Francis Girdler - Deborah (Surname Unknown) Family Group

What We Know About This Family

An Overview of Their Lives

Francis and Deborah Girdler arrived in Marblehead where all their known children grew to adulthood.

With gratitude to Robert Joseph Girdler, author of the website http://girdler.com.

"Old England was populated with Girdler families nationwide as their records are to be found in almost every Shire (County) and I would imagine there are many there today. With so many in England, it is only natural that one would migrate, as many of his countrymen before him, to an English settlement in this new land. The Girdler name first appears in Marblehead, Massachusetts, which was founded in 1629 and was governed by the Salem community for several years. The original founders of Marblehead were fishermen who for many years were believed to have migrated from the Island of Guernsey which is situated in the English Channel. The history of Essex Co., Mass. refers to the probable origin of the first settlers. "Authorities differ as to the exact part of England from which these settlers emigrated, though all agree that they were English, and that they made their settlement in the northeastern part of the town, near the headland now known as Peach's Point. From their manners and customs, but more especially from their peculiar dialect, it seemed that they were natives of the Island of Guernsey or Jersey in the British Channel".

More modern research has determined  those early settlers were possibly Cornish Fishermen from the British County of Cornwall. Cornwall was occupied by Romans, Saxons and Celts before the Norman conquest in 1066. Reference is made to the fact that the Cornish spoke a Celtic language that became extinct late in the 18th century. This is probably the peculiar dialect referred to in the early Essex Co. records.

The first of our name appears in Marblehead records Nov. 16, 1657, "Michell Girdle", there is only one notation on him and I have no knowledge as to his connection with our lineage. The next notation on record, November 1667, Debory Garlier [Deborah Girdler]. September 7, 1671, Fra. Godler [Francis Girdler]. 1672, Fransis Gater [ Francis Girdler]. March 14, 1673, Francis Grodler [Girdler]. October 24, 1673, Francis Godlar [Girdler]. June 21, 1681, Deborah Girdler. July 1, 1685, Deborah Girdler. etc., etc.,  Although several name misspellings are found, subsequent findings verify the correct spelling. Several documents, Salem Church, baptismal records, Town records, Marblehead Church, vital statistics, freeman's oath, estate settlement, etc; provide information on this first family and their descendants. I have attempted to compile and reconstruct these early Marblehead families from the many sources available."

Two of the sons of Francis Girdler married women in the Gale family. Mary Gale, the wife of George Girdler, has been identified as the daughter of Anbrose and Mary Ward Gale, but the will of Ambrose does not name her or any of her family. Ambrose and Mary also did not have a baptismal record for a daughter named Mary in Salem where their other children were baptized. George and Mary Gale Girdler had a son named Ambrose, so she is likely related, but her parentage at this time is undetermined. Francis and Deborah's son Robert Girdler married Elizabeth Gale. At this time, I believe she was the daughter of Ambrose Sr.'s son Benjamin. After Francis Girdler and Mary Ward Gale both died, the widow Deborah Girdler married Ambrose Gale, whom she survived..

Proof of Relationship

The genealogical records and vital records are our best proof of relationship for our direct ancestors in this family.

What Else We Need to Learn

The goal of this project is to trace every line of ancestry to the arrival of its first immigrant to America. The basic information of each couple is considered complete when we know the dates of birth, marriage, and death for both spouses. their parents' names (or whether they were the immigrant), and the child or children in our ancestry line.

The research on this family is basically complete. A later search might discover new information from records not yet found.