B. 1644 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
M. (1) before 28 Jan 1668 in (probably) Hartford, Connecticut
Wife: Sarah Wilcox
M: (2) before 1688 in (probably) Connecticut
Wife: Sarah Elmer
D. Nov 1711 in Windsor, Connecticut
Thomas Long got a divorce in colonial New England because of adultery—and his wife was the guilty party. He was born in 1644 in Dorchester, Massachusetts to Joseph Long and Mary Lane; his only known sibling was an older brother. His father returned to England in order to settle the estate of his own father, and the family never heard from him again. Thomas’ mother was awarded permission to remarry in 1651 when the court in Massachusetts presumed her husband was dead.
Thomas’ mother remarried, but her new husband died in 1659. When she married a third husband, John Wilcox, the following year, the family moved to Hartford, Connecticut. Wilcox brought several children into the household, and one of them, Sarah, must have caught Thomas’ eye. The step-siblings were joined in marriage in about 1667, likely in Hartford, although the record of their wedding is missing.
During the next ten or so years, Thomas and Sarah settled into married life with the birth of at least five children. But around the time the youngest was born, Sarah started keeping company with a married man named David Ensign. They were known to have had sex on several occasions, which was a punishable offense in Puritan Connecticut. Sarah and her lover were arrested on September 4, 1679, and the two were charged for their crime. Thomas likely wanted to avoid further public scandal, and two weeks later offered his property as bond for the release of his wife from jail.
Unfortunately, Sarah chose to continue her affair with Ensign. By 1681, Thomas had reached a point where he needed to take drastic action, so he filed for divorce. He had a clear case against Sarah for her infidelity, and on December 15th, the divorce was granted at a “Special Court of Assistants” in Hartford. Ensign was divorced by his wife the following year, and Sarah married him. As for Thomas, he found a second wife in Sarah Elmer, a woman 20 years younger than he was. They had one daughter born in 1696.
Presumably, Thomas’ second marriage was a happier one. He died in Windsor, Connecticut in November of 1711. His second wife Sarah survived him by many years, dying in 1741.
Children by Sarah Wilcox:
1. Joseph Long — B. 28 Jan 1668, Hartford, Connecticut; D. after May 1713, (probably) Coventry, Connecticut; M. Martha Smith (1674-?), before 1694, (probably) Connecticut
2. William Long — B. 4 Feb 1671, Hartford, Connecticut; D. Jul 1740, Coventry, Connecticut; M. Mary Henbury (1672-1759), 1701, Hartford, Connecticut
3. Jerusha Long — B. 1672, Hartford, Connecticut; D. 11 Jan 1723, Hartford, Connecticut
4. Mary Long — B. 1676, Hartford, Connecticut; M. Ephraim Bushnell, 9 Nov 1697, Saybrook, Connecticut
5. Hannah Long — B. 26 Feb 1679, Saybrook, Connecticut; M. Simon Large (~1670-~1702), 24 Jun 1700, Saybrook, Connecticut; (2) Jonathan Moore (1679-1770), 9 Jan 1705
Child by Sarah Elmer:
1. Elizabeth Long — B. 1696, East Windsor, Connecticut; D. 3 Nov 1759, East Windsor, Connecticut; M. Benjamin Cheney (1698-1760)
Sources:
New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, William Richard Cutter, 1913
Women Before the Bar; Gender, Law and Society in Connecticut, 1639-1789, Cornelia Hughes Dayton, 2012
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