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An American Family History

Ruth Bonham Barrows

Plymouth (Plimouth or Plimoth) is in Plymouth County, Massachusetts and was the site of the colony founded in 1620 by the Mayflower passengers.

A grist mill is a building where a miller grinds gain into flour.

Ruth Bonham Barrows was born about 1645 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Her parents were George Bonham and Sarah Morton.

She married Robert Barrows (Barrow) on November 28, 1666. Robert was born about 1640 in Salem and was the son of John Barrows and Ann Thompson.

Their children inclued:
Mehitable Barrow (1666, married Adam Wright),
John Barrow (1667, married Sarah Briggs),
Eliezer Barrow (1669, died young),
George Barrow (1670, married Patience Simmons), and
Samuel Barrow ((1672, married Mercy Coombs and Joanna Smith). 

Ruth died about 1676.

After her death, Robert married Lydia Dunham about 1684. Lydia was born about 1666 in Barnstable. She was the daughter of John Dunham.

Robert and Lydia's children included:
Elisha Barrow (1786, died young),
Robert Barrow (1689, married Bethia Ford),
Thankful Barrow (1692, married Isaac King),
Elisha Barrow (1695),
Thomas Barrow (1697), and
Lydia Barrow (1699, married Thomas Branch).

A Puritan woman's clothing consisted of underpants, stockings, linen, shift, petticoat, chemise (underblouse), bolster (a padded roll tied around the hips under the skirt), bodice, skirt, apron, coif (cap), outer gown and shoes. A woman might wear a ruff or bow and an apron. Cloaks were worn instead of coats. Women carried a small cloth draw-string bag or reticule and perhaps wore a chatelaine.

Some Puritans gave their children hortatory names (from the Latin for “encourage”) like Thankful, hoping that the children would live up to them. The names were used for several generations.

Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.

New Jersey's first permanent European settlement was in 1660.

Estate inventories give us a glance into the home life of Colonial Americans.
 

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©Roberta Tuller 2025
tuller.roberta@gmail.com
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