Joseph Judson
Encyclopedia
Joseph Judson was a Connecticut settler, local official and militia officer.
He emigrated from England to Concord, Massachusetts
, in New England
in 1634 with his father William, his mother Grace and his two brothers Jeremiah and Joshua. In 1638, he and his father and brother moved to Stratford, Connecticut
, being among the first European
s to arrive at that place. Joseph Judson became so prominent in the development of the town and his name so frequent in the records that historians thought he was the first of the name in Stratford. He was elected as a freeman
in 1658. He was elected a Deputy in 1659 and served in the workings of the Colony of Connecticut for the next thirty years. In 1671, he received permission from then Governor John Winthrop, Jr. to create a new town called Woodbury
and removed from Stratford with other families to settle the newly created town the same year. Judson had a disagreement with Joseph Hawley
and the majority of elders at Stratford as he tried to introduce the half way covenant. This led to a major rift which lasted for many years and split the church and the town.
and Anna (Rosanna) White of Windsor, Connecticut
. They raised eleven children.
In November 1660, Judson inherited the stone house that had been built by his father ca. 1639 on Academy Hill in Stratford. He maintained a farm on Mischa Hill located in the present-day village of Nichols
in the town of Trumbull. His son John inherited the farm and sold part of it to Abraham Nichols in 1696 at which time it was described as Lt. Joseph Judson's old farm and the parcel had a barn on it. In 1662, Judson and his brother Jeremiah inherited their father's iron works located near Stony River in New Haven, Connecticut
.
Judson died October 8 1690 and his wife Sarah died March 16 1696 at Woodbury, Connecticut
. They are buried in the Stratford Congregational Burying Ground.
tribe named the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation
. The Paugussett's had resided in Connecticut
as a self-sustaining community for several thousand years before the English arrived at Stratford in the late 1630s. Since the first volume of Stratford land records has been lost or destroyed by fire, no written records exist prior to 1648 or 1650 to record earlier Indian deed
s.
After twelve to fifteen years after the onset of the Stratford settlement, the settlement had grown so much in size that the displaced Indian Nation began to ask for compensation for land north of an east to west line 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Long Island Sound
. The Stratford proprietors agreed and began to make several large purchases from the Indians.
and Monroe
.
This purchase led to a disagreement with the Stratford selectmen and the town petitioned the Court at the Colony of Connecticut to settle differences with Judson over the ownership of the land. The Court appointed a time to hear the matter, but it seems, according to Stratford town records, to have been amicably settled without the help of the Court by the following town record;
, Monroe
and Easton
, lying west of the land which the town of Stratford had previously purchased, or west of the Pequonnock River
, extending to Fairfield
line and from a line crossing the township east and west about at the Trumbull Church, or possibly a little further south, then north to Newtown
. This was known as the Long Hill purchase.
He emigrated from England to Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
, in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in 1634 with his father William, his mother Grace and his two brothers Jeremiah and Joshua. In 1638, he and his father and brother moved to Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
, being among the first European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
s to arrive at that place. Joseph Judson became so prominent in the development of the town and his name so frequent in the records that historians thought he was the first of the name in Stratford. He was elected as a freeman
Freeman (Colonial)
Freeman is a term which originated in 12th century Europe and is common as an English or American Colonial expression in Puritan times. In the Bay Colony, a man had to be a member of the Church to be a freeman. In Colonial Plymouth, a man did not need to be a member of the Church, but he had to be...
in 1658. He was elected a Deputy in 1659 and served in the workings of the Colony of Connecticut for the next thirty years. In 1671, he received permission from then Governor John Winthrop, Jr. to create a new town called Woodbury
Woodbury, Connecticut
Woodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
and removed from Stratford with other families to settle the newly created town the same year. Judson had a disagreement with Joseph Hawley
Joseph Hawley (Captain)
Joseph Hawley , born in Parwich, Derbyshire, England, was the first of the Hawley name to come to America in 1629. He settled at Stratford, Connecticut in 1650, becoming the town's first town clerk or record keeper, tavern keeper and a shipbuilder.-Surname:The surname of Hawley is one of locality...
and the majority of elders at Stratford as he tried to introduce the half way covenant. This led to a major rift which lasted for many years and split the church and the town.
Personal life
On October 24 1644, Judson married Sarah Porter who was born Mar 15 1624 in Felsted Essex England. She was the daughter of John PorterJohn Porter
John Porter may refer to:* John Porter , partner of Anita Lipnicka* John Porter , trainer in British Thoroughbred flat racing* John Porter , hockey player...
and Anna (Rosanna) White of Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
. They raised eleven children.
In November 1660, Judson inherited the stone house that had been built by his father ca. 1639 on Academy Hill in Stratford. He maintained a farm on Mischa Hill located in the present-day village of Nichols
Nichols Farms Historic District
According to Stratford land records, Abraham Nichols purchased several old farms and large parcels of land in 1696. Nichols exchanged his land for of Lt. Joseph Judsons old farm which had a barn on it, or half the land owned by Jeremiah Judson, and of land from Benjamin Curtiss...
in the town of Trumbull. His son John inherited the farm and sold part of it to Abraham Nichols in 1696 at which time it was described as Lt. Joseph Judson's old farm and the parcel had a barn on it. In 1662, Judson and his brother Jeremiah inherited their father's iron works located near Stony River in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
.
Judson died October 8 1690 and his wife Sarah died March 16 1696 at Woodbury, Connecticut
Woodbury, Connecticut
Woodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
. They are buried in the Stratford Congregational Burying Ground.
Children
- Sarah, born 1645, married Edmund Howell in 1688 and raised three children in Southampton, New YorkSouthampton (village), New YorkSouthampton is a village in Suffolk County, New York, USA. The village is named after the Earl of Southampton. The Village of Southampton is in the southeast part of the county in the Town of Southampton...
. - John, born 1647, married Elizabeth Chapman in 1674 and raised ten children, second wife Hannah Hawkins, third wife Mary Tudor in 1699 and raised four children. Original founder of WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
. - Captain James, born 1650, married Rebecca Welles in 1680, granddaughter of Connecticut ColonyConnecticut ColonyThe Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
Governor Thomas WellesThomas WellesThomas Welles is the only man in Connecticut's history to hold all four top offices: governor, deputy governor, treasurer, and secretary. In 1639, he was elected as the first treasurer of the Colony of Connecticut, and from 1640–1649 served as the colony's secretary...
and raised nine children in Stratford. - Grace, born in 1651, married Samuel Prudden in 1669 and raised five children in MilfordMilford, ConnecticutMilford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...
, second husband Thomas Clark and had one more child. - Joseph, born in 1654, raised seven children in Stratford.
- Hannah, born in 1657, married Samuel Wadsworth in 1680 and raised three children in FarmingtonFarmington, ConnecticutFarmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
. - Esther, born in 1660, married Benjamin Curtiss in 1680 resided in TrumbullTrumbull, ConnecticutTrumbull, a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut in the New England region of the United States, is bordered by the towns of Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield and Easton along Connecticut's Gold Coast. The population was 36,018 according to the 2010 census.Family Circle magazine...
and raised ten children. - Joshua (twin), born in 1664, died young.
- Ruth, (twin), born in 1664, married Samuel Welles in 1688, grandson of Connecticut ColonyConnecticut ColonyThe Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
Governor Thomas WellesThomas WellesThomas Welles is the only man in Connecticut's history to hold all four top offices: governor, deputy governor, treasurer, and secretary. In 1639, he was elected as the first treasurer of the Colony of Connecticut, and from 1640–1649 served as the colony's secretary...
and raised six children in HartfordHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. - Phoebe, born in 1666, married Thomas Uffoot (Ufford) in Stratford.
- Abigail, born in 1669, married Josiah Curtiss in 1692 and raised four children in Stratford.
Descendants
- Gerald R. Ford (1913–2006), 38th President of the United States, 7th great grandson
- Captain David JudsonCaptain David Judson HouseCaptain David Judson House was built by David Judson, a resident of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1723. The new house was built on the stone foundation and incorporates the chimney of the original house built on the site in 1639 by Judson's great grandfather William. William left the house to his son...
, grandson through Captain James.
Indian deeds
Judson was instrumental in negotiating or trading with and buying large tracts of land from the Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribe named the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation
Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation
The Golden Hill Paugussetts are the Connecticut state-recognized tribal descendents of the Paugussett Nation of Native Americans that occupied much of western Connecticut prior to the arrival of Europeans...
. The Paugussett's had resided in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
as a self-sustaining community for several thousand years before the English arrived at Stratford in the late 1630s. Since the first volume of Stratford land records has been lost or destroyed by fire, no written records exist prior to 1648 or 1650 to record earlier Indian deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
s.
After twelve to fifteen years after the onset of the Stratford settlement, the settlement had grown so much in size that the displaced Indian Nation began to ask for compensation for land north of an east to west line 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. The Stratford proprietors agreed and began to make several large purchases from the Indians.
Mohegan Hills purchase
In 1661, Judson negotiated with Amantaneag, Akenotch and Ansantaway of the Paugussett Indians for a large tract of land known to the English as Mohegan Hills and to the Indians as Ackquunokquahou. The land was situated between the two branches of the Farmill River and was 5000 acres (20.2 km²) in size and was bounded on the northwest by the lower part of Moose Hill and the south with Trap Falls. The land is located in what is now the towns of SheltonShelton, Connecticut
Shelton is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,559 at the 2010 census.-Origins:Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639...
and Monroe
Monroe, Connecticut
Monroe is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,479 at the 2010 census. The current first selectman is Steve Vavrek....
.
This purchase led to a disagreement with the Stratford selectmen and the town petitioned the Court at the Colony of Connecticut to settle differences with Judson over the ownership of the land. The Court appointed a time to hear the matter, but it seems, according to Stratford town records, to have been amicably settled without the help of the Court by the following town record;
Long Hill purchase
In 1662, Judson negotiated a deed with the Indians for the territory of a considerable part of what is now the townships of TrumbullTrumbull, Connecticut
Trumbull, a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut in the New England region of the United States, is bordered by the towns of Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield and Easton along Connecticut's Gold Coast. The population was 36,018 according to the 2010 census.Family Circle magazine...
, Monroe
Monroe, Connecticut
Monroe is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,479 at the 2010 census. The current first selectman is Steve Vavrek....
and Easton
Easton, Connecticut
Easton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,490 at the 2010 census. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck....
, lying west of the land which the town of Stratford had previously purchased, or west of the Pequonnock River
Pequonnock River
The Pequonnock River is a waterway in eastern Fairfield County, Connecticut, flowing through the city of Bridgeport. The river has a penchant for flooding, particularly in spring since the removal of a retention dam in Trumbull in the 1950s. There seems to be a sharp difference of opinion among...
, extending to Fairfield
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
line and from a line crossing the township east and west about at the Trumbull Church, or possibly a little further south, then north to Newtown
Newtown, Connecticut
Newtown is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 27,560 at the 2010 census. Newtown was founded in 1705 and incorporated in 1711.-Government:...
. This was known as the Long Hill purchase.
Public service
- May 1661, asked by the Court at the Colony of Connecticut to set the town line between the shoreline settlements of FairfieldFairfield, ConnecticutFairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
and StratfordStratford, ConnecticutStratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
. - May 1675, appointed to a committee to view the lands of DerbyDerby, ConnecticutDerby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,391 at the 2000 census. With of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.-History:...
, WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
, MattatuckWaterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
, PootatuckNewtown, ConnecticutNewtown is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 27,560 at the 2010 census. Newtown was founded in 1705 and incorporated in 1711.-Government:...
and WyantenockNew Milford, ConnecticutNew Milford is a town in southern Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States north of Danbury, on the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly . The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates...
. Judson was to measure the distance between place and place and to consider what may be suitable bounds for each town and present same to Court in October next. - May 1678, appointed to a committee to view lands between MilfordMilford, ConnecticutMilford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...
and DerbyDerby, ConnecticutDerby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,391 at the 2000 census. With of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.-History:...
. Also moved that the Court should order inhabitants of WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
to settle permanently within a month or lose all rights to lands there. - October 1680, entered signed statement and agreement of town boundary for WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
, DerbyDerby, ConnecticutDerby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,391 at the 2000 census. With of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.-History:...
and MattatuckWaterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
to the Court at the Colony of Connecticut. - May 1684, named Deputy to the Court of the Colony of Connecticut and Lieutenant of the Train Band for WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
. - October 1684, named Deputy to the Court of the Colony of Connecticut for WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
. - May 1685, named Deputy to the Court of the Colony of Connecticut for WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
. and appointed to a committee to run the line or bounds between FairfieldFairfield, ConnecticutFairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
and NorwalkNorwalk, ConnecticutNorwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
. - October 1685, appointed Deputy for WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
. - May 1686, appointed Deputy for WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
. - October 1686, appointed Deputy for WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
. - May 1687, appointed Commissioner for WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
. - May 1689, appointed Commissioner or Justice of the PeaceJustice of the PeaceA justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for WoodburyWoodbury, ConnecticutWoodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
.
Military service
- In July 1665, appointed to a committee to prepare the colony against attack from the DutchDutch RepublicThe Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
during the Second Anglo-Dutch warSecond Anglo-Dutch WarThe Second Anglo–Dutch War was part of a series of four Anglo–Dutch Wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes....
. - June 1672, appointed Lieutenant of the Stratford Train Band.
- January 1675, Major Robert TreatRobert TreatRobert Treat was an American colonial leader, militia officer and governor of Connecticut between 1683 and 1698....
and Major Nathan Gold asked the colony for officers in the army being raised in Fairfield County, ConnecticutFairfield County, ConnecticutFairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
. Judson's name was hand written into the records by William LeeteWilliam LeeteGovernor William Leete was Governor of the Colony of New Haven from 1661 to 1665 and Governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1676 to 1683....
who suggested that Judson was such a suitable person. The colony was raising troops to fight against the Narragansett Indians during the King Philip's WarKing Philip's WarKing Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
. - May 1676, appointed Captain of the eighty-two men raised in Fairfield County should Captain Jonathan Silleck be disinabled. Each soldier was ordered to have a pound of powder and three pounds of bullets and were to assemble at Norwich, ConnecticutNorwich, ConnecticutRegular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
27 May.