John MARVIN

John married Sarah GRAHAM on 7 May 1691. Sarah was born about 1670 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut; died on 14 Dec 1760. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Sarah MARVIN was born on 28 Feb 1693/4 in Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut; died after Nov. 1735.

Notes:

Name:
"Descendants of Reinhold and Matthew Marvin": Lieut. Reinold became a freeman of Saybrook 20 May 1658, the same day with his father. He owned much land in Lyme, beside his inheritance there, and in Saybrook. In 1687 his estate in latter place was "Twenty acres of upland and fourteen acres of meadow," valued at L 80; he also owned two "hundred-pound rights" in the "Cow Common of Say Brook," one-half of which was conveyed by his three sons, 27 May, 1700, to John Whittlesey, Jr., of Saybrook. Savage says, on what authority we do not know, that he was a deacon; his son Reinold held that office, but we doubt if the father did, for Lyme Church was not regularly formed until 1693, although the Rev. Moses Noyes was preaching there in 1666, ten years before Lieut. Reinold died.

He represented Lyme in the General Court in the October session in 1670, and from 1672 to his death. he was on the committee appointed in 1666 to divide the town of Saybrook: the two divisions made a "loving parting", 13 February, 1666/7, and the names of Reinold Marvin and William Waller wee two of the six signed to the "parting covenant" for Lyme. The first land records after the separation are attested by Matthew Griswold and Reinold Marvin, "Town Surveyors;" in 1674 they were directed "to give notes with their names to them, for the records of all lands belonging unto this town, which shall be the Recorders security." Reinold was elected townsman February, 1672/3 and again in February, 1674/5; he was chosen, 9 Feb. 1673/4 "to review the town's accounts." 17 Dec 1674, he was chosen "constable for ye ensuing year."

2 Apil 1674, " Renald marvin's ear Marks for all sorts of Creatures onldly horses excepted: which is a Crope and a slite in the Crope one both ears. His Ear Mark for horses is a slite, upon the top off the near ear."

He was appointed "Sergeant to ye Band at Sea Brook," by the General Court at Hartford, 3 Oct. 1661, when Waller was made ensign, and succeeded him as lieutenant, which post he filled until his death. 10 May, 1677, the company being unable to agree on his successor, Matthew Griswold was appointed "to supply ye place of a Lievtenant till such choyse and approbation be made thereof by the Court." In 1678, the trouble continuing, "In order that the election of a lieutenant and ensign to be approved by the General Court....might be carried on in a solemn way... Mr. Noyes (Minister at Lyme) was desired to a sermon at the tie, which he was pleased accordingly to attend." Reinold is usually referred to on the later records as "Lieutenant," which distinguishes him from his father, who had no military title, and from his son, known as "Lyme's Captain."

The Lyme and Saybrook train-bands had some exciting experiences in the years just before Lieut. Reinold died. War had been declared against the Dutch in November, 1672, and a special assembly, convened at Hartford in August, 1673, ordered that all train-bands "should be complete in their arms." In July, 1676, Andros attempted to seize the fort at Saybrook, erected at the mouth of the river b Capt. Lyon Gardiner in 1635; on his approach it was hurriedly manned by the train-bands of the town, under command of Capt. Bull; on the morning of 12 July, Major Andros requested an interview, on the shore, with the minister and principal officers of Saybrook. On landing, he was met by Capt. Bull and the officers of the fort, but was not permitted to read his commission. No doubt the train-band of Lyme, under Lieut. Marvin, was present at that critical moment, which was only three weeks before his death.

Lieut. Reinold is often mentioned in the connecticut Colonial records. In October, 1660, Reinold and Waller had a difficulty with one William Parker, about certain "jades" (horses) which were claimed by "the country," and Matthew Griswold was concerned in it, adversely to Reinold. The latter was ordered to surrender them, but refused to obey, considering the demand unlawful; and in 1662/3, the "Marshall was ordered to distrein the sum of L50 of his estate for neglecting the order." The Colonial claim was later proved to be unjust, for Waller, as Reinold's agent, was "allowed one-quarter part of this L50, for his part of the horses, and Matthew Griswold was ordered not to trouble Reinold Marvin or William Waller for any part of the horses for which the bill is made." The elder Reinold was then dead.

Lieut. Reinold and his brother-in-law were among the champions of Lyme in the famous contests with New London, concerning the boundary line between the two towns. At the County Court in Hartford, 12 March, 1671, John Prentice complained of "Reynald marvin and others, for riotous practices and assaults on New London people." The Lyme men indicted their adversaries in similar terms, "for violence to drive them off their lands." The disputed territory, a strip about two miles wide between Bride Brook and Niantic River, contained about twenty-five acres of the "ministry farm;" it was finally included in the township of Lyme. Miss Caulkins has an amusing account of the conflict, which was "more comic than fearful or sublime. The encounter terminated without any serious injury on either side; the leaders drank a draft of seeming friendship together and all retired quietly from the field."

Reinold married Sarah CLARK about 1662. Sarah was born about 1642; was christened on 18 Feb 1643/4 in Milford, Connecticut; died on 1 Feb 1715/16. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of George, Jr. and Sarah Clark

Notes:

Name:
"Descendants of Reinold and Matthew Marvin": Reinold, son of Edward and Margaret marvin, was baptized 25 Oct., 1594, in St. Mary's Church, Great Bentley, Essex, England. He died in Lyme, Ct., in the summer of 1662; his will is dated 23 may; the Inventory was presented 28 October of that year. He married Marie -----(Judging from the date of baptism of her eldest child) in 1617 or 1618, but no record has been found. t. mary's Register is not complete. She died in Lyme, probably in the summer of 1661, not long before her husband, as is evident from his will......

The record of his departure, and the name of the ship in which he sailed, have not been found; many emigrants from northern Essex took shipping for New England from Ipswich at this period, as it was a nearer port than London, and very likely Reinold was among them. The last mention of his name in Great Bentley was in 1637' he appears in Hartford, Ct., in 1638, where Matthew already had a home; thus we know within a few months the date of his arrival. Doubtless his wife and surviving children came with him; at least three had died in England, and only Reinold and Mary are names in his will.

His home-lot in Hartford was at the north end of the "West Field," near those of Thomas Upson and Thomas Barnes. An entry in the early Hatford records shows that at a town-meeting held 28 Oct., 1640, a vote was passed by which it was
"Ordered ye Renall maruen hath liberty to by Thomas Vpfonfe lot, & to Pofes it vpon the termes yt other men doe yt is when he fells it, he is to doe according to ye order provided in that behalfe."

His name does not appear in a list of the landholders in hartford, dated February, 1639/40. About this time he removed to Framington, of which he was one of the earliest proprietors The exact date cannot be given, for the Farmington records begin with 1646.

Reinold next removed to Saybrook, at the mouth of the Connecticut River; this town was settled about 1640, and called the "town-side," while Lyme, on the eastern side, then had but few if any inhabitants. The Saybrook records before 1660 are missing, and there are no Church records extant of the pastorate of Mr. Fitch, the first minister; but we find that "Randall" Marvin, William Waller, and Thomas Adgate (who married Matthew marvin's daughter Mary) were present at a town-meeting held 7 Jan'y, 1655/6.

He was made a freeman of Saybrook 20 May, 1658 "at a Gen Court of Election." He was then in his 64th year. A paper dated 12 Dec., 1659, and signed by "Renald Maruen," William Waller, Francis Bushnell, and others, was sent to the Governor and magistrates by the signers, saying that the greater part of the Saybrook Church, with some of the town and the minister, were removing, but they intended to stay.

He is frequently named in Colonial Records of Connecticut, Vol. I, but it is often difficult to decide whether father or son is intended. Once or twice he is termed "goodman," which, says Drake, was at that time applied to the same persons who are elsewhere on the same records called "Mr."--the title of respect given to clergymen, "Assistants," and others of high position. the elder Reinold held no public office, so far as we know, but is called "Mr. Reynold Marvin."

Lyme was made a distinct town in May, 1667 ; it had then but about thirty families. Its meadows and cornfields had been cultivated by armed men fro Saybrook, among whome no doubt were Reinold and his son, and Waller, his son-in-law. Here Reinold built a house, retaining his home-lot and considerable land at Saybrook. At his death his largest holdings were in Lyme, very considerable portions of which remain in the possession of his descendants, --of the name or the blood-- at the present time.

It is not known where Reinold and his wife were buried; perhaps the old burying-ground on the hill where the first meeting-house stood, was their resting-place; but there are two stones, now without legible inscription if they ever bore any, and evidently of great age, still standing in the Duck River buying-ground, in Lyme, near and on the east of the grave of Lieut. Reinold Marin, which may mark the place of their interment. His will was exhibited in Court, 9 July, 1663, and ordered to be recorded, and his son "Renold Marvin was admitted to administer upon his estate."

Reinold married Marie UNKNOWN on 1617 or 1618. Marie died in 1661 in Lyme, Connecticut. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name:
"Descendants of Reinhold and Matthew Marvin": Her death was attributed to "witchcraft." At a Quarter Court held at Hartford, 5 Sept., 1661, Nicholas Jennings and his wife Margaret, of Saybrook, were indicted for "having enterteined familiarity with Sathan... and by his help done works about ye course of nature, to ye loss of ye liues of several psons, and in pticuler ye wife of Reynold marvin....with other sorceries." The jury did not agree; a "Majority found them guilty, and the rest found strong ground for suspicion." About 1657 there had been "Suspitions about Witchery" in Saybrook, and the General Court sent Mr. Samuel Wyllys thither to investigate matters. In march, 1662/3, after Jennings' trial, the Court disallowed the account of the "Sea Brook Constables" for witnesses, and refused to "pay for their time and travaile, nor to any other upon such accounts for ye future."