Person:John Wade (1)

From Charlotte Brennan

On 31 March 1680, John Waede of Southhold (variously described as a carpenter, millwright, and miller) entered into an "Article of Agreement with the inhabitants of Brookhaven to build a mill on the same stream where the town mill stood. The townsmen to build the dam." (Brookhaven Rec B 37-38,61) The need for a grist mill was acute. During the first few years grain was transported to Connecticut to be ground, but after an accident that claimed three lives on one such trip, the necessity for a mill at Setauket became urgent.

The first grist mill was built in 1659. (Setauket, The First 300 Years - E.P. Adkins) This earlier mill had apparently been destroyed. The village was known as Ashford or Conscience Bay. (Early History of SuffolkCounty Long Island - H. Nicoll) The location of the mill was in the west part of the village on a stream flowing into Conscience Bay. (SeeMap of Long Island, Hyde & Co., Brooklyn N.Y. 2nd Ed, July 1879) As part of the agreement, the town granted John Wade several tracts of property. He received two lots of about 100 acres at Bigg's Hill (later Mount Misery or Belle Terre) and a 5 acre lot at the LittleNeck (now Strong's Neck). These properties are described as lots 16and 44 in the Proprietors list of 1734/5 as "starting on the northside of the country road beginning at the Smithtown line and running eastward to Wading River". (Brookhaven Rec C:122)

John Wade and probably his new wife Elizabeth Durant moved to Setauket about 15 October 1680 when he rented a house and homelot from Robert Goulsbery for two years. (Brookhaven Rec B: 61) His cattlemark was registered on 3 November 1680. The work on the mill went slowly, and it was not until 27 April 1681 that they were ready for the machinery. On that date John Wade entered into a contract with John Tomson, the blacksmith, to trade 50 acres of the Mount Misery property for the ironwork for a double gear water mill. John Wade was to furnish the patterns for the work (Brookhaven Rec B:71-72) On 17 May 1681 he sold the other 50 acres at Mount Misery to John Lee. (Brookhaven Rec B:154) Work on the mill progressed slowly, and there were arguments as to the efficiency of the mill and the condition of the dam.

On 21 November 1681 it was necessary to mortgage the 5 acre lot on the Neck to Isaac Arnold of Southhold. (Brookhaven Rec B:61) By 10 April 1684, having had enough, John Wade and Elizabeth his wife signed over his interest in the mill to Arthur Futhy for L 60. (Brookhavan Rec B:189) The arguments continued as to the acceptance of the dam, and on 12 and 13 May 1684 the townsmen appointed arbiters from Oyster Bay to come and view the efficiency of the mill and the condition of the dam. (Brookhaven Rec B:192-193) John Wade proceeded to look for other prospects.

On 26 September 1684 he was offered an agreement by the Town of Lyme, Connecticut to remove there, and to operate their mill. (Lyme RecI:146) He proceeded to liquidate his remaining property at Setauket. He sold on 30 December 1684 his 5 acre lot at Little Neck to Isaac Daiton. (Brookhaven Rec B:216-217) He remained that winter at Setauket, probably because his wife was pregnant with Deborah. On 1 May 1685 he sold his Bay mare to Arthur Futhy. (Brookhaven Rec B:511)

Having moved his family from Long Island, he recorded the agreement with the Town of Lyme on 12 May 1685 to buy one half the corn mill. (see above) This mill was located at the headwaters of the Lieutenant River, and was originally erected in 1672. This location is off Sill Lane at the end of Mill Lane in Old Lyme village. (Landmarks of Old Lyme, pg 22-23) As usual this mill and the grinding of corn had been a constant source of argument among the towns people. They now sought a better miller who could fix the machinery and operate it properly.On 25 May 1685 the town meeting gave John Wade the possession of the mill by a vote of 16 to 14. (Lyme Rec pg 47) On 26 November 1685 Ensign Peck and Sergeant Thomas Lee were directed to lay out a lot for the miller. (Lyme Rec pg 48) On 30 July 1686 the Town granted him 102 rods and a half of upland next to the mill site and the highway. (LymeRec I:146)

At the meeting of 26 February 1694, John Wade is called "Corporal Wade" indicating his position in the Military Company or Train band.He was granted "a piece of land lying on the right hand side of the cart path from Corporal Wade's to the corn mill not exceeding six acres, to be a free gift of the Town". (Lyme Rec pg 77) On 7 December 1696 the townspeople were directed to deliver to Corporal Wade the mill stream running. (Lyme Rec pg 82) At a town meeting on 15 December 1698 John Wade, Sr. was chosen Constable for the next year. (Lyme Rec pg 85)

As usual with early grist mills, the complaints continued about the grinding. On 13 January 1701/2 the town meeting directed Captain Ely, Lieutenant Brunson, and Joseph Peck to treat with these complaints and resolve the issues. (Lyme Rec pg 93)

One mill failed to satisfy John Wade Sr, and by ll December 1702 he had engaged with Thomas Bradford, Joseph Beckwith, George Way, and Roger Alger to construct and operate a corn mill on Beckwith's property at Nauantick (now Niantic) in East Lyme. This mill was later operated by John Wade Jr who married a granddaughter of George Way. At the town meeting of 11 December 1705, John Wade Sr was chosen Collector of the Ministers Rate for the next year. (Lyme Rec pg 111).

From David M. Waid

Elizabeth Durant, d. at Lyme, Conn., 6 Dec. 1704. She m. with John Wade, who d. at Lyme, "of old age", 24 March, 1728. He m. (2d) at Lyme, between 17 Jan. and 6 Feb. 1705-6, with Hannah (Brockway) Champion, widow of Thomas Champion, and eldest child of Wolston and Hannah (Bridges) Brockway, who was b. 14 Sept. 1644, at Lyme, Conn. Hannah Brockway m. (1) 3 Aug. 1688, with Thomas Champion, who d. in 1705. They had: (1) Hannah Champion. (2) Sarah Champion, possibly, who m. with Daniel Peck. (3) Thomas Champion who m. with his step-sister Elizabeth Wade. (4) Mary Champion. (5) Deborah Champion. John Wade's ante-nuptial agreement with his second wife, Hannah (Brockway) Champion, was dated 17 Jan. 1705-6, and acknowledged, 6 Feb. 1705-6, "by John Wade and Hannah his wife." John Wade came to Lyme, Conn., from Brookhaven, Long Island, as appears from the following contract, dated 26 Sept. 1684, and recorded 12 May, 1685:

        A Covenant between the Towne of Lyme and John Wade

Whereas the inhabitatnts of the towne of Lyme at a towne meeting on the 25th of this Instant Septem. 1684, by a general voat have given, granted and conferred to Mr. John Wade mill Right, heirs and successors forever, one half part of their corne mill with the benefit of the stream; and, as by the said vote recorded in the Towne book more fully may appear, Know all men by these presents that I, the said John Wade, for myself and successors, do hereby Covenant and engage, to and with Captain Josiah Sill and Peter Pratt, and all and each of the Inhabitants of Lyme, jointly and generally, that I will, with all possible speed, remove myself and family from Brookhaven to the town of Lyme, and will use my utmost care and diligence to repair the said mill so that she may be fit for service. And, further I engage, from time to time and at all times, when there shall be water sufficient, and weather will permit, to grind all the corn into meal that they, or any of them shall bring to the said mill; taking toll according to the law, that is to say all the time which shall be my share; to improve and use the said mill as half owner thereof. And furder I engage to inhabit as near the said mill as I can, and attend diligently upon her to keep her going; and from time to time repair her as there shall be need; and what there shall be occasion to build anew, for the true performance of the particulars above said, I do here bind myself, heirs, executor, administrator and assigns; and, in case of neglect of any part thereof, to forfeit the said part of the mill to return again to the Towne; and also to pay twenty pound sterling to the parties aggreived. -- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, Sept. 26, 1684. The witnesses were Moses Noyes, Richard Ely Sr., and Amos Tinker. (Lyme Records Vol. I, p. 146)

John Wade received a grant of land, next this mill site, from the Towne, 30 July, 1636:- Laid out to John Wade at the Corn mill 102 rods and a half of upland, bounded Easterly on a great rock and a stake; Northerly by the lands of William Terry; Westerly and Southerly by the highway -- being 20 rods in length and seven rods and a half at the west end, and 2 rods and 12 feet at the end next the mill." (Lyme Records Vol. I, p. 146)

There were a number of persons bearing the name Wade in New England before the earliest date at which this John Wade has been found on record there. His marriage with Elizabeth Durant, who grew to womanhood in Middletown, Conn., suggests the possibility of his being the son of William Wade, of that town, who married with Sarah Phelps of Windsor, Conn.; she d. 10 July, 1659, about a year after her marriage. Although the name Wade was then common in the eastern counties of England, it may be more than a coincidence that Wade, Tinker, and Durant families were dwelling in the parish of Brundish, county Suffolk, England, early in the seventeenth century.

John Wade was the only person of the Wade name at Lyme, Conn., in Sir Edmund Andross' tax-list of 27 Aug. 1688, which is good evidence that no other of this name was then living there of full age. In that list the names Shether, Wade, and widow Durant stand together, as if they dwelt in that order, and were neighbors. His tax was: one person, L20, House and corn mill, LO3, on cow and three swine L06; in all L29.

On Dec. 12th, 1697, John Wade bought from Lieut. Abraham Brunson "one half part of the corne mill and stream" for L11, 10s; (Middletown Records, Vol. 3, p. 159.) and 4 Feb. 1708-9, he bought 3 acres near his mill from Joseph Peck (Lyme Records, vol. 2, p. 340.).

Through his wife, John Wade inherited considerable land, which had been the property, or the right, of her father, George Durant. Three records, out of a number, are here quoted in part. On 26th June, 1705, John Wade of Lyme, and Elizabeth his wife, Amos Tinker of said town and Sarah Durant his wife, and Samuel Tinker, of Shelter Island, and Abigail Durant his wife, conveyed to Francis Whitmore of Middletown, 19 acres and 20 rods of land, near the town plot in Middletown, "which was fundamentally layed out for George Duraut, father to all the above females." (Lyme Records, vol. 3, p. 286.) On March 9, 1705-6, John Wade covenanted with "Sarjent Amose Tinker", also of Lyme, that Tinker should take "a fourth part of the land that was father Durand's above the Cove northward of Mr. Seltings [Selden's] farm, which is the said Wade's share in the right of his wife deceased; and the said Wade shall have 3 pounds north of the land granted to their father Durant near the Stage plaine in exchange besides his share." On the 27th of July, 1720, he had laid out to him in his own and his wife's right, and in the "right of George Durant" certain lands. One mill failed to satisfy Wade, or to meet the needs of the conmmnity. By Dec. 11, 1702, therefore, Wade completed a "Corne mill at Nauautick", and on that date he engaged to keep the mill going, by covenant with Thos. Bradford, Joseph Beckwith (on whose land the mill stood), George Way and Roger Alger; covenanting also that Joseph Beckwith and Roger Alger should have first refusal to purchase the mill and its privileges.

John Wade's activity was closed by disease in 1722, and the six years longer that he lived seem to have been a period of feebleness. For on June 25th, 1722, "being by the Decayes of old age and bodily infirmities Brought very Low and weak, though In perfect understanding of mind", he executed his will, and made separate deeds of gifts to his sons. In the deed to his son George Wade, the latter covenanted to care for his father in the latter's old age. This will was not probated until April 24th, 1728, though the inventory was dated on the 11th of that month. He divided his property as follows: to his daughter "Elizabeth Champion" all of his household goods and his sheep. "I have given to my wife Hannah, a sufficient consideration by a writing under my hand before marriage... Also to my two sons John and George I gave their shares of my estate by deed of gift." His son George Wade was made executor. If John Wade had other children, only these three survived his death.

John's will was dated June 22, 1722. According to Virkus, Compendium of American Genealogy, John was the son of Nicholas Wade of Scituate, MA. This is unverified information. In a genealogy of Goodwill family, it states that John Sr. and John Jr. were the town millers of Lyme.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Jacobus, Donald Lines. Notes on Connecticut Families - Durant-Sheather-Mather-Wade. American Genealogist (D.L. Jacobus). (Oct 1962)
   38:254.

   Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut

2. ↑ Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and family history of the State of Connecticut: a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation. (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1911)
   2:605.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Marr794/Researcher.

   Charlotte Brennan, David M. Waid