Category: DNA-01: Lions of the Sea
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Iconic Babbs Bridge reopens following crash repairs
One of our members asked for an update on Babbs Bridge near Portland, Maine and I was happy to find that the repairs were completed back in February and the […]
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4, The Quay, Dartmouth, Devon
This iconic home on The Quay in Dartmouth was built in 1664 for Robert Plumley. Robert’s granddaughter was the first wife of Phillip Babb of the Isles of Shoals. This […]
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The Illusive Abraham Babb – Newfoundland, London, & Newton Abbot
Abraham is the man that my English predecessor Ian Henry Babb believed to be the immigrant ancestor of the Newfoundland Babbs. There are a series of badly disjointed record fragments […]
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Peter Babb of Charles Co, MD (d. 1737)
This seemingly random set of records for one Peter Babb who died in Charles Co, MD in 1735 has a purpose. I’m still not sure what that is at this […]
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London’s Lady Day Hearth Tax of 1666
Lady Day, also known as the Feast of the Annunciation, is celebrated on March 25th. It commemorates the announcement by the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would […]
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Tribute to Penny Chaboudy
A Pillar of the Babb Family Association From the first moment I walked into the 2001 Babb Family Association Reunion, Penny Chaboudy was there to greet me. She was the […]
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Essex Co, MA – Wills, Probate & Guardianship Records
I accidentally jumped down a rabbit hole while researching the Green Men of Maryland Babbs. I clicked on a record that I thought might be one of them but instead […]
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The sale of Thomas Babb’s Homestead to Joseph Lupton
While combing through the Frederick County, VA deed transactions I came across two sets of documents regarding land sold to Joseph Lupton. Joseph, is the person who ended up with […]
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Babb’s Bridge Catches a Break
I can’t find another way to say this. Some Einstein tried to drive an overloaded dump truck across Babb’s Bridge in Gorham, Maine (near Portland) yesterday. The bridge’s capacity is […]
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Phillip’s (1) brother John a Devon Notary in London
This record presents yet another piece of evidence supporting the associations we have made connecting Phillip to his families in London and Devon: John Babb – Devon Notary in LondonDate: […]
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Reunion Photos (Part 2)
Thomas Babb (1-2) Homestead As promised, here is the download link for the full collection: Reunion Photos This was the most memorable reunion since we did the log raising of […]
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Reunion Photos (Part 1)
NOTE: At the end of part 2, I’ll post a link to all of the Reunion Photos, so you can download them to your own computer. So, there is no […]
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Did I say I had wrapped up Mercer Babb?
Just kidding! I finally got at a new source today that isn’t available online. With the help of the Stuart Bell Archives at the Handley Library in Winchester, VA, I […]
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The Long Green House & Babb’s Mill
The “Long Green House” was one of the stops during the 2024 Babb Family Association Reunion. It sits atop a small hill at the end of a narrow road that […]
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Wrapping up Mercer Babb
I’ve finally gotten this multitude of information recorded in Mercer Babb’s (1-2-3-3) record in the Master Tree. In all there are now 68 source records attached to his name. A […]
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Mercer Babb, American Patriot! (Part 3)
The most incredible little collection of records surfaced during this quest, the likes of which I have never seen. Before this series we knew nothing about Mercer’s life after Winchester, […]
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Mercer Babb, The Elder Statesman (Part 2)
Today, we will discuss a new chapter of Mercer’s (1-2-3-3) life after his time in Frederick Co, VA. We move forward into his new life in South Carolina. Initially, all […]
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An Interview with Hardie Glover Babb, Jr
Below is a link to an exclusive interview with one Hardie Glover Babb Jr, (aka II). It has been catalogued for the Library of Congress. This is a very unique […]
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The Biography of Mercer Babb (1-2-3-3) – Part 1
The first stop on our tour of Winchester, VA was the homestead of Mercer Babb (1-2-3-3). The home is not in good condition as of this writing and despite being […]
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The Protestation Oath of Allegiance & Phillip Babb (1) & his brother Thomas Babb of the ship Hopewell
I first noticed this record while canvasing Devon’s historic records in 2021 and posted about it at that time. Standing in Phillip’s Shadow – Babb Unabridged At the time I […]
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Shadows in the Moonlight: The Stone-Throwing Devil’s Reign
The tale of the Stone-Throwing Devil in New Castle, New Hampshire, is a fascinating and eerie one. Let’s conjure up an image of this supernatural event that plagued George Walton’s […]
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The Inventory of Phillip’s (1) Estate
Phillip Babb (1) died in early 1671 without apparently leaving a will. At a Court held at York on 4 July 1671, Letters of Administration were granted to Mr. Nathaniel […]
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It Was a Family Affair
In the annals of the Babb family history, a curious entry caught my eye—a cryptic note penned by Elizabeth Babb in her treatise Babb Families Come to America. Initially, I […]
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The Legend of Phillip Babb (1): A Perilous Journey to the Isles of Shoals
Once upon a tempest-tossed time, when the world was still shrouded in mystery and uncharted waters beckoned the brave, there lived a man named Phillip Babb. His heart, like the […]
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Phillip Babb (1) Haunts Appledore!
Today we discuss another story attributed to Phillip Babb (1) of the Isles of Shoals. This one centers on his ghost haunting Appledore Island. It was known as Hog Island […]
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Phillip Babb (1) and the folktale of Ocean-Born Mary Fulton
There is an old folktale that has been attributed to our legendary fishing master working as a pirate. Today we are going to discuss the story and actually fact check […]
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Announcement: Babb Unabridged, 3rd Edition is coming soon, in Print!
Once upon a time, in the realm of Babb knowledge and history, there existed a grand library of first editions, bound in leather and etched with the wisdom of ages. […]
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Lions of the Sea T-Shirt
You asked for it and now it is finally here! Just in time for the Reunion. Order Yours Here Lions of the Sea T-Shirtby Babb_Unabridged
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Who is the Real Peter Babb?
The Chancery Court Records of 1821 yield a new perspective of Hampshire County, VA/WV. In addition to the Green Men of Maryland that we have been exploring we find a […]
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The Deeds of Hampshire Co, VA/WV
Let’s review the deeds of Hampshire Co, VA/WV. Hampshire County was established in the year 1754 during the French and Indian War. It emerged as the western frontier of the Colony of Virginia. Because Virginia’s route to the […]
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Lions, and Green Men, and White Stags???
This has got to be one of those, “You’ve got to be kidding me” moments. I’ve previously established that there were indeed Green Men of MD and White Stags of […]
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Lions and Panthers & Green Men! Oh My!
Additional research has revealed something I never expected. I first started this quest trying to find out if it was possible for 2 of the 4 key genetic lineages of […]
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Hugh Webster Babb Jr – Bordentown Military Institute, NJ
On eBay we find the original belt and buckle of Hugh Webster Babb Jr (1-5-3-3-6-4-1-2-3) of the Lions of the Sea lineage. The listing has some incorrect assumptions that are […]
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All-Points Bulletin
Correction: This article has been updated to clarify an oversight I made when publishing it. The information was buried in the article, but it wasn’t clear to me and thus […]
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Let’s Talk about “The Black Death”
The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 13531. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causing […]
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From Newton Abbot to Phillip (1)
I’ve had some requests to fully explain the direct line of descent from the recently recovered ancestry of Phillip Babb (1) of the Isles of Shoals. In this post, I’ll […]
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There’s something about Mary Baylie
Mary Bailie has somehow found her way into the common vernacular as the surviving wife/mistress of Phillip Babb (1) of the Isles of Shoals. While uncovering Phillip’s London based family, […]
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The Isles of Shoals Collection by Julia Older is now available in the Babb Archives
Back in 2020 Julia and I talked about preserving her legacy. We agreed that the Babb Family Association would carry her work forward by making it available in perpetuity through […]
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Peterwell v. Petronell
Today I revisit a family that was instrumental in helping unlock the distant secrets of the Lions of the Sea. In Elizabeth A.S. Babb’s treatise titles Babbs Come to America […]
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Meet Phillip’s (1) Ancestors in Highweek, Devon
Welcome to Feudal England! Feudalism was introduced in England in 1066 following the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest12. It changed the way of life for the English people1. Cover Image: By […]
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Meet Phillip’s (1) Great-Grandfather John Babbe (bef 1467-aft 1548): Founder of Newton Abbot & Bovey Tracey
It’s time to meet the new progenitor of the Lions of the Sea, John Babbe. Let’s talk more about him. History does not appear to have recorded the name of […]
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Meet Phillip’s (1) Grampa: Thomas Babb (bef 1544-aft 1584) of Newton Abbot, Newfoundland and Points Unknown
The time has come to reveal the next generation of the Lions of the Sea! Let me introduce you to Phillip Babb’s (1) Grampa, who in addition to Phillip’s father […]
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Meet Phillip’s (1) Father: Thomas Babb, Mariner
Thomas Babb, Mariner (1675) is a man of few documents. His life in the Limehouse/Stepney area is virtually unknown to us. Yet, his will survives and provides some great information […]
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Breakthrough: Phillip Babb (1) of the Isles of Shoals, London Family Revealed
In case you missed it in my last post, we have finally resolved the mystery of Phillip Babb’s ancestry. He is the son of Thomas Babb, Mariner (1575) and brother […]
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The Babb-Plumbley Connection in London: A Tipping Point
Getting back to Elizabeth A.S. Babb’s work titled Babb Families Come to America this entry for Phillip Babb turned my head. Elizabeth would have had no way of knowing how […]
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The Babb-Shapleigh Connection
There is more to learn from this same record that I mentioned in my last post Why did Phillip (1) marry in Dartmouth? In addition to unveiling the Plumlie/Plumleigh history […]
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Why did Phillip (1) marry in Dartmouth?
I’ve always wondered why there are no other records of Phillip Babb (1) of the Isles of Shoals in Dartmouth, Devon, England. He seems to have appeared and gotten married, […]
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Matterwell or bust
Elizabeth A. S. Babb had a theory that was unprovable in her time. She noticed a potential connection in her 31-year old document titled Babb Families Come to America. Cover […]
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A Watershed Moment!
I’ve been reviewing a self-published work by an Elizabeth A. S. Babb. She was in contact with Ian Henry Babb, my predecessor in the UK. He had several drafts of […]
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Thomas Babb (1620) – 1st Record in America
Today we discuss what appears to be the very first record of Thomas Babb who later owned the ship “Hopewell”. In 1627 we find him listed as both a witness […]
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Cod, Money and Power: How the Devon Babbs found their way to Newfoundland
Today, I focus on the motivation behind Devon’s connection to the island of Newfoundland in Canada. Today Newfoundland and the peninsula of Labrador have been merged into a single province […]
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Getting to know Limehouse and Stepney through something thoroughly modern!
Limehouse and Stepney are two historic neighborhoods located in the East End of London, England. Limehouse was originally a small village that became a busy port and shipbuilding center in […]
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Taking the Bull by the Horns
I’ve put the matter off too long and the time has come that I must revisit how I address the residents of Greater London. While it isn’t apparent to the […]
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Geoffrey Babbe of Totnes – A Suspicious License (1585)
Saint Malo is a port city in Northern France with an antagonistic attitude towards the rulers of France. From time to time, it would declare its independence from both British […]
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It’s official: Captain Thomas Babb of the ship “Hopewell” is NOT the father of Phillip Babb (1) of the Isles of Shoals
I’ve often wondered about this mythical man, Captain Thomas Babb of the Hopewell. I had long pinned my hopes that something might arise to prove a connection between him and […]
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Doctor When? – Phillip’s ancestors in Newfoundland – 1584!
While reviewing Jean’s papers I’ve found a few references to Newfoundland Babbs that take the Newfoundland story back further than I ever imagined. There is a Thomas Babb (of Newton […]
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Thomas Babb of Newton Abbot – The Missing Link?
Proving Phillip Babb’s (1) connection to England may come about through something we call collateral relatives. The idea behind it is that when you can’t find proof of a connection […]
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The Passing of a Legendary Honorary Babb – Julia Older
It is with great sadness that I announce the death of Julia Older. Many will remember her from her recitation, at the 2011 Babb Family Reunion, of a chapter of […]
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The American Revolution, Newfoundland, Pirates in Portugal, Waterford, Phillip Babb (1) & Me On My Ear!
It is hard to imagine how all of these stories could convene, but they have! I’ve always assumed that the Newfoundland Babbs were loyal to the Crown and as the […]
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Newfoundland Babb – The Origin Story, the Lions of the Sea & Newton Abbot
Continuing my work on the Newfoundland Babbs I perused Archive.org further to see if any additional information was available on Thomas (NL1) & Esther Babb and couldn’t believe my eyes. […]
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What happened after the Babb Brig “Brothers” took the life of Lt. Samuel Babb
In July I penned an article about the sinking of a boat known as “Brothers” that was owned by Samuel Babb and his brother John. There was a loose end […]
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Reverend Thomas Babb (1785-1861) -He just didn’t like the Bastard!
Every now and then an article comes along that just writes itself. It makes you wonder if this is the origin story for the phrase. Start reading after the break […]
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Thomas Babb (1754-1810) – In His Own Words
This speech, by Thomas Babb, was quoted in The Exeter Flying Post or Trewman’s Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser, on 12 Jun 1806. 216 years have passed! But thanks to the diligent […]
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The Final Journey of the Babb Brig “Brothers”
Thanks to one of our eagle-eyed members, we now know more about the final journey of the ship aptly named “Brothers”. This is a continuation of my recent post Thomas […]
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Thomas Babb: Feoffee of St. Mary’s of Wolborough, Devon (1754-1810)
I came across a reference to two memorial plaques at St. Mary’s Church in Wolborough, which happens to be in the Parish of Newton Abbot. I sent off for photos […]
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Babb hosts first-ever Christmas Parade
This headline was confusing to me when I first saw it too. The Town of Babb, Montana, which is named for Cyrus Cates Babb (1867-1937). Cyrus’ number in the Babb […]
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A Family Bible provides more than 1 Dozen Points of Proof
Family Bibles have long been used to record births, marriages and deaths of family members. Arene J. (Leggins, Babb) Gorton’s Family Bible is no different. The book was retrieved by […]
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DNA Waiting Game – Hussey Edition
Regardless of what the DNA says, one thing is certain. Things will never be the same again.
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Photo Mystery: Raymond Holden Babb
It isn’t uncommon when working on the tree to come across photos of the individuals you are working on. Such was the case with this curious photo of Raymond Holden […]
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Picnicking with Theresa Butler (Parker) Babb 1898-1900
Theresa Babb (1868-1948) was married to Charles Wilkes Babb (1-5-4-4-2-2-1-4), director of Knox Mill, Camden, Maine. For reasons unknown, she also possessed a gift for taking spontaneous and immediate photographs of her […]
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1787 Seth Babb Homestead featured in Early American Life Magazine
I was thrilled to learn that Early American Life Magazine has an article on Seth’s place in their May/June issue. Since newsstands aren’t exactly common these days, I’m re-posting the […]
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Women’s Liberation 2019
I have spent the last several weeks coming through 2500 photos of people in the Master Tree and trying to normalize the names presented in the photos. I recently posted […]
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How Do You Spell Kismet?
I had to look up the spelling for Kismet, but there was no other word I could think of to explain this picture. kis·met [ˈkizmit, ˈkizˌmet] NOUN destiny; fate. “what […]
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Meet Joel Babb, the painter of Boston who lives deep in the woods of Maine – Portland Press Herald
Meet Joel Babb, the painter of Boston who lives deep in the woods of Maine
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Shoals Marine Laboratory (Library/Shirts)
Thanks to one of our members, I’m ordering some new replacement t-shirts for the Shoals Marine Laboratory (SML) on Appledore Island. As anyone who has been on a Reunion with […]
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Announcement: Ian Babb & Jean A. Sargent- Papers now available online
I’m so pleased to present to you the collected papers of Ian Babb. Which are now available online. The 5683 page collection represents the lifetime of research conducted by Ian […]
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When was Phillip Babb of the Isles of Shoals (1) really born?
Updated: 24 May 2024 with new information. A keen reader noticed a little confusion about the birthdate of Phillip Babb of the Isles of Shoals. There are a few entries […]
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BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: Babb’s Rock is now available in Print!
I am thrilled to announce that my first book is finally available in print. Babb’s Rock, is the first volume of a new series that will unfold to include Babb […]
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Conference on Western Radicals, featuring Sanora Babb to be held Nov 2014
Below is a Session proposal for a conference on Western Radicals, featuring the works of Sanora Babb, among others. Sanora is, of course, the would be famous, author who’s work […]
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Leaving the Paper Trail Behind to find Phillip (Part 2)
Back in November, I posted regarding using treatments of local records combined with DNA matches that have other surnames. My research ended up being inconclusive, due to a lack of […]
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An Illegitimate son of Phillip?
I’d like to introduce you to one of our Genetic Matches, John Morrill b.1640 who married in Kittery, ME in 1665. A descendant of John Morrill (Morrell) is a 25 […]
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Leaving the Paper Trail Behind to find Phillip
Last week I attended the 8th Annual Genetic Genealogy Conference in Houston, TX. Being there was watching a mashup of Big Bang Theory and the Golden Girls. I had hopes […]
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Shoals History Week (Aug 7-10)
If you will find yourself in the Maine/New Hampshire area this summer, Registrations are now being taken for Shoals History Week (Aug 7-10). http://www.sml.cornell.edu/sml_publiced_shoalshistory.html Robin Hadlock Seeley with Cornell University […]
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Babb’s Annex Canada
Please join me in welcoming the Newfoundland Babb’s back into the tree! In the first significant discovery by our DNA testing initiative, we have proven that the Babb’s of Newfoundland, […]
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George Walton & “The Stone Throwing Devil”
Before we get to the story let me give you some perspective. George Walton is the Father of Abishag who married Robert Taprill. Their daughter Grace was the 3rd wife […]
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Update on my research
I am still processing all the info from the NH State Archives and haven’t even begun on the stuff I accumulated on my trip. I was in the middle of […]
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NH State Papers
I forgot to mention a major amount of records I found online. NH has posted some 30,000 pages of early records from the state online. It is even indexed! Here […]
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Back home at last
Wow, I was only in New England for 3.5 days and logged abour 300 miles and visited 6 Libraries (Ipswich, Greenland, Portsmouth Athenaeum, Rye, Salem & York) and had lunch […]
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Salem, MA
Last night I had some spare time so I drove out to Rye, NH as the library was open late. It was pretty much a dry run, but on the […]
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Added Photos of New Castle & Portsmouth…
…to the family site and to my facebook. Repost: Originally posted on Apr 13, 10
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Greenland, NH
This morning I went to the Weeks Library in Greenland, NH. Greenland was the home to Peter Babb & Sarah Cate. I met with the town historian who brought two […]
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Murder She Wrote
I finally made it to Portsmouth tonight! Actually, the exit was closed and I overshot into Kittery. Fortunately, I made the investment on my rental to get the GPS. It […]
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Shapleigh Connection
I made a Shapleigh connection to the Babb family finally. But it isn’t the one you might be hoping for. Alexander Shapleigh (Born 1585 in Totnes, Devon, England) is the […]
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This Desired Place: The Isles of Shoals
While on my Genealogical Expedition to Portsmouth I have arranged to meet with Julia Older who is the Author of a new book This Desired Place: The Isles of Shoals. […]
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Fab 40
My initial searches led me far astray down unpredictable paths. As I am only 7 days from my trip, I realized I needed to step back and set a scope […]
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See it for yourself
There is nothing like seeing it for yourself. For years, I’ve been cloudy about the first records at the Isles of Shoals. Yesterday, I went down to the Dallas Library […]
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Branching Out
So, we all know about Phillip, but not much about his children. We are embarking upon a research project to turn over every stone and learn as much as we […]
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Heading to the Isles of Shoals
In preparation for the reunion in summer of 2011, I’m making a trip to the Portsmouth, NH area to make final preparations for the reunion and embark on a new […]