Robert Winchell, of Windsor

Robert WINCHELL - b. England; d. Jan. 21, 1669, Windsor, CT. Emigrating to Dorchester, MA by 1634 (freeman 1635) with wife and eldest son, he removed about 1638 to Windsor, CT where he acquired about 50 acres of land. His wife, whose name is not known, died at Windsor CT on Jul. 10, 1655.

He is denoted as probably the son of Robert and Anna (Crouch) Wyncoll/Winchell (documentation not provided).

Family

Genealogy of the Family of Winchell in America: Embracing the Etymology and ... By Alexander Winchell. Page 25. GoogleBooks

Family 1. Robert Winchell was probably born in the south of England-but perhaps Iu in Wales. (See Introduction.) He was at Dorchester, Mass., undoubtedly as early as 1634; and removed to Windsor, Conn., about 1635. He died 21 Jan., 1669, and his wife died 10 July 1655.

He had the following family:

• 2 Nathanael 2. b. probably before 1634 and perhaps brought with his parents from England.
• 3 Jonathan 3. b. proably at Dorchester before 1635.
• 4 PHEBE. b. Windsor, Ct. ; bap. 29 March, 1638; d. Windsor, 1662.
• 5 MARY. b. Windsor ; bap. 5 Sept., 1641; d. Windsor after 1668.
• 6 David 4. b. Windsor ; bap. 22 Oct., 1643.
• 7 JOSEPH. b. Windsor; bap. 5 Apr., 1645; d. before 1668, as he was not named in his father's will.
• 8 MARTHA. b. Windsor; bap. 18 June, 1648; d. Windsor 12 July, 1655.
• 9 BENJAMIN. b. Windsor; bap. 11 July, 1652; d. Windsor where he was buried 24 June, 1656. .

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Notes

Immigration: before 1635, probably of England or possibly Wales.

Freeman: on 6 May 1635 Masachusetts colony.

Founder/Proprietor: Windsor, by 1637.

Public Office: Juryman, 1640, 1646.

His origin is unknown though he was certainly of England or Wales. There was a Thomas Wincoll in Watertown in 1632 and, in that year, his wife [?] Elizabeth Wincoll, age 52, arrived on the Rebecca along with a son John, age 13. While there is no documentation which shows a relationship, it is possible that our Robert was related to this family.

Our first record of Robert Winchell in New England is in January of 1635 when he is granted sixteen acres "betwixt Roxbury and Dorchester". In May of the same year he is made a freeman indicating membership in the Dorchester church. As Robert and his family migrated to Windsor in 1635 or shortly thereafter, it is likely that he did not settle on the land granted in Dorchester.

His age is unknown though he was probably a relatively young man when he came to New England. He was probably married shortly before his immigration or soon after. The births of his first two children are unrecorded and they were born either in England or Dorchester. The births of his subsequent children are recorded in Windsor. His wife's name is not recorded but Matthew Grant records her death in 1661 (Stiles says 1655).

Robert's home lot was located toward the north end of Windsor Main Street, north of the Farmington River, on the south east corner of Main Street and the Bissell's Ferry Road, which led to the ferry over the Connecticut River. He had numerous land transactions and grants and accumulated 178 acres in grants from the town by 1641. In 1639 Robert and William Smarley bought land in Isle of Wight Co., Virginia. It might be that Smarley acted for both purchasers and there is no indication that Robert went to Virginia. About 1664 he borrowed £42 of Abigail Alcott of Hartford and mortgaged two parcels of land. The terms were for three years beginning in 1667 and ending in 1670. However, Robert died in 1668 and the mortgage was satisfied by his son Nathaniel in 1673.

Robert was not particularly affluent and his estate was only £62, which was distributed according to his wishes as verbally stated from his death bed. While the sum of the estate was small, we must consider that his verbal will shows that he had already distributed some of his holdings to his children.

Robert Winchell, founder of the family in America, was born in South of England, probably of Anglo-Saxon descent. He was a resident of Dorchester, Massachusetts, as early as 1634, and removed to Windsor, Connecticut, about 1635. He died January 21, 1669. His wife died July 10, 1655. On January 4, 1635, he was allotted sixteen acres of land between Roxbury and Dorchester, Massachusetts, and was made freeman, May 6, 1635. In December, 1640, he received a grant of land in Windsor, Connecticut.

1635 (Jan 4) from the publication of DORCHESTER TOWN RECORDS, by N.E. History Genealogy Society vol XXI, pp.41 and 335. Robert Winchill is of a list of twenty (20) persons receiving from 16 to 30 acres between the bounds of Roxbury and Dorchester, at the great hill, between the afore mentioned bounds. Robert migrated to Windsor in 1635 and it is believed he had no permanent settlement on the above land, as there is no known record. Robert was made a freeman (citizen) at the General Court of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, on May 6th.

1644 (Aug 1) and 1646 (June 30), Robert served as a juror in Conneticut, (Records General Court, Conneticut).

1660---(Jan 18) Robert was among the home owners of Windsor, and rated for a seat in the church for him and his wife.

1668---Robert's will is dated and he bequeathes his estate to his three (3) sons, Nathaniel, Jonathan and David, and his daughter, Mary. On January 20, a certificate witnessed and signed by: Abraham Randall, Mary Randall (Sister of Roberts), and Walter Ffyler. This certificate stated that after all debts are paid; Jonathan and David should have the lands northwest of the highway, that being all the land Robert now owned. Nathaniel was in his debt, of which is forgiven, and he states: "I have done for her(daughter, Mary) already, yet let them have something."

From All Connecticut Puritan Settlers, 1633-1845:

Winchell, Robert, Windsor--a juror in 1644. In '37 was appointed with Mr. Ludlow and William Phelps as agents for the purchase of corn, &c. He came early to Windsor. His children were, Phebe born in 1639, Mary in 1641--David, Joseph, Martha, Benjamin.--Robert died in 1657. Nathaniel, son of Robert, married Sarah Porter, and had Nathaniel, Thomas and Sarah, born 1674, and Joseph 1677. Jonathan Winchell married Abigail Brunson, and had a son Jonathan, 1663. David married Elizabeth Filly, 1669, and had Joseph and two daughters. Nathaniel Winchell, 1664--probably the same who was at Westfield in 1686.

David WINCHELL - bap. Oct. 22, 1643, Windsor, CT; d. 1723-1724, Suffield, CT. Son of Robert WINCHELL. Moved to Suffield, CT about 1677, the last record of him at Windsor being a contribution for the relief of families due to King Philip's War in 1676. No evidence has been located to support the contention that David WINCHELL married Mary GRIFFIN as his second wife (see "David-2 Winchell (Robert-1) of Suffield, Conn.," by Mrs. Albert H. Chase in TAG 24:49-50 for the evidence showing that David's single marriage and Mary (GRIFFIN) WILSON HOSKINS two marriages). David married Nov. 18, 1669, Windsor, CT.

Robert Winchell was in Dorchester, Massachusetts as early as 1634. He received land at
Dorchester in January 1635 and was made a freeman at the General Court of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, May 6, 1635. He moved to Windsor, Connecticut about 1635. Robert Winchell and William Smarley bought land in Isle of Wight County, Virginia in 1639. He was on the jury lists in Connecticut in 1644 and 1646. There were several land transactions involving Robert Winchell in and around Windsor, Connecticut after 1640.

Robert Winchell left no written will, but on the night before he died Abraham Randall, Mary Randall, and Walter Ffyler were instructed by him as to how the estate should be administered. His will divided his estate between his three sons: Jonathan, Nathaniel, and David, and his daughter, Mary. The inventory showed a value of nearly £62/0/0. David and Jonathan were to divide whatever was left of the estate. Mary was already taken care of and Nathaniel was in his debt. He instructed that Nathaniel's debt be canceled.

In the History of the First Baptist Church in Boston from 1665 to 1818, by Rev. James M. Winchell, Boston, 1819, is an extract from Dorchester Town Records, Jan 4th, 1635: It is ordered that the p'types here underwritten shall have lotts at the bounds betwixt Roxbury and Dorchester, at the great hill betwixt the said bounds, and above the marsh as fol. not to inclose medowe.

In the list of twenty persons receiving from 16 to 30 acres is the name of Robert Winchill (from publication of Dorchester Town Records, New England Historical & Genealogical Society, vol. XXI, pp.41 and 335)

As Robert probably migrated to Windsor in 1635, he probably made no permanent settlement on this land, and with his wife and two boys, he may have lived at Dorchester. Opposed to this is the consideration that had he lived there his oldest two children would have been born there, of which there is no known record.

Robert Wincall was made a freeman at the General Court of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, May 6, 1635.

It is surprising to find that Robert Winchell (with William Smarlley) bought land in Isle of Wight Co. Virginia, from Anthony Jones, March 25th, 1639. There is, however, no evidence that he went to Virginia, and it may be surmised that Smarley acted for both purchases. No Winchells are known to have been in Virginia till about 200 years later.

Robert Wynchell was on the Jury in Conn., 1 Aug., 1644, and 30 June, 1646. (Records of the General Court, Connecticut).

From the Town Records of old Windsor it appears that certain lands were assigned to Robert on the first division of the public domain among the original immigrants. The following is a copy of some of the original records entered by Matthew Grant, Dec 25th, 1640:

Robert Winchel hath granted from the plantation an home lot, with the additions to it, nine acres, more or less, the breadth twelve rod, the length.....

.....from the meadow bounds to George Philips his land, bounded by Joshes Carter, north, and Joseph Clark, south. Also in the meadow adjoining five acres and a half, more or less, in breadth nine rods, the length from the upland down to the Great River, (the Connecticut) bounded by Thomas Dibble, north, Joseph Clark, south.

.....toward Pine meadow fourteen acres and quarter, in breadth fourteen rods and quarter, the length from the great river back to the east one hundred and sixty rod.

.....Robert Winchel hath exchanged with Thomas Dibble the lying of his meadow and now stands bounded north by Samuel Gaylord, south by Anthony Hawking.

.....Thomas Dewey, legal attorney to Nicholas Canope and his wife Eady, formerly Eady Filley.

.....Robert Winchel hath purchased of Thomas Dewey the house and land on which it stands, which was formerly belonging to Eady Filley, being in quantity three quarter of an acre, more or less, as it lies bounded by the land of Samuel Gaylord, north, of William Hannum, south, Thomas Buckland, his meadow, eat and the highway, west.

.....Also in the great meadow, two acres, more or less, being in length from the home lots down to the Great River.

.....Also hath purchases, the half of Thomas Buckland's meadow, five acres and a half, more or less, in breadth ten rod, in length from the home lots to the great river. Bounded north by Peter Tilton, south by a highway.

.....Also by exchange with William Hannum, his home lot, three quarters of an acre, more or less in breadth five rod and six foot, in length from the highway down to the meadow bounds, bounded by the land of said Robert which he purchased of Eady Filley, north and the land of Joshua Carter, dec'd, south.

The home lot of Robert Winchell was located toward the north end of Windsor Main Street, north of the Farmington River, on the south east corner of Main Street and the Bissell's Ferry Road which leads to the ferry over the Connecticut River. (Stiles' History of Ancient Windsor.) A neat wooden framed dwelling occupied the site of the ancient homestead, owned by Mr. Cushing in 1867.

Under date of Feb 29th, 1659, Matthew Frant records another transaction in real estate by which Robert acquired 3 1/2 acres. He made still another acquisition of 8 acres, 25 Oct, 1660. On the 30 Nov., 1663, Robert entered into an agreement to maintain a fence between his land and that of Joseph Clarke.

The whole amount of land acquired by Robert was at least 48 or 50 acres. He seems to have borrowed money of one Abigail Alcott, of Hartford, to the amount of forty-two pounds, three shillings and one penny. for the payment of the said sum, says the record of the mortgage, I am to have three years time, beginning on the second day of April, 1667, and end the second of April, 1670, which said three years I am to pay yearly rent after eight pounds pr. 100 in wheat and peas, at the price current; and for her more certain security he mortgaged two parcels of land. But he died in 1668.

Jan. 18th, 1660, Robert was enumerated among the householders of Windsor, and was rated 6s for a seat in the church for himself and wife.

Robert's will is dated 1668, and bequeathed his estate to his three sons, Nathanael, Jonathan and David, and his daughter Mary. The inventory showed an estate valued at nearly 62 pounds, or $310, no small sum for early colonial days. His will was not written, but the following certificate, dated 20 Jan., 1668, was probated three days later.

Winchell, Robert. Invt. J61-17-01. Taken 23 January, 1667-8, by Deacon Moore, Capt. Newbery, John Loomis & Matthew Grant. Will Nuncupative, dated 20 January, 1667/8.

We the Underwritten doe witness that, being with Robert Winchell that night in which he died, desired us to take notice that if he lived not till the next morning, and so could not have it written, that this was his Will: That before anything was meddled with all his Debts should be payd, and that his two sons Jonathan and David should have ye Lands that is on the North west of the Highway, this being all the Lands he had left, only Jonathan should have the North side and David the South Side. Sister Randall says, What shall yr daughter have? He answered, I have done for her already. And for my eldest son, he is in my Debt; I acquitt him that, yet let them have something. And sayd also, I desire yt you two and Brother Phelps would be my Overseers. To this we set our Hands.

Memorandum: He expressed yt wt was left of his Estate besides his Debts his 2 sons Jonathan and David should have.

      Signed: Abraham Randall,

                Mary X Randall, Walter ffyler.

Court Record, Page 74-5 March, 1667-8: Invt. Exhibited. Adms. to Jonathan & David Winchell. He had an older son & a daughter.

Origins

https://archive.org/details/winchellgenealog00winc/page/17/mode/1up

18 THE WINCHELL GENEALOGY

On account of the belief expressed* by Alexander Winchell
and by N. H. Winchell that Robert Winchell of Windsor, the founder of the Windsor Branch, was related to the Wincolls of early New England times, it is important to discuss this question somewhat fully.

Robert "Wincall" was admitted a freeman of Massachusetts on May 6, 1635. It is probable that this was the man who is known as Winchill, Wynchell, or Winchel in all other records, and whose descendants form the Windsor branch. This single record is the only evidence that is not easily explained of a relationship between the Winchells and the Wincolls. In view of evidence presented later of no sucli relationship the writer believes that this entry was incorrectly written, or, possibly, does not refer to Robert Winchell.

The second instance in which the names Winchell and Win- coll .are said to have been used for the same person is in A Booke of Entrie for Passengers, etc. In this case the orig- inal manuscript must be indistinct since the same record has been printed by one editor 1 as : Elizabeth Winchell and John Winckoll ; by another as : Elizabeth Winchell and John Winchell, and by a third 2 as : Elizabeth Winckoll and John Winckoll. The writer believes that the original manuscript has been cor- rectly read by the third editor, and not by the others. The name Wincoll was often written Winckoll, as in this instance.

The evidence that the Winchell and Wincoll families are entirely distinct may be given briefly as follows:

1. A careful study of the history of the Wincoll (or Wyncoll) family in England does not supply the name of any Robert who was probably the same as Robert "' Wincair' of Massachusetts.

2. An examination of old records of the family of Wyncoll in England does not disclose a single instance in which the name is spelled with an h, and no case in which it is spelled with an e, unless the name varies to Winkell, which is not prob- able, as that name is never used for persons known to belong to the family.

3. A comparison of the Christian names of the Wyncoll family in England during the years 1500-1630 with the Chris- tian names of the Wincoll family in America and the Winchell

1 Winchell Genealogy, first edition, p. 15.

3 Original Lists of Emigrants, compiled by John C. Hotten, London, 1874, p. 54.

COATS OF ARMS 19

family in America shows that the names John, Thomas, and Isaac are repeated frequently in the first and second families and are not used at all by Robert and only rarely by his chil- dren. On the contrary Robert used a group of Bible names five of which are not once found in the family of Wyncoll in England.

4. The name Winchell seems to be derived from the name Winchelsea, while the name Wyncoll is almost certainly derived from the old form Wendecole. 1 That is, the names do not have a common origin, but, on the contrary, the farther back they are traced the less they resemble each other.

5. The Winchell name has been traced back to 1412 (and in the form, de Winchelese, to 1194) and the Wyncoll name to about 1460 (and, in the form Wendecole, to 1361) without disclosing any connecting links. On the contrary, both families lived in England side by side for about two hundred years before the settlement of New England.

The conclusion is that there is an independent source known for each family and no connection between them.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

• Winchell, Newton H. and Alexander N., The Winchell Genealogy, 2nd Edition, Minneapolis: Horace V. Winchell, 1917. Page 61 - Archive.Org
• Bio wrote by Richard Welch. Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 12 2017, 21:10:24 UTC
• Welles, Edwin. Births, Marriages, and Deaths Returned from Hartford, Windsor, and Fairfield (Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co., Hartford, Conn., 1898) Page 39 GoogleBooks & Page 43 Archive.Org