Most days of most lives are “ordinary.” But, our ordinary is likely very different than the ordinary of our ancestors. Though, in some ways things are probably similar. I’m using a random number generator to decide how many years to go back in time.  The intent is to see which ancestors were living, where they lived, the basics of what was going on in their lives, and what was going on in the world around them.

Going back to 1670 has proven to be much more difficult than my first post in this series when we went back to 1915. There are more ancestors and less information. When we review this date, 347-years in the past, we have to think in generalities rather than in specifics. We don’t have as many exact birth and death dates for people. A lot of the data is based on compiled records and the work of past researchers, so is less verifiable. There are no newspapers to review. History is reported by the decade, at best, when we go back so far in time. So, for this post, I’ve assembled tidbits of information that give us a glimpse into our family tree in 1670.

15 November 2017 – Wednesday

With Halloween behind us, we in 2017 are thinking ahead to Thanksgiving. We look forward to a big feast (or two) and to spending time with relatives. We did get the lefse made! It is great to celebrate our Norwegian heritage and pass the skills down through the generations. It is a lot easier for us than it was for Grandma though – more hands and more modern equipment. We are all happy to have a new baby boy in the family, but unlike his older cousin who now has years of experience, he just slept through all the lefse-making festivities.

News headlines include the following:

• Strong earthquake hits Iraq and Iran, killing more than 450.
• New accuser claims sexual assault by Roy Moore in 1970s.
• Hate crimes rose for 2nd year in a row in 2016, FBI reports.
• Ready or not, House GOP sets vote on tax overhaul.
• U.S. budget deficit up sharply in October.
• Nationalists march on Poland’s Independence day.
• Texas mass shooting church opens as memorial.
• US displays military might near Korea.
• Keenum, Vikings keep rolling by beating Redskins 38-30.
• Croft, Minnesota run over Nebraska 54-21.

15 November 1670 – Friday

We had more than 405 ancestors living in November 1670. These folks were our 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th… great-grandparents. As you go back in time, the number of ancestors you have grows quickly. You have two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen 2nd great-grandparents, and so on. By the time you get to 8th great-grandparents, you are dealing with 512 people in that generation. By the time you get to 10th great-grandparents, you are dealing with 2048.

Of course, all family trees, ours included, have situations where relatives marry relatives, so you have the same person showing up multiple times on your family tree. The example above shows what would happen if your grandparents were third cousins. You can see that your total number of unique ancestors goes down. This also shows that when you go back far enough, everyone must be related to themselves because there weren’t enough people alive for you to have all unique ancestors. Anyway, the point is that the number of unique individuals may be less than 1024 at the 9th great-grandparent level, but still, we are looking for a lot of people when we get back that far. There are still blanks to fill our our tree, but at least 405 of our ancestors were living in November 1670.

A random thought: this makes me remember the time when I was a child and my math teacher uncle entertained me (or found a way to keep me quiet) by having me see how far I could get starting with doing 1 + 1 = 2. Followed by 2 + 2 = 4. Followed by 4 + 4 = 8. And so forth. I wonder how far I got. I wonder how long I worked at it.

Where did they live?

In 1670, some of our families had already immigrated to the New World, while others remained in Europe. The following map shows where they were located. For some families, we have to make some assumptions based on where their future descendants emigrated from, but for others, there are records that place specific people in specific places in 1670 (or close to 1670 anyway).

What was happening in the world?

It has been extremely difficult to find out what was going on in the world in 1670. There don’t seem to be any major headlines from that year, but a few tidbits could be found. For example, on 7 Nov 2017, a meteorite broke the roof beam of a house in China. 1670 was the year that Puritans founded Charles Town (Charlestown) on the Atlantic cost of the Carolina colony and when Britain established the Hudson Bay Company in Canada.

More generally, the American colonies were still being settled. Boundaries were being drawn and local governments established. Of course, the colonies still were ruled by Europeans. New England was expanding due to emigration of discontented settlers from Massachusetts. The Southern Colonies were being established, with Virginia as its leader. The Middle Colonies were established by the conquests of the Dutch and Swedish, with New York and Pennsylvania being the leading colonies of the middle. There were differences in opinion on whether the colonies should come together into a strong union or, instead, stay apart. This was also a period of time when the English were expelling the French from North America and extending their boundaries westward.

New England

Agriculture was the main industry for our New England ancestors. But, farming was tough. A man named Professor Channing was quoted, saying, “The New England farmer by constant labor and the exercise of great patience, and by personally overseeing the operations of the farm, was able to make it bring forth enough to feed his family and sometimes to have a little to spare for sale; but anything above the bare needs of existence had to be procured by other means than cultivation of the soil.” So, many New England settlers moved into manufacturing, fishing, ship building and trading.

Our ancestors in New England probably had access to education. Back in 1642, Massachusetts passed a law that required children and servants to be taught to read. In 1649, every village in Massachusetts, with fifty or more home owners, was required to have a teacher. This free-school system expanded across the New England. There was probably not much fun in school though. The Puritans were still the largest and most powerful religious group of the Northern Colonies. And they did not like gaiety and amusements. There were a lot of laws. For example, people could be fined for not going to church on Sunday or even for riding to church with unseemly haste. There were to be no public displays of affection, especially on Sundays, and work was forbidden on the Sabbath. Most towns in New England were small, compact, villages where people lived near one another.

Fitting into the spirits and spirits theme of this website, I’ll mention that there were rules governing alcohol as well. Brewing was forbidden on Sundays (of course) and in 1651, brewers were required to use barley to make their beer rather than using the less expensive maize. There were regulations about pricing too – the price of beer had to go up as malt content grew higher. The rules got more stringent in the 1670s when beverages with higher alcohol content became available. People were fined for drinking excessively. Doing so repeatedly could get someone whipped or put in the stocks. Even with the rules, access to alcohol was a priority in early America. Rum became a preferred drink. There were rum distilleries in places like Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Even after the colonists started making whiskey from corn, rum was still the preferred strong drink.

Families

Christianson

Largely based on research of other family historians, who passed the information on to me, we can identify 58 Christianson ancestors living in November 1670. The most common female names were Margit and Kari and the most common male name was Ola.

Name	Approximate Age	Probable residence in 1670
Gulbrand Torson Ve Gislerud	16	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Goer Olsdtr Aavestrud	10	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Tor Olson Ve	58	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Kari Nilsdtr Gulsvik	58	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Randi Helgesdtr Frovoll	70	Norway
Ole Amundsen Aavestrud	51	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Maren Herbrandsdtr Gulsvik	39	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Herbrand Guttormson Gulsvik	76	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Margit Gautesdtr Bortnes	60	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Ole Aslakson Grimsgard		Norway
Siri Halvorsdtr Sire	40	Norway
Aslak Halvorson Grimsgard	60	Nes, Buskerud, Norway
Rangdi Knutsdtr Bratterud	50	Nes, Buskerud, Norway
Birgit Steinarsdtr Kinneberg		Norway
Halvor Ivarson Medboen	45	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Arne Person Rud Hova	27	Buskerud, Norway
Birgit Ericksdtr Brunsvall	19	Buskerud, Norway
Per Halverson Devegge Rud	65	Buskerud, Norway
Sigri Olsdtr Voll		Buskerud, Norway
Erick Palson Aavestrud	65	Buskerud, Norway
Gjartru Amundsdtr Brunsvall		Buskerud, Norway
Peder Jorgenson Olsgard	15	Nes, Buskerud, Norway
Margit Nubsdtr Strande	5	Ål , Buskerud, Norway
Jorgen Pedersen Holst-Haraldset	46	Hemsedal, Buskerud, Norway
Maren Stensdtr Haraldset	34	Nes, Buskerud, Norway
Nub Knutson Kittelsviken	27	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Ingeborg Gunvaldsdtr Bordalen		Buskerud, Norway
Levor Ostenson Kvie	0	Hallingdal, Buskerud, Norway
Anne Hansdtr		Hallingdal, Buskerud, Norway
Osten Levorson Kvie	45	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Liv Andresdtr Jellum	30	Eggedal, Buskerud, Norway
Andres Knutson Jellum	69	Eggedal, Buskerud, Norway
Ingebjorg Steinardsdtr Skala		Eggedal, Buskerud, Norway
Hans Hanson Tolleivsrud	33	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Liv Torsdtr Ve	26	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Hans Knutson Tollefsrud	65	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Jorand Olsdtr Ve	4	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Ola Torson Ve Eidal	31	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Ragnild Tolleivsdtr Froysok	30	Buskerud, Norway
Tolleiv Arneson Froysok	65	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Halvor Embrickson		Norway
Ågot Torgeirsdtr		Norway
Asle Torset	6	Hemsedal, Hallingdal, Norway
Knut Asleson		Norway
Ola Arneson Hoftun	12	Torpo, Aal, Hallingdal, Buskerud
Margit Steingrimsdatter Hersgard	5	Norway
Arnie Tollievson Froysok Hoftun	40	Norway
Kari Torsdatter Ve	29	Flå, Buskerud, Norway
Ola Jakobson Markegard		Hemsedal, Buskerud, Norway
Guro Persdtr Devegge Rud	20	Hemsedal, Buskerud, Norway
Helge Larsson Aldahl	20	Voss, Evanger, Hordaland, Norway
Kari Botolosdtr Luren	25	Voss, Evanger, Hordaland, Norway
Gulleik Knutson Ovstedal	10	Norway
Knut Torkjelson Ovstedal	36	Norway
Guri Halvorsdtr Horvei	33	Norway
Gaute Halvorson N. Skogen-Rud		Norway
Mari Andersdtr		Norway
Jorgen Pedersen Holst-Haraldset	46	Nes, Buskerud, Norway

Everybody lived in Norway, but the Christianson last name wasn’t around yet. Well, there may have been people with Christianson or Christiandtr in their middle names, but the last names they used were the names of the farms upon which they resided.

In 1670, Norway was united with Denmark, under Danish rule. The Lutheran church was the state religion. They were still using the Julian calendar, so the year started on March 15th.

Our Norwegian ancestors may have eaten lefse in 1670, but it wasn’t the lefse that we know and love today. The first potatoes weren’t introduced to Norway until the mid-1700s, so their lefse was not made of potatoes. Their lefse was just made with flour. And, it was not soft like ours. It was dried flat-bread. Women made lots of it and stored it on the shelf. When you wanted some, you dipped it in water before you ate it. Ours sounds much better!

Estes

We can identify 163 Estes ancestors living in 1670. John was the most common male name. Elizabeth and Mary were the most common female names.

Name	Approximate Age	Probable residence in 1670
Abraham Estes	23	Sandwich, Kent, England
James Chisholm	13	New Kent, Virginia
Anne Carter	13	Virginia
Thomas Bradley		Virginia
John Girlington	36	Hornsby, Cumberland, England
Margaret Duckett	32	England
John Echols	20	Virginia
Mary Sarah Cave	10	Virginia
Richard Cave	56	Virginia
George McCall	8	Ireland
Martha Moore		Ireland
John McCall	40	Ireland
Mary Smith		Ireland
John Meadows	12	Essex Virginia
Awbrey		Essex Virginia
David Holloway	6	Charles Parish, York, Virginia, USA
James Holloway	35	Charles Parish, York, Virginia, USA
Ann		Charles Parish, York, Virginia, USA
John Matthews	20	Warwick, Virginia
Elizabeth Tavenor	20	Warwick, Virginia
John Mills	10	Essex Virginia
Robert Mills	30	Essex Virginia
Mary	30	Essex Virginia
John Mills	55	Virginia
Joan	55	Virginia
John Ireson	18	Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Richard Ireson	68	Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts
William Branson	25	Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Margaret Johnson	21	Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
John Day	5	Burlington County, New Jersey
Elizabeth Harvey	10	Burlington County, New Jersey
John Thomas Antrim	24	Burlington County, New Jersey
Frances Butcher	11	Biddlesden, Buckinghamshire, England
John Butcher	47	Biddlesden, Buckinghamshire, England
Anne	43	Biddlesden, Buckinghamshire, England
Daniel Zealy	14	England
Martha Eldridge	3	Driffield, Gloucestershire, England
John Sealy	40	England
Martha Beckett		England
Thomas Eldridge		Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England
Amy		Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England
Samuel Vail	16	Southampton, Suffolk, New York, USA
Elizabeth	13	New Jersey
Thomas Vail	42	Southampton, Suffolk, New York, USA
Sarah Wentworth		Southampton, Suffolk, New York, USA
Samuel Smith	26	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
Esther Dunham	11	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
John Smith	56	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
Susannah Hinckley	45	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
Jonathan Dunham	31	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
Mary Bloomfield	28	Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
Richard Singletary	85	Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
Susanna Cooke		Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, USA
John Shotwell	20	Elizabeth, Union, New Jersey
Elizabeth Burton		New York, USA
Abraham Shotwell	46	Elizabeth, Union, New Jersey
Edward Fitz Randolph	0	Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts
Nathaniel Fitz Randolph	28	Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts
Mary Holley		Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts
Edward Fitz Randolph	63	Piscataway, Middlesex, New Jersey
Elizabeth Blossom	50	Piscataway, Middlesex, New Jersey
Rose Allen		Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts
Willam Newland	65	Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts
Richard Hartshorne	29	Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey
Margaret Carr	16	Middletown, Monmouth, New Jersey
Robert Carr	56	Monmouth, New Jersey
William Webster	6	Scotland
Mary		Unknown
John Cowperthwait		Flushing, Queens, New York
Sarah Adams	2	Flushing, Queens, New York
Hugh Cowperthwait	22	Flushing, Queens, New York
Elizabeth		Flushing, Queens, New York
John Adams	40	Flushing, Queens, New York
Elizabeth		Flushing, Queens, New York
Ellen Newton	72	Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA
Kenelm Winslow	71	Massachusetts
John Jackson	23	Hempstead, Nassau, New York (Long Island)
Elizabeth Seaman	17	Hempstead, Nassau, New York (Long Island)
Robert Jackson	50	Hempstead, Nassau, New York (Long Island)
Washburne	46	Hempstead, Nassau, New York (Long Island)
John Seaman		Hempstead, Nassau, New York (Long Island)
William Hallett	22	Astoria, Queens, New York, USA (Hallet’s Cove)
Sarah Woolsey	20	Astoria, Queens, New York, USA (Hallet’s Cove)
William Hallett	54	Astoria, Queens, New York, USA (Hallet’s Cove)
Elizabeth Fones	60	Astoria, Queens, New York, USA (Hallet’s Cove)
George Woolsey	60	Jamaica, Queens, New York, USA
Rebecca Cornell	49	Jamaica, Queens, New York, USA
Rebecca Briggs	70	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Isaac Doty	21	Oyster Bay, Nassau, New York (Long Island)
Elizabeth England	17	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island
Faith Clarke	52	Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts
John Phillips	67	Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts
Elizabeth	57	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Hugh Parsons	57	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Isaac Johnson	27	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Mary Harris	19	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Isaac Johnson	55	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Elizabeth Porter	60	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Grace Negus	67	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Daniel Harris	44	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Mary Weld	43	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Samuel Partridge	25	Hatfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts
Mehitable Crow	18	Hatfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts
Mary Smith	45	Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
John Crow	64	Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
William Goodwin	79	Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut
Susanna		Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut
Jonathan Gilbert	22	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Dorothy Stow	11	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Jonathan Gilbert	51	Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Mary Welles	44	Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
John White		Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut
Samuel Stow	47	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Hope Fletcher	45	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Daniel Harris	17	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Abigail Barnes	14	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Thomas Miller	61	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Sarah Nettleton	26	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Samuel Bow	11	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Mary Turner	5	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Alexander Bow		Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Edward Turner	37	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Mary Sanford	34	Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut
Edward Morris	12	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Elizabeth Bowen	9	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Edward Morris	40	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Grace Bett		Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Henry Bowen	37	Woodstock, Windham, Connecticu
Elizabeth Johnson	33	Woodstock, Windham, Connecticu
Jonathan Peake	7	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Hannah Leavens	4	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Jonathan Peake	33	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Sarah French	32	Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Dorcas French		Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts
William French	67	Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Mary Lathrop	30	Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts
John Leavens	30	Massachusetts
Elizabeth Preston	15	Massachusetts
Thomas Brownell	20	Newport County, Rhode Island
Mary Pearce	16	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island,
Richard Pearce	55	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island,
Susannah Wright	43	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island,
Jonathan Thurston	11	Newport, Newport, Rhode Island,
Sarah		Rhode Island
Edward Thurston	53	Newport, Newport, Rhode Island,
Elizabeth Mott	41	Newport, Newport, Rhode Island,
John Bailey	17	Newport County, Rhode Island
Sutton	5	Newport County, Rhode Island
Grace Parsons	30	Rhode Island
John Graves		Maine
Martha Mitton		Maine
Elizabeth Cleaves		Portland, Cumberland, Maine
John Borden	30	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island,
Mary Earle	15	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island,
Richard Borden	75	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island,
Joan Fowle	66	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island,
William Earle		Dartmouth, Bristol, Massachusetts
Ralph Earle	64	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island,
Joan Savage	74	Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island,
Job Briggs	22	Newport County, Rhode Island
Eleanor	18	Newport County, Rhode Island
John Briggs Sr	61	Newport County, Rhode Island
Sarah Cornell		Newport County, Rhode Island

Looking at the map, it appears that the Estes family had already conquered most of the Eastern seaboard in the American Colonies. Family members could be found as far south as Virginia and as far north as Maine.

There were also ancestors who still lived in Europe. Some were living in England and Ireland. Others were in what is now Germany. We can’t yet trace the Meyer and Stadler ancestors back any farther than the early 1800s, but their forebears were most likely living in Germany, possibly in the general areas that they emigrated from such as Hettingen, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (“near Trier, in the Renish province”); Obrigheim, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; and Mörtelstein, Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Rhode Island

We had quite a few Estes ancestors living in Rhode Island in 1670. Although Massachusetts had originally been settled almost entirely by Puritans, later, only about a fifth of the people belonged to the Puritan church. But, since you could only vote or hold an office if you belonged to that church, most of the people in Massachusetts weren’t able to participate in the political life of the colony. A man named Roger Williams and others, led groups of discontented families southward into Rhode Island. In 1663, just seven years before the year we are studying, Rhode Island was given a liberal charter by Charles II, King of England. This let Rhode Island legally be established as a colony.

Our ancestor, Rebecca Briggs Cornell was a 70-years old widow, living in Portsmouth, Rhode Island with her son and his family. Things were probably not pleasant for her. She was born in England and had immigrated to Massachusetts with her husband when she was a young adult. Her husband prospered in the new world and amassed considerable property in New Amsterdam (New York) and in Rhode Island. When the Quaker movement hit the colonies, Rebecca became a follower. In 1670, she was living in Portsmouth with her son Thomas and his second wife. Times were challenging. There were fears that an attack on settlers by Native Americans was imminent. There were also fears that Rhode Island would be drawn into the war that England had declared on the Dutch. But the real danger to Rebecca was right in her own home. Rebecca and her son, Thomas had a contentious relationship. Thomas’s wife and Rebecca didn’t get along well either. This all came to a tragic conclusion in Feb 1672/73 (a couple years after the year we are studying) with Rebecca’s murder.¹

Maine

Maine was governed by Massachusetts in 1670. Our ancestor, Elizabeth Cleaves was living there and perhaps still mourning her parents, Joan Price and George Cleeve, who had both died a few years earlier. Her dad had been the the founder of Portland, Maine. But, in 1670, she was a child, still several years away from marrying John Graves, so we wonder who was taking care of her.

Virginia

Virginia was the leader of the Southern Colonies, similar to how Massachusetts was the leader of New England. Agriculture was the primary industry, with tobacco being the most valuable crop. Large quantities of tobacco were shipped back to England and then distributed to Germany, Sweden, and other northern European countries. Labor to grow the demanding tobacco and rice crops, came largely through slavery, petty criminals from English jails, or indentured servants. People in Virginia generally lived on large plantations along the coast and along rivers, or on small farms in the interior. They were scattered and it was hard for people to get together very often. Each individual had to attend his own affairs without assistance from others. This applied to many things, including education. In 1671, Governor William Berkeley wrote that he, “thanked God there were no free schools in Virginia, and he hoped there would not be for a hundred years.” Education was the responsibility of the parents, not a duty of the state.

Religion didn’t control things in the south like it did in the north. In Virginia, you didn’t have to belong to a certain church in order to vote or hold office.

The Middle Colonies: New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania

Estes ancestors lived in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Those colonies, with the addition of Delaware, made up what was called the Middle Colonies. These places were originally settled by the Dutch and the Swedes, though, the Dutch had since absorbed the Swedes. Then, in 1664, England had taken New Netherland from the Dutch. Taking over these colonies, gave the British some huge benefits: it connected New England to the Southern Colonies, gave them more harbors on the Atlantic coast, opened the fur trade to the west, and, because of the good relationships they developed with the Iroquois, stopped the French from moving south of the St. Lawrence River.

The Quaker movement was started in England in the 1600s by a man named George Fox. The Quakers had some wild ideas. Or, at least that is what organized religion of the day thought. The Quakers believed that God exists in every person. They didn’t have official pastors, so didn’t agree that taxes should go for paying one. They also thought that, spiritually, men and women were equal. Equality for women? – Blasphemy! The first Quaker missionaries came to the New World in the mid-1650s. They were not well received by the ruling powers in England or the Colonies. Massachusetts, for example, persecuted Quakers. Richard Hartshorne, one of our ancestors, is found in the Quaker Meeting minutes in New Jersey. He must have been a follower, as it seems that THE George Fox even stayed at Richard’s house.

Krueger

Every one of our Krueger ancestors probably lived in what is now Germany or Poland in November 1870. But, the place wasn’t called Germany and it wasn’t called Poland then. Oh, and we don’t know any of the names of these ancestors.

In 1670, the area where our Krueger ancestors likely lived was not stable. Some of them probably lived in, what was then called, Brandenburg. Prussia and Brandenburg had recently joined forces and Prussia was expanding. Eventually Prussia took over, but that was long after 1670.² In 1674 and 1675, just a few years into the future for our 1670 ancestors, there was a Swedish invasion of Brandenburg. Who knew?

Most of the ancestors considered themselves from Pomerania once they got to Wisconsin (almost two centuries after 1670). The Encyclopedia Britannica gives us some insight to the history of Pomerania. It tells us that western and central Pomerania (including Stettin which is a familiar name to our ancestors) was ruled by Polish dukes until the 17th century. Then, in 1637, the area was acquired by Brandenburg when the last Polish duke died. Then in 1648, western Pomerania was handed over to Sweden. Hey, that could explain the Scandinavian DNA showing up in our guy who should have had an ethnicity estimate of 100% German.

Thus far, the Krueger family and all the assorted lines (think Aschbrenner, Fehlhaber, etc.) can only be traced back as far as the early 1800s. We can make some assumptions that, 130-years earlier, most of the ancestors were living in places like Cardemin, Stettin, Pommern, Germany; Lebbin, Kreis Greifenberg, Pommern, Preussen, Germany, Plathe (Piepenburg, Heidebreck), Pommern, Preußen, Gross Justin, Pommerania; Henchin Felde, Hamburg, Germany; Schleswig-Holstein, Germany; Tutzluf, Germany, Hansfelde, Posen, Prussia; Dobberphul, Pommern, Prussia; and Prossekel, Kreis Filehne, Posen, Prussia. But, we would just be making an educated guess.

Phillips

We know we had at least 184 Phillips ancestors living in November 1670. The most common male names were John and Johann. Anna, Mary, and Elizabeth were the most popular female names.

A disclaimer needs to be made that our 1670 German ancestors were found by another family historian who did research at the family history libraries in Salt Lake City and beyond. She transcribed German parish records and put together a tree. But, I have not had access to those records and have not personally verified the research. So, the “German” names in this list may be accurate, but are not considered 100% proven.

Name	Approximate Age	Probable residence in 1670
Joshua Holmes	35	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Abigail Ingraham		Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Robert Holmes		Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Samuel Chesebrough	43	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Samuel Frink	2	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Ephraim Miner	28	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Hannah Avery	26	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Thomas Miner	62	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Grace Palmer	62	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
James Avery	50	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Joanna Greenslade	48	New London County, Connecticut
Isaac Wheeler	24	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Martha Park	24	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Thomas Wheeler	68	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Mary		Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Thomas Parke Sr	54	Preston City, New London, Connecticut
Dorothy Thompson	46	Preston City, New London, Connecticut
Jeremiah Shepard	22	Harvard College,Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Mary Wainwright	13	Massachusetts
John Baldwin	35	New London, New London, Connecticut
Rebecca Palmer	23	Stonington, New London, Connecticut
Ebenezer Billings	9	New London County, Connecticut
Anna Comstock	9	Norwich, New London, Connecticut
Thomas Bennett	28	Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut
Elizabeth Thompson	26	Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut
Abraham Adams	20	Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut
Edward Adams	51	Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut
Mary		Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut
Samuel Hickock	2	Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut
Elizabeth Plumb	1	Milford, New Haven, Connecticut
Samuel Hickock	27	Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut
Hannah Upson	22	Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut
John Plumbe	24	Milford, New Haven, Connecticut
Elizabeth Norton	25	Milford, New Haven, Connecticut
Mary Baldwin	44	Milford, New Haven, Connecticut
Dorothy		Connecticut
Elizabeth Purcas		County Essex, England
John Norton	48	Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut
Elizabeth Clark		Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut
Jonathan Rockwell	5	Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut
John Rockwell Jr.		Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut
John Rockwell		Rye, Westchester, Connecticut
Elizabeth Weed	23	Rye, Westchester, Connecticut
Jonas Weed	60	Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut
Mary		Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut
Samuel Camfield	25	New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut
Elizabeth Merwin	22	New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut
Matthew Camfield	66	Newark, Essex, New Jersey
Sarah Treat	50	Newark, Essex, New Jersey
Miles Merwin	47	Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts
John Lovering	7	Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire
Hannah Kilham	6	Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts
Hester	47	Dover, Strafford, New Hampshire
Daniel Kilham	50	Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts
Mary Safford	40	Wenham, Essex, Massachusetts
Elizabeth		Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts
Nicholas Smith	9	Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire
Mary Gordon	2	Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire
Nicholas Smith	41	Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire
Mary Satchell		Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire
Alexander Gordon	35	Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire
Mary Listen	31	Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire
Nicholas Listen		Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire
Alice		Exeter, Rockingham, New Hampshire
Benjamin Hall	2	Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
Sarah Fisher	2	Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Edward Hall		Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
Cornelius Fisher	38	Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Sarah Everett	26	Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Anthony Fisher	79	Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Richard Everett		Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Mary Winch	51	Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Eliezer Fisher	7	Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Hannah Leonard		Wrentham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Sarah Whitmore	12	Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Samuel Frost	32	Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Edmund Frost	77	Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Elizabeth Miller	21	Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Joseph Estabrook	1	Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Hannah Leavitt	6	Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts
Joseph Estabrook	30	Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Mary Mason	30	Concord, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Hugh Mason	65	Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Hester Wells	59	Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts
John Leavitt	62	Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts
Sarah Gilman	48	Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts
John Bacon	46	Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Rebecca Hall	38	Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Francis Hall	62	Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut
John Loker	20	Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Sarah Rice	15	Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Mary Draper		Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Matthew Rice	40	Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Martha Lamson	37	Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Thomas Sawin	13	Middlesex, Massachusetts
Deborah Rice	11	Sudbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts
John Sawin	45	Middlesex, Massachusetts
Abigail Munnings	43	Middlesex, Massachusetts
George Lyon	8	Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Thankful Badcock	2	Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts
George Lyon		Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Hannah Tolman	28	Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Thomas Tolman Senior	62	Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Sarah	58	Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Robert Badcock		Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts
Joanna	41	Milton, Norfolk, Massachusetts
John Russell	3	Hatfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts
Martha Graves	3	Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut
Philip Russell	42	Hatfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts
Elizabeth Terry	28	Hatfield, Hampshire, Massachusetts
John Russell	73	Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts
Elizabeth		Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts
Samuel Wolcott	14	Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut
Judith Appleton	17	Massachusetts
Henry Wolcott	60	Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut
Sarah Newberry	49	Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut
Samuel Appleton	46	Massachusetts
Nathaniel Collins	28	Connecticut
Mary Whiting	27	Connecticut
Edward Collins	67	Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Martha	61	Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts
George Wolcott	18	Connecticut
Elizabeth Curtis		Connecticut
Johannas Stolp	4	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Christoffel Stalp	31	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Anna Catharina Schäfer	30	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Johann Schäfer	53	Prussia
Christianus Jung	20	Zehnhausen bei Rennerod, Germany
Anna Maria Diel	16	Zehnhausen bei Rennerod, Germany
Sebastiani Jung	55	Zehnhausen bei Rennerod, Germany
Kiniundta Stalp	40	Zehnhausen bei Rennerod, Germany
Johannes Diel	60	Zehnhausen bei Rennerod, Germany
Anna	50	Zehnhausen bei Rennerod, Germany
Sebastianus Spornhauer	14	Salzburg, Hessen-Nassau, Prussia
Anna Elisabetha Kopfer	10	Oberroßbach, Germany
Antony Spornhauer	50	Germany
Catharina	35	Germany
Gerlach Kopfer	35	Oberroßbach, Germany
Johann Christ Thiel	0	Rehe, Germany
Anna Gertruda Greb	0	Homberg, Germany
Christian Diel	30	Rehe, Germany
Anna Catharina Goebel	25	Rehe, Germany
Johannes Thiel	55	Rehe, Germany
Sophia Feiga	50	Rehe, Germany
Christian Goebel	58	Rehe, Germany
An Els	50	Rehe, Germany
Theis Greb	27	Homberg, Germany
Anna Elisabetha Sahm	20	Homberg, Germany
Johann Chrstopher Saam	65	Homberg, Germany
Johann Wilhelm Goebel	15	Rehe, Germany
Maria Elisabeth Thomas	10	Rehe, Germany
Clas Thomas	50	Rehe, Germany
Anna Catharina	25	Rehe, Germany
Johannes Kuntz	18	Zehnhausen bei Rennerod, Germany
Anna Maria Jung	9	Rehe, Germany
Johannes Jung	45	Rehe, Germany
Elsa	40	Rehe, Germany
Peter Thomas	5	Möhrendorf, Germany
Anna	0	Germany
Johann Jost Lautz Thomas	40	Germany
Anna Catharina	35	Germany
Hans Michel Hartmann	20	Rehe, Germany
Anna Catharina	20	Rehe, Germany
Best Jung	24	Zehnhausen bei Rennerod, Germany
Kiniundta	20	Zehnhausen bei Rennerod, Germany
Johann Georg Stahl	21	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Anna Elisabeth Müller	17	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Johann Wilhelm Stahl	50	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Maria Elisabetha Brecher	50	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Jacob Müller	42	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Catharina Türk	45	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Johann Thonges Stahl	15	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Ann Els	0	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Johannes Haas	20	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Anna Maria Saam	16	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Jacob Haas	45	Germany
Anna Maria	40	Germany
Johann Christopher Saam	65	Germany
Anna Elisabeth	50	Germany
Henrich Müller	13	Emmerichenhain, Germany
Elisabetha Claus	9	Germany
Johann Weigand Claus	40	Germany
Hermann Jung	10	Driedorf, Germany
Rebecca Short	60	Stonington, New London, Connecticut

aaa

Connecticut

Connecticut, where many of our Phillips and Estes ancestors lived, had been given its charter from King Charles II in 1662. Settlement in Connecticut wasn’t about religion or politics like it had been for Rhode Island. It was about wanting more land. Way back in 1636, the pastor of the church of Newtown, Massachusetts led his congregation to Hartford, on the Connecticut River, to form a new settlement. Other emigrants quickly followed and by the end of 1636, there were nearly a thousand English inhabitants in the Connecticut River valley.

Many of the Phillips ancestors who lived in the colonies in November 1670 were prominent in their communities. There was even a note about Francis Hall in the Fairfield County records.

New Hampshire

In 1670, New Hampshire was still controlled by Massachusetts. It wasn’t until 1679, seven years after the year we are studying, that King Charles II separated New Hampshire from Massachusetts and issued a charter for the royal Province of New Hampshire.

But, our ancestors were there already. Nicholas Listen, for example, lived at Exeter and was tasked with being a member of a committee to lay out town boundaries between Exeter and neighboring towns. The History of the town of Exeter, New Hampshire explained how difficult it was to get the job done.

The End

Writing this, I’ve been able to visit some ancestors who haven’t had attention in many years. It was really hard to not stop and do research on each and every one of them, because I suspect I would have found interesting things and found corrections to make to the family tree. But, had I let myself get distracted, this wouldn’t be posted for years. I ran out of time as it is. This has been a challenging exercise, but it has given me greater perspective into our families and the world in 1670. I’ve learned quite a few things. Hopefully, you will find the random tidbits of information that I shared here interesting too. (Next time we won’t be traveling quite so far back in time…)

Notes and Selected Sources:

¹ Elaine Forman Crane, Killed strangely: the death of Rebecca Cornell (New York: Cornell University Press, 2002)

² Two YouTube videos are available to visually show the changing borders. See Brandenburg and Prussia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScqfgwAZhGc) and History of Prussia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az-d0cWrbJM).

“1661 to 1670,” Macrohistory and World Timeline, Web, 9 Nov 2017, http://www.fsmitha.com/time/ce17-7.htm.

Ancestry.com, U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014), Ancestry.com, Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Records of Marriages, 1674-1853, Births 1641-1869, Deaths, 1666-1876; Collection: Quaker Meeting Records; Call Number: MR Ph:585. Record for Richard Hartshorne.

Charles Henry Bell, History of the town of Exeter, New Hampshire, (Exeter, NH, 1888), pp. 118-9. Archive.Org, Web, 12 Nov 2017, https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofe00bell.

“Combined: 1500 to 1700,” History of the World, Web, 9 Nov 2017, http://www.lukemastin.com/history/by_date_4.html.

Eugene C. Barker, Walter P. Webb, and William E. Dodd, The Growth of a Nation (Evanston, Illinois: Row, Peterson and Company, 1937)

“History of Norway,” History World, Web, 2 Nov 2017, http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac73.

“History of Quakerism,” History, Web, 12 Nov 2017, http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-quakerism.

James Hammond Trumbull, The public records of the colony of Connecticut from 1636-1776 (Hartford: Press of the Case : Lockwood & Brainard Company, 1850) Archive Org, Web, 2017, https://archive.org/details/publicrecords02conn, p. 148.

Jayaram V, “Your Ancestors For 50 Generations,” Hinduwebsite.com, Web, 2 Nov 2017, http://www.hinduwebsite.com/general/geneologycalc.asp.

Ken Polsson, “1670,” Chronology of World History, 2007-2017, Web, 9 Nov 2017, http://worldtimeline.info/wor1670.htm.

“Lefse History,” Lefse Time, Web, 12 Nov 2017, https://www.lefsetime.com/lefse-history/.

“Norway Timeline,” Family Search, Web, 2 Nov 2017, https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Norway_Timeline.

“Pomerania,” Encyclopedia Britannica, Web, 12 Nov 2017, https://www.britannica.com/place/Pomerania.

“Right on Lefse,” My Little Norway, Web, 12 Nov 2017, http://mylittlenorway.com/2009/07/right-on-lefse/.

Rod Phillips, Alcohol: A History, (Chapel Hill: UNC Press Books, 2014), Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=r1g7BAAAQBAJ : accessed 9 Nov 2017)

“The Middle Colonies,” U.S. History, Web, 12 Nov 2017, http://www.ushistory.org/us/4b.asp.