My Greatest Genealogical Find Ever?

Craig Manson recently wrote about his Greatest Genealogical Find Ever. I've been pondering the question since I read his post. But, after years of researching, it's difficult to pinpoint just one discovery as the "greatest find", there have been so many wonderful discoveries. That's kind of like asking a parent who their favorite child is. So, this isn't necessarily my "greatest find ever" but I thought it was pretty neat.

Nine of my ancestors traveled to New England together on the same ship! They were 3 year old Sara Marvin, 10 year old John Kilbourne, and 8 year old Nathaniel Joslin, and their parents, of course. I've often wondered if the families knew one another before sailing to the new world? If not, did they get acquainted while on the journey?

In the spring of 2005 I dabbled for a bit in "researching" some of my New England ancestors. I'm not sure that you could really call it "research" in the truest sense, basically I was reviewing information that I'd been given by other researchers on my Goodrich and Joslin lines. One of my Goodrich cousins, Gerald (a 3rd cousin 3 times removed), had written some family newsletters in 1979-1980 and I had been given the copies that had been in my grandmother's files. In his newsletters he wrote a little about each of the lines that connect to our Goodrich ancestors among which are Marvin and Kilbourn.

As I read the name of the ship, the Increase, a bell kind of went off. I had seen that name somewhere before. Turns out another set of my ancestors, the Joslin family, also came on the Increase at the same time.

I located the transcriptions of "Hotten's Lists" on the English-America website. That website is no longer active, but the passenger list for the Increase (or Encrease) and other early-arriving ships can be found on the websites of the Winthrop Society and Mayflower Families.

The Marvin family included Mathew, age 35, his wife Elizabeth, 31, and children: Elizabeth age 11, Mathew age 8, Marie age 6 years, Sara age 3 years, and Hanna age 6 months. Two more children, Abigail and Rachael, were born in Hartford. Elizabeth reportedly died in 1640. Mathew married a second time. The were among the first settlers in Hartford and Norwalk, Connecticut Colony.

The Kilbourne family consisted of Thomas, age 55, his wife Francis (maiden name Moody), 50, and their five children: Margaret age 23, Lyddia age 22, Marie age 16, Frances age 12, and John age 10. There were also two children, George and Thomas, who had come over the previous year. Thomas was reportedly killed in an Indian attack in 1637. They were among the first families to settle in Wethersfield, Connecticut Colony.

Thomas Joslin (the surname was written as Jostlin) and his wife Rebecca were both 43 years old. Traveling with them was Elizabeth Ward, a maid-servant, aged 38; and five of their seven children: Rebecca, 18; Dorothy, 11; Nathaniel, 8; Elizabeth, 6; and Mary, a year old. They first settled at Hingham but by 1654 had settled in Lancaster, Massachusetts Bay Colony.

On October 4, 1648 Sarah Marvin, now 17 years old, would marry William Goodrich in Hartford. They would settle in Wethersfield, Connecticut.

On March 7, 1715/16 their grandson, Benjamin Goodrich (1688-1742) would marry Grace Kilbourn (1693-1764) who was a granddaughter of John Kilbourne.

Now, jump ahead a hundred and ten years or so to about 1825 in Delaware County, Ohio. There we have James Joslin, a 4th great grandson of Thomas and Rebecca (and 3rd great grandson of Nathaniel Joslin) marrying Abigail Goodrich, a 4th great granddaughter of Sarah Marvin and William Goodrich (and 5th great granddaughter of of Thomas and Francis Kilbourn). Whew! Sure hope I've got that right! And I hope I didn't lose you along the way...

So, how did they meet in Ohio? The Joslin descendant's arrived in Delaware County about 1816 via Canada and Vermont. The Goodrich family (John and his son Bela, among others) left Connecticut about 1803 and settled in Franklin county, in the area that bordered on Delaware county.