Mary Flagg

Mary Flagg (Underwood)

Find A Grave Memorial ID # 57960063

"This extraordinary combination of names whereby Thomas Flegg of Watertown named his children for himself, his wife his father, two of three brothers, his only paternal uncle, his two paternal grandparents, and a cousin, cannot be coincidence...and together with eliminating any other Flegg, seems to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the emigrant Thomas Flegg was the same"Thomas, son of Allen 16 (John 15, Richard 14, John 13, James 12, William 11, John 10, John 9, William 8, Philip 7, Philip 6, Philip 5, Sir John 4, Sir John 3, Henry 2, Alger 1 ) and Nazareth (Devoroys) Flegg. Ernest Flagg cautiously adds that beyond Thomas' grandfather, he has certain doubts as to the linage but the entire Forty pages make fascinating reading.

One more proof remains : Thomas Flegg, like all colonists between the ages of 16 and 60, had to take part in military training. On 5 April 1681 he petitioned to be relieved of training, and from paying the annual 5 shilling fine for those unable to train. The implication is that in 1681 he was 60 years of age, i.e., born 1621, not in 1615, and thus eligible to be relieved on account of age.

Other records of interest concerning Thomas Flegg are that he owned a homestall of six acres, and a lot of twenty acres. He served as selectman eight times between 1671 and 1685, and as late as 10 July 1693, was chosen to serve on the grand jury. In 1659 he lost an eye by a gunshot accident. He made his will in 1697. From the third volume of published Watertown records, this last entry: "Thomas Flege an old man diceaced feb:6: 1697:8." Indeed he was an old man, a good seventy-six years old at the time of his death. His widow Mary made her will on 30 December 1702, which was attested 21 April 1703, and inventory for distribution taken 25 May 1703. Her husband having previously bequeathed most of his property to their sons, Mary divided her movables and remaining property "equally among my daughter Mary Biglo, my daughter Elizabeth Biglo, and my daughter Rebecca Gook...the executor to have 3L 12s of my son Benjamin Flegg which is remaining to be paid me by my husband's will.' The executor was Samuel Biglo, the witnesses were Nathaniel Wilder, Ephraim Wilder, and John Warren. This brings to mind the questions was Mary the wife of Thomas Flegg a Wilder daughter?'

After the deaths of Thomas and Mary, the family surname soon changed to the spelling Flagg, and is so used by all descendants in America today.

http://bigelowsociety.com/rod/flagg1.htm

Sources: Savage, Genealogical Dictionary of New England; Banks, Persons of Quality, Hotten, List of Emigrants; Bond, History of Watertown; Watertown records, and the article named in this feature. Vol. 7, No. 3 - FORGE:The Bigelow Society quarterly - July 1978 Page 45 ______________________________________________________________

Whether "Marable Underwood" is the "Mary", who married Thomas Flegg soon after his arrival in Massachusetts is a matter of conjecture; for Thomas' sweetheart may have crossed the ocean in the other ship, or may not have been in Carver's family, if on the same vessel. Dr. Bond's History of Watertown states that Mary, wife of Thomas Flego- was born 1619, which would make her two years younger than ' ' Marable ' ' was said to be.

http://archive.org/stream/familyrecordsofd00flag/familyrecordsofd00...

https://archive.org/details/familyrecordsofd00flag/page/18

"The tradition of Thomas is that he loved a girl in a station below his own; their union was opposed by his family, so they decided to emigrate, and did so, coming in two vessels which sailed in company, and married shortly after their arrival. We do not know the maiden name of the wife Mary, nor the date of marriage."

Based on this, Mary's parents are assumed to be unknown unless evidence is found to the contrary.

Custom Event Will 30 December 1702 Watertown, Middlesex, MA

GEDCOM Note

Category:US President Direct Ancestor

Biography

Birth

: Birth: 1619:: Place: England<ref> S-1909169039 Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) - Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.Original data - Godfrey Memorial Library. American Genealogical-Biographical Index. Middletown, CT, USA: Godfrey Memorial Library.http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=agbi&h=2772466&ti=0&i... </ref>
:: Place: Hardingham, Norfolk, England (source needed)

Marriage

: Husband: Thomas Flegg : Wife: Mary Underwood: Marriage: <ref> #S342 Charles Alcott Flagg, The Descendants ofEleazer Flagg and His Wife Huldah Chandler of Grafton, Mass. Including Genealogies of the Flagg, Waters, Goddard ....and many more families: David Clapp & Son, Boston, Mass., 1903, pp175-176 (available online at www.archive.org) </ref> <ref>Source: #S814 pp 852-869, Flagg</ref> <ref>Source: #S1618 pp 45-48, James Abram Garfield</ref> <ref>Source: #S10392 p19–26</ref>

Death

: Date: 30 DEC 1702 will written :: Place: Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts : Date: 1703 <ref>Source: #S342 pp175-176</ref> <ref>Source: #S1618 pp45-48, James Abram Garfield</ref>

Will

:: Date: 30 DEC 1702<ref>Source: #S814 pp852-869, Flagg</ref> :: Probate: 21 APR 1703<ref>Source: #S814 pp852-869, Flagg</ref>

Burial

:: Place: Grove Hill Cemetery, Waltham, Middlesex, MA (Needs source) :: Date: INT 1703 (W.P. 21 APR 1703) :: Place: Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts

Notes ===: Note NI77 Thomas Flagg sailed for America in 1637 and settled in Watertown. According to Charles A. Flagg of the Library of Congress, "Thetradition of Thomas is that he loved a girl in station below his own.Their union was opposed by his family, so the two decided to emigrate, and did so, coming in two vessels which sailed in company, and marrying soon after their arrival. We do not know the maiden name of the wife Mary, nor the date of marriage".[1/18] English emmigration records state, "A Register of persons about to pass into foraigne parts. A.D. 1637. 13 Charles I. These people went to New England with William Andrews of Ipswich, Mr. of the John and Dorothy of Ipswich, and with William Andrews, his son, Mr. of the Rose, of Yarmouth. April 11, 1637. Theexamination of Richard Caruear, of Strathby, in the County of Norfolk, husbandman, aged 60 years, and Grace, his wife, aged 40 years, with two children, Elizabeth aged 18 years, and Susanna aged 18 years, being twynnes. Mor. 3 servants, Isaace Hart aged 22 years, and Thomas Flege aged 21 years, and one Marable Underwood, a mayd servant aged 20 years; goes all for New England, to inhabitt and remaine.".[1/19]

: : IDENTITY OF WIFE: It is open to speculation whether this Marable Underwood was the Mary whom Thomas married shortly after his arrival in New England. Mary may not have been in the company of Carver's family. She may not have even come on one of these two vessels. Of course all of this speculation rests on the assumption that the tradition of the family's disapproval of the marriage is, in fact, truth. In Bond's History of Watertown it is stated that Mary Flagg was born in 1619, whichwould make her two years younger than Marable Underwood.[1/20] Note that Thomas' will was witnessed by Thomas Underwood, who may have been a relation. : : NOT A SERVANT FOR LONG: It is probable that Thomas was not a servantin the usual meaning of the word because soon after his arrival he was a land owner and later served as a Selectman. This was a post of real honor in the early days, and the social distinctions were closely observed. It is most probable that the relationship of servant was for the duration of the voyage only as he may have been too young to travelon his own.[1/1819] : : ENGLISH ORIGINS / MOTIVATION FOR MIGRATION: In 1633 William Laud became archbishop of Canterbury and soon started vigorous measures to enforce conformity upon all the puritans. His most energetic assistant was Matthew Wren who became bishop of Norwich in 1635 and whose active persecutions of the Puritans caused a large emigration of them from Norfolk and Suffolk to New England during the next two years. At the sametime there was great economic depression in England, and a large number of young men also joined in this emigration, not on account of religious motives, but rather with the object of bettering their material condition and prospects. Since Thomas didn't formally become a church member until June 22, 1690, he either belonged to this last group or, if you prefer, he left the country for love.[6/4378] : : CIVIC RECORDS: Thomas Flagg was very active in town affairs. He was chosen in 1651 to view fences and to prosecute the order about swine;[2/1:28] 1661 chosen surveyor;[2/1:74] constable in 1663[2/1:76] and 1686;[2/2:24] selectman in 1671,[2/1:102] 1675,[2/1:121] 1676,[2/1:125] 1678,[2/1:132] 1679,[2/1:144] 1682,[2/2:10] 1686,[2/2:22] 1687,[2/2:28] 1688;[2/2:33] town appraiser in 1674;[2/1:118] and commissioner in 1669[2/1:96] and 1688.[2/2:35] : : REAL ESTATE: In the first inventory of grants and possessions in Watertown, taken in 1639, Thomas Flagg is shown as having a homestall of six acres bounded south with the highway, north by Joseph Bemis, east by Robert Harrington, and west by Edward How. He also had twenty acresof upland being a great Divident in the first division, lot 16.[5/1:38] He held the same lands in the third inventory, taken about 1646.[5/1:124] : : WILL / ESTATE: Thomas Flagg's will was dated March 5, 1697, proved Feb. 16, 1697-8, and was witnessed by John Mixer, Thomas Underwood, andShuball Child. In it are mentioned his wife Mary, sons Thomas, Michael, Allen, Benjamin, and Eleazer, deceased son Gershom, daughters Mary Bigelow, Rebecca Cook, and Elizabeth Bigelow, and grandson John Flagg.[4/9:285] The inventory of the estate was taken by Abraham Browne, Zacheriah Cutter, and Edward Harrington and recorded Feb. 16, 1697-8. It amounted to 75.10.0. Stated in this document was Thomas' death date ofFeb. 6, 1697-8.[4/9:288] : : WIFE'S WILL / ESTATE: Mary's will was dated Dec. 30, 1702. She left her whole estate to be equally divided among her three daughters Mary Bigelow, Elizabeth Bigelow, and Rebecca Cook. She also mentioned her son Benjamin Flagg and made her "Son Samll. Biglo" to be her executor. The will was witnessed by Nathaniel Wilder, Ephraim Wilder, and John Warren.[3/10:629] "Watertown May 25:1703. an account of moveable EstateLeft in ye house of Benjamin fflegg by Mary fflegg late of watertown,and Relict of Tho: fflegg" was taken by Jonathan Sanders and Caleb Church. It was sworn to by Benjamin Flagg and his wife Experience and amounted to 16.16.10.[3/10:685] The estate was divided and paid in equalshares to Stephen Cooks, Samuel Bigelow, and Joshua Bigelow.[3/10:687] : : ENGLISH ORIGINS: In [6] it is stated that Thomas Flagg of Watertown was the Thomas Flagg baptised in Hardingham, Norfolk on May 6, 1621. This would make the age in the emigration record incorrect, but, in thework, that is explained away by the strict laws of the time protecting masters from the absconding of indentured servants. The emigration inspectors might be suspicious about minors trying to leave the countryunaccompanied by relatives or not in the custody of masters who couldshow their legal articles of apprenticeship. Thus Thomas may have been able to avoid possible detention if he was a large or mature lookingsixteen year old bluffing his way past the inspectors. Thomas does not appear to have been from the area that Richard Carver lived in as there were no Flagg marriages in the Ormesby and Yarmouth area from 1590to 1650. The main evidence for connecting Thomas Flagg of Hardingham with Thomas of Watertown is the similarity of names in the two families, which evidence does sound overwhelming. A few examples of Thomas ofWatertown's children are Bartholomew, possibly named for Thomas' brother; Michael, a not very common name at the time, maybe named for another of Thomas' brothers; and Allen, the name of Thomas' father.[6/4389] Note that the only other Bartholomew Flagg in Norfolk county is another possibilIty for Thomas' father. The trouble with connecting with Thomas of Hardingham is that Thomas of Watertown was a land owner by 1639, and it seems unlikely he could have held property under the age of21. On the other hand Massachusetts men were required to participate in military training between the ages of 16 and 60. On April 5, 1681 Thomas Flagg petitioned to be relieved from training, which fits in well with a baptism in May of 1621.[6/439] : : For the possible ancestry of Thomas Flagg, refer to the chapter on overseas ancestors. : : REF: [1] Flagg Family Records - Norman G. Flagg, 1907 [2] Watertown Records, 1894 [3] Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 7783) [4] Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 7789) [5] Watertown Records, 1894 (Lands, Grants and Possessions) [6] Genealogical Notes on the Founding of New England - Ernest Flagg, 1926 [7] Records of Births Marriages and Deaths, First Book - Watertown Records, Vol. 1, 1894 [8] Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Second Book - Watertown Records, Vol. 2, 1900 : : Children: : : 1. Gershom, b. Watertown April 16, 1641,[7/8] d. Lamprey River, NH July 6, 1690, m. April 15, 1668 Hannah Leppingwell, b. Woburn, MA Jan. 6, 1647-8 : : 2. John, b. Watertown June 14, 1643,[7/10] d. Watertown Feb. 6, 1696-7,[8/9] m. Watertown March 30, 1670[7/33] Mary Gale : : 3. Bartholomew, b. Watertown Feb. 23, 1644[7/11] : : 4. Thomas, b. Watertown April 28, 1645,[7/12] m. Watertown Feb. 18, 1667-8[7/30] Rebecca Dix, b. Watertown Feb. 18, 1641-2[7/9] : : 5. William?, b. abt. 1648, d. Lancaster, MA Aug. 22, 1675 : : 6. Michael, b. Watertown March 23, 1651-2,[7/16] d. Watertown Oct. 16, 1711,[8/44] m(1) Watertown June 3, 1674[7/38] Mary Bigelow, b. Watertown March 18, 1648,[7/14] m(2) Watertown Dec. 27, 1704[8/20] Mary Earle : : 7. Eleazer, b. Watertown May 14, 1653,[7/17] d. May 21, 1722, m. Oct. 10, 1676 Deborah Barnes : : 8. Elizabeth, b. Watertown March 22, 1656-7,[7/19] d. Watertown Aug.9, 1729,[8/98] m. Watertown Oct. 20, 1676[7/41] Joshua Bigelow, b. Watertown Nov. 5, 1655[7/18] : : 9. Mary, b. Watertown Jan. 14, 1657-8,[7/20] d. Watertown Sept. 7, 1720,[8/66] m. Watertown June 3, 1674[7/38] Samuel Bigelow, b. Watertown Oct. 28, 1653,[7/17] d. aft. 1720 (1731?[8/93]%29 : : 10. Rebecca, b. Watertown Sept. 5, 1660,[7/22] d. Newton, MA June 20, 1721, m. Watertown Nov. 19, 1679[7/46] Stephen Cook, b. England 1647, d. 1738 : : 11. Benjamin, b. Watertown June 25, 1662,[7/24] d. May 3, 1741, m. Watertown Sept. 26, 1690[7/62] Experience Child, b. Watertown Feb. 26, 1669[7/32] : : 12. Allen, b. Watertown May 16, 1665,[7/26] d. Watertown Oct. 1711,[8/46] m. Watertown March 12, 1684-5[7/55] Sarah Ball, b. Watertown July 11, 1666[7/28]

Sources ==* Roberts, Gary Boyd; Ancestors of American Presidents. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.

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