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Haskell

Hubbard Haskell: Fishing Vessel Offender, 1757

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This is one of the more unusual documents I’ve come across pertaining to my ancestors.

This record was found in a collection titled Massachusetts, Merchant Marine Records, 1740-1752, 1753-1759.

From the text, it can be gleaned that “The Banks” was an area designated as forbidden to fishing vessels until 10 April 1757, for reasons unknown. The Banks referred to Strawbery Banke, which today is Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire.

In the Home of Rep . April 18. 1757 . — ” Whereas it appears to this Court that between ye 9th the day of March last & ye 10th of April Court: two fishing vessels belonging to Epes Sargeant Junr Esq – one belonging to Winthrop Sergeant , one belonging to Thos Sanders junr; in one belonging to Daniel Sargent, one belonging to Danl Rogers & one belonging to Hubbard Haskell all of Glocester in County of Essex have departed on their voyages to the Banks in contempt & Disobedience to a Proclamation issued by the Lt. Govr & Council , [reshaming?] all kinds of Vessells till the said 10th of April without special permission whereas practices of this kind (if not prevented) have a tendency to create in the mind of ye good people of this Province a suspicion of ye Justice & Authority of their Rulers, to give a bad example to others, & thereby weaken all order & acts of Government Therefore Ordered , That the Attorney General be directed to pro-

secute the offenders above names, or any others That have offended, in the most effectual manner, or to proceed in way other mariners that may be thought more for the honour & Safety of the Government.

Sent up for concurrence
T. Hubbard [?]

There is a second unusual document, undated but in papers before and after dated 1762, so during the French and Indian War.

Know all men by these presents that We David Glover of Glocester Mariner, and Joseph Rogers of Newbury Mariner both in the County of Essex & Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England are firmly bound and obliged to his Excellency Francis Bernard Esq; Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over his Majesty ‘s Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England in the full and just sum of One Thousand pounds Sterling money of Great Britain to be paid to the said Francis Bernard Esq. his certain Attorney Executors administrators or assigns: To the which payment well and truly to be made We bind ourselves, our heirs Executors and administrators firmly by these presents, Sealed with our Seals dated the twenty eighth day of September Anno Domine One Thousand seven hundred and Sixty two , and in the second year of his Majesty ‘s Reign. The Condition of this Obligation is such that whereas the said Francis Bernard Esq. Governor as aforesaid hath upon the Petition of Miles Ward , Ralph Cross and Hubbard Haskell, granted & Commission to Joseph Rogers Master of the Schooner Eunice, to proceed in said Schooner with a log of Truce to Cape Francis on Hispaniola to pay the ransom of two hostages viz . Richard Birmingham for the ransom of the Schooner Polly whereof John Lander was Master and Schooner Neptune whereof David Glover was Master and of Ephraim Hodge for the ransom of the Schooner [Martineco?] whereof the said Joseph Rogers was Master. Now if the said Joseph Rogers shall not take on board the said Schooner any ammunition or warlike Stores

or any provisions excepting only what shall be necessary for his intended voyage, a Schedule whereof signed by the said David Glover and Joseph Rogers – – is hereunto annexed , and shall not during his said Voyage carry on any illicit Trade or suffer to be carried on by means of said Schooner any illicit Trade at Cape Francois or at any other port of the Kings enemies , then this Obligation shall be void, otherwise it is to remain in full force and Virtue

Signed Sealed & Delive’d in presence of David Glover William Baker Henry Alline jun

David Glover
Joseph Rogers

Bill of Stores for the Eunice Flag of Truce Joseph Rogers Master for Cape Francois

2 barrells of Pork
3 barrells of Beef
4 ye Bread
1 barrell Flour
1 hundred of Rice
1 bushell of Beans
1 Quintal Fish & Jarr of oyl

David Glover
Joseph Rogers

Today, Cape Francois is Cap-Haitien, a port city on the north coast of Haiti.

A quintal is a unit of weight equal to a hundredweight (112 lb) or, formerly, 100 lb.

To summarize, these vessels must have been captured by French forces during the French and Indian War in the 1760s. Hubbard Haskell was one of the three who petitioned Francis Bernard Esq. Governor to allow the ransom of the mariners and vessels to be completed.

Haskell, Witham

A Double Snafu: Judith & Judith Plus Judith & Judith

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Do you ever start a genealogy task thinking it’s going to be quick and easy, but then find yourself mired in a mess? Or two?

That’s exactly what happened to me in the Tarbox branch of my family tree.

I’ve always been partial to my 3X great grandfather, George Rogers Tarbox, because he was the very first 3X great I discovered in the very early days of my family history research. That’s because the Tarbox family is an old New England family and they are all descended from John Tarbox, living in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts in the 1640s.

George, though, wasn’t the problem. The first problem was his mother, Judith Haskell and then, much to my chagrin, the second problem was Judith’s mother, Judith Witham.

I’ve already shared the story about pruning the Haskell branch of the family tree because there were two Judith Haskells. One was born on 5 November 1780 and died on 12 May 1803, as the unmarried daughter of John Haskell and Hannah Parsons, in New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine.

That was the Judith that a kindly town clerk told me was the wife of my William Tarbox. This was long before the internet age. In 2022, a reader alerted me to the death of this Judith, making it impossible for her to the the wife of William Tarbox.

In her place was Judith Haskell, born in 1781, probably also in New Gloucester. She was the daughter of Nathan Haskell and Judith Witham.

The pruning took place and I hurriedly corrected the tree (or so I thought) with the Witham line. Fixing the Haskell line was a minor repair because John and Nathan were first cousins.

So, my first snafu involved Judith Haskell, daughter of John, and Judith Haskell, daughter of Nathan.

Now I find myself in the position of another tree pruning along this same branch. I’m usually a pretty careful researcher, but this pruning happened while I was in the middle of an entirely different project and wanted to fix the tree quickly and get back to what I was working on.

Well, that didn’t work out too well as another reader contacted me via email asking about Judith Witham who married Nathan Haskell.

Here is the problem:

Daniel Witham and Lydia Sanders were the parents of Judith Witham, baptized on 28 June 1751 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts. Nathan Haskell was born on 25 June also in Gloucester and he married on 27 October 1771. So, there appeared to be two young people who married a bit young for the time and place, but both were 20, and this seemed like an excellent fit for Judith Witham. It seemed especially so when Nathan Haskel and Judith Witham were married by. . . .Daniel Witham!

Well, the problem is with the Gloucester marriage record and one little detail not included in the abstract that I found:

We have [d. S. int.] – which means daughter of S. and intentions are also filed.

Now, this is an abstract of an original record and it could be that the letter ‘S’ was poorly written or wrongly interpreted, but I now think not.

Look at these Witham birth entries for Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts:

Here is the original clerk’s entry (right page, top entry):

Here is an enlargement of the pertinent portion of the entry, which notes that Judith is the ‘Dauter of S. Witham of this Town’:

In this case, Daniel Witham and Samuel Witham are first cousins once removed and their daughters, both named Judith, are very close in age, probably born within a few months of each other (based on the somewhat ambiguous entry for Daniel’s daughter.)

What are the odds? I guess not as rare as I would have expected since this is the second generation in a row which has flummoxed me with cousins named Judith!

What does all of this mean? Well, the Tarbox branch of the family tree is about to get another lopping to update Judith Witham with her correct parents – Samuel Witham and Deborah Stanwood and maternal ancestors, too.

American Revolution, Haskell

Hubbard Haskell & Anna Millet, Gloucester, MA, 1700s

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After last year’s surprise update to my ancestress Judith Haskell and her correct parents, I wrote about Nathan Haskell and Judith Witham, but then got sidetracked with other posts.

It’s time to address other corrections and, therefore, new branches in my family tree.

Hubbard Haskell was born 3 May 1720 in Gloucester, Essex, Massachusetts, being the son of William Haskell and Jemima Hubbard, who were already in my tree as the parents of Nathaniel Haskell and grandparents of John Haskell, which are now proven to be incorrect.

Hubbard Haskell married Anna Millet on 12 November 1740, also in Gloucester. She was born 25 March 1718, the daughter of Nathan Millet and Sarah Babson.

All these families settled early (1600s) in Gloucester so these lines run deep in the town.

By the time the American Revolution broke out, Hubbard was well into his 50s and too old to be off fighting in military companies. However, most of the Haskells (who comprised a large family in town) were patriots and supported the war effort.

Hubbard Haskell was named to the Committee of Safety in 1776, thereby doing his part.

Hubbard and Anna were the parents of eleven children, four of whom survived to adulthood.

Children: (All events in Gloucester unless noted.)

1. Hubbard, born 10 September 1741; died 12 July 1743
2. Jemima, born 9 May 1743; no further record
3. Hubbard, born 2 February 1744/45; died 7 September 1831, Newburyport, Essex, Massachusetts; married Anna Davis
4. Anna, born 22 February 1747/48; died 20 December 1808; married Stephen Lane, 21 March 1769
5. Nathan, born 21 September 1749; died 19 January 1749/50
6. Nathan, born 25 June 1751; died 4 December 1838, New Gloucester, Cumberland, Maine; married Judith Witham, 27 October 1771
7. Hannah, born 14 December 1752; no further record
8. Sarah, born 16 October 1754; died 13 December 1813; married (1) John Smith, 27 May 1773 (2) John Rogers, 23 November 1780
9. William, baptized 9 May 1756; died before 20 March 1761
10. Hannah, baptized 27 August 1758; died 16 October 1843, Newburyport, Essex, Massachusetts; unmarried
11. William, born 20 March 1761; died 16 October 1843, Newburyport, Essex, Massachusetts; married Rebecca Witt, 16 January 1783