Birth: ABT 1595, in
Colchester,Essex,England
Death: 28 JUL 1683
Bural: Wethersfield,Connecticut
Children: Seven Children
Genration: First Generation In America
Father: John Demming
Mother: Honor Treat
Marriage:
- First Marriage Nathaniel Foote
In January of the year 1616 in Colchester, Essex, England.
- Second Marrage:: GOV Thomas
Wells: In 1646, Wetherfield, Hartford,Connecticut
Very little is known of the Deming family before they left England.
Since the first Puritans left England to secure a better place to
practice their religion. It might be assumed that the Demings left
England for similar reasons.
That they held strong religious
convictions is evident in the records they left in Connecticut.
Elizabeth was born in England in the last part of the 16th century.
In January of the year 1616, a short time after he finished his
apprenticeship training, she married Nathaniel Foote in Colchester,
Essex, England.
After the birth of their sixth child
Nathaniel decided to sell his grocery business in Colchester and
immigrate to the New World. By some he is considered to be the first
settler of Wethersfield.
Whether or not that is true we do not know. We do know he was one
of ten men who settled along the bank of the Connecticut River and
named their settlement, Wethersfield. They are know as the "Ten
Adventurers"
Elizabeth was the sister of John Deeming, who was one of the
first settlers of Wethersfield Conn. in the year of 1630. John
Deeming was for many years one of the magistrates of the " Colony of
the Connecticut " and one of the patentees named in it's charter.
Since Elizabeth Deming married Nathaniel Foote who spent his
early life in Shalford, Colchester, England, it can be assumed that
(1.) John and Elizabeth lived in the same area of
England.
(2) Elizabeth and Nathaniel were known to have been
in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay and residing in Waterton when it
is recorded Nathaniel took the oath of a freeman.
(3.) The
Foote family must have joined with the Demings in feeling some
dissatisfaction with the manner of life in Watertown and joined with
others in making the 100 mile trek in 1635 through the forests of
the New World until they arrived at Pyquag on the shores western
shore of the beautiful Connecticut River.
Nathaniel Foote
was one of those named in the charter of patentees of Wethersfield.
The Foote family became one of the leading families of the little
Connecticut Colony. He became a magistrate, a leading land owner,
eventually owning more than 500 acres of land in Wethersfield, some
of the great meadow, and his home on the south end of the green,
next to the present Broad Street.
The family was saddened by Nathaniel's death at age 61. Elizabeth
was so respected that she was allowed to be executor of his estate.
Elizabeth was left a wealthy widow, but did not remain in that
status for long. In 1646 she married Thomas Wells who was a widower
with several children from his first marriage. Thomas Wells served
as Governor of Connecticut Colony for two terms, 1655-1658. When he
was not serving as governor he was a Deputy Governor. He died during
his last years of being deputy governor, 14 January 1659/1660.
Elizabeth was again a widow, having two families instead of one.
She was in control of a large estate from both husbands.
Elizabeth Welles was a tenacious and feisty old woman. She had
not only survived a perilous voyage from England but while tending
to six exuberant children and a husband, she had made a new life for
herself and her family in a world they knew nothing about. This
world was inhabited by Indians who were not always friendly with
those pale face people. The rigors of life and managing a household
did not daunt her.
Things went quite well through the intervening years since
arriving on shores of the newly discovered continent, until she
reached old age. In 1676 as she approched the age of 80 years, she
ran into trouble with one of her step-grand children.
This was Robert Welles, a favorite of grandfather, Governor
Thomas Welles when the governor was alive. Robert had arrived at the
Governor's home, there to be taken care of and educated.
But now his grandfather was dead and Robert and his
step-grandmother disagreed. Maybee she did not think him old enough
to be married at age 24. Never-the-less it was 1676 when Elizabeth
brought Robert Welles to court, because he "...hath dammyfield her
Barne by Parting with the other part of the Barne that did adjoin to
it."
Exactly what he did to her barn is not clear. The court's
decision was clear. He was ordered to repair the barn and also to
pay his step-grandmother rent for it. Elizabeth made sure the barn
incedent was not here last word.
Two years later, in 1678, she made sure all of the Welles were
taken care of when she made her will. She left them nothing. She
stated someone outside the family would be executor of her will.
Everything she had she left to her own family. That is the family
she and Nathaniel has raised and nurtured. The Welles family got
nothing.
Elizabeth died in 1683, at the age of 88. The estate was devided
among the Footes. One of the documents in the Probates Court was
that of the final disposition, that during that same year Robert
Welles won a lawsuit against his step-grandmother's will that he
would have to be paid by those who had been named in the will.
(Source - Article in Footeprints - Spring 1999 Issue - The Foote
Family Association)
Second Marriage
Gov
Thomas Welles - In 1646 Thomas married Elizabeth Foote, widow of
Nathaniel Foote who died in Wethersfield in 1643, and sister of
Joseph Deming of Wethersfield. She was unwilling to leave the
homestead of many acres she was managing after her husband's death.
As a result, one of the highest officers in the colony left
his home in the center of Hartford and moved to Wethersfield with
his younger children, Samuel and Sarah who were raised with her
younger children Frances, Sarah, and Rebecca.
Thomas wrote
his will on 7 Nov 1659. He seemed to be in good health on the
evening of 14 Jan 1659/60, being well after supper, but dead by
midnight. His will left his wife the use of half his housing and
orchard, with her own land to be returned to her. His own land and
house went to his grandson Robert, the only child of his oldest son
to live in Wethersfield.
He left land to sons Samuel and
Thomas, and to Thomas son of the deceased son John, 20 pounds to
Thomas, Samuel, Mary's children, Anne, Sarah, and 10 pounds to Mary
Robbins' children. Elizabeth lived another 22 years, leaving her
estate to her children and grandchildren by Nathaniel
Foote.
Source
http://www.langeonline.com/ and the article "The Descendents of Gov.
Thomas Welles of Connecticut, of Connecticut 1590-1658, By Donna
Holt Siemiatkoski, Gateway Press, Inc, Baltimore, Maryland 1990 pp
11-13 |
