It’s the beginning of a new year – 2017, and I wish you all a very happy new year. I started this post on the last day of 2016 and was hoping to squeeze in one last post before 2017 comes. Well, I didn’t succeed. There is just too much going on over the new year holiday and it was hard to sit down and write let alone concentrate.
GOING BACK TO COLONIAL TIMES
Image of what Teague and other men may have
looked like in the Plymouth Colony during the 1600s.
As I trudge away gathering information on my recently known-about 8x great grandfather Teague Jones, I’m reminded this genealogy/family history stuff can leave you hanging high and dry as well as reward you with information which will catapult your research beyond your imagination. I think high and dry takes center stage in its own little way.
I’ll start by explaining I don’t have all the information I need, but nonetheless what I have is a start. I have consulted cousin Kevin’s extensive research on our FOWLER family. I regard his research as being accurate and highly trustworthy. He is the one to tip me onto the lineage of Mercy Jones, my 5x great grandmother who leads me back a couple generations to Teague. So I will lay out this story as best as I can. My other sources vary from NEHGS databases to Find A Grave to FamilySearch and Ancestry to History of Cape Cod and some on Rhode Island.
A LITTLE BIT OF LINEAGE
Fowlers First
Fowlers First
In past posts I have talked about my gr-gr-grandfather Luther FOWLER and his father Abel Jr.; some of his father Abel Sr., but not much on Sr.’s father Simeon who married Mercy JONES 20 Mar 1745 in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. So far there isn’t that much to say about Mercy except she was born 17 Jan 1727, East Greenwich, Rhode Island to Jeremiah and Mary [REYNOLDS] JONES. Mercy along with husband Simeon are buried in the Fowler Private Burying Lot in White Creek, Washington Co., New York.
Now the Jones
Mercy’s father Jeremiah JONES was born about 1680 in Yarmouth, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts (Cape Cod) to Josiah and Elizabeth [BERRY] JONES. Josiah was born in Yarmouth also about 1661 (but possibly 1652) to Teague JONES. Elizabeth was born about 1656 to Richard and Alice BERRY. I don’t know where, but would think it be Yarmouth also because Teague and Richard were friends and lived in the same area.
We don’t know where or when Teague was born, but the possibility he was born about 1620 is more likely. He could have been born in England or then again his birthplace could be the Plymouth Colony. No one seems to know from where Teague comes. Nor do they know who his parents are. It is so frustrating not being able to go back one more generation which is more than likely across the pond.
There is no proof of who Teague’s wife was either, but speculation on many online family trees states she was a Wampanoag Indian named Ruhamah Samoset. Cousin Kevin just said she was possibly Wampanoag. Ruhamah is a biblical name which could be from her Indian heritage or maybe from a white Christian family. One of Teague’s daughters was named Ruhamah. So my 8x great grandmother’s name is most likely that. I have seen online DNA reports stating there was no native American blood in their lineage. This leads me to believe she was born to a non-native family.
There is no proof of who Teague’s wife was either, but speculation on many online family trees states she was a Wampanoag Indian named Ruhamah Samoset. Cousin Kevin just said she was possibly Wampanoag. Ruhamah is a biblical name which could be from her Indian heritage or maybe from a white Christian family. One of Teague’s daughters was named Ruhamah. So my 8x great grandmother’s name is most likely that. I have seen online DNA reports stating there was no native American blood in their lineage. This leads me to believe she was born to a non-native family.
According to "JOSIAH & ELIZABETH (BERRY) JONES, BIOGRAPHICAL ITEMS" article on FamilySearch, Frederick Freeman in his “Annals of Yarmouth” states that "Yarmouth records prior to 1677 were lost and we have only imperfect materials for the early history of this town." So proving anything about Teague is somewhat hard. Some of the information could be just storytelling. In my tree program, I have listed five children born to Teague, but no one seems to be able to be prove much since records are scarce to nonexistent. Conjecture is, they are more than likely his children because of their ages and places born.
Teague is another name for Timothy or Thaddeus. It is said, Teague came to the colonies about 1645 from England, at least that is when his name first shows up in records, but according to the History of Chatham, Early Settlers by William C. Smith, "Teague Jones came first to Yarmouth soon after its settlement, being then a young man." Yarmouth was "organized and incorporated as part of the Plymouth Colony on September 3, 1639" according to wikipedia. In the History of Cape Cod by Frederick Freeman, the part about men of Yarmouth, there was a mention of my 8x great grandfather: "In 1645 the name of Teague Jones appears as a soldier from this town, in company with others in the Narraganset war.” His name was also mentioned on a 1675 list of tax-paying inhabitants and their comparative wealth: Teague Jones, £2.4.
A FEW TIDBITS
There are accounts of Teague being reprimanded for not going to “meetings.” Also he and his friend Richard BERRY were told to "part their uncivil living together in 1653" and Teague and Richard were found playing cards on the Sabbath much to the chagrin of the townspeople. Teague was accused of sodomy by Richard, but later in the trial, Richard recanted his accusation. After all that, Teague’s son Josiah married Richard’s daughter Elizabeth in 1677. This is the line I descend from.
The following accounts were among compiled stories found on a website by Scott Robson, http://mv.ancestry.com/viewer/c6534799-c590-445c-89ee-4c118bf0f863/7065798/5068287446:
"According to the public records, he was not altogether a desirable citizen. In 1653 he and Richard Berry were ordered 'to part their uncivil living together.' In 1655 he had dispute with an Indian, Mashantampaine, about a gun, which the Court ordered to be restored to the Indian. In 1667 he was complained against for not coming to meeting. His fondness for strong drink, also, caused him trouble with the authorities.”
Another account on same website:
"Oct. 29, 1649, Richard Berry accused Teague Jones of Yarmouth of the crime of sodomy, and Jones was put under heavy bonds for his appearance at the March term of the Court to answer. At that Court, Berry confessed that he had borne false witness against Jones, and for his perjury was whipped at the post in Plymouth. Richard, notwithstanding his humiliating confession that he had sworn falsely, and his visit to the whipping-post, continued to live on excellent terms with his friend Teague at Doctor's Weir, near the mouth of Bass River. The court, however, thought differently, and caused them 'to part their uncivil living together'. Teague's son Josiah later married Richard's daughter Elizabeth Berry in 1677."
There has been speculation he is the son of the Mayflower’s captain Christopher Jones, but no one has been able to prove it. Interesting bit nonetheless. Scott Robson found this:
"Teague is also a surname in England, which led me years ago to surmise that possibly his mother's [maiden] name was Teague. While in SLC last spring I found a marriage in St. James, Clerkenwell, Middlesecc, ENG, 1617, for Richard Jones and Helen Teague. They are certainly the right generation to be the parents of Teague Jones. Unfortunately, I looked through the printed transcriptions of the St. James records, and there are no children being baptised during the right time period with Richard Jones as the father, with or without a mother named Helen. I looked through all the rest of the transcribed & printed London parish registers, and found nothing. Somewhere I have a copy of the actual record as I found it in the St. James parish records, but I can't put my hands on it right now."
LAND
Many early deed records don’t exist because of a fire in 1827, but I found an item of interest on geni.com about Teague Jones.
Added by Elwin Nickerson II about my Great Grandfather: Citation as Follows: Teague Jones came to Massachusetts at a very early date, since he appears at Yarmouth in 1645 among soldiers ‘school went forth wth the late expedition against Narrohiggansets and their Confederates,” in Oct of that year. [Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. 2, p. 91] On 14 Feb 1673/4 he bought a farm at Monomoit from William Nickerson Sr. bounded on the north by the White Pond and land of John Nickerson and on the east by “the highway that leads into the Inlands”. He also obtained by the same deed six acres of upland at the Oyster Pond, two acres of meadow at Oyster Pond and two more acres on the south side of the pond as well as thirty acres of meadow at Gregory’s Neck on the east side of Taylor’s Pond, South Chatham. On 27 Dec. 1675 he added five acres to this farm lying between the pond and the highway and bounded on the east by Edward Cottle’s land in West Chatham. On 29 May 1691 He sold his farm on the west side of the Bass River to his son Jeremiah. Josiah Jones and Joseph Eldridge owned the adjoining farms.
[added by Elwin Nickerson II, Documents on file- SEE Vital Court Records Barnstable, Year 1737- also Note John Chase on Record the Year April 8/1715 Account of Teague Jones Living on BASS River wife Family (About the Year 1660)?. Taken from family records of Ruhamah Jones my Great Grandmother.]
When I found this description of the land Teague owned in Chatham, I was curious as to where it was in relation to where my brother and sister-in-law lived and Oyster Pond sounded familiar. I found Oyster Pond on the map marked “A” and then looked for Waveland Ave. marked “C”...the arrow shows approximately where Dwight’s house is. “B” is possibly “the highway that leads into the Inlands.” So I can’t be sure without a proper deed, but it sure looks like Dwight and Florine live on or very close to the land of our 8x great grandparents!
Not having much conclusive evidence about Teague Jones life and times in the Plymouth Colony kind of leaves me high and dry. Yet, just knowing he is one of my early colonial ancestors, intrigues me; I want to learn more about Teague and my JONES family.
My having family at the beginning of our country really intrigues me.
Thank you for being so thorough in your search for the facts about your ancestors. I am looking into Teague Jones's history on behalf of my half and step sisters, and I agree that it is so frustrating that there are not more records available. I would like to comment on two issues, if I may:
ReplyDeleteOn Native American DNA traces, after all this time:
I have read about people attempting to join a Native Aerican tribe, where for instance there is the requirement of 25 %.Let's break that down to a Native American marrying a non- native American. Their children would have 50% Native American in their DNA. Their grandchildren would be 25% and their great grandchildren 12 1/2%, and the next generation might be 0%.
I could be off with my numbers, but my point is that it diminishes with every generation. (Same would be true of German ancestors, French etc)
Therefore nine or more generations back there might not be a traceable amount in any descendant's DNA. In other words, that alone, is not a reason to be totally discouraged concerning whether or not Teague married an Indian Maiden.
I am wondering if this belief is solely based on the daughter having been named Ruhamah. It seems to me that as you pointed out, that could go either way since it is a Biblical name for us and a name for the Native Americans as well. But is that all? Was there anything else? Because this would have be something most settlers would have kept quiet about. So, did the ancestors retain that legend or is it just historians trying to decide based on a name? And those descendants who stayed in the area unlike my sisters people who moved to the Midwest, might be the most reliable source.
The other thing on Nickerson's wife being so difficult, were there any details on her disagreeable or contentious behavior that might have just been her way of doing things that were of her Indian heritage. Or perchance had they shunned her knowing she was Indian just by looking at her eevery day and the problems partly arose because she couldn't "fit in".
As you might be able to guess by now, I hope she was indeed an Indian Maiden. Such a marvelously romantic idea, and because my half sister has those upwardly slanted eyes. (A real throwback ?)
Thanks again.
Thanks for the comments. I had thought about the DNA traces, too, but didn't want to go into too much. I would think you are right and by the time we trace back to 8th great grandparents, the amount of native American would be close to 0%.
DeleteI wouldn't be surprised if Teague's wife was native American and wouldn't it be neat to find the proof! I'm sure it is out there, but no one has uncovered it yet...or so I wish.
I always appreciate another angle to the story. It gives us something else to think about. Thank you.
I hope these points will help you understand the information you already have:
DeleteWith the millions of descendants of these people, it's likely that there are matrilineal female descendants who carry Ruhamah's DNA. This was how they identified Richard III's remains, so read more about that;
Not all Pilgrims were of the same religion, and Teague and family are a perfect example of people who were probably not of the same type of dissenter religion as their neighbors, and who frequently were written up in town records or threatened by their communities when they deviated slightly. You did not have to join the Puritan church when you immigrated.Laws were structured to accomodate those who did not. However, later, when the Quaker and other persecutions became intense, people could be bullied into bearing false testimony against their neighbors, like Teague's card buddy, because now the penalty for non conformity was death. The words you quote have nothing to do with Teague being a bad person. The fact is he may have been the best person in the community as other dissenting groups treated the Indians much better than the majority Pilgrims did and intermarriage was common among these kinder folks. Running them out of town, eventually killing them was common practice until the king finally interfered because many were well connected in England. Also, one of the typical things that many English dissenters did not do was baptize, and this goes way back hundreds of years in England, so just because you don't find a church record don't stop looking. You are just looking in the wrong place.
We need to re-think DNA testing. As my 10th Great Grandparents, my DNA would be .002~% so the Native wouldn't Pop up on normal testing. However, GEDmatch offers the Ancient Samples. Including Clovis-Montana a 12.5k year old Native...I still get a 3cM match with him, while most of the European samples go blank. This is the Only path for Native Blood to come into my DNA that I have found, at a level that wouldn't normally be detected...but is still present.
DeleteI have No Doubt that Teague was Christopher Jones (Mayflower Captain's son) and that he married the woman we call Ruhamah (Granddaughter of the Chief) as would be the custom for any European Peace Treaty. It would also explain why Teague stayed here.
Why isn't there Documentation? Perhaps they knew if they put anything other than British on their Children's paperwork, they wouldn't receive the full Benefits, only afforded to Full White Children.
Just chiming in - my husband has Teague Jones listed and he showed <1% American Indian and later ancestry removed it, but I found proof, his mother has <1% Asian - their family is quite old dating all back to Plymouth, Quakers etc, including Gardiner, Fowlers, Aylesworth, Jones etc. I believe the history definitely.
DeleteMy DNA shows same by two groups. Also the tribe reached out to me three years ago wanting to learn more about Teague Jones. I also have interesting data most do not trust but suspect a Church would not lie.
DeleteTrying to get more now. There was 13 of us working on some solutions and records. Susi Jones Pentico. SusiCP@Cox.net
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ReplyDeleteI came across this looking to see if anyone has been able to trace their maternal line going back to Teague Jones wife and had the mtDNA test done for this line. Unfortunately, I have not yet found anyone who has a verifiable maternal line who has had this test, and the tests are not usually considered reliable until the same result has been obtained at least twice through different people tracking back to the same ancestor. The more generalized DNA tests that claim to show the percentage of a persons ancestry from different areas are of no use for ancestry this far back. Back in the 1990's, before I had the internet I spent a couple years researching the basis of the story Teague Jones wife may have been indigenous to the area. There is a lot of circumstantial evidence that might suggest this. Personally, I think this is likely enough to warrant trying to find descendants with a maternal line so the mtDNA can be tested, as this would prove things one way or another. But without a maternal line and MtDNA test,there is no proof. Back in 2001 I compiled my research and sent it to the LDS Church in the hopes of saving other researchers the work. At one point they scanned this and it was available in it's entirety online, but I am not sure if this is still the case. It is available here
ReplyDeletehttps://familysearch.org/search/catalog/1017981?availability=Family%20History%20Library
At the time I compiled this, I was also researching some stories about the Wheldon family in the area having some indigenous descent, however my conclusion that this family was very likely of Wampanoag descent is probably wrong. Information I have found since then make me much more sceptical of the motives of Franklin Bearse, who first recorded these claims in the 1930's, and the birth records for Gabriel Wheldon's children supposedly born in MA to a Wampanoag Mom have reportedly been found in Nottingham, have me thinking this family was almost certainly entirely English. But I was careful to compile the original records, and keep this separated from my speculation about what they all might mean, so even though I made some mistakes, the compilation could still be useful to other researchers,
Hi, I just received DNA results and am now going online searching other descendants of Teague Jones to see if they have traces of Native American. I, too, am a direct descendant of Teague and his son Josiah. My results show 1% Native American and 1% South Asian (Native Americans rumored to be of ancient Asian origin). I am caucasian looking and mostly European/Scandinavian. The only known ancestor of anything non-European on my tree is the rumored Native Americans through Teague's marriage. Apparently he married a woman who was possibly part Native American as her mother's name was Margaret, so says my family tree. Teague's in-laws, Ruhamah's parents, were Samoset Osamequin and Margaret Amatachee. Samoset's father was the famous chief Wasanegin Massasoit. I am interested in knowing if other descendants of Teague Jones are also showing traces of Native American. So far I have uploaded DNA to Ancestry and MyHeritage.
ReplyDeleteHello, I have just stumbled on this story while searching for information about Teague Jones and his life. I have only just discovered that he is my 11th ggf. I saw your post and thought that I would add that I also have trace amounts of Japanese and South Asian ancestry. Like the author of this story I too am a descendent of Josiah and Elizabeth.
DeleteInteresting about what your DNA suggests about your ancestral mix, but I think the MtDNA passed down exclusively through the matrilineal line is the only sure DNA evidence of that 1 lines ancestral origins.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have gotten the stories Franklin Bearse told about the Wheldon family in the 1930’s mixed together with the speculation about the identity of Teague Jone’s wife. They are 2 different families who lived in the same area. Gabriel Wheldon’s wife in England was probable named Jane, as a Jane was the wife of a man of that same name who was in the Nottingham area selling off property, shortly before the Weldon’s were first recorded in New England. When Gabriel died his wife was named Margaret. There is stories Margaret was the daughter of Massasoit, but this is very unlikely to be true. If there was any truth in that story, more probably she was somehow related to the leader of the band close to where the Wheldon’s lived on Cape Cod. It had a very similar name to the band led by Massasoit in RI. But Franklin Bearse who claimed this, was sort of a New England version of Gray Owl, and his many stories of descending from various famous people can usually be proven to be fanciful.
The name and identity of Teague Jones wife is completely unknown, though there is some circumstantial evidence (but no proof) she may have been indigenous to the area. Teague’s daughter, who is my Ancestor was named Ruhamah.
Thank you for the information. I read through your prior comments and clicked on the link which brings up the digital version of your book. I look forward to reading it and understanding more about the family and circumstances. I also really hope others will get tested and share results. Is it possible to track descendants for mtDNA and contact them? Have you also seen the name Helen Gale pop up as a spouse for Teague? It came up on Ancestry.com as the parents of Teague's daughter Ruhamah but looks like it's from a private family database, not an official document.
DeleteTeague is my 9th Great-Grandfather and I would give A LOT to know who his parents really were, especially with the rumors of Captain Jones from the Mayflower, and since Jones is a Welsh name... (Wales holds my intrigue more than any other place on earth!) Ugh, the frustration of not knowing where we came from!
ReplyDeleteTeague is my 10th great-grandfather and I'd love to know where he's from too!
DeleteI have contacted the Mayflower people and there is no way that Teague Jones was born in Nov 1620 in the new Colony. They have records of the children born that first winter. I also looked into the fact that he was the child of Christopher and Josian Jones. This fact would be difficult for the following reasons. First of all, Josian gave birth in Feb 1621 to her son john in England. Christopher was still in America. Being that John Jones was born in Feb of 1621 he would have been conceived in May. If Teague, like some of the writings suggest was born in Nov of 1620 I find it hard to believe because Josian was still preg after Nov of 1620. And in some writings, it has Teague being born in 1624. If this is the case both Josian and Christopher had already passed away. The last time I looked a dead person could not give birth 2 years later. On another note John child born in Feb of 1621 ends up in Virginia. If he had ties to Massachusetts through who his father was why would he have settled in Virginia.
DeleteHoly crow, this is solid gold. I, too, descend from Simeon and Mercy Jones Fowler and I gotta say - Teague feels like fam.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. Please let me know if you find out any new information you can add to this blog post. There is so much that I don't know.
DeleteWow my New computer let me read your blog post and data. I can fill in many holes since I wrote to England to get some data. I also am in touch with the Indians Rahmanaha was from that still live on the Indian land in Mass. They contacted me. Two sisters married back into the tribe verses fight the whites is what I was told. Nickerson mar one of the girls. Which was my first break. I have Teague's parents and one grandparent thanks to English records. O yes be aware: Christopher's Father said HE was NOT Welsh. It is now thought he was Irish. DNA tends to lean that way. and Yes DNA will show Indian if you test with the right companies. or company. WE are many years distant so minimum it minimum. 619 623 5250 if you want to call. I even have records were Judge pardoned him for charges against him by Puritans who didn't to even follow their own rules. Its in the Town Council minutes of the time. Blessings Cousins. Susi Jones Pentico. SusiCP@cox.net or SusiCP1@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteMy ancestor is Capt. Joseph Nickerson who married Ruamah Jones the daughter of Teague Jones and his Wife Ruamah. She was the daughter of Chief Samoset and wife Margaret Ammacchee. You can find this info if you search Capt. Joseph Nickersons genealogy.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteOk, I am going to add some no longer provable data that was sent me at one time and system failed and I lost data. But in early NE data there was information on how Teague got to America. His Mother married the man whom bought Capt C JONES JR.s portion of contract which was shared by three men in England. I also had two letters from England that also went when system failed. MRS Jones wish was to see the country that Christopher spoke so highly of. Letter said they married and that man brought her and the son Teague to USA of today. We will just have to dig until this comes up again. Wondering if Chris Sr had more children and we could find a DNA search. ?
ReplyDeleteFrom my resent research of Teague I do not believe that he is a child of Christopher Jones (Mayflower captain) and his wife. Christopher Jones died in 1622 and it is speculated that Teague was born 1624. Also all eight of Christophers other children are documented and there is no mention of the name Teague anywhere. Christophers wife stays in England while he sails the Mayflower to the New World. She delivers a child Grace in 1619 and another son John in March of 1621. No other children are mentioned. Teague doesnt show up in Yarmouth until around 1645. There are several theories as to where Teague comes from. Some believe he is Irish some believe English. The latter being the most probable. Hopefully the mystery of Teague Jones is solved one day!
ReplyDeleteI have learned there is a small amount of data out there. It took eons to locate it and help from others. It would be great to locate the older brother that was alive when she left England for the USA . She was not his mother his Mom was gone . It is going to take more serious reading and accepting of some very interesting facts to gather more and we all share the known knowledge. Seems some are setting on data and do not want to share. If I had someone to have shared with before we would probably have more data now. I so want to get to the bottom of this. bBessed New Year to you all.
Deletei never know the use of adobe shadow until i saw this post. thank you for this! this is very helpful....conveyancer near me
ReplyDeleteI made an account just to comment here as I have been digging through old family records. I'm a little late to the party, but I thought it was cool we share Teague Jones as an ancestor! Thank you for making this. :)
ReplyDeleteTeague Jones is my Great Grandfather x11. Thank you so much for this blog, i have recently started digging through my dad’s side, as i still carry the last name Jones. I am very intrigued to learn more about Teague & his family, and hopefully his parents as well. It seems unlikely now that it won’t be Christopher Jones, but nonetheless i still want to know. I have only done one DNA test with ancestry, and i have no welsh, or Native American %, but it may be too distant for it to show. There was always rumors in the family that the Jones’s carried indigenous American blood, and even today, family members acknowledge our interesting complexion at times, as we tan super easy and some of my near family show darker complexions, and their mothers were pale, genetics are funny
ReplyDelete