Category Archives: Greene Family

James Sweet & Mary Greene of Rhode Island

James Sweet was born c1630, probably in Wales, the son of John Sweet and Mary (MNU). As James’s father died when James was about 7 and his mother married (2) Ezekiel Holliman, he and his brother and sister were raised mostly by their stepfather.

James married Mary Greene, daughter of Dr. John Greene and Joan Tatarsole c1654. Mary was baptized on 19 May 1633 at St. Thomas Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. James died after 1695, probably in Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island.

James and Mary had a large family of nine children, but some may have died in childhood.

Children:

  1. Philip, born 15 July 1655, Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island; died after 8 November 1686 when his father deeded Providence lands to him; married Elizabeth (MNU). Philip lived at Prudence Island in 1686.
  2. James, born 8 May 1657, Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island; died after 8 November 1686 when his father deeded Providence lands to him; married (1) Hannah (MNU) (2) Mary Pearce Hill, widow of Robert Hill
  3. Mary, born 2 February 1659, Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island; died 1746; married Enoch Place of Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island
  4. Benoni, born 28 March 1663, Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island; died 19 June 1751, North Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island; married Elizabeth (MNU). Benoni also received land in the 1686 deed from his father.
  5. Valentine, born 14 February 1665, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island; died after 8 November 1686; married Eleanor (MNU). Valentine also received land from his father in the 1686 land deed.
  6. Samuel, born 1 November 1667, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island; died 26 November 1728, North Kingstown, Washington, Rhode Island
  7. Jeremiah, born 6 January 1668/69, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island; no further record
  8. Renewed, born 18 July 1671, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island; no further record
  9. Sylvester, born 1 March 1673/74, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island; died c1763, possibly in Newport, Rhode Island; married Sarah Tew

James was made a Warwick freeman in 1655. He also served as a Warwick commissioner in 1653, 1658 and 1659.  He also moved several times as he lived in Portsmouth 1681, Prudence Island 1686, Warwick 1683 and Kingstown in 1686.

My line of descent:

James Sweet & Mary Greene
Valentine Sweet & Eleanor (MNU)
Mary Sweet & Samuel Boone
Samuel Boone & Mary Wightman
William Boone & Ruth Hill
Mary Boone & Richard Jones
Rebecca Jones & Peter Crouse
Sarah Moriah Crouse & William Coleman
Hartwell Thomas Coleman & Anna Elisabetha Jensen
Hazel Ethel Coleman & Vernon Tarbox Adams
Doris Priscilla Adams & George Michael Sabo
Linda Anne Sabo Stufflebean – me!

Surgeon John Greene, Salisbury, England to Providence, RI by 1636

For some time now, I’ve been posting sketches of some of my immigrant ancestors who arrived in, and remained, early Massachusetts. For the most part, they were much easier to research and discover, mainly because their descendants were patriots supporting American independence during the Revolutionary War.

It’s now the turn of my Rhode Island ancestors to step into the spotlight. This branch of my family were either pre-Loyalists, migrating to New Brunswick in the 1760s or else Loyalists who removed from the colonies in 1783.

Today, my focus is on Dr. John Greene, a surgeon, who sailed from Southampton, England to Massachusetts in 1635 on the James. He is said to be from Salisbury, Wiltshire, but The Great Migration Study further identifies him as being the son of Richard Greene of Gillingham, Dorset. He was born c1594 and died by 7 January 1658/59, when his will was probated.

Gillingham is about 28 miles west of Salisbury, with the distance from Salisbury to Southampton a bit less than that. Dave and I actually took the train from Southampton to Salisbury last year after one of our cruises and spent the day in the town around the cathedral.

Salisbury Cathedral, besides being a beautiful church, is home to the Magna Carta.


Dave, in front of Salisbury Cathedral

Just an aside, but it is a fun experience knowing that an ancestor was in the very spot you are centuries before you. 🙂

John Greene was an interesting character, as more seems to be known about his daily life than for many of my other ancestors. Dr. Greene first lived in Boston, but was there but a short time as on 8 October 1638, Roger Williams transferred land ownership to twelve men, including John Greene, who became the founding proprietors of Rhode Island.

Dr. Greene seems to have had perhaps a somewhat ornery personality when it came to authority. He left the Massachusetts Bay Colony very soon after arriving and moved to Rhode Island. He had apparently used disrespectful language towards some of the judges there and was fined. In 1643, he was still having issues with Massachusetts authorities and had cattle confiscated.

Even more interesting is his marriage to second wife Alice Beggarly, which took place by 14 December 1638. John Winthrop commented at the time that Mr. Beggarly was still living, Alice had not been granted a divorce and yet she married John Greene, so was “living in adultery.”

John Greene married three times: (1) Joane Tatarsole, 4 November 1619, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. (2) Alice Beggarly, by 14 December 1638. Alice died about 12 January 1643/44. (2) Phillip (MNU). Yes, her name was Phillip and she died probably in Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island after 27 August 1668.

All of John’s children were born to first wife, Joane, and baptized at St. Thomas (as in Thomas a Becket) Church, Salisbury.

Another aside – I wished I had known this last year when we were walking around Salisbury.

Children (all dates are baptisms):

  1. John, 15 August 1620; died between 5 November 1690 and 6 May 1709, when his widow passed away in Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island; married Ann Almy, by 1649.
  2. Peter, 10 March 1621/22; died between the date of his will of 11 May 1659 and 17 April 1663, when his widow married John Sanford; married Mary Gorton, by 1659.
  3. Richard, 25 April 1624; no further record, but he might have died young as a Richard Greene was buried there on 23 November 1625.
  4. James, 21 June 1626; date of death unknown; married (1) Deliverance Potter, by 1658 (2) Elizabeth Anthony, 3 August 1665, Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island
  5. Thomas, 4 June 1628; death date unknown; married Elizabeth Greene (maiden name in contention – was she a Barton?), 30 June 1659, Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island.
  6. Joan, 3 October 1630; death date unknown; married John Haden, c1650, probably at Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island
  7. Mary, 19 May 1633; death date unknown; married James Sweet, by 1655.

The life and family of Dr. John Greene are fully discussed in The Great Migration Study. If you are a descendant of this man and are a member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, his sketch is found in volume G-H:141-148.

My line of descent:

Dr. John Greene & Joane Tatarsole
Mary Greene & James Sweet
Valentine Sweet & Eleanor (MNU)
Mary Sweet & Samuel Boone
Samuel Boone & Mary Wightman
William Boone & Ruth Hill
Mary Boone & Richard Jones
Rebecca Jones & Peter Crouse
Sarah Moriah Crouse & William Coleman
Hartwell Thomas Coleman & Anna Elisabetha Jensen
Hazel Ethel Coleman & Vernon Tarbox Adams
Doris Priscilla Adams & George Michael Sabo
Linda Anne Sabo Stufflebean – me!