A COMSTOCK GENEALOGY DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM: COMSTOCK OF NEW LONDON, CONN. WHO DIED AFTER 1662 TEN GENERATIONS EDITED BY CYRUS B. COMSTOCK ~be 'lkntcherbocher ft)rcsa ~ew !11ork ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to Mr. W.W. Chapin of Providence, R. I., for valuable aid in reference to the Rhode Island Comstocks. Mr. Noah D. Comstock of Arcadia, Wis., collected prior to his death in 1890 a large amount of information relating to the Comstock Family, which has been used. Of books, Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of R'tade Island; Arnold's Vital Records of Rhode Island; Caulkin's History of New London; Baker's History of Montville, Ct.; Selleck's History of Norwalk,'Ct.; and Hall's History of Norwalk; have been found valuable.· V EXPLANATORY In the following record a serial number has been prefixed to the name of each Comstock child when it first appears. If that child appears later as the head of a family the same number is prefixed but in heavy faced type. To pass from the head of a family to his father, one must pass from his serial number in heavy type to the same number in light type. To find the children of a child, find the family whose number follows the child's name. Generations from William1 Comstock of New London are indicated by small figures. The usual abbreviations, b., m., d., dau., res., are used for born, married, died, daughter, and residence. The dates given for births may sometimes be of baptisms and dates of marriage, dates of recording. iii INTRODUCTION In Devonshire, England, there is a little village called Culm­ stock, with a few hundred inhabitants, lying on the small stream Culm, from which it derives its name. It is called Colmstocke in the Domesday Book in the time of William the Conqueror. From this village the name Comstock is doubtless derived. Exeter is about twenty miles from Culmstock. The Cartulary of St. Nicholas Priory, Exeter, No. 365, has as witnesses in 1241, Will. de Widebeere, Godefrido de Kelli, Petro de Colum­ stock, Nicho. Bissoph. The History of Taunton (ten miles from Culmstock) gives among the early priors of Taunton, Richard de Colmstoke, elected 1325; Ralph de Colmstoke, elected 1331, resigned 1338. The parish register of Stoke St. Gregory (nineteen miles from Culmstock) gives: "Thomas, son of Thomas Coomstocke baptised ye 30 day Oct. 1636. "John, son of Thomas Coomstocke baptised ye 18 day Sept. 1646. "Thomas Cumstoke was buried 30 Sept. 1658." The Harleian Society publications give among the burials of the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London: "Mariana Combstocke, 30 Novr 1595. "Joannes Combstocke, 26 Aug. 1597. ·"Johannes Comstock, 1 Nov. 1603." These quotations show that the name existed in Englandiat the time of the settlement of New England. About 1895, an examination at the Somerset House, London, of the Record of Births in England and Wales showed scarcely one birth per year. The name in England has therefore nearly died out. There is a story of the existence in the Muniment office at Frankfort, Germany, of pedigrees of nine generations of Kom­ stohks prior to Charles von Komstohk, a baron of the Roman Empire, who escaped to England in 1547, because implicated with other noblemen of Austria and Silesia in the von Benedict treason. Careful search at Frankfort-on-the-Main, and at Breslau, fails to find any trace of a Baron von Komstohk, or of a von Benedict treason. Dr. John Lee Comstock of Hartford, Ct., accepted the story. His sister, quoting it, says 5 Sept., 1865, "from my deceased brother I received what I have written, who as he informed me, upon a visit to Frankfort on the Main by a gentleman whose name I do not recollect, copied and gave it to him." Dr. Comstock was probably misinformed by this unknown person. The earliest known record of a Comstock in this country is in the will of Henry Russell of Weymouth, Mass., 28 November, 1639. He gives to his wife Jane "the remainder of his time to b0 served by my servant John Comstock." Apprenticeship of sons till the age of twenty-one was common in those days. The ·wethersfield record gives, 2d month, 28th day, 1641: "the lands of William Comstock which he purchased of Ric. Milles lying in Wethersfield on Connecticut River." Beginning in 1635 and 1636 there was a considerable emi­ gration from ·watertown, Mass., and its vicinity to Wethersfield, Windsor, and Hartford, Ct., and William1 Comstock may have been among the emigrants. FAMILY I. I. WILLIAM 1 COMSTOCK, m. (2) Elizabeth­ Miss Caulkins (History of New London) says that he lived to old age on Post Hill near north corner of Williams and Vauxhall Sts., New London, Ct. Stiles (History of Wethersfi ld) says we may be pretty sure that William Comstock was among the 26 from Wethersfield, Ct., in the expedition commanded by Capt. John Mason which captured the Pequot Fort at Mystic, Ct., 26 May, 1637, killing about 500 Indians. The Wethersfield record gives "The 2d month & 28 day 1641 1 the lands of William Comstock which he purchased of Rich. Milles . on Connecticut river . one piece whereupon a barn with two cellars and other buildings standeth as it is now fenced . two acres or more . " Also, "the 12 th month 10th day 1643, upon? ... 'the land 2 bought by Andrew Langdon of William Comstock. One piece whereon a house standeth ceu three acres more or less . " Richard Mylls was plaintiff against Willi Combstocke and John Sadler, defendants, in an action for slander, 1 Aug., 1644, before the Court of Elections, Hartford, to the damage of 200 pounds. At a Particular Court, Hartford, 7 June, 1649, William Com­ stock, Mr. Trott, and Sam. Smith, Jr., are freed from their recognizances for the appearance of said Comstock. At Pequot (later New London), 13 June, 1655, William Com­ stock and others agree to accept judgment of Court of Magistrates sitting at Pequot, and in matter of gifts, grants, or rights of land at Pequot. William Comstock, 21 June, 164 7, was granted a lot ( at Pequot, by the town) ; also IO A of upland; also IO A. on east side of the great river (Thames). On 2 Dec., 1651, he was granted by the town, 20 A. at Nahantic (Niantic); 8 A. of upland; 100 A. up­ land laid out to Mr. Tinker; 100 A. upon a high hill up Mohegan bounded by land laid out to Mr. Picket. William Comstock at New London town meeting IO Nov., 1650, voted to cooperate with John Winthrop in erecting a corn­ mill. In July, 1651, with others he "wrought" on mill-dam. The dam and mill are still in use. Old goodman Comstock was chosen sexton to order youth in the meeting, etc., 25 Feb., 1662; the title "old goodman" would indicate a birth as early as 1590. The 25 Jan., 1659, William Comstock of New London deeds 8 A. in New London to Will Houge, carpenter, with consent of "Elizabeth my now wife." That William1 had children John2 and Daniel,2 is shown by a deed of 4 Dec., 1694 in which William3 Comstock of Lyme (son of John2 of Lyme) and Daniel3 Comstock of New London, (son of Danie12 of New London), convey "land at Nyantik which said land was given to our grand father William Comstock de­ ceased, by the town of New London," 20 acres. The same 20 A. were granted by New London to William Comstock 21 June, 1647. Savage (G~nealogical History of New England) says John Comstock who was at Weymouth, Mass., in 1639, sat down at Saybrook, east part, now Lyme. Mr. S. C. Newman states that Daniel Comstock moved from Providence to New London. Daniel Comstock of Providence, 19 Feb., 1645, accepts from Providence a free grant of 25 A. of land. · The 24 of June, 1648, Daniel Comstock with other young men were arrested in Provi- 3 deuce for giving a false Indian alarm. In 1660 Daniel Comstock was paid twenty shillings by New London for killing a wolf toward Mohegan. The facts that Samuel2 and Daniel2 had adjoining lots in Providence; that Samuel2 named a son Daniel3; that Daniel2 named a son Samuel3; that William1 and a Samuel were both in the jurisdiction of Hartford in 1648; that the Samuel who was in the Sybando expedition in 1653 (Note I) was in that year both at New London and Rhode Island; give rise to the presumption that Samuel2 of Providence was the son of William1 of New London. Christopher Comstock of Fairfield (and later of Norwalk, Ct.) made an affidavit about visiting good wife Knapp, charged with being a witch, at New Haven, 29 May, 1654. He named three of his children Elizabeth, Daniel, and Samuel, these being the names of the wife and two sons of William1 Comstock of New London. William1 and Christopher2 were both in Connecticut in 1654. These facts suggest that Christopher2 was a son of William. 1 Elizabeth Comstock m. Edward Shipton of Saybrook in Jan., 1651, and d. July, 1659. She is supposed to be the daughter of William. 1 These are the reasons for supposing that John Comstock of Weymouth, Mass., and Lyme, Ct.; Samuel Comstock of Providence, R. I.; Daniel Comstock of Providence, R. I., and New London, Ct.; and Christopher Comstock of Fairfield, Ct., and Norwalk, Ct., were sons of William1 Comstock of New London. We have then for his children: 2. John, 2 m. Abigail--. Died 1680, Lyme, Ct. FAMILY z. 3. Samuel, 2 m. Ann --. Died about 1660, Providence, R.