The Pye Plate: The Tower Connection to New Brunswick

Robert Tower lived in Hingham, Norfolk Co., England, was married there and died there, but it isn’t known if he was born there. He married Dorothy Damon who also died at Hingham, Eng. There may have been several children in this family but I have the name of only one, John.

First Generation

I. Robert (c. 1582-1634) m. 1607 Dorothy Damon (c. 1590-1629):

Their son:

John (1609 Hingham, Eng.-1702 Hingham, MA) m. 1639 Margaret Ibrook (1620 Eng.-1700 Hingham, MA)

John came to the colonies in 1637 with his friend, Samuel Lincoln (4^th gt. grandfather of Abraham Lincoln), where they settled in New Hingham in Plymouth Colony. In 1639, he married Margaret Ibrook, d/o Richard, who was born in England, possibly in Southold, Suffolk Co., England. No record of the Ibrook family has been found in that place after 1626 so where they lived until they left for the colonies is unknown. Richard Ibrook married Margaret (Unknown), and they had 9 children. Most of them came to the colonies some time around 1635 and settled in (New) Hingham MA. An interesting sidebar for the Ibrook family is that Margaret’s older sister, Elizabeth, married Rev. Peter Hobart, a well known, if not well-liked, minister, in New Hingham. Her younger sister, Ellen, married Peter’s younger brother, Joshua Hobart.

Second Generation

II. John Tower and Margaret Ibrook had 11 children, all born in Hingham MA

A. Mary (?-1712) m. William Whipple (1652-1712)

*B. John (1639-1693) m. 1669 Sarah Hardin (1648-1729) – 6 children

C. Jonathan (1641-1701)

D. Ibrook (1643-1732) m. 1668 Margaret Hardin (1647-1705) – 12 children

E. Jeremiah (1645-1676) m. 1670 Elizabeth Goodale (?-1723) – 3 children

F. Elizabeth (1648-?) m. 1667 William Roberts – 1 child

G. Sarah (1650-1733) m. 1683 Samuel Curtis - 1 child

*H. Hannah (1652-1722) m. 1677 David Whipple (1656-1710) – 7 children

I. Benjamin (1654-1722) m. 1680 Deborah Gardner (1654-1722) – 12 children

J. Jemima (1659-?) m. 1705 Thomas Gardner (1664-?)

K. Samuel (1662-1724) m. 1683 Silence Damon (1663-1702) – 5 children

William and David Whipple were brothers who married Tower sisters, Mary and Hannah. Deborah and Thomas Gardner were siblings who married Tower siblings Benjamin and Jemima.

Third Generation

III. (*B) John Tower m. Sarah Hardin

There seems to be a conflict in the spelling of Sarah’s last name. Since the earlier records show it as Hardin, I’ve chosen to use it that way. Later references to this name have it spelled Harding. Sarah’s father, John Hardin was b. in Braintree MA c. 1625. His parents were Joseph Hardin and Martha Doane. She’s believed to be the sister of Deacon John Doane, since, at her death, in 1633, she gave her sons to him to be raised and cared for. It is believed that she and Joseph were in the colonies as early as 1623 and were apparently well acquainted with the Gorges (Georges) family, Sir Ferdinando, Gov. of Maine and his son, Robert, Gov. General of New England. Their children were all born in Hingham MA, except for Joseph who was born in Braintree MA.

Their children were:

**A. Benjamin (1674-1743) m. 1699 Deborah Whipple (1681-1755) – 11 children

B. Gideon (1677-1698)

C. Sarah (1679-?)

D. John (1682-?)

E. Joseph (1686-c.1765) m. Ruth Thayer (1689-1752)

F. Mary (1690-?) m. Ebenezer Spear (1680-1732)

III. (*H) Hannah (1652-1722) m. 1677 David Whipple (1656-1710) – 7 children; all children born in Providence RI.

A. Israel (1678-1720) m. Mary Wilmarth (1678-1720)

**B. Deborah (1681-1755) m. 1699 Benjamin (1674-1743) – 11 children

**Deborah Whipple and Benjamin Tower were first cousins.

C. Jeremiah (1683-1721) m. Deborah Bucklin (1692-?)

D. William (1685-?) m. Mary Unknown (?-?)

E. Sarah (1687-?)

F. Hannah (1690-?)

G. Abigail (1692-?)

Fourth Generation

IV. Benjamin (1674-1743) m. Deborah Whipple (1681-1755):

A. Gideon (1700-1772) m. 1729 Mary Ray (1710-1794) – 6 children

B. Patience (1702 [in Bristol, MA] - bef. 1743) m. 1723 Nathan Carpenter

C. Sarah (1704 in Attleborough MA - ?) m. 1732 Elisha Sabin

D. Margaret (1705 in Attleborough MA – 1787) m. 1730 Jeremiah Bartlett

D. Zipporah ((1709 in Attleborough MA - ?) m. 1731 Joseph Jackson

E. John (1711 in Attleborough MA - ?) m. 1739 Hannah Hancock

F. Hannah (1714-?) m. 1733 William Hancock

G. Benjamin (1715-?) m. Ruth Unknown

H. Hester (1719-?)

*I. Joseph ( 1721 in Attleborough MA – 1761 lost at sea) m. 1743 Judith Briggs (c. 1725- c.1773) – 7 children

J. Enoch (1724-1774)

Fifth Generation

V. (*I.) Joseph ( 1721 in Attleborough MA – 1761 lost at sea) m. 1743 Judith Briggs (c. 1725- c.1773) – 7 children

Before continuing with the children of this family, it should be noted that Judith Briggs was from Taunton MA. After her marriage, this family moved to Cumberland Hill, Providence RI. All of their children were recorded as being born in that place. The Tower Genealogy devotes about one page to Joseph, but does not seem to follow this family after they left New England. Joseph Sr., was a grantee of Sackville, NB, but never took possession of it as he was lost at sea in 1761.

There’s a bit of interesting history concerning Judith Briggs. There’s been an on going thread on some of the message boards for the last ten years or so. It concerns her ancestry. She was the d/o Nathaniel Briggs and Judith Guild, who was the d/o John Guild and Sarah Fisher. John Guild was the s/o John Guild and Elizabeth Crooke. This Elizabeth provides the ‘history mystery.’ Several people on the message boards claim descent from this woman and they claim that family folklore says she was an Algonquin Indian. Another person claimed she was a Wampanoag, who are a part of the Algonquin language group. Apparently there have been no definite records found to prove or disprove this. Yet there is much that lends it some veracity. The Dedham, Natick, Wrentham, Roxbury areas were known to have ‘Praying Towns.’ These were established for the Praying Indians. John Eliot did much to Christianize the ‘heathen’ and even wrote the Bible in their language. This is the area where Elizabeth Crooke was born. Another piece of family information passed down was that her name had been anglicized. The search for the Crooke family was to no avail. The possibility that she was an Algonquin Indian still exists quite strongly, until some record comes along to refute it.

Back to Joseph and Judith Briggs Tower!

Their children were:

*A. Benjamin (144-1804 Sackville NB) m. 1766 Ann Finney (1747 Rehoboth MA - c. 1804 Sackville, NB)

B. Joseph (1746-1822 Ira, VT) m. 1768 Ellen Mason (1748-?)

C. Nathaniel (1748-1836 Lennox PA) m. 1774 Lucy Tingley (1758-?)

D. Joshua (1750-1753)

E. Lucy (1752-1822) m. 1770 Gideon Smith (1748-1784)

F. William (1755-1783)

G. Nancy (c.1761-?) m. 1778 Gershom Maxwell (1758-1828)

There are a lot of names that don’t have much information. This is not because there isn’t any, it’s because I haven’t investigated all the lateral lines. I apologize for the omission if your ancestor has little or incomplete information.

Now that Judith Tower and her family are settled in Canada, I’ll pick her family up again next time around.

Welcome, Spring!!