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

WadsAVorth, William, Hartford — selectman in 1642, also in '47, col- lector in 1637, deputy in 1642, and frequently afterwards. He was an original proprietor of Hartford, and in the division of the land of the town in 1639. — He was a valuable man in the town and colony. (He is supposed to have been the ancestor of Joseph Wadsworth of Charter notoriety.) He died in 1675. His sons were, John, Samuel, Joseph, and Thomas. He had a daughter who married a Mr. Stoton — another Terry — another Jonathan Ashley, and left Re- becca unmarried — he also had a grand daughter Long. He was a getleman of wealth and of high reputation in the colony. This Wadsworth was of the blood of him who told Col. Fletcher when he demanded the command of the militia of Connecticut, that if he was again interrupted by him, " he would make the sun shine through him in an instant." Wadsworth, Elizabeth, widow of William — died 1680. Her chil- dren were, Samuel, Joseph, Thomas, Elizabeth Terry, Jonathan Ash- icy, Rebecca and John Wadsworth Wadsworth, John, Hartford— died in 1689, (Sarah his wife.) He 87 gave his negro man to his wife. Children, Samuel 29, Sarah Root 31, Hezekiah 6, John 27, William 18, Nathaniel 15, James 12, Thomas 9 — he had grand children, Timothy 8, and Joh|i 4 years old. Wadsworth, Samuel, son of William, of Hartford, 1682, brother of Joseph, Thomas and John. He was a cousin of William Wadsworth, 2d, and died unmarried. Wadsworth, John, Farmington, 1670. Wadams, John, Wethersfield, 1664 — he died in '76, and left a widow and son John. He might have came into the colony earlier than '64. Perhaps ancestor of those of the name in Litchfield Co. Wain Wright, Thomas, 1643. Wakeman, Samuel, the first constable of Hartford, 1636 — surveyor of Dorchester and Watertovvn with George Hubbard in 1636. He was directed by a law of the landholders, to attend to the watch, and warn them in their turn to do duty as a watch against the Indian depredators upon the lives and prop- erty of the settlers. He with George Hubbard, sen'r., 'in 1636, were appointed to survey the breadth of Windsor, and say how far it should extend above the house of Mr. Stiles ; he was also to survey the breadth of Watertovvn. He died in 1645, and left one son and three daughters. He was an original proprietor of Hartford, and in tlie division of the land in 1639. Wakeman, Samuel, a clergyman at Fairfield in 1665. His name is rarely found in the State except in Fairfield county. Wakelee, Henry, Hartford, 1639 — the first lawyer of record in the colony. Waldo, John, Windham — died in 1700. This family appears to have come late into the colony. He had a son John in Windham — perhaps other children. He left an estate of £292. It was a family of respectability, and probably he was the ancestor of L. P. Waldo, Esq., of Tolland. Walker, Rev. Zechariah, Stratford — was first settled at Jamaica, L. I., and preached there for a time, and about 1668 removed to Stratford, where he had a severe contest with Rev. Mr. Chauncy, and a part of the congregation at Stratford. The controversy closed by Gov. Winthrop's advising Mr. Walker and his friends to remove and settle a new town, with which he engaged they should be accommodated ; and Mr. William Curtiss, John Sherman and others were authorised to locate at Pomperaug (now Woodbury) ; therefore Mr. Walk- er with his friends moved there from Stratford about 1672-3. Woodbury was settled by several different companies at ditferent times, and embraced a large territory. Walker, Jacob, Stratford, about 1665. Josiah and Joseph Walker, went from Woodbury to Litchfield to settle. Walkeley, Henry, Hartford, 1639. In '63 appeared in court as at- torney for James Wakelee. He held land in Hartford by liberty of the town in '39. 88 Walkeley, James, a brother of Alice — improved land in Hartford in 1639, with the right of wood and pasture, not having been an original proprietor of Hartford. Walkeley, Alice, sister of James — in court in 1663. Walkeley, Richard — died at Haddam in 1681. It appears by the record that Richard's property was given to his two sons and one daughter. Alice the daughter died in '83. The name is spelt Walk- ley and Walkeley. Alice left an estate of £348. The sons were James and Henry, and were brothers of Alice. Richard was the father of the family. Waller, Matthew, Lyme, 1674. William Waller had moved to Lyme in '64. Ward, Andrew, was amongst the first Puritan settlers who came to Wethersfield. He was one of the five persons who held the first Court in the colony, in April, 1636 — tried the first cause, and made the first law. He was a member of this court seven sessions in 1636, and five sessions in 1637. He was a member of the Upper House in May, 1637, when war was declared against the Pequots. Ho was twice a member of the Committee or Lower House of the General Court in 1637, and of the same House again in 1638 — four sessions he acted as deputy after the Confederation of the three towns into a Colony in 1639 — was frequently made a member of both branches of the General Court afterwards — collector of rates in 1637, and a magistrate in 1639. He was a member of the church in Wethersfield. He held other oflices in Wethersfield. He was frequently united with the Governors and the most important men in the colony on committees of the General Court. He was a gentleman of great worth in the colony, and was the ancestor of a respectable and wealthy family who reside in Hartford ; also of the Wards in Southbury and other parts of Connecticut, and of a few families in Pennsylvania. In 1653, Ward and Hill ' were appointed by the General Court to press men in Fairfield for an expedi- tion. In the fall of 1640, Mr, Ward and Robert Coe, of Wethersfield, for them- selves and several others, purchased the town of Stamford of tiie New Haven Company — all of which purchasers obligated themselves to move there within one year ; and in the spring of 1641, Matthew Mitchell, Thurston Rayner, Rob- ert Gildcrsleeve, Robert Coe and others moved to Stamford, Mr. Ward also moved to Stamford, but whether at this time, is not known to the writer. These with their pastor, Mr. Denton, were tlie leading men of Stamford. Within a few years Mr. Denton left Stamford and moved to Hempsted on Long Island. Mr, Ward also removed to Hempsted within a few years — but about 1650 he returned and settled in the town of Fairfield, where he closed a long and useful life. — (See Denton.) Ward, Nathaniel, Mas an early settler in Hartford, and a gentleman of good standing in the colony. In 1642 he was a juror, and frequently after- wards. He was a member of the first grand jury in 1643, held in the colony, and held other oflices of trust and honor in the town and colony. In 1645 he was one of the committee appointed by the General Court to collect funds for 89 the students in Cambridge College. He was townsman in 1639-44-and 47, and constable of Hartford in 1636 — ^juror in 164:}. He moved to Hadley, where it is supposed he died without issue, and gave no part of his estate to any person of his name. A Nathaniel Ward was at the Emanuel Institution in England, in 1613. Mr. Ward was one of the leaders with Gov. Webster and others, in procuring the settlement of Hadley, by emigrants from Connecticut, in 1659. Ward, Joyce, Wethersfield — died in 1640. Her children were, Edward, Anthony, William, Robert and John. She had a son-in-law, John Fletcher, who perhaps resided at Guilford. Robert had given to him by his father, £20 in England, in the hands of Edward his eldest brother's son. Robert was put to a trade. Ward, John, Middletown — died in 1683, and left an estate of £446 to his family, viz. John, 18 years old, AndreAv 16, Easter 14, Mary 11, William 9, Samuel 4, and one unborn. Ward, WiUiam, was confirmed a sergeant by the General Court for the train-band at Middletown in 1664. Warham, Rev. John, was the first Elder of a church who came into the colony in 1636. His church had been located with him as their pastor, at Dorchester, in Massachusetts — but in 1636 the minister and church all moved to Windsor, where he lived until April 1, 1670, when he was called from his people by death ; he however lived to see not only his church, but many others in the colony prosperously located. He had lived to witness much of the dense forest he found there in 1636, by the industry of the good men he brought with him, removed. He left a large estate in lands to his family, and saw some of them happily located in life, before his decease. He had preached at Exeter, in England, before he came to New England. He had four daughters. After his decease, his widow married Mr. Newbury, and had two children, both daugh- ters. After the death of Mr. Warham, Easter or Hester, one of his daughters* married Rev. Mr. Mather, and had children, Eunice, Warham and Eliakim. After the death of Mr. Mather, she married Mr. Stoddard, and had six sons and six daughters — three of the sons lived to adult years, Anthony, John and Israel ; Israel died in prison, in France — John settled at Northampton — was a colonel, chief judge of the court of common pleas, and was a leading politician (or rather statesman) in Massachusetts. His brother Anthony settled as the 2d minister at Woodbury, Conn., and died there in 1776, at the age of 82, after having been the only officiating clergyman there for about 60 years. Anthony left a son Israel, who resided in Woodbury until his death. Israel had a son Asa, who marriad and had a son Henry, and two daughters. Asa and his chil- dren moved to Dayton, Ohio, about the year 1817. Hon. Henry Stoddard is now a gentleman of high standing in that State. Asa the grandson of Anthony, died a few years since, in Ohio, far advanced in years. Warham, Abigail, widow of Rev. John Warham — died in 1684. She was a cousin of Miles Marwine or Merwin, for whom she had formerly done much — that in her will she declared " that if she had thousands she would not give him a penny — no, not a pin's point." 12 m Merwin attempted to persuade her to give him her property in exchi- sion of lier children.