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The Founders of Windsor: Their Trades or Professions
The list of individuals below was compiled by the Windsor Historical Society, Windsor, Connecticut. These individuals are generally accepted as founders of Windsor, Connecticut. A variety of sources in the Windsor Historical Society library were examined for any mention of the occupation or trade practiced by those who came to Windsor, Connecticut in the 1630s. Nearly every man raised crops and livestock for his own household's needs. Some made their living soley from their land, and others were engaged in a variety of pursuits besides farming.
For a thorough list of research sources related to Windsor, see Windsor Genealogy.
Names and Occupations
The number following the occupation refers to the sources listed below the table. If the occupation is "None found," the source contains some basic genealogical information that may be helpful. If your ancestor is listed below, you may be eligible to join the society Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor.
| Name | Occupation and Source |
|---|---|
| George Abbot | Servant |
| Benedictus Alford | Sergeant, constable 1, 2 |
| Samuel Allen | Government, farmer 1, 2, 3 |
| Matthew Allyn | Government, Windsor clerk, merchant 1, 4 |
| Thomas Barber | Carpenter/woodworker, soldier 1, 6 |
| John Bartlett | River ferryman 1, 2 |
| Margaret (Barret) (Huntington) Stoughton | None found |
| Thomas Bascomb | Brick/stone mason (moved to Northampton, MA) 1, 9 |
| Thomas Bassett | None found (moved to Fairfield, CT by 1644) 1 |
| John Benett | None found (left Windsor by 1652) 1 |
| Richard Birge | Landholder, farmer 1, 2 |
| Capt. John Bissell | River ferryman, juror 1, 2 |
| Elder John Branker | Elder in church, schoolmaster 1, 2, 4 |
| Jonathan Brewster | Possibly a mariner or merchant (son of William) 2, 4 |
| Thomas Buckland | Town government 1 |
| William Buell | Joiner/woodworker 6 |
| Joshua Carter | None found |
| George Chappel | Carpenter 8 |
| Daniel Clarke | Secretary of Colonies, attorney, woodworker 1, 6 |
| Deacon Henry Clarke | Minister at First Church (moved to Hadley, MA) 1 |
| Joseph Clarke | None found |
| Capt. Aaron Cooke | Military, woodworker 1, 6 |
| Thomas Cooper | Servant, carpenter 6, 8 |
| Nicholas Denslow | Famer, left estate over £300 1, 4 |
| Thomas Dibble | None found 1 |
| John Drake | Woodworker 6 |
| John Dumbleton | Servant to Mr. Whiting of Hartford, farmer 1 |
| John Dyer | None found (not found in Windsor land distribution) |
| John Eels | None found (returned to England in 1640) 4 |
| Bygod (Bygat) Eggleston | Builder, farmer 1, 7 |
| William Filley | None found |
| Thomas Ford | Government 1, 4 |
| Henry Foulkes | None found (died early) 1, 4 |
| Lt. Walter Fyler | Military 1 |
| Dea. William Gaylord | Minister in the church, woodworker 1, 6 |
| Francis Gibbs | None found |
| Giles Gibbs | Government, selectman 1, 11 |
| William Gilbert | None found |
| Jeremiah Gillett | Farmer 4 |
| Joathan Gillett | Farmer 4 |
| Nathan Gillett | Farmer 4 |
| Matthew Grant | Town surveyor, kept town records, woodworker 1, 6 |
| Thomas Gridley | Military (left Windsor early) 1 |
| Edward Griswold | Legislature, attorney, woodworker 1, 6 |
| Matthew Griswold | Deputy to General Court (left Windsor early) 1, 4 |
| Thomas Gunn | Inn keeper, jurist (moved to Westfield, MA early) 1, 4 |
| William Hannum | None found (moved to Northampton, MA early) 1, 4 |
| John Hawkes | Jurist, tax collector 1 |
| Anthony Hawkins | None found (moved to Farmington, CT) 1 |
| William Hayden | Mason, farmer 1 |
| Gov. John Haynes | Governor of Mass. Bay Colony, judge, CT government 4 |
| William Hill | Auditor of public accounts, merchant 1, 4 |
| John Hillier | None found 1 |
| Thomas Holcombe | Government, jurist, woodworker 1, 4, 6 |
| Lt. William Holmes | Military 4 |
| Mary Holt | None found |
| Elder William Hosford | Elder in church, returned to England 1, 4, 7 |
| John Hoskins | Delegate to General Court, estate included books 9 |
| Simon Hoyte | Farmer, able to write (moved to Fairfield, CT by 1647) 1 |
| Samuel Hubbard | None found (moved to Fairfield, CT by 1647) 1 |
| Rev. Ephraim Huit | Teacher, pastor with Rev. Wareham 1 |
| William Hulbert | None found (moved to Northampton, MA. By 1648) 9 |
| George Hull | Magistrate, surveyor, trader 1 (moved to Fairfield, CT by 1649) |
| John Hurd | None found (moved to Stratford early) 1 |
| Humphrey Hydes / Hyde | None found (a Royalist) 1 |
| Joseph Loomis | Woolen draper 1,10,11 |
| Roger Ludlow | Deputy Governor, CT legislature, college educated (moved to Virginia) 1 |
| Henry Lush | Servant to a Wade family, died as young adult 9 |
| Thomas Marshfield | Merchant 9 |
| Ann Marshall | None found |
| Thomas Marshall | Deacon in the church, ferryman 10,11 |
| Major John Mason | Soldier, magistrate 1, 9 |
| Mary Merwin Collins (Tinker) | None found |
| Miles Merwin | Tanner 9 |
| Simon Mills | Civil servant, fence viewer 10, 11 |
| Deacon John Moore | Minister in the church, woodworker, built a ferry 1, 6 |
| Thomas Moore | Civil servant, juror 1 |
| Thomas Newberry | Merchant 9 |
| Elizabeth Nowell (Taylor) | None found |
| Thomas Newell | None found 1 |
| Richard Oldage | None found 1 |
| Thomas Orton | Sergeant in military 1 |
| Sgt. Nicholas Palmer | Mariner 4 |
| Thomas Parsons | Soldier in military 11 |
| Elias Parkman | None found |
| Edward Pattison | Woodworker, 1, 6 |
| George Phelps | Woodworker, civil servant, juror 1, 6 |
| William Phelps | None found (died 1678, had infirmities) 1 |
| George Phillips | Administrator, wealthy 1 |
| Humphrey | Blacksmith, constable, selectman 1, 4 |
| Eltweed Pomeroy | Farmer (died 1654) 1, 10 |
| Samuel Pond | Woodworker, (£600 estate), elected offices, |
| John Porter | Constable, juror 1, 6 |
| Edward Preston | None found (son of William Preston) 1 |
| Matthew Rainend | None found (died as teenager) 1 |
| Philip Randall | Blacksmith, civil, juror 1, 4 |
| Jasper Rawlins | Brick maker 4 |
| John Reeves | Servant to Francis Stiles, carpenter 9 |
| John Rockwell | Woodworker 6 |
| Deacon William Rockwell | Deacon in the Windsor church 4 |
| Dr. Bray Rossiter | Doctor of medicine, Windsor's first town clerk 1, 4 |
| John St. Nicholas | Curate for the Church of England, educated, parliamentarian 1 |
| Robert Saltonstall (son of Richard) | An attorney (vol. 1 page 737) 1 |
| Richard Samos (Samways) | None found (name mentioned in Hosford genealogy) 10 |
| Mathias Sension (Son of Mathew) | Chandler 9 |
| Nicholas Sension | Civil, petit jury (primary education) 9 |
| Richard Sexton | None found 1 |
| Sgt. Thomas Staires | Sergeant, military with Capt. John Mason 1 |
| Aaron Starke | None found |
| Francis Stiles | Carpenter 9 |
| Henry Stiles | Carpenter 9 |
| John Stiles | Carpenter |
| Thomas Stiles | Carpenter 9 |
| Ens. Thomas Stoughton | Ensign, military, woodworker 1, 6 |
| George Stuckey | None found (sold lot in 1645, moved to Fairfield, CT) 1 |
| John Talcott | Court deputy 4 |
| John Taylor | None found |
| Stephen Terry | Educated, woodworker 4, 6 |
| Thomas Thornton | Tanner, minister 4, 6 |
| William Thrall | Soldier 1 |
| John Tilley | None found (killed by Indians in 1636) 1 |
| Peter Tilton | Magistrate in Massachusetts 1 |
| Michael Try | Farmer 1 |
| (Clark) (Dewey) | None found |
| Richard Vore | None found 1 |
| Rev. John Warham | First minister of First Church 1, 4 |
| Richard Weller | Woodworker (left Windsor soon after 1655) 1 |
| Richard Whitehead | Served on jury 1 |
| Arthur Williams | None found 1 |
| John Williams | None found 1 |
| Roger Williams | None found 1 |
| Lt. David Wilton | Lieutenant, military, graveyard keeper, trader, served on jury and in legislature 1, 4 |
| Robert Winchell | None found 1 |
| Elder John Witchfield | Elder in the church 1, 4 |
| Henry Wolcott | General Assembly, senate, other civic offices 1, 4 |
| John Young | None found 1 |
Sources
All the sources cited above used to compile this list can be found in the Windsor Historical Society Library.
- Stiles, Henry. History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor
- Hinman, Royal R. Early Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecticut
- Allen, Orrin P. The Allen Memorial: Descendants of Samuel Allen of Windsor, Connecticut
- Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633
- Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut
- Lane, Joshua W. and Donald P. White. Woodworkers of Windsor
- Thistlethwaite, Frank. Dorset Pilgrims
- Ritter, Kathy A. Apprentices of Connecticut 1637-1900
- Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England 1634-1635
- Published family genealogies at the Windsor Historical Society
- Family genealogy reference files at the Windsor Historical Society