Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-15

Interesting Genealogical and HtStOr1-
cal GIeanfngS-LIves Contemporaries
Gus with the ssMayhOvVer'' and Settle
nent of New Haven COlOny-The1r
Antecedents and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
of Early Colonial History.
From pedigree and other sources it has
| been ascertained that Mr.. Whitfield had
seven sons and daughters, of which number
the names of five appear on record, viz, John.
Nathaniel, Mary, Abigail and Sarah. John
Whitfield the first mentioned, settled al
Branford, but returned with his father to
England and became a merchant of London
and agent for Mr.. Desborowe The latter
was one of the pioneers of Guilford and a
Cromwellian of note. Nathaniel Whitfield,
the other brother named, also appears at
Branford and later at New Haven where he
was made freeman June 8, 1864, and where
he resided several years. He afterward re-
moved to London before 1857 and became
interested there in mercantile pursuits, and
was of much assistance to the settlers of New
Haven and Guilford. His name appears as a
witness to his fathers will dated at the city
of Winchester September II, 1857; also his
sisters, Mary Whitfield, name appears. OF
her there is no other mention His daughter,
Abigail Whitfield, married the Rev. James
Fitch who was afterwards the minister at
Saybrook, by whom she had several children.
She died September 9, 1862 The next year
Mr.. Fitch removed with several of his Say
brook congregation to Norwich, where he
married secondly, October 2, 1864, Priscilla'
daughter of Major John Mason, the icon
queror of the Peuuot Indians"
Of Mr.. Whitfeld's other daughter, Sarah,
Mr.. T. gives lengthy account, short out
line of which will interest her descendants
who are resident here. Her relations with
noted celebrities of their day in old England
are also of general interest This lady mar
ried the Rev. John Higginson, eldest son of
the Rev Francis Higginson, who came over
~ the service of the Colony of Massachu-
sets Bay to Naumkeag (Salem) in 1929. Of
him colonial history often speaks with honor.
His mother was a sister of Governor Eaton,
and she, after her husbands DEATH moved to
New Haven, where she died, leaving large
family to be cared for by their relations, the
cations, Mr.. Davenport and others. Her
marriage is said to have been celebrated in
the Old Stone House (Mr. WIS residence
They were the first couple welded in Gull
ford, and the marriage supper provided for
the occasion consisted of pork and peas.
On Mr.. Whitfeld's departure for England
LIS oOiI-lII-1c1W, NIL. 4IISS5Ll1SOh NWIO udu
one time been chaplain at the Saybrook fort
under its brave defender from the Pequot
Indians in 1887, Captain Lion Gardiner),
succeeded him in the charge, which he held
until 1862 when he sailed for England with
family. Stormy weather, however, drove
the ship for refuge into Salem. There at
Salem he was persuaded to accept call
from the church over which his father had
been settled thirty years previously, and he
was installed August 90, 1860. He contin-
ued III the pastoral duties there until his
death, December 8, 1908, aged SO. He had
been a minister seventy-two years. His like
ness is preserved in the atheneum at Salem.
But to return to Mr.. Whitfe1d's
wife's family. AS before men
toned in a somewhat confused note in
our edition of June 26, there was one Dor
othy, daughter of DR.. Thomas Sheafe, Canon
of Windsor. DR.. Sheafes remains lie in the
Chapel of Saint George. His father was
Thomas Sheafe, wealthy clothier of Gran
brook, Kent county.
Mr. Whitfelds aunt, Joan Sheaf was
married at Cranbrook, Jan. 10Th, 1881, to
Giles Fletcher, LII. D. (once ambassador to
Russia) whose brother Richard was bishop
of London, and they were sons of the good
Richard Fletcher, one of the first ordained by
the martyr bishop, Ridley, and the first re-
formation minister of Cranbrook, (appointed
July, $500 who was born in the County of
York.
This Giles and JOAN SheaG Fletcher had sons
Phsoneus and Giles, who were first cousins to
Mrs Whitfield and whose poems are remark
able productions of their day and have been
recently reproduced by the Rev. A. B. Gro
sart and published in his Fuller's worthy
library. AS these poets were contemporary
with the immortal Shakespeare, a just com
parison of their efforts with others of their
time has given these men their
well deserved fame.* (See note) The next
year after Mr. Whitfeld's death his
widow and administrator came over from
England to settle his estate at Guilford. OF
her we learn from recorded documents and
otherwise that she was at Guilford as late as
1859 managing her estate. Whether Mrs.
Whitfield died in this country or England
Mr.. T. has not been able to ascertain but it
is supposed that after the disposal of her
property nnd its final settlement she returned
to England and died there at very advanced
age.