Deerfield — Biographical Notices Of The Settlers Previous To Philip's War

Extracted from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879.


      John Allen, son of Samuel, of Windsor, an emigrant from England. He married, Dec. 8, 1669, Mary Hannum, of Northampton; was killed with Capt. Lothrop and the "Flower of Essex" at Bloody Brook, Sept. 18, 1675. His two sons, John and Samuel, settled at Enfield, Conn. Their descendants are numerous.
      Francis Barnard, born in England 1617. An early settler of Hartford, Conn., whence he removed with those who founded Hadley in 1659. He seems to have been a genuine frontiersman, and pushed on to Pocomptuck about 1672. He returned to Hadley when the settlement was broken up, where he died Feb. 3, 1698. He was the father of the Barnard family of the Connecticut Valley. John Barnard, son of Francis, a young unmarried man, was killed with Lothrop.
      Philip Barsham was of Hatfield, 1672. He was killed with Lothrop, leaving a widow—Sarah—and children.
      William Bartholomew, a carpenter from Roxbury, married, in 1663, Mary Johnson. He survived Philip's war, and returned at the second settlement. In 1685 he sold to Daniel Belding the home-lot he had bought of Peter Woodward, the Dedham proprietor. It is now known as the James Stebbins place.
      Joshua Carter, son of Joshua, of Dorchester and Windsor, born 1638. He was of Northampton, 1660; came here 1672; constable 1674. He married, Oct. 22, 1663, Mary Field; was killed with Lothrop, leaving a widow and several children.
      Moses Crafts, son of Griffin, of Roxbury, born 1641;licensed to keep an ordinary here in 1674. He married, 1667, Rebecca Gardner. After the war be lived in Hatfield and Branford, Conn. In 1683 he settled at Wethersfield, Conn., where he was living in 1702.
      Samuel Daniels, an original Dedham proprietor. He drew house-lot No. 26, which was owned by John Catlin in 1704, and is now called the Orlando Ware lot. His ancestry is not identified, and nothing is known of his subsequent career.
      John Farrington, of Dedham, settled on lot No. 18. On the breaking up of the settlement he returned to Dedham, where he died in 1676. In 1693, Eleazer Farrington sold Isaac Sheldon "eighteen cow-commons and two sheep-commons." As this was the amount owned by John, Eleazer was doubtless his son. C. A. Stebbins now owns the home-lot.
      Zecheriah Field, son of Zecheriah, of England; Dorchester, Hartford, and Hatfield; born 1645. He married, 1674, Sarah Webb, of Northampton. He died 1674. His descendants removed to Connecticut, and later to Northfield.
      Frary Samson, son of John, of Medfield. He married Mary Daniels; was of Hatfield, 1668. As he had a "celer" here, May, 1670, he probably raised crops here in 1669, and may be considered the second settler. The house now standing on his old home-lot was built before 1698. He had bought eleven cow- and three sheep-commons of Dedham parties, and drew house-lot No. 11, which was not the lot on which the old house stands. Frary was killed at the sacking of the town, Feb. 29, 1704.
      Joseph Gillett, son of Jonathan, of Dorchester and Windsor; born 1650. He married, 1664, Elizabeth Hawks. He settled on house-lot No. 32, which his heirs, in 1694, sold to Samuel Carter; now the Dr. Willard place. He fell with Lothrop, leaving seven children, who settled about Windsor and Simsbury, and left property.



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