LINEAL ANCESTORS

of

RHODA (AXTELL) CORY,

mother of

Captain James Cory

GENEALOGICAL

HISTORICAL

and

BIOGRAPHICAL

Volume II Part I

Compiled from various xenealo.~ies and histories for private distribution among interested partics and libraries with no pecuniary solicitions whatever.

1937

DEDICATED

TO OUR IMMIGRANT MOTHERS WHO BRAVED HARDSHIPS AND TRIALS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR PIONEER HUSBANDS, SO THEIR POSTERITY MIGHT HAVE FULL FREEDOM IN THE NEW COUNTRY OF AMERICA, OF WHICH THEY COULD BUT LITTLE DREAM.

RHODA(AXTELL) CORY (177 5-1865)

ERRATA, Cory Geneal. (E7.C82) r. !I, 75. Maryl. Withington m. 'Ihomas~ Danforth .in New Eng. having emigrated in 1654. (See Danforth GeneLl.,-p.18)

m.w.f. 1939

THE AXTELL LINEAGE

THO MAS1 AXTELL was the third son in the family of William Axtell, born in Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, England. When a few months old he was baptized at St. Peter's Church there on January 26, 1619. As his father had died and was buried on May 23, 1638, he had not reached his majority. By his father's will he was remem­ bered by a bequest of ten shillings. While yet under age he mar­ ried his wife there, as indicated by the birth of his first child, the year being 1639. Their marriage is not recorded in the Hertfordshire parish register, which obliterates any attempt to discover the identity of his wife. His mother's Christain name was Thomasin, but unfortunately there is no record to tell whose daughter she was. He had brothers, John, baptized August 11, 1614; William, December 1, 1616; Dan­ iel, May 26, 1622; Samuel, December 15, 1624 and a sister Sarah, June 20, 1628. His brother Daniel who, as one of the regicides, took an active part against King Charles I., and during the King's trial held an office in the Parliament that condemned him to death. He also was a colonel in the army of Oliver Cromwell. After the restoratio~ of Charles II., in 1660, he was beheaded. ..., Their father was a burgomaster, as shown by a list of chief bur­ gesses of Berkhamstead in 1628, and was also a common clerk at the time of his death. The father had a brother Henry, as mentioned in his will, dated November 20, 1637, but nowhere does the name ap­ pear in the family of William Axtell and his wife Dorothy Symonds, as we supposed that they were their parents. The burgomaster, as he terms himself in his will probated on June 1, 1638, was probably the one in the family baptized on October 31, 1624. He names his wife Thomasin to assume charge of his estate as executrix. By an abstract of his will we find that he gave his wife: The house wherein I now dwell, and lands (specified), until my son William Axtell is 21 (years old), with reversion to (the) said William Axtell, on condition that he pay(s) to my daughter Sarah Axtell £60 when she is 18, and if she die(s) before the payment of the said sum (is made), then my son William Axtell (is) to pay (the sum of) £50 ( which is) to be equally divided between my two younger sons, Daniel and Samuel Axtell; ( to son William Axtell vari- 2 THE AXTELL LINEAGE ous household goods specified; to son Daniell Axtell) a tenement, where Richard Andrews now lives, with a backside and close ·called Spittletree Close, containing 3 acres, with (the) proviso that my wife Thomasin hold(s) them till he attain(s the age of) 24 years, (and also various household goods specified; to wife Thomasin), the tene­ ment where Thomas Adams now dwells, until my son Samuel at­ tain (s the age of) 24 years, (and the reversion is to the said Samuel £40 and various household goods specified; to daughter Sarah Axtell household goods specified; to eldest son John Axtell), 1 acre of land, which I bought from Nicholas Gosham, (and twenty pounds in money and various household goods specified, and to son Thomas Axtell ten shillings). Perhaps about a year after the birth of Thomas' second child, he brought his family with him to America and located in Sudbury, Mass.. In October of 1643, he bought a small tract of land. It is apparent that he possessed some means more than his father's will called for. It may account for th,e fact that there was no need for an adequate provision made for him in the will. One writer identifies him, in Hotten' s ''Original Lists of Emi­ grants to America," with ''Tho. Axtell, aged 35,'' whose name ap­ pears in the list of passengers on the Globe of London, which was clear­ ed· at London on August 7, 1635. The age itself obviously refutes the identification, as our Thomas was much younger. 1'he older Thomas was among one hundred and sixty-one passengers bound for Virginia, who had, before leaving, taken the "Oaths of Alleg(iance) and Supremacie." He probably belonged in one of the families at Middlessex county, near London, and possibly was a kin of the younger Thomas. There was a Nathaniel Axtell who had lived in New Haven, but left in 1640 with the intention of going back home to London. However, death overtook him before he could take ship at Boston for England. In his will, dated August 17, 1639, he mentions him­ self as a citizen, "late of t~e parish of St. Peter's, ne(a)re the Bur­ rough of St. Albans, in the county of Hertford,'' and · names two brothers Thomas and Daniel, and three sisters Joan, Ann and Sarah. It seems to indicate that he and Thomas were closely related-per­ haps brothers. By an examination of the old records in the county of Hertford it does not establish that Thomas' father had such daugh­ ters as Joan and Ann in his family. Nathaniel may be a kin of Na­ thaniel Axtell, of Shenley, Hertfordshire, who died in 1625, as in both their wills the name of Thomas Buckingham appears. Mr. Buckingham was a witness, as appears in the will of elder Nathaniel, and was a beneficiary in the younger -Nathaniel's will by receiving from him, ten pounds. CORRECTION for.Cory Geneal. (E7.C82) II, 5-6. See errata inserted in N.Eng. register, LIII, 227 and in Utah Genetl. Mag. XX, 110-1.

m.w.f. 1959.

THE AXTELL LINEAGE 3

Knowing that some of rI'homas' hometown people had settled in Sudbury, he brought his family there so as to feel at home among them. Here in 1644 a daughter came to increase his family. He took the oath of fidelity on July 9, 1645. He probably was not constitutionally strong as, in the next year, at the age of twenty­ seven, he went the way of his fathers on the eighth of March. Recognizing that his days were being numbered: He expressed (his desire) that Mary, his wife, should have all his estate (in order) to bring up his children, (as) Testified by Edmund Rice, uppon Oath, the 6, 3, (May), 1646, before the Governor & deputy &c., & Increase Nowel, Secret (ary ). Of the five present cemeteries within the town limits the one in East Sudbury, now Wayland, is the first burying place. It is on the site of the first Meeting-house, which was built before 1645, and near this house the burial place was soon started. ~_hether Thomas was buried there, or just over the hill to the north where tradition states was an ancient Indian graveyard, there in no record to inform us. The Inventory of the goods of Thomas Axtell, of Sudbury, late­ (ly) Deceased, (was probated). - lmprimis, his land and house ( were) appraised at £8: 10; cattle (at) £8: 10; wearing apparell and bedding, with his Armes, (at) £10, (and) Brasse and Pewter (at) £5. It may appear strange that his real estate and two or more of his cattle should be valued at the same rate. In those days a cow was very valuable, therefore being rated very high. It seems that his homestead, consisting of six acres and a dwelling house, was in the southern part of the town. Soon after the inven­ tory it was bought by Edmund Rice who had known Thomas and came there ahead of him from the same town-Berkhamstead. He also bought a house and nine-acre land adjacent to the "Axtell place." According to Savage and others, it seems that Thomas' widow kept her fatherless children together until her widowhood was termi­ nated by her marriage ten years later to John Goodenow, but in the light of further data collected by a U rah family compiler, she '"'·as married to John Maynard on June 14, 1646. Besides her own chil­ dren by T"homas Axtell, she became the mother of Maynard's chil­ dren-a son and three daughters. By this union they beca1ne the ancestors of the famous President Brigham Young, of the Utah Mor­ mons. It was her oldest Axtell daughter Mary who was married to John Goodenow, at Sudbury, Mass., on September 19, 1656. Edmund Rice, who is mentioned as having taken charge of the es­ tate of Thomas in behalf of the latter's wife and children, came from 4 THE AXTELL LINEAGE

Berkhamstead. He had also lived in Stanstead, Suffolk, England, before going there about 1627. Because of his administrating the es­ tate, there is an iota of suspicion that he was the father of Thomas' wife. Of the children in his family he had Mary, who was his oldest child, baptized in Stanstead, August 23, 1619. What strikes us as most peculiar is the fact that both Thomas Axtell and Edmund Rice had in their families a Mary, Henry and Lydia. Rice had Edward and Thomas that Axtell did not have. Of course the family names may only be a coincidence, but had Thomas lived longer he probably might have had in his family several other names that the Rice family had. A statement appears in the "English Notes on Edmund Rice," published in the American Genealogist, that Mary, the oldest daughter of Rice, died unwed before the death of Rice himself, which seems to preclude the possibility of Mrs. Mary Axtell-Maynard's family relationship. That she died before Rice is correct, for she passed away before 1659 as the second wife of John Maynard. Edmund died in Marlborough, Mass., May 3, 1663, but was buri­ ed in his beloved town Sudbury. He left eight children, names not given, by his first wife, and two by his second wife, Mercy, as we combined it abbreviately from two documents, probated in Middlesex county court, on June 16, 1663: Edm ( und) Rice(' s) Proposed for settling ye estate, * * June, 1663, F"izt.: That the widow (be named) adm(inistrat)r(ix) & (to) pay all his debts, and to the eight elder children of the said Edm(und) Rice; to ye· eldest sonne forty pounds & to ye other(s) 20/bs. apiece, & ye two young(e)r children of ye s(ai)d Ed(mund) Rice had by the s(ai)d widow, 10/hs. apiece when they (be)come of age, * * * w(ha)teu(e)r else to be & remayne to the said widow, Mercy Rice. Of his eight living children, as mentioned, indicating he had by his first wife Thomasin Frost, as found on record, were Henry, Edward, Thomas, Lydia, Matthew, Samuel, Joseph and Benjamin, and two by his second wife Mrs. Mercy Brigham who were Ruth and an un­ known child, pro!>ably Ann. He had before his death Mary, Daniel and Edmund who were not then living. The last two died in infancy. Edmund Rice had a proprietor's right in the common lands, and as subdivisions of lands occurred, his heirs appeared and sold them, so a pretty clear idea is obtainable as to who t~e heirs were. The last sale of Edmund Rice's rights was in 1715. The deed is signed by the following heirs: Jonathan Rice ( son of Henry), Thomas Drury ( son of Lydia), John Rice (son of Edward), Isaac Rice (son of Matthe\\·), Peter THE AXTELL LINEAGE 5

Haynes (husband of Elizabeth, who was a daughter of Samuel), Ebenezer Rice (son of Benjamin), Elisha Rice (son of Thomas) and Phineas Rice (son of Joseph). Edmund's daughter Ruth by his second marriage sold some of her land to Moses Newton in 1680, she being then twenty-one years of age. She later married Capt. Samuel Welles of Connecticut. In 1684 they sold to Kliezer How, of Marlboro, the land there given by her father. There is no signature of any of Thomas Axtell' s descendants, which would seem to disarm our suspicion that his wife was a daugh­ ter of Edmund Rice. We incorporate the fact in this life story in hope that it may eventually bring to the surface her doubtful family connections. Another version gives the belief that Mary Axtell-Maynard was a daughter of Comfort Starr, a physician or surgeon, of Ashford, in the county of Kent, England, according to the opinion of Historian Tempie who, in his "History of Framingham, Mass.," says he no­ ticed in Starr's will, dated April 22, 1659, that he left a bequest ''un­ to ye five daughters of my daughter Maynard, (deceased) £10 a piece, to be payd to (all) of them, ( when) they come to ye age (of) 16 · * yeare(s)." Possibly this is so, but what puzzles us is the . fact that Comfort Starr had already come to Massachusetts bay from Sandwich, England, in the ship Hercules, in 1635,. with three children under age, John, Mary and Elizabeth, and probably his wife Eliza­ beth and three servants. As Mrs. Mary Axtell had become a mother in England in 1639, and did not come to America until 1642, we do not see how, in consistency, her relationship could be brought about in that way. John Maynard was in Sudbury in 1639, owning a house lot on North street near Edmund Rice's, and Henry Rke' s, and was a petitioner for the creation of Marlboro township in 1656. He died on December 10, 1672. It is probable that he brought his first wife and one or more children from England, as his son John was eight years old, in 1638. There app~ared in Sudbury a Hannah Axtell, who was married to Edmund Wright on June 18, 1659. But, from a careful scruti.ny of the records by an Axtell authority, his conclusion is that ·the name was .not Axtell but Upson, as given in a transcript at Cambridge, Mass. She was Mr. Wright's second wife. Sudbury was founded in 1638 by a party from Watertown, and received its name the following year, becoming the nineteenth town in the "Massachusetts Bay Colony," and the second situated beyond the flow of the tide. Originally, it was bounded on the east by a part of the territory of Watertown, which is now Weston, on the 6 THE AXTELL LINEAGE north by Concord, and southerly and westerly by a wilderness, or the unclaimed lands of the colony. The reason for starting this settle­ ment was, as the Watertown petitioners state in their paper, "strait­ ness of accommodation and want of more meadow (land)." The explanation, according to Historian Hudson, may be first, that the plantation was not proposed because all the petitioners designed to make it their permanent home, but that it might be an outlet to an over-populous place. Watertown, it was considered, had too many inhabitants. The emigrants of ship after ship, as they arrived at the Atlantic shore, went to the older places; this led to what was called "straitness of accommodation." New land would present greater allurement to the new comers, and the earlier settlers would thus be left undisturbed in their original possessions. Secondly, spec­ ulative purposes might lead some to engage in the scheme for the Sudbury settlement. T'he children of Thomas were : Mary, baptized in Berkhamstead, England, December 20, 1639; died in Sudbury, Mass., April 14, 1704; was mar­ ried in 1656 to John Goodenow, son of Edmund, who came, in the ship Confidence, from Southampton, England, in 1638. HENRY, our lineal ancestor. Lydia, born in Sudbury, Mass., June 1, 1644. Authorities consulted: ''The Axtell Record,'' by Ephraim Sanders Axtell; "The Axtell Family in America," by Rev. Seth Jones Ax­ tell, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; "Some Facts Respecting Thomas Axtell," by S. J. Axtell, in the New En­ gland Historical and Genealogical Register; "Notes on the Axtell Fami­ ly," by William S. Appleton, A. M., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; "The Axtell Line in the Daggett and Alli­ ed Family," by E. C. Finley in the .Americana; "The Ancestry of President Brigham Young," by Mabel Young Sanborn, in the U tab Genealogical Historical Magazine; "The History of Sudbury, Massa­ chusetts,'' by Alfred Sereno Hudson; ''History of the Colony of New Haven, (Conn.),'' by Edward E. Atwater; ''Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven, (Conn.),'' by Charles J. Hoadley, A. M.; the probated wills; and a Massachusetts genealo­ gist's search, and a British genealogist" s search. THE AXTELL LINEAGE 7

HENRY2 AXTELL was baptized at St. P~ter' s church at Berk­ hamstead, England, on October 13, 1641. Though being sma·n, he was brought across the Atlantic to the new country in the family of his father, and despite his tender age, he must have stood the many weary weeks of the voyage remarkably well. By the time he was about .five years old his father died. When he was about of legal age he became one of the proprietors of Marl­ borough, Mass., at the time of its incorporation, drawing on May 31, 1660, fifteen acres of land, in the first division in a tract of nearly a thousand acres bordering on the town of Sudbury. His name ap­ pears on the list as one of the thirty-eight proprietors when the dis­ tribution of land for house lots, varying from fifteen to fifty acres, was made. Meadow lots were soon after granted to the original proprie­ tors. Next to his lot were set apart thirty acres for a blacksmith. As in years later his grandson Henry4 was a "smithy," it may be inferred that Henry himself had a tendency for the vocation. At the first settlement in 1657, Marlborough was made one of the outposts of the colony, and the ''Connecticut way,,' or road, ran through it. Three years later it was incorporated, not by an elabo­ rate charter setting its boundaries, .duties and liabilities, but by the la­ conic order, "That the name of the said plantation [Whipsufferage] shall be called Marlborow.'' It took its name probably from the En­ glish town, in Wilts county, seventy-five miles from London, En­ gland. The name was formerly written Marlberg, or Marlbridge, being derived from the marl~ or chalk, by which it was surrounded. Henry lost his life in the Wadsworth Indian massacre, on April 19, 1676, during King Philip's war. According to Hudson's '~History of Marlborough,'' he was killed with several others on the highway between Sudbury and Marlborough. Whether they fell with the gal­ lant Captain Samuel Wadsworth in what is known as the ''Sudbury fight," or were cut off by some small party of Indians, is uncertain. Henry was probably among the slain soldiers buried in a single grave, in the early April morning of the twenty-second, in the still­ ness of a forest, far away from his family and friends. Though scat­ tered all over the battle field, the dead soldiers were tenderly picked 8 THE AXTELL LINEAGE up and borne to a promiscuous interment by those who, through in­ ability, had failed to come to their rescue on the day of battle. A rough heap of stones is all that marks the lone grave in the forest. There is no means of knowing the number of men of the town who were engaged, or who fell in the conflict. Being a frontier town and greatly exposed, it is not probable that many of the citizens were called far from home to encounter _the enemy. The war lasted only about fourteen months yet, besides Marlborough and Sudbury, the towns of Brookfield, Lancaster, Medfield, Groton, Deerfield, Hatfield, Hadley, Northfield, Springfield, Weymouth, Chelmsford, Andover, Scituate, Bridgewater, Plymouth, and several other places, were wholly or partially destroyed, and many of the inhabitants were massacred or carried into captivity. During this short period of de­ fence for existence, six hundred of the brave townsmen, the flower and strength of the colony, died, and six hundred dwelling houses were burned down. Every elev'enth family was made homeless, and every eleventh soldier had sunk to his grave. At the county court, in Cambridge, Mass., "Hannah Axtell (was) granted adm(inistration) on the estate of her husband Hen (ry) Ax­ tell, Dec (ease) d, ( with) an Invent ( ory) whereof shee presented in Court on Oath," on the third of October, 1676. Then followed the list, without the names of her three young children, which was submitted to the court, giving their ages-one was seven years old, the next five years and the last three years. The absence of the fourth was because it was an infant that had already died. Probably on the same list was a second group, mentioning the ''two eldest children, ( who were) Samuel, aged eleven years, and Hannah, aged nine years.'' Of the first group, it seems the bereaved mother agreed to raise them, but the two older children were evidently par­ celled off to those of the immediate relations. And following this, on July 9, 1677, was submitted for record by her brother-in-law John Scotchford, who married her sister Susan, the "invent(o)ry of the Goods, Chattels and estat(e) of Henry Ax­ tell, of Marlborough, slaine by the Indians,'' as found, recorded at the office of the Register of Probate, East Cambridge, Mass. : 1'(wo) young Cat(t)le (and) all ye. houssing (were) burnte (in the pillage). (Among the livestock and household effects saved were) 5 Co,ves, on(e) 3-year-old sow, on(e) swine, six sheep, 3 lambs, a payr of oxen, 2 brass ket(t)l(e)s, a brass pane, a brass skel­ (1) et, (and other articles, appraised to the total amount of fifty-nine pounds and eighteen shillings). Brass utensils! In our modern days we would regard with skepti­ cism the proper using of them for any style in cookery. Yet, they THE AXTELL LINEAGE 9 were used generally in those days, perhaps, with immunity from sick­ ness and death. The use the people made of them certainly is re­ markable. There were debts due to Henry ''from ye Countery for a horse and (for) his wages,'' amounting to four pounds and ten shillings. Also, there was due him for service, perhaps from James Adams, to­ taling seven shillings and six pence; from Joseph Graves four shil­ lings; from Jno. Heywood fifteen ·shillings and from Nath. Harwood ten shillings. "T(wo) Cowes & on(e) bul(l) (were) dispoossed ( of) to maintaine ye widow & children & pay debts amounting to three shillings and four pence to Mrs. Chickeren, and twelve shil­ lings to 'Ager,' of Watertown." Henry's wife Hannah was a daughter of George Merriam. He married her on June 14, 1665. She was born in Concord, Mass., on "14, 5 (July), 16(47?)." During the ten years of their married life they were blessed with six children. By the time their infant daughter had passed away, Henry's support as a breadwinner was lost to his family by his- untimely death, perhaps in an ambuscade. But there came in his place a new supporter in the person of William Taylor, of Concord, Mass., when he married Henry's widow more than a year later, on July 16, 1677. It seems Hannah had encountered some difficulty in the disposal of Henry's estate, that she submitted in court on October 1, 1677, in­ dicating her willingness that the court should handle the matter it~elf: This may certyfie (to) whom it may concern that I, Han(n)ah Taylor, the wife of William Taylor, of Marlborough, am freely will­ ing that the hon(o)red Court should d(i)spose of the estate that my former husband Henry Axtel(l) left at his decease. I say that I am willing that the County Court At Cambridge should d (i) pose of it, as they, in their wisdom, shall thinke fit. As w (i) tness my hand, this 1 (st) of October, 1677. -(Signed) Hannah (the mark H of) Taylor.-Signed in the presence, of William Kerly, (and) James Taylor. Hannah Axtell-Taylor died before April of 1682, for her second husband William Taylor petitioned the court for advice in regard to the disposal of the Axtell _estate and the three children. To ye Honoured Countee Court, now sit(t)ing at Cambridge, The petition of William Taylor, of Madbury, h(u)mbly sheweth That wher(e)as youre petitioner married one Hanna(h) Axtell, ye Rellict of Henry Axtell, of said Madbury, ye said Hanna(h) being Adm (i) nistratrix to ye Estate of ( the) ~aid Henry (Axtell) and an Inventory: of (the) said Estate was taken and presented to this Hon­ oured court and Attested to by (the) Said Administratrix, since which time ye said Hannah, my wife, is dead; and her estate and three chil- 10 THE AXTELL LINEAGE dren are left in ye custodie of your petitioner. Now, ye earnest re­ quest of your petitioner is yt this Honoured Court would please to put me, youre petitioner, into such a way as may be best for mee and allso for ye said children, and to prevent any after Trouble, if it may be. So praise(d). Youre humble servant, William Tai{lor). Referring to the estate of Henry Axtell. At the motion of Wm. Taylor, who mar(r )yed his widow, This Court doth nominate & ap­ poynt Ens (ign) Wm. Kerly, Lt. Hen (ry) Kerly & Thomas Bate­ man, of Concord, to audit and exam(ine) acc(oun)ts conc(e)rning (the) s(ai)d estate, & to p(ro)pound to (the) next Court what they Judge most expedient with refference to ye division thereof among the children [At a County Court at Camb(ridge), May 8, 1682] "ffor ye Honored Courte, at Cambridge, Ap(ril), 1682." The Courte may be pleased to take notise, yt wee, whose names are under subscribed, being Chosen by the Courte, at Cambridg(e), Oct(o)ber 3th, 1682, to Consider & examine the estate of Henry Axtell, deceased, (and) upon exemmination, ( we) doe find (the)· s (ai) d estate to ( embrace) land & building, at marlbrough, (at) ninety pounds & ye moveable estate * (at) sixty pound (s), one shilling (and) Two pence; & in consideration of a house & barn, erected by William Tailler, of marlbrough, who married ye widow of Henry Axteel, wee judge & ap(p)rehend (the) s(ai)d William Tailler shall have, for (the) building out of ye moveable estate, .ye sume of Twenty pounds & ye use of ye houseing & lands, at marl­ brough, for ye Terme of Ten years next ensueing; ye s(ai)d Wil­ liam (Taylor is) to finish (the) s(ai)d house & barne; also we find, of (the) land, in Concord yt is Henry Axtell(' s) estate-the sume of Ten pounds. Also, we Conceive yt ye moveable estate, re­ ma (in) ing in William T·aillor(' )s hands * is founy-six pounds, one shilling (and) Two pence (to) be equally divided betwixt ye Two Daughters; also y(ou)r G(u)ardian bee Chosen to take Care of (the) s(ai)d estat~; also wee conceive it to be mete yt, when ye Sons yt are T ( o) co me, ye eldest, to age, yt ye s ( ai) d housein g & lands be divided.-Concord, ye 10 of Jan(uary), 168(3),-ye marke X of Wi1liam Tailler.-(Witnesses) William Kerly, Henry Kerly (and) Thomas Bateman. Hannah's father and two uncles Joseph and Robert were living in Concord, Mass. The last one named mentioned in his will that he was a former citizen of H adlow, in Kent county, England. It \:\ as through this fortuitous discovery that we know where her father's early borne was. The wife of the second uncle was Mary Sheaffe, a young girl, of a little less than seventeen, who \\'as a daughter of Rev. Edn1und Sheaffe of Cran brook. She was a sister of Jacob Sheaffe of Guilford, Conn., and Boston, Mass., and a half sister of our Robert Kitchell, through Susan Mulford. Both ''Uncle Robert and Aunt Mary" sailed for Charlestown, Mass., on their \:\'edding trip about 1638. They afterwards settled in Concord. The uncle died there on February 15, 1682, at the age of seventy-two, and his THE AXTELL LINEAGE 11 wife followed him ten years later, on July 22, 1693, also aged seven­ ty-two. They had no children. Their wills are remarkable for the number of relatives named in them, and from these their family con­ nections are identified. Hannah, at that time, being the wife of William Taylor, is men­ tioned in the wil1s, and so is _her sister Susan, the wife of John Scotchford, both of them being daughters of Robert's deceased brother George. The Merriam, Sheaffe and Chittenden relatives are also mentioned. Hannah's other uncle Joseph located in Concord, where he died, on January 1, 1641, leaving a wife and children. He came in the adventure with his cousin Thomas Ruck, senior, of London, and William Hatch, of Scituate, in July of 1636. By 1750, the name Axtell beca1ne extinct in the history of Marl­ borough, as most of the family had moved elsewhere. Henry's widow was the mother of the following children : Samuel, born March 27, 1666; was eleven years old in 1677; evidently died before 1683. Hannah, born November 18, 1667; was nine years old in 16 77; untraced. Mary,· born August 8, 1670; was married, May 25, 1698, to Zachariah Newton, grandson of Richard Newton who came from England in 1640. Thomas, born April 16, 1672; died at Grafton, Mass .. De­ cember 18, 1750; married Sarah Baker, of Concord, Mass., November 2, 1697; moved about 1735 to Has­ sanomisco, now (;rafton, Ma'is. DANIEL, our lineal ancestor. Sarah, born September 18, 1675; evidently died an infant. Authorities consulted: ''The Axtell Record,'' by Ephraim Sand­ ers Axtell; "The Axtell Family in America," by Rev. Seth Jones Axtell, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; "Notes on the Axtell Family," by William S. Appleton, A. M., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; ''The Axtell Line in the Daggett and Allied Families," by E. C. Finley, in the Americana; "History of Marlborough," by Charles Hud~on; "Mer­ riam Genealogy in England and America,'' by Charles Henry Pope; ''The Merriam Family and Connections," by William S. Appleton, A. M., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Reiister; "Sheaffe Family in England and New England," by Walter K. Watkins. Esq., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Regis­ ter; research work by a Massachusetts genealogist, and the probated wills. 12 THE AXTELL LINEAGE

DANIEL8 AXTELL was born in Marlboro, Massachusetts, No­ vember 4, 1673, and died at Berkley, Mass., in January of 1736, aged about sixty-three years. In 1695 Elder William Pratt organized a church in Dorchester, Mass., and soon after went to South Carolina where he helped plant a church as a missionary colony. In his diary he records a very hos­ pitable reception by Lady Axtell, widow of Landgrave Daniel Axtell, who came from England to South Carolina about 1680. It is probable that the Daniel of ,Marlboro, then a young man, ac­ companied the elder on this trip to South Carolina. He married there Thankful, only daughter of the elder and his wife Elizabeth, on May 12, 1702, and lived there till about 1707, when he returned to Massachusetts with his family and became a large landowner in Berkley, then a part of Dighton and Taunton. Thankful was born in Weymouth, Mass., on October 4, 1683. A quitclaim dated March 16, 1703, from ''Daniel, of Carolina, in ye county of Bartly, upon (the) Ashley river," was made out in fa­ vor of his brother Thomas, "of ye Town of Marlborough," in Mass­ achusetts, transferring to him all his rights and claims whatsoever in the estate of his ''Hon' red Father's, Henry Axtell." "William Holmes, Rebeckah Axtell (and) Eliza(beth) Warring" signed their names as witnessing the transfer. It was placed on record first at Charleston, S. C., on April 20, 1704, and then at Marlborough, Mass. , date not given. It is now preserved in East Cambridge, Mass. Below is the contents of the quitclaim: Know all men by these pr ( e) sen ts that I, Daniel Axtell, of Caro­ lina, in ye County of Bartly, upon (the) Ashley River, yeoman, For and in consideration of ye Sum of Forty pounds, in good and Cur­ r( e)nt Money of New England, to me in hand, well and truly, paid by Thomas Axtell, of ye Town of Marlburrough, in the County of Midd(lese)x, in ye Province of ye Massachusetts Bay, in New En­ gland, husbandman, The receipt whereof, I, the said Daniel· Axtell, Do, by these pr(e)sents, acknowledge therewith to be fully Satisfied, Contented and well paid, * * and Every part and parcell thereof, By these pr(e)sents, Have and hereby Do for mySelfe, my heires, Executors (and) Administrators _fully, freely, Clearly and ab­ solutely Remise, Release & forever Quitclaims unto ye above named THE AXTELL LINEAGE 13

Thomas Axtell, in his peaceable Possession and to his heires, _Ex­ ecutors, Administrators, or Assignes forever, all my Estate, Rights, Title, Interest, Inheritance, Claims, and Possession whatsoever of, to and in that Estate which was my Hon(o)red Father(')s, Henry Axtell, of the Town of Marlburrough, above mentioned, and Every part and parcell thereof, either by virtue of heirship or by any other wayes or means whatsoever, and also from all bills, bonds, writing obligatory Debts, Duties, accounts, and all other bargaines, (and) Contracts of w (h)atsoever Kind, yt had been made between me (and) ye above mentioned Thomas Axtell, my Brother, relating to iny part of my Father(' )s Inheritance in New England, and by and from all other things, from ye begin (n) ing of the world unto this Day. In witness whereof I, the s (ai) cl Daniel Axtell, have here­ unto Set my hand and Seal, this Sixteenth Day of March, Anno Do­ min(i ), 170%; and in ye First year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lady Anne, by ye Grace of God, over England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Queen Defender of ye Faith, &c.-(Signed), Dan(ie)I Axte1l & a Seal.-Signed, Sealed & Delivered In ye pre(s) ence of us, William Holmes, Rebeckah Axtell (and) Eliza(beth) Warring. Memorandum, that this 16th Day of March, 1702/43, Came before me, Dan(ie)l Axtell, and did Signe (and) Seal, and as his act & De~d, Deliver the above written bill of Saile in (the) pr(e)sence of Wm. Holmes, Rebeckah Axtell & Eliz(abeth) Warrin~ (as) wit­ nesses.-Charlestowne, Aprill 20th day, 1704. -Is(aac) Warring. A clause in Lady Axtell' s will leaving property to her ''Kinsman Daniel Axtell, in New England,'' also shows the relationship,-first cousins-in-law. This Lady Axtell seems to have died soon after 1720, leaving according to the recitals in several deeds, a will dated April 5, 1720. Her will was sought for in South Carolina, but does not appear on record. The thought naturally ·was that there may thus be a copy extant in New England, but when seeking in the rec­ ords there it failed to bear fruit. Apparently the important document was taken away for some discussion or solution, and never returned, as such occurrences were not uncommon. If the clause as represent­ ed above is correctly quoted, then it is good evidence that there was some relationship between Landgrave Daniel Axtell and the Daniel Axtell who came from New England with the Dorchester settlers, and had lived not far from Lady Axtell. After the return of the New England Daniel Axtell to Mas~achusetts he kept up business re­ lations with Lady Axtell until her death. It is the belief that this Lady Axteil, found in South Carolina in 1700, was the widow of Daniel, who was thought to be a son of Van­ iel Axtell the regicide, who was beheaded in 1660. On the contra­ ry, Seth J. Axtell, the family compiler, contends that the landgrave could not have been the son of the regicide, since he had a daughter of age in 1678, as appears from his will made that year in England. 14 THE AXTELL LINEAGE

This English Daniel was a man of prominence in the colony, being one of the landgraves. As a merchant of London he was granted lands in South Carolina about 1680, and upon the nomination of John Archdale, Esq., he was elected a landgrave of Carolina by the Lords­ Proprietors on August 10, 1681. He came to South Carolina about this time, but died within a year or two, his son Holland succeeding him as landgrave. He was a member of the dissenting church at Stoke Newington, Middlesex Co., near London, England, and his will, made in London on August 3, 1678 and proved on July 2, 1687, in which he is described as "late of Stoke Newington, Middlesex, but of Carolina, deceased," was recorded in Charleston, S. C., in 1692. His widow Lady Rebecca Axtell resided at her plantation, New­ ington, near the site of the present town of Summerville, for some years subsequent to the death of her husband. It was evidently there that she made her residence and her home, the town being generally known as Newington as early as 1696, and no doubt from the so-call­ ed Stoke Newington where Landgrave Axtell had lived. She is fre­ quently referred to in the records and deeds of the time as "Lady," "Dame," and "Madame" Rebecca Axtell, or simply Lady Axtell. It is probable that the settlement at Newington was made under the original warrant to her husband for one thousand acres, or to her for twenty-nine hundred acres. The l\.1assachusetts Daniel's widow Thankful was left at his death with all of his children, with the exception of the first two who were married. Their ages were from twenty down to eight. In his will made on April 4, 1735, Daniel described himself as being ''of Dighton, in ye County of Bristoll, in ye Province of ye Massachusetts Bay, In N ( ew) England, yeoman.'' It seems that he was a sufferer from some sort of a stroke, Hwhereof he died seized of," as indicated in the inventory of his estate of February 9, 1736. Realizing that he was approaching the end of his life, and "not knowing how soon God may call me out of ye world * * (and) desir(ing) to put my house in order before _I goe hence," he had his will drawn up. (IIis) Loving wife Thankful Axtell ( was given) the use and Im­ proven1ent of the whole of my Estate, both Reall and personall, for and during her naturall life, Excepting what hereafter is otherwise disposed of by me in these presents, and my dwelling house and Barn I give to my wife to be disposed of by her, to which of my children shee shall think fitt. (His) Loveing Son Daniell Axtele ( was given) a certain tract, or parcell of land, on which he has Erected a House, Bounded as fol­ lowing, viz: Bounded Northerly partly. by the land of John Crane, and partly by the Land of Elkanah Bobbett, and extending from the THE AXTELL LINEAGE 15

Easterly end of (the) s(ai)d Line Thirty Rods, Southerly into .my farm, and then turning a square to Run a parr(a) lell line with the first mentioned line, till it comes near to a certain pond called the Lilly pond, and then crossing (the) s(ai)d lilly pond and. then to Run south Easterly along by (the) s(ai)d pond till it comes, (to a) Square with ye orchard fence, as it now stands, and then to Run southerly till it comes to the end of ye orchard fence, and then (the) s(ai)d fence to be the bound till it comes to the Count(r )y Road, or high­ way, and then (the) s(ai)d Highway to be the bound till it comes to the first mentioned Bound. (His) Loveing son William Axtile (was· given) a certain tract, or parc\!Il of land, containing :fifteen acres, be the same more or less bounded, as following, viz: Easterly upon the Land of John Briant, Northerly upon the Town highway, ._.Westerly upon the Country Road, or highway, and Southerly upon the Land of Abraham Hath­ away, as also the privilledge of a convenient tan y~rd, near the Brook, on that side of my farm next to (the) s(ai)d Abraha·m Hathaway(' s land), as also the priviledge of a drift way to·'·and from (the) s(ai)d Tan yard to the Country Road, or highway. (His) Loveing sons Daniel AxtHe,. W_illiam Axtile, Henry Axtile and Samuel Axtile ( were given each a) part of my farm that I have given the improvement ·of to my wife, during her Life, that is to them * * * after the D(e)cease of my s(ai)d wife to be Devided among them as followeth, [viz:] my Son Daniel Axtile, to have two fifths, or a Double portion out of my fanµ, with what I Have given him above the House he has Erected, not to be vallu(e)d; my son William Ax tile to have the one fifth part out of my farm, Haveing Respect to quantity, and quallity, with what I have given him, as also so much more of the land than a fifth part as shall be vallued att Twenty pounds; my son Henry Axtile * * * to have a fifth part of my s(ai)d farm, wanting so much as shall be vallued att Twenty pounds, and my son Samuell Axtile (is) to have -one full fifth part of my whole farm, Reckoning what I have given to 'my Two sons, above mentioned, as a part of it. · (His) Loveing sons Ebenezer Axtile and Thomas Axtile ( were given) the sum of Twenty Shillings each, to be payd to them by my Execut(ors), when so soon as they shall arrive att ye age of Twenty­ one years, and for this Reason I have given them no more out of my Estate, Because their Hon(ora)bl(e) mother proposes to give them ye land she is possessed of in her own Right. (His) Loveing Daughter Elizabeth Burt, ye wife of Thomas Burt, ( was given) the sum of five pounds, in BilJs of publick Credditt, to be payd to her in (a) Convenient time after the d(e)cease of my wife. by my Executor. _ (His) Loveing Daughters Rebeckah Axtile, Hannah Axtile, (and) Thankful Axtile, ( were given) the sum of forty pounds, cash to be payd to them (by) my Executors, in Bills of publick Credditt, or out of my personall Estate, the one Halfe of it, when they shall arriv~ att the age of Twenty-one years, or upon marriage, and the other Half in some Convenient time after the d ( e) cease of their_ mother, as also 16 THE AXTELL LINEAGE it is my will that my s(ai)d Daughters, or any of them should have the priviledge of the west end of my Dwelling House, that is to say the Lower Room and a Bedroom so long as they, or any of them, shall Remain unmarried. My Loveing wife Thankful axtile (and) my son Daniell Axtile (are named) sole Executo(rs) of this, (my) last will and test(a)­ ment. (The witnesses were Abraham Hathaway, Ephraim Allen and Nathaniel Fisher). The value of his "Homestead Being A Dwelling house, Barn and other Building(s) and Lands," was estimated by the appraisers at a thousand pounds. The total appraisement of his estate, both rea½ and personal, was at fourteen hundred and seventy-five pounds, ten shil­ lings and six pence. This, with the will, was submitted by the ex­ ecutors, on April 20, 1736, to the "Judge of the Probaite of wills" for record. On taking oath, they affirmed that the ''Inventory Con­ taines the whole of * (the) Estate, the said Deceased Dyed Seized of, and (if it) Come(s) to 'their Knowlidege, and When they know of any more, they will Reveal the same that it may be of Rec­ ord herewith. '' In· 1740, when three of Thankful' s youngest children were about grown up but not yet married, the family was stirred up by a desire to move to the new lands in New Jersey, beyond New York bay. Next we find by her will, dated August 29, 1749, that Widow Thankful was a resident "of the Township of Mendom, in Morris county, and West ( ern) Devision of the province of New Jersey." She must have sold her given estate at home and reinvested the pro­ ceeds upon moving there. She died sometime in September of 1749. Her son Ebenezer was at that time about twenty-four years old, and not yet married, when she gave him, by her will, "all my Reali and personal Estate,'' ordering him ''to pay all the Legacies herein­ after named,'' as executor of her will. Her son Thomas, having died some time before the will was made, she directs for "hanah Exdell, My Daughter-in-law, the providing of one Room in my now Dwelling house, During her Widowhood, with (the use of) that part of (the) Moveable Estate, named or Said to be her husband's (as if) in his life time.'' As her daughter-in-law had given Thomas a son by the Christian name of Daniel, she gave him "the s(u)m of forty pounds," to be * paid out of her es­ tate. As Hannah was ''now Great with Child'' for the second time, the will directs that ''if the Child unborn be A Daughter * then the S(ai)d (sum) of fifteen pounds be Given to it, but if {it turns out to be) a son, the a'f's'd S(u)m of foarty pounds (shall) be Equally Devided between them when they ar(r) ive (at) the age of twenty- THE AXTELL LINEAGE 17 one, with Lawful Interest (in) the Last seven years.'' The daugh­ ter-in-law was given her "Great and Little (spinning) wheels." To her grandson Ichabod Edmister she gave her "Crown Cow." To her daughter Thankful Briggs was given ''two beds and B(e)d­ (d)ing, Great Looking Glass, Little pot, mort(a)r and one of my cloth (es)." To her other daughter Rebecca Cook was given ''all the Remain­ ing part of My household f(u)rn(i)ture." "All of my wearing ap­ parel to be Equally Divided between'' Rebecca and Thankful. The will was witnessed by her sons William and Henry, and Brice Riley, a friend. It was probated on September 28, 1749. Daniel's first three chiJdren were born in Bartley county, South Carolina, and the rest in Massachusetts: Elizabeth, born April 28, 1703; died in Taunton, Mass., July 15, 1772; was wife of Thomas Burt, whose grand­ father came to Taunton, Mass., from England in 1635. Daniel, born October 24, 1704; died in Berkley, Mass., Sep­ tember 21, 1761; his first wife was Waitsti1l Babbitt who died in 1757; his second was Phebe Reed. Rebecca, born November 22, 1706; was married to Jacob Cook, of Abington, Mass., November 11, 1736; lfred in Mendham, N. J.; became a widow in 1754. Hannah, born April 10, 1710; was married to Joseph Edmis­ ter, February 18, 1741. William, born April 13, 1713; married Hannah Spooner, of Middleboro, Mass., November 2, 1739; moved to Mend­ ham, N. J., where he died before May 30, 1750. HENRY, our lineal ancestor. Samuel, born October 25, 1717; married Hannah Hathaway, of Freetown, Mass., about 1740; lived all his days in Berkley, Mass., dying on F ebrua1 y 25, 1769. Ebenezer, born March 24, 1724; lived near Mendham, N. J., but moved back to Berkley, Mass., about 1750; married Hannah Hathaway of that town October 15, 1751. Thankful, born December 8, 1725; died in 1794; was married in 1735 to Thomas Briggs, a Revolutionary war soldier. Thomas, born September 15, 1727; married Hannah, daugh­ ter of Daniel Goble, in Morris county, N. J., about 1747; died before 1749. Authorities consulted: ''The Axtell Record,'' by Ephraim Sand­ ers Axtell; "The Axtell Fatnily in America,'' by Seth Jones Axtell, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; "Notes on the Axtell Family," by William S. Appleton, A. M., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; "Landgrave Daniel P.x­ tell, '' by A. G. Sally, jr., in the South Carolina Historical and Gene­ alogical Magazine; L'Taunton (Mass.) Vital Records"; "Weymouth (Mass.) Vital Records"; and the probated wills. 18 THE AXTELL LINEAGE

HENRY4 AXTELL was born in Berkley, Massachusetts, on June 24, 1715. In 1737 he married Jemima, daughter of Benjamin Leonard of the same town, a girl some years younger than himself. After the birth of their second child his wife's father spoke of mov­ ing to the wilderness of New Jersey. Henry fell in with the idea, so did his widowed mother, his three brothers William, Ebenezer and Thomas, and several members of the Leonard family. On go­ ing to New Jersey they located in the part of Morris county which, afterwards, was organized into the ~township of Mendham in 1749. Their moving must have taken place about 1740. Ebenezer stayed there only until after the death of his mother, when he returned to Berkley, Mass., about 1750, as he is spoken of in the records of that town as being ''late of Mendom in J arzes. '' Thomas died before 1749 and William before 1650. Prior to their moving there it seems that there was living, as early as 1688, in the vicinity of Perth Amboy, N. J., a "Daniel Axtell, Esq., of Greville Street, in the Parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, Mid­ dlesex Co., England," as indicated by his will of August 19, 1734, written in England and probated at London on October 8, 1735. A copy of the will, along with ''the Lord Mayor's Certificate,'' was received at Perth Amboy on May 28, 1736, for entry on record. The will mentions his real estate in New York, in New Jersey and on the Island of Jamaica, but gives no description of any other than a piece of land, as mentioned in a deed of Samuel Spicer to Joseph Thronmorton, both of Middletown, a village east of Perth Amboy. It describes the tenth tract, containing • L6 '1Cres of meadow in (the) said (Sholl) Harbour (bounded on the) W (est by the land of) Dan­ iel Extel." The deed is dated March 21, 1687-8. The will of George Willocks of Perth Amboy, dated January 3, 1729, mentions a part of the land, ''of which some has been convey­ ed to Daniel Axtell,'' but it throws no light as to the location of the land or its whereabouts. In another part of the will is mention of the "land on (the) Passaick River," to be given to a beneficiary named in the will, if ''he removes to America,'' but it does not give the n1erest possible clue for any helpful trace. THE AXTELL LINEAGE

What induced Henry and his kindred to go to Mendham to settle we can find nothing in che above mentioned wills to help enlighten us. Henry may have heard of Daniel Axtell when he was a youth living in Berkley, Mass. It is possible, and not improbable, that Daniel came from London as early as 1685 and located in New J er­ sey. This Daniel, probably, was a relative of the Daniel of South Carolina. No attempt has been made to discover his antecedents. According to his will, he had three sons Daniel, William and Joseph. His wife Mary and Andrew Johnson, "of Amboy" are named ex­ ecutors., At the time of the moving, Jemima was quite a young woman and very attractive.. • The story runs: On their journey westward they stopped in Elizabethtown, as it was the port of entry for the northern part of New Jersey, to put up at a tavern for the night. While the men were taking care of their teams, the landlord's son, being smit­ ten by Jemima's beauty, asked her for the pleasure of her company that evening. She told him to ''·wait for her answer until her hus­ band came in when she. would see what he had to say about it." The feelings of the young man can better be imagined. Upon settling near Mendham, Henry followed the blacksmithing trade, as in the "History of Morris County, (N. J.)," he is spoken of as "Henry the blacksmith." He was also known as a maker of guns, as this occupation is mentioned in a deed of 1751. His home­ ~tead and shop were near the estate of the Drakes on the road lead­ ing from Mendham to Morristown, as indicated in ·a mortgage under date of September 11, 1751,: once in the possess-ion of John Drake. Somewhere on the same road, probably not far away, lived his father­ in-law Benjamin Leonard. .The road is said to have been originally a bridle path, or an Indian trail between Roxiticus and West Han­ over, the latter being now the town of Morristown. The term ''ham," as appears in the name of the village, is good old Anglo-Saxon, which has been a termination of names of most of the towns in old England. Originally, . Mentjham _was a part of Roxiticus, and its name seems to have been, acc_o!9ing to tradition, the result of a pioneer's uttera~ce in ~aying ··''I' U mend 'em" that brought it into existence. Jn the first session :book it is written "Mendom," and in deeds it is found to spell ''Mendum," evid~ntly --~ meaning "my home." .. , ... _:; .; ·

When and by \\'hom 1 Mendham was first settled cannor be defi­ nitely ascertained. The earliest date that can be established by any record is about 1738, when the first settler was known to have been James Wills, who bought land at Ralstonville from "the Proprie- · 20 THE AXTELL LINEAGE tors." By 1740 the population had largely increased, among whom were found families with the names of Beach, Baldwin, Condit, Loree, Dodd and others. If these names are any indication of the locality from whence they came, those with the nomenclature of the families in Essex county, would show that they undoubtedly had mi­ grated from that county, the home of their forefathers. Soon after, the names of Axtell and Leonard appeared among.those early settlers. They were once quite numerous, but have disappeared-not quite completely from the locality since 1850. On August 17, 1751, '~Henry Axtell, Gunsmith, and Jemime Ax­ tell, his wife," for a consideration of one hundred and ninety pounds sterling, deeded over to Joseph Guerin, blacksmith, a piece of land: Beginning at a stake, at the South east corner of a Certain piece of meadow, formerly purchased by Joseph Thom ( p) son, deceased, of Benjamin Leonard, deceased,- and from thence running North 63 degrees, West 88 rods by the sajd meadow to a stake; th ( ence) South 15 degrees, West 96 rods to a foar-Rod Road, and so along the road Southerly, as it now runs 21 rods & ½ to the line of the said Joseph G(u)erin(' )s Lott of land, which Iott of land he pur­ chased of Thomas G(u)erin, as, by his deed for the same may ap­ pear, and from thence along (the) said G(u)erin(')s line East to a stake, and from thence North two degrees, East along (the) said G( u) erin (' )s line to the first mentioned stake, Containing, in the whole, foarty-six acres, be {it) the same more or less. (The wit­ nesses were Stephen Dodd and Brice Riley). It seems that, by the unexpected expiration of the life of Joseph Thompson, payment on the land he bought of Jemima's father was not made. As her father was already dead, the estate went to her, she being the heiress, and later with the approval of her husband, the sale was made to Joseph Guerin, so that the latter might possess more land, as he and the deceased Benjamin Leonard were neighbors. Henry carried on his '~ smithy" trade until sickness laid him low and death followed, when a young man of thirty-eight years, before the closing year of 1754. He left in the hands of his widow, three boys and four girls to rear, whose ages ranged from sixteen to one year old. The widow aft~i:wards became the wife of Matthew Lumm, and had several children by him. She was born in Taunton, Mass., on May 8, 1717, and lived to a great age, more than ninety. She died at the home of a Mr. J aphet Byram, one mile north of the village of Mendham. Henry made his will on November 6, 1754, expressing his desire that part of his: THE AXTELL LIN.EAGE 21

Lands, goods * (or) Chattels be sold, (the executors using) their discretion as may be necessary for discharging debts and (fu­ neral) charges (first, and then his) beloved wife Jemima Axtell ( was to) have the use and improvement of my House and of the remainder of my Lands, goods and chattels that shall not be sold * * until my son Henry arrives to the age of twenty-three years of his life, * * (and) a double share, or part of the estate (to be divided) * * to each of my other children, viz: Phebia, Hannah, J en1i­ ma, Bethannah, Calvin and Luther, (in) equal part or share thereof. The witnesses of the will were Caleb Baldwin, Isaac Babbit and Jacob Cooke, and the executors were Ebenezer Byram, John Cary, Isaac Babbit and Thomas Briggs. It was probated on January 28, 1755. With the exception of the first two, all of the children of Henry were born near Mendham. Their names were: HENRY, our lineal ancestor. Phebe, born in Plymouth county, Mass., about 1740; was married to Daniel Drake in Morristown, N. J., Decem­ ber 27, 1759. Hannah, born about 1742; was married to Zephaniah Burt, May 29, 1764. Jemima, born about 1744; was married to John Hathaway, November 6, 1763. Bethana, born about 1746; was married to Artemas Day, of Mendham, in Morristown, N. J., January 21, 1767. Calvin, born January 21, 1751; married Mary,· daughter of Capt. Timothy Mills, November 27, 1771; never moved away from Morris county; died December 20, 1816. Luther, born April 22, 1753; died in Washington county, Pa., June 2, 1822; married Hannah, daughter of Philip Condit, a cousin of Mrs. Henry5 Axtell, June 10, 1778. Authorities consulted: "The Axtell Family in America," by Rev. Seth Jones Axtell; "The Axtell Record," by Ephraim Sanders Axtell; W. W. Munsell' s "History of Morris County, N. J. "; the "Combined Registers of Morristown (N. J.) First Presbyterian Church"; "Two Loree Bibles," in the BN ew York Genealogical and Biographical Record''; and the probated wills. 22 THE AXTELL LINEAGE

HENRY 5 AXTELL was born probably in Berkley, Massachu­ setts, March 16, 1738. When he was about three years old his father moved to Mendham, N. J., where Henry's life was spent on a farm. He was~,,._lad of sixteen when his fad1er died. He probably learned the ''smith/:'~- trade, but there is no record to confirm this. He was married twice.• His first wife was Mary Beach, the wedding taking place on June 18, 1760. They lived within the bounds of the Mendham Presbyterian congregation; though it was four miles to the meeting-house, they were regular church attendants. Some time in 1766 his wife died leaving in his care three small children-Hannah born in 1761; Mary in 1763, and David in 1765. Being thus situated, it could not be expected that he would remain a widow~'r very long. Not far from where he lived ~s a young wid­ ow by the name of Mrs. Phebe Day, of good re.vort and comely to look upon. Her maiden name was Condit, she being a daughter of Peter8 Condit., She was born in Morristown, N. J. on June 25, 1740, and was ma~d to... Silas Day on June 27, 1759. They lived together for nearly four years when he died on March 31, 1763, leav­ ing her a childless widow of only twenty-three years of age, though she had burie'cl~' daughter in 1761 and a son in 1762. • She had been ~dow of more than three years when Henry, a widower of a little over twenty.:.eight years of age, asked her to be a mother to his motherless little ones. When he made the proposal she expressed no repugnance to him personally, but told him that she_ could not think o{ taking the responsibility of being a stepmother. To overcome her objection, he volunteered the dastardly suggestion that snuffing the lives out of his young ones would seem the only solution. :eut rather than permitting so b?rbarous a deed on his part, she agreed to marry him on January 7, 1767, in Morristown; and tradition fays that she made a most exemplary and excellent wife, stepmother and mother. Their union was blessed with two sons and three daughters. About the time of his first marriage he settled on a small farm, about half way between Morristown and Mendham. By repeated ad­ ditions made by himself and his son Silas· of the second marriage, it THE AXTELL ·LINEAGE 23 became a far~ of more than one hundred acres, besides several out­ lying lots. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary war, nearly half of it belonged to a man who would not take sides with the patriots and was, therefore, ranked among the Tories. At the close of the war the farm was confiscated by the Continental government and sold, Henry being the purchaser. But it was soon seen that Henry was not capable of managing so large a farm alone, and it was concluded best that his son/ now mar­ ried, should remain with him. As the son had learne4.'the uade of carpentry in all its,branches, he built himself an add.it'ion to his fa­ ther's residenc~. and moved into it with his young wife. In after years, when -his family became too large to be comfortable in the old­ fashion_ed one-story house, he tore down the original dwelling, built by his father about the year 1760, and erected a large two-story building in its place, calculated to accommodate his own family and that of his father. In order to carry on his trade to the best advan­ tage he built a large shop convenient to his house, where he and his apprentices spent the winter months doing the joinery work for dwellings to be erected during the summer season. In those days doors, sashes, blinds and mouldings had to be made by hand, an~ the construction of a well-finished dwelling required a great deal ,of time and hard work. / Henry became a man of prominence and influence. in the com~ munity in which he lived. When the Revolqaon.ary war broke out ,. . .he took a decided stand for the independence of the coloni~ and was a sterling patriot throughout the struggle. He was in_,.an organi.:. zation composed of the citizens of Mendham, knowjl as ''Minute Men,'' whose duty it •was to hold themselves in readfness to assemble at a moment's notice to repel an invasion by the British soldiers, who were stationed at Staten Island and made frequent raids into adjacent counties. ·Although they made several attempts they never succeeded in invading Morris county. The organization was deeply interested in the heroic struggle and was absolutely true to the cause of American freedom. This organization, eimer in its entirety, or in· part, th course of time became attached to the first regiment in the ''Eastern Eattal.:. ion." under the command of Colonel Jacob Ford, Jr., with Henry as a captain, by order of the ''Council of Safety, Upon the recom­ mendation of the Committee of Morris county. '' They marched to Elizabethtown, where they were stationed in the months of Novem­ ber and December of 1776. . As the result of an act of November 27, under. the authority of the Provincial Congress, four regiments of 24 THE AXTELL LINEAGE state troops were in course of being fitted up to consist of military companies, comprising two from the county of Bergen, three from Essex and three from Morris, to be embodied in Brigadier General Mattias Williamson's brigade. Henry was still in Colonel Jacob Ford, jr' s ·regiment when he was promoted to the rank of major, sometime prior to the twenty-second of November, his commission to expire on April 1, 1777. He is recorded as ''thirty-seven years of age,'' though he was actually thirty-nine at the time. A pension claim application of a war veteran, who settled in Ohio long after the war, was submitted in 1833. It mentions his service as being at '~ Alizabeth Town and Point," on November 22, 1776, under the command of Major Henry Axtell, pertaining to the collec._.. tion of arn1s for use in the militia. It indicates that the military com­ panies were dispatched there to be mobilized and to receive accou­ trements, arms, munitions and the like. At the bureau of pensions in the ,United States Department of the Interior, there are approximately eighty thousand Revolutionary war pension claims filed alphabetically, according to the full names of the soldiers, but there is no way to determine the one in which Major Axtell' s name, if any, might appear to cite under whose command they served. Henry remained with the state troops and saw service until the un­ timely death from exposure of the brave and intrepid Jacob Ford, jr., on January 10, 1777. Ellis Cook was appointed on February the first to succeed him as commander. But on authority from the Pro­ vincial Congress, Lieut-Colonel Oliver Spencer, the next in rank, was promoted to fill the vacancy on February the third, relegating Ellis Cook back to his old rank. The elevation to take command of the whole troops seemed to vex one, Major Henry Dey, so much that he turned in his resignation, and to his place Henry Axtell was appointed. For an unexplained reason Henry, either promptly, or later, followed the same precedent, and another officer was appoint­ ed to take his place on March 15, 1777. On leaving the service Henry returned home, though still loyal to the Continental government. On two occasions when the Hessians, under the command of Gen. Knyphausen, attempted to capture Mor­ ristown, like all the farmer-soldiers, Henry was there ''on the spot,'' with his inseparable and faithful musket; and the general found him­ self run into a nest of American hornets and ''beat a hasty retreat.'' The following pasquinade, in ridicule of the British second attempt to reach Morristown, was publicly posted in New York city on August 12, 1780, and afterwards printed in a magazine in London in 1781: THE AXTELL LINEAGE 25

Old Knip-(Knyphausen) And old Clip-( Gen. Robertson) Went to the Jersey shore The rebel rogues to beat; But at Yankee Farms, They took the alarms At little harms, And quickly did retreat, Then, after two days' wonder, Marched boldly to S pringtield town, And sure they'd knock the rebels down; But as their foes Gave them some blows, They, like the wind, Soon changed their mind, And in a crack Returned back From not one third their number. The remarkable fact remains that the enemy never reached the county, except now and then as a marauding party. Before the spring of 1780, Henry was in the service of the quartermaster gener­ al's department at Morristown, obtaining wood which the army need­ ed, and received his pay in depreciated Continental currency. The "old major," as he was popularly known, was a large, heavy­ built man, having an unusually large head, with a thick thatch of cur­ ly brown hair. His voice was so strong and loud that it could be heard a mile away. He had a keen sense of humor and enjoyed nothing better than a good joke; many an anecdote was told of him by his neighbors. During the last year of his life he was a great suf­ ferer from gravel, which resulted in his death on April 6, 1818, at the age of eighty years. He was buried in the graveyard of the Pres­ byterian church at Mendham, where his headstone may still be seen. The church was under the supervision of the Presbytery of New York. On October 10, 1776, a meeting· was held there. A reso­ lution was passed recommending that a part of one Thursday in every month should be· observed as a season of special prayer on ac­ count of the gloomy state of public affairs, and ''to mingle thanks with our prayers for our innumerable mercises. '' It was written in 1776, at the time when New York was in the hands of the enemy after the defeat at Brooklyn, which produced such great discouraging effects that the country seemed to be going to pieces, yet those men could find something, withal, for thanksgiving. During the winter of 1779-80, the Continental army was encamp­ ed en the heights, near Washington Corners, where the remains of 26 THE AXTELL LINEAGE the fire-places belonging to the soldiers' long rude huts may still be seen. The old church was stripped of its pews, and for some time it was used as a hospital, as many of the sick soldiers were housed inside, only to be carried off by disease and buried in the churchyard, their graves still being conspicious by the absence of memorial stones. What disease it was is not specified in Barker and Howe's '' Histori­ cal Collections of New Jersey," the mere statement being that the, men were filthy and infested with vermin. It is known that small­ pox was raging in those days, not only among the soldiers but also among the citizens. Henry's will was orally dictated on March 17, 1818, as he ·was weak in body. but knowing that his days were numbered. He made bequests as follows : My beloved wife Phebe Axtell, in addition to the right of dower at common law, (is given) all my moveable Estate of every kind and description whatever, after my Fµneral expences and all my Just Debts are paid. (David Axtell, son by his first marriage, was granted) the privilege of cuttin~ and useing, as occasion shall require for the use of his fire, all the Wood, or Timber belonging to me in the hollow dismal as far as Clark'·s line on the West, and to the brow of the hill to the East, that is so far up the hill that the wood cannot conveniently be got(ten) off the other way, and likewise the use and occupancy of that lot of land, tenements, heredetaments and real Estate whereon he now lives during his natural life. (And) ten Dollars to be paid to him within one year after my decease. Silas Axtell (is given) all my lands, tenements, heredetiments and real Estate whatsoever and wheresoever, subject to the right of dower in the name of his Mother. Henry Axtell (is given) Two Hundred Dollars to be paid to him within four years after my decease, or sooner, if convenient. Five daughters Hannah Mesier and Mary Ludlow of his first mar­ riage, and Lurany Beach, Phebe Clark and Rhoda Cory of his sec­ ond marriage, were given ''Fifty Dollars each, to be paid within five years. , ' Grandson Henry Axtell, son of David by his first marriage, was to have ''Twenty dollars within six years,'' and granddaughter Matilda Axtell, ''twenty dollars within three years.'' His son Silas Axtell and his ''trusty and well beloved friend Jesse Upson'' were named to act as executors of his will. The making of the document was witnessed by Charles Thompson, Charles Roff and Phebe C. Roff. It was probated on April 24, 1818. The ap­ praisement of his estate was not submitted until June 7, 1819. With the notes and chattels it amounted to f~ur hundred and seventy-two dollars and thirty-eight cents. THE AXTELL LINEAGE 27

Phoebe, his second wife, was a wel1-proportioned, muscular wo­ man, above medium height. She belonged to one of the most prom­ inent families in Morris county at that time. When young she wa-s more than ordinarily good looking. She survived Henry more than eleven years, dying at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Rhoda Cory, near Morristown, in the evening of July 6, 1829, aged eighty-nine years. She was buried in the Presbyterian church yard at Morris­ town. She was the mother of eight children, only two of whom survived her. She was a woman of energy and intelligence, possessing a better education than had the average woman in the community in which she lived. She practiced midwifery throughout the surrounding country, and many were the long rides she took in the night on horseback to attend her patients. After she became old she still o·f­ :ficiated professionally at the births of a number of her great-grand­ children. By her will of May 26, 1820, she describes herself as "widow of Mendham, in the county. of morris, and state of new jersey,'' and gives directions for the distribution of her bequests: It is (my) will that all my Just debts be paid; it is my will that after making my three Daughters equal with Mary Ludlow, I mean the Legacy which she had from her Aunt Canfield, then what is left to be divided equal (ly) between mary ludlow, lurany beach, phebe Clark and rhoda Cora, except what I hereafter dispose of. I give mary ludlow the round Dineing table, I give Lurany, phebe and rhoda my three feather beds and table-Spoons equal(ly ); my wearing apparrel (s) I wish to be divided Between my above said four Daugh­ ters, and it is my will that if either of my Daughters should be taken away by Death that their part shall de(s)cend to their Surviveing daughters, and for the good will I have for my other four Daughters & matilda Cary, I give out of my close or !inning, as may be thought best, a small present {of) two dollars. I give anna beach the bed her Dear mother \\'ould have had if living. And I do appoint my 8on­ in-law Simeon Cora to be my executor, fully authoriseing him to col­ lect what he finds (money) due (me) and divide the same as above, and I fully authorise ebenezer fairchild or John Smith either or both of them to assist if they should be needed. The will bears her own signature as "phebe Axtell." Stephen Day and Jacob T. Axtell witnessed the drawing up of the instru­ ment. By a later codicil of December 6, 1824, she revoked the ap­ pointment of Ebenezer Fairfield and John Smith as her executors, and appointed Isaac Clark in their stead; the witnesses being Henry A. Cory and Anna Cory. Probably being feeble and her eyesight being poor, her name was written for her, with self marking ''X'' 28 THE AXTELL LINEAGE between. The will was entered on record on September 16, 1829, and later, on January 5, 1830. The children of Henry by his second marriage were: Lurana, born October 20, 1767; died April 6, 1820; was mar­ ried to Samuel Beach, in January of 1788. · Silas, born April 5, 1769; died of bilious colic, near Zanes­ ville, Ohio, September 29, 1823, while on his way to visit his oldest son in Jersey township, Licking county, Ohio; married Elizabeth, only child of Samuel Loree, January 9, 1791; served in the War of 1812; was lieu­ tentant-colonel of New Jersey state militia when he re­ signed on February 17, 1815. Phebe, born June 23, 1771; died October 1, 1832; was mar­ ried, January 6, 1793, to Isaac Clark, whose grand­ parents came to Long Island from England some time before 1720. Henry, D. D., a graduate of Princeton college, born June 9, 1773; died February 17, 1829; was granted a license, on April 17, 1797, to marry Hannah, daughter of Daniel Cook; moved to Geneva, N. Y., where he founded Geneva college. RHODA, our lineal ancestress. Joseph, born March 14, 1777; died when almost eight weeks old. Authorities consulted: "Axtell Family in America," by Rev. Seth Jones Axtell; ''The Axtell Record,'' by Ephraim Sanders Axtell; "Historic Morristown, New Jersey," by Andrew M. Sherman; W. W. Munsell' s "History of Morris County, N. J. "; "New Jersey Marriage Records, 1665-1800," by William Nelson; ''Combined Registers of Morristown (N. J.) First Presbyterian Church,'' and the probated wills. RHO DA 6 AXTELL: See the life story of Simeon 6 Cory in the Cory lineage.-Volume I., Page 106.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 Thomas Axtell, born, 1619; died 1646; wife,, , Mary~ 2 , , , ,, 3 Henry 1641; 1676; , , HanBah Merriam. 3 , , , , ,, 4 Daniel 1673; 1736; , , Thankful Pratt. 4 , , , , , , 4 Henry , , 1715; ,, 1754; Jemima Leonard. 5 ,, ., 4 Henrv 1738; 1818; , , Phoebe Condit. 6 , , ,, 6 Sime~n Cory,, , ,, 1774; , , 1847; , , Rhoda Axtell. James7 1801; 1880; Susan7 Mulford. TH·E MERRIAM LINEAGE 29

WILLIAM1 MERRIAM, the first on the family line of whom there is any cenain knowledge, and from whom the numbering of the generations in the book of the Merriam genealogy proceeds, was a resident of the county of Kent, in England, for many years. In the "Kentish Lay Subsidy Rolls" the M·erriam compiler finds several entries which definitely point to William as a clothier, living in Tude­ ley in 1598 and 1599. Also there are entries and amounts in goods records in the years 1600, 161"0, 1611 and 1620 in books, slightly varying and with slight changes in the spe1ling of his name. No mention of his ever doing business at Hadlow appears in the records. Tudeley, where the family was first discovered and where his son Joseph had his home at the time of his death, is a little hamlet close to the town of Tunbridge, and only at a short distance from the fa­ mous watering place of the Tunbridge Wells. The medicinal waters at the hamlet come out through the rocks, as they do at the celebrat­ ed town. There is no mention of any imponant lines of business there. A clothier living in this place has to travel a long way about to gather much cloth, as was the-ease in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. To-day, hop-growing and strawberry-raising occupy the people more than does sheep-keeping, and there are no hand-looms in operation there at present. In the deeds of land, the only equivalent of which is in ''The F e~t of Fines'' in the early English records, there is found the following faw suit which must refer to the man we are considering: .A. D. 1614, Easter term, II (in the reign of) James I., John Stylman and George Wymble, plaintiffs vs. William Myriam and Sa­ ra, his wife. One messuage, three stables, one garden, one orchard, two acres of arable land, one acre of meadow and one acre of pasture in Sevenoaks, co. Kent. Sevenoaks is half a dozen miles nonheast from Tunbridge, situated on a ridge of sand-hills which divides the county into the Upland and the Weald; it is airy and healthful, with fine views of the country; it is a market town and is the seat of a famous school. Several families of distinction have their estates in the vicinity. Perhaps this property had come into the Merriam family through 30 THE MERRIAM LINEAGE

Sara, William's wife, and was now being turned into money to be used in the business of the ''clothier,'' this being William's business, as it is seen from a document which has been found relating to him. A "clothier" was a man who combined the various departments of cloth-making and handled the products. The carder prepared the wool for the spinner; the weaver passed his pieces over to the webs­ ter and fuller; the tucker got things in shape for the shearman; and the clothier criticized, accepted or rejected, adjusted the prices of the cloths and put them on the market. One of the ancient guilds of old Devonshire, at Exeter, was ''The Guild of Weavers, Fullers, Tuckers, and Shearmen,'' whose records the Merriam compiler ex­ amined in 1887. Clothiers generally were men who understood the entire process of manufacturing cloth, and who were also cloth mer­ chants; the trade, or business implied a person of large brain, strong grasp of details and good sagacity. It was also usually very profit­ able, so that clothiers were often wealthier than the gentry, as well as more intelligent and virtuous. The will of William Merriam was first discovered in modern times by William Summer Appleton, Esq., of Boston, and printed in the pages of Charles Pierce Merriam's ''Collections,'' which we have placed between the descriptions of towns and places. He was buried at Hadlow, England, on September 23, 1635. His will opens as fol­ lows: In the name of God, Amen, the eighth daie of September, in the yeare of our Lord Christ, one thousand six hundred (and) thirty and five, I, William Merriam, of Hadlow, in the County of Kent, Cloth­ ier, being of sound and good memory And in reasonabl (y) good health of body, but aged And thereby, as well as by (the) day lie ex­ amples, and the consideracon of man(' s) mortalitye, put (me) in mynde of my last end and departure * (from) this world, for the set(t)ling of that estate wherewith God hath blessed mee, doe ordayne and make this my Testament and last Will in Manner fol­ lowinge: First, therefore, commending my soule to the gra(c)ious acceptance of Almightie God through Jesus Christ, my Saviour, And my Bodie to the Earth, in decent manner to be buried; I will to the poore of Hadlowe, Tenn shillings. William lived to a period when he called himself ''aged,' '-a word which has been applied to people all the way from fifty to a hundred years of age but which, in general, suggests the neighborhood of seventy-five. ·whether he carried on his business at Hadlow, or was living there in well-earned comfort after a busy career at Tudeley, where his oldest son was residing, the compiler could not say, be­ cause his will does not mention any builqings or apparatus belonging to the clothier's trade. THE MERRIAM LINEAGE. 31

Hadlow, the family home, where the discovery of the precious will connecting Old and New England together for this family was made, is four miles northeast of Tunbridge and thus very near Tu­ deley. It lies in the Weald and has no special local attractions ex­ cept the Hadlow Castle, whose fine mansion and lofty. towers are very interesting, and quite puts its warlike features out of mind: Fruit, wheat, hop-raising, and the sheep industry in a small way, are the occupations of the people. The country is beautiful and attrac­ tive. The will concerns itself with the division of the estate : To Sara, my loveinge wife, (l' give) all the household stuffe of myne which is in my nowe dwelling house, scituate (on) Barnes (S)treete, in Hadlowe, aforesaid; * * * the said Sara, my wife, (is to have) The five pounds p(e)r Annum, which she is to be paid out of my landes, in Goodherst, in the County of Kent, dur­ inge her naturall life, And allsoe * * Three pound es, p(e )r annu(m ), of lawfull English money, to be paid to her during her naturall life, [halfe yearely, by equall porcons] out of my tenement(s) and lands in Yaldinge, in the said County, And for defaulte of pay­ ment thereof to her, accordinglie, I will that •it shall and may be law­ full, to and for my said wife and her assignes, to enter and ~istreyn e upon (the) said tenement(s) and landes, or any parte thereof, And the distresse and distresses to hold and deteyile vntill the said Annuity of three poundes shall be paid unto her from tyme to tyme, according to the purport of this, my Will, And further I will that my said wife shall freely and quietly have her dwelling & abidinge in my dwellinge house aforesaid, after my decease, during the whole terme of her natumll life, ·with fre·e howse ingresse, egresse, and recourse to and from the same, And into and from the gardens and orchards for herbs, water and for her Bring(ing), Bakeing, Washing, dryeinge and the like needful occasions. Goudhurst, in which William owned land, is four miles northwesr from Cranbrook, five miles south from the Marden station on the Southampton railway, and fony-three miles from London. Most of the town is situated on a fine ridge, four hundred and nineteen feet above the sea level, commanding a broad prospect. Ir has long been a prosperous farming town. .. ,• Yalding, another place where the family owned property, is_pn low ground, near the confluence of the Beult and T eise, with the naviga­ ble Medway, and is often swept by water in the wet seasons; has a railroad station a mile from the village toward Tunbridge; is one of the most extensive hop-growing districts of Kent in these days; was a quiet agricultural region in the time of William. The division of the will goes on: To Susan, my daughter, already pref erred, fifty shillings; to my 32 THE MERRIAM LINEAGE

daughter Margarit, likewise preferred alre(a)dy, the like sume of fifty shillings; to my daughter Joane, already preferred, one shillinge; to Sara, my daughter, the sume of fortie pound es of lawfull English money, to be paid unto her within three monethes next after my de­ cease, by mine executor hereafter .( to be) named. To my sonne Joseph Mirriam, all such household stuffe as I shall have at the time of my decease, remayning and being in the howse wherein he now dwelleth, scituate in T ewdly, or elsewhere he * shall then dwell, being in his custody or possession; * * * and to his heirs and assignes for ever, All my Landes and Tenements lying in Yalding, in the Countie of Kent, with the(m) and every of theire appurten(a)n(c)es, charged with the before-mentioned Annui­ tie of them poundes \villed to my said wife, as aforesaid, to be paid unto her. To William M irriam, my grandchilde, sonne of the said Joseph, my sonne, five shillings. To George Merriam, my sonne, five poundes, and to his daughter Mary, my goddaughter, five shillings. To William Howe, my grandchild, Tenn shillings, And to every childe of his father Thomas Howe, which he had (by) my daughter, his late deceased wife, I will five shillings. . All which Legacyes before (b)y mee bequeathed, (but) [not as­ signed to anie tyme of payment], I will shalbe paid within one whole (year) next after my decease. And if anie Legatorie before-narr:ed (and) shalbe then within age, I will my executor shall paie it to the parent of such Legatorye, and so (it) shalbe discharged thereof, And as touchinge my lands and tenements, this is alsoe the last Will of mee, the said William Merriam, made and declared the daie and year first above-written. To Robert Merriam, my sonne, and to his heires and assignes for­ ever, all that Messuage of Tenement, wherein I nowe dwell, scitu­ ate, lying and being in Hadlowe aforesaid, with the Barnes, Out­ houses, Yardes, Gardens, Orchards And all my Landes thereto be- · longing, And alsoe all other my Landes, Tenem(en)ts and heredita­ ments, with the(m) and every of theire appurten(a)n(c)es, lying and being in Hadlowe aforesaid, To hold to the said Robert, his heires and Assignes for ever, He and they sufferinge my wife to have her dwelling and the Easements and com(m)odityes aforesaid, To * which Robert, my sonne, I will and give all my Goods and Chattels not formerly bequeathed, To hold to him, his executors and Assignes for ever, And I doe ordeyne & make the said Robert the full and sole Executor of this, my testament & last Will, sealed with my Seale, Dat~d the daie and yeare, first before-written. -The marke of the said William Mirriam. -Sealed, subscribed and declared in the presence of Thomas Humphrey.-John Hopper, no(ta)rie p(u)b­ (li)q (u) e. No records of the marriage or marriages of William Merriam nor of the births of his children are obtainable. Though the records of many parishes in the region about Hadlow have been examined by the Merriam researcher, fruitlessly, still there is reason for the hope THE MERRIAM LINEAGE 33 that son1e parish not yet searched may prove to have been where the family home was located while William was passing along his early manhood and bringing up his family. The ancestry of Wil1iam is, as yet, not fully established, although the records given in an appendix of the Merriam family book, furnish some ground for establishing a pedigree. It seems that he was prob­ ably the one of the family who was baptized at Goudhurst on May 11, 1564, which would make his age seventy-one in 1635. His children, regular order not known, were: Susan, was living in 1635. Margaret, wife of Robert Piper. A daughter, died before September 8, 1635; was the wife of Thomas· Howe. Joseph, born about 1600; died in Concord, !\,lass., January 1, 1641; married Sara, daughter of John and, probably, Frances (Jefferie) Godstone, of Tunbridge, England.· Apostle Joseph Smith of the Utah Mormons is on this line of descent. GEORGE, our lineal ancestor. Joane, was married to Thomas Day, of Brenchley, England, who died in 1653, and had children. Sarah, was living in 1635. Robert, born about 1613; died in Concord, Mass., February 13, 1682; married Mary, daughter of Rev. Edmund1 Sheaffe, of Cranbrooke, England. Authorities consulted: '~Merriam Genealogy in England and America," by Charles Henry Pope; and "The Merriam Family and Connections," by William S. Appleton, M.A., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. 34 rl'HE :rvIERRIAM LINEAGE.

GEORGE2 MERRIAM was born in England, but the date and the place are not yet found; probably the date was not far•. from the year 1603. He married Susan (Susanna) Raven, at Tunbridge, Kent, England, on October 16, 1627. They lived there until about 1637, when the time of their moving to New England occurred. Among "The Feet of Fines," or deeds of land, in the county of Kent, in the year 1638, during the reign of Charles I., is a convey­ ance made by "George Mirriam and Susanna, his wife," of "Two messuages, two barns, two gardens, 1:wo orchards, and six acres of land in Tewdley, co. Kent," to a widow named Anne Towne. The first mention of George's presence in this country is found in the will of his brother Joseph. He was admitted to freemanship in Concord, Mass., on June 2, 1641. He must have been there some little time before becoming a member of the church, which was then a prerequisite to freemanship. But the fact that he was not one of the overseers of Joseph's will look as if he was not in the plantation at that date. He made his home in Concord, where several children were born in addition to those registered at Tunbridge. Death had invaded the ranks, however, so that the family compiler found names repeated. George died on December 29, 1675, leaving a will dated October 8, 1675. The peculiar fact is that the will was written on the very day that his wife was dying. It was proved on April 4, 1676. It reads: I, George Mirriam, of Concord, in New Engl(an)d, in the Coun­ ( ty) of Midd (lesex) , being in perfect memory, do make this my last will and testam(en)t, in manner & fo1me as following: first, I com­ (m)itt and com(m)end my Soul into the hands of God, my merci­ full father, who hath called mee to the fellowship of his son, Jesus Ch(ris)t in whom I have believed, knowing he is able to keep, yt w(hi)ch I have com(m)itted to him, and my body to be decently buryed, believeing (in) the resurrecon thereof to Eternall life. As touching the temporal estate that God hath given mee, (it is) as fol­ loweth: I give to my beloved wife all my moveables to be at her dispose. To my five daughters, Sarah Gove, of Cambridge; Elizab(eth) West, of Salem; Hannah Axtell, of Marlbury; Susan Scotchford, of Concord, and Abigail Bateman, of Concord, these severall parcels of THE MERRIAM LINEAGE 35 land hereafter mentioned, namely: Eighteen accr(e)s of upland be­ yond (the) Crane field, Six acres ( of) meadow at faire haven, '"fwo accr(e)s of plow land in the South field, Two acrr(e)s of meadow in the great meadow, fifteen acrr(e)s of woodland beyond (the) Cedar Swamp, five acr(e)s of woodland by Mr. Flynt(' )s pond, fourteen acer( e) s of wood land at ye head of ye ox pasture, Eight accr(e)s of land by ye suburbe neere (the) Rocky meadow, fifty­ seaven accr(e)s of land at ye lower end of (the) Elme brook mead­ ow, Thirteen accr(e)s of meadow, called (the) Birch meadow, to be equally divided between them, as they shall agree among them­ selves, or upon non-agreen1(en)t, by a Com(m)ittee mutually chosen between them. To my sonn Samuel, my houseing & lands, joyneing thereunto, cont(aining) three lotts, being in quantity thirty accr(e)s, more or less, & six accr(e)s of meadow (land) in the Town meadow, with two accr(e)s of upland thereto adjoyneing, & twelve (acres) of meadow in (the) Elm brook meadow, with four accr(e)s of swamp & upland joyneing thereto & two accr(e)s in (the) Cedar swamp, provided that this, my son Samuel (shall) do well (to) provide for (the) comfortable maintenance of his mother during her natural life, & take care (of) her decent buryall w(he)n deceased. My will also is that if Susan, my wife, for her greater conveniency shall choose to live with any of her daughters, or (in) any other place in Concord, that then my said son Samuel shall allow five pounds p( er) ann( um) to his mother, in such provissions as are meet for her, in the place shee shall from time to time be in. I appoynt my said son Samuel, Executor of this, my last ""~ill and testam(en)t. In witness whereof I set to my hand & seale, this 8th day of Octob(er), one thousand, six hundred seventy & five. George Mirryam. George's children were : Mary, baptized at Tunbridge, England, November 14, 1626; buried December 4, 1628. Mary, 2nd, baptized at Tunbridge, England, November 14, 1630; died at Concord, Mass., August 10, 1646. Susan, baptized, time and place unknown; died February 2, 1707; was married to John Scotchford, of Concord, Mass. Elizabeth, baptized at Tunbridge, England, January 18, 1635; buried May 14, 1636. Joseph, baptized at Tunbridge, England, February 26, 1637; died young. Sarah, born at Concord, Mass., 5 (July) 17, 1649, (should be 1639); died before 1681; was married on October 14, 1658, to William Hall, who died on March 10, 1667; was married for the second tin1e to a Mr. Gove, of Cambridge, Mass. Elizabeth, born at Concord, Mass., on either the 8th, or the 11th, of November, 1641; died in August of 1691; was married, in Salem, Mass., ''by Mr. Merriam, of Con- 36 THE MERRIAM LINEAGE

cord," to Henry West, of Salem, September 7, 1664. Samuel, born at Concord, ~s., 5 (July) 21, 164(3?); wife, Elizabeth 'IJumws_o-i(.'" Abigail, born at Concord, Mass., 5 (July) 15, 16(45?); died Ju]y 14 .. 1684; was married to Thomas Bateman, of Concord, Mass., April 25, 1672. HANNAH, our lineal ancestress. Authorities consulted: ''Merriam Genealogy in England and America," by Charles Henry Pope; and "The Merriam Family and Connections," by William S. Appleton, A. M., in the "New En­ gland Historical and Genealogical Register.'' HANNAH8 MERRIAM: See the life story of Henry2 Axtell in the Axtell lineage.-Page 7.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT William1 Merriam, born died 1635; wife, Sara. George2 • • • • ere 1603;' •• 1675; •• Susan Raven . Henry2 Axtell, • • 1641; •• 1676; •• Hannah3 Merriam. 3 • • •• •• • • 4 Daniel ,, 1673; 1736; Thankful Pratt. 4 , . •• ., 4 Henry ,, , , 1715; , , 1754; , , Jemima Leonard • Henry5 1738; 1818; Phoebe4 Condit. 6 , , , . , , 6 Simeon Cory,,, ,, 1774; , , 1847; Rhoda Axtell. James7 1801; 1880; • • Susan 7 Mulford . THE PRATT LINEAGE 37

MATTHEW 1 PRATT is the progenitor of nearly all the Pratts of Weymouth, and of those in most of the adjacent towns in Massa­ chusetts. He is referred to by Cotton Mather, in his "Magnalia," as a very religious man. The reference to the early education of. his son Matthew, junior, coupled with the fact that he was married in Weymouth and had a son born before 1628, places him among the earliest settlers, probably with the ''Georges colony,'' as his land was located with that of the ''old residents.'' In the first records of Weymouth he is frequently ref erred to as ''Macute Pratt,'' and '' Mathew Pratt,' ' the names being interchange­ able in the same records; .but his signature to his will is spelled '' Ma­ thew." And besides these facts, his Christian name is also found in other records as Macaeth and Micareth. At "A General Court, holden at Boston, the 7th day of 10th month (December), A.D. 1636," he was granted land at East Wey­ mouth, which contained : Twenty acres in the Mill field, twelve of them (being) first given to Edward Bate and Eyght acres to himselfe, all of it (being) bound­ ed on the East ·with the land of John Gill, on the west with the land of Richard Waling, on the north with the Rocky hill, (and) on the south with the land of Richard Addames and (of) Thomas Baly. Also Eighteene ackers of upland, first given to Edward Bennett, (and) now in the possession of mat(t)hew pratt, (were) bounded on the east with the mill River. on the west with John Whitman(')s lot, on the north with ye mill ground (and) on the south with the pond. (It was on the west side of the "mill River"). Its location is thought to be in the region known as LLO Id Spain.'' Why it is so called is not clear. The most plausible theory seems to be that it was a camp of Spanish fishermen, which is evidently sup­ ported by the fact of a French vessel being anchored off Peddock' s island. While living at the newly-created settlement of Weymouth Mat­ thew was made a freeman of the Massachusetts bay colony on May 13, 1640. He attended the first meeting of the "original planters'' of Rehoboth, which was held in Weymouth on October 24, 1643, and the second on December 10th, following. He is n1entioned on 38 THE PRATT LINEAGE the list as being one of the early proprietors of Rehoboth, set at two hundred and thirty-nine pounds, under the leadership of Rev. Samu­ el Newman, but it is said that he never was there. About forty fami­ lies went to that place with the preacher. It was due to a religious difference that forced Rev. Mr. Newman to go to the new settlement. At the following meeting of January 10, 1644, we find Matthew mentioned among ''those that are under-written (who) have forfeited their lots for not fencing (them), or not removing their families (there) according to a former order, made (on) the 24th of the 8th month ( October), 1643." Yet, under the entry of June 31, 1644, he shared in the drawing of a lot, his number being the ninth, in the division of a woodland between the plain and the town of Rehoboth, and on June 4, 1645, he participated in the drawing of a lot in "the great plain, beginning upon the west side; and he that is first upon the west side shall be the last upon the east.'' Though being one of the proprietors purchasing land from the Plymouth colony, yet it appears from the compact that Matthew was among those who signed, on becoming ''inhabitants of Seacunk,'' by which they considered themselves independent of any jurisdiction but their own, and which they incorporated with the script· name of Re­ hoboth,-a name selected by Rev. Mr. Newman, for he said, ''the Lord hath made room for us.'' Matthew was living in Weymouth in February of 1648, when he was made a "townsman," (selectman) by election. -From this time on he was frequently elected a townsman or selectman, and he ap­ pears to have been one of the most prominent men of the colony. On February 3, 1651, he was granted a lot on the "East side of (the) Great Pond, next to Mrs. Richard (') s mill, to begin next to the small lots which are, or shall be, laid out first, which great lots are to but(t) on (the) Hingham line on the East, and on the great lots on the west, with a sufficient drift-way between the two divi­ sions, each (one) to pay (for) his own measuring." On December 19, 1659, an island in the Fresh pond above the mill and swamp land was granted to him. He received land grants in 1658, 1660, and so on. On the fourteenth of December, 1663, at the town meeting the entry in the records gives, "the number of Acres in each person(' )s lotts in the first Division, Beginninge on (the) Bauntry lyne," shows that "Marcuth Pratt" took possession of ten acres in lot No. 51. His son Thomas was granted seven acres in lot No. 14; his son Matthew, four acres in lot No. 92; and his third son John, five acres in lot No. 73. In the second division, beginning on the ''Bauntry lyne,'' ''Macuth Pratt'' drew thirty acres THE PRATT LINEAGE 39

in Jot No. 52; his son John, fifteen acres in lot No. 10; his son Thomas, twenty-one acres in lot No. 20; and his son Matthew, twelve acres in lot No. 44. (On) January 11, 1657, At a meeting of the Townsmen it did appear that upon (an) account, * Mat(t)hew Pratt and his son Thomas Pratt had entered 22,000 (feet?} of boards, the Father 15,000 and (the) son 7,000 due to the Towne £1:9s: 6d. May, 1660-The Towne is indebted to several persons for service * and upon (an) account (appears) as follows: To Matthew Pratt for a Wolfe and (a) Woodpecker, paid in boards, £1:6s: Sd. The will of Matthew Pratt was found on file in the Suffolk county probate office at Boston, by the Pratt family compiler. It is dated March 25, 1672, being probated on April 30, 1673, and recorded on May 20, 1673. He died on August 29, 1672. The will is as fol­ lows: Mat ( t) hew Pratt, of Weymouth, being in (good) health of body and having a competent use of his understanding and memory, does make this to be his last will and Testament. * * * * * I doe give to my belov( ed) wife Elizabeth Pratt all my whole Es­ tate, reall and personall, which is hereafter exprest, that is for her natural life. I doe give to my Son Thomas Pratt, after my wi(f)e(')s decease, these parcells of land as follo ( w) s: four acres of land, that did belong to Shaw's house & my share of land that I bought of James Nash, & that fifteen acres I bought of Deacon John Rogers, & I doe give him that little Island in the fresh pond. I doe give him ten acres in the . Cedar Swamp plaine, which was a pan of my great Iott; A (n)d I _doe give him my share in the two acres & half of Salt Marsh at Hol­ lie upon the condition bee shall pay to my Daughter Chard, at my wi(f)e(')s dec(e)ase, four pounds. I doe give to my Son Mat(t)hew Pratt, at my wi(f)e(')s decease, these parcells of hous ( e) & land as follow ( s): my now dwelling house, with all my houseing and all my Orchard & my land adjoining twenty acres, bee it more or less. A(n)d I doe give him ten acres in (the) Cedar Swamp plaine, which is also a part of my great Iott, provided hee (shall) pay to my Daughter Chard, or her assignes, three pounds, at my wi(f)e(')s decease. I doe give to my Son John Pratt an ewe and (a) lamb. I doe give to my Son Samuel Pratt twelve acres. of land neere his house. Four acres of it ( were) William Brandem(' )s, & eight acres of it ( were) John Gurney' s, & when he hath fenc( ed) it out as far as it is (to the) pasture, he shall have it, and not· before, & I doe give him one acre of Salt Marsh by John Pratt's house at my de­ cease. And I doe give him that part of my common Iott, laide out to mee, at Smell Brooke. A(n)d I doe give him my two acres of (the) swamp lot, where it is in the woods. A(n)d hee shal1 have one Cow, instead of that spot I thought hee should have in my Orchard. I doe give to my Son Joseph Pratt _that lc;,tt that was first Edward 40 THE PRATT LINEAGE

Bennett(' )sat the pond, (containing) twenty acres, be it more or less. I doe give to my Daughter Chard Seven pound(s) sterling in good pay, at my wi (f) e (') s decease, which is to bee paide, by Thomas Pratt & Matthew Pratt, as above is expressed: A(n)d I doe give to her Daughter Johnnah Chard my best bed & Coverlid, at my wi(f)e(')s decease. I doe give to my Daughter White after my wi(f)e(')s decease all that parcell of land that I have in land which is of Marsh & upland, about three or four acres which (are) all, except that which is above given to my Son Thomas Pratt, & I doe give her two Ewes, at my decease. I doe give to 1ny Son Thoma~ Pratt's Daughter Sarah, five pounds at my wi(f) e(' )s decease. I doe give to Thomas Pratt's son William Pratt that halfe (share in the) mare and her increase that is between Thomas Pratt & myself to be decided, at my decease. · I doe appoint my loving wife to bee my Sole Executrix to fulfill all this, my last will, & (she is) to have full power (to) improve my whole estate (during) her life, & at her decease to give what she leaves to my Children & their Children as she shall then please. I doe desire the Reverend Pastor Mr. Samuel Torrey & my Kins­ men Elder Edward Bates & my Son Thomas Pratt to bee the Over­ Seers to see that this, my will bee, in all points, fulfilled; I doe also com(m)it full power into the hands of these OverSeers to sell or dis­ pose of any thing that I have left to my wife, if she shall have need of it for her comfortable livelihood, but not otherwise to dispose of any land but as above expressed, and hereunto, I have set my hand & Seal, the twenty-fifth of March, 1672.-Signed (and) Sealed in the presence of us, Edward Bate(s and) T'homas Dyer. (Signed) Mat(t)hew Prat(t), (Seal). Then follows a long inventory of the ''Estate of Matthew Pratt who deceased August 29, 1672, & (it was) appraised by us, who were called thereunto, (on) the 12th of the 10th Month (Decem­ ber), 16 72," &c. , amounting in all to the grand total of £ 31: 5s: Od. Among some. of the items we pick out, are: Twelve acres, near Sam ( uel) Pratt's house 24: 00: 00 In (the) possession of Sam ( ue) 11 Pratt before the decease of his father Matthew Pratt, ten year(s) or upward, given in marriage-more ten acres of woodland, at Smell Brook 5: 00: 00 & two acres of swamp (land), purchased by Samuel Pratt of his father Matthew Pratt, about 5 year(s) before the s(ai)d Matthew's death 1:00:00 20 acres, above mentioned, was halfe of it paide for before the decease of the s(ai)d Mat(t) hew Pratt by Joseph Pratt, his Sonne, in & the whole ( piece of) 20 acres which was possess ( ed) by the saide Joseph Pratt about seven yeare(s) before the saide Matthew's decease 28: 10: 00 THE PRATT LINEAGE 41

The reason * the saide Mat(t)hew Pratt mentioned these ~nds in his wi1l, was because hee gave them noe deeds of gift of the afore­ said lands. As mentioned in the will, Matthew's children were: THOMAS, our lineal ancestor. Matthew, born in 1628; died January 12, 1713; married Au­ gust 1, 1661, Sarah, daughter of Enoch and Dorothy Hunt;,, ''both became deaf through (a) malignant sick- ne~s. John, born about 1635; died October 3, 1716; married No­ vember 22, 1656, Mary, daughter of Ensign John and Ruth Whitman, of Weymouth, Mass. Joseph, born August 10, 1637; died December 24, 1720; married May 7, 1662, Sarah, probably a daughter of Job and Sarah Julkins, of Boston. Samuel, born about 1640; died shortly before September 5, 1679; married September 19, 1660, Hannah, daughter of John Rogers. · Elizabeth, was married November 22, 1656 to William Chard, of Weymouth; died February 26, 1726. Mary, who was wife of Thomas White, of Braintree, Mass. Authorities consulted: '' Genealogical Record of Matthew Pratt of W eyinouth, Mass., and His American Descendants,'' by Francis Greenleaf Pratt; ''History of Rehoboth, Mass.,'' by Leonard Bliss, jr., ''History of Weymouth, Mass.,'' by the Weymouth Historical Society; and ''Weymouth ( Mass. ) Vital Records. '' 42 THE PRATT LINEAGE

THOMAS2 PRATT was a citizeh of Weymouth, Mass., where he was born before 1628. He took the freeman's oath on May 27, 1647. He married in that town a girl whose Christian nan1e it is thought was Mary, and by her he had children. Apparently, he married again a few years before his death, a widow, whose given name was Lydia. In the record of the town meeting of March of 1655 is found a reference to an agreement formed with the town : That * (a) Pen should be (located) at (the) hither end of (the) Pon(d) Plain, and that Thomas Pratt and Hugh Roe shall have 30s. (for) mak(ing) it, and the Pen (is) to be 8 poles one way and 7 poles the other (way). (At the same meeting another agree­ ment was made with Elder Bates) "for (the) keeping of the dry cat­ tle until after (the) Indian (corn) harvest, and to begin as soon as the Pen is made. " , The records indicate that hard money was scarely available to pay for service, and instead payments were generally made on the barter basis, either in corn, wheat, or other cereals, at their equivalents, and often service was rendered in exchange to settle accounts. Thomas had a home, as disclosed by the record of January 3, 1658. The entry in the record says : It is ordered that the highway below Thomas Pratt's house and th(at) * of Nicholas Norton (shall) be shut up durine- the plea­ sure of the town, and they whom it doth concern (should) set * up (a) sufficient gete for those who go to and from the mill. Evidently Tho1nas was a large land owner. The allotted rart of the territory of the town, on December 14, 1663, had been made in two divisions-the first and the second divisions on the Braintree line. In the former division he was granted seven acres in lot No. 14, and in the latter, twenty-one acres in lot No. 20. The granting of these · land tracts may have been made at a much earlier date. And besides these he was given tracts of land by the will of his father. Thomas was elected to the office of selectman in March of 1664, and again in November of 1666. In November of 1675 he was made a constable, under the title of "Se_rge(a)nt Pratt.'' He oc­ cupied other positions of trust in the town. THE PRATT LINEAGE 43

In the fatter part of that year 1675, he was one of twelve men ap­ pointed on a committee by the town: To debate and conclude concerning the house & land forme(r)ly in the hands of Mr. Thomas Thatcher, An·d now in the hands & (at the) disposal of the purchasers in (the)· Town, ( with whom the) said committet; * (is) to debate & conclude concerning the aforesaid house & land for (the) disposal of (the. property) in the Town, as they, or ten of them shall agree (on) the man'ner and way it is to be disposed of unto Mr. Samuel Torrey, now minister of the Town, or otherwise as they shall think meet. The parsonage and some landed property were evidently Mr. Thatcher's in his own right. 'He was leaving for an assigned field in Boston, and Mr. Torrey was appointed to succeed him. Thomas was a good soldier, being known under the name of "Serge(a)nt Pratt." He had that title when he was ·killed in the "Sudbury Fight" with the Indians on April 19, 1676. The date of ·the fight is established by the diary of his son William Pratt, and vouched for by the probation of his inventoried estate. Hubbard, in .his history· of the Indian wars, tells of the enemy be­ ginning to scatter about in small companies, doing what mischief they could in Massachusetts, killing a man "in Weymouth, and another at Hingham, as they, went skulking up and down in· swamps and holes to assault those who did not .look carefully about them in the woods. This seems to· refer to ·the killing of our ancestor, and of John Jacob, Jr., on the same day, but does nat seem to confirm that they were slain while in the Indian fight. After the close of the .. Pequot war peace reigned, though there were sore feelings nursed by the lridlans against the whites. By . . 1670, they had obtained a great many firearms, and had become ~o expert-in their use that they were n_ot so.. u·nequal a match for the white men as formerly. It seems that there was now som.e kind of an arrangement made by the three tribes-the Narragansetts, the Wampanoags and the ~ipmucks-that af the first opportunity the white settlers were to_.be slaughtered. The war, at first, was confined to the Plymouth colony but Wey­ mouth did not escape. . On February 12,' 1675, an- assault was made upon the town when several houses ?nd barns were burned and some men killed, and in March of the following year anqther attack upon the town was made by a band of savages on their way to the ,.Ply­ mouth colony. Several houses and barns were set on fire. Follow­ ing this another assault was made when ''Sergt. Thomas Pratt'\ met with his death. Where he was supposed to be killed may be on:what is now Middle street, between Broad street and Whitman's pond. 44 THE PRATT LINEAGE

His wife Lydia and his brother John were appointed as administra­ tors of his estate. They then, in turn, engaged Elder Edward Bates and John Kingman to appraise the ''Inventory of the Estate & (the) Chattels of Serg' t Thomas Pratt, of Weymouth, who was Slayne by the Indians (on) the 19th day of April, 1676." The report was submitted to b€ placed on record on July 27, 1676, by the adminis­ trators. The estate was estimated at £278: 11:01. On the settle­ ment of the estate the widow married again, this time at Braintree, on September 26, 1676, to Joseph Chapin of that town. As appears on the record, found in the keeping of the Probate Court and the Court of Insolvency at Boston, she made an agreement with her fell ow administrator to be paid : Twenty pounds in mon(e)y, ten pounds thereof within 3 months, & ten pounds 15 mo~ths hence, and to have all the· Estate She brought with her, & that (was) to bee made up (to) the value of ten pounds out of ye rest of the household goods, such as shee shall like (when) prized (by the appraisers of the) Inventory, which shee ac­ cepted * in full of her Dowre, & thereupon (she) renounced her administracon * (of the) s(ai)d Estate.-As attest, Jsa. Ad­ dington, Cler(k). Being married again, it seems she did not care to take the respon­ sibility to raise the orphaned children, so application papers were filed by her brother-in-law at the Suffolk Probate Court, on January 27, 1679, to parcel off Thomas' children. As filed, the petition reads: To the honnored County, now Sitting in Boston, (the) 27th (of) Jan ( uary), 16 79, The humble petition of William Pratt and of John Pratt, as guardians unto Thomas Pratt and * of Tho. White, as guardian(s) unto Abigail Pratt, (and) Ephraim Frost, husband to Hephzibah, daughter (of) Tho. Pratt, deceased, the Said Children of Tho. Pratt late of Waymo(u)th, humbly Sheweth. That where­ as, the Said Thomas Pratt, deceased, (dying (in) the late warr] In-· testate, left five Children, Viz.: two Sons & three daughters, the eldest then, about 23 years of age, (being) a daughter, fron1 her In­ fancy, under such weaknesse, infirmity & Impotency, both of body & minde, whereby She is, and ever is like (ly) to be altogeather help­ less; the two sons and one of the other daughters (being) in their nonage. And whereas, John Pratt obtained legall power of adminis­ tracon upon his deceased brother(' )s Estate. And upon the mo­ tion of the said John Pratt, J no. Holbrooke, J no. Bicknell & Thom­ as White, guardians (of} the s(ai)d Children, this honnored Court · did order that the whole estate in housing and lands should remayne undivided in 'the(ir) hands; & under the Improvement of the s(ai)d John Pratt, administrator for the maintenance of the Said helpless daughter untill William, the eldest soil, should attaine the age of 21 yeares to the end that time and advantage might be gained· for the Settlement of the whole estate in lands [both in possession and rever- THE PRATT LINEAGE 45 sion] upon the two Sons, and for the maintenance of Sarah, their helpless Sister, and now for as much as John Pratt hath, by his power of administracon and with the Consent of all persons Concerned, paid unto Lydia, the then relict of Tho. Pratt, deceased, in full Sat­ tisfaction for her int( e)rest in the estate, the full Summe of 30/b. that is (the) 20/b. (in) Cash, and tenn pounds (in) moveables out of the Estate, as * a legall discharge from her present husband Josiah Chapin, doth more fully appeare, And also paid unto Hephzi­ bah, the 2(n)d daughter of the s(ai) d Tho. Pratt, deceased, upon her marriage with Ephraim Frost, & since the full summe of 30/b. i.e. Bib. (in) money, and the rest to their Content, as doth appeare also by a discharge, under hand and Seale, And hath also paid al1 de­ mands and debts due from the s(ai)d estate, which hitherunto ap­ peared, all these payments, amounting to a hundred pounds (and) 12s., which he hath made partly by the moveables of the s(ai)d Es­ tate, and partly by the Sale of a Small parcell of (a) fresh meadow, belonging to the Estate, prized by Inventory at 4/b., which sale we agree should bee confirmed, and for his full reimbursement for (the) money laid out, he hath, by this agreement, also (got) posses­ sion of a small parcell of land w(hi)ch belonged to the s(ai)d Estate, 5 acres, more or lesse, prized by (the) Inventory at 7/b. (and) 10s. Commonly called Drake(' )s Iott, which wee also agree should be confirmed to him, and his heires for ever, all the rest of the hows­ ing & lands, being · according to the order of the honnored Court, preserved entire for the ends abovesaid. Now, may it pl ( e) ase this honnored Court to take notice, That the s(ai) d William, (the) eld­ est Son (of) the s(ai)d Thomas Pratt, above~aid Deceased, will be of full age (on) the Sixth day of March next ensueing. And, there­ fore, in order unto the settlement of the s(ai)d Estate, according uP­ to yo (u) r former directions, wee have, by the deliberate Councells and advice of divers of our friends, and with our owne free and full Consent, made this following agreement for the Settling (of) the housing & lands, upon the two sons William & Thomas, and for the livelyhood of Sarah, their Impotent Sister, herein making valluation of the P(ar )ticulers not according to (the) Inventory, but according to what valluation they may beare with us, in such a distribution, all Circumstances Concidered: I. That \Villiam, the eldest Son, is to receive the house, barne & orchard, three quarters of (an) acre of upland, with two acres of Swampe meadow, and two acres more of upland, which is (a) part of Shaw(' )s Lott, every one of these parcells, being more or lesse, and next adjoyning to the house an<;l orchard together with a small Island, lying in the fresh pond, all this vallued at Sixty pounds, & is in full of his double portion. 2. That the s(ai)d William is to receive the acres of (the) s(ai)d Shaw(' )s Lott, which is already broken up, and tenn acres rrore of the s(ai)d Iott unbroken up, at which end of the hill he shall choose, to be as the former(?) to him & his heires forever, in Consideration, of which h~ stands ingaged to pay Twelve pounds in money and Eighteene pounds in other pay, good and Currant, to his Sister Abi- 46 THE PRATT LINEAGE gail, upon reasonable demand, at or before her day of marriage, which 30/h. is in full of her portion in her deceased father(' )s estate. ·3. That Thomas, the Second Son, is to receive ¾ of an acre of Salt meadow, bee it more or lesse, lying neere to (the) hingham brooke, vallued at 9/h., and 27 acres of upland in the Cedar Swampe plaine, at 15/b., and two Common lotts, at Six pounds, and this (is) to remaine in his guardian(' )s hands till he come(s to) age, (and it is) in all 30/h., in full for his Single po1:"tion. 4. For the maintenance of Sarah, the Impotent daughter wee have, by agreement, allotted (to) her Eighty pounds, of the best of her deceased father(' )s estate, and for the best Improvement of the S(a)mme (for) her Comfortable maintenance during her life, wee have agreed: 1. That \Villiam & Thomas Pratt, her brothers, shall take care of, and provide for their poore Sister all necessarye(s), both in Sickness and health, equally & alike, either by (a) proportion of time in keep­ ing of her, or providing that she may bee so kept, or by equall dis­ burs( e) m ( en)ts to such as shall so provide for her by theire order, and during the Nonage of the s(ai)d Thomas, his uncle John Pratt, his guardian, doth engage to discharge his engagement on his behalf e. 2. That this Eighty pounds which (are) in Lands, as hereafter named, Shall be divided betwe(e)ne the s(ai)d William & ·rhomas i.e. It is agreed that the two acres & (a) halfe of (the) Marsh (land), [at Hockley, allotted as abovesaid] be equally divided be­ twe(e )ne them, which Marsh (land) is vallued at 28/h., also agreed that William shall have the 4 acres, at (the) Brandon Lott, at 12/b., and 13 acres, at Poole(' )s, vallued at 13/b., Also agreed that Thom­ as sha1l have of what was al{l)otted for his Sister Sarah, her mainte­ nance, 5 acres of land, more or lesse, Commonly Called Weary lands, at Eighteene pounds, and it is agreed that the abovesaid Wil­ liam do ( eth) pay to his brother Thomas Eight pounds, which is the Surpl(u)~age of this division of Land, al(l)otted to their Sister Sa­ rah(' s) maintenance. 3. It is agreed that if the s(ai)d William & Thomas Pratt, or ei­ ther of them, shall hereafter, during the s(ai)d life of the s(ai)d Sa­ rah Pratt, relinquish this engagement, and quitt the Care of their Said Sister, and leave her unto publique Charity for the Indemnity of the towne, they stand engaged, each of them for himselfe, upon such relinquishment to pay, or Cause to be paid to such person or persons, who me the towne shall betrust the full Summe of 40/b., a peece, in money. Out humble petition, therefore, to this honnored Court is That if you, in yo(u)r wisdome, discerne any wrong or injury in this agreement, that you will please to parden such (an) error and Correct it by your discretion, unto which we Sub mitt the whole matter. But if, otherwise, you shall see meete to approve & Confirme it, we hope it will be Satisfactory to all persons Concerned, and wee, your peti­ tioners, shall remaine obliged to pray, &c. -John Holbrooke, John Pratt, administrator & guardian to Tho. Pratt, (and) William Pratt. The i:artys Subscribing, appearing in Court, (on the). 30th, (of) January, 1679, and owning the same, Cap'n Holbrooke declaring THE PRATT LINEAGE 47 that these were all that are Concerned in the Estate (as) the Court allowed it. I. Addington, Cler(k). Further, It is agreed betwe ( e) ene John Pratt & William Pratt, upon the request of Wm. Pratt, that if the s (ai) d Wm. Pratt shall see reason to relinquish the Care of his helpless Sister, togeathc:r with the Estate al(l)otted to her, within 14 dayes, then John Pratt doth promise and engage to take care of her upon the Same Conditions as the s(ai)d William was to do, which we humbl(y) leave to the Consideration of this honnored Court.-Ent(e)red 28, April, 1680. P ( e) r Isa. Addington, Cler ( k). Thomas' children were: Sarah, "an impotent, helpless child," born about 1653; was living.on January 30, 1680. Hepzibah, born about 1655; died September 23, 1719; was married before January of 1680, to Ephraim Frost, of Cambridge, Mass. WILLIAM, our lineal ancestor. Abigail, born May 15, 1662; was married about 1680, to Wil­ liam, son of William and Rebecca Tirrell; moved to Ab­ ington, Mass., in 1705, where her husband died in 1727. Thomas, born about 1665; died in Easton, Mass., December 1, 1744; married, the first time about 1688, Deborah, whose maiden name is not found, and who died in 1727; his second wife was Desire Bonney, whom he married on March 5, 1729. Authorities consulted: ''Genealogical Record of Matthew Pratt, of Weymouth, Mass., and His American Descendants,'' by Francis Greenleaf Pratt; "History of Weymouth, Massachusetts," by the Weymouth Historical Society; the inventoried estate; and the guard­ ianship application paper. 48· THE P.RATT LINEAGE

ELDER WILLIAM8 PRATT, as he was generally called, mov­ ed from Weymouth to Dorchester, Mass., in 1690. He was promi­ nent in organizing a church there in 1695, and also a leader in the ''Dorchester Colony for Carrying the Gospel Ordinances'' to South Carolina. He accompanied the expedition to the Ashley river, above Charleston, S. C., where a town was planted and named Dorchester. With them went Rev. Joseph Lord, who was ordained for the minis­ try in Dorchester, as appears by _th~ church record of: Ocktober ye 22, (1695), being ouer lektuer day, {it) was sett Apart for the ord(a)ening of mr. Joseph lord for to be ·pastuer to A church, gathered that day, for to goe to South Carolina, to settell the gospell ther(e), and the names ofye men are thes(e): Joshua Brooks (and) nathaniell Billings, of concord; William norman, ( of) Caro­ lina; William Adams, (of) Sudbury; Increase Sumner (and) william pratt, (of) Dorchester; George foxe, (of) Reading (and) Simon Daken, ( of) concord. An account of their journey and settlement is given by Professor John B. Mallard in his centennial address, delivered before the people of Midway, Georgia, on December 6, 1852, in which he says: They had planted the first church in Connecticut, and now they were ready to gather another to send to the far distant borders of the South. On the 5th of December the first missionaries that ever left the shores of New England, were offering up their prayers from the decks of two small vessels on the bosom of the Atlantic. What an interesting company did those two frail barks contain! Infancy, not knowing whither it went; youth, with all its joyousness; middle age, with its conscious weight of responsibility; the old and the young, the strong and the weak, the protector and the protected! Landing on the shores of (South) Carolina, they threaded their way to the Ashley river; and twenty miles from the abode of civilized man-in the midst of an unbroken forest, where wild beasts prowled, they fixed their habitation; and (on) February 2, 1696, under the boughs of a weather-beaten oak, * * * they took the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, renewed their vows and gave public thanks to the Being who led them on in safety. This religious colony, over which our ancestor had authority as the "Ruling Elder," was planted in an. unknown wilderness, twenty miles from white people. They called their new home Dorchester, THE PRATT LINEAGE 49 and soon erected a meeting-house and established the Congregational order of church government under which they flourished until 1752, when the settlement was abandoned because the increase of inhabi­ tants made it neces~ary to occupy more _land than could be found in their neighborhood to meet their wants; also because the unhealthful­ ness of the place tended to make them dis~atisfied with their abode. The inhabitants, numbering "816 men, women and children," then moved to Midway in Liberty county, Georgia. Of the old Dor­ chester settlement a writer says: ''A few dilapidated dwellings remain (1889); of the brick church the tower alone stands, two courses high, its woodwork all decayed, its doors and windows show but are destroyed in their outlines by the brick having fallen away.'' More than one hundred years have elapsed since their removal to Midway and their descendants still retain the sterling character of their ances­ tors. Their society is still active and useful. They took the lead against the British oppression in 1776, and opposed the Southern se­ cession in 1861. Elder Pratt returned to Weymouth soon after the successful settle­ ment of the Dorchester church, the climate not agreeing with him, and from thence, in 1705, he went to Bridgewater, Mass., probably with a cousin, and subsequently to Easton, Mass., in 1711, where he died. His grave and that of his wife in the old burying ground there may still be seen. During his life, he kept a diary which is now (1889) in the pos­ session of Joshua E. Crane, Esq., of Bridgewater, who is himself a descendant. _This unique and exceedingly interesting little book is bound in leather, being well-preserved. It is a pocket almanac and diary, printed in London in 1691. The diary contains many refer-· ences to his life. A great portion of it contains recipes for various diseases, written therein by himself, from which it would seem that he was somewhat of an apothecary and town doctor. Among the most peculiar of these recipes is the following: To stop bleeding take sum(e) nip & hold (it) in the left hand, & put sum ( e) to the hollow of the left foot, & lay sum ( e) nip in the neck. When nothing al (s) e would do to stop the excessive bleed­ ing at the nous(e), the powder of a dryed toad, mixed with beeswax, put to the nous(e) hath stop(p)ed it: the toad, for hast(e), was (to be) dryed in the ouven, but it should be hung up the leag until it is dead & dry. ·. The diary also contains a complete account of his mis~ionary tour to South Carolina. This, with a few other extracts from this truly valuable work, is given below : * * * I removed from Weymouth to bridgewater, ( on) 50 THE PRAT-T LINEAGE the 19th day of December, in the year 1705,-removed from Way­ mouth to Dorchester, about the middle of April, in the year 1690. I was taken sick with the smal(l) pox, (on) the 26th day of March, in the year 1691, [his wife, May 5.] His presence in the town is attested by the Dorchester Church Records: March ye 19, (16)93, William prat(t) and his wife wer(e) dis­ mis(s)ed (from) ye church of waymouth to ye church of Dorchester, and (they) wer(e) Admit(t)ed Into ye church (on) ye sam(e) day. His narrative continues: In the year 1697, (on) the 16th day of December, I was ordained Ruling elder of the church of Christ. Swearing in a religious man­ ner is a duty, when called unto it. Laid out for my brother Thomas Pratt, &c., (and on) The 3(r)d day of September, or the 14th day, 1700, there was a hurricane in South Carolina, (and on) the 24th day of February (1698), there was a great fire in Charlestown, which burnt down a great part of the town; and a few days before the fire, there was an earthquak(e) in Charlesto~rn. I have given a bond to Captain Rit of Charlestown, to pay for a negro woman, five pounds at, or before the 18th of August (of) the year 1699. The following account of the first voyage of the Dorchester colony to South Carolina is here given, being copied from Willi~m Pratt's own pocket memoranda with some revisions: On Dec. the 3(r)d, 1695, we, the church (members) * gathered in order to car(ry) the gospel ordinances to South Carolina; at this time sum ( e) of us went into a long boat to go on board the Brigatine Friendship, [Cap. Hill (of Boston, commanding)], in New England, in order to our passing to Carolina, but (by) missing ye vessell at first, by reason of (the) strength of the wind, ( we) could not come up with her, * (and, we were constrained to endure the cold (for) 3 or 4 hours before we could get (to) any land till, at length, we got to (the) Dorchester neck, & from there returned to Boston, all in saf(e)ty. December, the 5th, we set sail in ye aforesaid vessel to go on our voyage, & having (a) moderate & steady (wind), (i) n the Sabbath evening, which was (on) the 8th day of ye month, and (on) ye 4th day of our being upon ye Sea, we were in the latitude of the capes of Virginia, (and in) the evening the wind beg(a)n to bluster, being (frotn the) north west, & (on) the day following (it). blew hard, continually increasing its strength, so that on Munday, ye 9th day of the month, in ye evening, we wer(e) fain to lie by i.e., take in all ye Sails, excepting the main courser, being reafed, was left to guide us as well as to ste(a)dy (the vessel), the helm being lashed to le(e)ward. So we continued til(1) tu(e)sday night, & about mid­ night ye wind (had) risen so high that the vessel (was) like(ly) to * s(i)nk by reason (of) the small ~ail (being) enough then (made) to run under water, and (was) like(ly) to have done it, but THE PRATT LINEAGE 51 the sailors made way for ye vessel to rise by (un)furling the mainsail & bearing up before the wind, & we so kept (on), except sometimes when ye wind abated * by fits for a short time, (as) it did at which time we lay by as before, (and) all ye next day following, ei­ ther on Wednesday, or thursday. We agreed to set apart Friday to look to ye Lord by fasting & prayer, & to beg of him (more) pros­ perous winds & weather. On Thursday about noon, ye. wind be­ g(an) to lull & the Sun to shine out, which it had not done so, * that there mi (gh) t be any observation, after our going out, so that on Friday we could, with sum(e) comfort, carry on the work of the day. On Saturday, about the 10th day of our voyage, we found we had got almost as far southward as ye latitute 31 °, and passed much west(ward) * (by) ye northwest wind, and (it had) dnven us southeastward. On (the) sabbath day, which was the 15th day• of the month, we were so favoured with (a) wind (so good) that we went with great spead on. our course. On thursday ( we were) so forward ( that) ye wind often shifted, yet not so much as to hinder our going on in our dezired course, tho(') we could not (go on) with so much spead as we desired. ( On) Thursday morn­ ing, (it) being the 19th day of ye month, we came in sight of the land of Carolina, but ( we) were by a disappointment hindered from going in that day, but (on) the next day we got in, through divine goodness, {it) being the 20th of December-When we came to ye town our vessel fired 3 guns, & the people to welcome us to the land fired about 9 guns, which w(ere) more than (we did), & when we came to anc(h)or, {it) being in ye evening, many of ye people being worthy gentlemen, came on board, * & bid us welcom ( e) to Carolina & invited many of us to their houses. I was among those most kindly entertained that night. I (remained) in Charlestown about a week, & then was carried up by water to Mr. Norman (') s (house). Increas(e) Sumner & I were kindly entertained by * lady Axtel, & * two other men (were) ende(a)vering to get into favour with the Lady & (the) other neighbors & to obtain the land at (the) Ashl(e)y river, and that we mi(gh)t not obtain it yet they could not prevail-for as soon as we came the Lady & (the) others of ye neighbors did more highly esteem * us than * the others, as they told us; they rejoised at our coming tho(') there was no more of ye Church (people) than Increase Sumner & I, & -after we had discoursed secretly with them they wer( e) not only kind to us, but also used all me(a)nes & * great pains to obtain our Settleing upon (the) Ashl(e)y river, & that they * endeav­ our(ed) to persuade our pastor & ye church (people) to settle there. Our minister was at this time up at Landgrave Morton(' )s (house), & some (adherents) of the church and others ( were) at Charlestown; our minister & (the) church (adherents) * (were) strongly persuaded by ye Lieut. Governor bJake & many others to go (to) new ]ondon to settle, & upon ye account (they) were persuaded to go to Landgrave Morton(' )s (house), w(hich) was near this place. About a week after we went by la.IJ.d to Charlestoun, * * 52 THE PRATT LINEAGE

(we were) car(r)yed by water up to Landgrave Morton(')s (house, and) Many of us together went to v (i) ew the land at new london. After two days we returned to landgrave Morton(') s (house). Mr. Lord cal(le)d me aside & I had much disco(u)rs(e) with him, and when he heard what I had to say consarning (the) Ashl(e)y river and conserning new london, Mr. Lord was whol(l)y of my mind, & (was) willing to take up * upon thos(e) condishons that we (had) discoursed about at (the) Ashl(e)y river, which condishons * (were) kept prh·at(e) between t(w)o or three [3] of us, .when I Sought ( e) arnestly * god for wisdom & counsel (I). God was gracious to me, for which I (had) great caus(e) to prais(e) his name, as well as * many other sign (al) marsys. We kept sum(e)thing secrit from (the) others, which was greatly for our beni­ fit. We ( went) from there to Mr. Curtis(' house and then) from there to Mr. Gilboson(' )s (house and) we were very kindly enter­ tained at every place where we (went), but * * * we he(a)rd of som(e) of thos(e who) came from newengland that had be(e)n g(u)ilty of gros(s) miscarriages, (\\hich) w(ere) at(t)ribut(ed) to us. Mr. Gilboson cal (l) ed me aside and had much discourse with me, (and) afterw(a)rd he told me he was very glad yt I came to Carolina, & that he had seen me & had op ( p) ortunity to dis­ co ( u) r (s) e with me. He told me he was much discouraged to see the illcar(ri)age of those yt came from New England, but afterw (a) rds he was better satisfied, & told me he did think ther(e) was a great dif(f)eren(ce) between the parsons that came from new England, tho (') many did man if est their dislik ( e) of (the) bad parsons that came from New England, yet they were glad of the coming of good persons. We tarried there 2 Or 3 days, being kindly entertained, & when we (left them) they gave us provissions for our voyage down to Charle5toun & were very kind to us. From there we ( \\rent) to Governor Blake(' )s (house), where we ( were) kindly entertained & we din(e)d with them, and after some disco(u)rs(e) with governor blake we ( wen~) to Mrs. Carner(') s (house), where we ]odged all night, being very kindly entertained, (and the) next day we had a com­ fortable voyage down to Charlestoun-(it) Being the 14th of Jan(')y. The 16th of Jan(')y was e(c)l{at)ion day in Charlestoun. After this Mr. Lord and some (members) of the church ( went) up to (the) Ashl(e)y river, and upon the Sabbath, * being the 26th day of Jan(')y, Mr. Lord preached at Mr. Norm(a)n(')s house upon (the) text (from the) 8th (chapter) of romans, I, v(e)rs(e), (and) thus * (were) many (who) came to hear (the sermon). The neighbors (came from) round about and gave diligent a(t)ten(t)ion (to it). The 2(n)d day of Feb(ruary) being (the) sabbath day, Mr. Lord preach(e)d at (the) Ashl(e)y river upon ye text (from) I. Peter 3-18, (and) most of ye neighbors came to hear (it). All the ne(ar) neigh­ bors and some persons came about 10 miles to hear (the) sermon. The Sacrement of ye Lord(') s Supper was administered (for) t ( w) o days, & deacons were chosen.- (A) t thi~ time, there was great joy among the good people, tho(') I ha(d) sometimes been THE PRATT LINEAGE 53 il(l), & afra(i)de of sickness, or some tro(u)ble(s), or other (things) yt would happen, yet God hath been very grasious to me and hath he(a)rd my request, from time to time, and help(ed) me & showed me great marcy, & when I was re(a)dy to be discouraged many times god incouraged me again & delivered (me) out of my troubles. The 1st day of February, being the last day of the week, * the Sacrement ( was) * * administered, & many of (the people) were to (go) away on (the) second day('s) morning to Charlestoun, (and then) to * New England. We s(e)tapart some time in ye afternoon to pray unto God, and there was much of the spirit of god, bre(a)thing in that ordinance, and when we took our leave of our christian friends there * (were) weeping eyes at our derar­ ture. We had many a blessing from them. William was born in Weymouth, Mass., on March 6, 1659. When he was barely twenty-one years old in 1679, he was among the citi­ zens of Weymouth to take ''the oath of allegiance to His Majesty Charles II., before the Worshipful Jose~h Dudley." He married in Dorchester, Mass., on October 26, 1680, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Baker. He died, intestate, in Easton, Mass., on January 13, 1713. Below is the fee-simile of the epitaph, graved on his monu­ ment: Here li(e)s the Body of Elder William Pratt, Aged 54, died In the yea(r) 1713, Janvary, the 13. On record in the Register of the Probate court of Bristol County, at Taunton, Mass., is : A True Inventory of All and Singular, the goods, Chattels and Credits of Elder William Pratt, deceased, prized at the tauntown north purchas(e), on the thirti(e)th day of August in the year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred and fourteen, by John Phillips and Benjamin Drake, both of the aforesaid north purchas(e). The list shows that he was a slaveholder, owning two young ne­ groes appraised at fifty-two pounds; his house and land were valued at one hundred and twenty pounds, and apparently another "dwelling house and land known by the name of harrises," were estimated at one hundred and five pounds sterling. His whole estate was adminis­ tered to the value of four hundred and twenty-nine pounds, eleven shillings and six pence. The slaves he owned were Heber and Hagar, the latter he bought at Charleston, S. C., in 1699, at the agreed price of five pounds ster­ ling. At his death they became the property of his wife, and lived with her until 1722, when she gave then1 their freedom and a portion of land. In the deed of conveyance she speaks in high terms of them. 54 THE PRATT LINEAGE

Heber was called "I:Ieber Honesty," and was held in esteem by all who knew him. In 1740 he sold his given property to Joseph Pratt of Norton. On the probation of the inventoried estate the record says: (On September 15, 1714), then before ye Hono(ra)bl(e) Na­ th(anie)ll Paine, Esq(')r(e), Judge of Probate of wills & within the County of Bristol, Came Daniell Axell, administrator to ye estate of mr. William Pratt, dee ( e) ased, and made oath thatt the Inventory before written, Containes the whole of thatt estate his father-in-Law dyed, seized of, & is Come to his knowledge, & when he knows of any more he will reveal it that it may be herewith entered & Record- ed. -John Cary, (Recorder). Nath'} Paine. His wife outlived him, dying on August 20, 1728. Of her it is stated that : She was a person of excelling Piety an(d) uncommon prudence, one of a very strict and religious conversation, a great lover of God's House, one of a Charitable spirit, and knows how to communicate it to others, and when there was real occasion would do it cheerfully. At the Dorchester church her baptism is recorded as on July 29, 1656. She was a member of the church there when she was seven­ teen years old, as listed in ''the names of young maids in Dorches­ ter.'' Being married to William, she asked for her withdrawal from the church which was granted in August of 1681, so she might join the church at Weymouth. Elizabeth and her sister Thankful, being young ladies, are men­ tioned in a: Caltalog ( ue) of ye names of all ye Children of ye Church above ye age of Sixteen years, (who) should be gathered up yt they may be called uppon to give their p'ticular Consent to Submitt to ye Govern­ ment of Christ & ye Children of ye Church. (They gathered at the church on March 5, 1677 to hear the church elder n1ake a) short spe(e)ch * * * rhat they should take notice yt they were not [by this the(i) r asserting to what should be p' posed to them] to be admitted to ye Lord(') s table, nor V oteing in ye Church, but to declare their willingnes(s) & subjection to ye government & disce­ pline of Christ in & by his Church. William and his wife Elizabeth had one child: THANKFUL, our lineal ancestress. Authorities consulted: ''Genealogical Record of Matthew Pratt, of Weymouth, Mass., and His American Descendants,'' by Francis Greenleaf Pratt; "History of Weymouth, Mass.," by the Wey­ mouth Historical Society; ''History of Dorchester, (Ma.ss.)," by Ebenezer Clapp, Jr.; "Records of the First Church at Dorchester, (Mass.)." and the orobated inventory of his estate. THE PRATT LINEAGE 55

THANKFUL4 PRATT: See the life story of Daniel3 Axtell in the Axtell lineage. -Page 12.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT Mathew1 Pratt, born ; died 1672; wife, Elizabeth. Thomas2 ,. " ere 1628; " 1676; ., Mary. William3 ,..-u------•-•······- ---165-9; '' --l1-l3.;--~-----Elizabeth2 Baker. Daniel3 Axtell, '' 1673; " 1736; ., Thankful4 Pratt. Henry4 " " 1715; " 1754; ., Jemima4 Leonard. Henry5 " " 1738; ., 1818; " Phoebe4 Condit. Simeon6 Cory, " 1774; '' 184 7; '' Rhoda6 Axtell. James7 " " 1801; " 1880; " Susan 7 Mulford. 56 THE BAKER LINEAGE

RICH_..i\RD1 BAKER, the first American ancestor of those known distinctively as of the Dorchester family of Baker, arrived in this country from England in 1635. The date may be fixed with preci­ sion as November 28 of that year. In his "Journal of Current Events," Gov. John Winthrop notes the arrival at Boston on that day of a vessel which he describes as "a small Norsey bark of twen­ ty-five tons''; and he adds, ''her passengers and goods all safe.'' This phrase, "Norsey bark," was for some time after the original publication of the ''Journal,'' a my~tery to the his~orians; but the later issue of the Winthrop papers, including letters written by Edward Hopkins in London, to John Winthrop, jr., solved the mystery for Hopkins, in referring to the same vessel, called it a "North-sea boat.'' He also used the word ''barque'' in designating the vessel. It is from these letters of Hopkins that the first information as to Richard Baker is derived, and they explain very clearly the circum­ stances of his coming to these shores. Edward Hopkins was the agent in London of a colonizing com­ pany, or association, the chief members of which were Lord Say and Seal, Lord Brook, Lord Rich, Sir Richard Saltonstall, and others of influence politically and socially. They had obtained a grant of terri­ tory which included what is now the state of Connecticut, and were anxious to get military control of the region by establishing a fort at the mouth of the Connecticut river, in anticipation of a like move­ ment on the part of the Dutch of New Amsterdam, who also claimed possession or rights of trade there. To this end the projectors needed a staunch vessel of light draft to ply between Boston and the mouth of the Connecticut during the building of a fort. This north-sea boat, which was named the Bachelor, was obtained and a master and a crew of eight men in all were engaged to sail the vessel across the sea, and for coastwise voyages here during the construction of the fort. The vessel was l~den with material, iron work, etc., suitable for such construction as the invoice, contained in Hopkins' letter, shows. Four passengers were taken, Sergeant Lyon Gardiner, a military engineer, his assis­ tant, and the sergeant's wife and maid. THE BAKER LINEAGE 57

Lyon Gardiner gained experience in early manhood as a military engineer in England through active service in the low countries. On his arrival in Massachusetts bay he remained in Boston and super­ intended the enlargement of a fort on Foot Hill during the winter of 1635. The barque Bachelor remained there also, and in the spring he sailed in it to the mouth of the Connecticut river where he built a strong fort, at the place now called Saybrook. His later years were spent on the island, east of Long Island, known as "Gardiner's Island'' to this day, and which he owned. The letter of Hopkins, containing the first mention of Richard Baker, is dated "London, Aug. 18, 1635," and states, in a post­ sc~ipt, that the ship Bachelor was cleared from Gravesend, below London, on that day. It gives the names of the master and crew, Richard Baker being second in command, or ''master's mate.'' The wages to be paid each and the terms of their employment are also stated. The letter was addressed to John Winthrop, jr., the agent of the company in this country, and as it was foreseen that he might be in Connecticut on the arrival of the vessel in Boston, the alternative was added, "or, in his absence co the worshipful Jno. Winthrop, the elder, at Boston aforesaid." Hopkins speaks somewhat in derogation of a part of the crew for which, as appears, he had good reason, and remarks in an explanatory way, that ''it was not easy here to get any (one) at this time to go in so small a vessel." He remarks inciden­ tally that ''the master hath a desire, as he tells me, to continue in the country.'' He does not say that of the master's mate with w horn (Richard Baker being then a young man of not much more than one and twenty) he probably held no conversation. But the reasons effective with the master in the matter, would likely to be so with the mate, and if they related only to the pursuit of the mariner's call­ ing there were with the latter, other(s) not less potent reasons. At the last moment when the barque was at Gravesend, four of the crew, whom Hopkins names, renounced their contract so far as it provided for service on the vessel in New England. ''Whereupon,'' he says, ''being put to some straits, I was, in a manner, constrained to yield to their desires." Of the other four, one of whom was the master's mate, he says that they ''sticking to the former agreement, will be able, I conceive, with small help more, to sail the barque in t h e country. '' On the back of the next letter from Hopkins, dated ''London, 21 Sept., 1635," is a memorandum in the handwriting of John Win­ throp, jr., of four items, one of which reads: ''3 bills of exchange of 30/i to be paid to Rich. Baker.' ' These bills, forwarded by a 58 THE BAKER LINEAGE vessel sailing a month later than did the Bachelor, indicate sufficiently on the part of the person in whose favor they ran, not merely a desire but a purpose to continue in the country. This recital of remote and, in part, unimportant facts of record, is pertinent here as evincing to those who will chiefly be interested in this genealogy that their common ancestor came to America under circumstances highly creditable to himself. They give proof that he was a man of great courage and of skill and resources in the n1ariner' s art; that, in an exigency, which men of small soul took advantage of, he was one of those who did equity by "sticking to the former agree­ ment"; and that he was of a frugal habit, preferring to take passage where he would have nothing to pay out, but with a considerable sum in pocket at the end of his ocean and coastwise voyages. The bills of exchange may also be taken as evidence of a like habit in money matters while he was yet in his native land. It does not appear on record that Richard Baker assisted in sailing the Bachelor coastwise, but his contract required him- to do so if the owners desired. It is certain, as appears in others of the Winthrop letters, that the vessel was thus employed. If he was in that service, a part at least of the interval between 1635 and 1639 is accounted for. The next date of record of Richard Baker is November 4, 1639, when he became a member of the church in Dorchester. It is prob­ able that he was married about that time. His wife Faith Withington is recorded, under her maiden name, as a member of the same church of an earlier date. She was a daughter of Henry Withington, the rul­ ing elder of the church, having been baptized at Leigh, county of Lancaster, .England, on October 13, 1616. The near relatives of Richard Baker were Thomas Baker, his broth­ er, a resident of Roxbury, and owner of the historical tide-mil1, and John Baker, of Boston, a nephew of both Richard and Thomas, who, in different documents describes himself as "smith" and "mariner." Richard Baker was made a freeman of the colony on May 13, 1642. In nearly every year from 1646 to 1683 his name is on record, as fill­ ing the lesser office of fence viewer in the administration of Dorches­ ter. At the opening of the spring season, generally in March, fence viewers were assigned to see that the fences of the corn fields were kept in good condition in preparation for sowing. As the town was given to raising corn, peas, and other grain annually for home con­ sumption, an enactment of an ordinance was created at the town meet­ ing of January 27, 1646, for the right observance of fence conditions. By the entries in the records we find that_ Richard, with different men, received assignment to inspect fences in the following years: THE BAKER LINEAGE 59

1646, Richard with Mr. Patten to view the fence of the "twenty-acre lots." 1647, " " Mr. Patten at "twenty-acre lots." 1653, " " William Clark at "twenty-acre lots." 1656, " " 'Thomas Jones at the "neck of land." 1660, " " Elder Withington at the fields, "behind Mrs. Stoughton(' s)." 1661, " " Nicholas Clapp at the "neck of land." 1662, " " Thomas Davenport at "20-acre lotts " 1663, " " Rich. Withington at the fields, "behind Mrs. Stoughton(' s)." 1664, " " Lawrence Smith at the "neck of land." 1673, " " John Withington at the fields, "behind Mr. Stoughton('s)." 1674, " " Elder Humphrey at the "20-acre lotts." 167 5, " " Richard Leeds at the fields, "behind Mr. Stoughton(' s ). " 1677, " " Isaac Jones at the fields, "behind Mr. Stoughtou(' )s." 1679, " " Amiel Weeks at the fields, "behind Mr. Stoughtor.(' )s." 1681, " " Richard Leeds at the fields, "behind Mr. Stoughton{ 's) " 1683, " " Amie! Weeks at the fields, "behind Mr. Stoughton(' )s." By the above records Richard does not appear to have aspired to the higher offices, but once he is recorded as a selectman for a year, being elected on November 28, 1653, and at another time he \.Vas elect­ ed a constable on March 11, 1663. He was one of the town raters, elected on the following dates: December 6, 1647, December 2, 16~0 and December 2, 1661. He was elected jointly with William Clark, on December 7, 1657~ to be "supervisors of the wayes vnto the necks of Land.'' He became a member of the ''Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company," in 1658. On December 6, 1669, he was elected jointly with Augustin Clements as supervisors. Richard was one of the early grantees of land, which eventually made him a proprietor in all the ''Divisions'' of the town land sub­ sequent to the date of the "Great Lots." The 'LDivisions" covered a much larger area. Where his original home place was located the town records do not show, and his will of 1689 mentions only "(my) dwelling house and land." Richard was appointed, with William Clark and John Capen, by the sele~tmen on March 8, 1658, "to Lay out a heigh way of four Rod(s) broad, from Clement Topleafe(')s house vnto the heigh way that is in Mr. Thomas John(' s) Lott, in the eight-acre Lotts vntill they come to the heigh way that Runs betweene Roxbury and Brantry.'' Richard's signature appears on a subscription paper, signed by two donors, and submitted and approved at the meeting of the selectmen on April 28, 1661, pledging more satisfactory support ''for the main­ tenance of a free schoole in Dorchester * for the instructinge and T eachinge of children and youth ( s), in good literature and Learning.'' Edmund Bowker being a debtor to the minister for his rates of several years, from 1658 to 1662, owing four pounds, fifteen shillings and two pence, a warrant was given to "Constable Baker," on Au­ gust 24, 1663, ''for the leuiing and taking of the aboue sayd sumes by distresse, or otherwise,'' on his estate. 60 THE BAKER LINEAGE

In 1664, Richard was chosen at the town meeting, with Richard Mather and Isaac Jones, "to see that the Burying place be fenced in with (a) stone wall by the last of June," in accordance with the will of our ancestor William1 Blake. At a meeting of the selectmen on November 14, 1664, Richard Baker and James Humphreys, as constables for the year of 1663, brought in their accounts for the several rates committed to them for collection, amounting to sixty pounds and two pence. On May 13, 1667, "a warrant was is(s)ued out to Joseph Ho (1) mes, Constable, to gather Seuerall fines for defect(s) of some of the p(er)sons her(e) named Viz..: for the necke of land," among whom was Richard for his "2 rod(s)," and for the "field behind Mr. Stoughton('s)," his "one ·rod, one foote and (a) halfe." In January of 1668 "a list of the acres of land at the Neck, being Rated at a half pen(n)y p(er) ac~e for the plow(ing) land only," Richard was assessed one shilling. As indicated by an entry, Richard paid two shillings toward a fund created at the town meeting, of March 28, 1670, "to ·lay downe some money and Some Corne and peas for the p(re)sent supply in (the) placeing of Stock(') s child, to be repaid * out of the next rate." It seems Richard was considered a man of means for, on April 17, 1674., the selectmen asked him to lend them ''for the vse of the towne the sume of three pounds and (ten) shillings in money for * * * the remainder of the money rate ( that) was due to Mr. Flint.'' This debt was ''discharged to Richard bacor, as ackno {w )liged by me, James Baker, (on) this 14th (of the) 10th (month December), 1691." (On December 7, 1674), after the directory (of the land proprie­ tors) was read, Capt. Roger Clap(p) made a motion and Request that, seeing ther(e) is some difference between himself and some other p(ro) prietors of vpland bordering vpon his Meadow at the neck of land, he desiers that (the) towne would appoint some men to deter­ mine and state the bounds. In answer to his petition the towne, by a vote, did appoint Ensigne Hale, Richard Baker and Lift' n' t Jno Capen, to be the men for to effect and state the bounds, and this with the Consent of Capt. Clap(p) and William Sum(n)er. On December 4, 1676, at the request of: Widdow long for a house plott, the towne did appoint Richard Leeds, Richard Baker, Ensinge Hale, William Sum (n) er and S (e)r­ g{e)ant Clap(p) to be a Com(m)ittee to look * (for) a place that may be conuenient, not exceeding a quarter of an acre of ground, and they (are) to determine the thing, and they (are) to make re­ turne to the Selectmen. ( On December 3, 1683), Capt. Capen, Richard Baker and John THE BAKER LINEAGE 61

Brecke were Chosen to set ( t) le the fence p (ro) portioneabl (y) be­ tweene (the land of) Isaac Joanes and the minestry land. The entry of March 19, 1687, tells of Richard Baker's land being: Layd out for a high\\'ay next (to) James Robbinson(' )s fence, ( which) is 42 rods (long) and 2 (rods) wide, (a_nd) this we designe to pay (in) exchang(e) with Mr. Stoughton for (the) land next (to) his, if mr. Stoughton (be) please(d); the highway cuts samuel max­ fee] (' )s (land) in length, 20 rods, (and) two rods wide. In the town records, as well as in the church records, Richard's name appears from time to time with those of the others who were among the principal citizens, in the making up of important commit­ tees. He seemed more interested in church matters than in the town affairs. At a church meeting of December 19, 1653, Richard sat with his father-in-law "Elder Withington," in a conference on the question for the redemption of a colored woman, whose given name-~was Dorcas: The vote was w(h)ether they were all Willinge that Dorcas was to . be Redeemed, & that Ensigne ffoster & the 2 deacons should goe to Boston to inquire ffirst what the magist(rate) could doe by power, & after( ward) to goe & compound with Lieutenant Cooke, or any other ff ore her Red em ptio ( n), & to in gage an oxe and a Cow in mr. Howard('s) hands for p(ar)t of payment, & in case ymselves ingage for the Rest (of) the bretheren above named, (names of seventeen men, including Richard and his father-in-law mentioned) doe p (ro) m­ ise to Laye down for the present amonge ym the sume until it can be had againe from the whole church by Contribution, or othern·ayes, the vote was affirmative, & * p(ro)mis(ing) her Redemptio(n) * to be free. This colored woman seemed to be well-thought of, for years later she was received into the Boston church. At the church meeting on March 15, 1668, Richard \Vas named, with four others, to be on "meassenger" service, "to see if Mr. (Is­ rael) Stoughton would accept of ye office of teaching e]der. ·' The messengers in the following week brought the i!Jformatioh of Stough­ ton's negative reply, the reason being that "he did not se(e) meete to accept of (the) office.'' · On December 13, ~668, the church held an election: ''For a rul­ ling Elder&; * two bretheren (deacons), * (those who) had (the) most Voats weer Richard Baker & Deacon John Capen." (At the following meeting of December 27, the church called upon Richard for his acceptance of this office, but he) being unwilling to take y_e office, upon his ( declination * by) give (ing) a negative answer, whereupon ye Church p (ro) ceeded in the (i) r determination to ordaine brother Humphrey(s) (to continue in his office). 62 THE BAKER LINEAGE

The town was negotiating with William Clark for the purchase of his ''house and Land and all his accommodations * for the vse of the minestry in dorchester. '' On December 5, 1670, Richard was chosen, with four others: To Joyn with the Selectmen in the purchase of the house and land of William Clarke. (But, according to the entry of December 16, 16 70), it was fully agreed * (on) and determined by a Vote, that a Corn(m)ittee should be chosen to buy the house and land, which * (are) Hudson Leuerite(' s property), for the vse of the minestry, and (they are) to remaine for that vse for euer. (The com­ mittee consisted of) Mr. Stoughton, Elder Humphr( e)y (s), Capt. Foster, Rich. Leeds and Richard Baker * * for to transact the busines(s) abouesaid about buying the hous(e) and land which * (are) Hudson Leuerit(' s property) and what they agree * (on) shall be discharged by a towne Rate, both for quallety and quantety. Richard and William Sumner were the choice of the church, on August' 17, 1679: 1"o be Messengers to ye S (y )nod, w(hi)ch is to bagin (on) ye second wednesday in Sept(embe)r, being ye 10th day of ye month, & ye deacons weer desiered to take Care * (of) their entertain­ ment at Boston, on ye Church (' s) ace ( oun) t." At a meeting of the town, on September 27, 1680: It was p(ro)posed to the church and town to (choose) a Co(m)mit­ tee for to look out for a supply in the minestry vntill it pleas ( ed) god to p(re)sent a man whom the Church may thinke meet to Cal(l)e to (the) office; thos( e) that are p(.ro) pounded are the Elder, * (the) Deacons, and the rest of the Selectmen, and Richard Baker. It being put to * vote, was de(c)lared in the Affirmatiue. On July 5, 1681, the elder of the church made a complaint that: Thomas Davenport was under some offence about ye exchange of sonie land with Rob( er) t Stiles, in not standing to his engagement with Stil(e)s but disposing (of) it to another man, & yt some breath­ eren had de(a)lt with him about it but could git noe satisfaction, he thought, yt ye Church might goe to brot(her) Danford(' )s hous(e), [he not being able to com ( e) to ye Church] to heer ye Case, but ye Church Concluded by a Vote to send ye Elder & desired Brother Sum­ (n) er, (the) brother deacons, (and several others, including Richard Baker), to beer ye Case & returne to ye Church how they found it. (They reported on the tenth). After long ag(i)tations they brought it to this conclusion, yt brot(her) Davenport and Stiles (should) Cho ( o) se * some (other) men, each of them to Consider of ye matter, & they did engag(e) each to ye other in a bond of 50 pounds, to stand to their determination. (The turning out of the result was that) Stiles had his land confeirmed unto him. • Richard was appointed on a committee with Richard Withington and the other elders and deacons, "to invite Mr. (John) Danford to THE BAKER LINEAGE 63 come & preach more constantly with us upon tryall. The vote, on March 27, 1681, for his call was thirty-seven as against twenty-two for a Mr. Cushen. Mr. Danford, when he came, gave his answer in public, on December 25, 1681, of his acceptance of the call. (On December 5, 1681), it was p(ro)posed to the towne whether they would haue a place purchased for to build (on) or buy a hous(e and land) for the minestry, and (the property) to remaine from time to time for that vse, and not to be all(i)enated. or disposed of (in) any other way. The Vote was in the af{f)ermatiue.. (And on the same day) it was Voted that Mr. Stoughton, Richard Baker, Richard With­ ington and John Break should be a Committee to look out and treat with p(er)sons about such a (property), and to accquaint the towne with * possessions at the next towne meeting, or if need re­ quir( ed) to call the towne together to accquaint them ( with) what is likely to be don ( e). By the above records we perceive that Richard was an earnest church worker from the time of his joining it, and he so continued until his death on October 25, 1689. So also was his wife Faith, who had pre­ ceded him in passing away, on the third of February following. Being the oldest da_ughter of Henry Withington, by his first wife Anna Leech, she was baptized at Leigh, in the county of Lancaster, En­ gland, on October 13, 1616. She came with the family of her father and stepmother to New England about 1635, and was soon.afterward married to Richard. Her husband ·was a native of Kent county in England, where he was born about 1614. They are the ancestors of Walter Baker,. the famous chocolate manufacturer, of Dorchester, Mass. Richard's will, copied almost intact from the £uffolk county records, at Boston, is as follows: The last Will & Testament of me, Richard Baker, of Dorchester, in the county of Suffolke, of his Ma{jes)tie(' )s Territories in New England, made· (on) the Seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord Sixteen hundred (and) eighty & nine, and I do hereby revoke all former wills whatsoever. * * * * * . * * * Item: I give to my son John the orchard that he hath in his pos­ session, with all the charges I was about build'ing his house; alf o th~ three acres of land by his house that I had of Mr. Stoughton; also three acres of Marsh (land), lyeing by the little nec_k, near the pine neck. Secondly, I give unto my son John three acres of land, which I had upon Exchange ~ {i)th Richard Withington, lyeing in the home field next (to) Richard Leed(') s, which he hath now in (his) posses­ sion ; also I .give him Six acres of land, more or less, lyeing next (to) the lot aforesaid; also I give unto my son John the house and barn & orchard and home lott which * (were) Increase Turner(' )s. 64 THE BAKER LINEAGE

Also, I give unto him five acres, more or less, of (the) Salt Marsh (land), lyeing in the calves(') pasture, now in the hand(s) of Jona­ than Haals; I give him ten acres of pasture land, lyeing next to Mrs. Foster(') s Iott, which he hath in his possession. Item: I give unto my son James my dwelling house and land, & Carthouse, and orchard about the house, and Millet(' )s orchard & Seven acres of land, more or less, lyeing by the house, and two acres (of the) fresh me(a)ddow, joyning to the land aforesaid; also two acres of land, joyning to this (a)foresaid me(a)ddow; also my two oxen & horse and cart and whe(e)les and plows; also ten acres of pasture land, lyeing near Peter Lyon(') s house; also I give him my de(sk?) in the parlor, and all the fu(r)niturebelonging to it, and the cubbert and tables and wooden chaire in the same roome. Item: I give to Samuel Robinson nine acres of land, lyeing in the third division that was John Hull (') s; also twenty acres, or there­ abouts, of upland and Me(a)ddow that I bought of Increase Roben­ son, also my part of a little lot in the first division that was Bullock(') s. Item: whereas, there was an e~change of land between me and James White, my will is that James White shall have the fourteen or fifteen acres, which he hath of mine in his possession, provided that I have his land that lyeth by the fresh marsh, which (contains) eleven acres. I also give to my son James Baker the me(a)ddow, lyeing on the South Side of the Highway from the way ( which g)o (es) down to theSeaalongbythat, (and) which was Mason(')s; my son James sha1lhaveall (of) Mason('s) landuntillitcome(s) to the two ap(p)le­ trees, and my son shall have the rest next to Richard Leed(' )s (land). Item: I do also give unto James White three acres of upland, lye­ ing (in) the neck of land between that which was deacon Clap(p' )s land and that which was Capt. Foster(' )s from the highway down to the me (a) ddow, called by the name of the long Iott. Also, I give to him a Iott, lyeing in the third division, containing three or four acres, lyeing neer to Peter Okilly(' )s land, and whereas, I have some more land at the neck of land that has been Improved by my son John and my selfe, my will is that my son(s) John and James shall divide it equally between them, unto whom I give it (to) them. Item: (as) for my daughter Thankful, I finde by my Booke, that she and her husband have had forty pounds, most of (them) in money, besides ten pounds in money,_ which I lent (to) her hufband William Grig(g)s. I do also will and bequeath to my daughter Thankful ten pounds more to be paid her by my Executors, after my decease, out of my moveable estate. Item: as for my daughter Elizabeth Prat(t), She * (has) had thirty-Six pounds alre(a)dy, and I do also will and bequeath to her fourteen pounds more to make it up (to) fifty pounds to be paid by my Executors out of my moveables within three years after my de­ cease; also, I give her a wood Iott, containing about eleven acres, more or less, lyeing at a place called Duncom (' )s Hill. Item: as for my daughter Han(n)ah Wiswell (and) her husband have had, at * least, three Score pounds already, as * my THE BAKER LINEAGE 65 account will appear; also I do bequeath unto her my pasture, lyeing (by) Hakin(' )s brook, but not to be Sould away; also I do bequeath_ unto her 1"'en (pounds) in money, to be paid her by my Executors, as She Stands in need of it, nor (should) the pasture (be) Sould without my Executors(') consent. As for my land at Samelt brook, containing about thiny acres, on both Sides (of) the (high)way with the house and Barn, I do will and bequeath it unto my daughter(s) Thankful & Elizabeth and Han­ (n)ah, and James White, whose wi(f)e(' )s name was Sarah, to be equally divided between them four, and if any (of them) Sell their part, the other(s) shall have the pr(e)fer(ence) of it before any other(s); also (as) for my land neer goodman Searl(' )s {land), which was Major Clark(')s & Miller(')s lot & (as) for the eleven acres I had of James White by the fresh Marsh & * a lot out by Goodman Pason(') s, those three pieces I do will and bequeath to mv son (s) John And James to (be) divide(d) between them, and (as) for my other lots, which have not been mentioned in this will, I do leave * (them) to my Executors to divide * (them) between Sarah, * (who) was James White(' )s wife and Thankful, Eliza­ beth & Han(n)ah, as my Executors Shall See meet. And (as) for my moveable estate, my will is that my moveables shall be divided (among) my two sons and five daughters, of which James White(')s wife was one, though deceased, provided that my son James shall have two parts, and the rest each one part, provided also that my son James shall have all the corn that is in my barn, and * Bullock(' )s land & Rockey Hill, and Bullock(' )s Orchard I do give to my son (s) John and James to (be) divide(d) between them. Also, I declare that my land, by James Robinson(' s land) and at Brush hill and in the fresh Marsh, I do bequeath to my son(s) John and James to (be) divide(d) between them, and I do appoint my Son(s) John and James to be my Executors of this, my will, and James Robinson and James White to be my overseers to see that it be performed accord inf! ly. Item: whereas, there is in the Second Coll(u)n1(n) of this Instru­ ment, mention (is made) of eleven acres of land I had of James White by the fresh Marsh, which I have bequeathed to my son(s) John & James, there is also about Seven acres of Iand, which I had of Timo­ thy Wales and Samuel Rigbee, which I do also bequeath to my son(s) John and James to be divided between them, and (as) for my other lots, which I have bequeathed, as aforesayd, between my four daugh­ ters * mentioned, my will is that my son(s) Jchn and James and my daughter Robinson shall have an equal part, with my other four daughters. Also, my right that I have in the lronworkes at Ta(u)nton, I do bequeath to my grandch(i)ld John Baker. Richard Baker, & a Seale. Signed, Sealed & D(e)l(ivered) in (the) presence of us, viz . .-­ John Capen, Sen(' )r (and) A Sarah Baker. M(emorandum), whereas, it is Said in the Second Coll(u)m(n) that James Robinson is appointed one of the Overseers of this \\1 ill, I, John Capen, Sen(' )r, do own that It was my mistake, it should have been Samuel Robinson, and not James Robinson; this I own before 66 THE BAKER LINEAGE

I take my oath as witness to this will. John Capen, Sen (') r. John Capen, Sen (') r, and Sarah Baker, the two witnesses to this Instrument, personally appearing before John Richards and Samuel Sewall, Esq(°uir)e, Assist(an)ts, (on the 19th of) Febr(uar)y, 1689, made oath that they were present and did see Richard Baker, the Tes­ tator, Signe(d) and Seale(d), and heard him publish the S(ai)d In­ strument to be his last will and Testam(en)t, and that he was then of disposeing mind to their best understanding: the S (ai) d will, being presented for probate by John Baker & James Baker, the two Ex­ ecutors, therein nominated, being present. Isa. Addington, Cl ( e) rke. (The inventory of his estate amounted to £1,315: 15). In the Dorchester town records we find that, very soon after his becoming an inhabitant he is put down as a considerable owner of real estate in the town. His homestead was a tract of land, fronting southerly upon the road called Savin Hill avenue. The site of his dwelling house was undoubtedly that of the building, known to the contemporary generation, as the ''Tuttle Mansion.'' He added, from time to time to the original area by purchase of adjoining lands. One of these additions appears to have been a tract on the north- . westerly slope of Savin Hill, where up to 1872 stood two dwellings, known from time immemorial as the Baker houses. That which was demolished in 1848 was, in all probability, the house which Richard Baker, as he states in his will, built for his son John. The statement is made in connection with a bequest to this son of adjacent lands. Richard Baker bequeathed an estate to his son James, who was a bachelor, and who in turn bequeathed it to his nephew John Wiswall, and the property remained in the possession of the Wiswall heirs until 1826, when it was sold to a Mr. Tutt1e. The premises referred to, as· bequeated to John Baker, Gontinued uninterruptedly in possession of some of his descendants until the year 1872. The children of Richard Baker and his wife were: Mary, baptized February 14, _1641; died August 27, 1714; was married in 1664 to Samuel Robinson, son of William. John, baptized April 30, 1643; died August 26, 1690; married, July 11, 1667, Preserved, daughter of Thomas Trott. His old house, years later in 17i6, was occupied as _a bar­ rack for the American troops during the siege of Boston. Walter Baker, the well-known chocolate manufacturer, of Dorchester, Mass., is on this line. · Sarah, baptized June 22, 1645; died October 13, 1688; was married, February 22, 1664 to James White, son of Edward. · Thankful, baptized March 19, 1646; was married to William· Griggs. THE BAKER LINEAGE 67

Elizabeth, 1st, baptized October 27, 1650; died young. James, baptized April 30, 1654; died a bachelor, March 30, 1721; was bequeathed the homestead estate of his father; appears to have been a prosperous farmer. ELIZABETH, 2nd, our lineal ancestress. Hannah, born January 9, 1662; died September 18, 1690; was married, May 5, 1695, to John Wiswall, son of Enoch. Authorities consulted: "Genealogy of Richard Baker," by Ed­ mund J. Baker; "Henry Withington of Dorchester, Mass., and Some of His Descendants," by Frederick Scherer Withington; "History of Dorchester, (Mass.)," by Ebenezer Clapp, Jr.; "Records of the First Church at Dorchester, (Mass.), 1656-1734"; "Annals of Dor­ chester, (Mass.)," by James Blake; "Dorchester, (Mass.), Records -Fourth Report of the Record Commissioners, 1880' '; and the probated will. ELIZABETH2 BAKER: See the life story of William3 Pratt in the Pratt lineage. -Page 48.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 2 Richard Baker, born, , died, , 1689; wife,, , Faith Withington. 3 ' 2 William Pratt, , , 1659; , , 1713; Elizabeth Baker. .. 4 Daniel3 Axtell, 1673; , 1736; T-hankful Pratt. 4 , , , , , , , 4 Henry , , 1715; , , 1754; Jemima Leonard. 5 •• ,, 4 Henrv ,, 1738; ,, 1818; Phoebe Condit. Simeon6 Cory, •• 6 , 1774; , 1847; Rhoda Axtell. James1 . •• 1801; . 1880; • • Susan1 Mulford . 68 THE WITHINGTON LINE.AGE

HENRY1 WIT'HINGTON was born in Leigh, in the county of Lancaster, England, being baptized there on February 22, 1590. He was the son of George and Margaret Withington. He was married three times, the first time in his native town in September of 1615, to Anne Leech, who was a daughter of Richard and Anne (Yate) Leech, and was buried there on September 26, 1621; the second time, also in the same town, on September 30, 1622, to Elizabeth Smith, who died at Dorchester, Mass., on February 16, 1660, and was a sister of Thomas Smith, a w~ll-kno\vn merchant of London; and the third time in Dorchester, Mass., in June of 1662, to Marga­ ret (Turner) Paul, who died in Dorchester on May 20, 1676, being the widow of Richard Paul of Taunton. A deed of settlement made by him to her is dated June 25, 1662. With his second wife's two children, and two by his first wife, he canie to America, probably in the ship The lames, with Rev. Richard Mather and others, arriving in Massachusetts_ bay on August· 16, 1635, and settled in Dorchester. He was one of the six men who signed the church covenant with. Pastor Mather on September 23, 1636, and was soon after chosen the first ruling elder of the church, which position he filled for twenty-nine years until death closed his career. The office was one of much hon­ or, and various facts show that his family was one of social distinction. By the order of the town meeting of October 2, 1636, Henry was among twelve responsible men to receive high power, as per entry: The names of such as were chosen for the ordering of the affa(i)res of the plantation to begin from the second of January, begin the first Moone day of the month, and so to continue the monethly meetings for six monethes, or till new (men) be chosen, 8 of which number being p (re) sent they may act and order any thing in the Plantation according to the scope of former orc!ers to that effect. If any of these shall be absent without good cause allowed by the rest, [he) shall pay for his so fayleing 5 shillings; any that shall come after the houre of 8 of the clock to pay 12 pence, and after 9 to pay 2 shillings; if any stay longer, to pay the full fine of 5 shillings; when 3 of these are come together they shall judge of the tyme this act to continue for a firme order from Tin1e to time. Henry was one of the twelve selectmen chosen in that year, which THE WITHINGTON LINEAGE 69 ensued in his becoming prominent in the affairs of the town as well as of the church, though there appears to be no record of his being made a freeman. He helped in the establishing of the town church. At the town meeting of January 16, 1637: It is ordered that Henry Withington shall see (to) the makeing of the gate to the great lotts, at the chearge of those, (who) haue their lotts, according to a former order, and the sayd gate (is) to be maynetayned (by) all ( of them of) the sayd great lotts and also by ( those of) the six-acre lotts. At the same meeting Henry and another man, Zachariah Whit­ man, were told "to v(i) ew the pale in the field next to their houses." The word "pale" evidently means pointed slab, or picket, staked in for fencing sometime later. Whenever a call to arms was necessary it was ordered, on March 9, 1637: That any of the members, or housekeep( e) rs * (who) shalbe Chosen to goe * (as) a souldier, and ha(s) * Charge of (a) busenesse to leaue behind him, he may commend the Care of his busenesse to some friend ( whom) he shall nominate, (and) who, if he cannot (go) himself or p(ro)cure (some one else) to doe it, at the same wages that is giuen to the souldiers, it shall be lawful for Henry Withington, Mr. Brankard, Mr. Bates and Nathaniel duncan, or any of them, to enjoyne any who ( m) they shall thinke .fitt to worke in this k[ind] for the helpe of such as shall need, and if any being so (en)joyned shall refuse to worke, he shall pay fiue shill(ings) for such refusall, to be leuied by distresse. By an entry of March 18, 1638, we find on the list that Henry was among our ancestors who shared in the proportional division of land, as follows: The Proportion which each The Proportion which each man is to haue in the necke, ac­ man is to haue of the Cowes(') cording to the rule, agreed on Pasture and other land accord­ for deuideing the same as here­ ing to the same of deuision, for vnder foll(owing): euery on (e) this (side) of the Riuer. Akers Quarters Rodes Akers Quarters Rodes Mr. Gilbert 9 0 20 9 1 28 Mr. Withington 7 2 2 7 3 6 Will. Blake 3 2 0 5 0 0 It was in accordance with an ordinance created early in January of 1638, that: All the land in common within Dorchester, on both sides (of) the river Naponset shall be diuided, according to the rule aJre(a)dy agreed vpon, for deuideing the necke all conuenient watering places to be left common, and this diuision to be according to states and p (er) sons, 70 THE WITHINGTON LINEAGE as it stands now, (the) 16(th of) January, the tyme of the making (of) this order. Henry purchased and occupied the house built on the lot formerly owned by Matthias Sension (or St. John), who moved to Windsor, Conn. At the town meeting of April 23, 1638 it was ordered that he: Shall haue adjoyned to his house that was Mr. Sension(')s, the swamp aboue and the swamp beneath the house, for which he p(r )omiseth to leaue out the springs for watering (the) Cattle (in) the Wynter tyme, and to leaue the Water (on the) out side. It is recorded, on September 29, 1639, that: Mr. Tho. Clerk hath sould vnto Henry W{i)thingto(n) all his Com(m)on(age) * (in) the great necke at Squantum, which Late{ly) he purchased of William Read, (they) beinge ffour acres, (and on October 20, 1639), William Clerke hath sould vnto Henry Withingto(n) all his land at (the) Squanum necke, which he Lately purchased of Mr. Hill, which he doth vphold to be 7 akres, and if it Fall(s) short of so much, he is to abate of what he hath receaued after 20 s(hillings) the acre. On March 1, 1648, Henry sold the Sension property to John Bir­ chall and had it entered in record as follows: These pr(e)sents do beare witnes(s) that the days abou(e) said, I, henry withington, of dorchester, haue sould vnto John Birchall, of the ~ame towne, the House plot that late{ly) was mr. Senssion(' )s, with the Cellar and the Land now Fenced Round by the afforesaid John Birchall, estimated halfe an acre or thereabout(s), be it more or Lesse to be by him and his heires enjoyed Foreuer, and Funher that the afforesaid John Birchall and his heires and successors shall, From tyme to tyme, at al (I) tymes, sufficiently maintaine and keepe vp the said Fence Round about the afforesaid Land, to saue the (a)Foresaid henry and his successors from damage through any p(ar)t of that fence, and it is, moreouer, agreed and consented vnto by the afforesaid John Birchall for himselfe and his heires and succes~ors that neither he nor they shall sell or Lett the house and Land affore­ said, vnto any p(er)son or p(er)sons, but such as shall be ap(p)rou­ ed of by the Selectmen of Dorchester, for the tyme beinge: wit­ nes(s) our hands the daye and yeare abouesaid.-Witnef.sed and Recorded by John Wiswall. moderator p' tempore.-(Signed) Hen­ ry Withington.-(Signed) the marke (of) John Birchall. For the maintenance of a free school in Dorchester the town dis­ cussed on the matter on February 7, 1642, which resulted in the passing of a confirmative resolution, and in the getting of seventy­ one signatures affixed, one of which being Henry Withington' s. It closes with the : Memorandum that before the subscribing of these pr(e)sents the don ours, afor( e) sayd, did further agree and declare that it was, and THE WITHINGTON LINEAGE 71 is, the(i)re myned(s) and true i~tencons that if, at any tyme ther(e). shall happen and fall out a schoolmaster by n1eans of death, or other­ wis ( e), yet the rents and p (ro) fitts inhuinge and arisinge of the sayd I (s) land shalbe con~erted and applied only to and for the mainte­ nance and vse of the schoole, either augmentinge the stipend for a schoolmaster, or otherwise, but not for any other vse. Henry was one of the .fiye men designated by the town to formu­ late a set of agreements, to be submitted to the land proprietors for their approval. It was adopted· on January 28, 1646, for incorpora­ tion in the records: It is ordered, and also agreed by the p (ro) prieters of the field, behind Mrs. Stdughton (' )s that they shall make vpp all the fence belonginge to the sayd field, and not to alter the sayd fence by f(u)r­ ther inlarg ( e) ment of the field. And that the p (ro) prieters of that side ( of) the sayd field next (to) the highway against Mr. Clarke (' ) s house, shall fence that side and {its) ends p(1o)porconable to the(i)re an(c)iente fencing, accordinge to (the) former agreement. And the other side and ends next vnto meadows and Rockey hill shalbe fenced by the p(ro) prietors of that side, accordinge to (the) former p(ro) porcon agreed vppon. And if by any p(ro )vidence any of the sides of the fence be altered in future tyme, to the benefitt, or hin­ drance of any of the sayd sides, each side shall haue tb e benefitt or hindrance of such alteration without respect one to the other. It is, fu (r) ther, agreed that the fence of the sayd field shalbe kept vp, winter and summer, for the better securinge (of the) English graine. And two men (are) to be Chosen yearelie to see that the fence be sufficient. It is also agreed that the sayd field shalbe stinted for the pasture of it, accordinge to p(ro) porcon of each rran (' )s land accomptinge and valueinge ( of) one acker of the meadow, to two ackers of the ~-tub­ ble, and for the stinte to be one acker and half to a Mare, and two ackers to a mare and (irs) Colt, and one acker for a Cowe, or ox, and to accounte for yo(u)nger three two-yeare olds to two Cowes; two yearlings to a Cowe, and fower Calues to one Cowe, the tyme when to put in (the) Cattle and how long to ·be kept there, ·to the Discretion of the two men * (who) are yearlie Chosen to 1ooke to the field(s). And the two. Chosen men at the yeare(' )s end (are) to warne (at) a meetinge,of all the p(ro)prietors, to make Eleccon of two others to Effect the same work~. A~d it is agreed by the p(ro) prietors abouesayd that whosoeuer shall leave oppen his gates, do ( o) res, or barres shalbe accounted let- . ters downe of fence. · And whosoeuer shall pu1le vp the(i)r fence and lay the field open shall forfeit, for soe doinge fiue shillings, p (er) the rode, and soe p(ro) porconable for a greater or lesser number of rods, or measure. And whos(o)eu(er) shalbe found defectiue in the(i)re fence, or in the(i)re stinte, or shall transgresse against this order, fhalbe )yable for euerie rode of fence fouiid insuffi ( c) ien t, three shillings and fow ( r) e pence for this year, accordinge to the towne order, and after this 72 THE WITHINGTON LINEAGE yeare shalbe lyable for euerie rode of fence found insuffi(c)ient, Two shillings. And for euerie beast put in aboue the stint,. twelve pence for euerie tyme, to be levied by distresse by the sayd Chosen men to the vse of the other p(ro) prietors. And the Chosen men (are) to be carefull to see those that shall pull vp fence, and to levie the(i)re fines. The two men (chosen) by the seaven men are to looke to these orders and agre(e)ments, and to doe the duties of the san1e they are Chosen for this yeare, viz. : John Greenway and John Kinslie. ·These orders and agre(e)ments abouesayd to contynue, and not to he altered, but by the consent of two thirds of the p(ro) prietors. At the town meeting on March 10, 1656, it was given out "the names of such as ar(e) app(o)inted to v(i)ewe the fence in the Com (m)on f(i) eldes, for this yeare 1656." Elder Withington and James Minot were designated to look over the fence at the "f(i) eld behind Mrs. St(ough)ton(' )s." The elder was ap~ointed on Feb­ ruary 15, 1660, to share with Richard Baker, our ancestor, on view­ ing the fence at the same field behind Mrs. Stoughton' s. ''Mr. Withington, * (and) Stephen Minot" were named as "field viewers," on April 4, 1664, to look over the field behind "Mr ( s). Stoughton (' )s (field).'' Being a blacksmith by trade, Henry became one of the original stockholders of the first iron works founded in the American colo­ nies, on .the ''Two-Mile River'' in Taunton. Later, he was one of the thirteen stockholders who were taken into partnership on the drawing up of a lease of the works in 1660. The plant evidently was intended by its original founder and operator, James Leonard, senior, to be named for Henry Withington, norn·ithstanding the Cor­ ruption of the name "Whittington" and "Whittenton" in his forge papers. Today, it is known as the-Whittenton Mills company. Henry's signature appears in a petition "to the Hon(o)r(e)d Gouv(er)n(o)r (and) the Deputy Gouv(er)n(o)r, together, with the honor(e)d magistrates and (the) house of Deputies," to be pre­ sented at the General Court assembled in Boston on October 19, 1664. The petition was an appeal for the protection of their land rights and privileges, because of the political change in England, Charles IL, having ascended the throne. In that year one of the steps taken toward a more liberal conces­ sion was made for the admission of new members to the Dorchester church. It was proposed to receive male members by having their confession taken in private in writing, and announced publicly to the church, they standing up and acknowledging it. Elder Withington informed the church that he had "resolved to lay down his appoint- THE wrrHINGTON LINEAGE 73

(ment) of seating" the members in the meeting-house, the other elders not acting with him. It . was a thankle~s office and he, being quite aged, had a hard task of it. He also informed the church that, from sorne ''natural infirmity'' in the elders, they had desired Deacon Capen to read the psalms. · Henry's death from natural causes is chronicled in the church rec­ ord as follows : The 2(nd) of ye [12th] (February) (16)66, Elder henry With­ ington departed this 1if ( e) on ye last day of ye weeke towards night, after he had faithfully served in yt office of a Rulling elder about 29 or 30 years, in this Church, at Dorchester, being ye 2(nd) Church officer yt was taken away by death. The records attest to the fact that he was· universal1y beloved, re­ spected, and trusted. Rev. Richard Mather ·calle~ him his ''Beloved Friend," and made him overseer of his will in 1664. ·Rev. Samuel Danforth said of him that he was ''a man that e;:celled in wisdom, meekness and go(o)dness." _ In his will, dated January 8, 1664, Henry says that he is "about the age of 76 yeares, or vpon 77, (but) being in perfect memory" he proceeds to give his directions for the distribution of his· estate as he wished done : .·ii * * My will is, That my sonn Richard Withington, one of my Executors, shall well & truly performe vnto my wife Marge1 ie all such Agre·ements as are Expressed in a writting, ,made & sea]ed before our marriage, bearing date 25:4: (June) 1662, witnessed by Mr. John Eliott & Mr._ Samuel Danforth, And then soe doing, it .gi;~e~s) vnto him all the rest of my House & Orchard & Lands that I haue in Dorchester, Except Tenn Acres in the Twenty-Acre Lott, which Tenn Acres I giue to my dau(ghter) Batte, & I Except also ;my devi­ sion of. Land, which is about 30 Acres, lying neere Ded (h)am mill which, if it bee not sold before my death my will is that it ~hall bee sould & come in as ·part of my Estate, And also I Except all my Land that.is IT'ine about ,the) Sension(' )s House, which Land I Giue to my dau (ghter) Batte, to be€ hers foreuer, And her Husband stjall . haue noe power to dispose of it without her free Consent. But all my Land, Except these parcel1s Excepted, I Giue to n1y sonn Richard to bee his foreuer. And (as) for my goods, my debts and buriall (expenses) being discharged out of the whole (estate), I Give as fol­ loweth namely, * my Beloued wife Margerie £IP, ouer & ·besides that £10, I promised her before our marriage, which is sett downe in a writting, afore~ayd. And to my sonn Richard. £10, & to · his fowre sonns- John.-· Ebenezer, Henry & Phillip, each, £5; to Mr. Mather, £5;. Mr. T (h) ompson, £5; And towards the maintenance of an able ministrie in Dorchester, which they haue or may chuse, I Give £20 to bee improved by the Deacons then in being, And the bennifitt thereof shall bee brought in yearely to the Select men then in 74 THE WITHINGTON LINEAGE being, to bee giuen to the vse aforesaid. And £10 more I Giue vnto the poorest inhabitants in Dorchester, And the said £10 shall bee disposed * (of) & by the discresion of the Deacons then in being. I Giue vnto John Baker, £5, Samuell Batte, £5, Samuell Paull, £5, (and) Samuell Danforth, £5. To all the Childeren I am Grandfather vnto, Except Mary Robinson, & such Children as I haue herein giuen legacies vnto, I giue each of them, 40s. (As) for the rest of my goods, legacies being discharged, shall bee Equally diuided among my 3 dau(ghter)s, namely Faith Baker, Mary Danforth and Anna Batte. And for that Five Acres of Land that I lat(e)ly bought of James Batte, at the south End of his Lott next (to) the Highway, which Cost mee £16, it is my will that she, I meane my dau(ghter) Batte, shall haue that Fiue Acres, & shee shall dispose of it for her good & for her Children, but her Husband shall haue no power to sell it away without her Consent, nor any Land that I haue given her Elsewhere. And further, it is my meaninge, that this £16, which the land Cost mee, though the Land Returne (given) her aforesayd, yet it shall bee recorded as part of that Portion which I leaue with hir other Sisters. F o~ my Executors, I Appoint my sonn Richard With­ ington & my sonn Richard Baker; for my Ouerseers, my sonn Mr. Thomas Danforth & my sonn James Batte. The legacies [are to be paid] one halfe within a yeare after my death, & the other halfe the next yeare after, if it may bee ,vell had & done.-Witnes(s) hereof, Enoch Wiswall (and) Samuell Paull.-(Signed), Henry Withington. In a codicill Mr. Withington states, that he has given to his son Richard the ten pounds as expressed in his will, and also delivered to him the five pounds intended for John Withington, his oldest son, and: For the Tenn Acres of Land I gaue to my daughter Batte, lying in the Twenty Acre-Lott, I haue sold that since to Samuell Clap ( p) & haue deliuered & given to her and her husband all my Land at (the) Sension(')shouse. (All which is acknowledged by Richard Wlthington. Samuel Paul acknowledges) that I haue receiued from my father Henry Withington, that Fiue pounds which * (are) Expressed in his will, to bee Giuen me, 23:9: (November), 1666.- 15, February, 166(7), Enoch Wiswell & Samuel Paul deposed. An Inventory of the Estate of Elder Henry Withington, of Dor­ chester, who deceased this life February 2, 166(7), (was) taken & apprai~ed by John Capen, sen(') r, & William Sumner, March 6, 1666-7.-Am(oun)t £850:17:3; Due from the Estate, £14:4:6. (Mentions), ;16 p(ar)t of three Ketches; ½ of a warehouse at Bos­ ton; two shares in the iron works at Ta(u)nton, Richard Baker & Richard Withington, deposed to this invento1y, May 2, 1667. Henry's children by his first wife, baptized at Leigh, county of Lancaster, England, were: FAITH, our lineal ancestress. Richard, baptized May 3, 1618; died in Dorchester, Mass., December 22, 1701, "Aged about 8411; married about THE WITHINGTON LINEAGE 75

1648, Elizabeth, daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Syb­

thorpe) Eliot, and a niece of Rev. John Eliot, L 'the Apos­ tle to the Indians.'' His children by his second wife, probably, born in London, En­ gland, were : Mary, born about 1623; died at Cambridge, Mass., March 26, 1697; was married to Thomas. son of Nicholas and Eliza­ beth Danforth, at Framingham, England, February 23, 1644. Anne, born about 1625; died in Haddam, Conn., before Feb­ ruary 16, 1692; was married about 1647 to James, son of James and Alice (Glover) Bates. Authorities consulted: ''Henry Withington of Dorchester, Mass., and Some of his Descendants," by Frederic Scherer Withington, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; ''Dorchester (Mass.) Records, Fourth Report of the Record Commissioners"; "Records of the First Church at Dorchester, (Mass.), 1636-1734"; "History of Dorchester, (Mass.)," by Ebenezer Clapp, jr.; "History of Taunton, Mass.," by Samuel Hopkins Emery, D. D.; and the probated wil1. FAITH2 WITHINGTON: See the life story of Richard Baker in the Baker lineage. -Page 56.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 Henry Withington, born 1590; died,. 1666; wife, Anna Leech. Richard1 Baker, ' ' 1689; '' Faith2 Withington. William3 Pratt, '' 1659;' '. 1713; • • Elizaheth2 Baker. Daniel3 Axtell, '' 1673; '. 1736; '' Thankful4 Pratt. 4 '' ' ' '' '' 4 Henry , , 1715; 1754; Jemima Leonard. 5 '' ', '' Phoebe4 Axtell. Henry , , 1738; 1818; , 6 ', . Rhoda6 Axtell. Simeon Cory,, , , 1774; , , 1847; , , James7 . 1801; 1880; Susan7 Mulford. 76 ·THE LEONARD LINEAGE

SOLOJ\1ON1 LEONARD, the earliest settler in this country and the ancestor of what has long been kno\Yn as the ''Bridgewater branch of the Leonard famiiy," must have been born about 1610, in Monmouthshire, or its vicinity, in the southwesterly part of England. It seems that he emigrated first to Leyden, Holland, probably with his father whose first name, it is believed, was Samuel. There is some probability that they came to this country together-if so, the father must have died soon after his arrival. The exact date of Solo­ mon's emigration to this country anct the place from which he em­ barked, it has been impossible to ascertain. Hon. Nahum Mitchell's "History of Bridgewater" states: "In 1629, thirty-five of the Leyden people, with their families, arrived at Plymouth, and in 1630, sixty more came. • Many of the Bridge­ water proprietors were doubtless among these.'' It has been stated that Solomon Leonard came with the family of Minister Robinson, but Manning Leonard's investigation seems to prove that only one of the family, his son Isaac, came in 1631. It has also been stated that he came with Roger Chandler and perhaps Edmund Chandler, who were probably brothers. They were both taxed in Plymouth, being· admitted as freeman in 1633, and soon after they were in Duxbury where both had grants of land. Solomon was in the service of the colony company in Plymouth for a time, but became one of the early settlers of Duxbury. The history of this town says that it was settled by the people of Ply­ mouth, and that they were, many of them, of the highest respect­ ability, being prominent and active in the affairs of the colony. Of the twelve subscribers to the civil compact, signed in the cabin of the Mayflower in November, 1620, and who survived the fatal first win­ ter, seven-' 'Elder Brewster, Capt. Standish, Mr. Allen, Mr. How­ land, Francis Eaton, Peter Brown and Geo. Soule'' -became inhabi­ tants of Duxbury. At one time it was of vast area, including within its bounds Pembroke, Hanson, Marshfield, Bridgewater and a part of Kingston. The exact date of Solomon Leonard's _settlement in Duxbury can­ not be determined. The records show he was there when the town THE LEONARD LINEAGE 77 was incorporated in 1637. He had land at "Blue Fi~h," in what is now the northerly part of the viliage of Duxbury, near the bay. The records of that period ''that escaped the ravages of fire and flood," and notably of decay from lack of proper care, are very mea­ ger and imperfect, and so in~omplete that the historian of the pres­ ent day is often sorely perplexed and disappointed in his research. Manning Leonard, the compiler of this family record, has ransacked all the musty archives and records of the period that are accessible; and for those who may not have the opportunity of seeing the origi­ nals, verbatim copies will be given to some .. ~xtent, as gathered from the ''Records of the Colony of Plymouth, New England.'' Fol­ lowing are some of the excerpts: ...... , May 7, 1638-Solomon Lenner is promised lands on (the) Dux­ burrow side [in p(ar )te of tho5e due to him for his service] in some convenient place. February 4, 1638-9-Solomon' Lenn er is granted twenty-five acres of land, to bee layed fonh for him by Edmond Chaundlor, w(hi)ch was layd forth for him, on the east side of the lands granted to Ed­ mond Chaund (l)or,. and ranging, as his doth, north east in length, and south & by west from the marked treeys, and bounded at the vpper end w (i)th a swamp. September 16, 1645--Memorand (um) That Morris· Truant and Solomon Lenn er, of Duxborrow, came before the Gou ( ver) nor and acknowledged That they have mutually exchaunged their new Dwell­ ing houses and vplands and me(a)ddows, w(hi)ch now they haue in possession, or any graunt of 1·he one w (i) th the other, So that the said Morris Traunt shall haue and enjoy the house, vplands and me(a)ddow of the said Solomon Lenner, w(hi)ch he lately bought of Edward Bumpas, and all the p(ar)cell of Com(m)on land w(hi)ch the Town of Duxborrow graunted (to) the said Solomon, lying be­ twixt * the said house & land I purchased of Edward Bum pas as aforesaid, and (those of) Mr. Aldens.-And likewise That the said Solomon Lenner shall haue and enjoy the house, garden & buildings and vplands and me(a)ddow w(hi)ch app(er)tained to the ~aid Mor­ ris Traunt, at (the) Blew ffish River" \.\-·(i)th all and singular, the app(u)rten(an)ce(s) & to the said pr(e)mis(e)s belonging. ; No record of conveyance of this .land, "lately ·bought of Edward Bumr,as,'' can be found, or of the lands of Solomon Leonard when sold by him. It should be stated that, in a vast number of instances, at that period and for fifty years subsequently, deeds· of .'purchases were never recorded. In the ""Spooner Memorial,'' by Hon. Thomas Spooner, ·it is stat­ ed that Solomon Leonard was admitted as a freeman in 1643, but his name does not appear in the printed list of those admitted from Dux­ bury that year. He is enumerated among those ''males that are able 78 THE LEONARD LINEAGE to bear arms, from XVI years old to 60 years, w(i)thin the Towne~ shipp of Duxbury, 1643." July 28, 1649-G(e)org(e) Partridg(e) of the towne of Duxbery, in the Coliny of New Plymouth, in New England, in america, Tay­ ler,-in con(s)ideration of the S(u)m of fouer pound(s) sterling, to him alre (a) dy payed by Serge (a) nt William Mer ( r) icke and John Vobes, of the towne aforesaid-sold vnto ( them) about fiue acars or thereabouts, in Duxbery aforesaid, at poulder point betwixt * the land of G(e)org(e) Soule on the one side, and (that of) Solomon Len (n) erson on the other side. Associated with the renowned Miles Standish, John Alden, Con­ stant South\vorth, William Bradford and others-fifty-four in all­ Solomon became one of the original proprietors of Bridgewater, being one of the earliest settlers there, as James Savage says in his ''Genea­ logical Dictionary," as early as 1645, but it must have been some years later. The grant of the plant~tion by the court was not made until 1645, when the Indian title to the territory was made, by a deed by ''the good old Massasoit," on March 23, 1649. The town was not incorporated as a distinct township until 1656. It contained at one time about ninety-~x square miles of territory, the greater part of Abington and of what is now Hanson being included within its bounds, as well as the "Four Bridgewaters." The North Parish is now the thriving city of Brockton. · The first settlement was made near what is now West Bridgewater. Each se~tler had a grant of a house lot of six acres on the town river, then called Nuckatest or Nuncketest, an Indian name, in close affinity with the pond, from which it flows, now called Nippenicket, but for­ merly written Neapnucket or Neapnuncket. The first lots were taken up in West Bridgewater, and the first houses built and the first im­ provements were made there; and the settlement was called after the name of the river Nuncketest or Nunckety, sometimes Unkety. These Indian names were variously written. In Governor Hinck­ ley' s deed of confirmation the pond itself is called Unketest. The plantation bore the more general appellation of Satucket. These house lots were contiguous, and the settlement was compact with a view to mutual aid when common protection and defence against the Indians were required, and extended on each side of the river. Solomon Leonard's house lot seems to have been near the center. On this he erected an humble habitation that was probably the dwelling place of himself and his family· to the close of his life. As the settlers had aided in the subduing and settlement of the two towns their lives must have been filled with almost ceaseless care and labor, with few conveniences and no superfluities. Their dwelling THE.LEONARD LINEAGE 79 houses, like the others of that period, were probably made from hewn logs, with the spaces filled with clay; the chimney built of sticks or stones and plastere·d outside and inside with clay~ ·was built against one side end on the outside of the house. Their clothing ~~as of homespun wool, Bax or hemp, supplemented perhaps with leather made from the skins of deer. Their food consisted of various prepa­ rations of Indian corn, beans, rye or wheat bread, of a few vegeta­ bles, fish, clams, lobsters, wild game, and in their season, of berries and wild fruit that were abundant in New England; beef and mutton, being luxuries, were seldom indulged in; and potatoes, tea or coffee were unknown. Their dishes doubtless were few, being mainly of wood, with perhaps a plate or two of pewter. The settlers were uneducated, and evidently an1ong the ''rude fore­ fathers,'' but they were respectable, honest, industrious, frugal and thrifty, and these traits have been transmitted to their descendants of the present day. A church was built in Duxbury as early as 1632. Rev. Ralph Par­ tridge, ''a man of pious and blameless life, gentleness of spirit, meek­ ness of heart," was its minister from 1637 until his death in 1658. Whether Solomon and his family were members it is impossible to state, as the records of the church were burned with those of the town. Nor can Manning Leonard tell if they were members even of the church in Bridgewater, which was established with the first settle­ ment. Rev. James Keith, its first minister, was ordained in 1664, and continued in its servke until his death in 1719. He '' did not preach, nor did his hearers practice a sickly sentimentality, which showed more sympathy for the criminal than love for the observance of law''; but he· taught, and they believed in a strict obedience to law and in a speedy punishment of its violators. They devoutly· believed in prayer and trusted in God; but they also trusted in their own right arm to achieve their defence. When attacked by the Indians, whom they treated with uniform kindness, they did not abandon their homes, as advised by the other timid settlements, nor did they tremblingly wait for Omnipotence specially to interpos·e for their deliverance; but, seizing their weapons with resolute hearts they· attacked the foe and drove him from their settlement. Although all their lives were deprived of the privileges of instruc­ tion by the schoolmaster and the appliances of the schools that after­ wards became so common, Solomon and his family must have acquir­ ed instruction and growth in grace, refinement and virtue from the daily intercourse with their neighbors, some of whom perchan~e had more culture and intelligence; and from the ministration. instruction. 80 THE LEONARD LINEAGE and example of such pious, faithful and beloved ministers as Rev. Ralph Partridge and Rev. James Leith. Solomon's name appears once more before his death in the ''Colo~ ny Records,'' March 4, 1658-9: An Inquest was held ·on the body of an English Man which some Indians took up out of the River of Tettscutt, a little below Hemaskett. Wee found noe blemish about the man that should, in any way, cause his death, but as we conceive, (he) was drowned accidentally. Solomon was associated on the inquest with thirteen citizens of Bridgewater, whom we find prominently connected with the early history of the town. Soon after this period he seems to have acquired the respectable title of ''Goodman Lennerson,'' which he bore until his death. It has been impossible to ascertain when that event occurred. He was probably buried iO: _the graveyard at West Bridgewater, ''but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day"; and, strange as it may seem, the same is true of all the members of his family. Solomon's death is mentioned in the "History of Bridgewater" as of 1686, and this error is repeated by Savage and innumerable other writers. This seems very strange, for these gentlemen were familiar with the court records of Plymouth, the records of deeds there, and the ''Proprie­ tors(') Records of Bridgewater," any one of which would have shown that he must have died many years before the period named. The Bridgewater historian says Solomon's estate ''was settled by his son Samuel, and was the first settlement recorded in Plymouth Probate Court.'' The Leonard compiler fails to find any record of the settlement of the estate. Only a few papers relating to transac­ tions during that period can be found. At the time of King Philip's War and subsequently, the anticipated or actual raids of. the Irrdian~ occasioned frequent hasty removal of the probate court's papers and records for safe-keeping, which resulted in serious losses. For sever­ al years the whole country was agitated by and absorbed in the Indian wars, a~d nearly everything else seems to have been left to ''take care of itself.'' It is quite impossible in these peaceful times for us to have any conception of the affairs of that period. It may be stat~d · here that Duxbury, which was the parent town of Bridgewater, lost all of its town records previous to 1654-~aid to have been burnt. The colony records of births and deaths previous to 1647 were lost; and in 1838 all of the records of the town of Taunton were destroyed by fire. A confirmatory deed is recorded in the '' Plymouth Colony Rec­ ords,'' stating: THE LEONARD LINEAGE 81

Forasmuch as my father Sollomon Leonard, of Bridgewater, while he was living did, with my mother, fully and firmly bestow on my brother John Leonard fifty acres of land, being and but ( t) ing on the South, or south·wester]y syde of (the) Punkatest river, next adjoin­ ing unto Elder Brett his fifty-acre Lott, that he bought or exchanged with Robert Latham on the one syde and unto my land on the other syde, with all the me(a)ddow-and not having made (a) Deed of Gift unto my brother John Leonard, being prevented by death, I, samuell Leonard-confirm-my hand and seal this first of the third month, (May), 1671. ' 1~his gives approximately the termination of their father's life as being at this period. Needing a substantiation to prove his claim to a tract of land ex­ changed from Solomon Leonard, deceased, Nicholas Byram requested the presence of Solomon's son Samuel before Constant Southworth, "assistant," on June 2, 1674. :: __: Following is the record: I• • . " _', ''AJ (' , • ): Whereas, Nicholas Byram and Sollomon Leon~rd did ~xchange land(s) and possess them several years before the death of Sollomon Leonard & Samuell Leonard, his son, doe ratify and confirm the said Exchange, &c. The fo1lowing is taken from the Plymouth Colony Records, dated October 27, 1~75: In reference vnto the dispose ( of the estate) of Sollomon Leonard­ son, of Bridgewater, deceased, the Court * (has) ordered, that such p(ar)ticulars as belong to Samuel Leonardson, the eldest son of the said Leonardson, being firstly sett apart, viz. : fifty acres of vpland, lying· on the southsyde of (the) Nunckatesett Riuer, and twenty mo're adjoining to it, on the northerly syde thereof, and twelue acres, lying att the town of Bridgewater, on which the house stand­ eth, and three lotts of me(a)ddow, containing two acres and a halfe, or thereabouts, to a Iott, and fifty acres of land, appertaining to John Leonardson, the second son of the said Sollomon Leonardson, and all debts and dues owing to any from the estate, being first payed, the Court doth order, settle and distribute the remainder as followeth :- Viz. : that Samuell Leonardson, 'the eldest son of the said Sollo­ mon Leonardson, shall haue a double portion, with what hee hath alre(a)ddy receiued from him of his estate, both real and p(er)son­ all, according to law, and the remainder to be equall (y) deuided a1nongst the reste of the.-children in equall and alike proportions, prouided that what any of the·m haue receiued of theire father('.) es­ tate be likewise rec( k)oned onward to them off theirp(ar)tes. · · The court then granted Samuel Leonard : . L ( e) tres of adminnester-(ation), on the. estate of Sol!omon Leon­ ardson, deceased; and the Court doe request Elder Brett and Mr. Samuell Edson to be supervisors and assistant(s) vnto :'the said ·ad­ minnestor, in things proueing difficult relating to the p(re)mises. 82 THE LEONARD· LINEAGE

Why legal steps were-not sooner taken to settle the estate Manning Leonard can only conjecture. Perhaps efforts to do this by agree­ ment were made and failed. Possibly, it may have been arranged to defer it until after the death of the widow, which had doubtless al­ ready occurred as no mention is made of her nor of provision granted in the order of the court. In a search which Manning Leonard made at the probate office in Plymouth a few years before his death, he found among the miscel­ laneous papers that had '' escaped the ravages of the war,'' the origi­ nal bond, given by Samuel Leonard to settle his father's estate. The following is a copy: Know all men by these presents that I, Samuel Leonardson, of the towne of Bridgewater, in the Juri~diction of New Plymouth, Car­ penter, do acknowledge myself, hereby, to stand bound unto the Gove(r)nor and (the) Court of Plymouth aforesaid, in the penall(ty) sum oi. one hundred pound (s) for !he payment of which sum well and truly to be ma-de I bind myself, my heirs, executors and admin­ istrators firmly by these presents, sealed and given, this 27 of Octo­ ber, 1675. The condition of the above-written obligation is such that, where­ as, the above-bounden Samuel Leonardson hath obtained letters of administration to administer on the estate of Solomon Leonardson, of the towne of Bridgewater, in the Colone aforesaid, weaver. If, therefore, the said Samuel, administrator, shall and do pay all ~uch debt accounts of his said administration, and be re(a)ddy to give an account thereof unto the said Court, when by them required and keep and save harmless the said Gov ( ernor) and (the) Court from such damage as may ac(c)r(ue) unto them by his said administration, That then this obligation to be void and of non-effect, or otherwise to remaine in full force, strength and vertue. (Signed), Samuel leonard, (Seal). In the administrator's bond Solomon Leonard is caUed ''weaver.'' This is the only instance that has been found where he has been so called. In all legal instruments of that day it was the custom to name the employment of the parties. It is possible that he may have served an apprenticeship at weaving in his early years and followed it to some extent through life, but more probable that he had become · unable to perform the hard work of the farm and the last work he did was that of weaving. A grant of land seems to have been made to the family by the Ply­ mouth colony at ''Saco nett,'' after the father's death. On account of Manning Leonard's inability to trace Solomon's life thoroughly, he gives only two records in the hope that some one else may be more successful in getting others : Att this Court (July 3, 1679) John Leonard appeared to request THE LEONARD LINEAGE 83 a competency of land for the supply of himself and his bretheren in the right of his fatter, being one of the old servants; in answers th(e)r(e)of, (the) court * (has) giuen libertie to him, in the behalfe of himselfe and bretheren, to look out for (an) accomm)o­ dation in any land that is free, being not conque(red) land, nor otherwise engaged; and in case they shaJI not be supplied, that they apply themselves to the Saconett companie att their next meeting, that they may be supplyed out of that grant if the companie shall see reason, or in that which did belonge to T otamumucke. July 7, 1680:-This Court doth order, that Mr. Nathaniel Thom­ as, Capt. Benjamin Church and William Paybody shall bound out (of) Tatamanucke(' )s thousand acress of land att or about Saconett, from the lands of Mamanewett; and the Court * (has) graunted an hundred and fifty acres thereof, viz.: of the said Tatamanucke(') s land, vnto Samuell and John Leonardson. It seems that the grant was a recompensation for the service their father rendered in the early days when Plymouth was settled, as he is listed as one of the "companie(' )s servants." They would object if any part of the conquered Indian land was tendered to them. Ac­ cordingly, a portion in the BTatamanucke" land was set apart for the Leonard brethren. Most of the children of the Maxflou:er pas­ sengers were given "grants'' in that division. After a faithful, indefatigable search of many years on the part of the Leonard tracer, he was obliged to say that no record could be found of the family name of Solomon's wife, or of the date of their marriage, or of the births of their children. He only found that she bore the excellent name of Mary, which has been so creditably per­ petuated in the families of her descendants. They were undoubtedly married before 1640, and had a large family of children, most of them probably being born in Duxbury, and several dying while young. It is observed that in the early records the family name is written in a variety of ways, such as Leonardson, Lennerson and Lenner, but by the members of the family themselves it is always written Leonard. It was quite common at that period to distinguish the son from the father by adding "son" to the name. In some cases the additional syllable was permanently adopted. It seems that two of Solon1on' s sons, John and Jacob, married into the family of Roger Chandler, as their respective wives' given names are the same as appear in the Chandler family list. In the ''Ply­ mouth Colony Records," dated October 3, 1665, there appears a record that ''the three sisters, daughters of Roger Chandler (are grant­ ed) to each of them fifty acres, lying between the Bay line and the bounds of Taunton. ' ' The ''Taunton Records" show that ten acres at Cranberry Mead- 84 .THE LEONARD LINEAGE ows, North Purchase, in the right of the court grant to the "three daughters of Roger Chandler," were confirmed to "John Leonard, of Bridgewater," July 12, 1692. All the children of Solomon and his wife Mary, with the exception of two, were born in Duxbury. Samuel, born about 1643; died in Griswold, Mass. , after 1720; he married before 1676, his first wife Abigail, daughter of John and Sarah Wood, of Plymouth, and his second after 1700, being Deborah, whose family name is unknown. John, born about 1645; was living in August of 1701; married about 1670, Sarah, supposed to be one of the ''three sisters,'' a daughter of Roger Chandler. Jacob, born about 1647; aied in 1717; married about the time when he became of age; his first wife, being Phebe who died before 1679, and was probably one of the "three sisters," a daughter of Roger Chandler; his second wife was Susanna, a daughter of Samuel and Experience (Phil­ lips) King, of Weymouth. ISAAC, our lineal ancestor. Solomon, horn in Bridgewater about 1650; died May 14, 1686; married Mary, whose maiden name is unknown. Mary, born after 1650; was married, December 24, 16i3, to John Pollard, of Taunton, Mass., as his second wife. Authority consulted: Solon1on Leonard and His Descendants," by Manning Leonard. THE LEONARD LINEAGE 85

ISAAC2 LEONARD was born, probably in Bridgewater, Mass., about 1650. He was one of the eight hundred and forty soldiers who were in the "Narragansett fight," during King Philip's war, December 19, 1675, and to whom, sixty years afterwards, seven townships were granted by the state of Massachusetts. Fourteen of the number were from Bridgewater, and when their shares were drawn on October 17, 1733 only two were living. Isaac's share was drawn by his son Isaac. These grants were confirmed by the legislature on April 18, 1735. It has never been ascertained where Isaac's grant of land was located. Isaac probably married after the close of the Indian war, a lady of his choice by the Christian name of Deliverance, whose surname the Leonard compiler was not able to find. Deeds of land in Bridge­ water, made out to him by his oldest brother Samuel, in 1677 and 1678, are on record. In the "Proprietors' Records," there is a rec­ ord of his twenty-five-acre tract, ''where his house stands,'' and again, in F ebn.Jary of 16 79, of his getting five acres at the head of his tract. The tract was in the "fifty-acar Lott," belonging to both himself and his brother Jacob : Isaack(')s part, being next (to) his brother John('s) fifty-acar Lott, to the eastward and Jacob Leonard ( 's) to the westward, be­ ing twenty-five acars, running the same length and bre(a)dth with the aforesaid fifty-acar Lott of their Brother John(' )s, ranging upon the same point of compas(s) and Butting on the same side of the river, Jacob(' )s part of his fifty acres of Land being twenty-five acres, lieth to the westward of Isa(a)ck(' )s twenty-five acres, and ( was) bounded by the twenty-acar Lott of his brother Samuel Leon­ ard to the westward, all the aforesaid lands, Butting on the river. Isaac, it seems, owned land in Mendon, being taxed in 1691, 1693, 1695 and 1696. Probably he lived t:here a part of that period. He also owned land in Worcester, as Judge Mitchell, in his ''His­ tory of Bridgewater," expresses the belief that, when he deeded his homestead in Bridgewater, April 17, 1717, to his son Joseph, he probably moved to Worcester. He conveyed his land in that town to Na_thaniel Jones by deed in which he called himself a "weaver." The deed is dated March 27, 1717. His wife Deliverance signed it 86 THE LEONARD LINEAGE on March 7, 1720, and two days afterwards, Benjamin Leonard, his youngest son, appeared before the ''General Court of Sessions,'' certifying that he saw his father sign the deed. Probably he had died about this period. Hi~ wife was one of the original members of the Second church of Bridgewater. The children of Isaac, all born in Bridgewater, were: Isaac, born about or before 1678; was living in February of 1735; married on April 16, 1701, Mary, daughter of Guildo Bailey, who was the widow of Samuel Randall. Hannah, born March 15, 1680; died April 22, 1753; was mar­ ried first, in 1697, to David Newton, of Marlborough, a grandson of Richard Newton who came there from En­ gland before 1640, and the second time, after 1702, to Nathaniel Manley, of Easton. Deliverance was married to Samuel Washburn, jr., of Bridge­ water, January 9, 1701. She must have died a short time after her marriage, for her husband took a second wife, in 1703. Joseph, as there were five Joseph Leonards living in Bridge­ water in his time, it has been impossible to identify each of them. BENJAMIN, our lineal ancestor. Authority consulted: ''Solomon Leonard and His Descendants,'' by Manning Leonard. THE LEONARD LINEAGE 87

BENJAMIN8 LEONARD was born in Bridgewater, Mass., sometime before or after 1690. He was married twice; his first wife was Hannah, daughter of William Phillips and Hannah Gilbert, of Taunton, Mass., the wedding taking place on August 15, 1715. Their married life lasted fifteen years, his wife dying about 1730. He took for his second wife, four years later, Mary, daughter of James and Betty (Hatch) Cudworth, on June 13, 1734. She died in Mendham, N. J., November 5, 1778, in her seventy-fifth year. According to the deeds recorded on December 13, 1720, and on May 31, 1722, Benjamin and his first wife conveyed, on the fir~t date, to Joseph Leonard, his brother, their homestead, in exchange for a pan of land owned by Joseph, and on the latter date, they con­ veyed the same to ''Eleazer Carver,· jr., Bloomer (iron manufac­ turer), of Bridgewater,'' for a consideration. After the sale they bought a part of the homestead of William Phillips, his wife's deceas­ ed father, to which they moved before July 1, 1725. T·his home­ stead was in that pan of Taunton which became Dighton in 1712, and Berkley in 1735. Deeds of purchases and sales of land by them are on record up to 1723. Their leaving the town of Bridgewater and moving to Taunton was probably caused by the trouble which Benjamin had with Rev. Benjamin Allen, pastor of the Second church, of which he was a member. The following minute of a church meet­ ing explains it: On the 21 (st of) March, 1721, the Ch(urc)h met, and ye Occa­ sion of it was some reflecting words, spoken by Be(n) j (amin) Leon­ ard against the pastor, When he made ye following Confession and was forgiven by ye Ch ( urc) h: I must needs Own yt I have not attended ye rule in being so rash & unadvised, in taking up and publishing a groundless report against my Pastor Mr. Benjamin Allen with respect to his wronging rry uncle Samuel Leonard, about (the) Twenty-five pounds. I desire forgive­ ness from God, and from Mr. Allen, and from the whole Ch ( urc) h, hoping I shall be more Careful of him, of them, & of myself for (in) time to Come. -Benjamin Leonard owned this before ye Ch ( urc) h. -Attest, Benj. Allen, Pastor. After his second marriage Benjamin and his wife Mary must ha-ve 88 THE LEONARD LINEAGE lived in Berkley as, on March 16, 1737, they for six hundred and twenty pounds, sold to John Paul, of the same town, "my home­ stead where I now dwell in Berkley.'' They also sold a tract of land and a meadow to Elkanah Babbitt, on November 2, 1738. After this, the compiler of the Leonard genealogy could find no further trace of this family. Evidently he was not aware that the family moved with Henry4 Axtell to Morris county, New Jersey, about 1740. Benjamin's first cousin, Enoch Leonard, had settled there, so had the Byrams and the Cooks, who came from Plymouth county. Possibly there were several others from the same place. Whether they appeared there ahead or came with the party later, we cannot discover. Some of the Leonard relatives settled elsewhere in N·ew Jersey. Benjamin settled ~omewhere outside of Mendham township and liv­ ed there as late as 1748. Mendham, in the old records, original1y was called either Mendum, or Mendom. As there was a village near-by from whence he came, which was known as Mendon, and still is, is not it possible that, by an inadvertent slip of the pen, it "as given the former name when the latter was intended? In a book of surveys of lands entitled "East Jersey Proprietors," now in the keeping at Perth Amboy, there are two surveys on record made in different sections, in the so-called Somerset county, for Ben­ jamin Leonard. One was for a tract, situated, ''lying and being in the county of Somerset,'' containing forty-three acres, and the other, situated in the "s(ai)d County of Somerset, on the west side of (the) Passaic river," containing nine acres and five-tenths. These two tracts put together were ''fifty-two acres and a half, strict meas­ ure, to which the s(ai)d Benjamin Leonard * (was) entitled by virtue of his deed, for the s(ai)d quantity'' he secured by purchase from Joseph Ogden on April 1, 1740. It seems that Mr. Ogden was a man of means as he had in his possession a large tract of three hundr~d acres he bought on N ovem­ ber 13, 1739, out of James Alexander's "shares of propriety." In the first survey, made by Gersham Mott on the authorization of James Alexander, the tract is described : Begin ( n) ing at a pepperidge tree, corn er of Joseph Gear (ing' s) land, at a place called Rocksiticus, in the county of Somerset, afore­ said, thence running west along (the) s(ai)d Gear(ing' s) line, six­ teen Chains to a Post, thence South nine degrees (and) thirty min­ utes west, six chains and twenty-five links to a dead Oak (tree), thence. north eighty-four degrees, east two chains and seventy-five links to a small walnut (tree), supposed to be Dunstar(' )s corner, thence south fifty degrees, east nineteen chains to a red oak (tree), THE LEONARD LINEAGE 89 thence north seventy-four degrees, east twenty-three chains to a post, thence nonh fony-nine degrees, west seventeen chains and fifty links, partly by Jeremiah Brown's land to a red oak (tree), thence west eight chains to the beginning. Of the second survey, made by Jonathan Sargent, and deputized by the same proprietors, the description is: Beginning at a birch tree, Marked on four sides, standing on ye side of (the) s(ai)d river, supposed to be about three miles below the head spring thereof, and five chains up streatn from a certain path crossing (the) s(ai)d river, which leads from (the land of) John Linsley, Esq., to Rocksiticus, thence· runnin.g south eighteen degrees (and) thirty minutes, west fourteen chains and forty links, thence south sixty-four degrees, east ten chains- and nineteen Jinks to (the) s(ai)d river, thence·up the stream _there * north, twelve degrees, west one chain and fifty links, thence north eight degrees, east six chains, and from thence up stream to where it began. Roxiticus township is really within the boundaries of Morris coun­ ty. For many years there was ~i controversy about the boundary line between the counties .of Morris and Somerset, so that any particular piece of property inside these c;ounties might be improperly located. To strengthen Benjamin's proof of his possession of these two sur­ veyed tracts it seems, the following additional pan was appended thereto on record, so as to trace in the records whence the land that , was owned by the original pos~essor was acquired: (In the) grant which the s(ai)d James Alexander had (his) right(s) * * of the shares of property, vested in him by sundry Con­ veyances, appearing upon record at Perth Amboy, and in part of his, the s(ai)d James', warrant from the Council of (the) Proprietors for 291378 acres, dated the 8th of March 1789 / 40, and recorded in Lib. W: fol 4:, witness my hand, the twenty-third day of March 1748 / 4, Ja(s). Alexander, Surv(eyo)r Gen(era)ll. If Benjamin made his will it is not on record. 'The date of his death is not known. The nearest guess to point it out is in the will of Joseph Thompson, of Mendham, dated July 4, 1749, which men­ tions the "meadow, 15 acres, (I) purchased of Benjamin Leonard, deceased.'' His homestead may have been on the ''road from Rock­ sitecos to Morristown.' ' In the absence of his will there are indications that the division of his estate was made years later, when his son Benjamin and his wife Martha conveyed by deed, dated August 11, 1758, and recorded pn December 6, 1765, to John Cary a piece of land, containing about sixty-five acres for a consideration of two hundred and eighty · pounds sterling. It seems that it was a part of the land in the original tract which his father bought in 1740, as the name of Joseph Gearings is 90 THE LEONARD LINEAGE mentioned. The transfer of the land was witnessed by Samuel Hud­ son and William Alexander, the latter being, it is thought, a son of James Alexander, the man who owned the land. The description is as follows: Beginning at a Black ash tree, standing by (the) Pissaic River, or the ~outh side, it being a corner of that tract of land (the) said Cary bought of John Ed(d)y, from thence running South 15 degrees, West 35 chain (s) · and 70 links to a corner of Joseph Gearing(' s) land, in the middle of the road, near Gearing (' ) s House, from thence North 54 degrees, West 6 chain(s) and 50 links in the mid­ dle of the road, from thence along the middle of the road, North 6 degrees, East 8 chai~s, from thence North 67 degrees, West 13 chain(s) and 50 links to Joseph Hind(' )s land, from thence North 20 degrees, East along (the) said Hind's Line 25 chain(s) to (the) Pissaic River, from thence down the several courses of (the) said River to the First mentioned Corner. As is stated in Henry Axtell' s life story, it seems by the deed of young Benjamin's aunt Jemima, John Cary bought her father's land from her in 1751 to increase his holdings. It is evident that Ben­ jamin's father, his uncle-in-law Henry Axtell, John Cary, Joseph Guerin, and Joseph Thompson were all living in the same neighbor­ hood. The children of Benjamin by his first wife were: JEMIMA, our lineal ancestress. Lydia, born in Bridgewater, M,ss., September 17, 1718; not traced. Hannah, born in Bridgewater, Mass., September 26, 1720; not traced. Benjamin, born in Taunton, Mass., September 6, 1722; mar- ried Martha Hains, March 8, 1750. She died on May 15, 1793, as inscribed on her tombstone at the Hilltop cemetery, Mendham, N. J. William, born in Taunton, Mass., December 17, 1724; was a \\Titness to William Axtell' s will of November 25, 1749 at Mendham, N. J. Caleb, born in Taunton, Mass., September 23, 1726; married Jemima Minthorn, at Morristown, N. J., January 27, 1748; was a witness to the will of Ebenezer Byram, of "Mendum," in 1753. Authorities consulted: ''Solomon Leonard and His Descen- dants,'' by Manning Leonard; L 'Combined Church Registers of Morristown First Presbyterian Church"; and "Abstract of Wills of New Jersey. '' JEMIMA4 LEONARD: See the life story of Henry4 Axtell in the Axtell lineage. -Page 18. THE LEONARD LINEAGE 91

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 Solomon Leonard, born 1610; died, , abt., , 1670; wife, Mary. Isaac2 '. , ' 1650; 1720; ', Deliverance. 3 •• ', , . 4 . ' ' ' ' Hannah Gilbert. Benjamin 1690; , 1730; , Henry4 Axtell, .. 1715; . 1754; . Jemima4 Leonard . 5 •• 4 Henry '' '' 1738; 1818; •·• Phoebe Condit. 6 • • •• •• 6 Simeon Cory, 1774; 1847; , , Rhoda Axtell. James7 .' ' ' 1801; '. 1880; Susan7 Mulford . 92 THE PHILLIPS LINEAGE.

WILLIAM1 PHILLIPS is mentioned for the first time in the Cohannet land purchase, which is thought to have been made in i637. He was among the forty-six original settlers who had their title to their land affixed on a document from Massasoit, the friendly sachem of the Wampanoags. Precisely when the deal was made is not known as no man of this generation has seen the deed, and it is sup­ posed to have been irrecoverably lost. But fortunately a confirmatory deed of the first purchase from Philip, son of the deceased sachem, made years later, is in existence, and may be found in the ''Plymouth Records of Deeds.'' The purchase was made by an elderly widow named Elizabeth Pool. The ''year one thousand six hundred and · thirty-seven" is given as the year in which "the plantation was bought of Ousamequin (Massasoit)." The confirmatory deed bearing date of July 20, 1686, states: That Mrs. Elizabeth Pool, formerly of Taunton, did, for and in behalf of the said town of Taunton, purchase the lands of Tittiquet, in the year one thousand six hundred and thirty-seven, and that the right owners of the said lands did make (a) sale thereof to the said Mrs. Elizabeth Pool, as aforesaid, and received pay of her for it. It was the' 'Tetiquet Purchase,'' which included the present towns of Taunton, Raynham and Berkley. In 1668 there was an additional purchase, called the ''North Purchase,'' including the present towns of North, Mansfield and Easton. In 1672 a third purchase, called · the ''South Purchase,'' which comprised what is now the town of Dighton, was made. The Taunton historian says that the Massachusetts colony, which was f~t filling up, had relinquished its hold on the forthgoing settlers who retired with their whole church and congregation to Hartford, a distance of a hundred miles through a trackless wilderness, with ''no guide but their compass, no covering but the heavens,'' driving before them one hundred and sixty cattle, and subsisting on the milk of cows, whilst John Davenport, Theophilus Eaton and their compa­ ny, finding no room in Sal~m, Charlestown, Boston or Cambridge, were preparing to follow and lay the foundation of New Haven; Dor­ chester, likewise, had some choice spirits, whose eyes were turned THE PHILLIPS LINEAGE 93 toward Cohannet. What renders this latter movement the more re­ markable is the fact-that a woman led the way-dux fiemina facti. Gov. John Winthrop calls her ''a gentlewoman-an ancient maid­ one Miss Pole." · He says that "she went late thither, and endured much hardship and lost much cattle." James Savage in a note on Winthrop remarks: ' 4She was probably encouraged in her perilous undertaking by the Rev. William Hook, who was the spiritual guide of the new settlement." That it was "perilous," and required no common nerve to undertake it will appear if you consider that the nearest settlement. on the east was Plymouth at a distance of twenty­ six miles-and in the intervening forests the Nemasket and Tetiquet tribes claimed dominio~; that on the ~est was nothing but the feeble . . . settlement of Roger Williams at Providence, whilst J~e numerous, powerful and barbarous ·tribes roamed free, .· ready at any moment to devour; that on ·the north, between Dorchester and Cohannet, were . . yet other tribes, as the Punkapoques and N eporisets, which completely shut them in from other colonists and left them at the mercy of mer­ ciless men, accustomed to deeds of blood. She was indeed a lion­ hearted lady who not only left England, where, with ample means at her command, she might have enjoyed a whole lifetime of dignified . -~ - ease, at her own quiet hreside, in the town of Taunton,. Somerset- shire, but when she arrived hither she covered not th·e quietest, safest spot, nay, penetrated the dark, untrodden wilderness. and planted a new church miles away from any human habitation. Where Wi1liam first came from there is no record to tell. It is probable, but not absolutely certain, that he was the same one· who was with William Phillips, of Boston, the ''vintner,'' who had lived in London, England, and was in Boston .in 1648 "at ye Ship Tavern." On the other hand, as a good many settlers came to Cohannet from Dorchester, he may have come frbm there. One John Phillips was living:in Dorchester in 1630, and remained there until he moved to Boston in 1645, where he styled himself as a ''biskett ~aker.'' If there was any blood relationship between William and John, they · were brothers. Being under sixty years of age in 1643, William was on the list of those who were able to bear arms for military duty. His' name ap­ pears on the list of those who)oined with the men "who had taken up freedom" in 1648. He was a .surveyor in 1653. H~s will, dated April 16, 1654, giving his age as "there ( three) score years and ten, atte ye least/" mentions his ·wife Elizabeth and his son James, who is named to be his e_xecutor. It is in the keep­ ing of the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds at Plymouth, Mass., 94 THE PHILLIPS LINEAGE being copied from the ''Plymouth Colony Records,'' as follows: The Last Will and Testament of William Phillips, of Taunton, deceased, Exhibited before the Court, holden att Plymouth (on) the sixt(h) Day of March, 1654, on the oath of James Walker, Aprill, the 16th, .11.nno Domini, 1654. In the name of God, Amen, I, William Phillips, of Taunton, of the age of th (ree) score and ten, atte ye least, being visited by the hand of god ·with sickness and great weakness, neare unto death, not being lik ( e) ly to continue (long) in the world, yet being through the­ mercy of God, (having) p(er)fect understanding and memory and (being) Willing, according(ly), I ame p(er)swaded it is my deuty to sett my house in order before I goe hence, I doe, therefore, as I came from the dust com ( m) itt my body to the dust untill the day of Judgment, and my sperit into the hands of God, believeing in him that when my body shall againe arise, hee will, according to his gra­ cious pr(o)miss(e), make mee p(ar)taker of sperituall and heavenly glory with Jesus Christ. And for my outward estate which God hath given, I doe in this, my last will, give and bequeath as follow- 1ng, vzz..: lmprimis: my house that I now dwell in, with my outhousing and all my lands that I have, of Right, appertaining and belonging to mee, in Taunton, with my Right and Interest that I have in the Iron works now newly Erected and built att Taunton, with all my house­ hold stuffe of one kind and another, I give (them) all, joyntly and equally, unto my wife Elizabeth Phillips, and my Sonne James Phil­ lips, to enjoy (them) all, equally together, while the Lord continues theire lives together; but if the Lord bee pleased to take away my wife by death, then my son James Phillips shall possesse and lnjoy all the things for(e)mentioned, as belonging and apperta(i)ning to him and his heir(s) and assigns forever, but if the Lord bee pleased to take my Son James away by death without Issue, then my will is that, after the decease of my wife, then the estate of mine, as the lord Continueth it, shall bee and appertaine unto the children of James Walker, my son-in-law, to bee devided amongst them equally, (and) I give and bequeath unto my daughter-in-law Elizabeth Walk­ er an heifer of the age of two yeares old, and to her little daughter, Hester Walker, an heifer of a year old, to bee theirs, after my de­ cease. The rest of my cattle which I doe In joy and (which) the lord hath give(n) mee, I leave them, as the Rest of my goods with my wife and my sonne; and soe Com(m)itt and Com(m)end them * * and all to the blessing of the lord, And doe Confeirme this (to) bee my last will and Testament, and doe, heerby, appoint rry­ Sonne James Phillips to bee my Executor, to pay all Debts of mine everywhere and p(er)forme the legacies heerin contained, and thus, I rest, heerin, signing this (it being) my owne Signe, upon the Six­ teenth Day of Aprill, in the year of our Lord God, 1654.-Witness­ ed by Olifer Purchise (and) James Walker.-The Signe of Wil- l ( i) am Phillips. . It is noticed that mention is made of his ''daughter-in-law'' Eliza- THE PHILLIPS LINEAGE 95 beth Walker and her little daughter Esther Walker. This Eliza­ beth was his own daughter doubtless, so that the ''in-law'' is su­ perfluous. The house his wife was to receive, and as \\ as his son James, was bought afterwards for the use of the town miniMer, Rev. George Shove. William must have died sometime before March 1, 1654, as the inventory of his estate was reported to the court at Plymouth on the sixth by the appraisers, William Hailston and William Otway." It was appraised at seventy-eight pounds and eight shillings. His widow was a sister of William and John Parker. The rela­ tionship is established by her son James, who states that he had re­ ceived the bequest of his uncle William Parker from his aunt Allis Paine, etc. The will is dated March 15, 1659. Both brothers sign­ ed themselves sometimes "alias Otway," as if this was once their name. Their home town was probably Taunton, England, as a Wil­ liam Parker, son of Hugh, was baptized in St. Mary's chu1ch there on January 7, 1605. William's children were : JAMES, our lineal ancestor. Elizabeth, born in 1619; died August 14, 1678; was married to James Walker, son of Widow Walker, of Rehoboth, Mass. Authorities consulted: ''Genealogical Dictionary of the First Set­ tlers of New England," by James Savage; "Phi11ips Genealogies," by Albert M. Phillips; "A Chapter in Hastings Family History," by John Mcllvene; '' History of Taunton, Mass , '' by ~amuel Hopkins Emery, D. D.; "T;1e Ministry of Taunton, Mass.," by Samuel Hopkins Emery; '''"faunton, (Mass.) Vital Records''; and the pro­ bated will. 96 THE PHILLIPS LINEAGE

JAMES2 PHILLIPS was born in Taunton, Mass., if not in En­ gland, the date of his birth not being known. He married very soon after his father's death so as to secure his share in his father's estate, or not otherwise. The date of his marriage and the full name of his wife are not given, excepting that her Christian name was Mary. In 1654, when the organization of an iron works company was in process, additional stockholders being needed, James became one of those who contributed "from £20 to £5, each, for whole, half and quarter shares.'' In 1660 the manufactory was leased to George Hall and his associates for a term of five years. Apparently James was one of those taken into partnership to· he active in the business. Henry Withington, our ancestor, ·was also one of them. In the division of land, under the heading of ''lots, heads and es­ tate," agreed on December 28, 1654, at the town meeting James was accorded thirty-one acres, on his rate, at thirteen shillings and four pence, having in his family ''2 heads." He took the freeman's oath in 1657. As he was a nephew of William Parker, of Taunton, he was made a legatee in his will, dated March 18, 1659, which he acknowledged by a receipt, as appears in the ''Plymouth County Records of Wills'': Memorand(um), This writ{ing) is to Testify that James Phillipes * living in the collonie of New Plymouth, husbandman, testi­ fyeth that I have received the bed with its appurtenances, and the halfe (share) of a mare that was given to mee (i)n will by unkell William Parker, aforesaid, yeoman, I say, received of my aunt Allis Paine, of Rehoboth, living in the same Colloney: and I doe by these pr ( e) sen ts bind my self e, my heires, administrators and assigne~ n ( e) ver to moll est nor trouble nor challenge any thing more of my aunt, or her heires, administrators or assignes, and doe owne myselfe fully satisfyed. for myselfe, or any of mine for that which was given to mee (i) n will by my unkell, late (ly) deceased. In Witness whereof,· I have hereunto sett my hand, in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty and two, in the third day of the seaventh month (September).-In the presence of these:-James Wyatt and Peter Pitts.-(Signed) James Phillipes. James was one of the proprietors in t~e purchase of land from the Indians on the payment of one hundred pounds sterling in 1668. It THE PHILLIPS LIN·EAGE 97 is known on the record as the ''North .Purchase." He al~o joined in buying more land in 1672, which is known as the ''South Purchase'' in the ·record. He. was "warne~" to. serve on the jury, September ·20, 1672. He was living in the year 1675 when King Philip's war broke out. Here his life story ends. He was killed in the following_year by the Indians while working in a .field. Some others were also slain, being taken unawares at the same time. ''An Inventory of the estate of James Phillips, of Taunton, deceas­ ed, exhibited to the Court held att Plym(outh) the 5th of July, 1677, on the oath of Mary Phillips, widdow,'' as=- found_ dn: record in the ''Plymouth Colony Records,'' in the office of the Piymo~_th Registry of Deeds, Plymouth, Mass: On,_ the list a;~.- the ite~iz~d chattels, which were summed up in. total, at "43: 07: 06/' by the appraisers, William Hailston and Willi~~ Otway. And then follows the inven- tory of James' lands, such as~:·--- ·a • ' -: :T Six(th) part of farme that was Mr. Street('s), (valued at sixty pounds); a i:(a)rsell of meddow att Broad Cove, (at twenty pounds); a smal(l)e p(a)rsel1 of meddow att Sekegauepsett, (at two pounds); a farm, lying on the each syde of the Great river, oppo~ite against the three-mile river, (at forty pounds); a p(a)rsell of land, lying att Assonsett, (at fifteen pounds); six acres of land att ( ) the Towne, (at six pounds); a purchase of land, cal1ed the 1'rorth pur­ chase, (at ten pounds; and) a purchase of land, called the South purchase, (at ten pounds); a purchase (of) Right of land ( ) undevided, (at ten pounds). The sum, totalling up for all these lands is appraised at one hun­ dred and ninety-five pounds. The whole estate, putting together the lands and the "moveables," is valued at "238: 07: 06." "This estate was appr(a)ised by us whose hands are under-written, (on) the 25th of June 1677.-James Walker (and) John Richmond." Then follows this respecting the settlement of the estate: The Court hath ordered that Mary, that the widdow of the afore­ said James Phillipes, shall have all the moveables att her own dispore to pay the just debts, and to heaip to bring up the smale children, and that the widdow shall have the sixt(th) p(ar)te of the farme, with the meddow belonging to it, that was formerly Mr. Street(' )s during her naturall life, and the Court hath Graunted to the aforesaid Mary liberty to sell six acres of land att the Towne, and the prise thereof, be Improved in the building of a house (for her) to live in, and the Remainder of the estate the eldest son to have a double share, and the other children, to each, an equal p (ar) te. James' widow was married for the second time, March 26, 1684, to Richard Godfrey, senior, of Taunton, as his last wife. She was perhaps a Wilbore. 98 THE. P-HILLIPS LINEAGE'

In the division of James' estate in 1691, his children, named in the will were : James, born January 1, 1661; married, in Taunton, Abigail Hathaway, December 9, 1685; the name of his second wife is not given. Nathaniel, born March 25, 1664. Sarah, born March 17, 1667; was married, in Taunton, to Samuel Wilbore, December 19, 1688. She died about 1741, as at that time, her daughter released her interest · in her estate to her brother Samuel. WILLIAM, our lineal ancestor. Seth, born August 14, 1671. Daniel, born May 9, 1673. Ebenezer, born January 16, 1674. _ Authorities consulted: "Phillips Genealogies,'' by Alben M. Phil­ lips; "A Chapter in Hastings Family History','' by Jolin Mcllvene; "History of Taunton, Mass.," by Samuel Hopkins Emery, .D.D."; and the inventoried estate. THE PHILLIPS LINEAGE 99

WILLIAM8 PHILLIPS was born in Taunton, Mass., on August 21, 1669. He married Hannah, daughter of Thomas Gilbert of the same town, where she was born on September 25, 1677. He signed a petition, July 12, 1698, to be presented to the General Court at Plymouth, asking for assistance in the rebuild-ing and sup­ porting of a bridge in the southern part of the town. The petition was endorsed by his father-in-law and others who were selectmen. As he had an interest in the iron works, it was increased when he received his father's interest in it as an inheritance. Apparently he had no sons,· but five daughters, all born probably before 1700. He was probably a sick man and expected to die at no distant date, consequently he had his will made on June 2, 1705. It was witnessed by Elizabeth (E. H.) Holloway, Abigail (A. H.) Holloway and Samuel Danforth. He died sometime before 1713. The division of his estate was apparently not made until July 23, 1716. His will, as found in the keeping of the Bristol County Probate Court and the Court of Insolvency at Taunton, Mass., is as follows: The last will and testament of William Phillips, of Ta(un)ton, in New England. Being of disposing mind and memory, th(ough) weak and sick in body; my soul I commit to God in Christ, my body to the earth in hope of joyful resurrection. My house I live in and the homelands, or farm I live upon, with all outlands in Ta(u)nton, n1y rights to future divisions of land in Ta ( u) nton, with my interest in the iron works building in Freetown and its privileges, with all other my estate, real and personal, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Hannah Phillips to be improved by her for her comfort and the bringing up of my children; and I confide in her affection and care to spare something to each of my children, if they live to settle in a marryed estate, and after the decease of my wife, the whole of what remains of my said lands and other estate above mentioned, I give and bequeath to my five daughters Jemimah, Hannah, Mehitable, Lydia and Susannah. To have and to hold the same unto them my s(ai)d five daughters and their heirs and assigns forever in equal parts, and in case of extraordinary necessity of my wife or children, (I) do empower my said wife to sell some part of my outlands that can be best spared, with the advise and consent of the overseers of this my will, first had, namely of my honored father-in-law Ensign Thomas 100 THE PHILLIPS LINEAGE

Gilbert, and my loving neighbour Abraham Hathaway, whom I desire to advise and counsel my wife for ye best, in managing my estate for ye real good of herself and my children, and (I) do constitute my said wife sole executrix * (of) this, my last will and testament. Witness my hand and seal hereto set, this second day of June, Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and five.-Signed, sealed & delivered in the presence of Elizabeth (E. H.) Holloway, her name, Abigail (A. H.) Holloway (and) Samuel Danforth. William Phillips, (seal). His children were: Jemimah, who was married to a Mr. Burt. HANNAH, our lineal ancestress. Mehitable, who was the wife of James Leonard, ofTaunton, Mass., the "fourth James" of the Leonard progenitor. Lydia, was married to Joseph Willis. Susannah. Authorities consulted: "Solomon Leonard and His Desce_ndants,'' by Manning Leonard; ''Phillips -Genealogies,'' by Albert .M. Phil­ lips; ''Taunton (Mass.) Vital Records'>; ''Abstracts from the Pro­ bate Records of Bristol County, Mass.''; and ''Genealogical Diction­ ary of the First Settlers of New England," by James Savage. HANNAH4 PHILLIPS: See the life story of Benjamin3 Leonard in .the Leonard lineage.-Page 87.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT William1 Phillips, born died 1654; wife, Elizabeth Parker. 2 , , , . , . •• James , 1676; , , Marv. 3 •• , . , 4 William 1669; , , 1713; H an~ah Gilbert. 3 •• . ' 4 Benjamin Leonard, ,. . Hannah Phillips . 4 ' •• ' .' 4 Henry Axtell, 1715; , 1754; Jemima Leonard . Henry5 •• •• 1738; . 1818; • • Phoebe4 Condit . 6 •• •• ., 6 Simeon Cory,, , 1774; , 1847; Rhoda Axtell. James1 . . 1801; . 1880; •• Susan 1 Mulford . TH.E GILBERT LINEAGE 101

JOHN1 GILBERT came to America at an age somewhat ad­ vanced in ·1635, as the early accounts have it, and pitched his tent with many others in Dorchester, Mass., bringing with him his two "well-grown youth(s)," Thomas and John. They are supposed to have come from Devonshire, England. John probably was a widower at the time. In that year there arrived in Massachusetts bay many ships with passengers from England, and the Dorchester plantation attracted its full share of them. Besides those who came with Rev. Richard Mather in the lames from Bristol, the names of the Dorchester set­ tlers are found in the registers of four other vessels from London. These arrivals greatly promoted the Connecticut movement by fur­ nishing purchasers for the improvement of those intending to migrate. And the same year that deprived Dorchester of many of her most valued inhabitants furnished accessions to the population of a more permanent character. New names continued to appear upon the records until 1640, when the political changes in the mother country arrested the tide of emigration. It may be regarded as a near approach to a correct list of eighty­ four passengers on the second emigration from Europe, which oc­ curred about the time of Mr. Mather's arrival and settlement, to name among them were Richard Baker, Henry Withington, William Blake, and John Gilbert. They are our indirect lineal ancestors. As John's name appears on the list in the Town Records previous to January of 1636, he was one of the one hundred and thirty-four grantees of land in Dorchester. It was probably his piece of land that he sold to William Stoughton before moving to Taunton, Mass. In sending to the proprietors in 1664, a list of the lands which Mr. Stoughton owned, aggregating three hundred and twenty-five acres, he enumerated the purchases he made of the former owners, among whom was John, upon their leaving the town. John and his grown sons are named among the ''first purchas­ e (r )s" of Cohannett-a larger number than of any one family. l'he term "Cohannett" was an Indian name for Taunton, "at first given to the falls in ye Mi11 River where the old Mill (so-called) now stands, 102, THE GILBERT LINEAGE being the most convenient place for catching alewives of any in those parts." It was where the "three-Mile-River" was formed by the junction of the Rumford and Wading rivers. On either side of these rivers the purchasers planted themselves. The land was purchased in 1637, and afterwards confirmed under the term known as the Tetiquet purchase, because of the river that passed through Taunton bearing the Indian name. Cohanett then was given the name of Taunton on March 3, 1640. When the Indian Chieftain Philip confirmed the lands, which had been granted by his father Ossamequin in 1663, he refers to Capt. William Pool, Mr. John Gilbert and their associates in 1638; on which occasion: The meadows upon the great river downwards- so far as Storehouse point, so called, with all the meadows of Assonet and Broad cove, with a small tract of land bought of Ishben, lying betwixt the marked tree, at the pond, and the mouth of- Nistoquahonock, or Three-Mile river are enumerated and included. The ''Storehouse Point'' was a trading house erected early by the people of Plymouth, the location being in Somerset. It was the temporary use of these meadows which was then granted,_ but not the fee, for the trading point was afterwards included in the grant of Swansey and ''Broad Cove" in the subsequent grant to. Taunton, called the ''South Purchase.'' The river called ·, 'Nistoquahanock'' is suggested that the nan1e Cohannett might have been an abbreviat­ ed root of the latter half of the word. "Mr. John Gilbert, sen.," was among those who, on March 7, 1637, were proposed as "Freemen of Cohannett." They, however, were not sworn in according to the custom until December 4, 1638. The prefixed title of ''Mr.'' to his name indicates his prominence, which was recognized by Governor John Winthrop who called him a " grave, honest gent Ieman. '' No list of the original members of the Cohan nett church has been preserved, but the list of freemen would suggest that they were s~ch. The male pioneers, among whom were "J oho Gilbert, sen.,'' the two ministers, their wives and Elizabeth Pole, the Hvirgin mother" of the town, constituted the church. They covenanted together on the bank of what is now the Taunton Great river, beneath the shade of some forest tree, or within the shelter of some hastily-constructed home, not waiting for the tardy con1pletion of a meeting-house. No record is found to give any account of the proceedings on the occa­ sion when the church was organized, the minister appointed, et cetera. On the establishment of the representative system in the colony at .THE GILBERT LINEAGE 103 the ''General Court'' in Plymouth, John Gilbert and Henry Andrews were the first to represent Cohannett as deputies in 1639. In 1641 John was one of the favored members who received a grant of forty acres each, ''lying together in some convenient place, for their great charges in attending courts, l(a)ying out * lands and other occasions for the town.'' •., .. :: ·-- He was probably one of the older men dr the settlement as, in 1643, he was not under sixty, thus not being subject to military duty. He made his will on May 10, 1654. On "April 1, 1656, the testator, John Gilbert, had his will read to his wife and sons and they ex pressed their good liking of it. ' ' Nicholas Street and W il­ liam Pole were witnesses to the will. It is supposed that John died some time the next year as his will _was exhibited ''to the court, holden at Plymouth, the third of J u1,1.~ (1657) on the oath of Mr. Nicales Street And Captaine William

1 Pole." His will begins as follows: •, _, • :,: • In The Name of God, Amen, I, John Gilbert, of Pondsbrooke, in Taunton of the plantation of New Plymouth, in America, being through mercye in good health and of p(er)fect memory, I, thanke (to)' my God, doe heer now make my Last Will and T estariient, being ( on) the tenth day of May, in the yeare of our Lord Christ, one thousand six hundred (and) fifty and fourre, as followeth: lmpr(imis): I give my soule to God, whom I hope and doe believe that for Christ, his saike, hee will accept and receive it, and my body to bee buried heer by my house at Pondsbrooke, upon the hill 11:eare the pine tree, seaven or eight f (ee)t deep att the least. And J-g1\'.'··e) my goods as followeth : .' · · Item: I give unto my son Gyles my farme att Pondsbrooke :Con­ taining one hundred acres, with the house and houses and Com.I].1_ons thereto belonging. Item, I give unto my ~aid son Gyles ten acres of * me(a)ddow, lying in Scadingsmorre. Item, I give unto .my said son one yeoke of my 2cond beggest oxen Named Colliar and Brown, and I give unto him two Cowes named Cherry and Colly. Item, I give unto him my two Steers Named Summer and Winter. Item, I give unto him one feather bed, o~e bolster, two pillowes, my green Rugg, a paii,-e of blankett(s) and a paire of my best sheets. Item, I give unto him my best brasse pot or Crocke, my best brasse pan, one pewter platter a.nd one pewter porrenger (and) one pewter chamber pott. Item, I give him my best bedstead, with the c(u)r­ tains and vallence. Item, I give unto him my Cubbert: Item, I give him the one halfe of my bookes, of which hee shall .make his choise, and I give him two Chists or trunks, of -which hee shall make his choise. Item, I give him my best suite of-apparrelL': , . _ Item: l give unto my Son Joseph .. all that. (of) my.-great .Iott att Pondsbrooke, lying on the other side of the brooke, -n¢xt-(to) the towne of Taunton aforesaid, Containing-i,thirty--acres, :with the devis­ sions not yett layed out, adjoyning ther( e)to. Item, I give him five 104 THE GILBERT LINEAGE acres of me(a)ddow in scadingsmore lying, or to bee layed out, together att the further end of the fifteen acres in Scandingamore, aforesaid, to bee laid out att the descretion of the overseers of this, my last will. Item, I give unto my said son my two big(g) est steers named duke and buttler. Item, I give him my Cow, called Burme, and one heifer called gentle, and my two steer yearlings. Item, I give unto my said son Joseph one feather bed, one bolster, one pil­ low, one paire of blanketts and one paire of sheets, with one bed­ stead. Item, I give him (my) 2cond best brasse pot or Crocke, my 2cond best brass pan, one pewter platter, and one pewter porrenger, & one pewter Chamber pott. Item, I give him the other halfe of my bookes. Item, I give him one Chest or trunke. Item, I give him my 2cond best suite of apparrell. Pondsbrook, so-called, describes a locality in the northerly part of the present Berkley where his land probably was. When he had finished naming all the articles of household furniture, farming tools and wearing apparel he wanted Gyles and Joseph to have, he pro­ ceeds with the same particularity, io name his sons Thomas and John, and his daughter Mary Norcross in the following mann~r: Item: I give my son Thomas My sowe, hee (is) to make his choise. Item: I give my son John one shilling to be delivered in Silver. It is to be pointed out that neither Thomas nor John was given land. Doubtless they had been helped considerably in securing lands in their early days. . The will goes on : Item: I give unto my wi(f).e(')s grandchild Elizabeth Pyter, my blacke sowe and that one of her piggs which already is given her and shee hath made choise of. His wife was a mother and widow before he married her. There is no record to indicate the date of their marriage. It is not known for certainty whether or not she was the mother of his later children. The will continues: Item: I give ten bushels of Indian Corn unto such as have most need of corn in the Towne, to be desposed (of at) the descretion of the two Deacons of the church of Taunton. Item: I give my Daughter Mary Norcrosse my great ffurnace, or brewing kettle, if she bee living, or otherwise unto her Daughter Mary, the furnace to bee sold by my overseers, and the vallus to bee lmployed to Increase something untill the Child bee of Age. And my will is that if either of my said Sonnes Gyles or Joseph die before they or either of them are married, that then all the lands, goods or whatsoever soe given to either, shall de(s)cend, bee and Remaine unto the Survivor, as his proper lands and goods forever. Item: I give all my goods unbequeathed unto my wife Winnefred, and my Will is that shee shall have the use and profitt of the Moyety, or halfe of the farme, with my son Gyles during her life, if shee Remaine in Widdowhood, or will live upon it, and (I) doe make THE GILBERT LINEAGE 105 and appoint her my executrix of this, my last Will and Testament. And (I) doe constitute and appoint my wel(l)-beloved friends in Christ, Ni ( ch) olas Street and Richard Williams, overseers of this, my last Will and Testament, and doe give unto each of them fourre bushells of wheat for and towards theire paines and Christian Carre they shall use in this behalf e. Then follows: A true Inventory of the Goods and Chattels of Mr. John Gilbert, lately deceased, taken by us, Richard Williams, Walter Deane and James Wyate, and exhibited unto the court, held att Pyymouth, the 3(r)d of June, 1657, on the oath of Mrs. W-ennefred Gilbert. (The totality of the appraisement was left blank and never summed up.) The name of John's wife was "Msris Winnifred .Gilbert," as it appears in the list of the "inhabitants within the Township of Taun­ ton who are to have their division of land now agreed upon, Dec. 28, 1659, (and) whose proportion is to be according to the rate here following together, with" the quantity of land, lots,_ heads, "at two acre(s) to the land, two acres to the shillings, and two -acre(s) to the lot." Her rate is £1: 10: 6, having ''three heacfs" in her family, but the number of acres of land to be given her is not recorded. Her death may have occurred in that year for no further trace of her is found. Of John's home land, John Richmond, in a recorded deposition on January 6, 1697, made this statement: Mr. John Gilbert had a house at a meadow, down on the west­ ward side of (the) Taunton Great river, and there (he) wintered his cattle for some years, and it was known by the name of Mr. Gilbert's meadow farm, aftern·ard in the possession of John Smith. J oho had the following children : THOMAS, our lineal ancestor. John, was one of the first land proprietors of Taunton; return­ ed to England earlier than his brother Thomas, and never came hack. Joseph, died before 1680. . Giles, horn about 1633; testified, in 1703, that he was seventy years of age. Mary, was wife of a Mr. Norcross. Elizabeth. Authorities consulted t ''Solomon Leonard and His Descendants,'' by Manning Leonard; "The Gilbert Family," by Wingate Thorn­ ton, Esq., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Re,eister; "History of Dorchester, (Mass.)," by Ebenezer Clapp, jr.; "Histo­ ry of Plymouth, Mass.,'' by Francis Baylies; ''History of Taunton, Mass.," by Samuel Hopkins Emery, D.D.; "The Ministry of Taun­ ton, Mass.,'' by Samuel Hopkins Emery; and the probated will. 106 THE GILBERT LINEAGE

THOMAS2 GILBERT, like his father, was a "first purchaser" in the Cohannet deal in 1638. He was born in England about 1614, in that part of it where so many of the town's first settlers originated -in the county of Devon. Fidelity to the records, which are meager at the best, concerning the early settlers of Taunton, compels the town historian to narrate a painful occurrence in the life of Thomas, which proves that in the best communities, and even in our churches, disorders may arise which call for discipline and rebuke. Governor John Winthrop, in his "History of New England," has given an account of the pro­ ceedings referred to in the following official statement: Sher (October), 18, 1636, Thomas Gilbert (was) brought before us. He was drunk at Serjeant Baulston' s (house), and the constable being sent for, he struck him. He was kept in prison all night, and the next day his father John Gilbert and his brother John Gilbert, of Dorchester, undertook in (a bond of) £40 that John Gilbert, the younger, would appear at (the) Court to answer for him, and per­ form the order of the court, etc. The reason was that he (Thomas) was to go to En gland presently, and (was) not known to have been (in) any way disorder (ly), and (he) was his father's oldest son, who was a grave, honest gentleman, etc. They did undertake, also, that he should acknowledge his fault O{:enly to the constable, etc. Apparently, Thomas did sail to England, but returned to Taunton a short time later. It is well, as appears in the testimony taken from the record, that this was a most surprising and extraordinary incident in the history of Thomas, ''not known to have been in any way dis­ order(ly)." That he was not again afterwards "disorder(ly)" in any such unseemly manner, is an inference from the fact that the good people of Taunton, of rigid Puritan practice, elected him to the "General Court," in 1651. After the changing of the town name to l;aunton he was made a freeman in 1643; a constable in 1648 and 1649; one of the seven se­ lectmen of the town in 1648 and 1651; and a deputy in the General Court, in 165 2. In 1643, he was on the list of fifty-four men, whose ages ranged from sixteen to sixty years, being subjected to military duty. THE GILBERT LINEAGE 107

An interesting document was found among the old Taunton papers, rescued from a junk store by a Mr. Watkins, of Boston, sometime before 1893, showing the interest the first settlers of the town took in inducing a, blacksmith to come to the town. It is- dated October 7, 1651. As Thomas was alive to the best interests of the town: It is agreed and ordered by the town that if the said Smith and dre to,vn see good to accept Mr. Thomas Gilbert his tender, then the said Gilbert (is) to be p(ai)d, at the number of three score bushells of good and merchantable Indian corn as soon as (it) shall be (in) merchantary and nt. Another documentary relic wa~ also saved among those ancient papers. It pertains to the record preparatory to the organization of an iron works company about 1653. Thomas is mentioned as be­ ing among ''the names of those who hath put in themselves to be proprietors in the Bloomerie. '' In 1653 he went to England again and never came back, dying there in 1676. His wife and children remained behind in Taunton. The settlement of his estate was made in July of 1677. His wife was Jane Rossiter, whom he married in Cohannett, Mass., on March 23, 16(40), which is regarded as "one of the earliest mar­ riages of Taunton.'' She was then about twenty-six years old, when she was joined to him in wedlock. Whose daughter she was has been a mooted question. Several authorities set her as the daughter of Hugh Rossiter. Probably she was, but there is no conclusive proof to bear it out. Hugh was living in the same newly-created village about 1637, and was one of ~ 'those of Cohannett, that have taken the oath of fidelity.'' After this he disappeared, for his name is not on the military list of the town. There is a strong suspicion that Jane was rather Hugh's younger sister, but unfortunately there is no will left by his father to be found in existence to bear out her family rela­ tionship. The will is indicated in an old record, found in England, which refers to Rev. John White, of Combe St. Nicholas, England, as being one of the executors. It was probably consummed in a fire there before 16 78. One Hugh Rossiter was designated as a bearer of a: Power of Attorney, given, Feb(ruary) 2, 1664, by George Betty, of Combe St. Nicholas, in the county of Somerset, (England), to Humphrey Pinny, of Windsor, in the Colony of Connecticut, over the estate of Betty's children John and Elinor. Signed and delivered unto Hugh Rossiter. * * That he was one and the same is a problem. He may ·be a son of one of the Rossiter relatives in England, sent to America for the de­ livery of the document in person. Another proof of Hugh not being 108 THE GILBERT LINEAGE

in existence is the sale of his Taunton estate, sometime before 1675, to Joseph Willis, who, in that year, claimed a piece of land under ''Hugh Rossiter' s right.'' In 1654, Thomas' wife "desired that her servant, now in Mr. Street's family, might remain until her husband returned from En­ gland,'' showing that, if there was no relationship, there was con­ siderable intimacy between the two families. To-wit: Hon. Francis Baylies, a descendant through his daughter Mary, quotes from Mr. Samuel Davis, the antiquarian of Plymouth, that ''the family of Gil­ bert (was) related to the Harts, the Streets and the Rossiters, both of Old and New England. In the division of land on December 28, 1659, ''Msris Jane Gil­ bert," being rated at nine shillings and having "seven heads" in her family, was accorded fifty-five acres, as based on ''two acres to the head, two acre_s to the shillings, and two acres to the lot.'' It was allowed on the vote of the following town meeting on January 5th, ''that all orphans, or fatherless children, shall have their rights in all divisions of land which are due unto them, according to proportion.'' The land referred to, evidently, was the "North Purchase," which the town bought from the Indians as early as 1660. In a deed of 1668, "Mistriss Jane Gilbert," in behalf of her fami­ ly, is mentioned among forty-two others, all put together, ''bound for the payment,'' which was one hundred pounds, for a piece of unoccupied territory adjoining the land. On the third list of ninety-three inhabitants since the beginning of th~ settlement appears ''the names of the heads of families in Taun­ t~~, ·a_nno domini, 1675, when (King) Philip's war began." The ~aine of "Mrs. Jane Gilbert" was among them as then living. :.. J:he inventory of the estate of her husband, ''who is said to be de­ ceased beyond the seas, was exhibited to the Court, held att Ply­ ~o~th, (on) the 5th of July, 1677, on the oath of Mr. Thomas Gilbert, his eldest son,'' is copied from the Plymouth Colony Rec­ ords, now in the keeping of the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds, Plymouth, Mass. It enumerates Thomas' appraised real estate pos- . sessions : The house lott of Mr. Thomas Gilbert, sen(') r., (at thiny-six pounds); 2 lotts of Land, bought by Mr. Thomas Gilbert * * of his brother John Gilbert, (and) the other of hugh Roseter, con­ taining, by estimation, ten acress, with the dwelling house thereon, (at forty-five pounds); 12 acress of land on the south side of the Great River, belonging to the first lot of Mr. Thomas Gilbert, (at' ten pounds); 10 acrees of land on the south side of the Great River, belonging to the Lott of Mr. Thomas Gilbert, as abovesaid, (at ten THE GILBERT LINEAGE 109 pounds); a p(ar)sell of Land (of) about 20 acrees, (at ten pounds); a tract of land of about 77 acrees, (at thiny-nine pounds); 12 acrees of upland, neare to the aforesaid 77 acrees, (at six pounds); six acrees of upland on the Great plaine Northerly from the Town, (at three pounds); a p(ar)sell of Me(a)ddow Land (of) about 5 acrees, neare a place Called Rockey nook, (at thirty-pounds); a p(ar)sell of Me(a)ddo\\' land and Me(a)ddowish Swampy land, commonly Call­ ed and known by the name of the Little Me(a)ddow, (at fifteen pounds); 2 p(ar)sell of Me(a)ddow, at Broad Cove, att 8/h a peece, (at sixteen pounds); 9 acrees of swampy land on the east~yde of the River, (at four pounds); 3 twenty-acree Lotts, in the -twentyeth devision westerly from Taunton, att 10/b plott, _(at thirty pounds); 2 purchase(d) Rights (in) the undevided Lands of the first purchase of the Township (at twenty pounds, all totalling up to two hundred and seventy-four pounds for the valuation of his estate). The accoumpt of what of the movable estate of Mr. Thomas Gil­ bert, which some of his children have Received since his departure from them: To Thomas Gilbert, his son, 03-01-00 To Mary Williams, his (daughter), 62-19-00 To Thomas Starr and Elizabeth, the daughter of Mr. Thomas Gilbert, 62-05-06 (Signed), William harvey, G(e)orge Macey, and Samuell Smith, Taunton, June, the 24, 1677. The accoumpt of the movable Goods that is now in the hands or custody of Mistris Jane Gilbert, belonging to the estate of Mr. Thomas Gilbert, as was ap(p)r(a)ised by, or whose names are under-written, (amounted to twenty-two pounds and eighteen shil­ lings. It was signed by William Harvey, George Macey and Samu­ el Smith). Letters of administration ( was) Graunted upon the estate of Mr. Thomas Gilbert, of Taunton, deceased, to Mistris Jane Gilbert, his relict, arid to Thomas Gilbert, his eldest son. The estate of Mr. Thomas Gilbert was settled by the Court, as followeth: The Court Graunts to ·Mistris Jane Gilbert the dwelling house shee now lives in and the· whole orchyard adjoyhing thereunto, and one Lott of me(a)ddow, on (the) othersyde of the broad Cove, and the Little Meadow, neare home, wholly for her use and benifitt, d.ur~ ing her Naturall life, and all (the) Chattles and moveable(s) to be absolutely her owne forever, and art her owne proper dispose. The Court allowes the full sume of nine pounds, in debts due from the estate, and to be payed out of the whole estate before the devi­ sion thereof. In Reference to the distribution of the estate amongst the children, the Court orders that the two daughters of the above­ said Mistris Jane Gilbert: Mary, the wife of Samuel Williams, of Taunton, and Jane, the wife of Samue) Gulliver, of Milton, shall have, each of them, thirty pounds Im(m)ediately payed them for theire portion, out of the said estate, not accoumpting what they have alre(a)dy Received. The Remainder of the said estate, 'Consisting of house and Lands, is ordered (for) the Two Sonnes of the said Mr. Gilbert viz.: Thomas and Kliezer, of * (whom) Thomas 110 THE GILBERT LINEAGE is to have a double portion. It is f(u)rther ordered by this Court that, if heerafter, any debts due from the estate of Mr. Thomas Gil­ bert, deceased, should be made justly to appeer (for any debtors) wh(o) now are not know(n), * the said debts shalbe payed onely by the two sonnes Thomas and Kliezer, according to the proportions, which they have Received of the said estate. In Bristol county there appeared on April 12, 1703, before Thomas Leo~ard, Esq., one of her: Majesty's Justices, Giles Gilbert, aged seventy years & upwards, (and) Deposed that he well remembered that his Brother Thomas Gilbert, some time of Taunton, deceased, was in * actual pos­ session of "Rockey Nook," (which was) in (a) controversy betwixt Mr. George Gooding and my cozen (nephew) Thomas Gilbert, (who claimed it) as his own p(ar)ticular Lott of Meadow for fifty years * * * and upwards, being (long) before there was any South purchase of (the Indian) land (was) made. And since my 2(n)d cousin Thomas Gilbert hath possessed the same in his own right from his father Thomas Gilbert. Jane died in Taunton, Mass., June 1, 1691, her age being seven- ty-seven years. She was the mother of the following children: Mary, was married to Samuel, son of Richard Williams. THOMAS, our lineal ancestor. Elizabeth, was married to Thomas Starr, jr., a surgeon, as his first wife. Jane, was wife of Samuel Guillifer, of Milton, Mass. Eleazer, married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Crane. Authorities consulted: "I'he Gilbert Family," by J. Wingate Thornton, Esq., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Reg­ ister; "History of New Plymouth, Mass.," by Francis Baylies; "History of Taunton, Mass.," by Samuel Hopkins Emery, D. D.; ''The Ministry of Taunton, Mass.,'' by Samuel Hopkins Emery; "Taunton (Mass.) Vital Records"; "History of New England," by John Winthrop; "Edward Rossiter, His Family, and Notes in His English Connections," by Meredith B. Colket, jr., in the American f;Jenealogist; and the probated settlement. THE GILBERT LINEAGE 111

THOMAS8 GILBERT was a native of Taunton, Mass., where he was born in 1643. He married in Boston on December 18, 1676, "Hannah Black," who was then called "as of Milton, Mass." She was born in Dorchester, Mass., on March 6, 1653. In the will of her father she is called '' Ann, wife of Thomas Gilbert,'' and in the _marriage record, she is mentioned as "Ann Blake." The names Blake and Black are confused in several cases in the records. In the Taunton records, Thomas bore the title of "ensign." He was one of the ''associates'' in the four-mile-square land deal on November 26, 1672. He was made constable in 1677; surveyor in 1679, 1690 and 1694; and selectman in 1696-99, 1702-3, 1707-1713, 1715 and 1718. It was the vote of the town meeting on January 10, 1669, that a committee of ten men be '' chosen to draw a list of the purchasers, or free inhabitants,'' to show that their land possessions came to them through purchase or by inheritance. The list was not reported until the town met on May 25, 1680. On the list appears ''Thomas Gilbert on the right that was his father's.'' It appears that the list was inserted in the town book shortly before the con1mencement of the Indian war in 1675, as the names of the proprietors then stood, ''unto whom the town hath already granted, or divided lands by vir­ tue of their enjoying either purchase lots, or purchase rights to divi­ sions of lands.'' The catalogue of the men was preceded by the fol­ lowing as declaration: Whereas, by the providence of God in the year 1638 and the year 1639, it pleased God to bring the most part of the first purchasers of Taunton 0'.1er the great ocean into this wilderness, from our dear and native land, and after some small time here we found this place, ( called, by the natives of the land, Cohannet), in the colony of New Plymouth, and of the Court of the said colony, we obtained grants of tracts of land for a plantation, or township, as by the records of the said Court it may, and doth appear, and then we also made pur­ chase, and bought the said tracts of land for our money, of the right proprietors and owners, the Indians' sachem, or prince of that part of the country, as by deed, under their hands it may appear, and in honor and love to our dear and native country, we called this place Taunton, and owning it a great mercy of God to bring us to this 112 THE GILBERT LINEAGE place, and settling of us on lands of our own, bought with our money in peace, in the midst of the heathen, for a possession for ourselves, and for our posterity after us, (we) do mutually agree and fully de­ termine, as an undeniable order of this town, without any evasion whatsoever, that all lands that is, or shall be granted to any person or persons, whether under the denomination or a purchaser, or free inhabitant orderly received into this town, shall be to the grantees and their heirs and assigns forever, a good perfect estate of inheri­ tance in fee simple, and that all titles of our lands within this town­ ship, so to stand in the tenure, to the grantees, and so to descend to their survivors, as aforesaid. Thomas was a member of the first military company of the town. On April 8, 1682, the organization was divided into four squadrons "'in order to their Bringing their Armes to (the) meeting (-house), on every Sabbath day until the last of October.'' The first squadron was commanded to do its duty on the following sixteenth, and ''ye rest of ye Squadron(s) successively, and soe for each Squadron to follow (in its) turn.,, Thomas was in the fourth squadron of thirty­ four men. An election of the non-commissioned officers of the company took place on June 26, 1691, and by the result of fifty-four votes, a ma­ jority of eleven over three other candidates, Thomas was chosen as third sergeant. The company · was split into two organizations about 1698-that of (the) "North Purchase," which eventually became Norton, and that of the ''South Purchase,'' which became Dighton. Thomas was in the service in 1700 as first sergeant of the former organiza­ tion. A part of it being reorganized in 1704, into a ''Second foot company." Thomas' title became "Ensign," which remained with him to his death. During King Wil1iam' s war, an expedition was raised in the Ma5s­ achusetts colony to move against Canada in 1690. Impressment war­ rants were served on thirteen townsmen to join it. Money, guns and ammunition were collected. In June, Thomas gave a gun, valued at £1: 08: 00, to one of the men to use in the fighting, and again in November a mended gun, costing 0: 2: 10, was given to another man. A long handsome gun, marked -with the initials "T. G." probably belonging to him, was apparently contributed, but nothing more is said beyond the mere mention of it. A bridge was built over the Great river at Taunton, many years prior to 1698, "but now (the) s(ai)d bridge, * (being broken) down to ye great damage of both towne and Conterey," a petition was signed by twenty-seven men, among whom was Thomas, for its THE GILBERT LINEAGE 113 rebuilding. It was countersigned by the selectmen, Thomas being one of them, and sent to the Plymouth General Court, which seems to have acted upon it favorably, and the bridge was rebuilt. On F ebr~ary 16, 1702, one hundred acres of land was ordered laid ' I .out by the proprietors: On both sides of (the) Rehoboth Road, at the head of the Mead­ ow, called Crossman(')s Meadow', & (the) said land to be laid out as soon as may be, and to be improved and the benefits thereof to be used, perpetually, for and towards the maintaining of a free school in Taunton, and never to be alienated to any other use. . ' It was directed. that the laying out was to be done by the town selectmen, of whom "Ensign Gilbert" was one. A warm controversy in 1709 arose over the creation of the ''North Indian land purchase" into a township rather than a precinct of Taun­ ton. A town meeting was called on J~ne 1, on the proposition of registering their protest to the General Court against such movement. ''It was voted that the town shall ch use five men to make Return to the Generall Court, and give their reasons why the prayers of the North and South purchasers should not be granted.'' Ensign Thomas Gilbert was named with four others to handle the matter, and they promptly acted. by ~ending the protest they drew up and signed. The "North Purchase'' ,w·as made about 1660, in which his uncle, John Gilbert, participated, and his mother had shares ··in the division. It eventually, however, became the township of Norton. The "South Purchase" was made about 1672, and ·became Dighton about 1712. Thomas died on April 20, 1725, at the age of eighty-two years. His wife had preceded him in passing away, on May 9, 1722, at the age of seventy-two years. His will is dated January 19, 1722, and was· proved on July 14, 1726. The witnesses, who saw· the will drawn up and his signature written, were San1uel Williams, Seth Williams and Samuel Williams, jr. He was called as "of Norton," having lived in that part of Taunton, which afterward was incorporated as Norton. But in his will he terms himself as ''of Taunton, in the County of Bristol, in ye pro~ince of ye Massachusetts Bay, in New England;'' and pro­ ceeds to mention his wishes for the division of his estate. . , Being of sound memory and disposing mind, and through divine goodness then laboring under the infirmities of old age, (I) do make this to be rny last will and· testament; my soul I commit to God in Christ, my body to ye earth by decent buryall; after my just debts are paid, (and as) to my worldly estate that God hath given me I have ye greatest part thereof disposed of, to and amongst my children. The remainder I dispose of (is) as follows: lmprimis: To my son Nathaniel 114 THE GILBERT LINEAGE

Gilbert i have already given him his full share, part and portion, by deed, for which he has acquitted my estate to the rest of my chil­ dren, and he is to pay my burial charges. To ye legal representatives of my daughter Hannah Phillips, deceased, viz. : Hannah Leonard, Mehitable Leonard and Lydia Willis, I give five shillings each and no more, having already considered them out of my estate, and to ye legal representatives of my daughter Mary Williams, deceased, viz. : Elizabeth and Anna Williams, I give twenty shillings each, having also already considered the said Mary out of my estate, and my daughters now living, Sarah Willis, Susannah Hodges and Experience Town­ send, I give to them and their heirs and assigns forever to have after n1y decease, all my estate, both real and personal, that I shall die seized of; and (I) do constitute my son-in-law William Hodges to be my executor * (of) this, my last will and testament, and (I) do, hereby, revoke and make Void all former wills by me, heretofore, made. In witness hereof, I have, hereunto, set my hand and seal this nineteenth day of January, Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and twenty-two, in the ninth year of the reign of our sov ( e) raign Lord George of Great Brittayn-king. Thomas ·Gilbert, (seal). The children of Thomas and Anna were: HANNAH, our lineal ancestress. f twins, born August 11, 1679; the former was the wife Sarah, tof a Mr. Willis; and the latter was married, on April Mary 7, 1707, to Joseph Willliams, she having died before ' 1722. Thomas, born July 11, 1681; died February 1, 1692. Nathaniel, born July 19, 1683; died August 17, 1765; wife's Christian name was Hannah, who died on January 28, 1772, aged eighty-two years. On this line is a descen­ dant, Colonel Thomas Gilbert, who, as a loyalist, depart­ ed for Nova Scotia at the opening of the Revolution. Mehitable, born May 5, 1686. Susanna, died September 9, 1766; was married to William Hodges on July 29, 1708. Experience, was wife of a Mr. Townsend. Authorities consulted : ''Solomon Leonard and His Descendants,'' by Manning Leonard; ''The Gilbert Family,'' by J. Wingate Thorn­ ton, Esq., in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; "History of Dorchester, (Mass.)," by Ebenezer Clapp, jr.; "History of New Plymouth, Mass.," by Francis Bay lies; "History of Taun­ ton, Mass.," by Samuel Hopkins Emery, D. D.; and "1'aunton (Mass.) Vital Records.'' HA-NNAH4 GILBERT: See the life story of William8 Phillips in the Phillips lineage. -Page 99. .THE GILBERT LINEAGE 115

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 John Gilbert,, , born, , died, , 1654; wife,, , Winifred. Thomas2 abt. 1614; 1676; J ane2 Rossiter. , , , , . , , , , Thomas3 Anna3 Blake. , , 1643; , 1725; William3 Phillips, 1669; . 1713, '' Hannah4 Gilbert. Benjamin:; Leonard, '' ' ' , ' Hannah4 Phillips. , Henry4 Axtell, . ' .. ' , ' Jemima4 Leonard. 1715; 1754; , Henry5 '. .. 1738; '' 1818; . Phoebe4 Condit. 6 .. ' . •• 6 Simeon Cory,, , , 1774; 1847; Rhoda Axtell. James7 . 1801; .. 1880; .' Susan 1 Mulford. 116 THE ROSSITER LINEAGE

EDWARD1 ROSSITER belonged to a good family, being not only a ·man of \\-·ealth but also of influence in his parish at Combe St. Nicholas, Somersetshire, Eng1and. Because of religious persecution he decided to forsake his native country by joining a movement to secure the untrammeled blessings of religious liberty in America. He sold his property, probably in part, and borrowed heavily from Rev. John ¼~hit_e, who also espoused the movement to defray the ex­ penses of the emigration. The money was needed for the transpor­ tation of the Beeing voyagers, freight and goods, and also for furnish­ ing food to use while in transit. An active motive to further the project of freedom immediately began on Octo.ber 20, 1629, and resulted in the formation of a new company in the western counties of England, of which John Winthrop was chosen governor. At the meeting: Mr. Rossiter (and seventeen others) were chosen to bee Assist~nts (to render assistance to the) Deputies, * (and) the greate(r) p(ar )t of the s(ai) d Assistants being p(re)sent, (they) tooke the oath (of) their said places, app(er)taining respectively. Great pains were evidently taken to construct the company of such materials as should compose a well-ordered settlement containing all the elements of an independent community. Two earnest ministers, John Maverick and John Warham, were selected not only with a view to the spiritual welfare of the plantation, but especially that their efforts mjght bring the Indians to a knowledge of the gospel. T\\·o of the members of the management chosen by the freemen or stock­ holders of the company in London, to be assistants or directors were Edward Rossiter and Roger Ludlow, men of character and education, so that their counsel and judgment n1ight aid in preserving order, ~nd in placing the social structure upon a solid basis. ,.fhe company was assembled at Plymouth, in Devonshire, under the wing of a Massachusetts patent, and sailed in the spring of 16.30 in one of the seventeen ships of the Salem fleet, the Mary' and John, Captain Squeb commanding. The ship was the first of the Beet to arrive at Nantasket on Massachusetts bay, on May 30, 1630. She was sti11 anchored there when Edward Rossiter with other passengers, . THE ROSSITER LINEAGE 117 found a convenient place at Matta pan some distance away, where pasturing for their f~mishing cattle could be had. They were sub­ jected to much expense and trouble in getting their cattle and bag­ gage landed. Tradi~ion fixes upon the south side of Dorchester Neck, now South Boston in the "Old Harbor," as the place of thei_r landing. The Massachusetts charter being drafted for a trading company rather than as the basis of an independent government, its provisions applied o_nly to the stockholders, to which class only thr~~ ·~f the Dorchester company, viz.: Edward Rossiter, Roger Ludlow· and John Glover, are known to have belonged. The major part of the first settlers, having no political rights under the charter, the court immediately made arrangements for extending the privileges of· free­ manship to all suitable persons, and the first applications for this right were made on October 19, 1630, by one hundred and eight persons, of whom twenty-four belonged to Dorchester. Besides the right of suffrage the freemen enjoyed advantages in the division of the lands; before the representative system was adopted they were all members of the General Court. The chief qualification for this privilege seems to have been church membership. The affairs of this plantation were at first controlled by the clergy­ men, aided by the advice of the assistants, Rossiter and Ludlow, until the spring of 1631, when a considerable number of the inhabitants had become freemen; in May of that year, a meeting of the pl2nta­ tion took place to. make and confirm orders for the control of their affairs. Previous to October of 1633 every order was voted upon by · the freemen, and no special town government ·was organized except the appointment of a committee, consisting of the two clergyrr:en and the deacons, to sign the land grants. Being one of the principal promoters in the formation of the Dor­ chester company at home in England, and on arriving in Massachusetts bay, Edward Rossiter ~at down at Dorchester with his com pan ions and attended faithfully to his official duties as a member of the colo­ nial government. He was at the meeting of ''the firH Court of As­ sistants, holden att Charl(es) town, August 23, An(n)o Dom(ini), 1630," with "Mr. Jo.· Winthrop, Gou(er)n(o)r," in the ch2ir; same on "the 7th of September, 1630," though he was one of the three ''assistants fined a noble a peece for their absence from the Court af­ ter the tyme appoynted,'' and again after attending the council on the "28th of Septemb(e)r, 1630," he was not present at the meeting of October 19, 1630. ·. Evidently he was a sick man, as death claimed him on the twenty-third:· His --usefulness· in life was ended right there. 118 THE ROSSITER LINEAGE

After that his name often occurs in the court records and the town records always as ''Mr. Rossiter,'' his Christian name being on1it­ ted. At his death it is evident that he and Israel Stoughton were the largest land grantees in the Dorchester plantation, as listed in the records of 1633. His farm made its bounds at Squantum, of Dor­ chester and Mt. Wollaston. This is supposed to refer that year to a possession of a son of the "Assistant," who lived afterwards at Combe in England. Governor Dudley says of Edward Rossiter, in his letter to the Countess of Lincoln, that he was "a godly man of goo d estate. '' His indebtedness to Rev. John White, as f~und in his accounts, had totalled to £106: 09: 09, which was considered a large sum at those days, and was repaid in part before his departure at Plymouth for_. America, and in part after his leaving, through his son ''Nich. Rossiter by his order," on February 4, 1630, and another on April 1, 1630. A sum of £15:02:00 was '-'due by Rossiter's Executors" to the reverend friend after his death. Among the charges against him is found an item of £ 47: 13: 04 for the "passage of 13 persons, att 3/, 13s, 4d. each person.'' In March of 1685 a difference arose between Dorchester and Bos­ ton, due to a dispute caused by a grant made by the court in Septem­ ber of 1634, of land at Mount Wollaston to the town of Boston, some of the inhabitants of that place desiring to lay out farms and occupy a portion of the plains which Mess.rs Rossiter, Ludlow, New­ berry and others of Dorchester, had already partially taken up for the same purpose. . In an old letter under date of March 28, 1682, written by Edward Rossiter, who speaks of· his grandfather as "a pious gentleman of good estate who left England for the sake of religion,'' and that he died on October 23, 1630, "much lamented, leaving a son who after­ wards lived in Combe, in Devonshire, and Dr. Brian Rossiter who accompanied his father from England, and Mrs. Jane Hart.'' Hutchinson says that he was of a good family in the west of En­ gland, "whence all the Dorchester people came,"-and he was one of the foremost in the settlement of that town. He is also pro­ nounced by the historian of ''Ancient Windsor, (Conn.),'' as ''a man of character.'' His old home town was established by Meredith B. Colket, junior, who took the trouble to make searches in the old wills, now in the keeping of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury at London. He noted in the will of Joseph Combe, dated March 21, 16(20), that Edwar~ was named as his ''brother,'' an·d the will bearing his name THE ROSSITER LINEAGE 119 as a witness along with that of John Fry's and of Edmund Combe' s; in the former ~ill, dated Jan~ary 13, 16(19), it mentions Hugh as the "son of Edw. Rossiter," and the will of younger John Fry, dated

January 2, 163(6), by telling of the ·'.'lands in Combe St.,- Nicholas·, lately purchased of Edward Rossiter, gent., deceased." AH of the testators mention "Combe St. Nicholas, Somerset county," as their places of residence at the time of making their wills: The name of Edward's wife is not known. As sugvested in the wiH of Joseph Combe by naming Edward as his "brother," she was probably a Combe, but on the other hand she might be his sister. It is probably about the year 1685 that he married his wife. His baptism is recorded at Aslackby, England, February 24, 156(1), as being a grandson of Richard Ro~siter~ He was assessed for a sub­ sidy in 1598. His name appears on record in 1611, indicating his signature with others on a petition in behalf of a poor and old couple named Stockman. Young John Fry also signed the petition. He passed out of existence by death, at Dorchester, Mass., in 1630, when he was about seventy years old. He probably had more children than are really known: Hugh came to Dorchester, Mass., with his father. He is mentioned in the will of John Frye, Senior, of Combe St. Nicholas, England, as the son of Edward. Nicholas lived in Combe till his death. His wife's Christian name was Ann. He is mentioned in the accounts of Rev. John White of Dorchester, Dorset county, England. Bryan, or Bray, a physician, who moved to Windsor, Conn., in 1639, and later, in 1651, to Guilford, Conn., where he died, September 30, 1672. JANE, our probable lineal ancestress. Joan, widow of Nicholas Hart who died in 1654; in her peti­ tion to the government in 1685 for aid she set forth that she was the youngest surviving child of Edward Rossiter, being then seventy years old. She died in Plymouth, Mass., June 9, 1691, at the age of seventy-five years. Authorities cousulted: "Edward RosEiter, His Family, and Notes on His English Connections,'' by Meredith B. Colket, junior, in the American Genealogist; "Records of Massachusetts," by Nathaniel B. Shurleff, M. D.; "History of Dorchester, Mass.," by Ebenezer Clapp, jr.; "Dr. Bryan Rossiter, of Guilford, Conn.," by Hon. R. D. Smyth, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; "History of Taunton, (Mass.)," by Samuel Hopkins Emery, D.D.; ''The Ministry of Taunton, Mass.,'' by Samuel Hopkins Emery; and the research work of a Massachusetts genealogist. JANE2 ROSSITER: See the life story of Thomas2 Gilbert in the Gilbert lineage.-Page 106. 120 THE ROSSITER LINEAGE

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT Edward1 Rossiter, born 1561; died 1630_; wife. 2 ., , , , , 2 Thomas Gilbert, , , abt. 1614; 1676; Jane Rossiter. 3 , , , , , , 3 ~homas , 1643; 1725; Ar.n Blake. 3 , , . •• 4 William Phillips, 1669; , 1713; , Hannah Gilbert. Benjamin3 Leonard, • • . . Hannah4 Phillips. 4 , . , , 4 Henry Axtell,, , , 1715; , , 1754; '' Jemima Leonard. 5 , '. 4 Henry ,, 1738; 1818; Phoebe Condit. 6 , ' '' 6 Simeon Cory,,, ,, 1774; , 1847; Rhoda Axtell. James7 1801; . 1880; '. Susan 1 Mulford. THE BLAKE LINEAGE

WILLIAM1 BLAKE, who is regarded as t~e first of the Blakes to come to America, was baptized in Pitminister, England, on July 10, 1594. He married at that place on September 23, 1617, a wid­ ow by the name of Agnes Band, whose maiden name has not been fully ascertained. According to Francis E. Blake's investigation, it is supposed that she was probably the widow of Richard Band, and a daughter of Hugh Thorne, of Pitminister, baptized on January 12, 1594. In 1896 Rev. Charles H. Pope, of Cambridge, Mass., made some research work in England for him of facts relating to the Blakes, especially for the evidence of the mai_den name of Agnes Blake. At Pitminister he found her name recorded as ''Band,'' and the following items select­ ed from his collection of English notes which, although not decisive as to her parentage, are cenainly interesting and suggestive. They are of special interest to the Blake writer as being the result of the first persistent attempt to solve the problem of the maiden name of Agnes Blake: Agnes · rhorne, daughter of Hugh Thorne, was baptized at Pit­ minister, January 12, 1594. Hugh Thorne, of Pitminister, yeoman, by his will of January 28, 1616, bequeathed thirty pounds to his daughter Agnes, to be paid within four years of his decease. Richard Band, of Batherford, by his will of March, 1616, made bequests to his father, brother and sister, naming his wife Agnes as residuary legatee. This will v;as probated on January 8, 1621. William may have been the grandson of William Blake who, by his father John Blake's will, was bequeathed land in Over Stowey, Somersetshire, England, and elsewhere. No subsequent trace of the grandfather is found upon the parish registers, and he is the man who is supposed to have settled in Pitminister. The Manor Rolls of Taunton, Somersetshire, show that in 1586 a William Blake bought lands in Pitminister. Of his birthplace and parentage nothing is known, but it is a natural inference that he is the William whose name appears on the register of that parish in 1588 and in subsequent years. He also may be the one who was buried in the same parish on June 13, 1642. There is no record of his wife's name but there 122 THE BLAKE LINEAGE was a widow, Ann Blake, buried on August 14, 1644. On the other hand, in the ''Genealogical History of William Blake of Dorchester," published in 1857, appears t~e statement that Wil­ liam was the son of Giles Blake of Little Baddow, Essex, England, and the record of several generations of the family is given. The substance of this record is trustworthy as being a copy from Morant's ''History of Essex,'' but the statement that the Dorchester settler was of the family is unwarranted by any evidence. Subsequently the late H. G. Somerby,. Esq., by request of Stanton Blake, Esq., made an extended research in England to determine the origin of the American family. He finally located it at Over Stowey, Somerset­ shire, and the result of his investigation was published in 1881 by W. H. Whitmore, Esq., in "A Record of the Blakes of Somerset­ shire. '' The evidence upon which Mr. Somerby based his conclusions was first, the record of a baptism, on June 5, 1594, at Over Stowey, of a William Blake, who was a son of Robert and a grandson of John, the date corresponding to the age of the emigrant at his death; and second, the fact that a sister of this William, Mrs. Eleanor Clark, in her will of 1647, mentioned a "brother in New England," no name, however, being given. While this evidence was not all that could be desired it was generally accepted as correct, and the pedigree has been copied in several other genealogical publications. The first mention of Blake in ancient records as a surname makes its appearance in the Wiltshire Roll Subsidies, granted by Edward I., in the fifteenth year of his reign, A.D. 1286, when Robert de Blake­ land was assessed, in accordance with that King's requirements. His sixth descendant was the William Blake. who resided in White Parish, in Wiltshire. After his death in 1471, his widow with her two sons moved to Hampshire, settling in Andover upon an estate called Eas­ tontown, formerly ~ part of the property of her husband's mother. Their grandson Humphrey Blake, moved in the early part of the six­ teenth century into Somersetshire and seated himself in Over Stowey, becoming lord of the manor of Plainfield in the parish, to which es­ tate he added the adjoining manor Tuxwell, which he purchased in 1555, from George Sydeham. He died in 1558 and was buried in the church of Over Stowey on the twenty-eighth of December, and his wife Agnes, on June 24, 1585. It was their grandson William who is regarded as the man who settled in Pitminister. At what period William first came to America there is no record to show. The Blake compiler says that_ there is no foundation what­ ever for the statement that he came to this country in 1630, in the THE BLAKE LINEAGE 123

ship Mary and John. Capt. Roger Clapp ·was a passenger then but, in his memoirs, he does not name his associates. Considering the prominent position which he subsequently occupi­ ed in Dorchester, it does not seem plausible that he could have joined any settlement in this · country without :making his worth known to -.his associates, or 'his name would not app·ear· upon its records. - The records of Dorchester previous to 1632 are ·:·not · preserved, and those kept for several subsequent years are very imperfect, but the Blake compiler is confident that if he had been· in· the town be­ tween 1630 and 1636 his name would appear somewhere. :,. -· In the absence of positive evidence it is . reasonable to: believe that he came to New England in the fall of 1634, or the early months of 1635, and remained at Dorchester or Roxbury, making the acquaint-1. ance there of William Pynchon and ·others who were- considering a plan of settlement on the Connecticut river. · Whether 1-so or not, he was with Mr. Pynchon on the 'fourteen'th and"· sixteenth of May,· 1736, at the time they, with their a·ssociates, drew up -and ,signed the articles of association at 1\·gawam, now Springfield, Mass., w,h'ich agreement is still preserved. It is quite a· lengthy document, and commences with these words : ' ·· I May, the 14th, 1636, Wee, whose names are under-written, beinge, by God(' )s p(ro )vidence, ingaged to1geather to ·make a Plantation at and over agany~t Age(.w)am upon (the) Con(n)ecticot (river), dot: _, mutually agree to certayne articles and orders to be observed and kept by us and our successors, &c. ·.,. -, Then follows: rules :for the location· and distribution of lots, various necessary pro:visions fo~ ·carrying- on ·the plantation, and the record is attested by Mr. PyQchon and his associates: ' We testifie to· the ·order abovesaid, being also the first adventurers and undertakers for this plantation. (The signers -were William Pynchon,· Matthew Mitchell, Henry Smith, J ehue Burr, William Blake, Edmund Wpod, J'homas Ufford and John CabeO. The signature of Mr. Blake here closely agrees with his autograph on the Dorchester records and elsewhere, leaving no doubt as to his identity. The five men first named, including Mr. Blake, were given,: . • I • authority to make assignment of lots and to. manage the _general .af- fairs of the settlement, and ·the first allotme_nt of land was ma~e to Mr. Blake on May 16, 1636: (It is) ordered that \Villiam Blake . s-hall have.- -16 polle (s), in bre (a) dth for his home Iott,~ and all~i(of) the·:marsh (land), in breadth, abuttinge at the end of it, to the next high land, and three a.er ( e) s more in some other place. ' How long Mr. Blake retained his ownership of the land does not 124 THE BLAKE LINEAGE appear, there being no evidence of a sale by any of the original own­ ers; but his name is not fourid upon the records subsequent to the first business transacted there, and. it is presumed he soon returned to his family at Dorchester. There are good reasons for concluding that he was in Dorchester earlier than is indicated by the records there, but the first mention of his name is under date of January 2, 1638, when it is ordered that certain persons, including Mr. Blake, should have ''confirmed to them the ground, Joyneing to theire hoame lotts to the other p(o)le, al(l)owing 3 goad (rods?) for a highway," which certainly is evi­ dence that he was already in possession of land for a dwelling abode, but unfortunately the date of this first grant of a house lot does not appear. £.i\bout the time of taking the freeman's oath, on March 14, 1638, he was among one hundred and four participants who shared in the divi~ion of the land at the "Neck,'' now South Boston where, for more than two hundred and fifty years, some of his descendants were owners, and where his son James built a house as early as 1680. 'fhe "order (for) all the affrayres of the Plantation," by twenty men attending, gave out "that the p(ar)tyes vnder-written shall haue, each of them, satisfaction, in lieu, of the calue(' )s Pasture from the Burying place towards John Phillip(' )s," mentioning those on the list on which appears the name of "Mr. Blake" for "one aker": That the p(ar)tyes vnder-written shall haue their portions in satis­ faction of the Calue( 's) pasture in the Marsh beyound the Trees, ouer agaynst the fox poynt, (mentioning those on the list, one of whom) Mr. Blake is to have 2 akers of Marsh, at Mr. Ludlowe(' )s necke; that Mr. Blake, John Hull, (and) Thom. Millett shall haue, each of them, 8 acres of planting ground in full of the (i) re great lotts, at (the) side of the six-acre lotts towards the mill, (and) that Mr. Blake and John Hull shall leaue those, or the other p(ar)ts of their great lotts in Commons as long as the outside of the great lotts are left in commons. In March of 1640 it was ordered ''that Mr. Blake shall haue one aker of land next (to) his eight-aker Iott, in lieu of (that) I aker, * giuen him neere the burying place.'' lnformatiom relating to the location of Mr. Blake's dwelling house in Dorchester is somewhat meager, although it is several times refer­ red to. The most important records upon which one can base a theory of the location .are as follows : (In October of 1652, a committee was appointed by the town to) lay out a towne way by Willyam blake(' )s (land) and the three _deuissions, which way is appointed to ruri from the corner of Willyam · blake(')s garden to a stump on the side of (the) ston(y) hill, (&c). TH.E BLAKE LINEAGE 125

In a bond, given by Nathaniel Duncan to Henry Kirby, "22 of (the) l(st) month (iv.larch), 165(5)," the land is described as "be­ tween ye Dwelling houses of Thomas J oanes & 'vVilliam Blake, be­ ing (in) a hil1y fielde." In an agreement about fencing "1 of (the) 2(nd) month (April), 1661," between William Blake and Thomas Davenport is the state­ ment ( of) ''three men having land lying together on the Hill, west o (f) their houses.'' On February 5, 1665-about two years after the death of Mr. Blake-his son William conveyed to Thomas Davenport "for £120 in money and other currant pay of New England'' for ''his now dwelling house,'' with seventeen acres of land, bounded on the east by the Town highway, on the west and south by the land of Thomas Davenport, and on the north by the lands of Ensign Capen, William Weeks and Amiel Weeks. The town records also show this interesting record: 11th of the ll(th month, January), 166(7), * * Thomas Davenport(' )s fine of ten shillings for Entertaining of Daniel Hol­ brooke was remitted on condition that he Cleere the water-Cours ( e that) Cros(ses) the way before one Come(s) to the house he bought of William Blake, and this to be done by the 10th of April next. On the church records appears a memorandum, supposed to have been written about the year 1700, giving the location of some homes of the inhabitants. Among the items is this: ''Mr. Houghton, in old Mr. Blake's (home), sold {it to) Mr. Capen," which sale, the compiler cannot verify. From all the evidence afforded by the above extracts from various deeds and plans examined, and such other facts as have come to no­ tice, it seems probable that Mr. Blake lived on the eastern slope of Mount Bowdoin, perhaps not far from the corner of the present Bowdoin street and Union av~nue. It is very certain that he lived on the hill and near Mr. Davenport's house and that his son William also lived there, per~aps in a new house, the first having been Hsold (to) Mr. Capen." The brook which Mr. Davenport was to keep clear, could be seen a few years before 1898 near the foot of the hill, crossing Bow­ doin street, designated in one or more old deeds as ''the way to the Meeting-House." Mr. Charles Davenport, great-grandson of Thomas, inherited this property, and as late as 1865 the cellar of his house was plainly visible on the southern slope of Mt. Bowdoin, be­ ing twenty feet up above Washington street, about half way between the Bowdoin street corner and the railroad bridge. 126 THE BLAKE: LINEAGE

On the establishment of a church covenant, on September 23, 1636: The names of such (parishioners) as, since the constituting or gathering of the church at dorchester, have been added to the church and joyned thereunto as members of the same body, by profession of faith and Repentance and taking hould of the Coven (an) t before the Congregacon. On the long list appear the names of William Blake, Agnes Blake, and Richard Baker, our ancestors. William Blake was made a freeman of the colony on March 14, 1639, at which time, in compliance with the order of the "General Court,'' as he was then a member of the Dorchester church. There can be no doubt that he was a man of integrity, being above the av­ erage intelligence of his neighbors. He served the town in various important capacities such as constable in 1641; elected on December 24, 1645, to serve as one of seven selectmen; again in the same of­ fice on December 6, 1647, and reelected, on December 1, 1651, to continue in the office; a member in the ''Ancient Artillery" company in 1648, and in many other ways. While being a selectman in 1648, his name is among seven signa­ tures in a '' petition from Dorchester to the General Court,'' praying for some land within its granting power: Which may help vs towards the maintenance of a free schoole in lieu of that which is now taken away, and not only wee but (our) posteritie while time shall last, will have cause to bless you, your jus­ tice and piety in advancing learninge. This is one of the most interesting and important chapters in the history ~f Dorchester with which our ancestor concerned himself, it being that which relates to the creation of a free school of the town at Thompson's island, in Boston harbor, which was granted by the General Court on March 4, 1635: To them (the inhabitants), their heirs & successors w(hi)ch shall inhabite there forever, (on the simple condition, that they pay twelve pence yearly as rent) to ye Treasurer for the time beinge. Four years later on May 30, 1639, the town voted to lay a tax on the proprietors of the island for "the maintenance of * (the) school * (of) Dorchester.'' It was found afterwards that the rents due from the individual proprietors were collected with much irregularity and inconvenience. For this and other reasons it was thought proper to call a meeting to agree on a plan for the special support and establishment of the school so that it might be more ~ffectually and better maintained. The in­ strument for the agreement was arranged- on February 7, 1641, and signed by seventy-one inhabitants, among whom were William Blake, THE BLAKE LINEAGE 127

Richard Baker and Henry Withington, our ancestors. Part of it is as follows: It is the (i) re mynd that the sayd I (s) land shalbe lett, assigned & sett Ouer only to such Tenant or Tenants as shall by land, or other­ wise sufficient (means to) secure the payment of the rent thereof for the vse & behoofe of the school as aforesayd, in such manner & forms & at such time & times of payment as shalbe agreed vppon by & betweene the inhabitants of Dorchester, or the(i)re agents, on the one p(a)rtye, & the sayd Tenant or Tenannts on the other p(a)rtye. William was on the committee to build a Meeting-house in 1646. According to the records of his great-grandson James Blake, in the "Annals of Dorchester," written in the years from 1749 to 1752: They (the inhabitants) agreed upon ye Building or a new Meet­ ing-house, and granted a rate of £250; the Committee (on the build­ ing being) Mr. Glover, Nath. Duncan, Mr. Atherton, Mr. Jones, Dea. Wiswell, Dea. Clap(p) and Mr. Howard, (and the) Raters (were) Edw(')d Break, Wm. Sum(n)er, Thos. Wiswel(J), Wil­ liam Blake and Roger Clap(p). Whether the rate of two hundred and fifty pounds was granted ex­ pressly for building the Meeting-house, or was for the yearly to·wn expenses inclusive it is not possible, from the records, to satisfactorily decide. The church was built near or on the site of the first Meeting­ house, at the northerly end _of Pleasant street, and was subsequently moved to the ''Meetin~-house hill.'' The first house of worship was a rude building, thatched, with a stairway on the outside, and was not large enough to meet the growing needs of the plantation. More than a month before the above sum was voted, it was agreed: At the general meeting of the town for peace and love's sake, that there shall be a new meeting-house built on Mr. Howard's land in the most convenient place, betwixt Mr. Stoughton' s Garden and his barn. The assignment of duties to men like William, who ·were willing to serve their townsmen, was often expressed in a quaint manner, and the following items indicate some of the simple offices of Wil­ liam, although by themselves insignificant, in the aggregate sr.ow the manifold ways in which the good citizen made himself useful: (February 23, 1647), We desire the v(i)ewers of the fences of Dorchester, Nicholas Butler, wi1lyam Blak(e) and John Smith, to a(c)quaynt each man where his fence lyes to the end that damag{e) may be preuented and peace procured and establyshed among them all. (January 12, 1651), Bro. Blake and Bro. howard are desyered to buy a Cow for Edmund Browne: a Cow is bought of R. Withing­ to(n) for 4/i (and) 10s, and deliu(er)ed to Edward Browne accord- ing to agre(e)m(en)t. · 128 THE BLAKE LINEAGE

(March 8, 1653), Br(o.) Blake (is) to give the Cunstable notice to wa"rne the inhabitance for the choseing of Deputies. · (January 13, 1654), The names of such (men) as are app(o)ynted by the Selectmen of Dorchester to view the fence in the Corne field this yeare 1654.-For the lot behind Mr. Jones(' ),-Henry Kibbey, Henry Woodward, Mr. Blake (and) Thomas Lake. (September 9, 1661), William Blake is appointed to warne Thomas Andrews to daube the meeting-house, or else to take the fines that * (are) due for not training (by) him. (September 18, 1662), Ensigne Capen and Wm. Blake, seni(o)r, were ap(p)ointed to speake to lieftt william Clarke and demand .a barrell of powder of him, or pay for that barrel which he sold out of the towne(' )s stock and make returne, the 19(th) day of this Instant to the selectmen. As William was one of the earliest land proprietors he made a bargain with John Phillips, on December 7, 1646, for the purchase of his pie.ce of land, at a certain pJace, and in turn William was to sell to Phillips his piece of land at another place, as he agreed to. ,Below are their bargains : These p(re)sents are to testifie that I, John Phillips, of dorches­ ter, haue giuen, graunted, bargained and sould vnto William Blake, sen(')r, of the same (town), all my great lote with pale (enclosure), being eight accers, mor(e) or lesse, lying amongst the great lotes and betweene the lores of William Clearke, on the north sid ( e), and the great lote of Thomas mak ( e) peace, on the south, to have and to hold the same from the.date her(e)of foreuer. In witnes(s), I haue her(e)vnto set my hand.-(Signed), John Phillipes.-The * lyn ( e) was (made) befo (re) (the) signing her( e)of, witnes(s), Geo(rge) Weekes. These p(re)sents do testifie that I, william Blake, sen(')r, of Dorchester, haue given, graunted, Bargained and sould vnto John Phillips, of the same (town), all my Eight-Acker lots, lyinge amongst the eight-acker lotes, beinge 8 ackers, be it mor( e) or lesse, and lying betweene the lotes of Richard leeds, on the East sid(e), which was once the lot~ of Thomas Millet, and _the lot of Richard Leeds, on the west (and) the south, and vppon the meadow of John Phillips, and on the north the high way, to haue and to hold the lote to him and his heirs for euer. (Signed), William Blake. In witness whereof, I haue set my hand, witness her(e)vnto, Geo (rge) Weekes. William was probably a surveyor as his service as a road layer was frequently called for, as per entries in the records: (January 19, 164(7), it is order(e)d, accordingly by the selectmen appointed,. that John Phillips, Willi(a)m Blake, (and) Edw (ard) Brecke, shall Laye out a waye from the Towne of Dorchester, vnto the Pynne necke, now in the occupatio(n) of John Greenwaye, or his Assignes, which (the) partyes aboue-named haue done * as it is now Recorded: 'f/iz., that whereas, vpon Record, (o)n page 54, THE BLAKE LINEAGE 129 it appeares that satisfactio(n) was giuen vnto John Phillips, for a waye from the Com(m)ons, to Pine necke, ( which) we find, (is) most conuenient that he (may) passe vpon that waye * (to) * the end, at John Phillip(' )s land, to enter vpo(n) Mr. minot(' )s and goody Bradford(' s) land, passinge alonge betweene the two, vntil he come(s) to the Lower end of the ffield vnto the marsh. and then to turne vnto the Left hand, vpo (n) the vpland, vntill he come(s) vnto goody Bradfford('s) marsh, and there to have 2 goads (rods?) broad vnto the bridge, and after that also 2 goad (s) (rods ?) broad till vnto the pine necke. William Blake, Edward Brecke (and) John PhiJlips, beinge by the selectmen of Dorchester, ordered to Laye out a waye from the house of John hill in the great Lotts vnto Rob(ert) Pears(') house, on the pyne, Doe make their Retu(r )ne, as followes, ci·iz., that the w3ye, afforesaid, Runnes vpo (n) ~ streight Lyne on the north side of the Lot that Late{ly) was John Phillips('), vntill it come(s) to the east end of the great Lotts, and soe it goes on, in a streight Line vpo (n) the south side of the Land that (was) Allexander Bradfford ( 's) vntill it Come(s) to the marsh, and then it turnes vpo(n) the said Land by the marsh side vntill it Comes to the meadowe that was the said Land by the marsh side, vntill it Comes to the meadowe that was the said Alexandere (' s) and so to Runne in a streight line vnto the pyne (neck); and all alonge to be a rod and a halfe broad. Noven1ber 12, 1649, "the Returne of Edward Brecke and William Blake, senior, beinge Requested by the selectmen of d_orchester to Laye out (a) waye for John Greenwaye, from John Hill(' s) house in the great Lotts, in Dorchester, vnto (the) pyne neck as followeth": We declare that, by (the) Commissio (n) from you Raceaused, we did appoint the high waye, First from John Hill(' s) house, to Runne vpon a straight Lyne on the north side of the great Lott(s) that Late(ly) was John Phil1ips(') vntill you come to the east end of the great Lotts, and soe it goes on a straight Line vpon -the south side of the land that ( was the) Late Allexander Bradford(' )s, vntill it come ( s) to the Marsh, and then it turn es vpon the said Land to the Marsh side vntill it come(s) to the Me(a)ddow that was Allexan­ d(er' s), and so i(t) Runne vpo(n) a straight Lyne vnto the pyne necke, [and all alonge the path is to be a Rod and (a) halfe broad], witness our Hand, the day and yeare abouesaid.-(Signed), Edward Brecke (and) William Blake, senior. At a Lawful meetinge of the towne, (on the ninth of March, 1658), vpon the request of Gamaleel Beman, it was voted and grant­ ed vnto him a plott of Land, adjoneing vnto his Barne~ to make (an) ad ( d) ition vnto his Barne, and William Blake and William Clarke were ap(p)ointed to lay it out. John Capen was ap(p)ointed alsoe, because William Clarke was remoued vnto Northam(p)ton, and William Blake and John Capen hath Done this worke, accordinge to this order. William signed the petition of February 2, 164(7), with fifty-four oilieB: · 130 THE. BLAKE LINEAGE

• Praying for the finall Determining and ending· of all matters in controuersy concerning the fence about th·e great lotts (in) the capt­ t (a) in (') s neck, the 6-aker lotts and other propor(t)ions of land; now within the same fence; the proprietor~, who are owners of the(i)r -seuerall propor(t)ions of land, within the sayd fence, haue refer(r)ed themselues to the Arbitration, (composed) of Mr. I~aac Heath, John Johnson and Wil(l)yam parkes, of Roxbury, bindin_g themsel ( v) es, heerby to stand to what the sayd Arbitrators shall de­ termine, both in respect of what fence shall be mayd; and wher(e); and by whom, and euery (one) of the propry(e)tors hath Jiberty, if he please(s) to giue information in the case to the said Arbitra­ tors, when the(y) shall com(e) to Dorchester, to be informed there­ in. (November 13, 1648), whereas, Captain Atherton, Thomas Wis­ wall and Joseph Farnworth were appointed by the selectmen, of cor­ chester, to lay out a towne way by willyam blake(' )s (land) toward the fresh marsh and the three deuissions; which way Is thus appoint­ ed to run from the corner of willyam blake(')s garden to a.stump on the side of (the) stony hill, and soe to a tree In the bottom, and soe allong to a rock.in Mr. Jones(') Iott, the way lying on the left hand, going in the old way, vnto a stony uall(e)y, and soe to a tree, where are 4 stones laid, and soe allong vnto the body of the fresh marshes, leauing the old way on the left hand, this ·way was laid out (on) the 9 of the l0(th) month, (December), 1650. . (At the town meeting, in November of 1655).-(Out) of a rate of Twenty pounds, sixe shillinges (and) eleaven pence, chardged vpon the Towne of Dorchester, by the selectmen, in the yeere 1655; they giue this Accomp~ of the Disburs(e)ment(s) for the towne vse. The payments made, we find, were to William Blake, Richard Hall and Peter Lyon, ''for the high waye, through the great Lotts,~' one pound and sixteen shi1lings. (At a general town meeting, on January 23, 1656), Brother Wil­ liam Blake, the elder, was Chosen Recorder for the towne of Dor­ chester, and to attend ( the meetings of) the Selectmen from time to time, to scribe and tra(n)scribe shuch orders and Records as should bee by them Committed vnto him, and for that end wee, the Select­ men, doe order that the sayde william Blake doe take the towne Books or Booke into his hands, and keep lik(e)wise the mapp, or mapp (s) Concerninge the towne, and Keepe them secuerly and not Deliuer the same to any (one) but by order from some of the Select- men. . (At the meeting of December 1, 1656), Bro. Williyam Blake, senior, Desired to buy a booke for the record(.s) of births, burialls (and) mar(r)iages to be kept in per Jetuam memoria, and (that it) be paid for * out of the tow ( n) e stocke. (December 13, 165.8),' ther(e) * (were) twentie shillings g~uen vnto William Blake, and. hi$ Rate (free) the (same as) last yeare, (of) which was 3s for his paines for writinge (and) attending THE BLAKE LINEAGE 131 vpon the selectmen for (the) time paste, and for (the) six pence he leyd out for paper. In James Blake's "Annals" is found: This Year (1663) Died Mr. William Blake, who had been Clerk of ye Writs for ye County of Suffolk, & Recorder for ye Town, near{ly) 8 years. He was also Clerk of ye Training band. He died (on) ye 25th of ye 8th mo(nth October), 1663, in ye 69th year of his age. By the above chronological order from the period of his initiation, it implies that he held his office as town clerk for the same munifi­ cient rate of compensation up to within about six weeks prior to his death. Frequent allusion was made to a book containipg a plot of the town with lots and the names of the grantees from the beginning, probably a registry of the deeds. One who was familiar with the town history stated that it was accidentally burned in 1657. It was, however, also stated that a copy of this book was made by the excel­ lent draftsman, William's grandson, James Blake, and that it existed within the memory of persons living in 1859. Soon after his death his widow Agnes moved to Boston, probably to live with her son John, or her only daughter Anne Leager, the church records reading : The 6, [I] (March), (16)70, Sister Agnes Blake [ye wife of Wil­ liam Blake, deceased], she having removed her dwelling to Boston, was dismissed to Joyne to ye theird Church in Boston, (and the Boston church records show her subsequent admission). Her application for her withdrawal in order to join the church there provoked much discussion. The church records show that, on December 27, 1669 : Sister Blake, ye old Widdow, desiered her dismi(ss)ion to ye 3(r)d Church at Boston, ye Church, * (on) ye motion of 2 or 3 of ye breath en, did take it into Consideration till ye next lord(') s day. (At the meeting of} The 6 of ye [I] (March, 16)70, the matter Concerning Sister Blak(e')s dismi(ss)ion to ye third Church in Bos- -ton was proposed againe, & divers (members) exprest themselves for it & divers (others) would have it wa(i)ved till a further time; at length it was put to ye Vote whether ye Church would Is(s)ue ye matter at that time. Ther(e) weer 18 or 19 for it & 12 or 13 against it, then her dismission was put to ye Vote, & there was ye Iik( e) number for it & against it, then it wac;; spoken, too, by some yt ther(e) weer some yt weer Newter & they should be counted (as) Negatives, soe yt at len(g)th, ye Vote was put by parting of Companys & of thos(e) yt weer p(re)sent ther(e) wer(e) 22 for her dismi (ss) ion & 19 against it, & some yt had been N ewters before went away & would not Vote any way, but Deacon Wiswall, w (ho) 132 THE BLAKE LINEAGE was against it in ye former Vote, was gone before ye latter Vote. Widow Agnes died in Dorchester on July 22, 1678, sometime after her return from Boston. She and her husband, in all proba­ bility, were buried in the Dorchester cemetery, but sad to relate no memento is to be found to tell the spot where they repose. This is much to be regretted, afld it seems no more than an act of justice that William's descendants should appropriately mark the spot of the· resting place of one who was a pioneer in this, then wild wilderness, and who, ·without doubt, labored and suffered much in faith and hope that his offspring might enjoy a bounteous harvest. At that time the burial place was small, being but five rods square, on the corner of what are now Boston and Stoughton streets. The southwest corner is the oldest part, having been enlarged several times. It is supposed that this ground, although ·not the most ancient, contains the oldest inscriptions in the United States, excepting per­ haps a few in Jamestown, Va., one being dated 1638, and the others, 1644 and 1648. The gravestones of the Blake descendants of ten successive genera­ tions of the family up to the present time, have been righted up, or reset, and cleaned of the accumulated moss which had rendered them almost illegible for years, and now they stand renovated, telling their short but truthful stories of the quick succession of the genera­ tions of men, and l_eading our thoughts back to the early settlement of New England, to contemplate their hardships, their sacrifices and their trials . . The following is an exact copy of William Blake's will as it stands on the records in the probate office of Suffolk county. It was, with­ out doubt, written by William himself. It is short and explicit, and shows the ability and character of the man. The last will and testam~nt of William Blake, (he) [being of per­ fect memory & understanding, (and) ye good lord god bee blessed and praysed therefor] made ye third day of September in ye year, one thousand six hundred sixty & one, as followeth: My will is yt my body bee decently buried in hope of A joyfull Resurrection at ye Last day: It( em): I giue and beque(a)th vnto the towne of Dorchester twenty shillings to be bestowed for the repairing of the burying place, soe yt swine and other vermine may not an(n)oy the graues of the saints, p (ro )vided it be repaired within one yeare after my decease. The rest of my land, goods and estate, after my funerall exspences and debts (are) discharged; my will is, and I doe giue and beque(a) th vnto my fiue children the one halfe of my lands and estate to be equally devided amongst them by equall portions: not that I Disre­ spect my eldest sone, for he hath be(e)n and is soe dutifull a child THE BLAKE· LINEAGE 133 vnto me as any of my Children, but because he hath least need of it, and he hath noe Charge(s).· The other halfe of my lands, goods and estate I doe giue and beque(a)th vnto my beloued wife, and doe make her sole executrix of this, my last will and testament. And I doe intreat my beloued brethren, * Edwarde Clai;p- and John Capen, yt they would be pleased to be ouerseers of this, my last will and testament, to se(~) yt it be fulfilled and p(er)formed. Finally my will is yt my wife doe(s) not dispose of any of her estate l(e)ft (to) her by this, my last will and testament, during the time of her life without the advise and Consent of my ouerseers and my foure sones, or the major parte of them; yet, neverthelesfe, in her last will she may dispose of it vnto whom shee pleare(s) .-In witnes(s) here­ of I haue, herevnto, sett my hand, and seale In the presence of John Capen (and) ]no. Minott.-William Blake, with a seale. Att a County Court, held Att Boston, on the 28(th of) January, 1663, ]no. Capen & ]no. Minott deposed that, having subscrib(e)d their names to this paper, (they were) present & did both see and heare Wm. Blake * signe & publish ye same to bee his Last will & testament, (and), yt when he so did he was of A sound disposing minde, to their best knowledge.-Edward Rawson} Recorder. At * (the) County Court, held at Boston \on the) 29th (of) January, Mrs. Agnes Blake depos~d that this ( was) a true inventory of the estate of the late William Blake, her late husband, to hir best .knowledge (and) that when shee knowes more she will discover it, w (hi)ch the Court allowed.-Edw. Paw~on, Recorder. By his will it is noticed that the first bequest was of the nature of a public benefaction, a gift to the town for repairing the burying ground, provided the work should be done within a year from his decease The selectmen, at a meeting on September 12, 1664, ap­ pointed a committee ,·,to gett the burying place well and sufficiently to be fence(d) in and * to demand of John Blake (the) 20 shil:. fings giuen by his father in his last will and Testament to that end (and) vse." The Treasurer's account for the year 1667, shows that there had been received from ''the Relicte of William Blake towards the repaiering the burying place,'' 18 shillings. "An inventory (of) all the goods and lands of William Blake, of Dorchester, deceas~d, taken (on) the six(th) of November, Anno Dom(ini), 1663, (was) ap(p)r(a)ised by William Sumner and James Humphries." And then followed the list of his estate appraised at £224: 12: 00. Although the value of Mr. Blake's estate was not large, yet it compared welJ with the possessions of his neighbors. The simple manner of living of one of the principal men of the town is quite clearly indicated by the probated schedule of his property. The Children of William and Agnes Blake, all but the last one, baptized at Pitminister, England, were: 134 THE BLAKE LINEAGE

f probably twins, baptized August 30, 1618; the former died in Boston, January 25, 1689; married in Bo~ton, John, August 16, 1654, Ma1y, daughter of Nathaniel and i Alice Souther, and widow of Joseph Shaw, who died Anne, December 13, 1653, after having been married twelve days; the latter died in Boston on Ju)y 12, 1681; was l married to Jacob Leager probably as his third wife. WILLIAM, our lineal ancestor. · James, elder, baptized April 27, 1624; died in Dorchester, "at 2 or 3 h(ou)r P.M., on June 28, 1700; married, the first time about 1651, Elizabeth, who died in 1644 and was a daughter of Deacon Edward and Prudence Clapp, the second time in Rehoboth, Mass., September 17, 1695, Elizabeth, daughter of Henry and Judith Smith, who came from Norfolk county, England, and widow of Peter Hunts. Edward, place and date of his birth unknown; supposed to be the youngest child; died in Milton, Mass., September 3, 1692; wife was Patience, daughter of John and Jane Pope; date of their marriage not found. Authorities consulted: ''A Genealogical History of William Blake of Dorchester (Mass.) and His Descencants," by Samuel Blake; "The Blake Family in England," by Francis E. Blake, in the "New England Historical and Genealogical Register," of January, 1891; '"In­ crease B1ake, His Ancestors and Descendants,'' by Francis E. Blake; '"'William Blake of Dorchester, Mass.," by W. H. Whitmore; "History of Dorchester (Mass.)," by Ebenezer Clapp; "Annals of Dorchester (Mass.)," by James Blake; "Dorchester (Mass.) Town Records''; '' Dorchester (Mass.) Records-Fourth Rei:ort of the Commissioners-1880"; ''Records of the First Church at Dorches­ ter, 1636-1737' '; ''First Century of the History of Springfield, (Mass.)," by Henry M. Burt; and the probated will. THE BLAKE -LINEAGE 135

WILLIAM2 BLAKE was baptized at Pitminister, England, on September 6, 1620. He came to America with his father. His name does not appear in connection with Dorchester town affairs as often as does that of his brother James. Such town records as we can find concerning him are these: (February 28, 1652), (On the motion of) brother wm. Blake, the younger, and (on) brother Dauenpon(' )s motion abought paying for the cowes in the heard, &c., [at p(re)sent] that for the tyme past we see nothing to the contrary, but must pay; for the tyme to com(e) we intend, (at) the next towne meeting, to p(ro) pose it to the towne. (On January 14, 1659), The names of such (men) as are appoint­ ed to view the fence in the Comm(o)n fields for the yeare 1659,­ the Iott behind (the lands of) Mr. Joans, (are) William Clarke and William Blake. William was appointed, in December of 1662, with Thomas Lake to look over the fence in the field of his father. In 1660, he was one of the number ~eceiving an allotment of land in that part of the town which was sett off, in 1662, as Milton. Like his father, he seemed to understand road-faying-out as indi­ cated by an entry of March 9, 1663, that the selectmen: Did ap(p)oint and intreat and impower William Sumner, William Blake, Ju(' )r., and Richard Hall to view and lay out a highway to the great fresh marsh, from the Country heigh way; and to make returne by, or before the first of· the third moneth (May) next. (Then), William Blake, Ju(') r., and Amiel Weekes did desire that the selectmen to p(ro) pound vnto to the towne wh ( e) ther they will haue the way continued from Clement Topley('s place) vnto (the) Country heigh way. * * * (And) William Blake, Ju(')r., (brought up) his request for satisfaction * (of the) land that * (was) taken from him by reason of the Country heigh ·way. At the me_eting of the selectmen, (on) the 14th of the 10th _month (December), 1663, this returne was made, (that) we, whose names are heere vnder-written, being appointed to lay out a highway from the Country high~ay leading to the fresh marsh, we mett, (on) the 15(th) of the l(st) mo(nth, March), 1663, and layd out two rods * from the C(o)untry highway, in breadth, by Vasilla Bat­ ten(')s pasture fence, to the brow of a hill, by a rock lying on the East side of the way of the hill, and from thence crossing ouer to the 136 THE BLAKE LINEAGE way that now is.-(Signed), William Sumner, Richard Hall (and) William Blake. · By the entry of March 7, 1664, we find an "Agreement made (on) the l(~t) day of the 2(nd) month (April), 1661, betweene William Blake and Thomas Davenport,'' as follows: These men having land lying together on the Hill, west o (f) their houses, the sayd Thomas Davenport is to sett vp a sufficient fence betweene William Blake his land and his owne, and to maintaine it for the space of 3 yeares after it is sett vp, and then William is to pay Thomas for one halfe, as two men shall judge it wonh; and to main­ taine the same foreuer; and for (the) performance heereof we doe binde the severall lands (of those) vnto * which the fence. belongeth.-Witness our hands, 1 (st) the day and year abouesaid.­ The fence heere meant is the middle fence, which runneth East and West.-Witnesses, Samuel Jones, John Kingsley, William Blake (and) Thomas Devenport.-Recorded at a meeting of the select­ men, (o)n (the) 14(th) of the l(st) mo(nth March), 1664, p(er) m-e, William Pole, Recorder. - (At the same meeting) William Sumner, Richard Hall and Wil­ liam Blake, are desired and appointed to lay out a way to the fresh marsh, from the end of the way, formerly laid out by Richard With­ ington his land vnto the sayd marsh, in the most convenient place, and with the l_~st prejudice to any man(' s land). An important petition from Dorchester bearing the signatures of nearly all the men, among whom were William Blake and Richard Baker, our ancestors, was to be laid before the General Court which was to meet in Boston, on October 19, 1664. A remark may help to understand its significance. The colony had, no doubt, greatly sympathized with Cromwell and his party, and were not a little difap­ pointed at the accession of the undignified and lascivious Charles II. It was with these feelings~ and under the fear, likewise, that their former rights and privileges might be curtailed upon the restoration of the Stuart family, that this document was d1awn up. It was un­ doubtedly in the handwriting of Richard Mather, and was drawn up with great care. In 1665 William sold to Thomas Davenport his ''new dwelling house," with seventeen acres of land, the location of which has been previously described, and he probably moved, about that

me to settle amongst them. = September 11, 1680, Mr. Lawthorpe came hither to ~ee u~. This morn~ng we ( went) to' the ministerial hou~e. The two Blakes lodg­ ed there a11 night to secure the goods. January, 1682, Sargent Blake, Brother Clap(p), Mr. Tavlor and I went out to (look) for deer, ~ut saw none, and * (on) our return we ~upped at Sarg (') t Blake's (hou5e) _. · · The records of the County Court, hel~ro·n December, 4, 1682, show that Willia~ 'was au~hdrized to keep an "ordinary," or inn: Upon consideration of the necessity of a house of entertainment for Travellers ( o) n -rhe new Road from Taunton at new Bristol, Et [cetera] over brush hill. William Blake, of Milton, is allowed to 138 THE BLAKE LINEAGE keepe an Ordinary until April next. (Nothing more in relation to this matter µas been found). In the entry of February 13, 1691 is recorded that "William Blake and Nicholas Clap(p), Constables, owe(d) for a towne Rate (by) them Collected,'' amounting to forty pounds and nine shillings, and the town directed them that they "are to haue for moneys (by) them disbursed" to those whose names appear on a list the town owed. It seems that William Blake's career was then closed in the town affairs. There is no record of his first marriage, and the surname of his first wife Anna does not appear; in fact, even this name was not found until the year 1665, and it is only a supposition that she was the mother of his children born previously to that date. The church records show the admission of "uxor William Blake," on April 25, 1652; she was living in 1680, but the date of her decease is not known. William married, for the second time, Hannah (Tolman) Lyon, in Milton, on November 22, 1693. · She was a daughter of Thomas and Sarah Tolman. The church records give the baptism of Hannah Tolman "2mo. 6 to vicesimo 1640, (who was) married (to) Mr. Blake last, and to Mr. Lyon ffirst." By her first marriage in 1661 to George Lyon, who died early in 1691, she had several children. She died in Dorchester on August 4, 1729, ''in the 91st year of her age.'' William died in Milton, Mass., September 3, 1703, ''at the age of 83 years.'' His will, executed a few weeks before his death, made provision for the comfort of his dear living ,vife, bequeathing the homestead and other property to his sons Nathaniel and Edward, with legacies to his son Samuel, and daughters Anne Gilbert, Mary Willis, Experience Carver and Mehitable Briggs. The will, including the inventory of his estate, is kept on file at the office of the Register of Probate Court in Boston, Mass. It is copied intact, as follows : The last Will and Testament of William Blake, of Milton, in the County of Suffolke, in her Ma{jest)ty(')s Province of the Massachu­ setts Bay, in New England, I, being now Aged and weak of body, and know (ing) not the time of my desol_ution, which cannot be long, yet, through the Mercy of God, (being) of perfect memory and understanding, (I) Do make this, my last Will and T estam ( en) t, this (the) Twenty-Second day of June, Anno D(omini), 1703, in manner and forme as followeth: lmprimis: I resigne up my Soul to Almighty God, my Creator and my Redeemer, and my body to be decently interred, in hope of joyful Resurrection at the last day, and as for my Temporal Estate, my Will is that it he disposed of, as is hereafter expressed. My Will is that all my due(s) and just Debts, and funneral Expenses be, in ( the) first place, discharged. My Will is that my dear and loving Wife THE BLAK·E LINEAGE 139

shall have Ten pounds, good and lawful money of New England, to be paid unto her (by) my Executors, hereafter named, at the time mentioned in (the) Agreem(en)t, made at our Marriage; Al~o my Will is that (my) wife shall have Liberty to make use of the Cham­ ber in the New end of my house, so long as she continue(s) my Widow and dwell (s) in the same and no longer; she shall not Lett or hire out the same. Also, I give my wife liberty, [provided she abide(s) in my house], to take for her own use, what wood she hath occasion for, of the wood that grow(s) upon One Acre of Land. That is to say the Wood· that grow(s) on One Acre of Land being between George Lyon{')s and Deacon Sumner(' )s land, at the Up­ per end of the Lott next (to) the Plaine. Ittm: I give and bequeath unto my Son Samuel Blake a certain piece, or. parcel of Land, lying in Dorchester, near the Dwelling house of Ebenezar Billings, containing, or being. in quantity, One hundred Acres, be the same more or less. Item: I give unto my two sons, namely Nathaniel Blake and Ed­ ward Blake, all and every part and piece, or ~arcel of Upland and Meadow,. both fresh Meadow and Salt marsh, I say, all my Land a~ home and elsewhere, in Dorchester, or Milton, divided or not, with all my common Rights, with my Orchard, and all the priviledges and benefits, belonging thereunto, Excepting onely that piece above named and given unto my Son Samuel; I say I give it unto {my) son (s) Nathaniel and Edward Blake to be equally divided in half e between them: both, Nathaniel (is) to have that side of the home Lott that the house stands on, and is next (to) th~ $ame, · dividing from Cne end to· the other in the middle;. I also give unto my Sens l\athaniel

and Edward Blake all (in) my Barne equally. Forasmu-ch as t~e or7 chard will .fall in my son Nat~aniel(' )s part by my Will, ·_My Will __is that my· Son Edward shall have One halfe of the fruit that grow-{s) in the Orchard, both apples and other fp.!!~(s) of the Trees, for the space and terme of Six years after (my) deceare, and no longer. Item: I give unto my Sons, [equally to be divided] namely, Na­ thaniel and Edward Blake, all my Moveable(s) within doors and with­ out; and I do ordain and make my Sons~ namely, Nathaniel Blake and Edward Blake, to be the Executors of this, my last Will and Testament, and my Will is that my Executors do i:ay zll that I do give and bequeath unto. _my daughters, out of the moveable Estate, so far as it will.answer the same: and the Remainqer of the Legacies to be paid in good pay, in· Land, or otherways, as it !-hall be valued .. Item: I give unto my Daughter Anna Gilburt Five and twenty pounds. Item: I give unto my Daughter Mary Willis Twenty-five rounds. Item: I give unto my Daughter Experience Carver Fifteen pounds. Item:, I give unto my Daughter Mehettable Briggs Twenty pounds. I do Intreat and impower my Loveing Friends, Lieut. Samvel Paul and John Blake, To be the Ov;erseers of this, my last Will and Testament. In WITNESS whereof, I, the said William Blake, have here­ unto· set my hand and seale, this Twenty-Second d2y of June, Anno 140 THE BLAKE LINEAGE

Dom(in)i, One thousand seven hundred and three. Signed, Sealed and Declared to be the last Will and Testament of the Testator, in (the) presence of John Blake, the marke of Mary Summer X (and) Abigail Moree. Then follows an entry in the record : Suffolk, SS. By ye Hon(ora)ble Isaac Addington Esq(')r., Judge of Probate, &c. -rhe before-written Will, being presented for Pro­ bate by Nathaniel and Edward Blake, Executors, therein named. John Blake, Mary Summer and Abigail Moree made Oath that they were present and did see the above-named William Blake Signe and Seale .and heard him publish the before-written Instrument to be his last Will and Te~tament, and that when he so did, he was of Sound disposeing mind to their best discerning. And that they Signed as Witnesses to the Execution thereof in the said Testator(' )s presence. -Boston, September 30th, 1703. Iurat Cor. Isa. Addington. The Probate of the Will of Wi1liam Blake, late of Milton, de­ c( eas) ed (was filed). And Administration (was) granted thereon unto his t\\'O sons Nathaniel and Edward Blake, Exec(utor)s, in the same Wi1l named. Isaac Addington, Esq(ui)r(e), Commissioned by his Excellency Joseph Dudley, Esq(ui)r(e), Captain General and Governour-in-chief in and over Her Ma(jes)ty(' )s Province of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England, by and with the advice and consent of the council, to be Judge of the Probate of Wills, and for granting Letters of Administration on the Estates of persons dec(eas)ed, having Goods, Chattels, Rights, or Credits in the County of Suffolk within the Pro­ vince, afores(ai)d. To All unto whome these presents shall come, Greeting, Know Yee that, on the Thirtieth day of Sept( ember), In the year of our Lord One Thousand seven · hundred and three, BEFORE me, at Boston, in the County afores(ai)d, the Will of William Blake, late of Milton, within the said County of Suffolk, Husbandman, dec(eas)ed, to these presents annexed, was proved, approved and allowed, who haveing while he lived, and at the time of his decease, Goods, Chattels, Rights, or Credits, in the afores (ai) d County, And the Probate of the s(ai)d Will, and power of commit­ ting Administration of all and Singular the Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits of the s(ai)d dec(eas)ed, by virtue thereof appertaining unto me. The administration of all and singular the Goods, Chat­ tels, Rights and Credits of the s(ai)d de(ceas)ed, & his Will in any manner concerning, is hereby committed unto his two Sons Nathaniel Blake and Edward Blake, Exec ( uto) rs, in the same Will named, Well and faithfully to Execute the s(ai) d Will and to Administer the Estate of the s·(ai) d dee( eas) ed, according thereunto. And to make a true and perfect Inventory of all Singular the Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits of the s(ai)d dec(eas)ed, and to exhibit ye same into the Registry of the Court of Probate for the County afores(ai) d, at, or before the Thirtieth Day of March next ensueing. And also to render a plain & true Acc(o)mpt of their s(ai)d Administration upon Oath. In Testimony whereof. I have hereunto set my hand and the Seal of the s(ai)d Court of Probate, Dated at Boston afore- THE BLAKE LINEAGE 141 s(ai)d, the day and year first above written.-lsaac Addington. "The Inventory of the Estate of Mr. William Blake, dec(eas)ed, which was not disposed of before he made his Will, taken by us, the Subscribers, This 28th of September 1703, '' gives the total amount at three hundred and forty-three pounds and six pence, out of which is two hundred and eighty pounds for his home lot, lands and meadows. On accepting the appraisers' report, the court caused the below for an entry: By the Hon(ora)ble Isaac Addington, Esq(ui)r(e),. Judge of Pro­ bate, &c., Nathaniel Blake and Edward Blake, Exec ( uto) rs, made. Oath that the above-written (report) contains a just Inventory of the Estate of their late Father William Blake, late of Milton, de(ceas)ed, as far as hath come to their knowledge. And that, if more, hereafter appears, they will cause it to be added. -Boston, September 30th, 1703. -lurat Cor, Isaac Addington. William Blake's children, eight in number, were born in Dorches­ ter, and the remaining three in Milton. Samuel, born in Dorchester, May 14, 1650; died in Taunton, Mass., in 1719; married Sarah, daughter of George and Susanna Macey, of Taunton. Anna, 1st, baptized in Dorchester, March 7, 1651; died in infancy. ANNE, 2nd, our lineal ancestress. Mary, born in Dorchester, March 20, 1655; was married for the first time, in Milton, Mass., December 15, 1679, to Joseph Leonard, who died October 19, 1692, and the sec­ ond time to a Mr. Willis, as appears in her father's will. William, born in Dorchester, February 22, 1657; baptized on March 1, following; died before 1699. In 1675, his father petitioned the council for the discharge of his ~on from "ye service of ye countrey," on account of his bodily infirmities; nothing more is known of him, except the record of his brief military service under Capt. Mofe­ ley, and of his subsequent service in 1690, in Capt. With­ ington' s Comi:any, in an expedition to .Canada. Nathaniel, born in Dorchester, July 4, 1659; baptized on the tenth; died in Milton, October 5, 1720; married on October 9, 1695, Martha, daughter of Walter Mory. Edward, born in Dorchester, April 13, 1662; died in Milton in 1737; married, June 26, 1696, Elizabeth Mory, sister of his brother's wife. Experience, born in Dorchester, June 17, 1665; baptized the following day; was married to Eleazer Carver, son of John and Millicent Carver, probably as his second wife; settled in South Bridgewater. Agnes, born in Milton, September 29, 1667; baptized at Dor­ chester, "12-2-1668, being about 6 months old." 142 THE BLAKE LINEAGE

Susan, born in Milton, July 20, 1670; died May 4, 1676. Mehitable, horn in Milton, April 2, 1673; was married, June · 16, 1696, to William Bridge, of Taunton; lived in Taun­ ton. Authorities consulted : ''Increase Blake, His Ancestors and De­ scendants," by Francis E. Blake; "History of Dorchester (Mass.)," by Ebenezer Clapp, Jr.; "Dorchester (Mass.) Records-. Fourth Re­ port of the Record Commissioners-1880' '; and the probated will. ANN3 BLAKE: See the life story of Thomas8 Gilbert in the Gilbert lineage.-Page 111.

SYNOPSJS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT William1 Blake, born 1594; · died 1663; wife, Agnes. William2 • • •• 1620; • • 1703; • • Anna. Thomas3 Gilbert, •• 1643· • • 1725; • • Ann3 Blake. William3 Phillips, •• 1669;' , • • 1713; • • Hannah4 Gilbert. Benjamin3 Leonard, •• • • • • Hannah4 Phillips . 4 •• • • , . 4 Henry Axtell,, , 1715; 1754; Jemima Leonard. Henry5 . . 1738; .' 1818; '. Phoebe4 Condit. Simeon6 Cory, , ' 1774; , ' 1847; •• Rhoda6 Axtell. James7 , ' , ' 1801; .' 1880; • • Susan7 Mulford . LINEAL ANCESTORS

of

RHODA (AXTELL) CORY,

mother of

Captain James Cory

GENEALOGICAL

HISTORICAL

and

BIOGRAPHICAL

Volume II Part II

Compiled _from various genealogies and histories fir private distribution among interested parties and libraries with no pecuniary solicitions whatever.

1937

e et. ~.: . •rvt !f : • ,! . ~

• t. Nath~ eeortte eele Day

-iremwti"Jii~l'""l~w=-1w:_ULl,:..!~~-1r:...:...... ::_;;"T_7~nre~~ ------...~---===~~.._,;::::j~~~~_J~I :,,' ;:i Se h ... tJ1 Mi.eah. ~ "' ...... Tomp ·ne Tompkina Tho~ ··'",...... ~··· ."-'"'"·• ...... ,;'""·­ 1--~-r-~~--____,..___-r~...___ ---i ..••.••••. . .::...... :,..;::~;~:_:;_;. '~:=:~=:;;.:~~,=-~::',:.~. .· .:.,,~:•..MIi,-··.....,,_...,_,, ... , ,.,., ..,, .. _ . .... -·· ·-"• .

The above town plot, reduced through the process of reproduction from the map of the town showing its location by the river "Pesayak," was printed in 1806. The plot were divided into four sections, Broad and Market streets being the dividing lines. References to the home lots of our indirect lineal ancestors, who were an1ong the first settlers of the town, are indicated as given below : Southeast section : Hugh Roberts, See, , page 260 of Volume I, Part II. Edward Riggs, ,, 255 '' this Volume, Part II. , , ,, 182 ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, Samuel Harrison, , , , , , , , , , , , , Joseph Riggs, ,, 264 Southwest section : , , , , , , , , , , , , John Browne, 277 , ' Northwest section: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , John Condit (near Hans Albers), , , , , 143 , , , , , , , , , , Richard Harrison, , , ,, 163 , , , , , , , , Lieut. John Ward, 215 "

THE. CONDIT LINEAGE 143

JOHN1 CUNDITT, as he spelled his name, was first known in this country in 1678 and became the progenitor of nearly all bearing the name of ''Condit or Condict.'' Of his ancestry nothing- is defi­ nitely known. According to tradition he came from either England or Wales. If from either; it is possible he was a native of the latter country, as the Condit fami)y compiler learns from residents of that country that there are some now living there bearing the name of "Conduitt." Reasons, however, exist for believing that John was of English extraction, because the name has honorable mention of a John Conduit, Knight, in English history. That John was of Norman descent there is no doubt. He married first in Great Britain and there his wife died. In 1678, he came to America with his son Peter and settled in Newark, N. J., where he married his second wife Deborah, and had by her a son John who died when a minor. There is reason for the belief that Deborah also had a daughter named Mary, by a former husband. She was then the wife of Captain John Morris. John Cunditt made his first appearance in Newark as a planter about twelve years after the tov.1 n' s settlement. He was assigned a home lot on the "Mill Brook Plain." Being a weaver by trade, he installed a loom near Sergeant Harrison's ''corn mill,'' and carried on the business quite profitably. In season he tilled his farm for his family's needs. According to David L. Pierson's "Narratives of Newark," John was a typical Puritan, practicing the Christian spirit of helpfulness in his every day life; devotions were held at his fireside morning, noon and night. Punctually he started out with his family at the sound of the drum for the Meeting-house service on the Sabbath day, through all kinds of weather-driving rainstorm, blistering heat, bitter cold or hard snow-flurry. The spirit of worship was with him always. His neighbor Richard Hore, who was located on an eight-acre tract near the corn mill, had been ill for several weeks. His languid, in­ active appearance as he moved about the front yard attracted notice. He was compelled in his weakness, before the leaves had fallen from the trees in the autumn of 1688, to remain whole days wilhin doors. 144 THE CONDIT LINEAGE

Of course our reverend ancestor Abraham Pierson visited the patient and offered so1ace. So did the townspeople. Firewood and victuals he had aplenty, but he was more in need of constant care, of the attention so necessary for the restoration of normal health, if that were possible. Neighbor Cunditt made his customary call one early December morning, when the window panes were covered with a thick layer of· frost. Opening the door cautiously, the visitor felt the chill of a fireless room; Richard was lying upon his pallet, gazing dreamily at the fireplace from which the last spark had faded. Going to his home where the fire was blazing brightly, a ·steami~g kettle hanging over the heanhstone, and good cheer in abundance, the good Samaritan conferreg with his consort. Mistress Deborah Cunditt' s mind was in accord with the plan proposed of assigning Richard a place in their home, whither he was removed and enjoyed a comfortable seat alongside the blazing fire. He was revived in a few hours. No more would he he chilled "to the marrow," he con­ fidently said to the master when, at the end of the first day, he was ''thawed out'' and was able to panake of a generous portion of veni­ son stew. The patient was treated as one of the family. Soon after Candle­ mas day, in February of 1689, when the sun was streaming through the south window and illuminating the space about the sun dial till it glowed as if possessed of life, Richard talked to Mistress Deborah about the end of his life. He did not expect to live many more days and desired in some way to reward the master for the kindness he had received from him. When all was quiet about the house, after the evening meal and the chores were all done, true to his word, Richard asked of the master a word or two about business affairs. In a moment the burden of his mind was spoken. Would he take his land in return for the many kindly acts of the past year ? Pondering a while, Goodman Cunditt said, ''Well, if ye want it that way and your mind is squarely made up, I' 11 take your land and give you fifty shillings for good measure.'' The town scrivener pre­ pared the deed on February 27, 1689, and the document, duly sign­ ed, contained, among other provisions, this important clause: For several good causes and lawful considerations me hereunto moving, but expressly for, and in consideration of thineen months' hoard and fifty shillings, (I) have granted and sold unto the said John Cunditt eight acres of upland in the town of Newark, bounded on -the north by (th~ land of) Hans Albers, on the east by the river, on the south by ( the land of the) said Cunditt, and on the west by the highway. · THE CONDIT LINEAGE 145

As is seen by the deed, John Cu~ditt had owned land before ~e was given possession of Hore' s land, but no record had been dis­ covered to indicate it. He kept the given land until he sold it on June 29, 1695, to William Brant. But the end of the sick man's life was not so near as was expected. Soon after the transfer, by the order of the Town meeting, "poor Richard, who was clothed with a good leathern suit,'' was placed in the keeping of another family, and the committee in charge of the case, of which Samuel Harrison, our ancestor, was a member, attend­ ed to his welfare. No further mention of Richard's riame is found in the records. He must have passed away before the end of 1692. John Cunditt added to his possessions more land, which was pur­ chased from Deacon Richard Lawrence and was conveyed to him by a deed dated March 24, 1691, containing: Nineteen acres of upland, for a lawful sum of money. (This land is describc:d as on the plain, commonly called the) Mill Brook Plain, (being) on the north side of the brook. bounded (by the) Pisiack River east-a highway west-by (the land of) John Bruen south­ his (John's) own land north. This Deacon Richard Lawrence was the father-in-law of John Bruen, and both of them are our ancestors through Susan Mulford. John's friend "Samuel Potter, senior, of Newark," having died intestate, he and his wife were granted on June 26, 1696, ''letters of administration'' on the estate. John died in 1713, leaving his widow as sole executrix to adminis­ ter his will of March 15, 1710, which is now on file in the office of the Secretary of State at Trenton, N. J. His request was that his ''Loving friends and brothers Benjamin Lyon and Matthew Williams would oversee and take care yt this, my will be fulfilled.'' By the term "brothers," it seems that one of them was his wife's brother, and the other one married his wife's sister. In addition to his mark, a private seal in wax was attached representing a fowl with spread wings. This will, proved on May 20, 1713, is copied as follows: In the name of God, Amen: I, John Cunditt, of Newark, in ye County of Essex, and Eastern Division of New Jersey, weaver, being sick and weak of body, but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be given unto God. Therefore, calling unto mind ye mortality of my body, and knowing that it is appointed unto men to Dye, (I) Doe make this, my Last Will and Testament in ye following manner and form: . /mprimis: I recommend my soull unto ye hands of God that gave it. Hoping through ye meritts of Christ to Receive Everlasting Life, and my body I recommend to ye Earth to be buried in a decent Christian manner. Nothing Doubting but (in) ye generall Resurrec- 146 THE CONDIT -LINEAGE tion I shall receive ye same again through ye might (y) Power of God, and as for such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, demise and dispose thereof in ye fol­ _lowing manner and form: Item: My will is, yt all Just debts anrl funerall expenses be paid and discharged. ltt(em): I will and bequeath unto my Dearly beloved wife De­ borah Cundit ye Improvement of all my Lands and Meadows until my son John Cundit attains unto ye age of one and Twenty years, and then During her Naturall Life ye improvement of ye Equall one half thereof, and att her Decease to Return unto my s(ai)d son John, and ye one Equall half of my Personal estate, I give unto her and her heirs and assigns for Ever. ltt(em): I give and bequeath unto my son Peter Cundit a bed and bedstead and other furniture, belonging thereunto, which he hath already in Possession, and any debts due from him to me att or before ye Day of ye Date of these presents. ltt(em): I give and bequeath unto my s(ai)d son John Cundit all my Lands and Meadows in ye bounds of Newark or Elsewhere, and buildings and Improvements made thereupon to possess ye one half thereof, when he shall attain to ye Age of one and Twenty years, with ye Equall one half of my Personal Estate, and ye other half of ye land at ye Decease of my s(ai)d wife, to him, his heirs and assigns ·for .Ever, and in case it should please God to take him out of ye world before he be (comes) of age to possess ye same, · then my will is yt Philip Cundit, Son of Peter Cundit, should Possess and Enjoy ye s ( ai) d Land. ltt(em): l will and bequeath unto my Loving Grandchildren, to­ wit, Samuel Cundit, Peter Cundit, John Cundit, Nathaniel Cundit, Mary Cundit and Philip Cundit, to each of them, a Bible to he paid within three years after my Decease; to Samuel and Peter, each one, within one year after my Decease; to John and Nathaniel, each one, Two years after my Decease; to Mary and Philip, each one, within three years after my Decease. ltt(em): My will and Desire is yt my Loving friends and brothers Benjamin Lyon and Matthew Williams would oversee and take care yt this will be fulfilled. Finally: I do hereby Constitute, ordain and appoint my s(ai)d wife Sole Executrix of this, my Last will and Testament, and Doe hereby Revoke, Disan(n)ul and make Void all other Testarr.ents, wills and bequests whatsoever by me heretofore n1ade, Wil (1) ed or bequeathed, Rattifying and allowing this and No other to be my Last will and Testament. In witness whereof, I have hereunto Sett my hand and Seall, this fifteenth day of March, in ye Year of our Lord Anno que Dom (ini), one Thousand Seven Hundred and Nine, Alias Ten, and in ye Ninth year of her ( Queen Ann's) present Majestie(' )s Reign. his John X Cunditt (seal). mark THE CONDIT LIN-EAGE 147

Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronounced and Declared by ye s (ai) d John Cunditt to he his Last will and Testament in ye presen (ce) of us, ye subscribers.-John Cooper, Matthew Williams (and) Deborah Canfield ( with her mark X). Memorandum, that on ye 20th (day of) May, 1713, John Cooper (and) Matthew Williams, two of the hereunto Subscribing Witnesses, Came before me, "rhomas Gorden, Surrogate, appointed for taking the probate of wills, &c., who being Solemnly Sworn upon the holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did depose~ severally, that they saw the above mentioned John Cunditt Sign, Seal, publish and declare the above within written Instrument to be his Last will and Testaments, that, at the same time, he was of Sound mind and memorie to the best of their knowledge and understanding. lurat: Anno eld ie Supra­ dit Coram me, Thomas Gordon, Surrogate. John was survived by his son Peter, whom he brought with him to America, and by his second wife, who remained a widow for forty­ eight years, dying on December 10, 1761, aged eighty-four years. Her grave is now in the Orange, N. J., burying ground. John wa~ undoubtedly buried in Newark; yet there is no evidence of the exact location of his resting place. The children of John -tunditt were : PETER, our lineal ancestor. John, a son by his second wife; was living in March of 1710, but died before he attained his majority. Authorities consulted: "Genealogy of the Condit Family," by Jotham Halsey Condit and Eben Condit; "Genealogical Notices of the First Settlers of Newark, (N. J.)," by Samuel H. Congar; "Narratives of Newark, (N. J. )," by David Lawrence Pierson; "History of Essex and Hudson Counties, New Jersey," by William H. Shaw; and the probaited wills. 148 THE CONDIT LINEAGE·

PETER2 CONDIT came with his father to this country when he was under twelve years of age. He married in 1695 Mary, the twenty-two-year-old daughter of Samuel Harrison, our ancestor, who was .one of the first settlers of Newark, N. J. Her mother was Mary Ward, daughter of Sergeant John Ward. By his father's will he was bequeathed "a bed and bedstead and other furniture belonging thereunto, which he hath already in Pos­ session, and any debts due from him to me att, or before ye Date of ye Date of these presents.'' He received no land, as the major part of his father's estate was to go to his half brother John, when he attained the age of twenty-one. But death preventing John from reaching the goal, the estate went to Peter's minor son Philip, as directed by the will. Peter's life was cut short, as he died sometime before the probation of his will in coun, on May 19, 1714, a year following his father's death. By his will he gave his business as a clothier, and named his ''Dearly beloved wife'' as the sole executrix of his will, but a friend Dr. George Harrison and his brother-in-law Samuel Harri5on were named to see that his last will and testament was duly executed. A wax seal; similar to his father's, was affixed next to his personal signature. Below is a copy of his will: In the name of God, Amen, This seventh day of ffebruary, In ye year of Our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirteen, Alias fourteen, and in ye 12th year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Anne, by ye Grace of God over Great Brittain, ffrance and Ireland, Queen Defender of ye faith, and &c., I, Peter Cunditt, of Newark, in ye county of Essex, and Eastern Devision of New Jersey, cloth­ ier, being sick and weak of body, but of sound and Perfect Mind and Memory, thanks be given unto God, therefore calling unto mind ye mortallity of my body, and knowing that it is appointed unto man once to Dye, Do make and ordain this, my Last Will and Testa­ ment, That is to say first and principally, I recommend my Soul into ye hands of God that gave it, hoping, through ye Alone Meritts of my only Savior Jesus Christ to have Eternall Life, and my body I recommend to ye Eanh, to be buried in (a) Decent Christian Buriall by my Executrix hereafter Named, Nothing Doubting but at ye Gen­ erall Reser(r) ection to Receive ye Same again through ye Mighty THE CONDIT LINEAGE 149

Power of God, and as for such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, . I give, Devise, bequeath and Dispose thereof in ye following manner and form: lmprimis: I give and bequeath unto my Loving Son Samud by Name, a Weaver(')s Loom, Commonly Called Samuell(')s Loom, with all ye Tackling, belonging to it. Item: I give, devise and bequeath unto my Six Sons [iz1iz.:] Samuell, Peter, John, Nathaniel, Philip and Isaac, all my Land and Meadow, Either in ye Bounds of Newark, or Elsewhere, to be Equally Devid­ ed among them by my wife and Some other· Overseers, whom I shall hereafter name, both in quantity and quality, as they shall attain to ye Age of one al}d Twenty Years, and then their and each ·of their shares and Proportion So devided, Shall b.e_ to, and for them, their heirs and Assignes forever. · Item: I give and bequeath unto my Loving Daughter Mary by Name, the Sum of twelve Pounds (in) Money, or. that which is equivalent, to be paid to her by my s(ai)d Six Sons,· each of them forty Shillings to be paid to her, or her order by them, and each of them, as they shall ~e of ye Age afores(ai)d, to Receive their Inherit­ ance. ltt(errz): i give and bequeath unto my Dearly beloved wife Mary by Name, whom also I make Sole Executrix of this, my Last will and Testament, all iny Personall Estate that is not before Disposed of, together with the Improvement of all ye Real Estate untill such time as my s(ai)d Sons shall be of age to Receive their parts, or shares thereof, and then, if Shee Remain es my widow, to have ye Improvement of one Equall third part During her widowhood, and I do hereby Revoke, Disan (n) ull and make void all other will or wills, bequest or bequests, heretofore by me willed or bequeathed, and (by) Executors heretofore by me Nained, and owning and allowing this and no other to-be niy Last will and Testament. ·· In witness wher.~.pf, I have hereunto sett my hand and Seall, ye day and year first above written. ::· Ffinally, I do appoint and Do- Desire my Loving friend Doctor George Har(r)ison and my Brother-in-:-Law Samuell Har(r)ison to be overseers to see this, my Last will and Testament duly executed. · (Signed), Peter Cundit. Signed, Sealed, Published, Pronounced and Declared by ye S(ai)d Peter Cundict to be his Last Will and Testament, in ye presence of us ye Subscribers. -J. Cooper, A. Williams (and) Samuell Day. Mem(orandum): that on the 19th.of May, Anno Dom(ini), 1714, John Cooper, one of the hereunto Subscribing Witnesses, Came be­ fore me, and being Solemnly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Al­ mighty God, did depose that he saw Peter Cun~ict· above named, sign, seall, publish and declare the above lnstrumerit "t'o · be his La~t Will and Testament, and that, at the same time, he was ·of sound mind and memory, to the best of his understanding.-Jurat: Anno eld ie Supradict: Coram me, Thomas Gordon, Surrogate. Memorandum: that on the 19th of May, 1714, Mary, the widow and Executrix of the above named Peter Cundict, came before me 150 THE CONDIT LINEAGE and took Oath~ well and truly, to execute the office of Executrix of the same.-lurat: Anno eld ie Supradict: Coram me, Thomas Gordon, Surrogate. Upon Peter's widow, assisted doubtless by her eldest son Samuel, then eighteen years of age, was devolved the care of the family. The prayers and teachings of the father undoubtedly, under the bless­ ing of God, added much to the moral character of the children; but to the mother, coming as she did, from a pious ancestry, must we attribute the larger part of the work of their early· training and religious education. She probably lived with her mother-in-law, as reference is made in the early town records of Newark, to "the two widow­ ( ed) Cundits." Three of Peter's sons John, Nathaniel and Isaac settled at the ~oot of the Orange mountain, on the east, while Samuel, the oldest, settled between the first and second mountains, then in the Newark township, but which is now West Orange, N. J. His daughter 1 Mary, it is said, was married to "V-. • Gould, and probably died with­ out issue, as the tracers have been unable to find any children. The other sons Peter and Philip settled in Morristown_. The children of Peter, all born in Newark, were: Samuel, born December 6, 1696; died in Orange, N. J., July 18, 1777; married, in 1722, his first wife Mary, ' daughter of Samuel, who was the youngest son of Daniel1 Dodd, and in 1756, his second wife was Mary N utman. PETER, our lineal ancestor. John, born about 1701; died before June 10, 1783; married at Orange, N. J., Joanna, granddaughter of Matthew Williams, who came to America from Wales in 1630 and settled in Wethersfield; Conn. Nathaniel, born about 1703; died June 23, 1746; married at Orange, 1\f. J., Elizabeth Ogden, who was a descendant of John Ogden, of Stamford, Conn. Mary, born about 1706; was wife of W. Gould. Philip, born in April of 1709; died December 23, 1801; his wife was Mary Day. Isaac, born in 1711 (or 1712); was married; was living in Orange, N. J., in 1754; probably died when middle-aged. Authorities consulted: ''Genealogy of the Condit Family,'' by Jotham Halsey Condit and. Eben Condit; "History of Essex and Hudson Counties, New Jersey," by William H. Shaw; and the pro­ bated wills. 'TH.E·CONDIT LINEAGE 151

PETER8 CONDIT was horn in Newark, N. J., about 1699 and died in Morristown, N. J., on July 11, 1768, at the age of sixty­ nine. He married Phoebe Dodd, who was horn in 1704 and died fifteen days followi11g his own death, aged sixty-five years. He was one of the six children mentioned in the will of his grand­ father John Cunditt, each of whom was to he given a copy of the Holy Scriptures, ''to he-paid (for) out of his estate within three years after his decease." Peter and his older brother Samuel were to have a copy each within a year; the next two brothers within two years; and a sister and a brother within the -third year. The seventh child of his father was not included, as it was horn after the will was writ­ ten on March 15, 1710. He came to Morristown about 1730 and lived first on the Doughty place on Kimball avenue, and afterwards in a house near David Mills' place. When he first came to Morristown it was scarcely a village. It was not until 1738 that it reached such a dignity. The population was centered mainly in Water street, though Morris street boasted of an occasional hut, and perhaps two or three were found amidst the clearings of the Green. Roads were almost un­ known. The bridle path, or Indian trail, was all that conducted an occasional traveler to Mendham to see on his way thither a mill, Henry4 Axtell' s blacksmith shop and few dwellings. The original name of Morristown was West Hanover. It appears in the minutes of the Presbyterian synod of Philadelphia and continu­ ed so as late as 1738. It was also called New Hanover, as appears from the licenses, granted by the county court to the keepers of pub­ lic houses. A record in the fore part of the first volume of the min­ utes of the Court of Common Pleas for Morris county, fixes the date of the adoption. of the present name of the town!-hip, as March 25, 1740. At the organization of the First Presbyterian· church of Morristown in 1741, Peter and his wife were among its first communi.c-ants, and continued to he steadfast supporters of it until their deaths. At their initial appearance in this part. o.f the county the nearest church was at 152 THE CONDIT LINEAGE

Whippany, about fifteen miles away. A writer in the Morristown his­ tory says that a movement was on foot to divide the chu·rch there so each division might have a church of its own, but it was strenuously opposed by the eastern portion of the parish under the leadership of Rev. Mr. Nutman. To quiet the matter, it was proposed to resort to a casting of lots, which resulted against the proposed division. To this decision, however, the West Hanover, (Morristown) branch of the congregation would not submit. For their action, though they gained their point, they were called to account. A public confession was required from them, among whom were Peter Condit and his son Philip. The whole affair was carried up to the ~hiladelphia synod in 1733, which strongly disapproved of the casting of lots, and resolved that, in their poveny and weakness, it might be very advi~able for the people of West Hanover, at least for some time, to join themselves with the congregation of East Hanover and Basking Ridge, ''as may be most convenient, until they; as well as the said neighboring con­ gregations be more able to subsist, of themselves separately.'' Yet, if a reunion was impracticable, ''the synod ( will) judge that the people of West Hanover be .left to their libeny to erect themselves into a separate congregation." No doubt, knowing the temper and state of feeling in this part of his field of labor, this deliverance of the synod was in no way satisfactory to Mr. Nutman for, at the same session of the body, he asked for a dismission from his presbytery jf this action was enforced of forming a separate congregation; whereupon the synod earnestly recommended the Presbytery of East New Jers~y to labor with the people of West Hanover to effect a reconciliation, and if this was impossible, then to dismiss Mr. Nutman upon his application. The next year the matter again came up before the synod in the reading of the minutes, when the use of lots was con­ demned. To discover the parentage of Peter's wife had been rather problem­ atical for a long time. There is no record left to indicate it. There must have been some uncertainty as to her antecedents in Mr. J otham H. Condit' s mind when he made an investigation for the compilation of his Condit family genealogy. He spent a great deal of time in his search of old records in both Morris and Essex counties, as well as in his personal interviews, which resulted in his coming to form no con­ clusion. Then we took up the quest. The problem seems to us to point out that she was either a daughter of Daniel2 Dodd, who married Phoebe, daughter of John Brown, or a daughter of Daniel8 Dodd, whose son Stephen moved to Mendham, N. J.,_ about 1745. As the THE CONDIT LINEAGE 153 second Daniel did not marry until he was pas~ thirty years old, wheh he became a benedict and the father of three known sons Daniel, Stephen and John, and possibly a daughter and probably a daughter or two between the intervals of the sons' births. He died sometime before 1714, if he was the identical man who was severely injured from the effects of a fall from a load of hay. Because of his tragic death, he was unprepared to leave a will behind him which would have been very helpful for us to trace· his genealogy. He was born in 1650, and his wife., in 1660, she being ten years younger. As based on our Phoebe's birthyear, this Daniel could not be her father, for he was about fifty-four years old, and his wife forty-four in that year. This leaves the other Daniel8 Dodd for us to follow up in the absence of a will not being on record. The· compiler of the Condit genealogy states that '. 'Phoebe Dodd, wife of Peter Condit, died July, 1768, aged 65 years." On her to.mbstone in the Morris­ town graveyard is the inscription that she died on that date ''in her 65(th) ·year," which changed the whole situation. She could have been born in either of the months from May to July in 1704, and yet have died in her. sixty-fifth year. By process of elimination, we are inclined to conclude that she was a daughter of th~ third Daniel for the following reasons : , Firstly, her husband Peter's will of 1767 bears'·-the signature of "Thaddeus Dod" as a witness, and the similarity of th·e handwriting in the will indicates that he wrote the will for him. Thaddeus was a son of Stephen Dodd, who moved to Mendham, N. J., from Newark about 1745. As said before, Phoebe's birthyear was about 1704, and Thaddeus' father's birthdate was April 4, 1703; . is there not a bare possibility that she might have been his father's sister, and therejore his aunt? Secondly, as both Peter Condit and his father moved to Morris county from the same home town-Newark, would not it strengthen the belief that Phoebe and his father were members of the same family? Furthermore, it points out the fact the third Daniel had a son Timothy, and that Phoebe's son Joseph named a son Timothy, presumably after his uncle, the brother of Phoebe, which signifies their. close relationship. Below is.•Peter!s will, dated February 1, 1767, and proved on Au­

gust 25, 1768 at Perth Amboy. It names his wife.. , . and his two sons Joseph and Silas to be executors. The witnesses were Benoni Hath- a way, Jedediah Mills and Thaddeus Dodd. As his wife died fifteen days after his own death, the burden of supporting his family was taken up by the two named sons .. · What was to be his wife's prop- . ' erty was divided among his eight children. In the Name of God, Amen, I, Peter Condict, of Morris Town, in the County of Morris, and Province of New Jersey, Yeoman, 154 THE CONDIT LINEAGE

Being very sick and weak in Body, but of Perfect Mind and Memo­ ry. Thanks be given unto God, calling unto Mind the Mortality of my Body, and knowing that it is appointed for all Men once to die, (I) do make and ordain this, my last Will and Testament. This is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my Soul· into the Hands of Almighty God who gave it, and my Body I recom­ mend to the Earth to be buried in (a) decent Christian Burial, at the Discretion of my Executors, nothing doubting but at the general Resurrection, I shall receive the same again by the mighty Power of God. And in touching such worldly Estate where with it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, devise, and dispose of the same in the following manner and form : lmprimis: I will that my just Debts and funeral charges be paid out of my personal Estate. Item: I give unto my well-beloved Wife Phebe my dwelling house and all the remainder of My Personal Estate, with the Priviledge of Hay and Pasturage for a Cow and a Horse, and also such priviledge in the Garden and Orchard as shall be for her own use. That is to say, as long as she shall be my Widow, and that instead of Her Dowry. Expecting that she will give Portions to my eight beloved Children, as Wisdom shall direct. Item: I give unto my beloved Son Ebenezer and to his Heirs and Assigns forever, all my Lands, Messuages and Tenements on the South Easterly Side of the Mountain, called the mine Mountain, bounded by Doctor Tuthill' s and his ·own Lands, on Condition of . his paying a Legacy to my two beloved Sons Joseph and Nathaniel, to each Ten Pounds, in Merchantable Produce, in one year after my Decease. · Item: I give unto· n1y beloved Son Peter and to his Heirs and Assigns forever, all my other Lands on condition of his Paying to my beloved Son Silas a Legacy of Ten Pounds, in Merchantable Produce within one year after my Decease, and likewise finding Provision and firewood for my beloved Wife Phebe, as long as she is my widow. But if he Should die before Marriage, I order that his Ponion be equally Divided between my four other sons, or their Heirs. Item: I constitute and ordain my beloved Wife Phebe, and my two Sons Joseph and Silas, Executors of this, my Last Will and Testa­ ment. And (I) do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disannul all other and former Testaments, Wills, Legacies, Bequests and Execu­ tors by me, in any Wise, Willed, bequeathed or named, ratifying or confirming this, and no other to be my last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and Seal, this First Day of February, in the year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and sixty-seven. Signed, sealed, published, pronunced and declared By the s(ai)d Peter Condict to be his last Will and Testament, in (the) presence of Benoni Hathaway, Jedediah Mills (and) Thaddeus Dod. Benoni Hathaway and Jedediah Mills, two of the Witnesses of the within Will, being duely sworn on the holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did severally depose that they saw Peter Cundit, the Testator THE CONDIT LINEAGE 155 therein named, sign & seal the same & heard him pronounce and declare the within Instrument to be his last Will & Testament, & that at the doing thereof the s(ai)d Testator was of sound & dispos­ ing Mind & Memory as far as these Deponents Know, and as they verily believe, and that Thaddeus Dod, the other Subscribing evi­ dence was present & signed his Name as a Witness to the s(ai)d Will, together with these Deponents, in the Presence of the s(ai)d Testator.-Sworn this 25th Day of August, An(no) Dom(ini), 1768, Before me, Wm. Ogden, Surr(ogate).-(Signed),.Benoni Hathaway (and) Jedediah Mills. · Joseph Condit & Silas Condit, Executors, in the within Testament, named the Executrix Phebe, * (who was then) dead, being duely sworn on the -holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did dispose that the within Instrument contains the true last Will and Testament of Peter Condit, the Testator therein named, so far as they know, and as they verily believe, & that they will \\~ell and truly perform the same by paying first the Debts of the said deceased & then the Legacies in the s(ai)d testament specified, as far as the Goods, Chat­ ties and Credits of the said deceased can thereunto extend, & that will they make & exhibit into the Prerogative Office, at Perth ;).m­ boy, a true & perfect Inventory of, all and singular, the Goods, Chat­ ties and Credits of the said deceased that have, or shall come to their knowledge or Possession or to the Possession of any Person or Per­ sons for their Use, & render a just and true account when thereunto lawfully required.-Sworn this 25th Day of August, An(no) Dom(i.•. ni), 1768, before me, Wm. Ogden, Surr(ogate).-(Signed), Joseph Condict (and) Silas Condict. The descendants of this Peter originally spelled their name ''Con­ dict,'· as an examination of the Morristown records will f.how. Many of the families have, however, adopted the spelling ''Condit" for the sake of uniformity, while there are others who still cling to the origi­ nal form of spelling. Nearly most of them have left their ancestral homes in Morris county and settled in the west and south. The children of Peter, with the exception of the first two, born in Morristown, N. J., were: Sarah, born in Newark about 1726; died in Morristo·wn, May 10, 1799; was married to Shadrach Howard, June 1, 1749. Joseph, born in Newark about 1728; died in Morristown, Au­ gust 8, 1776; married about 1750, Rhoda Lindsley, a descendant of John Lindsley, of Guilford, Conn. Rhoda, born probably in Morristown about 1731; died in Morristown, April 10, 1818; was married the first time, February 6, 1763, as the second wife, to Peter Prudden, a descendant of Rev. John Prudden, who settled in We­ thersfield, Conn., in 1637, and the second time, May 27, 1778, to Daniel Riggs. Nathaniel, born in October of 1733; died in Sussasunny Plains, 156 THE CONDIT LINEAGE

N. J., March 19, 1781; married the first time, March 10, 1757, Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Coe, and the second time, October 8, 1764, Abigail, daughter of Gen. Isaiah Wines. Ebenezer, a Revolutionary war colonel, born in 1736; died of small-pox on April 3, 1777, while in the war service at Mendham, N. J.; married March 16, 1762, Huldah, daughter of Capt. Ebenezer Byram, whose wife was a descendant of John Alden, of MaJ!llower memory. Silas, born March 7, 1738; died of cholera on. September 6, 1801; married the first time, April 10, 1760, Phoebe, daughter of Captain Samuel Day, and the second time, Abigail, sister of Huldah Byram; was a member of the Continental Congress. PHOEBE, our lineal ancestress. Peter, born April 8, 1744; died July 14, 1774; wife was Anna, sister of Huldah Byram, and who was married again in 1776 to Daniel Tichenor as his second •wife. Authorities consulted : "Genealogy of the Condit Family," by Jotham Halsey Condit and Eben Condit; "Combined Registers of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N. J."; W.W. Mun­ sell's "History of Morris County, N. J."; the probated wills; and the research of a Newark genealogist. PHOEBE4 CONDIT: See the life story of Major Henry5 Axtell in the Axtell lineage.-Page 22.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 John Condit, born, , died, , 1713; wife., , Peter2 ~~ 1714; M ary4 Harrison. , , , , , , , , 4 Peter~ 1699; , , 1768; , , Phoebe Dodd. Henry5 Axtell, ', 1738; 1818; Phoebe4 Condit. 6 ., , , , , 6 Simeon Cory,, , , , 1774; , , 1847; , , Rhoda Axtell. . James7 1801; 1880; Susan7 Mulford. THE HARRISON LINEAGE 157

RICHARD1 HARRISON, the ancestor of the New Jersey Har­ risons, came first to Virginia, it is thought, from West Kirby, Che­ shire, England, but probably becoming interested in the maritime trade between the colonies of New England, in a very short time he went to New Haven, Conn., accompanied by his two· sons Richard, jr., and Thomas. His earliest presence there was made known when he took the oath of allegiance on August 5, 1644, upon becoming one of the original settlers of the colony. A part of t·he town's duty of service was assigned to him, but for his being tardy in "coming to watch," a fine of a shilling was im­ posed on him on June 5, 1645. After which, perhaps because of it, he resented it, as we find him having moved with his children to the T()tokett plantation, subsequently named Branford, as his signature ap­ pears in the division of a tract of land there on July 1, 1646. He joined a party of forty men going there from New Haven, many of them being accompanied by their wives and children, and among them one was our indirect lineal ancestor, George Ward, and his brother Lawrence Ward. A majority of his fell ow settlers there had come ahead of him from Wethersfield, in ~ailing vessels down the Connecticut river and through Long Island Sound, in the early spring of 1644. Prominent among them were our ancestors John Ward, Daniel Dodd and Richard Lawrence, whom the Rev. John Sherman accompanied as their pastor. Their houses were along the north and west banks of the river, opposite what was then called the Indian reservation, and is now known by the name of Indian N eek. The houses were probably of rude construction, as the first Meeting-House, built in 1644, was a block house with a thatched roof, being surrounded by a palisade of cedar logs twelve feet high. They were built on the unoccupied p9ssessions of the New Haven colony, which presented desirable advantages for a new settlement, as the claim of Samuel Eaton was purchased by ''Mr. Swaine and others'' for either twelve or thirteen pounds, an advance upon the 158 THE HARRISON LINEAGE previous sale. ''They, joyning in one jurisdiction, with New Haven and the fore-nan1ed plantations, upon the same fundan1ental agree­ ment, settled (in) October of 1643, which they, duly considering, readily accepted. '' This purchase included a territory extending seven and one-half miles on the Sound, and four and one half miles in width on the north for ten miles back, being bounded on the west by the Stony, or Farm river, Furance pond, (now Lake Saltonstall) and by a line extending directly north from the head of the lake, and on the east by the Guilford line. In the grants, and for some time later, the place retained the origi­ nal name of Totokett, wh_ich means "the tidal ri~er," with some ref­ erence to the meadows along its banks. In nearly every colony the settlers, clinging to the associations and traditions of the mother country, had adopted an English nomencla­ ture for their new homes; so w"ith the coming of the white man the name of Totokett gradually disappeared. There is no record extant of a vote to change the name of the plantation but, as if by universal assent, in a few years the name Brainford, or Branford, appeared in their records and transactions. Brenford, or Brainford in England, is a town on the river Brent, seven miles from London, a place of great historic as well as histri­ onic interest, and it is supposed that some of the settlers emigrating from that place bestowed the name of their native town upon their new place of abode. In 1645 the first division of land was made, each proprietor having previously received a home lot of three acres, as recorded: This dai, it is ordered that the meadow in this plantation shall be divided into four parts, and then divided by Iott, viz., all the meadow * (which) lyeth on the right hand side of the towne, * -( which) is earliest settled, shall be in the first dividend; and all the meadow * (which) Jyeth by the river, on the left side, and all upwards from that place where it is considered a bridge must be built, is for the 2nd dividend.-Also 3(r)dly, all the meadow * ( which) Lyeth downe the river, from the place where formerly it was· considered a bridge must be, and all * (which) lyeth within the compass of that piece of ground, called the plaine, shall be in the 3rd dividend. -4thly, all the meadow left beside, in the towne * ( which) is knowne, shall be in the 4th dividend. 1"his meadow is to be bounded and prized by Robert Ross, William Palmer, Samuel Swaine and Tµomas Blatchly with all convenient speede, and then the lott(s) to (be) cast. Historian Smith says it is difficult to locate these original allotments, as they were in detached pieces, in order that there might be an equal THE HARRISON LINEAGE 159 distribution of meadow, upland and forest; and they made frequent exchanges of their portions as their various occupations and pursuits demanded. We judge by the entry of February 24, 1652, that Richard's home lot \Vas situated as follows : Laurance Ward shall have the lot given him at the end of his owne· * (which) was old harrison (' )s, and (shall) remoue his cross fence neare to goodman pa(l)mer(' )s and lay the highway to the lot * soe * there may be (a) pas(s)age occa(s)ion(ally). By the town's order of August 25, 1652, "old harrison" and "Goodman Rose" were told that they were to be "viewers of the fence(s) till all men(')s Corne be in." By the order of December 14, 1652, "all the out meadowes shall be lotted out, and to begin at the farmes (and) me(a)dowe(s) * so (as) to follo( w) each other"; the first name on the list is his son "Richard harrison," and the sixth name, being his own, "old harri- son. '' ''Old goodman harrison,'' as written in the records, ,vas told on January 7, 1653, that he could have six acres "up the greate Riuer, * if there be land yenough" for himself, Richard Williams and John Hill each. Under date of February 16, 1653, the name of his son Richard, junior, and his own, as "old harrison," appear on the list of those who were to r~ceive allotments of land "within the gen­ erall fence.'' Under an undated heading of ''the Rate for the mill payde,'' ''Old Harrison'' was taxed nineteen shillings and. two pence, and his son ''Rich. harrison ( was to do it) by worke for himselfe." Evidently he was not quite an old man when death closed his career, as appears by the list of deaths under the year 1653, viz.: "Richard harrison, senior, died October 25." His home in England was revealed by a document in the office of che Secretary of State, at Trenton, N. J., which ·was published in the "Calendar of New Jersey Records, 1664-1703.'' The docu­ m~nt bears the signature of his son Richard Harrison, with three other signatures. It is as follows : 1668, June 18, Certificate, that Hopestill Lyne, 6 to 7 years old, the daughter of Henry Lyne, of New Haven, in New England, (who was) son of John Lyne, of Badby, Northamptonshire, wh(ere) Hen­ ry died January 14, 1662, and had the child Hopestill by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Harrison, of West Kirby, Cheshire, (who) is stil! alive, as sworn to by Richard Harrison, Thomas John­ son, William Meaker and Ellen Johnson. In making an effort to identify ''Old Harrison,'' by consulting the 160 THE HARRISON LINEAGE

West Kirby parish register, it was necessary to give some information concerning his probable age, unmindful of the fact that he was refer­ red to as ''old'' before his death. Plenty of men in the fifties were called "old" in the records of the period. A man who was really old was more usually called in the records as "ancient," or "aged." The term ''old'' was applied in a comparative sense, especially to middle-aged men who had sons of eighteen to twenty-five years. Men under fifty were often grandfathers. From the guessed birth­ dates of the children of '' Old Richard,'' it may be judged his own birth as occurring somewhere around 1600. Out of all the Richards in the West Kirby records which we consulted, it is not found that one was born around that year. Of course it is possible that the ''old man" was the Richard, son of Richard, baptized in 1591. It is strongly suspected that the Richard who married Margaret Picke, July 28, 1619, may be the man; this couple could easily have had children born until 1640 or later, as sinc·e in the early marriages, a child-bearing period of over twenty-five years is not infrequent. Then a search was made. The Harrisons, in the West Kirby sec­ tion were numerous, and for the most part of their lives they tended as tenant farmers; consequently they never left wills. The parish regis­ ters found there offer no relief because of a break betw·een the years 1619 and 1692, which forestalls any attempt to make searches for the baptisms of their children. As Chester was the chief town of the sec­ tion, each curate \\·as supposed to send a copy of his register annually to the bishop of the diocese. It was, therefore, in making a search for transcripts needed for the essential period, which our expert search­ er found; but what confront us are the missing years, namely 1620, 1625, 1628, 1629, 1633, -1634, -1635, and also from 1637 to 1644. · As gathered from the records it seems fairly certain that two Rich­ ard Harrisons were having children in the same period, which fact adds no little to our perplexity. It was customary in those days for a child to be baptized in early infancy, and the presumption is that the children belonged to two different Richards, since they could not have been born so close together if they had the same father. They were: Ellen, · baptized December 21, 1621. Margery, " May 14, 1624. Eliza, " May 21, 1626. Thomas, " December 2, 1627. Anna, " January 2, 1627. (The year is 1628, under our present calendar, but under the old style the year began on the 25th of March). Ellen, . baptized March 25, 1630. Ellen, '' April 24, · 1631. THE HARRISON LINEAGE 161

Now we run into another curious snag. The will of Thomas Picke in 1643, named his daughter Margaret, wife of Richard Har­ rison, and then named his own grandchildren Ann Ellen, Robert and Elizabeth Harrison, and then after naming other grandchildren with other surnames, he named Thomas, Ellen, John and Margery Har­ rison. From this it would seem as if he had two daughters married 4 to Harrisons, otherwise why did he place the Harrison grandchildren into two groups? Funhermore, there was an Ellen Harrison in each group while the other names were different. He would hardly have named the same grandchild twice in a list of grandchildren to whom he was giving a legacy. One of the men who took the inventory of Picke's estate on August 17, 1644, was Richard Harrison, and if this was the son-in-law who married Margaret Picke, then he cannot be identified with the Branford Richard who was already in America at that time. The question may therefore be raised whether Thomas Picke did not have two daughters who married Harrisons, perhaps cousins, and possibly both were named Richard. That would appear to be an unusual coincidence, but it is known of just such cases, for instance, a man in· Milford who had two daughters married to two different men by the name of Samuel Sanford. In one group of grandchildren is found the names of Thomas and Ellen Harrison which, it is known, are the names of the children of our Richard, of Branford; on the other hand, in the other group of the Harrison grandchildren appear the names Ellen and Elizabeth, which were also the names of the children of our Richard. This Picke will which, it was to be hoped would prove enlightening, has really only added to our confusion so that we hesitate to pursue it funher. A number of Harrisons settled in Virginia in the seventeenth cen­ tury. The connection between but a few of them is known. A tradition brought over from England by Rev. Joseph Harrison, a native of Skipton, Yorkshire, and who lived in the city of New York in the early pan of the last century, was to the effect that four brothers of the Harrison name came to America, whom the reverend gentle­ man called Thomas, Richard, Benjamin and Nathaniel, of whom his own father had told him two went north and two south, and a fifth brother, Edward, a clergyman, remained in England, Oliver Crom­ well being a member of his congregation. To vertify the above sup­ position the compiler of the Harrison genealogy could find no such name as Nathaniel nor any Benjamin in such registers in Yorkshire as have been examined; but the Richard of the tradition appears to 162 THE HARRISON LINEAGE be identical with the· Richard living in New Haven in 1644, and whose son was the Thomas, who was in New Haven in 1654, and one of whose sons was called Nathaniel, as ·\\rell as Richard, junior, who had a son Beniamin, born in· t655. Thus, it is indicated that two Harrison brothers remained in Virginia, and two other branches of the family were descended from a third brother who settled in Connecticut. All of our Richard's children, with the exception of Thomas, mov­ ed to Newark, N. J., in 1667, with the colonists from Connecticut. They were horn in West Kirby, England. Only t\\'O are identified, and the rest were baptized in the missing years. They were: RICHARD, junior, our lineal ancestor. Thomas, who remained in Branford and became the progeni­ tor of the Connecticut Harrisons, was baptized on De­ cember 2, 1627; died toward the end of 1704; his first wife, whom he married in February of 1656, was Mrs. Dorothy 1"hompson, a widow; his second, whom he mar­ ried on March 29, 1666, was Mrs. Elizabeth Stent, also a widow. He was in ·King Philip's war. John, died childless, about 1678. Samuel, died in Newark, N. J., about 1705 ; wife, Sarah, daughter of Thomas Johnson, the drumbeater. Marie, was married to Thomas Pierson, brother of Rev. Abra­ ham1 Pierson, in Branford, November 27, 1662. Elizabeth, was married the first time about 1655, to Henry, son of John Lyne of Northampton, Co., England; the second time to John Lampson, of New Haven, Conn.; and the third time to John Morris, son of Captai·n John Morris, whose wife's mother was probably Deborah,· the second wife of our ancestor John1 Cunditt. Ellen, baptized March 25, 1630, or April 24, 1631, as there were two Ellen Harrisons baptized, was married to John Thompson, of New Haven, Conn., February 25, 1650. Authorities consulted: "Five Generations of Connecticut Har­ risons," by Mrs. Frances Harrison Corbin, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register; ''Ancestry of Benjamin Harrison,'' by Charles P. Keith; "Genealogy of the Cundit Family," by Jotham Halsey Condit and Eben Condit; "History of New Haven, (Conn.)," by Robert Atwater Smith; ''First Settlers of Newark, (N. J. )," by Samuel H. Congar; ''The Founders and Builders of the Oranges," by Henry Whitmore; "Calendar of New Jersey Records, 1664- 1703"; "Branford Town Records"; Jotham H. Condit' s private record book; and research work by a Connecticut genealogist. THE HARRISON LINEAGE 163

RICHARD2 HARRISON was born in West Kirby, England, although no date of his baptism is found on record in the parish regis­ ter. It may have occurred in either of the missing years 1620 or 1625. He was older than his brother Thomas, as the latter stated his age in 1688 as "58," which places his birth in 1630, but accord­ ing to the church record he was probably_ the one who was baptized on December 2, 1627. Most of the children of their father were born in the sixteen twenties, or not long after that period, but Rich­ ard himself evidently was the oldest son when he took the oath of allegiance in New Haven, on July 1, 1644, a little earlier than his father. This does not prove that he \\~as over the age of sixteen, for in some of the colonies all males above that age took the solemn pledge. The New Haven records throw no light on what the mini­ mum age was. All that can be said is that he was cenainly over sixteen and very likely under twenty-one, when he raised. his right hand in giving his pledge of support. His first recorded child was­ born in 1649, yet he had children as early as 1645, and his wife, Sarah Hubbard, who is said to have become a mother at the age of · twenty; which seems to indicate that her binhyear was about 1645. Consequently, if Richard, junior, ·was nineteen in 1644, being born as early as 1625, he was about her age when he married her. The compiler of the Connecticut Harrisons says his wife was a daughter of George Hubbard and Mary Bishop, respectively of Wethersfield and Milford, Conn., who became later settlers at Guil­ ford, Conn. She was born in Wethersfield, Conn.· She and Rich­ ard had a home lot, but just where it was no effort has been made to trace It. Soon after moving with his father to Branford, Richard became interested in the town's affairs. His name is frequently n1entioned in the records, his identity being distinctly distinguished from his father by the latter's old individual term as "Old Harrison." After the passing away of his father in 1653, the tracing is much more feasible in following him in the town's activities. The first notice we have of him is his name appearing in the list of those co whom meadow land was distributed on July 7, 1646. 164 THE HARRISON LINEAGE

In the list of November 16, 1646, his name appears among thirty­ four men who were to work on a fence. The record says : This daie it is ordered That ther(e) shall a fence * made from the sea, begin(n)ing neere the neck wher(e) Tho. Mulliner somtyme dwelt, to run abought fiue miles to the sea, neare a plaine wher(e) The Indians now dwell. At the same meeting the town agreed that certain men, including ''Ric. Harrison,'' should have, in lieu of their share in the plain, .a piece of land lying at the hither end of the plain. Of his activities in the town history we extract from the records the following entries: (On January 8, 1647, land was allotted) on th(e) other side, ne(a) re the towne, (as appears in the list of names including) Ric. Harrison. · (April 4, 1648), This daie, it is ordered that the land, lying be­ tween the neck wher(e) Tho. _Mulliner som(e)ty(m)e dwelt, & the river comonlie called the mill river, is to be allotted, (etc). (The name) 44Ric. harriso" (so spelled is on the list). (April 24, 1648), all the meadow left beside * the towne yt is knowne, shalbe in the 4th deuident. This meadow is to be v(i)ewed & sized by Rio. Rosse, Wm. Palmer, Sarg(e)nt Swaine, John Nor­ ton, Ric. harrison & Tho. Blachy w{i)th all sonueient speede & then the lotts (are) to be cast. (An entry not dated, but apparently belonging to 1648),-The perteculers that are ingaged to Rogers betts and Siesman Richald, · upon the Consideration of the(i)re keeping Cowes, this instant year is (blank and never filled in). Laurance Ward, Richard harrison, samuell swaine (and) John Ward (are) to frame the (meeting?) house. (Further on in the same record),· Richard harrison and John Ward-2 acres for Re(a)peing, ( which seems to mean that they a·greed to reap two acres of grain for the men who kept the cows). (March 24, 1649), It is ordered that there shall be three gat(e)s made on * the street, by (the side of) thomas mullener(' )s (iot). and one by (the side of) John England(')s (lot), and another by) th(e) side of the canow brucke; Laurance Ward (is) to make one; * Richard harrison, another; and John hill, another. The entry of January 7, 1653, indicates that Richard Harrison, John Ward, Daniel Dodd and Roger Betts "shall have six acres of land apeece up the great Riuer.'' By an entry of the same date: It is ordered that the fence(s) between * the(ir) farme(s) shall be made by the last of Aprill; and whosoeuer shall not haue his fence made by the foure(th) sayde day, shall pay for every Rode, 4d; and for the first weeke after that it lies unmade; and for the secQnd (week), 6 pence; and (for) the third (week), 8 pence; and the lots (are) to fall as followeth: Richard Harrison, (being the seventh) on the list, (for his) 268/4 (rods and) 29¾ (rods). THE HARRISON LINEAGE 165

In the list of inhabitants, dated February 16", 1653, Richard· Har­ rison was one of those who were to receive allotments of land ' 4With­ in the generall fence.'' On January 5, 1655, he was with Samuel Plume on the appraise..: ment of the estate of John England. The following account appears at the top of a page, with nothing to indicate what it meant. The records under it, ·as well as on a preceding page of a later date, are in a dissimilar kind of ink. It is dated November 12, 1655,- and out of the list the names we copied are our indirect ancestors: "Mr. p(i)erson 50-0-0, Goodman hare­ son 010-0-0, (and) John Ward, sen (i)or, 010-0-0.'' April 6, ( 16) 57, Richard harrison branded a maire, two years old, a bright redish bay, with a Fon the buttock and a H on the shoulder; shee hath a black maine, a black tayle and a black list (strip) downe the back. The complaint of several persons of Branford was submitted in the New Haven court in 1657, against ..fhomas Hopewell, an Indian who lived in that town, for using threatening words, saying that: He would knock some of them ( off w) ith (his) head, stab some of them at the heart, meete(ing) w(i)th them in the woods, *' (at) one time or (an)other and then let them looke to it; he hath also accused * (the) goodw(ife) Williams (and) Francis Brad-; ley (of) being naught(y) with his wife, and after deny(ing) it• (and) againe (accused), but (upon) being examined and seuerall writings read by way of testimoney, witnessing his miscar(r) iages, he could show no just cause for such words or car(r) iage, but said he had no witnes(s) here to cleere him,' wherevpon he had libertie to send for them, and he was told vpon (giving) securitie, he might have his libertie, but fay ling of that lie was ( to be) committed to prison in the meane time. After a counenient season of wayting, he was called before the court againe, but no witness appeared to cleere him, onely he accused the wife of Richard Harrison * (of) giueing him some ill words, w(hi)ch he reouited w(i)th worss(e ones), both which the court witnessed against (him) and told him that if he C'!fi. cleere himselfe of all, or any of th'ese charges, he hath (his) li~ert'ie, at last he confessed that he had done fooleishly and said he was·'f aulty in the p(ar )ticulers meni:ioned, and promised amendment, wherevpon Mr. Crane, John Whithead, Fran. Bradley and Richard Harrison, who were present, declared themselves satisfyed so farr as to make a tryall for a time, and the c9urt told Thoma~, the Indian, that. the miscarriages ( were) very gr~at and such as may not be borne (with), and had it bine an Englishman he ·would have bine witnessed against in another manner, but upon his confession and promise to walk· in­ offensively hereafter, the court will· spare him and also make a tryall for this time, and so upon his pay~ing .. his fees for imprisonment & other charges, if it be required, he. may hau·e ~h~s libertie. .. '. . 166 THE HARRISON LINEAGE.

Richard Harrison was a witness in an action brought by Rev. Abraham Pierson, pastor of the Branford church on October 20, 1658, "against John Cowper and Matt(h)ew Moulthropp concern­ ing a black dun mare, taken up & detained by them, w (hi) ch mare he judged to be his.'' Richard testified that, while he was seeking his own mare, he saw only at some distance a brown mare, with a colt of same color, and no other. On ''coming to the water side, he saw the other pipe staff mare with a brown colt like herself.'' His brother Thomas al~o testified. Others had said their parts, but to no satisfaction because of the varied colors of the mare introduced in their testimonies. At the next court, held on May 23, 1659, Mr. Pierson still obstinately affirmed that his rp.are was "dark dun," to which Moulthrop said that Mr. Pierson's colt was a ''bright dun.'' To the despair of the court, it implied that ''they do not a ppr( e) bend any cleare evidence by either party pr( e)sented,'' and suggested arbitration, with cost to ''borne betwixt them,'' and be done with. But the dispute refused to be let down. 1'he defendants asked in the next court hearing on October 15, 1662, "that there might be a review of the action concerning ye 1nare,'' with the request that the witnesses, including a few new ones, be called to testify. No result. It does not appear in this case that the court paid much attention to the rule concerning the burden of proof, but as the plaintiff _was a minister, and the case was a ''horse controversy,'' probably the pre­ judices of the court inclined toward the plaintiff. Richard Harrison was appointed on January 2, 1660, to serve on a committee with John Ward, Senior, Richard Lawrence and John Willford, to view, as soon as opportunity offered, a '' peece of land by Samuel Rose(')s hop yard for a planteing f(i)eld, and to give in the(i)re apprehensions to the towne." On February 16, 1660, "lotts * (were) cast for the land on the Indian neck, begin(n)ing towards the indean(')s land, (by those who) payd for this land and who hath made (the laying out)." In the numbered list of thirty-two names under the above heading, Richard Harrison's appears· the seventh. In the same volume of the town records the name of Richard Harrison appears, incidentally, a few other times in the description of the boundaries of lands, belonging to others. They were then Richard, himself, Jasper Crane, Lawrence Ward, John Willford, John Ward, Senior, Samuel Plume, Richard Lawrence, Gaberill Lin~ley, Daniel Dodd and Edward Frisbee who Bmay have all the wast(e) ground in the meadowe, called nonon(')s meadowe, if they will stop the cr(ee)k to gaine the me(a)dowe." THE HARRISON LINEAGE 167

An entry apparently under the y~ar 1660: "novemher 30, a Court at Branford," was waiting {or Richard's appearance, which for some reason, he failed to make after receiving its summons. An entry, giving ''the names of all those * (who) will haue any part in the new feeld' '-thirteen names are listed, one being "Richard har(r)ison." It is on the list of December 15, 1660. At the town court held on November 29, 1661, Richard Harrison entered an action against John Whitehead about a sow that was killed: Hee saith John Whithead lug(g)ed his sow that was the cause of her death. Goodwife harison testefi.es that the(i)re sow was in the(i)re owne lot in the morning, and shee h(e)ard her Cry, and shee looked and (saw) John Whithead(' )s dog was lug(g) ing * her, and he then lug (g) ed her soe that one of-· her eares Came of(f); that shee sa(i)de to her husband shee (the sow) could not liue, and shee neuer did (get) well aga (i)ne. (The action was ·settled out of court to their mutual satisfaction). An entry tells of "the houses being (ap) pr(a)ised by samuell swaine, Richard har(r)ison, sargant ward, John Ward, and mica pa(l)mer, may 18, 1663." The entry gives a list of names and valuations. Evidently they were raters. ''Lots being drawne for the ground on the Indian neck that was (to be) hired (rented) * (in) wampham for 6 yeares, may 19, (16 )63"; this list of drawing is numbered, and in it appears "No. 23," for Richard Harrison. In a later entry: ''The fence at the_ Great playn ( e) '' is a list, on which the twelfth is the name of ''Rich. Har(r) ison. '' "The account of euery man(')s land set(t)led by Goodman Rose, Thomas Blatsly, Laurance Ward, sargant ward and Richard la ( w )­ ranee, Desember 4, 1663," is the title of the list on which appears the name of "Richard bar (r) ison for 27-3-0." No explanation of the figures is given, but in the third column only the figures 2 and 3 appear. Below, not dated, is: An accm.:nt of euery man(') s land. acers-Rods. homelot. his me(a)dow~ Rich. harrison 4-2-14 2 1-3-29 Old harrison 3-3-16 2 1-2-2 S Richard Harrison testified, on December 12, 1665, on behalf of Edward Ball, who· had been stied by George Adams for the death of ·a sow. As per entry in the record: · To this case the sai(d) Edward Ball brought in John.•.war~ and Samuell·ward, who testefie upon.oath, that they Co.ming into good­ man Ball(' )s lot to plow, * o;pened the Ioope and went in, and shut the loope fast againe, and after (them) Came Joship harison and his brother benjamin, and they opened the loope and Came in, but 168 THE HARRISON LINEAGE shut not the loope fast againe, and that ther(e) Came in a Compeni of hogs, and they droue them out * all but two, and (they) could not get them out, and that one of them was drowned in the well. At (the) Court, held at Branfoord, June 28, 1665, Samuel swa(i)ne entered an action of trespas(s) for damage (to) his corne against samuell plum, Richard har(r)ison and John ward, sen(io)r, the dam­ age being Judged by Sarg(e)ant ward and Samuell Rose to be twelve bushills of Indian corne. Richard har(r) ison Compla (i)nes that (it was) Samue1l plume(' s) oxe that broke the fence. At the tin1e of the dissatisfaction in the Branford church over the new charter, granted by Charles II. for the absolute control of the Connecticut colony over the towns of New Haven colony, a move­ ment was on foot for a proposed new settlement on the Passaic river, in New Jersey for their own religious independence. While attend­ ing a meeting, on May 21, 1666, Richard was chosen with others, by the planters, on a board of eleven men to haYe charge of the sys­ tem of home lot distribution, and to pass upon the rights and creden­ tials of all whom the agents of Guilford, Milford and Branford might declare \Yere privileged to join a settlement on the Jersey soil beyond ''Achter Kol,'' their rights to lots as associates to be held open for them until June of the next year. He was one of the Branford sign­ ers of the "Fundamental Agreements" of October 30, 1666. In preparing for the closing up of his town connection for the moving Richard sold his property, all lands, for eighty pounds, which were purchased by a committee for the permanent home of the town m1n1ster. For his signature to this deed he affixed his ~ark, with a wax seal, bearing a design of three roses, indicating apparently some sort of a heraldic device. Below are the subsequent entries in the town records: October 9, 1667, att a Towne meeting, itt was Agreed that John Willford, Tho. Blachl(e)y, John Collines & Mich. Taintor should be Chosen & lmployed & lmpowered by the Town, for a buy (of) Richard har(r )ison (' )s house & lands, in the behalfe of the Towne, for A minister, & all * (who) ware then present, did lngage the(m)selues & their Estates for to stand, to w(ha)t barg(ai)ne was made between Rich. Har(r)ison & John Willford. Thomas Blach­ ley, John Collines & Mich. Taintor (are) Chosen & Voted for to Acte in the behalfe of the Towne, and all * (who) were att the meeting did p(ro)mise and lngage for to give A Counter Bond unto John Willford; and the Rest * (who) Ware chosen for to paye and pr(e)forme w(ha)t was lngage(d) unto Rich. Har(r)ison by them, euery man according to his p(ar )t. The sale, on December 9, 1667, by Richard Harrison, of Branford, to John Willford and the others as mentioned, who bought Har- THE HARRISON LINEAGE 169 rison' s property for the town was confirmed. A piece of land, at a place "called ye world('s) End, w(hi)ch p(i)ece of Land was form­ erly Richard Har(r)isort(')s," was sold, on April -30, 1668, by the Branford proprietors to George Seward. - On June 23, 1668, Samuel Plum sold to Robert Foot several pieces of land, one being bounded by the meadow that was formerly "Richard Har(r)ison(' )s." To forestall any dispute that may arise Richard's wife made the concurrence: This may certify (to) any who me it may concerne that' I, Sarah Harrison, wife of Richard Har(r)ison, of Newworke, do hereby de­ clare and testifye that I do giue my consent to any bargaine, or ~ale of housing or lands * (which) my said husband Richard Harrison hath fJ1ade at Branford, or elsewhere, as witness my hand, this tenth of Nouember,' 1668. The marke H of Sarah Harrison (of) Ncw­ worke, the day abouesaid, in the prouince of New Jarsey, giue(n) and subscribed, in the presence of me, Robert Treatt, Magistrate. On May 9, 1670, by another town vote regarding the purchase of "Richard Har(i)ison('s) house," was entered in record as below: Know all men by these pr(e)sent(s) yt wee, Jno. Wil(l)ford, Ed­ ward Barker & Thomas Har(r) ison, all of branford, in the County of Newhau_en, in ye collony of Connecticut, [ffor, and in Considera­ tion of Eighty pounds, in hand, payed] haue sold, Ali(e)nated and made over, and by these pr(e)sents, do sell, ali(e)nate, and make over * to John ffrissbe, of the afore(ai)d towne, and County & Colony that house and land, w(hi)ch ye towne bought of Richard Har(r)ison, viz.: the Dwelling house and barne, & yard, orchard, fences, the home Iott, being·two acres, more Qr less, bounded with ]no. Whitehead(')s home Iott on the west, with William Hoadly('s land) on ye east, and (the) high way on ye south, and common land on the no1 th; also one acre on (the) Indian N eek; one acre, bound­ ed east by William Hoadley' s land, and west by the sea; two acres at "ye point lotts"; six acres on Mulliner' s N eek; one and a half acres of upland at Little Plain; six acres at the new field; rrieadow lands on (the) Indian Neck, and at Stony Hi11 Point; one acre of meadow land in the mill quarter; and two other acres in the same quarter; and about half an acr~ of meadow lan_d over ''ye great river.'' (It was put on record, January 31, 1676). At a Towne meeting, ye 10th day of August, 1676, the towne did agree for to sell the towne house and land, viz. : the house and land w(hi)ch the towne bought of Richard Harrison, and they do im­ power Mr. Jno. Wif(l)ford, Thomas Har(r)ison, Edward Barker & John Linley, sen(io)r, to sell it. Apparently, by the foregoing entries, the purchased estate intended for the· minister's permanent. h

Skill and ability (they can) attain unto, (and) as May Tend to (give) the most * Satisfaction * (to) all it may * and to Re­ lieve and Supply any * (who may) want Meadow (land) for their Inheritance. The second election of five ''Townsmen'' took place on May 24, 1669, "for the Remaining of the Year, or until the first of January next ensuing.'' Richard was one of those elected. They were also: lmpowered and * trusted with the Care of finishing of the Meeting-House; all the Matters about the common fence or fences in the General Line, ordering or Setting out * Highways in the .fields or elsewhere (they find) expedient, and about the Bearding of Cows, or drive out of the dry Cattle in the Town-and what they shall agree upon herein the Town will Act accordingly. The highway through the ''Great Swamp'' was in need of repairs, due to the washing away by heavy rains. To obliterate further de­ teriorations, a discussion on the "ditching the meadows'' was the order at the town meeting on June 10, 1669. A curious order was made that every man was required to work one day for each two hundred pounds of estate. Two rods in length were to be taken for a day's work. The settlers were divided into two companies, of which Sergeant Harrison was to command one, and Sergeant Riggs the other, and every man must set up stakes marked with the first letters of his name, at each end of his work so that the surveyor, who was to look over the work, 1night know whether every one had done his part and how he did it. The men were to come out and work in succession as they were called by their leaders, notice having been given the day previously. On several occasions Richard proved his capability as a surveyor. As a result, at_ the town meeting of January 1, 16(70), he and three others were "chosen Surveyors of the Highway(s) for a Year." It is probable that they also laid out the division of meadows for the divided lots to be drawn by lot. Richard drew lot No. 47. Another drawing, on a tract of thirty-one lots, ''in the great neck'' took place on the twenty-fifth of the month. The drawing was to be '' either in Part(s) or in whole(s) of their Divisions." Richard drew lot No. 13 "for his half." Richard was the first town sawyer, as cited by the record of Janu­ ary 2, 1671, when "the Town choose(s) Jos. Johnson * * * * . to Beat the first Drum, at Least up as far as the Saw Pitt, or (to) the corner of Serg' t Harrison's Lott." It was evident­ ly by this trade he carried on the busiress of supplying the settlers . with building materials. Perhaps because of that, it is how he came to put up a corn mill. One of the settlement's urgent needs was a THE HARRISON LINEAGE 173 mill to grind corn. There ·was discussion and discussion but no move was made for a long time. Mr. Pierson says : Nearly a year and a half the proposed work dragged along till the town's patience. was exhausted. At last, Captain Robert Treat and Sergeant Richard Harrison agreed at the meeting on August 24, 1670, to build the mill: _ The Town at length Made a full agreement with Mr. Rob(er)t Treat and Serg' t Rich (ar) d Harrison, [as reads the· account written by Captain Treat], about the Building and Maintaining of a Sufficient Corn Mill, to be set upon the Little Brook, * * with Suitable Necess(ities) and Making the Dams and all other Provisions, Need­ ful for and Belonging to· the s(ai)d Mill, and furnishing the same with a Good Miller and to keep it in Good repair; to Grind all the Town's Grists into Good Meal, Giveing Such due Attendance there­ to, as the Town being the one Party and the owners of (the) s(ai)d Mill the other Party, shall, from Time to Time, and at all Times, Agree upon for the Twelfth Part of Indian Corn and the Sixteenth of all other Grain. The mill was nearing completion in the spring following. All was in readiness for operation on a certain bright May morning in 1671. The dam had formed a good sized pond and the final inspection of the mill proved its worthiness. Puritan and Indian alike viewed with awe the creaking timbers in response to the turning of the water wheel. The sluice gates were opened, the stones began to move, and a cloud of dust arose from the pit where corn was being turned into a finely powdered meal in an instant. Now, the mill was a reality! A place was assured for the town's grinding. Praises were on the people's lips for the two men who wrought the achieve­ ment. The Indians arrived carrying bags of corn across their backs and departed with the grain turned into meal. Wheat and rye were brought to the mill by the settlers, but- corn was the largest item of the grist. The captain and our ancestor gathered in the shekels while peace, harmony, prosperity" and plenty, rewarded the merry water wheel's churning. The partnership was· dissolved by mutual consent when Robert Treat returned to his old Milford home about a year after the instal­ lation of the plant. Our ancestor Richard Harrison continued as the sole owner till May 16, 1683, when he transferred his interest in the mill to his three sons-Samuel, Joseph and George. Land at Wheeler's Point was taken into consideration at the town meeting of December 29, 1670, on the application of Richard Har­ rison, Rev. Mr. Abraham Pierson, Widow Elizabeth Riggs and three others that they may "have it in Equal Parts," which seems to ha\·e been allowed. At the town meeting· of February 20, 167(1), it was agre~d that: 174 THE HARRISON LINEAGE

Those whose Names are Here un(der)-Written, shall Have Lib­ erty to take their division of Bogs, Each one Against His Lotts(' s with) that Breadth of his Lott, * * Beginning at Joseph Walter(')s and Ending at John Curtes' Lott. (Of the twenty-two names on the list Richard's appears as the twenty-first being allowed the privilege). At·the meeting the next day the second division of. a Salt meadow, at the ratio of "three Acres to a Hundred Pounds," was agreed on. Richard was the thirty-fourth on the order to draw lot No. 45. The entry of January 1, 167(2), shows that "Serg't Rich' d Har­ rison and Stephen Davis, (being surveyors) were Chosen to range the Middle Highway in the Neck Ag(ains)t Francis Linle' sand Jno. Catling(' )s Lott." It was a great day on May 26, 1673, when the male inhabitants met at the Meeting-House to draw numbers for their country lots. It was "agreed that the Highest Estate in our Town is to patten(t) but one Hundred Acres within-that Compass, as is already purchased; and so every one, accordingly proportionable to his Estate.'' It was also "Agreed that we (they) shall all draw a Lott (each), and that the first Lott shall chuse, and so to proceed successively according to the Number(s of) their Lotts." After the "solemnization" the drawing began. Richard was the thirty-second to draw out 1'"ract No. 34, and his son Samuel, the sixty-second to pull out No. 2. Under the Dutch rule of 1673-1675, Richard Harrison and Deacon Richard Lawrence, our ancestors, represented Newark in the house of deputies, convened at Woodbridge, on August 23, 1673. Hostile Indians, taking advantage of the war between Holland and England-France, were making trouble for the settlements, not far re­ moved from Newark. For the defence of the town, a meeting iras called on August 30, 1673, at which officers of a military company were appointed. Sergeant John Ward and Josiah Ward were select­ ed as lieutenants, and Richard Harrison and his son San1uel, our an­ cestors, as ensigns. Apprehension for the town's security resulted in another meeting on September 24, at which it was agreed "that if we desired to join with (the) other Towns to send Men to the Indi­ ans to demand the Robbers (among them), we should send Men with them.'' There is no record to show that the local soldiers joined the punidve force. The war ceased and a treaty of peace was signed on February 9, 1674. Governor Philip Carteret had not yet resumed his office. Richard was elected as one of the "Town's men" on March 19, 167(4), "to carry on such work for the good of the Town as the town shall think fit to trust them with, except * * (the) THE HARRISON LINEAGE 175 disposing of Land, adnfrtting Inhabitants, and the way of lev (y) ing Rates.'' On October 31st, he was chosen with others on a com­ mittee, ''to consider of such Things as may tend for the Good of the. Town~ (and) also they have Liberty to debate of such Things \\Tith any (one) they shall see Occasion so to do without call(ing) a Town Meeting.'' While under non-administrative regime, the town held its meet­ ings as usual. On the day Richard was elected he requested ''Lib­ erty to change two acres of land in the Mill Home Lott [by Samuel Rose's Flanck] for two acres of his own Land on the other side of the Mill Brook, near the MiJI," on the approval of two men who had "view ( ed)" the places. He, with his brother 8amuel and others, was chosen at the town meeting of August 10, 1674, to treat with the Indians with reference to the purchase of a tract of land above the town and along the river ''if they find them reasonable in their Price, to buy it and make Re­ turn of their Answer to the Town." Again, on March 1, 167(8), his brother· Samuel, with John Ward, senior, and two others, were chosen agents to represent the tow:q on the purchase of additional land from the Indians so as to extend the limits to the top of the mountain. By a subsequent deed, bearing date of March 13, 167(8), the purchase, , price was ''two guns, three coats and thirteen cans of rum. The Dutch had sailed and Philip Carteret reassumed his adminis­ tration as governor on November 6, 1674. On being apprised of his resumption of the high office, Sergeant Harrison was on the re­ construction committee, chosen at the Town meeting of November 7, 1674, "to go over to Bergen to hear what the Governor hath .to read, according to his Wanant," and he was also on another com­ mittee, selected on · December 6, 1674, to treat with the governor on his overtures for a reorganization of the provincial government. Richard was, with others, on December 11, on a committee sent to Elizabethtown to treat with the governor concerning Newark's municipal ~ffairs. He was appointed with Thomas Johnson, on June · 7; I675~ to consult with ''Elizab'ethtown' s men" concerning the pos­ sibility of the to\\1n' s growth so·· their ''bounde may be enlarged to­ wards· them." · :King Philip's war was raging in New England in 1675, The Indian butcheries were so appalling that Newark w·as seized with ter­ ror. In -defense against probable attacks the Meeting-House was or­ dered to be strenghtened on August 28th. Its walls were "filled up with thin· stone and mortar as hi2:h as 2:irts." on which work all the 176 THE HARRISON LINEAGE

men, above sixteen years of age, in companies of twelve, each day wrought in their turns, carrying their arms with them to be ready against sudden surprises. The general assembly in that year ordered fortifications to be pro­ vided in every town, and a house therein for making secure the wo­ men, children, provisions and ammunition in case of immediate dan­ ger. The people of Newark responded at once by their action at a meeting early the next January 10th, by passing the following resolu­ tion: ''Capt. Swaine, Sergeant Johnson and Sergeant Harrison are chosen by vote to join with the commissioned officers to consider * and contrive for the fortifications belonging to the town.'' However justifiable these precautions were it does not appear that their value was ever practically tested. T'here is no record of any attack having been made by the Indians on the Newark settlers. In­ deed, the policy pursued by the latter towards the aborigines was, from the very begining, just, honest, conciliatory and peaceful in the fullest sense of the terms. Perfect amiability between the two races prevailed, being a natural sequence of fair and honorable dealing. Expression of displeasure gave vent at the meeting of March 21, 167(6), over the "disorderly coming to Town Meetings." It was agreed that "Twenty-four Hours shall be (the) legal Warning." The drummer was notified to beat his drum twice, first "as far as Sarj' t Harrison's Gate, and the Second (time) at the Meeting-House about half an Hour after * for prompt attendances or pay the fines." Richard was chosen on April 17, 1676, as one of the members on a committee to lay out a highway and a ''Landing place by the Riv­ er.." He was on the grand jury only once, in 1678. Common land, containing ''two acres, one Rod and Twenty Poles of land,'· had been measured to be fenced for pasture. The survey­ ors "divided" the lengths for fencings so "every Man (shall do) his just Proportion and share as he hath acres of Land within the same." As Richard owned lot No. 24, he was required to lay twelve rods and seven feet of fence, as told at the meeting of February 6, 167(8). This common land, including meadow and containing four acres, was again concerned at the meeting of October 19, 1681. It was to insert gates at seven places for entrances to pasture and the eighth place, called ''Wheeler's Barrs,'' was to remain. Richard's share for his labor of setting up, at the field, was thirteen and a fourth rods. A smal1-pox scourge appeared in New York in January of 1679. Having heard of its prevalence the town met on the twelfth of Feb­ ruary, and a committee was created ~o plan out prohibitions-to pro- T.HE HARRISON LINEAGE 177 hibit ~'persons from frequenfgoing thither upon every srri-all occasion~ as formerly, (and') to consider whether Persons' occasions are of urgent N ecessar{it)y, and as they (may) find to give Liberty or (to} Prohibit." Richard was ·named to serve on the committee. On January 1, 16(80), the town decided to see cause to choose "a Committee to survey the Highway belonging to the Town, ]"ending to the Meadow(s), both for Quantity and Quality, and also to divide the ~ame equally * (among) several Persons according to their Proportions of land and Meadow within the Neck." For this pur­ pose, Richard and four others were chosen to serve as a surveying committee. At the meeting of June 23th, they- were given power to commandeer teams, and also to delegate men for the work. Richard and Samuel Plume were designated to act as such surveyors. At the town meeting of February 18, 16(80), a plan was under discussion concerning the seating of the church attendants at ·the Meeting-House. The conclusion reached was that they should' be placed according to their station in life, because of '_'ofiice, age, es­ tate, infirmity, and descent or parentage." The towii'-s definition of estate was that the "estate as persons purchased .{Iand·'or) took up land by (allotment), together with the present estate, comparing all these together." Richard was named to be on a committee of seven men to set places for the church members ·in proper order. - Desiring to settle their town bounds by enlarging the area, because of ·being ''hind ( e) red and deprived of the (meadow) N eek and Hockquekanung also,'' they asked to have it made up in the ''land and Meadow, called Poquannuck, and to have a Charter for the whole." The consequence was that Richard was put on the com­ mittee, May 3, 1680, ''to petition the Deputy Governor and (his) Council,'' on this matter. · · John Berry was then the deputy governor because of Philip Car­ teret being a captive in New York, kidnaped from Elizabethtown on the night of April 30, 1680, on a warrant issued by Edmund Andros, governor of New York. The charge was: Captain Philip Carteret, of Elizabeth Town, in New Jersey, on the 7th of April last, and divers times before and since, without any Lawful, Right, Power, or Authorfry, hath presumed· to exercis·e Juris­ diction and Government over His Majesty's Subject(s not~ 'within the Bounds of his Majesty's Letter Patent to his Royal Highness (the Duke of ·York), and though forewarned hath persisted and riotously and routously with Force and Arms, endeavored to assert and main­ tain the same. Carteret stood trial on the twenty-·seventh of May, and the verdict of the jury was "not Guilty.'' Governor Andros plainly showed his 178 THE HARRISON LINEAGE anger and refused to accept the verdict, and once more charged the jury. Again came the response "Not Guilty." The governor was still obstinate and the court convened the following forenoon but to no avail, for the verdict remained "Not Guilty." Carteret was allowed to return to his East Jersey home. Andros was outwitted by the n1iscarriage of the trial as he had hoped to enrich himself by taxation, no doubt having a plan in mind to squeeze every ounce of wealth possible from the colonists of New Jersey. "Highways in the Neck" were badly in need of repairs. It was decreed at the meeting of June 23, 1680, that "one Man in every House shall go out one Day to mend the Highways." Richard Harrison and Samuel Plum ,vere chosen surveyors, with power ''to appoint (a day) when Men shall go out, and (also) have Power to call a Team, or Teams, if needed * " Allotments of land by and on the mountain, west of Newark, to settlers at a very early period' were apparently the third division of land created by the town order of May 18, 1675. If there were any farms under improvement at the time, they were scarcely occupied as homesteads; for it was not till December 12, 1681, that the surveyors were chosen, of w horn Richard was one, to ''lay out Highways as far as the Mountain, if need be, and to lay out the Third Division to all who have a Desire to have it laid out, and Passages to all (the) Lands." By it Richard had fifty acres on the northside of Widow Freeman's lot, and also fifteen acres "upon the branch of the Rah­ way River," bounded on the west by the land of John Catlin and of John Baldwin, Senior, on the east by a small brook running from the mountain, and on the north and south by the common land. He was on a committee, with others, February 5, 168(3), to in­ struct their deputies concerning ''some Things as they think may be for the Town's Good, in Order that (their) Deputies should promote the same at the General Assembly.'' As recorded in the Town Record of May 16, 1683: Whereas, there was a Covenant made with Mr. Robert Treat and Serg't Richard Harrison, to make and maintain a sufficient Corn Mill, upon such condition(s), as in a Covenant exprest (and) made be­ tween them, the said Mr. Treat and Richard Harrison and the Town,. recorded in the Town Book, fol (io) 29 : Be it known that I, Richard Harrison, having bought Mr. Treat's part of the Mill, * am obliged, according to the Covenant and conditions thereof af(ore)s(ai)d, * (as I did) formerly, and do now again, (to) make over all my Right to the Mill unto my sons Samuel, Joseph and George Harrison, they being * obliged unto the Town, in the said Covenant, to observe and keep the same THE HARRISON LINEAGE 179 in all respects as fully as I, the said Richard Harrison, was obliged to. And the said Samuel, Joseph and George Harrison have, and do declare in the Town Meeting, their acceptance of the Mill upon the same Conditions as (are) in the said Covenant exprest. Richard, who was now three score and ten years old, the age limit prescribed by the Palmist, was preparing his estate for the final end. His death occurred in Newark previous to 1686, as we find no fur­ ther record concerning him. The date of his death may have been carved on a stoneslab, which is lying among those of the early pio­ neers, heaped in the ground, under the pedestal of the Robert Treat statue. It is possible that he left a will but nowhere can it be found on record. It may be the land, west of Newark, that Richard, among the ten N ewarkites, received on September 30, 1675, from the surveyor gen­ eral's office, the certficates for parcels of land in an "upland and meadow'' tract. Their deeds were originally recorded at Perth Am­ boy for the province of East Jersey, and those at Burlington for West Jersey province before the two provinces were united into a state and Trenton was made their repository of records. The receipt by Rich­ ard of a certificate for his piece of one hundred and fifty-two acres in the tract is stated in the following: By Philip Carteret, Esq(ui)r(e), Govern(o)r of &c., (and) Sir George Carteret, kn (igh)t & Baronet, Vice Chamberlaine of &c., hath Given and Granted, and by these pr(e)sents, doth Give and Grant unto Richard Harrison, of the towne of Newark, Planter, Certaine percells of upland and Meadow (land), Lying and being in and about the said towne, as followeth: being in thirteen· parcells * by the perticulers, buttings (and) boundings, (as) mentioned In the Surveyer General's Certifticate, upon record In folio 13, In all, Contayning one hundred (and) fifty-two Acres, English measure, To Holde to him, the said Richard Harrison, his Heires or Assignes for Ever, yielding and paying yearly to the said Lord Proprietour, his Heires or Assignes, on Every 25th day of March, according to the English Acco(unt), one halfe penny of Lawfull mon(e)y of England, for Every (one) of the said Acres, To be holden, as of the Manner of East Greenwich, In free and Common Soccage, the first p2yn1ent, of Which Rent to begin from the five and twentieth day of March, Which ·was in the yeare of our Lord One thousand Six hundred and seventy. ' Given und(e)r the Seale of the Province, the thirtieth day of Sep­ temb(e)r, .An( n)o ( Domini), 1675, and In the Seven and twentieth yeare, of his Maj (es)tie(' )s Raigne, Charles the Second, &c. It seems that Richard acquired the land tract probably through a grant in 1670, as indicated in the "Accompt of the Quittrents Owe­ ing in New Work (Newark)," which is a list of the patentees of 180 THE HARRISON LINEAGE

lands in East Jersey dating that year, with quitrents due in 1683, 1685 and 1698. There are three lists, the third one stating to have been "received by Mr. George Willokes (\Villocks), July, 1697, in London,'' but the others have no indication of the account nor to whom sent, but undoubtedly they were intended for the East Jersey proprietors. On thc:= second list under the year of 1684, Richard's name appears as "Richard Herrisen,',. with the insertion of the year "(1670)"; as written, and the area of his land at "152" acres. It is in the ~ 'book of Quitrents for the Province of East New Jersey, in America, 1684" (1685), \\1 ith the "qu~(ry that) if these are not reckoned from the date of the Patents, supposed (to be the) 25 of March, 1670, to ditto '85 and other dates." But unfortunately no quitrent prices in opposition to the patentees' names are given, only the totals due. In the first book the quitrent dues are stated, appear­ ing to run variably from about 3s. 6d. to 50s. 2d. per year. In t_he land grants as descrioed in the ''Surveyor General's Certifi­ cate," for his "152 a(cres), in eight parcels," it is apparent, by the patents issued to others, found in the records giving the proximities of his land possessions, as follows: August 19, 1675, to Robert Lyman for the fifth tract of forty-four acres ''a part of his third division on the mountain,'' bounded on the Southwest by the land of Richard Harrison; August 28, 1675 to Samuel Swaine forty acres at the foot of the mountain, bounded on the west by the land of Robert Lyman and of Richard Harrison, and on the east by the land of Richard Harrison; September 10, 1675, to John Baldwin, Senior, forty acres near the mountain for his third division, bounded on the east by the land of Richard Harrison; Au­ gust 25, 1675, to Jasper Crane, for the eleventh tract of "fourteen a(cres) of bog(land) beyond the Great Swamp N(orth) of Richard . Harrison('s)''; September 10, 1675, to John Ward, the turner, for the fifth tract ~ 'of six acres, next to Rich (ar) d Harrison(' s) "; April 27, 1696, to Samuel Rof.e for the second tract of "5½ a ( cres) in the Great Neck, E(ast of) Richard Harrison('s)"; December 8, 1696, to Edward Ball for the first tract,-"a homelot of 6 acres, S( outh of) Richard Harrison(' s)"; December 10, 1696, to Theophilus Pier­ son, for the ninth tract of "20 a( cres) of meadow (land) at Wheel­ er(') s Point, N(orth) E(ast of) Richard Harrison('s)"; January 20, 1697, to Francis Lindsley for the second tract of "4 a(cres) in the Neck, W(est of) Richard Harrison('s)"; May 1, 1697, to Joseph and Hannah Bond ~ 'in right of their father, Stephen Bond, of New­ ark, blacksmith, dee' d," for the third tract, containing "11 a(cres) in the same (Great) Neck, S(outh of) Richard Harri~on{'s) and Samuel Rose('s)"; and January 6, 1698, to Jasper Crane for the third tract of ''a piece of swamp on (the) R (ah)way River, 17 by 15 chains, N(orth of) Richard Harrison('s) and (the) unsurveyed land. THE HARRISON LINEAGE 181

Richard's children were: John, probably the oldest, born about 1645; was living in 1668; died in March of 1676. SAMUEL, our lineal ancestor. Joseph, born December 25, 1649; died in 1742; married Dor­ cas, daughter of John2 Ward, Senior, and a sister of Samuel's wife. Benjamin, born July 30, 1655; died January 2, 1739; married Mary Plume, whose ancestor was John Plume, who first settled at Watertown, Mass., in 1630. Ann, born November 2, 1657. George, born December 31, 1658; died April 22, 1715; mar­ ried Mary, whose surname is not known. Daniel, born in 1661; died December 10, 1738; married Abi­ gail, daughter of Edward Ball, the surveyor. Mary, born in 1664; died November 15, 1732; was married to Samuel, son of ...fhomas Pien:on, who married her aunt Marie, and was a brother of Rev. Abraham1 Pierson. Authorities consulted: ''Genealogical Notices of the First Settlers of Newark, (N. J.),'' by Samuel H. Congar; ''Genealogy of the Condit Family," by Jotham Halsey Condit and Eben Condit; '•Foun• ders and Builders of the Oranges,'' by Henry Whittemore; '•History of Essex and Hudson Counties, New Jersey," by \\lilliam H. Shaw; '•The Mountain Society-A History of the First Presbyterian Church, Orange, N. J.," by James Hoyt; "First Presbyterian Church in Newark (N. J.)," by Jonathan F. Stearns, D. D.; "Narratives of Newark (N. J. )," by David Lawrence Pierson; ''History of New­ ark, New Jersey," by Frank John Urquhart; "History of Newark, N. J. ," by Joseph Atkinson; HHistory of the Colony of New Haven (Conn.)," by Robert Atwater Smith; "History of the City of New Haven (Conn.),'' by Edward E. Atwater; ''Records of the Colony or Jurisdiction of New Haven (Conn.)," by Charles J. Headley, M.A.; "Newark Town Records'>; "Calendar of New Jersey Rec­ ords, 1664-1703"; "Branford (Conn.) Town Records"; "Some Early New Jersey Patentees Paying Quit-Rents," in the 1'leiv lerSty Historical Society Proceedings; Jotham H. Condit' s private record book, and research work by a Connecticut genealogist. 182 THE HARRISON LINEAGE

SAMUEL3 HARRISON was born in Branford, Conn., about 1647. He accompanied his father and relatives in the migration to Newark. As he evidently had reached his majority, he married Mary, daughter of Sergeant John2 Ward, who was a son of Joice Ward, and is our indirect lineal ancestor through Susan Mulford. No record is found to indicate the date of their marriage, but it is assumed that the ceremony was performed several years after their arrival in Newark. His wife was born in his native town on June 11, 1654. She was over twelve years old when she was brought with her father's family to the new place of abode. For their home Samuel drew lot No. 2, on May 26, 1673. The place was near the east end of Broad street, as cited by the following Town record of March 12, 1680 : It is agreed that the drum, being to be beaten at Joseph Riggs' gate, * * so (goes) all the way up the street as far as Sam'l Harrison's gate, and at the ceasing of the beating of the drum, three guns being distinctly fired off, it shaH be (a) sufficient warning for all such as are ( o) n the military list forth·with to meet at the meeting­ ( house) for their arms. The calls for the gathering of the militia men were frequently made, owing to the apprehensiveness of the Indian treachery in King Philip's war of 1675 in New England. The next mention of Samu­ el's career in Ne·wark town's history, is when he was nominated for Ensign, on August 30, 1673. A move was made at the town meeting of August 10, 1674 for adding more land by purchase from the natives. The vote was ~ 'that there shall be a Treaty with the Indians in refference to the purchas­ ing of (a) Tract of Land as lieth above our Town by the River.'' Samuel was named with his father and five others by a rising vote to go on a committee ''to treat with the Indians about it, and if they (found) them reasonable in their Price to buy it, and make Return of their Ans·wer to the Town." As his brother John died in March of 1676, Samuel was granted the privilege, on the sixteenth of the month, of administrating the estate of his deceased brother. More ]and was desired, so on March 1, 167(8), "there ha(d) THE HARRISON LINEAGE 183 been much Debate about buying * Land (up) to the ·To·p ·of the Mountain, parellel with the Two Lines.'' Samuel was sent with three men ''to treat with the Indians about the same, and. to agree with them as well as they can.'' At an all-day meeting held on October 19, 16.81, it was concern­ ing the fencing of four acres of common land. More than eighty allotments were made, ranging from two rods to fifteen and one-half rods. Samuel was assigned to the difficult labor of arrc:nging ''the first Gate next (to) the River'· which was "to be sufficiently made (to) maintain from Time to Time instead of Rods of fence." · This enclosure ·was to provide pastur2ge for the town cattle~ · At the town election of January 2, 1682, Samuel and another man were elected ''Pounders'' or in other words to act as pound ke.epers for the year. His dignity, however, loomed when he was chosen as one of the seven ''Town's Men,'' at that election. The honor was again bestowed ·upon him in 1683, 1688, 1693 and 1694. Samuel and Edward Ball were chosen on September 24, 1682, for the end of the town where they lived, to ~ee each' inhabitant who "is concerned to pay Rates, and (to) demand a List of their (his) Estate,. within a forthnight, after this Day," and~ if any refuses to comply; ''then these Men now chosen shall give in a List, according to their best knowledge and (the) best Information they can come * to.'' The service of these rate makers was continued by a vote of October 2, 1683,. and again on November 7, 1685 with instructions that they add to "the Rates (of) such as are found (to be) Neglectors." Samuel was one of the four chosen at the meeting of April 5, 1685, ''to go to each Person that is possessed of Land (and) take an ac­ count of (him) how much each Man hath, and bring an Account to the Town (at) the next Meeting." He was made a rater in 1699 and again in 1702. He was chosen w·ith Azariah Crane, Joseph Riggs and Edward Ball, at the Town meeting, on March 22, 1683, ''to lay out the Bounds between us (Newark) and Ho-ckquecanung, and to make no other Agreement \\~ith them o.f any other Bounds than \Vhat * ( were) formerly (made)." For indifference in attending the town meetings on the part of the homesteaders the town's patience was exhausted. Samuel attended the meeting of January 1, 168( 4) when ·the old resolution of March 21, 167 ( 6) was brought up ·demanding full attendance or pay the fines. He was among the men who agreed to stand by the ordi­ nanc~ for levying fines upon the delinquents. He was one of the five men chosen at the meeting of April 5, 184 THE HARRISON LINEAGE

1686, ''to lay out Highways for the year; also to lay out Passages to Men's Land; to make Amends in laying out Land, (and) to repair those they take any Land from to make Highways with.'' Three of them were given ''Power to act in ordinary Cases, but in difficult Cases (only) five; this is agreed to be done between this and the first of June next, after this Date.'' He was again elected in 1688, 1689 and 1698 to act as either surveyor or layer-out of highways. A resolution was submitted at the town meeting of January 24, 1687, as follows: Whereas-there is (given) Liberty by ( the) Acts of (the) Assem­ bly, that each Town should chuse Seven Men to appoint (decide) whether Swine shall have their Liberty, or be still restrained, (and) also to appoint (decide) what Fences shall be accounted sufficient. (Samuel was chosen, with six others), to act in this matter. It was the vote of the meeting on February 7, 1687, "that there shall be a Committee chosen to take Notice of all Lands that (the) Persons have appropriated to themselves, and to regulate the same." The committee was to comprise John Ward, senior, and Samuel Harrison, -our ancestors, and eleven others, with power ''to Order how a fourth Division of Land shall be laid out, (and) * that there shall be thirteen (men), that there might be a casting voice among them, if need should require." Samuel wrote his own signature on a pledge at the town meeting of January 9, 168(8), to fall in with full agreement of fifty others for providing a salary for the pastor, Rev. Abraham Pierson, jr., son of our venerable ancestor. It impelled him because of the division in the house, as first intimated by the record of January 2, 168(8), giving the fact that "the way of rating as formerly, which (they had) desisted from, and (the majority) agreed upon to pay the Minister by Contributions for the Year 1687.'' In 1690, Samuel was on the committee in charge of the first poor and alms department. They had on the poor list, on February 5, 1692, a1nong other names that of "poor Richard Hore," who had been under the shelter of John Cunditt, our ancestor, for more than a year, and "to see to remove(ing) him to Samuel Rose(' s house) or some other place and to agree as reasonably as they can.'' Samuel was reelected in 1701 as "Overseer of the Poor." On the pastor's leaving in 1692 to accept a call from Killingworth, Conn., Rev. John Prudden, a Connecticut Puritan's son, was brought from Jamaica, L. I., to succeed him. At the meeting of October 28, 1692, Samuel was assigned with Nathaniel Ward "for the North end, and Zachariah and Ephraim· Burwell for the South end of the THE HARRISON LINEAGE 185

Town,'' to the office of superintending the delivery of firewood to the home of the new minister. For his official duties he was elected, with another ~man, to act as fence viewer for the year of 1692. At the election of January 2, 1693, he was made one of the seven "Town's men," and again to continue his service at the following election of 1694. On April 1, 1694, he and Daniel Dodd secured by deed from M engootecus, an ''Indian proprietor," a tract of land "on the north­ west side of the South branch of ( the) Pesainck River, above the upper falls, between (the) Pequanock River and (the) Seneconock River, running up (the) said Pequanock River on the West side as far (as) where the fort, on its East side, (is)." By an act of the General Assembly towns and hamlets were author­ ized to "have (the) Power to chuse Men, not exceeding Seven, to make orders for the prudential preventing ( of) Harm by Swine, and laying a Penalty on them.'' On March 4, 1695, Samuel, his brother Joseph and three others were given -the power .to see that the owners of the swine keep them from invading gardens and fields. · A patent for a grant of land-._ wa~ · _iss_ued to Samuel and his two brothers together, on Januiry·-27~ !~9_6;·--for the following tracts: First, a lot· in the e:·swantp~~bf (the) Elizabeth Town River, all around unsurveyed_;. secbnQ/''a lot·on (a) branch of (the) Second R(iver, bounded· on the) E(ast by the land of) Thomas Richards and (of) Samuel Dod(d)e, (on the) S(outh by the land of) John Pridden and (an) unsurveyed ]and, (and on the) W(est and) N(orth by the) unsurveyed (lands, being) in all, 100 acres. Again, on August 8, 1696, another patent was issued to Samuel alone for a tract of one hundred and sixteen acres of land-place not designated-including ''sixteen acres in the right of John Ward, sen­ ior, dee' d, his father-in-law," bounded on the west by the Third river, on the south by the land of John Morris, and on the east and north by the unsurveyed land. Out of one of these he and his wife Mary, on August 22" 1696, conveyed, by deed, twenty acres to Tunis Johnson, alias Speare or Pier, bounded by the land of Edward Ball on the north, on the west by the common land, on the south by the s\\-·amp, and on the east by the river within the Newark township. The proper name of the new owner. was Tunnis Jansen Pier of Acquackanock. He bought · several pieces of land from othe,r owners besides this. Samuel, his brother Joseph and ~ve others were on (a) committee, created at the meeting of August 10, 1696, "to agree, * con­ sider and Order all prudential Affairs, as shall. be for the Securing 186 THE HARRISON LINEAGE

(of) the Neck and (the) Fruits in it, and concerning the Pound and (the) pounding (of) Cattle, and where working Cattle shall be bait­ ed.' ' Their report was : That all Cows or any other Cattle that go into the Neck, [work­ ing _Cattle and Sheep only excepted], shall be kept out of the N eek, by the last day of August, or (the) first of September next, under the Penalty of being pounded and ( of) paying Nine pence p (er) Head, to be paid by the owner of the s (ai) d Cattle to the Paity as pounds them, or else otherwise compound with them. Working Cattle, and Horses that are worked with, have Liberty to go in until the 12th Day of September; after which Time, they shall be liable to be pounded, being found in Damage either in Corn or Grass, paying nine pence p( er) hea~, to be paid as afs' d. And no Cattle, Cows, or Calves, shall have Liberty at all to go in, before (the) Harvest is (laid) in, under the Penalty ·of eighteen pence p(er) Head [every time so transgressing] Poundage, besides all Damage to be paid as afs' d unless in the spring, for such Time as shall be agreed on by us, but finding that most Damage ,js done in the N eek on Sabbath Days, we agree that no oxen or Horses shall be kept or baited in the Com­ mon field on Sabbath Days, under the Penalty of nine pence p( er) · Head, if it be proved afterwards that they have been so kept or bait­ ed, unless, at such Seasons, in the Spring, when Cattle are allowed to go in Always provided; working Cattle have Liberty [unless (on) Sabbath Days] to bait in the Neck, with a sufficient (suitable) keeper, when Men have occasion to work their Cattle, nor Damnifying their Neighbours(') in their Corn or Mowing Grass, at any Time of the Year-any Thing in this Agreement notwithstanding. It was voted on April 11, 1699 "that (the) Cattle shall have Lib­ erty to go into the N eek without keeping after Harvest.'' Samuel and two others were named "to give Notice when (the) Cattle shall go into the N eek and when they shall be taken out.'' Samuel and two other men were elected at the meeting of April 5, 1699 "to make up the Town's Accounts and assess Men in Order to make a Town Rate, and to make a Rate. On November 2, 1702 he was chosen with another man to act as ''Assessors for the North End of the Town and two other men * * for the South End of the Town.'' A plan for the purchase of a tract of land, ''lying Westward (ly) of our Bounds ,to the South Branch of the Passack River," was laid before the town meeting. It was not acted on until October 2, 1699, when the proposition ''was agreed by the generality of the Town," and a committee was made up, on which Samuel was named with several others, ''to consider, agree, and put forward the De­ sign'' of purchasing it. It seems it was a part of the land at the mountains, west of Newark, which Samuel eventually owned as de- 1~HE HARRISON LINEAGE 187

· scribed in his will, but he never lived on it. It was a tract of fifty acres, which he gave to his son Samuel, who lived on it and im­ proved it. Robert Barclay succeeded Philip Carteret as governor in 1681. The settlers of Newark were patient under the many changes made in the office of the governor, but restlessness was noted in nearly every other town. Pierson says: ''An effort to convene the court at Elizabethtown, on March 12, 1700, met with a rebuke by the revolutionists, whereupon it was transferred to Newark. In the early morning of September 12, the opening day, a troop of Elizabethtown horsemen arrived at the Meeting-House." Samuel Carter, our proba­ ble ancestor through Martha Carter, was among them. A prisoner from Elizabethtown was on trial and was found guilty of the offence with which he was charged, but his fellow citizens rebelled. The judge was pulled off his bench. Hats and wigs of the court officials were either snatched or knocked off, and some of their clothes were torn off their backs. In the turmoil, the prisoner escaped with the horsemen who departed, posthaste, for home. Recovering from their rough treatment, the judge ordered the sheriff to impanel a jury, which was to find an indictment against the violaters of the "King's Court." Among the twelve leading citizens who were selected for this service was Samuel Harrison. He again served on a second special jury of eighteen men, to bring in an indictment against another raiding party from Elizabethtown, who carried off a second prisoner on the morning of the same day. His brothers Joseph and Daniel served with him, the former being foreman of the jury. A shepherd being needed "to keep the sheep," was under discus­ sion at the Town meeting, of March 10, 1704, and on voting it ·was agreed that one should be hired, but before doing so ''the towns­ men'' selected Samuel and three others to be sheep masters, and the duty of hiring a shepherd was devolved on them. Sheep raising was a profitable industry, and the flocks were so nun1erous that a herder was needed. In those days shearing sheep, cleaning and carding wool, spinning and dyeing yarn, weaving cloth, required a month or more of tedious effort. At the same meeting Samuel and John Morris were chosen "to continue (to) oversee the building (of) a Gallery in the Meeting­ House." Evidently the highway and the vacant land at the boat landing on the Passaic river was imperfectly laid out. Consequently, at the meeting of April 11, 1705, "It \\"as voted that Samuel Harrison and 188 THE HARRISON LINEAGE

William Camp should survey the Highway and the vacant Land at the Landing,'' so the town might keep on record its exact location. The town created a committee of five men at its meeting_ of April 28, 1714: To Regulate (the) Com~on Line ffence Relateing (to) ye Neck, & to order Prucentiall affaires In ye s (ai) d N eek, * which orders & Regulation being Made, * (are) as followeth, [viz.:] That * ye Common Line fence Shall be Deemed & Esteemed Sufficient, when it is n:ade and maintained, According to ye Act of ( the) General Assembely, & not otherwise. On the list ap~ear "the Names. of ye Persons Concerned in ye S (ai) d Common Line (fence), with their Proportion (s) of fence, annexed to their Names Successively, begin(n)ing at ye bound Creek, and Thence Running Northwardly to ye Main River.'' Samuel is on record for his proportion of fence line for one chain and twenty

links. , At the meeting of March 14, 1721, it was agreed by vote: That the Trustees, or the major Part of them, should have Power, with Capt. Samuel Harrison and Lieut. Sam'l Dod(d), to (leave) out the Common (land) Laid (out) or any Part thereof, to· dig for Mines, (for) such Person (s) and on such Terms as they shall agree upon. It is the first intimation we have that captain was the title of Samu­ el's office. It was not on record when his office was created. He was a sergeant on November 2, 1702, when he was, with John Mor­ ris, "chosen Assessor for the North End of the Town." He was an ensign in 1673. Samuel's uncle, who died about 1705, bore the same name. It is with some difficulty to determine which of the life events fell to · our 8'amuel' s lot. His son Samuel did not become of age until about the time the unde died. Samuel (himself) died either in or before December of 1724. His wife followed him fourteen years later, on April 16, 1738, in her eighty-fourth year. Her tombstone was standing in the old grave yard in 1847. She was the executrix of Samuel's will, dated January 7, 1713, and proved on December 12, 1724. To render assistance to her in the execution of his will 8an:uel designates ''his loving Brother Joseph Harrison & (friend) John Cooper, to oversee that this, my last wiJI and Testament be duly Executed, according to the true intent and meaning thereof." Jonathan Cramer, John Johnson, jr:, and John Cooper swore before "Michael Kearny, Jun'r, appointed by his Excellency Wm. Burnet, Esq(') r., Capt' n General and General . . in Chief, &c.,'' that they witnessed the drawing up of the will. In THE HARRISON LINEAGE 189 the division of his estate Samuel "gives, devise(s) and bequeathes" the following : Unto my loving Son Samuel Harrison all that ( of) my Tract of Land, Situate in the bounds of Newark, afores (ai) d, Lying by this mountain, * (laid out) for fifty acres, bounded (on the) South with ( the land of) Widow Abigail Ward, ( on the) East with a High­ way, (on the) North with (the land of) Anthony Oliver & (on the) west with the mountain; I le(a)ve two acres of my house Iott, next (to) the river, beginning at the top of ye ban ck & running ·west­ ward (ly) up the said Lott untill it take(s) in the said two acres, and my will is that if he see(s) cause to Sell the Said two acres that he give(s) the refusall thereof unt(o) his brother John. One Equall half of a Lott of meadow, Lying at the Lower End of the neck & the said half (is) to be taken of (f) the South Side next to the meadow, formerly belonging to Samuel Huntington, dee' d. Another tract of meadow, lying by (the) Crab pond, bounded westerly with (the land of) John Cooper, northerly ·with the (land of) the Bauldwin(s), (and) Easterly with (the land of) Brother Nathaniel ward, I le(a)ve two & half acres of that End of the neck Lott upon ye north Side of Jasper(' )s creek. I le(a)ve ye one Equall half in deal part of all my other Land, Lying in the bounds of Newark, afore' d, that is not hereafter, in These presents, other­ wys ( e) devised & given, all which ye above Said devised L2nds & meadow(s), with all improvements made thereupon, I give unto him, ye said Samuel, his heirs & assigns forever. Unto my loving Son John Harrison by name, all that the remain­ ing part of my house Lott, with the houses, Barnes, orchards & Im­ provements made thereunto, to be poss(ess)ed and Enjoyed by him, after my wife(' )s decease, She having (made) the improvem(en)ts thereof during her naturall Life. All that tract and (a) parcell of pasture land, lying at the first branch (of the river), bounded (on the)" Southwest with a highway, ( on the) northwest with ( the land of) Joseph Peck, with the branch (of th~ river) on the Southeast & with (the land of) Jonathan Ser­ jeant (on the) Northeast. I le(a)ve all the upland, belonging to me, iri the great N eek, I Give, devise and bequeath unto him, my Said Son John;- I le(a)ve the one Equall Half of that tract of mead­ ow, Lying at the lower End of ye neck, the said half to be on the north Side thereof. All the Remaining part of that meadow, lying on the north Side of Jasper Creek as, aforesaid, together with the Equall half of all my out Lands, Lying in the bounds of Newark, to be Equally divided between them & his Brother Samuel unto him, the Said John, his heirs and assigns forever. Unto my dearly beloved wife, the one Equall third part of all my personale Estate after (my) just debts and other necessary charges be paid and discharged, .(and) * the use & benefitt of my home­ stead, as afores (ai) d. The other two-thirds of my personale Estate to be Equally divided 190 THE HARRISON LINEAGE among my five daughters Mary Cundit, wife of Peter Cundit; Sarah ward, wiie of nathaniel ward, & Susanna ward, wife of Samuel ward, & Abigail Harrison and Ele(a)nor Harri~on, Together, with all my right of Land at whip ( p) enong, to be Equally divided among my Said .five daughters. Unto my 8aid Sons ~amuel Harri~on and John Harrison (I leave) all my right of Land, Lying between the mountains, called the New purchase, to be Equall (y) divided between them, which I do give to them, their heirs & assigns forever. Finally, I do hereby nominate., constitute & appoint my loving wife Mary Harrison Sole Executrix of this, my last will and Testament, and I do hereby utterly Revoke, dissallow and make void all & Every other former Testament, wills and legacies, bequests and Executors by me, in any way before this time named, willed & bequeathed, Ratifying and confirming this, and no other to be my last will & testament. In witness whereof, I have hereunto Set my hand & Seal Ye day & year first above written.-Samuel Harrison, L. S. By consulting the land re~ords we find in the land grants and deeds, his land tracts were bounded by the following: March 14, 1685, deed of "Edward Ball to Enoch Machielson, of Bergen, for 50 acres beyond (the) Second River in (the) Newark bounds, North of Samuel Harrison ('s land)"; November 22, 1690, deed of "John Morris to Tunis Aspeere, for 20 acres, in Ne,vark, N(orth of) Samuel Harrison('s land)"; May 17, 1694, patent to John Curtis for the third tract,-"a lot * * E(ast of) Samuel Harrison(' s land)"; December 8, 1696, patent to Samuel Dodd for the seventh tract,-"a lot at the South end of his lot, at Wateson' s Hill, S(outh of) the (land of the) Harrisons"; January 20, 1697, patent to Francis Lindsley for the twelfth tract of '·4;~ a ( cres) on the Bound Creek, W(est of) Samuel Harrison('s land)"; May 1, . 1697, patent to Esther, widow of John Bruen, "in the right of her deceased husband," the eighth tract for "a lot in the Great Neck, W(est of) Samuel Harrison('s land)"; May 1, 1697, patent to Jona­ than Seers, ' 4in the right of Joseph Walters," the second tract of ''31/2 a(cres) in * (the) Little Neck, S(outh of) Samuel Har­ rison(' s land)"; the third tract of 3 a(cres) in (the) same Neck, (East of) ~amuel Harrison(' s land)"; and the fifth tract, "a lot on the hill, W(est of the land of) the Harrisons"; May 1, 1697, patent to Joseph and Hannah Bond, in (the) right of their father Stephen Bond, of Newark, blacksmith, dee' d,'' for the twefth tract, contain­ ing '~3 a(cres) S(outh of) samuel Harrison('s land)"; January 18, 1698, patent to Eliphalet Johnstone for the eighth tract of "2 a(cres), at Beeffe point, N (orth of) Samuel Harrison(' s land)"; and April 19, 1698, deed of John Curtiss and wife Hannah, to Hance Hen- THE HARRISON LINEAGE 191 drickson Aspeere, "for a lot, on the North side of (the) Second R(iver), E(ast of the land of) Samuel Harrison and Tunis Johnson." The children of Samuel were: MARY, our lineal ancestress. Sarah, born about 1678; died October 26, 1771; was married to Nathaniel, son of John2 Ward, the dish turner. Susanna, was married to Samuel, son of Samuel Ward, and grandson of John1 Ward, the dish turner. Samuel, born in 1684; died September 15, 1776; married Jemima Williams, a descendant of Matthew W ilJiams, vvho came to Wethersfield, Conn., from Wales, in 1630. John, born in 1688; died October 18, 1762; married Agnes, whose surname is not found, and who died February 8, 1782. Abigail, was married to Samuel Nesbitt, who was born in 1696, being the son of an exile from Scotland. Eleanor, born in 1696; died in 1796; was wife of Ebenezer Lindsley, a lineal descendant of John Linle, or Lindsley, who came from England and was in Branford, Conn. , in 1650. Authorities consulted: ''Genealogical Notices of the First Settlers of Newark (N. J. ), " by Samuel H. Congar; "Narratives of Newark (N. J. ), " by David Lawrence Pierson; "History of the Oranges," by David L. Pierson; "First Presbyterian Church in Newark (N. J.)," by Jonathan F. Stearns, D. D.; "Founders and Builders of the Oranges,'' by Henry Whittemore; ''History of Essex and Hud­ son Counties, New Jersey," by William H. Shaw; "The Mountain Society-A History of the First Presbyterian Church, Orange, N. J.," by James Hoyt; ''Genealogy of the Condit Family," by Jotham Halsey Condit and Eben Condit; "Newark Town Records"; ''Cal­ endar of New Jersey Records, 1664-1703''; and Jotham H. Condit' s private record book. MARY4 HARRISON: See the life story of Peter2 Condit in the Condit lineage. -Page 148.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT Richard1 Harrison, born died 1653; wife. , , , , , , , ' 2 Sarah2. Hubbard. Richard , , , 3 , ' . , ' Mary2 Ward. Samue1 , , 1647· 1724; 2 ' '. ' ' Mary4 Harrison. Peter Condit,, , , , Peter3 . 1699; . 1768; '' Phoehe4 Dodd. 5 , ' '' ' ' Phoebe4 Condit. Henry Axtell, , , · 1738; 1818; Simeon6 Cory, 1774; ', 1847; ' ' Phoebe6 Axtell. , , ,, , , , ' James7 1801; 1880.; Susan7 Mulford. 192 THE DODD ·LINEAGE

DANIEL1 DOD first appeared in Branford, Conn., about the year 1646. He was then doubtless a young man, with a wife by the na-me of Mary; "after a few years several sons a!1d daughters sat around his table." Whence he came to Branford the records give no indication. The most probable conjecture is that he was one qf the twenty thousand emigrants who poured into Massachu6etts, chief­ ly Boston, between 1630 and 1640, and from there they settled along the coast and rivers of New England. Daniel may have come from Wethersfield, Conn., where he went first from Bost~n. As there are ten thousand parishes in England, and to know exact­ ly from what parish our ancestor came, the project of crossing an ocean to make such an examination is not upon the whole a very feasible or promising one. The parish ·registers of marriages, births and possibly also of deaths, have long been kept. In many cases probably these registers go back two or three centuries; though many of them must have been destroyed in the civil wars, or have disap­ peared through the mere lapse of time. It may be that in some of these registers, if we know where to look for them, we might find s01ne account of their origin before our ancestors came over the Atlantic. The lot of the pioneer in this new country was one of toil, hard­ ship and privation. rfhe forest had to be made to bow before his arm; his rude log cabin, even with the heaped-up-fires th~t blazed in its ample hearth, hardly sufficed to keep comfortable one accustomed to the much milder winters of his native land. His fare was gener­ ally coarse, often scanty; for the work of bringing the wilderness under culth~ation was slow, and the_ crops, at tiIP-es, were uncertain. Daniel and his wife sank early under the hardships of pioneer life. The wife died on May 26, 1657, leaving six small children behind her, the youngest being but three years old. The husband then fol-= lowed her to the grave, dying between ''sowing tin,e, 1665, and the harvest of 1666,'' as appears according to an old private letter con­ taining the appraisement of his property, including the wheat on the ground. They were both buried in Branford. In the "Probate Record of New Haven" appears "An inventory THE /DODD LINEAGE 193 of all the goods and chattels of Daniel Dod of Branford, deceased, being appraised upon oath by Lieut. Swayne, John YVilford and John Ward." His sons, being all minors, petitioned the court, on April 5, 1665, that Richard Lawrence, our ancestor, and Lawrence Ward, brother of George, our ancestor, be made their guardians, with ad­ ministration granted to them in their behalf. They were appointed to see that all debts and dues to and from the estate be duly pre:rared, and to look after the children. The dear estate yielded an amount of one hundred and forty-six pounds, seventeen shillings and four pence. The colonial currency had not been depreciated by the issue of paper money, and this may be assumed nearly equal to sterling money. If so, it was about six hundred and fifty dollars, a moderate sum to be divided among six children, but sufficient to give a fair start in life in a country where land could be had at almost nominal . pnces. Among a number of "Children of the Branford church," baptized at New Haven, in June of 1651, "by (the) virtue of the communion of churches,'' the Dodd compiler found the names of Mercy, Hannah and Daniel Dod. Mercy is called Mary in the record of another compiler. Supposing that he took the name from the Branfo"rd rec­ ords which, in the opinion of one of their own people, should be more accurate than that of the New Haven scribe, \\-·e shalJ call her Mary. Hannah is strangely omitted from the compiler's list of the children of Daniel, though he copied it in another place-the wi1l of Daniel's son Stephen Dod, of Guilford, in which his sister Anna Fowler is mentioned. Doubtless ~he is the same Hannah who was baptized at New Haven. As in the same will Stephen mentions his cousin Mary Wheeler, it may be conjectured that the wife of the first Daniel Dod was a Wheeler. This, however, is to be taken as a mere conjecture until confirmed by future discovery of documentary evidence. Following is the list of the children of Daniel and Mary: Mary (or Mercy), probably born about 1646; baptized June 1, 1651; was married about 1666 to Aaron, son of Thomas Blatchley, Esq., who came from England in 1635. Anna (or Hannah), baptized June 1, 1651; was married to a Mr. Fowler, probably, of Guilford, Conn. Daniel, born about 1650; baptized June 1, 1651; is said to have died from a fall off a load of hay. Ebenezer, born December 11, 1651; died, it is supposed, in Newark, N. J., about 16 75; probably left no family, at least no son. A daughter, born March 29, 1653; probably died unnamed. 194 . THE DODD LINEAGE

STEPHEN, our lineal ancestor. Samuel, horn May 2, 1657; was left motherless at twenty-four days old; died about 1714 in Newark township (then ex­ tended west to the Passaic river); his wife's Christian name was Martha; his family ran out in the female line. Authorities consulted: ''Dodd Genealogies,'' by Bethuel L. Dodd, M. D., and John R. Burnet; "History of the Colony of New Haven, (Conn.)," by Robert Atwater Smith; and "Branford Town Rec- ord s. ', THE DODD LINEAGE 195

STEPHEN2 DOD, the third son in his father's family, was born in Branford, Conn., February 16, 1656. He was admitted, as a plant­ er, when he settled in Guilford on December 14, 1676. His two oldest sisters Mary Blatchley and Anna Fowler lived there. It seerns probable that, at the time of the death of his father, both of the sisters were already married. Mary was the wife of Aaron Blatchley, and Anna, it seems, married a Fowler. Of the brothers and sisters thus left orphans by the father's death, three boys, including Samuel, the little one, Mary Blatchley and her husband joined themselves to their kindred, friends and neighbors who, with their venerable pastor, Rev. Abraham Pierson, our -ances­ tor at their head, were about to seek a new home in the wilderness on the banks of the Passaic river in New Jersey. Stephen staid in Guilford with his sister Anna. Aiter living in Newark for a few years, the Blatchleys turned back to Connecticut, leaving the Dodd children to remain in Newark. Thus, the family was early separated. Daniel, Stephen's eldest son, when he grew up, went to Newark to stay amidst his uncles and cousins. The following memorial poem, written by an unnamed composer, in honor of their departed parents, themselves and their posterity, is taken from the ''Dodd Genealogies.'' From England came they o'er the stormy main, DA NIEL and MARY in their youthful prime, Seeking a home here in the wilderness, Where roamed the Indian-destined soon to die, Leaving behind them children, four of whom Sons under age. -By that dear Hand that leads The blind by unknown ways to a large place Provided for them, these were brought to dwell Beside the River, called in red men's speech, Passaic, where stands to-d2y the city fair Of Newark, famous for its avenues And parks adorned with trees, laid out .And planted by forecasting sires, And for its workshops, numerous and vast, Whose products fill the markets of the world. Out of these four, three married in due time, 196 THE DODD LINEAGE·

Daniel, the eldest, STEPHEN, Samuel, From whom, during two centuries, have sprung Many descendants :-not a few choice men, That in time past and now, by honorable sweat Of brow or brain, have won a good repute, And public mention due for service done· In cause of God, or country, or mankind. Stephen married Sarah, daughter of Thomas Stevens on May 18, 1678. · She was born in Guilford, Conn., on January 25, 1657. Among the first settlers of Guilford who, it is said, chiefly came from Kent in England, and were remarkable for good husbandry, the .Dodd family con1piler finds the names of John and Thomas Stevens. It is presumed that the latter was the father-in-law of Stephen Dodd, as John left no issue. Stephen's home place pro~ably was so mew here on a street some distance from the center of the town, as cited by the Guilford Town Records: "Joseph Dudley was chosen to beat the Drum upon (the) Sabbath days, * * * and warn all to the town meetings so far Eastward as Stephen Dodd' s (home).'' Stephen died in October of 1691, in his thirty-seventh year. He was a carpenter. His wife died before him, as we see by his will of October 26, 1691, now preserved in the ''New Haven Pro~ate Rec­ ords,'' that her name is absent. His will reads: · We, whose names are under-written do testify that the said Ste­ phen Dod, being of sound mind and memory, did make his will and testament as followeth. The disposal of his soul and body and the payment of his just debts being promised, according to the usual course, he gave. the one-hdf of all his land and meadow, together with his dwelling house and the appurtenances thereof, to his older son Daniel, He gave the other half of all his other lands and meadows to his younger son Samuel. He gave all his moveable estate to be equally divided between his sons Daniel and Samuel, except only that, as a legacy, he gave a cow to his cousin Mary Wheeler, who lived with him;· as also he gave the wedding gown of his late deceased wife unto his sister Ann Fowler. For the fulfilling and true performance of this, his will, he consti­ tuted and made Deacon William Johnson and Lieut. Stephen Bradley his administrators. His estate was appraised, on November 3, 1691, at three hundred and thirty-seven pounds. According ·to his will, his sons were: DANIEL, our lineal ancestor. \ THE DODD LINEAGE 197

Samuel, died i~ Guilford, Conn., May 24, 1757; married Hannah Savage, of Middletown, Conn., January 10, 1706, and for the second time, Hannah Benton, August 31, 1737, and for the third time, Mary Evarts, April 22, 1741. He had two sons-one died, and the other was living-and two daughters. His line of descent became extinct through his granddaughters . . Authorities consulted: ''Dodd Genealogies,'' by Bethuel L. Dodd, M. D., and John R. Burnet; "Genealogical Notices of the First Set­ tlers of Newark, (N. J.)," by Samuel H. Congar; '~History of Guil­ ford, (Conn.),'' by Ralph Dunning Smyth, and the probated wills. 198 THE DODD LINEAGE

DANIEL3 DODD was born in Guilford, Conn.·, about 1679, and married when he was twenty-three years old, in Newark, Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Riggs. She ·was a sister of Samuel Riggs, a cord­ wainer, who in his will, dated January 31, 1710, named his Hloving brother-in-law Danie] Dod, ( to be) overseer." Newark \\'as her native place, where she was born about 1681. The compiler of the Riggs family genealogy could find nothing concerning her, probably not knowing of the will. Daniel was living in N ewark'when, in his quitclaim deed, recorded in ''Guilford Town Records,'' he transferred to his brother ~amuel Dod, of Guilford, his claim to all rights and title in the lands and tenements left him by his father. It is dated May 3, 1707. Most of those lands in 1839 were, and probably still are, in the hands of the Burgis family and the other descendants of Samuel Dod. It seems that he knew Samuel Roberts as, in the latter's will of March 1, 1711, in the distribution of his lands in New Jersey and Connecticut, his signature as a witness was requested, which he glad­ ly affixed. In the will of his uncle Samuel Dod, yeoman, under date of Feb­ ruary 3, 1713, on the division of his real and personal property, he names his "wife (to be) sole executrix, with (the help of his) cousin Daniel Dod (as) overseer." This document is the oldest will of a Dod on record in New Jersey. Daniel probably was the one who in company with Dr. Jacob Arent, built a sawmill on the Rahway river near Jefferson village about the year 1718; and also the same who appears as a surveyor of lands and also of the highways in 1721, and at other dates. The Dodd family compiler had ·in his possession a memorandum, made by his great­ grandfather Thomas Ball, who was himself a surveyor, apparently ex­ tracted from the ''Proprietary Records of the Province,'' surveys made about 1718 by Daniel Dodd. The compiler says that mathematical and mechanical gifts seem to have early appeared in his family. It is difficult to assign in this life story the proper records of our ancestor as there were three Daniel Dodds living from 1707 to 1714. Some time before the latter year his uncle Daniel must have died from THE DODD LINEAGE 199 the effects of a fall from a load of hay. Our Daniel was a few years older than his uncle's son Daniel, who died in 1767. Of the death of our Daniel there is nothing to tell. He left no will, neither did his uncle, which made it quite a job to discover the names of his chil­ dren. There was no registry in the early town nor church records of the births and marriages. If they had been kept it is probable that they have been long since lost. Daniel was living in 1738, and it is thought that it \\'as his home­ stead which is mentioned in the will of Thomas Davis, the ''house (he) bought of Daniel Dod, and which he bequeathed to his ~on Thomas, and the ''land of Daniel Dod to the other son Stephen. That he lived as late as 1750 is indicated by his old account book, now in the possession of Rev. Joseph F. Folsom, of Newark. He lived at the Watsesson end of Doddtown, now East Orange. As he was advanced in years it is possible that he had made a will yet, for some reason it was never filed. If Daniel had daughters, Phoebe was among them. His children were: Stephen, born April 4, 1703; moved to Mendham, N. J., be­ fore 1745; died there some time before 1760; married, about 1735, Deborah Brown. PHOEBE, our lineal ancestress. John, the carpenter, born May 14, 1711; died in Newark, N. ]., August 10, 1768; his wife was Jemima, sister of Amos Harrison. Timothy, was married; had children; lived as late as 1761. Authorities consulted: ''Dodd Genealogies,'' by Bethuel L. Dodd, M. D., and John R. Burnet; '' History of Guilford, (Conn.),'' by Bernard Christian Steiner; ''Genealogical Notices of the First Settlers of Ne\\·ark, (N. J.)," by Samuel H. Congar; ''HiHory of the Or­ anges, (N. J.)," by David Lawrence Pierson; "Genealogies of the First Settlers of Passaic Valley, (N. J.)," by John Littell; and re­ search work by a Newark genealogist. PHOEBE4 DODD: See the life story of Peter8 Condit in the Condit lineage.-Page 151.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 Daniel Dodd,, , born died 1666; wife,, Marv. 2 , , ,, , 3 Stephen , , , , 1656; , , 1691; , , Sarah Stevens. Daniel 3 1679; Elizabeth 4 Riggs. 3 ', , , 4 Peter Condit, '' 1699; ,, 1768; Phoebe Dodd. Henry 5 Axtell, '' 1738; 1818; , ' Phoebe 4 Condit. 6 ', 6 Simeon Cory, '' 1774; , , 1847; ' ' Rhoda Axtell. James 7 ', ', 1801; 1880; , ' Susan 7 Mulford. 200 THE HUBBARD LINEAGE

GEORGE1 HUBBARD~ was born in England about 1594, proba­ bly somewhere in the southeastern section, which part was numer­ ously populated by Hubbards. There remains nothing but conjecture · to determine the exact locality, the towns enumerated by various chronologists being so plentiful as to shatter all faith. It has been written that he was born near Boston, Lincolnshire; in Ockley and Guilford, Surrey; Wethersfield, Essex; Wakefield, York~hire; in the shire of Devon, and in the ~county of Kent. A slight preference perhaps might be given to Essex or Surrey. Tradition has it that George came with his family first to Boston in 1633, and later moved to Watertown, Mass., about 1635. Traces there of him, however, are faint, which is not surprising as his stay .there was but short. As on May 6, 1635, permission from the ''General Court of Massachusetts Bay' ' was granted : To the inhabitants of Watertown to remove themselves to any place they shall think meete to make (a) choice of, provided they continue still under this government. * * * The occasion of their de-­ sire to remove was that all (the) towns in the Bay began to be much straitened by their own nearness to -one another, and their catde being so much increased. * * In the summer of 1635 a few explorers from Watertown established themselves where Wethersfield at length grew up. * * * On October 15, 1635, about sixty men, women and little children went by land towards Connecticut with their cows, horses and swine, and after a tedious and difficult journey arrived safely there. With these migrants went George and his family, including his son George, a Tho.mas Hubbard and a Wi1liam Hubbard-relationship being un­ known if any existed. Also a Samuel Hubbard who married Tracy Cooper. The winter of 1635-36 was a bitterly cold one. Snow and ice sur­ rounded their poorly-constructed habitations, and their furniture and provisions, sent by ships, did not arrive, the vessels being so frozen up in the Connecticut river that they had to subsist that winter upon " acorns, matl an d grains.. '' At the "Corte held att Dorchester," June 7, 1636, George Hub­ bard and Samuel Wakeman were authorized, being assisted by nAn- THE HUBBARD LINEAGE 201 cient (Thomas) Stoughton,'' to consider the bounds and survey the breadth of Dorchester (Windsor) towards the Falls, and of Water­ town (Wethersfield) "towards the mouth of ·rhe River." Bands of emigrants from the vicinity of Boston had settled in Springfield~ Mass., and Windsor, W ethers.field and Hartford, Conn. Though .entirely outside of the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts bay colony, according to their English charter, Mas5'achusetts still kept Wethersfield (called Watertown until February of 1637), under her protecting aegis a_nd governed it by H commissioners," the first year. There was much friction in the W ethers.field church. Gov~ ernor John Winthrop wrote that:

The rent at Connecticut gre'"1 greater, notwithstanding the great pains which has been taken for healing it; so the church of Wethers­ field itself was not only divided from the rest of the town, etc., but (from) thos·e seven wh(o) were (in) the church (when) four fell off, so as it was conceived that thereby the church was dissolved, which occasioned the church of Watertown here [wh;ch had divers of their members there not yet dismissed] to send two of their church to look after their members and to take order with them. George may have been a member of this Watertown (Mass.) body, though there is no record of it. He represented W ethers.field at the colonial court under the constitution of 1639, and consequently must have been made a freeman prior to 1639, freemen alone enjoying such important_ honors. He was a surveyor by profession. .He evi­ dently invested in_ lands wherever his sur,,.eying took him, and al~o was one of the two m.en permitted to trade with the Indians. He was among the Hartford. planters who bought the land known as the Middletown tract. Wethersfield originally comprised a parallelogram of land extend­ ing east and west nine miles, and north and south six miles, and was divided north and south by the Connecticut river so as to leave three miles by six. miles of territory upon its eastern bank. This strip of fifty-four square miles was bounded on the north by what was after­ ward the Hartford line, upon the south by ·what was afterward the Mattabesett, or Middletown line, on the east by a wilderness, and on the west by Tun:,cis, or Farmington. This-'._tract. was pµrchased fr

Guilford, June· 16, 1665, This is to certify unto all whom it may concern: That upon his certaine knowledge, by the advice of the Court, Wethersfield men gave so much unto Sowheag, as was to his sattisfaction, for all their plantations, ]yeing on both sides that great River, w{i)th the Is.lands, viz.: six miles in bre(a)dth on both sides (of) the River, &c., six miles deep from the River westward, and ~hree miles deep from the River eastward. Thus testifyeth George Hubbard.-By me, George Hubbard, (Signed).-Taken upon oath before me, Will(ia) m Leete. This is a true copy of the originell, being examined & compared therewith this (18)th of May, 1667, p(e)r me, John Allyn, Secre­ t(ar )y. The eastern portion of this tract extended from the Hartford line to Roaring Brook, or the Sturgeon River, and was called "Naubue Farms." It was the :first instance in Connecticut of a town being cut out from another town, for which permission was given in 1690 but which did not actually occl)r until October of 1693. About 1653 the eastern colony practically enjoyed independence, however, being exempted from "training" with the western colony. This eastern portion of Wethersfield, or Naubue Farms, \\yas named Glastonbury, which subsequently became North and South Glaston­ bury, and in 1639 was surveyed by George Hubbard, a "prominent surveyor,'' by order of the General Court, and apportioned to the original settlers. The apportionments or lots, extended from the river east three miles, and were very narrow that all might have water on the west, fertile meadows in the center, and wood and pasture land on the ~ast. 1"'hey were called the ''three-mile lots'' and were numbered up to forty-four, George Hubbard's being No. 14, in North Glastonbury. It was thirty-two and a half rods "'ide, contain­ ing one hundred and ninety-five acres, and laid between Thorr.as Ufford' s on the north, and George Wyllys' ( Governor of Connecti­ cut in 1641) on the South. Afterward George Wyllys' tract of thirty rods wide by three rods broad, containing one hundred and eighty-five acres, was purchased by George Hubbard's descendants, and som·e of the tract remained in the posse~~ion of the family until 1850 or later. In 1672, this eastern section of Wethersfield was en­ larged by an addition of thirty square miles in its eastern boundaries, called (some of it) Eastbury, and it gave Glastonbury considerable dimension. On the west side of the river, Wethersfield proper, has lost some of its territory, Stepney Parish, or Rocky Hill being taken out, also Newington and a part to form Berlin. The river, also, had en­ croached by a change of channel,. at the expense of Wethersfield and to the advantage of Glastonbury, which gained thereby Manhannock THE HUBBARD· LINEAGE 203

Island, comprising about two hundred acres. It is mentioned in George Hubbard's deposition. As a stimulus to punctuality and early rising the Connecticut Colo­ nial Records read: 1638-9, April 5, * * · Thurston Rayner (and) George Hub­ berte [members of (the) General Court from Wethersfield] are fined ls a p(ie)ce for failing att the bower appointed, which (is) 7 of the Clocke. George lived about three years in Wethersfield, and then with his neighbors Thomas Ufford, William Fowler, Rev. Peter Prudden, Robert Treat and others, went southward to-.the shore of Long Island Sound and settled in Milford, whose Indian name was Wtpowega, being assigned Milford Island as his grant. He was one of: Those persons-whose names are hereunder written-who are al­ lowed to· be free planters, having for the prefent liberty to act in the choyce of public officers for the carrying on the public affayres in the planatacion. * * George Hubbard came from Wethersfield. There are forty-four names on the list of the original Milford set~ tlers, which appears on the first page of Book 1 of Milford Records and bears the date of the entry of November 20, 1639. These plant­ ers represented only the heads of families. George was admitted to the church there on January 15, 1644. He- owned lot No. 66, which he sold later to John Stream.. He also owned Milford Island, which he sold before 1()50 to Richard . ' Bryan. This island contained ten acres and ·was called P~quahug by the Indians, being their favorite summer resort. He moved with his son-in-law John Fowler to Guilford where, in September 22, 1648, he bought the property of Jacob Sheaff_e, who was "one of the st:ven pillars oI Guilford," and who with his family went to Boston where he died ·in 1659, a prominent leather dealer, a street in Boston being

named after him. l •• • George seems to have been received as a freeman immediately on his coming to Guilford, though ~his. name is the third on the list which is undated. He was admitted to church membership in Guilford, on October 8, 1650. He was one of the earliest ''Assistants,'' chosen by the freemen to assist 8amuel Desborough. During the years 1652-55-57-58-60-62, he was a deputy in the General Court at New Haven. At the election in 1655, Robert Kitchell and William Chit­ tenden took the oath of office, but George, ''·wanting light for re­ newing the same oath to the same person for the same worke, did forbeare for a ttme.'' After the Hartford and New Haven· colonies had united in 1664, he was "chosen Deputy (for the) first and second 204 THE HUBBARD LINEAGE session ( s in) 1665, and (only) for ( the) second session (in) 1666." George was on the committee, appointed by the court on May 29, 1661: For the treating with and issueing of any seeming difference bet­ wixt (th;)) Co(n)necticot Colony and this, in reference to the divid­ ing bounds betwixt them, and of some seeming right to this jurisdic­ tion, which they pretend in a letter to this Gen (') 11 Court. The letter referred to is found among the state papers on foreign correspondence at Hartford asking for information respecting: The purchase of land from ye Indians, wherein there is a seeming challeng(e) of (a) very large interest of lands, and likewise by ~hat intelligence we have had of yo ( u) r stretching yo ( u) r bounds up to­ wards us. In 1661 there was a vacancy in the church pulpit to be filled. Names were brought up, but none was the town's choice except that of the great Dr. Increase Mather, who was then a young clergyman without a charge. As early as the summer of 1661 letters were sent, through ''Bro.' ' George Hubbard, inviting him to Guilford. In an­ swer to this invitation letters from him and his father, Rev. Richard Mather, were read at the to\\~n meeting on Kovember 10, 1661. It is hard to tell whether or not Mather ever came to Guilford, but on May 19, 1662, he wrote declining the ''motion, or Invitation unto him for a settled minister." The letter was 1ead at the town meet­ ing of June 5, and it was then "debated & consulted wh(at) further to doe, in order to seek and in_vite'' another one to be minister. It was decided to send George Hubbard ''as a messenger.'' He was directed to go first to Northampton : U po(n the) Connecticut River to enquire (for) and treat with Mr. Joseph Ellyot, & to invite him to give us a visit, & (to) improve his labors in the ministry, or preaching for some time by way of (a) tryall here. * * But in case he be not there, then Brother Hubbard is to passe on unto the Bay, or Boston, ·with letters to Mr. (David) Goodkin, Mr. (Jonathan) Mitchell (of Cambridge) & Mr. Increase Mather &, with them, to advise unto whom they judge it most meet & suitable for us, that (an) application be made; whether unto ye said Mr. Elliot, or unto one Mr. (William) Stoughton, who [as we hear] is coming out of England; and, if neither of ym may be attained, then to move the matter for us, unto whome the said three friends shall advise, whose helpfulness he is to entreat herein & judg­ ment to direct his applica~ion accordingly. For some reason Rev. Joseph Elliott, who was the second son of the famous Indian Apostle Rev. John Eliott, did not come until 1664, when he was· happily settled. As the union with Connecticut became a certainty under the char- THE HUBBARD LINEAGE 205 ter of 1662, the town voted, on February 8, 1665, that three chosen men '4should audit the books of account(s), belonging to the T"owne, both (the) l'owne(' s) and (the) Minister(' s) Booke of accounts about the mill.'' In the meanwhile, as provided by the charter the general assembly at Hartford proceeded to institute civil operations for all th·e towns in the merged colony and selected capable men to vari­ ous offices. On May 11, 1665, the assembly chose: Mr. Rob(er)t Kitchel and Georg(e) Hubberd * * Com­ (missione)rs for the towne of Guilford, and * invested (them) w (i) th magistraticall power, they taking their oaths * one * (as a) freeman and both * (as) Com(missione)rs; to assist in keeping Court at Guilford, according as was granted to Milford; and the Towne of Guilford haue hereby power to choose one or two selectmen to assist in their Court. A commission, composed of George Hubbard, John Fowler, George Bartlett, Samuel Kitchell, William Stone, John Shether and Thomas Cruttenden, was chosen by the town on June 23, 1665, to audit the books: And to settell and determine w (ha) t is wright in all the particular disbursements and payments * (which) are not as yet settled Respecting boath (the) Jurisdiction and (the) Towne To the end of the year 1662, And also all towne accounts after ( 16 )62 until this day, yt respect the Towne as a Towne, and this to be done accord­ ing to their best Abillitys. At the annual town meeting held on the first of the same month, traces of Connecticut inAuence were seen in the change of the nam­ ing of two of the officers, from secretary to recorder and from mar­ shal to constable. The policy of Connecticut in the "Grand List" was adopted on September 8, 1665, when George Hubbard, Abra­ ham Cruttenden, s ( enio) r, and Henry Kingsworth "were chosen to size all rateable lands, and to prepare and make the list of all Rata­ bll ( e) Estat (es), either parsonall or reall, · according to (the) or­ d ( e) r." It seems George represented Guilford only once as a deputy in the general assembly which met in Hartford on October 12, 1665, At the following meeting of May 10, 1666, he was chosen with Robert Kitchell to act as commissioners of Guilford for the year. Their services were continued in the office on the approval of the assembly which met on May 9, 1667. An office of much importance was the town surveyor, and on July 1, 1666, George was chosen surveyor, or "towne measurer of lands,'' in a third division of upland and me2dows \\ hich had been under discussion, but not finally voted on until March 15, 1667. He 206 THE HUBBARD LINEAGE

was to be assisted by a committee chosen from time to time, ''to size the Meadows at Hamonassack (to) appraise the grants of land that are unsettled. '' The original returns turned over to the governor at Hartford were made up by the selectmen and constables of the towns withii:1 the colony of Connecticut in compliance with the legislative order. A list of the freemen of Guilford, on which appears the name of "George Huburd,'' was drawn up on September 24, 1669. On October 13, 1670, he was made a magistrate, invested with au­ thority, as per extract from the ''Colonial Records of Connecticut'': This court doth nominate and appoynt Mr. Georg(e) Hubbard, John Fowler and W(illia)m Johnson to be Com(missione)rs, for and within the plantation of Guilford, and they three joy (n) tly con­ cerning, or any two of them, are invested with Magistraticall power there, and have power to hear and issue any case, as the law directs to be issued by one magistrate; ,and Mr. George Hubbard is hereby invested with full power to grant summons; according to lawe, and allso, to joyne persons in marriages as need requires. As George was a man of high standing and prominent- in the po­ litics of his time his death, in January of 1685, was a loss to the town of Guilford. His will, dated May 23, 1682, with a codicil dated December 30, .1682, is on file at the Probate Records Office in New Haven. It is as follows: Know all men by these presents, that I, George Hubbard, of guil~ ford, in ye county of Newhaven, & (the) Colony of Connecticut, being weake in body, but of perfect mind & memory, blessed be god, Revoaking & null (if) ing by these presents, all other & former wills, by me made, either by word, or writeing, doe now make, constitute & ordaine this, my last Will & Testament, in manner & forme following: And first, I bequeath my soule into the hands of almighty god through Jesus christ, my savior, & my body to the earth to be de­ cently buried. But as for my worldly estate, I give unto my son John Hubbard five shillings, as an addition to what I have given him formerly. Item, I give unto my son William Hubbard, five pounds, as an addition to what I have formerly given him, & all my weareing Apparrell. Item: I give unto my Daughter Mary ffowler five shillings, as an addition to what I have formerly given her. Item, I give unto my daughter Sarah Harrison, as an addition to what I have formerly given her, thirty pounds. Item, I give unto my grandson John Spin­ ning seven acres of upland & meadow, lieing & being at the lower end of my Iott at the east creeke, square off crosse my Iott, afore­ s (ai) d. next to the creeke; And alsoe I give unto John Spin(n)ing, afores(ai)d, twenty & three acres of upland & meadow, lieing & be- THE HUBBARD LINEAGE 207 ing on the east side of the east river in Guilford, bounded with a cer­ taine creeke on the West & (the) north, and with the woods on the East & by the meadow of John Johnson, & ( of) the Evatts on ye South; all (of) which (the) (a)fores(ai)d twenty & three acres of land & meadow was allowed for eleven acress. Item: I give unto my two grandsons Daniel} Hubbard,- jun(io)r, & Ebenezer Hubbard all (of) my meadow, att the east' river in guil­ ford, not before given; alsoe I give them all (the) upland .due to me, on account of my third division to be layd out next unto my meadow at the east river, aiores(ai)d, which (the) s(ai)d meadow & upland * (are) to be distributed between my two grandsons Daniell Hubbard & Ebenezer Hubbard, as is hereafter! Expressed; (that is) to say, Daniell Hubbard shal1 have his part on· the West side of a certaine Creeke, called the crooked creeke, begin (n) ing at the ea5:t river, & from thence to the head of (the) s (ai)d Creeke, & soe . * the South side of a cart \\·ay, on ye upland; And fro in thence to a place, where an old cart way went acrosse a sw;mpe, called the long swampe; and Ebenezer Hubbard shall- have his part on the east side of the crooked creeke, afores(ai)d, & (the) old cart way, and part­ ing of (the) s_(ai)d long swampe. -Item: I give unto my daughter Elizabeth Hubbard four score pounds. _Item: .I give unto my daughter Han (n) ah Molynes five ~billings, as an- addition to what I have formerly given her. Item, I give unto my son Daniell Hubbard all my lands, at the east-creeke quarter, in guil­ ford, afores (ai)d, not before given, home (of) that land, given to my grandson John Spining; Alsoe, I give unto my son Daniell Hub­ bard my now dwelling house & barne, together with all my home Iott of land, adjacent in guilford, besides, as an addition to what I have formerly given him. And, furthermore, my Will is, that these forementioned Legacye:s ·shalbe payd out of my moveable estate, as_ it shalbe appr(a)ised in the Inventory, within one yeare after my de­ cease, by my son Daniell Hubbard, unto whom I give all my move­ able estate, and whonf I make sole ExecutQr of this, ·my last Will & testament; & my Will is that, in case,· my moveable estate will not amount unto the Legacyes, then my Executor (is) to pay currant pay. as it shalbe appr(a)ised by two indifferent (impartial) men mu­ tually chosen. In witnesse whereof, I have sett to·, my hand, this (the) three & twentieth day of May, 1682.-Signed, .. (and) subscrib­ ed, in ye presence of William Johnson (and) John Collens, sen(') r. -By me, George Hubbard. The Testator(' )s life being still prolonged, after tl)e above-written particulars, & he being under the ability of sound mind & memory, did declare yt, notwithstanding what is before written, * _it was his Will, that his daughter Elizabeth Hubbard shalJ have one conve­ nient roome in his house for her onely use, dureing all the time of her naturall life,. or untill she shalbe marryed, if she shall see cause soe to doe.-As Witnesse o(u)r hands, this 30th of December, 1682, William Johnson (and) John Collens. The ''inventory of ye estate, both personall and real, belonging to George Hubbard, of guilford, lately deceased, (arid) taken by 208 THE HUBBARD LINEAGE

us, whose names are under-written, ye 30th of May, 1683," is found on file at New Haven Probate Records. The appraisers were Wil­ liam Johnson, John Grave and John Collins. It was appraised at £ 564: 08: 06. George was buried in the graveyard, then located south of where the soldiers' monument now is in the center of the village green, a rectangular square patterned after the original New Haven plat. This cemetery was in use U:p to 1817 when two· new ones, east and .west, were made. The pond holes there were £11ed by level­ ing down the hillocks, when the Episcopal and the Congregational churches and the town hall were removed. The old headstones were scattered about the town. Some were taken to the new cemeteries and placed up against· the fences and some were claimed by descend­ ants, while others were laid flatly around the Congregational and the Episcopal churches to catch the rain water from the eaves and to make runways for small boys. , George's wife's Christian name was Mary, who died in Guilford, Conn., on September 14, 1676. The Hubbard family compiler drew his own conclu~ion that she was a daughter of John Bishop and his wife Ann. He relied on the wording in the latter's will, probated at Hartford, in June of 1676,· by her giving to her "grandchild Elizabeth Hubbard'' twenty shillings. Below is the copy of the will, as .he -read: This wrighting witnesseth that (I), Anne Bishoppe, of Guilford, widow, being weake in body, but Sound in mind and memory, Doe make this, my last will and testament, in manner and forme following: First, I give unto my eldest sonne John Bi~hop the s(u)me of five poundes, Above his equall proportion with my other T ( w )o Children. Item, I give twentie shillings unto my grandchild Elezabeth Hubbard. Item, I give unto Thomas Smith, who formerly was (a) servant to me, the s( u)me of ten shillings. Item, All the rest of my estate, not before nor hereafter willed, my mind is, that After all just Debts (be) paid, leagasies and all neses(s)ary charges be paid and Discharged, shall be devided Betwixt my three children, viz..: John and Steven Bishop and James Steele, and I doe make the saide James Steele my sonne-in-law My full and whole Executor to doe performe all things, According to this, my last will and testament. And I doe give him five pounds, for his pains, over and Above, his third part of all my estate, both here, and in England. In witness whereof, I have sett to my hand, this twelfth day, of June, An( n)o ( Domini), 1673.-In the presen(ce) of John Fowler (and) William Johnson.-She marked Anne (Bishop). Mrs. Ann Bishop died in the year of 1676, and in that year so did Mrs. Hubbard. Their ages at their deaths are not known, but by their death dates the difference in their ages may be within a period of ten years, consequently indicating the impossibility for Mrs. Bishop THE HUBBARD LINEAGE 209 being the mother of Mrs. Hubbard. As to this, the editor of the American Genealogist, in a note on ''George Hubbard's wife,'' has this to say that: All statements to the effect that Hubbard's wife was a daughter of (John) Bishop are apparently based on the will of Mrs. Ann Bishop (given above), made (on) June 12, 1673, in which she gave twenty shillings to her grandchild Elizabeth Hubbard. Yet this will itself proves that Mrs. Mary Hubbard was not her daughter. Mrs. Bishop gave her eldest son John Bishop £5 above ''his eguall proportion with my other T(w )o children," and she willed that the residue of her estate should be divided ''Betwixt my three children, viz. : John and Steuen Bishop and James Steele." Further, she called James Steele· her son-in-law, and the inventory mentioned property in Mr. Steele's hands ''which his wife daims as given to her by her Mother.'' The terms used in the will prove conclusively that Mrs. Bishop had __ but three living children, in 1673: John, Stephen and Bethia, wife of James Steele. Certainly, no sane woman would refer to "my other two children," and again to "my three children," if she had, at the time~ four living children. The joker in this deck, is that Mrs. Mary Hubbard was living in 1673, and did not die until * * 1676. Therefore, ~he ·was not a daughter of Mrs. Ann Bishop. And, if Mrs. Mary Hubbard was the daughter of John Bishop, by a former marriage, then her daughter Elizabeth Hubbard would not have been (a) granddaughter of Mrs. Ann Bishop. It must not be forgotten that not only did George Hubbard have a daughter Elizabe!h, but (his son) Daniel * had married (in 1664) Elizabeth Jordan, and the latter may conceivably have been the Elizabeth Hubbard whom Mrs. Bishop called her granddaughter. Elizabeth Jordan was a daughter of Mr. John Jordan, an original Guilford proprietor in 1639, by his wife Ann, and for any thing we know to the contrary~ Mrs. Ann Jordan may have been a daughtei of Mr. John and Mrs. Ann Bishop. At any rate, Mrs. Jordan mar­ ried Thomas Clarke, and died at Saybrook, Conn., (on) January 1, 167(2). Therefore, she was not living when Mrs. Bishop made her will; and there is no objection to the theory that the Bishops had children who died prior to June 12, 1673, when Mrs. Bishop had but three surviving children. The children of George by his wife Mary, were: Mary, born in England about 1627, (one writer g1vmg the year as 1634); died in Guilford, Conn., April 13, 1713; was married, in 1647, to John, son of William and Sarah Fowler. John, born in England about 1630; died in Hatfield, Mass., in 1702; married about 1649, Mary Merriam, who is said, by the genealogists, to be a sister of George2 Mer­ riam, though her given name does not appear in· the will of George's father. The name may read like Morrison, if not undecipherable. 210 THE HUBBARD LINEAGE

George, born about 1633; lived in Greenwich, Conn. SARAH, our lineal ancestress. Hannah, born in Wethersfield, Conn., in 1637; baptized at Milford, Conn., May 26, 1645; died in Boston. Mass., in 1717; was married to Cornelius Melyen, of New Ha­ ven, in 1662. One compiler says her husband's name was Jacob Maynard. Elizabeth, born in Wethersfield, Conn., in 1638; died in Feb­ ruary of 171 0; was married very late in life, as the second wife of Deacon John Norton, a widower, and son of Thomas and Grace Norton, of Guilford,. formerly of Ockley, Surrey, England. Abigail, born probably in Wethersfield, Conn., in 1640; bap­ tized in Milford, May 26, 1645; supposed to have died in Elizabeth, N. J., after 1666; and prior to 1682; was married, October 14, 1657, to Humphrey Spinning. William, born probably in Milford, Conn., in 1642; died in Stamford, Conn., in 1684; married Abigail Dudley and moved to Greenwich. Conn., before 1664. Daniel, born in Milford, December 27, 1644; baptized with his sisters, May 26, 1645; died in 1720; married Novem­ ber 17, 1664. Elizabeth Jordan, related to Mrs. Joane (Jordan) Shaeffe, mother of Robert1 Kitchell. Authorities consuked: "Hubbard History and Genealogy," by Edward Warren Day; "The Nash Family-Fifty Puritan Ances­ tors," by Elizabeth Todd Nash; '~History of Guilford, (Conn.)," by Hon. Ralph Dunning Smyth; ''History of the Colony of New Haven, (Conn.)," by Edward R. Lambert; ~ 'History of the Colony of New Haven, (Conn.),.'' by Edward E. Atwater; '~Records of the Colony or Jurisdiction of New Haven, (Conn.),'' by Charles J. f.Ioadley, M.A.; and ''Colonial Records of Connecticut, 1636- 1678,'' by J. Hammond Trumbull, M.A. SARA H 2 HUBBA RD: See the life story of Richard2 Harrison in the Harrison lineage'.-Page 163.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT 1 George Hubbard, born, , 1594; died, , 1682; wife, Marv. 2 , ' 2 Richard Harrison, , , 1684; Sarah Hubbard. Samuel3 '· , ' ', 3 , , 1647; , , 1724; , , Mary Ward. Peter2 4 Condit,, , , , , , 1714; Mary Harrison. , ' 4 Peter3 , , 1699; 1768; Phoebe Dodd. Henry5 Axtell, , ' , ' 4 , , 1738; , 1818; Phoebe Condit. Simeon6 Cory, 1774; . 1847; , ' Rhoda6 Axtell. James7 " , ' 1801; '' 1880; , ' Susan7 Mulford. THE WARD LINEAGE 211

RICHARD1 WARD'S homestead, as revealed in his daughter Mary's sworn affidavit, of 1661, was at Stretton in the county of Rutland, England, when he and his wife Joyce had children. This development led to the discovery of his will, dated April 22, 1635, in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, London, England, and of his burial at Stretton on July 19, 1635. It is also disclosed that he had a wife before he married Joyce, but her name is not found. His will was proved in London on October 2, 1635, on "the oath of Joyce Warde, the relict and executrix.'' It is as follows: I, Richard Warde, of Stretton, in the countie of Rutland, doe constitute and make this, my last will and testament, in manner and form following: -1 give to Thomas Warde, my eldest son 20s. and to every (one) of his children, one ewe sheepe worth 6s. 8d. I give unto Edward Warde, my second son, my shopp with all my working tooles, all the goods in my coffer at Stamford, and £5 to be paid one month after my decease, and £10 within two years, and he shall be a servant to oversee his mother's business, and to have his dyet of her so long as they are pleased to dwell together; and if he shall take such a wife as his mother shall be well-pleased with, my will is that he shall have my house and homestead after his mother's decease; but if he (should) marry contrary to his mother's mind, then my will is that Anthony, my third son, shall have it; and if Anthony (should) die without issue, then William, my fourth son, shall have it; and if William (should) die childless, then Robert, my fift(h) son, s},all have it; and if Robert (should) die childless, then John, my sixt(h) son, shall have my house and homestead. I give to Anthony, my third son, at his age of one and twenty, £30 and one cupbo(a)rd standing in the hall, and aU the sheepe that are known to be his. I give to William, my fourth son £10, at one and twenty. I give Robert, my fift(h) son £20, at one and twenty. I give to John, my sixt(h) son £20, at one and twenty. I give unto Mary Fletcher, my daughter 20s., and to Mary, her daughter, two ewe sheepe. To the parish church at Stretton 1Os. '"[ o the poor inhabitants of Stret­ ton lOs. All my other goods I give to Jeasse, my now wife, whom I make my sole executrix, and I in treat John Rowlett, William Bacon and Thomas Hibbens, my neighbors, to be supervisors. -Dated 22, April, 1635. -Mark of Richard Warde. -Witnesses, William Bacon (and) Thomas Hibbens. It is apparent that, right after his death his wife closed up by mak- 212 THE WARD LINEAGE ing the_ bequests, as directed, and sold out her own interests and came to Watertown, Mass., on her arrival in New England, taking with her the youngest son John. Her daughter Mary and husband John Fletcher accompanied her in the emigration. A little later Joyce, with Mary and little John, and accompanied by her son-in-law John Fletcher, moved with the first settlers to Wethersfield, Conn. While living there in May of 1637 the Pequot war broke out. We read in Hinman' s history that the Pequots had not only stolen the property of the English and murdered some of the inhabitants, but also abducted from Wethersfield two young women and carried them off by force. The settlement, less than three years old and feeble, and the inhabitants, few in numbers and deficient in resources, trusted in God for the result and boldly declared war against the Indians. Ninety soldiers were raised, and munitions of war were at once prepared. They went down the Connecticut river in three small boats, under the command of Captain John Mason, and met the enemy at the Mystic Fort. Leaving twenty men in re­ serve, they made an assault with the fierceness of men who were fighting for the future welfare of the colony, for the lives of their wives, children and their own lives and property. When all \\1 as over nearly six hundred Indians lay dead upon the battle-ground. About sixty or seventy wigwams were burned to the ground, and the fort was reduced to ashes. So great and so complete was the victory that the Pequots became extinct as a nation. 'l'he chief, Sassicus, fled with a few of his warriors to the Mohawks. Of the colonists only two were lost, and sixteen wounded. The town was at last made secure in peace and safety from further Indian trouble. Joyce died three years later. l'he inventory of her estate, apprais­ ed at fifty-two pounds, fifteen shillings and six pence, was taken on February 24, 1641, by George Hubbard and Leonard Chester. Her will, originally kept in the probate court at Hartford, Conn., but now missing, is dated November 15, 1640. It is copied from Trumbull's ''Colonial Records of Connecticut,'' as given below : I, Joyce Ward, of Wethersfield, being sicke in body, but whole in mynd, doe make my last will & Testament this 15th day of Novem­ ber, in this pr(e)sent yeare of o(u)r Lord Christ, 1640, in manner and forme as follo\veth: lmpr(imi)s: I giue to foure of my sonnes, that is to say, Anthony Ward, Willia(m) Ward, Robert Ward, & John Ward, e(a)ch of the(m) a pa(i)re of sheets,· and to my eldest sonne Edward I giue vnto him twelue pence of mon(e)y; furthermore, I make my sonne­ in-law, John Fle(t)cher, my whole and sole Executor, to pay and dischardge all those debts, and legac(i)es w (hi)ch I am bownd to THE WARD LINEAGE 213 p(e)rforme, and for to see my body brought to the grownd in a decent manner. In witnesse whereof I have sett my hand .the day and yeare above-written. Memorand(u)m that I, Joyce Ward, haue lefte my sonne (Ro­ bert(' )s portion, w(hi)ch his father gave him, w(hi)ch is [£201 twenty pownd (s) in England, in the hands of my sonne Edward Ward; I haue made Mr. Wollersloue, of Clipsum, in England, in the county of Rutland, my Atturn(e)y, for to receaue yt for my vse; if he ha(s) gott(en) yt, then my sonne Robert s~all haue the whole twenty pownd(s); if yt be not gotten, then the sixe pownd(s), w(hi)ch I paid for the put(t)ing out of the saide Robert Ward to (be an) Apprentice, shall be p(a)rte of that twenty pownd(s)~­ Joyce Ward (by) her marke.-This was done in the pr(e)sence of vs Nathaniel Dickinson (and) Roger Prichat. Of t~e above children Anthony, William and Robert are supposed by James Savage, to have accompanied their mother to New England; but apart from the nature of the legacy she left them; "e(a)ch a pa(i)re of sheets," and the assumption is that a widowed mother emigrating to a country from which she could have little hope of ever returning, would naturally take her younger children with her, but there is no evidence to support the supposition. Her will, on the contrary, goes to show that she had apprenticed Robert to a trade before she left England, and as Robert was the youngest of the three, it is only reasonable to infer that she had already done the like by the other two, Anthony and William. That the latter was not the Wil­ liam Ward of Middletown, Conn., as James Savage suggests, was expected to be proved conclusive by a certain writer from his search of the ''Clues from (the) English Archives, Contributory to Ameri;.. can Genealogy," in a future article which we find to our sorrow is apparently nowhere in print. As Joyce came to Wethersfield, Conn., from Watertown, Mass., and as one Andrew Ward came also in the same n1igration, some well-meaning genealogists conclude that they were related, based on the unsupported conjecture found in the will of the other Richard Ward of Faxton, Northamptonshire, of England, dated February 17, 1640, mentioning "brother Andrew Ward" and "brother Ambrose Ward'' to be executors of his will. As this Andrew Ward was made a freeman in Watertown, Mass., on May 14, 1634, and had been in New England up to the time the will was written, it precludes not only his relationship to the children of our Joyce, but also his own identity. Another confusing mess is the mention of Stephen Ward and wife "Joice, daughter of ( ) Traford of Leicestershire," and their sori ''..~_mbrose Ward" in the pedigree of the "Ward, of Braffield and Little Houghton." Our Joyce Ward most evidently was not 214 THE WARD LINEAGE

identical with the above mentioned Joice, as the children named by her in her will, contains no such name as Ambrose Ward. It seems incredible that there could have been two Joyce Wards at the same period. The following part of the pedigree of our Richard demands close scrutmy. His child by his first wife was: Thomas, who probably was the one living in Edith Weston, county of Rutland, and whose will ·was proved in 1641; his wife's Christian name was Faith. His children by his second wife, were: MARY, our other indirect lineal ancestress, born in 1607; died at Farmington, Conn., January 22, 1679; was mar­ ried, the first time, to Deacon John Fletcher, in Rutland county, England, and the second time, to John Clark, of Farmington, Conn.; leased her lands in Milford ""·hen she was a widow in 1674, to Nathaniel1 Farrand, our ancestor through Susan Mulford. Edward, buried in Stretton, Rutland county, England, Feb­ ruary 3, 1663; his wife Isabel was buried there in June of 1664. Anthony. William. Robert, was put to learning a- trade, as disclosed by his moth- er's will. JOHN, our lineal Ancestor. Richard, was buried in Stretton, Eng., November 30, 1631. Richard, second, w~s buried in Stretton, Eng., in 1633. · Authorities consulted: ''A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records," by Charles William Manwaring; "History of the Colony of ·New Haven, (Conn.)," by Robert Atwater Smith; "Record of the Colony of Jurisdiction of New.Haven, (Conn.)," by Charles J. Hoadly, M.A.; "Colonial Records of Connecticut, 1636-1665," by

J. Hammond Trumbull; '~Clues From English Archives1 '' by J .· Henry Lea and J. R. Hutchinson, in the New York Genealogical and Biographical Records; and research work by a Connecticut genealogist. THE WARD LINEAGE 215

JOHN2 WARD was brought to America probably when about ten years of age, in the family of his widowed mother from Stretton, Rutland county, England, in 1635. It is believed that Stretton was his birthplace. As he testified at the time he was living in Branford, Conn., in 1661, that he was "about thirty-six years" old, which indicates that his birthyear was 1625. He was then about fifteen years old when he lost his mother by death in 1640. It is not known with whom- he lived then, or how he fared. His sister Mary was already a mother of several children and living in Milford, Conn. He had passed his majority when the moving to Branford, about 1646, was underway. The colony at Wethersfield had retained its connection with the parent church at Watertown, Mass., and for seven years there had been no settled pastor. Without such control­ ling influence its church relation ''fell into unhappy contentions and animosities,'' to such an extent that no adjustment of the difficulties appeared probable or possible. Therefore a separation was advised and arranged. There had also been many new arriva]s in the colony who could not obtain suitable or agreeable land upon which to locate, and John and his folks gladly joined the dissenting partisans in their project of moving. In Branford John made a name. He became very prominent in its colonial affairs, his name frequently appearing in the records and he being called "Sergeant Ward," and sometimes "John Ward, . , , senior. When he first went there he was given two acres for his home lot, with three acres of land for cultivation, and one and a quarter acres and four rods for "his meadow," according to the undated "account of every man(' )s lands." Next we find, under date of July 7, 1646, the name of "Jo Ward," among the "Names of (the) proprietors, among whom (the) meadow land was divided." In another list,

Olbet and Roger Bates (Betts and) John Ward." It was cold on January 2, 1660. The town meeting desired the report of a committee, on which John was appointed to serve, for its opinion as soon as the w:eather permitted, on the possibility of using a piece of land ''by Samuell Rose(') s hop yeard'' for planting. An early record probably about 1660, mentions "John Ward, Sen­ ior and John Ward, Junior,'' in connection with keeping the cows. The junior Ward was then about ten years old. The record itself offers no explanation. Apparently in those days the planters lived on a somewhat communi_stic basis. One man was appointed to attend to the pasturing of the cows of all the planters and to see that they did not stray into the woods, thus releasing the others to tend to their labors such as planting and building operations. In the "New London Land and Deed Records" is given a long account of the loss of life of Charles Goodwin by drowning, while· on sea bound for New London. He sailed from the Barbadoes, West Indies. His inventory was taken in October of 1660. Among the charges against his estate was a bill to pay ''Goodman Ward, of Branford, ffor his and others(') goeing forth (in a boat) to se(a)rch for (the body of) Mr. Go(o)dwin, 01-06-00." Lot drawing was conducted on February 16, 1661, for distribution among the proprietors out of the ''Indian N eek'' land. ''Sergeant Ward," as hi~ name appears on the list, drew "lot No. 20." In that year John's sworn affidavit was desired to go on record -at the New Haven court of magistrates, to substantiate the identities of the children of the Bacon brothers, whon1 he used to know when they were playmates at home in England. His brother-in•law John Fletcher, of Milford, Conn., who was then the husband of his sister Mary, appeared in court on the seventeenth of October with three sworn affidavits, including John's, with the request that they "might · be ratified before the court & confirmed by them in as full and authen­ ticke man ( n) er as they could (be), * * & he further desired that they might be recorded.'' Fletcher's affidavit was the first to be submitted for record. In it he states that he was ''about fifty-nine yeares" old; that he knew Henry Bacon and William Bacon, who were brothers, but ''neuer heard or knew any more of them, yt were their own brethren by the father's side''; that he ,·,knew Henry Bacon when he was first living in Stretton"; that he Hknew Henry Bacon when he * removed to Clipsam in the same county of Rutland''; that Henry ''had one only sone called Thomas Bacon," who, he heard it reported,. went to the Barbadoes and died there; and that William Bacon "had a sone THE WARD LINEAGE· 217 called Nathaniel Bacon, whoe was his eldest sone, (and) whoe now liveth in New England. '' The affidavit of Fletcher's wife was the n~xt in order for submis­ sion in record, substantiating almost the same as above. She gives her age as "about fifty-foure yeares"; that when she was in England she was: Dwelling at Stretton, in ye county of Rutland, where Henry Bacon & Will (ia) m Bacon * * dwelt, and I (she never) knew nor heard of any other (than) these two brothers by the father(')s side, and I lived at the sayd ·Stretton for the space of ten yeares, in which time the sayd Henry Bacon removed his dwelling to Clipsam. * * Then followed for submission in record the sworn statement of John, as follows: Know a11 men whom it may concerne, yt I, John Ward, of Bran­ ford, in ye colony of N ewhaven, in New England, and aged about thirty-six yeares, doe declare, & vpon my knowledge testify on oath, that I well knew for ye space of six or seuen yeares, one Henry Bacon, of CJipsam, in ye county of Rutland within ye realme of En­ gland, & one Will(ia)m Bacon, brother to ye sayd Henry Bacon, in the same county of Rutland, abouesayd, and I neuer knew, (n)or heard of any brother or brethren more yt they had by ye father(' )s side; and I doe further testify yt I well knew Thomas Bacon, sonne of Henry Bacon, & nephew to the sayd William Bacon, and I neuer :knew, (n)or heard, yt the sayd Henry Bacon had any other child, but only the sayd Thomas Bacon. whoe, as I haue heard, went to the Barbadoes, & died there; and further I, the sayd John Ward, vpon certain knowledge doe testify yt I well know Nathaniel Bacon to be (the) eldest sone of Will(ia)m Bacon, brother to the sayd Henry Bacon, and the said Nathaniel Bacon is now Hueing in New England & was pr(e)sent at my attesting hereoff, and further·say(e)th not.­ ·Witness, John Ward. So John proved to be a good witness. He was just a boy ·when he, for the last· time, saw them on leaving England for America. Evidently he remembered his Bacon playmates quite well. When he grew up he may have met Nathaniel Bacon occasionally to renew their acquaintance and talk over their days in England, as his affidavit states he was living in New England. An "account of euery man(' )s land," was evidently a rate list, "settled" by five raters, among whom was John himself, signing his name under the title of "Sergeant Ward," on December 4, 1663. It gives the value of each man's holdings in pounds, shillings and pence, in which we find that the land · of ''Sergeant Ward'' \\'as val- ued at twenty pounds. , ·, Under the new chatter granted by King Charles II., for the amal­ gamation of the New Haven colony with that of Connecticlit as one 218 THE WARD LINEAGE

province, John was elected by the ''Freemen,'' of Branford, as a deputy to represent the town at the "Court of Election," held at Hartford, May 10, 1666. This was his last and only attendance 1n the assembly. The issuance of the charter, however, created a feeling of bitter­ ness to some extent among the inhabitants of Branford, as they re­ garded the latter colony undesirable because of its laxity in theocracy. Perceiving that to oppose it would avail them nothing, and that the only course left for them was to follow out the solution broached by -their leaders in leaving for the newly-selected land on the Jersey soil, beyond New York bay to start their homes anew, and have full en­ joyment in the pursuit of their ''Godly government.'' Upon signing with his son John, junior, the famous BFundamental Agreements" in 1666, John joined with the dissatisfied settlers in their embarkation for the chosen destination on the Passaic river. The first insight of his career upon settling down there was his re­ ceiving a rate from the "Sale(s) men," for his estate at three hundred and sixty pounds, with allowed deduction of two hundred and forty pounds, which is two-thirds. At the following meeting on February 6, 1667, he drew ''Lot No. 28'' for his six-acre home lot. A ppar­ ently he owned two tracts Nos. 49 and 50, which he received through a drawing sometime later. By the town order of May 7, 1668, he was notified, and so were others, to ''lift'' their fence lines to some extent, his being required to be moved five rods_ and thirteen feet. · It seems that as some of the townsmen were not punctual in at­ tending the meetings, the town at its meeting on September 10, 1668 ·conferred upon : Henry Lyon, Sargeant John Ward and John Brown the sole Power to hear every man's reason of his, or Their absence, Late Coming,

or disorderly departing1 or withdrawing from any of our Town Meet­ ings, having Legall Warning thereto; and Thereupon to Acquaint them, or Return the names of them that they release not, by the order Signed unto the Constable, or such other Officer as the Town shall appoint to receive them, for the use of (the)' said Town. (At the same meeting), the Town hath made Choice of Sarjeant Ward and John Curt(i)s, for to be their Surveyors of their High­ ways, for the Year Insueing, or until New (men are) Chosen; And full power is put into their hands to Call forth Men to work when and where they, in their best discretion, shall Think most Needful. An election of officers was held at the town meeting of January 1, 16(70), as per entry in the records: "Sarjeant John Ward, Sarj. Richard Harrison, Lieut. Swain and Stephen Davis are chosen Sur­ veyors of the Highways for (the) ·Year." THE WARD LINEAGE 219

At the town meeting of March 5, 166(9), a motion was made by Jonathan. Sargent and Daniel Dod to have an acre or two of land as a piece: Exchanged, or Given them to Build on, at the end of the Town, near Hauns Albers(') or the Mil(l)er(' )s Lott, ( was left to the meeting for its consideration, and) Sarg' t Ward and Stephen Davis ( were) Chosen by the Town to rfake a View of the Land, Make a True Report of the Nature, Quality, and how much may be srared without prejudice to the Highways, or (the) Miller(' )s Lott, if any be found there (missing a part of the sentence) upon such an Ac­ count. (This they reported on the ninth that each of them may be allowed) an Acre and (a) half of Land to Build upon near Hauns Albers(') Lott, where Serj. John Ward and Stephen Davis sha11 ap­ point (the places). (At the meeting of May 24, 1669) the Town agreed and chose five Townsmen for the Remainder of this Year, or until the first of January next ensuing. And the Men chosen were Mr. Cam(p)­ field, Sarj. John Ward, Earj. Richard Harrison, Sarj. Edward Riggs and Robert Den (n) ison, who are impowered and betrusted with the Care of finishing of the Meeting-House; all the matters about the common fence, or fences in the General Line; ordering, or Setting out * High ways in the fields, or elsewhere (as) expedient, and about the Hearding of Cows, (and) driving out * the dry Cattle in the Town-and what they shall agree upon herein the Town will Act accordingly. For an additional piece of land to his adjoining land, John asked at the meeting of January 1, 16(70), as the entry says: Sarj. John Ward hath, upon his Motion, (been) given and fully granted to him by the Court, that (a) Parcel of upland that was form­ erly granted to the boatman, which lies adjoining to his own Division of Land in the Great N eek. (At the same meeting, he drew Lot No. 62, in the) Division of Meadow (land). At the general meeting of January 25, 1670, Rev. Abraham Pier- . son was given : The Grant of * * (a) Home Lott, that was formerly Mr. Leet' s, upon Condition that he pay(s) for the Purchase Twenty-four Shillings, and for the Fence belonging to it, as Sarj. John Ward and John Brown, Sen'r., * are chosen mutually to be (ap)Pr(a)iz­ ers of it according to the State they find it in. The town meeting of that day was the most important event in its history for the townspeople: In general all agreed to have a Division of Land, viz. : V pland to be lard out as soon as can be, of Six acres to every Hundred Po"Jnds Estate. And they chose five men whom they impowered and would confide in their Faithfullness and Discretion, to make as just a Sizure and measuring of the said Division as they can; and 220 THE WARD LINEAGE

wholly to order the Names of the Lying of the Several Ranges and Shotts of Lotts, in each Place respectively, with all necessary High­ ways and Passages for Carts and Cattle, commodiously as the Places will afford and do call for every ·where. * * * And the Names of the Sizers are Mr. Robert Treat, Mr. Samuel Kitchell, Henry Lyon, Thomas Johnson and Sarj. John Ward; and any three of them agreeing have Power to issue any Matter, under Hand, about the same. On the following day was the drawing of thirty-one lots, * * * "in the great neck, either in part(s), or whole(s) of their Division," and John was the ninth to draw ''for his half Division," Lot No. 2. John's brother, Lawrence Ward, the venerable deacon of the church, had died. His appointment with John Brown, our indirect ancestor, was made on April 18, · 1670, by the court to act as ap­ praisers of the inventory of his brother's estate. His reliability in the execution of estate matters seemed to have been heightened when he was selected with John Brown, once more, on the inventory of Matthew Campfield, _when they submitted their report on June 11, 1673. In Campfield' swill of March 19, 1673, bequests are men­ tioned among which are "other land (s), next to Sergeant Ward's (land)." In the \vill of Stephen Freeman, dated June 14, 1675, John is mentioned as one of the three executors on the administra­ tion of his estate. Here we pause for a diversion in John's life story. It seems, ·by the following entries in the Branford Town Records, that he went there early in the fall of 1670 to transact some business: October 6, 1670, Sarjant John Ward And Samuell Rose mad(e) An Agreement with Thomas Blachley for to Exchange the(i)re Generali Fences, w(hi)ch Layes against the S(aid) Blachley(' s) past(u) r( e). January 20, 1671, Sarjant John Ward, of Arther Cull, Branded a bay * Colt, with T on ye neare buttocke, natueral(l)y marked wi(t)h a bro(a)d whit(e spot) (o)n ye forehead, and (a) whit(e spot) on ye upper lipe & a L(i)ttell whit(e spot) aboue ye of (f) nostrill, & (on the) neare foote behind {it is) white (and) as high as ye ff eterlock. February 1, 1671, Sargant Jo. Ward, of Arther Cull, Branded a · bay * Colt, Cominge two years old, w (i) th T on ye neare buttock, Natuerally marked w(i)th a stare (o)n ye fforehe(a)d, & (with) a white (spot) betweene ye nostrall(s), haueing a grayesh blue mane, & grayesh blue tayell. The term ''Arther Cull'' is a misspeJling for Achter Kol, meaning his home town in Dutch, ''beyond the Bay'' of New York. It seems that our sergeant left his bay colt in good hands on his leaving for THE WARD LINEAGE 221

New Jersey, and later came back to have the colt branded to prove his ownership. It is not stated whether he took the colt home with him or sold it~ In those days the brands were sometimes significant; for like a coat of arms a son often took the same earmark which his father used, and sometimes the mark was only slightly varied by the other sons. When a man died his cattle was distributed among his sons. They would not want their brands to be exactly alike yet, with the cattle already branded, they could not depart too far from the father's brand. They might use the same brand with some slight addition, or a mark of differentiation. It is noticed in the record that most of the brands were ''T'' on the near buttock. Whether this had any special significance as indicative of relationship, it is hard to say. It seems during his, absence the Newark town took action, on December 12, 1670, to agree that: Serg' t John Ward should be Allowed to have Fifty Pounds to ht_s Estate added, and to Take up Land for tt, and that piece of Land in the N eek of the Boatman(' )s {land) is to Goe on upon the Account which was Before Given Him. · It seems it was a reward from the town for the unselfish services he had rendered. He was about that time home from Branford. He attended the meeting of January 2, 167(1), when he was chosen, with WiHiam Camp, to be surveyors "for the Ways of Meadows and upland To­ wards Maple Island, and the Two-Mile Brook.'' On February 20, 167(1), John was among those to whom the town granted the: Liberty to take up their division of Bogs, Each on(e) Against His Lott, (and) the Breadth"' of His Lott, and (they are to) Agree Among Themselves without ariy Charge for their Highways, or to Lay them out to the T o·wn. ·· :; It is not certain whether the name Jno. Ward, as appears in the list of February 21, 167(1), appli_es to himself upon his' 1 retur~·from Branford, or to John Ward, the turner, on the drawing of lot.-No. 46, in the. second division of a ''Salt Meadow'' tract, though he was, with Henry Lyon, Thomas Johnson, Stephen Davis, John Carling, John Curtis, John Brown, junior, and William Camp, "Chosen to Lay out this Second division o'f (the) Salt Meadows." _ The to~n, at its meeting of November 26, · 1671, discussed the taxation for the year, and~ · It wa~. agreed that a List 9f every Man(' )s Estate Shall be· Brought in to the men, ap(p)ointed Between this (time) aNd 'ihe 2nd (of) Decembe·r ·Next, and every one that dwells in the North End of the 222 THE WARD LINEAGE

Town (is to submit his list) to Serj' t Jno. Ward, and those of the South End to Tho. Johnson. John was appointed, with Obadiah Bruen, Thomas Johnson, John Curtis and John Brown, junior, to attend to this work and ''Issue it as soon as they can.'' His property was ''in the North End of the Town," lying on what is now Washington street, immediately oppo­ site the park and the end of Washington place. He was chosen at the meeting of June 17, 1672, with Samuel Kitchell, Henry Lyon and Thomas Johnson, "to end the Difference Betwixt Deacon (Richard) Lawrence and Robb ( ert) Dalglish A bout their Second Division.'' Apparently a letter from Rev. Jeremiah Peck was read at the meet­ ing of December 9, 1672, and John Treat, Deacon Michael Tomp­ kins, Sergeant John Ward, and Henry Lyon were desired by the town, ''to return an answer to Mr. Peck's Letter, Either in Writing, or By Word of Mouth." It seems to pertain to the reverend gentle­ man's difficulty with the rates that the town desired the appointed committee to fix them in an amiable way. The town at its meeting on February 15, 1673, chose Stephen Freeman and Stephen Davis, ''to measure the fence upon the Hill by Thomas Richard's {lot), and after the (most) Convenient Place from Stephen Freeman's Corner to the Hill." "Serj't Ward" and Henry. Lyon were directed to join with them, and ''they were to bring the Report of it to the Town; and they were also appointed to settle the Places for the Gates-which accordingly they did.'' In John Ward's days, ''bush burning'' was an established institu­ tion, generally taking place in the first week in March, or later of each year. The spring clearing was made a town affair, on February 28, 16 73, by the selection of six supervisors. ''Serg' t Ward" and another one, were designated to supervise ''for their end of the Town,'' two being selected for the middle of the town and two for the other end. They were ''to appoint a fit Season to burn the Woods. Also, it is agreed that every Male from Sixty years to Six­ teen shall go out one Day to burn (the) woods.'' ..fhe bush burn­ ing scenes were sometimes grand, and the custom was kept up for many years. In the drawing out of land tracts not yet laid out it \Vas agreed, at the meeting of May 26, 1673, that each drawer shall own a hundred acres, "accordingly proportionable to his Estate." John was the twenty-ninth in his turn to receive Tract No. 49. When Newark went under the second Dutch rule in the summer of 1673~ "Sarjent John Ward" ·was chosen on the fourth of August, THE WARD LINEAGE. 223 with three others, to get in touch with the Dutch authorities at New Orange (New York) with regard to setting up a new county incor­ porating all the towns between the ~'two Rivers, (the) Passaick.. and (the) Araritine, or as many as will join with us'' and seeking the same liberties, as were enjoyed in the past. The concessions were granted, and the Dutch, in turn, required the New Jersey towns to nominate by plurality vote, six persons for ''schepens,'' or magis­ trates. The sergeant was one of the six, receiving the thfrd highest vote, on the twelfth of the month, and on his return home aJter be- 1ng• sworne in, on September 1, 1673, he was known.., as ,f ' ' Schepen• Ward.'' But he felt his position keenly when, on the sixth of Sep­ tember, a meeting was called to swear allegiance to the Dutch su­ premacy; and on his becoming a,· lieutenant of a military company organized the day before, he had to subscribe to the oath of his office, or suffer the consequences. While the Dutch were in supremacy, Newark held a meeting on August 30, 1673, for the election of military officers. Sergeant John Ward and Josiah, son of John Ward, the turner, became lieutenants, and Sergeant Richard Harrison and his son Samuel Harrison, ensigns. They were then given charge of the town soldiers for the protection of local property. As early as May 23, 1671, provision was made for a training day, at first near the frog pond when it was: Agreed upon that, (on) the 5th of June Next~ (and it) shall Be forthwith Published for every Soldier (on) that day to appear at the beat of the· drum, to show his.Arms and Ammunition, and t-0 spend the day in the Exercising ( of) their Arms, as they shall Agree among Themselves, under the Penalty of 2s. (and) 6d. for Absence, and all former penalty(e)s Agreed upon for being defective in their Arms­ and ( when) they so met (they) shall have full power to Appoint an­ other day of Meeting.:..::__and to order the matter of the Squadron for the carrying of Arms to (the) Meeting, and Warding on the Lord's Day During the Time of (the) Publick Exercise, (and) which is the Town's mind, and order that it should be Stri(ct)ly Observ(e)d and Attended. On September 16, 1673, "Mr. (Jasper) Crane, Mr. (Robert) Bond and Mr. (John) Ward (were) chosen to treat with the (Dutch) Generals about (the) Terms for the Neck, and if they can (succeed) to buy it.'' It was the famous New Barbadoes N eek belonging to Nathaniel Kingland that the Dutch had confiscated, and the towns­ people grasped the opportunity for bargaining· with the possessors. The town had; on -the· order of the sixth of the month, sent a petition to the Generals if the town ''might have the N eek" by purchase. Historian Pierson, in his ''Narratives of N ew·ark,'' says: 224 , THE ·w ARD LINEAGE

Oh, that the resolution ( of the sixth) had been adopted! The settlers were unconsciously drawing a net about themselves in which . they floundered in misery, for a decade. (Dutch) Governor Anthony Colve paused, in his repast of sausage and waffles, when the com­ mittee visited him, and expressed a desire that the Kingsland purchase be transferred to Newark. The prospects of a substantial addition to the Dutch treasury placed the governor in an affable mood. Con­ fidentially he informed Mr. Crane, who acted as chairman, that formal possession of the estate would be .assumed in the name of Hol­ land government and the sale would soon be consummated. The Kingsland estate eventually became a part of Newark, on the original offer after the failure of dickering for terms on several occa­ sions. The town held a meeting on October 25, 1673, and agreed "that every Individual Man or Planter in the town shall, by Way of proportion, in * (a) Rate, be engaged for the Purchase of that part of the N eek, which formerly belonged to Major Kingsland.'' John Ward and six other leading men were ''chosen to take the Pattent in their Names, in the Town's Behalf, and to give Security for the Payment of the Purchase." On January 31, 167(4), John Ward, with four other authorized men, was "chosen to compleat(e) this Business about the Neck, with (the help of) John Catlin and Edward Ball (as attorneys)." The purchase money was completed on the fourth of February, but the delivery of the deed was withheld. War between Holland and En­ gland-France had come and resulted in the Dutch's defeat. Desire for redress was expressed by more than one settler attend­ ing the meeting, on February 28, 167(5), and a proposition to lay hands on Nicholas Bayard, Secretary of the Dutch comm1ss1on, was unanimously adopted, instructing : Stephen Freeman, John Ward and John Catlin, * to go over to New York, and the Town doth empower these Men, upon good Advice, to lay an Arrest (on the) person and Estate of Nicholas Bayard. Though duly placed under restraint, the official offered no recom­ pence to the committtee. Attempts "to seek for Reparation for our Expense about the Neck" got the Newarkites nowhere. Kingsland was again in the possession of his property, and the Town standing the loss, and the ''N eek Account'' was dosed. By defeat the Dutch regime was short-lived. Peace between Hol­ land and England-France \\'as signed on February 1, 1674, and the Dutch sailed from New York in the first week of November, 1674. Philip Carteret resumed his gubernatorial office on the seventh of November. Apparently in the interregnum the town kept on operat­ ing as, on March 19, 167(4), Richard Fletcher asked at the town THE WARD LINEAGE 225 meeting to have ''his land laid together,'' and John, with two others, were designated to : View whether it (is) convenient or not, and (if) according to (their) find (ing), it is left to them to lay out, if {it is) not prejudical to the Town, provided he make(s) a way over the Swamp, where they appoint (direct) him. On August 10, 1674, John, together with five prominent men, were nominated for magistrates. He was among nine men to com­ pose a committee, on October 31, 1674, "to consider of such Things as may tend for the Good of the Town, (and) also they have Liberty to debate of such Things, with any (member) they shall see Occa­ sion so to do, without Calling a Town Meeting." He was on a different committee made up on February 5, 1683, to pursue the same policy. Philip Carteret resumed his office as governor of New Jersey on November 6, 1674. The following day, Newark sent "Mr. Ward and Mr. Kitchell as deputies to go over to Bergen, (and) * hear what the Governor hath to read according to his Warrant.'' On December 11, 1674, five influential men were added to go with John Ward and Samuel Kitchell to see what plans the goveq1or had in view for a reorganization of the provincial government but,· to their dismay, they found them drastic. The governor's orders from his superiors, the Lords' Proprietors, were that the payment for quit!.. rents must be in "money currant," instead of farm produce, as was the customary barter, that the government of the towns was vested in his absolute power, and that no one was to have a voice in it unless actually holding land by patent from the governor. To take exception to it, a stronger committee was chosen on March 8, 167 (5), as we read from the proceedings: Being it is thought fit we should sen(d) in Writing our Minds about pattenting to the Governor-Mr. Ward, Deacon Lawrence and Thomas Johnson are chosen to go down to Elizabeth town and prefent it, and also to debate with him about the matter. Both Mr. Piersons (father and son) are desired, together with Mr. Kitchell, to draw up Matters, in short for that End. They also were met with a rebuff, but the town did not intend to be downed, so on October 26, 1675, it chose "Lieut. Ward and Sarjent Johnson * * (as) Deputies, (to) go down to Eliza­ beth Town to meet the Governor and (his) Council." It was futile, for the governor remained adamantine and refused to yield. From that date on to March 30, 1677, John was again and again placed on committees, which had in charge the relations of 226 -THE WARD LINEAGE

Newark to the real governor, Sir Philip Carteret, and later the usurp­ ing governor, James Carteret; and also on the committees, ·which consuited the former with regard to the chartering and patenting of the town. The town went back to its monotonous activities for, on February 28, 167(5), John Ward was "chosen to carry on (the) Town Meet­ ings till a New one (is) chosen." It was almost ten years since the town had expanded. A need of allotment on the third division of land, which practically included all the remaining upland, was on debate at the town meeting of May 18, 1675. By vote it was agreed: That the highest Estate shall not exceed above fony Acres, and the others not to exceed above Twenty, and the others not to exceed above Thirty; and that this Land shall all lie common for Pasture, Timber and Stone till it (is) enclosed by (a) Fence. • On drawing out by ballot John received a fifty-acre tract, which was eventually bounded on the north by the land of Thomas Johnson, on the east by the plain, on the south by the land of John Catlin, and on the west by the hill. Its location was at the mountains, west of Newark. Under Carteret' s regime Newark's town militia was organized. On July 15, 1675, Sergeant John Ward was recommissioned as lieutenant, his commission being renewed on July 4, 1681. By his commissioned office it seems to indicate that he had served under the titl~ as early as 1673 for, on the twelfth of August of that year, he was carrying the epaulet of sergeant when he was nominated, with five others, for magistracy curing the Dutch administration. To vote for the ''Deputies for the General Assembly" to meet in April, it was agre€d, at the meeting of January 1, 167(6), that the voting shall be by a raising of the hand. Lieut. Ward and Thomas Johnson were "chosen to attend (to) that Business," or, in other words, to become members of the general assembly. Under his new military title he attended the assembly, with considerable regularity each year until 1679. In 1680 and 1681, he was elected as a "1'hird ,, Man. On March 13, 1676, the "County Court of Newark" was created by the governor and his council, and John was commissioned as one of the three magistrates to render assistance in the monthly court. His commission was renewed in 1677, 1678 and 1679, and in the year 1680, as president of the court. He, with these men, was granted a commission to hold a "Special Court of Oyer (and) Ter­ miner," in the following years: THE WARD LINEAGE 227

December 18, 1678-To try an action between Capt. William San­ ford, commander of the town milita1y company, and Nicholas Blake, of New York. June 27, 1679-To decide the ownership of a vessel of which Robert Taylor, its master, was drowned. Attending the town meetings had gradually grown scant, especially oftentimes less than a majority of the planters answered to their names at regularly called meetings. Fines, as a result, were provided for absenteeism on November 28, 1672; personal visits were made upon the delinquents by the townsmen and constables, and every human power was exercised to awaken a keener sense of the electorates' duty but to no effect. The town finally got exasperated and set up a drastic ordinance, on March 21, 167(6), calling attention to the fact that: Having had much trouble about (the) disorderly coming to (the) Town Meetings-the Town doth now agree that l'wenty-four Hours shall be accorded (a) legal Warning, and if any Man doth not come to the Place of Meeting to answer to his Name at the Second Beat of the Drum, (he) shall be fined 6s. * * * For a whole Day's Absence, (he) is to be fined half a Crown, and for half a Day's Absence fifteen Pence, and for going * (out) before the Meeting is dismissed, without leave, two Shillings, except he give(s) a satisfying reason, as af ( oresai)d. Also, if any Man be absent (him­ self) Part of the Day, he shall, besides (paying) his fine, lose his Vore, and stand to what the 1'own hath done, or sl:all do (for) his Absence. John was on the roll of fifty-five men who defied his fellow citi­ zens by levying fines upon them. The clerk of the meeting was then instructed to Htake Notice of th(e) fines and demand Of those (who) are defective (for their non-attendance), and keep them on * file to be disposed of as the Town shall see cause.'' It was ordered that "Mr. Ward (shall) give Notice to all, (who) are Planters, that * * their Names (are) listed, and ( warn them to) attend (the) Town Meetings." Not knowing for certainty that the survey of the boundary line of Newark had been placed on record at Woodbridge, the town on February 7, 167(7), chose: Mr. Ward and Thomas Johnson * * to go to Woodbridge, and inquire _whether Mr. Delepary (had) caused what h.e. hath done in Respect to what he surveyed for our Town Bounds to be recorded in the Secretary's Office, and if not, to go to him, and use (all) Means to have it recorded in the Secretary's Office speedily. On June 6, 1677, a bond was provided by Stephen Bond, of New­ ark, blacksmith, in conjunction with Mary, widow of his fat her Bond: 228 THE WARD LINEAGE

To ~bserve and uphold the awa1d to be made by Lieut. John· Ward, Samuel Kitchell, John Ward, (the) turner, and Stephen Davis, all of Newark, in relation to the e~tate of Hugh Roberts, left under the management of his wife Mary and of Robert Bond, on which (the) said Stephen had lately administered. The widow was the wife of Hugh Roberts, her first husband, and both of whom were our probable ancestors through Priscilla, wife of John8 Cory. Robert Bond became her second husband in ] 672. Lieut. John Ward was named one of the three executors of the will of Hugh Roberts, dated February 26, 1671. The lieutenant's sister, Mary Ward-Fletcher-Clark, died in Farm­ ington, Conn., in February of 1678. Among the beneficiaries she designates in her will of November 28, 1677, is that of her ''brother John Ward, of Newark," to be given twenty shillings. At the meeting of February 6, 167(8), the discussion was brought up that: The Town having made an Act, March 20th, 1670, to have the Com(m)on fence divided to every man his just Proportion and Share, according as he hath acres of Land within the fame, and also hath chosen Robert Den (n) ison, Stephen Davis, John Catlin, John Curtis and John Brown, junior, to Proportion(ate) the same, and hath also engaged to sit down satisfied with their Detemination. They, having therefore measured the Fence, do find that two acres, one Rod and Twenty poles of Land, doth require one Rod of Fence (for) that Land, which is already laid out. Also, they have proceed­ ed to lay the side fence according to the best of their Judgment, the Number of Lotts and Rods to each Man being also here recorded­ beginning with the first. As John was on the list for his lot No. 39, his share for the "Pro­ portion of Fence was "12 Rods (and) 4 Feet." To each of the homestead owners no one, except those ·who were physically unable to perform, was exempted from the task of fencing the common land. Desiring more land as far up to the top of the first range of the Orange n1ountains, the town empowered John and three others, on March 1, 167(8), to act as committeemen on the purchase of the land from the Indians. At the meeting of March 30, 167(8), the co1nmittee reported the success of their negotiation with the natives. The town then adopted the resolution that: It was thought needful, and (they) agreed, * by Vote, to send a Petition to the Governor and (his) Council for a Charter, with as good Privileges as our Neighbors at Woodbridge have, (for) all the Lands, which (are) surveyed (for) us by the Surveyor, as our Town Bounds; and (for) those Lands as are not yet purchased, (and for us) to have Liberty with convenient Time to purchase it, or till the Indians will sell it. THE WARD LINEAGE 229

The pet1t1on was drawn up and placed in the hands of John as chairman of the committee to be submitted to the governor, for the town's expansion of lin1its incorporated. His old friend and beloved pastor, Abraham Pierson, having crossed the river Styx on his way to the land of spirits, on August 8, 1678, John was among the six executors, as found mentioned in his will of August 10, 1671, to carry out his desires in the distribution of be­ quests. He was also appointed, on March 12, 1679, as one of the three appraisers of the inventory of the estate of the esteemed rever­ end. News of the small-pox scourge in New York reached Newark. On February 12, 167(9), John was made a member of a committee, which had in charge the quarantine arrangements necessitated by the existence of the epidemic. The committee was empowered to grant exceptions to those whose ''occasions are of urgent Necessity'' to be in New York. Rumors of Indian uprising were heard in the town. At the meet­ ing of April 17, 16 79, it was voted that : It is thought necessary, * * * upon (receiving) the News concerning the Indian (up) rising, that we, for our Part, send (a mes­ senger and) desire the Governor to call the General Assen1bly (to) consider what may be (done) to secure (protection for) ourselve5 in Case of such Danger. (John was designated) to carry the Town ( 's) appeal to the Governor. As chairman of a committee of seven men, John was empowered by the town order of February 18, 16(80), to rearrange the "seating (of) Persons in the Meeting-House," according to their status in life--'_'Office, Age, Estate, Infirmity and Descent or Parentage." Silently the congregation, one and all, entered and accepted the seats assigned to them on the Sabbath morning following. John was again on another committee chosen at the meeting of February 25, 168(4), to rearrange the seating of the parishioners at the meeting-house, "which (is) left to the Disc·retion of the Committee, * * ac­ cording to the best of their judgment," and " (to) produce (service for) the mending ( of) Seats that are broken.'' When the Hollanders were defeated in 1674, the Dutch Governor Anthony Colve relinquished all the country he held in his possession to Edmund Andros, the newly-appointed British governor of New York. Two years later New Jersey \\i·as split in twain. Lord Berke­ ley, being dissatisfied with his returns in Colonial real estate, sold his share of the province on July 1, 1676, to John Fenwick and Edward Byllings for a thousand pounds sterling. William Penn and others were associated with them in the transaction for what was then called 230 THE WARD LINEAGE

West Jersey. East Jersey remained in the possession of Sir George Carteret, in which Newark was a flourishing town. Its autonomy was not disturbed by the division. Governor Carteret continued his headquarters at Elizabethtown. Governor Andros of New York, did not view complacently Carteret' s act in placing tariff on cargoes imported and exported at Elizabeth­ town, it being the sea-port to which he objected. He claimed that his authority extended over East Jersey and asserted that all vessels should pass at the port of New York. In April of 1680, Andros notified Philip Carteret that his commis­ sion extended over the soil of East Jersey, and asked for the vacancy of his office. Carteret replied that, by a lease from the Duke of York to Sir George Carteret he was still the appointed governor. Andros disagreed and insisted that His Majesty's letter patent, being of greater importance than of a more private nature, that he should be the proclaimed governor. But eventually, on Carteret' s sugges­ tion that the problem be referred to the English authorities it was agreed to by Andros, but it was never lived up to. In a bold effort to secure the control of the government of East Jersey Andros issued a warrant for Governor Carteret' s arrest. On the night of April 30, 1680, Carteret was seized, kidnapped and brought to New York in irons. Meanwhile wise and conservative men, schooled by experi­ ence like John Ward, Samuel Kitchell, Richard Harrison and other prominent Newark settlers, lent their influence and counsel in quiet­ ing the public feeling. Apparently Andros' supremacy was ignored by the town at its meeting held on May 3, 1680, three days after the assault was made upon Carteret. Captain John Berry was then the deputy governor when Joh~ Ward, Richard Harrison and three others were selected to be on a committee to petition him and his council, if it could be possible ''to enlarge and settle (the) Town Bounds,'' because of the deprivation Hof the Neck and Hockqueknung" the town suffered and, in lieu it (was) the town's Hdesire to have it made up in th(e) Land and Meadow called Poquanuck, and to have a Charter for the whole." This referred to the Kingsland purchase, which was then agitating the town life. Re$entment was aroused over the methods adopted by Andros to secure possession of East Jersey. The trial of Carteret took place in New York, being conducted in the early morning of May 27, which resulted in his acquittal by the jury. Governor Andros declined to receive the verdict and once more charged the jury but to no purpose, for the verdict was obsti­ nately returned for the second time: "Not guilty." The governor THE WARD LINEAGE 231 was still stubborn and the court was reconvened the next forenoon, and the result was the same for the third time. Realizing the hope­ lessness of further prosecution, Andros accepted the recommendation that Carteret be returned to East Jersey with the understanding that he was not to engage himself in participating in any official acts, civil or military. The dispute was to be referred to the Lords' Proprie­ tors for a solution. Apparently .word was sent from the usurping governor's office in New York to all the towns in New Jersey for the election of dep­ uties to meet in an assembly at Elizabethtown. _· John Ward, the turner, being then constable of Newark, made returns on May 24, 1680, of the election of "Mr. John Ward and Mr. Thomas John­ son,'' as deputies. Governor Andros arrived in Elizabethtown on June 2, 1680 with a retinue of soldiers, sailors and servants, and proceeded to the council house where, after the deputies were sworn in, he delivered a long inaugural address, of which the following brief account is preserved : He acquainted them ( with the fact) they are ( were) met for the King(' s) and (the) Country(' s) Service, and in order to it, he hath brought the King(' )s Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of En­ gland, to his Royal Highness and his Commission, that this Part of the Country, m (ight) by them, their Representatives, see the Author­ ity, and his Majesty's and his Royal Highness(') care of them in every respect, as of the other Parts of the Collony; pursuant, to which and Law, he hath endeavored not to be wanting in his Dury for the wel1fare of all, though by some mistake and neglect, they have not been so unanimous and united as they ought ( to be), and now are (to see) by the said Great Seal, which is their Grand Charter Rule and Joint Safety; and Things being now come so well to their right Channel, he doth again, by virtue of the above Authority, confirm the remitting -(of) all past Actors(') assuming Authority, and offer to their Consideration how necessary it is (for) an Act (to) be made to confirm all past judicial Proceedings, and for the Times and Places of keeping their future Courts and Sessions. Historian Pierson interprets, by reading the proceedings, that the deputies, John Ward being one of them, insisted strenuously that all the privileges enjoyed by the inhabitants of East Jersey under Carter­ et be assured to them for the future. This was at first refused but Andros was eventually forced, later in the day, to sign an agreement en1bodying these provisions which gave the people a victory and, at the same time, it displayed his fear of the strong-minded colonists. _Meanwhile a gqod many of the J erseyites vented bitter utterances at Andros for his nerve in assuming the government of East Jersey, as- is indicated by an instance in· the proceedings instituted against 232 THE WARD LINEAGE

William Taylor and another one. One R. Mann, in his sworn testi­ mony given on June 8, 1680, stated the following: I, (the) under-written (person), being at Jonas Wood, ye ordinary keeper(' s tavern) there, did * heare Wm. Tailor, com(m)only called Doctor Tailor, utter many railing (and) invective speeches against S (i) r Edmund Andros & his Government, saying yt S (i) r Edmund Andros was a rogue & a traitor, & had dealt treacherously in taking away theire Government, meaning Captain Philip Carteret, & yt he would say it to his face, then repeating ye .words he had s(ai)d (to the) afores(ai)d, together with many other opprobrious Language, at which discourse Mr. Justice Ward bid him hold his tongue, yett still he did persist, saying yt S (i) r Edmund (Andros) had none, butt a Company of Rogues arid Traitors about him in his Councill, & yt he would not be governed by such being(s, who would repeat) the very words. A warrant was then issued on June 10, 1680, and sent to Consta­ ble Ward, of Newark, for the arrest of \-Villiam Taylor, if he could he found within ''their precinct.'' On July 21, 1680, Governor Andros, receiving the returns from the New Jersey towns, approved of Newark's election of: Mr. John Ward, Mr. Thomas Johnson and Capt. Samuel Swaine to bee Overseers (officers?), & together with the justices of ye Toune, &c., (to) Heare & determine all matters, not exceeding 5£ according to (the) Law. The proprietary government, under which it had operated in New Jersey, came to an end with the death of Sir George Carteret in England, in September of 1680, and in the following year, at the age of forty-three, his remote cousin Philip Carteret died, and in the wake came the ''landlord (s') tyranny.'' At an all-day meeting, held on October 19, 1681, it was concerned in the fencing of four acres of common land. To each homesteader a task was assigned. More than eighty al1otments were made, rang­ ing from two to fifteen and one-half rods. As John's lot was No. 37, he was to lay, proportionally in his share of labor, ten rods of fence. The work was completed, and an enclosure was provided for pastur­ ing the town cattle. Spring was on in April of 1682, and the fire wood at Rev. Abraham Pierson's house had dwindled during the past winter. By the town order of the nineteen of the month, "Mr. Ward" and three others were to compose a committee to pick" (the) Time for * carry­ ing (in) Mr. Pierson's Wood,'' to be replenished for the following winter. "All persons (are) to attend (to) the Work upon one Day, when the Overseer doth appoint it.'' The deputies, elected to represent the town at the General Assem- THE WARD LINEAGE 233 bly, were without, or lack of information, as to the town's needs so, at the town meeting of February 5, 168(3), it was moved that "a committee (be) chosen to consider * some Things, as they think may be for the Town's Good, in order that our Deputies should promote the same at the General Assembly.'' John and eight other experienced men were designated to compose the committee, and to instruct the deputies in what they considered that the town needed. Attendance at the town meetings was again indifferent and neg­ lectful, and on January 1, 168(4), the order of March 21, 167(6) was resurrected, and attention was called to it. A resolution then was offered that: For Want of due Execution many are remiss in their Attendance, by which means (the) Town Business is much hind(e)red, and some as do attend (are) much dan1nified by losing their Time. We, that are now present, do assent that all past offenses on this account be made past by (up) to this Day. And (we) do now subscribe our names [provided that Three-fourth(s) of the Planters do subscribe their names] that all and every penalty in that Order before mention­ ed, (relating} to our late Coming, total Absence, or irregular going * (out, do stand) before the Meeting be dismissed. * * * We do now agree and think it most fit that Three Men, in each End of the Town, be Chosen, for each Person that is remiss, to repair to (the collector) within two or three Days, at most, after the meeting; and if their Reasons are satisfying to them why they were absent, the(ir fines) shall be remitted; otherwise within three Days after (su)ch Town Meeting, their Names as are remiss shall be re­ turned to the Constable, who is to gather up such Fines, and shall have half ( of them) for his Pains. Among the fifty-seven signatures on the paper appears the name of John Ward, to uphold the resolution for a full attendance at the regu­ lar meetings. On May 30, 1684, the town met and chose "Mr. Ward" and five others to be on a committee: To consider and draw up something (to) * be in readiness, ( when) Occasion (comes for us) to manifest our Right and Title to the Land we bought of the Heathen(s). (They were allo,ved) Liberty to call in * (the) Help and Advice of any others, whose suggestions m (ay) be '"-'Orth considering. It appears that there had been some hitch as to the limits of the Newark town bounds, as the land proprietors were far from being satisfied. At the meeting of January 24, 168(7), it "·as "agreed that there shal! be a Committee to treat with the Committee of the Pro­ prietors about our Settlement ( of) the Town Bounds.'' John Ward was appointed as chairman, with four others, uto give (then1) In- 234 THE WARD LINEAGE structions (i)n the Town's behalf," as to the proper bounds. John was on a committee of thirteen, he being the chairman, created at the meeting of February 7, 168(7), "to take Notice of all Lands that Persons have appropriated to themselves, and regulate the same," and that they ''are to Order now a fourth Division of Land * (to) be laid out, (and) that there should be thirteen ( persons so) that there might be a casting voice among them, if need should require.. '' The aged town minister, Rev. Abraham Pierson, had passed away, and his son, bearing the same name, accepted the responsibility thrust upon him to assume charge of the rude sanctuary. The town held a meeting on January 9, 168(8), to provide for his temporal welfare as the parishioners had done so loyally for his father. As read by an action taken at the meeting: It is fully and unanimously consented to, and agreed upon, by every Planter now present, all being called by Name, that they will from Time to Time, pay, or cause to be paid yearly, in their full Propor­ tion equally, in a Rate that may be agreed on, by the Major Part of the Town, for the Maintainence and Allowance now agreed upon, for the upholding and preaching of the Word in our Town; and Eighty Pounds by the Year is agreed upon, to· be allowed to the pres­ ent Minister \vith his fire-wood, and to be Rate free. "John Ward, Sen'r," as his name appears, being the first on a long list of subscribers agreeing to pay their proportional rate for the support of the young successor. No satisfactory undertanding had been reached with the land pro­ pnetors. At the meeting of April 30, 1688, John was chosen as chairman of a committee of eleven men, with authority: To endeavour a legall Settlement with the Proprietors, offering to give a legall Acknowledgment for Lands \\'ithin our Town Bounds, as axprest in our Bill of Sale and Priviledges suitable for us. -The said Committee, in {its) Offer, {is) not (to) exceed the advice of such of their Neighbours, as are most cai:able to give Advice in that Matter. From June of 1689 to August of 1692, East Jersey had no govern­ ment whatever. It was because a few months after Deputy Gover­ nor Hamilton left the province for Europe, in August of 1689, that the Newark inhabitants were left in the care of their county and town officers. At the meeting of March 25, 1690, the following resolution was passed: It is voted that there shall be a committee chosen to order all af­ fairs in as prudent way, as * {it) can, for the safety and pres­ ervation of ourselves, wives, children and estates, according to the capacity we are in. (John was designated to be on the committee THE WARD LINEAGE 235 as chairman, with five men, and were) to join with the (men) in (a) military capacity. As stated elsewhere in this life story, John was made a justice in 1677, 1678 and 1679. It is apparent that he was still serving in the judicial capacity in 1691 when William Camp and Seth .Tompkins, as overseers of the will of John Baldwin, junior, dated December 25, 1688, and made "at Newark, in the government of New England," requested "the justices of Newark, Mr. John Ward and Mr. Thomas Johnson," to "convene" on Jun~ 20, 1691, and "g(i)ve their sense and approbation of what might be most suitable * (for) the settling of what lands belonged to the heirs.'' The young Rev. Abraham Pierson had resigned his pastoral field in 1692 to accept a call to Killingworth, Conn. The service of Rev. Mr. John Prudden, who was a classmate of the out-going minister at Harvard college, was secured to fill the vacancy. Old BMr. (John) Ward'' was on a committee of seven leading men, empowered at the town of the meeting of August 23, 1692 to offer encouraging inducements for Mr. Prudden' s coming and settling. The condition was: That he may be better (able to) attend upon the work of (a) Minister as his Business, and for the more comfortable Sustenance of his Family * (during) his Attendance therein, that he shall have £50 p(er) annum, and his Fire Wood free, to be paid yearly, accord­ ing to several Contributions voluntarily subscribed by them ( the pa­ rishioners) to Mr. Prudden, or his Order, so long as he shall con­ tinue with them employed in the Ministry, * (and) * that (he) shall have and hold a Pro priatie (estate), and other Conveniences for his Accommodations in this Town, as shall be agreed upon between him and the Committee appointed to treat with him. As the result of the "treaty," drawn up between the new minister and John and his fell ow committeemen, it was agreed that he: Shall have and hold the accom(m)odations, purchased of Mrs. Falconer, for his Proprietie, to him and his Heirs forever, he paying, or causing to be paid, the two last Payments, indented * with Mrs. Falconer. The venerable lieutenant John Ward was somewhere close to his seventies,-as a soldier, not of his country only; but aho of his Heav­ enly Captain, when he was surprised without his ~armor, to fall in his last conflict in November of 1694. As he, Richard Harrison, Peter Condit and others of our ancestors were laid in a poor spot, through which the chief officers and its legal guardians consented to open a highway, in cons.ideration of an equivalent of thirty-three by forty-five feet of the ''the t0\\7n lot,'' the knowledge of the original burial loca- 236 THE WARD LINEAGE

tion of the primitive settlers is lost, with John's and others' memen­ toes. Below is his interesting and remarkably well-written will, as taken from the original will now in the keeping in the archives of the Secretary of State at Trenton, N. J. The names of his ''living daughters" are not mentioned. The will is as follows: Newark, Octob(e)r 31st, Anno Dom(ini), 1694, Be it known that I, John Warde, sen(' )r, Inhabitant of Newarke, in East Jersey being at present, Sound in minde, of perfect memory and good understand­ ing, [thanks be to Almighty God for it], though sick & weake in Body, [through the hand of God upon me], waiting for my change and dissolution, every day by Bodily Death, doe make, constitute and declare this, my Last will & Testament, in manner and forme, as followeth: Revoking and Annulling, by these presents, all and every testament and testaments, will and wills heretofore by me made, and declared, either by word ( of mouth), or writing, and this (is) to be taken for my Last will and Testament, and none other, and in the name of God, Amen. lmprimis: . I commit my soul, i(m) mortal, unto God, who gave it, to glorie him, and to be glorified by him forever more, and I give my Body to the dust, [out of which it was made], to be decently and honorably buried, in (the) hope of a better Resurrection, by Jesus Christ, who shall change this vile, fraile and corruptible Body of mine, into the likeness of his own glorious Body, according to the working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself, That soe I may be ever \Vi th the Lord, which is (the) best of all, A men. Moreover: I dispose of my worldly Estate, which I am possessed of, as followeth, viz.. : all just and Lawful Debts, with ffunerall charges, being first paid by my Executours, I will that my Dear and Loving wife, wh(o) now is Hannah ward by Name, shall have & hold, possess and enjoy, \\'ithout any manner of suit, Let, troubl ( e), or molestation from my Heirs, or executors or administrators ·whatfo­ ever, right, interest, profit, priviledge, or benefit in Lands, stock, or moveable (s) that did, of right, belong, and (in) any way appert (a) en unto her, in her former desolate estate, as the widdow and relict of Thomas Huntington, deceased, that is to say, what shall Remain of the said moveables, at my Decease, and also one third part of all the moveabl ( e) chattells, of any sort, belonging to me, to (be) first divided unto her, by my Executors, in convenient time, after my deceas(e), as her who(le) Dowry, out of (my) Estate; one ·n1ore only excepted, which I have given unto my grandson John Ward, as a gratuity, with her (consent), and the gun, which he ureth to Traine with. Moreover: l will and bequeath unto my son John Warde by Name, my Dwelling House, being situate in the Township of New­ ark, lying between John Morice('s lot) and Nathaniel Warde{'s), with a part of my Homestead and orchard first planted thereupon, that is to say, a part of my homestead, above~aid, lying Next adjacent unto John Morrice(' s lot), beginning upon the front, at John Mor- THE WARD LINEAGE 237 rice his Lott, and running Northward, upon the ffront to the North end of the Dwelling house, and from thence westward, upon a square Line in Length, within one Rod of the first Ro ( w) e of trees, in the New orchard, holding the same Breadth, from John Morrice(' s) lot; ffront and Reere; moreover, I bequeath unto my son John, one half of my upland Lott, by (the) first division in the ( worn off) and my me(a)dow, at maple Island, as butted and Bounded, in the records ( \\'Orn off), together with that part of (the) upland {lot) within (the) fence, at the mountaine, which he hath made improvement upon, to be and Remaine to hi (m), as his Right and propriety, by Legacy from after my Decease. Moreover: I will and bequeath unto my son Nathan(i)el warde by Name, a part of my Homestead, ahovesaid, next unto the Lott, which he now liveth upon, Running upon the ffront, from his Lott to the North end of my Dwelling house, and from thence upon a line ,Nestward to the Reer of my Homestead, holding the 5ame breadth, Front and Reer, with the Barne yard, Trees and improve­ ment(s) made thereupon. I give also unto my said son Nathan (i) el half (of) the me(a)dow, called Amendment, and Four Acres of salt me(a)dow, more with half (of) my second Division of upland, Lying in the N eek; and six acres of the Land, Called pasture, (and) more­ ov-er, what upland within fence, at the mountaine, he hath improved, and hath in TiJlage, and one half of that, which I have there, within fence, and under my own improvement, (and) all and every * parcell, or parcels of Land and me(a)dow, above mentioned, I will and bequeath unto my son Nathan (i) el to have and to hold as his proper right, after my decease, as a Legacy from me. Moreover, I will and dispose ( of) in this, my {last will and) Testament, as is expressed on the other side parte. Moreover: It is my will that my son-in-law Jabish Rogers should have and Hold what Land he now hath, under his improvement, and within ffence, at the mountaine, and an equal pane with Nathan (i) el, of that which is now under my improvement there, as his Right and propriety, after my decease, as a Legacy from me. Moreover: I will and bequeath unto each of my Daughters now Living, and unto the surviving children and issue of my Daughter Hanna (h) Baldwin, deceased, a sixt (h) part by (an) equal di\·ision of all my mov(e)abl(e) estate, chattels, and goods, and other out­ lands belonging, of right, to me, in the Bounds of N ewarke, and not dispose(d) of, before in this, my will, [excepting on)y that pane] of my Homestead and New orchard, which lyeth in the reere of my Lott, between John morrice('s) and my son Nathan(i)el(')s Line, aforen1entioned, which from the Bounds set unto my son John ward, I give unto my son-in-law John Cooper, for him to have and hold, possess, and enjoy, to the use & benefit of him, and his Assignes, after my decease, which shall be vallued and reckClned 1 at seven pounds, and * part of pheby (') s share, in the devision. Note also that my son Nathan (i) el ward shall not Bound his division Line, upon the North end of the dwelling house, as mentioned afore. but it shall be allowed for John to advance his North Line t\\·enty f(ee)t 238 THE WARD LINEAGE

beyond the house, and for the full confirmation of this, my will and Testament. I have hereunto affixed my seal and subscribed my Name, the day and date, above-written, hereby also Nominating, constituting and appointing my Dear and Loving sons John and Nathan (i) el warde, joint Executours of this, my will and Testament, willing and im­ _pow ( e) ring them to act and doe all and every thing, that may be Necessary for the performance of the premises, as near as may be, according to the minds of the Testator. -Signed and sealed in the presence of us.-John pn1dden, sen(') r, (and) Herbert young. Newark, 20th, November, 1694, John prudden, Sen(' )r, & Robert young, witnesses, subscribing to ye within & above-written Instru­ ment, did solemnly swear upon ye holy Evangelists of almighty God, yt they did see ye above-written (instrument) John ward Sign, Seale, publish & declair ye within & above-written Instrument to be his Last will & testament, & yt, at ye time thereof, he was of sound mind & perfect memorie, to ye best of their knowledge & understanding, swor(e) before me, (the) under-written Commis(sioner) for takeing ye probate of all wills & testaments, date above-written.-Thomas Ogden. Perth Amboy, (the) 5th (of) Dece(mbe)r, 1694, Entered upon ye publick Records of ye L(a)t(e) province of East new Jersey, In Lib: E: fol. 196, and Exa1nined by me, Thomas Ogden, D ( eputy) Sec(reta)ry & Reg{iste)r. Letters testimonial, with (the) preceding will annexed, ( was issued to the named executors, on the eighteenth of December). The location of John's land possessions is disclosed in the records of the following: August 25, 1675, patent granted to Jasper Crane, for the ninth tract of "fourteen a( cres) of meadow (land) at Great Island, bounded (on the) S(outh) by (the land of) Lieut. John Ward"; March 15, 1694, patent to John Curtis~ for the seventh tract of "6 a(cres) at the bottom of the great swamp, E(ast of the land) of widow Ward;'; December 20, 1695, patent to John Gard­ ner, for the eighth tract of "another piece of meadow E(ast of the land of John Ward"; April 27, 1696, patent to Samuel Rose, for the tenth tract of "5 a(cres) N(orth of the land of) John Waard, Senior, and (the land of) John Baldwin"; June 5, 1696, patent to John Morris, for "a house lot, 10 by 6 chains, N(orth of the lot of) Mrs. John Waard"; June 5, 1696, patent to John Baldwin, Senior, for the fourth tract of "4 a(cres) in the salt meadow W(est of) Lieuten­ ant Waard"; December 10, 1696, patent to Theophilus Pierson, for the fifth tract,-"a lot at Beefe Point, 10 by 6 ch(ains), W(est of) Lieut. Ward"; January 20, 1697, patent to Francis Lindsley, for the second tract of "4 a(cres) in the Neck, N(orth of) John Ward"; May 1, 1697, confirmation of dee.cl to Joseph and Hannah Bond "in (the) right of their father Stephen Bond, blacksmith, dee' d," for the THE WARD LINEAGE 239 third tract of "11 a(cres) in the (East) Neck, E(ast of) Mr. Waard"; May 1, 1697, confirmation of deed to Jasper and Daniel Crane "in (the) right of their father John Crane," for the ninth tract of "4 a(cres) of meadow at the mouth of the river, S(outh of) John \Vard"; March 25, 1698, patent to Samuel Huntington, for the second tract, -"a lot on the hill, Westside of (the) town, 11 acres, N(orth of) John Ward"; March 28, 1698, confirmation of patent of Matthew Camfield, ''in the right of his deceased father,'' for the second tract, -"a lot by the mountain, N(orth of) Mrs. Waard"; August 1, 1699, deed of Samuel Rose to William Brant, for a tract of "5 a(cres) of meadow (land), N (orth of) John Ward, Senior"; and March 18, 1699, deed of Samuel Huntington to Jonathan Baldwin, for '•11 acres on the hill, W(est) of (the) town, (and) N(orth of) John Ward." Apparently, John's first wife, whom he married in 1646, was Sarah, whose surname is not yet found, as appears in the Branford Town Records of October 14, 1672: "John Ward, of Newworke, in the p(ro)uince of New Jersey, * (sold) * to ..fhomas ·Guttsill (Goodsell), of Branford, (several parcels of lands, with descriptions)". T·he witnesses were Michael Taintor and Eleazer Stent, the latter being the town clerk and recorder. Then follows this: "Sarah Ward, the wife of John ward, of N ewworke, in the province of New Jersey, did [in the presence of Samuel Rose and Anthony Olliff] owne(s) and acknowl­ edge(s) the bill of sayle which her husband made with Thomas Gutt- SI·11 • '' Then, by an entry under the same date, "John Ward, senior, of Newworke, in the province of New Jersey, h(as) sold, and by these presents do(eth) ali(e)nate and make over unto Michaeli 1'aintor, of Branford," with the descriptions of several parcels of land, which were witnessed by Eleazer Stent and Thomas Goodell. His wif~ died sometime before 1690, when he took for his second wife, Hannah ( Crane) Huntington and daughter of Jasper Crane, then the widow of Thomas Huntington, who died in 1685. She probably· was much younger than her first husband. Though she also was considerably younger than John himself he probably t~ought her a suitable companion, as some widowers, even in our days, prefer young women to old ones. His other old ·friend Jasper Crane, having taken departure from this life before October 28, 1681, he and Thomas Pierson, son of the elder Abraham Pierson, were appointed to appraise the inventory of old Jasper's estate, as presented to them for that purpose by his son Deliverance Crane and his son-in-law Thoma$ Huntington. 240 THE WARD LINEAGE

Five years after the latter's death in 1685, his widow became John's· second wife. While living in Branford, Conn., there were two John Vv. ards; one being known by the term "sergeant,'' who went there from · Wethers.tield, and the other, by his vocation and his coming from New Haven. Both the John Wards accompanied the colonists in the moving to Newark in 1666. One Ward compiler positively affirms that they were first cousins, but fails to cite proof for their relationship. The plain names, without prefix or suffix, found in the town records are sometimes too confusing and perplexing to distin­ guish which Ward we wish to credit in this life story. It seems both th~ John Wards went to Branford to dispose of their land pos­ sessions by sale. By his first wife, John had the following children : Jonathan, born about 1647; probably died when young. John, jr., born April 10, 1649; died May 5, 1695; his first wife ·Mary was daughter of Henry Lyon, and his second, whom he married about 1680, was Abigail, daughter of Samuel2 Kitchell by his first wife. MARY, our lineal ancestress. Nathaniel, born November 3, 1656; died in January of 1732; married Christiana, daughter of Samuel Swaine, and sister of Elizabeth, who was the first ship passenger to step ashore at Newark. Hannah, born November 20, 1658; died before 1694, was married to Jonathan Baldwin, November 2, 1677. Elizabeth, born January 24, 1660. Dorcas, born March 10, 1663; died January 25, 1738; was wife of Joseph, son of Richard2 Harrison. Abigail, born April 20, 1665; evidently died when young. Sarah, born in Newark, N. J.; was wife of Jabez Rogers. Deborah, born in Newark, N. J.; was wife of Eliphalet Johnson. Phoebe, born in Newark, N. J.; was wife of Col. John Cooper. Authorities consulted: ''Willis Family of New England-and New Jersey," by Charles Ethelbert Willis and Frances Caroline Willis; Genealogical and Memorial History of the State of New Jer~ey," by Francis Bayley Lee; ''Genealogical Notices of the First Settlers of Newark, (N. J. ), '' by Samuel H. Congar; "Narratives of Newark, (N. J.)," by David Lawrence Pierson; "First Presbyterian Church in Newark, (N. J.)," by Jonathan F. Stearns, D.D.; 0 Newark Town Records"; ·'Calendar of New Jersey Records 1664-1700"; "Abstracts of Wills"; "New Jersey Archives"; "New Jersey Colo­ nial Documents''; '' History of the Colony of New Haven, (Conn.),'' by Robert Atwater Smith; ''Colonjal Records of Connecticut, 1665- THE WARD LINEAGE 241

1678," by J. Hammond Trumbull; and research work by a Con­ necticut genealogist. MAR Y8 WARD: See the life story of Samuel8 Harrison in the Harrison lineage.-Page 182.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 Richard Ward,, , born, , died 1635; wife, Joyce. 2 , . .. John 1625; , , 1694; Sarah. 3 •• 3 Samuel Harrison, ," . 1647; 1724; Mary Ward. , •• , , 4 Peter8 Condit,, , , , 1714; Mary Harrison. Peter4 . . •• Phoebe4 Dodd.- , 1699; 1768; , Henry5 Axtell, . 1738; •• 1818; . Phoebe4 Condit. 6 , , , . , . 6 Simeon Cory,, , , , 1774; , , 1847; , , Rhoda Axtell. James7 1801; 1880; Susan7 MuHord. 242 THE STEVENS LINEAGE

The identity of the JOHN1 STEVENS, who is known to be the ancestor of the Stevens family of Guilford, or the place from which he came, is at present in doubt. It is stated in the ''Stevens Gene­ alogy," by Rev. C. Ellis Stevens, L.L.D., that he was the second son of Sir Edward Stephens, of Little Sodbury, county of Gloucester, and of a most creditable English line which bristles with coats of arms, and extends back to Airard Fitz Stephen, a nobleman of Nor­ mandy. The story is very interesting and the line is one of which any American may well be proud, but one link in the chain is broken, so the previous history availeth not. Unfortunately the compiler did not extend his research quite far enough, for according ·to Foster's "Alumni Oxoniensis," "John Stephens, son of Edward, of Little Sodbury, Co. Gloucester, arm., matriculated at Lincoln College, Nov. 24, 1637, aged 15." An in­ scription taken from St. Thomas' church at Oxford tells the remain­ der of the story in Latin which, translated, is as follows: John Stevens, second son born to Edward Stephens, of Little Sod­ bury, in County Gloucester, Armiger, a youth of great natural ability, and beyond the ordinary inclinations of young manhood, distinguished for piety and literary·attainments, died April 8, in the twenty-second year of his age, in the year of our Lord, 1643. These records prove that John, the second son of Edward, was born in the year 1622. Had this John lived he could not have been "the ancestor," as he was only seventeen years old when the real ancestor emigrated as the father of four children. Such evidence as this cannot be overthrown and remove any possibility of claiming de­ scent from this honored line. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register of 1916 refers to a will of Dame Anne Moulson, of St. Christopher, London, widow of Sir Thomas Moulson, knight and alderman of London, under date of August 11, 1657, and proved on November 2, 1661. In this docu­ ment the testator wills: To Mr. John Stevens and ·his wife, another of my niece(s), Knight's daughters; Mr. Thomas Stevens, eldest son of Mr. Ste­ vens, by Anne, his late wife, daughter of my husband's brother, etc. THE STEVENS LINEAGE 243

This might possibly refer to 'the "Ancestor John." There is no authentic information as to the wife's name, which may have been Anne instead of Mary. Steiner's history says John came from Kent. It would seem likely that he did come from that section, and that he was not an armiger, but a well-to-do farmer. This opinion is justi­ fied by the following extrac~ frol)l Barber's ''Historical Collections'': ''Among the first 46 original planters who settled in Guilford were John Stephens and.Thomas Stephens." The first planters who came to Guilford were of two ranks, viz.: such :who in England are called gentlemen and commonalty. !'~one were poor andJ1ad few or no servants. The gentlemen were all men of wealth and had the appel- 1at1on . o f ' 'M r. ' ' ; t he oth ers, ' ' goo d man, ' ' or ' ' ne1g. hb or. ' ' Th e fi rst planters were almost all husbandmen by profession, no tradesmen or blacksmiths being among them. They were country people and chose Guilford as a place like their old home in Kent, England. It is more than likely that none was entitled to bear arms, and the descendants of "John Stevens" may well console themselves w-ith the reasonable assurance that their ancestor was ''Mr.'' John Stev-ens, gentleman. . The first known record concerning him was his appearance on the second ship that came into . Quinnipiac bay, in July of 1639, he being among twenty-four persons, most of whom settlej in Guilford. Though not being a signer of the original plantation .c~venant, he is known by the· Guilford rec;ords, to have settled there before, or about 1645, at which time he acted as a jud~e in the town. It would appear likely, however, that he had been there some years to have been appointed to so important an office. In 1650, he g2ve his name and the names of his sons Thomas and William in the fir5t list of settlers in Guilford with the spelling, ''Stephens.'' In all later recor ds, t h ey were ''S teevens, '' or ''S tevens, '' t h e f ormer b emg. more common. He was a member of the church of England. He ·was married in England, and his wife must have died before he emigrated, as she is not mentioned in any records of Guilford. He must have united with the ch·urch at Guilford between 1650- and 1656, as he is record~ ed as a freeman in 1656. He a_nd his sons Thomas and William were in Guilford, at the ''first division of lands." His ''home lot,'' of one and one-half acres, . • I . . was on the east side of Fair ~tr:~~t, next,_north of William Dudley. He .also owned thirty-six and: o_n~-quarter acres of ·"upland," beside the: .alder swamp, near the present Alderbrook c~metery~ Among the seventeen signers of the ·petition· subm1hed to the Con- 244 THE STEVENS LINEAGE necticut colony at Hartford in 1664 appears his name, praying that they '' may liv·e as Christians, and sit under our own vine and fig tree with peace and safety, (and) we beg of yu to conseder our pr(e)sent streats. '' This, the colony of Connecticut could not do because of her agreement with New Haven on the combination of the union, and in despair, under the leadership of Bryant Rossiter they left and settled in Killingworth, on the east side of the Hammonasett river. The rest of the Guilford people remained staunch to the New Haven government until the end, though a few of them were as bitter against the merged formation as the New Haven people were. John executed a deed of gift to his son Thomas of his East Creek land, near the alder swamp, under date of March 11, 1670. He made his will on August 27, during his last illness three days before his death, •which occurred on September 1, 1670. The will was signed with his mark, he doubtless being too feeble to write his name in fuJl as he had often done in his days of health. The full' text of the will is given as copied from the original probate records by the compiler, who found it on file in the New Haven Probate Records: This writing witnesseth that I, John Stephens, of Guilford, in the county of New Haven, being sick and ill in body, but of perfect mind and memory, blessed be God, I do leave this, my last will. and testa­ ment as followeth : And first, I bequeath my soul into the hand of Almighty God yt gave it (to) me, and my body to ye dust to be decently buryed, and for the worldly goods yt God hath given me: First-I give to my sonne Thomas Stephens the mare I usually ride on, and my best brass kettle. I give and bequeath to my sonne William Stephens all my houseing and my home lot and my meadow, at the East River here in Guil­ ford, he paying out of it £20; £10 to my sonne John Stephens in old England, to he paid in currant pay in New England, and £10 to my daughter Mary Collins. Also, I give n1y son Thomas Stephens my best su (i) te, and my cloake and my bed and one payre of sheets, and all my other bedding. I give five pounds apiece to my four grandchildren, to-u·it: James and John, my son Thomas' sons, and John and Samuel, the sons of my son William Stephens. Further, I Give to Mary Stephens, the daughter of my son Thomas, a payre of sheets, and I give to Judith Stephens, the daughter of my son William, a pay re of sheets, and the rest of my estate (is) to he divided in equal portions between my sonne Thomas Stephens, and my sonne William Stephens, and my daughter Mary Collins, and I do make my sonne Thomas Stephens sole executor and administrator of this, my last will and testament; to pay all the debts and gather in the dues to ye estate, and to see that they he faithfully discharged. To which I set my hand and seale, this 27th day of August, anno THE STEVENS LINEAGE 245 domini, one thousand six hundred and seventy. -The mark of John Stephens.-Sealed and subscribed in ye presence of William Johnson (and) William Leeward. . The inventory of the estate showed £32: 15: 00 of property 2t Kill­ ingworth and £93:05:01 at Guilford. On March 11, 1670, six months before his death, John executed a deed of gift to his son Thomas of his "East Creek Land, near the alder swamp, and all after divisions of land. The Christian name of his wife was Mary. His children were: Mary, born about 1623, died in 1700; was married the first time to Henry Kingsnorth, of Staplehurst, county Kent, England, and the second time, June 2, 1669, to John Collins, of Branford. THO MAS, our lineal ancestor. William, born in England about 1630; died in Killingworth in January of 1703; married the first time, March 3, 1653, Mary, daughter of John and Tho1nasia (Fry) Meigs; the second time, Sarah, widow of David Carpenter, of New London. John, born about 1632; was a shipwright; lived successively in West Haven, New Haven and New London; returned to England; married Mary, daughter of John Coit. Authorities consulted: ''A Genealogy of the Lineal Descendants of John Steevens, Guilford, Conn.,'' by Charlotte Stevens Holmes; ''Nash Family-Fifty Puritan Ancestors,'' by Elizabeth Todd Nash; "History of Guilford, (Conn.)," by Hon. Ralph Dunning Smyth; "Colonial Records of Connecticut, 1635-1678," by J. Hammond Trumbull; and "John Stephens of Guilford, (Conn.), and His De­ scendants,'' by Hon. Ralph Dunning Smyth, in the New E'ngland Historical and Genealogical Register. 246 THE STEVENS LINEAGE

THOMAS2 STEVENS came to America with his father and brother William, probably when grown up but not yet of age. He married in 1650, Mary, daughter of John Fletcher, of Milford, Conn. As he was born in England about 1628 it is thought his wife was younger by about four years, being born at Stretton, England, about 1632. By the list of the Guilford planters of 1650 he seems to have been admitted as a freeman, but by the subsequent records it does not seem that he was. He was one of the malcontents, objecting "to all (the) former way(s) of rating." Consequently, on October 27, 1650, three as­ sessors were chosen "'to make all rates by ·way of the proportion, according to ye general Court order for rating.'' These assessors "set down the valuation(s) of houses," and gathered up ~'the sum­ mes of all estates," to the satisfaction of their way of thinking. In 1654, an expedition against the Dutch was proposed by the united colonies. One hundred and thirty-three men were New Ha­ ven's proportion of which Guilford was to furnish her quota of seventeen men, and Serg' t. George Bartlett was to command them. Thomas was designated to be a corporal for the New Haven troops: But onley for this present service, and he (is to) Pr(o)ce(e)de (but go) no higher in any other office, because he is not a freeman, and that the chiefe military officer (should) be acquainted with it. In respect to his corporal standing, the caveat of the court illus­ trates the care taken by the New Haven colony to commit military authority to none but church members. Perhaps an exception to the rule was allowed in this case since no church member could be found who would willingly go. Corporal Stevens was told anyway that he could rise to no higher office, and that his rank would cease when the expedition returned home. He stood trial in court on March 1, 1655, being accused of Hselling flax, not currantly dressed & wanting about an ounce in each pound; his weight and balance being proved, * (to be) found defective, the scales (being) u_neven, (and) the weight too light. H~ pleaded that he had sold much flax formerly, which did hold weight and that the reason of this parcel being deficient was that: .. THE STEVENS LINEAGE 247

He had lost off from the spring of his scales a piece of lead, being a pistol bullet beaten out, which was to even the scales, (and that) he made up the parcel of flax in moist weather. (The court told him that) it was a gross mistake not to have his weight (correct) for sundry years, (and that his excuse was not sufficient. Further, though) they were willing to conceive and hope (for) the best, that he might not knowingly deceive. Yet they thought it just to fine him ten shillings, and to compel him to make up the losses to others from his scales. The case of Meigs vs. Stevens was being heard in court on the first Thursday of December in 1656. John Meigs, who was by nature a quarrelsome man, claimed that Thomas Stevens had sold him some land at Hammonassett for· ten shillings, which statement was confirmed by his wife Mrs. Meigs, whereupon Thomas Stevens said Meigs and she were: . No fit witnesses, whereby he ·went about to impeach ·one, or both of their credite & so (as) to breed great (in) difference and trouble between them & him (among) others, & yet in a manner of no great moment. (T'he court advised them that they should settle the mat­ ter) rather between themselves, or by· (the) n1ediatio(n) of some friends, * (and) end (the) controversy & not to hazard such hurtful events, as n1ight proceed from ( what) they were going on in. (This benevolent advice, they were sensible enough to take). In a fraud case heard in court on December 2, 1658, was a com­ plaint of Thomas against William Dudley, jr.: For deceitfully working up shoes. * The shoes were show(n) in Court, w (hi)ch appeared (to be) both shorter than (the) other shoes of yt size, & to be made up of many shreds·· of leather, instead of (a whole piece. for) a middle sole, which being (made in) an unusual manner & (did) much wrong to the wearer of the shoes, as \.Vas judged by 3 shoemakers in Court, for w (hi) ch offence he was adjudged to p2y 5s. to the Complainer, for his Costs & damage, * lOs. to the Treasury for injury to the Commonwealth, & (the shoemaker) was admonished to looke it better hereafter, both his size & making, &c. Bryan Rossiter, a physic:an and son of our probable ancestor Ed­ ward Rossiter, lived' in Guilford.' He was dissatisfied with the gov­ ernment of New Haven jurisdiction, a~d set himself to the task of fanning the half-dead embers of disliking toward the union with New Haven. He was in opposition to the established authorities, on No­ vember 10, 1661, when "he made objectio(n) ag(ain)st-the jurisdic­ tio (n) rate, or charge, & against the Town Treasurer for paiing, or allowing it to be paid to any (one) out of the Town rates, upo(n) that Ace (oun) t." He also complained that the town accounts were not audited, and together with Thomas Stevens: 248 THE STEVENS LINEAGE

Raised up offensive objections ag(ain)st the Governor & Towns­ men, for * sundry parts of the Towne goodes, or estates were, or seemed to be taken away, & not accounted for; instancing * dung fro (m) Mr. Higginson' s yarde, nameing_-about 20 loads so taken away, belonging to the Towne. Concerning the general controversy which preceded the union with Connecticut, the town records give no disclosures, as they are blank from May of 1662 to February of 1666. There was doubt­ less too much to do to keep up the records. Other sources, how­ ever, filled up the gap to some extent. In the early part of 1662, Dr. Rossiter and his son John, with sundry others, including Thomas, his brother William, John Bishop, jr., Richard Hubbard, Thomas Cruttenden and John Sheather, ~'Subscribed ( wrote) some offensive papers," a copy of which Thomas handed to Gov. William Leete, and other copies were ''spread abroad to the disturbance of the peace of this jurisdiction.'' Next to the troublesome Rossiter, Thomas seems to have been the chief man in the business, and he was made to: Confess (his fault) yt he now sees yt, he had done yt, which he ought not to have done, nor should have done it, if hee had con­ sidered it, & yt he was sorry for it; & desired to have it. passed by & confest, yt he had grieved ye spirits of those, among whom he lives. The other five men whose names were signed to the papers seem to have been more submissive followers and to have had little idea of what they were doing. Thomas never became a freeman of Guilford. Because of his not getting on well with the newly-formed jurisdiction, and perhaps in a. pique, in company with Bryan Rossiter and others, he moved with his father and brother to Killingworth in 1665, and tendered their persons and estates to the Connecticut colony. They were received and guaranteed protection. But, the general assembly at Hartford, on May 11, 1665, saw "cause to defer ye adminstering (of) the free­ man's Oath to Thomas Stephens, Wm. Stevens (and three others) until some f(u)rther op(p)ertunity." It was not until October of 1669, that he was on the list of ''the names of the freemen of the Towne of Kennelworth,'' on taking the oath of fidelity. He then became a man of ability and prominence, being twice elected to the general assembly, at Hartford, May 11, 1671, and May of 1673. On March 11, 1671, he sold to his brother William all his lands, at the east end of Guilford, reserving his right in ''any other divisions that shall be hereafter laid out,'' and his right in "commonage, if they (shall) come to be stinted." On June 7, 1679 he sold nine acres of his East creek land to his son-in-law Stephen Dodd, and on THE STEVENS LINEAGE 249

May 28, 1683, he sold to the same man the rest of his East creek land a·nd his old home lot. Thomas secured by purchase the mill of John Elderkin, at Kill­ ingworth. The sale was confirmed by the Hartford assembly on October 16, 1672: Prouided the money Thomas Stevens pays for the mill and the fifty acres of land, in Norwich on (a) hill, cal1ed the Westward Hill, be allso reserved for the children of Richard Henry, deceased. Thomas died on November 18, 1685, leaving his wife to survive him. By her he was the father of thirteen children. According to the Killingworth Records, the distribution of his estate took place on June·l, 1686. Following is the extract: The widow Mary reserves to herself the house and the home lot 1n the town. Then follows the distribution to her sons, with a clause that "it is also agreed that James and Timothy shall have the mill," &c. In confirmation, it was signed by his children, Mary Stevens, James Steevens, Timothy Steevens and Thomas Steevens. The children of Thomas were : James, born in Killingworth, Conn., February 21, 1651; ''went to sea in the year 1685, and as yet not heard from"; his wife was Mary, who was perhaps a daughter of Henry W akelee. Mary, born in Killingworth, January 25, 1653; died before 1690; was married May 18, 1678, to s,eRhen,,.. son of Daniel and Mary (Wheeler) Dodd. 1/ Y ·J~-· Rebecca, born in Guilford, Conn., about 1655; died February 26, 1737; was married May 6, 1678, to Edward Rytty, of Killingworth. SARAH, our lineal ancestress. John, born in Guilford, March 10, 1660; died in 1722; mar­ ried April 28, 1684, Abigail, daughter of Henry Cole, of Wallingford. Thomas, born in Killingworth, February 21, 1662; died De­ cember 1, 1703; married the first time, June 9, 1686, Hannah, daughter of Daniel and Mary Evarts; the second time, November 9, 1688, Sarah Bushnell, who died in 1691, and the third time, a woman whose Christian name was Deborah. Timothy, born in Killingworth about 1664; died February 21, 1712; married about 1696, and had a family. ( twins; born in Killingworth, April 23, 1666; the Joseph I former led a single life, ''hath been gone divers years ~ and not heard * (from)" in 1697; and the latter Abigail I died in August of 1727; was married about 1690, to LEdward Lee, of Guilford, as his second wife. 250 THE STEVENS LINEAGE

Elizabeth, born in Killingworth, July 14, 1668; died Novem­ ber 15, 1738; was married about 1690, to Nathaniel and Sarah Chittenden, of Guilford. Ebenezer, born in Killingworth, January 26, 1670; died No­ vember 13, 1738; married Jean Redfield, April 27, 1698; had no children. Phebe, born February 21, 1673; died November 18, 1685. Jonathan, born February 2, 1675; died June 2, 1746; married Deborah, daughter of Isaac Stiles, of Stratford, Conn. Authorities consulted: "A Genealogy of the Lineal Descendants of John Steevens who settled in Guilford, Conn., in 1645," by Charlotte Stevens Holmes; "History of Guilford, (Conn.)," by Hon. Ralph Dunning Smyth; ''History of the Colony of New Ha­ ven, (Conn.)," by Edward E. Atwater; and 4 'History and Gene­ alogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, ( Co.nn.)," by Donald Lines Jacobus; and "John Stephens of Guilford, (Conn.), and His De­ scendants," by Hon. Ralph Dunnin~ Smyth, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. \/. ~ ~ SARAH8 STEVENS : See the life story of Stephen2 Dodd in the Dodd lineage. -Page 195.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 John Stevens, born, died, , 1670; wife., 2 , , 2 Thomas '' 1628; , , 1685; Mary Fletcher. 2 , . ., 3 Stephen Dodd,, , 1656; 1691; Sarah Stevens. 3 , ' , ' ', 4 Daniel 1679; ,, Elizabeth Riggs. ', '' 4 Peter'3 Condit, 1699; 1768; , Phoebe Dodd._ 5 ., , ' , 4 H enry Axtell, , , 1738; , , 1818; , , Phoebe Condit. 1847; 6 Simeon~ Cory,, , ., 1774; , . , , Rhoda Axtell. James7 1801; 1880; Susan 7 Mulford. THE RIGGS LINEAGE 251

EDWARD 1 RIGGS, the head of the family in this country, was born in England about 1590, probably in Lincolnshire or Yorkshire, for it is understood that the name is still to be found in that region. There have been many wild stories told about the origin of the family in this country-"the three brothers that came from Wales, etc,'' and as to that there will be no pretense to controvert except by sim­ ply suggesting what is known historically. Edward landed in Boston early in the summer of 1633, with his wife Elizabeth, two sons, and four daughters. These children must have been young people pretty well-grown, for his oldest son was married two years after their arrival. They ·were among the very early set­ tlers in Roxbury, then a suburb but now part of the city of Boston. It was said that the best people settled in the newly-founded town. Like all imrr.igrants they had their full share of trials' and sorrows. The first death recorded in the old book of Roxbury was that of Lydia Riggs, daughter of Edward, in August of 1633. In May of 1634 another daughter Elizabeth died, and as did the son John in October of the same year. August of 1635 tells of the death of the wife and mother Elizabeth. Some time after this Edward took a second wife, but there were no children from this union. She was also named Elizabeth, and all we know of her history is that she was buried on September 2, 1669. It is fully evident that Edward was a Puritan in belief and life as on May 14, 1634, he was made a freeman, which means a voter, and the first step to that privilege was to be a member of the church. On a loose leaf found in the ancient transcript there is an enumeration of the inhabitants of Roxbury, made sometime between the years 1638 and 1640, in which Edward's family consisted of four persons, and it is no violence to assume that they were himself, his wife, and two daughters, who afterward became Mrs. Al1en and Mrs. Twitchell. I Being a quiet Christian man, his long life can1e to a close in 1672, leaving a good name as an inheritance of the thousands descended . from him. His wilJ, dated September 2, 1670, is now in the keeping of the Suffolk county probate court at Boston. It was probated on March 6, 1672, being as follows: 252 THE RIGGS LINEAGE

The last Will and Testament of Edward Riggs, of Roxbury, Hav­ ing the perfect use of my understanding and memory, although very Crazy and weak in Body, first my Soule I give up into the hands of my most mercifu11 Saviour Jesus Christ, and my Body I leave to my friends and relations, to bee, by them, decently interred, and for what portion of Estate, the Lord hath lent unto mee, I doe Dispose of, as followeth: lt(e)m: my Debts, which I owe to any pen:on, being first paid, My will is that my Daughter-in-law, my Sonne Edward Rigges, his wife, shall have twenty shillings, and to my foure grandchildren, my Sonne Edward(' )s Children, I doe give four pounds (and) twenty shillings, to each of them. lt(e)m: further, my will is that the remayning part of my Estate, I give to iny Daughter Mary Twitchell, and to her Children, and to my Daughter Mary, I doe give a Double portion, namely: twice Soe much of my Estate as falls to any of her children, and her children to have equally a like portion. lt(e)m: furder, my will (is) that my Daughter Mary Twitchell shall have my Bed and the appurtenances thereof, as sheetes and Covering, and my cu(p)b(o)ard, and Chest, and what (are) in them onward of her part, and her whole portion (be) paid soone after my decease. it(e )m: further, my will is that my grandchild Elizabeth Allen shall have her portion likewise paid soone after my decease. lt(e)m: further, my will is that my grandchildren Joseph Twitchell and Raup Twitchell shall have their portion (s) paid them, by my Executor and overseer(s), when they come of age, or at their day of marriage, (and) in the meane time, their part shall remayne in the hands of Steven Williams, if hee accepts it, payini for it ·what my Executor and ov(er)seer(s) Judge meete. It( e)m: further, my will is that the rest of my grandchildren, by my daughter Mary T'witch­ ell, shall have their portions paid them, when they come of age, or at their Day of marriage, by my Sonne Twitchell, in case hee re­ ceive(s) it of my Executor and overseers Soone after my Decease, and give(s) * security to them for the paym ( en)t of it, to my grandchildren, at the time appoynted, or if not, then to bee paid to them by my Executor and overseers at their day of marriage, or when they come to age. lt(e) m: further, my Will is that my Sonne Ed­ ward (' )s wife s~all have their portions paid them, by my Executor & overseers, upon their Demanding of the same, my will being in due season Signifield unto them, by my Executor and overseers, in case they doe demand it within foure yeeres after my decease, if not then my will is that it bee equally divided between Joseph Twitchell and Hannah --r witch ell. Lastly: my desire is that my loving friend John Steebins be Execu­ tor, and my loving friends Mr. Thomas Weld and Giles Parson bee · my overseers of this, my will and testament.-Septemb (er) 2 ( n) d, 1670.-Witnes(ses) Robert Williams (and) Samuell Williams.­ (Signed), Edward X (his marke) Riggs, a.od a Seale. Memorandu( m): the word [Executor, interlined above, was before THE RIGGS LINEAGE 253 the finishing of this, my will, and alsoe that in case any of my grand­ children should dye before they received their portions, then my will is that their portion(s) bee equally divided among them that are liv­ ing; further, my mind is that the words] soone airer my decease, for the paying of my Legacies, bee understood of, (to be) one yeere after my decease; Excepting ye Bedding and other moveables given to my Daughter. Robert Williams and Samuell Williams made oath before Edward Tinge and William Stoughton, Esq(') rs, this 6th (day) of the 1st mo (nth March), 1672, that they were present, when Edward Riggs Signed, Sealed and published this to bee his last will and testament, and that when hee soe Did, hee was of a disposing minde, This (being) done, as abovesaid. As Atteste * Grace Bendall, Cler(k). From his will it appears that only three lines of descent survived him and that all his children were dead, except Mary Twitchell. His daughter Mrs. Allen left a daughter Elizabeth Allen, then of age, and a legatee of the children of Mrs. Twitchell, of whom only Joseph and Mary are named, and they, as well as the others not named, appear to have been minors. Mrs. Twitchell was the prin­ cipal legatee. His first bequest is "that to my daughter-in-law, my sonne Edward Riggs, his ·wife'' and to my four grandchildren; my sonne Edward Riggs' children. It will be noticed that none of these is named, and as the Riggs family compiler could not find three chil­ dren of the second Edward for a long time, there was some doubt as to whether Edward, of Derby and Milford, Conn., and Newark, N. J., was the son of the testator. At last, he succeeded in locating the fourth child, Samuel, of Derby. The will furnishes reasonable evidence that the testator had personal knowledge of and affection for his daughter-in-law, and that she and her children then lived at a distance remote from Roxbury. It is also evident that he knew the widow and the children of his '\onne Edward" \Vere not in needy circumstances, or he would not have assumed the possibility of their not claiming the legacies he left to them. His inventory, taken on March 5, 167(7), shows the appraised value of his estate, as given below: His moveables at 17: 12 :00 His house and land sold during his life time and payable according to bond 80:00:00 Land sold by him at the value of 13:00:00 In sterling money, left at his death 14:0P:OO Debts due to the estate 3:15:00

£128:07:00 Debts due from the estate for his (doctor's) * attendance during his sickness and (the) funeral charge 6:00:00

Divided according to the will. £122 :07 :00 254 THE RIGGS LINEAGE

John Stibbins appeared before Edward Twinge and Will(ia)m Stoughton, Esq(')rs, this 6th (day) of the 1st Mo(nth March), 1672, and made oath that this is a true Inventory of the Estate of Edward Rigges('), (to) the best of his knowledge, and that when bee knowes more, hee will Discover it. -This done, as Atteste * Grace Bendall, Cl(e)r(k). The children of Edward were: EDWARD, our lineal ancestor. Lydia, born about 1616; died in August of 1633. John, born about· 1618; died in October of 1634. Elizabeth, born about 1620; died in May of 1634. A daughter, born about 1622; was married to a Mr. Allen; left issue. Mary, born about 1625, was married to a Mr. Twitchell; left issue. Authorities consulted: "Genealogy of the Riggs Family," by John H. Wallace and the probated will. THE RIGGS LINEAGE 255

EDWARD2 RIGGS was born in England about 1614, and came to this country with his father and family, landing in Boston, Mass., in the early summer of 1633. He assisted his father in preparing a new habitation in Roxbury and in taking care of his sick mother until April 5, 1635, when he became a benedict. In August of the same year his mother died, and how long he continued to assist his father is not known, but it is thought that he soon set about establishing a home of his own. The name of his wife was probably Elizabeth Roosa, whom he married when she was quite a young girl, but whose daughter she was is an enigma. It is possible that the name was misspelled, as in a hand-written copy of Roxbury births, marriages and deaths-1630- 1694, by a compiler, the following item appears: ''Edward Riggs and Elizabeth Rooke, April 5, 1635. '' The frontispiece of the compiler's book gives this information: ''these records (were) copied from the Manuscript of William Whit­ ing, Esq., of Roxbury, who made the same from the original records of (the) said town. '' It would seem to suggest the possibility of some very poor handwriting in the early records that bafHed him in the copying. On the other hand, the name may be Rouse, but the early generations of the Rouse family show no Christian name of Elizabeth. Still either as Rooke, or Rouse, she probably came over in a large family as a maid, and so had no personal record, but this was not common. In 1637, Edward was a sergeant in the Pequot war, and he greatly distinguished himself by rescuing his commander and twelve of his companions from an ambuscade into which they had been led by the Indians, and in which they all might have been cut off. By this notable act of bravery and skill, the name of ''Sergeant Riggs'' became his well-known designation as long as he lived. Nothing is now known of his location between 1635 and 1640, but in the latter year he became a settler at Milford, Conn., and had land assigned to him. His home lot was the sixty-third in number, and the amount of land he owned was three acres. It was along the west palisades, with Nathaniel Briscoe's land on the north and 256 THE RIGGS LINEAGE

Andrew Benton's on the south. Following is an entry on record: Under (the) West ffield, the ffence, (on the creek) Shott, 1646, Edward Riggs hath fiue acres and a halfe, be it more or less, being bounded with the ffence north, with Andrew Benton(' )s East, with a highway South, and with the Com(mo)n {land) West. (And then) Under (the) Poconock Creek Meadow, 1646, Edward Riggs, hath two Acres, be it more or less, being bounded with a Creek East and South, and with the Com(m)on {land) West and North. In the Milford Land Records is an entry that: Edward Riggs hath for his half e Devision tenn Acres, lying at (the) Poconock point, and to Eguall it to (the) other Lands, fiue Acres, in all fifteen Acres, be it more or less, being bounded with his meadow East and South, and (the) Com(m)on Land west. Note that Eight Acres and one Rood and Seven Pole(s are) not to be Charged with Rates. In needing additional land~ it is recorded in 1648 that: Edward Riggs bought of Andre\\' Benton two Acres and three Roods of Land, be it more or less, lying in (the) West field, the ffence (being by 'the creek) Shott, bounded with Andrew Benton (' s land) South, with the ffence North, with William Bro(o )ke(' s land) East, and with his own land west. [Note a highw{ay) goes through this unto the ffence for the use of -Andrew Benton only]. In the entries of 1649, we find him buying of ''Micah Tompkins three roods of meadow {land)," and his being given "for his halfe Diuision of land five Acres and one Rood," and "for his Second Di­ uision of Meadow (land) * one Rood and twenty-two pole(s)." A wooded district in the country on the river Naugatuck, then known as Paugasuck, some ten or twelve miles above Milford, \\'as secured by three New Haven men, Stephen Goodyear, John Wake­ man and Matthew Gilbert, by purchase from the Indians as early as 1653. A company of ten men at Milford was formed to purchase their clain1s the follo\ving year. Sergeant Riggs was one of them. He, with Edward Wooster and perhaps one or two other families, moved there to settle. The sergeant made his choice of a farm on a hill before any division of the lands was made, and secured a beauti­ ful location with good land. His home lot consisted of one and a half acres, and his upland of four acres, and a meadow of three acres for his farm when the formal laying out was made about ten years later. The name Paugasuck was eventually superseded by the name Derby, when the village was established. The location of Edward Riggs' place is known to this day as "Riggs' Hill," a mile east of the "Old Town," or where the first village lots were laid out. In this lonely wilderness, he built a strong stockade as a protection against the Indians. His house -stood by the THE RIGGS LINEAGE 257 rock, a few rods west of the present house of. a lineal descendant then living in 1930. It. was the first house that afforded secrecy and protection to the refugees, Edward Whalley· and William Goffe, who were members of the English Parliament and who as judges con­ demned and executed King Charles I. Emissaries of King Charles II. were making a most diligent search for them all along the Con­ necticut river in 1661, to take them to England in chains for trial. Ezra Stiles, in his hi~tory of those celebrated and honored refugees and the place of their resort, called the ''Lodge,'' says: They left it and removed to Milford, August, 1661, after having resided in and about New Haven for nearly half a year, from ( the) 7th of March to the 19th of August, 1661. During this time, they had two other occasional lodgments in the woods; one at the house of Mr. Riggs, newly-set up in the wilderness, at Paugasset, or Der­ by, and another between that and Milford. (The same author, in speaking of two houses near the West Rock, a little way out of New Haven says), these were the only houses in 1661, westward from New Haven, between the West Rock and (the) Hudson (river), unless we except a few houses at Derby or Paugassett. All was an immense wilderness. Indeed, all the environs of New Haven \Vere a wilderness except the cleared tract about half a mile or a mile around the town. In another part of. his book Historian Stiles gives the following im­ portant information : The judges might have had some other secret retreats and tempo­ rary ·lodgments; I have heard of two more, within ten miles around New Haven, but not with so perfect (a) certainty. The one about four miles from Milford, on the road to Derby, where an old cellar remains to this day [1794], (is) said to have been one of their re­ cluses (retreats). This is_ called George's Cellar, from orie'. George, who afterwards lived there. The other (was) at Derby, on the east­ erly bank of the Naugatuck river at· a place, then called Paugasset, and near the church. Madam Humphreys, consort of the Rev. Danie) Humphreys, and the mother of tµe ambassador, "~as a Rigg~, and a descendant of Edward Riggs, and one of the first settlers of Derby between 1655 and 1660. She often used- to speak of it as the family tradition that the judges sometimes secreted themselves at the cave, and (on) Sperry's farm, (and.} also, for some time, secreted themselves at Derby, in the house of her grandfath~r Mr. Edward Riggs, whose house was fort(ifi)ed, or palisaded, tq ,s~cure it from the Indians; there being, in 1660, perhaps fewer than half a dozen English families there in the woods, ten or a dozen miles, from all other English settlements, and· they all lodged in this fort(ifi)ed house. They might probably shift their residences, especially in the danger­ ous summer of 1661, to disappoint and deceive (the) pursuivants and avoid discovery. This tradition is ·preserved in the Rigg~ and :Hum­ phrey families to this day. 258 THE RIGGS LINEAGE

Here we have the information that Edward Riggs' house was for­ tified, or made like a fort in 1661, and that all the families in times of danger ''lodged in this house.'' This information is reliable be­ cause Madam Humphreys lived several years contemporary with her grandfather Ensign Samuel Riggs, (not Edward, as Dr. Stiles has it), she being the daughter of Capt. John, and not of Ensign Samuel. From the fact that these .men were protected at Ed-ward's home, it is learned that the family was residing there at that time and, if so, they probably did not return to Milford after their first settlement in 1654, that is, Edward Riggs' family; Samuel Riggs \\'as not married until 1667; and the Derby town historian confirms another supposi­ tion that there were no dwelling houses between West Rock, New Haven and the Hudson river so far back from the shore of the Sound. Such was the loneliness of the place, where three or four families re­ sided about ten years. While Edward was not a member of the church, and consequently not a voter, this brave act in the face of the vengeance of the reestab­ lished Engli~h throne, establishes beyond question two points in his character, viz.., that he was governed by his convictions in considering human rights, and that his sympathies were wholly with the Puritans in their struggle for liberty from the mother country. In such a char­ acter it is not difficult to underHand that he should mentally rebel against laws which excluded men from the exercise of the rights of citizenship unless he was a member of the church. Here is found a possible motive for his change of location in the advanced years of his life. The province of New Jersey was named as a grant from the British Crown in 1664, and it was believed to be a region specially attractive to settlers. In 16~5 Edward and some of his ass-ociates in the plan­ tation of Derby visited it, being so well pleased with the prospects that they determined to found a new plantation on the Pass-aic river that would be accessible to the outer world by the sailing craft of that day, and the site of Newark was then decided upon. The next year he spent most of the summer there, preparing for the advent of the proposed colony, and his wife was with him, being the first white woman to spend a summer in Newark. On this account, sometime later, in addition to a home lot which they received, his wife was given land ''for service on the place by staying the first summer.'' Before moving to Newark~ Edward was chosen, on May 21, 1666, to be on a committee of eleven men ''for the speedier and better ex­ pedition of things then emergent to be done.'' This pertains to the distribution of land, of which any· six or more out of the committee, . THE RIGGS LINEAGE 259

''if there should be so many on the ground, or at the least, not less than five, might act for the settlement of the place until another like committee should be chosen." The fundamental agreement was executed on June 24, 1667. The colony was quite large, and in it was a number of his old associ­ ates in the plantation at Derby. His t\VO sons Edward and Joseph were designated as ''planters,'' that is, original proprietors. The former did not arrive till later in the year, and the latter had no home lot assigned to him because he was still a bachelor. The other son Samuel was provided for at Derby, and remained there. As he and his sons Edward and Joseph were of Milford, they joined with the emigrants to ca11 the new settlement after their own tO\\'n in the New Haven colony. It was then so called but, upon a formal organization of the town government, the name was dropped and Newark substituted. The reason for the substitution was due to the honor of Rev. Abraham Pierson, the first pastoral Shepherd of the. place who came, it is said, originally from Newark-on-Trent, in En­ gland, and who, although second on the list of the Branford emi­ grants, \\·as second to none in the esteem and reverence of the entire community. In the old "Town Book," which is still preserved, the name is written N ew-Worke. At the allotment of six-acre home lots, as arranged by the Surveyor­ General of Elizabethtown, Ed"~ard w;as-. given the sixth lot for his place of residence in the Milford Quarter, ''where the neighbors from Milford and Guilford should have their Home Lotts to settle upon.'' This home lot was ]aid out in front of Broad street, which led its roadway to Philadelphia, being bounded by the home lot of Hugh Roberts on the northwest, and by that of John Brown, junior, on the southeast, and at its back by the common land. Edward was rated by the BSale(s) Men," at three hundred and twenty pounds for his estate, with the understanding that it may be ''set down with (his) deduction,'' for two hundred and thirteen ·pounds, which is two-thirds. Upon drawing lots on the '4solemn day" of February 6, 1667, he pulled out ticket_ "No. 18," for his divison of land. He was notified on May 7, 1668, that he should lift his fence ''five rods and two feet,'' in his two n1eadow tracts N_os. 49 and 51, to prevent cattle and hogs from trespassing when rain formed pools. When the first movement towards the erection of a house of wor­ ship in Newark was made on September 10, 1668, the town voted to ''build a meeting-house as soon as may be,'' and ''for the better carrying it to an end,'· made choice of five men, among w horn was 260 THE RIGGS LINEAGE

Edward, ''with full power for the management of the building,'' promising ''to lend them their best help, according to their propor­ tions,'' whenever due warning should be given, and requiring each man to ·work, at least two days, if called out, or give satisfactory rea­ son to the contrary. Presently after this, a bargain was made with three of the men-"Deacon (Lawrence) Ward, Sergeant Richard Harrison and Sergeant Edw(ar)d Riggs"-to build the house for the sum of seventeen pounds, and build it soon and well, "with some abatement in the price, if they can afford it.'' During the winter season wolves prowled about to attack the do­ mestic animals. Efforts were made in the very beginning of the set­ tlement to exterminate them. The town gave notice "that any Man that would take Pains to Kill Wolves, he or they for their Encour­ age·ment should have 15 s(hillings) for every grown wolf that they Kill, and this (to) be paid by the Town Treasur(y)" is an item that appears in the earliest part of ,the record. Historian Pierson says: Sergeant Riggs, during the first two or three years, was the princi­ pal dispatcher of wolves. He acquired skill by similar exploits in Roxbury, Mass., Milford, Conn., and other places in which he lived. His markmanship was proved also in the Pequot war, where he won his military title, for rescuing his captain and twelve men from an ambuscade. As an expert in the use of firearms, he slew the animal upon sight and then secured the prize, removed the ears, (and) took then1 to the magistrate as evidence of his prowess, and received the bounty offered. Needing a place for the impounding of cattle, the town, in Janu­ ary of 1669, drew up an agreement with Henry Lyon for him: To make a Sufficient pound for four shillings the Rod, * * * * and it is to be Made with Six Good Rails, Six f(ee)t High, the Rails Not above Ten F(ee)t Long, and the upper Rails to be all Pin(ne)d together, * * * and a Gateway of Six f(ee)t Long, for Each of the other Two Sides; and the Gate is to Be well Hanged with Iron Hooks and Hinges Below, at the Town Charge; which Pound is to be Set up, at the First Opportunity that the Weather will permit; and for the place where it Shall be Set up, that is n1ost Convenient by the Frog pond side, (and) is to be as Serj('t). Rig(g)s (and) Thomas Johnson with Henry Lyon, shall Judge Best and the said Edw(ar)d Rig(g)s and Thomas Johnson are to See that it be Sufficiently ( well) done. "Serj('t). Ed'd Rig(g)s and Michael Tompkins are chosen to be Viewers of (the) Fences (of) our Town for this Year Ensueing," is recorded at the meeting held in that month. Story-teller Pierson re­ lates that every year beginning on the occasion, two reliable men were chosen for the_ responsible ~ffice of fence viewers. The first two appointees wer,e known for their special qualifications for this THE RIGGS LINEAGE 261 task, tact and restrained temper. Theirs was not an enviable office, yet they did not shrink from the performance of its duties. The annual inspection was made as soon as the frost disappeared from the ground in the spring and visits were made at other times when exi­ gencit!s demanded. For four years this practice was continued till stone walls were generally used for partitioning public and private property and the need of 'Lfence viewers'' had passed At the town meeting of March 9, 1669, Edward was appointed on a committee of "viewers and Sizears of the Meadew(s), with Samu­ el Kitchell, Richard Harri!-on and five others: To finish and perfect the first division of (the) Meadow (land), in the most Just and Equal way they can in their Best Skill and abili­ ty attain unto, as may Tend to the most hopeful Satisfaction of all, (in the) care of Making Drains and Highw2ys into (the) Meadows. At the town meeting, on May 24, 1669, Edward was chosen, with Mr. Camfield, Serg't. John Ward, Serg't. Richard Harrison and Robert Dennison, as townsmen, empowered and trusted, with: The Care of finishing the Meeting-House; * * * all the Matters about (the) common fence or fences in the General Line; ordering, or setting out of (the) Highways in the fields, or else­ where expedient, and about the Hearding of Cows, or driving out the Dry Cattle in the Town. Because of too much water due to heavy rains, ditching was order­ ed at the Town meeting on June 10, 1669, setting forth that every man was required to work one day for each two hundred pounds of estate he possessed and "two rods in length" is to be taken for a day's work. The planters were divided into companies, each under the supervision of Sergeant Edward Riggs and Sergeant Richard · Harrison, and to be called to work in succession by their leaders, "notice having been given the day previous(ly ). " Meadow land had been on a program for a division. It was the concensus of the meeting held on January 1, 1670 that the land be drawn by lot. Edward was the tenth in his turn to draw lot No. 45. Right soon after this, or in the midst of it, it seems that he died. Apparently, he was buried in the little "God's Acre," somewhere in the vicinity of Branford, a place long since lost to mankind's view. It was probably the place where the committee representing the town, in July of 1667, bought from the Indians a tract of land \\·est to the mountains called Watchung. Evidently, Edward left no will. His share in the division of land "on the Side of the Two-Mile Brook, next (to) the Town," ·was laid out to his widow, as per entry of January 26, 1670, she receiving the seventh lot under her name of ''Widow Elizabeth Riggs.'' On 262 THE RIGGS LIN.EAGE

February 3, 1670, as a homesteader applying and was granted permis- . s1on : To take up (a) piece, or Parcell of land, in the Little N eek that Edw(ar)d Riggs, Dec(ease)d, (had) Laid Down to the Town, up­ on Account of his Second Division, (as) far as it will reach Therein. Laying out the land at Wheeler's point ·was under consideration, at the meeting of December 29, 1670, but eventually they: Gave their full consent that these Six Men Annexed, shall have it in Equal Parts, unless they shall Agree otherwise; and the Men Are Mr. Abr(aha)m Pierson, Henry Lyon, Mr. Cam(p)field, Serg't. Harrison, Stephen Freeman (and) Widow Riggs. "Widow Rig(g)s" was among "those who * * * Shall Have Liberty to take up their divisions of Bogs (Boggy Meadow) from Hugh Roberts(') stake to the Widow Ward(' )s Meadow; and Agree among themselves to Lay them out.and make their Highways, without any Charge to the Town," as per entry of February 20, 16,1. On the following day~ the twenty-first, she drew Lot No. 12, in the second division of the Salt meadow tract. She was still a healthy and well-preserved woman, when she, sometin1e previous to 1672, was married to Caleb CarnTithie, of Elizabethtown. Previous to her marriage, she conveyed to her son Joseph one-half of her home lot. Edward's land tracts may have been these that went to his widow and sons, as we gather from the following land records: August 10, 1675, a patent was granted to "Mary Bond, formerly the widow of Hugh Roberts," for a home lot of "6 acres S(outh) of Edivard Riggs(' land, also tract of) ~ixteen acres of upland at the rear of the home lot, bounded ( on the) W (est) by her own and Edw. Rig(gs') lots"; May 1, 1697, a confirmation of patent was issued to Paul Day, in the right of his father, George Day, for the fourth tract of land,-"a lot on the Westside of (the) Two-Mile Brook N(orth of) the Rixgs(' ), (and the seventh tract of) 3 a(cres) W(est of) Jonathan Tichenor(' s) and Widow Riggs(')"; May 1, 1697, a confirmation of patent to Jonathan in the right of Martin Tichenor for the ninth tract of "4 a(cres) W (est of) the Riggs(' land)"; May 1, 1697, a confirmation of patent to Joseph al).d Hannah Bond in the right of their father Stephen Bond, blacksmith, deceased, for the fourth tract of 4 a(cres) of bog (land) in Tompkins(') Cove, S(outh of) Edivard Riggs(' land)," and April 18, 1692, a deed of convey­ ance of John Gardner and wife Abi~ail was made to Tunis Johnson alias Peace for "14 a(cres of land) N (orth of) Edu:ard Riggs(')." Edward's grandson John by his son Joseph, and Paul Day by his daughter Mary, in 1702 divided a tract of land, designated as former­ ly belonging to ''our honored grandfather Edward Riggs, deceased,'' they being jointly interested therein. His other son Edward· had a THE RIGGS LINEAGE 263 home lot, situated on what is now Clinton avenue in Newark. The children of Edward living to maturity were as follows: Edward, born in Roxbury, Mass., about 1636; was living in Newark, N. J., in 1700; had for his wife, Mary. Samuel, born in Milford, Conn., about 1640; lived in Derby, Conn., when he was an executor of his brother Joseph's will, November 30, 1692; died there in 1738; married in Milford, the first time, June 14, 1667, Sarah, daughter of Richard Baldwin, of Milford, Conn., and the second time, May 6, 1713, Mrs. Sarah Washburn, a widow. JOSEPH, our lineal ancestor. Mary, born in Milford about 1644; was wife of George Day, Newark, N. J. Authorities consulted: "Genealogy of the Riggs Family," by John H. Wallace; "History of the Colony of New Haven," by Ed­ ward R. Lambert; "History of Old Town of Derby, Conn.," by Samuel Orcutt; "Genealogical Notices of the First Settlers of New­ ark, (N. J. )," by Samuel H. Congar; "Narratives of Newark, (N. ]. )," by David Lawrence Pierson; "History of Newark, N. J.," by Joseph Atkinson; "First Presbyterian Church in New­ ark, (N. ].)," by Jonathan F. Stearns, D.D.; "History of Essex and Hud~on Counties, New Jersey," by William H. Shaw; and Newark Town Records.'' 264 THE RIGGS LINEAGE

JOSEPH8 RIGGS was born in Milford, Conn., about 1642, and was the first of the family to bear the much-duplicat~d name of Jos­ eph. He had been favored with some advantages of an early educa­ tion, as was shown in his business capacity in the management of the affairs of the new plantation at Newark. As in the case of his father, he endorsed the ''Fundamental Agreements'' upon moving there. He was still unmarried in 1667, and lived with his father and mother. Although he was a ''planter'' but not the head of a family, as no home lot was assigned to him.- His father died in 1670, and his mother, having married before the summer of 1671, conveyed to him one-half of the original home lot assigned to his father's family, as per record: Joseph Riggs hath surrendered unto him from his Father-in-law (stepfather) Caleb Carwithie, with his mother's c9nsent, one-half the Home Lot next (to) William Camp's, [originally recorded to the Widow Riggs], three acres and three roods * (bounded by) Wm. Camp(' s land) south, Father Carwithie(' s) north, and the highways east and west, as the bill of sale will more at large show. Four other tracts are mentioned, each by his mother's consent, and each containing one-half of the original quantity recorded to the Widow Riggs and Caleb Carwithie. It is probable that Joseph re­ sided with his mother, as in the first part of the year 1671 the record of January 2nd, ~ays: Th(oma)s Richards and Widow Riggs(') son (Joseph) are chosen To Warne the Town meetings, each of them (to do their) Part, as they did the Last Year. Thus having a place for a family Joseph married about 1676, Han­ nah, daughter of John1 Browne, one of the planters with his father, at Milford as well as at Newark. When small and while living there, his wife was baptized in New Haven, on May 3, 1658, ac­ cording of the ''virtue of the communion of churches.'' Shortly be­ fore his marriage he conveyed to his brother, Edward Riggs, a part of his father's original home lot, but no wife_ is then mentioned. It is described as being ''Ten rods in breadth and so through the length of my home lot, bounded by William Camp(' son the) south, my own land (on the) north, and (the) Highways, east and west." It THE RIGGS LINEAGE 265 is known by the town record of March 22, 1680, that it ·was custom­ ary on Sabbath days for the town drummer to beat the drum from where Joseph's gate was, and "all the way up the street as far as Sergeant Harrison's gate," calling the people to the meeting-house. When the new meeting-house~ in charge of his father and others, was partially completed in more than a year and a half, it was ready to receive a permanent floor, which was to be done in a very sub­ stantial manner. The town bargained, on January 2, 1671, with a certain man : About Floaring Half (of) the Meeting-House for Four pounds; of good chestnut, or oak (planks) * two * and a half (inches wide). (He was to find the lumber, dress it) and lay down the £oar on Seven Good Sleepers. And, in like Manner, they * Bar­ gain ( e)d with Jno. Brown, Mr. Burwell, Jno. Baldwin and Joseph Riggs to do the other Half. At the meeting of May 26, 1673: It was agreed that the Young Men, * (who) have House Lotts in the Town, shall have Liberty to take up Land in the Divi­ sion that is now (being) laid out, according to an Hundred Pounds Estate, provided they pay (for) the Purchase as (the) other planters have Done, according to their Proportions. (Joseph was allowed the priviledge of drawing out Lot No. 53, at the drawing). ''Sergeant Riggs,'' as he was known like his father before him, seems to have been an especial terror to the wolves and bears, as in the records he is called the ''wolf-slayer.'' Among his possessions, it seems, was a portable "wolf-pit." Wolves and bears were still numerous in the woods around Newark in those days. So trouble­ some had the former become that the town kept up offering premiums for killing them, which put Joseph on his mettle to tackle the job. . ., · In that day there was abundant reason for maintaining an effective military organization, and Joseph was made commander of it. Being a man of much force of character he looked after the moral and re­ ligious welfare of the community. As the settlement on the Passaic river began to spread itself towards the mountain, and in the direction of what is now known as the Oranges, land tracts were assigned to various parties, near to and on the mountain, soon after the colonization at Newark. By the survey of land, made on September 27, 1680, Joseph, his older brother Ed­ ward, and Nathaniel Wheeler are to : Have a Grant ( each) to take up Land upon the upper Chestnut hill, by (the) Rahway River, near the Stone House, provided they exceed ( ed) not above fifty acres a piece. Joseph's sand-stone house stood on the northwesterly corner of the 266 THE RIGGS LINEAGE

Ridgewood road and the South Orange road, on the lot now occu­ pied by the rectory of the Church of the Holy Communion. Before the first part of the road was laid out anew after 1800 it ran from Nathaniel Wheeler's house "south by a line of mark(e)d Trees to Joseph Wheeler(' s) House. " It was the order of the town meeting on June 8, 1681: That fort(h)with a Watch at Nights and a Ward on Sabbath Days (shall) be observed. Stephen Davis and Joseph Rig(g)s (are) ap­ pointed to give a Charge to the Watch every Night, (and) that every Soldier do(es) bring his Arms (on) every Day of Public Wor­ ship, well-fixed, and also (carry) ·Am ( m) unition. Being on guard, they sallied forth at stated hours into the night, proceeding northward as far as the corn mill, and Southward to Wil­ liam Camp's land, (now Lincoln Park). The watcher's only light was a tallow candle, snugly placed in a lantern, sending a faint ray barely a man's length ahead into the darkness. A report was laid at the town meeting on October 19, 1681, in following out an ordinance of January 4, 168(1): That the Com(mo)n Fence be again divided, and for that Pur­ pose, {it) appointed the Town's Men and John Brown, Jun'r, to proportion (ate) the same which, according to the best of their Judg­ ment, they have performed, and do find that four Acres of Land and Meadow requireth one Rod of Fence, and (they) have accordingly proceeded, as near as they can to * laying it out as the Lotts w(ere) drawn at first. * * (Then) the Barrs, called Wheel­ er's Barrs was assigned to Joseph Riggs, ( \\~ith the understanding that it was) to be sufficiently made and M:;tintained, handily to be put up and (taken) down from Time to Time, instead of Three Rods of Fence-there (are) two Rods of Fence allowed for (a space at) the Two-Mile Brook. Historian Pierson says this item was faithfully placed in the day's record : ''It is always to be understood that * this Fence ( which) was laid out * was 16 feet and 9 inches in length." Three inches more than a rod was indeed worth considering by the weary Puritan when the sun was high in the heavens, his back ach_ ing, and the stretch apportioned to him not more than half finished. Joseph's neighbor Martin Tichenor drew up, on October 19, 1681, his will, in view of the uncertainty of life. Apparently, before the sun was down Joseph was one of the three witnessess, who ~aw it done, and wrote on it his signature. At Mr. Tichenor' s death, Joseph was one of the two overseers who observed carefully that the will was carried out to the letter. Joseph was among seven men elected on January 2, 1682 as ~'Town's Men,'' and he was chosen on the seventh to be one of the THE RIGGS LINEAGE 267

"Fence Viewers for the Year ensuing, and the Town doth allow them half the Fines, as they ( were) before.'' On the first of Janu­ ary of the following year he was reelected with 1 ... homas Johnson and John Curtis as selectmen. On several occasions the town meetings were scantily attended, and on January 1, 168(4), it being an election day, a resolution was offered and adopted: Whereas, there is an Order made by (the) Vote (of) the 21 of March, 1675-6, for our Orderly attendance at (the) Town Meet­ ings, and for Want of due Execution many are remiss in their Attendance, by which m_eans (the) Town Business is much hin­ d(e)red, some as do attend, are much damnified by (the) losing (of) their Time. We that are now present do assert that all (the) past offences upon this account be (made to) pas(s) by to this Day. And (we) do not subscribe our names [provided that 1'hree-fourths of the Planters do subscribe] to submit to all and ev·ery Penalty in that Or­ der before mentioned, upon our late Coming, total Absence, or ir­ regular going away before the .. Meeting be dismissed. And Whereas, the said Order directs every Delinquent to give their Reasons to the Town, We do now agree and think it most fit, that Three Men in each End of the Town be Chosen for each Person that is remiss to repair * within two or three Days at the most after the Meet­ ing; and if their Reasons are satisfying to them why they were ab­ sent, they shall be remitted their Fine; othervvise, within three Days after such Town Meeting their Names as are remiss shall be returned to the Constable, who is to gather up such Fines, and shall have half (of them) for his Pains. ., For the Confirmation thereof, we have hereunto set our Hands, (this) 9th of January, 1683. ( Of the fifty-seven signatures, Joseph's name appears as a pledge to uphold it). On March 22, 168(4), Joseph was chosen to act, ·with Samu­ el Harrison, Azariah Crane and Edward Ball, on laying out the '~Bounds between us and Hockquecanung, and to make no other Agreement with them, of any other Bounds than what was formerly {laid out)." They were also: To lay out Highways for convenient (going and) coming at (the Common) Land and (the) Meadow, (and) upon the ordinance of the 13th of March, 1683-4, laid out from the great High'-"·2y that goes down to the lower End of the Great Neck, a Highway of two Rods Wide, upon that Point of Land between the Pond and Swamp and the Meadow, in the most convenient Place leading into the Meadow. On January 7th, 1685, Joseph Riggs was chosen with three others as surveyors, L 'to see (that) the Highways (are) mended, for the Year ensuing'' on the following town's instructions: Item-these four Surveyors have Power to agree among them- 268 THE RIGGS LINEAGE selves and divide the Town Highways into four parts, if they see Cause. And (as) such they have Power to call out Men as are con­ cerned * (in) their Agreement, to make and mend those High­ ways they are betrusted with. Item-it is agreed, that those Surveyors ( who are) chosen to lay out Highways, if they take away (needed) land for Highways out of any Man's lotted Land, they have Power to repair them again with (some) other Land. Also, those (who) were Surveyors formerly and ha(d) taken Land away from any Person or Persons for High­ ways, shall join with the now Surveyors to make their Land good to them again. Item-it is agreed, that those Persons as (are) want(ing) their Third Division of Land laid out, shall have .it now laid out by the Town Surveyors, before any other Land be taken up, provided it be done between this Day and the first of April next ensuing. The third division of land was at the mountains west of Newark. It will be seen by Joseph's will, a little further in this life sketch, that his sons Samuel and Zophar were given the land in the division. Apparently there was a divisi~n in the church when junior Rev. Abraham Pierson, made changes in the established ways of the church, hence contributions for his maintenance had ceased_, A resolution was agreed to on January 9, 1688, ''that every man that doth now subscribe to this Agreement, he paying his Proportion in the Rate, shall not be liable to be prosecuted, to make Payment for any that may be deficient in non-payment. '' Joseph and his brother Edward gave their pledge that they would contribute. Joseph died in Newark, N. J., in 1689, as in his will, dated Janu­ ary the first, and sworn to by William Camp, John Browne and Joseph Browne before Justices John Ward and Thomas Johnson, on N~vember 27, 1689, he desired his loving friends, ~is ''brother," John Browne and John Curtis, to be his '''overseers to see (that) this, (his) last will (be) Fulfilled." The witnesses, who saw the will drawn up, were John Browne, William Can1p, Joseph Browne, Thomas Browne, John Johnson and Samuel Camp. A brother of the Testator Samuel Riggs, of Derby, Conn., consented to the exe­ cution of the will, on November 30, 1692, probably due to the fact as, at the opening in the will, Joseph calls himself, as "of Newark, in the Government of New England.'' The will was subsequently probated in solemn form, on May 16, 1711, alo'ngside the will of his son Samuel, who died in 1709. It was apparently kept in the family, and not put on record until a year or so, after the death of the son. As per directions in his will, he desired: That my deare and loving wife shall enjoy my whole estate, reall THE RIGGS LINEAGE 269 and personall, [ex~ept (for) two guns and one sword] for her own maintenance, & for the bringing up of my children untill my sons come to the age of t\venty years; also my will is that if my \\'if e shall see cause to change her condition before my sons come to ye age of twenty years she, notwithstanding, shall enjoy the use of my whole estate, as afores(ai)d, untill they come to the age of twenty years. Also my will is that my sons doe live with their mother untill they come to the age of twenty years, or to be at her dispose with the advise of my overseers. My will is that my son John Riggs, his heirs and assignes, shall [after his mother(' )s decease], enjoy my whole accom (m)odation, which I now possess in the Towne, [except my wheeler(' )s point meadow, & the boggs at Tompkin(' )s point], but my will is, if my wife change(s) her condition before my son John comes to the age of twenty years, then, when he comes to twenty years of age, he shall have possession (of them); al!-o my will is, if any, after (the) devision of land or me(a)dow, (shall) belong to me, that my son John shall enioy it when he comes to the age of twenty years; also my will is that my son John shall have my hunting gun and my sword. My will is, & I do give unto my two sons Samuel Riggs and Zo­ pher Riggs, their heirs and assignes, all my land at the mountains, equally to be divided, in the mid(d)le, (and) the length of the Iott, and Samuell (is) to have his choyce (of) which side he will have; in like manner, .I do will unto my two sons Samuel and Zo.pher, my me(a)dow at Wheeler(')s point & boggs at Tompkin(')s point, equally to be divided, & Samuell to have his choyce. I also give unto my son Samuell my other gun. Lastly, my will is that my daughter Elizabeth Riggs be at her mother(' )s dispose & leave it with her mother to bestow upon her what she shall be able (to), at her age of eighteen years, or at her marriage, which her mother shall see most convenient ( to do). It is apparent that the children received their bequests ·when they reached their majority. Joseph seems to have expected that his wife would marry again, and in this he was right for she was married to Aaron Thompson. The will tells more than we can gather from the meager land rec­ ords, which only speak of a patent being issued to Jasper Crane on January 6, 1698, for a second tract-"a lot S ( outh of the Second) river, and (the land of) Joseph Riggs," and by the d2.te of the eighteenth, a confirmation of a patent was made to Eliphalet John­ son, for a seventh tract of "4 a(cres), by the fresh meadows, S(cuth of the land of) Joseph Riggs." Joseph's wife was the mother of his children mentioned belo\\': John, born about 1674; was living in 1702; wife's Christian name was Mary. Samuel, born in Newark, N. J., about 1676; died in 1709; 270 THE RIGGS LINEAGE.

wife's Christian name was Rebecca, who was, later, married to John Bunnell. Zopher, born about 1678; died in 1773; wife's Christian name was Phebe. ELIZABEl"'H, our lineal ancestress. Authorities consulted: ~ 'Genealogy of the Riggs Family,'~ by John H. Wallace; ''Genealogical Notices of the First Settlers of New­ ark, (N. J.)," by Samuel H. Congar; "Narratives of Newark, (N. J.)," by David Lawrence Pierson; ''First Presbyterian Church in Newark, (N. J.)," by Jonathan E. Stearns, D.D.; "History of Newark, N. J.," by Joseph Atkinson; "The Founders and Builders of the Oranges, (N. J.) ," by Henry Whittemore; "History of Essex and Hudson Counties, New jersey," by William H. Shaw; "The Mountain Society-A History of the First Presbyterian Church, Orange, N. J.," by James Hoyt; "Newark Town Book"; "New­ ark Town Records"; "Abstract of Wills, New Jersey Archives," and the probated will. · ELIZABETH4 RIGGS: ~ee the life story of Daniel8 Dodd in the Dodd lineage. -Page 198.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT 1 Edward Riggs, born 1590; died, , 1672; wife, Elizabeth. Edward2 •• , ' 1614; 1669; • • Elizabeth Roosa . Joseph3 •• • • 1642; ' . 1689; •• Hannah2 Brown . Daniel3 Dodd, '' 1679; • • ' . Elizabeth4 Riggs. Peter3 Condit, •• '' • • 4 1699; , , 1768; , Phoebe Dodd . Henry5 Axtell, .' 1738; 1818; . Phoebe4 Condit. 6 , ' • • 6 Simeon Cory, '.,, 1774; ,, 1847; Rhoda Axtell . James7 '' 1801; 1880; , ' Susan7 Mulford. THE FLETCHER LINEAGE 271

JOHN1 FLETCHER, of Milford, Conn., married in Stretton, county of Rutland, England, after 1630, Mary, daughter of Richard and Joyce Ward. After the death of his father-in-law, he ca1ne to America with his family, in company with the bereaved Joyce Ward. They went first to Watertown, Mass., about 1635, and then to Wethersfield, Conn., before 163 7, where he had a homestead rec­ orded to him on March 16, 1640. After the close of the Pequot war, he took his family with him to Milford, Conn., upon hearing that the newly-planted town was open­ ed to settlement. Though his name appears in the second column on the list of November 20, 1639 of the town, it does not mean that he went there prior to that date. A good many names were en­ tered in the following years. His homestead was numbered twelve, consisting of two acres, three rods and thirty poles, as listed under the heading of the "Number of acres and home lots," of November 22, 1643. He was admitted to the Milford church, on November 14, 1641, after living there two years, and in time he became a dea­ con. His wife Mary joined the church on December 19, 1641. When there were some questions raised in the court at New Ha­ ven on the relationship of two men by the names of Henry Bacon and William Bacon, John, who had known them to be brothers in the old country, volunteered to submit to the court of magistrates, on October 7, 1661, three affidavits to vouch for them, one from himself and two from his wife and his brother-in-law John Ward, who also were acquainted with them. His proofs being convincing were accepted by the magistrates and incorporated in the records of the court. John's own affidavit reads, as follows: Know all 1nen whom it may concerne yt I, John Fletcher, of Mil­ ford, in ye colony of New Hauen, in New England, aged about fifty­ nine yea.res, doe, vpon my certaine knowledge, testify vpon oath that when * I dwelt in England, neare to one Henry B2con & William Bacon, brother to ye sayd Henry Bacon, and I neuer heard or knew any more of them yt were their owne brethren by the fa­ ther(') s side, and they dwelt, when I first knew them, in Stretton, in the county of Rutland, within ye real me of England, & after­ wards I knew Henry Bacon when he was remoued to Clipsam, in ye

- 272 THE FLETCHER LINEAGE

same county of Rutland, aforesaid; and I doe testifye yt I knew the sayd Henry Bacon ( to be a) brother to the sayd Will (ia) m Bacon, (who) had only one sone, called Thomas Bacon, well knowne to mee· for ye space of six or seuen yeares, and I have heard it reported that he went to live at (the) Barbadoes & there died; and further I, the abouesayd John Fletcher doe testify yt I doe well know yt ye abouesayd Will (ia) m Bacon, brother to ye sayd Henry Bacon, had a sone called Nathaniell Bacon, whoe was his eldest sone, whoe now liueth in New England, and was pr(e)sent at my testifieing hereof, and further sayth not.-Witnes(s), John Fletcher. Then followed his wife's affidavit: Know all men whom it may concerne yt I, Mary Fletcher, of Mil­ ford, in ye colony of New Hau en, in N ewengland, aged about fifty­ foure ye:-ares, doe vpon my cenaine knowledge testify vpon oath, yt when I was in England, dwelling' at Stretton, in ye county of Rut­ land, where one Henry Bacon & Will(ia)m Bacon, brother to ye sayd Henry Bacon, dwelt, and I (neither) knew nor heard of any other but these two brothers by the father(' ) s side, and I liued * (in) the sayd Stretton for the space of ten yeares, in which time the sayd Henry Bacon remoued his d\velling to Clipsam, in ye county of Rutland, aforesayd, within ye realme of England; and I doe further testify that the sayd Henry Bacon had only one sone named Thomas Bacon, wh(om) I knew from a child, and I heard yt he went to the Barbadoes, and died there~ and I, the sayd Mary Fletcher, due fur­ ther testify yt I well knew Will{ia)m Bacon, brother to Henry Ba­ con, aforesaid, whose eldest sonne Nathaniell Bacon I well knew from a child, (and) whoe is now liuing in Ne\\T En~land, and (is) present at my testifieing hereof, and further not.-Witnes(s) (the marke of) Mary Fletcher. Mary Fletcher's youngest brother John Ward's testimony substan­ tiated the facts, though he was only a boy of ten when he came with them and his mother Joyce Ward to America in 1635. (Whereupon), these three foregoeing depositions * (were) taken, vpon oath, in (the) pr(e)sence of the court of magistrates, held att New Haven, Oc(to)b(er) 17th, 1661, which persons are knowne to be of good report. -Subscribed by me, James Bishop, Secretary for ye jurisdictio ( n), and sealed with ye colony seale, by order of ye court of magistrates. · John Fletcher died on the eighteenth of April, 1662, the very day of making his will, which was recorded in the Colonial records, al­ though the will itself was not found on record when a search was made for it. Below is the statement in regard to the will not being found, which appears to indicate that it had been duly recorded:. May 25, 1663, The last will and testam ( en)t of John Fletcher, late of Milford, deceased, pr ( e) sented to ye coun, made the 18th of Aprill, 1662, confirmed by his owne hand & seale, & witnessed, vpon oath, by mr. Benjamin F enil, Mr. Robert T reatt & George THE FLETCHER LINEAGE 273

Clarke, sen (io) r, before ye court at Milford, March 5th, 1663. Alsoe, an inuentory of ye estate of ye s(ai)d John Fletcher, pr(e)­ sented, Amounting to the sume of 408/i, 15s, 04d, taken (on) the 13th of May, 1662, appr(a) ized the most of it, & vpon oath, at­ tested by Ensigne Alexander Bryan, Jasper Gunn, Michaell Tomp­ kins & Richard Baldwin, respectiuely, as they haue been improued; that the appr(a)izern(en)t they haue made is just to ye best of their skill.-before the court at Milford, Decemb(er) 4th, 1662.-p(er) Rich(ard) Baldwin, Secret(ary ). John Fletcher's widow was married for the second time to John Clarke, of Saybrook and Norwich, Conn. Upon moving to Milford John Clarke was admitted to the church in 1665, "as from Norwich." He was ordained a ruling elder of the church on June 4, 16 73, but died the following February 6, 1674. While the will of John Fletcher is, unfortunately, not found on record; that of John Clarke, of Milford, "made 19, Jan(uary), 1673; proved 12, Feb(ruary), 1673, and recorded in New Haven Probate Records,'' contains the following ite_ms: My will is yt my wi(f)e(' )s twenty pounds, which shee is to have at my decease, she shall have liberty to take that which will su(i)te her best in cattle, corne or hogs, or of each sort, as she pleaseth. Alsoe, I give her five pound(s) more in the same specie. lt(e)m: my Will is yt Abigail ffietcher(')s portion, which I am to pay, (and) which is twenty-five pound (s) [except she ha(s) received any thing already J, shalbe payd in cattle, hogs & horseflesh. At a speciall County Court, held att Newhaven, ffebr(ua)ry 12th, 1673, Upon ye exhibiting of the last Will & testam(en)t of mr. Jno. Clarke, late of Milford, deceased, with an Inventory of that part of his estate within ye bounds of Milford by Jno. Clarke, sonne & exe­ cutor of ye deceased; This Court doe appoint, & impower ye s(ai)d J no. Clarke, for ye paying of all just debts, gathering in & conserve­ ing of ye s (ai) d estate untill ye County Court, in June next, when he, with all others concerned, are expected to appeare for a full is~ue of the probate of ye s(ai)d Will, and all other things necessary re­ specting the same. At a County Court, held att Newhaven, June 10, 1674, L(ieu)t. W (illia) m Pratt & John Clarke, Executors, expressed in the Will of mr. John Clarke, late of milford, deceased, appeareing (before) this Court for an issue of matters respecting ye Will Sr estate of ye s(ai)d mr. Jno. Clarke, & John Standly on ye behalfe of the wid­ dow. alsoe appeareing, according to (the) order of (the) Court, ffeb(rua) ry 12th, 1673, and expressing their desires, to leave it to ye issue & determination of this Court. The Court haveing heard & Considered ye allegations exhibited by al1 p (ar) ryes, [soe farre as they saw meete] doe declare, That the s(ai)d widdow mrs. Mary Clarke shall have the wheate upon the ground, (ap) pr(a) ized at O4/b(s): 13s: 00d and 20/b(s) more out of the s(ai)d estate of ye s(ai)d deceased, in some su(i)table pay, as corne, or cattle, besides 274 THE FLE1'CHER LINEAGE the 25/b(s), mentioned in ye s(ai)d Will, this being p(er)formed, The Court declares their approbation of the s(ai)d Will, and ·grants Execution to the s(ai)d Executors with ye s(ai)d Will annext. At a County Court, held att Newhaven Novem(be)r 11th, 1674, Upon the ap(p)lication of L(ieu)t. W(illia)m Pratt & John Clarke, both of Saybrooke, unto this Court, for a new Consideration of what issue the Court in June last was pleased to putt, respecting the Will & estate of mr. John Clarke, late of Milford, deceased, alledging yt the debts from ye s(ai)d estate did rise to be more· than was ex­ pected, and that did appeare when the s (ai) d estate was inventoried. mrs. Mary Clarke, widdow of the s(ai)d deceased, haveing informa­ tion of their desires herein; and Ens(ig)n John Standly appeareing on the behalfe of the s(ai)d Widdow, after much debate & laboring with both partyes in ye business, they came at last to this conclusion [by mutuall consent], as a finall issue of all difference between them re­ pecting the afores(ai)d estate, vizt.: That whereas, by (an) act of Court, June 10th, 1674, L(ieu)t. W(illia)m Pratt &.John Clarke, afores(ai)d, were to pay unto Mrs. Mary Clarke, afores(ai)d, ye 'sume of twenty pounds, besides ye wheate upon the ground; That now [she haveing received ye s (ai) d estate] they pay onely thirteene pounds unto ye s(ai)d Mrs. Mary Clarke, or her orders, according to a bill under the hands of the s(ai)d L(ieu)t. W(illia)m Pratt & John Clarke, beareing date No­ vemb(e)r 13th, 1674, besides the summe awarded for repayres of buildings & fences, formerly agreed upon; which issue This Court doth well approve of & confirme. · Mrs. Clarke's youngest daughter Abigail brought suit in court at New Haven on November 11, 1674, against John Clarke, the exe­ cutor of the will ''respecting a Cow & her increase to ye damage -of twenty pounds.'' In her behalf : The jury· finds for the plaintiffe fourteene pounds damage & Costs of Court. The Court [having Considered of ye s (ai) d Verdict, & ye law giveing liberty to vary in point of damage] doe see cause to vary it unto ten pounds & Costs of Court, and this to be ye judge­ m (en) t of Court. Mary Ward-Fletcher-Clarke died at Farmington, Conn., on Janu­ ary 22, 1679. Her will is dated November 28, 1677, and was pro­ bated in court at New Haven on March 6, 1679. Below are the contents of her will: I, Mary Clarke, of Farmington, do make this, my last will & · Testament. I give to my daughter Mary Stevens £16, to my daughter Rebeckah Warner £16, to my daughter Chittington £15- 15. I give unto my son-in-law Elnathan Bochford 5 Shillings, to my gr(and)child Elizabeth Bqchford £5. I give unto the Rev. Pas­ tor Newton 5 Shillings. I give unto my brother John Ward, of Newark, 20 Shi1Iings. I give unto my gr(and) child Rebeckah Stev­ ens a pewter platter. I give unto my gr(and)Child Mary Warner a THE FLETCHER LINEAGE 275 pewter platter. I give unto my gr(and)child Abigail Standly a feath­ erbed. I give unto my gr(and)child Elizabeth Chittingdon a basin. I give unto my gr(and)child Elizabeth Standly my Chest. I give unto my son-in-law John Standly and my daughter Sarah, his wife, the ½ of all my Lands in Milford, woodland, earable (land) and Meadow, except my Homestead, to be equally divided. My Will is that my sonn Standly shall have £4-10 by the year paid to him out of the Rent of the Lands at Milford during the lease of Nathaniel Far­ rand. I give unto my daughter Abigail Fletcher my House, Barn & Homelott, & the ;i of all my Land in Milford, to be equally divided, that is to say woodland, Earable Land & Meadow, that is to say, to her & her natural heirs. My Will is that if she dyes without Issue, that the ½ of the afore-mentioned house & Land shall return to be equally divided betwixt my 4 daughters. And funher, I give unto her all my Household Goods that (are) at Milford that is not divided or disposed of; & if she dye(s), the (a)fore-mentioned Estate Willed to her shall be divided equally between my four daughters, with this provisio(n), that my daughter Rebeckah Warner s~all have £10 more than_any of the rest of my daughters. My Will is that what of my Clothing, Woolen or Lynen, that is at Farmington, that is not disposed of, at my decease, that my four daughters Mary, Rebeckah, Sarah and Hannah, it shall be divided equally amongst them. I ap­ point my daughter Abigail Fletcher to be my whole and sole Exe­ cutrix. And I do desire Hono(r)ed Major Robert Treate & Mr. Samuel Eales to be Overseers.-Mary X Clarke, L.S.-,Witness(es), Robert Porter (and) John Loomis. The inventory of her Milford estate was taken and appraised at £273:05:06 on February 26, 1679 by Thomas Tibbetts, senior, Samuel Burwell, Samuel Newton and Eleazer Rogers, and her eMate at Farmington, appraised at £32: 16: 00 on February 14, 1678 by John Norton, Thomas Barnes and John \Voodruff. John Fletcher's children were all daughters, except a son who died when an infant. MARY, our lineal ancestress. Rebecca. born in Stretton, England about 1634; died Janu­ ary 25, 1715; ·was married, October 10, 1653, the first time to Andrew, son of Deacon Andrew Warner, and the second time after 1678 to Jeremiah Adams, of Hart­ ford. Sarah, baptized October 31, 1641; died May 15, 1713; was married, April 20, 1663, to Capt.· John, son of John Standley, who died on the passage to America in 1634. Hannah, baptized July 9, 1643; was married to John, son of William and Joanne Chittenden, of Guilford, Conn., December 12, 1665. Elizabeth, baptized in October of 1645; died about 1666; was married to Elnathan Botsford, of Milford, Conn., De­ cember 12, 1664. 276 THE FLETCHER LINEAGE

Samuel, baptized July 29, 1649; '' died about sun sett, Sep­ t( ember) 2(n)d, 1649, before he was full(y) 6 weeks old; buried on ye mor(ning of) ye (next) day, 6 weeks yt he was born.'' Abigail, baptized June 13, 1652; was married to Rogers, son of Rev. Rogers Newton and Mary Newton. Authorities consulted: ''The Descendants of Robert Fletcher, of Concord, Massachusetts,'' by Edward H. Fletcher; ~ 'The Founding of New England," by Ernest Flagg; ''History of the Colony of New Haven," by Edward R. Lambert; "New Haven (Conn.) Colony Records," by Charles J. Hoadly, M.A.; "Milford Land Records," by Donald Lines Jacobus in the American Genealogist; "New Haven County Court Records"; New Haven Probate Records"; "Milford (Conn.) Church Records"; "Milford (Conn.) Vital Records''; ''Digest of Hartford Probate Records,'' by Charles William Man­ waring; and research work by a Connecticut genealogist. MARY2 FLETCHER: See the life story of Thomas2 Stevens in the Stevens lineage.-Page ~46.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT·

1 2 John Fletcher, born,, 1602; died 1663; wife, Mary Ward. Thomas2 Stevens, 1628; • • 1685; • • Mary2 Fletcher. 2 ., •• ., 3 Stephen Dodd, , , 1656; ,, 1691; , Sarah Stevens . D ame. l3 ,, 1679; . Elizabeth4 Riggs. , , , , ,, 4 Pete:r8 Condit, 1699; 1768; , , Phoebe Dodd. 5 , . .. , 4 Henry Axtell, ,, 1738; 1818; Phoebe Condit . 6 '. 6 Simeon Cory,, , , , 1774; 1847; '' Rhoda Axtell. James7 1801; ', 1880; •• Susan7 Mulford. THE BROWNE LINEAGE 277

JOHN1 BROWNE was living in Milford, Conn., in 1646, though not an original settler. His home lot containing three acres was numbered the sixty-first, at the west side of the palisades, lying between William Brooks' lot on the north and the highway on the south. He agreed ~ ~to erect a good house'' on his lot within three years or it was to go back to the town. He and his wife Mary, with two other couples, were admitted to the church there on April 9, 1649, but they were not fully entered until December, when John was admitted on the ninth; his children John, Mary and Esth~r _were baptized a week later, on the sixteenth, and his wife was admitted on the following Sunday, the twenty-third. By the land records we find that he had of William Fowler: Four Acres of Meadow (land), bee it more or less, lying in the great Meadow, bounded with the Sea South, with Timothy Ba]d­ win (' s land) East, with the Com(m)on (land) North, (and) West with Henry Botchford('s land). (And in the same record, he) hath for his half Deuision of land four Acres and a half, whereof two Acres and one Rood, bee it more or less, lyeth on (the) be(a)ver pond plain, ( etc). He was one of the ten Milford men who became the proprietors of a large tract of Indian land at a place called Paugasuck or Paugasett, more than ten miles above Milford, bought from the claims of three New Haven men in 1655, the bounds being ''the Naugatuck river on the west, a small rock South, with a swamp on the east, and a little brook, or spring, that runs into the Beaver river nonh.'' When the plantation was eventually established the name ·was changed to Der­ by, and it was put under the jurisdiction of the New Haven colony. John's future father-in-law, Edward Riggs, and a few others from Milford settled there, but John himself did not go there until 1665. Being a good friend of his Milford church· pastor, Rev. Peter Prudden, he was invited as one of the three witnesses to the drawing up of the pastor's will, under date of July 26, 1656. After the death of the pastor the Milford church records were very imperfectly kept until Rev. Mr. Newton became the minister. John was a witness, with Samuel Cooley, in the New Haven court, in April of 1657, to support Richard Baldwin's information that: 278 THE BROWNE LINEAGE

There hath bine some wines and liqours brought into Milford by William East, w (hi) ch hath not paide custome, according to (the) order. (East did not appear in court to answer the charge), because of some present weakness of. body he ( was) not able to come, but Mr. Fenn informed (the court) that he hath written to him to acqu (a) inte the court that he either forgott it, or did not know the order. (The court asked) how much it is he hath thus defrauded the jurisdiction of; it was answered that· they ( found) first, three pipes of wine and fifteene anchors (ankers) of liqours, but they heare of six pipes of wine more. The court considered of the case, and because he * (was) not here (in the court), ·they pass(ed) no sentence at present, hut order(ed) that securitie he taken of him to the valew of the goods mentioned, * so may answer it at the next court. On January 9, 1661, John was: Granted liberty to take up some land by his Calues (') pen meadow Where he (had) laid (it) down formerly, (as) it is to goe onwards of his diuision, &c., ( and later, on March, the 11th, he was again) granted Liberty to take up the remainder of his diuision in two places, one place * (was}_ on the east side (of) Mr. Treat(')s Iott, on the other side (of) the new Cause( wa)y on the Indian Side, (and) the other place * (was) from Samuel Co(o)ley(')s Cor­ ner stake by (the) Calues(') pen meadow, & from tbat stake up by (the) swamp & thereabouts, prouided care he had to reserue conuen­ ient high ways. (An undated entry telJs of his) 14;~ acres in the Old Indian flield, and 4 acres (and) 15 pole(s) more; also 3 roods (and) 20 pole(s), (and by another entry), 3 acres, 3 roods, (and) 14 pole (s) by the Calues (') pen meddow, bounded north (by) Thomas Welch (' s land) and Thomas Wheeler (' s). In the spring of 1665, John and other Milford men went to Der­ by on receiving notice that their N augasuck land tracts were ready · for the laying out. It seems while he was waiting for it Alexander Bryan, a Milford man, on June 14, 1665, sold a farm of forty acres ~nd an island, which he bought from Lieutenant Thomas Wheeler of Stratford, to Joseph Hawkins, of Stratford,. and John Brown, of Pau­ gassett, and on the twentieth of the next July Mr. Bryan passed over to Joseph Hawkins "his part of the farm at Paugassett, (for) eighty pounds a year for three years,' ' making a profit for himself of forty pounds; if this was the same land he bought of Mr. Wheeler, the sale to Haw kins and Brown was a failure. Afterwards this land was passed on to the town and Joseph Hawkins received another allot­ ment. The first notice of John on the establishment of the new town, was on January 2, 1666, when the "Company of proprietors" was indebted to him for one shilling and three pence, and next we find, by the "general account of April, 1666," he was paid for his service as follows: THE BROWNE LINEAGE 279

John Brown, three days and a half 09: 07: 06 John Brown, one day 00:02:06 John Brown and his son Joseph, each half (a) day 00:01:08 The formal laying out of the homesteads of the first ten proprietors was made, it is thought, in the spring of 1667. John received for his home lot one and a half acres, and for his farm four acres of up­ land and three of meadow. In the autumn previous to the laying out of this land the colonies of New Haven and Connecticut were united, and the General Court put on a different face toward the little plantation in the Naugatuck valley. John's name must have been on a petition, as it reads: This court, upon the petition of the inhabitants of ''Paugasuck, '' do declare that they are willing to afford the best encouragement they can to promote a plantation there, and if there do a sufficient number (of inhabitants) appear betwixt this and October next, (who) will engage to make a plantation there, to maintain an orthodox minister among them, that may be in a capable way to enjoy the ordinances of God and civil· order amongst themselves, then the court wi1l be ready to confer such privileges, as may be fot their comfort, so they do not prejudice- the town of Milford, or New Haven in their (rights of) common.-Oct(ober) 12, 1665. Trouble and difficulty in saving their corn in the autumn after it was grown, led to the following agreement: (The) Paugasset inhabitants met together and have made the fol­ lowing agreement to secure their corn, which was as followeth, that they were to measure their fence to the mouth of the creek that goeth into (the) Naugatuck river and.set so much upon the hill, and Joseph Hawkins and' John Brown * (are) to measure theirs [or as much] and set it upon the hill, and if any be \\ranting of their rail­ ing they are a11 of them to join together and make it up, and then to divide it e~ually. They have also agreed that every man's yard shall be a pound, and that (if) any cattle that are found in the meadow without a sufficient (suitable) keeper shall be poundable, except when the meadow is common; and it shall not be laid common with­ out a joint consent; and if any swine come into ·it and take the corn, the owner of them shall shut them up and keep them up after they have warning till the meadow (is) common; and if any man shall willingly put in any beast, horse, or any other beast into the meadow, he shall forfeit five shillings for every such offence. This agreement is to stand authentic ti1l we see cause to alter it. The agreement was made "this 4th of Sept( ember), 1667,' '.·and among the seven signatures affixed to the paper \Vas that of John Brown's. It is the last appearance of his name on the records of the town. He had joined the dissatisfied colonists in the exodus to the new promising settlement of Newark in 1667. He attached his signature to the venerable document, June 2~, 1667, known as the ''Fundamental Agreements,' ' to stand by it. 280 THE BROWNE LINEAGE

In preparation for his going he disposed of the year before, on the twenty-second of October, all the lands he owned, ''lying within the bounds of Milford," to Thomas Wheeler, our ancestor, for a "valu­ able satisfaction in Land received.'' They were four parcels of land, . vrz.: 10 acres (of) upland in (the) Stub(b)ing plaine; 4 acres and 15 pole(s) in the old Indian ffield; 11 acres of upland, lying by the Cal(f)e('s) pen Me(a)dow (and) 2 acres of Me(a)dow (land) in the Calfe(' s) pen Meadow. ~he sale was confirmed thirty-five years later on March 28, 1701. In the entry John was known as "John Brown, Sen' r, of Paugasite, in the jurisdiction of Connecticott. '' At the initial meeting of the new settlement of Newark on October 30, 1666, the townsmen attended to hea~ reports and discussions. ''A List of Every Man's Estate," prepared by the "Sale(s) Men," was submitted for their information. John. heard that his estate was rated at three hundred and eight pounds, but was set down, ''with deduction" for two hundred and five pounds, which was two-thirds for assessments. At the following town meeting of February 6, 1668, it was a great day for the drawing of six-acre home lots. John was the twenty­ seventh to draw Lot No. 54 for his homestead. He was on the committee appointed to consummate the purchase of land from the Indians, as his signed name is on the bill of sale with others, bearing date of July 11, 1667. 1"'he purchased: Land is bounded and Limited with the bay Eastward, and the great River Pesayak Northward, the great Cre(e)ke or River in the meadow, running to the head of the Cove and from thence bareing a West Line for the South bounds, wh(ich the) said Great Cre(e)ke is Commonly Called and known by the name W eequachick, on the West Line, backwards in the Country to the foot of the great moun­ taine called (the) Watchung. John was notified of the ordinance of May 7, 1668, that his fence in the common fields No. 15, and No. 16, along the river should be ''lifted'' five rods so as to conform with the others in line, because of tide, or floods. It was to be done proportionally ''according to Men's Estate(s) and Lands within the same, which was committed to Mr. Samuel Kitchel and Lawrence Ward to be justly shared out'' as they judged best. John was placed on a committee with Henry Lyon and Sergeant John Ward at the meeting of September 10, 1668, clothed with "Power to hear every man's reason" for being late in coming to meetings, for being absent, and fo_r ''disorderly departing, or with- THE BROWNE LINEAGE 281 drawing'' during meetings, and to use their judgment about excusing those on their plausible explanations for not being at meetings, and to turn over those that failed to give good excuses to the constable, ''.or such other Officer as the Town shall appoint'' for action. Needing a grinding mill "for the supply of the Town," there was much pro and contra discussion at the meeting of March 12, 1669, which resulted in choosing Robert Treat, Henry Lyon, John Brown and Stephen Davis as a committee, ''to oversee the Work, and that as near as they can in an equal and proportionate ·wa·y, and· to keep a clear and distinct account of every man(') s ,vork, and Laying out about the work.'' The work for the mill had dragged along for nearly a year and a half. The town was about tq give it up when Captain Robert Treat· and Sergeant Richard Harrison came on the spot, August 24, 1670, to take up the mill building. On discovering in· the course of the construction of the Meeting­ House, that there . was a shortage of. nails, .•needhig them ''for the closing (finishing) of the Meeting-Ho~se," or in other words, for the completion of the structure, the town at its meeting on April 17, 1669, ''agreed to provide Nails,'' but urged that the men contribute what nails they could "in a voluntary way," but if they were not sufficient, they would pay for them out of the . ''Town Treasury." They "chose Brother Tompkins and Good(ma)n Johnson~' to find out "what the rest of the Town would ingage upon · * Accounts for such an End,'' and the nails were to be in the hands of ''Broth­ ( er) John Browne" as soon as they could. Not till January 2, 167(1) did: The Town Agree with ·rho (ma)s Johnson About his Floaring ( work on) Half (of) the Meeting-House for Four Pounds; · (the lumber is to be) of Good Chestnut or Oak, of 2 Inches and a Half Plank(s), and they (he and the others) are to find (the lumber) and do all to Edge and lay (ing) down the £oar on Seven Good sleep­ ers; and in like Manner they Have Bargain ( e) d with J no. Brown, Mr. Burwell, Jno. Baldwin and Jos. Riggs to do the other Half. It was the town order of June 10, 1669, that eve'ry man in turn shall dig ditches in a meadow to drain pools of water i~to a ·creek at Ma pie island : Ed(ward) R.ig(g)s (was) to, begin the work at (the) Maple Island creek, and Serg. Rich (ard) Harrison at the other place.: (Men), at the * part of the Town, where the said Serg. Rig(g)s dwells, (are) to take it by Succession, * ·· * and·from him to Good­ (man) Freeman(' )sand so (on) to Good(man) Tompkins('), ,and so round to the other Side of the Street, where Goo.cl ( man) Brown (lives), and every Man is to warn his next Neighbpr (night)>efore by passing notice until all) have done their Share at the Swamp. 282 THE BROWNE LINEAGE

On the division of the meadow land, conducted at the town meet­ ing of January 1, 1670, John was fortunate enough to draw tract No. 11, but its dimensions are not given. In the land divisions each settler received first a home lot' in the laying o:ut on the river for which lots were drawn, the divisions being in strict conformity with the old precedents. The division, it appears, was the third division of the "upland," with an equitable distribution of the "bogged meadow.'' On January 25, 1670, Rev. Abraham Pierson, the town m1n1ster, was given a home lot, with a fence belonging to it that had belonged to a Mr. Leet, on condition that he would make the payment. John and another man were to appraise the lot ''according to the State they find it in.'' In case the minister does not settle in the town but moves out: He is to resign it up to them, they paying him or his Assigns for all his Charges expended upon it as Indifferent (impartial) Men shall value or appr(a)ise the same, when he leaves it. It was the most importa~u-meeting of the town, held for two days on the twenty-fifth and the twenty-sixth in January of 1670, for the divisions of land. One was the land at the "Two-Mile Brook," which was reserved for: Ten Persons desiring it. John Brown, Sen(')r, (receiving) the First Lott, (and his son) John Brown, Jun(')r, the fourt(h). * * (And the other division comprised) 31 Lotts * in the great neck, either in Part(s), or in whole(s) of their Divisions, to lye there, (one of the) Lotts, ( which) fell to John Brown for his half (division), the number being (No.) 22. It was voted at the meeting of December 5, 1670": That the Present siz ( e) rs of the Second Division of Land should Take a View of Robert Den(n)ison's first Division of upland in the N eek, and of Mr. Peck's (and that of) John Brown's and Stephen Davis(' be) propounded, and it appeared his Case was one and the Same; and they are to Give such Allowance and Amendment to any of them in Their Divisions, as they find to be just and Equal. It was (then) declared, that John Brown, Sen' r, was to Have Half of his division of Land in the Neck on this Side of the Two-Mile Brook, and Henry Lyon, one third; but the Rest stood for their whole Shares of their Division Their(e). At the meeting of December 12, 1670, it was found that some extent of the land was left unlaid-out, and it was the sense of the meeting that it should be drawn in three parts by lot. John drew the second part of the land, lying at the side ( of) the Great Swamp. By order of the court, the estate of Deacon Lawrence Warde was appraised by John, together with_ John Warde, who submitted in THE BROWNE LINEAGE 283 court on April 18, 1670, their report, the appraisement being a little over two hundred and eighty-six pounds. He and Thomas Pierson, brother of our reverend ~ncestor, witnessed on March 19, 1673, the drawing up of the will of Matthew Campfield, and following on the eleventh of June, we find that "John Brown, sen(' )r, & tho. Pier­ son, sen(') r, witnesses hereunto, did make oath, before me yt this is · the last Will & testament of Matthew Campfield, (in) his own hand­ wrighting,'' this evidence being made before John Herry, deputy governor at the time. John was among• twenty-two men allowed on February 20, 1671, "Liberty to take their division of Bogs, Each one Against His Lott (and) the Breadth of his Lott, and Agree Among Themselves, without any Charge of their Highways, or to Lay them out to the Town.'' The next day, the twenty-first, ''the Second division of (a salt) Meadow, (which) * (was) to Be Ordered, according -to Men(')s Lotts, or the place where they shall Lye," John's lot being No. 26, and again No. 16, as appear on the list. There was an election of the town officials on January 1, 1673. John Brown and S!ephen Davis were chosen fence viewers "for the Year ensuing." As early as April 17, 1669, the town created an order: That the common fence that (is found) l(ying) down should be mended up speedily, and that * * the Viewers of the Com­ mon Fences should go forth and view the Fence. If they found that the fence was poorly relaid they were to notify the men who set them up "defectively," and "return their Names to the next Town Meeting," and for them to pay their "Penalty.'' In the matter of drawing lots in the second division of land, which was to he patented on record, not to exceed a hundred acres, it was agreed on May 26, 16i3, that the town should do the drawing which resulted in John finding himself the happy possessor of lot No. 60. It was voted at the meeting of January 8, 167 ( 4) : That two Days(') Work is to be bestowed (o)n stubbing the Highways (with)in the Town (and also) * * about the Frog Pond and thereabouts. (Two men at their End of the Town), and John Brown, Sen'r, and John Baldwin, Jun'r, (at) their (other) End of the Town, are to call out Men to do th(e) Work, and all (who) are to do this Work (are to he) from (the age of) Sixteen * * to Sixty; (years, or suffer) the Forfeit of two Shillings and six Pence a Day for neglecting (the call). John was among seven men elected on March 19, 167(4), as Towns' men: To carry (on all the) Town Business, according to the best of 284 THE BROWNE LINEAGE their Judgment for the Good of the Town, for the Year ensuing, except disposing of Land, admitting Inhabitants, and the way of levying Rates. . On January 1, 167(6), he was chosen: To warn (for the) Town Meetings (at his) end of the Town, where he lives, for the Year ensuing, and on June 5, 1676, (he and Joseph Walters were chosen) to Seal ( \\·eigh) * Measures of all Sorts for the Year ensuing, according to the Order of the General Assembly. Both of them were reelected as ''Sealer(s) of Weights and Meas­ ures at the town election of January 1, 167(9). On the first date, Thomas Ludington was : Granted * amends of his Second Division of Meadow, th(e) sunken Meadow [together with Part of the Pond] (being) between the Homeward Stake of John Brown's black Stake Meadow and so (to stretch) streight to the Homeward end of the Pond, (and) also, John Brown is to have half (of) the Pond, and from thence to His fµrther Stake by (the) Maple Island Creek. It was voted on June 12, 1676 that: Every Male Inhabitant in the Town, * above fourteen Years of Age hath Liberty to pound any Cattle, (if) found trespassing, and if the Matter prove ( s) actionable afterwards in our Town Courts, his Oath shall be counted (as) legal Testimony. But, if any Person under (the designated) Years of Age, find any Cattle * tress­ passing, and bring them to ( the) pound, he, or they shall produce Testimony (to prove) where he, or they, found the Cattle, before it (can) be accounted (as) legal Testimony. But, for unru1y Cattle and such Cattle as are voluntarily left in the N eek, the Law and (the) Towne Order (shall) provide (for action). John was (then) chosen Pound Keeper, (and) his Fees (for corraling Cows, Oxen, Horses and Swine (shall be) six pence by the Head Poundage, be­ sides all damages. On October 19, 1681, the town designated, according to the un­ derstanding of January 4, 168(1), how every homesteader was to post and lay rails to enclose a common field for pasturage, in propor­ tion to the size of their lots. As John owned Lot No. 14, he was to build or rather lay fence seven and a half rods for his given share of labor. John subscribed his name to espouse the town order of January 1, 168 ( 4) "for Orderly attendence at Town Meetings" and require the ''delinquent'' absentees to pay fines or give good reasons for their not attending meetings. He also supported, by affixing his signature to a pledge, on January 9, 168(8) that he would contribute his mite for the maintenance of young Rev. Abraham Pierson, when the house was divided. THE BROWNE LINEAGE 285

A land patent was issued on March, 1676, to "John Brown, sen­ ior, of Newark,'' for ninety-five acres, they being ''in eight parcels, as per (the) Surveyor General's Certificate," as described below: By Philip Carteret, Esq (ui)r(e), &c., [as per understanding o(f) land granted (by)) Sir George Carteret, Kn (igh)t and Baronet Vice Chamberlaine, &c., and Lord Proprietor of the Province abovesaid, hath Given and Granted, and by these pr(e)sents doth give and Grant unto John Browne, Sen(i)or, of the towne (of) Newark, Yeoman, certaine percells of upland and meadow, Lying and being in and about the said towne, as followeth, viz,-being in Eight percels, p(a)rticu­ larly Exprest in his pattent, w(i)th their buttings and b(o)undings, as they are recorded, according to the Surveyer Generali(' )s Certificate, In the Book for that purpose, folio 15, Contayning, in all, ninety-five acres, English measure, To have and to holde to him, the said John Browne, sen (i)or, his H eires or Assignes forever, Yielding and pay­ ing Yearly to the said Lord proprietor, his Heires, or Assignes on Every 25th day of March, according to the English account, on half e penny of Lawfull money of England for Every one of the said Acres {or the valew thereof] In such Courant pay as the Country doth pro_:­ duce at merchants(') price to the value of mon(e)y sterling, To be­ holden as of ye Manner of East Greenwitch, In free and common Soccage, the first payment of which rent to begin from the 25th day of March, w (hi) ch was in the Y eare of our Lord one thou~and six hundred and seventy.-Given und(e)r the Seale of the province, the 14th Day of March, An(n)o ( Domini), 1675, & In the 28th Yeare of his Maj(es)tie(')s Raigne, &c. Part of this land is mentioned in a deed of Henry Lyon, of Eliza­ bethtown, dated July 31, 1688, conveying to Patrick Falckoner, of Woodbridge, merchant, a tract of ''8 acres of meadow, at Beef Point, N ( orth of the land of) John Brown, senior''; in another rec­ ord is a patent, dated March 15, 1694, granted to John Curtis for the seventh tract of land, comprising "6 ac (res), at the bottom of the great swamp, n ( orth of) John Brown(' s land)" and one more, in confirmation of a patent to Eliphalet Johnson, dated January 18, 1698, for the seventh tract of "4 a(cres), N(orth of the land of) John Brown, Senior." John died on November 6, 1690. His will is dated December 17, 1689. It was submitted to Justices John Ward and Thomas Johnson, on the fourth of December of the following year, upon oath by John Browne, junior, and John Dennison. The witnesses of the will were the same, with the additional signature of Thomas Browne. It is not in the keeping of the office of the Secretary of State at Trenton, N. ]., but is found on record in the "Newark Town Book.'' With a few sentences in the opening part omitted, it is as follows: 286 THE BROWNE LINEAGE

Whereas, I, John Browne of Newark, being infirm in body & subject to many changes, not knowing the time of my departure out of this world [ though blessed he god, I am not downe sick], & (but) of good understanding & memory as usually, do make this, my last will & testament [making voyd all other wills & testaments, made by me whatsoever] in manner & form following: lmprimis: my just debts & funerall charges being payd, my will is, & I do- will & bequeath unto my eldest son John Browne, his heirs & assignes [besides what I have already given him] three acres of up­ land, be it more or less, lying towards the bottom of the great neck, which he now improves, bounded as is expressed in my pattent. 2/y: my will is, & I do will, & bequeath unto my two sons Joseph Browne & Thomas Browne, them, their heirs & assignes [besides what I have already given them] that forty acres of upland, be it more or less, payd out to me, beyond (the) Elizabeth river, as bounded in my pattent, (and) equally to be divided between them. 3/y: my will is, and I do will, & bequeath unto my son 'Daniel Browne, his heirs & assignes, my whole accom(m)odation, lying & being at Newark [which I have not disposed of to any other children] both what I have already layd o~t & what of right by purchase doth belong to me, in any after division, not yet layd out, together with my oxen, one n1air, one young steer, one young heifer, the bed & bed ( d) ing I now use to lie on, & all utensells for husbandry, provided that my son Daniel, his heirs & assignes, do comfortably provide for & maintain his sister Esther [ with what she can do towards a lively­ hood] she remaining in a single state. 4/y: my will is, if my daughter Esther shall change her condition by marriage, that upon her marriage she shall have halfe of my move­ able estate, both within & without doors [ except what I have given to others in my will] & halfe ( of) the fruit of the new orchard dur­ ing her life time. Also, my will" is that while I(t) shall please god to continue my son Daniel & my daughter Esther in the land of the liv­ ing, & she remains in a single state, that they shall equally have the use of my household stuff, (and) further my will is that, if my daugh_­ ter Esther continue(s) in a single state unmarried till death, that, at her decease, she shall have her own bed and bed(d)ing, clothes & halfe of my household stuff at her dispose, & the halfe to he at Dan­ iel(' )s dispose. 5/y: my will is that my daughters Mary Pierson, Hannah Riggs, Phebe Dodd, & Elizabeth ffreeman have, besides what I have al­ ready given them, each of them five shillings, in (the) country pay, out of my estate, within two years after my decease. La.rtly, my will is that my son Daniel Browne be executor of this, my estate, (and) also my wi11 is, & I desire my loving brother Eph­ raim Burwell & my loving son John Browne to be my overseers, for confirmation that this is my last will & testament, I have hereunto put my hand & seale, this seventeenth day of December, 1689.­ (Signed), John Browne. It is noticed by his will, that he had a patent for forty acres beyond THE BROWNE LINEAGE 287 the Elizabeth river that he bequeathed- to his two sons Joseph and Thomas. By the tO\\'n record of October 18, 1686, the sons: Have ·Liberty granted to exchange their Father's Third Division of Land, lying beyond (the) Elizabeth River, and to take up the Quantity thereof on this side (of the) Ra(h)way river, below the Mouth of (the) stone-house brook. His several parcels of land in Milford, Conn;, he bequeathed to his son John Brown, junior, who sold them to Samuel Clark on April 21, 1696, for fifty pounds sterling, silver money .._ .. And on March 5, 1715, his son-in-law Samuel Freeman, his son John Brown and grand­ son Stephen Brown, all : Of Newark, in ye County of Essex, in East Jersey, and Deacon Sam(ue)l Porter, of ffarmington, and Martha, his wife, and Deacon Thomas Judd, of Waterbury, and Sarah, his wife, of ye County of Hartford, In his Maj (es)tie(' )s Colony of Connecticut, in New England, for £200 currant money,. sold lands to Ezekiel Stone of Milford. . The deed was witnessed by two Milford men, and all the grantors made acknowledgment at Milford, on that date. By his will he mentions his "loving brother Ephraim ··Burwell," which seems to indicate that his·· wife was a Burwell, or Ephraim Burwell may have married John's sister, or ·their wives might have been sisters~ A search was then made. Burwell had a brother John, junior, who lived in Milford, Conn., until his death early in 1665. In an inventory, taken on April 13, 1665, is included Ba cow (that was left) in John Browne(' s) hand," a~d a list of goods received from England." In November of 1679, an inventory, presumably of the above recorded estate of the deceased John Burwell, was exhibited in court by his other ·brother Sergeant Samuel Burwell, and by John Burwell; the deceased(' s) "eldest sone and heyre." The estate was represented to be insolvent, and this oldest son claimed the estate in England, which consisted of the rent of a tenement or tenements belonging to the ·deceased by copyhold tenure. The court found that the other two children (not specified by name) had had no part of their father's estate. Sergeant Samuel Burwell and John Browne, senior, appeared on the deceased father's behalf, as overseers of the estate and children. · As· we gather by the interpretation, it appears that the deceased John Burwell, jr., owned property in England from which he re­ ceived rents, and his oldest son; the third John, claimed it, presum­ ably under the English law of primogeniture which · entailed such property to the oldest son. It is· also·· seen that a cow belonging to his father John Burwell, junior,· was in die hands of John Browne, 288 THE BROWNE LINEAGE and that Browne was an overseer of the estate and children. The third John Burwell died in 1690, leaving a will in \\rhich he provided for his wife and child, and he made his ''father Gershom lockwood'' and ·'cousin'' John Browne as overseers of his will. It 'is a logical conclusion that Ephraim Burwell and also John Bur­ well, junior, were brothers-in-law of John Browne, and that the third John Burwell, who called John Browne of Newark "his cousin," evidently referred to the second John Browne, the senior, John Browne's son. These records can hardly be explained on any other hypothesis except that John Browne's wife was a daughter of the first John Burwell. As she was the mother of the first known child, baptized in Milford in 1649 it needs not have been earlier than 1630. John's wife came to Milford in her father's family from Hertford­ shire, England about 1637. She was then about fourteen, based on her baptismal date of September. 25, 1623, in the Minsden chapel, in the parish of Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Ther~ is no record of their marriage, but it is surmised that it took place about 1646 or before. In an attempt to find the baptismal dates of the children of families of Milford, Branford and New Haven we are frustrated. No such records are in existence. There must have been a colony book in which these. dates were entered, but it has never come to light. It must have been lost or destroyed many years ago, possibly during the Revolutionary war. Only two volumes of the ''N e,v Haven Colony Records'' are preserved. In the early days each town in the colony turned in its vital statistics to the colony at New Haven. In New Haven a book was staned in 1649 to keep the vital sta­ tistics of the town. On page 162 in the book is the heading ''The names of Children brought in from other Townes." Under this, thirteen births of children of Branford, Milford and Southold are rec­ orded. Evidently they were entered in the book by error, instead of in the colony book, because every one of these thirteen entries is crossed out which indicates that they were transferred to the colony book. Just one of these entries went up to the top of page 163, and reads as follows: '' Milford, Sarah Browne, the· Daughter of J no. Browne was borne, the 6th of August, 1650." On page 152 are entered a few marriages of people in other towns, chiefly Milford, and these also are crossed out with the comment "all (are) ent( e) red in a booke for ye purpose," which is positive proof that a colony book was started at that time. In its absence we are out of luck, unless the entries were kept also in town books in the separate towns. They did not begin to keep such a record in Milford until 1654, although they had been turning in the vital rec- THE BROWNE LINEAGE 289 ords to the co1ony at New Haven· since 1649 at least. In Branford, the .. early vital statistics are not very complete; in New Haven itself they did not begin until 1649. In Milford and New Haven the early church records are preserved and help out to some extent. '"fhe early church records of Branford are not in existence, and their loss is very much felt. In the vital records of the town of Milford, the birth of a child in the family who has been called John, is recorded in July of 1655. No such baptism of a second John appears in the church records. The American Genealogist, published at New Haven, Conn., has the name John appear in brackets to mean that the name is not now legi­ ble. As a matter of fact, it has been frayed from the margin of the page in the original book. The date giving the day of the month is also partly illegible. The name John was either written in a mod­ ern hand or else it had been supplied from an old copy made years ago, which is now in the town clerk's office. There is therefore no certainty that the name was John as it has simply been read so by someone in the past. The record is a birth, not a baptism. Now, in the church register, the name of a child Thomas is entered for his baptism on "2, Sept., 1655," Doubtless it was the Thomas who was born in July of that year, and the name should be corrected in the town records. The births of John's last two children in his family were not en­ tered on record at Milford because they were then living in Derby, a town on the river Naugatuck about seven miles north, as by its town records in 1665 and 1666, there was a John Browne, who appears along with Edward and· Samuel Riggs. His name disappeared from the Derby records soon afterwards. Evidently the town was a new settlement, and those who remained there had the births of their chil­ dren entered later. John left soon for the new colonial settlement at Newark and missed getting the births of his children recorded there. J oho' s children were : all baptized at Milford, Conn., December John, the oldest, r16, 1649; John's wife's Christian name Mary, 1st., ~ was Rebecca; no trace of him after 1700; Esther, I Mary died when small; Esther was un­ l married in 1689. Sarah, born August 6, 1650; died young. Joseph, baptized May 9, 1652; died between October 20, 1694 and November 21, 1694; married Hannah, daugh­ ter of Stephen Freeman. Mary, 2nd., baptized November 29, 1653; died in 1684; was wife of Thomas, son of Rev. Abraham1 Pierson, Sr. Thomas, baptized September 2, 1655; died before April 7, 290 THE BROWNE LINEAGE

1711; \vife' s Christian name was Mary. HANNAH, our lineal ancestress. Phoebe, baptized July 5, 1660; was wife of Daniel2 Dodd. Elizabeth, born in 1663; died November 13, 1732; was wife of Samuel, son of Stephen Freeman, of Milford, Conn., and of Newark, N. J. Daniel, born in 1666; died January 6, 1733;· wife's Christian name was Abigail. Authorities consulted: '"History of the Colonf of New Haven, (Conn.),'' by Edward R. Lambert; ''Milford Church Registers''; "History of the Old Town of Derby, Conn.," by Samuel Orcutt; "New London Vital Records," by James N. Arnold; "Genealogical Notices of the First Settlers of Newark, (N. J.)," by Samuel H. Con gar; "'Narratives of Newark, (N. J.),' ' by David Lawrence Pierson; "First Presbyterian Church in Newark, (N. J.)," by Jo­ nathan F. Stearns; "Ne\.\ark Town Book"; ~'Newark Town Rec­ ords"; History of Essex and Hudson Counties, New Jersey," by William H. Shaw; "The Hertfordshire (England) Genealogist and Antiquary," by F. W. Briggs; ~nd research work by a Connecticut genealogist, and by a New Jersey genealogist. HANNAH2 BROWN: See the life story of Joseph8 Riggs in the Riggs lineage. -Page 264.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT John1 Browne, born died 1690; wife, Mary2 Burwell. '' ', , . 2 J oseph-s Riggs, 1642; 1689; ,, Hannah Browne. 3 •• , . 4 Daniel Dodd, ,, 1679; Elizabeth Riggs. •• ., 4 Pete~ Condit, ,, 1699; 1768; Phoebe Dodd. 5 , . ,, 4 Henry Axtell, 1738; , , 1818; Phoebe Condit. 6 ,, ,, 6 Simeon Cory, , , 1774; ,, 1847; ,, Rhoda Axtell. Jame:/ ', 1801; 1880; Susan7 Mulford. THE BURWELL LINEAGE 291

JOHN1 BURWELL, it is presumable, came from England with the Eaton-Davenport-Prudden pany to Quinnipiac bay in 1637, and became one of the original settlers of Milford in the state of Connecti­ cut. rfhe section originally \\rent under the name of the Indian term Wepawaug. A part of the township is known by the name of ''Burwell Farm" at the present day, and was in the rosse~sion (1870)· of some of the said John's descendants, as we read in a Burwell genealogy. There seems to be no question that John was from Hertfordshire in England, as the record of his whereabouts is definitely stated above his name in the admissions to the Milford church. The nota­ tion is so faintly discernible as to make it doubtful that it was written, but under a magnifying glass it is legible. Several genealogists sur­ mised that his home was Hempsted, or Hemel Hempsted, in Hert­ fordshire, but a search there disclosed no such Burwell family had existed. Eventually a ''Bishop's Transcripts'' of Minsden Chapel, in the parish of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, brought to light where John had lived. Evidently, John had heen:~arried before he took Hester Winches­ ter for his second wife in Hitchin on November 25, 1622, and was the father of two daughters. He may have had more children be­ tween two gaps in the "Transcripts," from Easter of 1627 to Easter of 1628, and from Easter of 1630 to Easter of 1631, than are now found in the Hitchin baptisms. John married for the third time, Alice Heath, on June 24, 1635. The value of the "Transcripts" is, therefore, exceptionally great, because of the fact that no registers are known to be in existence since the Minsden chapel in the parish of Hitch in has been in ruins. An excerpt from the Milford Town Records of November 2, 1639, gives the following information: Those persons whose (names) are hereunder-written, are allowed to be Free planters, having for the present libertie to (act) in t_he choyce of Public officers for the carrying on (the) public affayres in this plantation. Among the names above referred to is that of John Burwell, ap­ pearing in the third column of the list. 292 THE BUR WELL LINEAGE

In the course of ti~e, after John's coming with his family to the settlement, his wife "Als Burwell" joined the town church on Octo­ ber 4, 1640, and John himself, the ''husband of Ailice aboue-men­ tioned,'' followed the initiation on July 4, 1641. John and his fellow planters settled on the Wepawaug (now the Mill) river, and West End brook, probably for the convenience of water for themselves and their cattle. They enclosed the new settle­ ment with a line of palisades, covering an area of nearly a mile each way, for protection from the Indians. This area was then laid off into lots fronting the stream on either side, to the number of sixty­ one, John's abode being on lot No. 44, situated on the easterly side of West End brook, containing two acres and twenty perches. He was among the planters required to erect good houses on their lots within three years or they were to revert to the town. By the 1646 list of the proprietors, as appears in the town land records denoting their holdings, we find, by the drawings made as early as 1643, that John had for his home lot, as found under the head line of ''Home Lotts," which says: John Burwell hath two Acres and twenty Pole(s), be it more or less, being bounded with a high way on the west, George Clark, Juni(o)r('s land) on the North, other Lotts on the East, and Henry Botchford (' ) s (land) on the South. For his farming in the upland and pasturing in the meadow land we find under different head lines, that he drew: . (Land at the) West ffield (at) the Creek Shott, (comprising) one Acre, be it more or less, being bounded with a high way ( on the west, with Samuell Coley(' )s (land) on the North, with a riuer (on) the East, and with Nickolus Camp(' )s (land) on the South.­ [Note] this is not to be Charged with Rates. (Land at the) west ffield (at) the ffence (by the creek) Shott, (comprising) Seven Acres and three Roods, be it more or less, being bounded with the ffence North; with the Com(m)on (land) East, ·with a high way South, and with Nicholas Camp(' )s {land) west. (Land at the) west ffield (on the) Poconco(c)k point (at the creek) Shott, (comprising) Six Acres, be it more or less, being bounded (on) the Sout(h), with George Clark, Juni(o)r('s land) East, with the Com(m)on (land) North, and with Nicholas Camp(' s land) west. -[Note] this is not be to Charged with Rates. (Land at the) west ffield (on the) Pocon(c)ock (point at the) Creek Shott, Nineteen Acres, one Rood and twenty pole(s), be it more or less, being bounded with the Riuer west, with the Com­ ( m)on (land) South and East, and with his own Meadow on the North.-[Note] Eleven Acres (and) a halfe and twenty pole(s) of this (are) not to be Charged with rates. (Land at) the Mill N eek (at) the Spring Shott, one Acre and three Roods, be it more or less~ being bounded with a high way East, THE BURWELL LINEAGE 293 with the fence North, with a Creek West, and with Phillip hatly (' )s (land) South.-[Note] this is not to be Charged with Rates. (Land at) The New Meadow, three Acres, be it more or less, being bounded with the Riuer West, with Georg~ Clark, Juni(o)r('s land) North, with the Com(m )on (land) East, and with Henry Botchford(')s (land) and John ffowler(')s South. (Land at the) Poco(n)cock Creek Meadow, three Acres, one Rood and Eight pole(s), be it more or less, being bounded with the Riuer West, with a Creek and John Smith('s land) North, with John ffowler(' )s U p]and East, and with his own Upland, South. On January .16, 1644, a question was raised in reference to the granting of land, that some of the proprietors apparently had been dissatisfied with their allotments. On voting it was agreed that "Jno. Burwell hath already recei (.y_ed) such satisfaction as in a just way is due unto him." The above land apparently is what was the number of acres, which constituted John's original farm or plantation which he accumulated. The westerly line ran west of what was then called the Brickiln S\\ramp, running northerly far enough to take in the poor house farm, th:!nce easterly to the Oyster river, thence down the river to the coast, thence following the coast to its place of beginning. This tract has been gradually passing from _the hands of the family until a only small portion remains in the possession of the name. John lived in the town for only about ten years when death beck­ oned him to pass away on August 17, 1649. His wife forsook her widow's weeds a year following when she was wedded to Joseph Peck on September 12, 1650, she being his first wife who bore him three children-Elizabeth, Joseph and John. She died on Decem­ ber 19, 1666. The probation of John's will for the distribution of his estate is lacking, as are most of the wills of the settlers who died prior to the conjunction of the union between the New Haven colony and the Connecticut colony in 1665. And besides, an unfortunate absence was due to the deliberate destruction of the original first two volumes sometime about 1677, when ·matters that were considered of import­ ance were copied into the present Volume I. There are no convey­ ances recorded of John Burwell' s land, which may also be explained by his early death. A family compiler mentions one John Burwell, or Burrill, who seems to have lived in Roxbury, Mass., as early as 1633. The co1n­ piler found it recorded that John's family consisted of "5 persons," and his estate, seventeen and a half acres, valued at ten pounds. On making an investigation we find that he is a different man and not the 294 THE BURWELL LINEAGE same one who moved to Milford, Conn. He moved to Boston and died there in 1654, leaving a will mentioning only his wife Sarah and daughter Sarah. Our John was living in Milford during the period but died· earlier than the other John. According to the family tradition there has been much said about a large and valuable estate in England belonging to the heirs of John Burwell. Lambert, in his ''History of New Haven," says that: Some of the settlers of this town left large estates in England, which remain unsold to the present time. Of these were Peter Prud­ den, of Kingswalden, John Burwell, of Hempste(a)d, (Hertford­ shire), Benjamin Fenn, Thomas Welch, Alexander Bryan, Richard Baldwin and Jesse Lan1bert. Hinman says, in his "Genealogy of the Puritans," that there was a John Burwell of the parish of Bovingdon, in Hertfordshire, En­ gland, who came to this country and died in Greenwich, Conn. The man to whom he referred was a grandson of John Burwell. He further says that it was his first visit in 1685, perhaps to the family of his father John, junior, then deceased, as they were both from the same county in England. In another place he says there was also another John Burwell from the parish of Bovingdon, near Hemel Hempstead, in Hertfordshire, England, who came to this country about 1685 and stopped for a time in Milford, Connecticut. He was the son of John Burwell, of Hertfordshire, in England, who died there previous to May, 1670. His son John, when he came to America, left a large and valuable estate in England in the possession of his sister Marie Burwell, of Bovingdon, near Hemel Hempstead. He was first found at Milford, Connecticut, in this country in Febru­ ary, 1687-8; he was next found purchasing a house lot at Greenwich when he, about this time, married Hannah Lockward (now spelt Lockwood), a daughter of Gershom Lockwood, of Norwalk, Conn. In 1689 he went back to England to see about his estate at Hemel Hempstead, and some other property there, and returned to Green­ wich in the spring of 1690, and immedately after, while on a visit to New York, he fell a victim of the small-pox scourge and went home to Greenwich, dying there on May 1st, 1690. His wife survived him and was afterwards married to Thorr.as Hanford of Norwalk, Conn. Mr. Burwell left an only child Hannah, as the sole heiress of his es­ tate in this country and his large estate in England. The death of Mr. Burwell, while his daughter was yet an infant, left none to ]ook after his estate in England, and therefore it was never recovered from a wrongful possession by the legal heirs of John Burwell. His daugh­ ter grew up and was married to John Betts, Esq., of Norwalk on April 15, 1708. THE BURWELL LINEAGE 295

The writer of his family history is correct in his opinio~ that the John Burwell, who settled in Greenwich and married Hannah Lock­ wood, was the grandson of John Burwell who settled in Milford in 1639, as the records in Greenwich say that the John Burwell from Milford bought land in the town of Green\\·ich on February 28th, 1688. If he had come from England and stopped only a short time in Milford to visit his relatives, as Mr. Hinman has it, the writer asks, "why does not the record say he came from England?" It is clearly qbvious that he was the grandson of John, as. the writer de­ clares in his diagnosis, and agrees that Mr. Lambert is right in his statement in regard to the estate. To elucidate definitely their family relationship we incorporate here­ in the inventoried estate of the junior John Burwell, who was John's son, and the will of the third John Burwell, who was his grandson. The New Haven County Court Records, under date of N ovem­ ber,_ 1679, contains the following record of his son John Burwell, jr.: An Inventory of the Estate of John Burwell, late of Milford, de­ ceased, intestate, (was) Exhibited in court, by Sam ( ue) 11 Burwell, his brother, and John Burwell, (the) oldest sone & heyre of the s(ai)d deceased, desireing a further settlem(en)t & issue about ye s(ai)d estate; upon which this court, haveing heard & considered, doe order as followeth : - · .,f, An Inventory of the estate of John Burwell, Jate· of Milford, de- ceased, together with an acco ( un) t of severall· parcells of goods from England, being the rent of a certaine tenem(~'n)t, or tenem(en)ts, belonging, by coppye hold tenure, to ye::.s(ai)d deceased & to his heyres, as by instrum~nts produced in court did appeare. The Court, haveing perused & considered ye case, & heard ye allegations, made by Serg(ean)t Sam(ue)ll Burwelfon the one· part, on the be­ halfe of himselfe & John Browne, sei:iior~ (as) overseers (of) the . Estate & (the) children of ye s(ai)d deceased, craveing a further set­ tlem( en)t of the estate according to law,· with. allowance & recom­ pense out of the same for their care, cost & paynes in mannage­ m (en) t of it during the minority of ye diildren of ye s(ai)d deceased; And haveing considered the claime of John Burwell, son & heyre (of) ye s (ai) d deceased, doe declare & order as followe.th: first, find­ ing ye estate in Inventory being iniolverit, to fall short of ye debts due & payable out of ye Estate 4lb:9s~~9d. The court accepts of the acco(un)t [errors Excepted] & discharge ye s(ai)H· overseers un­ less further estate be made to appeare. And whereas:~-!- ye s(at)d es­ tate being in.solvent, the two other children have had noe part of their father(' )s Estate, the s(ai)q John, as eldest son & heyre claimeing that estate in England & effects of it; the court finding·· ·one yeare(' )s rent of 17lb:12s:Sd first received to he to ye s(ai)d Estate before ye· death of ye s(ai)d deceased/ Viz.: five pound (s) sterling, & doe order the same, by the s(ai)d overseers, to be rayd to y'e 1s(ai)d chil­ dren equally divided, the ·s{ai) d 4/b debt/ at countrey price, being 296 THE BURWELL LINEAGE first satisfyed. And whereas, a considerable part of the remainder was due before (the) s(ai)d heyre was, (as) stated, in England, in succession to his father, the s(ai)d deceased, unlesse himselfe shall make some competent allowance to the s(ai)d other children, the court referre ye case, in yt particular, to further consideration & or­ der; according to (its) right & Equitie. Alsoe, the court see(s) cause to allow the s(ai)d overseer(s to pay) out of ye s(ai)d Es­ tate in their hands the sume of three pounds (for) their charges & paynes in the premisses, & order(s) them to pay the residue of the s(ai)d 17/h:12s:Sd, vizt.: 9/b:12s:Sd, which, with ye usuall advance, will amount in countrey currant pay to 19/b:05s :04d, together with a parcell of goods yet in being, as they are received from England, to ye s(ai)d John Burwell, son & heyre, with all writeings to him be­ longing, he giveing them a receipt, or (a) discharge (from) ye .pre­ misses. And the following is inserted in the estate of John's grandson, John Burwell, of Greenwich, Conn., as copied from the Fairfield Probate District Record : The Last will and testament of mee, John Burwell, Being Sens(i)­ hle of"ye neare ap(p)roach of my gr(e)ate & Last Change, yet throw ye goodness of god, hauing the Use of my Understanding, I throw ye Merits of Christ, the alone _mediator, doe Committ my Spirit unto god. , Also I doe will yt my Boddie be desently Buried. Alsso, I do will yt my Just de (b) ts be payed. Furder more, I doe hereby will & giue unto my Deare & Loving wiffe & childe all my Estate, both Reale & personall, and all de(b)ts whether due by (account) Boock, or Bills, whi~h (the) s(ai)d Estate I doe hereby will & Ap(p)oint to be Equal(l)y devided between my deare wiffe & childe ·Yet,· not withstanding ye afores(ai)d premises, if my wiffe should Proue now to bee with Childe & (if) it be a sonn, I doe then hereby will & giue lJ nto her a third part of all my Estate, but if {it is) a daffter my wiffe (is) still to Enjoy her third Part, & ye rema(i)ning part of my Estate (is) to be Equal(l)y Devided between my two Children wheather ye Last be (a) sonn or (a) Daffter. Furder more, I doe will & ap(p)oint my Deare & Loving wiffe to be Administrator of my s(ai) d Estate. And allso I doe make Choise on & Ap(p)oint my Honnored father Gersham Lockvvood & my Loving Cousen John Browne, of newark, in New Jersey, to bee Over Seers (of) this my Last will & Testament, & for a Confirmtion of this my will, I haue here Unto Sett to my hand & Seale, in ye )' eare of our Lord, one Thousand Six hundred & Ninetie, Aprill ye Last day.­ Witnessed to sign (and) seal In ye presence of us.-Samuel Peck, (and) John (his mark fl:) Mershall, Sen(io)r.-(Signed), John Burwell. Thee aboue-mentioned Evidences, Sam(ue)ll Peck & John Mar­ shall, Sen(io)r, did testiffie upon Oath th(e) aboues(ai)d will was John Burwell' s &, also that ac(c)ording to ye best of theire knowl­ edge & understanding, hee had ye Use of his reason when he made ye ahoues(ai)d will & Testament. Testiffied to before mee, Anno THE BURWELL LINEAGE 297 do( mini), Januar(y} 28, (1-691).-John re(y}n(o)l(d)s, commes­ (s) hener. · By consulting the inventory of the second John, who evidently died in Milford in 1665, and the will of the third John, whose death occurred in Greenwich, Conn., in 1690, it totally destroys any pos­ sibility that the latter came directly from England without having family connections in America. His last will identifies him as the son of the second John, of whose estate the older John Browne, his brother-in-law, had been an overseer. The first John died in Milford in 1649; his will was not preserved or it certainly would have mentioned the estate he owned in the parish of Bovingdon, belonging to the Manor of Hemel Hempstead, England. The Milford records show that the second John had a daughter Mary born there in 1653. It is possible that he went to England after the death of hi; father and lived there for a period of years, receiving rents from the ''copyhold land,'' and had children born to him, for the records in Milford do not give a complete ac­ count of either the births or the baptisms of his children. If his son, the third John, was born in Fngland, it would harmonize with the tradition that he left his estate in the care of his sister Maria when he came to America. But, as the inventory of his estate was made here, it establishes the·:fact that his death occurred on American soil. The mention of Samuei' Burwell as his brother, and of John Burwell as his oldest son and heir, proves beyond peradventure that he was the second John, the son of the first John. In the will of the third John, John Brown, of Newark,. New Jersey, is called his cousin, which substantiates his relationship because of the fact that the cous­ in was a grandson of the John Brown who married John's grand- mother Mary Burwell. ,, ., ,:.-,:· By J ohn8 Burwell' s death he left his wife whose posthumous child died soon after its birth, and an only daughter Hal)nah. At the bot­ tom of the inventory of the his estate in Greenwich, submitted in court by the appraisers, is an entry which says that "there is (the) other Estate which remains in foreign parts, which is not known to us.'' Of his ''other ·estate'' we insert for the entertainment of our readers taken from Rev. Charles M. Selleck's "History of Nor­ walk, Conn.,'' his ''Sketch of the Proceedings in Relaticm !to the Burwell Estate in England from the time it was leased by John Bur­ well in 1689 to the presepf' : The said Hannah Burwell, as appears by the Greenwich, Records, married John Betts, of Norwalk, on the 13th day of-April, 1708. After John Burwell'_s_. decease, it does not appear_ ~haf. .~is heirs re- 298 THE BURWELL LINEAGE

,ceived rent from the Estate, but about 1721, they had correspond­ ence with some person in England on the subject, as appears by an old letter, dated April 7, 1721, in which it is stated that John Bur­ well leased the Estate, when in England. The matter probably rested until 1745, when John Betts empowered Nathaniel Hazard, of New York, a man of limited means, to proceed to England and col­ lect the rent due on the Estate. The agreement is dated March 5, 1745. Hazard went that spring, and before he returned, John Betts died. His will was received at the Probate Office: August 12, 1745. Hazard returned that fall in a ship he had purchased in England, lad­ en with English goods; he bought a store in New York, and went extensively into mercantile business, thus becoming suddenly rich. · Finding John Betts deceased, he refused to come to any settlement, or give any account of the business, and the affair again rested until 1808, when Joseph Betts, eldest son of Burwell Betts and grandson of Hannah Burwell Betts, took it in his hands, obtained power of attorney, collected his money, and was ready to sail, \\ hen he was taken sick, and died soon after. In 1814, Nathan Betts, a brother of Joseph next engaged in it, got new power of attorney, and raised funds for the purpose of sending an agent; and in 1817, he employed one Capt. Paul Chase [ who was going to England] to investigate the matter. He wrote back that the possessor having no title, had never ventured to cut down the wood, and that they had laid by the rent for· a long number of years, to have it ready when called for by the owners of the soil, and that the value of the Estate was about £80,000 sterling, besides back rent. This appears to be about all the trouble he took to ascertain the situation of the property, he be­ ing engaged in another business. ln 1821, J. B. \Valker, who was going to England, ·was employed to inquire into the affair; he wrote back in a letter, dated January 20, 1822, that the Estate was worth half a million pounds sterling; and that the occupants had not a scrap of paper to show as title; and he had ascertained that the title was still vested in the heirs of John BurwelJ, who had made no application for rent for nearly a century. This was the amount of what he ac­ complished. In 1825, money was raised by the heirs, and Truxton L. Powe11 was employed to investigate the situation of the Estate. After a considerably fruitle~s search, he found the office of the Court Rolls of the Manor, of which Wm. Briggs is steward, or keeper, made known his business; Wm. Briggs was not in; went again the next morning, and found Wm. Briggs had left London that morning for France, to be gone five weeks; but had left the Court Rolls in the care of one Wm. Harrison. They commenced a search, but .could find no Court Rolls earlier than 1730. Wm. Harrison said there must be Court Rolls earlier than that, of which Wm. Briggs alone knew [where they were]. Powell, not knowing: how to wait till his return, left the next day for Paris, and did nothing further. At a number of different times after this until 1835, the claimants met in New York, appointed committees, drafted resolutions, and subscribed money to carry the business of recovery into effect, with­ out accomplishing ariything of importance. The excitement, dying THE BURWELL LINEAGE 299 away soon after the return of the agents so that commonly the money subscribed was not paid in, and in one or two instances, when paid in, was embezzled, or lost. Thus, the business remained until 1837, when C.harles Lemon, of Troy, N. Y., went as agent for the claim­ ants to England, where he arrived, on the 9th of February of (the) said year. He commenced his search, at the Office of Wills in Doctor's Commons; then at the Enrollment Office; the Chancellor's Office; the Office of Commissioners of Woods and Forests; these were all applied to without meeting anything of importance to the claimants. He called upon Wm. Briggs, Steward to the Lord of the Manor of Hemel Hempstead [the same, as before mentioned], but he refused to let the records be seen, or give any extracts from them; until he was satisfied of his authority to make such inquiry, accom­ panied with a show of title. As a consequence of his inquires, he was directed to a man by the name of Perkins, who lived, as fore­ man on the farm of Mr. Goodat Studham, and who was once in possession of the Bovingdon Farm. His statement \\'as that the farm was formerly in the possession of a Mr. Loomis, but could not tell how long; after his death, it came into the possession of a man by the name of Bachelder, who lived and died on it, leaving his son in possession of it. He [the son] lived on it 22 years, during a part of which time he [Perkins] lived with him as his helper. The last Bachelder died, leaving the farm to his wife, and appointing. Mr. John Field, as trustee of the farm and the children. The widow Bachelder soon married this. Perkins, and he lived 19 years on the farm, when his wife died. lmmedately after her death, Mr. Field, who was left as trustee, presented a long bill against the Estate, and another against Perkins, and succeeded in alarming him so much as to induce him to sign a quit-claim, and put Field in possession of the Estate, Field paying him a bonus._ That took place in 1827 or 8; Perkins said that in 183 7 Mr. Field sold the farm of 200 acres to the now Mr. Rugder, the son of Lord Narrowby, the same nobleman, as mentioned in Walker's letter, as having bought a large tract of it, thus securing the Estate that had been so long divided. Perkins also mentioned having often seen an old parchment, like a lease, signed in a plain round hand, "John Burwell," which he left in the house; when he quit it. Mr. Lemon made an effor'i to find this document, but without success, it having probably passed into the hands of Mr. Rugder. This is the substance of the information concerning the Estate, obtained by Mr. Lemon. In August, 1838, Edward R. Lambert, of New Haven, went to England, for an investigation of it; the results of whose inquiries.were as follows: · He arrived in England on Friday, September 7th; landed at Ports­ mouth and proceeded directly to London. On Monday he de1iYered his letters of introduction to Junius Smith, Esq., and by . 'his advice and accompanied by him, went to. the Office of Wills in Doctor's Commons, and made a thorough sear.ch from the year 1750, but found nothing of importance concerning. tb.e~. bvsin~s-~-- He next went to ... ·. ,., .. 300 THE BURWELL LINEAGE the Office of Commissioners of Wood and Forest, but was refused an examination of th~ir books. During the week he went _to the Office of Mr. Briggs, Steward of the Lord of the Manor of Hemel Hemp­ stead, but h~ would not allow his records to be examined in reference to the Estate in question, without proof of authority to make such an examination. Provided with letters of introduction from Junius Smith, Esq., to Smith and Grover, lawyers in a coxnpany, in Hemel Hemp­ stead, he proceeded by railway to the place in question; went to the office of Smith and Grover; found Mr. Grover, to whom he delive1- ed Mr. Junius Smith's letter. After reading it, he remarked that the property he was inquiring about in behalf of the heirs of John Bur­ well, was the property Mr. Rugder had lately obtained possession of. He said Lord Narrowby bought a large tract of it some years ago, and Mr. Rugder [a son of Lord Narrowby] had now obtained the re­ mainder. He said his partner, Mr. Smith, could give every informa­ tion concerning the property, for he was one of the administrators of Bachelder' s Estate, [a person who had lately had the Burwell Estate in possession] that at Bachelder' s death, there was wood and timber cut from off the Estate to the value of 8 or 10,000 pounds sterling. The next day Lambert called again, ,and found Mr. Smith. Grover said the gentleman introduced to their notice by Mr. Smith, of London, wished to make some inquiries concerning the Burwell Estate, or Rug­ der' s .place. "'Ah, [said he to Lambert] are you in any way intere~t­ ed in that property, or from what motive do you make the inquiry?" Lambert told him that he was authorized by people interested, to make in:iuiries about the property. He replied, if he [Lambert) was seeking information about that business, he must say that he was not at liberty to give any advice, or information concerning it; for he was a solicitor for Mr. Rugder, the present possessor of the· property. He said it was his opinion, however, that if Mr. Burwell ever did own the Estate, it did not belong to him now, or his heirs at law; and it was not worth the trouble to inquire any further about it. Lambert told Mr. Deacon, keeper of the King's Arms, in Hem­ el Hempstead, about the management of Smith and Grover, who advised not to place much reliance on what they might say in the matter, for one of them had been interested in the affair, · and might fear he would be called to account for the avails of the timber cut off the land soon after the death of Bachelder. Mr. Deacon told Lam­ bert he had better see Perkins, [the same above mentioned] who had been in possession of a part of the Bovington property, and surrepti­ tiously removed from it, and through from a feeling or retaliation, he would be apt to tell what he knew about it; and he might rely on what he said, as he was considered a man of veracity. Lambert saw him soon after, and obtained the same information previously commu­ nicated to Mr. Lemon; said he had seen several papers about the land, and particularly mentioned the old rarchment lease, signed by John BurweJI. He said there ·was an inquiry made by the Lord Chancel­ lor a long time since, who the legal heirs were, and that a Receiver was appointed, and rents paid annually until the death of the Receiver, after which rents were not called for, and that Bachelder, at the time THE BURWELL LINEAGE 301 of his death, had the money laid up for several years' rents; said that he, after he married Bachelder' s widow, paid quit rent to the Lord of the Manor. He said that the family of Bachelder became dis­ sipated, and that Mr. Field got a mortgage ·on the Estate for money lent to Bachelder. He said that he had heard his wife say that the owner of the land went to America, but that they never heard of him after, and that his name was John Burwell. Lambert soon returned to London, and with Mr. Junius Smith, again applied to the Office of the Steward of the Lord of the Manor of Hemel Hempstead, but every obstacle was put in the way of their investigation. They made another call at the same office and were informed that Mr. Briggs had gone to France, and would not return in a number of weeks. They explained the business to the clerk left in charge of the office; he said the old Court Rolls of the Manor were at the office, but were locked up, and could not be got at until Mr. Briggs returned. Lambert called there a number of times afterwards, but Mr. Briggs had not returned, when he left London. He made arrangements with Junius Smith, Esq., before leaving London to carry forward the investigation of the claim but was unable to make any progress in the affair. The inherited Burwell copyhold land was not located at Bovingdon, as per above mentioned tradition but at Boxhamsted, which is proba­ bly a part of the parish now known· as ''Box End.,, In a list of the ''Rental of the Manor of Hemel Hempstead,,, in 1676, different vil­ lages are listed and the rates for the tenants, which ·we find among the "Customary Tennants,, of Boxhamsted is: "John Burwell, for 2 Cottages, &c., (at) 00/i:00s:06d." All the numerous entries on this long "Rental,, list are in this form. The sums of money are the old-established quitrents, payable to the lord of the manor. John had, by his first wife, whose name is not known : John, born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, Engfand, about 1618; died before April 13, 1665; was married. His son went to England to collect the rent money at Bovingdon, En­ gland, and came back home to Greenwich, Conn., and died in 1690. By his second wife, Hester Winchester, he had : MARIE, our lineal ancestress. Esther, baptized in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, Eng., August 7, 1625; either died or may have married. By his third wife, Alice Heath, he had: Samuel, 1st., baptized in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, Eng., Au­ gust 5, 1637; probably died in infancy. Zachariah, probably born in Milford, Conn., about 1639; married, on November 18, 1663, Eliza, daughter of Richard Baldwin and Elizabeth Alsop. Samuel, 2nd., baptized in Milford, Conn., October 11, 1640; died May 5, 1715; married the first time, Sarah, daugh- 302 .THE BURWELL LINEAGE

ter of Be_njamin Fenn and Sarah Baldwin; and the second time, Susanna, daughter of Roger Newton and Mary Hooker. Ephraim, baptized May 19, 1644; his second wife was proba­ .bly Sarah Stream; was living in Newark, N. J., as late as 1696. Nathan, baptized August 2, 1646; married, January 14, 1675, Temperance, daughter of Richard Baldwin and Elizabeth Alsop. Elizabeth, baptized December 29, 1647; probably died young, as her mother named one of the Peck children Eliz~beth, in 1651. Authorities consulted: "Proceedings of the Burwell Family Pic­ nic held at Burwell' s Farm, Milford, Conn., August 18, 1870''; "The Ancestry of William Francis Joseph Boardn1an," hy himself; "Milford Town Records"; "Milford Church Records"; "New · Haven Probate Records''; New Haven County Records''; ''Fair­ field Probate Records"; "New London (Conn.) Vital Records," by James N. Arnold; "Norwalk (Conn.), by Rev. Charles M. Selleck, A. M.; "The Hertfordshire (England) Genealogist and Antiquary," by F. W. Briggs; and research work by a Connecticut genealogist, and by a New Jersey genealogist, and by a British genealogist. MARY2 BUR WELL: See the life story of John1 Browne in the Browne lineage.-Page 227.

SYNOPSIS OF THE LINE OF DESCENT

1 John Burwe11, born, died 1649; wife. 1 , , , , , 2 John Brown, , , 1690; Mary Burwell. 3 , , , , 2 J oseph Riggs, .. , 1642· , , 1689; , , Hannah Browne. Daniel3 Dodd, 1679;' Elizabeth4 Riggs. , , , , , , 4 Peter3 Condit, , , 1699; , , 1768; , , Phoebe Dodd. Henry5 Axtell, 1738; 1818; Phoebe4 Condit. 6 ,, , , ,, 6 Simeon Cory,, , , , 1774; ,, 1847; ,, · Phoebe Axtell. James7 1801; 1880; Susan7 Mulford.