Abraham WIGHTMAN

Family/Spouse: Catherine RANDALL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of Rev. Valentine Wightman

Abraham married Susanna STARK on 19 Apr 1737 in Norwich, New London, Connecticut, USA. Susanna (daughter of John Obediah STARK and Martha WALWORTH) was born in 1717 in North Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA; died in 1813 in Colchester, New London, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Valentine married Susannah HOLMES on 10 Feb 1702/3. Susannah (daughter of John HOLMES and Mary SAYLES) was born about 1682; died between 7 Apr 1726 and 1728 in Groton, New London Co., Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of John Holmes and Mary Sayles

Notes:

John was a grantee under the deed of William Stark to the church. He was a deacon in the First Baptist Church of New London ( Waterford) which church was the second Baptist church in the State, founded in 1710. The church edifice, about twenty or twenty-five square, with a sharp, peaked roof, occupying a sightly position on the crest of Foot Hill in Waterford, presented a fair target for British ships blockading the coast, and they so riddled the roof as to cause the building to be called the "Old Pepper Box." In a burying groung adjoining the church so late as 1850 was a stone bearing the name of Deacon John Stark.

Name:
John Stark was a grantee under the deed of William Stark to the Church. He was a deacon of the First Baptist Church of New London (now Waterford), Conn., which was the second Baptist Church in the State, founded in 1710. The church edifice was about twenty or twenty-five feet square, with a sharp peaked roof, occupying a sightly position on the crest of Fort Hill in Waterford. It presented a fair target for the British ships blockading the coast. They riddled the roof and caused the building to be called the "Old Pepper Box."

In the burying ground adjoining the church as late as 1850, was stone bearing the name of Deacon John Stark.

John married Martha WALWORTH on 10 Nov 1715 in New London, Connecticut. Martha (daughter of William WALWORTH and Mary Abigail SEATON) was born in Mar 1691 in Fisher's Island, New London Co., Connecticut; was christened on 24 Jan 1692 in Congregationalist Church, New London, Connecticut; died in 1736. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

George married Elizabeth UPDYKE about 1663. Elizabeth was christened on 27 Jul 1644 in New Amsterdam; died between 25 Dec 1712 and 26 Apr 1718 in Quidnessett, Washington Co., Rhode Island. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of Sieur Gysbert op d(en) dyck (Updyke) and Catherine Smith

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Son of Obadiah Holmes

John married Mary SAYLES on 12 Oct 1680 in Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island. Mary (daughter of John SAYLES and Mary WILLIAMS) was born on 11 Jul 1652 in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island; died in 1717 in Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: Abt 1654

Notes:

Aaron served with his father in King Philip's War in 1675, and like him received a grant of land in Voluntown, though it is believed that neither of them ever lived in that town.

Aaron married Mehitable SHAW on 27 Nov 1676 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA. Mehitable (daughter of Thomas SHAW and Mary ?) was born about 1654 in North Stonington, New London, Connecticut, USA; died in 1714. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
"Hyde Genealogy": This William Walworth came to New London about 1689, from the neighborhood of London, England at the request of Gen. Fitz John Winthrop, for the purpose of introducing English farming upon fisher's Island, then owned by Winthrop. Soon after his arrival he married Mary Seaton, who came out in the same vessel with him. They settled upon fisher's Island, of which he was for several years the lessee. He and his wife and their eldest child, Martha, were baptized at New London, by the Rev. Gurdon Saltonstall, 24 Jan. 1692. Shortly before his death, William Walworth obtained a tract of land in that part of New London which is now Groton: upon which his widow lived and brought up his children respectably by her great industry and energy of character, after his death. He died in 1703, at Groton. She survived him, and died 14 Jan. 1752, at New London, in the 49th year of her widowhood, aged 84. They had four sons and three daughters, the eldest of whom was only 12 years old at their father's death....

William, a prominent farmer at Groton Manor, England, well known to the Winthrop family, was induced by Governor Winthrop of connecticut, to come to America to introduce to the Colonists the English system of cultivation. thus, William became the first lessee and settler upon Fisher's Island. He converted the virgin wilderness into fertile farm land and made the island his residence. to it, he carried a young wife and it became the birthplace of his older children. He remained on the island with his family for nine years, after which he felt it necessary to remove them to the mainland at Groton, Conn., to avoid the dangers of the Indians and the French Privateers. After removing to Groton, he came into possession of large grants and purchases of land and, at the time of his death, left a large estate of his family.

William married Mary Abigail SEATON in 1690 in New London, Connecticut. Mary was born in 1669 in London, London, England; died on 14 Jan 1753 in New London, New London, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
Mary, an only child, at the death of her father, in London, England, was left an orphan. Her father was the second son of a wealthy family, but, by English law, received nothing by inheritance, the bulk of his parent's estate going to his older brother. Mary took a bold step of her own, that of emigration, and came to New London at the same time and on the same ship with William, and soon after arriving became the bride of William.

Mary descended from one of the earliest and most distinguished families of Scotland. The "History of Scotland" by Buchanan and Watkins, records "Seatons" throughout its pages. The date of their earliest existence there has not been established but, as early as 1057 A.D., they are mentioned in said history. It records an Alexander Seaton, nobleman, as early as 1330, and mention is made of Mary Queen of Scots as having found shelter in the house of Lord Seaton at Niddy in East Lothian after her escape from Lock Liven Castle in may, 1568. Therefore, historians indicate that the Seaton family was one of high standing, held a high social position, and became allied with the most powerful of their time.

Mary was a woman of rare ability and, following the death of William which occurred thirteen years after marriage, she reared her seven young children and managed her estate with unusual wisdom. She survived William by forty-nine years, death occurring in 1752, at the age of eighty-three.