William Mead, Ninth Great-Grandfather

March 14, 2017 — ancestry, Colonial America, Connecticut, Greeenwich, William Mead

Entrance to Old Sound Cemetery, also known as the Tomac Burying Grounds

“William Mead, born in England, about 1600, probably sailed from Lydd, County Kent, England, in the ship, Elizabeth, Captain Stagg, April 1635, for the Massachusetts Bay Colony; first settled in Wethersfield, Connecticut; removed to Stamford, Connecticut, in 1641, where he died about 1663. His wife died at Stamford, Sept. 19, 1657. Their children were: Joseph, Martha, and John. Joseph and John settled in the town of Greenwich. See “History & Genealogy of the Mead Family”, Spencer Mead.”
THE MEAD FAMILY
The Mead Family of Greenwich, Fairfield Co., Conn. was originally from England, and came to this country shortly after the Mayflower had landed its load of Pilgrims on the shores of Massachusetts. It has generally been the tradition in the family that two brothers came over; that one stopped at the Eastward, while the other came to Horse-Neck. That two brothers or possibly three, came over is very probable, as it would not be natural for one to come alone, could he find a relative to join him in his adventures. In the “History of Lexington, Mass.” we find that Gabriel Mead was one of the earliest settlers of that place, as also David. The dates of their arrival, and of William of Horse-Neck (or rather Stamford) agree with one another, leading to the conclusion that all three were near relatives; furthermore the Coat-of -arms of both branches is identical, which is almost proof positive. It is not fully detemined from what part of England the Connecticut family came; but searches that have been made there seem to show a starting place somewhere near London, possibly Greenwich, Co. Kent.
The first record of any Mead in Fairfield Co. is the following in Stamford Town Records: “Dec. 7, 1641, William Mayd received from the town of Stamford, a homelot and 5 acres of land.” This William was undoubtedly the ancestor of the Fairfield Co. Meads. His wife died Sept. 19, 1657. We have record of three children. Joseph, born in 1630, the ancestor of the Ridgefield and North Fairfield Co. Meads; Martha, who married John Richardson, of Stamford, and John, the ancestor of the Horse-Neck Meads. The two sons, Joseph 2 and John 2, seem to have migrated (though if proved only a temporary sojourn) to Hempstead, L. I.
John 2 removed from Hempstead, L. I. to Greenwich (Horse-neck) in 1660. It was in this village that he purchased land; the date of the deed is Oct. 26, 1660, and is as follows, verbatim et literation.
These presents witnesseth an agreement made between Richard Crab of Grenwich, on ye one side & John Mead of Hemstead on Long Island on ye other side, viz: ye sd Richard Crab hath sould unto ye sd John Mead all his houses & Lands yt sd Richard Crab hath in Grenwich with all ye Apurtenances. Rights & Privileges & Conveniences yt doth belong unto ye sd houses & lands or shall here after belong unto them namely ye house yt Rechard Crab liveth in. Ye house yt Thomas Studwell liveth in with ye Barne yt is on ye other side of ye hyewaye; also ye home lott ye house stands on being bounded with a fence about them Lying on ye North west side against ye home lott also Eightene Acres of Land in Elizabeth neck more or less being bounded on ye sea on ye East ans south east and a fence on ye west norwest & ye north. Also ye Rig (ridge?) with five acres of Meadow Lying in it more or les. Ye rig being bounded by ye Sea on ye south east. Williamses Land on the east & a fence on ye northwest. Ye hye waye & hubert (Hubbard?) & angell Husted land on ye west; also three acres of meadow in ye Long meadow & one acre of Meadow by ferris bounded by Jeffere Ferris land on ye southwest and ye Cove on ye west and northwest: ye hyewaye on ye East & northeast & five acres of meadow in myanos neck. All these above spesiffied I do acknoledge to have sould unto ye above sd John Mead. His heaires & asignes fully & freely to be posses forever & for ye just & full performance hereof I have hereunto subscribed my hand Ann 1660 October 26 Daye.
Richerd Crabb

Tomac Burying Grounds

William Mead (1600 – 1659)
9th great-grandfather
John Mead (1634 – 1699)
son of William Mead
Benjamin Daniel Mead (1667 – 1746)
son of John Mead
Mary Mead (1724 – 1787)
daughter of Benjamin Daniel Mead
Abner Mead (1749 – 1810)
son of Mary Mead
Martha Mead (1784 – 1860)
daughter of Abner Mead
Abner Morse (1808 – 1838)
son of Martha Mead
Daniel Rowland Morse (1838 – 1910)
son of Abner Morse
Jason A Morse (1862 – 1932)
son of Daniel Rowland Morse
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
son of Jason A Morse
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
son of Ernest Abner Morse
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden Morse