I’ve discovered that I enjoy researching more recent generations than older ones. There are certainly some interesting historical connections in Colonial America, but I like researching the 19th century better. Maybe because there are fewer people laying claim to those more recent ancestors—they’re more mine. Also, there’s just less to research because I’m only tracing back to the first immigrant. Looks like my future posts will be short until I trace as far as I can and essentially start over by going back to the beginning to try to uncover new information.
So, short and sweet:
Another one of my 7x great-grandmother is Susanna Whitman, who was married to James Ballou, was born in Providence, RI in 1657-58 to Valentine Whitman (also Wightman) and Mary (Unknown). She appears in her father’s will.
Valentine was the son of John Wightman, born about 1626 and emigrated in 1654 with his father and brothers (his mother is thought to have died in England) and settled in Rhode Island. For a period of time Valentine worked as an Indian interpreter. Records indicate he was made a freeman in Warwick in 1658 and died in Providence in 1700.
John Wightman was the son of Edward Wightman, the last heretic to be burned at the stake in England. Little is known about John. Undocumented sources indicate he was born in England in 1599 and died in 1663.
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