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The following genealogy was prepared at the solicitation
of many of the descendants of Edmund Weston, and published, that what
has come down from tradition and the scanty records relating to this
family might be preserved in some permanent form.
It was my purpose only to
bring it down to the time of the fathers and
grandfathers of the descendants now living
thus making it comparatively easy for any
interested, to complete their genealogical
history. I have confined myself to the
briefest statements of the facts relating to
the different members of the family, hoping
that others may give a more extended account
of the lives and characters that many of
them so well deserve.
These men and these women
seem to have been for the most part noted
only for their quiet, industrious lives,
their strong moral characters, and for
faithfully performing the duties of life as
they came to them, setting a worthy example
to their own families and to the community
in which they lived, and then "coming to
their graves in a full age, like as a shock
of corn cometh in, in his season."
While the greater part of
these descendants were farmers, as were most
of the men of that period in our history,
many were actively engaged in maritime
pursuits, and not a few were distinguished
for their enterprise and thrift. Some of
them exerted a salutary influence in shaping
the civil and religious affairs of those
early times. Few families did more in
developing the early manufacturing and
shipping interests of the Old Colony. In the
war of the Revolution they were well
represented in defence of the liberty of the
colonies, nor were individual instances
wanting of personal heroism, and the large
sacrifices which their times demanded.
The later descendants of
these men are now scattered over the
country, and I doubt not that whoever shall
further trace this genealogy will find that
the children have not forgotten the virtues
of their fathers.
I have been very much
assisted in the preparation of this
genealogy by the careful and laborious
researches of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel M. Weston,
of Boston.
The loss of the earlier
records of Duxbury has rendered it necessary
to rely largely upon the traditions that
have come down through the numerous branches
of the family; for much that is important
relating to their history. Many of these are
so varied, especially as to names and dates,
that it is impossible to fix them with
accuracy.
The family of Westons were
numerous in England at the beginning of the
seventeenth century, and many of them early
emigrated to America. Hotten, in his list of
emigrants in the year 1635, gives no less
than twelve of this name who emigrated to
Virginia. Those who came to New England were
Thomas Weston, the London merchant, who was
probably a brother of Sir Richard Weston,
Earl of Portland. Frequent mention is made
of him in the early history of Plymouth and
Massachusetts Bay archives. It is doubtful,
however, whether he left any descendants in
the country. Francis Weston was with Roger
Williams, but he had no children. John
Weston came to Salem in 1664, a lad of
thirteen years, who secreted himself on
board the vessel and was not discovered
until it was too far at sea to return him.
His descendants are very numerous in New
England. Among the early settlers of Duxbury
occurs the name of Francis West. In a
tax-bill of March, 1630, he is called
Francis Weston, which was probably his true
name. He however soon disappears from any
records of the town or colony, and he
probably let. no descendants.
Source: The Descendants Of Edmund Weston
Of Duxbury, Massachusetts, For Five
Generations, By Thomas Weston, Jr. Esq
A.M.
Published Boston: George E. Littlefield.
1887. Reprinted from the N. E.
HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER for
July, 1887.
Online Publication: The manuscript was
scanned and then ocr'd. Minor editing
has been done on this manuscript and it
may still contain errors. To insure
accuracy please find an original copy to
reference.
