Individual Details
Jonas Weed Sr.
(Feb 1597 - 5 Jun 1676)
Although there is no documented proof, it is believed that Jonas was the son of Jonas WEED and Mary Jane DAVIDSON. If this is the case then, before coming to the New World, Jonas lived in Stanwick (Sandwick), Northamptonshire, England, which is located approximately sixty miles northwest of London.
According to one record, Jonas, and his brothers, John and Henry Frank WEED came to America on the ship, Arbella [although there is no listing for either John or Henry on the fleet manifest], in the fleet with Sir Richard Saltonstall and Governor Winthrop in 1630. In all, seventeen ships arrived in New England from England that year. The Arbella (the Admiral or Flag ship of 350 tons, crew of 52) was one of four in this Winthrop Fleet, the others being the Jewel, the Ambrose, and the Talbot. Jonas, along with other members of this Puritan group, originally set to sail on 29 March 1630 and, after some difficulties, finally set sail from Yarmouth at the Isle of Wight and the Arbella , Captained by Peter Milburne, reached Massachusetts on 12 June 1630. The Jewel arrived the following day, the Ambrose arrived on 18 June, and the Talbot arrived on 2 July.
The Arbella left most of its passengers at Salem, but Jonas WEED moved on to Watertown, MA. It was here that he settled and where he was made a freeman on 18 May 1631. He did not settle long in Watertown, however, as in May 1635 he was a first settler in Wethersfield, CT, and later was one of the founders of Stamford, CT in 1641.
In May of 1635 Jonas was one of six dismissed from the Watertown Church to form a new church on the Connecticut River at Wethersfield. Colonial records note that at a court held at Newton on 26 April 1636:
"Whereas there was a dismission granted by the Church of Watertown in
Massachusetts dated 29th of Ma[ ] last to Andrew Ward, Jo: Sherman,
Jo: Strickland, Rob't Coo, Rob't Reynolds & Jonas Weede, with intent
to forme a newe Ch: Covennte in the River of Connecticut, the sade
parties hase soe accordingly done with the publicke allowance of the rest
of the members of the sade Churches, as by certificate nowe produced
apprs. Its therefore, in this present cort, ratified & confirmined, they
promising shortlie and publiquely to renewe the sade Covenanat uppon
notice to the rest of the Churches."
It was in Wethersfield, in 1637, that Jonas married his wife, Mary. Different sources have Jonas' wife as Mary HOYT and others as Mary SCOFIELD. Neither, however, have been proven. In 1639, Wethersfield along with Windsor and Suckiang (the present day Hartford) joined together to form the Connecticut Colony, and in that same year, Jonas is listed as a Juror in Wethersfield. Also, Wethersfield was the birthplace of the first three children of Jonas and Mary: Elizabeth, Mary and Dorcas. Jonas WEED's home in Wethersfield was at the extreme northern end of the eastern side of the present High Street. Its position is indicated by his name on the 1640 map of the town in "The History of Ancient Wethersfield."
In about 1641, Jonas and his family were among the families to found Stamford, CT. Jonas and Mary remained in Stamford and it was here that their remaining six children were born.
Jonas' will, dated 26 November 1672, was inventoried on 7 November 1676. Mentioned in his will were; his wife Mary, eldest son John, son Daniel, son Jonas, daughter Mary (wife of George ABBOT), daughter Dorcas (wife of James WRIGHT), son Samuel, daughter Sarah; daughter Elizabeth, and daughter Hannah (wife of Benjamin HOIT). Executors of his will were wife Mary and son John. The will, from the Fairfield Probate Records, is a follows:
The Last Will and testament of Jonas WEED Sr. who first doth give up his
soul to his Lord Jesus Christ and his Body to an honorable burial and for
his outward estate he doth as follows: he doth give and bequeath unto his
wife Mary WEED the house she now lives in and the use of the homelot with
two acres of meadow and two acres of upland lying in the east field during
her lifetime: And [line smudged] all belonging to it: And his [line smudged]
pan: and more to [line smudged] of his estate [line smudged].
2ly He doth give and bequeath to his eldest sonn John WEED two acres of
Meadowe lying in Rock Creek and more to the vallu of five pounds.
3ly He doth give unto his sonn David WEED the full and just sum of Ten
pounds; for the said Ten pounds he is to give that peece of Meadowe lying
in the east field in that neck comonly called Mr. [Lands?] neck if he with
the rest doe agree in the [words smudged] thay may yf soe much; then he
is to have the remainder of my other things.
4ly He doth give unto his sonn Jonas WEED the sum of one pound.
5ly He doth give unto his daughter Mary ABBOT the wife of George ABBOT
the sum of Thirty Shillings.
6ly He doth give unto his daughter Dorcas: the wife of James WRIGHT the
sum of Ten Shillings.
7ly He doth give unto his sonn Samuel the sum of Twenty Pounds.
8ly He doth give unto John Rockwell the sum of five shillings and doth leave
the vallu of five pounds in Daniel's hand for Elizabeth.
9ly He doth give to his daughter Sarah the sum of Five Shillings; And in case
shee doe returne agayne to the Truth then he doth by will unto her the sum of
Five Pounds.
10ly He doth give unto his daughter Hannah Benj: HOITS the sum of Ten
pounds.
Moreover it is his will that yf his estate doth not amount unto ye Just Sum as
above they shall share out of the above proportionably; And if his estate [?]
[?] to [?] the Sum as above then it is his will that they shall each and every
of them advance proportionably to what [?] of them have received: Also he
doth by will Impore his wife Mary WEED and his sonn Daniel and his sonn
Jonas WEED to Administer upon his Estate acording to [will?].
Jonas Died in Stamford on 5 June 1676 and Mary died, also in Stamford, on 10 March 1689.
The following information is taken from: The Life of Thurlow Weed Including his Autobiography and a Memoir, by Thurlow Weed, Harriet A. Weed (daughter) and Thurlow Weed Barnes (grandson) (1882/1884) Chapter 1: 1630-1818
Among immigrants to America from Yorkshire, England in the year 1630, was Jonas WEED, the first member of the family of whom I have any authentic information. He took the oath of freeman in the colony of Massachusetts Bay in 1631. Until the month of May 1635, he lived at Waterstown, near Boston, with his wife Mary. Then he went "with other church members" to Wethersfield, CT where he took a prominent part in a certain doctrinal controversy. High ecclesiastical authorities were sent to Wethersfield to arrange a settlement but no satisfactory result could be reached, and in 1642 Jonas and his friends went to live at Stamford, each receiving a house-lot by vote of settlers already located in that town. Jonas died in 1676, leaving three sons and five daughters. It is believed that Thurlow WEED was his lineal descendant through Nathan, who lived at Stamford about 1785.
It was the custom to name children after the prophets. Jonas found good Bible names for his immediate descendants, but the usage was disregarded when a son was born to Joel WEED and Mary ELLS, and by them named after Edward, Lord Thurlow of Ashfield, High Chancellor of England. Joel and Mary moved to Dutchess county then Greene county, NY and lived in Acra--now Cairo--where Thurlow was born on 15 Nov 1797.
According to one record, Jonas, and his brothers, John and Henry Frank WEED came to America on the ship, Arbella [although there is no listing for either John or Henry on the fleet manifest], in the fleet with Sir Richard Saltonstall and Governor Winthrop in 1630. In all, seventeen ships arrived in New England from England that year. The Arbella (the Admiral or Flag ship of 350 tons, crew of 52) was one of four in this Winthrop Fleet, the others being the Jewel, the Ambrose, and the Talbot. Jonas, along with other members of this Puritan group, originally set to sail on 29 March 1630 and, after some difficulties, finally set sail from Yarmouth at the Isle of Wight and the Arbella , Captained by Peter Milburne, reached Massachusetts on 12 June 1630. The Jewel arrived the following day, the Ambrose arrived on 18 June, and the Talbot arrived on 2 July.
The Arbella left most of its passengers at Salem, but Jonas WEED moved on to Watertown, MA. It was here that he settled and where he was made a freeman on 18 May 1631. He did not settle long in Watertown, however, as in May 1635 he was a first settler in Wethersfield, CT, and later was one of the founders of Stamford, CT in 1641.
In May of 1635 Jonas was one of six dismissed from the Watertown Church to form a new church on the Connecticut River at Wethersfield. Colonial records note that at a court held at Newton on 26 April 1636:
"Whereas there was a dismission granted by the Church of Watertown in
Massachusetts dated 29th of Ma[ ] last to Andrew Ward, Jo: Sherman,
Jo: Strickland, Rob't Coo, Rob't Reynolds & Jonas Weede, with intent
to forme a newe Ch: Covennte in the River of Connecticut, the sade
parties hase soe accordingly done with the publicke allowance of the rest
of the members of the sade Churches, as by certificate nowe produced
apprs. Its therefore, in this present cort, ratified & confirmined, they
promising shortlie and publiquely to renewe the sade Covenanat uppon
notice to the rest of the Churches."
It was in Wethersfield, in 1637, that Jonas married his wife, Mary. Different sources have Jonas' wife as Mary HOYT and others as Mary SCOFIELD. Neither, however, have been proven. In 1639, Wethersfield along with Windsor and Suckiang (the present day Hartford) joined together to form the Connecticut Colony, and in that same year, Jonas is listed as a Juror in Wethersfield. Also, Wethersfield was the birthplace of the first three children of Jonas and Mary: Elizabeth, Mary and Dorcas. Jonas WEED's home in Wethersfield was at the extreme northern end of the eastern side of the present High Street. Its position is indicated by his name on the 1640 map of the town in "The History of Ancient Wethersfield."
In about 1641, Jonas and his family were among the families to found Stamford, CT. Jonas and Mary remained in Stamford and it was here that their remaining six children were born.
Jonas' will, dated 26 November 1672, was inventoried on 7 November 1676. Mentioned in his will were; his wife Mary, eldest son John, son Daniel, son Jonas, daughter Mary (wife of George ABBOT), daughter Dorcas (wife of James WRIGHT), son Samuel, daughter Sarah; daughter Elizabeth, and daughter Hannah (wife of Benjamin HOIT). Executors of his will were wife Mary and son John. The will, from the Fairfield Probate Records, is a follows:
The Last Will and testament of Jonas WEED Sr. who first doth give up his
soul to his Lord Jesus Christ and his Body to an honorable burial and for
his outward estate he doth as follows: he doth give and bequeath unto his
wife Mary WEED the house she now lives in and the use of the homelot with
two acres of meadow and two acres of upland lying in the east field during
her lifetime: And [line smudged] all belonging to it: And his [line smudged]
pan: and more to [line smudged] of his estate [line smudged].
2ly He doth give and bequeath to his eldest sonn John WEED two acres of
Meadowe lying in Rock Creek and more to the vallu of five pounds.
3ly He doth give unto his sonn David WEED the full and just sum of Ten
pounds; for the said Ten pounds he is to give that peece of Meadowe lying
in the east field in that neck comonly called Mr. [Lands?] neck if he with
the rest doe agree in the [words smudged] thay may yf soe much; then he
is to have the remainder of my other things.
4ly He doth give unto his sonn Jonas WEED the sum of one pound.
5ly He doth give unto his daughter Mary ABBOT the wife of George ABBOT
the sum of Thirty Shillings.
6ly He doth give unto his daughter Dorcas: the wife of James WRIGHT the
sum of Ten Shillings.
7ly He doth give unto his sonn Samuel the sum of Twenty Pounds.
8ly He doth give unto John Rockwell the sum of five shillings and doth leave
the vallu of five pounds in Daniel's hand for Elizabeth.
9ly He doth give to his daughter Sarah the sum of Five Shillings; And in case
shee doe returne agayne to the Truth then he doth by will unto her the sum of
Five Pounds.
10ly He doth give unto his daughter Hannah Benj: HOITS the sum of Ten
pounds.
Moreover it is his will that yf his estate doth not amount unto ye Just Sum as
above they shall share out of the above proportionably; And if his estate [?]
[?] to [?] the Sum as above then it is his will that they shall each and every
of them advance proportionably to what [?] of them have received: Also he
doth by will Impore his wife Mary WEED and his sonn Daniel and his sonn
Jonas WEED to Administer upon his Estate acording to [will?].
Jonas Died in Stamford on 5 June 1676 and Mary died, also in Stamford, on 10 March 1689.
The following information is taken from: The Life of Thurlow Weed Including his Autobiography and a Memoir, by Thurlow Weed, Harriet A. Weed (daughter) and Thurlow Weed Barnes (grandson) (1882/1884) Chapter 1: 1630-1818
Among immigrants to America from Yorkshire, England in the year 1630, was Jonas WEED, the first member of the family of whom I have any authentic information. He took the oath of freeman in the colony of Massachusetts Bay in 1631. Until the month of May 1635, he lived at Waterstown, near Boston, with his wife Mary. Then he went "with other church members" to Wethersfield, CT where he took a prominent part in a certain doctrinal controversy. High ecclesiastical authorities were sent to Wethersfield to arrange a settlement but no satisfactory result could be reached, and in 1642 Jonas and his friends went to live at Stamford, each receiving a house-lot by vote of settlers already located in that town. Jonas died in 1676, leaving three sons and five daughters. It is believed that Thurlow WEED was his lineal descendant through Nathan, who lived at Stamford about 1785.
It was the custom to name children after the prophets. Jonas found good Bible names for his immediate descendants, but the usage was disregarded when a son was born to Joel WEED and Mary ELLS, and by them named after Edward, Lord Thurlow of Ashfield, High Chancellor of England. Joel and Mary moved to Dutchess county then Greene county, NY and lived in Acra--now Cairo--where Thurlow was born on 15 Nov 1797.
Events
| Birth | Feb 1597 | Chelveston (near Stamford), Northhampton, England |  |  | |
| Baptism | 20 Feb 1597 | Chelveston, Northhampton, England | | | |
| Immigration | 1630 | America from England on the ship Arabella (Winthrop Fleet) to Watertown, MA | | | |
| Biographical Sketch | 18 May 1631 | , , MA | | | |
| Marriage | 1637 | Wethersfield, Hartford, CT - Mary Elizabeth Scofield | | | |
| Emigration | Oct 1669 | Massachusetts to Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut | |||
| Will | 26 Nov 1672 | Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, British America | | ||
| Death | 5 Jun 1676 | Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, British America | | | |
| Probate | 7 Nov 1676 | Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, British America | |
Families
| Spouse | Mary Elizabeth Scofield (1616 - 1689) |
| Child | Mary Weed (1638 - 1672) |
| Child | John Weed Sr. (1639 - 1688) |
| Child | Dorcas Weed (1641 - 1692) |
| Child | Daniel Weed (1643 - 1697) |
| Child | Jonas Weed Jr. (1645 - 1704) |
| Child | Elizabeth Weed (1647 - 1676) |
| Child | Sarah Weed (1649 - ) |
| Child | Hannah Weed (1651 - 1711) |
| Child | Samuel Weed (1653 - 1708) |
| Child | Child Weed (1656 - 1656) |
| Father | Jonas Weed I (1575 - 1667) |
| Mother | Mary Jane Davidson (1580 - 1607) |
Notes
Birth
Information taken from the Medical Journal of John Winthrop, The American Genealogist, Vol. 24, Northampton, England (citing Parish Church records).On the Flipse-Weed Family Tree at Ancestry.com, the owner [aglasshouse1] lists Jonas WEED's birth year as 1607 in Stanwick, England.
Baptism
Information from Parish Church records of Northampton, England (provided by Bill Weed).Immigration
Jonas WEED came to colony of Massachusetts in 1630 on the Arbella, a vessel of the Winthrop Fleet.The Arbella, the flagship, and her sister ships (Ambrose, Talbot, Jewel, Charles, Mayflower, William and Francis, Hopewell, Whale, Success and Trial), were 500-ton vessels, originally build for the wine trade in the Mediterranean and were known as "sweet ships," as they were unusually well caulked and always dry, making them a desirable ship for the passenger trade.
Biographical Sketch
Jonas WEED came to British America on the "Arabella" with the Winthrop Fleet in 1630. He settled in Watertown, MA and was declared a "freeman" on 18 May 1631 in Massachusetts. First settler at Wethersfield, CT in 1641.Marriage
Information from "Southern Weeds and Allied Families," compiled by Louie Clarence Weed and Louie Gordon Weed.Death
Information from The Story of the Early Settlers of Stamford, Fairfield, CT 1641-1700, by Jeanne Majdalany (Heritage Books, Bowie, Prince George's, MD, 1992).Endnotes
1. Patrick Joseph Eagan Family Tree [WEED], Patrick Eagan [PatrickEagan@bellsouth.net] online [Rootsweb.com], accessed 11 Sep 2009.
2. Patrick Joseph Eagan Family Tree [WEED], Patrick Eagan [PatrickEagan@bellsouth.net] online [Rootsweb.com], accessed 11 Sep 2009.
3. Descendants of Jonas WEED -- Part One, unknown online [www.ctgenweb.org/county/cofairfield/pages/stamford/weed_data.htm], accessed Feb 2012.
4. Frederick A. Virkus, Editor, The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy: The Standard Genealogical Encyclopedia of The First Families of America, Vol. I (440-442 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL: F. A. Virkus & Company, 1925).
5. Patrick Joseph Eagan Family Tree [WEED], Patrick Eagan [PatrickEagan@bellsouth.net] online [Rootsweb.com], accessed 11 Sep 2009.
6. New England Families, Vol. IV, compiler, Connecticut Local and Family Histories, 1600s-1800s (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2000).
7. Patrick Joseph Eagan Family Tree [WEED], Patrick Eagan [PatrickEagan@bellsouth.net] online [Rootsweb.com], accessed 11 Sep 2009.
8. New England Families, Vol. IV, compiler, Connecticut Local and Family Histories, 1600s-1800s (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 2000).