Elizabeth Tilley - I42510 - Individual Information - Wisconsin and Illinois Genealogy

Elizabeth Tilley (I42510)

Surname: Tilley
Given Names: Elizabeth

Gender: Female

Birth: -- Henlow, Bedfordshire, England
Death: 21 December 1687 -- Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts

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Personal Facts and Details

Notes

Note

Elizabeth Tilley's parents and aunt and uncle died in the winter of 1621. John Carver took Elizabeth in as one of his household. After John and Katherine Carver died in the spring of 1621, John Howland became the head of the household containing Elizabeth Tilley, Desire Minter, and William Lantham. The living arrangements for this household are unknown. After John married Elizabeth, he received four acres of land as the head of household in the 1623 Division of Land.

For 15 years—or almost 20 percent of her life—Elizabeth Tilley Howland was a widow.

She never remarried after her husband and fellow Mayflower passenger died on Feb. 23, 1672/3 and instead played the useful role of grandma while living with her daughter Lydia Brown in Swansea.

Elizabeth was 65 when John died, probably still vivacious and attractive enough to say “yes” to a second husband, but she preferred to remain a widow until she died on Dec. 22, 1687.

The Brown household was ideal for a grandma. When Elizabeth was widowed, the Brown children included James who was 17 years old, Dorothy who was six, and Jabez who was a lively five. Daughter Lydia was born in 1633so she was 39 when her father died.

Elizabeth had barely settled in at the Brown home when King Phillip’s War erupted in 1673. She was forced to flee as Swansea became the storm center of the war. At one point the little community founded only a few years before was almost deserted as residents scurried to safer places such as Barnstable which boasted a population of 3000 compared with 2600 for Plymouth.

Three of Elizabeth’s children—Desire, John and Hope—lived in Barnstable when the Widow Howland moved there. Not far away in Plymouth were three other offspring of the Mayflower couple—Isaac lived in nearby Middleborough and Hannah made her home in Swansea, but Elizabeth had gone to far-away Oyster Bay, Long Island.
There were many other Howlands in Barnstable, including scores of grandchildren who kept Elizabeth busy with her grandmother duties.

Desire Howland was born in Plymouth about 1625, married to John Gorham about 1643 and moved to Barnstable after 1652. Gorham owned a grist mill and tannery there. He was a captain in the militia during King Philip’s War and died in 1676 as a result of war wounds. Five of the Gorham children were born in Barnstable—Jabez, Mercy, Lydia, Hannah and Shubael.

John Howland, second child of John and Elizabeth, was born in 1627 and in 1651 he wed Mary, daughter of Robert Lee of Barnstable. Of their 10 children, the last eight were Barnstable babies. They were Isaac, Hannah, Mercy, Lydia, Experience, Anne, Shubael and John. Both John Howland Jr. and his wife Mary Lee died in the cape town.
Hope Howland, who was born in 1629, married when she was about 17. Her husband was John Chipman who came in 1630 from Barnstaple, Devonshire, England. ‎(Note that the English spelled Barnstaple with a P while the Americans spelled it with a B.)‎

All of the 11 children probably were born in Barnstable. They were Elizabeth, Hope, Lydia, John ‎(he lived only about 15 months)‎, Hannah, Samuel, Ruth, Bethia, Mercy, John and Desire.

So many grandchildren must have taxed Elizabeth’s memory for there were three Lydias, three Hannahs, three Mercys, three Johns, two Isaacs and two with the name Shubael. How could she keep them all straight?
And just imagine Grandma Howland baking birthday cakes with magic candles for all these grandchildren.
Elizabeth’s son-in-law, James Brown, was one of the most prominent of the early settlers in Swansea. He was a leader in the war against Philip, serving as a major. He also was one of the original members of the Swansea church and was fined five pounds for setting up a Baptist church in Rehoboth.

He tried his best to bring peace to Plymouth Colony and went twice to see the Indian leader but found Philip “very high and not p’suadable to peace.”

Large families usually have their tragedies and the Howlands had theirs. Three of Elizabeth’s children—Desire Gorham, Hope Chipman and Ruth Cushman—died before she did.

The war didn’t last any great length of time and in the end Philip lost his head. The Indian chief was shot by another Indian and his head cut off. The bloody skull was taken in triumph to Plymouth where it was mounted on a pike. It remained there for 20 years, a souvenir of savagery. Birds make it a favorite resting place and finally the Rev. Increase Mather too the jawbone.

With fighting over, Elizabeth returned to Swansea where she kept busy helping with the cooking, sewing, cleaning, gardening—caring for family members.

Everyone dies once in a lifetime and for Elizabeth death came on Dec. 22, 1687. She was buried in Little Neck Cemetery in what is now east Providence, Rhode Island. The monument and grave are maintained by the Pilgrim John Howland Society.

In her final will Elizabeth Tilley Howland gave her possessions to her children and grandchildren and expressed her deep religious faith:
“And first being penitent & sorry from ye bottom of my heart for all my sins past most humbly desiring forgiveness for ye same I give & commit my soule unto Almighty God my Savior & Redeemer in whome & by ye merits of Jesus Christ I trust & believe assuedly to be saved & to have full remission & forgiveness of all my sins & that my Soule wt my Body at the generall day of resurrection shall rise againe wt Joy & through meritts of Christ’s Death & passion possesse & inherit ye Kingdome of Heaven…”

She concluded:
“It is my Will & Charge to all my Children that they walke in ye Feare of ye Lord, and in Love and peace towards each other…”

above by Robert F. Huber

--
The last will and testament of Elizabeth Tilley Howland

In ye Name of God Amen
I Elizabeth Howland of Swanzey in ye County of Bristoll inye Collony of Plymouth in New Engl'd being Seventy nine yeares of Age but of good & perfect memory thanks be to Allmighty God & calling to Remembrance ye uncertain Estate of this transitory Life & that all fflesh must Yeild unto Death when it shall please God to call Doe make constitute & ordaine & Declare This my last Will & Testament, in manner & forme following Revoking and Anulling by these p'rsents all & every Testam't & Testam'tsWill & Wills heretofore by me made & declared either by Word of Writing and this to be taken only for my last Will & Testament & none other.
And first being penitent & sorry from ye bottom of my heart for all my sinns past most humbly desiring forgivenesse for ye same I give & Comitt my soule unto Allmighty God my Saviour & Redeemer in whome & by ye meritts of Jesus Christ I trust & believe assuredly to be saved & to have full remission & forgiveness of all my sins & that my Soule w't my Body at the generall Day of Resurrection shall rise againe w't Joy & through ye meritts of Christs Death & passion possesse & inheritt ye Kingdome of heaven prepared for his Elect & Chosen & my Body to be buryed in such place where it shall please my execut'rs hereafter named to appoint And now for ye settling my temporall Estate & such goodes Chattells & Debts as it hath pleased God far above my Deserts to bestow upon me I Do Dispose order & give ye same in manner & forme following ‎(That is to say)‎
First that after my funerall Expences & Debts paid w'c I owe either of right or in Conscience to any manner of person or persons whatsoever in Convenient tyme after my Decease by my Exec'rs hereafter named I Give & bequeath unto my Eldest Son John Howland ye sum of five pounds to be paid out of my Estate & my Booke called Mr Tindale's Workes & also one pair of sheetes & one pr of pilowbeeres & one pr of Bedblanketts,
Item I give unto my son Joseph Howland my Stillyards & also one pr of sheetes & one pr of pillobeeres
Item I give unto my son Jabez Howland my ffetherbed & boulster yt is in his custody & also one Rugg & two Blankeets yt belongeth to ye said Bed & also my great Iron pott & potthookes
Item I give unto my son Isaack Howland my Booke called Willson on ye Romanes & one pr of sheetes & one paire of pillowbeeres & also my great Brasse Kettle already in his possession
Item I give unto my Son in Law Mr James Brown my great bible
Item I give & bequeath unto my Daughter Lidia Browne my best ffeatherbed & Boulster two pillowes & three blanketts & a green Rugg & my small Cupboard one pr of AndyIrons & my lesser brasse Kettle & my small Bible & my booke of mr Robbinsons Workes called Observations Divine & Morrall & allso my finest pr of Sheetes & my holland pillowbeeres,
Item I give unto my Daughter Elizabeth Dickenson one pr of Sheetes & one pr of pillowbeeres & one Chest
Item I give unto my Daughter Hannah Bosworth one pr of sheets & one pr of pillowbeeres,
Item I give unto my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Burlsey one paire of sheets and one paire of Pillowbeeres
Item I give & bequeath unto my Grandson Nathanael Howland ‎(the son of Joseph Howland )‎ and to the heires of his owne Body lawfully begotten for ever all that my Lott of Land with ye Meadow thereunto adjoyning & belonging lying in the Township of Duxbury neare Jones River bridge,
Item I give unto my Grandson James Browne One iron barr and on Iron Trammell now in his possession,
Item I give unto my Grandson Jabez Browne one chest
Item I give unto my Grand Daughter Dorothy Browne my best chest & my Warming pan
Item I give unto my Grand Daughter Desire Cushman four Sheep,
Item I give & bequeath my wearing clothes linnen and Woollen and all the rest of my Estate in mony Debts linen or of what kind or nature or sort soever it may be unto my three Daughters Elisabeth Dickenson, Lidia Browne and Hannah Bosworth to be equally Devided amongst them,
Item I make constitute and ordaine my loving Son in Law James Browne and my loving son Jabez Howland Executors of this my last Will and Testament,
Item it is my Will & Charge to all my Children that they walke in ye Feare of ye Lord, and in Love and peace towards each other and endeavour the true performance of this my last Will & Testament In Witnesse whereof I the said Elisabeth Howland have hereunto sett my hand & seale this seventeenth Day of December anno Dm one thousand six hundred Eighty & six.
The mark of Elisabeth E H Howland ‎(sigittu)‎

Signed Sealed & Deliv'd
in ye p'rsence of us Witnesses
Hugh Cole
Samuel Vyall
John Brown

Know all men that on ye tenth Day of Jan'ry Anno Dom 1687/8 Before me Nathan'l Byfield esq'r Judge of his Maj'ties Inferiour Court of Plea's for ye County of Bristoll, present Jn'o Walley Esq'r one of ye Members of his Maj'ties Councill in New England & Cap't Benjam Church Justice of Peace The abovewritten Will of Elizabeth Howland was proved approved & allowed and ye Administra'con of all & singuler ye goodes Rights and Creditts of ye said Dece'd was Committed unto James Browne & Jabez Howland Exec'rs in ye same Will named well & truly to Administer ye same according to the Will of ye Dece'd In Testimony whereof I have hereunto Sett ye Seale of ye Office for Probate of Wills & granting Lett'rs of Admin'con ye yeare & Day by me abovewritten
‎(Sigittu officij)‎ Nathanael Byfield

Thus Entred & ingrossed this 26: of Jan'ry Anno Dm 1687/8 pr Steph Burton


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	Events of close relatives
Birth	Henlow, Bedfordshire, England
Christening	30 August 1607 St. Mary the Virgin Church, Henlow, Bedfordshire, England
Marriage	14 August 1623 John Howland - ‎[View Family ‎(F18411)‎‎] Plymouth, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Marriage	14 August 1623 John Howland - ‎[View Family ‎(F18411)‎‎] Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Will	17 December 1686 Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
Death	21 December 1687 Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
Death	about 27 December 1687 Swansea, Massachusetts
Burial	1 January 1688 Buried in Brown Lot, Little Neck Cemetery, Riverside, Rhode Island
Probate	10 January 1688 Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
Universal Identifier	9CB201F0FF4D80409296DCFAD7EE5048A6B1
Last Change	29 November 2006 - 17:22:05