The Pollard Family
The Pollard Family |
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| Don's Family - Pollard, Carlsen, Rasmussen, Abbott, Gripman, McMannus, and more to come |
Pollard's first, then Abbott's, and the Carlsen's
I'm sure most Pollards have checked a
Our Pollards belong to the Billerica Pollards. Billerica, once part of Cambridge, was set off in 1655 and is some 20 miles north-west of Boston. The forefathers of the Pollards originally came from the Danes, settling in the county of Antrim, Ireland in the fifteenth century. In the sixteenth century a branch of these Pollards crossed to Northumberland, England and in the 17th century two brothers went into Sussex, South England and crossed over to America in 1620. One of the brothers settled in Boston and the other was shipwrecked on an East India trip. Thomas Pollard was born about 1670 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England,and died April 4, 1724 in Billerica, Mass. Thomas was the first of this branch to come to the U.S. His wife was Sarah Farmer, also a cousin from his mother's side, who was born in Ansley, Warwickshire. Thomas came to Billerica in 1690 where he purchased land and accumulated a substantial estate, "but his chief wealth was his ten stalwart sons and four daughters." He erected a house on his original land which was the birthplace of his grandson, Asa. The land remained in the hands of his family until 1893 when William Pollard died without heirs and the property passed into alien hands. Thomas and his wife were buried in the Old Corner Burial Grounds, near the junction of the Boston and Salem Roads. Two brown stones, crudely inscribed, still stand to mark their last resting place. These stones are inscribed: "T.P. 1724" and "S.P. 1725." The Minute Men and Asa Pollard The Billerica Colonial Minute Men was the militia formed to protect the pioneer settlers from both the Indians and the old enemy, The French. Men from Billerica fought in the Indian Wars of the late 17th and early 18th Centuries and the French and Indian Wars of the 1740's and 50's, as well as the American Revolution. Actions that would eventually lead to Revolution began early in Billerica. In 1768 the town meeting voted to promote "home manufacture" and boycott English goods. In 1773 the town meeting made a list of grievances they had with the British Government. Among these grievances was the fact that the new taxes levied on American citizens were unconstitutional and that they would vigorously maintain their freedom. This list of grievances was forwarded to Sam Adams, who ran the Committee of Correspondence in Boston. In 1774 when the port of Boston was closed by the British as punishment for the Boston Tea Party, Billerica sent a strong vote of support to the beeaguered city, referring to the king as a tyrant trying to force America into Slavery. On April 19, 1775 the war was began in earnest. A man from Billerica, Nathaiel Wyman, was on Lexington Green when the "shot heard round the world" was fired. Over 100 men from Billerica would march to Concord to join the fighting at Meriam's Corner, the spot that marks the beginning of the British running retreat back to Boston. Nathaniel Wyman was killed that day, and two other Billerica men were wounded. A month later when the Americans were building an earthwork redoubt on Breed's Hill in Charlestown Asa Pollard of Billerica had his head blown off by a cannon ball fired from a British ship. He was buried in the redoubt as the men continued to work. He is remembered as the first American casualty of the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775. BACK TO THE FAMILY POLLARD Thomas Pollard ( b. Abt 1670 d. 1724) was a son of William Pollard and Mary Farmer, and a grandson of John Farmer and Isabella Barbage. Thomas emigrated from Coventry, Warwick, England about 1690 with his widowed grandmother, Isabella Barbage. In Billerica, she married Thomas Wiswall, an early immigrant of Massachusetts. Thomas married Sarah Farmer, a first cousin and had 15 children who migrated into Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Our line is through Thomas' son, NATHANIEL and MARY, born about 1706, to BENJAMIN (b.1740) and SUSANAH (TAY) Pollard, to Jonathan b. 1777. More on these Pollards, later, but for now, let's turn to the Abbott family. I recently discovered a discrepancy between what I had previously posted on this site and that which is published in Major Abbott's book. I have determined that the Major's information is supported by other documentation, and I will use it. So I apologize to all for any confusion. THE ABBOTT FAMILY The Abbott Family is an old line one dating back to about 1470 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertsfordshire, England. There are possible connections to three brothers: George, Bishop of Canterbury; Robert, Bishop of Salisbury, and Sir Morris Abbott, Knight, Lord Mayor of London, etc. These three all wrote their names using two "T's", so that is the origin of the use of the extra T in the English families. Morris went even further and changed the spelling of his name from MAURICE to MORRIS. Because of the adoption of by these distinguished brothers, it became the custom with the families to spell their name with the double T. This is also true in regard to parents naming their children GEORGE after the famous archbishop. The consequences are still confusing...there were three George Abbotts among the six early pioneers of the family in America. Our progenitor is referred to as GEORGE OF ROWLEY, Massachusetts. His son, George, moved to Andover, Mass, but was the second of that name to arrive. Thus, he was called "Junior" and the firstcomer was name "Senior." even though they were, in fact, third cousins. He was one of the original settlers in what was known as "North Parish", when it was incorporated as a separate town in 1855. The original town was incorporated as Andover in 1646. Settlements were begun as early as 1641 or 1642. The earliest list of settlers is found on the fly leaf preserved in an old volume. "The names of the freehoulders in order as thay came to towne: Mr. Bradstreet John Osgood Joseph parker Richard Barker John Stevens Nicholas Holt Benjamin Woodbridg John ffry Edmond ffawkner Robert Barnard Daniell poore Nathan parker John Aslett Richard Blake William Ballard John Lovejoy Thomas poore George Abbott John Russe Andrew Allen Andrew ffoster Thomas Chandler" As at Rowley, Mass, the early settlers probably did not at first own land in severalty. In due time, however, lots of land were assigned to them. Goodman Abbott received four acres upon that distribution. (John Osgood, who is also in our line received 20, so he must have been considered very wealthy.), and George Abbot, Jr, also received four. He didn't enjoy his land for long, though, as he died in 1647. Guardians were appointed for the children; George, b. in England about 1631; Nehemiah, Thomas who became know as Senior, because another Thomas had been adopted and was know as Junior. George (through which our family is descended) came to New England with his father, about 1642. He was a husbandman and tailor, very thrifty and industrious,and for that day was well off, being, according to the tax list as one of the five wealthiest men in Andover. He was a member of Sergt. James Osgood's Militia Cmpany. He was made a freeman in 1669 and was elected constable in 1680. He probably held other offices, but we know that for many years he had charge of the North Meeting House and was the bell-ringer in 1679/80. In all, he probably had charge of the meeting house for about 30 years. George had married Sarah Farnum April 26, 1658, and they had nine children. Sarah was the daughter of Ralph and Alice Farnum who had sailed from Southampton, England in 1635 on the Brig James. There were many notable descendants of this couple many serving in the military and in the wars that were to come. One, John Farnum, was a member of the convention for framing the Constitution of Massachusetts. Gen Joseph B. Farnum was a Captain during the Revolutionary War and 16 years a member of congress, four years Speaker of the House and six years Senator from the State of Massachusetts. Well, I guess that will do it for the Abbotts, for now. I'll be back with more, real soon And now a few words on the distaff side.... THE DANISH TERROR, Dagmar (rhymes with ALMA), don't call me DAG-MAR CARLSEN Don's mother was DAGMAR ELIZABETH CARLSEN whose family immigrated to Utah in 1909 from Nibe, Aalborg, Denmark. We are lucky that her sister ALMA added her genealogy into the LDS Ancestral File...but, she made a mistake that we know of because she shows George Henry Pollard as born in Denmark (or maybe it was just wishful thinking). Dagmar was the daughter of ANDERS CHRISTIAN CARLSEN and METTE MARIE RASMUSSEN. Anders was an influential butcher in their home town, and I understand, the mayor. The entire family converted to the Latter-Day-Saints who made a large mission of Denmark. Family history maintains that when Anders died, Grandmother Mette Marie followed through with their plans and joined the Mormon Immigration Movement. She brought her children and parents to Salt Lake to make a new life. We don't know much of Grandmother Mette Marie, but she must have been a determined woman. George Henry married Dagmar in Salt Lake City in 1915. They moved to Los Angeles, California, where George practiced his trade as a carpenter/ house restorer. That is how he provided a home for the family during the depression; buying a run down house, rebuilding it, then selling it to buy another. That continued for quite a while until Dagmar decided she was tired of moving and refused to leave.... until George told her the house was sold.... She moved into a rental and he moved to Oakland to start a new life. Don was the youngest of seven children. His siblings include ROGER WILFORD (Pappy) b. 1916 d. 1952, VERNON LEROY (Ernie) b. 1918 d. 1974, GEORGE HAROLD (Dutch) b. 1920 d. 1993, MARION JUANITA (Living), KENNETH EUGENE (Kenn) b. 1925 d. 1992, and GLEN ELWOOD b. 1929 d. 1987. More to come on the Pollard Family..I wonder where my searches take me... |
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