Elizabeth Fones

Elizabeth Fones (21 January1610 - 1 Feb1673) was an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony where her uncle John Winthrop served as Governor. Her subsequent behaviour would scandalise the Puritan colony.

Early life

Elizabeth Fones was born in Groton Manor, Suffolk, England on 21 January 1610. She was the daughter of Thomas Fones, an apothecary of London and his wife, Anne Winthrop. [Rootsweb.Ancestry.com] The Fones family was staunchly Puritan. As a young girl, Elizabeth worked in her father's apothocary shop in London. On 25 April1629 she married her first cousin Henry Winthrop, son of Governor Winthrop. A year after the marriage, Henry sailed for Massachustts Bay Colony on the ship "Talbot". On account of her pregnancy, Elizabeth remained behind in England. Her daughter, Martha Johanna was born on 9 May 1630. Upon his arrival in America, Henry was killed in a drowning accident on 9 July1630 when he went swimming in the North River after visiting an Indian village near Salem.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Elizabeth sailed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with her infant daughter aboard the "Lyon", arriving on 2 November1631. Her uncle, John Winthrop, who was also her guardian, served as governor of the Colony. Elizabeth married Lt. Robert Feake (born 1602) a wealthy landowner in 1632 in Watertown, Middlesex County He owned land in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 1640, Robert and Elizabeth acquired more land in what is now Greenwich, Connecticut. [John J.Latting"New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 1880"] They had five children: Elizabeth (born 1633), Hannah (born 1637), John ( born 1639), Robert ( born 1642) Sarah (born before 1647). In 1647 Due to financial, domestic, and personal problems, Lt. Feake went insane, and abandoned his wife and children. [Rootsweb.Ancestry.com.]

candal

Following her husband's desertion, Elizabeth deeply scandalised the rigid Puritan society in which she lived by marrying her husband's business manager, William Hallet, by whom she had two sons, William ( born c.1648) and Samuel( born c.1650).They married in August 1649, her former brother-in-law John Winthrop, Jr. officiated at the marriage. [John J Latting] Only her close blood relationship to the Governor saved her from being prosecuted for adultery which could have resulted in her being given the death penalty. Nevertheless, Elizabeth, her new husband and family, were forced to leave Massachusetts for the more tolerant Dutch colony of New Netherlands New York, where they were eventually recognised as husband and wife possibly due to the friendship Elizabeth formed with Judith, wife of Director-General Peter Stuyvesant. Elizabeth and William settled in what is now known as Hallett's Cove, Long Island near Hell Gate. In September 1655, Elizabeth and her family survived an attack by the Hackensack tribe of Indians; however the Indians set fire to their house and farm, burning both to the ground. She purchased land in Flushing and Newtown, Queens County on 1 October from Edward Griffin. The following year, William was made "schout" or chief-official of Flushing. [Anya Seton"The Winthrop Woman"p621.] In 1673, at the age of 62, Elizabeth died in Newtown, Queen's County New York. Elizabeth has numerous descendants in America.

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