52 ANCESTORS, 52 THEMES, No. 50, Deacon Richard MILES II, 1597-1667

This year's challenge by Amy Crow is another weekly blog based on Themes, although it seems not always relevant for me to use!  "Naughty" is the weekly theme, but I'm not following it.  None of our ancestors seems to have run off with someone's wife, or stolen anything, or... Good solid people. So here's one more of my very early immigrant ancestors, Deacon Richard MILES II, from England to New Haven, Connecticut. He is my 10th great-grandfather in my mother's lines.

Richard MILES II was the son of Richard MILES I and Alice CHERRYE, of Hertfordshire England, likely in the Wormley or Great Munden region.  He was born approximately 1597, in Great Munden, Hertfordshire.  Both his parents died about 1628, and he seems to have married shortly afterwards, certainly by 1632. He and his wife, with their first three children, immigrated to New Haven region, first to Milford, and then later moved to New Haven where he owned property by 1643.

His first wife is unknown; their six children are the following, "Herts" = Hertsfordshire:

1. Martha MILES [ancestor], b. abt 1633 Herts Eng., d. bef Dec 1662, East Haven CT; m. 20 Oct 1650 to George PARDEE, New Haven CT; 5 children [Mary PARDEE ancestor]
2. Mary, b. abt 1635 Herts, d. 12 Sep 1730; m.1/ 12 Dec 1654 ti Jonathan Ince; children; m.2/  22 Oct 1661 in Norwalk CT  to Rev Thomas Hanford.
3. Richard III, b. abt 1637 Herts, d. Boston MA; m. Experience Callicott
4. Samuel, bap 22 Apr 1640, New Haven CT, d. 24 Dec 1678; m. 9 Apr 1667 to Hannah WILMOT, 5 children; Hannah's 2nd marr. to Miles MERWIN II, 3 children [Elizabeth MERWIN ancestor]
5. Anna/Hannah, b. abt 1642, New Haven CT, d. 19 Jul 1730 West Haven CT; m. 3 Nov 1664 to Samuel Street; 7 children
6. John, b. Oct 1644, New Haven CT.

Note that Martha MILES Pardee is my 9th great-grandmother; Hannah WILMOT Merwin is my 7th great-grandmother; the lines braid.

In 1646, Richard married a second time to a New Haven widow, Katherine Elithorpe Constable, originally from Yorkshire, England. She had no children from her first husband, nor any with Richard.  He apparently was appointed deputy to the general court in 1651.

Richard died Jan. 7th, 1666/67 in New Haven, CT, having written his will December 28th, 1666.

Although a will is known of, and was probated by June 13th, 1667, six months later, I have not yet seen/found a copy of it.  His second wife, Katherine, died almost 20 years later Jan. 8th, 1687/88, at the apparent age of 96 years, in Wallingford, CT, approximately 14 miles north of New Haven.

Several resources provide information on the MILES family: Families of Ancient New Haven, History of the Colony of New Haven, and Families of Early Milford, are three useful texts, along with Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut, Vol.III,  which had potted histories as well. American Ancestors website databases are also helpful in shedding some additional light. 

If you know anything more about any of the above individuals, I would be so pleased for more details. And if you wish more information on them, I'm happy to share. Contact me at my address at the bottom of the page, or in the Comments section.

Sometimes my Blogger account seems not to allow me to "reply" to your comments. Do know that I value your comments immensely. You make my day! Thanks for stopping by to read my personal genealogy posts.

52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS, No. 39: Joshua HOTCHKISS, early CT

Following the challenge from Amy Johnson Crow to write a post weekly, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, here is my 39th installment, Joshua HOTCHKISS, 1651-1722, Connecticut.  Joshua is my 8th great-grandfather on my maternal lines. 

Joshua is another ancestor who was a very early settler in Connecticut with his parents. He was one of 6 boys and 1 girl of Samuel HOTCHKISS and Elizabeth CLEAVERLY, who married on 7 September 1642 in New Haven, CT. The family appeared to be comfortably middle-class in England, and educated. Samuel, Joshua's father. is believed to have arrived in Connecticut on the ship "Hector" in 1637; however other sources state he arrived in 1642.  That  latter date may be simply due to Samuel's residence in 1642 when he married.  Much of my information on the Hotchkiss family group comes from the following: Directory of the Ancestral Heads of New England Families;  The Hotchkiss Family, First Six Generations: Descendants of Samuel Hotchkiss (ca. 1622-1663) of New Haven, Connecticut;  Genealogies of Connecticut Families Vol.2 by Gary Boyd Roberts; New Haven Vital Records, among other records [online].  

Joshua was born 16 Sep 1651, East Haven, Connecticut.  His first marriage is noted to be in 1677, when he married Mary PARDEE.  Mary, born 18 Feb 1657/58 in East Haven, was the daughter of George PARDEE & Martha MILES. Much has been written about the PARDEE family who left Pitminster England and settled in New Haven around 1644.  

At several points, Joshua was a Sheriff in New Haven.  In addition, he fought in King William's War (and was apparently a pensioner of it.)

Joshua and Mary had three children that we know of, born in New Haven, CT:  
1.  Mary, b. 14 Dec 1679, who apparently died as an infant.
2.  Stephen (Deacon), 25 Aug 1681; m. Elizabeth Sperry on 12 Dec 1704; children
3.  Martha [ancestor], b.14 Dec 1683; m. Thomas BROOKS 25 Mar 1702 in Wallingford, CT; Martha d. after 1755 in Cheshire CT; Thomas d. of smallpox, 20 Jul 1732.

Unfortunately Mary PARDEE Hotchkiss died before 1685.  Joshua then married Hannah Tuttle in perhaps 1688. I need to clarify the six additional children of Hannah and Joshua - there are issues with the birthdates and places for several of the children. Apparently Hannah died in 1718, and Joshua married once more, in 1719, to Mary [surname either Sanford or Ashbun].  

Joshua died 22 Dec 1722 in New Haven, CT, and there is a headstone in the cemetery attached to Center Church on the Green, New Haven, CT.  Details may be found by clicking through on FindAGrave.  

As is only too obvious as I complete this year-long challenge, I have much research still to do on these ancestors! 

If you have information or corrections, please do not hesitate to contact me via calewis at telus dot net or in the Comments below.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  

52 ANCESTORS in 52 WEEKS: #4, George PARDEE

Following the challenge of writing 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, issued by Amy Johnson Crow, here is my 4th installment.

George PARDEE, my 9th great-grandfather on my maternal lines, is an early settler in New Haven, Connecticut.  He was baptised 19 Feb 1622/3 in Pitminster, Somerset, England, so likely he was born perhaps a month before this date. His parents were Anthony PARDEE & Anstice COXE; George is the only emigrant from this family. He was the 6th of their 7 children, the second boy in this family.

Taken from The Pardee Genealogy by Donald Lines Jacobus, (New Haven, New Haven co., CT, USA: New Haven Historical Society, 1927),  p.20, here is a copy made of the baptism certificate:
The date on the sheepskin parchment of the church register of St. Andrew and St. Mary, Pitminster, shows it was difficult to read the specific day - either the 13th or 19th of Feb 1623, son of Anthonie Pardee.   This particular church register apparently dates back to 1545.   Note this book is available on Ancestry, and can be read chapter by chapter.  A wonderful genealogy history - I got lost in it some months ago!

George was educated and expected to follow his father as a curate, and studied Latin.  However, he immigrated to the New Haven area about 1644, and began a 5 year apprenticeship to a tailor, Francis Brown/Broone.  Other families from Pitminster area were the Trowbridge and Treat families, both of whom figure prominently in my ancestor lines.  By 1650, as an educated man, George was the Schoolmaster at Hopkins School in New Haven.  In 20 Oct 1650, he married (1) Martha MILES, and they had 5 children - 4 living past infancy.   Our ancestor line goes through their 4th child Mary.
  Children by 1st wife:
     John, b. 20 Aug 1651, d abt 28 Jun 1653
     John, b. 2 Dec 1653, d. 1683
     George, b. 15 Jan 1655, d. 22 Nov 1723
     *Mary, b. 18 Feb 1657/8, d bef 1686, m. Joshua HOTCHKISS (3 children)
     Elisabeth, b. 10 Jun 1660
  Children by 2nd wife:
     Joseph, b. 27 Apr 1664, d. aft 1742
     Rebecca, b. 18 Apr 1666, d. 14 Jun 1731
     Sarah, b. 2 Feb 1667/8, d. abt 1756
     Hannah, b. 7 Jul 1672

Martha died in 1662, and he married (2) Katherine (or Rebekah - or they may have been the same person) Lane in 29 Dec 1662 in New Haven.  George & Katherine/Rebekah had 4 more children as listed above.

About the time of this 2nd marriage, George became a Rector of the Hopkins Grammar School in New Haven.

Interestingly, about the same time as George was a Rector, he also was issued a licence for an "ordinary" - i.e., an innkeeper.

A memorial tablet put up by a descendant of his states:
In memory of George Pardee / 1630-1700 / Farmer, Ferryman and Teacher / of Latin and Good Manners / Who first owned this land / and of  / William Bradley Pardee /  1821 - 1893 // This tablet is placed under the will of / William S. Pardee / Their Loyal Descendant

We know that George died 14 Apr 1700 in New Haven, and that apparently his 2nd wife had died before this time.  It is not certain if Rebekah and Katherine are the same person.

If you have more information on this first immigrant, George PARDEE, I would be very happy to learn more. You may contact me at calewis at telus dot net, or leave a comment below.