M. before 1611 in England2
Wife: Sarah _______
D. before 22 Apr 1640 in Hartford, Connecticut2
Richard Lyman was one of a group of people who trekked across raw wilderness to carve out a settlement along the Connecticut River. And by so doing, he gained the status of being a founder of an American city.
Richard was born in High Ongar, which is in Essex, in about 1580 and was baptized on October 30th of that year.1 His parents were Henry Lyman and Elizabeth Rande, and he was one of six children. It has been claimed that Henry was of royal descent, but modern researchers have firmly disproven this.3 Richard married a woman named Sarah, possibly Osborne, sometime before 1611,2 and they settled in High Ongar. Between 1611 and 1629, they had nine children, three of whom died as infants.
High Ongar was located in the part of England that had the highest concentration of non-conformists, also known as Puritans. East Anglia (the southeast counties of England) supplied about 60% of the people who settled in New England during the 1630s.4 Richard and his family were among them. In the summer of 1631, after he sold all his land, including a garden, orchard, pasture and meadow,5 he left for America with his wife and five of his children. They sailed out of Bristol on the ship Lyon, which also carried among its 60 passengers the wife, son and grandchildren of John Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.5 When the ship arrived in Boston on November 4th, after ten weeks at sea, it was given a cannon salute.5
Richard first settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where he and his wife were admitted to the church as members.2 It was said of Richard during this time, “He was an ancient Christian, but weak, yet after some time of trial & quickening he joined to the church.”5 This may suggest that he had a theological disagreement with some of the establishment. Further evidence of this is that a couple of years later, he signed on with some dissenters who decided to move away from the Boston area.5
On October 15, 1635, Richard and his family joined a party of 100 people on a mission to settle new lands on the Connecticut River.5 The event would be remembered generations later in a perhaps a romanticized way:
The place the 100 settlers arrived at became Hartford, Connecticut. As a group, they made a deal for land from the Indians and Richard received a share of it. He suffered the loss of all his cattle on the trip. The rough conditions of travel took a lot out of him, and the first year there he was “sick and melancholy, yet after he had some reviving through God’s mercy.”5
In April 1640, Richard wrote his will and was dead by March of the following year.2,5 It was the first will on record for Hartford, and in it he named all five of his children and his wife Sarah, who died in about 1642.5 The inventory of his will was valued at over £83. Richard's name is inscribed on the Hartford Founders’ Monument located in the Ancient Burying Ground.6
Famous descendants of Richard Lyman include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, Frederick Law Olmstead, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Gloria Vanderbilt, Thomas Dewey, Bess Truman, Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, David Hyde Pierce and Helen Hunt.7
Children:
1. William Lyman — B. (probably) High Ongar, England;2 D. Aug 1615, (probably) High Ongar, England2
2. Phillis Lyman — B. before 12 Sep 1611, High Ongar, England;2 D. about 1648, Hartford, Connecticut;8 M. William Hills (1608-1683), before 16382
3. Richard Lyman — B. before 18 Jul 1613, High Ongar, England;2 D. before 24 Feb 1618, (probably) High Ongar, England2
4. William Lyman — B. before 8 Sep 1616, High Ongar, England;2 D. Nov 1616, (probably) High Ongar, England2
5. Richard Lyman — B. before 24 Feb 1618, High Ongar, England;2 D. 3 Jun 1662, Northampton, Massachusetts;9 M. Hepzibah Ford (1625-1683), 1641, Windsor, Connecticut10
6. Sarah Lyman — B. before Feb 8 1620, High Ongar, England;2 D. 31 Aug 1688, Northampton, Massachusetts;11 M. James Bridgman (1620-1676), 6 Jun 1644, Springfield, Massachusetts12
7. Anne Lyman — B. before 12 Apr 1621, Navestock, Essex, England;2 D. young, (probably) High Ongar, England2
8. John Lyman — B. before 16 Sep 1623, High Ongar, England;13 D. 20 Aug 1690, Northampton, Massachusetts;14 M. Dorcas Plumb (1635-1725), 12 Jan 1654, Branford, Connecticut15
9. Robert Lyman — B. Sep 1629, England;2 M. Hepzibah Bascom (1644-1690), 15 Nov 1662, Northampton, Massachusetts2
Sources:
1 Christening record of Richard Lyman, parish register of High Ongar, Essex, England, Essex Archives
2 The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995, pp. 1218-1219
3 “The Mother of Richard Lyman of Hartford, Connecticut,” Donald Lines Jacobus, The American Genealogist, 1956, pp. 187-190
4 Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America, David Hackett Fischer, 1989, p. 33
5 Genealogy of the Lyman Family in Great Britain and America, Lyman Coleman, 1872
6 Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford (website)
7 FamousKin.com listing of Richard Lyman
8 Find-a-Grave listing of Phyllis (Hills) Lyman
9 Death record of Richard Lyman (younger), Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
10 Marriage record of Richard Lyman and Hepzibah Ford, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com
11 Death record of Sarah Bridgman, M., T. C.,V. & T. R.
12 Marriage record of James Bridgman and Sarah Lyman, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700
13 Birth record of John Lyman, Essex Record Office, Chelmsford, Essex, England, Ancestry.com
14 Death record of John Lyman, Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, FamilySearch.org
15 Marriage record of John Lyman and Dorcas Plumb, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700
Richard first settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where he and his wife were admitted to the church as members.2 It was said of Richard during this time, “He was an ancient Christian, but weak, yet after some time of trial & quickening he joined to the church.”5 This may suggest that he had a theological disagreement with some of the establishment. Further evidence of this is that a couple of years later, he signed on with some dissenters who decided to move away from the Boston area.5
On October 15, 1635, Richard and his family joined a party of 100 people on a mission to settle new lands on the Connecticut River.5 The event would be remembered generations later in a perhaps a romanticized way:
“The journey from Massachusetts was made in about fourteen days time, the distance being more than one hundred miles through a trackless wilderness. They had no guide but their compass, and made their way over mountains, through swamps, thickets and rivers, which were not passable but with the greatest difficulty. They had no cover but the heavens, nor any lodgings but those which simple nature afforded them. They drove with them one hundred sixty head of cattle, and …subsisted in a great measure on the milk of their cows.…The people carried their packs, arms and some utensils.… This adventure was the more remarkable, as many of this company were persons of figure, who had lived in England in honor, affluence and delicacy.” — Benjamin Trumbull, 18185
Puritan settlers’ arrival in Connecticut. (AI rendering from illustration)
In April 1640, Richard wrote his will and was dead by March of the following year.2,5 It was the first will on record for Hartford, and in it he named all five of his children and his wife Sarah, who died in about 1642.5 The inventory of his will was valued at over £83. Richard's name is inscribed on the Hartford Founders’ Monument located in the Ancient Burying Ground.6
Famous descendants of Richard Lyman include Franklin Delano Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright, Frederick Law Olmstead, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Gloria Vanderbilt, Thomas Dewey, Bess Truman, Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, David Hyde Pierce and Helen Hunt.7
Children:
1. William Lyman — B. (probably) High Ongar, England;2 D. Aug 1615, (probably) High Ongar, England2
2. Phillis Lyman — B. before 12 Sep 1611, High Ongar, England;2 D. about 1648, Hartford, Connecticut;8 M. William Hills (1608-1683), before 16382
3. Richard Lyman — B. before 18 Jul 1613, High Ongar, England;2 D. before 24 Feb 1618, (probably) High Ongar, England2
4. William Lyman — B. before 8 Sep 1616, High Ongar, England;2 D. Nov 1616, (probably) High Ongar, England2
5. Richard Lyman — B. before 24 Feb 1618, High Ongar, England;2 D. 3 Jun 1662, Northampton, Massachusetts;9 M. Hepzibah Ford (1625-1683), 1641, Windsor, Connecticut10
6. Sarah Lyman — B. before Feb 8 1620, High Ongar, England;2 D. 31 Aug 1688, Northampton, Massachusetts;11 M. James Bridgman (1620-1676), 6 Jun 1644, Springfield, Massachusetts12
7. Anne Lyman — B. before 12 Apr 1621, Navestock, Essex, England;2 D. young, (probably) High Ongar, England2
8. John Lyman — B. before 16 Sep 1623, High Ongar, England;13 D. 20 Aug 1690, Northampton, Massachusetts;14 M. Dorcas Plumb (1635-1725), 12 Jan 1654, Branford, Connecticut15
9. Robert Lyman — B. Sep 1629, England;2 M. Hepzibah Bascom (1644-1690), 15 Nov 1662, Northampton, Massachusetts2
Sources:
1 Christening record of Richard Lyman, parish register of High Ongar, Essex, England, Essex Archives
2 The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Robert Charles Anderson, 1995, pp. 1218-1219
3 “The Mother of Richard Lyman of Hartford, Connecticut,” Donald Lines Jacobus, The American Genealogist, 1956, pp. 187-190
4 Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America, David Hackett Fischer, 1989, p. 33
5 Genealogy of the Lyman Family in Great Britain and America, Lyman Coleman, 1872
6 Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford (website)
7 FamousKin.com listing of Richard Lyman
8 Find-a-Grave listing of Phyllis (Hills) Lyman
9 Death record of Richard Lyman (younger), Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
10 Marriage record of Richard Lyman and Hepzibah Ford, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com
11 Death record of Sarah Bridgman, M., T. C.,V. & T. R.
12 Marriage record of James Bridgman and Sarah Lyman, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700
13 Birth record of John Lyman, Essex Record Office, Chelmsford, Essex, England, Ancestry.com
14 Death record of John Lyman, Massachusetts, Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, FamilySearch.org
15 Marriage record of John Lyman and Dorcas Plumb, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700
