Of my 9th G. Grandmother, Esther Baldwin (1746 - 1820), Double Ancestry, and Self-Cousin-ism. Also: Three John Baldwins

The lineage of Esther Baldwin (1746 - 1820)

In my first post I listed my lineage dating back to Robert Baldwin and Agnes Dolte. There was something pretty funny lookin' if you took notice of generation #9, where Asahel Baldwin married an Esther with a maiden name of Baldwin. I was recently able to look into and verify her lineage back to Joseph and his father Richard using Charles Candee Baldwin's The Baldwin Genealogy and its supplemental volume, and please see my previous post "The Problem of Richard Baldwin" for further exposition on the previous generations back to Robert.

After doing this research I can put together a second, different line of descent from Robert Baldwin and Agnes Dolte down to Esther Baldwin, and then down to myself, and it reads as follows:

Of my 9th G. Grandfather, Richard Baldwin (1622 - 1665) and Early Milford CT

Richard Baldwin, my 9th great-grandfather

(Now, y'see, that looks like great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpa when you write it out, which is something, really, and when we get into the 38th and 45th generations later on, not on the Baldwin line, but on others, it's really going to be ridiculous. No one wants to read about great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpa Richard over and over again, and so I use the numbers. See, 9th g. grandfather, now that looks neater, doesn't it?)

Of my 10th G.Grandfather, Sylvester Baldwin (1598 - 1638) and Sarah Bryant (1606 - 1669)

My 10th great-grandfather was named Sylvester Baldwin. He was born in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, England, either about 1595 or 1598. I have run into two different dates, for reasons unknown. (Like some things in the blog, this is a fact which requires further research). The Baldwin Genealogy by Charles Candee Baldwin lists this Sylvester as first being mentioned, in documentation, in the will of his uncle Richard, and it is from this source (the book, not the will) that I have gathered much of the information on him.

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!