The lives of our ancestors were hard and trying. Thomas came to America around 1655 from England. Stories of his involvement in the English Civil War are mostly unsubstantiated, but enough "family tales" and early documents exist to lend credence to them.
After 300 years it is hard to determine the relationship between Thomas and Martha, so all we can do is gather what information we can and each develop our own opinion. Martha's life was probably hard and turbulent, ending in her execution as a "witch" on August 19, 1692.
| Evan Pugh from Wales to Remsen, Oneida County, NY early 1800s | Ansel Fox family from Conn. to Oneida County, NY early 1800s | The Ball family of West Springfield, Mass circa late 1700s. | Josiah Myer/Myers Oneida County, New York early 1800s |
| Henry Anson of Oneida County, NY, early 1800s | Ingalls family from Skirbeck, England to Mass. in the early 1600s | Anson Carrier, Town Of Floyd, Oneida County, New York early 1800s | Sexton & Morton from Conn. & Mass & NY. |
Notable cousins include: Willis H. Carrier, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Admiral George Dewey>
This interesting name is of early medieval English origin and is an occupational name for a carrier, a porter, someone who transported
goods. The derivation is from the Old French "Car(r)ier", introduced into England by the Normans after the events of 1066. The word is
derived from the Latin "Carrarius", itself from "Carrum" or cart/wagon.
The development of the surname has included Roger leCariour (1332, Lancashire), John Kerrear (1379, Yorkshire) and Richarde Cariar (1559, London). The modern surname can be found as Carrier or Carryer. One Zachary Carryer was married to Elizabeth Gladdis on the 31st May 1644 at St Dunstan's, Stepney, while on the 14th of February 1659, Mabel Carrier and Adam Holland's marriage was recorded as St Mary's Hill, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Carier, which was dated 1332, in the "Cumberland Subsidy Rolls", during the reign of King Edward III, known as "The Father of Naby", 1327-1377.
James Carrier
I've known since childhood that I was descended from Martha Carrier, but I didn't know until last year that I had another ancestor who was also hanged as a witch 30 years before Marthas execution.
Rebecca Steele/Elsen/Mudge/Greensmith who was brought to trial and hanged for being a witch on Jan 8 1662 in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Rebecca first married Abraham Elsen who died and left her a widow with two young girls. She later married Jarvis Mudge with whom she had two sons, Amos and Micah, Micah is my direct ancestor. Jarvis Mudge died and she then married a Nathaniel Greensmith, a man described as a prosperous deviant. Rebecca Greensmith was described during her trial as a "lewd, ignorant and considerably aged woman". She had claimed that the devil and his followers had afflicted her body, spoiled her name and hindered her marriage. They were considered outcasts to the community. The gossip and rumours around town was that they were possessed by the devil. Nathaniel Greensmith, defending his wife, took his accuser to court, only to be accused of being a witch himself. The jury found them both guilty as being the Devil familiars and sentenced them both to be hung on Gallow Hills in Hartford Connecticut.
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Neal F. Carrier
8010 Soule Rd.
Holland Patent, NY 13354
If you have comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to drop me an email.
Web site created on December 8, 1998
Last Updated May 3, 2008
rev.-57
Disclaimer: Please note that I am not a "GENEALOGIST" but rather consider myself to be a keeper of "Family History".
My family tree runs from Thomas Martha, Thomas Jr., Jeremiah, Jeremiah Jr., Seymour, Seymour Jr., Ansel, Howard.