My Genealogy Home Page:Information about John Terrill
John Terrill (b. August 1640, d. February 27, 1711/12)
Notes for John Terrill:The Tyrrell name has 68 different variant names. The founder of the family of Tyrrell was Ralf, Sire de Tirel, de Poix, and de Guernanville. He was the son of Walter I, Count of Vexin and Amiens. The counts of Vexin were the lords of a district situated on the northern borders of France, as they existed in the tenth century, lying between France and the ducal possessions of the House of Normandy. This little district known as Vexin was sometimes under the Norman dukes, sometimes under the French crown and finally was absorbed with Normandy in the French kingdom. The father of Ralf de Tirel, Walter I, Count of Vexin, was son of Waleran, Count of Vexin and hereditary standard bearer of France. The mother of Walter I was Edelgarde, a daughter of the Count of Flanders, and great-granddaughter of Alfred the Great of England. Walter I was also lineally descended from Charlemagne. Walter I married Eve, daughter of Landry, Count of Dreux.
Ralf de Tirel had his castle near the village of Tirel on the banks of the Seine, a short distance below Paris, from which the surname is derived. Having married a daughter of the Seigneur of Guernanville, he became in time the Seigneur of Guernanville, the Chatelain of Pontoise, and the Viscount of Amiens. The little village of Tirel is now called Triel. The name possibly meant, stubborn, deriving from old French, Tirel, which meant, "one that pulls against the reins". The french history of the family was written by M. Cuvillier-Morel-D Aey in 1869. An elaborate history of the English and French families was published by Joseph Henry Tyrrell in 1904. The house of Tyrrell was prominent in Picardy as well as Normandy and held much land and many honors and titles.
The English and Irish Terrell families of this name was established by Sir Walter Tyrrell, bow carrier to King William I, the Conqueror and was prominent in the battle of Hastings in 1066. Sir Walter Tyrrell built the Chateau de Poix et de Moyencourt and the fortress of Famechon and was one of the most powerful Lords of Picardy. His son, Walter II, died before him, leaving a son, Walter III, who accidentally killed William II "Rufus", King of England, with a bow and arrow while on a hunting trip in the New Forest in Hampshire. Walter III was a crusader and was at the siege of Jerusalem. Walter III was succeeded by his son, Hugh, who was also a crusader. He married Ada d'Aumale, descendant of Richard II, Duke of Normandy. Roger Tyrrell, son of Sir Hugh, and grandson of Hugh Tyrrell, mentioned above, succeeded to the vast possessions of his father in Hampshire and county, Essex, England, and became the ancestor of all the English branches of the family.
The Tyrrell Coat of Arms has two bands across the shield, which signifies military belts or girdles of Honour. The crest has a peacock's tail issuing from the mouth of a boar's head, couped erect. The motto, "Sans Dieu Rien". Family tradition believes that the immigrant Roger used the boar's head crest, but not the shield.
Roger Tyrrell, a descendant of the English progenitor, Roger Tyrrell, was born in England and came to this country about 1637 and became one of the original settlers of Milford, Connecticut. He evidently came to New England as an unmarried young man and was from a good family with some wealth. Some sources say that he was given a charter or written document, which entitled him to purchase lands.
The most reliable sources say that Roger Terrill left London, England on the ship, Hector, with the the Davenport-Eaton Company. They probably sailed April 28 or 29, 1637 to avoid the proclamation of April 30, 1637, forbidding any persons to pass to the plantations unless they had taken the oath of Allegiance and Supremacy, and were certified by the minister of their parish as to conformity to the orders and discipline of the Anglican Church. John Davenport was a wealthy man, who was elected vicar of the St. Stephen's Church and like many of his fellow parish leaders, was a forceful preacher, however he gradually became a staunch promoter of Puritanism. The Puritans were eager to reform the Anglican Church and return power to the members of the congregations by having their ministers, elders, and other officers elected by the congregation. Queen Elizabeth was against these moves, for it would reduce her authority. Through the Archbishop of Canterbury, she demanded conformity and threatened ministers with loss of their positions for nonconformity. Davenport became involved with an old friend, Theophilus Eaton, who sought to organize an expedition to New England. The two of them began to form a solid core of followers, who were friends and parishioners at Stephen's Church. They sailed for New England aboard the Hector and another ship in May 1637 and, according to the recorders of John Winthrop of Massachusetts Bay, arrived in Boston on June 26, 1637. Roger Terrill seems to have been a companion of Lord Leigh, son of the James Ley, Earl of Marlborough, who came on the ship Hector, and Roger Terrill may have traveled with him.
The Davenport-Eaton Company, as previously said, was composed principally of nonconforming members of the St. Stephen's Parish. A sister ship, the James, sailed on June 26, 1637 from Bristol, England. It was composed of nonconformists from the counties of Essex, Hereford, and York and was headed by the Rev. Peter Prudden. Once in Boston the Davenport-Eaton Company and the Hereford Company looked for a place to settle. They were offered a site at Dedham, Massachusetts, but decided that it was not suitable. They had intended to settle in Massachusetts, but since many of them were merchants in London, they sought a site with a harbor to enable them to continue in trade. It is believed that Roger Terrill may also have been a merchant.
Roger Terrill remained in Boston and Roxbury for awhile. He was in Wethersfield, Connecticut in 1636. In the summer of 1637, he visited western Connecticut, with or following Captain Underhill's Company in the Pequot War (1636-1637). Captain Underhill was Commander in Chief, and was involved in the attack on Fort Mystic on May 26, 1637 and in the mopping up of operations against surviving Pequots. After Roger Terrill's trip to Connecticut, he returned to Boston that fall. On Roger's return from western Connecticut, he told the Davenport Eaton Company of a place called Quinnipiac, now New Haven, Connecticut. In August 1637, Eaton and others went to inspect this area. On March 30. 1638, Eaton, Deavenport, members of their original company, and new followers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, left for their new home, and arrived there on April 24, 1638, and pitched their tents on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. The majority of the 500 English, left Boston by water. Some went by way of Wethersfield. For a part of 1638, Rev. Peter Prudden suppled the pulpit at Wethersfield. In all probability Roger Terrill and the Uffords followed the minister to New Haven and were there the first of June.
The next task was to set up a form of government in New Haven. On June 4, 1639, they met to organize their church. The people voted that the scriptures provided a perfect rule for the governing of men. The meeting at Deacon Robert Newman's great barn decided that none but church members should be admitted to the right of free planters. A free planter has full rights and privileges as a town citizen. Ten men were excluded under this ruling, including Roger Terrill, who was not a member of the Puritan church, but still belonged to the Church of England. Efforts were made by the colony to induce the Hereford people to remain with them by offering land from the common land, but they were desirous of a church and settlement of their own under their own paster, Peter Prudden. In Newman's barn, on the site of the Historical Society Building, after fasting, meditation, and prayer, three historic churches were formed, the Church of Christ in New Haven, the Church of Christ in Guilford, and the Christ of Christ in Milford. Feb. 1, 1639, is the date the area then known as "Wepawaug" was purchased from Ansantawae, chief sachem of the Paugusset Tribe. Roger Terrill had a private charter from the government to locate lands in any of the colonies, and it was his charter that was used to purchase the land from the Indians. Milford is on the Long Island Sound coastline, near the Wepawaug River and is the 6th oldest city in Connecticut. The company left New Haven on Aug. 29, 1639 and reached Milford on Sept. 1, 1639. Most were from the English counties of Essex, Hereford, and York. Fifty-four heads of families or 200 settlers from New Haven and Wethersfield followed the Rev. Peter Prudden. Thomas Tibbals led the people along a tortuous Indian trail from New Haven to Wepowagee, driving their cattle before them. They had sent their goods and material for building the common house by way of a sloop or sailing vessel. Within the year separate homes were built, but at first they must have shared the commonhouse, and beneath its roof were held the earliest public meetings. The Milford settlers came in two bodies, one in 1639 and the other in 1645. The Terrill and Ufford families came in 1639. At the First General Meeting on Nov. 20, 1639, they met to organize themselves into a theocratic republic, and it was, "Voted that they would guide themselves in all their doings by the written word of God, till such time as a body of laws should be established." Within 3 years, Milford admitted six of the ten who had been excluded to be free burgesses, while they were not church members.
In 1640 Milford agreed that a grist mill should be built and soon was added a sawmill. If one were to reconstruct the early times of Milford from the present Memorial Bridge, one omits the houses close to the river on either side. That ground was open and so was the lower part of Broad Street to the harbor, and on this vacant ground the train band maneuvered six times a year. The river was also open to the sound, and vessels swung at anchor at Fowler's little dock, a short distance below the mill. For over a hundred years there was only one meeting house, which was a few rods south of the present First Church. It was a queer, box-like structure, thirty feet square, with a roof like a huge candle extinguisher, surmounted by a belfry from which the bell-rope hung down into the middle aisle. From the guard seats within, the watch could look across the river, past Sachem's Island just below the present Episcopal Church, or from the doorway they could sweep the horizon, could scan the harbor, the mills, the New Haven road, sixteen rods wide, or could follow the line of palisades, and watch the two bridges and the meeting-house bridge. During troubled periods, sentries were maintained on each of the four sides of the meeting house, and the train band went heavily armed to church. A few rods west of the meeting house stood the country tavern from 1644 until about 1828. It was here that General George Washington stopped on his New England tour of 1789. From the bridge the eye could follow the palisades, so thickly set that a man could not squeeze between them, enclosing about a mile of country, and bounding on the west the home lots of the settlers on the further side of West End Brook. Smoke from chimneys showed the whereabouts of the 12 families. In 1645-46 the Indians came up to this palisade daring the white men to come out and taunted them that they were, "Shut up, all one as pigs". The people from West End Brook came across from West Town Street to River Street by a foot path to the meeting house, maintained with convenient stiles. At this time there was much common land, where each man's initials was carved on a post, which stood for his share of the fence, which he was required to keep in repair. If notified of a break, he was to repair it within sixteen hours, under penalty of five shillings. The gates to these enclosures were kept by individuals whom the town paid in grants of land, rate free during such keeping. It was rather necessary that fences should be in good repair, if only for the reason that for a century the town kept a flock of from 7000 to 1500 sheep. These were pastured more or less at large, and though they were in the care of shepherds, sheep had a way of stampeding. The profits arising from the flock went to meet the town's expenses. Hogs abounded in such numbers that in 1657 the Milford people petitioned the General Court of New Haven Jurisdiction to consider some method of limiting the number. Commerce came early, which went far afield from Fowler's dock. As the river filled up, vessels moored farther and farther down the stream. In ten years, trade increased to require a warehouse or store, 60 X 20 feet. Staves, cattle, horses, beef, pork, flour, and corn were exported in exchange for rum, molasses, and European goods. Shipbuilding in the old yard, a few rods below the mill, had already begun. During the period of the industry, coasters and an occasional merchantman, were built for shippers of Milford, New York, and Boston. Most of these were built at the town yards though a few were constructed at Wheeler's Farms on the Housatonic.
Sometime after Sept. 1639 Roger Terrill married Abigail Ufford, daughter of Thomas Ufford and Isabel Bryan, in the Milford church, where Roger's surname is spelled, "Terrell". Abigail Ufford sailed with her family from England on the ship, Lyon, reaching Boston on September 14, 1632. The Uffords were followers of Rev. Thomas Hooker and initially helped to settle Springfield, Connecticut early in 1636. They later went to Wethersfield, where it is believed they met Roger Terrill and followed Rev. Prudden to Milford, Connecticut.
Roger Terrill and Abigail Ufford had eleven children - two died in infancy, Mary and Eleazer, and one son, Joseph, was mentally handicapped. The other eight children, married and had children. Roger Terrill apparently became impressed with Rev. Prudden's preaching and at some point in time became one of his followers. He became an after planter and admitted to the Milford Congregational Church on July 28, 1644. An after planter had the liberty to act in public officers and for at least one term, Roger was a judge of the general court. Roger Terrill's oldest children were baptized in August 1644, and his wife, Abigail, was admitted on Nov. 3, 1644. Roger Terrill's property in Milford was on lot #49 and consisted of 2 acres, 3 rods, and 20 poles. It was situated within the palisade on the present West Town Street, facing West End Brook and was between Philip Hatley and Nicholas Camp. A record of home lots was made in 1646. Every planter was required to erect a good house within three years or he had to forfeit his lot. The number of proprietors had by this time increased to sixty-six. Abigail Ufford's father is recorded as becoming a member of the Milford Church in Feb. 1645. Extra land outside the protection of the palisade or protective fence was given each settler for the cultivation of crops. The Milford records show various grants of land, "Roger Terrill hath for his first division, 10 acres." His tract was in Westfield and was enclosed with a fence. Meadow-land was also allotted to each planter in proportion to his estate.
Roger Terrill became a man of importance in the church and in the colony. It is on record that before he had joined the church, he was sent by the heirs of an estate to defend their interests before the New Haven court, saying that Roger Terrill was, "A man of very fit parts for the work." The Memorial Bridge plaque, on New Haven Ave., over the Wapawaug River bears the first settlers of the town and includes the names of Roger Terrill and his wife, Abigail Ufford, as well as Abigial's parents names. The first grist mill is an integral part of the Memorial Bridge. The memorial was the united effort of town and people. The tower and inscription were gifts from descendants of the settlers whose lives are thus commemorated. The stone bridge is simple in design; it's broad copings surmounted with rough hewn blocks of granite, bearing the names of the first settlers.
Roger Terrill died in about 1682, leaving an estate appraised at 677 pounds, 8 shillings, and 5 pence. His wife, Abigail, died in 1689. The burial place of Roger and his wife is unknown. At first the Eastern end of the Rev. Peter Prudden's garden was used as a burying ground. In 1675 the old part of the present cemetery was acquired and it may be there that Roger Terrill and his wife were laid to rest.
Five subsequent generations of Terrill's stayed in Connecticut with John b. 1644, Nathan b. 1693, Asahel b. 1739, Elijah Asahel (a twin) b. 1775, and Asahel b. 1802.
Marriage 1 Abigail Isabel UFFORD b: 1618 in Newbourne, Suffolk, England
Married: AFT. SEP 1638 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Children
Abigail TERRILL b: AUG 1643 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
John TERRILL b: AUG 1644 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Hannah TERRILL b: BEF. AUG 1645 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Samuel TERRILL b: AFT. 31 OCT 1647 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Roger TERRILL b: JAN 1649/50 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Joseph TERRILL b: JAN 1651/52 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Mary TERRILL b: 12 FEB 1653/54 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Ephraim TERRILL b: 8 APR 1655 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Thomas TERRILL b: 23 OCT 1656 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Daniel TERRILL b: 1 MAR 1659/60 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Eleazer TERRILL b: 20 SEP 1662 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Sources:
Title: Genealogical Records of John Bradford Stevens by John Bradford Stevens; Terrill Family of Connecticut by Donald L. Jacobus; Baptismal Records of the
Note: Genealogical Records of John Bradford Stevens by John Bradford Stevens; Terrill Family of Connecticut by Donald L. Jacobus, Vol. VII, pg. 1723-24; Baptismal Records of 1st Congregational Church in Milford; Families of Early Milford, Conn. by Susan W. Abbott, pg. 737, 740-44; Cornelius B. Harvey's "Buck" book; Hx of the Colony of New Haven, Conn. by Edward E. Atwater; Conn. Magazine, Vol. V. # 3 March, 1899 by M. Louise Greene
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More About John Terrill:
Burial: Unknown, Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut.
More About John Terrill and Unknown Abigail Terrill:
Marriage: Abt. 1670, Milford, New Haven, County, Connecticut.
More About John Terrill and Sarah Willey:
Marriage: Abt. 1674, Milford, New Haven, County, Connecticut.
Children of John Terrill and Unknown Abigail Terrill are:
- William Terrill, b. 1671, d. date unknown.
- Mary Terrill, b. 1671, d. date unknown.
Children of John Terrill and Sarah Willey are:
- John Terrill, b. March 10, 1675/76, Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut, d. Bef. 1687.
- Samuel Terrill, b. April 02, 1678, Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut, d. October 1750.
- Abigail Terrill, b. June 13, 1681, Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut, d. December 28, 1753, Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut.
- Bethiah Terrill, b. 1683, Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut, d. December 28, 1753, Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut.
- +Sarah Terrill, b. 1685, Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut, d. date unknown, Guilford, New Haven, Connecticut.