HISTORY of
THE COLONY OF NEW HAVEN
To its absorption into
CONNECTICUT

by Edward E. Atwater
with Supplementary History and Personnel of the
Towns of Branford, Guilford, Milford,
Stratford, Norwalk, Southold, etc.

compiled by Robert Atwater Smith
assisted by Bessie E. Beach and Lucy M. Hewitt

Meriden, Conn.
The Journal Publishing Company
1902

SOUTHOLD, L. I. - PERSONAL SKETCHES

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

SOUTHOLD, L. I. also NORWALK, below. The list of inhabitants of Yennicot (called Southold after 1644), comprises the names of some who did not come to Southold until many years after the settlement of Yannicot was made from and by residents of New Haven in 1639 and 1640. The first alphabetical list given below is that of names of men who are not mentioned in Savage's Historical Dictionary (1865) as being in any other town pervious to 1639, neither are they mentioned in Pope's "Pioneers of Massachusetts" (1900). The probability is that they were the men who with their families came in Rev. Mr. Young's company from Engand to New Haven direct in the summer of 1639. In numbers it just about equals the number of men who came to New Haven on the first ship and signed the compact of June 1, 1639, and for the very reason that there is no mention of them except at Yennicot (Southold) it is very reasonable to assume that they did come direct to New Haven in 1639 in the third ship, and went from there to Yennicot. It is true that Rev. E. Whittaker in the History of Southold, and the editor of the "Town Records of Southold," scout the idea of the Southold company sailing from England to Quinnipiac (New Haven), as suggested by Mr. Atwater, the author of this history, but they do not furnish the slightest proof that they did not do so. As stated prio, who else could the occupants of that third ship have been if they were not the company that went to Yennicot under the authority of the New Haven Colony? It is an established fact that Rev. John Youngs and his company were in New Haven during that year. As so little is found in Savage, Pope, or any history, concerning the persons on this first list, with a few exceptions very little can be said about them. Of those on the second list, considerable information has been found, but as they were not the settlers of 1640, it is not thought best to devote any space to them here. If the readers wish further information concerning them, by consulting the books above mentioned they will be able to find it. First List: Robert Akerley. John Booth. Richard Brown. John Budd. Henry Case. Thomas Cooper. John Corey. Caleb Curtis. Thomas Dimon. John Elton. Ralph Goldsmith. Simon Grover. James Haines. Peter Hallock. Samuel King. Thomas Mapes. Peter Paine. James Reeve. Richard Skidmore. John Swazey. Robert Smyth. John Tucker. William Wells. Rev. John Youngs. Second List Richard Benjamin. Thomas Benedict. Matthias Corwin. John Conklyne. Philemon Dickerson. Charles Glover. John Herbert. Barnabas Horton. Thomas Moore. William Purrier. Richard Terry. John Tuttle. Jeremiah Viall. Barnabas Wines. ROBERT AKERLY JOHN BOOTH of Southold, in 1659, refused to take the oath of allegience to the Connecticut Colony, he being one of those who wished to remain faithful to their agreement with the projectors of the New Haven Colony. He would no yield to the bribes and other dishonorable overtures of the residents of Northern Connecticut - a people, who, ever since their settlement on the Connecticut River, have been grasping and avaricious in their dealings with their neighbors. They were a set of robbers from the start. The Dutch were on the ground first, but these English settlers forced them off, as their English brothers and cousins and their descendants by the force of arms robbed the Dutch of their lands in South Africa, and as the English people are doing in the same country at the present time. They were also dishonest in their relations with their neighbors of the Massachusetts towns from whence they came to Hartford. The pages of this history shows up thoroughly their unfair dealings with the people of New Haven Colony, and they have ever since carried out the same policy. A notable illustration is the manner in which they bribed and cajoled the voters of the remote parts of the State of Connecticut to vote that Hartford should be the sole capital of the State, when upwards of three-fifths of the residents are a still larger proportion of the manufacturing and business people of the State could travel to New Haven at that time by railroads much quicker and at less expense than they could reach Hartford. The insurance and other corporations in that city that have failed and defrauded their confiding patrons and stockholders fully illustrated the business methods of the "smart men" of some of our American cities, methods that were so thoroughly and truthfully characterized and condemned by Charles Dickens in his "American Notes." RICHARD BROWN. Lieut, JOHN BUDD with his wife Katherine was in New Haven in 1639. He is recorded in the New Haven list as having a family of six persons and an estate of 450 pounds. He lived for some years in Southold, but in 1664 he was a Representative from Greenwich, Conn., and in 1677 a Representative from Milford. It is very possible that he was one of those who came in the third ship but did not immediately remove to Southold, as he had a large home-lot in New Haven. It is now the land that is bounded on the west by Church street, on the south by Crown street and on the east by Orange street, and it extended to the north some little distance beyond Center street. HENRY CASE JOHN CORBY (16__-1680) was a weaver by trade. He with his wife Ann lived in Southold. He died about 1680 at Hashamonack, leaving four sons, - John, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, - all of whom were married and "raised families." Only a few of the descendants still reside in Southold. (Southold Town Records.) THOMAS COOPER (16__-1658) died in 1658, leaving no sons. His widow Margaret died about 1687. His "large landed estate" was then divided between his daughter, Abigail (Mrs. Stephen Bailey) and Maria (Mrs. Elnathan Tapping). CALEB CURTIS with wife Elizabeth Rider, on Feb. 16, 1677, bought land of her father, Thomas Rider. (See Southold Town Records.) THOMAS DIMON may be the person who died in Fairfield, Conn. in 1658. JOHN ELTON of Southold, was made a freeman in Connecticut Colony in 1662. He may have been the father of John Elton of Middletown, Conn. He had a second wife, Ann, and died before April 6, 1675. (Southold Town Records.) RALPH GOLDSMITH was a captain of the merchant trading ship. It is not certain that he "ever had a house, or a family in Southold." SIMON GROVER. JAMES HAINES. PETER HALLOCK (16__-1684) (Halliock, Hallock) through his son William, had descendants, who were prominent in their day. Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790-1867), of Guilford, Conn., and New York City, the poet, was of the 7th generation, and General Henry W. Halleck, U.S.A. (1815-1872), was of the 9th generation. Peter Hallock of Southold died Sept. 30, 1684. (See Halleck Genealogy, by Rev. W. A. Halleck, D.D.) SAMUEL KING THOMAS MAPES (1628-1687) was in Southold in 1657 and probably earlier. It is possible that he was in Ipswich previously. He married Sarah Purrier, daughter of William Purrier, of Ipswich, Mass., and Southold. He made his will in 1686. It was proved the next year. He left a family of four sons and five daughters. (See Southold Town Records.) PETER PAINE (b. March 14, 1617; d. in or before 1658) left a son Peter and some daughters. JAMES REEVES (16__-1697) came from Wales with wife Mary Purrier, daughter of William Purrier, of Ipswich and Southold. He died in Southold May 7, 1697. He had five or six sons and four daughters; possibly some of these children were by a second wife. RICHARD SKIDMORE. ROBERT SMYTH (16__-1697) of Southold, had a wife or daughter named Prudence. JOHN SWAZEY (16__-168_) died probably before 1686. He had possibly two sons, John and Joseph; perhaps other children. Capt. JOHN TUCKER married first, May Johnson of Hingham; second, Mrs. Hannah (_____) Elton, widow of John Elton. He had "sons Charles, John and Joseph, daughters Hannah, Ruth and three or four other daughters." (See Southold Town Records). WILLIAM WELLS (1618-1671) married in 1656, Mrs. Bridget Tuttle, the widow of Henry Tuttle (1612-164_) of Southold. He married Mary (1619-1709), and had by both wives sons William, Joshua; daughters Mary, Bethia and Mehitable. (See Wm. Wells of Southold and His Descendants, pp. 300, Buffalo, 1878, by Rev. Chas. Wells Hayes). Rev. JOHN YOUNGS (1598-16__) a minister (but probably not a rector) of St. Margarets in Suffolk, aged 35 years, with his wife Joan (1599-163_) and six children, viz: John, Thomas, Anna, Rachel, Mary and Joseph, attempted to take a ship for Salem, New England, in 1633, from Yarmouth, and was "forbyden passage by the Commissioners and went not from Yarmouth." Before he arrived at New Haven in 1639, his wife Joan had died and he had married a "widow whose christian name was Mary." It is altogether probable that he came with a large portion of the Southold settlers of 1640 to New Haven direct from England, and that, as was the case with Rev. John Davenport and other prominent New England ministers, he was obliged to get away from England without the knowledge of the authorities. By his second wife he had Benjamin, Christopher, possibly other children. His descendants have been prominent in the affairs of Long Island and elsewhere wherever they have lived. NORWALK Although Norwalk was not settled until about 1650, and to a considerable extent by persons from Connecticut Colony, yet it belonged geographically, if not politically, to New Haven Colony. Undoubtedly the intercourse of the residents of Norwalk with the residents of Milford and New Haven was much greater than with the residents of the more distant towns of Wethersfield, Hartford and Windsor. For this reason, therefore, the first settlers of Norwalk are recorded in this history. Deacon EDWARD CHURCH (1628-16__) son of Richard Church (d. 1667) and Ann (1601-1684) of Hartford, probably lived in New Haven for a time before coming to Norwalk. He removed in 16__ to Hatfield, Mass., where he was chosen as a deacon. He left some eight or more children. NATHANIEL ELY (16__-1675) was in Cambridge in 1632; removed to Hartford in 1636, and from there to Norwalk before 1650. He was a Representative from Norwalk in 1657. About 1660 he removed to Springfield where he died Dec. 25, 1675. His widow Martha died Oct. 23, 1688, leaving children Samuel and Ruth and perhaps others. ISAAC GRAVES THOMAS HALE (Hales) was in Roxbury in 1634, removed soon after to Harford, but returned to Roxbury, where he married Feb., 1640, Jane Lord; went from there to Norwalk but did not remain long in Norwalk. He probably returned to Massachusetts, living and dying in Charlestown. JOHN HOLLOWAY. RALPH KEELER (1613-1672) while living in Norwalk had a wife, Mrs. Sarah (_____) Whelpley, widow of Henry Whelpley. She was a second wife and possibly not the mother of any of his seven children recorded by Savage. He died between Aug. 20 and Sept. 10, 1672, the date of the drawing up of his wil and the date of probating. He was in Hartford in 1635 and in Fairfield in 1645. MATTHEW MARVIN (1600-1680) came to Massachusetts Colony in "the ship Increase from London in 1635, aged 35, a husbandman, with wife Elizabeth, aged 31, and children; Elizabeth, 11. Matthew, 8. Mary, 6. Sarah, 3. Hannah, 6 months. He ahd at Hartford: Abigail, Samuel and Rachel, the youngest. He was a Representative from Norwalk in 1654. (Marvin Family Genealogy, sketch by T. R. Marvin, 1848, Boston, pp. 36). Lieut, RICHARD OLMSTEAD (16__-1686) was in Hartford in 1639. He was chosen as Representative for Norwalk in the May session of 1653, and for several other sessions up to 1679. He left sons James and John and possibly some daugheres. JOHN RUSCOE the Huguenot, son of William Ruscoe (b. 1594), who came from Bellericay, in the County Essex, in the ship Increase in 1635, aged 41, with wife Rebecca, aged 40, and four children. He was married at Hartford, Jan. 2, 1651, to Rebecca Beebe, and had sons Thomas and John and five daughters. Thomas died unmarried; five of the other children were married. NATHANIEL RUSCOE RICHARD SEYMOUR (16__-1655) was in Hartford in 1639. From there he removed to Farmington, and then to Norwalk; was a selectman in Norwalk 1655, and died there Nov. 25, 1655, leaving four sons and two daughters. His widow Mercy (or Mary) married Nov. 22, 1656, John Steele (d. 1664 or '65), of Farmington. THOMAS SPENCER RICHARD WELL SETTLERS of 1651. SAMUEL BECKWITH removed after 1654, but returned to Norwalk in 1671 or soon after. (See the Beckwith Genealogy by Paul Beckwith, 1891.) SAMUEL ELY JOSEPH FITCH brother of Thomas Fitch, was in Hartford before 1640, and in Norwalk a short time only; removed from Norwalk in 1655 to Northampton; in 1660 to Hartford, and finally to Windsor, where he died 17__. He was a Representative at Hartford 1662-68. THOMAS FITCH (1612-1704) the eldest son of Thomas Fitch (d. 1632) of Bocking, Essex County, England, with his mother, Ann Pyne, and four brothers, Rev. James (161_-1702), Samuel (d. 1659), Joseph (d. 17__), and John (d. 1676), came to New England in 1637(?). His children were born before he came to Norwalk probably. He was a very prominent man in the town. His great-grandson, Thomas Fitch (1699-1774), was Governor of the Connecticut Colony. NATHANIEL HAYES had in 1672 seven children living; he was living in 1694. Probably he married (for a second wife) Mary Kimberley, daughter of Thomas Kimberley (d. 1673) of Stamford, for he names in his will of 1673 his grandchildren Nathaniel, Elizabeth and Mary Hayes. SAMUEL LUMIS (Loomis) Sergt. ISAAC MOORE (1622(?)-17__) was in Farmington before 1650. He married in Hartford Dec. 5, 1645, Ruth Stanely, dau. of John Stanley; was a sergeant in 1649; a Representative for Norwalk in 1657. In 1660 he returned to Farmington; was made deacon and married for second wife Dorothy Smith, dau. of Rev. Henry Smith of _____. Rev. THOMAS HANAFORD (162_-1693) was in Norwalk in 1642, and in that same year married Hannah Newberry (d. 1660), who died without children. He married Oct. 22, 1661, Mrs. Mary (Miles) Ince, widow of Jonathan Ince and daughter of Richard Miles of New Haven. By her he had several children. SETTLERS of 1854 ALEXANDER BRYANT was probably only a land owner in Norwalk but never a resident of the town but of Milford, where his name is now to be found on the stone "Memorial Bridge." EDWARD NASH the Tanner, was possibly the son of Edward Nash (1592-16__) pf Lancashire, England. By his first wife Hannah he had John, b. 1652, and Hannah, b. 165_, who married Dec. 3, 1678, Deliverance Wakeley (1656-1697), son of Henry Wakeley of Stratford. He married Mrs. ___ (Sherwood) Barber, who had three or more children by her former husbands, Thomas Rumble and Thomas Barber. She had no children by this, her third husband. John Nash (1652-17__) married May 4, 1684, her daughter Mary Barber (d. Sept. 2, 1711). Capt. RICHARD RAIMENT (or Raymond) (16__-1692) was in Salem in 1634. He was a mariner and "did a coasting trade along the Sound and East River as far south as Manhattan Island." In 1664 he removed to Saybrook. His son John (1637-16__) married in 1664 Mary Betts, daughter of Thomas Betts, and remained in Norwalk, where five or more children were born to them. Hon. Henry Raymond (1820-1869), founder of the New York Times, was a descendant, also General W. T. and his brother John Sherman, formerly Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of State. MATTHEW CAMFIELD (16__-1673) with his wife Sarah Treat, removed from New Haven to Norwalk in 1652. He had nine or more children; was a prominent man in the town until 1666, when he with a number of others from the coast towns removed to Newark, N. J. His wife was a daughter of Richard Treat of Wethersfield and sister of Governor Robert Treat (1622-1710) of Milford. GILES WHITING was in Hartford in 1643.