John Birchard (1628 - 1702)

Born 31 Jan 1628 in Terling, Essex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Christyan (Andrews) Birchard — married 22 Jul 1653 in Martha's Vineyard, Dukes, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 17 Nov 1702 at age 74 in Lebanon, New London, Connecticut

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John Birchard Biography

John Birchard immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

Labouring man. Thomas Burchard .... 40; Mary Burchard 38; Elizabeth Burchard 13; Marie Burchard 12 ; Sara Burchard 9; Suzan Burchard 8; Jo: Burchard 7; Ann Burchard 18 mo. “ ^[1]

John Birchard was baptized at Terling, Essex, England on 31 Jan 1627/8, the only son of Thomas and Mary (Robinson) Birchard.^[2][3]

"The marriage of John Birchard with Christyan Andrews was on July the 22d 1653."^[4] This date is recorded in the Norwich Vital Records, but was put in after the fact at the top of the list of their children.

John married secondly Jane (Lee) Hyde after July 1677 (the death of her first husband, Samuel Hyde) and before Nov 1680 (the birth of John and Jane's child). John was appointed the guardian of her minor children.^[5]

John died Nov 17, 1702, in Lebanon, Connecticut.^[6]

John moved often. He spent his childhood traveling from England, to Roxbury, Massachusetts, to Hartford, Connecticut and then to Saybrook, Connecticut. He owned land and lived in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard in 1651, where he served as the town clerk.^[7] His father later sold this land for John, after John went to his next home, Norwich, Connecticut. He also inherited land on Martha's Vineyard at his father's death, which John also sold.^[7]

On Jun 6, 1659, a group purchased land lying 14 miles north of New London. John joined the group (many of the same company had been at Hartford, Saybrook, and Martha's Vineyard) on this new adventure founding Mohegan, which was later called Norwich.^[7] Here John owned one of the original house lots and built the house pictured.

John was one of the first ten men to become freeman in Norwich on Oct 1663.^[9] John's name is carved onto the Founder's Monument in Norwich^[10]. He held useful civic positions: Clerk of the County Court in 1673 and for many years; Commissioner to the General Court for Norwich, May 1691; Oct 1691, May 1692 and May 1693 he was Deputy to the General Court .^[11]

Joshua, the third son of Uncas who was sachem of the Mohegans, left in his will a large tract of land to John and some others.^[12] This land became the towns of Old Windham, Mansfield Center and Willimantic. John didn’t move to this new land, although he served on organizational committees, but sold some and deeded some to his sons Samuel and James.^[7]

John made one more move in his life time. Sept 6, 1692, John and others purchased of Owaneco, son of Uncas, land to the west of Norwich now Lebanon, called the Five-Mile Purchase. Feb 27, 1698/9, he sold his land in New London, Connecticut, and moved to Lebanon, Connecticut, where he died in 1702.^[7]

The Children of John Birchard:^[4] The last children Daniel & Lydia were children of his second wife, Jane.

1. Thomas Birchard was borne in Octob Anno 1654: & dyed in 1658
2. Katherine Birchard was borne in Novemr: 1656: & dyed in the same yeare
3. John Birchard was borne in January An : 1657 : & dyed in 1658
4. John Birchard the second was borne in Deshr 1659: & dyed in 1662
5. Sarah Birchard was borne in May Ano : 1661 : & dyed in 1664
6. Samuell Birchard borne the 16th of July An : 1663
7. James Birchard borne the 16th July Anno 1665
8. Abigael Birchard borne in Novemr Ano 1667
9. Thomas Birchard borne in January An: 1669
10. John Birchard the third borne in ffebr An: 1671
11. Jofeph Birchard borne in ffebr Anno 1673
12. Benjamin Birchard borne in Desemb An: 1675: & dyed in the same yeare
13. Mary Birchard was borne in June Anno 1677
14. Danell Birchard was Borne in Novemb 1680
15. Lydia Birchard^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Hotten, John Camden (editor). The Original Lists of Persons of Quality: Emigrants, Religious Exiles, Political Rebels, Serving Men Sold for a Term of Years, Apprentices, Children Stolen, Maidens Pressed, and Others, who Went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700. London: John Camden Hotten, 1874. p. 131
2. ↑ Glazier, Prentiss. “Thomas and Mary (Robinson) Birchard Their Origin, Ancestry and Family” The American Genealogist 51:17. 1975.
3. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBZT-JHS : 11 February 2018, John Birchard, 31 Jan 1628); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 0962530 IT 2.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Vital Records of Norwich 1659-1848, Part I. (Hartford: Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, 1913) p.23; digital image, Internet Archive, (https://archive.org/details/vitalrecordsofno01norwi/page/22/mode/2up?q=Birchard accessed Feb. 2023).
5. ↑ Hyde Genealogy; Or The Descendants, In The Female As Well As In The Male Lines, From William Hyde, Of Norwich, With Their Places Of Residence, And Dates Of Births, Marriages, &, And Other Particulars Of Them And Their Families and Ancestry. By Reuben H. Walworth, Ll. D. In Two Volumes. Vol. I. pp 3,4. Albany: J Munsell, 1864
6. ↑ White, Lorraine Cook, ed. The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records: Lebanon. Vol. 1-55. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994-2002.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4} Rogers, Edna M. “Thomas Birchard of Norwich, Connecticut, and Some of His Descendants.” The American Genealogist Vol. 17 p 184.
8. ↑ Caulkins, Frances Manwaring. History of Norwich, Connecticut: From Its Possession by the Indians to the Year 1866. Hartford: Friends of the Author, 1873
9. ↑ Trumbull, J. Hammond. (transcriber). The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut Prior to the Union with New Haven Colony May 1665. (Hartford: Brown and Parsons, 1850.) AKA Colonial Records of Connecticut. Volume I. 1636-1665 Google Books Freeman p. 412;
10. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 07 May 2019), memorial page for Founders of Norwich Connecticut Memorial (unknown–unknown), Find A Grave: Memorial #11118928, citing Founders Cemetery, Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA ; Maintained by Eric Crow (contributor 46623671) Unknown. Gravestpme picture
11. ↑ Trumbull, J. Hammond. (transcriber). The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut. Vol. 4 Aug. 1689 - May 1706 (Hartford: Brown and Parsons, 1868.) Vol 4. pp 43, 55, 66, 92 Archive
12. ↑ “Will of Joshua Uncas” NEHGR 13:235
13. ↑ Rogers, Edna M. “Thomas Birchard of Norwich, Connecticut, and Some of His Descendants.” The American Genealogist 16:228 Link at AmericanAncestors ($)

See Also

• Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 (Generations Network, Inc., Provo, UT, USA, 2004)
• Filby, P. William. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (Gale Research, Farmington Hills, MI, USA, 2012)
• American Marriages Before 1699 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1997.Original data - Clemens, William Montgomery. American Marriage Records Before 1699. Pompton Lakes, NJ, USA: Biblio Co., 1926.Original data: Clemens, William Montgomery. American Marriag Note: APID: 1,2081::0
• Jordan, John W. Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania (Lewis Historical Pub. Co., New York, 1915, Vol. 1, p. 197-202)
• Moriarty, G. Andrews. Additions and Corrections to Austin's Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, The American Genealogist (1949) Vol. 25, Page 249