Josiah CHURCHILL^[1]

1613 - 1686  (73 years)

• Name	Josiah CHURCHILL
  Born	1613	Muston, Dorset, England
  Gender	Male
  _UID	BD15FCF87F3083468218D600F6A9BE475255
  Died	1 Jan 1686	Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut
  Person ID	I24294	Branch 165 John William Stafford b. 1810 NY
  Last Modified	25 Jun 2006

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth FOOTE,   b. 1 Nov 1615, Colchester, Essex, England ,   d. 8 Sep 1700, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut  (Age 84 years)
  Married	1638	Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut
  Children	1. Mary CHURCHILL,   b. 24 Mar 1639, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut ,   d. 1690, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut  (Age 50 years)   2. Elizabeth CHURCHILL,   b. 15 May 1642, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Hannah CHURCHILL,   b. 1 Nov 1644, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut ,   d. 1688, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut  (Age 43 years)   4. Ann CHURCHILL,   b. 6 Oct 1647, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut ,   d. Yes, date unknown   5. Joseph CHURCHILL,   b. 2 Dec 1649, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut ,   d. 1 Apr 1699  (Age 49 years)   6. Benjamin CHURCHILL,   b. 16 May 1652, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut ,   d. 1729, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut  (Age 76 years)   7. Sarah CHURCHILL,   b. 11 Nov 1657, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut ,   d. 30 Apr 1730, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Connecticut  (Age 72 years)   8. Henry CHURCHILL,   b. Abt 1659,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	3 Dec 2019
  Family ID	F9050	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Hinman's genealogical account of the early Connecticut settlers states that Josiah Churchill was a gentleman of more than a medium estate for the time in which he lived, and of reputation in the colony. He was active and useful in public affairs, though not holding the highest positions. He was a juror of the Particular Courth in 1643, 1649, and 1651, at the Quater Court in 1664 and 1665 and at the County Court in 1666, 1670, and 1675. He was chosen a Constable in 1657 and 1670, and was elected one of the town surveyors in 1666 and 1673. He executed his will on the 17th of Nov 1683 and died before Jan 1687. The inventory of his estate was taken Jan 5, 1687 by James Treat and John Buttolph, selectment of Wethersfield, and was found to amount to 618 pounds, 12 shillings and 6 pence. This inventory shows that at his death he owned two home lots and two hundred and ten acres of land, and a fifty acre lot, "at ye west end of Weathersfield bounds? in the newly settle tract which later became the parish of Newington. He left to his son, Benjamin a number of pieces of land, and the old homestead at the decease of his mother. According to the custom of the times his daughters were given certain shares of "movable estate". Among the items in the inventory are "a great Chist, 2 bibells and other books". This "great Chist" probably reappears in the inventory of his son Joseph which specifies a chest with the initials "J> C." as well as a piece of "Turkie work". Mention is made of his children Joseph, Benjamin, Mary Church, Elizabeth Buck, Anne Rice, and Sarah Wickham. Josiah Churchill * (or Churchell, as he himself spelled the name) makes his first appearance in Wethersfield, Conn., on the occasion of his marriage. He may have been there some time before that event and probably had been, but we have found no evidence of his presence until then. We have found no evidence of his parent age, birthplace or previous condition. There is no evidence that he was related to either John of Plymouth, who was near his own age, nor William, the ancestor of the New York branch of the family. The first entry relating to his real estate in Wethersfield, CT is the following record: The 2d month & 28th daie 1641 the lands of Josias Churchell lying in Wethersfield on Connecticut River. One pece whereon his howse standeth con; six acrs more or less the ands (the ends) abutt against the hie waie west & great mea: east the sids against the waie into the great mea: south & the howse of John Jessiope(Jessup) north. (town records B pg 204) The homestead was on the east side of high street, on the north corner of an ancient road leading to the "Great Meadow" and the river. It faced the southern extremity of the common, which stretched north from his house to the river. But he did not reside here all his life, for, under the date December, 1659, we find this entry in the records: The hom lot of Josias Churchell which he bought of Mr. Tantor (Taintor) which was Gildersleeves formerly living in Wethersfield, on Connecticut River. (town records B pg 205) This homestead of Richard Gildersleeves was on the west side of High Street, a few doors south of Mr. Churchill's earlier home. * The old records have the name Churchell for the first three generations, but we have adopted the later, general form, in this and in other names.

  
  

• Sources

  [S4663] Stafford Data Branch 14.