Welcome back to our continuing Coates family history.  We are still looking at the children of Robert Coates.  Last tine we looked at Robert Coates III who moved his family from Lynn to Stonington Conn.  Today we turn our attention to John Coates, son of Robert who remained in Lynn.

John Coates married Alse/Eols. (Alice) Hanley.  They had the following children,all in Lynn Mass:

John Coates born 10/16/1691-Died Ashford Conn. 1754 Married twice; Mary Garns on 9/10/1759 and Eunice Newhall on 10/3/1762.  John was  a fisherman in Marblehead Mass.  on 1/31/1730 he sold land he had recieved from his father at his death to Jonathan Rhoads of Lynn.  Jonathan was the son of Abigail Coates and Samuel Rhoads and a cousin of John Coates.


Sarah Coates born 3/29/1693- Died in childhood.

Mary Coates born 3/22/1695  on 3/15/1722  Mary married John Brewer.  They had the following children, 
John Brewer born 8/4/1724 in Gloucester Mass.
Mary Brewer born 9/4/1726 died 12/2/1726
David Brewer born 12/15/1727
Mary Brewer born 12/15/1727
Elizabeth Brewer born 6/1/1731


Samuel Coates born 7/29/1699 Died in Lynn in 1776.  Samuel married Abigail Sargent on 12/24/1720.  After her death he married a second time to Ruth Hart on 4/20/1722.  Samuel and Ruth had the following children:
Samuel Coates born 12/25/1722
Sarah Coates  born 7/31/1726
Ruth Coates born, 9/15/1731
John Coates born 4/21/1738

 

Jane Coates born 5/27/1701 married Jonathan Tomson  of Marblehead Mass on 9/7/1721.  They had the following children:
Jonathan Tomson born 1723
John Tomson born 1/24/1724
Benjamin Tomson born 10/23/1726
William Tomson Baptised 11/24/1728
Samuel Tomson born 5/31/1730
George Tomson born 5/14/1732
Jean  Tomson born 4/1734
Martha Tomson born 3/28/1736
Cornelius Tomson born 6/8/1740


Martha Coates born 11/5/1703 married Daniel Graves on 1/21/1722.  Daniel was born 2/8/1700.  They had the following children:
Martha Graves born 1728
Tabitha Graves born 1730
Daniel Graves born 1731
Abigail Graves born 1732
Lydia Graves born 1732
Nathaniel Graves born 1735

Tabitha Coates born 7/19/1705 married Thomas Laskey in Marble head Mass on 1/27/1725.  They had the following children:
Thomas Laskey born 1/25/1727
Tabitha Laskey born 9/21/1729
Robert Laskey born 9/26/1731
Jean Laskeyborn 6/24/1733
Benjamin Laskey born 3/23/1734
William Laskey born 3/27/1737
Samuel Laskey born 11/5/1738
Samuel Laskey born 8/24/1740
Alice Laskey born 4/4/1742

Benjamin Coates born 3/29/1706 , Died 10/3/1765.  He married Jemima Hartman on 2/7/1734.  No further information is available at this time.


Abigail Coates born 1712.  At the age of 17, following her father's death, Abigail asked the court to make her brother John Coates her guardian on 2/10/1729.  No further information is available at this time. 

  If you have read the preceding history you will see that no family was untouched by the Native American uprising known as King Phillip's war.  So many lost family members , homes and, in several cases entire towns during the savage battles.  These were most frightening because the Native American's often attacked  at night while people were asleep in their beds.  We know that Samuel Rhoads, husband of Abigail  Coates daughter of Robert Coates fought as a member of the paid militia in King Phillip's war.  None of the Coates from either Thomas or Robert's families appear in the roster as being paid militia but one can assume the men did take part in defending their homes, their villages and their way of life.  
     Robert Coates Jr. moved his family to Stonington Connecticut around 1707.  His children remained in that area, married and continued the family there.  John Coates married and remained in Lynn Mass. where he also had a family.  

The Coates Family in Connecticut- Robert Coates Jr. and Mary Hodgkins Coates- died in Stonington Connecticut.  Their children are as follow:


Robert Coates III B 8/17/1683 - died in Stonington Conn. 1771.  He married Mary ? in 1706.  Mary outlived him.  They had the following children all born in Stonington Conn.
Bartholomew  Coates born 9/1/1707 Died 2/22/1743
Mary Coates born 4/8/1713  married Alexander Patterson.  No children, no additional information at this time.
Obediah Coates born 3/26/1715
Susannah Coates born 5/4/1717  married Nathan Hewitt
Daniel Coates born 10/30/1719
Martha Coates born 10/28/1721 married Joseph Safford or Preston on 1/11/1749.  Widowed in 1768- no children.
Victoria Coates born 10/17/1723 .  married Isreal Hillard on 4/5/1751
David Coates born 12/28/1726 died in Schenectady New York during the French and Indian War 1760.  Will probated 12/15/1728 brother Obediah administrator.
 Thankful Coates born 2/25/1728.  Never married.
Timothy Coates born 1730 died 9/2/1758 at Fort Edward Hospital in New York 



Mary Coates was born in Ipswich Mass.  She never married.  She died in Stonington Conn. around 1772.  She left a will dated 9/25/1764.  The will was proved  ( which means the will was read and authenticated as being her own.)7/10/1772 in New London Conn.  Her heirs were Hannah Coats and Bartholomew Coats children of her deceased brother Hezekiah Coats.


William Coates born 10/23/1689 -Died in Stonington 1/23/1776.   On 6/9/1714 he married Hannah Bill of Groton Con.  She died in 3/13/1769.  William and Hannah had the following children:
Experience Coates born 8/17/1718 died 12/30/1743
Mary Coates born 10/14/1719
William Coates Jr. born 11/31/1731 died 1785
Katherine Coates  Baptised 4/5/1724 died before 1770.  She married Joseph Palmer Jr.


Obediah Coates born 9/18/1691.  Obadiah is alive in 1698 but no records exist of him after that time.  It is probable that he died in childhood.


Hannah Coates born 2/12/1693-     .  Hannah married twice.  Her first marriage was to RH Westerly of Ipswich.  Her second marriage was    to Joseph Babcock on 1/1/1728.  They had teh following children all born in Stonington Conn.
Dorothy Babcock 2/2/1729
Abigail babcock 4/30/1731
John Babcock 10/15/1733
Joseph Babcock 10/15/1733


Joseph Coates 3/20/1695 died in Wallingford  Conn. 1772.  Joseph married twice, first in Stonington on 11/7/1723 to Hopesill Elliot.  She died and he remarried a second time at Lynn Mass. on 3/31/1728 to Margret Ramsdill.  Margaret was born 2/18/1707 and died in 1716. She was the daughter of Jonathan Ramdill and Anna Chadwell.  Joseph was a carpenter and lived in Lynn on the Boston road until 1752 when he moved to Wallingford Conn.  Joseph and Margaret had the following children, all born in Lynn Mass:
Phillip Coates born 1729 died after 1776
Mary Coates born 1731
Elizabeth Coates born 1733
Martha Coates born 1735
Hazel Elpany Coates born 1737
Moses Coates born 1739 died in Roseboom NY 1812
Amma Coates born 1745 married in Wallingford on 7/28/1768 to Nash Yale Jr.
John Coates born 1745 died in middlefield Mass. 1/19/1824


Caleb Coates 9/22/1698 Died stonington 10/9/1749.  Caleb married Mary Keys in Stington on 12/2/1719.  They had the following children all born in Stonington:
Christopher Coates born 9/13/1720 died near Galway NY
Dorothy Coates born 7/2/1722.  Married her cousin Obediah Coates on 8/4/1741
Amos Coates born 7/14/1724 died before 1768
Desire Coates born 11/6/1726 died 5/3/1737
Zebulon Coates born 12/30/1727 died 6/11/1749
Joseph Coates born 3/16/1730 died 4/16/1752/  Married mary?  no children.





Abigail Coates 4/30/1701 married Uriah Hosmore of Norwich Conn. 8/30/1750.  No children.

Grace Coates  4/30/1701- married Joshua Vose of Westerly Conn. 2/21/1754.  No children.



Hezekiah Coates 4/2/1705- died stonington 10/2/1751.  Married 9/22/1742 to Freelove Frink born 8/4/1719, daughter of Grace Frink.  They had the following children:
Hezekiah Coates born 3/7/1743 died 1/6/1750
Bartholomew Coates born 7/11/1744 died 1795
Experience Coates born 11/20/1746
Hannah Coates born 9/6/1748
Abigail Coates born 8/21/1750

  As you can see, Robert Coates III was very prolific.   He was the founding father of the Connecticut branch of the Coates family.  Next time we will look at his brother John Coates family that remained in Lynn, Essex Mass.  We will also look at our third early Coates family, Charles Coates of  westField Mass.  I apologize if this is becoming somewhat confusing.  I am attempting to set this up so as the analyze the three families side by side during roughly the same time periods.  I have not lost sight of Thomas Coates and his family and we will return to them in a short while.  Until next time, stay warm, stay safe and let history be your guide.

   Robert Coots was born in Marlborough England in 1627.   He emigrated to America and settled in Lynn Mass where he married his wife Jane  Sumner in 1657.  Jane , born in 1641, was the daughter of George and Mary Sumner. There has been some confusion regarding Jane's parentage but we can be confident that she is the daughter of George and Mary and the sister of Thomas Sumner of Rawley Mass. due to a court petition filed in Essex county court in Nov. 1691 
   "The humble petition of Robert Coates Senior of Lynn  and Jane, his wife, daughter of George Sumner, who died by Small Pox  some 40 years since, in Rowley Mass., for administration of the estate of Thomas Sumner, her brother, who married and died without issue, his wife is also dead, she having married twice, ( her second marriage to Thomas Ellithorp) said Jane is the only living heir, she being about 10 years old when her father died.  To the court to be held the first Tuesday of Nov. 1691"
    Robert Coots was the second inhabitant of Nahart Mass., living there as a fisherman and shepherd.  Nahart  was a part of Lynn, Essex Mass.  In 1657 the people of Lynn held a town meeting and appointed Robert Coats, Thomas Loughton. George Keyson and Joseph Armitage a committee to defend their right to Nahart for the benefit of all the people of Lynn.    
     Robert and Jane had the following  children, all born in Lynn Mass.:
Robert Coats Jr. born 1658 died in Stonington Conn. 5/2/1727 Married Mary Hodgkins
John Coats born 1661 died in Lynn 1729 Married Alse/Els (Alice) Hanley.
Abigail Coats born 4/10/1663 died 7/21/1743. Abigail married Samuel Rhoads 1/16/1681,. ( see previous post, in addition to the children mentioned in the previous post there is also a Benjamin Rhoads listed as being the child of Abygail and Samual, born 6/12/1704.  I did not find birth records to verify this child.  He may have been born in a town other than Lynn and recorded there.).


  Robert Coates Jr. was born in Lynn, Essex Mass.   He served as a soldier in 1674 on the Connecticut river under Captain Turner.    In 1678 Robert Coates Jr., his father Robert Coats Sr. and brother John Coates were among the inhabitants of Lynn who took the oath of allegence to the king.
       on December 29,1682 he married Mary Hodgkins of Lynn.  Mary  was born on 4/6/1661, the daughter of William Hodgkins and Grace Dutch of Ipswich.  In 1682 Robert Coates Jr. with his wife Mary  and infant son Robert Coates III, moved to Ipswich Mass.  It was the custom in those days that when moving to a new township someone from the town had to act as a sponsor and sign a declaration that the new residents would not become a burden to the township and the sponsor would be held responsible for their behavior for a period of years, until such time as they were deemed full members of the community.  William Hodgkins signed such a statements. which can still be located in the files at the county offices in Ipswich.  The declaration reads: "1684- Know all men by these precepts that I, William Hodgkins Sr. of Ipswich, do bind myself, heirs and executors and administrators in the sum of fifty pounds, current paid unto the selectmen of Ipswich or their successors that where as my son-in-law, Robert Coates, is lately come to dwell in Ipswich, that he nor his familie become to charges to the town during his or their residence in Ipswich as witness my hand this twentieth day of January 1684"
     Robert and Mary remained in Ipswich until about 1688.  While in Ipswich their daughter Mary was born on 8/29/1685.  At some time following Mary's birth Robert Jr. moved his family back to Lynn, where the rest of his children were born.  Robert Coates Jr. and Mary Hodgkins Coates had the following children:
Robert Coates III Born Lynn 8/17/1683 Died in Stonington  Conn.1771
Mary Coates Born Ipswich 8/29/1685 Died in stonington Conn. 1764.  She died unmarried. (more on her will below)
William Coates born Lynn 10/23/1689 Died in Stonington Conn. 1/23/1776
Obadiah Coates Born Lynn 9/18/1691
Hannah Coates Born Lynn 2/12/1693
Joseph  Coates Born Lynn 3/20/1695 died in Wallingford Conn. 1772
Caleb Coates born Lynn 9/22/1698 died in Stonington  Conn.10/9/1749
Abigail  Coates born Lynn 4/30/1701
Grace Coates (twin) born Lynn 4/30/1701
Hezekiah Coates Born Lynn 4/2/1705 Died Stonington Conn. 10/21/1751
     Around 1707 Robert Coates Jr. moved his family to Stonington Connecticut.  He worked as a weaver in Stonington. On 4/26/1707 , following the death of Robert Coates SR.  Robert Coates Jr sold land he had inherited from his father in Lynn to Jonathan Rhoads of Lynn.  I believe this was JOnathan Rhoads son of Samual Rhoads and Abygaill Coates, Robert Coates Jr. nephew.  The deed was not recorded until 12/31/1731.  


John Coates Born in Lynn 1661 Died in Lynn 1729.  His will was probated 4/17/1729.  He married Alse/Eols Hanley on 11/3/1690.  John also served in the military.  He was a member of the squadron of Mr. Loughton and Francis Burrill.  On 2/16/1677 he took the oath of allegience, sworn to by Captain Thomas Marshell of Lynn.  John and Mary remained in Lynn and had the following children:
John Coates Born in Lyn 10/16/1691-Died Ashford Conn. 1754
Sarah Coates Born Lynn 3/29/1693
Mary Coates Born Lynn 3/22/1695
Samuel Coates born Lynn 7/29/1699 Died in Lynn 1776
Jane Coates Born Lynn 5/27/1701
Martha Coates Born Lynn 11/5/1703
Tabitha Coates bron Lynn 4/19/1705
Benjamin Coates born Lynn 3/29/1706 died 4/25/1773
Abigail Coates born lynn 1712 

Abigail Coats born 4/10/1663 died 7/21/1743. Abigail married Samuel Rhoads 1/16/1681.  They had the following children:

  Welcome back.  We are looking at the family of Thomas Coats Jr.  Note how the spelling has changed from the original.  Thomas Sr and all of his children's birth records appear as Coots.    The second generation all appear with the spelling Coats.  The third generation will take on the current spelling of Coates.
Thomas Coats Jr. was a ship wright.  The following information comes from the 
Grayson family tree- ancestry . com


    Born ca.1661 in Lynn, Essex co., MA[14,18] and died in New Hampshire by 1709; he was 48[19]. Thomas was a Shipwright[20] and lived in Lynn, Essex co., MA until roughly 1695, when he moved to Newbury, Essex co., MA[20]. It is believed that he perhaps later moved to Portsmouth, Rockingham co., NH where he was fined in 170_ for selling without a license. He was also on the Tax Rolls there in 1707[20].


On 29 December 1685, when Thomas was 24, he married Martha GAY/GEE, in Lynn or Newbury, Essex co., MA


Most of the above information is available in the various records located in the county archives of the respective states.  Birth records from Essex county Mass. indicated Thomas and Martha had the following children:
John Coates 1/7/1690 in Lynn, Essex Mass.
Thomas Coates III 7/15/1688 in Lynn Essex Mass
Philip Coates 3/28/1699 in Newbury essex Mass
James Coates 3/28/ 1699 in Newbury essex Mass.
Ada Elizabeth Coates birth date not recorded.

  It is very likely there were other children that did not survive born between 1690 and 1699.  Ada Elizabeth is likely born between those years as well.  Little information appears regarding Ada.  Should more information come to light I will post it at that time.

John Coates married Anne Titcomb 12/8/1725 in Newbury.  The remained in Newbury and had the following children:
 Anne Coates 8/27/1743
David Coates 7/19/1734
David Coates 10/5/1736 (born at Falmouth Mas.)
Elisabeth Coates 12/1/1726
Jonathan Coates 10/5/1730
Martha Coates 9/7/1728
Mary Coates 8/10/1732
Mary Coates 4/23/1739


Thomas Coates III Married?  No information is readily available concerning Tomas III.  If More information comes to light I will post it at that time.
Phillip Coates 3/28/1699 born in Newbury Essex Mass.   I can find no records of Phillip at this time.  If information becomes availabel I will post it at that time.
James Coates 3/28/1699 born in Newbury married Martha Rhoads of Lynn 9/27/1724.      Martha is the granddaughter of Josiah Rhoads and Elizabeth Coates, daughter of Henry Rhoads and Elizabeth Paul.  Martha was born in Lynn in 1703.  She died in Windham  Connecticut.  They had the following children, all born in Killingly Windham Conn.
James Coates 3/21/1731
Eliphelet (son) Coates 7/25/1734-married Susannah ? 
Hannah Coates 4/25/1737
Mary Coates 7/31/1739
Benjamin Coates 1/17/1744- Married Esther ?
Hezekiah Coates 2/8/1747
Susannah Coates 8/30/1762


  I will leave you here for now.  Stay tuned.  There is much more to come.    In our next installment we will start to look at the Robert Coot's/Coats/ Coates family.  The two families lived side by side in Lynn and, as I said earlier, I believe Robert and Thomas were brothers, though they could have been cousins.  They did not come over together but their lives and the lives of their children crossed.  In order to keep the two families straight it is helpful to put them out there kind of side by side so as to keep them untangled.  Most of the information I have posted thus far on the Thomas Coates family has come from a review of the early vital statistics records.  I have not yet looked at military records, though there is information concerning the Coats  participation in King Philip's war and the French Indian War.    
   Until next time, may your journeys be pleasant and your adventures enjoyable.

Last time we looked at the Flud family, Thomas Coats in-laws. It appears that the only Fluds to survive past 1652 were Elizabeth Flud Coats and Obediah Flud who had moved to Boston Mass.to start his own family.  
   Thomas remained in Lynn and began selling off the Flud property.  Thomas and Elizabeth had the following children:
Jane B 1653 Married Joseph Rhodes (Roads)
Elizabeth B 1655 married Josiah Rhodes (Roads)-1730
James Coats B 1657
John Coats B 1659 (John was a very popular name and there were other John Coats in the area at that time.  Some record suggest John married multiple times but records do not support this claim.  more on this later)
Thomas Coats II B 1661 Married Martha Gay.

As you can see above Both Jane and Elizabeth married into the Rhoads family.  One of Robert Coates Daughters also married one of the Rhoads boys.  As this is a significant family in our search let's take a minute or 5 to give a quick over view of the Rhoads family.:
   Walter Rhodes was born in Hipperholme, West Yorkshire, England in 1577, He married Elizabeth Joanna Barstow born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England  1581.  Walter and Elizabeth had at least two sons; Zachariah (1603-1665)and Walter (1608-1675).Walter emigrated from England with hi family and settled in Providence Plantation in what would be known as Rhode Island.  Zachariah remained in Providence and started a family.  Henry moved to Lynn Massachusetts where he married Elizabeth White around 1639.  Walter worked at the Lynn Iron works and owned 100 acres.
   Henry was a Lieutenant in the Provincial Forces in Lynn in 1637. By 1640 he was an iron monger and in 1657 he was a representative to the general court.  He served in King Phillip's war and fought against the Indians in 1675.  Henry died in 1675, Henry and Elizabeth White Rhodes had 8 children:
Eleazer Rhodes B 9/12/1640 Lynn Ma. Died 5/15/1716 in Lynn Ma.  - No information available at this time regarding spouse
Samuel Rhodes B 2/2/1642 Lynn Ma. Did 1718 lynn Ma. Married Abigail Coates 
Joseph Rhodes B 11/1645 Lynn Ma. Died ? Lynn Ma. Married Jane Coates
Joshua Rhodes B 4/1648 Lynn Ma. Died 12/29/1725 in Lynn Ma. Married Ann ?
Josiah Rhodes born 4/1651 Lynn Ma.  Married Elizabeth Coates
Jonathan Rhodes Born 6/1654 Died 4/7/1677.He did not marry and had no children.
Elizabeth Rhodes Born 3/1656 Died? no information at this time regarding spouse
Henry Rhodes Born 1660 died 1703  Married Elizabeth? 
    The Rhodes family intertwines with both Thomas and Robert Coates families throughout the generations.  It has been suggested that this is the same Rhodes family that the state of Rhode Island is named for. 
    Joshua Roods/Rhoads Marrried Ann ? and had the following children, all born in Lynn Mass.
Thomas Rhoads 2/14/16-8/1/81710
Mary Rhoads 4/13/1693
Elizabeth Rhoads 11/30/1692-8/30/1711-never married
Hannah Rhoads 3/28/1679
Henery Rhoads 12/1682-1/8/1755
Jane Rhoads 2/25/1687
Joseph Rhoads 1/19/1680-9/1693

Josiah Rhoads Married Elizabeth Coates and they had the following children, all born in Lynn Mass.
Eleazer Rhoads 7/8/1683-8/1684
John Rhoads  5/27/1679
John Rhoads 3/22/1685
Jonathan Rhoads 9/18/1692
Josiah Rhoads 1/19/1680
Mary  Rhoads 10/21/1676-2/4/1677
Mary Rhoads 3/26/1687

(many families in those days named subsequent children after earlier children that had died, hence the repeated names with different birth dates)

Joseph Rhoads married Janne Coates and they had the following children, all born in Lynn Mass.
Mary Rhoads  11/23/1687
Samuell Rhoads 3/6/1685-7/9/1675
Susannah Rhoads 11/18/1684
Joseph Rhoads 4/14/1678-7/26/1678
John Rhoads 1/2/1681
Janne Rhoads 7/14/1679
Elizabeth Rhoads 8/22/1676

Eleazer Rhoads never married.  As there is no information about him and his siblings named children after him it is assumed he died in childhood or early adulthood.

Samuell Rhoads married Abygall Coats daughter of Robert Coats of Lynn.  They had the following children, all born in Lynn Mass.
  Sarah Rhoads 8/16/1696-7/1698
Sarah Rhoads 7/31/1690-10/8/1690
Samuell Rhoads 8/12/1685
Obediah Rhoads 5/13/1693
Abigail Rhoads 1/19/1686
Eleazer Rhoads 11/5/1688-8/4/1727
Jeane Rhoads 8/19/1699
Jonathan Rhoads 11/28/1683-2/3/1755
Joseph Rhoads 8/25/1701.
Eleazer Rhoads 1667-9/7/1676

Henry Rhoads Jr.Married Elizabeth?.  They had the following children, all born in Lynn Mass.
Eunes Rhoads 11/11/1710-10/9/1765
Ezekell Rhoads 8/31/1707
Hezekiah Rhoads 1/31/1698
Lidiah Rhodes 7/2/1696
Martha Rhoads 2/20/1702
Sarah Rhoads 1/2/1700
Tabitha Rhoads 3/7/1705
Thomas Rhoads 7/8/1709

    Thomas Coates had two daughters, Elizabeth and Janne. They both married into the Rhoads family.  The Coats sons married as follow:

James Coats 1657- No information is currently;y available regarding James Coots.  It is likely he died young and never married but no death record has been located. It is equally possible he moved to a neighboring town.  If more information becomes available I will add it at that time.

John Coots/Coats 1659 Married Naomi?  They had one son; John born 12/13/1687.  Naomi died as a result of this birth on 12/27/1687.  The child, John also died on 8/3/1688.  It is possible John remarried.  Some accounts state he remarried Mary Witherington but the Marriage of Mary W. and John Coots took place on 4/14/1681 while Naomi was still living.   Perhaps this marriage belongs to the Robert Coots/ Coats family.

Thomas Coates Jr. born 1661 Married Martha Gay on 12/29/1685.  They had the following children, all in Lynn Mass.
Thomas Coates III  7/15/1688
John Coates 1/7/1690
Philip Coates 1699
James Coates 1699 - Married Martha Rhoads 9/27/1724
Ada Elizabeth Coates
 


So it would appear that the Thomas Coots branch of the Coates family was left to Thomas Jr. to carry on the name.  Thomas did his best, spawning 4 sons.  Thomas was a shipwright.  In 1695 he reportedly moved his growing family to Newbury, Essex Mass.  Eventually Thomas moved to 
Portsmouth, Rockingham co., NH, where he died in 1709.  His wife Martha lived on until 1730.  Martha was the daughter o f John Gay 1617-1669 and Hazelponi Willix 1636-1714.
    Next time we will see if we can find out what happened to the Thomas Coates family.  Did they stay in New Hampshire or return to Massachusetts?  Until next time, where ever your loved ones may roam, may all their paths lead them home.

  Both Thomas and Robert Coats settled in Lynn Mass.  Thomas arrived directly at Lynn in 1646, Robert lived for a short time in Na hart Mass.  before moving and settling in Lynn in 1658.  The following is a brief history of Lynn Mass. in the 17th century:

17th century[edit]The area known as Lynn was first settled in 1629 by Edmund Ingalls (d. 1648), followed by John Tarbox of Lancashire in 1631, whose descendants still reside in New England.[1] The city was incorporated in 1631 as Saugus, the Nipmuck name for the area.[2] The name Lynn was given to the area after King's Lynn, Norfolk, England, in honor of Samuel Whiting.[3] A noteworthy colonist, Thomas Halsey left Lynn to settle the eastern end of Long Island and founded the town of Southampton New York. The Halsey House is the oldest frame house in the state of New York (1648), and along with the homestead it is open to the public and managed by the Southampton Colonial Society.

After Lynn's resettlement, many of its areas gradually separated into independent towns. Reading was created in 1644, Lynnfieldin 1782, Saugus in 1815, Swampscott in 1852, and Nahant in 1853. Lynn was incorporated as a city in 1850.

Colonial Lynn was a major part of the regional tannery and shoe-making industries that began in 1635. The boots worn byContinental Army soldiers during the Revolutionary War were made in Lynn. The shoe-making industry drove urban growth in Lynn into the early nineteenth century.[3] This historic theme is reflected in the city seal, which features a colonial boot.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn,_Massachusetts


    Thomas coatts, coats, coates arrived in Lynn about 1646.  He had been born in England and , although much of the early colonies were puritans, Thomas is described as having no specific religious affiliation.  In the early years Mass. was owned and governed by strict puritan laws which included the requirement to attend church regularly.    In 1652 Thomas Coatts married Elizabeth Flud/flood/floyd in Lynn.  Elizabeth was the daughter of  Joseph Flood born in Stepney,Middlesex, England.
      Joseph Flood was married to Jane West in Chreechurch, London England on Oct. 2,1621  They had 11 children, many of them born in England before they migrated to America.  Joseph was a baker while living in England.   Upon arriving in the colonies the Flood's first settled in Dorchester, Suffolk Co. Ma.  While living there they were registered members of the Dorchester church.  Their youngest child, Eleazer Flood was baptized there on March 3 , 1638.  Shortly after the child was baptized the Floods moved their family to Lynn.  
     Joseph (you will find him listed as Joseph Flud, Joseph Flood and also in some places as Joseph Floyd.    It is possible that in future generations the family took on Floyd as their last name)  and Jane west Flood had the following children: 
Elizabeth Flood Married Thomas Coatts
Obediah Flood 1631
Joseph Flood Died in England 7/13/1633
Abel flood ( no information available but did not appear on passenger list so assumed died in England before emigrating)
Elizabeth Flood died England 8/12/1624
Persis Flood Died England 1/5/1627
John Flood Died England 1/4/1627
John Flood Died England 2/2/1629
Caleb Flood Died England 9/9/1634
Joseph Flood 
Eleazer Flood Born in Mass. Baptized in Dorchester Mass 3/3/1638.
   Of their 11 children only 3 made the voyage to America and one was born on American soil.   With so much loss it is not difficult to understand how they might have seen the trip as a new beginning, a way to put the pain of loss behind them and start fresh.
   The Floods arrived in Boston aboard the Abigail in Oct. 1638.  The following is the passenger list from that voyage:
Plymouth, England to Boston 
October 8, 1635
The Abigail of London sailed from foreign ports, the last being Plymouth, England on June 4, 1635. She sailed with about 220 passengers aboard along with livestock. She arrived in Boston about October 8, 1635 with smallpox aboard.Richard Hackwell, master of AbigailColumns represent: given name, surname, age, occupation, country to which they belong, country which they intend to inhabit,
 1* Robert Meares 43 husbandman Boston 
 2 Mrs. Elizabeth Meares 30
 3 Samuel Meares 6
 4 John Meares 3 mo
 5 Thomas Buttolph 32 glover Boston
 6 Mrs. Anne Buttolph 24 
 7 Ralph Mason 35 carpenter Saint Olave's Southwark Boston
 8 Mrs. Anne Mason 35
 9 Richard Mason 5
 10 Samuel Mason 3 
 11 Susan Mason 1 
 12 John Winthrop 27
 13 Mrs. Elizabeth Winthrop 19
 14 Deane Winthrop II 
 15 Matthew Abdy II fisherman Boston 
 16 Edward Belcher 8 Boston
 17 Elizabeth Epps 13
 18 Mary Lyne 6
 19 George Burden 24 tanner Boston
 20 Edward Rainsforde 26 merchant Boston 
 21 Nathaniel Tilley 32 Little Minories, London Boston
 22 William Tilley 28 Little Minories, London Boston
 23* Ralph Root 50 Boston
 24 Mary Root 15
 25* Robert Sharpe 20 Braintree
 26 Ralph Shepherd 29 tailor Dedham 
 27 Mrs. Thanks Shepherd 23
 28 Sarah Shepherd 3
 29 John Houghton Eaton Bray, Co. Dedham Bedford
 30 Edward White 42 Cranbrook,Co. Dorch.,Kent 
 31 Mrs. Martha White 39
 32 Martha White 10 
 33 Mary White 8
34 Joseph Fludd 45 baker Dorchester 
 35 Mrs. Jane Fludd 35 
 36 Elizabeth Fludd 9
 37 Obadiah Fludd 4
 38 Joseph Fludd 6 mo 
 39* Edmond Munnings  40 Denge,Co. Essex Dorchester
 40 Mrs. Mary Munnings 30
41 Mary Munnings 9
 42 Anna Munnings 6
 43 Mahalaleel Munnings 3 
 44 Thomas Jones 40 Dorchester 
 45* Mrs. Ellen Jones 36 
 46* Isaac Jones 8 
 47* Hester Jones 6 
 48 Thomas Jones 3 
 49 Sarah Jones 3 mo 
 50 Henry Bullock 40 Saint Lawrence, Charlestown 
 51 Mrs. Susan Bullock 42 
 52 Henry Bullock 8 
 53 Mary Bullock 6 
 54 Thomas Bullock 2 
 55* Thomas Knower 33 clothier London Charlestown 
 56 Sarah Knower 7 
 57* Noel Knower 29 London Charlestown 
 58 Philip Drinker 39 potter Charlestown 
 59 Mrs. Elizabeth Drinker 32
 60 Edward Drinker 12
 61 John Drinker 8
 62 George Hepborne 43 glover Southwark Charlestown 
 63 Mrs. Anne Hepborne 46
 64 Rebecca Hepborne 10 
 65 Anna Hepborne 4 
 66 Joseph Borebank 24 servant 
 67 Joan Jordan 16 servant
 68 William Fuller 25 Ipswich 
 69 Joseph Fuller 15
 70 Robert Whitman 20 Little Minories, London Ipswich
 71 John West 11 Ipswich 
 72 John Emerson 20 Scituate
 73 Richard Carr 29 Salibury 
 74 Hugh Burt 35 Dorking,Co. Surrey Lynn 
 75 Mrs. Anne Burt 32 
 76* Hugh Burt 15
 77 Edward Burt 8
 78 William Bassett 9 son of Mrs. Burt by a previous marriage 
 79 Edward Iresone 32 ??Buckenham,Lynn Co. Norfolk 
 80* Mrs. Elizabeth Ireson 27 
 81 Henry Collins 29 starchmaker Stepney Lynn
 82 Mrs. Anne Collins 30 
 83 Henry Collins 5 
 84 John Collins 3
 85 Margery Collins 1
 86 Dennis Geere 30 Lynn Islesworth, Co.Mid-dlesex
 87 Mrs. Elizabeth Geere 22
 88 Elizabeth Geere 3 
 89 Sarah Geere 2 
 90 Elizabeth Tusolie 55
 91 Anne Pankhurst 16 relative of Geere (cousin?) 
 92 Constance Woods 12
 93 Thomas Brane 40 servant 
 94 Thomas Launder 22 servant 
 95* Edmund Freeman 34* gentleman Pulborough, Lynn Co.Sussex 
    96 Mrs. Elizabeth Freeman 
 97 Alice Freeman 
 98* Edward Freeman 15 
 99 Elizabeth Freeman 12 
 100 John Freeman 8
 101* William Almy 34 South Kilworth,Co.Lynn Leicester 
 102* Mrs. Audrey Almy 32 
 103* Agnes Almy 8 
 104* Christopher Almy 3 
 105 Christopher Foster 32 husbandman Ewell,Co. Lynn Surrey
 106 Mrs. Frances Foster 25
 107 Rebecca Foster 5
 108 Nathaniel Foster 2
 109 Joseph Foster 1
 110 Alice Stevens 22 sister of Mrs. Foster? 
 111 Thomas Stevens 12
 112 John Deacon 28 blacksmith Lynn 
 113 Mrs. Alice Deacon 30
 114 Hugh Alley 27 Stepney Lynn
 115 Joshua Griffith 25 Stepney Lynn
 116 Richard Woodman 9 Lynn
 117 Ralph Wallis 40 husbandman Malden 
 118 George Wallis 15
 119 John Allen 30 Haverhill, Suffolk Plymouth 
 120 Mrs. Anne Allen 30
 121* Ezra Covell 15
 122 Richard Adams 29 shoemaker Northampton, Salem Co. Northants
 123 Mrs. Susan Adams 26 
 124 Henry Sumner Northampton Woburn
 125 Elizabeth Sumner 18 
 126 John Harbert 23 shoemaker Northampton Salem county Northants
 127 Richard Graves 23 Salem
 128 John Cooke 17 Salem
 129 Robert Driver 43* tailor Salem 
 130 John Freeman 35 Sudbury
 131 Mrs. Mary Freeman 30*
 132 John Freeman 9
133 Cicely Freeman 4 
 134 Jasper Arnold 40 Shoreditch, London
 135 Mrs. Anne Arnold 39 
 136 William Potter 27 husbandman Watertown
 137 Mrs. Frances Potter 26
 138 Joseph Potter 6 mo
 139* John Rookman 45 
 140 Mrs. Elizabeth Rookman 31
 141* John Rookman 9 
 142 John Coke 27
 143 Edward Fountaine 28
 144 John Fox 35
 145 Richard Fox 15 
 146 Thomas Freeman 24
 147 Walter Gutsall 23*
 148* John Holliock 28
 149 Charles Jones 21 Little Minories, London
 150 John Jones 
 151 William King 28
 152 William Marshall 40 
 153 George Rum 25
 154 Joseph Stanley 34 
 155 Joseph Terry 32
156* George Drewry 19 East Grinstead, Sussex 
 157 James Dodd 16 
 158 Thomas Goad 15 
 159 Peter Kettell 10
 160 Edward Martin 19
 161* William Paine 15
 162* John Paine 14
 163* John Stroud 15
 164 Thomas Thompson 18
 165 William Yates 14
166 Agnes Alcock 18
167 Lydia Browne Little Minories, London
 168 Ruth Bushell 23
 169 Margaret Devotion 9
 170 Elizabeth Ellis 16
 171 Elizabeth Harding 12 Little Minories, London
 172 Susan Hathaway 34
 173 Elinor Hillman 33
 174 Mary Jones 30
 175 Rebecca Price 14
 176 Margaret Tucker 23
 177 Joan Wall 19
 178 Anne Williams www.immigrantships.net/v2/1600v2/abigail16351008.html
       Joseph initially prospered in America.  He acquired large tracts of land.  Records indicate Joseph aquired the following property;   "a reat lot on Roxbury bounds" purchased from William Hulbert, 8 acres on Sqantum Neck, 3 acres on "second marsh at Dorchester", 2 acres east towards Fox Point. 3 acres and 35 rods in "the Neck", and 3 acres 2 roods and ten rods in the cow pasture, also rights to undivided land commonly called New Grant.  In Lynn Joseph Flood also received "upland and meadow, 60 acres and 10".  All of this property would indicate that Joseph Flood was a well respected and important contributor to the colony.
    Joseph Flood and his family have been described as ardent Quakers, or members of the Society of Friends.  I disagree with this assertion, pointing to the above facts as evidence against such a  claim.  If Flood has been a Quaker prior to immigrating he would never have been allowed to own such vast amount of property in Massachusetts.    
   History of the colonies as it pertains to freeman, rights and property:
    
Initially, any male first entering into a colony, or just recently having become a member of one of the local churches, was formally not free. They were considered common. Such persons were never forced to work for another individual, per se, but their movements were carefully observed, and if they veered from the Puritanical ideal, they were asked to leave the colony. If they stayed or later returned to the colony, they were occasionally put to death.

There was an unstated probationary period that the prospective "freeman" needed to go through, and if he did pass this probationary period of time – usually one to two years – he was allowed his freedom.

A Freeman was said to be free of all debt, owing nothing to anyone except God Himself.  Initially, all persons seeking to be free needed to take the Oath of a Freeman, in which they vowed to defend the Commonwealth and not to conspire to overthrow the government. The first handwritten version of the "Freeman's Oath" was made in 1634; it was printed by Stephen Daye in 1639 in the form of a broadside or single sheet of paper intended for posting in public places.
    
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th-century Europe and was common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be elected to this privilege by the General Court. Being a freeman carried with it the right to vote, and by 1632 only freemen could vote in Plymouth.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_(Colonial)
     While there is no official documentation showing Joseph Flood had registered as a freeman his membership in the church at Dorchester and his large tracts of land strongly indicate this was the case.    While Flood may have come to support the Society of Friends movement in the Colonies it is doubtful that one can call him an ardent supporter or claim he suffered "great persecution" for his faith.
   The following is a brief history of the Society of Friends movement in the colonies.  It is worth noting that our puritan founders, so set on leaving their own persecution behind and forming a society in which they could freely practice their beliefs were very quick to judge and persecute those who did not subscribe to their understanding of religious doctrine.
     Beginnings in England[edit]

During and after the English Civil War (1642–1651) many dissenting Christian groups emerged, including the Seekers and others. A young man named George Fox was dissatisfied by the teachings of the Church of England and non-conformists. He had a revelation that there is one, even, Christ Jesus, who can speak to thy condition,[14] and became convinced that it was possible to have a direct experience of Christ without the aid of an ordained clergy. He had a vision on Pendle Hill in Lancashire, England, in which he believed that "the Lord let me see in what places he had a great people to be gathered".[14] Following this he travelled around England, the Netherlands,[15] and Barbados[16]preaching and teaching them with the aim of converting them to his faith. The central theme of his Gospel message was that Christ has come to teach his people himself.[14] His followers considered themselves to be the restoration of the true Christian church, after centuries of apostasy in the churches in England.

In 1650, Fox was brought before the magistrates Gervase Bennet and Nathaniel Barton, on a charge of religious blasphemy. According to George Fox's autobiography, Bennet"was the first person that called us Quakers, because I bade them tremble at the word of the Lord".[14] It is thought that George Fox was referring to Isaiah 66:2[17] or Ezra 9:4[18]. Thus, the name Quaker began as a way of ridiculing George Fox's admonition, but became widely accepted and is used by some Quakers.[19] Quakers also described themselves using terms such as true Christianity, Saints, Children of the Light, and Friends of the Truth, reflecting terms used in the New Testament by members of the early Christian church.

Quakerism gained a considerable following in England and Wales, and the numbers increased to a peak of 60,000 in England and Wales by 1680[20] (1.15% of the population of England and Wales).[20] However the dominant discourse of Protestantism[21] viewed the Quakers as a blasphemous challenge to social and political order,[21] leading to official persecution in England and Wales under the Quaker Act 1662 and theConventicle Act 1664. This was relaxed after the Declaration of Indulgence (1687–1688) and stopped under the Act of Toleration 1689.

One modern view of Quakerism at this time was that the relationship with Christ was encouraged through spiritualization of human relations, and "the redefinition of the Quakers as a holy tribe, 'the family and household of God'".[22] Together with Margaret Fell, the wife of Thomas Fell, who was the vice-chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and a pre-eminent judge, Fox developed new conceptions of family and community that emphasized "holy conversation": speech and behavior that reflected piety, faith, and love.[23] With the restructuring of the family and household came new roles for women; Fox and Fell viewed the Quaker mother as essential to developing "holy conversation" in her children and husband.[22] Quaker women were also responsible for the spirituality of the larger community, coming together in "meetings" that regulated marriage and domestic behavior.[24]

Emigration to North America[edit]

William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, as a young man

The persecution of Quakers in North America began as early as 1662, when Richard Waldron of Dover, New Hampshire tortured three Quaker women.[25]
In search of economic opportunities and a more tolerant environment in which to build communities of "holy conversation," some Friends emigrated to what is now the Northeastern region of the United States in the early 1680s.[26]

While in some areas like New England they continued to experience persecution, they were able to establish thriving communities in the Delaware Valley. The only two colonies that tolerated Quakers in this time period were Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, where Quakers established themselves politically. In Rhode Island, 36 governors in the first 100 years were Quakers. Pennsylvania was established by affluent Quaker William Penn in 1682, and as an American state run under Quaker principles. William Penn signed a peace treaty with Tammany, leader of the Delaware tribe,[27] and other treaties between Quakers and native Americans followed.

Quietism[edit]

Early Quakerism tolerated boisterous behavior that challenged conventional etiquette, but by 1700, while they continued to encourage spontaneity of expression, they no longer supported disruptive and unruly behavior.[28] During the 18th century, Quakers entered the Quietist period in the history of their church, and they became more inward looking spiritually and less active in converting others. Marrying outside the Society was outlawed. Numbers dwindled, dropping to 19,800 in England and Wales by 1800 (0.21% of population),[20] and 13,859 by 1860 (0.07% of population).[20] The formal name "Religious Society of Friends", dates from this period, and was probably derived from the appellations "Friends of the Light" and "Friends of the Truth".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quakers

The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers, is a Protestant Christian tradition originating in mid-17th century England. Founded (traditionally) by George Fox, it adhered to religious teaching and practice that focused on living in accordance with the "Inward Light" (the inward apprehension of God, who is within everyone). Fox claimed that true believers could engage the risen Lord directly through the Holy Spirit without ministers, priests, or the sacraments. All are capable of experiencing the promise of Christ, enabling all to live in Christ's love. This belief influenced the position of the equality of women, a unique characteristic within Christianity in its time. Quaker meetings are often filled with silence because they are committed to waiting for God's presence in faith and patience. This religious movement was not received well in England and they in turn were persecuted for not going to services of the Church of England, refusing to tithe, and for going to Quaker services. While being persecuted in England, many Quakers were converting many people in America, especially in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In fact, Pennsylvania was set up as a Quaker colony in which the state was supposed to be governed by Friends' principles, including religious toleration and pacifism. Historically, the Society of Friends has endorsed strong moral codes including the refusal to participate in war, the refusal to own slaves, and the elimination of many worldly structures. Socially, they were committed to various causes including women's suffrage, the abolition of slavery, and prison reform. Today there are many branches of Quakerism, some that hold more traditional Christian doctrines and others that are more liberal in their interpretations of these beliefs.

Read more: http://www.patheos.com/Library/Society-of-Friends-(Quaker).html#ixzz3NsBSauY9
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Society-of-Friends-(Quaker).html

Boston law against Quakers[edit]

At the end of 1658 the Massachusetts legislature, by a bare majority, enacted a law that every member of the sect of Quakers who was not an inhabitant of the colony but was found within its jurisdiction should be apprehended without warrant by any constable and imprisoned, and on conviction as a Quaker, should be banished upon pain of death, and that every inhabitant of the colony convicted of being a Quaker should be imprisoned for a month, and if obstinate in opinion should be banished on pain of death. Some Friends were arrested and expelled under this law.[9]

AN ACT MADE AT A GENERAL COURT, HELD AT BOSTON, THE 20TH OF OCTOBER, 1658.

Sewell, William. The History of the Rise, Increase, and Progress, of the Christian People Called Quakers. Intermixed with Several Remarkable Occurrences. Written Originally in Low Dutch, and also Translated by Himself into English. A New Edition, to which is Appended, An Interesting Narrative of the Sufferings of William Moore, John Philly, and Richard Seller. In Two Volumes. Philadelphia: Uriah Hunt, 1832, Vol. I, pages 222-223. 

This document is on The Quaker Writings Home Page.
[P222] Whereas there is a pernicious sect, (commonly called Quakers.) lately risen, who by word and writing have published and maintained many dangerous and horrid tenets, and do take upon them to change and alter the received laudable customs of our nation, in giving civil respect to equals, or reverence to superiors, whose actions tend to undermine the civil government, and also to destroy the order of the churches, by denying all established forms of worship, and by withdrawing from orderly church-fellowship, allowed and approved by all orthodox professors of the Truth, and instead thereof, and in opposition thereunto, frequently meeting themselves, insinuating themselves into the minds of the simple, or such as are least affected to the order and government of church and commonwealth, hereby divers of our inhabitants have been infected, notwithstanding all former laws, made upon tile experience of their arrogant and bold obtrusions, to disseminate their principles among us, prohibiting their coming in this jurisdiction, they have [P223] not been deterred from their impetuous attempts to undermine our peace, and hazard our ruin. 
For prevention thereof, this court doth order and enact, that every person, or persons, of the cursed sect of the Quakers, who is not all inhabitant of, but is found within this jurisdiction, shall be apprehended without warrant, where no magistrate is at hand, by any constable, commissioner, or select man, and conveyed from constable to constable, to the next magistrate, who shall commit the said person to close prison, there to remain, without bail, unto the next court of assistants, where ~bey shall have a legal trial: and being convicted to be of the sect of the Quakers, shall be sentenced to be banished upon pain of death: and that every inhabitant of this jurisdiction, being convicted to be of the aforesaid sect, either by taking up, publishing, or defending the horrid opinions of the Quakers, or the stirring up mutiny, sedition, or rebellion against the government, or by taking up their absurd and destructive practices, viz. Denying civil respect to equals and superiors, and withdrawing from our church assemblies, and instead thereof frequent meetings of their own, in opposition to our church order; or by adhering to, or approving of any known Quaker, and the tenets and practices of the Quakers, that are opposite to the orthodox received opinions of the godly, and endeavouring to disaffect others to civil government, and church orders, or condemning the practice and proceedings of this court against the Quakers, manifesting thereby their complying with those, whose design is to overthrow the order established in church and state, every such person, upon conviction before the said court of assistants, in manner as aforesaid, shall be committed to close prison for one month, and then, unless they choose voluntarily to depart this jurisdiction, shall give bond for their good behaviour, and appear at the next court, where continuing obstinate, and refusing to retract and reform the aforesaid opinions, they shall be sentenced to banishment upon pain of death; and any one magistrate, upon information given him of any such person, shall cause him to be apprehended, and shall commit any such person to prison, according to his discretion,  until he come to trial, as aforesaid. http://www.qhpress.org/quakerpages/qwhp/masslaw.htm



     We see then that the Quaker movement started in England around 1648 and migrated to the colonies with dire consequences to Massachusetts citizens who listened to the preaching of Quaker missionaries.  There is no argument that the puritan church held sway over the Massachusetts colonies in all matters, including attending church, who and when you would marry, who could vote or hold property,etc.  On July 3 1646         Joseph Flood was arrested and jailed for" lying to the church".   He was sent to stand trial at the Quarterly court session in Salem He received a fine and admonishment  for this on August 4, 1646.  His crime is stated as withdrawing from the ordinance of infant baptism.
   Floods daughter; Elizabeth Coats, also stood trial that day, immediately  following her father on the docket.
Elizabeth was admonished for "saying publicly and disturbing those who sat near, when Mr. Cobbet was preaching on infant baptism on a Sabath, that Christ was circumcised on the eighth day and that then he was not baptized"
     It is very likely that Flood had been exposed to  the Baptist movement while he was in England.  The Baptists doctrine precludes infant baptism, favoring adult baptism because they believe Baptism is an important part of embracing Christ and Christian doctrines and must be entered into with full understanding, intent and commitment.  Baptism is a covenant or a legal promise between man and God and as such a child would be able to enter into such a covenant as they lack understanding and commitment.  Rather, modern Baptists hold a dedication ceremony with their children, through which the parent dedicates the child to God and promises to raise the child in such a way as to follow and embrace the doctrines of Christ and the church.  The congregation also pledges to aid in the raising of the child in order to set examples and guide the child to Christ. as an open choice.  That he had his own children baptized, as evidenced by documents showing Eleazer was baptized in Dorchester in 1638, indicates this thinking was relatively new for Flood.
      It is not clear whether Flood was simply fined by the  court, expelled from Massachusetts or executed.   Daughter Elizabeth was admonished but  this did not appear to impact husband Thomas Coats.   In  December of 1658 Thomas Coats sold land previously belonging to Joseph Flood, in Lynn Mass to Robert Rand.  It has been suggested that Joseph, Jane and son Joseph Jr. had all died by this time, leaving Obediah Flood and Thomas Coats as Elizabeth's husband, to split the inheritance.  No will has been located to verify this information.

   When you search old records in pursuit of genealogical data the first thing you discover is last names had no uniform spelling.  you can look at documents from any one person and find that, depending on who was filling out the document the last name can be spelled many different ways and still pertain to the same person.  People who could write in those early colonial days spelled phonetically.  The Coates families can be found under Coates, Coats, Coatts, Coots,and Cote.  This can make it a bit difficult to connect people but that is part of the fun.  The information I will be putting here comes from records, documents and family histories found on the internet.  There may be inaccuracies and there will definitely be omissions.  In order to complete a good, well researched history you really need to visit the locations, look in the cemeteries, review original documents, etc.  As I do not have the time and money to do that, and I am not paid for this site, I will do the best I can with the resources I have readily available.
     The famous landing of the Mayflower in Plymouth Mass.  that kicked off the colonial period happened in November 1620.  There were no Coats listed on the passenger list of the Mayflower.  The following is a complete list of Mayflower passengers, complements of wikipedia:
                                               Passengers of the Leiden, Holland Congregation[edit]
Provincetown memorial to Pilgrims who died in Cape Cod Harbor.

• Allerton, Isaac (possibly Suffolk).[3]
  • Mary (Norris) Allerton*, wife (Newbury, Berkshire)[4]
  • Bartholomew Allerton, 7, son (Leiden, Holland).
  • Remember Allerton, 5, daughter (Leiden).
  • Mary Allerton, 3, daughter (Leiden). In 1699 she was the last of the Mayflower company to die.[5]
• Bradford, William (Austerfield, Yorkshire).
  • Dorothy (May) Bradford*, wife (Wisbech, Cambridgeshire).
• Brewster, William (possibly Nottingham).[6]
  • Mary Brewster, wife.
  • Love/Truelove Brewster, 9, son (Leiden).
  • Wrestling Brewster, 6, son (Leiden).
• Carver, John (possibly Yorkshire).[7]
  • Katherine (Leggett) (White) Carver, wife (probably Sturton-le-Steeple, Nottinghamshire).
• Chilton, James* (Canterbury, Kent).[8][9]
  • Susana Furner, wife (born 1564).
  • Mary Chilton, 13, daughter (Sandwich, Kent).
• Cooke, Francis.
  • John Cooke, 13, son (Leiden).
• Cooper, Humility, 1, (probably Leiden) baby daughter of Robert Cooper, in company of her aunt Ann Cooper Tilley, wife of Edward Tilley[10]
• Crackstone/Crackston, John* (possibly Colchester, Essex).[11]
  • John Crackstone, son.
• Fletcher, Moses* (Sandwich, Kent).[12]
• Fuller, Edward* (Redenhall, Norfolk).[9]
  • Mrs. (Edward) ____Fuller*, wife.[13][14]
  • Fuller, Samuel, 12, son.
• Fuller, Samuel (Redenhall, Norfolk), (brother to Edward).
• Goodman, John* (possibly Northampton).[15]
• Priest, Degory*
• Rogers, Thomas* (Watford, Northamptonshire).
  • Joseph Rogers, 17, son (Watford, Northamptonshire).
• Samson, Henry, 16, (Henlow, Bedfordshire) child in company of his uncle and aunt Edward and Ann Tilley.[10]
• Tilley, Edward* (Henlow, Bedfordshire)
  • Ann (Cooper) Tilley* (Henlow, Bedfordshire) wife of Edward and aunt of Humilty Cooper and Henry Samson.
• Tilley, John* (Henlow, Bedfordshire).
  • Joan (Hurst) (Rogers) Tilley*, wife (Henlow, Bedfordshire).
  • Elizabeth Tilley, 13, daughter (Henlow, Bedfordshire).
• Tinker, Thomas* (possibly Norfork).[16]
  • Mrs. Thomas Tinker*, wife.
  • boy Tinker*, son, died in the winter of 1620.
• Turner, John* (possibly Norfork).[17]
  • boy Turner*, son, died in the winter of 1620.
  • boy Turner*, younger son. died in the winter of 1620.
• Williams, Thomas[18]

• Winslow, Edward (Droitwich, Worcestershire).
  • Elizabeth (Barker) Winslow, wife.

Servants of the Leiden Congregation[edit]

• Butten, William*, (possibly Nottingham) age: "a youth", indentured servant of Samuel Fuller, died during the voyage. He was the first passenger to die - on November 16, three days before Cape Cod was sighted. His burial place is unknown - he might have been buried at sea or after reaching Cape Cod, buried ashore there in an unmarked grave, as would soon after be the fate of Ellen More and her brother Jasper. Graves were unmarked to prevent Indians from knowing of their company's deaths and from disturbing the bodies.[19]
• --?--, Dorothy, teenager, maidservant of John Carver.
• Hooke, John*, (probably Norwich, Norfolk) age 13, apprenticed to Isaac Allerton, died during the first winter.
• Howland, John, (Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire), about 21, manservant and executive assistant for Governor John Carver.[20]
• Latham, William, (possibly Lancashire), age 11, servant/apprentice to the John Carver family.[21]
• Minter, Desire, (Norwich, Norfolk), a servant of John Carver whose parents died in Leiden.[22][23]

Mayflower plaque in St. James Church in Shipton, Shropshire commemorating the More children baptism. Courtesy of Phil Revell

• More, Ellen (Elinor)*, Shipton, Shropshire),[24] age 8, assigned as a servant of Edward Winslow. She died from illness sometime in November 1620 soon after the arrival of Mayflower in Cape Cod harbor and likely was buried ashore there in an unmarked grave.[25]
• More, Jasper*, (Shipton, Shropshire),[24] age 7, indentured to John Carver. He died from illness on board Mayflower on December 6, 1620 and likely was buried ashore on Cape Cod in an unmarked grave.[25]
• More, Richard, (Shipton, Shropshire),[24] age 6, indentured to William Brewster. Richard More is buried in what was known as the Charter Street Burial Ground but is now the Burying Point/Charter Street Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts. He is the only Mayflower passenger to have his gravestone still where it was originally placed sometime in the mid-1690s. Also buried nearby in the same cemetery were his two wives, Christian Hunter More and Jane (Crumpton) More.[25][26]
• More, Mary*, (Shipton, Shropshire),[24] age 6, assigned as a servant of William Brewster. She died sometime in the winter of 1620/1621. Her burial place is unknown, but may been on Cole's Hill in Plymouth in an unmarked grave as with so many others buried there that winter. As with her sister Ellen, she is recognized on the Pilgrim Memorial Tomb in Plymouth, misidentified after her sister's name as "and a brother (children)" - the statement of calling her "a brother" mistakenly coming from William Bradford's failing memory years after the event of her death.[25]
• Soule, George, (possibly Bedforshire),[27] 21-25, servant or employee of Edward Winslow.
• Story, Elias*, age under 21, in the care of Edward Winslow.
• Wilder, Roger*, age under 21, servant in the John Carver family.

In all, there were 102 passengers on the Mayflower - 74 males and 28 females.

Passengers recruited by Thomas Weston, of London Merchant Adventurers[edit]

• Billington, John (possibly Lancashire).[28]
  • Eleanor Billington, wife.
  • John Billington, 16, son.
  • Francis Billington, 14, son.
• Britteridge, Richard* (possibly Sussex).[29]
• Browne, Peter (Dorking, Surrey).
• Clarke, Richard*
• Eaton, Francis (Bristol, Gloucestershire/Somerset).[30]
  • Sarah Eaton*, wife.
  • Samuel Eaton, 1, son.
• Gardiner, Richard (Harwich, Essex).
• Hopkins, Stephen (Upper Clatford, Hampshire).
  • Elizabeth (Fisher) Hopkins, wife.
  • Giles Hopkins, 12, son by first marriage (Hursley, Hampshire).
  • Guild, John, (Essex).
  • Constance Hopkins, 14, daughter by first marriage (Hursley, Hampshire).
  • Damaris Hopkins, 1-2, daughter.
  • Oceanus Hopkins, born on board the Mayflower while en route to the New World.
• Margesson, Edmund* (possibly Norfolk).[31]
• Martin, Christopher* (Billericay, Essex).
  • Mary (Prower) Martin*, wife.
• Mullins, William* (Dorking, Surrey).
  • Alice Mullins*, wife.
  • Priscilla Mullins, 18, daughter.
  • Joseph Mullins*, 14, son.
• Prower, Solomon* (Billericay, Essex).
• Rigsdale, John* (possibly Lincolnshire).[32]
  • Alice Rigsdale*, wife.
• Standish, Myles (probably Lancashire).
  • Rose Standish, wife.
• Warren, Richard (Hertford, England).
• Winslow, Gilbert (Droitwich, Worcestershire), brother to Pilgrim Edward Winslow but not known to have lived in Leiden.
• White, William*[33]
  • Susanna White, wife, widowed February 21, 1621. She subsequently married Pilgrim Edward Winslow.[33][34]
  • Resolved White, 5, son, wife was Judith Vassal.[33]
  • Peregrine White', son. Born on board the Mayflower in Cape Cod Harbor in late November 1620. First European born to the Pilgrims in America.[33]

Servants of Merchant Adventurers passengers[edit]

• Carter, Robert*, (possibly Surrey),[35] Teenager, servant or apprentice to William Mullins, shoemaker.
• Doty, Edward, (possibly Lincolnshire) age probably about 21, servant to Stephen Hopkins.
• Holbeck, William*, age likely under 21, servant to William White.
• Langmore, John*, age under 21, servant to the Christopher Martin.
• Leister, Edward also spelled Leitster. (possibly vicinity of London), aged over 21, servant to Stephen Hopkins.[36]
• Thompson/Thomson, Edward*, age under 21, in the care of the William White family, first passenger to die after the Mayflower reached Cape Cod.

Mayflower officers and crew[edit]According to author Charles Edward Banks, the Mayflower had fourteen officers consisting of the captain, four mates, four quartermasters, surgeon, carpenter, cooper, cook, boatswain, gunner and about thirty-six men before the mast, making a total of fifty. Other authors in more recent times estimate a crew of about thirty. The entire crew stayed with the Mayflower in Plymouth through the winter of 1620-1621. During that time, about half of the crew died. The crewmen that survived returned on the Mayflower which sailed for London on April 5, 1621.[37][38][39][40][41]

Ship crewmen hired to stay one year[edit]

• John Alden - He was a 21 year-old from Harwich, Essex as was Capt. Jones. He was both a crewman and ships cooper with the very important task of maintaining the ships barrels. In these were stored the only source of Mayflower food and drink while at sea, and tending them required a crew members attention. He was given the choice of remaining in the colony or returning to England. He decided to remain.[42][43]

• John Allerton* - A Mayflower seaman hired as colony labor for one year. He was then to return to Leiden to assist church members with travel to America. He died sometime before the Mayflower departed for England on April 5, 1621.[44]

• ____ Ely - A Mayflower seaman contracted to stay for one year. He returned to England on the Fortune in December 1621 along with William Trevor. Dr. Jeremy Bangs believes his name was either John or Christopher Ely, or Ellis, who are documented in Leiden records.[45][46]

• Thomas English* - A Mayflower seaman hired to be master of the ship’s shallop. He died sometime before the departure of the Mayflower for England on April 5, 1621.[47][48]

• William Trevore - A Mayflower seaman with prior New World experience hired to work in the colony for one year. He returned to England on the Fortune in December 1621 along with Ely and others. By 1650 he had returned to New England.[49][50][51]

Note: Asterisk on any name indicates those who died in the winter of 1620/1621.

Animals On Board[edit]At least two dogs are known to have participated in the settling of Plymouth. In Mourt's Relation Edward Winslow writes that a female mastiff and a small springer spaniel came ashore on the first explorations of what is now Provincetown.[52] The ship was believed to have small domestic animals such as goats and pigs on board as well as chickens. Larger domestic animals such as cows and sheep came later.' [53]  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mayflower_passengers

   It is interesting to realize the Pilgrims, as I am sure you learned in school, were a separatist religious group  who came to America to establish the free practice of their religion.    Sadly, they did not practice what they preached.  For the Pilgrims, religion was the principle law and it was their way or the highway, the highway often meaning the gallows.  The following is a little more history on the Plymouth plantation before we move on.  I think it is helpful to try and understand the historic background as much as possible to give you a sense fo the setting that your ancestors moved into.

Migration to Plymouth Colony 1620-1633
A collaboration between Plimoth Plantation™ and the
New England Historic Genealogical Society®
supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services
www.PlymouthAncestors.org
Introduction
Plymouth Colony was begun in December 1620 by a small
company of English men, women and children. One hundred
and two passengers arrived at Cape Cod aboard the Mayflower
in November, and eventually chose the abandoned Native
town of Patuxet as the site of their new home. In the next few
months, half of them died due to scurvy and other diseases.
Those who lived went on to build homes, plant crops and
raise families. Other English settlers followed, and the colony
expanded As the English population increased, the colonists
pushed out to land in the east, north and west, establishing
additional towns. This brought them into increased contact,
and eventually conflict, with the Native Peoples living there.
Plymouth Beginnings
The core group of Mayflower passengers were members of a
reformed Christian church, referred to at the time as Separatists
or Brownists, who were living in Leiden, Holland. They had
originally emigrated from England to Holland in order to
worship as they believed right. In separating from the Church
of England, they had committed treason, and so faced prison
or worse if they stayed and were caught. Many of those who
went to Holland were from the Scrooby, Nottinghamshire
area of England. The Leiden records reveal, however, that there
were English men and women from a number of English
counties, including Essex, Kent and Somerset.
In 1620, the group emigrating from Leiden was joined by
about fifty others recruited by the colony’s investors. It is
probable that many of them were then living in the London
area. They may, however, have come from other parts of
England originally. In the next few years, three other ships
arrived bringing additional settlers for Plymouth Colony –
the Fortune in 1621, and the Anne and Little James in 1623.
Most of the colonists for whom a place of origin has been
identified, came from the east and south of England. There
were a few, however, that came from places as far north as
Berwick-upon-Tweed close to the Scottish border, and as far
west as Bristol on the River Severn.
Plymouth 1624-1633
After 1623, there were few other large groups of passengers for
Plymouth. In the next five years, only a handful of colonists
arrived, generally aboard ships bringing supplies to the area.
In 1629 and 1630, numerous ships came to the Massachusetts
Bay bringing approximately 1000 settlers for that colony. In
these two years, Plymouth also got an additional influx, ten
or so aboard the Mayflower (not the 1620 ship) and 35 aboard
the Talbot in 1629, and about 60 in the Handmaid in 1630.
Many of them were Leiden Separatists. Some people moved
from Massachusetts Bay Colony to Plymouth and vice versa,
seeking a more congenial home. Small numbers of additional
Plymouth colonists trickled in during the next three years.
Plymouth Colony, 1633
By 1633, the population of Plymouth Colony was approximately
400 individuals. The colonists expanded beyond the bounds
of the town of Plymouth. A few moved across Plymouth Bay
to Mattakesett, which became Duxbury. Some men were
granted land at Conahasset, known as Green’s Harbor (and
later Marshfield), in 1632. While these early expansions were
peaceful, in later years the increased contact between the
Native Wampanoag and the English colonists led to friction,
ultimately resulting in King Philip’s War (1675-1676). http://www.plimoth.org/media/pdf/historical_migration.pdf

  The following is a little more history concerning the Massachusetts Bay Colony and early governance in the colonies.

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America (Massachusetts Bay) in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions of the U.S. states of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Territory claimed but never administered by the colonial government extended as far west as the Pacific Ocean.

The colony was founded by the owners of the Massachusetts Bay Company, which included investors in the failed Dorchester Company, which had in 1623 established a short-lived settlement on Cape Ann. The second attempt, the Massachusetts Bay Colony begun in 1628, was successful, with about 20,000 people migrating to New England in the 1630s. The population was strongly Puritan, and its governance was dominated by a small group of leaders who were strongly influenced by Puritan religious leaders. Although its governors were elected, the electorate were limited to freemen, who had been examined for their religious views and formally admitted to their church and also to their houses with self-control. As a consequence, the colonial leadership exhibited intolerance to other religious views, including Anglican, Quaker, and Baptist theologies.

Although the colonists initially had decent relationships with the local native populations, frictions arose over cultural differences, which were further exacerbated by Dutch colonial expansion. These led first to the Pequot War (1636–1638), and then to King Philip's War (1675–1678), after which most of the natives in southern New England had been pacified, killed, or driven away.

The colony was economically successful, engaging in trade with England and the West Indies. A shortage of hard currency in the colony prompted it to establish a mint in 1652. Political differences with England after the English Restoration led to the revocation of the colonial charter in 1684. King James II established the Dominion of New England in 1686 to bring all of the New England colonies under firmer crown control. The dominion collapsed after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 deposed James, and the colony reverted to rule under the revoked charter until 1692, when Sir William Phips arrived bearing the charter of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, which combined the Massachusetts Bay territories with those of the Plymouth Colony and proprietary holdings on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The political and economic dominance of New England by the modern state ofMassachusetts was made possible in part by the early dominance in these spheres by the Massachusetts Bay colonists.
Early settlements[edit]
Map depicting tribal distribution in southern New England, circa 1600; the political boundaries shown are modern
Prior to the arrival of Europeans on the eastern shore of New England, the area around Massachusetts Bay was the territory of several Algonquian-speaking tribes, including the Massachusett, Nauset, and Wampanoag. The Pennacooks occupied theMerrimack River valley to the north, and the Nipmuc, Pocumtuc, and Mahican, occupied the western lands of present-dayMassachusetts, although some of those tribes were under tribute to the Mohawk, who were expanding aggressively from present-day upstate New York.[1] The total Indian population in 1620 has been estimated to be 7,000[2] with the population of New England at 15–18,000.[3] This number was significantly larger as late as 1616; in later years contemporary chroniclers interviewed Indians who described a major pestilence that killed between one and two thirds of the population. The land use patterns of the natives included plots cleared for agricultural purposes, and woodland territories for the hunting of game. Land divisions between the tribes were well understood.[2]

Early in the 17th century a variety of European explorers, including Samuel de Champlain and John Smith, charted the area.[4] Plans for the first permanent British settlements on the east coast of North America began in 1606. On April 10, 1606 King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) granted a charter forming two joint stock companies. Neither of these corporations was given a name by this charter, but the territories over which they were respectively authorized to settle, and if settled, to govern, were expressly named as the "first Colony" (fourth paragraph of charter) and "second Colony" (fifth paragraph of charter). Under this charter the "first Colony" and the "second Colony" each were to be ruled by a "Council" composed of 13 individuals. The charter provided for an additional council of 13 persons to have overarching responsibility for the combined enterprise. Although no name was given to either the company or council governing the respective colonies, the council governing the whole was named "Council of Virginia." (Notwithstanding that the 1606 charter did not assign names to the regional companies or councils, the April 4,1629 charter granted by King Charles I erroneously asserted that the 1606 charter had given the council governing the "second Colony" the name "Council established at Plymouth in the county of Devon.") The "first Colony" ranged from the 34th to 41st degree latitude north; the "second Colony" ranged from the 38th to 45th degree latitude. (Note that the "first Colony" and the "second Colony" overlapped. The 1629 charter of Charles I asserted that the second Colony ranged from 40th to 48th degrees north latitude, which reduces the overlap.) The investors appointed to govern over any settlements in the "first Colony" were from London; the investors appointed to govern over any settlements in the "second Colony" were from the "Town of Plimouth in the County of Devon."[citation needed] The London Company proceeded to establish Jamestown.[5] The Plymouth Company under the guidance of SirFerdinando Gorges covered the more northern area, including present-day New England, and established the Sagadahoc Colony in 1607 in present-day Maine.[6] The experience proved exceptionally difficult for the 120 settlers, however, and the surviving colonists abandoned the colony after only one year.[7] Gorges noted that "there was no more speech of settling plantations in those parts" for a number of years.[8] English ships continued to come to the New England area for fishing and trade with the Indians.[9]

Plymouth Colony[edit]In November 1620, a group of Pilgrims, seeking to preserve their cultural identity, established Plymouth Colony just to the south of Massachusetts Bay.[10] Their settlement was joined in 1622 and 1623 by short-lived settlements at nearby Wessagusset (present-day Weymouth), whose settlers either joined the Plymouth colony, returned to England, or settled in small outposts elsewhere on Massachusetts Bay.[11]

Plymouth's colonists faced great hardships and earned few profits for their investors, who sold their interests to the settlers in 1627.[12] Edward Winslow and William Bradford, two of its leaders, were likely authors of a work published in England in 1622 called Mourt's Relation. This book in some ways resembles a promotional tract intended to encourage further migration.[13] There were other short-lived colonial settlements in 1623 and 1624 at present-day Weymouth, Massachusetts: the Wessagusset Colony of Thomas Westonand an effort by Robert Gorges to establish an overarching colonial structure both failed.[14][15]

Cape Ann settlement[edit]In 1623, the Plymouth Council for New England (successor to the Plymouth Company) established a small fishing village at Cape Ann under the supervision of the Dorchester Company, with Thomas Gardner as its overseer. This company was originally organized through the efforts of the Puritan minister John White (1575–1648) of Dorchester, in the English county of Dorset. White has been called "the father of the Massachusetts Colony" because of his influence in establishing this settlement and despite the fact that he never emigrated.[16] The Cape Ann settlement was not profitable, and the financial backers of the Dorchester Company terminated their support by the end of 1625. Their settlement at present-day Gloucester was abandoned, but a few settlers, including Roger Conant, remained in the area, establishing a settlement a little further south, near the village of the Naumkeag tribe.[17]

Legal formation of the colony[edit]Archbishop William Laud, a favorite advisor of King Charles I and a dedicated Anglican, sought to suppress the religious practices of Puritans and other nonconforming beliefs in England. The persecution of many Puritans in the 1620s led them to believe religious reform would not be possible while Charles was king, and many decided to seek a new life in the New World.[18]

John White continued to seek funding for a colony. On 19 March 1627/8,[19] the Council for New England issued a land grant to a new group of investors that included a few holdovers from the Dorchester Company. The land grant was for territory between the Charles and Merrimack Rivers, including a three mile (4.8 km) buffer to the north of the Merrimack and to the south of the Charles, that extended from "the Atlantick and westerne sea and ocean on the east parte, to the South sea on the west parte."[20] The company that the grant was sold to was styled "The New England Company for a Plantation in Massachusetts Bay".[21] The company elected Matthew Cradock as its first governor, and immediately began organizing provisions and recruiting settlers. The company sent about 100 new settlers and provisions in 1628 to join Conant, led by Governor's Assistant John Endecott, one of the grantees.[22] The next year, Naumkeag was renamed Salem and fortified by another 300 settlers, led by Rev. Francis Higginson, one of the first ministers of the settlement.[23] The first winters were difficult, with colonists struggling against disease and starvation, resulting in a significant number of deaths.[24][25]

Concerned about the legality of conflicting land claims given to several companies including the New England Company to the still little-known territories of the New World, and because of the increasing number of Puritans that wanted to join the company, the company leaders sought a Royal Charter for the colony. Charles granted the new charter on 4 March 1628/9,[26] superseding the land grant and establishing a legal basis for the new English colony at Massachusetts. It was not apparent that Charles knew the Company was meant to support the Puritan emigration, and he was likely left to assume it was purely for business purposes, as was the custom. The charter omitted a significant clause – the location for the annual stockholders' meeting. After Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629, the company's directors met to consider the possibility of moving the company's seat of governance to the colony. This was followed the Cambridge Agreement later that year, in which a group of investors agreed to emigrate and work to buy out others who would not. The Massachusetts Bay Colony became the first English chartered colony whose board of governors did not reside in England. This independence helped the settlers to maintain their Puritan religious practices with very little oversight by the king, Archbishop Laud, and the Anglican Church. The charter remained in force for 55 years, when, as a result of colonial insubordination with trade, tariff and navigation laws, Charles II revoked it in 1684.[27]

Colonial history[edit]A flotilla of ships (sometimes known as the Winthrop Fleet) sailed from England beginning in April 1630. The fleet, which began arriving at Salem in June, carried more than 700 colonists, Governor John Winthrop, and the colonial charter.[28] Winthrop is reputed to have delivered his famous "City upon a Hill" sermon either before or during the voyage.[29]


Detail of sounding board, Old Ship Church, 1681, Hingham, Massachusetts, oldest Puritan meetinghouse in Massachusetts.
For the next ten years there was a steady exodus of Puritans from England, with about 10,000 people migrating to Massachusetts and the neighboring colonies, a phenomenon now called the Great Migration.[30] Many ministers reacting to the newly repressive religious policies of England made the trip with their flocks. John Cotton, Roger Williams, Thomas Hooker, and others became leaders of Puritan congregations in Massachusetts. Religious divisions and the need for additional land prompted a number of migrations that resulted in the establishment of the Connecticut Colony (by Hooker) and the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (by Williams and Anne Hutchinson). John Wheelwright, a minister who was (like Anne Hutchinson) banished in the wake of the Antinomian Controversy, moved north to found Exeter, New Hampshire.

The advent of the English Civil War in the early 1640s brought a halt to major migration, and a significant number of men returned to England to fight in the war. Massachusetts authorities were sympathetic to the Parliamentary cause, and had generally positive relationships with the governments of the English Commonwealth and The Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. The colony's economy began to diversify in the 1640s, as the fur trading, lumber, and fishing industries found markets in Europe and the West Indies, and the colony's shipbuilding industry developed. Combined with the growth of a generation of people who were born in the colony, the rise of a merchant class began to slowly change the political and cultural landscape of the colony, even though its governance continued to be dominated by relatively conservative Puritans.

Colonial support for the Commonwealth presented problems upon the restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660. Charles sought to extend royal influence over the colonies, which Massachusetts, more than the other colonies, resisted. For example, the colonial government repeatedly refused requests by Charles and his agents to allow the Church of England to become established, and it resisted adherence to the Navigation Acts, laws that constrained colonial trade.

All of the New England colonies were ravaged by King Philip's War (1675–1676), when the Indians of southern New England rose up against the colonists and were decisively defeated, although at great cost in life to the colonies. The Massachusetts frontier was particularly hard hit, with several communities in the Connecticut and Swift Rivers valleys being abandoned. By the end of the war, most of the Indian population of southern New England had been pacified, killed, or driven away.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Bay_Colony.

 Happy New Year.  I hope you all had a happy, healthy holiday season and have come to 2015 ready to tackle your dreams.  To start off the New Year I am going to take a look at the Coates Family.  There are a lot of Coates families in the local area that at first glance do not appear to be related. Those of you who know me know that my husband is a Coates, which makes my children also Coates.  I am always being asked how I am related to the various members of this interesting and very prolific family.  I have to answer, I am not.  My husband's family was originally from Canada.  
     This is not exactly true.  His immigrant ancestor came to the Massachusetts area from England some time between 1690 and 1705, when he married Hester Neal in Springfield, Hampton Massachusetts.  The Families Coats/Coates/Cotes  have been a fixture in America since shortly after the landing of the Mayflower.
     The story I have heard is that all of the Coates in America came from three very prolific brothers who immigrated here from England . My husbands family started with Charles Coats, born to  William and Mary Coats in England in or around the year 1675.
   A full generation  Prior to Charles journey across the ocean there were Coats already established in the colonies.  Robert Coats was born in England about 1627.  He married Jane Sumner in Lynn Mass. in 1657.
    Also living in Lynn Essex, Mass. ,Thomas Coats, born in England about 1625  Thomas married a Quaker wife, Elizabeth Flood/Floyd in 1646 at Lynn Ma.  It is very likely, as the two men were living in the same location that they were brothers.   
    Join me as I take a historic journey to the land of the Pilgrims and attempt to unravel the coats family lineage.  It will be interesting to see how these families cross generations, grow and spread through out America.  If you are a member of any one of these families I would love to hear from you and, if you have any family photos you would like to share feel free to scan and send.
  Until next time, may your families be healthy, your homes warm and your friends  plentiful .

The picture is not in the best condition but I thought it relevant as it is the Christmas season.