Arthur SCOVIL

  General Notes:

1. Arthur Scoville, born probably in County Dorset, England, 1635-40; died in Middletown, Connecticut, Feb. 7, 1706-07; married in England Joanna, whose parentage and date of death are unknown; married second -----, of whom there is no record.
When Arthur Scoville came over to New England is un­known, but it was perhaps about 1660. He settled in Bos­ton, where his children were born 1662-70. He came too late for the great Puritan emigration and hence did not emigrate for religious reasons. Perhaps he was in some way connected with the Commonwealth period in England and seeing the collapse of the Commonwealth imminent, de­cided to emigrate before the monarchy was restored; per­haps he removed for economic reasons. All is a matter of conjecture; one conjecture is as good as another. Arthur remained in Boston for eight or nine years. He acquired no real estate there that the records show. After some years he removed to Middletown, Connecticut, and acquired land there, but for some reason he was of Lyme, Connecticut in 1678. He subsequently returned to Middletown and died there. Under date of Sept. 24, 1678, he executed a deed of gift of his real estate to his children. A part of this deed follows; it is not a deed of entail, for it mentions all his chil­dren then living, nor does he mention his wife Joanna, who was, it is believed, deceased at this time. "Out of considera­tion of that natural affection and love which I have and bear unto my well-beloved children, Arthur, James, John and Elizabeth Scovel, and also for divers good causes and con­siderations now thereunto especially moving, I do give, grant & confirm unto them all my rights, interest and pro­priety in my land and housing in Middletown, & of all those parcells of land I bought of William Biggs and of John Warner. . . . to have and to hold from the day of my death forever, they to have it by equal proportions as many as shall then be living." This deed is recorded in the First Book of records at Middletown. Note that none of his children were of age in 1678, Arthur the eldest being but fourteen years of age. Why did be do this unusual thing?
Had he real estate in Lyme which he proposed to develope, and did he intend to make a residence in that town? The best explanation seems to be that he was intending a second marriage to a Lyme lady and took this way of securing the right in the Middletown property to his older children. Ten years later, on Oct. 8, 1688, he declared this deed of gift to be void and of non-effect. Was he then desirous to return to Middletown and his property there? We think so. His son Stephen had come upon the scene about 1680 or a few years later, and the assumed second wife was probably dead by 1688. Leaving his son Stephen in Lyme in the care of the relatives of his second wife, he returned to Middletown. His older children were dissatisfied with the state of the property, and appealed to the Governor and Council for the appointment of arbitrators. It seems as if they must have done this after their father's decease, but the date of the report of the arbitration is March 2, 1705-06, nearly a year before Arthur's death, as recorded on Middlletown records. The report of the arbitrators begins as follows:
"For as much as James Scovel, John Scovil, William Borden and Nathaniel Hudson for themselves and their heirs have made choice of us whose names are underwritten to arbi­trate the differences to their father Arthur Scovel's deceased, land in Middletown,..." The award and a minute division follows. (Middletown Land Records, Vol. II, p. 170).

CHILDREN

Born in Boston:
Elizabeth, b. Dec. 1, 1662; d. young.
2. Arthur, b. June 24, 1663-64; m. Rachel ____-. She mar­ried second Nathaniel Hudson.
Elizabeth, b. Sept. 18, 1665; d. young.
Elizabeth, b. March 18, 1667; m, William Borden of Lyme, Conn.
3. James, b. June 13, 1670;m. Hannah_.__.
4. John, b. about 1672 in Middletown; m. Mary Lucas.
5. Stephen, b. in Lyme 1680-84; m. Sarah Champion.
²⁵⁸

Arthur married Mrs. Joanna SCOVIL.