Calendars of this time started the year in march, so 1615/6 is to
aviod confusion with the present calandar that starts the year in january .
The calandar wasn't changed untill a century later !!!!! (:>)...
The family was origionally seated at Crocker's Hale, Devonshire England.
John Crocker, with his brother William emigrated to the new world around 1634/5 reportably
on the "Griffin" with preacher Lathrop's church.
I found a story years ago about William as a justice of the peace chaseing
down, presideing over the trial, and hanging an unfortunate indian acused of stealing.
CROCKER. William Crocker, a founder of the town of Barnstable (1639) was born in England (Devon) 1615/6, came
to Roxbury 1634/5, where he married Alice, whose family name is unknown. In Barnstable he became Deacon of the church,
and its Deputy to the General Court 1670, 1671, 1674. In 1643 he moved to West Barnstable, where he died in 1692.
Among his numerous progeny were the
first settlers of Cotuit.
The family of Croker or Crocker who origanally lived at
Crocker's Hele, nr
Hatherleigh (
West Devon & Dartmoor,
Devon) is one of the oldest in the West. Prince, in his "Worthies of Devon", quotes an old saw:
"Crocker, Crewys and
Coplestone; When the conquerer came were at home."
(This saying expresses that the Crocker, Crewys and Coplestone
families were in England long before William the conquerer arrived).........credit to a MUST SEE site !!!
http://home.t-online.de/home/weebers/crock.htm this site also traces a crocker lineage back to one of the knights of King Arthur's round table in the twylite
of Roman Brittian !!!!!!!!!!!!
Crocker's Hale Near Hatherleigh Devon.
The Domesday book mentions Hatherleigh in William the Conquorer's tax audit about 1066:
" The Church itself holds (ownes) Heigherleigh. Before 1066 it paid tax for 3 hides ( a
value), land for 30 ploughs,(???) in Lordship3 ploughs, 6 slaves, 1/4 hides.....
26 villagers, and 6 cottages, with 10 ploughs 1 1/2 hides
meadow 100acres, pasture 3 leagues long and 1/2 league wide; woodland 2 1/2 acres
long, 1/2 league wide.
15 cattle, 10 pigs, 100 sheep, 50 goats.
of this mannors land, Nigel holds 1/2 Virgate of land, less 1/2 furlong, Walter 3 virgates
of land,; geoffery, 1/2 virgate of land,
in Lordship (the Duke owns?) 4 ploughs, 3 slaves. 12 villagers, 4 small holders
and 5 cottages with 6 ploughs, a mill which pays 6d on Geoffery;'s land.
Value of the mannor to the abbott, 10 pounds, to men at arms, 3 pounds, value formerly 9
pounds in total ""
Through the ancient lineage according to Tracy Crocker's page we are decended from the landed gentry that served
and were distantly related to the royal line of English kings. According to the published genology (1902)of the royals
they are decended through many* generations from kings David and Solomon of Israel...so in a toung in cheek way i guess we
are sons (and daughters) of King David of Israel !!! .....chuckle
*120 generations to king David,,,129 gen to Judah, and 152 gen to Adam And Eve !!!!!!!!!!!!
My Aunts' book starts at Freeman Crocker. if you need and info
about the many lines from him i've not listed, please feel free to ask and i'll send them to you for my cost. Info on the
present generation only on family approval.
I've also found some info on the line between william (b 1615) and Freeman in the San Diego gen. library and verified
on Tracy Crocker's site.
Exact birth places dates for this present generation are not included do to security / privacy concerns.
NEW !!! below...
i just recieved (8/6/02) a note that a researcher (in L.D.S. Mormon family ctr microfische archive on Modbury)had found
in the reccords that""Feb 1615/6 the 11th of this month was baptized William ye son of Hugh Crocker and Tomasin (Michell)
his wife" also Hugh And Tomasin were married jan 10 1610...other children mentioned,,, John is mentioned
as baptised in nearby Ermington July 21 1612
The family name is assumed to be origionally from the Norse ,Viking lands
and had probably decended upon england in the twylight of Roman Brittian...
Some of them had married unto the decendants of the Norman conquerors, landed gentry along the way.....for
more on this see .....
Why would William and John Crocker have gone to America ???
Social position was all important in the 17th century.A person simply did not rise in society, this was closed to all
but a few fortunate few. By the 1650's this was as true in America as in the old world. A humorious exhample was the fact
mentioned in "the history of cape cod" by Freeman of a young man wishing to court a girl of an upper class family being forbidden
by a special act of the General Court (the ledgslature) from doing so !!!People were devided into classes by a caste system.Any
thought of democracy was fround upon.
There are even cases in the reccord where some were demoted in the class system for not being propperly respectfull of
authority.
For John and William to be INVITED to join in a settlement on the cape was a rare priviledge, as the following
excerpt shows... So, how did these newcomers get the invite ???
from "A History of Cape Cod "by Kittredge..pp 60/1
""what manner of men were these who started civilization on the Cape ? They were first of all
me to whom democracy, as a theory of govt,as a way of life, was unherd of. No royal parent ever scanned the eligibility of
the sutors for the hand of his daughter with greater care than the plymouth govt scanned the applicants for admission to its
towns. Before any man might own land or build a house in these new settlements, he must pass inspection by the general
court or its local representitives. This law was no dead letter in the statue book- it was vigoriously and unceremoniously
inforced. Every town appointed a coupple of substantial citizens to the unpleasant duty of ejecting undesireables. If a newcomer,
wetherthrough ignorance, arrogance or mere thoughlessness failed to
consult these officials and began to build his house unsantuioned, he was promptly "warned oput
of town" regardless of his desireability and was obliged to leave his housed unfinnished untill he had complied with the law..................two
early gardians of barnstables exclusiveness--William Crocker and Thomas Hutchins--found themselves called upon to perform
the same ruthless duty.......
William was repeatedly elected as a justice of the peace, and was elected 3 times to the General
Court (govt).By just being prosperous in that society he would have been unlikely to achieve this.
Remember, the Pilgrims left southern England, stopped in Plymouth, and the merchants who financed
the enterprise would have been known to the upper classes. Relitives of a local dynasty would have been aware of the economic
possibilities in the Mass Bay Colony.Those with the heritage of a famous family name would have class position , especially
in the new world. Sons of such
families could in the new world reclaim the wealth of their ancestors useing their status in
society to open doors for them.This presents a great motive for William and John to emigrate to the new world.
EXTRA EXTRA !!! NEW as of 10/4/02
my researcher in Devon has confirmed that William's parents are Hugh and
Tomasin beyond much question...and his sibling's names .However wether HIS father was a son of Hugh Crocker
of Lineham is unproveable due to the scarcity of reccords from that time....Only about 50% survived......Name studies however
show It is likely that somewhere back in time there is a connection to Lineham .... Tracy Crocker stated that LETTERS
FROM AMERICA from a John Crocker written in the mid 17th century were found at Lineham many years ago,which
would possibly point to William and John haveing a Lineham connection.
Seven John Crockers of Lineham estate...(for more see
twelfth generation )-- were related by marrage to many prominent families
and served several Kings
Hugh Crocker of Lineham estate, north of Yealhampton, Devon
children John
Francis
HUGH (3rd son of Hugh)
Wether this Hugh is the Hugh who married Tomasin in 1610 is unproveable
at this time, 1/8/04 due do the scarcity of reccords... other researchers have stated they do not think that he is. Since
the Crocker family was in that area of Devon for allmost 1000 years, (since the Viking invasions of the 5th/7th centuries)
it is likely there is a family connection somewhere back in time.
Hugh Crocker m Tomasin Michael 1/10/1610 Ermington, Devon, England
children...John b 7/21/1512
William
b 2/11/1615
other children
Sources: New England Historical and Genealogical Register,
San Diego Public Library....
Maine county records, family records, various Crocker family books.
William Crocker b Modbury,Devon England Feb 11 1615/6 d sep 1692 barnstable ma...m Alice Foster before 1636 she d 1684
children : at age 22 william fathered
John
1 may 1637
Elizabeth 22 sept 1639
Samuel 3 july 1642
Job 19 sept 1644
Josiah 19 sept 1647
Eleazer 21 july 1650
JOSEPH (Sgt) 1654
Joseph Crocker m Temperence Bursley
children :
WILLIAM b 8/25/1679
Timothy b
4/1681
Noah b 12/1683
Joanna
b 7/18/87 d 4/13/1766
Martha b 2/22/1689/90
Temperance b 8/26/1694
Remember b 8/26/1698
William Crocker m Mary Crocker 11/5/1705
children:
Mercy 9/22/1706
William
9/9/1710
Alice 9/1712
Mary 8/1714
Joseph 12/1718
BENJAMIN 3/20 1720
Benjamin Crocker m Bethsheba Hall 4/13/1747
children : Joseph
b 4/15/48
BENJAMIN
b 9/17/49
Timothy b 10/3/51
Agabil
b 11/9/53
Bathsheba
b 11/11/55
Pether b 1/1/58
Josiah b 4/17/60
Benjamin Crocker m 10/78 Deliverance Childs of falmouth d 12/12/1816
children :
Robinson b 7/19/1779
Benjamin b 1781
Celia b ??
Peter b 8/25/86
FREEMAN b ?/?/1785-88 d 8/8/1848
Eunice b ?? m Josiah Blossom
Henry
b b 1791
Benjamin is listed in the DAR Patriot index as having served in the
regular army in the Revolutionary war
so our daughters can join the "Daughters of the Revolution " :)
Freeman Crocker
Born Barnstable Mass 1785 married Rebecca b sept 26 1785 and married
Susan Lewis ???after 1835...moved to Lee, Maine "tween 1830/40
according to the 1840 census
Freeman died aug 8 1848 age 63
Children::: Henry, b mar 31 1809 in pittston; Me, m Elvire Rich
SOLOMON,
bsept 19 1811 in Pittston Me, m Sarah Hanscom
Benjamin,
b mar 30 1816 in Pittston, m Mary Ann Whittmore
Freeman,
born aug 13 1818 in Pittston
Mary, b
nov 16 1820 in pittston
Arnold,
b aug 1 1823, in pittston, m Ann Rich Curry
George W.
b june 27 1824 in Pittston
ISAIAH
,b sept 8 1832 m Elisa Jane Houghton
John
Basset b oct 22 1833 d feb 22 1854
I am decended Both through Solomon and Isaiah !!!!!
Solomon B Crocker b sept 19 1811,d dec 18 1902...m Sarah Hanscom
b nov 20 1808 on mar 10 1840
Children .....Levi Liberty b june 28 1840
Mary b bec 12 1841 m william Hindall june 22 1867
FREDERICK nathaniel b apr 1 1843 m Annie Currie
sept 26 1866
Lucy A b apr 10 1845
George A b apr 7 1850
Frederick and Ann ( Currie) Crocker
Children ...Charles B b oct 28 1867 d july 22 1881
John C b feb 21 1879 d july 15 1881
Emma
A b sept 1 1871 d july 31 1881
Hattie M b june 12 1874 d july 12 1881
Lizzie C b mar 9 1878 d july 14 1881
Mildred
Emma b june 5 1881 m Milton Welch
HARRY CLAIR b apr 24 1884 m Doris
May Hanscom,,,MY GRANDPARENTS
Doris May Hanscom was the granddaughter of Isaiah crocker who was the brother of Solomon crocker !!!!!!!!!
Through the Hanscom family we are related to: :)
Alfonso the Slobberer, one of the kings of Spain ,,, Duncan the Diseased, King of Scotland ,,, Aethelred the Unready,
King of England What a fascinating collection of people!
It turns out that we are directly descended
from William I of England (William the Conqueror),
Henry Clair Crocker m Doris May Hanscom Jan 02 1909
Children....Clair Millard b 1910
m Lila Nute
Bertrand Guy b 1911 m Alma Rollins
Ruth Marion b 1913 m Maynard Clay
ANGIE
b jan 26 1915 m Elmer Brackett
MY PARENTS !!!!! .....both d
Agnes
Mary b 1915 m Horace McGibbon
Earland Fay b 1917 m Helen Lero
Arthur Lionel b 1919 m Kathryn Stevens
Hilda
Louise b 1922 m Henry Rollins
m
eEdon Stockley
Anna Isabel b 1924 m Virgil Hanscom
Pauline Muriel b 1926 d nov 21 1929
Jean Elaine b 1928 n Kenwook Boyington
Frederick Norman b 1930 m Nadine K Fogg
1. William I of England (William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy) and Matilda of Flanders
2. Henry I Beauclerc
and Edith of Scotland
3. Matilda, Princess of England and Geoffrey V Plantagenet
4. Henry II and Eleanor of
Aquitaine
5. John Lackland Plantagenet and Isabella DeTaillefer
6. Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor Berenger
7.
Edward I Plantagenet and Eleanor of Castile
8. Edward Plantagenet and Isabella DeFrance
9. Edward III Plantagenet
and Philippa D Avesnes
10. Edmund King of England and Isabel Perez
11. Richard Plantagenet and Anne Mortimer
12.
Richard Plantagenet and Cecily Neville
13. Edward King of England and Elizabeth Wayte
14. Elizabeth Plantagenet
and Thomas Lumley
15. Sibill Lumley and William Hilton
16. William Hilton and Margaret Metcalfe
17. William
Hilton and Ellen Mainwaring
18. William Hilton and Mary
19. Alice Hilton and George Walton
20. Mary Walton
and Samuel Robie
21. Mary Robie and William Tetherly
22. Mary Tetherly and James Staples
23. Samuel Staples
and Elizabeth Mariner
24. Lucy Staples and Nathaniel Hanscom
25. Jeremiah Hanscom and Eleanor McLaughlin
26.
Orin Hanscom and Martha Ann Hurd
27. Bertrand Edmund Hanscom and Ella Ida Crocker
28. Doris May Hanscom and
Harry Clair Crocker
Did you know ?????
In the story of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, John rode from Plymouth to Barnstable,,,Cape
Cod,,, on his prize bull to ask Priscilla if she would marry Miles Standish...Of course Priscilla wanted to marry
John !!! After John married Priscilla in Barnstable,,, he put a "fine blanket" on his bull and led the bull back
to Plymouth with Priscilla rideing it !!!!! (History of Cape Cod, freeman!!)
In 1638 a great earthquake happened, for many years people refered to events as so many years from the quake..it was
refered to as the quake
"in the days of Uzziah, king of judah".(Zechariah ch 14) There were 5
large earthquakes in this era and 19 smaller earthquakes reccorded
through 1814 !!! (HoCC; F)
that if a man under 30 years old owned an overcoat, he was considered effeminate !!! no "real man" wore a winter coat
!!! (HoCC; F)
if a young man espired to court a girl in a higher social class, the ledgslature could and did pass a law forbidding
him to "attempt to secure her affections"
!!!!!!!!! (HoCC; F)
Most of the Mass Bay colony lived on Cape Cod for the first generation or so
because that is where most of the food was grown !!
In a number of instances, half or more of a comunity abandoned their homes around the Plymouth area to move as a group
to the Cape. Mostly these were whole church congregations. This often left a feeling of abandonment and
dispair behind. The Indians on the Cape were more peacefull and resigned to their eventual extinction than those on the
mainland, and so when King Philip's war started sometime later, another migration to the Cape occured....(HoCC; Freeman)
Freemans comment notwithstanding, the extinction of the Cape Cod indians has been greatly exaggerated !!!
Many of them served as harpooners on the
Nantucket whaleing ships, and the tribes still exhist today... The extended Crocker family has intermarried with Indians
and many prominent families
have some native American hetitage.
