The Haskell Family

The Haskell Family:

First Generation

 

1.  William Haskell^1–3 was born circa 1577 in Charlton-Musgrove, Somerset, England.³ He died circa 11 May 1630 at the age of 53 in Charlton-Musgrove, Somerset, England.^2–3 He was buried on 11 May 1630 in St. Stephen's, Charlton-Musgrove, Somerst, England.^2–3 William Haskell was a blacksmith by trade and served as a church warden in 1627. He was buried in the St. Stephen's churchyard at Charlton-Musgrove, Somerset, England in 1630. He had a brother, Mark, about ten years his senior.
Haskell Family Association research suggests that William and Mark may have been from Motcombe, a sub-parish Gillingham in the northernmost part of Dorsetshire. Motcombe had a nearby forest and manor. Both brothers worked as underkeepers of game and were joint tenants at Motcombe from 1600 to 1610. William and Mark paid extra property taxes for forges, indicating they both worked as blacksmith. Following the death of Elizabeth I and the accession of James I, Gillingham was deforested and turned into pasture land. The brothers moved about 30 miles to Charlton-Musgrove.
William married Elinor Foule in 1610. They had one child baptized at East Stour, Somerset, Edward [11 March 1611/2] and seven children baptized at St. Stephen's in Charlton-Musgrove: Roger [6 March 1613/4], Cecille [5 June 1616], William [8 November 1618], Mark [8 April 1621], Dorothy [16 November 1623], Elizabeth [19 April 1626] and Joan [1 March 1626/9].

Following William's death in 1630, Elinor married John Stone [c 1632] and headed for New England. Roger, William and Joan accompanied their mother. Cecille stayed behind and resided with her Uncle Mark. Mark was apprenticed to a board weaver from 1635 until 1644 and then followed his family to Massachusetts. Edward died in 1629.  It is not known what happened to Dorothy and Elizabeth; they may have died young.

William Haskell and Elinor Foule were married on 12 Oct 1610 in Berwick St. John, Wiltshire, England.¹ Alternate date: 27 June 1611. Elinor Foule¹ was born circa 1587 in Wincanton, Somerset, England.¹ She died between 1662 and 1667 at the age of 75 in Beverly, Essex Co., Massachusetts.¹ Conflicting marriage dates muddle the story of William Haskell and Elinor Foule [Frowde, Cook]. The most common is 27 June 1600, but with estimated births of 1577 and 1587 for the couple, William would have been about 23 and Elinor about 13. The alternate, 12 October 1610 makes more sense and is much closer to the birth of the eldest child.

 

William Haskell and Elinor Foule had the following child:

 

  2          i. William Haskell, born Nov 1618, Charlton-Musgrove, Somerset, England; married Mary/Marie Tybbot, 6 Nov 1643, Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts; died 20 Aug 1693, Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts.

 

Second Generation

 

2.  William Haskell⁴ (William-1) was born in Nov 1618 in Charlton-Musgrove, Somerset, England.⁴ He was baptized on 8 Nov 1618 in Charlton-Musgrove, Somerset, England.⁴ He died on 20 Aug 1693 at the age of 74 in Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts.⁴ William, Roger and Joan Haskell emigrated about 1635/6 with their mother and step-father, John Stone. The family first settled at Cape Ann side in Salem [later Beverly], but had removed to Gloucester by the early 1640s. William married at Gloucester in 1643 and most, if not all, of his children were born there. The births of four children are missing from the Gloucester records, suggesting the family moved away from 1646-1656. It is possible, however, that they were simply not entered into the birth records.
Haskell's holdings in 1645 included land on Planters' Neck. In 1656 he was residing on the west side of the Annisquam River. This land included ten acres with a house and barn purchased from Richard Window. [Another location given for the Haskell residence was on the west side of Walker's Creek where his sons owned land on both sides of the creek.]

William was both a farmer and a mariner engaged in the fishing business. In 1672 he gave his age as about 55 years. William was appointed guardian of his nephew Samuel [son of Roger] in 1679. Between 1672 and 1685 Haskell was a deputy to the General Court and served as a town selectman part of that time. He was named lieutenant of the train band [militia] in 1680/1. William was later promoted to captain and retained that title until his death. Haskell was deacon of the church for a time. In 1688 Gloucester and other towns refused to assess taxes levied by Royal Gov. Andros. The offending town selectmen were brought before the Superior Court at Salem and fined forty shillings and fees.

An epidemic may have swept through Gloucester during the summer of 1693. Mary died on the 16th of August and William died on the 20th.

William and Mary were the parents to nine children, all probably born at Gloucester: William [26 August 1644], Joseph [2 June 1646], Benjamin [c 1648], John [c 1649], Mary [c 1651], Ruth [c 1654], Mark [8 April 1658], Sarah [28 June 1660] and Elinor [28 May 1663].

William Haskell and Mary/Marie Tybbot were married on 6 Nov 1643 in Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts.⁴ Mary/Marie Tybbot⁵, daughter of Walter Tybbot and Mary [Tybbot], was born on 6 Nov 1623 in Wales [?].⁵ She died on 16 Aug 1693 at the age of 69 in Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts.⁴ The Simmons Family and other sources that offer a birth date for Mary Tybbot give the date as 6 November 1628 in Beverly, Massachusetts. Problems exist with both the date and place. Mary and William Haskell were married in 1643, so she would have been only 15 at the time. New England females were generally between 18-22 when they married. The Tybbots were part of the Blinman Party that arrived at Plymouth in 1640. Mary would have been born before the move.
One IGI entry offers a very reasonable solution, a transcription error! The entry is for 6 November 1623. The numerals 3 and 8 can easily be misread for one another in vital records. A birth year of 1623 would have made Mary 20 at the time of her marriage.

 

William Haskell and Mary/Marie Tybbot had the following child:

 

  3          i. Mary Haskell, born ca 1651, Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts; married Edward Dodge, 30 Apr 1673, Beverly, Essex Co., Massachusetts; died 1737, Beverly, Essex Co., Massachusetts.

 

Third Generation

 

3.  Mary Haskell (William-2, William-1) was born circa 1651 in Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts. She died in 1737 at the age of 86 in Beverly, Essex Co., Massachusetts.⁴ The Gloucester Vital Records give 28 June 1660 as the birth date of Mary Haskell [Hauscall in the records]. This is also the date recorded for her sister Sarah. If Mary was born in 1660, then she would have been 12 when she married in 1673. A marriage at that age was unacceptable in Puritan New England.
The Haskell Family of North America - Descendants of William Haskell and Elinor Foule [http://hfa.haskells.net/haskellfamilyna/pafc04.htm#3191C8] website notes that Mary's grandfather, Walter Tybbot, made his will on 5 June 1651. This will named all of his grandchildren, including the four sons of his daughter Mary [Wm. Haskell]. Mary would have been his first granddaughter and was not named in the will.
Gloucester was without a trained town clerk around the time, which could easily explain the error in recording Mary's birth.

Mary's brother John was born about 1649 [aged 69 in 1718] and her sister, Ruth was born about 1654. The Haskell website suggests that Mary was born in the latter half of 1651 after the writing of Walter Tybbot's June will.

Mary Haskell and Edward Dodge were married on 30 Apr 1673 in Beverly, Essex Co., Massachusetts.⁶ Edward Dodge⁶, son of Richard Dodge and Edith Brayne, was born circa 1649/50 in North Beverly, Essex Co., Massachusetts.⁶ He died on 13 Feb 1727 at the age of 77 in Beverly, Essex Co., Massachusetts.⁶ Edward Dodge and his brother Joseph were co-executors of their father's will. They seemingly got along well with each other and family members as the disposition of the farms they jointly inherited were amicably divided. During his lifetime, Dodge held several town offices.

 

Edward Dodge and Mary Haskell had the following child:

 

  4          i. Hannah Dodge, born Apr 1692, Beverly, Essex Co., Massachusetts; married Samuel Curtis, 15 Jun 1720, Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts.

 

Sources:

  1. "Haskell Family", database, Haskell Family Association, Haskell Family History (http://www.haskellfamilyhistory.com/ : accessed 29 July 2011), "Haskell Family," Haskell-Foule marriage; submitted by Haskell Family Association, [contact information for private use].

  2. Mary Walton Ferris, Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines: Volume I: Dawes & Allied Families (United States: Privately printed, 1943), p. 351-353: Haskell chapter; digital images, World Vital Records,  (: accessed 29 July 2011.

  3. "Haskell Family in North America - Descendants of William Haskell & Elinor Foule", database, Haskell Family NA, Haskell Family in North America (http://hfa.haskells.net/haskellfamilyna : accessed 29 July 2011), "William Haskell," background information; submitted, [contact information for private use].

  4. Ferris, Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines, p. 351-353.

  5. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [LDS], "International Genealogical Index," database, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 29 July 2011), Mary Tybbot birth; citing FHL microfilm none given.

  6. Joseph Thompson Dodge, "Dodge Family of Essex County," article, NEHGS, Americanancestors.org (http://www.americanancestors.org : accessed 25 July 2011), Dodge family; citing prior publication in NEHGS Register (October 1892).