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!!

52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS, #12: James FERNALD

Following the challenge of writing 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, issued by Amy Johnson Crow, here is my 12th installment, for James FERNALD, my 6th great-grandfather, on my maternal line. James is the son of the Immigrant settler in the Kittery area, John FERNALD. 

James' father, John, is listed as one of the early settlers after 1632, on the Kittery Maine town website, under Historical Notes (halfway down the page).   I have more research to do in this Fernald line, and see that no mention of John's wife, James' mother, is made on records.  Several family trees give the name of Mary Norman, but no document/supports for that statement.

James was born in 1675 in Kittery, now York county, Maine, and married Mary HINCKS (possibly this surname is as a widow) in about 1700-1705. No marriage record is yet found.  I suspect that there are other siblings of James, but as yet I have not found clear proof of relationship.  

James and Mary had at least 8 children, b. Kittery, named in his will, dated 2 Apr 1739:
 - Elizabeth, named as his eldest, married James Fogg
 - Mary* [direct ancestor], b.14 May 1712, m. John ADAMS, 15 Oct 1734; 7 children
 - James (jr.)
 - Joanna, married George Rogers, 25 Dec 1736
 - Anne, unmarried at this time
 - Marget, unmarried
 - Dorcas, unmarried
 - Unice [Eunice], unmarried

In 1728/9 James' name is listed with a number of others in deeding land designated for a second church, on land between Kittery and Eliot, on "Gower's Hill", belonging to the Fernalds.  The link goes to a very attractive 1730 church - scroll down to the lower section where the second church is listed as a Congregational church, first served by Rev. John Eveleth (another important name in my family tree) from 1729-1734.  A timeline about Kittery and Eliot may be found here.

James will has been transcribed by others, from Maine Wills, 1640-1760 (pub 1887) p.444.  The value of his land and and goods was set at over 4160 pounds.  He states in his will a number of times that he is bequeathing "...besides what She has already had out of my Estate."  This seems to indicate that he had already given goods or lands to his daughters and one son before his decline. 

Two of the three Witnesses on the Will are unknown-to-me Fernalds: Lydia Fernald and Benjamin Fernald. More clues are here for researching the early Fernald history in Kittery and Eliot.  As early settlers in the Kittery area in Massachusetts, the Fernald family is likely written up in journals and books/histories of the region.  It is clear a trip to our BC Genealogical Society library is needed so I can search in the NEHGS databases online there! 

If you have questions or comments, please leave them below, or contact me via calewis at telus dot net.