Person:Nathaniel Baldwin (2)

"Baldwin, Nathaniel: [Origin] Cholesbury, Buckinghamshire; [Emigration] 1639; [Resided] Milford [MiTR 2; FOOF 1:22-23, Charles Candee Baldwin, The Baldwin Genealogy From 1500 to 1881 (Cleveland 1881) 23-24, 406-8]."

"Baldwin, Nathaniel. Second son of Richard of Cholesbury, co. Bucks, Eng.; a cooper, of Milford; his first wife Abigail d. there 22 Mar. 1648. She was prob. sister of William Camp, who was called uncle by his son John. He settled in Fairfield, where he had a home lot recorded 13 Jan. 1653 [1653/4]. Inv. taken at Fairfield, 19 Oct. 1658. Widow Joan (previously married); three children by former wife living at Milford; also three children by present wife, under age. Eldest son John chose Mr. Pell guardian. Daniel receipted for portion 1663, and John 1665/6; Nathaniel of Milford receipted for himself and sister Abigail, 1668.

The will of Joanna Skidmore, wife of Thomas, in 1667, named children John, Daniel, Joanna and Abigail Westcott, and Sarah, Deborah and Samuel Baldwin. His second wife was Joan, widow of Richard Westcott; she m. (3) Thomas Skidmore. She was sister of the wife of Robert Sanford of Hartford.

Thomas Skidmore and Cornelius Hull, Adm'rs of Est. of Nathaniel Baldwin, sold to Sarah and Deborah Baldwin land which they entered for record on 16 Apr. 1675. Four days later, Sarah Baldwin, joint proprietor with her sister Deborah Read, sold to her brother-in-law William Read all her interest. Samuel Baldwin had land by gift and also by purchase from his father-in-law Thomas Skidmore, recorded 26 Feb. 1677."

"1. Nathaniel Baldwin was the 2nd son of Richard Baldwin, and brother to Joseph and Timothy, settlers of Milford. They were from co. Bucks, England and he died in Fairfield, Conn., inventory of his estate taken 19 October 1658. He was a cooper and joined the church in Milford 9 June 1644, a freeplanter. His home lot in Milford was # 7, consisting of 3 acres 2 rods. He removed to Fairfield where he had lot # 13 January 1653/4."

1. NATHANIEL BALDWIN" was one of the first settlers of Milford, where he was a free planter," Nov. 29, 1639. He was probably the brother of Joseph, and was certainly the brother of Timothy, as, in 1650, he conveys land to his brother Timothy. (Milford Records.) The three settled in Milford together. I place Nathaniel second in the list because such was the apparent order of ages of the children. Nathaniel was a cooper, and removed to Fairfield; he was there in 1641. He married Abigail Camp, who joined the Church at Milford, June 9, 1644, and died there, March 22, 1648. He had children by her.
2. .John, bapt. .June, 1644.+
3. Daniel, bapt. June, 1644.+
4. Nathaniel, bapt. January, 1645.+
5. Abigail, bapt. March 19, 1648, and d., say.s Dr. Talcott, in 1668.
He married 2nd Joanna Westcoat, widow of Richard, of Fairfield, Conn., and moved there, perhaps the second time. By her he had children.
6. Sarah, b. 1650.
7. Deborah, b. 1652.
8. Samuel, b. 1655.+
Thus had I written before the report of Mr. Chester, from England, which leaves no reasonable doubt that Nathaniel was the second son of Richard, of Parish Cholesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, and brother of Timothy and Joseph. (See the discussion of the English part of this genealogy, under Riehard1 of Bucks county, Richard2. Ante page 23.)

He died in 1650, and the Probate of his estate appears in Fairfield. It is given to his eldest son John, a double share; to the three children of his last wife, equal to each other; and the children of the former wife, now living at Milford, are to have a share equal to the three.
Mr. Savage, in his Genealogical Dictionary, makes his widow marry Thomas Skidmore; but Mr. Byron A. Baldwin, a careful genealogist, descended of this line, states that she made a contract with Skidmore in regard to marriage, which was recorded, but did not marry him. She married 3rd George Abbott, of Fairfield, and died in 1682.
Mrs. Baldwin, or "Goodwife Baldwin," (2nd wife of Nathaniel Baldwin) was a witness in 1654, in so curious a lawsuit that I will mention it. "Knapp's wife" had been executed as a witch In Fairfield, and Roger Ludlow, of that town, had reported to Rev. John Davenport and others that Goodwife Staplies was a witch, and so reported by Mrs. Knapp before her execution. Ludlow was a man of note, chosen Assistant in London, of Massachusetts Colony; in 1634, Deputy Governor of Connecticut ; from 1651 to 1653, Commissioner of the United Colonies. Thomas Staplies, the husband, with courage sued Ludlow for the slander, and the case appears in full in the New Haven Colonial Records. Davenport had thought his letter testimony enough, but Ludlow requiring an oath, so Davenport " lookes at an oath in case of necessity for confirmation of truth, to end strife amoung men, as an ordinance of God, according to Heb. 6: 16; he thereupon declares as followeth." Thomas Shermington and Christopher Comstock and Goodwife Baldwin were all together at the Minor house, where Goodwife Knapp was ; and ye said Goodwife Baldwin asked her whether she, the said Knapp, knew if any other (witch), and she said there were some or one that had received Indian Gods, that were very bright. The said Baldwin asked her how she could tell, if she were not a witch hereself ; and she said the party told her so, and her husband was witness to it; and to this they were all sworn and doe depose." It appeared, by another witness, that Goodwife Baldwin then, in Knapp's prison, had said Knapp told her there was a woman in ? who would be hanged for a witch and clear the (this corner of the page is missing but includes the fragments: the woman had told Knapp Indian, which are shin day." It appeared l Goodwife Staplies was the one, and received the shining Gods ; and the Indian told her, if she would keep them, she should be so big rich, all one God." In justice to Goody Staplies, it should perhaps be said, that Knapp admitted Staplies said she had given them back. The Court at New Haven mulcted Ludlow ten pounds for the slander, and five for the plaintiffs' cost. Ludlow had already taken steps to go into Vriginia, in disgust, it is said ; perhaps not desiring longer to live where his efforts against the heinous sin of witchcraft were not appreciated.
An unusual number of the descendants of Nathaniel have been eminent, and the family generally of high respectability. Numbers of his descendants have made substantial progress in tracing this family, among whom I may mention the late Lewis M. Norton, of Goshen, Conn. Dr. Talcott, of Guilford, Conn., and Byron A. Baldwin, Esq., of Chicago. The latter gentleman printed in the "New England Historical and Genealogical Register," for April, 1871, a partial Genealogy, entitled "Nathaniel Baldwin and one Line of his Descendants." The late Hon. Ralph D. Smith, of Guilford, had procured from various sources a list of descendants second only to that of Dr. Talcott. Mr. Smith says Nathaniel went to Branford to live, but soon left.*