Thomas GRANT (1601 – 1642) was Alex’s 10th Great Grandfather; one of 2,048 in this generation of the Miller line.

Thomas Grant – Coat of Arms

Thomas Grant was born 12 Feb 1600/01 in Hessle, East Riding Yorkshire, England.   it is part of a larger urban area which consists of the city of Kingston upon Hull, the town of Hessle and a number of other villages but is not part of the city. It is on the north bank of the Humber Estuary where the Humber Bridge crosses.  His parents were John GRANT and Jane WATSON.   He married Jane HABURNE on 21 Sep 1624 in Cottingham, Yorkshire, England.  He emigrated with his wife and four children in 1638.  The Grants were one of Rowley’s founding families who arrived on the ship John of London less than two decades after the Mayflower brought the Pilgrim Fathers to America.  Rowley was founded by a Puritan minister called Rev. Ezekiel ROGERS.. He had gathered together 20 families, including the Grants, from his Yorkshire parish of Rowley in England to establish the American Rowley.  Thomas died in 1642 in Rowley, Mass.

Jane Haburne was born 10 Oct 1602 in Cottingham, East Riding Yorkshire, England. Her parents were Ralph HABURNE and Maud JECLES.  Jane died 16 Feb 1697/98 in Rowley, Mass.

On the “tenth of the eleventh Anno Dni 1643, Thomas Nelson, Edward Carlton, Humphrey Reynon & Francis PARRAT made a survey of the town and a register of the several house lots of from 1 1/2 to 6 acres then laid out to the settlers.

10 of our ancestor families (underlined in red) had plots in Rowley in this 1642 map.  Jane Grant’s lot was located at the corner of Bradford and High

.Here is today’s approximate location of Jane’s lot on Google Maps.

Children of Thomas and Jane:

Who Do You Think You Are?

The Grants were featured in a 2007 episode of the BBC One series Who Do You Think You Are? See Edward HAZEN Sr.’s page for details

In a parish register for neighbouring Cottingham (the records for which go back to 1563), we found a baptism entry for Hannah Grant, daughter of Thomas Grant, in 1631. So Hannah was only six or seven years old when her family and their community made their epic journey to America. In a second volume, we found a record in Latin for the marriage of Thomas and Jane Grant, which took place on 21 September 1624.

With the assistance of documents nearly 400 years old, we had proved that Jodie’s ancestor Hannah Grant really did come from Yorkshire, and that before leaving for America she and her family worshipped in the Rowley church.

Before we left the church in Rowley, Reverend Angela showed Jodie a window that commemorates the communal exodus from Rowley in 1638.

The window incorporates images of the church, of Reverend Ezekiel Rogers, and of the men, women and children who joined him to leave Yorkshire forever. The window also features an image of Rowley church’s chalice, which the church still treasures. Jodie held the chalice, dated 1634, from which Thomas and Jane Grant would probably have drunk.

Ezekiel Rogers, St. Peter’s Church Rowley, England  – In 1994 the people of Rowley, Massachusetts gave to the church of St. Peter’s in Rowley, Yorkshire a stained glass window to honor the memory of their founder. This window depicts Rev. Rogers, several of the settlers and the ship upon which they sailed

Jodie Kidd (born 25 September 1978 in Guildford),  an English television personality and fashion model was featured on the show.

Affidavit filed in the Essex County Probate Court in the settlement of the estate of  John Grant, who died at Rowley, 18 Mar. 1696/97;

“I Sam Stickney Sr of Bradford do testifie and say That I came over from England to New England in the same ship wth Thomas Grant and Jame Grant his Wife, who brought over with them Foure Children, by name John, Hannah, Frances and Ann, whome I was well acquainted with, and next or near neighbours unto in Rowley. And ye said John being deceased, I do affirm that the sisters of John Grant above named, now by marriage knowne by he names of Hannah Browne, Frances Keyes, and Ann Emerson, are ye same yt came over sth their Father and Mother, and by them owned wth said John for their children.” Sworn to 20 July 1698.

Thomas and Jame Grant came from England in 1638. No record of their death is known, but as Widow Jane Grant she had a house lot on Bradford Street, Rowley, in 1643, and was taxed for two cows in 1653.   Satellite View of Today’s Bradford Street from Google Maps

The town of Rowley was settled under the leadership of Rev. Ezekiel Rogers, who arrived in Salem, Mass., in December, 1638, with about twenty families of his Yorkshire friends, “godly men, and most of them of good estate.” He had labored, with great fidelity and eminent usefulness, for seventeen years in the parish of Rowley, in the southern part of Yorkshire, but at length was suspended, “for refusing to read that accursed book that allowed sports on God’s holy Sabbath, or Lord’s day, and, by it and other signs of the times, driven, with many of his hearers, into New England.” The company spent the winter in Salem, some of them prospecting at New Haven, where they were importuned to settle. About April, 1639, increased to about sixty families, they made a settlement between Ipswich and Newbury, which was incorporated 7 Sept. 1639 under the name of Rowley.

“These people it appears, labored together and in common, for nearly five years from the time they commenced a settlement in this place; no man owning any land in severalty from the company, until after they had, probably, cleared up the lands on each side of the brook that runs through the central part of what is now the first parish in Rowley, and laid out the several streets as now improved.” [Gage, Hist. of Rowley, p. 122.]

Children

2. John Grant

John’s wife Mary Hunt was born about 1630 in England. Her parents were Enos HUNT and [__?__]. Mary died 16 Feb 1697 – Rowley, Essex, Mass.

4. Hannah GRANT (See Edward HAZEN Sr.‘s page)

Although the maiden name of Mrs. Hannah Hazen does not appear in her marriage record, in accordance with the practice of the town clerk for that year, nevertheless her family history is known from an affidavit filed in the Essex County Probate Court in the settlement of the estate of her brother John Grant, who died at Rowley, 18 Mar. 1696/97;

“I Sam Stickney Sr of Bradford do testifie and say That I came over from England to New England in the same ship wth Thomas Grant and Jame Grant his Wife, who brought over wth them Foure Children, by name John, Hannah, Frances and Ann, whome I was well acquainted with, and next or near neighbours unto in Rowley. And ye said John being deceased, I do affirm that the sisters of John Grant above named, now by marriage knowne by he names of Hannah Browne, Frances Keyes, and Ann Emerson, are ye same yt came over sth their Father and Mother, and by them owned wth said John for their children.” Sworn to 20 July 1698. [Essex Inst. Hist. Coll., 21:99.]

5. Frances Grant

Frances’ husband Solomon Keyes was born 1630 in England. His parents were Robert Keyes and Sarah [__?__] Solomon died 28 Nov 1702 in Chelmsford, Middlesex, Mass.

Genealogy. Robert Keyes of Watertown, Mass., 1633. Solomon Keyes of Newbury and Chelmsford, Mass., 1653. And their descendants: also, others of the name  By Asa Keys (1880)

A tradition prevailed among the earlier descendents of Solomon, and is now current among the older members or the “Keyes*’ family, that two brothers from England, settled in this country and were the ancestors of all of the name in America. Various names have been ascribed to the brothers, and different ports have been mentioned as their place of landing, but I find no record relating to either of them, earlier than that of the marriage of ‘Solomon Keies and Frances Grant at Newbury, Mass., Oct. 2. 1653.”

The birth of the five elder children is recorded at Newbury. In 1664 and 1665, Solomon and Joseph Keyes took up land in Chelmsford, Mass., and in that town is recorded the birth of the other children of Solomon and Frances. There appears to be no record of the marriage of Joseph, supposed to be the the brother of Solomon, or of the birth of children. He might have had children born in England, or before he came to this country. Solomon was town clerk and tything man in Chelmsford, and seems to have been a man of influence in those early days.

“The old Keyes homestead, par excellence, a roomy, two story white house, now [1880] more than two hundred years old, stands in the town of Westford, which was set off from Chelmsford, and incorporated in 1729, and most of the families of the name in that vicinity, are now said to be of Westford. The village according to an old writer, is handsomely situated on a swell of fine land, commanding a beautiful prospect of great extent, and contains an academy of ancient date and respectable standing.”

Solomon’s house in Chelmsford (now Westford), Mass.

There are beautiful views of the Monadnock mountain from certain points in the town, and a fair amount of summer visitors,  gives variety to the society, while the academy gives to it a tone of unusual intelligence.

In an old town book of Chelmsford, we find the following:

‘ Sar g nt Solomon Keys,
dyed, Mch 28, 1702.”
His wife Frances, died, 1708.

The name is spelled Keyes in the Newbury records, with one exception, where the second e is omitted, probably by mistake. At Chelmsford, the records make it Keies, generally, during the life of Solomon, although during the few years preceding, as in the record of his death, we find it sometimes Keys.

Solomon Keyes House

Inside Keyes House – Westford, MA – Westford Eagle By Kathleen Kirwin / Staff Photographer GateHouse News Service Posted Jul 23, 2008

Westford — More than a foot of grass, floors sinking to the basement and resident raccoons – these are what Phil and Abby Gilbert saw when they first looked at the Keyes house 15 years ago. Since then, the Gilberts have done sizable improvements to the house, refurbishing almost every room, landscaping and maintaining the difficult clapboard exterior.

“It has been a process but to own a property like this always is. You have to love the process as much as you love the finished product,” said Abby. According to papers from the Massachusetts Historical Commission, “Solomon Keyes, an early settler in Westford on Francis Hill around 1664, may have built 16 Francis Hill Road. The house may have been used as garrison to protect residents from attack by Native Americans. By 1730, the house was owned by Joseph Keyes, son of Solomon and selectman in 1730. The next owner was Jonathan, grandson of Joseph. By 1855, the owner was Trueworthy Keyes, grandson of Jonathan. His wife, Sophia, was resident here until approximately 1885. The land around the house on Francis Hill has been used for the cultivation of apples since at least the mid nineteenth century and continues to produce fruit today.”

Fifteen years go the Gilberts didn’t have much of an idea of where to start. All they knew was they loved the house. The couple had spent previous years as caretakers for people who lived in an older house and they felt at home in the 300-year-old property.

“It was love at first sight,” said Abby. Although the house seemed neglected, as the Gilberts started the purchasing process it became apparent there was still quite a lot of feeling invested in the property.

“The previous owner interviewed us to make sure we would keep the historical nature of the house,” said Abby. The previous owners had nothing to worry about, the Gilberts wanted to restore the house to its previous glory.

“We really wanted a home for our family,” said Abby. Since purchasing the house, the Gilberts have restored the foundation on the sagging house and put insulation in the walls. Phil, a carpenter by trade, has been building cabinets for the kitchen. Abby said they chip away at the project.

“We do it in our spare time,” said Abby. The kitchen has been remodeled slightly, as they cut away the wall that separated the main entryway from what used to be the buttery, a room where butter and cream were made. The large main fireplace still stands in the middle of the room. Abby said she the family still lights fires in it during the wintertime.

“It really is a comfortable place to sit and talk with other people,” said Abby. The kitchen is a long time coming since Phil is busy with work. For a few years the kitchen didn’t exist and Abby had to operate out of a makeshift one while they were tearing up the floors to replace the rotted wood. Now, at least, the kitchen is in its final resting place and waiting for a last coat of paint and some shelves.

“We joke about the kitchen all the time,” said Abby. The mudroom by the first staircase leading to the second floor has been turned into a second bathroom.

“When we moved here there was only a bathroom upstairs and I have three boys. So we squeezed one in the mudroom,” said Abby. The living room has also had some slight changes. A large window was taken out and replaced with double doors that will lead out to a patio over looking the backyard. Although the double doors are a big change to the room, the Gilbert chose doors that fit with the charm of the house and don’t seem out of place in the room.

An unexpected roadblock in the refurbishing of the house was furnishing it. “The doorways are so small, we had to really measure everything out before bringing it home,” said Abby.

The entryway at the front of the house is an example of the Gilbert commitment to keeping the house’s original character. Phil removed the old floorboards, sanded and refinished each one and nailed them back in place with rustic iron nails that resemble nails in other older parts of the house. The wall next to the stairway still has a small door leading to the smoke room where people would hang meats so they could be smoked from the heat of the fireplace.

Outside the Gilberts hired a landscaper to help fill in the receding yard and add rock steps leading down to the small pond on the side of the yard. Phil also built a rustic looking workshop on the property to run his carpentry business out of.

One of the biggest disappointments of remodeling was the treasures the Gilbert’s found while they were reconstructing the room. “We thought we would find little treasures an old pair of shoes or pictures but we found nothing,” said Abby.

The living room is the only room left to have the rotted wood pulled out and replaced. “I always joke with my three boys saying one day when we have a family gathering we are going to end up in the basement,” said Abby.

The Gilberts always encourage descendants of the Keyes to drop by their house and take a tour. Abby said they have had about 25 people visit so far.

“We love having them visit, just to hear their stories,” said Abby

6. Ann Grant

Ann’s husband Robert Emerson was born 8 Nov 1629 in Cadney, Lincolnshire, England. His parents were Thomas Emerson and Margaret Froe. Robert died 25 Jun 1694 in Haverhill, Essex, Mass.

Sources:

http://www.genealogyofnewengland.com/b_g.htm

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/f/l/e/Marion-Caswell-flemin/PDFGENE3.pdf

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=7721002&st=1

Genealogy. Robert Keyes of Watertown, Mass., 1633. Solomon Keyes of Newbury and Chelmsford, Mass., 1653. And their descendants: also, others of the name  By Asa Keys (1880)

Inside Keyes House – Westford, MA – Westford Eagle By Kathleen Kirwin / Staff Photographer GateHouse News Service Posted Jul 23, 2008