A Catalogue of the Names of the First Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecticut

Bishop, Anne, Guilfard — died in 1676. Children, John, Stephen, and a daughter who married James Steel. She had removed from Hartford to Guilford — perhaps the ancestor of James, who was seven years Deputy Governor of Connecticut before '90. Rev. John, min- ister at Stamford, '44. Bissell, John, Windsor — had a son Nathaniel born in 1640. His son John married Miss Mason, in '58, and had Mary in '58, John in '61, Daniel in '63, Dorothy in '65, Josias in 70, a son in '73, Ann in '75, and another son in '75. Thomas Bissell in '55, married Abigail Moore, and had Thomas in '56, Abigail in '58, John in '60, Joseph in '63, Elizabeth in '66, Benjamin in '69, a son iu '71, and other chil- dren. John, sen'r., of Windsor, died in '77 — his children were, Mary, who married Jacob Drake — Joyce married Samuel Pinney — John, Thomas, Samuel and Nathaniel. John, jr., was the first settler in Coventry — and received his deed of Israel Everett, of Lebanon, Oct. 1715 — was the first captain in Coventry — held slaves. Though he moved from Lebanon to Coventry, he originated at Windsor. Blachford, Peter, Saybrook, 1663. Blackledge, John, jr., admitted an inhabitant of Hartford in 1659. Blackleach, John, Wethersfield, (in No. 1,) slandered the authority of the colony, and was fined £30 — was informed by the Court, that he deserved a penalty of £100, but owing to a Aveakness incident to him, they fined him only £30. He died in 1683. He had been a gentleman of estate, but left only £373 to such of his children as were supposed to be then living, viz. John, Exercise Hodges, Mary Jeffe- ries, and Benoni. Was an early settler. Blackley, Thomas, (in No. 1) — who resided in this colony in 1641, embarked from London in the Hopewell, Thomas Babb, master, for Massachusetts, some time previous. Blake, John — died in 1690. Children, Mercy 17 years of age, Sa- rah 16, Mary 14, Elizabeth 12, Abigail 10, John 8, Jonathan 6, Ste- phen 4, and Richard 11 months. Nicholas, 1656. Blanchard, Peter — collector of rates against the inhabitants of Mys- tic and Paugatuck, in 1662. Bliss, Thomas, sen'r., and jr., (in No. 1,) were among the early settlers of Hartford, before 1639. It is more than probable that iu the constant emigration down the Connecticut river, from the three old towns, that the Thomas Bliss who settled at Norwich in '60, was 117 one of the above — probably was Thomas, jr., who had then grown to manhood. Thomas, made free in '63. Bloomer, Robert, 1664. Bloss, James, was voted not to be an inhabitant of Hartford, but he was allowed by the town to continue there until the spring of 1660. Blumfield, William, Hartford, (in No. 1) — in 1663 had moved down the Connecticut river. Boardman, Daniel, Wethersfield — married Hannah Wright, and had 12 children, viz. Richard, born in 1684 — settled at Wethersfield — Daniel, jr., born IlI '87 — he became a minister at New Milford, and died Aug. 1744 — Mabel, born in 1689, and married John Griswold — John, born in '91, and died young — Hannah, born in '93, and married John Abbey, of Enfield — Martha, born in '95, and married a grandson of Josiah Churchill, of Wethersfield — Israel, born in '97, and died at Stamford, in 1724 — Timothy, born in 1699, and died the same month, (and a second) Timothy was born in July, 1700 — he married and set tied at Wethersfield, and had a son Timothy, in '27 — sons, Oliver, Thomas and Sherman — (Timothy died in '53, and his widow in '80) — Joshua, born in 1702 — Benjamin, born in 1704, and settled at Sharon — Charles, born in 1707. Daniel, the father, died the 20th of Feb- ruary, 1725, and left his wife, Hannah, and most of his children liv- ing. Son Charles died soon after his father. Daniel, the father of Daniel, sen'r., of Wethersfield, appears to have died in Massachusetts, and left a son Daniel, and other sons. Daniel moved to Wethersfield about 1680. About the same time the name appears at Middletown — perhaps a brother of Daniel, sen'r., of Wethersfield. Daniel in his will, gave Joshua his house at Wethersfield, and half his lands at Litchfield and New Milford — and to his son Benjamin the other half. John Bostwick and Zechariah Ferris, of New Milford, appraised the property at New Milford in 1725. Daniel was the ancestor of the Boardman family at N. Milford. The name and family are distinct from the name and family of Samuel Boarman, who was an early set- tler at Wethersfield. Boardman, Isaac, jr., of Wethersfield, died in 1719. Sherman, and other families of Hartford, are descendants of Daniel Boardman. Elizabeth, widow, at Middletown, died in 1730 — estate £115. Samuel, of Middletown, died in 1733. Sarah, of Weth- ersfield, widow, died in 1733, and left children, David, Joseph and Ma- ry Warner. She had grand children, William, Sarah and Hannah Warner. Isaac, jr.'s property was given and distributed to his widow Rebecca, and his children, Isaac, Edward, Josiah, Ephraim and other children. In this family there has been one Senator of the U. States, one member of the House of Representatives in Congress, a Judge of the County Court, and several clergymen. Boarman, John and Joseph, Wethersfield — both died in 1676. Boreman, William, Guilford, 1649. Boltwood, Robert, signed to move to Hadley in 1659. Booth, Richard — was an early settler at Stratford, some years pre- vious to 1650. This family has now become numerous in the western part of the State. Boen, Daniel, Wethersfield — died in 1693 — was unmarried — he owned a sloop and other property, all of which was appraised at £85. 118 Boosy, James, (in No. 1,) — who was one of the principal settlers of Wethersfiekl, was united with Edward Hopkins, John Haynes, John Mason and John Steele, as a committee for Connecticut, to conclude articles of agreement with George Fenwick, Esq. for'the purchase of the Fort, 6cc., at Saybrook, which was effected in 1644. He w-as a leading man in Wethersfield, and ranked high in the colony. Bostwick, Arthur, Stratford, 1059. Had trouble in his family, wiiich Avas submitted b}' the General Court, to Joseph Judson, Mr. Blackman, Beardsley and Fairchild. He settled at Stratford previous to '50. Bowe, Alexander — died in 1078, and left children, Samuel, Anna and Rebecca. Bowden, John, 1663. Bowers, Morgan, Norwich, 1660. He is said by Miss Caulkins, to have been illiterate and thriftless, and was the first case of penury in Norwich. John, of Derby, from Cambridge, Massachusetts. A cler- gyman by this name came later into the colony, whose descendants are of high standing at Berlin, Middletown and other places. Bowies, Richard, at Fairfield, in 1641 and '51. Thomas, of New London, '71. Richard was chosen constable of Greenwich, and made a freeman in '62 — appointed a constable of the town of Hastings in '63. No person by this name died in Hartford until after 1700. The name is uniformly spelt Bowles upon the early record, and not BoUes. Brace, Stephen, Hartford — died in 1092, and lel'ta widow and chil- dren, Elizabeth, Phcbe, Ann, Stephen, John and Henry. He ordered in his will, to put Henry to a trade. He owned land in the great meadow at Rocky Hill and at Pattacunk. Left an estate of more than £400. Bradfield, Leasly. Bradford, John, Norwich, was the youngest son of Gov. Wm. Brad- ford, of Plymouth, Mass. by Dorothy, his first wife. An interesting account is given of this man by Miss Caulkins, p. 100. Mercy Brad- ford married Samuel Steel in 1680. Brainard, Daniel, was one of the first settlers of Haddam. Several of the family have been deacons at Haddam and East Haddam, from the first formation of a church there. Daniel, jr. was made deacon in E. Haddam in 1725 — died '43, aged 77 years. Noadiah, made deacon there in 1743, and died in '46. Daniel, sen'r., died in 1714 or '15. His sons were, Daniel, James, Joshua, William, Caleb, Elijah and Hezekiah — no daughters. A respectable family, Brewster, Jonathan, (in No. 1,) was at New London in 1648. He was the grandson of William, who came to Plymouth in the May- flower. He was early an important man at New London, (in '49) — he afterwards, in the early settlement of Norwich, moved there. The Brewsters of Connecticut are most of them descended from Jonathan, and apparently all from William of the Mayflower. In '61 he was ordered to take his pay out of the wampum received from Narra- gansett. Brinsmaid, John, first settled at Stratford, and held land there be- fore 1651. Probably the ancestor of General Brinsmade, of Wash- ington, Conn. Brockway, Woolston, (in No. 1, of Saybrook, 1663)— left a son 119 William, and perhaps other children. He was the ancestor of Rev. Diodate, and Hon. John H., of EHington. The family by marriage, are connected with the Spencers at East Haddam. Brigden, Rev. Zechariah, Stonington, 1661. Briggs or Biggs, William, of Middletown — died in 1681. His chil- dren were, William 15 years old, Mary 14, Thomas 9, Elizabeth 8, Sarah 6, and John 4. Brown, Francis, and Lieut. Lewis had buildings burned by the In- dians, at Farmington. The damage w^as submitted by the General Court to Mygatt, &,c., in 1661. Francis Brown, constable of Strat- ford, in '63. Brown, Peter, Windsor^— died 1691. Children, Peter, John, Jona. than, Cornelius, Mary, Hepzibah, Esther, Isabel, Deborah and Sarah ; he also had two other daughters who were married. He left for them au estate of £408. Brundish, John, Wethersfield — died in 1639, and left two sons and three daughters. Bruen, Obadiah, James Rogers, and John Smith were appointed commissioners in 16t)0 and '63, to try causes and punish offences — confined to a jurisdiction of £20. Mr. Bruen was a petitioner to Charles II. for the Charter of Connecticut.