| Robert Fletcher migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm |
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The precise birth place and birth date and the parents of Robert Fletcher are unknown. No evidence has been presented to support addition of William Fletcher as father, although he is shown on many online trees as father. For this reason, his father "William" has been removed. Please do not add a father without discussing the proposal on G2G and without good evidence.
According to the death record of Robert Fletcher held in Concord Massachusetts, Robert was born in 1592,[1] but the location in England was not identified.[2]
Robert Fletcher emigrated to Concord Massachusetts in the 1630s. According to genealogist Winifred Lovering Holman, "He is said to have settled very early in Concord, a town some twenty miles northwest of Boston, and in 1637, he was appointed by that town as its constable."[3] The Great Migration identifies 1637 as the earliest date when he was recorded in New England.[4]
MBCR 1:206, 267;
Kempton Anc 4:272-79]
According to Holman, "In 1645, his name appears among a list of petitioners there, and in 1656, he again appears on a petition which deals with bridges in Concord. That same year, 1656, he became a juryman end in 1664 signed another petition." [3]
In E.H. Fletcher's book, Descendants of Robert Fletcher of Concord, Mass., five children are mentioned: William, Luke, Samuel, Francis and Cary.[5] W. L. Holman's sister Mary shows that Cary's actual name was Grissell, and that she subsequently was married five times.[3]
Several accounts list Margaret Hailston(e) as Robert's wife, but a woman of the same name appears in the Chelmsford records as the wife of Robert's son Samuel.[6]
Other names suggested as Robert's wife are Sarah and Rose, but no marriage record has been found.
Robert passed away on April 3, 1677. [7] direct link[8]
He made his will on 04 February 1677. [9]
Robert Fletcher MP
Robert Fletcher was born in 1592 in Chelmsford, Essex, England. His parents may have been William FLETCHER and Ann FINNEY, but recent DNA puts this lineage in doubt and this Robert is probably not connected to the principal Fletcher family of Cockermouth Hall. (Actually, almost all linkages to gentry in my tree have turned out to be false. The vast majority of early immigrants were what we would call now middle class.)
DNA testing, As of Nov 2014: R-M269
He married Sarah HARTWELL (is this proven?) about 1612 in England. Robert died 3 Apr 1677 in Concord, Middlesex, Mass.
family
Parents unknown. Wife's name unknown, seen as Sarah.
Five children, all probably born in England:
Grissell b. c1618; Married 1) Thomas Jewell 2) Humphrey Griggs 3) John Gurney Francis b. c1620; Married Elizabeth Wheeler William b. c1622; Married Lydia Bates Luke b. c1625; Married Betsey Shattuck Samuel b. 1632 married Margaret Hailston
biographical notes
"The first of that name known to have come to this country was Robert Fletcher, who was born in Oxford, England, in 1592, as shown by the records of his death found in the Town Records of Concord, Mass. He settled in Concord, Mass., in 1630, being 38 years of age when he came to America. He brought with him his wife and two sons, named Luke and William, and a daughter named Carey, also a brother, William, who afterwards settled in Middletown, Conn.
Robert Fletcher was a wealthy and influential man. He died in Concord,Mass., April 3, 1677, aged 85 years. He had five children: Luke,William, Carey, Samuel and Francis."
Bates, Theodore C., Bates and Fletcher Genealogical Register, (1892) p. 47.
documentation
From geneamusings
The family and biography of Robert Fletcher has been extensively researched by:
From member Virginia Wilber, Oct 2014:
"Dear all,
There are very many people tested for the DNA of descendants of Robert Fletcher of Concorde who all live in the USA, etc. The two principle people descended from Sir Henry Fletcher of Cockermouth who is also ancestor to the Robert Fletcher of Cumberland, are William Guy Fletcher (myself) and William LeRoy Fletcher of California. The test results proved that Robert Fletcher of Concorde is NOT the same person as Robert Fletcher of Cumberland. Sincerely, W. Guy Fletcher"
I would be happy to send anyone who wants it the entire email correspondence - including Guy's email address. I know this link is all over the internet and ancestry and LDS, but I am trying to correct this misconception as Robert Fletcher is an ancestor of mine, also. Truthfully, I'm sorry this link is not valid as I would, also, like to be descended from King Alfred.
References:
Holman, Winifred Lovering. Descendants of Robert Fletcher: The First Six Generations. Unpublished manuscript in library of NEHGS, Boston. 1950. (A carefully researched genealogy which corrects much of EHF's 1881 book; for more details, see Fletcher Family Research Bulletin, Mar 1993.) Also see Jun 98; Jun 2000; Mar-Jun-Sep 2001.
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Robert is 18 degrees from Zendaya Coleman, 26 degrees from Sting Sumner, 15 degrees from Josh Brolin, 17 degrees from Timothée Chalamet, 17 degrees from José Ferrer, 14 degrees from Frank Herbert, 13 degrees from Richard Jordan, 16 degrees from David Lynch, 16 degrees from Virginia Madsen, 17 degrees from Charlotte Rampling, 24 degrees from Patrick Stewart and 18 degrees from Denis Villeneuve on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
This profile needs a refresh... anyone?
profile needs disputed origins paragraph at the top.
indicates that Robert Fletcher may have had a wife prior to Sarah. I don't have access to the book.
See TAG 68: https://www.americanancestors.org/databases/american-genealogist-the/image?pageName=60&volumeId=12963&rId=24672427 (subscription)
Thanks for the merge. Grissell Carey (Fletcher) Jewell and Grissell (Kirby) Jewell are the same person.
Grissell used the name Carey in her younger years, then started using Grissell. Her marriage record can be found on Grissell Carey (Fletcher) Jewell (Fletcher-1263). Fletcher-1263 and Kirby-59 should be merged under Fletcher-1263.
Thanks again for the merge.... you seem to have to do them all - but it is appreciated!!
Virginia
I've not heard of any other Robert Fletcher in Concord with this death date. There are quite a few areas to be worked out - wives and children to start.
This is the merge I meant to propose previously. Trying to finish stuff and it's too late at night - if that can be counted as an excuse.