Monday, January 30, 2017

Notes From My Grandmother | Twining Lineage and Genealogy, Part Three


Somehow, much of my grandmother's hand written and (badly) typed notes and research wound up in my possession. Traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles and back to Chicago again. It sat, in the dark of my mother's closet, until my dad passed and my mom decided to begin her great purge. Knowing I had picked up the torch, the next generation to pursue the Greatest Hobby on Earth, the papers came to live with me. Unsure for many years on just what to do with them, I have decided to bring them out and share them with you - transcribed, of course - no one can read my grandmother's handwriting! But in her own words; mistakes, rambling sentences, and all. I think she will be pleased her work and her writing are once again out in the light!


the Twining papers
The Twinings held a special fascination for my Grandmother. Her middle name was Twining. Her mother was a Twining. She drank Twining's tea, as did the rest of our family. I'm unclear as to the link between our family and the Twining's Tea Company, however. Our Twining ancestor came to the 'New World' c.1640 and has been recorded in the small book Genealogy of the Twining family : descendants of William Twining, Sr, who came from Wales or England.   

Of all the research I inherited, the Twining collection is by far the most expansive. My grandmother wrote 'stories' and typed up other little sketches on them. I will present them to you here, as written by her.


Twining Story, cont.

William Jr, son of the first American ancestor, was the first to break away from 'barren waste'. On June 3, 1652 he was admitted and sworn in first as one of the Grand Jury. In again 1667-68 and also 1671. William was deacon at the Eastham Church as early as 1677 and as late as 1681. Mr Twining was granted a parcel of land in May 1693. He was proprietor of land at 'Easton Harbor' and held interest in Drift Wales at end of Cape. ("History of Massachusetts Bay" tells us that first settlers of these colonies were very careful that no title or appellations be given where not due. Not more than half a dozen of principal gentlemen of the Massachusetts Colony took title as Esquire; in a list of a hundred freemen not more than four or five were distinguished by 'Mr', although they were generally men of substance. Goodman and Goodwife were the common appellation.)

In 1695 his religious views underwent a radical change. He bid adieu to the land of the Pilgrims; this is an important epoch in family history.  The name had borne honor to the Congregational Church alone nearly six decades on historical Cape Cod; but now the 'house' is about equally divided religiously and geographically. William Jr with wife, son and daughter moved to newly settled Province of Pennsylvania. The tenets of Quakerism were maintained in their purity and freed from the intolerance of New England theology. Henceforth family blood flowered in parallel lines - one Quaker - other Congregational, generation to generation.

Mentioned in his father's will but 'was beyond the sea' at the reading - 26th - 4th month - 1697. Also mentioned in the will: Johanna, Mehitable, Anne (Bills) and her two daughters, Elizabeth (Rogers) and youngest son, Stephen's son.


GENEALOGY

William Twining Jr. b. 10/25/1619 Gloucester, England
                                 d. 11/4/1703 Bucks Co, Pennsylvania
                                 m. 10/25/1703 to Elizabeth Deane
                                                              b. 1629
                                                              d. 12/28/1708

children:

Elizabeth b. 1649 d. 3/10/1725 m. 9/19/1669 to John Rogers
Anne b. 1650 d. 9/1/1675 m. 1672 to Thomas Bills
Susannah b. 1653 d. 2/28/1654
William III b. 2/28/1654 d. 1/23/1734 m. 3/26/1688 to Ruth Cole
Johanna b. 1657 d. 6/4/1703 m. brother-in-law Thomas Bills (widow)
Stephen b. 1659 d. 4/18/1720 m. to Abigail Young
Mehitable b. 1661 d. 1743 m. to Daniel Doane




.......................to be continued....................



***editor's note: this is a transcript of research completed in 1982 based on information available at that time. I have not yet researched this family further, but suspect there is more information/clarification available to us today. I will follow up at a future date with fresh data. *** 





©2017 Anne Faulkner - AncestorArchaeology.net, All Rights Reserved
©1980-82 Elizabeth Twining Potwin Thomas - private collection

No comments:

Post a Comment