Jonathan* Gillett, Sr. (Immigrant)

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].
(findagrave)

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.
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153


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.
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153

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.
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153

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].
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153

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].

https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153

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."
(findagrave)
---
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.
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153

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].
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153

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.
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153

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.
(findagrave)
----
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].
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153

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]

Notes:

Married:
Jonathan Gillette returned from New England and the couple were married on March 29, 1634 at Colyton. After the marriage, the couple returned to New England in June. In a family Bible is found the following record, "My father Gille came into new inglan the secon time in June in the yeare 1634 and Jonathan his sonne was born about half a yeare after he came to land."
(snip)
Jonathan died in Windsor in 1677, and Mary died there January 5, 1685-6. Two of Mary's seven sons died in the troubles with the Indians, Joseph died in the Deerfield Bloody Brook Massacre in 1675 and Samuel died at Turner's Falls in a battle in 1676.
(findagrave)

1. Jonathan Gillett was born about Jan 1635 in Massachusetts Bay Colony; died after 1677 in of, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut.
2. Cornelius Gillett was born on 10 Jan 1634 in Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony; died on 26 Jun 1711 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut.
3. Mary Gillett was born about 1638 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; died after 1677 in of, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut.
4. Anna Gillett was born on 29 Dec 1639 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; died after 1677 in of, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut.
5. Joseph Gillett was born before 25 Jul 1641 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; was christened on 25 Jul 1641 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; died on 18 Sep 1675 in Deerfield Bloody Brook Massacre, Deerfield, Franklin Co, Massachusetts.
6. Samuel Gillett was born before 22 Jan 1643 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; was christened on 22 Jan 1642/43 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; died in 1676 in battle at Turners Falls.
7. John Gillett was born on 5 Oct 1644 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; died in 1682 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut.
8. Abigail Gillett was born before 28 Jun 1846 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; was christened on 28 Jun 1646 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; died in 1648 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut.
9. Jeremiah "Jeremie" Gillett was born on 12 Feb 1647/48 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; died after 1685 in of, Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut.
10. Josiah* Gillett was born before 14 Jul 1650 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; was christened on 14 Jul 1650 in Windsor, Hartford Co, Connecticut; died on 29 Oct 1736 in Colchester, New London Co, Connecticut.
11. Benjamin Gillett

Other Events and Attributes:

• Other-Begin: 4 Feb 1609/10, Chaffcome, Somersetshire, England; appointed rector

Notes:

BIRTH AND POSSIBLE ANCESTRY: In an article in The American Genealogist (July, 1979) by George E. McCracken, he suggests that it is unlikely that Gillett is French in origin and disagrees with the view of writers who suggest that the Gillett family originally were Huguenots. He points out that the name Gillett is found in west country records before there were any Protestants. 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.
---
Ever since the publication of the will of Rev. William Gillett, Rector of Chaffcombe, Somersetshire [ NYGBR 41:282-83], Jonathan and Nathan Gillett of Dorchester and Windsor have been considered his sons, although there have been some nagging doubts. In 1979 George E. McCracken published additional information which makes the identification solid [TAG 55:170-73]. McCracken suggested that Jonathan, Nathan and some of their siblings were born before 1610, when William Gillett was instituted at Chaffcombe; but we only have scattered Bishops' Transcripts for some of the years after 1610, and there is a ten-year gap when several Gillett children could have been born. Jonathan was probably older than Elias, who was baptized on 11 February 1611/2 and so could well have been born at an earlier residence for the family. Nathan, however, need not have been born until 1613, and he could have been born at Chaffcombe, next after Elias, during a period when neither the parish register nor the Bishops' Transcripts survive for that parish.
https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/5244153