Robert Elwell (abt. 1609 - 1683)

Born about 1609 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Joane (Unknown) Elwell — married before 1634 in England [uncertain]

Husband of Alice (Unknown) Elwell — married 29 May 1676 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 18 May 1683 at about age 74 in Gloucester, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Robert Elwell migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 2, p. 426) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Origin

It has been widely disseminated that Robert's parents were Thomas Elwell and Sarah (Bassett) Elwell. This is likely a confusion with his son and daughter-in-law, Thomas and Sarah (Bassett) Elwell. Anderson lists his ancestors as unknown.^[1]

Biography

Anderson estimates that Robert Elwell was born about 1609 based on an estimated date of marriage.^[1] His origins and parentage are not yet known, but he was most likely born in England and might have been from Dorsetshire, possibly Stoke Abbott or a nearby parish.^[2]

Emigration

Robert Elwell is listed among the "[p]lanters carrying with them household goods, clothing and provisions for themselves, their wives, children and servants" who were allowed to pass free of custom on 31 March 1633, to be shipped on the Recovery of London, Mr. Gabriel Cornish Master, from Weymouth to New England.^[3] Anderson gives an arrival of 1634, based on Robert's appearance in the records of Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, beginning in September of that year.^[1]

Occupation

Robert Elwell's occupation was as a fisherman.^[1] He was a witness in a lawsuit concerning a dispute among apparent fishermen "att the eastward" on 4 August 1635.^[4] By the 1660s, he was doing a substantial amount of fishing and was frequently involved in court proceedings relating to those efforts.^[1][5]

Property and Removes

The Dorchester Town Records for 1 September 1634 include this item: "It is ordered that the lot which was granted formerly to John Rocket shall be transferred to Robert Elwell". On 2 Jan 1637/8, he received a slip of upland/marsh with Mr. Holland, 2 acres of marsh at Ludlow Neck & an allotment at Manning's Moone, he also received a 1637 grant of 3 acres of meadow in Dorchester and 4+ acres in March 1637/38.^[1][6]

Anderson says that Robert removed to Marblehead in 1639 and that he was constable in Marblehead in 1640 and 1641/2. He actually resided in Salem, in the part of town known as Marblehead, which didn't formally separate from Salem until 1649.^[7] He was made freeman on the 13th of March 1640, being third in a sequence of eight Salem men on the list. He was admitted to the Salem church on 19 Feb 1642/3, however prior church membership is implied (perhaps at Dorchester), as he was made freeman in 1640.^[1]

The year of Robert's removal from Salem/Marblehead to Gloucester is determined by a 1674 court record which states that he "left town (Marblehead) ... twenty-eight years since" (1646) selling land to Thomas Bowen.^[7] Robert owned land in Gloucester as early as 2 April 1642, when he bought of Mr. Milward two acres of upland lying in the harbor between the lots of John Collins and Zebulon Hill and running from his swamp northerly over the next swamp. In 1651, Robert had a grant of land at "Stage Neck", now called "Rock Neck", in Gloucester.^[6] He first resided in the harbor, but it is supposed he finally settled at Eastern Point, where most of his land was situated.^[8]

He was a selectman in Gloucester in 1649 (and several times afterward)^[8] and, in 1664, was on the committee to erect a new meeting house,^[6][7] however this service is not mentioned by Anderson. Anderson says he was Gloucester constable 1657, a commissioner to end small causes in 1651, 1652, 1653/4; Essex petit jury 1653 & grand jury 1677.^[1]

Marriages and Children

Robert married first by 1634, Joan ----, who died at Gloucester on 31 March 1675. Robert and Joan had the following children:^{[1][6][9][10]}

1. Mary Elwell, b. abt. 1634, m1. at Gloucester 15 Aug 1654 Samuel Dollivar; m2. as Mary Dolever, widow, James Gardner 16 Dec 1684 in Gloucester;
2. Samuel Elwell, b. abt. 1635, prob. bp. 28 Aug 1639 in Salem, m. in Gloucester 7 Jun 1658 Esther Dutch, dau of Osmond Dutch;
3. Josiah Elwell, b. abt 1638; prob. bp. 28 Aug 1639 in Salem and is probably the "second child" named in Elwell bio (and not b. 1644); m. in Gloucester 15 Jun 1666 Mary Collins, dau of John Jr.; she m2. John Cooke 2 Feb 1679/80;
4. John Elwell, bp. in Salem 23 Jan 1639; m. in Salem 1 Oct 1667 Jane Durin;
5. Isaac Elwell, bp. in Salem 27 Feb 1641/2; m1. by 1666 Mehitable Millet, dau of Thomas Millett; m2. abt 1700 Mary (Prince) Rowe, dau of Thomas Prince, widow of Hugh Rowe;
6. Joseph Elwell, b. abt 1648; m. in Gloucester 22 Jun 1669 Mary Dutch, dau. of Osmond Dutch;
7. Sarah Elwell, b. in Gloucester 20 Apr 1651; d. in Gloucester 23 Apr 1651;
8. Sarah Elwell, b. in Gloucester 12 May 1652; d. in Gloucester 26 Aug 1655;
9. Thomas Elwell, bp. in Salem 22 Apr 1665; m. in Gloucester 23 Nov 1675 Sarah Bassett;
10. Jacob Elwell, b. in Gloucester 10 Jun 1657; d. in Gloucester 21 May 1658;
11. Richard Elwell, bp. in Salem 11 Apr 1658; no further record.

Robert married second in Gloucester on 29 May 1676, Alice (---) Leach,^[10][11][12] widow of Robert Leach. She died in Gloucester on 10 April 1691.^[1][10]

Death, Will & Probate

Robert Elwell died in Gloucester on 18 May 1683.^{[1][6][10][13]} The 26 Jun 1683 inventory of his estate totaled £290-10.^[14][15]

The Last Will and Testament of Robert Elwell of Gloucester was dated 15 May 1683 and proved 26 Jun 1683^[1] and is transcribed as follows:^[6]

I Robert Elwell of Gloucester in the County of Essex in New England being by God's providence cast upon my Bed of sicknesse & weaknesse & not knowing how neare the time of my departure out of the world may be & withal knowing how it to be the mind & will of God that a man should Set his house in order before he dye to therefore in order to the disposing of my estate & Goods make knowne & declare this my last Will and Testament in manner & fforme following.

Imprims I give & bequeath unto my eldest Sonne Samuel Elwell the house I now dwell in together with all the Barnes & buildings neare adjoyneing which are mine and not otherwise disposed off. as also all the Neck of Land whereupon my said House standeth except what is hereafter disposed of to my sonne Thomas and all the rest of my Land & Meadow both here & at the Eastern Poynt and little good Harbour & elsewhere except only what is hereafter bequeathed to my sonnes John and Thomas otherwise except what is hereafter excepted I give all my Sayd Housing & lands above expressed to him my sayd sonne Samuel and his Heires forever provided always & it is my will & meaning that my sayd sonne Samuel shall maintaine myself & his mother my wife during the terme of our Natural lives with convenient & sufficient mayntenance both for clothing & dyet & washing (it always being understood that our bedding & household we doe not dispose but make use of it for our selves whist we live as we see meet) but otherwise he shall provide us & find both his mother and myselfe with the abovesayd necessaryes of food & Rayment during our Natural Lives sufficiently & also wood for firing convenient & all other necessarys & attendance both in sicknesse & health & so to enter upon the improvement of my sayd Living when I shall appoynt him in case I live & in case I now dye to enter upon the sayd Living presently after my decease.

Also I do hereby give & bequeath unto my sayd sonne all my carts ploughs & tackling belonging unto them & all my other Tools for carrying on the worke abovesayd.

Item I give and bequeath unto my sonne John Elwell three Acres of my meadow at little good Harbour to him and his Heirs forever.

Item I give unto my sonne Isaac Elwell my cloake after my decease. Item I give & bequeath unto my sonne Thomas Elwell the Half acre of Land with the orchyard his house standeth upon and one Acre of meadow or Marsh at Starke naught Harbor (so commonly called) and also one yeareling after my decease to injoy the abovesayd to him his Heirs Executs. Adminis. Or Assignes for ever.

Item I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Deliber (Dolliver) a Two yeare old Heifer after my decease.

Item I give & bequeath unto Samuel Elwell my grandsonne all that my house & Land his Father now liveth in & upon lying & being Situated on the other side of the River or Harbour in Glocester aforesayd fower Acres of said Land being upland adjoining neare sayd House & two Acres being meadow and lying by the Cutt to him & his Heires for ever & in case the sayd Samuel my Grand Sonne doe dye without Heires it shall then fall to my next eldest Grand sonne & so in the like Case of Mortality from one to another of my Grandsonnes. And this my sayd Son Grand Son Samuel to have after my decease and to pay twenty shillings unto his grandmother my wife.

Item I give & bequeath unto my Grand Sonne Robert Elwell who now lives with me all my quarter part of my Katch in case he abides with his father and help him. And the sayd Robert shall pay unto his sayd Grandmother my wife the full summ of foure pounds after my decease.

Item I give & bequeath all my wearing Apparell to my Sonnes to be equally divided amongst them after my decease. Item I give & bequeath all my household stuffe or Goodes such as Bedding pots pewter Brasse stooles & Chayres or Chests & Boxes unto all my Children to be equally divided amongst them after my decease & the decease of my wife. And thereas it is above expressed that my sonne Samuel shall have my House I now dwell in after my decease my will & meaning is so long only as my wife aforesayd & hee my sayd sonne do agree & sayd mother like wrather to live by her selfe, I do hereby declare it to be my mind & will fully that then my sayd son shall depart the House & leave it to his mother & shee shall injoy it to her owne peculair use & behoof during her terme of Life.

Also whereas it is above expressed that my Sonne Samuel shall have this my living abovesayd to him & his Heirs forever my will & meaning is & I do hereby apoynt my Grandsoone Robert (sone of sayd Samuel) that now liveth with me to be the next Immediate Heir unto this my sayd Living after his ffather my sayd son Samuel to injoy the same to him & his Heires for ever and in case he sayd Robert doe die without Heire it shal then fall to the next eldest of my Grandsonnes surviving.

Item I give unto my Grand sonne William Elwell (sonne of my sonne Josiah deceased) a calfe of this yeares breeding. Item I give & bequeath unto my deare & loving wife two Milch Cowes for her owne peculiar use & to dispose of as shee shall see meet & doe also order my son Samuel to provide & bring home ffodder for them during the term of her natural Life & in case he does not provide for them as abovesayd it shall be in the power of my Executor to take away one acre of the meadow at the eastern poynt for the purpose above sayd.

Item I give & bequeath unto my wife the use & benefit of the Garden by my now dwelling House to have & improve as she shall see meet during the terme of her natural Life. And all the rest of my Cattell not here disposed off both Cowes & oxen & other younger Cattell I give unto my Sonne Samuel Elwell except only what may be for the discharging of my debts & charges of my executors concerning the ordering of my estate in disposing & distributing & other necessary expenses that they may be at one way or another about the same.

Also I leave all my household Goodes with my wife for her use during her Naturall Life & after her decease to be distributed as above sayd. And that this my last Will and Testament may be truly performed I doe intreat my deare & well beloved Friend Mr. John Emerson & Jeffrey Parsons Sen. To be the Executors of this my last will & Testament & doe hereby constitute ordayne authorize & impower them in all Respects the sayd Executors to see it fully executed & performed.

And furthermore I doe give two ewe sheep to my wife & the rest of them to my sonne Samuel. Also I doe give my Horse to my wife to have the use of it during her natural Life & my sonne Samuel to provide him winter meat. And my Colt I give unto my sonne Samuel. And in case my sonne Samuel doe not provide Comfortably for his sayd mother my wife according to what is above expressed I doe hereby Authorize & impower my sayd executors to take away & to order & dispose of the sayd Living & Cattell given to my sonne to any whom they shall see meet for my wife's Comfortable subsistence as abovesayd during her Naturall Life.

And for the full Confirmation of this my last Will and Testament I have hereunto set my Hand & Seale the fiveteenth day of this Instant May Anno. Dom. One thousand six hundred & eighty three.

Sealed & Subscribed (Seal) in the p'sence of us The marke of 0 John Row Sen. Ruth Emerson Jun. Robert Elwell

John Row & Ruth Emerson made oath in court at Salem the 26 of June 1683: that they were both present & did see the said Robert Elwell signe seale & declare the above written to be his last will & testament & that he was then to their best understanding of good understanding & that they signed as witnesses to the above written.

Attest HILLIARD VEREN Clerk

Research Notes

Possible Origin in Dorsetshire

Many researchers claim he was born in Stoke Abbott, Dorsetshire. This appears to originate with Charles Edward Banks in 1937.^[16] However, Banks' only cited source is Pope's The Pioneers of Massachusetts 1620-1650, and Pope states only that Robert's "wife had legacy from a bro. residing at Stoke Abbot, Dorcestshire, Eng., about 1648," referring to the postscript to a letter sent by Tristram Dalliber of Stoke Abbas, Dorsetshire, to John Balch and William Woodbury of Salem, New England, on 20 April 1648.^[17] The NEHGR published a transcription of the complete letter in 1877. The relevant language states: "There is Robert ellwell wife hath 3 lb. heare in hir sister in lawes hand wch her brother gave her at his deth if he be plesed to tacke it there. I shall be Content soe as they will send an aquittance sealed vp in a leter to me soe as I may haue it from them at the next Retorvne for they told me that they wold send a leter to me & I should send it ouer wth myne but I neuer hard more of them."^[18] Anderson concludes from this letter that Robert's wife was from Stoke Abbas or vicinity, and based on the ages of their children it was likely that they married in England. Thus he concludes that the evidence of Robert's origins should be sought in this same area; but he concludes that Robert's origins remain unknown.^[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 1.11 1.12} Anderson, Robert Charles. "The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635," Volume II. Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2011. Accessed online at Ancestry.com. Pages 426-431 or AmericanAncestors.
2. ↑ See Research Notes.
3. ↑ Peter Wilson Coldham, The Complete Book of Emigrants 1607-1660, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2008 (6th printing)), 107-8; citing Public Record Office, Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1LR, England.
4. ↑ Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, ed., Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, 5 vols. (Boston: Press of William White, 1853-54), [ 1:80], 1:152; image copy, Hathitrust, (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006784513 : accessed 16 Dec 2021) ["MBCR"].
5. ↑ ’’Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, 1636-1686’’, 9 vols. (Salem, Mass: The Essex Institute, 1911-1975), 2:386-87, 2:401-2, 3:41-2, & 3:81.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} Elwell, Rev. Thomas Jacob, comp. "The Elwell Family in America: A Genealogy of Robert Elwell of Dorchester and Gloucester, Massachusetts." (Boston MA: Charles H Pope, 1899). Accessed online at Archive.org or see attached images. Pages 3-7. (NOTE: The first 10 pages (2 generations) of this book were reprinted in NEHGR 53:25-32, Jan 1899).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Davis, Walter Goodwin. "The Ancestry of Nicholas Davis, 1753-1832, of Limington, Maine." Portland, ME, Anthoensen Press, 1956. Accessed online at HathiTrust. Pages 191-204.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Babson, John James. "History of the Town of Gloucester, Cape Ann, Including the Town of Rockport," Samuel Chandler, Proctor Brothers, 1860. Accessed online at Archive.org. Pages 87-88.
9. ↑ "Vital Records of Salem, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849." Online database accessed 1 Aug 2018. Births page 277 - 6 children DOB.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3} Vital Records of Gloucester, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849. Online database accessed 1 Aug 2018. Births page 244-248 - 4 children; Marriages p.201 "Elwell, Robert, and Eals [Alce, CT.R.] Leach, May 29, 1676."; Deaths p.127 "Elwell, Eals, Apr. 10, 1691.", "Elwell, Joan, w. Robert, 31 :1 m: 1675.", p.128 "Elwell, Robert, May 18, 1683."
11. ↑ "Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910," database, FamilySearch: 9 Feb 2018, Robert Elwell and Alice Leach, 29 May 1676; citing reference Vol. 1, page 186; FHL microfilm 877,447.
12. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, NEHGS, 2001-2018.) Vol.4, Page 362 (Oct 1850).
13. ↑ "Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910," database, FamilySearch: 10 Feb 2018, Robert Elwell, 18 May 1683; citing Gloucester, Essex, MA, reference v 1 p 70; FHL microfilm 864,859.
14. ↑ Babson, John James, "Notes and Additions to the History of Gloucester: Part First, Early Settlers, Volume 1." M.V.B. Perley; 1876. Accessed online on GoogleBooks. p.21.
15. ↑ Davis, Walter Goodwin. "The Ancestry of Charity Haley, 1755-1800: Wife of Major Nicholas Davis of Limington, Maine." Boston, MA: Stanhope Press, 1916. Accessed online at Archive.org. Pages 69-70.
16. ↑ Charles Edward Banks, "Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England, 1620-1650," (Philadelphia : The Bertram Press, 1937), 34; digital copy, Hathitrust.
17. ↑ Charles Henry Pope, The Pioneers of Massachusetts 1620-1650, 128 (Dalliber, Dolliber, Dolliver) & 155 (Elwell); digital copy, Hathitrust.
18. ↑ William B. Trask, "Documents Relative to the Dalliber Family," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 31 (Jul 1877): 312-3; digital image, Internet Archive.

See also:

• Versailles, Elizabeth Starr and Levi Henry Elwell. "Elwelliana: Memorabilia of Levi Henry Elwell, 1854-1916." Williamsburg, MA: [publisher not identified], 1974.
• Chase, Barbara Stone and Alicia Crane Williams. "Chase-Wigglesworth Genealogy: The Ancestors and Descendants of Philip Putnam Chase and his Wife Anna Cornelia Wigglesworth." Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press 1990. Pages 189-95.
• Shull, Burdsall, "Stockton and Allied Families: A Genealogical Study with Biographical Notes." New York: The Company, 1940. [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2005. Pages 13-15.
• Find A Grave, database and images: accessed 1 Aug 2018, Robert Elwell (1609–18 May 1683), Memorial #36882020; Maintained by Linda Mac (contributor 47062703). Unsourced.
• Lawrence Leach of Salem, Mass., and some of his descendants. [database online] Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Leach, F. Phelps. Lawrence Leach of Salem, Massachusetts: and some of his descendants. East Highgate, VT: F. Phelps Leach, 1924-1926. (Page 4) Retrieved from: Ancestry.com August 4, 2014.