John Churchill came to United States shores from England sometime prior to 1643. On December 17, 1644, he married Hannah Pontus, daughter of early Plymouth settlers, William Pontus and Wybra Hanson. Mr. Churchill was pronounced a freeman on June 5, 1650. In one land deed he was referred to as "a planter," apparently prosperous for the time.
In Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth he is described as,"John Churchill, the progenitor of the Churchill family, who appeared in Plymouth in 1643, settled at Hobbshole. . . .After the death [Jan 1 1662/1663] of Mr. Churchill, the estate fell in the hand of his son Eleazer."
An inventory of goods and chattels for his Will and Testament lists among many other things: "2 pewter banson (basin) & drinking pot and seven alcomy (Alchemy) spoons"; "2 Beer Barrells & a churn & a Washing tubb"; "2 guns"; "a sword and shot pouch, 2 lbs. powder, 4 lbs. shot".
Hannah Pontus Churchill died 22 Dec 1690 on the Churchill homestead in Hobb's Hole. The children of our first United States Churchill lineage had some connections to some of the more prominent Plymouth Plantation families. Hannah married John Drew, who was the grandson of Sir Knight Edward Drew. Both Mary and 'Eliezer' married into the Doty family. John married Rebecca Delano. Our ancestor, William [Sr] married Lydia Bryant
William Churchill [Sr] was the 1st of our Churchill line born in United States. Born 1656 in Plymouth, Massachusetts; he was a land owner in Punkatussett (now Plympton), by some accounts, one of the 1st settlers of Plympton, MA. His wife, Lydia Bryant, was the daughter of Stephen Bryant and Abigail Shaw. The Shaw and Bryant families were tied again with the marriages of William and Lydia's children. Mehitable and Benjamin both married into the Shaw family. Samuel married a Bryant and William [Jr], our line's ancestor, married Ruth Bryant, daughter of John Bryant and (it would seem) his own first cousin. It is definitely possible that there had been a mistake in aligning John Bryant and Lydia as brother and sister. I have seen nothing to prove the contrary, unfortunately.
William Churchill [Jr] lived in a place call Rocky Gutter in Plympton. He was a representative to General Court numerous times and reported to be a man of some influence and high character. William and Ruth had eleven children; all of whom continued to live within the Plymouth area further tying the family into the 'Plymouth Rock' roots. Ebenezer Churchill, our next in line marries Leah Keen, of Pembroke, Massachusetts. They, too, settle in the Plympton area
Ebenezer Churchill and his wife had nine children. This is the time in United State history that is marked by rebellious feelings toward Mother England. This was the time of the Stamp Act, the Boston Tea Party, and Thomas Paine. Ebenezer's children lived during that time of Revolution. It is also this generation, born during the 1730's, that we start to see the move away from the Plymouth area. No doubt in some respects brought on by the changes in America.
John Churchill, our next-in-line ancestor, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He "marched on alarm of April 19" while in Captain Loring's Company; also in Bristol, Rhode Island during December of 1776. There are nine separate John Churchills of various spelling in the "Index to Revolutionary.." and is is assumed that it is our John that accounts for some, if not most, of the nine different campaign entries. John and his wife, Joanna Bisbee "of Bridgewater", and some of their children moved to Vermont after serving in the war.
Caleb Churchill, John and Joanna's son and our next in line, [pictured here at right] also served in the Revolutionary war. His service included Capt. Sampson's Company from Plymouth, Col. Cotton's Regiment, Gen. Palmer's Brigade; and in addition, a secret expedition against Newport, Rhode Island that took 32 days. Sometime thereafter, he also served in Rhoda Island's militia. He was discharged in 1781 at Plympton.
The Churchill family lineage moves to Rutland County, Vermont,in 1782-1785; when Caleb, along with his father, settled as the 3rd family in Chittenden, VT (then called Philladelphia, Vermont). Caleb married Sarah Hawley, daughter of Nathan Hawley of New Milford, CT who was the 1 st settler in Pittsford, VT. Caleb and Sarah, who was also known as "Sally," had eleven children. Our ancestor in this generation was Azem.
Azem D. Churchill married Mercy Manley, daughter of Seth and Rachel Manley. The Manley family was close to the Churchills as the name shows up in several of the marriages and vital records for the family.
It is Azem and Mercy's children and their loved ones that fight during the Civil War. Their only son, Azem B. Churchill, served in the 12 th Infantry Regiment, Co. G, Vermont Volunteers in the Civil War. He was killed in Virginia at a place called Wolfs Run Shoal. The name of the soldier pictured at the left is unknown to me, but was included in picture albums of the other Churchill family members. For this page, I would like to think this [pictured at left] is the young man who died fighting. It is his sister, Lucelia, that we see as the last of the Churchill surname in our line.
Lucelia Mary Churchill, [pictured at the right] is our final connection with the Churchill surname. Lucelia and her sisters were a formidable group. She became a Christian Scientist at the time the church was started and stayed involved in their teachings throughout her life.
Lucelia Churchill married Albert W. Fletcher, who served in Vermont 14th Regiment Volunteers during "the war between the states." Lucelia was a strong woman. She was strong enough to brave the move from Vermont to Dakota Territory. Her life included poetry and writing and strong love for her children. A poem publish in the local newspaper penned by Lucelia (Churchill) Fletcher:
PEBBLES ON THE WAY, We are only common laborers; He helps build that only pebbles 'Tis the little that is growing, Mrs. L. M. Fletcher, Aberdeen, S. D.
Can we live for pleasure only,
When so much is required
To assist in ladder climbing
In this cold world of ours?
To perform well our part,
In this greater common structure ---
Building mansions of the heart.
Can he lay along the way,
A firm pathway to secure
For the next that come that way.
Like the coral on the rock;
A firm basis to begin on,
Leads us safely to the top.
|
|
