Jonas WEED

  General Notes:

Jonas came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the fleet with Sir Richard Saltonstall and Governor Winthrop in 1630. In all, seventeen ships arrived in New England from England that year. The Arbella was one of four in this Winthrop fleet, the others being the Jewel, the Ambrose, and the Talbot. Jonas, and other members of this Puritan group, originally set sail on March 29 of that year and, after some difficulities, finally set sail from Yarmouth at the Isle of Wight and the Arbella reached Massachusetts on June 12, 1630. The Jewell arrived the following day; the Ambrose arrived on June 18; and the Talbot arrived on July 2.

The Arbella left most of its passengers at Salem but Jonas Weed moved on Watertown, MA. It was here that Jonas settled and where he was made a freeman on 18 May 1631. He did not settle long in Watertown, however, as in 1635 he was a first settler in Wethersfield, CT, and later was one of the founders of Stamford, CT in 1641.
In May of 1635 he was one of six dismissed from the Watertown Church to form a new church on the Connecticut River at Wethersfield. Colonial records note than at a Court held at Newton on April 26, 1636:

"Whereas there was a dismission granted by the Church of Watertown in Massachusetts dated 29th of Ma[ ] last to Andrew Ward, Jo: Sherman, Jo: Strickland, Rob'te Coo, Rob'te Reynolds & Jonas Weede, wth intent to forme a newe Ch: Covennte in this River of Connecticut, the sade prties hase soe accordingly done with the publicke allowance of the rest of the members of the saide Churches, as by certificate nowe prduced apprs. It is therefore, in this prsent Cort, ratified & confirmined, they prmising shortlie and publiquely to renewe the saide Covenant vppon notice to the rest of the Churches."
It was in Wethersfield, in 1637, that Jonas married his wife, Mary. Different sources have Jonas' wife as Mary Hoyt and others as Mary Scofield. Neither, however, have been proven. In 1639, Wethersfield along with Windsor and Suckiang (the present day Hartford) joined together to form the Connecticut Colony, and, in that same year, Jonas is listed as a Juror in Wethersfield. Also, Wethersfield was the birthplace of the first three children of Jonas and Mary: Elizabeth, Mary and Dorcas. Jonas Weed's home in Wethersfield was at the extreme northern end of the Eastern side of the present High Street. It's position is indicated by his name on the 1640 map of the town in "The History of Ancient Wethersfield."

In about 1641, Jonas and his family were among the families to found Stamford, CT. Jonas and Mary remained in Stamford and it was here that their remaining six children were born.

His will, dated 26 November 1672, was inventoried on 7 November 1676. Mentioned in his will were: his wife Mary; eldest son John; son Daniel; son Jonas; daughter Mary, wife of George Abbot; daughter Dorcas, wife of James Wright; son Samuel; to John Rockwell, five shillings, and 5 pounds sterling in Daniel's hands for Elizabeth; daughter Sarah, "if she return to the truth"; daughter Hannah, wife of Benjamin Hoit. Executors of his will were wife Mary, and son John.

The will, from the Fairfield Probate Records, is as follows:
The Last Will and testament of Jonas Weed Sr who first doth give up his soul to his Lord Jesus Christ and his Body to an honorable burial and for his outward estate he doth as follows: he doth give and bequeath unto his wife Mary Weed the house she now lives in and the use of the homlot with two acres of meadow and two acres of upland lying in the east field during her lifetime: And [line smudged] all belonging to it: And his [line smudged] pan: and more to [line smudged] of his estate [line smudged].
2ly he doth give and bequeath to his eldest Sonn John Weed Two Acres of Meadowe lying in Rock creek and more to the vallu of five pounds.
3ly he doth give unto his Sonn David Weed the full and Just sum of Ten pounds: for the Said Ten pounds he is to give that peece of Meadowe Lying in the east field in that neck comonly called Mr [Lands?] neck if he with the rest doe agree in the [words smudged] thay may yf Soe much: then he is to have the remainder of my other things.
4ly he doet give unto his Sonn Jonas Weed the Sum of one pounds.
5ly he doth give unto his daughter Mary Abbot the wife of Georg Abbot the Sum of Thirty Shillings.
6ly he doth give unto his Daughter Dorcas: the wife of James wright the sum of ten shillings.
7ly he doth give unto his Sonn Samuel the Sum of Twenty Pounds.
8ly he doth give unto John Rockwell the sum of five shillings and doth leave the vallu of five pounds in Daniels hand for Elizabeth.
9ly he doth give to his daughter Sarah the Sum of five shillings: And in case shee doe returne agayne to the Truth then he doth by will unto her the Sum of five pounds.
10ly he doth give unto his daughter Hannah Benj: Hoits the Sum of Ten pound.
Moreover it is his will that yf his estate doth not amount unto ye Just Sum as above they shallshare out of the above proportionably: And yf his estate [?] [?] to [?] the Sum as above then it is his will that they shall each and every of them advance proportionably to what [?] of them have received : Also he doth by will Impore his wife Mary Weed and his Sonn Daniel and his Sonn Jonas Weed to Administer upon his Estate acording to [will?].

Jonas died in Stamford on 5 June, 1676, and Mary died, also in Stamford, on 10 March 1689.

MIGRATION: 1630
FIRST RESIDENCE: Watertown
REMOVES: Wethersfield 1635, Stamford 1642
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: Member of Watertown church prior to 29 March 1636, when he was dismissed from that church in order to form a new church at Wethersfield.
FREEMAN: 18 May 1631 .
EDUCATION: He signed his will.
OFFICES: Jury, 1639 .
ESTATE: In the Wethersfield land inventory on 25 April 1641 Jonas Weed held eight parcels of land: seven acres "whereon his house standeth"; three acres in the Great Meadow; two acres in the Beaver Meadow; ten acres of dry swamp; four acres in the Island; two acres and three roods in Pennywise; [thirty?] acres in the West Field; and twelve acres in the West Field .

  Noted events in his life were:

• Immigration: Passenger abord the "Arbella" of the Winthrop Fleet of 1630, 12 Jun 1630, Watertown, MA.

Jonas married Mary UNKNOWN in 1637 in Wethersfield, CT. (Mary UNKNOWN was born on an unknown date in Hertfordshire, England and died on 10 Mar 1689 in Stamford, Fairfield Co, CT.)