Morning journal and courier., 1884-06-09
Monday, June g. 1SS'
The Early Settlers.

The Early Settlers.
 Interestfug Genea logical and Historical GIeanings-The LivesCOntempOraneOu l With the MnyhoVv CT and the Settlement of this COuntry-T Their Antecedents Of Rank and Her1tage-Features of ] Early Colonial History.
 During the summer we expect to furnish several abridged outlines of sketches prepared by Captain Charles Hervey Towns bend for publication in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register.
 With these sketches will be printed abstracts from wills and other documentary evidence taken from English and colo sons interested in the early settlement of New England, whose descendants and con- nections are now among the most respectable families in this section of the country.
 Sir John Davie, of Greedy County Devon, | baronet. He was brother-in-law of Gov ernor Gurdon Saltonstall and was the first | town clerk of Groton, Connecticut. He was succeeded in the family honors by his son Sir John, fifth baronet, who was born in ] Groton, Connecticut, and died at Greedy, Devon, in 1737, intestate, leaving two sons and two daughters minors.
 Sir Bulstrode Whitlock, one of Oliver OEOnWOllb 5 lOruS. HIS C1lEu W410 "dS "IuoW of Rowland Wilson, sheriff of London, and uncle of Sir John Davie and by marriage brother-in-law of Sir Nicholas Crispe, and Colonel Owen Rowe ''the Regicide :"
 Sir John Lewis of Leadston, County York, baronet. His brothsr-in-law, Nathaniel New gate of Boston, N. E., was first cousin of Samuel, son of Thomas Tow nshend, of Lynn, Mass, and by marriage connected with the Foot, Onslow, Stoughton and other families l interested in New England settlement. Major General John Disbrowe and his brother. Samuel Disbrowe, Esq, one of the l settlers of Guilford, Conn, and 8 Cromwell lian Lord Chancellor of Scotland.
 The Rev. Henry Whitfield of Guilford, Conn. He was 8 cousin of Sir Ralph Whit field, Kt., one of the undertakers for the plantation in New England, Sir Ralph being q son-in-law of Sir Henry Spelman, secretary for the council of the New England company. The families of Saltonstall, Hoadley, Good rich, Goodrick and Fenwick.
 Sir John Davie, of Greedy County Devon. the fifth baronet of this family, was born in England, and came in his youth to Boston, Mass, in 1862, with his father, Humphrey Davie, Esq, who was merchant of London and had married Mary, daughter of Ed- mund, son of Edmund Whyte, of Clapham and LoHdon, merchant.
 This Mary White had a brother, Edmond White, of Clapham, and they were children of Elizabeth, daughter of Rowland, son of Rowland Wilson, Esq, sheriff of London, The first mentioned Rowland Wilson was a merchant and had son and partner, Row. l land Wilson, member of Parliament and sheriff of London. married but died in 1850 | without issue. These Wilson's owned ships | and were connected with trade to Guinea, and | from thence via the WestIndies to NewEngland where they had interest, which was probably the means of bringing Humphrey Davie (Ed- mond Whites brother-in-law) to this country.
 
 widow Mary, was a rigid Puritan and a daughter of Bigby Carlton, of London, who died before 1850, and whose widow was then resident in Holland, and she married secondly Sir Bulstrode Whitlock. one of Oliver Cromwell's Lords, who with Oliver common pless (and brother in-law of the Rev. Samuel Whiting, of Lynn, Mass. formed. as will be shown sometime, a most ! interesting New England connection, asso- ciated as they were with important actors on both sides of the Atlantic during the regime of Oliver Cromwell. There are many incl | dents connected with this Sir John Davie and l which appear in the sketch from which we made our abstract. He I graduated with honor at the University of ! Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1881, and after a brief residence in Boston moved to Hart l ford Connecticut, where his father resided
  Sarah, daughter and heiress of William Gib- bon and widow of James Richards, and by her had issue, which are all disposed of in the sketch. John Davie, Humphrey Davies 1 eldest son, afterward married his step-sister | Elizabeth Richards, whose other sisters all married principal men in the colony. Jerusha, | the wife of Governor Gurdon Saltonstall; Mary married Benjamin Afford, of Boston, and Sarah, Captain Benjamin Davis.
 | About 1892 our Sir John Davie bought 8 farm at Pequonock, Groton, Connecticut, which had been cultivated by William Meade l and in 1895 we find him tax collector aud the next year Selectman In 1899 by deed oi sale recorded in New London, July Sd of the same year, he buys of his step-mother two acres in Boston, then occupied by James | Allyn, minister. In 1792 his name appears as constable for the East Side and recorder ot the new town of Groton in 1705, and al a town meeting held in December town clerk, which cfioe he held until his accession to the baronetcy and es ! tates of his family in 1707, when he removed | to England and there dwelt until his death, greatly esteemed tor his purity, generosity and every virtue religious and sociable.
 We cannot help repeating here 8 sketch given by Mrs. Csulkins how the unconscious baronet, then farmer and town clerk of Gro- ton, received the news of bis accession to | this large fortune. He was hoeing corn with | his neigh bors James Packer at strife to see | who could do the most in given time when the messenger sent by his brother-in-law, | Governor Saltonstall, found him. This | messenger on arrival at the house was di- rected to the field where Davie was at work, | barefooted and with shirt sleeves and trou- l gers rolled up. He inquired his name and | on receiving an answer struck him on the | shoulder and raising his hat exclaimed: 1T | salute you, Sir John Davie." He never for- l got his old friend, Jsmes Packer, who a few years later being in London took coach for Devon and arrived at Greedy just as Sir John was sitting down to dinner with party of the neighboring gentry for guests, who, on announcement of his arrival, received him with open cordiality and introduced him as dear American friend and treated him with marked attention. Before parting with his old friends the baronet expressed himself | thus: ''You see how I live Packer? have | an abundance of this worlds goods and can- gratity myself with 8 continued succession of pleasure, but after all I am not so happy as was when you and I changed work at threshing and we had but ore dish for din- ner and that was corn-beans."
 The handwriting of Sir John was bold and distinct. and the last time his name ap- pears on the Groton book previous to his departure is in the record of gift of six (6) pounds to be laid out in plate for the com munion service of MT. Woodbridge's church.
 His estate was sold to John Gardiner, of Gardiner's Island. The deed was given by his brother-in-law, Governor Gurdon SaltoE- stall attorney to Sir John Davie, of Greedy, Devon. within the kingdom of England Baronet," Aug. 21, 1722.
 We regret space will not admit of fuller detail and must content ourselves with an extract of Sir Johns will which will follow.
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