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About Judge Samuel Lathrop
In 1648 Samuel went to New London, then called Pequot, where he build the second church and held positions of responsibility and honor. In 1649 the general court organized a local court at Pequot and Samuel Lathrop was one of the judges. In 1668 he removed to Norwich, where he is recorded as constable and townsman.
Samuel was a judge, Barnstable County, 1643. He served in Major Willard's Expadition against Ninigret in 1654, and he served with Lieutenant Avery in the Expedition for relief of Uncas, 1659
Came to America aboard the Griffin
Samuel Lathrop Biography Excerpt from the biography of Ernest Avery Lathrop, "A Modern History of New London County, Connecticut," published 1922.
Samuel Lathrop was a builder of Boston, and a farmer of Barnstable, finally settling in what is now New London, Connecticut, where he became one of the judges of the local court organized in 1649. In 1668 he moved to Norwich, Connecticut where he was chosen constable. He first married on 28 November, 1644, in Barnstable, Elizabeth Scudder. They were the parents of nine children, their eldest, a son, baptized 7 Dec 1645, their youngest, a daughter, Anne, born 7 Aug, 1667. Samuel Lathrop married second in 1690, Abigail Doane, born 29 Jan 1632, daughter of Deacon Doane, of the Plymouth Colony. She survived her husband thirty four years, living to the great age of one hundred and two.
He was a house carpenter by trade, combining with it extensive farming operations. In 1648 he went to New London, then called Pequot, where he built the "Second Church" and held positions of responsibility and honor. In 1649 the General Court organized a local court at Pequot and Samuel was one of the judges. In 1668 he removed to Norwich, where he is recorded as "Constable" and "Townsman", and where he died, leaving the widow Abigail who survived him many years.
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From Huntington's A Genealogical Memoir of the Lo-Lathrop Family ...:
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 house builder, afterwards combining with this 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 that of John Scudder.
He is reported, in 1643, as one of the 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 John, Jr., 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 is 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, 1648-9.
Almost at once Mr. Lothrop is assigned by his new townsmen to places of responsibility and honor. The General Court of the State, in May, 1649, organized a local court at Pequot, having for its judges John Winthrop, Esq., Samuel Lothrop, and Thomas Minor, giving them power to sit in the trial of all causes between the inhabitants in which the differences were under forty shillings.
In 1650 he appears with fifteen other townsmen in town meeting "to arrange a system of co-operation with Mr. Winthrop in establishing a mill to grind corn."
He received a large grant of land, also, on the west side of the Pequot river north of the settlement. It was about five miles up the river at a place called Namussuck. A farm of 260 acres at this place remained in the family until 1735, when it was sold by his grandson Nathaniel, after settling all claims, for 2,300 pounds.
His "cattle marks" were recorded before 1650. When, in 1657, Uncas, routed by the Narragansetts, had been chased into tile fort at the head of the Nahantick and was there beseiged, Lieut. James Avery, Mr. Brewster, Samuel Lothrop and others, well armed, succeeded in throwing themselves into the fort and aided in the defence.
He sold his town homestead in 1661 to the Rev. Gershom Bulkley. This house stood beyond the bridge over the mill brook, on east side of highway toward Mohegan, "probably where now (1852) stands the Hallam House."
In 1679 is recorded a contract of Mr. Lothrop for building the Second Church in New London.
He removed to Norwich in 1668. Miss Caulkins in history of Norwich says, "after the first thirty-eight proprietors the next inhabitants who came in as grantees of the town are John Elderkin and Samuel Lothrop." A house lot was first granted to John Elderkin, who, finding it too far from his business, had it conveyed to Samuel Lothrop.
Mr. Lothrop appears to have erected a house on the town street before 1670, which from that time became his home. The house built by Dr. Daniel Lathrop, his great-grandson, about 1745, probably stands upon the same site-now Mrs. Gilman's.
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He was a house carpenter by trade, combining with it extensive farming operations. In 1648 he went to New London, then called Pequot, where he built the "Second Church" and held positions of responsibility and honor. In 1649 the General Court organized a local court at Pequot and Samuel was one of the judges. In 1668 he removed to Norwich, where he is recorded as "Constable" and "Townsman", and where he died, leaving the widow Abigail who survived him many years.
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