Josephine Cushman and the Cushman Family

Cushman Family Monument in Plymouth

Josephine Cushman Pattison

My last Paternal Family Post was about Josephine's husband Henry Pattison, so we are rounding out the Family here.  As I touched on some key events of Josephine's life while talking about Henry, I am going to also flesh out the history of her Family.  Josephine was a Ninth Generation Direct descendant of Robert Cushman, the Agent for the Separatists. (Pilgrims). (Robert 1, Thomas 2, Thomas 3, Robert 4, Joshua 5, Paul 6, Clark 7, Ira 8, Josephine 9)  Now we will take them backwards, starting with Josephine and ending at the Mayflower with Robert.

Josephine (9) was born in Ft Gaines Georgia to Ira Harvey Cushman and Mary McCorkle (see previous Post re: Mary), on 22 Dec 1832.  Her Father was a Judge, Justice of the Peace who rode a Circuit in Early County GA.  She was the 2nd child, eldest Daughter.  Josephine married Henry Pattison, 30 years of age, when she was 15.  They had 3 children in the South and at the outbreak of the Civil War, the Family was forced to flee North.  They had 10 maybe 11 more children while residing in Mercer County Il. (There were 2 boys born in 1878-1979, Austin S and Rensselaer Stanley.-I don't know if they were twins or the same child, Austin a nickname etc.  If they were two separate  children, Rensselaer Stanley survived-there is no record of Austin after the 1880 Census)   Nine of their thirteen or fourteen children  survived to adulthood.  My Great Grandmother Kate (Katherine Louisa) was the 4th born, the third daughter.   Her older brother Ashton Hargrave, born a year before her birth,  died as an infant.

Eight of the Adult Children of henry and Josephine Pattison.  Olivia died in 1887.  This Photo may have been taken when the Sibling were together for the death of their father in 1893

A Gathering of the Pattison Clan after the Turn of the Century.  My Grandfather Wright is the Farthest Left little Boy on step.  He was born in 1898

Josephine's Father,  Ira Harvey Cushman (8) (1799-1849)was born and raised in Barnet, Vermont.  He and his older brother Ralph left New England, traveled to the South where they read Law and eventually became lawyers, then Judges.  Ralph settled in Avoyelles Parrish, Louisiana, He was the Judge who actually freed Solomon Northup of Twelve Years a Slave fame.
 http://vincentsimmons.iippi.org/tag/judge-ralph-cushman  

Judge Ralph Cushman, brother of Ira Harvey Cushman There is no extant Image of Ira that I have found.  

 Ira settled in Ft. Gaines, Georgia, married Mary McCorkle (1811-1895) and later moved to Geneva Alabama where he died in January of 1849.

Ira was a well respected man within his Community and circle.  In his book , A Historical and biographical genealogy of the Cushmans: the descendants of Robert Cushman, the Puritan, from the year 1617 to 1855   Henry Wyles Cushman  stated:
"He always maintained the character of a gentleman and an honest man, whatever might have been his failings. He was noted in the circuit where he practiced law, for his wit and repartee. Many of his remarks have become proverbial in that region. He was an active, engergetic (sic) business man, of an impetuous temperament and somewhat disposed to ideal schemes, which did not always prove to be of the most enduring and productive character.
Such men are usually valuable to the public; but not so much so to themselves. Without them our country would have prospered much less than it has. They are, therefore, to be ranked among the useful members of the community."

Ira Harvey was one of thirteen children of Clark Cushman (7) (1769-1851) and Catherine "Caty" Grout (1774-) of Charlestown, Sullivan County, New Hampshire.  Caty's father Elijah Grout (1732-1807), was a Commissary in the Revolutionary War and we could join DAR and SAR under him if I had not already joined under Joshua Wright.  Elijah parents were John Grout (1704-1770) and Joanna Boynton (1712-1779)  The Boynton Line is the Line that is documented back to 1067. They most likely came from Normandy with William the Conqueror when he conquered England in 1066 and were granted land by William for their Service to him.  

Tombstones of Clark and Caty Grout Cushman, Passumpsic Cemetery, 

Clark Cushman was a Farmer and Innkeeper in Barnet, VT.  He is buried in the Passumpsic Cemetery.  According to   History of Barnet, Vermont, from the outbreak of the French and Indian war to present time; with genealogical records of many families, by Frederic Palmer Wells,Clark made the bricks used to build  his home and other buildings in Barnet.  He was the son of Paul Cushman (6) (1741-1808) and Anna Parker(1747-1822), of Charlestown, Sullivan New Hampshire.  The Parkers came to the Colony of Massachusetts around 1640, just 20 years after the Separatists.  (Pilgrims).  Most likely, they were Puritans, certainly they were Calvinists.  Anna Parker's mother was Anne Morse(1681-1707), whose family gave birth in 1791 to Samuel of Morse Code  fame.

Puritans of New England, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Marriage record Paul and Anna Parker Cushman 14 Oct 1776

According to Henry Wyles Cushman, Paul was a blacksmith.  Also states that during the Indian Wars, he traveled to Canada with an Expeditionary force to bring Captives back to the Colonies.  He and Anna had ten children surviving to Adulthood.

The parents of Paul Cushman were Joshua Cushman (5) (1708-1764) and Mary Soule (1711-1750).  Mary was the great great Granddaughter of George Soule (1601-1679), a Mayflower Passenger and Signer of the Mayflower Compact.  Although the Cushman family ancestors did not arrive on the Mayflower-the 1st ship, they were and we are descended from 8 Men, Women or Children who were passengers.  Furthermore, Mary Soule was the Great Granddaughter of John Soule (1632-1707)and Ester Delano (1640-1735), thus connecting us to the Delano Family and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Headstone of Joshua Cushman in Mayflower Cemetery, Duxbury, Mass.  It reads "Here lies Mr. Joshua Cushman who died March 25, 1764."

The parents of Joshua were Robert Cushman (4) (1664-1757) and Persis Lewis(1671-1744).  Robert Cushman lived to be 92, marrying for the second time at 80.  His parents were (Thomas Cushman  (3)(1637-1726) and Ruth Howland (1637-1726).  By the Marriage of Thomas and Ruth, we are directly descended from The Howland and Tilley  Mayflower Lines.  Her Father was John Howland (1593-1672), a Mayflower Passenger who married  Elizabeth Tilley (1607-1686) also a Mayflower Passenger.   Elizabeth was accompanied on the Ship by her parents, John Tilley (1571-1621) and Joan Hurst Tilley (1568-1621).  They both died in the 1st difficult winter after arrival.

This shows the loss of life during the 1st year in New England

Thomas was fined a fee of 5 pounds prior to their marriage for having carnal relations with Ruth before marriage but after Contract.  This was not unusual in that day and age and did not seem to tarnish either Party's reputation.

Thomas was the son of Elder Thomas Cushman (2) (1608-1691) who arrived with his Father, Robert, on the Fortune in 1621-the 2nd Ship and Mary Allerton (1616-1699) who as a child was a Mayflower Passenger.  Her parents, Isaac Allerton (1683-1658) and Mary Norris Allerton (1581-1621) were also Passengers.  Mary died the 1st winter when 45 of the 102 Passengers died.

a Plaque on the Cushman Monument

 Elder Thomas was the Ruling Elder of the First Church in Plymouth.  His Widow,  Mary Allerton Cushman was the last Surviving Mayflower Passenger when she died in 1699-79 years after the Mayflower Landing.

The parents of Thomas Cushman were Robert (1) (1577-1625) and Sarah Reder Cushman (1585-1616) of Canterbury, Kent England.  In about 1611, the Cushmans, Robert and Sarah and three sons, including Thomas emigrated from England to Leiden, Holland with other like-minded men and their families.  He had been in trouble on and off during the early years of the Century because of his religious beliefs. He was arrested and charged with distributing "libels"  pamphlets that were contrary to the beliefs of the Church of England.  He spent the night in prison for this.  In a later incident he was accused of having been tainted by a man charged with having "false erroneous and devilish opinions” contrary to the Church of England and “repugnant to the word of God.”  

In Holland, the Separatists, so called because of their desire to separate from the official Church of England, tried to live a normal life among the tolerant Dutch. They established their own Congregation in Leiden where they could practice in their own description of "Godliness". Robert Cushman worked as a Wool Comber in the Dutch Wool Trade.  They eventually feared however, that their children would lose their Englishness, their religion and become more Dutch-basically they feared assimilation.  It was decided to set sail for the New World. In 1617, Cushman along with John Carver, was elected to act as their Agent in dealings to prepare for the voyage.  A patent was obtained from the Virginia Company and the two men set about purchasing supplies.  In 1619, the year before the Voyage began, Robert Cushman wrote a treatise called "The Cry of a Stone" which, in contrast to the traditional views of the intolerance of the Separatists, "sheds new light on how tolerant the moderate Mayflower Pilgrims were compared to other radical and strict Separatist movements."  http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwbooks/article/Robert-Cushman-Pens-THE-CRY-OF-A-STONE-20160517

Robert Cushman, his effigy in Canturbury, England

Robert, who had lost his wife and two of his three children in 1616, did not sail on the Mayflower.  In August, he and his surviving son Thomas were aboard her companion ship The Speedwell when the later ship began floundering.  She was determined to be not seaworthy and several weeks were wasted attempting repairs and trying to decide what to do.  Finally the Speedwell was abandoned and her passengers had the choice of halting their journey, for which many had sacrificed everything they owned  and possible taking the next ship or crowding on to the already overcrowded Mayflower to continue their journey. The weeks of sitting in Port, trying to effect repairs had depleted much of their store and rations.  The stress and tension of all of this weighed on Robert Cushman and he experienced Chest pain and pressure.  He wrote  "a bundle of lead as it were, crushing my heart." ,that he felt he would die from the tremendous pressure in his chest.  Because of these health issues, Robert and his son opted to abandon the journey and the Mayflower sailed without them.   They were however on the next ship which sailed the following year.  The following is a story of the arrival of the Fortune at Plymouth Bay.  

 The Pilgrims at Plymouth colony were afraid. An Indian had just reported a white sail off Cape Cod. Was this a French raider from Canada? Miles Standish armed the men and they prepared to meet any assault. Great was their relief when the ship turned out to be the Fortune, an English vessel bringing more colonists. While many of the newcomers were not Pilgrims, one of the men who disembarked from the boat had been a leader in Leyden, the Dutch city where the Puritans previously lived in exile. This was the deacon, Robert Cushman.

Robert had come to straighten out affairs in the colony. The men who had put up the money to finance the settlement were angry that the ship Mayflower had been kept so long by the Pilgrims--and then sent home empty. The colonists might well have loaded it with timber at least! The company wanted a return on their investments. And they wanted some amended articles signed, too.

At Plymouth, settlers were sick of the company policy of share-and-share-alike. Some demanded that the land be parceled as in private chunks. Robert warned them strongly against this kind of talk, and said their backers were in no mood to be trifled with. If the colonists hoped for future supplies, they must agree to company terms.

Oddly enough for such a religious group, there was no ordained minister among their number. Robert Cushman, a deacon, was the nearest thing. To settle the jealousies and animosities among the settlers, he preached a sermon on this day, December 9, 1621. This was the first recorded sermon on American soil and the first printed there.

It was titled, "A Sermon Preached at Plimmoth in New England, December 9, 1621 in an Assemblie of his Majesties faithful Subjects, there inhabiting. Wherein is shewed the danger of selfe love, and the sweetnesse of true Friendship. Together with a Preface, shewing the state of the Country, and Condition of the Savages."

Robert quoted Paul's words to the quarreling Corinthians as an example for the disgruntled settlers. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth (1 Corinthians 10:24). "The occasion of these words of the Apostle Paul, was because of the abuses which were in the Church of Corinth. Which abuses arose chiefly through swelling pride, self-love and conceitedness.."

"...it is lawful sometimes for men to gather wealth, and grow rich, even as there was a time for Joseph to store up corn, but a godly and sincere Christian will see when this time is, and will not hoard up when he seeth others of his brethren and associates to want, but then is a time, if he have anything to fetch out and disperse it.."

"...you must seek still the wealth of one another.." he reminded them and pointed out that it was in their self interest to do so, for, "Even as we deal with others, ourselves and others shall be dealt withal.. for it is the merciful that shall obtain mercy.."

The settlers listened to Robert. Not only did they sign the despised articles, but they filled the Fortune with wood and furs. Robert sailed for England. Unfortunately, the ship was seized by French privateers, who stripped it of everything of value. Robert was freed, but the colony would not pay for itself for a while yet.
  http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwbooks/article/Robert-Cushman-Pens-THE-CRY-OF-A-STONE-20160517

Cushman served as agent of the New Plymouth Colony and representative of the colony in England with a new patent holding  company of Merchant Adventurers of London.  He died in London, apparently of the plague in the spring of 1625. The place and date of his death and burial, also in Kent, are unknown but he and his Descendants are memorialized with the Cushman Monument, shown above.

My Pattison Family at a Reunion in 1950.  I am the little girl in the lower right corner