Edward (Convers) Converse (bef. 1589 - 1663)

Born before 23 Mar 1589 in Navestock, Essex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Parker) Converse — married 29 Jun 1614 in Great Burstead, Essex, England

Husband of Sarah (Unknown) Converse — married before 14 Oct 1632 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Husband of Joanna (Warren) Converse — married 9 Sep 1662 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 10 Aug 1663 after age 74 in Woburn, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message], Robin Wedertz [send private message], and David Parker [send private message]

Edward (Convers) Converse migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 1, p. 459) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Origin

It has been widely assumed^[1] that Edward Converse was the son of Christopher Conyers/Converse and Mary Halford of Wakerly, Northampton, England. This has been disproven.^[2][3]

Rather, it now appears that Edward was the son of Allen Convers of Navestock, South Weald, and Stanford Rivers, Essex. See Research Notes for more details.

Biography

Edward Convers was baptized March 23, 1588/9 at Navestock, Essex, England, the son of Allen Convers and Joana.^[4] and died August 10, 1663, aged 73 years, at Woburn, Massachusetts.^[5]

He married first Sarah Parker at Great Burstead, Essex, June 29, 1614.^[6] Edward and Sarah had a number of children at South Weald Essex before her burial there in on June 13, 1625.^[6]

He married second Sarah (Unknown), perhaps shortly before emigrating to New England.

Deacon Edward, his wife Sarah and three children, Josiah, James and Mary arrived amongst the Winthrop Fleet, at Salem Harbor, on June 12, 1630. They first settled in Charlestown.^[7]

He was a prominent man, served as Deacon of the First Church of Woburn from it's establishment until his death. Also served as Selectman and on the Board of Commissioner's throughout his residence in Woburn. He established a ferry between Boston and Charlestown, operating it from 1631 until 1640. he built the first house in Woburn and also operated the mill there, leaving it to his son Josiah upon his death. From the extensive inventory of his estate, he was a wealthy man.

Timeline

• 1630: July 30: Church organized. The following Sunday, Edward and Sarah Convers were received. (later removed to and called the First Church of Boston)^[8]
• 1630: Sept. 28: Edward Convers member of the jury concerning Austen Bratcher's death.^[9]
• 1630: Oct. 19: Edward Convers petitioned to be made a freeman.^[9]
• 1631: May 18: Made a freeman of the colony.^[9]
• 1631: June 14: Edward Convers set up a ferry between Boston and Charlestown for which he charged a fee. The lease was renewed Nov. 1637 for three years. The ferry was granted to Harvard College in 1640.^[10]
• 1632: Nov. 2: The First Church of Charlestown was organized, Edward and Sarah Convers, members.^[8]
• 1634: though 1640: Selectman at Charlestown.^[11]
• 1640: He with others surveyed land in Charlestown; paid to repair the bridge at Medford over the Mystic River.^[12]
• 1640: Sept.; Member of a company assigned p to explore adjacent lands and wilderness which was establised later that year as a 'Village' - that further became the town of Woburn. Edward Convers was one of the first to erect his house in this new territory (before Jan. 1641).^[13]
• 1642: Edward Convers is head of commissioners of Woburn.^[14]
• 1642: One of the first Deacons of the First Church, until his death.^[15]
• 1644: Apr. 13: Appointed to the first board of Selectman. Chosen annually as Selectman, until his death in 1663. Also served numerous years served on the Board of Commissioners.^[16]
• 1649: March 3: Appointed to settle the dispute over the boundaries with Charlestown.
• 1660: Deputy to the General Court. ^[17]

Edward's wife Sarah died at Woburn, January 14, 1662/3.^[5], and he married third Joanna Sprague, widow of Ralph Sprague of Charlestown, Massachusetts Sept. 9, 1662 at Woburn.^[18] She died Feb. 24, 1679.^[5]

Deacon Edward Converse died at Woburn August 10, 1663.^[5]

Will of Edward Convers

Dated August, 1659: Entered and Recorded: 7: 8th: 1663

Mentions: wife Sarah Convers

Sons: Josias, James, Samuel

Grandson: Edward, son of James

To the children of his daughter Mary Thompson, Samuel's share should he have no heirs.

Daughter: Mary Sheldon^[19] Inventory^[20]

Will of Widow Joanna Converse

Dec. 3, 1670 ^[21]

Family

Edward Convers(e) was married three times.

1. Sarah Parker, m. June 29, 1614 at Great Burstead, bur. June 13, 1625 at South Weald
   1. Josiah, bp. October 30, 1618 at South Weald, Essex,^[22] m. Ester Champney, d. February 3, 1689/90 at Woburn^[23]
   2. John, bp. November 29, 1620^[22]
   3. James, b. abt. 1621 (possibly the John above, see Origin Research notes), m. Anna Long, d. May 19, 1715^[24]
   4. Sarah, bp. June 2, 1623,^[22] bur. December 30, 1623^[6]
   5. Mary, b. abt. 1625, m1. 1643 Simon Thomas, m2. 1659 John Sheldon^[25]
2. Sarah (Unknown), m. bef. 1630, in England, d. January 14, 1662/3 at Woburn
   1. Phineas.^[7] Phineas was named in Banks' Planters of the Commonwealth, but no record has been found to support his existence.
   2. Samuel, bp. Charlestown, March 12, 1637^[26] m. Judith Carter, died in a mill accident in 1669
3. Joanna (Warren) Sprague, m. September 9, 1662, d. February 24, 1679

Research Notes

Possible Jewish Ancestry

A study of the Y-haplogroup was done by Carolyn A. Converse. It looked at a number of male-line descendants of Edward Converse, and who all have a J2 Y-chromosomal haplogroup, which is common in Jewish populations. The name "Convers" is possibly derived from "le Convers" (ie. Converso; converted), which was a name given to Jewish converts in the 1200s.^[27]

Origin

“The authorities tell us that the origin of the Converse family was in Navarre, France, from whence Roger de Coigniers emigrated to England near the end of the reign of William the Conqueror, and to whom the Bishop of Durham gave the constableship of Durham."^[28]

Disproven Conyers Connection: It has been widely assumed^[1] that Edward Converse was the son of Christopher Conyers/Converse and Mary Halford of Wakerly, Northampton, England. This has been disproven.^[2]

Discussion of the evidence, with additional information on the ancestry of Anthony Converse, was recorded at a now defunct link in 1998 by Robert J. Kurtz.^[3] It is a thesis disconnecting Deacon Edward Converse, who came to New England in the year 1630, from the Royalty of Medieval England.

Compelling evidence has been found showing that Edward Converse came from the Converse family in and around Navestock:

Convers of Navestock, and Surrounding Parishes: Edward Convers(e) can be traced to the Convers of Navestock, Essex. In his will, Edward mentions his kinsman Alin³ Convers, and kinsman John Parker, as well as "kinswoman Sara Smith".^[2] Allen³ Convers was the son of Allen² Convers, son of Allen¹ Convers. John Parker was the nephew of Edward's first wife, Sarah Parker. Sara Smith was likely Sara, daughter of Allen² Convers, and the wife of John Smith of Charlestown.^[6] She may have been the "Sarah Converse" mentioned in the 1633 will of Samuel Fuller, though futher research is warranted.

Banks' The Winthrop Fleet of 1630 gives Edward as being from the vicinity of Shenfield Essex (which is about 5km from Navestock), and his sons Josiah b. 1619, and James b. 1621.^[7]

In a deposition March 10, 1661/2, Edward gave his age as about 73 (b. abt. 1589). In 1660 his sons Josiah and James gave depositions of their ages, 42 (b. abt. 1619) and 39 (b. abt. 1621), respectively. These about match the ages of Josiah bp. 1618, and John bp. 1620 at South Weald, near Navestock, Essex, children of Edward and Sarah Convers. The names 'James' and 'John' could possibly be a mistake in the record, or there may have been another child then.^[2]

There were two Edward Convers who were cousins and were baptized around this time in and near Navestock:

• Edward son of Allen¹ Convers, bp. March 23, 1588 at Navestock^[4]
• Edward son of Anthony Convers, bp. February 28, 1590/1 at Stanford Rivers.^[29]

Allen and Anthony were brothers. It seems that the lands at Navestock were held by the Convers family through their father, John Convers (or Combers), and that their lands at Stanford river came through their mother, Joan Fuller. Both Edwards were living at the time of their father's wills, Allen's in 1636^[30] and Anthony's in 1621.^[31] Notably Edward s. Allen¹ was only given 5s, despite being named as the eldest son. Presumably because of his situation already being in New England.

While there is no defintive evidence one way or the other that Deacon Edward Converse was the son of Allen or Anthony, the facts that Edward named Allen Converse and Sara Smith (his nephew and niece) as kinsmen in his will, and that the children of Edward Convers of South Weald match somewhat with his children known in New England, - South Weald being where Allen, not Anthony, were living, are suggestive.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} E.g. following Browning, C.H, Magna Charta Barons (1898), p. 162. (There are other errors in this line)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England Volume I, A-F. (Boston: NEHGS, 1995): pp. 459-463 Edward Converse. American Ancestors (subscription)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Kurtz, Robert J., "The Road to Royalty is Broken," 1998 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~converse/books/kurtz.html, link defunct as of June 10, 2019.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Converse: pp. 866-868. "Navestock, Essex - Baptism register".
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Johnson: part 2, p. 28
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Richardson, Douglas. The English Origin and Ancestry of the Parker Brothers of Massachusetts, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register 153 (Boston, Mass.: NEHGS, 1999), pp. 82-83, 92-96
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Banks, Charles Edward. The Winthrop fleet of 1630; an account of the vessels, the voyage, the passengers, and their English homes from original authorities. (Boston: The Riverside Press, 1930), p. 66
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Hill: p. 98
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} Hill: p. 100
10. ↑ Hill: pp. 100-102
11. ↑ Hill: p. 101
12. ↑ Hill: pp. 100-101
13. ↑ Hill: pp. 102-103
14. ↑ Hill: p. 104
15. ↑ Hill: pp. 106-107
16. ↑ Hill: p. 105
17. ↑ The History of Woburn, Middlesex County, Mass. from the Grant of Its Territory to Charlestown, in 1640, to the Year 1860 By Samuel Sewall, Charles Chauncy Sewall, Samuel Thompson, Wiggin and Lunt, 1868
18. ↑ Johnson: part 3, p. 59
19. ↑ Hill: pp. 107-109
20. ↑ Hill: p. 109-113
21. ↑ Hill: pp. 100-114
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1 22.2} Converse: pp. 865-866. "South Weald, Essex - Baptism register".
23. ↑ Hill: pp. 114-115
24. ↑ Hill: pp. 115-116
25. ↑ Hill: p. 116
26. ↑ Hill: p. 99
27. ↑ Converse, Carolyn A., "Y-DNA Studies of an Early New England Family Indicate Possible Jewish Ancestry." American Ancestry 20, no. 2 (Summer 2019): 60-62. http://converse-ancestry.org/dna-project/american-ancestry-2019/
28. ↑ New England Families Genealogical and Memorial, compiled under the supervision of William Richard Cutter, Volume II, Pages 643-44. Published by Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, New York, 1913. (https://books.google.com/books?id=ofcsAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA644&dq=Deacon+Edward+Converse,+Woburn,+Massachusetts&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiwiOuToojnAhUMnq0KHbaeAJoQ6AEwBnoECAQQAg#v=onepage&q=Deacon%20Edward%20Converse&f=false)
29. ↑ Converse: p. 871. "Stanford Rivers, Essex - Baptism register".
30. ↑ Waters, Henry. Genealogical Gleanings in England (New-England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 1901), vol. 1, p. 237-238. "The will of Allen Convers of Southweald" citing Arch, Essex, Whitehead, 56
31. ↑ Converse: p. 864-865. "will of Anthonye Convers of Staneford Rivers", citing Arch, Essex, File 1623, no. 18

• New England Families Genealogical and Memorial, compiled under the supervision of William Richard Cutter, Volume II, Pages 643-44. Published by Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, New York, 1913. (https://books.google.com/books?id=ofcsAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA644&dq=Deacon+Edward+Converse,+Woburn,+Massachusetts&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiwiOuToojnAhUMnq0KHbaeAJoQ6AEwBnoECAQQAg#v=onepage&q=Deacon%20Edward%20Converse&f=false)

• Converse, Charles Allen. Some of the Ancestors and Descendants of Samuel Converse, Jr. (Eben Putnam, Boston, Mass., 1905)
• Johnson, Edward. Woburn Records of Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Marriage Intentions, from 1640 to 1900 (Woburn, Mass., 1890-1919)

• Hill, William Gilbert. Family Record of Deacons James W. Converse and Elisha S. Converse (Hill,Boston, Massachusetts, 1887)