THE DESCENDANTS OF i{1CHARD ~ ~ILLIAN .M:ANSFIELD \VHO SETTLED IN NEW HAVEN, \VITH SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE ~10ST DISTINGUISHED. ALSO, OF CONNECT'IONS OF OTHER NAMES. ---•--- CO:}IPILED AND PUBLISHED BY H. MANSFIELD, NEW HAVEN, 1885. LIST OF ILLUSTRATI()NS. The figures denote the ages of the persons when their Portr-aits were taken. Col. Jared Mansfield, (69), ..............•....•• Frontispiece. PAGE. Maj. William Munson, ('17,). .. .•• ..• . .•. .. .. .. 28 Lieut. Nathan Mansfield House, ........................... 28 Rev. Dr. Richard ~ansfield, (90,) ........................ 31 Rev. Dr. Richard Mansfield House,. .•. •.. •. .. .. •. 35 CoL William Douglas, (30,) ••• .• . .. •. .• . •. ••• .• . •. ••• ••• 42 Hannab (Mansfield) Douglas, (25,) ..•.••.•.•.•.•••...•••.. 43 Silhouettes of Rev. Achilles Mansfield, etc.,.... .. .. 54 William Punderson :Mansfield, (78,)... •. •. 72 Hon. Edward D. Mansfield, (74,) ......................... 77 Prof. Charles Davies, (68,) .•.......................•........ 87 Gen. J. K. F. Mansfield, (57,) ..... ·······••n••··········· 91 :\'laj. Benj. F. Mansfield, (63,) ..............•.•.....•..•••••102 Mrs. Susan Huntington, (18,) ..............................104 H. Mansfield, (75,) .• •.•. .. •.....••.........•..•••••••••... 114 J. )I. :Mansfield, (68,) .......•..••...•.•.••.•..........••..... 118 Hon. Hugh White, (46,) .•...•..•............................ 126 Maria :M. (Mansfield) White, (75,) .......•................ 126 William :Mansfield White, ........ ; ..•......................126 Lewis Wm. Mansfield, (62, ) ...................•............. 127 The author desires to return his most hearty thanks to the following persons who have contributed important information in the compilation of this work, in­ cluding those who have furnished several of the Illustrations~ namely: Ex-Lieut. Gov. Douglas of Middletown, Ct., who contributed the :fine steel plate Portraits of Col William Douglas and his wife Hannah (Mansfield) Douglas, which he had engraved at great expense, by Sartain of Phila. for the '' Douglas Geneafogy," and were taken from oil paintings, preserved in his possession, painted by a French artist in 1772. Also Rev. Mrs. Edward T. (Mansfield) Swiggett of Morrow, Ohio, for the Portrait of her grandfather Col. Jared Mansfield, from a copy of an oil painting by Prof. Robert Wier (and presented to Yale College by Prof. Charles Davies many years since) from the original painting by Sully in the West Point Academy; said to be an excellent likeness. Also Charles D. Mansfield, Paymas­ ter U. S. N. at Washington, D. C., for the steel engraving by Sartain of his father, Hon. Edward D. Mansfield of Cincinnati, 0., which be had engraved at his own expense expressly for this work. Henry Livingston Mansfield; Esqr., of Middle­ town, for the steel engrav!ng of his father, Gen. J. K. F. Mansfield. Mrs. Prof. (Mansfield) Davies of Fishkill, N. Y., for the steel portrait of her late husband Prof. Charles Davies. Mrs. Hon. Hugh (Mansfield) White of Cohoes, N. Y .• for the Portrait of her father Wm. P. Mansfield, and others. L. W. Mansfield, Esqr., of Cohoes, N. Y., for a fine portrait of himself. W. C. Willcox of Phila. for the Plate of Silhouettes of Rev. Achilles Mansfield, etc. Mrs. Dr. Richards of Nor­ wich, Ct., for the Portrait of her mother Mrs. Susan (Mansfield) Huntington. Mrs. Grace Wheeler of New Haven (in her 94th year) and her daughter Mrs. Grace Glenny for the Portrait of Maj. Wm. Munson, (Mrs. Wheeler's father) from an oil painting in their possession. Burton Mansfield, Esqr., of New Haven, for the portrait of his father Mr. J. M. :Mansfield. Mrs. Mary Aurelia (}Iansfield) Doolittle of Cheshire, Ct., for much information and records. Rev. Prof. Geo. B. Hopson of Annandale College, Dutchess Co., N. Y., for records of Rev. Dr. Richard Mansfield's family and defcendants. :Maj. Benjamin F. Mansfield of New Haven, for thorough records and reminiscences. ~[rs. Rev. Dr. Phelps of New Haven and her sister Miss Elizabeth Lyon Linsley of Stratford, Ct., for records and sketches of the memoers of the Col. Lyon family. Chief Justi.ce C. D. Drake of Washington, D. C., for important records, and to all the many others who have con~ributed information he would tender his gratefuJ acknowledgments. This has been a laborious undertaking during the past three years and more, but a pleasant one, and the writer feels grateful that he bas heen enabled to success­ fully carry it through to its completion. RICHARD MANSFIELD, one of the first settlers of New Haven, and ancestor of about all of the Mansfields in Connecticut, and most of them in New York State, and in several of the western and southern States, came from Exeter, Devonshire, Eng., and settled in "Quinnipiac '' in 1639. This is shown by a deed of land from James Marshall, of Exeter, Eng., duly recorded in New Haven land records, Vol. 1, part of which was situated on the north west corner of what is now Elm St. and Church St., extending from near Temple St. easterly and round the corner, northerly, to near the present Wall St. He owned another lot on State St., nearly opposite the County Bank. For the first two or three years the settlers confined themselves to cultivating their lots in the Town plat, and near vicinity, included in what was called the first Division, and it is supposed he did not build on either of the above lots, unless it was temporary accommodations, perhaps a sort of a cellar, partly in the ground, with a thatched roof, which kind of habitations were built and occupied by many of the most respectable inhabitants in the first year or two. In the schedule of the list of the first Planters, 1641, he is put down at £400. 30 acres in the first Division, 6 acres in the ''Neck," 22 acres of meadow, and 88 in the second Division. About this time, it is supposed, he established his large farm, and built his dwelling-house and farm accommodations, at a place in the " second division ,, called the " East farms," some four and a-half miles out, on the present North. Haven road, where he lived, till he died, 10 Jan., 1655. His nearest neighbors were David Atwater, Capt. Nathaniel Turner, William Potter, William Bradley, and a few others. His wife's first name was Gillian; what her surname was, probably can never be ascertained. ·· After his death, she married, in 1657, Alexander Field, and removed into the Town to live with her husband in a house just purchased by him of Josiah Stanbrough of Southampton, L. I., and Elizabeth, his wife, formerly the wife of Thomas Wheeler, who had owned and occupied the same while living. '' House and Barn with about one acre of land facing easterly the Market Place.'' Richard :Mansfield and Gillian, his wife, had only two children, Joseph born about 1636, and lloses, born in January or February, 1639 Old Style. She had no children by her second marriage. Her second husband died in 1666, and :She then went to live with her son Moses, whose Homestead occupied the large Lot corner of Elm and Church streets, formerly his father Richard's. His Dwelling House fronted on Elm St. She died in 1669. We extract from the Colony Records the following: At a Court held 1643, Richard Mansfield demanded a debt of 40s. of Henry Gib­ bons, whreh said Henry promised to pay within a month, only desired to have 20s. of itt abated for lodging and firewood for a whole winter in his cellar, which was thought reasonable, and Richard :M:ansfield ordered to allow itt. The Gov. Theopilus Eaton gave oath of fidelity to Richard Mansfield·at General Court at New Haven, 1 July, 1644. 2 2 MANSFIELD G E~TEALOGY. At General Court 7 Oct., 1646, Bro. Richard Mansfield had liberty to dept. the Court. Richard Mansfield with John Thomas are appoynted to view East river for a Bridge, and consider in what place, and how with the least chardge it may be most conveynient and commodious to suite the end propounded! and report to the Governor and Magistrates, what their apprehensions are concerning it. At General Court Maye 1648 Richard Mansfield and David Atwater, is to finde eache of them a man to watch at the towne, in regard of ther house lots heare. In 1648 Richard Mansfield and others {18 in all) each of t:h.em fined 12d. for not bringing their weights and measures to be tryed, upon the day appoynted. 6th Feb., 1648. Richard :Mansfield, John Thompson, and Andrew Low, were complained of for their fencing lying down, the most part of the last summer, and yet it is not up. 20 posts Richard Ma:ns:field, 12 posts Andrew Low, and 6 posts John Thompson, as John Cooper informs. They answered it was a middle fence and some of the Quarter was in a demurr for some time whether to have it main­ tyned or taken away. Upon which consideration the Court ordered that they pay but 12d. a post for the whole time past. Exeter, the place from which he emigrated, has been a City, and governed by a :Mayor, etc., ever since the year 1200. There was a Sir John Mansfield, Knight, Mayor of the City a few years before the first emigration to New England. He was also "Master of the Minories, ancf Queen's Surveyor under Queen Elizabeth." There was a "rich merchant," a Mr. Marshall, in Exeter, who advanced consider­ able money to John Mansfield, a son of the above Sir John, to enable him to come over and settle in Ne'Y England. He came in the Regard, in 1634, settled in Charlestown, had a family, and died about 1670, but there are no descendants, at least by name of Mansfield. Probably this Mr. :Marshall whom Gov. Winthrop calls "that rich merchant," in his History of New England, was the same as the James Marshall, who sold all his possessions in New Haven to Richard Mansfield, and perhaps, or probably, Richard was also a son of Sir John.