12. | Jonathan* Gillett, Sr. (Immigrant) was born before 4 Feb 1609/10 in Dorset, England; was christened before 4 Feb 1609/10 in Dorset, England (son of Rector of Chaffcombe William* Gillett); died on 23 Aug 1677 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; was buried in Palisado Cem, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut. Other Events and Attributes:
- Residence: 4 Feb 1609/10, Chaffcome, Somersetshire, England
- Other-Begin: Between 1633 and 1634, England; return trip to marry
- Immigration: 1633, Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony
- Property: 17 Apr 1635, Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony
- Religion: Bef 6 May 1635, Dorchester church, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; freeman
- Property: 27 Jun 1636, Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony
- Residence: 1638, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut
- Other-Begin: Between 1653 and 1662, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; Connecticut jury
- Property: 9 Jun 1662, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut
- Will: 6 Sep 1677, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; probated
Notes:
Born by about 1609 (based on presumed age at marriage), son of Rev. William Gillett. Came from Chaffcombe, Somersetshire to Massachusetts Bay in 1633. First settled in Dorchester; moved to Windsor in 1638. Died in Windsor, 23 August 1677 (from inventory).
Married in Colyton, Devonshire, 29 March 1634 Mary Dolbiar, bp. Colyton, Devonshire, 7 June 1607. She died Windsor 5 January 1685[/6].
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Christened:
It is believed that Jonathan and Nathan were among the children born before the institution of their father as rector of Chaffcome, Somersetshire, on 4 Feb 1609/10 and that they were baptized at some other parish that is unknown as yet. He suggests that future research ought to be concentrated on getting a complete reading of all occurrences of the name in the parish registers of Bruton, Somersetshire, and of Muchelney, Craneborun and Caudle Hatton, all in Dorset.
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Other-Begin:
we know that Jonathan arrived for the second time in 1634, and he does appear on the 1634 passenger list of the Recovery [TAG 15:210; NGSQ 71:171, 77:250]. But he could have come for the first time in 1633, turned around immediately to return to England to marry early in 1634 and board ship in time to sail back to New England.
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Immigration:
Jonathan Gillett and his brother Nathan are frequently included in passenger lists of the Mary & John. While this is not impossible, it is also not a necessary conclusion. They were both from the West Country, and both settled first in Dorchester, but were they first here in 1630? The first record of Nathan is his admission to freemanship in 1634, which implies arrival by 1633, and nothing more. From the statement of Jonathan's son Benjamin in their copy of the "Breeches Bible" that "My father Gille[tt] came into new-inglan the second time in June in the year 1634...," we know that Jonathan arrived for the second time in 1634, and he does appear on the 1634 passenger list of the Recovery [TAG 15:210; NGSQ 71:171, 77:250]. But he could have come for the first time in 1633, turned around immediately to return to England to marry early in 1634 and board ship in time to sail back to New England. There was a ship from the West Country in 1633 that could have brought the Gillett brothers to New England, and as a result we would not be justified in placing them on the Mary & John. Any evidence which might overturn this conclusion would almost certainly have to come from England.
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Property:
Allowed by town of Dorchester "to fence in half an acre of ground about his house leaving a sufficient highway," and granted four acres of marsh; also "Jonathan Gillet's house" mentioned, 17 April 1635 [ DTR 11]
Religion:
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: Admission to Dorchester church prior to 6 May 1635 implied by freemanship.
FREEMAN: 6 May 1635 (as "Jonathan Jellett," second in a sequence of five Dorchester men) [ MBCR 1:370].
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Property:
"Jellets" to have two acres of marsh, 27 June 1636 (no first name is given, so this grant may be to both Jonathan and Nathan) [DTR 17]. (In the grant of meadows beyond Neponset, Lot #32, marked only "J.," may have belonged to Jonathan Gillet, since it was immediately next to the lot of N[athan] Gillet [DTR 321].)
In Thomas Treadwell's deed of land to Edward Breck, dated 20 June 1638, one of the abutters to a parcel of land was "Mr. Parker on the other side which was once Jonathan Gillete's" [DTR 35].
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Residence:
Jonathan moved with Rev Warham. Mary and the children did not follow and settle in Windsor until about 1638, as proved by the Windsor Church records, which note that (H)Anna, born December 29, 1639, was Jonathan's "first-born in Windsor". Jonathan and his wife Mary are included in the Church List of 21 "members who were so in Dorchester and came up with Mr. Warham and are still of us."
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Jonathan Gillett had left Dorchester by 20 June 1638 [DTR 35]. Anna, born December 1639, was the first of his children to be born in Windsor. Since the chronology for the births of his children is tight, the previous child, Mary, was probably born late in 1637 or early in 1638, and in Dorchester, so the date for the move from Dorchester to Windsor would be in the first half of 1638.
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Other-Begin:
OFFICES: Connecticut jury:
December 1653,
7 June 1655,
26 August 1657,
3 March 1658/9,
15 May 1660,
6 December 1660,
5 September 1661,
9 October 1661,
13 May 1662,
20 January 1662[/3]
[ RPCC 119, 143, 181, 197, 211, 219, 238, 240, 246, 261]. Windsor constable, March 1655/6 [RPCC 161].
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Property:
On 9 June 1662 Jonathan Gillett Sen. was granted two parcels of swampland totalling five or six acres by the court-appointed committee to dispose of land without the west bounds of Windsor [ WiLR 1:41]. Other "Jonathan Gillett" land entries appear to pertain to Jonathan Jr.
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Will:
Jonathan's will mentions Mary without giving her name, his sons Josiah, John, Jonathan, Cornelius, Jeremie & his deceased son Joseph. He mentions Joseph's children, Jonathan & "ye garl". He also mentions his married daughters, but only by their husband's names, as the wives of Peter Brown & Samuel Fyllyes. The will is not dated, but was exhibited in court on September 6, 1677.
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In his will, dated 8 August 1677 and proved 6 September 1677, "Jonathan Gillett sen. of Windsor ... being at present very ill and under distemper of body above ordinary" named "my wife ... sole executrix " and "my son Josiah Gillett to take care for the improvement of his mother's estate," she to have the use of "both my houselots, my one and that which was my brother Nathan Gillett's, which are both nine acres, also at the upper end of the first meadow, or that which is Timothy Phelpes," and "all that remains of that to me I set out three acres to my son John"; after "my decease ... my son Josias" to assist his mother, and after her death "he shall enjoy for his own ... my now dwelling house and all the appurtenances with it, with five acres of houselands & all other parcels of land, as are expressed to be his mother's for her use whilst she lives, only excepting the house & four acres of the houseland to it, which my son Jeremy shall possess for his own after my wife's decease" and "the six acres in the second meadow I set out to him, he is to possess for his own at the present"; "thirdly, my will is that if the Lord should take me and my wife both of us away by death within four years after the date hereof, my son Josiah shall pay some legacies, as to his brother Jonathan Gillett £4 and a gun, and to his brother Cornelius Gillett £4, & to my daughter, Peter Browne's wife, £2, and to my daughter, Samuel Fyllye's wife, £2, and to the two children which I have taken that were my son Joseph's, deceased, as the little son Jonathan £5, and the girl £5. My son Jonathan is to have the other twenty acres of woodland joining to the twenty acres expressed to my wife. He is to have his twenty acres next to Thomas Barber, ten acres of it I give him, the other ten he hath bought. Also, Jonathan and Cornelius my sons are to have my eleven acres without the west bounds of Windsor, betwixt them, after my decease. And my son John Gillett to have six acres of the other parcel without the bounds at present, and Jeremie to have the remainder of it" [ Hartford PD Case #2202; Manwaring 1:200-01]. The inventory of "Jonathan Gillett Senior who died the 23 day of this August" was taken 31 August 1677 and totalled £273 10s., including real estate valued at £188: "his dwelling & barn house land five acres," £70; "his dwelling house that was his brother Nathan's & four acres of houseland," £40; "the first meadow, near four acres," £20; "the second meadow eight acres," £30; "twenty acres of woodland," £10; "six acres of upland," £12; and "without the west bounds of Windsor common land fifteen acres," £6 [Hartford PD Case #2202].
More than a generation later, on 25 August 1719, Jonathan Filley, Josiah Filly, John Filly, Thomas Gillett and Joseph Gillett petitioned the probate court that their "grandfather Jonathan Gillit late of Windsor" had left unadministered estate and they requested that someone be appointed to administer the property [Hartford PD Case #2202].
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Jonathan* married Mary* Dolbair, (immigrant) on 29 Mar 1634 in Colyton, East Devon District, Devon, England. Mary* (daughter of Rawkey* Dolbair and Mary* Mitchell (or Mychell)) was born before 7 Jun 1607 in Colyton, East Devon District, Devon, England; was christened on 7 Jun 1607 in St. Andrews Church, Colyton, East Devon District, Devon, England; died on 5 Jan 1686 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; was buried in Palisado Cem, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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