Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Mehitable GUNN was married to two of our grandfathers David ENSIGN and Isaac SHELDON


Mehitable GUNN
Birth[1] 28 July 1644 Windsor, Connecticut, United States
Marriage 22 Oct 1663 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United Statesto David Ensign
Divorce Oct 1682 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United Statesfrom David Ensign
Marriage 1686 Northampton, Massachusetts, United Statesto Isaac Sheldon
Death 30 Jan 1720 Northampton, Massachusetts, United States

Mehitable married twice, to David Ensign, and then to Isaac Sheldon. She had 5 children with David Ensign. She divorced him "for his ill conduct" and in 1686 married Isaac Sheldon of Northampton and had another child. Married to David Ensign on 22 OCT 1663 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut.

Children David ENSIGN and Mehitable GUNN:
David ENSIGN b: 16 NOV 1664 in Hartford
James ENSIGN b: 08 JUL 1666 in Hartford
Thomas ENSIGN b: 07 DEC 1668 in Hartford
Sarah ENSIGN b: 22 JAN 1671 in Hartford
Mary ENSIGN b: 26 JAN 1674 in Hartford

The charges against David Ensign are recorded in “Connecticut Court Assistants,” page 34. Three charges were made. First he was charged with spreading false reports concerning the death of the King, the flight of the Duke of York, and the Duke of Monmouth being made Protector, and second it was charged that he “continually and unlawfully accompanied the wife of Thomas Long to the great dishonor of God, scandal of religion, and breach of the laws of the colony whereby he hath forfeited his bond made to Hartford County Sept. 18, 1679." The third charge was that he committed adultery with Thomas Long's wife, “or at least is suspiciously guilty thereof." Mehitable was married to Isaac SHELDON in 1686

Children Isaac SHELDON and Mehitable GUNN:
(Capt.) Jonathan SHELDON b: 29 MAY 1687 in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts
David SHELDON 1688-1759
Source: http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Mehitable_Gunn_%281%29
  1. ↑ Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States. Records of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1638-1925.

    Mahitable Gunn daughter to Thomas Gunn born July 28th A.D. 1644 (Bk I Page Sixteen)

David ENSIGN (8th great grandfather)
Alt Birth 26 Nov 1644 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Birth 29 NOV 1644 New Hartford, Litchfield County, Connecticut
Christening 19 AUG 1649 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Marriage 22 Oct 1663 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United States to Mehitable Gunn
Divorce Oct 1682 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United States from Mehitable Gunn
Marriage ABT 1686 to Sarah Wilcox
Death[1] 13 DEC 1727 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United States

David was a farmer and miller and was also prominent in church and town affairs. He was chosen, 16 Feb 1665, chimney viewer; 23 Feb 1688, surveyor and grand juryman. He was one of the first settlers in West Hartford where he moved in 1686; his name headed the list of petitioners for the establishment of a new church. David was buried in the old cemetery of West Hartford where his gravestone bears the inscription: "Here lyeth the body of Mr. David Ensign who Died Decemr ye 14th 1727 in ye 83 year of his age." Mehitable divorced David in Oct 1682 for "ill conduct on his part." She married again in 1685, Isaac Sheldon of Northampton. David remarried Sarah Wilcox [daughter of and John WILCOX Jr. and Sarah WADSWORTH]. Nanncewatt brought complaint against David for "obtaining a quille of wampum" and he was ordered to pay the Indian 40s on 29 Dec 1674.
Children of David ENSIGN and Sarah WILCOX:

David ENSIGN Jr. b.10 OCT 1688. m.1st Hannah SMITH 16 MAY 1709. [six children] m.2nd Sarah MOODY 29 APR 1726. [six children] d.4 DEC 1759 Bloomfield, Hartford, Connecticut. David and Hannah were original members of the Second Church in Hartford, 18 Feb 1711/12. On 16 Dec 1712 he was chosen grand juryman; on 20 Dec 1715 he was selected collector of tax. He went from Windsor to Wintonbury, now Bloomfield, with all his goods in a bundle.
1682
David Ensign
e is complained of in court.

First: for bringing and spreading false reports concerning the death of the King, the flight of the Duke of York, and the Duke of Monmouth being made protector. This prisoner returns and said he heard so at New York.

Second: for contempt of authority and that after so much means used, that he hath continually and unlawfully accompanied the wife of Thomas Long to the great dishonor of God, scandal of religion, and breach of the laws of the colony whereby he hath forefeited his bond made to Hartford County, Sept. 18, 1679.

Third: that he hath committed adultery with Thomas Long's wife, or at least is suspiciously guilty thereof.

The jury find the first article according to the prisoner's confession. They find the 2nd article and so consequently the breach of the bond, and they find the 3rd article as suspiciously guilty of the gross act of adultery. David Ensigne having been complained of in these three articles which have been committed to a jury, and he is found guilty.

The court, having considered the first article, that his misdemeanors therein in spreading such reports is notoriously dangerous and very offensive and there being no particular law that doth direct what punishment to inflict on such high misdemeanors, do inflict no punishment on him for the same, but leave to the consideration of the Court of Assistants in October next.

The court approves the verdict of the jury in the 2nd article and do accordingly judge him, the said Ensigne, to have forfeited his bond to the county of Hartford and do order execution to be granted accordingly.

And whereas the jury do find him, the said David Ensigne, suspiciously guilty of the gross act of adultery, and it being difficult to find out such notorious wickedness, not withstanding all care used, yet in this case wherein there hath been so great appearance of those gross ills, this court do order that the said David Ensigne give bond to the value of £400 in good estate, for his good behavior, and that he will totally forbear going into or keeping company with the said Long, which bond is to continue during the pleasure of the court of Assistants. In case he refuse to give bond, he is to be committed to prison, there to remain until the bond is given as aforesaid and do, for the miscarriage of above written, see good reason to defranchise him of his freedom in this corporation according to law.

David Ensigne personally appeared July 23, 1682 and did bind over to the Publick Treasury of the Colony of Connecticut, all his housing and lands within the township of Hartford, both on the East and West side of the Connecticut River as they stand bound to him in the publick records of the said town, or by his father's last will in the court records, to stand as security for his good behavior, and that he will totally forbear going into or keeping company with Sarah, the wife of Thomas Long, according to the judgement of the Court of Assistants, passed against him at their last session May 31 last passed, and for the confirmation hereof he hath sett to his hand and acknowledged the same before John Allyn, Assistant and Secretary. Page 34.

Divorce - May 28, 1683

Upon the petition of Mehitable Ensigne, that she might be freed from the conjugality to David Ensigne, the court hath considered the case, and finding testimony that the said David Ensigne hath sundry times withdrawn himself from his wife, the said Mehitabell, and bedded and boarded with the late wife of Thomas Long, and owned her to be his wife, and carried so to her, and hath not had, nor desired, communion with the said Mehitable for a long time, as she allegeth, but the last winter carried it in a laseivious manner towards the wife of Samuel Elmor, and is now gone from his wife to New York. And it may well be concluded he has gone after the said Long's wife again.

Upon those considerations this court do see good reason, and accordingly do grant, the said Mehittabell Ensigne a release from the matrimonial tye to the said David Ensigne.

And this court do order that an inventory of the personal estate of David Ensigne be taken, and that it be equally divided between the said David Ensigne and Mehitabell.

And this court orders that the house the said Mehitabell now lives in, she be not molested in her inhabiting there, without order of this court by any person whatever. Page 45. (published in 1988 or 1989 as page 24 in one issue of the Sheldon Family Association Newsletter. )

Ancestry Chain: David ENSIGN b.1644,
David ENSIGN Jr. b.1688, Datus (Datis) ENSIGN b.1729, Isaac ENSIGN Rev.WarVet.b.1756, Horace Datus ENSIGN b.1797, Martin Luther ENSIGN b.1831, Harriett Camilla ENSIGN b.1859, George Ensign SMITH b.1898,
Myrle, sons, grandchildren. .

Source:
  1. ↑ Hartford vital records, in Connecticut, United States. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records.

    David Sr, died Dec 13, 1727. David, son James, m Mehetabell GUNN, dau Thomas, Oct 22, 1663.

Isaac SHELDON (9th great grandfather)
Birth[1][2] Abt 1629 Deposed at Northampton, Mass., 29 Apr. 1679, "aged 50 years or thereabouts."
Emigration[2] 1639 … came from England with Rev/ Ephraim Hewitt of Windsor, 1639.
Residence[1] 1652 Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Marriage By Abt 1654 Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, United States to Mary Woodford
Residence[1] 1656 Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States
Marriage 1686 Northampton, Massachusetts, United Statesto Mehitable Gunn
Will[1] 21 Jun 1708
Death[2] 27 Jul 1708 Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States Died at aged about 79.
Probate[1] 1 Sep 1708

"Isaac Sheldon of Windsor, Conn., and of Northampton, Mass., was born about 1629 (according to his deposition of 1679, quoted in part above), a date which agrees with the supposed date of the birth of Isaac Sheldon, son of Ralph and Barbara (Stone) Sheldon of Ashford, in the parish of Bakewell, co. Derby, England, and died as Northampton, Mass., 27 July 1708, aged 78 years. He married first, in 1653, Mary Woodford, who was born about 1636 and died at Northampton 17 Apr. 1684, daughter of Thomas WOODFORD and Mary (Blott) Woodford of Hartford, Conn., and Northampton, Mass.; and secondly, in 1686, Mrs. Mehitable (Gunn) Ensign, who was born as Windsor, Conn., 28 July 1644 and died at Northampton, Mass., 30 Jan. 1720/1, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Gunn and formerly wife of David Ensign of Hartford, Conn.

…shortly before 13 Sept. 1652, when the order quoted above was passed at a meeting of the townsmen of Windsor, Isaac Sheldon bought of John Stiles a house and three-acre lot in Windsor. In 1656 he moved from Windsor to Northampton, Mass., which was thenceforth his home. [Isaac SHELDON and father in-law Thomas WOODFORD founders of Northampton.] In his will, dated 21 June 1706 and proved 1 Sept. 1708, he named his wife Mehitable, his sons Isaac, John, Thomas, Joseph, Samuel, Ebenezer, and Jonathan Sheldon and his daughters Mary Bridgeman, Ruth Strong, Thankful Edwards, Mindwell Lyman, Hannah Chapin (Hampshire Probate Records, vol. 3, page 188)"[1]

Children of Isaac SHELDON and Mary WOODFORD:
Mary SHELDON 1654 – 1728
Isaac SHELDON 1656 – 1712
John SHELDON 1658 – 1725
Thomas SHELDON 1663 – 1728
Thankful SHELDON (twin) 1663 – 1741
Ruth SHELDON (twin) b.27 Aug 1663. m.1st Joseph WRIGHT Sr. 16 Nov 1679 [8 children]. m.2nd Samuel STRONG 28 Oct 1698 [4 children]. d.aft 16 May 1728.
Midwell SHELDON 1666 – 1735
Joseph SHELDON 1668 – 1708
Hannah SHELDON 1670-1690
Eleazar SHELDON 1672 – 1673
Samuel SHELDON 1675 – 1745
Ebenezer SHELDON 1677 – 1755
Mercy SHELDON 1684 – 1684
Ancestry Chain: Isaac SHELDON 1652 Immigrant b.1630, Ruth SHELDON (twin) b.1663, Ruth WRIGHT b.1687, Samuel NOBLE b.1722, Lydia NOBLE b.1768, Horace Datus ENSIGN b.1797, Martin Luther ENSIGN b.1831, Harriett Camilla ENSIGN b.1859, George Ensign SMITH b.1898, Myrle, sons, grandchildren.

Source:
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Bartlett, J. Gardner. The Sheldons of Bakewell, Derbyshire, England, and Isaac Sheldon of New England (1926). New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Oct 1926), 80 [1926] : 378ff.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Trumbull, James Russell. History of Northampton : Northampton genealogies, 1640-1838. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1958).

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