Brockett, Mary

Mary married Pennington, Ephraim on 23 Oct 1667. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• DAC Number: 1394, 16623, 18736

Notes:

According to a widespread tradition among the descendants of John Brockett, of New Haven, he was the eldest son of Sir John Brockett , of Brockett Hall, Hertfordshire, who had been knighted by Queen Elizabeth and disinherited his son on account of his Pruitanical ideas. The son gave up all claims to the title and estates of the Brocketts in England and joined a group of his coreligionists which came to America with the Rev. John Davenport. It is also claimed from similar sources that he loved a Puritan maiden and on her account gave up his rights. After providing a home at New Haven, he returned to England, married her and brought her to this country.

These traditions are quite interesting, but would seem more valid if it were not for the fact that Sir John Brockett, of Brockett Hall, died October 2, 1598, and that John Brockett, the American pioneer, died at Wallingford, Connecticut, March 12, 1690, aged eighty years. He was, therefore, born in 1609 or 1610 and could not have been a son of a man who died in 1598. According to "Victoria History of Hertfordshire," Brockett Hall was owned by the family as early as 1477 and held by them until the death of Sir John Brockett in 1598, his heirs being five daughters and a grandson, child of his sixth daughter. Brockett Hall and the manor passed to his daughter Mary and her husband, Sir Thomas Reade.

John Brockett was born in England in 1609 and died at Wallingford, Connecticut, March 12, 1690, "aged eighty years." He came to America in 1637, probably in the ship "Hector," with the Rev. John Davenport. The vessel reached Boston, June 26, 1637. The following year John Brockett, the Rev. John Davenport, and others, left for Connecticut and purchased from the Indians land at Quinnipiac, the site of the present city of New Haven. There they founded an independent government under the " Plantation Covenant," which was based on strictly religious principles. John Brockett was one of the leading men of the Colony. He was an able engineer and surveyor, laying out in June, 1639, the large square, now center of the city, in nine equal sections. The same boundaries are still in use, and at the time the excellence of the work was especially mentioned in the early records. He continued such service, surveying other lands in 1645 and, in October, 1647, as inspector of highways. he was appointed one of the commission to settle troubles with the Indians in June, 1654, and helped them to survey their lands and fence them. Six years later he was a member of the commission to settle the boundaries between the New Haven Colony and the Hartford Colony. He was also a surgeon and, in June 1654, was appointed surgeon of the troops which were to cooperate with Cromwell's fleet in protection against the hostile intentions of the Dutch. During King Philip's War from June, 1675, to 1676, he was surgeon of the Connecticut troops. When the town of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was laid out, he was appointed by the Governor of that Colony to make the survey and allot the lands to the settlers. For this reason he resided there from December, 1667, to 1670 and received for his services a grant of land which he later sold to Samuel Hopkins. While in Elizabeth, he was elected member of the first General Assembly of New Jersey. He also held a similar office in Connecticut, after his return serving in the General Court in 1671, 1678, 1680, and from 1682 to 1685. The town of Wallingford, Connecticut, was founded towards the close of his stay at Elizabeth and he was appointed to the committee which managed its affairs. He resided there and received twelve acres in the first allotment of land. Four acres were utilized in the raising of hoop poles, which was a leading industry. The poles were received by the New Haven merchants as cash. His house lot was in the extreme south end of the village and was forty rods long and twenty rods wide. May 24, 1681, he and three others purchased land from the Indians, two miles in breadth and extending the length of the Wallingford bounds. The name of this wife is not known.