Images from Herodias Long's Life |
| John Ayshford's will suggests that Herodias Long may have come from the Burlescombe, Devonshire region. Here are some images from the Burlescombe area: |
| This link will take you to several photos from the interior of St. Mary's Church in Burlescombe |
| After the death of her father, Herodias was sent to London by her mother. This panorama of London was painted in 1616, a couple of decades before Herod's arrival (below). |
| St. Paul's Cathedral appears at center left, London Bridge crosses the River Thames at center right, and the Tower of London is at the right. |
| Central London today (right) is a far different place than Herodias knew. Above is a map of London in 1653. |
| Boston has also changed much since Herod's day, as this map from "New England Ancestors" magazine (above right) shows in comparison with today's aerial photo (left). |
| Lord Henry Vane had just been deposed as Massachusetts' youngest governor when Herod and John Hicks arrived in 1637 |
| Vane was replaced by John Winthrop, the Puritan colony's main leader since 1630 |
| Anne Hutchinson's religious views were declared heresy by the Puritans. Her followers' increasing pressure on the Puritan government, led to the banishment of many, including Anne Hutchinson and her family (above and below). |
| John Hicks was granted land at Weymouth, Massachusetts. The Hickses' land was later owned by James Nash, and appears on this map where "Nash" is entered on the right side. Weymouth town lay on the waterfront at Westerneck |
| This statue of Lord Henry Vane stands in the Boston Public Library |
| In 1638 Anne Hutchinson and some of her supporters were banished from Massachusetts. Many others followed her into exile in Rhode Island. In 1638 the new town of Pocasset - now Portsmouth - formed a government, led by William Coddington. The settlers signed the Portsmouth Compact (below). Look for the signatures of Coddington, William Dyer, and John Porter |
| Herod and John Hicks moved to Rhode Island in 1640. The couple settled in Newport, on the southern end of Aquidneck Island. William Coddington led a group of settlers from Portsmouth, which included Mary and William Dyer, to settle at Newport earlier that year |
| This portrait is said to be that of Governor William Coddington. From the style of hair and dress, it probably represents Coddington's grandson |
| An aerial view of Newport today (left). The Hickses and George Gardner probably lived on the southeast side of the harbor |
| Millionaires' "cottages" in modern Newport |
| Two views of Newport Harbor. To the right, the Baptist Church stands on the hillside above the harbor. In the photo below, Goat Island lies just offshore, and Jamestown Island stretches from south to north. The western edge of Narragansett Bay lies on the horizon |
| Roger Williams (right) was the first English settler in Providence, Rhode Island in 1636. He bought land from the Native Americans then, and in 1638 he helped William Coddington in his purchase of Aquidneck Island. This portrait of Ninigret (below) depicts the prominent Indian sachem, though his actual appearance, like that of Roger Williams, William Coddington, Mary Dyer, and Anne Hutchinson, are unknown |
| In 1644 John and Herod Hicks were separated. Above is William Coddington's account of that separation. At right is an excerpt from a letter written by John Hicks, saying that he wanted no more to do with Herod |
| Dr. John Clarke (above), physician and founder of the Baptist Church in Newport |
| George Fox (right) was the founder of the Society of Friends - often called Quakers - in England in the late 1640s. In 1651 Mary Dyer returned to England, and she soon became a Quaker minister. The first Quakers to come to Boston in 1656 were jailed, and Massachusetts enacted increasingly severe laws banning them. In 1657 Mary Dyer was also jailed in Boston as a Quaker. She brought her new faith to Newport, where Herod Gardner listened eagerly |
| In May 1658 Herod Gardner walked 60 miles to Weymouth, Massachusetts, carrying her infant daughter. There, she spoke out against the Puritans' abuse of Quakers. She may have hoped that Weymouth's citizens would demand that the cruelties be ended. Instead, Herod was taken to Boston, where Governor John Endecott (below right) ordered her to be whipped and jailed. In 1659, "New England's Ensigne" (below) described the Quakers' trials, and included an account of Herod's whipping |
| Mary Dyer went to Boston twice in 1659 to visit jailed Quakers. She, too, was jailed, banished from Massachusetts, and informed that if she returned to the colony, she would be hanged. She challenged the Puritans' cruel laws by returning to Boston in 1659. This time, she watched Marmaduke Stevenson and William Robinson hang for defying their banishment. Then Mary had the noose tightened around her neck before being reprieved. In 1660 Mary Dyer tested the Puritans' resolve by entering Massachusetts once more. This time there was no reprieve, and on June 1, 1660 Mary Dyer was hanged. The paintings above depict Mary's trip to the gallows. I prefer the version on the right. Surely Mary would have held her head high, believing that she would soon enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When King Charles II heard that a woman had been executed, he ordered that the hangings cease. The Puritans freed their imprisoned Quakers, though the harsh punishments continued for a few more years |
| Boston's new town house (above) was built in 1657. Herod Gardner was tried and whipped here in 1658 - note the man receiving the same punishment. Mary Dyer would also have been tried here |
| Beginning in 1658, John Porter, with 4 partners, began buying land on the west side of Narragansett Bay from the Narragansett Indians. This was known as the Pettequamscutt Purchase. Soon there were 7 partners, who owned a huge chunk of Rhode Island (right) Porter reserved a fertile strip of land along the Pettequamscutt River for himself (below) |
| In May 1665 Herod was separated from George Gardner. She, Benoni, and George Gardner Jr. had already received large plots of Pettequamscutt land in November 1664. By 1671 Henry, William, and Nicholas Gardner had joined their mother, brothers, and sisters on the west side of the bay |
| The map below shows the home lots of Herod's Gardner children in 1705, arrayed along the west bank of the Pettequamscutt River (north is on the left side of the map). From left to right - Nicholas, William, Henry, "Benoney," John Watson (married to Dorcas Gardner and later, to her sister, Rebecca) and George. A seventh plot on the far right was divided into six strips. It is likely that Herodias (Long) Hicks Gardner Porter died in 1705, and the lot where she dwelt with John Porter was passed down to Benoni. To the left is a photograph of the Pettequamscutt River, taken from the Gardners' land |
| John Porter died sometime after December 1674. Herod's Gardner children inherited Porter's share of the Pettequamscutt Purchase (below - the map is oriented with north on the right side). The blank areas had already been assigned or sold when the map was drawn in 1724. At this time, the remaining Purchase was divided among the Purchasers, with Henry Gardner representing his siblings. Henry's name is circled in several spots on the map. |
| Metacom/Metacomet, known to New England's residents as King Philip (left), was the leader of the Wampanoag Indians. In 1675 Philip led the Wampanoags and Narragansetts in King Philip's War, a futile attempt to drive encroaching settlers from their land. In December 1675 the Narragansetts' main village was destroyed in the Great Swamp Fight (below). The war ended when Metacom was killed in August 1676 |
| Peace brought prosperity. Washington County, as the Narragansett region was eventually named, was known as the home of well-to-do gentleman farmers John Alden's home, while not in Rhode Island, would have been similar to the Gardners' homes inside. The smaller "stone-ender" to the right was typical for the area |
| Hannah (Gardner) MacSparran was Benoni Gardner's granddaughter, and Herodias and George's great-granddaughter. She was married to the Reverend James MacSparran (right). |
| Devonshire, England |
| London 1616 |
| London 1653 |
| Modern London |
| Boston 1645 |
| modern Boston |
| Henry Vane |
| John Winthrop |
| Anne Hutchinson |
| 17th century Weymouth, MA |
| Portsmouth compact |
| Newport, Rhode Island |
| Roger Williams |
| William Coddington |
| Dr. John Clarke |
| Ninigret |
| William Coddington's home |
| William Coddington's tombstone |
| George Fox |
| Harwood and John Hicks separation |
| John Hicks letter |
| Boston town house 1657 |
| New England's Ensign |
| John Endecott |
| Mary Dyer statue |
| Mary Dyer's hanging |
| Pettequamscutt, Rhode Island |
| 17th century Rhode Island |
| Pettequamscutt River |
| Gardner & Watson homes 1705 |
| Pettequamscutt Purchase 1724 |
| King Philip's War |
| King Philip/Metacomet |
| Great Swamp Fight |
| John Alden home |
| 17th century Rhode Island home |
| Herodias would have been familiar with this structure, which still stands in Newport. Though it is rumored to have been built as a fortress by the Vikings, it is the foundation for a wind-powered grist mill which belonged to Gov. Benedict Arnold |
| Newport windmill |
| Hannah (Gardner) MacSparran |
| Rev. James MacSparran |
| To the right is a map of Washington county in the 1800s. The Pettaquamscutt River and Pettaquamscutt Rock are at far right. The Great Swamp is on the left, above Worden's Pond |
| St. Mary's Church |