Introduction

Why do parents give their offspring specific names?

My own family history abounds with reasons children were given specific names:

• My grandfather’s first daughter Onorina (from a second marriage) was named after his first wife, who had died in childbirth during WWI

• My grandfather’s first son by his second wife, Leo, was named after her first betrothed Leone deCecco, who had also died in WWI

• My grandfather’s eldest brother Sante was named after their grandfather Sante (a family tradition whereby eldest sons were alternately Sante or Giovanni-Battista, going back at least 5 or more generations into the 1600’s)

So, yes – I think children are given names for a range of reasons, from liking the sound of the name to paying specific homage to someone of importance in the family history. I suspect your family stories have similar examples. Is there something to be gleaned by analyzing Godfrey’s childrens’ names?

More importantly to our Godfrey Nims research, Godfrey’s choices of names for his children support some of our current theories about his friends and neighbors in Massachusetts including those associated with the regicides.

Godfrey Nim’s Children’s names

Godfrey had 11 children with 2 spouses, plus step-children from both spouses’ previous unions. Looking at just his own children (who’s names he likely had a hand in choosing):

With his first spouse Mary Miller (Williams) Nims:

1. Rebecca (who died shortly after childbirth)

2. John and Rebecca (twins)

3. Henry

4. Thankful

5. Ebenezer

With his second spouse, Mehitable Smead (Hull) Nims:

1. Thomas  

2. Mehitable  

3. Mary and Mercy (twins)

4. Abigail

Nims Family Names

Henry

According to my research, Godfrey’s father was Henry Nymm of Westminster and we see that his second son was named Henry which supports my belief that Godfray Nymm born in the City of Westminster in October 1648, is our Godfrey Nims.

Rebecca

Godfrey’s first-born offspring was named Rebecca whose twin was first-born son John. This Rebecca died shortly after her birth and Godfrey used the name Rebecca again for the birth of his next child. Clearly Godfrey wanted a daughter named Rebecca. There’s a clue.

John

Rebecca’s twin brother was named John. Godfrey did not name his first son after his father and the names Rebecca and John are an uncommon pair for twins.

Perhaps a “John and Rebecca” played an important role in Godfrey’s life, likely even more important than his own father, Henry. Is there a “John and Rebecca” in the Northampton area that might have been the source of this inspiration? Reviewing Godfrey’s associates we are reminded of The Reverend John Russell and his wife Rebecca Russell, of Hadley, MA. And It was this John and Rebecca who hid the regicide judges Edward Whalley and William Goffe in their house in Hadley from 1664 onwards. To date, I have found only this John and Rebecca pairing in Godfrey’s neighborhood.

If this theory is correct, John and Rebecca russell may have housed Godfrey, or sponsored him to come to America as a servant waiting on the regicides while they were hiding in Hadley. We know that that the Russells did maintain a servant for Whalley and Goffe because Lydia Fisher (Chickering) testified on her deathbed that she had been sent to the Russell’s home in 1671 to attend the regicides.

1671 would have been only a few years after Godfrey’s 1667 runaway attempt, and very possibly the reason Lydia was sent to Hadley. By 1670 Godfrey was 22 years old and very likely was ready to start his own work as a cordwainer.

Ellen and Mary

Interestingly, Godfrey did not name a daughter after his mother Ellen. We can only speculate at a poor relationship with his mother. He did name a daughter Mary, possibly after his sister Mary back in England, but Mary is a common enough name and this may well be just coincidence. Mary’s twin sister was named, Mercy and it was quite common in Colonial New England to name twin girls Mercy/Mary.

Conclusion

This is just scratching the surface. Names can often lead to information about family members and associates and I think the clues Godfrey left us are tantalizing indeed.