Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

2, 1766, died October 29, 1839. Deodate
Davenport married, September 25, 1788,
Abigail Handford, who died September
6, 1848, aged eighty years. Their daugh-
ter, Polly A. Davenport, became the wife
of Amzi Scofield, as above mentioned.
WILLARD FAMILY,
Ancestral History.
The surname of Willard was in use as
a personal name from ancient times.
Earlier than its use as a surname, it was
a local or place name in England. In the
time of William the Conqueror the family
was fully established in England, and
from the time of the compilation of
Domesday Book until now, Willards have
been resident in the counties of Suffolk
and Kent.
(I) Richard Willard, to whom the line
is traced, grandfather of the American im-
migrant, was a yeoman at Brenchley,
England, where he died. He was the
father of Richard (2) Willard, of whom
further.
(II) Richard (2) Willard, son of Richard
(1) Willard, was a resident of County
Kent, England. The latter married for
his second wife, Margery, and she died
December 12, 1608. Their son, and the
thirteenth child of Richard (2) Willard,
was Major Simon Willard, of whom fur-
ther.
(III) Major Simon Willard, son of
Richard (2) and Margery Willard, was
the immigrant ancestor, and was in New
England as early as 1634. He was born
at Horsmonden, County Kent, England,
in 1605. He was a soldier in Kent as a
young man. He arrived in the spring of
1634, and as soon as he was established
at Cambridge, Massachusetts, began to
trade with the Indians. He acquired a
thousand acres of land granted to him and
several subsequent grants. Simon Wil-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
211
lard was among the founders and first
settlers of Concord, Massachusetts, and in
1636 was representative to the General
Court. He was magistrate and assistant
judge and was appointed to train the
military company. In 1653 he was sergeant
major of the Middlesex Company
and commander-in-chief of the Narragan-
sett Expedition in 1654-55. During the
King Philip War he performed valiant
service. In 1659 Major Willard removed
to Lancaster, and twelve years later to
Groton. In 1676 his home was burned by
the Indians, but until his death, April 24,
1676, he never failed to aid, by training
and in many ways of assistance, the colo-
nists.
(IV) Henry Willard, son of Major
Simon and his wife, Mary Willard, was
born at Concord, Massachusetts, June 4,
1655. He lived at Groton, Still River,
Lancaster and Harvard, Massachusetts.
Henry Willard was a farmer, and his
estate at Groton and Lancaster was con-
siderable. He married (first) July 18,
1674, Mary Lakin, of Groton, and she
died not later than 1688.
(V) Joseph Willard, son of Henry and
Mary (Lakin) Willard, was born at Lancaster,
Massachusetts, in 1686, and was
a town officer at Harvard for many
years. He died July 30, 1761. His wife
was Elizabeth Tarbell, daughter of
Thomas and Elizabeth (Blood) Tarbell,
born at Groton, August 19, 1691, died
December 23, 1763.
(VI) Lemuel Willard, son of Joseph
and Elizabeth (Tarbell) Willard, was
born July 28, 1725, at Harvard, Massachusetts,
and died in October, 1775. He mar-
ried, November 26, 1747, Hannah Haskell,
and she died January 26, 1802. Lemuel
Willard was long a deacon of the church,
and one of the most esteemed citizens.
(VII) Dr. Elias Willard, son of Lemuel
and Hannah (Haskell) Willard, was