Generation five

The migrant ancestor George Denison was baptized on 10 December 1620 in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. [1] 1 He died on 23 October 1694 during the session of the General Court at Hartford and was buried there. He married Bridget Thompson in March 1640/1. Bridget was the daughter of John and Alice (Freeman) Thompson of Little Preston, Preston Capes, Northamptonshire, England and the sister of Reverand Thompson of Braintree. She was baptized on 11 September 1622 in Preston Capes. She died in 1643. George married second Ann Borodell. [2]

As young men, George and his brother Edward were apparently in disrepute with the church in Roxbury. In 1647 Reverend John Elliot wrote, “This winter we had a gracious p’vidence of God befell two brothers Edward & Georg Denison, who had been proude incendiarys of some trobls among us, & full of distemp’, and disaffection. but the Lord left them to open and shamefull drunkenness at Boston: espec’. Edward. Weh did so greatly humble them both yt though George (being a member) was excommunicated, yet in a short time was taken in again.” [3]

Shortly after his first marriage, George Denison, gentleman of Roxbury, and his wife Bridget, the daughter of John Thompson late of Preston in the county of Northampton and deceased and his wife Mrs. Alice Thompson now of Roxbury, gave power of attorney to two men to receive Bridget’s portion of her father’s estate. [4]

George’s brother Major General Daniel Denison wrote to his grandchildren about his family saying about George, “Brother George buried his first wife in the year 1643, went into England and was a soldier there above a year, was at the Battle of York or Marston Moor, where he did good service, was afterward taken prisoner, but got free and having married a second wife he returned to New England, the year before our mother died, and not long after removed himself to New London.” [5]

George was one of the first settlers in Stonington. The town of New London granted him 200 acres in the Pequotsepos valley in Mystic in 1652 and his house was raised there on 3 May 1663. [6] On 21 May 1653 he was appointed to a committee to advise the constable in Pequot in pressing men for a military expedition. On 18 May 1654 the Court gave him the authority to board vessels entering the harbor at Pequot to ensure that corn and other provisions were not being transported illegally out of the jurisdiction. On 3 October 1654 he was appointed to a three-person committee to press men in Pequot. [7]

In the Massachusetts order of 1658 incorporating the town of Sothertown, Captain George Denison is first among those listed to order its prudential affairs. The township came under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts in 1662 and George did not willingly assent to this. In October 1664 the Connecticut General Court pardoned the inhabitants of Mystic and Pawcatuck who had resisted the authority of Connecticut—except, for George. On 10 May 1666 the pardon was extended to George. [8]

George appears frequently in Thomas Minor’s diary. In December 1658 Thomas wrote that “the Captaine was arrested.” In February 1659 he wrote, “I was questioned at my ffathers [father-in-law Walter Palmer] for being a leader to make division 2ly to take ye Captains power from him.” In May 1661 he wrote, “the Captaine and I wer at new London and they denied us the records till they did heare from the governor and Courte.”

George had some dispute with Herman Garret regarding the Indians and on 11 May 1665 Mr. Thomas Stanton and Thomas Minor were empowered to investigate and if things were not settled to Herman Garret’s satisfaction, they were to summon him to court. On 12 October 1665 Captain George Denison, having failed to appear despite being called before the court, forfeited his bond. On 10 May 1677 Captain Denison pointed out his service to the colony in King Philip’s War and successfully requested that his fine from two years ago be waived. [9]

George appears in a 1668 census conducted in Stonington. [10] He is on a 5 October 1669 list of freemen in Stonington. [11] Captain Denison was taken into full communion in the first church in Stonington on 24 August 1684. [12] He was on a committee that laid out a highway beginning at Mystic River and running to Mistuxet Brook. The committee made a report on 5 April 1669. [13]

Captain George Denison—an extremely competent soldier—played a prominent role in King Philip’s War. [14] On 12 February 1676 he was appointed Provost Marshall of New London County and on 10 May 1677 he was paid 50 shillings for is services. [15]

George Denison of Stonington wrote his will on 24 January 1693/4. It was exhibited on 4 June 1694. [16] He noted that he has already given portions to his children. He left his wife Ann his house, barns, buildings, land, stock and household goods. He gave his eldest son John his “great sword and gauntlet which I wore in the wars of England.” He left his son William his “rapier and broad buff belt and the cartridge box which I used in the Indian Wars, together with my long carbine, which belt and sword I used in the same service.” He mentioned his son George, William’s wife Sarah, his eldest daughter Sarah Stanton, his daughters Hannah Saxton, Ann Palmer, Margaret Brown and Borodell Stanton, his grandson George Palmer and his son-in-law Gershom Palmer. [17]

Ann Borodel was the daughter of John Borodell of Cork, Ireland. She was born say 1625. She died after 24 January 1693/4. She married Captain George Denison.

In his will, George Denison wrote that, “there is considerable rent due me for a house of my wife, in Cork, in Ireland, which was given unto her as a legacy by her father, John Borrodel, at his death.”

Mrs. Anne Denison attended the ordination of Rev. James Noyes at the first church in Stonington on 10 September 1674. [18]

i. Sarah Denison was born on 20 March 1641. She married Thomas, the son of Thomas Stanton (#70). [19]

ii. Hannah Denison was born on 20 May 1643. She married first Nathaniel Chesebrough in 1659. He died on 22 November 1678. She married second Captain Joseph Saxton on 15 July 1698. [20]

In May 1672 Thomas Minor wrote in his diary, “nathaniell Cheesbrough was ill … the doctor let Nathanell Cheesbroughs blood.” [21]

iii. Seargent John B. Denison was born on 14 July 1646. He died on 26 April 1698. He married Phebe Lay on 26 November 1667. Phebe, the daughter of Robert Lay of Saybrook, died in 1699, age 49. [22]

John appears in a 1668 census conducted in Stonington. [23] Mr. John Denison of Stonington was presented to be a freeman on 13 May 1669. He was appointed an ensign for the county of New London on 7 August 1673. [24] John was admitted to the first church in Stonington on 29 July 1677. His wife Phebe was baptized owned the covenant and was admitted on 14 October 1677. [25]

John Denison of Stonington made his will on 26 April 1698. It was proved on 16 June 1698. He mentioned his children and his wife. Gershom Palmer and John Stanton were witnesses. [26]

iv. Ann Denison (#33) died on 17 November 1706. She died on 17 November 1706. She married Gershom Palmer.

v. Borodell Denison was born in 1651. She married Samuel, the son of Thomas Stanton (#70) on 23 June 1680. [27]

vi. George Denison was born in 1653. He died on 27 December 1711, age 59. He married Mercy Gorham. Mercy was the daughter of John and Desire (Howland) Gorham and the granddaughter of John Howland of the Mayflower. She died on 24 September 1725. [28]

In his will, George’s father says that he had given George land and that he and his wife had signed the deed and it had been sealed and witnessed, but that George refused to acknowledge it so that it could be formally recorded. He complains that George then sold the land. “[W]hat his reasons may be I cannot certainly divine, but have it to fear they are not good or tending to peace after my decease.” [29]

George Denison and his wife owned the covenant at the first church in Stonington on 16 April 1689. Marcy Denison owned the covenant on 18 April 1689 and she was admitted to the church on 8 June 1690. [30]

vii. Captain William Denison was born in 1655. He died on 2 March 1715. He married Sarah (Stanton) Prentice as her second husband. Sarah was the daughter of Thomas Stanton (#70). She died on 7 August 1713. [31]

His father left William’s mother in his care. Regarding William he notes, “former experiences we have had of his great industry and childlike duty in the management of all our concern, for our comfort and comfortable supply.” [32]

William Denison owned the covenant at the first church in Stonington on 16 April 1689. [33]

1. GMB, 523.

2. “Will of George Denison.” Clarence Almon Torrey, "Alice (Freeman) (Tompson) Parke," The American Genealogist 13, 1936, 1–8. Ann’s last name is spelled in various ways in different records.

3. William B. Trask, “Rev. John Eliot’s Records of the First Church in Roxbury, Mass.,” NEHGR 33 (1879), 238.

4. Torrey, "Alice (Freeman) (Tompson) Parke.”

5. Daniel Denison Slade, “Autobiography of Major-General Daniel Denison,” NEHGR 46 (1892), 128.

6. HTS, 338.

7. PRC, vol. 1, 243, 258, 264.

8. PRC, vol. 2, 36.

9. PRC, vol. 2, 17, 310.

10. FCC, 40–41.

11. PRC, vol. 2, 523.

12. FCC, 189.

13. HTS, 105.

14. PRC, vol. 2, 407, 418, 427–31, 435, 444, 448–9, 459, 468, 448–9, 459, 474, 484–8, 490.

15. PRC, vol. 2, 306, 448.

16. Jacobus, “New London Probate Records,” The American Genealogist 10 (1933), 215.

17. “Will of George Denison.”

18. FCC, 189.

19. Sarah’s birth date and husband’s name in HTS, 336.

20. Hannah’s birth date, her first husband’s name, death date and their marriage year and her second husband’s name and their marriage date in HTS, 336, 338.

21. DTM, 109.

22. John’s birth date, his death year, his wife’s name, his wife’s father’s name, her death year and age in HTS, 338–9. April 1698: 26 “sargen Deneson departed this life,” in DMM, 29. “Tuesday 26 of november 1667 John Denison was maried,” in DTM, 199.

23. FCC, 40–41.

24. PRC, vol. 2, 105, 206.

25. FCC, 189, 195.

26. Jacobus, “New London Probate Records,” 215.

27. Borodell’s birth year and husband’s name in HTS, 338.

28. George’s birth year, his wife’s name and ancestry and their death dates in HTS, 338, 340.

29. “Will of George Denison.”

30. FCC, 190, 193, 194.

31. William’s birth year, Sarah’s father and first husband and William’s death date in HTS, 338, 340.

32. “Will of George Denison.”

33. FCC, 193.

34. Margaret’s birth year and husband’s name in HTS, 338.

35. Mary’s birth year and death date in HTS, 338.