Lewis Lonnie Nelson was my grandmothers father..it is thru him that we can clearly find a path to our Irish ancestory. Lewis lonnies's father was John calvin nelson and his Mother was Elizabeth Saxton who was born in Meigs county Ohio..Her Father (my gr.gr.gr. grandfather) was William saxton III who was born in bath,Va. His Father was John Sexton (yes,the spelling is different,it was not unusual for names to change in their spelling during this time) John Sexton was born in Loudon, Va. and his father was Charles Sexton who was born in long Island, NY..we have now reached the year of 1720...Charles Sexton was the son of Charles Sexton Sr. who was the son of George Sexton..this Charles was born in Westfield, Mass. and his father George was born in Hartford, Conn. His Father was also a George..George Sexton born 1632 in Hartford as well..this now leads us to James Sexton who was born in 1604 in Limerick Ireland.
The
following information on the Sextons was done by Dennis Sexton on three
trips to Ireland:
The orginial form of the name was O'Seisnain, which has been anglicized to its present form Sexton. The Sexton family can trace their descent to very remote times, but the pedigree is generally taken as beginning with On Carthann Fionn Orge Mor, who was a son of Blad, born in the year 388, the was a son of Cas, from whom the famous names Dalcassians orginated; and if that is not a proud pedigree, there is nothing in blood after all. The 388 AD date places Blad in 4th century, but it's still remarkable to know the "First" in the known line of Sextons. (Source 1991 newspaper that Lionel Sexton of Limerick shared with Dennis Sexton). The Irish Times evidently had or has series of family names and/or orgins. Sexton is one of the three oldest families in Limerick. The Sexton History around Limerick has them orginating near Lough Gur or Lough Dearg--both within 10-20 miles of Limerick City.
The antiquity of the Sexton Family shows itself when it is pointed out that a son of Carthann Fionn Orge Mor, Eochaidh Ball Dearg was baptized by Saint Patrick himself. Three generations we come to Aodh Caomh, who was King of Cashel, and of him it was recorded by Lodge: "He was the first Christian King of his family that became King of Munster, and his investiture with the Authroity and Title of that province was performed at his own court in the presence of St Brennan of Clonfort, and his domestic poet, McClemein, who afterwards became the first Bishop of Cloyne; and also the Concurrance of Aodh Dubh, the then Chief of the Euginian Race" All the following records are the connecting ties in the pedigree of the Sexton Family, and thru them we are linked with the ruling family of the O'Brien's, King of Thomond, in whose line the family of Sexton has the proud privilege to belong. This information is directly from the Irish Heraldry.
The following is by Pat Searight.
The Sexton name is sometimes spelled Sexten. James's will is in the public record office in Dublin, Ire.
In 1537/40, King Henry VIII granted the Castle in Limerick to Edmond Sexton (St. Marys Abbey House)
The Sextons were the wealthiest and most powerful family there.
Edmond was Mayor of Dublin & Edward Sexton was Mayor of Limerick in 1536.
From the Breastplate of St. Patrick:
I arise today through God's strength to pilot me, God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me, God's eye to look before me, God's host to save me. From snares of devils, From everyone who wishes me ill. Afar and anear, Alone and in mulitude.
*James Sexton
Sex: M
Individual Information Birth: Abt 1604 - Limerick, Munster, Ireland
Christening:
Death: Dec 14, 1669 - Limerick, Munster, Ireland
Burial:
Cause of Death:
Events
• His Occupation was as a Shipbuilder.
Parents Father: Stephen Sexten 206
Mother: Alson Whyte 206
Spouses and Children 1. *Joan Ellis 371
Marriage:
Children:
1. George Sexton
*Stephen Sexten
Sex: M
Individual Information Birth: Abt 1584 - Limerick, Clara County, Ireland
Christening:
Death: Unknown
Burial:
Cause of Death:
Parents Father: Edmond Sexten 206
Mother: Katherine Arthur 206
Spouses and Children 1. *Alson Whyte 206
Marriage:
Children:
1. James Sexton 243
*Edmond Sexten
Sex: M
Individual Information Birth: Abt 1564 - Limerick, Clara County, Ireland
Christening:
Death: Unknown
Burial:
Cause of Death:
Parents Father: Morris Sexten 207
Mother: Christian Ann Nagle 207
Spouses and Children 1. *Katherine Arthur 206
Marriage: Abt 1583
Children:
1. Stephen Sexten 206
2. Christopher Sexten 206
3. Margaret Sexten 207
4. George Sexten 207
5. Nicholas Sexten 207
6. Ellis Sexten 207
7. Anne Sexten 207
*Morris Sexten
Sex: M
Individual Information Birth: Abt 1544 - Limerick, Clara County, Ireland
Christening:
Death: Unknown
Burial:
Cause of Death:
Parents Father: Dennis Sexten 207
Mother:
Spouses and Children 1. *Christian Ann Nagle 207
Marriage: Abt 1563
Children:
1. Edmond Sexten 206
**Dennis Sexten
Sex: M
Individual Information Birth: 1519
Christening:
Death:
Burial:
Cause of Death:
Spouses and Children Children:
1. Morris Sexten 207
2. Dennis Sexten Jr 207
From "Early Saxton Roots in America", by Velma Odeal Gehrke. Privateprinting:
Denis Saxton and Edmond Saxton both served 8 years as Lord Mayors of
Limerick, the latter arraigned as "of Irish blood and corrupt affection
to traitors," (ie., the Irish who resisted English aggression), but
still a friend and favorite of Henry VIII who knighted him in the year
1638 and granted him the title and rights of Prior of the Cathedral.
It was at this time of persecution by the English soon after the middle
of the 17th century that George Sexton, the oldest son of James Sexton
of Limerick, Ireland (a descendant of Denis) and his wife Katherine
and their family fled to North America, making them among the first
Sextons to arrive in this country.
Born in 1604 and head of a family of Limerick known to be Protestants.
From Pynchon Ancestors atwww.enter.net/~torve/trogholm/general/pynchon.htm:
James Sexton, b.c. 1604, Limerick, Ireland, d. 14 Dec 1669, Limerick,
Ireland (An ancient family -- name was originally O'Seasnain. 8 Sextons
were mayors of Limerick.)
Edmond Sexton, a prominent early Protestant who expelled the crutched friars from Limerick, was disinterred in 1554 (the first year of the reign of Catholic Queen Mary); his severed right arm was left in the tomb, while the rest of his corpse was hung by the heels above the ceiling of the chancel, where it remained until discovered over three years later by a thief, whereupon what little remained was reburied at night. The perpetrators were thought to be his brother-in-law and the Cathedral organist, who disapproved of his conversion to Anglicanism.
In 1536 Lord Leonard Grey, Lord Deputy of Ireland in the reign of Henry
VIII, captured Carrigogunnell and dispossessed Mahowne. The Mayor of
Limerick at the time was a man named Edmond Sexton, and he appealed to
Grey to restore to the O'Brien's another Castle which had been captured
at the same time as Carrigogunnell. Grey agreed to do so, but when the
order restoring the other Castle reached Mahowne he took it to
Carrigogunnell, and the Garrison surrendered the Castle to him. On
hearing of the deception Lord Grey immediately attacked the Castle. His
Army broke down the front door at the south of the building, and forced
the Garrison to surrender. They were taken to Limerick, tried, and
executed.
The Castle was later returned to the O'Brien's, and in 1539,
we find Donough O'Brien, Mahowne's son, being forced to surrender the
Castle after he and his Garrison had been found guilty of plundering the
surrounding area, and terrifying the Mayor and citizens of Limerick.
He was not the only Lord of Carrigogunnell to engage in criminal
activity. His predecessor Mahowne was found guilty of extorting a tax
on wine from Dominick White, a Limerick Merchant, and in 1642, David
Roche of Limerick complained that another Donough O'Brien of
Carrigogunnell, stole some of his stock, including cattle, horses,
sheep, and swine, household stuff, and implements of husbandry, causing
loss and damage to the amount of £746.
George Sexton left Ireland for England before traveling to America due to religious persecution (he was a Protestant) and due to repression under Gen. Ireton, Cromwell’s son-in-law; lands were confiscated; towns destroyed; taxes increased; people sent in chains to West Indies in chains or forced to toil on their own lands now run by the English. Many say that the Sextons traveled to America on the Blessing. He may have been a trader or agent.
If George Sexton was an Irish refugee, it would be easy to understand why the records of Windsor have so little to say concerning his presence there. At Windsor, the neighbors would have been partisans of Cromwell and hence potential enemies. Remaining quiet, he would be content to avoid further persecution than what he remembered from Ireland. It’s unlikely that he would join the church that wielded the tyranny from which he had barely escaped. Because of that, he was unable to become a freeman, or a citizen, of Windsor.
The earliest mention of George is in a book of “deeds” of Springfield, Mass., a deed from Thomas Cowper to George Sexton, now resident of Windsor, Conn. on June 10, 1663 which states that George was at that time a resident of Windsor. The deed was the purchase of two parcels of meadow and upland at Waronoco (after 1669, Westfield) from Thomas Cooper (or Cowper). When he settled at Waronoco/Westfield, he was one of the first three settlers at the place.
George moved to Westfield, Mass. before 1671, where his son Benjamin was born, said to be the first white child born in the town. This would put George’s presence there at 1666-1667.
At Westfield, on 24 September 1678, he and his wife were called before the county court for “abusive words and actions to Samuel Root, constable.”
Catherine Sexton was admitted to the church at Westfield on 13 July 1682; but George seems never to have become a member of the church in New England. And no record has been discovered showing that he had his children baptized at Windsor or Westfield.
By the 1680s, debts mounting, he had to mortgage his lands and crops. Then, on 25 January 1687/88, he sold his housing and lands at Westfield for £160 to his sons, Joseph and Benjamin.
George was the eldest surviving son and was executor of his father James Sextens will and was left tthe stone house of his father and the tenanties lying and being in Boufileds land. The will was dated December 14, 1669
Sources:
Ancestry.com
http://www.genealogyofnewengland.com/f_21c.htm#87
http://josfamilyhistory.com/htm/nickel/griffin/sheldon/saxton.htm#geo
