Humphrey Rasdall (abt. 1595 - abt. 1627)

Born about 1595 in England

Died about 1627 at about age 32 in England

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Humphrey Rasdall migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 3, p. 1550) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Humphrey Rasdall immigrated to New England between 1621 and 1640 and later departed for Colony of Virginia

Humphrey Rasdall's birth is estimated at about 1595. Nothing in the sources indicated his birth place, parents, wife, or family.

Rasdall was a London merchant who traded to Virginia,^[1]dealing primarily in indentured servants. He spent a short time in New England then Virginia between 1624 and 1625.^[2]

William Bradford writes, In 1624 or 1625 "ther came over one Captaine Wolastone, (a man of pretie parts,) and with him [others] ...; and pitched them selves in a place within the Massachusets which they called... Mount-Wollaston"; "Mr. Rassdall" was "one of his cheefe partners." The group (including Rasdall) sailed on the Unity bound for Virginia on March 23, 1623/24 but the ship was diverted to New England, arriving on June 25, 1624.^[3]

Soon Captain Richard Wollaston went to Virginia and Bradford wrote the following about the occurance: Captain Wollaston wrote "back to one Mr. Rasdall to bring another part of them [servants] to Virginia likewise, intending to put them off there as he had done the rest. And he, with the consent of the said Rasdall, appointed one Lieutenant (_____) Fitcher to be his lieutenant and govern the remains of the plantation til he or Rasdall returned to take further order thereabout."^[1]In Virginia, Wollaston and Rasdall were engaged in selling "the time of those he took with him (servants) on terms satisfactory to himself."^[4]

Lieutenant Fitcher was later forced out of his position through insurrection and Thomas Morton, an English lawyer and adventurer, took over at Mount Wollaston.^[4]

This incident of Humphrey Rasdall with Captain Wollaston in Mount Wollaston and Virginia are his only recorded appearances in the new world^[1]but he spent considerable time in the Mediterranean area. His scruples seemed low since he was continually in legal conflicts regarding his failure to meet his obligations, misuse of property, felony on the high seas and piracy.^[2]

Humphrey Rastall appears to have died in 1627. The following is quoted from p. 14 of the "Wollaston of Mount Wollaston" article: "The estate of Humfry Rastall deceased was taken into considera'con and letter from Mr. Thomas Rastall of London beeing read . . ."^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995). Sketch of Humphrey Rasdall. p. 1550.subscribers$
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "The American Neptune, a Quarterly Journal of Maritime History" "Wollaston of Mount Wollaston" by H. Hobart Holly. Copyright 1977 by the Peabody Museum of Salem, Salem, Massachusetts. Vol. 37, p. 5 - link
3. ↑ The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) "A Clue to Richard Wollaston of Mount Wollaston" by William Thorndale. Vol. 68 (1993) p. 207.subscribers$
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Three Episodes of Massachusetts History: The Settlement of Boston Bay, The Antimonian Controversary, a study of Church and Town Governmane" by Charles Francis Adams. Houghton, Boston (1903) Vol. 1, p.166[1]

See Also:

• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) "The Lord of Misrule: Thomas Morton of Merry Mount" by Philip Ranlett. (October 1980) Vol. 134, pp 282 - 290.subscribers$