52 Ancestors in 2015 - #6 Frances Tough

Frances Tough

Week 6:  So Far Away

Frances Tough is hypothesized to be my 11th great grandmother on my father's paternal line.  I have picked her for my 6th ancestor this year because she is "so far away" for a variety of reasons.  One, she is far away from me being able to substantiate with genealogical proof standards that she is in fact my 11th great grandmother.  I have a lot of work to do in that area.  Secondly, if she is my 11th great grandmother she is the farthest away from me in terms of generations of known female ancestors having lived in America.

There has been a lot of research done over the years on Frances Tough; she is alleged to have been the wife of Deacon Edward Stebbins, a known member of The Great Migration and founder of Hartford, CT.  From what I understand, Frances was the daughter of Ralph Tough born around 1598 in Burrough-on-the Hill, Leichester, England.  There are no records of her birth or christening as the church didn't begin keeping records until after 1612.   She married her first husband of three, Sampson Chester, on November 26, 1617 in the Church of St. Anne's Blackfriars, England.  They had four children, they all remained in England.

1. Margaret    b. 28 October 1618
2. Joanna        b. 21 January 1619/20
3. John            b. 23 November 1621
4. Abigail        b. 5 November 1623

Frances married a second time after her first husband passed away.  She married Thomas Smith in Bermondsey, Surrey, England on February 25, 1627/28.   He died soon after they were married.  She married a third time in England circa 1629 to Edward Stebbins.  They had two daughters:

1. Mary  b.  by 1630 married Walter Gaylord
2. Elizabeth b. by 1631 married Robert Wilson; married Thomas Cadwell

Edward came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony prior to 1634, but it is not clear if Frances and the daughters came at that time.  They may have remained in England until after Abigail Chester died in September of 1836.  Edward lived in New Town (now Cambridge) near what is now Harvard Square. He sold his property there and migrated to help settle Hartford, CT where he was a prominent man and Deacon.  He and Frances are believed to be buried in the Ancient Burying Grounds in Hartford.

15 Generations Later -- How do I think I'm related?

1. Frances Tough and Edward Stebbins had a daughter Elizabeth who married Robert Wilson.
2. Elizabeth Stebbins and Robert Wilson had a son Samuel Wilson.
3. Samuel Wilson married Mary Griffen, and they had a son John Wilson who married Mary Marshall. 
4. John Wilson and Mary Marshall had a daughter Mary Wilson.  She married Lt. Jonathan Filley.
5. Mary Wilson and Jonathan Filley had a daughter Margaret Filley.  She married Thomas Hoskins.
6. Margaret Filley and Thomas Hoskins had a son Jonah.  Jonah married Comfort.
7. Jonah Hoskins and Comfort had a son Seymour Hoskins/Haskins.  He married Freelove Mastin.
8. Seymour Haskins and Freelove Mastin had a son George W. Haskins.  He married Mary McFarland
9. George W. Haskins and Mary McFarland had a son George H. Haskins.  He married Sarah Drake.
10. George H. Haskins and Sarah Drake had a son Fred Haskins.  He married Katherine VanLare.
11. Fred Haskins and Katherine VanLare had a son Vincent Haskins.  He married Ruth Robertson.
12. Vincent Haskins and Ruth Robertson had a son, my father.  He married my mother.
13. My parents had a me (14), and I have had two sons (15) -- which makes 15 generations.