Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

John Stiles

Male 1665 - 1753  (87 years)


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  • Name John Stiles 
    Born 10 Dec 1665  Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 20 May 1753  North Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I2492  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Family Ruth Bancroft,   b. 29 Aug 1670, Westfield, Hampshire (now Hampden), Massachusetts, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1714, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 43 years) 
    Married Abt 1690  Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F1430  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Note that this John is the only Stiles in my database that comes through the Windsor, Connecticut, Stiles who were from Milbroke, Bedford, England and not apparently related to my other Stiles who show up in Essex Co., Massachusetts, in New England from probably Yorkshire.

      2. The book "The Stiles Family in America: Genealogies of the Connecticut Family, etc.," by Henry Reed Stiles, 1895, p. 83:
      "Mr. John Stiles, (son of John, grandson of John) born 10 Dec 1665; settled at Windsor, Conn. He married (1) Ruth Bancroft, dau. of Samuel, of Westfield, Mass., who died in Childbed, 1714; m. (2) Widow Sarah Rumrill, who died about 1743, by whom he had no children. After her death, he left Windsor, and lived the greater part of his remaining years with his son, Rev. Isaac Stiles, at North Haven, where he died, 20 May 1753, age 88 years.
      The church records of Rev. Timothy Edwards, first pastor of the First Church of East Windsor, Conn., give evidence that John Stiles was an actual settler (and the first of the name) on the east side of the Great River - then known as "Windsor Farmes" - probably in 1699 or 1700.
      Pres. Stiles ('MS. Itinerary,' vol. v., Yale College Library says: 'Osborn, Bissell, Fitch, three first settlers of East Windsor. Osborn owned three miles long and a half (mile) in width on Connecticut River. Grandfather Jno. Stiles among first and with Osborn. Osborn first above Scantic River, Bissell below, and Fitch at South end.'
      His grandson, the President, thus describes him: 'my Grandfather was small man short of stature and rather lean than fat; an honest man, tho' of an ordinary capacity and understanding - a plain Farmer, naturally rather dull and cloudy make; his passions quick tho' not often disturbed - at time melancholy tho' often social. Tho' he had little evil about him, yet he had nothing extraordinary good. Had no ambition to be distinguished beyond a very small sphere. And least of all had he anything Enterprising in his Make. Not very active nor very Indolent; if he could in Summer lay up for Winter so as to feed his numerous Family, he sought no more. He took no pains to acquire an Estate, having land eno' to raise provision for the support of his Family.
      The Family of Bancroft (his wife's) are of a brisk, smart, quick, sensible ane lively cast. Grandmother communicated her family spirit to all his children, but to none in so high a degree as to her son my Father, the Rev. Isaac Stile, and perhaps her daughter Ruth. In general in all the children there was a manifest Superiority of Mind to Grandfather's. They were all possessed of Sensibility, Spirit, Quickness and Judgement far superior to their Father. One common Infirmity inseparably attended the whole Family, Violence of Passions; not one but was quick and passionate to a high degree, which was a great Disadvantage especially to the two, viz. my Father and Uncle Abel who were concerned in public Life. Boisteriousness, Impetuosity and Ungovernableness of their passions, involved them in many Trials, wh. Men of more Meekness and Condescension had avoided.
      With all these Infirmities of Passions about them, the Family was not addicted to Vices, but were honest, upright and faithful and had in their Dispositions a natural Hospitality and Generosity which would have appeared more had not Indigence, or at least a want of Affluence, prevented it.
      Not only my Grandfather, but the Family of Stiles in other Branches, in general, were a small Breed, low of Stature' (excepting Jonathan Stiles, known as 'Long Jonathan.')
      [Article lists Children.]"
      Footnotes:
      1. [Ruth Bancroft]: 'Being left an orphan at an early age, was given to Mr. Fowler, of Westfield to bring up. When of age she lived at Rev. Mr. Glover's, in Springfield, and was in the fortified house when it was besieged by the Indians in 1675' - 'Pres. Stiles MS, Genealogy.' She was among the members in full communion belonging to 'ye 2d Church of Christ in Windsor,' (i.e. the first Church in East Windsor), under date of 1700, - Stiles 'Hist. Ancient Windsor,' p. 870. [Note: Pres. Stiles would be the grandson of John through Isaac and the President of Yale College in the late 1700s.]
      2. Memorandum by Pres. Stiles, made when a boy, 'Feb. 11, 1743-4, Grandfather Stiles came down,' i.e. to North Haven. Age of death also by memorandum of Pres. Stiles."

      3. Henry R. Stiles, "The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut," 1892, v. 2, pp. 704-705: "John Stiles (son of John), b. Eng., abt. 1633, of whom there is a tradition 'that a woman and her child paid only a single passage, but double if (the child were) weaned, and tho' John Stiles was old enough to wean when they came from England, 1634, yet his mother suckled him (during) the voyage and so gained his passage' ('Pres. Stiles MS'); seems to have been a citizen of good character and repute; in 1675, in a tax for the support of the Rivulet Ferry at Windsor, is mentioned as having 'family, horse, and 4 oxen.' He m. Dorcas (dau. of Henry) Burt of Springield, Mass., 28 Aug 1658, of whom it is related by Pres. Stiles, as a tradition in the B. Family, that ' her mother, before she came over, was laid out for dead in England, put into the coffin, but, at her funeral, signs of life appeared, and she recovered, came to New England, settled at Springfield, and here in America had 19 children (ten of whom, at least, lived to have families), one of whom was this Dorcas.' Mr. John Stiles d. at Windsor 8 Dec 1683, age about 50; widow m. (2) John Shethar, at Killingworth, Conn., 7 Jan 1712/13. Children:
      A. Sarah, b. at Springfield, 12 Sep 1661; m. (1) Ephraim Bancroft of Windsor 5 May 1681. who d. 1727, age 66; (2) Thomas Phillips; she had 8 ch. by B. and none by P.
      B. Hannah, b. at Windsor, 23 Mar 1664/5; m. Samuel Bliss of Springfield, 21 Jan 1687; d. Dec 1704; had 4 ch.
      C. John, b. Windsor, 10 Dec 1665.
      D. Ephraim, b. ___.
      E. Thomas, 'sett. in Windsor; m. Bethiah Hanmer, from Scituate, Mass.; d. abt. 1740, or '45, age 67; no issue.' - 'Pres. Stile's MS.'"

      4. Henry R. Stiles, "The History and Genealogies of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut," 1892, v. 2, pp. 704-705: "John Stiles (Mr.) (son of John, g.son of John), settled at Windsor, was an actual settler, and the first of the name on the east side of the Conn. [river], prob. about 1699 or 1700. A very interesting pen portrait of him, and of his brothers and sisters and his wife, by Pres. Stiles, is still extant (see 'S. Genealogy'); he was a farmer; m. (1) Ruth (dau. Samuel) Bancroft of Westfield, Mass., who d. in Child-bed, 1714; (2) Wid. Rumrill, who d. 5 Apr 1743 (East Windsor Church Record); his later years were spent at the residence of his son, Rev. Isaac Stiles at North Haven, Conn., where he d. 20 May 1753, age 88. Children (first 6 prob. b. at Old Windsor; the remainder at 'Windsor Farmes,' East Windsor.):
      A. Ruth, b. 5 Feb 1691; m. 31 May 1711 Nath'l Taylor of Windsor, Conn., who d. 6 May 1736; she d. 11 Dec 1760 at Torrington, Conn., age 70; 10 children.
      B. John, b. 17 Dec 1692.
      C. Margaret, b. 23 Feb 1694/5; m. 23 Feb 1714/15, Joseph Peck of Windsor, afterwards of Tolland, Conn.; he d. Litchfield Co.; 6 ch.
      D. Isaac (Rev.), b. 30 Jul 1697.
      E. ___, son, d. inf.
      F. ___, dau., d. inf.
      G. Ebenezer, b. 7 Apr 1701.
      H. Noah, b. 31 Jan 1702/3.
      I. Abel, d. inf.
      J. Hannah, twin, d. age 4.
      K. ___, d. inf.
      L. Abel (Rev), b. 10 Mar 1708/9.
      M. Hannah, b. 9 Oct 1711; m. Isaac Hayden of Windsor, 19 Nov 1736; she d. 27 Aug 1750, age 39; 7 ch.
      N. Benoni, b. 1714; d. age 3 mos."

      5. The book "Families of Ancient New Haven," by Donald L. Jacobus (New Haven, 1981), 7 vols., p. 1704: "John Stiles, "father of Rev. Mr. Stiles," d. 20 May 1753 ae. 86 NoHT1 (Old Graveyard, North Haven); m (1) Ruth Bancroft & had, with others... Isaac, b. 30 July 1697 (at Windsor), d. 14 May 1760 ae. 63..."

      6. "A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England...," by James Savage, 4 vols., (Boston, 1862), p. 195:
      "Stiles, John, Windsor, eldest s. of the preced. m. Ruth Bancroft, had Ruth, b. 5 Feb. 1691; John, 17 Dec. 1692; Margaret, 23 Feb. 1695; Isaac, 30 July 1697; Ebenezer, 7 Apr. 1701; Noah, 31 Jan. 1703; Abel, d. soon; Hannah, and arm. tw. both d. soon, as had a pair tw. some yrs. bef.; Abel, again, 5 or 10 Mar. 1709 Hannah, again, 9 Oct. 1711; and Benoni, 1714, d. soon. He was gr.f. of Rev. Ezra, disting. equal. for his extensive erudit. and amiable credulity, wh. was b. 29 Dec. 1727, eldest ch. of Isaac, and only one by w. Kezia, d. of Rev. Edward Taylor of Westfield, wh. d. five days aft. The chronology of too many of the fourteen ch. belong. to John, is so strangely confus. in Cothren, 697, that it defies restorat."