Sarah WADSWORTH

Sarah married Capt Samuel COWLES on 28 Nov 1716. Samuel (son of Deacon Samuel COWLES and Rachel PORTER) was born on 6 May 1692 in Farmington, Connecticut; died on 9 Jul 1777. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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He was representative for nine sessions, between 1703 and 1717 inclusive, and served as Townsman of Farmington as the following vote shows:

"This Assembly being informed that great differences are arisen in the town of Farmington about the choice of town officers, to put an issue to such difference and that the affairs of the town may not suffer, this Assembly doth order that Mr. John Hooker, Sam Gridley, John Wadsworth, Sam Cowells and Dan Andross shall be townsmen for this present year." May Session, 1702.

At the May session of 1717, he was appointed on a committee "to audit the Colony's accounts with the Treasurer." At the same session he was chosen on a committee to investigate and report to the "Assembly in October next" the matter of the bounds between Waterbury and Wallingford. In October, 1717, the last session he attended as Representative he was chosen "to receive the bills of credit from the Treasurer, in place of Capt. Aaron Cooke dismissed." He is called Deacon in a number of the Probate Documents, even by John Hooker in an affidavit, tho' his name is not included in the printed list of Deacons.

John married Elizabeth STANLEY on 20 Aug 1696 in Farmington, Connecticut. Elizabeth (daughter of Capt John STANLEY and Sarah FLETCHER) was born on 28 Nov 1672 in Farmington, Connecticut; died on 25 Oct 1713. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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Will dated Sept 9, 1689; inventory of estate taken Nov 6, 1689; died between these dates.

He was representative to the General Assembly from May, 1672, to October, 1678, inclusive, excepting the May session of 1677 and was Assistant from May, 179 to May, 1689, inclusive. In October, 1678, was chosen with Wm. Pitkin as Commissioner of the United Colonies, He was distinguished in the militia and was with the Governor; was one of the standing council for military affairs during King Philip's War. He was one of the most prosperous and influential citizens of Farmington. In 1669, of the eighty-four taxable estates, his was third with a valuation of 183 pounds. He was present at the session when the Charter was abstracted. In May, 1678, he was appointed Commissioner for Farmington by the General Court. In 1683, he acted with John, son of Mathew Allyn, in presenting the claims of Connecticut to the jurisdiction of the Narragansett Lands, to "His Majesty's commissioners in Narragansett." Col. rec. of Conn, 3, pp. 324-5.

Samuel, William, Nathaniel, John and James, were Representatives and James was also Assistant to the Governor, or member of the upper house and Speaker. the Conn. Gen. says that Nathaniel and James were twins, born in 1677. this is a mistake--see inventory of the estate of John Wadsworth; taken Nov. 6, 1689, where the names and ages of his children at the time are given: Nathaniel, 15 and James 12. The ages of the others as there given were: Samuel 29; Sarah, 31; John 27; William, 18; Thomas 9, and Hezekiah, 6.

John married Sarah STANLEY about 1656. Sarah (daughter of Thomas STANLEY and Benedicta TRITTON) died in 1718. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of John Stanley

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He came to New England in 1634, with his father who died on the passage. he was made Freeman in 1665; was Lieutenant and Captain in King Philip's War and was in active service "up the river' for many years. After his father's death, he was placed in the care of his Uncle, Thomas Stanley at Cambridge until he became of age and he removed with his guardian to Hartford in 1636. When he was only 13 years old, he went as a soldier against the Pequot Indians. He settled at Farmington at the tie of his first marriage and became one of the most important men of the tow, He and his wife were admitted to the Farmington Church, July 12, 1653. He was Deputy to the General Court almost continuously for 37 years, from 1659 to 1696; was Constable in 1654. He had a grant of 120 acres in May, 1674 and another of 80 acres thirteen years later, (May 1687), he to take take it up with Mr. John Wadsworth. (See Col. Rec. of Conn., 2, p. 230, and 3, p. 234) He m. (1), Dec 5, 1645, (this date is generally given as the 15th. The original entry appears to read "fifteth of Desember." As the marriage of his sister Ruth, is next entered as occuring on the "fifth of desem," and the same year, it is probable it should read fifth), Sarah, Daughter of Thomas Scott....

About 1656, he with John Andrews penetrated the wilderness to the wet of Farmington and discovered a black lead mine in a hill. this discovery excited a great deal of interest at the time but trouble with the Indians prevented the development of the find. the exact location of the ore was forgotten and remains a secret to this day.

John married Sarah FLETCHER on 20 Apr 1663. Sarah (daughter of Deacon John FLETCHER and Mary WARD) was christened on 31 Oct 1641 in Milford Church; died on 15 May 1713. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Dau. of Deacon John Fletcher

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Many mistakes have been made as to Mrs. Stanley's maiden name, but there can be no doubt as to who she was. the Farmington Record says: "the wife of John Stanley, Sarah Stanley, the daughter of John Fletcher, joined the Church fellowship with us April 20, 1669."

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of William and Elizabeth Wadsworth of Long Buckley in Northamptonshire, England

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He died probably between May 16, 1675, the date of will, in which he speaks of himself as "weak in body," and july 9, 1675, when the General Court met, and he disappears as Deputy.

He removed from Long Buckley to Braintree, co. Essex, England. He came to New England with Christopher, probably his brother, in the ship "Lion" (apparently bringing his four children, Sarah, William, Mary and John), and landed at Boston, Sept. 16, 1632. (Winthrop's history, I, p. 90.) He settled at Cambridge; admitted a Freeman, Nov. 6, 1632; was elected to the first Board of Selectmen of Cambridge, and served in 1634/5. In 1636, he joined the Hooker party, removed to Hartford "and there lived in the highest esteem." Out of 62 sessions of the General Court, held between Oct., 1656 and May, 1675, inclusive, he was present at all but 2,--those of May 21, 1657 and Oct. 3, 1661. he was one of the more substantial and wealthy of the emigrants. He was Collector of Rates for Hartford in 1638; Selectman before 1640 and for the years 1643,48, 55, 61 and 73. In 1651, he was Constable for the "north side" of Hartford; was an original proprietor of Hartford and his house lot was co-extensive with the present square, bounded by Asylum, Trumbull and West Pearl Streets and the road to the River.

William married Sarah TALCOTT about 1625 in Braintree, Essex, England. Sarah was born in England; died before Jul 1644. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Dau. of John Talcott and Anne Skinner of Braintree, Essex, England

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of John Stanley and Susan Lancock

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He probably arrived in May, 1634, (Love's Colonial History of Hartford, p. 2), though he is generally said to have come from London in the ship "Planter", 1635 and registered at the Custom House as 16; but this evidently refers to someone else of the same name, for he was much older. He and his brother Timothy were made Freemen of Massachusetts, March 4, 1634/5. His wife was born in 1609 and he was Deputy to the General Court from Lynn, Sep. 2, 1635, when the removal to Connecticut was decided upon. Moreover, he came with his brothers, John and Timothy who did not come in the "Planter." At Hartford he was Constable in the years 1644, 48 and 53. He joined the first party for the settlement of Hartford, known as the "Adventurers," who went the year before the main body of Mr. Hooker's congregation. He had been chosen Constable at Lynn and was fined 10 shillings at a Court held in Salem, for not being present June 27, 1636. He was an original proprietor at Hartford and his home lot in 1639 was on what is now Main Street just north of Little River, extending to the present Center Church. He removed to Hadley in 1659 and it has been said he was Townsman there but his name is not included in the list of Hadley's Selectmen.

Though a young man at this time, Mr. Stanley soon took an important position in the affairs of the town. He was a juryman in 1639 and 1643, and a constable in 1644, 1647, 1648, and 1653. This office was then one of the most responsible in the settlement, combining the duties of the modern sheriff and policeman, and being charged in general with preserving the order and decorum of the place. it devolved on him to summon the courts, General and Particular, to their sessions, and the freemen to their elections, to execute the decrees of the courts and the laws, to enforce order in public worship, to arrest and confine offenders, to administer the frequent whippings which were ordered in punishment of petty crimes, inflicting so many lashes "well laid on," a duty requiring a steady nerve and a strong arm.

In the year 1659, Thomas Stanley and his family, with some others, removed from Hartford, and commenced a new settlement at Hadley, Mass.

Though Thomas Stanley and his family removed from Hartford, he did not dispose of his house and lands there. At his death he left them to his only son, Nathaniel, who after the de3cease of his mother, returned and made his home there. They remained in the line of his descendants until they were bequeathed by his grandson William to the second church in1726. He died January 31, 1663, and was buried at Hadley. His will which is on record in Northampton, gives us interesting particulars as to his home and his family.

Thomas married Benedicta TRITTON on 3 Aug 1630. Benedicta was born on 30 Jul 1609 in Parish Reg., Ashford, Kent, England; died in Jan 1664/5. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Dau. of Daniel Tritton and Alice Goldhatch

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There were three children but the youngest was dead before the order of the General Court of March 3, 1635 was made, as this resolution disposing of the estate of the father shows: "Whereas John Stanley dyed intestate, in the way to Newe England, & lefte three children vndisposed of, the youngest whereof is since disceased--." (Col. Rec. of Mass., vol. I, p. 134.) One uncle, Thomas Stanley agreed to bring up John and he became his adopted son. timothy, the other brother of the deceased agreed to take care of Ruth. Both John and Ruth were married the same day, it is said, but this statement may be wrong. In the case of John the records reads: "was maryed vnto Sary Scott the fif ( )th of descember one Thousaind Six hundreth forty & fiue." The letters missing in the brackets were probably "teen" making the word fifteen whereas Ruth was married on the fifth.

John married ? UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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He removed to Milford about 1639 and was Deacon there; and one of the first and a leading citizen of that place. He was admitted to the Milford Church, Oct. 14, 1641 and his wife, Mary, Dec 19 of that year. He was originally fro Watertown, Mass., and is supposed to have come to Wethersfield about 1635, where he had a homestead recorded to him, March 16, 1640.

John married Mary WARD before 1634. Mary died on 22 Jan 1678/9. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Dau. of Stephen and Joyce Ward

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Mrs. Fletcher m. (2) John Clark of Saybrook, Norwich and Milford. "1665 ( ) 24 John Clark dismissed from Norwich was admitted was ordained ruling Elder June 4, 1673 and died February 5 1673" In her will, Mrs. Clark says: "I give to my son-in-law John Standly and daughter Sarah his wife the one half of All my land in Millford woodland earable and meddow except my homestead to be equally divided," etc..... "my daughter Abegall Fletcher to my whole and Sole executrix." Original on file at State Library, Hartford, and dated Nov. 28, 1677.