1 / 2

Larry Blanch, Joanne Fae Wheeler Blanch, Verla Wheeler Murray and Colleen Earl pose for a photo next to a painting of Rebecca Rawson in the New England Genealogical Society Building in Boston.

Photo supplied

2 / 2

Joanne Fae Wheeler Blanch, Verla Wheeler Murray and Colleen Earl pose for a photo next to a painting of Edward Rawson in the New England Genealogical Society Building in Boston.

Photo supplied

❮ ❯

Many readers from Northern Utah and Utah Valley responded to an invitation to share their favorite family history stories and experiences. Here is one of those stories:

I would like to tell the history of Edward Rawson, born on April 16, 1615, in England. He came to Boston, Mass., in the 1600s with his large family. He died on Aug. 27, 1693, at age 78. He was my eighth-great grandfather.

Through research we have learned his photo was on file in the New England Genealogical Society Building in Boston. In the fall of 2007, my sister Verla Wheeler Murray, cousin Colleen Earl, and my husband Larry Blanch and I visited the building in hopes of seeing the photo.

A clerk at the desk asked who we were interested in seeing. We answered, “Edward Rawson of Boston, Mass.”

The clerk answered, “oh, yes, follow me.”

We stepped into a beautiful rotunda with two giant paintings on the wall. Edward Rawson’s picture was hanging on the wall to the left with the picture of his favorite daughter, Rebecca, hanging to the right of Edward’s. Our picture was taken just below theirs.

We asked the clerk if she knew why these two paintings were the only two in the rotunda. She said she didn’t know. I presume the answer is that Edward Rawson was Secretary of the Bay Colony for 35-40 years. His beloved daughter Rebecca was a very beautiful and well-educated woman. She was very well known in Boston.

Rebecca met a suitor from England and — with much sadness from her father — the couple were married. Her husband said he was born into a well-known royal family in England. They sailed off for a new future together in England.

After they were settled in England, Rebecca discovered her husband was already married. He was a thief who stole all of Rebecca’s money and personal expensive treasures. At this time she was expecting her first child and she went to live with her cousin in England.

A fellow she had known in Boston received word of what had happened to Rebecca and he sailed in his own ship to England to take her home to Boston. They stopped in Port Royal, Jamaica, to rest and take on new supplies. However, Rebecca would never see Boston again as Port Royal was devastated by a horrible earthquake in 1692. Thousands were killed, including Rebecca as she was resting inside the ship.

Many years later, the National Geographic magazine did a major article on the earthquake in Port Royal. They found many parts of ships and treasures in their research.

Joanne Fae Wheeler Blanch

Ogden