Descendants of William Backus
First Generation
1. William Backus 1 was born in England 1 and died before 21 Jun 1665 in Norwich, New London Co., CT 1. 
Documented events in his life were:
1. Emigrant Ancestor; 1637; Saybrook, Middlesex Co., CT. Sailed on the Rainbow.
2. Will; 21 Jun 1661; Norwich, New London Co., CT 2 3. It was June 21, 1665, before the will of William, Sr., was allowed in the New London Court. A copy of the will is filed in the records of New London Town, Book 1646-66 (150), pp. 143-4, a transcription of which is:
"This may Certifie whom it may concerne That I William Backus Senior being now alive and in memory Doe ordain this my last will and testament wherein my mynd is Declared concerninge the ordaining (or ordering?) and Disposing of my estate whereunto I Doe hereby constitute and appoynt my trustid and welbeloved sonn Steevin Backus Heier, Executor and Administrator of my whole estate to Dispose thereof according to the order of my will.
And first of all for my wife who hath beene both loving unto me and carefull of me it is my will to provoide as comfortable for her as I can, that after my Decease she might be supplied as may be needfull and convenient for her which I conceive might be best attained by her abydeing with my sonn Steeven in the house and soe to partake with him of the estate soe far as shall be needfull and convenient for her according to what shall arise both from the grounde and stock, but if Steeven and she shall part and the occasion thereof Doe arise from Steeven or then (?) by reason of his undutifull cariage towardes her or any other way of Discouragement proceeding from him which may occasion her departing from him, Then my will is that Steeven shall provoide for her Twenty bushells of corne a yeere that is Twelve bushells of Indian and eight of wheate as also a Third part of the milke of the cattle and a sixt part of garden stuff as squashes and pumpkins turnips and the like During the tyme of her life if she change not her condition, but if my wife shall volluntarily part from Steeven without any just occasion from him my will is notwithstanding that Steeven should provoide for her fowre bushells of wheate and sixe bushells of Indian a yeere Dureing the timeof her life as aforesaid if she change not her condition. The which if she shall Doe my will is that Steeven shall be cleere of all these ingagements Also my will is that my wife should have the bed and bedclothes (except one pillo for Steeven soe long as she lives although she stay not in the house provided she stay in the Towne, and at her Decease all shall returne to Steeven except her wearing clothes and one pillo; And concerning my sonn William it is my will that he should have all the tooles belonging to the trade of a smith and cutler and what Ivory there is with the bellowes, And concerning all the rest of my children as John Renalds and his wife, and Beniamin Crane and his wife and John Bayly and his wife wth all there children which are now liveing and also Thomas Bingham XXX XXX XXXX (three words crossed out, probably 'and his wife') my will is that they should all have three bushells of Indian corne a peece and this corne to be paid wthin the space of five yeers by the Heire and executor. Last of all my will is that my loveing freinds Thomas Leffingwell and John Birchard should see this my will performed according to the true intent thereof. witness my hand this 12th of June Anno Dom. 1661
Witness. Thomas Tracy The marke ?? of
John Poast William ?? Backus
Extracted out of the will as returned under the hand of
William Backus and allowed in New London Court held June 21st 1665
?? me Obadiah Bruen Recorder"3. Inventory Taken; 7 Jun 1664; Norwich, New London Co., CT 2 3. An inventory of William Backus' estate, dated June 7, 1664, listed and signed by neighbors Thomas Leffingwell and John Birchard, is filed in the Connecticut State Library at Hartford (87). It too is worthy of presentation, as found in Hartford Probate, v. III, p. 49: [also Mainwaring Vol 1, p 175-176
"An inventory of the Estate of William Backus deceased
taken by us Thomas Leffingwell & John Birchard
May 7th Anno Do:: 1664.
The house & homelot with a pcell of Land lying œ s D
over the River against the homelot 21 10 0
a pcell of Land in the Little plaine 05 00 0
a pcell of Land in the great plaine 03 00 0
a pcell of meadow at Yantick 02 15 0
another pcell at boggy medow 02 10
A pcell of upland medow in the second division 09 10 0
Two oxen 14 00 0
two Cowes & one Calfe 08 10 0
one steare 02 00 0
Cart & wheeles & plow & a chaine 02 00 0
for a beetle & wedges howes an axe & a spade & a hatchet 01 06 0
two sithes & two sickles 00 08 0
two pease hooks & a Cart rope 00 05 0
one paire of sheetes 00 14 0
one payer more of sheetes 00 11 0
one sheete more 00 07 0
one sheete more 00 16 0
one table cloath 00 04 0
one pillow beare 00 05 0
one old pillow beare 00 01 0
a remnant of kersy 00 08 0
a chest 00 04 0
a old brass pot 00 02 6
two firkins a barrell & a churne 00 07 0
a tub & a hogshead 00 06 0
a chest 00 12 0
one rugg for a bed 01 10 0
a bed tikeing three blankets a boulster & a pillow 04 04 0
fower blankets one sheete & a boulster 04 00 0
two spinning wheeles 00 10 0
two kettles a pott & a skillet 01 05 0
a frying pan a smoothing iron & a skimmer 00 07 0
one porringer a lamp & three spoons 00 05 0
one glass bottle & a stone bottle 00 02 6
bowels trayes & dishes & a basting Ladle 00 07 6
two sives & a halfe bushell 00 07 0
a table leafe & a paile 00 06 0
a gun & a sword 01 16 0
a chest & a trammell 00 09 6
wearing cloathes 05 00 0
Cutlers tools & ivory 04 00 0"
William married Elizabeth Unknown (Backus) 4. (Elizabeth Unknown (Backus) was buried on 9 Feb 1642/43 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng 4.)
Children from this marriage were:
2 F i. Lydia Backus 1 4 was baptized on 31 Dec 1637 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng 4 and died before 1696 in Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT 1.
Documented events in her life were:
1. Mention in Will, Inv. or Prob.; 21 Jun 1661; Norwich, New London Co., CT 2 3. Father's will bequeathed three bushels of Indian corn to John Bayly and his wife.
Lydia married John Bailey 5 before 1657. (John Bailey was born about 1618 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng 6 and died in Jul 1696 in Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT 5.)
Documented events in his life were:
1. Emigrant Ancestor; Bef 1642; Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.
2. Mention in Will, Inv. or Prob.; 22 Sep 1674; Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT 7. 22 September, 1674. Thomas Smith of Haddam.. I give my Hogg to John Bailey, sen.. I make John Bailey sen. and Daniel Brainwood my Executors to see this my Will fulfilled
Court Record, Page 144--11 November, 1674: Daniel Brainard refused the Executorship, & this Court grant Adms. unto John Bailey.3. Debt Owed To; 7 Sep 1693; Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT 8. Owed debt of unstated amount by the estate of James Cockshott of Machamoodas who died 11 Jan 1692/3.
4. Will; 17 Jun 1696; Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT 9. From Probate Records, Volume VI, 1695 To 1700, Will on File.
Bailey, John sen., Haddam. Invt. 186-10-06. Taken 29 August 1696, By Daniel Cone, Timothy Spencer & James Welles. Will dated 17 June, 1696.
I John Bailey sen. of Haddam, in the County of Hartford, doe make this my last Will & Testament: I give half of my Lands, both Meadow & Upland, to my eldest son John, to be his on as equal division with his two brothers Benjamin & Nathaniel, to whome I doe give the other half to be equally divided between them two. I mean all that my Land at a place in Haddam Bounds called Higganum. I give unto my son John 20 acres of that 40 acres of upland I have in the upper Meadow on the East side of the Great River. Also I give to my daughter Lydia 20 Shillings. I give unto my two sons Benjamin & Nathaniel all my other Land in Haddam and all Rights, to be divided equally between them, only that Nathaniel shall have that Lott whereon the house stands, & the house I now dwell in, as part of his division, and Benjamin the other half, the house to be Nathaniel's. And It is my Will that my daughters Susannah and Mary shall continue in the house until one or both of them marryeth or when they see cause of their own Will to leave the same; and when Susannah marryeth I would have her take the Care of Mary and let her live with her until she be married away. It is my Will to give to my daughter Susannah 8. My Will is that my two Executors shall pay 40 Shillings yearly until she marry away; and if in seven years she marryeth, I give her 7. My sons Benjamin and Nathaniel I appoint to be my Executors. And my neighbors Timothy Spencer & James Brainard to be Overseers.
Witness: Jeremiah Hobert, JOHN BAILE.
James Welles,
Upon the other side of the paper, Haddam July 3d, 1696 (was written) : Account of my several debts sch I will my Exequators to pay unto the several Creditors after my decease. Imprs. I owe to Samll Stone of Salem fiftie four Shills in pay, & 6 shll in money. It. Debts to the Widd Mrs. Waie of Hartford, two pounds 16s & six pence in pay. It. To Ensign Stanly of Hartford, seventeen Shills & odd pence, to be payd by my Exequtors out of my small share of Hartford mill, viz, the rent for it; & the rest of the soms aforesayd to be payd & made up to him pr my Exequators, the wholl in pay. It. To my son John ten shills given him pr his grand father (William Backus) to buy him a Bible. It. To my Daughter Lydia ten shs given her pr ditto (William Backus) to buy her a Bible with (all). It. To my Daughter Elizab. Clark fifty shills in pay for a weding gown I promised her. It. To my son Thomas Clark pr an old debt of five pounds 5s, & for work of himself & teame thirty six shills; both added together make in all seven pounds one shs in or pay. It. Debts to Thomas Dunke deceased, ye sum of fourteen shs in pay. These are the principal of my debts as far as I know at present, which I require you to pay or cause to be payed, as witness my hand on the day of the date hereof. JOHN BAILY.
(Copied from original Paper on file.)5. Inventory Taken; 29 Aug 1696; Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT 9. £186-10-06
3 F ii. Sarah Backus 1 4 was baptized on 31 Aug 1628 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng 4 and died after 1702 in Norwich, New London Co., CT 1.
Documented events in her life were:
1. Mention in Will, Inv. or Prob.; 21 Jun 1661; Norwich, New London Co., CT 2 3. Father's will bequeathed three bushels of Indian corn to John Renalds and his wife.
4 M iii. William Backus 1 4 was baptized on 30 Nov 1634 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng 4 and died in 1721 in Norwich, New London Co., CT 1.
Documented events in his life were:
1. Mention in Will, Inv. or Prob.; 21 Jun 1661; Norwich, New London Co., CT 2 3. Received legacy of "all the tooles belonging to the trade of a smith and cutler and what Ivory there is with the bellowes"
2. Mention in Will, Inv. or Prob.; 29 Feb 1675; Lyme, New London, CT 10. Received a large tract of land in the will of Joshua Uncas, Sacham.
3. Will; 8 Feb 1692/93; Norwich, New London Co., CT 11. Will antedated his death by about 21 years, but was never changed.
"I William Backus of the town of Norwich Being in my perfect understanding
and memory doe make this my last will and testament....I give and bequeath
unto my deere and Loving Wife Elizabeth one-third part of the profiett
of all my Reall Estate...one-third part of all my personall Estate to be
att her Despose.....unto my son Nathaniell, all my home lott in Norwich
with all the houseing upon it....all my Land on the East side of the Street,
where his house standeth, ......unto my two Sonns Joseph and Nathaniell...all
my Lands within the Bounds of Norwich that I stand possessed of att my
Death... as also....all my Land Lyeing neere the Great Pond at the corner
of Norwich Grounds, with all my Interest of Land within the township of
Saybrook in Pottapauge Quarter....to be Equally Divided between them for quantity and quallety.....unto my Son John andto my Grand Son William....all
my Interest of Lands in the Township of Windham to be Equally Divided between them for quantity and Quallety...unto my son John all my Interest of Land
which I bought of Mr. James Fitch Senior as may appeare by Deed......unto
my Daughter Sarah thirty pounds - with that which she hath already received
as may appeare by my Booke...unto my Daughter Elizabeth Thirty pounds....unto
my Daughter Hanah Thirty pounds....unto my Daughter Mary Thirty pounds......all
that doth remayne of mypersonall Estates, my will is it shall be Divided
Equally among all my children, The Reason why in this my will I have not
given to my Son William any Lands is because before this I have Given him
Lands as may appeare by Deed of gift; and therefore my will is, that with
respect unto my two Sonns William and John, and also with respect unto my Daughter Sarah, what I have given them formerly with that which I Doe
give them in this my will, shall be the whole of their portions of my Estate,
anything that I received of their Grandfather Charles, his Estate notwithstanding,
- I Doe ordaine and appoint my Deere and Loveing Wife Elizabeth with my
two Sons Joseph and Nathaniell to be Executors, to pay both Debts and Legacies; and to performe all that is contayned in this my will: -
Signed and sealed in presence of us -- Richard Bushnell Elizabeth Bushnell Further I Do Desire my Trusty and faithfull friends, Solomon Tracy and Richard
Bushnell to be overseers with respect to this my will: - And that this the above written is my Declared will in Witness where of I have hereunto sett my hand and Seale this the 8th day of February anno 1693
5 M iv. Stephen Backus 1 4 was baptized on 3 Jan 1640/41 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng 4 and died in 1695 in Canterbury, Windham Co., CT 1.
Documented events in his life were:
1. Mention in Will, Inv. or Prob.; 21 Jun 1661; Norwich, New London Co., CT 2 3. Estate was transfered to him before his father's death. Charged with the care of his step-mother, Ann.
Stephen married Sarah Spencer 12, daughter of Ensign Gerard Spencer and Hannah Joannis Hills. (Sarah Spencer was born on 27 Jul 1644 in Haddam, Middlesex Co., CT 12 and died after 1707 12.)
6 U v. Infant Backus 4 was buried on 7 Jan 1629/30 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng 4.
7 F vi. Mary (Maria) Backus 4 13 was baptized on 6 May 1632 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng 4 and died on 8 Jul 1717 in Wethersfield, Hartford Co., CT 13.
Documented events in her life were:
1. Mention in Will, Inv. or Prob.; 21 Jun 1661; Norwich, New London Co., CT 2 3. Father's will bequeathed three bushels of Indian corn to Beniamin Crane and his wife.
8 U vii. Infant Backus 4 was buried on 28 Dec 1640 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng 4.