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An American Family History

Elizabeth Davis Church
Charlestown was first settled in 1628 and was the Massachusetts Bay Colony's initial seat of  government. Charlestown became part of Boston in 1874.
Children of Samuel Davis Sr.
and Mary Waters
  • Mary Davis
  • Elizabeth Davis Church
  • Mary Davis Lewis Pratt
  • John Davis
  • Sarah Davis Cady
  • Samuel Davis
  • Barnabas Davis
  • Steven Davis
  • Patience Davis Green
  • Nathaniel Davis
    		•

    Elizabeth Davis Church was born on November 11, 1658 in Charlestown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Her parents were Samuel Davis and Mary Waters.

    Elizabeth married the widower, Samuel Church. Samuel was the son of Sarah and Garrett Church of Watertown and was born on June 10, 1640. 

    Samuel married Rebecca Shattuck on February 7, 1671. Rebecca was born in 1655 and her parents were William Shattuck and Susannah Hayden. Samuel and Rebecca's daughter, Rebecca Church Warren, was born in 1678.

    Samuel appeared in the garrison list of Groton in 1692.

    They moved to Voluntown, New London County, Connecticut before May 8, 1718 when Samuel Church and other inhabitants of Voluntown complained to the General court of

    "their miserable estate and condition, living in Voluntown and being at a great distance from any meeting-house and destitute of ye public worship of God and ever likely to be, land being so much broken and nothing but barren pine holes and never likely to be inhabited so as to maintain a minister (unless it be remedied by your Honors)..."

    Samuel died in Voluntown, Connecticut on November 27, 1724.
    Lady Day Before 1752 the year began on March 25th. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year, not the beginning.
    Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts was settled and incorporated in 1655. During King Philip's War, Indians burned all but four of Groton's garrisons. Survivors fled, but returned two years later to rebuild the town. Groton was again threated by Indians during Queen Anne's War.
     

    from Garrett Church of Watertown, Mass. by Robert M. and Helen C. Search

    Comparatively little is known concerning the first two generations of the family of Garrett Church of Watertown, Mass. . . . Savage and Bond both list the children of Garrett, "by wife Sarah" as follows:
    John, b. 10 Mar. 1637/8
    Samuel, b. 12 June 1640
    Sarah, b. 10 Mar. 1642/3
    Mary b. 15 May 16 44
    Jonathan b. 13 Dec 1646
    David b. 1 Sept. 1657
    Since Garrett is believed to have been in Watertown by 1636 it is presumed the births were in that town. There is a "gap" of a decade between he births of Jonathan and David.

    Sarah's maiden name has not been found nor has any indication of the date or place of death of either Garrett or Sarah. It is not known when Garrett came to this country or, positively, from what part of England. From an affidavit it has been determined that he was born about 1611. . . .

    Bond shows the birth of Samuel Church and his marriage 7 Feb. 1671 to Rebecca Shattuck as well as the birth of their daughter, Rebecca, 31 Dec. 1672. Lemuel Shattuck repeats these records and goes on the say that no further information concerning this family has been found and suggests that Rebecca and the heirs of her brother John, who was known to have died, signed the release to their stepfather, Richard Norcross, concerning the estate of their father William Shattuck.

    		  

    A cordwainer (or cordwinder) made shoes from fine, soft leather. There was a distinction between a cordwainer, who made shoes, and a cobbler who repaired them.

    cordwainer

    William Shattuck was born in England, 1622, according to his deposition made April 3, 1600. He died there August 14, 1672, aged fifty years. He was one of the proprietors of Watertown in 1642. His homestall there was between those of John Clough and William Perry. He added to his original holdings by purchase and grants. He bought John Clough's place July 4, 1654, including house, garden and thirty acres of land on Common Hill, now the south of the Wellington Hill station of the Fitchburg Railroad, east of Common street, leading to Watertown village.

    He was a cordwainer or shoemaker, though the genealogy gives his trade as weaver. He removed to Boston in 1652, but returned to Watertown in 1654. He acquired a large property and held a respectable position in society. One of the descendants, Lemuel Shattuck, erected a monument in 1853 over his grave at Watertown, in honor of the emigrant and his son, John Shattuck, who died in the service of his country. His will was dated August 3, and proved August 29, 1672. He gave to son Samuel Church; to sons John, Philip, William, Benjamin and Samuel; to my ten younger children that are married; to wife Susanna and to each grandchild. The widow married (second) Richard Norcross, who survived her. She died December 11, 1686, at Watertown.

    The children of William and Susanna Shattuck were:
    Susannah, born 1643, married J. Morse and J. Fay;
    Mary, born August 25. 1645, married Jonathan Brown;
    John, born February 11, 1646-7, married Ruth Whitney; soldier in the King Philip war; was drowned in the Charles river through the capsizing of the ferry boat;
    Philip, born 1648, married D. Barstow Chamberlain;
    Joanna, died April 4, 1673, unmarried;
    William, born 1653, married Susanna Randall;
    Rebecca, born 1655, married Samuel Church;
    Abigail, born 1657, married J. Morse and J. Parker;
    Benjamin, born in Watertown, died in his twentieth year;
    Samuel, born February 28, 1666, married Abigail .

    		  
     

     

    		  

     

         

    ©Roberta Tuller 2012
    tuller.roberta@gmail.com