JONATHAN ² BIGELOW

Jonathan ² BIGELOW Ancient Burying Ground, Main St. Hartford, Hartford County, CT
Also known as Center Church Graveyard

12    Jonathan ² BIGELOW, second son and second child of John ¹ and Mary (Warren) Bigelow, was born 11 December 1646 in Watertown, Middlesex co, MA. He early went to Hartford, Connecticut, where he married (1) in 1671 Rebecca Shepard, daughter of (Srgt.) John and Rebecca (Greenhill) Shepard, who was born in Hartford in 1650. She died before 1686, when Jonathan married (2) Mary Olcott, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Stocking) Olcott. Mary was probably mother of Jonathan's five youngest children. She died 07 March 1697. He then married (3) 1709 Mary (Benton) Cole, widow of Nathaniel Cole, and a daughter of Andrew and Hannah (Stocking) Benton.  He died Jan. 9, 1711, and his widow married for her second husband, March 19, 1713, Dea. John Shepard, a brother of his first wife, and she died Dec. 23, 1752, aged 90 and upwards, according to the records of the First Church.  His land was recorded Nov. 24, 1674, and is described as bounded west on the road leading to Wethersfield, and we find on the records at the State House at Hartford, concerning private controversies, at the Court of Assistants at Hartford, Oct. 6, 1686.  "Whereas: Jonathan jun'r, Rebecca, Mary, Sarah, John and Violet, children of Rebecca Bigelow alias Shepherd, Received judgment against Serg't John Shephered for one forth part of the estate that he received as administrator of the estate of Thomas Greenhill deceased and award was made to Jonathan jr. and brothers and sisters."  His will appointed his widow Mary and son Joseph as executors, and mentions children Jonathan, Jr., John, Mary, Sarah, Violet, Joseph, Abigail, Daniel and Samuel, the last two were under age, and Thomas Olcott was appointed guardian to Daniel, aged 18, and Samuel, aged 16.  Feb. 5, 1711, two years later, Samuel Benton was appointed guardian to Daniel, age 20, and Dea. John Shepherd appointed guardian to Samuel, age 18.  Owing to the meagre records we are unable to give the dates of births, but give such as we have been able to gather from various sources. (Howe: 'The Bigelow Family of America,' p. 24.)

Jonathan died 9 Jan 1711, and his widow then married on 19 Mar 1713 Deacon John Shepard, brother of Jonathan's first wife.  She died 27 Dec 1752, allegedly aged 98 years, 7 months, 26 days.

     Jonathan's land was recorded as early as 1674, and is described as bounded west on the road leading to Wethersfield. His children Jonathan jr, Rebecca, Mary, Sarah, John, and Violet, children of his first wife Rebecca, are mentioned in a controversy over settlement of their grandfather John Shepard's estate in 1685.

     Jonathan's will appointed Mary his wife and son Joseph as executors, and mentions all surviving children, with Thomas Olcott appointed as guardian of the two youngest,who were 15 and 18 years of age. In 1711 the guardianship was changed, with Samuel Benton appointed guardian of Daniel, and Deacon John Shepard guardian of Samuel. Hartford records are not complete, but the following are children of Jonathan Bigelow, and all were born at Hartford, Hartford county, Connecticut:

Sources:
The Bigelow Family Genealogy, Volume I, page 11-12;
Howe, Bigelow Family in America; pg 24-25;
Barbour, Early Families of Hartford;
Mainwaring, Early Connecticut Wills & Probate Records;
Goodmin, Ancestral Lines;
records of Connecticut towns.


Burying Ground

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