Our Fathers the Founding Fathers of Hartford, CT - Part IV
Ancestors of Mary DUNN (1833-1920) wife of Martin Luther ENSIGN (1831-1911) son of Horace Datus ENSIGN of Part I and Mary BRONSON of Part II. - Mary DUNN is the great grandmother of Camilla SMITH.
11th Great Grandfather
21-Reverend Samuel STONE 1602-1663
Samuel Stone was born on 18th July 1602 in Herford England the third son of John Stone and Sarah Rogers, graduated from Emmanuel College in Cambridge, became curate at Sisted, Essex. Stone was a Puritan. Puritans wanted the church restored to its' ancient purity and simplicity. With Reverend Thomas Hooker, and Reverend John Cotton, Reverend Samuel Stone migrated on the Griffith in 1633 to escape religious persecution. With Reverend Thomas Hooker as Preacher and Reverend Samuel Stone as Teacher they served in the church at New Town which became Cambridge Massachusetts. In 1636 the two lead part of the congregation 100 miles Southwest founding Hartford, Connecticut. Stone bought the land for the new settlement from the chief Sequassen, being a leader of Hartford. Samuel's wife Hope died in 1640 they had four children born in England and Hartford. He married second Elizabeth Allen they had five or six children all born in Hartford. Reverend Stone served as Chaplin during the Pequot war, and was among the writers of “The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.” After Thomas Hooker's 1647 death Reverend Stone became Pastor of the 1st Church of Hartford. Samuel Stone died on 20th July 1663, aged 61.
11th great grandfather: Reverend Samuel Stone (New World Immigrant) 1602-1663 / Mary Stone 1638-1682 / Lydia Fitch 1663-1740 / Mary Stedman 1687-1772 / Mary Thomas or Tommas 1718-1804 / Ann Gustin 1760-1833 / Simeon A. Dunn (War of 1812) 1774- / Simeon Adams Dunn(Convert to Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints, Pioneer) 1803-1883 / Mary Dunn (child Utah Pioneer) 1833-1920 / Harriet Camilla Ensign 1859-1930 / George Ensign Smith 1898-1967 / Camilla Smith 1926-1999 / L Wood / JR.
NOTE: Reverend Thomas Hooker 1589-1647 is our 13th great grandfather through Kirt DeMar WOOD 1923-1987.
For our founding grandfather Thomas Hooke see: Founders of Hartford CT - Part I
Hartford Tercentenary Plaque
Pictured: The Tercentenary Plaque (300th Anniversary). That Part of "Suckiaug" now Hartford where in 1636 lived four of its founders, William Goodwin Elder, Samuel Stone Teacher, Rev. Thomas Hooker Leader, John Haynes first Govenor.
How did Hartford, CT get its name? It was named for Hertford, England, the birthplace of Rev. Thomas Hooker's assistants, the Rev. Samuel Stone. The Saukiogs (Black Earth) occupied the area of Hartford before Europeans arrived. The Podunks lived across the Connecticut River. The Tunxis tribe lived west. Dutch explorers, arrived in 1614. In 1636 Samuel Stone made a peace treaty with the Saukiogs' chief Sequassen purchasing the land for the town of Hartford. "The Saukiogs remained friendly with the English settlers and lived near Hartford until about 1730.
12th Great Grandfather
22-John Stone
[John Steele] was born abt. 1573 in England, and died aft. 16 Sep 1639 in poss England. He married _______ ROGERS abt. 1598 in prob Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, daughter of RICHARD ROGERS, REV. She was born abt. 1577 in England, and died aft. 26 Apr 1629 in prob England.
John Stone of Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, was among the so-called “Adventurers Party” of twenty-five men who set out to explore the area that would become Hartford, led by Rounder John Steele in October 1635, prior to the departure from Cambridge of the Rev. Hooker's party in May 1636. John Stone is recorded as having fought in the Pequot War of 1637. On 16 September 1639, William Edwards was bound to John Stone as a servant for one year (as recorded by Thomas Lechford in his notebook). In the Hartford land distribution of February 1639/40, it was recorded that “several parcels of land in Hertford upon the River of Conecticot (part) whereof did belong to John Stone & were by him given to [his son, ed.] Samuel Stone & by the said Samuel Stone unto John Marsh of Hertford & and now belongeth to him and his heires for ever”. These were: two acres on which his dwelling house stood with other outhouses, yards, or gardens located on the road from the Little River to the North Meadow; two roods and thirty-one perches in the North Meadow; another five acres, two roods and thirty-four perches in the North Meadow; and three acres in the West Field.
It was stated in “The Original Proprietors” section of the “Memorial history of Hartford County” (1886) by Mary K. Talcott, based on the research of Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull, that John Stone “removed to Guilford, where he was one of the signers of the original compact in 1639”. This is an error, possibly originating in the transcript of Thomas Lechford's notebook, in which the editor, in a footnote, stated that John Stone removed to Guilford, but this is not based on anything within Lechford’s notes. As early as 1888, William L. Stone in “The Family of John Stone... of... Guilford” claimed a different ancestry for the John Stone of Guilford.
The John Stone who settled in Guilford was aboard the ship heading from England to New Haven when he signed the Guilford Planters Covenant on 1 June 1639. Thus he could not have been the John Stone of Hartford.
The most compelling argument that the John Stone of Hartford was the father of the Rev Samuel Stone, as well as the father of Sarah Stone who married Henry Howard, and Elizabeth Stone who married William Wadsworth, is given in “Hertfordshire in History”, in which it is stated, “... Samuel Stone’s father was an inhabitant of Hertford {i.e., Hertfordshire, England}. He was an assistant Burgess of the Corporation and was deprived of this position in October, 1637 because he had been absent from the Borough for one year. In the Months Court minutes of Hertford there is comment that John Stone had ’lately gone beyond the seas and hath there seated and planted himself and his Familye.’” (p. 136)
Since John Stone apparently left no will, and there is no record of probate of his estate in Hartford (Connecticut), it is possible that he returned to England about 1640, but this is merely conjecture. (Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist)
12th great grandfather: John Stone / Reverend Samuel Stone (New World Immigrant) 1602-1663 / Mary Stone 1638-1682 / Lydia Fitch 1663-1740 / Mary Stedman 1687-1772 / Mary Thomas or Tommas 1718-1804 / Ann Gustin 1760-1833 / Simeon A. Dunn (War of 1812) 1774- / Simeon Adams Dunn(Convert to Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints, Pioneer) 1803-1883 / Mary Dunn (child Utah Pioneer) 1833-1920 / Harriet Camilla Ensign 1859-1930 / George Ensign Smith 1898-1967 / Camilla Smith 1926-1999 / L Wood / JR.
11th Great Grandfather
23-George Steele
[George Steele] was born abt. 1583 in poss Fairstead, Essex, England, and died bef. 21 Dec 1664 in Hartford, CT (inventory). He married Margery Sorrell 12 Oct 1608 in Fairstead, Essex, England. She was born abt. 1587 in England, and died bef. 24 May 1663 in Hartford, CT (not named in husband’s will).
George Steele emigrated from Fairstead, Essex, England in 1633 along with his brother John Steel, another Founder of Hartford, first residing in Cambridge, where he was made freeman 14 May 1634, and owned six parcels of land.
He removed to Hartford in 1636, where in the land inventory of February 1639/40 he held eight parcels granted to him by the town: six acres on which his dwelling house stood with other outhouses, yards and gardens located on the corner of the road from his lot to the Great Swamp and the road from his lot to the South Meadow; five acres lying in the Twenty Acres; two roods abutting on the road from his house to the Great Swamp; eleven acres also on the road leading from his house to the Great Swamp; three acres in the South Meadow; four acres and two roods lying in the Forty Acres; two roods in the Little Meadow; and four acres on the east side of the Great River. He later acquired six other parcels from others. Since he had a parcel of one rood in the Soldiers Field which he sold to Nicholas Clark, it is to be assumed that George Steele served in the Pequot War of 1637.
He was a surveyor of highways in 1640, was on the Hartford jury in 1643, 1649, 1650, and 1656. He was appointed to the committee to regulate slaughtering of cattle 24 September 1642. His will was written 24 May 1663, and his inventory was taken 21 December 1664. (Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist)
11th Great Grandfather: George Steele / Rebecca Steele / Sarah Elson / David Ensign Sr. / David Ensign Jr. / Isaac Ensign / Horace Datus Ensign / Mart6in Luther Ensign / Harriet Camilla Ensign / George Ensign Smith / Camilla Smith / Lark / JR.
To see 29 more of our grandfathers who were founders of Hartford CT go to
Part I and
Part II. See Uncles and Step Grandfathers in
Part III.
