Descendants of Thomas Olcott, : one of the first settlers of Hartford, Connecticut.
Goodwin, Nathaniel, 1782-1855 | Olcott, Henry Steel, 1832-1907
'^-^ /i/a- ''%W^- \*^ f A ^ trm '^1 .1:^ ile^ ■^.■" **? "^iflp J ^^Rij <• '^ •:*■. lir .s^-^M«^^.. '"i nit-, M^/y'^ ...:^ . t .>r- 'i' ,.&,:?% '■H?^ ■^ tifl \ DESCENDANTS THOMAS OLCOTT, 4630-1874 THE DESCENDANTS "^ -^3 8 if. '^O THOMAS OLCOTT, / ©ne of tf)e jFirst Settlers of f^artforlr, (Et. NATHANIEL GOODWIN, DESCENDANT OF OZIAS GOODWIN, ONE OF SAID SETTLERS. REVISED EDITION, WITH AN EXPLANATORY PREFACE AND IMPORTANT ADDITIONS. By HENRY S. OLCOTT. " He only deserves to be remembered bt posterity wno treasures up and PRESERVES THE HISTORY OF HIS ANCESTORS." — Burke. ALBANY, N. Y. : J. MUNSELL, STATE STREET. 1874. ■^/^ 9/ ^„ n • »/,-.. TO THE CO:tTNECTICUT HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND TO THE Beiscentrantsi of ffTfjomaie; ©Icntt, DWBLLma IN THE VARIOUS PARTS OP OUR WIDE SPREAD COUNTRY, THESE PAGES RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. PREFACE TO THE EDITION OF 1845. Thomas Olcott, whose descendants in the male line, to and in- cluding the seventh generation — in the female line, to and including the third generation ; and in the lines of the female branches from the male lines, to and including the children of each of the first of said branches — are traced in the following pages, was among the first settlers of the town of Hartford, and one of the founders of the trade and commerce of the Colony of Connecticut. From what part of England he emigrated, or what year he arrived in this country, is not ascertained. There is reason to believe he was one of the " goodly company" of men, women and children, who, in June, 1635, left Newtown (now Cambridge), and other settlements on the sea board of Massachusetts, to plant a new colony on " the delightful banks'^ of the Connecticut. Their route lay through the wilderness, in nearly the present direction of the Western Railroad, 'till they reached the mouth of Chicopee river, and hence down the banks of the Connecticut, to the spot where in the autumn before, the settle- ment of what is now Hartford, but then called Suckiauge, was com- menced. Through the agencies which that company, and others similarly constituted, embraced — from the seed, peculiar and pre- cious, which they scattered over the bosom of the wilderness — what a change has been wrought in the country which they traversed and in the spot where they rested from their pilgrimage, only to enter upon the severer, ever recurring toils and trials of a pioneer life ! The forests whose tangled depths they penetrated by day with slow and toilsome progress, and in whose shadow they rested by night, with savage beasts and more savage men, have given place to the cultivated fields, orchards, homesteads and prosperous villages of civilized man. The streams which they forded, and the swamps which they crossed with so much risk and difficulty, are now spanned by arches of stone or bridges of iron. Avenues of communication now stretch across hills and valleys, which they passed with weary 7i Descendants of Thomas Olcott. footsteps, so that the traveller between the extremes of their journey can now glide as on the wings of the wind, without fatigue, in less than one-third the number of hours, that it took them days and nights to accomplish. And over the meadows and uplands, the waters and forests of their early settlement, a change no less won- derful and beneficent has passed. The rude tillage and rude wig- wam, the simple canoe and wandering habits of the savage, have given place to the triumphs of agriculture, commerce, and the arts ; to free institutions of government — to the blessings of religion, education and Christian charity — to all the fruits of an advanced and advancing civilization. Principles and institutions for which the best blood of Europe has been shed, and shed in vain, were acknowledged here in the outset of our history, and sprang up from seed sown by our fathers. We may well be proud of such an ancestry. These rich blessings, individual, social and civil, which we are now enjoy- ing, are not the results of happy accident — they are the legitimate fruits of the character, the lives, and the teachings of the first set- tlers of our state. These settlers came here under the guidance of men of pure and fervent piety ;, of elevated social position and learn- ing in their own country ; of large estates, and larger hearts. They came here already gathered into families, with all the pledges and ties which that relation alone can give and inspire. They were all men of religious principles, at a period when to hold fast to religious opinions cost something — even banishment from home, and the trials of life on the ocean and in the wilderness. They were men of varied capacities of usefulness. There were divines, the seal of whose ministry was on the souls they had saved. There were ma- gistrates trained to varied offices of state, and ripe for the highest official trusts at home, if they had chosen to remain there. iThere were men skilled in the practical pursuits of agriculture, commerce and mechanic arts. Mr. Olcott had been educated in Europe a merchant, and brought with him the experience and fruits of successful enterprise. In Preface. vii common with Edward Hopkins, Richard Lord, William Whiting and others, he engaged in trade, for which the Connecticut was supposed to afford great facilities, especially in the trafl&c in furs. The following contract of Mr. Olcott, is taken from the early records of the Colony, on which, by early laws, such agreements were ordered to be recorded : This Bill Byndeth me Thomas Olcott, of Hartford, in New England, to pay or cause to be paid unto Mr. Jacob Hayes, of Manators, the sum of six thousand eight hundred and sixty pounds of good Virginiah Tobaccko, such as Dutchmen do take, sometime in December next, in some con- venient places either at Nansemond or Newberts Newes, and in witness whereof I have set my hand, (the said Thomas Olcott is to allowe halfe the casck, and said Jacob Hayes is to pay for the other half,) this 19th of July, 1650. Witness. THOMAS OLCOTT. Richard Lord. Bray Rosseter. Vera Copia : Pr : John Cullick. The following document, found also on the Colony Records, is copied in this connection, mainly because, being signed by Mr. Olcott, it enables us to give his autograph, and settle the orthography of his name, which is sometimes wrongly spelt with an A instead of an 0 : April 22th, 1650. Whereas Mr. Thomas Olcott of Hartford, doth attache pt. of the Estate of William Cross, of Fairfield, to the value of 60 pounds sterling, the said Mr. Olcott doth acknowledge himself bound to this Common- wealth in a recognizance of one hundred pounds sterling that he will prosecute the action agt. the said Cross at the next particular Court to be held in Hartford which will be upon the 15 th day of the next month, and satisfie all damage in case he makes not his plea good. *^J^Mc4 Sfto^ Mr. Olcott first located himself on a lot on the east side of the Public (now State House) Square, on which the American Hotel now stands. He subsequently became the purchaser of one of the lots assigned to Edward Hopkins in the original distribution of the town among the first settlers. This lot comprised the whole square fronting on Main street, and bounded by Pearl, Trumbull and Asylum streets. On the southeast corner he erected a dwelling for his own viii Descendants of Thomas Olcott. occupation, which continued in the possession of his family for seve- ral generations. It is known to many now living as the Nevens House (the wing on the south having been added by Mr. Robert Nevens), and was demolished in 1824 to make room for the large block known as Union Hall. This house lot of Mr. Olcott, which together with his own and another dwelling house that stood thereon, was appraised at sixty pounds, at the time of his death, is now worth one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. It is now covered by the Phoenix Bank, blocks of stores and other buildings, of an aggregate value of not less than the value of the land. The old well in the rear of Union Hall was excavated by Mr. Olcott as an appur- tenance to his house. Mr. Olcott died in 1654, aged about forty-five years, leaving a widow, three sons and two daughters. He disposed of his property by will, the original of which cannot be found amongst the ancient papers of the Probate Office, nor is there any copy on record. The tenor of the will appears from a written agreement, entered into by and between his widow (who with his son Thomas, was made joint executor), and the children, respecting a distribution in part of the estates, which is on record. The inventory of the estate is a curious document, as throwing light on the means, and domestic arrangement of one of the princi- pal families of the town, within twenty years of its first settlement. An Inventory of houses, lands y goodes, chattellsy debts of Tho : Olcott ^ dea- sesd, as at the present yt. appears to us whose names are subscrbde to ye. sd. Inventory y this 13/^ Febry. 1654. Imprimis. In the porche. The bedd, with all the furniture, £08 00 00 by 9 payre and one sheete, at 06 09 00 by 3 Tablecloths, 01 06 00 by 25 napkins, 01 13 04 by I Table cloth, 00 05 00 by 3 Towells, 7/. 3 Towells, 4/. 00 1 1 00 by coarse napkins, 00 06 00 1 chest, 6j. I box, 5/. i box 3J. \d. 2 boxes 3J. 00 17 04 1 presse, i6j. i cubbert, \s. 2 casses, 3J. 01 03 00 1 Table 7J. i joynd stoole, zs. 2 chayres, 4J. t>d. 00 11 06 3 cushens, 6/. i lookinge glasse, 5/. 00 11 00 2 bibles, 5 J. 5 other bookes, one Mr. Preston, &c. 01 00 00 by goods to sell ; i hatt, i6j. 1 paper booke, 15J. 01 11 00 by 2 payre shoes, %s. 4 yards \ h. \ broad cloth, ) n (^ at 20J. pr. yard. ) by 2i. bd. for 2 payre of bellowes, 00 02 06 Preface. ix by 4 yards clothe, 20s. lib. threed, Ss, 01 08 00 by 3 friing panns, 1 sith and hookes, 00 09 00 by 2 whipsawes, 14/. 00 14 00 by a payre cobirons, tongs and an iron, 00 15 00 by a cubbert cloth, 00 05 00 in ye hall, by 3 kettles, 50/. a postnett, 3/. brass pann, y. 02 16 00 by seven platters, zys. a pasty plate, ys. 01 14 00 by 3 small dishes, 4/. 3 sassers, 1/. 6/^. 00 05 06 by 2 salts, 4^. 2 pewter boales and ure, 5/. 00 09 00 by 2 pewter potts, y. i pewter candlestick, 2J. 00 05 00 by 8 peeces Tin ware, 8/. a mortar, y. 00 13 00 by a warming pann, 6s. 2 drippinge panns, and ) pudding pann, and 3 graters, j by an erthen pann, 6/ gunn and sword, 2 3/. 01 03 06 by old lotte ware & 2 bottles, 00 07 00 by 2 iron potts and pott hookes and frying pann, 01 04 00 by 2 tramells, fire-shoufle, tones & a cobbirone, and ) 1 11 » & * J- 00 13 00 I payre bellowes, j -^ by 2 smoothinge irons and snuffers, 00 05 00 by a cubbert and cradle, 12s. 4 chayres, 4J. ,r ^ ^ ' ^ 60 00 00 the appurtenances, j by i2.iB lOJ. morgadge in Churchill's hand, 12 10 00 by cattell in severall men's hands, 49 00 00 by 3 hoggs, valued at 03 00 00 by debts as yt. appears, this 8th of March, 1656,) ^ to be added to this inventory, j ^ £1466 08 05 Of this above s'd summe. yr. is debts in Virginah hazardfull, ac- coumpted at £40, and in beaver sent in the Gallopp, at £20. John Tallcott. Edward Stebbins. 2 Richard Lord. X Descendants of Thomas Olcott. In addition to the property above inventoried, there were divers tracts of land situated in Hartford and Wethersfield, which passed into the hands of the sons immediately on the decease of Mr. Olcott, probably by provisions in his will, which cannot now be found. Mrs. Olcott,^ by the death of her husband, was left with the man- agement of a large estate, and the cares of the family, to which she seemed fully equal. From the records of the towns of Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor, in this colony, and of Springfield in Massachusetts, she appears to have carried on the business of her husband like one " to the manner born." She bought, let, and sold lands, loaned money on mortgage security, made contracts for deliver- ing goods, and like the virtuous woman described by Solomon, " she ^ Note. In the absence of all positive evidence as to the maiden name of Mrs. Olcott, or the place of her residence in England, it may be safe to con- jecture that she was a Porter from London, from the following circumstance. On the death of Mr, David Porter, of London, who was drowned in the river while on a visit to his friends in the colony, administration was granted to Mrs. Olcott, as appears from the following entry on the records of the county court. At a County Court, December 5, 1678, held at Hartford. An Inventory of the Estate of David Porter, of London, was exhibited in Court, and oath made by Mr. Thomas Olcott that there was a true presentment of the estate of the deceased to the appraisers } and if more come to hand, he will cause it to be added to the Inventory j and the Court granted administration on the Estate to Mrs. Abigail Olcott to pay the just debts, and to reserve the remainder of the estate in her hands till his mother or brother shall order the dispose of it, or send for it : — it being granted to them by the Court, they being next of kin to the deceased. The following quaint exhibit of expenses attending the funeral of Mr. Porter, shows that a custom more honored in the breach than in the observance, then prevailed in the colony. June 8, 1678. An accompt of ivhat tvas expended on Mr. David Porter for hx% taking up and burial. By a pint of Lyqr. to those that dived for him, 00. 01. 00 By a qrt of Lyqr. to those that brought him home, 00. 02. 00 By 2 qrts. of wine & gall, of sydr- to yc Jury of Inquest, 00. 05. 04 By 8 galls. & -j qrts. wine for the funeral, cost 01. 15. 00 By a barrll. of sydr. for do. cost, 00. 16, 00 By a coffin, cost , 00. 12. 00 By a windein^ sheete, cost 00. 18. 00 By to pay for the grave, &c. 00. 05. 00 04. 14. 04 This given into the Court, at Hartford, December 9th, 1678, by the consent of my mothr- Mrs. Abigail Olcott, pr. me, Tho : Olcott. Preface. xi perceiveth that her merchandise was good "; " she layeth her hands to the spindle^ and her hands hold the distaff^' ; " she looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness ; her OWN WORKS PRAISETH HER IN THE GATES." She died May 26, 1693, aged 78 years,leaving a will of which the following is a copy : I, Abigail Olcott, of Hartford, being at present of good understanding and memory, blessed be God, do consider that I am aged, and the shad- ows of the evening are come upon me, and therefore, the counsel of the Prophet, — ** Set thy house in order ^^ is very seasonable for me. In obedience thereto, first, I do commit my soul to God in Jesus Christ, trusting through his mercy, my sins are washed away in his blood, and that through his righteousness, I shall be accepted of the Father, and ob- tain a glorious resurrecdon ; — and my body I commit to the earth, to be buried in a comely decent manner, in the common burying place. And for that estate the Lord hath blessed me with, after my just debts and funeral charges are contented and paid, I do give and bequeath the same as followeth. I have formerly given my son Thomas, a piece of gold, I give my son John, a ten shilling piece of gold, and to my son Samuel and daughter Elizabeth Hyde, 1 give my biggest piece of gold, to be di- vided between them. I also, give to my daughter Hyde, my two black gowns, my mohair petticoat, my silk cloak, my wearing linen, a dozen diaper napkins and a dozen of holland napkins ; and to my daughter-in- law, Sarah, I give my cloth gown, cloth petticoat and serge cloak. It . is my will that the fifty pounds I gave to Thomas and Mary, my grand- children, by a former writing, shall be paid out of such debts as are due to me. And the rest of my estate, both real and personal, I give and bequeath the same, to my sons, Thomas, Samuel and John, and my daughter, Elizabeth Hyde, to be divided equally to them, except my son John, who is to have a double share, the rest of my children having formerly received from me considerable. And what I give to my child- ren, I give it to them and the heirs of their bodies now living, — save only that which I give to my son John by this will, is to him and his heirs forever. Finally, I do, in the fear of God, command my child- ren to know, fear and serve the God of their father, that so the blessing of the covenant may be their portion when I shall be gathered to my fathers ; and desire, that they may live in love and peace one with ano- ther, that the God of love and peace may bless them. 1 do hereby renounce and make null all former wills by me made, by word or writing, and declare this to be my last will and testament, and do constitute and appoint my beloved sons Thomas and John Olcott to be Executors thereof And if any difference should arise about the dis- tribution of my Estate, amongst my children, I wholly refer the determina- xii Descendants of Thomas Olcott. tion thereof to my loving friends Col. John x'\llyn and Doctor Thomas Hooker, to whom I refer my children for to take advice and counsel in any thing that shall arise of difficulty in their affairs. And for the con- firmation hereof, I hereunto set my hand and affix my seal, this 1 2th day of January, 1692. Abigail Olcott. l. s. Signed, sealed and declared in the presence and witness of John Allyn. Richard Edwards. The following article is likewise found on the Colony Records, and is copied as showing Mrs. Olcott's method of doing business. By this writing, it would appear that Mrs. Olcott had made a loan to " Mr. Roger Nuton '^ (Rev. Roger Newton, 1 first minister of Farming- ton) ; and that when payment was ofi'ered, the evidence of the debt could not be found, but that she received the money, and gave this writing as a testimony that the debt had been paid : These p^sents Testifieth, that I, Abigail Olcott, of Hartford, in y^ ju- risdiction of Connecticut, doe acknowledge myself to be fully satisfyed for y® remaining part of a Bill of 2 5<£ that was to be payd to me by Mr. Roger Nuton, and have I say, received full sattisfaction from Wm : Lewis, ' Rev, Roger Newton here referred to, afterwards went to Milford, (Con.) and his place was filled at Farmington, by Mr. Samuel Hooker, son of Rev. Thomas Hooker, first minister of Hartford. The following transcript from the account book of William Pynchon, one of the first settlers of Springfield, (Mass.) and the first signer of the Plantation Covenant of that town, shows the liberal contributions which individuals were willing to make for the support of the gospel ministry, even in towns distant from their own resi- dence. The entry is in the hand writing of John Pynchon, the son, and the original document in the possession of the Hon. Oliver B. Morris, of Springfield. Dr. Mr. Samuel Hooker. April 25 To 14 yards ofLocram, at xs. Sd. 01 17. 00 1659. To I yd of fustian, zzd. 1 yard cotton, 35. zd. 00 05. 00 4 yds. 3^ cotton ribbon, izd. i yd. 3^ ferrit, ^d. 00 01. 09 I quire of paper, 00 00. 06 June 20. To 5 bush, of wheate sent down by G. Merrick, abated 2-7 of the carriage of it down, 01 00, 00 To I bushel of wheate to G. Merrick. 00 04. 00 03. 08. 10 Cr. By what I am to allow towards his maintenance for ye past yeare, 03. 05. 00 Discounted the balance due me. Preface. xiii Jun. for what he was to pay of it, and likewise acquit Mr. Roger Nuton and Wm. Lewis both of any further demands about that bill, and if I finde it, to returne y^ bill to one of them, — as witness my hand this 29th of March, 1660. Abigail Olcott. Vera Copia. John Allyn, Secr^. The sons of Mr. Olcott continued to reside in Hartford, as farmers, and were all gentlemen of consideration in the colony. On the 20th of May, 1658, Thomas Olcott, and on the 12th of the same month, 1664, Samuel Olcott, took the oath of allegiance to the colony, on being admitted as freemen, as prescribed by the Greneral Court April 6, 1640. In this oath there is not the slightest recognition of the authority of Parliament, nor indeed is there any thing in the laws of the colony, which would imply that Connecticut was any thing less than a " free, sovereign and independent state." I, A. B., being by the Providence of God an inhabitant within the jurisdiction of Connecticut, do acknowledge myself to be subject to the ♦ government thereof, and do swear by the great and fearful name of the everlasting God, to be true and faithful unto the same, and do submit both my person and estate thereunto, according to all the wholesome laws and orders that there are or hereafter shall be there made and established by lawful authority, and that I will neither plot nor practice any evil against the same nor consent to any that shall so do, but will timely discover the same to lawful authority there established; and that I will, as I am in duty bound, maintain the honor of the same and of the lawful magistrates thereof, promoting the public good thereof whilst I shall continue an in- habitant there ; and whenever I shall give my vote or suffrage touching any matter which concerns this Commonwealth, being called thereunto, will give it as in my conscience I shall judge may conduce to the best good of the same, without respect of persons, or favor of any man. So help me God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Mr. Olcott, with his wife and sons, (except Thomas,^ whose grave is in Manchester), was buried in the public burying-ground in the 1 Thomas Olcott, in his old age, went to reside with his son Thomas, at Hop Brook, then known as the " Hartford five miles," and now within the limits of Manchester, as appears from the following memorandum found in the account book of the son, and which is still in the possession of Mr. Sidney Olcott, now dwelling on the original plantation. " My honored Father, Thomas Olcott, came to live with me at Hop Brook, November 3, 1713." xiv Descendants of Thomas Olcott. rear of the Centre Congregational Church, where repose together most of the first settlers of Hartford, and their immediate descend- ants. There, in the heart of the city — in the midst of the fruits and the monuments of their wise, patriotic and pious labors — of comfortable dwellings, busy work-shops, thronged channels of com- merce, halls of education and science, asylums, retreats and temples of religion and Christian charity — " There rest the great and good — there they repose After their generous toil. A sacred baud, They take their sleep together. Theirs is no vulgar sepulchre — and the pride With which their children tread the hallowed ground That holds their venerated bones, the peace That smiles on all they toiled for, and the wealth That clothes the city where the forest waved, Are monuments more lasting than the fanes Reared to the kings and demi-gods of old." "Within a few years past, additional security and attraction has been thrown around this consecrated spot by James B. Hosmer, Richard Bigelow and others, under the name of the Hartford An- cient Burying Ground Association. Principally under the judi- cious direction and oversight of Mr. .Hosmer, broken grave-stones and slabs have been repaired, and the fallen restored j inscriptions which time was slowly obliterating, have been chiseled deeper ; graveled walks have been laid out with great taste through the grounds, and appropriate trees and shrubbery have been planted, and now throw their protecting shadows and beauty over the graves of the dead. In the centre of the lot, a simple but massive shaft of stone has been erected, and on it are inscribed the names of Haynes, Hooker, Hopkins, Olcott, ^ Stone, Webster, Welles, and others of the first settlers of Hartford ; while from all around a voice seems to speak to every heart, quickened by the remembrance of their sacrifices, their public spirit and their piety : — *' Our God is thy God — what He Willeth, is best. Trust him as we trusted, Then rest as we rest " ' Spelled Alcott, Preface. XV Inscription on the Monument erected by the Ancient Burying Ground Association of Hartford. IN MEMORY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF HARTFORD. Jeremy Adams. Matthew Allyn. Francis Andrews. William Andrews. John Arnold. Andrew Bacon. John Barnard. Robert Bartlett. John Baysey. John Bidwell. Thomas Birchwood. William Bloomfield. Thomas Bull. Thomas Bunce. Benjamin Burr. Richard Butler. William Butler. Clement Chaplin. Richard Church. John Clark. Nicholas Clark. James Cole. John Crow. Robert Day. Joseph Easton. Edward Elmer. Nathaniel Ely. James Ensign. Zachariah Field. William Gibbons. Richard Goodman. William Goodwin. OziAs Goodwin. Seth Grant. George Graves. Samuel Greenhill. Samuel Hales. Thomas Hales. John Haynes. Stephen Hart. William Heyden. William Hills, William Holton. Thomas Hooker. Edward Hopkins. John Hopkins. Thomas Hosmer. William Hyde. Thomas Judd, William Kelsey. William Lewis. Richard Lord. Thomas Lord. Richard Lyman. John Marsh. Matthew Marvin. John Maynard. John Moody. Joseph Mygatt. Thomas Olcott. James Olmsted. Richard Olmsted. William Pantry. William Parker. Stephen Post. John Pratt. William Pratt. Nathaniel Richards. Richard Risley. Thomas Root. William Ruscoe. Thomas Scott. Thomas Selden. Richard Seymour. John Skinner. Arthur Smith. Thomas Spencer. William Spencer. Thomas Stanley. Timothy Stanley. Thomas Stanton. Edward Stebbins. George Steele. John Steele. George Stocking. Samuel Stone. John Talcott. William Wadsworth. Samuel Wakeman. Nathaniel Ward. Andrew Warner. Richard Webb. John Webster, Thomas Welles. William Westwood. John White. William Whiting. John Wilcox. Gregory Wolterton. George Wyllys. PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION. The descendants of Thomas Olcott are indebted to the liberality of Thomas W. Olcott, an eminent banker of Albany, N. Y., for the present edition of the pamphlet which Mr. Nathaniel Goodwin pub- lished at Hartford in 1845 ; and, as one of his beneficiaries, the writer feels satisfaction in the thought that this good man and upright financier, in doing this kindness to his kinsmen, has erected to his own memory a monument more enduring than any that may here- after be reared over his dust by the hands of affection. Since the appearance of the first edition of this work, numerous facts of interest concerning the Settler Thomas Olcott have become attainable, and it was important that they should be collated, and placed beside those which the industry of the late Mr. Groodwin had gathered together in its pages. Mr. Goodwin died May 29th, 1855, at the ripe age of 74 years, having, during the course of a blameless life, filled many public offi- ces in his native city of Hartford, with honor and general accept- ance. At various periods he was Treasurer of the City and County, Clerk of the Probate Court, Judge of Probate for the District of Hartford, and an officer in various learned societies. This record of the descendants of Thomas Olcott was his first genealogical work, ' but several others of a kindred character were published by him sub- sequently. When it was determined to bring out the present edi- tion of this pamphlet the responsible task of writing the preface was assigned to me, through the indulgence of Mr. Thomas W. Olcott, and the publisher Mr. Munsell ; and, while distrusting my ability to do justice to so unfamiliar a labor, I will at least try to lay before ^The Rev, Henry Olcott Sheldon, of Oberlin, 0., informs me that he was the first to collect notes of the Olcott genealogy, and that, showing these to Mr. Goodwin in 1840, the latter gentleman was led to prepare the pamphlet which was published in 1845. xviii Descendants of Thomas Olcott. my family the facts that lie scattered through many volumes in seve- ral libraries, in such an intelligible form as to aid future investigators. If a somewhat extended examination of documentary authorities has led me to adopt opinions concerning the surname of the Settler at variance with those entertained by Mr. Goodwin, I can only say that my sole aim has been to discover the truth, without bias or partiality, and I submit the evidence to those who come after me, for them to form their own conclusions. Mr. Goodwin, in his pre- face, alluding to the diverse spellings of the family name, assumes to settle the matter beyond controversy by giving us a fac-simile of Thomas Olcott's signature, in which the letter 0 is the initial. Mr. Charles J. Hoadly, State Librarian of Connecticut, who, in 1861, discovered the second volume of the Probate Records of the Colony of Connecticut, long supposed to be irrecoverably lost, and which vo- lume contained the record of Thomas Olcott's will, also inclines to the same opinion. But, with due respect to both gentlemen, I can- not admit that the question is any nearer settlement than ever before ; for the public records of not only Massachusetts and all the other colonies but the mother country as well, show that persons even of high rank paid no regard whatever to orthography when writing their own names. In this country even so eminent a man as Governor Endicott spelt his in three different ways, an example that is followed by the Putuams, and others best known of the immigrants. As to the misspelling perpetrated by clerks of records, magistrates, ministers and others having occasion to write the surnames of their fellow citizens, the confusion is most amusing ; every man seeming to be a law unto himself in this respect. ^ In various connections our own family name is found spelt Alcock,'"^ Alcocks, Alcocke, Allcocks, Allcox, Alcox, Alcot, Alcott, Ollcott, Olcot, and Olcott. Now let my kinsmen choose from this abundant variety, each for himself In the original plat of the city of Hartford are shown the ^ Sir Walter Ralegh sometimes wrote his name Raleigh, and this method has since prevailed. In 1647 Governor Winthrop spelled his Winthop. My very highly esteemed friend, Hon. Chas. W. Upham, alludes to this confusion in the orthography of proper names in his History of Salem Village and Salem Witchcraft, at vol. i, p. 215, and vol. ii, p. 233, note. ' The name Alcock is of Saxon origin, being derived from the two words £Jald (German aid, alt), meaning old, and coc, a male bird. The English Al, which is simply a corruption, is commonly used as a prefix to names, as Alburg, Alberry, etc. Preface. xix lots, three in number, owned by our ancestor, on two of wbicli his name appears as " Th. '' and " T. Alcock," and on the third is the inscription " Edw. Hopkins sold'to Thorn. Alcock (Alcott Olcott)/' Again, on the shaft of the monument erected to the First Settlera, in the ancient burying ground in Hartford, the name is spelt Al- cott, and yet Mr. Goodwin, while himself stating this fact, arbitra- rily spells it with an 0, and places it immediately before Olmsted in the list ! Now it may appear of small importance to some whether the first of the family in this country was in fact an Olcott or something else, since a usage established by nine successive generations has fixed the matter so far as America is concerned. But if this genealogy is worth anything at all, it is worth while to have it correct ; for our line did not begin with the sturdy Puritan of 1630, and if we would know whence we sprung we must " try back" among his progenitors on the other side of the ocean. While last in Lon- don, I made it my business to search for traces of the family, and had the help of J. R. Planche, the " Somerset Herald," himself, and his assistant Mr. Say. 1 found no record whatever of any per- son hy the name of Olcott, but I did find several families of Alcocks and, if my memory serves me, some Alcotts also. Does not this fact warrant the suspicion that Mr. Groodwin was not right in assuming the question settled ? It is our present misfortune that we have no record of the ship in which Thomas Olcott came here, the port from which she sailed, or even the year of his arrival. With these in our possession, we might trace back our ancestral line without great trouble. I was in hopes that Mr. Hotten's forthcoming work on the emigrants from Great Britain to America' might furnish the missing ^ " Original Lists of Emigrants, Religious Exiles, Political Rebels, Serving Men sold for a term of years, Apprentices, Children stolen, Maidens pressed, Persons of Quality, and others who went from Great Britain to the Ameri- can Plantations, 1600-1700. Edited by John Camden Hotten. 1 Vol. Crown 4to, handsomely printed on superior paper, made expressly for the purpose, $10.00. A few copies on large paper, $17.50." Through the courtesy of J. W. Bouton, 706 Broadway, N. Y., the Ameri- can publisher, I was enabled to exam.ine the advance sheets of this unique and highly important contribution to American history. XX Descendants of ThCxMas Olcott. clue, but a very careful inspection of the thousands of names he has had copied from the records of the State Paper Ofl&ce, results in com- plete disappointment. Thomas 016ott's name does not appear. At page 110, however, occurs the register of a vessel in which one Elizabeth Allcott was passenger, under the following preamble : 1635, 24 July. " Theis vnder-written names are to be transported to Virginea imbarqued in the Assurance de Lo:' Isaack Bromwell, and Geo Pewsie M^ examined by the Minister of the Towne of Gravesend of their conformitie in o'" Religion. The men have taken the oats of Allegeance and Supremacie." There were one hundred and eighty-one men, and forty women in the ship's company, and it is not at all unlikely that " Elizabeth Allcott, age 20yeeres'' was one of the *' maidens pressed '' (kidnapped) alluded to in the title of the book. It is certain, at any rate, that our ancestor traded between Hartford and Virginia, that he died there or on the voyage thence, and that he had a daughter of his own named Elizabeth, who was born eight years after the arrival of this passenger maiden. If it an unwarrantable inference that she and Thomas Olcott were related, and that he may have been led into the Virginia trade by "the news of her arrival from England ? Failing, therefore, to trace the Settler across the ocean, we must look for our clue in the parish registers of England, and in my opinion, among the family of Alcock. This task is reserved for some future enquirer, as my own investigations were confined to the College of Arms in London. Recently, however, I have examined Walford's Co\mty Families (London, 1872), which purports to record every family in Great Britain of any consideration, and Fairbairn's Family Crests (London, 1848), and find no mention of either Olcott or Alcott, but only of Alcock. Of this name, there are six or seven families, — one in Kent, one at Silvertost, Northamptonshire, one in Stafl'ordshire,one in Yorkshire, one at Wilton Castle, county Wexford, Ireland, and two more near Cork. The crest of each family is a cock, in some cases crowing, in others silent, standing on a crown, a globe, or a simple bar. The family motto is the Latin word Vigilate (Be watchful). In the reign of Henry VII there lived a man who shed lustre on not only the family name, but also his entire country, — one John Alcock. A biographical notice of him ap- ' Of London. Preface. xxi pears in Rose's BiograjpMcal Dictionary (London, 1848), p. 251, from which the following facts are derived : Dr. John Alcock was born at Beverly, Yorkshire ) completed his education at Cambridge, and took there the degree of LL.D. In quick succession he was dean of Westminster, bishop of Rochester, Worcester, and in 1486 he succeeded Morton in the See of Ely. His secular advancement was equally rapid ) in 1462 master of the rolls, in 1470 a privy councillor and ambassador to the court of Cas- tile, a commissioner to treat with the Scotch commissioners, lord president of Wales, and in 1472 he was made lord chancellor by Henry VII. His skill in architecture was so eminent that the king appointed him comptroller of the royal works and buildings. His episcopal palaces, especially that of Ely, were improved by his taste. He founded in 1486 a school at Kingston-upon-Hull. In 1496 he founded Jesus College at Cambridge, and appropriated to its use a house formerly occupied as a nunnery (that of St. Rhadegund). He was as distinguished for his virtues as for his learning and abilities. He died Oct. 1, 1500, at Wisbeach, and was buried in the beautiful chapel in Ely Cathedral, built by himself. He wrote various works in Latin of a religious character, and a little treatise entitled, in allusion to his own name, Galli Gantus ad Gonfrates suos (A call of a cock to his fellows). Prints of the bird decorate the first page. In 1707 another of the name is mentioned as an eminent scholar. His name was Nathan Alcock, and he was educated by his brother- in-law Mr. Cowley, a schoolmaster in Lancashire. He afterwards studied at Edinburgh ; and at Leyden, under Boerhave, Gaubius, Albinus, and Gravesand. He took the degree of M.D. in 1737, and in 1741 he was incorporated M. A. of Jesus College. In Henry Bronson's History of Waterbury, published in Water- bury, Conn., in 1858, the author refers to Bishop Alcock, and arbi- trarily spells the name Alcott (see p. 459). The correct spelling is given in Drake's Diet. Am. Biography, in Rose's Biographical Dictionary, and other authorities. And now to return to Thomas Olcott, I have to state the remarka- ble fact which escaped Mr Goodwin's observation, that there were two men in our little colony of the same name. Of these, one settled in Boston and the vicinity, and remained there until his death, while the other went to Hartford with Hooker and his gallant company of xxii Descendants of Thomas Olcott. explorers. The Boston man, according to Savage (see Genealogical Diet, vol. I, p. 22) came over in the fleet with Governor Winthrop, and Bronson {Hist. Waterhury, p. 459) who, in apparent ignorance of the fact that there were two of the same name, calls him " Mr. Thos. Alcocke, the progenitor of all bearing the name in Connecticut," adopts the same view. It seems to me, also, that Mr. Bronson falls into error in supposing that the Boston-Dedham-Roxbury Alcock is the father of the Waterbury family. It being admitted and unques- tionable that our Thomas Olcott settled at Hartford with Hopkins and Hooker, the succession is readily traced; for in 1640 the Hart- ford people settled Farmington, and in 1674 Waterbury was settled by the restless people of Farmington. It must be to our ancestor, therefore, and not his Boston namesake, that Mr. Bronson would refer. And in this connection, let me suggest it as possible that it was to avoid the confusion naturally resulting from the existence of the two men of like Christian and surnames that the Hartford settler wrote his name Olcott.' In the covenant of the First Church of Boston, dated at Charles- town Aug. 27, 1630, the Boston man stands forty-sixth on the list of 1 In the desire to exhaust every available source of information concerning the family history, I applied to the disting-uished philosopher Dr. A. Bron- son Alcott, of Concord, Mass., and was favored with a letter from which the following extracts are given : " Concord, July 21st, 1874. Dear Sir : I have very little information to give you concerning the difference in spelling our names, or the probable relationship between the Roxbury and Hartford families. My ancestor Phillip Alcock, of New Haven, appears to have been the son of George Alcock, both coming over in Winthrop's company, and settling in Roxbury, Mass. As George married a sister of Rev. Thomas Hooker, of Hartford, it is not unlikely that he came from Hooker's neighborhood in England, though I have no certain informa- tion as to the place of his nativity. Very likely Thomas of Hartford, whose name is sometimes spelled Alcock in the records, was a relative of Thomas and George, of Roxbury. I did not trace his genealogy beyond Mr. Goodwin's conjectures, Phillip married a second  will be observed that the writer has reached a similar conclusion with myself as to the probable emigration of Mr. Olcott from Hooker's neighbor- hood in England. His further hypothesis that the Boston and Hartford settlers were kinsmen, is not at all unreasonable. Preface. xxiii original members, and later on, when he removed to Dedham, there occurs the following entry : " Ano 8:7: 1639, our brother Thomas Alcocke and sister Margery were recommended to Dedham/' My attention having been drawn to the confusion relative to " Thomas Allcock/' I made, with the valuable help of my friend Mr. Gary Florio, the musical composer and antiquarian, a thorough search through the Colonial records and subsequent histories, with the result that I satisfied myself of the existence of the two men above referred to. The Boston x\lcock (or as it is variously spelt, Olcott, Alcot, Alcott, Allcox, Alcocks and Alcox) was a farmer and grazier ; the Hartford man, a wealthy merchant. The former, in 1637 was ap- portioned "a great lot" at Muddy river. This was at the appor- tioning of the city of Boston : (see Drake's History of Boston^ p. 