Anna Ford

Biography

Anna was born abt 1614 and was of London, Middlesex, England. She died on 1 Sep 1684 in Marshfield, Plymouth, Massachusetts and was buried the same day. (20)(1) “Birth surname could be Eames.”

Parents: not known. It is possible she was a daughter of Thomas Eames of St. George, Dorset, but his daughter Anna was married to Thomas Wilder in 1640, and she died 1692 in Lancaster. Possibly the daughter of Anthony Eames (Torrey)

Married:

1. in 1632, Plymouth, Massachusetts to William Ford (1604-1676).

Their children include:

1. Dea. William Ford (ca 1634-7 Feb 1721/2) m. Sarah Dingley
2. Michael Ford (1643-27 Mar 1729) m. Abigail Snow
3. Millicent Ford born between 1636 AND 1638 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts. She died before 4 May 1696 in Plymouth, Plymouth, MA. m. first Nov. 4. 1658. John Carver, and second Thomas Drake.
4. Margaret Ford was born in 1639 in Marshfield, Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. She died on 28 Sep 1676. m. Zachariah Soule, no issue.
5. Joanna Ford was born on 8 Jul 1643 in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States. She died in 1724 in Mendon, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. (this daughter is not listed on Pane-Joyce site)

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Birth: 1614 Dorset, England
Death: Aug. 1, 1684 Marshfield Plymouth County Massachusetts, USA

Ann was born in Fordington, Dorsetshire, England to Anthony Eames and Marjorie Pierce. She came over the sea on the "Recovery" with her parents and family.

Anna married William Foord in 1632 in Marshfield. They had children: William born about 1633 he married Sarah Dingley Michael born about 1635 he married Abigail Snow he married Bethiah Hatch Margaret born about 1636 she married Zachaniah Soule Millicent born about 1639 she married John Carver she married Thomas Drake Jeanna born about 1641 Joanna born 8 July 1643

Family links:
Parents:

• Anthony Eames (1592 - ____)
• Margery Pierce Eames (1599 - 1662)

Spouse:

1. William Foord (1604 - 1676)

Children:

1. William Foord (1633 - 1721)*
2. Michael Ford (1635 - 1729)*
3. Joanna Ford Rockwood (1643 - ____)*

Disputed origins

Although Hannah (or Anna) Eames is also widley quoted to be another child of Anthony and Margery as far as my research has been able to discover they are all based upon one of three contentions. First that she was born in Fordington circa 1622. Bishops Transcripts are complete for the period 1617 to 1628 and she simply was not baptised there during that period. There is no reference to the birth of a Hannah or Anna Eames in Fordington prior to their departure in 1633. Second that she was married in Charlestown to Thomas Wilder in April 1640. The Source for this is said to be the 'Book of the Wilders' by the Rev Moses H Wilder published in 1878. Ref to some of its text can be viewed at http://www.wilderfamilies.com/thomas.html where more background is given. Fortunately however the full text is available in the CLDS Library and has been digitized. On page 10 it refers to Thomas Wilder being received into the church in Charlestown in March 1640 and marrying an 'Anna’ and it is noticeable that the surname is missing. They had children from 1642 remaining in Charlestown until 1659 when they moved to Lancaster. Page 12 refers to his estate being left to Anna and his 3 sons and 2 daughters but not even in the index is there mention of Anna's surname. Even the wilderfamilies website acknowledges some problems with her surname as it includes ref to "+Clemens, Marriage Records Before 1699, 1926 and Genealogy Magazine, July 1930. where it states "However, she was not the daughter of Anthony and Margery Eames, as that Anna Eames married William Ford and lived with him to an old age. Some say Thomas married Anna Johnson of Boston, a sister to Elizabeth who's husband Robert Mears, in his will, called Thomas Wilder of Lancacter his brother". It is also relevent that we know for certain that the Eames family were not in Charlestown in 1640 and there is no mention of her in sibling wills or histories of the towns like Hingham or Scituate where other children of Anthony appear. If there was a Hannah she would have gone with her family to Hingham in 1636 and much more likely married there as Elizabeth Eames who certainly was a daughter of Anthony and Margery Eames did. She is mentioned on pages 145, and 325 by the Rev Moses Wilder as having married Edward Wilder of Hingham and I have no problem with this assertion as it is supported by other evidence inc ref in the History of Hingham pages 153/155..

At this point it is worth noting that it now seems likely that Hannah Rose the daughter of Thomas Rose and Anne Eames who was indeed baptised in Fordington on 20 Oct 1622 also emigrated arriving in Charlestown c1633 but was in Scituate before 1640. This is a much more likely candidate as we have her baptism in Fordington, and she grew up alongside Elizabeth Eames who was of a similar age and probably emigrated with her to Charlestown. What is more Elizabeths older sister Persis married Michael Pierce in Scituate in 1645 and raised a large family there. Later her sister Abgail also lived in scituate.

I have also looked at the Third contention that Hannah Eames married William Ford. William ford senior seems to have been a Miller by trade living in Duxbury in 1643 who moved to Marshfield about 1652. I can locate his death in Marshfield burials records on 23 Sep 1676 and that of his widow Anna Ford on 1st sep 1684 but there is no source given anywhere that I can locate for the contention that he married into the Eames family. Anna Fords birth date is also given as circa 1614 which again would push Anthony Eames marriage back to a date which seems unlikely. Until more information comes to light I have to assume that the existence of Hannah Eames is pure speculation and I have not therefore included her in the above account.

References

• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fordingtondorset/Files/For...
• FamilySearch AFNs: R9FP-BC, Q72F-PT, 12GT-JJ4, 1KWN-7C7
• http://www.jimsancestry.net/Eames.htm#Anna
• http://records.ancestry.com/anna_eames_records.ashx?pid=120895290
• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jun 7 2023, 19:00:35 UTC
• http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/report/rr01/rr01_121.htm#P4558
  • Mrs. Barclay (NEHGR 119:23) thought Ford's wife might be Hannah Eames (Torrey suggests the daughter of Anthony Eames). (Pane-Joyce Genealogy)
• http://www.jackson-flint.org/Pedigree/jackson/aqwg31.htm#1043
• 1. Sherman Robert M. (Robert Moody), 1914-1984 (Main Author),Sherman, Ruth Wilder, 1929-1992 (Added Author), Compilers, Vital records of Marshfield, Massachusetts to the year 1850, 1 Volume (Providence, RI: Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Stat, FHL US/CAN film 496621, p. 14, LDS Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3440, USA, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT, 84150-3440, USA, FHL US/CAN film 496621.
• 20. “The Vital Records of Marshfield, Mass.,” edited by George Ernest Bowman, Mayflower Descendant, 2: 3-7, 110-112, 179-183, 249-252; 3: 41-43, 187-189; 4: 125-126, 5: 233-237, 6: 18-21, 67-70; 7: 118-122, 131-134; 8: 42-44, 176-179; 9: 183-187.
• http://www.jhowell.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I2020