Bray/Bryan ROSSITER

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of Edward of Boston, Mass.
• Fact: 18 May 1631, Made a Freeman

Notes:

Name:
Son of EDWARD ROSSITER and his wife ? Comb. Edward, a stockholder in the Dorchester company, died at Dorchester in October 1631. Bray's brothers, Nicholas (and his family) and Hugh, returned to England; sisters Jane and Joan remained in New England and married respectively, Thomas Gilbert and Nicholas Hart.

MILITARY: In April 1640 the Connecticut records show that "Mr Rocester of Wyndsor" was made ensign for the "several bands in the said Townes."

COURT: Bray Rochester served on the jury at the Connecticut court in July 1640 and was frequently a party in court. In 1643 he sued the widow Hutchinson for L2w40. In 1650 he sued Henry Wolcott over a debt for treatment of his son. He lost a suit for defamation against Nicholas Hoit and withdrew one for slander against Peter Tilton that same year. In September 1652 he was in the Guilford Plantation Court stating that he had agreed to arbitration regarding his suit against Edward Sewers for false imprisonment.

OCCUPATION: Physician, surveyor, agitator. He was admitted to the practice of medicine at Windsor after "being first tried and approved by Mr. Hooker, Mr. Stone and old Mr. Smith of Wethersfield." At the time of his removal to Guilford in 1651, he is said by historians to have been the only physician in Connecticut colony, but John Winthrop, Jr., was probably already practicing there, too. In March 1662/3 Rossiter performed the first autopsy known in Connecticut on the body of an eight-year-old girl, Elizabeth Kelly, who hd died in a delirium after accusing a neighbor, Goody Ayres of bewitching her. By the time Rossiter got there, the girl had been dead for five days. he was asked to determine whether she died of natural or preternatural causes. Because he had expected the body to be stiff and it was limber, he reported it as a preternatural sign. Seventeenth century medical knowledge of 'rigor mortis' was limited by today's standeards, and Rossiter was evidently unaware that stiffness abates in about 36 hours. The court allowed Dr. Rosseter "Twenty pounds, in reference to opening Kellies child, and his paynes to visit the Dep: Govern', and his paynes in visiting and administering to Mr. Talcot."

Bray/Bryan married Elizabeth ALSOP before 1639. Elizabeth was christened on 15 Feb 1613/14 in Crewkerne, Somerset, England; died on 29 Aug 1669 in Guilford, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Samuel ROSSITER died on 10 Jun 1640 in Windsor, Connecticut.
2. Joannah ROSSITER was born in Jul 1642 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died on 12 Oct 1702 in Sandwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts.
3. John ROSSITER was born in 1644 in Guilford, New Haven County, Connecticut; died in Sep 1670 in Killingsworth, New Haven Co., Connecticut.
4. Josiah ROSSITER was born in 1646 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA; died on 31 Jan 1716 in Guilford, New Haven County, Connecticut.
5. Timothy ROSSITER died in 1647 in Windsor, Connecticut.
6. Abigail ROSSITER died in 1648 in Windsor, Connecticut.
7. Esther ROSSITER died in 1649 in Windsor, Connecticut.
8. Peter ROSSITER died in 1651 in Windsor, Connecticut.
9. Elizabeth ROSSITER died in Sep 1651 in Windsor, Connecticut.
10. Susannah ROSSITER was born on 18 Nov 1652 in Guilford, New Haven County, Connecticut; died on 21 Apr 1710 in Woodbury, Connecticut.
11. Sarah ROSSITER died on 10 Aug 1669 in Guilford, Connecticut.