Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

ENCYCU )l'l-:i)l A (
tional Church as pastor many years, and
his sun. Rev. Eli Colton, contributed rive
stalwart sons to the Revolutionary army;
he was pastor of the Congregational
church of < Iranb) .
i I i Quartermaster
George Colton,
founder of the family in New England, of
which Frederick M. Colton, of Granby,
Connecticut, is a twentieth century representative
in the eighth generation, was
born, if tradition be true, in the town of
Sutton, Warwickshire, England, There
seems to be no record of his early coming
there, nor the place of landing, and date of
arrival cannot be given. The first certain
fact is that of his marriage to Deborah
(iardner, of Hartford, Connecticut, and
even that date is given as "about i"44.''
She died in Springfield, Massachusetts,
September 5, 1689, and it is certain that
he reached the Springfield settlement as
early as 1644. He took the oath of alle-
giance in 1668, was made a freeman in
1669, an d in 1670 was a representative to
the General Court. His home was in that
part of Springfield then and now known
as Longmeadow, and there many of the
name are yet found. On March 20, 1672,
he was appointed to lay out and establi-h
the bounds of Suffield, and in the year
1722 fifty acres were laid out in Suffield to
the assigns of George Colton, then de-
ceased, in recognition of public service.'
Other honorable mention is made of him
in the old records which indicate that he
was a trusted, public-spirited member of
his community. His title "Quartermaster"
is said to have been awarded him by
the Massachusetts General Court. All his
nine children were born of his first marriage,
four sons and four daughters grow-
ing to years of usefulness and honor, the
heads of families. The youngest child, a
son, died young. The descent in this line
is through the second son of the founder,
Ephraim.
157
>F m< >GRAPHY
1 Ih
Ephraim Colton, -on ..i George
1 nit. hi. was born in Longmeadi 1
Bai husetts, April 9, [648, died in Enfield,
Connecticut, in [713, eight month
the birth of his eighteenth child, Abigail,
bom January [3, 1714. He settled first in
I ongmeadow, bul aboul [696 mi
Enfield, where he died. He man led. November
17, 1070, Mary Drake, who died
October 19, [681, daughter of I John >rakc,
who came from England before [636, and
settled in Windsor, Connecticut, with his
family. They were the parents of four
children. He married (second) March
26, i685j Esther Marshfield, bora September
6, 1667, died January 14. 1704, daugh-
ter of Samuel and Catherine Marshfield.
They were the parents of fourteen chil-
dren, their third son, Benjamin, a devoted
minister of the Gospel.
(Ill) Rev Benjamin Colton, son of
Ephraim Colton, was born in Longmeadow,
Massachusetts, in [690, died in
West Hartford, Connecticut, March 1.
1752. He was a graduate of Yale Coll
in 1710, and on February 24, 1713, was
installed the first pastor of the Con-
gregational church at West Hartford.
He served that society for many years,
[713-52. He married (first) December 3,
1713. Ruth Taylor, horn in 1693, died May
30, 1725, daughter of Edward Taylor, of
Westfield, Massachusetts. She was the
mother of four children, the eldest a son,
Eli, who like his father was a minister of
the Gospel. He married (second) in 17-"'.
Elizabeth Pitkin, of East Hartford, sister
of Governor William Pitkin. She died
October II, 1760, leaving five children.
\\~) 1 Rev. Eli Colton, son oi Rev. Benjamin
Colton, was born in West Hart-
ford, Connecticut. August 5. 1716, died in
Stafford, Connecticut, June S. 1756. He
was a graduate of Yale College, class of
1737, and a student of theology under his
honored father, Rev. Benjamin Colton,