With all the speculation and confusion surrounding the arrival of immigrant William Mead in Connecticut, it pales in comparison to his Massachusetts counterpart – Gabriel, also known as Goodman. But, their paths on trips across the north Atlantic Ocean from their homeland in the British Isles to the New World are strikingly similar.
Over the past 350 years, genealogists have struggled among themselves to find an absolute identitiy for the Mead boys. Family historians have argued about everything from the spelling of their surnames to the cities from which they came to the manner in which they traveled and the dates of their arrival. Even the names of their spouses were locked in controversy.
Much of that is because genealogy is such a recent hobby. Until about 500 years ago, people around the world were largely illiterate. Most folks were known by a single name, with possibly the description of where they lived or what they did. As a result, when surnames were added, the spelling was left to the interpretation of the speller and names were recorded as they were "heard".
Since the 1630s, when both men gave up their routine lives in small English towns to lead their families on the migration to America, the search for clues has been both unlimited and largely fruitless.
At first, it was suspected William and Gabriel might have been brothers and may have traveled together with their families from Lydd, County of Kent, on the southern shore of England. They were believed to have been passengers on the ship, Elizabeth, under Capt. Stagg. The Elizabeth did make a scheduled sailing from Lydd on May 15, 1635 and landed at Dorchester, Mass., 100 days later. However, neither William nor Gabriel, nor any members of their families, were listed on the passenger list.
Spencer P. Mead, a noted genealogist and family historian of the late 1800s, published “The History and Genealogy of the Mead Family” in which he attempted to trace both William and Gabriel. But, he hedged his suspicions in declaring them brothers or passengers on the same boat. Instead, he only suggested William and Gabriel both came from Lydd and declared them to be the patriarchal heads of the Connecticut and Massachusetts Mead families, respectively.
It was first believed Gabriel accompanied his father-in-law, James Bates, who lived in Lydd, on the overseas trip. Bates and his family, including his wife and children, were registered passengers on the Elizabeth, but neither Gabriel nor Joan or Joanna were among them.
A pair of present-day genealogists, Gordon Remington and Vance Mead, unveiled evidence several years ago that challenged Spencer Mead’s conclusions and shed new light on the family roots.
Remington, writing in the American Genealogist, identified William as the son of Priscilla Mead, a common masculine name of the day, and his wife, Dorothy Gray. He was born Dec. 27, 1592, in Watford, Hertfordshire County. He married Philippa Kilvey about 1628 and they had three living children, two sons, Joseph and John, and a daughter, Martha. A fourth child, Mary, is believed to have died before they left England.
There is no record of how or when they might have come to America, although they were believed to have lived in Watertown, Mass. and Wethersfield, Conn., before showing up in Stamford on Dec. 7, 1641, and being granted “a homelot and 5 acres of land” as one of the founders of the city. The life of the family is well documented after that.
It was much the same for Gabriel, but still somewhat different. Vance Mead, a direct descendant of the Greenwich, Conn., Meads who does extensive family research in England, believes Gabriel’s surname was spelled "Meades" and he was the last of four sons born Oct. 4, 1590, in Henley on Thames to Thomas Meades, a weaver, and Emlin Carter.
The plot thickened on July 17, 1628, when Gabriel married Joan Frewin (sometimes spelled Fruins), also of Henley on Thames. Her date of birth is “guessed” between as early as 1595 and as late as 1610. The later date seems to work best because their last child, David, was born May 7, 1650 when she would have been at least 40 years of age.
Gabriel and Joanna also had a son, Abell, born Dec. 16, 1629, who died after four days of life, and a daughter, Sarah. Vance Mead shows Sarah’s date of birth as Aug. 30, 1632, in England, but it also has been listed as late as Dec. 4, 1643, in Dorchester.
All historians seem to agree, however, Gabriel and Joanna (Bates or Frewin) had six living children: Sarah, Experience (1632), Lydia (1637), Patience (1646) and David (1650). A troublesome point is their son, David, was born in 1650 when his mother would have been 55 years of age, if her birthday occurred as early as 1595.
Vance Mead has concluded, as a result of his research, the Gabriel and Joan from Henley on Thames were the most likely to be the patriarchs of the Massachusetts Mead family, although there still is no firm evidence to document the date and means of their arrival in Dorchester.
Once they reached Massachusetts, all experts are in agreement. Gabriel worked at the meeting house in Dorchester as the “ringer of the bell.” He was the custodian of the building and became a “freeman” in 1638. Often, he was a witness to legal documents until his death on March 12, 1666. There is no evidence he and William ever met or knew of each other.
Following Gabriel’s passing, his widow was granted a pension benefit by the City of Dorchester and was the recipient of monies owed her husband. She died Aug. 25, 1683.
In his will, Gabriel named his wife, Joanna, and their surviving children -- Israel, David, Sarah, Lydia, Experience and Patience – as heirs.
How do I spell thee?
Let me count the ways!
By VANCE MEAD
Our ancestors had very fertile imaginations when it came to spelling.
You wouldn't think they could go far wrong with a short, simple name like Mead, but they also spelled it Meade, Meed, Meede and Mede. These are all recognizable.
The more exotic forms are Mayd, Mayde, Meid, Meide, Meyd, Meyde and Meidde. These look like a completely different surname, probably pronounced "Made", but they were used alongside more usual spellings like Mede and Meade. For the Irish, the name was spelled Meagh.
For example, William Meyde of Soulbury, Bucks, left a will in 1558, but his great-grandson was Richard Meade, also of Soulbury, whose will is from 1645. In 1567, John Meyd of Brightlingsea, Essex, was the master of the Mary James, but in his will of 1583, he was John Meade, mariner.
At the English National Archives site, there is this item: "Alice, late the wife of Richard Wolleston, and formerly of Robert Meyde, vs. Thomas Checcheley, esquire, and Lawrence Pyers: Rent reserved on a loan of complainant's dower lands in Wendy, Arrington and Croydon." Thomas Meyde is Thomas Mede of Arrington, Cambridgeshire. In his will of 1507, Thomas Mede left property in Wendy, Arrington and "Crawdene" to his wife, Alice. And, in 1641, William Mayd, the ancestor of the Meads of Fairfield County CT, was granted a home lot in Stamford.
Which brings us to Robert Meidde, mentioned in the will of John Lovett of Watford, Hertfordshire, in 1503: "Item I bequeath to Robert Meidde my best gown & a cow."
In genealogy, geography is almost as important as history. Robert Meidde is the first Mead (or similar) to be found in Watford before Margaret Meade, widow, in 1544, and Richard Mede, who married Margaret Gouldhurst in 1545. Richard and Margaret Gouldhurst are the parents of Priscilla Mead and Dorothy Grey, as well as the grandparents, of Stamford’s William.
I don't know if there is any further relationship, or if it's possible to prove it one way or the other. but it's one small breakthrough that I hope to follow up on my next trip to England this summer.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Vance Mead is a recognized historian of the Mead family and writes for the Mead-e Family Tree from his home in Helsinki, Finland.)
Ashridge Monument in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.
Lee Meade
Between
Us ...
Mary Jane and sister, Julia
"If you find yourself stymied,
just sit back and someone will help you!"
HAVE YOU EVER had the experience of finding yourself completely stymied in your genealogical research? Perhaps, you have been running down a particularly elusive fact in your ancestral background. Or, the one thing you need most to complete a search is just out of reach.
What do you do? Sometimes, you give up, temporarily, of course ... or switch to a different family in an effort to get a fresh perspective. Then, again, you might simply turn off the computer ... and take a breather before tackling the problem once more. I have been there, as I'm sure each of you have.
I remember several years ago, I was trying to trace my great-great grandparents who lay buried in a small cemetery outside East Windsor, Conn. Mary Jane Shepherd was the daughter of Dr. Asher Shepherd and Mary Jane Ingols of Northampton, Mass. She was 22 when she married 27-year-old Henry Bissell Wolcott on April 11, 1838. But, their ideal family life soon turned tragic.
Mary Jane lost her second daughter in infancy and died herself, with her fourth daughter, at birth in 1845. My great grandmother, also named Mary Jane, and her younger sister, Julia, found themselves without a mother at the ages of 6 and 3 years, respectively. Five years later, they were orphaned when their father passed away suddenly.
The Wolcotts were a prominent Windsor, Conn., family. Henry had come to the colonies in 1626 and had been a leader in the New World. One of his descendants signed the Declaration of Independence, while another was the Secretary of the Treasury to presidents George Washington and John Adams.
But, that family heritage was of little value to two young girls who had lost their parents. A spinster aunt, Ruth Wolcott, stepped in to raise them, and 20 years later, while a student at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., Mary Jane met my great grandfather, Fayette Clark Meade. They were married and bought the Century Farm near Alexandria, Minn., which became home for four generations of Meades.
* * *
IT WAS A CHAPTER in the story of my life I did not learn until after both Mary Jane and Fayette had died. But, many years later while I was on an extended search for the roots of my family tree, I found myself in Hartford, Conn., just a few miles south of East Windsor.
Surely, it seemed to me at the time, a small cemetery in a little Connecticut town would not be very difficult to locate. I stopped in at the town hall, the chamber of commerce and the U.S. Post Office to seek directions, but came up empty. So, I drove slowly down Main Street, from the south end of town to the north (there was no east and west), without success. Then, I drove back again, and started a third time.
I knew the name of the cemetery, a fairly uncommon name. It was called Scantic Cemetery, however, I couldn't find a living soul who knew its location.
On my third trip through town, I paused for a red signal light ... the only one in town. The signal seemed awfully long and I leaned back in my seat while I waited for it to change. I always wait for traffic signals to change. Several years ago, while driving home late one night, I didn't. And, a local policeman was right there to give me a ticket, and an admonition.
"If you had waited another minute or so, it would have changed," he said. And, of course, he was right. So, I waited.
* * *
GLANCING OUT of the car window, I noticed a street sign hidden in the heavily overgrown foliage to my right. Only then, could I make it out: Scantic Road.
It was barely a "road" and I wondered if I could even drive up it. But, the signal turned green, and the prodding horn from behind me motivated me to turn right. I proceeded up the street, barely getting my car through the heavy underbrush. Then, after a block, it widened and became a regular country road.
Driving a mile farther, I saw a Congregational Church on the side of the road and, looking to my right, I saw a small graveyard another six blocks away. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind, it would be Scantic Cemetery.
The Wolcott plot was prominent and in it were the graves of Henry's parents, my great-great grandparents, their children and, even, Aunt Ruth.
As I stood at the foot of the markers, I remember saying softly to myself: "Thanks for the help. I would never have found it alone."
(Contact us by e-mail at: LeeMeadeRoots@aol.com or by mail at 8505 Flying Cloud Drive, Apt. 221, Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3955.)
Lake Mead named after pioneer ancestor Elwood Mead
Elwood Mead
Dr. Elwood Mead, who served as head of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for many years and directed construction of Hoover Dam, was a direct descendant of the Meads of Connecticut.
Harold L. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior, announced on Feb. 14, 1956, that Lake Mead, which at the time was the largest artificial body of water in the world, would be named in his honor. The announcement came 10 days after his death.
Dr. Mead was born Jan. 16, 1858, on the Patriot, Indiana, farm of 23-year-old Daniel B. Mead and 18-year-old Lucinda Davis. His ancestry has been traced to Mead progenitor William Mead of Stamford, Conn., through his son, John.
Elwood was seven years old when the Civil War ended, but was accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1877. However, he contracted malaria and was forced to withdraw after attending only a few weeks.
The following year, he enrolled at Purdue University and was an outstanding student. He received a Master of Science Degree at Purdue in 1882 and the Degree of Civil Engineer at Iowa State a year later. He went on to earn a Doctor Degree of Engineering at Purdue in 1894 and was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Michigan in 1925.
Dr. Mead served as Professor of Irrigation at the University of California in 1897, then was retained by Australia to build a $15 million irrigation system. While working in Australia, he developed a new system of agriculture, replacing some of the great wheat and sheep ranches with group settlements on small holdings. His work is credited with being the turning point of agricultural progress in the State of Victoria.
In 1923, while still in Australia, Dr. Mead was appointed as special advisor on reclamation in the U.S. by President Calvin Coolidge. A year later, he became commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, a position he held until his death on Feb. 4, 1936.
During his lifetime, he visited and worked in a number of foreign countries. His principals of irrigation and reclamation were adopted in Italy, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, New South Wales, Canada, Hawaii, Java, Mexico, Israel and New Zealand.
Summer Gathering
Researchers meet July 31 at Lake George
Carolyn Mead-Hildebrand and Alden Mead
All but last-minute preparations are in place for the first meeting of the Yahoo.com-based Mead Research Group. Now, boasting 50 members strong, the nationwide body of Mead(e) family researchers will get together at Lake George in upper New York state the last week in July.
Formal activities have been planned Friday, July 29, through Sunday, July 31.
Lance Mead of Vermont is the official "herdsman" for the weekend. New Yorker Wanda Mead-Campbell and Californian Carolyn Mead-Hildebrand also will attend. Wanda has spear-headed the group since its organization in 2003 and Carolyn is director of the Mead(e) DNA Project.
Quoting one of his father's favorite sayings, Lance assures everyone who will be attending the get-together, "the latch string is out." Mead family ancestors growing up in the Adirondack Mountains closed their cabin door by pulling a latch string on the outside. If they wanted privacy, they took it inside. But, an extended latch string was always an invitation for visitors to enter.
The Studio Motel on the outskirts of Lake George Village will be the center of activity. On Friday, an extensive tour is planned, starting at the Fort House Historical Society in Fort Edward. Pioneer Thaddeus Mead and other Connecticut men built the fort on the banks of the Hudson River in the mid-1700s.
If the river is low enough, it will be possible to see the actual cave made famous in the James Fennimore Cooper novel, "The Last of the Mohicans." Another stop will be at the tavern operated by William H. Mead in Stillwater. Then, there will be a visit to the home of Jesse Mead, a grandson of Thaddeus, in Galway and the cemetery just down the road where they are all buried.
The Brookside Museum in the adjacent town of Ballston Spa is in a 1780's tavern where the Mead DNA Project will be discussed. The resident genealogist, Irena Wooton, is a direct descendant of Rev. Richard Denton, who had a hand in the Watford, England, Meads locating in Stamford, Conn.
Saturday's program will feature the Lake George area. Among the stops will be the Warren County Historical Society and the battleground state park where Col. Phinneas Lyman and his contingent of Mead men drove back the French in the French and Indian War. There will be an outdoor picnic and discussion of the Mead Researchers program. The final event of the day will be dinner at the Log Jam Restaurant located south of Lake George at French Mountain. Among the structures is an authentic log cabin similar to the homes built by Mead families who settled in Chestertown and mountain communities.
A trip up Lake Ticonderoga to Crown Point through scenic lands so important to Mead family history will be the highlight on Sunday.
Additional information can be obtained by sending an e-mail to Lance Mead: lmead52089@aol.com.
