Susan (Wood) Mitchell (1590 - aft. 1645)

Born 1590 in Ovenden, West Riding, Yorkshire, England

Wife of Thomas Butterfield — married 8 Mar 1612 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England

Wife of Matthew Mitchell — married 16 Apr 1616 in St. John the Baptist Church, Halifax, Yorkshire, England

Descendants

Died after 19 May 1645 after age 55 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut

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Susan (Wood) Mitchell migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Ancestor of Grover Cleveland^[1]

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Biography

Susan Wood of Ovenden^[2][3] was born approximately the year 1590^[4] to 1591.^[5]She was the daughter of Edmund Wood, Sr.^[4]who was born in 1535^[5]and her mother's name is not known.^[6]Hause was in error when he recorded that Edmund Wood's 3rd wife was Margret (Heard) Wood.^[6][7]

Siblings

Edmund Wood, Jr.^[4]

1st Marriage

Susan was first married to Thomas Butterfield in about 1611, a prominent citizen of Ovenden. Thomas Butterfield died and was buried in Halifax, Yorkshire, England on September 16, 1614.^[4]His will was proved July 3, 1615.^[8]

Children of Susan Wood and husband, Thomas Butterfield^[4][8]

1. Samuel Butterfield. He was killed by the Pequots at Springfield in 1637.
2. unborn child

In his will, Thomas Butterfield named Samuel Lister and William Whittakers as tutors for Samuel Butterfield; Edmund Wood and his sons John and Edmund Wood as tutors for the unborn child.^[8]

2nd Marriage

Susan married (2nd) Matthew Mitchell of Southowram at Halifax, Yorkshire, England on April 16, 1616.^[5][2][3]or August 21, 1616^[4][2]Mitchell was a merchant by trade.^[5]

Immigration

The couple, together with their children and Samuel Butterfield from Susan's first marriage, came to New England on the ship James^[5]out of Bristol.^[9] Governor Winthrop said in his journal: the ship carried "one hundred passengers, honest people of Yorkshire."Rev. Richard Mather, a passenger on the ship, wrote a journal indicating that Rev. Mather, Rev. Mawde and Mr. Matthew Mitchell were leaders of the group of passengers. The passenger list has been lost, but it is likely that Edmund Wood and John Lum were also passengers. and that Rev. Richard Denton was not a passenger on the James, but arrived later.^[10] Mather's journal also shares the story when Susan was one of a group of people who went "on shore to Nangle," It was said to have been a fair day, so the group walked in the fields and were refreshed at a house where they got some milk, then came aboard the James again in the evening.^[11]

Mather's journal relates the story of the night before the James landed in Boston Harbor, "That night a hurricane struck the coast, tearing up trees, demolishing houses and scattering the ships in the harbors. The James lost all its anchors and was blown towards Piscataqua. When it was within a cable's length of the rocks the wind reversed direction and drove it back towards the Isle of Shoals, where it was almost dashed to pieces again. Fortunately, the wind again died. When the tempest had passed it was found that not a soul had perished, nor had any of the cattle been injured. The following day one hundred passengers, twenty three seamen, twenty three cows and heifers, three calves and eight mares disembarked. A sister ship, the Angel Gabriel was smashed to pieces with the cattle and all goods on board, but fortunately the crew and passengers had already gotten off." Mather writes "It was a day much to be remembered, because on that day the Lord granted us a wonderful a deliverance as, I think, people had, out of as apparent danger as I think ever people felt. I am sure our seamen confessed they never knew the like. The Lord so imprint the memory of it on our hearts."^[10]

The James landed in Boston on August 17 1635. The journey across the Atlantic was described as "somewhat long" by Rev. Richard Mather who also was a passenger on the James.^[11] They lost sight of the Old English Coast on the 22nd of June and they made land again on August 8 at Menhiggin and were at Boston on August 17 - twelve weeks and two days.^[12]

Susan's Life and Times

Susan's husband, Matthew Mitchell, was a prominent and wealthy man who immediately upon their arrival, purchased a house in Charlestown, Massachusetts.^[4]The entire family were "visited with sickness" the winter after their first arrival in Charlestown, and "the scarcity then afflicting the country added unto the afflictions of their sickness" says Cotton Mather in his biographical sketch of Susan's son Rev. Jonathan Mitchell.^[5]In early spring of 1636 they removed to Concord. Here their home and material possessions were consumed by fire. In May they were at Springfield, Massachusetts with Susan's brother Edmund Wood.^[4][13][3]The family relationships must have been considered close, as the Mitchell land joined with Susan's son, Samuel Butterfield; her brother Edmund and Edmund's son, Jonas Wood.^[5]While at Springfield he signed the Pynchon compact of 1636.^[14]That summer they moved further down the Connecticut River to Saybrook, Connecticut where they were one of the first settlers. Heavy property loss from the Indians and the death of Susan's son, Samuel Butterfield were sustained by the family.^[3]Samuel was captured and tortured to death by the Pequots.^[4]Mather says in his writings "Magnalia Christi Amricana, "three men were slain... the Pequot scourge fell more on this family than on any other in the land."^[5]They moved once again, this time to Wethersfield, Connecticut, sometime before April, 1637^[14]where her husband was a large land owner.^[3]Here Susan's husband was recognized as possessing sound judgement and executive ability. He was chosen as a member of the General Court in 1637 and was a member of that court when it declared war against the Pequots. However, he made an enemy of the very sensitive Ruling Elder at Wethersfield, Clement Chaplin. It was because of this antagonistic relationship that he was rejected by the court as Recorder for Wethersfield in April, 1640.^[14]Another move happened when Mitchell was one of four persons chosen at Wethersfield to regulate the Stamford settlement,^[3]and it may be that the move to Stamford was caused by the animosity shown by Chaplain.^[14]The Mitchell's moved to Stamford with Rev. Richard Denton and his parishioners^[3] included the Edmund Wood's family (his son Jonas "Oram" Wood,) the John Lum's family and the unrelated Jonas "Halifax" Wood. Rev. Denton had been curate of Coley chapel a small vicarage between Northowram and Southowram England,^[10] and at that earlier time, Mitchell had been under his instruction and influence.^[14]It was at Stamford, that Susan's husband was "much the wealthiest settler, his tax being about three times as large as that of Thurstan Rayner, the next largest taxpayer.^[3]Mitchell was "sorely tried, by fires, by Indian attacks, and by human animosities - under all of which he exhibited a high degree of Christian humility and patience."^[14]

Children of Susan (Wood) Mitchell and her husband, Matthew Mitchell

1. Abigail, was baptized April 26, 1618 at South Ouram, Yorkshire. She married Rev. Abraham Pierson by about 1640.^[5]Rev. Pierson was born in Yorkshire and died at Newark, New Jersey on August 9, 1678.^[3]
2. David, was baptized November 14, 1619 at South Ouram, Yorkshire; he died between 11 and 29th of March 1686. He married Elizabeth ___?___. His will dated March 11, 1685/6 names his wife Elizabeth; and his sons Matthew, John, Abraham, and Daniel; daughters Martha, Elizabeth, Susanna, and Grace. It also referred to his "kinsman" John Sherman.^[3](DePew^[15]says David married Sarah, daughter of Thomas Wheeler. This, however is false since he did not have a daughter named Sarah. John Wheeler did have a daughter Sarah, but she married Abraham Mitchell, which may have been the cause for the confusion.)
3. Sarah was baptized October 14, 1621 at South Ouram, Yorkshire. About 1640 she married Samuel Sherman of Stratford. Samuel was baptized at Dedham, Co. Essex, England on July 12, 1618. Record proof of this marriage has not been found, but it is stated in several of the old accounts and is doubtless correct. Their sons were Matthew, David and John.^[3]
4. Martha was baptized October 26, 1623 at South Ouram, Yorkshire and was buried November 23, 1623, presumably at Yorkshire.^[3]
5. Jonathan was baptized December 19, 1624 at South Ouram, Yorkshire; he graduated from Harvard College in 1647 and became a prominent minister. He married Margaret (Boradel) Shepard, daughter of John Boradell of Cork, Ireland^[9] and widow of Rev. Thomas Shepard on November 19, 1650 at Cambridge.^[5]Jonathan was at Harvard in 1645, preached his first sermon at Hartford in 1649, and succeeded Rev. Thomas Shepard at Cambridge. Jonathan and Margaret's grandson, Stephen Sewall was Chief Justice of Massachusetts.^[3]
6. Susanna (Susan) was baptized October 14, 1627 at South Ouram, Yorkshire.^[3](Evidently it is inaccurate that she married Rev. Abraham Pierson^[16]of Southampton, L. I. in 1640, Branford in 1644, and Newark, N. J., in 1667.^[16]) Anderson's Great Migration says she married John Howell by 1648. John Howell was the son of Edward Howell.^[5]
7. Matthew was baptized July 5, 1629 at Ovenden, Yorkshire and buried October 4, 1629, in Ovenden.^[3][5]
8. Hannah was baptized June 26, 1631 at North Ouram, Yorkshire.^[3] By 1651 she married (1st) Robert Coe of Stratford,^[16]the eldest son of Robert Coe, who was baptized on December 14, 1651^[5][17]Robert Coe died in September or October of 1659.^[5]Hannah married (2nd) Nicholas Elsey of New Haven^[16]between 1659 and 1667.^[5]She moved to New Haven, taking her children with her. Hannah died at New Haven on April 2, 1702.^[17]

Death

Susan Mitchell survived the death of her husband, Matthew Mitchell,^[3]which is evident because she is listed in his will. Matthew died at Stamford before May 19, 1645 at the age of 55 years.^[14]His death was caused by a horrible disease call the stone.^[5]His will was proved on June 16, 1646 at Stamford. In it he left L100 for son Jonathan; L80 each to daughters Susanna and Hannah; L40 to his son David; and "my wife may by all right claim the rest."^[16]

Mr. Somerby, the genealogist, of London, states that "the Mitchells were a family of good standing, and their arms, "sable, a chevron between 3 escallops argent," are painted on the roof of the chancel of the Halifax church."^[14]

Research notes

1. There is an extensive argument about Hannah and her husbands on pp. 84 - 88 of Park-Gildersleeve Genealogy,^[3]and Dawes Gates pp. 589-592.^[18]
2. There is a genealogy of The Mitchell Line (6 generations) at Chronology and Ancestry of Chauncy M. DePew.^[15]
3. I note a conflict with the death date of Jonathan said to have been killed by the Pequots during harvest season of 1636^[5]and his marriage to Margaret Boradel in 1650.^[9]Great Migration by Anderson says "...and the Indians presently rose out of the long grass, and killed three, and took the brother of Mr. Michell, who is the minister of Cambridge, and roasted him alive;..."

Sources

1. ↑ Watkins, Walter Kendall. "New England Ancestry of Grover Cleveland, President of the United States. Salem Press. 1892. Chart iii.see at archive.org
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Torrey. New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015."Torrey's New England Marriages"p. 1046 link for subscribers
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17} Jacobus, Donald Lines. "Ancestry of Rev. Nahan Grier Parke & his wife Ann Elizabeth Gildersleeve" Pub. by N. Grier Parke, II. Woodstock, Vermont. 1959. pp. 83 - 88see at hathitrust
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8} Wood, Matthew. "The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record" (NYGBR). English Origins of the Mitchell, Wood, Lum and Halstead Families. (Continued from Vol. 120:9) January 1989.(copy in the files of Cheryl (Aldrich-908) Skordahl.)
5. ↑ ^{5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16} Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume Volume V, M–P. (Boston, NEHGS, 2007):127, biography of Matthew Mitchell.[subscription site
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Louis G. Ogden and Brent M. Owen in "Revisiting the Stamford Pioneers of Halifax Parish, Yorkshire, West Riding, England" in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 151 in October of 2020.
7. ↑ "Wood Genealogy" online site, part of the Hause Genealogy collection at http://hausegenealogy.com/wood.html --site includes sources, complete with images of pertinent documents; created and maintained by Jeffrey Hause
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Walker, Edward Johnson. "Chapters on the Early Registers of Halifax Parish Church" Published by Whitley & Booth, Crown Street, Halifax. 1885. p. 88see at archive.org
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} Merritt, Douglas. "Coxe and Connected Families" New York. 1915see at hathitrust
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Wood, Matthew. "The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record" (NYGBR). English Origins of the Mitchell, Wood, Lum and Halstead Families. (Vol. 120) January 1989.(copy in the files of Cheryl (Aldrich-908) Skordahl.)
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Young, Alexander. "Chronicles of the First Planters of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay." Charles C. Little and James Brown, Boston. 1846. Richard Mather's Journal. Chap. XXII, p. 457.see at archive.org
12. ↑ Young p. 479
13. ↑ "History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield" by Donald Lines Jacobus, vol 1 p 415 download from https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE2130331
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7} Adams, Sherman Wolcott. "The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut" New York. 1904. Volume 2, pp. 504 - 506[link
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} DePew, Eardeley, William. "Chronology and Ancestry of Chauncey M. Depew. New York. 1918. pp. 43 - 52 see at archive.org
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4} Jacobus, Donald Lines. "History and Genealogy of the families of Old Fairfield" Fairfield, Connecticut. 1930. Vol. 1, pp.415 - 418see at ExLibris Rosetta
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} Bartlett, J. Gardner. "Robert Coe, Puritan: His Ancestry and Descendency" Privately Printed, Boston. 1911. pp 80, 81.see at archive.org
18. ↑ Ferris, Mary Walton. "Dawes Gates Ancestral Lines" Privately Printed 1931. Vol. II, pp. 589-592see at hathitrust

See also:

• Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VII, T–Y. (Boston, NEHGS, 2011):434, biography of Edmund Wood.subscription site
• Franke, Sandra Wallman. "The Butterfield Family, Descendants of Benjamin Butterfield I" link
• Maltby, George Ellsworth. "Family Record of the Maltby-Morehouse Family. A List of Pedigrees" The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Press, New Haven, Conn. 1895. pp. 99 - 100.see at archive.org
• Wise, Jennings Cropper. "Genealogical Record and Chart of The Family of Elizabeth Lydecker Anderson" Richmond Virginia, April 1, 1916. p. 8.see at hathitrust
• Wyman, Thomas Bellows. "The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown K-Z" David Clapp and Son. Boston. 1879. pp 678 - 680.see at archive.org