General Notes

BIRTH:  Named in father's will as under 24.
DEATH:  Inventory taken on this date by Richard Treat, Samuel Smith & Nathaniel Dickinson.  [Nathaniel Foote of Weathersfield, Connecticut by Abram W. Foote, 1907] {Early Connecticut Probate Records Vol 1, p. 12 by Manwaring}
MISC:  May have come from Shalford, Colchester; settled Watertown; no will; but list of 5 ch dwelling with mother: Nathaniel 24, Robert 17, Frances 15, Sarah 12 & Rebecca 10. -Sept 21, 1608 at age 16 he signed as apprentice to Samuel Croyle of Colchester, grocer.

Nathaniel Foote "The Settler" - came to New England with his wife Elizabeth. He was one of the first ten settlers (known as "adventurers) in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Elizabeth was the sister of Mr. John Deming, also one of Wethersfield's first settlers.

In the original layout of the town, 1640, Nathaniel received a home-lot of ten acres, and gradually over the years he became owner of over 400 acres. He represented the town in the General Court - this is evidence that he was held in respect and confidence by his fellow townsmen.

In May 1637, when the little army under Capt. John Mason was being provisioned for the memorable Pequot campaign, it was "ordered y that there shalbe 1 hogg p'vided att Wythersfeild for the design in hand, wch is conceived to be Nathaniell Footes"----a compliment, certainly from the Col. authorities, to Mr. Foote's ability in raising good pork!

From an abstract of the record of the apprenticeship agreement of our Nathaniel Foote from the Court Rolls of the Borough of Colchester is as follows: "Nathaniel Foote aged 16 years, son of Robert Foot of Shalford in Com. Essex yeoman doth put himself apprentice to Samuel Croylye of Colchester, aforesaid grocer and Free Burgess from the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel last past for the term of eight years. Dated 21 Sept. V JamesI (1608). Sealed and delivered in the presence of me Robert Foot and of me
George Lumpkin."

This family, as a whole, had a large share in the tragedies of that early day for Philip Smith, husband of Rebecca Foote, was announced to have been "murdered with an hideous witchcraft"; among the members of the early generations, Nathaniel Foote had, (a), a daughter-in law and two of her
children taken captive by the Indians and another child killed; (b), a daughter and three of her children killed, while (c), her husband and two other children were made captives; and (d), two more of her children wounded; and Frances Foote lost two husbands by the Indians as well as one son-in-law killed and another, with four of his children, taken into captivity.

Sir Thomas Foote, who was Lord Mayor of London in 1649, was a first cousin of Nathaniel Foote, the settler. Sir Thomas Foote was buried in the parish church of All Saints of West Ham, now a part of the City of London. He lived to the great age of ninety-six years. There is a very pretentious monument
to his memory erected in the church.

INVENTORY OF THE ESTATE OF NATHANIEL FOOTE:
The Children:
Nathaniel Foote---about 24 years---to have L 148-00-00
Robert Foote--------about 17 years---to have L 74-00-00
Frances Foote------about 15 years---to have L 74-00-00
Sarah Foote----------about 12 years---to have L 74-00-00
Rebeckah Foote---about 10 years---to have L 74-00-00
The Wyddow of sd. Nathaniel Foote Adms. her portion 212-00-00

Imprs His purse and apparrell 7-16-00 It. In neat Cattell and in Hay, 93-00-00 It. in harsee fleshe, 34-00-00 It. in hoggs, 66-60-00 It. in debts, 29-03-04 It. in Englishe Corne, 70-00-00 It. in goats, 3-15-00 It. in Carts, ploughs, etc. 6-00-00 Ite. Indean Corne, 8-00-00 It. in old Wheat and pease, 6-06-00 It. for certain things in the chamber, 2-00-00 It. for amunition, 5-00-00 Ite. for fouer beds with the furniture, 13-06-08 It. in fyne lynen, 5-10-00 Ite. 2 table boards, 2 chests, 1 Trunke, with other Implts. 5-00-00 It. pewter & brasse and other useful vessells, 12-00-00 It. in husbandry tooles, 3-00-00 It. in beife, butter, and cheese and other necessary prvision for the howse, 8-10-00 It. in poultry, 1-00-00 somm: L 380-17-00
The Land: Ten acres of home lotts wth one dwelling howse and 2 barnes with other buildings thervppon, ------------- 4 acres of home lotts, ------------- 6 acres of meadow wth an acre of swampe, 20 acres of plaine fenced in being 14 ac. broke vp, 7 acres of plaine meadow plowed vp, 20 acres in the great
meadow of hay ground, 4 acres in bever meadow, 27 acres of Swampe Ground, 81 Acres of Vpland in the Weste field 32 Rod broad beyond the River being 3 miles in length.
Inventory taken 20 November 1644, by Richard Tratte (Trott), Samuel Smith
and Nath: Dickinson.
Court Record 11 Dec 1644. Mr. Heynes & Mr. Willis are desired to consider of the Estate of Nath: Foote, decd, and to take in what helpe they please fro any of the neighbours to advise how yt may be disposed of, and to report their apprehensions to the next Court. Note: Two children, Elizabeth and Mary not named in their father's will.

In 1646, two years after Nathaniel's death, Elizabeth married Thomas Welles, Magistrate, afterwards Governor of the Colony. That she was a woman of character and a good wife, is evidenced by the fact that her husband (Foote) dying intestate, she was by the Particular Court to whom the inventory of
his estate was presented, "admitted to administer the estate;" and by the will of her second husband (Welles) "she was to enjoy and improve" his whole estate, so long as she remained a widow,- - - - "that she may keep the better hospitality."

From
McCall-Tidwell and Allied Families
NATHANIEL FOOTE OF CONNECTICUT.
NATHANIEL FOOTE, born in England, 1593, came to America from Colchester, England, and was one of the first settlers of Wethersfield, Connecticut, February 21, 1637. His name is found among the first records of Watertown, Connecticut, 1635. The first mention of his name in America was 1633 in the records of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, when he took the oath of Freeman. His business was that of agriculture and he was called to many important positions of trust. He married about 1615, in England, Elizabeth Deming, born about 1595 (sister of John Deming, one of the first settlers of Wethersfield, Connecticut). He died in 1644 and is buried in the ancient burying ground of the Congregational Meeting House at Wethersfield. His widow, married (2) as second wife, Governor Thomas Welles of Connecticut. She died July 28, 1685.
(Nathaniel Foote, Caleb Foote, and Pasco Foote were three brothers who came to America between 1630 and 1633).
Children: all born in England except Rebecca:
1. ELIZABETH b. 1616, mar. Josiah Churchill.
2. NATHANIEL b. 1620, mar. Elizabeth Smith.
3. MARY mar. (1) John Stoddard; (2) John Goodrich; (3)
Lieutenant Thomas Tracy.
4. ROBERT mar. Sarah Potter.
5. FRANCES mar. (1) John Dickinson; (2) Francis Barnard.
+6. SARAH mar. Jeremiah Judson (see later).
7. REBECCA b. 1634, mar. (1) Lieutenant Philip Smith; (2) 1638
to Major Aaron Cooke of Windsor, Connecticut (his
fourth wife) (Aaron Cooke was Ancestor of Harriet
White (Benedict) McCall.) (See Aaron Cooke Family.)
+SARAH FOOTE2 (Nathaniel1) born in England about 1632, married in 1652, Jeremiah Judson2 (son of William and Grace Judson of Stratford, Connecticut). She died 1673 and he married (2) Catherine (Craigg) Fairchild (widow of Thomas Fairchild). He died May 15, 1700.
COAT OF ARMS: Arms. Argent, a chevron sable, and in the dexter quarter a brefoif of the second.
CREST: An oak tree proper.
(See Judson Family.)
*Tradition says the COAT OF ARMS of the FOOTE Family was bestowed on their Ancestor by King James. It consists of a shield divided by a chevron, with quarterings of elover leaves. Crest--an oak tree. Motto.--Loyalty and Truth. The facts connected with its bestowal are these: "In a war between the English and the Scotch, King James was in imminent danger of being destroyed when James Foote, a trusty officer, escorted the King to a certain wood, where there was a large oak tree, the trunk whereof was hollow and there concealed him     to anyone until he obtained a safe retreat. For that act of fortitude and fidelity the King ordered the Coat of Arms to be struck and given to the said James Foote." (From American Ancestry, Vol. X, page 206).