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

Wiire, Nathaniel, Hartford, 1(548. Several of this name settled in Massachusetts. Warner, Andrew, Hartford, 1639. He came to Cambridge in '32 — was one of the committee with Webster, Talcott, Timothy Stanley and others to divide the lands east of the river — surveyor of lands and fences in '47 — in the land division of Hartford in '39 — signed to move to Hadley in '59. Warner, Robert — deputy in 1663, and often afterwards. Supposed son of Andrew. Warner, John, 1639 — had six acres of up-land in the division east of the river in "40. Warner, John, Farmington — made free in 1663, and died in '78-9. Left sons, John, Daniel, (Thomas did not reside in Farmmgton,) and William Higginson — a son-in-law — father of John, of Waterbury, who died in 1707. He was a soldier at Pequot, for which the colorly gave him a tract of land, which he gave to Higginson. Warner, John, sen'r., Waterbury — died at Farmington in 1707. His children Avere, John, jr., Ephraim, Robert, Ebenezer, and Lydia who had married Samuel Hrunson before the death of her father. Warner, Daniel — signed to move to Hadley, in 1659, son of John. Warner, Andrew, Middletown — son of Andrew, of Hartford — died in 1683-4. Children, Andrew, 19 years old, John 11, Joseph 9, Abi- gail 21, Mary 17, Hannah 13, Rebecca 6. It is supposed this An- drew, jr. moved to Windham. Warren, William, sen'r., Hartford — surveyor of highways at Hart- ford in 1663, and died in 1689. He resided at Hocanum on his farm. He left a widow, and children John, William and Thomas. He ap- pears to have had four younger children. He married two wives, and ordered his girls to be bound out until they were 18 years of age, and Abraham until 21. Wastall, John — deputy in 1643 — ^juror in '43 — selectman of Say- brook in '63-4 with Zechariah Sanford and John Clark. W^asby or Wasly, William, Hartford, 1645. Way, Elizur — died in 1686. His wife 3Iary had over £200 in his astate. His children were, Ebenezer, Sarah (married Ichabod Wells,) Elizabeth (married Joseph Wells,) and Lydia Wav. He left an estate of £867. Watts, Capt. Thomas, Hartford — died in 1683 — wife Elizabeth — hor brother's son, Samuel Hubbard, lived with her, and shared largely in his 91 estate ; he was a kinsman of Samuel Steel, jr., who shared in his property. — His sister Hubbard's children were, Joseph, Daniel, Nathaniel, Richard, Eliza- beth Hubbard and Mary Ranny. His brother Brown's children were, Nathan- iel, John, Benoni Brown, and Hannah wife of Isaac Laine ; to the last five she gave her land in Middletown. He was a brother of James Steel, who had sons James and John Steel. He gave £20 to the poor of the church in Hart- ford. Martha Harrison shared in his will. He made some provision for the south church in Hartford — owned a grist mill in Hajtford. Watts, Elizabeth, who died in 1684, widow of Thomas Watts, wa3 a sister of James Steel, who had four daughters, viz. Elizabeth, Sarah, Rachel Steel, and Mary Hall— she was a cousin of Martha Hender- son, and had a sister Willet. Watts, Richard, Hartford — an early settler, 1639 — not an original proprietor of Hartford. Had 14 acres of land, with liberty of pasture on the common and to fetch wood, &;c. Watts, William, Hartford — hel I four acres of land in Hartford, in 1639, with the liberty of wood and pasture of cows and swine. Watts, Elizabeth, widow of Richard — her daughter married Hub- bard ; she was a cousin of Daniel and Elizabeth Hubbard, of Hannah and Nathaniel Brown, and had a daughter Brown. Watts, Elenor, 1646 — selectman of Hartford in '61. Waterhouse, Isaac, New London — fined £5 for upsetting Tinker's warehouse. Thomas Waters married Sarah Fenn, of Milford, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary Feen, 1696. Waters, Watroua and Waterhouse appear to have been the same name. Waterhouse, Jacob, 1639. Waterman, 1647. Richard, of Salem, '37, was one of the founders of the first Baptist church in America. — Farmer. Waters, Peter, (a Dutchman) 1672. Watson, Thomas, 1644. Robert Wa.tson came to Windsor in '39^ in the 2d colony — he died July, '89. Widow Watson signed to move to Hadley in '59. John, of Hartford, '44 — surveyor of highways in '46 — juror in '44 — signed to move to Hadley in '59. W^atson, Margaret, Windsor — died in 1683. Children, Sarah Mer- rills, wife of John — Mary Seymour, grand daughter Sarah Merrills — grand children Mary Seymour and Margaret Seymour — grandson John Watson. Webster, Gov. John. This gentleman probably came into Connect, icut in 1637, or in the autumn of 1636. His first appearance as an officer of the Court was in April, 1637. He was then one of the Committee, who for the first time sat with the Court of Magistrates for the purpose of declaring war against the Pcquot Indians. He was again the same year elected to the General Court, and was also elected as one of the committc (deputy) in 1638. He was 92 elected a member of tlie Court of Magistrates at the first General Court holdcn by Gov, Ha) nes, in April, 1639. From this time forward for many years he was a member of the General Court as a magistrate or assistant. That the public may appreciate the arduous services of Gov. Webster, I take the liberty of stating, that in 1639 he attended four sessions of the General Court — three sessions in 1640— four in 1641 — three in 1642 — five in 1643 — five in 1644 — five in 1645; and held five sessions of the Particular Court in 1639 — four in 1640— two in 1641— two in 1642— six in 1643— five in 1644 — six in 1645, and four in 1646 — and so continued faithfully to discharge all the duties of the res- ponsible and important offices bestowed upon him by the people for years. He was uniformly a magistrate or assistant while he remained in the colony after 1638. He was appointed with Mr. Ludlow and Gev. Welles to consult with their friends in the New Haven Colony, respecting the Indian murders which had been committed, to learn of them whether they would approve of a decla- ration of war as a reparation of the injury, in 1640 ; he was appointed with the Hon. William Phelps, to form a law against lying, and to hold a consultation with tiie elders upon the subject. Pie was of the committee with Wm. Phelps, Sic, who formed the noted criminal code of laws for the colony, reported and approved by the General Court in 1642— several of which laws yet remain in our statute bock with little alteration, except in punishment. In 1655 Mr. Web- ster was elected Deputy Governor of the colony, and the following year was made Governor. In 1654 he was appointed with Maj. Gen. Mason a member of the Congress of the United Colonies. — Enough is already said to show the elevated position held by Gov. Webster in the colony, while he remained in it. Ho was the first in this country who gave the high character for talent to the name of Webster, which has been since so nobly and amply sustained by Noah as a man of literature, and Daniel as a statesman and orator. Many of his descendants yet reside in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Gov. Webster was from Warwickshire, in England, and was an original settler in Hartford as early as 1637, when he was a member of the General Court. He greatly aided and improved the new form of government in the colony. The severe quarrels in the churches at Hartford and Wcthersfield so disgusted, not only Gov. Webster, bu 59 others of the settlers in the colony, that upon the 18th day of April, 1659, they signed an agreement, in which they engaged to remove themselves and families out of the jurisdiction of Connecticut, into Massachusetts. Gov. Web- ster headed the list of names. About three-fourths of the signers did remove to Massachusetts, and purchased and settled the town of Hadley, which then in- cluded what is now Hadley, South Hadley, Granby and Amherst, east of Con- Tiecticnt river, and Hatfield and a part of Williamsburg west of the river. Gov* Webster became a Judge of the Court in Hampshire. He died in 1661, and left four sons, Robert, Matthew, William and Thomas. He also left three daughters. Matthew settled in Farmington, William in Hadley, Thomas mov- ed to Northampton, afterwards to Northfield, and was driven from the latter place by the Indians, he then located at Hadley, but finally returned and died at Northfield. His daughter Ann married John Marsh, of Hadley ; the other two married Markham and Hunt. Robert, the eldest son, appears to have remained in Hartford, where he died in 1676. Robert left six sons and four daughters. The daughters were connected by marriage with the families of Seymours, My- 93 gatts and Graves, some of the most respectable settlers. Robert was the branch of Gov. Webster's family through whom Hon. Noah Webster, LL. D., late deceased, traced his ancestry. — (See Robert Webster.) Webster, Robert, the eldest son of Gov. Webster — probably came into the colony in 1637, with his father. He appears to have been a man in active life in the early settlement of Connecticut. He received many marks of respect, showing his fair standing as a citizen ; but like most young men who have a father of wealth and distinction, he borrowed some of the plumes of his father's greatness. As is often the case with young gentlemen in his situation in life, he fell short of arriving at the eminence to which Gov. Webster had at- tained ; yet he was above a mediocrity in talents and standing in the colony. In 1659, he with 59 others, his father at the head of the company, signed a con- tract to remove from Connecticut to Massachusetts ; but from all the facts, it appears that Robert did not remove his family, but continued in the colony until his death. The children of Robert, jr., the grand children of Gov. Webster were, Robert, born October, 1689, Abraham, September, 1693, Hannah, Nov. 1695, Matthew, April, 1698, Joshua, March, 1700, Caleb, January, 1702, Mary, December, 1704. Abigail, January, 1710.