Person:Timothy Woodbridge (2)

Rev. Timothy Woodbridge (John), grad. H. C. 1675; became minister over the first church in Hartford, in 1682, but was not ordained pastor until 18 November 1685. Married Mehitabel, daughter of Hon. Samuel Wyllys, of Hartford, and widow of his predecessor, Rev. Isaac Foster, and also widow of Daniel Russell, of Charlestown. The time of her death is unknown, but he had probably a second wife, a Mrs. Howell, and he certainly married in 1716, for his last wife, Abigail, widow of Richard Lord, of Hartford, and daughter of John Warren, of Boston. He was one of the ten principal ministers of the colony named as trustees, and authorized by the General Assembly to found Yale College, in 1699; was Fellow of the College from 1700 to 1732, and was offered the rectorship, after the resignation of Rector Cutler, in 1722, but did not accept. He was also a prominent member of the Saybrook convention, in 1708. Died at Hartford, 30 April 1732. His widow died 1 January 1754, æ. 77."

"Timothy (Woodbridge), fourth s. of the first John, b. in Eng. was sixth min. of Hartford, but not ord. bef. 18 Nov. 1685, m. Mehitable, d. of Samuel Wyllis, wid. of Rev. Isaac Foster, wh. was predecess. of W. in the Hartford ch. but she had first been wid. of Daniel Russell of Charlestown, by her had Samuel, H. C. 1701; Susanna; and prob. others, beside Ashbel, b. 1704, Y. C. 1724, wh. by mistake in Geneal. Reg. VII. 75, I presume, is made s. by a sec. w. that his f. did not have. The sec. w. of Rev. Timothy W. was Abigail, d. of the rich wid. of Phineas Wilson of Hartford, by her third. h. John Warren of Boston; and Goodwin, 349, wh. is wrong in call. her sec. w. of Warren when she was the third, must be right to her d. Abigail, being wid. of Richard Lord, and giv. only to Woodbridge, Theodore, b. 23 June 1717. A third w. he had in Mary, d. of Hon. William Pitkin, wid. of some min. that Miss Jones has not nam. in her Memoir. Geneal. Reg. VI. 280, and to me it seems very strange, that such details cannot be gather. but she tells of his d. 30 Apr. 1732."

Since the first wife, Mehitabel (Wyllys) (Russell) (Foster) Woodbridge died in 1698, and Abigail (Warren) (Lord) Woodbridge's first husband did not die until 1712/13, children Susanna (1703/04) and Ashbel(1705) had to have been born to an unknown second wife.

"4 Rev. Timothy (Woodbridge), appar. Mr. W., 'our minister,' with whom Humphrey Churchwood, Baptist, had a long discussion on infant baptism in Jan. 1681-2. Mr. Joshua Moody's letter to Cotton Mather 14 July 1683 ment. Mr. W., who evid. was at Great Isl.""

"Timothy Woodbridge, b. Barford St. Martin, Wiltshire, 13 Jan 1655/6 [Woodbridge Record 14]; Harvard College 1675 [Sibley 2:464-70; GDMNH 769]; …"

"Probate Records. Vol. XI, 1729 to 1732. Page 216.

Woodbridge, Rev. Timothy, Hartford. Invt. £756-18-09. Taken 10 October, 1732, by Cyprian Nichols and Joseph Skinner. Will dated 1st April, 1732.

I, Timothy Woodbridge, of Hartford, do make this my last will and testament: I give to my wife, Abigail Woodbridge, my team and furniture belonging thereunto, and the improvement of John Wobbin during the time he is bound to serve me at my present rates, and the provisions that are now in the house, and my negro girle named Lydia, desireing, if my wife should incline to it, that my daughter Susannah Treat may have said negro girle, paying a reasonable price for her. And whereas, I have disposed of the principal part of my real estate to my three sons by deeds of gift, my mind and will is that the remainder of my estate, both real and personal, shall be disposed of in the following manner: Whereas, I have given to my daughter Mary Pitkin that I account to the value of £105 money, I give her £5 more out of my real estate. I give to my daughters Ruth Pierson and Susannah Treat, with what each of them have already received, so much out of my estate as to make up the value of £110 money to each of them. And whereas, my son Theodore is under tuition at Yale College, I give £100 out of my estate to defray the charge of his education there. I do appoint my son Timothy Woodbridge sole executor of this my last will and testament, and do hereby authorize and impower my executor to make sale of my farm at Stafford and my interest in the western lands, or any part thereof, to enable him, with my moveable estate, to pay my just debts and legacies herein given. And what estate shall remain after my just debts and legacies are paid, shall be divided to and amongst my children, viz: to my three sons, Timothy, Ashbell and Theodore, and to my three daughters, Mary, Ruth and Susannah, in equal proportion.

TIMOTHY WOODBRIDGE, LS.

Witness: Hezekiah Wyllys, Samuel Woodbridge, Cyprian Nichols.

Court Record, Page 74—2 September, 1732: Will exhibited by the executor, Rev. Timothy Woodbridge of Simsbury.

Page 94—3 July, 1733: Theodore Woodbridge, son of Rev. Timothy Woodbridge, chose his mother Abigail Woodbridge to be his guardian; Recog., £300."