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| Moyses Symonson (Symons, Symonds, Simons, etc.) known in New England and to us as Moses Simmons came from Lyden, Holland, landing at Plymouth on Nov. 9,1621 in the ship, "Fortune". One E. Arber (from The Story of the Pilgrim Fathers) has found a Lyden deed for the purchase by the puritan minister, Rev. John Robinson of a house, 26 April/ 16 May 1611, "-- next therto is Willem Simonszoon --". Another Ref. New England Historical Magazine, 1859, Vol. 3 in which the "census of Lyden 1622, record of which is still in the Stadt House page 333 says: 'This land (Robinsons) was bounded on one side by land owned by William Symonds, a good old colony name.' " The Robinsons and Symonszoon houses are just across the street from St Pieters Kerch, Leyden where Moses Symonson worshiped with the English Puritan Congregation. Edward Winslow (1646) says: "Moses Simonson was a child of one that was in communion with the Dutch Church and is admitted into church fellowship at Plymouth in New England, and his children to baptism as well as our own." There is further evidence that the "Simmons" family was in Leyden several years before the English Puritans emigrated to Holland. Alden (1897) says : "Moses Simmons, formerly written Symonson, was Born in Leyden, of Dutch parents. This Symonson family has been traced from a Samuel Symonson, who came to New York in 1640, back 200 years; and Moses, and probably his brothers and cousins, Thomas of Scituate and John of Freetown were of this family. There is but one Moses Symonson, who married Sarah - - -." Several other early writers have concluded that this Simmons (Symonson, etc.) is of Dutch origin. There is no conclusive proof either way; ie Dutch or English. I think it most likely that the above named William Simonszoon is the father of our immigrant ancestor, Moses Symonszoon of the "Fortune" 1621. Moses Simmons history after 1621 is well documented in early Plymouth and Duxbury records. In the 1623 land division he and Pilippe De La Noyes received an acre each "beyond the first brooke, to the woods westward." On March 26,1628 he sold an acre "laying on the North side of town" (probably the same 1623 grant) to Robert Hicks. Moses Simmons was among the company of Francis Cooke who drew the first lot of "four black heifers that came on the ship 'Jacob' and two she goats" in the division of cattle on May 22,1627. It is noted that since he received only a single mans share, he was unmarried at this time - May 1627. In 1638 he moved with Brewster, Standish and others to Duxbury, and in 1637 was one of a jury of twelve to set out highways around Plymouth, "Ducksburrow" and the Eele River. In 1638/9 he received another grant of forty acres. Other records show him paying taxes, eg. 9 bushels of corn, and on June 3,1673 Moses Simmons Sr. paid Rice Sutter £ 3 damage in breach of promice for daughter Elizabeth. Moses made a will on June 17,1689 (getting close to 90 yrs old) then died in Duxbury in 1691. His Estate was inventoried Sept. 10,1691 by Thomas Delano and Edward Southworth and filed for probate Sept. 15,1691 by his son John Simmons, value £ 53, 11s. He married about 1627 Sarah _____?_____, probably at Plymouth, (Sarah possibly the daughter of Roger Chandler). They had at least seven children. | ||||||||||||||
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| Last Modified 19 Jan 1998 | Created 10 Mar 1998 by Willy III, a Macintosh :-) |