Anne (Parker) Noyes (abt. 1576 - bef. 1658)

Born about 1576 in Wiltshire, England [uncertain]

Wife of William Noyes — married about 1595 in Cholderton, Wiltshire, England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 7 Mar 1658 before about age 82 in Cholderton, Wiltshire, England

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Biography

This is the profile for Anne Noyes, the wife of Rev. William Noyes who was the mother of New England immigrants Rev. James Noyes and Nicholas Noyes.

Forename

The forename of the wife of Rev. William Noyes and mother of New England immigrants Rev. James Noyes and Nicholas Noyes is established as having been Ann/Anne by (1) Rev. William Noyes' estate records, which show that his widow Anne was appointed as administratrix of his estate on May 8, 1622,^[1][2] and (2) the will of Ann Noyes of Cholderton, Wiltshire, widow, dated March 18, 1655/6, which includes bequests to James Noyes and Nicholas Noyes "my two sonnes now in new England".^[3]

Maiden Name; Relationship to Rev. Robert Parker

Anne's maiden name was probably Parker. Cotton Mather's 1702 Magnalia Christi Americana contains an account of Rev. James Noyes' life written by his nephew, Rev. Nicholas Noyes of Salem, which includes the following passage:

His Father was Minister of [Choulderton in Wiltshire], a very Learned Man, the Shool Master of Mr. Thomas Parker. His Mother was Sister to the Learned Mr. Robert Parker, and he had much of his Education and Tutorage under Mr. Thomas Parker.^[4]

The most straightforward reading of this passage is that Ann was the blood sister of Rev. Robert Parker, father of Rev. Thomas Parker. That relationship is consistent with (1) the fact that widow Anne Noyes' 1622 bond as adminstrator of William's estate was co-signed by Cuthbert Parker of Whitchbury, Hampshire,^[1] (2) the fact that the 1656 will of Rev. James Noyes refers to Thomas Parker as his "Cozen"^[5] and (3) the fact that the 1663 will of Rev. Thomas Parker refers to Nicholas Noyes, James Noyes and James' wife Sarah Noyes each as his "Couzin."^[6]

Currier, however, in his 1896 Ould Newbury, stated, without citing any sources, that "[Rev. James Noyes'] father was the Rev. William Noyes, who married Anne Stephens, daughter of Nicholas Stephens, Esq., of Burdrop Manor, in Wiltshire, England. The Rev. Robert Parker married Dorothy Stephens, a sister of Anne Stephens."^[7] Probably in reliance on Currier, the 1911 Hudson-Mohawk Genealogy repeated the Currier's claims, again without citing any sources.^[8] The only other support for Currier's claims that has been found is a published "Additional Corrections and Additions" to Wheeler's History of Stonington, Conn. that stated that "Miss Harriet E. Noyes of New Hampshire says: 'From recent investigations in England the name of Rev. William Noyes's wife was proven to be Anne Stephens, daughter of Nicholas Stephens of Burdrop Manor, and sister of Dorothy Stephens, mother of Rev. Thomas Parker.'"^{[citation needed]}

There are a number of problems with the Currier's assertions: (1) Despite Miss Noyes' claim, no reliable evidence has been found that supports the propositions that Ann's maiden name was Stephens, that the maiden name of Robert Parker's wife was Stephens, or that Ann was the sister of Robert Parker's wife. (2) There is no reliable evidence that Nicholas Stephens, Esq., of Burdrop Manor had a daughter named Ann. (3) Although in the 17th century, "sister" was sometimes used by people as a term of endearment to refer to their "sister-in-law", it would have been needlessly confusing and surprising for Rev. Nicholas Noyes to have used the term in that manner in describing his grandmother as part of a discussion of his uncle Rev. James Noyes' family history.

Not surprisingly, most reputable secondary sources have chosen not to adopt Currier's position and have stated that the maiden name of Rev. William Noyes' wife, and Rev. James Noye's mother, was Ann Parker, including the 1900 Descendents of William Noyes,^[9] the 1907 Noyes-Gilman Ancestry^[10] (favorably cited by Anderson in his Great Migration profile of Rev. James Noyes,^[11]), the well-researched 1963 Ancestry of Abel Lunt^[2] and the 1995 NEHGR article "Four Generations of English Ancestry for the Noyes Families of New England."^[12]

Other Parker Siblings?

As noted above, Anne Noyes' bond as adminstrator of William's estate was co-signed by Cuthbert Parker of Whitchbury, Hampshire (now Whitsbury, Wiltshire).^[1] From this fact, Smith and Reed, in their 1995 "Four Generations of English Ancestry for the Noyes Families of New England" presumed that Cuthbert was Anne's brother.^[1] Depositions by Cuthbert indicated that he was born about 1577, making him the right age to be Anne's sibling.^[13] In one deposition in 1621, Cuthbert testified on behalf of Thomas Parker and Edward Parker. According to Smith and Reed, other depositions by Thomas Parker show that he was the brother of a William Parker and Marie Millar/Myllward.^[13] From this evidence, Smith and Reed presumed that Cuthbert, Thomas, William, Marie and possibly Edward were all siblings of Anne and Rev. Robert Parker.^[13]

Parentage

Assuming, as seems likely, that Ann was the sister of Rev. Robert Parker (and, per Smith and Reed, probably also Cuthbert, Thomas, and William Parker and Marie Millar/Myllward), their parentage is unknown. Some online genealogy pages state that their father was named Robert Parker and that their mother was named Mary Eydith (Burge) Parker. However, no reliable evidence supporting that assertion, establishing the existence of people by that name who might have been their parents, or otherwise suggesting who their parents might have been, has so far been found.

Date and Place of Birth

Ann's date and place of birth is uncertain. No birth or baptismal record for Ann has been found. Based on the Cholderton parish register record of her death, which states that she was buried on March 7, 1657/8, aged 82,^[3] Ann was probably born about 1676. However, since, during that time period, stated ages of death of elderly people were often inaccurate, she may have been born a number of years before or after that date.

Based on the fact that Ann and her husband lived in Cholderton, Wiltshire, she may have been born in or near Cholderton. However, since Cuthbert Parker (presumed by Smith and Read to be Anne's brother) lived in Whitchbury, Hampshire and died in Goodworth Clatford, Hampshire,^[13] Anne may well have been born somewhere in Hampshire near the Wiltshire border.

Marriage to Rev. William Noyes

The date of Anne's marriage to Rev. William Noyes is uncertain. Since no record of their marriage has been found, their date of marriage must be estimated based on the date of birth of their first child. It is estimated that Rev. William Noyes' eldest son, Ephraim, was born about 1596, which suggests that Rev. William Noyes and Ephraim's mother were probably married about 1595.

There is, however, some doubt as to whether Anne was Rev. William Noyes' first wife and the mother of his older children. The reasons for this doubt are (1) the fact that Anne's will made in March 1655/6 included bequests to sons James and Nicholas and does not mention sons Ephraim or John,^[3] despite the fact that both were then still alive, and (2) Ephraim Noyes' will made in October 1659 included bequests to brother John and his son and various other relatives but does not mention siblings James, Nicholas or his sister who married Thomas Kent.^[14][15] Together that evidence suggests that Ann may have been Rev. William Noyes' second wife and only the mother of his younger children, starting with son James, while Rev. William Noye's older children were the children of a prior wife. If Anne was Rev. William Noyes second wife, her eldest child by Rev. William Noyes may have been James, who was born about 1608, which would suggest that Anne married Rev. William Noyes about 1607.

Based on the fact that all known records for William after his graduation from Oxford place him in Wiltshire,^[16] they may have been married in Wiltshire. However, since, as discussed in above, Anne may have been born somewhere in Hampshire near the Wiltshire border, they may have been married in Hampshire.

Possible Prior Marriage

If Anne was Rev. William Noyes' second wife and if her age as stated in her burial record was correct, Anne was about 32 years old when she married Rev. Noyes, which would be unusually old for a first marriage. It is therefore possible that Anne was previously married and either had no living children from her first marriage or perhaps (as discussed below) a daughter who married Robert Reed. It is also possible that Anne's age at her death was actually a number of years less than stated and that Anne was actually in her mid- to late-20s when she married Rev. Noyes.

Children

Anne may have been the mother of the following children of Rev. William Noyes. However, as discussed above, there is reason to believe that they instead may have been the children of a prior spouse.

1. Ephraim, b. about 1596 (based on stated age at death),^[14][15] m. November 5, 1633 at Orcheston St. Mary, Wiltshire Parnell Brewer,^[14] bur. October 28, 1659 at Cholderton aged 63^[14][15]
2. Nathan, b. about 1597/8,^[14][15] m. about 1620 Mary _______,^[14][15] d. September 6, 1651 at Salisbury^[14][15]
3. John, b. about 1600,^[14] living in Newton, Wiltshire when he and his son were named in brother Ephraim's 1659 will^[14][17]

Anne and Rev. William Noyes had the following children (note that the birth order of Nicholas and the unidentified daughter has not been determined):

1. James, b. about 1608 at Cholderton, m. March 21, 1633/4 Sarah Browne at Romsey, Hampshire, d. October 21 or 22, 1656 at Newbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony. (See discussion and sources in James' profile.)
2. Nicholas, b. probably sometime in 1613-1616 at Cholderton, m. by 1641 Mary Cutting, d. November 23, 1701 at Newbury. (See discussion and sources in Nicholas' profile.)
3. daughter (first name not determined), b. probably sometime in 1612-1618, m. probably sometime in 1633-1648 Thomas Kent of Upper Wallop, Hampshire. (See discussion and sources in her profile.)

Anne may also have had the following two additional daughters:

1. Based on the fact that Ephraim Noyes's 1659 will contained a bequest to his "sister" Sarah Maris of Romsey, co. Southampton, wife of John Maris,^[14][15] Rev. William Noyes may have had a daughter named Sarah.^[17] However, Sarah may instead have been Ephraim's sister-in-law (sister of Ephraim's wife Parnell Brewer)^[17] and, even if she was a daughter of Rev. William Noyes, she may have been a daughter of a prior wife, since she was not mentioned in Anne's will.
2. Based on the fact that, in her will, Anne bequeathed Robert Read of East Cholderton the residue of her estate and named him as executor, Smith and Reed posited that Anne had a daughter who married Robert Read.^[14] However, her existence is uncertain since Anne's will does not refer to Robert as her son or son-in-law.^[3]

Many online genealogy pages say that Anne and Rev. William Noyes had a daughter named Ann and/or a daughter names Mowet/Mowit, most often the daughter who married Thomas Kent. No reliable evidence has been found, however, that Anne and Rev. William Noyes had a daughter by either such name or that Thomas Kent's wife had either such name.

Widowhood

Anne's husband, Rev. William Noyes, died in 1622,^[16] and Anne spent over 30 years as a widow living in Cholderton.

Will; Death; Estate

Anne made her will on March 18, 1655/6. In her will, she described herself as "Anne Noyes of Cholderton in the County of Wilts widdow." She made bequests to her sons James Noyes and Nicholas Noyes in New England and their living children, son-in-law Thomas Kent of Upper Wallop and his wife and children, and Robert Read of East Cholderton. She named Robert Read as sole executor. The will was witnessed by John Tisdale and T. Tisdale.^[18][19][2] Set forth below is a full transcription. An image of the will is attached to this profile.

In the name of God Amen. I Anne Noyes of Cholderton in the County Wilts widdow, The Eighteenth day of March in the yeare of our Lord one Thousand Six hundred fiftie & five being in perfect health and memorie (Thanks bee to Allmighty God) and taking to remembrance the uncertaine estate of this transitory life, and that all flesh must yield unto death when it shall please God to call, doe make, and ordayne this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme following. That is to say Imprimis I give and bequeath to James Noyes and Nicholas Noyes my two sonnes now in new England twelve pence a piece, and to such Children as they have liveing twelve pence a piece Item I give and bequeath to my sonne in Law Thomas Kent of Upper Wallop twelve pence Item I give and bequeath to his wife five shillings and to their children twelve pence a piece. Item I give and bequeath unto Robert Read of East Cholderton in County of Southton Gent all the rest and residue of my goods, and Chattels moveable and immoveable utensils, implements of household and household stuffe whatsoever. And lastly I make and ordayne the sd Robert Read Gent full whole and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have here unto sett my hand, and seale the day and yeare above written. Anne Noyes her marke. Sealed and delivered in presence of us. John Tisdale T. Tisdale.^[18]

Ann died in Cholderton on March 7, 1657/8. The entry for her death in the Cholderton parish register reads as follows:

Mrs. Ann Noyes widow & relict of Mr. William Noyes sometimes Rector of Choldrington was Buried March 7th 1657, An Aet 82^{[20][21][19][9]}

Ann's will was probated in London on April 20, 1658.^[18][19][2]

^{[20] [16] [14] [12] [19] [13] [1] [8] [3] [18] [9] [11] [10] [7] [4] [6] [5] [17] [15] [21] [2]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Smith, Dean Crawford and Reed, Paul C. "Four Generations of English Ancestry for the Noyes Families of New England." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 149 (1995). p. 117.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Abel Lunt 1769-1806 of Newbury, Massachusetts. 1963. p. 72. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} See "Will; Death; Estate" in this profile.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Mather, Cotton, Magnalia Christi Americana: or, the Ecclesiastical History of New-England from First Planting in the Year 1620 unto the Year of Our Lord, 1698. The Third Book. De Viris Illustribus. Containing the Lives of near Fifty Divines, Considerable in the Churches of New-England. p. 145. Link to page at archive.org.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume I 1635-1664. The Essex Institute, 1916. p. 245. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts. Volume III 1675-1681. The Essex Institute, 1920. p. 134. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Currier, John James. Ould Newbury: Historical and Biographical Sketches. 1896. p. 165. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Reynolds, Cuyler. Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs. Volume I. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1911. p. 335. Link to page at archive.org.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} Noyes, LaVerne W. Descendants of Reverend William Noyes, Born, England, 1568, in DIrect Line to LaVerne W. Noyes. 1900. p. 7. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Noyes, Charles P. Noyes-Gilman Ancestry. 1907. p. 5. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration. Immigrants to New England 1634-1635. Volume V: M-P. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007. Profile of James Noyes. p. 286. Link to page at ancestry.com.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Smith, Dean Crawford and Reed, Paul C. "Four Generations of English Ancestry for the Noyes Families of New England." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 149 (1995). p. 116.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4} Smith, Dean Crawford and Reed, Paul C. "Four Generations of English Ancestry for the Noyes Families of New England." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 149 (1995). p. 117 note 45.
14. ↑ ^{14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11} Smith, Dean Crawford and Reed, Paul C. "Four Generations of English Ancestry for the Noyes Families of New England." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 149 (1995). pp. 118-121.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7} Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Abel Lunt 1769-1806 of Newbury, Massachusetts. 1963. p. 73. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2} See the profile for Rev. William Noyes.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3} Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Abel Lunt 1769-1806 of Newbury, Massachusetts. 1963. p. 74. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3} The National Archives; Kew, England; Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 274. Link to image at ancestry.com. See image attached to this profile.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3} Smith, Dean Crawford and Reed, Paul C. "Four Generations of English Ancestry for the Noyes Families of New England." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 149 (1995). p. 118.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Cholderton Parish Registers. Wiltshire Church of England Parish Registers, Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England. Link to image at ancestry.com. See image attached to this profile.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Abel Lunt 1769-1806 of Newbury, Massachusetts. 1963. p. 71. Link to page at hathitrust.org.

See also:

• Noyes, James Atkins. "Noyes Pedigree." The New-England Historical and Genealogical Register. 1899. Volume LIII. p. 36. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
• Noyes, Henry E. Genealogical Reocord of Some of the Noyes Descendants of James, Nicholas and Peter Noyes. Volume I. Descendants of Nicholas Noyes. 1904. p. 18. Link to page at hathitrust.org.
• http://noyesgenealogy.net/getperson.php?personID=I990&tree=noyes