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Captain Thomas Noyes (1679–1755), son Reverend James Noyes and Dorothy Stanton

Elizabeth Sanford (c. 1685–1762), daughter of Governor Peleg Sanford and Mary Coddington

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Thomas, the son of Reverend James Noyes, was born on 15 August 1679 in Stonington. [1] Thomas, the son of Mr. James Noyes, was baptized on 22 September 1679 in Stonington. [2] Captain Thomas Noyes died on 26 June 1755 in Stonington. [1] He married Mrs. Elizabeth Sanford of Newport, Rhode Island on 3 September 1705 in Newport. [1]

Elizabeth Sanford was born about 1685, based on her gravestone. She died on 23 October 1762. [3] She married Captain Thomas Noyes.

Elizabeth’s gravestone in the Ancient Burial Ground in Stonington says, “In memory of/Elizabeth ye wife/of Capt. Thomas Noyes who died/Octr ye 23rd 1762/age about 77 years.” [4]

Elizabeth, the wife of Thomas Noyes, was admitted to the first church in Stonington on 27 April 1706. [2]

Thomas was a deputy for Stonington in 1713, 1714, 1717, 1718, 1725, 1727, 1729 and 1733. [5]

By a 3 July 1718 deed James Noyes of Stonington sold his son Thomas Noyes of Stonington 250 acres of land called Musqueta Neck or Noyes’ Point, then in Stonington and now in Westerly, for 2,000 pounds. Thomas never lived there and left the land to his sons Sanford and Joseph, who did live there. [5]

Thomas was captain of the Stonington military company and Justice of the Peace for New London County in 1723. [5][6, 488–90]

Thomas’s gravestone in the Ancient Burial Ground in Stonington says, “In Memory of/Capt. Thomas Noyes/Son of ye Revd. Mr. James/Noyes. he was born/Augst ye 15th 1679 and/died June ye 26th 1755.” [4]

Thomas Noyes of Stonington wrote his will on 10 February 1755. He left his wife Elizabeth the use of his household goods, a third of the profits from his real estate and his slave called Potter for the rest of her life. He mentioned Mary, the widow of his son Thomas and her children; his sons James, Sanford and Joseph Noyes; his daughters Elizabeth Palmer, Dorothy Palmer, Mary Billing, Rebecca Denison, Abigail Hallam, Anna Frink and Bridget Denison. He named his wife and his sons James and Joseph his executors. An inventory of his estate, taken 15 July 1755, included a silver watch, a silver-headed cane, a silver snuff box, silverware, a substantial amount of china, “1 old negro man slave named Jeffry, ditto named Peter, Indian boy Jonathan,” livestock, a parcel of land on the north side of the country road in Stonington and the remainder of his farm in Stonington. [7]

Elizabeth Noyes made her will on 1 April 1761. Witnesses testified on 15 November 1762. She mentioned her sons James, Sanford and Joseph Noyes; her daughter Grace, the wife of her son James; her grandson Thomas, the son of her deceased son Thomas; her daughters Anna Frink, Dorothy Palmer, Abigail Hallam and Bridget Denison. She says that her other children, not mentioned in her will, had received their portion of her deceased husband’s estate in full. [7]

Children of Captain Thomas Noyes and Elizabeth Sanford, all births recorded in Stonington, the first ten as children of Thomas and Elizabeth and the last two as the children of Capt. Thomas and Elizabeth. [1] Baptisms of the first nine children, as children of Thomas, recorded in Stonington. [2]

i. Elizabeth Sanford Noyes was born on 11 October 1706. She died on 24 December 1760 in Stonington. She married Lieutenant Ichabod Palmer.

ii. Dorothy Noyes was born on 23 June 1708. She was baptized on 1 August 1708. She married as his second wife John Palmer on 26 December 1728 in Stonington. [1] John, the son of Moses and Abigail (Allen) Palmer and grandson of Moses Palmer, was born on 19 June 1705 in Stonington. [1] He married first Ann Chesebrough on 18 January 1726/7 in Stonington. [8] Ann, the daughter of Samuel and Mary (Ingraham) Chesebrough was born on 9 October 1706 in Stonington. [1][8] She died on 3 March 1726/7 in Stonington. [1]

Dorothy’s grandmother Dorothy (Stanton) Noyes left bequests to her four granddaughters bearing her name in her will of 22 April 1730.

iii. Thomas Noyes was born on 26 January 1709. He was baptized on 9 April 1710 in Stonington. He died before 10 February 1755, when Mary is referred to as his widow in his father’s will. He married Mary Thompson on 1 May 1723. [6, 488–9] Mary was the daughter of Isaac and Mary (Holmes) of Westerly. [6, 488–9]

iv.  Mary Noyes was born on 28 January 1711/2. She was baptized on 13 April 1712. Mary, the wife of Ebenezer, Jr. died on 10 November 1753 in Stonington. [1] She married Captain Ebenezer Billings on 20 November 1733 in Stonington. Ebenezer, usually referred to as Ebenezer, Jr., was the son of Lieutenant Ebenezer and Phebe (Denison) Billings and the grandson of Ebenezer Billings. [1][9] He was born on 20 March 1710/11 in Stonington. [1] He was baptized on 27 May 1711 in Stonington. [10] He died on 3 July 1759. [9] He married second [as her second husband?] Sarah (Chesebrough) Geer. [9][10] Sarah, the daughter of Sergeant Samuel and Priscilla (Alden) Chesebrough was born on 14 August 1715 and died on 5 February 1780. [8][9][10] She married first as his second wife Captain James Geer on 27 November 1739.[8] She married third as his fourth wife Captain John Denison on 3 March 1762 in North Stonington. [8][10] John was the husband of Mary’s sister Rebecca.

Mary, Ebenezer and Sarah are buried in the Great Plains Cemetery in North Stonington. There inscripstions say: [11]

Mary, the wife of Ebenezer, was admitted to the church in Stonington on 4 January 1733/4. On 9 January 1736/7 she was admitted to the church in North Stonington from the Church of Christ in the East Society. Ebenezer, Jr. was admitted to communion on 26 December 1736 in North Stonington. [10]

Ebenezer was a soldier in Major Denison’s company in the French-Indian War. [12]

v. Captain James Noyes was born on 30 March 1713/4. He was baptized on 6 June 1714. He died on 19 April 1793. He married Grace Billings on 22 June 1739 in Stonington. [1] Grace was the sister of James’s sister Mary’s husband. Grace, the daughter of Ebenezer, was born on 27 May 1716 in Stonington. [1] She died on 23 January 1792.

James and Grace are buried in the Noyes Cemetery in Stonington. The inscriptions on their gravestones say: [11]

James Noyes made his will on 17 February 1792. It was proved on 7 May 1793. James mentions his children, but not his wife. His property included a farm that his father Captain Thomas Noyes had given him. He is referred to as “Capt.” in his probate papers. [7]

vi. Sanford Noyes was born on 29 November 1715. He was baptized on 12 February 1715/6. He died on 1 March 1715/6 in Stonington.

On 12 February 1715/6 Manasseh Minor wrote, “thomas noyeses son was baptized.” [13]

vii. Sanford Noyes was born on 12 February 1716/7.  He was baptized on 19 May 1717. He married Mary Lawton on 24 November 1738 in Westerly. [6, 488–90][14]

viii. Rebecca Noyes was born on 15 March 1719. She was baptized on 17 May 1719.  She died on 11 September 1754. She married Captain John Denison as his third wife. [6, 488–9] John, the son of Edward and Mercy Denison, was born in 1701. [6, 341–2] He died on 28 November 1777, age 76. John married first Ann Denison on 9 November 1720. Ann, the daughter of William and Mary (Avery) Denison was born in 1703. [6, 341–2] She drowned in a well on 15 September 1721. He married second Mary Noyes. Mary died on 14 June 1742, age 37. He married fourth as her third husband Sarah (Chesebrough) (Geer) Billings. Sarah’s second husband was Captain Ebenezer Billings, the husband of Rebecca’s sister Mary.

John and his first three wives are buried in the Denison Burying Ground in Mystic. The inscriptions on their gravestones say: [11]

ix. Abigail Noyes was born on 12 May 1721. She was baptized on 12 November 1721. She died on 6 October 1801, age 80. She married John Hallam of Stonington on 26 August 1737 in Stonington. [1] John, the son of Amos and Phebe (Greenman) Hallam, was born on 7 November 1719 in Stonington.[1] He died on 27 December 1785, age 66.

John and Abigail are buried in the Hallam Cemetery in Stonington. Their inscriptions say: [11]

John Hallam made his will on 5 January [?] 1752. He mentioned his wife Abigail and son Amos. The will was proved on 14 April 1786. [7] Abigail Hallam made her will on 9 January 1801. She mentions her son Amos and other children. [7]

x. Ann Noyes was born on 10 June 1723. She married Isaac Frink on 6 November 1738 in Stonington. [1] Isaac, the son of Samuel and Margaret (Wheeler) Frink, was born on 25 December 1717 in Stonington. [1] He died between 26 March and 20 April 1761.

Isaac Frink of Stonington made his will on 26 March 1761. Witnesses testified on 20 April 1761. Isaac left his wife Anne the use of one-third of his estate, his two Negro men and his farming tools for her life. He also mentioned his children. Inventory, taken on 12 May 1761, amounted to £2,249 15s. 18d. [27]

xi. Bridget Noyes was born on 10 July 1725. She died about 1771. She married first Isaac Wheeler on 9 April 1746 in Stonington. [1] Isaac, the son of Thomas and Mary (Minor) Wheeler, born on 25 November 1718 in Stonington. [1][6, 640] He drowned in Indian Town Pond on 26 May 1747 “while washing sheep.” [6, 641] Bridget married second as his second wife Deacon Joseph Denison on 23 April 1751. Joseph, the son of Joseph and Prudence (Minor) Denison was born in 1707. [6, 343–4] He was the grandson of George Denison. Joseph married first Content Hewitt, the daughter of Benjamin Hewitt, as her second husband. Joseph married third Elizabeth Latimer as her second husband. Elizabeth married first Nicholas Hallam. Nicholas, the son of Edward and Grace Hallam was born about 1720 and died on 9 May 1770, age 50.

Isaac is buried in the Paul Wheeler Cemetery in Stonington. Content, Bridget and Joseph are buried in the Joseph Denison cemetery in Stonington. Bridget's inscription says: [11]

Elizabeth and Nicholas are buried in the Cedar Grove cemetery in New London. Their inscriptions say: [11]

Joseph was appointed deacon of the First Congregational Church in Stonington on 21 July 1748. [6, 347]

xii. Colonel Joseph Noyes was born on 9 October 1727. He died on 13 March 1802, age 75. [6, 488–90] He married Barbery Wells on 31 July 1754 in Washington County, Rhode Island. [6, 488–90, 1753] Barbery was the daughter of James and Mary (Barker) Wells.[6, 488–90] She was born about 1734 and she died on 7 September 1814, age 80. [31]

Joseph and Mary are buried in the Noyes Burial Ground in Westerly. Their inscriptions say: [11]

Joseph settled in Westerly on land that he had inherited from his father. [5]

According to the Rhode Island census, in 1774 Joseph headed a household of 17 people, five of whom were black. He owned 400 acres and had 25 horses and 15 cows. [5]

Joseph was a member of the House of Representatives of Rhode Island in 1776 and voted for the “Act to repeal an act for the maintenance of the King’s authority in Rhode Island.” [6, 488–90] Joseph is referred to as “Col.” in the Rhode Island vital records. He Joseph Noyes commanded a Rhode Island regiment in the Revolutionary War. [5]

Joseph signed his will on 20 February 1802; it was proved on 26 March 1802. [5]

Endnotes

1. "Connecticut: Vital Records (The Barbour Collection), 1630–1870," database with images, AmericanAncestors.org > Stonington: Thomas's birth, death and marriage, births of children (176–181). Dorothy’s marriage record, John Palmer’s birth record, the record of his first marriage, the record of his parents’ marriage, the record of his father’s birth (as the son of Moses) and Ann Chesebrough’s birth and death records (51, 177, 189, 192). Mary’s death, Ebenezer’s birth (20–21, 179). James’s marriage and Grace’s birth (20, 178). Abigail’s marriage, John’s birth record and his parents’ marriage (113, 176), Anna’s marriage, Isaac Frink’s birth, his parents’ marriage (97, 99, 176), Bridget’s marriage, Isaac Wheeler’s birth, his parents’ marriage (177, 268, 273)..

2. Richard A Wheeler, History of the First Congregational Church, Stonington, Conn., 1674–1874 (Norwich, T.H. Davis and Co., 1875). Elizabeth admitted to church (192), Thomas's baptism (195), baptisms of first nine children (206–14).

3. G. Andrews Moriarty, “President John Sanford of Portsmouth, R.I., and his family,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register 103 (1949), 208–16, 271–7.

4. J.D. Champlin, "Ancient Burial Ground at Stonington, Conn.," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 13: 23–29, specifically 27.

5. Charles P. Noyes, Noyes-Gilman Ancestry (St. Paul, MN: Gilliss Press, 1907), 25, 27.

6. Richard Anson Wheeler, History of the Town of Stonington (New London: Press of the Day, 1900).

7. Connecticut, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1609–1999," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9049), citing Connecticut County, District and Probate Courts >

8. Anna Chesebrough Wildey, Genealogy of William Chesebrough (Boston: Higginson Book Company, 1903), 15, 19, 304, 309.

9. Spencer-Mounsey, Creighton, “The Billings Family of Connecticut,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register 81 (1927), 156–78.

10. "Connecticut, U.S., Church Record Abstracts, 1630–1920, database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3032) >

11. Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 25 June 2023), memorial pages for

12. "Connecticut, U.S., Hale Collection of Cemetery Inscriptions and Newspaper Notices, 1629-1934,"database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2900) > Connecticut Headstone Inscriptions vol. 37 > image 232.

13. Manasseh Minor, The Diary of Manasseh Minor: Stonington, Conn., 1696–1720 (n.p: published by Frank Denison Miner with the assistance of Hannah Miner, 1988), 128.

14. "Rhode Island, Vital Extracts, 1638–1899," database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3897) > vol. 5 Washington, County: births, marriages, deaths > image 300.

15. Grace Denison Wheeler, The Homes of Our Ancestors in Stonington, Conn. (Salem, MA: Newcomb & Gauss, 1903), 206.

Photo: Thomas Noyes's house in Stonington [15]

Revised June 25, 2023

© 2019 A. Buiter