Person Page - 18

     Lieut. Thomas Winchell was born on 2 April 1700 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..¹ He was the son of Stephen Winchell and Abigail Phelps. He married, at age 25, Jemima Owen, age 24, daughter of Obadiah Owen and Christiana Winchell, on 11 May 1725 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn..^2,3 He died after April 1770.⁴
     
Military Service: Lieut. in the 3rd Co. of the train band at Simsbury, 1742; French & Indian War.⁵

     In addition to what he received of his father, in 1733, by a vote of a town meeting in Simsbury, Thomas received 40 acres of land within the town. At another division of land authorized at the same time, he received 30 acres, being the 13'th lot, "on the west side of the mountain near the copper hill." Throughout his life, Thomas continued to acquire land in and around Turkey Hills.
     Thomas and his wife, Jemima Owen, resided at Turkey Hills throughout their life and all their children were born there. In 1749 Thomas deeded to his son, Thomas Jr. "for love and good will" 50 acres of land in Turkey Hills to the value of £800. In 1755, under the same terms, Thomas deeded 48 acres valued at £800 to his son Elisha. It appears that Thomas and Thomas Jr. had somewhat of a falling out as we find in 1766 that Thomas brought six suits against Thomas Jr. and levied on land worth in the aggregate £25.
     In 1742 the Colony of Connecticut commissioned Thomas as a Lieutenant of the 3'rd company of Simsbury's train band (militia). In the French and Indian War rolls we find a Corporal Thomas in Captain Pettibone's Company in 1755 and, in 1756, Corporal Thomas Winchell served in Aaron Hitchcock's Company, probably at Fort William Henry. Thomas Winchell "Jr." is found on the rolls in 1757. The Winchell Genealogy lists Thomas Sr. as a veteran of the French & Indian War and it is almost certain that a man of his rank in the local militia served during that time. It's impossible to say whether the records cited are of the father and son, or just Thomas Jr.. Records of the French & Indian War, and the Revolution, are very inadequate and only a percentage of muster rolls survive.
     In April of 1770, Lieutenant Thomas Winchell bought 2 acres and a mansion house at Turkey Hills of Deacon Samuel Owen. We know that at the age of 70 he was still acquiring land, however this is our last record of Thomas and his death date is unknown. The death of his wife, Jemima is also unknown and I have no indication of whether she lived a long or short life.

     Jemima Owen was born on 18 November 1700 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..^1,2 She was the daughter of Obadiah Owen and Christiana Winchell. She married, at age 24, Lieut. Thomas Winchell, age 25, son of Stephen Winchell and Abigail Phelps, on 11 May 1725 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn..^3,2

     Thomas Winchell was born on 24 April 1727 in Turkey Hills, now, East Granby, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Lieut. Thomas Winchell and Jemima Owen. He married, at age 25, Mary Owen, age 19, daughter of Ensign Isaac Owen and Mary Ellsworth, on 25 November 1752 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn.. He died in 1776 in East Granby, Hartford Co., Conn..
     Military Service: French & Indian War; American Revolution.

     Jehiel Winchell was born on 4 October 1736 in Turkey Hills, now, East Granby, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Lieut. Thomas Winchell and Jemima Owen. He was baptized on 3 April 1737. He married, at age 19, Mercy (__?__) on 11 March 1756 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn.. He died on 28 December 1801 in Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 65.
     Military Service: French & Indian War, 1755; American Revolution, 1780.

     Abigail Winchell was born on 16 September 1742. She was the daughter of Lieut. Thomas Winchell and Jemima Owen. She died on 11 June 1747 in Turkey Hills, now, East Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 4.¹

     Stephen Winchell was born on 13 August 1677 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..¹ He was the son of Nathaniel Winchell and Sarah Porter. He was baptized on 19 August 1677.² He married, at age 20, Abigail Phelps, age 31 (widow of David Marshall), daughter of Samuel Phelps and Sarah Griswold, on 10 March 1697/98 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..^3,4,5 He died on 18 December 1725 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 48.^6,7
     

     In 1697/8, at the age of 20, Stephen married 31 year old Abigail Phelps, the widow of David Marshall. They would settle in that part of Simsbury near Turkey Hills, now East Granby, and raise six children. Stephen is said to be the first settler "east of the mountain" and it appears that he was in the business of raising horses along with John Thrall. At this time, horses were in demand and they were one of Connecticut's major exports.
     Stephen was active in land dealings buying 80 or 90 acres in Simsbury of Samuel Wilcoxson in 1707. In 1708 Stephen was of Windsor when he conveyed 10 acres to his brother John. By 1711 he was "of Simsbury" when he conveyed part of his father's estate to John. In 1715 Stephen bought 10 acres of Enoch Phelps on the Salisbury Plain.
     Stephen died 18 December 1725 and his will was presented in January of 1725/6. For reasons unknown, and possibly through a prior arrangement with Stephen and the town of Simsbury, in a division of the commons in 1723, lot 321 was assigned to "Stephen Winchel's heirs", in 1733 a grant of 88 acres was made to the heirs of Stephen Winchell, and again in 1743, a grant of 16 acres was made to his heirs.
     Stephen died at the relatively young age of 48. Like his father before him, he seemed to have been ambitious and the estate was valued at £884. Stephen left Abigail a widow for the second time. the children were nearly all adults although Martin, being 18, chose his brother Stephen as his guardian. Abigail's death date is unknown, although we assume that she outlived her husband as she is named in his will.
     Published in 1869, The Winchell Genealogy stated the wife of Stephen Winchell as Abigail "Marshfield" and assumed she was a daughter of Samuel Marshfield. Marshfield researchers made no claims that an Abigail had married Stephen Winchell. In 1998, working with Mary Stewart-Kyritsis, we tackled the problem of verifying the identity of Stephen's wife.
     In short. . . A search of records in Windsor showed the marriage of Abigail "Marfall" to Stephen Winchell. Torrey's New England Marriages showed Abigail Phelps, widow of David Marshall, marrying Stephen Winchell, which turns out to be correct. In April of 1798, a month after her marriage to Stephen Winchell, Abigail "Winchell" exhibited the will and inventory of her brother Ephraim Phelps estate. Her brother Josiah Phelps married Mary Winchell, Stephen's sister, and in 1714 Sarah (Griswold) (Phelps) Pinney, Abigail's mother, names her daughter, Abigail "Winchell", in her will.
     Abigail, who had three children with David Marshall, married Stephen Winchell at the age of 31, a man 11 years younger than herself. Given the evidence, the most surprising thing in solving this 140 year old riddle is that it hadn't been solved earlier. I consider the Winchell Genealogy to be one of the better family genealogy books that I consult. However, even the best genealogies contain mistakes and care must be taken in accepting data in these family histories. In this case, The Winchell Genealogy was the only source for an Abigail Marshfield marriage to Stephen Winchell, while all other sources indicated Abigail Marshall, alias Phelps.

     Abigail Phelps was born on 16 May 1666 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..^1,2,3 She was the daughter of Samuel Phelps and Sarah Griswold. She married (1), at age 20, David Marshall, age 25, son of Capt. Samuel Marshall and Mary Wilton, on 9 December 1686 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..^4,5 She married (2), at age 31, Stephen Winchell, age 20, son of Nathaniel Winchell and Sarah Porter, on 10 March 1697/98 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..^6,7,8 She died circa June 1733.

     Stephen Winchell was born on 20 November 1698 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Stephen Winchell and Abigail Phelps. He married Mary Rouse (?, daughter of Arie Rouse and Maria Evert Pels, ?) circa 1744 in Dutchess Co.. He died before 1786 in Dutchess Co., New York.
     
Residence: circa 1744 Nine Partners, Dutchess Co., NY.

     Caleb Winchell was born on 6 December 1701. He was the son of Stephen Winchell and Abigail Phelps. He married Mary Owen in Poquonock, Hartford Co., Conn.. He died after 1756.

     Dorothy Winchell was born on 2 October 1703. She was the daughter of Stephen Winchell and Abigail Phelps. She died after 1733 when she is mentioned in her mother's will.

     Robert Winchell was born on 28 May 1705 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Stephen Winchell and Abigail Phelps. He married, at age 28, Lydia Hurlbut (of Woodbury), daughter of Ebeneezer Hurlbut and Hannah Winchell, on 6 September 1733. He died before 1772 in Dutchess Co., New York.
     
Residence: circa 1744 Nine Partners, Dutchess Co., NY.

     Ensign Martin Winchell was born on 23 December 1708 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..¹ He was the son of Stephen Winchell and Abigail Phelps. He married (1) Deborah Forward, daughter of Samuel Forward and Deborah Moore, circa 1729. He married (2) Lucy (__?__) between 1730 and 1734. He died on 14 February 1785 in Turkey Hills, now, East Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 76.
     
Cemetery: East Granby cemetery; Stone, N41°56.489', W72°43.585.'

     Nathaniel Winchell was born circa 1633 in England or Mass..¹ He was the son of Robert Winchell and (__?__) (__?__). He married Sarah Porter, daughter of Thomas Porter and Sarah Hart, on 8 April 1664.^2,3 He died on 8 March 1699/0 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn., at about 67 years of age.¹
     
Freeman: on 21 May 1657, Windsor.
Religion/Church: Windsor Church, 1671; Second Church of Windsor, aft. 1680.

     Nathaniel Winchell was born about 1633 in England or possibly Dorchester. Raised in Windsor, he married Sarah Porter of Farmington in 1664 and started their family.
     Nathaniel was actively buying land by 1658 when he bought land in the Great Meadow of John Hakes. In 1664 he bought land of Henry Stiles and in 1670 of Joseph Gillett. In 1673 he bought "of his brothers Jonathan and David, both jointly, all that land that was their father's, Robert Winchel, deceased, and was bequeathed to them and made over to them, as it lies on the westerly side of the common highway or street". Under the same date Nathaniel paid off the mortgage made by his father to Abigail Alcott. Nathaniel was now sole proprietor of the estate left by his father.
     Nathaniel also held land on the east side of the river and, in 1680, he was one of 89 who petitioned the General Assembly for the formation of an organized town on the east side of the Connecticut River, and the institution of the Second Church of Windsor. This separation caused much distress in the community which was not reconciled for may years.
     Like many of his counterparts, Nathaniel spent some time in court defending his actions. From the Hartford County Court Minutes we find that on 5 Dec 1678: Nathaniel Winchell for his notorious abusive expressions defaming authority the minister & his honest neighbors especially John Strong & his relations is by this court adjudged to pay a fine of £6 and give sufficient security to the value of £50 for his good behaviour during the court's pleasure & that he pay John Strong 30 shillings for his charge & attendance of the court. Nathaniel Winchell binds over all his land in the great meadow to the county treasury of Hartford for his good behaviour as aforesaid & for the payment of his fine as above.⁴
     Nathaniel died in 1699/00 at the age of 67. He had done well and prospered and left an estate in the amount of £540 ranking quite high in the estates of Windsor's second generation. While John and Mary were still minors, they were near majority and the rest of their children were married, though son Thomas had died in 1697. His widow Sarah lived another 25 years and died in 1725.
     Stiles suggests that Sarah Porter is the "dau. of Thos, tho' pos. of John", and the Winchell Genealogy suggests that Sarah married Joseph Judd of Farmington in 1713 at the age of 53. I disagree that Sarah may be daughter of John Porter. When Nathaniel Jr. died in 1741, the estate inventory was taken by Samuel Cowles Jr.⁵ who was the husband of Rachel Porter, a sister to his mother Sarah and a daughter of Thomas Porter of Farmington. This should satisfy us on the ancestry of Sarah. A marriage to Joseph Judd also seems improbable as in 1713, Sarah was about 67 years old, not 53 as suggested in the Winchell Genealogy. Also, when the "widow" Sarah Winchell died in 1725 administration was given to John Winchell, the son of Nathaniel and Sarah.

     Sarah Porter was born in 1646 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Conn..^1,2 She was the daughter of Thomas Porter and Sarah Hart. She was baptized on 24 July 1653 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Conn..³ She married Nathaniel Winchell, son of Robert Winchell and (__?__) (__?__), on 8 April 1664.^3,4 She died on 7 October 1725 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 79 years.^2,5
     
Religion/Church: in 1671 Admitted to the Windsor Church, 1671.

     Thomas Porter was born in England. He married Sarah Hart, daughter of Deacon Stephen Hart, on 20 November 1644 in Hartford, Hartford Co., Conn..² He died in 1697 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Conn..³
     
Residence: in 1644 of Hartford.
Immigration: before 1639, When Hartford land is recorded to William Phillips, bought of Thomas Porter.
Founder/Proprietor: Named on the Hartford Founders Monument.
Religion/Church: on 19 July 1653 Thomas and his wife joined the Church at Farmington.
Occupation: A weaver of cloth.

     His origin unknown, Thomas Porter was early at Hartford and Farmington. Margaret Miller states that he was a brother of Robert Porter, a son of the Puritan minister who was ejected from the Established Church. And possibly a brother of Daniel Porter, a "chirurgeon" and bone-setter. All of Farmington. Miller also assigns nine children to Thomas Porter.
     Thomas married Sarah Hart, daughter of Deacon Stephen Hart, in 1644 and they lived adjacent to her father. There seems to be little information on Thomas who was apparently a Deacon in the Farmington Church and a weaver of cloth. When he died in 1697 his estate was inventoried at £96. His will does not mention his married daughters though Dorothy, his sons Thomas and Samuel, and the widow Sarah are named.

     Sarah Winchell was born on 26 December 1674 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Winchell and Sarah Porter. She married, at age 15, Josiah Phelps, age 22, son of Samuel Phelps and Sarah Griswold, on 26 April 1690 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. She died on 4 May 1733 in Poquonock, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 58.

     Thomas Winchell was born on 25 May 1669 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Nathaniel Winchell and Sarah Porter. He married, at age 20, Sarah Moore, age 17, daughter of Andrew Moore and Sarah Phelps, on 26 April 1690 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. He died in August 1697 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 28.

     Nathaniel Winchell was born on 7 August 1665 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Nathaniel Winchell and Sarah Porter. He was baptized on 19 August 1677. He married (1), at age 28, Mary Graves, daughter of George Graves, (of Hartford) on 15 March 1693/94. He married (2) Mary (__?__) (widow of John Root) circa 1700. He died on 4 October 1741 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 76, estate inventory by Samuel Cowles Jr., husband of his aunt Rachel Porter.
     Military Service: a soldier at Deerfield, c. 1692.¹

     John Winchell was born in 1680 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Nathaniel Winchell and Sarah Porter. He married Martha Eno, age 20, daughter of John Eno and Mary Dibble, on 3 January 1705/6. He died in 1733 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 53 years.

     Mary Winchell was born in 1683 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Winchell and Sarah Porter. She married Samuel Gibbs, son of Samuel Gibbs and Hepzibah Dibble, on 4 March 1702/3.

     Robert Winchell was born in England. He married (__?__) (__?__). He died on 21 January 1667/68 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..^1,2,3
     
Immigration: before 1635, probably of England or possibly Wales.
Freeman: on 6 May 1635 Masachusetts colony.
Founder/Proprietor: Windsor, by 1637.
Public Office: Juryman, 1640, 1646.

     His origin is unknown though he was certainly of England or Wales. There was a Thomas Wincoll in Watertown in 1632 and, in that year, his wife Elizabeth Wincoll, age 52, arrived on the Rebecca along with a son John, age 13. While there is no documentation which shows a relationship, it is possible that our Robert was related to this family.
     Our first record of Robert Winchell in New England is in January of 1635 when he is granted sixteen acres "betwixt Roxbury and Dorchester". In May of the same year he is made a freeman indicating membership in the Dorchester church. As Robert and his family migrated to Windsor in 1635 or shortly thereafter, it is likely that he did not settle on the land granted in Dorchester.
     His age is unknown though he was probably a relatively young man when he came to New England. He was probably married shortly before his immigration or soon after. The births of his first two children are unrecorded and they were born either in England or Dorchester. The births of his subsequent children are recorded in Windsor. His wife's name is not recorded but Matthew Grant records her death in 1661 (Stiles says 1655).
     Robert's home lot was located toward the north end of Windsor Main Street, north of the Farmington River, on the south east corner of Main Street and the Bissell's Ferry Road, which led to the ferry over the Connecticut River. He had numerous land transactions and grants and accumulated 178 acres in grants from the town by 1641. In 1639 Robert and William Smarley bought land in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. It might be that Smarley acted for both purchasers and there is no indication that Robert went to Virginia. About 1664 he borrowed £42 of Abigail Alcott of Hartford and mortgaged two parcels of land. The terms were for three years beginning in 1667 and ending in 1670. However, Robert died in 1668 and the mortgage was satisfied by his son Nathaniel in 1673.
     Robert was not particularly affluent and his estate was only £62, which was distributed according to his wishes as verbally stated from his death bed. While the sum of the estate was small, we must consider that his verbal will shows that he had already distributed some of his holdings to his children.

     (__?__) (__?__) married Robert Winchell. She died on 10 July 1661 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn., (WVR 1:52 shows year as 1655).^1,2

     Jonathan Winchell was born circa 1634 in Mass.. He was the son of Robert Winchell and (__?__) (__?__). He married (1) Abigail Bronson, daughter of Richard Bronson, on 16 May 1666 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Conn.. He married (2) Mary Hussey (widow of John Towsley) in March 1713 in Suffield, Hartford Co., Conn.. He died on 5 March 1714/15.

     Phebe Winchell was baptized on 29 March 1638 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. She was the daughter of Robert Winchell and (__?__) (__?__). She died on 23 May 1662 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 24.

     Mary Winchell was baptized on 5 September 1641 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn.. She was the daughter of Robert Winchell and (__?__) (__?__). She married John Woodruff, son of Matthew Woodruff and Hannah (__?__), before 1667 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Conn.. She died after 1692 (assuming she is the "wife" in her husbands will).