John Stanley ¹

  General Notes:

Eldest son of Captain John and Sarah (Scott) Stanley , born in Hartford, November 4, 1647, settled in Farmington , but removed with others about 1678 to the new settlemen t at Mattatuck (Waterbury), taking a hundred pound right, w here he became one of the foremost citizens. "He was," say s Bronson, "one of the assignees to whom the first Indian g rant of lands was made over, and a grantee by name in the s ubsequent deeds. He was more than any other man, with the e xception of Thomas Judd, senior, the ruling spirit and fath er of the settlement. He laid out the lots of the proprieto rs, staked out and apportioned the common fences, located h ighways, settled boundaries of adjoining towns, etc. He wa s the first Recorder of the town and of the proprietors. S o far as appears, he was the only person among the earlies t proprietors of Mattatuck who was fully qualified for th e office. He wrote a legible and business-like hand."
He was a sergeant in the Waterbury train-band in April , 1682, and afterwards, so long as no higher officer was pe rmitted. In October, 1689, when a lieutenant was allowed, h e was first selected for that office. His appointment was c onfirmed by the Assembly; it was a distinguished honor, an d no doubt he bore it worthily. After Waterbury began to se nd a representative to the General Court, Lieut. Stanley wa s the second whose name is recorded. What persuaded him t o quit the setttlement, in a time of great affliction, it i s not possible to say. His loss must have been seriously fe lt. He returned to Farmington early in 1695, where he wa s a deacon in 1711, and afterwards. He, however, retained m ost of his lands in Waterbury, and his proprietor-right, an d was a frequent visitor to the town to look after his esta te. His familiarity with the records of the town was the ca use of his appointment in 1705 to copy, for the purposes o f preservation, such portions as were most important. He wa s appointed justice of the peace for Hartford County in May , 1704.
His dwelling-house in Waterbury was at the eastern en d of the public square, near where the second Congregationa l church now stands. He married, Nov. 18, 1669, Esther, dau ghter of Thomas Newell of Farmington. In June 22, 1728, h e made a settlement of his estate, by which the sons, Samue l, Nathaniel, John, and Timothy, took upon themselves the s upport of their father, mother, and their uncle Isaac. He d ied the next year, May 16, 1729. His widow died at the hous e of her son Nathaniel, in Farmington, Jan. 29, 1739-40.
THE STANLEY MANUSCRIPTS.
The late Deacon L. M. Norton, of Goshen, Conn., a disti nguished genealogist and historian of that town, leaves th e following record: "I have now in my possession sundry boo ks and papers of MS. writing left by Mr. Nathaniel Stanle y among the early settlers of this town, from which I hav e obtained much curious and valuable information. These con sist chiefly of the following: The account-book of Nathanie l Stanley, about 6 x 15 inches, and containing nearly two h undred pages. It is bound in the old English style, in whit e parchment, and the accounts commenced in Farmington, June , 1725. This contains much besides accounts, family histor y and affairs, memorandums, etc., and has a regular index . Two folio books of writing paper, chiefly in the handwrit ing of Deacon John Stanley, father of Nathaniel; the firs t containing thirty-two leaves or sixteen sheets sewed toge ther. This contains a copy of several divisions of the lan d in Farmington, some grants and resolves of the General As sembly, with many things relating to the settlement of Matt atuck or Waterbury. The second is his book of accounts, etc ., containing, besides, many other things. There are also t wo ancient pocket-books for writing, Deacon John Stanley' s and Nathaniel Stanley's, both containing much matter also , and sundry other papers. From these books and papers I ha ve collected most of the following information concerning t his family."
DEACON STANLEY'S WINE ACCOUNT.
From the above memoranda, it appears that Mr. Stanley w as chosen deacon in Farmington in 1711. He writes: "The fir st of my having care of the church stocks was in January, 1 712." He kept a regular account of cash received and paid o ut. From the contributions for the supply of the communio n table it is evident that the church was very large, judgi ng by the quantity of wine used. It should be noticed tha t some small quantities were supplied to the sick poor in t hose days. Perhaps this may account for the large amounts w hich appear in the account.
The church Dr. by seven pounds left in the hands of Mr . Lewis for a cask of wine 7. 0. 0.
And with Mr. Whitman for the use of the church, which c ash he received at Boston of Mr. Lewis on my account 1. 5 . 0.
First cask of wine,--14th January, 1712, 23 gallons a t 4s. 7d. a gallon, cask 3s. 9d., porterage 6d., freight 2s . 6d. bringing from Middletown 5. 16. 5.
Second cask--17 November, 1713, 24 gallons at 5s. 7d. p er gallon, cask 4s. 3d., porterage 1s., freight 2s. 6d., br inging home 1s. 6d. 7. 3. 9.
The third cask--Aug. 2, 1714, 25 1/2 gallons, 5s. 6d. p er gallon. Cask 3s. 6d., porterage and ship freight 2s. 6d . 7. 10. 9.
November, 1716, received a cask of wine for the church , 25 gallons, all the expenses 6. 14. 0."
Source: The Stanley Families of America as Descended Fr om John, Timothy, and Thomas Stanley of Hartford, CT. 1635 . Compiled by Israel P. Warren, Portland, Maine. Printed b y B. Thurston & Co. 1887.

John married Esther Newell, daughter of Thomas Newell and Rebecca Olmstead, in 1669 in Farmington, CT. (Esther Newell was born in Jul 1652 and died about 1740.)

  Marriage Notes:

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