John Stanley

  Noted events in his life were:

• Family Origin. ² STANLEY HISTORY

Israel Warren a minister wrote a Stanley book in 1887. Israel Warren was interested in the Stanley family as his wife was a Stanley. In colonial records volume 1 page 134, Israel found that three Stanley brothers started to America March 3, 1634 from Stafford, England, Kent County. They arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on May 3, 1634. It is thought that they traveled on a ship that was traveling in a group of six ships. For a short time, it appears they may have been with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The brothers were John, Thomas and Timothy. John apparently was a widower, but no information was found concerning his wife. John brought three children with him; they were John age 10, Ruth age 6, and another child age 4. Timothy Stanley brought a wife and infant child with him. Thomas brought his wife on the voyage and they had no children. John, who was the oldest of the three brothers, died on the voyage to America along with his four year old child. The two orphan children of John's were left in the charge of his brother Thomas and Timothy. Thomas and Timothy raised the orphan children. Reverand Israel Warren was unable to determine the circumstances concerning the death of John Stanley.

The following information was extracted from several sources of history books. Marian Christenson concluded from her research that the three brother fit into the historical period of "The Great puritan Migration". We know that the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 on the Mayflower. There is one Stanley listed on the second voyage of the Mayflower. After King Charles 1 granted a charter to the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1629, 14,000 Puritans poured into Massachusetts in the next twelve years. The Stanley brothers fit into this period. These Puritans were Protestants with religious beliefs that were regarded as advanced for their tie. They belonged to the Anglican Church, the State Church of England, but were trying to purify it of its rituals and doctrines retained from the Roman Catholic Church. When John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony brought 1000 settlers with him in 1630, he carried a charter with him giving him the power to set up a government free of English control. In the Winthrop group, only church members couls serve in the court and elect tis members. The Winthrop group founded Boston. The Stanley brothers soon moved from Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts. There were disputes over the religion, so the Stanleys broke off from the Cambridge group, and apparently went with Thomas Hooker, a Cambridge minister. Thomas Hooker preached that all the people should be allowed to choose the general court, which was in disagreement with the powerful Boston Clergy. He and his group moved to Hartford, Connecticut. The first permanent white settlement was made in 1635, when John Steel and 60 pioneers from Cambridge, Massachusetts settled here. They were followed by Reverand Thomas Hooker and Company who arrived I the spring of 1636. They founded the Hartford Company. The Piquot Indians were in this area and numbered about 2000. The white puritans were considered to be the shrewd, "Connecticut Yankees". The Stanley brothers were in this group. They moved from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Hartford, Connecticut in 1636.

From the Stanley Book:

The Mayflower Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620 A.D. These particular Stanley families were Puritans. They emigrated from England for religious freedom, and arrived in Boston in May, 1634, just 14 years after the Pilgrims. They traveled on a ship named the "Elizabeth & Dorcas". John Stanley died during the voyage. Upon their arrival in Boston, the two remaining brothers, Timothy and Thomas, with the two remaining children of the deceased John Stanley, went with their fellow voyagers to make their homes in "Newe Town", now Cambridge. John's daughter, Ruth, was assigned to the care of her uncle Timothy, while John's son, also named John, was cared for by his uncle Thomas.

The Elizabeth & Dorcas:

The Elizabeth and Dorcas, along with nine other ships (and two at Ipswitch) sailing from England to Boston Massachusetts, were held from sailing while in the River of Thames on 22 Feb 1634, because an Anglican Bishop was concerned about so many "dissenters" going to Boston at one time. All the men took a loyalty oath, a bond was posted and the ships were released on 28 Feb 1634, and probably sailed within the next several days. Most of them arrived during the week of May 12 - 17, (according to Gov. Winthrop's journal), a passage of 72 to 77 days (the Mayflower passage was 77 days). Winthrop mentions this as short enough that they had ship provisions left to sell in town. The other ships arrived in time for the men to apply for "freeman" status in the June Court (four Courts were held each year). The "Elizabeth and Dorcas" had a rougher passage. Winthrop does not say exactly when the Elizabeth & Dorcas arrived, but his journal entry is in early July, thereby indicating late June or early July -- a passage of 100 days or more. Well in keeping with a damaged ship.

The Governor relates that the Elizabeth & Dorcas hit a rock in the Scilly Islands. In those days, had they put ashore for repair, the nobleman owing the islands would have claimed the ship as salvage and passengers would have lost their goods and wealth. The Royal Governor of the Scilly Islands, Lord Godolphin, made it a habit to take damaged ships, and their goods, as salvage and those rocks were a major source of income for many years (the oldest known map of the Scilly Islands dates from the late 1700s). An additional month would easily exhaust provisions for the Elizabeth & Dorcas was not a large vessel. It was London owned, 262 tons, and built in 1629 (a little light for an East Indiaman--at this time many of them were running 600 tons). We don't know the owner's original intent for her trade, but a Petition to the Admiralty got her 20 cannon (16 Sakers and 4 Marins, guns about seven feet long-- some of these may have been rail mounted, but some weighed as much as 1400 lbs. and had to be on some sort of carriage.).

Clearly they must have put on a "sea patch" and pressed on, but could not keep up with the rest of the ships. The Governor also notes that the ship was not properly provisioned. Apparently, they drew down rations during the time they were held and did not reprovision. This, coupled with a long passage, made for starvation and probably scurvy.

The latest readings of the Winthrop papers cite six passengers dead on the Elizabeth and Dorcas when she arrived at Boston in late June or early July (earlier interpretations said 60). Since the journal even cites horses and kine dead, and no passengers, for earlier ships, and is careful to note dead colonists aship or on shore, it becomes apparent that the Elizabeth & Dorcas MUST be the ship the Stanleys came over on.

The Winthrop entry on the Elizabeth & Dorcas doesn't finish, as though he was going to write something else but never got back to it. The wording is "six died but all others recovered except....". It is believed that the other impending death was the child of the deceased John Stanley, because records from that time indicate the child was alive upon landing, but, when the estate was divided by the Court in Sept 1634, only John and Ruth were mentioned.

* This information gratefully provided by Roy Morgan Stanley II.


The value of an Elizabethian Pound and the estate that John Stanley left his children, John and Ruth, amounted to about $112,000 in todays value. This suggests a land sell-off by the three Stanley brothers prior to their departure in February, 1634 - probably sometime between October and December of 1633 (since they planned to sail in January of 1634). .

If John, Thomas and Timothy indeed had similar amounts of cash and goods, the sell-off of the family lands must have been on the order of $350,000 (in today' value). We know the Stanley's were considered people of quality, so their landholdings in Kent may have been substantial.(*)

The younger John, Timothy, and Thomas Stanley, were among the founders of Hartford, CT., and are therefore known as the "Hartford" Stanley Families. Descendants of these three Stanley's have been in this country for nearly 400 years.

• Immigration: Ship, "Elizabeth and Dorcas. The Elizabeth and Dorcas, along with nine other ships (and two at Ipswitch) sailing from England to Boston Massachusetts, were held from sailing while in the River of Thames on 22 Feb 1634, because an Anglican Bishop was concerned about so many "dissenters" going to Boston at one time. All the men took a loyalty oath, a bond was posted and the ships were released on 28 Feb 1634, and probably sailed within the next several days.
Most of them arrived during the week of May 12 - 17, (according to Gov. Winthrop's journal), a passage of 72 to 77 days (the Mayflower passage was 77 days). Winthrop mentions this as short enough that they had ship provisions left to sell in town. The other ships arrived in time for the men to apply for "freeman" status in the June Court (four Courts were held each year). The "Elizabeth and Dorcas" had a rougher passage. Winthrop does not say exactly when the Elizabeth & Dorcas arrived, but his journal entry is in early July, thereby indicating late June or early July -- a passage of 100 days or more. Well in keeping with a damaged ship.
The Governor relates that the Elizabeth & Dorcas hit a rock in the Scilly Islands. In those days, had they put ashore for repair, the nobleman owing the islands would have claimed the ship as salvage and passengers would have lost their goods and wealth. The Royal Governor of the Scilly Islands, Lord Godolphin, made it a habit to take damaged ships, and their goods, as salvage and those rocks were a major source of income for many years (the oldest known map of the Scilly Islands dates from the late 1700s). An additional month would easily exhaust provisions for the Elizabeth & Dorcas was not a large vessel. It was London owned, 262 tons, and built in 1629 (a little light for an East Indiaman--at this time many of them were running 600 tons). We don't know the owner's original intent for her trade, but a Petition to the Admiralty got her 20 cannon (16 Sakers and 4 Marins, guns about seven feet long-- some of these may have been rail mounted, but some weighed as much as 1400 lbs. and had to be on some sort of carriage.).
Clearly they must have put on a "sea patch" and pressed on, but could not keep up with the rest of the ships. The Governor also notes that the ship was not properly provisioned. Apparently, they drew down rations during the time they were held and did not reprovision. This, coupled with a long passage, made for starvation and probably scurvy.
The latest readings of the Winthrop papers cite six passengers dead on the Elizabeth and Dorcas when she arrived at Boston in late June or early July (earlier interpretations said 60). Since the journal even cites horses and kine dead, and no passengers, for earlier ships, and is careful to note dead colonists aship or on shore, it becomes apparent that the Elizabeth & Dorcas MUST be the ship the Stanleys came over on.
The Winthrop entry on the Elizabeth & Dorcas doesn't finish, as though he was going to write something else but never got back to it. The wording is "six died but all others recovered except....". It is believed that the other impending death was the child of the deceased John Stanley, because records from that time indicate the child was alive upon landing, but, when the estate was divided by the Court in Sept 1634, only John and Ruth were mentioned.
* This information gratefully provided by Roy Morgan Stanley II.

John married Elizabeth Inleden, daughter of Unknown and Unknown, on 19 Apr 1632 in St. Margaret, Canterbury, Kent, England. (Elizabeth Inleden was born in 1600 in Benenden, , Kent, England and died on 12 Dec 1632 in Tenterden, Kent, England.)