{"id":107130,"date":"2026-03-10T12:05:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T16:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/?p=107130"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:14:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T16:14:26","slug":"crowell-family-and-mayflower-lines-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/crowell-family-and-mayflower-lines-part-1.html","title":{"rendered":"Crowell Family and Mayflower Lines (part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her series on Mayflower descendants, focusing on the Crow\/Crowe\/Covell\/Crowell\/Crowel family line. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

John Crowe immigrated to Charlestown, Massachusetts, from England in 1635. In January 1639 he was granted land in a section of Yarmouth (which is now East Dennis), Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

Below is a list of Yarmouth settlers with John Crowe and his son Yelverton Crowe, along with the many families the Crowe offspring would marry into for generations, published in the Barnstable Patriot<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Barnstable Patriot (Barnstable, Massachusetts), 1 August 1854, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reads:<\/p>\n

It is interesting to remark with reference to the present inhabitants of Yarmouth, and of the entire Cape, that they are more truly the descendants of the first settlers, than are the present inhabitants of any other town in the state. If the name of every person who shall congregate under the immense canvas tomorrow was called, we should find that nearly all bore the same names as the early settlers who first made Cape Cod their home. We are indeed the descendants of the Pilgrims, and still preserve an identity of interest and character.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Part<\/a>
Barnstable Patriot (Barnstable, Massachusetts), 1 August 1854, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Part<\/a>
Barnstable Patriot (Barnstable, Massachusetts), 1 August 1854, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Note:<\/em> Various spellings of Crow\/Crowe\/Covell\/Crowell\/Crowel exist throughout the family lines.<\/p>\n

According to an answered genealogy query in the Duluth News Tribune<\/em>, this Yarmouth branch of the Crowell family is one of three that came to America.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, Minnesota), 25 February 1918, page 28<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reports:<\/p>\n

The second Crowell connection was settled in Yarmouth, Mass., by John Crowe, and it is said that a true Yarmouth Crowell to this day pronounces the name Crowell as if it were spelled in the old fashion without the final two l\u2019s.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It is believed that Thomas Crow (1649-1722), son of Yelverton and Elizabeth Crowe, married Deborah (maiden name unknown), possibly from the Wampanoag Tribe (Nawsett\/Monomoyick).<\/p>\n

The only evidence to support this claim is that their daughter Mary Crow\/Crowell<\/a> (1688-1742) shows up in the estate record of Thomas Quanset<\/a> (Indian) in Harwich dated 1715. It mentions a \u201cMary Crow\u201d (Indian).<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: 1715 estate record of Thomas Quanset showing entry for Mary Crow. Credit: FamilySearch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mary Crow married Nathan Bassett<\/a> in Yarmouth on 7 March 1709 and left many descendants, including one featured in this story.<\/p>\n

Oldest Veteran Whaler and Fisherman Dies in Provincetown, Massachusetts<\/strong><\/p>\n

My first subject is Joseph Clark Ellis (1816-1908), who graced many Provincetown postcards back in the day.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Joseph Clark Ellis. Credit: Provincetown History Project.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Joseph was born to Philip and Polly (Clark) Ellis, and a direct descendant of Nathan and Mary (Crowell) Bassett through his paternal grandmother Tabitha (Bassett) Ellis, daughter of Revolutionary war veteran Richard and his wife Phebe (Philips) Bassett.<\/p>\n

Below is a photograph of Joseph\u2019s father Philip (1789-1873), son of Philip and Tabitha (Bassett) Ellis.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Philip Ellis. Credit: Gift of Roberta (Gilbert) Bratti to Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Joseph married Judith B. Harvender, born to John Henry Harvender and Deborah (Paine) Harvender, a direct descendant of Mayflower<\/em> passengers Elder William Brewster and his wife Mary, Stephen Hopkins, and his daughter Constance Hopkins. She also descends from Chatham pioneer settler William Nickerson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Below is Joseph\u2019s obituary published in the Boston Herald<\/em>. He died on 15 February 1908.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts), 16 February 1908, page 11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reports:<\/p>\n

Joseph Ellis, oldest but one of Provincetown\u2019s citizens, died yesterday, aged nearly 92 years.<\/p>\n

Born in Harwich, Mass., May 15, 1816, he came to this place when a mere boy and spent his subsequent life here. He married Judith B. Harvender of Provincetown, and by her had nine children, six boys and three girls, four of whom \u2013 Joseph C., William, George, and Sylvester Ellis \u2013 are residents of this town.<\/p>\n

Mr. Ellis made several whaling voyages in his younger days, always as boat-steerer and harpooner, his skill with the harpoon and hand lance making his services ever in request. He spent 30 years in the Grand Banks cod fishery, a part of the time as master of the schooner Malden. When he quit offshore fishing he turned his attention to shore fishing, and he continued at this work to the end, participating with the other town boatmen in the quest for mackerel, with anchored nets, in spring and fall.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2018Fluffy Ruffles\u2019 and Lydia Hall Crowell<\/strong><\/p>\n

I could not resist this handsome feline, a member of the Crowell clan.<\/p>\n

He is pictured below with his owner, Lydia Hall Crowell (1907-1984), one of three children born to Louis Austin Crowell and Susan Howes (Hall) Crowell. Lydia married Robert Flandreau. Fluffy Ruffles looks regal and knows he is from sturdy stock.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Lydia Crowell and her cat. Credit: Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lydia descends from several early Crowe lines. Among them is Captain Prince Sears Crowell, a member of the seventh generation descended from John Crowe. More on Captain Crowell in an upcoming article.<\/p>\n

She also descends from Mayflower<\/em> passengers Thomas Rogers, Joseph Rogers, Stephen Hopkins, Constance Hopkins, John Howland, John Tilley, and Elizabeth Tilley.<\/p>\n

I found an interesting death notice on Lydia\u2019s grandmother Louisa Maria (Sears) Crowell (1852-1951), who married a Crowell, but is herself also a descendant of John Crowe of Yarmouth.<\/p>\n

Louisa was born to Captain Joshua Sears and Minerva (Handren) Sears, and married on 20 January 1876, in Dennis, Massachusetts, Edwin Dillingham Crowell, one of the eight children born to Captain Prince Sears Crowell and Polly Dillingham (Foster) Crowell.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Louisa Crowell. Credit: Henry F. Hatch; Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Below is her funeral announcement from the Boston Herald<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts), 18 January 1951, page 27<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reports:<\/p>\n

Funeral services will be held here [East Dennis] Friday at 1 P. M. at her home on Center Street for Mrs. Louisa M. Crowell, 98. One of Cape Cod\u2019s oldest residents, who died late yesterday.<\/p>\n

A native of this village, she attended Greenwich Seminary and was graduated from Dean Academy. She was one of the first women to serve on the Dennis school board. She was one of a group of school girls who greeted Abraham Lincoln in Boston.<\/p>\n

She was a daughter of Joshua Sears, a sea captain. Her husband was the late Edwin D. Crowell.<\/p>\n

She leaves two sons, Edwin D. [Crowell] of New York city and Louis A. Crowell of East Dennis, and three daughters, Miss Mildred Crowell and Mrs. Minerva Wexler, both of this village, and Mrs. Ralph Taylor of Melrose.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The collage below shows the Crowell-Sears line: (top, left to right) Edwin Dillingham Crowell; his wife Louisa Maria (Sears) Crowell; (bottom, left to right) Prince Sears Crowell; his wife Polly Dillinham (Foster) Crowell; Minerva (Handren) Sears (Louisa\u2019s mother).<\/p>\n

\"Photos:
Photos: Crowell-Sears family line. Credit: L. Ray Sears III.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Below is a photo of sisters Lydia and Gertrude \u201cGreta\u201d Crowell.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: sisters Lydia (left) and Greta Crowell. Credit: Dennis Historical Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To be continued\u2026<\/p>\n

Create a free account<\/a> at GenealogyBank for 7 days to start your journey and discover the stories your ancestors left behind.<\/p>\n

Note on the header image: \u201cMayflower in Plymouth Harbor,\u201d by William Halsall, 1882. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n

Related Articles:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n