THE SCALPING OF MONTEY BATES

Glover/Morgan Family
Montey Bates & Elizabeth (Crow) Bates history
(Info given by Milton Bates, Center Point, WV, 12/16/1933)

(See corrections below)

FAMILY FOUNDERS OF HADDAM, CONNECTICUT

SMITH/POST FAMILY (from Daniel DART/Jemima SHAYLER line)  updated 8/12/14
Haddam Connecticut  (family founders include Spencer, Shayler and Parents)

Plantation at Thirty Mile Island

In 1660 the Connecticut Colonial Legislature sent Matthew Allyn and Samuel Willys down the Connecticut River from Hartford to purchase land from the Algonquin-speaking Wangunk Indians at the place the English called 'Land of Thirty Mile Island'. (Originally thought to be 30 miles from Long Island Sound, Haddam Island is actually only 17 miles from the mouth of the river at Old Saybrook.)

In May 1662 the Englishmen completed a land purchase of 104 square miles which extended out six miles on each side of the river from the straits at Chester, or Pattyquonck, to the river at Middletown  across to East Hampton. The English paid 30 coats (worth $100) for the land from the local Indians who retained some acreage as well as hunting and fishing rights.

Family Foundations at Thirty Mile Island Plantation
The first Haddam settlers of twenty-eight men and their families from Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor included our ancestors:

9th ggf: JOHN PARENTS
10th ggf: GERRARD SPENCER and wife HANNAH (HILLS?) with their family including;
-daughter HANNAH and husband Daniel BRAINERD;
-son JOHN and wife Rebecca (Howard);
-daughter 9th ggm:(MARAH) ALICE and 1st husband Thomas BROOKS; and 2nd husband,  
9th ggf: THOMAS SHAYLER

Originally there were two small settlements on the west bank of the Connecticut River with each lot of 7-13 acres cut or bounded by a highway running north-south with commons land to the west:

• the Town Plot was laid out along the southern end of what was later named Walkley Hill Road, and extended to the old burying ground.  
• The Lower Plantation was settled south of  Mill Creek in the area now known as Shailerville (named for the prosperous, closely-knit descendants of Thomas Shayler who acquired much of the village land where they resided). 

Each proprietor was given a home lot and land for farming. There was also land set aside for a meetinghouse and parsonage.  Incorporated in 1668, the town was given the name Haddam after Much Hadham in Hertfordshire, England. In addition to timber and granite as early industrial resources, the Connecticut River supplied major fishing and transportation opportunities for Haddam's residents. Eventually, shipyards were built along the river, while  tributaries provided waterpower for mills and factories.  [Information adapted from the Haddam Historical Society website]

Buried at Thirty Mile Island Plantation Burial Ground:
Gerard Spencer (1614-1685)
(Marah) Alice Spencer Shayler  (1641-1714)
Hannah Spencer Brainerd (1640-1715)

Generation No. 1
    Immigrant GERRARD (ENSIGN) SPENCER  was born April 25, 1614 in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, England, and died September 03, 1685 in East Haddam, Middlesex, CT.
He married (1) HANNAH (JOANNIS HILLS?) December 17, 1636 in Lynn, Essex, MA, believed to be daughter of William Hills. He married (2) REBECCA PORTER after 1677 in Haddam, Middlesex, CT, daughter of John Porter and Rose White.
    Gerrard came to America with the first Winthrop Fleet around 1632. He was under the leadership of John Winthrop who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony in Cambridge. The first mention of Gerrard is in the Cambridge Town records "in the prime of September 1634, Lots granted one west side River - Gerrad Spencer 4 ackrs." He moved to Lynn, MA with his brother Michael in 1638 and ran the ferry there. The ferry ran from Lynn to Saugus, just south of the now-famous Waldon Pond.  
    In 1661 he was one of the 28 purchasers of the town of Haddam. Forty years after his arrival in America, Gerrard Spencer was granted freeman status there and served the local militia as ensign following a special session of Court held at Hartford by Governor John Winthrop regarding advice from the King that the colonies make "speedy and effectual provision for their defence against the Dutch." Records also show Gerrard's involvement a few years later as deputy at a General Court by Special Order of the Governor which met on July 9, 1675 to discuss the Indian War in Plymouth Colony and the danger it held for the easternmost Connecticut towns.  "The Court being mett, they were acquainted wth the occasion of theire meeting, which was the present trouble of the Indians now risen against the English, spoyleing and destroying of them by fire and sword..." [from Colonial Records of Connecticut, Vol. 2]

Gerard Spencer's Will  
(from Digest of Early Connecticut Probate Records, compiled by Charles William Manwaring, Vol 1, 1685-1700, p. 364)

"Spencer, Jarrad, Ensign, Haddam. 
Invt Pounds: 124-12-00 of Estate not disposed of by Will 
Taken 29 June, 1685, by Joseph Arnot & Alexander Rollo 
Will dated 17, September, 1683. 
The last will of Ensign Jarrad Spencer of Haddam: 
I give unto my son William the Land which I bought of Steven Luxford's Estate. How I come by it the Court Record will show. 
I give unto my son William 1/3 part of 48 acres lying by that wch was commonly called Welles his Brook. 
I give to my son Nathaniel my now Dwelling house with the Lott that was the Houselott, with an Addition lying by the side of it, granted by the Committee. 
I give unto my daughter Rebekah that Houselott I bought of Thomas Smith. 
Likewise I give unto my daughter Rebeckah 1/3 part of the Lott by Welles his Brook. 
I give unto my son Thomas 40 acres on Matchamodus Side. 
I give unto my son Thomas his son, Jarrad Spencer by name, my Rapier. 
I give unto my son Timothy Spencer the remainder of that 6 score acre lott whereof his 2 brothers had their shares. 
The other 6 score thereof I dispose of as followeth: to Grace Spencer, the daughter of my son John Spencer, 40 acres; to Alice Brooks, the daughter of my daughter Brooks, 40 acres; to Grace Spencer, the daughter of my son Samuel Spencer, I give the other 40 acres. 
I give unto Jarred Cone, the son of my daughter Cone, my Carbine. 
A pewter Flagon and Urim Bason I give to the church at Haddam, if there be one within five years.* 
It is my will that my son John Spencer his Children and my son-in-law Daniel Cone his Children have an equal proportion of my Estate with my other Children. It is my Will however my Estate falls out for portions to my Children, that my daughter Ruth Clarke's portion shall be 15 pounds, which was my Covenant with her father at her marriage, which 15 pounds she hath received some part thereof, as my Books will testify; and to son Joseph Clarke I give him 40 acres of land at Matchemodus. It is the humble request of Jarrad Spencer that the honoured Major John Talcott and Capt. John Allyn would be pleased to oversee this his Will. I appoint my two sons Daniel Brainard and William Spencer Adms to the Estate. 
Jarrard Spencer 
Witness: John James, Joseph Arnot 
Court Record, Page 111-3, Sept, 1685: Adms to Daniel Braynard and William Spencer, with the Will annexed." 

*Article excerpt & photo above from The New York Times, Sunday June 8, 1980

DORTS IN AMERICA

DORT [DART; DARTE]:  SMITH/POST FAMILY


The following is taken from an old copy I found on E-bay of GENEALOGY of the DART FAMILY in AMERICA by Thaddeus Lincoln Bolton, 1927.   (NOTE: We now know that the Richard noted below was Richard III, with both father and grandfather of the same name emigrating from Churston Ferrers, Devonshire, ENGLAND, and settling in Hartford & New London, Connecticut )

Richard Dart, b. 1635 in Waterford, Connecticut. He married (1) Bethia, married 1664, d. abt. 1705. He married (2) Mary Roe Dudley, married abt. 1705. Richard died 24 Sep 1724.  (We are related through his below-mentioned "ungrateful and treacherous" son, Daniel.)

The following is quoted directly from Bolton's book:
"According to the town records quoted by Miss Calkins in her History of New London, Richard Dart with a number of companions appeared in New London in 1662. After remaining there for some time he with his companions were ordered by vote of the town council either to become citizens or to make their departure. Richard chose to become a citizen. He bought a house Sept. 12, 1664. He was one of the grantees for the town of Waterford to receive additional lands from the King. The house he built is still standing and it is a good example of early colonial architecture; it is located within the town of Waterford. Apparently Richard became a man of influence for his name appears frequently in the town records and his will would indicate that he accumulated considerable property. His will, dated Apr. 4, 1711, refers to his oldest son, Daniel, as having been "ungrateful and treacherous to me" and accordingly his property is left mostly to his second son, Richard. It appears that Bethia, his wife, died, perhaps near the year 1705 and Richard married Mary (Roe) Dudley. The date is not known. She was the widow of William Dudley. Upon the death of her father and mother she became Lady Dudley of England. (Col. Records.) Her will is dated June 15, 1726 and the settlement of the estate was made May 7, 1728. In the will she mentions, her own sons, William and Daniel, a grandson and a daughter, Elizabeth, married to Joseph Remington. She mentions her "son-in-law," Roger - we should now say "step-son."


Information from The History of New York State: newyorkroots.org/bookarchive/northernnewyork/271-287.html

A member of the Dart family, sailed from England in or about the year 1652, 'bringing with him to America the original patent from the crown for the township of New London, Connecticut.'*   The family have their coat-of-arms. Richard Dart, immigrant ancestor, came from Dartmouth, England to New London, Connecticut, and bought the William Welman house and lot September 24, 1664, residing there until his death September 24 1724, aged eight-nine years. His sister Anna married in 1659 Benjamin Brewster and lived on Brewster Neck. Richard Dart married Bethia-------. Children, born at New London: 1. Daniel, May 3, 1666. 2. Roger, November 27, 1670. 3.Ebenezer, February 18, 1672. 4. Bethia, married Joseph Chapel.  (*Records show only that Richard Dart was one of the 77 grantees of the Patent of New London, granted by King Charles II on 14 Oct. 1704.)

GLOVERS IN AMERICA 1754

(from Genealogy of the Mittong Family and Connections with info taken from Myers History of West Virginia)

THE GLOVER FAMILY

'The Glover family is of English ancestry.  John Glover, the first of whom we have any knowledge, immigrated to this country from England in the year about 1755.  According to tradition he was still a young man when he came over here.  This would lead one to believe that he was born sometime between 1735 and 1740.  Upon his arrival in this country he settled in Wilmington, Delaware.  He lived there but a short time before he married a New England girl and to this union several children were born.  The names of only two of these children are known to the author -Amos, born in 1760, and NEHEMIAH, born about 1772.

'Sometime about the year 1781, these two brothers left Delaware and went to Western Pennsylvania -Amos locating in Washington County and Nehemiah in GREEN COUNTY. 

'Nehemiah  ...married DORCAS KOEN, sister of Isaac Koen who was an early settler of Wetzel County, VA.  on what is known as the Wilson Haught farm.

'In the year 1797, according to Myer, Nehemiah Glover, Sr., settled on a tract of unbroken forest-land on the Marion County side of the divide near where Glover Gap tunnel on the B&O R.R. is located.  Here he built a log cabin and moved his family.  At that time this part of the state was sparsely settled and in order to obtain salt and gunpowder he had to travel to Wheeling, VA, which was then a small village.  ...He died about 1845 and is buried in a private graveyard on Tunnel Hill near the site on which he built his log cabin.

'The village of GLOVER GAP is named in honor of Nehemiah Glover. '

Sixth of the thirteen children born to Nehemiah and Dorcas Glover, our ancester WILLIAM GLOVER was born at Glover's Gap in 1810 and died on 9 March 1881 in Ashley, Beaver, Elizabeth, VA. [see story below]

'He [William] married ELIAZABETH PYLE about 1831.  The following are issue of this union:  Susannah, ...ISAAC, John, William Riley, and a fifth child -dying in infancy.

The author then reports simply that 'ISAAC married Mary Horner' but records show that her name was MARY CATHERINE MYERS (whose mother was Delilah Horner). 

Isaac & Mary Catherine (Myers) Glover

Generation #1: IMMIGRANT John Glover 1754   
#2: Nehemiah Glover
#3: William Glover *
#4: Isaac Glover

#5: Thomas Jackson Glover
#6: Ira Russell Glover (see photo above)

Bear Hunting Account

1820 , Glover Gap, WV 

From Sylvester Myers' (William's grandson) "Myers' History of West Virginia"

William Glover, grand father of the writer of this book, about the year 1875 related a story of his adventure with a bear when he was a small boy, about the year 1820. The story, as I remember it, ran about as follows : 'We lived near what is now the eastern approach to Glover's Gap tunnel, near the present boundary line between Marion and Wetzel counties. Our log cabin stood in a small clearing, surrounded by a dense forest. Bears, wolves and other wild animals were quite plentiful. Near the cabin, in a small ravine, there was a large spring, where mother was accustomed to do our washing. On one summer day, while thus engaged, her attention was attracted by a very emphatic signal of distress on the part of some hogs that were running at large in the woods near by. My brothers and I — there were some half dozen of us, most of whom were small 'tads', in home-spun shirts and bare legs — were playing 'Injun' not far away, when mother called us to go and ascertain what was wrong with the hogs. With our rudely constructed bows and arrows and war clubs, we started in the direction from whence the noise came, tearing through the brush and shouting like little savages. On reaching the scene of trouble, we found an old sow with her back broken; her little pigs were darting around, here and there, in a frightened way; while a large black bear was making off up the hill with a little porker in his mouth. It was easy to see that we had the bluff on Mr. Bruin, and we boldly followed, calling him all sorts of ugly names for daring to steal one of our hogs. But, finally, when nearing the top of the hill, the bear stopped and looked around. We immediately did the same, and hit only the high places on the return home. As long as the bear was headed the other way, we all made believe that we were very brave — 'heap big Injun — but when the bear stopped and faced about, we all suddenly became very home sick, and were not long in getting there.'
Sources:
Myers, Sylvester. Myers' History of West Virginia. WV: Wheeling News Lithograph Co., 1915. archive.org. Web. Aug. 12, 2012.  [blogger's 1st cousin 3x removed] 
Mittong, Benjamin Franklin. Genealogy of the Mittong Family and Connections, 1926. Chapter 3

Photo: Isaac & Mary Glover from a Glover cousin--thank you, Rick! 2024

FAMILY IMMIGRANTS

What was the 'GREAT MIGRATION?'
( see http://www.greatmigration.org/ )

 

This term refers to the immigration of 20,000 English (British) immigrants who arrived between 1620 and 1640 along the shores of what was termed "New England.".  A surprising number of our GloverSmith family were among the passengers of the ships that crossed the Atlantic Ocean during this formative era in American history.

Although the Glover/Morgan lineage appears to have immigrated after this period (some @ 1640s-1650s, others in mid-1700's),  the (Smith) Post/Dort family branches lead us to the earliest settlements of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

GENEALOGY & the World Wide Web

GENEALOGY AND THE WWW:

Online sites such as Ancestry.com are great for gathering information about your family lines.  But be aware:  everybody has a hidden desire to discover that they are progeny of royalty or otherwise famous ancestors!  And, to be fair, if you are able to go back far enough in time, it may sometimes even be true.  But here are a few tips to help prevent you from jumping to the wrong tree, so to speak:

1. Start with what you know from your parents and grandparents.  Record it now.  My mom and dad's oral histories have proven to be surprisingly accurate.  But more importantly, they have also supplied the personal, humorous, tragic, or "unspoken" stories that have brought the past to life.

2.  Once in America, our families typically settled in New England.  Within a generation or two, however, they tended to migrate west -but only slightly so.  Horace Greeley's "Go west, young man, go west" really did mean places like Michigan!

3.  When I began my family research, it was a tedious and expensive process of contacting county clerks and requesting birth or death documents -one at a time.  A 'shirt-tail' relative, Dan Houser, shared a great deal of information in the '80s and '90s about the Post family by searching long-abandoned cemeteries to find the facts as recorded on crumbling headstones.  (By the way, his efforts contributed to the work of preservationists for Potter Cemetery, where Mom's ancestor and Michigan pioneer, Abraham Post's family are  buried.   http://monroe.lib.mi.us/community_info_ash_township_potter_cemetery.htm )

4.  If your own search efforts take you far enough into the past, you will often find that others have done 'the heavy lifting' for you with completed genealogies in place, going back to as far as recorded history allows.  (I was able to ride one of our family lines back into the 900's!)

5.  Although modern, lightning-speed technology allowed me to gather an enormous amount of data in a short amount of time, it soon became overwhelmingly "TMI" (too much information).  So I had to refine my study -at least for now- to a manageable time frame going back to "The Great Migration."  I hope you'll enjoy seeing where and how our family contributed to the creation of the United States of America.
ILLUSTRATION:
(FAMILY TREE by Norman Rockwell, published as cover of The Saturday Evening Post, 10/24/1959)