• General Notes

   "George Hubbard was born in 1601, and probably in eastern or southeastern England, where those bearing the name were located in great numbers. Nothing in the form of records has yet been found determining his birthplace or time of arrival in America.  His name first appears in 1639 in a list of the early settlers of Hartford [CT].  These settlers came overland from the vicinity of Boston during the years 1635 and 1636, and located the towns of Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield, CT, also Springfield, Mass.  George Hubbard was one of the number.  He was given six acres of land  "by courtesy of the town, with privilege of Wood & keeping cows on the common," and resided on a lot adjacent to the land of James Ensign and George Graves on a road that ran parallel with the Connecticut River, according to an early map, now extant.  This road ran from the South Meadow to George Steel's land, and then turned and ran across the "ox pasture" towards Wethersfield, passing near the Great Swamp.
  
        In 1640 he married Elizabeth Watts, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Watts, and was assigned a "home-lot" and land upon the east side of the "Great River."  The colonial records show that "William Swayne and George Hubbard were appointed Sep 4, 1640, appraisers of the estate of Edward Mason,"  and, April 24, 1649, George Hubbard was "fined £10 for exchanging a gunn with an Indian."
  
        He appears to have disposed of his land and removed with about fifteen other families in March, 1650/1, to Mattabesett, so called until 1653, when it became Middletown.  It swelled rapidly in size from accretions from Wethersfield, CT, and Rowley, Chelmsford, and Woburn, Mass., requiring afterward a division into sections known as, respectively, Middletown, East Middletown or Chatham - now Portland, North Middletown or Upper Houses - now Cromwell, and, later, Middlefield and Westfield.
  
        About 1650, or when he left Hartford, he carried with him a commission from the Colonial Government as  "Indian Agent and Trader for the Mattabesett District."  In 1654 he was made freeman, and settled with his son-in-law, Thomas Wetmore, upon opposite corners on the east side of Main Street.  He owned large land tracts on the west side and on the east side of the river. These lands were recorded Sep 5, 1654.
  
        He, Thomas Wetmore and two other land owners on the west side of the street, gave land for the second meeting-house Feb 10, 1652.  Mr. Samuel Stowe of Cambridge College, England, for several years temporarily had charge of this congregation. The records read:  "It was agreed at a meeting at John Halls hous to build a meeting hous and to make it 20 fot square & 10 fot between sill and plat, the heygt of it."  This structure was a one-story log house with a palisade around it, and George Hubbard, living adjacent, was naturally selected as its keeper.  Dec 17, 1666, he was allowed  "40 shillings for sweeping the meeting-house and keeping the glass [hour-glass]." This also included the services of his eldest son, Joseph, who beat the drum to assemble the congrgation and to give warning of the approach of Indians.  Ten men organized this church formally in 1668 and signed its covenant, the first minister, Nathaniel Collins, one of the first graduates of Harvard, heading the list of signatures.  Much of the "confession of faith" is still the creed of the church, which eventually came to be known as the Old North Church.  The donated land abutted "against the corners of George Hubbard & Thomas Wetmer on the east side - Thomas Wetmer half a rod at ye north corner; George Hubbard half a rod wide, three rods in length, against ye body of ye meeting-house and from thence out into an angle thre or four rods further,"  making in all thirty- two feet square. In case the meeting-house was removed the land given was to  "return to ye proprietors." This site was exactly in the middle of the highway, near or between what are now known as Liberty and Grand streets. Most of these covenators located near this meeting-house, at the northern end of Main street, where is now St. John's Square, though three resided at "Upper Houses."
  
        An appraisement of his property March 22, 1670, showed him to be worth £90, 10s, 15d, and in 1673, £132, 10s.  At his death his inventory showed him worth £243, 10s, and possessed of a dwelling-house and home lot worth £50,  "2 1/3 acres of long meadow"  worth £18, 10s, "3 acres of meadow (at ? Pessenchaug) on the east side of the Great River"  worth £9, a tract at Long Hill of 226 acres, another  "parcell west from the towne"  of 300 acres, one  "parcell on the east side of the Great River" of 464 acres, and the "one-halfe Lott" of 30 acres, a total of over one thousand acres.
  
        His original will is on file in the Hall of Records at Hartford, CT, in a box labelled  "Wills - H, 1647 to 1750,"  and bears date of May 22, 1681. In this document he states that he is "eighty years in age, yet in comfortable health of body & haveing the use of my understanding," etc. In his inventory, taken May 13, 1685, it is stated that he "deceased the 18 of March, 1684."  Sergt. Samuel Warde, John Hall, senior, and Ebenezer Hubbard were the witnesses.  His widow died in 1702.
  
        One record of him says that he was  "highly respected, and of marked integrity and fairness." He appears at this distance of time to have been devout, industrious, and possessed of those sturdy, wholesome qualities of mind and body without which the composition of our country to-day would not possess that element of robustness and stability that has enabled it to so successfully withstand foriegn infections, manners, and monarchisms. This New England fibre in the governmental-politico texture is now, sad to note, becoming gradully obliterated by unAmerican innovations and practices.  He must have been a man of  "marked integrity and fairness" to have been selected by the colony as its Indian Trader.  Much judgment had to be used by this representative of the colony in these dealings.  Promiscuous trading by any one was forbidden, as fire-arms and fire-water were frequently bartered by indiscreet persons, which produced direful results.  This resulted in the seletion of one man to do the trading for all. On his judgment and prudence much depended.  He must have erred, however, at one time, for the Colonial Court fined him £10 for exchanging a gun with an Indian.  In a spirit of charity, his descendants are privileged to conjecture that he might have regarded the gun as an old and harmless one and incapable of going off and hurting any one.
  
        [Current compilers note - The preceeding paragraph is included because it is in "1000 Years of Hubbard History" and makes for interesting reading.  Bear in mind that this was written before 1895.]
  
        George Hubbard and his widow were buried in the Middletown Riverside Cemetary (near the original log church), laid out in 1650, and lying triangularly on the west bank of the Connecticut River, close to the Union Depot, and within a stones throw of where he resided. ....(a description of the cemetary is omitted by the current compiler)... Tradition locates George Hubbard's grave close to the burying-ground entrance, fronting west on St. John's Square, but no headstones show where he or his widow's dust is mouldering.....(more cemetary description)......"
  
        Manwaring Vol 1, p 325
  
        HUBBARD, George, Middletown. He died 16 March, 1684/5. Invt. £243-10-00. Taken 13 May, 1685, by Hiles Hamlin, Nathaniel White, William Warde. Legatees: the Widow, son Joseph age 42 years, Daniel 41, Samuel 37, Nathaniel 33, Richard 30, Mary (the wife of Thomas Ranny) 44, Elizabeth (the wife of Thomas Wetmore) 25 years of age. Will dated 2 May, 1681.
  
        I George Hubbard of Middletown, bieng about 80 years of age, yet in comfortable health of bodie and having the use of my understanding as formerly, do make this my last Will & Testament:
  
        Imprimis: I give to my Eldest son Joseph HUBBARD, besids what I have formerly given him, one Acre of my meadow At a place called pasen chauge on the East sid of the Great River, to ly on the North sid the Cricke which Runs through my Land. It. I give to my son Danill HUBARD, besids what I gave him formaly, two Acres of Swompe at the west end of my Long meadow swompe Next the bogie meadow. It. I give to my son Samuel, besides what I formerly gave him, the on halfe of my halfe mile Lott on the East sid the grat River, divided by the List in 1673. It. I give to my son Nathaniel HUBARD my peice of bogie meadow, being about on acre & quarter, Lying Next Mr. Giles Hamlins meadow; more over I give to my sayd son Nathaniel all that my meadow on the Southsid of the Crick at pason chag on the East sid the Great River; more over I give to my sayd son the one halfe of my Leaven acre Lott at the South End of the towne; I give allso to my sayd son the on Halfe of my Great Lott at the Long Swanp, as allso the on halfe of my great Lott in the westermost Rang of Lotts. It. I give to my daughter Elizabeth HUBBARD All the Rest of my Land on the East sid the Great River, besides what is formerly Desposed of, both which is Layd out & which is Lotted for by the List of Estate in the yeare 1673, only my half mille Lott excepted; It. I give to my Daughrer Mary Rany fourty shilling out of my Estate, but on further consideration instead of that fourty shillings I give my sayd daughter the on halfe of my halfe Mille Lott on the East sid the Great River, devied by the List in 1673. It. I give to my son Richard HUBARD my hous I now Dwell in & my barne and all other building, with my home Lott they stand on; as also my Long meadow Land & the Rest of my Long meadow swampe besids that which I have given to my son Danill, hee allowing my son Daniel a Lamas higway to goe to the Swampe I give him if need Require; more over I give to my sayd son the other halfe of my Leaven Acre Lott at the south end of the towne, as allso the other halfe of my Great Lott at the Long Swampe, & Likewise the other halfe of my great Lott in the Westermost Rang of Lotts. Moreover it is my meaning herein, and my will is, that my sayd son Richard shall be my sole Executor, Injoyning him to provid Comfortable for his mother During her widlow hood, And to pay all my Just Debts for my Desent Buriall; move over I give to my Loving wife Elizabeth HUBARD all my household Goods During her Natural Live, and after he Deseas my will is that my household Goods be equally Devided between Nathaniel And Richard & Elizabeth, Except the Great Kettle, which I will to my son . And farther it is my will that my Loving wife shall have the South end of my hous To Dwell in by her self if shee see cause, & rome in the seler for her nesesary use During her widow hood. More over on farther Consideration my will is that my wife Shall have falfe my hom Lott & halfe my orchard during her widow hud, and also on Cowe, And soe to provid for her selfe, & that my son Richard shall pay her three powndspr year of Corent pay of the Country During her natural Life. GEORGE X HUBARD, senior.
  
        Upon farhter Consideration I see cause to give the whole eleven acres of Land over the two Sticks brooke by the fulling mill to my Son Nathaniel. GEORGE X HUBARD, senior.Signed in the presents of us: Sar. Samuel X Ward; John Hall senior, Ebenezer HUBBARD
  
        I Request my Loving brethern Robert Warner & Deacon John Hall to be the over seers to the performance of my will. 27 February, 1683/4
  
        Court Record, Page 112 -- 3d September, 1685: Will Proven.
  
  
  

Details of George's family with Elizabeth Watts