MIDDLETOWN UPPER HOUSES

a history of the north society of Middletown, Ct.
from 1650 to 1800
with genealogical and biographical chapters
on early families.

Charles Collard Adams
New York: Grafton Press, 1908.

THE PROUT FAMILY

[transcribed by Coralynn Brown ]

   

(The compiler of this volume was born in the City of Washington on what was the Prout farm before the District of Columbia was located by Act of Congress. There is nothing to indicate that the ancient Prout family of Maryland was connected with that of William Prout who at so early a day taught school in the Upper Houses.) Thomas Prout of Biddeford, Co. Devon, England, was buried there June 22, 1561. Hugh Prout of Biddeford, m. Joane____ . His will was dated June 6, 1619. Buried June -10, 1619. William Prout, bapt. July 23, 1588 ; m. Susan Lambert. Buried at Biddeford, Feb. 13, 1654. 1. Timothy1 Prout (William, Hugh, Thomas), was b. Mar. 14, 1620, Biddeford ; came to Boston ; made freeman May 29, 1644; ship carpenter and mariner ; purchased house in Boston, Nov. 4, 1654; Capt. and Master of Increase, 1657; mem. of Old South church, Feb. 20, 1644; in a plan of Old South Meeting House, 1730, the Governor had pew next the front door on the left hand and the " Prout " pew was on the right hand ; surveyor of the Port of Boston, 1682 ; Capt. of Fort and Artillery, 1683 ; on commission for settlement of deeds with Indians, Sept. 16, 1685. Selectman, 1684-90; Rep. to General Court, 1685-86-89-92. Married (1) Margaret _____, who d. Oct., 1685; m. (2) Elizabeth who d. Jan. 19, 1694, in her fifty-seventh year. He d. Nov. 3, 1702. Buried in Sings Chapel enclosure. Children: Timothy, b. Mar. 10, 1645 ; lost at sea before 1699 ; m. Deborah Symmes. Susanna, b. Apr. 26, 1647. John, bapt. Feb. 11, 1647-8; d. Sept. 20, 1719, New Haven, Conn. ; m. Mary Hall. His son John was Treas. Yale Coll., 1717-1765. Joseph, bapt. Feb. 9, 1650; d. Jan. 13, 1721. William, bapt. May 23, 1653. Benjamin, bapt. July 16, 1655; d. Apr. 5, 1669. 2. Ebenezer, b. Mar. 14, 1656. 2. Ebenezer Prout (Timothy 1) , b. Mar. 14, 1656, Boston; bapt. Mar. 15, 1657; m. 1678, Elizabeth Wheeler, dau. of Capt. Timothy Wheeler, b._____ ; d. Oct. 11, 1683; m. (2) Grace ______. Clerk of House of Rep., 1689; June 6, signed Order of House for imprisonment of Sir Edmond Andros in Castle ; Rep. from Watertown, 1693; town clerk and selectman, 1694; licensed to practice physics and surgery in New Haven, Conn., 1711; rem. to Middletown, Conn., where he d. 1735. Child by first marriage: Timothy, b._____, Boston; d. Apr. 5, 1768, Scarborough, Me.; m. Lydia, dau. of Maj. Thomas Savage. Children by second marriage: Eunice, b. 1690. Mary, b. 1694. John, b. 1695. John, b. 1696. 3. William, b. Oct. 29, 1698. 3. William3 Prout (Ebenezer, Timothy), b. Oct. 29, 1699, Concord, Mass. ; m. Apr. 2, 1729, Middletown, Conn., Rachel Harris, b. 1707, dau. of John and Susannah Harris, who d. Nov. 27, 1799, Middletown, Conn. He d. Dec. 20, 1789, and is buried in Farm Hill cemetery. In 1717 he taught school in the Upper Houses, and for several years was a merchant. In company with another he built a ship, the Barbadoes Merchant. Through the failure of his partner the project was abandoned and he lost all his property. Tradition says his wife Rachel burned deeds of a large tract of land in or near Boston which he had inherited from his father in order to save it to squatters who would have lost their all had it gone into the hands of creditors. In 1744 when crossing the Connecticut River at midnight on the ice, he fell into the river and swam for forty minutes before he was rescued. He never recovered from the shock and was an invalid the remainder of his life, which was spent on his wife's farm inherited from her father. The park and lake at South Farm were a part of the property, as well as the Farm Hill Cemetery given in 1723 to the town by Joseph Harris. Several sons served in the Revolution. Children: Susanna, b. Jan. 22, 1730. Harris, b. Apr. 21, 1732; d. 1822. Son Oliver, b. 1757, in Rev. Army, d. 1835. Rachel, b. 1733; d. June 6, 1831, Windham, N.. Y. William, b. June 24, 1735. Ebenezer, b. Feb. 28, 1737. Deborah, b. Dec. 2, 1738. Darcey, b. Feb. 8, 1743; d. Aug. 25, 1831. Eunice, b. Dec. 28, 1744. 4. John, b. Dec. 16, 1749. 4. John4 Prout (William, Ebenezer, Timothy), b. Dec. 16, 1749, Middletown, Conn. ; m. 1773, Rachel Hedges. Both were Episcopalians. Commissioned Sergeant in Capt. Roger Riley's Company, Matthew Talcott's Reg., at Middletown, Mar. 22, 17 76. He was present at the surrender of Burgoyne. The commission is in possession of D. B. Prout, Ashland, N. Y. Com. Lieut. in 3d Co., 23d Reg. Militia at Middletown, Oct. 29, 1794. He was farmer, rem. 1799, to Windham, now Ashland, N. Y., where he d. Apr. 7, 1823. Children: Phebe, b. July 11, 1774; d. Apr. 10, 1817. John Harris, b. Jan. 7, 1776; d. Canastota, N. Y.; m. 1801, Lois Brainerd. Deborah, b. Jan. 9, 1778; d. Mt. Morris, N. Y.; m. 1799, Russell Gladding. 5. Curtis, b. Jan. 30, 1780. Ruth, b. Apr. 9, 1782. Susanna, b. Oct. 11, 1785; d. Mar. 18, 1857, Windham, N. Y. Hannah, b. Mar. 7, 1787; d. Jan. 23, 1839; m. 1813, Dr. Tuttle. 6. Ruth, b. Oct. 6, 1789; d. Nov. 22, 1859; in. Aug. 28, 1814, Samuel Smith. 5. Curtis5 Prout (John, William, Ebenezer, Timothy), b. Jan. 30, 1780, Middletown, Conn. ; m. Oct. 6, 1809, Richmond, Mass., Mary Benton, b. June 1, 1784, Richmond ; d. Apr. 8, 1852, Ashland, N. Y., dau. of Stephen Benton and Prudence Reynolds. Both Epis., farmer, Dem., and F. & A. M.; rem. Oct. 14, 1799, to Windham, N. Y., now Ashland, where he d. Feb. 2, 1870. Children: Henry Hedges, b. Dec. 3, 1810; d. May 6, 1879; in. Maria Wicks. Eliza, b. Mar. 18, 1813; d. Dee. 21. 1817. Mary, b. June 18, 1815; d. May 25. 1884; m. Henry Groat. Phebe, b. July 13, 1817; d. Sept. 27, 1888; m. A. B. Barlow. William, b. Oct. 23, 1820; d. Oct. 15, 1847; m. Amanda Goslee. John Curtis, b. Jan. 9, 1823; d. June 12, 1901; m. Ellen Gladding. George Washington, b. Aug. 7, 1825; d. Sept. 24, 1868. 7. Darius Benton, b. Sept. 5, 1827. 6. Ruth 5 Prout (sister to Curtis), b. Oct. 6, 1789, Middletown. Conn. ; m. Aug. 28, 1814, Windham, N. Y., Samuel Smith, b. 1790; d. 1868, Ashland, N. Y. Farmer, clothier and dyer, Dem., Epis. She d. Nov. 22, 1859, Ashland, N. Y. Children: Edgar Smith, b. July 14, 1816; d. Jan. 2, 1885; m. (1) Martha Meddah ; m. (2) Caroline Thompson. Austin Smith, b. Nov. 27, 1819; d. Aug. 18, 1872; m. (1) Mary Coe ; m. (2) Mary Dunbar Beach. 8. Jerome Smith, b. Nov. 19, 1829. 7. Darius Benton6 Prout (Curtis, John, William, Ebenezer, Timothy), b. Sept. 5, 1827, Ashland, N. Y.; m. Oct. 16, 1860, Jewett, N. Y., Hannah Jane Stranghan, b. Nov. 21, 1835, Ashland, N. Y., dau. of Thomas Stranghan and Delia Peck. Both Epis. ; Dem., farmer. Mr. Prout owns the chest, Bible printed 1611, containing Timothy's birth, and other articles brought over by Timothyl Prout, and also furnished the drawing of the ship Barbadoes, made by William3 Prout, schoolmaster at Upper Houses. Resides Ashland, N. Y. Children : Curtis Benton, b. Nov. 23, 1861; d. Aug. 27, 1863. Edward Goddard, b. Dec. 29, 1863; m. Sarah J. McLean. Thomas Peck, b. May 15, 1867. Caroline, b. Jan. 10, 1869; m. Thomas Wilbur Jeralds. Delia Susan, b. Dec. 21, 1873. Helen, b. May 5, 1875. 8. Jerome6 Smith (Ruth Prout), b. Nov. 19, 1829, Ashland, N. Y.; d. Oct. 6, 1875, Kingston, N. Y.; m. June 18, 1851, Ash-land, N. Y., Malvina Thompson, b. Nov. 18, 1832, Jewett, N. Y.; d. Feb. 11, 1888, Kingston, N. Y., dau. of John Wright Thompson and Deidamia Holcomb. Both Presb. Farmer. Dem.: res. Ashland, N. Y. Children : Sidney Thompson, b. May 29, 1852; m. Agnes G. Southard; res. Kingston, N. Y. Dwight, b. Feb. 16, 1854; m. Annetta Johnson; res. Kingston, N. Y. Caroline Eldora, b. Oct. 30, 1855; m. Peter Conger Osterhout ; res. Kingston, N. Y. Nelson Russel, b. Apr. 15, 1858; m. Minnie C. Stone ; res. Kingston, N. Y. Cora Estelle, b. July 11, 1860; m. James R. Wood; res. Kingston, N. Y. Adaline Malvina, b. Oct. 19, 1862; d. Mar. 4, 1898; m. Win. B. Snow. Marion, b. May 12, 1865 ; m. Edgar E. Oughletree ; res. Kingston, N. Y.< Jerry, b. Apr. 3, 1867; d. Sept. 9, 1888.