Moses Simonson (c.1604-c1690) (52 Ancestors 2020 Week 27) Theme: "Solo"

My ancestors usually migrated to America and lived in communities as part of an extended family group.  Finding someone who flew "solo" is a challenge. 

One solo flyer to early New England was my 10X great grandfather Moses Simonson (or Simmons). 

Born about 1604 in Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands, he was a French-speaking Dutchman (known as a Walloon) whose parents had joined the English Separatist church during their years in Leiden prior to emigrating to New England. When many of the Leiden congregation left for America aboard the Mayflower in 1620, teen-aged Moses remained behind with his family in Leiden. The following year, however, he was ready to strike out on his own when the next ship, the Fortune, sailed to America, Moses was one of about 35 passengers on board. He came to America as a single young man.

Replica ship Mayflower II in Plymouth Harbour 1999

He undertook this adventure with another teen-aged Walloon named Philip Delano. The Fortune landed at Plymouth Colony on 9 November 1621. You might think that these new arrivals would have been welcomed with open arms by the existing Plymouth community who had arrived a year earlier aboard the Mayflower. But that was not exactly the case. 

For one thing, the Colony had no idea these newcomers were planning to join them. Food was already in short supply and, with winter coming, they were concerned about having enough to see them through until spring. The Fortune passengers brought no provisions with them so the Colony's winter rations would need to be stretched even further. 

There was also some thought that the caliber of the newcomers was not of the highest standard. At least all arrived in healthy condition. However, Moses was one of just a handful of the Leiden congregation that were joining them. Most were so-called "Strangers" recruited by the merchant adventurers who were more interested in economic than religious matters. There were just a few women; according to William Bradford, most were "lusty young men, and many of them wild enough, who little considered whither or about what they went." One might hope that Moses and his friend Philip, as members of the predominant church congregation, were not included in this wild group.

Yet all were made welcome and remained in Plymouth when the Fortune loaded with cargo for the merchant adventurers (wood, beaver and otter pelts) departed 13 December for return to England.

By the spring of 1623, it was felt that rather than continuing to grow things communally, it would be advantageous for everyone to have their own plot of land for crops. Each household was granted a tract of land in accordance with its size (generally it was one acre per person). Moses and Philip Delano seem to have been dealt with together in that Division of Land in 1623. For those that came on the Fortune, 19 acres  were divided among 19 people, including 2 acres for Moses Simonson and Philip Delano.

Again, when it came time to divide up the cattle among the settlers in 1627, the two young single men Moses Simonson and Philip Delano, as a unit,  were included in Francis Cooke's group. This group was alloted the least of the 4 black heifers that had come in the ship Jacob and two she goats. 

As more and more ships arrived with a variety of family groups and young unattached immigrants, problems arose. It seemed that single young men had a tendency to get up to a lot of trouble, including serious offences such as assault and murder. More often, the offences committed by the young single  folk related to illicit sexual activity, drunkenness and singing lewd songs. It was felt that measures had to be taken to try to control their wilder natures. Laws were enacted to limit the amount of time one could spend in an "ordinary" (pub) and idleness was strictly forbidden. For a period of time, until young men were 21 years of age, they could not live on their own but had to be taken in by a family, whether related or not. Sometimes forced servitude for several years was seen as a way to control a young man. No flying solo for some!

There is no record of Moses ever getting himself in any sort of hot water for any of this sort of misbehavior.

Moses married a woman named Sarah and had 7 children with her between about 1637 and 1653. Their daughter Mary, my 9X great grandmother born about 1641, would grow up to marry Joseph Alden, son of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins who had arrived in Plymouth on the Mayflower. By 1639, Moses and Sarah settled in Duxbury, where he served as a surveyor. With all the development going on, surveyors were in constant demand; his friend Philip Delano also served as a surveyor. 

Moses appears in many of the records in early Plymouth Colony. He was listed as freeman of Plymouth after those admitted 1 January 1634/35.  He appears in the Duxbury lists of freemen in 1639, 1658, 29 May 1670 and early 1683/4. He was involved in many land transactions in several local towns over the years.  As for his education, it is noted that he signed a number of his deeds but by 1678 was making his mark.  He was on the petit jury 25 October 1669.  He was a highway surveyor in Duxbury 3 June 1657, 3 June 1662 and was a surveyor of highways in Scituate 1 June 1675.

The Old Burying Ground, Duxbury MA 1999
Not known if this is where Moses was buried, but it seems likely

Moses died in Plymouth Colony and his will was filed for probate on 15 September 1691 by his son John. His will mentions daughters Mary (wife of Joseph Alden), Elizabeth (wife of Richard Dwelly), Sarah (wife of James Nash) and  sons Aaron and John. Another son (Moses) had died about 15 years before his father. Interestingly, the old Delano friendship remains: one of the witnesses to the will was Thomas Delano, son of his old friend Philip. 

Moses may have flown solo to America, but it is obvious that he had close friendships and grew his own circle of loved ones to surround him in his new life in America.

Duxbury, MA

Some Resources:

• Archer, Richard, Fissures in the Rock: New England in the Seventeenth Century, University of New Hampshire, Published by University Press of New England, Hanover and London, 2001, pp. 98-110.
• Johnson, Caleb H., The Mayflower and Her Passengers, Xlibris Corporation, 2006, pp. 267-275.
• Willison, George F., Saints and Strangers, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1945.