Notable Ancestors of Ruth Andrews DeBoise: Richard Warren, Samuel Lincoln, and Reverend Peter Hobart

One of the genealogy shows on TV that I enjoy is “Who Do You Think You Are”. The show is on TLC on Monday nights. They feature a celebrity and trace their ancestors. The celebrities who are featured have an interesting ancestor that makes for a good story. If they were to pick non-celebrities, the descendants of Ruth Andrews DeBoise would have many ancestors with fascinating stories to tell.

I am going to introduce you to Richard Warren who was one of the original passengers on the Mayflower; Samuel Lincoln who is also the immigrant ancestor of President Abraham Lincoln; and Reverend Peter Hobart who was the first minister in Hingham, Massachusetts. Each of these men and their families are well documented, and you can find out more about them with a “Google” search. To find out how they fit into the family, refer to the Pedigree Chart on the ancestors of Marshall Frederick Cortis.

Pedigree Chart for Marshall Frederick Cortis ♥

Richard Warren

Richard Warren is Ruth Andrews’ 8th great grandfather. His fame came from being one of the original passengers on the Mayflower. Richard was born about 1578 in England, and is thought to have been a merchant while in England. He married Elizabeth Walker, the daughter of Augustine Walker, around 1610.

He was one of the 102 passengers who departed Plymouth, England in September 1620 to journey to Virginia in the New World. He left his wife, Elizabeth, and his five daughters in England. The ship was blown off course and arrived in the Harbor of Cape Cod in November 1620.

There is a replica of the Mayflower, which I have visited several times. The ship is relatively small. Imagine being packed with 102 passengers and 30 to 40 crew members, plus food and belongings, and spending 90 days at sea. Fall and early winter are not the easiest times to sail in the Atlantic, and this journey was rough.

Two persons died on the journey – a passenger and a crewman – but many were sick. Winter is about the worse time to arrive in New England. The passengers were not prepared for a harsh New England winter, and about one-half of those early arrivals died during that first winter. Richard survived.

Richard was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact, which was signed on November 11, 1620. This was the first governing document of Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

In 1623, Richard’s wife and five daughters arrived from England on the ship Anne. He and his wife then had two sons to join his daughters. Richard died in 1628. His wife lived into her 90s. All the children married and had children. Some of the notable descendants of Richard Warren and his wife are Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Ulysses S. Grant, and Orson Welles. Ruth Andrews is a descendent of his daughter Mary.

If you haven’t already done so, go to Plymouth, Massachusetts and visit the Plimouth Plantations. The Mayflower II, a replica of the Mayflower, is currently being restored at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. It is expected to be completed sometime in 2019, and before the 400th anniversary of the 1620 arrival of the Mayflower. Once restored, it will be docked again in Plymouth. These are great living history museums which will give you some insight into what the voyage and early life in the New World might have been like.

Some sources for more information on the Richard Warren family include:

Caleb Johnson’s Mayflower History.com http://mayflowerhistory.com/warren/

Richard Warren Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Warren

Samuel Lincoln

Samuel Lincoln is another one of Ruth Andrews’ 8th great grandfathers, and is Abraham Lincoln’s 4th great grandfather. Samuel was born about 1622 in England. He sailed on the ship John and Dorothy in 1637 to New England. The ship’s passenger list has him listed as Samuell Lincoln, servant, age 18, destination to New England to inhabit. He was traveling with Francis Lawes and his family. Mr. Lawes was a weaver from Norwich, England who settled in Salem, Massachusetts. Samuel was thought to be apprenticed to him to learn the trade of weaver. He was probably younger than 18 when he sailed.

Samuel first settled in Salem, and then moved  to Hingham, Massachusetts where his older brother Thomas was living. Samuel married Martha Lyford in 1649. Together they had eleven children. Samuel helped to build the Old Ship Church in Hingham, and attended services conducted by Reverend Peter Hobart. Samuel died on May 26, 1690. His wife, Martha, died three years later in 1693.

Abraham Lincoln is descended from Samuel’s fourth son, Mordecai. Ruth Andrews is descended from his daughter Mary.

Reverend Peter Hobart

Reverend Hobart is another of Ruth Andrews’ 8th great grandfathers. He is known for establishing the Congregational Church in Hingham, Massachusetts, and serving as its first minister until his death on January 20, 1679.

Peter was the son of Edmund and Mary (Dewey) Hobart, and was born October 13, 1604 in Hingham, England. He attended Magdalen College, Cambridge, England where he received both Bachelor and Master degrees, finishing his studies in 1628. He then entered the ministry. Peter spent most of his adult life in the ministry, both in England and then in Hingham.

Peter married Elizabeth IBrook, and in 1635 left England with his wife and four children to join his father in Charlestown, Massachusetts. He arrived June 8, 1835, and by September 1835 he was living in Hingham. He was Hingham’s minister from 1635 until his death in 1679.

His wife, Elizabeth, died in 1645. In 1646 he married (2) Rebecca Peck. Rebecca is the 8th great grandmother of Ruth Andrews. Ruth is a descendent of their son, David Hobart. At the time of Peter’s death, fifteen living children were mentioned in his will. There must be many descendants from the Reverend!

Before Peter died, his congregation was planning to replace the current church. The Old Ship Church was built in 1681, and is the only surviving Puritan 17th century meeting house, and oldest continuously operating church in North America. The inside of the church looks like the beams of an inverted ship, hence the name.

I must see this church and am going to take a trip to Hingham on a nice warm spring day. Google pictures of Old Ship Church to see how fantastic this church looks.

Reverend Hobart started a journal in 1635, recording important events in his life and that of the community, including births, deaths and marriages. The Reverend continued the diary until close to his death, and his son David continued recording events after his father’s death. Amazingly, this diary has been scanned, and is available for viewing on Ancestry.com! It is used as documentation for many of Hingham’s earliest town records.

I bet these three individuals had no idea they would play such a role in the development of our country, and that their descendants would have such an impact.

Best wishes for the holidays and the New Year!

Until next time,
Teri