Person:Edward Denison (1)

Origins

Baptism record of 3 Nov 1616 found in Bishop-Stortford, Hertfordshire.

Life in New England

In 1631, when Edward was about 15, his father moved the family to New England. They settled in Roxbury. While Edward's brothers ultimately removed to Ipswich (Daniel) and Stonington, CT (George), Edward remained in Roxbury.

In 1637, along with his father, he was "disarmed" for "subscribing to the seditious libel," or in other words for being a supporter of Ann Hutchinson, a woman who expounded liberal views on religious subjects. Chief of these, and the one which brought her and her followers most severely into conflict with the church, was her teaching that the Holy Spirit dwells in every believer and that salvation comes by individual intuition of God's grace and love through inspiration of the Holy Spirit and without regard to obedience to the laws of church and state. Many of the more liberal and intelligent were drawn over to her way of thinking, including William Denison, John Cotton, John Wheelwright, Governor Sir Henry Vane and most of the Boston church; but, when Governor Vane returned to England in 1637, her detractors brought her before a church synod, and her views were denounced. At a session of the General Court in November 1637 she was tried for "traducing the ministers and their ministry" and sentenced to banishment. She was allowed to stay the winter in the home of John Cotton in Boston, and then she removed to Rhode Island, and later to Dutch Territory in what is now Westchester Co., New York.

Married 20 March 1641, Elizabeth, dau of Joseph Weld. (Savage)

“Eliot’s Records of the Church of Roxbury,” NEHGR, 33:238:

[1647-48] “This winter we had a gracious p’vidence of God befell two brothers Edward & Georg Dennison, who had been proude incendiarys of some troubls among us, & full of distempr, and disaffection. but the Lord left them to open and shamefull drunkennesse at Boston: espec. Edward. Wch did so greatly humble them both ye though George (being a membr) was excommunicated, yet in a short time was taken in againe. And Edward humbling himself so effectually yt he was also speedily received in to the Church, this is the tryumph of grace, to magnify grace by sinne.

Later, Edward was a member of the General Court. ^{Citation needed}

Legacy

Edward Denison died in Roxbury, April 26, 1668.

While his wife gave birth to a large number of children, more than half died young; the only male to reach adulthood, a son William, became a clergyman and graduate of Harvard, but died in 1718, being the last of the name in this line. A few daughters did reach adulthood and marry and have children.

Last Will & Testament

“Abstracts from Early Wills,” NEHGR 18:326

I, Edward Dennison, of Roxbury, being weake & sick & Expecting my great change, but at prsent of sound judgment & memory, doe declare my last will. Just debts & funeral Expences paid. My will is that my wife, Elizabeth Dennison, during her Widdowhood, shall according to her best skill & the Council & advice of her Christian Friends manage my whole Estate, for the maintenance of her self & of my children, and that shee shall not sell any of the Land except meere necessity require for the payment of my debts & the releife of the family, nor sell any of the Timber but for repair of the House & fences. If my wife, Elizabeth, marry again, my will is, that halfe of the Estate bee at her dispose duringe her life, and that shee see to it that due Care bee taken, that the other halfe bee put into Faithfull hands & improved for the Comfort of my children. After the decease of my wife, my will is, that the whole Estate remaining, bee divided into two Equall parts & that my sonn, Wililam, shall have the one halfe thereof for his Portion, and that the other halfe bee equally divided betweene my daughters, wherein they shall have share & share alike, without any Consideration what I have formerly given any of them. In Case any of my Children marry, before my wives decease, my will is, that such children should have Forty pounds allowed them, out of my Estate, for their present inCouragment, and that after my wives decease that Summe bee abated out of the whole proportion. I desire my brother, John Weld, & my beloved Kinsman, Mr. Thomas Weld, to bee my Overseers, & ordaine my wife Elizabeth, sole Executrix, and give her power to dispose of L100 of the Estate at her decease, provided taht she give unto my daughter Mary, in regard of her weakness, not less than l20, more than the rest. 25th April, 1668. Edw: Dennison. In the presence of Samuel Danforth, John Stebins.

On the day of the date hereof the said Mr. Edward Dennison did declare it to bee his mind & Earnest desire that his sonn, William, should bee brought up in good literature, according as the improvement of his Estate will beare, this wee Attest. Samuell Danforth, John Stebins.

28th May 1668. Mr. Samuel Danforth & John Stebins deposed (Lib VI. 12.) Inventory of the Estate of Mr. Edward Dennison taken by Thomas Weld, John Bowles, John Stebins, 13 May 1668, apprised at L1257. 5. [including dwelling house, home lott, two orchards, 9 Acres “as you goe towards Boston,” L100; 24 Acres of wood Land neere the great pond, L80; 12 Acres of marsh & upland toward muddy River, L80; 7 acres of wood land neere dead swamp, L40; 9 Acrs of pland neere the heirs of Isaac Heath, L70; 5 Acres of Salt marsh in Lower calfe pasture, L40; 12 Acres of salt marsh in the Lower Calfe pasture L70; 4 Acres more or lesse Commonly called Pine Island, L40; 60 Acres of Common wood land in th esecond Divission, L150; 7 Acres more or less wood land neere Hopkins, L15.]

28 May 1668. Mrs. Elizabeth Dennison deposed (Lib V. 92.) Addd by Mrs. Dennison, 16 March 1684. 55 acres 1/4 of wood-land lying at Jamaica end in Roxbury.

1. ↑ New England Historic Genealogical Society. NEHGS Register
   Vol. 46, 1892, p. 352-354.
2. ↑ Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
   2:36.

   EDWARD, Roxbury, br[other]. of the preced[ing]. b[orn]. in Eng[land]. m[arried]. 20 Mar. 1641, Elizabeth d[aughter]. of Joseph Weld, had Elizabeth b[orn]. 8 Aug. 1642; John, 14 May 1644, d[ied]. at 4 mo[nth]s.; Edward, wh[o]. d[ied]. 6 Oct. 1646; Jeremiah, 6 Dec. 1647, bapt[ized]. 9 Jan. foll[owing]. d[ied]. May 1649; Joseph, bapt[ized]. 8 Apr. 1649, d[ied]. next mo[nth].; Margaret, b[orn]. 15, bapt[ized]. 19 Dec. 1650; Mary, bapt[ized]. 27 Mar. 1654; Hannah, b[orn]. 10, bapt[ized]. 16 Sept. 1655; Sarah, 4 Nov. bapt[ized]. 6 Dec. 1657, wh[o]. m[arried]. Thomas Robinson; Deborah, 16, bapt[ized]. 23 Sept. 1660, d[ied]. in 1663; one, without name, bur[ied]. as soon as b[orn]. 2 June 1663; William, b[orn]. 18 Sept. 1664, H[arvard]. C[ollege]. 1681; and Deborah, again, 30 Oct. 1666, d[ied]. next y[ea]r. and he d[ied]. 26 Apr. 1668. He had been among the friends of Wheelwright, disarm[ed] in 1637, yet dignif[ied]. as Mr. but was made freem[an]. 1648, and was rep[resentative]. in 1652 and 5. His wid[ow]. Elizabeth d[ied]. 5 Feb. 1717. The s[on]. William, and two d[aughter]s. were the only ch[ildren]. of this large number, that surv[ived]. him.

3. ↑ MASON: A Mason Record.
4. ↑ John Denison Baldwin and William Clift. DENISON: A Record of the Descendants of Captain George Denison of Stonington, CT. (Tyler & Seagrave 1881).
5. ↑ Frederick A. Virkus. Compendium of American Genealogy. (Genealogical Publishing Co. Baltimore 1968)
   p. 757 of the original edition.
6. ↑ George Burlingame Denison. DENISON: A Record of the Descendants of Samuel Denison. (Muscatine, Iowa 1884).
7. ↑ Compiled By William L Decoursey. It's About Time. (1735 - 19th Terrace Nw New Brighton, Minnesota 55112).
8. ↑ Clara Paine Ohler. DENISON: Ancestors and Descendants of Captain John James and Esther Denison. (1912)
   p. 148.