USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > The first century of the history of Springfield; the official records from 1636 to 1736, with an historical review and biographical mention of the founders, Volume II > Part 40
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.
ry Smith's descendants living in this country at the present time they are the descendants of his daughter Hannah, who married John Allen, as the daughter who married Lord had only one child, a son, who according to Savage, died early. The following are the names and dates of birth of John Al- len's children :-
Ann, b. August 18, 1654, m. Joseph Whiting of Hartford. Mary, b. April 3, 1657, m. Colonel William Whiting.
Margaret, b. July 29, 1660, m. William Southmayd of Mid- dletown.
Rebecca, b. March 2, 1665, d. young.
Martha, b. July 27, 1667, m. Aaron Cook 3d.
Elizabeth, b. December 1, 1669, m. Alexander Allen of Windsor and second, John Gardner.
BENONI ATCHINSON.
Benoni Atchinson, son of John and Deliverance, married Sarah Bagg, daughter of John and Hannah, October 18, 1701. He died February 28, 1704, and his widow married Samuel Barnard, March 30, 1711. Their children were :-
Sarah, b. May 2, 1702, m. Josiah Farnum.
John, b. September 17, 1703, d. November 13, 1703.
JOHN ATCHINSON.
John Atchinson, son of John and Deliverance, married Dorcas Burt, daughter of Nathaniel and Rebecca, February 25, 1703. He died at Wilbraham or Brimfield and his widow ·died October 21, 1770, aged 90. Their children were :-
John, b. October 12, 1704.
Benoni, b. November 16, 1706, m. Jemima Bartlett.
Nathaniel, b. October 15, 1709, m. Sarah Van Horn.
Dorcas, b. August 22, 171I, m. Joseph Pomeroy of Suf- field.
Mercy, b. September 28, 1713, m. Aaron Parsons.
Joshua, b. February 24, 1716, d. September 9, 1745. Experience, b. May 16, 1720.
Deliverance, b. February 6, 1723, m. Mercy Warriner.
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
JOHN BAGG.
John Bagg came to Springfield about twenty years after the settlement was begun. The first mention of his name in the Town Records was in 1657. In what part of England he resided before coming to this country his descendants have not as yet been able to determine. He was unmarried, but December 24, 1657, he married Hannah Burt, daughter of Henry and Eulalia Burt. His grants of land were all on the west side of the Connecticut River, mostly in the meadow be- low or near Riley's Brook. His wife died August 1, 1680, and he died September 5, 1683. Their children were :-
Hannah, b. September 8. 1658, m. Nathaniel Sikes.
Mercy, b. November 23, 1660, m. Ebenezer Jones.
Daniel, b. November 10, 1663, d. December 7, 1663.
John, b. March 26, 1665, m. Mercy Thomas, daughter of Rowland Thomas.
Daniel, b. May 12, 1668, m. Hannah Phelps.
Jonathan, b. November 2, 1670, m. Mary Weller.
Abigail, b. April 22, 1673, m. Benjamin Cooley.
James, b. 1675, d. September 13, 1689.
Sarah, b. April 2, 1678, m. Benoni Atchinson, and second, Samuel Barnard.
Abilene, b. July 25 ,1680, unmarried, and d. November 12, 1750.
FRANCIS BALL.
Francis Ball came here not far from 1643, that year being the first mention of him in the records. He married Abigail Burt, daughter of Henry Burt, October 3, 1644. His home- lot was that on which the Chicopee Bank building now stands. This lot was first granted to John Woodcock, and when he left town the improvements were purchased by Ball, as testified to by his widow, who at that time, February 12, 1690, was the widow of Thomas Stebbins. The title being in dispute between the children of her second marriage and her own the court record states: "Widow Abigail Stebbins, aged about 67 years, testified that hier first husband, Francis
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.
Ball, bought of John Woodcocke alotments in Springfield and paid 5 pounds for his labor and what he had done." Francis Ball was drowned in the Connecticut River October 3, 1648, and his widow married Benjamin Munn, April 12, 1649. Ball's children were :-
Jonathan, b. October, midnight, 6-7, 1645, m. Sarah Mil- ler, daughter of Thomas Miller.
Samuel, b. March 16, 1648, m. Mary Graves, daughter of John Graves of Hadley.
JONATHAN BALL.
Jonathan Ball, the oldest son of Francis Ball, was born here in 1645. Served one year as Selectman and in other minor offices. He married Sarah, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Miller, March 13, 1673. She died August 29, 1683, and he married Widow Susannah Worthington. His second wife died March 9, 1727, and he died May 21, 1741. His children by his first wife were :-
Sarah, b. December 31, 1673. d. 1676.
Margarite, b. October 8, 1675, d. October 16, 1675.
Thomas, b. February 25, 1677, d. March 28, 1677.
Sarah, b. December 1I, 1678, d. December 22. 1678.
Samuel, b. July 31, 1680, m. Margaret Jones, first, and Ruth Soley second.
Jonathan, b. May 6, 1682, d. October 28, 1683.
Jonathan, b. August 24, 1683, d. January 17, 1684.
Children by the Second Wife.
Sarah, b. August 6, 1686, m. Thomas Barber first, and John White, second.
Francis, b. March 9, 1687, m. Sarah Leonard, daughter of John Leonard.
Benjamin, b. April 19, 1689, m. Sarah Ferry.
Jonathan, b. December 25, 1692, m. Elizabeth Old.
Joseph, b. September 27, 1695, m. Mercy MacCranny.
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
SAMUEL BALL.
Samuel Ball, second son of Francis Ball, married January 15, 1671, Mary Graves of Hadley, daughter of John Graves. He was chosen Constable and served four years as Select- man. He died September 13, 1689, and his widow married March II, 1690, Benjamin Stebbins. His children were :-
Mary, b. June 12, 1673, m. John Hitchcock.
Francis, b. April 4, 1675, m. Martha Blackman.
Elizabeth, b. January 14, 1677, m. Nathaniel Sikes.
Mercy, b. December 15, 1679, d. September 14, 1683. Abigail, b. July 18, 1682, m. Moses Parsons.
THOMAS BANCROFT.
Thomas Bancroft married Margaret Wright, daughter of Deacon Samuel Wright, December 8, 1653. His wife died - and he married at Westfield, Hannah -. His children by his first wife were :-
Lidia, b. April 6, 1655.
Margaret, b. October 16, 1656.
Anna, b. September 1, 1658, d. August. 30, 1659.
Thomas, b. January 21, 1659.
Anna, b. May 5, 1663, m. Thomas Gilbert, and second, James Sexton.
Julia, b. - , d. July 30, 1666.
Samuel, b. January 25, 1667, d. January 30, 1667.
Samuel, b. -.
Children by the Second Wife.
Ruth, b. August 29, 1670, m. - Stiles.
Rebecca, b. February 23, 1680, m. Samuel Gillett.
Bancroft in his will, made in 1684, mentions Nathaniel who is not included in the above, who married Ruth Hale.
JOHN BARBER.
John Barber, of Windsor, was in Springfield in 1663. He was a son of Thomas Barber and was baptized at Windsor, July 24, 1642. He served three years as one of the Select- men of Springfield and in other offices of less importance.
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.
He married Bathsheba Coggin, December 2, 1663, and they had two children before coming here. The others were born here. His wife died in 1688 and he married May 1, 1689, Hannah Bancroft, widow of Thomas. She died December 12, 17II. He died January 27, 1712, aged 70 years. His children were :-
Joanna, b. April 8, 1667, m. Thomas Smith, March 18, I685.
John, b. July 14, 1669, d. October 21, 1690.
Return, a son, b. May 29, 1672, d. December 17, 1673.
Thomas, b. February 4, 1674. m. Sarah Ball, daughter of Jonathan Ball, February 17, 1704. He d. January 16. 1714, and his widow m. John White.
Mary, b. February 14, 1677, m. Isaac Frost.
SIMON BEAMON.
Simon Beamon, sometimes written in the records Beaman. married Alice Young, December 15, 1654. He died in 1675 and his widow October 8, 1708. Their children were :-
Simon, b. - , went to Deerfield, 1695.
John, b. April 12, 1657, m. Abigail Eggleston.
Daniel, b. March 15, 1659, d. 1741.
Thomas, b. December 29, 1660.
Josiah, b. February 4, 1662, m. Lydia Warner.
Benjamin, b. August 20, 1671, m. Hannah Huggins.
Samuel, b. - , went to Windsor.
Daughter, b. June II, 1673.
Mehitable, b. - , d. August 16, 1670.
Abigail, b. - , m. Obadiah Baldwin.
Alice, b. - , m. Nathaniel Baldwin, of Milford, Conn.
Ruth, b. - , m. Samuel Miller.
Mary, b. - , m. Ensign John Miller.
REICE BEDORTHA.
Reice Bedortha was here in 1646, that year being the first mention of him in the records. His given name has been
528
THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
written by the early clerks in many different ways, often as Rice, Rece, and Reice. The latter is probably nearest cor- rect. John Pynchon wrote his name in his accounts with him either Reice or Rece. He like the other settlers had a store account with John Pynchon and the items include the usual household necessities, mostly articles that went into wearing apparel for his family. In 1653 he was owing Pyn- chon £7 16s gd, and under date of February 24, 1653, ap- pears the following in Pynchon's book: "An agreement be- twixt John Pynchon & Reice Bedortha; upon condition ye sd Reice doth bring in to John Pynchon 20 bushels of good wheate towards ye debt above sd within a month, & p'vided he ye sd Reice doth deliver to John Pynchon a certain Calfe (it is now about a fortnight old) on thirsday or friday next, well & in good liking: upon condition also that ye said Reice doth deliver to ye aforesª John Pynchon 2 Bullocks (one being by Reice bought of Mr. Holyoke & ye other of John Allyn) well & Sound, & in good liking ye 20th day of May next, then under ye condition aforesaid ye sd John Pynchon doth p'mise to pay for Reice Bedortha to John Allyn ye sum of £7 13s. & also to satisfie Mr. Holyoke £7 for ve Bullock wch Reice bought of him; also it is p'vided & agreed that ye aforesaid John Pynchon having paid ye said sums to Mr. Allyn & Mr. Holyoke that ye sd Reice is hereby bound to deliver ye two Bullocks aforesaid sound & in good liking to John Pynchon ye 20th of May next." To this agreement Bedortha signed his mark. Subsequent entries do not show whether the bul- locks were delivered according to agreement or not, but on the margin of this account Pynchon wrote, "Received ye Calfe."
In subsequent accounts Reice is credited with: "By your Cannoe, 8 voyadges downe ye falls at 3s pr voyadge," and similar amounts for that work at a later date; for "fetching hay from Agawam" in his canoe, he received 5s and for "ye use of your oxen bringing up goods Is." "Bringing up goods," meant for carting them from the warehouse at the
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.
Falls in Enfield to Springfield. His canoe appears to have been extensively employed in the service of Pynchon.
Reice married Blanch Lewis in 1646 and their children were :-
Son, b. May 14, 1646.
John, b. May 13, 1647, d. May 30, 1648.
Joseph, b. March 15, 1649, m. first, Mary Dumbleton, sec- ond, Lydia Dumbleton, third. Hannah Marshfield.
Samuel, b. December 1, 1651, m. first, Mercy Dumbleton, second, Widow Mary Leonard.
John, b. June 12, 1654.
Reice Bedortha and his son, John, Lydia, the wife of his son Joseph, and Mercy, the daughter of his son, Samuel, were drowned while crossing the Connecticut, March 18, 1683. The daughter of Samuel was only a week old and it is prob- able that they were going from their homes in Agawam to have the child christened, or were returning, for it would seem that a child so young would not have been taken out for any other purpose.
SAMUEL BEDORTHA.
Samuel Bedortha, son of Reice, married Mercy Dumble- ton, daughter of John Dumbleton, April 28, 1681. She died June 6, 1689, and he married Widow Mary Leonard, July 30, 1691, who was Mary Remington before her marriage. He died September 14, 1728, and Mary, his widow, died Decem- ber 27, 1747. The children by the first wife were :-
Samuel, b. February 27, 1681, d. June 26, 1757.
Mercy, b. March 11, 1683, drowned March 18, 1683; Lydia, b. January 29, 1683, d. February 4, 1684. A daughter, b. May 6, 1685, d. same day. John, b. August 8, 1687, d. October 30, 1704. Mercy, b. June 7, 1689, d. September 1, 1689.
Children by the Second Wife.
Joseph, b. April 25, 1692, m. Widow Mary Cooper. Mary, b. June 3, 1694, m. Oliver Barker.
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
Thomas, b. January 22, 1696, d. at Fort Dummer, Septem- ber II, 1725.
Benjamin, b. February 17, 1698, m. Bathsheba Frost.
Abigail, b. December 30, 1700, m. Jonathan Rising of Suf- field.
Jonathan, b. April 24, 1703, m. Joanna Frost, d. July 30, 1764.
Mercy, b. May II, 1706, m. Israel Phelps of Suffield.
Hannah, b. September 7, 1708, d. 171I.
JOSEPH BEDORTHA.
Joseph Bedortha, son of Reice, married Mary Dumbleton, January 30, 1671. She died February 3, 1676, and he mar- ried second Lydia Dumbleton, widow of John Dumbleton, and daughter of John Leonard, October 2, 1678. She was drowned March 18, 1683, and he married third, Hannah Marshfield, daughter of Samuel Marshfield. She died No- vember 10, 17II. Child by first wife :-
John, b. December 3, 1675, d. November 24, 1684.
Children by the Second Wife.
Mary, b. September 4, 1679, d. May 27, 1684.
Sarah, b. October 18, 1681, m. Samuel Ely.
Children by the Third Wife.
Hannah, b. November 4, 1685, m. Jonathan Smith.
Joseph, b. December 12, 1686, d. May 19, 1708.
Mary, b. September 19, 1691, m. Benjamin Smith, Jr.
Esther, b. December 23, 1693, d. February 13, 1693. Desire, b. June 20, 1696, m. Samuel Smith.
John, b. December 15, 1698, m. Ruth Lee.
Jacob, b. March 16, 1702, d. March 23, 1702.
Martha, b. July 15, 1703, m. Job Smith.
MARGARET BLISS.
The husband of Widow Margaret Bliss, Thomas Bliss. was a son of Thomas Bliss of Belstone Parish, in . Devonshire, England. He was married in England and several of his children were born before he and his wife emigrated to this
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.
country. The date of marriage is not known, nor the fami- ly name of his wife, although the compiler of the Bliss Gen- ealogy states that there is some reason to believe that her maiden name was Margaret Lawrence. It is also stated that they embarked at Plymouth, England, and sailed for New England in the autumn of 1635. After arriving in Boston they went to Braintree, and subsequently to Hartford, Conn., where Thomas died in 1640. Their children were :-
Ann, b. in England, m. April 29, 1642, Robert Chapman and never came here.
Mary, b. in England, m. November 26, 1646, Joseph Par- sons of Springfield.
Thomas, b. in England, went to Norwich, d. April 15, I688.
Nathaniel, b. in England, mn. Catherine Chapin, November 20, 1646.
Lawrence, b. in England, m. Lydia Wright, October 25, 1654, d. in 1676.
Samuel, b. in England. 1624, m. Mary Leonard, Novem- ber 10. 1665, d. March 23, 1720.
Sarah, b. at Boston Mount. 1635-6, m. at Springfield, July 20, 1659, John Scott.
Elizabeth, b. at Boston Mount, about 1637, m. February 15, 1670, Miles Morgan (second wife) and had one child.
Hannah, b. at Hartford, 1639, d. single, January 25, 1660. John, b. at Hartford, 1640, d. September 10, 1702.
Hester, b. - , m. Edward Foster. See Longmeadow Cen- tennial, page 187.
Thomas, son of Thomas and Margaret, went to Saybrook, Conn., after his father's death. Nathaniel, Lawrence, Sam- uel, and John came to Springfield and were among the early settlers. Their mother, Margaret, died here. August 28, 1684. The compiler of the Bliss Genealogy states that Widow Margaret removed from Hartford to Springfield in 1643, and that two of her sons, Nathaniel and Samuel, pre- ceded her and had prepared a dwelling for her. The first mention of any member of the family in the Town Records
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
is under date of 1646, and it is somewhat doubtful about their having come here long before that year. It is evident that she was a woman of more than ordinary force of character. Her homelot was on what is now generally termed South Main Street, between the present Fremont and Margaret Streets. She died in 1684, outliving two of her sons, Nath- aniel and Lawrence. Samuel and John survived her.
NATHANIEL BLISS.
Nathaniel Bliss married Catherine Chapin, daughter of Deacon Samuel Chiapin, November 20, 1646. His homelot was ten rods wide and was the second below the present Wil- liam Street. He died November 18, 1654, and his widow married Thomas Gilbert, July 31, 1655. Nathaniel's chil- dren were :-
Samuel, Jr., b. November 7, 1647, m. Sarah Stebbins, and (1. June 19, 1749, aged 102 years.
Margaret, b. November 12, 1649, m. Nathaniel Foot. Mary, b. September 23, 1651, m. Nathaniel Holcomb.
Nathaniel, b. March 27, 1653. in. Deborah Colton, daugh- ter of George Colton.
LAWRENCE BLISS.
Lawrence Bliss married Lidia, daughter of Deacon Sam- uel Wright, October 25, 1654. He was chosen Constable in 1660 and Selectman in 1665 and 1669. He died in 1676. His widow married John Norton October 31, 1678, John Lamb, January 27, 1688, and Quartermaster George Colton in 1692. She died February 13, 1699. Lawrence Bliss's children were :-
Lidia, b. October 29, 1655, d. February 27, 1656.
Sarah, b. April 11, 1657, d. April 18, 1657.
Sarah, b. April 4, 1658, d. August 25, 1659. Samuel, b. May 7, 1660, d. May 22, 1660. Samuel, b. August 16, 1662, m. Hannah Stiles.
Hannah, b. May 26, 1665, mn. Capt. Thomas Colton.
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.
Sarah, b. November 27, 1667, m. Samuel Smith of Hadley. William, b. April 28, 1670, m. Margaret Lombard.
Pelatiah, b. August 19, 1674, m. Elizabeth Hitchcock.
SAMUEL BLISS.
Samuel Bliss married Mary Leonard, daughter of John and Sarah Leonard, November 10, 1665. He received sev- eral grants of land from the town,-at Freshwater Brook and on the north side of Agawam River, at Ackanunset, at the latter place 35 acres. He was Selectman in 1685, '92, and '99. He died March 23, 1720, aged 96, outliving all his brothers living here. His widow died January 1, 1724. Their children were :-
Hannah, b. December 20, 1666, m. first, John Haley, and second, Simon Smith.
Thomas, b. February 8, 1668, m. Hannah Cadwell.
Mary, b. August 14, 1670, m. Philip Smith.
Jonathan, b. February 5, 1672, m. Sarah Eggleston.
Martha, b. June 1, 1674, m. Samuel Ely.
Sarah, b. September 10, 1677, m. George Webster.
Experience, b. April 1, 1679, d. April 7, 1679. Mercy, b. July 18, 1680, m. John Ely.
Ebenezer, b. July 29, 1683. m. Mary Gaylord.
Margaret, b. September 11, 1684, m. Samuel Colton.
Esther, b. April 2, 1688, m. Henry Chapin.
JOHN BLISS.
John Bliss, the youngest of Widow Margaret's children, married Patience Burt, daughter of Henry and Eulalia Burt, October 7, 1667. The town granted him several pieces of land before he was married, as did also Northampton where his sister, Mary Parsons, resided. His homelot in that town was next north of his brother-in-law's, Joseph Parsons, and extended from the present Market Street on the west, to Bridge Street on the east, or in front of the cemetery. He resided in that town several years after marriage, but re- turned to Springfield and resided in that part of the town
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
now within the limits of Longmeadow. He died November 4, 1702, and his widow October 2, 1732. Their children were :-
A child, b. September 8, 1668, d. September 20, 1668.
John, b. September 7, 1669, m. Ann Terry, daughter of Samuel Terry and went to Enfield and thence to Lebanon, Conn.
Nathaniel, b. January 20, 1671, m. Mary Wright and went to Enfield and thence to Lebanon.
Thomas, b. October 29, 1673, m. Mary Maccrany.
Joseph, b. 1676, d. unmarried in 1754.
Hannah, b. November 16, 1678, m. Henry Wright.
Henry, b. August 15, 1681, d. November 30, 1684.
Ebenezer, b. 1683, m. Joanna Lamb.
JAMES BRIDGMAN.
James Bridgman was in Hartford in 1640 and in 1643 in Springfield. He remained here till 1654 or 5 when he went to Northampton and was among the early settlers there. His home was the first one below the present Bliss Street, previously granted to Thomas Horton. He had eight chil- dren, his eldest was born before coming to Springfield, and the three youngest in Northampton. Their names are as follows :-
Sarah, b. 1643, m. Timothy Tilestone 2d of Dorchester, in 1659, d. June 26, 1712.
John, b. July 7, 1645, m. Mary Sheldon, daughter of Isaac Sheldon of Windsor, December 11, 1670, d. April 7, 1712.
Thomas, b. September 14, 1648, d. February 27, 1648.
Martha, b. November 20, 1649, m. Samuel Dickinson of Hatfield.
Mary, b. July 5, 1652, m. Samuel Bartlett, son of Robert Bartlett, 1672, d. 1674.
James, b. May 30, 1655, d. June 14, 1655.
Patience, b. January 5, 1657, d. February, 1657.
Hezekiah, b. June, 1658, d. March 30, 1659.
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.
WILLIAM BRANCH.
William Branch married Joanna Farnam at Windsor, Sep- tember 7, 1643. She died October 12, 1675. He married February 12, 1677, Katherine, widow of Arthur Williams and Joshua Carter. She died August 8, 1683, and he died Sep- tember 16, 1683. He had no children by either wife.
REV. DANIEL BREWER.
Rev. Daniel Brewer, the third permanent minister of Springfield, was a son of Daniel Brewer of Roxbury. He was born February 7, 1669, and married August 26, 1699 Katherine, daughter of Rev. Nathaniel and Abigail (Strong) Chauncey, who was born April 12, 1676. He died Novem- ber 5, 1733 in his 66th year. His widow died May 15, 1754, aged 79. Their children were :-
Catherine, b. October 25, 1700, m. William Pynchon.
Daniel, b. October 13, 1702, d. May 5, 1704.
Abigail, b. April 20, 1705, m. Thomas Merrick, and later John Munn.
Eunice, b. May 28, 1707, m. Rev. Robert Breck.
Daniel, b. May 13, 1707, d. October 7, 1733.
Nathaniel, b. July 25, 17II, m. Eunice Strong.
Isaac, b. November 25, 1713, mn. Mary Bliss. Charles, b. - , 1717, m. Anne Bliss.
WILLIAM BROOKS.
William Brooks, who was born in 1610, sailed from Lon- don to Virginia in 1635. He was in Springfield in 1649, that being the first mention of him. He received grants of land in 1655, 1661, 1664, 1669, and in various subsequent years. He married Mary Burt, daughter of Henry and Eulalia Burt, October 18, 1654. He sold his lands here to John Pynchon and in 1686 moved to Deerfield, where he died December 30, 1688, and his widow August 30, 1689. Their children were:
Remembrance, b. - , m. James Brown in 1674 of Deer- field. Resided in Colchester, Conn. In 1713 Remembrance
536
THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
Brown, widow of James Brown, of Colchester, and her son, James, deed land in Deerfield.
William, b. August 18, 1655, killed by Indians at Westfield, October 27, 1675.
John, b. February 10, 1657, killed by Indians at Westfield, October 27, 1675.
Sarah, b. May 4, 1658, m. Jonathan Taylor, and second, John Hanchet.
Mary, b. December 21, 1659, d. -.
Patience, b. June 5, 1661, m. Thomas Taylor.
Ebenezer, b. December 21, 1662, m. Elizabeth Belding, daughter of Daniel, October 8, 1673.
Nathaniel, b. May 9, 1664, m. first, Mary, daughter of Zeb- ediah Williams, and second, Mary, daughter of Samuel Allis.
Abigail, b. January 25, 1665, m. Samuel Stebbins.
Joseph, b. October 17, 1667, m. Lydia, daughter of Isaac Warner.
Mercy, b. August 25, 1669, m. Samuel Carter.
Benjamin, b. July 25, 1671. m. Mary -.
Deliverance, b. February 28, 1672, m. Widow Mary Burt.
Thankful, b. February 28, 1672, d. April 3, 1673.
Jonathan, b. October 13. 1674, was in Suffield 1702 and in Staten Island in 1725.
Mary, b. July 11, 1677, m. Barrett Steel.
Thankful, b. September 13, 1679, m. Josiah Church.
JEHU BURR.
Jehu Burr came from England with Winthrop's company in 1630. He settled in Roxbury with William Pynchon and in 1636 when Pynchon came to Springfield he was one of the eight who began the settlement. He was associated with Pynchon and Smith in purchasing of the Indians the lands embraced in the original town of Springfield. He remained here until 1642, when he removed to Fairfield, Conn., where he died in 1672. In 1638, when it was supposed that Spring- field was within the jurisdiction of Connecticut, he and George Moxon, the first minister, were chosen Representa-
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL.
tives to the General Court at Hartford. He was the ances- tor of Aaron Burr who was Vice-President of the United States from 1801 to 1805. and in the fifth generation of Jehu. The line of descent was-Ist, Jehu, 2d, Jehu; 3d, Daniel: 4th, . Rev. Aaron; 5th, Aaron, the Vice-President, whose mother was Esther, daughter of Rev. Jonathan Edwards. Jehut's children were Jehu. John, Nathaniel, and Daniel. None of them were born in Springfield.
HENRY BURT.
Henry Burt, the ancestor of those who bear this family name, who have resided in Springfield and neighboring towns, as well as many who have gone to other states, came from England prior to 1638. His name appears that year in the records of the General Court, in reference to paying £8 to Roxbury on account of the burning of his house. In 1640 he appears here. Just what time he left Roxbury it is not known, probably on that or the previous year. He brought with him a large family of children, seven in number, three sons and four daughters, and he had four daughters born here. When Springfield had grown beyond the manage- ment of a single individual and a town government was sug- gester, he was chosen on the first Board of Selectmen (1644). and served in that office ten years. The other members of the first Board were Henry Smith, Thomas Cooper, Samuel Chapin, and Richard Sikes. Other duties came to him, such as serving on committees to lay out the bounds of the plan- tation, to grant lands to the settlers, to purchase Mr. Mox- on's lands when he returned to England, to conduct religious services on Sunday in the absence of the minister, was clerk of the training band, and from 1649 to 1662, the time of his decease, was Clerk of the Writs, an officer whose duty it was to issue summonses in civil suits, grant writs of attachment, and to keep the record of births, deaths and marriages. His hand writing appears on upwards of twenty pages of the Town Records. The Clerk of the Writs was chosen by the towns and afterwards confirmed by the County Court.
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