Person:John Chester (8)

"41. Maj. John³ Chester Jr. (Sarah², Gov. Thomas¹), born 10 June 1656 in Wethersfield, Connecticut (Barbour citing VR 1:36 and VR 1:76); and
died there 14 December 1711, at age 55 and a half years and 4 days, buried 15 December 1711 (Barbour citing VR 1:36) in the Village Cemetery there (Hale 25). …

As a town clerk, John Chester evidently resisted a new colonial law that a copy of the vital records had to be submitted to the General Court. He was not alone in this as the new statute did not provide any compensation for the task. 'John Chester, Registrar, on May 26, 1696, presented to Col. Samuel Talcott, Ens. Thomas Wells & Corp. Jonathan Belding, Selectmen, a written refusal to annually transmit a copy of all vital records to the County Clerk.' (Barbour citing VR 1:36).

John Chester's will was dated 5 December 1711 and witnessed by Rev. Stephen Mix and Robert Welles; he named his eldest son John, son Thomas, daughters Mahetabell, Mary, Penelope, Hannah, Prudence, Eunice and Sarah, and his wife Hannah, and appointed his wife and sons as executors. He also appointed Lt. John Belding, Mr. Joshua Robbins, 2nd, and Mr. Samuel Wolcott as overseers. The will was proved and the inventory submitted on 4 February 1711/12 with an inventory of £4,277:07:11 (Manwaring 2:174-176)."

"John (Chester), b. (Wethersfield) 10 June 1656; d. at Wethersfield, 14 Dec. 1711 ae. 55; m. 25 Nov. 1686, Hannah³ Talcott, … dau. of Capt. Samuel² and Hannah (Holyoke) Talcott. He was chosen Ensign of the south Train Band in Wethersfield, Sept. 1689, Lieutenant, after 1694, Captain, May 1698, and Major, Oct. 1702. He was Deputy for Wethersfield, May 1694, May and Oct. 1695, May and Oct. 1696, May 1697, May and Oct. 1698, May and Oct. 1699 (Speaker), Oct. 1700 (Speaker); and Assistant, 1701 to 1711; Judge of the County and Probate Courts of Hartford, 1703, 1704, and 1711."

"Chester, … John, eldest s. Capt. John & Sarah, b. June 10, 1656 [1:76]"
"Chester, … John, Registrar, on May 29, 1696, presented to Col. Samuel Tallcott, Ens.Thomas Wells & Corp. Jonathan Belding, Selectmen, a written refusal to annually transmit a copy of all vital records to the County [1:36]"
"Chester, … John, Major, d. Dec. 14, 1711; bd. Dec. 15, 1711, Æ 56 1/2 y. & 4 days [1:36]"

"Probate Records. Vol. VIII, 1710 to 1715. Page 104.

Chester, John, Esq., Wethersfield. Invt. £4277-07-11. Taken 26 January, 1711-12, by Jonathan Belding, Joshua Robbins, 2nd, and Samuel Wolcott. Will dated 5 December, 1711.

Imprimis. I give and bequeath to my eldest son John Chester, to him, his heirs, etc., as hereafter mentioned, vizt.: I give and grant to my said son all the lands which were given me by my father, Capt. John Chester, deceased, save only one homelot. That is, I give unto him my home lot where my father dwelt, with all the buildings thereon; also my land in the Great Plain and at the lower end of the meadow; and also Sele's lot and Clark's lot; also about seventy acres at the mill, and the mill; and one hundred and four acres at the West Division next Farmington bounds; also fifty acres on Cow Plain. All which lands I give and grant to my said son, to be an estate in fee tail generall, vizt., to him and the heir male or heir males of his body lawfully begotten. Further, I give to my son John Chester my lot on Cow Plain, divided to me by the Town, of eighty and two acres and one-half, and one hundred acres my father gave me which the General Court gave my father near Wallingford bounds, laid out by Mr. John Brocket and Mr. Thomas Yale. I give, I grant, I bequeath to my son Thomas Chester my home lot which I now dwell upon, with all the buildings, together with all my purchased lands, as the deeds and records thereof show, vizt., my land in Mile Meadow, purchased of Colo. Pynchon; my land at the Swamp, purchased of the heirs of Robt. Reve; my lands purchased of Elizur Talcot both in the meadow and at Hangdog Plain; my land purchased of Mr. Nathl. Foot, in the Great Meadow; my land purchased of Nathl. Butler, in said meadow; and my land purchased of Nicholas Morecock in the Great Plain; and my land purchased of Mr. Westwood Cook on the east side the Great River in Glastonbury; also my lands I purchased of Mr. Joshua Robbins, Mr. Samuel Whiting, Mr. Simon Wolcott and Mr. James Treat, Jr., all lying, vizt., the woodland in the West Division next Farmingtown line and mine own land, divided to me, coming from my uncle Stephen Chester, in the aforesaid tier or furlong; also the eighty and two acres and half on Cow Plain. This eighty and two acres and half I give to John, which I had of the Town by division. Also, my land purchased of John Hollister to be to my said son Thomas Chester, and to the heir or heirs male of his body lawfully begotten, in such tenure as I give to my son John Chester. And in want of heir males born to either of my sons, I give said lands in tenure as aforesaid to my daughters or those that legally represent them. I give to my son Thomas Chester one acre and a half and 20 rods of land at the Goodrich lot which I purchased of Captain Prentis. I have given to my son John Chester all my land on Cowe Plain because I account the outlands given to my son Thomas a more growing estate than lands near home. Item. I give unto my daughters Mahetabell, Mary, Penelope, Hannah, Prudence, Eunice and Sarah, the sum of £200 each, to be paid in money or bills of credit as it goes at this time, vizt., fifteen pennyweight at six shillings. I give to my wife Hannah Chester the use of all my improvable lands till my sons come to the age of 21 years, with use of one-third of my improveable lands, etc., after my sons come of age and also during her natural life; also £100 in household goods, to be at her own dispose. I do nominate and appoint my wife Hannah Chester to be executrix, and my sons John Chester and Thomas Chester executors when they shall come to years of discretion or be able to manage the trust herein committed to them. I do desire Lt. Jonathan Belding, Mr. Joshua Robbins, the 2nd, and Mr. Samuel Wolcott to be assisting to my wife and to oversee.

JOHN CHESTER, LS.

Codicil, dated 11 December, 1711: I give the half of the lot given me by the Town of Wethersfield at their last General Division of lands to my eldest son John Chester, vizt., the west end thereof; the other half of the same tract, the east of the same, to my son Thomas Chester. And the goods lying in bottom, which came from England, I will they should be distributed among my family for their common good as they need. I will also that, relating to my estate in England and the concerns thereof, that my executrix and my sons when capable should improve Mr. Noah Neal, Esq., of Stamford in the County of Lincoln, and his son and heir after him.

JOHN CHESTER, LS.

Witness: Stephen Mix, Robert Wells.

Court Record, Page 49—4 February, 1711-12: Will proven.

Page 136—4 May, 1713: Mrs. Hannah Chester to be guardian to John Chester, a minor about 10 years old, son of Mr. John Chester, late decd.

Page 155 (Vol. IX) 25 July, 1721: Adms. granted to Mary Chester, the widow.

Page 156—26 July, 1721: Upon information of Mrs. Mary Chester of Wethersfield, widow, Adms. on the estate of her husband John Chester, sometime of Wethersfield, deceased, that she vehemently suspected that John Lattimore, Bezaleel Lattimore, and Sybill the wife of Bezaleel, Mary, the wife of Thomas Baxter, and Elizabeth the daughter of sd. Thomas, have unfairly gotten a certain quantity (unknown) of ready silver money, parcel of the estate of sd. decd., and have concealed and do still conceal the same from the sd. Adms. contrary to law, they were summoned and now appeared and were respectively examined upon oath concerning the matters contained in the sd. information as on file. The Court having considered what had been answered upon oath by the respective persons summoned, above named, that nothing appears against them that they are guilty, therefore they are respectively discharged. And it is further considered by the Court that there was sufficient grounds of suspicion for the above complaint, and that the same arose from out of the family that the persons complained of belong to. Therefore no costs be allowed them."