William Colefax

GEDCOM Note

Category:Wethersfield, Connecticut Last name at Birth LNAB COLEFAX We have on wikitree two spellings of this surname Colfax and Colefax. There are some others. Wikitree guidelines say to use the last name as spelled on birth records.Obviously we have no birth record for William. The earliest Colony records for William spell it Colefoxe. I'm sure no one wants to use Colefoxe. There are birth records for his children, unfortunately the printed records (Barbour Collection) lumps all the spellings together. Colefax is used in the town records in 1648 and 1649, within a few years of his children's births. Geographic Note There were no counties in Connecticut until 1666.

Biography

Birth ===William Colefax/Colfax, recorded a purchase of his homelot in Wethersfield in 1647. He was a carpenter and resided in Wethersfield until he died. His wife was called Alse in the birth records of their children.<ref name=Stiles>Stiles, Henry Reed. Families of Ancient Wethersfield Connecticut; Consisting of the History of Ancient Wethersfield, Comprising the Present Towns of Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, and Newington; andof Glastonbury Prior to Its Incorporation in 1693, from Date of Earliest Settlement Until the Present Time, with Extensive Genealogies and Genealogical Notes on Their Families. Vol II. 1904.p. 246 At HathiTrust</ref>

William died intestate. An inventory was taken 20 Sept 1660. The courtdecided the distribution, mentioning the mother of his children, his eldest son, two daughters (one Mary) and youngest son Jonathan.<ref name=WmProbate>Probate Packets, Cole, Samuel-Colt, H, 1641-1880. Connecticut County, District and Probate Courts. William Colfax Wethersfield 1660 #1316 Hartford Probate District. Accessed Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999</ref> Children of William and Alse Colfax, recorded in Wethersfield, Connecticut.

1. Elizabeth b. April 1653<ref name=BarbourW />
2. John b. 1 Feb 1654/5; d. 1681;<ref name=BarbourW />
3. Mary b. Feb 1656/7<ref name=BarbourW />#Jonathan b. Feb 1658/9; sgt. <ref name=BarbourW>Wethersfield Connecticut Vital Records to 1870 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, NewEngland Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.) From original typescripts, Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection, 1928.</ref> NOTE: Stiles in the Fam. & Gen. of Wethersfield states that Mary married Henry Arnold, but Mary married Joseph Bidwell and her sister Elizabeth married Henry Arnold. As seen by the estate of William's son John:Son John's inventory was taken 1 Dec 1676, valued at 30 pounds, consisting of about 7 acres of land in the Great Swamp and 14 pounds of cashthat his father in law owes the estate<ref name=JohnProbate>Probate Packets, Cole, Samuel-Colt, H, 1641-1880. Connecticut County, District and Probate Courts. John Colfax Wethersfield 1676 #1314 Hartford Probate District. Accessed Ancestry.com. Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999</ref> on the 29th of March 1680. Henry Arnold and wifeElizabeth Arnold of Hartford and Joseph Bidwell and wife Mary Bidwellof Wethersfield gave up their right and title to the estate of their deceased brother John Colfax to their brother Jonathan Colfax.<ref name=JohnProbate> The court confirmed this 20 April 1681.<ref name=probate>Manwaring, Charles William. A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records.Volume 1. Hartford District 1635-1700. Hartford, Conn., R.S. Peck & Co., Printers, 1904. p.188 at Hathi </ref>

Sources

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• Ancestral File Number: 14CB-GR0