Stephen SCOVIL

  General Notes:

5. STEPHEN SCOVILLE (Arthur), born about 1680 to 1684, probably in Lyme; died in East Haddam, Hadlyme parish, between May 20 and 30, 1752; married Nov. 4, 1705, Sarah Champion, born in Lyme March 8, 1687-88; living in 1745; daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Brockway) Champion of Lyme.

CHILDREN
Born in East Haddam, Conn.:
10. Stephen, b. Aug. 20, 1706; m. Rebecca Millard.
Sarah, b. Sept. 11, 1708; in. March 27, 1739, John Brockway of Lyme (William, Wolston), b. May 10,
1697, his second wife. She died at Lyme June 12, 1770.
11. Arthur, b. about 1710; m. Phoebe Willey.
12. Ezekiel, b. June 12, 1712; m. Mindwell Barber.
13. Hezekiah, b. about 1714; m. Mary Gates. Hannah, b. about 1716; bapt. (adult) at Hadlyme, Jan., 1745. Probably died before her father as she is not mentioned in his will.
13B. Daniel, b. about 1718; married Miriam Chamber­lain; second Lucy Beckwith.
Mary, b. about 1720; m. Joseph Beckwith.
14. Thomas, b. June 16, 1722; m. Jerusha Scoville.
15. Nathan, b. about 1727; bapt. (adult) Jan., 1745/6; m. Mary ____.

Stephen Scoville was the youngest son of Arthur Scoville. As he was born some eight to twelve years after Arthur’s son John was born about 1672, it has been conjectured that Stephen was not the son of Joanna, but of a second wife. This conjecture seems probable, but it should be understood that there is no documentary evidence that Arthur Scoville married a second time, nor any such evidence that a son Stephen was born to Arthur by such an alleged second wife. There is circumstantial evidence that Stephen was a son of Arthur:
1. Stephen named a son Arthur.
2. There is on record at Lyme a deed of Peter Pratt to Stephen Scoville of land in Lyme, dated Dec. 22, 1715. This deed was witnessed by William Borden and Joanna Scoville. William Borden was the husband of Arthur’s daughter Elizabeth. Joanna Scoville was not Joanna first wife of Arthur, but his granddaughter, born in 1689, daughter of John Scoville of Middletown. It seems strange that a young girl in Middletown should witness a deed executed in Lyme. If this identification is rejected, then Joanna must have been the wife of the first Arthur, and the conjecture of Arthur’s second marriage falls to the ground.
3. When in 1735 Stephen (2) Scoville and James (3) Scoville of Wallingford-Meriden were associated in the pur­chase of a tract of land in Harwinton, James sold and Ste­phen gave the land to his son Ezekiel. These facts show clearly that Stephen was included in the family circle, who seem to have had a strong family feeling.
As indicated in Lyme records and by a reference in Hempstead’s Diary, page forty-six, Stephen Scoville was engaged in the manufacture of planks and staves, being probably associated with his father-in-law, Thomas Champion, in the ownership and management of a sawmill situated in the Eight Mile River in the town of Lyme. This is a considerable stream, formed by two branches, one arising in the town of East Haddam, the other in the town of Salem. It flows into Eight Mile River Cove, sometimes called Hamburg Cove, near the present village of Hamburg. Here thousands of shad have been caught in times past. Through this cove, or perhaps at Ely’s Wharf, a mile below on the Connecticut River, export could be handled. Stephen appears to have owned land along Beaver Brook, an indication that he was in the fur trade. This was near the present village of North Lyme, even now a sparsely inhabited region. In 1724 he bought thirty acres of land, bounded “on the Commons,” in what was to become, some twenty-five years later, the parish of Hadlyme, but which was then non-existent, not being incorporated until about 1742, or a little later. This parish lay along the Lyme-Haddam town line, in both towns. Stephen Scoville became a member of the Hadlyme Church in 1745/6. Mrs. Sarah Scoville was admitted to full communion in the First Church of East Haddam Dec. 19, 1731. Its place of worship lay some six miles to the north­ward, and here the family attended, if anywhere. About 1742 a church was gathered in Hadlyme, and Mrs. Scoville became a member of it. Several of her children, now grown up, were baptized by its pastor, and became members, about 1746. Here the family remained until the death of the father in 1752. Stephen Scoville left a will, which follows, copied from a photostat of the instrument, the original of which is on file at the State Library, Hartford:
"In the name of God amen. I Stephen Schoval of East Haddam in the county of Hartford and Colony of Connecticut; calling in mind my mortality and that it is appointed for all men once to die, and being of perfect mind and memory, for which I desire to bless God, I do now make this my Last will and Testament, and Firstly I do give my soul into the hands of God that gave it and my Body to be Buried with decent Christian Burial and Respecting what Estate God hath Blessed me with al here: I do after all my lawful Debts are paid by my executor hereafter mentioned, I give and bestow in manner and form as follows This Twentieth Day of May Annoque Domini 1752.
Imprimis. Unto my Beloved wife Sarah Schoval I do give and bequeath the use of my House and Lands and Tenements During her Remaining my widow, and that Provided my son Thomas Schoval Behave well toward her, that he shall have the Improvement thereof and live with her, allow­ing her Therefor an Honorable maintenance out of the same; and provided he or his Heirs and etc (?) shall abide to perform the same as above, he to have it after her Discease, whom with my wife I do ordain executors of this my last will and Testament and here to be understood that she keep sundry moveables as she shall judge needful for Her to keeping House so long as she lives.
To my beloved son Stephen Schoval besides what I have already [given] him I do give [him] Ten shillings old Tenner to be paid by my Executors [within] suitable time after my Discease. To my beloved son Arthur Schoval I do give besides what I have already given him Ten Shillings of old Tenner* paid as above. With respect to my Beloved sons and Daughters, viz. Ezekiel Schoval, Hezekiah Schoval, Daniel Schoval, Sarah Brockway, and Mary Beckwith; I do give my movables to be equally divided, considering that each of them had as portion when they Divide, and that their Brother Nathan Schoval is to come in with them in the Division Equal as above as may be mentioned hereafter__ this to be noted that mother's to keep [such] as she shall need tp keep house with all till her Disceased, and ___ Divided. Unto my Beloved son Thomas Schoval I do give and Be­queath My Tenements and Land after my wifes Decease as above sd, or to come in the possession threof before provided his mother shall marry again.

To my Beloved son Nathan Schoval I do give to come in with his other Brothers and sisters mentioned together an equal part of my moveable estate within the same Terms and in the same manner as before mentioned of them.
Signed, Sealed, Published and Pronounced this to be my Last will and Testmt, cancealing all former wills and Testaments. In Testimony whereof I do set my hand and seal the Day and Date before mentioned. . . . "


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Stephen married Sarah CHAMPION, daughter of Thomas CHAMPION and Hannah BROCKWAY, on 4 Nov 1705 ²⁵².^,253 (Sarah CHAMPION was born on 8 Mar 1687-1688 in Lyme, CT ²⁶¹.)