Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Capt. John Riggs, son of Samuel Riggs, mar- ried Elizabeth Tomlinson, February 23, 1700, and lived on his father's homestead, which the father had deeded to him at the time of his death, September 24, 1755, when he was seventy-eight years of age. He was a man of solid worth, hon- ored in many offices, and was commissioned cap- tain in 1722; was appointed by the State one of "the conmiissioners to divide Woodbury into two societies in 1723; was appointed on a committee of seven for the State to investigate the question of the "western lands," made a report in May, 1731, according to which five towns were laid out — Colbrook, Hartland; Winchester, Barkham- sted; Torrington, New Hartford and Harring- ton. He had five children. Lieut. Joseph Riggs, son of Capt. John Riggs, married Mabel Johnson, February 20, 1740. The next in line was Joseph Riggs, born July 20, 1746, and died May 15, 1822. He married Elizabeth Johnson, who was born March 14, 1753, a daughter of Joseph Johnson. His sec- ond son, Ranford Riggs, was born in 1783, and died April 10, 1832. He married Deborah Bald- win, who was born in 1782, and died in 1868. She was a daughter of Dr. Silas Baldwin, of the Revolutionary army. His son, John S. Riggs, born in 1805, died in 1870. He married Maria Pardee, who was born in 18 12, and died April 3, 1850. Their daughter, Julia Riggs, born Decem- ber 18, 1832, married Joseph Clark, born Sep- tember 9, 1 83 1. LEWIS FAMILY. Edmund Lewis and his wife Mary, the former aged, at the time, thirty-three years, the latter aged thirty-two years, with their two children embarked April lO, 1634, on the good ship "Elizabeth" (Capt. William Andrews), at Ipswich, England, and ar- rived in Boston some time during the following June. Rev. John Sherman was a passenger on the same vessel. Edmund Lewis and his wife first located at Watertown, Mass., whence they removed, in 1643, to Lynn, in the same State. Edmund was admitted a freeman at Watertown, May 24, 1636, and was one of the selectmen of the place, 1638. He died at Lynn, January, 1651; Mary, his wife, died September 7, 1658. Their children were: John and Thomas, both born in Ipswich, England, the former in 1631, the latter in 1633; James, b. in Watertown, Mass., January 15, 1635-36; Nathaniel, b. in Watertown, August 25, 1639; an infant (un- named), b. in Watertown, October 27, 1642, buried November 6, 1642; and two b. in Lynn, Mass. (unnamed), in 1645 and 1648, respectively. WILL OF EDMUND LEWLS, OF LYNN, MASS. Lini the 13th uf the 11th inu. 1(550. Meinoramluin that I, Edmund Lewis, beinge sick and weake but of perfect re- membrance, due make and confirm this my last will and testament as foUoweth; First, my will is that my land at Watertown shall be soald and that my eldest son John Lewis shall have a double portyon, and the rest of my children namely the five young- est to have every one of them a licke portyon of my Estate. Secondly, my deare and loveing wife to have the third of all my whole Estate. Thirdly, I desire that my wife may have a cow over and above towards brmginge upe of my youngest children. Fourthly, my desire, my wife to be my whole ex- ecutor to dispose of my body and goods according to my will. Fifthly, My request to my son John is to give his Mother a Cow to help her towards the bringinge upe of my Youngest children. Sixthly, my reciuest to my Son Thomas Lewis is to give his Mother halfe of his Sheepe to help her as afore- said. Seventhly, My desire and meaninge is that the Cow I ask for of John and the Sheepe 1 ask of Thomas is of them that they now have in their possession. Also my request is to Thomas Hastines to be my supervisor to assist my love- inge wife. (Signed) Edmund Lewis. (Signed) John Deakin, Edward Bukcham. This will was brought into Court the 25th i2thMo. 1650-1, and Edward Burcham Sworne to the truth of it, and the Court ordered that the children shall have their several porcyons paid them at the age of twentie and one years." [Lewisiana, November, 1895, Page 72.] Benjamin Lewis, the settler at Stratford, Conn., is supposed to be the child born in Lynn, Mass., 1648, of Edmund Lewis (and his wife Mary), the settler at Lynn, Mass. In 1669 Ben- jamin Lewis was one on a list of forty persons to help to establish a village at Wallingford, Conn. By the New Haven Colony. [" Lewisiana," Feb- ruary, 1 897, Page 1 1 5— (By Helen Perry Maxwell, New York City). "On the records at New Haven, Conn., there is no mention of Benjamin Lewis, in the County Court Records, and but one in the Colonial. This made March 17, 1686-87, commencing 'The lands of Benjamin Lewis sometime planter and inhabitant of Wall- ingford as they are recorded to him '. Evi- dently a man of wealth as there were nine parcels of land, and the records cover a whole page in the book."] Benjamin Lewis was a surveyor in 1673 in Wallingford, and came to Stratford about 1677. The following year the Congregationalists com- menced building a new church, which was com- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 117 pleted in 1681. Benjamin asked to be employed thereon, as he was a carpenter. They asked for his recommend, and he, taking off one of his buckskin gloves, placed it upon one of the tim- bers that were scattered around, and holding a stick of wood on the glove made with a broad- axe a wooden pin without in the least cutting the glove. Benjamin Lewis married Hannah, daugh- ter of Sergeant John Curtis and Elizabeth Welles, in 1671. James Lewis received his commission as •captain, October, 17 17, copy of which follows: BY HIS HONOUR'S COMMAND. Gurdon Saltonstall, Esq: Governor and Commander- in-Chief of His Majestie'sColony of Connecticut, in New Eng- land. To James Lewiss, Gent. Greeting. You, being by the General Assemlily of this Colony, ac- cepted to lie Captain of the Second Company or Train-band in the town of Stratford. Rejiosing Special Trust and Con- fidence in your Loyalty, Courage and good Conduct. I do by Virtue of the Letters, Patents from the Crown of Eng- land to this Corporation, me thereunto Enabling, Ap|)oint and Impower you to take the Said Train-band mtn your Care and Charge, as their Captain — Carefully and Dili- gently to Discharge that Trust, Exercising your Inferior Officers and Soldiers in the use of their Arms, and Com- manding them to Obey you as their Captain- for His Majes- tie's Service. And you are to observe all Such Orders and Directions as from Time to Time you Shall receive either from Me or from other, your Sujierior Officer, pursu.int to the Trust hereby Reposed in you. Given under my Hand and the Seal of this Colony in New Haven--the 2(ith D.iy of October— In the fourth Year of the Reign of our Soviraign Lord George, King of Great Britain, (Xc. Anmique 1 )om- inni, i7i7. (Signed) G. Saltunst.m.l. James Lewis, son of Capt. James Lewis and his wife, Hannah Judson Lewis, m. December, 1730, Naomi Sherman, daughter of Nathaniel Sherman, son of Samuel the settler, and who, after death of James Lewis, became the widow of Timothy Sherman. She d. January 27, 1797. He was living April 4, 1763. James Lewis (2), d. before Aug. 8, 1764, and Naomi Sherman Lewis m. Timothy Sherman, of Old Mill Green, who d. Jan. 5, 1789. Timothy Sherman and Naomi Sherman Lewis Sherman are buried in the Episcopal cemetery. James Lewis and Na- omi, his wife, were Episcopalians. Benjamin Lewis (i) was living in 17 14, and is thought to have been living in 17 18. In 1680 he bought of Nathaniel Foote his house ami lot, represented in 1898 by the ground occupied by the Stratford Library building grounds, and it is thought by some that the land extended north to the highway directly south of the present Con- gregational church and west to the swamp. [One account says: Benjamin Lewis came to Stratford in 1667-68, and bought of Nathaniel Foote what is now (in 1898) the Sterling jirop- erty, but which did not extend south of the Con- gregational cemetery roadway. He was in Wall- ingford in 1669-1675, and was in Stratford in 1677, and in 1710 sold his Stratford house and land to the Congregational Society for Rev. Tim- othy Cutler.] Children of Benjamin Lewis, the settler at Stratford, Conn., and Hannah Curtis, his wife (b. February 16, 1654, d. October 21, 1728); John b. September, 1672, in Wallingford, Conn.; Mary, b. November, 1674, in Wallingford, Conn., mar- ried in 1679 Samuel, grandson of Thomas Fair- child, the settler; Capt. James, b. 1677, in Strat- ford; Edmund, b. 1679, d. 1757, aged seventy- eight years; Joseph, b. 1683, m. Phebe Judson, daughter of Capt. James Judson (d. 1757-8); Hannah, b. 1685, m. Joseph Jones, 1705; Mar- tha, b. 1691, m. James Judson, son of Capt. James Judson; and Benjamin, b. 1696, m. Sarah DeForest. Capt. James Lewis, son of Benjamin, the set- tler, m. November 11, 1702, Hannah, daughter of Capt. James Judson and his wife, Rebecca Welles, daughter of Thomas Welles (2), and wid- ow Hannah Pantry, who was daughter of William Tuttle and wife Elizabeth, (hrst) settlers at New Haven, Conn., in 1639. Thomas Welles (2) was son of Governor Thomas Welles, of Hart- ford and Wethersfield, Conn. Capt. James Lewis d. January 20, 1766; his wife Hannah (Judson) d. July 2, 1756, and they are buried in the Episcopal cemetery at Stratford. ["In the Congregational cemetery at Stratford is a grave- stone on which is mscribed: ' Here Lyes the Body of Capt. James Judson, Esq.' (the father of Capt. James Lewis' wife") — Mrs. Helen Perry Maxwell, in " Lewisiana."] The children of Capt. James Lewis and Han- nah Judson, his wife, were: John, b. Dec. 20, 1703, m. Sarah Sherman; Mary, b. May 18, 1706, m. Rev. John Goodsell; James, b. Oct. 12, 1708, m. Naomi Sherman; David, a gradu- ate of Yale College, b. June 5, 171 1, m. Phebe Curtis, 1734; Ephraim, b. 1718, m. Sarah Ever- ett (lived in Huntington); Abigail, b. 1722, m. Nehemiah Beardsley.