Map of original, Killingworth, Connecticut

This map identifies the location of the lots assigned to the original group of settlers to occupy Killingworth. It is located on what is now East Main in Clinton. Many of the names turn up in the Griffin family tree. John Nettleton, Asahel and Joel Griffin's mother Mercy Nettleton’s grandfather. Henry Farnham, Mercy Bailey Griffin’s grandfather. John Rossiter’s granddaughter married into James Griffin’s family tree. We have recently posted a series on the Blog for the Bradleys. Ruth Meigs the wife of Stephen Bradley’s grandfather John Meigs was in Killingworth. Thankful Griffin married into Samuel Buell’s family. Lois Griffin married into the family of William Kelsey. The Griswold, Stevens, Chatfield and Hull family names are all found in the Griffin family tree.

Letter from Sylvia Bradley Griffin

We have a letter posted from Underhill, Chittenden County, Vermont dated May 30, 1852. The letter is from Sylvia Bradley Griffin, wife of Samuel Griffin, to her son Albert Bailey Griffin who was her only child to leave Vermont. Albert carried his grandmother Mercy Bailey’s name. In the letter Sylvia announces the passing of her husband and Albert’s father Samuel Griffin. We have recently posted his will and a description of his property on the Blog. ___________________________________________________ Dear beloved children I now will try to write a few lines to let you know I have not forgotten you o, no your mother has not forgotten you altho time seems long and the distance great yet tis good to receive a letter from you to directed tho to Harrison ( Albert’s brother). Was glad to hear you are well now. Albert you understand there has been changes in our family, yes indeed there has. Now your father is no more with us he fell asleep in Jesus we trust last Sept. 19th. He was worn out with sickness, pain and ditness, he made his will and fixed the affairs to leave. Sold the land, some to Orlows to boys and some to Woolcott (son-in-law) and took notes for cash but reserved a home for me in the house that you built (the house on the Rocky) having settled his business he said I give all up. I give my self up I shall soon know what it is to die. You wonder why I am at Underhill, well I will tell you, Sylvia Fuller (Albert’s sister) lives there and so I live with her and family. I came here last Jan. my health is not very good I feel the infirmities of age hasting on and soon, very soon, I shall be gone when a few more greifs I have tasted, but I will not murmur not repine. God has led me through so far and I trust myself with him, he is the same yesterday today and forever, yes Albert although I may wander and stray, yet God is true and has marked out the way that we should follow his steps and has said be thou faithful unto death and he will give a crown of life. This from your mother and friend. Sylvia Griffin __________________ Sylvia was to live another twenty years passing away in 1873 in her 90th year. The letter is great example of the sentiments of the age. From the family letters that have survived it is evident that she was a great blessing to her children. They took great delight in taking turns hosting their mother.

Samuel Griffin Lot 81

Samuel Griffin Jun. moved to Essex, Vermont with his father Samuel and brothers John and Dan. In Essex he married Sylvia Bradley. Samuel and Sylvia raised a family of 9. Samuel Sen. picked a lot in the prime central part of the valley. Samuel Jun. picked a lot, Lot 81, which was in a more remote part of Essex. From The History of The town of Essex, “In the western part of town nicknamed “Lost Nation” by the early settlers, beginning on the Reservoir road opposite Moses Yandow farm, the first farm was settled by Samuel Griffin. His house stood on the south side of the road”. The Reservoir road runs through the top of Lot 81. Running through the middle of the lot is “Indian Brook”. Samuel eventual purchased lots 80 and 82 along with portions of lots 102 and 103 in addition to other area properties. He sold 3 acres of Lot 103 where it borders on Lot 81 to his son Orlow for a home lot. The upper part of lot 81 is level with the surround terrain but Indian Brook has cut a valley through the bottom portion that is 100 or more feet lower than the surround terrain. It is this classic bottom land that attracted Samuel to the Lost Nation. The current occupants describe it as incredible fertile land. Family letters indicate that the family occupied a couple of different home sites on Samuel’s properties. The original on the upper terrace of Lot 81 the second home was on Lot 82. There is a description of the home lot in a letter written by Samuel’s daughter Rosetta to her brother Albert who had left Essex. “I sometime stop & look down the old well & see the old cellar where we used to pick and eat our winter apples. The old orchard looks very natural. I think the woods is all cut away where father used to sugar when he moved to the new house, so now when we are at our childhood home, or where it lay, we can look down and & see the house and farm where we all lived when you went away”. A feature of the second home site is a rock formation. In a letter from Rosetta, “Mother was with us a good deal & enjoyed being at her old home again on the Rocky”. Samuel’s children purchased most of his farmland and occupied it for another generation. We have a few photographs of Samuel’s property. The 1st is Reservoir road, which has probably not changed much since the days Samuel drove along it. There are sections of old rock fence still visible on the property. A building that is still in use shows parts of Samuel’s original foundation stones and timbers for his out buildings. The next picture shows the rocky outcropping that marked the second home location. We then have a view from Lot 82 ie “Rocky” down toward Lot 81. Reservoir road is just out of sight. Crossing Reservoir road the lot drops down into the river bottom where it spreads out into beautiful farmland. The photos are of land that Samuel owned. ____________Samuel / Samuel / Samuel Griffin of Killingworth

John Griffin 1778 to 1832

John Griffin was born in Killingworth, Connecticut the son of Samuel Griffin and his 3rd wife Mercy Bailey. His birth is recorded in the Congregational records dated May 17, 1778 “John son of Samuel Griffin”. John grew up on the family farm located on Roast Meat Hill. His early life revolved around the families’ small farm and his father’s carpentry shop. His father’s loom, which he was to inherit, needed linen and wool thread. That meant there was flax to be grown and processed into linen thread and wool to be sheared and spun. Included in the inventory in John’s probate file is a “Flax Break”. Apparently John was preparing and weaving linen until his death following in his father’s footsteps. With a family of eleven he probably never lacked companionship. His Sundays were spent with the members of the Congregational Society in which his parents “Owned the Covenant”. The small farm did not offer a future to six sons. For the young men of Killingworth Vermont represent the next frontier. The Griffin boys Joel, Asahel, Samuel, John and Dan ended up in Essex and nearby New Haven, Vermont. Essex was one of seven towns in the County of Chittenden chartered in June 1763. __________ Essex was described as an area six miles square bounded on the south by the Winooski River. The area was to be parceled into 72 equal shares among 66 grantees named in the charter. The Grantees organized several expeditions to survey the area. Their records contain detailed lists of the men involved. John’s name was among those listed. My assumption is that he was the point man for the family’s move from Killingworth to Essex. The Grantees subdivided their holdings into lots that averaged about 110 acres and offered them for sale as either one-half or full lots. John and his father Samuel purchased Lot 142 his brother Samuel Jr. Lot 81. Settlement started in earnest in Essex in 1783 and it seems likely that the Griffins were in the first few waves of settlers in the new community. By 1798 they had already purchased additional farmland. In April 1800 John purchased six acres from Dan Morgan next to Lot 142. I think this was his “home lot”. His brother Dan also purchased a home lot. John and Dan both worked the original farm with their father. When Samuel died in 1808 ownership of the farm passed into John’s hands. His father’s will reads, “I give to my son John my farm on which I now live together with my cattle, sheep and swine also my “tyme peace” and loom on the following condition he is to support my wife during her life and provide and furnish her with all things necessary for her comfort”. Over the next twenty years he purchase several addition parcels bordering on the original Lot 142. Dan moved to his own farm in Westford. _____________ There has been precious little written concerning John’s family. John is buried next to his parents Samuel and Mercy Bailey in the Essex Common Burial Ground. A complete listing for the cemetery is available on the Internet. Buried along a row we find John, “March 30, 1832” , Doct. Truman Griffin “May 10, AD 1829, In memory of age 27 yrs”, Chloe Griffin “Oct 11th, AD 1819, In memory of-dau of John and Mary Griffin- in the 16th yr of her age”. The cemetery records provided the first hints in our journey of discovery to identify John’s family. The cemetery records provided the name for two children and the name of his wife, Mary. An Internet search for John and Mary Griffin turned up a reference in a Tyler genealogy for the marriage of Mary Tyler to John Griffin. In the town records of Richmond, New Hampshire, page 60, we recovered a marriage record, “May certify that John Griffin of Essex in the state of Vermont and Mary Tyler of Richmond were joined in marriage per me Moses Tyler Justice Peace this first Day of February 1801”. Moses Tyler was Mary’s father. Essex town records show that two of Moses’ brothers had made the move to Essex apparently bringing Mary with them. There are no birth records in Essex for John’s children. The 1810 census lists 2 boys and 2 girls all under the age of 10. The 1820 census shows a family of 2 boys and 4 girls. Chloe having died in 1919 the 1820 census indicates that 3 additional girls were born after 1810. In the Congregational records we find Truman and his mother Mary listed next to each other “1827 Truman Griffin--1829. 1829 was the year of his death. For Mary, “Mary Griffin, Deceased” with no date for her death. ____________ John died intestate that is to say without leaving a will. It was then left up to the probate courts to dispose of his property. The probate courts are very particular in naming all of the claimants to real estate. In John’s probate file we found hints to the remainder of his family. The probate file indicates that John's wife Mary was named executor for his estate. She signs her name on a number of difference documents in the probate file. In a key document that starts with, “We the undersigned legal heirs and legates of John Griffin” we find a list of names; Mary Griffin, Guardian to Malinda Griffin, Mary Griffin Guardian to Jane Griffin, Charlotte Sinclair, Fanny Sinclair, then Samuel Griffin and Mary Griffin. From this document we have a picture of Mary serving as guardian for daughters Malinda and Jane Griffin and granddaughters Charlotte and Fanny Sinclair. In addition we have two heirs of legal age Samuel Griffin and Mary Griffin. This posed a question, Who was the “Mary” who signed along with Samuel? Was she John’s wife or did he have a daughter also named Mary? We find the answer to the question surround “Mary” and the identity of the mother of Charlotte and Fanny Sinclair in the marriage records in Essex. On page 282, “Be it remembered that at Essex in said County on the 27th of February 1823 Freeman Sinclear & Eunice Griffin both of Essex were duly joined in marriage”. In another marriage record on page 366, “Be it remembered that at Essex on the 5th day of June AD 1834 Erastus Tyler of Harlem, State of Ohio and Mary Griffin of Essex, County of Chittenden, State of Vermont were duly joined in Marriage”. It was this Mary, John's daughter, who signed her name with Samuel. A close look at the signatures for the name Mary Griffin reveals that they were signed in two different hands. We gain a clearer picture of the family from a series of land deeds involving John’s real estate. In a deed dated in 1833 Mary, as executor of the will, is allowed to sell off a portion of the property in order to satisfy the estate’s remaining debts. This occurred before the final division of the property among John’s heirs. In 1837 we find three deeds between John’s children and their mother. The children are selling back their portion of their inheritance to their mother. The property in question is identified as “The real estate in Essex of which the late John Griffin died seized”. The parties to the three deeds are Erastus and Jane Bentley and Malinda Griffin, Erastus and Mary Tyler “both of Granville, Licking County and State of Ohio” and Samuel Griffin, “I Samuel Griffin of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, State of Ohio”. Here is a brief summary of the children of John and Mary Tyler Griffin. ___________Truman Griffin: Truman is buried next to his father in Essex. His headstone refers to him as “Doct” Truman Griffin. The title seems to indicate that he had received a medical degree from the nearby University of Vermont, which had organized a Medical School in 1822. The information on his headstone indicates a date of birth in 1802. His death is recorded as May 10, AD 1829. ________________ Chloe Griffin: The only record for Chloe is her headstone in Essex. Named after her mother’s sister she is buried next to her father and her brother Truman. Probably born sometime in 1804 her headstone reads, “In memory of Chloe daughter of John & Mary Griffin who died Oct 11th AD 1819 In the 16 year of her age”. _________________Eunice Griffin: As previously noted Eunice married Freeman Sinclair in 1823. Her daughter’s, Charlotte and Fanny, are listed as heirs in her father’s probate records. Eunice was probably 18 or 19 at the time of her marriage she was most likely born about 1805. Sinclair/Sinclear family history places Eunice’s death at October 27, 1831. ________________Samuel Griffin: Named after his grandfather census records and a family birth pattern suggest that he was born in about 1808/9. We have his signature on his father’s probate record. In the deed between Samuel and his mother he is identified as Samuel Griffin of Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio. In the Barbour record for Killingworth we find a record of his marriage, “Samuel Griffin of Essex Vt., m. Lodah H. Field , dau of Martin, of Killingworth Nov. 4, 1832”. I am quite sure that the name “Lodah” is a misspelling. In the records of Alvan Talcott there is a record for the family of Martin Field it includes the entry, “Zaida. B. 1809 mar. Samuel Griffing”. The detailed Field family history also identifies her as Zaida and notes that she married Samuel Griffin of Cincinnati. The marriage record is an interesting hint that the family in Essex still had contact with their Killingworth roots. ________________ Mary Griffin: Named after her mother we find her signature in her father’s probate file. Mary married Erastus Tyler, her mother’s cousin, June 5, 1834. Erastus was born in Killingworth November 14, 1802. In a deed between Mary and her mother dated October 31, 1837 she is identified as Erastus and Mary Tyler of Granville, Licking, Ohio. Mary and Erastus are buried in the Old Pioneer Cemetery in Alexandria, Licking, Ohio, which is near Granville. Her headstone includes the dates June 2, 1811 to October 23, 1876. Her family included children named Malinda, Mary Jane and Truman. _______________Malinda Griffin: Her name appears as an heir in her father’s probate. The probate records indicate that she was over the age of 14 at the time of her father’s death. There is a line in her guardian application with the probate court, “Personally appeared Malinda Griffin daughter of John Griffin”. Census records indicate that she was born after 1810. Based on Jane’s date of birth it is my guess that she was born 1816/17. Her name appears on a deed record dated in October of 1837. Her sister is referred to by her married name she is referred to as Malinda Griffin seeming to indicate that she was still unmarried. __________________ Jane Griffin: Jane married Erastus Powell Bentley. They raised their family in nearby Jericho. Jane is named in her father’s probate the nature of which suggest she was the youngest of the children. A line in the records notes that she was under the age of 14. Her name is very difficult to make out in the probate records but we get some clarification in the deed records. In a deed between her and her mother she is identified as Erastus and Jane Bentley of Jericho. Her sister Malinda is also included in the deed. Her headstone, found in the Jericho Center Cemetery, reads “Jane Griffin, wife of, Erastus Bentley , Nov 7, 1880 aged 61 yrs”. The headstone information places her date of birth in about 1819. The 1880 census lists her place of birth as Vermont, her father’s as Connecticut, and her mothers as New Hampshire. She named a daughter Mary and a son Samuel. _________________We also need to tell the story of Mary Tyler Griffin. There has been an air of mystery about what happened to her after her husband John’s death. Her story starts in the Richmond, New Hampshire town records. On page 19 there is a detailed entry for the family of Moses Tyler, Mary’s father. It starts, “Richmond Sept ye 9th AD 1777 this may certify that Moses Tyler and Mary Scott both of Richmond were joined in marriage”. The next entry, “Moses Tyler record of his children by Mary his wife”. The children are listed as Chloe, “Malinda Tyler born August ye 12th AD 1780”. For Mary, “Mary Tyler born August ye 9th AD 1784”. Then we have Aaron, Moses, Benjamin, John and Patience. As you can see Mary named daughters after her sisters Chloe and Malinda. The name Truman is also a traditional Tyler name. The two sisters Mary and Malinda seem to be very close to each other. They shared family names and a common destiny. In Richmond we find a marriage record for Mary’s marriage to John Griffin in 1801 and her sister Malinda to Asa Bancroft on February 2, 1800. In volume 2 of the Essex town records page 44 we find a marriage between the then widowed Asa Bancroft and the widow Mary Griffin, “ Be it remembered that at Essex in the County aforesaid on the 12th day of Nov. AD 1837 Asa Bancroft of Plainfield, Washington County and Mary Griffin of Essex County of Chittenden and state aforesaid were duly joined in marriage". A search of the records reveals a notice in the Vermont Watchman and State Journal, “ Mrs. Melinda Bancroft, Tuesday, December 20, 1836. Died in Plainfield on the 2d Dec., inst. Malinda, wife of Asa Bancroft, aged 56 years”. Mary, using her married name, had married her sister’s husband and helped raise her sister’s family including girls named Mary and Eunice. We then find another marriage record for Asa dated April 18, 1843 to Rebecca Page. The 1850 census shows Asa age 76 and Rebecca age 70 living in Plainfield. Following the traditional patterns for remarriage Mary probably died in 1841/2. There are headstones in the Plainfield Village Cemetery for Asa and Malinda, “ Asa Bancroft, Died, Feb. 27, 1857, Ae 83 Y’s” and “Malinda, wife of, Asa Bancroft, Died, Dec. 2, 1836, Aged 56”. Nearby next to her 1st husband we find a headstone for Rebecca dated Feb. 18, 1855. “Rebecca, wife of Asa Bancroft & formerly wife of Daniel Page”. We have not discovered a burial record for Mary Tyler Griffin.

Jemima Cornwall Bradley

There are several interpretations for the ancestry of Jemima Cornwall. Her story derives from her connection to two very prominent Connecticut families, the Cornwalls and the Bradleys. There are a number of family histories and genealogies written about the two families. Yet despite the available information there still remains some confusion as to her true identity. The histories all agree that Jemima married Stephen Bradley in Guilford, Conn. There are very few original town or church records of their marriage or early life in Guilford. There are traces of their membership in the Second Congregational Society. Most of what has been written by the Bradley family historians is based on the material written by Alvan Talcott. Talcott’s information looks like it is probably derived from the oral history of the early Bradley family. Looking at Talcott’s notes concerning Stephen Bradley’s family he makes the notation “Jemima of L.I.”. He includes a marriage date “1718” and her date of death Jan 16, 1787. At the top he lists East Guilford as the place where they lived. The Cornwall history is based on very detailed town and church records from Middletown, Conn. The Cornwall history lists her as the daughter of William Cornwall 1672-1704 and his wife Esther. “Children born in Middletown, Conn. 96. Jemima, bapt, Feb 4, 1700; m. Stephen Bradley of Guilford, Conn.” The history also records a sister Lois (97.) who was baptized Feb. 8, 1702. They note that Lois married Daniel Collins also of Guilford. What is written in most modern family trees is a description of Jemima Cornwall born in Long Island, christened in Middletown February 4, 1700, the daughter of William Cornwall of Middletown 1671-1747 and his wife Ester Ward 1669-1734. A few histories directly quote the Cornwall history listing her parents as William 1672-1704 and simply Ester. So why the confusion? The confusion arises from the fact that living in Middletown as contemporaries were three first cousins all named William Cornwall. Two of the cousins married women named Ester. When most modern genealogist went looking for the historical Jemima, the daughter of William and Ester, they found the most widely document of the cousins William Cornwall, the son of William Cornwall and his wife Mary Bull, who married Esther Ward. This William was born September 13, 1671, died July 16, 1747. The Barbour collection lists a marriage in Middletown between William Cornwall and Ester Ward 1692. The Cornwall history notes that the above named William (1671-1747) married Ester Ward the daughter of John Ward. The Long island connection comes from the Bradley tradition, based on the Talcott history, that lists her as Jemima Cornwall of (L. I.) or Long Island. ___________ To unravel Jemima’s story we need to start with the history of her great Grandfather William Cornwall. We have posted his will on the Blog. William Cornwall was born in England. His first stop was in America was in Roxbury, Mass. From Roxbury he was in the early wave of settles to arrive in the area of Hartford, Connecticut where his children were born. In the 1657 he relocated to Middletown. As one of Middletown’s earliest settlers his family is listed on the first page of the First Congregational Society records. They are also listed in his will. The Cornwall’s used three different spellings for their name, Cornwall, Cornwell and Cornell. The town clerks in Middletown gathered the key dates for his children and recorded his family in a single concise entry in the town records. They listed John, William, Samuel, Jacob, Sarah, Thomas, Esther and Elizabeth. It is the three oldest boys’ John, William and Samuel that are part of our story. John had a son who he named William born August 17, 1673. William’s son William was born September 13, 1671. The town clerks recorded the family of Samuel in the town records. We have posted his will on the Blog. Samuel’s son William was born January 22, 1672. The baptismal records for all three are found in the Congregational records. All three of these sons named William lived in Middletown. The church clerks were very careful to distinguish between the three in the church records. John’s family was recorded by the town clerks. John's son William is always referred to as William son of John. For example we find the record of the birth of William's daughter Martha, “William Cornwall son of John Cornwall owning ye covenant had his daughter Martha baptized”. The town clerks have also created a record for William the son of William. They also gathered a record for his son William ( William / William / William). The record for the 3rd William starts with a record of his marriage to Ester Ward, “William Cornwall / Cornell & Ester Ward were joined in marriage covenant January 22, 1692”. The record also notes his death in July of 1747. They list the children of the 3rd William as, William, Mary, Andrew, John, Sam, Esther and Jacob. The church records note the birth of Ebenezer who died as an infant. The Cornwall history has the same information. In the church records this William is referred to as the couple, William & Esther, or as William (son ) & Esther. The (son) indicating that he was William the son of William who was the son of William the ancestor. For example the birth of his son Samuel is recorded, “Samuel ye son of William Cornell (son) & Esther”. The third William, the son of Samuel, is always referred to as William Cornwall son of Samuel Cornwall. Thus the clerks created three separate easy to follow identities for the three different William grandsons. Of the three families William the son of Samuel has the least documentation. There are no references in the town records. But, as we previously noted the Cornwall history notes that “William, son of Samuel, grandson of William was born in Jan. 22, 1672 and died Dec. 25, 1704: married Esther.” They note that he lived in Middletown and his children were born there. They list “Jemima, bapt. Feb. 4, 1700”and “Lois, bapt. Feb. 8, 1702”.. We do find the baptismal records for the two girls in the Congregational records. “Jemima ye daughter of William Cornwall Jun. viz son of Samuel Cornwall was baptized Feb. 4, 1700”. “Lois ye daughter of William Cornwall son of Samuel Cornwall was baptized Feb 8 1702”. The reason for the lack of family records for this William is his early death in 1704. We have posted his probate file on the Blog. The cover for his probate file has the date 1704/05. A notation on the bottom of a document listing his assets records his two children “Jemima Aged 5 years” and “Lois aged 3 years”. The court clerks refer to William’s wife as “Ester”. However “Ester” signed her name twice both times using the spelling “Hester”. The convention of the day used the two names interchangeably. There is no reference in any of the histories or documents to “Esther Ward”. As a follow on we find an entry in the will of Samuel Cornwall (full will posted on Blog) the father of the above mentioned William, “To my two granddaughters Jemima and Lois I give 35 pounds………..that I had designed to give to my son William Cornwall the father of the said Jemima and Lois”. These two wills support the Cornwall histories’ description of Jemima as the daughter of William, the son of Samuel Cornwall, who married Ester/ Hester last name unknown. Both the Cornwall history and the various Bradley histories register the marriage of Jemima to Stephen Bradley in Guilford. In the case of the Bradley’s, Stephen Bradley to Jemima Cornwall daughter of William Cornwall of Middletown. In the absence of original town records it seems that this information was very much a part of each families’ oral tradition. ___________It is interesting to note that independent of the Bradleys and Cornwalls the Collins family hold the same tradition for Jemima’s sister Lois who married Daniel Collins. Lois’ son-in-law Oliver Wolcott was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Because of his connection to those events his life has received a good bit of attention. From the Biographical record of Hartford County, “Daniel Collins, son of John Collins born 1701 at Guilford, Connecticut married in 1725, Lois Cornwall, of Long Island, a daughter of William Cornwall, of Hartford and Middletown, She was born at Middletown in 1702”. Their marriage is found in the town records in Guilford, “ Daniel Collins & Lois Cornell both of Guilford were married March 15, 1725”._____________ An updated biography for Jemima should probably read, Jemima Cornwall / William-Hester / Samuel- Rebecca Bull / William- Mary. Jemima was born in Middletown into the prominent Cornwall family. She was the daughter of William Cornwall who was born January 22, 1672 and died December 25, 1704 in Middletown, Conn. There is very little to identify her mother. The Cornwall historians spell her name Esther the probate clerks use the Ester spelling. She signed her name Hester on her husband's probate documents. There are no hints for her maiden name. Jemima was baptized in the First Congregational Society in Middletown February 4, 1700. “Jemima ye daughter of Willm Cornwall Jun. (viz son of Samll Cornwall) was baptized Feb. 4, 1700”. Her father died when she was still very young. Her father’s probate file lists her as” Jemima aged 5”. Her grandfather Samuel identifies her as a granddaughter and leaves her 35 pounds in his will. Jemima moved with her mother Hester and sister Lois to Long Island, New York. They later resettled in Guilford, Connecticut. In Guilford she married Stephen Bradley. Alvan Talcott in his notes list a marriage date in 1718. Her first child Joseph was born June 24, 1720. Joseph was followed by Freelove, Esther, after her mother, Clotildah, Stephen, Lois, after her sister, Benjamin, Timothy, Zenas, Zimri and Eber. There are very few documents from her life that have survived. Gathered together in Volume-2 page 77 of the Guilford town records is a list of her children and their dates of birth. Each entry contains the phrase “Of Stephen Bradley by Jemima his wife”. Her death is recorded in the Guilford Record of Mortality. It reads “ 1787 Jan 16 Stephen Bradley Wid.”____________ The same biography describes Jemima’s sister Lois. Lois married Daniel Collins in Guilford. Daniel died in 1751. At the time of her death Lois was living with her daughter Lorraine / Laura who married Oliver Walcott. Oliver was destined to play a major role in Connecticut politics. Lois would have had a front row seat to the events leading up to the American Revolution. She died nine years before her son-in-law signed the Declaration of Independence.