Twelfth Generation

2696. John FULLER Sr.^1186,1333 was born about 1655/56 in USA, Massachusetts, Barnstable Co., Barnstable.^{858,1186,1334} He signed a will on 28 Feb 1725/26.^1184,1186 His will on file at Hartford, was dated February 28, 1725-6, and proved May 10, 1726. It was not written in his own hand and his signature shows extreme infirmity.

Will of John Fuller

I, John Fuller, Senr of the township of Haddam, County of Hartford, upon
the east side of the Great river, by the great goodness of God retaining
my reason, yet being crazy and infirm in body and not knowing the day of
my death, have thought it my duty, and do by this my last will and
testament, dispose of what temporal estate God has graciously given me as
follows: viz: first of all I commit my body to the dust to be decently


buried, and my soul to God in Jesus Christ in hope of eternal life.

Imprimis: I give and bequeath to my dear and loving wife, one cow, such
as she shall chuse, eight sheep, four pounds in money, the bed she lies
on, one room in my dwelling house, and so much interest in the plow land
and grass land of my home lot as may be necessary for her comfortable
support during her widdowhood, and I do appoint my son Thomas to take care
of the creatures from year to year, and I do appoint my sons Joseph and
Benjamin each to give her a day's mowing, in a year yearly, and my sons Shubael and John to do her weaving in same proportion between them yearly.

Item, I give to my oldest son Thomas besides what I have already given him
by deed of gift, twenty pounds of my right or interest in the common or
undivided land, and all my interest in the Iron Ware belonging to the
field, but not what is in or for the house.

Item: I give to my son Samuel besides what I have already confirmed to him
by deed of gift, viz: twenty pounds of my right or interest in the common
or undivided land, and one half of my meadow lot called by the name of the
little pine meadow, together with sundry other valuable things he has
already had of me.

Item: I give to my son Shubael, besides what I have already confirmed to
him by deed of gift, viz: twenty pounds of my right or interest in the


common or undivided land, and one half of my meadow lot called by the name
of the little pine meadow, together with sundry other valuable things he
has already had of me.

Item: I give to my son Edward, six pound in money, that is to say, in case
he never finds his lost money, yet the demands upon him from me upon the
account of the fat cattle he bought of me late shall be abated to the
value of six pound, because he hath had a deed of gift and sundry other
things from me.

Item: I give to my son John, beside the deed of gift, one half of my first
division meadow lot.

Item: I give to my son Joseph, beside the deed of gift, twenty pounds of
my interest in the common and undivided land, and one half of the little
pine meadow.

Item: I give to my son Benjamin, beside the deed of gift, twenty pounds of
my interest in the common land and one half of my first division meaddow
lot.

Item: I give to my daughter Thankful what she has had already in brass,
pewter, etc.

Item: I give to my daughter Elizabeth sundry valuables she has already


received.

Item: I give to my daughter Mehitabel what she has already received, a


coverlet and iron pot, also the bed I lie on after my and my wife's
decease.

Item: I give to my wife my mare and to my son Thomas a steer coming two
years old. I appoint my sons Thomas and John to be executors of this my
will, and direct them to divide any overplus of my estate between my three
daughters. Signed and Sealed Feb. 28, 1725-6.

This will was exhibited in court at Hartford, May 2, 1726, and proved May
10, 1726..

You will note neither Anne Fuller, wife of Jonathan Rowley, nor Deborah
Fuller, wife of John Rowley are listed.

However, the most significant item is the last paragraph wherein the
executors are directed to divide any overplus of his estate between his
three daughters. One cannot say he deliberately overlooked Anne and Deborah who were both living at the time. He listed three daughters:
Thankful, Elizabeth and Mehitable. There were no others.

In the "Bowman" files, George Bowman had his doubts as he listed all the
children, and then added Deborah and Anne with question marks in front of
their names. Significantly, he also added the name "Fuller" to all but


those two.
He died on 23 Mar 1726 in USA, Connecticut, Middlesex Co., East Haddam.¹¹⁸⁶ John was born about 1655/6 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA. He was known as “Little John” to distinguish him from his Uncle John Fuller. John Fuller married Mehitable Rowley about 1678 in Barnstable. In his father's Will in 1683, he was given 4 acres of marsh, 2 horses, a dwelling house, a orchard yard, an Indian named Jaell, a cart, a plow, tools, a fat cow, a bible and a 1/3 of the cattle. He lived on his father's estate at Scortons Neck until about 1694, when he and his family moved to East Haddam, Middlesex Co., Connecticut. Here he seems to have prospered as he bequeathed to his seven sons ample lands and farming implements in his own will when he died March 23, 1726 in East Haddem, Middlesex Co., CT.

*Two other daughters have been claimed by W.H. Fuller: Deborah Fuller b. ca. 1689 m. John Rowley; and Anne Fuller b. ca. 1703/4 m. Jonathan Rowly. Neither is named in John Fuller's will nor were any LRs found to indicate a daughter's portion turned over to her husband. However, their children have Edward Fuller ancestry since John and Jonathan Rowley were both sons of Moses Rowley (see #23)

References: MD 18:203 (b. Mehitabel). NEHGR 11:275 (b. John, Josephy, 2nd Benjamin, Mehitable). NYGBR 33:178-9, 227 (Brainard's Fuller Gen.). FULLER GEN 1:33-5. MANWARING 2:107 (Moses Rowley); 509-10 (John Fuller). CT PR Hartford Dist #2081 (John Fuller). CRIPPEN-CHAMBERLAIN. CLS Barbour Index: E. Haddam pp. 77, 78, 79. WEST BARNSTABLE CH p. 1a. John FULLER Sr. and Mehitabel ROWLEY were married about 1678 in USA, Massachusetts, Barnstable Co., Barnstable.¹¹⁸⁶

2697. Mehitabel ROWLEY⁸⁵⁸ was born on 11 Jan 1659/60 in USA, Massachusetts, Barnstable Co., Barstable.¹¹⁸⁶ Twin She died about 1732 in USA, Connecticut, Middlesex Co., East Haddam.¹¹⁸⁶ Mehitable (Twin) m. John Fuller Sr., had 10 children, Lt. Thomas (moved to CT and was a farmer, m. Elizabeth (Church?), Samuel (Ensign & Tax Collector & Moved to CT, m. Naomi "Nam" Rowley), Shubael (Ensign & moved to CT, m. Hannah Crocker), Thankful (moved to NY and then VT?, m. Lt. Jabez Crippen a Selectman & large landowner), Edward (m. #1 ? Bate, m. #2 Elizabeth Rowley), Elizabeth (m. Samuel Rowley, a Deacon), John Jr. (m. Mary Cornwall), Joseph (a Deacon, founded a Church in Kent, CT, m. #1 Lydia Day; m. #2 Zerviah Dewey Nobel), Benjamin (m. Content Fuller), Mehitable (m. Benjamin Kneeland Jr. Children were:

1348	i.	Lt. Thomas FULLER.
	ii.	Samuel FULLER1186 was born about 1682 in USA, Massachusetts, Barnstable Co., Barnstable.1181,1335 He was baptized in Oct 1688.1181 He died on 12 Feb 1757.1184 Samuel, Ensign & Tax Collector & moved to CT, m. Naomi "Nam" Rowley, and had 10 children, John (m. #1 Sarah Clothier (Div.), m. #2 Penelope/Peniniah Toola), Samuel (m. Patience ?), Moses (m. Rebecca Brown), Aaron (m. Ruth Sawyer), Mehitable (m. John Chamberlain Jr. a farmer), Mercy, Mary (m. Thomas Millard/Miller or Joseph Smith), Desire (m. #1 Nathan Sawyer, m #2 John Morey), Abner, (Twin) Nora (Naomi?), and (Twin)Nathaniel?)
	iii.	Shubael FULLER1186 was born about 1684 in USA, Massachusetts, Barnstable Co., Barnstable.1181,1183 He was baptized in Oct 1688.1181 He died on 29 May 1748.1184 Shubael (Ensign & moved to CT, m. Hannah Crocker, had 8 children, Lydia (m. Daniel Gates was a tanner, selectman and Deacon), Capt. Ephraim (Ensign, m. Sarah Beckwith), Thankful (m. Abijah Brainerd), Zerviah (moved to Novia Scotia, m. Edward Bill who went to a Congregational Church), Hannah (m. Lemuel Daniels who also went to a Congregational Church), Shubael Jr. (moved to MA, m. #1 Hannah Cone; m. #2 Sarah Chapman), Jonathan (died a child), Rachel Love (moved to NH, m. Justus Hurd who was in the Rev. War, Selectman and Moderator), and Leah (died young)
	iv.	Thankful FULLER1186 was born about 1688 in USA, Massachusetts, Barnstable Co., Barnstable.1181,1183 She was baptized on 19 May 1689 in USA, Massachusetts, Barnstable Co., Barnstable.1181,1183 Thankful moved to NY and then VT?, m. Lt. Jabez Crippen, a Selectman & large landowner, had 10 children, Susanna, Frances (m. Timothy Carrier a Deacon), Lydia (m. #1 Richard Quittefield/Kiterfield; m. #2 Deacon Ebenezer Jackson), Thomas (m. #1 Deborah ?, m. #2 Elizabeth Castle), Jabez Jr. (moved to NY and helped found Crippentown, NY with several of his brothers, m. Lydia (Chamberlain?), John (moved to NY & helped found Crippentown also, m. Mary Richmond), Mehitable (m. Bartholomew Heath), Samuel (moved to VT, m. Keziah Alger/Algur), Joseph (moved to NY, m. Tabitha Rowley), and Thankful (m.? Edward? Wheeler?)
	v.	Edward FULLER1186 was born about 1691 in USA, Massachusetts, Barnstable Co., Barnstable.1181,1336 He died on 7 Jan 1731.1184 Edward m. #1 ? Bate, had 1 daughter, Elizabeth (m. Job Ackley); Edward m. #2 Elizabeth Rowley, had 8 children, Ann (m. Lewis Loveridge), Abigail, Sarah, Silence (m. Capt. Joseph Selden), Phoebe (m. Samuel Church), Eunice, David, (m. #1 Sarah Rust, m #2 Lucy Fuller Williams) and Edward Jr.)
	vi.	Elizabeth FULLER1186 was born about 1693 in USA, Massachusetts, Barnstable Co., Barnstable.1181,1336 She died after 1766.1184 Elizabeth m. Samuel Rowley, a Deacon, had 8 children, Nathan (a Deacon, m. Mary Sumner), Abigal (m. Samuel Gilbert, Jr. was a Captain & later Colonel in the militia), Samuel Jr.(died in MA, m. Miriam Shailer/Shila), Thomas (moved to VT and was town clerk, representative, and Judge & Poet, m. Lois Cass), Thankful (m. Thomas Wells, Jr.), Abijah (moved to VT, m. #1 Hannah Youngs; m. #2 Hannah Curtice/Curtis), Elizabeth (moved to NY, m. Obadiah Culver) and Prudence (m. Stephen Horton/Houghton)
	vii.	John FULLER Jr.1186 was born on 10 Nov 1697 in USA, Connecticut, Middlesex Co., East Haddam.1181,1336 John Jr.(m. Mary Cornwall and had 7 children, Mary (m. Joseph Smith), Esther (Stephen Gates, was an Ensign in the Rev. War), John III (m. #1 Sarah Hamlin; m. #2 Susanna ?), William (m. Rebecca Spencer), Mehitable (m. Israel Champion), Andrew (died young) and Sarah (m. Timothy Chapman a Private in the Rev. War)
	viii.	Joseph FULLER1186 was born on 1 Mar 1699/1700 in USA, Connecticut, Middlesex Co., East Haddam.1181,1336 Joseph a Deacon, founded a Church in Kent, CT, m. #1 Lydia Day, had 11 children, Capt. Joseph Jr. (moved to PA & was in the Rev. War, m. Zerviah Hill), Rachel (m. Samuel Bates), Zachariah (m. Abigail Hubbell), Grace (John Cahoon), Jeremiah (m. #1 Lydia Mills, m. #2 Ruth Reed, m. #3 Rachel (Comstock?)), Lydia (moved to VT, m. Thomas Hatch), Mindwell (m. Asa Parish/Parrish), Ruth (m. Job Gould Jr.), Capt. Abraham (was overseer of the Scatacook Indians and served in the Rev. War, m. Lydia Gellet/Gillett), Jacob (m. Elizabeth Pain), and Isaac (m. Sarah Kelsey); and Joseph m. #2 Zerviah Dewey Nobel
	ix.	Benjamin FULLER1186 was born on 20 Oct 1701 in USA, Connecticut, Middlesex Co., East Haddam.1181,1336 He was baptized on 30 Jul 1704.1181 "two of Jno Fuller's children ye one Josephy ye other Benjamin." He died on 30 Dec 1740 in USA, Connecticut, Litchfield Co., Sharon.1186 NOTE: For many decades genealogists have struggled with what seemed to be a major problem with John Fuller's son Benjamin. The published records of East Haddam Congregational Church provided baptismal records as follows: 30 July 1704 "two of Jno Fuller's children ye one Joseph ye other Benjamin;" and on 19 May 1706 "one of John Fuller's children on his wife's account called Benjami." The clear implication was that the 1704 Benjamin had died before the 1706 baptism. This created a chronological problem, as John's son Benjamin was thought to be the husband of Content Fuller, but with a 1706 baptismal date, Benjamin would have been 15 years old, while Content was 21. This was such an unlikely possibility that in the first edition of this book, Content's husband was listed as an unknown Benjamin, as John's son was simply too young. In what can only be called a classic lesson in genealogical research, descendant Polly M. Holmes of Carmel CA turned to the microfilm copy of the original records to solve the problem. Her discovery there showed that a decades-old copying error was the cause of the confusion. The microfilm copy showed that the 19 May 1706 date was actually for John's daughter Mehitable. The entry just above it, with the same date, was for Benjamin Hungerford. Whoever transcribed the entries for publication had scrambled these two listings. *Benjamin Fuller Sr. m. Content Fuller Abt. 1720 in Colchester, New London Co., CT. Benjamin was b. Oct. 20, 1701 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA and D. Dec. 30, 1740 in Sharon, Litchfield Co., CT. In 1727 he was a Surveyor or inspector of highways at Colchester. Content was b. Feb. 19, 1698/9 in Barnstable, Barnstable Co., MA and D. Bef. May 27 1754 in Sharon, Litchfield Co., CT. Content’s parents were Matthew Fuller and Patience Young. (Her great-grandfather is Samuel Fuller of the Mayflower through his son Samuel & her great-grandfather is also Capt. Matthew Fuller through his daughter Anna Fuller. Patience Young’s grandfather, John Young, came over from England to MA.) Benjamin and wife Content were dismissed from the church at Westchester (Colchester) in the spring of 1740. Benjamin and Content had 10 children, *Patience (1722-1769?)*, Matthew (moved to Duchess Co., NY, m. Joanna Root, had at least one child, Benjamin)), Deborah (m. #1 Gideon Tyler, had at least 1 child, Gideon Jr.; Deborah m. #2 James Warren)), Rachel (died young)), Josiah (moved to Dutchess Co., NY, m. Eirene/Irena Dickenson, had 7 children, Irene, Varsel, Mary, Rosanna (m. Daniel Spike), Josiah Jr., Jeduthan, and Rufus)), Jemima (m. Nathaniel Warren, had 6 children, Jemima (m. Judah Rowley), Rachel (m. Isacher Rowley), Nathaniel Jr.(m. Persis Sumner), John, James and Cynthia (Ephraim Flint)), Benjamin Jr.(was a minute man from CT and moved to Otsego Co., NY, m. Parthena/Parthenea Hubbard, had 7 children, Content, Benjamin III, John, Parthena/Bethany (died young) (m. Calvin Gooderich?), Hubbard, Levene/Levanny and Polly)), Jane (m. Simeon Rowley, had at least 4 children, Benjamin (died a child), Chloe/Cloe (m. ? Storm), Hiel (m. #1 Abigail Olds, #2 Susannah Stephenson), and Deborah (m. Benjamin Hamlin)), Ann (m. Nehemiah Warren, had 7 Children, Lois, Eunice, James, Anna (m. Juduthan Gray), Jane (m. Zophar Betts), Simeon, and Nehemiah Jr.)) and Elizabeth (died a toddler).(*Note-it appears Content married again to Nathaniel Skinner, after her husband died, in Sharon, Litchfield Co, CT on Sept. 20, 1741.).
	x.	Mehitable FULLER1186 was born on 1 Apr 1706 in USA, Connecticut, Middlesex Co., East Haddam.1181,1336 She was baptized on 19 May 1706.1181 She died after 28 Feb 1725/26.1184 Mehitable m. Benjamin Kneeland Jr., had 7 children, Sarah (died young), Phebe (m. Amos Carrier), Benjamin Jr. (died a child), Mehitable (died an infant), Mehitable (died a child), Abigail, and Jabez (died young)