George Aldrich

1605 - 1683

• Name	George Aldrich  [1]
  Born	1605	probably, Little Berkhampsted, Hertfordshire, England
  	Currently the only George (and most likely) is christened at Little Berkhampsted, Hertfordshire, England which is right northwest of London. The father was as listed on record (in Latin) was Georgiji Aldrich. No mother is named.
  Gender	Male
  Immigration	06 Nov 1631	New England
  	One thing that stand out very clearly is that George and Katherine were not Quakers when they arrived at Mount Wollaston (now Braintree), MA - otherwise they would have been either put to death or driven out like other Quakers were at that time. The only secure Quakers were living at Sandwich, MA - a long way from Braintree - on Cape Cod. They were converted to Quakerism just before moving to Mendon - but exact date is unknown. They first settled at Dorchester. They probably arrived aboard the Lyon although there is no passenger list.
  Will	02 Nov 1682	Mendon, Worcester Co, Massachusetts
  	In the name of God Amen - I, George Aldrich being weak in body but of sound understanding dispose of my Estate as followeth: Item--I leave my house and Land and whole Estate with my beloved wife during her life. Item--I give to my daughters Mary Aldrich, Sarah Bartlett and Mercy Randall and Martha Dunbar twelve pence apiece to be paid by my Executrix. Item--I give all my wearing Clothes to my eldest Son Joseph Aldrich. Item--I give to my son John Aldrich all my Bookes after my wifes decease. Item--I give to my grandchild John Aldrich Son of Joseph Aldrich thirty Shillings upon condition that he lives with his grandmother during her life according to his fathers promise. Item--I give to my youngest son Jacob Aldrich all my Lands after my wifes decease, Its hereby intended all my Land Paid out or to be Paid out with all rights and privileges thereto belonging --- I make my beloved wife sole Executrix of my whole Estate --- I make my son Jacob Aldrich overseer of this my will. Dated Mendon on the second day of November 1682. By me George Aldrich Signed in the presence of us - Josiah Chapin, Joseph White.
  Died	01 Mar 1682/83	Mendon, Worcester Co, Massachusetts   [2, 3]
  	Georg Aldrich, Mar. 1, 1682.
  Buried	Old Cemetery, Mendon, Worcester Co, Massachusetts
  	"George Aldrich, one of the original proprietors of Mendon in 1663. Founder of the Aldrich Family in America died 1682, and buried here..." Plaque placed at the entrance of the Aldrich Cemetery, Uxbridge (originally Mendon), MA
  Notes	"God brought me to America from Derbyshire, England, November 6, 1631." These are the words of George Aldrich, the progenitor of the American Aldrich race, and in which his unqualified faith In the over-ruling power of God In all things is clearly expressed. The first learned of George Aldrich is of his marriage, September 3, 1629, to Katherine Seald, and about three years later he emigrated to America from Derbyshire, England, It is presumed that Derbyshire was where the marriage took place. The first found of him in America is in 1634, when a one-acre houselot was set off to him in Dorchester. Houselots In those days were generally larger than an acre, but as George Aldrich was a tailor by trade, the smallness of his houselot is explained. Whether he built a house on this one-acre lot we do not know; neither is it known how long was his stay in Dorchester, but it was for some little time at least, for we find that both he and his wife Katherine became member of the Dorchester church. George Aldrich was made freeman at Dorchester in 1636. In 1640 we find our ancestor in the town of Braintree as owner of about eight acres of land with buildings, and as he came from Braintree when coming to Mendon, and the births of the greater part of his children are recorded there, it is presumed that from 1640, or thereabouts, to 1663, Braintree was his home." "George Aldrich was a tailor, and it is concluded that it was by this trade he gained subsistence, for with but one acre of land at Dorchester and only eight at Braintree, it would appear that he was paying but little attention to agriculture. It is also found that of sons, John and Peter, thus leaving him with but thirteen and one-third acres in his home lot. As he was about 60 years of age when coming to Mendon it is doubtful about his ever engaging much in farming here. The authorities who had the matter in charge, fixed for the rule of settling the new township of Mendon, that those who had been accepted as worthy to become members of the seemingly select company should reach the new territory before the seventh month, 1665, and, as stated above, Ferdinando Thayer and George Aldrich were among the first to comply with this requirement." "At Mendon George Aldrich had a houselot set off to him a little southerly of the present Mendon village, which lot today comprises the southerly portion of the Gilbert Gaskill farm; and the house where George Aldrich lived, and some three or four generations after him, must have stood, in the vicinity of the Gilbert Gaskill vegetable garden, opposite the Gaskill house." "Until 1786 the homestead of George Aldrich was in the hands of his descendants. At this time Rev. Caleb Alexander, the sixth settled minister of Mendon, bought the ancient Aldrich homestead, together with the John Harber houselot, (which sometime previous had come into possession of Stephen Aldrich, a great grandson of the first George) the above-mentioned Gaskill house being situated on the John Harber houselot." "George Aldrich had eleven children, all of whom were born before his coming to Mendon, his youngest, son, Jacob, being seven years old at that time. George died In Mendon "March 1, 1682 and his wife Katherine Jan. 11, 1692. His first child., Abel, was probably born In England, and, as I find no trace of him or his birth date, it is concluded that he died there. Joseph, his second child, married Patience Osborne and came to Mendon with his father, he also becoming a proprietor. Joseph's houselot of 20 acres comprised the northerly portion of the N. R. George farm, extending across the road and taking in the southerly portion of the present home place of Julius A. George. The house of Joseph Aldrich stood in the vicinity of where our former village blacksmith, the late John Barry, lived and died. Joseph Aldrich stayed in Mendon until about the time of his father's death in 1682 when he removed to what is now Smithfield, Rhode Island, in which state many of his descendants are still found, including the Hon. Nelson W. Aldrich, the financial leader of the United States Senate, whose daughter married John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Joseph Aldrich was of the Quaker faith and tradition has It that on this account his house was spared at the burning of the town in 1676 by King Philip's warriors. The next three of George Aldrich's children all died young. John, the sixth child, married Sarah Thompson, daughter of John and Sarah Thompson of Mendon. He had a third part of his father's houselot and may properly be termed a proprietor. His lot of 15 1/3 acres comprised the southerly portion of the said N. R. George farm and his house is supposed to have been In the vicinity of where the Nathan George "yellow house" so called, formerly stood, In front of the town's burying ground. John Aldrich removed from Mendon to Bridgewater about the time of the King Philip war, where he is supposed to have lived until his death. " "Peter, the eighth child, has not been positively traced but he is believed to have removed to Long Island and become the progenitor of the Aldrich branch who for many generations have existed there. Mercy, the ninth child, married John Randall, a son of Robert Randall of Weymouth, and as the births of some of their children are recorded in Mendon, it is evident that they lived here for a while at least. It is found, however, that they subsequently removed to Weymouth and spent their days on his father Robert's farm. Martha, the eleventh child of George Aldrich, married John Dunbar, and while they had a son born in Mendon, I have gained no further knowledge of them worthy of mention." "I will now go back to the tenth child, Jacob, who married Ferdinando Thayer's daughter Huldah, and from here on the title of my paper, "The Thayer-Aldrich Tribe" applies. Jacob Aldrich and Huldah Thayer were married November 5, 1675 and in the main it will be upon their descendants that the remainder of this paper will treat. Jacob settled in Mendon on the Aldrich homestead which was bequeathed to him by his father, and while I do not wish to speak disparagingly of my own side of the house, I feel forced to admit that of the innumerable descendants of Jacob Aldrich and Huldah Thayer the Thayer blood has predominated. They had a family of twelve children, the most of whom grew to adult age. To six of their sons sixty-five children were born, and with eighteen children born to their daughters, eighty-three grand children are credited to Jacob Aldrich and Huldah Thayer." Marcus M. Aldrich, Mendon, MA, 1908 The name of "George Aldrige" is included on a list of the first inhabitants of Swansea, 22 Feb 1668/9 [Bowen's "Early Rehoboth", vol. 1, p. 36] From NEHGR vol. 139, pp. 21-49 The records of the Baptist Church in Swansea include: 9 Jun 1670 "Question agreed on from Feb. 8.; what is the tenour of the cov[enan]t f grace and how men come to be interested in it; to be this day 14night at bro Aldridges howse." 16 Feb 1670/1 ". . . absent bro Miller, Aldridge." 11 Apr 1671 "Bro Aldrige and sister Aldrige and bro Alby have acknowledged themselves to be subject to the discipline of Christ in this church while continuing among us." 4 Jul 1672 "Ordered that bro Alby and bro Bosworth do require in the name of the church bro: Aldrige do appear before the church this day mo:" Few records appear in the book after Jul 1672. The last record was on 22 Apr 1673. There were lists of names at the end with money amounts--unclear what they were: pledges, payments, debts? They names included: George Aldrige -01-04 Katherine Aldrige -01-4d
  Person ID	I15067	Bryant
  Last Modified	29 Jul 2006

  
  

  Father	Georiji Aldrich
  Family ID	F1078	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Katherine Seald,   b. 1610, probably, Derbyshire, England ,   d. 11 Jan 1691/92, Mendon, Worcester Co, Massachusetts
  Married	03 Sep 1629	probably, Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, England
  	Great Fire of London 1666 destroyed many of churches in London so we do not know exact which church they were alleged married in. They had to be Puritans in order to be in the John Winthrop Fleet of 1630. John Winthrop went on to become Governor of Massachusetts. Everybody in the fleet were all Puritans to begin with.
  Children	1. Abel Aldrich,   b. Jun 1633, Dorchester, Suffolk Co, Massachusetts   2. Joseph Aldrich,   b. 04 Jun 1635, Dorchester, Suffolk Co, Massachusetts ,   d. 24 Apr 1701, Providence, Providence Co, Rhode Island   3. Mary Aldrich,   b. 16 Jun 1637, Dorchester, Suffolk Co, Massachusetts   4. Miriam Aldrich,   b. 29 Jun 1639, Dorchester, Suffolk Co, Massachusetts ,   d. 10 Mar 1651, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts   5. Experience Aldrich,   b. 04 Sep 1641, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts ,   d. 02 Feb 1642, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts   6. John Aldrich,   b. 02 Apr 1644, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts ,   d. Abt 1717, probably, Bridgewater, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts   7. Sarah Aldrich,   b. 16 Jan 1646, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts ,   d. Bef 17 Feb 1685, Cumberland, Providence Co, Rhode Island   8. Peter Aldrich,   b. 14 Apr 1648, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts ,   d. Bef 20 May 1702, Shelter Island, Suffolk Co, New York   9. Mercy Aldrich,   b. 17 Jun 1650, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts ,   d. 26 Sep 1702   10. Jacob Aldrich,   b. 28 Feb 1653, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts ,   d. 22 Oct 1695, Mendon, Worcester Co, Massachusetts   11. Mattithiah Aldrich,   b. 10 Jul 1656, Braintree, Norfolk Co, Massachusetts
  Family ID	F823	Group Sheet

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 1605 - probably, Little Berkhampsted, Hertfordshire, England Married - 03 Sep 1629 - probably, Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, England Immigration - 06 Nov 1631 - New England Will - 02 Nov 1682 - Mendon, Worcester Co, Massachusetts Died - 01 Mar 1682/83 - Mendon, Worcester Co, Massachusetts Buried - - Old Cemetery, Mendon, Worcester Co, Massachusetts  = Link to Google Maps   = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S134] Aldrich, George Aldrich Genealogy, Aldrich, Alvin James, (Author, 1971). [S60] MASS, Vital Rec., Mendon. [S134] Aldrich, George Aldrich Genealogy, Aldrich, Alvin James, (Author, 1971), p.36.