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Roger Eastman (abt. 1613 - 1694)

Roger Eastman
Born about in Englandmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 1639 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusettsmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 81 in Salisbury, Essex, Province of Massachusetts Baymap
Profile last modified | Created 14 Sep 2010
This page has been accessed 8,066 times.
There are disproven, disputed, or competing theories about this person's parents. See the text for details.
The Puritan Great Migration.
Roger Eastman migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 101)
Join: Puritan Great Migration Project
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Contents

Biography

This profile is part of the Eastman Name Study.

Roger Eastman sailed from Southhampton in April, 1638, in the ship Confidence, John Jobson, master, bound for Massachusetts Bay Colony.[1]

"On the ship's papers he was entered as a servant of John Saunders. It is believed that on account of the emigration laws, or for political reasons, his real rank was higher than appears."[2]

He settled in Salisbury, Massachusetts.

He was aged 25 when he immigrated on 24 April 1638; he deposed he was about 60 in 1671. As dates were often rounded and slightly exaggerated, the best estimate for his birth date is about 1613. He has been said to be the son of Nicholas Eastman baptized on 4 April 1610 in Charleton, Wiltshire, England. This has been challenged on the grounds that the dates are off by a little, there is no actual evidence that this is the correct baptism, and none of the names in the two families match.[3] Anderson has also rejected the identification. He married Sarah Smith (1621-1697). He died at Salisbury, Mass., 16 Dec 1694.

Roger was a carpenter and builder by trade and sailed from Southampton in April 1638 in the ship "Confidence" with John Jobson, master, bound for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was a pioneer settler in Salisbury, Massachusetts, one of the oldest towns in the state.

Roger received lands in the first division in Salisbury, 1640; both he and his wife were members of the church there and in 1650 his minister's tax was 8s.3d. Early church records of Salisbury spelled Easman and a Benjamin Easman was on the church record in 1718. However, by 1750 are found marriage records in the same church with the spelling Eastman and further record of Easman is found. In this connection, there is a small colony of Easmans in upstate New York.

Roger had eight sons and two daughters. Several remained in Salisbury, two moved to Hadley, Massachusetts; two to Haverhill, Massachusetts; and others to New Hampshire and Connecticut. The third generation remained largely in those states but their children, in many cases, went north and pioneered in Maine, Vermont, and Canada.

Roger Eastman was involved in the Salem Witch Trials

In July 1692, Mary (Perkins) Bradbury was accused of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials. Mary was the daughter of John and Judith (Gater) Perkins, baptized in 1615 at Hilmorton, County Warwick, England. Her family immigrated to America in 1630, sailing on the "Lion" from Bristol. In 1636 she married Thomas Bradbury of Salisbury, Massachusetts, considered one of its most distinguished citizens. In the notorious witch trials of 1692, Mary Bradbury was indicted for (among other charges): "Certaine Detestable arts called Witchcraft & Sorceries Wickedly Mallitiously and felloniously hath used practiced and Exercised At and in the Township of Andivor in the County of Essex aforesaid in upon & against one Timothy Swann of Andivor In the County aforesaid Husbandman -- by which said Wicked Acts the said Timothy Swann upon the 26th day of July Aforesaid and divers other days & times both before and after was and is Tortured Afflicted Consumed Pined Wasted and Tormented..." Witnesses testified that she assumed animal forms; her most unusual metamorphosis was said to have been that of a blue boar. Another allegation was that she cast spells upon ships. Roger Eastman was one of over a hundred of her neighbors and townspeople who signed a petition on her behalf, but to no avail and she was found guilty of practicing magic and sentenced to be executed. Through the ongoing efforts of her friends, her execution was delayed. After the witch frenzy had passed, she was released. By some accounts she was allowed to escape. Others claim she bribed her jailer. Mary Bradbury died of natural causes in her own bed in 1700.[4]

The name Eastman is more or less a household word today due to the advertising efforts of the Eastman Kodak Company. However, the family is a small one, in fact, one of the smallest with a three hundred year history in this country. This is due to the fact that almost 99% of all Eastmans in this country are direct descendants of this one man, Roger Eastman. Occasionally, one hears of an Eastman claiming descent from an Icelander, a Norwegian or some other branch but in most cases the trace has led back to Roger. Exceptions to this include:

  1. Adolph W Eastman, listed in the "History of North Dakota," the account stating that he came to the United States from Norway in 1891, his parents being Johan and Rikka Eastman.
  2. William Henry Eastman, a graduate of the University of Michigan in 1884, who registered from Calumet, Michigan and stated that he was born 31 July 1856 at Culestock, Cornwall, England. He died at Grand Rapids, Michigan, 19 Jun 1930.

Research Notes

Disputed Origins

A 1915 article claims he was son of Nicholas Eastman and Barbara ("probably Rooke"), and baptized in Charleton, Wiltshire 4 Apr 1610.[5]

Others have claimed he was born in 1611 "in Wales," no source.

Others claim he was born or baptized 4 Apr 1610 in Romsey, Southampton, England, son of the John Eastman who left a 1602 will in Romsey, Southampton.[6] The book doesn't make this claim, just extracts the will, but online family trees have interpreted this to mean the man who left the will was father of the immigrant. How such a man could have fathered a son 9 years after his death is not explained.

Still others have indicated he came from Langford, county of Wilts. No source.

Anderson, in his Great Migration Directory, cites the 1915 NYGBR article by Eastman, but does not go with the authors' conclusions, saying instead that the immigrant's origins are unknown.[7]

Sources

  1. "The Founders of New England," in NEHGR 14 (1860):335: "List of Names of the Passengers Intended for New England in the good shipp Confidence of London... xj Aprill 1638. Southampton, 24 Apr 1638..."
  2. Rix, op cit.
  3. Holman, Mary Lovering. Ancestry of Charles Stinson Pillsbury and John Sargent Pillsbury compiled for Helen Pendleton (Winston) Pillsbury by Mary Lovering Holman vol.1 (1938): pages 111-115.
  4. Salem Witch Papers: No. 016: Mary Bradbury. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n16.html#n16.7 http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/archives/ecca/large/ecca2083r.jpg.
  5. Charles R. Eastman, "Some Early English Records Pertaining to the Eastman Family," in New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, vol 46 (1915), 58-62; see this g2g thread for details.
  6. Guy S. Rix, History and Genealogy of the Eastman Family of America: Containing Biographical Sketches and Genealogies of both Male and Females at HathiTrust Concord, N. H., Ira C Evans, 1901, p 7
  7. Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration Directory (The). Immigrants to New England, 1620-1640. A Concise Compendium. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015: "Eastman, Roger: Origins Unknown; immigration 1638 on Confidence; Settled in Salisbury. sources: Drake's Founders 58; SyTR 7; NYGBR 46:58-62; Pillsbury Anc 111-15; Guy S Rix History and Genealogy of the Eastman Family of America 2 volume publ 1901.
  • Mehitable Chub, "David E. Cheney, Columbus, Ohio, descendant of Ebenezer Cheney and Sarah Jones"
  • Gary Boyd Roberts, English Origins of New England Families, Vol. III, p. ???
  • Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA
  • Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls
  • Corliss, Augustus. Genealogical Record of the Corliss Family of America (Yarmouth, Maine, 1875) Page 239
  • Eastman, George, publisher. Material Privately Printed on Eastmans in England. Self-published. 1924.
  • Eastman, Charles John. That Man Eastman. Hollywood, California: Self-published, 1952.
  • Ancestry.com. Ancestral File Number: 9GPV-GF.
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/230397125/roger-eastman: accessed 31 July 2022), memorial page for Roger Eastman (4 Apr 1610–16 Dec 1694), Find A Grave: Memorial #230397125 citing Salisbury Colonial Burying Ground, Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Linda Frazier Van Dyke (contributor 47835203). NO Burial Information.
  • Holman, Mary Lovering. Ancestry of Charles Stinson Pillsbury and John Sargent Pillsbury compiled for Helen Pendleton (Winston) Pillsbury by Mary Lovering Holman v.1 (1938): pages 111-115.




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DNA Connections
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Comments: 25

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I suggest listing the children so that the sources for each can be identified.
posted by Judy (Flamer) Bramlage
Thanks, Judy. That is the PGM standard format. (See Great Migration Editing Guidance). This profile is just waiting for a volunteer to do a little work on it. I've added the Needs Format Improvement Maintenance Category. Its project protected, but anyone with a pre-1700 certification can work on improving it.
posted by M Cole
edited by M Cole
Just waiting for an invitation. I'll do it over the weekend if not before
posted by Judy (Flamer) Bramlage
It seems to me that the assertion that Roger Eastman was a Mary Bradbury accuser is incorrect. The source citation (#7, http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n16.html#n16.7 ) is actually the July 22, 1692, petition in support of Mary, signed by a hundred of her fellow townsmen, including Roger and other Eastman's. None of the documents accusing Mary ( https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n16.html ) are signed by Roger Eastman.

Sincerely, Scott D.

posted by Scott D.
You're right, thank you for flagging this Scott. I have corrected those statements in the bio. If anyone disagrees with this change, please cite the source which supports the prior claims.
posted by Scott McClain
Thank you for fixing this, Scott D.
posted by Scott D.
I suggest removing "He has been said to be the son of Nicholas Eastman baptized on 4 April 1610 in Charleton, Wiltshire, England. This has been challenged on the grounds that the dates are off by a little, there is no actual evidence that this is the correct baptism, and none of the names in the two families match.[6] Anderson has also rejected the identification." It can be moved to the section on Nicholas under Disputed Origins

Also suggest removing the duplicated Source (History and Genealogy of the Eastman Family in America) and the word Source: at the beginning of two of the sources since they are the only ones who have them.

posted by Judy (Flamer) Bramlage
Judy,

Just did most of this as a format.

posted by N Fetterly
The Find A Grave Memorial has been merged. I didn't want to make any changes, but wanted you to know it is merged to this one https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/230397125/roger-eastman

Thanks, Sheila

posted by Sheila Tidwell
edited by Sheila Tidwell
The most recent edit removed a notation on the listed FindAGrave source ("No Burial information"); I plan to revert that change. This will also revert the unknown father/mother status indicator change (which had removed "uncertain").

If you feel my edit overlooks particular historical references or analysis, please post so that we may collaborate further.--Gene

posted by GeneJ X
In light of the disputed origins discussion, shouldn't Nicholas be detached as his father, or at least marked uncertain?
posted by Ashley Jones JD
I have added a PGM Relationship Check category. Hopefully, someone gets to it soon. There were several references I thought should be checked before disconnecting.
posted by Joe Cochoit
I have checked all relevant references. I will be disconnecting his unproven father.
posted by Joe Cochoit
Eastman-2277 and Eastman-39 appear to represent the same person because: same name, fathers in process of merge, son Philip on both profiles. Thank you, Teresa (WikiTree Arborist)
posted by Teresa Downey
What primary source documents are cited for the father?
posted by T Stanton
Eastman-869 and Eastman-39 appear to represent the same person because: same name, exact same spouse on both profiles, same birth year, same birth place, same death date and location. thank you for reviewing!
posted by Teresa Downey
I rechecked Joe, and you are right, I do not find competing data that is documented better on FaG, and you are right about the old sources which are rejected by Anderson. Thank you for the correction:)
The FAG page primarily deals with place of death and burial, which I am not sure why that is even controversial since his death is recorded in the Salisbury VR and his will was proved at Salisbury.

The problem with the FAG page is that it also uses very old sources which have been rejected by more recent research including Anderson. According to the wikitree profile his origins, birth and parents remain unknown.

posted by Joe Cochoit
Bob Grunwald-79 posted, on the PGM project a link to Roger Eastman, FindaGrave Memorial #100456934. His comment was that it seems to be "researched rather well."

I read it and agree. It is about location at time of settlement, at death, church membership and burial, which sheds light on competing data.

Eastman-39 and Eastman-703 appear to represent the same person because: Trying this again. These represent the same man-- the PGM immigrant. Parents have been removed from -39 and the other set marked as uncertain. In completing the merge please detach the parents. His origins remain unknown. Thank you.
posted by Jillaine Smith
Profile managers, please see g2g discussion topic attached to this profile (look in upper right of this profile page for "2014 merge proposal..." discussion topic. In addition the discussing the merge of duplicates, there is a proposal to detach him from any parents. We need you input, please. Thanks!
posted by Jillaine Smith
Eastman-703 and Eastman-39 are not ready to be merged because: Place of birth, father, mother and siblings need some confirmation.
posted by Malcolm Bliss
Eastman-703 and Eastman-39 appear to represent the same person because: Duplicate noted through profile improvement project. Name, dates all in agreement. Please approve/complete merge
posted by [Living Knight]