William Henry Edmond

Tailor, tavern owner

William arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts, from England in 1630, as part of the Great Migration of the 1630s.

Here is from cousin Nancy B. Edmands Allen:

"There were about fifty families that stayed at Lynn, MA, just north of Boston. Some were farmers, others of many varied trades. They found clearings made by the Indians well suited as pasture for the cattle, sheep, goats, and swine they [had brought] for their own use. For several years before the land was divided and fields fenced, the cattle were watched over by a hayward. The small stock were kept on Nahant, where they were tended by a shepherd.

"These early families appear to have lived in harmony with one another, sharing the crops of corn, pumpkin, barley, and wheat. Clams and fish were also plentiful as well as game found in the nearby woods. Large quantities of flax was grown for linen and rotted in the pond still known today as Flax Pond. The task of cutting firewood was also shared.

"The first homes were crude with thatched roofs, fireplaces were large, made of rough stone and the chimney of boards or sticks, lined with clay, much like the early homes of the Pilgrims at Plymouth ten years earlier in 1620.

"The settlement at Lynn began in 1629 with just three or four families. It received its present name in 1637 and was named for the town Lynn Regis, or Kings Lynn, in Norfolk, England. The original Indian name [was] 'Saugust,' after the river which forms part of the western boundary of the town.

"Lynn in the early days was part of a much larger area. It included the towns of Saugus, Lynnfield, Reading, and South Reading (now Wakefield). It is important to keep in mind that Saugus was also a part of Lynn until 1815. For three generations the Edmands family were part of this community, and the early court records make mention of various members of the family during the early years.

"Life was hard for these settlers, but not as bleak as the Pilgrims' first year at Plymouth. They arrived at a more hospitable time of year, they had some livestock, feed available in the form of marsh grass, which made suitable hay. From all indications, the Indians were of no threat for many years.

"The surname Edmands is very ancient. It has been spelled with a u or o, but for our family it has always been Edmands with an a. [According to Mary Caroline Findley Edmands, 'Grandma Edmands,' our ancestor William might have spelled his Edmunds with a u. Spelling in those days was much less important than it is now.] The origin of the family needs more research, but we do know that in the fifteenth century the Edmands family was part of the Gordon clan of Scotland, with their ties to the area around Aberdeen on the northeast coast [the Gordon clan lived in the far south of Scotland as well as on the northeast coast near Aberdeen, and they were possibly related to the Angles that gave England its name.] Some mention has been made that the family later came from Wales; this seems quite possible.

"William the immigrant ancestor came to Lynn with the Winthrop fleet. His name is on the list of the first inhabitants of the town that was published by Alonzo Lewis in his History of Lynn. We believe he was born in England but have no proof of his birth date or place of birth or the names of his parents. Born about 1610, he came to Lynn about the age of 20 years [in 1630]. He lived in Lynn until his death on August 4, 1693, and was probably buried in the old cemetery near the Common.

"William Edmands was granted 10 acres of land at the corner of Boston and Moult Streets in 1638, He was a tailor and owned a tavern in Lynn many years.

"The early town records of Lynn were lost in the late 1600s so the exact dates of his marriage and births of his children are not available. He married Mary in 1637 or thereabouts."

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There are two contesting descent lines from William and Mary:

There is considerable controversy or confusion concerning the ancestry of Revolutionary John, the putative great-great-grandson of this William Edmands, documented on this page.

In Geni, I am assuming the following ancestry path, documented by cousin Nancy B. Edmands Allen and cousin Pat Brown Mathews is valid. (Note that there are only four steps [generations] between William Edmands and John S. Edmands, whereas the other path, the one not documented by Geni nodes, has five steps.)

1. William Edmands (Edmunds), 1610-1693, m. Mary UNKNOWN--THIS IS THE NODE DOCUMENTED ON THIS PAGE

2. Joseph Edmands, 1642-1718 (third child of William and Mary), m. 27 Jan. 1685 to Elizabeth Bridges

3. Robert Edmands, 1688-1749, m. 28 Oct. 1719 to Abigail Doutey

5. John S. Edmands, b. 12 Nov 1738. --the person documented on this page.

On the other hand, the following is the path documented by Mary Caroline Findley Edmands, which is not documented by nodes in Geni. (Note that there are five steps [generations] between William Edmands and John S. Edmands, whereas the other path has only four steps.)

1. William Edmands (Edmunds), 1610-1693, m. Mary UNKNOWN

2. John Edmands, 1638-1702 (eldest child of William and Mary), Constable of Lynn (1688), soldier in King Phillip's War, m. (16 Oct. 1662 in Lynn, MA) to Sarah Hudson (d. 15 Feb. 1682)

3. John Edmands, second child of John Edmands and Sarah Hudson Edmands, b. Dec. 1665 (Lynn, MA), m. Nov. 1693 (Charlestown, MA) to Sarah B. Blaney

4. David S. Edmands, second child of John Edmands and Sarah Blaney Edmands, b. 13 Apr 1712 (Charlestown, MA), resided in Charlestown, MA, m. Hannah Hatch

5. John S. Edmands, second child of David S. Edmands and Hannah Hatch Edmands, b. 12 Nov 1738.

GEDCOM Source

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Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD, USA; Volume Title: New England Marriages Prior to 1700 1,3824::48008

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@R950665299@ Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,9069::0

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Massachusetts, Essex County, Probate Records; Author: Massachusetts. Supreme Judicial Court (Essex County); Probate Place: Essex, Massachusetts 1,9069::3493510

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@R950665299@ U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations Inc New England Marriages Prior to 1700 1,3824::0

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Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD, USA; Volume Title: New England Marriages Prior to 1700 1,3824::48008

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@R950665299@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Find A Grave 1,60525::0

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1,60525::118045848

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@R950665299@ Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Find A Grave 1,60541::0

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Place: Massachusetts; Year: 1635; Page Number: 14 1,7486::4240530

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@R950665299@ U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations Inc New England Marriages Prior to 1700 1,3824::0

GEDCOM Source

Genealogical Publishing Co.; Baltimore, MD, USA; Volume Title: New England Marriages Prior to 1700 1,3824::48008

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@R950665299@ U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s 1,7486::0

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Place: Lynn, Massachusetts; Year: 1635; Page Number: 93 1,7486::1308739

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Place: Massachusetts; Year: 1635; Page Number: 14 1,7486::4240530

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@R950665299@ Essex, Massachusetts Probate Records, 1648-1840 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,4592::0

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1,4592::11093

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@R950665299@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Find A Grave 1,60525::0

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1,60525::118045848

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@R950665299@ Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Find A Grave 1,60541::0

GEDCOM Source

1,60541::1115482

GEDCOM Source

@R950665299@ Massachusetts, Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,9069::0

GEDCOM Source

Massachusetts, Essex County, Probate Records; Author: Massachusetts. Supreme Judicial Court (Essex County); Probate Place: Essex, Massachusetts 1,9069::3493510