Descendants of William Blessing

The family name of Blessing is extremely rare in England. Our quest is to find the ancestors, if any, of Joan Blessing who married, in 1620 at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, one William Towne. Extensive surveys of Norfolk and surrounding counties resulted in but one potential situation. In Boyd’s invaluable marriage index of Suffolk county, we find the marriage of John Blyssynge (Blessing) and Joan Preaste in the year1569 in the parish of Somerleyton , which of interest, is but seven miles from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. It is assumed that this John Blessing is the earliest known ancestor of our Joan Blessing. We estimate that both John Blessing and Joan Preast were born ca 154x and died 1575+ at Somerleyton, Suffolk. They had two children baptized in Somerleyton, i.e., a daughter, Julian, in 1571 and a son, William, in 1575.
References: FH6:1662; TAG:V33:199.

Between forty and fifty years later, in the parish of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, we find the marriages of three Blessing girls who were the sole representatives of the Blessing name in these parish records. It is assumed that they were the grand daughters of John and Joan Preast Blessing and the daughters of William Blessing, the only known son of John and Joan. Further evidence strongly suggests there was a fourth grand daughter, i.e., Alice who married Mark? Firmage/ Vermaes. As such, we note the second generation to be William Blessing, the son of John and Joan Preast Blessing, who was born in 1575 at Somerleyton, Suffolk, married early ca 159x, name of wife unknown, and died ca 16xx. His marriage and death is assumed to be Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. William Blessing had at least four daughters, i.e., Margaret, Alice, Joan, and Julian.

Margaret Blessing was born ca 1591 and died prior to 11 August 1634, both at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. She married, on 23 August 1613 at the church of St. Nicholas in Great Yarmouth, Robert Buffam, who was born ca 159x, the son of James and Margery Raylton Bougham, and died 06 August 1669 at Salem, Ma. Robert and Margaret Blessing Buffam had two daughters and five sons. Robert Buffam married, as his second wife at Great Yarmouth on 11 August 1634, Thomasine Ward Thompson. He, with his family, emigrated to New England in 1638; on 29 October 1638, Robert appeared at the town meeting in Salem where he asked for a grant of land which he did receive. Thomasine and her children became strong Quakers and suffered severely for their faith.

Alice Blessing, the second daughter of William Blessing, was born ca 1593 and died 09 February 1656 at Salem, Ma. Alice married, ca 1615 at Great Yarmouth, Mark? Firmage/Vermaes who died either in England or on the voyage to New England; Alice, as widow Alice Firmage/ Vermaes, appeared before the town meeting of Salem on 19 October 1638 where she asked for accommodation which was granted to her in the form of fifty acres on 04 February 1639. The will of Alice Firmage of Boston was proved 24 April 1656 wherein she speaks “of her sister Joane Towne”, i.e., Joan Blessing Towne which is the evidence of her being the fourth daughter of William Blessing.

Julian Blessing, the fourth daughter of William Blessing, was born ca 1596+/-. Her death date and place are unknown. Julian married, on 31 July 1622 at the church of St. Nicholas in Great Yarmouth, Thomas Goose. Her later life is unknown. A Thomas Goose, mariner, was granted the freedom of Great Yarmouth by birth in 1615, and it is highly probable that he was Julian’s future husband. Also, one would like to think that Capt. William Goose, the Great Yarmouth mariner who transported so many Great Yarmouth people to New England, was Julian’s brother-in-law.
References:FH6:1662; TAG:V33:199-206.

Joan Blessing, the third daughter of William and (–) Blessing, was born ca 1595 at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and died ca 1682 in Topsfield, Ma. She married, at Great Yarmouth on 25 April 1620, William Towne who was born in 1596/bp 18 March 1599 at Great Yarmouth and died in 1672 at Topsfield, Ma. William Towne was the son of John and Elizabeth (–) Towne of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. They had eight children, i.e., four sons and four daughters. Three of the daughters, Rebecca, Sarah and Mary, were victims of the tragic Salem Witchcraft debacle with Rebecca and Mary Towne being executed by hanging. There is a statue of Rebecca Towne Nurse in Salem, Ma. which is a perpetual reminder of this sad chapter in US history.
References: PH7:749; PH212:V3:485-487; FH6:1662; FH134:793.1:Pg1; FH209:13,17-18,21; TAG:V33:205-206.