Ames family
Ames | |
---|---|
Family | |
Country | United States |
Etymology | Amyas; merchant of Amiens |
Place of origin | Braintree, Massachusetts |
The Ames family is one of the oldest and most illustrious families of the United States.[1] The family's branches are descended from John Ames, the son of a 17th-century settler of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and numerous public and private works throughout the U.S. are named after family members, including the city of Ames, Iowa.
Origins[]
The scion of the American Ames family was William Ames who was born in England to John Ames and Cyprian Ames (née Brown) in 1605.[1] The family's earliest known ancestor died in 1560.[1] It is thought the family's surname was, at some point prior to emigration, changed from Amyas.[1] In the 16th century Amyas was frequently confused with Ames.[2]
William Ames immigrated to Massachusetts Bay in 1638, eventually settled in Braintree, and died in about 1653.[1] With his wife Hannah, he had one son, John, born in 1647.[1][a]
Heraldry[]
The heraldist William Armstrong Crozier recorded an heraldic achievement matriculated to William Ames, from an original grant issued by the College of Arms.[3]
- Shield
- Argent on a bend cotissed between two annulets Sable, a quatrefoil between two roses of the field;
- Crest
- A rose Argent, slipped and leaved proper, in front thereof an annulet Or
Notable family members[]
The children of William Ames' son, John (born 1647), included John (born 1672), Nathaniel (1677), and Thomas (born 1681). They, in turn, had a number of notable descendants.
Descendants of John Ames (born 1672)[]
- Samuel Ames (1824-1875), chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court[1]
- Marcus Ames (1828-1887), chaplain of the state institutions of Rhode Island
- Herman Vandenburg Ames (1865-1935), dean of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School[4]
- Joseph Sweetman Ames (1865-1943), president of Johns Hopkins University[5]
- Louis Annin Ames (1866-1952), businessman and designer of the City of New York flag
Descendants of Nathaniel Ames (born 1677)[]
- Nathaniel Ames (1708-1764), almanac publisher[6]
- Fisher Ames (1758-1808), member of the United States Congress[6]
- Nathaniel Ames, (1741-1822), doctor and almanac publisher
- Nathaniel Ames (1796-1835), seafarer and author
- Ellis Ames (1809-1886), member of the Massachusetts General Court[7]
Descendants of Thomas Ames (born 1681)[]
The descendants of Thomas Ames, known for the Ames Manufacturing Company and Ames True Temper which was the source of their wealth, have principally been associated with North Easton, Massachusetts.[1] Stonehill College maintains the Ames Family Collection, containing documents related to the Thomas Ames branch dating from the 19th to 20th centuries.[8] They were donated to the college in 2000 by Elizabeth M. Ames, and later supplemented by additional deposits from other family members.[8]
- John Ames (1738-1805), military officer and industrialist
- Oliver Ames, Sr. (1779-1863), industrialist
- Oakes Ames (1804-1873), member of the United States Congress[6]
- Oliver Ames Jr. (1807-1877), president of the Union Pacific Railroad[6]
- John Ames Mitchell (1845-1918), architect
- Oakes Angier Ames (1829-1899), industrialist[6]
- Oliver Ames (1831–1895), governor of Massachusetts[6]
- Frederick Lothrop Ames (1835-1893), member of the Massachusetts General Court[6]
- Winthrop Ames (1870-1937), playwright
- Oakes Ames (1874-1950), botanist[6]
- Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr. (1876-1921), socialite
Family tree[]
- John Ames / Susannah Howard
- David Ames
- Oliver Ames, Sr. / Susannah Angier
- Oakes Ames / Evelina Orville Gilmore
-
- Oliver Ames / Anna Coffin Ray
- Oliver Ames, Jr. / Sarah Lothrop
- Frederick Lothrop Ames / Rebecca Blair
- Frederick Lothrop Ames, Jr. / Edith Cryder
- Harriet Ames (1819-1896) / Asa Mitchell (1819-1877)
Notes[]
- ^ A younger brother of William Ames, John, arrived in Massachusetts a few years after William Ames and settled in Duxbury. He fought in King Philip's War and had two sons, William and John.[1]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Cutter, William (1914). New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 3. Lewis Historical Publishing. p. 1288.
- ^ Reaney, P.H. (1997). A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press.
- ^ Crozier, William (1904). Crozier's General Armory: A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. Genealogical Association. p. 12.
- ^ Chamberlain, Joshua (1901). University of Pennsylvania: Its History, Influence, Equipment and Characteristics; with Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Founders, Benefactors, Officers and Alumni. R. Herndon Company. p. 442.
- ^ Dorsey, Ernest (1944). "Joseph Sweetman Ames: The Man". American Journal of Physics. 12 (135). doi:10.1119/1.1990567.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Crawford, Mary (1930). Famous Families of Massachusetts Volume II (PDF). Little Brown & Co. pp. 358–364.
- ^ Davis, William (1895). Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Volume 2. Boston History Company. p. 199.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Ames Family Collection". stonehill.edu. Stonehill College. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- American families
- Butler–Ames family