{"id":80559,"date":"2021-09-30T12:53:56","date_gmt":"2021-09-30T16:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=80559"},"modified":"2024-03-08T10:52:16","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T15:52:16","slug":"edward-rawson-descendant-susannah-crossley-celebrates-100th-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/edward-rawson-descendant-susannah-crossley-celebrates-100th-birthday.html","title":{"rendered":"Edward Rawson Descendant, Susannah Crossley, Celebrates 100th Birthday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes about Susannah Crossley, whose father fought in the American Revolution, and her connections to the Edward Rawson family line. Melissa is a genealogist who has a blog, AnceStory Archives<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today I continue exploring the family line of Edward Rawson (1615-1693), New England pioneer settler and first Secretary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. I found one of his descendants in Kingston, Rhode Island, an original \u201cReal Daughter\u201d of a soldier in the American Revolution.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Susannah Belcher Crossley (1802-1903), from \u201cAmerican Monthly Magazine,\u201d Volume 17, 1900. Credit: National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In September 1902 the Evening Bulletin<\/em> covered the 100th birthday celebration of Susannah Belcher Crossley, a 3rd generation lineal descendant of Edward Rawson and a proud member of the Narragansett Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution<\/a> (DAR).<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Evening Bulletin (Providence, Rhode Island), 30 September 1902, page 8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Susannah was born to John Belcher and Susannah Hazeltine in Wrentham, Massachusetts, on 29 September 1802, and married first Aaron Guild and second John Crossley.<\/p>\n

After her husband John\u2019s death, Mrs. Crossley moved into the home of her grandniece, Celinda Evelyn (nee Alexander) Flagg, wife of Charles Otis Flagg. Celinda was also a member of the Narragansett Chapter (DAR). The 100th<\/sup> birthday bash was hosted in Celinda\u2019s Kingston home.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Crossley was admitted into the DAR under her father\u2019s service, John Belcher, who was a:<\/p>\n

\u201cMinute Man, being one of those who responded to the sudden call at the commencement of hostilities, when the British marched upon Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775. He marched a second time upon the alarm of Dec. 8, 1776, and other authority records that he was engaged in a secret expedition from Sept. 25, 1777, through the following month.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Another Revolutionary War soldier in her line was her grandfather, Abner Hazeltine, who served in Rhode Island in 1778.<\/p>\n

Although Mrs. Crossley did not have any descendants, her siblings did. Two of her brothers, Manning and Dr. Caleb, are mentioned in this newspaper article; both graduated from Brown University.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Crossley\u2019s grandmother Elizabeth was the daughter of Rev. Grindal Rawson, a celebrated figure in his day who preached his sermons in both English and Algonquian. He translated John Cotton\u2019s \u201cSpiritual Milk for Babes\u201d into the Indian language under the title \u201cMilk for Babes,\u201d published \u201cConfession of Faith\u201d in both the English and Indian tongues, and coauthored with Rev. John Eliot a translation of Thomas Shepard\u2019s \u201cThe Sincere Convert,\u201d also into Algonquian. In 1698 Grindal, along with Rev. Samuel Danforth, visited Rev. Daniel Takawambpait, the first Ordained Indian minister in the colonies.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: translation by Rev. Grindal Rawson of John Cotton\u2019s \u201cSpiritual Milk for Babes,\u201d under the title \u201cMilk for Babes,\u201d into Algonquian; and the translation of Thomas Shephard\u2019s [Shepard] \u201cThe Sincere Convert\u201d by John Eliot and Grindal Rawson, also into Algonquian. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society.<\/figcaption><\/figure>In 1875 the Daily Kennebec Journal<\/em> announced a revised edition of the \u201cRawson Memorials,\u201d a genealogy published by E. B. Crane, secretary of the Rawson family association.<\/p>\n
\"An<\/a>
Daily Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine), 9 August 1875, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article provides background on the first Edward Rawson and the origin of the name \u201cGrindal\u201d given to his son:<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most noted and honorable of the early New England families, was that of Edward Rawson, who filled the office of Secretary of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay from 1657 [1650] to 1686. He was born in Gillingham, Dorsetshire, England, in 1615, and married Rachel Perne, a grandniece of Edward Grindal, Archbishop of Canterbury in the reign of Elizabeth. They had twelve children, from two of whom, William and Grindal \u2013 who settled in New England \u2013 have come numerous descendants, who are now scattered throughout the country.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Grindal\u2019s daughter Susannah married Abner Hazeltine, and their daughter Susannah Hazeltine married John Belcher. But there is more than one Rawson line here! (Mrs. Crossley\u2019s half-brother.)<\/p>\n

John Belcher had a first marriage to Hannah Rawson, daughter of Edward and Deborah (Green) Rawson. She descends from Edward\u2019s son William Rawson who married Ann Glover.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: gravestone of Hannah Rawson Belcher (1751-1786), Old Cemetery, Mendon, Massachusetts. The inscription reads: \u201cIn memory of Mrs. Hannah Belcher, wife of Mr. John Belcher of Wrentham, daughter of Mr. Edward Rawson & Mrs. Deborah his wife, who died suddenly at her brother\u2019s in Mendon on a visit April 14th 1786, aged 35 years. Also her infant buried.\u201d Courtesy of Margaret W. Haynes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

John and Hannah had a son, Harvey Belcher, who married Nancy Howe. I found two children: Hannah Metcalf Belcher, who married Aaron Watson; and Henry Alden Belcher, who married Mary Wilder, also a proud member of the DAR.<\/p>\n

As the Evening Bulletin<\/em> article about Susannah Crossley\u2019s birthday celebration concluded:<\/p>\n

\u201cUpon this anniversary many of those who delight to call her \u2018Grandmother\u2019 gathered to rejoice with her over her long life, filled with good deeds and lighted by a sunny spirit\u2026 Late in the afternoon the last guest departed, and the only regret of the day was expressed in Mrs. Crossley\u2019s words that she had not \u2018seen much of them.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Following her big 100th<\/sup> birthday celebration, Mrs. Crossley died the following year, in 1903. She was loved and cherished by all who knew her.<\/p>\n

Stay tuned for the Edward Rawson and Eliza Coffin line.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/em><\/strong> Just as an online collection of newspapers, such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, helped tell the stories of Susannah Crossley and the Rawson family line, they can tell you stories about your ancestors that can\u2019t be found anywhere else. Come look today and see what you can discover!<\/p>\n

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