Art & Rosie Rideout
 
Researching the Huff line coming down from FERDINANDO HUFF, [Cape Porpoise ?] about 1640  married to Mary Moses.

I am a direct descendent of Ferdinando Huff and wish I could state that I had found information linking him with Atherton Hough but I never have, I have only found information not linking him to Atherton. Atherton Hough was a very famous early pioneer, he was wealthy and via his wife had links back to British Royalty.  Atherton also had many other distinguished and famous relatives and cousins, Hutchinson, Marbury, Wheelwright Symmes Bulkeley etc.  So for some, including my great grandmother Huff who insisted on signing her name Hough, it was very important to have the prestige of being a descendent of Atherton Hough.  The following are my reasons for stating Atherton Hough was not the father of Ferdinando Huff.

1.  In the GENEALOGICAL REGISTER OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND
Samuel is referred to as Atherton's only son.  Then THE HOUGH’S NECK STORY by Dorothy T Laing and Ruth H Wainwright refers to Samuel as Atherton’s only son.

2.  In THE GREAT MIGRATION BEGINS by Thomas Hosmer, Atherton's will is listed with the usual silver spoons and disposition of real estate. Atherton’s wife Susanna (Hutchinson) Storre, his son Samuel, his slaves and others are all mentioned but not Ferdinando.

3.  It was and still is common that descendants of famous people name their children after their famous ancestors.  This is done with the descendants of son Samuel but not in the case of Ferdinando, no descendants of Ferdinando were ever named Atherton.

4.  Atherton Hough was an educated man and his son Samuel was also educated having attended Harvard College.  Ferdinando Huff had no such education, as evidenced by his writing skills and his unskilled labors.   In other words there was a clear class distinction between Atherton and his family and Ferdinando and his family.

There is one possible scenario in which Ferdinando could be the son of Atherton and that would be if Ferdinando were the illegitimate son of Atherton.  If this were true it would explain all of the above.

H. A. (Art) Rideout
Fallbrook, CA