NATHANIEL HOLCOMB

• Death Notes
  •      Nathaniel Holcombe was born on 4 November 1648 at Poquonock, Windsor, Hartford Co., CT.5,6
    Nathaniel Holcombe died on 5 March 1740 at Simsbury, Hartford Co., CT, at age 91.9
    

• General Notes
  •      Nathaniel Holcombe was born on 4 November 1648 at Poquonock, Windsor, Hartford Co., CT.5,6 He was the son of Thomas Holcombe and Elizabeth (?). Nathaniel Holcombe married Mary Bliss, daughter of Nathaniel Bliss and Catharine Chapin, on 27 February 1670 at Springfield, Hampden Co., MA.7,8 Nathaniel Holcombe married Sarah Owen on 17 January 1722 at Simsbury, Hartford Co., CT. Nathaniel Holcombe died on 5 March 1740 at Simsbury, Hartford Co., CT, at age 91.9
        
    
    Chosen Deputy to the General Court of Connecticut for Simsbury between 1703 and 1706; again between 1720 and 1722. Was a joint signer of an agreement with pastor of the church of Hop Meadow 27 Jun 1687. Signed an offer to citizens of Salmon Brook and Low Meadow for exchange of parts of land to better fortify against Indians, 04 Feb 1688.
    
    from MC CRACKEN
    
    8th child and 3rd son, was born at Windsor, 4 Nov. 1648, died at Simsbury, 5 March 1740/1. His will is dated 7 Feb. 1740/1, probated 5 March 1740/1 (Manwaring 3:286). He devises various real estate in both Windsor and Simsbury to the four sons listed below, and to the five living daughters the moveable estate; the son, not named, of his deceased daughter Martha, 20 shillings, to be paid by sons Nathaniel, Jonathan and John, "to buy him a Bible." (This might suggest that this grandson, Daniel Hayes, was a minor but he was nearly 25 at this date.) To his wife, not named, testator leaves only 20 shillings "besides what I have already secured for her before marriage." Son Benjamin is names sole executor; witnesses: Elias Slater, Ephraim Bewell, Timothy Woodbridge. His first marriage took place on 27 Feb 1670/1 but is not recorded at either Windsor or Simsbury, and I suspect is was recorded at Springfield, the home of the bride, who was Mary Bliss, born 23 Sept, 1651, died by 1722, daughter of Nathaniel Bliss (Thomas of Hartford) by his wife Catharine Chapin (Samuel), as the birth of the first child is recorded at Springfield. He married, second, at Simsbury, 17 Jan. 1722/3, Sarah ----, widow of Josias Owen, as the marriage record identifies her. It seems probable that her first husband was Josias Owen (John) shown by Stiles (2:544) to have married, first, Mary, daughter of John Osburn, but Stiles knows nothing of a second marriage for either Josias Owen or Nathaniel Holcombe, nor does The Chapin Book (1924) 1:16f
    
    from Stiles
    
    Resided Simsbury which town he represented at gen. ct. 1703, 4, 5, 1720, and 22. Lists children as Nathaniel, Mary, Johnathan, John, Ester, Catherine, Sarah, and Benjamin.
    
    from Tempest
    
    Holcombe family tradition has it that Nathaniel and Mary first settled at what is now Salmon Brook in 1677. Nathaniel was born in the Poquonock section of Windsor. Although Mary's father's family was among the first group to come to Hartford, she was living in Springfield when she married Nathaniel in 1670. It is not clear if the couple lived in Springfield for long, but by 1675 they were back in Windsor with their two children, Nathaniel and Mary. Nathaniel Sr. is not listed among those who moved to Simsbury immediately following the war, but his older brother Joshua is, and his mother and stepfather James Eno, did move to "Scotland", the section of Simsbury east of the ridge, in 1679. It is possible they did live with the Enos briefly, while renting land at Salmon Brook from someone such as John Slate. Or it may have been that they even began building a homestead at Salmon Brook and that the record of Nathaniel's 1677, '78 or '79 grant was among those burned; no one bothered to record it again since he received new grants, possibly for the same land, as a result of the land divisions in 1680. He continued to pay taxes in Windsor through 1686, but only because he owned three acres of upland there, not because he was a resident. Certainly the couple was well established with their four children in Simsbury by 1681, for Nathaniel was elected town constable in December of that year.
    
    
    Reference=A-8