Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Hannah Bissell

Female 1682 - 1717  (34 years)


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  • Name Hannah Bissell 
    Born 18 Sep 1682  Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died 24 Feb 1717  Hebron, Tolland, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I2128  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Family Nathaniel Phelps,   b. 7/07 Jan 1677/8, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 23 Sep 1746, Hebron, Tolland, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 68 years) 
    Married 28 Mar 1700  Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F1273  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. 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. 110-111:
      "Capt. Nathaniel Phelps, b. Windsor, CT., 7 Jan, bapt 27 Jan 1677-8, removed with his brother Timothy to the settling of Hebron in 1690, before marrying. He m. 1st Hannah Bissel, 28 Mar 1700, dau. of Samuel and Abigail (Holcomb) Bissel. She b. Windsor, 18 Sep 1682, d. in Hebron 24 Feb 1717, aged 35 yrs. Her father was the fourth child of John Bissell the emigrant. He married 2nd Abigail Pinney, 5 Nov 1719, died Hebron, 28 Nov 1761. Capt. Phelps was the first town clerk on the organization of the town of Hebron in 1708-9, an active man in town affairs and captain of the militia. He died in Hebron, 23 Sept., 1746, in his 69th year.
      Children by 1st wife, Hannah Bissel, born Hebron, CT:
      I. Hannah, b. 22 Jan 1701-2, m. Jacob Sherwin.
      II. Nathaniel, b. 19 Sep 1703, m. Mary Curtis, 2nd Rachel Sawyer.
      III. Joshua, b. 19 Sep 1709, d. 1 Jan 1712 (or 28).
      IV. Solomon, b. 29 Jul 1716, m. Temperance Barber.
      Children by 2nd wife, Abigail Pinney:
      V. Abigail, b. 18 Apr 1721, m. three times.
      VI. Alexander, b. 6 Jan 1723-4, m. widow Anna Phelps, 2nd Theodora Wheelock.
      VII. Mehitable, b. 23 Jan 1726, m. David Ingraham."

      2. Henry R. Stiles, "The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut," 1892, v. 2, pp. 77-78:
      A. John, the founder of the W. line of Bissells, sett. at W. bef. 1640 (see pp. 152, 540, 544, Vol. I.); rec'd 1648 or '49, a grant from the Col. Ct., of the monopoly of a ferry across the Conn. River, located on the E. Side, near the wharf belonging to the Quarry Co... Evidences seem to point to the fact that Bissell had built on the east side of the river as early as 1659-60. In 1662, he gave his homestead with the ferry in Old W. to his son John, and rem. with his son Nathaniel to the east side, below the mouth of the Scantic; being, probably, the first family to actually reside on the east side... 13 years later (King Philip's War) the Bissells had neighbors and their house was fortified and garrisoned, as was Thos. Burnham's at Podunk, 3 of 4 miles below. John, Jr., asked, in 1663, to be released form his ferry contract, which was granted on condition that some one could be found to take his place. Perhaps, from that time, the location of the ferry was rem. down to the mouth of Scantic; but certainly, as early as 1677, Nathaniel B. was ferryman there, and the ferry was still known as Bissells's Ferry... [John had 6 children including Samuel and Nathaniel, each of whom had daughters named Hannah; both Hannahs are in this database. John Bissell, also in this database, was also a son of Samuel and a brother to one of the Hannahs.]
      B. Samuel (son of John), m. Abigail (dau. Thos.) Holcomb, 11 Jun 1658; 1661 he bought a lot W. side Broad st., where E.L. Clapp now resides; built and res. there. His father gave him 106 acres, - all of the B. property except that E. of the Great River and that which was sold to Job Drake. He avowed the Half-Way Covenant in W. Ch. 27 Nov 1659. - O.C.R. He d. 17 May 1697/8; his wife d. 17 Aug 1688. Children (O.C.R.):
      a. John, b. 5 Apr, bp. 27 Nov 1659; m. and had ch., if we may judge from inventory of the est. of 'John Bissel, s. of Samuel,' taken 27 Jan 1684 - total £126.15s.2d. The legatees are Abigail 3-1/2 years, and John 2 yrs. old. Adm. to wid., Abigail. - 'Hart. Co. Prob. Rec.'
      b. Abigail, b. 6 Jul 1661.
      c. Jacob, b . 28 Mar 1664; the est. of 'Jacob Bissell, who dyed 1 Aug 1694; inv. 23 Aug 1694...'
      d. Mary. b. 15 Sep 1666.
      e. Samuel, b. 11 Jan 1668 (our 1st edition says m. Elisabeth ___, but his Inventory (Samuel B., Jr., of Vt.), dated 19 Mar 1697/8, mentions Mary Bissell as his widow...
      f. Benajah, b. 30 Jun 1671.
      g. Elizabeth, b. 4, bap. 6 (O.C.R.) Jan 1677.
      h. Deborah, b. 29 Oct 1679.
      i. Hannah, b. 18 Sep 1682 (not in O.C.R.).

      3. Henry R. Stiles, "The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut," 1892, v. 2, p. 569: "Nathaniel Phelps (son of Lt. Timothy, g.son of William), rem. to Hebron, Conn., 1690, with his elder brother Timothy; at org. of Hebron was chosen first town clerk. He d. Hebron 23 Sep 1746; m. (1) 28 Mar 1700, Hannah (dau. Samuel and Abigail Holcomb) Bissell, b. Windsor, 18 Dec 1682; d. Hebron 24 Feb 1717; (2) Abigail Pinney, 5 Nov 1719. Children (b. Hebron):
      A. By first wife:
      a. Hannah, b. 22 Jan 1701/2; m. Jacob Sherwin, 20 Mar 1734.
      b. Nathaniel (Lt.), b. 19 Sep 1703; m. (1) Mary Curtis, 26 Aug 1726; (2) Rachel Savage, 26 Mar 1752.
      c. Joshua, b. 19 Sep 1709; d. 12 Jan 1712/13.
      d. Solomon, b. 29 Jul 1716; married Temperance Barber, 10 May 1738; resided Hebron; 9 children.
      B. By second wife:
      e. Abigail, b. 18 Apr 1721; m. a Bartholomew.
      f. Alexander, b. 6 Jan 1723/4.
      g. Mehitable, b. 23 Jan 1726; m. David Ingraham, 4 Sep 1746; res. Hebron; had (1) David (Ingraham), b. 16 Jan 1748."

      4. From an undated newspaper article published by the "Manchester (Connecticut) Evening Herald": "Hebron in History and Story," by Susan B. Pendleton. Article found in the Windsor Historical Society Library, call no. R979.6N:
      "When the Herald indicated a willingness to allow space for some bits of fact and legend about Hebron, it delighted me beyond measure, and I only wished that my old friend F. Clarence Bissell of blessed memory were here to help in the task. We people of Hebron probably owe more to Mr. Bissell for gathering and preserving Hebron history than to any other person, not even excepting that delightful old historian, the Rev. Samuel Peters, who sang Hebron's glories in the early days in such a way that it was hard to tell fact from fancy.
      Hebron as a town may, be said to have taken its initial start in the world of Attawanhood, (whose baptismal name was Joshua), sachem of the Western Nehantics, and third son of Uncas, great sachem of the Mohegans, made a will, February 1675-6, giving to twenty-nine Saybrook men and women a large tract of land, with a map drawn by himself, showing its location on both sides of the Unguashot River. This river, which runs along the eastern part of Marlborough near the Hebron line, is now commonly known as the Blackledge river, and a sign placed by the state gives that name. It seems a pity that the old Indian name was not used instead. I believe this word is pronounced as if spelled Ungushet, with accent on the second syllable. It is a wide and beautiful stream.
      Chistian Convert.
      Attawanhood left part of this land to his children, and wished them to be taught and trained after the manner of the white people. The home of this old sachem was in what is now Lyme, near the Eight Mile Island. He became a convert to Christianity and was given the name of Joshua at baptism. His will, which may be found entire in the State Library, is an interesting document, but too long to be quoted here in full. By its terms he gives to his two sons, in addition to other tracts, 'forty acres of land already broke up at Podunk, and also a plot of land about half a mile square lying in the last addition to Hartford bounds, and in case either die, then to my two squaws or the survivor of them. Further, my will is that my children be brought up for the first four years, henceforward, with Trusty and their mother to teach them English, and that they should live at or near Saybrooke.' He provides for his daughter, and gives further direction as to the schooling of the three, adding 'Also it is my desire that they come not among the Connecticut Indians.'
      Trusty was his slave, also an Indian. He says of him 'Also I desire Trusty may not go to the Narragansetts. I have chosen him to have the oversight of my children, as aforesaid. Also I desire to be buried at Saybrooke, in a coffin, in an English manner.'
      The Strange Sign.
      The will is signed and sealed at Pattapoque, Feb. 27, 1675-6. Attawanhood (or Joshua, if we must use his less romantic English name) ... [missing pages]
      ...towns, had been settled, the former in 1700 and the latter in 1702, and there were undoubtedly well defined trails for a good part of the way, over which the settlers made their march.
      Further light is thrown on the beginnings of Hebron by the narrative of Governor John S. Peters, a native of Hebron, born in 1772, in his historical notes written in 1843. He says that the two first settlers built log house on ground 'now occupied by Ira Bissell and Joel Wilcox, in autumn of 1705.' Trumbull has this date 1704, but possibly the discrepancy may be accounted for by the 'old style and new style' system of dates. It seems likely, whatever the date, that the settlers built their log houses that first fall after staking out their claims. Hilding brothers now live on the Ira Bissell place, and when a few years ago, they made some excavations for the purpose of making a foundation for a garage, they came upon the old site of one of the log houses. An ancient looking ink bottle was found by one of the men while digging. The bottle was whole and is preserved by the Hilding family. While this may have been part of refuse or junk thrown into the cellar hole or foundation after the old log house had gone down it probably dated well back to the early days of the town. And it may easily have been owned by the first settlers.
      First White Woman.
      Governor Peters in his memoirs tells the story of the coming of the first white woman in these words: 'While the men were making preparations for their families in the summer of 1706, they brought their provisions with them and remained for weeks at their new homes. Their wives, being anxious for the welfare of their husbands and unwilling to be left too long alone, four or five started one shining morning for the promised land, twenty long miles through the wilderness, regulating their course by marked trees and crossing the streams on logs felled for the purpose.
      Night overtook them in the lower part of Gilead. They wandered from the line and brought up on the hill south of Nathan Smith's house was later located. Fearing that the wolves would regale themselves on their delicious bodies they concluded to roost upon the top of the high rock on the summit of the hill. Here they proclaimed their lamentations to the winds. This novel serenade attracted the attention of their husbands, who wandered towards the sound until they fortunately found their wives on the rock which they had chosen for their night's repose.
      The gratification of the interview can be better imagined than described.'
      As Governor Peters was a great hand for setting down memoirs or historical notes, and as he could easily have talked with the children or grandchildren of these early settlers, there would seem to be no doubt of the truth of the delightful little tale.
      Hardy, Brave Women.
      One can imagine these brave, eager women, impatient at the long delay which had left them at Windsor, separated from their husbands, and with no means of finding out whether they were so much as dead or alive. It is no wonder that, wearied of waiting and eating out their hearts with anxiety, they finally decided to take the matter into their own hands and find out for themselves where their husbands were and how they were faring.
      Two of these women were Timothy Phelps' wife and William Shipman's wife. It is thought that a third may have been Nathaniel Phelps' wife, and it has also been suggested that an unmarried sister or two may have accompanied them. Timothy Phelps' wife was Martha Crow, who was born in Windsor in 1670, and was therefore 36 years old. Her husband was 43, and at the time they had five children, Martha, 16, Timothy, 13, Noah 12, Cornelius, 8, and Charles, 4. It is supposed that the oldest daughter, Martha, may have stayed at home to look out for the younger children.
      Perhaps one reason why Martha, Timothy's wife, was bent on making the trip to the new settlement of her husband was an account of a poignant memory of a painful experience which had happened in her family years before. Her father, Christopher Crow, as tersely noted on Windsor records, had 'disappeared for parts unknown.' His wife, Mary Burr Crow, Martha's mother, going in search of him was never heard from again, so the children were left fatherless and motherless, although, it is said, well provided for. The mystery of the disappearance of the parents has never been solved, though descendants have made all possible research. Probably it was Martha who was the leading spirit in the Hebron walking trip.
      Strange Disappearance.
      They undoubtedly started out early in the morning on a pleasant summer day, wearing homespun garments and stout shoes. No doubt, too, they carried along with them as much provision in the shape of food as they could manage, samples of their own cooking maybe, with which to regale their husbands who had been so long deprived of such good things. Supposedly the trip went well at first; the trail not difficult to follow, logs over the streams easy to cross, the woods green and pleasant with the sun shining through here and there, marks on the trees to set them right when they were at all doubtful.
      One can picture them resting by the side of some brook, along about noon, eating their carefully carried lunch, and drinking from the stream. By that time their feet were getting tired and they were a little stiff and lame. They went on a little slower, and by and by it began to grow darker in the thick woods, harder to make sure of their way. And at last dusk came creeping on. The shadows gave the trees a weird look. They could no longer distinguish the marks on the trees. It is no wonder that the wayfarers strayed from the trail, casting about in a panic until they brought up in the lower part of Gilead. Only there was not any Gilead then, nothing but wilderness of trees.
      As the darkness deepened, they heard hoarse, ominous sounds, and they wandered wildly here and there in the attempt to find their bearings. No doubt well trained in woods lore the women managed to reestablish their way in the right general direction. Finally they stumbled by chance upon a great boulder in the vicinity of Burrow Hill, near Edwin T. Smith's place. Mr. Smith is a descendant of the Nathan Smith mentioned by Peters in his account. But of course nobody lived there then.
      They hailed the great rock as a heaven sent refuge, and managed somehow or other to scramble up on its rugged sides and cast themselves down on its broad, flat top. If at this stage they gave way to 'lamentations' as the facetious historian, Peters, would have us believe, it is hardly to be wondered at, but I believe that after they had taken a minute or two to catch their breaths and send up a prayer to heaven, they made the welkin ring with a loud hallooing, in the hope that maybe, just possibly, the men would hear them and come to their rescue.
      Rescued.
      The distance across the valley from the rock to the place where the log houses were located in not so far that such a call might not have been heard on a still summer evening. And what a meeting that must have been when the men came hurrying pell mell, to find the women on top of the rock!
      After having walked considerably further than twenty miles, in their wanderings, these hardy pioneer women must have been almost exhausted, but it can easily be imagined that in their delight at finding their 'men folks,' they forgot their weariness and were able to continue the mile or so more to the pleasant little log houses in their promised land.
      Nathaniel Phelps' wife was Hannah Bissell, a daughter of Samuel. From the women of this party many Hebron people have descended, indeed, it is probably not too much to say that about all the old Hebron families can trace back to them in one way or another.
      The rock of the story may be seen today just as it was when the women scrambled atop of it, and many parties of young people or others interested in historical lore continue to visit it. It is on a pasture owned by Edwin T. Smith. It is a relic of the glacial period and by some mighty convulsion."

      5. FHL book 929.273 L995m "Ancestors and Descendants of Thomas Rice Lyon and his Wife Harriet Wade Rice...," by Patty Barthell Myers (2003), pp. 357-60:
      "EDWARD1 GRISWOLD, son of George Griswold and his first wife Dousubel (___) and half-brother of Matthew Griswold...
      [Children...]
      viii MARY GRISWOLD, bpt. Windsor 13 Oct 1644; d. 1690; m. 19 May 1661/2 TIMOTHY PHELPS, b. Windsor 1 Sept 1639; d. 1719, s/o William Phelps and his second wife, Mary Dover. Children (PHELPS): Timothy m. Martha Crow, d/o Christopher Crow and Mary Burr; Joseph m. Sarah Hosford; William m/1 Abigail Mudge, m/2 Ruth Barber, d/o Samuel Barber & Mary Coggens; Cornelius m. Sarah Mansfield; Mary d. in her teens; Samuel m. Abigail Eno, d/o James Eno and Abigail Bissell; Nathaniel m/1 Hannah Bissell, d/o Samuel Bissell & Abigail Holcomb, m/2 Abigail Pinney; Sarah m. David Marshall; Abigail m. Samuel Filer; Hannah m/1 Thomas Phelps, m/2 James3 Eno (James2,1); Ann m. David Porter, s/o John Porter & Joanna Gaylord; Martha m. Samuel Holcomb...
      (Edward Elbridge Salisbury & Evelyn McCurdy Salisbury, Gen. & Biog. Monographs on the Fam. of Griswold, Wolcott, Pitkin, Ogden, et.al.; pp: 10-13; Nash, Fifty Puritan Ancestors, pp. 102-5; Ruth Lee Griswold, Griswold Family, pp. 188-9; Richard A. Wheeler, History of Stonington, Conn., p. 537; Alvan Talcott, Families of Early Guilford, Conn., pp. 530-1; Esther Griswold French and Robert Lewis French, The Griswold Family, The First Five Generations in America, p. 13 et seq.; Savage sv Edward, George, Francis, Joseph Griswold; Torrey sv Edward, George, John, Joseph, Francis Griswold; James Bemis.)"

      MARRIAGE:
      1. From the book "New England Marriages Prior to 1700,' by Clarence Almon Torrey, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, copy in the Windsor, CT., Historical Society Library, p. 576:
      "Phelps, Nathaniel and Hannah Bissell (1682-1717); 28 Mar 1700, 20 Mar 1700; Windsor, CT."