Tuesday, February 4, 2020

52Ancestors: Renald FERNALD & Joanna WARBURTON, early US settlers

Continuing the #52Ancestors [52 weeks] challenge by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow, here are my 8th great-grandparents on my maternal line. In the 1730s they marry with the PETTYGROVEs, then in the 1860s to the KUHNs, then down to my mother.  

The likeliest baptism record I've found in England to date is of Renald FERNALD bap. 6 Jul 1605 in Bristol England. More research is needed here. There are several other variants of Renald Fernald born around this time in Holborn/London, but I also noted burial records for those men before 1625. 

He was an early settler in New Hampshire, living for some time on Peirce Island - called Doctor's Island. He was a Chirurgeon [physician], although later, in the few years before he died, he was a court recorder of wills/probates.  

In approximately 1630 he married Joanna WARBURTON, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The first Anglican church of record was erected in 1638 which begs the question of who married them. A visiting ship captain? A leader in Portsmouth designated as a justice of the peace? Also, to date I have not found information on either of their parents - more on my to-do list!  

Renald and Joanna had 7 known children, dates are estimates, all born in Portsmouth. Note the Spinney sisters marrying the two younger Fernald brothers:
   1.  Thomas, b. abt 1632, d. in Maine; m. abt 1650 to Temperance Washington
   2.  Elizabeth, b. abt 1634
   3.  Mary, b. abt 1637
   4.  Sarah, b. abt 1640; m. abt 1660 to Allen Lyde
   5.  John [ancestor], b. 27 Sep 1642, d. after 1708 Maine; m. 1669 to
           Mary Norman SPINNEY; 6 children

   6.  Samuel, b. abt 1644;  m. Dec 1698 to Hannah Spinney
   7.  William, b. 5 Mar 1644/45, d. 5 Jul 1728 Kittery Maine; m. 16 Nov 1671
            to Elizabeth Langdon


Found on Internet Archives, The Pioneers of Maine and New Hampshire, 1623-1660, by Charles Henry Pope, 1908, p66, this excerpt provides some details: 
 FERNALD:    Reginald, or Renald, chirurgion, physician, Portsmouth, before 1642; his son Thomas had a deed of land from Richard Vines, steward general of Gorges [Sir Ferdinando Gorges], 3 May, 1645.  He was one of the commissioners for trial of minor cases in 1649.  He signed - “Renald Fernald” - the petition of Portsmouth people for full rights, 20 Oct. 1651. [Mass.Arch. 112,38,]  Clerk of courts in 1654.  He deposed in 1659 as to occurrences 17 years before.

His widow Joanna made will, 23 April 1660; it was brought into court 28 June, by Elias Stileman and Anthony Ellens, with inventory attested by Elizabeth Fernald.  She beq. to daus, Sarah, Elizabeth and Mary, sons Samuel, John, William and Thomas; to John all the surgery books that were his father’s. Thomas, shipwright, with wife Temperance, sold land in Kittery 4 March, 1689, to his bro. William, shipwright.  Elizabeth sold land near Hinckson’s Pool, 29 Oct. 1660.

And also on Internet Archives, Old Kittery and Her Families, by Everett S. Stackpole, p375, this brief description adds a few additional details, and confirms the children of Renald and Joanna: 
FERNALD
     Renald (also called Reginald) Fernald came to Portsmouth in 1631 as the surgeon of Capt. John Mason's Company.  It is a tradition that he was a surgeon in the English Navy, resigning his post to come to America.  He was Clerk of Court, Recorder of Deeds, Commissioner, and Surveyor, and was Town Clerk at the time of his death.  He lived on "Doctor's" now Peirces Island, where he died between 17 May and 7 Oct 1656, and is said to have been buried at Point of Graves cemetery in Portsmouth.  His wife's name was Joanna, who died in 1660.
Children: 

   1.  Thomas b. about 1633; m. Temperance [Washington]; d. before 25 Aug 1697
   2.  Elizabeth b. abt 1634; unmarried
   3.  Mary b. about 1637; m. John Partridge 11 Dec 1660; d. 16 Aug 1722; 8 children
   4.  Sarah b. about 1640; m. [1] Allen Lyde 3 Dec 1661, [2] Richard Water___
   5.  John b. abt 1642; m. Mary Spinney
   6.  Samuel b. abt 1644; m. Hannah Spinney
   7.  William b. 3 Mar 1646; m. Elizabeth Langdon 16 Nov 1671.

Still to discover/research about Renald FERNALD and Joanna WARBURTON:
     - Parents of both in England
     - Ships Passenger lists [bef. 1633]
     - Church Records
     - Guardianship records for the younger children after Renald died

It is definitely challenging researching in early 1600s, but sometimes one can find a complete Parish Registration book [bap, marr., burials], or notes about someone emigrating to New England. One never knows! 

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If these are your ancestors, I am happy to share what little I have on these ancestors. And if there are errors, please do let me know, via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below and I will get back to you either by email or in the Comments. I appreciate the opportunity to correct any issues in these family trees.

Blogger - or my computer - is still not letting me "reply" to your comments, for some unknown reason. If I don't reply to your Comment, please know that I'm totally thrilled you came to read my post and commented!  You truly make my day!!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for info. I traced my great grandfather, mark fernald to this Reginald fernald

Anonymous said...

My name is Mark Ellsworth Fernald born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. I am from the line of Renald Fernald.

Anonymous said...

I am Mark Fernald from Tacoma, WA. I wanted to say: If you would like to talk with me about my Fernald family tree you may call or text me at 254-514-3493.

Jonesport Nortons said...

I have seen a few posts that dispute the last name of Warburton as Joanna's maiden name.

Jonesport Nortons said...

Disputed Name and Family
WIKITREE: According to the bizarre genealogy of the Fernald family, Universal International Genealogy and of the Ancient Fernald Families, by Charles Augustus Fernald, published in 1909, Renald Fernald was married to Joanna Warburton. Charles Augustus Fernald's book has been thoroughly discredited[2][3][4]

The family name of Joanna, widow of Renald Fernald, is in fact uncertain (Savage doesn't offer a maiden name; Torrey says "?Warburton".[5]), and her parentage is unknown.

Therefore, until reliable sources are found, the maiden name of Renald Fernald's wife Joanna is unknown or at best uncertain.

Anonymous said...

Hello. Dr Renald Fernald is my 11th great grandfather, (my 10th grandfather is william). my family stayed in kittery maine and eventually moved over to new castle, new hampshire.

Anonymous said...

Hello. We have it written as Waburton

Welcome!

Family, friends, and others - I hope you enjoy these pages about our ancestors and their lives. Genealogy has become somewhat of an obsession, more than a hobby, and definitely a wonderful mystery to dig into and discover. Enjoy my writing, and contact me at celia.winky at gmail dot com if you have anything to add to the stories. ... Celia Lewis