Journal

Jasper and Christian Gunn are now the first two biographies on the site, each linked to the other as spouses. Getting there meant settling a question that’s followed this line for generations: what was Jasper’s wife actually named?

The documentary answer is Christian — the name in her own 1690 will. “Mary” and the “Baldwin” maiden name are later attributions the records don’t support, so the site treats them as tradition rather than fact.

More entries to follow as the People section grows.

The Defence of London, master Edward Bostock, sailed from London on 14 July 1635 and arrived at Boston harbor on 8 October — six weeks after the Great Colonial Hurricane had devastated New England. On the passenger roll, the Custom House clerk recorded them as Jasper Gonn, aged 29, and Ann Gonn, aged 25.

One detail worth flagging: sources consistently put the arrival date at October 8, not October 7. Worth verifying against the original Custom House record at the UK National Archives (State Papers Domestic, SP 16) — the enrollment date of July 18 is separately confirmed. The original manuscript, if digitized, would make a striking image for the article.