I never could find any of our Name, in all England, but in the Western Counties, and from thence, a Family went, as Merchants to Barbadoes, grew rich, and was in the Government there; and the last Gentleman a Batchelor seated himself at Greenwich near London, was morally honest and very charitable, but having a great loss in the South Sea, of almost all his Money could not bear it, but shot himself in the Head.
Our Coat of Arms, is three Bulls Heads, as you'l see by my seal on this Letter, But Stemata quid faciunt?
I find our Name in Skinner's Etymologicon Linguæ Anglicanæ; toward the end of which Book, in his Onomastichon, he has the word Walarand, olim Praenomen nunc Cognomen ab Anglo Sax Walpian, volvere, et Rand, Scutum, volvere scutum, i. c., qui Clypeum huc illuc circumagit. Waldron autem cognomen contractum est a Walarand. I have transcribed what he says lest the Book should not be common with you. I wish you had let me know into what Family your Grandfather married, for that might perhaps have given Light into the Enquiry; however I will examine farther, and take the first opportunity to inform you, as I can get Intelligence; but I know of no male Posterity left of the two Somersetshire Familys that I mentioned above.
I am much pleased with your Correspondence, and shall at any time be obliged by Letters from you, * * * send, by a worthy good Man, Capt. * * * who carries this (as I hope he will) from the * * * Exeter to Boston. As to any Ecclesiastical Informations I must refer you to Dr. Mather's Letter which encloses this. May the Lord of the Harvest prosper you and make you a burning and a shining Light. You and I are of one Family, Faith and Profession. Let us particularly pray for each other, tho' we should never see each others face on Earth. Oh that the God of all Grace, may excite us both, to work the Works, of him that sent us while it is Day, that we may have a comfortable Requiem, from our Labors at last, and be accepted, when our Lord shall come, with which I conclude.
Dear Sir, Your affect: Kinsman and Serv't,
"To the Rev. Mr. William Waldron, John Walrond."
Minister in Boston."
Note. Where blanks occur in the last part of the letter, the words were worn out in the original.
| FORM OF A FAMILY REGISTER. | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parents. | Children. | |||||||||||||
| JAMES. | HANNAH. | COTTON WARD. | SALLY. | POLLY. | HANNAH. | JUDITH. | RACHEL. | THEODATE. | SIMON. | DEBORAH. | BETSY. | JAMES. | NOAH W. | |
| 1755 | B. 14 Nov. | |||||||||||||
| 1763 | 8 yrs. old | B. 31 Oct. | ||||||||||||
| 1783 | 28 | 20 | B. 13 July. | |||||||||||
| 1785 | 30 | 22 | 2 | B. 7 Aug. | ||||||||||
| 1787 | 32 | 24 | 4 | 2 | B. 19 June. | |||||||||
| 1789 | 34 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 2 | B. 12 Mar. | ||||||||
| 1791 | 36 | 28 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | B. 12 Mar. | |||||||
| 1793 | 38 | 30 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | B. 23 June. | ||||||
| 1795 | 40 | 32 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | B. 20 June. | |||||
| 1797 | 42 | 34 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | B. 6 Mar. | ||||
| 1799 | 44 | 36 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | B. 22 Mar. | |||
| 1802 | 47 | 39 | 19 | M. 4 Fb. 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | B. 22 July. | ||
| 1805 | 50 | 42 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 3 | B. 29 June. | |
| 1809 | 54 | 46 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 4 | B. 28 July. |
| 1834 | D. 4 Feb. | 71 | 51 | 49 | 47 | 45 | 43 | 41 | 39 | 37 | 35 | 32 | 29 | 25 |
| 1847 | 84 | 64 | 62 | 60 | 58 | 56 | 54 | 52 | 50 | 48 | 42 | 38 | ||
A Family Record on this plan may be extended so as to include two, three, or more families, and contain all the births, marriages and deaths which have happened, up to the date of its formation. The figures in the first column denote the year of birth, marriage, or death; the other columns show the ages of every individual at the time of any birth, marriage, or death, of every other individual comprehended within the limits of the Table.