The Dowrish Family

The Dowrish Family:

 

First Generation

 

1.  Thomas Dowrish I was born before 1407 in Devonshire, England.¹ He died in 1464 at the age of 57 in Devonshire, England.¹ He was buried in 1464 in Crediton, Devonshire, England.¹

 

Thomas Dowrish had the following child:

 

              2              i.   Thomas Dowrish II, born bef 1423, Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; married Margaret Reke, ca 1444, Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; died 1483, Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.

 

Second Generation

 

2.  Thomas Dowrish II¹ (Thomas-1) was born before 1423 in Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.¹ He died in 1483 at the age of 60 in Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.¹ Most sources have Thomas marrying Alice Fulford.  This appears to be in error. Joe Cochoit's post, Dowrish/Fulford/Courtenay [again] explains the situation in some detail and has been cited here. Thomas was married twice. He was married first to Margaret Reke of West Ogwell who died in March 1476/7 and second to Alice Stowell by 7 May 1477. By Margaret he had at least one son, Richard. By Alice he had a daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth was the heir to her mother's property.
Alice was the widow of John Cheyne and married Thomas Coterell following the death of Thomas Dowrish.

Thomas was patron of West Ogwell in 1445. He served as the Recorder of Exeter from 1468-1483 while residing at Dowrish and Pidsley.

Thomas Dowrish II and Margaret Reke were married circa 1444 in Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.¹ Margaret Reke was born circa 1429 in West Ogwell, Devonshire, England.² http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hwbradley/aqwg2378.htm#47795 She died Mar 1476/7 in Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.²

 

Thomas Dowrish and Margaret Reke had the following child:

 

              3              i.   Richard Dowrish, born ca 1445, Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; married Joan? Fulford, ca 1471, Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; died ca 1515, Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.

 

Third Generation

 

3.  Richard Dowrish^1–2 (Thomas-2, Thomas-1) was born circa 1445 in Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.² He died circa 1515 at the age of 70 in Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.² Richard was apparently married three times: a daughter of Thomas Fulford [possibly Joan] (issue: Richard), a daughter of Catsby [possibly Margaret or Barbara] (issue: Peter, Elizabeth and Katherine) and Barbara Triffes.

Richard Dowrish and Joan? Fulford were married circa 1471 in Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.² Joan? Fulford was born circa 1447 in Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England?.¹ [estimate]

 

Richard Dowrish and Joan? Fulford had the following child:

 

              4              i.   Thomas Dowrish III, born ca 1482, Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; married Elizabeth Taverner, ca 1520, Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; died ca 7 Dec 1552, Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.

 

Fourth Generation

 

4.  Thomas Dowrish III (Richard-3, Thomas-2, Thomas-1) was born circa 1482 in Exeter, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.³ He died circa 7 Dec 1552 at the age of 70 in Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.³

Thomas Dowrish III and Elizabeth Taverner were married circa 1520 in Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.⁴ estimate, earlier if Thomas was not eldest child. Elizabeth Taverner, daughter of John Taverner, was born circa 1495 in probably Oxfordshire, England.⁵ She died circa 1581 at the age of 86 in Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.⁵

 

Thomas Dowrish and Elizabeth Taverner had the following child:

 

              5              i.   Thomas Dowrish IV, born ca 1522, Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; married Anne Farringdon, ca 1536, Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; died 1590, Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.

 

Fifth Generation

 

5.  Thomas Dowrish IV^6–7 (Thomas-4, Richard-3, Thomas-2, Thomas-1) was born circa 1522 in Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.⁶ He died in 1590 at the age of 68 in Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.⁶ Vivian's The Visitations of the County of Devon [A-G] states that Thomas Dowrish was aged 30 years at his father's death [1552], thus placing his birth about 1521/2. He married Anne Farringdon and they had at least six children: Walter [eldest son and heir], Hugh, Robert, Elizabeth, Grace and Anne or Jane.
The Dowrish family resided at Dowrish house in Sandford Parish, Devon, where Thomas died in 1590.

Thomas Dowrish IV and Anne Farringdon were married circa 1536 in Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.^6–7 Anne Farringdon⁸, daughter of Charles Farringdon and Margery Stukeley, was born circa 1522 in Farringdon, East Devon, Devonshire, England.¹ As is the case with many others of royal lineage presented in this work, vitals are open to question. Anne's father, Charles, was "aged 15 years and more" at the time of his father's death in 1515. Estimates of Anne's birth have ranged from 1520-1530. Considering that her father was in his early twenties by 1520, a birth between 1520 and 1525 seems reasonable for Anne.
A marriage date is more difficult to determine. If the estimate of the birth of daughter Grace Dowrish [1538] is accurate, then Anne would have married Thomas Dowrish no later than 1536 when both were about 14.

 

Thomas Dowrish and Anne Farringdon had the following child:

 

              6              i.   Grace Dowrish, born ca 1538, Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; married Robert Gye, ca 1555, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England; died ca 1580–1582, Higher Dodderidge [or Prowse], Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.

 

Sixth Generation

 

6.  Grace Dowrish^6,9 (Thomas-5, Thomas-4, Richard-3, Thomas-2, Thomas-1) was born circa 1538 in Dowrish, Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.⁶ estimate She died circa 1580–1582 at the age of 42 in Higher Dodderidge [or Prowse], Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.⁹ Sorting out the vital statistics for Grace Dowrish is, at best, a serious challenge. Few, if any, verified sources exist for her. The birth, marriage and death year estimates vary considerably.
The easiest to estimate is her death. Most online and print sources give her death as 1604 or "before 1604." Robert Gye, Grace's husband, following her sudden death, placed their youngest daughter, Mary, in the care of Rev. Radford Maverick when she was very young. Mary was born about 1580, therefore Grace must have died during the early 1580s, not around 1604.

The marriage year most commonly given for Grace and Robert Gye is 1555. 1554, 1558, 1563 and 1565 also appear with the occasional year from the 1570s. Considering Mary, born about 1580, was the youngest of eleven children, the marriage must have taken place before 1560, even with the possibility of a multiple birth or two. Unfortunately, no birth records have been cited for any of the other Gye children. Grace was the second wife of Robert Gye.

The year of birth for Grace ranges from 1535 to 1555. If Grace and Robert did marry in 1555, then Medieval customs come into play. The average age for marriage among those women without noble blood was 22. Grace was, through her mother, 15 generations in descent from Henry II. Since she was noble descent, it is possible that Grace married at a younger age. Robert Gye [descended from King John] was born about 1531, so 24 at the time of his 2nd marriage. If Grace was, say, 17 when they were married, that would place her birth around 1538. Another factor to consider is the birth order of Grace's five siblings. It is known that her brother Walter was the eldest son and heir, but which of the children was the eldest is not known.

Grace Dowrish and Robert Gye were married circa 1555 in Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.⁶ Robert Gye, son of John Gye and Mary Prowse, was born circa 1531 in Higher Dodderidge [or Prowse], Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.⁶ He died in 1604–29 Sep 1608 at the age of 73 in Higher Dodderidge [or Prowse] Sandford Parish, Devonshire, England.⁶

 

Robert Gye and Grace Dowrish had the following child:

 

              7              i.   Mary Gye, born abt 1580, Awliscombe, Devonshire, England; married Reverend John Maverick, 28 Oct 1600, Islington, Devonshire, England; died aft 9 Oct 1666, Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.

 

Seventh Generation

 

7.  Mary Gye (Grace Dowrish-6, Thomas-5, Thomas-4, Richard-3, Thomas-2, Thomas-1) was born about 1580 in Awliscombe, Devonshire, England.^5–6 She died after 9 Oct 1666 at the age of 86 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.^5–6,10 Mary Gye was the youngest of Robert and Grace [Dowrish] Gye's eleven children. Following her mother's sudden death, Mary was given to the care of Rev. Radford Maverick, who raised the girl and provided for her education. Maveick presided at the marriage of Mary to his nephew John in 1600.
Many sources are unclear about the date of Grace Dowrish Gye's death. Some say she died "before 1604," others "in 1604." Mary's father placed her in the care of Radford Maverick at a very early age. It is most likely that Grace died while Mary was still in infancy, probably around 1580-1582.

Mary Gye and Reverend John Maverick were married on 28 Oct 1600 in Islington, Devonshire, England.^5–6,11 Reverend John Maverick¹¹, son of Peter Maverick and Dorothy Tucke, was born in Dec 1578 in Awliscombe, Devonshire, England.^5,11 He was baptized on 28 Dec 1578 in Awliscombe, Devonshire, England.¹¹ He died on 3 Feb 1635/6 at the age of 57 in Dorchester, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.^5,11 John Maverick was born in Awliscombe, Devonshire, England in 1578. He entered Exeter College at Oxford on 24 October 1595. He was described as aged 18, a clergyman's son. John received his B.A. degree on 8 July 1599 and his Master's degree on 7 July 1603. He had already been ordained at Exeter as deacon and priest on 29 July 1597.
It is possible that he was curate to his Uncle Radford at Ilsington since he was married there in 1600. His bride, Mary Gye, had been entrusted to the care of Radford Maverick at an early age by her father.

Reverend Maverick was inducted at Silverton, Devonshire to the rectory of Beaworthy, Devonshire on 30 August 1615 and remained there until he resigned shortly before emigrating to New England. During March 1629/30 John was chosen one of the teachers of the Puritan church that was organized at Plymouth, England. On 29 March 1629/30, John, Mary and their children boarded the Mary and John [part of the Winthrop fleet] for New England and arrived 30 May 1630.
Maverick took the oath as freeman on 18 May 1631 and served as minister at Dorchester until his death in 1635/6. Mary was still living in October of 1666.

John Maverick and Mary Gye had the following children:

 

                              i.   Samuel Maverick¹² was born circa 1602 in Devonshire, England.^12–13 He died after 1669 at the age of 67 in New York City, New York.^12–13 Samuel preceded the rest of his family to New England, arriving on the Katherine in 1624. He settled at Winnissimet [Chelsea], Suffolk Co., Massachusetts. A devout Episcopalian, he grew discontented with the neighboring Puritan influence and returned to England to express his displeasure. Samuel arrived during the country's Civil War, so it took time to be heard. He returned in 1664 as a King's Commissioner with a charge from Charles II to settle affairs in New England and reduce Dutch presence in New Netherland. Maverick was influential in making New Netherland the colony of New York. He took up residence in New York City, where he died between 1669 and 1676. 

              8             ii.   Elias Maverick Sr., born abt 1604, Devonshire, England; married Anna Harris, ca 1634, Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts; died 8 Sep 1684, Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.

                            iii.   Mary Maverick was born in Nov 1606 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.^12–13 She was baptized on 30 Nov 1606 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹² She was buried on 6 Mar 1606/7 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹²

                            iv.   Aaron Maverick¹² was born circa Mar 1607/8 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹² He was baptized on 6 Mar 1607/8 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹² Aaron did not go to America with the rest of the family. Whether he died before 1630 or chose to remain in England is not known.

                             v.   Mary Maverick was born circa Jan 1609/10 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹² She was baptized on 6 Jan 1609/10 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹² She died after 1658 at the age of 48 in Barbados.¹²

                            vi.   Moses Maverick¹² was born in Mar 1611–Jun 1611 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹³ He was baptized on 3 Nov 1611 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹² He died on 28 Jan 1685/6 at the age of 74 in Marblehead, Essex Co., Massachusetts.¹³ Moses settled in Dorchester with his family, then moved to Salem and finally to Marblehead in 1635.

                           vii.   Abigail Maverick was born circa Mar 1613/4 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹² She was baptized on 20 Mar 1613/4 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England.¹²

                          viii.   Antipas Maverick¹² was born circa 1619 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England?.¹² He died on 2 Jul 1678 at the age of 59 in at sea.^12,14 Antipas moved to Kittery, York Co., Maine in 1652. He later resided in Exeter, Strafford Co., New Hampshire and on the Isle of Shoals off the New Hampshire coast, where he was a merchant. In 1678 Antipas fell out of a boat while intoxicated and drowned.

                            ix.   John Maverick Jr.¹² was born circa 1621 in South Huish, Dorsetshire, England?.¹² John Maverick, Jr. became a sailor and migrated to Barbados and finally South Carolina. There he became a member of the first colonial parliament.
John was the ancestor of Samuel Augustus Maverick who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence in March 1836. Samuel was also noted for not following the tradition of branding his cattle. As a result, unbranded cattle became known as "mavericks."

 

Sources:

        1. Joe Cochoit, [e-mail for private use], to newsgroups.derkeiler.com, message board post, 26 August 2009, "Dowrish/Fulford/Courtenay [again],"; privately held by Joe Cochoit, [e-mail &  address for private use].

        2. "Thomas Dowrish Genealogy", database, Ken Hinds, Genealogy of Ken Hinds (http://hindskw.cts.com : accessed 15 August 2011), Dowrish family; undocumented and unnamed family tree submitted 2003 by Ken Hinds, [contact information for private use].

        3. Cochoit to newsgroups.derkeiler.com, message board post, 26 August 2009.

        4. Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 2004), p. 696-687 [Gye].

        5. Simmons Family, Roy W. Simmons online [http://www.storycapsule.com/simmons/familytree/pedigree.php], accessed 29 Oct 2009.

        6. Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, p. 369-370 [Gye].

        7. Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, p. 696-697 [Stuckley].

        8. Douglas Richardson, Plantagenet Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, p. 696-697.

        9. John G. Hunt, "The Ancestry of Mary Gye: Wife of the Rev. John Maverick," article, NEHGS, American Ancestors (http://www.americanancestors.com : accessed 5 August 2011), Mary Gye/Grace Dowrish; citing prior publication in NEHGS Register (October 1961).

        10. Elizabeth French, "Genealogical Research in England: Maverick," article, NEHGS, Americanancestors.org (http://www.americanancestors.org : accessed 5 August 2011), Mary Gye; citing prior publication in NEHGS Register (April 1915).

        11. French, "Genealogical Research in England," John Maverick [p. 153-154].

        12. "The Reverend John Maverick, Sr.", database, Kristin Carole Hall, Genealogy of Kristin Carole Hall (http://kristinhall.org/fambly/Maverick/JohnMaverick.html : accessed 4 August 2011), "The Reverend John Maverick, Sr.," Maverick family; submitted 1992–2004 by Kristin Carole Hall, [contact information for private use].

        13. French, "Genealogical Research in England," Children of John Maverick [p. 154-156].

        14. French, "Genealogical Research in England," Antipas Maverick.