INTRODUCTION. New England His While I was engaged upon this work some ten years ago, I was told that Elisha Philbrook had made an extensive collection of records of the family for publication. I immediately addressed a letter to him; but he had removed from his former residence in Wisconsin, and for years I could hear nothing of him. When I was preparing a sketch of the first four generations, for the torical and Genealogical Register, July, 1884, I learned that he was living and had resumed his work upon the genealogy. I at once proposed to him that we unite our collections and publish them together, to which he agreed. I sent my manuscript to him, to be returned with such additions and corrections, as he might be able to make; but he did not return it; and it seems he died in a few months. So I was obliged to go over the ground again. Since his death, by the persevering efforts of Mrs. Clara Philbrick and her family, of Salem, Mass., most of his genealogical writings which could be found, have been placed in my hands, and I have learned how much expense I should have saved, if I could have had the same seven years earlier. He deserved much credit for his patient and laborious efforts to perpetuate the memory of our ancestors. Though want of funds prevented him from completing and printing his records, he succeeded in waking some of the family to an interest in the subject which I hope may long continue. In the Appendix to this volume, there is a brief sketch of his life and labors, by one who is able to appreciate the value of his work. [See Note A Appendix.] The most of his important records were already on my pages. They are, however, of value, as confirming the correctness of the information I had collected, and have aided me in correcting dates &c. The passages in this work, copied from his manuscript are included in brackets, [], and followed by the letters, E. P., his initials. If any one asks why I have been willing, without any pecuniary return, to expend so much labor and money upon this work, I will refer him to the words of another, the President of the Genealogical Society, which very correctly express my own feelings. "To know nothing of our ancestry, or whence we came, to have no reverence for the precious memories of the past, nor interest in those who are to succeed us in the battle of life, is to ignore the elements and influences that have made us what we are, and to repudiate the natural instincts and affections of the human heart, - to suppress the aspirations and hopes of a soul that is to come on through the endless ages of eternity. "What more precious testimonials of your love of kindred and home can you leave than that which provides for the transmission of the history of your ancestors, yourself and family to future generations. This is a trust that Providence has confided to your care ; and who, so dead to sympathy and affection, to kindred and to country, that would not preserve the records of his ancestors, the place of his birth, the home of his childhood, and the sacred spot where repose the loved and lost ones of Earth?". - Hon. Marshal P. Wilder's address at the annual meeting of the Society in 1884. In closing, I must express my obligations to Mrs. H. A. Godfrey, of Hampton Falls, to Mrs. Clara Philbrick and daughters, of Salem, Mass., to whom I am deeply indebted; also to Andrew J. Philbrick, Esq., of Danville; Wm. S. Philbrook, Boston; Hon. J. D. Philbrick, Andover, N. H.; Francis T. Philbrook, Geneseo, Ill.; H. J. Philbrick, Kittery, Me.; and especially to Rev. M. T. Runnells, in his "History of Sanbornton, N. H." James W. Cox, of Oakland, Cal., and many others have aided, whose names appear in the body of the work. EXETER, N. H. JACOB CHAPMAN. NOTE. There has been a difference of opinion respecting the year that Thomas P1. removed from England to America. An old record in a family Bible of Capt. Jonth.5, grandson of William3, says, "He came fr. England in one of the transports [for settlers] in 1633." The descendants of this branch of the family seem confident that this record is correct. But on the other hand, JONATHAN3 of Hampton, who was ten years old when his grandfather, THOMAS1 the emigrant died there, says that his father, THOMAS PHILBRICK, JR., was b. in England in the year 1624, and was six years old when he was brought over the ocean to the American shore. ABNER of the 5th generation, b. 1708, who lived with his great uncle Jonathan 20 years, and was heir to half of his estate, was a teacher well educated for the times. He made a record of these statements which that branch of the family receive with confidence. Thomas, who crossed the sea, at six years of age, died only eight years before the birth of Abner, and most of his eight children were then living, and some of them probably had records of their father's birth and of his age when he came to our shores, so that Abner could easily ascertain the facts, before · putting them in writing. Again, if Thomas Philbrick was a shipmaster, he may have crossed the ocean many times, and the removal of the eight members of his family may have been some at one time and others at another time. We know he was at Watertown in 1636, and Bond may be correct in the supposition that "he was of that company that came over in 1630"; and that most of his seven children were born in England, and some of them may have been of age when they left England. I. State. 2. Names of Towns in New Hampshire omit the initials of the When several children are b. in one town, the name of the town is given with the first, and not repeated with the name of each child. 3. Dates before 1752 are in old style; and when double dates are given, from January 1st to March 25th, I use the last figure to indicate the Historical in preference to the Civil and Ecclesiastical year, which began March 25th. When during that period only one date is found, the year is uncertain, and hence we may find, in different records a different year is named. 4. Abbreviations. Abt., about; ae., aged; b. born; bapt., baptised; ch., children; d., died; dau., daughter; m., married; unm., unmarried; rem., removed; res., residence or resided; s., son; w., wife; s. p., (sine prole) without issue. 5. The small index figure at the right of a name denotes the generation of the person, dating from the emigrant, Thomas1. 6. The families are numbered in order, and large figures at the left of a name refer to the number of the family on pages following. 7. The children of a family are numbered by Roman capitals, I, II, III, &c. These numbers are not always in the order of their birth. The grand children are numbered by Arabic figures, 1, 2, 3, &c. The great grand children by figures as 1), 2), 3), &c. 8. The names of children that died young are often omitted in the Index. 9. A passage enclosed in brackets [] followed by an interrogation point (?) indicates that the words are doubtful. In spelling I usually follow the briefest and latest form, spelling those among the earlier generations as I suppose they wrote their own names. 10. Many families would have received more extensive notice if I had received their records in season. By abridging and condensing, I have been able to put upon my crowded pages many records which would otherwise have been left out. |