John DEMING

- 1705

• Name	John DEMING  [1, 2, 3]
  	"Deming Genealogy": John Deming, the immigrant ancestor of most of the persons bearing his family name, was one of the early settlers of Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he recorded his homestead in 1641, as a house, a barn, and five acres of land, bounded by High Street, west, the Great Meadow, east, Thomas Standish's homestead, north, and Richard Crabbe's homestead, south. The dates of his birth, marriage and death, have never been discovered. His wife was HONOR TREAT, daughter of Richard Treat, whose second wife Alice Gaylord, was her mother. It has not been proven that Honor was his first and only wife, nor that she was the mother of all of his children, although it is probable. In his will of 13 Feb 1668, Richard Treat makes the following bequest: "Item: My debts being paid, I give to my loving sons John Demon, and Robert Webster, equally, all the rest of my goods and chattels whatsoever, except Mr. Perkins book, which I give to my son John Demon, and my great bible to my daughter Honor Demon. And that money in my cousin Samuel Wells, his hand, unto my cousin David Deming, son of John Demon senior." This obscure clause seems to indicate that there was a John Demon senior, as well as John Demon the son-in-law, and suggests the possibility that the father of John Deming of Wethersfield was also names John. This is stated as a fact by Hinman, without giving authority, and the theory is further supported by the statements of the compiler of the Wells Genealogy, and other genealogists. Treat refers to David Deming as his cousin, and indicates the same relationship with Samuel Wells, who is presumably the son of Gov. Thomas Welles, who married Elizabeth Deming, said to have been a sister of John Deming. It would thus appear that the Treats, Welles, and Demings were connected in some way, perhaps before their removal to America. This is the only clue to the parentage of John Deming, and may ultimately lead to its final discovery. It has been stated by some genealogists that John Deming was among the very first settlers of Wethersfield in 1635, and such is probably the case, but the proof is lacking. His first appearance upon the public records of the colony, after recording his homestead, was in 1642, March 2nd, when he was one of the jury of the "particular court." In 1645, Dec. 1st, he appears among the deputies as Jo. Demon, and in 1656 as John Dement, when as a deputy, he is appointed one of a committee, "to give the best safe advice they can to the Indians." In 1657, May 21st, he appears as a deputy to the General Court, as John Deming, and the following year as John Dement. He was a deputy at various courts until 1667, under various names, the name Deming prevailing at the last. He was also a litigant in several lawsuits. He is one of those named in the famous charter of Connecticut, in which King Charles granted to them and to those who should afterwards become associated with them, the lands of connecticut, "in free and common socage," and established a colonial government with unusual privileges. Across the river from Wethersfield, and within its boundaries, lay the "Naubuc Farms," afterwards incorporated into the town of Glastonbury. Here among the first to obtain a lot, was John Deming in the year 1640, his name appearing as John Demion. It is not at all likely that he ever lived here, for he had a house in Wethersfield the following year, and he sold the land on the east side of the river to Samuel Wyllis before 1668. he also owned land in Eastbury, for which he was taxed in 1673. In 1669 he is listed among the freemen of Wethersfield, as John Deming Senior, together with John Deming Junior, and Jonathan Deming. He bought considerable land in Wethersfield at various times, some of which he gave to his sons before he died. The actual date of his death has never been discovered. He signed a codicil to his will Feb. 3, 1692, and this is the last recorded act of his life. When the public lands were allotted to the inhabitants in 1695, he did not draw a portion. It is probable that he died soon after 1692, although his will was not pored until 21 Nov. 1705, and Savage, and other genealogists have assumed that he lived until that year. No public record has been found of the births of the children of John Deming, but their names, as far as known, have been taken from his will, which is preserved in the Probate Court of Hartford........ This old will is the one glimpse we have of the character of John Deming. It reveals a spirit of piety, of love for his family and his friends, and the companionship of some of the best men in the colony. It shows that he was a man of substance, well supplied with lands, and cattle; that he was equipped to work at some trade, which o doubt proved of service in the little colony when they first settled so far fro the older towns on the coast. We would like to know what that trade was, but the records are silent on that point. under the first will, David was to have the tools of the shop, and David, we know, was a rope-maker; but under the codicil to the will, these tools went to john Deming Junior, and whether he continued in his father's trade or not, we are not informed. At the time this will was written, John Deming must have been over seventy years old, and we may picture him in his last days among his children, and grandchildren, reading from his old Geneva bible, or talking with his old friends and neighbors of the trials and hardships of the early days of the settlement. As his wife is not mentioned in his will, it is probable that she died first. The church records of Wethersfield show among the members in 1694 "Jon. Deming Jr's. widow." It is hard to tell to whom this refers, unless to the widow of John Deming the first settler, but it is more probable that some other person is meant. Eunice Standish and her sister Sarah mentioned in the will as cousins, were daughters of Thos. Standish, whose land adjoined Deming's. The connection of this family with Capt Miles Standish of the Plymouth colony, has not been discovered. It would be interesting to learn how close was the relationship between the Deming and Standish families. That John Deming was a prominent man in the affairs of the Connecticut colony, cannot be doubted, and his apparent association by kinship and friendship with those whom we look upon as among the founders of new England, indicates that he was a man of more than ordinary intelligence, and possessed of some education. It is to be hoped that future investigation may bring to light more information than we now have regarding his life in America, and the history of his birth and ancestry in his mother country. Trumbull speaks of John Deming as one of the fathers of Connecticut, and Hinman says of him, that in 1654 he held the office of constable of Wethersfield, an office which proved that he was in the full confidence of the Governor. His name frequently appears upon the records of the colony with the prefix "Mr.," a courtesy paid only to men of some prominence. The same authority states that he was a representative at fifty sessions of the General Court, while in Hollister's roll of deputies, he is credited with nineteen sessions. It is certain that he bore his full share in the upbuilding of the colony, serving his country as the opportunity presented itself, and setting an example of good citizenship, which has born fruit in the loyalty and patriotism of many of his descendants during many generations. [1]
  Birth	England
  Gender	Male
  Death	1705  [1, 2, 3]
  Person ID	I70178	Main Tree
  Last Modified	23 Jan 2021

  
  

  Father	John DEMING, Sr.,   b. England
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	? UNKNOWN
  Relationship	Birth
  Family ID	F00608	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Honour TREAT,   b. 1616, Pitminster, Somerset, England
  Marriage	Abt 1637  [2, 3]
  Children	+ 1. John DEMING, Jr.,   b. 9 Sep 1638, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA d. 23 Jan 1712, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA (Age 73 years)  [Birth] + 2. Jonathan DEMING,   b. abt. 1639, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA d. 8 Jan 1699/00, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut (Age 61 years)  [Birth]   3. Daughter DEMING,   b. Abt 1643   4. Rachel DEMING,   b. Abt 1645, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA  [Birth] + 5. Samuel DEMING,   b. Abt 1646, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA d. 6 Apr 1709, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut (Age 63 years)  [Birth] + 6. Mary DEMING,   b. Abt 1648   d. Aft Aug 1690 (Age 42 years)  [Birth]   7. Mercy DEMING,   b. Abt 1651   d. 17 Dec 1714 (Age 63 years)   8. David DEMING,   b. abt. 1652, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut d. 04 Mar 1725, Boston, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA (Age 73 years)  [Birth] + 9. Sarah DEMING,   b. Abt 1654   d. 29 Sep 1717, Hadley, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts (Age 63 years) + 10. Ebenezer DEMING,   b. Abt 1659, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA d. 2 May 1705, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, USA (Age 46 years)
  Family ID	F28377	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	23 Jan 2021

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - - England  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S5035] Judson Keith Deming, "Genealogy of the Descendants of John Deming of Wethersfield, Connecticut: With Historical Notes". [S9777] Nathaniel Goodwin, Genealogical Notes or Contributions to the Family History of Some of the First Settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts, (New England Historic Genealogical Society). [S12222] John Harvey Treat, A.M., "The Treat Family" A Genealogy of Trott, Tratt, and Treat for Fifteen Generations, and Four Hundred and Fifty Years in England and America.