Mary (Unknown) Andrews (abt. 1600 - 1640)

Born about 1600 in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 19 Jan 1640 at about age 40 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Anne B [send private message], Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message], Bob Fields [send private message], and Rebecca Dunn [send private message]

Mary (Unknown) Andrews migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Origins

Please note her maiden name is unknown. It was not Savage or Britain as seen on many trees. See discussion below.

Biography

Craig Partridge, Ph.D. a notable genealogist and author of many articles in the journal The American Genealogist published a well sourced book in 1995 that discussed the English Origins of William Andrews, Shipmaster of Ipswich, England and Cambridge, Massachusetts who died in 1652.^[1] He notes that William Andrews had a wife Mary (Unknown) who died who died 19 January 1639/40 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[1][2] Nothing is known about her maiden name or origins. Several Internet sites have her name listed as Savage and Britain but this in not correct.^[1]Her birth is estimated at about 1600. She is believed to be the mother Samuel and possibly William:

1.  ? WILLIAM "Mentioned in 1637 as master of a ship based in Yarmouth. (The Original Lists, p. 289). This is the only known mention of a son named William. The Yarmouth Port Books for the period 1635-1638 (E190-489/17 and -490/1) do not mention him." Craig Partridge appears to be uncertain about his existence.^[1]
2. SAMUEL, bp. 2 February 1619/20 in St. Mary-Quay Parish, Ipswich, England, m. ELIZABETH WHITE.^[1]

Note William Andrews married second the widow Reana (Unknown) JAMES in August 1640.^[3][1] Please see her profile and William Andrews' profile for further information.

Disambiguation

Please don't confuse her husband with William Andrews who was a school master and town clerk who also lived in Cambridge before removing to Hartford where he died in 1659. That William had a wife Abigail and was father to seven children. Savage originally confused these two men.^[1]

Jacobus believes that William Andrews, married to Mary (died Cambridge Jan 19, 1639/40), and William Andrews who married Abigail (Graves?) are two different persons, for several reasons. The most compelling reason being that Abigail calls the children "theirs." Another compelling reason is that there are two Samuels. One born in Hartford 1645 with one life and another Samuel, son of Mr. William Andrews deceased, who with his wife joined the church in Cambridge 10 Dec 1658.^[4] Robert Charles Anderson in his article on William Andrews of Hartford agrees with Jacobus. ^[5]

Disputed Maiden Name of Mary

Mary Britton's first mention was in the Connecticut Nutmeggar 29:14 (1996) "The Families Linked To Sgt Thomas Spencer, A Co-Founder of Hartford." by Jack T Spencer CSG#08948.

A Mary Britton married a William Andrews at St. Butolph, Lincoln, Lincoln, England.^[6]

Spencer gave the following timeline for William's life:

• Birth of Mary About 1610, based on marriage date.
• 1631 William married Mary Britton - 16 May 1631 at St. Butolph, Lincoln, Lincoln, England.^[6]
• 1634 William Andrews lived in Cambridge, with wife one, children born
  • John (c. 1632-1690); Abigail (c. 1634-1653); Elizabeth (c 1636-)
• 1637 William Andrews and 1st wife went to Hartford, Connecticut
• 1638 Son Thomas Andrews b. in Hartford, to first wife
• 1638-1641 First wife died in this interval
• 1641 William Andrews married Abigail Graves. Esther Andrews, daughter, was born in Hartford
• 1645 Samuel Andrews, son, was born in Hartford
• 1659 William Andrews died in Hartford.

Spencer was immediately rebutted in the Connecticut Nutmeggar 29:572 Letter to Shirley Martin from John D. Baldwin III CSG#11845. Baldwin expresses his discomfort with the statements made by Spencer regarding William Andrews of Cambridge and Hartford. He questioned (as well he should) Spencer's absolute identification of William of Hartford as the man who married, in 1631, Mary Britton. It was possible yes, but where is the support, to make it probable. Baldwin didn't consider Spencer's statement that the birth of first child in 1632, "fits perfectly" as proof.

Mr. Spencer rebuted Mr. Baldwins letter in the Connecticut Nutmeggar 29:570 "Baldwin/Spencer Letters Rebuttal" by Jack T. Spencer. (Actually they were printed in the same issue of the Connecticut Nutmeggar, with Mr. Baldwins letter printed after Mr. Spencer's final rebuttal.) Mr. Spencer stated he made extensive study of IGI records in Lincolnshire with the Andrews surname. There was only one that fit. Since William was a member of the Puritan movement and Lincolnshire was a primary location of other Puritans, this must be him.

There are several arguments that can be made against Mr. Spencer's scenario. 1) William, Mary and surname Andrews are all very common names. 2) There is nothing indicating, previous to Mr. Spencers article, that William of Cambridge and/or Hartford was from Lincolnshire. 3) Mary most definitely died in Cambridge in 1639/40. It seems unlikely that she would make the long journey from Hartford, back to Cambridge just to die.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Craig Partridge, The Descendants of William Andrew of Cambridge, Massachusetts (Palo Alto, California : C. Partridge, 1995) p 3 available via this link
2. ↑ Thomas W. Baldwin, Vital Records of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (Boston, MA: 1914-1915) p. 451; https://archive.org/details/cu31924092203300/page/451/mode/1up
3. ↑ Date of (their antenuptial contract in Middlesex Deeds 3:7-9 is dated 11 August 1640.
4. ↑ Donald Lines Jacobus article "Andrews Families of Western Connecticut: William Andrews of Hartford." The American Genealogist 35:55 (1959)
5. ↑ Anderson's Great Migration Series of 1995.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NL7D-SWL : accessed 25 July 2015), Willm Andrew and Mary Britton, 16 May 1631; citing Saint Botolph,Lincoln,Lincoln,England, reference ; FHL microfilm 508,004, 94,064.