George Stocking (abt. 1602 - 1683)

Born about 1602 in England

Husband of Anna (Unknown) Stocking — married 1620 in England

Descendants

Died 25 May 1683 at about age 81 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

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George Stocking migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 6, p. 540) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Origin and Spouse

Disputed Origin:

There have been many attempts to link George Stocking back to England, including in Suffolk and Northamptonshire, but so far they have been unsuccessful. The origin of George Stocking is unknown. See linked header for more detail.

Disputed Spouse :

There has been a lot of confusion on the name and identity of George's wife, and how many times he married. The only thing clear on his wife (or wives) is that nothing is known about her (or their) origin. This profile follows Anderson's "The Great Migration Begins" and only lists a single wife - however this is not conclusive, and Anderson himself adds "assuming she was his only wife".^[1] See linked header for more detail.

Biography

George Stocking was born about 1602 in England. He was exempt from military service in 1660, likely on account of his age.^[2]

There is no record of George or his family's arrival to New England. C. H. W. Stocking claims that they arrived aboard The Griffin in 1633.^[3] No manifest of The Griffin has been found, however Govenor John Winthrop in his journal writes on September 4, 1633 that Thomas Hooker (who George would travel to Hartford with) arrived as well as about two hundred others, aboard the Griffin at Boston.^[4] Thomas Hooker first appears at Newtown on November 4, 1633,^[5] and George not for a year later.

Newtowne

The first record of George Stocking in New England is at Newtowne (now Cambridge, Mass.). He was granted a ½ acre of land there by the town on August 4, 1634,^[6] and four more acres on January 5, 1634/5.^[7] George was made freeman May 6, 1635.^[8] He was granted an additional acre of land at Newtowne on August 20, 1635.^[9]

His land was recorded in the New Towne register book on October 10, 1635, including his house lot, and four acres at "Pyne Swampe". His house lot was situated with its backside against William Lewis' lot, bounded northwest by Samuel Dudley's lot, northeast by Spring Street, and southeast by Crooked Street.^[10] Spring Street is now Mt. Auburn Street, and Holyoke was extended onto Crooked Street (location).

Before September 31, 1639 (the last date recorded previously), George sold his house and four acres at Pine swamp to William Manning,^[11] and the ½ acre of land and an additional 5 acres of land at "fresh ponde" to Edward Winchep.^[12]

Hartford

George Stocking was a part of Reverend Thomas Hooker's congregation. Hooker, after disagreeing with John Winthrop on who should be allowed to take part in civil government, left Massachusetts with his congregation. They traveled on foot to the Connecticut River in 1636 and founded the city of Hartford. George appears on the list of undivided lands at Hartford,^[13] and he received 20 acres in the original January 3, 1639/40 distribution of land.^[14][15]

In an undated document (though filed 1731), George Stocking as an original proprietor, was granted 5 chains and 47 links of land of the undivided lands "lying on the East Side of the Great River).^[16]

A frontier town, George filled a number of offices in the early history of Hartford.

At a town meeting dated October 30, 1643 "Gorg stoking" along with "John Arnol" were made to "suruay the chimnys one a month and see to the clensing them" on the south side. Any who refused were to be fined. This was done to minimize the chance of the town catching fire.^[17] He was also a chimney viewer for the year 1659.^[18]

George was one of three men who served as as "Tounesmen" (selectman) for Hartford for the year 1648,^[19] and as a surveyor for the years 1654,^[20] and 1662 (the south side).^[21]

On October 3, 1658 "Georg Stocken" was one of four men who complained against Mr. Webster, Capt. Cullick, Mr. Goodwin , and Andrew Bacon in the name of the rest of the withdrawers from the church at Hartford.^[22] This would culminate in the founding of the Second Church at Hartford in 1670.^[23]

George served in a Jury at court in Hartford on June 4, 1657,^[24] and March 3, 1658/9.^[25] On May 17, 1660, "Goodman Stocking" was one of four man freed from "traineing, watching and wardeing" - that is, militia duty. This was probably due to them being about 60 years of age.^[2] He must have retained a healthy mind however, as he continued to serve on juries dated December 4, 1662,^[26] October 11, 1664, October 10 and 17, 1665, September 6, 1666, and July 3, 1668.^[27]

A list of freeman was in Hartford was taken in October 1669, and George Stocking appears as a freeman on the south side of Hartford.^[28]

In the years after Thomas Hooker's death in 1647 a schism began to develop in the church at Hartford, known as the 'Hartford Controversy'. The true origins of the dispute are uncertain, but it pitted the personalities of Hartford Elders William Goodwin and (later Reverend) Samuel Stone against each other, their support of Congregationalism and Presbyterianism, as well as issues such as baptism, communion, and church membership. The church split into two parties, the smaller of which sided with Elder Goodwin and the original views of Thomas Hooker. After decades of dispute, which eventually involved church leaders from both Connecticut and Massachusetts, this smaller group was finally permitted to split off and form the Second Church at Hartford.^[23] George Stocking and Agnes Stocking (the first instance that his wife is named) appear on the original February 12, 1669/70 list of members in full communion with this new church.^[29]

George Stocking 'of Hartford upon the river of Connecticut', wrote his will July 15, 1673,^[30] and died ten years later, May 25, 1683.^[31] He must have been buried at the Ancient Burying Ground (the Center Church Graveyard). His original marker no longer exists, but his name is inscribed on the monument erected to the memory of Hooker's party which stands in the old Center Church burying-ground in Hartford.

Probate

George's will was never proven, and on November 11, 1683, George Stocking drafted another document which was not signed or witnessed and was intended to replace the will:^[32]

"The land my son Samll Stocking & his son Samuel hath taken & improved on the west side the great river at Midlton, I do give to them. One-third of the rest of the land that fell to me in Midleton I do reserve to my disposal. That land that Thomas Stoe & Sam Stocking have in hsall be to them. To John Stocking I give my 11 acres of meadow in Hartford South Meadow and so much as to build to extend from the highway to the fence to my lot at the barn end. Five acres more or less that lies next that land I gave Sam'll Benton, I given to John Stocking; it lies near the wolf pound. The rest of my homelot to my grandsons, Georg & Ebenezer Stocking; the remainder of my homelot & House & barn to be equally divided. My land at Midleton I give to my grandchildren that have nothing to be so divided between them that no child may have above 20 acres upon which they may settle themselves & build cottages. I confirm to John Richards that acres of meadow land I gave him. My daughters shall have portions of lands with my grandchildren."

His inventory was valued at £257-09-00, and was taken by Nathaniel Willett, Thomas Bunce and John Easton.^[31] He had a total of 47½ac (or 43½ ac) of land at the time of his death. His son Samuel had certain belongs of his at his home in Middletown, and inventory of those goods was valued at £1-15-00 and taken June 8, 1683 by Nathaniel White and John Warner.^[33]

Inventory of his estate was exhibited to court on September 6, 1683 and Samuel Stocking made administer of the estate.^[34] Two months later on December 18, the court compared his 1673 will with the undated draft, and declared them to be contradicting. The judge declared that the will presented was of no value, and distributed the estate as:

• To Samuel Stocking £100
• To Hannah Benton's children, £41
• To wife of John Richards, £41
• To wife of Samuel Olcott, £41
• To John Stocking, who hath lived with George Stocking, his grandfather, for some years, the remainder of the Estate, being £34

and made Marshall George Graves and Thomas Bunce distributors.^[35] Notably there was no mention of a widow - she had presumably died by this point.

A May 27, 1685 Court of Assistants noted that there was dissatifaction about the ditribution of George Stocking's estate, and that there was now a mutual agreement between the heirs of his estate. That John Stocking would receive £3 less, and that John Richards, Samuel Olcott, and the children of Andrew Benton would recieve £1 more.^[36]

Will

George Stocking's will is located in the Connecticut Archives' "Private Controversies, Volume 2, Numbers 96 (will), 97 (inventory), 98, 99".^[37][38] It is not accessible online. The will has been transcribed by Manwaring,^[37] C. H. W. Stocking,^[3] and Starr.^[30] Interestingly they all differ in transcription, though not significantly enough to change the will's meaning. Starr's transcription appears to be most complete, and is transcribed below:

"I George Stockine of Hartforde vpon the riuer of Connectacut planter, Doe in this my Last will and testament, giue vnto Anna my wife, all my howsinge, barne orchards, home lott, vpland, meadow, and swamp land, cattell, and all my other estate, for hir to vse, Dureinge the time of hir lyfe and after hir Decease, to be Disposed off as followeth, "I Doe giue to my Daughter Liddia Richards, the wife of John Richards, the sum of fiueteenpounds, "I Doe allsoe heareby, giue to my Daughter Sarah Olcott, the wife of Samuell Olcott, the sum of ten pounds, "I Doe allsoe heareby, giue the six children of Andrew Benton, senr. that is to Andrew Benton Jur, John Benton, Samuell Benton, Joseph Benton, Mary Benton, and Dorothy Benton, the sum of twelue pounds, to be equally deuided amonge them, "I Doe allsoe heareby giue vnto Hanna Campe, one Mare. "my will is that these legacies, shall be Discharged, within the space of one yeare next after my wiues Decease, my will allsoe is, that my wife shall keepe the howsinge and Barne in repayr, onlesse some thinge more than ordionary Doe befale any of them, my will allsoe is, that if any of my cattell, or other goods of mine, may be spared, my wife and my Executor, agreeinge together aboute it, may sell the same, and pay some legacie before giuen to whome they shall mee meete, presently after my estate is prised, My Debts and these legacies beinge payd and my Desires in this my will beinge Attended , I Doe heareby, giue the remaynge parte of my estate, to my son Samuell stockinge, both howsinge, Land, and what euer else is not giuen away before, for him to possess and Inioy for euer "I Doe allsoe heareby, make my son Samuell Stockinge, Executor of this my will, and Testament ; "Alsoe my will is that all my Land, shall paye accordinge to Its proportion, to the mayntenance, of the Ministry attended, at the new meetinge howse at Hartford ; "I haue desired my two freinds Gregory Wolterton and Luftennant Thomas Bull to see this my will to be performed. "In witness where off I haue heare vnto set my hand Dated this 15th Day of July in the yare of our Lorde God 1673
"Subscribed and Deliuered in the presence of vs
	George
Gregory Wollerton George Grave,Senr"	the marke of G Stockinge "

Inventory

George Stocking's inventory is located in the Connecticut Archives' "Private Controversies, Volume 2, Number 97.^[37][38] It was transcribed into court record.^[33] It consists of two parts; the first being his estate at Hartford, the second being what his son Samuel had of his in Middletown.

A summation of his estate as listed arrives at the sum of £258-19-3, or £260-14-3 with his Middletown belongings. Its possible the clerk made a mistake transcribing the inventory, or the appraisers miscalculated. Of note the first sum of £255-14-00 looks like the clerk original wrote £257, but wrote '5' over it.

The following was transcribed from the court transcription:^[33]

Family and Children

George married Anne (Unknown) (see Disputed Spouse below) before emigrating, and had:

1. Samuel, b. abt. 1627 probably in England
2. Hannah, b. abt. 1630 probably in England
3. Lydia, b. abt. 1635 probably at Newtowne
4. Sarah, b. abt. 1637 probably at Hartford
5. Mary, b. abt. 1640, probably at Hartford, no further record

Research Notes

Disputed Origin

There have been many attempts to link George Stocking back to England, including in Suffolk and Northamptonshire, but so far they have been unsuccessful. The origin of George Stocking is unknown.

Suffolk: Many unsourced genealogies state, probably from C. H. W. Stocking's "The Stocking Ancestry", that George Stocking came from Suffolk. Stocking claims that George was born in Suffolk (without source) in 1582 (aged '101', also unsourced). Suffolk was probably chosen since in the introduction of The Stocking Ancestry, Stocking claims that the "Stockings de Stocking" appeared there in Rotuli Hundredorum in the 1270s.^[3]

Glemsford, Suffolk: Perhaps influenced by the above, It's often claimed that George Stocking was the son of George Stocking and Alicia Jakes of Glemsford, Suffolk since they had a child 'Georgius' baptized there in 1579.^[39]George Stocking of Glemsford left a will in 1610 naming all his children baptized at Glemsford except for his son George.^[40] Importantly he mentions 'Richard Stockinge my oldest sonne' who was baptized a year after George, implying that the George baptized in 1579 died before the will was written, and cannot be George Stocking the immigrant.

Moulton, Northamptonshire: The parish register of Moulton, Northamptonshire, contains the following two baptisms:

• 1624: Samuell Stocken, son of George Stocken & Dorothie was baptized June 20th.^[41]
• 1626/7: Lidia Stocken daughter of George & Dorothy was baptized January 14.^[42]

There is a gap in the records from Jun 1628 to Oct 1633, when other children could have been born and baptized. However, there is no record of a wife as Dorothy in New England, and the Lidia baptized at Moulton is about a decade older than the Lydia found in New England. And Northampton is not a common point of origin for early immigrants to Cambridge. It is true that Hannah (Stocking) Benton, daughter of George, named one of her daughters, Dorothy.^[1]

Other Notes: Cornwall in his 1896 article "Family of George Stocking" states that "Family tradition says that he came from from [sic] the 'West of England' and was derived from a good family there."^[43]

Disputed Spouse

There has been a lot of confusion on the name and identity of George's wife, and how many times he married. The only thing clear on his wife (or wives) is that nothing is known about her (or their) origin. This profile follows Anderson's "The Great Migration Begins" and only lists a single wife - however this is not conclusive, and Anderson himself adds "assuming she was his only wife".^[1]

There are three pieces of information to consider; two primary sources and one genealogical source:

1. George and "Agnes Stocking" were on Februray 12, 1669/70 organizing members of the Second Church of Hartford^[29]
2. George gives to his wife, transcribed either as "Anne",^[3][37] or "Anna",^[30] He died ten years later on May 25, 1683.^[31] in his 1673 will
3. Cornwall states in an 1896 article "Family of George Stocking" that he married first Anna (Unknown) and second Agnes who ""may have been Agnes (Shatswell) Webster, widow of Gov. John Webster".^[43]

This last assertion by Cornwall has caused much of the confusion surrounding George's wife. In 1903 C. H. W. Stocking published "The Stocking Ancestry" and, probably from reading Cornwall's article, propagated the assertion that "he is understood to have m. 2d Agnes (Shotwell) Webster, widow of John Webster, govenor of the colony".^[3]

Frank Farnsworth Starr in his 1915 "Various Ancestral Lines of James Goodwin and Lucy (Morgan) Goodwin" (which Anderson calls "a more complete treatment of the family") searched and could not find any evidence to support Agnes being John Webster's widow. He gives the first two points above, noting that Agnes must have died before 1673 if George married Anna, and mentions that if Agnes was the mother of his children, she could not have been John Webster's widow.^[44]

Previous Notes

Probate and another son?

A previous version of this profile outlined a concern with the heir John Stocking, hypothesizing that he may have been the son of an unamed son of George. It mistakenly gave the date that George's son Samuel died as December 3 (it was actually December 30), which contributed to the confusion. In the redistribution of the estate, it mentions those who received from George's estate, except for Samuel. Importantly it mentions "John Stocking in behalf of himself, and his father deceased", indicating that John was the son of Samuel.^[36] There is no evidence that George had another son.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England Volume VI, R–S. (Boston: NEHGS, 2009): p. 540-545 George Stocking. AmericanAncestors.org ($)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut (Hartford: Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1876-1890), vol. 1, p. 265
   "This Court doth free... Goodman Stocking, from traineing, watching and wardeing."
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Stocking, Charles Henry Wright, The Stocking Ancestry (Chicago: Lakeside Press, 1903) p. 2-7.
4. ↑ Winthrop, John. Winthrop's Journal (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1908), p. 104
5. ↑ The Records of the Town of Cambridge (formerly Newtowne) Massachusetts, 1630-1703 (Cambridge, Mass., 1901), p. 6
6. ↑ Records Town Cambridge, p. 8-9 "To Georg Stockine ½ Ackr"
7. ↑ Records Town Cambridge: p. 10-11 "To Georg Stockine 4 Ackrs"
8. ↑ Shurtleff, Nathaniel. Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England (William White, Boston, 1853-), vol. 1, p. 370 "George Stockin"
9. ↑ Records Town Cambridge: p. 12-13 "Georg Stockin 1"
10. ↑ The Register Book of the Lands and Houses in the "New towne" and the town of Cambridge (Cambridge, Mass., 1896), p. 34
11. ↑ The Register Book: p. 54
12. ↑ The Register Book: p. 56
13. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society Vol. 6, Hartford Town Votes: Volume 1: 1635-1716 (Hartford: The Connecticut Historical Society, 1897), p. 18
    "Georg Stokin"
14. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society: vol. 6, p. 22
15. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society: vol. 6, p. 49
16. ↑ Manwaring, Charles William A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records (Hartford: R. S. Peck & Co., 1904-1906), vol. 1, p. 72, citing Hartford Land Records, vol. 5, p.690-699.
17. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society: vol. 6, p. 67
18. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society: vol. 6, p. 123
19. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society: vol. 6, p. 84
20. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society: vol. 6, p. 103
21. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society: vol. 6, p. 137
22. ↑ The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, vol. 1, p. 318
23. ↑ ^{23.0 23.1} Parker, Edwin Pond. History of the Second Church of Christ in Hartford (Belknap & Warfield, Hartford, Conn., 1892), ch. 1
24. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society Vol. 22, Records of the Particular Court of Connecticut 1639-1663 (Hartford: The Connecticut Historical Society and the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, 1928), p. 178
25. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society: vol. 22, p. 197
26. ↑ Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society: vol. 6, p. 256
27. ↑ Ullmann, Helen Schatvet . Hartford County, Connecticut, County Court minutes: volumes 3 and 4, 1663-1687, 1697 (New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2005), p.32, p 53, 55, 62, 90.
28. ↑ The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, vol. 2, p. 518
29. ↑ ^{29.0 29.1} History of the Second Church of Christ in Hartford, p. 47-48
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1 30.2} Starr, Frank. Various Ancestral Lines of James Goodwin and Lucy (Morgan) Goodwin of Hartford, Connecticut (Hartford, Conn., 1915), p. 42-43, citing Document 96 in volume 2 of "Private Controversies" in the Connecticut State Library
31. ↑ ^{31.0 31.1 31.2} Early Connecticut Probate Records, vol. 1, p. 366 (Archives.org), citing Hartford Probate Records (reversed) vol. 4, p. 136
32. ↑ Anderson, p. 542, citing Connecticut Archives, Private Controversies, vol. 2, p.97
33. ↑ ^{33.0 33.1 33.2} Town of Hartford, Probate Records reversed County Court (Hartford, Conn.), vol. 4 (reverse), p. 136-137 (FamilySearch(FAL)):
34. ↑ Early Connecticut Probate Records, vol. 1, p. 367 (Archives.org), citing Hartford Probate Records vol. 4, p. 73
35. ↑ Early Connecticut Probate Records, vol. 1, p. 367 (Archives.org), citing Hartford Probate Records vol. 4, p. 78
36. ↑ ^{36.0 36.1} Anderson, p. 544, citing Connecticut State Library, New England Colonial Records, vol. 53, p.51-52 (FHL #3667).
37. ↑ ^{37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3} Early Connecticut Probate Records, vol. 1, p. 241 (Archives.org), citing Private Controversies, vol. 2, no. 96
38. ↑ ^{38.0 38.1} Connecticut Archives. Private controversies, 1642-1717 : six volumes and index : index. (Hartford: Connecticut State Library, 1912), p. 398
39. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5Y4-X9R : 11 February 2018, Georgius Stockinge, 14 Jun 1579); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 950,452.
40. ↑ Church of England. Archdeaconry of Sudbury. Court, Probate records, 1354-1857; indexes, 1520-1857; probate inventories, 1573-1817; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSFQ-BQGK-D : accessed 1 November 2017), image 449 and 450 from DGS 008040789 ("Registered wills, v. 42 Strut 1606-1608 v. 43 Roger 1609-1611").
41. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBMD-P2N : 11 February 2018, Samuell Stocken, 20 Jun 1624); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 0599893 IT 3.
42. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NPR1-XG8 : 11 February 2018, Lidia Stocken, 14 Jan 1627); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 0599893 IT 3.
43. ↑ ^{43.0 43.1} Cornwall, Edward C. "Family of George Stocking", in The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1896), vol. 50, p. 171-172. Archives.org, AmericanAncestors.org ($)
44. ↑ Starr: vol. 1, p. 39-45

See also:

• Macdonough, Rodney. The Macdonough-Hackstaff Ancestry Press of S. Usher, Boston, 1901. p344-9. Archive.org
• Marie Stocking, compiler, The Stocking Ancestry and History of a Stocking Family, (May 15, 1963), p. 2