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Lydia (Wardell) Biddle

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Lydia (Perkins) Wardell was the Mother-in-Law of William Biddle II. You can search for other articles on all this:

Our ancestor Lydia [Wardwell] Wardell married William Biddle II. Lydia (Wardell) Biddle was the daughter of Eliakim Wardwell and Lydia Perkins.

Lydia Perkins married Eliakim Wardwell on 17 Oct 1659 at Hampton, New Hampshire. Lydia Perkins and her husband Eliakim Wardwell were victims of religious persecution in Massachusetts. They were Quakers who refused to attend the Puritan churches in the Boston, Massachusetts area. The couple on April 8, 1662, was fined for absence from church for 26 Sabbaths. They both knew of at least three women who had refused to attend church and the women had been partially stripped, tied to a cart, and, though the weather was "bitter cold,"were paraded around several local towns. On arrival at each town the women were cruelly whipped. At Dover, while the flogging was being administered, the Rev. Mr. Rayner "stood and looked and laughed at it," whereupon Eliakim Wardwell, who was also present, complained to the reverend for his brutality. Our Lydia Perkins Wardwell was then called on May 5, 1663 to church for not attending church and she knew this was going to happen to her.

What would you do? Her solution was to partially strip and proceed into church. This caused the church officials to react by taking her to Ipswich, Massachusetts for trial. They condemned her to be partially stripped, tied to a rough splintery post in front of an Ipswich tavern, whipping her 20 or 30 times, which tore into her skin as she writhed under the lash, and she was "lashed to the satisfaction of the crowd of onlookers" in front of an Ipswich tavern.

Lydia Perkins and her husband Eliakim Wardwell then moved to Shrewbury, New Jersey. The Wardells became martyrs to the Quaker cause. They both became community leaders, organizing the Quaker migration to New Jersey. The Quaker Meeting House at Shrewbury, New Jersey predated William Penn's experiment by a number of years and was there 25 years before the Flushing meeting house on Long Island, the first in New York." Lydia (Perkins) Wardwell then in 1692 had a Brother-in-Law Samuel Wardwell hung at Salem for Witchcraft. I think that many of her descendants still think outside the box and have her spirit.

Question: Would the Quakers and William Penn have located in a different place such as New York if Eliakim and Lydia Perkins had not moved to Shrewbury, New Jersey with there Quaker enthusiasm? The Quaker women must have held a distaste for churches considering the punishment dealt out at churches such as whippings. Could such a distaste for churches be why the Quakers built Meeting Houses and not churches?

An Uncle of Lydia (Wardell) Biddle was Samuel Wardwell

Hung as a witch at Salem, MA on 22 Sep 1692.

Sarah Hooper Hawkes Wardwell, the wife of Samuel Wardwell and his daughter Mercy Wardwell were also accursed of witchcraft.

Line of descend of 4 US Presidents and us from Thomas Perkins:

How Lydia (Wardell) Biddle has a common ancestor with four US Presidents and so is related to them (as I would be related).

It has been reported that our ancestor Lydia (Wardell) Biddle though her Mother, Lydia (Perkins) Wardwell had a common ancestor THOMAS PERKINS with the following:

Mary Bradbury – Convicted of Witchcraft, Salem Witch Trials of 1692

Samuel Adams - Statesman, Brewer, Governor and Signer of the Declaration of Independence

James Byron Dean - 50's actor or cult figure

Lucille Ball – TV Actress - “I Love Lucy”

Millard Filmore - 13th President of the United States

John Calvidge Coolidge, Jr. - 30th President of the United States

Franklin Deleno Roosevelt - 32nd President of the United States

Richard Milhous Nixon - 37th President of the United States

This means you are most likely related to all these above individuals though a common ancestor THOMAS PERKINS.

How our ancestor Lydia [Wardwell] Wardell who was married to William Biddle II is descendant from Thomas and Alice Perkins: Lydia [Wardwell] Wardell d/o, Lydia (Perkins) Wardell d/o, Issac Perkins s/o, Issac Perkins s/o, Thomas and Alice Perkins

How four United States Presidents are reported to be descendant from Thomas and Alice Perkins:

Millard Fillmore s/o, Nathaniel FILLMORE s/o, Hepzibah WOOD d/o, Philippa STORY d/o, Mary Emerson d/o, Philippa Perkins d/o, Jacob Perkins s/o, John PERKINS s/o, John PERKINS s/o, Henry Perkins s/o, Thomas Perkins

John Calvin Coolidge, President s/o, John Calvin Coolidge s/o, Sarah Almeda BREWER d/o Sally BROWN d/o, Israel Putnam BROWN s/o, Adam BROWN s/o, Adam BROWN s/o, Jacob BROWN s/o, Judith Perkins d/o, Jacob PERKINS s/o, John PERKINS s/o, Henry Perkins s/o Thomas Perkins

Franklin Delano ROOSEVELT , US President s/o, Mary Rebecca ASPINWALL d/o, Susan Howland d/o, Lydia BILL d/o, Lydia HUNTINGTON d/o, Hannah PERKINS d/o, Jabez PERKINS s/o, Jacob PERKINS s/o, John PERKINS s/o, Henry Perkins s/o, Thomas Perkins

Richard Milhous NIXON s/o, Hannah MILHOUS d/o, Franklin MILHOUS s/o, Elizabeth Price GRIFFITH d/o, Amos Griffith s/o, Lydia Hussey d/o, Record Hussey s/o, John Hussey s/o, Rebecca Perkins d/o, Isaac Perkins s/o, Isaac Perkins s/o, Thomas Perkins

Richard Milhous NIXON s/o, Hannah MILHOUS d/o, Franklin MILHOUS s/o, Elizabeth Price GRIFFITH d/o, Edith Price d/o, Elizabeth Hussey d/o, John Hussey s/o, Rebecca Perkins d/o, Isaac Perkins s/o, Isaac Perkins s/o, Thomas Perkins

My line of descendants from Thomas Perkins:

1-Thomas PERKINS (1525-23 Mar 1591)

sp: Alice KEBBLE (1534-20 Aug 1613)

2-Issache (Perkyns) PERKINS (20 Dec 1571-bef 1 Jun 1639)

sp: Alice (1575-WFT Est. 1611-1679)

3-Issac (Perkyns) PERKINS (23 Jan 1611-13 Nov 1685)

sp: Susanna (Susan) WYETH/WISE (1614-17 Jul 1699)

4-Lydia (Perkyns) PERKINS (1636-)

sp: Elakim(Eliakim)(Elyukim) (Werdall) WARDELL/WARDWELL (23 Nov 1634-)

5-Lydia WARDELL (abt 1671-1707)

sp: William BIDDLE II (4 Oct 1669-1743)

6-Joseph BIDDLE (Jun 1705-1776)

sp: Rebecca ARNEY (1708-)

7-Arney BIDDLE Sr. (1735-11 Sep 1777)

sp: Abigail OGDEN (23 Apr 1733-28 Dec 1801)

8-Jonathan BIDDLE (May 1765-13 May 1847)

sp: Rachel BOWEN/BROWN (1773-May 1844)

9-Robert BIDDLE (1798-16 May 1858)

sp: Margaret CROCKER (19 Feb 1803-30 Sep 1887)

10-Henry BIDDLE (30 Aug 1841-18 Oct 1920)

sp: Mary MCBRIDE (28 Jan 1850-2 Aug 1929)

11-Bessie BIDDLE (15 Feb 1878-18 Mar 1958)

sp: Charles IDOL (-)

12-Mary Elizabeth IDOL (23 Apr 1907-21 Nov 1991)

sp: Henry Otto ROESCH (1 Jan 1906-13 Apr 1977)

11-Martha (Mattie) BIDDLE (28 Dec 1879-17 Jul 1964)

sp: Owen PICTON (14 Sep 1879-12 Mar 1931)

12-Samuel Henry PICTON (16 Dec 1908-22 Jul 1984)

sp: Martha Eliza ROESCH (2 Dec 1907-3 Jul 1987)

Lydia (Wardell) Biddle had a Grandfather named Thomas Wardwell. Thomas and William Wardell of Alford were followers of Reverend John Cotton and when he left England in 1633 for greater religious freedom in America, they formed part of his select group, Thomas Wardwell and his brother, William were the first of this family to settle in the New World. Sailing from England in the summer of 1633 they landed in Boston, Massachusetts on September 4, 1633 on the good ship Griffen. William made the trip with his wife Alice, his first wife, and Thomas was married to Elizabeth Woddruff aboard the Griffen during the voyage. Thomas was 31 years old when he arrived in Boston. The 200 or more people aboard the Griffen included such people as ; The Rev. John Cotton and Edmund Quincy. 1634-1637: Thomas Wardwell was considered a freeholder.

1638: The Rev. John Wheelwright came to Boston on May 26,1636 from Lincolnshire, England. Wheelwright became a preacher at Mount Wollarton, now called Braintree, which at that time was part of Boston. Wheelwright was a brother to Mrs. Ann Hutchinson whose Antinomious zeal brought her into public notice. During a fast in Boston in December of 1636, the Rev. Wheelwright preached a sermon that gave offense to reflect on ministers and magistrates. Rev. Wheelwright was summonsed to civil court to give in his answer explicitly, whether he would acknowledge his offense in preaching his late, seditious sermon, or abide the sentence of the Court. When he pleaded not-guilty of the crime and would leave the colony of his own accord he and his followers were then banished permanantly from Massachusets Bay Territory. Wheelwright bought land in what is now New Hampshire from the Indians called Squamscot Falls. In 1638 he began a Plantation called Exeter. The people formed themselves into a church outside the jurisdiction of Massachusetts and combined into a separate political body. This continued for three years with such people as , Richard Merrys, Richard Bulgar, Philamon Purmont, Isacc Gosse, Christopher Marshall, George Baytes, Thomas Wardwell and William Wardwell. Thomas was appointed Justice and Commissioner to try small cases for the Jurisdiction. Exeter eventually fell under the Jurisdiction of Massachusetts, and Wheelwright's followers, still under banishment, had to move again. The people moved into the Province of Maine and settled at Wells around 1641. By the time Samuel Wardwell was born, the family had moved to Andover and Samuel was born in Boston. He was admitted to Boston church 9 November 1634/35. Disarmed in 1637, he went to Exeter with the Wheelwright adherents, was dismissed to the Exeter church 9 January 1638/39, and signed the Combination.

Lydia (Wardell) Biddle had a Great Uncle named William Wardwell. William was admitted to the Church in Boston 1633. He was dismissed to Exeter in 1638, where he became a proprietor, he removed to Rhode Island, where he was brought to trial for heresy and confined with Gorton among others. He removed to Wells, Maine, where he refused to take the Oath of Allegiance. He was subsequently charged with contempt of court for encouraging his neighbors to similarly refuse to take the oath. Protesting that he was absent from the meeting endeavoring to get his neighbors to take the Oath, he finally took the Oath in1653 and stayed in Boston with family.

Lydia (Wardell) Biddle had an Uncle named Samuel Wardwell. Samuel Wardwell (brother of Eliakim Wardwell) was a carpenter living in the southern part of Andover, Massachusetts. He was thought of as an eccentric by his neighbors as he told fortunes with cards, predicted the future and probably dabbled in the world of magic. These activities were harmless and probably a source of pleasure for Samuel but were frowned on by the superstitious and religiously zealous townspeople. In 1692, during the heart of the witchcraft delusion taking place at nearby Salem, Samuel's eccentricities soon became, in the minds of some of the townspeople, acts of sorcery and wizardry. He was accused by Martha SPRAGUE of Boxford, Massachusetts as having practiced on her certain detestable arts called witchcraft and sorcery. He was also charged with (20 years before) making a covenant with the evil spirit in which he promised to honor,worship and believe the devil.

A terrified SAMUEL confessed to these charges stating that while he was engaged in a one-sided love affair with a Miss BARKER, "he had seen some catts meeting together behind Mr. BRADSTREET's house." One of these "catts"turned into a black man and told him if he signed the book he would "live comfortably and be a captain like Dudley BRADSTREET." The accused than signed away his soul to the devil and was baptized in the Shawsheen River, renouncing his prior baptism. Joseph BALLARD, Ephraim FOSTER and Thomas CHANDLER, all prominent men of the community, also testified against Samuel. Mr. FOSTER, the father of five daughters testified that WARDWELL had predicted the birth of FOSTER's sixth child, a son.CHANDLER stated, "that I have often heard Samuel WARDWELL of Andover tell young persons their fortunes and he was much addicted to that and mayd sport of it....." Samuel WARDWELL, convicted witch, was hung with seven other unfortunate souls dispite the fact that he later recanted his confession. Samuel proclaimed his innocence to the bitter end and as he spoke on the floor of the gallows, a puff of smoke from the hangman's pipe blew across his face causing someone in the crowd to shout, "The Devil doth hinder his words."Rev. Nicholas NOYES of the Salem Church remarked, "What a sad thing it is to see eight firebrands of hell hanging there."

The Sheriff seized the following items of Samuel's property in order to cover the expenses of his trial: five cows at 2 pounds apiece = 10 pounds; one heifer and a yearling 2-5-9; 1 horse 3-0-0, 9 hogs 7-0-0; 8 loads of hay 4-0-0;a set of carpenter's tools 1-10-0; six acres of corn upon the ground 9-0-0 totaling 36-15-0 pounds. On 2 January 1693 Samuel's wife SARAH was also accused of witchcraft and making a covenant with the devil. She was imprisoned but eventually released. The WARDWELL's daughter Mercy was also accused but exonerated. The WARDWELLS while incarcerated, had to provide their own subsistence which probably included a substantial payment to the "keeper of the gaol". Since Samuel WARDWELL was deceased and SARAH WARDWELL jailed the Andover selectman bound out their "suffering" children to local families. On 19 Feb. 1711/12 Samuel WARDWELL's sons petitioned the Court for restitution for the seizure of their father's property and also to remove their mother's name inserted in a list of those whose attainder was taken off by the Act of Reversal. The sum of 36-10-6 pounds was given to the WARDWELL children for their sufferings. The Bible quotation "Thous shalt not suffer a witch to live" (EX 22-18) was indeed taken literally by some of the citizens of Essex County Massachusetts.

Meribe Lascelle

Meribe Lascelle is considered to be the Grandmother of Thomas Wardwell and Great Great Grandmother of Lydia (Wardell) Biddle.

In 1560, Meribe Lascelle, her brother, and her parents sought sanctuary in England to escape harassment to which they, as Huguenots (or French protestant) were being subjected to in their native France.

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