Murder in New Netherland

Week 31: #52 Ancestors – Oldest

By Eilene Lyon

I consider myself a family historian. Genealogy is a tool I use to construct my family stories. For this reason, my family tree does not wander back to the hinterlands of history. Most of the people I research date from the 18^th century forward. In fact, until this article, I didn’t even have a category on my blog for the 17^th century.

Also, DNA research has revealed that illegitimate conceptions may spring from the cellular realm to take me by surprise. That makes my biological family tree look a bit different from the paper-trail one. The further one goes back in time, the more likely a family tree branch is pure fiction.

Richard Maxson is currently the oldest known ancestor on my tree (wink, wink). He was born in Manchester, England, in 1602, but I do not have any record supporting that date and place as fact.

Richard is the ancestor of two of my 6^th great-grandfathers. His son, John, my 9^th great-grandfather, has the distinction of being my oldest ancestor born on American soil, in about 1639.

Parts of the following story have been handed down through the centuries without documentation. I do not vouch for it being 100% accurate:

Richard Maxson immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts about 1634, along with his wife and two children and other extended family. He worked as a blacksmith for James Everall, a shoemaker who had a tannery. Richard was admitted to Boston church on October 2, 1634.¹

Richard’s wife was Rebecca Marbury, a sister of Ann (Marbury) Hutchinson.² Ann Hutchinson was a popular religious leader (some say prophet) in Boston who ran afoul of the church patriarchs. She was put on trial in 1638 and banished from the colony.³

Ann was persuaded to move to Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The Maxson family was part of the group that migrated with her. They settled on Aquidneck Island, which was later named Rhode Island.⁴ It was here that John Maxson became the first white child born on the island.

In 1639, the new colony went into political turmoil. The original leader, William Coddington, was ousted and Ann Hutchinson’s husband was put in charge.⁵ Richard Maxson was one of the 39 men who signed a new compact governing the group.⁶

About 1642, fearing the Massachusetts Bay Colony would take over Rhode Island, Ann Hutchinson decided to move her family to Eastchester, New Netherland (now part of The Bronx, New York City).⁷ She was unaware that the Dutch purchased the land from natives elsewhere. The resident Siwonoy people were likely unaware of the transaction and were hostile to white settlement in their territory.⁸

The Maxson family apparently also moved around that time to a nearby location now known as Throgg’s Neck.⁹ At the time, it was known as Maxson’s Point. The Hutchinsons and Maxsons did not heed a warning by the Indians not to build homes in that area.

Google Earth image showing the area the Hutchinsons and Maxsons attempted to settle.

In August 1643, the Siwonoy went on a rampage to burn down the houses, possibly expecting to find that the settlers had left after being threatened. Instead, they found the Hutchinson family and proceeded to massacre them all. (I’ll spare you the gory details – they can be found on Wikipedia, if you’re so inclined.)

Only one of Ann’s daughters, away picking blueberries, escaped the slaughter. Susanna had hidden in a cleft boulder where she was later found and kidnapped by the Indians.¹⁰ She was reportedly spared because of her fiery red hair.

Supposedly the split rock where Susanna Hutchinson hid from the Indians (Wikimedia Commons)

The Maxson family, fearing the Indians’ wrath, hid in a shallop* and escaped the massacre. But Richard and his 13-year-old son, Richard, decided to try and aid the Hutchinsons (other reports indicate they went to retrieve personal belongings). When they went back to land the next day, they were also murdered by the Indians. Rebecca, with her other children, was able to row the shallop to safety.¹¹

*Definition of shallop. 1 : a usually 2-masted ship with lugsails. 2 : a small open boat propelled by oars or sails and used chiefly in shallow waters. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shallop

Feature image: Massacre of Anne Hutchinson (Public domain)