Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills
Peter Mills was of Dutch ancestry but all the others on this page are from England.
See all links in Mills Family TreeThe Mills/Van der Muelen Family
The first immigrant in this branch came to America from Holland and later descendants change their name to Mills from Van der Muelen.
Ellen Elizabeth Mills married Linus Daniels on March 19, 1844 in Freedom Township, Ohio. Ellen had come west with her family in about 1836 where she met and married Linus.
********John Mills married Philena Dewey in Hartford, Vermont on January 12, 1823. They moved to Portage County, Ohio with his parents in about 1836 to take up farming. In 1880 he was living with Linus and his daughter, Ellen Daniels.
Historical Note: Western Reserve
John Mills and Philena Dewey, Paul Larkcom and Comfort Norton, Ellen Mills and Linus Daniels, Roswell Mills and Polly Terry, Reuben Daniels and Polly Larkcom, John Francis and Mary Daniels, etc. all have in common that they moved west and settled in what was called at the time the Connecticut Western Reserve which was a portion of land claimed by the Colony of Connecticut and later by the state of Connecticut in what is now mostly the northeastern region of Ohio. The state sold the Western Reserve to the Connecticut Land Company in 1796. The investors in the Land Company, mostly from Connecticut, planned to divide the land into homestead plots and sell it to settlers from the east. Connecticut finally ceded sovereignty over the Western Reserve in 1800. The United States absorbed it into the Northwest Territory.
********Roswell Mills married Polly Terry on August 1, 1795 in Bethel, Vermont. The 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1830 censuses shows that he was the head of household residing in Bethel, Vermont. He must have been there as early was 1794 since he is mentioned in a dispute with the British who still had military posts in Vermont from the 1783 peace treaty. By 1850 the census shows him living with his daughter in Portage County, Ohio. His wife had died there 13 years earlier. Even at 80 years old his occupation is listed as a farmer.
********Roswell Mills married Eleanor Porter on July 20, 1759 in Windsor, Connecticut. He was an attorney and a merchant. He spent his life in the vicinity of Windsor.
********Peter Mills married Ruth Loomis in 1726. Following the profession of his father and grandfather, Peter was a tailor and merchant.
********Peter Mills married Joanna Porter in Hartford, Connecticut on July 22, 1692. Joanna was the daughter of the richest man in Windsor. Although two boys died in infancy, they had eight sons and one daughter. Four of his sons were educated at Yale College. Three of Peter's sons became ministers. Peter did not join the church until very late in his life. Peter was a tailor by trade and was also a substantial landowner in Wintonbury (now Bloomfield, Connecticut).
********
Dutch connection
Pieter Wouterse Van der Meulen married Dorcas Messenger on June 6, 1666 in Windsor, Connecticut. Pieter Wouterse Van der Meulen, when Anglicized was Peter Walbert of the Mills, which finally became shortened to Peter Mills. He petitioned the Colonial Legislature to formally change his name.
Pieter, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, settled in Windsor, Connecticut, around 1662. His father was a Dutch nobleman, knighted in consequence of improvements which he made in the construction of dikes or canals. While a student in the University of Leyden, Pieter fell under his father's displeasure on account of his religious views, was disinherited and, for conscience sake, fled to America, landing in Boston.
Known to many of his fellow colonists as simply "The Dutchman", there are several references to Pieter's connection with the "Dutch West India Company" and indeed he was referred to as "a tailor", a "merchant", and a "shopkeeper".
Pieter was very religious. By 1673 a conflict arose in the church at Windsor and eventually, Pieter, along with 29 other men in the church, signed a complaint protesting the interpretation of doctrine. One of the conflicts was apparently over the issue of who would be baptized in the church. Pieter and wife Dorcas had very strong, unbending beliefs.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey
The Dewey Family
There is some uncertainty about the Dewey family ancestry but there is a strong likelihood that the link goes back to immigrant Thomas Dewey.
Philena Dewey married John Mills on January 12, 1823 in Hartford, Vermont. In a sidenote, James Mills, a merchant in Unionville, Ohio in partnership with boatbuilder George Turner built one of the largest sailing vessels on the Great Lakes and named it the "Philena Mills." Clearly a likely connection but yet unproven.[3]
********James Dewey married Rhoda Robinson on January 1, 1801 in Hartford, Vermont. He worked as a carpenter and, although born in Connecticut, spent most of his life in Vermont. The couple lived on their son Elisha's farm in Vermont into their 80s.
In the case of James Dewey, there are other Deweys of about the right age who have a similar connection to Connecticut and then Vermont. I follow the Dewey line with them, knowing that it may not be correct. These ancestors can be found here. There is a strong likelihood that whoever the intermediate ancestor, they are descendants of Josiah Dewey.
********Josiah Dewey married Hepzibah Lyman on November 6, 1662 in Northampton, Massachusetts. He was a deacon of the church, and during King Phillip's War he was made Sergeant of the Guard at Westfield. They had 11 children, the first four born in Northampton, Massachusetts and the remaining seven born at Westfield.
********Thomas Dewey married Frances Randall on May 22, 1638 in Windsor, Connecticut. Thomas emigrated from Kent county, England and became a freeman at Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1634. He later came to Windsor, Connecticut with Rev. Huit where he married Frances Randall. Thomas died at about 45 years old leaving six small children. Frances was thrice married.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Lyman
The Lyman Family
The Lyman family members were among the earliest settlers of Hartford, Connecticut.
Hepzibah Lyman married Josiah Dewey on November 6, 1662 in Northampton, Massachusetts.
********Richard Lyman married Hepzibah Ford in 1640 in Hartford, Connecticut. They settled in Northampton, Massachusetts in about 1655.
Hepzibah was the daughter of Thomas Ford and Elizabeth Charde who had married in Brideport, Dorset, England on July 19, 1615. Elizabeth was the widow of Aaron Cooke. Thomas and Elizabeth and their four daughters arrived in New England on the Mary and John in 1630. Elizabeth had been previously married to Aaron Cooke before he died. Aaron Cooke's son, Aaron, Jr., is both the stepson and son-in-law of Thomas Ford. Aaron is the son of Aaron Cooke and Elizabeth Chard. When the elder Aaron died, his widow, Elizabeth, married Thomas Ford, who had been married to Joan (or Joanne) Way and they had a daughter, Mary Miriam Ford. Aaron Cooke the younger, now the stepson of Thomas Ford, married Mary Miriam Ford, thereby also becoming the son-in-law of Thomas Ford.********
Richard Lyman married Sarah Osbourne by 1611 in England. About the middle of August in 1631 Richard Lyman and his family boarded the ship Lion which sailed from the Port of Bristol, England. New England Governor John Winthrop’s wife Martha sailed on the same vessel, one of the other 60 passengers. After ten weeks at sea they arrived on the 4th of November at Boston. Richard settled originally at Charlestown, Massachusetts. He became an original proprietor of Hartford, Connecticut after 1635.
Among Richard's many descendants was David Lyman a noted missionary in Hawaii. His restored home is now the Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hilo, Hawaii.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Terry
The Terry Family
The Terry family is another line with uncertain links.
Polly Terry married Roswell Mills on August 1, 1795 in Bethel, Vermont.
Without definitive documentation John Terry and Mary Mason are possible candidates to the parents of Polly Terry. There is the circumstantial evidence that Mary and John are both from Lebanon, Connecticut where Polly was born and they are the right age. There is also the name of Polly's first child, Mason Porter Terry. Porter is the surname of Polly's mother in law and Mason would be her mother. I follow the Terry line with them, knowing that it may not be correct.
********John Terry married Mary Mason on September 12, 1771 in Lebanon, Connecticut. It is possible that this is the same John Terry who was a resident of Bethel, Vermont in 1799.
********Samuel Terry married Sarah Webster on January 18, 1728. They were the parents of at least 8 sons and 7 daughters.
*******Ephraim Terry married Hannah Eggleston on July 25, 1695 in Springfield, Massachusetts. They later moved to Lebanon, Connecticut.
********Samuel Terry married Ann Lobdell on January 3, 1660 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was indentured to McKay ancestor William Pynchon of Springfield for at least 5 years for paying his passage to America. In 1650 Samuel, with the consent of his master, William Pynchon, apprenticed himself to Benjamin Cooley of Springfield, Massachusetts, a weaver, "to serve him for three years, six months and some days and for such labor, he was to receive fifty shillings for each year in good merchantable peas at three shillings per bushel and he was to be taught the weaving business provided he will be willing and careful to learn." Samuel was one of the inhabitants of Springfield who signed a 1668 petition against duties on imports into and exports out of the colony along with fellow Petersen ancestor, John Keep.
Samuel probably moved to Connecticut after the death of Ann in 1684. He was present at the first town meeting in Enfield, Connecticut in 1688. After Ann's death he remarried Sarah Bliss but that marriage ended in divorce four years later. In 1693 he made an agreement to teach the art of weaving to his stepson.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Porter
The Porter Family
The Porter family is associated with Connecticut but the Stanley family broke off and went to Hadley, Massachusetts due to religious differences.
Eleanor Porter married Roswell Mills.
********Nathaniel Porter married Eleanor Dodd in Windsor, Connecticut on August 3, 1738.
********Eleanor's father, Edward Dodd, married Lydia Flowers on August 2, 1705 in Hartford, Connecticut. Edward came to Hartford when he was eighteen, about 1682 to accompany his sister. Very little is known about Edward's parents other than their names were John and Joanna Dodd.
Lamrock Flowers married Lydia Hewett Smith on September 20, 1686 in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Lamrock was a lawyer who settled about 1685 in Hartford, Connecticut.
Lamrock's 11X great grandfather is King Henry III of England.
Joseph Porter married Hannah Buell on December 5, 1699 at Killingsworth, Connecticut.
********John Porter married Mary Stanley in 1650 in Hartford, Connecticut.
********Mary's parents Thomas Stanley and Bennet Tritton married on August 3, 1630 in Ashford, Kent, England. He came from England in the ship Planter to Lynn, MA in 1635. He sailed with two brothers Timothy and John. Unfortunately, John died on the journey, leaving two orphan children. The Massachusetts courts assigned one each to John's brothers. Thomas raised his nephew John Stanley. Thomas moved to Hartford in 1636. He became a freeman in 1635 and a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1640.
Evidence indicates that a difference in some religious matters caused a group of people in Hartford to withdraw and subsequently they founded Hadley in Massachusetts. Thomas Stanley went to Hadley, Massachusetts, with the first settlers, in 1659.
John Porter married Anna White on October 18, 1620 in Messing, Essex, England. They came to New England in 1638 probably aboard the Susan and Ellen and settled in Windsor, Connecticut. John and Anna are also Stevens ancestors.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Porter/Dodd/Flowers /Smith
The Smith Family
The Smith family was recently featured in an article [5] tracing their roots back to Stratford-on-Avon, England.
Lydia Hewett Smith married Lamrock Flowers on September 20, 1686 in Wethersfield, Connecticut.
********Joseph Smith married Lydia Hewett on April 20, 1656 in Hartford, Connecticut. Joseph and Lydia had fifteen children. It seems likely that Joseph immigrated to New England about a decade before his parents and younger siblings.
********Lydia is the daughter of Rev. Ephraim Huit and Isabell Overton who was also the daughter of a preacher. Ephraim matriculated at St. John's College, Cambridge in 1611, and became a preacher at Knowll, Warwickshire, where he lived when his book "The Anatomy of Conscience" was published in London in 1626. He was "silenced by Archbishop Laud" in 1638. Laud was the powerful Archbishop of Canterbury who insisted on church ritual that Puritans did not support. After Ephraim was "silenced," meaning he no longer had a livelihood, he came to America in 1639. He went directly to Windsor, Connecticut, to join Rev. John Warham in leading the church there. Ephraim died in 1644 at Windsor, only five years after arriving in America, and left an estate of over 633 pounds, which would be considered a sizable estate.
Christopher Smith married Alice Gibbes in Stratford on Avon, England on May 1, 1616 in the same church where a week before William Shakespeare was buried. He was a Quaker and was moderately wealthy based on early Providence tax records. During King Philip's War his house, along with most of Providence, was burned to the ground.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Porter/Buell
The Buell Family
The Buell and Griswold families are tied to stories of mishaps at sea, dissenting religious beliefs, and witchcraft.
Hannah Buell married Joseph Porter on December 5, 1699 at Killingsworth, Connecticut.
********Samuel Buell married Deborah Griswold on November 13, 1662 in Windsor, Connecticut. Samuel was born in Windsor but later was one of the pioneers of Killingworth, Connecticut.
********Deborah's parents, Edward Griswold and Margaret Hicks were married in England in 1628. Edward is the brother of another Francis ancestor Matthew Griswold. Edward came to New England with Rev. Ephriam Huit from England; he was in Windsor by 1639. Edward was one of the first settlers of Killingworth, Connecticut called then "Kenilworth," in honor of his native place. Edward was instrumental in organizing the first church and was its first deacon. Edward served twice on a jury in the trial of persons accused of witchcraft, and in both cases the accused persons were pronounced worthy of death.
William Buell married Mary Post on November 18, 1640 in Windsor, Connecticut. On May 30, 1630, the sailing ship Mary and John arrived from England at Nantucket, Massachusetts. As the story has it, there were two vessels which brought the company led by Rev. John Warham. The two vessels were intended to accompany each other on the voyage over. At the time of embarkation a young girl named Mary Post became separated from her parents and was placed on the other vessel - the one on which William Buell sailed, the Mary and John. The two vessels were separated in a storm and the one on which her parents sailed was lost.
In October, 1650 William and Mary among seven others were indicted in Plymouth Colony as Baptists.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Terry/Mason
The Mason Family
The Mason family will be forever tied to the reputation of Major John Mason, a hero in his time, now viewed in a different light.
Mary Mason married John Terry on September 12, 1771 in Lebanon, Connecticut.
********Peleg Mason married Mary Stanton in Charleston, Rhode island on November 4, 1742. He died at just 40 years old.
********John Mason married Ann Sanford in Isle, Maryland on July 15, 1719. Ann was John's second wife; he had previously married his first cousin Anne Mason. John died in December, 1736, at London, where he had gone with Mahomet, grandson of Owaneco, to obtain recognition by the Crown to the right of Mahomet to the sachemship of the Mohegans.
********John Mason married Abigail Fitch about 1670. Captain John Mason commanded a company in King Phillip's War and was mortally wounded in the swamp fight at Narragansett on December 19, 1675. He was carried to New London, where he lingered until September 18, 1676, when he died.
Abigail was the daughter of James Fitch and Abigail Whitfield. He came to America when only sixteen years old, in a company of thirteen young men, all of whom intended to enter the ministry, and he was placed under the instruction of Reverands Hooker and Stone at Hartford, where he remained seven years. James was a founding settler of Norwich and Saybrook, Connecticut. Rev. James was the first ordained minister of Saybrook Congregational Church and the First Congregational Church of Norwich. He was instrumental in getting Uncas and the Mohegans and the Pequot Indians to side with the English against King Philip's Narragansett tribes. James married (second) October 1664, Priscilla, daughter of Major John Mason. This made Abigail not only James' daughter but also her brother-in-law. To add to the Fitch/Mason connection, Abigail’s brother married John’s sister Elizabeth. In a labored family connection, James is a cousin to John Fitch, the builder of the first steam ship, whose engine was supplied by Stevens ancestor, John Wilson.********
John Mason married Anne Peck in Hingham, Massachusetts in July, 1639. Anne was his second wife and they had seven children. He was a lieutenant in the English army in the wars of the Netherlands. In 1630 Mason immigrated to America on the Mary and John and settled in Dorchester, Massachusetts, where he represented that village in the General Court. He was a founder of Windsor, Old Saybrook, and Norwich, Connecticut. He was commander-in-chief of the forces of the colony of Connecticut, the rank corresponding to that of major-general, and retained the position for the remainder of his life, thirty-five years.
John's fame (or infamy) came during the Pequot War. The Pequot strength was concentrated along the Mystic River in what is now southwestern Connecticut. John Mason, who was not a Puritan, led the Puritan troops with help from Mohegan and Narragansett allies. They attacked one of two main fortified Pequot villages and killed an estimated 400-700 Pequots, including men, women and children. Only seven were taken prisoner while another seven made it into the woods to escape. The so-called Mystic massacre, also known as Battle of Mystic Fort, took place on May 26, 1637. There is still debate today about whether this constituted genocide. Captain John Underhill, who fought alongside of Mason, justified the killing of the elderly, women, children, and the infirm by stating that "sometimes the Scripture declareth women and children must perish with their parents... We had sufficient light from the Word of God for our proceedings."
This defeat broke the resources and spirit of the tribe, who retreated west to the Hudson River area. Following this victory, Mason was promoted to major and received numerous land grants as a reward for his services. The statue of John Mason located at Palisado Green in Windsor, Connecticut is set to be removed in the wake of national civil rights protests along with a statue of Christopher Columbus in the same area. The statue was erected at the site of the Mystic Massacre in 1889, but was moved to its current location in 1996 as Windsor was believed to be the location of his home. There is another Statue of John Mason at the Connecticut state capital building which has had numerous calls for removal.
In 1660 with his son-in-law, the Rev. James Fitch, he founded Norwich. During the first 8 years he was made deputy governor and for two years was acting governor while Gov. Winthrop was in England seeking Connecticut's charter from King Charles.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Terry/Mason/Stanton
The Stanton Family
The Stanton family began in North America with Thomas who was a well-known Indian language interpreter and trader in Connecticut. Later generations settled in Rhode Island.
Mary Stanton married Peleg Mason in Charleston, Rhode island on November 4, 1742.
********Joseph Stanton married Esther Gallup on January 2, 1704 in Westerly, Rhode Island. Joseph was a Justice of the Peace for Westerly.
********Joseph Stanton married Hannah Mead on June 19, 1673. Joseph was married four times and Hannah was his first wife. He married for his second wife, Hannah Lord, his cousin, of Hartford. Joseph settled on a tract of land which his father had purchased of an Indian chief, Cassawshett, alias Harmon Garret, in 1659.
Hannah was the daughter of William and Rebecca Mead. William arrived in Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1635 and settled in Roxbury.********
Thomas Stanton married Anna Lord in 1637 in Stonington, Connecticut. Thomas Stanton probably arrived in Massachusetts before the end of 1635 and subsequently made his way to Hartford. He learned the fur trading business and became conversant in the Algonquian language which led to important assignments as an interpreter. The first official record of Stanton was his participation in a conference with the Pequot Indians at Fort Saybrook in July, 1636. He quickly affiliated with the Thomas Lord family whom he may have known in England and who had recently emigrated from Towcester, England. He married Thomas' daughter, Anna, and established a merchant business alliance with Richard Lord. Thomas and Anna and settled on a large tract of land in what is now Stonington which his father had bought of a Narragansett Indian chief for a half bushel of wampum. The sachem's child was a captive and was redeemed by the aid of Thomas Stanton, so the Indian sold the land as part payment of the price.
During the Pequot War, Thomas provided service initially as an interpreter at Fort Saybrook. It was during the Fairfield Swamp Battle on July 14, 1637 that Stanton nearly lost his life. He arranged a temporary cease fire and managed to negotiate the surrender of 200 non-combatant Indians under a guarantee of safe passage. After these people passed beyond Thomas’ exposed, forward position, the 100 remaining Pequot warriors opened fire without warning and advanced toward him. He was rescued at the last moment by nearby colonial troops. Stanton was a delegate at the Treaty of Hartford ending the Pequot War in 1638 and, in 1643, was appointed Indian Interpreter for all of New England by the Commissioners of the United Colonies.
Thomas became a successful trading entrepreneur in Hartford involving fur and other commodities. In 1650, he was granted permission to establish a trading post on the Pawcatuck River with a 3 year trade monopoly. He moved his family from Hartford to New London in 1651 and then to Pawcatuck in 1657. From 1650-1675, Stanton continued to serve as interpreter and negotiator with the Indians. He was appointed to be a counselor for the Pequots and Mohegans and gained a reputation for supporting the fair treatment of Indian peoples. In one case, he protested the excessive reparations that were being demanded long after the end of the Pequot War. In another, he accused the Commissioners of the United Colonies of abandoning Mohegan Sachem Uncas and was censored for his effort. The respect that developed between Uncas and Stanton was evident when Thomas was asked to write Uncas’ will in 1670.
Thomas is a very distant relative to another Petersen ancestor, John Stratton, through William Staunton (1273-1341). Thomas' parents are unknown.
Anna was the daughter of immigrant Thomas Lord and Dorothy Bird and the sister of Dorothy Lord, all Petersen ancestors.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Terry/Mason/Stanton /Gallup
The Gallup Family
The Gallup family's first two generations are known for John senior and junior, the former a noted mariner and the latter a soldier who died in King Phillip's War.
Esther Gallup married Joseph Stanton on January 2, 1704 in Stonington, Connecticut.
********Benadam Gallup married Esther Prentice in 1682 in Boston, Massachusetts. Both he and Esther were members of the Congregational Church in Stonington, Connecticut.
********Esther was the daughter of John Prentice and Hester Nichols. John arrived in Massachusetts in 1632 as a small boy with his mother. His occupations were recorded as being both a blacksmith and seaman. He lived in Boston in 1631; Roxbury in 1632; and New London in 1652.
John's father was Valentine Prentice emigrated to Boston in 1631. His wife, Alice Bredda, followed in 1632 bringing John and his brother Josias. Josias died at sea on the voyage to America at age five and the following year Valentine died in Roxbury, leaving his widow Alice, and John, now five years old.
John Prentice married first Hester Nichols, who was the daughter of John Nichols and his first wife (name unknown). He married second Esther Nichols, daughter of Caleb Nichols and his wife Anne Ward. Hester and Esther were first cousins. (John and Caleb were brothers.) John Nichols is believed to have been in Watertown, Massachusetts by 1634. He went to Wethersfield, Connecticut, (just south of Hartford) in 1637-8 and removed to Stratford, Connecticut in 1639.
John Gallup married Hannah Lake in 1643 in Boston, Massachusetts. John arrived in Massachusetts on the ship Griffin with his mother and siblings September 4, 1633 three years after his father's arrival. He was an Indian interpreter from 1665-1675.
In 1671 he was granted 100 acres of land by the General Court of Connecticut. "With Massachusetts forces he was in the Pequot War and bore himself so bravely that the General Court of Connecticut gave him a grant of 100 acres of land." January 1675 he was made Captain of the 1st Company of the Connecticut Regiment where he fought in King Phillip's War. In February 1675 in Narragansett, now South Kingston, Rhode Island having raised 70 men under Captain John Mason of Norwich, Captain John Gallup joined with him at the head of the Mohegans. On December 19, 1675 he was killed along with ten men of his company in the Great Swamp Fight, fought in Narragansett, Washington, Rhode Island.
********Hannah was the daughter of immigrants John Lake and Margaret Reade. John and Margaret had a family of eight children of which only three were known to survive childhood. In addition to Hannah and another sister, they also had a son John, who is said not to have come to this country but was actually disowned for abandoning his education. In 1635 Margaret left her husband for reasons that are unknown. She decided to immigrate to New England along with her two daughters, Hannah and Martha. On October 6, 1635, after a ten weeks passage on the Abigail, they arrived in Boston. Margaret was the sister to Elizabeth Reade, wife of Governor John Winthrop, Jr. Margaret and her daughters resided for some years with John and Elizabeth Winthrop.
John Lake, Sr. is a cousin to Petersen ancestor Thomas Lake. John Lake's family lineage can be traced back to King Henry I of England.
John Gallup married Christobel Brushett on January 19, 1617 in Bridgeport, England. John was a fisherman and mariner from Bridport, Dorsetshire, England who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1630 and settled in Boston. He became one of Boston's first harbor pilots; Gallop's Island is named after him. He died from "a great griping in his bowels."
Christobel was a reluctant immigrant. In 1632 John Winthrop wrote the following about Christobel Gallup's fear of joining her husband in the colonies: "I have much difficulty to keep John Galloppe here by reason his wife will not come. I marvel at the woman's weakness that she will live miserably with her children there, when she might live comfortably here with her husband. I pray persuade and further her coming by all means: if she will come let her have the remainder of his wages, if not, let it be bestowed to bring over his children, for so he desires: it would be above £40 loss to him to come for her."
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Terry/Mason/Sanford
The Sanford Family
The Sanford family along with their relatives, the Coddingtons and Hutchinsons, include some of the most historically significant ancestors in our family tree.
Ann Sanford married John Mason in Isle, Maryland on July 15, 1719. Ann was the widow of Dr. James Noyes of Stonington, Connecticut.
********Peleg Sanford married Mary Coddington in 1676 in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1663-4, Peleg and his brothers William and Elisha conducted business in Barbados. Peleg returned to Newport and was a freeman there on May 2, 1666. Peleg carried on a large business, shipping wool and horses from New England to Barbados, sugar from Barbados to London and English goods from London to New England. He was a "very prominent merchant at Newport."
He was appointed captain of a troop of horses on 24 Jul 1667. In 1668 he was imprisoned in Boston for debt, but a bond was posted by his uncle Edward Hutchinson. In 1679 Peleg was promoted to major in command of the Rhode Island militia and 1687 was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel. He was elected the 10th Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from 1680 to 1683.
Mary was the daughter of William Coddington and Ann Brinley. William went to New England in 1630, the year in which the New Boston was founded, as one of the Magistrates appointed by the Crown. He had sailed from Southampton in the ship Arabella for Salem. In 1637 he left Boston, Massachusetts because he was a supporter of Anne Hutchinson, who was exiled by the Puritans. Following the advice of Roger Williams, William purchased land from Native Americans in what is now Rhode Island and founded the town of Portsmouth. In 1639 Hutchinson and Samuel Gorton deposed Coddington as Portsmouth's leader, and he formed the town of Newport. Having served as a Magistrate in England and Massachusetts and an Assistant to Governor John Winthrop, he continued to be looked to for leadership, serving as a Judge in Portsmouth and Newport. When Portsmouth and Newport organized as the colony of Rhode Island, he served as Governor from 1640 to 1647 and 1651 to 1653. In 1665 William having openly joined the Quakers attempted to bring about peace with the local government.********
John Sanford married Bridget Hutchinson. John was the cannoneer at the fort in Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, but was forced to leave Boston in 1637 when his mother-in-law, the famed Anne Hutchinson, was evicted for her religious views, having, in the words of John Winthrop, "seduced and led into dangerous errors many of the people...in New England." With Anne Hutchinson and her followers, the Sanfords established themselves in Portsmouth in the Rhode Island colony, and John was briefly the governor of the two towns of Newport and Portsmouth, which were separated from Providence and Warwick for a short time.
Bridget was the daughter of William Hutchinson and Anne Marbury. William Hutchinson was a prominent merchant and judge in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of Rhode Island. William, a wealthy sheep farmer and textile merchant, married Anne Marbury on August 9, 1612 at Saint Mary Woolnoth, Lincoln, England. The Hutchinson family came to New England in the ship Griffin, landing at Boston, September 18, 1634. In consequence of the Antinomian controversy, which resulted in the banishment of his wife, William removed with most of his family in 1638 to Rhode Island.
Bridget's mother, Anne Marbury, has been called "the most famous—or infamous—English woman in colonial American history." For Anne Hutchinson's story go here. Anne was a cousin to the English poet, John Dryden.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Terry/Webster
The Webster Family
The Webster family includes one of the first governors of Connecticut.
Sarah Webster married Samuel Terry on January 18, 1728.
********George Webster married Sarah Bliss on December 13, 1695 in Springfield, Massachusetts. George and Sarah were the parents of 13 children. George was one of the first settlers of Lebanon, Connecticut in 1705.
********Thomas Webster married Abigail Alexander in Northampton, Massachusetts on June 16, 1663. It is believed that Thomas went with his parents and Rev. Hooker to Hartford, Connecticut. He moved with them to Hadley, Massachusetts and in 1661 he and his brother William inherited their father's land there.
As an example of strict Puritan law, on March 28, 1670, Thomas was arrested for defaming the Sabbath by traveling to Westfield from Windsor late in the night before the Sabbath. The trip ended after midnight, so he was admonished and ordered to pay a fine of 2 & 6 pence.
Thomas and his family moved to Northampton in 1674 but were driven away by the Indian Wars and returned to Hadley. Thomas married late in life and when he died in 1686, at about 60 years old, he left a widow and 5 children ages 5 to 16.
Scotland connection
Abigail was the daughter of George Alexander and Susanna Sage. George was born in Sterling, Scotland and had a nickname of "Scotch." His father, John, had been the original immigrant. George and Susanna were married on March 18, 1644 in Windsor, Connecticut. He was one of the original settlers of Northampton, Massachusetts.
George became connected with witch trials in 1656 in Northampton. Sarah Bridgman had called Mary Parsons a witch. In the course of the proceedings George Alexander and Samuel Allen were called upon to testify about an ox which had been bitten by a rattlesnake, it was alleged, through witchcraft of Mary Parsons. Both men said that they saw "nothing but what might com to passe in ye ordinary way and they killed the rattlesnake." In the course of time Alexander apparently became more credulous as to the power of witches, for in 1691 he was one of the accusers of Mary Randall, whose offence was "familiarity with the devil."
********
John Webster married Agnes Smith on November 7, 1609 in Cossington, Leicestershire, England. In the early 1630s, John traveled to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with his wife and five children, settling in the area of Newtowne (now Cambridge, Massachusetts). He left in 1636, in all probability with Thomas Hooker and his adherents, to settle Hartford, Connecticut. In 1656 he was elected governor, and he served as first magistrate from 1657 to 1659. John and Agnes left Hartford in 1659 for Hadley, Massachusetts over a church dispute. He died there of a fever in 1661.
John is the 3X great grandfather of Noah Webster, the American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English-language spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and author.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Terry/Webster/Bliss
The Bliss Family
The Bliss and Leonard families are closely associated with Springfield, Massachusetts.
Sarah Bliss married George Webster on December 13, 1695 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
********Samuel Bliss married Mary Leonard on November 10, 1677 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Samuel came to America in 1635 with his parents. He became a prominent citizen of Springfield.
Samuel's sister, Mary, was accused of witchcraft in 1674 but was exonerated.
Mary is the daughter of John Leonard and Sarah Heald and the sister of the ill-fated Sarah Leonard who was killed in an Indian raid. That makes her and her sister a direct ancestor twice over.********
Thomas Bliss married Margaret Hulins on October 18, 1621 in Gloucester, England. Thomas, with his wife Margaret and family, embarked at Plymouth, England for New England, probably about 1635. It is said that Thomas and his sons were severely persecuted by Archbishop Laud and lost most of their wealth before coming to America. He was a resident of Braintree, Massachusetts by 1640 and his name is on the Founders Monument at Hartford, Connecticut.
After Thomas' death, Margaret moved with her youngest children to Springfield, Massachusetts.
Thomas has many famous descendants including Ralph Waldo Emerson, his 5X great grandson.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Terry/Eggleston
The Eggleston Family
The Eggleston family was very prolific leaving many descendants.
Hannah Eggleston married Ephraim Terry on July 25, 1695 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
********James Eggleston married Esther Kelsey on April 29, 1653 in Windsor, Connecticut. James had a grant of land of fifty acres at Windsor in 1671. “James Egleston being seized with death, a jury being sworn to find out the cause and manner of his death upon oath, returned that he was by the providence of God taken with a swond and so dyed.”
Esther was the daughter of William and Hester (last name unknown) Kelsey. After James' death, Esther married James Eno and John Williams. Her father, William was one of the original "Braintree Company" followers of the Reverend Thomas Hooker, who came to America and they were the first settlers of "New Towne" (now Cambridge) Massachusetts in 1632. In 1636 he became one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut when Rev. Hooker's congregation relocated there. In March 1663, William Kelsey and 26 others migrated to the "Hammonossit Plantation" and founded the Town of "Kenilworth", later changed to "Killingworth." It is said that he may have left because of a dispute on theological matters in which he had "recieved the worst of the argument."********
Bygod Eggleston married James' mother in Dorchester, Suffolk, England but she died before they came to America. He came to Massachusetts Bay with his family in 1630. He brought to the colonies with him three sons, James, John and Samuel. They first settled in Dorchester, Massachusetts and moved to Windsor, Connecticut in 1635. It is possible that Bigod had two wives in England and two wives in New England; the identities of any of whom are not known or proven. Bygod had at least 63 grandchildren and 144 great-grandchildren. An expert in population studies has estimated that he was the progenitor of no less than 12 million American-born descendants, all of which would have come from 8 of his children. Among Bygod's descendants is the abolitionist, John Brown.
Bygod was fined 20 shillings in 1645 for "bequeathing his wife to a young man." The young man, a George Tuckye, was fined 40 shillings, but he took off and didn't pay. Unfortunately, no further information about this event exists, so we can only guess what happened. In 1669 he was paid £3.10s for “4 wolves, meeting house,” meaning that, in addition to wages for maintaining the church, he was paid a bounty for four wolf pelts. The bounty, established to protect the community’s livestock from predation, suggests Bygod may have been spry enough to hunt wolves as an octogenarian.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Robinson
The Robinson Family
The Robinson family includes the Revolutionary War veteran, Amos Robinson.
Rhoda Robinson married James Dewey on January 1, 1801 in Hartford, Vermont.
********Amos Robinson married Deborah Hyde on May 11, 1758 in Newton, Massachusetts. Amos served in the Revolutionary War.
********Amos Robinson married Priscilla Lake on September 3, 1733. Amos married for a second time in 1743 to Lydia Wentworth.
********Jacob Robinson married Elizabeth Cummings on May 9, 1708.
********John Robinson married Dorothy Perkins in 1669 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. John's parents are uncertain.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Robinson/Hyde
The Hyde Family
The Hyde family were founding settlers of Norwich, Connecticut.
Deborah Hyde married Amos Robinson on May 11, 1758 in Newton, Massachusetts.
********Ebenezer Hyde married Dorothy Gray February 25, 1729 in Lebanon, New London, Connecticut. Dorothy had married Samuel Throop in 1722, but Samuel died four years later leaving her with three children. But she met and married Ebenezer in 1729 and had eight children together.
********Samuel Hyde married Elizabeth Caulkins on December 16, 1690 in Norwich, New London, Connecticut. He lived first at West Farms, now Franklin, but removed to Windham and afterwards to Lebanon.
********Samuel Hyde married Jane Lee in June 1659 in Norwich, Connecticut. Samuel and his father William were among the original 35 proprietors of Norwich in 1660. He was a farmer who died when he was only 39 years old.
Jane's father, Thomas Lee, died on the voyage to New England of small pox, and was buried at sea leaving his wife and three children. Jane's mother's father, William Browne and her mother (also Jane) were on the same ship. Like her husband, Jane's mother also died of small pox on the voyage. The surviving family settled in Saybrook, Connecticut. William later relocated to Southampton, Long Island where he was a merchant.********
Samuel's father was William Hyde but his origins are unknown. Nothing has been found about his birth, parents or any other relatives. Nothing is known of his wife either. William may have come to America with Rev. Thomas Hooker but no records have been found listing the members of that party. However, his name appears on the monument erected in "Old Center Burying Ground" in Hartford as one of the first settlers. He also had lands assigned to him in Hartford, his name appearing on the first list of landholders compiled in 1639. His name also appears on the rolls as one of the original members of the First Church of Hartford where Rev. Hooker was the first pastor.
William Hyde was a founder of Saybrook. William and his family once again followed Rev. Fitch and were founders of the new settlement of Mohegan, in 1660. Two years later, the town became known as Norwich.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Robinson/Hyde /Gray
The Gray Family
The Gray family in America starts with the rags-to-riches story of Edward Gray and includes his connection (by his first wife) to Mayflower travelers, the Chiltons.
Dorothy Gray married Ebenezer Hyde February 25, 1729.
********Samuel Gray married Deborah Church on January 5, 1698 in Bristol, Rhode Island. Samuel was only 30 years old when he died in 1712.
********Edward Gray married Dorothy Lettice on December 12, 1665 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Edward's second marriage. Edward’s first wife, Mary Winslow was the daughter of Mary Chilton who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620 at age 13 with her parents, James Chilton and Susannah Furnier. James died on December 8, 1620 on the Mayflower in Cape Cod Harbor before they landed at Plymouth. Her mother died a month later in January 1621. John Winslow, Mary’s father, arrived in Plymouth in 1621 on the second boat, the Fortune in 1621.
Edward immigrated to America in 1642 with his brother Thomas on the ship Recovery out of London. This ship was owned by his uncle Alexander Graie. The story is that Edward and Thomas were sent to America by relatives who were scheming for the property that Edward and Thomas were to inherit in England. He relocated to Plymouth in 1643 where he became a landowner and merchant. He was a key investor in lands south of Plymouth to Newport Harbor.
Dorothy was the daughter of Thomas Lettice and Ann Savoy. Thomas was in Plymouth, Massachusetts before 1636. He was a carpenter and was made freeman of Plymouth Colony in 1653.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Robinson/Hyde /Gray/Church
The Church Family
The Church family settled in Massachusetts and later relocated to Rhode Island.
Deborah Church married Samuel Gray on January 5, 1698 in Bristol, Rhode Island.
********Joseph Church married Mary Tucker on December 30, 1660 in Hingham, Massachusetts. Joseph probably came to Hingham with his parents in 1653. He was a carpenter. His father's will left him a double portion "by reason of the lameness of his hand." Joseph and Mary moved from Hingham to Little Compton in 1679. In his will Joseph left "To Indian boy Amos one half of 16 acre lot at Cookset."
Mary's father was John Tucker who probably came to New England aboard the Mary and John. He lived in Watertown and Hingham, Massachusetts.
********
Richard Church married Elizabeth Warren on March 14, 1637 in Plymouth Colony. Richard was in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1630 and relocated to Plymouth in 1631. He later lived in Eastham, Charlestown and Hingham. His occupation was carpenter and he served in the Pequot War in 1637.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Robinson/Hyde /Gray/Church/Warren
The Warren Family
The Warren family includes the Mayflower passenger, Richard Warren.
Elizabeth Warren married Richard Church on March 14, 1637 in Plymouth Colony. Elizabeth, her mother, and her four sisters came to the New World on the ship Anne in 1623.
********
Richard Warren married Elizabeth Walker on April 14, 1610 in Great Armwell, Hertford, England. Richard was a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620.You can find Richard Warren's story here.
Elizabeth and Richard had two sons in Plymouth before he died in 1628. Elizabeth Walker never remarried but outlived Richard by 45 years. All of Richard Warren's children survived to adulthood, married, and had large families: making Richard Warren one of the most common Mayflower passengers to be descended from. Richard Warren's descendants include such notables as Civil War general and President Ulysses S. Grant; President Franklin D. Roosevelt; and Alan B. Shepard, Jr. the first American in space and the fifth person to walk on the moon.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Robinson/Hyde /Calkins
The Calkins Family
The Calkins family is associated with the founding of New London, Connecticut.
Elizabeth Caulkins married Samuel Hyde on December 16, 1690 in Norwich, New London, Connecticut.
********John Calkins married Sarah Royce in 1657 in New London, Connecticut. John arrived in the New World with his parents Hugh and Anne Calkins and at least three siblings sometime around 1640.
Sarah was the daughter of Robert Royce and Mary Sims. Robert was in Stratford, Connecticut in 1643, was in New London, Connecticut in 1657 and was an early settler of Mansfield. He was a shoemaker and a constable.
*********
Hugh Calkins married Ann Eaton in about 1626. Hugh and Ann came to the New World with a group called the "Welsh Party" around 1640. From papers left by the leader, Reverend Richard Blynman, it was clear that this group had left from Chepstow, Monmouthshire, on the southern border between England and Wales by the River Severn, primarily to escape the religious persecution that was common in England. Rev. Blynman and Hugh Calkins with his family, moved on to Green’s Harbor (now Marshfield) and Gloucester, Massachusetts, and then founded the city of New London, Connecticut.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Robinson/Lake
The Lake Family
The Lake and Goodyear families were among the original settlers of New Haven Colony with later generations moving to Topsfield, Massachusetts.
Priscilla Lake married Amos Robinson on September 3, 1733 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. She died just twelve years after their wedding.
********Eliezer Lake married Lydia Ford on December 7, 1708 in Topsfield, Massachusetts.
Stevens/McKay Connection
Lydia's parents were Martin Ford and Lydia Griffen who are ancestors of the McKay family and can be found here.*******
Henry Lake married Priscilla Wildes on May 9, 1681 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. Henry was a weaver.
********Priscilla as the daughter of John Wildes and Priscilla Gould. He had arrived from London, England in 1635 on the ship Elizabethwith his parents William and Alice Wildes. When Priscilla died in 1663, John remarried Sarah Averill. Sarah was wrongly convicted of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials and was executed by hanging. You can see her story here.
Priscilla Gould was the daughter of Zaccheus Gould and Phebe Deacon who married in April 1597 in Hempstead, England. Their first residence after emigrating was in Weymouth, Essex County, Massachusetts, they then moved to Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts. From 1639 to 1644 Zaccheus lived in Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts and in 1640 he owned a mill on the Saugus River. By 1644 his family resided in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts. In 1656 Zaccheus was “arraigned before the Ipswich Court for absence from meeting on the Lord's Day…" He was then arraigned, but was admonished, for disturbing a church service and was found guilty for the entertaining of Quakers. He owned over 3000 acres of land in Topsfield and Rowley Village (later Boxfield, Massachusetts); at the time of his death, making him the largest landowner in the region.
Thomas Lake married Mary Goodyear in 1649 in New Haven, Connecticut. Thomas was an influential merchant in Boston. He became Captain of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in Massachusetts in 1653,1662 and 1674. He was a ship owner in 1654 and that same year purchased half of Arrowsic Island in Kennebec, Maine. He owned a trading post and made many large transactions with the Indians. He was made a freeman and then selectman in 1671. Thomas was killed by Indians August 14, 1676 at Kennebec.
Mary's parents were Stephan Goodyeare and Mary Hopkins. Stephan was a merchant, mariner, and West Indies trader. He was the first Deputy Governor of New Haven Colony. He married, first, by 1626, Mary. She died at sea on the Lamberton ship in 1646. He remarried Margaret (Lewen) Lamberton. She was the widow of George Lamberton, captain of the same ship that went down in 1646.
Two Stevens/McKay connections
Lydia Ford's parents are Martin Mathew Ford and Lydia Griffin. They are related through their son Matthew to the Stevens family.
Stephan and Mary Goodyear are the parents of Mary (Goodyear) Lake, a Petersen ancestor and Hannah (Goodyear) Wakeman, a McKay ancestor.
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Robinson/Cummings
The Cummings Family
The Cummings family had many unfortunate encounters with Native Americans during the early colonial period.
Elizabeth Cummings married Jacob Robinson on May 9, 1708. There is some doubt of her parentage but it seems likely that she is a descendant of Isaac Cummings.
*********John Cummings married Elizabeth Kinsley on September 13, 1680 in Dunstable, Massachusetts. John was a Sergeant in the colonial militia. On July 3, 1706, John and Elizabeth went out to milk their cows and left the gate open. Indians who had advanced undiscovered, shot Elizabeth dead and wounded John who was able to reach the woods while the Indians were engaged in the house. That night he lay in a swamp. The next day he arrived at the garrison near Tyngsborough Village. He was a carpenter and helped build the meetinghouse in 1677 and a bridge over Salmon Creek in 1699. His house was one of seven garrisons in 1711."
********
John Cummings married Sarah Howlett in 1655 in Boxford, Massachusetts. John was one of the first settlers in Dunstable. Their family was particularly hard hit by Indian attacks. On 2 Nov 1688, their sons Isaac and Ebenezer were killed by Indians. As described above, in 1706, their son John and his wife were attacked. On September 5, 1724 a group of 14 soldiers was attacked by Indians at Thornton's Ferry. Two grandsons of John and Sarah were killed.
********Sarah was the daughter of Thomas Howlett and Alice French. Thomas arrived in New England in 1630 on one of the ships of the Winthrop fleet. He was a carpenter by trade. He first came to Boston but by 1633 he had relocated to Agawam (Ipswich) where he became a freeman. Eventually Thomas went to Topsfield. He served as both a sergeant and ensign in the Ipswich militia.
Alice was the daughter of Thomas French and Susanna Riddlesdale. Thomas French, Sr. followed Thomas, Jr. to Boston, about 1637, after Reverend Nathaniel Thomas and several remaining members of his congregation left Assington for Boston in late 1636. Thomas the elder died in 1639. Thomas the younger became a Quaker. Writers have commented on the “Quaint way Thomas French wrote his surname, “ffrench”, but he was just writing his name ffrench or French with the accepted Capital F of the time.
Isaac Cummings came from England to Massachusetts in October, 1635. He lived in Ipswich, Watertown, and was a deacon in Topsfield. Isaac's wife was Ann (last name unknown).
Stevens/Petersen/Roberts /Francis/Daniels/Mills /Dewey/Robinson/Cummings /Kinsley
The Kinsley Family
The Kinsley/Kingsley and Brackett families are associated with the Massachusetts towns of Braintree and Dunstable.
Elizabeth Kinsley married John Cummings married on September 13, 1680 in Dunstable, Massachusetts.
*********Samuel Kinsley married Hannah Brackett in about 1655 in Braintree, Massachusetts. In 1659 he had a land grant at Billerica where he died.
After Samuel died in 1662, Hannah married Deacon John Blanchard. She died in the same Indian raid on Dunstable, Massachusetts that killed Elizabeth (Kinsley) Cummings (see above).
Hannah was the daughter of Richard Brackett and Alice Blower who married in London on January 16, 1633. At the age of six Richard was left fatherless. At the age of 20 he sailed for New England with the Winthrop Fleet and was in Massachusetts as early as August 27, 1630 when he was among the organizers of the First Church of Boston. He returned to England and married Alice. He was a jailer in Boston and in about 1641 relocated to Braintree. in 1654 Richard was promoted to be the Captain of the train-band (militia) in Braintree. They defended Braintree during raids that took place in King Philip's War in 1675-76.
Richard was the son of Peter Brackett and Rachel (last name possibly Wheatley. Peter died in England and after two years' time Rachel remarried to Martin Saunders. Martin, Rachel and seven minor children set sail from London aboard the Planter and arrived in Boston on June 7, 1635. The Saunders and Brackett families settled in part of Boston that became Braintree.
General History
Relations with Native Americans
History
Migration
Schleswig-Holstein immigration
Details