The betrothal of Stephen Tracy, to Tryphosa Lee, (Sarah Tracy's parents), was recorded in Leiden, Holland on Dec. 18, 1620. According to The Tracy Genealogy (p.19-20) this was probably the" Stephen Trace" baptized in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England on 28 Dec. 1596, son of Stephen Trace (sailor/mariner) and Agnes/Anne Erdley, for Stephen Jr. later identified himself as "of Great Yarmouth in old England."1
We don’t know where or when Tryphosa was born, or who her parents were. There was a Lee (Leigh) family in Weymouth, but we don’t know if Stephen and Tryphosa met there, or if they met in Leiden. It is possible that Tryphosa was the sister of Brigette Lee Fuller, whose marriage to Mayflower passenger, Dr. Samuel Fuller was recorded in Leiden on 27 May 1617. Brigette probably came to New England in 1623 on the Anne, the same ship in which Stephen Tracy sailed. Bridgette’s known brother was Samuel Lee of Leyden, who was betrothed to the widow Sarah Talcot at Leiden Mar. 27, 1621, and married two weeks later (two months after the marriage of Stephen Tracy & Tryphosa Lee). Bridgette’s and Samuel’s mother (established by their marriage records) was Joos (Joyce or Josephine?) Lee. However, the link between this Lee family and Tryphosa is not verified.2
Stephen and Tryphosa were married on 2 Jan. 1621 in Leiden. Their marriage record shows, "Leiden, Netherlands, January 2, 1621: "Steven Treas, sayworker, bachelor from England, accompanied by Anthony Clements his acquaintance, to Tryfoce Le, spinster, also from England, accompanied by Rose Jennings, her acquaintance." ["jongedochter mede uyt Engelant" (unmarried young daughter out of England) m. Stephen Tracy, a "saeywercker jongman uyt Engelant" (sayworker, young man out of England).]3
A sayworker is a weaver of coarse fabric. Many of the Saints settled in Leiden had to accept poorly paid work as weavers, in order to survive. One of the reasons for the decision to move was that the work was taking a toll on people’s health, producing early aging.
The residence of this young couple (shown in a poll tax listing on 15 Oct 1622) on Stink Street in Zevenhuysen, the district of Leiden next to St. Peter's Church, is evidence that they were part of the congregation of religious separatists (Congregationalists) led by Elder William Brewster, which had fled religious persecution in England for sanctuary in Holland. Their marriage took place the year after the Mayflower sailed for New England with part of their congregation. The rest of the members, including Stephen and Tryphosa, stayed behind under the ministry of John Robinson until there were opportunities for more people to go. Perhaps they needed to save enough money to be able to make the trip.
Julia's ancestor, Sarah Tracy, the oldest daughter of Stephen and Tryphosa Lee Tracy was born in January of 1622/23, just before her father sailed for the Plymouth Colony in New England aboard either the ship Ann or the Little James, which sailed together from London. (Don Blauvelt speculates that Sarah was "likely born in England while her parents were preparing to sail to Plymouth.) The ships arrived in Plymouth in July of 1623 after a three-month voyage. The first group of Pilgrims had reached the New World in November of 1620, less than three years before this.
The first recorded division of ground took place in 1623, after the arrival of the Ann. In "The Falles of their grounds which came over in the May-Floure, according as their lotes were cast", 29 "akers" "on the South side of the brooke to baywards" were divided among 11 of those who came on the Mayflower, including William Brewster and William Bradford.; Sixteen "akers" "on the South side of the brook to the woodward opposite to the former" were divided among six other Mayflower passengers. The land of Hobamok, the Wampanoag who had been detailed by Massasoit to keep a watch over what the colonists were doing, was between the land grants given to John Howland and Steven Hobkins, two of the members of this second group. Five "akers" "behind the forte to the little pond" went to William White; and ten others, including John Alden and Miles Standish, received land which "lye one the north side of the towne nexte adjoining to their gardens which came in the Fortune."4
The ship Fortune had arrived in Novr. 1621. " The fales of their grounds which came in the Fortune according as their Lots were cast 1623 specified that 15 "akers" would be divided between 6 passengers who would receive lands which "lye to the sea eastward." and 5 others who would receive land "beyond the brooke. Another 19 "akers" which "lye beyond the f[irst] brook to the wood we[st]ward." were divided among 17 other Fortune passengers.
The WikiTree article on Great Migration Ships says: "The names of passengers aboard the Anne (and/or Little James) are known from the land allotments made at this time. The list appears as 'The sales of their grounds which came over in the shipe calle the Anne, according as their ___ were cast, 1623.'[2]"
The first two passengers of the Anne received their land "these to the sea eastward." The following eight "lye beyond the brooke to strawberie -hill." Five received lots which "but against the swampe & reed pond." Nine recieved lots on 12 acres which "goeth in with a corner by ye pond." The lots of the "following lye on the other side of the towne towards the eele-river" with some given lots adjoining lots previously assigned to Mayflower passengers, some "beyond the swampie and stonie ground". Four are listed as receiving lots which" butt against Hobes Hole."
Steph: Tracy, is in the list of three passengers who receivied lots on the "South side". He received three acres. Four others received lots on the "North side."
The Tracy Genealogy by Sherman Weld Tracy interprets that to mean that "Stephen was granted three acres on Wellingsly Brook (another name for Hobbs Hole Brook, which flows beside Nook Rd. to the harbor. However, on the record of the land divisionas, the list of those receiving lots on the "North side" and South side" are separated by a line from those that "butt against Hobes Hole." So it is uncertain if Stephen's property was south of Hobbs Hole, and it’s attendant stream, or south of something else. We should not be too confident that we know its exact location.
The area around the brook was also known as The Little Town, or as Jabez Corner in early Plymouth, and was treated as a semi-independent settlement in the town records.4 The settlers received 1 acre for each person in their family. Because Stephen Tracy received 3 acres, some family historians have assumed that Tryphosa and Sarah had accompanied him.
However, in the Record of the Exchequer, Tryphosa's name appears on a list of people who, on May 1st 1624, were granted "license to pass from England beyond the seas." "Trifoza Trace 27, wife of Steephen Trace, resident in Laiden, to the same; also her daughter Sara Trace, 15 months old.". (It is from this record that both Tryphosa's and Sarah's birthdates are calculated.) That would seem to indicate that Tryphosa followed Stephen sometime later; bringing their young daughter, Sarah.
We don’t know why Tryphosa stayed behind. Perhaps the baby was unwell. Perhaps they didn’t have money for more than one passage. Perhaps Stephen wanted to go ahead and have everything prepared for their arrival.
Think what it must have been like for Tryphosa to have to manage by herself with a new baby, to make the arrangements to get out of England, and to make that dangerous voyage.
Which raises the question of why Stephen received three acres if he came alone. Sherman Weld Tracy speculated that Tryphosa and Sarah had actually come with Stephen, and that someone else had used their names to obtain a license to leave England. Others have speculated that someone else accompanied Stephen. However, it seems more likely that he came alone and received three acres in anticipation of the arrival of his wife and daughter.
In March 1624, a ship bearing a few additional settlers and the first cattle arrived. The Jacob under command of Capt. Pierce, sailed from Bristol, England to Plymouth, MA in 1625. Tryphosa and Sarah probably came on the Jacob, because they were certainly in Plymouth by 1626. "On 22 May 1627, the Division of Cattle was recorded in the Plymouth Colony Records. This is a very important document because it names all the members of each household, including the names of women and children -- making it, in essence, a complete census of 1627 Plymouth."7
1627. At a publique court held the 22th of May it was concluded by the whole Companie, that the cattell wch were the Companies, to wit, the Cowes & the Goates should be equall devided to all the psonts of the same company & soe kept untill the expiration of ten yeares after the date above written & that every one should well and sufficiently pvid for there owne pt under penalty of forfeiting the same.
That the old stock with halfe th increase should remaine for comon use to be devided at thend of the said terme or otherwise as ocation falleth out, & the other halfe to be their owne for ever.
Uppon wch agreement they were equally devided by lotts soe as the burthen of keeping the males then beeing should be borne for common use by those to whose lot the best Cowes should fall & so the lotts fell as followeth. thirteene psonts being pportioned to one lot.
10 The tenth lot fell to ffrancis Eaton & those Joyned wth him his wife
To this lott ffell an heyfer of the last yeare called the white belyd heyfer & two shee goats.
2 Christian Eaton
3 Samuell Eaton
4 Rahell Eaton
5 Stephen Tracie
6 Triphosa Tracie
7 Sarah Tracie
8 Rebecka Tracie
9 Ralph Wallen
10 Joyce Wallen
11 Sarah Morton
12 Robert Bartlet
13 Tho: Prence.
Rebecka must have been born at least nine months after Tryphosa's arrival in New England. Tryphosa and Stephen had at least three more children born in the Plymouth Colony: Ruth, Mary and John.3 The cities in the Plymouth colony were not required to keep birth records until 1657, so we do not have their birth records, and Stephen’s will/power of attorney document for the division of his estate is the only record we have of Ruth and Mary.
Stephen was made a Freeman of Plymouth in 1633.
There was not only a cattle division in 1627, that was also the beginning of the Second Plymouth Land Division. Each man, woman and child (except sevants) was entitled to 20 acres, so the Tracy family would have been entitled to at least 80 acres. and we can be more confident about the location of the land the Tracy's received in Duxbury. Duxbury historian, Monty Healty, says, "a grant of 80 acres on the North River can be readily found. ... So if they were given 80 acres at the North River, it's quite possible they were given 60 acres in the Island Creek district. The Tracy grant was just north of Joseph Rogers property and extended from the bay on the east to Tussock Brook on the west and was entirely in what was to become Duxbury in 1637. In later years (1857) the town line was diagonally across this grant when Kingston annexed "the Kingston Nook" ..." The Tracy property is now the Bay Farm Conservation Area. 5
We don't know exactly when the Tracy family moved to Duxborough (now Duxbury), also in the Plymouth Colony, but Stephen's name appears on the list of Duxbury Freemen in 1633, and they must have been established there by 1639 when Stephen was chosen constable. This was a position of great responsibility, and the fact that he was elected to this office shows that he was trusted by his fellow citizens.
Stephen Tracy returned to England sometime between 1643, when his name does not appear on the 1643 Plymouth list of those able to bear arms, and 20 March 1654/55 when, in London, he gave John Winslow, son of Edward Winslow, power of attorney to divide his New England estate among his children, who were still in New England. In 1643, Sarah would have been 20, Rebeccah, who may have married William Merrick, would have been 18, and the younger children would have been minors.
Scholars have estimated that about 7 to 11 percent of the colonists returned to England after 1640, some to support the Puritan cause in the English Civil War, some because Cromwell's victory had now made it safe for them to practice their religion in England. [Wikipedia, Summer of Monuments, "Puritan Migration to New England (1620 - 1640)] For whatever reason Stephen went home, he didn’t return, Tryphosa had probably died before 1654/55 since she is not mentioned in the division of his estate. Son John, who eventually married Mary Prence, the daughter of his neighbor, Governor Thomas Prence, inherited his father’s land.
RootsWeb shows the following as descendants of Stephen and Tryphosa Lee Tracy:
President Ulysses S. Grant, Sir Winston Churchill, U. S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter, George Partridge of the First Continental Congress, secret agent Silas Deane, Rev. Edmund H. Sears (composer of "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear"), biblical scholar Lucius Paige, author Laura Ingalls Wilder, poet Archibald MacLeish, astronaut Alan Bartlett Shepard, Supreme Court Justice David Souter, playwright Tennessee Williams, artist Norman Rockwell, and actors Bing Crosby, Brooke Shields, Bruce Dern and Laura Dern.