"21 Nathaniel Stanley, (1 John, 2 John, 5 John.) Fourth child of Deacon John and Esther (Newell) Stanley, was born September 25, 1679, at Farmington, and married Sarah, eldest daughter of Samuel and Sarah Smith, December 2, 1714. He lived in Farmington, now Avon, till the summer of 1742, when he removed to Goshen, Conn., where he died March 2, 1770, aged ninety-one. His wife was dismissed to the church in North Canaan in 1770, and afterwards returned to Goshen, and died March 16, 1772, aged eighty-two. She was born August 2, 16S9. Both were professors of religion before they came to Goshen. Both arc interred in the East street graveyard. In 1741 he purchased of Joseph Hicock of Goshen, for the consideration of .£1.055 — one fifty acre lot exclusive of one half-quarter of an acre, which I have granted to the town of Goshen for a burying place, with a mansion house and barn standing thereon, etc. This 'mansion house' was merely a log cabin situate somewhere near where are the present buildings. The fifty acre lot is the same now (1843) owned and occupied by Adam Bentley, whose dwelling-house, built by William Stanley jr., in the summer of 1805, stands on the east side of East street, directly at the end of the road leading from Goshen meeting-house to East street.
He says, 'We came to Goshen June the 8th, 1742.' He followed to some extent the business of tanning. 'Att the County Courte held at Hartford November 1, 1748, I obtained license for Tanning, by Lieut. Pettibone. Court fees £0.10.6. Money, old tenor, Nathl Stanley.'
He became a large landholder in Goshen, attending himself to his surveys, and owning, as set in the list at one time, 728½ acres. He was frequently called to fill various offices, selectman, etc., and continued a prosperous and useful inhabitant to his old age.
