Edward JEWETT Sr. (1579 – 1615) was Alex’s 11th Great Grandfather; one of 4,096 in this generation of the Miller line.

Edward Jewett was born 16 May 1579 in Bradford, West Riding Yorkshire, England. His parents were William JEWETT and Esabell SKOTT. He married Mary TAYLOR on 1 Oct 1604 in Bradford, West Riding Yorkshire, England. Edward died 12 Jul 1615 in Bradford, West Riding Yorkshire, England

Mary Taylor was born in 1583 in Bradford, West Riding Yorkshire, England.  Her parents were William TAYLOR and Sarah ROGERS.  Mary died 12 Apr 1652 in Bradford West Riding, Yorkshire, England.

Children of Edward and Mary:

	Name	Born	Married	Departed
1.	William Jewett	15 Sep 1605 Bradford, Yorkshire, England	Ann Field 22 Aug 1626 in Bradford West Riding, Yorkshire, England	12 Apr 1641 Rowley, Essex, Mass
2.	Maximillian JEWETT	4 Oct 1607 in Bradford, West Riding Yorkshire, England.	Ann FIELD 13 May 1653 in Rowley, Essex, Mass. . Eleanor PELL (Eleanor also married John BOYNTON  and Daniel WARNER  30 Aug 1671 in Rowley, Essex, Mass	19 Oct 1684 in Rowley, Essex, Mass.
3.	Joseph Jewett	31 Dec 1609 Bradford, Yorkshire, England	Mary Mallinson 1 Oct 1634 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England . Ann Allen 13 May 1653 in Boston, Suffolk, Mas	26 Feb 1660 Rowley, Essex, Mass
4.	Grace Jewett	4 Nov 1610 Bradford, Yorkshire, England		26 Feb 1660 Bradford, Yorkshire, England
5.	Sarah Jewett	1611 Bradford, Yorkshire, England		1671 Bradford West Riding, Yorkshire
6.	Josias Jewett	17 May 1612 Bradford, Yorkshire, England		4 Feb 1615 Bradford, Yorkshire, England

Jewett Origins

According to Frederic Clarke Jewett (1908), the first Henri de Juatt was a Knight of the First Crusade, 1096- 1099. Our name frequently occurs on the records of the 13th and 14th centuries, and with greater frequency in the later records. July 5, 1486, King Henry VII., of England, granted to Henry Jewet certain ofllces for life, viz., ” Forrester of Windsor Forest and Parker of Sunnyng-Hill Park within Windsor Forest,” but no reason is given in the grant for these honors.

There are two main schools of thought as to the origin of the surname. One is that it comes from Henri De Juatt, A Norman who lived in England during the 11th Century and is alleged to have been given lands in Bredbury in Cheshire by William the Conqueror (though there is no record of this in the Domesday book). This particular Henri probably originated in a village near Caen in Normandy named Jouette.

F C Jewett in his Genealogy of the Jewetts of America states (without source) that Henri was knighted and supposedly participated in the Pilgrimage and Assault on Jerusalem in the First Crusade, 1096-1099. Other sources suggest that the family then probably spread out to Derbyshire and, eventually Yorkshire where roots were firmly planted. Other early Jowetts, and possible descendants of Henri include William Juet who lived in Huntingdonshire in 1273 and Robert Jouet of Somerset, known to have been alive in 1327. Though there is no known Jowett population in Somerset, the Jowetts in Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, known to be present in the late 16th century and probably earlier than this too, are probably descendants of William.

However, there are serious doubts about the Henri theory. The crux of the argument is that in the 11th/12th centuries (i.e. the time of Henri), surnames as such simply did not exist. Henri de Juatt was known as such because that is where he came from, and it is almost certain the if he left France, his offspring would be Tom, Dick and Henri de somewhere else, and have no reason to take on the Jouet name themselves.

The other, more likely source of the name is that it is derived from a personal name – a diminutive of Juliana, variously found as Joetta, Jowet, Jouuet and Jowett which was popular in the 13th and 14th century. An example as late as 1438 is found in Jowett Barton who lived in York. As well as Jowitt/Jowett, another modern form of the name is Jewett and this is how the name was probably pronounced originally.

Though there are other theories, (e.g. “little Jew”, from the Jute tribe, or of more recent French origin), the truth as to the origin probably lies with a foot in many camps, though my own belief is that the Bradford Jowetts at least, being so pointed in distribution, are of the Juliana line. However, I would be delighted to find proof to the contrary! What is certain is that there is a comradery between Jowetts and/or Jewetts on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond which has resulted in much work on the name for over a century now.

Whatever the origin though, it is clear that the name Jowitt/Jowett and other variants did consolidate dramatically in the Bradford area of the West Riding of Yorkshire and the main concentration of the name is still in that area. More specifically, it is thought that most present day Jowitts are descended from ancestors in the village of Clayton, a township of Bradford parish. The distribution of IGI entries before 1600 confirms this distribution, though there are also significant outposts in Wilne (Derbyshire) and Ivinghoe in Buckinghamshire (the descendants of William of Huntingdonshire?). Looking at some early records of the name, the poll tax of 1379 shows nine entries for the name in the Bradford area, whilst the muster rolls of Bradford in 1539 show thirteen entries for Jowett (“Jooet”) in the area, including six “Bills”, five archers and 2 “not able”.

The two most common modern spellings of the name in Britain are Jowett and Jowitt, which were virtually interchangeable up until about 1850 (though with a general trend for Jowett in Bradford/Halifax and Jowitt in Leeds), many persons using both spellings at various stages of their lives. In contrast, medieval spellings are plenty, many have just the one “t”, sometimes followed by an “e”, e.g. Adam and John Jowete of Clayton (1379) and William Jowet of the adjoining township of Thornton (1379). An early use of the double “t” was found in 1439 in John Jouett of Thornton.

Other early variations include Jooet, Joet, Joiet, Joiett Jewet, Jowytt, Joyte and Joyet, all of which probably reflect the earlier pronunciation of the name. Indeed, as the name spread to other parts of the country, particularly East Yorkshire and the North East of England, the form Jewitt becomes increasingly more common. The American descendants of Joseph and Maximillian Jowett still use the form Jewett.

Distribution
The early distribution described above is shown in Maps 1, 2 and 3. The next four maps show the spread of the name form its 16th century Yorkshire base, through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries when it gradually spread out to the South and East Coasts, the West Country and most importantly up towards the North East of England. The 1881 census distribution shows this more consistantly.

The final two maps show the different distributions for the two main variants over the entire IGI period. The Jowett etc. distribution is still very much Yorkshire (and Derbyshire) based whilst the Jewitt etc. distribution (in Britain Jewitt is commoner than Jewett) is based in the area north of the county but also more widely (and thinly) spread over the whole country, notably the South East and the East Midlands.

Edward Jewett

Edward Jewett, father of Deacon Maximilian and Joseph Jewett, lived in Bradford, England, where he was a clothier. By clothier it is not to be understood that he sold clothes, but was a maker or manufacturer of cloths. In those days, in England, the designation clothier was used only in the sense of the merchant manufacturer of woolen cloth who had in his employ a larger or smaller number of families- engaged in the various manual employments connected therewith.

Edward Jewett lived long before the days of factories. In his time the making of cloth was carried on in Yorkshire in private houses, the several parts of the process being conducted by different members of the family according to their age and sex. The clothiers of Yorkshire were considered among the most industrious and frugal people of the kingdom. They were of necessity capitalists. They employed weavers, fullers, etc., and furnished them with material. In part they were accounted among the millionaires of England. Edward Jewett seems to have been a man of property, and to have left goodly portions to his children. The twenty families that accompanied Mr. Rogers to New England are described by Winthrop, ” most of them of good estate.” From the fact that the families of clothiers were trained from early life to knowledge of the different parts of the operation of making cloths, we may infer that the two sons of Edward Jewett who settled here were also clothiers. This is confirmed by the well-known fact as stated by Johnson in his ” Wonder Working Providence,” ” that the settlers of Rowley were the first people that set upon making cloth in this Western World.” He adds that many of them had been clothiers in England.

Edward’s will is on file in the archbishopric of York. Frederic Clarke Jewett invariably uses “Jewett” though there is no doubt that in the actual will it is “Jowet”. Why F C Jewett should persist with this  error is not clear. The name would have been pronounced “Jewett” regardless of the spelling and it was apparent that the spelling of the name had not been settled on at that time.

It is significant that the name, when written down in Bradford by a local person, is written as Jowett, but when written down by non local people or outside of the West Yorkshire area it becomes Jewett. Examples of this include the muster rolls of 1539, which were all written down as Jooet, and of course Joseph and Max’s American contemporaries towards the end of their lives who used the form Jewett which stuck and continues to this day.

It is a shame that we will never know exactly what a Bradford accent in 1600 really sounded like, but this all implies that the name was pronounced Jewett.

So the answer to the question Jowett or Jewett is really quite simple: write it as Jowett, pronounce it as Jewett!.

” In the name of God Amen, the second day of February in the year of our Lord God 1614 in the Xllth year of the reign sovereign Lord James by the grace of God, King of England, France and Ireland, defender of the faith etc., and of Scotland the eight and forty whereas nothing is more certain than death and nothing more uncertain than the house of death. Therefore, I Edward Jewett of Bradford within the dicos of York, Clothier, though sick and deseased in body yett sounde in minde and memorye I praise God therefore doo in this uncertainty of life knowninge that even in health we are subject to death make, publish and declare this my last will and testant in the names and form following (that is to say)

” First and principally I give up and comend my soule in the hands of Almighty God my creator and redeemer hoping and assurredly trusting to have full and free pardon and remission of all my sinnes by the precious death and burial of Christ Jesus my alone Saviour and for jestification by his righteousness and my body I yeald to earth to be decently buried at the decreation of my friends. Item, I give and bequeth two full parts of all my goods Catties Chatties & Credits (in three parts to be divided) unto William Jewett, Maximilian Jewett, Joseph Jewett and Sara Jewet my children equally to be divided amongst them after my debts be paid and funeral expense discharged. The third part and residue of all my said Catties, Chattels & Credit I give and bequeth unto Mary my wife whome I make the sole executris of this my last will and testament. And I do entreat William Taylor my father in law, Henry Taylor my brother in law, Samuel Taylor and Thurstum Ledgerd the supervisors of this my last will and test’t. Item, my will and mind is that my children shall have their porcous paide unto them at such times as they shall sevarly accomplishe their ages of XX years or othenvise lawfully demand the same. Lastly I do commit of all my said children with theire severall porcous during theire several minorities unto the said Mary my wife.

” Witnesses hereof William Smith, Jonas Watson & Lewis Watson.”

Children

Maximilian and Joseph Jewett did not come to this country as adventurers. They were men of respectability, ” of good estate,” and could probably have no hopes of improving their worldly condition by emigration. They were lovers of liberty, and men of distinct and well-marked religious views. They were non-conformists. They had too sturdy an independence, as well as too strong a sense of duty, to abandon what they held a truth even in the midst of the bitterest persecution. For this reason they left their homes and sought in the wilds of America a resting place from oppression, a spot where they and their children might enjoy freedom to worship God. They were men of thought and character.

Most of Rev. Ezekiel Roger’s company were his former parishioners, but the Jewetts lived in Bradford, one hundred miles from Rowley. Mr. Rogers may have gone to Bradford for the purpose of obtaining accessions to his company, or our ancestors may have heard of the intentions of the great minister and sought him out.

1. William Jewett

William’s wife Ann Field was born 1609 in England. Ann died 9 Nov 1667 in Rowley, Essex, Mass.

2. Maximillian JEWETT (See his page)_

3. Joseph Jewett

Joseph’s first wife Mary Mallinson was born 29 May 1606 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. Her parents were Richard Mallinson and Sarah Waterhouse. Mary died 12 Apr 1652 in Rowley, Essex, Mass.

Joseph’s second wife Ann Allen was born 1619 in Rowley, Essex, Mass. She first married 1638 in Hingham, Plymouth, Mass to Bozoan Allen (b. 1610 in Lynn, Norfolk, England – d, 4 Sep 1652 in Hingham, Plymouth, Mass.) Ann died 4 Feb 1661 in Rowley, Essex, Mass.

Joseph Jewett with his brother Maximilian Jewett and sister-in-law Annh sailed from Hull, England in 1638 in the ship John, with a colony under the leadership of Rev. Ezekiel Rogers. They arrived at Boston about the first of December, 1638, spent the winter in Salem, and in the spring of 1639 founded the town of Rowley, Mass.

Joseph Jewett, with his wife Mary, and one or two children, came to America with his older brother, Maximilian, in the ship John in the fall of 1638, and settled in Rowley, Mass., in 1639. He was made freeman May 22,

1639. He became a large land owner and one of the leading men of the town, was representative to the General Court in 1651, 1652, 1653, 1654, and 1660, and was one of the two stewards for each of these sessions.

The following from the records of the town of Rowley :

” Bradford streete — To Joseph Jewet one Lott Containinge two Acres bounded on the South side by Thomas Dickinsons house Lott; part of it lyinge on the weast side, and part of it on the East side of the streete.”

” Bradford streete field — To Joseph Jewet foure Acres and an halfe of upland, lying upon the North side of Thomas Dickinsons planting lott: the East end butting upon his owne lott.”

” Batchelours meadow — To Joseph Jewet one Acre and a quarter, lying on the North side of Thomas Dickinsons Meadow: butting as aforesaid.”

” Salt Marsh, 1st. Division — To Joseph Jewet two Acres of salt Marsh, lying upon the East side of Thomas Dickinsons Marsh the North end butting upon a salt Creeke, the Southend upon the North side of William Bointons salt Marsh.”

” 2rd. division Salt Marsh — To Joseph Jewet two acres of salt Marsh, lying on the North side of Thomas Dickinsons Marsh: runing about 24 rod into the Marsh, the West end butting on the upland.”

” 2rd. division of fresh Marsh — To Joseph Jewet one Acre, the Southend butting on the upland, the North end on a Creeke.”

” 3rd. division of fresh Marsh — To Joseph Jewet one Acre, lying near to Thomas Dickinsons Meadow : the North end butting upon the upland, the Southend also, and West side bounded by a Creeke.”

” 2rd. division of Upland — To Joseph Jewett two Acres, part whereof ioynes to his owne salt Marsh: the rest lyeth on the North side of Thomas Dickinsons upland : butting as aforesaid.”

” 3rd. division Salt Marsh — To Joseph Jewett two Acres lying on the North side of Thomas Dickinsons Marsh : butting upon the East end of his second division of Salt Marsh.”

” Upland laid out in ffield Called Batchelours Plane — To Joseph Jewet eight lying on the East side of William Bointon.”

” To Joseph Jewet six Acres of upland being pt of that Land Called Satchells Ground bounded by a Swampe on the northeast side w^*^ is now in the possession of Joseph Jewett aforesaid & John Tod the Southeast end abutting on Thomas Mighills Lott, the South West side bounded by Mr. Ezekiell Rogers his Lott the north west end by a Cart way.”

” To Joseph Jewet seaven Acres of upland and a halfe the south side ioyning upon Ipswich line the East end abutting upon the Country way toward Ipswich the North west side bounded by the Comon.”

” To Joseph Jewet Acres of Salt Marsh at the East end of his third division of Salt Marsh, the North east side of it bounded by Maximilian Jewets Salt marsh.”

” March, 1658 — It was Agreed and voted at a General and legall towne meetinge that mr Jewet should have a thousand Acres of land in the necke, beyond the Hazeltines, and that he is to have forty acres of meadow which is to be laide out as conveniently as can be in the townes land whitch forty Acres of meadow is to be for part of the thousand in the necke, in exchange for three thousand Acres of land which is to be laide out as conveniently as can be for the towne of Rowley in the village land, about the bald hills.”

” According unto the grant of the towne ther in laid out unto mr Joseph Jewett Nine hundred and Sixty Acres of upland in that necke of land beyond the hesseltines bounded by a Runell of watter that falls into merrimack River at the east end and soe from the River it Runeth a westerly line unto a white oak Tree not very fure distant from the line betwene Andover and the towne of Rowley and soe from that white oake streigh to the River wher it tumeth, the Rest of the bounds is by merrimack River, ther is laid out also unto mr Joseph Jewett forty acres of IMeadow in three persells one persell in a meadow they call the longe meadow lying for twenty six acres lying in the village land incompassed by upland laid out to the Right of mr Thomas Nelson an other persell lying for five Acres a certaine way distant from the long meadow toward the south east ward bounding a little pond in or by it it also being bounded by the afForesaid upland of mr nelson the other persell lyeth distant from this more southerly lying for Nine acres and it is bounded partly by the afforesaid land and partly by land laid out to John dreser and Joseph Chaplin.”

In the History of Boxford, Mass., we find the following: ” Before the land in the village was laid out Abraham Redington, Robert Stiles, Joseph Bixby, John Cummings, William Foster and John Peabody, six of the early settlers, bought of Joseph Jewett, of Rowley, 3000 acres of the Village land. The right to this land was sold by Zacheus Gould to Joseph Jewett for the benefit of such as employed him to make the purchase, for which Jewett paid ninety pounds. Jewett by agreement with the town received in exchange 960 acres in the neck by Merrimack river, and 40 acres of meadow in three pieces in the village lands.”

Deed of Confirmation of land in Rowley 1650:

” Know all men by these p”sents, y^ wheras there was a deed of Sale of ye Lands at Rowley, Late in y® possession of William Bellingham Gent., bearing date, the Twenty third of July, one thousd. six hund*^ and fifty, w^^ said deed was made only in ye name of Samuel Bellingham, w*^ out y^ mentioning of Lucy Bellingham, the present wife of ye s^ Samuel Bellingham, only y® name of ye s^ Lucy BelHngham Subscribed w^*^ her own hand. This p’^sent witnesseth, that the said Lucy Bellingham doth willingly giue hir full and free Consent unto ye said deed of Sale, as y® s^ Samuel Bellingham did, as if hir name was oft therin syecified as ye name of y® s*^ Samuel ; And y® said Lucy doth herby give full possession of ye said Lands and Tenements w* euer belonging, or by apportion or other right w*^ ever due unto y® said Lucye as wife of ye said Samuel or otherwise ; all hir. Title, right and property in the said Land, shee giues unto y® w*^ named Joseph Jewet of Rowley, upon y® s^ Conditions w^^in that deed Specifyed : And hereby wee, y® f oresed Samuel and Lucy Belhngham, doe Jointly Confirme y^ fors” Henry Sandys ” Samuel Bellingham, and a seal.
” Mathew Boyer ” Lucy Bellingham, and a seal.
” This deed was acknowle*^ged by the said Samuel Bellingham and Lucy his wife, 23^^ day of y® 8^^ month 1650 before me.
” Samuel Symonds.”

Joseph Jewett was styled clothier in 1656, later merchant. He was buried Feb. 26, 1660.

” His will was proved March 26, 1661. The original, now much worn, is on file in the Probate Office in Salem. A true copy printed line by line as written is here given.” (Blodgette.)

” I Joseph Jewett of Rowley beinge weake of boddy but perfect in understandinge and memory doe make this my last will and testament in manner and form as followeth, Imprimis after my debts beinge payed I desire the rest of my goods may bee equally divided among my seaven children, as well those two that I have by my last wyfe as the five that I had before. Allwayes provided that my eldest sonne Jeremiah Jewett must have a dubbell portion, of all estate I have both in New England, and Old, whether personall or Reall further provided that one hundred pounds I have allready payed to my sonne Phillip Nellson, that shall be counted as part of what I doe now give him. Item I doe give unto my sonne Jeremiah Jewett tlie farme I bought of Joseph Muzzy I meane all such Lands bought of him or any other, that are on the Norwest side of the River called Egipt River, with all the meadow I bought of Nathaniell Stow and Robert Lord Senior, provided he accept of it at five hundred pounds and wheras in the fourth line it is saide I desire the rest of my goods to be equally divided amonst my seaven children I meane Lands as well as goods and if any of those my above saide seaven children, should depart this life, before the age of twenty one yeares, or day of Marriage then these portions, shall bee

Equally divided Amonst the rest, allwayes provided my eldest sonne Jeremiah shall have a double portion, and as for my two youngest Children, and there portion I leave to the disposinge of my brother Maximillian Jewett, and who he shall apoint when he departeth this life, and I make Exequitors of this my last will and Testament my Brother Maximillian Jewett, and my sonne Phillip Nellson, my sonne John Carleton and my sonne Jeremiah Jewett Allwayes free and willinge that they shall be satisfied out of the Estate, for all such pains and labour, that they shall be at conceminge the above premisse.

” Signed and sealed in the ” Joseph Jewett [Seal] presence of us ” Dated the 15th of february
Ezekiel Northend in the yeare 1660
Mark prime ” At the signinge and sealinge hereof I doe give my Exequitors full power to make deed and confirme any Lands I have sold to any.”
Ezekiel Northend. Mark prime.

Child of Joseph and Mary Mallinson

i. Jeremiah Jewett, born in Bradford, Eng., about 1637 ; married Sarah Dickinson.

ii. Sarah Jewett, 1639 ; married Capt. Philip Nelson.

iii. Hannah Jewett, born in Rowley, Mass., April 15, 1641; married (1st) John Carlton; (2d) Christopher Babbage.

iv. Nehemiah Jewett, born in Rowley, Mass., April 6, 1643; married Exercise Pierce.

v. Faith Jewett, born in Rowley, Mass., March 5, 1645 ; died in infancy.

vi Patience Jewett (twin) born in Rowley, Mass., March 5, 1645; married (1st) hubeal Walker; (2d) Dole.

Children of Joseph and Ann Allen :

vii. Mary Jewett, born in Rowley, Mass., Feb. 4, 1654; died in infancy.

viii. Joseph Jewett, born in Rowley, Mass., Feb. 1, 1656; married Ruth Wood

ix. Faith Jewett, born in Rowley, Mass., ; married John Pingry.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=5807555&st=1

History and genealogy of the Jewetts of America; a record of Edward Jewett, of Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, and of his two emigrant sons, Deacon Maximilian and Joseph Jewett, settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts, in 1639; also of Abraham and John Jewett, early settlers of Rowley, and of the Jewetts who have settled in the United States since the year 1800 (1908) By Frederic Clarke Jewett

http://www.jewettconnections.com/Edward/edward.html

http://www.jowitt1.org.uk/prbrad01.htm