TENTH GENERATION

846. Michael Emerson (15783) (15784)(15785) (15786)(15787) (15788)(15789) was born about 1625 in Howsham, Cadney, co. Lincs, England. (15790) He was baptized in 1627 in Cadney, co. Lincs, England. (15791) He emigrated about 1650. (15792) He died on 18 Jul 1709 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. He was a cordwinder. (15793)(15794) From Jane Emerson James, p. 1: "Michael and Robert Emerson and their sister, Elizabeth (Emerson) Lilford, came to America from Lincolnshire, England ca. the 1650's. No record seems to have been found showing exactly when they arrived or on what ship or ships. It seems probable to me that Elizabeth, who was older, came first to a marriage ca. 1643 that may have been arranged by friends and that her brothers, Michael and Robert followed later. In 1643 Elizabeth was 27, Michael, 16 and Robert 14. We may never know nor may we be able to do more than speculate as to why they elected to become pioneers in the new land. Charles Henry Pope wrote, "Thomas Emerson, their father, was one of the wardens of the parish for some years, and his family was doubtless one of the most loyal to the church; the young men had no local woes or persecutions which they sought to escape, so far as we can judge; some other cause must have nourished in their souls the spring of adventure or the flame of pilgrim zeal. "There was material for this at hand. The valley of the Ancholme wherein Cadney parish lies was only a little way from Gainsborough, one of the places where the Pilgrim church began its history. There Reverends John Robinson and John Smyth preached and gathered a congregation of intelligent, independent Christian men and women. After making Scooby, a bit further west, their meeting place for a short time and being much interfered with, they betook themselves, in 1607, to Holland, by way of Boston in this same Lincolnshire, traveling across the county in a course not very far fron, Cadney parish; so that their sad persecutions, their exile to Holland and their voyage in the 'Mayflower' to our Plymouth, in 1620, were familiar facts to the people of that section. Two of the three children of Thomas and Margaret Emerson who finally came over here were not born till after the 'Mayflower's' voyage was made, and the sister was but four years old at that date; but the air was still throbbing with the echoes of the hatred and cruelties of their persecutors, when Elizabeth, Michael and Robert learned to read and begin to understand what Christianity really meant. Besides, a second veritable Pilgrim company under the leadership of Rev. Ezekiel Rogers assembled at Rowley, in Yorkshire, and founded Rowley in Massachusetts; and the young men, when making an occasional trip down the Ancholme and along the Humber to Kingston upon Hull (commonly called Hull), must have heard about that minister and the peo- ple who composed that church colony. "At all events, the trio of Howsham Emersons actually came over to our Rowley and joined with those Yorkshire folk in due time, probably about the year 1650. Elizabeth's husband, Thomas Lilford, was a resident of new Rowley for some years; Robert married a Rowley girl and probably lived at that plantation before making his home in Haverhill. We may reasonably believe that their motive in coming across the Atlantic was not to escape persecution, but to.better their condition; that the lure of a new country drew them; and that they kept in the western world all manner of love and tender thoughts for the father and mother and brothers and sisters and other kinfolk who remained in the valley of the Ancholrre and up in the wold where Sereby lay. The father's will shows his undiminished love for the children certainly."

From Jane Emerson, p. 10, 11:
"Michael Emerson...came to America on or before March 1, 1651 when he was named as a possible witness to the Grand Jury of Essex County court. His place of residence is not mentioned then but on 3 Mar 1655 he received from Haverhill one of the allotments of land which were made to inhabitants in the form of two cow commons and four acres of meadow "to be laid out after the second division of meadow is all laid out." On 17 Jan 1658 in the third division of meadow he was given a quarter acre to add to his four acres already given. On 28 Feb 1661 he had 6 portion in the fourth division of meadow. Also in 1661 he exchanged his two cow commons for two ox commons with the grant showing that he owned two cows at that date.
On 6 Jan 1662 he purchased with his brother Robert a farm of six acres in the southwestern part of the town. The price was eighty five pounds and the deed had the condition that they should "pay for two acres and a half of accomodations upon ye sd land." Afterward at an unknown date the town gave him a tract adjoining his farm and on 14 Dec 1663 permitted him to exchange some land. Transcripts of these documents follow: Laid out to Michaell Emerson Forty and four acres of upland adjoining to his other land which he had of Robert Swan, bounded with a white oak between Thomas Lillford and him and with a black oak at the pond. One acre of Meadow in that land is laid out to Mr. Ward, bounded with upland...Michael Emerson was a man of decision and ability. He was elected constable in 1659 and a sample of his handwriting has been preserved in the files of the Essex County court in which he endorsed the back of a warrant...Besides the work of the court a constable had to collect "rates" or taxes and keep close personal accounts with the town. Michael Emerson filled other positions of responsibility. He had learned the trade of "cordwainer" or shoe- maker, which then included a knowledge and skill covering all materials and work entered into the trade. Thus he was chosen "sealer of leather", the officer who had authority to see that all sales of leather were made honestly as to quality and quantity. He was the first to hold this office and was elected to it every year from 1675 until 1702. In 1677 he was appointed a helper, Andrew Greeley, after he "complained." He was appointed to join with Newbury men to "lay out and state the way between us" 19 Nov 1662 and was the surveyor of highways in 1695, his portion being between the Saw Mill river and the Great Plain." At the same town meeting he was elected "one of the tithing men", appointed to keep order in the place of worship--very good evidence that he was a church member.
Two shadows are cast over the good name of Michael Emerson in the copious records kept. In his 88 years he was seemingly disliked by a neighbor named White and he was once fined for mistreating one of his 15 children. In his history of Haverhill, Chase quoted the town record thus: "This year 1666 Michael Emerson moved into town and settled near the White-house-on Mill Street. The grantees offered that if he would 'go back to the woods' they would give him a tract of land. He accepted the offer, and settled not far from the corner of Primrose and Winter streets. The 'Emerson Estate' on the south side of the latter street is part of the original tract of Michael Emerson." And in his Haverhill (an unpublished manuscript held in the Haverhill, Mass. Library) Chase quotes from the 1674 Records of the County Court, "Michael Emerson was fined 5s for his cruel and excessive beating of his daughter with a flayle swingel and kicking of her." He was under bonds in Hampton Court 16 May 1676 and it was abated in Nov 1676. Chase says that the daughter was Elizabeth who would have been 9 years old at the time. He was married to Hannah Webster on 1 Apr 1657 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15795) (15796)(15797) (15798)(15799) (15800)(15801) (15802)

847. Hannah Webster(15803) (15804) (15805)(15806) (15807)(15808) (15809) was born about 1636.(15810) (15811) She died after 1709. (15812) Children were:

child423 i. Hannah Emerson.
child ii. John Emerson(15813) (15814)(15815) (15816) was born on 30 Jul 1659 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15817) (15818)(15819) He died on 15 Aug 1659 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15820)(15821) (15822)
child iii. Mary Emerson(15823) (15824) was born on 5 Oct 1660 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15825) (15826)
child iv. John Emerson(15827) (15828)(15829) was born on 18 Mar 1661/62 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15830)(15831) (15832) He died on 6 Mar 1745 in Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15833)
child v. Samuel Emerson(15834) (15835)(15836) was born on 2 Feb 1663/64 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15837)(15838) (15839)
child vi. Elizabeth Emerson(15840) (15841) (15842) was born on 26 Jan 1665 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15843) (15844)(15845)
child vii. Abigail Emerson(15846) (15847) (15848)(15849) was born on 17 Dec 1667 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15850)(15851) (15852) She died on 31 Dec 1667 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15853) (15854)(15855)
child viii. Jonathan Emerson(15856) (15857) (15858) was born on 9 Mar 1669/70 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15859) (15860)(15861) He died on 19 Aug 1736.(15862)
child ix. Abigail Emerson(15863) (15864)(15865) was born on 20 Nov 1671 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15866)(15867) (15868)
child x. Judith Emerson(15869) (15870)(15871) (15872) was born on 2 Jul 1673 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15873) (15874)(15875) She died on 8 Sep 1673 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15876)(15877) (15878)
child xi. Judith Emerson(15879) (15880)(15881) (15882) was born on 29 Sep 1674 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15883) (15884)(15885) She died on 7 Nov 1677 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15886)(15887) (15888)
child xii. Joshua Emerson(15889) (15890) (15891)(15892) was born on 2 Mar 1675/76 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15893)(15894) (15895) He died on 26 Mar 1675/76 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15896) (15897)(15898)
child xiii. Ruth Emerson(15899) (15900) was born on 8 May 1677 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15901) (15902)(15903) She died on 28 Aug 1677 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15904)(15905)
child xiv. Joshua Emerson(15906) (15907) (15908) was born on 17 Nov 1678 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15909) (15910)(15911) He died in Jun 1742.(15912)
child xv. Susanna Emerson(15913) (15914)(15915) (15916) was born on 30 Apr 1680 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15917) (15918)(15919) She died on 8 May 1680 in Haverhill, Essex Co., Massachusetts. (15920)(15921) (15922)