History of the Buell family from England to America, by Albert Welles - 1864

The HOMEPAGE for this site is: May 12, 2013

The following people have information from the above book.

1. William Buell b 17 Feb 1605 d 23 Nov 1681 married Mary Post

1.1. Samuel Buell, Sr. b 02 Sep 1641 married Deborah Griswold (ANCESTRY OF GRISWOLD)

1.1.1. Samuel Buell, Jr b 20 Jul 1663 d 02 Nov 1732 married Judith Stevens

1.1.2. Deborah Buell 18 Oct 1665

1.1.5. John Buell b 17 Feb 1671 d 17 Feb 1671 married Mary Loomis

1.1.7. William Buell I 18 Oct 1676

1.1.8. David Buell 15 Feb 1678

1.2. Mary Buell 03 Sep 1642 married Simon Mills

1.3 Peter Buell, I 19 Aug 1644 married Martha Coggin (Martha Cozzens)

1.4. Hannah Buell 08 Jan 1647

1.5. Hepzibah Buell 11 Dec 1649

1.6 Sarah Buell 21 Mar 1654

1.7 Abigail Buell 12 Feb 1656

FIRST GENERATION notes from: History of the Buell family from England to America, by Albert Welles – 1864;

pages 23, 24, 26

1. William Buell b 17 Feb 1605 d 23 Nov 1681 married Mary Post

1. William Buell or Bewelle or Beville of Dorchester, Mass, and Windsor, Conn., was born at Chesterton, in Huntingdonshire, England, about 1610, and emigrated to America about 1630. He settled first at Dorchester, Mass., and thence removed to Windsor, Conn., about 1635-6, where he died, 23d of November, 1681.

“William Buell, Sr., was in the first land division in Windsor. In his Will he gave all his tools to his two sons, Samuel and Peter, and gave his daughter, Mary Mills, £5 more than any of his other daughters.

“William Buell gave his son Peter the land given him by Windsor, and half of his tools, and the other half to Samuel.

“William Buell and his wife, in October, 1650, were inducted in Plymouth Colony as Baptists.” Baylies II, 211.

“In October, 1650, John Hazel, Edward Smith and his wife, Obadiah Holmes, Joseph Terry and his wife, the wife of James Mann, William Buell and his wife, were indicted for continuing their meeting from house to house on the Lord’s Day, contrary to the order of the Court; but it does not appear that any punishment was inflicted.” See Baylies II, 211.

{Windsor Records, March 29, 1652.}

“Accounts made with William Buell, for work done in the Meeting Howse, etc: “The Elder’s Pew, Deakon’s Pew, Magistrat’s Pew, and their Wives’ Pew, formerly paid, and for the lower rowes of seats in the Meeting House when the dours are up. We find that his work comes to £28, 19s,00d, And for the new worke about altering the Magistrat’s wife’s Pew, and others in that rang, comes to £4. 3s. 8d. – the holle sume if £33. 2s. 8d.

“William Buell, Sr., of Windsor, died November 23d, 1681. His Will, dated July 26th, 1681. Inventory offered by his wife, Mary, dated July 26th 1681, £147. 2s.7d. Mary, his relict, made oath, March 6th, 1681-2, that she had made a true presentment of his estate. Widow Mary Buell died at Windsor, September 1st, 1684. William Buell’s mother probably came with him to Windsor, as the Windsor Record says: “Goode Buell died at Windsor, December 3d, 1639.’”

William Buell was one of those Religious enthusiasts known in Old and New England as Puritans, of whom Russell wrote that they were “the most remarkable body of men the world has ever produced.” The came out from Society and the Churches, became dissenters, non-conformists and Recusants, inasmuch (pg 24) as they refused to subscribe longer to the tenets either of the Church of England or of the Pope of Rome.

Under their leaders – mainly ministers who had been clergymen of the Church of England - - they formed themselves into societies, and on account of the persecution to which their conduct had given rise, they were secret in their meetings and reticent in their Religious speech.

The hand of God was plainly visible in this Religious’ Movement, for it appears the time had arrived when He should people America with men of powerful mental qualifications, strong minds and bodies, and still stronger Religious fervor and faith; and their Religion was indeed remarkable, inasmuch as they threw off at a stroke all the trammels of forms and ceremonies, which they considered anti-Christian, and went back to the Gospel and example of Christ as their guide in Religious belief.

This new Religion—as it was miscalled, being the oldest and only Religion on Earth - - soon brought down persecutions, extreme and cruel, so that to save their lives the Puritans were obliged to flee from their own to some other Country, where they could serve God in their own way, and have Religious Liberty in reality.

For the above reason many of the early Emigrants studiously concealed their Origin and derivation. The vessels sailed from England in those times, bound for Barbadoes - - without any intention on the part of any person on board of ever going to Barbadoes, or anywhere else but the peaceful shores of New England.

The Puritans, as a body, went further back than Christ in the World’s History for guidance in their worldly and Religious affairs. They adopted the Hebrew ethics and faith, inasmuch as they were men whose minds had derived a peculiar character from the daily contemplation of superior beings and eternal interests.

Not content with acknowledging in general an overruling Providence, they habitually ascribed every event to the will of the Supreme Being, for whose power nothing was to vast – for whose inspection nothing too minute. To know Him – to serve Him – to enjoy Him, was with them the great end of existence.

“They rejected with contempt the ceremonious homage which other sects substituted for the homage of the soul. On the rich and the eloquent – on nobles and priests, they looked down with disdain, for they esteemed themselves rich in a more precious treasure, and eloquent in a more sublime language. Nobles by the right of an earlier creation, and Priests by the imposition of a Mightier Hand.”

These are the men to whom America owes the preservation of Civil and Religious Liberty.

From the above remarks some idea may be formed of the personal character of William Buell.

Like the famous Banyan tree of India, his branches have stretched out over the broad territory of the United States, and wherever they have reached and rested they have also taken root and become new Banyans or Buells.

The following document is a copy from the 1st Volume of Land Records of Windsor, Conn., December 13, 1667:

“William Buell had made some exchanges of his meadow land in the Great Meadow with George Phillips; he had let George Phillips have all the breadth of the Westerly end of his Meadow, and in depth fifty-three rod of land, or, more definitely to express it, to the right understanding of it, William Buell has partly by exchange of one hundred and three rod of his Meadow, in the lower end (pg 25) of the Great Meadow, with George Phillips, and partly by purchase of forty rod of him, has now two acres three-quarters of Meadow Land, as it bounds Easterly to the ditch by the land of Job Drake (that was Henry Walcott’s) eighteen rod and half, more or less; also Northerly it bounds by the land of Job Drake twelve rod, more or less; Southerly by the land of Walter Gayloard in like extent; Westerly by the land of George Phillips and in part by the remainder of his own, which remainder is in breadth about ten rod, and bounds Southerly by the land of Walter Gaylord, and Easterly four rod and a half, and Northerly by the land of George Phillips; also Westerly by that George had of William in exchange, and William and his heirs in this Land is to have Liberty to cart to or from his Meadow over the corner of land George Phillips had of Walter Gaylord into the way that goeth by Samuel Bissell’s ditch to ye common way by ye rivulet.

“Whereas, the two parcels on the fore side that William Buell and William Filley purchased of William Thrall, and after William Filley sold his part to William Buell, and William had neglected the Recording of it – I now express it to be so, and William Filley came to my house, October 31st, 1681, and did own before me and Samuel Buell that he did sell his part to William Buell, and would have me to express it so upon Record to William Buell.”

William Buell was a man of some considerable position in society – a man of property and of good personal character in a community in which almost all of that character soon became members of the Church. May not his previous connection with the Baptists furnish some explanation of this, after giving the particulars of William Buell’s family.

SECOND GENERATION: notes from: History of the Buell family from England to America, by Albert Welles – 1864;

page 25,

1.1. Samuel Buell, Sr. 02 Sep 1641 married Deborah Griswold (ANCESTRY OF GRISWOLD)

Samuel Buell, of Windsor and Killingworth, Conn., first child of William Buell, of Windsor, Conn, was born at the former place, 2d September, 1641, whence he removed in 1664 to Killingworth, Conn., where he lived the residue of his lifetime, and died 11th July, 1720, aged 79 years, in that portion of Killingworth now called Clinton.

“Samuel Buell, son of William Buell, of Windsor, Conn, was Windsor, Conn, was born at Windsor, Conn, 2d September, 1641. After reaching man’s estate he moved still further down the Connecticut River, and was one of the founders of the beautiful old town embalmed in Longfellow’s lyrics. He was an extensive landholder, owning large estate ‘amid the pleasant farms of Killingworth,’ filled many responsible public offices, and was a gentleman of great influence, as well as generous means. He had twelve children, seven of them sons, who, with one exception, married and reared large families.

“Samuel Buell was one of the pioneers of Killingworth. He became a large landowner; held many important public offices of honor (pg 26) and trust, and was denominated on the Town Records as a “Gentleman.”

Samuel Buell gives by deed, dated February 15, 1696, to his well-beloved son, Samuel Buell, Jr. “Seven acres of Land for a House and Lot, with a dwelling-house thereon,” “Salt Meadow, four acres, “ “four and a half acres of land in the neck” (plow land), “also two acres by the Westerly end of my house,” “a small piece of meadow,” “one-third part of my land that was flowed by the saw-mill pond.” Signed, etc., in presence of Deborah Buell, Wm. Buell and David Buell, as witnesses. In 1688, May 21st, “Samuel Buell, Jr., hath a grant of land from the town of seven acres more or less.”

“In 1693 Samuel Buell, Sr. and Samuel Buell, Jr. purchase jointly a piece of meadow, of thirty acres, of John Shether and William Wellman, at the head of the Indian Meadow.”

Note – The above land is believed to have been in the Buell family to this day. (1864). (This land is in Killingworth, now Clinton.) 1703, March 8, Samuel Buell, Jr. This town sold to him “that Hill of upland,” at the head of Indian Meadow, at 10 shillings per acre.

Samuel Buell removed from Windsor to Killingworth, where his son (1.1.5.) John remained until he arrived to manhood; he then removed to Lebanon, where some of his children were born, and thence removed to Litchfield with his family about 1720 or 21 and became a pioneer and proprietor of the new settlement at Bantam as his father had been at Killingworth, and his grandfather at Windsor.

Samuel Buell was married at Windsor, Conn 13th or 18th November, 1662, to Deborah Griswold (born 28th June, 1646, and died at Killingworth, Conn, 7th February 1719). She was daughter of Edward Griswold, of Windsor, Conn.

ANCESTRY OF GRISWOLD, MALVERN HALL, COUNTY WARWICK, ENGLAND

notes from: History of the Buell family from England to America, by Albert Welles – 1864;

For the Griswold story on page 26, see this site. WordstoryGriswoldHistoryoftheBuellfamilyAlbertWelles

SECOND GENERATION: notes from: History of the Buell family from England to America, by Albert Welles – 1864;

page 29

1.3 Peter Buell, I 19 Aug 1644 married Martha Coggin (Martha Cozzens)

Sergeant Peter Buell, of Windsor, Conn., third child of William Buell, of same place, was born there 19th August 1644, whence, he removed in 1670 and settled at Simsbury, Conn., where he became one of the pioneers and earliest settlers. He died at Simsbury, January 8, 1729, aged 84 years.

Simsbury, Conn., was never included within the limits of Windsor, Conn., it was, however, by general consent considered as belonging to that Plantation, and hence, in 1663, a Committee, consisting of Captains Newberry, Edward Griswold and John Morse, were appointed “to lay out all those lands that are yet undivided at Massacoe (the ancient Indian name of the town.) to such inhabitants of Windsor as desire and need it.”

The Committee, in December, 1666, specified the terms upon which “those who took up lands at Massacoe should have them.” These were – that within two years they should make improvements by plowing, mowing, building and fencing, and that they should live on their grants two years.

The first grants by the Committee, of which any record exists, were made in 1667. These consisted of Meadow lands, bordering on the river, and were made to various persons. Peter Buell was awarded a portion of the Hop Meadow, but it does not appear how much land was allotted him, or what consideration he paid therefore, probably nothing more than his proportion of the actual expenses of the Committee. The name of Peter Buell as a foreman appears in the same list of names.

At the May Session of the General Assembly, in 1677, the name of Peter Buell appears to a petition, with nine others, asking that the rates for defraying the public charges be levied only upon lanes, which prayer of the petition was granted.

On November 3, 1674, Peter Buell, as one of the Committee of Three, for the Town of Simsbury, joins his associates and grants that privilege to various Indians to hunt for venison in the Town of Simsbury during their lifetime. (See Appendix A, History of Simsbury.) {in book}.

On the 7th of May, 1682, Peter Buell is found to have joined in a petition to the General Court for liberty “to put the Church in Gospel order.” (note: the book has a note, see pages 54 and 55 for the Church Covenant, History of Simsbury.)

“On a training day, November 29, 1686, Peter Buell was chosen by the train band of Simsbury their Sergeant; he had twenty-three votes, and so was orderly proclaimed by the chief military officer, Sergeant of the Train-band of Simsbury.”

“December 29th, 1687, voted by the inhabitants of Simsbury to allow Peter Buell for his Deputyship and expenses, twenty shillings.”

“In May, 1688, Peter Buell drew lot No. 2, in the tier of lots lying in the Eastern section of the Town known as Turkey Hills (now Granby), the lots numbering from North to South.

In 1694, Peter Buell’s name appears among the list of persons against whom taxes (town rates) were laid; and in 1696 Sergeant Buell’s name appears among the list for Ministers’ rates; also Peter Buell’s name appears in the same list for 1691. Also as one of the Representatives elected from the Town of Simsbury to the General Assembly, at the May Session in the year 1687; also at the October Session in 1691 and 1696.

He was married at Windsor, Conn, 31st March 1670, to Martha Cozzens, daughter of Thomas Cozzens, of Taunton, Mass, 1686. Hers is the oldest tombstone at Simsbury.

Third Generation: notes from: History of the Buell family from England to America, by Albert Welles – 1864;

page 31

1.1.1. Samuel Buell, Jr b 20 Jul 1663 d 02 Nov 1732 married Judith Stevens

Lieutenant and Captain Samuel Buell, of Killingworth, Conn, first child of Samuel Buell, of Windsor, Conn, first child of William Buell, of Chesterton, Huntingdonshire, England; Dorchester, Mass, and Windsor, Conn, was born at Windsor, Conn, 20th July, 1663, and was taken the next year to Killingworth, Conn, where he died, 2d November, 1732. He was Commissioner of Deeds from 1706 to 1716.

Will of Captain Samuel Buell, of Killingworth, Conn. (born 20 Jul 1663 died 2 Nov 1732)

An inventory of the personal estate of Samuel Buell, late deceased, who departed this life the 2d day of November, 1732, covers ten closely-written pages of foolscap paper, containing household, furniture, beds, and bedding, clothing, cooking utensils, etc., amounting in the aggregate to £101. 2s. 0d., indicating that he was a man of property and had all necessary housekeeping materials for the times, and places where he resided.

From a deed executed by Samuel Buell, dated the 23d day of July, 1733, the son of the above-named Samuel Buell, wherein he recites that Capt. Samuel Buell, late of Killingworth, County of New London and State of (pg 31) Connecticut, did by his last Will and Testament, bequeath to his sons, Daniel Buell, Nathaniel Buell, and his son Joseph Buell, an equal share of his lands with the rest of the brethren, excepting a small consideration to himself, on account of his birthright, and being sole Executor, in pursuance of said Will, he deeds to Daniel Buell, besides what he had by deed of gift from his father, which was appraised at £83. 10s. 0d., half the turn meadow, a £5 right in the homestead, and £19 right in the meadow called the Home Meadow.