Colonial Connecticut Intermarriages

Colonial Connecticut Intermarriages

English colonists in 17th.- and 18th.-century Connecticut seeking to marry had a relatively small pool of potential spouses from which to choose, with the result that Connecticut's Founding Families are interconnected -- and inbred -- to a remarkable degree. My late mother-in-law Carolyn Jean (Riggs) Spencer (1949-2017) is a descendant of a number of Colonial Connecticut families, and several of them appear in her ancestry more than once. Shown here are a series of pedigree charts illustrating the tangled complex of family connections in Carolyn's genealogy, chiefly involving the families of Riggs, Keeler, Whitney, Hoyt (Haight), Rockwell, and Benedict. These bewildering webs of intermarriages sometimes involved the marriages of cousins, but more usually resulted from siblings of one family marrying siblings of a neighboring family, or the remarriage of widows and widowers that often transformed someone's father-in-law or mother-in-law into one's step-father or step-mother! For the sake of space and convenience, the charts below show only a selection of the many ways that the Founding Families of Connecticut were related to each other.


Rockwell-Keeler-Hoyt-Whitney-Riggs:

                                         Elizabeth Weed=John Rockwell=Mehitabel (NN)
                                                       |(c.1621-1674)|
                     __________________________________|             |_____________________________________________
                    |                                                                                              |
             Jonathan Rockwell                             Joseph Whitney=Hannah Hoyt[*]  John Keeler=Mehitabel Rockwell=Zerubbabel Hoyt=(NN)
                    |                                                    |                           |________________________________. | ._______________________________
    ________________|_______________                  ___________________|_________                  |                |           ______|____________________             |
   |                                |                |                             |                 |                |          |          |                |            |
John Rockwell=Elizabeth Keeler  David Rockwell=Elizabeth Whitney=Miles Riggs   Hannah Whitney=Daniel Keeler  John Keeler Jr.=Rhoda Hoyt  Hannah Hoyt[*]  Caleb Hoyt=Mehitabel Keeler
             |_________                _________________________|      ______________________|
                       |              |                         |     |
                 Abraham Rockwell=Esther Riggs        Joseph Riggs=Mary Keeler
                                                      Daniel Riggs
                                                      Samuel Riggs
                                                      Albert Riggs
                                                      Albert D. Riggs
                                                      Herbert Benjamin Riggs
                                                      Carl Spencer Riggs Sr.
                                                      Carolyn Jean Riggs=Roy Eldon Spencer
                                      Jared Linn Olar=Christina Carlene Spencer


Whitney-Keeler-Hoyt-Rockwell-Riggs:

                          Henry Whitney      Ralph Keeler=(NN) Betts
                           (1613-1672)        (1613-1672)|
                               |               __________|_____
                               |              |                |
                          John Whitney    Samuel Keeler   John Keeler=Mehitabel Rockwell
                               |              |                 _____|                  
        _______________________|____________. | .____________. | .________________
       |               _______________________|       |        |                  |
       |              |                               |        |                  |
Elizabeth Whitney=Joseph Keeler                Henry Whitney   |           Joseph Whitney=Hannah Hoyt
                 |                                             |               __________|______
                 |                                             |              |                 |
       Elizabeth Keeler=John Rockwell                     Daniel Keeler=Hannah Whitney  Elizabeth Whitney=Miles Riggs
                       |                                               |________              ___________|
                       |                                                        |            |           |
               Abraham Rockwell=Esther Riggs[*]                            Mary Keeler=Joseph Riggs   Esther Riggs[*]
                                                                                      |
                                                                                  Daniel Riggs
                                                                                  Samuel Riggs
                                                                                  Albert Riggs
                                                                                  Albert D. Riggs
                                                                                  Herbert Benjamin Riggs
                                                                                  Carl Spencer Riggs Sr.
                                                                                  Carolyn Jean Riggs=Roy Eldon Spencer
                                                                  Jared Linn Olar=Christina Carlene Spencer

Hoyt/Haight-Keeler-Whitney-Rockwell-Hustis-Riggs:

                                       Simon Hoyt=Jane Stoodlie
                                    (c.1593-1657)|
            _____________________________________|__________________________________________________________________________________
           |                                                                                               |                        |
       Walter Hoyt                                                                                     Nicholas Hoyt             John Hoyt
           |                                                                                               |                        |
(NN)=Zerubbabel Hoyt=Mehitabel Rockwell=John Keeler                                                    Samuel Haight             John Haight
    |________________________________. | ._____________________________________                            |                        |
    |            ______________________|____________              |            |                           |                        |
    |           |                |                  |             |            |                           |                        |
Rhoda Hoyt=John Keeler Jr.  Daniel Keeler[*]  Mehitabel Keeler=Caleb Hoyt  Hannah Hoyt=Joseph Whitney  Mary Haight=David Hustis  Daniel Haight
       _____________________________                  ________________________________|_________                  |                 |
      |                             |                |                                          |                 |                 |
John Rockwell=Elizabeth Keeler  David Rockwell=Elizabeth Whitney=Miles Riggs  Daniel Keeler[*]=Hannah Whitney  Joseph Hustis      Joseph Haight
             |__________________________                ________|_______            __________|                   |               __|
                                        |              |                |          |                              |              |
                                  Abraham Rockwell=Esther Riggs   Joseph Riggs=Mary Keeler                     Charity Hustis=Beverly Haight
                                                                              |                                              |
                                                                          Daniel Riggs       ________________________________|
                                                                              |             | 
                                                                          Samuel Riggs=Elizabeth Haight
                                                                                      |
                                                                                 Albert Riggs
                                                                                 Albert D. Riggs
                                                                                 Herbert Benjamin Riggs
                                                                                 Carl Spencer Riggs Sr.
                                                                                 Carolyn Jean Riggs=Roy Eldon Spencer
                                                                 Jared Linn Olar=Christina Carlene Spencer

Keeler-Turney-Sherwood-Hoyt/Haight-Riggs:

   Ralph Keeler=(NN) Betts            Benjamin Turney=Mary Odell                             Thomas Sherwood=Mary (NN)
   (1613-1672) |                       (c.1597-1648) |                          ____________________________|____________________________
        _______|____________                _________|_______________________. | .________________________. | .______________            |
       |                    |              |                    |              |                 |          |                |           |
   John Keeler        Rebecca Keeler=Benjamin Turney Jr.   Rebecca Turney=Stephen Sherwood  Ann Turney=Thomas Sherwood  Sarah Turney=Matthew Sherwood
       |                                                                 |
   Daniel Keeler                               John Hoyt (Haight)=Elizabeth Sherwood
       |                                                         |
   Mary Keeler=Joseph Riggs                                 Daniel Haight
              |                                                  |
          Daniel Riggs                                      Joseph Haight
              |                                                  |
              |                                             Beverly Haight
              |               ___________________________________|
              |              |
          Samuel Riggs=Elizabeth Haight
                      |
                 Albert Riggs
                 Albert D. Riggs
                 Herbert Benjamin Riggs
                 Carl Spencer Riggs Sr.
                 Carolyn Jean Riggs=Roy Eldon Spencer
                 Christina Carlene Spencer=Jared Linn Olar

Whitney-Hoyt-Olmstead-Benedict-Lobdell:

           Henry Whitney                                           Thomas Benedict=Mary Bridgum
            (1613-1672)                                              (1617-1690)  |
                 |                                            ____________________|_______________________________________________
                 |                                           |                                                   |                |
           John Whitney                     John Olmstead=Mary Benedict                                     John Benedict    Samuel Benedict  
      ___________|_________________             _________|__________                                             |                |
     |                             |           |                    |                                            |                |
Joseph Whitney=Hannah Hoyt   Henry Whitney=Elizabeth Olmstead  Eunice Olmstead=Joshua Lobdell=Mary Burwell  Thomas Benedict  Thomas Benedict
              |                                                                     _______. | ._________________|                |
     _________|___________________________________________________                 |         |_____________                 ______|
    |                                         |                   |                |                       |               |
Hannah Whitney=Daniel Keeler  Miles Riggs=Elizabeth Whitney  Thankful Whitney=Ebenezer Benedict       Ebenezer Lobdell=Rebecca Benedict
              |_______            _______|                                                                            |
                      |          |                                                                                    |
                Mary Keeler=Joseph Riggs                                                                              |
                           |_________________________________              ___________________________________________|
                                                             |            |
                                                        Daniel Riggs=Susannah Lobdell
                                                                    |
                                                               Samuel Riggs
                                                               Albert Riggs
                                                               Albert D. Riggs
                                                               Herbert Benjamin Riggs
                                                               Carl Spencer Riggs Sr.
                                                               Carolyn Jean Riggs=Roy Eldon Spencer
                                               Jared Linn Olar=Christina Carlene Spencer

Keeler-Westcott-Riggs-Knapp-Pennoyer:

                      (NN) Betts=Ralph Keeler=Sarah Howes=Thomas Skidmore=Joanna (NN)=Richard Westcott
                                |(1613-1672)                                         |(c.1610-c.1650)
                                |                                                    |
                           John Keeler                              Moses Knapp=Abigail Wescott
                                |                                              |
                           Daniel Keeler                   Thomas Pennoyer=Lydia Knapp
                                |                                         |
                           Mary Keeler=Joseph Riggs                Reuben Pennoyer
                                      |                                   |
                                 Daniel Riggs                      James Pennoyer
                                      |                                   |
                                 Samuel Riggs                      James Pennoyer Jr.
                                      |_________                __________|
                                                |              |
                                            Albert Riggs=Mary Elizabeth Pennoyer
                                                        |
                                                   Albert D. Riggs
                                                   Herbert Benjamin Riggs
                                                   Carl Spencer Riggs Sr.
                                                   Carolyn Jean Riggs=Roy Eldon Spencer
                                   Jared Linn Olar=Christina Carlene Spencer


Buxton-Hustis-Haight-Knapp-Pennoyer-Riggs:

                            Clement Buxton=Eunice (NN)=Nicholas Knapp=Elinor (NN)
                                          |                          |
                                          |                          |
                         Robert Hustis=Elizabeth Buxton          Moses Knapp
                                      |                              |
                       Mary Haight=David Hustis                  Lydia Knapp=Thomas Pennoyer
                                  |                                         |
                              Joseph Hustis                            Reuben Pennoyer
                                  |                                         |
               Beverly Haight=Charity Hustis                           James Pennoyer
                             |                                              |
                      Elizabeth Haight=Samuel Riggs                    James Pennoyer Jr.
                                      |_________                ____________|
                                                |              |
                                            Albert Riggs=Mary Elizabeth Pennoyer
                                                        |
                                                   Albert D. Riggs
                                                   Herbert Benjamin Riggs
                                                   Carl Spencer Riggs Sr.
                                                   Carolyn Jean Riggs=Roy Eldon Spencer
                                   Jared Linn Olar=Christina Carlene Spencer

Return to Hoyt-Haight Genealogy

Return to Whitney Genealogy

Return to Keeler Genealogy

Return to Rockwell Genealogy

Return to Benedict Genealogy

Return to Pennoyer Genealogy

Return to Knapp Genealogy

Return to Notable Genealogical Relationships
Return to Index


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