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

Gibbins, William, (in No. 1,) Hartford, 1636, the steward of Gov. 136 George Wyllys, in England, he first purchased the Wyllys place in Hartford, for Mr. Wyllys — came to Hartford in '30, for this purpose, and built his house and prepared his garden for him. In the division of land in Hartford, in '39. Giles, John, in 1037, was ordered with Capt. Mason, Thomas Stan- ton, J. Adams and Thomas Merrick, to go to Waranock, (Westfield) and declare to the Indians there, that the Court wished to speak to them, and hear their reasons why they had said they were afraid of them, and if Capt. Mason thought proper, to receive hostages of them, and compel them by violence, if they refused to go willingly, but to leave them two of the English as pledges during their absence ; also to trade with them for corn, if possible. Jacob Gibbs, after 1717, moved to Litchfield from Windsor. Gillett, Nathan's children, (of Windsor) were, Elizabeth, born in 1039— Abia in '41— Rebecca in '40— Elias in '49— Sarah in 'Si- Benjamin in '53 — Nathan in '55, and Rebecca in '57. He moved to Simsbury, where his wife died in '70. Jonathan, sen'r., a brother of Nathan, was one of the early settlers of Windsor — held several offices, and was highly esteemed in the colony, died in '77, and left a widow and children, Josias, John, Jeremiah, Jonathan, Joseph and Cornelius, also the wife of Peter Brown, and the Avife of Samuel Filley. Joseph married, and died before his father, and left a sou Jonathan, and one daughter. He came from Dorchester, Mass. Jonathan, jr., of Wind- sor, married Mary Kelsey in '01, afterwards married M. Dibble. He had eight children. Josiah, son of Jonathan, *of Windsor, married Joanna Taintor, in '70, and had Josias, in '78, and Joanna in '80. Gilman, Richard, Wethersfield, had a daughter Elizabeth, born in 1704 — and sons, Richard in 1700 — Samuel in 1708, and Naomi in 1710. This, name was not as early as some others — was early in Massachusetts, and respectable in the colony. Gishop or Bishop, Edward, was appointed a commissioner, in 1663, with the power of a magistrate in the town of Westchester. Gipson, Roger, Saybrook — died in 1680. Estate £120. Children, Samuel, 8 years old — Jonathan 6 — Roger one, and a daughter 5. Goff", Philip, and Naomi, his wife, Wethersfield, in 1704, were pro- secuted for absenting themselves from church upon the Sabbath, and were tried. Goft' and his wife declared in court, that they could not in conscience attend, and would not go to meeting on the Sabbath at the public meeting house. They Avere sentenced by the court to pay a fine of 20s. to the county treasurer. He died in 1074. Children, Rebecca, aged 23, Jacob 25, Philip 21, Moses 18, and Aaron 10. Mr. Goff was an early settler, and had a brother with him — married sisters. Gold, Nathan, Fairfield, (in No. 1,) was an assistant in 1071-2, and a magistrate also— one of the leading men of the county. Gold, Top. pin, Sherman and Howell were appointed to hear the claim of Say- brook to Hommonasett, (Killingworth) in '03. Gold, Fairchild and Canfield were appointed to approve of the men to be selected to com- pose the 2d troop of horse raised in the colony, to consist of 18 men and two officei's, from the towns of Stratford, Fairfield and Norwalk ; officers chosen by the company, and appointed by the General Court, in '01. The troopers were allowed a salary, oflicers and soldiers. 137 Mr. Gold, with Gov. Winthrop, Samuel Wyllys, Gen. Mason, Matthew Allyn, Henry Clark, John Topping, Richard Lord, Henry Wolcott, Richard Treat, John Talcott, Daniel Clark, John Clark, John Ogden, Thomas Wells, Obadiah Bruen, Anthony Hawkins, John Deming and Matthew Canfield, Esq'rs. were the petitioners to Charles H. for the Charter of Connecticut, and their names were embodied in the King's grant to Connecticut, which is ample proof of their exalted standing in the colony. No gentleman would have been called upon to have signed the Petition, but such men as had sustained a high reputation in England before they came to New England. Gleason, Isaac, Enfield, was an early settler there. He owned the lot now occupied by Nathaniel Prior, and died in 1698, aged 44 years, leaving two sons, viz. Isaac, born in '87, and Thomas, born in '90, who moved to Farmington, and died in 1745. Isaac married Mary Prior, daughter of John Prior, in 1712, and was one of the first settlers of the southeast part of Enfield, called Wallop. He left four sons, viz. Isaac, born in 1715, Jonah in 1724, Joseph in 1726, and Job in 1734. Joseph married Hannah, daughter of Josiah Colton, in 174G — was the father of Joseph, Solomon, and Jonah Gleason — all lived and died in Enfield. David, of Simsbury, died in 1746. Isaac, of Windsor, died in 1750. Isaac, son of Thomas, of Simsbury — his uncle Ezekiel Thompson, of Farmington, was appointed guardian, in 1752. Hannah, of Enfield, died in 1757. Jonah, of Enfield, died in 1763. Sylvanus, son of Jonah, died in 1765. The name is in vari- ous parts of the State, and of uniform respectability. Glover, John. This name is first found at Norwich, not however, among the pioneers of the town, yet a familiar name in Fairfield Co. Glover, Marv, Springfield — married John Haynes in 1659. Goodfellow, Thomas, Wethersfield, (in No. 1)— died in Nov. 1685. Goodrich, John, Wethersfield, son of John — died in 1 676, andjleft Mary, his widow, and a child. He had a sister Mary, and a brother Joseph. William, of Wethersfield, died in '76. He left his widow, Sarah, and an estate of £915 for his children, John, 24 years old, William 17, Ephi-aim 14, and David 10. The daughters were married at his decease — one married Joseph Butler, of Wethersfield. Goodwin, Ozias, signed the agreement to remove to Hadley, in 1659. Hosea, (in No. 1,) should have been Ozias, yet it is spelt on the record, Hosea. He was the ancestor of Nathaniel Goodwin, Esq., of Hartford. George, of Fairfield, 1G54. Abraham, who moved from Hartford to Litchfield, was the son of Nathaniel, of Hartford. Goodall, (or ale,) Richard, Wethersfield — died in 1676, and left a son John Gill. A man of this name was the founder of the first Bap- tist church in Boston. A Richard Goodale came from Yarmouth, in England, in 1638, and died in Massachusetts, in '66. Goodheart, 1659. Gookin, Daniel, 166.3. Gozzard, Nicholas, Windsor, died in 1693, and left an estate of £83. Graham, Lieut. Benjamin, Hartford — died in 1725, \\'ife, Sarah — had a grand daughter, Mary Graham ; sons, Benjamin, Samuel, and Isaac. He had a grist mill, saw mill and fulling mill at Hartford, and other property. In 1733, Benjamin sold out the property he had by his father. In 1749, CJeorge, tlie son of Samuel, died — and" gave 18 138 his carpenter tools to his father Samuel — his gun to his brother J;imes. He had a sister, Abigail Seymour. He left an estate of £111:10. After the death of George, the family appear to have left Hartford — perhaps not. John, of Hartford, died in 1720. Hannah Tillotson, his wife, and Benjamin, administrators. Left one child only. John appears to have been a brother of Lieut. Benjamin. He is supposed to have been the ancestor of Andrew, deceased, of Southbury. Henry, lived south of Little river, in Hartford — chimney viewer in 1659 — surveyor of highways in '62. Grant, Matthew, (in No. 1) — died in 1681, when he had become aged. He had resided with his son John for some years previous to his death. His children were, Samuel, Tahan, John, and a daughter Humphrey. Samuel Grant, of Windsor, Mas born at Dorchester in 1631. Samuel Grant married Anne Fyier in '83, and had a daughter Anne in '84. Tahan Grant was born in Dorchester in '33. Ho mar- ried Hannah Palmer in '62, and had Matthew, Tahan, Hannah, Thom- as and Joseph, and a daughter and son afterwards — the son as late as '80. John, the son of Samuel, sen'r., was born in '42. He married Mary Hull in '66, and had John, Mary, Elizabeth, and others. Grannis, Edward, leather sealer in Hartford, in 1663. This name is yet in Southington and Warren. An Edward Grannis was at Had- ley in '71 — perhaps the same. Gray, Walter^ (in No. 1) — often spelt Grey — appears to have had descendants who went to New London. John, of Windsor, moved from Windsor to Litchfield after 1717. Nicholas and Henry, 1664. John, Fairfield, in '49. Green, Bartholomew, had land in Hartford in 1639, which was for- feited— probably the same who was made free at Cambridge in '34. Greenhill, Thomas, died in 1660. Samuel, was at Cambridge in '35. Greensmith, Thomas, Hartford, set his barn on the common land in 1660. Stephen was in Massachusetts in '38. Gregory, John — a deputy in 1662-3. Wollerton Gregory, Hart- ford, died in '74 — was a rich tanner-^had no children. Griffin, John, Windsor, (in No. 1) — had children, Hannah, Mary, Sarah, John, Thomas, Abigail, Mindwell, Ruth, and two sons. John Griffin and Simon Wolcott, in 1673, were ordered by the court to com- mand the train-band in Simsbury, until further orders should be given. Hugh, at Sudbury in '45. Griswold, Matthew, (in No. 1,) was a stone cutter by trade, in England. He appears to have remained a ^hile at Windsor, and while there, became intimate with the family of Hon. Henry Wolcott, and married his daughter Ann. He Mas called to Saybrook to aid in erecting the Fort and other buildings there, and finally located his fam- ily at Lyme, M'hcre he closed his life. After the death of Mr. Wol- cott, Mr. GrisM'old made his grave-stones, M'hich are yet standing in the burial ground at Windsor. He was the ancestor of the tMo Gov. Griswolds of Connecticut, Matthew and Roger. The first Matthew appears to have been a relative of Edvard, Mho came early to Wind- sor. The Edward GrisMold mIio OMned land jointly Mith MattheM-, at Lyme, in 1681, Mho resided at KillingMorth, must have been a younger man than Edward, of Windsor — probably the son of John, and grandson of EdMard, of Windsor. 130