Foote Family Association of America Inc Nathaniel Foote The Settler See our Website at: Http://www.footefamily.org/ Birth Date: September 21, 1592. apprenticed on 21 September, 1608 for a term of 8 years or until his 24th Birth Place: Shalford,Colchester, Eng, birthday in the year 1616, to Samuel Christening: Unknown. Croyle of Colchester, a grocer and free Death: Wethersfield, Hartford, burgess. [A wholesale merchant, or as Connecticut often called in those days "a grosser," Burial: November 20, 1644 In was one who sold by the gross instead Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut of by the pound or small quantity. Marrage: Elizabeth Deming, In January of Nathanial then brought a message from 1616 in Colchester, Essex, England. Beatrice Barker, Esq., located on East Children: Seven Children Street, St James Parish, Colchester. He was a grocer himself as of 18 Oct 1619. Generation: First Generation In America Father: Robert Foote of Shalford Mother: Joan Brooke Nathaniel’s Marriage A Short time after he finished his Nathaniel Foote was our No. 1 Ancestor apprenticeship training, he was married in America, who was born September to Elizabeth Deming (In January of the 21, 1592 in Shalford Colchester Esses, year 1616) in Colchester, Essex, England. He was the second son of England. She was the sister of John Robert Foote of Shalford, County of Deeming, who was for many years the Essex, A Yoeman and grandson of John one of the magistrates of the "Colony of Foote of Royston. the Connecticut" and one of the Patenees named in it's charter. Royston is located near Colchester England. Nathaniel s mother's name The Footes' Arrival was Joan (Brooks). She was the (source: "Foote History and Genealogy" daughter of John and Elizabeth Brooke - Book 1 By Abram Foote, of London. He resided in Shalford Accepted data from the period indicates Parish, county Essex and St Mary that only a few colonists arrived in New Bothaw Parish, London. England in the years immediately following the arrival of the Mayflower. As an example, It is known that in the spring of 1630, about 1500 people Nathaniels Apprenticeship crossed the Atlantic in one expedition Nathaniel, was fifteen years old when organized and led by John Winthrop, Robert, his father died in 1608; Robert first Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Jr, thus became the head of the house. At the age of sixteen Nathaniel was [1] Foote Family Association of America Inc Nathaniel Foote The Settler See our Website at: Http://www.footefamily.org/ Colony. "one hundred and fifty bushels of corn," in the right of William Bascome, "as an Soon after Governor Winthrop's 1630 adventurer." expedition Nathaniel Foote, his family, and Pasco Foote decided to seek their From these items, and from the local fortunes in the New World. According to traditions, it would appear, that a portion tradition, they left their homes in of the territory, prior to a distribution of Colchester and sailed to Plymouth the town among the settlers in 1636, Massachusetts on the brig, "Fortune". had been appropriated to themselves by a company of men known as Old Wethersfeld Adventurers, and that the rights of these On the banks of the Connecticut, twenty men were judicially recognized. miles below its last rapid 's and forty miles above its mouth, at one of those To this spot, then known as Pyquag, the graceful bent which the river makes English colonist first turned his steps in, while winding through meadows which it or prior to, 1635, attracted doubtless by beautifies and nourishes, stands the ancient town of Wethersfield,the eldest its fertile soil, its pure and navigable born** of the many sweet villages which waters, and its supposed facilities for adorn this valley. internal trade in furs and other traffic with the Indians. ** This is the tradition, and the Rev. Mr. Mix, of Wethersfield, in his manuscripts, And to this spot, one year later, came a says," Wethersfield is the eldest town on the river." Trumbull's History of portion of that " goodly company" who Connecticut, Vol I, p. 49. left the jurisdiction of Massachusetts and their newly acquired homesteads and farms in Watertown, and other Note: From the Wethersfield Records it settlements in the neighborhood of appears, that there was a body of land Boston, in pursuit of territory " further next east to the home lots on the east west," where they might " better side of Broad Street, designated in the maintain their ministers," "find larger first conveyances as " Adventurers accommodations for their cattle," and Land," and from the proceedings of the welcome " more of their friends from Court of Magistrates held at Watertown, England" who were suffering for the faith [Wethersfield) September 1, 1636, and once delivered to the Saints. November 1, of the same year, that Sergeant Seeley recovered against the Among those who voluntarily placed a town, on an award, (made by Mr. wilderness of one hundred miles Hooker, Mr. Welles and Mr. Webster,) between themselves and the [2] Foote Family Association of America Inc Nathaniel Foote The Settler See our Website at: Http://www.footefamily.org/ settlements on the coast, and whose ashes now repose in the burying ground on which the shadow of the first meeting house fell, we find the names of: Nathaniel Foote, Samuel Boardman, James Boosey, Enoch Buck, Clement Chaplin, Leonard Chester, John Deming, Robert Francis, John Goodrich, William Goodrich, John Hollister, John (Source: The Foote Family or the Nott, John Robbins, John Stoddard, Descendants of Nathaniel Foote, Richard Treat, Thomas Welles, Thomas by Nathaniel Goodwin, Hartford Press of Wright, and others. Case, Tiffany and Company, 1849.) Nathaniel foote, one of the first settlers These are names which their of Wethersfield, Connecticut, belongs, descendants, and all the friends of civil not to that class of men who fill a large and religious freedom, should hold in place in the world's history, because everlasting remembrance. Some of their called by some great emergency into descendants, from generation to positions of power and influence, but to that more meritorious class of pious and generation, have continued to reside on excellent persons, who, born to the their ancestral farms, and in the old great inheritance of labor, walk meekly town,* whilst others early left the mother along the paths of common life, perform hive for land "still further west," until every duty, public or private, love and some of the same name and lineage are help their fellow men, and act always as to be found in every State between the if in their Great Task Master's eye. Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is to such men that society owes at Wherever they are to be found, in once, its peace, stability and progress,- prosperous or adverse fortune, their and yet history takes no note of such, hearts still fondly turn to this fountain and hence "The world knows nothing of head of their family on this Continent, all its greatest men." proud to trace back their genealogy to the heroic age of New England, and to His business in life was that of this quiet resting place of their fathers agriculture, necessarily the leading on the banks of the beautiful pursuit of New England in its early Connecticut. history, when the forests were to be felled, the soil broken up, the seeds of [3] Foote Family Association of America Inc Nathaniel Foote The Settler See our Website at: Http://www.footefamily.org/ all the grains, and plants and fruits change which animates a young which constitute the food of men community, and to uphold society in and beasts to be sown, and its great moments of danger and trial. staples of commercial exchange supplied. It is the boast of Connecticut, and of Wethersfield in particular, to have had And in every period of society the from the beginning a large proportion of agricultural population has proved of the intelligent, industrious and pious farmers highest importance to the wealth, dignity in her population, and that the ranks of and strength of a State. her merchants, her mechanics, her seamen, and her professional men It is from this class of the population that have. the city and the village, that commerce and the arts, are ever drawing the bone The first mention of Nathaniel's name is and muscle of their laborers, and much in the Records of the Colony of of the energy of their directing force. Massachusetts Bay in 1633 when he took the oath of Freeman. In the records In no other of the leading pursuits of of the Grants and Possession of the Society are there the same facilities for Lands in Watertown, where he first cultivating bodily energy, and the force located, the following entry is made: and vigor of mind consequent upon a vigorous constitution. "Nathaniel Foote" "An home stall of sixteen acres by estimation, bounded ye north and northwest with ye highway, The pure air, the rough exposure, the the south and southwest with Jeremiah healthful toil, the constant call for Norcross, granted to him." thought and reflection, the walking with God in the open field, the study of his "Two acres of marsh by estimation, laws as unfolded in the circuit of the bounded ye south with ye river, the seasons, and in the growth of the seed north with Henry Curtis. The east with John Firmin, and the west with John and ripening of the harvest, the better Smith, granted to him." domestic training under which children can be reared in the country, all these A few years later (about the year 1635) things are favorable for converting the the General Court decided that they would agricultural population into an element allow people of Watertown to move "to of conservatism, much needed to give any place they shall think meet to make choice, provided they continue still under stability to the ever restless desire of this Government".