Samuel Lathrop (1623 – 1700) was Alex’s 8th Great Grandfather; one of 512 in this generation of the Miller line.

Samuel Lathrop was born in Feb 1623 in Lowthrope, Yorkshire, England. His parents were Rev. John LATHROP and Hannah HOWSE. He married Elizabeth SCUDDER 28 Nov 1644 in Barnstable, Mass.   Their marriage was recorded by his father on the Barnstable Church Register as follows:

“My sonn Samuel & Elizabeth Scudder Marryed at my house by Mr. Freeman Nov. 28, 1644.”

They settled in Barnstable where his house stood next to that of John Scudder.  After Elizabeth died, he married Abigail Doane in Mar 1690 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass,  Samuel died 29 Feb 1700 in Norwich, New London, Connecticut.

Elizabeth Scudder was born 12 May 1624 in Boston, Suffolk, England. Her parents were John SCUDDER and Elizabeth STOUGHTON.  Many genealogies say that her parents were John’s brother  Thomas Scudder (See his page) and sister-in-law Elizabeth Lowers. But their daughter Elizabeth married Henry Bartholomew and they had ten children between 1641 and 1658  Elizabeth died 1 Sep 1682 in Salem.  There were two Elizabeth Scudders. Her cousin Elizabeth died 28 Feb 1700 in Salem

Abigail Doane was  born January 29, 1632, died 1734, Her father was Deacon John Doane, of Plymouth. Upon the occasion of her one hundredth birthday, 13 Jun 1732, at which time she retained in a large measure her youthful intelligence and good spirits, a great number of people assembled at her house, and the pastor of her church, Rev. Mr. Lord ,  preached a sermon on the completion of her century, in her bedroom at the house of her son.

Children of Simon and Deborah:

	Name	Born	Married	Departed
1.	John Lathrop	7 Dec 1645 Boston, Mass	Ruth Royce 15 Dec 1669	26 Aug 1688 Wallingford, New Haven, CT
2.	Elizabeth Lathrop	Mar 1648 Norwich, CT	Isaac Royce 15 Dec 1669 . Joseph Thompson	1690 Wallingford, New Haven, CT
3.	Samuel Lathrop	6 Mar 1650 Norwich, CT	Hannah Adgate, Nov 1675 Norwich, CT . Mary Edgerton 30  Dec 1697, Norwich, CT	9 Dec 1732 Norwich, CT
4.	Hanah Lathrop	1653
5.	Sarah Lathrop	Oct 1655 Norwich, CT	Nathaniel Royce 21 Apr 1681	11 Nov 1706 Wallingford, New Haven, CT
6.	Martha Lathrop	Jan 1657 New London, CT	John Moss 1677	21 Sep 1719 Wallingford, New Haven, CT
7.	Israel Lathrop	Oct 1659	Rebecca Bliss 8 Apr 1686	5 Jul 1740 Norwich, CT
8.	Joseph Lathrop	Oct 1661	Mary Scudder 8 Apr 1686 . Elizabeth Waterhouse 2 Feb 1669/97 . Martha Morgan 22 Nov 1727 Norwich, New London, CT
9.	Deborah LATHROP	c. 1664 in Edgartown, Mass	Simon NEWCOMB c. 1687 in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.	17 Jul 1756 Lebanon, CT.
10.	Abigail Lathrop	11 May 1665 Norwich, CT	Christopher Huntington 9 Dec 1686	23 Jan 1734
11.	Ann Lathrop	7 Aug 1667 Wallingford, New Haven, CT	William Hough	19 Nov 1745 Norwich, CT

Samuel ended up in Norwich Connecticut where he is considered one of the founding fathers. He was a builder and later a farmer and for a while a “constable”, “townsman” and judge.

Samuel Lathrop was an inhabitant of New London in 1648 and perhaps earlier.  He and John Elderan appear to have been in partnership  as master builders.  The second meeting house in New London and the first in Norwich were built by contract with them.  Mr. Lathrop moved to Norwich in 1668, having purchased the homelot of Elderkin.  He is found on record as constable the same year, and acted afterwards in various public capacities.

Ye Antientist Burial Ground in New London, Connecticut is one of the earliest graveyards in New England, and the oldest colonial cemetery in New London County. The hillside lot of 1.5 acres adjoins the original site of the settlement’s first meeting-house. From here the visitor has a broad view to the east of the Thames River, and on the far shore, the heights of Groton.

Norwichtown Historic District is an historic neighborhood in the city of Norwich, Connecticut. It is generally the area immediately north of the Yantic River between I-395 and Route 169.

The earliest settlement of Norwich, in 1659, was in Norwichtown. Initial settlement, by 35 English settlers who bought land from the Mohegans, was centered around the Norwichtown Green. The Green is triangular in shape, with an area of about 1.75 acres. It is surrounded by shade trees and bordered by Town Street, East Town Street and Elm Avenue.

Standing north of the Green area is Meeting House Hill, a cliff of large rocks that is also known as the Meeting House Rocks. It was on this cliff that the village’s second and third meetinghouses were established, with the site used as a lookout point. The memorial on top of the rocks and pathway are cared for by the First Congregational Church.

From Huntington Page 38:

Samuel, born in England, and came with his father to Scituate in 1634, thence to Barnstable, where he Married, Nov. 28, 1644, Elizabeth Scudder, who had been dismissed from the church in Boston Nov. 10, 1644, to remove her church relation to that in Barnstable. She is reported in Savage as a sister to that John Scudder who was in Barnstable in 1640. He had made the acquaintance of Miss Scudder in Boston, where he commenced his business life as a house builder, afterwards combining with his extensive farming operations. Their marriage was recorded by his father on the Barnstable Church Register as follows: “My sonn Samuel & Elizabeth Scudder Marryed at my house by Mr. Freeman Nov. 28, 1644.”

They settled in Barnstable where his house stood next to that of John Scudder.
He is reported, in 1643, as one of five Lothrops at Barnstable liable to bear arms.
In 1648 he removed to New London, Connecticut, then called Pequot. We now find Mr. Lothrop mentioned in two letters from Governor Winthrop to his son at Pequot. In one of these bearing date Aug. 14, 1648, on the subject of obtaining a minister for the settlement, he writes, “Your neighbour Lothrop came not at me (as I expected) to advise about it,” etc.

His house lot in the new plantation was the third in order from that of John Winthrop Jr. Esq. and his name was one of the first eighteen to whom were assigned lands on the east side of the “great river” of Pequot, and for these the lots were drawn on the 17th and 31st of January, 1648/49.

May 1649 – At the session of the General Court,  the following regulations were made respecting Pequot:

1. The inhabitants were exempted from all public country charges — i.e., taxes for the support of the colonial government — for the space of three years ensuing.

2. The bounds of the plantation were restricted to four miles each side of the river, and six miles from the sea northward into the country, ” till the court shall see cause and have encouragement to add thereunto, provided they entertain none amongst them as inhabitants that shall be obnoxious to this jurisdiction, and that the aforesaid bounds be not distributed to less than forty families.”

3. John Winthrop, Esq., with Thomas MINER and Samuel LOTHROP as assistants, were to have power as a court to decide all differences among the inhabitants under the value of forty shillings.

4. Uncas and his tribe were prohibited from setting any traps, but not from hunting and fishing within the bounds of the plantation.

5. The inhabitants were not allowed to monopolize the corn trade with the Indians in the river, which trade was to be left free to all in the united colonies.

6. ” The Courte commends the name of Faire Harbour to them for to bee the name of their Towne.”

7. Thomas MINER was appointed ” Military Sergeant in the Towne of Pequett,” with power to call forth and train the inhabitants.

Another source states that Samuel was constable of Norwich in 1673 and 1682, he was a builder by trade, and he died in New London, Connecticut.

Samuel ended up in Norwich Connecticut where he is considered one of the founding fathers. He was a builder and later a farmer and for a while a “constable”, “townsman” and judge.

Children

1. John Lathrop

 John’s wife Ruth Royce was born 7 Dec 1645 in Wallingford, New Haven, CT. Her parents were Robert Royce and Mary Sims. Ruth died 10 Nov 1732 in Wallingford, New Haven, CT.

John and his sister Elizabeth were married at the same time by Commissioner Daniel Wetherell, …

2. Elizabeth Lathrop

Elizabeth’s first husband Isaac Royce was born in 1643 New Milford, CT. His parents were Robert Royce and Mary SDimms. Isaac died 1681 Wallingford, NewHaven, CT.

Elizabeth’s second husband Joseph Thompson was born about 1648 New Haven, CT. Joseph died about 1703 New Haven, CT.

Elizabeth married Dec. 15, 1669, Isaac, son of Robert Royce of New London, and settled in Wallingford. After his death she married Joseph Thompson of Wallingford, who was as a collector of taxes there as late as 1681, and had six children: Elizabeth, Samuel, James, Phebe, Hannah, and Keziah. Joseph Thompson, who married Hannah Clark, Feb. 1, 1709-10; John Thompson, born Feb. 1, 1685, and married June 23, 1710, Sarah Culver. They had six children: Abel, Abel 2d, Anna, Marsh, Sarah, and John. Hannah Thompson,born April 16, 1687.

3. Samuel Lathrop

Samuel’s first wife Hannah Adgate was born 6 Oct 1653 in Norwich, CT. Her parents were Thomas Adgate (1620 – 1707) and Mary Marvin (1628 – 1713). Hannah died 18 Sep 1695 in Norwich, CT.

Children of Samuel and Hannah:

i.  Elizabeth Lathorp m. John Waterman.  Their daughter Hannah Waterman (wiki) in Norwich, CT circa 1708. Hannah’s first husband, Absalom King, was a wealthy merchant who had settled in the area. The couple had a daughter, also named Hannah. Not long after, however, King died at sea from small pox.

Hannah Waterman King married again, this time to Benedict Arnold III, descendant of an early governor of Rhode Island, also named Benedict Arnold. The Arnolds had six children. As was not unusual at the time, most of the couple’s children died very young, many within months of one another due to a yellow fever outbreak, including Benedict Arnold IV. The future patriot and traitor Benedict Arnold V was born in 1741 and was named after his deceased older brother. Shortly thereafter, market downturns caused hardships in the family finances.

Hannah's son Benedict Arnold V

After years of heartbreak, Hannah Arnold died on 15 Aug 1758. She was buried in the Old Norwichtown Burial Ground. Hannah’s death fell hard on her widowed husband, Benedict Arnold III, who lingered some time and suffered with alcoholism and depression from his failed business. He died in 1761.

Hannah Arnold Grave "IN MEMORY oF Hannah ye well beloved Wife of Capt Benedict Arnold & Daughter of Mr John & Elizabeth Watermen, (She was a Pattern of Piety Patience and Virtue) who died Augst 15th 1759 AEtatis Suae 52" - Old Norwichtown Cemetery Norwich, New London, CT

Hannah Arnold was and is remembered in Norwich as a worthy woman and a model of “piety, patience, and virtue.” Her gravestone is still visible in Norwichtown Burying Grounds, yet no one knows who paid for it. The mysterious “Norwich Visitor” regularly pays homage to her at her grave. He or she leaves candles, flowers, and an occasional note. He or she always comes at night, is never seen, and whose identity remains unknown to this day.

“The mystery is part of the fun,” said David Oat, a member of the Norwich Historical Society’s committee on city cemeteries. “People tend to do this kind of thing with places they feel they have a connection to.”  Oat said it doesn’t surprise him that Arnold’s grave was singled out.

“There was a lot of suffering associated with her life,” he said. “Besides what her son did, her husband’s business went down the drain and he became the town drunk. She was know as a pious woman, but no one knows who actually paid for her gravestone.”

Rumors about the “Norwich Visitor” abound. Local lore insists the gifts are left only during a full moon, that the visitor will not enter the cemetery if others are inside and that the gifts are connected to ancient Freemason rituals.

Norwich City Historian Dale Plummer, who laughingly denied being the graveside visitor, said the cemetery has attracted its share of supernatural stories over the years.

“There’s a story that the ghost of Benedict Arnold rides into the cemetery on Halloween on a white horse,” he said. “But this particular person sounds like an imitator of the Poe visitor.”  For decades, a mysterious individual left roses and a bottle of cognac at the original Baltimore gravesite of Edgar Allan Poe.

ii. Hannah Lathrop b. 6 JAN 1676/77 Norwich, CT; d. 14 APR 1721 Norwich, CT; m. Jabez Perkins  His parents were Sgt Jacob Perkins and Elizabeth Whipple.  His grandparents were John PERKINS and Judith GATER.

ii. Thomas Lothrop b. 25 AUG 1681 Norwich, CT.; m. 24 FEB 1708/09 to Lydia Abell.  Her parents were Joshua ABELL and Bethia Gager.

Samuel’s second wife  Mary Edgerton of Norwich. They settled in Norwich where she died Jan. 81, 1727-8, and he Dec. 9, 1732.

His rank among the citizens of Norwich is shown in the enrollment of 1730, where his name stands next to the two Deacons Huntington, their names following those of the three ministers, Lord, Willes, and Kirtland. He was a member of the First Church in Norwich.

5. Sarah Lathrop

Sarah’s husband Nathaniel Royce was born 1 APR 1639 Wallingford, CT. His parents were Robert Royce and Mary Simms. He first married 27 OCT 1673 To Esther Moss (b. 2 JAN 1652/53 New Haven, CT. – d. 19 JUN 1677). Nathaniel died 8 FEB 1735/36 Wallingford, CT.

Sarah  married as his second wife, April 21, 1681, Nathaniel, son of Nathaniel Royce of Wallingford, where they settled, and where he died Nov. 1706. He was a carpenter and joiner and blacksmith, and died Feb. 8, 1736, having had four wives.

6. Martha Lathrop

Martha’s husband John Moss was born 11 JAN 1638/39 New Haven, CT. His parents were John Moss and Abigail Charles. John died 31 MAR 1717 Wallingford, CT.

John’s father immigrated to New Haven and became prominent in the new town of Wallingford. He occupied for his homestead the lot on which the elegant home of Moses Y. Beach stood in 1873, and there the elder Moss died at the age of 103 years in 1707. The son died March 31, 1717, and she Sept. 21, 1719.

7. Israel Lathrop

Israel’s wife Rebecca Bliss was born March 1662/63 Norwich, CT.  Her parents were Thomas Bliss and Elizabeth Birchard, who went from Saybrook to Norwich. Her grandfather was Thomas Bliss, Sen., of Hartford. Rebecca died 22 AUG 1737 Norwich, CT.

They settled in Norwich. His rank among his townsmen in 1730, when all the freemen were enrolled, was next to hisbrother Samuel. He was a man of worldly thrift, and had a family of enterprising sons, who are said to have planted themselves on seven hills within the old nine-miles square of Norwich. He died March 28, 1733, and she Aug. 22, 1737. His headstone in old Norwich Town burial ground is the oldest one now there with an inscription on it. It gives us this tribute to his worth: ” Here lies buried ye body of Mr. Israel Lothrup, ye Husband of Mrs. Rebekah Lothrup, who lived a life of exemplary piety & left ye Earth for Heaven Mar. ye 28, 1733, in ye 73d year of’ his age. ”

Children of Israel and Rebecca:

i. Israel Lathrop b. 1 FEB 1686/87 Norwich, CT; m. 20 Jun 1710 to Mary Fellows

ii. William Lathrop b. 20 SEP 1688 Norwich, CT; d. 27 SEP 1778 Norwich, CT; m. 18 DEC 1712 Norwich, CT to Sarah Huntington.

iii. John Lathrop b. 2 OCT 1690 Norwich, CT; d. 18 APR 1752 Norwich, New London, CT; m. 7 APR 1715 Norwich, New London, CT to Elizabeth Abell. Her parents were Joshua ABELL and Bethia Gager

iv. Samuel Lathrop b. 12 JUL 1692 Norwich, CT; m. 26 Jun 1712 to Elizabeth Waterman

v. Rebecca Lathrop b. 20 APR 1695 Norwich, CT; m. 21 Feb 1715/16 to Isaac Huntington

vi. Mary Lathrop b. 15 NOV 1696 Norwich, CT; m. her first cousin as his first wife Simon Lathrop. His parents were Samuel Lathrop and Hannah Adgate.

vii. Martha Lathrop b. 15 NOV 1696; d. 16 OCT 1775; m. 24 Mar 1713/14 as his second wife her first cousin Simon Lathrop

viii. Benjamin Lathrop b. 31 JUL 1699 Norwich, CT; d. d. 11 FEB 1774 Windham, CT; m. 13 NOV 1718 Norwich, CT to Mary Adgate

ix. Ebenezer Lathrop  b. 7 FEB 1701/02 Norwich, New London, CT; d. 28 JAN 1781 Norwich, New London, CT; m. 13 MAY 1725 Norwich, New London, CT to Lydia Leffingwell.

x. Jabez Lathrop b. 11 JAN 1706/07 Norwich, CT; d. 11 FEB 1796 Norwich, New London, CT; m. 28 NOV 1728 Norwich, CT to Elizabeth Burnham

8. Joseph Lathrop

Joseph’s first wife Mary Scudder was born in 1663 in Norwich, New London, CT. She was Joseph’s first cousin. Her parents were John Scudder and Hannah [__?__]. Her grandparents were John SCUDDER and Elizabeth STOUGHTON. Mary died 18 Sep 1695 in Norwich, New London, CT.

Joseph’s second wife Elizabeth Watrous (Waterhouse) was born 22 Mar 1672 in Wallingford, New Haven, CT. Her parents were Isaac Waterhouse and Sarah Pratt. Elizabeth died 29 Nov 1726 in Norwich, New London, CT.

Joseph’s third wife Martha Morgan was born 20 Mar 1681 in Preston, New London, CT. Her parents were Joseph Morgan and Dorothy Parke. She was the widow of Deacon Joseph Perkins of Newent, now Lisbon, then a part of Norwich. He was a member of the First Church. He died in Norwich, July 5, 1740, and to his death record is added ” born 1661. Martha died 23 Oct 1754 in Norwich, New London, CT.

Children of Joseph and Mary

i. Barnabas Lathrop b. 4 Feb 1685/86 Norwich, CT; d. 25 May 1710 Norwich, CT.; m. 12 JAN 1709/10 to .Abigail Abell, b. 16 Mar 1688/89; d. 2 JUN 1736 Norwich, CT  Abigail’s parents were Caleb Abell and Margaret Post.  Her grandparents were Robert ABELL and Joanna [__?__].

ii. Joseph Lathrop b. 18 SEP 1688 Norwich, CT; d. 1757; m 13 Apr 1735 to Mary Hartshorn

iii. Abigail Lathrop b. 16 SEP 1693 Norwich, CT; m. Jacob Hazen

Joseph’s second wife  Elizabeth “Waterhouse,”  was born March 22, 1661.  Her parents were Isaac and Sarah Watrous. Elizabeth died Nov. 29, 1726.

Children of Joseph and Elizabeth

iv. Mehitable Lathrop b. 2 NOV 1697 Norwich, CT; d. 19 JAN 1731/32 East Windsor, CT; m. William Bushnell

v. Samuel Lathrop b. 23 MAY 1699 Norwich, CT.

vi. Elizabeth Lathrop b. 17 JAN 1700/01 Norwich, CT.

vii. Sarah Lathrop b. 18 OCT 1702 Norwich, CT.

viii. Temperance Lathrop b. 6 OCT 1704 Norwich, CT; m. 22 Aug 1727 Ipswich, Mass to John Bishop

ix. Solomon Lathrop b. 13 DEC 1706 Norwich, CT; d. 10 MAY 1733′ m. 6 Feb 1728/29 to Martha Perkins

x. Ruth Lathrop b. 11 DEC 1709 Norwich, CT.

xi. Esther Lathrop b. 17 NOV 1712 Norwich, CT.

xii. Zeruiah Lathrop b. 9 APR 1718 Norwich, CT; d. 1741 Canterbury, CT; m. 1739 to William Bradford

9. Deborah LATHROP (See Simon NEWCOMB‘s page)

10. Abigail Lathrop

Abigail’s husband John Huntington was born 15 Mar 1666 in Norwich, New London, CT. His parents were Christopher Huntington and Ruth Rockwell.  John died 7 Nov 1732 in Norwich, New London, CT.

They had nine children: Abigail Huntington, born Feb. 19, 1687 ; married James Calkins; John Huntington, born April 20, 1688, and died in 1690. John Huntington, born July 4, 1691, and married Thankful Warner, of Windham, Ct., and settled in Tolland; Hannah Huntington, March 25, 1693-4, and married Joseph Rockwell, of Windsor; `Martha Huntington, born Dec. 9, 1696, and married Noah Grant, of Tolland, and became the ancestress of President Ulysses S. Grant.

11. Anne Lathrop

Anne’s husband William Hough Jr. was born Oct. 13, 1657 in Saybrook, Middlesex, CT.  He was the third son of William Hough Sr. and Sarah Calkin of New London .  William Jr. died April 22, 1705 in New London, New London, CT, and she in Norwich, Nov. 19, 1745. William Hough, Sen., was the son of Edward Hough, of Westchester County of Chester, England. He came to Gloucester, Mass., when he married Oct. 28, 1645, Sarah, daughter of Hugh Calkins, the pioneer.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=131606529

http://www.newenglandgenealogy.pcplayground.com/f_8b.htm#27

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16301956/person/465476422

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16301956/person/465476435

http://users.erols.com/jlathrop/genealogy.html#Part%202

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=131606529

History of New London county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men (1882) by Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) (Story of founding of Voluntown)