By 1687 Daniel had moved with his parents and siblings from the island community of Portsmouth, Rhode Island to the mainland community of Little Compton, Plymouth Colony.[3][4][5][6] Little Compton was then part of Plymouth Colony which, in 1691, merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1688, Daniel's father deeded to him land in Little Compton.[7][8]
Marriage and children
In Little Compton, Daniel met and married Lydia Pabodie, the youngest child of William Pabodie and Elizabeth Alden Pabodie. The Pabodie's had themselves recently relocated to Little Compton from Duxbury -- on the coast, just north of Plymouth.[9][10][11]
Some sources suggest that Daniel and Lydia married about 1683.[12][13][14] However, if Daniel had indeed been born in 1668 then he would have been only about 15 years old at the time of his marriage. Good primary sources documenting the date of the marriage are lacking.
The marriage had taken place by 23 Jan 1687/88 when William Pabodie deeded to "my loving daughter Lidia and to her husband Daniel Grenell Junr of the said Little Compton" a parcel of land in the town.[15]
Lydia and Daniel had at least 10 children, born either in Little Compton, Rhode Island or Saybrook, CT:[16]
Mary, b. about 1684; m. Robert Lay Junr. in Saybrook 12 Dec 1703[17]
Priscilla, b. about 1686; m. Theophilus Redfield in Killingworth, Saybrook about 1706[18][19]
Elizabeth, b. about 1689; m. John Stevens in Killingworth, Saybrook about 1709[20][21]
Paybody, b. about 1684 ?[22][23] or 1687 ?[24] or 1698 ?[25]; m. (1) Ruth Nettleton in Saybrook on 8 April 1718[26], (2) Sarah Barnes in Saybrook on 20 Mar 1733.[27]
Lydia, b. about 1692; m. Joseph Clark in Saybrook on 25 Sep 1712[28]
Rebecca, b. say ca. 1695; m. (1) John Doud, (2) Gideon Wellman
Sarah, b. say ca. 1698; m. (1) John Brooker in Saybrook on 29 Apr 1717[29], (2) John Pike, (3?) Joseph Nettleton
George, b. 12 April 1702; m. Mary Bull in Saybrook on 31 Jan 1726[30]
Jemima, b. 26 Jan. 1704/5 in Saybrook[31]; m. Abraham Chalker in Saybrook on 4 Mar 1724[32]
Daniel, b. 11 Jan. 1707/8 in Saybrook[33][34][35]; died before Nov. 1726[36]
Birth or baptism records have so far been documented only for Jemima and Daniel. However, except for the son Daniel who had died without any children, all of the above children were named (including the married family names of the daughters) in their father Daniel's 1740 will.[37]
A 1935 Alden Genealogy lists these ten children plus two others not named in Daniel's will[38]:
Review of the available sources (i.e. the location of marriage of the first 9 children, the location of birth of the last two children, and the location of death of Daniel and Lydia) shows that the entire family moved from Little Compton, Massachusetts to Saybrook, Connecticut. The journey was very likely made by boat as both towns lie on the coast. Several sources suggest that the move took place about 1703:
A Saybrook land record from 2 Sept 1702 recorded Daniel's purchase of 200 acres of land in Westbrook, Saybrook from Thomas Avery.[40]
"On Sepember 6th following he sold his lands at Little Compton, 50 acres, to his brother Richard."[41]
A Saybrook land record from 11 September 1703 refers to Daniell Grenell "of Little Compton RI"[42]
Mary, the first of Daniel and Lydia's children to wed, got married in Saybrook on 12 December 1703[43]
A Saybrook land record from 3 June 1706 refers to Daniel Grenell as "yeoman"[44]
Why would Daniel and Lydia have chosen to start life afresh in what was for them and their extended families a strange new colony after they had grown up in and begun to raise their own children in Little Compton?
Death
Daniel died on January 7, 1741 at Westbrook, then a part of Saybrook, Connecticut. [45][46]
Daniel's last will and testament was proved 15 January 1740/41 at a Guilford probate court.[47] His two surviving sons, Paybody and George served as executors.
NOTE: In some records the last name is spelled as "Greenell" or "Grenell" or "Greenall" or "Grinall".
↑ "Little Compton, R.I. and the Wilbore Family". By Benjamin Wilbour. Page 1 of Vol. 5 No. 1 (January 1933) of Ye Wild Bore. "The proprietors continued to hold their meetings in Duxbury, where William Pabodie, their clerk, lived until 1681, after which time the meetings were held here [Little Compton] as Mr. Pabodie had moved to the town.” (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/833500/?offset=1#page=1&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=)
↑ Esther Littleford Woodsworth-Barnes, Mayflower Families through Five Generations, Vol 16, Part 1, The Descendants of John Alden, General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2002. "The Silver Book" Page 80
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 38 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 168). This entry documents the date of the marriage and the births in Saybrook, from 1705 to 1717, of 6 of their children. An image of a transcription of "Town and miscellaneous records of Saybrook, Connecticut" (page 50/image 83 of 258) can be viewed at (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/119143/?offset=0#page=83&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=).
↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP3W-274R : 15 April 2022), Priscilla Grinnell, ; citing Marriage, Killingworth, Middlesex, Connecticut, United States, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272232. Barbour transcription specifies the name of the groom, name of the bride, location of the marriage, but does not specify the date of the marriage
↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F746-TBX : 7 January 2020), Priscilla in entry for Daniel Redfield, 1707. Name - Daniel Redfield; Birth Date - 22 Sep 1707; Birthplace - Killingworth, New London, Connecticut, British Colonial America; Father's Name - Theophilus Redfield; Mother's Name - Priscilla
↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPSP-4S39 : 15 April 2022), Elizabeth Grinnell, ; citing Marriage, Killingworth, Middlesex, Connecticut, United States, Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272232. Barbour transcription specifies the name of the groom, name of the bride, location of the marriage, but does not specify the date of the marriage
↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F747-656 : 7 January 2020), Elizabeth in entry for Eliakim Steevens, 1710. Name - Eliakim Steevens; Birth Date - 16 Feb 1710; Birthplace Killingworth, New London, Connecticut, British Colonial America; Father's Name - John Steevens; Mother's Name - Elizabeth
↑Rootsweb Alden Kindred Tree With this estimate he would have been about 49 when he married 28 yeard old Sarah Barnes in 1733; 63 to 65 years old when his last known child was born; and 83 when he died.
↑ "Elizabeth (Alden) Pabodie and Descendants", by Mrs. Charles L. Alden, 1897. Page 69 (image 137 of 257) (https://archive.org/details/elizabethaldenp01aldegoog/page/n136/mode/2up) With this estimate he would have been about 46 when he married 28 yeard old Sarah Barnes in 1733; 60 to 62 years old when his last known child was born; and 80 when he died.
↑ Estimate based upon the year of his first marriage. With this estimate he would have been about 35 when he married 28 yeard old Sarah Barnes in 1733; 49 to 51 years old when his last known child was born; and 69 when he died.
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 29 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 172) This entry documents the date of the marriage, the births in Saybrook, from 1719 to 1732, of 7 of their children and the death on 9 Oct 1732 of "Ruth Grenell". An image of a transcription of "Town and miscellaneous records of Saybrook, Connecticut" (page 51/image 84 of 258) can be viewed at (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/119143/?offset=0#page=84&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=).
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 30 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 172) This entry documents the date of the marriage and the births in Saybrook, from 1734 to 1747, of 7 of their children. An image of a transcription of "Town and miscellaneous records of Saybrook, Connecticut" (page 51/image 84 of 258) can be viewed at (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/119143/?offset=0#page=84&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=).
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 20 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 540). This entry documents the date of the marriage and the births in Saybrook, from 1714 to 1718, of 3 of their children.
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 6 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 410) This entry documents the dates of the marriage, the dates of the births in Saybrook, from 1718 to 1732, of 5 of their children and the dates of death of 2 of their children and of the father John Brooker.
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 29 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 112) This entry documents the date of the marriage, and the dates of the births in Saybrook, from 1727 to 1738, of 5 of their children. An image of a transcription of "Town and miscellaneous records of Saybrook, Connecticut" (page 42/image 74 of 258) can be viewed at (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/119143/?offset=0#page=74&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=).
↑ "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7WJ-3WB : 7 January 2020), Jemima Greenell, 1704. Source gives birth date of 26 Jan 1704; father's name of Daniel Grenell and mother's name Lydia
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 14 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 439) This entry documents the date of the marriage, the dates of the births in Saybrook, from 1724 to 1744, of 10 of their children, and the dates of death of "Jemima Chalker" and two of their children
↑ This assumption appears to be based on a deed of 7 Nov 1726 with which Danield Grinnell gave land in Saybrook only to Paybody and George.
Note that Daniel was not mentioned in his father's will -- suggesting that he died without children.
↑ As cited in "Elizabeth (Alden) Pabodie and Descendants", by Mrs. Charles L. Alden, 1897. Pages 68 - 69 (images 135 & 137 of 257) (https://archive.org/details/elizabethaldenp01aldegoog/page/n136/mode/2up)
This secondary source does not specify the primary source (Little Compton land records? Where can they be accessed?). Also, it is not clear that the 50 acres represented all of Daniel's lands.
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 29 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 90).
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 38 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 168). This entry documents the date of the marriage and the births in Saybrook, from 1705 to 1717, of 6 of their children. An image of a transcription of "Town and miscellaneous records of Saybrook, Connecticut" (page 50/image 83 of 258) can be viewed at (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/119143/?offset=0#page=83&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=).
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 29 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 178).
↑ "Connecticut, Vital Records, Prior to 1850," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPWQ-N9XH : 21 September 2019), Daniel Grenell, ; citing Death, , Compiled by Lucius A. and Lucius B. Barbour, housed at State Library, Hartford, Connecticut; FHL microfilm 008272232.
↑ Vital Records of Saybrook Colony, 1636 - 1860. Compiled and edited under the directon of Elizabeth Plimpton, 1985. Page 29 (Extracts from the Land Records, Volume 2, page 548)."Mr. Daniel Grenell Departed this Life Jany 7th 1740/1"
From the Matthew Grenelle's Descendants book. Daniel moved with his parents about 1679 to Little Compton. Married Lydia Peabody in 1683 an unrecorded date (universally accepted). Daniel and Lydia lived about twenty years in Little Compton, before moving to Saybrook, CT, West Parish in 1703. (A deed of sale in Little Compton and of purchase in Saybrook, both show September 1703.) He built the second windmill in West Parish and was a miller by trade. May have been in the military, as he is shown occasionally as Sergeant Daniel Greenell. Daniel was a malster, (a beer brewer).
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Daniel by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA.
Y-chromosome DNA test-takers in his direct paternal line on WikiTree:
Grinnell-315 and Grinnell-1 appear to represent the same person because: My Daniel had Lydia Paybodie as wife and Priscilla Grinnell as daughter. I do not know Priscilla's birth year even approximately
edited by Kenneth Kinman