William Forrester (abt. 1745 - 1809)

Born about 1745 in Coleraine, County Coleraine, Ireland

Husband of Sarah (Rockwell) Forrester — married 8 Dec 1768 in Ridgefield, Fairfield County, Connecticut

Died 29 Jan 1809 at about age 64 in Ridgefield, Fairfield, Connecticut, United States

Biography

"SARAH ROCKWELL, born Ridgefield July 24, 1747; married at Ridgefield, Dec. 8, 1768, William Forrester, (663) who was born in Colerain, North of Ireland, son of Frederick and John Gault Forrester, grandson of William, and great grandson of Rev. William Forrester, who went from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Londonderry, Ireland. He sailed from Colerain with his brother, Arthur Forrester, and arrived at New Castle, on the Delaware River, Oct. 27, 1762. and went to New York City, and thence to Ridgefield in November, 1766. He was a successful trader, accumulated a handsome property, which his will (found recorded at Danbury) shows consisted mostly in lands lying in Vermont, New York State, and one parcel on Long Island, consisting of 50 acres, the proceeds of which was named in his will to create a fund for the education of the poor children in Ridgebury Society, who should be taught to read the Scriptures, write, etc., the fund to be entrusted to the Ecclesiastical Society of Ridgebury. He was a Justice of the Peace, and exercised an extensive influence among his townsmen. He died at Ridgebury of apoplexy, Jan. 29, 1809, in the 66th year of his age. She joined the Congregational Church at Ridgebury Nov. 11, 1787. In her latter life she was an invalid, and not of a sound mind. She died in Ridgebury Jan. 8, 1832. "

Sources

• Boughton, James. Genealogy of the Families of John Rockwell, of Stamford, Connecticut, 1641 (William Jones, New York, 1903) Page 21.
• Phoenix, Stephen Whitney. The Whitney Family of Connecticut (Priv. print., New York, 1878) Vol. 1, Page 71.