Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

The name appears under a great variety
of spellings in England and America,
such as Tyrel, Tyrrell, Terrell, Tirrell,
and others. In the early records of Essex
County, Massachusetts, it often appears
as Thurrall, and under this name it went
thence to the ancient town of Windham,
Connecticut, where the first of this family
now known is discovered. In Cromwell's
time several moved to Ireland, whence
they soon after came to America. These
included three brothers, William, James,
and John. Lewis Terrill, probably a son
of one of these, born about 1700-1710, set-
tled in Mansfield, part of the old town of
Windham, and married (second), May 30,
1745, Anna Simons. The second son of
this union, Arad, was born August 23,
1750, in what is now Coventry, and lived
several years in Hampden, formerly a
part of Hampshire County, Massachusetts,
whence he moved to Benninglon
County, Vermont. There he died, leaving
a numerous family and he has many de-
scendants in that State. He was a blacksmith
and farmer, industrious and prosperous.
In 1790 the census shows he was
living in Rupert, Bennington County. He
married Jemima Brace, and they were the
parents of seven children. The eldest of
these, Timothy Terrill, was born August
7, 1770, in Hampden, was a farmer in
Rupert, a Congregationalist and Whig,
and died at the age of sixty-two years.
He married, November 22, 1792, in Ru-
pert, Martha Leavitt. Their second child
and eldest son, Moses Terrill, was born
May 9, 1799, in Rupert, purchased a tract
of land near the paternal homestead,
which he cleared and tilled until his death,
in 1883. He was largely self-educated,
after attaining his majority, was industri-
ous and shrewd, acquired a competence,
and was influential and public-spirited.
In early life he was a Democrat, later
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156
joined the Liberty party, and was a Re-
publican from the organization of that
party. He represented his town in the
State Legislature. He married, in Octo-
ber, 1825, Matilda Weld, born April 14,
1801, in Cornish, New Hampshire, daughter
of Moses and Miriam (Harding) Weld,
who moved to Vermont in 181 1. She was
a descendant of Joseph Weld, of Welsh
stock, who came from Suffolk, England,
to Massachusetts in 1636, when he became
a freeman. He rendered important serv-
ice to the colony and received valuable
estates in Roxbury as a reward and was
the richest man in the colony at the time
of his death. He stands third on the
original roll of the Ancient and Honorable
Artillery Company, and was chosen ensign
at its organization, on the first Monday
of June, 1638. The family is traced
back to 1352, when William Weld was
high sheriff of London. In 1637 Joseph
Weld was representative of Roxbury in
the general court and several years following,
and was captain of militia. He
was a son of Edmund Weld of Sudbury,
Suffolk, England, and died October 7,
1646. His wife, Elizabeth, died in Octo-
ber, 1638. John Weld, eldest son of
Joseph, born October 28, 1623, in Eng-
land, came to America in 1638, was a freeman
in 1650, served in King Philip's War
and died September 20, 1691. He married,
December 24, 1647, Margaret Bowen,
daughter of Griffith Bowen, who came
from Wales and lived in Boston. Lieutenant
Joseph Weld, second son of John
Weld, born September 15, 1650, died b'^-
fore 1719, when his widow married a set,
ond husband. He married, November 27,
1679, Sarah Faxon of Braintree, daughter
of Richard and Elizabeth Faxon, grand-
daughter of Thomas Faxon who became a
freeman of Braintree in 1657 and died
October 14, 1675. John Weld, second son