Sally’s eight-great Grandparents:
the emigrants
Thomas Wheeler 1606 – 1672 | his parents
& Joane Buckingham? ca 1610-1673 | her parents
of Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England
& ca 1640 Milford, Connecticut
This is my working hypothesis – the way I see it as of this moment!!
It is established that Thomas of Milford is NOT Capt Thomas Wheeler, a son of Thomas Wheeler “the elder” of Cranfield by his will proven 24 Feb 1634 NOR a son of his brother John. NOR is he Sgt Thomas Wheeler, the son of Thomas Sr of Fairfield CT as set forth in “Wheeler Family in America.”
Thomas Wheeler of Milford was probably the son of Richard Wheeler ca 1578 – 1616.
If so, he was baptized 7 April, 1606 in Cranfield, Bedfordshire.
Thomas Wheeler was admitted to the church at Milford 9 Aug 1640.
His wife Jane [Joane] was admitted 27 Sept 1640:
No evidence has been seen for the oft-repeated assertion that she was a Bryan –Jacobus
their first two children were baptized 16 Aug 1640.
Thomas had lot #34, consisting of 3 acres on the east side of the river.
His brother William Wheeler of Stratford, CT died in 1666 in Delaware.
John & Obadiah Wheeler had land in Stratford 1667 by gift from father, Thomas of Milford.
Thomas Wheeler was
Deputy (Milford) to Conn. Leg., May & Oct 1670, May 1671.
He died 25 November 1672; will proved 11 June 1673
his wife was buried Milford 11 June 1673. Her inv. 23 June 1673.
(Inv. of widow Joan 23 June 1673.)
sources: Jacobus – Vol 1 The Families of Old Fairfield, p679 – 1930; p 663
also “add and cor to the Families of Old Fairfield p 38 ”
Susan Woodruff Abbott – Families of Early Milford CT 1979 p797/9
Children of Thomas Wheeler and wife Joan :
1. John Wheeler ca 1635 – 3 Dec 1716 Woodbury CT in 81 yr
baptized Aug 16 1640 Milford
married 1st Dec 1662 Sarah Sherwood d 12 Mar 1703/04 [dau of Thomas]
children bapt at the Woodbury Church
a. Sarah Wheeler 24 Feb 1663/4 [bp 19 June 1670]
married by 1687 Abraham Mitchell
i. Nathan Mitchell
ii. Hannah Mitchell
iii. Sarah Mitchell
b. Mary Wheeler 26 Aug 1666 [bp 19 June 1670] – 20 June 1701 dsp Woodbury
c. Elizabeth Wheeler Feb 1669/70 [bp 19 June 1670]
married June 1696 [rec. Stratford] Jeremiah Burch
i. children
d. Thomas Wheeler 2 Apr 1673 [bp 25 May 1673] 21 Mar 1727/28
killed by fall of a tree at Woodbury
married at Woodbury 20 Aug 1701 Sarah Stiles dau of Benjamin Stiles
i. Prudence Wheeler 19 Sept 1702 –
married 10 Jan 1729 Isaac Tuttle
ii. Benjamin Wheeler 21 July 1706 –
iii. Lemuel Wheeler 6 June 1709 –
iv. Thomas Wheeler 13 June 1715 –
v. Obadiah Wheeler 11 Nov 1716 – 26 Aug 1718
vi. Sarah Wheeler 1 Aug 1719 – 8 June 1720
vii. Sarah Wheeler 22 April 1721 – 8 April 1727
viii. Mary Wheeler Aug 1725 –
e. Ruth Wheeler bp 30 June 1678 – 10 Feb 1701/2 Waterbury
married [rec Woodbury] 23 Apr 1701 John Richardson
i. Ruth Richardson
f. Dinah Wheeler bp 9 Jan 1680/1 – aft 1747
married at Woodbury 13 Feb 1706/7 Ephraim Tuttle
i. Joseph Tuttle
g. John Wheeler bp 11 May 1684 Stratford – 19 May 1727 Woodbury CT
married at Woodbury 17 Nov 1704 Ruth Stiles May 1682/83
i. Caleb Wheeler 21 March 1704/05 –
married Martha —- d 21 April 1744
1. Sarah Wheeler Sept 1727 –
2. Ruth Wheeler 5 July 1729 – 4 Dec 1730
3. Caleb Wheeler bapt 17 Oct 1731 – Jan 1737
4. Simon Wheele Nov 1733 –
5. Preserved Wheeler bapt 28 March 1736 – 1769
married 1 May 1757 Lucy Parks
6. Caleb Wheeler 9 Nov 1737 – Feb 1738
7. David Wheeler 13 Sept 1739 –
8. John Wheeler 14 Oct 1741 –
married 1763 Lois Dudley
a. Lydia Wheeler
9. Peter Wheeler 16 April 1744 –
married 2nd 26 June 1744 Lydia Clark
1. Gideon Wheeler bapt 13 March 1745 – 25 March 1745
2. Martha Wheeler bapt 27 April 1746 –
3. Abigail Wheeler bapt 30 June 1748 –
4. Ashbel Wheeler bapt 12 Nov 1749 – 24 Feb 1751
5. Ruth Wheeler bapt 5 April 1752 –
ii. Abigail Wheeler 15 Feb 1707/08 –
iii. Obadiah Wheeler 28 May 1709 – 1 Oct 1715 [drowned]
iv. Samuel Wheeler 24 June 1712 – 19 March 1786
married 21 Dec 1732 Rebeckah Johnson 26 June 1716 –
dau of Moses Johnson and wife Prudence Jenner
1. Justus Wheeler 2 Oct 1733 –
2. Mabel Wheeler bapt 4 Aug 1735 –
married —- Pierce
3. Patience Wheeler
married 17 July 1780 Ambrose Sperry
4. Ann Wheeler bapt 14 Sept 1743 –
married 21 July 1768 Parmlee Allen
5. Ruth Wheeler bapt 24 March 1745 –
married Nehemiah St. John
6. Seth Wheeler bapt 26 July 1747 –
7. Johnson Wheeler 4 July 1753 –
v. Lois Wheeler 10 Mar 1714/15 – 5 Feb 1715/16
vi. Lois Wheeler 2 May 1716 –
married 12 Nov 1740 Oliver Atwood
vii. Obadiah Wheeler bapt 27 April 1718 – 9 Jan 1806
married 1st 13 May 1740 Agnes Tuttle who died at age of 49
1. Truman Wheeler 26 Nov 1741 –
2. Martha Wheeler 12 July 1742 –
3. Adin Wheeler 20 Nov 1743 –
4. Gideon Wheeler 27 July 1745 –
5. Betty Wheeler 15 May 1747 – 26 Jan 1752
6. Olive Wheeler 21 Sept 1749 – 14 Jan 1752
7. Currence Wheeler 20 Jan 1752 – 20 Jan 1752
8. Obadiah Wheeler 1 May 1753 –
9. Betty Wheeler 1 Jan 1755 –
married 30 July 1777 Jude Molthrop
10. Olive Wheeler 14 June 1757 –
married 2 Oct 1777 Samuel Drakeley
married 2nd Sarah — who died 30 Jan 1816 aged 87
viii. John Wheeler 5 March 1720/21 – 22 May 1811
married 30 Jan 1752 Deliah Sanford who died 6 Feb 1802 aged 67
1. Amos Wheeler 18 Jan 1753 –
2. Elizabeth Wheeler 11 Oct 1754 –
married 13 Feb 1781 William Hues
3. Rachel Wheeler 14 Jan 1757 –
married —- Stevens
4. Daniel Wheeler 3 Aug 1758 –
5. Annis Wheeler bapt 4 May 1760 –
6. Zophar Sanford Wheeler bapt 6 May 1764 –
married at Greenfield, Saratoga Co NY 26 Oct 1794 Dorcas Gilbert
7. Ruth Wheeler bapt 2 April 1766 –
8. Amarillis Wheeler bapt 26 Jan 1772 –
married 10 Feb 1793 Hezekiah Gilbert
9. John Wheeler 1775 –
ix. Jesse Wheeler bapt 22 April 1722 –
x. Seth Wheeler 1724 – 1746 dsp
Ruth married 2nd John Hurlbut
Source: Jacobus -” additions and corrections to the Families of old Fairfield”
p38
married 2nd 3 July 1706 Ruth Clark Fitch Plumb bp 20 Feb 1642 –
[dau of George “farmer” and widow of Thomas Fitch of Norwalk CT whom she married ca 1662 and Robert Plumb whom she married 1685]
2. Samuel Wheeler ca 1638 – 1668
baptized Aug 16 1640; Inv. 24 June 1668
3. Nathaniel Wheeler ca 1642 – 4 Oct 1726 Newark NJ
baptized 20 Feb 1642 removed to Newark, NJ
married at Milford 27 June 1665 Esther Botsford d of Henry
a. Esther Wheeler ca 1666/7 – 1706
married Samuel Williams 4 Jan 1653/4 CT – aft 4 May 1706 of Elizabethtown NJ
son of Matthew Williams and wife Susanna of Weathersfield CT
i. Joseph Williams
ii. Samuel Williams
iii. Nathaniel Williams
iv. David Williams
v. Josiah Williams
vi. Susanna Williams
vii. Hester Williams
viii. Sarah Williams
b. Hannah Wheeler ca 1675 – 13 Nov 1719
married Amos Williams
i. David Williams
c. Nathaniel Wheeler 1677 – 13 March 1761 NJ
married Jemina — 1682 – 22 Jan 1721
i. David Wheeler
ii. Nathaniel Wheeler bapt 13 Sept 1707 –
iii. Joanna Wheeler
married — Foster
iv. Sarah Wheeler
married John Ross
d. Samuel Wheeler ca 1678 – 1 May 1762
married Olivia Hall dau of Col. John Hall
i. John Hall Wheeler
ii. Daniel Wheeler ca 1732 – March 1735
iii. Richard Wheeler ca 1734 – 1 March 1735
iv. Samuel Wheeler ca 1736 –
v. Mary Wheeler
married —- Ogden
vi. Sarah Wheeler
married Daniel Linsley
son of Moses Linsley and Erany Raynor
e. Elizabeth Wheeler 1681 –
married John Ogden
4. Obadiah Wheeler ca 1644 – 1668 Milford – no issue
baptized 10 March 1644
married Ruth Rogers Goodwin bp 5 Feb 1642/3
widow of Thomas Goodwin daughter of John Rogers
she married 3rd July28 1669 Ephraim Stiles
5. Ephraim Wheeler baptized 26 March 1646 – 1684/5 Milford
married 8 Sept 1675 Mary Holbrook dau of Richard
she married 2nd Henry Summers
a. Obadiah Wheeler b 15 bp 18 June 1676 – dec by Nov 1696
b. Mary Wheeler bp 3 Feb 1677/8 – 31 Jan 1730/1 age 53 at Milford
married Eliphal Gillet
c. Thomas Wheeler bp 25 June 1680 – dy
d. Ephraim Wheeler bp 5 Jan 1681/2 – dy
e. Abrigail Wheeler bp 8 Feb 1683/4 –
married 28 July 1703 [rec Derby] John Brinsmade 1682 – 19 Jan 1753
son of Paul & Elizabeth of Derby CT
6. Eleazer Wheeler baptized 30 April 1648 – 10 Aug 1649
7. Thomas Wheeler baptized 28 July 1650 – Apr 1727 Milford
married 1 June 1685 Anna French d of Francis of Derby
a. Anna Wheeler
married Daniel Munn
i. Anna Mun
b. Mercy Wheeler
married Stephen Hine 22 May 1695 Milford – ca 1773 Woodbridge
son of Stephen & Sarah [Bristol]
i. Mary Hine bef 1724
c. Joanna Wheeler 1696 – 15 Jan 1758 in 60 yr gs
married Obadiah Wheeler 1693 – 24 Feb 1770 Newtown, CT in 76 yr gs
her first cousin, son of her uncle Joseph
i. Joanna Wheeler 3 May 1719 Milford CT –
ii. Hannah Wheeler 1 Nov 1720 Milford CT-
iii. Mary Wheeler 29 June 1724 Milford CT –
iv. Abiah Wheeler 16 Nov 1730 Milford CT –
v. Obadiah Wheeler 7 Oct 1732 Milford CT –
vi. Joseph Wheeler 2 Nov 1734 Newtown CT –
vii. Thomas Wheeler 6 Feb 1736 Newtown CT –
d. Thankful Wheeler
married Joseph Ashburn s of Joseph
8. Josiah Wheeler bapt 5 June 1653 d young.
9. Joseph Wheeler born 23 Nov 1655; bapt 2 Dec 1655; d young.
10. Joseph Wheeler 13 March 1656-7 – 1727 Newark, NJ
married Milford June 1678 Patience Holbrook 19 Dec 1658 – ca 1710
dau. of Richard and Agnes
married 2nd Dorcas Swaine Traintor
widow of John and daughter of Daniel Swaine of Branford
The last will & testament of me, Thomas Wheeler of Milford,
in ye county of Newhaven in New England in manner & forme as followeth;
I the sd Thomas Wheeler being sicke of body,
but of sound understanding & memory blessed be God,
doe will as followeth:
Imprimis: I doe give to me eldest son John Wheeler
besides ye portion yt I have already given to him,
the sume of twenty shillings:
Item, a parcell of meadow lieing on Straford side in Oronacke meadow
be it more or less with three acres of upland lieing on the same side
both of which parcells & the whole of them
with ye respective priviledges belong–unto them
I doe give & bequeath unto my sd son John Wheeler for & during his natural life
and then after his decease my Will is that his three eldest daughters Sarah, Mary and Elizabeth should have it equally divided amongst them
or the survivors of them and their heyres forever.
Item: To my second son Nathaniel Wheeler besides what he hath already received
I doe now give him ye sume of twenty shillings
and to his daughter Ester Wheeler fifty shillings.
I doe give & bequeath unto my sons Ephraim Wheeler & Joseph Wheeler
the upland & meadow, both in ye upper meadows & fresh meadows,
that I brough of Mr. Zackariah Whitman,
with ye respective privilidges and appurtenances belonging thereunto
to be equally divided between them both for quality & quantity
by casting a lot in case they canot satisfieingly agree otherwise:
Item, ye meadow & upland I bought of Mrs Joanna Prudden
lyeing by or neare to Stratford River. with all the privilidges
& appurtenances therunto belonging, to be equally divided
between the said Ephraim & Joseph as above sd-
Item, I doe give unto them my two home lotts, those I bought of William Roberts,
& that I bought of Ensn John Streame now lieing all together
to be equally divided betweene them, as above sd
both the land & fenceing according to acres.
Item, that parcell of upland yt I bought of John Browne Senior lyeing in Stubby Playne
be it more or less,
Item, that parcell of meadow lieing on the indyan side,
betweene Thomas Welch & Andrew Sanford Senr –
Item, another parcell of meadow lieing in ye point next to Lt William Fowler
& soe by ye river to ye mouth of a little creeke & soe from thence on a square
to the upland on his way Northward.
Another parcell or halfe of it, being ye upland yt lies on the northwest end
or side of ye sd hill which sd halfe of theirs
is to be yt pt yt lieth next unto Thomas Welch all which sd
parcells of upland and meadow are to be equally divided
between ye sd Ephraim and Joseph.
I give to each of them a gun & sword & amunition according to law
onely Ephraim shall have his choyce : –
Item, unto my son Ephraim I give one feather bed, one of the best,
Item, one coverlid & in brasse six pounds worth, & in pewter two pounds worth,
Item, a payre of foure yeare old stears & one three yeare old heifer & one two yeare old heifer, a payre of new wheels with iron hoops,
he procuring of them to be made, & my wife shall pay for them,
as alsoe one plow with irons to it & one chayne & iron braces for a horse,
And further my Will is that in case he dyes & leaves noe heyres of his owne body
then my Will is that the one halfe of his lands shall returne to his brethren:
And further my will is, if Joseph Dye before he comes to age
to receive his portion wch is at his accomplishing of one & twenty yeares,
then my will is that, Ephraim shall have the first refusall of all the land
both of upland & meadow, that is now betweene them upon a moderate price
& concerning the lands yt I bought of ye sd Mr. Whitman & Mrs. Prudden
he shall not pay any more for it then it cost mee.
And further my Will is that Ephraim shall have foure hogs of a yeare old & foure Sheepe,
Item, My Will is concerning Joseph yt in case he dye after he hath received his portion without any lawful heyre of his owne body, that then ye one halfe of his lands shall returne to his brethren surviveing –
Item, -my Will is yt my son Joseph shall continue with his mother till he come to ye age of two & twenty yeares; and yt Ephraim & Joseph tbey are to maintaine the two parcells of fence against Adding playns.
I give to my son Thomas Wheeler the one halfe of all my lands & meadows that I have not already disposed of, with ye one halfe of the orchard, barnes, garden, yeards and well, and concerning my dwelling house, my Will is, that he shall have a part in it yet I doe reserve to my wife, the north end below with the leantoo belonging to it
as alsoe her liberty to make use of the hall, cellar, & buttery
with ye chamber over the hall with the chimmey & oven according to her need & desire, dureing the time of her naturall life,
And after her decease my Will is, that the whole accomodations not already willed otherwise shal be my son Thomas Wheelers,
to him & his heyres forever, and in case he dyes
& leaves noe lawfull heyre of his owne body, that then
my will is, as of his former brethren soe he also shall leave the one halfe of his lands
to his brethern remaineing —
Item, my Will is, that Thomas shall continue with his mother till he is two & twenty yeares old.
Item I give to my son Thomas ye one halfe of my teame,
the whole being two oxen & a horse,
the halfe of the cart & wheels plow & plow irons,
the halfe of two chaynes & the horse braces:
Alsoe my Will is that my sd son Thomas Wheeler shall not receive his portion
untill he is two & twenty yeares old,
And in case either of my sons dye before they come to age,
then his or their portions shal be divided among the mother & surviveing children equally.
Item: My will is to give unto my son John Wheelers three daughters aforementioned fifty shillings apiece, or to each of them;
Item I doe give to my brothers children here, viz: William, Thomas & Sarah ten pounds to be equally divided amongst them.
Item: My Will is to give to ye Reverend pastor of ye church Mr. Roger Newton fifty shillings,
Item to ye church of Christ in Milford fifty shillings to be distributed to the poore. All which abovesd Legacys, my will is they should be payd by my Executrix within one yeare after my decease.
Item: I give & bequeath unto my deare & loveing wife Joane Wheeler,
all the rest of my goods & estate reall & personall whatsoever lyeing in Milford or elsewhere, whom I doe constitute, make & ordaine the sole executrix of this my last will & testament willing & desireing her duely to educate her children in the ways of God
& to prepare for their latter ends,
And in case my loveing wife shall see it her way againe to dispose of herselfe in marriage that then my Will is, that she shall have power onely to dispose of one hundred pounds of my goods to any, but the rest to my owne children or theirs.
And in case my son Thomas Wheeler shall see cause to build & set up a dwelling house either adjoining to this house, or elsewhere for his present personall use to dwell in that then my Will is that my wife shall allow him twenty pounds towards it out of her estate–
Item, my will is to entreate and desire my loveing friends Mr. Robert Treat brother Daniell & SamuellBuckingham to be ye overseers of this my last Will and testamt, entreating them to be helpful to my Executrix, to lend their best helpe and counsell as there may be need: And to ye ratification & confirmation thereof, I have this eighteenth of November one thousand six hundred & seventy two sett to my hand & seale.
THOMAS (his X marke) WHEELER (Seal)
published & declared to be my last will & testament
in ye presence of us witnessing as well as signed & sealed
ROBERT TREATE; SAMLL. BUCKINGHAM
DANIELL BUCKINGHAM
will found in “The History of the Wheeler Family in America” compiled by Albert Gallatin Wheeler ca 1905