Samuel Penfield^[1]

Abt 1650 - 1710  (60 years)

• Name	Samuel Penfield
  Birth	Abt 1650	Lynn, Essex, MA, USA   [2]
  Gender	Male
  _UID	68D4512B31FD46CAAC7C1415623B67014C37
  Death	30 Nov 1710	Guilford, New Haven, CT, USA   [3]
  Person ID	I506	Donnelly and Dancey | Dancey_Branch
  Last Modified	15 Jan 2011

  
  

  Family	Mary Lewis,   b. Jan 1652 OR Jan 1653, Malden, Middlesex, MA, USA d. 30 Jan 1740 OR 30 Jan 1741, Guilford, New Haven, CT, USA (Age 88 years)
  Marriage	30 Nov 1675	Lynn, Essex, MA, USA   [2]
  Children	1. Samuel Penfield,   b. 17 Sep 1676, Lynn, Essex, MA, USA d. 22 Nov 1714, Guilford, New Haven, CT, USA (Age 38 years)   2. Mary Penfield,   b. 24 Oct 1678, Lynn, Essex, MA, USA d. Aft 1748, Bristol, CT, USA (Age > 71 years)   3. Sarah Penfield,   b. 20 Feb 1679 OR 20 Feb 1680, Rehoboth, Bristol, MA, USA d. Bef 1735 (Age < 54 years) + 4. John Penfield,   b. 30 May 1683, Rehoboth, Bristol, MA, USA d. 3 May 1750, Chatham, Middlesex, CT, USA (Age 66 years)   5. Isaac Penfield,   b. 27 Jul 1685, Bristol, Bristol, RI, USA d. 22 Oct 1754, East Haven, CT, USA (Age 69 years)   6. Hannah Penfield,   b. 29 Oct 1687, Bristol, Bristol, RI, USA d. 12 Oct 1778, Guilford, New Haven, CT, USA (Age 90 years)   7. Jonathan Penfield,   b. 21 Nov 1689, Bristol, Bristol, RI, USA d. 11 Apr 1735, Wallingford, New Haven, CT, USA (Age 45 years)   8. Abigail Penfield,   b. 23 Oct 1692, Bristol, Bristol, RI, USA d. Abt 9 Sep 1756, Branford, New Haven, CT, USA (Age 63 years)   9. Rebecca Penfield,   b. 23 Oct 1692, Bristol, Bristol, RI, USA d. 3 Oct 1714, Guilford, New Haven, CT, USA (Age 21 years)   10. Benjamin Penfield,   b. 26 Apr 1696, Bristol, Bristol, RI, USA d. Abt 1770 (Age 73 years)
  Family ID	F202	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - Abt 1650 - Lynn, Essex, MA, USA Marriage - 30 Nov 1675 - Lynn, Essex, MA, USA Death - 30 Nov 1710 - Guilford, New Haven, CT, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Notes

  The early history of Samuel Penfield is found in the oldest colonialsettlements of New England. No attempt has been made to go back into thehistory of his forebears in England. But this much has been found. Theearly records of Sussex, Essex, and Suffolk Counties in England show more"Penfold", "Penfeald", and "Penfield" names than any other section ofEngland. In "The Family Names of Suffolk" by Bowditch, p.227, pub.London 1861, the spelling of the Penfold and Penfield names isdiscussed. One of the Penfields cited was "a Mr. Penfield of Portland,Conn." This, of course, is our line, and it appears very certain ourSamuel Penfield's father came from an English Suffolk family. And legendhas it that our Samuel's father had been a sympathizer of Cromwell, andwhen Cromwell was defeated, all his adherents had to flee the country,including Penfield. In the many and varied family records which were studied for thiswork, there was a curiously persistent Legend of three brothers coming tothis country. They were William, Thomas, and Samuel. This would havebeen dismissed as hearsay, had not records been uncovered in NorthCarolina of a large group of Penfields, in whose records the name ofThomas occurs repeatedly from colonial times. There is a Pension Recordfor the widow of Thomas Penfield who fought in the Revolution. Thisbrings up the possibility of a brother, Thomas, who decided to settlefarther south along the coast than in New England. Hinmans "Catalog ofthe First Puritan Settlers in the Colonie of Connecticut" refers to aWilliam Penfeald or Penfield, appearing about 1663, in Middletown, Conn.He is also listed in "The Genealogy of Massachusetts", R-929, Vol. 4 p.2187-8. Thorough research by genealogists in New England has failed toshow any further records for him. He may have died early, certainly nodescendants were found. The name William Benfield should not be confusedwith our family, for research found him to be a boat Captain on theConnecticut River, shuttling between Milford and Stamford with many courtproblems in 1662-1665. Our Samuel Penfield was born in Lynne, Mass. about 1651. There is arecord of Samuel appearing in court to testify in behalf of a neighbor,and he swore he was about 26 years old. It is in "Salem Quarterly CourtRecords and Files of Essex County, Mass." Jan. 1687 (vol. 6 p. 389). Onpages 399 and 400 of the same volume, there is a list of members of thecolonies who 'swore allegiance to the King' and Samuel's name appears,with the date 2/26/1677. He m. Mary Lewis on 30 Nov. 1675. A deed amongthe Middlesex County Records, dated Aug. 1695 at Cambridge, Mass. listsher as "Mary Lewis, who married the last of Nov. 1675, Samuel Penfield."Her birth date is Malden 1652 (old style) -- as shown in "County CourtReturns of Malden, Mass. Birth Records Up to 1850". In Bond's "History of Watertown, Mass." will be found AbrahamBrowne's Pedigree back to 1330, and as an accurate and reliablecompilation. The Pedigree of Agnes Bedingfeld contains names ofancestors of Samuel Penfield and his descendants. It is based on thestandard recognized authority: "Die Nackommen Karl des Grossen" by Prof.Brandenburg of Leipsig Germany, Scott & daughter of Sir Edmund BedingfrldK. B. of Norfolk. Samuel and his wife Mary resided in Lynne, Mass. until 1679. Therecords of the first two children's births, 1676 and 1678, come fromthere. Then they went to Rehoboth Mass. where we find the birth recordsof the next two children, 1680 and 1683. The next move was to NewBristol, RI ( now Providence) but then part of the large PlymouthColonie. In the first town meeting of the new settlement 1 Sept. 1681,he was admitted as a citizen. He later took the 'Freeman's Oath" 9 Aug.1686 and we find him captain of the militia. These records come fromMuro's "History of Bristol, R.I." p.114. The 5th child was born here in1685. The 1st Church of Christ, Cong. was organized 3 May 1687 and thenext year the first 6 children were baptized, including the baby. Samuel,the father, was bap. 12 June 1695 in the same church. They had 10children in all, and the parents stayed here until some of the older onesmarried, then all the family save Mary and Sarah, came to CT ca 1708/09. They settled in Guilford, CT where he d: 30 Nov. 1710/11 (townclerks record badly blurred). In 1714, his oldest son Samuel Jr. diedand later the same year Rebecca, a young daughter passed away. No stoneshave been found save that of Samuel Jr. which came from the old GuilfordBuryimg Ground, abandoned in 1817. Years later, after stones began todisappear for building purposes, the remaining stones were stored in thebasement of the 1st Cong. Church until placed along the north wall ofAlderbrook Cemetery in 1925. Samuel Jrs, stone is here, but the bodieswere never moved from the old cemetery. Later, when it was leveled, itbecame part of the Village Green. We believe this is where old Samuel isburied. Alderbrook Cemetery Association gave us all needed information. Samuel and Mary had only two sons with living issues to carry on thePenfield name. The oldest, Samuel Jr. had descendants who bought landfarther down the Connecticut River around Old Fairfield and Bridgeport,Conn. Most early records for this branch of the family will be found inthat area. This has been called the Samuel line, for purpose ofdifferentiation. John, the 2nd oldest son had descendants who settledaround Middletown, and Portland (old Chatham) not far from the oldGuilford homesite. Portland and Middletown furnish most of their records.

  
  

• Sources

  [S58] New England Historical & Genealogical Register, 109:32. [S59] Genealogical Guide To The Early Settlers of America, Henry Whittemore. [S60] Guilford Vital Records-TAG.