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

SAYBROOK - PERSONAL SKETCHES

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

WILLIAM BACKUS (16__-1664) was at Saybrook in 1638; he had there William and Stephen; about 1660 he removed to Norwich; was a freeman there in 1663, and died June, 1664, leaving a second wife Ann, who died May, 1660. [trans. note: if he died in 1664, how did he 'leave' a wife who died in 1660?] THOMAS BLISS (16__-1688) son of Thomas of Hartford, removed from Hartford to Saybrook. In October, 1644, he married Elizabeth ____, and had six children born in Saybrook and two daughters born in Norwich, where he removed in 1660. In his will made April 13, 1688, he mentons wife Elizabeth, six daughters and one son Samuel. He died April 15, 1688. Deacon FRANCIS BUSHNELL (1600-1681) son of Francis Bushnell (d. 1644), who came to Guilford in 1639 with his son Francis and daughter Rebecca (d. 1647), who married John Lord of Hartford. Deacon Bushnell had a son Samuel and five daughters, and died Dec. 4, 1681. WILLIAM BUSHNELL (16__-1684) probably a brother of John Bushnell (b. 1614) of Boston, had at Saybrook: Joshua, b. May 6, 1644. Samuel, b. Sept., 1645. Rebecca, b. Oct. 5, 1646. William, b. Feb. 15, 1648. Francis, b. Jan. 6, 1650. Stephen, b. 165_. Thomas, b. Jan. 4, 1654. Judith, b. Jan., 1658. Abigail, b. Feb., 1660. He died August 31, 1684. Capt. ROBERT CHAPMAN (1617-1687) married April 29, 1642, Ann Bliss (b. 162_, d. 1685), daughter of Thomas Bliss, and had seven or more children, three sons and four daughters. He was a Captain, Representative between 1652 and 1673, an Assistant, 1681-5, and died Oct. 13, 1687; his wife died Nov. 20, 1685. His daughter Hannah, b. Oct. 4, 1650, married, Feb. 27, 1677, David Bull (b. 1651) of Saybrook. Mary, b. April 15, 1655, married May 2, 1676, Samuel Bates (d. 1699). Sarah, b. Sept. 25, 1657, married Sept., 1680, Joseph Pratt (1648-170_) as his second wife. HENRY CHAMPION (16__-1709) married August, 1647, Sarah (?) ____, (d. 1697) and had: Sarah, b. 1649. Mary, b. 1651. Henry, b. 1654. Thomas, b. April, 1656. Stephen, b. 1658, died 1660. He married, March 21, 1698, Deborah _____. JOHN CLARK See account of his family under Milford. Colonel GEORGE FENWICK (15__-1657) came in May, 1636, to Boston, went back home in 1636 or 16 37, and returned with wife and children in the first ship of the three that sailed from England to New Haven direct in 1639. This first ship possibly arrived in New Haven in June. He returned to England in 1647 or 1648 (before May, 1648), taking his daughters, Elizabeth, Dorothy and Mary with him. His wife Mrs. Alice (Apsley) Boteler, widow of ____ Boteler, and daughter of Sir Edmund Apsley, died at Saybrook, where the monument of Lady Fenwick can now be found. On his return to England he married Catherine Haslerigg, eldest daughter of Sir Arthur H. In his will of March 8, 1656-7, probated April 27, 1657, he mentions wife Catherine and daughters Elizabeth and Dorothy; probably Mary had died that year. A sister Fenwich married at Saybrook or Hartford May 20, 1648, Capt. John Cullick (d. 1663) of Hartford, probably as a second wife; she had two children, John and Elizabeth, and married in 1664, Richard Ely (d. 1684), and died Nov. 12, 1683, at Saybrook or Boston. Rev. JAMES FITCH (1622-1702) son of Thomas Fitch (1590-1532-3), was born Dec. 22, 1622, at Bocking Essex Co., England; he came over to New England with his mother, Widow Anne (Pew) Fitch (159_-1645) and four brothers, about 1638, two or more sisters being left in England unless they had died between 1632 and 1638. He may have been a student in Cambridge University before coming over, as by his father's will made Dec. 11, 1632, and probated Feb. 12, 1632-3, money is left to pay for his tuition at Camebridge. He probably studied theology under Rev. Thomas Hooker (1585-1647) at Hartford, according to an inscription on his tombstone at Lebanon, Conn.; he studied for seven years and was ordained in 1646, as narrated by that somewhat of a romancer, Rev. Cotton Mather; he married 164_, Abigail Whitfield (d. Sept. 9, 1659), daughter of Rev. Henry Whitfield (b. 1597) of Guilford. By his first wife Abigail he had James, Abigail, Elizabeth, Hannah, Samuel, Dorothy. He removed to Norwich in 1660, and there married Oct. 2, 1664, Priscilla Mason (b. Oct. 1641), daughter of Major John Mason (1601-1672) and Isabella Peck, and had John, Jeremiah, Jabez, Ann, Nathanie, Joseph and Eleazer, all of whom were living in 1696, when his will was made; he removed to Lebanon in 1692, and died there Nov. 18, 1702. His older brother Thomas (1612-1704) survived him for two years, and died at Norwalk in 1704. Lt. LION GARDINER (1599-1663) arrived at Boston on Nov. 28, 1635, aged 36 years, with wife Mary Williamson, aged 34 years, daughter of Dericke Williamson of Worden in Holland, coming in the ship Bachelor. He was soon at Saybrook where he built a fort, and there had: David, b. April 29, 1636. Mary, b. Aug. 30, 1638 (both of them at Saybrook fort.) Elizabeth, b. Sept. 14, 1641, on Gardiner's Island, as it is now called; by him it was called Isle of Wight. He was prominent in the Pequot war; after 1642 he lived on his island and on Long Island, where he died late in 1663. His widow died in 1665, and her will is recorded in New York City. Lt. MATTHEW GRISWOLD (1620-1698) came from Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Eng.; he was a younger brother of Edward (1607-1691) of Windsor, and after 1664 of Killingworth. At Saybrook he had five or more children. Elizabeth (b. 164_; d. July 1727, married Oct. 17, 1670, John Rogers (d. 1672) of New London, the founder of the sect of Rogerenes; she was divorced from him and married Aug. 5, 1679, Peter Pratt (d. 1688), and again in 1691 she married Matthew Beckwith (d. 1727). Ann, b. 165_, married Sept. 2, 1674, Abraham Bronson (b. 1647) of Lyme. Sarah married Capt. Thomas Colton of Springfield. Matthew was born at Saybrook in 1633, married and had children, while remaining son, John, died young. CHRISTOPHER HUNTINGTON (d. 1691) was at Saybrook and Norwich; he was son of Simon Huntington (15__, 1633), "who died of small pox on his passage from England to Boston in 1633"; he with his brother Simon (1629-1706) and Joseph (?) were with their mother, Mrs. Margaret Huntington, at Roxbury until 1635 or 1636, when, she having married Lieut. Thomas Stoughton (d. 1642), the whole family removed to Windsor. Before 1650 he was probably at Saybrook, but married at Windsor Oct. 7, Ruth Rockwell, daughter of William Rockwell, and had at Windsor: Christopher, b. Jan., 1653, who died young at Saybrook. Ruth, b. April, 1658, who married Samuel Pratt of Saybrook, and died in 1683. Christopher, b. Nov. 1, 1660, in Norwich, to which town the father had removed shortly before. Thomas, b. March 18, 1664. John. Susanna, b. Aug., 1668; married Dec. 10, 1685, Samuel Griswold. Lydia. Ann. WILLIAM HYDE an original proprietor at Hartford, removed to Saybrook, and in 1659 or 1660 went to Norwich; he had a son Samuel b. 1637, who married at Saybrook in June, 1659, Jane Lee, daughter of Thomas Lee (d. 1641). A daughter Esther married in 166_, John Post. GREENFIELD LARRABEE had by his first wife Elizabeth (?), who is believed to have been an Elizabeth Brown of Providence: Greenfield, b. April 20, 1648. John, b. Feb. 23, 1650. Elizabeth, b. Jan. 25, 1653. Joseph, b. March 1655, died young. Sarah, b. March 3, 1658. JOHN LAY (16__-1675) was in Saybrook in 1648; in his will of January 16 or 18, 1674-5, two days before his death, he names sons John (1633-1706) and James (16__-1683), children by a former wife; Peter Abigail, Susanna and Elizabeth, children of his present wife Abigail, who died in 1686. Some of the descendants of this settler have changed their names to Laigh or Lee. Lieut. THOMAS LEFFINGWELL (1622-1710) was at Saybrook in 1637; he had Rachel, Thomas, Jonathan, Joseph, Mary and Nathaniel. He was one of the purchasers of Norwich, and removed there among the first settlers; was a representative from Norwich in 1662, and a lieutenant in King Philip's War. REYNOLD (Reginald or Reinold) MARVIN (16__-1662) probably a younger brother of Matthew Marvin (1603-1687) of Hartford and Norwich, was living in Hartford in 1639, removed from there to Farmington and soon after to Saybrook; he was made a freeman in 1658. His will, made May 13, 1662, and probated Oct. 28, 1662, gives a good estate to his son Reynold and daughter Mary, who were probably born in England. Major JOHN MASON (1601-1672) of Dorchester, either came over in 1630 with Winthrop, or in 1632. In 1636 he removed to Windsor, and was prominent in the Pequot War of 1637. He was at different times a Chief Commissioner, Representative, Assistant, and a Deputy-Governor 1660-1668. In 1647 he removed from Windsor to Saybrook, and in 1659 he went to Norwich. His first wife died at Windsor; no children are recorded. He married July, 1639, Isabel (or Priscilla) Peck, and by her had eight or more children. MATTHEW MITCHELL (1590-1645) See account of this settler under Norwalk). WILLIAM PARKER (16__-1686) was an original proprietor of Hartford in 1636, and removed later to Saybrook. He had Sarah, b. Oct. 1637; Joseph, died young; John, Ruth, William, Joseph, Margaret, Jonathan, David, Rebecca b. March 1658. He was a Representative in 1662; his wife Margery died Dec. 3, 1680, and he died Dec. 21, 16868. STEPHEN POST (15__-1659) was in Cambridge, Mass. in 1634; he removed in 1636 to Hartford as one of the original proprietors, and by 1649 or before he was living in Saybrook, where he died Aug. 16, 1659. He had: John (16__-1710). Thomas (16__-1701) Abraham (16__-1690) Catherine, who married Sept. 29, 1649, Alexander Chalker; she married Sept. 23, 1673, John Hills. (d. 1689). Lieut. WILLIAM PRATT (16__-1678) was an original proprietor in Hartford; he married in 1641, Elizabeth Clark, daughter of John Clark of Milford and had: Elizabeth, b. Feb. 1, 1640-41. John, Joseph, Sarah, William, Mary, Samuel, Nathaniel Lydia, b. Jan. 1, 1659-60. He was a Lieut. in 1661, a Representative in 1666 and several years after.