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 4
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LUM, Jon, was here in 1642, and received a houselot in the distribution of that date.
37
THE SETTLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
MAYDE, (MEAD) WILLIAM, received, Dec. 7, 1641, five acres houselot, with woodland. The wife and son of William Mead died here in 1658. I think this William must have been the father of the family of this name in Greenwich, though his de- scendant, the late Major D. M. Mead, author of the History of Greenwich, supposes his ancestor to have emigrated from Eng- land about the year 1642, a year later than our William is en- rolled among the Stamford settlers.
MILLER, JOHN, received from the town in October 1642, five acres, houselot and marsh and upland, as the other men. This name is on Chapin's list of the Wethersfield colony, where he was in 1630. He died soon after coming to Stamford, in 1642, leaving three sons, according to the inventory of his estate, recorded 12, 24, 1665, John, Jonathan, and Joseph. His widow married Obadiah Seeley. Ilis son John was granted land here in 1667, and pro- posed freeman in 1669. In 1697 he and his two brothers are named in the patent of Bedford.
MITCHELL, MATTHEW, came with the settlers from Wethers- field. Ifis name stands next, on the first list of the colony, to the minister's, and heads both the next two lists. He paid abont three times as much as any other of the settlers towards the survey of the land, and received twenty-eight acres in the first distribution of the land. His land in Wethersfield, which seems to have been, in extent, much larger than that of the other proprietors, excepting one, was subsequently divided into four farms, and was taken by the Graves, Gershom Bulkely, John Hollister, and Robert Rose. He came in 1635, so Savage, with Rev. Richard Mather, in the James. He was of Bristol, and brought with him two sons, David and Jonathan. He was suc- cessively at Concord and Springfield, where he signed the com- pact with Pynchon in 1636. In 1659 he was in Wethersfield. Ile is returned to the court in Hartford, in 1640, as for the town of Wethersfield, but he is found "incapable of the place," lying under censure of the Court. In June of this year, at the meet- ing of the General Court in Hartford, it is recorded that " Mr.
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
Michell for undertaking the office of town clark or recorder, notwithstanding his uncapableness of such office by censure of courte, he is fyned to pay to the county twenty nobles." It is also added: "that party of the town of Wethersfield who chose the said Mr. Michell to office, notwithstanding the censure of the courte, are fyned to the county five pounds." Under date of July 2d, we find this record: "Mr. Mytchell hath this day returned into court his acknowledgment to Mr. Chaplin, and for that, with other considerations, for former extraordinary chardges which he had formerly borne for public service at the forte, the court have remitted his former censure." His will, proved June 16, 1646, makes bequests to his son Jonathan, daughters Susanna and Hannah, son David and his wife. See Biographical Sketches.
MOORHOUSE, THOMAS, is on the list of those who shared in the first distribution of land, and received seven acres. In 1649 he was here, as appears from his testimony in court. Savage makes him in Fairfield in 1653. His will and inventory are on the Fairfield Records, Sept, 11, 1658, His wife Isabel, is men- tioned in the will, and children, Hannah, Samuel and Thomas, the last of whom was to be paid his portion in four years ; Mary in five years, and so each child one year later; and if any of them die before 17, their part to be divided, if unmarried.
NEWMAN, WILLIAM, hath assigned to him by the town, in Oct., 1642, two acres marsh and three acres woodland, In 1659 complaints having been made to the court in New Haven re- specting the " sizes of shoes," the court hearing that William Newman had an instrument which he had brought from Eng- gland which " was thought to be right to determine this ques- tion, did order that the said instrument should be procured and sent to New Haven, to be made a "Standard" which shall be the rule between buyer and seller, to which it is required that all sizes be conformed." Mr. Newman was evidently a man of note in the young colony, and once represented the town in the Gen- eral Court. Savage supposes he may have removed to Narra-
39
THE SETTLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
gansett after 1669. In 1676 William Newman, planter of Stam- ford, sells to John Austin, "taylor" of Stamford some land. His will, dated 7. 9. 1673, makes his legatees, his wife Elizabeth, and his children, Thomas, Daniel, John, -, Elizabeth, and Hannah. It also mentions his brother John.
NORTHEND, JOHN, came with the colony from Wethersfield, and is on each of the first three lists of the settlers. Ile re- ceived in the first distribution of the lands eight acres.
OGDEN, JOHN, received, Dec. 7, 1641 ten acres houselot, with woodland, like the first company. In 1642 he agreed with Gov. Kieft, of New York, to build a stone church for twenty-five hundred guilders. In 1644 he was a patentee of Hempstead, . L. I. In 1651 he was living in Southampton, where he was chosen an assistant. He is named in the Royal Charter of 1662. He went into New Jersey with Gov. Carteret, and was a repre- sentative from Elizabethtown in the first assembly of that prov- ince in 1668. In a deposition made by Richard Webb, Nov. 22, 1667, John Ogden is called son of John Budd.
Richard Ogden, brother of the above, went to Fairfield where he became a man of note. His descendants have been numer- ous and respectable.
PIERSON, -, received in the distribution of Nov., 1642, a houselot. The christian name is obliterated, but that of"Henry is given to the Pearson who emigrated with Mr. Denton in 1644. A Jacob Pearson (Pierson) was among our land-holders in 1661.
POP, THOMAS, received Dec. 7, 1641, a houselot, with wood- land the same as the first company. This name should prob- ably be Pope; and he probably went soon after the colony settled here over to Hempstead.
PYNE, JAMES, received Dec. 7, 1641, two acres, houselot, and woodland the same as the first company. He went to Hempstead, L. I., and was accepted as freeman from that town
40
HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
of the Connecticut Colony in 1664. John Pine bought land in Hempstead, L. I., of Robert Dean, of Stamford, in 1684.
RAYNOR, THURSTON, came with the first company from Wethersfield. His name on each of the first three lists stands next to Matthew Mitchell. In the first distribution of lands he received twenty acres. He sold his lot in Wethersfield which contained 330 acres to Richard Treat. Drake's Founders of New England reports him as passenger in the Dlizabeth, of Ipswich, the last of April, 1634, Suffolk county, at the age of forty, with his wife Elizabeth, aged forty-six. His children, as reported on the passenger list, were Thurston, aged thirteen; Joseph, eleven ; Edward, ten ; Elizabeth, nine ; Sarah, seven ; and Lydia, one. Previously to coming to Stamford he had represented the town of Wethersfield in the Connecticut Colony at Hartford. We learn from the colony records that he was fined both in 1637 and '38, for failing to appear in court at the appointed honr. On reaching Stamford he was appointed to the New Haven court with senatorial honors. This distinction places him among the foremost of our pioneers. From Stamford he went to Southampton, L. I., where he was held in honor. His will was made in Southampton in 1667, and in it, his wife is called Martha. She was, probably, a second wife.
RENOULDS, JonN, appears on the list of the settlers of Weth- ersfield, from which place he probably came with the first set- tlers of Stamford. His name is on the second and third lists of the colonists. He received in the first allotment of land, eleven acres. Sarah Reanolds, his wife, probably, died here in 1657.
ROCKWELL, JOHN, received, Dee. 7, 1641, two acres, homelot and woodland, as the first company. He probably went to Rye, where he died in 1676. John Rockwell, probably the same as the above, was here in 1656, as his testimony in court of that date witnesses. In 1669 he sold land to Daniel Wescott, the deed being witnessed by Clement Buxton and Matthew Bellamy. In the same year he sells his house and homelot to Daniel Weed. John " Keeiler," son of Ralph, formerly of Nor-
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THE SETTLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
walk, married, June 18, 1679, Hittabel, daughter of John Rock- well, formerly of Stamford. (See Hall's Norwalk). This John Rockwell is supposed by Savage to have been a son of William of Windsor, who was born in England, and who married Sarah Ensign in 1651. In town meeting, Feb. 14, 1667-8, it was voted that John Rockwell, sen., shall have liberty to mow and have the grass of the meadow upon Noroton Islands, as long as he shall live in Stamford. Rockwell Ridge is a locality often re- ferred to in the records of the town.
SCOFIELD, DANIEL, received, Dec. 7, 1641, two acres, homelot and woodland, as the first company. He died in 1671. His children were Daniel, John, Richard, Joseph, Sarah the wife of John Pettit, and Mary. His widow Mary, became the third wife of Miles Merwin. The son Joseph suffered so much from hardships in King Philip's war as to lose his life in 1676, giving his estate to his brothers and sisters. His will, dated Sept. 4, 1664, gives to his wife one-third the estate, with use of the house for her life time; to his daughter Sarah, five pounds; and to her two children five pounds; and to the other four children, Daniel, John, Jeseph, and Mercy, the rest of the estate, His wife and two of the sons, Daniel and John, were made executors.
SEAMAN, JonN, came with the first company from Wethers- field. His name is on each of the first three lists of the colony, and he received in the first distribution of land three acres.
SEIRING, SIMON, appears on the records, in 1642, as landhold- er, where his name is spelled Cymon. He is reported on the list of those who went, in 1644, with Mr. Denton to Hempstead, L. I., and no further trace of the name is found.
SHERMAN, SAMUEL, came with the first settlers from Weth- erstield. ITis name appears on each of the first three lists of the new colony, and he received, in the first distribution of land, ten acres. He and Richard Gildersleeve had a lot together in Wethersfield, which Capt. John Talcott bought. He was a man of some note, as appears from his appointment as assistant
42
HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
in the New Haven court, in 1662, and his re-appointment the next two years; and also to the General Court of Connecticut, after the union of the town colonies, in 1665. He sells land here in 1664 to John Chapman. In 1672 he is found with the company who founded Woodbury. His children, born in Stam- ford, according to Cothren's list, corrected by Mr. Savage, which ought to be correct, were: Samuel, b. Jan. 19, 1641; Theophilus, Oct. 28, 1643; Mathew, Oct. 21, 1645; Edmund, Dec. 4, 1647 ; John, Feb. 8, 1651; Sarah, Feb. 8, 1654; Nathan- iel, Mar. 21, 1657; Benjamin, Mar. 29, 1662, and Daniel, whom careful Mr. Judd made David, Apr. 15, 1665. Cothren supposes he married Sarah Mitchel in England, which Savage does not credit. In his sale of house and land in 1654, he is said to be "now living in Stratford." In leaving Stamford he probably took every member of his family, as the name does not subse- quently occur on our records. The descendants of this pioneer of Stamford have numbered many very eminent men, among whom are now in active service, Senator Sherman,' of Ohio, and the nervous and irresistible General Wm. Tecumseh Sher- man.
SIMKINS, VINCENT, eame with the first company from Weth- ersfield. In Chapin's "Glastenbury for Two Hundred Years," this name is given as Smiking. It appears on cach of the first three lists of the colony, excepting the surname is omitted in the third list, where Vineent is assigned three aeres, and is the last on the list. This christian name is in some places Vincen. His widow probably married William Oliver. Her name was Mary, as appears from the sale of the Simkins place to John Holmes in 1671. The inventory of his estate was presented to the New Haven Court of Magistrates in May 1656, having been prized by John Holly and John Waterbury in Stamford in November 1653. His wife was daughter of Henry Akerly, of Stamford. He had two sons, Daniel and John. Daniel appears among the settlers of Bedford, N. Y. He was in Stamford in 1669, '70; and sold here in 1682. John sold his land
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THE SETTLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
in Stamford and removed soon after his father's death, which took place in 1653.
SLAWSON, GEORGE, came probably from Sandwich, Mass., with Thomas Armitage, in 1642. He appears in our account of the first church of the town as a leading member, and he was also evidently a man of note in civil life. I suppose him to have been the representative from the town in 1670. He had three children as appears from his will, dated Dec. 16, 1694, Eleazer, John, and a daughter who married John Gould. He died Feb. 17, 1695. His son John married in 1663, Sarah Tuttle, of New Haven, and had a son John born in 1664, and Jonathan in '67. The wife of this John was killed Nov. 17, 1676, by her brother, Benjamin Tuttle, who was executed for it the following June. He then married a second wife, Elizabeth Benedict, and had a daughter Mary and a son Thomas. He died in 1706. He was doubtless the ancestor of the present Slason families in town.
SLAWSON, THOMAS, in November or December, 1642, received a houselot, and three acres "in the field," besides. Savage says he did not stay long in Stamford.
SMITH, HENRY, came with the first company from Wethers- field. His name is on each of the first three lists of the new colony, and in the first distribution of land he received three acres. Whence he came to Wethersfield is not known. He was promoted for freeman in 1670, and died in 1687. He had a son John, mentioned in his will, and a daughter Rebecca, who married, July 2, 1672, Edward Wilkinson, of Milford, and a daughter Hannah, who married a Lawrence.
SMITH, JOHN, sr., received, Dec. 7, 1641, two acres, houselot, and woodland the same as the first company. He and his son John went to Hempstead, Long Island. Smith, John, jr., re- ceived, Dec. 7, 1641, two acres, houselot, and woodland as the first company. In 1675, John, jr., in a deposition, gives his age
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
at 60 years, and says that while in Stamford he was called Rock John Smith, for distinction.
STEVENS, JOHN, received, Dec. 7, 1641, two acres, houselot and woodland as the first company. The descendants of this pioneer have been quite numerous.
SWAIN, SAMUEL, in Sept. 1862, is engaged to build at the common charge of the townsmen, a mill, as appears from a record of that date, and his name ocenrs later in the records. This is probably the same "Leeiftenant Swain," who in 1654, was ordered to suspend further work on the mill he was then engaged in building in Norwalk. If he had a family here we have no record to show.
SWEAD, JAMES, received a houselot in the distribution of Nov. 1642. Of this family name our records give us Henry, as holding land here in 1650, bounding that of Richard Hardy. The name is there spelled Swede.
TOWNE, JonN, received in the distribution of Nov. 1642, a houselot.
UNDERHILL, CAPI. JOHN, had assigned to him in Oct. 1642, houselot, eight acres, and woodland as the others. He was made a freeman in Boston in 1631. This most famous of our Stamford settlers will have a more extended notice among the Biographical Sketches, in its proper place.
WARD, ANDREW .- This name appears in the first record of the "Corte holden at Newtown, 26th April, 1636." He was one of the five worthies, who thus had in their hands the destinies of the new settlement at Newtown, (Hartford), and so, those of the state. The record states that he had been dismissed from the church of Watertown in Mass., on the 28th of May last, and he with his associates are authorized to renew the covenant. He continued a member of the court until Sept. 1639. At the session held Oct. 1639, he is nominated by the court to be pre- sented for the vote of the county for magistrate in April next.
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THE SETTLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
In 1637 he is reported in the records of the General Court, as collector of Wethersfield and he doubtless came to Stamford with the Wethersfield settlers. His name is on each of the first three lists of the pioneers, and during his life here he was a prominent man. He was chosen magistrate for the colony in 1646 to represent it in the higher branch of the New Haven conrt. His, will, still found on record in Fairfield, bears date, June 8, 1659, and makes bequests to his wife Esther, son John, daughter Sarah, daughter Abigail, and his two youngest sons Andrew and Samuel. It is stated also that his other children had received their portions. From this pioneer of the town have descended eminent names. Henry Ward Beecher gets his middle name from him, and his daughter Mary was grand- mother of President Aaron Burr.
WEED, JONAS, came to Watertown in 1631 where he was made freeman, and thence to Stamford in 1642. He died here in 1676. His will, on record at Fairfield, dated Nov. 26, 1672 makes his legatees, his wife Mary ; and his children, John, Daniel, and Jonas ; Mary, wife of Geo. Abbot ; Dorcus, wife of Jas. Wright ; Samuel ; John Rockwell for Elizabeth; Sarah; and IIannah, wife of Benjamin Hoyt. His administrators were his wife Mary, and his sons Daniel and John. The widow died in 1690. His son John Married Joana, daughther of Richard " Westcoat." The son Jonas married Nov. 6, 1670, Bethia, daughter of John Holly, and to him the father gave in 1671 the house where he was then living. The descendants of this Jonas Weed have been very numerous here, and they have, also, always been among our prominent citizens.
WEEKS, THOMAS, went from Wethersfield to Hadley and re- turned to Wethersfield, from which place he probably came with the first company of settlers to Stamford. His name is on the second and third lists of the colonists, and he received in the first distribution of land six acres. In 1666 he probably was in Huntington, L.I., as the grant made in that year includes his name. Savage makes him of Oyster Bay before 1654. where he
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
died in 1671, leaving children, Thomas, John, Rebecca, Martha, Elizabeth, Mary, and Sarah. This name is variously spelled Weeks, Weekes, Wickes, Wieks, Wyx, and Wix.
WHITMORE, JOHN, came with the first company of settlers from Wethersfield. His name is on the second and third lists of the colonists, and he received, in the first distribution of lands, ten acres. His lot in Wethersfield, of 54 acres, was sold to Richard Treat. He was murdered by the Indians, here, in 1648. The inventory of his estate, £217 4s. 2d., was presented at the Court of Magistrates in New Haven, May 26, 1656, and had been made Dec. 8, 1648, and prized by Robert Hustis. and Jeffry Ferris. He was held in honor, while living here, having repre- sented the town in the New Haven Court. His children, Savage thinks, were all born in England-Thomas, born about 1615; Francis, born about 1625; John, born about 1667; Ann, born about 1621; and Mary, about 1623.
WOOD, JONAS, sen., came with the first company of settlers from Wethersfield. His name is on each of the first three lists of the colonists, and he received in the first distribution of land, eight acres. He was among the settlers of Springfield, in 1636, from which place he went to Wethersfield. In 1648 he brings an action against Thomas Newton, of Fairfield, when he is reported as from Long Island. In 1654 he was in South- ampton, L. I,, as appears from an action against him in the Court of Magistrates at New Haven. In that action he is called Hallifax Jonas, by Richard Mills, of Stamford, in his testimony. In 1658, Jonas Wood, (O), and .Jonas Wood, (H), both of Huntington, L. I., agents for the inhabitants of the same, desire to join with this colony, (New Haven). In May 1662, on the petition of Huntington, L. I., he is appointed by the general court in Hartford, the first townsman and custom-master. He beeame, on Long Island a man of some prominence. His name heads the list of those to whom the town of Huntington was granted in 1666.
WOOD, JONAS, jr., came with the first company of settlers
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THE SETTLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
from Wethersfield. His name is on the second and third lists of the colonists. Ile received, in the first distribution of land, seven acres.
WOOD, EDMUND, came with the first company of settlers from Wethersfield. His name is on each of the first three lists of the colonists. He received in the first distribution of land, seven acres. He went to Hempstead L. I., in 1644, having come from Springfield to Wethersfield, and thenee to Stamford.
WOOD, JEREMIAH, came with the first company of settlers from Wethersfield. His name is on cach of the first three lists of the new colony. He received in the first allotment of land, six acres. He went to Hempstead, L. I., and was accepted a freeman from that town in the Connecticut colony in 1664.
YATES, FRANCIS, is on Chapin's list of the residents of Weth- ersfield, between 1634 and '73. He went to Stamford, where he staid until 1644, when he removed with Mr. Denton to Hemp- stead, L. I. He made his will in Westchester, N. Y., 1682, and it names five children : Mary, John, Dinah, Jonathan, and Dorothy.
CHAPTER IV.
THE SETTLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES .- 1642-66.
This chapter reports the earliest appearance of those settlers who came to the town, or who came into active life, between 1643 and 1660. Possibly some of these names should have ap- peared in the earliest list, yet the present condition of our re- cords did not furnish the needed proof. It will be noticed that some of the family names on this list are the same as those on the earlier list, and belong, it may be in most instances to the same family. To make the record reliable, I have therefore deemed it best to avoid presuming on relationship, which the records, as preserved, did not clearly state.
AMBLER, RICHARD, was here very soon after the settlement, at which time he was in Boston, whither he had gone from Watertown. Ilow carly he was here the records do not show. In 1666, he is said, on the court record, to be about 55 years of age. His wife Elizabeth, is on the records, as dying in 1685. By his wife, Sarah, before coming to Stamford he had born, Sarah, Dec. 1, 1639 ; Abraham, Sept. 27, 1641, who died soon ; and Abraham, Sept. 22, 1642, who came with his father to Stamford. IJe probably removed with this son to Bedford, as both names are among the purchasers of that town from the Indians in 1685. Possibly he may, on coming to Stamford, have located himself within the limits of that town as the most of it was included in Stamford. He lived until 1699.
AMBREY, ROBERT, had a son Robert born here in 1652, and his death is recorded in 1656, his children, as appears from the
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THE SETTLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
will of George Belding, of Westchester, were John, Samuel, Joseph, Moses and Mary. To each of these children of good- wife Ambrey, Mr. Belden made bequests, bearing date June 10, 1657.
ANDREWS, or ANDREAS AARON, bought land here in 1657, with Garret Rivis. Ile is called a Dutchman. Is he the anees- tor of the Andreas family ? The name Andrews and Andrus occurs often, and also interchangeably. Jeremiah Andrews is said to be of Bedford, after 1687.
AUSTIN, JOHN, was one of the eleven Greenwich men who, in 1656, acknowledge allegiance to the New Haven jurisdiction, to constitute part of the Stamford colony. The name is usually spelled Astin and Asten, on the records. A son of his, Samuel, died here in 1657, the year, also, of his own death. His inven- tory, taken by Richard Law and Angell Husted, Sept 5, 1657, was presented in court in Stamford, by his widow " Katherine Astine," May 13, 1658. It amounted to £78 8s. 04d. Several of this name are reported on the land records during the first century of the town.
BAYLY, ELIAS, was Mr. Denton's attorney for the settlement of his accounts here, in 1650. In 1651 he buys land of John Coe, with a house, and sells it to John Wood in 1657, when he was living in Newtown, L. I.
BASSET, ROBERT, was here early. In 1651 he is witness to a deed given by Robert Rugg to Richard Webb. He was a landholder, as appears from the land records. The will of his wife, dated May 17, 1656, makes bequests to her son Robert, the house and homelot at New Haven ; to the eldest four of her children, John Emery, John Webb, Sarah and Elizabeth Basset, her personal estate; the bedding and linen and clothes, to be equally divided between goodwife Emery and goodwife Webb. The care of her daughter Elizabeth she entrusted to Robert Basset.
BISHOP, JOHN, Rev., came, as is elsewhere shown, in 1644. 7
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HISTORY OF STAMFORD.
In 1650, Robert Lockwood of Fairfield, deeded to him the house and lot which he had purchased of Elias Bayley, Rev. Mr. Den- ton's attorney. His will, made Nov. 16, 1694, names his wife Rebecca, and children, Steven, Joseph, Ebenezer, Benjamin and Whiting. He married, for his second wife, Joanna, widow of Rev. Peter Prudden of Milford, and daughter of Capt. Thomas Willett. What we know of him will be found in our record of the first Ecclesiastical society of the town. His descendants have been among the most respectable citizens of the town down to the present time.
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