Michael Humphrey, of Lyme Regis & Simsbury

Michael Humphrey was baptized on 10 Sept 1620 in Lyme Regis, Dorset, England, son of Michael Humphrey & Martha Pride.

Michael Humphrey married Priscilla Grant on 14 October1657 probably in Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut. Priscilla was born on September 14, 1626, in England, the daughter of Matthew and Priscilla (Grey) Grant. They were the parents of least one son. 1647 not 57

Michael came to America in 1642 and settled in Windsor, Connecticut. He was deputy to the General Court in 1670. In 1669 they relocated to Simsbury, Connecticut.

Michael died around 1695 about 75 years old.

Sources

1. Humphrey Genealogy "3/21/05  -  We have most likely determined the parents of Michael Humphrey: The Mormon Church (LDS) has microfiche of Bishop's transcripts of Church of England records thought previously to have been destroyed in the English Civil War in the 1640's.  Microfiche 1239204, bundle 1A, contains records from 1579-1635, documenting the baptisms, marriage, & burial of many of Michael Humphrey's family in Lyme Regis. Michael was baptised in Lyme Regis, Sept 10, 1620, and his father's name was Michael. His brother Samuell was baptised Nov 27, 1631, & sister Susan (Susannah), Dec 2, 1627. These records show the death of a first wife, Susanna in 1607, and we have separate records showing the marriage to Martha Pride in Bridport, very near Lyme Regis, July 4, 1615, and the baptism of Michael Humphrey, the father, in Honiton, Devon, 15 miles NW of Lyme Regis, January 31, 1577. Except for the marrige of Susannah Humphrey to Thomas Wise in Lyme Regis, 1655, there's no further mention of the family there.  We know from legal records that Samuell moved to Saint Malo, Brittany, France in the 1650's, possibly with his mother Martha. ... So the available evidence all points now to Michael Humphrey & Martha Pride as the parents, from Honiton, Devon, near Lyme Regis, of our immigrant ancestor Michael. We're now looking for the father Michael's parents, possibly in/near Honiton."

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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. 400

GEDCOM Note

Michael Humphrey (q.v. Humphry), s. of Samuel & Susanna Humphrey, bapt. Sept. 10, 1620 at Lyme Regis at Dorset, England. According to the published family genealogy citing the Simsbury, Conn. Town Records, there was a division of Michael's estate, Mar. 19, 1695/6, at which time Michael's son Samuel "Humphries" of Simsbury sold to his brother John land that had belonged to their father, on the west side of Mill Swamp, "as also his house lott: But now Since Our honord fathers Death hath fallen into Our hands and Possession." No probate of Michael's estate is of record.

A lengthy biographical sketch of Michael is contained in Vol. 1 of the 1883 pub. "The Humphrys Family in America," but includes one glaring error. This work claims that Michael was admitted a freeman of the Conn. Colony May 21, 1657 followed by the statement that not until 1664 is he known to have joined the Windsor Church. However, election as a freeman of the Conn. Colony first required church membership in full communion and recommendation from the minister of the town's Congregational Church. Thus, he was a church member prior to 1664, his father-in-law, Matthew Grant, apparently not noting son-in-law Michael's pre-1657 church membership in his (Matthew Grant's) 1677 manuscript of the vital records of Windsor families.

On Oct. 14, 1647 at Windsor, Conn. Michael m. Priscilla Grant, eldest surviving child of Matthew Grant and his first wife Priscilla, b. or bapt. Sept. 14, 1626 at England before her parents immigrated to New England. She was living on Dec. 9, 1681 when given a legacy in her father's will, but when she died is not of record.

Michael and Priscilla had seven known children all b. of record at Windsor, Conn.:

• i. Sgt. John Humphrey, b. June 7, 1650, d. intestate at Simsbury, Conn. Jan. 14, 1697/8, Æ 48; m. circa 1671 Hannah Griffin, dau. of Sgt. John Griffin and Hannah q.v., Anna Bancroft, b. July 4, 1649 at Windsor, Conn. She d. at Simsbury before Jan. 10, 1698/9. Seven children of the family.

• ii. Mary Humphrey, b. Oct. 24, 1653, whose death cannot be found; m. John Lewis on June 16, 1675, by whom she had six known children at Windsor.

• iii. Lieut. Samuel Humphrey, b. May 15, 1656, d. June 15, 1736 at Simsbury, Conn., Æ 81; m. circa 1681, Mary Mills, dau. of Simon Mills & Mary Buell, b. Dec. 8, 1662 at Windsor, Conn. She d. at Simsbury Apr. 4, 1730, Æ 68. Seven children of the family.

• iv. Sarah Humphrey, b. Mar. 6, 1658/9, d. Nov. 28, 1726; m. June 11, 1680 at Hartford, Richard Burnham, s. of Thomas Burnham and Ann Wright. He d. Apr. 28, 1731. Ten children of the family either of birth and/or baptism record at Hartford.

• v. Martha Humphrey, b. Oct, 5, 1663; m. in May 1686, John Shipman; resided at Saybrook, Conn. where six children are recorded.

• vi. Abigail Humphrey, b. Mar. 23, 1665/6, d. June 27, 1697 at Hartford, Conn., Æ 32; m. Feb. 12, 1684/5 at Hartford, Conn. as his 1st wife, Lieut. Benjamin Graham. Five children of the family.

• vii. Hannah Humphrey, b. Oct. 21, 1669, d. Dec. 20, 1750 at Hartford; m. 1) as his 2nd wife, Capt. Joseph Bull, who d. testate at Hartford Mar. 22, 1711/2; m. 2) as his 2nd wife, Joseph Collyer, Jr. He d. testate at Hartford Sept. 25, 1738. Hannah had no children by either marriage.

The following is the only known estate record for Michael Humphrey. It mirrors the above outline of his surviving children and their spouses. [Manwaring: Hartford Probate District, 1:566-7; citing Probate Vol. VI.]

• Michael Humphrey, Windsor. Court Record, Page 151-(Vol. IV) 14 April, 1697: John Humphrys (sic), Samuel Humphrys, Richard Burnham & Sarah his wife, Joseph Bull & Hannah his wife, Benjamin Graham and Abigail his wife, John Shipman & Martha his wife, John Lewis & Mary his wife, Plantiffs, all of them the heirs of Michael Humphrey of Windsor Decd vs. Ensign Joseph Welles & Ensign Benjamin Newbery, of Windsor, Defendants. In an Action of the Case for that you do unjustly withold and keep the above named heirs, Children of the above named Michael Humphrey, out of possession of their Lands lying within the Township of Windsor on the East side of the Connecticut River, containing by Estimation 60 acres and being 10 rods in Breadth be it more or less, bounded west on the River and runs 3 miles from the River, and North on the Land of Samuel Grant, and South on Land of Samuel Rockwell, which was the proper Estate of the aforesd. Michael Humphrys, formerly of Windsor, late of Simsbury Decd. Jury find for the Defendants, cost of Court.

By virtue of a closing statement in the foregoing record ("which was the proper Estate of the aforesd. Michael Humphrys, formerly of Windsor, late of Simsbury Decd."), Michael is assumed to have d. at Simsbury and interred at Simsbury's Hop Meadow Cemetery where all of his children who remained at greater Simsbury are known to be interred.