Christopher Almy

Citations

1. [S435] Charles Kingsbury Miller, William Almy of Portsmouth, Rhode Island 1630, Joris Jansen de Rapalje of Fort Orange, New Amsterdam & Brooklyn, 1623, pages 16-22 - Christopher, the eldest son of William Almy, Sr., married July 9, 1661, EIizabeth Cornell, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca, of Portsmouth, R. I. They had nine children, but only three sons and four daughters reached maturity. Thomas Cornell, of Portsmouth, R. I., born in Hertford, England (father-in-law of Christopher Almy), was ensign 1642 to 1044. Like his father, Christopher Almy, held a high position in the estimation of his townsmen, and occupied places of honor and distinction.* He was admitted a freeman in 1658.
   In company with many others he purchased, in 1667, a large tract of land of the Indians at Monmouth, N. J., (see appendix). On March 5, 1680, he and seven others bought Pocasset (Tiverton) lands for £1,100, he having three and three-quarters (33i.) shares of the whole thirty shares. The purchase was made of Gov. Josiah Winslow. Other lands in Tiverton were bought later by Job Almy, his brother, directly from the Indians, and this property is still in possession and occupied by one of the Almy descendants, who has the original deeds in his possession.
   February 27, 1690, Christopher Almy was elected governor of Rhode Island, but for reasons satisfactory to the Assembly, he refused to serve.** This was the first election held for governor since the deposition of Gov. Andros.f During this year, however, he was appointed and acted successively as deputy and assistant to the general assembly. In 1692, he was made captain of militia, and in August, 1693, Christopher being in England as messenger from Rhode Island, he delivered the address from that colony and his own petition to Queen Mary, stating that he was sent over to present their grievances and told how he had come over 4,000 miles to Iay these matters before Her Majesty, and prayed that she grant such encouragement as she saw fit, etc. The address showed, that there were those who presumed to affirm that the persons commissioned by Gov. Andros ought to continue in service, until some specified order should be made by the Crown of England.
   In October, 1696, Almy was allowed £135, 10s. 8d. for his expenses in England for the colony's use. September 4, 1708, Christopher Almy registered his will which was proved February 9,1713, ten days after his death. There is a codicil to the will, bearing date September 17, 1711, proved February 9, 1713.
   As the document is interesting and throws much light on the history of the family the following extract is made from J. O. Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, p. 236.
   He names his son, Job, executor. He declares himself to be in his seventy-seventh year. To his eldest son, William, he Ieaves, all housing and lands in Punkatest Neck, Tiverton, other land, and negro Arthur. To son, Christopher, land in Pocasset purchase, Tiverton, land in Sapowet Neck and all lands in East New Jersey, not deeded before his decease. To his son, Job, all lands in Rhode Island, one-half upon the death of the testator and the other half upon the death of his wife, Elizabeth; also land in Tiverton and negro Ned. To his daughter Elizabeth, wife of John Leonard, To children of deceased daughter, Sarah, wife of Richard Cadman and afterward wife of Jonathan Merihew, he leaves 10s. to her first-born son, William, for the purchase of a bible. To her second son, Christopher Cadman, he leaves £10. To the two sons, John and Thomas, sons of Merihew, he leaves £10 respectively. To his grandsons, Richard and Thomas Durfee, sons of his daughter Ann, he makes a legacy, and also. makes provision for his granddaughters, Mary Wodell and Amey Durfee. To his wife he leaves two negroes, Cumbo and Margaret; one year after the death of his wife these negroes to be freed and to have provided for them a bed, a cow and the use of twenty acres in Pocasset for their lives. Besides he leaves to his wife two cows, horses and the best feather-bed, and during life half the housing and lands in Rhode Island, half the fruit of the orchard and all the household goods. To three children of his deceased daughter, Rebecca Townsend, L'40, divided equally at age. To his son, Job, he leaves the rest of the Pocasset land.
   The codicil provides that children not acccepting these terms shall lose their shares. Christopher died January 30, 1713.
   
   * " In an address made by certain inhabitants of Rhode Island and Providence plantations, bearing date July 16, 1686, to H. M. James II., for continuation of their privileges and liberties according to the charter, etc.," among the fourteen names signed to that petition, the eighth signature appearing thereon, is the name of Christopher AImy. [Vide Rhode Island Colonial Records, Vol. III., pp 194-195.]
   ** The Newport (R. I.) Historical Magazine (p. 132) contains an ad-dress delivered before the Rhode Island Historical Society in March, 1879, by H. E. Turner (of Newport), in which he quotes from the Rhode Island Colonial Records, Vol. III., p. 259, the following account of Almy's election :
   " February 27, 1690, this day our deputy governor and assistant within mentioned, with their assembly sit, and because Walter Clarke, (their governor) refused, they chose another governor, which was Christopher Almy, who refusing, they chose Henry Bull, who accepts and serves."
   The following extract is frorn Vol. NI., pp. 260-261, of the Rhode Island Colonial Records
   * * * " The governor elected was Mr. Christopher Almy, who being required, refused to serve in the place of governor, giving satisfactory reasons to the assembly; whereupon the assembly went to election of another and chose Mr. Henry Bull governor * * * Mr. John Coggeshall, assistant, being sent for, appeared and refused to serve, whereupon the court proceeded to election of an assistant, in his, Walter Newberry's room, and chose Mr. Christopher Almy, assistant." * * *
   'Sir Edmund Andros, Governor of Rhode Island, was arrested and imprisoned in October, 1689.
2. [S455] The Early Records of the Town of Providence, pages 51-52 - About 51/2 anchors of liquors from Newfoundland that were being delivered to William Field. He did not want to pay the price but kept the liquor which resulted in a suit. It speaks of a suti filed in dispute over price of liquor. Christopher Almy & his brother-in-law John Greene represented on behalf of their father William Almy, in the sale of this liquor. William Feild was to buy it but disagreed with the price. Nothing could be done in the absence of their father. Dated: 7th day of the 1st month 1652.
   page 52 - I, Christopher Almy, 8 Dec. 1652.
3. [S456] Southeast Massachusetts, pages 670- -.
4. [S457] Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, CHRISTOPHER, b. about 1632 (aged 3 in 1635 [Hotten 93]; "under the age of twenty-one years old" on 8 December 1652 [PrTR 15:59]; in his will of 4 September 1708 "Christopher Almy of Portsmouth" declared himself to be "in the seventy-seventh year of my age" [Portsmouth Town Council Book 2:213]); m. 9 July 1661 Elizabeth Cornell (date of marriage given in secondary sources [e.g., NEHGR 71:322], but not found in published Portsmouth vital records), daughter of Thomas and Rebecca (Briggs?) Cornell [TAG 19:230, 35:107, 36:16-18; RIHSC 21:126-27].
   
5. [S462] George Walter Chamberlain, The English Ancestry of William Almy of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, page.
6. [S166] John Osborne Austin, Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island Families, page 236 - Christopher Almy of Portsmuth, Rhode Island. He names his son, Job, executor. He declares himself to be in his seventy-seventh year. To his eldest son, William, he Ieaves, all housing and lands in Punkatest Neck, Tiverton, other land, and negro Arthur. To son, Christopher, land in Pocasset purchase, Tiverton, land in Sapowet Neck and all lands in East New Jersey, not deeded before his decease. To his son, Job, all lands in Rhode Island, one-half upon the death of the testator and the other half upon the death of his wife, Elizabeth; also land in Tiverton and negro Ned. To his daughter Elizabeth, wife of John Leonard, To children of deceased daughter, Sarah, wife of Richard Cadman and afterward wife of Jonathan Merihew, he leaves 10s. to her first-born son, William, for the purchase of a bible. To her second son, Christopher Cadman, he leaves £10. To the two sons, John and Thomas, sons of Merihew, he leaves £10 respectively. To his grandsons, Richard and Thomas Durfee, sons of his daughter Ann, he makes a legacy, and also. makes provision for his granddaughters, Mary Wodell and Amey Durfee. To his wife he leaves two negroes, Cumbo and Margaret; one year after the death of his wife these negroes to be freed and to have provided for them a bed, a cow and the use of twenty acres in Pocasset for their lives. Besides he leaves to his wife two cows, horses and the best feather-bed, and during life half the housing and lands in Rhode Island, half the fruit of the orchard and all the household goods. To three children of his deceased daughter, Rebecca Townsend, L'40, divided equally at age. To his son, Job, he leaves the rest of the Pocasset land.
7. [S461] M.A. Rev. John Cornell, Genealogy of the Cornell Family: Being An Account of the Descendants of Thomas Cornell of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, page 33 - Will dated 1708, Sept. 4; codicil, 1711, Sept. 17; proved, 1713, Feb. 9; executor, son (or grandson probably) Job. Mentions surviving children and grandchildren, one of whom gets ros. for a bible; some get others £20, and others £40. His wife Elizabeth is left negro man Cumbo, and woman Margaret for life, and one year after wife's death said negroes to be free, and then to have a bed, cow, and use of 20 acres in Pocasset for their lives. To wife two cows, horses, and best feather bed, and to her for Iife the housing and land in Rhode Island, half the fruit of orchard, and all household goods. (For further particulars see Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, from which most of the above is taken.).