James FERRIS

James married Rachel MEAD on 18 Oct 1709. Rachel was born about 1680; died after 06 Jun 1727. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. James FERRIS was born on 22 Mar 1720 in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA; died in Poundridge, Westchester, New York, USA.
2. Elizabeth FERRIS was born on 01 Dec 1716 in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA; died in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: 20 Jun 1635, Watertown, Massachusetts
• Death: 24 Jul 1699, Greenwich, Connecticut

Joseph married Ruth KNAPP on 20 Sep 1657 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. Ruth (daughter of Nicholas KNAPP and Elinor LOCKWOOD) was born on 06 Jan 1640/41 in Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts; died after 1702 in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
"Connecticut Ancestry": Jeffrey Ferris was born in England say about 1610, and died at Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut probably about November 1666. Various reports circulate on the internet giving his birthplace in England in an assortment of places usually Leicestershire, and some of these give his father as one Richard Ferris, born in 1585. None of these reports has been confirmed or substantiated for this present compilation....

He was married (at least) three ties, but none of the marriages seem to have been recorded in Connecticut records. The death of his first (?) wife, probably the mother of all of his children, was recorded at Stamford, but her name has not yet been determined. She died at Greenwich on the 31st day, 5th month(July) 1658, during the time of the epidemic of what is thought to have been malaria that claimed so many Stamford lives in that time period. the Stamford record of her death is partially lost because the original page is deteriorated, but Donald L. Jacobus transcribed the entry in 1933 as "( )ne wife of Jeffrey Ferris." No further identification or explanation has been found.

The Rev. Elijah Baldwin Huntington, Stamford's first historian, while not naming Jeffrey's first wife, reported a tradition regarding her that may or may not eventually be confirmed by future researchers:
"Tradition invests the emigration of this (Jeffrey Ferris) family to this country with the hues of romantic adventure - the ancestress, high born, following her plebian lover out into this western world, to share with him here the fortunes which English aristocracy would not allow there."

Jeffrey married second, possibly in December 1658, Mrs. Susannah (Norman) Lockwood, born say 1615, the daughter of richard Norman of Salem, Massachusetts, and widow of Robert Lockwood who died in Fairfield before 11 September 1658 when his inventory was taken. Robert Lockwood was at Watertown during the period 1634-1646, and the couple must have been acquainted at that time and place. She had 11 children from her first marriage, 10 of whom were living in 1658, and many of them were young enough to move to Stamford with her when she married Ferris. Susannah (Norman) (Lockwood) Ferris died at Greenwich on 23 December 1660.

Jeffrey Ferris' third wife was Judith (Feake) Palmer, daughter of James Feake and widow of Lieutenant William Palmer. She had four young boys with her when she joined Jeffrey's household. His will set aside ten pounds apiece "to her four children that is to say this four boyes which I brought up and kept." After Jeffrey's death in 1666, she married as her third husband, John Bowers, and used his name in 1667 when receipting for her share in the settlement of Jeffrey's estate.

He was in America by 6 May 1635 when he was made a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, presumable a resident of Watertown at the time. he joined with other Watertown residents in their establishment of Wethersfield, Connecticut, probably later in that same year of 1635. He recorded his homestead in the Wethersfield land records on 26 April 1641, prior to selling a portion to William Comstock in that same year. he continued to hold land in Wethersfield until 1645, when he disposed of the remainder of his property there to John Deming. An early Glastonbury historian found by analyzing the Wethersfield Land Records that Jeffrey Ferris owned land in the eastern portion of Wethersfield at Naubuc Farms, on the east side of the Connecticut River at what is now Glastonbury.

In 1640-1641 he joined with those other members of the Watertown/Wethersfield party who went on to become the founders and settlers of Stamford, and his name appears on most of the surviving lists of the earliest Stamford residents. He then purchased land in greenwich from William Hallett and moved there about 1650. His connections with both Stamford and Greenwich constituted almost a dal citizenship, considering the different jurisdictions that controlled these two towns during their infancy.....

According to historian Jeanne Majdalany, Jeffrey Ferris was the operator of Stamford's town mill in the early years, and his sons were probably a great help in this endeavor.

Paul Prindle transcrived the will of Jeffrey Ferris in full for his book, "Gillespie Ancestors". The following excerpts provide us with information on his children and grandchildren that cannot be found anywhere else: "my sonn James Fferris...my sonn Jonothan Lockwood...my daughter Mary Lockwood...her husband Jonothan Lockwood...my son Peter Fferris his three children...my sonn Joseps two children...

Jeffrey married Mary ?. Mary was born about 1612; died on 31 Jul 1658 in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
"Connecticut Ancestry": Nicholas Knapp was in Watertown, Massachusetts by 1 March 1630/31, when he was fined for sellin some "water of noe worth nor value" as a cure for scurvy. Since this was wintertime when no ships made the Atlantic voyage, it is likely that he had arrived well before this time, perhaps during the summer of 1630. Anderson estimates that he was born by about 1606, based on the estimated date of his marriage. He died at Stamford between 15 and 27 April 1669/70, the dates of his will and his inventory. The family name was generally spelled KNAP until about 1800....

His first wife and mother of his children, who died in Stamford on 16th day, 6th month (16 August) 1658, was named Eleanor (?). He married (2) at Stamford on 9 March 1658/59 Unica (?) (Buxton) (Brown), widow of Clement Buxton and Peter Brown. Since she was not mentioned in his will, she is presumed to have died before 1670.

The standard 'KNAPP GENEALOGY" is full of error and must be used with caution. It does, however, contain some interesting historical and biographical information, including a list of the lands of Nicholas Knapp in Watertown, and a complete transcription of his will. He appears to have left Watertown about May 1646, since he sold all the land he had received from the town there to Bryan Pendleton on the 6th day 3rd month 1646, and another acre of meadow (purchased separately in 1645) to Edward Garfield on the same date. According to one Stamford historian, he was briefly in Rye, New York, and nearby Greenwich before arriving in Stamford about 1649.

For some unknown reason, the Stamford Town Records do not contain a complete listing of the lands of Nicholas Knapp as they do for many other early residents. He is, however, mentioned regularly as an adjoining landholder in many of the other residents' summaries. the Town Records do contain an interesting purchase on 26 September 1651 by "nickels Knape" of Elias Bailey's house and home lot of 1 1/2 acre, purchased earlier by Bailey from John Coe, and adjacent to land already in Knapp's possession. Both Bailey and Coe left Stamford for Long Island, along with many other Stamford people.

Nicholas Knapp and his stepson Clement Buxton, son of his second wife Eunice, "the aforesayd Nichlas Knap haveing by and with the mariage of ye Widdow Busxton administrered upon ye estate of Clement Buxton, deceased" made an agreement on 8 March 1666/67 and recorded 31 January 1667/68, the young man having reached his majority, that he (Buxton) would receive title to his father's house and property in return for granting Knapp and his wife the life use of the house and 1/2 of the barn and home lot. On the following day (March 1666/67) Nicholas Knapp added an additional detail to the agreement in which he gave "unto Clement Buxton a beding in ye house wch I now am resedent in and what conveniancy I can conveniantly acommodate him with all for stoedge (storage) of what necisary things he have to put in so that it may be understood I grant him this priveledge as long as I shall live in the house. This my agreement made 9th March 1666.

Then, within a year on 19 October 1668, Nicholas Knap purchased the house and 1 1/2 acre homelot of Daniel Simpkins of Stamford for the price of "two oxen and one cow in hand resived & for full satisfaction." This homelot was between the homelots of Richard Scofield on the south and Thomas Lawrence on the north and bounded by the highway on the east and the mill lot on the west.

His will was dated at Stamford on 15 April (2nd Month) 1670, probated 21 October 1670, and named his children Moses, Timothy, Caleb, Joshua, Sarah Disbrowe, Hanna, Lidea, and Ruth. Sarah Buxton and Eunice Buxton are called daughters in law, and are left property out of the effects of their father Clement Buxton. His son Joshua Knapp was named executor and the will was witnessed by John Weed and Eleazer Slason. The inventory was taken 27 April 1669/70 by John Holly and Clement Buxton, and filed 31 October 1670.

Nicholas married Elinor LOCKWOOD. Elinor (daughter of Edmund LOCKWOOD and Alice COWPER) was born in Oct 1609 in St. Mary Parish-Bures, Co. Suffolk, England; died on 16 Aug 1658 in Stamford, Fairfield Co., Connnecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
Lockwood family.com - DESCENDANTS OF ELINOR LOCKWOOD -

States the following regarding Elinor:

Arrived on Arbella with Edmund and Robert, as did Nicholas Knapp. She may have previously been married to a "Disbrow."
The Genealogy of Nicholas Knapp by Dr. A.A. Knapp says that Elinor is the daughter of Edmund Lockwood, sister to Robert and Edmund. The Knapp genealogies also list Elinor as daughter of Edmund, sister to Robert and Edmund.

Another Knapp says:
From Frederick Harry Knapp on January 5, 1999: "ELINOR, CALLED 'LOCKWOOD', 'DISBROW', & 'WATERBURY'

"Elinor, first wife of Nicholas Knapp of Watertown, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts and Stamford, Fairfield Co., Connecticut, has been called "Lockwood', "Disbrow" and at times, "Waterbury", in older genealogies. No known record supports such claims!

EXTANT RECORDS IDENTIFY HER AS 'ELINOR' ONLY, AND ANCESTRY UNKNOWN. Her origin and ancestry remain unknown, though no doubt her origin was England. Many early publications state she was born at Combs, Co. Suffolk, England, though do so without benefit of supporting evidence. At best we can say 'she was (of) England."

Please see LOCKWOOD FAMILY.com website for more arguments on the known last name of Elinor. As of this writing 2012, I am leaving the last name of Elinor as UNKNOWN.

John married Martha BLOIS. Martha was born in 1565 in Grundisburgh, Suffolk, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Edmund married Alice COWPER on 9 Mar 1591 in Combs, Suffolk, England. Alice (daughter of William COWPER and Alice LUDBROOK) was born in 1574 in Combs, Suffolk, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]