Henry Baldwin of Woburn (1623 - 1698)

Born 8 Feb 1623 in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Phebe (Richardson) Baldwin — married 1 Nov 1649 in Woburn, MA

Descendants

Died 14 Feb 1698 at age 75 in Woburn, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts Bay

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Biography

This profile is part of the Baldwin Name Study.

Birth, Baptism and Parents

Henry Baldwin of Woburn was born in Buckinghamshire, England.

Henry Baldwin, son of Richard Baldwin and Phillipa Corbman, was baptized on 8 February 1623 at St Leonard's Parish of Aston-Clinton, near Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England.^[1][2]

MIgration to Massachusetts

Henry emigrated to Charlestown, Massachusetts, by 1640 based on his listing as the 21st of 32 original signers to the founding document for the Woburn town orders on 13 April in that year.^[3]

Marriage and Family

Henry married Phebe Richardson, daughter of Ezekiel and Susannah (Unknown) Richardson on 1 November 1649 and settled at 'New Bridge', or North Woburn.^[4] They had eleven children, all born in Woburn:^[5][6][7]

1. Susanna Baldwin (b. 20 Aug, 1650, d. there 28 Sep 1651),
2. Susanna Baldwin (b. 25 Jul 1652) m. Israel Walker,
3. Phebe Baldwin (b. 7 Sep 1654) m. Samuel Richardson,
4. John Baldwin (b. 28 Oct 1656) m. Mary Richardson,
5. Daniel Baldwin (b. 15 Mar 1659) m. Hannah Richardson,
6. Timothy Baldwin (b. 27 May 1661) m. Elizabeth Hill,
7. Mary Baldwin (b. 19 Jul 1663, d. there 8 Jan 1664),
8. Henry Baldwin II (b. 15 Nov 1664) m. Abigail Fiske,
9. Abigail Baldwin (b. 20 Aug 1667) m. John Reed,
10. Ruth Baldwin (b. 31 Jul 1670), and
11. Benjamin Baldwin (b. 20 Feb 1673).

Henry became a Freeman of Woburn on 26 May 1652,^[8] a Sergeant of the Woburn militia from 1672 to 1685, deacon of the First Church in Woburn, from 1686 until his death in 1698 and a distinguished citizen of the town.^[9][7]

Death and Burial

Henry died on 14 February 1698 at Woburn.^[10][6] He is buried in the First Burial Ground in Woburn^[11]

Will and Probate Records

Henry wrote his will on 9 February 1697/8 and it was admitted to Probate on 4 April 1698 where he is called Deacon Henry.^[12] His original will was admitted to probate on 4 April 1698. In it, Henry makes bequests to his 'well beloved wife', Phebe, his sons Henry, Daniel, Timothy and Benjamin, daughter and son-in-law, Susannah and Israel Walker, daughter and son-in-law, Phebe and Samuel Richardson and their son Zachariah Richardson, unmarried daughters, Abagail [sic] and Ruth, grandson Israel Walker if he resides with his uncle, Henry Baldwin, until the 'one and twentieth year of his age be expired,' and all of his grandchildren born of his own natural children as a token of his love. Henry appointed his 'Dear and loving wife' as Executrix, son Henry as Executor, his pastor, Jabez Fox and friend Lieut. Josias Converse as overseers of his will.^[13]

"Baldwin House" in North Woburn

The Baldwin House, also known as the Loammi Baldwin Mansion, located in North Woburn, was begun by Henry Baldwin in 1661, making it the oldest extant home in Woburn. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 7 October 1974. The home was moved from its original location adjacent to the Middlesex Canal to make way for urban expansion to its current location in 1971.^[14] The home was owned, expanded upon and occupied by six generations of Baldwins, from 1661 until the 1930s. Henry's great grandson, Col. Loammi Baldwin, greatly expanded the home in the Palladian style, which garnered the name, 'The Baldwin Mansion.' The north chimney, installed by George R. Baldwin, is said to be the first 'single flue chimney' made in the country. The appearance of the home, now a restaurant, looks much the same now as it did in 1820.^[9] Several photographs of the exterior and interior of the 'Colonel Loammi Baldwin Mansion' taken by photographer Arthur C. Haskell in 1936, as well as more recent color photographs of the home-cum-restaurant are available at the wikimedia link.^[15]

Baldwin House, North Woburn, Massachusetts begun in 1661

Baldwin Immigrants from Aston Clinton and Common Ancestors

Henry of Woburn, John Baldwin of Billerica, Sylvester Baldwin, Jr., the emigrant who died at sea en route to Connecticut, John Baldwin of Norwich, John Baldwin of Milford, and John Baldwin of Stonington, are related to each other and all migrated from the Aston Clinton region of Buckinghamshire to the colonies in the early 1600s. Most, if not all of these colonists are likely direct descendants of Richard Baldwin and Ellen Apuke and most, if not all, of their son Henry Baldwin of Dundridge and his wife Alice Kinge.^[16][17][18] Henry of Dundridge and Alice Baldwin's children included 1. Richard (m. Christian Tokefield), who died without issue, 2. son Sylvester Baldwin and his wife Jane Wells, whose son, Sylvester Baldwin, Jr. was the emigrant who died en route to the colonies, 3. son John Baldwin of Stybbings, Wendover, whose son is the probable emigrant John Baldwin of Milford who was a mercer, and 4. son Robert, as well as four daughters.^[18] The children of Sylvester and Jane (Wells) Baldwin include: 1. John Baldwin, of whom little is known, but believed dead by 1632; in depth search might determine if he could be John Baldwin of Norwich. Given their approximate ages, both John of Norwich and John of Milford were of the same generation. Chester argues that there is a strong tradition, if not positive proof that John of Milford was a 'near relative' of the Dundridge line.^[18] Alternatively, Baldwin points out mistakes in Savage's account of the Baldwins, suggesting that John of Norwich or John of Milford could have been the son of Henry and Alice (Kinge) Baldwin's son, John of Stybbings, Wendover requiring greater search and sourcing.^[17] Henry (heir to his uncle Richard, who died without issue), 3. Richard Baldwin who m. Phillipa Corbman whose children include Henry of Woburn, John Baldwin of Billerica, and Sarah Baldwin, (m. Richard Lawrence), who emigrated to New Jersey, 4. son William and 5. son Sylvester Baldwin, Jr. the migrant (m. Sarah Bryan), whose children included John Baldwin of Stonington.^[17][18]

Research Notes

Puritan Great Migration, Founding of Woburn

Although not listed in Anderson's Puritan Great Migration, there is evidence that Henry Baldwin arrived during the timeframe. According to Anderson, "The 13 of 3 month 1640 [13 April] was the date that the General Court granted the petition for the two-mile square addition to the town of Charleston, clearly the event that the settlers of Woburn consider to be the founding date for their town. Below these orders is a listing of thirty-two men who subscribed to the founding document of the town of Woburn in the same order in which they appear on the list. Twenty of the thirty-two resided in Charleston prior to coming to Woburn, including Edward Johnson, Edward Converse, John Mousall, Ezekiel Richardson, Samuel Richardson, Thomas Richardson, William Learned, James Thomas, John Wright, Michael Bacon, John Sears, John Wyman, Francis Wyman, Mr. Thomas Graves, Nicholas Davis, Nicholas Trerice, John Carter, James Converse, Daniel Bacon, Edward Winn. The next group of original Woburn settlers consists of ten men with no certain prior record in New England, may have come straight from England to Woburn, being participants in the final stages of the migration, or resided in Charleston without leaving a record, including Henry Beldin [Anderson corrects Belden to Baldwin on page 473], Francis Kendall, John Teed [sic], Henry Tottingham, Richard Lowden, William Greene, Benjamin Butterfield, Henry Jefts, James Parker, John Russell, James Britton and Thomas Fuller.^[3]

Possible Migration with Father and Siblings

In his Notes on the Baldwin Family, C. C. Baldwin indicates that Richard Baldwin, along with daughter Jane were known to have been in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1637 and it has been surmised that Richard may be the father to Henry of Woburn and John of Billerica. Richard, brother to the immigrant Sylvester, would have likely returned to England himself as his wife, Phillipa, was buried in Aston Clinton on 30 July 1641. Deacon Henry of Woburn was a witness to his brother John Baldwin of Billerica's will in 1686 reinforcing this family relationship.^[19]

Misattributed Birth Location

Several sources incorrectly suggest the birth location for Henry Baldwin of Woburn as Devonshire, England.^[7][9] Baldwin suggests that this error in birth location may have occurred because "the name 'Baldwin' was there an old one--the first Earl of Devonshire, under William the Conqueror, having that name." He also indicates that the arms for the (Aston Clinton) Baldwins do not belong to the Devonshire Baldwins.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Findmypast.Com. Accessed 8 December 2019. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FBUCKINGHAMSHIRE%2FBAP%2F001650053. Name: Henry Baldwin s/o Richard and Phillipa; Place: Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire; Baptism Date: 08 Feb 1623.
2. ↑ Wyman, Thomas Bellows. The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown in the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1629-1818. A-J. Boston, MA: AmericanAncestors.org, 2016. Page 49.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Newsletter Volumes 1-25, Lowell, MA: King Printing Co., 2017. Pages 472-473. Also seen as Vol. 15:21 (Link on AmericanAncestors.org by subscription.)
4. ↑ New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21174/74/426875592
5. ↑ Pope, Charles Henry. The Pioneers of Massachusetts. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991. Page 29.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Baldwin, Charles Candee. The Baldwin Genealogy from 1500 - 1881. Cleveland, Ohio: Leader Printing Company, 1881. Pages 615-616.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Vinton, John Adams. The Richardson Memorial, Part 1 of 2. Markham, VA: Apple Manor Press, 2014. Page 38.
8. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 3. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. Page 192.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} Cutter, William Richard (Ed.). Historic Homes and Places and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Vol. 1. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1908. Page 9.
10. ↑ Johnson, Edward. Woburn Records of Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Marriage Intentions, from 1640 to 1900 (Woburn, Mass., 1890-1919)Part 2, Page 9.
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 02 September 2020), memorial page for Henry Baldwin (8 Feb 1622–14 Feb 1696), Find a Grave Memorial no. 205244792, citing First Burial Ground, Woburn, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Ron August (contributor 48630827).
12. ↑ Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871. Volume: Middlesex Cases 1-1999. Pages: 821:1-7. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org) View on AmericanAncestors.org
13. ↑ Middlesex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1648-1871. Volume: Middlesex Cases 1-1999. Pages: 821:2-3 and 7. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org)
14. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_House_(Woburn,_Massachusetts)
15. ↑ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Baldwin_House_(Woburn,_Massachusetts)
16. ↑ Woodman, A. Vere. The Baldwins of Dundridge and Chesham in Co. Bucks. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 113. Pages 245-248. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.)
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1 17.2} Baldwin, Charles C. Notes on the Ancestry of Sylvester Baldwin. New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 26. Pages 294-303. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.)
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3} Chester, Joseph Lemuel. (1884)."Investigations concerning the Baldwin Family of Aston Clinton, co., Bucks. Published privately 1884 by David Clapp & Son, and from the Historical & Genealogical Register. Pages 160-170, 289-299, 372-376.
19. ↑ Baldwin, Charles C. Notes on the Baldwin Family. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 26. Boston, MA: New England Historical Genealogical Society, 1847. Page 303. (Online database: American Ancestors. org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018).

Acknowledgements

• Carol Baldwin wishes to gratefully thank Stephen Trueblood for his willingness to obtain the original baptismal information for Henry Baldwin of Woburn from St. Leonard's church records at Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, England.

• Biography written in full, re-sourced, photos and records added following extensive research by direct descendant Carol Baldwin in December 2019.