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CFA Chapter 13
Descendants of Edmund Chandler

born c 1588 England, died 1662 MA USA

Chapter 13
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EDMUND’S COMMUNITY COURIER
October 2007

Barb Chandler EditorPOSSIBLE IDENTITIES OF THE SEVEN DAUGHTERS OF NATHANIEL AND ZERVIAH (SPRAGUE) CHANDLER OF DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS

Billie Pett and Cornelia L. Taylor

NATHANIEL CHANDLER was born about 1700. He died circa 1741 while on expedition against the Spanish West Indies, leaving his wife, Zerviah, a widow with seven daughters, all of whom grew up and married. Nathaniel Chandler and ZERVIAH SPRAGUE, both of Duxbury, married 19 March 1723/4.

The given name of only one of their daughters, MERCY CHANDLER, is known for certain. This article is an attempt to show a relationship to the other six daughters based on preponderance of evidence. We use coincidences of given names of ancestors and descendants, common locale and place in time, by showing familial links and associations, and we reveal the ‘twin’ phenomenon in several later generations to support the argument as to the identities of all seven daughters.

Duxbury, Massachusetts Chandlers

Records loosely state that Nathaniel Chandler descended from EDMUND1 CHANDLER. It is not clear with which of the sons and grandsons of Edmund we should be concerned, however, two strong possibilities for his pedigree have advanced. Based on the time of his birth it seems likely that he would appear in the fourth generation of Duxbury Chandlers. Let’s take a look at what we do know about the immigrant, EDMUND1CHANDLER and some of his descendants.

1. EDMUND CHANDLER

Origin:Leiden, Holland

Migration: 1632

First Residence: Plymouth, Massachusetts

Removes: Duxbury, Massachusetts

Occupation: Say-weaver, draper, pipemaker

Birth: By 1587, based on estimated birth date of eldest child

Death: Duxbury between 3 May 1662 (date of will) and 2 June 1662 (date of inventory)

Marriage: <1> by about 1612, not seen in any record

<2> by about 1632, not seen in any record

Will: Named sons, Samuel, Benjamin, Joseph, and daughters, Sarah, Anna, Mary, and Ruth.

Children:

 

With first wife:

i.   SAMUEL2 CHANDLER, born say 1612; name of wife unknown; no known children.

ii.   (probably) LYDIA2 CHANDLER, born say 1614; married Plymouth, Massachusetts, 11 December 1634, RICHARD HIGGINS.

iii.   ? Child, born 26 March 1619, buried St. Peter’s, Leiden, Holland.

 

With second wife:

iv.   JOHN2 CHANDLER, born say 1632, on 25 June 1653 John Chandler being at sea bound for Barbadoes [sic] left his entire estate to Edmund Chandler, my father, living at New Plimouth [sic] in New England, and if his father was dead then to his brothers and sisters.

v.   SARAH2 CHANDLER, born say 1638, in father’s will 3 May 1662; no further record.

vi.   ANNA2 CHANDLER, born say 1640, in father’s will 3 May 1662; no further record.

vii.   MARY2 CHANDLER, born say 1642, in father’s will 3 May 1662; no further record.

2.  viii.   BENJAMIN2 CHANDLER (infra.), born say 1644, married by 1672 ELIZABETH BUCK

ix.    Joseph2 CHANDLER, born say 1646, died 1721; leaving a widow MERCY. He was a blacksmith and lived in Duxbury. His will mentions also a grandson, JOHN4 CHANDLER, but does not give his father’s name. Regarding this John Chandler, his parentage has not been identified as being a son of the John who lost his hand, and we know he was not the son of Joseph and Martha Hunt.  However, Winifred Lovering Holman in Duxbury Chandler Notes, published 1930, NEHGS, offered the possibility that he was the son of Edmund Chandler and Elizabeth Alden. She wrote John, named in his grandfather’s will, was born November 1696, died as Capt, 21 Apr. 1764, ae 67-8. His will calls him a mariner and he names son Reuben, wife Bethiah, 4 daus. Judith, Elizabeth, Mary, and Dorothy Chandler; second son, Jonathan, grandson, John Chandler, dated 21 March; proved 2 June 1764: Wit: Abner Weston, Gamaliel Bradford, Jr. John Wadsworth. (Plymouth Probate 19:62). He named a daughter for his mother (Elizabeth Alden) and a son for his grandfather, Jonathan Alden. None of the children of Edmund and Elizabeth (Alden) Chandler were recorded. (Infra., John4 Chandler family group.)

 

Before the death of Joseph2 Chandler, in 1721, there were three Josephs in Duxbury, but they are easily distinguished, in the transfers of land on record. There were Joseph Sr., and Jr. (Edmund1′s son and grandson), and the Joseph3 Chandler who was the brother of Samuel3 Chandler and Benjamin3Chandler, all sons of Benjamin2 Chandler.

 

Joseph and Mercy’s children were:

 

i.   Joseph3 Chandler, who was a blacksmith, married 12 February 1700/01, MARTHA HUNT, lived in Duxbury, and went to North Yarmouth, Maine, before February, 1728/9.

ii.  Edmund3 Chandler, who was a blacksmith, married ELIZABETH ALDEN, lived in Duxbury, and probably died between 4 April 1715, and 28 September, 1717. She married again PELETIAH WEST, son of SAMUEL WEST and TRYPHOSA PATRIDGE. Edmund and Elizabeth are suggested as being the parents of the likely siblings: Nathaniel, 1700, John, Zebedee and Mercy Chandler (infra.).

iii. John3 Chandler, who lost his hand before 1687; died before 1721, when his father’s will was made.

iv. Esther3 Chandler, who married, in 1705, JOHN GLASS.

v. Mary3 Chandler, who married HEZEKIAH BRADFORD.

vi. Sarah3 Chandler, unmarried in 1721, when her father’s will was made.

 

x.   RUTH2 CHANDLER, born say 1648; named in father’s will, 3 May 1662; no further record.

 

2. BENJAMIN2 CHANDLER, of Scituate, died intestate circa 1691, married by 1672 ELIZABETH BUCK, born Scituate, 16 July 1653, baptized 4 October 1663 at the Second Church of Scituate, daughter of John Buck of Scituate; she died between 1728 and1732.

Their children, baptism records for all but Joseph and John found at Scituate, MA.

i.   JOSEPH3 CHANDLER, who was a carpenter, married first in 1720, ELIZABETH DELANO; married second, in 1729, DEBORAH BONNEY, was guardian of his insane brother Benjamin3 Chandler, from 1745 to 1750, lived in Duxbury and Pembroke, and removed to Connecticut in 1750 or 1751, when the guardianship of Benjamin was transferred to BRIGGS ALDEN, who was the nephew of Elizabeth3 Alden (Jonathan2, John1) (details vii. Benjamin Chandler, in this family group). Joseph Chandler died Cornwall, CT, 28 September 1774.

ii. JOHN3 CHANDLER, who married in 1707/8, SARAH WESTON, daughter of ELNATHAN WESTON and DESIRE STANDISH, lived in Duxbury, died in 1759, leaving no children.

iii. MARTHA3 CHANDLER, baptized at Scituate, MA, 16 February 1672/3; died before 22 April 1728; married ISAAC SIMMONS, born Duxbury, 28 January 1674.

Children of Isaac and Martha (Chandler) Simmons, born at Marshfield:

i.     Deborah4 Simmons, born 30 April 1696;

ii.    Sarah4 Simmons, born 15 November 1699, married at Pembroke 11        March 1731, ABRAHAM HOWLAND, born circa 1708; died 19 February         1787.

iii.   Isaac4 Simmons, born at Marshfield, MA; 8 March 1700/1; baptized at    Marshfield, MA, 19 Aug 1717; died at Duxbury, MA, 30 Aug 1767

iv.   Priscilla4 Simmons, born 10 September 1709; died at Duxbury, 5 March 1768.

iv. SAMUEL3 CHANDLER, baptized 30 November 1674, died 1742; married in 1718, MARGARET (PHILLIPS) BONNEY, the widow of Joseph Bonney; lived in Duxbury.

v. MARY3 CHANDLER, baptized 16 March 1678

vi. KETURAH3 CHANDLER married Nathaniel Sampson.

vii. BENJAMIN3 CHANDLER, born say June 1783, baptized 12, April 1785, was a carpenter, was adjudged insane in 1745, lived in Duxbury, and died 26 March 1771, aged. 87 years, 9 months, having had two guardians, viz. his brother Joseph Chandler3 from 1745 to 1750 and Briggs Alden, [1723 to 1796], of Duxbury, whose father was John3 Alden (Jonathan2, John1), and his mother was Hannah Briggs. Briggs’ wife was Mercy Wadsworth, daughter of Ichabod Wadsworth and Margaret Marshall.

When the settlement of the estate of Benjamin2 Chandler, Sr., took place in March 1691/2, the Court ordered that his widow, Elizabeth (Buck) Chandler, was to have one third of the house and lands during her life, and the other two thirds to be divided among their four sons, Joseph, the eldest to have a double share, John, Samuel, and Benjamin.

On 29 November 1706, Benjamin Chandler of Duxburrough  ______ [sic.] House Carpenter for L. 14 sold to my Brother John Chandler of the Town aforesd all his rights in all the Lands & Housing & Fences that was my Father’s Benjn Chandlers in Duxborough.

On 27 February 1710/11, the brothers Samuel3 Chandler and Joseph3 Chandler, both of Duxbury, sold portions of their land in Duxborough or Marshfield to my brother John3 Chandler of the Town aforesd.

Samuel Chandler3 died in 1742. Joseph Chandler removed to Pembroke, and then to Connecticut in 1750 or 1751, and he died in 1759 leaving no issue. By 1760, Benjamin3 Chandler, n.c.m., was the only son of Benjamin2 Chandler living in Duxbury.

Probate records fail to give the disposition of the lands, especially the homestead farm, of Benjamin3Chandler. A description from Soule Notes deals with the settling of Joshua Soule’s estate. On page 136, a parcel of land, ______ till it comes to ye land where on Nathaniel Burgess now dwells, which was formerly Benjamin Chandler’s home sted farm _____ Duxborough this 30th Day of December 1777 _____. Nathaniel Burgess’s wife was Ruth (Chandler) Burgess. Was she the granddaughter, or grandniece of Benjamin3 Chandler, or was she the only descendant of Nathaniel4 Chandler who was living in Duxbury at that time and eligible to inherit this land? At the very least, she is a candidate to be one of the seven Chandler sisters (infra., Ruth5 Chandler and Nathaniel Burgess family group).

(Continued in the next edition of the Edmund Community Courier)

Billie Pett, Longmont, Colorado, descends from Caroline Chandler Freeman, and Cornelia L. Taylor, of Walnut Creek, California, descends from Zerviah Chandler Wells. They have collaborated on the research which supports the conclusions of this article. They can be reached by e mail:

Billie Pett: petts @ mesanetworks.net

Cornelia L. Taylor: ConnyGreen @ aol.com  

   Richard Soule, Jr., Memorial of the Sprague Family, p. 58 (see page 20 of this article for elaboration).

   Duxbury VR, p. 158.

   The Mayflower Descendants, v. 11 pp. 133-137.

   Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, v. i A-F (NEHGS, Boston, 1995) pp. 326-330

   Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, ed., Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, v. i., (Boston 1855-1861), p. 32.

   Henry Martyn Dexter and Morton Dexter, The England and Holland of the Pilgrims (London, 1906; rpt. Baltimore 1978), p. 609.

  Joanne McRee Sanders, comp., Barbados Records, Wills and Administrations, 1639-1680, v. i.,  (1979).

[8]    Lora Altine Woodbury, Edward Small  of  New England, (Underhill, Boston/NY, 1934) p. 1050-51, citing PCLR 3:287.

  George Ernest Bowmn, The Mayflower Descendant, Chandler Notes, v. xiv, (1912), p. 67.

  Peletiah West had two brothers, Samuel West and Francis West who both lived in and about Lebanon, CT.

   Vital Records of Scituate, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, NEHGS, Boston, 1909, two volumes

   Ibid.; pp. 65  67.

  Website: Edmund Chandler Association, see discussion The Confusing John Chandlers by Carol May.

   “Duxbury, Mass., Vital Records,” Transcribed by George Ernest Bowman, Mayflower Descendants.

   Alden Kindred of America, “Descendants of John Alden,” //www.alden.org/, Dec 2001

   Ibid.

 [17]  Nathaniel Samspon (1682-1750), married at Duxbury, 19 January 1701/2, Keturah3 Chandler (born 1683). He was the grandfather of Deborah Sampson, spouse of the Honorable Seth Sprague whose information gave strength to the investigation for the material on which this paper is based. This demonstrates a close family link between the Chandlers and Sampsons.

  Here is another example of close family relationship between Alden, Chandler and Sprague: Ichabod Wadsworth was the brother of Grace Wadsworth Sprague Wormall, the mother of Zerviah Sprague Chandler (infra.).
GENEOLOGY RESOURCES

 Genealogy Learning Center //www.genealogy.com/genehelp.html?Welcome=1053649151

Tracing your family’s history is a fascinating journey. The Learning Center offers how-to articles, genealogy classes and other resources that will help you dig deeper into your family’s past.

Plug a surname into Family Facts at; //www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx and learn about your ancestors. For example in 1840 the largest distribution of Chandler’s were in ME, MA, NY, and VA. At Family Facts you can get information about distribution, occupations, civil war service, place of origin and more.
SWITCHEL: A TRICK OR A TREAT?

by

Carol May

With a name like that it certainly sounds like a trick, but in Colonial days through the 19th century it was considered a treat. It is an old-time beverage that most people today have never heard of. It was considered the Gatorade of its day.  Made of sugar, molasses, cider vinegar and ground ginger it was a haying season drink that kept the haying crews going during the harvest.  It was also called haymaker’s punch, ginger water or swizzle. It could also be sweetened with maple syrup, especially popular in Vermont, or honey.

The ginger was supposed to help the stomach especially during hot, hard work and the apple cider vinegar, according to another source devoted to vinegar, is supposed to be high in potassium.

According to Wikipedia, the drink originated in the West Indies during the 1600s.  This was a little past Edmund Chandler’s time as sugar wasn’t a major crop in the West Indies until the mid-century and later. It was introduced to the Colonies and became popular there.  Herman Melville mentions switchel in one of his books as does Laura Ingalls Wilder who describes it as given to the haying crew so it wouldn’t upset their stomachs like plain, cold water would.  You can read the exact passages in Wikipedia under Switchel.

Here is a recipe that was published in the Sgt. William Harlow Family Association newsletter a couple of years back.  Sgt. Harlow’s house is one of the oldest in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  Many Chandlers married Harlows.

Here is their recipe, although there are many variations:
2 quarts water
1 cup sugar
cup molasses
1/8 cup cider vinegar
teaspoon ground ginger

Heat 1 quart of the water in a saucepan until it forms small bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, molasses, vinegar, and ginger until it is all dissolved.When it is cool, pour into a large pitcher and the other quart of water.Refrigerate until cold and serve.

The Harlow folks noted that it tastes a bit like Coca-Cola.

Whether or not today’s children would consider it tasting a bit like Coke and treat or a trick is something that I have not researched! It would be fun to give it a try.
If you have questions or comments please direct them to Barb Chandler at barb95831 @ gmail.com