First Generation

1. George SPEAR¹ was born about 1613 in Sheffield or Yarmouth England. He immigrated in 1642 to George Spear arrived in the Colonies, Braintree (now Quincey) MA. He emigrated in 1642 to "to the Colonies," [Braintree (now Quincy) Massachusetts].. George spear is believed to have been born in Sheffield, District of South Yorkshire (County) or Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, Hampshire County. These two geographical ares are widely separated and some of the research facts as reported by Vern Raymond Spear in the book "The descendants of George Spear who settled at Braintree Massachusetts 1642-1988" are from a historian in Hampshire county as such it can be safely assumed George Spear did live in Yarmouth prior to emigrating to CT.

Most of the Spear family information in this report has been researched from Vern Spear's book.

This researcher has included a brief history of both English districts for this report.

Sheffield is the fourth largest city in England. It is the only city in South Yorkshire, and was formerly part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and of the Saxon shire of Hallamshire. It is located at 53023' North,1028' West. The 2001 Census states that Sheffield has a population of513,234.

People from Sheffield are called Sheffielders. They are also colloquially know as "Dee-dars" (apparently after the tonal qualities of their accent), although the term is in decline and is not nearly as prevalent as "Scouse" is for "Liverpudlian" or "Geordie" is for "Novocastrian".

The city was initially founded as a settlement in the iron ages, possibly as a defence against the Romans.

It nestles in a natural amphitheater of seven hills, at the confluence of the rivers Don and Sheaf. Directly to the west is the Peak District National Park and the Pennine hill-range.

In the 12th century, Willam de Lovetot built a wooden castle around which the city grew. The subsequent stone-built castle was destroyed at the end of the English Civil War and stood at the site now occupied by the Castle Market buildings.

By the 14th century, Sheffield was becoming noted for its manufacture of quality knives, and Chaucer's Miller carried a Sheffield knife in the Canterbury Tales. By the 16th century, the city was producing a wide variety of cutlery, and it was Thomas Boulsover's invention of Sheffield Plate (silver-plated copper), in the early 18th century, that made Sheffield world renowned. Cutlery made of Sheffield steel was regarded highly in 19th century England.

Sheffield has an international reputation for steel-making, which dates from 1740, when Benjamin Huntsman discovered the crucible technique forsteel manufacture. This process was made obsolete in 1856 by Henry Bessemer's's invention of the blast furnace which allowed the mass production of steel. Bessemer moved his Bessemer Steel Company to Sheffield to be at the heart of the industry. The last major Sheffield steel invention was that of stainless steel by Harry Brearley in 1912.

While iron and steel have always been the main industries of Sheffield,coal mining has been a major feature of the outlying areas, and the Palace of Westminster in London was built using limestone from quarries in the nearby village of Anston.

Sheffield has a long sporting heritage. In 1855, a collective of cricketers joined with pupils from Collingswood School to form the first ever football club: Sheffield F.C., and by 1860 there were 15 football clubs in Sheffield. There are now only two local clubs in the Football League: Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.

Some Robin Hood legends link the character to the Sheffield region, not least the associating of "Robert of Locksley" to the Sheffield region of Loxley, and the proximity of the city to the "Barnsdale" Forest.

Settlements in the borough of Sheffield include: Abbeydale, Attercliffe, Beighton, Birley, Bolsterstone, Bradfield, Broomhill, Burngreave.

Yarmouth, England

Yarmouth is a town on the Isle of Wight, facing the mainland of Hampshire across The Solent. This is not the same as Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Town, Isle of Wight, S England. It is a small port and resort. The castle there was built by Henry VIII. Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight lies in the English Channel, separated from southern England by the Solent and Spithead. It is part of Hampshire. The scenery is picturesque and the mild climate makes the island a favorite resort. Queen Victoria had a residence on the island. The Isle of Wight was purchased by the crown in the time of Edward I.

The capital is Newport. Popular resorts include Ventnor, Ryde, Cowes,Yarmouth, and Shanklin. This Yarmouth should not be confused with Great Yarmouth.

Mary HEATH¹ (daughter of William HEATH and Mary PERRY) was born about 1 Sep 1627 in Nazeing, Co., Essex, England. She died on 7 Dec 1674 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA. She was buried about 8 Dec 1674. George SPEAR and Mary HEATH had the following children:

2	i.	Mary SPEAR1 was born about 20 Apr 1644 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA. She was baptized on 24 Apr 1644 in Ch. Rec. of the First Religious Society (Unitarian) Roxbury , MA. She died in Probably died young.
3	ii.	Sara SPEAR1 was born on 11 Mar 1646/47 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA.
4	iii.	Samuel SPEAR1 was born on 15 Oct 1647 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA. He died on 5 Jun 1654 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA.
5	iv.	Ebenezer SPEAR1 was born on 3 Aug 1654 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA.
6	v.	Hanna SPEAR1 was born on 30 Mar 1656 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA. She died on 10 May 1668 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA.
7	vi.	Samuel SPEAR1 was born on 16 Jan 1658/59 in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA.
+8	vii.	Nathaniel SPEAR.
9	viii.	Hannah SPEAR1 died on 28 Dec 1747 in Killingly, CT. She was born in Braintree, Norfolk Co., MA. She was buried in Killingly Cemetery.