| Notes |
- BIOGRAPHY:
1. "The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography":
a. Entry for George Barber, pg. 169: "...a descendant of Thomas Barber who came from Bedfordshire, England, to Windsor, Conn., in 1635, and won local faame by his services in the Pequot war. From him and his wife Jane (or Joan), the line is through their son Thomas and wife Mary Phelps.
b. Entry for Charles Russel Barber, pg. 399: "...a descendant of Thomas Barber, who came from England in 1635, settling at Windsor, Conn. From Thomas and his wife Jane ___ the descent was through Thomas and Mary Phelps."
2. FHL book 929.273 B233bd, "The Connecticut Barbers, A Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Barber of Windsor, Connecticut," 2nd Ed., Donald S. Barber, pp. 5-6: "Lt. Thomas Barber, baptized Windsor, CT, 14 Jul 1644, d. Simsbury, CT, 10 May 1713, m. Windsor 17 Dec 1663 Mary Phelps, b. 2 Mar 1644/5, d. 13 Feb 1725/6, dau. of William Sr. and Mary (Dover) Phelps. After Thomas and Mary were married, they lived in a house built by Thomas in Windsor, on a lot he purchased in 1664. About 1670/1 he moved his family to Simsbury along with his brother Samuel and family. On March 3, 1676/7 during the so-called 'King Phillip's War,' Lt. Thomas Barber of the original military company of Simsbury was instrumental in saving the Simsbury residents, according to an old tradition. Some of Phillip's Wampanoag Indians threatened to attack the town. Thomas 'ascended the roof of his house, in the place called Hopmeadow, and beat an alarm on his drum. The wind being favorable, the alarm was heard in Windsor, some seven or eight miles off.' The Windsor militia, hearing the alarm, quickly assembled, rushed to Simsbury and were able to evacuate safely the people of Simsbury to safety in Windsor, where they stayed for several months. King Phillip burned and destroyed everything on March 26th, 1676. Eventually they returned to their community and began the task of rebuilding. Once the town was rebuilt life in Simsbury was due to change. Up to this point the grain grown by the farmners had to be hauled to the Warham Gristmill in Windsor. This was no easy task, due to weather conditions not always being favorable, the roads leaving much to be desired even for the oxen, and the lessening danger of attacks by Indians or wild animals. Thomas Barber had proven his leadership ability during the King PHillip's War, and now his skills, along with those of 3 other men, were contracted by the town for a more peaceful pursuit, that of building and running a sawmill and gristmill. The Simsbury gristmill built by these men in about 1680 was still in operation until the early 1950s, when the mill was operated as a Jute Yarn factory under the ownership of R.H. Ensign. After that the mill was idle for about 30 years. In 1985 major renovations took place. The Ensign-Bickford Company dismantled the entire building board by board and reassembled it. The present-day building is beautifully resotred, winning for the owners the Greater Hartford Architecture Conservancy Award. The Hop Brook Restaurant was recently located for a time in the present structure. This was an absolutely delightful place beside the brook, for lunch or dinner. Thomas Barber's carpentry skills, passed on from his father, were much in demand, and he later built the first church in Simsbury, in 1683. He was hired by the town in 1671 to build 'a meeting house for public worship,' but for 12 years there was a bitter argument over which side of the river it would be built on. Finally 2 slips of paper were placed in a hat, and one was drawn, in favor of the West side of the river. Once it was completed, the new building was used for 60 years. [Sources: 1909 Barber Gen; Lure of the Litchfield Hills; Barbour Index; Lyman Barber Gen; CT Hist Soc: LB Barbour Manuscripts.] children of Thomas and Mary:
a. John, b. Windsor, 1 Nov 1664, m. Mary Holcomb.
b. Mary, b. Windsor, 11 Jan 1666/7.
c. Sarah, b. Windsor, 2 Jul 1669, d. 31 Mar 1748, m. Simsbury 26 Nov 1701 Andrew Robe, b. 30 May 1662. Sarah had no children.
d. Joanna, b. 1670(?), m. (1) Simsbury 3 Jan 1710/1 Josiah Adkins, bapt. 16 Jan 1686/7, d. Hartford, CT, 25 Jun 1713, son of Thomas and Jane (Williams) Adkins. Joanna and Josiah had no children. Joanna m. (2) Benjamin Colt, born abt. Apr 1669, d. at Hartford May or June 1739, son of John and Hester (Edwards) Colt... Benjamin res. Windsor 1710, East Windsor in 1722, and later in Hartford. [One child noted of Joanna and Benjamin.]
e. Anne, b. Simsbury 1671, d. there 15 Nov 1722, m. Simsbury ('both of Simsbury') 4 Dec 1701 Jonathan Higley, b. Windsor 16 Feb 1675/6, d. May 1716, son of Captian John and Hannah (Drake) Higley. [Notes children born of this couple.]
f. Thomas, b. Simsbury 7 Oct 1671 (?confused with birthdate of Thomas, son of Samuel), m. Abigail Buel.
g. Samuel, b. Simsbury 17 May 1673, m. Sarah Holcomb.
h. Child, b. Simsbury 1677, d. young."
3. Mentioned in father's will per the book "The Phelps Family of America and their English Ancestors," comp. by Oliver Seymour Phelps of Portland, Oregon and Andrew T. Servin of Lenox, Massachusetts, 1899, pp. 72-85:
"The following is the last Will and Testament of Mr. William Phelps, or properly speaking, his Settlement Deed. From Windsor Records,
'These presents testify, that I, William Phelps, of Windsor, on Connecticut, in consideration of a marriage concluded between my son Timothy, on the one part, and Mary, the daughter of Edward Griswold, on the other; have given and granted, and by these presents do give and grant unto my son, that he, the said Timothy, shall jointly enjoin and possess, together with me, all my houseing, lands and accommodations, as also all my estate, both real and personal, both within door and without, with all the property emoluments, products, and income of the same, during my material life; And my said son is to inhabit and dwell in my house, with me and my wife, in joint way; and that it shall continue during my material life; and if my wife shall survive me, she have and enjoy in a joint way with my son the estate for her maintenance as before expressed. But if my wife chooses to settle in any place and to leave the house, then my son shall pay yearly to my wife, the sum of ten pounds during her material life, and in case I myself in my life time, or my wife after my decease, in her lifetime while she abides, to inhabit with my said son Timothy, she see cause or desire it, I do reserve power both for myself and for her, after my decease to dispose a barrel or two of cider and some apples yearly, without any harm to the premises, and likewise I do reserve like liberty for myself and my wife, to dispose of my wearing apparel, and whom we shall meet to enjoy them after our decease. Also I do give full power of bequeathing the great brass pan at her decease; and my son Timothy is to carry the improvements of the whole Estate, and to order and dispose of the stock, so far as the necessity of our subsistance shall require, and after my decease and the decease of my wife, my said son Timothy shall have and enjoy all my whole estate fore mentioned to him and his heirs forever, always provided that in case my said son Timothy shall die and leave no natural heirs begotten by him, that shall either not attain the age of twenty-one years or marry, then the one-half of my lands exempting the orchard and pasture down to the bridge, that goeth into the meadow; also the upper pasture by the house that shall belong to the house, shall return to 'william, the son of my son Samuel. Also my son Timothy is to pay out of the estate: Imprimis to discharge my daughter Mary, with that which is paid, the sum of 34 pounds, which is the full portion I allow her. To my son William twenty shillings, to Samuel ten pounds, to Nathaniel fifteen pounds, to Joseph five pounds - these legacies to my sons to be discharged within two years of my decease. In consideration of the premises we both have hereunto set our hands this 22nd day of April Anno Dom. 1660. Witness to the signatures: Daniel Clark, James Alford, William Phelps, Timothy Phelps. Entered o the Windsor, Conn., Register, July 26th, 1672'."
4. From the book "Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-33":
"William Phelps:
Origin: Crewkerne, Somersetshire Migration: 1630 on Mary & John First Residence: Dorchester Removes: Windsor 1635... Birth: By about 1593 based on estimated date of marriage. Death: Windsor 14 July 1672 ("Old Mr. William Phelps died" [Births Marriages and Deaths Returned from Hartford, Windsor and Fairfield and Entered in the Early Land Records of the Colony of Connecticut..., Edwin Stanley Welles, ed. (Hartford 1898), hereinafter refered to as CTVR, 27]). Marriage: (1) By 1618 Mary ____, who was buried at Crewkerne 13 August 1626. (2) Crewkerne 14 November 1626 Anne Dover. "Mistress Phelps" was the first on the list of women members of the church at Dorchester who came with Mr. Warham to Windsor ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" in Some Early Records and Documents of and Relating to the Town of Windsor, Connecticut, 1639-1703 (Hartford 1930) hereinafter refered to as "Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 9]. She died Windsor 30 August 1689 ("Mrs. An Phelps died" [CTVR 57]). Children:
With first wife
i William, bp. Crewkerne 9 September 1618; m. (1) Windsor 4 June 1645 Isabel Wilson ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55; The American Genealogist, Volume 9 to present (1932+) 52:78]; m. (2) Windsor 20 December 1676 Sarah Pinney ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 72].
ii Samuel, bp. Crewkerne 5 August 1621; m. Windsor 10 November 1650 Sarah Griswold ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55].
iii Infant, bur. Crewkerne 8 January 1623[/4].
iv Nathaniel, bp. Crewkerne 6 March 1624[/5]; m. Windsor 17 September 1650 Elizabeth (____) Copley ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55].
With second wife
v Cornelius, bp. Crewkerne 13 October 1627; no further record.
vi Joseph (twin), bp. Crewkerne 13 November 1628; m. (1) Windsor 20 September 1660 Hannah Newton ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" in Some Early Records and Documents of and Relating to the Town of Windsor, Connecticut, 1639-1703 (Hartford 1930) 57; The American Genealogist, Volume 9 to present (1932+) 65:13-16]; m. (2) Northampton 19 December 1676 Mary (____) Salmon [Manuscript volume of vital records kept by John Pynchon, at Connecticut Valley Historical Museum 20].
vii Mary (twin), bp. Crewkerne 13 November 1628; d. soon.
viii Mary, bp. Crewkerne 6 December 1629; no further record.
ix Sarah, b. say 1632; m. Windsor 9 June 1658 William Wade [Loomis 1:63].
x Timothy, b. Windsor Aug. or 1 September 1639 ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55]; m. Windsor 19 March 1661[/2?] Mary Griswold ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 56].
xi Mary, b. March 1644 ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 55]; m. Windsor 17 December 1663 Thomas Barber ["Matthew Grant Record, 1639-1681" 25]. Comments: In 1919 Mary Lovering Holman prepared a brief account of the family of William Phelps [Mary Lovering Holman, The Scott Genealogy.... (Boston 1919), 252-53]. In 1990 Myrtle S. Hyde resolved the problem of the identity of the wives of William Phelps and was also able to find the baptisms of his children in England [The American Genealogist, Volume 9 to present (1932+) 65:161-66]. All the Crewkerne records cited above are taken from her article."
5. The book "The Phelps Family of America and their English Ancestors," comp. by Oliver Seymour Phelps of Portland, Oregon and Andrew T. Servin of Lenox, Massachusetts, 1899, p. 97:
"Mary Phelps, b. Windsor, Ct., 2 Mar 1644, bp. 19 Jul 1644, m. Lieut. Thomas Barber, 13 Dec 1660, the son of Thomas Barber, (who was the first of his name in New England, coming with Francis Stiles in 1635.)
Mr. Barber first settled in Windsor, where he built a house in 1671, soon removing to Simsbury, where he died 10 Mar 1701 (or 3), in his 55th year, leaving an estate of 488 poounds, 18 shillings and 3 pence.
Children [all with surname Barber]:
I. John, b. Windsor, Ct. 1 Nov 1662, m. Mary Holcomb.
II. Mary, b. Windsor, 11 May 1666.
III. Sarah, b. Windsor, 12 Jul 1669. m. 26 Nov 1701, Andrew Robe. No issue.
IV. Joanna, b. Windsor abt. 1670, m. Josiah Adkins, 3 Jan 1710-11. No issue.
V. Anna, b. Windsor abt 1670, m. Jonathan Higley.
VI Thomas, b. Simsbury, Ct., 7 Oct 1671, m. Abigail Buell.
VII. Samuel, b. Simsbury, 17 May 1673, m. Sarah Holcomb.
VIII. A child, b. Windsor in 1677, died young."
6. Henry R. Stiles, "The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut," 1892, v. 2, p. 50: "Barber, Thomas (son of Thomas), m. 13 Oct 166-, Mary (dau. Wm., Sen.) Phelps, 17 Dec 1663 (Col. Rec.); 1664 he bought at W. land 'whereon he builded'; the lot of Smauel Pond, except about 1-1/2 acres next to Silver street, on which P.'s house stood, and which doubtless faced the Hollow Fall road; rem. 1671 to Simsbury, where, 1682, he was a townsman; d. at S. 1701 (03?); estate £488, 18s, 3d. She b. W. 2 Mch, bp. 19 July 1644. Ch. b. at W. (O.C.R.):
A. John, b. 1 Nov 1662; m. Mary Holcomb.
B. Mary, b. 11 Jan 1666.
C. Sarah, b. 12 Jul 1669; m. And. Robe.
D. Joanna, b. abt. 1670; m. Josiah Adkins.
E. Anne, m. Jonathan Higley.
F. Thomas, b. 7 Oct 1671, m. Abigail Buel.
G. Samuel, b. 17 May 1673, m. Sarah Holcomb.
(Thos.B. Jr. is cr (O.C.R.) in 1677 with 4 ch b. in W.)
7. Henry R. Stiles, "The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut," 1892, v. 2, pp. 563-65, has the following information, but I omit the first part which states he was born in 1599 in Tewkesbury in County Gloucester and married Elizabeth since this is not regarded as being correct as explained in notes above: "William... came to Dorchester, Mass., with Rev. Mr. Warham, of whose church, formed in Plymouth, England, he was an original member. - Old Church Records. He was accompanied hither by his wife and five children... He was from the first a prominent and highly respected citizen at Dorchester, his name frequently occurring in the "Mass. Records." 19 Oct 1630, he applied to be made a freeman; 9 Nov 1630, he was one of the jury empaneled for the trial of Walter Palmer for the murder of Austin Brotchus - the first trial by jury in New England; 27 Sep 1631, he was appointed Constable of Dorchester; 4 Mar 1634, Ens. Gibbs and Wm. Felps were appointed by the Genreral Court to go with a committee of three to arrange the borders between Boston and Dorchester, and explain what each town wants; 5 May 1635, he was a member of the General Court of Massachusetts from Dorchester. In the spring of 1636 he removed with his children (his wife having died in Dorchester) to Windsor, whither his brother George is understood to have preceded him, in the first emigration of Mr. Warham's church in the fall of 1635.
In Windsor, as in Dorchester, he ranked as an honored and active citizen; was a member of the first court held in Connecticut, 1636; also in 1637, which declared war against the Pequots; was a magistrate from 1638 to the close of 1642; foreman of the first Grand Jury 1643; deputy to Gen. Ct. 1645, '46-'49, '51, '57; in 1658 was again made magistrate and held the office for 4 years after; is frequeintly named on the petit jury; in 1641 was appointed together with Mr. Welles of Hartford a committee on 'lying'. He was an excellent, pious, and upright man in his public and private life, and was truly 'a pillar in church and state.' His residence in Windsor was about three-quarters of a mile N.W. of Broad St on the road to Poquonock, on a place owned (1859) by Dea. Roger Phelps.
He m. (2) at Windsor, Mary Dover, b. in England, and who is said to have been a fellow passenger with him on the 'Mary and John.' She was a member of original church of Dorchester and Windsor. - O.C.R.
After a residence of 42 years in New England, ow which 36 where passed in Windsor, he died there 14 Jul 1672; his widow d. 27 Nov 1675. - O.C.R.
In the Old Church Records and other Windsor records, Mr. Phelps was distinguished from his son William as 'Ould Mr. Phelps.' children (by first marriage, born in England):
A. William, b. abt. 1620 (in a deposition taken at Hartford 29 May 1677, is mentioned as being about threescore years of age - i.e. b. 1617); removed from Dorchester with his father to Windsor where he was admitted to member of Windsor church 17 Nov 1639. - O.C.R. He m. (1) Isabel Wilson, 4 Jun 1645, 'now since 29 years and has had no child,' 15 Jul 1674 (O.C.R.); she admitted to Windsor 11 Mar 1654 (O.C.R.); d.s.p. He m. (2) Sarah (dau. Humphrey) Pinney, 20 Dec 167 (O.C.R.); she was b. 19 Nov, bp. 3 Dec 1648; he sett. one-third of his ppy. on her before marriage; no issue by her. He was made a freeman at Hartford 1669; d. 7 Feb 1681; contrib. 9 s. to Conn. Fund for Relief of Poor of other Cols., 1676. His noncupative will, dated 10 Feb 1681 gives all his land to his bro. Timothy. (He had land near his father, and his homestead on the N. side of the E. and W. road which ran from Josiah Ellsworth's {late Peter Brown's} house to the Rivulet. It was garrisoned in King Philip's War (1675/6) by details of Windsor men. William,. Jr. was a worthy man, tho' not a conspicuous figure as compared with his father. He had one of his wife's nephew's, Samuel Wilson, reside with him, and possibly (O.C.R.) adopted him. He gave him land on the opp. side of road form his own house. In making Sarah Pinney his second wife he executed a jointure before marriage, giving her much of his property, and a controversy arose, after the death of 'William the younger,' concerning this land, between her and the adopted son. William Phelps owned the W. part of the Ellison-Orton lot, 40 rods on highway, and bought of Sam. Pond 11 rods more, ext'g from his ho.-lot S. 51 rods of present ditch which drained the once swamp W. of old highway. - J.H.H.)
B. Sarah, b. abt. 1623; m. Windsor 9 Jun 1658 Wm. Wade of Middletown, Conn.; she d. 10 Jul 1659; s.p.
C. Samuel, b. abt. 1625.
D. Nathaniel, b. abt. 1627.
E. Joseph, b. abt. 1629.
By second marriage:
F. Timothy, 'was born here in Aug. 1639' - O.C.R.
G. Mary, 'was born here March 1644'; m. Thos. Barber; sett. at Simsbury and became the ancestors of the S. Barbers."
8. "The American Genealogist," 68(Jul 1990):161-166, "The English Origin of William1 Phelps of Dorchester, Mass., and Windsor, Conn., with Notes on His Marriages," by Myrtle Stevens Hyde:
"William1 Phelps of Dorchester, Mass., and Windsor, Conn....
Children (Phelps) of William, v-viii by his second wife Anne (Dover) (bp. Crewkerne), ix-xi either by Anne or by a third wife (see discussion above)...
xi. Mary (again) b. in March 1644, bp. 2 March (Windsor Early Recs. p. 55; Windsor VR), prob. d. Simsbury 13 Feb. 1725/6 as "Marey Barber ye Eldest" (Albert C. Bates, "Simsbury, Connecticut, Births, Marriages and Deaths..." [Hartford 1898] p. 158); m. Windsor 17 Dec. 1663 Thomas Barber (Welles p. 10, as "Marsey")."
MARRIAGE:
1. Note the discrepancy of marriage dates between the Barber and Phelps history books. Barber had 17 Dec 1663 with first son John b. 1 Nov 1664. Phelps has 13 Dec 1660 with John b. 1 Nov 1662. Phelps has a four year gap between the birth of John and his next sibling Mary on 11 May 1666. I have selected Barber's date for the time being subject to further research.
ACTION:
1. I originally had two undocumented additional wives for Thomas: Anne Chase, m. 27 Apr 1681, and Mary Dow, no marriage date. They don't seem correct in light of the quotation above. Check out "The Chase Family Story" compiled by Richard Chase Fassett & Rosalind Chase Bush, just in case.
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Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy
1644 - 1726 (82 years)