Descendants of John Balderston
Generation No. 3
2.
JOHN3 BALDERSTON (TIMOTHY2, RICHARD1) was born 1611 in , Norwich, , England, and died 1686.
Notes for JOHN BALDERSTON:
Timothy's son, John, born about 1611, joined his father in the weavers trade as his apprentice for eight years in February 1624. Timothy and his daughter Katherine are reported to have travelled to Holland early in 1637. His son John made the trip several months later. Travel back and forth from Norfolk to Holland was a common practice, especially for those in the weaver trade, and since Timothy was an important man in the profession, he probably made the trip often. Timothy returned to England after a short while, but John and his wife stayed there for several years. This is probably why the family was originally thought to have been from Holland. Timothy was probably a faithful adherent to the Established Church of England, but John, known as John the Dissenter, was taken with the beliefs of Congregationalism, and thus settled for a time in Holland where several churches of that belief were already established and where there was more toleration for those who disagreed with the Established Church. John, however, returned to England in 1642 and helped found a Congregational Church in Norfolk called the Old Meeting House. Subsequently, he settled down to life there with his family and became a prosperous member of the community. He died in 1686 leaving a will naming his children, John, Mary, Rebecca, Abigail, and Hannah. In time, other members of the Balderston family also joined his Congregational Meeting House.
More About JOHN BALDERSTON:
Occupation: 1624, Weaver
Children of JOHN BALDERSTON are:
i. JOHN4 BALDERSTON.
ii. MARY BALDERSTON.
iii. REBECCA BALDERSTON.
iv. ABIGAIL BALDERSTON.
v. HANNAH BALDERSTON.
Descendents of Bartholomew Balderston
3.
BARTHOLOMEW3 BALDERSTON (TIMOTHY2, RICHARD1) was born 1617 in , Norwich, , England, and died 1665. He married ARABELLA. She was born Abt. 1633 in , Norwich, , England, and died 1680.
Notes for B
ARTHOLOMEW BALDERSTON:Bartholomew became an apprenticed carpenter, gaining his freedom in 1644. He married Arabella, sometime after he got his freedom. They had four children: Sarey, who died young, a daughter Philadelphia, and sons Bartholomew, and JOHN. Bartholomew was a successful carpenter and died a farily rich man in 1665. His wife Arabella died in 1680.
More About B
ARTHOLOMEW BALDERSTON:Occupation: 1644, Carpenter
Children of B
ARTHOLOMEW BALDERSTON and ARABELLA are:4. i. JOHN4 BALDERSTON, b. Abt. 1647, Norwich, , England; d. 1717.
ii. PHILADELPHIA BALDERSTON, b. Abt. 1649, , Norwich, , England; d. 1736.
5. iii. BARTHOLOMEW BALDERSTON, b. 1655, , Norwich, , England; d. 1721.
iv. SAREY BALDERSTON, b. Abt. 1657, , Norwich, , England; d. 1664.
6.
BARTHOLOMEW4 BALDERSTON (BARTHOLOMEW3, TIMOTHY2, RICHARD1) was born 1655 in , Norwich, , England, and died 1721. He married MARY LUCAS. She was born Abt. 1659, and died 1733.
Notes for B
ARTHOLOMEW BALDERSTON:
Children of B
ARTHOLOMEW BALDERSTON and MARY LUCAS are:i. T
IMOTHY5 BALDERSTON.
Notes for T
IMOTHY BALDERSTON:Joined the Worsted Weaver Guild in 1702. He was the Mayor of Norwich in 1736 and again in 1751.
ii. B
ARTHOLOMEW III BALDERSTON3, b. 1683; d. 1761.
Notes for BARTHOLOMEW III BALDERSTON:
The children of this generation was the great-grandchildren of Timothy Balderston the weaver. He was born in 1683, obtained his freedom in 1705, and became one of the richest men in Norwich. He never rose higher than Sheriff of Norwich but no doubt his wealth and his charities made him a popular figure in the town and he could have had any honor he wanted. He was devoted to the entire family of Balderstons, even those very distantly related.
His will of 1761 is a thoughtful and carefully worked out document entirely written by himself. He was a good-looking man; his large oil portrait hangs in Bethel Hospital to which he had given 1000 British Pounds. This is a handsome building near the Maddemarket, with a lovely garden and what is more important, placid and contented inmates, as Bartholomew would have liked it.
He gave to his neice, brother Timothy's daughter Mary and the wife of Stackhouse Thompson 1500 pounds. His great nephew, Timothy's grandson, Timothy Thompson (born 1748) was to inherit his house, his sister Mary Harmer having the use of it during her lifetime. He gave to this sister Mary's son, Samuel Harmer the second, 3000 pounds. Samuel was a scrivener, in other words a drafter of documents or notary, and the bright boy of the family. Bartholomew gave varying sums to other Harmer children, to Rose Utting, to Ann Tunnard, and to Sarah Sewell. To his sister Mary's rather queer daughter Mary Harmer, he left 1500 pounds but with a condition. "She not understanding the right use of money" Bartholomew wrote, it was to be kept in the hands of Samuel who was to see that she had everything she needed and money in her pocket for "charitable purposes".
So he provided for his remote and immediate family including young Timothy Thompson, then a lad of thirteen. "And oh, that I could give them a better legacy, and that is converting Grace, but that is the Gift of God and not in my power."
Evidently he was pleased with his American connection. "I give to the children of John Balderston in America, township of Upper Makefield, county of Bucks, province of Pennsilvania, vis., John, Jonathon, Bartholomew, Timothy, Jacob, Hannah, Isaiah, Mordecai, Sarah, and Lydia, 50 pounds apiece, or as to many as shall survive me... to be put into the hands of their father who I look upon (by his way of writing) to be a moral, honest man." These ten would be the children of John, the emigrant.
More About B
ARTHOLOMEW III BALDERSTON:Occupation: Grocer
Endnotes
1. Balderston Family History, Balderston, Marion & Hortense, B.C. Gibson (1970), 29, in the Public Record Office in London it stated that John Balderston, son of John Balderston of Norwich, house carpenter, was apprenticed to John Stinyard of Norwich, worsted weaver, on January 6, 1713-1714. The apprenticeship was for eight years. He would be ready to get his freedom in 1722 and did so, as we know, in 1723.John was twelve when he became an apprentice and the law said that a boy could not be apprenticed before he was fourteen unless he was an orphan or the family extremely poor. It is possible that John the carpenter, was was in his very late sixties, was too ill to work so an exception was made in the case of his son. There is no church record of the father's death.After young John got his freedom in 1723, he apparently remained quietly in Norwich for four years, then he took his adventurous step of going to America. The Recollections which are accurate from now on say that he came to Pennsylvania in 1727 "the year that George the Second came to the Crown," which settles the date, as that was the year George II became king. We lose sight of John for nearly ten years; we are told that he went on with his weaver's trade "in or near Philadelphia." There are no records of who came in the ships at that time.
2. Balderston Family History, Balderston, Marion & Hortense, B.C. Gibson (1970), 12.
3. Balderston Family History by Hortense B. C. Gibson and Marion Balderston, 11 and 12.
