JOSIAH WINSLOW, 1606-1674
DID HE SUFFER FROM ADHD?
"Incompetent" was a description attached to Josiah Winslow, my 10th great grandfather. Josiah, youngest brother of Mayflower passengers Gilbert and Edward Winslow, was given many opportunities due to the prominence of his family, but he seems to have had a difficult time meeting expectations.
Born to Edward Winslow and Magdalen (pronounced Maudlin) Ollyver/Oliver in 1606, Josiah was one of five boys and four girls. The family was relatively well-off financially and the boys became well-educated. Living in Droitwich, Worcestershire, England, father Edward was Under-sheriff of the County and involved in salt production.
Brothers Gilbert (age 20) and Edward (age 25) arrived in the New World in 1620, John (age 23) the following year, Kenelm in either 1629 (age 30) or 1631 (age 32), and Josiah came in 1631 via the White Angell at the age of 25. Neither the parents, nor do we have record that their daughters, came to the New World but remained in England. Father Edward died in England at age 71, the same year his youngest son left for Plymouth.
Josiah's occupation was that of bookkeeper, but perhaps he should have chosen another profession. In England, Plymouth Colony's investors hired Josiah to keep the accounts and sent him across the ocean. As his brothers Edward and John were influential in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Josiah was initially accepted. William Bradford was the Governor at this time and Edward became Governor two years later.
Bradford wrote during the years 1630 to 1651 what has now been published under the title Of Plymouth Plantation. Regarding their bookkeeper, Josiah, Bradford wrote that he "did wholly fail them and could never give them any account, but trusting to his memory and loose papers, let things run to such confusion that neither he nor any with him could bring things to rights." [Source: Robert Charles Anderson, "Pilgrim Village Families Sketch: Josiah Winslow," http://www.americanancestors.org/pilgrim-families-josiah-winslow/]
I wonder if Josiah had a debilitating case of Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD? With ADHD the responsibilities and stress of everyday life may become overwhelming. Many individuals have difficulty concentrating on a single issue. They have an inability to focus which can lead to lack of success in work because of an inability to meet deadlines or stay on task. This may also be accompanied by an inability to prioritize and a lack of short term memory. [Source: http://rmhealthy.com/10-signs-symptoms-adhd/1/]
Josiah's oldest brother, Edward, established the town of Marshfield along the coastline, 13 miles to the north of Plymouth, the year after Josiah arrived in Plymouth. Josiah then made his home in Marshfield.
In 1636, at age 30, Josiah married 28-year-old Margarett Bourne, whose parents and other family members had come to Plymouth in 1630. Josiah and Margarett had six children: five daughters, Elizabeth, Margaret (my ancestor), Rebecka, Hannah and Mary and one son, Jonathan. Tragically, the oldest daughter Elizabeth was accidentally killed at age 9 by her 7-year-old brother Jonathan.
Josiah, along with his brothers, was a Marshfield selectman or member of the local town governing board. He is listed in the Marshfield section of the 1643 Plymouth Colony list of men able to bear arms. Josiah, like his brother Kenelm (who is also my 10th great grandfather), was Deputy for Marshfield to Plymouth General Court six times between the years 1643-1651.
At the age of 65, Josiah held a position on the Council of War in 1671 when the situation was becoming tenuous with King Philip, the Grand Sachem of the Wampanoag (Indian) Confederacy. King Philip's War, which would begin four years later, would be not only the greatest calamity in 17th Century New England, but the deadliest war in the entire history of European settlement of North America, in proportion to its population, even more so than the Civil War 200 years later. Over 600 colonial men, women and children would be killed and 12 towns totally destroyed with many more attacked. In addition, 3000 Native Americans would die.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Philip's_War] According to this source, Josiah's namesake, his brother Edward's son who was Governor of Plymouth Colony from 1673-1680, was the person most responsible for King Philip's War. [Ibid.]
Although Josiah's wife Margarett would experience the horrors of this war, Josiah would not. He wrote his will in April 1673; he died less than two years later. Josiah Winslow was buried December 1, 1674, in Marshfield, Massachusetts "in his sixty-ninth year".
His inventory included one Great Bible and more than 30 additional books. He left half of his estate, including half of his home to "Margarett my dear and loving wife," the other half to his son Jonathan. Then he stipulated that if Jonathan should die without heirs, after the death of Jonathan's wife the property should be given to his four daughters and their heirs.
Mistake. Attention Deficit Disorder?
Previously, at the time of Jonathan's marriage, Josiah gave the property to Jonathan as a wedding present. Witnesses were called to verify and the Court ruled that Josiah couldn't undo the previous gift by writing something different in his will.
Margarett, Josiah's widow, died nine years after her husband, in September 1683, and was also buried in Marshfield. She was 75. Additionally, two of her daughters would die that same year, Margaret (age 43) and Rebecka (40). Son Jonathan (age 40) preceded his mother in death by four years.
Anderson, Robert Charles. "Pilgrim Village Families Sketch: Josiah Winslow." http://www.americanancestors.org/pilgrim-families-josiah-winslow/
Born to Edward Winslow and Magdalen (pronounced Maudlin) Ollyver/Oliver in 1606, Josiah was one of five boys and four girls. The family was relatively well-off financially and the boys became well-educated. Living in Droitwich, Worcestershire, England, father Edward was Under-sheriff of the County and involved in salt production.
Brothers Gilbert (age 20) and Edward (age 25) arrived in the New World in 1620, John (age 23) the following year, Kenelm in either 1629 (age 30) or 1631 (age 32), and Josiah came in 1631 via the White Angell at the age of 25. Neither the parents, nor do we have record that their daughters, came to the New World but remained in England. Father Edward died in England at age 71, the same year his youngest son left for Plymouth.
Josiah's occupation was that of bookkeeper, but perhaps he should have chosen another profession. In England, Plymouth Colony's investors hired Josiah to keep the accounts and sent him across the ocean. As his brothers Edward and John were influential in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Josiah was initially accepted. William Bradford was the Governor at this time and Edward became Governor two years later.
Bradford wrote during the years 1630 to 1651 what has now been published under the title Of Plymouth Plantation. Regarding their bookkeeper, Josiah, Bradford wrote that he "did wholly fail them and could never give them any account, but trusting to his memory and loose papers, let things run to such confusion that neither he nor any with him could bring things to rights." [Source: Robert Charles Anderson, "Pilgrim Village Families Sketch: Josiah Winslow," http://www.americanancestors.org/pilgrim-families-josiah-winslow/]
I wonder if Josiah had a debilitating case of Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD? With ADHD the responsibilities and stress of everyday life may become overwhelming. Many individuals have difficulty concentrating on a single issue. They have an inability to focus which can lead to lack of success in work because of an inability to meet deadlines or stay on task. This may also be accompanied by an inability to prioritize and a lack of short term memory. [Source: http://rmhealthy.com/10-signs-symptoms-adhd/1/]
Josiah's oldest brother, Edward, established the town of Marshfield along the coastline, 13 miles to the north of Plymouth, the year after Josiah arrived in Plymouth. Josiah then made his home in Marshfield.
In 1636, at age 30, Josiah married 28-year-old Margarett Bourne, whose parents and other family members had come to Plymouth in 1630. Josiah and Margarett had six children: five daughters, Elizabeth, Margaret (my ancestor), Rebecka, Hannah and Mary and one son, Jonathan. Tragically, the oldest daughter Elizabeth was accidentally killed at age 9 by her 7-year-old brother Jonathan.
Josiah, along with his brothers, was a Marshfield selectman or member of the local town governing board. He is listed in the Marshfield section of the 1643 Plymouth Colony list of men able to bear arms. Josiah, like his brother Kenelm (who is also my 10th great grandfather), was Deputy for Marshfield to Plymouth General Court six times between the years 1643-1651.
At the age of 65, Josiah held a position on the Council of War in 1671 when the situation was becoming tenuous with King Philip, the Grand Sachem of the Wampanoag (Indian) Confederacy. King Philip's War, which would begin four years later, would be not only the greatest calamity in 17th Century New England, but the deadliest war in the entire history of European settlement of North America, in proportion to its population, even more so than the Civil War 200 years later. Over 600 colonial men, women and children would be killed and 12 towns totally destroyed with many more attacked. In addition, 3000 Native Americans would die.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Philip's_War] According to this source, Josiah's namesake, his brother Edward's son who was Governor of Plymouth Colony from 1673-1680, was the person most responsible for King Philip's War. [Ibid.]
Although Josiah's wife Margarett would experience the horrors of this war, Josiah would not. He wrote his will in April 1673; he died less than two years later. Josiah Winslow was buried December 1, 1674, in Marshfield, Massachusetts "in his sixty-ninth year".
His inventory included one Great Bible and more than 30 additional books. He left half of his estate, including half of his home to "Margarett my dear and loving wife," the other half to his son Jonathan. Then he stipulated that if Jonathan should die without heirs, after the death of Jonathan's wife the property should be given to his four daughters and their heirs.
Mistake. Attention Deficit Disorder?
Previously, at the time of Jonathan's marriage, Josiah gave the property to Jonathan as a wedding present. Witnesses were called to verify and the Court ruled that Josiah couldn't undo the previous gift by writing something different in his will.
Margarett, Josiah's widow, died nine years after her husband, in September 1683, and was also buried in Marshfield. She was 75. Additionally, two of her daughters would die that same year, Margaret (age 43) and Rebecka (40). Son Jonathan (age 40) preceded his mother in death by four years.
My Line of Descent from Josiah Winslow
Josiah Winslow, Margaret Winslow, Mehitable Miller, Theophilus Crosby, Lemuel Crosby, Lemuel Crosby, Joshua Crosby, Frances Crosby, Benjamin Brown, Melissa Jane Brown, William J Burgess (my grandfather).
Bibliography
Anderson, Robert Charles. The Pilgrim Migration--Immigrants to Plymouth Colony 1620-1633 (Boston: Great Migration Study Project, NEHGS, 2004)Anderson, Robert Charles. "Pilgrim Village Families Sketch: Josiah Winslow." http://www.americanancestors.org/pilgrim-families-josiah-winslow/
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