From The Files Of The Historian
Josiah Willard of Wethersfield, Connecticut
Josiah Willard, first son of Major Simon Willard and Mary Sharp, was born in Concord, Massachusetts about 1635 and was brought up in a farm house in Concord. The town built South Bridge as access to Simon Willard's farm high on a hill over the Concord River. That house finally burned in 1857.
Josiah married Hannah Hosmer March 20, 1656-7. There is mention of this marriage in Concord town records, but Thomas Hosmer, her father, never lived in Concord and the notice may have been meant to honor Major Simon and Hannah's uncle, Joseph Hosmer,
The Hosmers migrated from Hawkhurst, Kent, England to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hawkhurst was a town near Horsmonden, Major Simon Willard's town of origin. Thomas Hosmer was in Cambridge in 1632. Major Simon came to America in May 1634 and also settled in Cambridge. He owned a dwelling house and garden on Water Street. Thomas Hosmer removed (with Hooker, according to Savage) in June 1636 to Hartford where he had a good estate, and was constable, selectman and representative several times. He was the son of Stephen and Dorothy Hosmer. Thomas was married to Frances who died February 15, 1675 at age 75. He remarried to Katherine Wilson. Thomas had four children. Hannah Hosmer's siblings were Stephen, Clemence and Hester.
When Josiah and Hannah were married in March of 1657, she was about 18 years old and Josiah was 22. The young couple bought property on the west side of Broad Street in Wethersfield. We have printed the original deed, dated 1661, with this article.
Josiah was one of the earliest schoolmasters in Wethersfield. He removed to Newington Parish where he may have died in 1674. There is no known record of his burial place.
The facts about Josiah are well known, but there is much curiosity about what happened to Hannah. Hannah Hosmer Willard married William Maltby of Branford. He came to Branford in 1670; however, records prove that he was first in Guilford. He was the owner of three vessels. In 1679 he went to Wethersfield over a blazed trail from Hartford to New Haven. He bought a horse from Samuel Martin from whom Josiah and Hannah had bought the Broad Street property in 1661. In 1685 Hannah was mentioned in her father's will as Hannah Maltby so they must have married ca. 1680. Perhaps the first Mrs. Maltby died when Daniel was born or soon afterwards. Hannah brought the three youngest Willard children to Branford. William Maltby's children were listed as John, Jane, Mary, William, and Eliz-abeth. In another record Daniel is listed as born in 1679. In all, there was a household of nine children in their home in Branford. To determine Hannah's death date we have a record of William and Hannah witnessing a deed to John Yale in 1689. Maltby married again in 1693 (according to Edward Brainard of Guilford) so she must have died ca. 1691 or 92. He remarried Abigail Bishop by whom he had two more children. William Maltby died in 1710, and she died the same year.
I took notes at Godfrey Library in Middletown from a small Maltby book that mentioned the following bequest in William Maltby's will: 'To Jane Parker a bedstead and bed hangings of Hannah and furniture in my hall were all Hannah's.' It seems strange to me that I could not find any of the Willard children mentioned in that will.
Sources for this article:
1) Descendants of Josiah Willard by Stephen F. Willard
2) Hosmer Genealogy by James B. Hosmer
3) Concord Climate for Freedom by Ruth R. Wheeler
4) Maltby-Maltbie Family History, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Refr - Mal 6110
5) Stephen F. Willard's notes from Edward Brainard of Guilford.
6) Willard Memoir, by Joseph Willard, 1858.
John C. Willard: conversation with a lady who had researched the later life of Hannah Hosmer Willard.
7) The History of Ancient Wethersfield by Henry Stiles, Vol. II
The DEED
Stephen F. Willard, Jr put a typescript of the record of Josiah Willard's purchase of the "house & barne and home lott and wood land" in Wethersfield, Connecticut in his 1972 Descendants of Josiah-2 Willard. The typescript was certified as a true copy by then Town Clerk, Arthur Clayton Willard #1681 (StephenÕs brother). This book is now out of print and not widely available, and so we reprint The 18 February 1661 deed.
To all Christian people to whom this Present writing Shall come, know ye, that I, Samuell Martin of the Town of Weathersfeild in Conecticot Jurisdiction of New England, with Pheby my wife, for and in consideration of a valuable Summe of money to me in hand paid in currant pay of New England, by Josiah Willard, of Hartford, in the Jurisdiction of Connectticot in New England, have given, graunted, bargained, sold, aliened, ensealed, assigned, settover, and confirmed and by these presents doo fully, clearly & absolutely give, grant, bargain, sell alien, enfeoffe, assign, settover, & confirme unto the said Josiah Willard, his heires and assignes, forever, our house & barne and home lott and wood land, with all the privilidges and appurtenances belonging thereunto, lying & being in Weathersfeild, the particulars Whereof as they are recorded in Weathersfeild Towne Booke, it being the house and home lott and part of the land bought of Mr. Olcott, John Root & Samuel Bowman, by Mr. Hopkins, Esqr. and Will Gibbins, of Hartford, fellowes of trust for the desposing of an estate given by Will Bisby, London, Gent., for the use of his Daughter, Phebe Martin and her children, and now sold by them being grown to age, to the said Samll Martin and Phebe his wife as appears by Deeds under their hands as follows, that is to say, one house and home lott containing three acres, more or lesse, the ends abut on the Broad Street East and a highway West, the sids against the lands of Nath. Dickinson South and John Edwards, North.
Another pece of upland and Swamp, containing twenty and one acres, more or lesse, the ends abut on Matabeset way east, and the Millway West, the sids against John Dickinson South, and John Rille North. Another pece lying in the Southfeild, containing four acres, more or lesse, the ends abut on Matabeset Way West and the Way between Rocky Hill and Beaver Brooke East, the sids against Robt. Parkes North and John Rilye South. Another pece lying in the West Swamp, containing two acres, more or less, abuting on a Way leading in to Beaver Meadow West and Mr. Welles East, the sids against the land of Robt. Parkes, North and Nath. Dickinson, South. Another pece lying in the Wett Swamp, containing six acres, more or lesse, the sids abut on the Way East and the Middle Line, West, the sids against James Boosey, South and Sam Smith, North;
To have and to hold, the said Dwelling House, barne and lands as aforesaid, with all the profitts, privilidges, and appurtenances to the same belonging, and all and singular, the evidences ecripte, minnuets & writings, which concern the said House, Barne and land or any part thereof, which the said Samll Martin hath, or may obtaine, unto the said Josiah Willard, his heires, executors & assigns, forever: to ther only proper use and behoofe, and the said Samll Martin with Phebe his wife, for themselves, ther heires, executors, & administrators & for every of them do covinent, promise & grant to & with the said Josiah Willard, his heires, executors & assigns, and to and with every of them, by these presents, in manner & forme as followeth, that is to say, that the said Samll Martin with Phebe his wife, have ful power, good right, and Lawful Authority to grant, bargaine, sell & confirme, the forebargained premises & every part and parcel thereof unto the said Josiah Willard, his heires, executors & assignes in Manner and Forme as aforesaid, according to the law intent and meaning of these presents, and that the said Josiah Willard, his heirs, executors and assignes by force of these presents is and shall be lawfully seized to the land in the beforebargained premises and every pece and parcel thereof, of a good, just, lawful indefeisable estate in Fee Simple, without any condition, limitation use or other thing to allter or change the same, and that the same on the date hereof is, and from time to time forever hereafter, shall remaine and continue to the proper use and behoof of the said Josiah Willard, his heires, assignes, executors, forever, free and clear & freely and clearly exonorated, acquited & discharged by the said Samll Martin and Pheabe, his wife, there heires, executors, and assignes, sufficiently saved & keept harmless, of and from, all and all manner of formes and bargaines, sales, gifts, grants, losses, assignments, judgements, executions, forfeitures, seizures, dowries, entailments, and of and from all and singular, other charges, titles, encumbrances and demands whatsoever, had made, done or suffered to be done by the said Sm. Martin & Pheabe, his wife, or any other person or persons whatsoever by his or there acts, meanes, defaults against him, the said Samll Martin, with Pheabe his wife, there heires, executors, and administrators, and all & every other person or persons whatsoever, lawfully claiming any estate, right, title, claim, interest or demand, of, in, or to the land, or any part or portion thereof, from, by or under him, them, or any of them, shall and will Warrant and forever Defend by these presents, and any of them, shall and will Warrant and forever Defend by these presents, and lastly, the said Samll Martin and Phoabe his wife, for themselves, there heires, executors, executors and administrators to covinent, promise and grant to and with the said Josiah Willard, his heirs, executors and assignes, that they shall and may forever, after the day of the date hereof, quietly and peaceably, have, hold, use, occupy, possess and enjoy the above bargained premises with the profits, privilidges and appurtenances to the same belonging, to his and their own propper use and behoof, without the lett, suit, trouble, molestation, denial, contradiction, eviction, ejection or disturbance & the said Samll Martin or Pheabe his wife, their heires, executors, administrators, or any other person or persons whatsoever, lawfully claiming any estate, right, title, interest, claim or demand in or to any pece or parcel thereof, from, by or under him, her or them or any of them, to Josiah Willard.
Whereof the said Samll Martin & Pheabe his wife, have hereunto set their hands and seals, this Eighteenth day of February one thousand six hundred sixty and one,
Signed, Sealed and Delivered in the presence of Samuel Willard. Thomas Boosey. Hannah Paine. Constant Morray.
Samuel Martin. Phebe Martin.