Elizabeth Dunster Bowers

Her husband, "Benanuel Bowers was a militant Quaker sympathizer and suffered much for his religion by fine, whip and prison. Some letters and doggerel lines of his are yet preserved in the Middlesex County Court, one addressed to Thomas Danforth the magistrate, date March 3, 1677. (not yet transcribed)

"The following excerpts from "The Letters of Mrs. Robert Clay" are not completely accurate.

"My Grandfather, Benanuel Bowers was born in England of honest Parents, but his father, being a man of stern temper, and a rigid Oliverian, obliged my Grandfather (who out of a pious zeal, turned to the religion of the Quakers) to flee for succour into New England." The Letters of Mrs. Robert Clay.(Ann Curtis Clay Bolton)

"He purchased a farm near Boston and then married. Both were Quakers. The Zealots of the (Presbyterian party) sic. ousted them. They escaped with their lives, though not without whippings, and imprisonments, and the loss of a great part of their worldly substance.

"History of Cambridge, MA 1630-1877, preface, p 37. Baxter, Joseph, H. C. 1693, witness to will of Benanuel Bowers.

The above quote is an attachment to Benanuell Bowers on Ancestry DOT com. I have no way to verify it.  But I know that Cambridge and Harvard in the 1600's were not ruled by Presbyterians, but by Puritans.

Benanuel married Elizabeth Dunster on Dec 9, 1653.

He had been born in  1627 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.  His father George Bowers had been born in 1590 in Manly, Lincolnshire, England.  Ancestry hasn't bothered to check that this place even exists, or ever did.  But some place like Manby, Manley, or some other such spelling must have at one time.

Elizabeth Dunster was born however, on 15 Jul 1632 in Bury, Lancashire, England, which isn't near Lincolnshire.  So it was a good thing that she immigrated to America also.

Elizabeth Dunster had a much older brother, Henry Dunster, born 16 Nov, 1609.  He not only studied at Cambridge, England, but when he immigrated to Charlestown, MA, he became the first President of the newly formed Harvard College.

Dunster House, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

 The Harvard Charter which he developed, says:

Transcription of text in document

WHEREAS, through the good hand of God, many well devoted persons have been, and daily are moved, and stirred up, to give and bestow, sundry gifts, legacies, lands, and revenues for the advancement of all good literature, arts, and sciences in Harvard College, in Cambridge in the County of Middlesex, and to the maintenance of the President and Fellows, and for all accommodations of buildings, and all other necessary provisions, that may conduce to the education of the English and Indian youth of this country, in knowledge and godliness: It is therefore ordered, and enacted by this Court, and the authority thereof, that for the furthering of so good a work and for the purposes aforesaid, from henceforth that the said College, in Cambridge in Middlesex, in New England, shall be a Corporation, consisting of seven persons, to wit, a President, five Fellows, and a Treasurer or Bursar: and that Henry Dunster shall be the first President, Samuel Mather, Samuel Danforth, Masters of Arts, Jonathan Mitchell, Comfort Starr, and Samuel Eaton, Bachelors of Arts, shall be the five Fellows, and Thomas Danforth to be present Treasurer, all of them being inhabitants in the Bay, and shall be the first seven persons of which the said Corporation shall consist: and that the said seven persons, or the greater number of them, procuring the presence of the Overseers of the College, and by their counsel and consent, shall have power, and are hereby authorized, at any time or times, to elect a new President, Fellows, or Treasurer, so oft, and from time to time, as any of the said person or persons shall die, or be removed, which said President and Fellows, for the time being, shall for ever hereafter, in name and fact, be one body politic and corporate in law, to all intents and purposes; and shall have perpetual succession; and shall be called by the name of President and Fellows of Harvard College, and shall, from time to time, be eligible as aforesaid. And by that name they, and their successors, shall and may purchase and acquire t...



The above quote doesn't have a source, but Ancestry does give a photo of this book on Henry Dunster..



 This is Henry Dunster's gravesite in the Old Burying Yard ("God's Acre") just a stone's throw from Harvard Yard. After his voluntary exile in Scituate, Plymouth Colony, it was Dunster's express wish in his will that he be buried close to the College he loved after his death.







So Harvard changed the original covenant which Henry Dunster began, and he had some difficulties with other members of the administration.


But I am glad great Uncle Henry (time many greats) had a younger sister who is my direct ancestress.

Bowers further back

Looking into those wonderful female ancestors is often so frustrating.

But today I give you a link that has maybe a bit of weaving that may just unravel the frustration.

The births of the Benanuel Bowers' children of Charlestown, MA were recorded (all eight of them) in detail, by a clerk.  On that page he gives credit that the usual person who kept these records had died.

The clerk who was gracious enough to record these names made one very big mistake.

At least that's the best I can figure out at this time.  I'll gladly write different results if and when I find them.

Benanuell and Marie Bowers are given as the parents.
But Benanuell was married to Elizabeth Dunster.  Records attest to that fact.  They married Dec. 9, 1653. 

So who's this Marie?  I think clerk Edward Burtt made up a name.

From 1653-1673 there are 8 children listed, and at the bottom of the handwritten sheet (all the same handwriting) it says

"Record of all births, deaths, and marriages, that have been in Charlestown since the death of Mr. Thomas Harre (first letter is unclear) who departed this life the twentisixth day of the eighth month, 1658.  Per mee: Edward Burtt, Clerk

So apparently since 1658, good records hadn't been kept...and since the last entry is 1673, it's likely that records were not kept for those 15 years, and were being attempted to be reconstructed.  Remember there are not complete records, but just a few scraps available.

What difference does it make whether Benanuell's wife was named Marie or Elizabeth Dunster?

A big difference to her.  And probably to my descendents.

I'll tell you more about who she was, in relation to a rather important person, tomorrow.  For now I've added a middle name of "Marie" to Elizabeth Dunster Bowers.

Neighborhood relations

I'm still interested in my Swasey and Bowers roots.  So 1790 census of Somerset, MA shows the following record...

1151 persons, 141 dwelling houses...as totaled at bottom of sheet.

Starting in left column the interesting households are:
Line number 6: Joseph Swasey, Jr. with 2 males over 16 and 4 females (no age given) He is probably a brother to Jermethuel Bowers Swasey, since the other Joseph Swasey is closer on the list to Jermethuel, (see below). And Junior usually meant the son of a father by the same name.
number 22 is Jermethuel Bowers, 3 males over 16, 4 females. He is uncle to Jermethuel Bowers Swasey, his mother Mary Bowers Swasey's brother.
number 23 is David Bower (or Bowen? or Bowers? I am assuming those that are clear enough to read as Bower would be related to Bowers, and those that are clearly Bowen are not Bower.)  There was a brother of Mary Bowers Swasey named David, who apparently died in 1786, so perhaps the widow was still keeping this household, or it wasn't a Bowers at all.
then 25 is David Bowers Jr.  I don't have any information on children of Uncle David Bowers.

Then more Bowers households follow:
Lloyd Bowen(Bower?) comes along
William Bower
Mary Bower
Bfs  (Benjamin?) Bower
Clark Bowers
Anna Bowers
Only Bfs Bower might be a sibling of Mary Bowers Swasey, according to those listed as of this date at Ancestry.

Going to the right hand column of names on the same sheet for Somerset, MA we find:
Joseph Swasey, one male over 16, one female, and one "free other person"  (This is either father to Jermethuel Bowers Swasey, or a brother, but it's not definite, so see the Joseph Swasey Jr. above)
Then Samuel Swasey, one male over 16, one male under 16, two females. Probably Jerathmel's brother.
Then Jermethuel Swasey, (my ancestor) one male over 16, four males under 16, three females (see below for more on his house)

later down the row, Primus Bower, with 7 "free other persons."
Then York Bower with 6 "free other persons."
I think the 2 last households would have been servants, perhaps free Blacks, since they weren't indicated in any other way.

Who were my definite ancestors in the 1790 census?
Jermethuel Swasey and his wife Sarah Hellon Swasey. 

 My next generation ancestor is Alexander G. Swasy, who was to have his 7th birthday in 1790.  So he was one of the 4 males under 16.  As of this writing I only have details of one brother and one sister, but apparently there were 4 other siblings.  As the Somerset census continues to have a lot of Bowers, and a few Swaseys, it's not surprising.

By 1800 census the following information is given for Jerathmel Bowers Swasey:
Here's the original:

Jerathmul Bowers Swasey is the last listing, which is interesting considering the name is at the top left hand column.  There are only 10 sheets of this census on microfilm.  Perhaps the addendum noted under his name at top left had something to do with that...but it's besides the point.

Details of Jerathmul Swasey's 1800 household are

Free White Persons - Males - Under 10:	1
Free White Persons - Males -10 thru 15:	3
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over:	1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15:	2
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over:	1
Number of Household Members Under 16:	7
Number of Household Members Over 25:	2
Number of Household Members:9

How old were Jermethel and his wife Sarah? In 1790 he would have had his 38th birthday, and she her 33rd.  So it would have been a bit of a stretch in 1800 for her to have been considered over 45 (being only 43).

The second census doesn't have any Bowers on the same sheet, so I will just focus upon who in my ancestors would have been living at the Swasey home in 1800.

Alexander G. Swasey would have his 17th birthday that year, but is probably listed as one of the males 10-15.  There are still 4 boys and 3 girls indicated as children, most of which I don't have records for.

Soon, some interesting links to other folks in New England, going back through mothers lines.

Ah the Somerset Bowers

Alexander G. Swasey Sr. has been the subject of much of my posts lately.  His father was Jarmathmel Bowers Swasey. That Bowers is the direction we go today...

His mother of course was a Bowers of Somerset, MA, married to Joseph Swasey (1714-1801)

She was daughter of Jonathan Bowers; he had been born in Cambridge, Charlestown, MA, but lived in Somerset, and he was one of the well to do founders of the town.

I will try to bring a you copy of the news article from 1905 from the Boston Sentinel, which scathingly speaks of Jonathan's rise to riches, and then speaks mainly about his youngest son and his adventures.

But Mary Bowers Swasey is mentioned in it as well.

Oh fiddlesticks...it's a huge PDF file, which I've been able to copy into WORD as an image, but it doesn't translate to jpg, so can't show the original newspaper to you here.  I would love to!  It's so fun of ads, and pictures of various Bowers' houses...I'll keep working on it.

Jonathan Bowers house, 616 Main St, Somerset, built 1723

And there was a quilt done of the various historic homes which includes this view of the house.

It's third down from the top, second column from right, if you can try to focus upon it.

Part of the original Bowers property is the grave yard, established in 1708.

 Mary is bottom of right hand column.

There are some wonderful original census reports of Somerset, which will give me a glimpse at how the Bowers and Swaseys were living close to each other...and perhaps I can guess at birth date for Mary.  I only know she appears in 1823 in the Boston directory as a resident of a boarding house, as widow of Joseph Swasey.