GEORGE SR¹ WOOLSEY was born 1584 in Langhale-Kirstead, Norfolk, England, and died Bet. October 21 - 28, 1629 in Rotterdam, Zuid (South) Holland, Nederland. He married FRANCES ROBBERTS/ROBERTS Abt 1608 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. She was born Abt 1585, and died August 04, 1652 in op Draeijbreg, Rotterdam, Zuid Holland, Nederland and was buried August 04, 1652, Dutch Reformed Church, Rotterdam, Zuid, Holland, Nederland.

GENE: Delafield, Brig. Gen. John Ross. A.M., LL.B., D.S.M. DELAFIELD THE FAMILY HISTORY. In two Volumes. Privately printed. 1945. Volume 2, page 645-6 FHL# (British floor) Q area, 929.2415 D371d. Even though this is the record that got us going in the right direction, there is a glaring mistake.

"George Wolsey. In the register of the Church of St. Lawrence in Great Yarmouth are entered the baptisms of the following children of George Woolsey and FFrances, his wife:"
1. John Wolsey, 27 Oct 1611, son of George and ffraunces
2. Robert Wolsey, 13 Mar 1613, son of George and ffraunces
3. George Wolsey, 15 May 1616, son of George and ffraunces

THERE IS NO ST. LAWENCE CHURCH IN GREAT YARMOUTH, so some researchers, possibly citing this reference, have said the above baptisms were in St. Lawrence in Ipswich, Suffolk. Wilford Whitaker found no Woolsey baptisms in the Ipswich church. The above christenings were actually performed in the parish church, St. Nicholas, in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England.

PARISH: Church of England. St. Nicholas' Church (Yarmouth). Parish registers, 1558-1901. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1987. Microfilm copies of original records in the Norfolk Record Office, Central Library, Norwich, Norfolk, England. High Reduction microfilm (42 x). Use high magnification reader. Baptisms, marriages and burials. 1558-1769. British Film Area FHL film# 1526327, item 16-26.

GENE: Delafield, op.cit. p. 645. "Shortly after this date [15 May 1616] he [George Woolsey (and Frances Roberts)] removed to Rotterdam, in Holland, where in the notarial records of A. Wagensfeld he was mentioned as "Jores Woolsey, tobacconist," on 21 Oct 1623. He was dead by 1630, when an inventory of his estate was entered in the records of the Orphan's Court of Rotterdam. From this it appears that his widow, "ffranchina Robberts," had married Robert Hunt, merchant, and that he left minor children of whom Hugo Pieters, English minister, and Jan Landerts, merchant, were appointed guardians."

HIST: Norfolk and Norwich Archeological Society. A CALENDAR OF THE FREEMEN OF GREAT YARMOUTH 1429-1800. Compiled from the Records of the Corporation of that Borough by permission of the Town Clerk. Norwich. Goose & Son. 1910. p.52
1596 Edward Woolsey, app. of John Harris, draper (A).
1604 Robert Woolsey, app. of John Thrower (A).
1604 George Woolsey, app. of Nicholas Cuttinge, grocer (A).
1611 Philip, appr. of George Woolsey, grocer (A.).

There may be no relationship but it is possible that these are all brothers, though Philip Woolsey may be a nephew of George Woolsey. George Woolsey's record is interesting in that he was apprenticed in 1604, apparently served his term of seven years, as he is listed as a "Grocer" in 1611 and was taking on his own apprentice at that time. Remember, this is George Senior, the father of our immigrant George Woolsey, and these are probably George's brothers. (or nephew).

HIST: At Great Yarmouth, apprenticeship indentures were entered among the deeds enrolled on the borough court rolls for just over one hundred years, from 1563 to 1665. The immediate stimulus to recording these contracts was the Statute of Artificers of 1563 which,
among other things, forbade the exercise of skilled trades without apprenticeships and bound to confine them to corporate towns. . . . enrollment must have been seen by both masters and apprentices as a safeguard against loss of the original indentures and in the case of freemen's apprentices it would be useful in supporting their claim to the freedom of the borough in due course. . . . A borough ordinance of 1609 required that " apprentices when they cume to the courts before the bailiffes to take their oath . . . (shall) bringe with them and present . . . ther indenture inrolled in this towne within a yeare after the date thereof.

Normally the apprentice was kept by the master. The usual covenants to supply meat, drink and apparel and occasionally wages were given in lieu of maintenance or apparel, especially in the latter part of the period. Towards the end of the term the apprentice was sometimes allowed to trade on his own account, in which he was to have the profit of his own work. An especially interesting group of merchants' indentures specify that the apprentices were to receive their education partly in France or Holland and learn the language. They were probably expected to act as agents abroad for their masters. Some were to be taught to write a cipher and arithmetic "for his trading." Dress was an almost invariable part of the bargain. Double apparel, i.e. for working days and holydays, was normally given the apprentice at the end of his term, with occasionally extra clothes for the sea, or a sea chest. Sometimes a cloak or a cloak cloth was added. (by Paul Rutledge MA. A CALENDAR OF GREAT YARMOUTH ENROLLED PPRENTICESHIP INDENTURES 1563-1665. (Woolseys were not found in this book, but were found in the document cited above.)

George married Frances ROBBERTS Roberts about 1608 in or near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. Frances was born abt 1585 possibly near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. She died on 04 Aug 1652 in op Draeijbreg, Rotterdam, Zuid Holland, Nederland. She was buried on 04 Aug 1652 in Dutch Reformed Church, Rotterdam, Zuid Holland, Nederland.

GENE: Woolsey, Robert M. Merrimack, NH

PARISH: Dutch Reformed Church, Rotterdam, Zuid Holland, Netherland. (from Arie Noot). "A coffin of 6 guilders for Fransijntije Woolsij, widow, from of the dreijbreg next to the kamerbewaerder in street." The dreijbreg or draij brugge as it is spelled out on the city map of 1599 (nr 24) is a bridge that can be lifted to allow ships to pass. (In English a drawbridge). The meaning of the word Kamerbewaarder is not clear. It indicates "room custodian" but does not explain whether this is referring to the location in the street or to the location within the house where she died, nor what is meant, in this case by that title.

Children of GEORGE WOOLSEY and FRANCES ROBBERTS/ROBERTS are:

	i.	JOHN WOOLSEY Christening: October 27, 1611, St. Nicholas' Church, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
	ii.	ROBERT WOOLSEY Christening: March 13, 1612/13, St. Nicholas' Church, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
	iii.	GEORGE "JORIS" WOOLSEY
	iv.	FEMALE WOOLSEY, b. Bef. 1629.
	v.	MALE WOOLSEY, b. Bef. 1629.