Ames family
American family From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American family From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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. Numerous public and private works throughout the U.S. are named after family members, including the city Ames, Iowa, and the NASA Ames research center in California.
Ames family | |
---|---|
Current region | Massachusetts, United States |
Etymology | Amyas; merchant of Amiens |
Place of origin | England |
Founded | 1638 |
Founder | William Ames |
Connected families | Butler |
Estate(s) | Borderland Queset House |
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][lower-alpha 1]
The heraldist William Armstrong Crozier recorded an heraldic achievement matriculated to William Ames, from an original grant issued by the College of Arms.[3]
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.
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]
The following is a list of businesses in which the Ames family have held a controlling or otherwise significant interest.
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