Henry Travers, of Newbury

Seen as son of Samuel Travers with no supporting evidence. The Great Migration Project has no origins for him.

Family

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Travers-372

Henry's wife's name was Bridgett _____ (unknown surname). Thought by some records to be "FITTS", but R. C. Anderson in his "Great Migration" says there is not enough evidence to substantiate this conclusion.

The children of Henry Travers and his wife Bridgett were:

1. Sarah Travers was born about 1635 or 1636. She married (1st) at Newbury on August 30, 1654 to Nicholas Wallington. She married (2nd) on May 18, 1691 at Haverhill to Onesiphorus Marsh, son of George Marsh.
2. James Travers was born in Newbury on April 28, 1645; on September 26, 1665 he chose Lt. John Pike as his guardian. At Gloucester on April 8, 1667, James married Mercy Pierce, daughter of John Pierce of Gloucester.

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According to "Ould Newbury": Historical and Biographical Sketches by John J. Currier (Boston: Damrell and Upham, 1896) page 102:

"In consideration of Henry Travers receiving a house lot at the new town on South Street and Merrimack, he resigned up into the Town's hand his house lot at the old town upon the little hill.

"In his will, dated July 26, 1648, Henry Travers says: --

"Having occasion to go to sea and know not whether I shall live to come again, I do by this present declare my last will and testament as followeth: to my Son James my house and half acre lot and my four acre lot at New town and my division land and my eight acres of salt marsh, etc.

"Evidently, Henry Travers did not return to Newury. His will was probated, and an inventory of his estate taken July 15, 1659. "A house and four acres of land with the orchard and eight acres of marsh land and eight acres of divident land with privelege of commonage" are mentioned in the appraisal. [In October of 1659] Richard Window, of Gloucester, and his wife Bridget, widow and executrix of Henry Travers, deceased, conveyed to Nicholas Wallington, of Newbury, "four acres, formerly land of said Travers, bounded with the street going to Merrimack on the east, and the South Street on the South, and Richard Brown's land on the west, and Tristram Coffin's on the north, with the house thereon" (Ipswich Deeds, book 2, leaf 12 (21)."

General Notes: Husband - Henry Travers

From Wallingfords of New England: It is possible that Henry had a wifebef ore Bridget in England before he came to America, although that may nev er be known. BIOGRAPHY: Wallingfords of New England: Sarah's father, whose name is some times spelled Travis, came from London, England in the "Mary and John" ear ly in 1634. Some secondary sources have said he was of Irish ancestry, b ut there is no evidence for this. The passengers of the "Mary and John" we nt first to Agawam, now Ipswich, Massachusetts, and in 1635 many of the m, Henry Travers included, moved to Newbury. He was granted six acres of s alt marsh in the Great Marsh, and a house lot of half an acre near the Fir st Landing Place. Also four acres in another part of Newbury. He w as on a list of 91 freeholders of Newbury on 7 December 1642. Henry Trave rs was a seaman. In 1648 he went to London and never returned, leaving beh ind his wife Bridget, daughter Sarah and a son James. Before he left he wr ote a will that began "This 26th day of July, 1648, I Henrie Travers of Ne wbury, having occasion to go to Sea and know not whether I shall live to C om againe, I do by this present declare my last Will and Testament, as fol loweth..." To his daughter Sara he left a cow and a 3-year old heife r, as well as two brass pots, a little kettel, a frying pan, and a table b oard. It sounds like the man decided to stay in England and abandon his family b ack in America. What became of him after this point is unknown, althou gh on 15 July 1659 an inventory of his estate was made, and he was call ed "late of Newbury, deceased". DEATH: One source has death at sea. Wallingfords of New England: At a Court held in Ipswich, Mass. 27 Septemb er 1659, the will of Henry Travers was presented, but not proved. "Adminis tration was granted to his widow, Bridgett, now wife of Richard Window. Ni colas Walington, who married his daughter, Sarah Traverse, had already rec eived three pounds, and the court ordered the administratrix to pay them t welve pounds more, and to the son, James Traverse, thirty pounds when he c omes of age, and the rest of the estate, which amounted to 92 li. [pounds ], to the widow, the land to stand bound for the children's portions." General Notes: Child - Sarah Travers

One source spells name Traverse. Crooks Genealogy has her name Bridget.

DEATH: Wallingford Genealogy has death in 1709. From Wallingfords of New England: John Wallingford "of Bradford" was admi nistrator of the estate of his mother "Sarah Wallingford alias Mash" [sic ], giving bond on 22 August 1709 with Joseph Peasley of Haverhill, Mass. a nd John Wicom of Newbury, Mass. He signed by mark, not a signature. On t he back of this bond notice he is called "eldest surviving son of Sarah Wa llingford alias Mash", and she is described as "Relict of Nicholas Walling ford of Bradford".

Bridget married (2nd) in Gloucester on March 30, 1659 to Richard Window.

Again on June 26, 1666, after the death of Richard Window of Glocester, Bridgett petitioned the General Court saying that she had been left in poor condition, with her husband having given his estate to his children. She petitioned that "she had been married to Richard Window of Glocester and had brought to him estate to the value of L40. When he died his estate amounted to L212, and all she received was 30 s per year. The court ordered the administrators to deliver one cow to Bridgett. Bridgett claimed that both of her husbands treated her poorly in their wills.

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Henry had moved back to England about 1648, leaving his wife and 2 children in Newbury.

It is interesting to note a possible cause for Henry Travers departure and lack of regard for the temporal concerns of his wife. On September 29, 1646, "John Emery, for his miscarriage with the wife of Henry Traverse, [was] fined L3 or to be whipped, and pay witness fee to Christopher Bartlet. Bound for good behavior and not to frequent the company of the wife of Henry Traverse. Brigett Traverse fined 10s for her misdemeanors."

Henry died in England between 1650 (which was when his wife last heard from him) and July 15, 1659 (which was the date of his inventory.)

Bridget died on October 10, 1673 at Bradford.

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References

• Great Migration 1634-1635, T-Y. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VII, T-Y, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011. “Henry Travers” (page 88-93) < AmericanAncestors >
• “ Descendants of Henry Travers of London, England and Newbury, Massachusetts ...” By Nathan Hagar Daniels. (1903). Page 24. < GoogleBooks >