of his homestead, reserving right to water from the spring, which still furnishes an abundant supply of excellent water. Birch Point is in the town of South Berwick Maine and near a bridge that spans the river at that place.  Two years later John Morrell sold land to Abram Conley and bought a farm at “Coole Harbor” in present town of Elliot which was in the family until 1932.  It burned to the ground the next year.   He was licensed to conduct a ferry and keep a place of entertainment – one of the first taverns in this state. He was the first to embrace the Friends Religion (Quakers) which many of his descendants embrace to present time. There is little doubt that many a Quaker fleeing from persecution in Boston was carried on the Morrell ferry to safety “down east”.   John Morrell Jr. lived on part of the old homestead and was also a large landowner in the present town of North Berwick. He was a slave owner and a man of wealth and prominence in town. The Morrell’s, Winslow’s, Lowe’s, Peasley’s and Pope’s were all Quakers down to grandfather Paschal Pope Morrell who became a Methodist Minister. He was later a chaplain in the Civil War.  The first Quakers to arrive in America were viewed as dangerous heretics in many of the colonies. They were deported as Witches, imprisoned or hung.  REFERENCE: History of the Morrell Family (Online Record)
JOHN MORRELL (Generation 2)
b.  @1640, Kittery, York Country, Maine
d.  @1723, Kittery, York Country, Maine
d.  SARAH HODSON/HODSDON
     daughter of Nicolas Hodgson and Elizabeth Wincoll Needham
     granddaughter of Richard Hodson and Elizabeth Prise of Hertfordshire, England
     granddaughter of Thomas Wincall and Beatrix ____________
     1665, Kittery, Maine
     before 1674
     b. 1649, Watertown, Massachusetts
         1650, Cambridge/Boston, Massachusetts
     d.

                                       For additional Morrell Family Lineage see
                                            The Morrell Family of New England

Saturday, June 16, 2012

The Drowne Silversmiths of Portsmouth

The Drowne Silversmiths of Portsmouth
Article from Collectors Weekly by Stephen Decatur

This article focuses on silversmith Samuel Drowne and his involvement in the American Revolution and U.S. politics.   It also provides information on the other silversmiths in his family.  It originally appeared in the September 1940 issue of Antique Collector, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.


Undoubtedly, the name of Samuel Drowne is as well known as that of any of the early silversmiths of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, but, locally, at least, it is more generally remembered because of the prominent part its owner played in the affairs of his community during the period of the American Revolution and in the years immediately thereafter.

Like many other American silversmiths of the time, he was an ardent supporter of the patriot cause and, in fact, he was concerned in an affair which, since its antedates the fights at Lexington and Concord, is considered by many historians as marking the beginning of the Revolution.

Early in December 1774, a rumor became current in Boston that the British intended to send troops to occupy Fort William and Mary at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor.  On the thirteenth of the month, Paul Revere galloped to Portsmouth with letters to the Committee of Correspondence there reporting the expected move.

The following evening a part of several hundred men from Portsmouth and neighboring towns went down the river in boats and, in spite of the fire of the small garrision, landed, stormed, and captured the fort.  As it turned out there were no casualties on either side, a happy chance which may explain why this exploit did not achieve greater prominence.  The originator and one of the leaders of it was Captain Thomas Pickering, Drowne’s brother-in-law, and the silversmith was a member of his company.

The principle object of the patriots in this affair was to rescue the powder stored in the fort before the Britich troops could get it and upwards of four hundred barrels of this precious material were taken and secretly removed upriver to places of safety.  This part of the program was engineered by Drowne and he arranged it so successfully that the authorities were unable to recover a single barrel.  Later, some of this powder was used at the Battle of Bunker Hill where it would seem, there was, unfortunately, not enough.

Samuel Drowne was a member is an interesting family to which Shem Drowne of Boston, Massachusetts, a prominent coppersmith, also belonged.  Leonard Drown, the first of the name in this country, settled near Portsmouth about 1670, but ultimately the family removed to Rhode Island.

The silversmith’s father, also named Samuel, was a grandson of the original settler.  He was first a minister of the Calvin Baptist denomination, but and in that capacity was called to Portsmouth in 1758.  Although devout Christians, the members of his flock, having left from the established churches, were not highly regarded; commonly they were contemptuously referred to as “New Lights”.  In fact, Governor John Wentworth of New Hampshire issued a special edict permitting all ministers in the Colony to perform the marriage ceremony “except one Drowne”.

Samuel, the silversmith, a son of this preacher, was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1749, and died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1815.   He married Mary, a daughter of Captain Pickering, one of the largest landowners of Portsmouth, a prominent citizen and a military officer who was killed in battle with the Indians at Casco.  The Captain Thomas Pickering of the Fort William and Mary exploit was, of course, a brother of the silversmith’s wife.  He was a captain of privateers and was killed in 1779 during the capture of a British letter or marquee, a vessel much more powerful than the 20-gun ship Hampden, which he commanded.

A few months after the capture of the fort, Samuel Drowne was placed in charge of the leading Tories in his neighborhood to see that they conducted themselves discreetly.  In 1778 he was a member of Colonel John Langdon’s Company of Light Horse, an organization especially formed from among the gentlemen of Portsmouth, to assist in the operations in Rhode Island, and was with it during the attempted capture of Newport.

In 1789, Drowne was one of the Committee of Twelve appointed to arrange for the reception of President George Washington on his visit to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and he further served as a Selectman of his town in 1779 and 1804.   He was arrested and carried to Exeter for a trial in 1795 for alleged participation in the riots arising from dissatisfaction with Jay’s Treaty.  He had then been a Deacon for many years and the spectacle of this dignified gentleman in the dock inspired a great deal of amusement.   However, this detention was easily shown to have been a mistake; he had merely been passing by at the moment of the disturbances.

The silversmith lived on the southern side of what is now State Street, not far from the waterfront, and, as was the usual practice at the time, he had his shop in the same building.   His spoons and flatware are not too difficult to find, but pieces of hollow ware by him are exceedingly scarce.  His best known mark is “S. Drowne” in a rectangle with shaped ends.  He also used “S.D.” capitals in an elongated oval.

While the best-known silversmith of the family, Samuel Drowne, was not the only member of it to follow this profession.  His brother Benjamin (1759-1793), of Portsmouth also, was a silversmith.   Since he died at a comparatively early age, examples of his work are quite rare and, practically speaking, are confined to spoons.

Like his brother, he made a good marriage, his wife being Frances, a sister of the Major William Gardner, whose name is so familiar to visitors to Portsmouth through its connection with the beautiful Wentworth-Gardner mansion, one of the finest Georgian houses in the country.

Benjamin was also a vigorous supporter of the patriot side during the Revolution and in 1780 was on the staff of Colonel Thomas Bartlett’s regiment of New Hampshire militaries.  His name is omitted from many lists of silversmiths, but he the mark “B. Drowne” capitals in a rectangle, and possibly also “B.D.” capitals in a rectangle.   His house and shop were diagonally across the street from those of his brother.

Samuel, the silversmith, had two sons who followed in the father’s footsteps.  The youngest generation dropped the final “E” from their surname.  The eldest was Thomas Pickering Drown (1729-1849) whose mark “T.P.Drown” capitals in a rectangle, is generally familiar.  He was prominent in local affairs and in 1817 abandoned his silversmith business to become Town Clerk, and office he held until 1826.  The for ten years he was connected with the Portsmouth branch of the United States Bank; but, with the abolishment of this institution during Jackson’s administration, he seems to have returned to his original trade and then possibly worked in Newburyport for a few years, although this has not been verified.  His early work closely resembles that of his father, but apparently, is not as highly regarded.

Daniel P. Drown (1784-1863), the other son of Samuel, is listed as a silversmith as late as the Portsmouth Directory for 1860-1861.   Undoubtedly, however, he worked with his father in his early years.  During the War of 1812 he was a Lieutenant of New Hampshire troops, then he was Deputy Sheriff until he succeeded his brother as Town Clerk in 1826, an office he retained until 1832.   Two years later, when serving as a Selectman of the town, he was appointed Collector of Customs for the Portsmouth District, retaining that office until 1841, when he became connected with the railroad.  He was afterwards a Justice of the Peace, and the Commissioner for the State of Maine in New Hampshire. 

Saturday, May 19, 2012

The Morrell Family of New England

John Morrell (Generation 1)
PLEASE NOTE: Additional information and references need to be added ...

John Morrell, born in 1640 as shown by a Deposition, Land Grant in 1668. He was a mason.  In 1676 he settled at "Cold Harbor," in what is now known as Eliot, Maine.  He married, before 1667, Sarah, dau. of Nicholas and Elizabeth ________Hodsdon.   He was living in 1720.  He was licensed to keep a ferry and house of entertainment in  1686. REFERENCE: Old Kittery and Her Families,  Author: E. S. Stackpole Publication: 190,  Page 619.

John Morrell is found in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1661, about four years before his marriage in Kittery. "Acting under this law [for avoiding the settlement of poor people], the Selectmen [of Ipswich] made complaint to the Ipswich Court in March 1661, that they had notified Daniel Grazier and John Morrill, Irishmen, that they were not willing to have them as inhabitants and they had not removed." We don't know of any other John Morrell in New England at this time, the only other family of this surname is Abraham Morrill of Salisbury, so it is highly likely that this is our John Morrell of Kittery. In addition, 1661 aligns well with the first mention of John in Kittery, which was in 1663, occupation "plasterer." This is the first clue we have as to the nationality of John Morrell, as it seems at least some folks in Ipswich believed he was of Ireland. REFERENCE: Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Thomas Franklin Waters (Ipswich MA: Ipswich Hist. Soc., 1917)

John Morrell was born in 1640 and married Sarah Hodson (daughter of Nicholos of Kittery) in 1674 father-in-law deeded him Birch Point, part of his homestead, reserving right to water from the spring, which still furnishes an abundant supply of excellent water. Birch Point is in the town of South Berwick Maine and near a bridge that spans the river at that place.  Two years later John Morrell sold land to Abram Conley and bought a farm at “Coole Harbor” in present town of Elliot which was in the family until 1932.  It burned to the ground the next year.   He was licensed to conduct a ferry and keep a place of entertainment – one of the first taverns in this state. He was the first to embrace the Friends Religion (Quakers) which many of his descendants embrace to present time. There is little doubt that many a Quaker fleeing from persecution in Boston was carried on the Morrell ferry to safety “down east”.   John Morrell Jr. lived on part of the old homestead and was also a large landowner in the present town of North Berwick. He was a slave owner and a man of wealth and prominence in town. The Morrell’s, Winslow’s, Lowe’s, Peasley’s and Pope’s were all Quakers down to grandfather Paschal Pope Morrell who became a Methodist Minister. He was later a chaplain in the Civil War.  The first Quakers to arrive in America were viewed as dangerous heretics in many of the colonies. They were deported as Witches, imprisoned or hung.  REFERENCE: History of the Morrell Family (Online Record)

JOHN MORRELL (Generation 1)
b.  @1640, Kittery, York Country, Maine
d.  @1723, Kittery, York Country, Maine
     SARAH HODSON/HODSDON
     daughter of Nicolas Hodgson and Elizabeth Wincoll Needham
     granddaughter of Richard Hodson and Elizabeth Prise/Price
     of Hertfordshire, England
     granddaughter of Thomas Wincall and Beatrix ____________
     1665, Kittery, Maine
     before 1674
     b. 1649, Watertown, Massachusetts
         1650, Cambridge/Boston, Massachusetts
     d.

Children of John Morrell and Sarah Hodgson
NICHOLAS MORRELL (Generation 2)
Occupation: Blacksmith
b.  January 29, 1666, Kittery, Maine (Old Kittery and Her Families, 1903)
d.  1757, Kittery, Maine
m. SARAH FRYE, 1695 in Kittery, Maine
     daughter of Abraham Frye and Sarah White
     granddaughter of Adrian Frye and Hannah White
     b. January 9, 1666, Kittery, Maine
         1677, Kittery, Maine
     d.

Children of Nicolas Morrell and Sarah Frye
Sarah Morrell, b. December 1, 1695, Kittery, Maine
Elizabeth Morrell, b. March 18, 1698, Kittery, Maine
John Morrell, b. June 6, 1701, Kittery, Maine
Robert Morrell, b. February 18, 1704, Kittery, Maine
      m. (1) Sarah Roberts
            (2) Patience Weymouth
            (3) Anne Jones
Anne Morrell, b. December 1, 1708, Kittery, Maine
      m. John Hall

JOHN MORRELL (Generation 2)
Will Proven: 1763 (Old Kittery and Her Families, 1903)
b.  1675, Kittery, Maine
d.  May 17, 1718, Kittery, Maine
     1763, North Berwick, Maine (MGleason)
m. Hannah Dixon
      December 16, 1701, Kittery, Maine
      March 18, 1701, Dover, New Hampshire
      daughter of Peter Dixon and Mary Remick of Kittery, Maine
      granddaughter of Christian Remick and Hannah Foster
      b. February 3, 1684, Kittery, Maine
      d. December 20, 1765, North Berwick, Maine

Children of John Morrell and Hannah Dixon
John Morrell, b. June 30, 1702, Kittery, Maine
Thomas Morrell, b. August 20, 1705, Kittery, Maine
Keziah Morrell, b. @ 1707, Kittery, Maine
Peter Morrell, b. September 16, 1709, Kittery, Maine
Jedediah Morrell, b. August  29, 1711, Kittery, Maine
      d. 1776, North Berwick, Maine (MGleason)
      m. Anna Dow, b. 1718, North Berwick, Maine (MGleason)
            d. 1761, North Berwick, Maine (MGleason)
Richard Morrell, b. September 23, 1713, Kittery, Maine
Mary Morrell, b. Kittery, Maine

ELIZABETH MORRELL  (SEE: Generation 2)
b. 1676, Kittery, Maine
c.  June 29, 1740, Rochester, New Hampshire
d. January 1740/1741, Kittery, Maine
    Buried at Drowne/Morrell Cemetery, Eliot, Maine
m. Samuel Drowne, February 3, 1698, Boston, Massachusetts
      married by Rev. Ben Wadsworth
      son of Leonard Drowne and Elizabeth Abbott
      granddaughter of Walter Abbott and Sarah _____________
      b. March 7, 1676, Kittery, Maine
          at Sturgeon Creek/Kittery, Maine
      d. January 25, 1721, Kittery, Maine
          Buried at Drowne/Morrell Cemetery located at
          Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine

SARAH MORRELL  (Generation 2)
b. 1679, Kittery, Maine
d.
m. (1) George Huntress, August 1, 1701, Dover, New Hampshire
            b. 1680, Portsmouth, New Hampshire,   d. 1713
      (2) Nicholas Frost, December 3, 1714, Kittery, Maine
            b. 1674, Kittery, Maine     d. 1718
      (3) Thomas Darling, 1720, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
            b. 1677, New Hampshire     d. 1739, Durham, New Hampshire

ADAH/EDAH MORRELL  (Generation 2)
b.  1680, Kittery, Maine
d.
m. (1) Jonathan Nason, April 27, 1702, Dover, New Hampshire
           son of Jonathan Nason and Sarah Jenkins
           grandson of Richard Nason and Sarah Baker
           grandson of Reynolds Jenkins and Anne Gall
           b. 1676/1677, Kittery, Maine
           c. April 13, 1712, Berwick, Maine 
           d. April 7, 1746, Kittery, Maine
                Will Dated: November 4, 1745 Will Probated: April 7, 1746
     (2) Benjamin Wormwoord
          August 29, 1747
          b.
          d.

Children of Adah Morrell and Benjamin Wormwood
Adah Wormwood
Jerusha Wormwood

HANNAH MORRELL  (Generation 2)
b. 1682, Kittery, Maine
d.  January 10, 1766
m.  (1) John Tidy, 1702
            son of Robert Tody and Sarah Libby
            b. 1683
            d. January 1766

ABRAHAM MORRELL  (Generation 2)
b.  1684, Kittery, Maine
d.  1724
m. Pheobe Heard, 1712, Maine
     daughter of John Heard and Phebe Littlefield
     b. January 15, 1692, Kittery, Maine
     d.
     m. (2) Thomas Stevens, August 29, 1724, Kittery, Maine

     _______________________________________________________




NICHOLAS MORRELL (Generation 2)
Occupation: Blacksmith
b.  January 29, 1666, Kittery, Maine (Old Kittery and Her Families, 1903)
d.  1757, Kittery, Maine
m. SARAH FRYE, 1695 in Kittery, Maine
      SARAH WHITE FRYE
      daughter of Abraham Frye and Sarah White
      granddaughter of Adrian Frye and Hannah White
      b. January 9, 1666, Kittery, Maine
          1677, Kittery, Maine
      d.

Children of Nicolas Morrell and Sarah Frye
SARAH MORRELL  (Generation 3)
b. December 1, 1695, Kittery, Maine
d. 1754, Somerville, Hancock, Maine
m. Benjamin Weymouth
     son of Benjamin Weymouth and Mary Vickery
     b. February 1, 1694, Dover, Strafford, Maine
     d.

Children of Benjmain Weymouth and Sarah Morrell
Sarah Weymouth, b. February 23, 1728/1729, Berwick, Maine

ELIZABETH MORRELL  (Generation 3)
b. March 18, 1698, Kittery, Maine
d.
m. Thomas Hobbs
      December 2, 1721, Kittery, Maine
      son of Henry Hobbs and Mary ______________
      grandson of Henry Hobbs and Hannah Canney
*Several members of the Hobbs family came to Maine from Dover, New Hampshire and pioneers of this name have been identified with the settlement of several towns in York County, Maine and also other Maine Counties. Some of these men were millwrights and as such became instrumental in establishing the lumber manufactering business. From State of Maine Genealogies, pg 1592.
      b. @ 1696, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire
      d. @ October 13, 1777, Berwick, Maine

Children of Thomas Hobbs and Elizabeth Morrell
Phebe Hobbs, @ 1722, Berwick, Maine
       m. Francis Chadbourne, 1752, Berwick, Maine
Thomas Hobbs, Jr. b. 1726, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire
       m. Mary Abbott, 1758, Berwick, Maine

JOHN MORRELL    (Generation 3)
b. June 6, 1701, Kittery, Maine
d.
m.

ROBERT MORRELL   (Generation 3)
b. February 18, 1704, Kittery, Maine
d. 1781, Kittery, Maine
m. (1) Sarah Roberts Weymouth
           May 29, 1729, Kittery, Maine
           b.  1709
           d.  August 14, 1737
Children of Robert Morrell and (1) Sarah Roberts Weymouth
Abigial Morrell, b. January 28, 1731, Kittery/Eliot, Maine
      m. Thomas Hammett, April 5, 1750, Newington, NH
Lucy Morrell, b. November 3, 1732, Kittery, Maine
William Morrell, b. March 5, 1733/1734, Kittery, Maine
      m. Rachel Warren, March 1, 1764
Lydia Morrell, b. December 1735, Kittery, Maine

m. (2) Patience Weymouth
           daughter of Timothy Weymouth and Patience Stone
            1738, Kittery, Maine
            b. March 10. 1710/1711, Kittery, Maine
            d.
Children of Robert Morrell and (2) Patience Weymouth
Isaac Morrell, b. January 31, 1738/1739, Kittery, Maine
      m. (1) Joanna Chadbourne, May 28, 1772, Kittery, Maine
            (2) Hannah Stanley, July 4, 1793, Kittery, Maine
Nicholas Morrell, b. November 12, 1740, Kittery, Maine
      m. Patience Chick, June 12, 1762, Kittery, Maine
            daughter of Thomas Chick and Martha Bradeen
Timothy Morrell, b. July 16, 1742, Kittery, Maine
Joel Morrell, b. October 28, 1744, Kittery, Maine
      m. Hannah Wilson, July 13, 1774, Kittery, Maine
Mary Morrell, b. November 12, 1746, Kittery, Maine
      m. Silas Hoag, 1766, Kittery, Maine
Annie Morrell, b. May 16, 1749, Kittery, Maine
      m. ___________ Hunt
Eunice Morrell, b. October 24, 1751, Kittery, Maine
Jane Morrell, b. October  9, 1758, Kittery, Maine
      m. Joseph Broughton, December 13, 1781, Portsmouth, NH

(3) Anne Jones
      November 9, 1779, Kittery, Maine
      b. York County, Maine
      d.
Children of Robert Morrell and (3) Anne Jones
(No issue from this marriage)

ANNE MORRELL   (Generation 3)
b. December 1, 1708, Kittery, Maine
d.
m.

    _______________________________________________________

ROBERT MORRELL (Generation 3)
son of Nicholas Morrell and Sarah Frye
grandson of John Morrell and Sarah Hodsdon/Hodson
b. February 18, 1704, Kittery, Maine
d. 1781, Kittery, Maine
m. (1) SARAH ROBERTS
           May 29, 1729, Kittery, Maine
           b. 1709, near Kittery, York County, Maine
           d. August 14, 1737, Kittery, Maine

Children of Robert Morrell and (1) Sarah Roberts
ABIGAIL MORRELL  (Generation 4)
b.   January 28, 1729/1730, Kittery, Maine
      January 28, 1731, Kittery/Eliot, Maine
d.  after 1760
m. Thomas Hammett
     son of John Hammett
     April 5, 1750, Newington, NH
     b. near Kittery, York County, Maine
     d.

LUCY MORRELL  (Generation 4)
b. November 3, 1732, Kittery, Maine
d.
m.

WILLIAM MORRELL   (Generation 4)
b. March 5, 1733/1734, Kittery, Maine
d.
m. Rachel Warren
      March 1, 1764
      b.
      d.

LYDIA MORRELL   (Generation 4)
b. December 1735, Kittery, Maine
d.
m.

m.  (2) PATIENCE WEYMOUTH  
            daughter of Timothy Weymouth and (2) Patience Stone
            1738, Kittery, Maine
            b. March 10. 1710/1711, Kittery, Maine
            d.
Children of Robert Morrell and (2) Patience Weymouth
ISAAC MORRELL   (Generation 4)
b. January 31, 1738/1739, Kittery, Maine
d. @ 1750, York County, Maine
m. (1) Joanna Chadbourne, May 28, 1772, Kittery, Maine
           daughter of William Chadbourne and Phebe _______________
           granddaughter of William Chadbourne and Mary _____________
           great granddaughter of Humphrey Chadbourne and Sally Bolles
           great great granddaughter of Humphrey Chadbourne and Lucy Treworgy
           b.
           d.
      (2) Hannah Stanley, July 4, 1793, Kittery, Maine
           b. York County, Maine
           d.

NICHOLAS MORRELL   (Generation 4)
b.  November 12, 1740, Kittery, Maine
d.  1784, Kittery, Maine
m. Patience Chick, June 12, 1762, Kittery, Maine
      daughter of Thomas Chick and Martha Bradeen
      granddaughter of Richard Chick and Martha Lord
      great granddaughter of Thomas Chick and Elizabeth Spencer
      b.  1741, Kittery, Maine
      d.

TIMOTHY MORRELL    (Generation 4)
b. July 16, 1742, Kittery, Maine
d.
m.

JOEL MORRELL  (Generation 4)
Lived at Eliot Homestead …
b. October 28, 1744, Kittery, Maine
d. February 7, 1825, Kittery, Maine
     buried at Old Morrell Cemetery @ Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
m. Hannah Wilson, July 13, 1774, Kittery, Maine
      b. 1750
      d.

Children of Joel Morrell and Hannah Wilson:
Samuel Morrell, settled in Tuftonborough, New Hampshire
Betsy Morrell, m. Simon Hanscom, March 2, 1794
Nancy Morrell, m. Robert Johnson, October 1, 1808
Jane Morrell (unmarried with no issue)
William Morrell, b. 1787    d. 1870
        m. Mary Emory, settled on father Joel Morrell’s Farm
Joel Morrell, d. 1813/1814, Halifax Prison
        m. Sally Bartlett
Jacob, Morrell, b. October 17, 1797, lived on father Joel Morrell’s Farm
        m. Sarah Jenkins

MARY MORRELL    (Generation 4)
b. November 12, 1746, Kittery, Maine
d.
m.  Silas Hoag
       1766, Kittery, Maine
       December 21, 1768, Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire
       b.  1742, near Kittery, York County, Maine
       d.

ANNIE MORRELL    (Generation 4)
b. May 16, 1749, Kittery, Maine
d.
m.  ___________ Hunt
      b.
      d.

EUNICE MORRELL    (Generation 4)
b. October 24, 1751, Kittery, Maine
d.
m.

JANE MORRELL    (Generation 4)
b. October  9, 1758, Kittery, Maine
d.
m.  Joseph Broughton, December 13, 1781, Portsmouth, NH
       b.
       d.


m. (3) ANNE JONES
           November 9, 1779, Kittery, Maine
           b. York County, Maine
           d.
Children of Robert Morrell and (3) Anne Jones
(No issue from this marriage

     _________________________________________________________

JOEL MORRELL (SEE: Generation 4)
Lived at Eliot Homestead …
b.  October 28, 1744, Kittery, Maine
d.  February 7, 1825, Kittery, Maine
      buried at Old Morrell Cemetery @ Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
m. Hannah Wilson, July 13, 1774, Kittery, Maine
      b. 1750/1758, Eliot, Maine
      d. June 1, 1831, Eliot, Maine (NEHGS Register)

Children of Joel Morrell and Hannah Wilson:
BETSY MORRELL    (Generation 5) 
b.   @ 1774, Maine
d.   October 21, 1802 (OKHF)
m.  Simon Hanscom, March 2, 1794
       b. @1763 (OKHF)
       d. November 23, 1833 (OKHF)
       m. (2) Betsy Remick, April 21, 1803 (OKHF)
                  daughter of Stephen Remick and Hannah Rogers (OKHF)
                  b.
                  d.
Children of Simon Hanscom and Betsy Morrell:
Jonathan Hanscom, m. Olive Ann Paul, July 9, 1818 (OKHF)
       Moved to Wilton, Maine (OKHF)
Betsy Hanscom, m. July 21, 1819, Ebenezer Frye (OKHF)
Joel Hanscom, m. Elizabeth H. Pierpoint, February 9, 1836 (OKHF)
       Moved to Wilton, Maine (OKHF)

JOEL MORRELL    (Generation 5)
b.  1775, Maine
d.  1795 (“lost at sea as young man”)
m.  (unmarried with no issue)

JANE MORRELL    (Generation 5)
b.  @ 1777, Maine
d.
m.  (unmarried with no issue)

SAMUEL MORRELL   (Generation 5)
Settled in Tuftonborough, New Hampshire
b.  March 17, 1779, Maine
d.  February 27, 1849, Tuftonborough, New Hampshire
m. Mary Hudson, September 1810
      b.
      d. 1876, Tuftonborough, New Hampshire
Children of Samuel Morrell and Mary Hudson:
Hannah W. Morrell, b. October 15, 1812
Joel Morrill/Morrell, b. May 11, 1815, Tuftonborough, New Hampshire
      d. October 4, 1867, Newburgh, Maine
      m. Almira Piper
Almira Morrell, b. October 17, 1817
William Morrell, b. June 7, 1819   d. December 25, 1819
      m. (unmarried with no issue)
Mary Jane Morrell, b. April 5, 1822    d. July 5, 1861
      m. John D. Mallard, September 12, 1847, Moltonborough, New Hampshire
Sarah Morrell, b. March 13, 1816    d. November 22, 1854
      m. John S. Foss, October 1828
Elizabeth Morrell, b. June 4, 1828    d. March 1, 1866
      m. Jacob G. Smith
Julia Morrell, b. January 20, 1830,   d. January 20, 1830
      m. (unmarried with no issue)
Julia Leavitt Morrell, b. @ 1831    d. August 22, 1853

WILLIAM MORRELL   (Generation 5)
Settled on father Joel Morrell’s Farm
Resided in Eliot, Maine in 1870 (Census)
b. February 1786, Eliot, Maine
d. December 25, 1870, Eliot, Maine
    m.  Mary Emery, February, 21, 1816
           b. October 30, 1794, Eliot, Maine
           d. November 4, 1885, Eliot, Maine
Children of William Morrell and Mary Emery:
Jane Morrell, b. April 6, 1816, Eliot, Maine   d. April 18, 1898
Isaac Morrell, b. May 15, 1818, Eliot, Maine  d. January 2, 1845, Eliot, Maine
Japhet Morrell, b. March 11, 1821, Eliot, Maine  d. October 30, 1854, Eliot, Maine
      m. Elizabeth P. Hanscom
Sarah Ann Morrell, b. Feb. 7, 1823, Eliot, Maine   D. Feb. 19, 1883
      m. Ephraim Shorey, December 24, 1847, South Berwick, Maine
Adeline Morrell, b. 1827, Eliot, Maine     d. April 2, 1892
Moses Morrell, b. June 29, 1830, Eliot, Maine   d. October 26, 1917, Eliot, Maine
      m. Sarah Elizabeth Emery
Alonzo Morrell, b. November 7, 1833, Eliot, Maine
      m. Ellen Elizabeth Hill
Martha Morrell, b. June 16, 1835, Eliot, Maine   d. June 13, 1844, Eliot, Maine
      m. (unmarried with no issue)

NANCY MORRELL    (Generation 5) 
b.   1789, Maine
d.   August 3, 1828
m.  Robert Johnson, October 1, 1808
       b.
       d.

JACOB MORRELL     (Generation 5)
Lived on father Joel Morrell’s Farm
b.  October 17, 1792, Eliot, Maine
d.  October 16, 1812
m. Sally Bartlett
      b.
      d.

JOHN MORRELL    (Generation 5)
1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 residing at Eliot, Maine (Census)
b.   October 17, 1797, Eliot, Maine
d.   November 26, 1881, Eliot, Maine
      Buried at The Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
m. SARAH JENKINS
      October 17, 1821, South Berwick, Maine
      b. April 1797
      d. November 13, 1865, Eliot, Maine
          Buried at The Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine

Children of John Morrell and Sarah Jenkins:
Benning, Morrell, b. October 1822, Maine   d. April 7, 1879, Eliot, Maine
      Buried at The Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
Mary Ann Morrell, b. July 5, 1825, Maine   d. May 31, 1909, Eliot, Maine
      Buried at The Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
Franklin Jefferson Morrell, b. Jan. 2, 1828   d. January, 10, 1891, Eliot, Maine
      Buried at The Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
Charles Edward Morrell, b. May 1832, Maine   d. Sept. 15, 1865, Eliot, Maine
      Buried at The Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
Andrew J. Morrell, b. December 1834, Maine   d. Feb. 6, 1882, Eliot, Maine
      Buried at The Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
Henrietta Morrell, b. Nov. 2, 1838, Maine    d. March 12, 1912, Eliot, Maine
      Buried at The Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine
Horace Morrell, b. Nov. 2, 1838, Maine    d. January 10, 1871, Eliot, Maine
      Buried at The Morrell Cemetery, Old Cottage Lane, Eliot, Maine