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BISSEL ANCESTORS
The Bissell family of Connecticut is of French Huguenot extraction. The name, in France, was spelled "Bysselle". The father of John Bissell (our ancestor), escaped from France to England during the massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day, on 24 August 1572, and settled at Somersetshire, England.
Thomas Bissell was born at Plymouth, Mass., about 1630. His father, John Bissell, was the founder of the American family and was born at Somersetshire, England about 1591. John Bissell came to New England in 1628, with Rev. Ephraim Hewett. He landed at Plymouth, Mass., with his wife (probably - Mary Drake, who was born about 1606), his son and his brother.
John and Mary Bissell had at least six children: John Jr was born at England, Thomas - our ancestor - was born at Plymouth, Mass about 1630. Mary was born at Plymouth. Samuel was born at Plymouth in 1636 Nathaniel was born at Windsor on 24 September 1640, and Joyce was born about 1641.
About 1639, John Bissell moved to East Windsor, Ct. and was the first settler on the east bank of the Connecticut River. In 1640, he built and operated, for seven years, the Scantic ferry there. The ferry was under a charter from King Charles. John Bissell was a juror at Hartford five times between 1640 and 1648. John's wife, Mary, died on 21 May 1641. Thomas Bissell was eleven years old when his mother died.
Thomas' father, John Bissell, became one of the leading men of the area at that time. In 1642, John Bissell was a Deputy to the General Court and a Representative from 1648 to 1657.
Thomas Bissell married on 11 October 1655 to Abigail Moore. She was born on 14 February 1640 to Deacon John and Abigail Moore. In 1655, Thomas and Abigail Bissell bought and settled on the east side of the Connecticut River on 11-1/2 acres of land.
John Bissell was an enlisted trooper for Windsor, Ct. in 1657-1658. In 1662, John Bissell gave his old homestead, including the ferry, to his son - John Jr., and the land on the east side of the river to Nathaniel. John Bissell moved the rest of his family to the west side of the Connecticut River.
Thomas Bissel and Abigail (Moore) Bissell had fourteen children, all were born at Windsor. Thomas was born on 2 October 1656, Abigail was born on 23 November 1658, and John was born 26 January 1661. Joseph was born on 18 April 1663, and married in 1687 to Sarah Strong. Elizabeth was born 9 June 1666, and Benjamin was born 9 September 1669. Sarah was born on 8 January 1671, Isaac was born on 22 September 1672. Ephriam was baptized on 11 April 1676, and died eleven days later. Esther was born 22 April 1677, and died on 9 May 1678. Ephriam Bissell - our ancestor - was born in 1680, and was named after his deceased brother. Abigail was born on 3 August 1681. Luke was born 22 September 1682, and died young. Ebenezer was born on 1 August 1685.
There is no record of Thomas Bissell serving in the War; only that John Bissell was said to have been a soldier in King Philip's War, and his house was fortified and used as a garrison for the neighborhood. In 1676, John Bissell served as a Captain of the Windsor Troop of Horse (of the County Troop of Hartford County). On 10 May 1677, John Bissel became the quartermaster of a troop of horsemen. If John Bissell was born in 1591, he would have been over eighty years old when he fought in the wars!
I have to believe that it was Thomas Bissell who served in King Philip's War and with the Windsor Troop of Horse.
John Bissell died at Windsor, on 3 October 1677, and his will was dated 1 April 1677 and was inventoried on 22 October 1677.
It should be nooted that Thomas' oldest son married Esther Strong and his oldest daught married Nathaniel Gaylord in 1678. His son, Joseph, married Sarah Strong in 1687.
Thomas Bissell died at East Windsor, Ct., on 31 July 1689. His will was dated 24 August 1688 and was proved on 11 November 1689. when Ephriam was nine years old. His mother was left a widow with fourteen children; the youngest was four. Abigail married again to George Sanders, and died on 21 February 1725.
Ephriam Bissell was born in 1680, and married at Windsor on 24 December 1702 to Joan Taylor. Ephriam and Joan Bissell had at least five children born between 1703 and 1712. The first child was born 27 September 1703 and of course named after his father. Stephen was born in 1706 and twin boys, Abott and Able were born in 1709. Their youngest child, Benjamin Bissell was born at Tolland, CT on 23 February 1712. Benjamin's old brother, Stephen, died the same year at the age of six. In 1714 tragedy struck again: Abott died at the age of five.
Joan Bissell, died in November 1717; Ephriam Bissell, died in January 1718. The Bissell boys (Ephriam, Benjamin and Able) were orphans and Benjamin was not yet six! Ephriam Bissell was one of fourteen children and Joan (Taylor) Bissell was one of five children. It is assumed that Benjamin Bissell and his siblings was raise by one of his aunts/uncles.
Benjamin Bissell was first married on 4 September 1735 to Rachel Post. They had a baby girl born in June 1936. Benjamin's wife, Rachel died the following month. Benjamin married again to Elizabeth Sawyer on 6 July 1738. The Sawyers lived in Hebron, CT and were early settlers in Mass. Elizabeth's great-grandfather was Thomas Sawyer.
Thomas Sawyer immigrated to New England with his father and two brothers. They arrived at Rowley, Mass. in 1636. Thomas was twenty years old at the time. Thomas Sawyer was born about 1616 and could be found at a place, which was to become known as Lancaster, Worcester County, Mass., as early as 1643. He became a permanent resident of Lancaster in 1647. In 1648, he married Mary Prescott, who was baptized at Sowerby, England on 24 February 1631 and was the daughter of John Prescott and Mary Platts. The Prescott's were neighbors, who lived north of Thomas' land.
There were only nine families living in Lancaster in 1653. In those days, Lancaster was the scene of much Indian fighting, and five homes, including Thomas', were fortified with stockades. In 1654, Thomas Sawyer was admitted as a Freeman (one of only five) at Lancaster. He was a prominent member of the church, and held many town offices. During an attack by the Mettacoment Indians in 1676, Lancaster was burned and the Sawyer family escaped, except for a son - Ephrim, who was killed. The town remained unoccupied for three years, until the former inhabitants, including the Sawyers, returned to rebuild it. Lancaster was attacked again in 1697 and in 1705.
Mary may have died in 1672, when Thomas Sawyer married again in the same year, but the name of this wife is not known. Thomas Sawyer died at Lancaster on 12 September 1706, and was buried at Clinton,Mass.. Most genealogists think Mary died in April 1716. Thomas and Mary had thirteen children.
Elizabeth's grandfather, John Sawyer, was born at Lancaster, Mass., on 6 April 1661. He married, at Lancaster, on 16 June 1686 to Mary Bull (or Ball), of Worcester, Mass.. She may have been the daughter of Isaac Bull and Sarah Parker of Boston, who were at Worcester in 1686. John and Mary first lived at Lancaster and then moved to Worcester. Later (about 1691) they lived at Lyme, CT, where he died about 1705. Mary married again in 1705 to William Sterling, and lived at Lyme. She died at Hebron, CT, on 27 February 1750. John and Mary Sawyer had six children.
Elizabeth's father, Edward Sawyer was born at Lancaster, Mass., on 30 March 1688. He married on 3 July 1707 (probably at Lyme, CT) to Elizabeth Mack. She was born at Salisbury, Mass., on 28 October 1686, to John Mack and Sarah Bagley. Sergeant Edward Sawyer and Elizabeth first lived at Lyme, until about 1713, when they moved to Hebron, CT. Elizabeth died, at Hebron, on 15 March 1750, and Edward died there on 27 March 1766. Edward and Elizabeth had their first three children at Lyme, and their remaining eight at Hebron. Elizabeth Sawyer was born at Hebron, CT, on 16 January 1717.
Anyway, Benjamin and Elizabeth (Sawyer) Bissell married in 1738 and lived at Hebron. Leah Bissell was born on 13 January 1749. Leah's parents, Benjamin and Elizabeth Bissell lived at Hebron since before she was born. Benjamin Bissell died in 1751 at the age of 39. Elizabeth died in 1804 when she was 87 years old
Leah Bissell was only two years old when her father died. Leah grew up in Hebron with her widowed mother. I believe she was the only child.
Leah Bissell married David Strong on 29 December 1776. Leah was David's second wife. David was twenty-eight and Leah was twenty-seven when they married. David Strong was a big man; he was over six feet tall, weighing 300 pounds. Like his father, David Strong, was a farmer at Hebron.
Click on David Strong to learn about Leah Bissell's adult life.