Simon Hoyt1,2,3,4,5,6

M, b. before 20 January 1589/90, d. 1 April 1657
     Simon was born in Dorchester, Dorchestershire, England. He was christened there on 20 January 1589/90. He was the son of John Hoyt and Ruth (?) Simon married Deborah Stowers, daughter of Walter Stowers, on 12 December 1612 in Dorchester, Dorchestershire, England. Deborah died sometime after the birth of her last child and before the family immigrated in 1628, leaving Simon a widower. On 20 June 1628, Simon & his wife, Deborah, left from Weymouth, England aboard the ship, "Abigail", |They were accompanied by the Stowers, Spragues & the to be govenor of Massachustts Bay Colony, John Endicott. They arrived at Naumkeag [now Salem, Massachusetts] in September of 1628.7 He immediately left Salem and became one of the first settler at Charleston where he was admitted freeman on 18 May 1631 along with his brother-in-law, Nicholas Stowers.
He only stayed for at most two years. Then he is found residing in Dorchester where it is noted on 3 April 1633 as being responsible for the building of a fence, and on 6 January 1634, he and two other residents are ordered to divide land amongst themselves. Then, Simon was given the position of Fenceviewer 8 October 1633 and 24 May 1634.8 Simon married 2nd Susanna Smith on 2 April 1635 in Scituate, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. He must have moved to Scituate as he and Susanna were admitted to the church there on 19 April 1635. Three years later in 1639, Simon left Situate for Windsor, Conn., where he had four score acres of land granted him by the plantation Feb. 28, 1640. By 1649 he had gone to Fairfield, Conn. Before his death, he moved to Stamford, Conn. Here a document is recorded as to the agreement in the distribution of his estate. Simon was a member of the Society of Friends or the "Quakers". Simon departed this life on Sunday, 1 April 1657 in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut. The chronicles of the time give us some idea of the hardships endured by the first settlers of Charlestown and Dorchester - they suffered many hardships; the conspiracy of the Indians to put off the English, whenever one was working to build the fort, and perils of pestilence and famine, when they were compelled to live on clams, muscles, and fish. Simon experienced this seven times as he moved from one settlement to another, and at very least he was one of the first white men at each of these locations.

Children of Simon Hoyt and Deborah Stowers

Children of Simon Hoyt and Susanna Smith

Citations

  1. [S17] Donald Lines Jacobus, History & Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, Volume 1: pages 293-295.
  2. [S102] Parish Records of Upway, Dorchester, Dorset, England.
  3. [S86] David Webster Hoyt, Genealogical History of the Hoyt, Haight, Hight families.., page 286 - no.(2601) SIMON HOYT.-- The earliest mention of the name of Simon Hoyt in this country is the following, from the records of Charlestown, Mass. : -
    "The Inhabitants yt: first setled in this place & brought it into the de-nomination of An English Towne were in Anno 1628 [1629 ?] as foll: viz. Ralph Sprague, Richd Sprague, William Sprague, John Meech, Simon Hoyte, Abra: Palmer, Walter Palmer, Nicholas Stowers, John Stickline, Tho: Walford (smith yt: lived heere alone before), Mr: Graves (who had charge of some of the servts. of the Company of Patentees with whom hee built the great house this yeare. for such of the sd Company as are shortly to come over which afterwards became the Meeting house), and Mr: Bright (Minister to the Companies Servants), by whome it was Jointly agreed & concluded yt: this place on the north side of Charles River by the natives called Mishawum shall henceforth from the name of the River bee called Charlestowne, wch was also confirmed by Mr John Endicutt Governour."
    As only one name stands between the Spragues and Simon Hoyte on the Charlestown records, he was undoubtedly one of the "three or four others" who accompanied them from Salem to Charlestown, and he may have come to Salem in the same vessel with them.
    It appears, therefore, that Simon Hoyt landed in Salem in 1628 or 1629, perhaps by-the Abigail or the George, and very soon, in 1628 or 1629, probably the latter year, went to Charlestown as one of its first settlers. He could not have remained there more than a year or two, however, if he was one of the first settlers of Dorchester, in 1630.* His name does not afterwards appear at Charlestown, but is found - on the Dorchester records several times, as follows : - April 3, 1633, Symon Hoite is given on a list as having two cows, and is therefore required to put up 40 feet of fence on the marsh. Oct. 8, 1633...
    page 310 - (2609)VIII. A DAUGHTER,2 b. ; m. Thomas Lyon. Perhaps he lived in Fairfield, and entered there, Jan. 12, 1658, land " purchased of Symon Hoyt of Stamford" [p. 289]. By the agreement of 1674 [p. 291], Thomas Lyon and Samuel Finch were to have the horses running in the woods of Norwalk.
    (2610) IX. A DAUGHTER-12 b. ; m. Samuel Finch. In 16.65 he signed a receipt for his wife's full portion of Simon Hoyte's estate ; also the agreement of 1674.
    (2611) X. A DAUGHTER,2 b. ; m. Samuel Firman. March 25, 1662, he signed a receipt in which he says, I "aquit my mother hoyt" "of all demands of father's estate as having received my full portion." Joshua Hoyte was a witness. By the agreement of 1674 [p. 291], Sam. Firman was to have the horses running in Fairfield limits.
    page 291 - It seems that Simon Hoyt left a widow named Susanna, who married .a Bates," and died before Feb., 1674. From the fact that a Smith at Scituate is called his brother, it appears that either Simon, or a sister of his, married a Smith. It is probable that Simon had two wives, ...
    page 292 - From all that has been learned about Simon Hoyt, it is evident that he must have been born before 1600, probably as early as 1595. Hence he was probably thirty or thirty-five years of age at the time of coming to America, and sixty or sixty-five at the time of his death. ... It also appears that he was an early settler of seven different towns in New England; and in most of them he was one of the first white residents.
  4. [S431] Alpha H. Ruf, Haight, Eddy, Sumner, Hatch and Allied Families Genealogy and Biography, page 565 -.
  5. [S432] Lyon Memorial, page 279 - The following records were taken from the parish church at Upwey. Eng., by Cornelius Haight of Fishkill, Dutchess Co., N. Y. Simon Hoyt, son of John and Ruth Hoyt, was born at Dorchester, Eng. Jan. 20, 1590, and died Sept. 1, 1657 at Stamford, Conn. He married first at Parish church. Upway, 1612, Deborah Stowers, daughter of Walter Stowers. She was born at Dorchester, May 1, 1593, bapt. Upway parish church, June 5, 1593. Date and place of death not known. Simon married second, after coming to America, Susanna Smith, who survived him. She married second Bates, and died about 1674 at Stamford. Conn. By his first wife, Deborah, Simon had (born in England):
    1. John, b. March 12, 1614 (m. Mary      ; settled in Rye. N. Y.; will dated Aug. 29, 1684); 2. Walter, b. June 9. 1616, d 1695-6; m. ; 3. Thomas (adopted the name "Hyat"), b. Sept. 20. 1618; d. Sept. 9, 1656; 4. Deborah; b. Aug. 9. 1620; d. June 3, 1628;. Nicholas; b. Nov. I1. 1622; d. July 7, 1655; m. June 12. 1646, Susanna Joyce, widow;
    6. Ruth; b. Jan. 2, 1625. By his second wife, Susanna. he had (born in America) ; 7. Moses, b. about 1627;m. Elizabeth res. Eastchester, N. Y.; 8. Joshua; b. about 1640; d. 1690; m. Mary Bell; 9. Samuel, b. about 1642: d. April 7, 1720; m 1st. Nov. 16. 1671, Hannah Holly; m. 2nd, Sept. 20, 1714, Rebecca Gold; m. 3rd Hannah Gold; 10. Benjamin; b. Feb. 2, 1644; d. Jan. 26. 1735-6; m. Jan. 5, 1670, Hannah Weed; 11. Mary; m. Thomas Lyon (No. 1);
    12.      m. Samuel Finch; 13. Miriam m. Samuel Firman.

    In 1625 Simon Hoyt, accompanied by his brother-in-law Nicholas Stowers. and the Spragues, who also were from Upwey in Dorset, came to America, in the ship "Abigail" with Governor John Endicott, arriving at Salem. Mass. Sept. 6. in 1629 he went to Charlestown. In 1630 he was in Dorchester, his name appearing in the records as Simon
    Hoit. In 1635 he was at Scituate where he with his wife, Susanna Smith. joined the Church. In 1639 he went to Windsor. Conn., where he had four score acres of land granted him by the plantation Feb. 28, 1640. A house lot was granted him in Fairfield. March 1649. and his name appears in a list of the pioneers of Stamford. In the Stamford Town Records there is on file an interesting document relating to the distribution of his estate. It is dated 1. 12 mo. 1674, and signed by her several sons and sons-in-law, as follows: Moses Hoyt, Joshua Hoyt, Samuel Hoyt, Benjamin Hoyt. Thomas Lyon. Samuel ffinch, Samuel Firman. Witnesses Abram Finch and Jonas Seely.
  6. [S457] Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633 Volume I -III, Note - Mr. Anderson states that Simon Hoyt came form Somersetshire. Simon was born in the parish of Upwey in Dorchestershire and married Deborah, daughter of Walter Stowers, also form that parish. Simon immigrated with Deborah's brother, Nicholas to MassachusettsHe did marry, second, Susannah Smith, as stated by Anderson. The information on Simon's residences as noted by Mr. Anderson are also correct. Donald Lines Jacobus in Families of Old Fairfield gives the correct information.
  7. [S457] Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633 Volume I -III.
  8. [S2479] Simon Hoyt, 1029.