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Death, the Party
November 2, 2015
— 3 Comments
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead
Beliefs about death and afterlife vary, but we all share the knowledge that we will die. If you have helped anyone with end of life issues you know each departure is unique. If you are close to anyone who has departed you have had the experience of some eternal bond that is not broken by that exit. Some essential part of your relationship remains and feels alive. I started to study my ancestry after both of my parents were dead. I had a few brief conversations with them about their families in history, but they had little information. My dad said he was Scotch Irish, which is true. My mother thought she was a relative of Zachary Taylor, which does not seem to be a fact. I believe they would have been very fascinated to learn about their ancestors, but maybe now they are one with all our relations.
My dad died in a a hospital setting, but my other died in her own home. She had severe dementia at the end of her life. We had excellent help from hospice for the last months of her existence. The hospice nurses know all about death since it is their specialty. They let us know that it is common to have visitations like my mother did before she passed. Some people have brief encounters but my mother had large crowds of visitors for months. It was clear that she was in touch with other beings, and sometimes we had the sensation of feeling their presence also. They were not ghosts, but were the ones who had come to accompany her across the bridge. She was able to die peacefully in her bed after all the interaction.
This week celebrations mark the remembrance of the dead. As we in the northern hemisphere journey deeper into winter and darkness the departed are free of time. Neither global warming nor the stock market has power over them. They are in an eternal state we will know someday.
Day of the Dead
John Woods, 10th Great-Grandfather
October 31, 2015
— 1 Comment
Woods Coat of Arms
My tenth great-grandfather was born Feb. 6, 1610, in England. He died July 10, 1678, Marlborough, MA.
John WOODS, a pin-maker by trade, arrived in America at age 26 in 1635 aboard the ‘Hopewell,’ and first settled at Salem, MA, but removed to Sudbury, MA by 1638, becoming a proprietor there in 1639. He was admitted freeman on May 10, 1642, and received several Sudbury land grants through 1655. After Marlborough was formed in 1660, John sold his property at Sudbury and relocated to Marlborough, where he had been granted land and served in various town offices. On Apr. 4, 1664, he deposed that he was about age 54. His will, dated Nov. 26, 1677 and proved Oct. 1, 1678, names his wife Mary, his three sons, daughter Katherine, son-in-law John BELLOWS, and grandchild Hannah LEVINS. The inventory of his estate, on Jul. 19, 1678 at £303.03.07, mentions son-in-law Joseph NEWTON. Married about 1633.
John Woods (1610 – 1678)
is my 10th great grandfather
John Woods (1641 – 1716)
son of John Woods
Lydia Woods (1672 – 1738)
daughter of John Woods
Lydia Eager (1696 – 1735)
daughter of Lydia Woods
Mary Thomas (1729 – 1801)
daughter of Lydia Eager
Joseph Morse III (1756 – 1835)
son of Mary Thomas
John Henry Morse (1775 – 1864)
son of Joseph Morse III
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of John Henry Morse
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
Benjamin Daniel Mead , 7th Great-Grandfather
October 23, 2015
— 1 Comment
My 7th great-grandfather was born on May 7, 1667 in Greenwich, Fairfield County,Connecticut and died Feb. 22, 1746 in Greenwich. He is buried in the Old Burying Ground there.
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- Old Burying Ground, Greenwich
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- headstone
Benjamin Mead was an officer in the local militia and served a term as Surveyor for Fairfield County. Reports of his action in the French and Indian War are misleading, as he died before the Seven Years’ War war started. That said, that global war was only part of an ongoing conflict in Europe from 1689-1763 that had combat ramifications in North America on at least 4 occasions when wars were officially declared. In addition to having names these wars also had numbers under the rubrique of “Intercolonial Wars,” much as we have numbered “World Wars”– since the individual wars had different names in Britain than on the Continent, the numbering system helped keep things (somewhat) straight. Finally, the Intercolonial Wars, as they were called in Europe, were called the French And Indian Wars in North America.
Benjamin Mead was old enough to have fought in any of the first three of these, King William’s War or War of the League of Augsburg (1st Intercolonial) and Queen Anne’s War or War of the Spanish Succession (2nd Intercontinental) being the most likely. So in this sense, any action he saw during those wars makes him a veteran of the French and Indian Wars.
Spouses:
Sarah Waterbury Mead (1677 – 1745)*
Rachel Brown Mead (1680 – ____)*
Children:
Benjamin Mead (1701 – 1783)*
Eliphelet Mead (1704 – 1796)*
Elizabeth Mead Peck (1705 – 1783)*
Keziah Mead Howe (1707 – 1808)*
Obadiah Mead (1719 – 1759)*
Nehemiah Mead (1721 – 1791)*
Hannah Mead Mead (1726 – 1815)*
Siblings:
Ebenezer Mead (1663 – 1728)*
Hannah Mead Scofield (1664 – 1728)*
Jonathan Mead (1665 – 1712)*
Benjamin Daniel Mead (1667 – 1746)
Benjamin Daniel Mead (1667 – 1746)
is my 7th great grandfather
Mary Mead (1724 – 1787)
daughter of Benjamin Daniel Mead
Abner Mead (1749 – 1810)
son of Mary Mead
Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Abner Mead
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of Martha Mead
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
We know what has happened to his house in Greenwich:
Benjamin Mead, the son of John Mead, one of the 15 proprietors, inherited from his father 15 acres of property in Cos Cob in 1696. The will describes the inheritance as “five acres of land at Stickling brock (Strickland Brook) as it is lyd out to mee, and all my lands & meadow lying & and being at that place commonly cauled Coscob, as it is Layd out to mee & ten acres of upland above ye road aded now to ye five”.
In 1697, Benjamin built a house on the land, a two room saltbox with center chimney. A rear lean-to, including a kitchen ell was added in 1732 according to an architectural field study by the Greenwich Historical Society.
Obadiah Mead bought the Bible Street land and house from his father Benjamin Mead in 1746 (1756) for 200 pounds New York money. In that same year Obadiah married Lois Todd daughter of the Reverend Abraham Todd minister of the Second Congregational Society in Greenwich. The couple had 2 daughters, Mary Mead b.Aug 10 1757, d.2/14/1815 and Phoebe. Obadiah died in 1759 while the girls were young.
When the girls came of age the land was divided between them with a Dower lot for their mother. Mary eventually married Michael Cox Timpany b. abt 1755, d. 10/25/1811. Mary eventually inherited her sister and mothers shares to the land.
John Timpany, son of Mary and Michael, bought the house from his mother in 1813. In 1841 he sold the house to 3 of his daughters; Elvira, Hannah and Adelice (Delia) with the provision that they care for him the rest of his life. John died 11/15/1855.
Elvira Moshier never married and held the house until she died in 1880 willing her land to Sarah Ann Moshier Olmstead, wife of Henry Olmstead and the daughter of her sister Lois and James Moshier who were farmers on Cognewaug Road.
Sarahann held on to the house until she died and it was the purchased by her younger brothers Samuel Augustus Moshier, who ran a grocery on Greenwich Avenue, and Franklin Pierce Moshier who ran a livery / stable / early car dealership on Lewis Street.
Sam and Frank held onto the house until the early 1930’s, renting it out to family member (such as John Timpany Moshier who was waked in the Parlor November 1927).
I believe the house left the family due to losses incurred by Franklin and Augustus Moshier with the stock crash of 1929.
Since then the hous has turned over many, many times.
Very recently, a new owner, claiming the house was leaning, renovated the house. It now looks like a “new” old house….
Parts We Play
October 15, 2015
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.
William Shakespeare sets out seven ages of man in this monologue from As You Like it. Carl Jung used characters as archetypes to describe the different aspects of one human life. These archetypes are played out in ancient Greek drama and mythology. From biblical proverbs to modern fiction characters based on eternal qualities of humanity are employed to tell stories. We embody different characters during our journey toward the end of life, sometimes joyous and other times somber. We act as students and as guides, as teachers and as pilgrims. Our energies are spent on our greatest passions, and we become known for our most obvious traits. Both our view of the world and the world’s view of us is constantly changing. The way we relate to one group may be different from the way we act toward another one.
Before we die we play parts that we have never considered. The soul is intricate and connected to the past as well as the future. Spirit and soul demand that our basic clay be sculpted into figures that arise from our dreams. The figures are fired in a kiln of experience and discernment. We are asked to step out on a ledge of unknowing in order to satisfy our inner longings. Some of our feelings come from the ancestors and some from our society. By observing our inner lives we can make the acquaintance of our own archetypes at work. By looking into patterns from the past and present we may notice how we fit into the story with other archetypes, the other players on the stage with us.
October is time for costuming and honoring the dead. Let us notice which characters cross our paths, and which ones we are playing. We are the casting directors of our own dramas….scary, isn’t it?
miniature Halloween
Robert Andrew Pickens, 8th Great-Grandfather
October 14, 2015
— 1 Comment
Pickens Coat of Arms
My 8th great-grandfather was born in 1644 in France. He died in 1700 in
County Limerick, Ireland. He was a Protestant who fled from religious persecution in France.
Robert Andrew Pickens (1644 – 1699)
is my 8th great grandfather
William Henry Pickens (1670 – 1735)
son of Robert Andrew Pickens
Andrew Sr Pickens (1699 – 1756)
son of William Henry Pickens
Jean Pickens (1738 – 1824)
daughter of Andrew Sr Pickens
Margaret Miller (1771 – 1853)
daughter of Jean Pickens
Philip Oscar Hughes (1798 – 1845)
son of Margaret Miller
Sarah E Hughes (1829 – 1911)
daughter of Philip Oscar Hughes
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Sarah E Hughes
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
The following information was compiled by Mrs. Wendell Pickens, Costa Mesa, California.
The old, old story of Robert Pickens I, handed down to us by tradition, tells us that in the last half of the seventeenth century there was a man in France, probably of Scottish birth, by the name of Robert Pickens, who, it is said, held an official position as Chief Justice of the Court, and who was probably a Protestant of the Presbyterian Church. In this account of the Pickens family, he will be known to us as Robert Pickens I.
The name of his wife has been handed down to us as Esther Jane Bonneau, who, it is said, was a widow, possessing unusual beauty and was of the Huguenot faith.
When the Edict of Nantes was unwisely and unjustly revoked 22 October 1685, the persecution of the Protestants in France became so intense that large numbers of useful, as well as rich inhabitants of France, were forced to leave their native land and seek a place of safety in other countries where their industry, wealth and skill found a hearty reception. Robert Pickens I and his wife, with a large number of other refugees, fled to Scotland leaving France by way of La Rochelle, a fortified city of about eighteen thousand people, on the west coast of France.
We do not know how long Robert Pickens I lived in Scotland; but, after a time, we find his living at Limerick, Ireland, where he was living at the end of the seventeenth century.
We have no record of how many children Robert Pickens I had; but tradition tells us that at least three sons came to America to seek their fortunes in the New World, which at that time was being settled.
The names of the three sons of Robert Pickens I, who, we were told came to America, were: Andrew Pickens, John Pickens, Robert Pickens. We do not know the dates of birth of Andrew and John Pickens, but Robert Pickens was born at Limerick, Ireland, in 1697. It is known that these three brothers came to America; but is believed they did not come at the same time, because they did not settle at the same place in the New World. Robert Pickens I and his wife, it is said, were buried at Limerick, Ireland.
A son of Andrew [aka Andre’ Picon] and Isobell (Matthisone) Picken(s), Robert [aka Rob’ert Andre’ Picon] married widow Lady Ester Jeanne (le Benoit) le Bonneau in 1665 in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France.
Known child:
1) William Henry Picken(s) (1669-1735), m: Margaret Pike.
NOTE: This ancestor is still being researched. Available sources have some conflicting information, but the facts seem to hold up that the Pickens family was originally from Ireland by way of Scotland. At some point, some family members fled to France and records show a French spelling of the name; i.e. Henri’ Picon. Some members were actually born in France during this time period, which most likely caused the confusion of ancestral roots.
Excerpt from General Andrew Pickens (1739-1817) letter to General Lee in 1811:
“There seems to be some support for the claim that one ROBERT PICON, a Scotchman or Briton at the court of France was a Protestant who fled from Scotland in 1661 to avoid persecution of Charles II. In France he is said to have married Madam Jean Bonneau, also a Protestant. They fled France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by King Louis XIV in 1685. Tradition continues that they went to Scotland, later to North Ireland.”
Miss Eliza Pickens, a gr-granddaughter of General Andrew Pickens, in a paper prepared for D.A.R., said: “General Andrew Pickens’ first home was in Bucks Co PA. The Pickens were French Huguenots and left France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by King Louis XIV in 1685. General Pickens’ gr-grandfather, Robert Pickens held a good position in France and with every inducement to remain, but he refused to live under Roman Catholic rule. He married an accomplished young widow, Madam Bonneau.”
Margaret Lang, 9th Great-Grandmother
October 8, 2015
— 4 Comments
Lang Coat of Arms
My 9th great-grandmother was born in Dedham, Essex, England and died in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. She arrived in Salem with her second husband by 1630, but had a hard life in the new world. Her husband abandoned her, but she won a suit against him for support in Rhode Island:
June 5, 1665 Rhode Island Records
“ Wheras ther hath ben a petition presented to this presant Asembly margrett porter the wife of John porter of This jurisdicyion of Rhod Iland &c; in which The said margrett doth most sadly Complaine that her said husband is destitute of all Conjugall Love towards her, and sutable Care of her; is gone from her and hath Left her in such a nessesetous stat that unavoydably she is Brought to a meane dependance upon her Children for her Dayly suply, to her very great griffe of heart. and the Rather Considering that ther is in the hands of her said husband a very Competant Estat for both ther subsistance; and Thervpon the said margrett hath most Earnnestly Requested this gennerall asembly to take Care of her and to take her deplorable Estate Into your serious Consideration, as to make some sutable provition for her Reliefe out of the Estate of her husband, and that spedily before both hee and it be Convayed away.
“The Court therfore Taking the matter in to ther serioues Consideration and being Thoroughly satisfied, both by Common fame and otherwise, That the Complaints are True; and that the feares premised of convaying at least his Estate away are not without grownds; and haueing a deep sence upon ther hearts of this sad Condition which this poore anciante matrone is by this menes Reduced into…bee it by the said Court and the authority thereof decreed and Enacted that all the Estate, bothe personall and Reall of the above said John porter, Lying and Being in this Jurisdiction is hearby secured as if actually seazed upon and deposited for The Reliefe of the aforesaid Complainant…untill hee hath settled a Competent Reliefe upon his ageed wife to her full satisfaction…”
Rhode Island colonial records
The following is excerpted from an article in The American Genealogist, July, 1998, Vol. 73, No. 3, p.180,
“Reconstructing Sarah (Odding) Sherman, wife of Philip Sherman of Portsmouth, Rhode Island,” by Patricia Law Hatcher :
The life of Margaret Lang Odding Porter was not one of stability. She was probably born by 1590 and married by 1610 to William Oddyn, a weaver.
In 1612 she was left with a small daughter, Sarah. Sometime before 1633, probably before 1629, she married John Porter, likely in Braintree. John and Margaret had a daughter, Hannah, probably born in England.
John, Margaret, Sarah and Hannah came to Roxbury during 1633, where they joined the church late that year. John Porter and his son-in-law, Philip Sherman ( Sarah’s husband ) were amongst those who broke from the Roxbury church.
Margaret was uprooted again, moving to Portsmouth, RI by 1638. Her life there was not a happy one as John abandoned her by 1665, moving to Pettaquamscutt and apparently taking up with another woman. Margaret was obliged to petition the court for relief. This court action was the last mention of her in the records.”
Margaret Lang (1590 – 1671)
is my 9th great grandmother
Sarah Odding (1609 – 1681)
daughter of MARGARET Lang
Eber Sherman (1634 – 1706)
son of Sarah Odding
Mary Sherman (1688 – 1751)
daughter of Eber Sherman
Thomas Sweet (1732 – 1813)
son of Mary Sherman
Thomas Sweet (1765 – 1844)
son of Thomas Sweet
Valentine Sweet (1791 – 1858)
son of Thomas Sweet
Sarah LaVina Sweet (1840 – 1923)
daughter of Valentine Sweet
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Sarah LaVina Sweet
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse
Fulk III, 30th Great-Grandfather
October 6, 2015
— 2 Comments
Fulk III, Count of Anjou
My 30th great-grandfather was an extreme personality. He was a crusader and founder of religious orders. He was also a completely furious nut with little restraint. He left his mark on history.
Fulk III The Black Count of Anjou ( – 1040)
is my 30th great grandfather
Ermengarde Blanche D Anjou Countess Gastinois (1018 – 1076)
daughter of Fulk III The Black Count Anjou of
Fulk Le Rechin Rude Anjou (1043 – 1109)
son of Ermengarde Blanche D Anjou Countess Gastinois
FULK V The Younger King of Jerusalem ANJOU * (1092 – 1143)
son of Fulk Le Rechin Rude Anjou
Sibilla Anjou (1105 – 1165)
daughter of FULK V The Younger King of Jerusalem ANJOU *
Marguerite De LORRAINE (1135 – 1194)
daughter of Sibilla Anjou
Isabelle De Hainault (1170 – 1190)
daughter of Marguerite De LORRAINE
Louis VIII France (1187 – 1226)
son of Isabelle De Hainault
Charles I King of Jerusalem and Naples (1227 – 1285)
son of Louis VIII France
Charles NAPLES (1254 – 1309)
son of Charles I King of Jerusalem and Naples
Marguerite Sicily Naples (1273 – 1299)
daughter of Charles NAPLES
Jeanne DeVALOIS (1294 – 1342)
daughter of Marguerite Sicily Naples
Philippa deHainault (1311 – 1369)
daughter of Jeanne DeVALOIS
John of Gaunt – Duke of Lancaster – Plantagenet (1340 – 1399)
son of Philippa deHainault
Elizabeth Plantagenet (1363 – 1425)
daughter of John of Gaunt – Duke of Lancaster – Plantagenet
John Holland (1395 – 1447)
son of Elizabeth Plantagenet
Henry Holland (1430 – 1475)
son of John Holland
Henry Holland (1485 – 1561)
son of Henry Holland
Henry Holland (1527 – 1561)
son of Henry Holland
John Holland (1556 – 1628)
son of Henry Holland
Gabriell Francis Holland (1596 – 1660)
son of John Holland
John Holland (1628 – 1710)
son of Gabriell Francis Holland
Mary Elizabeth Holland (1620 – 1681)
daughter of John Holland
Richard Dearden (1645 – 1747)
son of Mary Elizabeth Holland
George Dearden (1705 – 1749)
son of Richard Dearden
George Darden (1734 – 1807)
son of George Dearden
David Darden (1770 – 1820)
son of George Darden
Minerva Truly Darden (1806 – 1837)
daughter of David Darden
Sarah E Hughes (1829 – 1911)
daughter of Minerva Truly Darden
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Sarah E Hughes
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
Fulk III, Count of Anjou
Foulques III “the Black” Count of Anjou (d’Anjou), Comte de AnjouFulk III “the Black”, born circa 966, was the son of Geoffrey Grisegonelle “Greymantle” or “Grey Tunic”. He one of the most remarkable figures of his period and the most powerful member of the dynasty. Fulk ruled Anjou for 53 years. He was both cruel and devotional, and had a violent and pious temperament. He was partial to acts of extreme cruelty and penitence. A temperamental, passionate and unbalanced character, his most heinous act was having his first wife (and cousin), Elisabeth of Vendôme, burned at the stake in her wedding dress, after discovering her with a goatherder in December 999. Fulk came into conflict with the Counts of Rennes, he conquered and slew Conan I of Rennes at the Battle of Conquereuil on 27 June 992. He then extended his power over the Counties of Maine and Touraine. He died at Metz, while on pilgrimage. Fulk was an old man when he decided to make what might be his last pilgrimage, as penance for his sins. The first night he stayed at the abbey of St. Maur-sur-Loire, where he learned more about the life of St. Maur. Fulk became overcome with passion and devotion in the Holy Lands. Previously Fulk was known as “the Black.” Fulk died in Metz while returning from his last pilgrimage. He is buried in the chapel of his monastery at Beaulieu. By his first wife Elisabeth, he left one daughter, Adela. By his second wife (1001), Hildegard of Sundgau, he had two children, Geoffrey Martel, who was his successor, and Ermengard. A writer said of Fulk III that “he was a plunderer, murderer, robber, and swearer of false oaths, a truly terrifying character of fiendish cruelty, founded not one but two large abbeys. This Fulk was filled with unbridled passion, a temper directed to extremes. Whenever he had the slightest difference with a neighbor he rushed upon his lands, ravaging, pillaging, raping, and killing. Nothing could stop him, least of all the commandments of God.” Fulk III (972 – 21 June 1040), called Nerra (that is, le Noir, “the Black”) after his death, was Count of Anjou from 21 July 987 to his death. He was the son of Geoffrey Greymantle and Adelaide of Vermandois. Fulk Nerra’s castle keep at LochesFulk III was the founder of Angevin power. He was only fifteen when he succeeded his father, and had a violent but also pious temperament, was partial to acts of extreme cruelty as well as penitence. In his most notorious act, he had his first wife (and cousin) Elisabeth of Vendôme burned at the stake in her wedding dress, after he discovered her in adultery with a goatherd in December 999. On the other hand, he made four pilgrimages to the Holy Land in 1002, 1008, and 1038 and, in 1007, built the great abbey at Beaulieu-lès-Loches. As a result, historiography has this to say about him: “ Fulk of Anjou, plunderer, murderer, robber, and swearer of false oaths, a truly terrifying character of fiendish cruelty, founded not one but two large abbeys. This Fulk was filled with unbridled passion, a temper directed to extremes. Whenever he had the slightest difference with a neighbor he rushed upon his lands, ravaging, pillaging, raping, and killing; nothing could stop him, least of all the commandments of God.[1]Fulk fought against the claims of the counts of Rennes, defeating and killing Conan I of Rennes at the Battle of Conquereuil on 27 June 992. He then extended his power over the Counties of Maine and Touraine.Fulk’s enterprises came up against the no less determined and violent ambitions of Odo II of Blois, against whom he made an alliance with the Capetians. On 6 July 1016, he defeated Odo at the Battle of Pontlevoy. In 1025, after capturing and burning the city of Saumur, Fulk reportedly cried, “Saint Florentius, let yourself be burned. I will build you a better home in Angers.” However, when the transportation of the saint’s relics to Angers proved difficult, Fulk declared that Florentius was a rustic lout unfit for the city, and sent the relics back to Saumur.Fulk also commissioned many buildings, primarily for defensive purposes. While fighting against the Bretons and Blesevins, protecting his territory from Vendôme to Angers and from there to Montrichard, he had more than a hundred castles, donjons, and abbeys constructed, including those at Château-Gontier, Loches (a stone keep), and Montbazon. He built the donjon at Langeais (990), one of the first stone castles. These numerous pious foundations, however, followed many acts of violence against the church.Fulk died in Metz while returning from his last pilgrimage. He is buried in the chapel of his monastery at Beaulieu. By his first wife, Elisabeth, he left one daughter, Adela. By his second wife (1001), Hildegard of Sundgau, he had two children, Geoffrey Martel, his successor, and Ermengarde, through whom he was an ancestor of Geoffrey Plantagenet and the Plantagenet kings of England. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulk_III,_Count_of_AnjouHe was born on 21 Jun 967 in Anjou, France. He died on 21 Jun 1040 in Metz, France.115 He was buried on 21 Jun 1040 in , Beaulieu-Lès-Loches, 37.16 He was also known as Le Noir The Black. Known as a terrifying character of fiendish cruelty. Plunderer, murderer, robber, and swearer of false oaths. Made 3 or 4 pilgrimages to Jerusalem to atone for his sins . When taken w/ remorse he abandoned himself to incredible penances. Buried at Abbey de St. Pier re de Beaulieu, France.” Not all founders [of monasteries] were known for their kindness. Fulk of Anjou, plunderer, murderer, robber, and swearer of false oaths, a truly terrifying character of fiendish cruelty, founded not one but two large abbeys. This Fulk was filled with unbridled passion, a temper directed to extremes. Whenever he had the slightest difference with a neighbor he rushed upon his lands, rav aging, pillaging, raping, and killing; nothing could stop him, least of all the commandments of God. This appalling man had countless crimes upon his conscience, but when seized with a fit of remorse he abandoned himself to incredible penances. Thus the very tomb of St. Martin, whose monks he had ill-treated, saw him prostrate, with bare feet and in penitent’s dress; and four times during his life he went to Jerusalem as a devout pilgrim, treading half-naked the sorrowful road of the passion while two of his servants flogged him until the blood flowed, crying, “Lord, receive thy perjured Fulk!” ” — Richard Erdoe s, *AD 1000: Living on the Brink of Apocalypse*, 1988 (reprint 1995) p 121 _FA2Parents: Count Of Anjou Geoffroi Ier Grisegonelle D’ANJOU and Countess Anjou Adelaide De VERMANDOIS. Parents: Count Of Anjou Geoffroi Ier Grisegonelle D’ANJOU and Adelaide De Chalon DE VERMANDOIS. Parents: Count Of Anjou Geoffroi Ier Grisegonelle D’ANJOU and Of Vermandois ADELAIDE.Spouse: Hildegarde Of Lotharingia. Count Of Fulk III The BLACK and Hildegarde Of Lotharingia were married after 1000 in , , Anjou, France.115,263 Children were: Comtesse Ermengarde D’ANJOU.Spouse: HILDEGARDE. Count Of Fulk III The BLACK and HILDEGARDE were married. Children were: 1st Baron Of Kendal Ivo Fitzrichard TAILLEBOIS DE REUMAR, Ermengarde Ou Blanche D’ANJOU.Children were: Comtesse Ermengarde D’ANJOU.Spouse: Elizabeth De VENDOME. Count Of Fulk III The BLACK and Elizabeth De VENDOME were married before 989 in , , , France. Children were: Adele De ANJOU.Spouse: Hildegarde De ANJOU. Count Of Fulk III The BLACK and Hildegarde De ANJOU were married in 1000 in Anjou, France.15,20,314,707 Children were: Geoffrey Of Anjou MARTEL, Elizabeth De ANJOU, Geoffroy II De ANJOU, Comtesse Ermengarde D’ANJOU. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lzrslong/b351.htm#P187727 ——————–
Geoffrey’s successor Fulk III Nerra [d.1040], one of the most remarkable figures of his period and the most powerful member of the dynasty, ruled from 987 to 1040. He finally drove his encroaching neighbours back beyond the frontiers of Anjou and built strongly fortified castles along the border of his territory. Fulk’s son Geoffrey II ‘Martel’ (1040-60) pursued the policy of expansion begun by his father and annexed the Vendômois and a part of Maine to Anjou. Because he left no sons, his two nephews, Geoffrey III the Bearded [le Barbu] and Fulk IV ‘the Rude’ [le Réchin], shared the succession. However, they soon came into armed conflict, and Fulk defeated Geoffrey in 1068. Nevertheless, he had to give up most of the lands that Fulk III Nerra had acquired to defend his fief against the claims of the Duke of Normandy. ——————– Fulk III (972 – 21 June 1040), called Nerra (that is, le Noir, “the Black”) after his death, was Count of Anjou from 21 July 987 to his death. He was the son of Geoffrey Greymantle and Adelaide of Vermandois.Fulk III was the founder of Angevin power. He was only fifteen when he succeeded his father, and had a violent but also pious temperament, was partial to acts of extreme cruelty as well as penitence. In his most notorious act, he had his first wife (and cousin) Elisabeth of Vendôme burned at the stake in her wedding dress, after he discovered her in adultery with a goatherd in December 999. On the other hand, he made four pilgrimages to the Holy Land in 1002, 1008, and 1038 and, in 1007, built the great abbey at Beaulieu-lès-Loches. As a result, historiography has this to say about him: “ Fulk of Anjou, plunderer, murderer, robber, and swearer of false oaths, a truly terrifying character of fiendish cruelty, founded not one but two large abbeys. This Fulk was filled with unbridled passion, a temper directed to extremes. Whenever he had the slightest difference with a neighbor he rushed upon his lands, ravaging, pillaging, raping, and killing; nothing could stop him, least of all the commandments of God.[1] . . . un des batailleurs les plus agités du Moyen Âge.[2] ” Fulk fought against the claims of the counts of Rennes, defeating and killing Conan I of Rennes at the Battle of Conquereuil on 27 June 992. He then extended his power over the Counties of Maine and Touraine. Fulk’s enterprises came up against the no less determined and violent ambitions of Odo II of Blois, against whom he made an alliance with the Capetians. On 6 July 1016, he defeated Odo at the Battle of Pontlevoy. In 1025, after capturing and burning the city of Saumur, Fulk reportedly cried, “Saint Florentius, let yourself be burned. I will build you a better home in Angers.” However, when the transportation of the saint’s relics to Angers proved difficult, Fulk declared that Florentius was a rustic lout unfit for the city, and sent the relics back to Saumur. Fulk also commissioned many buildings, primarily for defensive purposes. While fighting against the Bretons and Blesevins, protecting his territory from Vendôme to Angers and from there to Montrichard, he had more than a hundred castles, donjons, and abbeys constructed, including those at Château-Gontier, Loches (a stone keep), and Montbazon. He built the donjon at Langeais (990), one of the first stone castles. These numerous pious foundations, however, followed many acts of violence against the church. Fulk died in Metz while returning from his last pilgrimage. He is buried in the chapel of his monastery at Beaulieu. By his first wife, Elisabeth, he left one daughter, Adela. By his second wife (1001), Hildegard of Sundgau, he had two children, Geoffrey Martel, his successor, and Ermengarde, through whom he was an ancestor of Geoffrey Plantagenet and the Plantagenet kings of England.——————– Fulk III (972 – 21 June 1040), called Nerra (that is, le Noir, “the Black”) after his death, was Count of Anjou from 21 July 987 to his death. He was the son of Geoffrey Greymantle and Adelaide of Vermandois . . . un des batailleurs les plus agités du Moyen Âge.Fulk died in Metz while returning from his last pilgrimage. He is buried in the chapel of his monastery at Beaulieu. By his first wife Elisabeth, he left one daughter, Adela. By his second wife , Hildegard of Sundgau, he had two children, Geoffrey Martel, his successor, and Ermengard. ——————– From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaFulk died in Metz while returning from his last pilgrimage. He is buried in the chapel of his monastery at Beaulieu. By his first wife, Elisabeth, he left one daughter, Adela. By his second wife (1001), Hildegard of Sundgau, he had two children, Geoffrey Martel, his successor, and Ermengarde, through whom he was an ancestor of Geoffrey Plantagenet and the Plantagenet kings of England.[edit] Notes 1. ^ Erdoes. 2. ^ Achille Luchaire.[edit] Sources * Bachrach, Bernard S. Fulk Nerra, the Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040: a Political Biography of the Angevin Count. University of California Press, 1993. * Erdoes, Richard. AD 1000: Living on the Brink of Apocalypse, 1988 * Fichtenau, Henry. Living in the Tenth Century, 1991.——————– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulk_the_Black ——————– Fulk III, Count of Anjou From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaBachrach, Bernard S. Fulk Nerra, the Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040: a Political Biography of the Angevin Count. University of California Press, 1993. Erdoes, Richard. AD 1000: Living on the Brink of Apocalypse, 1988 Fichtenau, Henry. Living in the Tenth Century, 1991.THE ORDER OF SAINT JOHN:”Pilgrimage to sites regarded as holy is as old as mankind” (Riley-Smith, 3). Surviving accounts of journeys to Jerusalem date from the year 333. After Jerusalem fell to the Muslims, in 638, there were fewer visitors because of the uncertainy of safety. By the time of the first millenium, in the year 1000, people tried to again make these pilgrimages to the Holy Lands. This was most likely because of the omens about the world ending with the return of the anti-Christ and the return of their Savior to oust the Devil.Early in the 11th century (in the 1030s) many more people were making pilgrimages to the holy city of Jerusalem. By this period in time, Count Fulk III (972-June 21, 1040) of Anjou was taking his last pilgrimage.Fulk had ruled Anjou for fifty-three (53) years. Fulk was both cruel and devotional. He had a violent and pious temperament. He was partial to acts of extreme cruelty and penitence. His most heinous act was having his first wife (and cousin), Elisabeth of Vendôme, burned at the stake in her wedding dress, after discovering her with a goatherder in December 999.Fulk was an old man when he decided to make what might be his last pilgrimage, as penance for his sins. The first night he stayed at the abbey of St. Maur-sur-Loire, where he learned more about the life of St. Maur. Fulk became overcome with passion and devotion in the Holy Lands. Previously Fulk was known as “the Black.” Fulk died in Metz while returning from his last pilgrimage. He is buried in the chapel of his monastery at Beaulieu. By his first wife Elisabeth, he left one daughter, Adela. By his second wife (1001), Hildegard of Sundgau, he had two children, Geoffrey Martel, who was his successor, and Ermengard.A writer said of Fulk III:Fulk of Anjou [was] plunderer, murderer, robber, and swearer of false oaths, a truly terrifying character of fiendish cruelty, founded not one but two large abbeys. This Fulk was filled with unbridled passion, a temper directed to extremes. Whenever he had the slightest difference with a neighbor he rushed upon his lands, ravaging, pillaging, raping, and killing; nothing could stop him, least of all the commandments of God (un des batailleurs les plus agités du Moyen Âge and Wikipedia.The First Crusade began in the 1090s. Pilgrimages led some Italian merchants to obtain, from the city’s Muslim rulers, the right to maintain a Roman Catholic Church there. In connection with this church, a hospital was established for the pilgrims who contracted various diseases on their journey. When the Crusaders took Jerusalem, the master of the hospital was Gerard de Martignes (d. 1120), from Provencial France. Blessed Gerard, as founder, acquired territory and revenues for his order throughout the Kingdom of Jerusalem and beyond. The pilgrim’s hospital was dedicated to St. John the Baptist and founded around 1070 as part of a Benedictine monastery.Gerard was director of the Hospital of Notre Dame in the Holy City sometime before the Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099. At first, Gerard directed the Hospital under the authority of the Abbot of St. Mary. Later he and his companions left and created a special congregation, adopted a Rule, took vows and were accredited by the Popes. The first papal bull, in their favor, is dated 15 February 1113 and refers to “Gerard, Founder and Governor of the Hospital at Jerusalem and his Legitimate Successors”. This document was adminstered by Pope Paschal II (1099-1118). A sub-order was called “The Canons of the Holy Sepulchre.” They were responsible for guarding the tomb of Christ. Each knight of the Hospitallers was allowed his own four horses and two esquires, while a sergeant had two horses and, from 1302, a sergeant was also allowed one squire. Blessed Gerard’s skull is precerved in the convent of St. Ursula, in Vallette, Malta.Valletta is the capital city of Malta, and is built on the northern half of the Sciberras peninsula, which separates the Grand Harbour from Marsamxett Harbour. Valletta was conceived by Grand Master Jean de la Valette, of the Knights of Saint John. When the knights agreed to make Malta their headquarters, they realized that they needed a defensible city to protect the island against the Turkish hordes. The Turks had already been driven them out of Rhodes, and the they followed them to Malta.At the Grand Master’s request, the Pope sent his own architect, Francesco Laperelli, to plan this city. Laparelli was the great Michelangelo’s assistant. Laparelli arrived in Malta on December 28th, 1565. His plans, for the city, were drawn up within three days. On March 28th, 1565, Valette was officially born. Their new city was christened “Valletta” after the Grand Master Jean de la Valette.Towards the end of 1568, a Maltese architectural engineer, Gerolamo Cassar, took charge of the building of the city. Grand Master Laparelli left for active service in Crete, and died. The body of Jean de la Valette was entombed in the church, called Our Lady of Victory, until St. John’s Co-Cathedral was built. St. John the Baptist is the Patron Saint of the Order. St. John’s was the Order’s church and was accorded the status of Co-Cathedral in 1882 along with the Cathedral at Mdina.Then The Order of the Knights Templar was established in 1119-1120. In 1128, the Order of the Knights Templar is recognized by the Catholic Church. These two Orders were united in the same cause, which was to protect and heal the Christians as they made their pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. Somewhere around 1135-1154, the Hospitallers were made independent of local religious authorities (The Muslims).Pilgrimages were an important part of religious life in the Middle Ages. Out of devotion or penance, men and women made their way to the various shrines of Europe to pay homage to the saints or holy places. The most popular destinations were Santiago de Compostela in Spain, to Rome, and to Jerusalem. Trips to Jerusalem were dangerous, since Jerusalem had been in Muslim hands since the seventh century. In 1016, Caliph Hakin began to persecute Christians, and he tore down the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Hakim declared himself divine in the same year, and even began to kill his own subjects. Most thought him a madman.In 1095, the Emperor of Bzyantium, Alexius I, Comnenus (1081-1118), asked the Roman Pope to send Christian knights to help him to reconquer eastern Turkey. Eastern Turkey was lost at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. Thus began the war on God’s behalf.The main “Soldiers of God” were the Hospitallers and the Knights Templars. However, for some reason of dispute, by the thirteenth century, the Templars and Hospitallers were fighting each other in Acre.The Order was also called the “Knights of Malta” and then became the “Knights of Rhodes.” The “Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem,” followed the rule of St. Augustine. After the fall of Acre, in 1291, the Order transferred to Cyprus, then to Rhodes (in 1310), and in 1530 to Malta after being driven out of Rhodes by the forces of Sulieman, “The Magnificent,” in 1530. Note that Sulieman is “Solomon” in English. Sulieman was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520-1566. The Hospitallers were a major military force in the Meditteranean until they were defeated by Napoleon in 1789. The Order was given protection by Russian Emperor Paul I (1796-1801), and by 1834 it moved its headquarters to Rome with the help of Pope Leo XIII.http://www.ffish.com/family_tree/Descendants_Charlemagne/D1.htm#90http://www.celtic-casimir.com/webtree/2/25579.htm
Fulk III castle keep at Loches
Ermengarde Blanche D Anjou Countess Gastinois
October 4, 2015
— 3 Comments
Ermengarde Blanche D Anjou Countess Gastinois
My 29th great-grandmother, Ermengarde of Anjou (c. 1018 – 18 March 1076), daughter of Count Fulk III of Anjou and Hildegarde of Sundgau, was born in Angers and was murdered at the Church of Fleurey-sur-Ouche, Côte-d’Or.
Ermengarde-Blanche of Anjou was a French noblewoman who was first Countess of Chateau-Landon and secondly Duchess of Burgundy. She is also called Hermangarde in some sources. Ermengarde-Blanch was the heiress of the countship of Anjou and is an ancestress of the House of Plantagenet.
Ermengarde-Blanc he was the daughter of Count Fulk III of Anjou and Hildegarde. She was involved in two marriage alliances that greatly benefited her father and brother as counts of Anjou. She was first contracted to marry Geoffrey II, Count of Gâtinais, called Ferréol , who was also lord of Château-Landon. It was important marriage to return Château-Landon to the counts of Anjou. It took between twelve and eighteen months to arrange the marriage. Meanwhile Fulk paid a great deal of attention to Château-Landon. He and his wife, Hildegarde, founded the abbey of Le Ronceray. Originally a church dedicated to St. Mary, Hildegard was very active in its rebuilding into an abbey. They gave the abbey many gifts including the forest of Lattay. They gave more gifts to this abbey than any other church or religious house. Her two sons of this marriage, Geoffrey III and Fulk both became counts of Anjou after her brother Geoffrey II Martel. Among her descendants are the Plantagenet (or Angevin) kings of England.
After her husband Geoffrey died Ermengarde-Blanche married Robert I Capet, Duke of Burgundy. Robert was the son of King Robert II of France. Because both Ermengarde and her second husband Robert Capet were both descendants of Ingelger, they were related by blood. This was found in charts prepared at the monastery of Saint-Aubin at Angers between 1048 and 1052. The ancestral charts show how closely the Angevin and Capet families were related. The charts were probably created over concerns of who Ermengarde and Robert’s daughter Hildegarde could or could not marry. Ermengarde-Blanche died at Fleury-sur-Ouche on 18 March 1076. Robert died three days later at the same place on 21 March 1076.
Ermengarde Blanche D Anjou Countess Gastinois (1018 – 1076)
is my 29th great grandmother
Fulk Le Rechin Rude Anjou (1043 – 1109)
son of Ermengarde Blanche D Anjou Countess Gastinois
FULK V The Younger King of Jerusalem ANJOU * (1092 – 1143)
son of Fulk Le Rechin Rude Anjou
Sibilla Anjou (1105 – 1165)
daughter of FULK V The Younger King of Jerusalem ANJOU *
Marguerite De LORRAINE (1135 – 1194)
daughter of Sibilla Anjou
Isabelle De Hainault (1170 – 1190)
daughter of Marguerite De LORRAINE
Louis VIII France (1187 – 1226)
son of Isabelle De Hainault
Charles I King of Jerusalem and Naples (1227 – 1285)
son of Louis VIII France
Charles NAPLES (1254 – 1309)
son of Charles I King of Jerusalem and Naples
Marguerite Sicily Naples (1273 – 1299)
daughter of Charles NAPLES
Jeanne DeVALOIS (1294 – 1342)
daughter of Marguerite Sicily Naples
Philippa deHainault (1311 – 1369)
daughter of Jeanne DeVALOIS
John of Gaunt – Duke of Lancaster – Plantagenet (1340 – 1399)
son of Philippa deHainault
Elizabeth Plantagenet (1363 – 1425)
daughter of John of Gaunt – Duke of Lancaster – Plantagenet
John Holland (1395 – 1447)
son of Elizabeth Plantagenet
Henry Holland (1430 – 1475)
son of John Holland
Henry Holland (1485 – 1561)
son of Henry Holland
Henry Holland (1527 – 1561)
son of Henry Holland
John Holland (1556 – 1628)
son of Henry Holland
Gabriell Francis Holland (1596 – 1660)
son of John Holland
John Holland (1628 – 1710)
son of Gabriell Francis Holland
Mary Elizabeth Holland (1620 – 1681)
daughter of John Holland
Richard Dearden (1645 – 1747)
son of Mary Elizabeth Holland
George Dearden (1705 – 1749)
son of Richard Dearden
George Darden (1734 – 1807)
son of George Dearden
David Darden (1770 – 1820)
son of George Darden
Minerva Truly Darden (1806 – 1837)
daughter of David Darden
Sarah E Hughes (1829 – 1911)
daughter of Minerva Truly Darden
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Sarah E Hughes
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
Anjou Coat of Arms
Seeking Refuge
September 9, 2015
— 1 Comment
sunrise
Many of my ancestors came to North America seeking refuge. Most of them had religious problems in the old country that caused their exodus. My Irish family fled the potato famine in the 19th century. I don’t think any of my family came to escape war. When I consider the conditions on a sailing ship in the 17 or 18th century I am amazed that so many survived the journey across the ocean. The earliest arrivals had the most difficult time establishing their culture and society on land that had previously belonged to native peoples. The European settlers conquered the continent and took control of all natural resources to create comfortable lives for themselves. Slave labor was one of the practices that made the cultural dominance swift and complete. The Europeans enslaved Africans and made war on the native people to “win” and develop the land we now occupy. In some places a natural alliance between slaves, former slaves, and native people developed based on strong mutual distrust of the ruling culture.
In school the manifest destiny business is taught to children as if European culture had been sponsored by European God to spread across the North America. Very little mention is made of the treatment of the tribes who opposed the conquest. By the time I was born we had taken all the land we would claim, but had not yet made Hawaii or Alaska states. We still have territories around the world, including in the South Pacific. Our political reach extends beyond the boundaries of our nation in obvious ways. Our military and our intelligence community reach across the globe. In the name of defending democracy the United States has made many enemies. In the precarious balance of worldwide power we play the role of peace keeper. In this role we have fought and are fighting wars on other people’s homeland. No matter which side eventually may surrender the residents who must flee or live in a battle are the real victims of these wars.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The refugees arriving in Europe will not be stopped until the war that they want to escape is contained. The situation is complicated and strained in every way. We can see no winners anywhere from London to Afghanistan. Chaos and suffering are moving across very large landscapes with no remedy in sight. There is not enough money, infrastructure, or housing to deal with the crisis that will continue to flow into Europe. This is the most serious issue in the world right now. Containing the disaster and stopping the violence deserves all civilization’s attention. Compassion is the only responsible response.
William Pickens, 8th Great-Grandfather
September 5, 2015
— 1 Comment
parish church in LaRachelle Normandy
My 8th great-grandfather was born in Normandy, France circa 1670, and died circa 1735 in Pennsylvania. His parents fled after the Edict of Nantes to escape religious persecution. Many Scots-Irish, including these, immigrated to Pennsylvania and joined Dutch Reform churches. My branch of the Pickens family continued on to South Carolina where they formed a Presbyterian congregation.
William Pickens (1670 – 1735)
is my 8th great grandfather
Anne Pickens (1680 – 1750)
daughter of William Pickens
Nancy Ann Davis (1705 – 1763)
daughter of Anne Pickens
Jean PICKENS (1738 – 1824)
daughter of Nancy Ann Davis
Margaret Miller (1771 – 1853)
daughter of Jean PICKENS
Philip Oscar Hughes (1798 – 1845)
son of Margaret Miller
Sarah E Hughes (1829 – 1911)
daughter of Philip Oscar Hughes
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Sarah E Hughes
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
William Pickens was the son of Robert (Andre) Pickens and Esther Jane Benoit. He married Margaret, traditionally Margaret Pike, in Northern Ireland. He died circa 1735 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Traditionally it is said that William Pickens was born in France and was taken to Scotland, then to Northern Ireland, by his parents when the Huguenots fled following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. His mother was French; his father was, according to various theories, either Scot or French. But regardless of his actual ancestry, it is fair to say that William was Scots-Irish.
When James I of England ascended to the throne in 1603, among his main objectives was to Protestantism Northern Ireland. To that end he began an extensive colonization plan that encouraged Protestants from England, Scotland, and even France and Germany, to emigrate to the Ulster Plantation (Northern Ireland). The vast majority of Protestants who settled there during the 17th century were lowland Scots, but those we now call Scots-Irish were not exclusively Scot. What they were, were Presbyterian; what they were not, were Irish.
Well, the Irish Catholics hated the Presbyterians, the Presbyterians hated the Irish Catholics; and the English crown hated both. Over the next 100 years or so, the Scots-Irish Presbyterians had to deal with the Irish who wanted them out of the country, English landlords who charged ever-higher rents, and Anglican ministers who made most of their income by imposing tithes. There was a constant struggle for religious tolerance, civil liberties and political rights. For example, the Scots-Irish could not hold office and were denied representation in government. The “Great Migration” of the Scots-Irish to America began in 1717 and occurred in waves over the next 58 years. With them, the emigrants brought a deep-seated resentment toward the English that would lead to the Revolutionary War and Independence.
It is thought that William and Margaret Pickens arrived in America with their children about 1719. Although the majority of Scots-Irish immigrants to Pennsylvania arrived at the Port of Philadelphia, a significant number came through New Castle, Delaware. It is probably safe to say that William and family arrived at one or the other. Apparently, they settled first in Bensalem, Bucks County, where William Pickens and his wife, and Israel and Margaret Pickens are found in the records of the Low Dutch Reformed Church. On a list of “Newcomers from Earlandt” who joined the church are found.
1719 – Willem Pecken and his wife, by certificate.
1720 – Iserell Pecken by profession.
1722 – Margaret Picken by Profession.6,7
And under “New Church Members from Ireland, Nov. 4, 1724. . .”
The new members from Ireland have been received on letter of attestation and have now become chosen Elders – William Pickens
and his wife.
Also. . .
Israel Pickens by profession of faith.
Margaret Pickens, communicant, June 6, 1724.
The Low Dutch Reformed Church at “Bensalem & Shammenji” was established on 20 May 1710 as a Dutch speaking Reformed congregation under Presbyterian authority. (The Low Dutch should not be confused with “Pennsylvania Dutch” who were German, not Dutch). The early Scots-Irish immigrants to Pennsylvania, having no churches of their own, joined Dutch Reformed churches. In the years that followed they came to outnumber the Dutch at Bensalem. Fearing the loss of their identity, the Dutch congregants withdrew to form a new Dutch Reformed congregation, and by 1730, the Bensalem church was clearly a Scots-Irish Presbyterian Church.
According to Sharp, William’s death in 1735 is recorded in Bucks County and his estate was administered there.
mermaidcamp 