Henry Wolcott Miscellaneous

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Contents 1 WikiTree Pages of Interest 2 Purpose 3 Bibliographic Notes 4 Content 4.1 Clip 1 4.2 Clip 2 4.3 Clip 3 4.4 Clip 4 4.5 Clip 5 4.6 Clip 6 4.7 Clip 7 4.8 Clip 8 5 Sources

WikiTree Pages of Interest

• Henry Wolcott Sr (1578-1655)

Purpose

For at least six years, WikiTreers objected to some of the material on the profile of Henry Wolcott Sr (1578-1655), thinking it may have been copied from other sites or sources.

Various content has been moved here, as it may be helpful to collaborators who might identify reliable sources and then work to re-develop and integrate the claims into an original, unified profile for Henry.

An initial search for content bits, show some of the material originated as ...

• Lives of the signers to the Declaration of independence; By Charles Augustus Goodrich; Publ. 1829; Page 179-182 ; Transcribed and submitted by Andrea Stawski Pack ... see http://genealogytrails.com/main/biosdeclare2.html
• http://wolcottmilitarymen.blogspot.com/ for John B Wolcott
• http://www.wolcottfamily.com/henrysr.html
• http://www.wolcottfamily.com/somerset.html

Bibliographic Notes

Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., paginated continuously (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995), 2049-202 (Henry Wolcott); digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.

Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VII, T-Y (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011), 531-542 (John Woolcott); digital images by subscription, AmericanAncestors.

Clifford L. Stott, "Humphrey Blake (1494?–1558) and His Descendants in New England and South Carolina: Blake, Richards, Selleck, Torrey, and Wolcott," The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 163 (WN 652/2009):283-284); digital images by subscription ..... , for baptism, Lydiard St. Lawrence 6 December 1579.

Content

Clip 1

Few families have been more distinguished in the annals of Connecticut, than the Wolcott family. The ancestor of this family was Henry Wolcott, an English gentleman of considerable fortune, who was born in the year 1578. During the progress of the Independents in England, he embraced the principles of that sect, and hence becoming obnoxious to the British government, he found it expedient to emigrate to America. His emigration, with his family, took place in 1630. They settled for a time at Dorchester, in Massachusetts.

Mr. Wolcott is represented to have been a man of talents and enterprise. Possessing an ample fortune, he associated himself with John Mason, Roger Ludlow, Mr. Stoughton, and Mr. Newberry, who were also men of wealth, in the settlement of Windsor, in Connecticut. About the same time, as is well known, settlements were made at Hartford and Wethersfield.

In 1639, the first general assembly of Connecticut was holden at Hartford. It was composed of delegates from the above towns. Among these delegates was Henry Wolcott. Since that date, down to the present time, some of the members of this distinguished family have been concerned in the city government of the state.

See Lives of the signers to the Declaration of independence; By Charles Augustus Goodrich; Publ. 1829; Page 179-182

Clip 2

Wolcott Family Military Histories While doing research for my Wolcott genealogy, I decided to compile a written record of military histories, for these two families, and the stories that go along with the men and women who served their country. All of the Wolcott family histories came from the Wolcott Family In America (1578 - 1985) book published by Griffen and Alegro. This book may be purchased from The Wolcott Family Society. Henry Wolcott married Elizabeth Saunders about the year 1606. He came to New England about the year 1628 and in the year 1630 brought over his family, to avoid the persecution of those times against dissenters. Henry's removal to America came during the autocratic rule of Charles I. England was at war, under military law, suffering economic hardships, and split by religious fervor. Englishmen began to look to America as an asylum for civil and religious liberty. Henry was a member of England's landed gentry. A Connecticut historian later described Henry as the owner of a fine estate and "a man of superior abilities." He sold land worth about eight thousand pounds to help finance the expedition to America. The fifty-two year old Henry took his wife and sons Henry, Christopher and George. Remaining in England until a home was established in the New World were two daughters and a five-year-old son. (Anna, Mary, and Simon). Those Wolcotts leaving for America sailed on March 20, 1630 from Plymouth, England, aboard the Mary and John skippered by Captain Squeb. Before leaving England, the expedition of one hundred forty individuals from western England organized as an independent church. This came to be known as the First Church in Windsor, the oldest church in Connecticut. Henry Wolcott and his party were to make their way alone sailing for the New England coast. They left behind the comforts of English settlements to face the challenges of the American wilderness. The following blog posts are men and women who served during the King Phillip War (1675-1676) French and Indian Wars (1756-1763), the Revolutionary War (1775-1782) between Great Britain and the American Colonies, the War of 1812 (1812-1815) between the United States and Great Britain, Civil War (1861 - 1865), World War I (1914-1918), World War II (1939-1945), and the Korean War (1950-1953). Others were enlisted during peacetime.

See http://wolcottmilitarymen.blogspot.com/ for John B Wolcott

Clip 3

The first Wolcott family in the American colonies was that of Henry Wolcott of Tolland, Somerset, and his wife, Elizabeth Saunders, who emigrated to America in 1630. Henry was the son of John Wolcott, Jr. of Tolland, Somerset, son of John Wolcott of Tolland, son of Thomas Wolcott who was living at Tolland in 1525.

Henry, b. 1578 Tolland, Somerset, d. 1655 Windsor CT. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Saunders of Lydeard St. Lawrence, Somerset, in 1606. Henry, Elizabeth, and three of their sons sailed from Plymouth on the Mary and John . They arrived in Dorchester MA 31 May 1630. Their two daughters and youngest son arrived a few years later. Henry settled at Windsor CT in 1636. He was a member of the CT House of Delegates from 1637 to 1643, and was a member of the House of Magistrates from 1643 until his death. Henry and Elizabeth Wolcott, both died in 1665, and are buried in the churchyard of the First Congregational Church at Windsor CT.

See http://www.wolcottfamily.com/henrysr.html

Clip 4

Henry Wolcott, 1578-1655, was baptized at Lydiard St. Lawrence in 1578. In 1594, Henry's great uncle, Henry Wolcott of Elworthy, clothier, granted a house and land at Holford tithing in the manor of Brompton Ralph to his "nephew", Henry, when he should come of age. This must have been this Henry, for his cousin who was also named Henry was to old to have been a minor in 1594. In 1596, when the elder Henry died, the land was given to John, father of the younger Henry, to hold until his son was 21 years old. Henry must have taken possession of this land in 1599 when he came of age. Beginning in 1603, the name of Henry Wolcott alternates with that of John Wolcott as miller at Tolland, and this continues until 1636. Apparently Henry continued to help his father and brother John operate the Tolland mill. In 1621, Henry Woolcott of Holford and Holford Carsley paid a tax or fee of 40s on property located in the parish of Tolland. This may have been a fine paid for taking over his father's property. On 9 Sept. 1630 a fine was registred in the manor accounts for vacating his property at Holford: "Henry Woolcott for licence to demise at farm and to dwell away from one messuage and one ferling of bondland in the tithing of Holford late of Henry Woolcott... for 16 years. Fine 26s 8d."

Henry Wolcott & Elizabeth Saunders were married at Lydiard St. Lawrence in 1606. Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas Saunders of Lydiard St. Lawrence, and his wife, Anne Blake and was baptized at Lydiard St. Lawrence in 1584. Thomas Saunder's will dated 1609 leaves, among numerous bequests,10 shillings to his daughter, Elizabeth Wolcott, and 20 shillings to her son John. His sons-in-law, Thomas Wrentmore alias Bond and Henry Wolcott of Ash Priors were named overseers of the will. Anne Blake Saunders was the sister of Elizabeth Blake, wife of Robert Selleck who then lived in the Gauldon Manor house.

The court records for the manor of Brompton Ralph say that in 1608 Henry Wolcott recorded a document in which he gave to Elizabeth, his wife, a jointure of 16L for life from a house and land in the tithing of Holford, to be paid after his death. Henry Woolcott and his wife, Elizabeth, were presented at the Diocesan Court in July 1609 for the offence of incontinence. "They weare marryed two yeeres agon and shee was delivered of childe within thirtye weekes after." At his time Henry and Elizabeth are described as residing at Lydiard St. Lawrence. When the hearing was held, in 1609, however, they were living at Ash Priors. They were admonished, and the case was dismissed.

On 20 March 1630, Henry and Elizabeth, with their sons Henry, Christopher and George, emigrated to America on the ship Mary and John. Apparently the family was motivated by strong Puritan religious beliefs. Henry may have been influenced also by Simon Venn of Lydiard St. Lawrence, who Henry later appointed as overseer of his property he inherited at Tolland. Simon was a brother of John Venn of London, one of the partners in the Massachusets Bay Company in 1628 and 1629. The Wolcotts settled at Dorchester, Massachusetts where Henry was registered on the first list of freemen dated 19 October 1630. Their two daughters, Anna and Mary, and their younger son, Simon, joined them there sometime after 1631. In 1636 the family moved to Windsor, Connecticut. Henry was one of the first twelve men elected to the lower house of Connecticut's first General Assembly in 1637, and in 1643 he was elected to the Magistrates, the upper house of that assembly where he was a member until his death on 30 May 1665.

See http://www.wolcottfamily.com/somerset.html

Clip 5

: BIOGRAPHY: Henry was the emigrant to Windsor, Conn. As the second son of John Wolcott, of Galdon Manor, Tolland, Co. Somerset, Eng., he held a fair position among the landed gentry, and an estate which placed him in affluent circumstances. By the decease of his elder brother Christopher, intestate, 1639, the family estate, including the manor-house, mill,. etc., also came into his possession after his removal to America.

Clip 6

BIOGRAPHY: The earlier portion of his life was passed in the quiet pursuit of a country squire's duties and responsibilities; but, becoming converted under the teaching of the Rev. John Elton, he soon found himself closely identified with the Puritan party in the religious and political revolution which then convulsed England. American presented to him, as to hundreds of others like-minded, the only asylum where civil and religious freedom could be found; and, though then past 52 years of age, and with children of an age when they most needed the social and educational advantages afforded in their native land, --to emigrate to a new home beyond the ocean. Taking their three sons, and leaving behind them for a time two daughters and their youngest son (age 5), they joined the Warham and Maverick emigration of 1630, on the 19th of October in which yr. we find Henry Wolcott's name as one of the first list of freemen of Boston.

Clip 7

BIOGRAPHY: He removed from Dorchester to Windsor in 1635; in 1637 was elected a member of the lower house of the first General Assembly of Conn.; in 1640 stands first in a list of the inhabitants of Windsor; in 1643 was elected to the House of Magistrates (the present Senate) of Conn., and was annually re-elected during life, and was probably, after the pastor, the most distinguished citizen of Windsor; the younger child who had been left behind, rejoined the family between 1631 and 1641. His estate was inventoried at L764, 8s, 10d, not a large sum for one who is known to have sold about L8,000 worth of estate in England preparatory to removing to America. In the Ancient "Family Chronologie" it is recorded of Henry Wolcott and his wife, that "these both dyed in hope and Ly buried under one Tomb in Windsor."

Clip 8

Henry was christened in Lydeart St. Lawrence, Somerset, England on Dec. 06, 1579. He arrived in America in 1630 with his wife, Elizabeth, and sons, Henry, George and Christopher, on the ship "Mary and John", as part of the Winthrop Fleet, landing at Nantasket, MA. They first settled at Dorchester, Massachusetts. His name appears on a list of freemen, dated Boston, 19 Oct. 1630.

The family moved on to Windsor, Connecticut in 1636. They were joined by their other children, Anna, Mary, and Simon. Henry was chosen Constable at Windsor in 1636, and in 1637 was one of 12 men elected to the first General Assembly in Connecticut. In 1643 he was elected to the six-member House of Magistrates, and was re-elected annually until his death.

He was a major producer of hard cider.

In 1639, Henry inherited land in England from his brother, Christopher. He returned to England in 1640 to make arrangements for this property. In England, Henry Wolcott and Thomas Marshfield of Tolland and Samuel Wakeman of Cambridge chartered two ships to bring people and goods to America. These ships, the "Charles" and the "Hopewell", could together carry 370 passengers. The ships also carried grain, meat, clothing, oil, wine, muskets, gunpowder and shot. The ships sailed from Bristol on 18 June 1640, with Henry aboard. One of the passengers was Thomas Willard, whose indenture Henry sold to William Pyncham in 1640. Another may have been Francis Brown, who came about that time as a servant or apprentice to Henry Wolcott, and purchased his freedom in 1649. Nathaniel Patten loaned L250 to finance the voyage and paid 6 pounds for a cabin as a passenger. He later sued them for poor accomodations. In 1642, Henry Woolcott filed a complaint against Thomas Spencer, for which he was awarded6d damages and court costs by the Particular court at Hartford. When Henry died in 1655 he bequeathed his home and half his household goods to his wife for life; two pieces of land to his son, Christopher, as well as his home and household effects after the death of his wife; 10L to his son, George; land on the east side of the river to his son, Simon; 5L to his grandson Henry, Jr.; 40s each to the other children of his son, Henry; and the remainder to be divided among his children. He had previously deeded his English estates to his son, Henry. His large tomb in the churchyard of the First Congregational Church at Windsor reads: Here Lyeth the Body of Henry Wolcot sometimes a Majestrate of this Jurisdiction, d. May 30, 1655, ae 7".

Sources