The Great Allotment: Pullen Point's First Land Owners
Introduction, William Aspinwall, Edward Bates, William Brenton, Thomas Buttolph, Thomas Fayerweather, Edward Gibbons, Valentine Hill, Ralph Hudson, Thomas Matson, Elias Maverick, John Oliver, William Pierce, John Sanford, William Stitson, John Winthrop/Deane Winthrop
Willam Aspinwall |
William Aspinwall emigrated with his wife Elizabeth to Boston aboard the “Arabella” as part of Winthrop’s Fleet in 1630. Settling first with the rest of the colonists in Charlestown, then moving to Boston by 1633. He became one of the original members (#10) of the First Church of Boston, and then a Deacon. His wife Elizabeth was Church member number 16. He took the Freeman's Oath in 1632, became a Selectman in 1636, and Deputy to the General Court in 1637.
William’s allotment to land on Pullen Point is recorded as:
"Mr. William Aspinwall, 22 acrs of upland at the nethermost point of the necke, towards the south: it is bounded by the Allotment of Thomas Buttalph, and towards the West by the 6 acrs of marsh granted to Mr. John Sanford." 1
William was also given 164 acres of land in Rumney Marsh encompassing most of what is now the Beachmont section of Revere, Mass.
William got caught up in Antinomian Controversy when in 1637 he drew up a petition to the General Court in support of John Wheelwright. Judged deviant in his beliefs, William was banished. He first went to Rhode Island, but was caught up in another religious controversy and moved to Connecticut.
In 1642 William’s fortunes turned around when he reconciled with the Boston Church. With his relations rehabilitated, he moved back to Boston. Now in good standing, he served as the Boston town clerk, Suffolk County recorder, and primary notary public. He joined the Ancient Artillery Company in 1643.
A skilled surveyor, in 1644 William helped organized an expedition to the Delaware River, where it was hoped would be found the source of beaver pelts coming from the interior of the country. Unfortunately, the Dutch and Swedes already had forts on the river to protect their interests. The expedition was foiled when the Dutch were planning on blocking them at Fort Nassau, and the Swedes fired on their boat from Fort Elfsborg before they got there.
William and Elizabeth had six (possibly seven) children; Mary (1628), Edward (1630), Hannah (1631), Elizabeth (1633), Samuel (1635), Ethlanah (1637), and Dorcas (1639). Mary married John Grove, Edward died young, and Hannah married John Angier. This is nothing known about Samuel, Ethlanah, and Dorcas.
By 1651 William was back in trouble with the Boston Courts and moved with his wife and younger children back to England. There he got caught up in religious fervor after the English Civil War as a supporter of the Fifth Monarchists. It is thought that he died in 1662.
William never lived on his Pullen Point land, and likely sold it when he was banished in 1638. By 1643 the land is recorded as being owned by James Penn, a Ruling Elder in the Boston Church. Penn willed the land to his nephew, Penn Townsend in 1671. Colonel Penn Townsend bequeathed the land to his two daughters Sarah (Townsend) Thayer and Ann (Townsend) Sale. The land became known as the Sales Farm.
Selected Aspinwall descendants, locations, and objects of note:- Aspinwall Notarial Records. From 1644 to 1651, William kept careful records of every document he notarized including, letters of attorney, marriage contracts, and property and estate transactions. - Internet Archive
- A Brief Description of the Fifth Monarchy or Kingdom. Back in England, William penned this document in support of the quasi-political religious group that was prophesizing the end of the world. - Wikipedia
- Expedition to the Delaware River. In 1664, in an attempt to discover the source of beaver pelts in the interior, William Aspinwall and his associates were given a commission by John Winthrop to travel to the Delaware river. Unfortunately, the Dutch at Fort Nassau, and the Swedes at Fort Elfsborg, blocked their way. - The Contest for the Delaware Valley, Mark L. Thompson, 2013 - pg 184 - Google ebook preview
- Fox Tavern (Littleton, Mass.). Built circa 1700, the taven was run during the Revolution by William Prentice, a descendant of William's daughter Mary. It is where the Minuteman gathered before marching to Concord in 1775. - Littleton Historical Society
| Selected William Aspinwall Descendants |
| William (b. c. 1605); m. Elizabeth |
| Mary (b. c. 1628), m. John Gove |
| Mary Gove (b. 1659), m. Henry Prentice |
| Nathaniel Prentice (b. 1698), m. Mary Tyng |
| William Prentice (b. 1726), m. Sarah Edes |
Peter Aspinwall (b. c. 1612)
While William Aspinwall was the first of his family’s name to arrive in the New World, all of the Aspinwall’s here today are descended from Peter Aspinwall. Possibly William’s cousin, Peter first appears in the record in 1645 taking the Freeman’s Oath.
- Aspinwall Hill, Avenue, House (Brookline, Mass.). Peter purchased land and moved to the Muddy River (present Brookline) in 1650. Multiple generations of Aspinwalls have built houses and lived in the area. - The Aspinwall Genealogy, Algernonm Akein Aspinwall, 1901, Internet Archive
- A Tree Falls in Brookline: The Aspinwall Elm, 1863 - Muddy River Musings
- The Prince Aspinwall House 1761 (Mansfield, Conn.). Prince Aspinwall (b. 1739) - Historic Buildings of Connecticut
- Aspinwall, Panama (now Colón, Panama). City was founded in 1850 by William H. Aspinwall (b. 1807) as the Atlantic terminal for his Pacific Mail Steamship Company. - Wikipedia
The Panama Railroad - Catskill Archive
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt (b. 1882). 32nd president of the United States. His grandmother was Mary Rebecca (Aspinwall) Roosevelt (b. 1809) - FDR Presidential Library and Museum
- Borough of Aspinwall (Penn., outside of Pittsburgh). Anna (Coleman) Aspinwall (b. 1818). Formed the Aspinwall Land Company and bought the land to create a residential community for the growing city. - Wikipedia
Links
- The Aspinwall Genealogy,
Algernon Aikin Aspinwall, 1901 - Internet Archive
- William Aspinwall, Wikipedia
- A Volume Relating to the Early History of Boston Containing the Aspinwall Notarial Records from 1644 to 1651 - Internet Archive
- William Aspinwall - RootsWeb
- 1 A Documentary History of Chelsea: including the Boston Precincts of Winnisimmet, Rumney Marsh, and Pullen Point, 1624-1824, Vol. 1, pg. 116 - Mellen Chamberlain, 1908, Internet Archive
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