Stephen Wilcox

• Son of Edward Wilcox and Susanna Thompson
• Born: 6 FEB 1633 in Crofts, Lincolnshire, England
• Baptism Record: Baptized on 26 Dec 1634 in Croft, Lincoln, ENGland
• Death: died: 6 Feb 1689-90, Westerly, Washington Co., RI, United States
• He was of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, in 1655. He had a grant of sixteen acres December 10, 1657, and in 1658, from his father-in-law a dower of thirty acres. He was freeman, May 18, 1658. In May 1669, he was among the free inhabitants of Westerly in Rhode Island
• In 1670 he was complained of, with his partakers, by John Richards, Treasurer of Harvard College, for unjustly possessing five hundred acres in the Pequot country, on the east side of Pawcatuck River, within the bounds of Stonington. This controversy, which resolved itself into a question of boundary and jurisdiction between Massachusetts and Rhode Island, continued for several years, and was finally settled in favor of the latter state. In 1670 and 1672 he was deputy, one of the first from Westerly.
• Brother of Daniel Wilcox [half], Daniel Wilcox, John Wilcox and Mary (Wilcox) Sherman
• The Hazard Family of Rhoad Island

Married

• Stephen married Hannah Hazard, daughter of Thomas Hazard and Martha Potter, on 30 Jan 1658 or 1659 in Boston, New Englad. (Hannah Hazard was born on 10 Jul 1637 in Boston, Suffolk Co., MA 9 and died in 1685. https://www.geni.com/photo/view/6000000004382506593?album_type=photos_of_me&photo_id=6000000102692310872

Children with Hannah Hazard

• Edward Wilcox; was born 5 Nov 1662 in Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI and died on 5 Nov 1715 in Westerly, Washington Co., RI. Married Mary Hazard, daughter of Robert Hazard, married (2) Thomasin Stevens, daughter of Richard Stevens of Taunton Massachusetts.
• Thomas Wilcox; was born on 18 Feb 1664 in North Kingston, RI and died in 1728 in Exeter, Washington Co., RI. Married Matha Hazard, daughter of Robert & Mary Hazard
• Daniel Wilcox; was born about 1666 in Westerly, Washington Co., RI and died after 1717 in Stonington, New London, CT. Married in 1697 Mary Wodell
• William Wilcox; was born about 1668 in Westerly, Washington Co., RI and died on 27 Dec 1757 in North Stonington, New London Co., CT. Married Dorothy Palmer on January 25, 1698
• Stephen Wilcox; was born about 1670 in Westerly, Washington Co., RI. Married in 1704 Elizabeth Crandall
• Hannah Wilcox; was born about 1672 in Westerly, Washington Co., RI and died in Newport, Newport Co., RI. Married Samuel Clarke, son of Jeremiah & Ann Audley
• Jeremiah Wilcox; was born between 1675-1680 in Westerly, Washington Co., RI. Married Mary Mallett, daughter of Thomas Mallett.
• Bethiah (Wilcox) Cottrell, born circa 1678

The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, page 320 Stephen Wilcox & Hannah Hazard: dated 30 Jan 1658, as her father Thomas gives and bequeathed "in dowry with his daughter Hannah Hazard unto Stephen Wilcoke of Portsmouth thirty-four acres of land." in Portsmouth.The early records of the town of Portsmouth; by Portsmouth (R.I.); Perry, Amos, 1812-1899, ed; Brigham, Clarence S. (Clarence Saunders), 1877-1963, ed (Providence, R.I., E. L. Freeman & Sons, state printers, 1901) pp. 383, 384 #314. This date is used as their wedding date.

Hannah Hazard's Dowry

This present writteinge Bareinge the Thirith day of January in the y[] of our Lord one thowsand Six hundred fifty eight witnesseth that Thomas Hazard of portsmouth on Rhoad Island: hath by these presents give and bequeathed in dowrie with his daughter Hannah Hazard, vnto Stphen wilcoke of portsmouth Thirty fower acres of land more or less Situate with in the bounds of limites of ye Towne of portsmouth afore-said and lyinge in the farme of the aforesaid Thomas Hazard and adjoyneinge vnto the wadeing or mill river, Eight acres wherof being butted and bownded by the land of Samuel Gine one the south and north and on the East End by the Comon and Highway to the mill, the other twenty Sixe acres being butted and bownded by the fence as now it stands one the south and Southwest and on the west and northwest by the land of the Afore said Thomas Hazard and on the north by the land of mr porter and on the East and South-East by the abouse sayd eight acres and the land of Samuel Geinne afore said Twenty acres.

(NOTE: Good thing Hannah got this upon her marriage since her step-mother Martha Sheriff came in and alienated Thomas from his children! See the two wills of Thomas Hazard.)

History

Hannah mentioned in her father’s will and received a legacy of 1 shilling likely due to her objections to his marriage to Martha Sheriff. Named as Hannah Wilcox.

Baptized on St. Stephen's Day

He is not in the list of Rhode Island Freemen made in 1655 (R.I.. Col. Rec. 1:299), but was admitted an inhabitant of Portsmouth on 13 Dec, 1656 (Portsmouth Records, P. 75). On 10 Dec, 1657, he was granted land with Thomas Kent. He is listed as freemen there in 1658, and of the colony at Weslerly on the organization of that town, 1669. His farm at Watch Hill, Westerly, passed out of the Wilcox family in 1880. He was deputy to the general assembly in 1670 and 1672.On 30 Jan, 1657/8 Thomas Hazard gave him 34 acres in Portsmouth in dowry with his daughter, Hannah (Portsmouth Rec., printed, p. 383). He removed to Westerly, RI, upon the settlement of that town and was an inhabitant there on 18 May 1669. He is the ancestor of the Wilcox family of Washington Co., RI, and Stonington, CT.

Lieutenant-Governor Edward Wilcox, of Charlestown, RI, was great-great-grandson of this Stephen (through Edward his son). He was a prominent merchant; served many terms in the legislature between 1794 and 1823; and was presidential elector, 1816 [1].

Another of his great-grandsons was Isaiah Wilcox (through Edward his son) who entered the Baptist ministry; was baptized in February, 1766, and ordained February 14, 1771; was first pastor of the "Wilcox Church" of Westerly, and in 1785, under his ministry, more than two hundred members were added to the church [1].

Stephen was either arrested or sued June 21, 1670, for unjustly possessing, with others, five hundred acres of land in Stou (t) ington (Stonington?).This controversy which resolved itself into a question of boundary and jurisdiction between Massachusetts and Rhode Island continued for several years and was finally settled in favor of the latter state [2].

Most of Stephen's descendants other than those of his son, William, seem to have remained in Rhode Island.

"Stephen Wilcox, son of Edward Wilcox, was born in 1633 and died in 1690.He had a grant of 16 acres, Dec 10, 1657, and in 1657 from his father-in-law, Thomas Hazard, a deed of 30 acres as a dowery with the daughter. He was a free man May 18, 1658.In May 1669, he was among the free inhabitants of Westerly, RI.He was (obliterated) June 21, 1670 for unjustly possessing, with others, five hundred acres of land in Stovington. This controversy, which resolved itself into a question of boundary and jurisdiction between Mass. and RI, continued for several years and was finally settled in favor of the latter state. In 167? and 167? he was of the first from Westerly. In a paper dated Feb. 6, 1690 he is mentioned as 'lately deceased.'In 1648, he married Hannah, daughter of Thomas and Martha Hazard of Portsmouth. Thom Hazard was a ship carpenter by trade and came from Wales to Boston about 1635.In the Hutchinson, he was driven from Mass. and settled upon Aquideeck."

This was transcribed from notes recopied by Kate Wilcox Thorsen, 4/26/1980.Researched and copied by Agnes Wilcox Limas 9 May 1958 for Jeffrey Wilcox. Also see NEHGR Vol. 147, pp 188-191.

Received a grant of land with Thomas Kent at 2s per acre [4]
Received a deed for 34 acres from Thomas Hazard as dower for the latter's daughter Hannah. Listed among the inhabitants of the town. He was complained of, with his partakers, by John Richards, Treasurer of Harvard College, for unjustly possessing 500 acres in Pequot County, east of the Pawcatuck River, within the bounds of Stonington. Served as Deputy Mentioned as of 6 Feb 1690 as lately deceased. [4]

Links

• http://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/wilcox/3426/
• http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/PRF/individual_record.asp?re...
• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~agrandchildsheritage/genealogy/wilco...

Sources:

• The Hazard family of Rhode Island 1635-1894 : Being a genealogy and history of the descendants of Thomas Hazard, with sketches of the worthies of this family, and anecdotes illustrative of their traits and also of the times in which they livedby Robinson, Caroline E., 1833-1907; Updike, Daniel Berkeley, 1860-1941, page 6 - https://archive.org/details/hazardfamilyofrh00byurobi/page/6
• Genealogical and Family History of The Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys Pennsylvania, Vol. II, Ed. by H.E. Hayden, Alfre Hand and John W. Jordan, The Lewis Publishing Co., NY, 1906, p.208-210.
• The Wilcox Family by Agnes Wilcox Leonard, Delmar, Albany County, NY, August 1, 1978, p. 7-9.
• Edward Wilcox of Lincolnshire & Rhode Island by Jane Fletcher Fisk.Publication: New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Vol. 147, Apr 1993, p 188 & subsequent Page: citing South Elkington Parish Registers (FHL Microfilm 432, 477) Quality: 3.
• Stephen's birth and death information is from Collins, George Knapp. Mortuary Records with Genealogical Notes of the Towns of Spafford, Onondaga County, New York. Published by the Onondaga Historical Association. Dehler Press, 1917, page 47.
• Also from Collins, page 47: "Stephen Wilcox was a deputy in the R.I. Court in 1670 to 1672, and the owner of 500 acres of land in the Pequoit Country."
• History of Stonington, Connecticut, 1649 - 1900 Author: Richard Anson Wheeler Publication: New London, CT, Press of The Day Publishing Company, 1900 Media: Book Page: page 658. Palmer (June) Family Records Author: June A Kimball Palmer Publication: 1997, 1998 and 1999 Media: Letter.
• Fiske, Janet Fletcher. "Edward Wilcox of Lincolnshire and Rhode Island." The New England Historical & Genealogical Register 147 (Apr 1993): pp. 188-191. Digital image at americanancestors.org (subscription required).
• Wilcox, William Alonzo. Wilcox-Brown-Medbery genealogy. Scranton, Pa. : Printed for the Author, 1902. p.6
• Robinson, Caroline E. The Hazard Family of Rhode Island 1635-1894. Boston, Printed by the Author: (1895)
• Robert Charles Anderson. "Great Migration Biographical Sketches"
• William Richard Cutter. A Genealogical and Family History of Central NY
• CR - Baptism; 26 Dec 1634; Orby, Lincoln, Eng 10. Baptized on St. Stephen's Day
• Colony Office; 1670; Rhode Island 11. Served as Representative
• Colony Office; 1672; Westerly, Washington Co., RI 11. Served as Representative
• Lands Recorded - Granted; 10 Dec 1657; Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI 11. Received a grant of land with Thomas Kent at 2s per acre
• Lands Recorded - Gifted; 30 Jan 1657/58; Portsmouth, Newport Co., RI 11. Received a deed for 34 acres from Thomas Hazard as dower for the latter's daughter Hannah.
• Residence; 18 May 1669; Westerly, Washington Co., RI 11. Listed among the inhabitants of the town.
• Lands Recorded; 21 Jun 1670; Stonington, New London, CT 11. He was complained of, with his partakers, by John Richards, Treasurer of Harvard College, for unjustly possessing 500 acres in Pequot country, east side of the Pawcatuck River, within the bounds of Stonington.
• Colony Office; Between 1670-1672; Westerly, Washington Co., RI 11. Served as Deputy
• VR - Death; Bef 6 Feb 1689/90; Westerly, Washington Co., RI 11. Mentioned as of 6 Feb 1690 as lately deceased.