Person Page - 42

     Samuel Day was born in 1801. He was the son of Samuel W. Day and Dorothy Dewey. He died on 20 October 1804 in Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 3 years of croup (rattles). He was buried in Granby Center cemetery.

     Ransley Day was born in 1805. He was the son of Samuel W. Day and Dorothy Dewey. He died on 26 November 1824 in Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 19 years. He was buried in Granby Center cemetery.

     Willis Day was born in 1806. He was the son of Samuel W. Day and Dorothy Dewey. He married Clarissa Barnes (__?__) on 12 March 1862. He died on 23 April 1863 in Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 57 years of lung fever.

     Richard Day was born circa 1809. He was the son of Samuel W. Day and Dorothy Dewey.

     Denman Day was born circa 1814. He was the son of Samuel W. Day and Dorothy Dewey. He married Elizabeth R. Gillett, daughter of Thomas Gillett and Elizabeth Segar, on 30 October 1834.

     Julia M. Day was born in 1816. She was the daughter of Samuel W. Day and Dorothy Dewey. She married Horace Graves, age 29, son of David Graves and Lydia Munyan, on 27 April 1840. She died after 1880.

     Nathaniel Messenger was born on 8 June 1725 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn..^1,2 He was the son of Joseph Messenger and Catherine Holcomb. He married (1) Eleanor Griffin, daughter of John Griffin and Eleanor Holcomb, before 1753.^3,4 He married (2) Eunice Stratton (widow of Dudley Higley), daughter of Serajah Stratton and Eunice Case, circa 1772. He married (3), at age 71, Abiah King (possibly Abiah Old the widow of Joseph King) on 10 April 1797.^5,6 He died on 10 February 1801 in Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 75.^7,8
     
Religion/Church: in 1753 members of the First Congregational Church.
Military Service: on 24 June 1776 American Revolution, DAR, In the Lexington Alarm at Roxbury under Capt. Stanley.

     The West Granby Messengers seemed to avoid almost all vital records making their tracing difficult. Earlier researchers made some progress in sorting out the records, but also perpetuated some flaws and mistakes. Carol Laun, of Granby's Salmon Brook Historical Society, has built on the early research and been able to clarify much of the earlier information through her search of land and probate records. The following information is based on her research dated January, 2000.
     The birth order and birth dates of Nathaniel's children remains uncertain, however, various town records, gravestones, and death records, do give an indication. Land and probate records show, with some certainty, the children of the first two marriages, and the correct mother. The only birth dates of the nine children on record are for Amos, who gives his birth date as July, 1765, in an affidavit found in the pension file of his brother, Lemuel, and Lemuel's birth date of (first), 20 July 1762, and then as 20 July 1759, found in the same file. The DAR shows a birth date of 16 September 1760 for David, source unknown.
     Nathaniel's first wife was Eleanor Griffin and they may have married in 1753. In that year, Eleanor's father, John Griffin, sold land to Nathaniel. In the same year, Eleanor "Messenger" was a member of the First Church. Eleanor Messenger is called "deceased" in her father's will in 1784, and had probably died by 1771, leaving Nathaniel with six children.
     Nathaniel's second wife was Eunice (Strattan) Higley, the widow of Dudley Higley who had died in 1771. The marriage is unrecorded but probably took place shortly after Eunice was widowed. Their first child was named Eleanor, probably after Nathaniel's first wife, and records indicate that she may have been born about 1772. Nathaniel and Eunice also had a daughter Eunice, and possibly Martha. Information on Martha is very inconclusive and it is possible that she was a daughter of Nathaniel and his first wife, Eleanor Griffin. David Messenger, son of Nathaniel and his first wife, Eleanor, married Hannah Higley, a daughter of Eunice by her first marriage.
     The death date of Eunice is also unknown. She was alive in 1785 when Nathaniel and Eunice sold to Dan Grigory use of the watercourse for the gristmill (Nathaniel and Eunice owned ¼ of the gristmill). However, Eunice must have died before 1797 when Nathaniel, at age 71, married Abiah King as his third wife. Abiah may be Abiah Old, daughter of Nathaniel and Mercy (Steele) Old, who was born 26 September 1729 and whose marriage to Joseph King in 1748 is found in Suffield Church Records. Abiah survived Nathaniel who had died in 1801, and died sixteen years later, in 1817.
     Nathaniel answered the Lexington Alarm in 1776 and served at Roxbury. On June 24, 1776 he was with Capt. Stanley's company. He was drafted again in 1781and his son Lemuel served as a substitute for him.
     The distribution of Nathaniel's estate, dated 28 December 1801 left legacies to: Eleanor Case, David, Amos, widow Abiah, Lemuel, Nathaniel, Israel, Daniel, Martha Beman, and Eunice.⁹

     Eleanor Messenger was born circa 1772 in that part of Simsbury which is now, West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn.. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Messenger and Eunice Stratton. She married Seba Case, son of Micah Case and Rhoda Wilcoxson.

     David Messenger was born on 16 September 1760 in that part of Simsbury which is now, West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn..¹ He was the son of Nathaniel Messenger and Eleanor Griffin. He married Hannah Higley, daughter of Dudley Higley and Eunice Stratton, the daughter of his step-mother and her first husband. He died on 1 April 1811 in Granville, Licking Co., Ohio, at age 50. He was buried in Old Colony Burying Ground, Granville, Ohio.
     
Military Service: Revolutionary War Veteran.

     Amos Messenger was born in July 1765 in that part of Simsbury which is now, West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn..¹ He was the son of Nathaniel Messenger and Eleanor Griffin. He married Matilda (__?__). He died on 19 December 1840 in West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 75.

     Daniel Messengerwas born circa 1764 in that part of Simsbury which is now, West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Nathaniel Messenger and Eleanor Griffin. He married Mindwell (__?__). He died on 19 March 1830 in West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was buried in West Granby cemetery.

     Martha Messenger was born circa 1776 in that part of Simsbury which is now, West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn.. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Messenger and Eunice Stratton. She married (__?__) Beman.

     Israel Messenger was born circa 1757 in that part of Simsbury which is now, West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Nathaniel Messenger and Eleanor Griffin. He married Olive (__?__). He died on 11 August 1803.
     
Military Service: American Revolution.

     Eunice Messenger was born in 1774 in that part of Simsbury which is now, West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn.. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Messenger and Eunice Stratton. She died on 21 March 1812 in West Granby, Hartford Co., Conn., unmarried.

     Seba Case was born on 16 August 1772 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn.. He was the son of Micah Case and Rhoda Wilcoxson. He married Eleanor Messenger, daughter of Nathaniel Messenger and Eunice Stratton.

     Joseph Parsons was the son of Benjamin Parsons and Sarah Vore. He married Abigail Phelps, daughter of William Phelps and Abigail Stebbins, in 1697.

     Joseph Messenger was born on 2 September 1687 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..^1,2,3 He was the son of Nathaniel Messenger and Rebecca Kelsey. He was baptized on 11 March 1687/88 in Hartford Second Church, Conn..³ He married, at age 20, Catherine Holcomb, daughter of Nathaniel Holcomb and Mary Bliss, on 22 January 1707/8 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn., married by Dudley Woodbridge.^4,3 He died on 10 May 1763 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 75.⁵ He was buried in North Canton cemetery (stone).
     

     Joseph Messenger settled in Salmon Brook by 1710, and, in the 1720's, started buying various parcels of land in the Salmon Brook area. Joseph and his wife, Catherine, settled in West Simsbury in 1742, in the north-west part of the Center school district. His son Isaac, and his wife, came with them. They settled on the farm which would later be owned by Almon and Newel Messenger.⁶

Joseph and Catherine may have had another son, Ezekial.

     Catherine Holcomb was born in 1689 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn..^1,2 She was the daughter of Nathaniel Holcomb and Mary Bliss. She married Joseph Messenger, age 20, son of Nathaniel Messenger and Rebecca Kelsey, on 22 January 1707/8 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn., married by Dudley Woodbridge.^3,1 She died in December 1769.⁴

     Elijah Messenger was born on 21 January 1721/22. He was the son of Joseph Messenger and Catherine Holcomb.

     Catherine Messenger was born on 29 September 1720. She was the daughter of Joseph Messenger and Catherine Holcomb. She married, at age 22, Jonathan Phelps, age 19, son of Ephraim Phelps Jr. and Sarah Owen, on 30 March 1743.

     Isaac Messenger was born on 29 March 1717. He was the son of Joseph Messenger and Catherine Holcomb. He married Hannah Alvord, daughter of Nathaniel Alvord and Experience Holcomb, circa 1740. He died on 3 June 1801 in West Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn., at age 84.

     Jehiel Messenger was born on 11 November 1715. He was the son of Joseph Messenger and Catherine Holcomb. He married Mary Griffin, daughter of John Griffin and Mary Bacon. He died circa March 1761 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn..

     Joseph Messenger II was born on 25 April 1713. He was the son of Joseph Messenger and Catherine Holcomb.

     Sarah Messenger was born on 11 January 1710/11 in Simsbury, Hartford Co., Conn.. She was the daughter of Joseph Messenger and Catherine Holcomb.

     Nathaniel Messenger was born on 18 June 1653 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..^1,2 He was the son of Edward Messenger and Dorcas(?) (__?__). He married, at age 24, Rebecca Kelsey, age 18, daughter of Mark Kelsey and Rebecca Hoskins, on 5 April 1678 in Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn..^3,4 He died circa 1693/94.⁵
     

     Nathaniel Messenger, at the age of 24, married 18 year old Rebecca Kelsey, of Hartford, in 1678. That same year, Rebecca received forty shillings in the will of Henry Wolcott Sr. The significance is unknown (her marriage?), but could indicate an unknown relationship between the Kelsey's and Wolcott's.
     In 1686 Nathaniel was taxed by Windsor at the rate of 18.00 and owned ten acres at Greenfield and has two cows and one swine. He may have resided for a time at Hartford, where his wife's family resided. In the 1690's, Nathaniel applied twice, unsuccessfully, to the citizens of Simsbury for residency in that town. While Simsbury gave land freely to those residents who could show a use for it, they tried to retain tight control on new residents.
     Nathaniel died about 1694, leaving his widow with small children. Rebecca married second, by 1699, Elias Gillett, with whom she had a daughter, in 1700. Elias Gillett is also our grandfather through his first wife, Sarah Griffin. Elias died in 1731/32. I have no information on whether or not Rebecca survived her second husband.