Jonathan Royce (1638-1690)
Moved from New London to Norwich to become one of the 35 original proprietors. At the age of 22 in the year 1660, he was one of the youngest of the proprietors.
There is not a great deal of information known about Jonathan Royce’s occupation or contributions to Norwich. However, it was recorded that he was made a freeman in October 1663. The designation of “freeman” gave him the right to vote and the responsibility to serve as a jury member. It is believed that he was a farmer.
FAMILY
Jonathan Royce married Mary Spinning Royce (1638/9-1658) in June 1656. Jonathan and Mary were about 18 years old when they married. Unfortunately, Mary died not long after giving birth to their daughter. Their daughter was :
Mary Royce Atwater (1657-1755) : Wife of Thomas Beach, John Beach and John Atwater.
On June 4, 1660 Jonathan married Deborah Calkins Royce (1643-1723), the daughter of Deacon Hugh Calkins in Norwich. They had ten children, whose names were :
1) Elizabeth Royce Backus (1660-1687) : Wife of Sgt. William Backus III, the son of Lt. William Backus Jr.
2) John Royce (1663-1724) : Husband of Sarah Perigo Royce. John was an early settler of Windham, Connecticut.
3) Sarah Royce Lincoln (1665-1692) : Wife of Samuel Lincoln
4) Ruth Royce Chappell (1669-1768) : Wife of Lt. Caleb Chappell
5) Hannah Royce (1671-1713)
6) Abigail Royce Wade (1673-c1691) : Wife of Robert Wade and Joseph Cole
7) Mary Royce Dyer (1677-1723) : Wife of Henry Dyer
8) Jonathan Royce (1678-1725) : Husband of Ruth Beckwith Royce
9) Deborah Royce Stoddard (1680-1724) : Wife of Thomas Stoddard Jr.
10) David Royce (1682-1712) : Husband of Mary Royce (maiden name is unknown)
Jonathan Royce is an ancestor of Emma Hale, the wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
He is buried in the Founders’ Cemetery in Norwich.
Acknowledgements
“History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession From the Indians, to the Year 1866”, page 199, by Frances Manwaring Caulkins
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Rev. Nehemiah Smith (1605-1686)
Nehemiah Smith arrived in Plymouth Massachusetts before 1638. Soon thereafter, he became one of the first religious teachers in Marshfield Massachusetts. Two years later he was appointed to a committee that was charged with viewing and measuring all the meadows of Green Harbor (a.k.a. Marshfield) which had not yet been granted.
After moving to New Haven, Connecticut, he agreed to care for the town’s sheep in exchange for the use of a pasture. The Smith family later moved to Long Island, New York where he also tended sheep. Later in 1652 to New London, Connecticut and finally settled in Norwich in November 1659.
As one of the first 35 proprietors, Nehemiah Smith received a fifteen-acre lot, the largest tract of any of the first settlers. He later received even more land grants. Smith’s house was situated slightly north of the Post-Gager Burial Ground.
Nehemiah raised sheep and wove cloth from the wool. He was called “Shepherd Smith” and “Mr. Smith”, showing respect of him being a pastor in his early years.
FAMILY
Reverend Nehemiah Smith married Ann Bourne Smith (1615-1684) in Marshfield, Massachusetts in 1640. They most likely had five children. Their names were :
1) Elizabeth Smith Raymond Dennis (1641-1712) : Wife of Deacon Joshua Raymond and later George Dennis
2) Mary Smith Raymond (1645-1705) : Wife of Samuel Raymond
3) Nehemiah Smith Jr. (1646-1727) : Husband of Lydia Winchester Smith and then later Elizabeth Haynes Smith
4) Ann Smith Bradford (1647-1???) : Wife of Thomas Bradford
5) Mehitable Experience Smith Abell (1655-1684) : Wife of Joshua Abell
NOTE : Info Sources 1, 2, 3 and 4 do not agree as to how many and who the children of Reverend Nehemiah Smith and Ann Bourne Smith were. The questionable names are listed below.
1) Phebe Smith Everitt (c1639-1???) : Info Source 3
2) Mary Smith (1640-????) : Info Source 4
3) Lydia Smith Schoolfield (1647-1723) : Info Source 4. Lydia is most likely the daughter of Nehemiah’s brother George
4) Benjamin Smith (c1653-1738) : Info Source 4
5) Edward Smith (c1654-????) : Info Source 4
6) John Smith (1655-????) : Info Source 4
7) Elizabeth Smith Ely (1661-1750) : Info Source 3
Nehemiah Smith died in 1686 and is buried in the Founders’ Cemetery in Norwich.
Acknowledgements
“History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession From the Indians, to the Year 1866”, (pp 61,66,132,170,199-200), by Frances Manwaring Caulkins
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by William H. Jennings, Library of Congress
John Tracy Sr. (1642-1702)
Coat of Arms & Crest
At the age of 18, John Tracy was one of the youngest of Norwich’s first 35 proprietors. In 1659, he received a twelve-acre house-lot, however, by his death in 1702 he had accumulated seventeen parcels of land that encompassed 3,000-4,200 acres. The title to parts of his land in the Quinebaug River region of Windham County was later disputed.
Throughout his lifetime he served the community in several capacities. In 1681, he was made a freeman, this gave him the right to vote in town matters and the responsibility to serve as a juror, if called. He later became the Justice of the Peace and also represented the town in the Connecticut Colony Legislature for six years.
In the latter years of his life, John Tracy worked with several other church members to make improvements to the church building and the surrounding land. In 1689 the group enlarged the building by adding a “lean-to”, into which new pews were added. Later, in 1697, the group built a “seat” on the church grounds for their “convenient sitting on the Lord’s Days”. In 1698, at a town meeting, it was decided that members of the church should be seated according to rank. The seats varied in “dignity”. There were eight tiers of “dignity”. Refer to Info Source 2 for details.
FAMILY
John Tracy Sr. was born in 1642 and was the son of Lt. Thomas Tracy. He married Mary Winslow Tracy in 1670. She was the niece of the Edward Winslow, the 3rd Governor of the Plymouth Colony. They had 7 children whose names were :
1) Josiah Tracy (circa 1671-1672) : Died at the age of 5 months
2) John Tracy Jr. (1672-1726) : Husband of Elizabeth Leffingwell Tracy the daughter of Ensign Thomas Leffingwell Jr., who operated the inn/tavern that is known today as the Leffingwell House Museum.
3) Eli Tracy (1675-?) :
4) Elizabeth Tracy Backus (1676-1739) : Wife of Nathaniel Backus Sr.
5) Capt. Joseph Tracy (1682-1765) : Husband of Margaret Abell Douglas Tracy
6) Thomas Tracy (1684-?) :
7) Winslow Tracy (1689-1768) : Husband of Rachel Ripley Tracy
John Tracy is buried in the Founders’ Cemetery in Norwich.
Acknowledgements
“History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession From the Indians, to the Year 1866”, (pp 204-205), by Frances Manwaring Caulkins
“Old Houses of the Ancient Town of Norwich, 1600-1800”, (1895), page 351, by Mary Elizabeth Perkins
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The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “John Tracy” in the SEARCH box.
Lt. Thomas Tracy (1610-1685)
Coat of Arms & Crest
In 1645 Lt. Thomas Tracy was a member of Lt. Thomas Leffingwell’s relief party to Uncas when the Mohegan were besieged at Shattucks Point (modern-day Fort Shantock) by Narragansetts.
Later, in October 1666, Thomas Tracy was confirmed as the Ensign of the first train-band (a.k.a. militia) organized in Norwich. A train-band of 32 members had only one Lieutenant, one Ensign and two Sergeants. Lt. Francis Griswold was confirmed as the Lieutenant in the same train-band by the same General Court Order.
In August 1673 Thomas was confirmed as a Lieutenant in the New London County Dragoons. He served as their Quartermaster. The Dragoons were enlisted to fight in King Philip’s War against the Dutch and Indians.
As a young man Thomas Tracy was a ship carpenter. He was also one of the Founders of Saybrook before becoming one of Norwich’s first proprietors. Thomas Tracy was evidently a man of talent, skillful in the management of various kinds of business, both upright and discreet. The confidence placed in him by his associates is manifested in the great number of appointments which he received. His name is on the roll of the Connecticut Legislature as representative from Norwich at twenty-seven sessions.
In 1678, he was appointed as the Norwich Justice of the Peace.
FAMILY
Thomas Tracy was born in 1610. The name of his first wife is unknown. However it is known that she was born circa 1620 and she died sometime prior to 1676. She was the mother of their seven children. Their names were :
1) John Tracy Sr. (circa 1642-1702) : Husband of Mary Winslow Tracy
2) Ensign Thomas Tracy Jr. (circa 1644-1721) : His wife’s name is unknown, but it is believed to have been Sarah . She was born in 1646 and died in 1721.
3) Lt. Jonathan Tracy (1646-1711) : Husband of Mary Griswold Tracy, the daughter of Lt. Francis Griswold.
4) Miriam Tracy Waterman (1648-1732) : Wife of Thomas Waterman
5) Dr. Soloman Tracy (1651-1732) : Husband of Sarah Bliss Tracy. After her death he married Lydia Huntington Tracy the daughter of Deacon Simon Huntington.
6) Daniel Tracy (1652-1728) : Husband of Hannah Backus Tracy the daughter of Lt. William Backus Jr. After her death he married Abigail Adgate Tracy the daughter of Deacon Thomas Adgate.
7) Samuel Tracy (1653-1693)
In 1679 he married Martha Borne Bradford, the widow of John Bradford. After her death, he married Mary Foote Stoddard, in 1680, the widow of John Stoddard Sr.
Acknowledgements
“History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession From the Indians, to the Year 1866”, (pp 88-89, 200-204), by Frances Manwaring Caulkins
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“Genealogy of the Family of Lt. Thomas Tracy, of Norwich, Connecticut”, 1889, by Matilda Abbey & Ormond Taylor Birchard
Thomas Waterman (1644-1708)
Thomas Waterman, very likely one of the 35 first proprietors of Norwich, led a prosperous, diversified life. He first moved to Norwich with his Aunt Martha Bourne Bradford and her husband John Bradford. He was granted a twelve-acre house-lot was located on West Town Street near present-day Stop and Shop grocery store. Thomas was made a freeman in 1664, attained the rank of Ensign in the local militia, was an innkeeper and was likely a farmer.
EARLY NORWICH INNKEEPERS
Thomas Waterman became the first innkeeper in Norwich in 1679. Innkeepers were thought of as town officers. The appointment was one of honor and respect. To obtain and maintain a “House of Entertainment” a man had to be of good character and possess a comfortable estate.
The privilege was later granted to Deacon Simon Huntington in 1690. And, later still in 1700, the liberty of keeping an inn was given to Ensign Thomas Leffingwell. The photo on the left shows the Leffingwell Inn, built in 1675.
Like most, if not all of the early settlers, Thomas Waterman was also an active member of the church. In 1689 he and three other of the first proprietors, were appointed to a committee “to consider and contrive to the enlargement of the meeting-house”. Soon thereafter a lean-to along with several new pews were added to the Church on the Hill.
In 1709-1710 the church members voted to build a new meeting-house. The new church, also located on top of the hill, was completed in 1713. Lands were granted to help repay all who had contributed their labor or money towards its erection. Thomas Waterman, “for his labor and cost in providing stones for steps at the meeting house doors” received 22 acres at the Landing Place (near the present-day Norwich Police Station).
WATERMAN POINT
In 1689 and 1690, the New England colonies prepared for the King William’s War (a.k.a. the Second Indian War). The General Assembly of Connecticut directed each town to organize dragoons. Thomas Waterman was appointed Ensign for New London County and was thereafter identified in the records as both Ensign and/or Sergeant.
The Waterman family name left it’s impact geographically. Waterman Point in Norwich is located south of the landing on the left bank of the Thames River. In 1775, a battery for defense, with four six-pounders, was erected. The site is near present-day Norwich Police Department and Mount Pleasant.
Upon his death the inventory of his belongings included £855 pounds sterling (approximately $82,000 in today’s dollars), ten oxen, ten cows and abundant household goods. He also left three sons and five daughters who became ancestors of a long line of the Waterman family.
FAMILY
Thomas Waterman was born in 1644. His father was Robert Waterman and his mother was Elizabeth Bourne Waterman. Thomas married Miriam Tracy (1648-1732), the only daughter of Lt. Thomas Tracy, in 1668 in Norwich. They had eight children. Their names were :
1) Thomas Waterman Jr. (1669-1755) : Husband of Elizabeth Allyn Waterman, the daughter of Robert Allyn
2) John Waterman (1672-1744) : Husband of Elizabeth Lothrop Waterman, the daughter of Samuel Lothrop Jr.
3) Elizabeth Waterman Fitch (Aug 1675-1751) : Wife of Capt. John Fitch Esq., the son of Rev. James Fitch
4) Miriam Waterman (1678- Sept. 1760) : Died unmarried
5) Martha Waterman Marvin (1680-1753) : Wife of Captain Reinold Marvin
6) Lydia Waterman Burnham (1683-1738) : Wife of Eleazer Burnham
7) Joseph Waterman (1686-1778) : Husband of Elizabeth Woodward Waterman
8) Anna Waterman DeWolfe (1689-1752) : Wife of Josiah DeWolfe
Thomas Waterman is buried in the Old Norwichtown Cemetery in Norwich.
Thomas Waterman was the great-grandfather of infamous Major General Benedict Arnold. The bloodline runs through his son John Waterman (Arnold’s grandfather).
Acknowledgements
“History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession From the Indians, to the Year 1866”, (pp 62, 100, 206-208), by Frances Manwaring Caulkins
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The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Thomas Waterman” in the SEARCH box.