Samuel Stocking (1620 - 1683)

Born 1620 in England

Husband of Bethia (Hopkins) Steele — married 27 May 1652 in Hartford, Hartford Co, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 3 Dec 1683 at about age 63 in Cromwell, Middlesex, Connecticut

Biography

Samuel Stocking immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

Samuel Stocking migrated from England to Colonial America.

Samuel was born in England, emigrated with father in 1633 and moved to Hartford. In 1650, he moved to Middletown, CT as one of its founders and was one of the three signers of the Indian deed of Middletown.

He was the first deacon in the Middletown church, organized in 1668. He was a representative in the state assembly, 1658, 1659, 1665, 1669. 1674, 1677, and 1681. His house was in Upper Middletown, now Cromwell. Samuel died 3 Dec 1683 and his widow then married James Steele of Hartford.

Samuel Stocking was a shipbuilder and owner. He served as a sergeant in King Philip's War. His estate was divided among all his children living with the land on the East side of the Connecticut River left to sons George & Ebenezer and 3#'s in case to his pastor, the Rev. Nathaniel Collins.

He married Bethia Hopkins in Hartford, Connecticut on 27 May 1652. ^[1]

The births of the children of Samuel Stocking as recorded in Middletown, CT:

1. Samuel, 19 Oct 1656
2. Bethiah, 10 Oct 1658; m. Thomas Stow 16 Oct 1675, d. 6 Nov 1732 in the 75th year of her age
3. John, 24 Sep 1660
4. Lydia, 20 Jan 1662
5. George, 20 Feb 1664
6. Ebenezer, 23 Feb 1666
7. Stephen, 28 Mar 1673
8. Daniel, 14 Apr 1677

6 Dec 1676 - Deacon Stocking appointed one of the overseers to assist in council & advice to the widow & children of John Willcox in the settling of his estate.

23 Apr 1684 - Last will & Testament of Samuel. Stocking was exhibited in court, proved and ordered recorded together with an Inventory of his estate.

Last Will & Testament

A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records Vol IV pg. 1

A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records Vol IV pg. 2

Probate

Samuel Stocking, Middletown. Died 2 Dec 1697. Invt. £306-10-09. Taken 4 Mar 1697, by Nathaniel WHITE, John WARNER & John X CLARKE. Nuncupative Will dated 5 Feb 1691-2.

The Testimony of Capt. Nathaniel WHITE, aged 60 years or thereabouts, and of Bethia STEELE, 57 years of age or thereabouts, testifyeth and saith: That when Deacon Samuel STOCKING made his Will we were present, and he fearing that his son John STOCKING might be cut short of what he expected to be his Due & Right by Virtue of his Father STOCKING's Will, that then his son John should have 1/2 of his Lott or Division of Land lying on ye Et Side ye grt River, next Haddam Bounds.

Samuel STOCKING, personaly appd & owned it, as sworn before me, Nathaniel STANLY, Assistant.

George STOCKING, Daniel STOCKING & Thomas STOW in Right & behalf of his wife Bethia, did before this Court, on the 4th day of March 1697-8, each one voluntarily declare that they are willing their Brother John STOCKING shall possess and enjoy the Land mentioned given him by his Father. Test: William WHITING, Clerk.

(See Vol. IV, p 168-70 -- Will of Samuel STOCKING sen., who Died 30 Dec 1683.)

Court Record, Page 17 -- 4 Mar 1697-8: Whereas, there was a paper or Writing presented to this Court that was called the last Will & Testament of Samuel STOCKING of Middletown Decd., the Court, having well considered the same, do not see Cause to allow it as a Will, but do order that the Estate be equally divided amongst his brethren & Sisters, Debts due from the Estate being first paid. An Invt. of Samule STOCKING's Estate was presented in the Court by Thomas STOW & George STOCKIGN. Adms. granted to George STOCKING, who recognized in £150 to faithfully administer upon the Estate of his Brother Samuel STOCKING Decd. "^[2]

Middletown Upper Houses

Thomas Stow, b. abt. 1650 ; in. Oct. 16, 1675, Bethiah Stocking (Samuel, George) .

Mar. 17, 1678-9, there was granted to Thomas Stow, Jr.. a piece of land, etc., now a part of the cemetery of 1713, which he did not " improve," but sold Dart to Samuel Gibson and part to Samuel Wilcox. Deacon Stocking built for them on land granted to him and situated on the main road, east side, to Hartford, and where the Wallace Pierson house stands. He was recorded to the old church, Apr. 29, 1676, having been previously admitted, " but not recorded." By his will he gave the Rev. Joseph Smith twenty shillings. In 1713 he had been granted four acres, being one of the eight house lots, "for his son Thomas." In 1720 he deeded the house and lot to his son Thomas. He d. Mar. 30, 1730 ; she d. Nov. 6, 1732.

Children:

1. Bethiah, b. Apr. 6, 1678; d. young.
2. Samuel, bapt. Oct., 1681.
3. Mary, b. Aug., 1688 ; m.; was a widow in 1730
4. Thomas, b. May 7, 1691.
5. Hannah, b. Feb. 11, 1696; m. Mar. 3, 1718, John Kirby.
6. Joseph, b. Aug. 3, 1703.^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volumes 1-6. (Boston: New England Historical and Genealogical Society, 1996-2011), 3:413.
2. ↑ Charles W. Manwaring. Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records. Vol. 2. Hartford District, Hartford, 1902. Archive.org
3. ↑ Charles Collard Adams. Middletown Upper Houses, a history of the north society of Middletown, CT Archive.org

See also:

• Marie Stocking. The Stocking Ancestry and History of a Stocking Family, May 15, 1963.
• The History of Middlesex County, 1635-1885. J.H. Beers & Co., New York, 1884.
• Lorraine Cook White. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870. p232. Wikitree image
• Lorraine Cook White. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. Connecticut Town Marriage Records, pre-1870. Ancestry.com
• Rev. Charles Henry Wright Stocking, DD, ed. The Stocking Ancestry, Comprising the Descendants of George Stocking Founder of the American Family. The Lakeside Press, 1903, p2-7. Wikitree image
• Commemorative Biographical Record of Middlesex County Connecticut pg. 663. Wikitree image
• The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Volume 14. GoogleBooks
• Thomas Condit Miller and Hu Maxwell. West Virginia and Its People, Volume 3. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1913. GoogleBooks
• Henry Whittemore. The Heroes of the American Revolution and Their Descendants: Battle of Long Island The Heros of the revolution Publishing Co. 1897. Archive.org
• Charles William Manwaring. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records, Vol IV pp. 367-368. Wikitree image
• R.W. Bacon, ed. A Compilation by the Society of Middletown First Settlers Descendants. Wikitree image
• Rodney Macdonough. The Macdonough-Hackstaff Ancestry (Press of S. Usher, Boston, 1901) Page 283-94. Archive.org
• Judd, Sylvester. Ancestors of Rev. Samuel hopkins, D.D., of Newport, and Their Children., The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1851) Vol. 5, Page 43
• Welles, Edwin. Births, Marriages, and Deaths Returned from Hartford, Windsor, and Fairfield (Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., 1898) Page 31