John Case, of Simsbury

• Seen as son of William Case, Sr.
• Seen as son of Solomon Case, of Aylesham

  ---

JOHN CASE was born July 22, 1616, in Aylesham, Kent, England.

Alternatively, he was born before 1631.

By tradition:

”John came to America arriving at Newport, Rhode Island, on September 3, 1635. He had come with his brothers, William, Thomas, Solomon and Richard. At the time he was 19 years old. The Cases in England had made their fortunes by furnishing leather to the armies, being tanners and farmers.”

John married Sarah Spencer on August 17, 1656, in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut. Sarah was born March 7, 1635/36, in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of William and Agnes (Tucker) Spencer. They were the parents of ten children, six sons and four daughters.

After they were married, they first resided in Windsor, Connecticut, until the spring of 1669 when they moved to Simsbury, Connecticut, and settled in Weatogue.

John was appointed constable for Simsbury, the first in the area. He also represented the town at the General Court in 1670 and several times afterwards. He owned 17 parcels of land, a corn mill and a saw mill. His inventory showed that he was a man of wealth for his day.

Sarah (Spencer) Case died November 3, 1691, at age 55. John then married Elizabeth (Moore) Loomis, the daughter of John Moore. She was born in 1638 in Windsor, Connecticut, and died there July 23, 1728, about 90 years old.

John Case died February 21, 1703/04 in Simsbury, Connecticut, at age 87. His will was dated 1700 and was a lengthy document of eight pages.

Disputed Origins

Parents also seen as Solomon Case, of Aylesham

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Case-280 Notes

Changed info re father and mother. Work pictured as primary photo for this profile cites William as father for John.(II) Therefore, father John (SR) removed 4/2020. Mother has been added, Susan, wife of William; Elizabeth Purchase was deleted as mother, an Eliz Purchase was married to Richard Case, a possible brother of John's. (Deirdre Lavieri, Lavieri-1)

The Alderman Genealogy is more specific about John's early years: "John sailed from Gravesend, England, on September 3, 1635, on the ship Dorset and landed at Newport, R.I., but settled in Windsor, Conn. He was a farmer and owner of large acreages of land. He spend some years in Newton on Long Island, but in 1656 he returned to Connecticut and 1667 settled in Simsbury, formerly known as Masaco."

The Case Family of Connecticut

http://westoverfamilyhistory.weebly.com/case-family-of-connecticut....

The Case family legend sets the family as far back as the year 1200 in York, England. They eventually settled in Aylesham, England, holding all the land surrounding the town, giving them the name "Case" because they "Cased in" the town. According to lore (for the time being), they are connected to the Boleyn family by marriage and the Cromwell family by noteriety. At the time of this writing, I've only been able to trace the family as far back as a one John Case in Connecticut, born about 25 Jul 1616 in Aylesham, England. We know that he was in the Hartford area in 1636-37 and was likely in the Pequot Indian War of the time because he was granted two parcels of land for his military service. There are other Cases in the area: Henry, Richard, Thomas and William who MAY be his brothers (all being sons of William Case and Susan Rodich and sailed over on the "Dorset" in 1635), but at the time of this writing there is no solid evidence that allows for this presumption.

For a time John moved to Newtown, Long Island, NY, but then returned to Windsor, Connecticut in 1656 where he married Sarah Spencer, daughter of William Spence and Agnes Harris (though her father died when she was quite young and was raised by her step-father William Edwards).

In 1666, John was granted rights as a Freeman. In 1669, John and his family moved to Simsbury (then Massacoe) where he served as constable. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding between the Natives and the representatives of King Phillip, their property was destroyed in 1675 because it was on hunting grounds.

On 3 Nov 1691, Sarah died in Simsbury. John married Elizabeth Moore Loomis, widow of Nathaniel Loomis and daughter of John Moore in 1692.

On 21 Feb 1703, John died in Simsbury and was likely buried next to his wife in Hop Meadow Cemetery. Elizabeth survived him by 25 years, dying on 23 Jul 1728.

Children of John and Sarah are:

1. Elizabeth b. 1658, Windsor (though, there is some speculation that Elizabeth may have been born on Long Island. Apparently a letter dated 17 Aug 1656 John Case sent a letter from Maspeth Creek, Long Island (now part of Brooklyn, NY) to "my honored father William Edwards" at Hartford. So there is a good chance John and Sarah were married before this date and puts Elizabeth's birth possibly in New York) d. 9 Oct 1718, Simsbury
2. Mary b. 22 Jun 1660, Windsor d. 22 Aug 1725, Simsbury
3. John b. 5 Nov 1662, Windsor d. 22 May 1733, Simsbury
4. William b. 5 Jun 1665, Windsor d. 31 May 1700, Simsbury
5. Samuel b. 1 Jun 1665, Windsor d. 30 Jul 1725, Simsbury
6. Richard b. 27 Apr 1667, Simsbury d. 27 Apr 1746, Simsbury
7. Batholomew b. 1 Oct 1670, Simsbury d. 25 Oct 1725, Simsbury
8. Joseph b. 6 Apr 1674, Simsbury d. 11 Aug 1748, Simsbury
9. Sarah b. 20 Apr 1676, Simsbury d. 2 May 1704, Simsbury

   ---

Notes

https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:John_Case_%288%29

About 1656, marriage to Sarah Spencer, daughter of William of Hartford, Connecticut who died in 1640. Sarah's mother then married a William Edwards who became Sarah's step-father and thus John Case's father-in-law and attorney as mentioned below. The marriage probably took place near Hartford, Connecticut. [7]

17 Aug 1656, John Case, Mashpath Killes, New Netherlands, gave power of Attorney:

Know all Men by these prsents, that I John Case, now Inhabiting in Mashpath Kills in the new Netherlands, have constituted and made my Father William Edwards, inhabitant in Hartford in New England, my true and lawfull Attorneye to demand, recouver and receive in my name and for my use of Mr. Richard Lord of Hartford in New England, mrcht, £6 which the sd. Mr. Richard Lord was assigned by the ourseers to pay unto my wife in Pease and Wheat when shee was 18 yeares of Age, in Pease at 3 Shillings the Bushell, and Wheat at 4 Shillins the Bushell. Also I doe Authorise my Attornye, with as full power as if myselfe was existant, to demand, recouer and receive of the sd, Mr Lord all other Debts or Dues which shall bee found to bee owing unto mee from him. I say I doe Authorise, Ratifie and Confirme my Attornye with as full power in this Case as if myselfe was existant. Upon the Refusall to pay, I doe Authorise my Attorney to Arrest, Sue, Recouver, and upon receipt to give discharge, or if occasion bee to plead or implead in my name and place, and what Attornye shall see Cause to doe in this Case I Will Ratifie and Confirme as done by myselfe.

The letter was signed by John Case with his mark. Witnesses were Joseph Langdon and Thomas Casse. On the back side of this letter it is written to his loving father William Edwards, living at Hartford in New England. [8]

About 1657, John Case joined the new colony of Windsor, about eight or nine miles above Hartford, at the mouth of Farmington river. A. P. Case writes, "we know little about his residence there, except that his first five children were born there." [9]

1667, first grant of land at Massacoe (now Simsbury), Connecticut was made to John case and twenty others. [10]

Spring 1669, thirteen grantees moved to Massacoe. They were: Thomas Barber, John Case, Samuel Filley, Joseph Phelps, John Griffin, Michael Humphrey, Joshua Holcomb, Thomas Maskell, Luke Hill, Samuel Pinney, John Beull, Peter Beull and Joseph Skinner. John settled in the south part of the area known as Weatogue. [11]

14 October 1669, John Case was appointed Constable for Massacoe, by the General Court, being the first person to hold that office there. [12]

1670, the town of Massacoe asked for town privileges and sent John Case and Joshua Holcomb to the May session of the General Court. "This court grants Massacoe's bounds shall run from Farmington bounds to the northward ten miles, and from Windsor bounds on the east, to run westward ten miles; provided it does not prejudice any former grant. The Court orders that the plantation at Massacoe be called Simsbury." After being appointed Constable, John represented the town in the General Assembly. [13]

1674, John represented the town of Simsbury again at the General Assembly. [14]

1675, John represented the town of Simsbury again at the General Assembly. Indian troubles caused the people of Simsbury to pick up their belongings and head back to their old homesteads in Windsor and Hartford. The houses and other buildings they left behind were destroyed by the Indians. Some folks returned to Simsbury in 1677, but the town itself was at a standstill for a period of about 10 years. Many researchers believe that John Case visited his brother Thomas, at Maspeth Kills, Long Island, during this time. [15]

23 Aug 1681, inventory of the estate of John Griffin taken by John Case. [16]

1691, John represented the town of Simsbury again at the General Assembly. [17]

3 Nov 1691, John's wife, Sarah, died at age 55. Sometime shorthly thereafter, he married Elizabeth, the widow of Nathaniel Loomis, of Windsor, and daughter of John Moore. [18]

Will

21 Nov 1700, Last Will and Testament of John Case [19]

• I give to my wife Elizabeth Case £5 annually during life, which was engaged before marriage.
• I give to my son John Case land I bought of Mr. Samuel Stone in Simsbury, also £5.
• I give to my son William Case land I bought of Thomas Hart in Farmington, joining lands of the heirs of Capt. Marshall, and land in Weataug I bought of John Clark.
• I give to my son Samuel 5 acres of land given me by the inhabitants of Sims-bury at Weataug, adjacent to Benajah Holcomb's houselott; also I give him my whole share in the two mills, viz., corn mill and saw mill, stand-ing on Hop Brook in Simsbury; my share in the mill lott and the loft in Hazell Meadow I bought of John Humphries; also the land in Hazell Meadow I bought of Joseph Skinner.
• I give to my son Richard Case that allotment being situate in Weataug Meadow which I bought of Eliakim Marshall, and the houselott at Weataug which I bought of John Clark.
• I do give to my son Bartholomew Case my proper allotment given me in Hazell Meadow and at the Common Land lying on the west side of the river, and 12 acres adjacent to it, and 1-2 of the new barn, and 5 acres of land on the Plaine against Sergt. Wilcockson's houselott.
• I give unto my son Joseph Case, by deed of gift, in consideration of his living with me during my lifetime and managing my whole affairs and business of hus-bandry according to my ordering and discretion, my now dwelling house in Simsbury and the whole of my houselott, bounded east by the river, north by John Pettebone's houselott, west by the highway and south by Benajah Holcomb's loft, with the barn, fences, orchards, and all edifices directed and built thereon.
• I give to my daughter Elizabeth Tuller £10 more besides what she hath already received.
• To my daughter Mary £15, also 12 acres of land lying in Simsbury.
• To my daughter Sarah Case, alias Phelps, £20.
• To my daughter Abigail Case £30.
• And although William be dead, yet an equal share shall appertain to his estate to be distributed to his children.
• Moreover, if there be not estate enough left of the moveables at the time of my death to discharge the several legacies herein held and con-tained, after my other debts be paid, as these legacies (John £5, Elizabeth £10, Mary £15, Sarah £20, Abigail £30, Joseph £2, total £82), then it is my will that my sons herein named, or their heirs, do make good to each legatee herein mentioned their several sums by an equal dist. of each person excepting Joseph, who shall pay double to the rest of his brethren, whose names are William, Samuel, Richard, Bartholomew and Joseph Case.
• I appoint my brother Samuel Spencer of Hartford and my son John Case of Simsbury to be Adms.
• Witness: John Slater, Clerk, JOHN X CASE, SEN., LS. William Gillett, Elias Slater.

12 Feb 1704, codicil to will written: [20]

• On that certain day received at the will and pleasure of John Case, Senior, who thus explained himself in reference of that small estate which it pleased God to give him in his lifetime: Therefore do now explain my-self as to my will and pleasure:
• That my homestead should be divided, and one half at my pleasure disposed to that son that shall live with me, with the messuages, and the other half to be disposed between my three sons, Samuel, Richard and Bartholomew; only that son that lives with me to have the half reserved, northward part; and that my wive's dowry, viz., five pounds annually during her life, shall be paid out of said homestead.
• And that my son Joseph Case, seeing he has declined his due respects and service from me in this time of distress and sickness contrary to my expec-tation and agreement, yet, notwithstanding, I do give him my Nodd mea-dow lott with the upland adjacent, granted me by the inhabitants of Sims-bury, as appears upon record; as also I give unto him the half of the land on the plain, by Doctor Jacob Read's, given me by Simsbury inhabitants, half of that said lott from sd. Read's lott to my old lott or former grant. I give him said Joseph the one-half of this my last grant. This being in consideration of his whole proportion on all account and portion.
• As also I give unto my daughters my moveables after my debts are paid.
• As also I give to my son William Case's children that estate in land that I gave to my son William.
• And unto my son John Case, as the sole and full of his portion, that land he now stands possessed of, with the addition of pay as is expressed in my will.
• And be it further known, that whatsoever estate I have disposed of by former wills or by these presents, that none of these my children shall be put in possession or have right to till after my death, only reserving this liberty to myself to order and dispose of the one-half of my homested as in this case of my necessity I see occasion.
• There being one thing slipped memory, but we underwritten do testify that this is fully expressed by the sd. John Case, Sen., who did express that the sd. portion given out of my own estate to my daughter Mary shall be and appertain to her children.
• Witness my hand: Witness, John Slater, Sen., JOHN X CASE, SEN. James Cornish.

Court Record, Page 53--9 March, 1703-4: Will exhibited by Mr. Samuel Spencer and John Case. Proven and ordered to be recorded.

12 Feb 1704, death. [21] A. P. Case writes: "The old homestead was held in succession by direct descendants until 1869, when it was sold to Harvey B. Case, a descendant of Bartholomew Case, to E. C. Stacy. Mr. Harvey E. Case informed the writer that no part of the old house remained. The place has recently [comments written in 1898] come into the possession of F. P. Dodge, of New York City, and converted into an elegant summer residence." [22]

Comments

I am not sure if I descend from his wife Sarah Spencer or Elizabeth Loomis as I do not have marriage dates. Sarah lived to be 55 and Elizabeth lived to be 90 so I suspect it was his 1st wife. And also makes me wonder if that makes Sarah a double relative, she may be my Grandmother and Aunt...

---

References

1. CASE lineage https://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/f/f2/Case-280.jpg
2. Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut By Lucius Barnes Barbour Pg.556
3. http://www.simsburyhistory.org/SimsHistory/FirstSettlers.html
4. Find A Grave Memorial# 33309769
5. http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Case-Family/2002-12/1...
6. http://www.bankert.org/genreport/p108.htm#i2700
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33309769/john-case
8. Phelps, Noah Amherst. History of Simsbury, Granby, and Canton, from 1642 to 1845 (Case, Tiffany and Burnham, Hartford, 1845) Page 168 GoogleBooks RICHARD Cass resided at East Hartford, and afterwards, it is supposed, removed to Simsbury, though this is uncertain. His wife was Elizabeth Purchase, daughter of John Purchase, one of the first settlers of Hartford. He died March 30, 1694. His children were, Richard, John, and Mary. He is supposed to have been a brother of John Case. Mary married Joseph Phelps.
9. At the bottom of page 168, there is an entry for Richard Case - take a look! Wife Elizabeth Purchase is named along with children - and date of death - and the possibility of Richard being brother to John, who married Sarah Spencer is mentioned.
10. Great Migration Begins, Vol 3, P-W page 1724 AncestryImage Sarah Spenser b abt 1635 m by 1656 John Case [TAG 34:66 - 69]
11. John Case Senior in the Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999 < AncestrySharing > Name John Case Senior Gender Male Residence Date Abt 1700 Residence Place Simsbury, Hartford, Connecticut, New England Will Date 11 Dec 1700 Probate Date 12 Feb 1703 Probate Place Hartford, Connecticut, USA Inferred Death Year 1703 Inferred Death Place Connecticut, USA Item Description Probate Records, Vol 7-8, 1700-1716
12. https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:John_Case_%288%29 cites
    1. McCracken, George E. The Case Family of Connecticut and Long Island. American Genealogist (D.L. Jacobus). (Apr 1958) 34:66. (document attached). Full article: < AmericanAncestors >
       1. "John Case is reported by Savage [Geneal. Dict. Of New England, 1:345] to have been at New London in 1656 but no evidence has been found to support the statement and it is probable that this is an error for Newtown, since John Case was certainly at Maspeth Kills near Newtown in that year. Mrs. Hannah Elizabeth McPherson, The Holcombes; Nation Builders (Washington, 1948), p. 44, claims without citation of evidence that John Case sailed from Gravesend, England, to New England on 3 Sept. 1635. Her source obviously was the passenger list printed by Hotten [Original Lists, p. 133] and by Samuel G. Drake, Founders of New England (Boston, 1860), p. 110, in which Wm Casse aged 19 was a passenger on the Dorset, John Flower, Mr, 30 Sept. 1635, bound for ye Bormodoes, so that this is not evidence for John Case at all." < AmericanAncestors >
    2. John Case, in Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862). 1:345. "John (Case), New London 1656, next yr. rem. to Windsor, and m. Sarah, d. of William Spencer, had Eliz. b. a. 1658; Mary, 22 June 1660; John, 5 Nov. 1662; William, 5 June 1665; Samuel, 1 June 1667; Richard, 27 Aug. 1669; Bartholomew, Oct. 1670; Joseph, 6 Apr. 1674; Sarah, 14 Aug. 1676; and Abigail, 4 May 1682; but the last five were b. after he rem. to Simsbury, of wh. he was constable 1669, and was rep. 1670, and sev. yrs. after. His w. d. 3 Nov. 1691, aged 55; and he m. Eliz. wid. of Nathaniel Loomis, d. of John Moore, and d. 21 Feb. 1704. His wid. d. 23 July 1728, aged 90. All his ch. were liv. in 1700, it is said. Eliz. m. 1674, Joseph Lewis, and, next, 1684, John Tuller, both of S. and d. 9 Oct. 1718; Mary m. 1679, William Alderman, and, next, 30 Mar. 1699, James Hilyer, both of S. and d. a wid. 22 Aug. 1725; Sarah m. 6 Nov. 1699, Joseph Phelps, jr. as his sec. w. and d. 2 May 1704; and Abigail m. 1 Sept. 1701, Joseph Westover, jr. and outliv. him."
    3. Cutter, William Richard, Genealogical and family history of the State of Connecticut : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation. "John Case , founder of the American branch of the Case family, was a native of England , and emigrated to America in the early settlement of the colonies, coming to Windsor from the old family home at Aylesham, England , where many of them now reside. They were a noted family as far back as the time of Oliver Cromwell , and accumulated fortunes by furnishing leather for his army, being tanners and farmers."
    4. Simsbury Vital Records [NEHGS], in Connecticut, United States. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records 32. "Case, … John, sr., d. Feb. 21, 1703/4 [LR1-A:1]"
    5. A. Pierson Case. A Brief Account of the Life of John Casse at Maspeth Kills, L.I., Windsor and Simsbury, Conn. "He is supposed to be buried in the old cemetery at Simsbury, by the side of his first wife, Sarah Spencer, but there is no stone or record to prove it. Sarah's grave is marked with a red sandstone slab with record on it, probably erected by John. It seems strange that with ten children surviving, all of mature age, that his grave should have been left unmarked."
    6. Case, John, Sen., Simsbury, in Manwaring, Charles W. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records. (Hartford, Conn.: R. S. Peck & Co., 1904-06) 2:36-38. "Probate Records. Vol. VII, 1700-1710. Page 83-4-5-6-7-8-9.
13. Simsbury Free Library. “ John Case of the Fourth Generation in Simsbury #1”. Volume 20 Issue 1, Spring 2013. < link >; < PDF > Page 6.
    1. The genealogy, John Case and his Descendants, complied by Ruth Duncan and revised by her in 2000 (Simsbury: Simsbury Free Library, 2000) says on page one that John Case was born in Aylesham, England.
    2. The “Case Family Ancestral History” published in the Encyclopedia of Connecticut Biography (Boston: American Historical Society, 1919) 4:264, says that he is believed to be the John Case who came on the ship Dorset from Gravesend, England, in September 1635.