Ancestors of Mary Doreen ANDERSON
Notes
2454.
Henry CHAMPION
Said to have been of Huguenot ancestry, Henry Champion was born in England in 1611. He emigrated from England to the American Colonies and settled at Saybrook, Connecticut, where he is found as early as 1647, as he married there in August of that year. Henry settled with his family to the east side of the Connecticut River, in that part of Saybrook that later became Lyme. He was one of Lyme's first and most active founders. Henry was admitted Freeman at Lyme in 1670. He was one of those complained of by John Prentis, of New London, to the county court at Hartford, in March, 1671-2, in the great quarrel between the people of New London and Lyme, as to the eastern bounds of Lyme and western bounds of New London. He had lands beyond "Little Stoney Brook" in June, 1674, and other lands.
The maiden name of Henry Champion's first wife, Sarah, is not known. Henry's second wife, Deborah Jones, was described as a "shrewd, scheming woman, for she induced this old man to make a very advantageous marriage settlement upon her, and finally involved him in a law suit with the widow of his eldest son..." An agreement was reached on April 26, 1709 and signed by Deborah Champion, Henry Champion, Jr., Henry Bennett, Aaron Huntley, John Wade and Hannah Wade. Since Henry Champion died when he was 98 years old and married Deborah Jones in 1697/98, he was about 88 years old when he married her. Henry died in February, 1709.
2542.
Theophilus CURTIS
Theophilus was a blacksmith. He was elected tithingman in 1693, on a committee of school lands in 1695, served as selectman 1699,1700,1703, and assessor in 1706. When the town was divided into precincts in 1708 the South Precinct included his land which divided from that of Francis Legaree in the North Precinct. His homestead of 35 acres was purchased in part in 1678 of Joseph Penniman, and lies on Pernis Hill, west of Commercial or Franklin St. and south of High or Washington St. at the Braintree - Quincy boundary, and some of it is to this day owned and occupied by male descendants (1949). The house stood until near 1910 south of present Hillsboro St. a few hundred feet west from Franklin St.
Theophilus was made freeman in 1684 and joined the church that year, but became a member of the new church at present Braintree before 1711.
The will of Theophilus Curtis was dated 1710, proved Oct 28, 1712, and mentions wife Hannah. Son Moses; sons Samuel & John to have the homestead at wife's decease, daughters Hannah Curtis, Mary Hayden, Margaret Thayer, Elizabeth Curtis, grandson Theophilus Curtis.
3756.
John EMERY
John Emery was one of those who took the "Oath of Alegeance" at Newbury in 1678. (From the Ipswich Records, copied by A.W. Brown, published in the NEHGS, Col 7, Oct 1853)--
John Emery, jr. came with his father to Newbury in 1635. He served as selectman, 1670-1673; jury of trials, 1675-76; chosen to carry votes to Salem 1675-76; chosen to serve on jury of trials at Ipswich; tything man, 1679, way-warden, 1679.
In 1642 he had laid out to him fourscore acres over the Artichoke or Raspberry River. Forty acres of this land was a grant of the town of Newbury to John Emery, Sr. and by him given to his son "in consideration of love and affection." The remaining forty acres were bought of Archelaus Woodman for thirty pounds, being a town grant tohim. This tract has been in posession since it was laid out to John Emery, jr; and later included in the farm of Eliphalet Emery, Esq., of West Newbury and came to be owned by his daughter Mary Hale Emery. On March 3, 1679, "the town of Newbury granted John Emery, jr., twelve acres of land on the west side of Artichoke River, provided he build and maintain a corn mill to grind the town's corn from time to time and to build it within one year and a half after the date hereof." This mill became known as Curzons Mills, Newburyport, MA.
John Emery, jr., was a signer of the petition in the case of Lt. Robert Pike, and a member of the Woodman party in the "church difficulties." He is styled Sergeant on the records. He was made freeman May 30, 1660; made his will Aug 3, 1693. His wife died Feb 3, 1709.
3766.
Thomas DUSTON
Thomas' birth may have been in Kittery, Maine. He was a brick maker and he had a saw mill. He built a new brick house and it became a garrisonhouse which was, under his command, to be repaired and guarded by five men. This garrison house has been maintained and is periodically open for tourists.
According to Jane James, p. 21: "On the morning of March 15, 1697 about 20 Abinake Indians in war dress descended on the outlying homes of Haverhill. Thomas Dustin, constable of Haverhill at the time, was working outdoors and saw them approaching. He hurried to warn his family . He sent their seven children aged 17 to 2 to the nearest garrisoned house (probably Onisephorus Marsh's) telling them to run as quickly as possible. He then urged his wife Hannah to come with him on the one horse . But six days earlier Hannah had given birth to their 12th child, Martha. Although they certainly would have taken the baby with them there was a neighbor who had been nursing Hannah, Mary (Corliss) Neff, a widow, to consider. One can imagine the awful confusion of those few moments with the Indians approaching. Hannah urged Thomas to go with the children and protect them and he did. He was resolved to save at least one of the fleeing children--"the dearest one " according to [Cotton ] Mather who later personally interviewed Hannah. He intended to swing that one on the horse with him and ride on. However, he could not make such a painful choice and so, dismounting and keeping the horse between the fleeing band and the two or three Indians who followed, they all arrived at the place of safety. He had a musket and Chase debates as t o whether he fired at the pursuers as some accounts suggest."
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