The names of John Elderkin's parents and precisely where he was from remain unknown. [see research notes] He was born sometime around 1616, based on a deposition which he made in 1672 stating that his age at that time was fifty-six.[1][2][see research notes]
Life in New England
The first written record of John in New England is at Lynn, Massachusetts in 1637,[3] and the following year he was allotted twenty acres of land there. [4] Elderkin was a carpenter and millwright, and gained a considerable reputation as a contractor and master builder.[1][5] His services were much in demand, causing him to relocate frequently in order to construct mills, houses, bridges, sailing vessels, and churches.[1][2] He was in Reading in 1646, Providence in 1648, and New London in 1651.[3][2] He eventually settled at Norwich in 1664, and spent the remainder of his life there.[3][5]
Among his many accomplishments was the construction of the first several churches in both New London and Norwich, the first mill in each of those locations, and the first merchant vessel ever owned and built in New London. During his time in New London, he also ran the town inn.[6] Due to a shortage of local government funds, he often agreed to accept remuneration for his projects in the form of land grants.[6] On one of these pieces of property in Norwich he built a very successful grist mill.[6]
John Elderkin's name was recorded on the list of freemen in 1668 at Norwich.[6]
Abigail (Unknown)
John married (first) Abigail ____________. Her surname and the date and location of their marriage are unknown.[3][2][5] There were at least three children from this marriage:[7]
John Elderkin died 23 June 1687 at Norwich, Connecticut, aged 71 years.[1][3] His wife Elizabeth survived him by twenty-nine years, dying 8 June 1716 at the age of 95.[1][3]
Research Notes
Parents and Place of Birth
Nora Snow, in her Snow-Estes Ancestry, quotes a statement dated 12 June 1894 attributed to a Mr. Thomas Elderkin, who believed the Elderkins came from the Fenns, Lincolnshire.[2] The apparent source of this information is a manuscript by an unknown author which is undated, and which does not identify either any sources or give any information about who Mr. Thomas Elderkin was and what his sources may have been.[22]
See WikiTreer Ann Browning's June 2022 comments here and here regarding possible baptism in 1614 and the work to prove/disprove the related parentage.
↑Early Records of Boston. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018, vol. 4, p. 359 by subscription.
↑ Stiles, Henry Reed. The History of Ancient Wethersfield. New York: Grafton Press (1904), vol. 2, p. 98.
↑ Comstock, Cyrus B. A Comstock Genealogy: Descendants of William Comstock of New London, Connecticut. New York: Knickerbocker Press (1907), pp 6-8.
↑ Snow, Nora E. The Snow-Estes Ancestry. Hillburn, NY: M. Jilson (1939), vol. 1, p. 450.
↑ Welles, Edwin. Births, Marriages, and Deaths Returned from Hartford, Windsor, and Fairfield, and Entered in the Early Land Records of the Colony of Connecticut Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company (1898) Windsor Marriages, Folio 45, Page 9
↑ 22.022.1John Elderkin, One of the Founders of Connecticut, and Some of His Descendants. Author unknown, date of publication unknown but after 1888, pp. 1-6
See Also:
Caulkins, Frances M. History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession by the Indians to the Year 1866. New London: friends of the author (1874), p. 215.
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32468400/john-elderkin) memorial page for John Elderkin (1612–23 Jun 1687), Find A Grave: Memorial #32468400, citing Founders Cemetery, Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA. [No photo or transcription included, this entry is unsourced.]
John Elderkin, One of the Founders of Connecticut, and Some of His Descendants. Author unknown, date of publication unknown but after 1888, pp. 1-6.
Hill, Don Gleason. Record of Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths from the Church Records in the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts 1638-1845. Dedham (1888), p. 25. (dau. Abigail's bp)
New England Marriages to 1700. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008. Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015, available here by subscription.
Is John your ancestor? Please don't go away! Login to collaborate or comment, or
contact
a profile manager, or ask our community of genealogists a question.
It is said on Wikitree and elsewhere that Paltiah/Paltiel, wife of Daniel2 Comstock, was the daughter of John and Abigail (Kingsland) Elderkin. The mother’s maiden name has never been confirmed but is inferred from the forename of Daniel and Paltiah’s tenth child, which is almost always listed by secondary sources as Kingsland; Torrey has the surname of John Elderkin's first wife as [Kingslane?]. This despite the fact that the record of this Comstock child’s baptism, at New London 2 November 1673, has his forename as Kensley, and that his namesake son’s (adult) baptism and marriage records have the latter's forename as Kinsley (New London Church Records, 1670–1888, 1:86, 135, 164).
The record of Daniel Comstock’s estate inventory, taken 13 November 1683, includes the statement that administration of his estate was granted to his widow, “Paltiell” (New London District Probate, file 1392 [original], A:56 [clerk’s copy]). (Paltiel, meaning “deliverance of God,” is equivalent to Paltiah, “Deliverance of Jehovah.”) Parish records of Boston, Lincolnshire, England, contain the baptism, 16 May 1633, of “Phaltiell” Kinsley, daughter of John Kinsley (FindMyPast.com). Boston is about nine miles southwest of Wrangle, the parish in which John “Ellderkyn" was baptized 24 July 1614, son of Henry Ellderkyn (ibid.). The proximity of these two parishes tends to confirm that this baptismal record belongs to the immigrant John Elderkin.
Given the rarity of the name Paltiah/Paltiel (especially for a female) and the New London church records listing the Comstocks’ tenth child’s forename as Kensley and that of his namesake son (twice) as Kinsley, the only reasonable conclusion is that Paltiah/Paltiel was the daughter of John Kinsley and stepdaughter of John Elderkin. Her mother, Abigail, was therefore not a Kinsley (let alone Kingsland) by birth but by her marriage to John Kinsley; Elderkin was her second husband. It is now uncertain whether Elderkin’s so-called daughter Hannah—whose Wikitree birth data (Dedham, 13 May 1634) is baseless—was an Elderkin or a Kinsley by birth.
My having been unable to find additional records for John Kinsley, the first wife of John Elderkin was Abigail (_____) Kinsley; her maiden name is unknown. Kinsley died presumably between 1633 (Paltiel’s baptism) and 1638 (Elderkins’ immigration), the same date range that applies to Abigail’s marriage to John Elderkin, which, as with her first marriage, occurred in Lincolnshire.
Transcription of the will of Henry Eldarkyn of Wrangle, Lincolnshire 1624. I'm 99% certain this is the father of John, I can find no burial or any further records of John in the Wrangle records, Richard the son listed in the will is buried but in Lincolnshire as a whole no further record of John
I now have the Will of Henry Eldarkyne of Wrangle Lincolnshire, a quick glance shows his eldest son is named John. I will transcribe as soon as possible.
First name(s) John
Last name Ellderkyn
Gender Male
Birth year -
Birth place -
Baptism year 1614
Baptism date 24 Jul 1614
Place Wrangle
County Lincolnshire
Country England
Father's first name(s) Henry
Father's last name Ellderkyn
Mother's first name(s) -
Mother's last name -
Record set England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Parish Baptisms
Collections from England, Great Britain
There appears to be a unanimous consensus among all sources (with the possible exception of one, which is unsourced--see research note above) that John's parents and the location of his birth are unknown. Unless someone knows of a reliable source I may have missed (very possible) the unsourced profile claiming to be John's father will be detached. There also seems to be a consensus that the surname of John's first wife, Abigail, is unknown. The only reference anywhere to a Kingslake is in Torrey's listing, and he marks it with a ?. None of the references he lists appear to address the question of Abigail's surname, so it is not immediately apparent where Torrey may have come up with the name. If anyone has a reliable source that would shed any light on this, please share. Abigail is not currently PGM, and I am reluctant to make her so without any evidence that she immigrated to this country. Her profile currently has no reliable sources, and it is beginning to look like her LNAB should be Unknown.
I will soon be updating this profile on behalf of the Puritan Great Migration Project. If anyone knows of additional sources or information which should be included please either message me or post here. Thanks,
The record of Daniel Comstock’s estate inventory, taken 13 November 1683, includes the statement that administration of his estate was granted to his widow, “Paltiell” (New London District Probate, file 1392 [original], A:56 [clerk’s copy]). (Paltiel, meaning “deliverance of God,” is equivalent to Paltiah, “Deliverance of Jehovah.”) Parish records of Boston, Lincolnshire, England, contain the baptism, 16 May 1633, of “Phaltiell” Kinsley, daughter of John Kinsley (FindMyPast.com). Boston is about nine miles southwest of Wrangle, the parish in which John “Ellderkyn" was baptized 24 July 1614, son of Henry Ellderkyn (ibid.). The proximity of these two parishes tends to confirm that this baptismal record belongs to the immigrant John Elderkin.
Given the rarity of the name Paltiah/Paltiel (especially for a female) and the New London church records listing the Comstocks’ tenth child’s forename as Kensley and that of his namesake son (twice) as Kinsley, the only reasonable conclusion is that Paltiah/Paltiel was the daughter of John Kinsley and stepdaughter of John Elderkin. Her mother, Abigail, was therefore not a Kinsley (let alone Kingsland) by birth but by her marriage to John Kinsley; Elderkin was her second husband. It is now uncertain whether Elderkin’s so-called daughter Hannah—whose Wikitree birth data (Dedham, 13 May 1634) is baseless—was an Elderkin or a Kinsley by birth.
My having been unable to find additional records for John Kinsley, the first wife of John Elderkin was Abigail (_____) Kinsley; her maiden name is unknown. Kinsley died presumably between 1633 (Paltiel’s baptism) and 1638 (Elderkins’ immigration), the same date range that applies to Abigail’s marriage to John Elderkin, which, as with her first marriage, occurred in Lincolnshire.
edited by Gene Zubrinsky FASG
Transcription of the will of Henry Eldarkyn of Wrangle, Lincolnshire 1624. I'm 99% certain this is the father of John, I can find no burial or any further records of John in the Wrangle records, Richard the son listed in the will is buried but in Lincolnshire as a whole no further record of John
Ann
Ann
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/885809:1610?tid=&pid=&queryId=978eb9cc947d4dd51bed13eeb9e7aea5&_phsrc=yxy5&_phstart=successSource
Ann
First name(s) John Last name Ellderkyn Gender Male Birth year - Birth place - Baptism year 1614 Baptism date 24 Jul 1614 Place Wrangle County Lincolnshire Country England Father's first name(s) Henry Father's last name Ellderkyn Mother's first name(s) - Mother's last name - Record set England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975 Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records Subcategory Parish Baptisms Collections from England, Great Britain
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=R_946990579
Ann
Jen
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/newengland/savage/bk2/edmunds-elithorp.htm