Origin of Woodstock, Conn, & Names of the First Planters
Rev. Abner Morse.;
New England Historical & Genealogical Register
Volume 18, July 1864, p 227 - 228
Oct 17, 1683, Wm. PARKE, John BOULDS, Joseph GRIGS, John RUGGLES & Edward MORRIS, selectmen of Roxbury, in behalf of the town, petitioned the General Court of Mass., for a grant of land "to be laid out about Quialtessett to the quanity of seven miles square," and the Court, Nov. 7, 1683, granted their request, provided that the grant to Maj. THOMPSON, Mr. STOUGHTON, Mr. DUDLEY & Co., should be first chosen before Jun 10, 1684; that thirty families be settle upon the tract within three years from the date of the grant, and that "they maintained an able, orthodox godly minister."
Oct. 1684, Roxbury "impowered Lieut. Samuel RUGGLES, John RUGGLES, sen., John CURTICE, & Isaac MORRIS, to view the wilderness, and find a convenient place where they might take up the above said grant. The reported such a place in the Wassaquasett country, westward of Moyanckesett river. Other customary proceedings, such as the survey and confirmation of the grant doubtless followed. It included until 1713, what is now Woodstock, first called New Roxbury, and Pomfret, originally Mashamugget. The aboriginal name of Woodstock was Wossaquasett.
April 5, 1786. Several planters and settlers took actual possession; and the lots were first assigned as follows:
- No. 1 - To Thos. & Joseph BACON, in company
- No. 2 - To James Corbin
- No. 3 - Reserved for a Minister
- No. 4 - To Benj. SABIN
- No. 5 - To Henry BOWING
- No. 6 - To Thomas LYON
- No. 7 - To Ebenezer MORRIS
- No. 8 - To Mathew DAVIS
- No. 9 - To William LYON, sen. & Ebenezer CASS in Co.
- No. 10 - To John CHANDLER, sen.
- No. 11 - To Peter ASPINWALL
- No. 12 - To John FRIZELL
- No. 13 - To Joseph FRIZELL
- No. 14 - To Jona. MEATHUS
- No. 15 - To John BUTCHER
- No. 16 - To Jona. DAVIS
- No. 17 - To Jona. PEAK
- No. 18 - To Nathan'l GASEY [GANSEY]
- No. 19 - To John BOWING
- No. 20 - To Nath'l JOHNSON
- No. 21 - To John HUBBARDS
- No. 22 - To George GRIGS
- No. 23 - To Benj. GRIGS
- No. 24 - To Wm. LYON, Jun.
- No. 25 - To John LEVANS
- No. 26 - To Nathan'l SANGER
- No. 27 - To Samuel SCARBROUGH
- No. 28 - To Samuel CRAFT
- No. 29 - To Samuel MAY
- No. 30 - To Joseph BUGBES
- No. 31 - To Samuel PEACOCKE
- No. 32 - To Arthur HUMPHREY
- No. 33 - To John BUGBE
- No. 34 - To John RUGGLES
- No. 35 - To Andrew WATKINS
- No. 36 - To John MERCY
- No. 37 - To Edward MORRIS
- No. 38 - To Joseph PEAKE
- No. 39 - To John HOLMES
The above forty persons were all from Roxbury, except James CORBIN, Peter ASPINWALL, John BUTCHER, & John HOLMES. There were afterwards joined by many others from Roxbury. Woodstock belonged to Massachusetts, until 1749; and was included in Suffolk county until 1731, and in Worchester County, 1731-1749.