Mary Rudd

Not the same as Mary Wilson

Mary is the bride of "Bride Brook." Jonathan Rudd and Mary Metcalf, both of Saybrook, would marry, but there was neither minister nor magistrate there. The distance to Hartford and the snows of winter turned the bridegroom's thought and journey to Pequot Harbour (now New London). There Jonathan Winthrop, afterward Governor of Connecticut, held authority from the Colony of Mass. to marry; but the home of the betrothed was beyond his jurisdiction. Midway between her home and that of the "squire," a little rivulet "rippled down the boundary line" between the two colonies. So here, by arrangement, a cavalcade from New London, marshaled by the worthy magistrate, met the bridal party from Saybrook. Then, with the magistrate on the east side and the bridal couple on the west side of the rivulet, the ceremony was performed. Hence the little ice-bound, snow-covered stream has ever since been known as "Bride Brook."--(Bingham, p. 171.) See "Atlantic", April 1876, for a poem by G.P. Lathrop on the subject.

Links

• http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~celiadon/ps01/ps01_454.htm

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• Mary Metcalf Rudd
• Birth: Feb. 14, 1619 Norwich, Norfolk, England
• Death: Feb. 12, 1672 Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA
• NOTE: There is much controversy as to Mary Metcalf being the wife of Jonathan Rudd.** While the Metcalf name is unproven and a great source of dispute, the book, "Descendants, Thomas Bingham of Connecticut", page 1-2 is one of the major sources cited for her being a Metcalf, yet there is no proof shown, only the following statement:
• "Five years after the first division lots were laid out, Thomas (Bingham) married Mary Rudd 12 Dec 1666. He was twenty-four years old; she was seventeen. Mary probably was the daughter of Jonathan Rudd and Mary Metcalf, the celebrated "bride of Bride Brook." In a deed recorded in Norwich, Thomas named Nathaniel Rudd as his brother and in a deed recorded in Saybrook, Nathaniel Rudd named Jonathan Rudd as his father."
• In the Bingham family there was such musical talent, which they could not account for unless inherited from Mary which indicates she was a person of education, talent and perhaps gentle birth. Also from the Bingham family, as given in the Bingham Family Genealogy, is a picture of a dowery chest which Jonathan supposedly gave his bride, with the initials J.R. and M.M. They also have printed her name as Mary Metcalf. While I find no proof for this, the only Mary Metcalf that early that I have found is the daughter of Michael, of Dedham, MA. She was born 1620, came with parents, married in Dedham and lived there all her life. This dowery chest remained in their family, was loaned a few years ago to the Lyme Historical Society. Someone in California wished to buy it for $2,000. The historical society was seeking financial help to purchase it, so it would remain near the scene of the Brides Brook Wedding. When I wrote them, I requested a colored picture of the chest as it is in the Historical Society. They sent the negative, and some prints. It looks old, but I could not accept the initials as being made at the time it was given, but was most happy to have it
• Most believe Mary Metcalf is the bride of "Bride Brook."
• As the family story is told: In the winter of 1646/47, Jonathan Rudd and Mary Metcalf of Saybrook wished to be married but there was no magistrate or minister in Saybrook. As the winter was very severe, the magistrate from Hartford was unable to make the trip to Saybrook. The distance to Hartford and the snows of winter turned the bridegroom's thought to journey to Pequot Harbour (now New London).
• There Jonathan Winthrop, afterward Governor of Connecticut, held authority from the Colony of Mass. to marry. At that time New London was part of the Massachusetts Colony and Winthrop was not authorized to perform. the ceremony in Connecticu so the home of the betrothed was beyond his jurisdiction. Midway between her home and that of the "squire," a little rivulet "rippled down the boundary line" between the two colonies. The stream, now known as Bride Brook, was considered to be the boundary between the Connecticut and Massachusetts colonies.
• So here, by arrangement, a cavalcade from New London, marshaled by the worthy magistrate, met the bridal party from Saybrook. The parties met on the stream bank and Winthrop officiated at the marriage on the east bank or Massachusetts side where he had authority and the bridal couple on the west side of the rivulet, the ceremony was performed. Hence the little ice-bound, snow-covered stream has ever since been known as "Bride Brook."--(Bingham, p. 171.)
• See "Atlantic", April 1876, for a poem by G.P. Lathrop on the subject.
• "Connecticut Nutmegger", Vol. 6, June 1973:
• A dower chest belonging to the bride with the initials JR and MM carved on it has been preserved. Until recently it was owned by the Bingham family and a photograph of it is in the Bingham Genealogy. It was last owned by the Lyman-allen Museum in New London until two years ago when the ladies of the society raised funds to purchase it. The chest now stands in the keeping room of the house.
• Documentation of the Bride Brook wedding is unusually good. During the 1670s there were some excellent hay fields in the vicinity of the Lee House. The right to cut the hay was claimed by farmers from both New London and Lyme. John Winthrop, Jr. testified before the court that was attempting to settle the boundary dispute and told of the wedding and established Bride Brook as the boundary at that time. The dispute remained unresolved until finally it was agreed to settle the matter by means of a fist fight; each town selecting a man to represent it. The fight was held and the man from Lyme won. As a result, the boundary was moved about 2-1/2 miles eastward where it remained until 1839 when East Lyme was formed from parts of Lyme and Waterford."87
• **From "Some Ancestors and Descendants of Joseph Rudd, Jr., 1740-1818 and his wife, Sarah Story, 1744-1842," by Dorothy Rudd DuMond
• "The Bride Brook Wedding - 1646/7
• By Charles Boynton Martin,
• Descendant of Bride Brook Marriage
• In quaint East Lyme there is a stream
• That flows from lake to sea
• Bride Brooke is its romantic name --
• It lives in history.
• Between Peqwuot and Old Saybrook
• It was the boundry[sic] line
• When they were little separate states
• In old colonial time.
• Young Jonathan Rudd of fair Saybrook
• A married man would be
• And he would wed 'mid winter's cold
• Brook no delay would he.
• In snow-bound Saybrook none was found
• The nuptial knot to tie;
• The Governor of Pequot was asked,
• Who sent this kind reply.
• "Within the limits of Pequot
• I'll gladly marry thee
• So meet me at the boundary stream
• Where it flows out to sea."
• The day was fixed; the parties made;
• They all set forth with glee --
• But oh! in flood the little brook
• A river proved to be.
• When hopes are high and lovers young
• And hearts are all aquiver,
• What shame a marriage to postpone
• Justs for a raging river!
• The governor pointed up the stream
• Where banks were close together
• And where the voice could bridge the brook
• Through the blustery weather.
• And there the wedding was performed
• Across the boundry[sic] river
• While cakes of ice were floating by
• 'Mid cold that made them shiver.
• The snow flakes wove the bridal veil
• Her train - the drifting snow
• The winds played in the pine tree tops
• A march both sweet and low.
• The wild fowl flying overhead
• The Indians lurking nigh
• Were witness of their plighted troth
• Beneath the vaulted sky.
• The prayer by John Winthrop offered up
• The vows that there were made
• Are written in the books above
• Where records never face.
• And Winthrop at that time and place
• Gave to that little river
• The name of Bride Brooke as its own
• Which it will keep forever.
• And lovers linger on its banks
• And talk in voices low
• Of lovers true who there were wed
• In days of long ago.
• Jonathan and Mary had 9 known children.
• Children
  • John (1644-?)
  • Patience (1644-?)
  • Mary Mabel (1648-1726)
  • Patience (1649-<1700)
  • Nathaniel (1652-1727)
  • Jonathan II (1655-1689)
  • William (1655-?)
  • Daughter Rudd (1657-)
  • Child Rudd (1662-?)
• [rev 11-13-15]
• Family links:
• Spouse:
• Jonathan Rudd (1622 - 1658)
• Children:
  • Mary Mabel Rudd Bingham (1648 - 1726)*
  • Nathaniel Rudd (1652 - 1727)*
• Burial: Unknown
• Specifically: Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts or Old Saybrook, Middlesex, Connecticut
• Find A Grave Memorial# 141768395
• From: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=141768395 ______________________
• Mary Metcalf
• F, #72270, b. 14 February 1619, d. 12 February 1672
• Father Michael Metcalf b. 17 Jun 1587, d. 24 Dec 1664
• Mother Sarah Elwyn b. 17 Jun 1593, d. 13 Nov 1644
• Mary Metcalf was born on 14 February 1619 at Norwich, Norfolk, England. She married Jonathan Rudd, son of Jonathan Rudd, in December 1641 at Brides Brook, Middlesex, England. Mary Metcalf died on 12 February 1672 at Dedham, Norfolk, MA, at age 52.
• Family Jonathan Rudd b. c 1623, d. 1658
• Child
  • Mary Rudd+ b. 1648, d. 5 Aug 1726
• From: http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p2405.htm#... ____________
• METCALF, Mary
• b. 14 FEB 1618/9 England
• d. 12 FEB 1671/2 Dedham, Norfolk, Mass.
• Family:
• Marriage: DEC 1641
• Spouse: RUDD, Jonathan
• b. 1623 England
• d. JUL 1658 Saybrook, Middlesex, CT.
• Children:
  • RUDD, Mary
  • RUDD, Patience
  • RUDD, Jonathan
  • RUDD, William b. 1655 Saybrook, Middlesex, CT.
  • RUDD, Nathaniel
• From: http://www.genealogyofnewengland.com/f_2a3.htm#57 _____________
• A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of ... Vol. III. by James Savage, ....
• https://archive.org/details/agenealogicaldi03dextgoog
• https://archive.org/stream/agenealogicaldi03dextgoog#page/n212/mode...
• Pg.202
• METCALF, frequently MEDCALF in early rec. ELEAZER, Wrentham, s. of the sec. Michael, m. 9 Apr. 1684, Meletiah Fisher, had Eleazer, b. 30 May 1685, d. young; Michael, 21 May 1687 ; Samuel, 15 Jan. 1689; Ebenezer, 8 Jan. 1691; Jonathan, 9 Apr. 1693; Meletiah, 21 Apr. 1695; Timothy, 2 July 1697; Martha and Mary, tw. 27 Aug. 1699; and Eleazer, again, 21 Nov. 1701; was deac. and d. 14 May 1704. JOHN, Medfield, s. of the first Michael, b. in Eng. m. 22 Mar. 1647, Mary, d. of Francis Chickering, had John, b. 21, bapt. 26 Mar. 1648; Michael, 20, bapt. 25 Aug. 1650; Mary, 9, bapt. 24 Oct 1652; these all at Dedham ; but at M. we kn. not that we name all, when enumer. Joseph, 22 Nov. 1658 ; and Hannah, 13 Oct 1664. He was freem. 1647, and d. 27 Nov. 1675, unless this date belong to his eldest s. JOHN, New Haven 1645, a brickmaker, may have been s. or br. of Stephen, as a. the yr. 1647, he rem. JONATHAN, Dedham, s. of the sec. Michael, m. 10 Apr. 1674, Hannah, d. of John Kenrick, had Jonathan, b. 16 Mar. 1675; John, 20 Mar. 1678; Ebenezer, 14 Feb. 1680; Joseph, 2 or 11 Apr. 1682, H. C. 1703, min. of Falmouth; Timothy, 18 Nov. 1684, d. at 11 yrs.; Eleazer, 14 Feb. 1687; Hannah, 10 Apr. 1689; Nathaniel, Apr. 1691 ; Mehitable; and Mary; was freem. 1683 or 4, his name being ins. ea. yr. and he d. 27 May 1727, and his wid. d. 23 Dec 1731. * JOSEPH, Ipswich, freem. 4 Mar. 1635, rep. in Sept of that yr. and oft. aft. d. 21 July 1665, aged 60. By his will, we learn
• https://archive.org/stream/agenealogicaldi03dextgoog#page/n213/mode...
• Pg.203
• that his w. was Eliz. his s. Thomas, b. in Eng. prob. and gr.ch. Joseph, Mary, and Eliz. but perhaps this had d. soon. His wid. m. 8 Nov. 1670, Edward Beacham. JOSEPH, Ipswich, s. of Thomas, prob. by w. Rebecca, had Jacob, b. 8 June 1685, prob. d. soon ; and Abigail, 29 Mar. 1686. MICHAEL, Dedham, b. 1586, at Tatterford, in Co. Norfolk, was a dornock weaver at Norwich, and free of the city, where all his ch. were b. m. 13 Oct. 1616, Sarah, had Michael, b. 13 Nov. 1617, d. soon; Mary, 14 Oct. 1618, but the geneal. of the fam. in Reg. VI. 173, says 14 Feb. 1619 ; Michael, again, 29 Aug. 1620 ; John, 5 or 15 Sept. 1622, bef. ment ; Sarah, 10 Sept. 1624; Eliz. 4 Oct 1626; Martha, 27 Mar. or Oct. 1628; Thomas, 27 Dec 1629 or 30; Ann, 1 Mar. 1631 or 34, d. soon; Jane, 24 Mar. 1632; and Rebecca, 5 Apr. 1635; his w. was b. at a village near Norwich, he says, 17 June 1593, but possib. the figures have been mistaken, as in the examin. one week bef. the sail, of the ship, call. I think, the Rose, of Yarmouth, from Yarmouth, Apr. 1637, he calls hims. 45 yrs. of age, and w. 39. "From the relig. tyranny" exercised by Wren, then Bp. of .Norwich, he felt forced to esc. even at the expense of separ. from his fam. for a time, and emb. at London, 17 Sept. 1636, for N. E. but was sadly tormented by equal tempests on the water, and the ship at Christmas put back to Plymouth ; and so far was this a happiness that in Apr. foll, he had license for the whole fam. to come ; only 8 ch. are ment. in the custom-ho. docum. but I can hardly doubt that the name of John was casually overlook. At Boston he arr. "three days bef. mid. sum. with w. nine ch. and a serv." wh. was Thomas Comberbach, aged 16, 1 presume in one of the three ships ment. by Winth. as coming in, from Ipswich, 20 June. He may have been br. of Joseph ; was freem. 13 May 1640, or 18 May 1642, and, perhaps, swore on both days, tho. more prob. it is a fault of the Secr, as in the list appears. His w. d. 21 Feb. 1645, and he m. 13 Aug. foll. Martha, wid. of Thomas Pigg, or Pidge ; and he d. 27 Dec. 1664. A very, curious docum. his engagem. aft. 70 yrs. of age to keep the town sch. in 1656, is giv. in Geneal. Reg. X. 282. His will, made six wks. bef. gives to eight ch. Michael being d. and ea. of the ds. m. Martha hav. then a sec. or third h. to gr.ch. Michael, s. of Michael, and gr.ch. William Brignall, s. of d. Martha, wh. was a mem. of Roxbury ch. by her first h. and to Martha Bullard, d. of his w. Mary m. 24 Nov. 1642, Henry Wilson ; Sarah m. Robert Onion, as his sec. w. the first hav. d. in Apr. 1643; Eliz. m. 15 Sept. 1648, Thomas Bancroft of Reading; Martha m. William Brignall, next, 2 Aug. 1654, Christopher Smith as the Geneal. Reg. VI. 173, says, tho. I doubt its correctness, for Christopher Smith in 668, is nam. in his will by Jonathan Fairbanks as h. of his d. Mary, and third h . . . . . Stow; Jane m. 1654, Samuel Walker,
• https://archive.org/stream/agenealogicaldi03dextgoog#page/n214/mode...
• Pg.204
• (tho. strong doubts of error in the name are felt) of Rehoboth ; and Rebecca m. 5 Apr. 1659, John Mackintosh. MICHAEL, Dedham, eldest s. of the preced. b. in Eng. m. 2 or 12 Apr. 1644, Mary, d. of John Fairbanks, says the Metcalf geneal. bef. rnent but perhaps by mistake, had Michael, b. 21 Jan. 1645; Mary, 15 Aug. 1646; Sarah, 7 Dec 1648 ; Jonathan, 21 Sept 1650; and Eleazer, 20 Mar. 1653, bef. ment. was freem. 1645, and d. (ten yrs. bef. his f.) 24 Dec. 1654. Mary m. 10 Dec. 1668, John Ware; and Sarah m. 4 June 1677, Robert Ware. MICHAEL, Dedham, s. of the preced. m. 17 Sept. 1672, Eliz. not, I think, as Goodwin has it, d. but wid. of the sec. John Kingsbury, d. of Thomas Fuller, both of the same, had Michael, b. 9 May 1674; Mary, 3 Oct 1676; Thomas, 3 Jan. 1679; Sarah, 26 Apr. 1682 ; Eleazer, 12 Feb. 1685; Hannah, 17 Apr. 1687 ; Daniel, 25 June 1691 ; and Eliz. ; was freem. 1690, and d. 2 Sept. 1693. His wid. d. 24 Oct 1732. STEPHEN, New Haven 1639, a brickmaker, aft. 1647 prob. rem. was in good repute. * THOMAS, Dedham, youngest s. of the first Michael, b. in Eng. m. 12 Sept 1656, Sarah Paige, had Sarah, b. 3 Mar. 1658 ; Mary, bapt. 25 Nov. 1660 ; Samuel, b. 17 Oct 1661, d. soon ; Thomas ; 22 Sept 1665, d. soon; Samuel, again, 17 Sept 1668; Thomas, again, 7 or 21 May 1671 ; John, 20 Sept 1675 ; and Judith, 25 Nov. 1677, d. at 5 yrs. The w. d. and he m. 2 Dec. 1679, Ann Paine of Rehoboth, was freem. 1653, deac. and rep. 1691, d. 16 Nov. 1702. Sarah m.23 Nov. 1676, Samuel Whiting, and d. 1702. THOMAS, Ipswich 1648, s. of Joseph the first, b. in Eng. I suppose, had Mary, b. 23 June 1658 ; Joseph, 27 Jan. 1661 ; Thomas, 4 Dec. 1667; beside prob. Eliz. nam. in the will of gr.f. He was freem. 1674. Of the mo. of these ch. we kn. nothing; but she may have d. and one Thomas of Ipswich, a widower, m. 1685, wid. Lydia Davis. Still more uncertainty is felt unless we give him ano. w. for the wid. of Thomas M. nam. Abigail, d. at I. 5 May 1727, aged 88 yrs. An earlier Thomas of Ipswich is found by Mr. Felt to be inhab. there 1638. THOMAS, Dedham, s. of the first Thomas, m. 24 Nov. 1696, Sarah, d. of William Avery, the sec of the name, had Sarah, b. 26 Apr. 1698, d. in few wks. ; Samuel, 9 Apr. 1699, d. at 14 yrs. ; Thomas, 30 Dec 1701 ; and Sarah, 1 Dec 1703; and he d. 12 Dec. 1704; and his wid. m. 6 Apr. 1709, Joseph Wight, and d. 1748. Two of this name had, in 1829, been gr. at Harv. and seven at the other N. E. coll. It is oft. in old rec writ as no doubt it was sound. Medcalf. ___________________

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Mary's birth and death information is available at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:M1VR-84Q

References

• http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~celiadon/ps01/ps01_453.htm