Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Benjamin Gillett

Male 1680 - Aft 1726  (> 47 years)


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  • Name Benjamin Gillett 
    Born 3 Oct 1680  Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Christened 30 Oct 1681  Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United States. Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died Aft 1726  of Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I2253  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Father John Gillett,   b. 5 Oct 1644, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Nov 1682, Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 38 years) 
    Mother Mary or Mercy or Marcy Barber,   b. 12 Oct 1651, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Dec 1725, Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 74 years) 
    Married 8 Jul 1669  Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F1192  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Elizabeth Austin,   b. 20 Apr 1684, Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Oct 1752, Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 68 years) 
    Married 6 Sep 1705  Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F1330  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. FHL book 929.273 B233bd, "The Connecticut Barbers, A Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Barber of Windsor, Connecticut," 2nd Ed., Donald S. Barber, p. 4: "Benjamin (or Nathaniel) Gillett, b. 3 Oct 1680, m. Elizabeth Austin, res. Suffield."
      Note that I had previously had Nathaniel and Benjamin as two separate individuals with Nath. b. 3 Oct 1680 and Benj., b. 13 Oct 1680, an obvious problem birthdate-wise. The author combines these two individuals as one until more evidence is found otherwise. According to Stiles, as noted below, the Church Records of Windsor indicates Nathaniel's birth and none for Benjamin, which I have also confirmed. On the other hand there is a Benjamin identified in the father's probate, as transcribed below, but no Nathaniel. Some undocumented articles suppose there may have been twin brothers.

      2. FHL book 929.273 B233w, "Descendants of Thomas Barber of Windsor, Connecticut, 1614-1909," John Barber White, pp. 29-30:
      "Mary Barber, bp. Oct. 12, 1651. In the 'Hartford Probate Records' the name is given as Mercy. She m. July 8, 1669, John Gillett, son of Jonathan Gillett, the Emigrant. He was b. in Windsor, Oct. 5, 1644. Children:
      a. Thomas Gillett, b. Jan. 7, 1671; bp. 'ye 14;' d. young.
      b. John Gillett, b. Aug. 6, 1673; d. July 4, 1699.
      c. Thomas Gillett, b. July 18, ___; bp. 23, 1676.
      d. Samuel Gillett, b. Feb. 16, 1678.
      e. Nathaniel Gillett, b. Oct. 3, 1680; bp. in Hartford, Oct. 30, 1681.
      f. Mercy Gillett, b. Jan.31, 163; (Old Church Records state b. Oct. 30, 1682, Hartford.)

      3. Henry R. Stiles, "The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut," 1892, v. 2, p. 290:
      "John (son of Jonathan) Gillett, m. Mary (dau. Thos.) Barber, 8 Jul 1669; was of Simsbury; bought of Wm. Phelps the Joseph Phelps place at Windsor, and probably resided there; contributed 1s3d to Connecticut Fund for Relief of Poor in other Colonies, 1676. Children (all but eldest and youngest from Old Church Records):
      a. Thomas, b. 7 Jan 1671; bp. 'ye 14'; d.y.
      b. John, b. 6 Aug 1673; d. 4 Jul 1699.
      c. Thomas, b. 18, bp. 23 Jul 1676.
      d. Samuel, b. 16 Feb 1677.
      e. Nath'l, b. 3 Oct 1680; 'bp. at Htfd., '30 Oct 1681.'
      f. Mercy, b. 31 Jan 1682; O.C.R. has it, 'b. 30 Oct 1682, at Hartford.'
      [No Austin family biography in book.]

      4. 20 Mar 2008 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bart/Gillet.htm:
      "John Gillett born 5 Oct. 1644 in Windsor, married Mercy/Mary Barber 8 July 1669 in Windsor, died shortly before 5 Dec. 1682 in Simsbury (Windsor?). Mercy was baptized 12 Oct. 1651 in Windsor, died 29 Mar. (31 Dec.?) 1725 in Suffield, CT. She was a daughter of Thomas & Jane (Joan?) Barber. She married (2) Capt. George Norton 14 (20?) June 1683 in Windsor. John inherited from his father 6 acres of land without the west bounds of Windsor. The inventory of the estate of John Gillett of Windsor was taken 5 Dec. 1682 by John Loomis, Sen. It was valued at £140-14-06. Legatees were widow Mercy Gillett, John age 9, Thomas age 6, Samuel age 5, Benjamin age 2 and Mercy born 30 Jan. last. Widow Mercy Gillett was appointed administratrix with Jonathan Gillett, Peter Browne, John Barber and Samuel Barber to be overseers. [Manwaring, Charles W., "A Digest of Early CT Probate Records, 1677-1687," 121.]
      John and Mercy had 7 children all born in Windsor, one of whom, Samuel Gillett, was born 16 Feb. 1677/8, married Rebecca Bancroft 22 Jan. 1701/2 in Suffield, CT, died in 1739 in Granville, MA, buried in Suffield. Rebecca was born 23 Feb. 1680 in Springfield, MA. She was a daughter of Thomas & Margaret (Wright) Bancroft of the Springfield, MA, region with residence at the "lower wharf" now Enfield, CT. Samuel & Rebecca Gillett's eldest son John Gillett born 16 Jan. 1704/5 in Suffield, Hampshire Co., MA (now CT), but now of Nowarck in Providence of East Jarsey in America, Dish Turner, conveyed to Nathll Copley of Windsor, Hartford Co., Conn., Shipwrite, land in Suffield & Bedford, Hampshire Co. that came to me from my father Samuel Gillet formerly of Suffield but late of Bedford (now Granville) deceased (Springfield, MA, Deed Book H:229). [NEH&GR, 1947-1948), 101:46 & 285-286 & 102:237.] So here we have a second cousin of my Elijah Gillet also living in Newark, NJ in 1734/5! Note that their early home towns of Suffield and Enfield are only about 5 miles apart and that the ages of John and Elijah are only about 1½ years different.
      Another son of John & Mercy was Thomas Gillet, the great-great-grandfather of William Hooker Gillette, who had Gillette Castle built on the Connecticut River near Hadlyme 1914-1919. [Priest, Alice L., "The Brothers Jonathan & Nathan Gillett & Some of their Descendants" [Mrs. William C. Clark, "William Hooker Gillette, Actor and Playwright," TAG (1968), 45:225-228.]"

      5. The book "Gillette Families, Some of the Descendants of Jonathan Gillet and Nathan Gillet," comp. Bertha Bortle Beal Aldridge, 1955, p. 19 [Note that the date given for the marriage of Mary to George Norton is incorrect; Mary's death date is uncertain; does not mention the first Thomas child nor Nathaniel (who she confuses with a non-existent Benjamin (even though they clearly show in the colonial records as noted in Jay Holbrook's manuscript of original sources as transcribed separately in these notes).]:
      "John Gillet (son of Jonathan), b. 5 Oct 1644, Windsor, Conn, d. 1682, ae. 38 years (inv. of estate taken 5 Dec 1682); m. 18 Jul 1669 at Windsor, Conn., Mary Barber, dau. of Thomas and Jane (Coggin) Barber. Bp. 12 Oct 1651 at Windsor, Conn., d. 31 Dec 1725 at Suffield, Conn., she m (2) at Windsor 14 Jun 1682, Capt. George Norton of Suffield.
      Children:
      Benjamin Gillet, b. 3 Oct 1680; m. Elizabeth Austin, 6 Sep 1705.
      Thomas, b. 31 May 1678; d. 11 Jun 1708; m. 21 Nov 1700, Martha Mills; m. (2) 26 Feb 1704, Hannah Clark d. 20 Feb 1709.
      John, b. 1673; d. 1699. Unmarried.
      Samuel, b. 16 Feb 1677-8 at Windsor; d. 1739, Granville, Mass., m. 22 Jan 1701-2, Rebecca Bancroft, b. 23 Feb 1680, dau. of Thomas and Margaret (Wright) Bancroft.
      Mercy, b. 31 Jan 1682; m. 24 Dec 1702, Jacob Adams of Suffield, born here abt. 1681; d. 28 Oct 1756, son of John Adams."

      6. From the Gillett family file of the Windsor Historical Society, an article entitled: "The Brothers Jonathan and Nathan Gillett and Some of Their Descendants," comp. by Alice Lucinda Priest, B.L., of Brookline, Mass., p. 63:
      "Benjamin Gillett (son of John, gson of Jonathan), of Suffield, Conn., probably a twin and born in Windsor, Conn., 3 Oct 1680 and brought up in Suffield after his mother's second marriage. He married there, 6 Sep 1705, Elizabeth Austin, born there 20 April 1684, dau. of Captain Anthony and Esther Austin. Her gravestone in West Suffield cemetery records her death 7 Oct 1752, in 68th year.
      Children, born in Suffield:
      a. Elizabeth, b. 20 Aug 1706; m. in Suffield, 9 Dec 1730, James Andros of Farmington.
      b. Benjamin, b. 2 Nov 1708.
      c. Mercy, b. 16 Dec 1710; m. in Suffield, 7 Sep 1736, Joseph Hale.
      d. Joseph, b. 15 Mar 1712/3.
      e. Daniel, b. 19 Sep 1715.
      f. Noah, b. 22 Jan 1717/18.
      g. John, b. 29 Mar 1720.
      h. Isaac, b. 7 Apr 1723.
      i. Charles, b. 19 Jun 1726."

      7. Article from the Gillette family file at the Windsor Historical Society by Gary Boyd Roberts entitled "Genealogies of Conn. families from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register," vol. II, Baltimore, 1983, Gen. Pub. Co., Inc., pp. 43-44:
      "John Gillett (son of Jonathan), of Windsor, Conn., born there 5 Oct 1644, died in 1682, shortly before the Dec. 5th inventory of his estate. He married in Windsor, 8 July 1669, Mercy Barber, baptized there 12 Oct 1651, died in Suffield, Conn., 29 Mar 1725. Mercy (Barber) Gillett married secondly, in Windsor, 14 June 1683, Capt. George Norton of Suffield.
      Children, born in Windsor:
      Thomas, b. 7 Jan 1671; d. by 1676.
      John, b. 6 Aug 1673; d. unm. in Windsor 4 July 1699.
      Thomas, b. 18 July 1676.
      Samuel, b. 16 Feb 1677/8.
      Nathaniel, b. 3 Oct 1680 and bapt. in Hartford, Conn., 30 Oct 1681 (last record of his name). No Nathaniel was included among John's children in the 1682 probate. Was there a change or error in names and Benjamin became the permanent name; or twins and Nathaniel died?
      Benjamin, b. in 1680 (?); named in 5 Dec 1682 probate as John's son, aged two years.
      Mercy, b. 30 Jan 1682; m. in Suffield, 24 Dec 1702, Sergt. Jacob Adams of Suffield, son of Jacob Adams.
      ('Robert Adams Genealogy,' by Adams, 1900. 'Connecticut Probate Records,' Manwaring, vol. 1, p. 307: Gillett, John, Windsor. Inventory ₤140-14-06. Taken 5 Dec 1682 by John Loomis sen. & John Moore. Legatees: The Widow, Mercy Gillett, John age 9 years, Thomas 6, Samuel 5, Benjamin 2, Mercy born 30 January last. Court Record, p. 69: 4 April. Adms. to the Widow, Mercy Gillett, with Jonathan Gillett, Peter Browne, John Barber, & Samuel Barber to be Overseers.)

      8. From the newsletter "Gillett Pride 'n' Joy," vol. 10, no. 2, sourced family tree by Barbara Delgado, 1939 Republic Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, copy from the Gillett family file at the Windsor Historical Society:
      References:
      MJ5=Mary and John, vol. 5, no. 2.
      NEH=New England Hist. and Gene. Reg., vol. 100.
      Wivr=Windsor, CT. Vital Records.
      TAG=The American Genealogist, Vol. #.
      FC=The Gillett Family by Flora Clark.
      BA=Bertha Aldridge's Book.
      Bl-Cr=Bloomfield, CT. Church Records.
      Suvr= Suffield, CT. Vital Records.\
      FBR= Family Book of Rembebrance (LDS)
      DRA=Desc. of Richard Austin.
      CI=Cemetery Inscriptions.
      Quote: "Benjamin Nathaniel, b. 3 Oct 1680 (Wivr as Nathaniel), ba. 30 Oct 1681 at Hartford? (Wivr), m. 6 Jul 1705 (Suvr as Benjamin) Elizabeth Austin (Suvr) b. 20 Apr 1684 (DRA) (NEH101), d. 7 Oct 1752 W. Suffield, CT (DRA) age 71. Bur: West Suffield Cem. (Ci). (Suvr lists int. pub. 7 Apr 1705 for Ephraim Gillett and Elizabeth Austin)."

      9. The publication "Search for the Passengers of the "Mary & John" 1630," by Burton W. Spear (Toledo, OH; The Mary & John Clearing House, 1989-2004), 5:49-64. These pages have a five generation descendency listing of all the descendants of Jonathan Gillet and Mary Dolbair. I only transcribe my own descendency line which is the seventh child:
      "7 John Gillett- b. 5 Oct. 1644, Windsor. m. Mercy Barber, 8 July 1669, Windsor (1651-1725) dau. of Thomas Barber (emigrant). She m. (2) Capt. George Norton, 1683. John d. 1682. Windsor p. 50 says Mary Barber bpt. 12 Oct. 1651, m. ___ Hale. res: Suffield. (Gillett-19)
      7.1 Thomas Gillett- b. 7 Jan. 1671, Windsor. d. by 1676
      7.2 John Gillett Jr.- b. 6 Aug. 1673, Windsor. d. 4 July 1699, Windsor, unmarr.
      7.3 Thomas Gillett- b. 18 July 1676 (Gillett p. 19 says 31 May 1678), Windsor. m. (1) Martha Mills. She d. without children. m. (2) Hannah Clark, 26 Feb. 1704 (1686-1709) Windsor, dau. of John Clark & Mary Crow (D. Clark-34). He d. 11 June 1708. Children of Thomas Gillett & Hannah Clark (2) (NER 101:285)…
      7.4 Samuel Gillett- b. 16 Feb. 1677/8, Windsor. m. Rebecca Bancroft, 22 Jan. 1701/2, Suffield, dau. of Thomas Bancroft. She was b. 1680. He d. 1739, Grnaville, Mass. (Gillett-23) Children of Samuel Gillett & Rebecca Bancroft (NER 101:286).
      7.4.1 Samuel Gillett, Jr.- b. 13 Sept. 1702, Suffield. m. Anna Pierce, 13 Apr. 1727. He d. Granville, Mass.
      7.4.2 John Gillett- b. 13 Jan. 1704/5, Suffield.
      7.4.3 Nathaniel Gillett- b. 10 May 1707, Suffield. m. Phebe ___. Children of Nathaniel Gillett & Phebe ___. (NER 101:286)…
      7.4.4 Hannah Gillett- b. 19 June 1709, Suffield. m. Joseph Kent, 26 Feb. 1728/9, Suffield (b. 1710), s. of John Kent & Abigail Winchell of Suffield. He m. (2) Elizabeth Palmer, 1748. Hannah d. 2 Nov. 1746, Suffield. Six children.
      7.4.5 Thomas Gillett- b. 16 Apr. 1711, Suffield. m. Elizabeth Barlow, 2 June 1744 (1719-1806). He d. 10 Apr. 1791, Granville, Mass. (Gillett-1955, 23, 34, 48) Children of Thomas Gillett & Elizabeth Barlow. (Gillett-23) [Note: The author lists only one child, which is of course very incomplete.]
      7.4.5.1 Zadoc Gillett- b. 12 Aug. 1753, m. wid. Rebecca Tyron (1758-1840). He d. 14 Mar. 1816, Granville, Mass. Two children (1781-1784). She d. Shesequin, Bradford Co., Pa. (Gillett-34)
      7.4.6 Gardner Gillett- b. 23 June 1715, Suffield. m. Mary Rowe, 27 Jan. 1740/1. Res: Dutchess Co., N.Y.
      7.4.7 Rebecca Gillett- b. 21 Sept. 1718, Suffield.
      7.5 Nathaniel Gillett- b. 3 Oct. 1680, Windsor. (Windsor-290)
      7.6 Benjamin Gillett- b. 1680, Windsor. m. Elizabeth Austin, 6 Sept. 1705 (1684-1752), dau. of Capt. Anthony & Esther Austin. (Gillett-21) (Benjamin's b. 3 Oct. 1680 in Gillett-22) Children of Benjamin Gillett & Elizabeth Austin (Gillett-21)…
      7.7 Mercy Gillett- b. 21 Jan. 1682, m. Jacob Adams, Jr. (1681-1736), s. of Jacob Adams & Anne Allen and gr. s. of Robert & Elinor Adams of Newberry, Mass. Res: Suffield, Conn. Children of Mercy Gillett & Jacob Adams, Jr. (NER 101:47)…"

      BIRTH:
      1. Manuscript from the Windsor CT. Historical Society Library of Jay Mack Holbrook entitled "Conn. Colonists - Windsor 1635-1703" has the following listings for Gillets. I am not sure what the references refer to, but they appear to be a compilation of mentioned names in original sources. I have rearranged the entries to be chronological rather than alphabetical as presented by the book compiler.
      Gillet, Thomas, birth 7 Jan 1672; WIN638:16; father: Gillett, John.
      Gillet, Thomas, baptism 14 Jan 1672; WIN638:16; father: Gillett, John.
      Gillet, John; birth 6 Aug 1673; WIN638:17; father: Gillet, John.
      Gillet, Thomas [II], birth 18 Jul 1676; WIN638:16; father: Gillett, John.
      Gillet, Thomas [II], birth 18 Jul 1676; CHS930:40; father: Gillett, John.
      Gillet, Samuell, birth 16 Feb 1678, CHS930:40; father: Gillett, John.
      Gillet, Nathanell, birth 3 Oct 1680, CHS930:39, father: Gillet, John.
      Gillett, John 644; estate in pounds = 141, 5 Dec 1682; MAN4:307.
      Gillet, Marcy; birth 31 Jan 1683; WIN638:16; father: Gillet, John.
      Gillet, Mercy; birth 31 Jan 1683; WEL898:49; father: Gillet, John.

      2. Mentioned in the will of father John Gillett per "A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records," Vol. I, by Charles Wm. Manwaring, P. 452:
      "Page 121.
      Gillett, John, Windsor. Invt. £140-14-06. Taken 5 December, 1682, by John Loomis sen., John Moore. Legatees: The Widow, Mercy Gillett, John age 9 years, Thomas 6, Samuel 5, Benjamin 2, Mercy born 30 January last.
      Court Record, Page 69 - 4 April, 1683: Adms. to the Widow, Mercy Gillett, with Jonathan Gillett, Peter Browne, John Barber & Samuel Barber to be Overseers."

      BURIAL:
      1. His wife is listed but not himself per the Internet 6 Jul 2008 at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kathycamp/Inscriptions/Page043.htm: Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut Headstone Inscriptions 1660-1937. This list of inscriptions, town of Suffield, was copied in 1934, under the auspices of the F.E.R.A. and the W.P.A. sponsored by the Connecticut State Library, as compiled under the supervision of Charles R. Hale, State Military Necrologist, assisted by Miss Mary H. Babin, Secretary. Hartford, Connecticut, December 1937. Inscriptions, 125-3 West Suffield Cemetery, buried next to each other; however Benjamin/Nathaniel not listed:
      Gillit Elisabeth, wife of Benjamin, did Oct 7, 1752, age 67 yrs.
      Gillet Daniel died Sept. 13, 1791, age 74 yrs.
      Gillet Rachel wife of Daniel, died June 12, 1783, age 58 yrs."