Charles at School. The Formative Years....

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Dad goes by different names to the different groups of people that know him. To his older relatives he is known as CB. To us he is Dad. To the people at WalMart he is Charlie and to the Grandkids he is Grandpa.
Oh, I forgot..... Mom has several different words for him depending on her mood or his mood. Some are as close to endearing as they can get considering their over 50 years of marriage and others not so endearing. They really know how to push each other's buttons when they are so inclined.

This is a post of Charlie, CB, Dad and Grandpa's early years in school. He attended school in Lead, South Dakota until his parents divorced. Then he and Grandma Elda moved to Belle Fourche where he attended Belle Fourche High School.

Click on the Picture to Enlarge

Here we have living proof that Dad attended Kindergarten. This is his official Kindergarten graduation photo. Dad is the boy on the far right standing. His ears give him away. He doesn't look too happy. Kindergarten may not have been easy, how could it have been considering there were 34 students in his Kindergarten class! Can you believe it?! Today's public would demand a school board's head if we had kindergarten classes that size today. Back then it was the norm. Teachers had a way of dealing with large classes back then. Teachers could paddle you then. You stepped out of line you got the ruler on your palms or the board on your backside. Oh, the good ole days......

Click on the Picture to Enlarge

This is the actual graduation certificate. This was the start of what was to become dad's greatest asset - his sharp intellect (according to him). Oh, he also points out the fact that he was considered the best looking guy in the school. Mind you, that statement is a hard one to prove considering most of his classmates are either dead, lost to time or suffering from dementia and can't contradict his memory of the way things were. Of course there are those in our family of advanced years that remember Dad during his school years. I wonder what their memories of Dad are during his school years? Anyone want to share?

Click on the Picture to Enlarge

Here is a school picture of Dad when he was 12 or 13. That hair is what set him apart I'm sure. Didn't every boy back then want a flat top?

Cheers to ya Dad!

Simply,
Victor

Life on the Montana Ranch Continues. The Mattsons.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Its a warm Sunday in Pleasant Grove. The windows are open to let the cool valley breeze blow through.
Mother (Luella) brought a couple wicker baskets full of pictures upstairs for review. I had no idea there were so many old family pictures! Had I known I might not have started this blog! But I'm neck deep in it now and its too late to turn back. I'm committed to getting all the family pictures digitized and published so everyone can enjoy them and read the stories of "the old days on the ranch, or in Rapid, or in Utah....."

Today we gather around a patch of old dusty ground in eastern Montana, the site of the old Mattson Ranch, one mile from Piniele. There isn't much left of the ranch house except for the memories of the Mattson children that once lived there. So, with Luella at my side ready acting as tour guide (in her house coat no less - taking it easy on a Sunday) we start a walk through the past.

Enjoy your time spent on the Montana ranch. It was a happy place. "Everyone loved to come to the ranch. The coffee pot was always on and there was always something ready to eat. We had company morning, noon and night. The ranch was on the dirt road so anyone passing was obliged to stop, have a cup of coffee and a biscuit and visit. The house always had company. It is just the way we lived," Luella said as she clutched the photos you're about to see in her hand.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
"Yes, let's start," she replied. So, today its our turn to stop, have a cup of Great Grandma Ida's coffee and visit. Its a warm day so we'll sit outside to talk. Oh, and if you have to use the facilities, the outhouse is around back......


Picture 1. Mother remembers this picture was taken during the winter of 1949. It was one of the worst winters they'd had on the ranch. The snow was deeper than Great Grandpa Albert's head.

This was the trail on the way to the two hole outhouse. You can see the outhouse's top over the snow. The outhouse was in the back of the house. Mother said she was afraid of skunks near the outhouse during summer nights.
"We used the Montgomery Ward or Sears Catalog for toilet paper. The smell wasn't too bad. I used to go to the outhouse from time to time just to get away from my brothers and sister," Luella said. She hesitated to confess possible trips to the outhouse for a smoke as a teen but I got her to fess up that it was a distinct possibility. Naughty Luella.

Picture 2. This picture was taken in front of Roxy Jacobson's home in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Roxy used to be the Mattson's neighbor in Montana before moving to Belle to open this boarding house. As fate would have it, Luella met her future husband CB (Charlie) in this home when she was eight years old and he was ten. Dad and his mother, Grandma Elda, lived in this boarding home after Elda and Grandpa Charles divorced. Mother said that dad would show off to her on his bike.

Grandma Mattson needed to come to Belle because of hemorrhaging. Luella was young so it was thought she should stay with Grandma Violet while she recovered. Luella and Violet stayed at Roxy's boarding house. Violet and Grandma Elda became friends. Mother remember this was the first time she'd used a proper bathroom with taps and running hot water. It was also the first time Luella remembers taking a proper bath in a porcelain bathtub. On the ranch they used a portable tin tub.

From left to right. Irene Jacobson, Luella sitting on her grandmother Ida's lap, Jens Jacobson,
Marie Simmons(?), Walter Mattson (Luella's father), Helen Lidman (Luella's cousin), Roxy Jacobson, and finally Violet Mattson (Luella's mother).

Picture 3. Walter Mattson (Luella's dad) is holding Aunt Linda. The other baby is Carlene Maus (a cousin). Taken on the Maus ranch near Hermosa South Dakota.

Picture 4. The entire student body of Piniele, Montana's one room school house taken in 1947. Mother hated the braids in her hair. Grandma made her wear them. It was either braids or curls.

Left to right. Harvey Cambell, Charles Gosslin, Luella Mattson, Jerry Rosencranz (with the baseball hat), Margaret Huff (above Jerry), Tommy Simmons (with cowboy hat), Billy Rosencranz (kneeling next to Jerry), Kathleen Landcaster, Keith Landcaster, and finally Francis Rosencranz.

It was an all grade school house with 5 year olds to teen age boys. Classes were called up to the teacher's desk one at a time for lessons. After the lesson you were given seat work and the next class would be called up to the desk. Most of the kids road horses to school. Mom and her brothers and sister walked the 1 mile to school. In the winter Walter took them in a sleigh. The school had a big pot belly stove for heat.
"In the winter we'd put our wet shoes near the stove to dry so the school always smelt of rubber," Luella said.

Grandma Violet (Luella's mother) was the school's room mother. She put on all the school's plays. After the school plays there were refreshments and then dancing. Everyone loved to dance. Luella used to stand on Louie Talcott's shoes when she'd dance with him.
"Thats how you learned to dance," she said. Grandma Violet always knew the latest dances. She'd drive all the way to Belle Fourche to learn them if she had to. Once she knew the dance she'd teach the boys and girls in the school house.

The girls sold basket lunches as a school fund raiser. The girls and their mothers prepared basket lunches (fried chicken biscuits etc) then sold them in an auction to the boys and their dads. The moms and girls were required to eat with the person that bought their lunches.

The Piniele students went to Brodus Montana for high school. Brodus was 32 miles from Piniele so Luella boarded with a family in Brodus along with her best friend Penny Thex. They shared the same bed. Grandpa Walter brought Luella to Brodus every Sunday night. On the way they'd listen to Gunsmoke on the truck radio. Walter picked Luella up every Friday night to bring her back to the ranch. Mom was 13 years old when she started school in Brodus. Mom liked being in town and being around other people. .

Mom and Penny smoked cigarettes in their bedroom downstairs. During her time in Brodus Luella needed spending money. She went to the cafe and got a job washing the cafe's dishtowels at her boarding house. She and her friends hung out at the movies and at the soda fountain in the drug store.

Picture 5. Luella and Linda on the ranch. Mother was pigeon toed for awhile. Her feet straighted out over time. Mother was seven. Linda was four.

Picture 6. Walter and Violet went to Belle Fourche and bought John and Marvin coveralls with matching caps. Of course the event required a photograph.
"That was the last time those outfits were that clean," Luella said.


Picture 7. We finish with Luella walking down the ranch road with her doll.

We must be careful not to stay too long and outlast our welcome so let's leave the Mattsons to their work and continue down the duty trail to the highway.

We live in a different time don't we. We are less inclined to stop in to visit neighbors and less inclined to ask for help. Our electronic world offers unique access to each other electronically but with that comes the cold separation of distance. Will we ever get that Mayberry, down home life again?

Perhaps its time to get in the car, or just walk across the street and have a 'Visit' with a good friend or relation.

Remember, the Fortress is always open if you are ever in Pleasant Grove. No front porch but there is a back deck with a wonderful view of a pleasant Utah valley.

Simply,
Victor

The Mattsons at Home in Lead, South Dakota, 1913

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Several posts today. Mother is in house with boxes of photos pulling them out by the dozen. I can hardly keep up so the more I talk the less I get posted. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a bottomless pit of quicksand and sinking deeper and deeper. The pictures are mounting and the stories so many to tell.......

In this post we have two pictures:

These are photographs of Albert John Mattson and Ida Thornburg Mattson with baby Walter (My Grandfather, Violet's Husband) taken in their home in Lead South Dakota in 1912. Albert worked in Homestake Mine. They also owned a few rentals. Walter was their only child.


Simply,
Victor

Mary Waters, A Williamson 11th Great Grandmother. A Remarkable Woman.

A Woman from our 11th Great Grandmother's Time in England.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I'm back from my trip into deep space at the Space Camp! I'm tired but thats typical for a Saturday evening. This is going home and collasping on the couch time BUT before I do I wanted to introduce all of you kind enough to stop by our digital fire this evening to my 11th Great Grandmother on the Williamson side. So all you Williamsons out there, pull up a log, get out the marshmellows, get yourself a stick and conjure up a few smores while I talk. Nothing beats a viritual family get together does it? No mess, no planning, you come when you have a moment and leave when the kids become unbearable.

Her name was Mary Waters. Now there is a some dispute on the last name. Some records refer to her as Atwaters and others simply Waters. It may be something we never clear up, but for sure she is in our line. For me, my 11th Great Grandparent. Perhaps different for you depending on your distance from the 9 Williamson children we descend from. Here is the relationship chart so you can find where you are in relation to this awesome Great Grandmother.

Relationship Chart

11th Great Grandmother. Mary Atwaters b. 1520
Married Robert Esquire Honywood

to

Katharine Honywood b. 1546.
Married William Gent Fleet
to
Mary Fleet b. 1579.
Married William Willis
to
Henry Willis b. 1628
Married Mary Pease
to
John Willis b. 1667
Married Esther Brenton
to
John Willis b. 1691.
Married Abigail Willets
to
John Willis b. 1750.
Married Sarah Jones
to
Bennett Willis b. 1780.
Married Catherine Nosseman
to
Jonathan Willis b. 1807.
Married Anabella Phlegar
to
Margaret Ann Willis.
Married George Matthew Williamson
to
William J. Williamson
Married Effie Helen Victor
to
Vennie, Ima Della, Inez, Lillie Ethel, Josie, Emmett, Walt, Charles, Maurice.
to
Charles (my parent’s generation)
to
Me

What you are about to read is an account of her life written a few hundred years ago. You'll notice the oddities in the language. Play close attention to the sentences highlighted. I think when you finish you'll agree with me that Great Grandmother Mary was one awesome woman. Or, to use language more appropreiat to the time...... A Remarkable Woman.

Mrs. Mary Honeywood, was daughter and one of the co-heiresses of Robert Waters, esq. of Lenham, in Kent. She was born in 1527 ; married in February 1543, at 16 years of age, to her only husband, Robert Honeywood of Charing, in Kent England. She died in the ninety-third year of her age, in May 1620. She had sixteen children of her own body, seven sons and nine daughters, of whom one had no issue, three died young, and the youngest was slain at Newport battle, June 20,1600. Her grand-children, in the second generation, were one hundred and fourteen ; in the third, two hundred and twenty-eight; and in the fourth, nine. So that she could almost say the same as the distich doth, of one of the Dalburg family of Basil. " Rise up, daughter, and go to thy daughter; for her daughter's daughter hath a daughter."

Mrs. Honeywood was a very pious woman, but afflicted in her declining age with religious melancholy. Some divines once discoursing with her on the subject, she in a passion said, " I shall be as certainly damned as this glass is broken," (throwing a Venice glass against the ground, which she had then in her hand,) but the glass escaped breaking, " as credible witnesses," saith Derham, " have attested."

In Markshnl church, in Essex, on Mrs. Honeywood's tomb, is the following inscription:— " Here lieth the body of Mary Waters, the daughter and co-heir of Robert Waters, of Lenham, in Kent. esq. wife of Robert Honeywood, of Charing, in Kent, esq. her only husband, who had at her decease lawfully descended from her, 367 children. Sixteen of her own body, 114 grand children, 228 in the third generation, and nine in the fourth.
She lived a most pious life, and in a Christian manner died here at Markshal, in the ninety-third year of her age, and in the forty-fourth of her widowhood, May llth, 1620."

Markshall, located in the English Midlands Northeast of Cambridge.

Amazing wouldn't you say? The life expentancy of a woman in the 1600's was 40 years old at best. She lived to be 93 years old! I was interested in the statement that she was taken with religious melancholy in her old age. The word melancholy in those days described today's mental disorders which might now be classed as schizophrenia or bipolar disorders. It appears, according to the reading, that Grandmother Mary spoke to spirits. I'm not sure of the meaning of "Divines". Could this be spirits or perhaps churchmen? What's interesting is that we have something written that she actually spoke from all those years ago when she threw the glass to the floor and it didn't break thus proving she wasn't damned.

So here's to you Grandmother Mary! May you rest in peace knowing that your many many descendants have taken a small part of their day hundreds of years in the future and remembered you.

Now, to the most important part of the night. Who's got a Smore for me?

Simply,
Victor

A Letter Written in 1862 giving an Account of Joseph Phlegar's Injury

Joseph Henry Phlegar. Confederate Soldier

Relationship Chart

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
In an earlier post we read the story of our 2nd cousin four times removed, Joseph Henry Phlegar.

http://atropesend.blogspot.com/2010/04/joseph-henry-phlegar-confederate.html

From somewhere in cyberland the post was read by Melanie Crain, a distant Phlegar cousin. She sent the following information that I'd like to share with everyone tonight. First, thank you to Melanie for taking the time to type and send it.

Secondly, you'll notice that this was typed just as the soldier wrote, misspellings, run on sentences and all. This gives you the flavor of the times. It was written by someone that fought beside Joseph Henry Phlegar. It was a letter written by a Mr. William Walters home to his wife with an account of the battle that took Joseph's arm.

Melanie wrote:

With the compliments of Robert Phlegar, dec'd, one of our family's (Phlegars) avid genealogists and a close cousin of mine. "Bob" discovered this letter by belonging to the military group which today honors the Stuart Horse Artillery. I don't know if the group is still active.

And now the letter dated December 17, 1862


Caroline County Va.

December the 17th 1862 Dear wife it is withe the greatest pleasure I have this oportunity to write you a few lines to inform you that I am harty but am vary near layed up with the rumates I have not bin able for duty for 2 days I can inform you that we had a hard fite saturday 13 of this month at fredricksbirg our batery was in all day and our loss was severe we had 2 men ciled [illed] and 8 wounded there were 3 floyd’s [Floyd County] boys wounded Joseph phleager Samuel Ivins and henderson Boothe the other 5 was all slitely wounded but 1 man lost his arm pheager lost his rite arm Ivins was struck on the breast the docktor dont think he will eaver git well boothe was struck on the shoulder but not brake the skin it was a hot fite the canons at day lite and went on till dark bothe sides stood there ground we was under a shour of shells all day our loss was greater than all our loss before since last spring put to geather our company has bin in many hard places before but all ways come out safe before but we art to be thankfull that we come out. [Four words illegible because of crease in paper] for it looked to me like there was canon balls a nuff [enough] shot at us to cill [kill] the hole army the shells few as thick as haill--burse all around me but but thank god they never struck me yet. they struck so close to me that several times they threwed my fase full of dirt we had 14 horses ciled [killed] 2 of them was ciled in 3 or 4 feet of me there aint no fun in this sort of wirk [work] so I wont say any more about it and I expect this is more than you want to heare the yankys has gon back on the other side of the river again and we moved 15 milds [miles] down the river to port royal the yanks and longstreet are shelling one another every day across the river the yankys has nocked fredricks. [Fredericksburg] all to peases and burnt it vary near all up. you all must do the best you can and I will try and git a furlow and come home this winter it is vary cold to day I think it will snow before nite so no more at present but gave my love and respects to all tell molly and sis that I want to see them vary bad hoping these few lines will find you all wel I will quit for this time I remain your loving husband till death excuse my pencil for I have no ink
Wm. P. Walters

Taken on the Union Side during the Battle of Fredricksburg

Our Great Grandfather Mattson's Act of Naturalization, 1904.

John Albert Mattson (born 1873). Started life as a Swede. Ended an American.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
You all know I enjoy history. With that comes an interest in historical documents, especially ones relating to family history. Tonight as we talk around our digital campfire I'd like to show you my Great Grandfather John Albert Mattson's Record of Naturalization, dated 1904. The paper is yellow with age and quite delicate. One thing I think is interesting is the name he used.
He was born John Albert Mattson but changed his name to Albert John Mattson because he thought there were too many Johns in America. So, instead of calling myself Victor Alan Williamson I think I'll change it to Alan Victor Williamson........ wait...... that won't work. There are far more Alans in this country than Victor's. I'll just stick with Victor.

Simply,
Victor

Click to Enlarge. This is the top of the form. It was too long for the scanner and I didn't want to leave anything out.

Click to Enlarge. The lower half of the form. Interesting that he had to swear allegiance to the United States and remove his allegiance to Oscar II King of Norway and Sweden.

Click to Enlarge. This is the back of the form.

History, ya gotta love it!

Links About Woody Williamson

Woody Williamson's Graduation Picture, Deadwood High School

Hello Everyone,
Pat sent the following information about Woody from the Deadwood High School Historical Web Sites:
http://dhsclassmates.blogspot.com/2010/04/walter-woodie-williamson-is-shown-here.html http://dhsclassmates.blogspot.com/2009/08/blast-from-past-from-woody.html

Simply,
Victor

More Pictures from the Williamson Family Reunion

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Everyone,
In our digital reunion tonight we look at the rest of the pictures I shot at the Williamson family reunion held in Spearfish Park. I'm guessing 1980. These pictures are all in need of names. Now, I know who some of these people are but others are a total blank. I could ask Mom and Dad but they do all the talking. I'd like to open this up to all you readers out there. So before I take the time to start typing captions to each photo I though I'd give each of you a chance to contribute a caption or two for each picture.

I'm posting these in the hopes that you recognized the people in them and will respond with an email caption I can post word for word right under the picture. OK Williamsons, time to look closely at each picture and write a few lines telling who these people are and perhaps a bit about them. Each picture is numbers so when you email something back to me please indicate which picture you are writing about.

Thanks!
Victor

Picture 1: Heather (Kotila) Bergmann, Corky Williamson's Daughter and my sister Lisa.

Picture 2: Uncle Walt and Aunt Francis.

Picture 3: Uncle Walt, Bill Mauch and Aunt Ethel.




Picture 4: Ellen Madison (?), (?), Teresa Madison in white. (don't you dig those checked pants?)


Picture 5: Joel Williamson in the lawn chair and Anita Williamson (kneeling and looking back) on the left. Maurice Williamson is standing in yellow on the right and Josie Williamson is seated in the blue second from the left. Buster Mauch is standing.



Picture 6: Charlie and Aunt Ethel

Picture 7: Janice and Jilane Williamson

Picture 8: Lee Madison, Teresa Madison , ? , Grandma Elsie, ? , Sandy Williamson, ? , Kris. Morris with his back to us.

Picture 9: Luella and Aunt Josie playing Horseshoes.

Picture 10: Grandma Elsie Williamson playing horseshoes. Joel is against the tree.

Picture 11: Aunt Ethel, Charlie, Aunt Francis, Uncle Walt and Bill Mauch.

Picture 12: Lee Madison, Teresa, Dennis Mauch, Susan Mauch Brucker, Dick Ackerman ( in hat), Luella, ?, one of the Martin boys (Carrol?), Linda Martin ?, Sandy Williamson. Tracy Martin in the picture as well.

Picture 13: Dick Ackerman, ? with back to picture, Lee Madison, ? , Luella, Bill Mauch's Wife, Elsie Williamson, Mary Mauch

Yes, What Looks Like a Baby Girl in the Picture is Actually Grandpa Mattson

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
I'm walking to the other end of the campsite to sit down with the Mattsons. How is everyone doing? I've spent the last several posts with the Williamson side of our family and thought it best to post something on the Mattson's. Remember, I'm slowly working my way through all of Mom and Dad's pictures and documents.

The Queen Mother (Luella) is enjoying her life of leisure. She reads, watches TV, reads, drives her mobile living room around town (her Lincoln Town Car) eats, reads, goes out with her friends, eats, reads, plays sudoku, reads and talks to the TV and claps when she likes what she sees. With all this free time you'd think I could get her to sit down and write something.......

(Interruption: I was about to say that Mom has all the time in the world to write family history so I can post it but getting her to do it is something else. Well she just came upstairs with a file full of family history documents on the Mattson side. Mind you, she just dumped them into my lap but at least I can claim PROGRESS!)

OK. Today's Picture above.

This is a picture of Grandpa Mattson (Mom's Dad) sitting on the lap of his mother Ida. The woman standing behind them is Josephine Mattson Lidman, Albert Mattson's sister. The relationship follows:

Albert Mattson and Ida Thornberg
Josephine was Albert Mattson's Sister. That makes her our Great Great Aunt. She came over from Sweden before Albert, found work and helped to bring the rest of the family over.
to
Walter Mattson - Violet Pierce
to
Luella
to
Us

The picture was taken in Lead, South Dakota where the family lived at the time. The picture was taken in April 1912 to celebrate Grandpa Mattson's Baptism into the Lutheran Church.


Now, I don't speak Swedish and I don't know anyone that does, but I believe this is Grandpa Walter Mattson's Baptismal Certificate. It is religious and it is dated in April. Grandpa would have been three months old at the time. Lutheran's baptise babies so, put it all together and you get a baptism and a picture (although I think Grandpa may look older than a 3 month old baby. I'll let you moms out there correct me on that one).

This is the Marriage Certificate for Albert Mattson and Ida Thornberg

These are the signatures of the witnesses to the wedding.

OK, Have I done my bit for God and Country? I think so. I pronounce enough for today. There is so much to post and write about this American Dynasty it will take more than one life time. I'm hoping others out there will catch the spirit and start writing family history (I know some of you are doing it now). If you have written history (photos awesome too) please send it along so I can post it. I'm happy to type it into the computer if all you have are handwritten documents. I've got a computer scanner so if you send pictures or documents I'll scan them and return them.

Simply,
Victor

More Williamson Ties to England. Our 13th Great Grandparents, The Peases.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons!
Beautiful day in Pleasant Grove. Cloudy skies and warm temperatures prevail. Today in our virtual family reunion around our digital campfire we’re going to explore one of our English ancestral families, the Peases. Pull up a log, have a seat, pour yourself something hot to drink and get comfortable. ’m going to tell you the story of one of our family lines.

We start with a brief history of our Pease family.

The Pease family lived in Essex County in the eastern part of England. They were Saxons who came to England in 1000. They first came as raiders, but later stayed and then fiercely resisted the Vikings. The coat of arms was granted to their Saxon ancestor during the reign of Otto II, Emperor of Germany from 972-981.
They lived in the village of Great Baddow, 30 miles NE of London and just 2 miles from the city of Chelmsford. The road continued NE to Ipswich, the nearest seaport. During the Saxon era Great Baddow belonged to Algar, Earl of Mercia, but in 1071 it was seized by William the Conqueror following a Saxon rebellion. There were 3 manor houses in Great Baddow that at one time each belonged to three Pease brothers: Barnes Manor, Cutin Manor, and Pease Manor (at one time consisted of 100 acres). The present Pease Hall was built in the 1500s and across the field from it is St. Mary's Church where many Pease family members were christened, married and buried. The earliest Pease record that survived in the church records are the burial of Joan Pease (daug of Robert) in 1540.

[info from Pease Family History, by Phillip J. Rice, 1982]

OK, here we go with the oldest member of this family line found so far. We start with my generation’s 13th Great Grandfather and Grandmother, Robert and Joan Pease.

St. Mary's Church today in Great Baddow where the Pease family originated. Many Peases are buried here.

13th Great Grandparents
Robert Pease "the smythe", born 1485 in Great Baddow, England (NE of London). He married Joan ? and died in 1547 in Great Baddow, the same year that Henry VIII died. Joan died in 1552.

Robert Pease & Joan had 3 children:

• John Pease, born 1510 (our ancestor)
• Margaret Pease, d 1545
• Joan Pease, died 1540

12th Great Grandparents John Pease "the smythe" was born in 1510. He married Ann? He died Oct 13, 1556 (age 46) in Great Baddow, England during the reign of Bloody Queen Mary. Bloody Mary had nearly 300 protestants burned at the stake during her last three years, ending in 1558. Ann died in 1591.

John & Ann Pease's children were:

• John "the clothier" Pease, born 1540, Great Baddow, England. Married Margaret Hykes
• Lettis Pease, d 1567
• Alice Pease, married John Taft in 1560
• Edward Peasem, d 1580
• Robert Pease, d 1552
• Margaret Pease, married John Byekinir in 1564

11th Great Grandparents John Pease "the clothier", born 1540 (baptized 1540) in Great Baddow, Essex County, England and died there in 1616 (age 76). John's childhood was a very turbulent time for England as they swung from Protestant to Catholic and back to Protestant. His father died in 1556 when he was only 16. He married Margaret Hykes (1540-1612), daughter of Richard Hyckes. He and Margaret both lived to a ripe old age of 76 & 72. Children:


• Robert Pease, b 1565. His wife and 2 sons, Robert Jr & John moved to the American colonies.

• Richard Pease, m ? Prott & Susan Wither

• John Pease

• Alice Pease, m John Clark

• Joan Pease

• Thomas Pease, m Sara ?
• 
Mary Pease, m Benjamin Carter

10th Great Grandparents Robert Pease was born 1565. Both he and his parents survived the plague of 1603, the year King James I was crowned. 30,000 people died of the plague in London alone in 1603. King James began his reign by proclaiming that he would make people conform to the state religion or drive them out of the land. Rober married Margaret King (b. 1574 at Great Daddow Essex England. She died in 1644. 
Robert's parents died about 1612. 
His will of 1613 was proven in 1623. His wife Margaret King moved to the American colonies in 1639, following her sons who had moved there in 1634.
Children of Robert & Margaret:


• Pease, b Dec 10, 1587

• Robert Pease, Jr., b Oct 28, 1589. He came with his brother John to America in 1634.

• William Pease, b 1591; d 1623

• John Pease, b 1593; d 1600

• Mary Pease, b 1600
 (Married Henry Willis)
• Elizabeth Pease, b 1602

  
• Richard Pease, b/d 1607
8. John Pease (see below), b 1608. He came with his brother Robert to America in 1634.

The Rest of the Family line to the present:

to
Henry Willis and Mary Pease my 9th Great Grandparents.
to
John Willis
to
John Willis
to
John Willis
to
John Willis
to
Bennett Willis
to
Jonathan Willis
to
Margaret Ann Willis - George Matthew Williamson
to
William J. Williamson
to
The Nine Williamson Children (our parents and grandparents)
to
Charles Williamson
to
Me.

Whew! That is enough for one day wouldn’t you say. Time to stand a bit and refill you cup. Tracing that line had one serious bump in the road: Mary Pease. Half the records give her a birth as 1600 and the other half as 1632. She is the mystery. A few of the records (very few) have her married to someone other than Henry Willis. This makes me think that somewhere along the line one Mary Pease was swapped with another Mary Pease by someone tracing their own family lines. After a few days and several hours search through everything I could find on Grandmother Mary I feel very confident that what you have before you is correct.

Tracing family lines is detective work. You get a good lead and it fizzles out. You put it aside and move on. Sometimes your conclusions are a mixture of facts that you must put together yourself to draw a conclusion. Have a great day.

Simply,
Victor