Thankful DENISON

Thankful married Elisha WILLIAMS on 05 Nov 1740 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA. Elisha (son of Ebenezer WILLIAMS and Sarah HAMMOND) was born on 12 Jan 1717/8 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA; died on 22 Sep 1788 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Prudence MINER on 17 Feb 1706 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA. Prudence (daughter of Joseph MINER and Marie AVERY) was born in 1688 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA; was christened on 6 May 1688; died on 18 May 1726 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: 26 May 1726

Other Events and Attributes:

• Will: 04 Dec 1711
• Will Proved: 10 Mar 1712

George married Mercy GORHAM about 1677 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts. Mercy (daughter of Capt John GORHAM and Desire HOWLAND) was born on 20 Jan 1658 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., Massachusetts; died on 24 Sep 1725 in Westerly, Washington Co., Rhode Island. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joseph married Marie AVERY on 28 Oct 1668 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA. Marie (daughter of Capt James AVERY and Joanna GREENSLADE) was born on 19 Feb 1647/48 in Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts; died on 02 Feb 1697/98 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: 1643, Went to England and fought in the Parliamentary Army
• Fact: 02 Jul 1644, Wounded and captured - Battle of Marston
• Emigration: 1651
• Will Proved: Jun 1695

Notes:

"After his wife's death, Bridget, George went to England, served under Cromwell in the army of the Parliment, won distintion, was wounded at Naseby, was nursed at the house of John Borodell, by his daughter Ann- whom he married and returned to Roxbury, and finally settled at Stonington, Conn."

"George and Ann were both remarkable for magnificent personal appearance, and for force of mind and character. She was always called "Lady Ann." They held foremost place in Stonington. He has been described as "the Miles Standish of the settlement," but he was a greater and more brilliant soldier than Miles Standish. He had no equal in any of the colonies, for conducting a war against the Indians, excepting, perhaps, Captain John Mason."

Excerpt from "Rev. John Eliot's Record of Church Members, Roxbury, Mass.": This winter we had a gracious p'vidence of God befell two brothers Edward & George Dennison, who had been proude incendiarys of some trobls among us, and full of distemp', and disaffection. but the Lord left them to open and shamefull drundennesse at Boston: espec'.edward. We did so greatly humble them both yet though George (being a membr) was excomvnicated, yet in a short time was taken in againe. And Edward humbling himselfe so effectually yet he was also speedyly received in to the Church, this is the tryvmph of grace, to magnify grace by sinne.

Excerpt from "Direct Descendants of Capt. George Denison": George's bro, Gen Danl Denison wrote in 1672 "My two brothers, Edward and George had all the Estate of my father left between athem, being both marryed long before my father's death; my Brother George buried his first Wife in the year 1643, went into England was a souldier ther above a year, was at the Battle of York, or Marton Moore, where he did good service, was after ward taken Prisoner, but got free and having maried a second Wife he returned to New England the year before our Mother died, and not long after ward removed himelf to New Ldon near whereunto at Stonington he now liveth, having 3 sons John, William, and George, 4 or 5 daughters......3 daughters are married to Stanton, Palmer and Cheesebrook all living at present in the same town."
He served as Deputy to the Conn Gen Court from New London Sept 1653, May 1654 and Feb 1657, and from Stonington Oct 1671, Oct 1674, May 1678, Oct 1682, May and Oct 1683, May, July and Oct 1684, May and Oct 1685, May 1686, May 1687, Sept 1689, May Sept and Oct 1693, and May 1694. When 1st mentioned in "Conn Col Recds" he is called "Captain," based upon his service and commission in England. He served on the War Comm for New London in 1653 when war threatened with Dutch. Although 56 he served as capt in King Philip's War 1676 in command of New London County troops and second in command of the Conn Army under Maj Robert Treat. He was ap'pted Provost Marshal May 1677. He was Capt of volunteer troops against the enemy Sept 1689.

"George Denison of Rocksbury in New England gentleman and Bridge Denison his wife daughter of John thompson late of Preston in the County of Northampton and of M(ist)ris Alice Thompso now dwelling at Rocksbury" gave a power of attorney on 22 march 1640/1 to recover her share of her father's estate.

George married Ann BORRODELL in 1645 in Naseby, Northamton, England. Ann was born about 1615 in England; died on 26 Sep 1712 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut; was buried in Elm Grove Cemetery, Mystic, New London, Conn.. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Death: 06 Sep 1712

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Between 07 Mar 1676 and 1677, Division of Estate

John married Desire HOWLAND about 1643 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. Desire (daughter of John HOWLAND and Elizabeth TILLEY) was born before 1625 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA; died on 13 Oct 1683 in Barnstable, Barnstaple Co.,, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: 05 Mar 1683/4, Settlement of Estate

Other Events and Attributes:

• Immigration: 1630, Sailed from England in the Ship "Arabella" and landed at Salem, June 14.
• Residence: 1634, Removed to Saybrook, in the colony of Connecticut, with the younger John Winthrop and company.
• Fact: 1646, Elected a townsman and admitted to the rights accorded freemen
• Death: 03 Oct 1690

Notes:

A long stone of rough granite lies in the ancient burial ground at Wickulequack, almost buried in the turf beneath, and bears the following inscription:

Here lyeth the body of Lieutenant Thomas Minor
Aged Eighty three years, departed 1690

Thomas married Grace PALMER on 29 Apr 1633/4. Grace (daughter of Walter PALMER and Ann/Elizabeth ?) was born in England; died on 31 Dec 1690 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Groups of Palmer Families from Walter Palmer of Charlestown and Rehoboth, Mass., Stonington, Conn. (1901) (NewEnglandAncestors.org)

Grace Palmer, daughter of Walter and Elizabeth Palmer, was born in England between the years 1608-10. She became a member of the First Church in Charlestown, Middlesex County, Mass., June 1, 1632, at the same time her father and step-mother united with it. She married, in Charlestown, Thomas Minor, who was born in Chew Magne, county Somerset, England, April 23, 1608, and was of the tenth generation in the Minor family. He came in the fleet which bore John Winthrop, future governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which put into port at Cape Ann, now Salem, Essex Co., Mass., Saturday, June 12, 1630.
Thomas Minor received Lot 18 in the first division of land at Mystic Side, now Charlestown, on the sixth of the first month, 1637. His future father-in-law, Walter Palmer, receiving Lot 15.
From Charlestown, Thomas Minor migrated, first to Hingham, Plymouth County, where four children were born, thence to Stonington, New London County, Conn., where he bouth a large tract of land lying on the borders of Wequetequack Cove, in 1652, whereon he built his house, having made a brief previous residence in Hingham, Plymouth Co. Mass. going thence to New London in 1645, where he had a grant of one home lot and built a house, but sold the whole to settle at his final abode in Stonington, where he met with some difficulty, by the fact that a grant of three hundred acres of land from the town of New London to Governor Haynes, and sold by the latter to Walter Palmer, being found to cover Minor's lot. He, however, signed the conveyance, qualifying it by the reservation that he should inhabit the place until he should have time to erect another dwelling at Mistupet. He held a very prominent place in all the stirring events which ensued in the settlement of this plantation where he died October 23, 1690. She died October, 1690, and is said to have been born the same year as her husband.

Notes:

Name:
Captain James Avery is often spoken as the founder of the family or clan that we call the Groton Averys. That he was the only child of Christopher Avery is plainly seen by the following entry on the books of the county court of New London, Connecticut, November 24, 1683:

"Capt. James Avery appearing in this Court and there Declaring himself the only sonn & Heir of his Father Mr. Christopher Avery deceased and that there was neither sonn or Daughter but himself was sole heir and he desiring this court would so constitute him and give him power of administration upon the said estate of his father deceased. This Court having duly considered what hath been alleadged do approve of the same and judge the said Capt. James Avery to be the right and full heir to the said estate and do give him power of administrator to the estate of Mr. Christopher Avery his deceased father,

Attest Charles Hill rec."

James Avery came to America with his father and lived at Gloucester for several years. He married November 10, 1643, as appears by the records of Gloucester:

"James Avery married Joane---- November 10, 1643."
That her name was Joanne Greenslade is learned from her letter of dismissal from the church at Boston to the one at Gloucester in 1644. The first volume of admissions of the First Church of Boston contains what little information we have been able to glean concerning Joane Greenslade. On page 63 is a list of six names of which hers stands third among the admissions as follows:

"The 18th day of ye 4th Moneth 1643 Joan Greenslade, a single woman."

On page 66 of the same volume is an entry showing her dismissal to the church of Gloucester: "the 17th day of ye 1at Moneth 1644 Our Sister Joan greenslade now ye wife of one James Averill of Gloster had granted hir by ye Churches silence Ires of Recomend to ye Church at Gloster."

She, however, seems to have retained her connection with the First Church at Boston, for on page 97 of the book of admissions is the record:
"oe Sister Joan Avery with ye Consent of ye whole church was dismist unto ye church of christ at Pekot on ye 31 of ye 6th mo 1651.".....

He soon became active in military affairs and is generally spoken of by the title of ensign, lieutenant, or captain. The region in which he lived was formerly the chief seat of the formidable Pequot tribe that, a few years before, had been almost exterminated by the English. The Pequot Fort, taken in 1637 by Captain John Mason in command of the Connecticut troops and their Mohegan and Narragansett allies, was on the Mystic River, on the eastern line of Groton. After the Pequot War, a few survivors of that once dreaded tribe still lived in the haunts of their fathers, with the Narragansetts on the east and the Mohegans under their sachem, Uncas, near by on the west. In 1657, the Narragansetts made a wild foray and Uncas fled from the blood and fire that marked their course. He took refuge in a fort and was besieged by his unrelenting foes. but, just in time, "Lieutenant James Avery, Mr. Brewster, Richard Haughton, Samuel Lothrop, and others well armed, succeeded in throwing themselves into the fort; and the Narragansetts, fearing to engage in a conflict with the English, broke up the siege and returned home." The legislature approved the measures that had been taken for the protection of the faithful ally of the English.....

In 1668, James Avery and Cary Latham were chosen by the town to settle the boundary line with the sachem, Uncas. The L15 that secured the desired formal deed was paid by James Avery and two others in consideration of which each received 200 acres of land from the town. Captain Avery's services seem to have been often called for by the town and by individuals in the settling of such controversies. In 1678, the commissioners, granted Captain Avery five pounds "for his good service in assisting in the government of the Pequots for sundry years."........

James Avery represented New London as deputy to the general court for many years. The record runs as follows: May, 1659, Oct. 1660; Oct. 1661; Oct., 1664; May and July 1665; May and Oct 1667; April and May 1668; May and Oct., 1669; May, 1675. Oct 1675, he was reported as absent. He was serving his country elsewhere-raising troops for the Indian war that terminated in the great swamp fight of December 19, 1675. We find him again a member of the general court 1676; also May and Oct., 1677; May, 1678; Oct., 1679; Oct., 1680 oct., 1682; May, 1683, May and July, 1684; May and Oct., 1685; Oct., 1686......

In studying the record of those days, the careful student is strongly impressed with the fact that Capt. James Avery was a very remarkable man. Living as he did in stirring times, he was a leader among strong men, enjoying their confidence and respect because he deserved them. Especially is it to be noted that, although the state took cognizance of affairs that we now call private and interfered in the details of family life and personal relations in a way that would not now be tolerated, he was never censured or "presented" for any shortcoming or alleged dereliction of duty or propriety. Eminent in all the relations of life, his descendants look upon him with pride and affection as one SANS PEUR ET SANS REPROCHE.

James married Joanna GREENSLADE on 10 Nov 1643 in Gloucester, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Joanna was born about 1622 in Devonshire Co., England; died on 16 Apr 1693 in Groton, New London Co., Connecticut; was buried in Avery-Morgan Cemetery, Groton, New London Co., Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]