Andrews Genealogy

The Andrews family is an old family in England. The ancestors of William Andrews are not known. Samuel Andrews, in the Court of King James, Thomas and Richard Andrews, who assisted the Plymouth Colony in 1626 to 1635, Thomas Andrews, Lord Mayor of London 1650. No direct connection has been traced from William Andrews to any of the above, but it is probable that he is of some connection of Richard and Thomas Andrews, as these names descend through his family for several generations, also the name Samuel.

The first reference to William Andrews is in a list of inhabitants of Newtown (now Cambridge, Mass.) Nov. 25, 1633. "At a meeting of the whole town, there was chosen to order the business of the whole town, for the following year, and until new be chosen, in their room- 'William Andrews'- which nine men are to have the power of the town, as those formerly chosen had, as may appear in the order made Feb. 3, 1634."

Furthermore, there was chosen and sworn, William Andrews, as constable for the following year and until a new be chosen.

In 1633 a company came from England with Rev. Dr. Thomas Hooker, a noted divine, to Newtown, now Cambridge, Mass. They arrived in Boston in Sept., 1633, in the ship Griffin. This party was the most important addition to the new Colony, since the landing of the Pilgrims Dec. 21, 1620.

The laws of the Mass. Colony limited office holding and the elected franchise, to church members only.

Such restrictions did not agree with the idea of personal liberty of the Colonists, and in 1636 one hundred of them, with their pastor, Dr. Hooker, made their way through the wilderness and settled at a point on the west bank of the Connecticut river, 95 miles southwest of Boston. They named the place Hartford, after Hertford, England. They were two weeks making the journey, arriving there about July 14, 1636. A monument erected to the memory of these pioneers, in the Center church burying ground, marks their names.

In reference to the surname Andrews, it is somewhat significant that many of the descendants of both John of Farmington and William of Hartford were called "Andrus," while this name does not appear with reference to any of the other kindred names during those days. In this connection it is curious to notice that John of Farmington, in his will, called all of his children Andrews, yet his wife, in her deed of trust, a few years later called some of them Andrews and some Andrus, but the father would have none of it. All of the children of William's son Thomas were called Andrus, and William's daughter Elizabeth is given as Andrus.

But the Christian names are more significant. John and his presumed brother, Thomas, had three children similarly named. John's daughter Rachel and Thomas's son John had three and Rachel and Thomas himself four. John and Thomas' son John had five children similarly named. John's son Benjamin and Thomas' son John had four. John's daughter Hannah and Thomas' son John had five and Hannah and Thomas himself six. John's son Daniel and Thomas had four.

Thereon is the name of William Andrews.