LITCHFIELD: Lawrence Litchfield, the common ancestor of all of the name who claim a New England origin, was very early in America, but dates cannot be given. The Rev. John Lathrop in 1634 arrived in the ship "Griffin," with a church and colony of "Kentish Men" from Egerton, in Kent, England, and settled with them at Scituate, Massachusetts. With this company Lawrence Litchfield had numerous connections which he never forsook and who never forsook him. He must have been, at their arrival, a young man and unmarried. Here he is presumed to have remained until 1640. The first mention of his name on any records is in 1640 when he was received a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston. In 1643 his name appears in Barnstable records on a list of those able to bear arms. About 1645 he returned to Scituate, having a wife and two children. In 1648 his name occurs in the will of Thomas Dennis, of Scituate, and there are references to him in the Scituate records to show he lived there until his death in 1657. Children: Experience (a son), Remembrance, Dependance, Josiah.
(II) Josiah, son of Lawrence Litchfield, was born in 1647, at Scituate, Massachusetts. He was a land owner of Scituate and seems to have possessed a goodly estate. He married, February 22, 1671, Sarah, daughter of Nicholas Baker, pastor of the First church in Scituate. Children: Hannah, Sarah, Josiah, Nicholas, Experience, Judith, Samuel.
(III) Nicholas, son of Josiah and Sarah (Baker) Litchfield, was born, in Scituate, Massachusetts, February 7, 1680. He became a prominent public citizen, representing Scituate in the general court in Boston, 1738-41. He married Bathsheba Clark, daughter or niece of Thomas Clark, who came from Plymouth to Scituate in 1674, and is believed to have been the great-granddaughter of Thomas Clark, mate of the "Mayflower." Children: Experience, Josiah, Nicholas, Bathsheba, James, John, Israel, Eleazer, Susanna.
