History of Fairfield County, Connecticut

wliich is mciro than riches. lie dieil Oi-t. 11, 1S22, from disease resulting I'rom exposure wliile engaged in fanning, leaving to his children the inheritanee of an unblemished name. The home of Cyrus Sherwood, on the jilaee so long owned and oeeupied by Mr. Hull, is represeutetl on another Jiage. EPIIRAIM BURR. The name Burr, formerly sjielled Buer, is of (ier- man origin, but the ancestors having lived .several generations in England are generally termed English. Between the years 1()3() and lI'AO three Puritans, heads of families, set sail for the New World, then, above everything else, attracting the attention of the bold and daring in every country of Europe. The fir.st of these to arrive in this country was Jehu Burr. He came with AVinthrop's famous fleet in 1630, and ' on his arrival settled in Ro.xluirv, Mass. ; thence he accompanied William Pynchon to the founding of Si)rin!rfiel(l, Mass., and eventuallv settled at Fairfield, Conn., where hi.s descendants became the firmest iiil- lars of the old colonial structure, and ]irominent jn both civil and military affairs. The second was Ben- jamin Burr, who aided in the settlement of Hartford in 163-T, and from whom lias descended a very numer- ous and highly respectable family, known as the Hartford branch. The third was the Kev. Jonathan Burr, founder of the Dorchester Iiranch. He was a man of fine education and eminent abilities. Jeliuc, or Jehu, Burr was born in England about 1000, and died in Fairfield, Conn., about ltj70, leaving a family of four sons, perhaps daughters, viz., Jehu (2d), John, Nathaniel (1), and Daniel. Nathaniel (1) was jirobably born in Springfield, J[ass., about 1640, and settled with his parents in Fairfield; nnide freeman in 1664 ; was constable in 1669 ; representa- tive during the years 1692, '03, '94, and '95. He was a farmer. He was twice married, and had two chil- dren by his first marriage, viz., Sarah and Nathaniel (2), and six children by his second, viz., John, Daniel, Ann, Mary, Esther, and Rebecca. His will is dated Feb. 22, 1712, and ai>proved March 5, 1712. Nathaniel (2) Burr was Ikh-u in Fairfield, Conn., was a lawyer by profession and well reputed in the colony. He was deputy for Fairfield from October, 1697, until 1700. His children were as follows: Joseijh and Nathaniel (3), twins, died in infiiucy, Sarah, Anna, Nathaniel (4), and E]>hraim (I). Ephraim (1) Burr was a native of Fairfiidd, Conn., married Abigail, daughter of Judge Peter Burr, Jan. 7, 1725. Their children were as follows: Eunice, Anna, Ellen, Ephraim (2), Ebenezer, Abigail, Sarah, and Peter, born Nov. 2, 1754. Ephraim Burr died in 1"7(), and his wife died in ISIO. Peter Burr married Esther, daughter of Dr. Seth Jennings, of Fairfield, Conn. Their children were as follows: Thaddeus, Sarah, Eunice, .Vnna, Esther, Abigail, Mary, Ephraim (2), anil Ebenezer, or Ebeu, all of whom were born in Fairfield, Conn., and all had families except Mary. Peter Burr was a farmer. He dieil July 4, l~^ll). Ephraim (2) Burr was l)orn in Fairfield, Conn., Oct. 7, 1794. He reiuained at home until lu' was twenty-two years of age, except some six months which he spent in coasting, and while thus engaged he was taken prisoner by the British in the war of 1812 and retained sixteen days. He then returned home and worked on the farm. He married Eunice, daughter of Daniel Slierwoml, May, 1823. Of this union two children were liorn, viz., Henry S. and Frances. Henry S. went to Cali- fornia, where he flied in 1871, and left one son, Henry S. Cai)t. Burr has been a farmer, and many years ago owned an interest in a vessel. Ho was for many years a captain of .a company of State militia. He is I one of the staunchest Republicans in the town. While he is not a member of any cliureh, he gives to the support of the Congregational Church. His wifii' died .Tune 9, 1864, aged seventy-two years. BRADLEY H. XICIIOLS. Bradley H. Nichols, son of Ephraim and j\Iary (Bradley) Nichols, was born in Fairfield, Conn., in Sei)temlier, 1792, and died in the same town, Nov. 8, 1874. Ephraim Nichols was a tanner and currier and boot and shoemaker. Bradley was early initiated into his father's business, and followed it viiitil his love of agriculture caused him to become a farmer. Into this new employment Jlr. Nichols carried not only a love for rural life, l)Ut the system ami i)recisiou acipiired in the practical business life of his early manhood, and was a thorough, successful, and good farmer. Through all the changes of his long life he never forsook the farm, but continued a live, prog- ressive agriculturi.st until his de:ith. He had a large stock of vitality, inherited from his Puritan ancestry, and, with a genial and social nature, was universally a favorite. Mr. Nichols married Charlotte, daugliter of Isaac Banks, a f irnu'r resident in Fairfield, Jan. 19, 1815. Their children were Susan W., who married Zaimon Wakenian, an influential citizen of Fairfield, who left her a widow in 1865, and Eleanor Maria, who married William Bradley, a farmer, and fctrmcrly a merchant at (ireenfield Hill. Intelligent, of (juick i)erceptions, ever active in works of progrc-ss and improvement, Mr. Nichols was held in high repute by his many friends and those who met him in business relations, and when, in the fullness of a hale old age, he was called away from earth, all felt the loss of an honest man. Isaac Bank.s was born May 2(!, 1766, and married Eleanor Sturges, who was born May 20, 1765. They 366 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT. had four children, — Eleazur (deceased), Charity, Charlotte, and Horace. Mr. Banks died Dec. 26, 1840. His wife survived him six years, dying Feb. 19, 1847. CHATTER XXXV. GREENWICH. Coogmpliicnl — Topogrnphical — Indian Occupancy — Potuquapaen — The TnOiun Purchase — Tlic Dt-etl — Grconwich Manor — Patrick and Kcak8 fLi PatDons — Indian Tronldes — Tho War — The Pionvers — '* Horso- neck" — Early Interest In Churcti 5iallcrs— Tlie First Marriage — List of Voters in 1C88— Town-I.ist for lr,'.ll-!lf>— K\ti-act8 from Hecords— Tlio Freni-h \Var — Karly Mercliants — Pliysiciuns — Lawyers — Post- OIHccs. This town lies in tlie .southwest corner of the county, and is bounded as follows : On the north by Westches- ter Co., N. Y. ; on the east by tlie town of .Stamford ; on the south by Long Island Sound ; and on the west by Westchester Co., N. Y. The surface of Greenwich is hilly, and the soil is very fertile. IXDI.VN OCCUP.\XCY.— PETUQUAP.^EN. Prior to the advent of the white settler this was one of the most thickly-settled portions of the Indian country, the permanent residents at Petuquapacn numbering about five hundred. The ruling sachem was Ponus, who died prior to 1640, having long wielded a powerful influence among the various tribes of the East. AVascussuc, a brother of Ponus, WiW the ruling sachem of the Rippowanis, at Stam- ford. The tract of land embraced within the bounds of what may properly be styled Petuquapacn extends from the present boundary-line between Stamford and Greenwich westward to the two streams known as the Brothers. On the west of this tract, extending to Byram River, was Miossehassaky, and still west of Byram was a smaller village, known as Huscco, which was located not far from the present village of Port- chester, N. Y. THE INDIAN PURCHASE.— THE DEED. The first purchase from the Indians) of land lying within the bounds of the present town of Greenwich was nuidc by Cupt. Daniel Patrick and Robert Peaks, July 16, 1640. The following is a copy of the deed which conveyed the lands to Patrick and Peaks : " Weo Amogcron, Sachom of Asamuck, and RammHtthone, Naw- horone, i'^nchenis of l*atonini-k, have sonhl nnt^i Rulierl Feaksand Panfell Patrlcke all theire li^htd and interesln in all ye severnll lands ht'tweno Aikamurk liver anil Pnlonnnk, which Patoniucklsa little river which dlvidcth ye Ix^nnda hetwcno Cupt. Turner's Purchase and this, except yo neck liy yo Indians called Monakewepo. hy us Kli7jibeth neck, which neck Is yo petlcolcr ]>crchaM' of Kll7iil>oth Feaks, ye S4l Itoht. Feaks his wife, to be hers and her heirs and assigns, forever, or else to he at ye ilis- posal of ye afon mentioned purehasers forever, to them and theire henlres, executors or luisiglis. and theye to enjoy all rivers. Islands, and re sevemll naturall adjnnq|* of all ye fotenientioueil plm-i-s, iieigther shall yo Indians fish within a nillle ,>r ain-y english ware, nor invite nor lernilt any olherinilians tti sett down In yo foremenlloncd lands; In con- sidcmtloD of which lands ye foremeDlloncd purchuen nro to give unto ye ahovo named sachems twonty-flve coates, whereof they have reflerve<t eleven in part payment; to witness all which, they have hereunto sett theire hands this 18 July, IC40. "Witness: Keofmni hath sold all his Right Robert Ilensted, in y« above wl Necks unto Jeffer.- his Ferris as witne^ underwritten : liis Messenger. Ml Rubs atielt. hU f ' Ainogorono. Sapouas murk. Whawiioron ^^^"^^^''"^ mark. Akerogue ^^"^^1 mark. hid AnipfU- ^^ j^-v* hci-ltone .X'*^ Whawhorou Kefferani o^^e ranoroliiu* Witness or hafliauouea to y lasr named KicharJ Williams, Aiigcll Hiiwtc*!. liU A. H. murk. Powifttoh s sj=>- mark. " ThoalK've written bill of sale was entered in ye ycare 1080 pr Samuel Peck, rocorder.'* GREENWICH MANOR. The purchase was made ostensibly under the au- spices of the New Haven colony, but Patrick, wlm, with various others of the early settlers, not regard- ing with favor the Puritanical restraints of the church, and having received but little a.«sistance from that colony wlieii the Dutch laid claim to the lamt included within his purchase, signed the following deed: