Frances (UNKNOWN) Bourne (abt. 1615 - aft. 1669)

Born about 1615 in England

Descendants

Died after 28 Dec 1669 after about age 54 in New England

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Frances (UNKNOWN) Bourne migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Origins and Marriage

Past profiles of Frances have claimed her maiden name as "Johnson", without source, or as "Brown", mistakened for her presumed second marriage.

Due to a transcription error in Austin's 1887 The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, it was generally thought that Frances married second Nicholas Brown. The record instead reads "Frances Bowrn", which was probably a misspelling of "Bourne". Instead of Nicholas, she likely married second Jared Bourne.^{[Research Notes]}

Biography

Frances was probably born about 1615 in England.

George Parker may have been in New England as early as 1635, however that George Parker cannot be linked to the George Parker who settled at Portsmouth.

George Parker was admitted to Aquidneck Island in May 1638,^[1] and was recorded in Portsmouth on September 15, 1638.^[2] It's likely that Frances was with him then, or came shortly afterwards.

Francis was recorded along with George as witnesses to a deed at Portsmouth dated Februray 20, 1655.^[3] She was mentioned as the "Widdow parker" on November 30, 1657.^[4]

At some time after this, she married Jared Bourne. On October 27, 1665, Jared Bourne, who was residing at Portsmouth, sold the last of the land he had in Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. His wife "ffrancis" was mentioned here.^[5]

George Parker had sold Nicholas Browne 20 acres of land at Portsmouth, however had died before the deed was written. His son Joseph Parker, acknowledging this, wrote the deed on December 28, 1669. Notably he mentions "with the consent of my mother Frances Bowrn [sic] who was the Wife of my Deceased Father George. Jared Bourne was one of the witnesses.^[6]

It is unknown if she died in Portsmouth, or in Mattapoisett, Plymouth, where Jared had removed to by 1674.

Family

Frances married first George Parker.They had (all birthdates rough estimates; in need of revision):

1. Peter Parker, b. about 1630
2. John Parker, b. about 1635
3. Joseph Parker, b. about 1635
4. George Parker, b. about 1640
5. Mary Parker, b. about 1642
6. Meribah Parker, b. about 1645
7. Frances Parker, b. about 1650

Frances married second Jared Bourne, sometime after November 30, 1657 (when she was a widow), and before October 27, 1665 (when her name appears as the wife of Jared Bourne).

Research Notes

Last Name:

The name of George Parker's wife was Frances. Her last name could have been Johnson according to Torrey, but he also lists it as unknown. He says she married second Nicholas Brown.^[7] Her last name at birth is unknown at this point.

Second Marriage:

See this G2G post, summarized below.

The source various genealogies use to claim that Frances married second Nicholas Brown seems to be Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island. In this book, published 1887, he says about Joseph Parker (Frances' son):^[8]

1669. Dec. 28 He deeded land to Nicholas Brown, calling himself oldest son of George Parker, and mentioning his mother as Frances Brown

This land record is the only (known) primary source that Nicholas married second Frances Parker.

An examination of the 1669 deed copied into the Land Evidence (the whereabouts of the original deed is unknown, if it still exists) mentions Nicholas as "Browne" in all three occasions that his name is written (the record was copied into town record on December 15, 1704 along with other records to do with Nicholas' estate - in the other copied, records all dated 1701, the name is always "Brown"). However the line Austin mentions was actually recorded in the town book as:^[6]

"... Joseph Parker with the consent of my mother frances Bowrn who was the wife of my Deceased father George".

Notably one of the deed witnesses was signed (with a signature) by "Jared Bourne". Whether "Bowrn" was a mispelling (which seems unlikely considering the consistant use of "Browne" beforehand) or a phonetic spelling is not immediately clear by this deed.

On October 27, 1665, Jared Bourne, who was residing at Portsmouth, sold the last of the land he had in Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. The postscript reads, emphasis mine:^[5]

"Jared Bourne the within mentioned granter did Personally, Appeare before mee this 27th of October 1665: & Acknowledged the deed on the Other side, to bee his Act & deed, Signed Sealed & deliuered by him & although his wife ffrancis hir name is not mentioned therein, hee doth obleige to Secure from her clayme of any right in the ground mentioned therein"

There is no other evidence that Nicholas was married to a Frances.

Considering the above, as well as that both George Parker and Jared Bourne were educated and held some standing at Portsmouth, compared to Nicholas who was an illiterate farmer, it would suggest that Frances "Bowrn" was actually Frances "Bourne", and not "Brown".

Sources

1. ↑ Chapin, vol. 2, p. 117
2. ↑ Chapin, vol. 2, p. 44
3. ↑ Early Records of Portsmouth, p. 342
4. ↑ Early Records of Portsmouth, p. 81
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Suffolk Deeds (Rockwell and Churchill, Boston, 1892), book 6, pp. 228-230
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Town of Portsmouth [Rhode Island]. Land Evidence, 2nd Book, No. 1, p. 502
   Digital images. FamilySearch, DGS film 007898456 ("Land evidence records v.1-2 1647-1728 (v. 1 includes probate and civil records)")
7. ↑ Torrey, Clarence Almon. Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, 1985)
   Torrey: PARKER, George (?1614, ?1612-1656?) & Frances ____/JOHNSON?, m/2 Nicholas BROWN 1656; by 1656?, [by 1660]; Portsmouth, RI {TAG 20:54; McIntire Anc. 76; GDMNH 383; Austin: GDRI 91, 143, 181; T. Cooke 12; Hall (,5) 135; French Anc. 58; Parker (,5) 20, 37;"
8. ↑ Austin, p. 143

• Chapin, Howard. Documentary History of Rhode Island (Preston and Rounds Co., Providence, 1916)
• The Early Records of the Town of Portsmouth (E. L. Freeman & Sons, Providence, R. I., 1901)

See also:

• Austin, John O. The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island (Genealogical Publishing Co., 1887), pp. 143-144