USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Farmington > Farmington town clerks and their times (1645-1940) > Part 31
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5) the aforesaid Thomas Barns dooth covinant, too and with the afore said John Androus, to put out all his children, exsupting his sun bunjyman barns only; and if thut the aforesaid barns, together with the desire of his wif, shall se it com- furtabull and poure to cep his dauter hany barns at home with to be sur- fuisabil to him untull that she depart her natarall lif or till god shall dispos of hur in maridg.
This aforesaid wif of Thomas barns hath poure now to give the joyntar abof spusifed, or when she ples; but the agre, or agre of it not, too injoy it tull after the deses of the aforesaid barns.
In witness too the promisses I hafe too my hand and synd and delivurd this in the presans of Witness Samm Stell
The Mark * of Thomas barns
Two sons and two daughters were born of this marriage. Thomas Barnes died 1681, leaving his homestead on Town Path to his son Joseph who sold it in 1710 to Samuel Hooker, Jr.
The earliest land record we find for Thomas Barnes is in 1650, when he had 10 acres on which his dwelling house with out houses barns yards and garden stood, on Town Path, "through
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which a highway lyeth, with the river on the west, Richard Brownson's land on the east, John Tayllcots land south and Moses Ventrus land north." In 1650 Barnes sold "5 acres of land in Pequabuck meadow to Mr. Rodger Nuton". In 1653 Barnes mortgaged his lands and herds in Farmington to Mr. Tayllcott for the payment of 25 pounds.
When Joseph Barnes sold the family homestead to Samuel Hooker, Jr. in 1710 it was bounded on the north by the burying ground, showing that Thomas Barnes lived on the east side of the street, about where Mrs. Stephen Lawrence now lives.
Mary (Andrews) Barnes married for her second husband, Jacob Brownson, son of John Brownson of Farmington.
FRANCIS BROWNE was an original proprietor and settler having his land recorded in February 1655. It was approximately between the present Farmington Country Club and the corner of Waterville Road - William Lewis on the east and Joseph Woodford on the west. There was six acres of wood land adjoining the home lot. Francis Browne soon died or moved away.
JOHN BROWNSON was an original proprietor and settler of Hartford be- fore coming to Farmington in 1641. He was a soldier in the Pequot War and one of the founders of the First Church in Farmington in 1652. With his brother Richard he owned a large part of the land in the triangle formed by Hatters Land and Colton Street and land on the south side of the mountain road now called Diamond Glen Road. At the top of this mountain road the brothers built a mill which was in operation for sawing lumber until 1650 when sold to Stephen Hart, Sr. The remains of the mill can still be seen on the banks of the brook. The last house on the right side of the road is very ancient and was probably one of the mill houses. It was converted into a dwelling house by Mr. H. H. Mason, most of the paneling being remade from the old church pews, dis- carded 1836 when the interior of the
First Church was rebuilt. The pews were stored 75 years in horsesheds. The pine, dark with age, is flawless, free from knots and 30 inches wide.
In 1650 John Brownson lived on the south side of the Ould Mill road near the present junction of Colton and Diamond Glen Roads with Hatters Lane. A road was attempted thru the swamp known as Porters swamp, which was to be a continuation of Meadow Lane. The road thru the swamp was soon found impractical, and Hatters Lane, also known as the road to the ould mill, used instead. However, occa- sionally we find a reference to a high- way which means none other than the first attempt to travel directly from the fork at Meadow Lane to Brown- son's mill, thru the swamp. Streets were not named in those early years except as they acquired a descriptive name from their use or location. Until 1700 there were two roads leading to ye ould mill- the present Colton Street and Hatters Lane.
John Brownson had a daughter, Dorcas, who married Stephen, son of John Hopkins.
RICHARD BROWNSON removed from Hartford to Farmington about 1653, joining the church 1654. He died in Farmington 1687. His first wife was a sister of Margaret, wife of William Pantry, by whom he had at least two children. His widow when he died was Elizabeth widow of George Orvis. He lived on the south side of the mill road about opposite the junction of the present Hatters Lane and Colton Street next west of his brother John. His son John inherited most of his lands.
They built the first mill in Farming- ton. Remains of the dam, and one of their houses, may be seen at the right of Diamond Glen Road.
DAVID CARPENTER was an original proprietor and settler of Farmington. He died 1650. He sold a house lot to Samuel Gridley, about where the Farmington Lodge now stands. More land in that vicinity was sold to Gridley by Carpenter's widow, Eliza- beth who married as her second hus-
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band, George Orvis and sold Orvis land there to Gridley also.
David Carpenter's home when he died, and where his children were living 1666 was a "cellar and house lot" on the north side of Hartford Road at the bend called the Willows.
Samuel North owned a parcel of five acres with a house standing thereon, just next west.
JOHN CLARK was living 1667 on the site now occupied by the home of B. O. Judatz, which he probably bought of Robert Willson or his heirs in 1655. Clark died 'at a great age' November 22, 1712.
John Clark served as a juryman be- fore the General Court 1641, but we do not know whether it was the same John Clark who was later a resident of Farmington. There were several of the name in the 17th century, to the great botheration of geneologists.
John Clark had a son John Jr., who in 1705 lived in a house very similar in construction to the Farmington Museum. It was the first house on the left on High Street, from Hartford Road. It was probably built about 1670. The road used as High Street was officially laid out 1672. The house became in bad repair and was razed in 1880.
WILLIAM CORBE bought land on Hartford Path from Richard Jones. It was the large field just east of the Barney Red Cottage and barn. In 1660 Corbe sold his lot and dwelling house to Samuel North, who lived there for many years. Before buying the Hart- ford Path lot, Corbe owned land on Mill highway, "Colton Street" which he sold to Richard Jones.
Corbe removed to Haddam in 1660.
JOHN COWLES was one of the prin- cipal proprietors and settlers of Farm- ington, removing later to Hadley, Massachusetts where he died. His will was dated December 11, 1676. His land recorded in Farmington 1650 and January 22, 1666 he bought of Thomas Dement or Dimon, with a dwelling house, barns, gardens, and orchards. It was at the junction of "the highway
to ould mill and highway leading to south end of town" and to the north was "the meting house loot and land". This is of particular interest as it is the first reference we have of a meeting house in existance as early as 1666, and giving the added valuable informa- tion as to its location on the present meeting house green.
John Cowles was one of the seven men who organized the First Church. He married Mehitable, youngest daughter of Deacon Stephen Hart and his son Samuel inherited much of his property including the homestead. Over one hundred years later the land was still in the family, Amos Cowles having a tavern on the land between the present Churchill and Holcombe houses.
John Cowles had a daughter, Esther, whose romance with Deacon Thomas Bull became a matter for the General Court before it came to a happy end. More will be seen of that in the chapter on Deacon Bull.
The will of John Cowles's widow gives her name as Hannah. She men- tions sons John and Samuel and daughters Hannah Standly, Ester Bull, Elizabeth Lyman, Mary Dickinson and Sarah Goodwin.
She died March 16, 1683.
SAMUEL COWLES was son of John Cowles and Mehitable (Hart) Cowles. He lived on the north side of 'the high- way to the ould mill' now Colton Street, in the house now belonging to Miss Margaret Brady. He was married June 17, 1660 to Abigail daughter Timothy and Elizabeth (-) Standly. Seven sons were born to them and grew to manhood. They were: Samuel the eldest, Timothy, John, Nathaniel, Isaac, Joseph and Caleb.
Samuel Cowles inherited the home- stead of his father John Cowles and here again we find in the boundary the "meting house loot and land" on the north. This record was made in 1671. It was not to become his however, until after the death of his mother Mehitable.
ABRAHAM DIBBELL was the first owner of the corner lot where the Barney Red Cottage now stands on Mountain Spring Road and Hartford
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Road. He and his wife joined the Farmington Church April 20, 1663. He sold his homestead in 1672 to Zachary Seymour and removed to Haddam. Matthew Woodruff later bought this triangular lot with the pasture back of it known as Dirty Hole lot and probably built the present house about 1716.
THOMAS DEMON (DIMON or DEMENT) was one of the original proprietors and settlers of the Town. His first recorded home was at the east corner of Main Street and Hartford Road, now the Park, which he sold to William Smith. He then lived on a road, now discontinued and disap- peared, which ran along the north side of the Bull lot from Colton Street to the top of the Mountain. Demon later sold this homestead to Samuel Cowles and removed to East Hampton. This road to the mountain was used at that time, not only for the homes there (John Wyat also lived on this road) but John Hart, John Wadsworth and John Lankton had right of way over this road to their land on the mountain. Thomas Demon recorded his house lot on the road to the mountain, with its right of way on January 22, 1666.
SAMUEL GRIDLEY, second son of Thomas and Mary (Semmor or Sey- mour) Gridley and brother of Thomas Gridley, lived at the south end of Main Street on land purchased from George Orvis. Daniel Porter's land was on the south. The Gridley lot extended from the east side of Main Street to the mountain. The Farmington Lodge is now about on the site of the Gridley house. Samuel died 1712 aged 54 years, leaving a widow Mary to whom one- third of the homestead was given, Joseph the fourth son received one- third, Thomas one-ninth, Nathan the 6th son was given one-ninth and Hezekiah the seventh son one-ninth.
THOMAS GRIDLEY was the elder son of Thomas and Mary (Semmor or Seymour) Gridley who were married in Hartford September 29, 1644. Mary was probably the sister of Richard Seymour the emigrant, of Hartford.
Thomas Gridley Sr. died in Hartford June 12, 1655, leaving his widow and three children, Thomas aged 8, Samuel aged 5 and Mary aged 3, with the re- quest that his friend Deacon John Langdon pay his debts and care for his children. Deacon Langdon married Mary Gridley as his second wife and they lived in the Langdon home now the north part of the W. S. Cowles homestead.
Thomas Gridley Jr. married Eliza- beth Clark on December 25, 1679. Their home was on the north corner of Hatters Lane and Main Street and recorded about 1680 as having been given to Thomas Gridley by his 'Father-in-law John Langton (his mother's second husband) and was one acre on the north side of the highway leading to ye ould mill'.
The vital records give a pathetic story of the children born to Thomas and Elizabeth:
"1st child of Thomas Gridley born and died June 1681.
2nd child of Thomas born and died Sept. 1682.
3rd child of Thomas born and died June 1683.
Samuel born March 1686-7.
Mary born January 1688-9.
Thomas last child of Thomas Sr. born Mar. 1696.
Thomas his wife Elizabeth died April 1686."
ELDER WILLIAM GOODWIN an original proprietor and settler in Hart- ford was also an original proprietor of Farmington. The only record we find of land recorded in his name in Farm- ington was that east of the Farmington river on highway leading to North Meadow Gate, sold 1645 to Thomas Newell, and land in the great meadow on the road to Crane Hall. Goodwin was one of the committee appointed to purchase Farmington, and was one of the trustees of the school fund left to the colony under the will of Governor Edward Hopkins. He was a close friend of Thomas Hooker's and after Hooker's death, removed in 1659 to Hadley with Governor Webster and others of the first church who differed as to the doctrines to be practiced. He was rul-
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ing elder of the Hadley church for ten years. thereafter making his home in Farmington. He died in Farmington March 11, 1673 and his widow Susanna, widow of Thomas Hooker, died in Farmington May 17, 1676. There is no record in Farmington of any other land than these two pieces owned in 1645 by Goodwin. He and Susanna made their home with Rev. Samuel Hooker, son of Susanna, who had been pastor of the First Church here since 1661.
William Goodwin's only child, by his first wife, was Elizabeth, who mar- ried John Crow of Hartford and Hadley. They had eleven children, all of whom were prominent in the colony. Samuel Crow, the tenth child married May 17, 1671, Hannah, daughter of Captain William Lewis of Farmington, and was slain at Fall's Fight May 18, 1676. Hannah married as her second husband, Daniel, son of John Marsh of Hartford.
CAPTAIN JOSEPH HAWLEY lived on the west side of Mountain Spring Road, midway between John Woodruff on the corner and the Thomas Thomson land on the top of the hill.
January 6, 1708-9 he sold an acre of land with a mansion to Thomas Porter son of Robert, which he had bought July 12, 1701 of Thomas North. It was on the corner of Mountain Spring Road and Hartford Path.
It was he who presented for record in 1713, the ancient parchment deed given by Governor Welles to his daughter Ann on her marriage to Thomas Thomson in 1646. Captain Hawley was the son of Samuel Hawley and Mary, daughter of Thomas and Ann (Welles) Thomson and was born in Farmington June 6, 1675. He died November 20, 1752.
Captain Hawley was active and courageous in war or in peace. He was a leader of church music and captain of the train band, a position which ranked in importance next that of the minister.
THOMAS HOSMER was entitled to land as an original proprietor, but apparently did not take it as in 1672 it was given by the town to Mr. Simon
Wrothum. Hosmer lived in Hartford where he had come in 1636. His home was at the south end of Governor Street. He was prominent in town affairs and his children married into the Bushnell family in Hartford, the Willard family in Wethersfield and the Rev. Thomas Buckingham family in Say brook.
DEACON STEPHEN HART was an original proprietor and settler of Farmington, following like proprietory position in Hartford and Cambridge. He was in Cambridge in 1632 and made a freeman there in 1634. He was one of the founders and one of the first dea- cons of the First Church of Christ in Farmington, being elected deacon October 13, 1652 the date of the or- ganization of the church. He was deputy from Farmington 1647 to 1655 and again in 1660. He was one of the eighty-four proprietors of the town at their organization in 1672 and was one of the largest land owners in the town. He had a fifteen acre home lot on Town Path his house being across the Main Street from the present church. His land extended to the river where he maintained the first grist mill on the site of the present mill, if indeed, the present mill is not a part of the original mill. His land was bounded in 1643 on the north by the home lot of Thomas Upson, soon sold to John Lee and on the south by land of Thomas Porter, son-in-law to Stephen, and as the Hart children married he built houses for them on each side of his own home.
In 1650 he owned "the psell belong- ing to ye ould mill on the mountain with the swamp out of which came the mill water, given to John Brownson by the country".
Stephen Hart was the great patriarch of Farmington. His land extended from the river to the foot of the mountain, with the exception of that reserved for church and school. He owned farm land in mountain and meadow, and the saw mill on the mountain as well as the grist mill on the river.
The name of his first wife is un- known. He married (2) Margaret widow of Joseph Nash and before him of Arthur Smith. He died March 16
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1682-3 aged 77 years. Of his children his son John was the eldest of three sons. He married Sarah - and lived next south of his father. He and two of his children lost their lives in the fire which destroyed their home December 1666. Stephen the second son lived on Mountain Road east of the church. The name of his wife is unknown. He died 1689 leaving seven children. Thomas the youngest child born 1643, perhaps in Farmington, married Ruth, daughter of the wealthy and prominent Mr. Anthony Hawkins. He was given his father's homestead on February 24, 1668, where he lived in the north half of the house. Sarah the eldest child, married Thomas Porter and lived in the second house south of her father. Mary the second child, married John Lee and as her second husband, Jedidiah Strong. She lived next north of her father on what is now property of the Porter School. Mehitable mar- ried John Cowles and lived across the street from her father, at the corner of present Colton Road. Thus Deacon Stephen kept his children near him with their families, most of whom he remembered in his will.
THOMAS HANCOX had land in Farmington in 1680 consisting of one hundred acres on the Matabesick River which he had bought of Thomas Bell of Stonington. Bell had inherited the land from Samuel Stone who married Susannah daughter of Rev. Roger Newton.
Hancox had children born in Farm- ington. His son John, to whom he later gave his land, was born in Farmington August 1, 1688, Thomas born March 13, 1685-6, William born March 2, 1690-1, Daniel born January 1, 1694-5 and daughter Rachel born February 7, 1692-3.
His land as recorded, all lay in the section of the town toward Kensington and Wethersfield.
JOHN HART son of Deacon Stephen Hart was an original proprietor and settler of Farmington. He lived just next south of his father's house on the west side of Main Street, about where the Barbour and Creamer houses now
stand, with his brother-in-law and sister, Thomas and Sarah Porter, next south. His house burned December 1666, and according to the Hart Geneology, he and his wife and two children lost their lives in this fire, and it is also stated that the town records were burned.
We know that the town records were not burned, as they are still in existence in the town clerk's office. No one has disputed the death of John Hart's wife, but it would appear that she did not die in the fire, having the homestead land recorded to her as the "Relickt of John Hart," on February 21, 1668 - "One parcell on which ye dwelling- house did stand & barns & orchards & gardens containing by estimation four acres given him by his father Hart east on highway north part on father Harts orchard & pt on Thomas Harts field & south on Thomas Porters land".
At the time of the organization of the body of Proprietors in 1672 the "Estate of John Hart" was one of that body. Only one child survived the tragedy. The son John, born 1655, be- ing at the Hart Farm in Nod on that awful night, was thus spared. We can picture too well, the horrow of the burning house on the cold December night, with Mrs. Hart being rescued, but John Hart and two of his children perishing. The father, Stephen lived next door to the north, where the red (Hart) house now stands, a sister Mehitable married to John Cole (Cowles) lived just across the street, another sister Sarah married to Thomas Porter lived next house south, another sister Mary married to John Lee, lived two houses north of the father, a brother Thomas lived about where the town hall stands. There was one more brother Stephen, who lived on the south side of mountain road about where High Street intersects.
The young son John married Mary, daughter of Isaac and Ruth (Standley) Moore and became prominent in town affairs. There is more of him as he was later town clerk.
JOHN HAYNES, first governor of the Colony of Connecticut, born in Eng-
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land, came to New England in the "Griffin," arriving September 3, 1633, with Rev. Thomas Hooker. He was an original proprietor of Hartford, also of Farmington, but did not live in Far- mington. His land as recorded in the book of records was "a parcell for a house lot on which a barn and other out houses standeth with yards, con- taining 5 acres bounded by a highway leading to the Great Meadow Gate on the south, and the highway into the littell meadow on the west and on Thomas Newells land on the east and littell meadow on the north".
The land is that just east of the Farmington River bridge, on the north side of the Hartford Road and extends about as far as Garden Street. The "littel meadow" is now the Farmington Golf Club links and the highway to the west can still be distinguished be- side the river, although not used since the present Waterville road was opened for use.
John Haynes also owned land in Great Meadow beyond the river, and in little meadow. He does not rank as a settler of Farmington.
SAMUEL HAYES was one of the early owners of land, ranking as a pro- prietor but not appearing as a settler. He married Elizabeth daughter of Isaac and Ruth (Stanley) Moore. He owned two acres of land in Indian Neck, given him by his 'father Moore' as appeared by a deed of gift bearing date May 12, 1695.
It is interesting to speculate as to whether Mr. Luke Hayes, second school-teacher in Farmington, so far as we know, was son of Samuel and Elizabeth Hayes. He was of the right age and sufficiently well thought of to be teacher here for several years.
REV. SAMUEL HOOKER was one of two sons of Rev. Thomas Hooker, his brother John remaining in England. All by the name of Hooker in this country are probably descended from Thomas through Samuel.
He was graduated from Harvard Col- lege in 1653, and preached for a short time in Plymouth, Mass. He married there September 22, 1658, Mary,
daughter of Captain Thomas Willet, afterward first mayor of New York. Samuel Hooker was ordained at Far- mington 1661 and was the second pastor of the Congregational Church, following Rev. Roger Newton, his brother-in-law. He was appointed one of a committee of four persons to ar- range a union of the colonies of New Haven and Hartford in 1662. He died at Farmington November 5-6, 1697 after a brilliant and successful pastorate of thirty-six years.
His widow married Rev. Thomas Buckingham of Saybrook.
There is no record of Samuel Hooker acquiring the homestead where he lived for thirty-six years, except that in 1662 when John and Sarah Wilson sold the former Governor Edward Hopkins farm to John Root, the north boundary was given as land of Rev. Samuel Hooker, where formerly the boundary had been that of Rev. Roger Newton's land.
Rev. Samuel Hooker's land at his decease was described as bounded west on Town Street east by land of heirs of Dr. Daniel Porter north by highway (Hatters Lane) and south by land of Nathaniel Hooker, and was not to be divided until after the death of Mrs. Hooker.
In the partial distribution of his estate April 18, 1698 there was set out to Susannah Hooker, daughter of William Hooker deceased, and grand- daughter of Samuel "all those housing & lands which had been in the custody of her father William Hooker deceased" - Susannah, wife of Nathan Silleck of Stamford "received one parcel of land in Town of Farmington being a homestead whereon standeth a dwel- linghouse well finished near ye house where her grandfather lived and dyed. Sd lott containeth 6 or 7 acres more or less and is bounded easterly by the town street & in part by land of John Langdon, west by the river, north with land of Langdon & southerly with the lands leading into the Pequabuck Meadow."
Ann, widow of William Phillips, left a bequest of 10 pounds to Rev. Samuel Hooker, and an equal sum to Sara
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Hooker Wilson and also the same amount to John Hooker in England, if he would come to New England to live. This he did not do.
EDWARD HOPKINS was the second elected governor of Connecticut and served alternately with John Haynes, no man being allowed to serve con- tinuously, this being too much like the royal right of kings from which the colonists were determined to escape. Mr. Hopkins was one of the original purchasers of the town of Farmington but did not live here. He was an original proprietor and settler in Hartford. His land in Farmington was recorded in his name as an original proprietor. It was located on Town Path, now Main Street where the Root homestead and the Wilmarth Lewis home now stand, and had a farm house, fruit trees and gardens. It was left by Hopkins in his will at his death in 1657 to Sarah (Hooker) Wilson, daughter of Rev. Thomas Hooker. According to tradi- tion it was used as a meeting place for the members of the First Church after the resignation of their pastor, Rev. Roger Newton in 1657. Sarah Hooker Wilson never lived there, having settled in Medfield, Massachusetts in 1651 when her husband, Rev. John Wilson was ordained as the first pastor of the first church there, where he served forty years, until his death in 1691. In 1662 Sarah and John Wilson sold the Hopkins farm to John Roote, and it remained in the Root family until December 1941.
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