Ephraim Curtiss (1684 - 1775)

Born 31 Dec 1684 in Stratford, Fairfield, Crown Colony of Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Stiles) Curtiss — married 26 Jun 1707 in Stratford, Fairfield Co., Connecticut

Descendants

Died 9 May 1775 at age 90 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut Colony

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Biography

Birth

Ephraim Curtiss was born on December 31, 1684 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut, son of Joseph Curtiss (1650–1729) and Bethiah Booth (1658–1699).^[1]

Family

Ephraim (22) married Elizabeth Stiles (19) (born on February 18, 1688 in Stratford Fairfield Co., Connecticut; daughter of Ephraim Stiles and Bethsheba (Tomlinson) Stiles) on June 26, 1707 in Stratford, Fairfield Co. Their children were:

• Stiles Curtis (1708–1785)^[2]
• Henry Curtiss (1709–1804)^[3]
• Anne Curtiss (1711–1796)^[4]
• Phebe Curtiss (1713–1797)
• Ephraim Curtiss (1717–1737)^[5]
• Elizabeth Curtiss (1715–1728)^[6]
• Martha (1721 - 1760)^[7]
• Ruth Curtiss (1723–1818)^[8]
• Edmund Curtiss (1725– )^[9]
• Elnathan Curtiss (1727–1812)^[10]

Death

Ephraim died on May 9, 1775 in Stratford, Connecticut Colony, aged 90. He was buried in Old Congregational Burying Ground, Stratford, Fairfield County, Connecticut.^{[11] [12]}

Probate

His will is dated 22 December 1766 and proved on 31 October 1775 in Fairfield. He mentions his wife Elizabeth, his sons, Stiles, Henry, Edmond, and Elnathan, and his daughters, Ann, wife of Robert Fairchild, Phebe, wife of David Lewis, Martha, wife of Joseph Welles, Ruth, wife of James Beebe, and Bathsheba Curtiss.^[13]

His inventory was taken on 6 July 1775 and recorded in Fairfield in 1777.^[14]

Note on surname source:

"The names Curtiss, Curtis and various similarly spelled names, is derived from the Old French word curteis, which means refined. The name was originally a nick-name used in England to describe the Norman conquerors who were courteous or, persons with manners." ^[15]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
   FamilySearch Record: F742-69X (accessed 2 June 2023)
   Ephraim Curtiss born on 31 Dec 1684, son of Joseph Curtiss, in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
2. ↑ Birth of son Stiles Curtiss: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
   FamilySearch Record: F742-D3T (accessed 2 June 2023)
   Stiles Curtiss born to Ephraim Curtiss on 18 Mar 1708 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
3. ↑ Birth of son Henery Curtiss: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
   FamilySearch Record: F742-DQ8 (accessed 2 June 2023)
   Henery Curtiss born to Ephraim Curtiss on 12 Oct 1709 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
4. ↑ Birth of daughter Ann Curtiss: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
   FamilySearch Record: F7WF-NMN (accessed 2 June 2023)
   Ann Curtiss born to Ephraim Curtiss on 31 Aug 1711 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
5. ↑ Birth of son Ephraim Curtiss: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
   FamilySearch Record: F742-69J (accessed 2 June 2023)
   Ephraim Curtiss born to Ephraim Curtiss on 30 Aug 1717 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
6. ↑ Birth of daughter Elizabeth Curtiss: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
   FamilySearch Record: F7WF-FJQ (accessed 2 June 2023)
   Elizabeth Curtiss born to Ephraim Curtiss on 9 Aug 1715 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
7. ↑ Birth of daughter Martha Curtiss: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
   FamilySearch Record: F7WF-FVF (accessed 2 June 2023)
   Martha Curtiss born to Ephraim Curtiss on 26 Nov 1721 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
8. ↑ Birth of daughter Ruth Curtiss: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
   FamilySearch Record: F7WF-FDS (accessed 2 June 2023)
   Ruth Curtiss born to Ephraim Curtiss on 27 Oct 1723 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
9. ↑ Birth of son Edmund Curtiss: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
   FamilySearch Record: V2SQ-C3X (accessed 2 June 2023)
   Edmund Curtiss born to Ephraim Curtiss in Aug 1725 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
10. ↑ Birth of son Elnathan Curtiss: "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906"
    citing FHL microfilm: 2907;
    FamilySearch Record: F742-D8B (accessed 2 June 2023)
    Elnathan Curtiss born to Ephraim Curtiss on 4 Jan 1726 in Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut.
11. ↑ “Probate Records, v. 19-20, 1775-1783”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G92K-T2B6 : 30 June 2022), FHL microfilm 007627295, image 13-14, Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, Vol 19, 1775-1783, Pages 1-3.
12. ↑ “Probate Records, v. 19-20, 1775-1783”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G92K-T2NS : 1 July 2022), FHL microfilm 007627295, image 165-166, Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, Vol 19, 1775-1783, Pages 304-306.
13. ↑ “Probate Records, v. 19-20, 1775-1783”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G92K-T2B6 : 30 June 2022), FHL microfilm 007627295, image 13-14, Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, Vol 19, 1775-1783, Pages 1-3.
14. ↑ “Probate Records, v. 19-20, 1775-1783”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G92K-T2NS : 1 July 2022), FHL microfilm 007627295, image 165-166, Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, Vol 19, 1775-1783, Pages 304-306.
15. ↑ Curtis-Curtiss

See also:

• Henry R. Stiles, History of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut, CD-Local and Family Histories: CT, 1600's - 1800's, (Produced in collaboration with the Genealogical Publishing Company, 2000), vol 2, p 720. " ... of Stratford ..."
• Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, CD-Local and Family Histories: CT, 1600's - 1800's, (Produced in collaboration with the Genealogical Publishing Company, 2000), vol 1, p 585.
• Curtiss, Frederic Haines. A Genealogy of the Curtiss Family (Rockwell and Churchill, Boston, 1903-1953), p. 17. "He represented Stratford at the General Court for a number of years. He was also a Justice of the Peace of Fairfield County."
• Frederic Haines Curtiss, The Curtiss Family, p. 9.
• Frederic Haines Curtiss, The Curtiss Family, p. 9.
• Frederic Haines Curtiss, The Curtiss Family, p. 9.
• Henry R. Stiles, History of Ancient Windsor, vol 2, p 720.
• Donald Lines Jacobus, Families of Old Fairfield, vol 1, p 585.
• Curtis-Curtiss