The Book (I'm just going to call it "The Book" from here on) lets us know a few more details. His uncle Richard, in his will, named Sylvester as "executor and residuary legatee", which apparently was a big deal, since this Richard's next heir was a "prosperous lawyer". Wonder what was going on there, eh?
Suspicious!
Anyway, Sylvester married Sarah Bryant in England around 1620, which would have made him either 22 or 25 years old, and together they had nine children! But don't freak out, because this was common at the time. Given these dates, then, my 10th g. grandma Sarah would have been about 14 years old at the time of her wedding. But before we get grossed out, just remember: that's the same age as Snow White in that Disney movie, and when she got married nobody complained, so, there you go.
Their first two children were Sarah, who married a Benjamin Fenn in Milford CT, and Richard, who married Elizabeth Alsop, also in Milford CT. They all have stones placed on the Milford Memorial Bridge; a visit to which will be detailed in a post shortly. (It's a nice place that is located near the historic Milford Cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in the country, so I've read.)
 |
Picture from 'B.Freed' at FindAGrave, (much better than the one I took)
|
Following these, Sylvester and Sarah had a daughter Mary, who died in infancy, and another they also named Mary, who married Robert Plum. Mary and Robert Plum also have a stone on the Milford Bridge. Daughter Martha followed, with no record of marriage, as well as two more children who died very young, Samuel, who lived to about 6 months, and Elizabeth, who died after only 3 days. There is record of another child, Ruth, but I do not know her birth date at this time.
Sylvester and Sarah's youngest surviving child, John, came to be known as John of Stonington (Stonington, CT) and there are many references to this John in the genealogical records I have come across. He was born in 1635, and was baptized in England like the rest of his siblings. John of Stonington is an ancestor to many branches of Baldwins, like his brother Richard. From memory, I want to say that this John is the Baldwin from whom is descended the owner of the dog which drowned in Dog Pond in Goshen, CT. But I will save this for another post.
Now following the birth of their children, Sylvester and Sarah must have decided to leave England for one reason or another, and emigrated to America. I have found references to a "New Haven Company" in connection with Sylvester Baldwin. I vaguely remember reference on an old family print-out to the starting up of a religious colony of some sort although I can't recall where I read this. From what I have researched, these early Baldwins were all puritans and sought to establish their own religious colony on this continent. This does fit with what is known about the New Haven colony and its founders.
Anyway, this family group of Baldwins boarded a ship named the S.S. Martin, leaving England and their ancestors and Dundrige Manor behind. This made Sylvester the first of the Baldwins to seek settlement in the "New World", as far as I am aware, though he was not the first Baldwin of our line born in the colonies (I am hesitant to say "The United States" because there weren't any yet, until circa 1776 and all).
Unfortunately, Sylvester died at sea in 1638, leaving his wife and six children to their new lives across the ocean. He did leave an oral will, which was proved in court by a Deputy Governor Dudley in Boston, which is where the ship arrived July 13 of that year.
Sarah would go on to remarry a man named John Astwood, and he was remembered also, on the Milford Memorial Bridge.
No comments:
Post a Comment