Explore the Nason family history from England to colonial New England and the American Midwest, including connections to Stratford-Upon-Avon and associations with William Shakespeare and his family. Discover stories of 17th-century immigrants, colonial settlers, farmers, Revolutionary-era families, the Kittery and South Berwick communities of Maine, and the Pipe Stave Landing garrison house and a fraternal murder mystery. Later generations feature a surprise Catholic convert, an 1866 congressional candidate, migration from New England to Pennsylvania, Indiana & Colorado.
All 18 Nason stories
Newest first.
- Imagined
- Nason
- England
- Maine
Lt. John Baker (1592–1663): From Massachusetts Bay Colony Rebel to Cromwell’s Horse Guards
John Baker was a volatile troublemaker who emigrated from England with his family to the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the beginning of the Great Migration in 1630. What’s notable is…
- Nason
- Maine
The Cochecho Massacre of 1689: The Dover, New Hampshire Attack of June 27–28
The Raid on Dover, also known as the Cochecho Massacre, took place in Dover, New Hampshire on June 27-28, 1689. It was led by Chief Kancamagus of the Pennacook. The…
- Nason
- Maine
Richard Nason (1606–1696): His Final Years and Death in Colonial Maine
Richard Nason lived to be almost 90 years old. A rare achievement now, and even more so in the 17th century. He must have been wiry and resilient, carried along…
- Nason
- Maine
Richard Nason (1606–1696) of Maine: Offices, Political Conflicts, and Puritan Authorities
Richard Nason arrived in Maine sometime before 1636. My father told me that the date was 1629. I have also read that he arrived in 1623, 1629, 1630, and 1636.…
- Nason
- England
- Maine
Richard Nason (1606–1696): Wives Sarah Baker & Abigail Follett, Children & Stepchildren
SARAH BAKER NASON was Richard Nason’s first wife. Sarah was born in England in 1614, 1617 or 1620. She may have been born in London, or in the port city…
- Nason
- Maine
Richard Nason (1606–1696) Land Grant Map: South Berwick, Maine
- Nason
- England
- Maine
Richard Nason (1606–1696): From Stratford-upon-Avon, England to Pipe Stave Landing, Maine
Richard Nason was born or baptized on August 3, 1606 at Stratford-Upon-Avon. I saw his baptismal font when I visited Holy Trinity Church in September 2018. The same font baptized…
- Nason
- England
John Nason (1585–1624): William Shakespeare’s Personal Apothecary
John Nason’s name is also spelled Johanius or Johnnius Nasonne. Birth years of 1577 and 1580 are also mentioned, but September 3, 1585 is the generally accepted date. One source…
- Nason
- England
Ananias Nason (1551–1631), Sir Thomas Lucy, and the Dispute with William Shakespeare’s Friend Hamnet Sadler
Ananias Nason, a son of William Nason (1517/27-1573), was born in Charlecote, Warwickshire, England on July 10, 1551/52. His name is also spelled as Ananias Nasonne. Ananias moved his family…
- Nason
- England
William Nason (1517/27–1573): Our First Known Ancestor in Warwickshire, England
William Nason (or William Nasonne) is our first known ancestor. In the 1500s Nasons began appearing in Stratford-upon-Avon, Wellesbourne and Charlecote villages, county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region…
- Doherty
- Nason
- Indiana
- New Jersey
Edna Nason Doherty (1899–1961)
Edna Nason was born in Hammond, Indiana on April 24, 1898. Her father, Fred R. Nason, was born on July 27, 1861 in Girard, Pennsylvania. Her mother was Florence…
- Curtis
- Nason
Fred Nason, Florence Curtis, and the Anniversary of the 1907 Monarch Slide, Salida, Colorado
On this day 114 years ago, Fred Nason and Florence Curtis were killed in the Monarch Slide near Garfield, Colorado. All their children, including my grandmother, Edna Nason, survived the…
- Curtis
- Godfrey
- Nason
- Indiana
- Pennsylvania
Fred R. Nason (1861–1907): A Life of Migration from Pennsylvania to Indiana and Colorado
Fred Nason was born on January 27, 1861 in Girard, Pennsylvania. His father was David Nason, who was born in Otego, New York. David Nason married Eunice Godfrey of Girard,…
- Nason
- England
Nason Family Origins: Normandy, Holland, Venice, or Ancient Ulster?
The Nason Family first appeared on record in the 1500s in the county of Warwickshire in the West Midlands of England. Many Nason families were found in the Stratford-Upon-Avon and…
- Nason
- Indiana
The Nason Family and the Salida, Colorado Monarch Slide Disaster of 1907
My father, Eugene Nason Doherty, was a wonderful storyteller. But not all of his stories were the same. Family stories could be rich and encompassing. They could also be grim…
- Nason
- Maine
Did Baker Nason Murder His Brother Jonathan? The Piscataqua River Mystery of 1692
Baker and Jonathan Nason were the sons of Richard Nason and Sarah Baker of Pipe Stave Landing in what is now South Berwick, Maine. Baker Nason was born around 1642.…
- Curtis
- Nason
- Germany
Sketch of An Unknown Man
I don’t know who this man is, where or when the drawing was made, or why my mother kept it for many years. My sister found the sketch when she…
- Doherty
- Nason
Gramsey’s Rocking Chair
The chair is a Lincoln Rocker. It was made from mahogany wood in the 1860s. President Lincoln has a similar rocking chair in his office. That is where the name…
Stories in order
Some of these stories run as a series. Each is best read from part 1.
Series · 5 parts · 2022–2024