Genealogy of the Fitch family in North America - citizen hylbom blog

GENEALOGY. 19
terbury, several miles in extent. In addition, also,
he owned land in various localities in the neigh-
borhood of Norwich, and as one of Joshua's lega-
tees, and an original proprietor of Windham, was
allotted live one thousand acre shares, one located
at Windham Centre, one at Willimantic, and three
at Mansfield. He settled at Norwich, but lived in
Preston, Plainfield, and Canterbury, of which latter
town he was the founder, having purchased the
land, made the first clearing, laid it out in farm
and house lots, and erected the first barn and
framed house within its limits. He was a brave
and experienced partisan soldier in the Indian
wars ; and active in politics, representing Norwich
for several sessions, in the General Assembly, and
was chosen, in 1681, one of the Assistants of the
Colony. An early patron of Yale College, to
which he gave the glass and nails for its first
edifice, he further renewed his interest by an endowment
of 637 acres of land in Killingly Township—an
act which, in the then peculiar situation
of the infant institution, (1701) ensured its established
permanence. He evidently possessed good
abilities, excellent business capacity, great activity,
energy, and industry, and was among the very
foremost men of the Colony in his day. He died
in Canterbury, November 10, 1727, aged 80."