Josias Firman (bef. 1621 - 1709)

Born before 22 Apr 1621 in Nayland, Suffolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Alice (Beers) Furman — married about 1640 in Newtown (Elmhurst), Queens County, New York

Descendants

Died 1709 after age 87 in Newtown (now Elmhurst, Queens), Colony of New York

Biography

Josias Firman immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

Josias Firman migrated from England to America.

Josias Firman was a New Netherland settler.

Origin

Josias Firmin was baptized on 22 April 1621 at Nayland, county Suffolk, England, a son of John Furman and his second wife, Susan Warren (here profiled as Susan Warwick).^[1] Josias died in 1709.

Josias was probably the "Josias Firmin," a servant to Governor John Winthrop in the mid-1630s.^[1] He was admitted to the Boston church as "Josiah Ferman servant to our brother Mr. John Winthroppe" on 6 June 1640 and was admitted freeman on 2 June 1641.^[2]

Josias apparently removed as early as 6 July 1657 to Middlebury [sic] (Middleburg, later Newtown, now Elmhurts in Quens), Long Island, soon after his father who was one of the original purchasers of land from the Native Americans in 1656.^[2] In 1700, Josias was Commissioner of Highways at Newtown.^[2]

Uncertain First Wife

Josias probably married twice.

• Josias' first wife's name is unknown (here profiled as Angelche (Alice) Beers (without evidence or source).^{[citation needed]}

Some assume that Josias's first wife's last name at birth was Beers. "Colonial Families of the United States, [Vol 2?]" reports (incorrectly and without specifying it's source) that Josiah sold his lands to his "brother-in-law," _____ Beers, and moved to Hempstead, Long Island, then later to Newtown, Long Island.^[3] This supposed but nonexistant sale may hint at a relationship, but is not necessarily evidence for his wife's maiden name.

Note that there is no record of ANY Firman selling land to Richard Beers. What DOES exist is a land deed signed 2 November (9th month) 1653, recorded 25 Jan 1652/53 wherein Barnabas and wife Grace "Ffawar" (also spelled Ffar, Farrar) sold land to Richard Beers (husband of Elizabeth Firman, believed but not 100% proven to be daughter of John so her surname is not 100% proved) and that land was specifically noted as having been sold by the "heirs of John Ffirman" to Barnabas previously. While there is a detailed description of the land involved, no detail was given as to who these heirs of John Firman were, or when they sold the land to Barnabas.^[4] The deed included 60 acres of upland and says ...All which landes was by the Townsmen of Water Towne, graunted to John Ffirman deceased, and by heyres sold unto Barnabas Ffar..." but does not specify which heirs or when the land was sold. Unfortunately the original deed of the sale to Barnabas does not appear in the Grantor or Grantee index under either family's various spellings.

Resolved Second Wife

• Josias married after her first husband's death c. 1689/90, as her 2nd, and probably as his 2nd, to Mary (Unknown) Weed, widow of John Weed of Stamford, Connecticut.^[5]

Some have assumed her name was Strickland, based on Manwaring's mis-reading of the name, "Wood." Manwaring included an abstract of Jonas Weed at Southampton, Long Island, but Anderson believes this was clearly a mis-reading of Jonas Wood.^[6] Jonas Weed never lived at Southampton, and Mary's maiden name was not Strickland.

Death and Legacy

Josias died at Newton, Long Island in 1709. Surviving him were his sons: John, Josias, Joseph, David, Samuel, Johnathan and his daughters: Martha and Rebecca.^[2]

Children

Josias and his wife had eight children:

1. Josias Firmin, (Jr.) b 1645,:^[7]
2. John Firmin, b 1650, ^[7]
3. Elizabeth Firmin, b about 1655,
4. Joseph Firmin, b 1656, ^[7]
5. Samuel Firmin, b 1658, ^[7]
6. Jonathan Firmin, b 1662, ^[7]
7. Martha Firmin, b 1666 ^[7]
8. David Firmin, whose birth year is unknown

Note: Seversmith genealogy does not mention Elizabeth or David, but also lists a daughter Rebecca, by second wife Mary, born 24 August 1693, died 26 September 1752.^[7]

Josiah Furman^[8], also called Josias in some documents, was born in 1621 in Nayland, Suffolk, England^[9] as the second child of John Furman and Susan Warren. He had five siblings, namely: Mary, Benjamin, Martha, Catherine, and John. He died in 1705 in Newtown, Long Island.^[8][10] When he was 29, he married Alice Beers in 1650.^[11]

Published Biography

Josiah Furman was mentioned in two New York genealogy books in identical articles which started with his father:

"( I ) john Furman, born 1600, came from Wales, according to the family tradition, and He was made a freeman of the Massachusetts Colony in 1631. Soon after this he probably removed to Long Island and little further concerning him is known.

( II ) Josiah and John Furman. sons of john. removed from Hempstead, Long Island, to the town of Newtown. where they purchased land and where john died in 1677, aged about 46 years, leaving a son Jonathan. Josiah Furman, born 1635,. in Massachusetts, died in 1705 in Newtown leaving sons, John, Josiah, Joseph, David, Samuel and Jonathan

( III ) John (2), apparently eldest son of Josiah Furman, , born in Newtown, died there in 1726. He was one of the twenty-four patentees of Jamaica by grant of Governor Dongan made May 17, 1686. He married Margaret Lynch."^[8][10]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Anderson Robert Charles, (1995) "John Firmin." Featured name. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. NEHGS AmericanAncestors.org (Volumes I-III, Pages 675-).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Jordan, John Woolf, (1911) Colonial Families of Philadelphia, Vol 2. New York: Lewis Pub. Co. Archive.org (Vol 2, Page 1206).
3. ↑ Colonial Families Of The United States of America by George Norbury Mackenzie, L.L.B. Publication date 1909 $subscription and [https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/9057?token=Td3TTTu5RW38so4vdnvhGRPxj8mv7fP34o%2BKa%2B1W%2FcM%3D free image courtesy of ancestry.com.
4. ↑ "Massachusetts Land Records, 1620-1986," images, FamilySearch Vol. 1 #70 : 22 May 2014), Middlesex > Deeds 1649-1670 vol 1-3 > image 109 of 645; county courthouses and offices, Massachusetts.
5. ↑ Jacobus, Donald Lines, (1930) Families of Old Fairfield, Connecticut, Vol 1. AmericanAncestors.org NEHGS (Vol 1, Page 653).
6. ↑ Anderson,, Robert Charles, (1995) "Jonas Weed," Featured Name. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, AmericanAncestors.org NEHGS (Volumes I-III, Page 1956).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6} Seversmith, Herbert Furman, Colonial Families of Long Island, New York and Connecticut... (Washington : [s.n.], 1939), 5 vols., Vol. 3:1060-1, 1064. (Borrow on Archive.org.)
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} "Genealogical and Family History of Southern NY and the Hudson River Valley" by Cuyler Reynolds https://archive.org/stream/genealogicalfami01reyn#page/620/mode/1up
9. ↑ Robert Charles Anderson, Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1996).
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Tunis Garret Bergen, Genealogies of the State of New York: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 2 (New york, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915), page 620.
11. ↑ New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com.

See also:

• (24 July 2014) "John Firman from Great Migration Begins" FamilySearch.org

• Riker, James. Annals of Newtown: In Queens County, New-York. Lambertville, NJ: Hunterdon House, 1982. p. 399.

• The Hartpence Family in America: Descendants of Johannes Eberhart Pence and Hannah Kitchen of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, 1735-1985 : Author: Esther Leonard Heer: Publication: Baltimore, Gateway Press, Inc., 1989
• "Furman Footsteps Through the Centuries" by Alma Furman Kieny, November 1985