Jane Sotheron, 11th Great Grandmother

May 23, 2013 — ancestor, colony, Jane Sotheron

Yorkshire flag

Jane Sotheron was born in England into a wealthy family.  She died in Rowley, Massachusetts. Her husband, Thomas Crosby, was a wealthy man as well:

Tradition says that Thomas CROSBY came over in company with the Rev. Ezekiel ROGERS in 1638. That he was a man of wealth for those days is shown by his advancing a considerable sum of money for the first printing press brought and set up in America.

He spent his last years in the home of his grandson Dr. Anthony CROSBY, of Rowley, and d. there 6th May, 1661.

Jane Sotheron Born: 4 MAR 1581/82 in Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, York County, England Death: 2 MAY 1662 in Rowley, Middlesex, Massachusetts Married: 19 OCT 1600 in Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, York County, England

Their Children:Anthony b: 1602 in Holme-on-Spalding-Moor,York County,  England Thomas b: 1604 in Holme-on-Spalding-Moor,York County,  William b: 1606 in Holme-on-Spalding-Moor,York County,  England Simon b: 1608 in Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, York Co. England

18 APR 1638 sailed to America on John Of London with a group of Reverend Ezekiel Rogers’ followers. They may have lived with the widow of their son Simon in Cambridge, Massachusetts until she remarried in 1645 — at about that time, Thomas purchased a house in Cambridge. After a few years, he sold his holdings in Cambridge and the couple relocated, for the last time, to Rowley, Massachusetts.Thomas lived to over 85 years of age and died in Rowley in 1661, buried on May 6.Jane died the following year and was buried in Rowley on May 2, 1662

1609 tax records indicate that William Sotheron (father of Jane) was the wealthiest resident of the parish.Thomas’ father died in 1599 and Thomas inherited a hundred-acre farm in Holme-on-Spalding-Moor.Tax records and other documents suggest that the family led a fairly well-to-do life.