George Denison Sr. (bef. 1620 - 1694)

Born before 10 Dec 1620 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Bridget (Thompson) Denison — married Mar 1640 in Roxbury, Massachusetts

Husband of Ann (Borodell) Denison — married 1645 in Cork, Cork, Ireland

Descendants

Died 23 Oct 1694 after age 73 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut Colony

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Biography

George Denison Sr. immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

George Denison was baptized on December 10, 1620, in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England.^[1] He is the youngest child of William Denison and Margaret (Chandler) Monck.

George came to America with his parents and two brothers, Daniel and Edward, aboard the Lyon in 1631, landing at Roxbury in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Rev. John Elliot was traveling with them perhaps as teacher of the boys.^[2]

George married Bridget Thompson in Mar. 1640 in Roxbury.^[3] They had two children before Bridget died in 1643. Tradition has it that George left for England without even stopping home after the funeral. He left the two girls with his mother-in-law, Alice (Freeman) Thompson, and took a commission in the Army of the Commonwealth under Cromwell.^[2]

In the battle of Marston Moor, fought July 2, 1644, George was taken prisoner though he rendered valiant service during battle. Somehow, he managed to escape from his captors and return to his allies who were successful in routing the Royalists from the field.^[4]

On June 14, 1645, George was wounded in the decisive battle of Naseby, where the Parliamentarians vanquished the Kings army. He was carried to the house of Mr. John Borodell of Cork, Ireland, but who was then residing in England. Borodell was a man of high social position, and an earnest sympathizer with the cause of the new republic. George was nursed back to health by John's daughter, Ann.^[5]

George married Ann Borodell, as his second wife, but the date and location are unknonwn.^[5] It seems likely they were married in England. The marriage was eventually recorded May 3, 1662, in Hartford, Colony of Connecticut.^[5]

There is no date of the marriage of Capt. George Denison and Ann Borodell, but he was doubtless married in England. Pending their courtship an agreement was made between them, which was afterwards ratified and confirmed at Hartford, Connecticut, May 3, 1662, as follows:

"This witnesseth that I, George Denison, of Southertown, in Connecticut jurisdiction in New England, for and in consideration of a jointure due unto my now wife, Ann Borodell Denison, upon marriage and upon my former engagement, in consideration of the sum of three hundred pounds by me received of Mr. John Borodell, which he freely gave to my wife, his sister, Ann Borodell Denison, and I have had the use and improvement of and for, and in consideration of conjugal and dearer affection moving me, thereunto."^[6]

George and Ann first arrived at Roxbury as George had before. The elder Winthrop referred to him as "a young soldier lately come out of the wars in England." They had two more children while in Roxbury.^[2]

In 1650 he was a candidate for Commander of the Roxbury Train Band.^[2] He was supported by the young men, but their elders, remembering his boyish pranks, and his inexplicable desertion of the baby daughters upon the death of his first wife, favored his opponent. He lost by a close vote. Considering himself better qualified for the position, he took the defeat badly, and in a gust of anger, he left Roxbury for the next settlement in Connecticut at Pequot (New London) which was opened to settlement by the English as a result of the defeat of the Pequot Indians twelve years earlier by Major John Mason.

They moved on to Pequot in 1651 where George was given a house lot on what became Hempstead Street. They had daughter Borodell here.^[7]

George served on the War Commission for New London in 1653 when war threatened with the Dutch. When first mentioned in Connecticut Colony Records he is called "Captain," based upon his service and commission in England. He went on to serve as Deputy to the Connecticut General Court from New London in September 1653, May 1654 and Feb 1657.

In 1654, George Dennison, along with William Chesebrough, Walter Palmer, Thomas Minor, and Thomas Stanton, were the founders of Stonington (Southerton) Conn. Their descendants played leading roles in that town.

George built their house, in Stonington, on a hill twenty or thirty feet above the surrounding ravines, partially protected by rock ledges, over looking a great meadow with a glimpse of the ocean beyond. He erected a little lean-to and surrounded it with a stout stockade. Here George and Ann had three more children and remained the rest of their lives. In 1899 this house was still standing and was known as the Oliver Denison house, it was located a few feet west of the of home of Reuben Ford.

In 1658 he was a signer of the Pawcatuck Articles. He supported the claims of Massachusetts in respect to the territory lying between the Mystic and Pawcatuck Rivers, and was a leader in the opposition to the claims of Connecticut. Although Massachusetts’ claim to former Pequot territory was extinguished by a charter issued by Charles II to CT in 1662, Denison refused for a time to submit to the jurisdiction of this colony, so that he was under an interdict for a time. In 1664, he remained defiant to the authority of Connecticut. On November 11, he was hailed in the local courts for performing the marriage ceremony of Wlliam Measure and Alice Tinker, under a commission granted to him in 1658 by Massachusetts. Connecticut eventually removed the interdict through the intercession of William Chesebrough.

George again served as Deputy to the Connecticut General Court now from Stonington in October 1671, October 1674, May 1678, October 1682, May and October 1683, May, July and October 1684, May and October 1685, May 1686, May 1687, September 1689, May, September and October 1693, and May 1694.

On December 19, 1675, in the great swamp fight, of King Phillip's war, Capt. George, was along with Capt. John Mason, Jr., of the New London County forces, under Maj. Robert Treat. Capt. Mason sustained wounds from that battle that would ultimately kill him.

The battle was followed by a series of forays against the Narragansetts, lead by Capt. Denison, Capt. John Gallup and Capt. James Avery. The bands were composed volunteers, regular soldiers, Pequots, Mohegans and Niantics.

On April 19, 1676, they captured the Narragansett Chieftain Canonchet and brought him back to Stonington. He was offered the chance to live if he would use his influence to make peace. He refused and was shot by Oneco, son of Uncas, and by Cassasinamon and Herman Garrett, two Pequot Sachems. The Mohegans then quartered him and the Niantics built a fire and burned him. His head was sent as a "token of love" to the council at Hartford.^[8]

In June Capt. Dension commanded a company raised in New London County for Capt. Talcott's expedition against the Indians in Massachusetts. They went as far as Northampton and returned after scouring the Connecticut River but finding few Indians. After a few days rest, they went to the northwest of Providence, then south to Point Judith, then home through Westerly and Stonington to New London.^[8]

July 18, Capt. Denison and his company made their way into Plymouth Colony. They went to Taunton and were returning home when they heard of a band of Indians working their way westward raiding as they went. They pursued the Indians catching them just beyond the Housatonic.^[8]

He was appointed Provost Marshal May 1677.

He assisted as magistrate to enable the Pequot chiefs designated by the English to control the remnants of the Pequots.

He was Captain of volunteer troops against the enemy September 1689.

Numerous tracts of land were given to George, primarily for his military service, so that he had several thousand acres of land in Stonington, Norwich, Windham and some in Rhode Island.

George Denison died in Hartford, October 23, 1694, during the session of the General Court, which he was attending as Deputy. He is buried at Ancient Burying Ground, where his stone says he died in the 74 year of his age.^[9] A memorial was erected at Elm Grove Cemetery in Mystic.^[10]

• Ancestor of noted writer David Sedaris^[11]

Children of George and Bridget

1. Sarah bapt. 20 March 1641/2 died 19 Dec. 1701 married Thomas Stanton Jr.
2. Hannah bapt 21 May 1643 married (1) Nathl Chesebrough, married (2) Jos Saxon.

Children of George and Ann

1. John bapt 16 June 1646 d. 1698 married Phebe Lay.
2. Ann bapt. 20 May 1649 d. 1694 married Gershom Palmer.
3. Borodell b. c. 1651 d. 11 Jan. 1702 married Saml Stanton.
4. George b. c. 1653 d. 27 Dec. 1711 married Mercy Gorham, a Mayflower descendant
5. William b. c. 1655 d. 26 Mar. 1715 married Sarah Prentice.
6. Margaret b.c. 1657 d. 5 May 1741 married Jas Brown Jr.
7. Mercy b. c. 1659 d. 10 Mar 1670/1

Sources

1. ↑ Glascock, J. L., Jr., Esq., Pedigree of Denison, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., Volume 46, 1892. Page 354 gives baptism date, not sure if the birth date (in the data) of October 10, 1620, is a transcription error.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Caulkins, Frances Manwaring. History of New London, Connecticut From the First Survey of the Coast in 1612, The Author, New London, 1852. pp. 332-5.
3. ↑ Vital Records of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849 (The Essex Institute, Salem, Mass., 1926) Vol. 2, Page 113.
4. ↑ Slade, Daniel Denison, M.D., Autobiography of Major-General Daniel Denison, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., Volume 46, 1892 Archive.org
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Benton, Charles Edward, Ezra Reed and Esther Edgerton: Their Life and Ancestry, A.V. Haight Company, 1912; pp. 45-50.
6. ↑ This jointure agreement may be seen on the First Book of Connecticut State Records, in Hartford, Conn., page 274. HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF STONINGTON, County of New London, Connecticut, 1649-1900; Richard Anson wheeler; pages 336,337,338
7. ↑ Caulkins, p. 77. The lot was opposite where the jail was in 1852 and known as then as the Chapman homestead.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Hurd, D. Hamilton. History of New London County, Connecticut With Biographical Sketches (J.W. Lewis & Co., 1882) p. 655.
9. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #11435695 Images of original and a newer stone.
10. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #125445067
11. ↑ "Ancient Roots." Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. PBS. 18 Nov 2014.

• Will of George Denison, Dated 24 January 1693-4, Proved ? - (printed in the Stonington Connecticut Advertiser, Sept. 23, 1654.) FamilySearch.

• Baldwin, John Denison & Clift, William. A record of the descendants of Capt. George Denison, of Stonington, Conn., Tyler & Seagrave, Worcester, MA, 1881. Hathitrust.org

• Denison, George Burlingame. A record of the descendants of Samuel Denison, late of Floyd, Oneida Co., N.Y., Muscatine, Iowa, 1884. Archive.org

• Denison, Elverton Glenn. Denison genealogy: a record of the ancestors and descendants of James Post Denison a Revolutionary War soldier who moved with his family from Saybrook, Conn. to Burlington, Otsego County, New York in 1796, unknown: unknown, 1939. Hathitrust.org

• Denison, Elverton Glenn. Denison Genealogy, Ancestors and Descendants of Captain George Denison, Pequot Press 1963. Gateway Press, Inc. Baltimore, MD, 1993. Reprinted, Baltimore, MD 1978, 1982, 1993; p. 1.

• Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850, Publication: NEHGS : Note: Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 (Online Database: NewEnglandAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2008).

• Wheeler, Richard Anson. History of the Town of Stonington, County of New London, Connecticut; pp. 336-7.

• Massachusetts Marriages 1695-1910.

• The Denison Homestead.

• Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920.

• Connecticut, Hale Cemetery Inscriptions and Newspaper Notices, 1629-1934.

• Hatcher, Patricia Law: Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots

• Early New England Families. (Original Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2013. (By Alicia Crane Williams, Lead Genealogist.) George Denison.

• The Great Swamp Fight (19 Dec 1675)