William Cheney and Margaret

Thomas Hastings and Margaret Cheney

Hepzibah Hastings and William Bond

Margaret Bond and John Coolidge

Huldah Coolidge and Jacob Cummins

Mindwell Cummins and David Brown

Huldah Brown and Benoni Morey

Eli Morey and Sophronia Mason

Elijah Mason Morey and Elizabeth Merrill

William Clemeth Morey and Melvina E. Andrews

Minnie Elsie Morey and Aretus Erastus Freeman

Iva Melvina Freeman and Donald VanHoosier Lawson

Stephen Martin Lawson

Top of Page    Freeman Family    Lines Index    Chart Index    Surnames

Additional information on the immigrant family is found in The Ancestry of Eva Belle Kempton 1878-1908: Part I The Ancestry of Warren Francis Kempton 1817-1879, by Dean Crawford Smith and edited by Melinde Lutz Sanborn (Boston, 1996), pages 224-233.

William CHENEY - b. about 1604, England; d. Jun. 30, 1667, Roxbury, MA. His will was dated Apr. 30, 1667 and proved Jul. 30, 1667. Although some suggestions have been made, there has been no evidence found for the CHENEY ancestry in England. Resided at Roxbury before 1640, owning 24 1/5 acres of land; freeman 1666; militia member 1647; constable; selectman 1656-7. Ensign in the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Society. He was a founder of the Roxbury Free School in 1664. Married about 1625, England.

Margaret - b. England; d. Jul. 3, 1686. In his will of 1667, William CHENEY called Margaret his 'deare and Afflicted wife," and Rev. John ELIOT wrote in 1674 that she had been released from being "under a melancholick distemper, (above 10 or 11 years) wch made her wholly neglect her Calling & live mopishly." As Widow CHENEY, she married second in late 1676 Mr. BURGE (d. before Mar. 15, 1679/80). Her will, dated May 15, 1686 and proved Sep. 23, 1686, names son Joseph, daughter Mehitable, and three grandsons, the sons of William.

1. Elinor (or Ellen) - b. about 1626, England; d. night of Sep. 28/29, 1678, Hingham, MA. Resided at Roxbury and Scituate, MA. Married Mar. 20, 1642/3 at Roxbury, MA, Sgt. Humphrey JOHNSON, son of Capt. John JOHNSON and Mary HEATH. Refer to JOHNSON line for children and additional information.
2. Margaret - b. Nov. 20, 1628, England. Married Thomas HASTINGS.
3. Thomas - b. about 1631; died in infancy.
4. Thomas - b. about 1633, Roxbury, MA; d. 1693/5, Cambridge, MA. His will was dated Oct. 23, 1693 and proved Mar. 4, 1694/5. Constable 1659, freeman, 1666. Served in Capt. JOHNSON's company in 1675. Married Jan. 11, 1656, Roxbury, MA Jane ATKINSON (d. Jul. 1724), and lived at Brighton and Cambridge. Children of Thomas and Jane CHENEY: Margaret; Thomas; Mehitable; John; William; Mary; Jane; Joseph; Hannah; Benjamin married his first cousin Mary CHENEY (daughter of Joseph CHENEY and Hannah THURSTON); and Ebenezer.
5. William - b. 1635, Roxbury, MA; d. Sep. 21, 1681 (hanged), Dorchester, MA. Married Deborah WISWALL (bap. Mar. 30, 1641), daughter of John of Dorchester. While married to Deborah, William became father of son William (b. Aug. 3, 1666 and probably surnamed DANIELS) by Sarah DANIELS, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth DANIELS. William was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged for rape, although his wife Deborah called Experience HOLBROOK (daughter of Capt. Joseph and Elizabeth HOLBROOK) a "lying wench." Deborah married second Ebenezer WILLIAMS. Son of William CHENEY and Sarah DANIELS: William. Children of William and Deborah CHENEY: an infant; Deborah died as infant; William died as infant; Deborah; William; John; Benjamin; and a child born after William's execution.
6. John - b. Sep. 20, 1639; d. Oct. 12, 1671. He drowned "as he was catching of eales."
7. Mehitable - b. Jun. 1, 1643; d. 1693/4, probably at Medfield, MA. Married by 1663 Thomas WIGHT, Jr. (b. 1635; inv. Sep. 25, 1690), son of Thomas and Alice. The WIGHTs were burned out of their home by Indians in 1676. Children of Mehitable and Thomas WIGHT: Mehitable; Thomas; Mary (or Marie) married Joseph CLARK; Eleazer; and Joshua.
8. Joseph - b. Jun. 6, 1647, Roxbury, MA; d. Sep. 16, 1704, Medfield, MA. Married first Mar. 12, 1667/8 at Medfield, MA, Hannah THURSTON (b. Apr. 28, 1650, Dedham, MA; d. Dec. 29, 1690, Medfield, MA), daughter of John and Margaret THURSTON. Joseph married second Jul. 21, 1691 at Medfield, MA, Mehitable (PLIMPTON) HINSDALE, daughter of John PLIMPTON and Jane DAMON, and widow of Ephraim HINSDALE. Mehitable married third Dec. 12, 1717 Jonathan ADAMS. Children of Joseph and Hannah CHENEY: Hannah; Margaret married Joseph BULLARD; Prudence died young; Joseph died young; Susannah died young; Mehitable married Jeremiah MORSE; Mary married first Benjamin CHENEY (her first cousin and son of Thomas CHENEY and Jane ATKINSON), and second Michael FELSHAW; Josiah married first Hannah, and second Hannah MASON, widow of Samuel SMITH who was great grandson of Rev. Henry SMITH (Josiah, by his second wife, became ancestor of Pres. William TAFT); Prudence married Gershom LAKE; and Melatiah married Henry AMIDOWN. Children of Joseph and Mehitable CHENEY: Hannah died as infant; Joseph died unmarried; Ephraim married Ann CLARK; and Hannah died young.

Top of Page    Freeman Family    Lines Index    Chart Index    Surnames

For additional details concerning Thomas HASTINGS and family, refer to The Great Migration 1634-1635, by Robert Charles Anderson (Boston 2003), Vol. III, pp. 235-40. Some other publications include an ancestry for the HASTINGS family in England. For some research and comments, refer to the web site of Scott Billigmeier.

Thomas HASTINGS - b. 1605, England; d. 1685, Watertown, MA. His will was written Mar. 12, 1682/3 and proved Sep. 7, 1685. Thomas and his first wife Susanna (b. about 1609; d. Feb. 2, 1650/1, Watertown, MA) embarked at Ipswich, England Apr. 10, 1634 in the 'Elizabeth', William Andrews, master. Thomas was a signer of The Covenant of Dedham, MA in 1636 and "laid down" a home lot, but probably never resided there. At Watertown, MA 1635; freeman May 6, 1635; selectman at times 1639-1680; town clerk 1670-1671; representative; and Deacon. Will dated Mar. 12, 1682/3, proved Sep. 7, 1685, and estate inventoried Sep. 9, 1685 at £421. Married second about Apr. 1651, Watertown, MA.

Margaret CHENEY - b. Nov. 20, 1628, England. Daughter of William CHENEY and Margaret.

1. Thomas - b. Jul., 1, 1652, Watertown, Middlesex Co., MA; d. Jul. 23, 1712, Hatfield, Hampshire Co., MA. A physician whose father stated in his will: "I have been to great expense to bring him up a scholor.... I have given him above threescore pounds to begin the world with." Freeman at Hatfield Feb. 8, 1678. Married first Nov.. 10, 1672 Anna HAWKES (bap. Oct. 1, 1648; d. Oct. 25, 1705), daughter of John HAWKES and Elizabeth of Hadley; and second Feb. 14, 1705/6 Mary BURT, daughter of David BURT of Northampton. As Thomas' widow, Mary married May 7, 1713 Samuel BELDEN, Jr. of Hatfield, Hampshire Co., MA. Children of Thomas and Anna HASTINGS: Margaret married Nathaniel EVARTS (or EVERTS, son of John EVARTS and Submit STONE); Hannah married Samuel GILLETT; Thomas married Mary FIELD; Hepzibah married Jonathan CURTIS; Mehitable married John BURKE; and John married first Lydia, and second Hannah WHITE. Children of Thomas and Mary HASTINGS: Silence married Josiah HADLOCK; Thankful died in infancy; and Sylvanus died in infancy.
2. John - b. Mar. 1, 1653/4, Watertown, Middlesex Co., MA; d. Mar. 28, 1717/8, MA. Married Jun. 18, 1679 Abigail HAMMOND (b. Jun. 21, 1656; d. Apr. 7, 1717/8), daughter of Lt. John and Abigail (SALTER) HAMMOND. Children of John and Abigail HASTINGS: Abigail married John WARREN; John married first Susanna BEMIS, and second Sarah FISKE; Elizabeth married Hopestill MEAD; Hepzibah married first Nathaniel SHATTUCK, and second Benjamin STEARNS; William married Abigail SIMONDS; Samuel died in infancy; Samuel married Bethia HOLLOWAY; Thomas married Sarah WHITE; and Joseph married first Lydia BROWN, and second Mrs. Martha STEARNS (per Hudson's Lexington).
3. William - b. Aug. 8, 1655, Watertown, MA; d. there Aug. 1669. Drowned.
4. Joseph - b. Sep. 12, 1657, Watertown, Middlesex Co., MA; d. Oct. 7, 1695. Estate inventoried Oct. 22, 1695 at £87.12. Married first Nov. 21, 1682 Ruth RICE (b. Apr. 2, 1662; d. Jan. 28, 1682/3), daughter of Matthew and Martha RICE; and second Jan. 8, 1684 Martha SHEPHERD (d. Oct. 7, 1695). Children of Joseph and Martha HASTINGS: Joseph married Lydia BROWN (per Bond's Watertown); Martha married Joseph HARRINGTON; Thomas; and Ebenezer married Ruth PHILIPS.
5. Benjamin - b. Aug. 9, 1659, Watertown, Middlesex Co., MA; d. Dec. 18, 1711, Hatfield, Hampshire Co., MA. Married first1683  Elizabeth GRAVES (b. Mar. 6, 1661/2; d. Nov. 1692), daughter of Isaac GRAVES and Mary of Hartford, Hartford Co., CT; and second about 1697 Mary (CLARK) PARSONS, daughter of Nathaniel CLARK, and widow of Jonathan PARSONS of Northampton. Children of Benjamin and Elizabeth HASTINGS: Samuel; and Elizabeth. Children of Benjamin and Mary HASTINGS: Hannah; Benjamin; Zeruiah; Joseph; a daughter died in infancy; and Submit married John WAIT.
6. Nathaniel - b. Sep. 25, 1661, Watertown, Middlesex Co., MA; d. Dec. 25, 1694. Married by 1690 Mary NEVISON (b. 1668; d. Oct. 14, 1732), daughter of John NEVISON and Elizabeth. Children of Nathaniel and Mary HASTINGS: Nathaniel; and John.
7. Hepzibah - b. Jan. 31, 1663/4, Watertown, MA. Married William BOND.
8. Samuel - b. Mar. 12, 1665/6, Watertown, Middlesex Co., MA; d. 1723. His home was sold for £450 in 1727/8 to the church for use as a parsonage, first occupied by Rev. Seth STORER. Married first Jan. 4, 1686/7 Lydia CHURCH (b. Jul. 4, 1671, Dedham, Norfolk Co., MA; d. Feb. 9, 1690/1), daughter of Caleb CHURCH and Joanna SPRAGUE; second Apr. 24, 1695 Elizabeth NEVISON (b. Oct. 27, 1675), daughter of John NEVISON and Elizabeth; and third Jul. 10, 1701 Sarah COOLIDGE (d. Jan. 1724), daughter of Simon COOLIDGE. Child Samuel and Lydia HASTINGS: Lydia died in infancy. Children of Samuel and Sarah HASTINGS: Elizabeth married Mr. HENRYS; Samuel; Benjamin died young; Daniel married Sarah BALL; Benjamin married Mary TAINTER; and Nathaniel.

Welcome Page    Freeman Family    Site Contents    Surnames    Contact Info