William Hayden, of Hartford

William Hayden, original proprietor of the Hartford Colony. Parents unknown. Possibly the brother of John Hayden, of Dorchester & Braintree.

NOT the son of Gideon Hayden, Esq., of Ebford & Cadhay. This has been disproven according to the Great Migration Project.

"William and John Hayden (brothers) came to America on the ship 'Mary and John' arriving at Dorchester, MA, in 1630. Their origins are reported to be near the borders of Somerset and Devonshire, England. William settled in Hartford, CT, around 1636 where he served in the Pequot War saving the life of Capt. John Mason in the fight of Mystic Fort. In 1642 he moved near to Windsor, CT, and served in Major Mason's Troop between 1657 and 1658. He finally settled at Killingworth in 1665."

Links

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=rcgaw&id=...

According to the research done on the ship Mary & William at http://www.maryandjohn1630.com/passengerlist_c.html William and John are on the "Possible" list of passengers. (Other categoreis are "Certain" or "Probable".

Biographical Summary:

William Hayden, Dorchester, came probably in the "Mary and John," 1630; removed to Connecticut; served in the Pequot War; land granted to his heirs, 1671, for his services; an original proprietor at Hartford; his home-lot, in 1639, was on the road to the Neck; he sold this lot February 9, 1642-3, at about which time he bought lands in Windsor, "towards Pine Meadow." He remained in Windsor until 1664, when he removed to Fairfield, and from there to Killingworth, in 1665; deputy from K. 1667. His first wife died in Windsor in 1655, and he married (2) Margaret, widow of William Wilcockson, in Fairfield. He died in Killingworth, September 27, 1669.

SOURCE: James Hammond Trumbull, editor, The memorial history of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, Volume 1 (Boston, Massachusetts: Edward L. Osgood, 1886), pages 242-243. Retrieved: 3 May 2011 from Google Books

origins

Jacobus suggested that William may have come from Hinton Blewitt, co. Somerset, England. Spear agrees, saying the idea that he was son of Gideon Hayden of Ottery St. Mary, Devon has been disproved. (He was identified earlier as son of Gideon of Ebford and Cadhay in Rev. William B. Hayden's "The Heydons in England and America", London 1877, p. 25.)

He came over on the MARY & JOHN in 1630 at about the age of 30 years, living first at Dorchester where he became a freeman there in 1634. In 1643, he removed to Windsor and was a soldier in Captain John Mason's mounted troops from 1657 to 1658 in the Pequot War, the first troop of it's kind in the colony. William Hayden was credited with saving the Captain's life by cutting the string on the bow of an Indian who was going to shoot him. The bow was passed down through the family for years and eventually given to the Connecticut Historical Society. He was given a grant of land for his service.

In 1665, he settled in Killingsworth and was deputy to the General Court in Hartford in 1667.

His first wife (name unknown) died in 1655. The church records say only ".. the death of the wife of William Hayden". He married secondly my ancestor, MARGARET (BIRDSEYE) WILCOXSON, [SIC: Margaret (Harvey) Wilcoxson), the widow of WILLIAM WILCOXSON (also my ancestor). His son, Daniel, married Hannah Wilcoxson, daughter of my ancestor, William & Margaret (Birdseye) Wilcoxson.

Family links:

Spouses:

• Margaret Harvey Wilcockson Hayden (1611 - ____)

Children:

• Daniel Hayden (1639 - 1713)

Inscription: WILLIAM HAYDEN A Native of England One of the First Settlers of Dorchester Removed to Windsor 1643 and to Killingworth, Conn. Where He Died September 27, 1669 His Wife Died at Killingworth 1655

Burial: Palisado Cemetery Windsor Hartford County Connecticut, USA Created by: Nareen, et al Record added: Jun 24, 2004 Find A Grave Memorial# 8979208 -tcd

Y DNA Hayden Y-DNA R-M269

See bottom of the Hayden Y DNA project chart. We need someone to take a BigY.