In History of New London by F. M. Caulkins.
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Page 44: Roger Williams addressed a letter, 1645 June 22, to John Winthrop
which he states "William Chesebrough now come in shall be readily assisted
for your and his own sake" implying that Chesebrough came with advise from
Mr. Winthrop.
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Mass History Coll 2nd Series Vol 9 page 268 - Chesebrough was
engaged in the Indian Trade.
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Page 78: 1657 Nov 15. A house lot in the lower part of Piquot near Close
Cove was laid out to William Chesebrough; from which it may be infered that
the grantee was proposing to transfer his residence from Pautucket where he
had been living a wild and solitary life for upward of two years to the
town plot. There is no evidence in any way that he occupied the grant in
town. Dec 1657, Mr Chesebrough obtained an order in his favor "Whersas
Goodman Chesebrough is as we are informed, kindered of John Leighton
to fetch home his Maie. We the townsmen of Piquoy do order that the said
Goodman Chesebrough shall have liberty to go any way he shall see most
convient for him to bring it home without any let or hinderence from
the said John Leighton. This is determined by us until the towne shall
take furthur order to dispose both of the way and
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Page 85: Pequot April 25, 1653. Captain Goodman Denison Chesebrough,
Mr Brewster and Obadiah Bruen are chosen to make a list of the male
persons in towne 16 years old and upward and a true valuation of all
real and personal estate of the said persons according to the order
of the court. Goodman Chesebrough is chosen Commissioner to carry the
list to the court in September next.
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Page 88 August 28, 1655. The town having nominated and chosen Goodman
Chesebrough, Obadiah Bruen and Hugh Calkins whom to present to the court,
desire that they may have power together with Mr. Winthrop and Captain
Denison or any three of them for ending small causes in the town.
This petition was not granted and the inhabitants were obligated for
some time longer to carry their law cases to Hartford for adjudication.
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Page 99, 100, and 101 March 1649. Winthrop came to an agreement with
the Indians as regards to the bounds of the Paukatuck section. Probably
at the same period, or very soon afterwards, William Chesebrough encouraged
by Winthrop and under a pledge from him of assistance and accomodation,
erected his first lodge in the wildernesson the borders of the Wickutequock
Creek. A cove or creek, east of Stonington Point. Between Capt Mason and
Chesebrough’s farms were several necks of land, extending into the sound
and separated by creeks.
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Winthrop was then acting under a commission fro Mass.and Chesebrough regarded
himself as under the jurisdiction of that colony. But in November 1649, the
magistrate of Conn took cognizance of the proceedings of Chesebrough who had
engaaged in trade with the Indians of Long Island and sent a warrant to the
constable of Pequot, ordering him to desist. This order was disregarded on
the plea that he belonged to another jurisdiction. Subsequentially a greater
degree of severity was manifested toward him and he was commanded to leave the
territory or appear before the Court and make good his defense. He appeared
at Hartford, March 1650 and made a statement of the facts in his case. He
had sold, he said, house and lands at Rehoboth and all appurtenances of his
trade, not reserving tools even to repair a gunlock or make a screw pin and
had come with his farming stock to Pequot with the expectation of settling
among the planters there but not finding accommodations that suited him, he
had established himself upon the salt marsh at paukatuck, which could be mowed
immediately and would furnish provision for his cattle. In so doing, he had
been encouraged by Mr. Winthrop whose commision from Mass was supposed to extend
over Paukatuck. He had not wandered in the wilderness to enjoy in savage
solitude any strange heretical opinions, for his religious belief was in
entire harmony with the Churches of Christ established in the Colonies. Moreover
he did not expect to remain long alone, as he had grounds to hope that others
would settle around him if permission of the Court might be obtained.
(Col Rec Vol 1 pp200.216)
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The Court was rigorous in their censure of Chesebrough. And degree that he enter
into a bond of 100 pounds not the prosecute any unlawful trade with the Indians
and before the next court would give in the names of "considerable company" of
acceptable persons who would engage to settle in Paukatuck before the next winter
they would not compel him to move.
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In Sept 1651, Mr. Chesebrough was again at Hartford to obtain legal title to the
land he occupied. Mr. Winthrop and the deputies from Piquot engaged that if he
would place himself on a footing of an inhabitant of Pequot, he should have his
land confirmed to him by grant of the town.
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January 8, 1652 A grant of 300 acres was bound out to William Chesebrough and his
two sons Samuel and Nathaniel according to a covanent formally made at Hartford.
The tract was bounded be salt water, what is now Stonington Borough. The grant
stated that "The said land doth fully satisfy William Chesebrough and his sons."
This grant was
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Nevertheless liberally enlarged afterward. The full amount given him before the
separation of the towns was "uplands 2299 acres, meadows 63".
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Page 104 September 1658 Section east of Mystic River came under the jurisdiction
of Massachusetts. In Oct, Mass conferred the priveleges of a town and called it
Southerton. The prudential affairs until a chose of townsmen should be made were
confided to Captain Denison, Robert Parke, William Chesebrough and Thomas Minor.
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Page 194 The first marriages in town were by Mr Winthrop, none of these are
recorded. William Chesebrough, Captain George Denison and Mr. Bruen officiated
at these services being Commissioners 1653-1666. The greater number of marriages
between 1570 and 1700 were by Daniel Wetherell.
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Page 249: May 1666 Southerton came under Conn as Stonington.
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Page 285 Though living at Paukatuck, Mr. Chesebrough was chosen deputy from
New London to the General Court five times between 1653 and 1657. No fact shows
more clearly the identity of the two settlements at that time.
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Mr Chesebrough and all his sons were interred in the cementary on the banks of the
Wicketequack Creek which flowed past their residence.
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| Note: 1645-1658 the name of certain part of the settlement was Pequot. |
| 1658-1666 Town of Stonington |
| In the territory known as "Paukatuck" in the vicinity of the
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| Paukatuck River, the eastern boundary of Connecticut. |
