M. 27 Mar 1616 in Hitcham, England
Wife: Dorothy Chaplin
D. 1 Jul 1648 in Branford, Connecticut
When Puritans migrated to New England during the 1630s, among them were men who had a certain amount of wealth. For John Plumb, this translated into being able to own a boat, which allowed him to make a living along the Connecticut River.
John was born July 28, 1594 in Spaynes Hall, Great Yeldham, England, which is in the northern part of Essex. His parents were Robert Plumb and Grace Crackbone and he was one of at least nine children.
On March 27, 1616, John married Dorothy Chaplin in Hitcham, Suffolk, and between 1617 and 1635, they had nine children. John and his family lived in Ridgewell Hall, a manor house that still survives today (although it was modified in the 18th and 19th centuries).
John is listed on the Essex Visitation of 1634 (a sort of upper class census in England), but he sold his estate at about that time and it is said that he used the money to buy a ship that he sailed to America. He landed at Dorchester, and moved to the then remote town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, the second settlement in Connecticut after Windsor.
In his nine years living in Wethersfield, John held several offices. He was a magistrate in 1637, was named appraiser on February 9, 1637, town clerk in 1641, and a collector of customs in 1644. Starting in 1638, he was a member of Connecticut’s General Court “off and on until 1644.” And John has been noted to have been the first ship owner in Wethersfield.
John often made voyages up and down the Connecticut River trading with the Indians. It is likely that his vessel was used to carry Captain Mason and his men to Narragansett Bay during the Pequot War in 1637. The Pequots were defeated, and this allowed for settlement of Connecticut to continue. In the aftermath, John was appointed to buy corn from Indians to help feed the people of Wethersfield on April 5, 1638.
In 1644, John sold most of his Wethersfield property, consisting of 13 parcels of between 2 and 204 acres, and moved to the new settlement of Branford, which was located on the coast of Connecticut. John was one of its earliest settlers; he was elected town clerk and held this office until his death.
John died on July 1, 1648 in Branford, and his will was proved a month later with an estate valued at over £3,661. His wife Dorothy survived him by at least 21 years. Only three of his children were alive at the time of his death; one of them, Samuel, helped found a new settlement that became Newark, New Jersey.
Famous descendants of John Plumb include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan and Helen Hunt.
Children:
1. Robert Plumb — B. 30 Dec 1617, Ridgewell, England; D. 12 May 1655, Milford, Connecticut; M. Mary Baldwin (1625-1708), 9 Jan 1642, Milford, Connecticut
2. John Plumb — B. 27 May 1619, Ridgewell, England
3. William Plumb — B. 9 May 1621, Ridgewell, England
4. Ann Plumb — B. 16 Oct 1623, Ridgewell, England
5. Samuel Plumb — B. 4 Jan 1626, Ridgewell, England; D. 22 Jan 1713, Newark, New Jersey; M. Hannah
6. Dorothea Plumb — B. 16 Jan 1627, Ridgewell, England
7. Elizabeth Plumb — B. 9 Oct 1629, Ridgewell, England
8. Deborah Plumb — B. 28 Jul 1633, Ridgewell, England
9. Dorcas Plumb — B. 12 Jan 1635, Wethersfield, Connecticut; D. 21 Apr 1725, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. John Lyman (1623-1690), 12 Jan 1654, Branford, Connecticut
Sources:
WikiTree
American Biography: A New Cyclopedia, American Historical Company, 1919
Genealogical notes on the founding of New England: my ancestors part in the undertaking, Ernest Flagg, 1926
Families of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, Henry R. Stiles, 1904
GeneaStar: Famous Family Tree and Genealogy (website)
Record of John's birth.
On March 27, 1616, John married Dorothy Chaplin in Hitcham, Suffolk, and between 1617 and 1635, they had nine children. John and his family lived in Ridgewell Hall, a manor house that still survives today (although it was modified in the 18th and 19th centuries).
John is listed on the Essex Visitation of 1634 (a sort of upper class census in England), but he sold his estate at about that time and it is said that he used the money to buy a ship that he sailed to America. He landed at Dorchester, and moved to the then remote town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, the second settlement in Connecticut after Windsor.
In his nine years living in Wethersfield, John held several offices. He was a magistrate in 1637, was named appraiser on February 9, 1637, town clerk in 1641, and a collector of customs in 1644. Starting in 1638, he was a member of Connecticut’s General Court “off and on until 1644.” And John has been noted to have been the first ship owner in Wethersfield.
John often made voyages up and down the Connecticut River trading with the Indians. It is likely that his vessel was used to carry Captain Mason and his men to Narragansett Bay during the Pequot War in 1637. The Pequots were defeated, and this allowed for settlement of Connecticut to continue. In the aftermath, John was appointed to buy corn from Indians to help feed the people of Wethersfield on April 5, 1638.
Attack of a fort in the Pequot War.
In 1644, John sold most of his Wethersfield property, consisting of 13 parcels of between 2 and 204 acres, and moved to the new settlement of Branford, which was located on the coast of Connecticut. John was one of its earliest settlers; he was elected town clerk and held this office until his death.
John died on July 1, 1648 in Branford, and his will was proved a month later with an estate valued at over £3,661. His wife Dorothy survived him by at least 21 years. Only three of his children were alive at the time of his death; one of them, Samuel, helped found a new settlement that became Newark, New Jersey.
Famous descendants of John Plumb include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan and Helen Hunt.
Children:
1. Robert Plumb — B. 30 Dec 1617, Ridgewell, England; D. 12 May 1655, Milford, Connecticut; M. Mary Baldwin (1625-1708), 9 Jan 1642, Milford, Connecticut
2. John Plumb — B. 27 May 1619, Ridgewell, England
3. William Plumb — B. 9 May 1621, Ridgewell, England
4. Ann Plumb — B. 16 Oct 1623, Ridgewell, England
5. Samuel Plumb — B. 4 Jan 1626, Ridgewell, England; D. 22 Jan 1713, Newark, New Jersey; M. Hannah
6. Dorothea Plumb — B. 16 Jan 1627, Ridgewell, England
7. Elizabeth Plumb — B. 9 Oct 1629, Ridgewell, England
8. Deborah Plumb — B. 28 Jul 1633, Ridgewell, England
9. Dorcas Plumb — B. 12 Jan 1635, Wethersfield, Connecticut; D. 21 Apr 1725, Northampton, Massachusetts; M. John Lyman (1623-1690), 12 Jan 1654, Branford, Connecticut
Sources:
WikiTree
American Biography: A New Cyclopedia, American Historical Company, 1919
Genealogical notes on the founding of New England: my ancestors part in the undertaking, Ernest Flagg, 1926
Families of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, Henry R. Stiles, 1904
GeneaStar: Famous Family Tree and Genealogy (website)
