Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

©f the family, was born before 1600. He
came from Sowerby in the West Riding
of Yorkshire, England, to Boston, Massa-
chusetts, in the year 1633, and in 1636
settled in Dedham, Massachusetts, where
he first built the noted "Fairbanks
House," which is still standing as an an-
cient landmark, the oldest dwelling in
New England which for the same period
of time has been continuously owned and
occupied by the builder and his lineal de-
scendants. He was one of the earliest
settlers of Dedham, which was established
in 1636, and signed the covenant, March
23» I037- Before 1637 Jonathan Fair-
banks had been granted at least one of the
twelve-acre lots into which the first allotment
was divided, with four acres of
swamp land ; in the same year he re-
ceived as his proportion of a further
allotment four acres of "swamp" land,
this additional grant being made on
account of the swampy condition of a
portion of the first grant. In 1638 he was
appointed with others "to measure out
those polls of meadow which adjoin to
men's lots and to mete out so much
meadow in several parcels as is allotted
unto them." In 1638 he was allowed six
acres more, which was later exchanged
for other land, and at other times following
he received various small grants. He
was admitted townsman and signed the
covenant in 1654. He died in Dedham,
December 5, 1668. His wife's name was
Grace Lee, and she died October 28, 1673.
(II) Jonathan (2) Fairbanks, youngest
son of Jonathan (1) and Grace (Lee)
Fairbanks, was born in England, and was
admitted a townsman in Dedham, Massa-
chusetts, November 1, 1654. He lived
there during his life, and died January 28,
1711-12. He was a soldier in King Philip's
War, and served in the Mount Hope
campaign in 1675. He married Deborah
Shepard, daughter of Edward Shepard,
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
66
of Cambridge, who came with her father,
May 10, 1643.
(III) Jeremiah Fairbanks, son of Jona-
than (2) and Deborah (Shepard) Fair-
banks, was born November 31, 1674, in
Dedham, Massachusetts. He settled in
Bristol, Rhode Island, where he died
March 28, 1735. He married Mary Penfield,
daughter of Samuel and Mary
(Lewis) Penfield, of Taunton, Massa-
chusetts, May 14, 1698.
(IV) David Fairbanks, son of Jeremiah
and Mary (Penfield) Fairbanks, was
born February 7, 1700, in Bristol, Rhode
Island. He married (intentions pub-
lished, January 6, 1723) Susannah Stacey,
of Newport, Rhode Island.
(V) Samuel Fairbanks, son of David
and Susannah (Stacey) Fairbanks, born
in 1731-32, died May 25, 1794. About
1757 he removed to Ridgefield, Connec-
ticut, where he purchased land in 1758.
He served in the Revolutionary War, en-
listing May 24, 1777, and was discharged
February 1, 1778. He married Mehitable
Heine.
(VI) David (2) Fairbanks, son of
Samuel and Mehitable (Heine) Fair-
banks, was born in Ridgefield, Connecti-
cut, April 13, 1775. He married (first)
April 5, 1795, in Ridgebury, Hannah St.
John. He married (second) Sarah Graham.
(VII) Andrew Graham Fairbanks,
son of David (2) and Sarah (Graham)
Fairbanks, was born in 1810 in Sing Sing,
New York, and died May 19, 1873. For
many years he was a driver of a stage.
He married Sarah Chapin, a native of
England.
(VIII) William Henry Fairbanks, son
of Andrew Graham and Sarah (Chapin)
Fairbanks, was born July 14, 1844, in
Portchester, New York. When he was
a boy of four years his mother died. At
the age of eight he was bound out to a