Elkanah Hewitt

notes

From the "ELKANAH HEWITT, SR. AND FAMILY OF STONINGTON CONNECTICUT, CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS" article in THE CONNECTICUT NUTMEGGER, Vol. 24, #2 Sept. 1991:

For many years we had been searching for additional information on the wife of Elkanah Hewitt, Sr. who was born March 1699/1700 in Stonington, New London County, Connecticut, the son of Benjamin and Marie (or Mary) Fanning Hewitt. Until three or four years ago, the only record we had was in Richard Anson Wheeler's HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF STONINGTON, NEW LONDON COUNTY, CONNECTICUT where on page 419 Elkanah is called Elkana and his wife is identified as Temperance Kenney, and on page 421 where, when listed with eight children, she is called Temperance Keeney, married 1722. (Notice the difference in the spelling of her surname.)

Wheeler gives no sources for his information, but there are at least three glaring errors in this data. One is an actual error and two are errors of omission.

1. Elkanah's wife and mother of the children is not Temperance Keeney, but Hannah, maiden name unknown, as shown by the christening of the children in the North Stonington First Congregational Church (LDS FHL #005081). Here, except for Elkanah, Thankful, and Sarah, and either Jonas or Simeon, they are identified by name and as 'son or daughter of Elkanah Hewitt and his wife Hannah.' Also, a Mrs. Hannah Hewitt was baptized in this church about two months before the christenings of the three oldest, Elkanah, Thankful, and Sarah.
2. Silas, six child of this couple, is not listed in Wheeler, though his birth is recorded in the Stonington Town Records (LDS FHL #1309872).
3. There are three still younger children in the family whose christenings appear in the records of the North Stonington First Congregational Church - Hannah, Samuel, and Rogger. Samuel and Rogger do not appear in any other record found to date, but Hannah is named in her father's will dated 14 February 1776 (LDS FHL #1032097).

There is still another problem with this family, which has been cleared up with recent research. In his will, dated 14 February 1776, Elkanah names his wife as Temperance. At first glance is might appear that his wife was Temperance at home and Hannah at church. Actually, however, his wife at the time of the will was Temperance Grant of Norwich, whom he married in the Lisbon (New London Co.) Congregational Church. 16 September 1773 (LDS FHL #0004706). This marriage was reported in the New London Gazette 1 Oct 1773 where he is stated to be 'of Stonington' and 'age 70' (three years too young), but it adds that he was attended by his older brother, Israel, thus identifying him definitely as the son of Benjamin and Marie Fanning Hewitt. The marriage is listed also in the Charles R. Hale Collection of Marriages in Connecticut Newspapers (LDS FHL #0003402), though the names are not in the general index.

Two other errors concerning the marriage of Elkanah Hewitt and Temperance Grant occur in Frederick W. Bailey's EARLY CONNECTICUT MARRIAGES PRIOR TO 1800 (LDS FHL #974.6 V25b). On page 87 of his '5th Book',

1. Elkanah is called Elkanah Hunt and
2. the date is given as 16 September 1773-75. In the original record in the Lisbon Congressional Church, it is clearly Elkanah Hewitt and the date is 1773, not 1775, which is further proved by the date of the newspaper item in the New London Gazette cited above.

comments

Given name has also been reported to be Elkana.

sources

• HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF STONINGTON, county of New London, Connecticut, from its first settlement in 1649 to 1900, by Richard Anson Wheeler, New London, CT, 1900, p. 419
• THE CONNECTICUT NUTMEGGER, Vol. 24, #2 Sept. 1991 "ELKANAH HEWITT, SR. AND FAMILY OF STONINGTON CONNECTICUT, CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS". by Walter R. Buss, CSG #9363.

links

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72202538

GEDCOM Source

@R-797600319@ Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920 Ancestry.com 1,3032::0

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1,3032::696771

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@R-797600319@ Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,1034::0

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1,1034::234366

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@R-797600319@ Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection) Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,1034::0

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1,1034::234366

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@R-797600319@ Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920 Ancestry.com 1,3032::0

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1,3032::696771

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@R-797600319@ Selected U.S. Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,1276::0

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Census Place: Preston, New London, Connecticut; Page: 2; Schedule Type: Agriculture 1,1276::6528299

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@R-797600319@ 1840 United States Federal Census Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,8057::0

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Year: 1840; Census Place: Preston, New London, Connecticut; Page: 241 1,8057::1559171