Biography for Daniel Markham II (6th Great Grandfather)
Daniel was born November 1, 1671, in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.[1] He died May 6, 1760, in Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut.[2] He was 89 years old. His burial location is unknown (as a grave for him has not been found and there is no record of his burial, he may be buried on his land).
His parents were Daniel Markham and Elizabeth Whitmore. Daniel Sr. (his dad) was born June 22, 1641, in Earls Colne, Essex, England. He died February 6, 1712, in Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut. His burial is unknown. Elizabeth was born May 2, 1649, in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts and died May 10, 1676, in Cambridge. She is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Cambridge.
Daniel II married Deborah Meacham on April 2, 1703 in Enfield (his last name is spelled Marcom in this entry).[3] She was born December 15, 1670, in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts. Deborah died in 1761 in Enfield. She was the daughter of Captain Isaac Meacham and Deborah Browning.
Daniel and Deborah had the following ten children:
- Daniel Markham III, born November 13, 1704, Middletown, Middlesex Co.; married first Patience Miller, April 2, 1729, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married second Thankful Heath, November 14, 1745, Stafford, Tolland Co., CT; died March 16, 1786, Tyringham, Massachusetts.
- Deborah Markham, born March 2, 1705, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married Samuel Eaton, June 25, 1746, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; died before 1795
- Israel Markham, born February 18, 1707, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married Anne Spencer, May 11, 1733, Windham, Connecticut; died 1763, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut.
- Jeremiah Markham, born February 18, 1709/10, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married 1734, Enfield; died September 22, 1753, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut.
- Isaac Markham, born November 30, 1711, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married Jemima Pease, 1734, CT; married May 9, 1734, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut; died 1759, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut.
- Phebe Markham, born October 26, 1713, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married January 1, 1732; died July 1, 1803, Windham, Windham, Connecticut.
- Marjorie Markham, born November 13, 1715, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married Ebenezer Bacon, July 21, 1737, Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut; died March 24, 1798, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut.
- Joseph Markham, born December 8, 1717, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married Abigail Booth, January 15, 1741, Enfield, Hartford County, Connecticut; died April 3, 1761, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut.
- Sybil Taylor Markham, born February 19, 1719, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; died March 11, 1791, Somers, Hartford Co, CT.
- Edith Markham, born May 14, 1722, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut; married Benjamin Simons, April 18, 1751, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut; died September 4, 1803, Hazardville, Hartford, Connecticut.
Narrative
Daniel was born in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts. He was the oldest of six children and was named after his father (thus Daniel II). His father was a Deacon and a farmer, so Daniel would have worked on the farm as a young boy.
Daniel’s mother, Elizabeth, died on May 10, 1676, at the age of 27. Daniel was only 4 years old. His younger sister Elizabeth was 3 and his brother James was 2. This had to be a very difficult time for the young family.
In January of 1678 Daniel Sr. married Patience Harris in Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut. The family moved to Middletown and Daniel had a new stepmother. Patience was the daughter of William Harris, a prominent man in Middletown. Patience had a sister, Hannah Harris, who was married to Francis Whitmore (Jr.). This Francis was the brother of the late Elizabeth (Daniel Sr’s first wife and Daniel II’s mother).
On March 4, 1696, Daniel Owned the Covenant at the First Church in Middletown.[4] This means that he accepted the tenets of the church. This would have been a significant step in Daniel’s religious life.
On January 23, 1702, Daniel became a landowner when his dad gave him three pieces of land totaling 25 acres in Middletown.[5] At the same time his dad also gave the same amount of land to Daniel’s brother, James.
On January 29, 1703, Daniel is listed in the Middletown First Congregational Church Records, Society Account Book as being assigned to collect the minister’s rate. The total amount was 100L 15S 8P.[6] This was a lot of money to be responsible for.
In 1703 Daniel married Deborah Meacham in Enfield. At this time Enfield was in Massachusetts, in Hampshire County. Enfield was moved to Hartford County, Connecticut in 1749.[7] Daniel and Deborah lived in Middletown and their first nine children were born there.
On December 28, 1708, Daniel was chosen surveyor for Middletown.[8] In this role he would have laid out land plots and made measurements for roadways. Then on January 5, 1709, he was admitted as an inhabitant to the town of Middletown.[9] This was important as it recognized him as an official member of the town.
On April 11, 1715, Daniel was granted land by the town in what was called the 3 Mile Division.[10] This land was in east Middletown, just north of Lake Pocotapaug, which today is in East Hampton. Daniel received 35 acres in lot 126.
Sometime between 1716 to 1719, Daniel moved his family to Enfield. From the History of Enfield is this, “Daniel (Markham II) who erected a house near where the Iron Works formerly stood”. There is not a specific year stated, but it appears to be around 1716-1719. On November 11, 1716 Daniel and his wife, Deborah, sold land that she had inherited from her father in Enfield; Daniel II is shown as being from Middletown.[11] Three years later, on December 8, 1719, Daniel II purchased land in Enfield and is shown as being from Enfield.[12] So, he moved his family there sometime in this three-year period.
Their home in Enfield was next to the Iron Works, which was built by Israel Meacham, Daniel’s brother-in-law, who died in 1715. In his nuncupative (verbal) will, Israel gave all of his lands and the iron works to his siblings.[13] This included Deborah, Daniel’s wife. So, through his wife, Daniel had 1/8 interest in this Iron Works. It’s probable that Daniel was somehow involved with that operation. They lived right next to it. There has been no record found of him selling his part in this Iron Works property, so he must have kept his part ownership.
Bog ore was found in areas around Enfield. This is an iron rich rock found in areas that were wet or on land that had previously been wet. There were a lot of impurities that had to removed. Charcoal was used to fuel a fire in a furnace that burned hot enough to smelt the ore, which was about 3000 degrees. Charcoal was made by a collier, who were professional charcoal burners. It is made by heating wood in a kiln using minimal oxygen to remove all water and impurities from the wood. Making charcoal took a lot of wood. The iron furnace, or bloomery, was used to produce cast iron, which was poured directly into molds to make an end product. Or pig iron could be produced, these were large lumps that could be remelted and cast later, or made into wrought iron. The forger was an expert who knew how to heat the ore and make the best iron possible, using the right amount of heat, air (using bellows) and ore. In addition to making tools and kitchen items, a much-needed item was nails. Building wood framed houses required a lot of nails. Pig iron would be sold to blacksmiths who would then make many of these iron products.[14]
Daniel’s father-in-law, Captain Isaac Meacham, also died in 1715. At one point Isaac owned a saw mill and a fulling mill in Enfield.[15] It’s also possible that Daniel was involved with one of those in some way.
On March 14, 1720, Daniel was chosen tithing man as indicated in the Enfield Town Records.[16] A tithing man had several roles:
- Making sure people weren’t working or doing anything besides attending church on Sundays.
- Keeping people awake in church, they would use a long pole to tap anyone who fell asleep.
- Seeing that children were properly schooled in the Bible.
- Watching taverns to make sure people didn’t get drunk.
- Making sure that people were paying their proper share in contributions to the church.
Daniel was involved in a court case in Hartford, Connecticut, on December 18, 1723. The case involved counterfeiting, which a man named Ephraim Shevie was accused of. Shevie was a sundial maker, and had bragged that he had made plates and could use them to print money. Daniel was a witness to some of Shevie’s comments and testified in court. Shevie was convicted and sent to prison.[17] More information about this story can be found in a book by Kenneth Scott titled “Counterfeiting in Colonial America”.[18]
On March 13, 1728, Daniel was chosen part of a group to consider a way to support the school.[19] In an Enfield Town Meeting on March 10, 1729, Daniel was chosen to be a surveyor of highways.[20] On March 8, 1730, he was chosen as part of a committee to take care of the town vote respecting a school.[21]
January 31, 1732, at an Enfield Town meeting Daniel was ordered to receive 6 Pounds to finish building a bridge for horses below his mill.[22] This is the earliest known reference to him having a mill. This was likely a grist mill. In March of 1738 another town meeting mentions that a new highway is laid out until it comes to the highway that goes over Scantic River by Markham’s Mills.[23] In November of 1744 Daniel sells 2 acres and ½ of his grist mill to his son Joseph.[24] No record for the second half of the mill being sold has been found.
In the October 8, 1787, edition of the Hartford Courant, there is an ad for Markham’s Mills. It says the mill is “in excellent repair, furnished with two good bolts, and a miller well skilled in the business; those who will please to favor said mills with the custom, may depend on meeting with constant attendance and dispatch”.[25] Then on May 25, 1789, there is an ad to sell the mill. It says “for sale – those noted grist-mills in Enfield, known by the name of Markham’s Mills, three miles east of the meeting house, in complete repairs”.[26] So, the mill apparently stayed in the family for a number of years after Daniel II’s death before being sold.
On March 13, 1732, Daniel was chosen selectman, along with 3 others, for the ensuing year.[27] Selectmen were given significant authority over town finances, care of the poor, schools, admission of new residents into the town, roads and other public works, land regulation, local defense, and appointment of other town officials not elected by the town meeting. They were the town’s chief executive body. This was an important role for the town and would have required a lot of Daniel’s time.
In a town meeting on February 2, 1736, Daniel was chosen to be on a committee to seat the meeting house.[28] On December 19, 1737, he was paid 18 shilling for working 5 days on a highway and 1 day at a burying yard.[29]
In 1734 the town of Somers was set off from Enfield, Somers is just a few miles east. The church at Somers was the 2nd Ecclesiastical Society of Enfield, first organize in 1727.[30] On August 2, 1741, Daniel was admitted to full Communion in this church, and on September, 27 the same year, his wife Deborah was also admitted to full Communion.[31]
Massachusetts began issuing paper money in 1690. The notes were printed from engraved copper plates. In 1704 “Old Tenor” notes were introduced, at the value of 1 Massachusetts shilling to 9 pence of sterling. Later versions of paper money were the “Middle Tenor” in 1737 and “New Tenor” in 1741. Paper money depreciated in value as the colony received more sterling coins, based on the Spanish dollar (which is where the name for the later U.S. dollar came from).
After years of inflation, in 1749 Massachusetts withdrew its paper money from circulation and returned to specie (Spanish dollar and sterling). By 1749 a Spanish dollar was valued at 45 shilling in Old Tenor, up from 6 shilling in the early years of Old Tenor. The currency reform act of 1749 required that all outstanding notes be redeemed by March 31, 1751.[32] Supposably, the previous paper money was not to be used after this time. But it was. On December 25, 1751, Daniel sold 4 pieces of land containing 115 acres to his son Joseph for 2000 pounds Old Tenor.[33]
Daniel was a yeoman, a farmer for most of his life. He had a grist mill for many years. He was likely somehow involved with the Iron Works operation. He was quite often involved in civic affairs, holding quite a few positions for the town of Enfield. No court records have been found to indicate he had any legal issues. He was a good, contributing citizen. In Middletown, he owned over 100 acres of land and then he owned over 100 acres and a grist mill in Enfield. No probate records have been found and his burial location is unknown. More research is needed to try to find any potential records.
Daniel lived in the following places:
1671 – He was born in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
1675 – His father buys land from Ed Collins (his father’s uncle) in Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
1678 – The family moved to Middletown, Hartford, Connecticut.
1703 – Marriage to Deborah Meacham in Enfield (her family lived in Enfield).
1719 – Their first 9 children were born in Middletown, with Sybil being the last.
1716-1719 – Daniel moved the family to Enfield.
1722 – Their 10th child, Edith, was born in Enfield.
1761 – Daniel dies in Enfield.
Suggested reading:
“The History of Middlesex County 1635-1885”, by Henry Whittemore, published by J. H. Beers & Co., New York, NY, 1884.
“Middletown 1650-1950”, by Willard M. Wallace, City of Middletown, Connecticut, 1950.
“Middletown: Streets, Commerce, and People 1650-1981”, by Peter D. Hall, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 1981.
“The Development of Local Public Services 1650-1860: Lessons from Middletown, Connecticut”, by Hannah J. McKinney, published by Greenwood Press, Portsmouth, N.H., 1995.
“The Challenge of Change – Three Centuries of Enfield, Connecticut History” by Ruth Bridge, published for the Enfield Historical Society by Phoenix Publishing, Canaan, New Hampshire, 1977.
“Historical Sketch of the Town of Enfield” by A. Johnson, George H. Booth and L. H. Pease, M.D., published in Hartford by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Printers, 1876.
“The History of Enfield Connecticut”, Three volumes, by Francis Olcott Allen, published by The Wickersham Printing Co., Lancaster, PA, 1900.
“Enfield Connecticut: Stories Carved in Stone” by Bob Clark, published by Dog Pond Press, West Springfield, Massachusetts, 2006.
Biography written by Kem & Becky Marcum; December 2022.
[1] Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, Cambridge Births; accessed at Ancestry.com.
[2] The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 2, Page 1872, by Francis Olcott Allen, published by The Wickersham Printing Co., Lancaster, PA, 1900.
[3] Ibid, History of Enfield, Volume 2, Page 1766.
[4] Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920, Volume 70, Part 2, Middletown, Page 385.
[5] Middletown, Connecticut Land Records, Volume 2, Page 89; accessed on microfilm at Russell Library, Middletown, Connecticut.
[6] Middletown First Congregational Church Records, Society Account Book, Serial II, Volume V; accessed on microfilm at Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Connecticut.
[7] Enfield Connecticut: Stories Carved in Stone by Bob Clark, Dog Pond Press, West Springfield, Massachusetts, 2006, Pages 14-15.
[8] Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Vol 1, 1652-1735, Page 184, Originals accessed at Middlesex County Historical Society.
[9] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 187.
[10] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 278.
[11] Massachusetts Land Records, Hampden County, Volume F, Page 96; accessed at Familysearch.org.
[12] Massachusetts Land Records, Hampden County, Volume C, Page 603; accessed at Familysearch.org.
[13] Massachusetts Probate Records, Hampshire County, 1660-1916, Volume 2, Page 122; accessed at Familysearch.org.
[14] Series: Iron Making, National Park Service; accessed at https://www.nps.gov/articles/series.htm?id=1E5BA06D-DDC4-A446-086B02E6EEBF5A2D.
[15] The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 15, by Francis Olcott Allen, published by The Wickersham Printing Co., Lancaster, PA, 1900.
[16] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 334.
[17] 41 Connecticut Archives, Crimes and Misdemeanors 1662/1663-1789, Volume III, Pages 20-43; accessed on microfilm at Connecticut State Library.
[18] Counterfeiting in Colonial America, by Kenneth Scott, Pages 41-45, New York, Oxford University Press, 1957.
[19] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 350.
[20] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 353.
[21] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 354.
[22] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 358.
[23] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 829.
[24] Massachusetts Land Records, Hampden County, Volume R, Page 519; accessed at Familysearch.org.
[25] The Hartford Courant, October 8, 1787, Column 1, Page 1; accessed at Newspapers.com.
[26] The Hartford Courant, May 25, 1789, Column 3, Page 4; accessed at Newspapers.com.
[27] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 359.
[28] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 374.
[29] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 1, Page 382.
[30] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 3, Page 2175.
[31] Ibid, The History of Enfield Connecticut, Volume 3, Page 2188.
[32] Massachusetts Pound; Wikipedia; accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_pound.
[33] Enfield, Hartford County, Connecticut Land Records, Volume B1, Page 134; accessed at Familysearch.org.