Family Group Sheet
NameWilliam BACKUS
Birthabt 1610
Immigrationbef 1648, Saybrook, Middlesex, CT [620]
Move1660, Norwich, New London, CT [Founder]
Will12 Jun 1661, Hartford, Hartford Co, CT [509]
Will MemoInv 7 Jun 1664
Freeman1663, Norwich, New London, CT [500]
DeathSpring 1664, Norwich, New London, CT [509]
OccupationCutler (worker with steel)
Other spousesAnne Mary FENTON
Marriageabt 1627, Sheffield, York?, England
Children
1 FSarah Backus
Christen31 Aug 1628, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England [337]
Deathaft 15 Jul 1702, Norwich, New London, CT [1002, Reynolds Family Assn]
Death Memohusband’s will
SpouseJohn Reynolds
Marriageabt 1654
2 FMary BACKUS
Christen6 May 1632, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England [337]
Death8 Jul 1717, Wethersfield, Hartford, CT [150]
SpouseBenjamin CRANE
Marriage23 Apr 1655, Wethersfield, Hartford, CT [150]
SpouseSarah Charles
SpouseElizabeth Pratt
MarriageNorwich, New London Co, CT
4 FLydia Backus
Christen31 Dec 1637, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England [337]
Deathbef Jun 1696, Wethersfield, Hartford Co, CT [509]
SpouseJohn Bailey
SpouseSarah Spencer
MarriageDec 1666, Haddam, Middlesex Co, CT [509]
Notes for William BACKUS
William left the tools of a cutler to his step-son Thomas Bingham. This lead to the discovery of his apprenticeship to William Nutt of Grimesthorpe (near Sheffield). The apprenticeship ended in 1627 and he was admitted to the Sheffield Cutlers Company in 1631.
There was a William Backhouse who immigrated in 1637, but there is no other mention of him anywhere, until the mention of this William in Saybrook in 1657 where, according to the Bingham Genealogy of 1927, pg 75, Backus is a name listed as present at a Saybrook town meeting on January 7, 1657. Bingham genealogy (96) says he is listed at a town meeting in 1648. [ [620]]William had children in England after 1637.
LIEUT. FRANCIS GRISWOLD, b. in England, 1629; d. October, 1671. William BACKUS and Lieut. Francis GRISWOLD were among the patentees of the town of Norwich. He is called “a man of capacity and enterprise.” Settled in Saybrook, 1655-1656, was “one of the first proprietors of Norwich, 1660, taking an active part in the affairs of the Plantation, and from 1661 inclusive to 1671, was a Deputy to the General Court. “Of the twenty-five founders of the Colony made in 1669, William BACKUS and Francis GRISWOLD were included. The first proprietors list of Norwich, November, 1659, included William BACKUS, William BACKUS, Jr., Francis GRISWOLD.” In 1682, Francis GRISWOLD with two others formed a Court of Commission; m. Mary TRACY, dau. of Thomas TRACY. (Colonial Families of the United States of America, vol. 5; Ancestry.com.)
Savages: WILLIAM, Saybrook 1638, had there William and Stephen, rem. to Norwich a. 1660, was freem. 1663, and d. June 1664, leav. sec. w. Ann, wh. d. May 1670. His first w. was Sarah, d. of John Charles. [500]
There was a William Backhouse who immigrated in 1637, but there is no other mention of him anywhere, until the mention of this William in Saybrook in 1657 where, according to the Bingham Genealogy of 1927, pg 75, Backus is a name listed as present at a Saybrook town meeting on January 7, 1657. Bingham genealogy (96) says he is listed at a town meeting in 1648. [ [620]]William had children in England after 1637.
LIEUT. FRANCIS GRISWOLD, b. in England, 1629; d. October, 1671. William BACKUS and Lieut. Francis GRISWOLD were among the patentees of the town of Norwich. He is called “a man of capacity and enterprise.” Settled in Saybrook, 1655-1656, was “one of the first proprietors of Norwich, 1660, taking an active part in the affairs of the Plantation, and from 1661 inclusive to 1671, was a Deputy to the General Court. “Of the twenty-five founders of the Colony made in 1669, William BACKUS and Francis GRISWOLD were included. The first proprietors list of Norwich, November, 1659, included William BACKUS, William BACKUS, Jr., Francis GRISWOLD.” In 1682, Francis GRISWOLD with two others formed a Court of Commission; m. Mary TRACY, dau. of Thomas TRACY. (Colonial Families of the United States of America, vol. 5; Ancestry.com.)
Savages: WILLIAM, Saybrook 1638, had there William and Stephen, rem. to Norwich a. 1660, was freem. 1663, and d. June 1664, leav. sec. w. Ann, wh. d. May 1670. His first w. was Sarah, d. of John Charles. [500]
Will notes for William BACKUS
Will of William Backus
Dated 12 June 1661
Official property transfer before August 1661
Allowed in New London CT Court - 21 Jun 1665
This may Certifie whom it may concerne That I Wiiliam Backus Senior being now alive and in memory Doe ordain this my last will and testament wherin my mynd is Declared concerninge the ordaining and Disposing of my estate whereunto I Doe hereby constitute and appoynt my trustid and welbeloved sonn Steevin Backus Heier, Executor and Administrator of my whole estate to Dispose thereof according to the order of my will.
And first of all for my wife who hath beene both loving unto me and carefull of me it is my will to provoide as comfortable for her as I can, that after my Decease she might be supplied as may be needfull and convenient for her which I conceive might be best attained by her abydeing with my sonn Steeven in the house and soe to partake with him of the estate soe far as shall be needfull and convenient for her according to what shall arise both from the grounde and stock, but if Steeven and she shall part and the occasion thereof Doe arise from Steeven or by reason of his undutifull cariage towardes her or any other way of Discouragement proceeding from him which may occasion her departing from him, Then my will is that Steeven shall provoide for her Twenty bushells of corne a yeere that is Twelve bushells of Indian and eight of wheate as also a Third part of the milke of the cattle and a sixt part of garden stuff as squashes and pumpkins turnips and the like During the tyme of her life if she change not her condition, but if my wife shall volluntarily part from Steeven without any just occasion from him my will is notwithstanding that Steeven should provoide for her fower bushells of wheate and sixe bushells of Indian a yeere Dureing the time of her life as aforesaid if she change not her condition. The which if she shall Doe my will is that Steeven shall be cleere of all these ingagements Also my will is that my wife should have the bed and bedclothes (except on pillo for Steeven) soe long as she lives although she stay not in the house provided she stay in the Towne, and at her Decease all shall returne to Steeven except her wearing clothes and one pillo; and concerning my sonn William it is my will that he should have all the tooles belonging to the trade of a smith and cutler and what Ivory there is with the bellowes, And concerning all the rest ofmy children as John Renalds and his wife, and Benjamin Crane and his wife and John Bingham (3 words crossed out) my will is that they should all have three bushells of Indian corne a peece ad this corne to be paid wthin the space of five yeers by the Heire and executor. Last of all my will is that my loveing freinds Thomas Leffingwell and John Birchard should see this my will performed according tot he true intent thereof. Witness my hand this 12th of June Anno Dom. 1661
Witness. Thomas Tracy
John Poast The marke of
William Backus
Extracted out of the will as returned under the hand of William Backus and allowed in New London Court held June 21st 1665
Obadiah Bruen Recorder
An inventory of the Estate of William Backus deceased taken by us Thomas Leffingwell & John Birchard
May 7th Anno Do:: 1664
££.ss.D
The house & homelot with a pcell of Land lying over the River against the homelot 21.10.0
a pcell of Land in the Little plaine 05.00.0
a pcell of Land in the great plaine 03.00.0
a pcell of meadow at Yantick 02.15.0
another pcell at boggy medow 02.10.0
A pcell of upland medow in the second division 09.10.0
Two oxen 14.00.0
two Cowes & one Calfe 08.10.0
one steare 02.00.0
Cart & wheeles & plow & a chaine 02.00.0
for a beetle & wedges howes an axe & a spade & a hatchet 01.06.0
two sithes & two sickles 00.08.0
two pease hooks & a Cart rope 00.05.0
one paire of sheetes 00.14.0
one payer more of sheetes 00.11.0
one sheete more 00.07.0
one sheete more 00.16.0
one table cloath 00.04.0
one pillow beare 00.05.0
one old pillow beare 00.01.0
a remnant of kersy 00.08.0
a chest 00.04.0
a old brass pot 00.02.6
two firkins a barrell & a churne 00.07.0
a tub & a hogshead 00.06.0
a chest 00.12.0
one rugg for a bed 01.10.0
a bed tikeing three blankets a boulster & a pillow 04.04.0
fower blankets one sheete & a boulster 04.00.0
two spinning wheeles 00.10.0
two kettles a pott & a skillet 01.05.0
a frying pan a smoothing iron & a skimmer 00.07.0
one porringer a lamp & three spoons 00.05.0
one glass bottle & a stone bottle 00.02.6
bowels trayes & dishes & a basting Ladle 00.07.6
two sives & a halfe bushell 00.07.0
a table leafe & a paile 00.06.00
a gun & a sword 01.16.00
a chest & a trammell 00.09.6
wearing cloathes 05.00.0
Cutlers tools & ivory
Dated 12 June 1661
Official property transfer before August 1661
Allowed in New London CT Court - 21 Jun 1665
This may Certifie whom it may concerne That I Wiiliam Backus Senior being now alive and in memory Doe ordain this my last will and testament wherin my mynd is Declared concerninge the ordaining and Disposing of my estate whereunto I Doe hereby constitute and appoynt my trustid and welbeloved sonn Steevin Backus Heier, Executor and Administrator of my whole estate to Dispose thereof according to the order of my will.
And first of all for my wife who hath beene both loving unto me and carefull of me it is my will to provoide as comfortable for her as I can, that after my Decease she might be supplied as may be needfull and convenient for her which I conceive might be best attained by her abydeing with my sonn Steeven in the house and soe to partake with him of the estate soe far as shall be needfull and convenient for her according to what shall arise both from the grounde and stock, but if Steeven and she shall part and the occasion thereof Doe arise from Steeven or by reason of his undutifull cariage towardes her or any other way of Discouragement proceeding from him which may occasion her departing from him, Then my will is that Steeven shall provoide for her Twenty bushells of corne a yeere that is Twelve bushells of Indian and eight of wheate as also a Third part of the milke of the cattle and a sixt part of garden stuff as squashes and pumpkins turnips and the like During the tyme of her life if she change not her condition, but if my wife shall volluntarily part from Steeven without any just occasion from him my will is notwithstanding that Steeven should provoide for her fower bushells of wheate and sixe bushells of Indian a yeere Dureing the time of her life as aforesaid if she change not her condition. The which if she shall Doe my will is that Steeven shall be cleere of all these ingagements Also my will is that my wife should have the bed and bedclothes (except on pillo for Steeven) soe long as she lives although she stay not in the house provided she stay in the Towne, and at her Decease all shall returne to Steeven except her wearing clothes and one pillo; and concerning my sonn William it is my will that he should have all the tooles belonging to the trade of a smith and cutler and what Ivory there is with the bellowes, And concerning all the rest ofmy children as John Renalds and his wife, and Benjamin Crane and his wife and John Bingham (3 words crossed out) my will is that they should all have three bushells of Indian corne a peece ad this corne to be paid wthin the space of five yeers by the Heire and executor. Last of all my will is that my loveing freinds Thomas Leffingwell and John Birchard should see this my will performed according tot he true intent thereof. Witness my hand this 12th of June Anno Dom. 1661
Witness. Thomas Tracy
John Poast The marke of
William Backus
Extracted out of the will as returned under the hand of William Backus and allowed in New London Court held June 21st 1665
Obadiah Bruen Recorder
An inventory of the Estate of William Backus deceased taken by us Thomas Leffingwell & John Birchard
May 7th Anno Do:: 1664
££.ss.D
The house & homelot with a pcell of Land lying over the River against the homelot 21.10.0
a pcell of Land in the Little plaine 05.00.0
a pcell of Land in the great plaine 03.00.0
a pcell of meadow at Yantick 02.15.0
another pcell at boggy medow 02.10.0
A pcell of upland medow in the second division 09.10.0
Two oxen 14.00.0
two Cowes & one Calfe 08.10.0
one steare 02.00.0
Cart & wheeles & plow & a chaine 02.00.0
for a beetle & wedges howes an axe & a spade & a hatchet 01.06.0
two sithes & two sickles 00.08.0
two pease hooks & a Cart rope 00.05.0
one paire of sheetes 00.14.0
one payer more of sheetes 00.11.0
one sheete more 00.07.0
one sheete more 00.16.0
one table cloath 00.04.0
one pillow beare 00.05.0
one old pillow beare 00.01.0
a remnant of kersy 00.08.0
a chest 00.04.0
a old brass pot 00.02.6
two firkins a barrell & a churne 00.07.0
a tub & a hogshead 00.06.0
a chest 00.12.0
one rugg for a bed 01.10.0
a bed tikeing three blankets a boulster & a pillow 04.04.0
fower blankets one sheete & a boulster 04.00.0
two spinning wheeles 00.10.0
two kettles a pott & a skillet 01.05.0
a frying pan a smoothing iron & a skimmer 00.07.0
one porringer a lamp & three spoons 00.05.0
one glass bottle & a stone bottle 00.02.6
bowels trayes & dishes & a basting Ladle 00.07.6
two sives & a halfe bushell 00.07.0
a table leafe & a paile 00.06.00
a gun & a sword 01.16.00
a chest & a trammell 00.09.6
wearing cloathes 05.00.0
Cutlers tools & ivory
