History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 160

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317

USA > Connecticut > New London County > History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 160

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In 1645 they left Hingham, and joined the first planters of New London, and received a grant of a home-lot; built a house thereon, and continued to live there until 1652, when he came to Stonington, and took up a tract of land on the eastern side of Wequetequock Cove, and erected a dwelling-house thereon the same year.

April 5, 1652, the town of Pequot, now New Lon- don, granted to Governor John Haynes, of Hartford,

three hundred acres of land, which was located by the grant east of Chesebrough's land, and laid out by Governor Haynes on the east side of and adjoining Wequetequock Cove, overlapping Thomas Minor's land. Walter Palmer was then living at Rehoboth, and being anxious to locate himself near his old friend Chesebrough, entered into negotiations with Governor Haynes for the purchase of this land. The bargain was made some time before the deed was exe- cuted ; in fact, Governor Haynes gave Thomas Minor a written authority to put Walter Palmer in possession of this land Feb. 15, 1653, which he did May 30, 1653. But the conveyance of Haynes to Palmer was not executed until July 15, 1653.

When Thomas Minor put Walter Palmer into pos- session he conveyed to him in the same instrument his said land and new dwelling-house, which Palmer oc- cupied that year, though Minor continued to live there until he built his new house at Quiambaug.

William Palmer was born on the other side of the ocean, and came with his father's family to this coun- try ; lived with them in Charlestown, Mass., but did not go down to the Plymouth colony with him. He was admitted freeman in Massachusetts colony in 1639, and was admitted to the church there March 28, 1641. He remained with his brother John in Charlestown after his father removed to Plymouth, and continued to reside there until after his father's death, when soon after he sold the land that his father gave him in Rehoboth, and came to Stonington and stayed with his brother-in-law, Thomas Minor, from June 18, 1664, to April 29, 1665, when he left him and went over to Killingworth, Conn., and received an allotment of land in the settlement of that town. He continued to reside there during the rest of his days, but the time of his death is not known, nor is it cer- tain that he ever married. His brother, Gershom Palmer, under date of March 27, 1697, executed the following instrument :

" Know all men by these presents, that while as my brother William Palmer, deceased, did give and bequeath unto me his house and all his lands in Killingworth, Conn., forever, I, settling one of my sons thereon, and in compliance to my deceased brother's will, I do order my eldest son, Gershom Palmer, to settle in said house upon said land. I, the said Gershom Palmer, Senior, do give and bequeath the aforesaid house and land with all the priveleges and appurtenances thereto belonging to my eldest son Gershom Palmer, to him forever according to the tenor of the will of my brother, William Palmer deceased."

This renders it certain that he left no wife or chil- dren. Whether he was ever married is not so clear. If he married it must have been late in life, or, what is more probable, he, like his brother John, lived and died a bachelor.

John Palmer, born in 1615, came with his father and family to this country in 1629. He was admitted a freeman of the Massachusetts colony in 1639; ad- mitted to the church Oct. 23, 1640 ; died Aug. 24, 1677, aged sixty-two years. He left a will giving the bulk of his property to his brother Jonas and sister Eliza- beth. He was never married.

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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

Jonas Palmer was a son of the first wife; came with his father and family to this country in 1629; lived in Charlestown until 1657, when he married Elizabeth Grissill, and moved to Rehoboth, where he remained the rest of his days. They had six children. He married a second wife, Abigail Titus.

Elizabeth Palmer, one of the first wife's children, came to this country with her father and family in 1629; married first Thomas Sloan, and second a Mr. Chapman, but no children by either husband have been traced.

In the old church records of Roxbury, Mass., the following appears : " Rebecca Short came in the year 1632, and married Walter Palmer, a Godly man of Charlestown Church, which they joined June 1, 1633." The children of this union were Hannah Palmer, baptized in Charlestown, June 14, 1634, came with her father to Stonington via Rehoboth, and married first Thomas Hewitt, April 26, 1659, by whom she had two children, Thomas and Benjamin Hewitt. For her second husband she married Roger Sterry, Dec. 27, 1671, by whom she had two children. For her third husband she married John Fish, Aug. 25, 1661. An interesting jointure between them is still preserved on our old town records.

Elihu Palmer, baptized in Charlestown church, Jan. 25, 1636, came with his father to Stonington, and died Sept. 5, 1665. It is not probable that he left any children, for the reason that he left a will in which he gave his property to his nephews.

His will was lost in the burning of New London, Sept. 6, 1781, and the only knowledge we have of it is from a deed on the Stonington record, where lands were set to his executors and vested in his nephews. If he had any children surviving him or living at the date of his will they would have been the subjects of his bounty, but dying at the age of twenty-nine and leaving such a will is proof wellnigh positive that no children survived him.

Nehemiah Palmer, born Nov. 23, 1637, came to Stonington with his father from Charlestown via Rehoboth, and married Hannah, daughter of Thomas and Dorothy Lord Stanton, Nov. 20, 1662, and had seven children. He was a prominent man in church and State.

Moses Palmer, born April 6, 1640, also came to Stonington with his father's family, and married Dorothy -, and had five children. He was deacon of the First Church, and prominent in town affairs.

Benjamin Palmer, born in Charlestown, Mass., May 30, 1642, came to Stonington via Rehoboth with his father's family, and joined the church and became a large landholder. He married, and brought his wife home Aug. 10, 1681.

The fact of this marriage appears in Thomas Minor's diary, but who she was or where she came from does not appear. He died April 10, 1716, aged seventy-four years.

In February, before he died, he gave a deed of his

lands to two of his nephews, on condition that they should take care of him through life, and at his death give him a Christian burial. I regard this fact as a proof beyond doubt that he left no offspring.

Gershom Palmer was born at Rehoboth, and came with his father to Stonington; married first Ann Denison, daughter of Capt. George and Ann Borodel Denison, Nov. 28, 1667. They had ten children. For his second wife he married Elizabeth, the widow of Maj. Samuel Mason. They made and recorded a jointure, which appears at large on the Stonington land records. He was a deacon of the Stonington First Church, and held various positions of trust in civil affairs.

Capt. George Denison .- He came here to reside in the year 1654. He received several large grants of land from the towns of Pequot and Stonington, also large tracts from Oneco and Joshua, sons of Uncas. He erected his dwelling-house near Pequotsepos, a few feet west of the late residence of Oliver Denison (de- ceased), and subsequently surrounded it by a stockade fort. His homestead place was bounded on the west by John Stanton's farm, on the south by the Mason highway eastward to Palmer Hill, and then by Amos Richardson's land, easterly by Richardson's land and the town lots, and northerly by said lots and lands of Capt. John Gallup.

Capt. Denison was the youngest son of William and Margaret Denison, and came to this country in 1631, in company with the Rev. John Eliot, and settled in Roxbury, Mass., where he married Bridget Thomp- son in 1640. She died in 1643, leaving two children. After her death he returned to England and engaged in the civil conflict with which the kingdom was convulsed. On his return to this country, about two years afterwards, he brought with him his second wife, Ann, daughter of John Borodel, of Cork, Irc- land, and one son, John Denison. He was chosen captain in Roxbury, and was called a young soldier lately come out of the wars in England. "In 1651 he came to Pequot to reside, bringing his family with him, consisting of his wife and four children, and had a house-lot given him by the town, which he occu- pied until 1654, when he sold out and removed to this town.

Capt. Denison took an active and decided part in 1656 in favor of having "Mystic and Pawcatuck" set off from Pequot, and a new township with a ministry of its own established. By this course he incurred the displeasure of the leading men of Pequot, and by fa- voring the claims of Massachusetts to the jurisdiction of the place he drew upon himself the censure of the General Court, and when Southertown was incor- porated and annexed to Suffolk County, he was ap- pointed first townsman, commissioner, and clerk of the writs. He was active and influential in securing the favor of the Massachusetts court, and aided in securing large grants of land here to parties there, which overlapped grants made to Chesebrough,

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STONINGTON.

Palmer, Stanton, and others by the General Court of Connecticut.

This alienated some of his friends. But the re- union of the settlement by means of the new charter had the effect of extinguishing these Massachusetts claims, and the Connecticut grants were left un- disturbed.

When Mr. Chesebrough, in 1664, asked the General Court of Connecticut for amnesty for the planters who had favored the claim of Massachusetts to this place, it was extended to him, and ever afterwards he was regarded with favor by the General Court.

From 1671 to 1694 he represented Stonington for fifteen sessions of the General Court. He was ap- pointed magistrate, selectman, and held almost every office in town. While Capt. Denison was prominent and active in civil affairs, he was more distinguished in military matters. With the exception of Capt. John Mason, he was the most conspicuous and daring sol- dier of New London County, and was, in fact, the Miles Standish of the settlement, a natural military leader, and though holding the rank of captain, he often commanded expeditions against the Indians, and was always most successful when commander-in- chief, and at one time he was provost-marshal for Eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. He partici- pated in the Narragansett swamp-fight in 1675, and performed prodigies of valor. As early as February following a series of forays were commenced against the Narragansett Indians. They were commanded by Capt. Denison, Capt. John Gallup, and Capt. James Avery. These partisan bands were composed of vol- unteers, regular soldiers, Pequots, Mohegans, and Niantics. It was the third of these roving excursions, begun in March and ended April 19, 1676, in which the celebrated Narragansett chieftan, Canonchet, was taken prisoner. He was brought to Stonington, and was put to death at Anguilla, near where Gideon P. Chesebrough now resides. A council of war was held, during which his life was promised him if he would use his influence with the Indians to put a stop to the war, but he indignantly refused, saying that the Indians would not yield on any terms.

He was told of his breach of faith in not keeping the treaties which he had made with the English, and of the men, women, and children that he had massa- cred, and how he had threatened to burn the English in their houses, to all of which he haughtily and briefly replied " that he was now in their hands, and they could do with him as they pleased." He was importuned and urged to let a counselor of his go and treat with his people, but he haughtily refused, where- upon the council voted for his immediate execution.

When Canonchet was told that he must die, he seemed not at all moved, but coolly answered " that he liked it well, and that he should die before his heart had grown soft, or he had said anything unworthy of himself."

He was shot by Oneco, son of Uncas, and by Cas-

sasinamon and Herman Garrett, two Pequot sachems. The Mohegans quartered him, and Niantics built the fire and burnt his remains. His head was sent as a "token of love" to the council at Hartford. In June following Capt. Denison commanded a company raised in New London County for 'Maj. Talcott's ex- pedition against the Indians in Massachusetts. They went as far north as Northampton, and returned after having scoured the country far up the Connecticut River, but met with a few of the Indians. After a few days' rest this army again went in pursuit of the Indians. This time they went first to the northwest of Providence, then south to Point Judith, then home through Westerly and Stonington to New Lon- don. After a short respite they started again, July 18, 1676, and made their way this time into Plymouth colony. They went to Taunton, from whence they returned homeward, but hearing that a large number of Indians were working their way westward, making depredations as they went, they pursued and overtook them, and had a sharp and final struggle with them beyond the Housatonic, after which they returned and the men were disbanded. There were ten of these expeditions, including the volunteer forays under Dėnison and Avery. They inflicted speedy ven- geance upon the Indians, and broke their power for- ever. The remnants of the Indian tribes were gathered together and located wherever the English desired. In all these military expeditions Capt. Denison bore a conspicuous part, and won for himself undying fame.

Capt. Denison was born in 1618, and died at Hart- ford, Oct. 24, 1694, during the session of the General Court, which he was attending officially, and was buried there. The following is a copy of his will :

"I George Denison of Stonington, in the county of New London and Colony of Connecticut in New England being aged and crazy in body, but sound in mind and memory, and being desirous to make preparation for death, and to set my house in order before I die, I do, therefore, as it becometh a Christian, first, freely and from my heart, resign my soul, through Christ. into the hands of God who gave it me, and my body to the earth from whence it came, and to be buried in decent manner by my executor and friends, in the hope of a joyful and a glorious resurrec- tion, through the perfect merits and mediation of Jesus Christ my strong Redeemer.

" And as concerning my outward estate, which the Lord hath still en- trusted me with, after all my just debts are paid, I give and dispose of as followeth : First, I give and beqneath nnto my dear and loving wife, Ann Denison, my new mansion place, to wit, the house we live in the barns and buildings the orchards and the whole traet of land and improvements thereon, as far as Mistnxet eastward and as it is bounded upon record, south, west, and north, except only thirty acres given to my son, John Denison, which is to lie on the south side next to Capt. Ma- son's, east of onr field, and also one hundred pounds in stock, prized at the country price, all which is and hath been under our son William Denison's improvement and management for these several years, to mu- tual comfort and content, which I do will and bequeath unto my said wife for her comfortable supply during her natural life.

" And I give unto my said wife, all the household stuff that was and is properly belonging unto us, before my son William took the charge of the family, to be wholly at her disposal, to bequeath to whom she pleaseth at her death.

" Unto my eldest son, John Denison, 1 have already given his portion, and secured to him by a deed or deeds, and I do also give unto him, his heirs or assigns, forever, a country grant of two hundred acres of land, or two hundred pounds in silver money, which grant may be found on the General Court Records.

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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT.

"Also, I give unto him, my great sword and the gauntlet which I wore in the wars of England and a silver spoon of ten shillings marked G. & A.

"Unto my son, George Denison, I have formerly given a farm, lying and being at the northwest angle of Stonington bounds, and adjoining the ten-mile tree of the same bounds, which farm containeth one hundred and fifty acres, more or less, as also, the one-half of a thou- sand acres of land, lying to the northward or northwest of Norwich, given to me as a legacy by Joshua the son of Uncas the same time Mohegan sachem, the said land to be divided as may more fully appear in the deed, which I then gave him of both those tracts in one deed, sigued and sealed, with both my own and my wife's hand, and delivered to him and witnessed, and I have several times tendered to him to ac- knowledge it before authority, that so it might have been recorded ac- cording to the formality of law, the which he had wholly neglected er refused, and will not comply with me, therein, and yet hath sold both those parcels of land and received pay for them ; what his motive may be I cannot certainly divine, but have it to fear they are not good, nor tending to peace after my decease. Wherefore to prevent further trouble, I see cause herein to acknowledge said deed, and to confirm those said parcels of land unto him according to the date of said deed, and the con- ditions therein expressed, but do hereby renounce any other deed not herein expressed, the which two tracts of land before mentioned, with two Indian servants, to wit, an Indian youth or young man, and a woman, together with a considerable stock of neat cattle, horses, sheep, and swine, I then give him, and permitted him to have and carry with him, I do now confirm to him, the which was and is to be, the whole of his portion, I either have or do see canse to give him, only I give unto him twenty shillings in silver, or a cutlas or rapier, the which I leave to the discre_ tion of my executor, to choose which of them to do.

" Unto my son, William Denison, I have formerly given him one hun- dred and thirty acres of land, to be more or less, to wit, all of the land to the eastward of Mistuxet Brook, which did originally belong unto my new mansion place, and is part of three hundred acres granted unto me by New London, as may appear upon record, and three hundred acres of land, lying and cutting upon the North boundary of Stonington, as may more fully appear upon record in Stonington, and the native right thereof, with some addition, confirmed to me by Oneco, as may more fully appear by a deed under his hand and seal, acknowledged be- fore Capt. Mason, and recorded in Stonington. Also, I then gave him two Indian servants, viz., John, whom I bought of the country, and his son Job, which was born in our house, together with one-third part of stock, which we havo together, all which as aforesaid we formerly gave unto my son, William Denison, by a former deed, under our hands and seals, and I see just reason to confirm the same unto my son William, in this my last will, that so I may take off all scruple or doubt respecting the said deed. Moreover, I give unto my son, William Denison, fifty acres of land as it was laid out and bounded unto me by Stonington sur- veyors, and joins upon the before-mentioned three hundred acres, on south side thereof, cuts also upon land belonging to my son, John Deni- son, to be to him, my said son, William Denison, and his heirs forever. Also, I give unto my son William Denison, and his heirs forever, the one-half of my allotment at Windham, to wit, five hundred acres of land, which is part of a legacy given me by Joshua, the son of Uncas, the same time sachem of Mohegan, as may more fully appear upon the Court Records at New London, as also, upon that former experience, we have had of his great industry and childlike duty in the management of all our concerns for our comfort, and comfortable supply, &c., it is there- fore my will, and in confidence of his love, duty, and wonted care of his loving mother, my dear wife, after my decease, I say I do still continue him in the possession and improvement of my new mansion place, with the stock mentioned herein in my deed to my loving wife, he taking care of his sald mother for her comfortable supply, with what may be necessary for her comfort, during her natural life, and do, or cause to be paid to his said mother, forty shillings in silver money, yearly, or half- yearly, while she shall live, and at her decease, I fully and absolutely give and bequeath that my aforesaid mansion place, together with the stock mentioned before, unto my said son, William Denison, and his heirs forever. Also, I give unto my sou, William Denison, my rapier and broad buff belt, and tin cartridge.box, which I used in the Indian wars, together with my long carbine, which belt and sword I used in the same service.

" Unto my eldest daughter, Sarah Stanton, as I have given her form- erly her portion as I was then alle, as I do now give unto her ten pounds out of the stock as pay, and one silver spoon of ten shillings price, marked G. & A.

" Unto my daughter, Hannah Saxon, as I have given unto her, also, her

portion as I was then able, as I do now give unto her ten pounds out of the stock as pay.

"Unto my daughter Ann Palmer, besides that I have formerly given her, I do now give her ten pounds out of the stock as pay.

" Unto my daughter Margaret Brown I have given already her portion, and give her ten pounds out of the stock as pay.

" Unto my daughter Borodel Stanton I have formerly given, and do now give her five pounds out of the stock as pay, and commend it to my beloved wife, that at or before her death, she would give her silver cup, which was sent us from England, with brother Borodel's name, J. B., under the head, to her.

" Unto my grandson, George Denison, the son of my oldest son John Denison, I give my black fringed shoulder helt, and twenty shillings in silver money, toward the purchase of a handsome rapier to wear with it.

" Unto my grandson George Palmer I give the grant of one hundred acres of land, which was granted unto me by the town of Stonington, not yet laid out, or forty shillings out of my stock, as pay, at the discre- tion of my executor to choose which. And whereas there is consider- able rent due me for a house of my wife in Cork, in Ireland, which was given unto her as a legacy by her father John Borodell, at his death, and no doubt may appear upon record in Cork, the which house stands upon lands which they call Bishop's land, and was built by our said father, he to have lived in the same, whereof my said wife was next to himself, as may also appear there upon record; and whereas I have a right to land in the Narragansett country, which is mine by deed of the native right from the true proprietors thereof, as may appear upon record in Boston, and in tho records of Stonington, the which my rights, have been and are under the possession and improvement of those who have no just right to them, to which by reason of the many troubles, wars and diffi- culties which have arisen, together with our remoteness, we have not been able to vindicate our just rights, but have been great sufferers, thereby ; but if it please God to send peaceable times, and our rights be recordable in law, I do by this my last will, give and bequeath my said right unto my sons John Denison and George Denison, to be equally di- vided betwixt them, provided that they each one bear their equal share in the trouble and recovery of the same. Provided, also, that my son George Denison, do relinquish and deliver up any right he may pretend unto by a former deed which I gave him of the one half of Achagrome- consest, according as I formerly obliged him to do in a deed I gave him of the other farm, and gave him upon that consideration.

" And in reference with Nathaniel Beebe, who hath been a retainer and boarder in our family between thirty and forty years: and for his board at our last reckoning, which was March 20th 1680, he was indebted to me forty-six pounds, six shillings and three pence,-I say £46 6s. & 3d. as may appear under his hand to said account in my book,-since which time he hath boarded in the family near upon fourteen years, which at four shillings and six-pence the week, amounts to one hundred and sixty- three pounds, sixteen shillings, out of which I do give unto Nathaniel Beebe, fifty pounds in way of gratification and satisfaction for his love to me and my children, and offices of love shown unto myself, and any of them, in mine or their sickness or weakness, which fifty pounds must be deducted from the one hundred and sixty-three pounds, sixteen shil- lings, and the remainder will be one hundred thirteen pounds, which one hundred and thirteen pounds, sixteen shillings, together with the forty six pounds six shillings and three pence due upon book, under his hand, at our last reckoning as aforesaid, being added unto one hundred and thirteen pounds, sixteen shillings, the whole will be £160 2s. 3d. the which I give unto my son William Denison, and his heirs forever, for him or them or any of them, or if they see cause to demand, receive and improve as their own proper estate. Also, I give unto my son William Denison, all and singular, whatsoever that belongeth unto me, not already disposed of, and to be to him and his heirs forever, whom also I do hereby constitute, appoint, and make my sole executor, to pay all just debts, if any shall appear of which I know not any, and to receive all dues, which either are or shall be due to mne, and to pay all legacies according to this my will, within twelve months after my wile's decease, and to take care for my decent burial. But in case my son William Denison shall decease before he hath performed this my will, or before his children are of age, then my will is that the whole estate be under the improvement of his wife, our daughter-in-law Sarah Denison, during the time of her widow- hood, for her comfortable supply, and the well educating and bringing up their children in religion and good learning : all which she shall de by the advice of the Reverend and my loving friend Mr James Noyes, my sou John Denison and my son-in-law, Gershom Palmer, them or any two of them, if three cannot be obtained ; but without advice she may not act, which three my dear friends, I do earnestly desire and hereby ap- point as overseers for the children, and to take effectual care that this

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History of New London county, Connecticut : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 160

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1317

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1317