Individual Details

Walter Palmer immigrated to Charlestown, MA, about 1629 when he was admitted as an inhabitant of Charlestown, and can be found listed in The Great Migration Begins, Vol. I-III, p.1379-1383

He was in Rehoboth by 1644 and then Stonington, first called Southerton. He was one of the founders of Stonington. He and his wife Rebeckah and Grace their daughter were admitted to the Charlestown church, 1 Jun 1633, with their name as "Pamer". Walter had an earlier wife that he married in England about 1614 - she died prior to 1633. "Rebecca Short, a maid servant, she came in the year 1632 & was married to Palmer a godly man of Charlestowne church"

Children by his first wife were Grace, John, Elizabeth, William, and Jonah.
By Rebecca he had Hannah, Elihu, Nehemiah, Moses, Benjamin, Gershom and Rebecca.



The last Will and Testament of Walter Palmer. May 19, 1658
Imprimis. I give unto my son John a yoke of three years old steares and a horse. Item, to my daughter Grace twenty shillings. Item to all my grand children twenty shillings apeece. Item to my Sonne Jonas halfe the Planting Lott at ye now meaddow River by Seacuncke & ye Lott betweene John Butterworths according to the fower score pounds Estate & the use of halfe ye housing & halfe of the whole ffarme for foure yeares. Item, I give to my Sonne William the other halfe of ye same ffarme at Seacuncke forever and to take Robert Martin or some other skillfull man, & divide the housing & the whole ffarme, into two equal pts & to take his owne & dispose of it as he pleaseth, I doe give him also a Mare with her foale two redd Oxen, and a paire of Steares of three yeare old apiece, fower lowes & a muskett with all such things as are his own allready. Item, the other halfe of the ffarme at Seacuncke I give to my Sonne Gershom for ever after the end tearme of fower yeares. Item, for all the rest of my Land goods & Chattells undisposed of I leave unto my Loving wife whome & with my Sonne Elihu I make my full executor to pay my debts & to bring up my children & to pay them theire portions as my Lands & Estate will beare, but in case my wife shall marry againe before my Children are brought up & their portions payed them my three sonns Elihu, Nehemiah & Moses to enter upon the ffarme & Estate & to pay unto their mother £10. p. annum during her natural life & ye Land & Estate duly valued to be equally distributed among my Children, Elyhu Nehemiah Moses Benjamin Gershom Hanah & Rebecca with consideration of the tenn pounds yearely to be payed to theire mother out of ye land but if my Loving wife pay theire portions according to theire discretion & my three Sonnes Elihu Nehemiah & Moses possess the Land they shall give twenty pounds apiece out of the Land to my Sonne Benjamin besides his mothers portion, in three yeares after they are possessed of the ffarme.

Wittnes hereof I hav sett to my hand the day & yeare above written.
WALTER PALMER
in the presence of
William Cheseborough, Samuel Cheseborough, Nathaniel Cheseborough.
Sworn to February 25, 1661.
Memorandum. That if Elyhu Nehemiah & Moses decease before they hav any yeares Benjamin is to succeed in theire pt of ye ffarme & to give to my daughter Elizabeth two Cowes.

Note: William Cheeseborough was likely kin to Elisha Cheesborough who had married Walter Palmer's daughter Rebecca, 20 Apr 1665.
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In response to a query:
A wolf stone was at least the size of the casket, and was placed flat on the ground directly over the burial site. The idea was that wolves or other predators were thus prevented from digging up the body or bones at some future date. The grave of Walter Palmer, an early settler of Stonington, CT who died in 1661, is marked with such a stone.

Birth	Ca 1589
Marriage	Bef Jun 1633	Charlestown, Suffolk County, Massachusetts - Rebecca Short
Death	10 Nov 1661	Southerton, New London, Connecticut

Spouse	Rebecca Short ( - 1671)
Child	Gershom Palmer (1644 - 1719)