| 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 Discuss: pgm |
Contents |
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.
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:
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]
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Roger is 21 degrees from Herbert Adair, 18 degrees from Richard Adams, 17 degrees from Mel Blanc, 18 degrees from Dick Bruna, 18 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 30 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 18 degrees from Sam Edwards, 14 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 18 degrees from Marty Krofft, 14 degrees from Junius Matthews, 15 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 17 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
edited by M Cole
Sincerely, Scott D.
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.
Just did most of this as a format.
Thanks, Sheila
edited by Sheila Tidwell
If you feel my edit overlooks particular historical references or analysis, please post so that we may collaborate further.--Gene
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.
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.