MY OWN PERSONAL BANYAN TREE OR HOW TO KEEP IT ALL IN THE FAMILY...

Banyan trees and Family trees have a lot in common, if they are like mine. One commonalty is the many branches that grow roots replant themselves.  Sometimes one cannot tell which is the main trunk.  The line I am researching is a good example of this concept.  Each one of the branches by itself seems quite right.  When you put them together and see the interaction between the lines, it might make you go umm…

This line is for my immigrant 9th great grandfather, Mark Parsons late of Kennebec, York, Maine with a little bit of Boynton, Gray and Savage thrown in.

Mark Parsons (1620/21- ca.1665) is a very elusive ancestor.  Only the bare facts have been found for him. There is another Parsons family in the Hadley-Northampton area of Massachusetts with many of the same given names. Please don't get them confused. There is no proof of a relationship to this family.

At least two of Mark's children, John and Anne (my 8th grandfather and 8th grandmother) were both born in England.  History tells us that Mark and his family did not immigrate to Maine until around 1665.  Mark was born about 1620/21 and married in England to Elizabeth in 1645.  Researchers have not found her maiden name, but it maybe Hardy. 

The Maine Historical and Genealogical Recorder tells us

Fort Popham Kennebec River

that in the recorded deeds for that area, Mark’s son-in-law William Bordman and daughter Elisabeth bought Mark’s land from his widow Elizabeth.  The deeds are dated September, 1666 and state that Mark was decreased.  The land is around the Bath, Maine area at the lower end of the Sagadahoc (now the Kennebec) River.  Mark’s widow, Elizabeth married John Spencer of Parker’s Island.

Anne Parsons (1646-1677) married William Hilton (1635-1699) of York, Maine.  He is the son of William Hilton, who with brother Edward Hilton, founded Dover, NH.   Their son Mainwaring Hilton marries

Elizabeth Thompson, the great granddaughter of my immigrant ancestor – Anthony Emery into the Emery line.  Mainwaring and Elizabeth's granddaughters through their son Ezekiel - Sarah and Mary Lord Hilton.  Sarah married John Boynton, the grandson of Caleb Boynton and Christian Parsons (Anne’s niece), their daughter Elizabeth married John Gray.   Ezekiel’s daughter Mary Lord Hilton married James Savage.   Their son Jacob married Hannah Gray, the daughter of Elizabeth Boynton and John Gray.  Now, without any more intermarriages this Mary Lord Hilton and James Savage marriage brings the ancestors directly down through the Gerrish line.

John Parsons (1650-1692) married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Hunkins and his wife Elizabeth.  John and Elizabeth had at least 7 children. Again, two children, Elihu and Christian are direct descendants in my lineage. Elihu and Christian being my 7th

Early Cordwainer

grandfather and 7th grandmother respectively.  
John resided in Portsmouth, NH and worked as a cordwainer during the 1674-1677 time frame for my 6th grandfather – Nehemiah Partridge whose mother was the sister of Captain William Gerrish of Newbury, MA, my direct ancestor! 

By 1687, John was in York, Maine.  The city had granted him 12 acres under condition that he apply his trade.  The land was at York Corner. After his apprenticeship with Partridge, John set up a tannery and  conducted business from his property in York until his death.  John was killed in the Candlemas Day Massacre, January 1692.  His estate was not settled until July 1705.  Bondsman was Thomas Trafton, my 7th grandfather, whose descendants married down into my Emery line through his son Zacchaeus.

John’s son, Elihu (1684-1730) married Ruth Wilson, daughter of Gowen Wilson of Kittery, my 9th grandfather.  Their son Joseph married Miriam Preble daughter of Joseph Preble. Joseph and Miriam had a son John, whose daughter Lydia (1783-1850) marries Jotham Trafton, my 4^th generation grandfather.  Remember the bondsman for John Parsons’ estate in the second generation – Thomas Trafton?

John’s daughter Christian (1685-1766) married Caleb Boynton of Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts. Caleb was buyer and seller of land in and around the York area.  He died in Wiscasset, Somerset, Maine.  Their son, John was the descendant into the Gerrish line.

Truly, a generational version of ‘All in the Family’! I wonder how many degrees of Kevin Bacon this would be? 

Mark Parsons
John m. Elizabeth Hunkins							Anne Parsons m. William Hilton
Christian m. Caleb Boynton				Elihu m.  Ruth Wilson			Mainwaring Hilton m. Elizabeth Thompson
John m. Sarah Hilton				Joseph m. Miriam Preble			Ebenezer Hilton m. Mary Lord
Elizabeth m.  John Gray				John m. Mary Moore			Mary Lord Hilton m. James Savage				Sarah Hilton m.  John Boynton
Hannah m. Jacob Savage				Lydia m. Jotham Trafton			Jacob Savage m. Hannah Gray				Elizabeth m.  John Gray
John Gray Savage m. Sarah Oliver				John Trafton m. Lavinia Chadbourne			John Gray Savage m. Sarah Oliver				Hannah m.  Jacob Savage
Patience m. John Oliver Rattleff				John Frank Trafton m. Sarah Dixon			Patience m. John Oliver Rattleff				John Gray Savage m. Sarah Oliver
John Nelson Rattleff m. Lectina McKinney				Emma Trafton m. George P. Emery			John Nelson Rattleff m. Lectina McKinney				Patience m. John Oliver Rattleff
Ida Rattliff m. Chester Gerrish				Forrest B. Emery m. Ruth Whitman			Ida Rattliff m. Chester Gerrish				John Nelson Rattleff m. Lectina McKinney
Bertram L Gerrish m. Elinor Emery				Elinor Emery m. Bertram Gerrish			Bertram L Gerrish m. Elinor Emery				Ida Rattliff m. Chester Gerrish
											Bertram L Gerrish m. Elinor Emery

Sources:

Candlemas Massacre - https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6296506944698632013#editor/target=post;postID=4717673887278835419;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=16;src=postname

Ancestry of Elihu Parsons

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mainegenie/PARSONS.htm#ELIHU(2)PARSONS

The Maine Historical and Genealogical Recorder, Volumes 8-9

https://books.google.com/books? id=iUs9AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA82&dq=mark+parsons&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj__MStg8rTAhUi74MKHbeQAZEQ6AEIRTAG#v=onepage&q=Parsons&f=false

Pictures courtesy of Google images