Hannah Anne (Carter) Titus (1604 - 1678)

Born 1604 in England

Wife of Robert Titus — married 24 Jun 1624 in St. Marys, Watford, Hertfordshire, England

Descendants

Died 24 Mar 1678 at about age 74 in Huntington, Long Island, New York

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jay Byrne [send private message] and Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message]

Hannah (Carter) Titus migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Hannah Carter Titus was born about 1604 in England.

The following message from Cynthia B was posted on the WikiTree profile of Robert Carter.

What is the evidence for the daughter named Hannah (Carter?) Titus? Would the daughter of Robert Carter, Gent. really have married a husbandman?

Believe the profile for Hannah as daughter should probably be disconnected (with notes in both bios). Seems she was not Robert's daughter. Thanks!

Known Issues with Robert Titus Biography

See discussion for Robert Titus. "third issue". BJC

Parents removed Petronella Curle and Robert Carter by Fontaine Wiatt Jan 27 2016.

Unknown Origin

Hannah's origin and maiden name are unknown. Anderson in his Great Migration series (Puritan Great Migration Project primary reference), commented on the article by Peter Walne, published in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register in 1979, which "discussed a number of suggested English origins for this family, without reaching a definitive conclusion."^[1] Walne mentioned the record at Watford, Hertfordshire of the marriage of Robert Titus and Hannah Carter which "may refer" to the immigrant couple.^[2] The NEHGR article continued, "Carter was very common in the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Watford district and were the English kin of President Carter."^[2] No reason for the identification of this record as identical with the immigrant couple was offered, but unfortunately some online data bases have adopted it as fact.

Hannah was born about 1604. Her age was recorded as 31 years on the Hopewell passenger list of 3 April 1635.^[3]

Immigration

Robert, Hannah and their two children, John (age 8) and Edmond (age 5), sailed from London aboard the Hopewell (passenger list dated April 3rd, 1635).^[3]

Several problems have developed in mis-interpretation of the Hopewell passenger list, as reprinted by Hotten.^[3] "Lorine's Note" on the "Olive Tree Genealogy" website may be helpful to those who read Hannah's Maiden name as "Uxor," "common words found are "uxor" meaning "wife ..." and for other hints on immigration records research.^[4]

The Hopewell passenger list notated that Robert Titus was "of St Katherins;" the location and meaning of which is unclear. The Titus Family in America, of 1881, made many statements for which there is no evidence, conflating Robert Titus' wife, Hannah's, ancestry with the armorial Carters of Bushy Parish at Watford, Hertsfordshire.^[5] Like many of the early genealogies, connections were made on the basis of names or geography alone, and in this case, it seems there was actually neither. Logically, the daughter of the armorial Carters would probably not have been the bride of an unknown husbandman.

Robert Titus is incorrectly associated with Hertfordshire on the basis of a poorly recorded location regarding other passengers. Robert's Certificate of suitability was probably (but not certainly) meant to denote St Katherine's, London.^[6]

Husbandman Robert Titus 35

of St Katherins

uxor Hanna Titus 31

Jo: Titus 8

Edmond 5^[3]

Marriage and Children

Hannah married to Robert Titus.^[1] Robert's death date is not known, but it was before 16 July 1669 (deed recorded as "land of the widow Titus").^[1]

Children (birth order is uncertain):^[1]

1. John Titus, b c. 1627 - 1689; mar Abigail Carpenter, daughter of William Carpenter of Rehoboth
2. Edmond Titus, b c. 1630 – 1715; mar Martha Washburn, daughter of William Washburn
3. Samuel Titus, b say 1636 – 1682; mar Unknown, eldest child was born 14 Apr 1669 Huntington
4. Susanna Titus, b say 1638, mentioned in mother's will of 1672, no further record
5. Abiel Titus, b 17 Mar 1640[/1] Weymouth – 1736; mar Unknown (poss. Rebecca, but "statements that she was a Scudder may be confusion with 2nd wife of his son)
6. Content Titus, b 28 Mar 1643 Weymouth, – 1730; mar 1) Unknown, 2) Mary Samway of Huntington

Note: Death dates of children are not reported by Anderson.

Residences and Removals

After arrival in 1635, the family settled for the first couple of years at Brookline (Boston), Massachusetts.^[1] By 1640, they had removed to Weymouth, as on 13 May 1640, Robert was granted freemanship there. The family removed from Weymouth with Rev. Samuel Newman and parishoners to settle the new town of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. They were members of the church, and Robert was active in town affairs, serving as Highways Supervisor on 1 June 1647, and as Deputy for Rehoboth to the Plymouth Colony General Court on 7 June 1648, again on 8 June 1649, and also on 4 June 1650.^[1]

In 1654, the town of Rehoboth attached a £50 bond to Robert's estate, because he "received into and harbored in his house Abner Ordway and a woman, persons of evil fame, with children."^[1]

On 26 May 1654, with Hannah's consent, Robert sold all his property at Rehoboth (except the fresh meadow at New Meadow River) to Robert Jones, and on 9 June 1654, Robert informed the court that he had sold most of his lands and intended to "remove out of this government." The court ordered that Robert Titus either pay £50 security or take Abner Ordway and his family away with him. This was the last record for Robert Titus, and none have been found at Huntington. Hannah and most of their children apparently removed there (near Cold Spring Harbor), as deeds and records regarding her estate are found at Huntington.^[1] Son, Abiel, had preceded his parents to Huntington, and this may have been the reason they chose that location.^[7]

Last Will and Testament

May 14th 1672. The last Will and testament of Hanna Titus, being in prefit memory, I bequeth my sowl to God that gave it, and my body to the earth, and for my Estate I depose of it as followeth:- Imprimis I give to my sonn Content my house and all my land; and out of the forsaid house and Lands I give to my sonn Johnn tenn poundes, which my son Content is to pay him. And also I give to my son John my mare, and to my son Edmond I give a horse, and to my son Samuel a browne cow, and a yearlen stear, and I give to my son Samuel's wife my warming pan, and to my son Abialle's wife my smothing yron and to my son Contente's wife my Skimar, and for what remnantes of sarg and cloth I have, my will is, that it be equally divided among all my children, and to my dafter Susana I give my sarg hoode, and for all the rest of my estate within the house and without it, I give to my sun Abiall and Content to be equally divided between them two, and to this my will I set my hand in the presence of Richard Williames the H marke of Thomas Skidmore Hana Titus

Richard Williames being one of the witnesses to this will have given his oath to the truth of it before me Jonas Wood this 28 of May '79 Thomas Skidmore being a witness to ye wth in written will doth declare in ye presence of God to ye truth of it before me Issac Platt, Constable In the absence of ye Justice. Huntington, December ye 17th 1679."^[8]

Inventory was taken on March 24, 1678 at Huntington, Long Island, New York, and on 1 March 1679/80, letters of administration were granted to her son, Content Titus.^[1] Hannah's will was proved on 28 May 1679 at Huntington, New York.^[1] Her husband, Robert Titus, had died before 16 July 1669, when a deed at Huntington was recorded as "land of the widow Titus."^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10} Anderson, Robert Charles, "Robert Titus: Featured Name." Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VII, T-Y. (Pages 63-67) (Online database accessed December 24, 2015: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Walne, Peter, [Emigrants from Hertfordshire 1630-1640 Some Corrections and Additions."] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Vol 132, Page 23) Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database accessed December 25, 2015: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2013.)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Hotten, John Camden, The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; Emigrants ... (Page 46) London: Hotten, 1874, Archive.org accessed December 24, 2015.
4. ↑ Freeman, Laura, transcriber, http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/ships/hopewell1635.shtml "Hopewell April 1635."] Olive Tree Genealogy, created by Lorine, December 24, 2015, accessed December 24, 2015.
5. ↑ Titus, Anson, The Titus Family in America: Three Generations. [New York: The New York Genealogical Society] 1881, Archive.org accessed December 24, 2015, CAUTION: INCORRECT GENEALOGY.
6. ↑ Reynolds, Chris, "The Myth of Stanstead Abbey, Hertfordshire." Genealogy in Hertfordshire, January 2013, accessed December 24, 2015.
7. ↑ Titus, Leo J., Titus, a North American Family History. (Page 6) Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 2004, accessed December 24, 2015.
8. ↑ Robert Titus probably died before 1679 when his wife Hannah's will was read. The following will of Hannah Titus made at Huntington, L.I. in 1672 makes no mention of her husband. The original is on file in the office of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, in Albany, N.Y; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Titus

See also:

• Ancestral File Number: 95B6-5C
• The Titus Family in America
• Wikipedia contributors, "Robert Titus." 11 June 2015, accessed 24 December 2015.
• Wikipedia contributors, "Warning out of town." 1 May 2014, accessed 24 December 2015.
• Collections of the New-York Historical Society (New York, 1893) Vol. 25: Abstracts of Wills on File in The Surrogate's Office, City of New York, Vol. 1, 1665-1707. Page 65