Person:Edmund Frost (1)

Origins

The Frost Family in England and America (1906) makes the case that he was son of John FROST of Hartest, co. Norfolk by ruling out the other possibilities.

His origins appear to be based on those of his wife, Thomasine Clench. (See her notes.)

In 1634, he married on April 16 Thomasine Clench at Earls Colne, co. Essex, England. They were married by Thomas Shepard with whom they likely came over on the Defence in 1635. While his name is not listed on the ships list, it is believed that he and many others (including Thomas Shepherd) took assumed names. Shepherd's own documentation indicates that the brothers Champney, Frost and Goffe were on the same ship with him.

Savage (as well as the Frost Family in England & America) claims the group started out on the Great Hope, which was damanged in a storm at Yarmouth (England), after which he transferred to the Defence. This ship left Gravesend on 10 Aug 1635, took 54 days to cross the Atlantic, and arrived at Boston Harbor 2 October 1635.

Life in New England

Apparently, the entire collection of people who came over on the Defence settled initially in Cambridge.

1635/6: Made a Freeman on March 3

1636: Proprietor of Cambridge

1636: On 11 February: Ruling elder, deacon, of church at Cambridge. He was one of the original men on the governing board at Harvard College.

1639: He purchased an estate from Thomas Blodgett which he soon sold then bought a house on Garden Street.

While purportedly rich in faith, he experienced earthly poverty. His pressing needs were met by the church in his latter years.

Legacy

He died 12 July 1672.

His will is transcribed in full in "The Frost Family in England and America," pp. 50-51. It was dated 16 April 1672. Excerpts include:

"I am desirous (according to my duty) to set my house in order to settled that small estate that god hath graciously lent me so that strife and contencion may be prevented after my decease between my wife and children... I give to my deare wife Reane the use of about two accres of planting land being more or less lying in my feild on the west side of my orchard to have and to hold to her or assignes during life. Porvided that she allow my sones Ephraim and Thomas for two daies work every yeare towards keeping the fence in god repair. I givem to my wife the use of a percell of pasture land lying without ye feild during her life. I give to my wife on[e] third part of ye fruit that growes yearely in the orchard during her life. I give to my wife all the crop of Rye and wheat that is sowne and shall grow in my planting feild for this yeare. I give to my wife twenty shillings a yeare during her life to be paid in corne or cattle brought to her house at currant country price to be paid by my sonne Ephram and Thomas ten shillings a peece in pt. of consideracion of Legacy given them hereafter mencioned. I give to my wife twenty shillings a yeare more during her life to be paid by my sonne John in corne or cattle at currant country price brought to her house and this he is to pay in consideration of lands bequeathed to him hereafter mencioned and in case he refuse or neglect to pay the twenty shillings per annum as aforesd my wife is to enter upon the land to him bequethed and injoy it during her life. I give to my wife the use of all the salt marsh being about 4 acres more or less bounded with m. Pelmhams marsh north and Brodish east, and the river south to have and to hold during her life. I do order and my wil is that my sonnes Ephraim and Thomas shall plant their mothers Indian corne both at Watertowne lott, and in my feild this spring: Also they are to get on toushand of clapbords and deliver to their mother at the house for covering thereof which they are to get out of the timber bought of Philip Jones for that end: Also my will is that they get fencing stuff of the common (by leave of ye selectmen) and fence in their mothers yards orchard or garden at her house. In consdieracion of this worke they are to have ye use of my teame for three months after my death and during the time they are doing this work for their mother she must provide them diett. I give to my sonne Jno: six accres of land yt he improveth of mine to him and to his heyres forever which land I had in exchange for other land lieing neare m. Dunsters farme house, and now belonging to his heyres: and although no writtings or deeds passed betwene m. Dunster & me about that exhcnage yet each of us have for a long time peaceably injoyed ye same, I trust their will be no question about it, but if their should be any sonne Jno. is to cleare the difference if any be without any prejudice to any of his brothers. I give to my sonnes Samuell and Joseph after their mothers decease, that two accres of land more or less that leys in my feild on the west side of my orchard equaly to be divided betwene them or their children. More I give to my sonne Joseph after my wife death on half of my marsh. I give to sonne Joseph one of my wood lotts beyond notimey (Arlington now called) which of the two he shall choose. I give to my sonne James fower pounds to be paid in foure years after my wives death to be by my sonne, Ephraim and Thomas in consideracion of the pasture ground lying without the fence wch I give to them after my wives decease. I give to Ephraim and Thomas equaly to be divided betwene them my dwelling house orchard and all the land within the inclosed feild and without not formerly disposed of for them to injoy and their heyres forever. I give to Ephraim my lott in the great swamp. I give to my sonne Thomas my other wood lott beyond notomy (Arlington now called), and if any other devisions of land shall fall due in the Towne after my decease I give them to my sonnes Ephraim and THomas equally to be divided. I give to my two daughters the other halfe of my marsh after my wives decease, equally to be divided between them or their children or in case Sarah die before Marriage then her part of the said Marsh is to decend to Ephraim and Thomas equally divided. I give to my daughter Sarah a feather bed and bolster and she is to have it a yeare after my death. I give and bequeath to my two daughters equally to be divided betwene them a Kettle and all other household goods that properly belong to me after my wives death. .. I order my executors after my death to sell for the best advantage my old mare and my young gelding and wt they shall produce to divide into five parts 2 parts of that five I give to Jacob French and his wife and the other three parts I give to the Children of Golden More equally to be divided. I order my executors to sell my oxen and horses not disposed of and to pay my Just debts and in specially forty shillings by me given to ye new Colidge (Harvard College) and twenty shillings to mr. Alcocks sone at ye Colledge. Lastly I do appoint and ordaine my sones Jno, Samuel, Joseph and Ephraim to be executors of this my will and Testament. And I do humbly desire and intreate my honred and worthy frinds Capt. Daniel Gookin and mr. Thomas Danforth to be overseers of my will and if any difference should arise betweine my wife or children concerning any matter herein contained that they dtermine it and that all persons concerned acuess in their determinacions. [signed and a seale] Edmund Frost in ye presence of us: Daniell Gookin, William Manning, Benonie Eaton.

Upon after consideracion I do will and bequeath the reversion of the two acres of land given to my wife during her life lyig within my planting field on the west side of my house unto my sonnes Ephraim and Thomas on condicion that in lew thereof they pay in money to their two brothers Samuell and Joseph foure pounds a peece in money vizt. twenty shillings to each pr ann to being the first payment within one yeare after my wives death. Also my foure accr parcell of marsh I do will that my sonne Joseph shall have that one moyty or halfe part thereof and Ephraim and Thomas shall have the other halfe equaly divided between them in consideracion thereof they shall pay twenty pounds in money to their two sisters Mary and Sarah or to their childrent izt Joseph four pounds Ephraim four pounds and Thomas four pounds and the same to be paid within one yeare after my wives death or in default thereof their sisters shall have so much of the said Marsh as will yeeld them the said money dated April the 17th 1672.

The will was proven Oct 1, 1672. Inventory taken Nov. 3, 1675.

Additional Sources

1. History of Cambridge, Massachusetts 1630-1877

2. The Pioneers of Massachusetts p. 177

3. Mdx. De. III, p. 364

4. Savage's Genealogical Dictionary of First Settlers of New England

5. 1926 Frost Genealogy

1. ↑ Sendtko, Sandra.

   http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=olive22&id=I0779

2. ↑ Gardner, William.

   http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mojopapa&id=I2741

3. ↑ Unknown, Robyn.

   http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ifetch2?/u1/textindices/F/FROST+2004+2847431+F

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 Paige, Lucius Robinson. History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877: With a Genealogical Register. (Boston, Massachusetts: H. O. Houghton, 1877).
5.   Frost, Thomas Gold, and Edward Lysander Frost. The Frost family in England and America: with special reference to Edmund Frost and some of his descendants. (Salt Lake City, Utah, United States: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986).

   The author makes a strong case for Edmund Frost's father to be John Frost of Hartest, County of Suffolk (which is adjacent to Essex Co., and only 15 miles from Earls Colne). That John Frost had three sons (per church records, apparently): Edmund, Thomas and John born between 1592 and 1610. John Frost was in Hartest by the year 1592. This genealogy does not identify the parents or wife of this John Frost, unfortunately.