I have been teasing certain members of my family about a snippet of info which was lurking between the lines of a genealogy book which was written about both the Massachusetts branch and the Irish branch of the Clements family tree. The common ancestor between the two sections was Robert. Robert had been married three times. His much loved first wife was Lydia with whom he had shared seven children had died in 1642. There is no record of why she died and there is also no record of her surname:
Her Tombstone reads:
IN MEMORY OF LYDIA CLEMENTS BURIED IN THIS CHURCHYARD 1642 WIFE OF ROBERT CLEMENTS WHO MIGRATED TO NEW ENGLAND 1642 AND BECAME ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF HAVERHILL MASSACHUSETTS
It is interesting to notice that nowhere in any of the documents is Lydia's birth family name uttered or mentioned, therefore it will be difficult to find out who exactly she was, other than wife and mother of Clements.
The same year Robert had decided alongside his eldest son Job, that they would move with the remaining children to the New World. (ie. East Coast America)
The two youngest sons, Abraham and Daniel, both eventually found themselves landed on the shores of Waterford, Ireland, via the current army of the time, Cromwell's. They were just eighteen and twenty years old respectively, mere boys, who had been conscripted. All families had to enter at least one family member into the
Rather than stealing land from the Native Americans, they had met with a local tribe and bought the land for x amount of money. There was a river running through it (just like in the film of the same name), I love the romance about that. The decision to leave Lancaster, was not because of poverty or to 'better' themselves, it was to run away from their grief concerning their beloved wife and mother, and to have a new beginning. I view this as an act of love, rather than an act of trying to conquer a new land. There is another reason, and that was the political and religious oppression of the times.
I quote Percival: XX
Another blog will reveal more about subsequent generations after their arrival, which is fascinating and almost unbelievable. For now, I must post this as promised.
Meanwhile our long lost, already departed ancestor Percy Clement-Wood from MA took it upon himself to investigate into the Irish branch of the family, how we got there, when and why. Nothing we didn't already know, but I admire that he had taken an interest as the majority of the original siblings had gone with their father to co-found the town of Havershill on the river Merrimack. This is where the eldest son , Job, must have have taken an exploratory trip and bumped into the tribe who they eventually bought the land from.
I felt blessed and relieved to find out that this was the case and that they had not stolen land through force.
In my travels through his book (of which I had been presented on a CD/DVD) I discovered the actual piece of paper on which the deed was sealed signed and delivered.
I also came across his discovery concerning the roots of the English branch of the family and had traced the name right back to The Wars of the Roses. That sure is a pretty name for a war.
This is where my little secret comes into play....
The name stops with Clement Baker of the Peak.
Before his two sons went off to fight for \Henry Tudor, in tribute to their own father,
they changed their surname from Baker to Clement, and this is the root of the current family name.
Had they not done this, we would be merely Bakers which would have suited me fine, because I do like to bake my own bread!
signing off as Fiocle Baker
(for no particular reason)
(I have yet to find out where The Peak actually is ( It could possibly be somewhere in South Wales, on the top of a hill, which is ultra-cool)
Her Tombstone reads:
IN MEMORY OF LYDIA CLEMENTS BURIED IN THIS CHURCHYARD 1642 WIFE OF ROBERT CLEMENTS WHO MIGRATED TO NEW ENGLAND 1642 AND BECAME ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF HAVERHILL MASSACHUSETTS
It is interesting to notice that nowhere in any of the documents is Lydia's birth family name uttered or mentioned, therefore it will be difficult to find out who exactly she was, other than wife and mother of Clements.
The same year Robert had decided alongside his eldest son Job, that they would move with the remaining children to the New World. (ie. East Coast America)
The two youngest sons, Abraham and Daniel, both eventually found themselves landed on the shores of Waterford, Ireland, via the current army of the time, Cromwell's. They were just eighteen and twenty years old respectively, mere boys, who had been conscripted. All families had to enter at least one family member into the
Rather than stealing land from the Native Americans, they had met with a local tribe and bought the land for x amount of money. There was a river running through it (just like in the film of the same name), I love the romance about that. The decision to leave Lancaster, was not because of poverty or to 'better' themselves, it was to run away from their grief concerning their beloved wife and mother, and to have a new beginning. I view this as an act of love, rather than an act of trying to conquer a new land. There is another reason, and that was the political and religious oppression of the times.
I quote Percival: XX
Another blog will reveal more about subsequent generations after their arrival, which is fascinating and almost unbelievable. For now, I must post this as promised.
Meanwhile our long lost, already departed ancestor Percy Clement-Wood from MA took it upon himself to investigate into the Irish branch of the family, how we got there, when and why. Nothing we didn't already know, but I admire that he had taken an interest as the majority of the original siblings had gone with their father to co-found the town of Havershill on the river Merrimack. This is where the eldest son , Job, must have have taken an exploratory trip and bumped into the tribe who they eventually bought the land from.
I felt blessed and relieved to find out that this was the case and that they had not stolen land through force.
In my travels through his book (of which I had been presented on a CD/DVD) I discovered the actual piece of paper on which the deed was sealed signed and delivered.
I also came across his discovery concerning the roots of the English branch of the family and had traced the name right back to The Wars of the Roses. That sure is a pretty name for a war.
This is where my little secret comes into play....
The name stops with Clement Baker of the Peak.
Before his two sons went off to fight for \Henry Tudor, in tribute to their own father,
they changed their surname from Baker to Clement, and this is the root of the current family name.
Had they not done this, we would be merely Bakers which would have suited me fine, because I do like to bake my own bread!
signing off as Fiocle Baker
(for no particular reason)
(I have yet to find out where The Peak actually is ( It could possibly be somewhere in South Wales, on the top of a hill, which is ultra-cool)
