Individual Details
Jonathan Mead
(5 Jan 1667 - 17 Feb 1725/26)
Pane-Joyce Genealogy:
Family Search: John Mead 9CWB-P8L
VIEW BIOGRAPHICAL ITEMS IN STORIES (MEMORIES) FOR THIS RECORD,9CWB-P8L
BIOS:
(1) See Discussion Item: BIRTH OF THIS JOHN MEAD LIKELY WAS IN ABOUT 1628 IN WATFORD, HERTFORD, ENGLAND;
(2) See biographical data for this John Mead and his parents in excerpts from Article attached as a Story (Memories) to this record.
(3) BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: John Mead was born in about 1634 in England. Died on 4 Feb 1699. Lived in Greenwich, Connecticut. In 1656, at the age of 22, he married Hannah Potter, daughter of William, a widower of Stamford. Issue: John, Joseph, Hannah, Ebenezer, Jonathan, David, Benjamin, Nathaniel, Samuel, Abigail, and Mary. [Source: "Mead-Clark Genealogy," by Eva Mead Firestone, Page 5 of Mead section of this book]
The History and Genealogy of the Mead Family by S.P. Mead says John was born in Fairfield County, CT around 1632-34 [this is before European settlement in Connecticut.
Another variation:
"Notes for JOHN MEAD: Much of the information in this file is from Mead, Spencer P., LL.B., History and Genealogy
of the Mead Family, (New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1901), but I have attempted to verify information with
vital records where they are available.
John Mead is known as the founder of the Greenwich, CT Mead family. Old Greenwich was originally settled in
1640 after the land was purchased from Indians by agents of the New Haven Colony. In 1656, Greenwich became
part of Stamford. In 1658, John went with his brother Joseph to Hempstead, LI (source: Lee Meade), but returned
to Greenwich, CT in 1660. Lee Meade believes he had two children while in Hempstead. John moved from Long
Island to Greenwich (Horse-Neck) in 1660, and purchased land from Richard Crab (Deed is dated 26 Oct 1660). He
was made a freeman in 1670.
From Lee Meade's Newsletter (Vol. 1, No. 4, December 1997) "John had visited land just west of Stamford along
the Connecticut coast on the Long Island Sound. It was called Hogsneck, but it was to become the City of
Greenwich. On Oct. 26, 1660, John purchased "all the lands and housing" in Greenwich previously belonging to
Richard Crabb. In turn, he and six others, known as "The Seven Proprietors," made a request of the General
Assembly on Feb. 5, 1664, to separate Greenwich from Stamford, to permit Greenwich to support its own minister
and lay out its own lands. It is believed to have been the first recorded Town Meeting for Greenwich. The seven
were John Mead, Jonathan Renalds, John Hobby, Joseph Ferris, Joshua Knapp, Angell Husted and Jeffrey Ferris.
One of the early rules for the community was that 'none shall be admitted as an inhabitant of Greenwich without a
certificate testifying to an orderly life, and he must be approved by the minister.' It was enacted on Dec. 1, 1665."
A land grant was given to John on December 30, 1670, described as part of the lowermost meadows lying south of
the Westchester Path. He bought more land December 21, 1661in Greenwich, CT from Thomas Studwell. John
was a Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, and is known as one of the original Seven Proprietors
who, on 5 Feb 1664, "made a formal request to the General Assembly in Hartford to be allowed to separate from
Stamford and to support its own minister and lay out its own lands." The General Assembly declared Greenwich a
separate township on 11 May 1665 and authorized funds to hire an orthodox minister. In 1672, the so-called "27
Proprietors" (including John Mead) bought land from the Indians and it was laid out for home lots and granted to the
27 men (Mead, 1911). "John Mead was a prosperous and self-possessed man with a strong character" (Collins,
1999, p. 58).
(Vance Mead has his dates as 1628-1699) He had two wills. In the first will, dated March 16, 1694/95, he
mentioned only his sons and bequeathed land to each one; in the second he bequeathed money to his children and
grandson, John (Fairfield Probate Records, Vol 1, p. 196).
Notes for HANNAH POTTER: Hannah was either the daughter or stepdaughter of William Potter of Stamford."
Family Search: John Mead 9CWB-P8L
VIEW BIOGRAPHICAL ITEMS IN STORIES (MEMORIES) FOR THIS RECORD,9CWB-P8L
BIOS:
(1) See Discussion Item: BIRTH OF THIS JOHN MEAD LIKELY WAS IN ABOUT 1628 IN WATFORD, HERTFORD, ENGLAND;
(2) See biographical data for this John Mead and his parents in excerpts from Article attached as a Story (Memories) to this record.
(3) BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: John Mead was born in about 1634 in England. Died on 4 Feb 1699. Lived in Greenwich, Connecticut. In 1656, at the age of 22, he married Hannah Potter, daughter of William, a widower of Stamford. Issue: John, Joseph, Hannah, Ebenezer, Jonathan, David, Benjamin, Nathaniel, Samuel, Abigail, and Mary. [Source: "Mead-Clark Genealogy," by Eva Mead Firestone, Page 5 of Mead section of this book]
The History and Genealogy of the Mead Family by S.P. Mead says John was born in Fairfield County, CT around 1632-34 [this is before European settlement in Connecticut.
Another variation:
"Notes for JOHN MEAD: Much of the information in this file is from Mead, Spencer P., LL.B., History and Genealogy
of the Mead Family, (New York: The Knickerbocker Press, 1901), but I have attempted to verify information with
vital records where they are available.
John Mead is known as the founder of the Greenwich, CT Mead family. Old Greenwich was originally settled in
1640 after the land was purchased from Indians by agents of the New Haven Colony. In 1656, Greenwich became
part of Stamford. In 1658, John went with his brother Joseph to Hempstead, LI (source: Lee Meade), but returned
to Greenwich, CT in 1660. Lee Meade believes he had two children while in Hempstead. John moved from Long
Island to Greenwich (Horse-Neck) in 1660, and purchased land from Richard Crab (Deed is dated 26 Oct 1660). He
was made a freeman in 1670.
From Lee Meade's Newsletter (Vol. 1, No. 4, December 1997) "John had visited land just west of Stamford along
the Connecticut coast on the Long Island Sound. It was called Hogsneck, but it was to become the City of
Greenwich. On Oct. 26, 1660, John purchased "all the lands and housing" in Greenwich previously belonging to
Richard Crabb. In turn, he and six others, known as "The Seven Proprietors," made a request of the General
Assembly on Feb. 5, 1664, to separate Greenwich from Stamford, to permit Greenwich to support its own minister
and lay out its own lands. It is believed to have been the first recorded Town Meeting for Greenwich. The seven
were John Mead, Jonathan Renalds, John Hobby, Joseph Ferris, Joshua Knapp, Angell Husted and Jeffrey Ferris.
One of the early rules for the community was that 'none shall be admitted as an inhabitant of Greenwich without a
certificate testifying to an orderly life, and he must be approved by the minister.' It was enacted on Dec. 1, 1665."
A land grant was given to John on December 30, 1670, described as part of the lowermost meadows lying south of
the Westchester Path. He bought more land December 21, 1661in Greenwich, CT from Thomas Studwell. John
was a Representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, and is known as one of the original Seven Proprietors
who, on 5 Feb 1664, "made a formal request to the General Assembly in Hartford to be allowed to separate from
Stamford and to support its own minister and lay out its own lands." The General Assembly declared Greenwich a
separate township on 11 May 1665 and authorized funds to hire an orthodox minister. In 1672, the so-called "27
Proprietors" (including John Mead) bought land from the Indians and it was laid out for home lots and granted to the
27 men (Mead, 1911). "John Mead was a prosperous and self-possessed man with a strong character" (Collins,
1999, p. 58).
(Vance Mead has his dates as 1628-1699) He had two wills. In the first will, dated March 16, 1694/95, he
mentioned only his sons and bequeathed land to each one; in the second he bequeathed money to his children and
grandson, John (Fairfield Probate Records, Vol 1, p. 196).
Notes for HANNAH POTTER: Hannah was either the daughter or stepdaughter of William Potter of Stamford."
Events
| Birth | 5 Jan 1667 | Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, British America |  | ||
| Marriage | 1688 | Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, British America - Martha Finch | |||
| Death | 17 Feb 1725/26 | Greenwich, (Fairfield)), Connecticut, British America | |||
| Probate | 27 Jan 1727 - 8 | Fairfield, Connecticut, British America | |  | |
| WikiTree | Mead-286 | ||||
| LDS Family Tree ID | L6PN-5HK |
Families
| Spouse | Martha Finch (1672 - 1728) |
| Child | Jonathan Mead Jr. (1689 - ) |
| Child | Sarah Mead (1691 - ) |
| Child | Martha Mead (1693 - ) |
| Child | James Mead (1696 - ) |
| Child | Timothy Mead (1701 - ) |
| Child | Mary Mead (1704 - ) |
| Child | Hezekiah Mead (1705 - ) |
| Child | Rachel Mead (1708 - ) |
| Father | John Mead Sr. (1634 - 1699) |
| Mother | Hannah Browne (1634 - 1700) |
Notes
Birth
Source: Wiki Tree Mead-286.Probate
From American Ancestors - Fairfield Co. Probate Records:Mead, Jonathan, late of Greenwich, Jan. 27, 1727/8, estate distributed by John Renals, Sr., and John Renals, cooper, to his widow Martha Mead, and children Jonathan, James, Timothy, Hezekiah, Sarah wife of Jonathan Waterbury, Martha wife of Stephen Holms, Mary wife of Benjamin Waterbury, and Rachel Mead, page 37.
Endnotes
1. Fairfield County, CT, Probate Records, 1704-1757, "Unpublished abstraction by Spencer P. Mead, "Abstract of Probate Records of Fairfield, County of Fairfield and State of Connectdicut" 1934," AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2003, American Ancestors (http://www.americanancestors.org: accessed ), Vol. 7 page 516.