Person:Sarah Unknown (185)

From Jeff Fargo

Jacent Fargo did take his family from France to Wales. Brothers Moses and Aaron left Wales for North America. Moses took a Welsh woman, Sarah Query [b. 1659], with him and married her in New London CT. I believe that Jacent died in Wales and his other children may have as well. My guess is that the Fargos (Fargeaus) were Huguenots. Many thousands of them (some experts estimate up to 250,000) were killed for practicing the Protestant faith in 17th century France. Most of the Huguenots fled France for England, Scotland and Wales where the Protestant faith was practiced. Another example of a French surname being anglicized is the name Sinclair in Scotland. The original name was St. Clair and they were French protestants too. I saw some information about a year ago that suggested that Moses Fargo may have left from Pembrokeshire, Wales for North America. It came from geneaological work from a family that was associated with the Fargos in Wales. Unfortunately I have been unable to find it again. If Jacent was a Hugeunot his family would be untraceable in France as those church records and all evidence of Protestanism were eventually destroyed. It may be possible to look at some early church records in Wales for information on Jacent and the rest of the family but I haven't tried.

From Montville's Web Page

The Colony of Connecticut had a governing body called the General Court which established towns, church parishes, determined disputes between settlements and sometimes even between individuals, ordered surveys to be made, and many other things affecting the entire colony. One of the laws laid down by the General Court was that each community of at least twenty-five families should have a common school, and those with fifty or more families have a grammar school. New London was cited before the Court several times for its lack of grammar school. Operating the schools was placed in the hands of the Congregational societies, so one of the first acts of the North Parish in 1724 was to appoint a school committee, build a school house and engage a schoolmaster, a Mr. Andrew Mullen. The General Court had granted one hundred acres of land (and their acreage was generous) to the North Parish for "the pious uses of the Society". Here the first school house was built, and it appears that it was probably on or near the present site of the Montville Center Church chapel. A grant of the parish to the Reverend Mr. David Jewitt, when he became the second pastor of the church, lay to the north of that lot and is described as the remainder of the land granted to the church by the General Court. New London did have schools, and we have to assume that North Parish residents made use of them; one seems to have been located in the northern part of Waterford and was probably meant to serve all the way to the Norwich line.

The Puritans who settled New England believed that each one should be able to read the Bible, and enjoined fathers to read to their families and instruct them in matters of religion. To this end, all boys must learn to read; and all communities must have schools. Women not being expected to understand such esoteric matters as religion, it was not considered necessary for girls to be so educated but, in fact, many did attend school for the purpose after the boys had left for the day. Schools ran for the period of time voted by the church society, usually a Fall term of six weeks and another Spring term also of six weeks. Boys were taught reading, writing, and "cyphering" or basic arithmetic. This, of course, was in no way intended to prepare them for a career. Such skill and knowledge was gained on the family farm, or to apprenticeship to a local artisan or tradesman. Only the elite attended grammar school; it usually was intended to prepare for university entrance which almost always indicated an intent to enter the Congregational ministry.

1. ↑ Henry A. Baker. History of Montville, Connecticut. (Press of the Case, Lockwood and Brainard Company, Hartford Conn 1896)
   p. 129.
2. ↑ Matt Bushnell Jones. History of the Town of Waitsfield, Vermont. (Boston, Mass, George E. Littlefield, 1909)
   p. 304.