What's in a name? Mindwell, Thankful, Experience and Deliverance

My ancestor "Deacon" James Trowbridge* married twice and had seven children by each wife named Margaret. His parents and two elder brothers, Thomas and William, were born in Taunton, England, and he was the first of the Trowbridges born here in America. I focused on James because his children's names were fascinating to me. First, the family history:

Thomas3 TROWBRIDGE (Edmund2, John1) was born in England between 1598 and 1610. The Trowbridges likely came from Wiltshire County, England. The stained glass window of the chancel of St James' Church in Taunton has arms identical to the Wiltshire Trowbridge arms. [Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs, Middlesex County, Mass, Vol 1, by Wm Richard Cutter, pages 279-80.]  Thomas, his wife Elizabeth and their two sons Thomas Jr (b 1632) and William (b1634) had all been born in Taunton, England. Elizabeth's parents were John Marshall and Alice Bevys.

The Trowbridges settled in Dorcester, Massachusetts Bay Colony by 1636. Thomas and his wife Elizabeth, joined the church in Dorcester in 1636, and their son James (my ancestor), was born later that year, and baptised in 1938. Thomas drew a lot of land 2 Jan 1637 and various times after that. He removed to New Haven by 1639. Thomas was in the foreign shipping business and he continued making voyages between the Barbados and England.

Thomas was rated as one of the richest men of the colony as he paid taxes on five hundred pounds. In 1641, the Trowbridges moved to New Haven. The celebrated pedagogue, Mr Cheever, received payment for teaching Trowbridge's children in 1644. That same year, Thomas traveled to England, leaving all of his property in charge of Henry Gibbons who was unfaithful to his trust in caring for the Trowbridge sons. I suspect that Elizabeth must have died as Sgt Thomas Jeffries took Thomas' sons into his own family. Thomas wrote frequently from England for Gibbons to disberse funds, but it wasn't until after Thomas' death, 7 Feb 1672/3 in Taunton, England, that Gibbons attempted to settle the estate.

By the age of 21, ~1657, James returned to Dorchester to occupy the land his father owned. In 1664, he removed to Cambridge Village, now Newton, Massachusetts.

On July 11, 1664, James, his wife Margaret, Thomas Wiswan, and Goodman Kindwright were dismissed by the Dorchester Church to the church gathered at Cambridge Village. James was elected deacon to succeed his father-in-law in 1674 and held the office forty-two consecuitve years. In 1674, he bought an 85 acre farm from Deputy Governor Danforth. It had a house and other buildings. By the seventh generation, this land had stayed in the family and was owned by Nathan Trowbridge. James was selectman on the very first board, elected 27 Aug 1679. He was clerk of writs 1692-3, lietuenant of the military company, and deputy to the general court from 1700-1703. [ Cutter, p 280]

James m (1) Margaret Atherton, daughter of Maj Gen Humphrey Atherton. She died 17 Jun 1672 in Newton, MA Their children were:
     i. Elizabeth, b 1660
     ii. Mindwell, b 1662
     iii. John, b 1664
     iv. Margaret, b 1667, m Ebenezer STONE, 1686. [Stone is another lineage in my tree.]
     v. Thankful, b 1667
     vi. Mary, b 1670
     vii. Hannah, b 15 Jun 1672, her mother Margaret died two days later.

James married (2) Margaret Jackson* on 30 Jan 1673/4 in Newton, Middlesex, MA. She was the daughter of Deacon John Jackson* and Margaret. Their children were:
     viii. Experience, b 1675
     ix. Thomas, b 1677
     x.  Deliverance, b 1679
     xi. James*, b 1682 my ancestor, married Hannah Bacon* on 6 Jan 1708/9
     xii. William, b 1684
     xiii. Abigail, b 1687
     xiv. Caleb, b 1692

What's in a name? James had seven children by each Margaret! The names that strike me as most interesting are Mindwell, Thankful (by Margaret #1), and  Experience, and Deliverance (by Margaret #2). The other names are somewhat typical, named after an ancestor, or a person in the Bible. But what is up with these names?! It must've been James who was masterminding these names as the tradition continued with his second Margaret.

Was Elizabeth so headstrong that he said we need to name our next child Mindwell in hopes she'll be more obedient? Fifth child, he has a fourth daughter, was he remembering to be Thankful for all his blessings, even if he just had mostly daughters?  Were they thankful that their children were healthy? Surviving? James and Margaret (Atherton) have their seventh child, whom they name Hannah. Hannah means grace. She is born on 15 Jun 1672 and two days later Margaret dies. Her children's ages? Infant, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. I can't imagine what that might have been like for her. Did she have a sense she wouldn't survive childbirth?

James married again, to another Margaret, within six to eighteen months. The dates I found for marriage were 30 Jan 1673 or 1674. I'd almost presume it was 1673, since he probably needed help with the seven young children. She was probably about ten years younger than the earlier Margaret. I wonder how the children responded to her. Did Elizabeth resent her stepmother? Or was she relieved that she didn't have to mind her younger siblings? #2 Margaret's first child is Experience, b 1 Nov 1675. Why Experience?! Was this because having children was a great experience?! And four years later, another girl, born 31 Dec 1679, and she is named Deliverance. Were they telling a story with some of their daughters' names? If you Mindwell, you are always Thankful, and you will Experience Deliverance in every area of your life. Maybe that's it. Maybe not.

I saw another name Relief somewhere, but apparently not in this group. I think I would've named the fourteenth child Relief. But it was a boy, and they named him Caleb, b 7 Nov 1692. Caleb was one of two courageous Israelites who believed God would deliver as promised. Caleb and Joshua were the only of their generation that made it to the Promised Land.

James died 22 May 1717 at 71 yrs. His youngest child, Caleb was 25. His oldest child, Elizabeth was 57. His children's ages ranged 32 years! #2 Margaret died 16 Sep 1727 at 78 yrs of age.

I'm going to check out Colonial naming practices next, but I have to believe there was some creative rendering going on with James and his Margarets, don't you?

Interesting tidbits:
http://preachersfiles.com/caleb-a-different-spirit/  More on the name Caleb
Newton, Massachusetts is the home of The American Jewish Historical Society.

Sabins in Connecticut, founders of Pomfret and Woodstock

One of my ancestors is William Sabin. William was one of the founders of Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony. Possibly he later moved to Boston to associate with the French Refugees, the Huguenots. Amongst William's sons were Benjamin b 1646 (who is my ancestor) and youngest son, John. Capt John Sabin, was probably the first settler, and he built a house in Windham County, Pomfret, in 1696. Pomfret was purchased from the Indians in 1686 for was 30 pounds and was known at that time as "The Mashmuket Purchase".

The Sabins had a sawmill in Pomfret. John's home also served as an outpost against the Indians. The Mashamoquet Brook was a source of power for the small mills developed along the brook and its tributaries. The ruins of these mills and their dam foundations still exist along the brook.

I think I would have loved to live in that area. Pomfret is located in the Northeastern corner of Connecticut, about a 60 min drive to Hartford, the state capitol, and only 45 minutes to the shoreline. Its climate has average winter temperature in the mid-teens to mid-20s in January and February. In summer, 80 to 90 degrees. My favorite seasons are spring and fall, and apparently both those seasons are wonderful there.

Benjamin Sabin b 1646, was one of the original founders of Woodstock Connecticut in 1686. His son Ebenezer, b 10  Dec 1671, was an Ensign in 1700, and he married a Mary. Their son Seth Sabin married Joanna Cady. Their daughter Jerusha Sabin married Elisha Stowell. Their daughter Jerusha Stowell married Samuel Porter Grow and  had Lorenzo Grow.

Lorenzo married Harriet Felker Currier. Their daughter, Mary Frances Grow married Arthur W Newell. Their son Samuel Newell was my grandfather Arthur Newell's father. I have found the ties back to this part of New England happens again and again. It is no wonder I am

so drawn to this region. I hope to visit there for an extended period some day.