Henry ANDREWS (1582 – 1638) was Alex’s 12th Great Grandfather; one of 8,192 in this generation of the Miner line.

Henry Andrews was born in 1582 in Somerset,  England. His parents were Thomas ANDREWS (1543 – 1594) and Joan BELSON (1552 – 1600). He married Elizabeth BOND 22 Jun 1609 in Ashill, Somerset, England.   He emigrated to Dorchester, Mass in 1636, but returned to England and died in 1638 in Ashill, Somerset, England.  Alternatively, Henry’s children Henry Jr. and Elizabeth emigrated together.

Henry Andrews - Coat of Arms

Elizabeth Bond was born in 1585 in England.  Elizabeth died in 1621 in Somerset, England.

Children of Henry and Elizabeth:

Note: Mary Andrews (1628 – 1700, Taunton, Mass) who is often shown as the daughter of Henry Sr., was actually the daughter of Henry Jr.

Children

1. Henry Andrews Jr.

Henry’s wife Mary Pool was born 1611 in Bridgewater, Somerset, England.  Her parents are unknown.  Mary died 14 Feb 1643 in Taunton, Bristol, Mass

Henry Jr. was an original purchaser at Taunton, MA in 1637, built the first meeting house in 1647 for which he received a tract of land known as the “calves pasture,” and was deputy to the Plymouth general court in 1639, 1642, 1643, 1647, and 1649. Probably married about 1628 in England.

Henry and Mary married in 1628, when Henry would have been but 20 years old and Mary only 19.  Their first child, Henry Jr., was born in 1629, followed by Mary in 1631.  Both Henry Jr. and Mary were born in England, narrowing the Andrews family immigration to between 1631 and 1637.  Two more children, Sarah (1644) and Abigail (1647), were born in Taunton, Massachusetts.

Some accounts show Henry Andrews’ wife as Mary Street, often with the same 1628 marriage date.  This presents the possibility that his wife’s name was actually Mary Pool Street or Mary Street Pool, and that she was a recent widow when she married Andrew.  However, there is no evidence to support this hypothesis.  Other accounts have Mary Pool as Henry’s first wife and Mary Street as his second wife.

In Taunton, Henry Andrews was one of the first seven freemen of the town, one of the first two deputies to the general court in 1639 (also 1643, 1644, 1647 and 1649), one of the first stockholder of the Taunton Iron Works, and in other ways one of the more prominent men of the town.  He built the first town meeting house in 1647 for which he received a tract of land known as the “calves pasture.”

Henry Andrews prepared his will on March 13, 1652, and the will was proved on February 10, 1653.  The inventory of his estate was taken 10 Feb 1653 and valued at 330 pounds,16 shillings.  It is believed he died shortly before the February 10^th date.  He was about 45 years old.  His wife, Mary, prepared her will the following year as is believed to have died in 1655 at about age 46.  Sarah and Abigail Andrews would have only been 11 and 8 years old, respectively, in 1655, and it is not known who took care of them.  Very possibly, it was their older brother, Henry III., who would have been 26 years old in 1655.

Henry Andrews III., would suffer a premature death when he was killed by Indians at age 47 on May 23, 1676, during King Philip’s War.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=2904162&st=1

The Cary family in America By Henry Grosvenor Cary, Isaac Harris Cary