Van Essen Genealogy - Colonial Ancestors

My New England line begins with great-grandparents born in Vermont in 1854 and 1861, and goes back through 3rd-great-grandparents born from about 1785 through 1808 in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

My Colonial lines (for example, my Sleeper and Tilton lines) continue with my 4th-great-grandparents born around 1750-1780 and go back to immigrants (mostly English) who came to Massachusetts in the early- to mid-1600's.

My Mayflower Passenger lines descend from Francis Cooke as well as from Stephen Hopkins and his servant, Edward Doty. Jacob Cooke (son of Francis) married Damaris Hopkins (daughter of Stephen). Their daughter, Elizabeth Cooke, married John Doty (son of Edward).                      MAYFLOWER Descendant Line : Edward Doty (b. about 1595-1602) Francis Cooke (b. about 1583) Stephen Hopkins (b. about 1578) (NOTE: Non-hyperlinked surnames do not yet go back to a colonial immigrant)   GILSON Surname Line : Joseph (~ 1635) - Sarah (b. 1743) FLANDERS Surname Line : Steven (~ 1620) - Ruth (b. 1803) GARDNER Surname Line : John (~ 1630) - Gladys (b. 1901) HILL Surname Line : Nathan (~ 1804) - Elizabeth (b. 1838) KING Surname Line : Lucy (~ 1808) - Lucy (~ 1808) LANGLEY Surname Line : Hannah (~ 1775) - Hannah (~ 1775)   Sarah (~ 1748) - Sarah (~ 1748) MORSE Surname Line : Anthony (b. 1606) - Abigail (b. 1772) PITMAN Surname Line : Joseph (~ 1759) - Rebecca (b. 1790) ROBBINS Surname Line : George (b. 1646) - Abigail (b. 1819) SLEEPER Surname Line : Thomas (~ 1617) - Carrie (b. 1861) SWIFT Surname Line : William (~ 1590) - Lydia (b. 1754)     - Elizabeth (b. 1722) TILTON Surname Line : William (b. 1568) - Rachel (b. 1774)

My Mayflower Line My Mayflower line goes back to an 8th-great-grandfather, Edward Doty, who emigrated from England in 1620 aboard the Mayflower. He was an apprentice (servant) to Stephen Hopkins and subsequently was released from his contract sometime in the mid-1620's. Edward's daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Cooke, was the granddaughter of Mayflower passengers Stephen Hopkins and Jacob Cooke, giving a grand total of 3 Mayflower ancestors in my Mayflower line. Edward was a rather contentious individual - read all about him at the Mayflower site in the Reference, below. My line from Edward descends thusly:                     8th Edward DOTY b. 1595 - 1602 in England Faith CLARKE b. 1619 in Ipswich, England (aboard ship)     m. 06 Jan 1634/35 in Plymouth, Massachusetts   7th John DOTY b. about 1640 in Plymouth, Massachusetts Elizabeth COOKE b. 18 Jan 1647/48 in Plymouth, Massachusetts   6th Elizabeth DOTY b. 10 Feb 1675/76 in Plymouth, Massachusetts Joshua MORSE b. about 1675 in Portsmouth, Massachusetts   5th Gershom MORSE b. 1716 in Plymouth, Massachusetts Elizabeth SWIFT b. 22 Aug 1722 in Wareham, Massachusetts   4th Job MORSE b. 02 Jan 1756 in Wareham, Massachusetts Lydia SWIFT b. 05 Aug 1754 in Sandwich, Massachusetts   3rd Abigail MORSE b. 04 Feb 1782 in Norwich, Vermont William ROBBINS b. 02 Aug 1778 in Dunstable, Massachusetts   2nd Abigail ROBBINS b. 20 Jan 1819 in Peacham, Vermont James K. GARDNER b. 06 Nov 1826 in Bartlett, New Hampshire   1st James B. GARDNER b. 05 Jan 1854 in Craftsbury, Vermont Carrie SLEEPER b. 20 Mar 1861 in Eden, Vermont     Gladys GARDNER b. 14 Apr 1901 in Crow Wing, Minnesota Amos MAGHAN b. 19 Nov 1897 in Brainerd, Minnesota     Patricia MAGHAN b. 05 Mar 1929 in Brainerd, Minnesota William VAN ESSEN b. 24 Dec 1919 in Kenosha, Wisconsin     John VAN ESSEN b. 05 Aug 1952 in Brainerd, Minnesota (that would be ME!)     SOURCE:  Information starting with this Entry for Edward Doty in a RootsWeb WorldConnect GEDCOM maintained by Eugene Murray Olmsted. REFERENCE:  The premier Mayflower site on the web, maintained by Caleb Johnson. Go to his Mayflower passenger list page and follow the link in the menu for Doty, Edward. SOCIETIES:  Member of the Minnesota Society of Mayflower Descendants and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants since October, 2000.

My FLANDERS Surname Line My New World Flanders line starts back at a 9th-great-grandfather who emigrated from England or Belgium probably in the 1640's and descends thusly:                     9th Steven FLANDERS b. about 1620 in Belgium? Jane b. about 1622 in York, Maine   8th John FLANDERS b. 11 Feb 1659 in Salisbury, Massachusetts Elizabeth SARGENT b. about 1668 in Salisbury, Massachusetts   7th Jacob FLANDERS b. 05 Aug 1689 in Salisbury, Massachusetts Mercy CLOUGH b. 17 Mar 1690 in Salisbury, Massachusetts   6th Ezekiel FLANDERS b. 21 May 1721 in Kingston, New Hampshire Sarah BISHOP b. about 1725 in Concord?, New Hampshire   5th Enos FLANDERS b. 08 Feb 1745 in Boscawen, New Hampshire Sarah LANGLEY b.   in Durham, New Hampshire     m. 1769 in Boscawen, New Hampshire   4th Samuel FLANDERS b. 07 Feb 1773 in Boscawen, New Hampshire Hannah LANGLEY b.   in New Hampshire?     m. 17 Nov 1796 in Boscawen, New Hampshire   3rd Ruth FLANDERS b. 26 Feb 1803 in Vershire, Vermont Timothy SLEEPER b. 02 Apr 1799 in Sandown, New Hampshire REFERENCE:  "The Flanders Family from Europe to America", by Edith Flanders Dunbar, 1935 (for Samuel on back). The 2nd edition, by Dr. Charles Flanders, is downloadable from my Flanders Book page.

My GARDNER Surname Line My New World Gardner line starts back at an 8th-great-grandfather who emigrated from England around 1640 and descends thusly:                     8th John GARDNER b. about 1630 in England Mary _______ b. about 1632 in England or MA   7th Benjamin GARDNER c. 07 Apr 1666 in Hingham, Massachusetts Sarah DUNBAR b. about 1674 in Hingham, Massachusetts?   6th Benjamin GARDNER b. 15 May 1700 in Hingham, Massachusetts Joanna JONES b. 29 Mar 1705/06 in Hingham, Massachusetts   5th Benjamin GARDNER b. 05 Apr 1729 in Hingham, Massachusetts Rachel SMITH b. about 1731 in Hingham, Massachusetts?   4th Ezekiel GARDNER b. 01 Jul 1753 in Hingham, Massachusetts Betsey CHUBBUCK b. 17 May 1759 in Abington, Massachusetts   3rd Adam GARDNER b. 06 Sep 1789 in Bedford, New Hampshire Rebecca PITMAN b. 17 Nov 1790 in Bartlett, New Hampshire   2nd James K. GARDNER b. 06 Nov 1826 in Bartlett, New Hampshire Abigail ROBBINS b. 20 Jan 1819 in Peacham, Vermont   1st James B. GARDNER b. 05 Jan 1854 in Craftsbury, Vermont Carrie SLEEPER b. 20 Mar 1861 in Eden, Vermont     Gladys GARDNER b. 14 Apr 1901 in Crow Wing, Minnesota Amos MAGHAN b. 19 Nov 1897 in Brainerd, Minnesota SOURCE:  Information starting with this Entry for Ezekiel, husband of Betsy Chubbuck in a RootsWeb WorldConnect GEDCOM maintained by Loni Gardner. Also see the line starting with this Entry for Benjamin, husband of Rachel Smith in Sue Gardner's Gardner Surname Project.

My MORSE Surname Line My New World Morse line starts back at an 8th-great-grandfather who emigrated from England in 1635 and descends thusly:                     8th William MORSE b. about 1614 in Marlborough?, England Elizabeth ______ b. about 1616 in England?   7th Jonathan MORSE b. about 1650 in Newbury, Massachusetts Mary CLARK b. about 1650 in Boston, Massachusetts   Corrected Nov 2002 - Joshua is neither descended from Anthony nor born in Portsmouth.   6th Joshua MORSE b. about 1675 in Newbury?, Massachusetts Elizabeth DOTY b. 10 Feb 1675/76 in Plymouth, Massachusetts   5th Gershom MORSE b. 1716 in Plymouth, Massachusetts Elizabeth SWIFT b. 22 Aug 1722 in Wareham, Massachusetts   4th Job MORSE b. 02 Jan 1756 in Wareham, Massachusetts Lydia SWIFT b. 05 Aug 1754 in Sandwich, Massachusetts   3rd Abigail MORSE b. 04 Feb 1782 in Norwich, Vermont William ROBBINS b. 02 Aug 1778 in Dunstable, Massachusetts SOURCE:  Information from the Anthony Morse genealogy database maintained by the Morse Society. SOCIETIES:  Member of the Morse Society since June, 2000.

My ROBBINS Surname Line My New World Robbins line starts back at an 7th-great-grandfather who emigrated (probably from England) between 1646 and 1666 (when he first appears in the records at Chelmsford, Massachusetts) and descends thusly:                     7th George ROBBINS b. 03 Oct 1646 in Oxford, England Alice FRYE? b. about 165? in Massachusetts?   6th Benjamin ROBBINS b. 30 May 1684 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts Hannah HILDRETH b. 19 Jan 1684 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts   5th Benjamin ROBBINS b. 08 Mar 1708 in Chelmsford, Massachusetts Elizabeth WOOD b. 14 Oct 1711 in Stowe, Massachusetts   4th John ROBBINS b. 05 Jul 1738 in Groton, Massachusetts Sarah GILSON b. 22 Dec 1743 in Groton, Massachusetts   This connection is tentative as there is no known will for John and no records of the births of his children (probably in Dunstable, NH).   3rd William ROBBINS b. 02 Aug 1778 in Dunstable, Massachusetts(?) Abigail MORSE b. 04 Feb 1782 in Norwich, Vermont   2nd Abigail ROBBINS b. 20 Jan 1819 in Peacham, Vermont James K. GARDNER b. 06 Nov 1826 in Bartlett, New Hampshire SOURCE:  Information starting with this Entry for John, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Wood) Robbins in a RootsWeb WorldConnect GEDCOM maintained by Dave Utzinger. His data are extracted from this NEHGR article mentioned below. REFERENCE:  "Untangling the Evidence for Two Early Massachusetts Robbins Families: George of Chelmsford (1657) and Robert of Concord (1671)" by Eleanor Robbins Sprague and Andrew West Robbins, New England Historical and Genealogical Register, October 1997 and January 1998 REFERENCE:  LDS Film #1036069 "Robbins Genealogies" item #8 - "George Robbins in Chelmsford, Mass., 1666, Brother of Robert" by Isaac Gilbert Robbins and item #10 "Records of the Robbins" (a supplement to I.G.R's manuscript). No sources are given for much of the information. I have reproduced the relevant pages in a page describing the Robbins Genealogical Collection.

My SLEEPER Surname Line My New World Sleeper line starts back at an 8th-great-grandfather who emigrated from England around 1640 and descends thusly:                     8th Thomas SLEEPER b. 1616/1617 in Bristol, England Joanna LEE/KNIGHT b. about 1624 in Hampton, New Hampshire   7th Aaron SLEEPER b. 20 Feb 1661 in Hampton, New Hampshire Elizabeth SHAW b. 23 Aug 1664 in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire   6th Moses SLEEPER b. 22 Jan 1684/85 in Hampton, New Hampshire Margaret Mary SANBORN b. 20 Mar 1698 in New Hampshire   5th David SLEEPER b. 26 Nov 1721 in Kingston, New Hampshire Ruth JAMES b. 29 Mar 1735 in Kingston, New Hampshire   4th David SLEEPER b. 23 Nov 1765 in Sandown, New Hampshire Rachel TILTON b. 27 Jan 1774 in Sandown, New Hampshire   3rd Timothy SLEEPER b. 02 Apr 1799 in Sandown, New Hampshire Ruth FLANDERS b. 26 Feb 1803 in Vershire, Vermont   2nd David D. SLEEPER b. 11 Apr 1834 in Vershire, Vermont Elizabeth E. HILL b. 12 Mar 1838 in Waterbury, Vermont   1st Carrie E. SLEEPER b. 20 Mar 1861 in Eden, Vermont James B. GARDNER b. 05 Jan 1854 in Craftsbury, Vermont SOURCE:  Information starting with this Entry for David, husband of Rachel Tilton in a RootsWeb WorldConnect GEDCOM maintained by Carolyn Montgomery.

My SWIFT Surname Line My New World Swift line starts back at an 9th-great-grandfather who emigrated from England around 1630 and descends thusly:                     9th William SWIFT b. about 1590 in England Joanna b. about 1590 in England   8th William SWIFT, Jr. b. about 1620 in Bocking?, Essex Co.?, England Ruth b. about 1620 in England?   7th William SWIFT, III b. 28 Aug 1654 in Sandwich, Massachusetts Elizabeth b. about 1654 in Massachusetts?   6th Ebenezer SWIFT b. about 1698 in Sandwich, Massachusetts Abigail GIBBS b. 08 Sep 1705 in Sandwich, Massachusetts   5th Ebenezer SWIFT, Jr. b. about 1733 in Sandwich?, Massachusetts Jedidah b. about 1733 in Massachusetts?   4th Lydia SWIFT b. 05 Aug 1754 in Sandwich, Massachusetts Job MORSE b. 02 Jan 1756 in Wareham, Massachusetts SOURCE:  Information starting with this Entry for Lydia Swift in a RootsWeb WorldConnect GEDCOM maintained by Raymond T. Wing and continuing with this Entry for Lydia's grandfather, Ebenezer in a RootsWeb WorldConnect GEDCOM maintained by Mary Beth Wheeler. A second Swift line starts with Samuel (another son of William, Jr.) and descends thusly:                     7th Samuel SWIFT b. 10 Aug 1662 in Sandwich, Massachusetts Mary b. about 1662 in Massachusetts?   6th Ebenezer SWIFT b. 07 Jun 1698 in Sandwich, Massachusetts Mary GIBBS b. about 1699 in Massachusetts?   5th Elizabeth SWIFT b. 22 Aug 1722 in Wareham, Massachusetts Gershom MORSE b. 1716 in Plymouth, Massachusetts SOURCE:  Information starting with this Entry for Elizabeth Swift in a RootsWeb WorldConnect GEDCOM maintained by Eugene Olmsted. and continuing with this Entry for Elizabeth's father, Ebenezer in a RootsWeb WorldConnect GEDCOM maintained by Mary Beth Wheeler.

My TILTON Surname Line My New World Tilton line starts back at a 9th-great-grandfather who emigrated from England with wife and two children around 1640 and descends thusly:                     9th William TILTON b. Feb 1586 in Wolston, Warwickshire, England Susanna HAYES b. 1604 in Probably England   8th Daniel TILTON b. 1646 in Lynn, Massachusetts Mehitabel SANBORN b. before 1652 in Hampton, New Hampshire   7th Joseph TILTON b. 19 Mar 1677/78 in Hampton, New Hampshire Margaret SHERBURNE b. 15 Feb 1679 in Hampton, New Hampshire   6th Sherburne TILTON b. 19 Nov 1699 in Hampton, New Hampshire Ann HILLIARD b. 07 Jan 1707/08 in Kensington, New Hampshire   5th Timothy TILTON b. 02 Jan 1748 in Kensington, New Hampshire Sarah PRESCOTT b. 01 Jul 1750 in Kensington, New Hampshire   4th Rachel TILTON b. 27 Jan 1774 in Sandown, New Hampshire David SLEEPER b. 23 Nov 1765 in Sandown, New Hampshire SOURCE:  Information starting with this Entry for Rachel, daughter of Timothy in a RootsWeb WorldConnect GEDCOM maintained by John Tilton. REFERENCE:  "William Tilton: His English Origins and Some American Descendants" by William Haslet Jones, published by Heritage Books

Related Links

• Map of New England Colonies, 1607-1760 at Ancestry.Com
• Rockingham County, New Hampshire GenWeb Page at RootsWeb and Query Page at RootsWeb
• Merrimack County, New Hampshire GenWeb Page at RootsWeb and Query Page at RootsWeb
• The Mayflower Society for descendents of Mayflower Passengers
• The Pilgrim Edward Doty Society for descendents of Edward Doty
• Morse Society for anyone interested in the Morse surname
• Flanders Family GenForum at Family Tree Maker's genealogy site
• Morse Family GenForum at Family Tree Maker's genealogy site
• Sleeper Family GenForum at Family Tree Maker's genealogy site
• Tilton Family GenForum at Family Tree Maker's genealogy site

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	John Van Essen, Fridley, MN - - - - How to Contact Me - - - - Updated: April 27, 2008

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