The Elwell Family of Early New England

The Elwell family forms part of the early New England ancestral network and connects through documented lines into the Walling and Garrison families. Through descent from Robert Elwell Sr. and Joanna Dolliver, this line becomes part of a broader colonial kinship structure tied to Massachusetts and the Salem-era community. The Elwell line begins with Robert Elwell Sr. and Joanna Dolliver, whose son Thomas Elwell Sr. married Sarah Bassett. Their daughter Sarah Elwell married Thomas Walling, linking the Elwell family into the Walling and later Garrison descent. Like many early New England families, the Elwells were part of a closely connected colonial society shaped by land, marriage, religion, and local community ties. These families formed networks that extended across generations.

📜 Mary Walling and Daniel Garrison

One of the most important questions in this branch concerns Mary Walling and the parentage of Daniel Garrison (1724–1799). A marriage record confirms that Jacob Garrison married Mary Walling on February 4, 1719. This provides a firm chronological anchor. This date aligns naturally with Daniel’s birth in 1724. When considered alongside the will, which separates children into generational groups across multiple marriages, Daniel falls within the middle group. Conclusion: Mary Walling was the mother of Daniel Garrison.

📜 Interpretation of the Will of Jacob Garrison

The will identifies a final wife, Elizabeth, and distinguishes younger children as minors. This separation allows the children to be grouped into three sets corresponding to three marriages. Daniel Garrison does not belong to the eldest or youngest groups and therefore falls within the middle group, corresponding to the marriage of Jacob Garrison and Mary Walling.

🧬 How This Line Connects to You

Your connection to the Elwell family follows a documented line of descent beginning with Robert Elwell Sr. and Joanna Dolliver, continuing through Thomas Elwell Sr. and Sarah Bassett. Their daughter Sarah Elwell married Thomas Walling, carrying the line into the Walling family. Through Mary Walling and her 1719 marriage to Jacob Garrison, the line continues to Daniel Garrison and forward into later generations. This creates a continuous and documented ancestral line connecting early colonial New England directly to your family.

Records and Documents

Sources

• Colonial New England family records
• Marriage record: Jacob Garrison & Mary Walling (Feb 4, 1719)
• Will-based family reconstruction