Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

forthwith concluded not to further incur
the anger of so rough a lover, and they
were married shortly afterward. One of
their sons ruled Normandy. Another,
William Rufus, became King of England
on the death of his father.
Baldwin as cognomen and surname fig-
ures notably in English history from the
end of the seventh century. The ancestor
of John Hampden, the English patriot of
ship money fame, was Baldwin de Hamp-
den. We read of Baldwin D'Anesnes, son
of Margaret, Countess of Flanders and
Hainaut. He is known as the historian of
his house in the thirteenth century. William
the Conqueror created one Baldwin
hereditary Viscount of Devonshire and
Baron of Okehampton. He was succeeded
by his son Richard. Hemington was held
by Baldwin de Pettour, who was obliged
every Christmas to go to Saltus, Sufflus,
and Pettus, to retain his estate.
Rev. Thomas Baldwin, who died in
1190, at the siege of Petolemais, was the
author of "De Sacremento Atlantis,"
"Bibliotheca Patrum Cisterciensum," and
several other commentaries. Rev. Wil-
liam Baldwin, scholar and divine, was the
author of a work called "A Mirror for
Magistrates," and of several plays, poems,
comedies, tragedies, similes, etc. We
read also of Benjamin Baldwin, an arch-
eologist of the sixteenth century ; of Sir
Thomas Baldwin, a miscellaneous writer
of the seventeenth century ; of Fredericus
Baldwin of Wittenberg, in 1628, who
wrote a Latin "Treatise on Cases of Con-
science."
Mr. C. C. Baldwin, in his "Baldwin
Genealogy," gives much interesting information
concerning the family in England,
and particularly of the Bucks county
branch from which the American emigrants
came. He tells us that "The most
eminent Baldwin of Bucks was Sir John
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
172
Baldwin, Chief Justice of the Common
Pleas of England, 1536 to 1546, when he
died. He was lord of the Manor of Aylesbury.
His office was very lucrative and
he was very rich. In 1540 Henry VIII.
granted him the home and site of Gray
Friars in Aylesbury." Richard Baldwin,
of Dundredge, County Bucks, was the
direct ancestor of the American Baldwins.
The first Baldwin settlers in New Eng-
land were all kindred, but not all broth-
ers. The family to-day is found in every
part of the United States, and for two and
a half centuries has been honorably represented
in professional, business and
public life. Henry Baldwin was a judge
of the Supreme Court of the United
States. Baldwins have been governors of
states, members of congress, divines,
authors, and leaders in every honorable
walk of life. One Abram Baldwin was a
member of the convention which framed
the Constitution of the United States. He
later was instrumental in the founding of
the Georgia University. Matthias Baldwin,
the distinguished inventor, rose from
a humble place to the foremost rank. Beginning
in a small shop, of which he was
the sole occupant, he became the head of
an establishment employing a thousand
workmen. He was the builder of the first
American locomotive.
Connecticut has been the home of one
of the most distinguished branches of the
family for over two hundred and fifty
years. It was here, in the early town of
New Haven, that John Baldwin, founder
of the line herein under consideration,
settled prior to 1648.
(I) John Baldwin, the progenitor, was
born in England ; all evidence points to
the fact that he was of the distinguished
County Bucks family, and kinsman
(brother, nephew or cousin) of Sylvester
Baldwin, whose nuncupative will he wit-
,