52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 25 – Same Name

It seems I'm late again, but here is a post for last week.

As shown on the title of this blog my name is Joanne. I looked up what Wikipedia said about my name and found that Joanne is a variant of Joanna, which is the feminine form of the name John. I looked at the first names of my ancestors and could not find anyone named Joanne. But I did find one Joanna.

Joanna was so far back in my ancestry that I haven't yet entered her into my on-line tree.

She was my 9^th gt-grandmother, Joanna Greenslade, the wife of James Avery. I feel very fortunate that a well-documented family history has been written about that early Avery family, (Taylor, Maureen A. Editor, The Avery Family: The Ancestors and Descendants of Christopher Avery, Boston: Newbury Street Press, 2004). It tells me that Joanna was baptized 4 Feb 1621/22 at St. Sidwell, Exeter, co. Devon in England, the daughter of Thomas Greenslade. Joanna had immigrated to the “new world” by April 1643 as she was admitted to the First Church of Boston the 18^th day of the 4^th month 1643. It was that same year, on 10 November 1643, when Joanna and James Avery were married in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Their first 3 children (Hannah, James and Mary) were born in Gloucester. About 1650 the family moved to New London, Connecticut, when 6 more children were born (Thomas, John, Rebecca, Jonathan, Christopher, and Samuel)I find it fascinating that the home which James built in Groton, (the part that is now in Ledyard) in 1656 stood for 238 years until it burned in 1894. Due to its long life there are photos of this home where Joanna has lived. It was probably in October of 1697 when Joanna died.

There is also a Joanna found in the New Testament in the Bible. A number of years ago (1981) I wrote a poem about that Joanna. Here it is:

Joanna

Let's notice Joanna in the Scriptures, a lesser-known woman of the Jews.

She shared in Jesus' ministry, a first-hand witness of the good news.

Luke tells us she was married, her husband worked for Herod the king.

She could afford to help Jesus financially and did this very thing.

At the end of Jesus' ministry when he's hanging on the cross

I believe she's one of the women standing afar, sorrowing for their loss.

But we know her actions on Easter, where she was at the beginning of the day.

She was one of the women who came to the tomb where they thought Jesus lay.

To their surprise the tomb was empty and the stone had been rolled away.

“He is not here, he is risen” were the words they heard the angels say.

Then she and the others hurried to the disciples this resurrection news to tell

But the men disbelieved the women till they saw the empty tomb as well.

We'll not find Joanna's name again as we read the Holy Book,

But due to her recorded deeds we can guess the turn her life took.

I think she would have been at Pentecost when the first Gospel message was preached

And she believed and obeyed the word, a part of the three thousand reached.

So, even if I haven't found my name Joanne in either my ancestor list or in the Bible, I am claiming Joanna as the “Same Name.”

Ancestor Birthday - September 17 - Mary Tonge - 1656- 1728

Mary Tonge was my 8th gt-grandmother, born on 17 Sep 1656 or 1657, in New London, Connecticut. She was the daughter of George and Margery Tonge. A New England history stated that George was an early settler in New London and about the time of Mary's birth he was chosen to keep an inn there. He purchased land along the Thames River and it was called the most noted inn in the town. So apparently Mary grew up there with at least 2 older sisters, Elizabeth and Hannah, and a younger brother, George.

When she was 19 or 20, on 6 Nov 1676 she married John Wickwire, a veteran of King Philip's War. They lived in the northern section of the town of New London and in 1786 it was incorporated as a separate town named Montville.

Mary and John had at least 7 children: George, Christopher (my 7th gt-grandfather), John, Elizabeth, Jonathan, Peter and Ann. Some researchers add an 8th child, Phebe. Find A Grave listed Mary's death date as 6 Apr 1728 in Montville. She was buried in Chapman Cemetery, Montville, New London County, Connecticut.

Ancestor Birthday - January 8th - Christopher Wickwire

Christopher was my 7th great-grandfather. He was the son of the immigrant John Wickwire, who was born about 1650 in England. John was in the colonies by 1675 when he served in the military in King Philip's War. It was the next year, 1676, in November when John was married to Christopher's mother, Mary Tonge, in New London, New London County, Connecticut. They were early settlers in the section of New London now known as Montville.

Christopher was the 2nd son, born on 8 Jan 1679/80. My website uses this "double dating" becuase before 1752 the calendar used March 25th as the beginning of the year. So January 8th would be in the latter part of 1679, but in our way of thinking it would be in the beginning of 1680, so I used the double dating system, showing both years.

Christopher was one of 8 children and at least 7 lived long enough to be married. He was married about 1700 to Elizabeth Swaddle. The Wickwire family history compiled by Ellwood Count Curtis shows Christopher and Elizabeth with 9 children and identifies 21 grandchildren. Now I must get busy and enter Christopher's siblings and grandchildren into my database. Part of the goal of blogging about the birthday ancestors is so I will get my database and then my website updated.

check Christopher on my website in a few days and see if I accomplished my goal.

http://www.joanneskelton.com/p96.htm#i2396