Deacon Daniel Markham Biography

Biography for Daniel Markham (Deacon) (7^th Great Grandfather)

Daniel was baptized on June 22, 1641, at St. Andrews parish church in Earls Colne, Essex, England.[1]  He would have been born slightly before this.  He died February 6, 1712, in Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut.[2]  As a note, this bio uses New Style dates which match what we use today.[3]

His parents were James Markham and Martha Collins.[4]  James was born in 1607 possibly in Earls Colne (no source record exists for his birth).  He died February 6, 1679, in Earls Colne.  He was 71 years old and is buried at St. Andrews Churchyard in Earls Colne.  Martha was born in 1611 in Earls Colne and died March 12, 1669, at age 57 in Earls Colne and is buried in the same St. Andrews Churchyard as her husband.  James and Martha were married in Earls Colne on October 11, 1632.[5]

Daniel married Elizabeth Whitmore on November 3, 1669, in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.[6]  She was the daughter of Francis Whitmore and Isabella Parke.

Daniel and Elizabeth had the following children:[7]

• Daniel Markham II (6^th Great Grandfather), born November 1, 1671, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts; married Deborah Meacham, April 2, 1703, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut; died May 6, 1761, Enfield, Hartford, Connecticut.
  
• Elizabeth Markham, born July 13, 1673, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts; married John Clement Bates, 1700; died before 1734, Haddam, Connecticut.
  
• James Markham, born March 16, 1675, Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts; married Elizabeth Locke, October 14, 1699; died June 8, 1731, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut.

Daniel married second, Patience Harris, on January 2, 1678, in Middletown.[8]  She was the daughter of William Harris and Edith Bligh.

Daniel and Patience had the following children:[9]

• Martha Markham was born on August 16, 1680 in Middletown, Middlesex Co. She died, per Middleton Land Records volume 1, page 52, vital records, on August 22, 1680 in her first year in Middletown, Middlesex Co.
  
• Martha Markham, born January 7, 1685, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married Jonathan Center, April 26, 1706, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; died before 1775.
  
• Edith Markham, born May 11, 1694, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut; married John Arnold, about 1712, Middletown; died about 1728, Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut.

Narrative

Daniel is my 7^th Great Grandfather and is the immigrant ancestor from England to the Colonies for my paternal Markham line.  He was born in Earls Colne, County Essex, England.  He was the 4^th born of eight children.  His father, James, was a weaver by occupation.  Earls Colne is a small village near Colchester and is named after the River Colne on which it stands.  The Earls of Oxford, which was the De Vere family, held the manor of Earls Colne from before 1086 and founded a priory there.[10]

According to the records of Earls Colne, their family was a tenant at two different places, the first one on record was called Brownes[11] and the second was called Bearcroft.[12]  Both locations are close to the town’s church, called St. Andrews.  Their home was basically leased from the person who held it by copyhold from the Lord.  They would have paid an annual “fine”, which was the amount of the lease payment.  The Lord in James’ time was Richard Harlakenden, the Harlakenden family bought the Manor of Earls Colne from the De Vere’s in 1583.[13]

St. Andrews Church is still standing today.  The date of the original church is not known but is probably earlier than 1100. The current church was built between 1313 and 1360, the present tower was started in 1460 and completed in 1534.^[14]

While Earls Colne certainly had weavers during the seventeenth century, it was a predominantly an agricultural settlement with farms that included dairying, hop-growing and hay-making as well as grain production.  Being in the Colne alley, Earls Colne is in a region that is generally known as the Woodland textile manufacturing district.  Sheep were plentiful and many families were capable of taking the wool from a sheared sheep, cleansing it, carding it and spinning it into yarn with a hand wheel.  This yarn was then worked by a skilled weaver on a hand loom to weave cloth.  With James being a weaver, Martha and possibly Daniel may have helped with these activities.

Earls Colne is one of the best recorded villages in the UK and was the subject of a study undertaken between 1972 and 2002 by Professor Alan Macfarlane and his team from the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge.  The resulting database contains a large part of the surviving records of the parish over the period 1380–1854. The manorial records have been transcribed from Latin and these together with the parish registers, tithe maps and Ralph Josselin’s diary have been indexed by place, person and date.  The database is on a website that has been used here as a source and is referenced as “Records of an English Village 1375-1854”.

The education of their children would have been important to James and Martha.  James could write, as evidenced by his signing of a public petition on January 29, 1642.[15]  Martha’s stepfather, William Cosins, was the teacher at the grammar school until his death on May 4, 1648.  Cosins could have had the young Daniel in his class.  When Cosins died he was replaced by Ralph Josselin, who was also the vicar (preacher) at St. Andrews.  Daniel could certainly write.  He signed his name on a court document in 1655 at the age of 14.[16]  He also signed his will at the age of 67.[17]

Th English Civil War occurred from 1642 to 1651, when Daniel was becoming a young boy.  This had to have some impact on the Markham family, and all of Britain for that matter.  The basic issue was King Charles’ treatment of the Parliament and of Freedom of Religion.  The end result was King Charles I being executed, his son Charles II being exiled and Oliver Cromwell being established as Lord Protector over a new Commonwealth of England.[18]  The Parliamentarians had won over the Royalists.

With the future of England being uncertain after the war, this may have provided young Daniel the motivation needed to migrate to the New World.

The first indication of Daniel being in the Colonies comes from a court case that was in 1655, on October 23.  This record was first discovered in our contemporary times by Jack White and his team, and documented in his book “The Bramford-Earls Colne Connection” by Jack White & D. Jolene White.  The court case was William Tanner versus Richard French.  It was a debt case in the Middlesex County Massachusetts Court files.[19]  Daniel was a witness to the delivery of goods from William Tanner, a clothier in Coggeshall, Essex, England to Richard French, who was from Concord, Massachusetts.  Coggeshall is only four miles south of Earls Colne.  Being a clothier, Tanner may have known James Markham the weaver.  He may have been involved in helping the 14-year-old Daniel migrate to the Colonies.  As a note, analysis has found no other persons named Daniel Markham in the Colonies in this time period.[20]  The only other Daniel Markham on record in early colonial times is when Daniel’s son, Daniel Jr., is born in 1671. 

Since writing the paragraph above in January, 2023, I have found eight early land transactions where Daniel was a witness.  The first of these was on March 5, 1655, which is nine months earlier than the court record above.  So, this puts him in Cambridge by March of 1655.  These land transactions are in the Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Record books of the registry of deeds, 1649-1900.  Witnesses to the transactions are not indexed, you have to read through each record to find the names.  Finding these new early facts for Daniel is a great discovery, after years of many genealogists doing research it shows that it is still possible to find new information.  Now there is a new earliest date for Daniel being in the colonies.  He would have been 13 years old at that time. 

Here is a list of the eight early land transactions where Daniel was a witness:[21]

• 1654, March 5 (1654/55) – Thomas Parish (Thomas Danforth attorney) of England to Thomas Oakes of Cambridge; recorded April 5, 1659; v2 p300
• 1656, April 26 – Samuel Daniel of Watertown to Thomas Fanning of Watertown, Recorded September 16, 1656; v1 p212
• 1657, June 19 – Randolph Bush (age 16) of Cambridge to Abraham Merrill of Salisbury, recorded June 19, 1657; v2 p21
• 1660, Feb 28 – Francis Moore of Cambridge to Francis Moore Jr., recorded Aug 13, 1662; v2 p225
• 1660, May 16 – Ed Collins (Merchant of Medford) to Thomas Brookes & Timothy Wheeler, v2 p118
• 1661, Oct 29 – Edward Oakes of Cambridge to Ralph Hill of Billerica, recorded the same day; v2 p187
• 1661, Oct 29 – Edward Oakes of Cambridge to George Farly of Billerica, recorded the same day; v2 p193
• 1662, Mar 26 – William Clemance of Cambridge to Abraham Williams of Cambridge, recorded the same day; v2 p229

An immigration theory is that Daniel’s uncle, Edward Collins, facilitated his transport.  Collins was a wealthy merchant and land owner in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He would have had the means to facilitate getting Daniel on a merchant ship.  Given the fact that the only records involving Daniel until 1669 were in the Cambridge, Watertown or Medford area of Massachusetts, he was likely living with and/or working for his uncle. 

There is no record of a Daniel Markham being a passenger on a ship from England to the Colonies.  The theory that he came on a merchant ship facilitated by either Tanner or his uncle cannot be proved, but makes the most sense.  At the age of 14 he would have to had help to live and to eventually establish himself in this New World.  I think it is most likely that Edward Collins, his mother’s brother, helped him.  He had to have housing and a way to make money, and his Uncle Edward could certainly have provided this.

There are a number of court, land, church and other types of life event records for Daniel.  They are listed here in chronological order.  Each of these helps to paint a picture of Daniel’s life in colonial times.

• March 31, 1662.  Witnessed a deed for the sale of land for the heirs of William Knopp/Knapp of Watertown.[22]
• December 19, 1665.  Testified in a court case concerning John Squire having a wife and child in Old England.  Daniel testified as being 22 (which he would have actually been 24).[23]
• September 1, 1668.  Was on a Jury of Inquest regarding the Coroner’s investigation for Mr. Wade’s negro found drowned in the Mistic River in Medford.[24]
• November 9, 1668.  Daniel and others were summoned to Medford concerning a situation where they were found not to be living under family government.[25]  The General Court issued a decree in 1668 which started a campaign aimed at providing a higher level of supervision and control over all those not living within a family unit.  Under this decree, those targeted were being forced to move in with an existing family, get married or face the prospect of penalty.[26]  Daniel was thus flagged, and it had to make him think about marriage.
• March 31, 1669.  Once again Daniel was flagged as not living under family government.[27]
• June 15, 1669.  Daniel testifies in a court case involving John Eames regarding Eames’ servant not being armed for training.[28]  Daniel says he is 25 (actually 27 or 28).  The training refers to a “training day at Sudbury”, which would have been for the Massachusetts Militia.  Militia training was required for basically all men.

On November 3, 1669 Daniel and Elizabeth Whitmore were married at First Church of Cambridge.[29]  Elizabeth was the eldest child of Francis and Isabel (Park) Whitmore.[30]  Francis was probably the son of John Whitmore. John was from England, possibly from Wethersfield, Staffordshire, England (which is not proven).  Elizabeth’s mother died four years before this wedding.  Francis was remarried to Margaret Harty.

• June 21, 1670.  Daniel testified in the court case of Edward Collins versus Josiah Converse that Ed Collins was his uncle, and that he was age 25.[31]  This case was a dispute over ownership of a horse.  Witnesses for Converse testified that the horse belonged to Converse, and that it was unruly and could not be ridden.  But witnesses for Collins testified that it belonged to Collins.  Daniel testified that he bought the horse from John Wiggins, who had bought it from Collins.  Daniel said that he rode the mare several times and branded her.  Then he sold it back to Collins.  The verdict was in favor of Edward Collins.  Six months later Converse brought up another action against Collins about the horse.  It kept leaving the Collins farm and going to his.  The second jury reversed the decision and awarded custody of the horse to Converse.  It was speculated that the horse just wouldn’t stay on the Collins farm and therefore could not be of much use to him.  This case is significant as it identifies Daniel as being the nephew of Edward Collins.  This is the only record in the colonies known to definitively show this family connection.
• December 19, 1671.  In court at Suffolk County, Massachusetts there was a judgement against Daniel for 10 Pounds, which he owed to the County Treasurer.[32]  Only this summary has been found, the original court record needs to be discovered in order to see what this was about.
• April 17, 1673.  Daniel and six others signed a petition in Medford as inhabitants.[33]  Only this summary has been found, the original court record needs to be discovered in order to see what this was about.
• November 23 and 30, 1673.   Daniel was involved in a court case in which Elizabeth Miles had denied that she was his servant.  Three witnesses, John Warner, John Whitmore and John Converse testified that she had told them that she was Daniel’s servant, at least for another month.[34]  This case was to be continued, but those records have not been found.
• April 7, 1674.  On behalf of Medford, Daniel and Thomas Wallice (Wallace) conducted a presentment of a highway over the Mill Dam and closing of the highway by Mr. Dunster’s house.[35]
• May 27, 1674.  Daniel became a freeman of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  He is listed as being in Cambridge.[36]  Interestingly, he shows up again as becoming a freeman on May 12, 1675.[37]  It is not clear why he is shown twice, a year apart.  For the second time, in 1975, this is recorded in the court records.[38]  Being a Freeman was a significant step for a man.  You had to be a member in good standing of the church, a landowner, free of debt (owing nothing to anyone except God) and have lived in the community for a while with good reputation.  A worthy candidate would be elected to this privilege by the General Court.  A Freeman enjoyed the civil and political rights belonging to the people of the Colony’s government, this included the right to vote and hold public office.  You also had to take the Freeman’s Oath (shown at the bottom of this bio).
• March 29, 1675.  Land acquisition, Daniel gets two acres from Edward Collins on the Mystic River in Medford.  There is no price, the deed says for “valuable consideration”.[39]  This is a small piece of the Craddock Plantation that Collins purchased from the family of deceased former Governor Matthew Craddock.  The overall Plantation was about 2500 acres and is basically the entire town of Medford today.
• November 4, 1675.  Land acquisition, Daniel gets 60 acres in the Plantation and another 4 acres of meadowland.[40]  The 60 acres was situated back from Woburn Street and this land is part of the Oak Grove cemetery in Medford today.  Acquiring land was very important in the Colonies.  In general, land formed two-thirds of a person’s wealth and produced the same portion of their income (by selling and bartering farm products and livestock produced on the farm).

Daniel’s wife, Elizabeth, died on May 10, 1676, at the age of 27.  They had three young children, Daniel Junior was 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 married Patience Harris in Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut.  Daniel was 36 and Patience was 29.  So, the family moved to Middletown and Daniel had a new wife.  Patience was the daughter of William and Edith (Bligh) Harris.  William was 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.  It appears that the marriage was arranged by Francis and Hannah.  The preacher at the First Church in Middletown was Nathaniel Collins, Edward Collins’ son and therefore Daniel’s cousin.  This connection likely made him more comfortable moving to a new place.

Patience either had a young son, or was pregnant out of wedlock when they got married.  John Horton/Orton was the father.  The child was named Benoni.  He was born in March, either in 1677 or 1678.  This lack of specifics is due to not being to find a specific birth record, and comes from a court record in July of 1678 that refers to him being born “March last”.[41]  This probably refers to the March four months before the court date, which would mean Patience was pregnant at the time of their marriage.  This would have been a scandal in the small town, especially given the prominence of William Harris.  This explains why Hannah, Patience’s sister, was working to get her married, and why William gave Daniel a generous amount of land.

• January 20, 1678.  Land acquisition, Daniel gets 82 acres from William Harris.[42]  This was a gift for his marriage to Patience.  The land is in the south part of Middletown, near Lake Pameacha.
• March 2, 1678.  Land sale, Daniel sells the 2 acres in Medford for 15 Pounds to Stephen and John Francis.[43]  As a note, no record of the sale of the 60 & 4 acres has been found.  A period map of Medford does show this 60-acre plot as belonging to Stephen and John Francis, so he must have sold it to them.[44]
• April 27, 1678.  Patience was disciplined by the Church for fornification with John Horton/Orton.[45] 
• July 24, 1678.  Patience was accused in court of fornification.  She is fined 5 Pounds for her “great offence”.  John Horton/Orton is deemed to be the father and is ordered to pay two shillings per week for “maintenance of the child” until child, Benoni, is three years old.[46]
• August 25, 1678.  Daniel Markham recommended to Middletown Church from the Church of Christ at Cambridge.[47]  This would have been facilitated by his cousin, Pastor Nathaniel Collins.
• November 18, 1679.  Daniel is on a list of those being a proprietor of bell, his portion of payment was 14 shilling 7 ½ pence.  The town was raising money to buy a bell for the meeting house.  The majority of men in Middletown donated to this cause.[48]
• March 8, 1680.  Patience is released from censure for fornification by the church, and received full communion.[49]
• September 2, 1680.  In a Hartford County Court case, Daniel is the plaintiff versus John Jordan.  He accuses Jordan of defaming and slandering his wife, Patience.  He states damages of 100 Pounds.  Jordan did not disagree and did agree to pay Daniel 40 shillings, and Jordan had his wife sign the acknowledgement presented in court and then he delivered it to Daniel.  Daniel was satisfied with the agreement.[50]
• February 5, 1682.  At a Town Meeting it was agreed that those with children from 6 to 10 years old would pay a school tax, but six families, including Daniel, would only pay for those from 8 to 10 years old.  This means Daniel would be paying for two children instead of three.  It also means the children were going to school.[51]
• May, 1683.  Daniel was propounded for Freeman.[52]  While he was previously a Freeman in Massachusetts, each Colony had its own rules and the Colony’s court had to approve each Freeman in the Colony.
• January 15, 1684.  Land Sale, Daniel sells 1 ¾ acres of land in the Pamechek area to John Ward for 3 Pounds 15 Shillings.[53]
• May 7, 1684.  In the Town Records, Daniel, along with Captain Harris and Sergeant Samuel Collins (Daniel’s cousin, brother of Nathaniel) are each to provide 12 cords of wood to the Reverend Nathaniel Collins.  They will be paid 3 Pounds 10 Shillings for their labor.[54]
• Oct, 1684.  After being propounded in May of 1683, Daniel is now accepted by the Court and is made a Freeman.  He is required to take the Freeman’s Oath for the Colony of Connecticut.[55]
• October 8, 1685.  Francis Whitmore, Daniel’s father-in-law from his first wife, Elizabeth, wrote his will on this date.  In it he gives 20 shillings “to my grandchildren of Daniel Markham which he had by my daughter Elizabeth”.[56]
• December 29, 1687.  In a Town Meeting, Daniel is chosen Fence Viewer.[57]  The Fence Viewer is a town official who administers fence laws by inspecting fences and settles any disputes arising from trespass by livestock that have escaped enclosure.  They may also help to settle boundary disputes.
• 1688.  In a slightly odd transaction, William Harris mortgages 600 or 700 acres to his son-in-law, Francis Whitmore, for 38 Pounds that he owes him.  While this was written and recorded as a land transaction, it did not have a specific date, just the year.  Daniel was a witness, William Harris being his father-in-law and Francis Whitmore his brother-in-law.[58]  William may have done this because he was quite sick.  He died before February 4^th of this year, so this transaction was probably done in January.
• March 7, 1688.  The probate inventory of the estate of William Harris is exhibited in court by Daniel.  Probate administration is given to Francis Whitmore.[59]  This probate process would turn out to be quite lengthy.  The final distribution was not done until August of 1722 after a number of court appearances.  Patience received 219 Pounds in this distribution.[60]

1689 was a severe year in Connecticut, there was an epidemic and the weather was quite hot.  Estimates are that the epidemic killed between 5 and 8 percent of the men in the colony.[61]  Following are a couple of excerpts about this, from The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Volume 3, 1689 to 1706, Page 1.

The General Court was unable to meet in August on account of the prevalence of an epidemic sickness. Secretary Allyn writes to Governor Bradstreet, August 9, 1689, ” It is a very sickly time in most of our plantations, in some near two-thirds of our people are confined to their beds or houses, and it is feared some suffer for want of tendance, and many are dead amongst us, and the great drought begins to be very afflictive.”

An account of several persons deceased by the present distemper of sore throat and fever, which distemper hath passed through most families and proved very mortal with many, especially to those who now have it in this more than ordinary extremity of hot weather, the like having not been known in the memory of man.

• Daniel becomes a Deacon of the First Church of Middletown, ordained by Pastor Halls.[62]  He was 48 years old.  This had to be a joyous event for him and his family.  He now had a respected title.  Deacons were very highly thought of in every colonial community.  He must have been highly thought of to be recognized in this way.  The role of a Deacon included:[63]
  • Providing for the poor.
  • Settlement of disputes between church members and punishment for certain “crimes”
  • Preaching sermons in the absence of the reverend.
  • Furnishing the sacramental wines with money from the church rates, raised by a special tax.
  • Taking charge over the vessels used during communion, typically stored under the pulpit in a little cupboard.
  • Responsibility for overseeing contribution collections.

Deacons were typically farmers and not wealthy enough to hire help during their absence.  The combination of their personal affairs, the church and town offices would fully engage them.  This would have certainly been the case with Daniel.

• March 5, 1691.  Daniel and Samuel Collins took the probate inventory for Samuel Egelstone’s probate estate.  In the probate agreement, Daniel became the guardian of three of Egelstone’s children –  Susannah, age 17, Mary, 9, and Ebenezer, 6.  So, Daniel’s household grew with these three children.  And all six of his own children were still living at home.  This was certainly a very generous and kind-hearted thing to do.  Samuel Egelstone’s wife, Sarah, died at about the same time, leaving the children with no parents.  Two other children went under the guardianship of Samuel Collins.  Daniel and Samuel were also assigned by the court as overseers for all of the children.[64]
• August 24, 1691.  At a Town Meeting, Daniel was chosen Grand Levy Man. [65]  The Grand Levy was the tax money needed by the town (basically the town’s budget).  The Grand Levy Man had to make a list of all taxable property in the town, called the Grand List.  Dividing the levy amount by the total amount of all taxable property gives the tax rate.  Creating the Grand List would have been challenging, to track down and inventory all taxable property.  It’s likely that some people didn’t want all of their property listed, looking to lower their taxes owed.  A well-respected person would typically be put into this role.
• May 31, 1692. Daniel gives a 10 Pound bond to the court on behalf of his cousin, Samuel Collins.  Samuel in return identifies a piece of land (not a specific size, but a place) for security.  This is basically a mortgage, loaning Samuel the 10 Pounds with the land as security.[66]
• October 20, 1692.  Land purchase, Daniel buys ¾ of an acre for 4 Pounds from John Cornwell.  It is next to Indian land in the Wongonk area (in Portland, Connecticut today) and a creek.[67]
• December 14, 1692.  Land sale, Daniel and Patience sell a lot in Boston to Francis Whitmore.  There is no price listed, they apparently just released their interest in it.  The lot is in north Boston near the Charlestown ferry.[68]  This lot came from William Harris.  How Daniel and Patience got it is not clear, but William may have given it to them before he died in 1689.  There is not a record of this in the deed records.  William Harris did acquire this lot in 1687, but apparently did not live or move there.[69]
• December 28, 1692.  Land purchase, Daniel buys 1 ½ acres in Wongonk for 5 Pounds from John Martin.[70]
• April 12, 1693.  Daniel assisted Alexander Allen with the probate inventory of the estate of Joseph Denslow.  Denslow is shown as living in Windsor, Connecticut.[71]
• May 4, 1694.  In a Town Meeting, Daniel is chosen Meeting Seater.[72]  This role was important as the townsmen were seated according to their status (real or perceived).  There could be disgruntled men if they weren’t happy with the place of their seat in the meeting.
• February 6, 1695.  In a land transaction where Samuel Egelstone sold land to William Rogers, Daniel was a witness.[73]  This was Samuel Junior, older brother of the three Egelstone children that Daniel was guardian for.
• January 31, 1696.  After the death of Samuel Collins, the court gives direction for the land used in the mortgage security of May 31, 1692 to be appraised.[74]  This was in order for Daniel to be compensated for his 10 Pound loan to Samuel.
• February 1, 1696.  Daniel takes the probate inventory of his cousin Samuel Collins’ estate.[75]  Then on March 5, 1696 he is overseer of Samuel’s will.[76]
• May, 1696.  The General Court said this (as it appears in the Court record):  “Whereas M^r Sam^ll Collins did in his lifetime mortgage certain lands to Dan^ll Markham of Midletown, as appeared by a deed under the hand of the said Sam^ll Collins exhibited in court bearing date May the thirtie first one thousand six hundred and ninetie two, which deed being imperfect in law, this Court upon iust [just] considerations doe impower M^rs Marie Collins widdow and relict of the s^d Sam^ll Collins {upon her request) to perfect the said conveyance and to confirm the s^d land to the s^d Markham according to the s^d deed.”[77]
• July 22, 1696.  The Court decides that the valuation of Samuel Collins’ land is fair for compensation to Daniel after Samuel’s death.[78]
• November 9, 1696.  Daniel is witness for a land sale from Maybe & Elizabeth Barnes to Francis Whitmore.[79]

1697/8 was another severe year in Connecticut, the weather was quite cold and there was an influenza epidemic.  Following are a couple of excerpts about this, from The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Volume 3, 1689 to 1706, Page 242.

Att a meeting of the Govern^r and Councill in Hartford, March 12^th, 1697/8

The Govern^r and Councill considering the hand of God upon his people in great sickness and mortality, and also in the sharpnesse and long continuance of the winter season is much wasted, and more are in danger of perishing, doe appoint the fourth Wedensday in this instant month to be kep a publick day of fasting and prayer throughout the Colonie.  An order for a day of fasting was read and approved in Councill.

The year 1696 was a year of great scarcity and mortality.  The summer was cool and cloudy, not a month without a frost in it, the winter very long and severe.  In February and Marcy (1698) the snow was very high and hard.  There was a great cry for bread, the cattle famishing in the yards for want, the sickness very distressing and mortal.  Those in health could hardly get fuel, and tend sick and bury the dead.  Many suffered for want of firewood and tendance. 

• June 30, 1697.  In a Town Meeting, Daniel is again chosen Grand Levy Man.[80]
• September 18, 1697.  Eight years after the death of William Harris, Daniel, as administrator of William’s estate, gives land to Francis Whitmore as compensation for Francis having paid 42 Pounds to pay off debt owed by William.  The land consisted of two different plots of 12 acres each, one valued at 20 Pounds and the other at 21 Pounds.[81]
• February 14, 1699.  Land purchase, Daniel buys 3 acres at Buck Point (today’s Portland area) from William Hamlin.  The price is one cow.[82]
• February 20, 1699.  In a Town Meeting, Daniel is chosen to be on a committee to lay out land.[83]  This was to allocate land granted to Thomas Miller in compensation for land that Miller was giving up for a highway.
• January 23, 1702.  Land gift, Daniel gave his two sons, Daniel Jr. and James, land.  He gave each of them 3 pieces of land totaling 25 acres.  They would have been ages 29 and 33 respectively.[84]
• December 29, 1702.  In a Town Meeting, Daniel is chosen to collect the Ministers Rate.[85]  The Minister was paid by taxing the townspeople.  This was an annual process.  Daniel would have had to travel around the town to collect this tax.  Once again, having a respectable person do this would make it go smoother.
• January 23, 1703.  Land sale, Daniel sells land to William Ward Jr., 4 acres for 8 Pounds.[86]
• November 10, 1703.  Land transaction, Daniel trades 5 acres to Samuel Cornwell Jr. and receives 3 acres.[87]
• December 28, 1703.  Land gift, Daniel gives 5 acres of land to his adopted son Benoni.[88]  This appears to be the same 5 acres that he traded for with Samuel Cornwell Jr. the month before.
• March 21, 1705.  At the First Church of Middletown, Joseph Rockwall is ordained a Deacon by Daniel.  Daniel is referred to as Pastor & Deacon Markham.[89]  It is not clear why he was referred to as Pastor.  The Pastor was Noadiah Russell.  Perhaps Pastor Russell was out of town or sick, and Daniel was standing in.  There is no clarification or mention of this in the book, “A Brief History of the First Church of Christ in Middletown, Connecticut”, by Azel Washburn Hazen, which provides a very nice history of the church.
• November 25, 1706.  Land gift, Daniel gives 2 pieces of land to his son-in-law Jonathan Center, 6 and 8 acres.[90]  Jonathan is the husband of Daniel’s daughter, Martha.
• November 13, 1708.  Land sale, Daniel sells 1 acre of land to Ebenezer Egleston for 50 Shilling.[91]
• November 23, 1708.  Daniel writes his will.[92]  More on this will be described below.
• November 24, 1708.  After writing his will the day before, Daniel adds a further explanation to it.[93]
• January 5, 1709.  At a Town Meeting, Daniel is admitted an inhabitant of Middletown.  His sons Daniel Jr. and James are also admitted at the same time.[94]  It is not clear why this was done at this point, after he had been in Middletown for 30 years.  Perhaps it was done much earlier and just wasn’t documented, so it was done later as a formality.  In 1679 when the town purchased a new meeting house bell, the men who contributed money to it were referred to as inhabitants, of which Daniel is included and did contribute.  In the same Town Meeting, the Deacons are instructed to inform the south society (those living in the south part of town) about their payment to the Reverend Noadiah Russell of the First Church.[95]
• March 27, 1710.  In a land transaction record, DD is shown to be an administrator of the estate of his father-in-law William Harris, along with Francis Whitmore.  This is in a transaction to clarify land owned by John Ward, who is deceased and is William’s grandson, that is being passed down to John’s children.[96]
• December 22, 1711.  Land gift, Daniel gives a small house lot to Jonathan and Martha Center (his daughter) to build a house.[97]
• February 6, 1712.  Death of Deacon Daniel Markham.[98]

There was another epidemic in 1711 through 1713, primarily of measles.  Daniel may have gotten sick from this and it either affected or caused his death on February 6, 1712 at age 70.  Estimates are that the epidemic killed between 5 and 8 percent of the men in the colony.[99]  Following is an excerpt about this, from The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Volume 4, 1706 to 1716, Page 298.

Cotton Mather preached a sermon at the Boston lecture, Jan. 24th, 1711-12, printed in 1712, entitled ” Some seasonable thoughts upon mortality; a sermon occasioned by the raging of a mortal sickness in the Colony of Connecticut, and the many deaths of our brethren there,” in which he says, ” The mortality has remarkably fallen upon two sorts of persons. . . . First, many useful men, men of some station and figure. . . . Secondly, many young, and strong, and hearty men, men likely to have lived many a day, have been carried off; and very suddenly too, with very little warning.”

Daniel was a yeoman, a farmer, for most of his adult life.  He grew up in England and likely received a good education, despite his parents not being wealthy.  He saw the Civil War in Britian as a young boy. There was violence in Earls Colne and a battle at nearby Colchester.  The outlook for England after the war was uncertain.  This may have motivated him to go to the New World, to look for better opportunity.  His first appearance in the Colonies was at the age of 14.  This means he left his parents and siblings behind to start a new life at a young age. 

His Uncle Edward Collins probably acted as a guardian and helped him learn what he needed to know to live in the Colonies.  Edward either gave him, or helped him acquire land in Medford, Massachusetts.   Then he got married and started a family there.  When his wife, Elizabeth, died, it must have been tragic for him.  But his new extended family helped him to find a new wife, and he moved to Middletown, Connecticut.  His marriage to Patience occurred while she was pregnant, and Daniel took this new son as his own.  When he gives land to this adopted son, Benoni, he says in the land record “Especially for the lov and Affection I bare to my present wifes son Bennony Horton”.  His oldest son, Daniel Jr., signed this land gift as a witness.

In 1691 he accepted guardianship of three of Samuel Eggleston’s children.  With Daniel’s own six children still living at home, he now had nine children in the house.  This was a very generous thing to do and is another example of what a good person he must have been.

He was a Puritan, and a deeply religious person.  The level of respect for him must have been quite high in order for him to be made a Deacon.  This really was an honored position.  Daniel was active in the town’s civic affairs, holding a number of different positions over the years.  He owned about 100 acres in Middletown, where he farmed and raised livestock. 

Living in Colonial times, Daniel would have had many experiences and also would have been affected by many events.  In the 1680’s there was a sharp economic downturn.  It didn’t end until about 1713.  Prices went up, money (currency and silver) was scarce, and values went down. 

Indians were a concern.  Some tribes were friendly.  There were Indians in and around Middletown that were friendly and bought and sold things with the Colonials.  But some tribes were considered an “enemy”.  In the various volumes of “The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut”, there are many references to issues with Indians.  Daniel had a gun and a sword.  People knew they had to protect themselves, and that Indians were one of many dangers they had to be aware of.

King Phillips war was in 1675 to 1678.  The Colonists were fighting against the Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes.  Massachusetts, Connecticut and other colonies were involved.  The Mohegans and Praying Indians (Indians who converted to Christianity either voluntarily or involuntarily) sided with the Colonists.  It is considered by many the deadliest war of colonial times.  Twelve towns were destroyed and many more damaged.  A positive aspect is that it caused the colonies to pull together, as they had no support from Europe.  The Colonist eventually won and this was the last major battle with Indians.[100]

Other wars during Daniel’s lifetime were King William’s War from 1689 to 1697 and Queen Anne’s War from 1702-1713.  Neither war effected the Connecticut Colony directly, both of these wars hurt the economy and had an indirect effect.  King Williams’s War was a dispute between England and France over the border line between New England and New France (Canada).  Queen Anne’s War was primarily a conflict among French, Spanish and English colonists for control of the North American continent west of the colonies. Each side was allied with various Indigenous communities. 

Daniel’s burial location is unknown.  It is very likely that he is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Middletown.  This was next to the church in his lifetime, and given his status his should have been buried there.  But there is no gravestone or marker for him.  There are unreadable stones, and a lot of space with no stones today.  There has also been construction around this cemetery over the years.  I think he is buried there and it just can’t be documented today.  More research is needed on this.  Perhaps ground penetrating radar, or similar technology, could be used to identify the location of graves that are not marked or are outside of today’s cemetery boundary.

Daniel lived in the following places:

1641 – He was born in Earls Colne, Essex, England.

1655 – He is in Cambridge, Massachusetts per the Tanner versus French court record.

1675 – Daniel is in Medford, Massachusetts, per a land acquisition from Edward Collins.  The day after this purchase Collins buys 500 acres in Medford and Daniel is listed as an occupant.  So, he apparently already lived there.

1678 – Daniel marries Patience in Middletown, Connecticut, and is given land in Middletown by her father, William Harris.

1712 – Death of Daniel in Middletown. 

Deacon Daniel’s Will and Inventory

A lot of information can be gleaned from studying probate documents, especially a will and inventory.  Some key points from Daniel’s will are as follows:

• His wife Patience is assigned to be Executrix.
• To Patience the dwelling house, barn and orchard, and as much other land and movables (kitchenware, furniture, various other items not attached to the house or property) as she wants.  Also, 20 Pounds.
• Whatever remains of the 20 Pounds at Patience’s death to go to their two daughters, Martha & Edith.
• If Patience remarries, she gets one third of the housing and lands.
• To Patience, the servant Sampson, who is to be freed after 14 years or after her lifetime.
• The rest of the estate to be divided amongst his children in equal portions, what any have already received is to be considered part of their portion.
• What has been given to Patience is to be divided amongst his children at the end of her lifetime, excepting the 20 Pounds as previously mentioned.
• To Daniel Jr. and James his lands, they are to pay their sisters their respective portions of the value.
• He lists what he has already given his children – Daniel, 50 Pounds in land; James, 50 Pounds in land; Elizabeth Bates, thirty eight Pounds, 15 Shillings, also he further gives her feathers for a bed; Martha Center, forty four Pounds, 10 Shillings, he further gives her four or five rods of land where their house is.
• He specifies that what he has given to Daniel Jr. and James is valued in Country Pay, and what he has give to Elizabeth and Martha is valued as Money. [Note: Money is just that, currency or silver.  Country Pay is the value of goods or products, typically valued at that time as about 50% more than Money (in other words, a Pound of Money is equal to goods worth about a Pound and a half).]
• To Edith, at her marriage, the same sum that he had given Elizabeth at her marriage, and the rest of her portion when his other children receive theirs.  If Edith dies before she inherits her portion, then it is to be given to Martha.
• Mr. Russell, Samuel Bidwell and Joseph Rockwell are to be overseers.

Then, the next day, he makes some clarifications and changes:

• Regarding the land he gives Daniel Jr. and James, they have three years to take this land and pay their sisters their portion, if they don’t do this then the land is to be divided among all his children.
• Regarding the clause that if Edith should die, her portion goes to Martha – his further consideration is that Edith’s portion would be divided equally among all of his surviving children.
• He now specifically gives to Patience one room in his dwelling house, one room in his cellar, any household stuff (this is the word he uses) she chooses, pasturing for one cow, the use of a heifer, the servant and one cow.  All of this is for her during her widowhood.  Also, six Pounds per year during her lifetime.
• He appoints Daniel Jr. to be an Executor to assist Patience.
• At the end he adds that Patience shall have hay for the wintering of one cow, to be provided by his sons during her widowhood.

Daniel’s probate inventory was taken February 18^th, 1712.  It was specified that it was appraised as Money (in earlier time the values were typically in Country Pay).  The total value of his estate was 384 Pounds, 15 Shillings and 9 Pence.  Financially, this means that Daniel was successful and comfortable.  While certainly not considered rich or wealthy, he did well and his estate would be considered as above average in value.  An average personal wealth for a man of Daniel’s age was about 150 Pounds.[101]  So, at 384 Pounds, he did pretty well.

There is not a probate document listing his debt.  This is a document typically included along with the estate inventory.  Either this document was not filed for some reason, or he just didn’t have any debt (which would be uncommon, most people had at least some debt as a result of transacting and bartering).  He does make the common statement in his will, being “after my just debts and funeral charges are paid”.  So, he may have had some amount of minor debt that didn’t require being documented, or it was paid immediately by his heirs.

His inventory included the typical things found in a colonial household – clothing, kitchen items, furniture, farm tools and implements, fireplace tools, etc.  Also listed are yarn, flax and hemp.  Livestock includes 2 oxen, 2 steers, 10 cows, 1 bull, 3 horses and a colt, 11 sheep, 4 pigs and 2 young pigs.  There are also some beans, peas and some tallow listed.

The land listed in the inventory totals 60 acres (8 different land items are listed).  In Medford, he owned a total of 66 acres which he sold upon moving to Middletown.  In Middletown he acquired a total of 98 acres according to the land transactions found in the deed books.  He sold or gifted 79 acres, leaving 19.  This doesn’t match.  The land transactions add up to him having 19 acres at the time of his death, but the inventory has 60 acres.  The difference here, 41 acres, is not accounted for.  There must have been some land that he acquired that is not in the deed books.  It’s possible that he received land in a grant from the Town, but a record of this was not found in the Town Records.  Regardless, the inventory of 60 acres must be taken as being accurate at that time. 

Genetic Genealogy

In addition to our traditional genealogy work, I also did research using genetic genealogy.

I took a Y DNA test through Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) and the result was shown to be I2a-Isles B1.  This is a pretty uncommon Y DNA type.  FTDNA has projects for various groups with similar DNA, and there is one for Markham’s.  In the Markham project there are several other Markham men with this type, and they are also known descendants of this Daniel Markham.  So, there is no doubt that this Y DNA type comes from Daniel and is the same as what he had. 

FTDNA also has a project for haplogroup I2a, which means anyone with the Y DNA type of I2a can join.  In researching this I found a paper that describes the history of Isles B1 from the beginning of mankind.  It’s a somewhat scientific paper written by Jack Danel entitled “The Long History of DNA Haplogroup L-161.1 – Isles A, Isles B, Isles C, Isles D;  A Speculative Extrapolation of the Currently Known Facts”; January 2019.  Note: regarding the reference to L-161.1 in the title, this is another Y DNA subtype “between” I2a and Isles B1.  The paper includes several diagrams, one of which is called Grandfathers’ Path.  This diagram is a map showing the path of Isles B1 over 10’s of thousands of years.  For anyone interested in the deep history of the Markham’s paternal line, I would recommend giving this a look.  I’ve made the paper available on our Markham-and-marcum-genealogy.com website.

Suggested reading:    

“The Bramford-Earls Colne Connection”, by Jack L. White & D. Jolene White, published by Otter Bay Books, LLC, Baltimore, MD, 2012.

“Deacon Daniel Markham – His Life and Times”, by Mark Goodmansen, self-published.

“Descendants of Deacon Daniel Markham – Workbook 2008”, by Nancy (Markham) & Curtis Hartwig, Binghamton, NY, 2008.

“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.

“Society and Economy in Colonial Connecticut”, by Jackson Turner Main, published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1985.

Freeman’s Oath for the Colony of Connecticut (this is copied as it was originally written, v’s were written as u, and j’s were i; a lot of words were abbreviated with “superscripts”).  Taken from “Oaths of Allegiance in Colonial New England”, by Charles Evans, which is in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, Oct. 1921, Page 419.

I, [Daniel Markham] being by the P^ruidence of God an Inhabitant w^thin the Jurisdiction of Conectecotte, doe acknowledge myselfe to be subiecte to the Gouerment thereof, and doe sweare by the great and fearefull name of the euerliueing God, to be true and faythfull vnto the same, and doe submitt boath my p^rson [person] and estate thereunto, according to all the holsome lawes and orders that there are, or here after shall be there made, and established by lawfull authority, and that I will nether plott nor practice any euell [evil] ag^t [against] the same, nor consent to any that shall so doe, but will tymely discouer the same to lawfull authority there established; and that I will, as I am in duty bownd, mayntayne the honner of the same and of the lawfull Magestratts thereof, p^rmoting the publike good of y^t [that], whilst I shall soe continue an inhabitant there; and whensoeu^r I shall giue my voate or suffrage touching any matter w^ch conserns this Comon welth being cauled there unto, will give y^t  as in my conscience I shall judge may conduce to the best good of the same, w^thout respect of p^rsons or favor of any man. Soe helpe me God in o^r [our] Lord Jesus Christe.   Aprill the xth [10^th], 1640.

Aerial map image of Earls Colne today, taken from Google Maps.  The red arrow pointing down on the right is St. Andrews Church.  Below that the arrow points to the location of Brownes.  The arrow to left of the church points to Bearcroft.  

This is a map of Medford, Massachusetts, taken from the Medford Historical Register, July, 1904, Vol 7, No 3, inside front cover.  The top red arrow points to the 60 acres Daniel acquired from Edward Collins.  The bottom arrow points to the two acres, which sits on the Mistic River.  The river runs along the south edge of Medford.

This is a map of the Middletown, Connecticut area, which the Connecticut River runs through.  The bottom of the three red arrows points to Daniel’s land at the Pameacha area.  The arrow above that, north of the river, points to his land at Buck’s Point.  The third arrow further north points to the Wongonk area.  Buck’s Point and Wongonk are in today’s Portland, Connecticut.  The arrow too the east, by Pocotopaug Lake, is where the three mile division of land was granted to the inhabitants.  As Deacon Daniel was deceased at this time in 1715, Daniel Jr., James and Patience received land here on behalf of Deacon Daniel being an early inhabitant.

Another Middletown area map, of the southern area.  The arrow points to Daniel’s land in the Pameacha area, just south of Connecticut River and Northeast of Pameacha lake.

Biography written by Kem & Becky Marcum; January, 2023.  Updated with newly discovered land transaction witness information in June, 2023.

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[1] Records of an English Village 1375-1854 (Earls Colne informational website), The Records of Earls Colne, Documents, Church Records, Church as registry: Baptisms, Baptism register 1640 to 1649, document 6800653; accessed at https://wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk/earls_colne/baptism/6800653.htm.

[2] Connecticut Town Death Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection); accessed at Ancestry.com.

[3] To avoid the confusion of the Old Style, Julian dates (that were used in England and the Colonies until 1752) versus New Style, Gregorian dates, for this biography dates are shown with the New Style version of the year which matches what we would use today.

[4] Ibid, Records of an English Village, Earls Colne, Marriages, document 8901800; accessed at https://wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk/earls_colne/marriage/8901800.htm.

[5] Ibid, Records of an English Village, Earls Colne, Baptisms, document 6800653; accessed at https://wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk/earls_colne/baptism/6800653.htm.

[6] Vital Records of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to the year of 1850, by Thomas W. Baldwin, Published by Wright & Potter, Boston, Massachusetts, 1914, Volume 2, Page 256.

[7] Massachusetts, Compiled Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1700-1850, Cambridge Births, Page 464; accessed at Ancestry.com.

[8] Connecticut, Town Marriage Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection), Middletown Part II K-Z and no surname 1651-1854, Page 37; accessed at Ancestry.com.

[9] Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection), Middletown Part II K-Z and no surname 1651-1854, Page 38; accessed at Ancestry.com.

[10] Earls Colne: Manors and other Estates, in A History of the County of Essex: Volume 10, Lexden Hundred (Part) Including Dedham, Earls Colne and Wivenhoe, ed. Janet Cooper (London, 2001), pp. 92-94; accessed at British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol10/pp92-94.

[11] Ibid, Records of an English Village, Earls Colne and Colne Priory rental, document 22500623; accessed at https://wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk/earls_colne/survey1/22500623.htm.

[12] Ibid, Records of an English Village, Wills, Will of Wm Boosbey, document 4802316 accessed at https://wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk/earls_colne/probate/4802316.htm.

[13] Ibid, Earls Colne: Manors and other Estates.

[14] Earls Colne, Religion; Wikipedia; accessed at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Earls_Colne.

[15] Ibid, Records of an English Village, Public Petition, document 6700010; accessed at https://wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk/earls_colne/petition/6700010.htm .

[16] Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Colonial County Court Papers, 1648-1798, Folio 15;  accessed at familysearch.org (slide 363).

[17] Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999; Probate Place: Hartford, Connecticut, Volume 1, Slide 758.

[18] English Civil War; Wikipedia; accessed at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Civil_War.

[19] Ibid, Middlesex County (Mass) Court records.

[20] The Bramford-Earls Colne Connection, by Jack White & D. Jolene White, published by Otter Bay Books, Baltimore, MD, 2012, Page 171.

[21] Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 1649-1900; indexes: grantee (1639-1905) and grantor (1639-1950), volume and page listed in each bullet pointed item; accessed at Familysearch.org.

[22] Ibid,  Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 201.

[23] Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Colonial County Court Papers, 1648-179, Folio 38; accessed at Familysearch.org (slide 508).

[24] Ibid, Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Folio 47 (slide 820).

[25] Ibid, Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Folio 49 (slide 880).

[26] Ibid, The Bramford-Earls Connection, Page 173.

[27] Ibid, Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Folio 51 (slide 971).

[28] Ibid, Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Folio 50 (slide 922).

[29] Ibid, Vital Records of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 256.

[30] Ibid, Vital Records of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Volume 1, Page 754.

[31] Ibid, Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Folio 53 (slides 1039, 1075, 1078-1079) and Folio 54 (slides 1102-1107).

[32] Records of the Suffolk County Court: 1671-1680, Volume 29, Page 96; accessed at Ancestry.com.

[33] Middlesex County, Mass: Abstracts of Court Records, 1643-1674, Volume 2, Page 171; accessed on Americanancestor.com.

[34] Ibid, Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Folio 62 (slides 50 & 52).

[35] Ibid, Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Folio 67 (slides 123, 295 & 330).

[36] List of Freeman of Massachusetts, 1630-1691, Page 29.

[37] Ibid, List of Freeman of Massachusetts, Page 30.

[38] Ibid, Middlesex County (Mass) Court records, Folio 76 (slide 556).

[39] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 5, Page 246.

[40] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 8, Page 159.

[41] Hartford County, Connecticut, County Court Minutes, Volumes 3 and 4, 1663-1687 & 1697; Transcribed and Indexed by Helen Schatvet Ullmann, CG, FASG; New England Historic Genealogical Society, Pages 238-239.

[42] Middletown, Connecticut Land Records, Volume 1, Page 139; accessed on microfilm at Russell Library, Middletown, Connecticut.

[43] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 6, Page 241.

[44] The Medford Historical Register, July 1901, Number 3, Volume 7, Page 49; This map is a foldout in front of an article starting on page 49.

[45] Middletown, Connecticut, First Congregational Church, Records 1668-1871, Volume 1, Page 12; accessed at Familysearch.org under Middletown, Connecticut, Church Records 1668-1871.

[46] Ibid, Hartford County, Connecticut, County Court Minutes, Pages 238-239.

[47] Ibid, Middletown, Connecticut, First Congregational Church, Page 12.

[48] Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Vol 1, 1652-1735, Page 126, Originals accessed at Middlesex (Connecticut) County Historical Society.

[49] Ibid, Middletown, Connecticut, First Congregational Church, Page 13.

[50] Ibid, Hartford County, Connecticut, County Court Minutes, Page 277.

[51] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 136.

[52] The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, May 1678 – June, 1689, Page 116.

[53] Ibid, Middletown, Connecticut Land Records, Volume 4, Page 190.

[54] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 137.

[55] The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, May 1678 – June, 1689, Page 166.

[56] The Whitmore Genealogy by Jessie Whitmore Patten Purdy, 1907, Page 137.

[57] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 143.

[58] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1, Page 65.

[59] Connecticut: Records of the Particular Court of the Colony of CT, 1687-1688, Privately printed, 1935, Page 32; accessed at AmericanAncestors.org.

[60] Digest of Early Connecticut Probate Records, Compiled by Charles William Manwaring, Volume 2, 1700-1729, Hartford District, Page 396.

[61] Society and Economy in Colonial Connecticut, by Jackson Turner Main, published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1985, page 13.

[62] Ibid, Middletown, Connecticut, First Congregational Church, Page 16.

[63] The Sabbath in Puritan New England, by Alice Morse Earle, Ninth Edition, Published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1906, Pages 113-124.

[64] Digest of Early Connecticut Probate Records, Compiled by Charles William Manwaring, Volume 1, 1635-1700, Hartford District, Page 443.

[65] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 147.

[66] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1, Page 91.

[67] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1, Page 81.

[68] Massachusetts Land Records, Suffolk County, Volume 16, Page 125; accessed at Familysearch.org.

[69] Ibid, Massachusetts Land Records, Suffolk County, Volume 16, Page 53.

[70] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1, Page 82.

[71] Ibid, Digest of Early Connecticut Probate Records, Volume 1, Page 438.

[72] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 286.

[73] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1, Page 134.

[74] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1, Page 91.

[75] Ibid, Digest of Early Connecticut Probate Records, Volume 1, Page 429.

[76] Ibid, Digest of Early Connecticut Probate Records, Volume 1, Page 430.

[77] The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, August, 1698 – May, 1706, Page 161.

[78] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1, Page 91.

[79] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 54.

[80] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 159.

[81] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 55.

[82] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 32.

[83] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 162.

[84] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Pages 88 & 89.

[85] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 173.

[86] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 107.

[87] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Pages 124 & 125.

[88] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 129.

[89] Ibid, Middletown, Connecticut, First Congregational Church, Page 28.

[90] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 179.

[91] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 291.

[92] Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999; Probate Files Collection, Early to 1880; Author: Connecticut State Library (Hartford, Connecticut); Probate Place: Hartford, Connecticut; accessed at Ancestry.com.

[93] Ibid, Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999.

[94] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 187.

[95] Ibid, Middletown Town Votes & Proprietors Records, Page 187.

[96] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 2, Page 291.

[97] Ibid, Record books of the registry of deeds, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 3, Page 6.

[98] Connecticut Town Death Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection), Middletown (Connecticut) Vital Records, Page 37.

[99] Ibid, Society and Economy in Colonial Connecticut, Page 13.

[100] King Philip’s War; Wikipedia; accessed at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Philip’s_War.

[101] Ibid, Society and Economy in Colonial Connecticut, Page 338.