USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Stamford > History of Stamford, Connecticut : from its settlement in 1641, to the present time, including Darien, which was one of its parishes until 1820 > Part 16
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NICHOLS, Robert and Elizabeth had recorded to them, Ruth, Mary, Robert, Sarah, Abraham, Noah, David and Reuel. Thomas Nichols was here on official list of the town in 1763, and Robert in '74. The family name is still well represented here.
NORTON, IIugh and Mercy -- had a son James born in May, 1729, and a son William who died, Ang. 16, '31. The death of the father is recorded, May 12, '38, and that of the mother, May 11, '34-5.
OSBORN, Abner and Marey Pettit, married here, May 13, 1752, and had Samuel, Ebenezer, Benjamin, Mary and David.
PALMER, Samuel and Hannah Cross, married Mar. 31, 1715, and had daughter Hannah. This family name is still honored not only on our citizens' list, but in one of our finest hills.
PARDEE, John, married Sarah Webb, and Joshına married Eli- zabeth Webb, and both of them had families here soon after the middle of the last century.
PARKETON, James and Mary, had children here; Mary, James, Denne and John. In 1752, he is allowed £20, "old tenor money" for keeping his mother-in-law Abigail Whitehing, (Whiting.)
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IIISTORY OF STAMFORD.
PELTON, Robert, 1744. PERRY, John, '09.
PARDY, Joseph, admitted inhabitant, 1718.
PHILIPS, George 1688, is admitted an inhabitant " if he comes here to settle with his family."
PLATT, Stephen, admitted inhabitant, from Huntington, in 1757.
POND, Nathaniel, 1696, " blacksmith, late of Branford," buys land east of Noroton river of Jonathan Selleck, and in 1698, he also buys and sells land on Stony Brook. He was by vote ad- mitted an inhabitant, Jan. 31, 1708-9. He had a large family.
POTTS, Thomas and Hannah Garnsy, were married, Jan. 1, 1735-6, and had children here.
POWERS, Andrew, buys land in 1775, of Peter Weed in Canaan parish.
PURDY, Joseph and Elizabeth Ferris, m. Dee. 25, 1723, had Mary, Joseph, and Elizabeth.
PROVORCE, (Provost,) Samuel and Sarah Bishop, m. Jan. 5, 1765, and had nine children. A brother of this Samuel came to Stamford about the same time and had also a family.
QUINTARD, Isaac. This pioneer of the Stamford family of this name, as his grave stone in the north east corner of the Episcopal burying ground testifies, was " born in Bristol, in Old England," and died " February ye last day 1738, aged 42 yrs." How early the family came to Stamford no record shows. Our records have the marriage of . Isaac Quintard and Hannah Knapp in 1716, from which, it is probable that the pioneer, then a young man of twenty years, had found his way out of New York and been ensnared by one of our Knapp maidens. Five children are recorded here, the first born April 1721 ; the second born May, 1722 ; Hannah, b. June 28, '24; Isaac, b. Dec. 29, '27; and Peter, born in '30. The first appearance of the name on our records which I have found, is in a record of sale of land from Robert Embree to "Isaae Quintard of New York City, merchant," dated Oct. 1, 1708. The land was
LOSSING-BARRITT
RESIDENCE OF E. A. QUINTARD, STAMFORD.
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NEW FAMILY NAMES.
bounded by the home lot of Bates, north; by the home lots of Sam. Hait and Sam. Scofield, deceased, east ; by the common, west and south.
Peter, son of Isaac, married in 1761, Elizabeth De Mill, and had five children, of whom Isaac the second child, married Han- nah Palmer, March 20, 1786, and had six children, of whom, Isaac, the third son now occupies the house which his father was occupying at the opening of this century.
REED, John, the progenitor of this family in Stamford, ac- cording to the family history, was born in Cornwall, Eng- land, and in his sixteenth year entered Cromwell's army, and on the restoration of Charles II. came to America. He is sup- posed to have stopped first in Providence, R. I .- thence he went to Rye, N. Y .- thence to Norwalk, where we find a John Reed in 1666 or '67 John Reed, jr. of Norwalk, son of the Jolin above, in '91, buys land of Stephen Clason, of Stam- ford. In 1709, he buys of Cornelius Jones, and '13, of Jona- than Bates. The land was lying on the Five-mile river, near his father's homestead. This family has been quite numerous.
RICH, Henry, purchases of Caleb Webb land 1681, and of Samuel Webb his home lot on the west side of Mill river, in the " Ox pasture so called." In '80, on publish- ing his intention of marriage with Martha Penoyer, a minor, her guardian objected. They, however, drew up articles of agreement between themselves and the parties to be married, on signing which " with witnesses, legally, then ye overseers do so for consent yt ye partys may proceed in marriage; ye 20th of December, 1680." Both "Hennery" and Martha, sign the bond with their marks. In '85, this Henry Rich mortgages his land and house lot on Horseneck, to secure Thomas Penoyer of Stamford, having sold his real estate in Stamford in '84.
ROBERTS Zachariah, by special vote is admitted an inhabi- tant, Jan. 31, 1708-9. He was said to be of Bedford, when he first purchased land here in '01.
RICHARDS, Samuel and Esther Hadyn, married, Nov. 24,
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
1768, and had Sarah, b. '70; Esther. '71 ; Lewis, '73 ; Noyse, 1777.
SKELDING, Thomas, 1701. married Rebecca Austin and their son, Thomas, was b. in '03
ST. Jons, David, blacksmith, 1758, is allowed by vote of the town to settle at Woodpecker Ridge.
James, and Hanna Hait, m. Sept. 19, 1753, and had a large family.
SELLECK .- This family, natives of Wales, as the tradition is, were in Boston as early as 1643. Two of the sons of David and Susanna Selleck of Boston,-Jonathan, born, May 20, '41, the very year of our settlement, and John, b. April 21, '43; came to Stamford about the year '60. Jonathan had house and land recorded to him in '63.
Jonathan, married Abigail, daughter of Richard Law, and had his first child, Jonathan, born here, July, 11, 1664. He had two other sons, David, b. Jan. 21, '66, and John, who graduated at Harvard, in '90. These sons all died, so Savage tells, us before the father's death, which is recorded as taking place, Jan. 10. 1712-13. This Jonathan was a prominent mau, and at his death he bequeathed his Latin, Greek and Hebrew books to the Rev. Mr. Davenport.
JOHN, the other pioneer of this name, made freeman, 1669 ; married Sarah Law, a sister of his brother Jonathan's wife and had children, Sarah, b. August 22, 1669 ; David, b. Dec. 27, 1672; Nathaniel, b. April 7, '78 ; John, b. June 7, '81 ; Susanna, b. ' Feb. 2, '83, and Joanna, b. May 31, '86. This John was a weal- thy ship-owner and captain. Under date, Feb. 25, '68-9, the town granted Mr. John Selleck a piece of waste land by the landing place to set a dwelling-house, or ware-house. He was taken prisoner on a voyage to England, in May, '89, by the French, and never returned to Stamford. His estate was settled here in 1700, and was very large. A branch of this family went just after our revolutionary war to Oyster Bay, on Long Island,
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NEW FAMILY NAMES.
where, down to the present day there are found worthy repre- sentatives of the name. Abigail, wife of Maj. Selleck, d. Dec. 20,'11.
STONE, John, in 1701, sells to Zach. Roberts, sen. of Bedford, the land and house he bought of Samuel Dean. He was one of the townsmen for a number of years.
STUART, Charles, was here in 1763.
STUDWELL, Joseph, was here in 1667. Thomas was here in March, '67-8, and binds himself to pay for, or return a cata- logue of goods, among which were hatters tools. As security, he mortgaged three acres of meadow in the East field.
STURGES, Christopher, admitted inhabitant by vote in town meeting, 1718, and had a son, Jabez, b. herc, '21. For several years after '23, he is enrolled among the town officials. Ilis wife, Mary, d. Feb. 17, '46-7.
STURDIVANT, Wm. In 1682, Nicholas Webster, receives from the townsmen a piece of land in the rear of his lot, which had been layed out to this Wm. Sturdivant.
TALMADGE, Thomas, was here in 1709, and by vote admitted an inhabitant. He married Mary Weed, and had a daughter Hannah. Ile had married again in '21, when his son James was born.
THOMPSON, John, " gunsmith and resident in Stamford," sells house and lands to Jonathan Selleck, May 7, 1667. He was here, also, in '69 and in '70-sold land to Richard Webb.
TRYHERN, (Tryon) Edward, appears on the land record as early as 1684. One of his daughters married John Webster. Sarah, his wife, dicd here, Sept. 2, 1702, and his death oc- curred May 14, '74 ; down to which date his name is found quite frequently in the records.
THone, Charles, was living here in 1738, when his son Ed- ward was born.
TODD, John, jr. was an inhabitant in 1774.
TURNEY, Joseph, had lands laid out to him in 1686 ;on the
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
other, (east) side of Noroton river. He was a man of some means. The family has never been numerous here.
WALSH, James and Rebecca, had children ; Hannah, b. at Croswise, Jan. 17, 1736 ; Catherine, at Stamford, Aug. 12, '38 ; Mary. Feb. 8, 1701-2 ; James, Aug. 28, '44; Jane, Oet. 17, '46 ; Lydia, Daniel and Abraham, Feb. 7, '49-50. The name is spelled both Walsh and Welsh.
WARING, Michael, came from Queen's Village, L. I. in 1717 in company with James White and Thomas Brush, They pur- chased on Longridge. The family for two or three genera- tions must have been quite numerous. In the first deed the names is Waron.
WATERS, John, married here in 1753, Oliver Delavan, and had a large family in the north part of the town.
WARDWELL, (Wardell) William, is the first of this family on our records. He was a son of Usual and Grace Wardwell of Ipswich, Mass. and was born in Bristol, R. I. May 13, 1693. The name appears here, Dec. 7, 1726, with that of Margaret his wife. Their daughter, Hannah is in the record of births. In '35, in Society's meeting, four pounds and nineteen shillings were granted to him for work, which by committee's order, had been done to Mr. Wright's house. In '43 he is recorded as sealer of measures.
WESCOTT,-Spelled first Westgatt and variously afterward. Daniel was here pretty soon after 1660, and was propounded for freeman of the Coun. Colony, at the Hartford Court, in Oct. '69. He and his brother John had come probably from Fairfield, to which place they had come from Wethersfield. Both of them are reported frequently on the land records.
WESCOTT, John and Rose Holmes of Bedford, married April 9,1702.
WHEELER, Justus and Elizabeth had a son Justus, born in 1731.
WHITNEY, Eliaseph is reported on the records in 1748.
-
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NEW FAMILY NAMES.
WHITING, Joseph, is in business here, 1724, and same year had recorded the birth and death of a daughter, Sarah. His wife Abigail died in '33, and he married Hannah Beachgood, Jan. 25, '33-4.
WHITE, James came from Huntington, L. I. in 1717. In com- pany with Michael Waring and Thomas Brush, he purchases of John Holly a tract of 246 acres, bounded by the New York State line on the north, by hills east of Great Meadow on the east, by Stony Brook on the north, and Miannus river on the west. He married Elizabeth Waring, Feb. 30, 1720, and had children, Timothy, Sarah, Jacob, Richard, Uriah and James. The family are still in possession of a part of the first purchase made by James, the pioneer, on Long Ridge.
WIATT, Nathaniel and Mary, had son Henry, born in 1726. He was among the town officials in 1737.
WHEATON, Benjamin and his wife Ruth had son Samuel, born here in 1750-1. How long the family had been here does not appear. The marriage of Jemima Wheaton to Reuben Holly is recorded in 1748-9. Samuel Wheaton and Mary Skelding were married in 1776, and had here, Mary, Samuel S., John S. and Eliza Ann. The Wheatons of New England, are said to be descended from an immigrant from Swansea, Wales, who settled in Rehoboth, Mass.
WILLSON, John, Dr. 1765, began the practice of medicine here, and was the father of a family of physicians. That his father's family were living here previous to his birth, our records do not show ; though his descendants suppose that they were.
WILMOT, Zophar and Sarah Webb, married Dec. 29, 1760, and had children ; John, b. July 9, 1762 ; Enos, April 18, 1766 : and James, Nov. 17, 1769.
WILMOT, Joseph and Hannah, had a son Isaac, b. Nov. 20, 1775.
WILLIAMSON, John, married Mercy Hoyt, Sept. 17, 1746, and had children, Joanna, b. May 5, 1748; and Mary, Sept. 8, 1750.
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
WOOLSEY, Gilbert, buys land here of Thomas Morehouse, in 1672. The name reappears again in Ebenezer and Margaret his wife who had children here; Anna. in 1717; Thomas, in 21 ; and Mehetable, in '23. In '25,, he is said to be of Fairfield, when he buys land on Ox Ridge, of David Waterbury. In '28, he is said to be of Stamford, and sells land to Abraham Wooster, of Ripton Parish, Stratford. In '30, he is allowed by the society to pay his church rates elsewhere. Ile died in Jan. '65. There must have been quite a family of this name here down to about 1800.
CHAPTER XII.
THE PERIOD OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS.
The second quarter of the eighteenth century was marked in this country by the varying struggle between the English and French for supremaey, on the border ground of the colonial settlements. With a more persuasive policy, the French had made friends of the Indians more readily than the English, and as early as 1737, attempted to use the advantage thus gained by erecting a fort at Crown Point-then elaimed as within En- glish territory. From this time until 1763, there was no settled peace between the two parties, and the conflict which ensued called for large forees from all of the English settlements. How many of the three thousand soldiers, called into the service from Connecticut were from Stamford, we have no records to show. That the people of the town were not indifferent wit- nesses to the struggle is evident from occasional records still preserved. Of these we shall give the fullest account which ean now be made up from reliable authorities.
Two men appear now on the stage here, who were to become, before our revolutionary period should elose, the two most eminent representatives of the town, the one in eivil and the other in military service. Abraham Davenport, now entering upon the prime of his manhood, was one of that band of large minded citizens of the State, who attempted the permanent oe- eupaney of the Susquehanna grant. This movement was origin- ally made in the interest of the English against the Indians-a colony which should be so mature and so thoroughly protect- ed, as to furnish a sort of bulwark against any future invasions
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IIISTORY OF STAMFORD.
from hostile Indian tribes. And upon the success of such a colony would largely depend the future conduct of the Indians, as they should be tempted by Spanish or French appeals to them for aid against the English.
David Waterbury, another son of Stamford, was now brought forward into military life, and we find him before the close of these French hostilities doing acceptable service with his regi- ment, having already attained a major's rank. We must always regret the loss of the personal journals and letters, which these and others who were with them in the conflicts of these years of strife, must have written. From our town records, however, we shall find enough to hint, at least, the temper and mettle of the people, though a full catalogue, even, of those who served in these wars from Stamford it will be impossible now to make.
The following records still found in our book, No. I, of births, marriages and deaths, show how faithful the good clerk, Joseph Bishop was to make honorable mention of the soldiers' sacrifice. His own son is the first victim of the war whose fall he has to record.
"Joseph Bishop, a Sholger, son of Joseph Bishop of Stam- ford, died with sickness at Lake George, Nov. 25, at night in the year 1755."
"Stephen Ambler, a soldier in the expedition at Lake George in 1754, son to Sergeant Stephen Ambler, died on his return at Sharon, Oct. 19, 1756."
" Ezra Hait, of Stamford a sholger, dyed at Albyny Dec. 28, 1755."
" Joseph Ferris, a Shoulger from Stamford in ye expedition towards Crown point in ye year 1756, in his return from the expedition dyed with sickness at Newfilford, on December ye 18, 1756."
Peter Scofield, Reuben Scofield, and Abijah Weed, were also active in the military service of these years : and, also, among the revolutionary soldiers of the war of independence. Ben- jamin Webb, grandfather of Benjamin S. Webb, was at the tak- ing of Quebec by the English under Wolfe in 1759 ; and Char-
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les Webb, who became so prominent an actor in the revolution- ary period began here, also, his military career.
The following record shows that Stamford was not yet utterly wanting in allegiance to the government of her sovereign, and also indicates three of the principal, perhaps the three most pro- minent citizens of the town.
At a town meeting held in 1757, the town voted, that if the " Lord of London" shall send regulars into this town, the town will bear the charge of accommodating them with what shall be necessary for them." A tax of one penny on a pound is voted and Samuel Broker is appointed collector to gather it in by the first day of March next and hand it over to the commit- tee, Col. Jona. Hoyt, Mr. Abraham Davenport and Ensign IFol- ly, if the regulars come, and if not, he is exeused from collecting the rate.
In December 1758, we find the following record. " Col. Hoyt, Mr. Abraham Davenport, and Ensign Holly are appointed a committee, to supply his majesty's regular forces now quartered in this town, with fire wood for their guard room and hospital and what bedding they shall think proper to provide them with, to be paid for out of the town treasury." We find, also, that the Governor and company of the Colony of Connecticut, at their meeting in New Haven, on the second Thursday of Oeto- ber, 1758, ordered the colony treasurer to pay the town of Stam- ford 369€, 13 shillings and fourpence half penny to reimburse the town for cost of keeping " a part of Colonel Fraser's High- land battalion the last winter." The following certificate from the committee is also on record.
These may certify your Honors, that the Highland soldiers ordered to be quartered in the town of Stamford, arrived at said town, Nov. 30, 1757, and were quartered there until March, 30, '58. The number of soldiers, officers included was 250. There were also belonging to them, seventeen women and nine chil- dren. They were at the cost of the town provided with house- room, bedding, firewood, candles, &c., &c. Their officers in-
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
sisted upon their being kept within a small compass, which ex- posed us to much more trouble and cost than otherwise would have been necessary.
Stamford, April 28, 1758.
JONA. HOYT, ABR. DAVENPORT,
JNO. HOLLY,
Committee to to take care of the High- landers.
In addition to the names already reported as prominent eiti- zens of the town at this period, we find those of Jonathan Dib- ble and Charles Webb, in the Legislature. In military com- mission, the town had David Waterbury, a captain in the 9th re- giment, Conn. Militia, and in 1658, major in the 3rd regiment ; Col. David Wooster, who in the revolutionary war became a gen- eral; and Joseph Hoyt, 1st lieutenant, who became one of the most gallant of our revolutionary colonels.
The rolls of military papers preserved in the State Library in Hartford, gives us also the following names of Stamford men in the service during these wars.
In 1754, Charles Knap, ensign, was discharged and Joseph Husted chosen in his place. In Nov. of this year, Joseph Wood was chosen lieutenant of Capt. White's company.
In 1755, co. 5th of 4th regiment, was officered by Samuel Hanford, capt .; Joseph Hoyt, lieut. and Isaiah Starr, 2d lieut. to go against Crown Point.
March 10, 1757, Col. Jonathan Hait, notifies Capt. David Waterbury that his ensign, John Waterbury, had asked for dis- charge from having fallen from his horse and broken his leg. Samuel IIutton was chosen in his place.
Jonathan Maltby was captain of Co. 2 ; and on his resignation, Ebenezer Weed was chosen capt. Ezra Smith, lieut., and Char- les Knap, ensign.
In the east part of the town the company called out in 1747, had for its officers, Jonathan Bates, capt. ; Jonathan Selleck, lieutenant, and Thomas Hanford and Nathan Reed, ensigns.
These wars did not of course expose our township to any hos-
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FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS.
tile invasion from the French forces, and so Stamford, felt no other interest in them than that of a loyal colony of His Ma- jesty's royal government. But the service which the town here rendered, was not without its value, in fitting her sons for the great struggle, whose seeds were everywhere being sown.
The Earl of Loudoun, whose forces we find quartered here, must have left among our observing citizens the feeling that it would not be always safest for the colonies to be at the mercy ofso much haughtiness. His sway must have at times seemed too imperious to be borne ; and the inference would be, that the gov- ernment which would commission and sustain such ministers of their authority, could not be long endured. Already the Bos- tonians had muttered, not indistinctly, their discontent. " If the English cannot protect us from the French and Indians, let us have the management of our affairs and we shall at least know what we can do" -- was the under current of feeling which was beginning to unite the English colonies, for their own defense and control. That our townsmen shared largely in this feeling we shall soon see.
The following are the only other names I have been able to recover of the citizens of the town engaged in these wars :-
Jonathan, Sylvanus and Deliverance Slason, sons of Deliver- ance and Hannah (Hoyt) Slason, of whom Jonathan was in the navy of the war. Neither of the sons ever returned.
Ebenezer and Walter Weed sons of John Weed, were also in the service, of whom Ebenezer died while on shipboard.
Nothing else of material interest to our history occurred dur- ing these years, save what will be detailed in our religious and ecclesiastical record in a future chapter. There was a moderate growth in population and wealth in the town ; and doubtless a smoothing off of the early roughness of the ruder period. New roads were opened, new and better bridges spanned our streams, school-houses multiplied as the population scattered over the ter- ritory, a better culture was increasing the agricultural produc- tions of the soil, and preparation was going on for still more
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
marked improvements in the future history of the town. Of the capabilities of the town in means, and men, and patriotism, the following chapters will furuish us the best proofs.
CHAPTER XIII.
REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
At the commencement of the revolutionary war, Connecticut numbered but sixty-seven towns, and Stamford ranked in popu- lation the sixteenth. Her grand list was £34,078 8 shillings, which evidenced a still higher rank in means than in population. The year 1775 found her represented in the State Assembly by David Waterbury and Charles Webb, both of whom had seen service in the old Freneh war, and were therefore competent to advise in the present emergencies of the state; and by an unu- sual stroke of good fortune, she was also honored in the senate of the state, by the first name among her civilians, the Hon. Abraham Davenport, who also had been active and influential during the long struggles of the French and Indian wars. The long expected crisis had now come. Everything indicated war. Yet though there were many reasons why our townsmen would be likely to shrink from an earnest contest with the mother country, they were not altogether unprepared for it. They had both the men and the means to begin and prosecute the strug- gle.
At the head of our ministers, of which the town then counted only five, was that patriot and scholar, Dr. Noah Welles, who, since his sermon preached Dec. 19, 1765, to arouse the people over the great outrage attempted against them by the Stamp Act, had missed no opportunity of encouraging his townsmen to a manly resistance against all such oppression ; and who, though called to lay down his useful life even at the beginning of the struggle, yet lived long enough to preach his annual
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
thanksgiving sermon, Nov. 16, 1775. In that sermon, a manu- script copy of which is in my possession, he moved his people to a grateful commemoration of the goodness of their father's God as shown them in "frustrating the plans of our enemies," espe- cially in their attempts to secure the aid of the Canadians, and Indians and negroes ; in so signally preserving the lives of our exposed people; in granting the remarkable success attending our military enterprizes at Lexington, Charleston, and more lately to the north, in which though "engaged with the best British troops " he assures them we were "yet never worsted ;" and in inspiring the remarkable union and harmony through the colonies in the present struggle for liberty."
Nor behind him, in his fervent patriotism, was that faithful co-adjutor, Rev. Dr. Moses Mather, then the patriot minister of the Middlesex, (Darien) Church, and so soon to test his patriot- ism, amid the insulting jeers of the ruthless soldiery who were to drag him from his own consecrated sanctuary, and still more triumphantly, amid the cruel hardships and threatened horrors of the execrable Provost prison to which he was doomed.
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