In accordance with your request and advance retainer of some weeks ago, I have continued research in an attempt to answer several of your genealogical questions. In the case of early colonial families and their English ancestries, I traditionally rely on the best published sources, rather than double—checking their work with original records (often difficult to hunt down, and not always on film) . These works are always well documented, and I hope they will suffice for the purposes of your research project.

The Hartshorn Families in America by Deriok S.Hartshorn III (l997)provides the most updated information on Joseph Davis (died 1676)and his wife Hannah. The author speculates that Hannah was a Richardson(a well known early Reading family), on what authority is not stated. She is not mentioned among an excellent sketch of the local Richardsons in The Ancestry of Sarah Hildreth, the best source on them.

The marriage date you have listed for Joseph Davis is not his marriage date but the date of his estate administration in Middlesex County. His actual marriage probably occurred about 1667, since their oldest child was born in 1669. I have checked a number of sources including Middlesex County grantor indexes, on the supposition that he and Hannah may have bought or sold land together, or that their children later sold land formerly belonging to Hannah; but found no evidence of such.

The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635 offers the best material on immigrants Thomas Brigham(there is no proof that his wife Mercy was a Hurd) and his son—in—law, Simon Crosby.

In fact, I checked Middlesex County deeds for ALL of the immigrants in your papers who lived there. One interesting deed was found wherein on 2 May 1685 (MCRD 10/654)Francis Moore of Cambridge, yeoman, John Moore of Boston, taylor, and Thomas Moore of Boston, mariner, sold for L70 to John Sawtle (Sawtell)of Cambridge, a house there 3which was formerly the dwelling place of our Hon1d father Francis Moore decd, 2 bounded by the schoolhouse and by Samuel Andrews & by Leut.Samuel Green.

Witnesses were Samuel Andrew, Walter Hastings, John Jenkins and Joseph Russell. We might presume that the above three were Francis Moore Sr.1s only surviving children by 1685. There is no evidence that John Sawtell, who was about the same age as the Moore brothers and married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Post of Cambridge(NEHGS Register, 1972)was related to them.

I suggest that court records might be the best way to find further information on your ancestors, and will pursue this. Meanwhile I wished to get what I have to you without further delay. I have spent about five hours thus far and $10 in expenses; will look forward to corresponding again in the near future. Please advise if you have any comment on records found thus far, and any further suggestions. I am forwarding the report by email but also sending a “hard copy” with photocopies, by regular mail.

sincerely,

R. Andrew Pierce