Nicholas Elsey (bef. 1618 - 1690)

Born before 1618 in England

Husband of Hannah (Mitchell) Elsey — married 1659 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut

Died 20 Dec 1690 after age 72 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut

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Nicholas Elsey migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 106) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Nicholas Elsey signed the fundamental agreement of New Haven in 1639^[1], therefore would have been born before 1618 and probably considerably before that. Nicholas' father, Nicholas, had adult grandchildren in 1649. He also signed the Oath of Fidelity in 1644.^[1]

In 1643, there were two persons living in the Elsey household, his estate was valued at £30, he had about 28 acres and paid a rate of 5s 1d. About 40 years later, Dec 1680, at the third division of land Nicholas Ellfye had two persons living in his household, an estate valued at £70 and 22 acres.^[2] He must have disposed of some land, and he had also purchased 7 acres of meadow from Lt. Budd in June 1657.^[3]

Nicholas was a cooper.^[4] He took in young boys to teach them the trade of coopering. He agreed to accept the Bunnell boy into his home at the request of Goodman Wilmot, Bunell's grandfather.^[3][5] Nov 1658, he took in Stephen Pierson for 4 years,^[6][3] but declined to take John Hill, son of John Hill, in Sep 1663.^[2]

As early as 1644, the Colony of New Haven realized the necessity of having a standard for weights and measures. In that year Nicholas and others "shall see thatt all the measures in the towne be made according to the stander sent from the Bay" and 16 June 1645 "that a standard of weights and measures shall be made and that everyone who has such go to the meeting house in twoo weeks at 8 a clock and those with great weights the committee Rich Miles Joshua Atwater and Nicholas Elsey shall go to them and be paid by the treasurer"^[1] 19 May 1656, the town, chose him to view those measures.^[3]

All able bodied men served in the New Haven Trainband for military protection of the town if needed. Nicholas was late a couple of times (1643 & 1648) and fined once.^[1]

Nicholas also served as fenceviewer,^[2] and public meat packer,^[3] as juryman^[2] and as townsman for the town of New Haven.^[3]

Nicholas had a first wife, known only as Goodwife Elsie or Sister Elsey in the Colony records,^[1] mentioned when she and Nicholas were assigned seats in the meeting house.^[1][3]

He married Hannah, daughter of Matthew Mitchell, and widow of Robert Coe, between the death of her husband in 1659 and the birth of their child in 1668. She died 2 Apr 1702.^[7][8]

Child - Samuel b. 12 Dec 1668; d. 22 Dec 1668.^[9]

He died 20 Dec 1690 in New Haven, Connecticut.^[9] His will is dated 17 January 1683/84. His inventory was taken on 30 December 1690 and recorded at New Haven.^[10] He left all his property to his wife and her children.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven, From 1638 to 1649. Hoadley, Charles J, MA. (editor) Hartford: Case, Tiffany and Company, 1857. This is the original printed work at Google Books. Fund. Agrmnt p17; Oath of Fidelity p. 138; Seats pp 302, 304; late to training pp 122, 411; 1643 rate list p. 91; weights and measures pp 142, 166, 214, 277
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Dexter, Franklin Bowditch (editor) [Ancient Town Records Vol II. New Haven Town Records 1662-1684. New Haven: New Haven Colony Historical Society, 1919. 3rd division p. 408; buys land 315; John Hill p 59; fence-viewer, 86, 264, 375; juryman, 157 dec 1665, 162 20 Dec 1665, 190 4 Dec 1666, 274 3rd Jan 1670
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Dexter, Franklin Bowditch (editor) Ancient Town Records Vol 1. New Haven Town Records 1649-1662. New Haven: New Haven Colony Historical Society, 1917. Seats p. 270, 273; Stephen Pierson p. 367; Bunnell p. 89; view measures p 277; meat packer p 186; Townsman townsman 402; 448 23 April 1660; 479 29 April 1661
4. ↑ Hoadley, Charles J, MA. (editor) Records of the Colony or Jurisdiction of New Haven, From May 1653 to the Union. Hartford: Case, Tiffany and Company, 1858. p.43
5. ↑ record Oct 1651 when Bunnell Sr was complaining about it
6. ↑ The record says he took him for a two week trial. It doesn't say what happened after two weeks.
7. ↑ Jacobus, Donald Lines (compiler). Families of Ancient New Haven, Vol I-VIII. and Index Vol IX New Haven: 1931. Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1974, 1981, 1997. Originally published as New Haven Genealogical Magazine, Volumes I-VIII. Rome, NY and New Haven, CT 1922-1932. 594
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692. Vol. I-IV. Boston, MA, USA: 1860-1862.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Vital Records of New Haven 1649-1850 Part I. Hartford: The Connecticut Society of the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America, 1917
10. ↑ “New Haven Probate Records, Vol. 1-2, 1647-1703”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L92K-G9JZ-J : 12 March 2021), New Haven, Connecticut, FHL microfilm 007626739, image 305. New Haven Probate Record, 1668-1703, Vol. 2, Part 1, page 82-83.

• Bartlett, J. Gardner. Robert Coe, Puritan, his ancestors and descendants, 1340-1910 : with notices of other Coe families. Boston: Bartlett, 1911. Page 81 and 87