USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Berlin > History of Berlin, Connecticut > Part 8
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Katharine Stoughton, the mother, died, and John married, third, Widow Mary Farnsworth, alias Long of Dorchester, meaning that her first husband's name was Long. There were no Wilcox children of this marriage. Mary (Long) Farnsworth Wilcox died 1671, before September 7. In her will, dated May 3, 1671, she mentions her son Joseph Long and his wife Sarah, and her son Samuel Farnsworth, not then of age. Mary Farnsworth was a dressy body. She gives to Mary Wilcox her white "wascoat" and her red darning coat. To her daughter- in-law Sarah she gives a feather bed and boulster "already in her house at Hartford" and her "cloath wascoat with the great silver lace and a petty coate likewise."
John was now well along in years, but although thrice bereaved he was not utterly discouraged. He soon began to look about and before the end of the year he took to himself as wife Esther Cornwall, daughter of William Cornwall of Middle- town, a girl just out of her teens, two years younger than his
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daughter Sarah Ensign. Esther has three ways of spelling her name, besides Esther it is recorded as Hester and Easter-an uncommonly pretty name-the latter-for a girl.
Three children were born to John Wilcox and Esther Corn- wall, Ephraim, Esther and Mary. After five years of wedded life with Esther, John Wilcox died, May 24, 1676. Esther survived him fifty-seven years. She married, second, John Stow of Middletown and died May, 1733, aged eighty-three years.
Where, pray tell, would have been the Wilcox families of Westfield, Middletown and of Meriden, had it not been for this marriage of John Wilcox with Esther Cornwall. Nearly all of them come from their son Ephraim.
I was interested in looking up these families to find that Mr. Arthur Boardman, Treasurer of the Cromwell Dime Savings Bank, Town Clerk, Town Treasurer, Deacon, Trustee, member and liberal supporter of the Baptist Church of Cromwell, traces back to this same Ephraim, son of Esther Cornwall and John Wilcox, Jr.
Israel Wilcox, son of John Wilcox, Jr., and his second wife, Katharine Stoughton, born June 19, 1656, married March 28, 1678, Sarah Savage, daughter of Sergeant John Savage and Elizabeth D'Aubin, his wife, of Middletown.
In less than twelve years after their marriage Israel died, December 20, 1789, aged thirty-three years. His wife, Sarah, then thirty-one years old, was left with five young children, whose names were Israel, John, Samuel, Thomas and Sarah. Israel, just coming of the age of ten years, and Sarah, the baby, seven weeks old. Sarah, the mother, lived a widow thirty-four years, and died February 8, 1824. Her five children signed an agreement for the settlement of her estate in which they referred to her as "our honored mother."
Sarah, the daughter, signed the document as Sarah Riley, followed by Jonathan Riley. (See page 544, vol. 11, History of Wethersfield.)
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Josiah Willcox, brother of Daniel, settled out Avon way. Mrs. Aspinwall comes from both Daniel and Josiah.
Samuel, third son of Israel Wilcox and Sarah Savage, his wife, born September 26, 1695, married March 3, 1714, Hannah Sage, daughter of John Sage and Hannah Starr, his wife, born December 21, 1694.
Their children were Daniel (announced as the subject of this sketch), born December 31, 1715, Josiah, Hannah, Rachel and Elizabeth. Samuel, the father, died January 19, 1727, aged forty-one years. In his will he gave to his dearly beloved wife the use of all his improved lands and of his house and barn during her widowhood, but in case she should marry before Daniel, now fourteen, should come to the age of twenty-one then she was to have only one-half of the property specified, and Daniel was to have the other half. Hannah was only thirty-two when left a widow. Probably she found the care of the farm and the stock and the buildings, not to speak of the children, too great a burden and that she felt the need of someone to help her. At any rate it was not long before she was married to Malechi Lewis and he was installed on the place. Daniel now set up his claim, as by the terms of his father's will, to one- half of the property, "in order that he might improve it." Whether it was the fault of Malechi or Hannah we are not informed, but Daniel had to go to law for his rights. The year he came to his majority he appeared before the Court of Probate, held at Hartford, March 22, 1737, and laid his case before that body.
He declared that his mother had hitherto refused or neglected to divide with him, although often requested. Whereupon the Court appointed Messrs. Jabes Hamlin, Thomas Johnson and Samuel Shephard to distribute the estate according to the will, giving notice to the said Hannah Lewis and her husband, Malechi Lewis, first, of the time they shall proceed on the service aforesaid.
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DANIEL WILCOX
From Cromwell Graveyard
Here Lieth the
Body of Samuell Willcocks
who departed this
life January the
19, 1728, in the 43d
year of his age.
Here lies Interred
the Body of Mrs.
Hannah Lewis
formerly Relict
of Mr. Samuel
Willcox but died wife of
Mr. Malachi
Lewis on Jan
ye 22, 1750
In the 56 yr of her age.
Somehow when these young widows, even when they are our own grandmothers, marry and go out from the family they seem lost to us, but we do not want to drop grandmother "Hannah Sage," alias "Lewis." It is through her that we trace back to Dr. Thomas Starr, who was a surgeon of the Colonial forces in the war with the Pequots. He received his appointment May 17, 1637. (Col. War Year Book, page 1 or 17.)
In 1785 the North West Division of Middletown (so called) was set off to form a part of the town of Berlin, incorporated that year.
We do not know exactly when Daniel Wilcox settled on Savage Hill. The lots laid out to the original proprietors were long narrow strips of land that came all the way over to Stoney Swamp and it is probable that Daniel inherited from his father, Samuel, land in North West Division. He began to buy
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land there in 1735, when he was twenty years old, pieces bounded partly on his own land. There was a story that when he left home, to come through an unbroken wilderness and take up his abode in the Third Division, prayers were offered in the log- cabin meeting house in Upper Houses, for his safety. If this story is true, he must have come as early as 1735. A new meet- ing house, not of logs, was built in Upper Houses in 1735. He purchased here and there a few acres at a time until he had a fine farm one mile square in extent.
His house, a large, brown, frame building, stood on the west side of the way on Savage Hill next north of what is now called Bowers corner, and opposite the barn of Elmer Dyer. It was torn down before my remembrance. At one time it was used as a schoolhouse, and once a woman lived there who made very fine linen. Large fields of flax were grown, and the flax, at maturity, was left for months to decay on the ground.
Daniel Wilcox, born 1715, Dec. 31st, died July 29, 1789. Married March 16, 1738
Sarah White, born April 22, 1716, died June 28, 1807.
Sarah White was a descendant of John White, who sailed from London in the ship Lion, June 22, 1632; arrived at Boston September 16; settled first in Cambridge; sold land there before 1636; was an original proprietor at Hartford, 1639. His house, on what is now Governor Street, stood where the shadow of the Charter Oak fell upon it at sunset. He was a preaching Elder in Thomas Hooker's church.
Nathaniel White, born about 1629, came from England with his father, John White, when five years old. He was one of the original proprietors of Middletown, 1650-51, where he held a high position. In 1659 he was elected to the Great General Court, and from 1661 to 1710 he was chosen a member of the Colonial Legislature eighty-five times. He was eighty-two years old when last elected. Legislators were at that day chosen twice a year. Nathaniel White was Captain of the first "Traine Band" of Middletown. This record would make his descend- ants eligible to the Society of Colonial Dames.
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In his will, probated October 1, 1711, Nathaniel White gave one-quarter part of his share of the undivided lands for the benefit of the public schools of Middletown forever. In 1741 the land was sold and the proceeds invested. When Cromwell was set off from Middletown in 1851, it received its share of the fund. In 1902, when the fine new public schoolhouse of Crom- well was opened, by unanimous vote it was named "The Nathaniel White Public School."
To Daniel Wilcox and his wife, Sarah White, were born thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters.
Sons
Daughters
Daniel
Lois
David
Sarah
Stephen
Hepzibah
Josiah
Huldah
Samuel
Olive
Isaac
Patience
Jacob
Sarah, the mother, became very stout as she advanced in years, so that she was not active. She apologized to her chil- dren, saying, "I do not work, but I save your father a great deal by my good management." Many of her descendants seem to have inherited her physique.
In the spring of 1762 England, then engaged in war with Spain, sent an armament against the Spanish West Indies. Two Connecticut Colonial Regiments were ordered to join the expedition and assist in the attack against Havana.
David Wilcox, second of the sons of Daniel, then in his nine- teenth year, enlisted March 17, 1762, in the 4th Company; Captain, John Patterson of the 1st Regiment; Col. Phineas Lyman of Suffield, Commander.
This 4th Company numbered, officers and men, ninety-eight. Ten never joined. Two deserted.
They arrived at Cuba June 17 where, in the intense heat, lacking water, they worked two months under unsufferable pri- vations. Some of the soldiers dropped dead from thirst, heat,
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and fatigue. In less than a month half the troops were dead or sick. Of the New England privates scarcely any returned.
Such as were not killed in the service were generally swept away by the great mortality that prevailed.
Of Captain John Patterson's Company twenty-nine died between September 5 and November 30. He himself died at Havana September 5, 1762, at fifty-four years, a victim of the yellow fever.
David Willcocks died at Havana October 1, 1762. His name appears on the payroll of the 1st Connecticut Regiment, 4th Company. Nathaniel Willcocks, his cousin, who enlisted the same day, and in the same Company with David, died November 17.
Major John Patterson, son of James of Wethersfield, held a Captain's Commission under King George III, and was the first deacon of the First Church of New Britain. On May 11, 1753, being called of God to assist his country and mindful as he expressed it of the dangers of martial life, he made his will in which he directed his wife Ruth (Bird) to give their son John a college education. John, the son, graduated from Yale in 1762. He removed to Binghamton, N. Y., was a lawyer, and was Brigadier-General in the Revolutionary War.
Havana surrendered August 13, 1762. In the treaty of Paris, signed February 10, 1763, Great Britain restored to Spain all its conquests in the West Indies in return for Flor- ida-all that Spain owned on the Continent of North America southeast of the Mississippi. At the time of the English and French War, when the call of alarm came for the relief of Fort William Henry, on the north shore of Lake George, Daniel Wilcox, Sr., enlisted as corporal in the Company of Captain Josiah Lee of Farmington, 6th Connecticut Regiment. Daniel Wilcox, Jr., just come to the age of sixteen, with other lads, went along to lead pack horses and to bring back other horses. The Fort, after a gallant defense of six days, was compelled to surrender to the superior force of French and Indian troops, and Daniel Wilcox returned after a service of eight days. Daniel, the son, was credited with seven days.
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Captain Josiah Lee was chosen deacon of the First Church of New Britain to take the place of Deacon Patterson, who died in 1762 at Havana.
The old story that Daniel Wilcox gave to each of his thirteen children a farm on which he built a house needs to be modified. We have seen that David died at Havana. Isaac, born August 14, 1755, enlisted in the Revolutionary War. He was taken sick at Boston and was brought home, where he died November 23, 1775, at the age of twenty years. His grave is in Maple Cemetery at Berlin.
Olive, born October 16, 1751, died November 1, 1771, the day she was to have been married to a Mr. Hart of New Britain.
Daniel Wilcox, Jr., born November 17, 1741.
Married September 22, 1763, at the age of 22 years, Susannah Porter of East Hartford.
Children : Nathaniel, born August 10, 1764.
Susannah, born May 1, 1766, married Richard Beckley. David, born December 6, 1768.
Susannah, the wife, died November 13th, 1769, in the 28th year of her age. Grave in Maple Cemetery.
Daniel, Jr., married 2d November 7, 1771, Mercy Gibson.
Children : Joseph, born August 4, 1772, died February 26, 1773. Daniel, 3d, born October 26, 1774.
Daniel Willcocks, Jr., received to Church September 2, 1764.
Four months after Daniel, Jr., married, his father gave him six acres of land, deed dated January 10, 1764, on which to build a house, bounded north by his own land (Daniel, Sr.'s), east on highway, south on highway now known as Bower's Corner. Daniel Wilcox enlisted in the Revolutionary Army and died at Roxbury April 10, 1776.
On page 440, New England Register for 1900, appears the following communication from Daniel W. Fowler of Chicago:
I send you copies of two letters written by Daniel Wilcox, Jr., from Middletown, Conn., who was at the defence of Boston in the years 1775 and 6, and who died in the latter year, and was, it is
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stated, buried in the old cemetery in Roxbury. I have seen the pocketbook, which he had in his possession at his death, so it was claimed, and I have now one piece of Continental money, which says it is good for five Spanish Milled dollars, which was found in that purse at the time of his decease.
The Middletown North Society, which had the ordering of school affairs, voted November 7, 1748, that a school should be kept the whole year-ten months in the Society's schoolhouse, and two months in the Northwest Quarter at the house of John Savage.
These letters of Daniel, written from Roxbury, of which I have copies, show him to be a loyal soldier, thoughtful of his comrades ; a loving son, husband and father; but the spelling and the grammar !! However, what could be expected in the wilderness with school only two months in the year. He held the office of sergeant. The name of Daniel Wilcox, Jr., does not appear in Connecticut Men of the Revolution.
After the death of Daniel Willcocks, his widow, Mercy Gib- son, married John ( ?) Parsons and removed to Landersfield, Berkshire County, Mass., with three Wilcox children.
At the time of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Worthington church, the Rev. E. G. Beckwith, then of Water- bury, gave an address, vaguely remembered after thirty-seven years as very interesting. No copy of it can now be found. Mr. Beckwith comes from one of the Wilcox sons, taken by Mercy Gibson Wilcox Parsons to Landersfield.
His grandfather on his mother's side was a Daniel Wilcox, grandson of the Revolutionary soldier and the fourth in direct line to bear the name. It was Mr. Beckwith who told about prayers being offered in the log cabin meeting house at Middle- town for Daniel's safety in the wilderness.
Mr. Beckwith later went to Hawaii. Miss Ruth Galpin having occasion to write to him there asked if he had a copy of that historical paper. He replied May 9, 1897, that he thought it was not a paper at all, but a bit of an off-hand talk-that he had no such paper in his possession and never had published any. He said his Revolutionary ancestor was with the army
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DANIEL WILCOX
that invested General Gage at Boston and died at Roxbury during the siege. He said he had a copy of a letter written by him while there, one of several that were in his grandfather Daniel's possession in his boyhood.
Miss Galpin thinks she has seen a notice of Mr. Beckwith's death in the Congregationalist.
While in Berlin Mr. Beckwith gave Deacon Alfred North an account of the Massachusetts branch of the family, which should have been written in black and white. Trusted to memory, it is now lost.
The Rev. William Henry Willcox of Malden, Mass., and Rev. G. B. Willcox of Chicago Theological Seminary came from this same Wilcox stock.
W. H. Willcox was a trustee of Wellesley College. It is said that he influenced Mrs. Stone to give the money to build Stone Hall at Wellesley, and also to give large sums to other educa- tional institutions. Mrs. Stone endowed a professorship of Natural Science at Hamilton College on condition that her niece's husband, Professor A. P. Kelsey, should be the first incumbent. Mrs. Kelsey was glad to have her aunt endow that professorship, but she was bitter toward Mr. Wilcox because she felt he had such strong influence over Mrs. Stone and got her to will so much of her money to institutions. Mrs. Kelsey and her sister were Mrs. Stone's heirs, and of course they wanted all they could get. (L. D. N. Reed.)
Miss Gertrude M. Willcox, daughter of Prof. G. B. Willcox of Chicago, went out as a missionary to Kobe, Japan, in 1898. In Life and Light of November, 1899, page 528, is a letter written by Mrs. Dr. Davis to Mrs. G. B. Willcox giving a description of the interesting wedding of Miss Willcox to Mr. Weakley of the Methodist Mission.
(Letter in Life and Light, Feb. 3, 1899.)
July 14, 1899.
WEDDING OF MISS GERTRUDE WILLCOX, BY MRS. DR. DAVIS.
The storm had cleared the atmosphere and cooled it a little, too, and everything outwardly went off just as it should. To the music
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of the organ out on the lawn the procession came down the steps from the "home building," led by the two ushers. Three tiny little girls followed, hand in hand, and then eight more girls in couples.
They went slowly and without a mistake to the right place. Of course they were all dressed in white, with blue ribbons and sashes of nearly the same shade, and they carried bouquets of white daisies and small chrysanthemums.
They were so fresh and dainty and pretty.
Then last came your daughter dressed in the pretty, old fashioned gown which her mother had worn so long ago. I looked at her for you, and wished I might have changed places for awhile. On her shoulder was a tiny bunch of forget-me-nots, pinned on with a daisy pin, showing through her veil. That was fastened with orange blossoms. She carried a bunch of roses and maiden hair ferns. Mr. Weakley and Mr. Davis stood waiting for her, and four gentlemen stood in front of the bridal couple. The United States Consul, Mr. Demaree, Mr. Curtis, who married them and Mr. Davis. Mr. Demaree read. Mr. Davis led in prayer. All were touched when he said he would offer Professor Willcox's prayer. The bridal couple were moved by it, and theirs were not the only eyes that were wet with tears at this prayer from over the sea. Then Mr. Curtis went through the service and pronounced them husband and wife. From beginning to end it was impressive and beautiful.
Rev. W. C. Wilcox went out to Umgoti, Natal, with his wife Ida in 1881. No mention is made of him after 1909.
In the settlement of the estate of Daniel Wilcox, Jr., one-half the house was set to the widow and the place was transferred from time to time subject to the rights of Mercy Parsons.
Daniel's brother Jacob bought out the heirs, and in 1797 the property was sold to the Crofoot family. Written on the chimney piece of the house may be seen to-day "Samuel and Mary Crofoot 17-7-" the third figure illegible.
By deed of date January 22, 1822, Jacob Wilcox having again an interest in the place gave a quit claim to William Bowers, and now for ninety years that corner has been occupied by Captain William Bowers and his descendants. In early days it was a public house, the road leading over those hills being the New Haven and Hartford postroad before the Hart- ford and New Haven turnpike was opened.
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Lois Wilcox, eldest of the six daughters of Daniel Wilcox, born June 14, 1738, died August 18, 1805. Married September 14, 1756, Solomon4 Sage, born 1737 (Captain David,3 John,2 David1).
CHILDREN (Copied from Middletown Town Record) :
Grace, born 1757. Mindwell, born 1767.
Solomon, born 1759.
Oliver, born 1767.
Hozea, born 1761. Lois, born 1771.
Mabel, born 1763. Joseph or Joshua, born 1772.
Calvin, born 1763.
Isaac, born 1775.
Hozea, died in Army,
Luther, born 1778.
West Point.
We do not find from town records that Daniel Wilcox made gifts of houses or lands to any of his daughters. Solomon Sage, Sr., was a large land holder in his own right.
Lois Wilcox and Solomon Sage were taken into the com- munion of the Kensington church May 29, 1768.
The distinction of this family seems to lie in their large households. Captain Oliver Sage, son of Solomon and Lois Sage, had sixteen children, eleven sons and five daughters. There were three pairs of twins. So far as known not a soul remains in this vicinity to represent this branch of the Sage family.
Jacob Wilcox, youngest son of Daniel and Sarah Wilcox, born in Berlin, June 21, 1758, died at the house of his daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Porter, in Beckley Quarter, November 3, 1841, aged eighty-three years, four months and thirteen days.
He married, June 7, 1780, Rachel Porter, born in East Hart- ford, July 5, 1758; died March 15, 1847, at the house of her son Norris in New Haven, age eighty-eight years, eight months and ten days, both buried in East Berlin.
1. Alvin, born 1773, died August 17, 1870.
2. Norman.
3. Orrin.
4. Cyprian, born September 22, 1795; died Ithaca, N. Y., Febru- ary 24, 1875.
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5. Norris, married March 3, 1822, Harriet Hart, daughter of Jesse.
6. Jacob.
7. Albert.
8. Betsey.
9. Lucetta.
Jacob Wilcox and Rachel Porter married June 7, 1780.
Norris Wilcox, fifth of the seven sons of Jacob Wilcox, mar- ried Harriet Hart, second daughter of Jesse Hart, brother of Emma Hart Willard. He kept the hotel at Boston Corners, so called, on Berem Street, for a time; was postmaster, with office in Freedom Hart's comb shop, and removed to New Haven, where he became United States Collector of that port. His son William was a professor of mathematics in the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Norris Wilcox was a large, portly, handsome man, and his daughter Katharine was a woman of remarkable beauty of per- son and character. She married a Smith and lived in Phila- delphia. Her daughter, Jessie Wilcox Smith, is the well-known illustrator of magazines.
John Henry Wilcox, Mus.D., 1827-1875, of Boston, grandson of Jacob Willcox, son of Jacob Willcox, Jr., and Catharine Shellman, his wife, of Savannah, Ga., was considered the finest organist in the country. When new organs were to be dedicated it was thought that no one could show them off quite as well as he. Once he was called to assist in the dedication services of a fine new organ in a Philadelphia church where there was a large chorus choir, which he could not make sing to his liking, and his sarcastic remarks were not soon forgotten.
We have in our church hymn book two tunes written by John William Willcox, "Faban and Jesu," p. 10; "Boni Pastor," p. 452.
Jacob Willcox, Sr., was very deaf in his old age. Elisha Cheney, his nephew by marriage, lived on the southwest corner opposite the Bowers place. Uncle Jacob would go over to the Cheney house and ask to have brother Cheney come outside, he wanted to have some privacy with him. They would go out into the road and then Jacob would shout loud enough to
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DANIEL WILCOX
be heard half a mile. The Cheney girls thought it great fun to hear him.
Uncle Jacob, "Jeckup," so pronounced in his day, raised a lot of turkeys and Mr. Cheney tried to raise grain. When he complained that the turkeys destroyed his grain, Uncle Jacob would say: "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof,' " and that was all the satisfaction he would give. Jacob Wilcox's place was sold by his son Norris to William Dyer of Woodbridge, forty-four acres with buildings, price $4,500. (Vol. 15, page 373, New Britain Records. )
Wallace Wilcox, son of Alvin, eldest son of Jacob Wilcox, was a teacher and a very successful head of a boys' school in Stamford for years.
Cyprian P. Wilcox, son of Cyprian, son of Jacob, was a pro- fessor of modern languages, and had, before the war, a school for languages at Geneva, Switzerland. Later he came home and was in the University of Georgia till his death.
Hepzibah Wilcox, fifth child, third daughter, of Daniel Wil- cox and Sarah White, his wife, born January 31, 1745, died February 19, 1821; married September 23, 1763, David Beckley, born February 17, 1742, died November 19, 1798.
CHILDREN
David, born March 31, 1765.
Silas, born September 28, 1766.
Caroline.
Joseph.
Hepzibah.
Luther.
Joseph, born November 12, 1775.
David (1), Lt. Joseph (2), Nathaniel (3), Sgt. Richard (4). David Beckley and his wife Hepzibah Wilcox set up house- keeping in the old red Beckley house built by the father of David, Lt. Joseph Beckley. (No need for Daniel Wilcox to give Hepzibah a house.)
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