Notes |
- SAMUEL, born in England, and came with his father to Scituate in 1634, thence to Barnstable, where he married: Nov. 28, 1644, Elizabeth Scudder, who had been dismissed from the church in Boston Nov. 10, 1644, to remove her church relation to that in Barnstable. She is reported in Savage as a sister to that John Scudder who was in Barnstable in 1640. He had made the acquaintance of Miss Scudder in Boston, where he commenced his business life as house builder, afterwards combining with this extensive farming operations. Their marriage was recorded by his father on the Barnstable Church Register as follows: "My sonn Samuel & Elizabeth Scudder marryed at my house by Mr. Freeman, Nov. 28, 1644." They settled in Barnstable, where his house stood next that of John Scudder. He is reported, in 1643, as one of the five Lothrops at Barnstable liable to bear arms.
In 1648 Samuel removed to New London, Connecticut, then called Pequot. We now find Mr. Lothrop mentioned in two letters from Governor Winthrop to his son John, Jr., at Pequot. In one of these, bearing date Aug. 14, 1648, on the subject of obtaining a minister for the settlement, he writes: "Your neighbour Lothrop came not at me (as I expected) to advise about it," etc. His house lot in the new plantation was the third in order from that of John Winthrop, Jr., Esq., and his name is one of the first eighteen to whom were assigned lands on the east side of the "great river" of Pequot, and for these the lots were drawn on the 17th and 31st of January, 1648-9. Almost at once Mr. Lothrop is assigned by his new townsmen to places of responsibility and honor.
The General Court of the State, May, 1649, organized a local court at Pequot, having for its judges John Winthrop, Esq., Samuel Lothrop, and Thomas Minor, giving them power to **t in the trial of all causes between the inhabitants in which the differences were under forty shillings.
In 1650 he appears with fifteen other townsmen in town meeting "to arrange a system of co-operation with Mr. Winthrop in establishing a mill to grind corn." He received a large grant of land, also, on the west side of the Pequot river north of the settlement. It was about five miles up the river at a place called Namussuck. A farm of 260 acres at this place remained in the family until 1735, when it was sold by his grandson Nathaniel, after settling all claims, for 2,300 pounds. His "cattle marks" were recorded before 1650. When, in 1657, Uncas, routed by the Narragansetts, had been chased into the fort at the head of the Nahantick and was there beseiged, Lieut. James Avery, Mr. Brewster, Samuel Lothrop and others, well armed, succeeded in throwing themselves into the fort and aided in the defence. He sold his town homestead in 1661 to the Rev. Gershom Bulkley. This house stood beyond the bridge over the mill brook, on east side of highway toward Mohegan, "probably where now (1852) stands the Hallam House." In 1679 is recorded a contract of Mr. Lothrop for building the Second Church in New London. He removed to Norwich in 1668.
Miss Caulkins in history of Norwich says, "after the first thirty-eight proprietors the next inhabitants who came in as grantees of the town are John Elderkin and Samuel Lothrop." A house lot was first granted to John Elderkin, who, finding it too far from his business, had it conveyed to Samuel Lothrop. Mr. Lothrop appears to have erected a house on the town street before 1670, which from that time became his home. The house built by Dr. Daniel Lathrop, his great-grandson, about 1745, probably stands upon the same site--now Mrs. Gilman's. The house lot of about seven acres on which he settled, covered mainly that hill side enclosed by the streets and lanes, as now, which lies south of the present residence of Daniel W. Coit, Esq., and extending down to the present Main street. He added during his life time successive tracts of land amounting to about four hundred acres. The town records of that time are very imperfect, but we find Samuel Lothrop recorded as "Constable" in 1673 and 1682, and as "Townsman" in 1685--dignified local offices in those days.
After the death of his first wife, of which no record is preserved, he married in 1690, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a maiden lady, Abigail, the daughter of Deacon John Doane of Plymouth. She was born January 29, 1632, and lived until 1734, Mr. Lothrop having died February 29, 1700. The following notice of the second Mrs. Lothrop is found in Miss Caulkins' history of Norwich: "On her hundreth birthday a large audience assembled at her house, and a sermon was preached by the pastor of the church. At this time she retained in a great degree the intelligence and vivacity of her earlier years. At the time of her decease the descendants of her husband amounted to 365." Mr. Lathrop left a nuncupative will, proved in 1701.
Samuel Lathrop is also an ancestor(4-greats grandfather) of President Ulysses S. Grant(1822-1885).
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