NORWALK.
 

379
 

Upon that "over river" plain, the site in 1896 of Armory Square, and of the Van
Buren, Chichester, Hyatt, Osborn, and other adjoining Street and Avenue residences, was
reared the home of Thomas Benedict'*"'-, from whose four children—Thomas, Deborah, Ne¬
hemiah and Hannah—have emanated a number of the best known men and women of their
time. Thomass"^-, the eldest of the quartette, a Norwalk merchant, officer, civil engin¬
eer and land proprietor, was the ancestor of the Coles, Earles, Keelers and Woodwards,
as well as of several of the Benedicts now upon the stage. He had succeeded his father in
the ownership of the antique second-story projecting house alluded to, from whence he
liberated, after Independence was declared, and the autumn before the town was burned,
Lucy, Cecil, Nancy and Dorcas, four of his slaves, mercifully, it is inferred, caring for the
same until their arrival at twenty-one years of age. The story of his occupancy of the
old house at the time of the town's burning is told on page 367.
 

The description-completion of the forefathers home-lots—see diagram page 39__

brings these founder-record pages of " NORWALK" to a logical period.

Striking to this town's progenitors must have been the contrast betwixt the hearth¬
stones of P^atherland' and those of the New World of their choice, but still their ruggedly
 

'The copy of the will of Thomas Fitch of Eng¬
land, father of Thomas Fitch'st. of Norwalk, is here
subjoined. In the interests of genealogy and in veri¬
fication of what has been previously hinted in relation
to the "worldly estate" of Thos. Fitch, Sr. of Nor¬
walk the document will repay perusal. The instru¬
ment, dated Dec. ii, 1632, was proven " 12 Feb. 1632."

"To the poor of Bocking three pounds. To my
Eldest son Thomas that Chief Messuage wherein I
now dwell in Bocking, and tbe Messuage adjoining,
now in the occupation of the said Thomas, and all the
lands tenements &c which I purchased of William
Collin in Bocking, and the lands and tenements in
Bocking which I lately purchased of Edward Peppen,
gent, and his wife and John Amptill and his wife, and
the barn in Bocking by Panfield Lane, which I lately
purchased of Thomas Trotter upon condition that he
pay my sister Stracy tw-enty shillings yearly during
her natui-al life."

"To my son and his heirs the Messuage in Bock¬
ing, late of Richard Usher deceased, and which I
lately purchased of Paul Usher and Peter Kirby and
Ursula Bond, widow, and the little garden or orchard
in Bocking, now in the occupation of Richard Skin¬
ner or his assigns, and the tenement in the occupa¬
tion of Thomas Laye in Bocking by Panfield Lane
and the great orchard adjoining which I purchased
of Mr. Thomas Trotter, to enter upon the same at his
age of one and tw-entv vears."

" To my son John two hundred pounds at one and
twenty."
 

"' Item. I give to my sonne James one hundred
pounds to be paid him when he shall be a bachelor of
Art of two years standinge, in the University of Cam¬
bridge, for I desire he should be bredd up a scholler.
And I also give him and my minde is that he shall
have thirtie pounds a year paid him by my Executrix
out of lands and tents., (tenements) from the tyme of
his admission to be a scholler in Cambridge until he
be or have tyme there to be a Master of Arts." To
my sons Nathaniel and Jereiuy, to either of them a
moiety and half part of the farm, messuage, lands
and tenements both free and copy, lying and being in
Birch or Elsewhere, in Essex which I lately purchased
of Wm. Brock, gent, to be equally divided between
them and they to enter upon the same at their several
ages of one and twenty. My Executrix shall lay out
six hundred and fifty pounds within one year after my
decease and shall purchase with the same as much
lands and tenements within the county of Essex as
the same will buy in a frugal and good manner, to be
assured to the use of my two younger sons Samuel &
Joseph. And my wife Anne shall have the lands and
tenements in Birch which I have given to Nathaniel
and Jeremy, and the lands &c. to be purchased for
Samuel and Joseph until these four sons shall sever¬
ally accomplish their ages of sixteen years &c. To
mv three daughters Mary, Anna and Sara three hun¬
dred pounds apiece, whereof two hundred pounds
apiece are to be paid at their several ages of Eight¬
een. And the other hundred at one and twenty. To
mv loving friends Mr. Hooker, Mr. Nathaniel Rogers,