The Mystery of Martha Bowlby

Here is a portrait of Martha Barker Bowlby.  She is the Wife of Thomas Bowlby.  He was the first Bowlby ancestor to come over to America.  He was born in 1665 in Mansfield, Woodhouse, Nottingham England.  At the age of 62 Thomas and three of his sons sailed to America, leaving his wife and other children in England.

The Bowlby Family website is very proud of Martha for letting her husband leave England and come to America.  But I always have wondered about this.  I'm not to sure that Martha and her husband were on good terms.  I think it is because of the papers that I have read concerning this event.  The New Jersey Historical society has papers about this time and to me it seems as if Thomas was on the "BAD LIST" of Martha's family.  The land that ended up being Thomas Bowlby's was not his to begin with.  It all was really Martha's fathers land.  It was supposed to go to his name sake Samuel Bowlby.  But Samuel died before his grandfather.  The land was then supposed to be willed to Mary Ladlam, Samuel Barkers (Martha's Father) niece.   Thomas was only to receive no more than 5 shillings from is father- in- law.  I would think that says something about the relationship. 
There are letters that Mary Ladlam writes to the estate managers in America.   In the letters written by Mary Ladlam to Samuel Barkers administrators we find that Mary did not have a high opinion of Thomas Bowlby.  She writes of dealing with many years of Bowlby's "Wicked practices" and that Thomas owed Samuel Barker money.  She also writes that Samuel Barker took care of Bowlby's wife and children for many years.  That Bowlby had a bad reputation where she lived and that she wasn't surprised that he was in the Burlington common gaol (jail), as he lay in Nottingham gaol a long time and was bankrupt and her uncle Baker ransomed him out of it and was never repaid. 
So in reading these letters it leads one to believe that Thomas Bowlby was escaping a bad life in England and taking advantage of the situation of his Father in- laws death and the inability of a woman at the time to do much business.  Because no one seemed to listen to Mary Ladlam.  Her husband had passed away and she did not have much power to stop Bowlby from taking what was to be hers because she was a woman.
Martha Bowlby never went to America.  I think she may have been glad to not have to deal with her husband, perhaps she even helped just to get him far away from her.  I do remember reading somewhere that she forbade her portrait to ever be brought to America.  Anyways it's an interesting story.  I would love to find out what the truth is.  I like the idea though of them having some secrete issue. 
Here are some websites you can look at to find out more about these people.
http://filioagnostic.blogspot.com/2010/05/samuel-barker-gent-of-barlborough-co.html
This is a blog site that I found today.  I have to go back and read it myself because it has information on the Bowlby Family and Martha's family that I don't have.  What a great find!

http://www.jerseyhistory.org/findingaid.php?aid=0410 This is the link to the New Jersey Historical Society and the papers that they have on the Bowlby Family.  They also have Samuel Barkers will.  I've always wanted to order copies but never have.  It is so interesting to read these old papers.

http://www.barlboroughrc.btck.co.uk/InterestingFacts
Here is another website I found today.  I find it interesting because it shows photo's of where Martha's parents lived.  And about the area they came from.  I have not read a lot of it yet, so another website I have to read when I get the chance. 
I hope that these will we inspire you to search out your own ancestors and the places they lived you may be surprised by what you find.  I know I've enjoyed reading about their past and wondering.

News of our family.  We are doing well.  Busy.  We have a possible buyer for our house but before we can move forward it seems we have to upgrade our electric supply to the house.  I'm not sure how much this is going to cost and it is causing me some stress.  We live on such a tight budget with paying mortgage, rent, health insurance.  it's a paycheck to paycheck situation and I'm trying hard to make all work out.  My new goal is to not buy groceries for the next three weeks.  I've stocked up on all that we eat over the past few months and now I'm going to go three weeks with only buying bread, milk, eggs and fresh fruits and veggies.  Wish me luck.  I'm also into month two of not using credit cards, and not drinking soda and buying from the vending machine at work.  Every penny I can save is going to help as we move forward.  I'll be so glad when this house sells and I can breath and not worry so much about money.  I just take it one day at a time and not complain.
Hope you enjoyed this post.
G.G.