46.

Lieut. Samuel Doolittle

Lieut. Samuel Doolittle (#46) (Samuel, Abraham), son of Samuel and Mary (Cornwall) D., was b. at W., Aug. 31, 1691 but the family soon rem. to Middletown. He and Jane Wheeler were m. Aug. 1, 1714, at W. by "Capt. Ward Justice." They res. at W. till the birth of their third child (1720). On June 20th of that year he was among the first settlers of Stafford, Ct., and laid out four acres of meadow land. In 1723 he was assigned 50 acres, in 1724 another 50 acres, in 1726 a division of 80 acres, and in 1728 a piece of meadow of 4 acres. Other entries regarding him appear on the Stafford records.

The records at Springfield Mass., state that Oct. 7 1731, he bought a farm in Palmer, Mass. (then called the Elbow), of Thomas Richardson. This farm is now owned by John St. John.

Samual was called Sergt. in 1732, and his name occurs quite frequently in the town records of Palmer. It appears that he was a very capable and well-to-do man and appreciated by his fellow townsmen. In 1732 hc was one of the signers of a petition to the General Court for redress of grievances. In 1733 he was appointed one of the committee to lay out necessary roads; this was the time when nearly all of the original roads were laid out in Palmer and must have been quite an undertaking with the limited means then at command. The same year he served on the committee who built the first meeting house in Palmer. He owned at least 100 of acres of land at this place in 1733. His useful life was cut short soon after the completion of the first church in town and in all probability his was the first funeral held within its walls.

The following interesting notice of his death and funeral appears on the Palmer records: "Lieut. Samuel Doolittle Departed this Life on Saturday ye 17th Day of July 1736. After a Short Illness of two or three days, and was Decently Inter'd on the Day following, after ye Afternoon Service, it being the Sacrament Day, a multitude of people Respectfully attended ye Funeral."

He was probably the first one who was buried at the old Centre cemetery, which was laid out the previous year. It is to be regretted that no headstone marks the place of his burial. The est. of Lieut. Samuel D. was inv. at (pound sign) 900 a goodly sum for those days, and was divided among the heirs in 1738, portions of which were sold from time to time till 1750, when Ephraim, one of the sons, bought out the rights of the remaining heirs and disposed of the original farm in 1757 for (pound sign) 300. He was then of Worcester, Mass., and was styled gentleman in the deed which was signed by Ephraim and Sarah Doolittle. This deed was recently owned by Mr. 0. P. Allen of Palmer, who has contributed much information regarding Lieut. Samuel D.

Samuel's wid. Jane m. 2] Henry Wright, Jr., of Springfield. She m. 3.] Josiah Berry, Mar. 16, 1756, at Worcester.



CHILDREN.

158. Joseph b. in Wallingford, Ct. May 4, 1715. In 1740 he sells land in Kingston (Palmer), As eldest son he received a double portion of his father's estate.

159. Sarah b. in W. Sept. 24, 1717, m. Jonas Galustab.

160. Samuel b. in W. Feb. 28 1720. In 1750 when he sold his interests n Palmer, he was of Bateman's Manor, in Duchess Co., N. Y.

161. Catharine b. in Stafford, Ct. Aug., 1, 1722, m. Phineas Spaulding.

162. Ephraim b. in Stafford Oct. 29, 1729.

162 1/2. Abigail b. in Stafford Feb. 14, 1727-8. She d. before 1738.

163. Mary b. prob. in Stafford about 1730; m. Roger Stevens.



164. Moses b. in Palmer Oct. 18, 1732. He was mentioned in the distribution of the est. in 1738, but not in 1750 when Ephraim bought the interests of the heirs of his father's est.