Person:William Kelsey (1)

William Kelsey was one of the original "Braintree Company" followers of the Reverend Thomas Hooker, who came to America and they were the first settlers of "New Towne" (now Cambridge) Massachusetts in 1632. Reverend Hooker joined them the following year.

In June, 1636, Mr. Hooker and Mr. Stone, with more than 50 families of the "first church" (Mr. Hooker's) removed to Connecticut where, in the valley of the same name, they established another "New Towne" which was changed to "Hartford" on February 21, 1637. Among these were William Kelsey. Coming to "Hartford" with the Hooker Company, William Kelsey was one of the "original proprietors" and, as such, his name appears on the "Founders Monument" in the "ancient burying ground" of the First Congregational Church of that city, presently known as "Center Church". His name is also found on the "Adventurers Boulder" located at City Hall, Hartford, CT.

In March 1663, William Kelsey and 26 others migrated to the "Hammonossit Plantation" and founded the Town of "Kenilworth", later changed to "Killingworth". In 1738, the town was separated into North and South parts. The South part called "Clinton" and the North, "Killingworth".

One of the earliest warranty deeds shows William Kelsey giving his property to his sons, John and Daniel.

It was recorded on June 8, 1674 that he gave John "all my house lot containing six acres more or less -- also my cow yard on the north side of the street over agaynst my house sixty rods of land more or less -- also I give to unto him my division of medow lying on the river."

A stone monument erected to William Kelsey's memory now stands to the east of the house at 90 East Main Street ... The last parcel of land remaining in the family for more than 300 years. http://www.thomas-family.org/familytree/kelsey/william_/family.html

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} William Kelsey, in Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995)
   2:1117-19.

   ORIGIN: Unknown.
   FREEMAN: In Killingworth section of 1669 Connecticut list of freemen (as "William Keilsey") [CCCR 2:525].
   BIRTH: By about 1609 based on estimated date of marriage.
   DEATH: Killingworth between June 1675 and 21 September 1676 [TAG 69:218].
   On 21 September 1676 the will and inventory of William Kelsey were presented at New London County Court; these documents do not, unfortunately, survive [TAG 69:28 citing New London County Court Records, Trials, 3:83.].

2.   Claypool, Edward A.; Azalea Clizbee; Elias Isbell Kelsey; Harry Norman Kelsey; Kelsey Kindred of America; and Earl LeLand Kelsey. A Genealogy of the Descendants of William Kelsey (1972 Rev.): who settled at Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1632 at Hartford, Connecticut in 1636; and at Killingworth, Connecticut in 1663. (Clinton, Connecticut: Kelsey Kindred of America, 1972- (Tampa, Fla. : Jack Patten Printers)).
3.   Virkus, Frederick Adams, editor. The Compendium of American Genealogy, 1600s-1800s. (np: Marquis Publications, 1925-42)
   Vol. VI p. 786.

   ca.1600-ca.1680; son of George) came from Eng. as mem. of the Braintree Company, 1632; had a grant at Cambridge, Mass.; freeman, 1635; to Hartford, Conn., 1636; to Killingworth, Conn., 1663; dep. Gen. Ct.,1671; m. Bethia--(ca.1605-ca.1636).

4.   Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
   3:7.

   WILLIAM, Cambridge 1632, freem. 4 Mar. 1635, rem. to Hartford, thence, a. 1663, to Killingworth, but at H. the only ch. b. were Abigail, in Apr. 1645; Stephen, 7 Nov. 1647; and Daniel, 1650; but, no doubt, others were omit. in the rec. or were earlier b. at C. was rep. in 1671, when the rec. is Callsey, but oft it is Kelse, Kelso, Kelsea, Kelsa, or Kelsy.

5.   Bassette, Buell Burdett. One Bassett Family in America: with All Connections in America and Many in Great Britain and France : Principally an Outline of What the Ancestors Did to Help Make America, Mainly from Original Records Heretofore Unpublished. (New Britain, Conn.: self-published, 1926)
   445.
6.   Griswold, Ruth Lee. A narrative of the Griswold family from Thomas Griswold, esq. of Weathersfield and Guilford, 1695. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977)
   104.
7. ↑ ^7.0 7.1 William Kelsey, in Barbour, Lucius Barnes. Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1977)
   351-52.

   William Kelsey born ca 1600. Early member 1 Ch. Name on Founders Monument. Moved to Killingworth. Children: Abigail b Apl 19, 1645 (HTR) m John Hull Dec 3, 1668 ( ) Stephen bp Nov 7, 1647 (HTR) m Hannah Ingersoll Nov 15, 1672 Daniel b July 1650 (HTR) John m/1 Phebe Disborough m/2 Hannah Cambridge 1632; freeman Mass. March 4, 1635; removed to Hartford where he was an original proprietor; his home lot in the distribution of 1639 was on the road from Centinel Hill to the North Meadow (now Village St.); removed to Killingworth about 1663; rep. in 1671 from Killingworth. He was living in June 1674.

8. ↑ Paige, Lucius R. List of Freemen. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct 1849)
   3:93.