Samuel Eddy Sr. (1608 - 1687)

Born 15 May 1608 in Cranbrook, Kent, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Unknown) Eddy — married 1637 in Plymouth Colony

Descendants

Died 12 Nov 1687 at age 79 in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Samuel Eddy Sr. migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See Great Migration Begins, by R. C. Anderson, Vol. 1, p. 614) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Samuell, son of William Eddye, was baptised on 15 May 1608 in Cranbrook, Kent, England.^[1]

Little is known of Samuel's life in England. In accordance with his father's Will, his brother, Phineas, was to care for his education and apprentice him to some trade. He learned the trade of a tailor. Upon reaching the age of twenty two years he was given, by inheritance, one hundred Pounds.

When they arrived on the Handmaid in New England, both John and Samuel intended to join their distant connections, the Winthrops and Doggetts in Boston. However, they were not permitted to do so because they had neglected to obtain letters from the Plymouth Colony dismissing them to Massachusetts Bay Colony, in accordance with the agreement between the two colonies. Miles Standish had accompanied them to Boston, but they had to return to Plymouth.

John and his family did move to Boston the next year, but Samuel remained in Plymouth. It is likely he had met his wife, Elizabeth Savery by that time and decided to remain in Plymouth. In 1631, he bought property on Spring Hill from Experience Mitchell. Thus Samuel acquired a home for his bride.

Needing to build a house, learn farming and with no market for his tailoring skills, Samuel lived for many years almost as a pauper. (In the meantime, John was doing very well in Boston with family connections there.) Eventually, with land grants and, probably, a call on his trade, Samuel's status improved. He and Elizabeth lived almost all their married life in Swansea. When they died, probably while living with their son, Zachariah, they were no doubt buried on the family property in “the Burying Place on the premises which is to lye and remain as a burying place for and to the families of the said Eddys & for such of their neighbours as the said Eddys shall admit of forever.” This is the Eddy cemetery in Swansea Village and perhaps their graves are one of the ones marked only by a stone.

Above entry was written by Jane Hughes, St. Thomas, Ontario, descendant of Daniel & Sarah (Jones) Edy. Much of the information was derived from "The Eddy Family in America (1930)"^[2]"

Details^[3]

Birth: Samuel Eddy was baptized at Cranbrook, Kent on May 15, 1608, the son of William and Mary (Fosten) Eddy.

Emigration: Ship [possibly] Handmaid, 1630 :

Samuel Eddy’s brother, John, is known to have come to New England aboard the Handmaid in 1630. As Samuel is known to have been in Plymouth in 1630, it is concluded that he accompanied his brother. He was certainly in New England by 1634 when he was admitted a freeman of Plymouth on January 1, 1633/4.^[4][5]

Occupation: He was a tailor in New England and may have learned the trade while in England. His work as a tailor included making clothes for soldiers fighting in King Philip’s War.^{[citation needed]}

Family: Samuel Eddy married Elizabeth _____ by 1637.^[6] She died in Swansea on May 24, 1689. She may have been the sister of Thomas Savory of Plymouth. His widow, Ann, referred to land received from “our brother-in-law Samuel Eddy” in a March 22, 1677, deed to her sons, Anthony and Aaron.

Samuel's wife Elizabeth, on October 7, 1651, was fined for wringing out clothes on the Lord's Day (Sunday). The fine was ten shillings and was afterward remitted. On May 1, 1660, Elizabeth was summoned to court to make answer for traveling (she walked) on Sunday to Boston from Plymouth. She affirmed that she was necessitated to go on account of the illness of Mistress Saffin. The Court excused her but admonished her.^{[citation needed]}

Death: He died in Swansea on November 12, 1688 and was buried at the Eddy Cemetery, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts.^[7]

Children

1. John was born in Plymouth on December 25, 1637. He married Hepzibah Doggett by 1659 and had nine children. He died May 27, 1715. She died on May 3, 1726.
2. Zachariah was born about 1639. He married (1) Alice Padduck in Plymouth on May 7, 1663, and had eight children. He married (2) Abigail (_____) Smith after 1692. He died on September 4, 1718. She died on September 13, 1720.
3. Caleb was born about 1643. He married Elizabeth Bullock in Swansea on December 6, 1671, and had eight children. He died on March 23, 1712/3.
4. Obadiah was born about 1645. He married Bennet Ellis by 1669 and had twelve children. She died between Janaury 21, 1702, and 1727. He died in 1727.
5. Hannah was born in Plymouth on June 23, 1647. Nothing further is known of her.

Supposedly, Samuel and Elizabeth placed three of their children with other couples to be raised, giving as the reason “having many children and by reason of many wants lying upon them, so as they are not able to bring them up as they desire.” There are only five children known; hardly “many” by seventeenth-century standards, so the Eddys may have had other, unrecorded, children.

Sources

1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   FamilySearch Record: NJRJ-YJS (accessed 23 November 2022)
   Samuell Eddye baptism on 15 May 1608, son of Will: Eddye, in Cranbrook, Kent, England, United Kingdom.
2. ↑ The Eddy Family in America, a Genealogy; Contributor: Eddy Family Association; First printed in 1930
3. ↑ Unless otherwise cited, information below provided from a broken url link posted here to plimoth.org, A Genealogical Profile of Samuel Eddy by Plymouth Ancestors, rescued from archives.org)
4. ↑ Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England, 1620-1650. Edited, indexed and published by Elijah Ellsworth Brownell. Philadelphia: Bertram Press, 1937. 295p. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1957. Repr. 1987. Place: Plymouth, Massachusetts; Year: 1620-1650; Source Publication Code: 275
5. ↑ "Pilgrim Migration: Immigrants to Plymouth Colony 1620-1633, by Robert Charles Anderson (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004)
6. ↑ Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011) Vol. I, p. 496. EDDY, Samuel (1608-1688) & Elizabeth [SAVORY?](-1689?, 1682, ae 81?); by 1637; Plymouth/Middleborough
7. ↑ FindaGrave link

See also:

• Anderson, Robert C. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Great Migration Study Project, Boston, 1995. vol 1, p 614- 618. American Ancestors (subscription)
• Ruth S. D. Eddy, compiler. The Eddy Family in America: a Genealogy. Boston: Metcalf Company, 1930. For Samuel, see person #10, pg 22 linked here: https://archive.org/details/EddyTheEddyFamilyInAmerica/page/n47/mode/1up
• Joseph Savage, (Little Brown, Boston, 1860).
• Plimouth Plantation Profile: A genealogical profile of Samuel Eddy